I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Inside the view, an old Taoist priest with snow-haired but ruddy complexion is sitting on a futon, flipping through a Taoist scripture with yellowed pages.

"This Taoist priest, the disciple is being polite." Pei Xiang saluted and said hello.

The old Taoist looked away from the book, first glanced at the little white fox on Pei Xiang's shoulder with a smile, and then got up to return the salute.

He seemed to have a hearty and bold temper, and he didn't put on airs. He talked directly to Pei Xiang.

Pei Xiang has only read a few Taoist classics that have been widely circulated, and he doesn't know much about more in-depth and detailed theoretical knowledge. Now hearing the words of this Taoist priest, he only feels that his words are mysterious, penetrating, and very insightful.

She was fascinated by what she heard, and sometimes she didn't understand something, and she didn't hide her lack of knowledge. She asked very straightforward questions, and the old Taoist patiently answered them.Sometimes it is necessary to quote from the classics and argue in detail, so he slows down his speech to give Pei Xiang time to think and understand.

After the two talked for a while, the little white fox suddenly called out, and then he jumped up from Pei Xiang's shoulder like lightning, and disappeared in the Taoist temple in an instant.

"Hey, Ah Bai..."

Pei Xiang couldn't call back his little friend, so he had to apologize to the old Taoist priest.

The old Taoist shook his head with a smile, saying it was okay.

"Little friend's spirit fox looks quite clever. It must have had its own thoughts when it left suddenly. By the way, why did little friend appear here?"

Pei Xiang immediately took the opportunity to explain his reason for coming.

The old Taoist priest heard that Pei Xiang had the idea of ​​worshiping a teacher and seeking Taoism, so he didn't immediately refuse, but said:

"Cultivating the Tao is hard work. I'm afraid that you will be spoiled and spoiled. You will not be able to bear the hardships, and you will not be able to bear the loneliness in the mountains, and you will regret it halfway."

Pei Xiang's eyes were clear and firm, and he said loudly: "The disciple is determined and willing to accept the test."

The old Taoist looked Pei Xiang up and down, pondered for a while, and finally nodded in agreement with her:

"So, you can stay here first. However, your brothers and sisters are all men, and it is not convenient for you to live with them. Let me arrange a separate residence for you."

"It's all up to Master to arrange."

The old Taoist waved his hand: "I'm not your master yet. After you pass the test, someone will lead you in."

"May I ask how to address the Daoist?"

"Just call me the old Taoist Wei Zhu."

"Master Wei Zhu, the little girl's surname is Pei, and her name is Xiang."

The two were talking, Taoist Weizhu led Pei Xiang out of the back door of the Taoist temple, and walked towards the bamboo forest not far away.

Along the way, following Taoist Wei Zhu's instructions, many houses and courtyards gradually appeared in front of Pei Xiang's eyes, not just the dilapidated Taoist temple that he saw when he climbed to the top of the mountain.This undulating building has a beautiful atmosphere. Occasionally, if you look inside the door, you can see traces of people living inside.

"Your senior brothers all live here, and eat here. Except for the different residences, your daily work and study and recitation are exactly the same as other people who come to seek the Tao."

"The disciple took it down."

Pei Xiang followed Weizhu Taoist through the bamboo forest, and saw a narrow waterfall pouring down from the cliff, and then gathered into a clear green pool, with flowers and trees scattered around the pool, and fish swimming in the pool, which looked very fresh gratifying.

The two bypassed the pool and waterfall, climbed up the steps, walked for about a quarter of an hour, and the scenery suddenly opened up.

A flat open space appeared in front of Pei Xiang's eyes out of thin air. There were many exotic flowers and plants that Pei Xiang had never seen before. Just smelling it made him feel refreshed and comfortable.

"Not everyone can come here. Like you, those disciples outside are lay disciples who have not yet entered the inner sect. Only after passing the test and entering the inner sect can you enter and exit the spiritual realm behind the waterfall."

Hearing this, Pei Xiang couldn't help but think to himself, in the world outside, men are superior to women, and all the benefits are controlled by men. I didn't expect that in this place of cultivation, I would take advantage of my status as a woman.

——Since this is the case, you should work harder and not let down this luck.

Pei Xiang followed Taoist Weizhu along the way, passing through a flat area full of exotic flowers and grasses, bypassing a huge and towering unknown old tree, and saw a steep stone step carved out of the edge of a steep slope. The steps go down, leading to a deep valley.

When he came here, Taoist Wei Zhu stopped moving forward, but let Pei Xiang go to the valley by himself.

"There is a newly built bamboo house in the valley. No one has lived in it yet, but it has all the daily utensils. You can live there temporarily."

Pei Xiang bowed again, Taoist Wei Zhu waved his hand: "At a quarter o'clock tomorrow, gather by the waterfall, and someone will tell you what to do.

If you can't hold on anymore, go to the previous Taoist temple and call my Taoist name. When the time comes, the old Taoist will naturally send you out of the mountain. "

"The disciple made a note. By the way, before the disciple entered the mountain, he had made an agreement with the escort, saying that after he found the fairy fate, he would try to inform them so that everyone could return with peace of mind. I don't know if the fairy master has a way Summons?"

Taoist Weizhu made up his mind and said, "Don't worry, the poor Taoist will send a message for you."

After the old Taoist finished speaking, he left blithely. Pei Xiang glanced at his back, and always felt that he was taller and straighter, like a tall and tall young man, not like the slightly crooked figure he saw at first .

Doubts flashed by, and she followed the directions of Taoist Wei Zhu, and stepped on the stone steps to the valley.

The stone steps were steep and covered with moss. Pei Xiang walked very carefully, keeping her head down and looking at the road under her feet. After she finished walking the last step and breathed a sigh of relief, she thought about looking up at the scenery in the valley.

At this glance, two brand new exquisite and beautiful bamboo houses attracted attention.

Pei Xiang hesitated for a moment, then stepped heavily, and walked to the bamboo house on the left with the door slightly open.She tried to knock on the door, but when no one answered, she opened the door and entered.

The space inside the bamboo house is small, and the furniture inside is simple but not crude. Beds, tables, chairs and stools, bamboo frames and bamboo boxes, curtains, bedding, and washing utensils are all complete, and they are very clean, and they don’t look like they have been used.

Pushing open the rear window, there is a small stream meandering not far away, with sparkling water, luxuriant grass on both sides, dotted with colorful flowers and reds, the breeze blows, and the scent of flowers and water vapor hits, making people watching the scenery by the window Immediately feel relaxed and happy.

After Pei Xiang happily looked at the beautiful scenery outside the window for a while, he reluctantly looked away.

She looked carefully inside and outside the house, and once again confirmed that there was no trace of use or living in the bamboo house, so she decided to live here.She unloaded the luggage and began to pack and arrange personal clothing.

Just as she was lowering her head to do something, a melodious and clear sound of the flute reached her ears.

Pei Xiang was stunned for a moment, then slowly stopped what he was doing, and listened carefully.

After a while, the music gradually slowed down, she got up and walked to the back window, looking in the direction of the flute sound.

Under an old green tree by the stream, a tall man in white shirt and red robe was playing the flute. When the wind blew by, the sleeves of the man's robe fluttered and his ink hair fluttered, showing a feeling of wanting to ride the wind and go away. a sense of floating.

This picture of a beautiful man playing the flute under a tree made Pei Xiang, who was overlooking from a distance, subconsciously touch his chest.

——As expected of the land of the Immortal Family, there will be a test on the first day. I don’t have a Dao heart yet, so I feel a little unstable...

At this time, the man playing the flute in the distance seemed to have noticed Pei Xiang's gaze, and looked back in the direction of the bamboo house. He obviously couldn't see the facial features of the other party, but Pei Xiang somehow felt that he was caught by a pair of extremely beautiful eyes. His eyes gazed tenderly.

Just when she was in a daze, the man under the tree put down the flute in his hand and drifted towards Pei Xiang's direction.Yes, it was drifting. The figure of this man who suddenly appeared flickered, but in the blink of an eye, he appeared near the bamboo house.

"This fairy teacher, but the disciple disturbed you?"

When Pei Xiang walked out of the room, he saw a man in a white shirt and a red robe standing in the open space in front of the bamboo house, holding a jade flute in his hand, and his black hair was loose.There was no superfluous expression on his gorgeous face, just indifferent and peaceful, he was quietly staring at somewhere in mid-air with distant eyes.

The man who seemed to have stepped out of the painting heard Pei Xiang's question, his brows moved slightly, his distant and erratic eyes gradually fell to the real place, and finally met Pei Xiang's eyes.

"Are you a new disciple? Who is your master?"

"The disciple just came here today, and has not yet had the honor to enter the inner sect, and has not yet had a master."

The handsome man frowned slightly: "How can you live in the valley before entering the inner gate?"

Pei Xiang explained Taoist Wei Zhu's arrangements for her in a few words.

After hearing this, the other party nodded lightly: "I see, then you can live here for the time being."

This person was probably reserved and reticent. After knowing the reason why Pei Xiang appeared in the valley, he didn't ask any more questions, turned around and was about to leave.

Seeing him walking towards another bamboo building, Pei Xiang knew that this person was her neighbor, so she hurriedly asked, "May I ask how to address the immortal master?"

"I am the senior brother of the master of this Taoist temple, and my Taoist name is Bai Jin."

"Daoist Bai Jin, Pei Xiang has just arrived here, and I am honored to live next to you, but I don't know what rules and taboos you have here, please let me know."

Bai Jin turned her head and glanced at Pei Xiang, with a noble and untainted expression on her face:

"I'm also a guest living here, and I have no right to make rules. If I feel that something is wrong, I will talk to you directly."

These words made Pei Xiang secretly heave a sigh of relief, and showed a friendly smile to Bai Jin.

After watching Taoist Bai Jin enter the door, Pei Xiang also returned to her bamboo house and continued to pack her luggage.

When it was getting late, Pei Xiang found that this bamboo house had its own lighting tools, and there were a kind of luminous stones inlaid in the corners around it. They would emit a suitable brightness with the change of the sky, which was more stable and brighter than candles. .

Pei Xiang rubbed his stomach, thinking about what to eat for dinner, and worrying about the whereabouts of the little white fox.

She walked out of the bamboo house again, tiptoed to look at the environment in the valley, and when she was thinking about whether to go out of the valley for food or go to the stream to catch fish, the door of the next bamboo house creaked open.

Bai Jin appeared in front of Pei Xiang again, and changed into another set of clothes.

This time, he was wearing a moon-white brocade gown with silver embroidery and a wide belt. His hair was no longer loosely loose, but was combed into a neat bun and tied with a shiny white jade crown.

Pei Xiang greeted with a smile, and Bai Jin nodded slightly.

"Miss Pei is blowing the evening breeze?"

Pei Xiang shook his head honestly: "No, I'm thinking about how to solve the dinner problem."

"Outside the valley..." Bai Jin paused for a moment, "Forget it, the food outside the valley is eaten by ordinary people, and the taste is mediocre, just barely satisfying the hunger, and it's not necessarily clean. Come with me, and I'll take you Go get something to eat."

Pei Xiang blinked his eyes, thinking to himself, it turned out that this exile-like Taoist priest was actually a person who was cold on the outside and hot on the inside.

"Thank you sir."

Pei Xiang followed behind Bai Jin, and found that the place he passed was covered with stars and fireflies, shining under his feet, which also reflected the embroidered patterns on his clothes.

Pei Xiang looked up along the shining embroidery pattern, glanced over her long legs, first saw Dao Chang's thin waist wearing a wide belt, and then her curvaceous, tall and powerful shoulders, her eyes followed the faintly bright embroidery pattern. The pattern slipped to the back collar of the man, and when he raised his eyes a little, he happened to see the delicate side face and light pink lips of the other party when he tilted his head.

The last glimpse of this soft pink made Pei Xiang's heart beat a little faster.

——At the beginning, I just wanted to see the luminous embroidery pattern clearly, I really didn't want to watch the figure of Daoist Bai Jin again, really!

The handsome Taoist priest who was sized up from toe to head seemed not to notice Pei Xiang's gaze. His steps were not hurried or slow, and his temperament was as graceful as a fairy, like green bamboos in the empty valley, and the moonlight in the cold river. , but not stained with mundane dust.

When Pei Xiang forced himself to look away from Daoist Bai Jin, he found that the two had come to the edge of the stream, standing under the tree where Bai Jin played the flute during the day.

Bai Jin clicked somewhere on the tree trunk, and saw countless branches hanging down from the big tree, attracting vines not far away, entangled into temporary tables and chairs in front of Pei Xiang, and then, a big food box appeared out of thin air On a rattan round table.

"Please sit down."

Pei Xiang didn't hide the curiosity in her eyes. She looked at everything in front of her with great interest, and before she could figure out how the big tree wove the tables and chairs so quickly, she was distracted by a strange and wonderful aroma of food.

Bai Jin opened the food box, and took out four delicious dishes and two bowls of golden rice, and finally brought out two bowls of fragrant soup.

"Miss Pei, please use it."

"Thank you, Daoist, for your hospitality."

Pei Xiang looked down at the vegetables on the plate, and found that none of them were familiar to her, but she was not worried that the person opposite would harm her with food.After all, with the ability shown by the other party, if you want to hurt her, there is no need for such trouble.

Pei Xiang took a sip of the soup first, and just after eating it, she squinted her eyes happily. She felt that her taste buds were greatly satisfied.

She restrained the urge to gobble it up, looked up at Bai Jin, and found that he was also concentrating on drinking the soup.

His fingers are slender and well-proportioned, his complexion is as white as jade, and he holds the spoon gracefully, but for no reason, Pei Xiang feels that the other party's serious expression of drinking soup is similar to that of a little white fox, although Ah Bai's fluffy little paws .

Thinking of Ah Bai who had gone somewhere, Pei Xiang became less excited to eat.

Normally, she wouldn't worry too much about her little friend.But this place is special, after all, it is a mysterious place where strange people live, and she is worried that Ah Bai will run into someone or something, and get hurt where she can't see.

"What's the matter, is something not to your taste?"

Pei Xiang quickly took a mouthful of food, and smiled apologetically.

"It's very delicious, I like it very much."

Bai Jin nodded and said nothing more.

The two continued to eat quietly, and after a while, the dishes were empty, and Pei Xiang was just full.

"Does the Taoist have dinner here every day?"

"I don't eat often. I just got interested today. I saw that you lived in Guzhong for the first time, so I invite you to have a meal together."

"I see."

Pei Xiang watched the dishes automatically fly back to the food box, and the food box suddenly disappeared out of thin air, so he quickly followed Bai Jin and stood up.Sure enough, when she got up together, the temporary table and chairs spread out again, and returned to the original state of branches and vines.

"It's amazing!" Pei Xiang sighed sincerely.

"If you have entered the inner sect and are not particularly dull, you can do the same in three to five years. It's just some simple spells."

"By virtue of the auspicious words, I hope I can succeed in cultivation."

Pei Xiang followed Bai Jin back, this time, she did not follow behind Bai Jin, but walked side by side with him.

"By the way, Daoist Bai Jin, can there be intelligent animals in this valley?"

"Have you raised it?"

"It's not considered raising," Pei Xiang tilted her head, and said of her little friend with a smile, "it's a little friend who came with me. After entering the mountains, he helped me more times, really. I can’t tell who is taking care of whom. When I saw Taoist Master Wei Zhu before, my companion ran away by himself, and now he’s gone. I’m worried that he will disturb the Taoist Master when he looks for me at night.”

Bai Jin listened very seriously. He looked down at the smiling Pei Xiang, and said lightly:

"I won't interfere with this kind of thing, but since it is an animal with enlightened intelligence, it is a demon clan, and it can be regarded as a fellow who has embarked on the road of cultivation. If he wants to live in the valley, he can build it himself. There is no need to live in the same place as you."

Pei Xiang could tell that Bai Jin's words meant that he treated A Bai as an independent and equal individual, and the smile in his eyes immediately became more real.

"Thank you, Daoist, for your thoughtful consideration. If I see Abai at night, I will ask him for his opinion. However, Abai has always been fond of acting like a baby and is very clingy. I guess he doesn't want to move out to live alone."

From an angle that Pei Xiang couldn't see, the noble and indifferent Daoist Bai Jin pursed his lips unnaturally.

"Ordinary monsters need to practice for many years if they want to develop their spiritual wisdom. The Abai you mentioned may be many years older than you, so why is he acting coquettishly clingy? You must have misunderstood his meaning, and he was probably worried. The one who always stays with you when you are in danger is definitely not the kind of unsteady monster clan."

Pei Xiang thought for a while, and felt that Bai Jin's statement was not quite correct:

"Actually, the coquettish and clingy personality is not necessarily related to age, some are born with it? I think Ah Bai quite likes to be rubbed and hugged by me.

"Besides, I have always believed that the age of the monster race and the age of the human race should not be treated the same. Those monster races who have cultivated for more than a hundred years and have just become spiritually intelligent or can change form, are actually not much different from the children of the human race? Maybe the intelligence They are much higher in strength and strength, but in terms of mental growth, they lack a lot."

Having said that, Pei Xiang sighed lightly:

"Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many stories about vixens falling in love with scholars. In most folklore, vixens are so easy to deceive, they are simply silly little girls."

Bai Jin found it difficult to answer this question. He didn't know whether to emphasize that Ah Bai was mature and not clingy and didn't like rubbing and hugging, or whether he should agree with Pei Xiang's argument in the second half, that some vixens who fell in love with scholars were really Silly and sweet.

Bai Jin was silent for a while, and Pei Xiang took it as his acquiescence to her words, and asked the cold-faced and soft-hearted Taoist priest about some things about the monster race's transformation.

"Does it take some chance to transform into a human form? Or when the time is up, they will be able to change form naturally."

"There are many kinds of monster races, each with its own characteristics. For example, the old tree by our stream has been born with wisdom for many years, but because of the characteristics of the race, within the last 200 years, he has not been able to change form. Yes, you can't even leave the place by the stream. But some monster clans are different, such as the fox clan, the fox clan with sufficient bloodlines are born with intelligence, and after growing a second tail, they can transform into human form .”

Pei Xiang immediately thought of Ah Bai's big fluffy tail, and sighed regretfully: "Did the second tail grow out little by little, or all at once?"

Bai Jin was very patient with this topic, he explained to Pei Xiang some common sense of the fox clan.

Pei Xiang nodded thoughtfully: "Ah, so, that is to say, before the third tail grows, each tail grows little by little. But after the third tail, if you want to grow a tail, you have to After accepting the thunder tribulation and succeeding in the tribulation, a new tail will appear all at once."

Bai Jin hummed lightly.

The two talked while walking, and even though they all slowed down in unison, they still reached the door of the bamboo house.

Pei Xiang felt that the conversation was more than enough, but the other party's eyebrows were light, and he left immediately after saying goodbye.

At night, Pei Xiang found a wooden bucket that could automatically emit hot water in the room, and cheered softly.While secretly thanking the unknown person who prepared the bamboo house, she took a comfortable bath.

When she brushed her hair and walked out of the screen, she found that Abai, who had been worrying her before, had also returned, lying lazily by the window, as if admiring the night outside the window.

At this moment, Pei Xiang suddenly felt that Ah Bai was already a mature and elegant vixen. Seeing his calm and leisurely posture when admiring the night, people would definitely not dare to underestimate him.

She murmured what Daoist Bai Jin said in her heart, and couldn't help but wonder if she had misunderstood Ah Bai before. He is really a stable, reliable and mature little friend, not a little fox who likes to have his ears rubbed and his paws pinched?

A Bai turned his head and glanced at Pei Xiang, his tail twitched.

Pei Xiang came up to him, tentatively stretched out his hand and grabbed his tail, and rua rua again.Then, she noticed that Ah Bai's blue fox eyes were slightly bent, obviously enjoying it.

So, Pei Xiang scratched Ah Bai's jaw again. As expected, Ah Bai's expression became softer. Although he tried his best to appear unmoved, he couldn't hide from Pei Xiang's observation.

"Ah Bai, I inquired about it today. The Daoist Bai Jin next door said that after you grow a second tail, you can transform."

Abai said he knew about it.

So, Pei Xiang approached with a smile, deliberately teasing Ah Bai: "Hey, do you feel like you have a long tail recently? Would you like me to check it for you? I heard that when the second tail just grew out, it looked like a rabbit's tail , a small fluffy mass."

Ah Bai instantly pricked up his ears, with a frightened look in his eyes, and with a light leap, he moved away from Pei Xiang, expressing very clearly that he did not allow Pei Xiang to "check" him.

Pei Xiang chuckled and quickly said that she was joking, but when she turned around, she muttered:

"It can be seen that Daoist Bai Jin is wrong. Abai is obviously a child, and he likes to be rubbed by me. Look at his speed. If he really wanted to reject me, he would have run away long ago."

Pei Xiang, who turned around, didn't see the expression of the little white fox behind her who said "I have nothing to love". She was busy preparing the clothes for the next day, and she didn't forget to ask A Bai:

"Ah Bai, where did you go during the day? This place is not ordinary, there are Taoist priests with tricks everywhere, you have to be careful, you know? If you find danger, don't resist hard, if you can't beat it, run away, understand? "

Abai drooped his ears and let out a low cry.

Pei Xiangcai didn't care how dissatisfied this arrogant vixen was, in short, while laying out the bedding, she "educated" Ah Bai how to behave, and said a few words to him, "If you keep the green hills, you won't have to worry about firewood".

At night, when Pei Xiang was lying on the bed and was about to fall asleep, the surrounding light gradually dimmed, and Ah Bai still occupied the position next to Pei Xiang's pillow.

"Hey, Abai, do you want to go out and live alone?"

In the dark, Pei Xiang pinched A Bai's front paw, and A Bai's throat made a comfortable grunt.

Pei Xiang waited and knew that her little friend didn't want to move. She couldn't help but smiled, and slowly fell asleep holding Abai's paw.