Dao Cheng Gui Xian

Chapter 176 The Donkey Taoist

Li Wushou breathed a long sigh of relief.
The good mood I had been enjoying throughout the trip vanished without a trace.

Fortunately, although "fellow traveler" doesn't sound very nice here, it's still better than "traveler".

"Pfft~ Pfft~!"

Two suppressed laughs echoed in my mind, followed by a burst of wild laughter.

The old beggar with teeth marks all over his face and Chen Gou'er, whose body had just been pieced back together, were laughing so hard they were rolling around on the floor inside the Three Immortals Pavilion.

Li Wushou ignored the lively commotion inside the Three Immortals Pavilion. He had intended to seriously correct the other party, explaining that this was a horse! It was just that because the horse's legs were of different lengths, he had adjusted it a few times, and it was now slightly shorter!

But after looking at the stubborn donkey being led by the short, stout Taoist priest, Li Wushou gave up.

You don't know until you compare them. After comparing them, he himself had to admit that his horse-like face really did look more like a donkey than a horse!
"***"

Li Wushou cursed inwardly and dismounted from the donkey!
Then he looked ahead at the man and the donkey.

This short, stout Taoist priest had a round face, small eyes, and a mustache. When he spoke, his eyes darted around, revealing a cunning glint in them.

At first glance, he doesn’t look like a good person!
Li Wushou muttered to himself, but politely said, "Li Wushou greets fellow Daoist!"

The short, stout Taoist priest was taken aback. No Taoist name?

He noticed that Li Wushou was wearing a rather magnificent yin-yang robe and was riding a short paper donkey, so he must be a person with Taoist magic.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that although the person was dressed in a Taoist robe, their hair was casually combed back. While they possessed a certain elegance and nonchalance, they were somewhat different from ordinary wandering Taoist priests.

However, it's hard to say for sure; the fact that the other party could swagger around in a short paper donkey is no ordinary person.

This kind of aesthetic, and some quirks, are normal!
The short, stout Taoist priest dared not make a hasty judgment, and also solemnly clasped his hands in return to Li Wushou, saying:
"This humble Taoist, Donkey Taoist, greets Fellow Taoist Li. You are very kind to me."

Li Wushou was taken aback by what he heard. He subconsciously glanced at the paper horse beside him and suspected that the other party was cursing.

Seemingly sensing Li Wushou's confusion, the Donkey Taoist slightly raised his mustache and explained with a smile:
"I have a great fondness for donkeys, hence this Taoist name. I hope you will forgive my ignorance."

Li Wushou suddenly realized something, and glanced discreetly at the donkey behind the Donkey Taoist.

Just now in the forest, this donkey was very stubborn, constantly struggling with the donkey-walker. It was only by using brute force that the donkey-walker managed to pull it to the side of the road.

The moment the Donkey Taoist saw Li Wushou, he patted a talisman on his donkey's belly. The talisman was extremely small and difficult for ordinary people to see, but Li Wushou could see it clearly.

Then the donkey stood bowed behind the donkey Taoist, looking quite obedient.

But Li Wushou saw a complex look in the other person's lowered eyes.

It seemed to carry a hint of fear and anger?
Those eyes didn't look like a donkey's, they looked more like a human's!

Li Wushou's mind stirred, and he stared intently at it. It was indeed a donkey, and it didn't seem to have any evil aura.

But this donkey inexplicably exudes a hint of evil. What kind of magic is it?
Seeing that Li Wushou was lost in thought and remained silent, the Donkey Taoist kept looking at his donkey.

Without making a sound, he took a step forward, blocking the donkey's path. A wary glint appeared in his small eyes, but he chuckled and asked Li Wushou:
"Fellow Daoist Li, where are you headed? I've been staying in Huangmao Village for over ten years, and this is the first time I've met you."

Upon seeing this, Li Wushou immediately composed himself.

I was somewhat speechless. Was he worried that I was eyeing his donkey? Or was he worried that I would discover something?
Upon hearing the question from the donkey-wielding Taoist, Li Wushou didn't mince words and answered frankly:
“I am going to White Bone Mountain, which is sixty miles away. I have never been to Huangmao Village before.”

Li Wushou wasn't lying; the last time he came to White Bone Mountain to have bones implanted, he didn't take this route.

Upon hearing this, the Donkey Taoist was first startled, then his expression turned to one of delight.

"Is Fellow Daoist Li also going to celebrate Master Zhu's birthday?"

The moment he finished speaking, the Donkey Taoist glanced at Li Wushou again. Why didn't he bring a gift to celebrate Zhu Junzi's birthday?

Could it be? The donkey-man was startled! Could it be that the other party possessed a storage treasure?
Li Wushou never expected the Donkey Taoist to say such a thing: "Bamboo Gentleman's birthday celebration?"
It's such a pity. He didn't know about this before. If he had known earlier, he would have packed up the bell from the ancestral hall of the Luotou clan and sent it to him.

Thinking this in his heart, he said it aloud to the donkey Taoist:
"I really am thinking of paying a visit to Mr. He Zhujun!"

Upon seeing Li Wushou's confirmation, the Donkey Taoist's face lit up with joy, as if he were somewhat excited:
"I thought that our shared love for donkeys was already a rare destiny between us, but I never expected such a coincidence. Tomorrow, I will also be representing Huangmao Village to go to Baigu Mountain to celebrate Zhu Junzi's birthday."

Li Wushou's brow twitched upon hearing this, and he suppressed the urge to hit someone, echoing:
"It really is fate."

The Donkey Taoist, somewhat excited, pulled on his donkey and invited Li Wushou:

"We'll reach the village inn of Huangmao Village about five miles ahead. Fellow Daoist Li, please come with me to stay for the night. How about we head to White Bone Mountain together tomorrow?"

Li Wushou's face showed a hint of difficulty at the opportune moment, and he hesitated before speaking:
"But I'm away from home. Oh, but I need to get to White Bone Mountain as soon as possible."

A glint flashed in the Donkey Taoist's eyes. Leaving home? His elders gave him instructions when he left home?

This Li Wushou has an extraordinary air about him, and his clothes are gorgeous, so he must come from a good family.

The fact that the family could get in touch with Zhu Junzi shows that they have some ability.

However, his frequent display of joy and disbelief in concealing his true feelings demonstrates his lack of experience in the ways of the world.

However, the other party's words and actions did not resemble those of a true scion of a noble family. This was easy to discern; who would even give a true scion of a noble family a second glance?
In summary, Donkey Taoist believes that Li Wushou is most likely from a small family with some wealth, and this is probably one of the few times he has gone out alone.

So his family told him to head straight for White Bone Mountain and not to cause any trouble along the way.

But since this family was willing to let him go to White Bone Mountain alone, it means that Li Wushou is quite capable, or perhaps his family has given him some kind of protective measures.
With a quick glance, the Donkey Taoist advised Li Wushou:
"With your short, paper donkey-like speed, even if you didn't stop running, it would be late at night by the time you reached White Bone Mountain."

"Leaving aside the safety concerns of traveling at night, which I believe your family has already made arrangements for, if you arrive at White Bone Mountain in the middle of the night, you won't be able to visit Master Zhu. It would be better if you rested with me at the village inn for the night, and we could set off early tomorrow morning, arriving just in time." Li Wushou nodded repeatedly, seemingly agreeing, and murmured softly as he listened:

"That's true, this way we can save some trouble."

The donkey-man's eyes lit up. Save some methods? These methods are consumables?

Seeing that Li Wushou was still hesitating, the Donkey Taoist advised again:

"Today, upon meeting Fellow Daoist Li, I feel an instant connection, as if we've known each other for a long time. This is the first time in all these years that I've met someone who loves donkeys as much as I do. I have a lot of experience in raising donkeys, and I'm eager to share it with you. Shall we have a candlelit chat tonight?"

"Hahaha……"

The old beggar inside the Three Immortals Pavilion laughed until tears streamed down his face!

Chen Gou'er didn't quite understand, but after hearing about raising donkeys, he glanced again at the short-legged donkey that Li Wushou had broken off, and then burst into laughter.

"Whoo~"

Li Wushou breathed a sigh of relief. He never expected that the Taoist priest would come up with such a big surprise for him.

Even though he had studied the acting skills and manners of a beggar, he almost couldn't hold back at this moment.

Little did he know, the Taoist priest opposite him thought he had struck a chord with Li Wushou, and seeing Li Wushou's fluctuating emotions, he spoke again:

"Fellow Daoist Li, actually, besides the care of donkeys, there's also the issue of donkey mating and reproduction..."

Li Wushou quickly waved his hand to interrupt, then mounted his short-legged paper donkey and said to the donkey-wielding Taoist:
"Thank you for leading the way, fellow traveler. We will follow your advice and rest at the village inn tonight, and set off together tomorrow."

"Alright! I'll lead the way right away!"

The donkey-walker was overjoyed upon hearing this. He leaped up and was already sitting on the donkey's back. Although he was short and stout, he was quite agile.

The stubborn donkey let out a mournful bray, but under the control of the talisman, it obediently walked ahead and led the way.

The Taoist priest on the donkey's back secretly praised himself for accurately grasping Li Wushou's interests.

I was too clever for my own good. I spent more than ten years in Huangmao Village, spending all my time with those stupid villagers. Everyone on the trail was afraid that I would become stupid. Fortunately, I still have the same charm as before!

Donkey Taoist silently gave himself a thumbs up, but then again, it wasn't hard to guess Fellow Taoist Li's preferences.

After all, who would ride such an ugly donkey on the road if they didn't really like it?
Li Wushou followed behind the donkey-walking Taoist, his eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

When the donkey raised its head, its lips were blood red, and when it brayed, there were still a few strands of meat stuck between its teeth.

Because he had been intently observing the donkey, Li Wushou saw it clearly.

The texture of the shredded meat was exactly the same as that of human flesh.

This donkey just ate someone!

The camera subtly panned upwards, scanning deeper into the woods, and finally noticed something amiss on the path the man and donkey had taken.

Deep in the forest, a finger lay among the fallen leaves, and not far away, a mangled corpse lay scattered on the ground.

The teeth marks on the corpse were large and blunt, and judging from the scene, the person was eating very comfortably and seemed unhurried.

Considering the shredded meat in the donkey's mouth, it's obvious who ate it.

So, the Donkey Taoist was just subduing this man-eating donkey?

That's why the two are constantly vying for dominance in the forest?

Li Wushou felt something was off, especially the donkey's eyes.

Moreover, the Taoist priest, upon realizing that he was searching for the donkey, subtly concealed his gaze several times.

If he really did tame a man-eating donkey, he should just say so openly. Why hide it?
But the Donkey Taoist not only remained silent about it, but also kept probing his own limits.

Upon hearing that he was going to White Bone Mountain, his desire to explore only intensified.

Am I being studied by someone?

Fortunately, Li Wushou immediately cooperated and handed over some information and responses to the donkey Taoist.

He wanted to see what this donkey-walking man was up to.
At the same time, I also wanted to see if I could get some information about the White Bone Bamboo Gentleman from the other party.

Of course, there was another thing he didn't want to admit: he wanted to find out exactly what was going on with the donkey.

These things were not difficult for Li Wushou, who was well-versed in the acting skills of a beggar. Judging from the Donkey Taoist's lighthearted expression at this moment, the other party was obviously very satisfied.

Just then, the hiker leading the way casually remarked with concern:
"Fellow Daoist Li, have you prepared any gifts for the birthday celebration at White Bone Mountain?"

Li Wushou nodded subconsciously, "I have indeed prepared some congratulatory gifts. What about Fellow Daoist Donkey?"

Seeing Li Wushou nod, the Donkey Taoist looked Li Wushou up and down again. There was nowhere on his body to put anything, so it seemed that he really did have a storage treasure.

Recalling their conversation, Donkey Daoist couldn't help but sigh, "This Fellow Daoist Li really has no sense of caution at all. Such a novice is a rare sight indeed!"
The Taoist priest squeezed his donkey's belly, a broad smile spreading across his face, and greeted Li Wushou warmly:

Haha, I just finished preparing mine too!

(End of this chapter)