I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 273 Mermaid Seeking the Daoist

Following the yaksha's lead, Li Bai and his companions walked deep into the main hall.

We walked and looked around.

Some of these guests transformed into human form, appearing to be dressed as reclusive scholars.

Wearing a cloth headscarf and a feather fan, he chatted and laughed with a carefree expression.

Some people, with their clothes open, casually held wine cups, glancing back every now and then, and speaking offhand, began to offer advice on the cultivation methods of shrimp and crabs.

Most of them are still in their original aquatic form.

The mermaid played a zither, conversing from afar with a gigantic friend who resembled both a snake and a dragon. The alligator dragon sat on the water plants, clutching a wine jar, completely drunk and unconscious.

A toad embraces the moon, and a clam opens and closes.

Li Bai watched intently, glancing around at the guests at the banquet as he walked.

Li Bai also pointed to Yuan Danqiu.

"Why is there a king or nobleman over there?"

Following the direction of his finger.

It was a man dressed in the fine robes of a marquis, having wine poured for him by his attendant. The man noticed their gaze and looked over as well, his expression dignified.

Seeing the popularity they exuded, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

He then continued drinking with others, and it's unclear whether he heard what they were saying.

Yuan Danqiu touched his chest and guessed:
"Perhaps he was a king or nobleman in life. Or perhaps he was a member of the nobility in Chang'an who drowned and then attained enlightenment through cultivation after death."

The group quietly observed the man and, based on his clothing and accessories, whispered that he was an ancient person from hundreds of years ago.

Attending a banquet today.

The wonders that unfolded there far surpassed the mundane.

Not to mention Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu, even the two young disciples, Sanshui and Chuyi, for a moment forgot the excitement of the lifting of the curfew in Chang'an. They peeked into the underwater palace, looked at the other guests, and watched the singing and dancing in the hall, which seemed like celestial music.

Even when they were invited to their seats, the two were still in a daze.

She tugged at her junior brother's sleeve and whispered.

"So there really is a Dragon Palace!"

The two children's eyes were bright and sparkling.

The group looked up and saw the man in blue sitting in front of them, hearing their voices.

Turning back, I raised my glass and smiled.

Seeing this, the others at the table exchanged glances.

The Serpent River Lord raised his wine cup and looked at the mortals.

"Do you know that person?"

In the eyes of the Serpent River Lord, these people were no different from ordinary people, kings and generals in Chang'an City. They were just slightly more spiritually aroused and might have some aptitude for cultivation, but they had not yet entered the Daoist path.

He was a little surprised that these people had been led in by Yasha. But since this was Suijun's private matter, he didn't feel comfortable asking too many questions.

Just now, the man in blue at the head of the table greeted these people.

San Shui nodded slightly.

Li Bai tried his best not to look at the other party's huge snake body, and said:

“We traveled with my husband.”

The other people at the table also put down their cups and looked over.

"Wandering?"

The Serpent River Lord asked, "May I ask who that person is? This is the first time we have ever seen the Water Lord show such respect to someone."

Li Bai recalled what Mr. Jiang had said.

"Sir, you are a hermit."

How could an ordinary mountain dweller be invited to take a seat of honor by the Water Lord? No one else believed it.

The merman lowered his hand from playing the zither, his gaze filled with curiosity:
"You call that person 'sir,' could it be that he taught you some wonderful techniques or supernatural powers?"

"Or perhaps, he was once a teacher in the mortal realm?"

The mermaid thought back to the customs and etiquette of the mortal world. It seemed like many years ago that she last visited Chang'an, and she didn't even know the current terms of address.

Li Bai said with a smile:

"The teacher did not impart any supernatural powers to us, nor did he ever serve as a teacher."

"This term is merely a respectful title for virtuous people."

As he spoke, he recalled what Jiang She had once said: "The master said that supernatural powers and divination are not important; they are merely a derivative of cultivation."

"When the Daoist arts are perfected, supernatural powers will naturally follow."

Merfolk had never heard of such a thing.

She glanced at the serpent-dragon beside her. As the lord of the Hao River, ruling over a region of water, he should know more than they did.

The Serpent River Lord remained silent.

The mermaid, eager to learn, personally poured wine and looked at the mortals: "I wonder what kind of magic this distinguished guest has imparted to you? May we see it?"

Li Bai looked regretful.

The hall was filled with guests, bustling and noisy, with constant singing and dancing. He and Yuan Danqiu looked towards the blue-clad man in the distance who was listening to the music.

Li Bai said, "The master did not pass on the teachings to us either."

"We traveled together, witnessed the emperor's Fengshan ceremony, and sat fishing in the clouds with the mountain god."

"I once admired the splendor of the Five Sacred Mountains in a single day, and I also asked immortals in the heavens and wandered in the painting." "I saw the spirited cultivators of yesteryear, who used their spirits to prolong their lives in their old age."

"I also saw young disciples who had just embarked on the path of enlightenment."

Li Bai glanced at Sanshui and his junior brother, who were enjoying their meal. The two boys listened to the servant's introduction with repeated exclamations of amazement and whispered among themselves that these delicacies from all over the world were somewhat similar to those in their dreams.

He looked away.

"The master said, 'Those who travel together are free to come and go as they please, without being bound by any restrictions.'"

"Then you can also be called a fellow Daoist."

Therefore, the Dharma was not transmitted.

The merman asked, puzzled, "Is it just about traveling together?"

Yuan Danqiu asked with a smile.

"Isn't that enough?"

The merman sized him up.

Among them are those who can calculate a person's age; even if they cannot see, they can roughly tell from the other person's demeanor and expression.

The mermaids were curious about the Taoist priest.

"But you're almost forty years old, and the lifespan of an ordinary person is probably only a hundred years. Are you really willing to waste your time just to travel?"

Yuan Danqiu smiled.

"You think too highly of me."

"If an ordinary person can live to fifty or sixty years old, it is already considered a blessing from heaven. Many are even born prematurely and do not live to adulthood."

"It is rare for a person to live to seventy, let alone a hundred."

"I'm afraid in your eyes, we mortals are nothing more than people who live only a day and die at dusk."

As he spoke, Yuan Danqiu picked up his wine cup.

I took a sip.

He exclaimed, "This is truly fine wine; I wonder what it's called."

A servant nearby replied that this was a rare brew from the Water Palace, known as Jade Elixir, which had been aged in jade vats for a hundred years and was only brought out for guests to drink at such a grand banquet.

Yuan Danqiu found it strange.

"century?"

How come he was in a dream, and it was said to be a thousand years?

At that time, Yuan Danqiu was still thinking that Shui Jun himself was probably not even a thousand years old. Judging from the appearance of Wei Shui Shui Jun, he might be in his prime, still quite young. This wine was probably passed down from the previous generation.

The attendant was puzzled as to why the guest was so surprised. "A hundred-year-old nectar is already a rare find."

"Could it be that you gentlemen have met them even earlier?"

Yuan Danqiu and Li Bai shook their heads.

Thinking of that strange dream, the two couldn't help but look up.

……

Beside a huge bronze mirror.

Jiang She and Ao Bai also talked about alcohol.

Ao Bai sighed.

"This is a fine wine, you can drink it, or use it as a mouthwash."

He was still thinking about the drinks they had shared twice before. It seemed that after they parted ways on the ship, they had drunk all the little wine they had left.

Ao Bai poured wine for the gentleman again and introduced the dishes on the table.

Jiang She laughed.

He couldn't help but think of the meal this man had eaten in the county. He ate from noon until night, and almost ate up all the ingredients the restaurant had prepared for a month. The restaurant owner and his staff were quite frightened.

Jiang She asked a question.

"We've brewed some new wine. Would you like to try some, Water Lord?"

Ao Bai was overjoyed.

"That's perfect!"

Jiang She took out a wine flask from his sleeve and opened the bottle.

In an instant, the aroma of wine filled the air.

Soon, a faint aroma of wine filled the hall.

Many people looked up.

The shrimp spirit holding the food tray trembled slightly, its whiskers quivering as it smelled the sweet and unique aroma of the wine.

Due to negligence.

The food table was overturned, and the food crashed into the huge bronze mirror.

When the bronze mirror was struck, it rippled like water, creating a misty atmosphere that reflected the scene.