I am Zhao Zhijing, a poor Taoist priest, and I have disciples all over the world.

Chapter 162 A Bowl of Noodles with Toppings
In recent days, Zhao Zhijing felt a bit of a headache.

He had been working hard to perfect all the martial arts and had finally passed them down. He was just thinking about making some plans for each disciple's route and itinerary when they go down the mountain.

But the atmosphere in the Zuowang Temple suddenly underwent a subtle change. The disciples were always inattentive, either absent-minded or dazed, which was really strange.

Especially for someone like Lu Qingdu who is only tall but not smart, the food he cooks is either too salty one time or too bland the next time, and his worries are clearly written on his face.

"Master, I don't want to go down the mountain!"

How could Zhao Zhijing not see it? But if he didn't take advantage of his presence to let them quickly train in the martial arts world and grow as much as possible, how would they have time later?

Moreover, without going through things, one will not gain wisdom, and without being baptized by the mundane world, one will have too little life experience, and both martial arts and future development will be limited.

According to Zhao Zhijing's plan, he wanted his disciples to gain more insights into the things they are good at by traveling down the mountain, so that he could continue to improve his martial arts as much as possible.

Before leaving, I must leave my disciples with a foundation that is sufficient for them to settle down and build their own careers.

"Qingdu, pack up, change your Taoist robes into ordinary clothes, and follow me down the mountain."

Just after the first month of the lunar year, before they had even had breakfast, Zhao Zhijing suddenly found Lu Qingdu and asked him to follow him down the mountain.

Lu Qingdu was a little confused, but since it was his master's order, he naturally did as he was told.

At this time, the snow in the mountains had not melted yet. The master and disciple left the gate of Zuowang Temple and walked on the snow with one step deep and one step shallow, without using any light skills.

After going down the mountain, Zhao Zhijing took his apprentice to rush towards Tongguan again. This time, he ran wildly along the way, using as much strength as he could.

Lu Qingdu is tall and not very good at Qinggong, but fortunately the Quanzhen Sect's Golden Goose Gong is very suitable for long-distance rapid travel.

But even so, Lu Qingdu was still running out of breath, and Zhao Zhijing would not allow him to stop and rest unless he was really exhausted.

In this way, the master and the disciple spent nearly half a day and finally arrived at Tongguan at noon.

When Lu Qingdu saw that they had finally arrived at the place, he immediately sat down on the ground, gasping for breath and unable to stand up.

"Master, I am incompetent and have delayed your work."

Zhao Zhijing shook his head and pointed to the north of the city and said, "There is a noodle shop in the north of Tongguan that suits Master's taste very well. The toppings are thick, the soup is clear and fresh, and the noodles are chewy. Do you want to go and have a bowl?"

Lu Qingdu followed his master down the mountain early in the morning. He didn't have breakfast, let alone a sip of water. He had been rushing all the way, so he was thirsty and hungry.

At this time, hearing the master describe the noodle shop as extremely delicious, he swallowed his saliva and somehow strength surged in his body, and he stood up by supporting himself on the ground.

"Think about it, if I can get such praise from Master, then there must be nothing wrong with me!"

Zhao Zhijing laughed in his heart but did not show it on his face. He immediately took his apprentice and walked towards the north of the city.

It was just the end of the first month of the lunar calendar and Tongguan was an important transportation route and a prosperous place. The sounds of buying and selling could be heard constantly in the city.

At the doors of every tavern, teahouse, and restaurant, waiters were shouting loudly, promoting their own fine wines and delicacies, which dazzled Lu Qingdu.

Zhao Zhijing had been keeping an eye on his apprentice, and he deliberately took him on a detour, passing by the doors of packed taverns and restaurants. There were two times when Lu Qingdu was so attracted by the aroma that he couldn't move away.

This was not only because he was hungry and wanted to fill his stomach quickly, but also because it was his instinct as a cook. It was like a martial artist who wanted to learn from a master or a new move he encountered. "This is it."

After about an incense stick of time, Zhao Zhijing saw that his apprentice had almost reached his limit and would starve to death if he delayed any longer, so he pointed to a very inconspicuous little shop on the side of the road and stopped.

"Although good wine needs no bush, this kind of store is really a bit shabby."

Lu Qingdu looked closely from behind his master, and felt that the scene was far from what he had imagined, with crowds of people and fragrance wafting from ten miles away.

"Shopkeeper, give me two bowls of noodles with toppings, no meat."

Seeing the master walk directly into the store and order two bowls of noodles, although Lu Qingdu still had doubts in his heart, he habitually chose to believe it.

"Master's cooking skills are more than ten times better than mine, there must be no mistake. Maybe this noodle shop owner is just like that. As long as the noodles are delicious, he doesn't need to care too much about other things."

Not long after, two bowls of noodles with toppings were served. Lu Qingdu took just one look and couldn't help but frowned.

The toppings are fragmented, the soup is turbid, and the noodles are loose. How can it be anything like what the master said?

Zhao Zhijing didn't say anything. He picked up the chopsticks and started eating. In the blink of an eye, half a bowl of noodles was gone.

"Eat, why not?"

After hearing the master's question, Lu Qingdu finally came to his senses. He picked up the bowl and tasted the noodle soup. He felt that it was just an ordinary bowl of noodles with toppings. Although it was not as good as the master praised, it was not bad either.

He was extremely hungry at this time. He couldn't stop after taking the first sip of the noodle soup. He gulped it down and finished it faster than Zhao Zhijing.

Seeing this, Zhao Zhijing nodded slightly. He knew that his disciple was definitely not the kind of person who was unwilling to endure hardship. He just did it intentionally to make him use his brain more.

No matter what it is, you have to experience it personally, just like Lu Qingdu who traveled such a long distance on an empty stomach, so he would eat with relish not only a bowl of noodle soup, but even a cold steamed bun.

However, the praise of this bowl of noodles in advance greatly deepened Lu Qingdu's expectations, and when it was really served on the table, he naturally had doubts.

Only by taking a bite yourself can you know what it tastes like.

"Tell me the truth, how do you think it tastes?"

Lu Qingdu was a tall and strong man, and he had been hungry for a long time. After finishing a bowl of noodles, his stomach fire was aroused. He was just about to order another bowl.

"I think it's very ordinary, but I still want another bowl."

Who knew that Zhao Zhijing heard it and immediately waved his hand and said, "Shopkeeper, let's settle the bill."

As a result, Lu Qingdu immediately felt that this ordinary noodle with toppings that he could not eat a second bowl of actually tasted even better.

Zhao Zhijing brought his apprentice back to the prosperous area of the city and said with a smile: "Master, I came to Tongguan this time to take you to have a good meal."

"You can eat meat and drink wine. You don't have to worry about anything. As long as it's what you want to eat, Master will accompany you."

"But you must always remember the noodles with toppings that you didn't get to eat the second bowl. After you have eaten all of Tongguan, come back and tell me what you have gained."

(End of this chapter)