The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The old man's words ignited the fire in Claire's heart.

Precious minerals and brightly colored pigments have a fatal attraction for an art patron.

"Old man, thank you for telling me!" Tang Youyou excitedly shook the old man's hand, "May I ask how to get to Luoyan Mountain?"

The old man explained in detail the route to Luoyan Mountain and reminded her that the mountain road was steep and she needed to be careful.

Tang Youyou thanked the old man and immediately told Wu Huazi and Zheng Shizu about her idea of ​​treasure hunting.

When the two heard this, they were very excited and immediately expressed their desire to go together.

So, Tang Youyou summoned Hu Xiake, Sun Daochang, and the timid Li San, and the six of them marched towards Luoyan Mountain in a mighty manner.

Before setting off, Tang Youyou specially prepared sufficient dry food and water, as well as some necessary tools.

As soon as they entered the deep mountains, Taoist Sun counted with his fingers and his face changed slightly: "Madam, we are being followed."

Tang Youyou's heart trembled. She looked around but didn't find anything unusual. "Master, do you know who it is?"

Taoist Priest Sun shook his head: "The aura is hidden and difficult to detect."

Hu Xiake smiled heartily: "What are you afraid of? If an enemy comes, we will stop him; if a flood comes, we will block it with earth!"

The mountain road is rugged and difficult to walk on, and rocks fall from time to time.

"Oh my god!" Li San was so frightened that his face turned pale. He followed Hu Xiake closely. "This mountain road is too scary. Let's go back!"

Li San's complaints made everyone's morale a little low.

Tang Youyou calmly observed the surrounding environment and found that the direction of the mountain was slightly different from the old man's description.

She remembered that Taoist Master Sun was proficient in Feng Shui, so she asked him for advice.

Taoist Priest Sun observed it briefly, pointed to a hidden path and said, "Madam, let's take this path."

"Is this road...workable?" Li San asked in a trembling voice.

Hu Xiake patted Li San's shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry, with Taoist Sun here, nothing will happen."

The group continued along the path. After walking for about half an hour, they suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves coming from the front...

The sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer, and the dust was flying.

A group of ferocious bandits rushed out of the forest. The leader was a burly man with a fleshy face and a shining big knife in his hand.

This person was none other than the notorious bandit leader Zhao Zhaizhu nearby.

Village Chief Zhao reined in his horse, his eyes greedily sweeping over Tang Youyou and his group, finally stopping on Tang Youyou.

"I opened this mountain and planted these trees! If you want to pass through here, you have to leave some money for passage!" He shouted in a rough voice, and his voice made the leaves rustle.

Li San was so frightened that his legs went weak and he hid behind Hu Xiake, trembling.

He tugged at the corner of Hu Xiake's clothes and muttered quietly, "It's over, it's over, we're dead now! Village Chief Zhao is a devil who kills without blinking an eye!"

The surrounding bandits started shouting, "Boss, you're mighty! Boss, you're mighty!" A shifty-looking henchman pointed at Tang Youyou and the others, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Hand over all your valuables quickly if you know what's good for you, or you'll suffer the consequences!"

A sturdy bandit behind Village Chief Zhao was waving his spear arrogantly, pointing at Tang Youyou and his group and shouting, "Our boss is the overlord of this area. Hurry up if you know what's good for you..." Before he could finish his words, Village Chief Zhao glared at him, and he shut up in dismay.

Tang Youyou remained calm in the face of danger. She calmly looked at Village Master Zhao and quickly thought of a strategy. She knew that a head-on fight would not work, and she had to outsmart him.

Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in gorgeous clothes and dressed like a businessman came slowly towards them on horseback.

With a smile on his face, he bowed and said to the leader of the Zhao village, "Leader Zhao, long time no see!" This person was Li Guyuan.

He glanced at Tang Youyou and the others with a forced smile, and said to Village Chief Zhao, "These people are obviously fat sheep. Village Chief Zhao, you must treat them well!"

As soon as Li Guyuan finished speaking, Tang Youyou's gaze fell on him...

Tang Youyou's gaze fell on Li Guyuan like ice, and a sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Boss Li, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to meet you in this remote place. It seems that you are very clear about the purpose of our trip."

The smile on Li Guyuan's face froze slightly, and then returned to his fake smile.

"Boss Tang, you're joking. I was just passing by and happened to meet Village Master Zhao, so I came up to say hello."

"Passing by?" Tang Youyou chuckled and pointed at the restless bandits behind Village Master Zhao, "Boss Li is passing by with so many 'guards', what a grand occasion. Could it be that Boss Li is also here for the legendary treasure?"

Li Guyuan's eyes flickered as he flatly denied it: "Boss Tang, you misunderstood. I'm just a businessman and I'm not interested in any treasures."

"Really?" Tang Youyou pressed on, "Then why did Boss Li deliberately instigate, wanting Village Chief Zhao to attack us? Isn't it because he wants to reap the benefits?"

Li Guyuan's face changed. He didn't expect that his plan was seen through by Tang Youyou at a glance.

He pretended to be calm and said, "Boss Tang really loves to joke around. How could I have such a vicious mind?"

"Whether you're joking or not, Village Chief Zhao knows it very well." Tang Youyou turned to Village Chief Zhao, with a hint of warning in her tone, "Very wise, Village Chief Zhao, it's not a wise move to try to get the skin of a tiger. If you insist on making things difficult for us today, when Li Guyuan gets the treasure, the first person he'll get rid of will be you!"

Village Chief Zhao was suspicious by nature, and after hearing what Tang Youyou said, he immediately became suspicious.

He looked at Li Guyuan suspiciously, then at Tang Youyou, and was a little hesitant for a moment.

At this moment, Knight Hu roared, "Stop your rhetoric!" He drew the longsword from his waist and pointed it directly at the Zhao village chief. "If you want to rob me, ask my sword first!"

Before he finished speaking, Hu Xiake rushed into the group of bandits like a tiger descending from the mountain, waving the long sword in his hand like the wind. In a flash of sword light, several bandits fell to the ground.

The leader of the Zhao village was furious and joined the battle waving a big knife.

Swords clashed, sparks flew, and the two men fought back and forth, the battle being difficult to resolve.

Seeing this, the other bandits also waved their weapons and attacked Hu Xiake and others.

Li San was so frightened that his face turned pale and he hid behind Taoist Sun, trembling.

Taoist Priest Sun held a whisk in his hand, protecting Tang Youyou and the three Tang siblings, watching the movements around him vigilantly.

Seeing the two sides fighting fiercely, Li Guyuan showed a sinister smile at the corner of his mouth.

He quietly stepped aside, ready to wait for an opportunity to act... He took out an exquisite small porcelain bottle from his arms, opened the bottle cap, and a faint fragrance wafted out... Hu Xiake's sword was sharp, forcing the leader of the Zhao village to retreat, and the other bandits scattered like birds and beasts when they saw this.

Village Chief Zhao covered his bleeding arm and glared at Tang Youyou and his group fiercely: "I will remember today's revenge! Just wait for me!" After saying that, he fled in panic with the remaining men.

"Finally he's gone." Li San sat paralyzed on the ground, still in shock, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Taoist Priest Sun retracted his whisk, his face solemn, "I believe that the leader of the Zhao village is not a good person, I am afraid he will not give up easily."

Tang Youyou looked indifferent: "They are just bandits, nothing to be afraid of. What we really need to be wary of are the jackals hiding in the dark." She glanced in the direction where Li Guyuan disappeared, and a cold light flashed in her eyes.

Hu Xiake sheathed his sword and walked over to Tang Youyou: "Boss Tang is absolutely right. In my opinion, Li Guyuan is the real threat. He is insidious and cunning, and we must be on guard against him."

Tang Youyou nodded: "Next we must be more cautious, the best strategy is to find the treasure as soon as possible."

"Mom, I'm hungry." Tang Xiaoya tugged at the corner of Tang Youyou's clothes and said in a baby voice.

Tang Youyou gently touched Tang Xiaoya's head: "Okay, Mom will get you something to eat." She took out some snacks from her bag and shared them among the three children.

After a short rest, the group continued on their journey.

The mountain road is rugged, the forest is dense, and the light is dim.

A strange fragrance lingered faintly in the air, intermittent and difficult to capture.

Taoist Priest Sun stopped and sniffed the air: "This fragrance... is a bit strange."

Hu Xiake also noticed something unusual: "Indeed, this fragrance seems to be coming from the front."

Tang Youyou felt an uneasy premonition in her heart, and she whispered, "Be careful, I'm afraid there's a trick."

They continued walking forward, pushing aside the dense bushes, and suddenly the view before them opened up.

A hidden valley appeared in front of them. At the entrance of the valley was a huge rock. Under the rock, a dark cave entrance was clearly visible.

"Found it!" Hu Xiake said excitedly, "This is the entrance to the ancient tomb!"

Tang Youyou did not feel the slightest bit of joy. She felt a chilly breath coming from the cave entrance, and the air around her became unusually heavy.

"Wait," Tang Youyou stretched out her hand to stop everyone, "I'm afraid things are not that simple..." Before she finished speaking, there was a loud "boom" and the huge rock at the entrance of the valley suddenly rolled down, completely blocking the entrance.

Li Guyuan slowly walked out from behind a rock with a sinister smile on his face: "Boss Tang, this treasure should belong to me." He clapped his hands, and a group of men in black walked out of the woods and surrounded Tang Youyou and his group.