正厅的檀木门槛被晨露浸得发潮,叶凡跟着叶远山跨进去时,鞋底蹭过青石板的声响格外清晰。“说吧,什么事。”他垂眸盯着自己交叠在腰际的手,指节因用力而泛白——前世被围杀前,他也是这样站在敌人的议事厅里,听着那些人用冠冕堂皇的理由编织陷阱。
叶远山反手关上厅门,青铜门环撞出闷响:“城主府的人今早去了云大师药庐。”他掏出半块焦黑的丹渣拍在案上,丹香混着焦糊味刺得人鼻尖发酸,“赵城主说,咱们叶家提供的灵草掺了假,害云大师的‘固元丹’炼废了三炉。”
叶凡瞳孔微缩。云大师是青岚城唯一的三品炼丹师,叶家能在青岚城立足,全靠每年供他十株百年紫灵参,换得他为族中子弟炼制洗髓丹。若合作破裂,族中年轻一辈的修炼资源至少要断三成。
“那老匹夫分明是记恨昨日演武场的事。”叶远山攥着丹渣的手青筋暴起,“可云大师今早传话,说要亲自验咱们的灵草。若真被坐实掺假......”
“我去。”叶凡突然开口。
叶远山愣住:“你才六岁——”
“正因为我是叶家嫡子。”叶凡抬头,眼底映着案上烛火,“赵公子昨日被我挫了面子,今日必定盯着叶家动静。我去药庐,既能向云大师表明诚意,也能......”他顿了顿,“试试我新悟的本事。”
叶远山盯着少年清瘦的背影看了片刻,忽然重重拍了拍他的肩膀:“李伯备了马车,你带着十株新采的紫灵参去。若有差池......”他声音放软,“你且记着,叶家护得住你。”
药庐在城西竹林里,竹影扫过车帘时,叶凡掀开一角。晨雾未散,能看见几个灰衣仆从正往药庐搬箱笼——是城主府的标记。
“小少爷,到了。”李伯的声音带着几分忐忑。
叶凡下车时,正撞上端着药渣出来的小道童。那孩子见了他,眼眶霎时红了:“云大师又摔丹炉了,您快进去劝劝吧!”
竹帘被风卷起半幅,叶凡刚跨进门槛,就被浓重的药气呛得后退半步。云大师正站在丹房中央,玄色道袍沾着黑灰,平时梳理整齐的白发乱成鸡窝。他面前的丹炉裂了道缝,焦黑的丹丸滚了满地,最边上那颗还在滋滋冒着青烟。
“废物!全是废物!”云大师抓起案上的药谱狠狠摔在地上,“连紫灵参的年份都辨不清,还敢说自己是百年火候?”
“云大师。”叶凡弯腰捡起药谱,指尖触到纸页上斑驳的墨迹——是云大师批注的炼丹心得,“叶家新采的紫灵参在此,您不妨亲自验看。”
云大师猛地转头,浑浊的眼珠里燃着怒火。可当他的视线扫过叶凡捧着的锦盒时,忽然顿住了。他踉跄着上前掀开盒盖,枯瘦的手指轻轻抚过参须:“这株......有一百三十年?”
“是,昨日刚从千峰山北麓采的。”叶凡注意到云大师的手在发抖,“您之前炼废的丹炉,可与药材无关?”
云大师突然抓住他的手腕,力道大得惊人:“你可知我要炼的是什么丹?”不等回答,他便拖着叶凡走到丹炉前,“固元丹是给镇北王的独子治寒毒的!那小公子每月发作一次,疼得在地上打滚......若这炉再不成,我云某这条老命都得搭进去!”
叶凡垂眸看向丹炉,内天地里的清泉突然泛起涟漪。他闭目凝神,前世记忆如潮水涌来——炼丹一道,本就与天地灵气同频。此刻他能清晰“看”到,丹炉内残留的灵气轨迹像乱麻般纠缠:火候在第三转时急了三分,导致药气未能完全融合。
“云大师。”他睁眼时,眼底有细碎的光在流转,“您试试将火候分作三阶段:初时用文火温养半个时辰,待药气交融后转武火催发,最后留一丝余温慢煨。”他指了指丹炉裂缝,“另外,这炉该换了——您看这炉壁的纹路,是火属性灵玉所制,与您惯用的木属性药材相冲。”
云大师的呼吸陡然急促。他颤抖着摸出块火纹玉牌拍在案上:“去!把我的玄铁丹炉抬来!”又转头盯着叶凡,“小友,你若能帮我成了这炉丹......”
两个时辰后,丹香漫出竹帘。云大师捧着玉瓶的手直打颤,瓶中十二颗丹丸流转着淡金色光晕,每颗表面都浮着一道细若游丝的丹纹——这是二品丹药才有的异象!
“好!好!”他突然对着叶凡跪了下去,“老朽活了六十年,今日才知什么叫天纵奇才!”
叶凡慌忙去扶:“云大师折煞我了。”
“该折煞的是我!”云大师抹了把脸,从袖中掏出个青玉匣,“这是我早年游历海外所得的‘星陨草’,共九株,送与叶家做谢礼。往后只要我云某在青岚城一日,叶家的丹方需求,老朽分文不取!”
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