Sword of Coming

In the early morning, the sky is bright.

The Taoist priest who was about to pack up and get out started acting like a monster.

I saw the Taoist priest holding a mahogany sword, stepping on the steel pole, and chanting a "Tao Jue" copied from an unknown source.

"Please listen to me. In the ancient times, there was a great void. The sun and the moon were shining together, and the mountains and rivers became more spectacular. They made a golden elixir without any leaks. There was no leakage, and there were dragons and snakes fighting on the land."

The Taoist priest stretched out his sweeping legs, rolled up some fallen leaves on the ground, and then stood up with a golden rooster. He held out a sword with his right hand, and a leaf stopped at the tip of the sword.

"Pure, light, turbid, yin and yang are righteous, the sky is high, the earth is thick, the soul is strong, a little spiritual light sparks a fire candle, blooming like clouds all over the stars, urgent like laws and regulations, holding the universe together."

The Taoist priest shook his sword, dropped his sleeve with his left hand, twisted his body, pointed the sword tip to the sky, and at the same time tried to roll the fallen leaf into his sleeve. Perhaps because he didn't control his strength well, the leaf swirled in the air and failed. It doesn't matter if you put it in your sleeve. The Taoist priest has his own remedy. He jumps, kicks his legs high, puts the two fingers of his left hand together, and points away together with the tip of the sword.

"Wine, sex, and wealth are far away. The clouds are friends with the rain, and the sun and the moon are lovers. The pure yang is building up the yin virtues. The heavens are turning the earth's axis, and the wine is fine wine. There is a wind fairy master who comes to save you."

Xue Ruyi was speechless for a long time, and suddenly felt a little pity for this Taoist priest who seemed to go crazy after drinking a little alcohol.

Yesterday, the Taoist priest and the young man who told me about spring and sent pictures were so snobbish. Is it more or less difficult?

She sighed, "Stop messing around like this. I won't drive you out of the house."

The Taoist priest finally stopped, put one hand behind his back, held his fingers together in a sword gesture in front of him, and snorted coldly with a nasal tone.

Xue Ruyi was not happy all of a sudden. You still dare to push your limits. Do you really think I am begging you to stay?

The middle-aged Taoist priest put away his mahogany sword and threw it casually towards the mud. He was originally planning to perform a three-point sword technique with one hand on the ground, but maybe he was not strong enough or the angle was wrong. The wooden sword hit the mud, but it shook. Still fell to the ground.

Xue Ruyi still had some grudges in her heart and asked: "Are you really able to draw that kind of three-official talisman?"

Last night, she asked Judge Hong and Ji Xiaoping. The two high-ranking officials in the Chenghuang Temple shook their heads and said that such talismans were unheard of.

In the end, Judge Hong only said that maybe everyone has a secret secret about the talisman on the top of the mountain, and it must be in the upper five realms, so it may be feasible. Otherwise, ordinary talisman monks, even the kind of land gods with profound spiritual practices, would never be able to draw such effects. of talismans.

The Taoist priest shook his head and pointed to the mahogany sword lying on the ground, "You can draw talismans, but you are not sure about the success of the talisman. Even if you can successfully connect Yin and Yang with the talisman, cross the City God's Temple, and then want to get through the underworld, It is extremely difficult. To use an analogy that is not particularly appropriate, it is a bit like using the Shang Fang sword of the previous dynasty to kill the officials of this dynasty."

Xue Ruyi's eyebrows suddenly stood up, she was indeed a liar.

The Taoist priest immediately added, "But I have a good friend who is amazing and has great supernatural powers. He can speak Dharma and follow it. The effect is as good as sacrificing the three official talismans."

Xue Ruyi sneered: "Why don't you make a draft when you are bragging? How can you still meet such friends in the mountains?"

"Blessings and blessings are immeasurable."

The Taoist priest made a secret with one hand, "This is no nonsense. The poor Taoist's friends on the mountain have some very powerful characters."

Xue Ruyi asked: "For example?"

The Taoist priest said: "If there is a chance in the future, I will introduce a friend named Zhong to Miss Xue."

Xue Ruyi asked in confusion: "What is your identity? Could it be that you are a genealogy monk from a certain immortal mansion?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "You will know it when you meet. It doesn't matter what your identity is. A hero doesn't care where he comes from. A hero doesn't care where he comes from."

Seeing that the Taoist priest didn't seem to be joking, Xue Ruyi had a new question, "Do you really want to help that young man? What are you trying to do?"

The Taoist said: "What one sees with one's eyes is heaven and earth."

Xue Ruyi was confused, "What do you mean?"

The Taoist priest had no choice but to explain: "A certain master once said that as Taoist monks, if we can do our best to help the person in front of us, we can help the entire world."

On a long trip to the outside world, I had chatted too much with Zheng Juzhong and Li Xisheng. Now that I am chatting with others, I will inevitably lose a little patience.

Xue Ruyi was silent for a moment, "Who said that?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "It is far away in the sky but close to our eyes."

Xue Ruyi had a dark face.

The Taoist priest said: "I believe Miss Xue has also seen something. That young man is now 'poor'. Just because of his rough life, his destiny has been deprived of many disasters, so now outsiders give him anything extra, whether it is money or other things. Young people may not be able to catch it, and it is very easy to turn out blessings and cause disasters. In the ordinary world, there is no harm in lending a helping hand to the poor. It is a good deed and a good deed that accumulates virtue and blessings. However, the relationship between a cultivator and a layman is just the same. A huge lake is like a stream. The lake water flows backwards into the stream. If the latter has a good life, like a creek with a wide bed and can bear it, it is the fate of the immortal family mentioned on the mountain. But if the latter has a bad life, it will be like a flood that surges back and covers both sides of the river. , what is injured is the person's bones and yang energy, which is what the old saying says is not blessed. This principle cannot be ignored and needs to be cautious. Fortunately, the thickness of life, the increase or decrease of happiness, wealth and longevity are not static. The young man is in From Pindao's point of view, he is a person who has a poor life but a lot of blessings. To put it simply, he has good fortune in the future. He owes nothing to heaven and is worthy of earth. He does not take wealth from man and does not give in to nobleness. This is why Pindao did it yesterday. Let’s talk about the origin of ‘He who helps himself, God will help him’.”

Xue Ruyi nodded, but in fact she didn't see the fate of the young man at all. She was just a ghost, neither a fortune teller nor an official of the City God's Temple. How could she see these mysterious and mysterious fortunes.

She hesitated, "What about me and Zhang Hou?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "Zhanghou has the protection of his ancestors, and he himself is a man in a blue sarong cage. Miss Xue gave him a fairy family fate, and Zhanghou can accept it."

She asked: "Are you really going to have no side effects?"

After all, she is a ghost, but the boy is from the human world.

The Taoist priest said: "Is Yin and Yang only in geography but not in people's hearts? Miss Xue, please don't get the order wrong and put the cart before the horse."

Xue Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief.

For the first time, she discovered that this fake Taoist priest seemed to have some real ability?

The Taoist priest asked: "Miss Xue, with your Taoism, since you are not afraid of the scorching sun and strong wind, why do you linger here and linger?"

For a small and remote country like Yuxuan Kingdom, it is more than enough for a sea-viewing monk to find a dojo with abundant spiritual energy and establish a sect.

Although Xue Ruyi is a ghost, since she has a close relationship with both the judge Huangwen and the chief officer of the Department of Yin and Yang in the capital city, she is not lacking in virtue. In fact, she found a dragon vein, built a temple, built a golden body, and then was granted the title by the court. Yes, being a mountain goddess is the best choice.

Xue Ruyi said vaguely, "I first made a bet with someone. I learned from the ancients' poems written on red leaves. I accidentally picked it up and made an oath with him in a temple."

Year after year, the precious fan sits idle, letting down the bright moon and the refreshing breeze. As spring goes and autumn comes, the cicadas are mournful, speechless and choked. As the geese pass by, the moon looks like a hook.

The Taoist priest hesitated for a moment, carefully crafted his words, and asked insinuatingly: "Miss Xue, are you proficient in sentence reading?"

Xue Ruyi smiled and said: "It's okay. I'm quite interested in exegesis. I have nothing to do and read a lot of the works of previous sages. Why, you have a problem with the ancient books and you need my help in segmenting the sentences?"

Xue Ruyi was really not afraid of discussing exegesis with her. She considered herself an expert.

This involves Zhang Hou, the young man next door. He has a collection of "ancestral" calligraphy, with a total of thirty-six words and no signature, but it was praised by Judge Hong as the Thirty-Six Li Zhu.

This copybook is also the foundation for the young man to establish his Taoism. Unfortunately, Zhang Hou's qualifications are average and his progress is slow. Now he can only be regarded as a second-level monk.

These thirty-six words can be roughly divided into two sentences, and the content of the two sentences is quite obscure, which involves exegetical skills.

She explained the deep meaning to Zhang Hou based on her own fragmentary sentences, and then used the superior guidance method contained in the thirty-six characters of the copybook to help Zhang Hou embark on the path of spiritual cultivation.

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "When I was young, I once heard a friend, who was half an elder, talk about the relationship between characters, words, sentences and meanings. He said that every word that makes up a sentence has weight. At that time, I just listened to the notes. I just lived there and didn't have a deep impression. Later I discovered that Wen Sheng originally wrote "Correcting Names". I saw it in it at that time, "The names are well-known and used as metaphors, and the names are used. When they are tired, they are written, and the names are beautiful. Use them beautifully." If you have both, you are called famous.’ When I saw this, I suddenly understood. ”

Xue Ruyi looked proud and pointed at the mahogany sword on the ground, "Stop talking nonsense, you know how to show off your knowledge. Hurry up, use the sword as a pen, write down the content, and I will help you break up the sentences."

At the moment, Chen Ping'an was feeling depressed. He didn't know what to say for a while. The copybook that Xue Ruyi and the boy regarded as a treasure was actually not complicated. It only had thirty-six words anyway. There was indeed an ancient guide hidden in it. Dharma, and Chen Pingan just glanced at it and saw its Taoist meaning, and found that it had some Taoist connections with one of the Three Mountains and the ritual system of the Confucian Temple. Of course Chen Pingan would not covet this "Taoist Book" of the highest quality of a magic weapon. But the problem is that Xue Ruyi, a half-assed exegesis expert, segmented Zhang Hou's sentences. It cannot be said that she was completely wrong, but there must be errors. In Taoist books on the mountain, one word difference often leads to thousands of miles away from the topic. Otherwise, why would there be "one word" on the mountain? A Qi practitioner like "Master"?

That is to say, the contents and Taoist formulas contained in that copybook are extremely pure and generous. If Zhang Hou followed Xue Ruyi's teachings and teachings to resolve doubts and practice the Taoist secrets from the Heavenly Book, he would have been led to misunderstandings and gone crazy. . Although Zhang Hou has average qualifications and is not a monastic genius, it will be extremely difficult for him to reach the cave realm in the future. However, under the teachings of Xue Ruyi, the young man has practiced this guidance technique since he was a child. As a result, he is now a second-level qi practitioner, and he is very capable. Explain the problem.

Chen Ping'an thought for a while and let it go. At worst, he would be kicked out of the house as a person with ulterior motives. He said straight to the point: "Miss Xue, Zheng Zhong Zheng Sinong is naturally a very accomplished Confucian scholar, but he is In the history of Confucianism, many details in exegesis are open to discussion. For example, some of his sentence fragments once attracted a sage from the Confucian Temple with the same surname Zheng to criticize them word for word. Therefore, if Miss Xue copied Zheng Sinong's sentences and read them, Law……"

Xue Ruyi's eyes were dark, "Have you seen that copybook?"

Chen Ping'an nodded and said: "I have seen it, and I also know that there is a guidance method hidden in the copybook."

Xue Ruyi remained silent.

He used wooden candles to repair fire and banned all nations. He held candles in palaces and temples and spread eastward to the west of the sea. He was in Liusha Shuonan and the sound of teachings ended in the four seas.

Chen Pingan stretched out his hand, took the peach wood sword in his hand, and began to write the thirty-six words on the ground, helping her to break up the sentences, and at the same time explaining to her in detail why this was so.

"Zheng Sinong broke the first eighteen characters into three sentences. Among them, 'fire ban' is read separately, and the meaning is incomprehensible. The word 'xiuhuo ban' is often found in the rites and sages, which is the proof of the continuous text. If we follow Zheng Sinong's interpretation, The responsibilities of the official in the ancient palace were too broad, so Zheng Sinong's exhortation was directly criticized by another sage as 'not saying goodbye', and not saying goodbye means that it is not true, which is a very serious criticism for scholars."

"As for the last eighteen characters, in fact, there has been controversy within the Confucian Temple. It has indeed been quarreling for hundreds of years. However, according to the opinion of the literary saint, Xu Fuzi's interpretation of the characters 'ji' and 'end' should be correct, ji, and. , the sun is seen, it describes the deflection of sunlight, and the end is the same as "Zhi", which means going straight. Therefore, a more reasonable sentence is, "The east is spreading to the sea, the west is passing by the quicksand, Shuonan is cum, and the sound of teaching ends in the four seas." Therefore The extended meaning is, 'Wherever the sun shines, his teachings should be followed.'"

"So Zhang Hou's Guidance Technique, which involves cutting open the heavenly gate on the top of the skull cave to guide the sunlight, as the fire method of daily refining, seems to be pursuing the majestic atmosphere of the sun hanging in the middle of the sky, and then through a straight line Zhang Hou guided the sunlight directly to the Tianling Cap at noon every day, and the exterior scene connected with the interior scene. In fact, the cave was wrong, and the path of the sunlight was also wrong. Practicing Qi in such a step-by-step manner, although it would not lead to obsession, it was not The truth of the right path is very simple. Just think about the houses and residences in the human world. Unless it is a patio with four waterways returning to the hall, there is no mansion with a wide open roof, how to protect it from wind and rain..."

Xue Ruyi sometimes frowned, sometimes in confusion.

The "fake Taoist priests" who expressed such insights, whether Wu Di or Chen Jianxian, are just one of Chen Ping'an's clones.

Previously, Chen Ping'an used the talisman method to distract himself and attach himself to a puppet with a talisman, which fell like stars all over Aquarius Continent.

For example, this fake "Taoist" in the capital city of Yuxuan Kingdom, in addition to setting up a stall, would also study the Taoist rituals secretly taught by the Great Heavenly Master outside Longhu Mountain. Because of this calligraphy, he casually walked away and began to exegesis in-depth research.

Over in Yuzhou, there was a "Chen Ping'an" who, as a Buddhist layman, went to a Vinaya temple to study and observe the precepts, and especially worked hard on the "Four-Fun Vinaya". The key to the Buddhist principles and purposes of the Vinaya School lies in the word "precepts", and the precepts can be summarized into two categories: "cessation and upholding" and "implementation and upholding". Stopping and upholding means refraining from doing all evil. It is the door to stop all evil and do Upholding and practicing all good deeds is the door to cultivating all good deeds. That's why "Chen Pingan" here wrote that Buddhist saying before.

On the border of Qingxing Kingdom, there is a foreign qi practitioner who reads military books every day in the Xianjia Inn. If he travels, he holds a compass to find the dragon's acupoints and practices Yin Yang and Five Elements.

Near Zhengyang Mountain, there is a place called Caiyushan Zhuzhi Sect, where he serves as an outsider's acquaintance and uses numbers to learn about the roots of farmers and merchants.

Xue Ruyi looked at the thirty-six characters on the ground, raised her head, and asked, "Who are you?"

Chen Ping'an smiled and said: "There is no one on the human mountain who is not a 'Taoist'."

Xue Ruyi lowered her head again and looked at the thirty-six words that had been re-segmented. The more she thought about it, the more profound the meaning became. Not surprisingly, reading this sentence is the correct answer!

When Xue Ruyi raised her head, the middle-aged Taoist priest had already walked away with the peach wood sword. She asked, "Set up a stall?"

Chen Pingan turned around and said with a smile: "Pindao is the best at observing words and emotions, so he took the initiative to pack up and get out."

Xue Ruyi shook her head, "You are not renting a house from me. Whether you live in it or not is up to me."

The middle-aged Taoist priest sighed and suddenly realized, yes, they are all residents, one is new and the other is old.

Xue Ruyi hesitated for a moment, "Can Daozhang Chen teach you the most appropriate methods of opening a mansion and refining by fire?"

The Taoist priest shook his head, "Zhang Hou only reads the books of sages and sages. He is poor and vulgar, so he cannot teach him the superior immortal arts."

Xue Ruyi was a little anxious, "Why do you still hold grudges?"

The Taoist priest smiled and said: "A man who knows his money well and a true hero who knows his love and hate. How can he be a Taoist priest if he has no temper or character?"

Xue Ruyi stretched out her hand, "I bought all the talismans that the Taoist priest and I were selling before."

The Taoist priest exclaimed, quickly raised his sleeves, and walked towards her quickly, "I have long thought that Mr. Zhang has extraordinary bones, and having this talisman is like divine help!"

————

This year's late spring cold was particularly pronounced. At the end of February, there was a heavy snowfall.

In the Jingyang Mansion of Qingling Country, there has been a custom of drinking morning wine since ancient times.

After the snow melted, even though they were frozen into quails, not only men but also women called each other friends, and the smell of meat and wine was still everywhere in the streets.

There is an immortal sect with a long history in Jingyang Mansion, the Caiyushan Zhuzhi Sect, which is one of the sects of the Zhengyang Mountain where the swordsman is like a cloud.

By a stream where the ice had just thawed and the water was gurgling, there was a middle-aged man wearing a cotton robe and a pair of suede boots. He was walking hurriedly on the muddy road while slapping the stone dust off his body. He saw a black figure in the distance. The old man with a sullen face hurriedly moved forward, taking three steps and two steps at a time.

The old man said sternly: "Old! What's going on with you? The real owner has arrived, but you're still nowhere to be seen. You want me to come here to pick you up. You're so arrogant. Do you think it's Mr. Xiahou who invites you to drink?!"

The man said aggrievedly: "Uncle Bai, I left the house a quarter of an hour early."

The old man who was called Uncle Bai said angrily: "We have made an appointment to have a morning drink at noon. Do you have to arrive on time, Mr. Xiahou? How can it be enough to arrive at the appointment a quarter of an hour in advance? You should be at least half an hour in advance. This is not a human thing." Understand, how to be a knowledgeable guest!"

The man bowed his head and breathed to warm his hands, "The outer door knows guests, and the outer door knows guests. Uncle Bai, calm down, I'll treat you to a pot of rosin wine later."

The old man glared and said, "I won't do this again!"

The man nodded vigorously, "I promise, I won't do it again!"

The old man hesitated for a moment and said in his heart: "Even if you haven't personally experienced Mr. Xiahou's temper, you should have heard about it. It's neither serious nor serious. You ruined this wine party and turned a good thing into a bad thing." , won’t you have to turn around and blame me when the time comes?”

The man rubbed his hands and smiled: "If it is really because of such a trivial matter that Mr. Xiahou is resentful, no one will blame Uncle Bai, and my conscience has not been eaten by dogs."

The old man glanced at the debris on the man's shoulder. It was obvious that the boy had gone down to the hole to find veins and quarry stones. The old man remained calm, but his eyes were a little softer, and he snorted coldly, "You are barefoot and not afraid of wearing shoes." As an outsider, you don’t need to be afraid of being cheated by Mr. Chairman Yushan, are you running away? Don't let me bump into you then, otherwise I will scold you every time I see you."

The so-called cold-faced and warm-hearted is nothing more than that.

There are always some old people who like to say things that are unpleasant but reasonable on purpose, as if they are afraid that others will miss them.

The man seemed to be a free-spirited person, and he rubbed the old man's shoulders with a playful smile, "Uncle Bai is an old god, can't he still walk as fast as he can on a jade mountain?"

The old man shook his shoulders, shook off the cotton-padded man's hands, and lectured: "After all, you are a knowledgeable man. You saved up money to buy a decent robe. Look at how poor you are!"

The man smiled and said: "A robe is nothing more than wearing a few pieces. Besides, the real rich people on the mountain are all like me. Wearing a robe will make you look unattractive."

"How much money do you have? How dare you talk about real rich people? Have you seen them?"

"Uncle Bai, when I become rich one day, I can wear seven or eight robes on my body and show off in the market."

"Are you wearing robes or selling robes?"

"You can wear it and sell it at the same time. Uncle Bai, my business is good, right?"

Uncle Bai said: "It's old. There's no need to rush when it comes to rebuilding a sect. There's a long way to go. You'd better read more about the Shanshui Di newspaper and find the elders and brothers of the sect first. Otherwise, the memorial tablets of the gods and masters of the ancestral hall will be hung up." Like the genealogy, you have nothing, and the name is not justified. Whether it is the restoration of the country or the establishment of a new court, how can you be willing to hand over such a large ruins of the Immortal Mansion to a Four Realm Qi Practitioner like you? Even if the new If you are generous enough to return the original site, will you be able to keep your family property?"

Because the entire southern part of Aquarius Continent was invaded by the barbaric monster clan, countless mountain sects and monks moved northward, passing through Dadu and entering the northern zone. Nowadays, various landscape mansions in Aquarius Continent still have many southern immortal mansions and mountain sects recruiting them. The old department is either recruiting troops to try to replenish manpower and restore its old glory. Otherwise, the ancestral hall has been relocated and is too far away from the original place of the sect. It is necessary to remind those long-lost genealogy monks through the Shanshui Di newspaper that the new address of the mountain gate is located in Which country and place.

Chen Chen nodded and said: "It really doesn't work. If I really can't find the elders of the sect, I will go to Head Guo and ask her to help me rebuild the mountain sect. Then I will sign a paper pact with Head Guo. In this way, the Zhuzhi Sect will have Going down the mountain.”

Uncle Bai laughed angrily and said, "What a whim!"

The earliest ancestor hall of the Zhuzhi Sect was established on the top of Caiyu Mountain. There is still a ruins of the ancestor hall, but it was moved to another place in the hands of the second generation of the mountain master. After all, the top of a mountain is constantly being excavated, and the earth and rocks are getting smaller and smaller. , always feel like it’s a bad omen. Because of the treasure trove of Caiyu Mountain, there is a quarry called Yexi. The jade produced here can not only be used for pecking inkstones, but also used to carve into various kinds of precious jade and Yushanzi. Because jade naturally contains traces of Aura, the veins of aura are similar to stone marrow waterways. Although the content is not high, it is already extremely rare in the mountains, especially those large jade stones that are placed in the courtyard and used as a Feng Shui stone. They are almost the same as those in Qingling Kingdom. A standard feature for a wealthy family.

However, the Zhuzhi Sect never dared to hide such huge stones that were rare and hard to come by. They would always pay tribute to Zhengyang Mountain and then resell them to high-ranking officials from a certain peak at a high price.

The founder of the Zhuzhi Sect was good at geography and had a unique vision. He signed a contract with the imperial court in his early years and purchased the entire Caiyu Mountain and nearby veins at a very low price. When the monks of the Zhuzhi Sect dug deeper, they were sitting on a treasure mountain. Zhengyang Mountain realized in hindsight that they never thought that there was such a priceless jade vein hidden under their noses. It was just Zhuzhi. The sect had already signed a land deed with the imperial court at that time, but it was too late to regret it. Zhengyang Mountain did not take the ruthless move of killing everyone. Instead, it sent a Sword Immortal from the Patriarch Hall to form an alliance with the Zhuzhi sect. In name, it was Covenant, the latter actually became a vassal sect of Zhengyang Mountain.

The current leader, Guo Huifeng, is a female Golden Elixir cultivator.

Just because the founder of the Zhuzhi Sect made a contract with the previous dynasty, when the founding emperor of Qingling Kingdom sat on the dragon throne two hundred years ago, the Zhuzhi Sect and Caiyushan encountered a crisis that was about to come.

It is said that she is sitting in a large formation in Caiyu Mountain, and she has made it clear that if the Sword Immortal of Zhengyang Mountain dares to occupy Caiyu Mountain, her ancestral property, she will kill them all. No one from Zhengyang Mountain, Qingling Kingdom and Zhuzhi Sect will want this. A vein of ore.

The strong character of this head female cultivator is evident.

Chen Ping'an smiled, finally getting to see the talented brother who worked so hard in Shuilong Peak.

As the mountain master, when he was in Luopo Mountain, he rarely took the initiative to talk about other mountains, let alone a certain monk.

But this person is definitely an exception.

Not to mention millet grains, even Nuan Shu and Shi Rou, the shopkeeper of Qilong Lane, have heard about this person.

This prodigy brother must have never imagined that he would have such a high "prestige" in Luolu Mountain.

According to the old cook, drinking at the wine table is tasteless without a few words about Brother Xiahou's feats.

This well-known "brother of genius", named Xiahou Zan, as the proud disciple of Master Yan of Shuilongfeng, has been responsible for the espionage affairs of Zhengyang Mountain. He has been collecting intelligence for twenty years, and he can be said to be conscientious and diligent, not daring to slack off at all. , one of the most important intelligence lines is to keep an eye on Chen Ping'an and Liu Xianyang in Huaihuang County, Old Longzhou. For this reason, Brother Xiahou's capable subordinates who can be called confidants also cooperated with Xiuhua, Yuye, and others in Hongzhu Town. Chongdan Sanjiang Water Mansion has connections, both deep and shallow, with many underlings of the Water Mansion who claim to have great hands, eyes, and sharp ears, and they have spent a lot of money to get into their pockets.

But Brother Xiahou never used any dirty tricks from beginning to end. Of course, he really didn't dare to act rashly. After all, the backer of that down-and-out mountain was Beiyue Piyun Mountain. People said that this young man with mud-legged background was The owner of the mountain has always been the accountant who was supported by the tiger Wei Bo. He is responsible for laundering a lot of the gray income of the Tiger Mansion into clean fairy money through a Niujiao Ferry shared by the two mountains, and secretly flowing into the treasury of the Tiger Mansion every year.

As for that Liu Xianyang, he left his hometown early and went to study for many years with the Chen Confucian family in Posuzhou. As soon as he returned home, he was blessed with good fortune and transformed into a direct disciple of Ruan Qiong, the Longquan Sword Sect, and Ruan Qiong was a member of the Dali Dynasty. The chief worshipper.

The backers of both sides are either Beiyue Mountain Monarch or Chief Ruan of Great Li, so Brother Xiahou dares to act recklessly.

By the time the sect's celebration, which was famous all over the continent, was over, Brother Xiahou had "completed his merits."

Chen Chen suddenly said: "Uncle Bai, I want to ask you something. If that Xiahou Sword Immortal asks, can you tell me that this meal of wine was paid for by me swollen my face and pretending to be fat?"

Uncle Bai said: "Three pots of rosin wine."

Originally, Cai Yushan had to check the account books with Xiahou Zan on time, so this meal was a public expense of the Zhuzhi Sect, and Bai Ni did not have to pay for it himself.

"Two pots!"

"make a deal."

On the border of Caiyu Mountain, on a shore called Sanhua Beach, there is a restaurant of Zhuzhi Sect that is not open to the public for business. There is a wine shop at the moment.

The person doing the job today is the current mining officer in charge of cutting the Yushan quarry. The old man’s name is Bai Ni, and he is a monk of the Zhuzhi Sect’s Ancestral Master Hall. The monks of the sect are accustomed to calling the old man Uncle Bai.

There was only one guest, a nobleman from Shangzong Zhengyang Mountain, a swordsman who was not too young but not absolutely immortal, Xiahou Zan.

The companions are a man and a woman. The outer sect knows that the guest is old, and the female practitioner is Liang Yuping, whose Taoist name is "Banana Leaf".

The nun's "hairpin" is a small and exquisite banana fan.

As for that man, there is nothing much to say. He is just an outsider with an ordinary appearance, low level and average status.

She got the news somehow and took the initiative to participate in the wine party. Uncle Bai couldn't stop her.

Liang Yuping is a high disciple of the Jizu Mountain lineage. Not surprisingly, she is the next candidate for the peak master.

And Jizu Mountain is also the incense path passed down by the previous head. In fact, the Zhuzhi Sect is divided into two factions. The monks from the Caiyu Mountain lineage do not want to be too attached to Zhengyang Mountain, while the Jizushan lineage is determined to seek refuge in Zhengyang Mountain. In the past, they were with Qiuling. Shan always showed his kindness, but now he turned to hug Man Yuefeng's thigh. There are three types of vassal and subordination relationships on the mountain. In the first type, it is clearly established that the two parties belong to the upper and lower mountain relationships. The genealogy of the monks down the mountain must be included in the genealogy supplement of the ancestor hall of the upper mountain. Their status is naturally inferior to others, and it is extremely difficult to escape the control of the upper mountain. The second type, the sect of the vassal, is the kind that is subordinate to the Immortal Mansion and needs to pay tribute of money and materials to the sect of the sect leader on time. The relationship between the Zhuzhi Sect and Zhengyang Mountain is this kind. The third type is allies on the mountain, but the strength of the two is very different, and the weaker party does not need to pay tribute, such as Luolu Mountain and Zhuchai Island on the back of the fish.

The restaurant is two stories high, with a large room on the second floor, which has always been specially used to entertain distinguished guests from Zhengyang Mountain.

Uncle Bai led the man named Chen Chen up the stairs. In the corridor, Liang Yuping was already standing at the door, standing tall and graceful. On Bai Ou's wrist was a string of valuable and unmarketable Qiuzhu bracelets.

The female cultivator looked about thirty years old, with a slender figure and a mole at the corner of her mouth.

The robe she wears today is obviously carefully selected. The thin parts are slimmer and the fat parts are more plump.

Liang Yuping saw Bai Ni, who held the real power of mining, and complained softly: "Uncle Bai, how can I keep Mr. Xiahou waiting for so long? If I were Mr. Xiahou, I would have left long ago. How could I be patient?" When you guys arrive, Mr. Xiahou will come back and advise me not to be anxious."

The female cultivator's voice was neither too loud nor too soft. Uncle Bai who was in the Cave Mansion Realm in the corridor could hear it very clearly. The Xiahou Sword Immortal who was in the Longmen Realm in the room must have heard it even more clearly.

Uncle Bai laughed softly and said, "That's why Yuping is responsible for entertaining guests."

The female cultivator was angry and happy.

Entering the room, Uncle Bai bowed his hands and apologized. Mr. Xiahou put down the bamboo hat in his hand, stood up, and said with a smile that there was no need to be so outspoken.

Uncle Bai asked: "Xiahou Sword Immortal, should I ask someone to serve you food now?"

Xiahou Zan nodded and said with a smile: "Of course guests are welcome to do as they please. Anyway, I have nothing to do now, so it doesn't matter if I wait for a while. Besides, Taoist friend 'Biao Ye' is good at making good tea. This old tea tree in Sanhuatan picks The Mingqian tea I ordered tastes pretty good.”

Uncle Bai looked at the relieved Zhike out of the corner of his eye.

A fool?

You can't even hear the implication of this, even if you start to call for punishment?

Uncle Bai repeatedly clasped his fists and begged for mercy: "I am not wise enough to do things. I will drink three glasses of wine as a penalty later."

"Elders are respected. If Uncle Bai continues to say such nonsense, he will really treat me as an outsider."

"Don't dare."

The female cultivator began to smooth things over, "Mr. Xiahou, today we have a main dish, drunken shrimps. Our restaurant spent a lot of effort to buy eighteen pieces of 'silver' and put it together into a plate. It's our Zhuzhi pie and one A Dali governor has a passion for incense, so he bought it with great difficulty."

She said it as if she paid for it out of her own pocket.

Uncle Bai didn't care that she took the credit away.

Xiahou Zan smiled and said: "Yin Zi, also known as the River Dragon. I used to be the master's favor, and I ate the two-finger long one several times."

The female cultivator suddenly looked extremely embarrassed.

Bai Ni also has a big head, but you, Liang Yuping, find it strange. What do you think you are showing off with a Shuilongfeng Sword Immortal? Shuilongfeng not only practices swordsmanship, but his direct disciples often also practice water law, and the water in a continent is "clearly provided for game." , there is certainly no lack of knowledge.

It turns out that there is an underground river in Aquarius Island, which is known as the dragon's path. Immortal ferries come and go. There is a unique and strange river shrimp in the water. It is all white and naturally absorbs the essence of water transportation. It shines in the night. It is called "River Dragon" by people in the north of the river, such as Shushui Kingdom, and nicknamed "Yin Zi" in the south. A river dragon as long as one finger is the first-class rare river delicacy. If a river dragon lives for a hundred years, it will be long and tall. to two fingers. Nowadays, a finger-long river dragon can be sold for a piece of snow money, and the price is high but there is no market. If you don't have any relationship with the Dali Governor's Office or the Hou family of Laolongcheng, you can't buy it at all.

Xiahou Zan asked casually: "Who is the transport supervisor?"

Uncle Bai said: "It's an escort named Huang."

"What rank of official?"

"It seems to be from the fifth grade."

Xiahou Zan nodded, "That is a certain assistant officer under Yu Duyun."

In the past, this kind of delicacies on the mountain were reserved by a senior brother who was in charge of money in Shuilong Peak directly with Yu Duyun, the governor of Dali Caoyun. The children of the family are very friendly, so they got such a good job.

Chen Pingan smiled.

Speaking of which, Yu Shanfang, the transport superintendent in charge of the Dragon Road route at Dali Transport Yamen, is still an old acquaintance and an old drinking mate because of Guan Yiran's relationship. Yu Shanfang is a poor drinker. The wine was even worse. You could say he was pretending to be drunk. When he got high, he would get under the table. If he was really drunk, he would touch the boots of female nun Qi Qi while he was under the table.

At that time, the Dali imperial court established a new yamen to oversee and be responsible for the Yizhou ferry route, Xianjia ferry and the transportation of supplies on the mountain. At that time, the official position of the chief official was the third rank, which was only one rank lower than the minister of the Ministry of household affairs. In this yamen office, all officials The family got three chairs. Originally, Guan Yiran wanted to sit in the chair with the lowest status. He also persuaded Yu Shanfang to join him as an errand in the newly opened Water Transport Office. The original intention was to let Yu Shanfang and a man named Dong Shuijing Two new friends joined forces, the latter made money cleanly, and the former was promoted smoothly.

As a result, Yu Shanfang was reluctant to take office, but Guan Yiran, a bastard who talked like farts, gave up his job and turned around to become the supervisor of Dadu.

Now, as one of the transport supervisors, Yu Shanfang's most important responsibility is the long north-south dragon road of Aquarius Continent.

As for the Hou family of Laolongcheng who had been involved in the Long Road business earlier, they once occupied half of the route. After the intervention of the Dali court, the Hou family could only retreat behind the scenes and eat the scraps.

The current Yamen of the General Administration of Transport of Dali is located on the bank of Jidu, not in Luojing, the capital of Dali, and is close to Changchun Houshui Mansion.

The chief officer known as the "Captain Marshal" has been promoted from the third rank to the second rank, and the two auxiliary officers have also been promoted to the third rank. As a rule, the Governor of Water Transport is not subject to the control of the ministry and is directly responsible to the emperor. He can be specially appointed. Play something.

In the past twenty years, Yu Shanfang, who has had a prosperous official career, started from a high level and was one of the first elders to enter the Yamen when it was established. Now he can be regarded as a powerful official of one of the feudal officials. In addition, the earliest 30 mountain routes were reduced to 17 because the Dali Dynasty retreated to the north of Dadu. The Song Dynasty abolished some of the transport supervisors and related subordinates, most of whom were promoted or transferred to local positions. Among the remaining governors of prefectures and counties, there is Yu Shanfang. From the fourth level, the key is the Long Road that he has full jurisdiction over. Since the northern end is located in Shushui Kingdom in the middle of Yizhou, it is the only route that extends to The waterway in the southern boundary of Aquarius Continent is an important waterway, so even a fool can see that the authority in Yu Duyun's hands is definitely not limited to supervising transportation along the Dragon Road. The countries and immortal mansions along the river will return the entire treasure to the Great Li court. After the mountains and rivers in the south of Pingzhou, the Dali imperial court still regards itself as a vassal state. It is estimated that part of the credit must be assigned to Yu Shanfang. As for the extent of the credit, it only depends on whether Yu Shanfang will be transferred to another official in the future. If you are low in height, it will be clear.

Xiahou Zan seemed to finally see the outsider who had been standing there as a mute. He smiled and said, "Uncle Bai, who is this?"

Uncle Bai said in a deep voice: "Old! What are you still doing?"

Chen Chen immediately clasped his fists and said, "I know the guest from the outer sect of Zhuzhi Sect, Chen Chen, and I have met Xiahou Sword Immortal."

Xiahou Zan was silent for a moment, smiled and nodded, "Nice to meet you, I have long admired your name."

Chen Chen's movements were stiff, and he kept holding his fists for a long time before saying, "I finally met Xiahou Sword Immortal. I am honored, honored, and extremely honored."

Xiahou Zan smiled and said nothing.

Liang Yuping twitched the corner of his mouth.

It’s true that dog meat can’t be put on the table.

What did Bai Ni think? He was actually willing to set up a bridge for this kind of waste. Xiahou Zan was so impressed that he was surprised.

A sect affiliated with Zhengyang Mountain, the outer sect only knows guests, and is responsible for welcoming and delivering guests. It does not involve the confidential matters of the Zhuzhi sect, and it does not even have access to the account books of the outer sect and Caiyushan. Moreover, as a Zhike, every expenditure needs to be recorded in detail, reported to the accounting office, and money may be posted externally. If you want to become a serious intellectual of the Eight Classics Immortal Mansion sect, you must have a clean background and well-documented records. After all, the Guan ultimatum issued by the Great Li Dynasty is not so easy to be faked, not to mention that the cost of cheating is too high. Once discovered, you need to face-to-face. That's right, it's not the Qingling Kingdom's court who is pursuing the case, but the monks directly under the direct contact of the Dali Punishment Department.

The calm Xiahou Sword Immortal in front of him is the genius brother in charge of the espionage in Zhengyang Mountain.

Before sitting down, Xiahou Zan and Uncle Bai humbly declined again, and Liang Yuping smiled and persuaded them before they sat down.

As expected, Uncle Bai drank three glasses of fine wine first, and then he and Chen Chen toasted Mr. Xiahou. When Chen Chen was stunned, Baji finished his drink and sat back down without making any movement. Uncle Bai winked at this outsider, "Chen Chen" After realizing it, he stood up to toast alone. Xiahou Zan sat down, took a sip of wine, stretched out his hand and pressed twice to signal the man opposite him to sit down and eat.

When Xiahou Zan was drinking, he looked depressed and was obviously in a bad mood.

In the peaks of Zhengyang Mountain, sword cultivators of the same generation as Xiahou Zan, or at similar levels, began to make sarcastic remarks.

It's all because the name was not chosen well, Zan, three jade and two stones. Since the jade stones are mixed together, they are not pure jade.

When the plate of "silver" was brought to the table, Xiahou Zan was not in the mood, so he just picked up a chopstick of drunken shrimps for Liang Yuping next to him.

The female nun was flattered and smiled like a flower.

Chen Chen wanted to pick up some drunken shrimps with his chopsticks, but was immediately glared at by Uncle Bai. He had to move his chopsticks angrily and picked up a wild stream fish.

After that sword inquiry, a series of earth-shaking changes occurred in the peaks of Zhengyang Mountain.

Xia Yuancui, the most senior ancestor of Full Moon Peak, is a Jade Pu Realm Sword Immortal. Not only does he serve as the Master, but he also occupies two peaks that have been idle for many years.

Tao Yanbo's Qiuling Mountain has been closed. Yuanying Old Sword Immortal voluntarily resigned from all sect positions. The sect leader Zhuhuang ordered Tao Yanbo to shut up and reflect on his past for a while.

The identity of Yan Chu of Shuilongfeng has changed from the Patriarch of Zhanglu to the top position of Zhengyang Mountain Treasury.

The leader of Qiongzhi Peak, Leng Qi, declared to be in seclusion, and his disciple Liu Yu took over the affairs. The leader of Yujiao Peak, Yu Ping, although this young golden elixir swordsman made a big mistake in that incident, he did not become decadent. , only talking about the erection of a monument on the border of Zhengyang Mountain, after many twists and turns, now there is even a group of young swordsmen, nearly ten people, who are practicing here. They are from Wufeng. It is said that they have formed a small mountain in private. , a total of more than 20 people, all of whom are relatively young geniuses in Zhufeng. Among them is Yu Ping, who is one of the backbone.

The sect leaders, the Bamboo Emperor and the Ancestral Master Hall, did not say anything about this. The Bamboo Emperor just asked the peak masters of the peaks where these young people were to remind these young people in private that they were not allowed to damage the stone tablets, and there was no need to worry about the rest. .

In fact, Shuilong Peak suffered little damage in this accident. It was even considered the only mountain that was a blessing in disguise, and the sect's status was slightly improved.

Only Xiahou Zan, the proud disciple of the old swordsman Yan from Shuilong Peak, was the most disappointed.

Liang Yuping began to list some of the faults of the Zhengyang Mountain vassal, and then talked about the merits of her own sect, especially her Jizu Mountain branch, and how those junior sisters admired Shuilongfeng.

Xiahou Zan nodded and said with a smile: "Your Zhuzhi Sect has always been on good terms with our Zhengyang Mountain for generations. Whenever Master mentions Jizu Mountain, he is always full of praise and does not hesitate to say good things."

Liang Yuping glanced sideways at Uncle Bai.

The Caiyushan Zhuzhi Sect is one of the many vassal sects in Zhengyang Mountain. In fact, at its peak, there were as many as a dozen "downhill" or vassal sects in Zhengyang Mountain. However, it is different now, half of them are nominally Although the vassal sects have not officially left their vassal status for the time being, in the past, every time they gathered, they would take fuzhou boats or private ferries and rush to the ancestral mountain "Dianmao" in Zhengyang Mountain on time. Now everyone has started to push back and find various reasons, or Send a subordinate to show up and come here to communicate.

And Xiahou Zan, the direct disciple of the Shuilong Peak ancestor and a dignified Longmen realm swordsman, is now only in charge of the "collection" of the three vassal sects in the north of Zhengyang Mountain.

Among them was the Zhuzhi Sect. In fact, where did he need to urge him? It wasn't those "enclave" hills that were as high as the sky and far away from the emperor. This Caiyu Mountain was only a few steps away from Zhengyang Mountain?

Therefore, anyone with a discerning eye knows that Xiahou Zan was regarded as an outcast by Zhengyang Mountain and Shuilong Peak. He was demoted again and again, and was completely benched.

Frankly speaking, when it comes to collecting intelligence, Xiahou Zan, who is a cultivator in the Longmen realm, has not slacked off or taken it lightly. He is very attentive and dedicated to his responsibilities. Although this position is actually quite lucrative, Xiahou Zan can say it from the bottom of his heart. To be honest, I don't have any money to enrich my own pockets, and I don't have any greed for money. He just wanted to use his merits to get a position in the Ancestral Master Hall of the sect. Even if his level was not enough and he was not in line with the etiquette, what about joining the sect in the future?

Therefore, Xiahou Zan, who almost never drank alcohol before, now drinks whenever he gets the chance.

Otherwise, as Bai Ni, would he be able to please Xiahou Zan?

Is it just based on the few "silver coins" that are less than half the length of chopsticks on the Long Road?

Guo Huifeng, the head of the Zhuzhi Sect, personally invited him to drink, which was considered a "match".

But it doesn't hurt when others stand and talk. Nowadays, there are a lot of gossips in Zhengyang Mountain. Although Master, the old man, is on the side of the angry sect master, he has managed to keep his status as the direct successor of Shuilong Peak, but he can only let him, who is extremely valued, The proud disciple went out to avoid the limelight. How would outsiders know about Xiahou Zan's difficulties? To collect intelligence, he had to bypass the Dali court and the Longzhou government. He also needed to avoid Peiyun Mountain, a Beiyue Mountain that was so close to Luopo Mountain that he wore a pair of trousers. As for Liu Xianyang, how did he ask him to investigate? They all went to study with the Confucian Chen family in Nanbosu Island, and there were only a few people in the Longquan Sword Sect and the entire sect. How could he infiltrate and place people secretly? Otherwise, even if it were replaced by such behemoths as Shen Gaozong and Yunlin Jiang, it would not be so difficult.

Yu Ping of Yujiao Peak and Liu Yu of Qiongzhi Peak both practiced swordsmanship in Longquan Sword Sect, but Xiahou Zan could never find out any useful information, especially that Yu Ping, before and after he became the peak master, used to be respectfully called Xiahou Sword Immortal. , and later he called fellow Taoist Xiahou casually, and he was completely different from the other two.

Therefore, Xiahou Zan could only be a mute and eat Coptis chinensis. He listened to his master and stayed dormant for a few years without being exposed. Then he would look for opportunities later. The Huangshan Sword Sect in Zhongyue would arrange a lucrative and powerful position for him.

Xiahou Zan's face was gloomy, and he lowered his head and took a sip of wine.

Hidden official? Is it awesome?

We are really going to meet him face to face. With my temper, I have to have a fight with Chen Wenjian!

So what if you lose, you can't lose your integrity.

I believe that the other party will never beat me to death.

The outer sect’s intellectual, named Guo Jiu, finally plucked up the courage to say something fair, “A large sect is like an officialdom, and it is inevitable that some bad habits will be contracted. Those who are really serious about doing things will always suffer the most. If you do well, you should do it well.” Yes, if you don't do it well, gossips will come flooding in, overtly or covertly, no matter how you can stop it, if you are in such a situation as Xiahou Sword Immortal, you can casually look through the history books and you will find that I have to toast Xiahou Sword Immortal here."

Uncle Bai's eyes were full of surprise, looking at the old man who was holding a cup in both hands and toasting. Is this kid finally enlightened?

Xiahou Zan glanced sideways and nodded.

I never thought I could talk.

No wonder he can be an outsider in Caiyushan.

Xiahou Zan then asked: "What is your name?"

The man hurriedly registered his number again, "Old, old things are old."

I guess I spoke too softly before, or Xiahou Zan didn't remember. Most nobles forget things.

Xiahou Zan frowned slightly. His surname was Chen, which sounded annoying.

It seems that Chen Chen is quite good at observing people's emotions, and he immediately began to express his loyalty, "I have never had a good impression of the man named Chen from Luoshan Mountain ever since I heard about such a famous person. If I hadn't been really shallow, I would definitely have to do it." Give him a good punch!"

Xiahou Zan's face lost a bit of disgust and became a little numb, but after all, the words were pleasant to the ear.

He narrowed his eyes and asked: "Chen Zhike, you have no relationship or enmity with the mountain master, why are you so disgusted with this person?"

Xiahou Zan picked up a river dragon and chewed it carefully. "Don't rush to answer. Think about it before you say it. You can drink wine randomly, but you can't talk nonsense."

The atmosphere at the wine table suddenly became solemn.

Liang Yuping was a little gloating.

Uncle Bai began to worry and worried, "You are an outsider and an outsider, how can you flatter me like this?" Bile fat?

Perhaps it was because he was drunk and cowardly, but he had no stage fright. He said: "I read a landscape travelogue, which was written about that guy. He had many romantic encounters and it was unsightly to watch! He was full of benevolence, righteousness and morality, and he seemed to be a chivalrous and righteous man along the way. To slay demons, in fact, at critical moments, he is strict with others and lenient with himself. Anyone who refuses to suffer at all is just a sanctimonious hypocrite. He has taken advantage of all the beauty, money, opportunities, and reputation. Yangui, There is never a shortage of fox charms and beauties wearing talismans, nestling in the red and green, and there are always beauties and swallows. Anyway, whenever something happens, there will be beauties to save you and tide you over. There is nothing dangerous about such a journey in the rivers and lakes full of beauty and beauty. , I can do it if you leave me alone!"

Chen Chen drank another glass of wine and sighed again, "A person who only likes to reason all day long and a person who never likes to reason have only one thing in common, and that is good luck! Apart from that, He has no real ability at all."

Uncle Bai was speechless for a moment.

Are you, Chen Chen, dissatisfied with the behavior of that young hermit official, or are you just envious and jealous of his constant romantic encounters?

Xiahou Zan is generally known. He is a shallow person, but he is decent in what he says and does. He is not the kind of money addict who can't get out of money. In short, he is still a little ambitious and wants to climb up. A person who is willing to There are only two types of outsiders who pay from their own pockets: those who have so much money in their pockets that they have no place to spend it, and those who are willing to spend today's small money to earn big money tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. And how could a foreign qigong practitioner who had been exiled to the Zhuzhi Sect and cultivated in all four realms have a rich family? Not surprisingly, he just wanted to establish a relationship with the Zhuzhi Sect, such as Jindan Guo Huifeng, and return home in good clothes in the coming year.

Xiahou Zan believed that he had a very accurate eye for seeing people. The other person's humility in trying not to show too much flattery was revealed from the bottom of his heart and could not be faked.

Knowing that this meal was paid for by Chen Shan, Xiahou Zan rarely took the initiative to propose a toast.

After putting down the wine glass, Xia Houzan asked with a smile: "Chen Zhike, I heard that you are from Huanghuachuan in the south. Your sect is quite big. You are considered a third-rate immortal mansion in Baoping Continent. Even if you lose it in the war, , for so many years, there has never been a pillar to prop up the old portal. But if you really care, compared to the Zhuzhi Sect, your Huanghuachuan is only bigger or smaller in scale, and your background is only deep or shallow. How can you come here to make a living? Do you feel shabby? By the way, I heard that there are several scenic spots in Huanghuachuan. Among them, Xuantong Mountain and Panchi Mountain are facing each other. There is a Yuanyuan Temple, and it is said that there is a long scroll in the temple. What is it called?"

Liang Yuping's face changed slightly.

In the previous conversation, Xiahou Zan seemed to have never heard of this person's name, but he knew that this person came from Huanghuachuan in the south, and he knew the customs and customs there very well.

Chen Chen was stunned for a moment, then seemed to say cautiously: "I just heard Master occasionally mention that the Yuanyuan Temple at the foot of Xuantong Mountain does have "A Futon with Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms" in its collection, but it is generally not easily taken out. It was shown to outsiders. The master had a good relationship with the abbot and only saw it once. Later, the master and several of our direct descendants revealed that this long scroll was not well kept. Unfortunately, there were many dark spots on it, and many of the poems and texts were indecipherable. Qing Dynasty. As for the area near Panchi Mountain, it is true that plum blossoms bloomed like... in the past. It's just that in the early years, the local people cut down a lot of plum trees because they had little profit from growing plums and could not sell them as orchids as potted plants. , the so-called plum blossoms blooming like snow is a bit untrue. Literati and poets all like to go to other places to enjoy plum blossoms."

"Flowers bloom like a large piece of writing. Well, it sounds a bit more remote than white as snow. Chen Zhike has a good conversational style."

Xiahou Zan nodded, stretched out his chopsticks to pick up the drunken shrimps, turned around and asked, "Uncle Bai, how much is the monthly salary for a guest from the outer sect of the Zhuzhi Sect now?"

I quickly quoted a number and paid for six snows.

There will be dividends at the end of the year, but it depends on the market conditions.

Xia Houzan paused for a moment with the pair of chopsticks in his hand, nodded, and said only three words, which was not a few words.

Then nothing was said.

Uncle Bai has already understood it. It's not too little, but it's not too much.

I need to give Chen a salary increase.

This meal of wine, so old, is really not in vain.

The wild stream at the foot of Caiyu Mountain merges into a large river. In the wide river channel, the official ships of Qingling Kingdom come and go in a chaotic manner.

Many precious utensils carefully crafted by the craftsmen of Zhuzhi Mountain "flow" into the homes of distinguished generals and ministers of a country through this river.

Both sides of the bank are planted with apricot blossom trees, which are full of apricot blossoms and blow like snow in the wind.

Wind, rain, apricot blossoms and snow, water from the north and south slapped the sky.

In the night, a female nun stood under the almond tree.

I don’t know why, but when the flowers are falling, they all frown.

Bai Ni came here alone and said: "Master, Xiahou Zan seems to be undisciplined, but in fact he is extremely cautious. He can't even say a single useful word at the wine table."

Guo Huifeng nodded and said: "If you can't keep your mouth shut, how can you control the intelligence of Zhengyang Mountain?"

Bai Ni said softly: "The two-hundred-year lease signed by the Qingling Kingdom's court is about to expire. This Xiahou Zan is responsible for the debt collection affairs of several of our sects at this time. He can come regularly and openly." Wandering around Caiyu Mountain, could it mean Zhengyang Mountain Ancestral Hall or Shuilong Peak?"

Guo Huifeng sighed quietly, "Even without the secret instructions from Master Zhu or Yan Jianxian, I'm afraid Xiahou Zan himself would have thought of making amends."

The last time it was in her hands, regarding Caiyu Mountain, the Zhuzhi Sect renewed a two-hundred-year lease contract with Qingling Country. This time, it may be difficult for the Zhuzhi Sect to hold on to the ancestral family business of Caiyu Mountain.

Bai Ni said: "In the contract, it is written clearly in black and white. Our Zhuzhi Sect can give priority to renewing the contract, and even if other immortal houses want to buy Caiyu Mountain, the Zhuzhi Sect can bid with them, and the one with the highest price will get it."

Guo Huifeng smiled bitterly and said, "I'm just afraid that the tree will be quiet but the wind won't stop."

Bai Ni didn't understand the twists and turns. On Master Shishu's side, he deliberately spoke lightly.

Now that the deadline has expired, the Zhuzhi Sect no longer has a legitimate reason to occupy Caiyu Mountain. If Qingling Country wants to sell it to another company, such as Zhengyang Mountain, and it offers a high price, it will be difficult for the Zhuzhi Sect to compete with Zhengyang Mountain.

Even if Zhengyang Mountain is willing to bid, the Zhuzhi Sect dares to bid?

No wonder the imperial court of Qingling Kingdom came to pay tribute not long ago. He was hiding his head and tail, and did not dare to let Zhengyang Mountain know his whereabouts. He just found Guo Huifeng in private and said some words in a roundabout way. Basically, he hinted that Guo Huifeng, our emperor His Majesty is actually very willing to renew the contract with the Zhuzhi Sect, and the price is easy to negotiate.

Apparently they were worried that Zhuzhi Sect would be picked up by Zhengyang Mountain at a very low price without even paying the price.

Therefore, for the Qingling Kingdom and the Zhuzhi Sect, the ownership of a Caiyu Mountain in the next hundreds of years is an extremely delicate and complicated situation.

It is only said that the emperor of Qingling Kingdom neither dared to provoke Zhengyang Mountain, nor was he willing to give away a Caiyu Mountain in vain. They want Zhuzhi Sect and Guo Huifeng to bid as much as possible, but they don't want to offend Zhengyang Mountain.

As for Guo Huifeng, if he made up his mind not to compete for Caiyu Mountain, he would simply stop bidding. Of course, Zhengyang Mountain would be happy to see this happen, but it would have a bad relationship with the Qingling Kingdom court over this.

Either she didn't care about the faces of Zhengyang Mountain and Qingling Country, she directly asked Bai Ni to replace his master who was the sect's God of Wealth, and raised the price all the way to thirty Grain Rain coins. No matter how Zhengyang Mountain raised the price, the achievement would be successful. , If you don’t succeed, you won’t succeed.

But once the Caiyu Mountain, where the largest source of wealth is located, is given up, the Zhuzhi Sect will

Do we really want to be reduced to the descent of Zhengyang Mountain step by step?

Guo Huifeng is never willing to do this.

If it were not for the geographical restrictions of her sect, Guo Huifeng would not want to have anything to do with Zhengyang Mountain. This has been the case since before she took over as the head of the sect. She has actually seen or heard too many things about Zhengyang Mountain. The mountain's shady deeds.

Bai Ni was hesitant to speak several times, but he still mustered up the courage to suggest: "Master, if you really want to keep your ancestral business and not be hated by Zhengyang Mountain, can we... official……"

In the end, the old man probably felt ridiculous himself and couldn't go on.

Guo Huifeng couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't help but laugh out loud. She was obviously amused by "Uncle Bai"'s whimsical idea. "Uncle Bai, who do you think I am? A monk in the fifth realm, or Li?" Are you a local monk from Zhudongtian? Do you think I can meet that person if I go there? Take a step back and say, if I meet that person without being rejected, can we make a deal?"

"Uncle Bai, do you think they are the founders of Luopo Mountain?"

Because of his "older" appearance, even Guo Huifeng, whose realm and Taoist age is much higher than that of Bai Ni, would humorously call him "Uncle Bai".

It can be seen from this that the style of the Zhuzhi Sect is not so hierarchical, and everything is based on the realm of monks.

"Right."

Bai Ni nodded, remembering what the familiar guest at the banquet table said earlier, "Besides, according to the widely circulated landscape travel notes from his early years, Master Chen was an amorous man who liked to flirt with women when he was young. .”

If that were the case, wouldn't the leader have fallen into a trap if he wasn't careful? Don't beat the dog with meat buns...

The contents of that travelogue book would rather be believed than not.

If you put yourself in their shoes, they are all men. If you are not a romantic person, it would be a waste to be young. It is normal to have a few confidantes. It would be strange if you don't have them.

Guo Huifeng looked puzzled and asked curiously: "What kind of landscape travel notes? Is the content related to Chen Yinguan? Can this kind of book be published and sold?"

Bai Ni's old face turned red, "It's nothing, it's just a miscellaneous book made up by someone. It's a bit heavy on makeup, but it's actually not worth reading."

In the river, on an official boat, two old swordsmen who came from the same school but were one generation apart gathered in secret.

Hanging the curtain is a layer of landscape restriction to prevent the partition wall from having ears.

There are two peak masters of Zhengyang Mountain, Xia Yuancui of Full Moon Peak and Yan Chu of Shuilong Peak.

"Yan Chu, why don't you tell Xiahou Zan clearly?"

"Old Ancestor Xia, my disciple is smart enough and has a strict mouth, but his biggest shortcoming is that he is not ruthless enough in his actions. It is not without reason that he has not been able to reach the Golden Core level so far. He will definitely help with such secret matters. If you're not busy, don't let him get involved, so as not to cause trouble. The Bamboo Emperor is not a fool after all, and it would be bad if he notices the clues."

Xia Yuancui squinted at the jade mountain in the distance, "It's just a vein of jade that has been mined for hundreds of years. The earth master of the Qintian Prison of Qingling Kingdom not long ago estimated the value of the reserves. It's probably worth more than a hundred Grain Rain coins." , and it is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In fact, it is nothing to give it to Guo Huifeng. Anyway, we have a large sum of money in Zhengyang Mountain every year, which is regarded as the salary of hiring people to dig the mountain. The key is that this Guo Huifeng is too stubborn and does not know how to do it. Generally speaking, I always want to draw a clear line with Zhengyang Mountain. I just used her to scare the monkeys. Through this opportunity, Guo Huifeng was ruined, and then the Jizu Mountain line was supported. The Zhuzhi Sect must sign an agreement with our Zhengyang Mountain to go up and down the mountain. Contract. The other sects and sects of the vassal are just fagots. As long as they see Guo Huifeng's miserable situation, they will naturally become honest."

"How to force her to completely break up with the Bamboo Emperor?"

"I have a clever plan, just wait and watch."

"Ancestor Xia, can you trust Yu Ping over at Yujiao Peak?"

"After I promise to fulfill my promise, I will let him concurrently serve as the Patriarch of the Law of the Xiashan Huangzhu Sword Sect. There is no reason for Yu Ping not to agree."

"I always feel that this kid is a white-eyed wolf, born with a rebellious streak."

"Rebellion? Not very good. As for where he can go after the dust settles."

Having said this, Xia Yuancui looked at Yan Chu with a smile, "Are you going to rebel against the Bamboo Emperor first and then against me? Just because he is a golden elixir sword cultivator?"

Yan Chu heard the implication of the ancestor's words and felt a little embarrassed, "Ancestor Xia overestimated me. How can I be destined to be the leader of the sect, let alone have such ambition and strength? I am old, how many pounds do I have?" A few taels, it’s very clear. I will be satisfied if I can serve as the master of the upper sect and the master of the lower mountain in the future.”

"Yu Ping is a smart man. He tells the truth at once. I didn't say anything clearly at all. If he rushes to the Bamboo Emperor to frame me, the ancestor, for plotting to usurp the throne, I will admire this boy's courage and courage."

Xia Yuancui suddenly narrowed her eyes and smiled: "Yan Chu, if you can join the sect by going down the mountain, you must step down as the head of the sect."

Yan Chu saw that Xia Yuancui didn't seem to be joking. The old Yuanying's eyes instantly heated up and he said resolutely: "No problem!"

So what if the next sect leader is the real leader of the first sect!

In the past three thousand years of Aquarius Continent, how many sects have there been and how many people have served as sect leaders?

Previously, Xia Yuancui suddenly suggested to the sword cultivators in the peaks of Zhengyang Mountain during a meeting in the Ancestral Master Hall that anyone, regardless of age or sex, regardless of their level of realm or origin, could go to the wild world to make achievements and kill monsters with their swords, as long as they wanted to. He, Xia Yuancui and Man Yuefeng, can lead a team and take a ferry across the world through a Guixu passage.

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was in an uproar. Many old sword cultivators who were accustomed to leaving the meeting in the middle of discussions immediately looked at this old master who had been in seclusion for many years.

However, the sect leader Bamboo Emperor only said that this matter was important and needed to be discussed in the long term.

Soon the Bamboo Emperor came to Full Moon Peak and complained to his uncle why he insisted on going his own way without saying hello in advance.

Xia Yuancui said that he was just traveling for experience and would not rush to the battlefield seriously. Even if he had to fight with the demon clan, he would make arrangements in advance. In this way, he could change Aquarius Continent's perception of our Zhengyang Mountain. The Bamboo Emperor remained silent and felt depressed when he left.

Nowadays, most of the peaks of Zhengyang Mountain, especially those young and vigorous monks, are extremely dissatisfied with the sect leader Bamboo Emperor. They feel that as the sect leader of the mountain, Bamboo Emperor behaved so cowardly and gave in at every turn when facing the ceremony at Luolu Mountain. Especially the agreement with Luopo Mountain to erect a boundary monument was regarded by them as a humiliation that Zhengyang Mountain had not seen in thousands of years.

Coupled with the fact that Zhengyang Mountain's attempt to establish the next sect fell into nothing, and the hunting envoy Cao Ping left suddenly, it was clear that the Dali court chose to favor Luo Luoshan.

In the name of Zhengyang Mountain, it has become the laughingstock of the continent. A brand-new swordsmanship sect that should have been at the height of its power in Aquarius Continent, young sword cultivators are now too embarrassed to go down the mountain to go out to practice.

However, the attempt to win water from a bamboo basket was in vain. The originally promising structure of two sects in one mountain was in vain, and the many benefits and benefits of having a lower sect became a fantasy.

To put it simply, the Bamboo Emperor, who had transformed from a mountain lord to a sect leader, had his personal reputation hit rock bottom.

If there is only one sword cultivator in Zhengyang Mountain, the Bamboo Emperor, and he is in the upper fifth realm, in fact, no matter who he is, he can't shake the Bamboo Emperor's position as the sect leader.

But Xia Yuancui, the master uncle of the Bamboo Emperor, coincidentally is also a Jade Pure Realm Sword Immortal.

"Master Xia, what did Tao Yanbo say?"

"Of course he is resentful towards my nephew. Not to mention Fengshan Yijiazi, he himself was forced to retreat and think about his past. Anyone else would find it a shame and a great humiliation. Besides, Tao Yanbo knew better. If he still wanted to fight with that The man surnamed Chen is looking for a place. As long as the Bamboo Emperor is the master of the mountain for one day, it is just an idiot's dream. He must change the dynasty. Otherwise, if the mountain is closed for sixty years, there will be no sword repair embryos. Qiuling Mountain will definitely be in ruins. The one at Guoyunlou The hilltop of Nvwa’er serves as a warning to others.”

Yan Chu nodded, Tao Yanbo really had a reason to jump over the wall.

He has his own Water Dragon Peak, plus the Full Moon Peak of the Yupu Realm ancestor in front of him, and Tao Yanbo's Qiuling Mountain. Needless to say, the other peaks, the Bamboo Emperor is in Zhengyang Mountain, except for his In his ancestral lineage, the Bamboo Emperor is almost a loner worthy of the name.

Xia Yuancui smiled and said: "To be honest, if I were in the position of the Bamboo Emperor, as the sect leader, I would not be able to do any better than him when facing the opponent's aggressive and well-prepared viewing ceremony."

Shaking her head, Xia Yuancui clicked her tongue and said, "I can only blame my nephew for his bad fate. As a junior uncle, I have no choice but to share his worries."

When the Bamboo Emperor was in the Nascent Soul Realm, he met Li Tuanjing from the Fenglei Garden. Not long after he entered the Jade Pu Realm, he met the two young men again.

Yan Chu raised his wine glass and said, "I would like to congratulate Patriarch Xia on changing his seat!"

Xia Yuancui also raised her wine glass and smiled calmly: "That's easy to say."

Yan Chu suddenly slapped himself lightly, "Actually, it's time to call him Sect Master Xia now."

Xia Yuancui laughed loudly, and they drank the whole drink in one gulp.

In Jizu Mountain of Zhuzhi Sect, in an inconspicuous and elegant mansion, an old female editor was entertaining an important guest.

She is the peak master of Jizu Mountain, Liang Yuping's master, and the current master of the Zhuzhi Sect.

The guest is none other than the Bamboo Emperor.

Within the Zhuzhi Sect, after Guo Huifeng took over, it was gradually divided into two branches: Caiyushan and Jizushan. It is hard to say that the two sides are on the same page, but there are also undercurrents. In fact, the most fundamental difference lies in whether they are with Zheng. Yangshan gradually drifted away, and finally broke away from its subordinate status, and simply surrendered to Zhengyang Mountain.

The Bamboo Emperor was playing with a bamboo yellow paper knife made on the mountain.

Most of the scholarly families at the foot of the mountain use it to cut rice paper, and the one in the Bamboo Emperor's hand can also be used to cut gold and stone.

The Bamboo Emperor put the paper knife back into the wooden box shaped like a guqin, handed it to the female cultivator, and said with a smile: "Here you go."

She took the knife.

After a little thought, she knew what it meant and asked her to add fuel to the fire.

He killed someone with a borrowed knife.

The Bamboo Emperor smiled and said, "Don't think too much, a gift is just a gift. You don't have to do anything extra, otherwise it will only do bad things. Besides, you finally have a place to stay, and you and Guo Huifeng are still junior sisters, so why bother to commit suicide?" Killing each other. I hope you can help Guo Huifeng when the time comes, so that this farce will not end in a worse outcome. That person is much smarter than you, and of course, much smarter than me."

She was greatly surprised. After confirming that he was not joking, she asked in her heart: "How can the sect master be sure that that person must be hiding somewhere now and will definitely mind his own business?"

"intuition."

"What if, I mean what if, that person deliberately stood by and watched, what would the sect master do?"

The Bamboo Emperor said calmly: "As long as Xia Yuancui dies, what kind of trouble can Yan Chu and Tao Yanbo, who have no hope of reaching the fifth realm in this life, make waves."

There was one incident in which the Bamboo Emperor did not reveal anything to the female cultivator. It was under his instruction that Qiulingshan Tao Yanbo took the initiative to collude with the uncle.

On the other hand, Yu Ping from Yujiao Peak was much smarter than the Bamboo Emperor imagined, and he dared to take the initiative to expose his uncle's conspiracy to usurp the throne.

By the wild stream, the outsider named Jiujiao started fishing.

Bai Ni bid farewell to his boss and returned to Sanhuatan alone. He found that Chen Chen knew how to take some time off. He was squatting next to an apricot tree with his hands wrapped around his sleeves and lightly stamping his feet. There was still any wine left at his feet. After drinking a bottle of wine, he passed it on to him and stared blankly at the water.

The old man walked to the stream and said with a smile: "Don't forget the two pots of rosin wine."

Chen Yang raised his head and said, "What?"

Uncle Bai sat aside and didn't care about the kid's pretense. He looked up at the apricot tree and sighed for no reason: "Chao, I just entered the Zhuzhi Sect back then. I remember the first time I followed my master to Caiyu Mountain. While walking along the way, I felt that the trees along the river were full of apricot blossoms, which were beautiful to look at. However, I thought of a proverb from my hometown, which made me feel uncomfortable: peaches nourish people and apricots hurt people, and dead people are buried under plum trees. I didn’t understand anything at that time. I told Master directly about my taboo, but Master told me that there is a saying at the bottom of the mountain, but there is a truth on the mountain, and this truth, not only is not bad, but has a very good meaning."

Bai Bo smiled and asked, "Do you know what this saying means on the mountain?"

The man shook his head, "Uncle Bai, how can you guess?"

Uncle Bai nodded, "That's what I told Master back then."

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Did you get the answer later?"

Uncle Bai was completely changed. He held the back of his head with both hands and said lazily: "I just happened to read an allusion while flipping through a book. According to legend, there was a distant and independent Baigu Zhenren who once slept under a plum tree for a long time and finally attained enlightenment. The road to immortality.”

Chen Pingan looked forward and said with a smile: "Is Master Lu just so free?"

The old man next to him was clearly possessed by Lu Chen using a secret method.

Lu Chen quickly put his finger to his mouth, "Don't make any noise, we can talk more!"

"May I ask Master Lu, how did you find me?"

"Try your luck!"

"Forget it if you don't tell me. I believe Li Sheng will be here soon. Remember to go to Gongde Forest and help see how Liu Cha's fishing skills are now."

Lu Chen said helplessly: "The reason why I secretly came to Haoran is because I couldn't help but want to ask you something so that I can confirm something with you. Is there any time in the world? Is it composed of countless frozen stillnesses?"

"When you are away from home, you are not allowed to treat others with sincerity?"

"Okay, I'm afraid of you, Chen Ping'an, tell me everything. Let us open the skylight and tell the truth. Are you imprisoning some falsehood of mine?"

"yes."

"..."