I just want to torture you to death, don't force me to beat you to death

Chapter 39: Eating for free this year
Late autumn is not far away, and early winter has arrived.

The winter of Chu Ning’s fourth year has arrived.

Ordinary days don't have much to describe.

The development of Xiafeng Town has also reached a limit. There are only so many small towns and villages around it, and the population is only so large.

In the past three months, Chu Ning did not go to the streets to collect protection fees, leaving this task to Jin Le.

Jin Le joined the patrol room and came to Xiafeng Town as an agent.

Similarly, Jin Le is as casual as Chu Ning when it comes to collecting protection fees. He is not short of such money.

For Chu Ning, life is very dull, but also very fulfilling.

He practiced martial arts for four hours every day. If he went to the city, he would visit his teacher. However, the middle-aged man who had been single for many years suddenly showed his first youth, and seemed a little dull and unsentimental. Chu Ning had to secretly say a few words each time.

After seeing the teacher, when I had enough time, I called Lao Liao to listen to Xiaoxiang's opera. Xiaoxiang is now also a corner of the theater, and many people have become her fans.

Xiaoxiang was very happy. The people in the county finally recognized her singing skills. Many wealthy families specially invited her to attend banquets for the elderly to celebrate their birthdays.

Every time Lao Liao saw Chu Ning, he would express his gratitude and then sigh.

Is Xiaoxiang's singing skills really that good?
I'm afraid even the big families in the county know that Chu Ning will come to listen to Xiaoxiang's opera every time he comes to town. They can't figure out Chu Ning's thoughts about Xiaoxiang and give Chu Ning face.

The reason for sighing was that Lao Liao knew that Chu Ning had no such thoughts about Xiaoxiang. If Chu Ning stopped coming one day, it would take a while before Xiaoxiang, the much sought-after character, would be able to return to her original form with one move.

Chu Ning had no choice but to comfort Lao Liao, at least Xiaoxiang had made enough money and could live a good life without singing in the future.

Well contented.

Xiafeng Town is also very peaceful. The only major event that happened in the town was that the county seat Yihongyuan moved into Xiafeng Town last month, which caused dissatisfaction among many women in the town.

These women found Chu Ning, but Chu Ning had no control over this matter. Goulan existed legally in the Liang Dynasty.

In the end, Chu Ning could only persuade them to take care of their men's legs.

If that doesn't work, go to the blacksmith's shop, wear some pants, and put a lock on them.

These women were really interested and asked Chu Ning to get the design drawings, but the owner of the blacksmith shop quit.

What a joke, if he was really forged, he would dare to go out at night for fear of being beaten half to death with a sack.

Ji Yang in the border area still sends him a letter every month. In the letter, Ji Yang will mention all his experiences in the border area during this month.

Chu Ning knew that this was a kind of emotional catharsis by Ji Yang. He didn't need a reply from himself. He just vented his numb emotions in the form of a letter.

Ji Yang said in the letter that after a while, he would retire and come back after he has accumulated enough military merit and achieved a breakthrough as a martial artist.

When the time comes, go to Xiafeng Town to be the head catcher and protect him.

The Liang Dynasty did not force soldiers who took the initiative to join the army to stay in the frontier for how many years. They could retire as long as their military merit was sufficient.

……

"Chun Ning, I'm back. This time I received 420 taels of tax money."

"You didn't pay for it this time, did you?"

Chu Ning looked at Jin Le who had returned and retracted his thoughts. Jin Le, who collected protection fees for the first time three months ago, collected a total of 220 taels, and then paid 50 taels himself.

As soon as those traders complained about their poverty to him, Jin Le immediately gave up the money they owed. When he heard some traders said that their wives and children were sick and their lives were extremely miserable, Jin Le not only confiscated the tax money, but also personally donated ten taels.

Chu Ning still knows the rich second generation like Jin Le very well. Unlike the rich second generation in later generations who come into contact with more playful flowers, people like Jin Le are still relatively simple, but their original life circle prevents them from having too many contacts. of the lower class people.

However, it is obvious that Jin Le was deceived by those merchants. It cannot be said that he was cheated. It can only be said that Jin Le was too naive and took it seriously.

In the past, when he went to collect protection fees, these merchants would also complain about their sufferings. Chu Ning just listened to it. He had already heard it clearly when he was eating whether the family was really suffering.

Those merchants also knew that it was useless, but they were used to it over the years and everyone just followed this process. Who knew that Jin Le would take it seriously.

"Can I be so stupid again? Today, only one merchant confiscated the tax money. The butcher Wang, who sells meat, dropped his money bag. He said that there were three taels of silver and fifty copper plates in the money bag. His lips were bubbling with anxiety. ”

Chu Ning had a strange expression: "So you're exempted?"

If I remember correctly, the merchant who defrauded Jin Le in the first month was Butcher Wang, and Butcher Wang had to pay three taels of tax every month.

"Yes, I waived it without hesitation."

"I'm afraid you've been fooled by Butcher Wang again."

Chu Ning was a little helpless, Jin Le was still too naive, how could such a coincidence happen.

This kid doesn't have a long memory.

"No, I believe Butcher Wang, because I really picked up a money bag on the street, and there happened to be three taels of silver and fifty copper plates in it."

Chuning: ...

Jin Le looked at the letter in Chu Ning's hand and asked: "This is Ji Yang's letter. Ji Yang has sent a letter back again? This guy favors one and the other. I spent the longest time with him in school. I am writing to you." But he didn’t write to me.”

"Although he didn't write to you, he mentioned you in his letters many times."

Chu Ning handed the letter to Jin Le. After reading it, Jin Le was surprised and said: "Blood Fire Camp, is it so powerful that it can allow warriors to break through to martial arts masters in three months?"

Chu Ning could understand Jin Le's shock, because he was also curious about the Blood Fire Camp mentioned in Ji Yang's letter.

According to what Ji Yang said in the letter, this is the most mysterious battalion of the frontier army, and the lowest soldiers in the battalion are all martial arts masters.

If it's just like this, it doesn't matter, but the soldiers of the Blood Fire Camp are not martial arts masters after joining the camp.

The captain of the Blood Fire Camp will select soldiers from the army every once in a while. These soldiers have not reached the level of martial arts masters. Once they are selected into the camp, they will definitely become martial arts masters in three months.

Ji Yang mentioned the Blood Fire Camp in his letter because two members of his team were picked away by the Blood Fire Camp.

In the letter, Ji Yang was a little envious of his two team members.

This is equivalent to being escorted to the martial arts realm.

It's just that after entering the Blood Fire Camp, you can't quit by accumulating military merit. You must stay for five years.

"I'm afraid this Blood Fire Camp is not that simple." Chu Ning thought to himself. If the warriors can be promoted to martial arts masters in three months, then there will be no need for the existence of the eight major surnames in the Liang Dynasty. Even if the eight major surnames have strong masters, But as long as tens of thousands of martial arts masters are trained, the grandmaster will not be able to kill them all even if they stand.

There must have been some price paid.

……

……

It was Chu Ning's fourth year and there were still seven days before the new year. Jin Le ran into the backyard with red eyes.

"Chun Ning, something happened to Ji Yang."

Chu Ning, who was practicing swordsmanship in the backyard, opened his mouth, but in the end, nothing came out.

Jijia Town.

One house hung up white lanterns.

Chu Ning, Jin Le, He Jin, and Zhang Song were silently in front of Ji Yang's mourning hall.

"It's not like we haven't confirmed whether Ji Yang is really dead. How can we build a mourning hall?"

Jin Le wiped his tears and was a little angry. Apparently the news came back from the border that the city guarded by Ji Yang was attacked and breached by Routu enemy troops. Ji Yang was missing and his whereabouts were unknown. Why did the elders of the Ji family think that Ji Yang was dead? .

"After the soldiers of the Routu Kingdom killed someone, they would chop off the heads and take them away as trophies. If there were many people dead, there would be so many headless corpses that it would be impossible to tell who was who, so the army would simply conclude that they were missing. Inform the family.”

A middle-aged man appeared next to Chu Ning and the others. He was Ji Yang's uncle and a martial artist of the Ji family.

Disappearance is just another nice word for death on the frontier.

The custom in Raozhou is to bury incomplete corpses without burial and to erect a burial mound. The Ji family has no intention of retrieving Ji Yang's body. The border is far away and it is unrealistic. It is better to bury Ji Yang with other soldiers.

"Captain Chu, this is my nephew's relic sent back by the army. It was found in the lining of my nephew's clothes. It is written to you."

After Ji Yuanshan took out a letter and handed it to Chu Ning, he turned around and left.

"Why do I feel like Uncle Ji Yang has some prejudice against us?" He Jin muttered as he looked at Ji Yuanshan's leaving back.

"It's not that I'm prejudiced against you, it's that I'm prejudiced against."

Chu Ning sighed in his heart. Ji Yang would go to the frontier battlefield to fight for a chance to be quickly promoted to a martial arts master. It was more or less influenced by him. As Ji Yang's uncle, Ji Yuanshan must know the inside story of Ji Yang.

After leaving Ji's house, Chu Ning and the four of them were a little depressed. The four of them went home separately. Chu Ning opened the letter Ji Yang gave him on the way.

[Chun Ning, I have accumulated enough military merits and have broken through to the martial arts master level. I have reported to the general and can return home next month. 】

The ink of this line is darker than that of the following words. Chu Ning can imagine Ji Yang's excitement when he wrote this first line of words.

[It’s okay that I didn’t set a return date before. Now that I have set a return date, I feel like every day is extremely long. I can’t wait for this month to pass immediately. 】

[The closer I get to my return home, the more I miss home. This feeling is really unpleasant. 】

[I thought I would be able to go home next month, so I didn’t want to write this letter, but I was holding something back in my heart, so it would be easier to write it out. 】

【…】

[It turns out that Blood Fire Camp is a death camp]

……

……

[Forget it, I won’t write it anymore. Junyi will definitely not send it after reading it. 】

[I really miss home. I might not be able to go back in time for the Chinese New Year this year, but I should be able to make it in time for the Lantern Festival. 】

……

……

Five days later, because of the new year, Ji Yang was buried two days early.

Chu Ning went. This was the first time for him to eat at the table of his peers.

Two days later, the new year comes.

This year, the people in Daning County are still bustling with excitement. The death of a young man only makes a few people sad.

……

The first month of Chu Ning’s fifth year.

On the first day of the first lunar month, I stayed at home with my old aunt.

On the second day of the first lunar month, I came to my teacher’s door to pay New Year greetings and received two big red envelopes.

On the third day of the first lunar month, my aunt's great-nephew and his family came to pay New Year's greetings.

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, I accompanied my old aunt to the temple to burn incense.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, I accompanied my old aunt to the Taoist temple to ask for a fortune.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, after taking the pulse-opening pill given by Uncle Huang, he finally reached the realm of copper skin and iron bones and stepped into the realm of a seventh-level martial artist.

The strength also exceeded four thousand kilograms and reached 4000 and two hundred kilograms.

"Mountain Splitting" has been practiced to a small extent, and it can explode with eleven times the power.

However, after reaching the level of Xiaocheng, the progress of sword skills slowed down. Chu Ning knew that if he wanted to break through again, he could not rely on practice alone, but needed actual combat.

It's just that in the entire Daning County, except for teachers and the new county magistrate, no one can withstand his three moves, so this actual battle can only be given up first.

What surprised Chu Ning the most was the archery skill. He had mastered "Seven Stars in a Row" to great perfection. If he shot one arrow at a time, he could hit the target [-] times within two miles. No matter how far it was, it wasn't that the arrow couldn't shoot that far, but that his eyesight couldn't keep up.

That is to say, he just shoots, whether he hits or not is left to God's will.

On the eleventh day of the first lunar month, Huang Xuan came to Xiafeng Town.

(End of this chapter)