Under the sky

Chapter 334 Coming from afar

Wei Xihou led a team of [-] people ashore and saw a young man in his thirties holding a silver gun and fighting with an old monk.The men and horses on both sides were fighting fiercely. There were more than a hundred corpses on the ground. It was not known which side had more casualties.What's funny is that although the flag is hanging, there is no monk except the old monk.

Wei Xihou shouted loudly: "The head of Qingcheng asked the two families to stop fighting!"

He shouted, but no one paid attention to him.

Wei Xihou recognized that the young man with the silver spear was Xiao Qinggu of the Songshan sect. He immediately stepped forward and held out his spear to force the two of them away.The old monk happened to hit him with his palm, and Xiao Qinggu's spear was blocked. The two strong forces clamped Wei Xihou's spear almost out of his hands. He hurriedly held it with both hands, his arms were sore and numb.That's all for the old monk. Xiao Qinggu is only a few years older than him, but his martial arts is so powerful?
I just heard the old monk shout: "Excuse me! If I teach you the Yi Jin Jing privately, you master and disciple should be punished!"

Xiao Qinggu denied it and said: "Master Jueji, I'm Xiao Qinggu, I don't know who you are talking about."

Jueji said angrily: "You think you can get away with pretending to be stupid and mute?" After saying that, he put his hands together and launched a sharp palm towards Xiao Qinggu.Xiao Qinggu didn't fight him head-on. She sidestepped and stabbed Jueji with her silver spear.

Wei Xihou's sore and numb hands subsided a little, he raised his gun and shouted: "Catch them all!" Qingcheng disciples swarmed forward.

On the boat, Shen Yuqing still refused to give up after seeing both sides, and sent more than a hundred disciples. Yu Jien also sent dozens of Xiangyang Gang disciples to surround the two groups.

Jueji asked angrily: "Who are you?"

"Qingcheng Wei Xihou! The leader of our faction asks you to stop fighting!" Wei Xihou said, "We are all envoys sent to Hengshan. The fight is against the rules. Since Qingcheng bumped into it, we can't just sit back and watch!"

Jueji sneered: "Can Qingcheng manage Shaolin's family affairs?"

Wei Xihou smiled and said: "You can really control this place at this time! Master, you can be an envoy to Hengshan alone. It's up to you whether you go tied up or go alone."

Jueji looked around and saw that there were 300 disciples in Qingcheng, plus more than a hundred disciples from Xiao Qinggu. They were far superior in number, and said angrily: "What happened today, the poor monk will definitely sue Juekong! "

"Why didn't you tell Abbot Juewen?" Xiao Qinggu sneered, "So you also know who is the master. In the April Buddha Tribulation, how many monks have you killed, aren't you afraid of going to hell after death?"

Jueji snorted coldly, packed up the team, got into the carriage and went straight away.

Wei Xihou said to Xiao Qing: "Master Xiao is walking along this road. You are afraid that Master Jueji will be waiting for you at the front, so why not get on the boat and pay a visit to the master."

Xiao Qinggu nodded and disassembled the silver gun and put it into a bag. Seeing how convenient it was for him to spear, Wei Xihou thought to himself: "It is easy to carry a gun like this, but it is not easy to make and it hurts to lose it on the battlefield."

Wei Xihou led Xiao Qinggu and others onto the ship, and Shen Yuqing asked about the whole story. It turned out that Xiao Qinggu was both a disciple of Jueru and the son-in-law of Su Changning. Both parties trusted him, so he was sent as soon as he returned to Songshan.Unfortunately, he has traveled thousands of miles over mountains and rivers in the past six months.

Juewen was originally in charge of external affairs in Shaolin, but Juewen became the puppet abbot and Juekong was unable to do anything, so Jueji was ordered to come.The two sides started from different places, but the destination was the same. Jueji arrived one step early and set up an ambush to get rid of the envoys of the Jueru sect, so the battle on the river bank took place.

Wei Xihou praised: "That monk is the Golden-haired Lion Jueji. He has been famous for 30 years. Young Master Xiao can compete with him. His martial arts is very high."

Xiao Qinggu, however, was filled with emotion and said with a wry smile: "You guys arrived in time, otherwise I would barely escape at most, and all my men would have to be sent here." He remembered that he was forced to leave Shaolin ten years ago, and the person who arrested him was Jueji, At that time, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to withstand even ten moves. Ten years later, Jueji was even older, and I was still in the prime of life. I secretly learned the Yi Jin Jing from my master, and my skills improved by leaps and bounds. Today, I have passed thirty moves with Jueji and still haven't lost. The wind, Jue Jie, is like this, and I think Master Jue Ru is also the same.

The Shaolin monks of the previous generation are all old, so Xiao Qing has her own thoughts.

However, Wei Xihou thought, Shaolin is indeed the strongest sect among the nine majors. There are many masters of the Jue generation and the Ling generation. Soon, even the original generation will have to come forward. If it were not for the dispute between the orthodox and the secular, Shaolin would still be the one. Taishan Beidou.

What Shen Yuqing was thinking about was that this place was not far from Hengyang, and there was such a large-scale armed fight between the Shaolin sect and the secular sect but no one was controlling it, just like when he was captured by Yan Feixi in Wudang, plus the Dongting Lake fleet They are rare. It seems that apart from my uncle's Yinjiabao, there is no stable sect in the north of Xiangdi.

This situation cannot be improved in the short term, unless Leader Li sends other sects to replace the local sects, but this is unlikely. The sects under the Nine Families are like the local tyrants and squires in the past. They have full influence and governance capabilities in the local area. The local sect would definitely weaken the power of the local sect if they moved in. The local sect would definitely not allow it.

It will take some time for Hengshan to regain its strength.

■

Tangmen's boat stopped at the dock, arriving only one day earlier than Qingcheng.The person who received Shen Yuqing was her uncle Yin Molan, who is now one of the three deputy heads of Hengshan.Shen Yuqing learned that the Beggar Gang was affiliated with Xu Fangge's in-law Feng Yutai, and Dian Cang was Zhen Chengxue. These two families were close, and they only arrived two days earlier than the Tang Clan, and Huashan followed them. None of the nine families had yet Only the farthest Kongtong has been reached.

Yu Jien suggested to Shen Yuqing that it would be best to send the three Qingcheng Wudang Shaolin posters to Hengshan together with those from the Tang Sect to show the friendship between the sects. Shen Yuqing shook his head: "The Qingcheng ship arrived with Songshan and Wudang. Head Li must know this news, and showing friendship is enough. If we go one step further and send four famous cards together, it will be intimidating."

Xiao Qinggu couldn't figure out Li Xuanxuan's views on the dispute between orthodoxy and secularity. It would be bad if she supported Juekong by making her jealous, so the three factions each sent their names and waited for Kongtong to arrive.

Everyone from the nine families was almost here, so it was an opportunity to reminisce about old times. Xiao Qinggu went to Yan Xuancheng's boat to say hello first. Zhu Menshang and Shen Yuqing asked for their name cards, thinking of going to see Tang Jueyan, but hesitated when they arrived at Tang Men's boat, and finally decided Went drinking with Wei Xihou.

Shen Yuqing had nothing to do on the boat. She felt bored after more than ten days. She wanted to see the scene in Hengyang City, so she changed into casual clothes and led two personal guards off the boat.The east side of Hengyang City was affected by the war. Hundreds of workers were repairing the collapsed city wall in the southeast corner. Shen Yuqing rode into the city and saw that the houses near the city wall were burned by fire. The ground was scorched and black. There were still streaks of dust on the ground that could not cover the water. Black blood stains that cannot be washed away.

This was probably something Hengshan deliberately left for the Beggar Clan envoys to see.

Shen Yuqing and the two guards walked along the street for a long time before they saw an open store. A few months after the war ended, the teahouse and restaurant had just opened.At noon, with the warm winter sun shining down, Shen Yuqing suddenly thought of Li Jingfeng's words about Shen Weichen as "the still sun of winter and the bright light of summer", and couldn't help but smile.

This love story really needs to be experienced by people who have traveled far and wide to understand it.

In August, I received another letter from Li Jingfeng. Every time Li Jingfeng came back, there were two letters.One was for himself and Xie Gubai, saying that he had received a reply and that everything was safe in Huaishu Town and there was nothing to worry about. He also mentioned the local customs and customs, saying that Guo Sanhuai, the mayor of Huaishu Town, was a heroic figure. The tone was quite exciting. The other letter was for my little sister. I don't know what it said, but Shen Weichen wouldn't let it read.Although Li Jingfeng's handwriting is not good-looking, his words are simple, and there are surprisingly few typos. I think he has read a lot in recent times.Although he said he was safe, given his temperament, he probably only reported good things but not bad things. I wonder how he would live in the lonely graveyard?

Shen Yuqing was just thinking when she suddenly heard the sonorous sound of the piano.He learned the piano since he was a child. He knew the elegant meaning of the music and couldn't help but listen to it.

This man's piano skills were extraordinary, and his music was magnificent, unlike the music composed by ordinary people. After listening to it for a while, he noticed that there was something ghostly and ghostly in the music. How could anyone compose music like this?I couldn't help being curious and stopped to look for it.

The sound of the piano came from a tea pavilion on the roadside. At this time, it turned into a majestic mountain and river, impassioned, and Shen Yuqing got off his horse and walked towards the tea pavilion.

It was a small tea pavilion with only four square tables. There was a girl sitting behind the counter. Her hair was tied up in a bun with a wooden hairpin. Her clothes were simple and her appearance was beautiful.There were not many people in the tea pavilion. The two tables on the left were eating fruits and drinking tea, and four strong men were sitting by the door on the right. However, it was the table behind the four strong men that caught Shen Yuqing's attention.

There sat a young man about thirty years old, wearing a blue robe and an old gray and black fur. His clothes were not luxurious, but neat and clean. He had a thin chin and a handsome face, but his complexion was too pale. , The body is also thin and looks a little sick.Shen Yuqing thought of Xie Gubai. Since the assassination, his eldest brother had lost a lot of weight and his complexion had become worse. Especially after winter, when the weather got colder, his complexion became so pale.

The aroma of tea is elegant, and Nanyue Yunwu Tea has always been famous.The shopkeeper came forward to greet him. Shen Yuqing thought for a while, walked to the young man's table and asked politely: "Is it convenient to share a table?"

The young man smiled and nodded.Shen Yuqing sat down, casually ordered a pot of tea, ordered two plates of snacks, and continued to listen to the music.Just listening to the sound of the piano, the ghostly atmosphere is getting stronger and stronger, as if the resentful spirits are difficult to calm down, and there are hundreds of ghosts, and I can't help but frown.This piece of music is really messy, yet strangely harmonious. I wonder what the composer wanted to express?
As the song comes to an end, the sound of the piano suddenly breaks out, the city wall collapses, the mountains and rivers are flattened, corpses litter the fields, the heart is filled with sorrow, and the song ends with a sob.How do you collect the music like this?Shen Yuqing frowned and asked the young man at the same table: "Master, do you know what the song is?"

The sick young man smiled faintly: "This song is called "Under the World". It is said that it originated from an unknown person in Shaanxi and gradually spread to the south. It has become quite popular in the past year. Have you never heard of it, Master Shen?"

Shen Yu was not surprised when he heard him reveal his identity. He smiled and said: "I have never heard of it. How did Mr. Zhu know that this song can attract Shen?" The young man smiled and said: "Master Shen is really a young and talented man. Then I found out Zhu’s identity.”

Shen Yuqing really didn't expect that besides himself, the heads of the Nine Families would come in person, and Kongtong didn't raise any banners. He couldn't help but be suspicious. He still smiled and said: "It's true that Master Zhu with four guards is too eye-catching. Besides, this The girl's piano skills are superb, unlike those of ordinary buskers. I also remembered that someone had described Master Zhu's appearance, and after a few guesses, I guess Master Zhu didn't intend to hide it from me."

Zhu Zhixia smiled and said: "Master Shen is really attentive. This girl is indeed not a performer. She was originally a famous prostitute in a brothel in Hengshan. During the war in Hengshan, her residence was deserted and the boat was burned down, so I asked her to play a piece of music. As for the person who described me, was it Mr. San or Jing Feng? How did you describe me? Did you say anything bad about me?"

Shen Yuqing smiled and said: "Who would say bad things about Master Zhu?"

"That must be Jingfeng. If it were the third master, he would definitely have to complain a bit." Zhu Zhixia said, "I noticed him in Kongtong. This kid has a gentle nature and a chivalrous spirit. He is soft on the outside and strong on the inside. Especially meticulous." After a pause, he added, "It's rare to see such a smart child."

Although Shen Yuqing knew that Zhu Zhixia was over forty, he looked like a young man, a few years older than herself. It was a bit awkward to hear him call Li Jingfeng a child.However, he was surprised that Zhu Zhixia would describe Li Jingfeng as "smart". When most people saw Jingfeng, they would think he was stupid because of his ignorance, but Zhu Zhixia praised him for being smart, which is a sign of knowing people.

Hearing Zhu Zhixia praise his third brother, Shen Yuqing couldn't help but feel a little closer to him. Suddenly, he thought that Iron Sword Silver Guard had issued a grudge against Li Jingfeng. Master Zhu deliberately mentioned that Li Jingfeng was of course informed by the third master, saying Maybe you want to get closer to yourself?
Zhu Zhixia seemed to notice Shen Yuqing's hesitation, and continued: "This song has a very different style. If you haven't heard it, Master Shen will be curious. If you have heard it, you will be curious too."

"Oh?" Shen Yuqing was puzzled, "How do you say that?"

"Because there are only fragments of this music, after it became widely circulated, many violinists composed their own endings to this music. There may be two different musics in one place, but there is never an ending that satisfies everyone. If Master Shen After listening to it, I will also be curious about how the player will end it."

Shen Yuqing said: "This girl's collection of music was taught by Master Zhu?"

Zhu Zhixia asked: "How does Master Shen know?"

Shen Yuqing said: "Master Zhu said that this girl was originally a famous prostitute in a brothel. A brothel is a place for pleasure. Even if it doesn't end with joy, it should end with appeal. Even if it is tragic, it should not be full of sorrow and sobbing. To end. Especially the ending has a sense of sadness and sadness of family destruction and loss of life. Although Hengshan is in decline, it will eventually turn defeat into victory. There is no such way to end. This is what Master Zhu taught me."

"It is said that this first under the sky is intended for all living beings. Does Master Shen think it is inappropriate to end it like this?"

The shopkeeper brought the stove, teapot, tea leaves and snacks. Shen Yu listened and understood what the Kongtong boss wanted to imply.He placed the teapot on the stove, poured the tea leaves into the pot, and waited for Master Zhu to continue.

"Barbarians sneaked into the Kunlun Palace and killed two masters. After Kunlun discussed it, no one pursued the barbarians. Just after the war in the south, there was internal fighting in Shaolin in the north." Zhu Zhixia asked, "Master Shen is so smart. Why do you think the barbarians are making such a big fuss?"

"I can't guess." Shen Yuqing shook his head.He really couldn't guess. He believed that the barbarians must have a plot, but things outside the customs were so unclear that even Xie Gubai could only guess that it was Gursasi's plan.

"There is some turmoil outside the pass." Zhu Zhixia said, "It is said that another 'Ha Jin' has appeared."

"Ha Jin?" Shen Yuqing was surprised, "Sa Ha Jin's Ha Jin?" In order to find out the origin of Xie Gubai, Shen Yuqing spent a lot of time studying the history of the Sa tribe and understood that the word "Ha Jin" means Son of God. .

Zhu Zhixia shook his head: "It is difficult to pass messages from outside the customs. There are not many dead lives left outside the customs. Loyalty is even harder. The last time Sanlong Pass received a message was last year. The person who sent the message has infiltrated Naibuba. He is quite trusted among the Imperial Guards and the Sacrifice Army. The message was written briefly, probably meaning that the barbarians had a son of God and they needed to be eliminated. He did not mention his origin and name, and no other news was received after that."

"What Batu?" Shen Yuqing did not forget to play dumb. As long as it related to barbarian affairs, he would be extra careful.

"Nabu Batu is the largest tribe of barbarians." Zhu Zhixia said, "We guess that he will assassinate Ha Jin before he dies. If he doesn't receive any reward in the past two years, he may die."

"Master Zhu, please tell me directly," Shen Yuqing said, "What do you want from Kongtong?"

"It is not the responsibility of the Kongtong faction to guard the border. A starving cat cannot catch mice." Zhu Zhixia said, "Headmaster Shen has a marriage relationship with the Tang Clan, and has good relations with Mr. Li, as well as with Wudang and Shaolin. Envoys from both factions are here together, and there are some things that Chief Shen can tell better than me."

Zhu Zhixia picked up the kettle that had been boiled and made tea for Shen Yuqing: "Kongtong wants the Han River, just a pier in front of it."

Shen Yuqing looked back and saw the guests at the other table chattering to themselves. "That's the Huashan territory." Shen Yuqing said.

"It was before Huashan invaded the border of Qingcheng." Zhu Zhixia asked, "Will it still be south of the Han River?"

Shen Yuqing was silent for a while and asked, "Has Master Zhu met Master Li?"

"Headmaster Li doesn't know I'm here yet." A smile appeared on Zhu Zhixia's pale face, "The road to Hengshan is far away, and there is no waterway between it and Sanlong Pass. The border affairs are heavy, so I only brought eighteen riders to follow. With fewer people comes speed, so if we work hard we can get here within a month."

Looking at Zhu Zhixia's face, if it weren't for the fact that he didn't cough, his breathing was smooth, and his hand holding the teapot was steady, Shen Yuqing would really suspect that he was seriously ill.With his dignity as the head of the clan, he came to Hengshan thousands of miles away with only eighteen riders. Are all the Kongtong clan members doing the same nonsense as the Third Master?

"I still have a question." Shen Yuqing asked, "How did Master Zhu know that I would take this path?"

Zhu Zhixia smiled and said: "I arrived five days ago and sent someone to wait for the Qingcheng fleet. When Master Shen got off the boat, before he entered the city, someone came to notify Zhu. Fortunately, Master Shen came to the city for a visit. , otherwise all these arrangements will be in vain, I must send you a famous invitation and visit in person."

Qingcheng has more and more chips. Is this a good thing?Shen Yuqing couldn't come to a conclusion.Is Zhu Zhixia really just looking for a waterway and business road?He couldn't judge.

But Zhu Zhixia is by no means an easy person to get along with, that's for sure.

The next day, Kongtong sent a famous post to inform him that Hengshan had arrived. The next day, Li Xuanxuan summoned envoys from nine major families to go to Hengshan.

This is the first time that the nine families have not held a joint meeting in Kunlun Palace, and it is also the first time that two people representing the same sect have attended the meeting.At first, Xiao Qinggu was worried that Li Xuanxuan's refusal to meet him would mean that Hengshan would not recognize Jueru. Only when she got to Hengshan did she find that Jueji was there.

It seems that Li Xuanxuan intends to move the dispute between Shaolin's orthodoxy and customs to a joint discussion.

As soon as Jueji entered the palace, he glared at Xiao Qinggu angrily. Xiao Qinggu was not only unafraid, but also made a face. Jueji was even more angry. If he hadn't been in Hengshan, he would have wanted to go up and knock him over and beat him up.

The conference hall on the east side of Ziyun Palace uses four large nanmu tables to form a long table, allowing the ten people attending the meeting to be more widely spaced. Yan Xuancheng, Feng Yutong, and Zhen Chengxue sit on the left, and Shen Yuqing, Xiao Qinggu, and Yu Jien sit on the right. side.Seeing Xiao Qinggu sitting on the right side, Jueji sat next to Zhen Chengxue.When Tang Jueyan walked in, everyone was still paying attention. She did not hesitate and sat down next to Yu Jien.Zhu Zhixia was the last one to walk in. He looked around and took the last seat next to Jueji.

"You are summoned today to discuss the infringement of the borders of Hengshan and Qingcheng by Diancang, Beggar Clan, and Huashan." Li Xuanxuan looked to the left, "Before the meeting begins, I want to ask Diancang, Beggar Clan, and Huashan if they still recognize Hengshan as the leader of the alliance. ?”

Feng Yutong and Zhen Chengxue looked embarrassed, while Yan Xiangcheng lowered his head in shame.

"Huashan violated the borders of Qingcheng and killed countless Qingcheng disciples." Shen Yuqing stood up suddenly and stared at Yan Xuancheng Road, "Qingcheng wants Huashan to cede the south of Han River as compensation."

Yan Xuancheng was shocked and looked up at Shen Yuqing.

(End of this chapter)