Under the sky
Chapter 43 "The Wind Comes from Kong Point": A gentleman has no power
Chapter 43 "The Wind Comes from Kong Point": A gentleman has no power
Kunlun, winter, November, 85
The remaining snow from last night was still piled in the yard, and the icicles hanging under the eaves were precariously falling.The clear-faced young man in white clothes had a blush on his face. It was no more than [-] o'clock in the morning, and he already seemed a little tipsy.The young man arranged a few dead branches into criss-crossing tic-tac-toe shapes, took out a few books from the stack of books behind him, tore them in half, and stuffed them into the gaps in the tic-tac-toe shapes.There were about forty or fifty books in the pile, and the covers seemed to be from the same set.The young man picked up the wine jug on the ground, sprinkled the wine on the woodpile, and lit a fire.
The fire was raging, and the black smoke smelled of wine, attracting the attention of passers-by outside the courtyard.They looked towards the courtyard and just shook their heads and sighed. Several warriors wearing silver shawls saw them and showed mocking expressions.
The young man took another sip of wine, squatted down, picked up the rest of the book, tore out a few pages, and threw them into the fire. After tearing up one book after another, nearly half of it was burned.A middle-aged man came over and saw him burning books. He quickly stepped forward and pushed him down, cursing: "What's wrong with this so early in the morning! Are these books free of charge?"
The young man said: "You can't show it to others, so just burn it."
The middle-aged man scolded: "You are clamoring to write a book, your brother spent money to get someone to seal it, and you burned it. Didn't you burn the money in vain? You, you thought the money fell from the sky? You are a waste of money, you are really a waste of money!" It's time to put out the fire.
The young man was afraid of hurting him, so he held his hand and said, "Dad, be careful."
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the black smoke choked the middle-aged man until tears and snot flowed from his nose. He couldn't help but cursed: "You shouldn't be allowed to study, you will become an idiot! Hurry up and bring water to put out the fire!"
The young man said hello, turned around, and threw the remaining twenty books into the fire.The middle-aged man cursed: "Why are you so disobedient? This is all money, money! Oh..."
Hearing the noise, several young men and women also came to the courtyard. Seeing their father losing his temper, they stepped forward to persuade him, "Dad, what's wrong?" A young man with two short beards frowned and asked, "Ruoshan ,What are you doing?"
"Things that cannot be sold are left to take up space." The young man named Ruoshan replied, "How many more are there? Let's burn them all."
Another fair young man pinched his nose and asked: "This is so early in the morning, have you been drinking?"
The short-bearded young man was obviously angry and said sullenly: "Xiu Niang, how many books are there at home? Take them out and let him burn them!"
The woman who called Xiu Niang responded, but did not move. She only said: "This is all my uncle's hard work..." The short-bearded young man cursed: "Let him burn! Let him give up after burning!" "He yelled at the young man again and said, "I don't care if you burn your own hard work. If you drink in broad daylight, you are not making progress! If you want to destroy yourself, it will be useless!" Then he turned to his wife and said, " Xiu Niang, why are you still standing here? Take someone to move the books!"
The young man remained silent. After a while, Xiu Niang led her servants to bring in bundles of books, about three to four hundred.The middle-aged man shouted: "Why are they all burned? They are all stamped with money! Oh, what a waste! Don't burn it, it's not a waste to use it to make fried dough sticks!" The short-bearded young man grabbed his father and said, "Dad, the Wen family doesn't lack this. Some money." Then he said to Wen Ruoshan, "I'll let you burn it together. After burning it, go to the school and don't let the children wait! Remember to take a shower before going, because you smell like alcohol!"
He took his father, wife and brother back to the house, leaving Wen Ruoshan alone looking at the fire.Wen Ruoshan threw the books into the fire one after another, burning them, his eyes were red, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly at himself...
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"A gentleman does not use tools. Qi means an instrument and means special use. The meaning of this sentence is that a gentleman is not a tool. It cannot have only one use. It limits itself to one talent and one skill. He is knowledgeable and versatile; he cannot become a tool for others and be used by others." Wen Ruoshan said.The schoolchildren were sitting upright, not knowing whether they were paying attention to the lectures or were distracted.He caught a glimpse of a man whose eyes were half closed and half open, nodding his head frequently and shouting: "Ziguan!"
The dozing schoolboy stood up quickly and called "teacher". Wen Ruoshan asked: "I just said that a gentleman has no ability. What does this mean?"
Ziguan was dumbfounded and replied: "A gentleman should not be angry... A gentleman should not be angry... It means that a gentleman should have good moral character and good self-cultivation, and should not lose his temper casually. When encountering things that don't go his way, he should... uh, also... Be civilized, for example...for example..." He frowned when he saw Wen Ruoshan, and said quickly, "For example, if the teacher asks a question and the student gets the answer wrong, the teacher is a gentleman, and the teacher is not angry. This is called a gentleman who is not angry."
The other students laughed, and Wen Ruoshan couldn't help but smile, and said: "You are smart and know how to adapt to circumstances." Then he hit his forehead and said, "This is to punish you for falling asleep in class." He explained again what a gentleman does not do. The meaning of instrument.Although Ziguan understood, he couldn't help but ask the teacher: "Teacher, you said that a gentleman should not become someone else's tool or be used by others. But if we learn this and become gentlemen, who will use us?"
Wen Ruoshan was stunned.In this world, there are many fewer opportunities for scholars.
Another student asked: "I read in the book that there used to be something called the imperial examination, and scholars could do it through examiners. What's the use of studying now?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "Studying is not for being an official, and being a gentleman is not for being an official. Regardless of this, although there are no imperial examinations in the nine sects, there are still places where scholars can be found in the sects. They can write, complain, and settle accounts. Each sect We all have masters, and there are many places where scholars can be used. Besides, if you read books and learn poetry, you will understand more principles and be more elegant than others."
Although he said this, he thought in his heart, even though he had learned a lot, he had nowhere to use his talents to make a difference. What was the use of Zhu Hongman's learning of dragon-slaying skills?He couldn't help but feel bored and said: "Open the book."
The schoolchildren opened their books one after another, and Wen Ruoshan said: "Chapter 2 of "Lun Yu", "Wei Zheng Chapter", read it."
He remembered what his father had said that morning, that he shouldn't let himself study and become an idiot. Indeed, the Four Books and Five Classics that he read now were not as promising as practicing a set of Fuhu Fist.Although the Nine Great Masters still need scholars to handle government affairs, there is no imperial examination but only specialists are used, making the Four Books and Five Classics become elegant things, and it is not a bad thing to read them to learn some principles of life.I heard that many officials in the previous dynasty were almost wiped out by the barbarians because they had read the Book of Death, but I was by no means a person who read the Book of Death.Being prepared for danger in times of peace, being born in sorrow and dying in peace and happiness, these are not dead principles.
He sighed and saw a young man about his own age standing outside the school amidst the chanting of schoolchildren.
The man was wearing a well-tailored light green robe and a sheepskin coat.He has a handsome face, his eyes are half-closed, but they are bright and energetic, and there is a faint smile hanging on the corner of his mouth. He looks amiable, but somehow feels alienated.He was standing under a peach tree not far away from the school, only a few feet away. Because of this smile, it seemed as if the man was standing miles away, making it difficult to tell the distance.
Wen Ruoshan calmed down, and when he took a closer look, the young master in a light green robe seemed to think that he was disturbing the lecture and walked towards the street.
"Master?" A childish voice called Wen Ruoshan's thoughts back to the classroom. He turned his head and a student asked, "I have finished reading "Wei Zheng Pian", do you want to read the next one?"
"No." Wen Ruoshan said, "You practice calligraphy in the morning, and the teacher will go out for a while."
"Teacher, are you going to drink again?" Ziguan, who had just dozed off, laughed.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Wen Ruoshan said with a straight face, "If you talk nonsense again, I will punish you by copying books!"
Ziguan stuck out his tongue and hurriedly took out the Four Treasures of the Study, while the schoolchildren began to sharpen their ink.
Wen Ruoshan walked out of the school and looked in the direction where the young man in green had left. There were still footprints on the snow.He was hesitant to catch up, but suddenly he heard a voice mocking: "Isn't this the great scholar Wen? Our Tianshui talented brother Wen!"
He turned back in disgust.He recognized this man. His name was Du Meng. He was his neighbor across the street. He had been a member of the Benlei Hall in Kongtong since he was a child. He was currently wearing a short silver shawl outside his winter coat, which was the symbol of the Iron Sword Silver Guard.
"Brother Wen, why don't you teach in class? Are you deserting?" Du Meng said with a smile, "Don't you always say that the world is going to be in chaos and the barbarians are coming? If you don't lead a few disciples seriously, when the barbarians come, there will be no master to send messages for us. , wouldn’t it be a total failure to send messages and messages?”
Wen Ruoshan said: "I was wrong. God bless Kongtong and God bless the world. There is nothing wrong with it."
"You scholars are the only ones who like to scare people, lest the world be in chaos!" Du Meng spat and said, "My cousin is studying in your school. You should teach him well and teach him something useful. Don't teach him your stupidity too! "
"Why bother with him?" Wen Ruoshan thought and smiled and said: "Yes." Du Meng saw him smiling and felt that he was being looked down upon. He wanted to find another way to stab him, saying: "Your Wen family is so rich. What else do you want to do as a teacher? Go home and be a rice bug and raise it for your father and brother!" After that, he left.
Wen Ruoshan was not angry, his biggest temper was gone long ago.He looked back and saw that the young man in green had already disappeared.He thought that he didn't know what he was looking for, so he looked back at the students in the private school and saw that they were busy writing. The lazy Zi Guan was looking at him sideways, expecting to sneak away as soon as he left. Go out and play.
Forget it, let them have fun.What is the use of these Four Books and Five Classics?It is better to learn some practical skills to help the world.The world has changed, why should we cling to these unrealistic things?He thought that he hadn't bought a book for a long time and had just burned hundreds of books in the morning. The bookshop was nearby, so it would be better to look for some books and read them. If he found a good book, it would be better to buy it and teach students instead of these "dead books".
He strolled to the bookstore and saw the young man in green talking to the owner of the bookstore.The man asked: "Isn't this the case?"
The owner of the bookstore said: ""Longyu Mountain Records" indeed only has the first volume, not the second volume."
Hearing the title of the book, Wen Ruoshan's heart moved and he ducked to the corner of the street to listen to the conversation between the young man in green and the owner of the bookshop.The young master in green clothes then asked: "The first volume of "Mountain Chronicles" only describes the people in the mountains and rivers of Longnan, and the second volume should be about Longbei. I can't find it. I came to Tianshui specifically to look for this book. If it doesn't exist here, where can it be found? "
The owner of the bookstore said: "This book is banned. The second master refused to let it go, so he sent it back."
The young man in green asked: "It's banned? Why?"
The owner of the bookstore said: "It's nonsense and alarmist, so it's banned."
The young master in Tsing Yi asked again: "Why are you talking nonsense and alarmism?"
The owner of the bookstore said: "Probably he said that the world was in chaos and Kongtong could not be at peace. By the way, he also had fantastic ideas. He said that the barbarians dug a tunnel, which might be dozens of miles long. They dug it from outside the pass and led it to our pass. You Tell me, is it interesting?" He said and laughed.
The young man in green said, "It's very interesting."
After hearing this, Wen Ruoshan felt quite unhappy, turned around and left, not knowing where to go.Go back to private school?I'm not in the mood for class and it's freezing cold, so I might as well go to a wine shop and have a couple of drinks to warm up, but my brother knows he's going to scold me again.But after scolding, what else can I do in the future?Marry a wife and have children, be a teacher in a private school for the rest of your life, or go into business with your brother, save some savings before the world is in chaos, and wait to survive this catastrophe?If this is the only way, then it is better to drink a few more drinks while you can get drunk now.
When he arrived at the wine shop, he ordered a pot of Baigan and drank two glasses. A warmth rose from his chest and abdomen.He loosened his collar and the ivory folding fan given to him by his elder brother fell to the ground. He leaned over to pick it up and tied it back to his waist.When I looked up, by chance, the young man in green had also arrived.When the young master saw him, they met each other for the second time, but the young master walked up to him and asked, "We are destined to meet each other, young master, would you mind keeping us company?"
Wen Ruoshan was also interested in seeing each other one after another, so he said: "Please sit down. May I ask your name?"
"My surname is Xie, Xie Gubai." The man in green smiled, but was a little distant, "'Xie Gubai's color is so pale at first light."
"This name is interesting. The sky is dawning, and its color is solitary and white. Does Sir claim to be the first ray of light that illuminates the darkness?"
"It's not dark yet, so there's no dawn." Xie Gubai said, "We have to wait until it gets dark before anyone will wait for the dawn."
Wen Ruoshan felt something in his heart, and felt that there was something in his words, which seemed to be a metaphor. Seeing that he was speaking in a good way, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Master, for sitting down."
Xie Gubai sat down and asked, "Drinking at noon? Sir, you don't look like a drinker."
"It's too cold. Warm yourself up." Wen Ruoshan asked, "Why did you, sir, look at me outside the school just now?"
"That fan." Xie Gubai pointed to the fan on Wen Ruoshan's waist, "It's the twelfth lunar month, it's a little out of season, I can't help but care."
"It's a gift from my brother, so I carry it with me everywhere." Wen Ruoshan laughed at himself, "Every winter, he shares the same problem with me."
It's just that the fan can wait until the summer heat, but he is trapped in the wind and snow.
"It's made of white ivory. I'm afraid Shu Xiu from a private school won't be able to afford it even in three years. What's painted on it?"
"There's nothing." Wen Ruoshan opened the ivory folding fan, revealing a light, delicate, white and pure fan.He raised his fan and looked into the distance. The whiteness was connected with the snowy sky. It could be said that "the earth was so clean after falling into a vast expanse of white."
"It's such a good talent, it's a pity." Xie Gubai said.
Wen Ruoshan's heart moved again, he put away the folding fan, hung it back on his waist, and said: "I think that ivory is an eternal thing. No matter who paints it twice, it will eventually fade. It's better to keep its true color to see its eternity." .”
"Ivory is beautiful, but no matter how long-lasting it is, it is just precious. I found two strokes of the master's skillful brushwork, which complement each other and are enough to be passed down to the world."
Can the national player match this ivory?forget it.Wen Ruoshan thought.No words were spoken for a moment.Seeing that he didn't reply, Xie Gubai said, "I'm just being rude. Haven't you asked the young master Gao's name yet?"
"My surname is Wen." Wen Ruoshan said, "Wen Ruoshan."
"Tianshui talented man Wen Ruoshan?" Xie Gubai seemed a little surprised.Wen Ruoshan said, "Isn't it possible that you, sir, have already guessed that you would talk to me?"
"It's not a guess, it's just an intuition." Xie Gubai said, "I asked about the author of "Longyu Mountain Records" and found out that the second volume of "Longyu Mountain Records" was banned. I also saw that the gentleman's age and status match that of a wealthy family. But I was teaching in a private school, and a person who was not a greedy man was pouring his sorrows during the day. I was a little suspicious, so I came up to ask, but I didn't want to touch it. Now, I dare to ask, sir, if you have the second volume of "Longyu Mountain Chronicles"? "
"It's a bad time for you to come. It was all burned out this morning." At this point, Wen Ruoshan poured another glass of wine and drank it.
The Wen family has a small reputation in Tianshui. Although it is not a wealthy family, it has been accumulated over several generations and has a large scale.Wen Ruoshan has been fond of reading since he was a child. This is no longer the era of imperial examinations. Reading is mostly for literacy and accounting. After all, if you want to study, you have to use your brain. If you use your brain frequently, your thinking will be flexible.His two brothers also studied, but he was the most serious, diligent, and talented.Wen Ruoshan firmly believed that reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. When he was 16 years old, he went on business trips with his father and brother. He wrote down what he saw and learned. When he encountered any doubts, he would investigate them in detail and wrote a book "Longyu Mountain Records". It records the topography, local conditions, people and so on in southern Gansu.Wen's family was rich, so he printed and published books by himself, which were well received and earned him the title of "Tianshui Talent".Encouraged, he wrote a second book, but it was banned.
Wen Ruoshan was greatly hit and couldn't muster the energy to do business. With his family's financial resources, he had no interest in becoming a master in a sect. His father and brother were afraid that he would be lazy, so they built a private school for him to teach, and more than a year passed like this.There was still a glimmer of hope in Wen Ruo's rare book. He sent people to ask Kongtong many times but got no reply. Knowing that there was no hope, he had no choice but to see through it and burned all the books.
"You didn't leave any of them? There are always samples, right?" Xie Gubai asked.
"It's all burned. Why keep something that can't be seen by others?"
"This is strange." Xie Gubai said, ""Longyu Mountain Records" records the topography and humanities of southern Gansu with very detailed annotations. Mr. Xie is very talented and admires him very much. This book has been widely circulated in the northwest. How come the book can’t be read to others?”
"I wrote a few gossips in the book, but the second master thought it was nonsense, so he banned it."
"The second master is in Kunlun, have you also read this book?" Xie Gubai asked.
"It doesn't matter whether Second Master has seen it or not. If Kongtong is banned, Second Master has banned it. It doesn't matter which master's opinion he has, it's the same."
"What rumors did Mr. Wen write in the book?" Xie Gubai asked.
"When I arrived at the border, I saw the city wall winding around the mountain. It was undulating and very majestic. The iron sword and silver guards were closely monitoring it. I heard that there were barbarians trying to sneak into the border city more than [-] years ago. However, in recent years, there have been very few Sa tribe believers. However, Starting around this time, many innocent passers-by were killed around the border. They were said to be bandits, but the murderer could not be found. There were even corpses or their faces were beaten to pieces, their faces were blurred and unrecognizable, or they were burned into charred corpses. In short, these The cases ended up being unsolved.”
"I suspect that the barbarians may have secretly dug a tunnel to enter the pass from outside the pass, so they rarely violate the border. These corpses may be their work. He also wrote that the ten counties of Tangmen, Huashan, Qingcheng, Diancang, Hengshan, and Beggar Gang I am afraid that the chivalry certificates have been issued indiscriminately over the years with ulterior motives. If things continue like this, the world will be in chaos. I suggest that Kunlun jointly agree to let the nine major families take charge of the chivalry certificates, so as not to allow one party to become powerful, which will easily lead to chaos."
"Have all these books been taken back?" Xie Gubai asked.
"After the second master banned it, he took back [-]% of it, and there are still a few copies left."
Xie Gubai pondered for a long time and said, "Sir, you are insightful. These few words make sense."
"That makes sense?" Wen Ruoshan laughed loudly, "When I wrote "Longyu Mountain Records", I got the title of 'Tianshui Talented Man'. After I finished writing the second volume, I also got a new title, called 'Tianshui Madman'. You It makes sense, could it be to comfort me?"
"Sir, do you want to argue with yourself?" Xie Gubai asked, "It is normal for a man to have ambitions that are difficult to achieve, to be misunderstood by others, to have a lump in his chest, and to be depressed."
"I don't care about this." Wen Ruoshan said, "In the 90 years of peace after the Kunlun consensus, except for the Shaosong dispute and the Fenyang night attack, there were only some minor disputes that were insignificant. Of course no one believes me now. . I wrote this book not to be alarmist, but to worry about the world..." He frowned, "I know I am right, but no one believes it. The longer I accumulate, the more dangerous it becomes. If there is internal strife among the nine families, and the border is in emergency, To repeat the tragedy of barbarians entering the country and slaughtering the city with their cavalry a hundred years ago, life will be ruined again."
Xie Gubai said: "Sir, you care about the world, why don't you do something?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "What can I do? The books are banned, who in Kongtong will believe me?"
Xie Gubai said: "What result do you hope for, sir? To find this secret passage?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "This secret passage must be very secret. I don't know martial arts. I'm afraid I won't be able to report back if I find it. There are Iron Sword and Silver Guards in Kongtong. As long as you check carefully at the border or follow the clues to find the spies, you can always find them." I gained something, but... alas..." He sighed and remained silent.
Xie Gubai looked outside the wine shop and asked: "If we can find the spies, it means that the barbarians can cross the border, and the secret passage will be credible, right?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "The spies may have left Gansu long ago. How can we find him in such a big world?"
Xie Gubai said: "Kongtong guards the border. No matter how many spies come from the secret passage, some will always stay in Gansu."
Wen Ruoshan said: "Listen to what the young master said, do you have any ideas?"
"There is a way, but you have to take risks." Xie Gubai said, "If I can help you prove it, how about you copy the second volume of "Longyu Mountain Records" for me to read?"
Wen Ruoshan laughed and said: "What's so difficult about this! What are you going to do?"
"I said, you have to take risks." Xie Gubai said, "Also, you have to stop drinking. You really have become an alcoholic, and you have let down your talents."
This person actually seems to be really confident?Wen Ruoshan frowned.
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After that day, Wen Ruoshan stopped drinking. He got up early every day and drove his carriage to Guangze Temple on the mountain outside the city to pay homage.It gets late in the north and it's the middle of winter, so you have to go out in the dark.Guangze Temple is halfway up the mountain. The carriage has to be parked at the bottom of the mountain and it takes half an hour to walk up the mountain. The trail is rugged and steep and difficult to walk. Therefore, there are very few pilgrims in Guangze Temple. Except for the two monks in the temple, there are few people.This was Xie Gubai's order, asking him to find a sparsely populated temple to visit every day, preferably on a mountain, so that he could be easily attacked.Xie Gubai only understood half of the story, so he hid a dagger in his snow boots in case of emergency.Although he is a scholar who does not know martial arts, he is very courageous and not afraid.
On the first day when he went up the mountain, as soon as he entered the temple, he saw Xie Gubai waiting for him.It turned out that Xie Gubai had gone up the mountain last night, and the fire had already been lit, waiting for his arrival.
He sat down in front of the fire.The snow had not receded in the past few days, and the trail was really difficult to walk. Even though it was the depth of winter, he was sweating all over. If he didn't warm himself by the fire, he would easily catch a cold.
"I've seen the terrain, and this place is fine. The mountain road is steep. If the assassin tries to assassinate you in the middle, he's afraid of being entangled by you and falling down the mountain. If you don't know martial arts, it will be easy to attack when you get to the flat part of the mountain. I'll push you down from the mountain. Death was an accident.”
"Are you sure someone wants to kill me? I just wrote a book." Wen Ruoshan said, "Ninety percent of the second volume has been taken back and destroyed. Not many people have read it."
"There may not be few people who have heard about it. Everyone in Tianshui City has heard about it, and the barbarian spies and others should also hear about it."
"Others?" Wen Ruoshan wondered, who else is there?
"Your book is very useful. It clearly records the topography of Longnan, and many merchants use it as a reference." Xie Gubai said.
Xie Gubai walked around Guangze Temple several times.The temple was built against the mountain and was built on a small platform in the middle of the mountain. The temple was not big, with only one main hall and one bedroom. The thatched cottage was built next to the cliff behind the temple.He called Wen Ruoshan, pointed to the hut and said, "It's right here, can you do it?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "If I am right, I can make Kongtong take precautions in advance." His eyes were shining, and he felt that he could no longer be a useless scholar.
Xie Gubai nodded and said, "I have taken care of the monks in the temple and asked them to live at the foot of the mountain temporarily. During this period, I will be here waiting for you."
Wen Ruoshan said happily: "It's time to work."
From then on, Wen Ruoshan came to Guangze Temple every day, chatted with Xie Gubai for half an hour, and then went down the mountain.Xie Gubai was extremely knowledgeable, as if he had traveled to nine major families, and he knew all the local customs and governance conditions. Wen Ruoshan admired him deeply. If Xie Gubai hadn't asked him to act according to his plan, he would have wanted to move to the mountains to live with him. .
In this way, he went up and down the mountain every day. About ten days later, a heavy snowstorm came in Gansu.When he got up, he heard the howling wind outside. Regardless of the dissuasion of his father, brother and sister-in-law, he insisted on going to Guangze Temple.The coachman did not dare to offend his brother, so he put on his cotton-padded jacket, gloves, raincoat and bamboo hat, and drove out on his own.
The wind and snow were getting heavier and heavier, making it difficult for the carriage to move in the snow. He could barely identify the road. When he got to the bottom of the mountain, he tied up the carriage, but it was already a long delay.He braved the wind and snow to go up the mountain. Along the way, he felt the wind blowing in his face, which stung his cheeks. The road was even slippery. If he was not careful, he would fall down the mountain and be shattered to pieces.He turned around and saw a figure in the snow, followed by a woodcutter holding an ax, who seemed to be going up the mountain to chop wood.In the past few days, he had been on guard when seeing passers-by. Today, it was snowing and windy, and he could not see clearly. He was even more nervous, fearing that the other party would suddenly attack and he would not be able to escape the poisonous hands.
He didn't know whether the man was really an ordinary woodcutter, or he was worried about the slippery snow road and never came close. Wen Ruoshan was worried and finally walked to Guangze Temple, only to see that the man ignored him and walked up the mountain.
He breathed a sigh of relief, shook off the snow flakes, and went into the temple to pay homage to the Buddha. When he saw Xie Gubai sitting by the window and peeping, he asked in a low voice: "Has the woodcutter gone far?"
Xie Gubai shook his head: "The snow is heavy and I can't see clearly."
Wen Ruoshan frowned: "What should we do?"
There was another gust of wind roaring outside the house, and the wind and snow seemed to be getting worse.
Xie Gubai whispered a few words, Wen Ruoshan nodded, and walked outside the temple. All he saw was a vast expanse of white, making it almost impossible to see.He walked around to the hut, opened the door, but did not go in. He closed the door again, hid in the back, and waited with bated breath.
After a while, a figure was vaguely seen in the wind and snow. It was the woodcutter holding an ax and approaching slowly step by step.Wen Ruoshan's heartbeat increased, and the hot breath he exhaled turned into white smoke, and he actually felt a little warm.When the woodcutter approached the hut, Wen Ruoshan rushed out without hesitation, stretched out his hands and pushed hard. The wind and snow obscured his eyes, and the woodcutter was caught off guard and fell down the cliff.
Wen Ruoshan was overjoyed: "It's done!" It was his first time to kill someone. Although he was trying to protect himself, he was still frightened, and the heat in his body instantly turned into bone-deep coldness.I saw Xie Gubai walking quickly, and he hurriedly shouted: "Slip carefully!" Then I heard a slight muffled sound coming from the wind and snow, but it came from the direction of the cliff. Didn't the woodcutter fall off the cliff? ?
Wen Ruoshan was shocked. Neither he nor Xie Gubai knew martial arts. If the man hadn't fallen down the mountain, he would have had no choice but to run for his life.But he didn't panic, he pulled out the dagger in his hand, and when no one came up, he stepped forward.
At this moment, Xie Gubai happened to arrive. The two of them cautiously came to the edge of the cliff and saw the woodcutter climbing up the cliff while holding on to the vines.Wen Ruoshan raised the dagger in his hand and shouted: "Don't move! If you dare to come up, I'll give you a knife!"
The wind was so loud that he was afraid that the other party could not hear clearly, so he shouted extra loudly.The woodcutter was frightened by him. He hung in the air and did not dare to climb again. He hurriedly said: "Good-hearted uncle, I am a woodcutter on the mountain. I accidentally slipped. Please save my life. Your kindness will be rewarded!"
Wen Ruoshan said: "You barbarian! Tell me quickly, where is your secret passage?"
The woodcutter was stunned and said: "I am not a barbarian, you misunderstood! I am not a barbarian, I am from Gansu, just an ordinary woodcutter!"
Wen Ruoshan shouted: "If you don't tell the truth, don't even think about coming up!"
The woodcutter hurriedly explained and begged, but Wen Ruoshan just didn't believe it. The woodcutter almost couldn't support it anymore, so he had to say: "To be honest, I am really not a barbarian, I am..."
The sound of the wind covered up some of the words, so that Wen Ruoshan thought for a moment that he had heard the other party's sect incorrectly.He was shocked and looked at Xie Gubai, who had no expression on his face and just nodded to him.
Wen Ruoshan knew that if the woodcutter was allowed to live, the two of him would never be opponents when he came up. Even if the other party was willing to let him go, if his revealed identity was true, the sect behind him would only send more powerful people. There is no escape either.
He picked up the ax left by the woodcutter and chopped down the vines hard.When the man saw him cutting down the vines, he was so frightened that he shouted "No!" as he climbed up the mountain.
Wen Ruoshan didn't know martial arts, and he wasn't someone who was used to doing rough work. The old tree vines were so strong that they would stop growing when he hit them with an axe.The ax got stuck in a tree vine and couldn't be pulled out for a while. The ground was slippery. He was worried that he might have used too much force. A fall would be a trivial matter, but falling off a cliff would be troublesome.
His hands were numb from the cold, and his heart couldn't help but tremble. He reluctantly pulled out the axe, and struck it down again.This ax did not strike at the same position. Seeing that the man was about to climb up, Wen Ruoshan became anxious and swung the ax repeatedly. In panic, several ax strikes were missed. The remaining strength was not enough, although the tree and vines had a few more vines. The gaps are still there.
I saw that the woodcutter had climbed to the edge of the cliff, holding one hand on the cliff, and was about to stick his head out.Wen Ruoshan closed his eyes, gripped the ax and struck it down with all his strength. He let out a scream, the ax was embedded in the woodcutter's forehead, and he fell off the cliff with the woodcutter.
Wen Ruoshan's hands kept shaking and he knelt on the ground, panicked. Not only was it his first time to kill someone, but he was also shocked to hear the shocking secret.
He turned back to look at Xie Gubai, who frowned and looked deeply.
"Let's go to the temple first to take shelter from the wind and snow."
Xie Gubai made a pot of tea, and the two of them sat in front of the stove.Wen Ruoshan's teeth were chattering, and he could not help but tremble while holding the tea cup in his hands.After he drank the tea, a warmth surged up and slowly flowed to his limbs. He breathed a sigh of relief and waited until his fingers became softer before he spoke.
"You...had known this?"
"The Record of Longyu Mountain has detailed records and can be used not only for commercial purposes, but also for military use." Xie Gubai said, "The second volume records the terrain of Longbei. Someone must be interested. As soon as I find this book, I will know your prophecy. "
Wen Ruoshan remained silent. His foresight could sometimes lead to fatal disasters, but at the same time he was also excited. After all, he was not talking nonsense, but had an insight.Just seeing that the world is about to be in chaos and all life is in ruins, why don't people worry?Although he was worried, there was also a hint of joy hidden in his worries. Zhu Hongman’s dragon-slaying skills were not lost in the end!
He felt ashamed of his slight joy.He was silent for a long time, until he calmed down and sorted out his thoughts, he spoke again.
"Did you also foretell the chaos in the world?" Wen Ruoshan bowed his hands and bowed to the ground. "Sir, do you have a good way to save the world? Wen Ruoshan is willing to follow you and do the work of dogs and horses."
"No." Xie Gubai replied calmly, and Wen Ruoshan couldn't help but be surprised.
"No one can control the world. We are all just chess pieces among all living beings. Each chess piece affects other chess pieces, affects each other, and is intertwined with each other. The most inconspicuous person may change the general trend of the world."
Wen Ruoshan understood this truth. Just like today, the assassin just said something insignificant to him to save his life, but it might change the direction of the world.No one knows how much impact this incident will have on the future, and this person is just an assassin...
"You can't grasp the trend of the world's chess game even if you look at the overall situation, and fighting and fighting may be in vain." Xie Gubai looked at the tea cup in his hand. At this moment, his eyes were no longer half-closed. They were a pair of wise and profound eyes, as if There are many calculations going on all the time.
"What are you going to do, sir?" Wen Ruoshan asked.He knew that Xie Gubai had a heart, maybe he had different thoughts from his, but Xie Gubai would not turn a blind eye to the world.
"Chaos cannot be stopped. The more resistance there is, the more chaos will become. Instead of suppressing it, it is better to start with the chaos and then cure it." Xie Gubai said, "Within five years, the world will be in chaos, and within seven years, the world will be peaceful."
"Two years to pacify the world? Sir, your tone is really crazy." Wen Ruoshan said.
"In this game of chess in the world, no matter how you plan, you can't predict the outcome of the next moment." Xie Gubai said lightly, "Just do your best and obey the destiny. As you said, if the barbarians invade during the civil strife of the nine families, you can I foresee that there will be flames of war everywhere and corpses strewn across the fields.”
Wen Ruoshan was silent. He always claimed to be talented, but he was far inferior to the man in front of him.Xie Gubai is a person who can overlook the overall situation. He is not only a chess piece in the world's chess game, he is also qualified to be a chess player.
Something in his heart was touched and he couldn't control it.
The violent snowstorm rattled the windows, and the wind came in through the cracks in the windows, blowing out the candlesticks in front of the Buddha, and steaming steam came out of the teapot on the stove.
Water, boiling.
※ ※ ※
When the snow receded, they went around to the bottom of the mountain and found the body.The ax fell to the side and appeared to have come loose when it hit the ground.
Xie Gubai asked: "Are you afraid?"
Wen Ruoshan shook his head and said: "I'm more afraid of living, but now that I'm dead, there's nothing to be afraid of."
"It's good that you have courage." Xie Gubai walked forward with a smile and squatted down.
"I heard that followers of the Sacred Cult will tattoo the Sacred Cult's Eye of Fire mark on their left shoulders. Can you see if they have it?" Wen Ruoshan said.
Xie Gubai opened the corpse's clothes and saw a flame mark.The flame was like an angled cross. There was an eye in the middle of the cross, and the pupil was also surrounded by flames.
Eyes of fire in the flames are really the mark of the Sacred Cult. Then he just announced his family status...
"Do you believe it?" Xie Gubai asked.Wen Ruoshan shook his head.How stupid must a disciple of the Sacred Sect have to be to bear a mark on his body after going through all kinds of secret passages to lurk in the nine great families?
"He is not a member of the Sacred religion, and the secret path cannot prove it." Wen Ruoshan laughed at himself, "I am still a lunatic in Tianshui."
"He is, he better be, and must be." Xie Gubai said, "I'm ready."
Wen Ruoshan said in surprise: "What are you preparing for?"
Xie Gubai led Wen Ruoshan up the stairs from Guangze Temple. He pushed aside a patch of grass and saw a small cave with candlelight inside.Wen Ruoshan entered the cave and saw all kinds of strange magical tools inside. There was also a statue of a god with four arms and four legs. His upper body was naked and his hair was blazing. There was only one eye on his face. It was very strange to see the flames coming out.
He has never seen these things, but he has heard about them. They are all items belonging to the Sacred Cult. They are forbidden items. Just possessing them is a death penalty, and it is impossible for anyone to make them.This can only be obtained from outside the customs. The problem is that since the Kunlun consensus, those who leave the customs are not allowed to enter the customs, and no one can come back from outside the customs, including the dead ones sent by Kongtong...
"Where did you get these things?" Wen Ruoshan looked at Xie Gubai in surprise, with a bit of doubt in his expression.
※ ※ ※
A disciple of the Sacred Cult died in Kongtong. He had the mark of the Sacred Cult on his body and the sacrificial objects of the Sacred Cult. There is no doubt that he must be a member of the barbarian tribe.How can the barbarians come to Tianshui, which is thousands of miles away from the border, and no one notices them?Either he spread his wings and flew over the border town, or he took a secret path.
There is ironclad evidence for the secret passage mentioned by the talented man in Tianshui. The whole Kongtong was looking for this secret passage, but for a while they found nothing.
Wen Ruoshan met Du Meng on the way to see Xie Gubai. Du Meng lowered his head and pretended not to see her, and left quickly.Wen Ruoshan was secretly amused, but also thought that he was a rough man after all, so why bother with him?
"Thank you, I can finally hold my head up in front of my father and brother." Wen Ruoshan said, "It's just that such deception makes me a little uneasy."
"A gentleman is disrespectful. When I saw you that day, you were teaching students. Do you know if there is any other explanation for this sentence?" Xie Gubai said.
"Oh? Please ask the teacher for advice." Wen Ruoshan bowed and asked with a smile.
"Metaphysically, it is called Tao, and metaphysically, it is called weapon. A gentleman is not a tool, and does not stick to forms or rules. He should choose the means according to the purpose. As long as the purpose is good and the result is good, it doesn't matter if the process is different. "
Wen Ruoshan thought for a while and said, "I have never heard of this statement, but it makes sense."
"Where is the manuscript you promised me?" Xie Gubai said with an indifferent smile, "I only helped because of the book."
"Are you leaving? How many more days will you stay in Tianshui?"
"No." Xie Gubai shook his head, "I don't have a specific place to go. I want to travel around the Nine Families to examine the customs and customs."
"You have great ambitions. Even if the water comes from heaven, it won't keep you." Wen Ruoshan asked, "When are you going to leave?"
"Tomorrow." Xie Gubai asked, "Is it too late?"
"It's definitely in time." Wen Ruoshan said with a smile.
※ ※ ※
The next day, Wen Ruoshan brought his luggage to see Xie Gubai.
"The second volume of "Longyu Mountain Chronicles" is in my mind, and the copy is here." He pointed to his head, "Taking me with you is like taking the book with you."
"This is different from the agreement." Xie Gubai shook his head.
"I heard a big secret. If it is true, the other party will send people to kill me soon. If I am at home, my father and brother will be implicated."
"They thought they got away with it and the assassin was killed as a barbarian from the Sacred Cult."
"But Wen Ruoshan is not dead yet, they are still coming to kill me, and you need a companion." Wen Ruoshan said, "There are two people to take care of us, and there is a carriage." He waved, and a carriage drove over, and the driver got out He got off the horse and handed him the whip.
"I can afford a carriage." Xie Gubai said, "It's just convenient for one person to ride a horse."
"It's more convenient for two people to take turns driving." Wen Ruoshan said, ignoring Xie Gubai, piled the luggage on the carriage, and turned around and said, "Although I am not as good as you, I am still a smart person, and smart people are always lonely. I have been waiting for many years in Tianshui to meet a smart person like you. With me by your side, you will not be lonely."
Xie Gubai did not refuse again, and the two of them got into the carriage, with Wen Ruoshan driving first.
"By the way, where did those Sacred things come from?"
"Brought in from outside the customs." Xie Gubai said lightly, as if it was a very simple matter. After speaking, he asked again, "You can't use your real name anymore. What name do you want to change?"
"I am 27 this year, let's call me Xiaoqi."
"What about next year, called Xiaoba?" Xie Gubai asked, he was a person who rarely asked questions.
"That's next year."
Xiao Qi waved his riding whip, and the carriage sped up. The deep ruts in the snow gradually moved away from Tianshui.
(End of this chapter)
Kunlun, winter, November, 85
The remaining snow from last night was still piled in the yard, and the icicles hanging under the eaves were precariously falling.The clear-faced young man in white clothes had a blush on his face. It was no more than [-] o'clock in the morning, and he already seemed a little tipsy.The young man arranged a few dead branches into criss-crossing tic-tac-toe shapes, took out a few books from the stack of books behind him, tore them in half, and stuffed them into the gaps in the tic-tac-toe shapes.There were about forty or fifty books in the pile, and the covers seemed to be from the same set.The young man picked up the wine jug on the ground, sprinkled the wine on the woodpile, and lit a fire.
The fire was raging, and the black smoke smelled of wine, attracting the attention of passers-by outside the courtyard.They looked towards the courtyard and just shook their heads and sighed. Several warriors wearing silver shawls saw them and showed mocking expressions.
The young man took another sip of wine, squatted down, picked up the rest of the book, tore out a few pages, and threw them into the fire. After tearing up one book after another, nearly half of it was burned.A middle-aged man came over and saw him burning books. He quickly stepped forward and pushed him down, cursing: "What's wrong with this so early in the morning! Are these books free of charge?"
The young man said: "You can't show it to others, so just burn it."
The middle-aged man scolded: "You are clamoring to write a book, your brother spent money to get someone to seal it, and you burned it. Didn't you burn the money in vain? You, you thought the money fell from the sky? You are a waste of money, you are really a waste of money!" It's time to put out the fire.
The young man was afraid of hurting him, so he held his hand and said, "Dad, be careful."
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the black smoke choked the middle-aged man until tears and snot flowed from his nose. He couldn't help but cursed: "You shouldn't be allowed to study, you will become an idiot! Hurry up and bring water to put out the fire!"
The young man said hello, turned around, and threw the remaining twenty books into the fire.The middle-aged man cursed: "Why are you so disobedient? This is all money, money! Oh..."
Hearing the noise, several young men and women also came to the courtyard. Seeing their father losing his temper, they stepped forward to persuade him, "Dad, what's wrong?" A young man with two short beards frowned and asked, "Ruoshan ,What are you doing?"
"Things that cannot be sold are left to take up space." The young man named Ruoshan replied, "How many more are there? Let's burn them all."
Another fair young man pinched his nose and asked: "This is so early in the morning, have you been drinking?"
The short-bearded young man was obviously angry and said sullenly: "Xiu Niang, how many books are there at home? Take them out and let him burn them!"
The woman who called Xiu Niang responded, but did not move. She only said: "This is all my uncle's hard work..." The short-bearded young man cursed: "Let him burn! Let him give up after burning!" "He yelled at the young man again and said, "I don't care if you burn your own hard work. If you drink in broad daylight, you are not making progress! If you want to destroy yourself, it will be useless!" Then he turned to his wife and said, " Xiu Niang, why are you still standing here? Take someone to move the books!"
The young man remained silent. After a while, Xiu Niang led her servants to bring in bundles of books, about three to four hundred.The middle-aged man shouted: "Why are they all burned? They are all stamped with money! Oh, what a waste! Don't burn it, it's not a waste to use it to make fried dough sticks!" The short-bearded young man grabbed his father and said, "Dad, the Wen family doesn't lack this. Some money." Then he said to Wen Ruoshan, "I'll let you burn it together. After burning it, go to the school and don't let the children wait! Remember to take a shower before going, because you smell like alcohol!"
He took his father, wife and brother back to the house, leaving Wen Ruoshan alone looking at the fire.Wen Ruoshan threw the books into the fire one after another, burning them, his eyes were red, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly at himself...
※ ※ ※
"A gentleman does not use tools. Qi means an instrument and means special use. The meaning of this sentence is that a gentleman is not a tool. It cannot have only one use. It limits itself to one talent and one skill. He is knowledgeable and versatile; he cannot become a tool for others and be used by others." Wen Ruoshan said.The schoolchildren were sitting upright, not knowing whether they were paying attention to the lectures or were distracted.He caught a glimpse of a man whose eyes were half closed and half open, nodding his head frequently and shouting: "Ziguan!"
The dozing schoolboy stood up quickly and called "teacher". Wen Ruoshan asked: "I just said that a gentleman has no ability. What does this mean?"
Ziguan was dumbfounded and replied: "A gentleman should not be angry... A gentleman should not be angry... It means that a gentleman should have good moral character and good self-cultivation, and should not lose his temper casually. When encountering things that don't go his way, he should... uh, also... Be civilized, for example...for example..." He frowned when he saw Wen Ruoshan, and said quickly, "For example, if the teacher asks a question and the student gets the answer wrong, the teacher is a gentleman, and the teacher is not angry. This is called a gentleman who is not angry."
The other students laughed, and Wen Ruoshan couldn't help but smile, and said: "You are smart and know how to adapt to circumstances." Then he hit his forehead and said, "This is to punish you for falling asleep in class." He explained again what a gentleman does not do. The meaning of instrument.Although Ziguan understood, he couldn't help but ask the teacher: "Teacher, you said that a gentleman should not become someone else's tool or be used by others. But if we learn this and become gentlemen, who will use us?"
Wen Ruoshan was stunned.In this world, there are many fewer opportunities for scholars.
Another student asked: "I read in the book that there used to be something called the imperial examination, and scholars could do it through examiners. What's the use of studying now?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "Studying is not for being an official, and being a gentleman is not for being an official. Regardless of this, although there are no imperial examinations in the nine sects, there are still places where scholars can be found in the sects. They can write, complain, and settle accounts. Each sect We all have masters, and there are many places where scholars can be used. Besides, if you read books and learn poetry, you will understand more principles and be more elegant than others."
Although he said this, he thought in his heart, even though he had learned a lot, he had nowhere to use his talents to make a difference. What was the use of Zhu Hongman's learning of dragon-slaying skills?He couldn't help but feel bored and said: "Open the book."
The schoolchildren opened their books one after another, and Wen Ruoshan said: "Chapter 2 of "Lun Yu", "Wei Zheng Chapter", read it."
He remembered what his father had said that morning, that he shouldn't let himself study and become an idiot. Indeed, the Four Books and Five Classics that he read now were not as promising as practicing a set of Fuhu Fist.Although the Nine Great Masters still need scholars to handle government affairs, there is no imperial examination but only specialists are used, making the Four Books and Five Classics become elegant things, and it is not a bad thing to read them to learn some principles of life.I heard that many officials in the previous dynasty were almost wiped out by the barbarians because they had read the Book of Death, but I was by no means a person who read the Book of Death.Being prepared for danger in times of peace, being born in sorrow and dying in peace and happiness, these are not dead principles.
He sighed and saw a young man about his own age standing outside the school amidst the chanting of schoolchildren.
The man was wearing a well-tailored light green robe and a sheepskin coat.He has a handsome face, his eyes are half-closed, but they are bright and energetic, and there is a faint smile hanging on the corner of his mouth. He looks amiable, but somehow feels alienated.He was standing under a peach tree not far away from the school, only a few feet away. Because of this smile, it seemed as if the man was standing miles away, making it difficult to tell the distance.
Wen Ruoshan calmed down, and when he took a closer look, the young master in a light green robe seemed to think that he was disturbing the lecture and walked towards the street.
"Master?" A childish voice called Wen Ruoshan's thoughts back to the classroom. He turned his head and a student asked, "I have finished reading "Wei Zheng Pian", do you want to read the next one?"
"No." Wen Ruoshan said, "You practice calligraphy in the morning, and the teacher will go out for a while."
"Teacher, are you going to drink again?" Ziguan, who had just dozed off, laughed.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Wen Ruoshan said with a straight face, "If you talk nonsense again, I will punish you by copying books!"
Ziguan stuck out his tongue and hurriedly took out the Four Treasures of the Study, while the schoolchildren began to sharpen their ink.
Wen Ruoshan walked out of the school and looked in the direction where the young man in green had left. There were still footprints on the snow.He was hesitant to catch up, but suddenly he heard a voice mocking: "Isn't this the great scholar Wen? Our Tianshui talented brother Wen!"
He turned back in disgust.He recognized this man. His name was Du Meng. He was his neighbor across the street. He had been a member of the Benlei Hall in Kongtong since he was a child. He was currently wearing a short silver shawl outside his winter coat, which was the symbol of the Iron Sword Silver Guard.
"Brother Wen, why don't you teach in class? Are you deserting?" Du Meng said with a smile, "Don't you always say that the world is going to be in chaos and the barbarians are coming? If you don't lead a few disciples seriously, when the barbarians come, there will be no master to send messages for us. , wouldn’t it be a total failure to send messages and messages?”
Wen Ruoshan said: "I was wrong. God bless Kongtong and God bless the world. There is nothing wrong with it."
"You scholars are the only ones who like to scare people, lest the world be in chaos!" Du Meng spat and said, "My cousin is studying in your school. You should teach him well and teach him something useful. Don't teach him your stupidity too! "
"Why bother with him?" Wen Ruoshan thought and smiled and said: "Yes." Du Meng saw him smiling and felt that he was being looked down upon. He wanted to find another way to stab him, saying: "Your Wen family is so rich. What else do you want to do as a teacher? Go home and be a rice bug and raise it for your father and brother!" After that, he left.
Wen Ruoshan was not angry, his biggest temper was gone long ago.He looked back and saw that the young man in green had already disappeared.He thought that he didn't know what he was looking for, so he looked back at the students in the private school and saw that they were busy writing. The lazy Zi Guan was looking at him sideways, expecting to sneak away as soon as he left. Go out and play.
Forget it, let them have fun.What is the use of these Four Books and Five Classics?It is better to learn some practical skills to help the world.The world has changed, why should we cling to these unrealistic things?He thought that he hadn't bought a book for a long time and had just burned hundreds of books in the morning. The bookshop was nearby, so it would be better to look for some books and read them. If he found a good book, it would be better to buy it and teach students instead of these "dead books".
He strolled to the bookstore and saw the young man in green talking to the owner of the bookstore.The man asked: "Isn't this the case?"
The owner of the bookstore said: ""Longyu Mountain Records" indeed only has the first volume, not the second volume."
Hearing the title of the book, Wen Ruoshan's heart moved and he ducked to the corner of the street to listen to the conversation between the young man in green and the owner of the bookshop.The young master in green clothes then asked: "The first volume of "Mountain Chronicles" only describes the people in the mountains and rivers of Longnan, and the second volume should be about Longbei. I can't find it. I came to Tianshui specifically to look for this book. If it doesn't exist here, where can it be found? "
The owner of the bookstore said: "This book is banned. The second master refused to let it go, so he sent it back."
The young man in green asked: "It's banned? Why?"
The owner of the bookstore said: "It's nonsense and alarmist, so it's banned."
The young master in Tsing Yi asked again: "Why are you talking nonsense and alarmism?"
The owner of the bookstore said: "Probably he said that the world was in chaos and Kongtong could not be at peace. By the way, he also had fantastic ideas. He said that the barbarians dug a tunnel, which might be dozens of miles long. They dug it from outside the pass and led it to our pass. You Tell me, is it interesting?" He said and laughed.
The young man in green said, "It's very interesting."
After hearing this, Wen Ruoshan felt quite unhappy, turned around and left, not knowing where to go.Go back to private school?I'm not in the mood for class and it's freezing cold, so I might as well go to a wine shop and have a couple of drinks to warm up, but my brother knows he's going to scold me again.But after scolding, what else can I do in the future?Marry a wife and have children, be a teacher in a private school for the rest of your life, or go into business with your brother, save some savings before the world is in chaos, and wait to survive this catastrophe?If this is the only way, then it is better to drink a few more drinks while you can get drunk now.
When he arrived at the wine shop, he ordered a pot of Baigan and drank two glasses. A warmth rose from his chest and abdomen.He loosened his collar and the ivory folding fan given to him by his elder brother fell to the ground. He leaned over to pick it up and tied it back to his waist.When I looked up, by chance, the young man in green had also arrived.When the young master saw him, they met each other for the second time, but the young master walked up to him and asked, "We are destined to meet each other, young master, would you mind keeping us company?"
Wen Ruoshan was also interested in seeing each other one after another, so he said: "Please sit down. May I ask your name?"
"My surname is Xie, Xie Gubai." The man in green smiled, but was a little distant, "'Xie Gubai's color is so pale at first light."
"This name is interesting. The sky is dawning, and its color is solitary and white. Does Sir claim to be the first ray of light that illuminates the darkness?"
"It's not dark yet, so there's no dawn." Xie Gubai said, "We have to wait until it gets dark before anyone will wait for the dawn."
Wen Ruoshan felt something in his heart, and felt that there was something in his words, which seemed to be a metaphor. Seeing that he was speaking in a good way, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Master, for sitting down."
Xie Gubai sat down and asked, "Drinking at noon? Sir, you don't look like a drinker."
"It's too cold. Warm yourself up." Wen Ruoshan asked, "Why did you, sir, look at me outside the school just now?"
"That fan." Xie Gubai pointed to the fan on Wen Ruoshan's waist, "It's the twelfth lunar month, it's a little out of season, I can't help but care."
"It's a gift from my brother, so I carry it with me everywhere." Wen Ruoshan laughed at himself, "Every winter, he shares the same problem with me."
It's just that the fan can wait until the summer heat, but he is trapped in the wind and snow.
"It's made of white ivory. I'm afraid Shu Xiu from a private school won't be able to afford it even in three years. What's painted on it?"
"There's nothing." Wen Ruoshan opened the ivory folding fan, revealing a light, delicate, white and pure fan.He raised his fan and looked into the distance. The whiteness was connected with the snowy sky. It could be said that "the earth was so clean after falling into a vast expanse of white."
"It's such a good talent, it's a pity." Xie Gubai said.
Wen Ruoshan's heart moved again, he put away the folding fan, hung it back on his waist, and said: "I think that ivory is an eternal thing. No matter who paints it twice, it will eventually fade. It's better to keep its true color to see its eternity." .”
"Ivory is beautiful, but no matter how long-lasting it is, it is just precious. I found two strokes of the master's skillful brushwork, which complement each other and are enough to be passed down to the world."
Can the national player match this ivory?forget it.Wen Ruoshan thought.No words were spoken for a moment.Seeing that he didn't reply, Xie Gubai said, "I'm just being rude. Haven't you asked the young master Gao's name yet?"
"My surname is Wen." Wen Ruoshan said, "Wen Ruoshan."
"Tianshui talented man Wen Ruoshan?" Xie Gubai seemed a little surprised.Wen Ruoshan said, "Isn't it possible that you, sir, have already guessed that you would talk to me?"
"It's not a guess, it's just an intuition." Xie Gubai said, "I asked about the author of "Longyu Mountain Records" and found out that the second volume of "Longyu Mountain Records" was banned. I also saw that the gentleman's age and status match that of a wealthy family. But I was teaching in a private school, and a person who was not a greedy man was pouring his sorrows during the day. I was a little suspicious, so I came up to ask, but I didn't want to touch it. Now, I dare to ask, sir, if you have the second volume of "Longyu Mountain Chronicles"? "
"It's a bad time for you to come. It was all burned out this morning." At this point, Wen Ruoshan poured another glass of wine and drank it.
The Wen family has a small reputation in Tianshui. Although it is not a wealthy family, it has been accumulated over several generations and has a large scale.Wen Ruoshan has been fond of reading since he was a child. This is no longer the era of imperial examinations. Reading is mostly for literacy and accounting. After all, if you want to study, you have to use your brain. If you use your brain frequently, your thinking will be flexible.His two brothers also studied, but he was the most serious, diligent, and talented.Wen Ruoshan firmly believed that reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. When he was 16 years old, he went on business trips with his father and brother. He wrote down what he saw and learned. When he encountered any doubts, he would investigate them in detail and wrote a book "Longyu Mountain Records". It records the topography, local conditions, people and so on in southern Gansu.Wen's family was rich, so he printed and published books by himself, which were well received and earned him the title of "Tianshui Talent".Encouraged, he wrote a second book, but it was banned.
Wen Ruoshan was greatly hit and couldn't muster the energy to do business. With his family's financial resources, he had no interest in becoming a master in a sect. His father and brother were afraid that he would be lazy, so they built a private school for him to teach, and more than a year passed like this.There was still a glimmer of hope in Wen Ruo's rare book. He sent people to ask Kongtong many times but got no reply. Knowing that there was no hope, he had no choice but to see through it and burned all the books.
"You didn't leave any of them? There are always samples, right?" Xie Gubai asked.
"It's all burned. Why keep something that can't be seen by others?"
"This is strange." Xie Gubai said, ""Longyu Mountain Records" records the topography and humanities of southern Gansu with very detailed annotations. Mr. Xie is very talented and admires him very much. This book has been widely circulated in the northwest. How come the book can’t be read to others?”
"I wrote a few gossips in the book, but the second master thought it was nonsense, so he banned it."
"The second master is in Kunlun, have you also read this book?" Xie Gubai asked.
"It doesn't matter whether Second Master has seen it or not. If Kongtong is banned, Second Master has banned it. It doesn't matter which master's opinion he has, it's the same."
"What rumors did Mr. Wen write in the book?" Xie Gubai asked.
"When I arrived at the border, I saw the city wall winding around the mountain. It was undulating and very majestic. The iron sword and silver guards were closely monitoring it. I heard that there were barbarians trying to sneak into the border city more than [-] years ago. However, in recent years, there have been very few Sa tribe believers. However, Starting around this time, many innocent passers-by were killed around the border. They were said to be bandits, but the murderer could not be found. There were even corpses or their faces were beaten to pieces, their faces were blurred and unrecognizable, or they were burned into charred corpses. In short, these The cases ended up being unsolved.”
"I suspect that the barbarians may have secretly dug a tunnel to enter the pass from outside the pass, so they rarely violate the border. These corpses may be their work. He also wrote that the ten counties of Tangmen, Huashan, Qingcheng, Diancang, Hengshan, and Beggar Gang I am afraid that the chivalry certificates have been issued indiscriminately over the years with ulterior motives. If things continue like this, the world will be in chaos. I suggest that Kunlun jointly agree to let the nine major families take charge of the chivalry certificates, so as not to allow one party to become powerful, which will easily lead to chaos."
"Have all these books been taken back?" Xie Gubai asked.
"After the second master banned it, he took back [-]% of it, and there are still a few copies left."
Xie Gubai pondered for a long time and said, "Sir, you are insightful. These few words make sense."
"That makes sense?" Wen Ruoshan laughed loudly, "When I wrote "Longyu Mountain Records", I got the title of 'Tianshui Talented Man'. After I finished writing the second volume, I also got a new title, called 'Tianshui Madman'. You It makes sense, could it be to comfort me?"
"Sir, do you want to argue with yourself?" Xie Gubai asked, "It is normal for a man to have ambitions that are difficult to achieve, to be misunderstood by others, to have a lump in his chest, and to be depressed."
"I don't care about this." Wen Ruoshan said, "In the 90 years of peace after the Kunlun consensus, except for the Shaosong dispute and the Fenyang night attack, there were only some minor disputes that were insignificant. Of course no one believes me now. . I wrote this book not to be alarmist, but to worry about the world..." He frowned, "I know I am right, but no one believes it. The longer I accumulate, the more dangerous it becomes. If there is internal strife among the nine families, and the border is in emergency, To repeat the tragedy of barbarians entering the country and slaughtering the city with their cavalry a hundred years ago, life will be ruined again."
Xie Gubai said: "Sir, you care about the world, why don't you do something?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "What can I do? The books are banned, who in Kongtong will believe me?"
Xie Gubai said: "What result do you hope for, sir? To find this secret passage?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "This secret passage must be very secret. I don't know martial arts. I'm afraid I won't be able to report back if I find it. There are Iron Sword and Silver Guards in Kongtong. As long as you check carefully at the border or follow the clues to find the spies, you can always find them." I gained something, but... alas..." He sighed and remained silent.
Xie Gubai looked outside the wine shop and asked: "If we can find the spies, it means that the barbarians can cross the border, and the secret passage will be credible, right?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "The spies may have left Gansu long ago. How can we find him in such a big world?"
Xie Gubai said: "Kongtong guards the border. No matter how many spies come from the secret passage, some will always stay in Gansu."
Wen Ruoshan said: "Listen to what the young master said, do you have any ideas?"
"There is a way, but you have to take risks." Xie Gubai said, "If I can help you prove it, how about you copy the second volume of "Longyu Mountain Records" for me to read?"
Wen Ruoshan laughed and said: "What's so difficult about this! What are you going to do?"
"I said, you have to take risks." Xie Gubai said, "Also, you have to stop drinking. You really have become an alcoholic, and you have let down your talents."
This person actually seems to be really confident?Wen Ruoshan frowned.
※ ※ ※
After that day, Wen Ruoshan stopped drinking. He got up early every day and drove his carriage to Guangze Temple on the mountain outside the city to pay homage.It gets late in the north and it's the middle of winter, so you have to go out in the dark.Guangze Temple is halfway up the mountain. The carriage has to be parked at the bottom of the mountain and it takes half an hour to walk up the mountain. The trail is rugged and steep and difficult to walk. Therefore, there are very few pilgrims in Guangze Temple. Except for the two monks in the temple, there are few people.This was Xie Gubai's order, asking him to find a sparsely populated temple to visit every day, preferably on a mountain, so that he could be easily attacked.Xie Gubai only understood half of the story, so he hid a dagger in his snow boots in case of emergency.Although he is a scholar who does not know martial arts, he is very courageous and not afraid.
On the first day when he went up the mountain, as soon as he entered the temple, he saw Xie Gubai waiting for him.It turned out that Xie Gubai had gone up the mountain last night, and the fire had already been lit, waiting for his arrival.
He sat down in front of the fire.The snow had not receded in the past few days, and the trail was really difficult to walk. Even though it was the depth of winter, he was sweating all over. If he didn't warm himself by the fire, he would easily catch a cold.
"I've seen the terrain, and this place is fine. The mountain road is steep. If the assassin tries to assassinate you in the middle, he's afraid of being entangled by you and falling down the mountain. If you don't know martial arts, it will be easy to attack when you get to the flat part of the mountain. I'll push you down from the mountain. Death was an accident.”
"Are you sure someone wants to kill me? I just wrote a book." Wen Ruoshan said, "Ninety percent of the second volume has been taken back and destroyed. Not many people have read it."
"There may not be few people who have heard about it. Everyone in Tianshui City has heard about it, and the barbarian spies and others should also hear about it."
"Others?" Wen Ruoshan wondered, who else is there?
"Your book is very useful. It clearly records the topography of Longnan, and many merchants use it as a reference." Xie Gubai said.
Xie Gubai walked around Guangze Temple several times.The temple was built against the mountain and was built on a small platform in the middle of the mountain. The temple was not big, with only one main hall and one bedroom. The thatched cottage was built next to the cliff behind the temple.He called Wen Ruoshan, pointed to the hut and said, "It's right here, can you do it?"
Wen Ruoshan said: "If I am right, I can make Kongtong take precautions in advance." His eyes were shining, and he felt that he could no longer be a useless scholar.
Xie Gubai nodded and said, "I have taken care of the monks in the temple and asked them to live at the foot of the mountain temporarily. During this period, I will be here waiting for you."
Wen Ruoshan said happily: "It's time to work."
From then on, Wen Ruoshan came to Guangze Temple every day, chatted with Xie Gubai for half an hour, and then went down the mountain.Xie Gubai was extremely knowledgeable, as if he had traveled to nine major families, and he knew all the local customs and governance conditions. Wen Ruoshan admired him deeply. If Xie Gubai hadn't asked him to act according to his plan, he would have wanted to move to the mountains to live with him. .
In this way, he went up and down the mountain every day. About ten days later, a heavy snowstorm came in Gansu.When he got up, he heard the howling wind outside. Regardless of the dissuasion of his father, brother and sister-in-law, he insisted on going to Guangze Temple.The coachman did not dare to offend his brother, so he put on his cotton-padded jacket, gloves, raincoat and bamboo hat, and drove out on his own.
The wind and snow were getting heavier and heavier, making it difficult for the carriage to move in the snow. He could barely identify the road. When he got to the bottom of the mountain, he tied up the carriage, but it was already a long delay.He braved the wind and snow to go up the mountain. Along the way, he felt the wind blowing in his face, which stung his cheeks. The road was even slippery. If he was not careful, he would fall down the mountain and be shattered to pieces.He turned around and saw a figure in the snow, followed by a woodcutter holding an ax, who seemed to be going up the mountain to chop wood.In the past few days, he had been on guard when seeing passers-by. Today, it was snowing and windy, and he could not see clearly. He was even more nervous, fearing that the other party would suddenly attack and he would not be able to escape the poisonous hands.
He didn't know whether the man was really an ordinary woodcutter, or he was worried about the slippery snow road and never came close. Wen Ruoshan was worried and finally walked to Guangze Temple, only to see that the man ignored him and walked up the mountain.
He breathed a sigh of relief, shook off the snow flakes, and went into the temple to pay homage to the Buddha. When he saw Xie Gubai sitting by the window and peeping, he asked in a low voice: "Has the woodcutter gone far?"
Xie Gubai shook his head: "The snow is heavy and I can't see clearly."
Wen Ruoshan frowned: "What should we do?"
There was another gust of wind roaring outside the house, and the wind and snow seemed to be getting worse.
Xie Gubai whispered a few words, Wen Ruoshan nodded, and walked outside the temple. All he saw was a vast expanse of white, making it almost impossible to see.He walked around to the hut, opened the door, but did not go in. He closed the door again, hid in the back, and waited with bated breath.
After a while, a figure was vaguely seen in the wind and snow. It was the woodcutter holding an ax and approaching slowly step by step.Wen Ruoshan's heartbeat increased, and the hot breath he exhaled turned into white smoke, and he actually felt a little warm.When the woodcutter approached the hut, Wen Ruoshan rushed out without hesitation, stretched out his hands and pushed hard. The wind and snow obscured his eyes, and the woodcutter was caught off guard and fell down the cliff.
Wen Ruoshan was overjoyed: "It's done!" It was his first time to kill someone. Although he was trying to protect himself, he was still frightened, and the heat in his body instantly turned into bone-deep coldness.I saw Xie Gubai walking quickly, and he hurriedly shouted: "Slip carefully!" Then I heard a slight muffled sound coming from the wind and snow, but it came from the direction of the cliff. Didn't the woodcutter fall off the cliff? ?
Wen Ruoshan was shocked. Neither he nor Xie Gubai knew martial arts. If the man hadn't fallen down the mountain, he would have had no choice but to run for his life.But he didn't panic, he pulled out the dagger in his hand, and when no one came up, he stepped forward.
At this moment, Xie Gubai happened to arrive. The two of them cautiously came to the edge of the cliff and saw the woodcutter climbing up the cliff while holding on to the vines.Wen Ruoshan raised the dagger in his hand and shouted: "Don't move! If you dare to come up, I'll give you a knife!"
The wind was so loud that he was afraid that the other party could not hear clearly, so he shouted extra loudly.The woodcutter was frightened by him. He hung in the air and did not dare to climb again. He hurriedly said: "Good-hearted uncle, I am a woodcutter on the mountain. I accidentally slipped. Please save my life. Your kindness will be rewarded!"
Wen Ruoshan said: "You barbarian! Tell me quickly, where is your secret passage?"
The woodcutter was stunned and said: "I am not a barbarian, you misunderstood! I am not a barbarian, I am from Gansu, just an ordinary woodcutter!"
Wen Ruoshan shouted: "If you don't tell the truth, don't even think about coming up!"
The woodcutter hurriedly explained and begged, but Wen Ruoshan just didn't believe it. The woodcutter almost couldn't support it anymore, so he had to say: "To be honest, I am really not a barbarian, I am..."
The sound of the wind covered up some of the words, so that Wen Ruoshan thought for a moment that he had heard the other party's sect incorrectly.He was shocked and looked at Xie Gubai, who had no expression on his face and just nodded to him.
Wen Ruoshan knew that if the woodcutter was allowed to live, the two of him would never be opponents when he came up. Even if the other party was willing to let him go, if his revealed identity was true, the sect behind him would only send more powerful people. There is no escape either.
He picked up the ax left by the woodcutter and chopped down the vines hard.When the man saw him cutting down the vines, he was so frightened that he shouted "No!" as he climbed up the mountain.
Wen Ruoshan didn't know martial arts, and he wasn't someone who was used to doing rough work. The old tree vines were so strong that they would stop growing when he hit them with an axe.The ax got stuck in a tree vine and couldn't be pulled out for a while. The ground was slippery. He was worried that he might have used too much force. A fall would be a trivial matter, but falling off a cliff would be troublesome.
His hands were numb from the cold, and his heart couldn't help but tremble. He reluctantly pulled out the axe, and struck it down again.This ax did not strike at the same position. Seeing that the man was about to climb up, Wen Ruoshan became anxious and swung the ax repeatedly. In panic, several ax strikes were missed. The remaining strength was not enough, although the tree and vines had a few more vines. The gaps are still there.
I saw that the woodcutter had climbed to the edge of the cliff, holding one hand on the cliff, and was about to stick his head out.Wen Ruoshan closed his eyes, gripped the ax and struck it down with all his strength. He let out a scream, the ax was embedded in the woodcutter's forehead, and he fell off the cliff with the woodcutter.
Wen Ruoshan's hands kept shaking and he knelt on the ground, panicked. Not only was it his first time to kill someone, but he was also shocked to hear the shocking secret.
He turned back to look at Xie Gubai, who frowned and looked deeply.
"Let's go to the temple first to take shelter from the wind and snow."
Xie Gubai made a pot of tea, and the two of them sat in front of the stove.Wen Ruoshan's teeth were chattering, and he could not help but tremble while holding the tea cup in his hands.After he drank the tea, a warmth surged up and slowly flowed to his limbs. He breathed a sigh of relief and waited until his fingers became softer before he spoke.
"You...had known this?"
"The Record of Longyu Mountain has detailed records and can be used not only for commercial purposes, but also for military use." Xie Gubai said, "The second volume records the terrain of Longbei. Someone must be interested. As soon as I find this book, I will know your prophecy. "
Wen Ruoshan remained silent. His foresight could sometimes lead to fatal disasters, but at the same time he was also excited. After all, he was not talking nonsense, but had an insight.Just seeing that the world is about to be in chaos and all life is in ruins, why don't people worry?Although he was worried, there was also a hint of joy hidden in his worries. Zhu Hongman’s dragon-slaying skills were not lost in the end!
He felt ashamed of his slight joy.He was silent for a long time, until he calmed down and sorted out his thoughts, he spoke again.
"Did you also foretell the chaos in the world?" Wen Ruoshan bowed his hands and bowed to the ground. "Sir, do you have a good way to save the world? Wen Ruoshan is willing to follow you and do the work of dogs and horses."
"No." Xie Gubai replied calmly, and Wen Ruoshan couldn't help but be surprised.
"No one can control the world. We are all just chess pieces among all living beings. Each chess piece affects other chess pieces, affects each other, and is intertwined with each other. The most inconspicuous person may change the general trend of the world."
Wen Ruoshan understood this truth. Just like today, the assassin just said something insignificant to him to save his life, but it might change the direction of the world.No one knows how much impact this incident will have on the future, and this person is just an assassin...
"You can't grasp the trend of the world's chess game even if you look at the overall situation, and fighting and fighting may be in vain." Xie Gubai looked at the tea cup in his hand. At this moment, his eyes were no longer half-closed. They were a pair of wise and profound eyes, as if There are many calculations going on all the time.
"What are you going to do, sir?" Wen Ruoshan asked.He knew that Xie Gubai had a heart, maybe he had different thoughts from his, but Xie Gubai would not turn a blind eye to the world.
"Chaos cannot be stopped. The more resistance there is, the more chaos will become. Instead of suppressing it, it is better to start with the chaos and then cure it." Xie Gubai said, "Within five years, the world will be in chaos, and within seven years, the world will be peaceful."
"Two years to pacify the world? Sir, your tone is really crazy." Wen Ruoshan said.
"In this game of chess in the world, no matter how you plan, you can't predict the outcome of the next moment." Xie Gubai said lightly, "Just do your best and obey the destiny. As you said, if the barbarians invade during the civil strife of the nine families, you can I foresee that there will be flames of war everywhere and corpses strewn across the fields.”
Wen Ruoshan was silent. He always claimed to be talented, but he was far inferior to the man in front of him.Xie Gubai is a person who can overlook the overall situation. He is not only a chess piece in the world's chess game, he is also qualified to be a chess player.
Something in his heart was touched and he couldn't control it.
The violent snowstorm rattled the windows, and the wind came in through the cracks in the windows, blowing out the candlesticks in front of the Buddha, and steaming steam came out of the teapot on the stove.
Water, boiling.
※ ※ ※
When the snow receded, they went around to the bottom of the mountain and found the body.The ax fell to the side and appeared to have come loose when it hit the ground.
Xie Gubai asked: "Are you afraid?"
Wen Ruoshan shook his head and said: "I'm more afraid of living, but now that I'm dead, there's nothing to be afraid of."
"It's good that you have courage." Xie Gubai walked forward with a smile and squatted down.
"I heard that followers of the Sacred Cult will tattoo the Sacred Cult's Eye of Fire mark on their left shoulders. Can you see if they have it?" Wen Ruoshan said.
Xie Gubai opened the corpse's clothes and saw a flame mark.The flame was like an angled cross. There was an eye in the middle of the cross, and the pupil was also surrounded by flames.
Eyes of fire in the flames are really the mark of the Sacred Cult. Then he just announced his family status...
"Do you believe it?" Xie Gubai asked.Wen Ruoshan shook his head.How stupid must a disciple of the Sacred Sect have to be to bear a mark on his body after going through all kinds of secret passages to lurk in the nine great families?
"He is not a member of the Sacred religion, and the secret path cannot prove it." Wen Ruoshan laughed at himself, "I am still a lunatic in Tianshui."
"He is, he better be, and must be." Xie Gubai said, "I'm ready."
Wen Ruoshan said in surprise: "What are you preparing for?"
Xie Gubai led Wen Ruoshan up the stairs from Guangze Temple. He pushed aside a patch of grass and saw a small cave with candlelight inside.Wen Ruoshan entered the cave and saw all kinds of strange magical tools inside. There was also a statue of a god with four arms and four legs. His upper body was naked and his hair was blazing. There was only one eye on his face. It was very strange to see the flames coming out.
He has never seen these things, but he has heard about them. They are all items belonging to the Sacred Cult. They are forbidden items. Just possessing them is a death penalty, and it is impossible for anyone to make them.This can only be obtained from outside the customs. The problem is that since the Kunlun consensus, those who leave the customs are not allowed to enter the customs, and no one can come back from outside the customs, including the dead ones sent by Kongtong...
"Where did you get these things?" Wen Ruoshan looked at Xie Gubai in surprise, with a bit of doubt in his expression.
※ ※ ※
A disciple of the Sacred Cult died in Kongtong. He had the mark of the Sacred Cult on his body and the sacrificial objects of the Sacred Cult. There is no doubt that he must be a member of the barbarian tribe.How can the barbarians come to Tianshui, which is thousands of miles away from the border, and no one notices them?Either he spread his wings and flew over the border town, or he took a secret path.
There is ironclad evidence for the secret passage mentioned by the talented man in Tianshui. The whole Kongtong was looking for this secret passage, but for a while they found nothing.
Wen Ruoshan met Du Meng on the way to see Xie Gubai. Du Meng lowered his head and pretended not to see her, and left quickly.Wen Ruoshan was secretly amused, but also thought that he was a rough man after all, so why bother with him?
"Thank you, I can finally hold my head up in front of my father and brother." Wen Ruoshan said, "It's just that such deception makes me a little uneasy."
"A gentleman is disrespectful. When I saw you that day, you were teaching students. Do you know if there is any other explanation for this sentence?" Xie Gubai said.
"Oh? Please ask the teacher for advice." Wen Ruoshan bowed and asked with a smile.
"Metaphysically, it is called Tao, and metaphysically, it is called weapon. A gentleman is not a tool, and does not stick to forms or rules. He should choose the means according to the purpose. As long as the purpose is good and the result is good, it doesn't matter if the process is different. "
Wen Ruoshan thought for a while and said, "I have never heard of this statement, but it makes sense."
"Where is the manuscript you promised me?" Xie Gubai said with an indifferent smile, "I only helped because of the book."
"Are you leaving? How many more days will you stay in Tianshui?"
"No." Xie Gubai shook his head, "I don't have a specific place to go. I want to travel around the Nine Families to examine the customs and customs."
"You have great ambitions. Even if the water comes from heaven, it won't keep you." Wen Ruoshan asked, "When are you going to leave?"
"Tomorrow." Xie Gubai asked, "Is it too late?"
"It's definitely in time." Wen Ruoshan said with a smile.
※ ※ ※
The next day, Wen Ruoshan brought his luggage to see Xie Gubai.
"The second volume of "Longyu Mountain Chronicles" is in my mind, and the copy is here." He pointed to his head, "Taking me with you is like taking the book with you."
"This is different from the agreement." Xie Gubai shook his head.
"I heard a big secret. If it is true, the other party will send people to kill me soon. If I am at home, my father and brother will be implicated."
"They thought they got away with it and the assassin was killed as a barbarian from the Sacred Cult."
"But Wen Ruoshan is not dead yet, they are still coming to kill me, and you need a companion." Wen Ruoshan said, "There are two people to take care of us, and there is a carriage." He waved, and a carriage drove over, and the driver got out He got off the horse and handed him the whip.
"I can afford a carriage." Xie Gubai said, "It's just convenient for one person to ride a horse."
"It's more convenient for two people to take turns driving." Wen Ruoshan said, ignoring Xie Gubai, piled the luggage on the carriage, and turned around and said, "Although I am not as good as you, I am still a smart person, and smart people are always lonely. I have been waiting for many years in Tianshui to meet a smart person like you. With me by your side, you will not be lonely."
Xie Gubai did not refuse again, and the two of them got into the carriage, with Wen Ruoshan driving first.
"By the way, where did those Sacred things come from?"
"Brought in from outside the customs." Xie Gubai said lightly, as if it was a very simple matter. After speaking, he asked again, "You can't use your real name anymore. What name do you want to change?"
"I am 27 this year, let's call me Xiaoqi."
"What about next year, called Xiaoba?" Xie Gubai asked, he was a person who rarely asked questions.
"That's next year."
Xiao Qi waved his riding whip, and the carriage sped up. The deep ruts in the snow gradually moved away from Tianshui.
(End of this chapter)
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