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On weekdays, except for the couple of the head of the family and their children going in and out of school, and the necessary servants to buy household goods, the Liu family's old house rarely opened the door at other times. Today, not only did the courtyard door open rarely, but it was also opened in the middle. Compared with the previous door that only opened at the corner, the size of the door at this location is actually unprecedented for the Liu family, a wealthy businessman with a surname who has always been low-key.

Not only that, the head of the Liu family, Liu Yuanxiang, who had been running his own business in Liangzhou County all year round, had quietly returned to the town at some point. After assigning his servants to open the main gate, he personally led a large group of people. The leading figures of the direct or collateral clan stood on the steps outside the mansion together, looking at the corner of the street, eagerly awaiting the distinguished guests.

It's just that for such a big battle, all the members of the Liu clan who have some standing have arrived, but the only one missing is the pair of direct children of the family leader. The one who is less than fifteen years old, but the reputation of a beauty has spread throughout Liangzhou County. Liu Qingqiu, the eldest daughter of the family head, is still in the thatched cottage of the village school, holding a book of sages and reading quietly. Liu Qinghui, the legitimate son of the family head who is two years younger, is obviously not a book-lover. Lying in the last row of the thatched cottage, bored, together with the little fat Zhu Zhen, the two of them chatted with each other. The voice of their words was not too loud, and it was not so obvious when mixed with the sound of books.

As one of the town's guardian saints, the master of the rural private school was also sitting in the thatched cottage. Naturally, he knew very well what happened under his nose. However, this Confucian scholar in green shirt, who was always gentle and calm, and had excellent Qi-nurturing skills, did not There was no too special reaction, as if he didn't know.

Before coming to the small town, this Confucian saint had a very famous name. Together with three others, he was known as the "Four Lives of the Confucian Sect". He held a top position in the Patriarch Hall of the Confucian Temple, the largest in the world. It is considered high, but definitely not low. He is one of the candidates for the next leader of culture and religion. Teaching is very easy for him, but he is familiar with it. Moreover, he has taken over the guarding position of the Confucian lineage in the small town. For more than ten years, I have been sitting in a rural school, watching and asking questions as young people come in to study. There are no more than 200 small town boys and girls going out after they are old enough, so this person knows how to educate people. On the one hand, the middle-aged Confucian scholars are rigorous in their studies, but at the same time, they are no longer as they were when they were young. They only believe that all students sitting in the study hall should study hard and learn to death. "Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude" is the consistent opinion of the oldest scholar among the dozens of statues enshrined in the Tianwen Temple. It is also based on this that Confucianism has achieved the foundation of Confucianism, which is one of the only three grades of Confucianism today. It cannot be said that it is unreasonable.

But in the morning, the head of the Liu family, Liu Yuanxiang, who rarely came back, tried to give his son and daughter a leave of absence from Mr. Cui, a rural school. However, before the servant could make the trip, he was stopped by the old lady Liu. When he stepped out of the door, the head of the Liu family probably thought that there was a distinguished guest coming to the door. This move seemed inappropriate, but Old Master Liu only said one more sentence, "Longquan Sword Sect is not Shuixiu Lake, and I, too, am the Liu family." Not that Zhu, and you, Liu Yuanxiang, should not be Zhu Jiantang who only knows some petty thoughts, but actually lives longer and goes back further."

The Longquan Sword Sect, the head of the four major sword sects, has its gate opened in Shijizhou, due east of the Nine Continents in the world. It is the land of wealth and wealth that ranks first among the nine continents in the world. It is the leader among the Xianjia sects. At the same time, It is also the only one among the four major sword sects that can not only practice swordsmanship, but also produce famous swords. It is an authentic kendo sect with fellow practitioners of swordsmanship, sword intention, and sword heart. It has a profound foundation and outstanding skills.

This time, there are four sword cultivators sent by Longquan Sword Sect to Yanguan Town, Liguanzhou, northwest China. They are headed by a young man under 14 years old. This person’s surname is Ou, and his last name is Yang. There are three people following him. , one young and two old, both are sword cultivators.

What’s extremely interesting is that I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or a common consensus in the world. All sects of all sizes in the world, as long as they pay a deposit of [-]% of the sect’s luck and come here to discuss business and accept disciples, no matter who they choose, Regardless of whether it is business negotiations, young people are in charge without exception, such as Ke Yuzhi of Shuixiu Lake, Zhang Jinhuai of Yunlin Sect, and even Li Yuyao of Xihe Sword Sect and Ouyang of Longquan Sword Sect.

What's even more interesting is that the three sects and their families have established a rule long ago. All foreign immortals who come to discuss business will have a deposit of [-]% of the sect's energy as a stepping stone, plus an additional [-]% to take the person away. They don't care about the size of the other party's gate. , level, but in fact the level of the Xianjia sects within Jiuzhou is closely related to the amount of luck. Although there are occasional exceptions, it is not necessarily a positive and inevitable link, but the vast majority of them will be higher in level. , the richer the luck. The so-called [-]% luck is very different in the eyes of these immortals who are divided into three, six or nine levels.

If we take the foreign immortal sects who came to Yanguan Town this time as an example, the fifth-grade Shuixiu Lake is not as good as the fourth-grade Yunlin Sect, and the fourth-grade Yunlin Sect is naturally not as good as the third-grade Yunlin Sect. , the four major sword sects who are one step away from entering the second level, there is a rule in the world of practice that has evolved over thousands of years, which is directly related to this matter, that is, the rank of the immortal sect starts from the first level, and goes down to the ninth level. , every third grade is a big step, and they are very different from each other. There is a saying in the world that is rough and unreasonable. The fourth grade sect with the highest third grade is not worthy of giving shoes to the third grade sect with the lowest grade. Qi There is a huge difference in luck, and the huge gap can be seen.

But the people who made the trading rules at the time turned a blind eye to the difference and drew a line at [-]% luck, so that it would not really break your muscles and bones to the point where you couldn't live anymore, but it would also make you grit your teeth. , it's painful to the skin, and the higher the level of the sect, the more painful it will be after cutting off [-]% of the luck.

When it was almost noon, a group of four people headed by Ouyang appeared low-key at the corner of Qingshui Street in the small town. As soon as this son of a well-known wealthy family appeared, it could be seen that he was not the same as Ke Yuzhi. The people were not only plainly dressed and had a peaceful attitude, they didn’t even enter the town from the east entrance of the town in a big way. Instead, they deliberately took a detour and silently entered Yanguan Town from the north entrance of the town without disturbing anyone. , so that few townspeople saw them.

When Liu Yuanxiang, who had been waiting for a long time with a large group of Liu clan members, saw the visitor, he hurriedly walked down the steps, took a few steps forward to greet him, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "This distinguished guest is coming to the door, and I am sorry for not being able to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me, all the Immortals."

Ouyang, the leader of the young men opposite, also had a gentle smile on his face, clasped his fists in return, and said apologetically: "Master Liu, you're too polite. I'm sorry to have you all wait here for so long. It's really rude of me. Please forgive me for my apology." "

From the moment the two parties met, the atmosphere was very harmonious. After some warm greetings, the host and guest were very relaxed. They entered the house hand in hand and soon arrived at the main hall of the Liu family's old house.

The old man of the Liu family, who was already seventy years old, did not go to the door of the house to greet him with the Liu family members. He just sat in the main hall and waited for people to come.

A group of people outside the mansion passed through the gate, walked around the screen wall in front of the door and entered the front yard. They could see the previous head of the Liu family sitting on the head seat in the main hall. He was a man with white beard and hair. He is an old man, but he is a strong and energetic man.

Ouyang led three of his fellow disciples and entered the main hall, accompanied by Liu Yuanxiang. The young man from the Xian family first clasped his fists and respectfully saluted the old man, "Junior Longquan Sword Sect Ouyang, together with three of his fellow disciples, has met Senior Liu."

Old Mrs. Liu nodded and did not stand up. He looked around at the group of four people, old and young, stretched out his hands to support him, and laughed heartily: "I am no more than a piece of rotten wood in the countryside. Facing all the experts from the Immortal Family, Yu Lilai should have said I have gone out to greet you from afar, but my legs and feet are inconvenient at this age, so I have to bother you all to come and greet me first, which is a sin."

It can be seen that Ouyang didn't mind this at all. After listening to what the old man said, he lowered his figure and said with a smile: "Don't worry, old man. My father has specifically told me before coming here that I must bow to the old man properly." Say hello, and you want me to say hello to you on his behalf! My father and you are close friends, how can this junior dare to be so presumptuous?"

Old Mrs. Liu was startled when he heard this. After taking a serious look at the young man, he said uncertainly: "So, your daughter is Ou Heming?"

Ouyang smiled and nodded, affirming: "Exactly."

Mr. Liu took a closer look at the young man who was standing respectfully and lying down. He shook his head and said with a sigh: "Sure enough, the cultivation of the Immortal family is different from ordinary people like us. When your father came here to discuss business 60 years ago, We were still close friends of the same age, but I never thought that after a few years, I would be old and your father would still be in his prime. It’s different, it’s different.”

As the old man spoke, he seemed to be caught up in some very distant memories. His eyes were cloudy and misty. Those standing in the hall, including the head of the Liu family and the four guests from the Longquan Sword Sect, were all waiting quietly, and no one spoke. No matter the interruption, there is no sign of impatience.

It took a while for Mr. Liu to suddenly come back to his senses. He looked at the four foreign visitors in the hall. They all looked gentle and calm, without any trace of annoyance. He couldn't help but feel a little relieved. But at the same time, he looked at the door of the main hall. It seemed that With those cloudy eyes, he could see across the streets and alleys and see Zhu's tall gate tower and archway on Yuzhi Street in the south of the town, and then he sighed with regret.

It is a pity that his old friend surnamed Zhu, who has been buried for many years, worked hard and planned for most of his life when he was alive. He worked hard and made careful arrangements, but in the end he still could not let the people behind him escape their fate. I couldn't escape the prophecy made by the old Taoist priest at Beiling Temple in Wuming Lane in the south of the town.

"The carved railings and jade bricks should still be there, but the red face has changed."

-

It was getting late, after dinner.

As soon as Xu o'clock passed, Hou Junchen, a slovenly man in charge of the town's watch, went out with his belongings that earned him money for food. He walked through the streets and alleys, walking slowly, tapping his clapper again and again, and mumbling something in a long voice.

"It's dry, be careful with candles."

……

The poor young man Chu Yuanxiao, as usual, sent away the old bachelor who was on duty after dinner, and sat alone under the old locust tree at the entrance of the town. After a while, he watched the wheel in the sky pass the fifteenth day, and then gradually began to change from perfect to half. The bright moon.

Before leaving, Hou Junchen had specifically warned him not to stay outside too long, to go home as soon as possible, and to lock the doors and windows. Not everyone would be like the noble man in red who used the name Red Lotus to offer wine, and came to kill people. , stopped halfway.

The young man who cherished his life always listened to advice, so he just sat under the tree for a moment, then stood up and patted the dirt on his buttocks, preparing to go home and lock the door to sleep. careless.

It's a pity that the saying "There is no way to bring luck or misfortune, only people bring it to themselves" seems to be inappropriate when it comes to him. Ever since the day when the red lotus offering wine from Fengxue Tower jumped on the wall of his house on a rainy night, His troubles have never stopped, and today it seems that another thing has happened.

Before the young man could enter the courtyard and lock the door, he heard a soft smile and a very enthusiastic call coming from the west side of the long street. Shopkeeper Liu from Hanji Restaurant in the center of the town was walking away, leading a dark man from her family who was known for being simple and honest. The man was also holding a small, boxy box in his hand and walked quickly. Come this way.

The young man was hesitant. On the one hand, he knew that it was not appropriate for him to meet outsiders. On the other hand, he knew clearly that these two neighbors, who had not even spoken to each other in the past, must have come with some purpose. This means that when something goes wrong, there must be a monster!But he is still in a dilemma. If he faces a stranger, he can enter and close the door without hesitation, without giving the other person a chance to say a word. But when facing his neighbors in a small town, he can sometimes feel embarrassed. .

In the past few years, because of the rumors circulating in that small town, everyone thought that dogs were not loved by this young man, so he lived a cautious and stumbling life, so he took human relationships more seriously than others, because every drop of water was kind to him. More importantly than others, after Lao Liangtou passed away on the tattered bamboo chair in the hut, the nearby villagers who helped him carry and bury the old man were the dark-skinned man who came specifically to help, and the town When the master mason delivered the stone monument, more than half of the tributes placed in front of the erected monument came from the Hanji Food Shop in the center of the town. The honest dark man and the smiling master mason Same, no money was collected.

Chu Yuanxiao looked back at the thatched hut across the street. After hesitating for a while, he finally chose not to lift his feet. He stood there waiting for the warm-hearted middle-aged woman and the slightly silent dark man couple. After arriving, they were let into the courtyard.

Welcome to the door today, benevolence and righteousness are exhausted, no matter what, it is considered a debt.

Han Kui, a simple man of few words, has been silent since he walked in. He occasionally raised his head to glance at the lonely boy and then lowered his head again, looking sideways at the various shabby furnishings in the dilapidated courtyard outside the house, his eyes There is some subtle intimacy hidden in it.

In fact, many years ago, the Han family was not much different from the courtyard in front of them. Later, it was not until he married a wife that things began to change. Even now, with the new look, the Han family can finally be like those wealthy families. She also has some aura of wealth, which is of course a good thing. He also feels that the good things about his wife that are widely circulated in the small town are correct. However, this dark man who always talks little sometimes feels a little nostalgic. I miss the surprise when I unexpectedly took out an egg from the chicken coop behind the house when I didn't have enough to eat, and I miss waiting in the fields every day, hoping for rain, and then waiting for the rain to fall on the few acres of thin fields at home. Go up, you will know how happy you will be when you can have a good harvest this year.

This honest and honest man has never read a book since he was a child. I don’t know what he felt back then. I should use a word called "hope" to describe his feelings. He just occasionally feels a little regretful. Now his family is far richer than before, and there is no need to No matter how he worries about how to fill his stomach, his son can still afford to study at a school that pays hundreds of dollars every year. It is better for him to have books to read and understand, but he is rarely as good as he used to be as a father. Likewise, being able to be happy for a long time just by holding a simple pastry... Is it possible that once this person has money, there are fewer things that make him happy?
Liu Yuqing is worthy of being a good hand in opening business, welcoming people, and has been dealing with people for more than ten years. A day ago, she thought you were a broomstick who can kill people, but now when you are standing in front of her, And you can't see the prejudice she has against you at all. She talks and does things, talks and laughs, and is very warm.

Shopkeeper Liu of Hanji Restaurant, who has always been known in the small town for being very calculating, has been able to change the Han family in just over ten years. He has pulled out his legs from the so-called mud-legged ranks, and naturally talks and works Her buying and selling skills are far superior to those of her peers. She is very confident in this aspect. As the saying goes, one has to specialize in a skill. When it comes to bargaining, her skills are much more sophisticated than some of the so-called descendants of the Immortal Family who are from a well-known family.

Ever since they met, Shopkeeper Liu had been building relationships with the poor young man. He was talking about how he and his shop had done business as diners when the old drunkard was still alive, and how he was doing business with the old watchman. They had such a harmonious relationship that they could chat with each other whenever they met on the road. They also mentioned how it was a pity when the old watchman passed away, so they took the initiative to help see him off. They sent so many tributes in the first place because they felt that they were fellow villagers. Even if you don't look up and you don't look up, it doesn't matter if a good person doesn't live long. In short, he has a close and long-standing friendship. It seems that his Han family and this poor young boy Chu Yuanxiao's ancestor are rare family friends, and they can't be closer to each other.

Chu Yuanxiao introduced the two people into the house and sat down. In fact, it was easy to guess their purpose of coming. It was just for the dizzying charm that Hou Junchen said in his mouth. He wanted to come to the couple opposite who were the elders according to their seniority. , I also knew in my heart that I knew it, but seeing the other party talking about him, Chu Yuanxiao, who was unwilling to mention it more, naturally would not mention it first.

The young man rarely had the opportunity to interact with other people. Ever since the two old men passed away and there were rumors in the town, the only person he could talk to the most was the sloppy watchman opposite who seemed to have no inhibitions. After that, he had to wait in line The old shopkeeper with a round face and a handsome face in the sea of ​​clouds in the west of Zhenxi is obviously not the same person as the businessman in front of him, so at this moment, the young man really can't get a word in and doesn't know what to say. He could only cope with it with a smile. Occasionally, when he turned his eyes and bumped into the dark man, both parties would feel a little embarrassed. They would look away in unison, feeling restless. The atmosphere between the three of them also seemed a little unnatural.

Liu Yuqing thought to herself that the atmosphere of the occasion was almost tense. She reached out and patted the man beside her, indicating that he would put the small box in his hand on the table. Then he introduced with a smile: "Before coming, I also I was discussing with you, Uncle Han, and said that I haven’t visited my house for a long time. Today I came here so rashly as a guest. I didn’t know what to bring. I walked around the house and didn’t see anything good. So, I can only bring a few pieces of harvest cake from the shop for you to try, it’s not a good thing, Xiao Chu, don’t dislike it!”

When Chu Yuanxiao saw this, he had nothing else to say, so he could only be polite and responded with a smile: "Uncle Han and Aunt Han are elders. It is already my blessing to be my elders to be able to come and visit. What else do I need?" It’s very kind of you to bring me something.”

Liu Yuqing was naturally satisfied when she saw the polite tone of the young man in front of her, and said with a smile: "Hey, how can I not bring some gifts when I visit as a guest? It's more or less my intention!" As she said that, she turned to look at the man next to her. Seeing that he had a dull look on his face, not looking at her and unable to receive the signal from his eyes, she could only think about her words in embarrassment while continuing, "Actually, Uncle Han and I came here today because there were some other things. I need to ask Xiao Chu for a favor, but I don’t know if it’s convenient for you here?”

The poor young man was slightly startled when he heard this. Although his mind was as clear as a mirror, he still had a puzzled expression on his face. He then pretended to be puzzled and said: "Ah, the two elders want my help with something? Of course, if you can help, you should try your best. I’m just helping a bunch of people, and considering the friendship between fellow villagers, I can’t say it’s inconvenient for those above, it’s just…”

As the young man spoke, his face seemed a little embarrassed, and Qiqi Ai Ai said: "It's just that the two elders also know that my family has been poor since I was a child. In addition, the two elders in the family passed away early and didn't leave anything valuable. Object, so I’m afraid I may not be able to help you two.”

Hearing the young man say "the love between fellow villagers", the middle-aged woman sitting opposite her face seemed unnatural for a moment, but it only passed by for a moment, and finally she gritted her teeth. , looked at the young man and said sincerely: "It shouldn't be a big deal, aunt just said it! I think you should also know that recently there have been many foreign immortals in our town who want to accept disciples, and it happens that two more immortals are here. He came to our family and took a fancy to your brother Yuan Fu. He said he wanted to accept him as his disciple, but he put forward some conditions. We heard that there are some things here that may have something to do with you, Xiao Chu, so your uncle and I discussed it. I came here to see if I could ask you a favor?"

After hearing Liu Yuqing's words, Chu Yuanxiao looked a little surprised, as if he could feel the joy in the hearts of the couple opposite him. He raised his hands and made fists together to congratulate, and at the same time smiled and said: "Brother Han has been favored by the Xian family. ? That is indeed a good thing! I would like to congratulate Uncle Han and Aunt Han first!"

Liu Yuqing smiled, but saw that the other party seemed to have forgotten the content of the second half of what she said, so she frowned without a trace, thought for a moment, looked around, then stood up and took it from the cabinet at the root of the wall. Two porcelain bowls came over, and he picked up the kettle on the table and poured water into the bowls. He placed one bowl in front of the young man, held the other bowl in his hand, and apologized to the young man: "Xiao Chu, this is an unkind act. Please, those two immortals said that the condition for accepting my Yuan Fu into the immortal sect is that you give up all your charm to Yuan Fu. You also know that we parents all hope that our children will succeed. Yes, it just means that I hope that my son will become a talented person. Today your Uncle Han and your aunt are here to beg you. I hope you can do it, Xiao Chu!"

When Chu Yuanxiao heard this, he finally sighed with some regret. He had already politely refused the shopkeeper Liu once before he asked for anything, and then deliberately refused to answer again. However, the other party was obviously a human being. Fine, but seemed to fully understand what he meant.

The helpless poor young man glanced at the bowl of water in front of him, hesitated for a moment and did not pick it up. He just looked at the middle-aged woman opposite who was holding the water bowl and had an eager look on his face, hesitantly thinking about how to reply. To be honest, the other party's request was based on the matter of old Liangtou's burial. If the other party's request was not too excessive, he would try his best to agree to the other party's request, but the matter at hand could not be included in it.

Just when Chu Yuanxiao was hesitating, a voice suddenly came from the direction of the courtyard door. It was careless, but as sweet as a silver bell, "You are so stingy even when you come to visit and give gifts, but you threaten others with your words." You have to sacrifice most of your life for your own future, just so that your precious son can embark on the road of spiritual practice smoothly. I have seen many people come to ask for help, but I have never seen you come to kill people like this. .”

The sound was so sudden that the three people in the room were startled at the same time. They all turned their heads and looked through the open door to the courtyard door. They saw a man dressed in red, with a long sword on his back, and a long scarlet sword tassel hanging on his back. The handsome girl on the head of the sword is sitting on the wall at the entrance of the courtyard, with one hand on the wall, her straight and slender legs covered under the skirt of her gown, folded together and hanging down from the wall, casually The ground swayed.

Chu Yuanxiao naturally remembered this girl. When they entered the town, the old man who was traveling with her had spoken to him. However, the couple sitting opposite him had different expressions at this time, but they were both not very good-looking. .

With Liu Yuqing's shrewdness and sophistication, she could naturally tell that this cute-looking little girl was not from the local area, but when she saw that she might be able to succeed, she was rudely interrupted and her mood was not much better. Go, so he looked at the girl in red with disapproval and said, "Is this girl speaking a little harshly? The two immortals who negotiated the business with my son said that as long as Xiao Chu can voluntarily give away the Fen Shuiyun, they will definitely give a fair price accordingly, and Xiao Chu himself will not suffer much loss, how can it be said that we are here to kill?"

The girl in red looked at the middle-aged woman who was talking about a couple, raised her eyebrows and said meaningfully: "Oh, really? That's what Zhang Jinhuai of Yunlin Sect told you? That he Chu Yuanxiao was deprived After removing Shui Yun, there will be no loss?"

Liu Yuqing was stunned by this question. She looked a little embarrassed and her eyes were wandering. But when she turned her head to look at the young man opposite, she found that he was just looking at everything in front of him with a calm face. There was no accident, let alone I'm surprised, it turns out he knows everything!

The last moment this thought flashed through her mind, the female shopkeeper, who was always polite and courteous, felt deeply that the two of her were being played. When this thought came to her mind, she could no longer get rid of it and filled her heart directly. There was no room for any other thoughts in her mind, so her expression changed, and when she spoke the next words, her voice began to become shrill and sharp, "Yes! The two immortals told us that Chu Yuanxiao was deprived of his After Shuiyun, I can no longer enter the spiritual path, but so what?"

In fact, after the girl in red asked that question, no one else spoke except Shopkeeper Liu. However, the vaguely beautiful restaurant proprietress seemed to feel the constant questioning from others. His emotions became more and more excited when he spoke, and his voice became more and more hysterical, "Besides, there are so many immortals from other places, but except for Shuixiu Lake, no one else has been close to this courtyard. That Shuixiu Lake Even if Xiuhu came, he didn't come to accept him as his disciple, so no one discussed business with Chu Yuanxiao at all. What's the problem if the road is cut off? He had no chance to step into the immortal gate in the first place! What's more, we Han My family is kind to Chu Yuanxiao, so what's wrong with me asking him to give this opportunity to my son?"

The girl in red sitting on the wall had her leisure time looking at the middle-aged woman who suddenly started to become a little crazy. After listening to her words, she just curled her lips slightly but said nothing.

But Chu Yuanxiao, who was sitting opposite the woman, finally had some changes in his eyes because of Shopkeeper Liu's last words. He just hesitated for a moment but still didn't speak.

Only the swarthy man who had been sitting silently beside Liu Yuqing finally sighed after hearing this. He slowly raised his hand and put it on his wife's shoulder. Seeing her turn her head, he shook his head gently.

Liu Yuqing originally wanted to open her mouth to speak, but after seeing her man's condensed eyes, she opened her mouth and finally became quiet.

Seeing that his wife had become silent, the swarthy man turned his head and looked at the girl sitting on the wall at the entrance of the courtyard. Finally, he looked at the young man sitting opposite and said with some regret: "Xiao Chu, Uncle Han probably understood. , maybe there are some differences in our understanding of some things, so Uncle Han has to say sorry to you. In fact, before we came here, we didn’t know that your longevity would be affected after your water charm was stripped away. I just thought that you might not be able to practice in the future... Of course, at this point, we do have selfish motives and are not forthcoming or honest enough. There is nothing wrong with admitting this, but now it seems that this transaction is indeed unacceptable. It’s done, and Uncle Han will also say sorry to you again, and I hope you won’t bear any grudge against us.”

After saying these words, Han Kui stood up slowly, took his wife's hand and prepared to go out. However, the couple suddenly stopped when they were about to go out. Han Kui was silent for a moment and did not look back, but there was a dull moment. The voice came over: "Xiao Chu, Uncle Han didn't have the face to say this at first, but after thinking about it, he still had to explain that your aunt is not a bad person herself, but she is a high-spirited person, and she will be like this in her life. I worry about two things, one is how to feed and clothe our unlucky father and son, and the other is how to make my son have a future, preferably a master... When you have children in the future, you should be able to understand, People often say that they hope their children will become successful, which is a natural feeling for individuals."

Having said this, the swarthy man lowered his head and stretched out his hand to gently wipe the corners of his wife's eyes, then looked at her slightly red eyes with distress, sighed, raised his head and looked at the door of the hospital, and said apologetically The second half of the sentence came out, "This person, if he raises his head and looks too high, his neck will become stiff easily. Once his neck is stiff, it will be difficult to lower his head. She just said something unpleasant. Please take a look at my uncle. To save her face, don’t argue with her, okay?”

The words came out in a calm tone without too many ups and downs.

The poor young man who was still sitting at the table and looking at the backs of the two men lowered his head slightly and was silent for a moment. Then he stood up from the table, looked at the back of the simple man and nodded. Before he could speak, he saw that the man had his back turned to The house raised his arms and waved his hands, "That's it, let's go now. From now on, we will still be fellow villagers. If you are free and willing, you can come to the shop often."

The scene was silent. The young man standing in the house and the girl sitting on the wall of the courtyard gate were both silent, watching the couple walk out of the courtyard gate and slowly walked towards the west side of the town.

All good and evil in the world have their reasons. At this moment in the small town, the gentle breeze is blowing, as if someone is sending someone off from generation to generation.

……

After watching the Han couple leave, Chu Yuanxiao turned to look at the girl in red sitting on the wall, and happened to catch the girl's gaze looking over.

"Thank you." The poor boy didn't know what else to say, so he could only say thank you in the end.

The girl in red smiled, and with a slight exertion of her arms that were leaning on the wall, she lightly jumped down from the wall, landing floating on the ground, her clothes were flowing, not even an inch of soil was touching her body, she was clean and beautiful.

The girl in red with her feet on the ground bent slightly and straightened her skirt. When she looked up again, she still had a gentle smile on her face. She looked at the young man and introduced herself: "Hello, my name is Jiang Chenyu."

"Hello, Chu Yuanxiao." Chu Yuanxiao smiled and nodded towards the girl.

"Yes, I know." The girl in red nodded, and said: "I'm just a little bored staying at Yunhaijian in the west of Zhenxi. The two old men only play chess every day and don't go out. I listen to them chat. I mentioned you, and I was a little curious, so I came over to have a look.”

This statement was somewhat beyond Chu Yuanxiao's expectations, and he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. If he guessed correctly, the so-called "two old men" should refer to the tall and thin old man who talked to him at the beginning, and the one in the sea of ​​clouds. A wealthy old shopkeeper, but the two of them mentioned him in their chat?The young man was inexplicably curious about what they talked about.
The girl in red couldn't help but smile when she saw the young man's expression, but she didn't explain too much. Instead, she began to walk slowly around the yard, looking around, full of curiosity, and hung the sword on the head behind her. The long wisp of vermilion sword spikes on her head complemented her long straight black hair, which was casually tied with a bright red ribbon five inches above the end. Sometimes they overlapped, sometimes they separated, making them lively and graceful.

"I heard that someone has been hunting you since you were born?" Jiang Chenyu asked this question when he turned around and returned to the door of the courtyard. He turned to look at the poor young man standing outside the door.

The moment Chu Yuanxiao heard the question, he naturally understood that the identity of the girl in red in front of him was probably higher than he imagined. After all, she was like the Shuixiu Lake before and the Yunlin who was currently in the Han family. Zong, don’t even know what kind of dilemma he is facing?But since the other party could tell the truth so confidently, the young man thought for a moment and realized that there was no need to hide it, so he simply admitted it openly.

"Yes, those people have killed many people around me, but I don't know exactly who they are." When he said this, the poor young man still couldn't control his inner anger, and his tone seemed unsteady, with a hint of With some effort and restraint.

Seeing the other party being so honest, Jiang Chenyu's eyes flashed with admiration. The most destructive things in the world are greed, anger, ignorance, pride and suspicion, which are what Buddhism calls the five poisonous hearts. They then create bad karma and give rise to subsequent evil consequences, the six desires and the seven Many people don't believe in Buddhism, and she doesn't believe in love, the eight sufferings, the nine tribulations, and the ten kalpas, but sometimes she feels that some of what they say is not completely unreasonable.As for the young man in front of him, he has become angry even before he has been involved in too many political affairs, but he has learned how to restrain himself. He has some wisdom, right?

The girl in red didn't have too many questions about this. She changed the topic again and asked: "I also heard that you have some disagreements with the young man named Zhao Jicheng from the Zhao family in Zhennan?"

After asking, she saw that the young man opposite didn't quite understand, so she explained with a smile, "It means you two have conflicts and don't want to deal with it?"

Chu Yuanxiao was a little embarrassed. His biggest disadvantage was that he had never read a book. "It's not a contradiction, but I don't know why. He is always not willing to talk to me. I actually don't know myself very well." Where did I offend him..."

Jiang Chenyu smiled when he heard this, without commenting, and continued: "I heard from Shopkeeper Fan that the Zhao family has already reached an agreement with the Prime Minister's Mansion, and will go to Xinghe Continent, which is located in the north of Jiuzhou, to become the Northern Chen Dynasty. 'The first disciple with a foreign surname in Prince Xiang's Mansion has a bright future. Aren't you afraid that he will come back and bring bad luck to you after he completes his studies?"

The poor young man didn't show any fear at all, he just muttered in a low voice, "Beichen Prime Minister's Palace?"

"Yes, the surname of Prince Xiang's Mansion is Chen. They have a long history. Together with the powerful Chen family in Nanxi Province, they are collectively known as the 'North and South Chens'. However, in fact, the combat capabilities of Prince Xiang's Mansion are much higher than those of the Chen family in Nanxi. According to Jianghu Jiujiu According to the calculation of the rank system, the Chen family of Nanxi is the third rank, which is only one rank lower than the other schools except the Three Religions, and half a rank higher than your Chengyun Empire. However, the Prime Minister’s Palace is not among the ninth rank. , and it’s not that they are not of good quality, but they are unwilling to enter the ninth rank system, and Linyuan Academy, which is in charge of the rank promotion of the world’s immortal sects, has no objection to this.” Jiang Chenyu borrowed Chu Yuanxiao’s words , giving a relatively detailed explanation.

Listening to this explanation, Chu Yuanxiao instantly recalled the "no more than one hand" that Hou Junchen briefly mentioned when introducing Fengxue Tower to him. This Xiangwangfu should be one of them.He glanced at the girl in red who was looking around and looking a little bored, and asked cautiously: "Miss Jiang, someone told me that there are no more than one hand who are neither out of the ordinary nor within the ninth rank. Can you tell me who the other ones are?"

Jiang Chenyu suddenly turned his head, narrowed his eyes and stared at the young man for a moment, then smiled brightly, without much hesitation, and said softly: "The so-called "no more than one hand" is actually four families. The generals in the world call them the 'Four Big Ones'. Wangfu', Xinghezhou Xiangwangfu is one of them, and it is the only one whose surname is different from the king's title. The other three all use their surname as their king's title, namely Prince Yue's Mansion in Longchizhou in the northeast, Shiji in the east Prince Chu’s Mansion in Qixia Continent and Prince Mu’s Mansion in Qixia Continent in the southwest.”

At this point, the girl in red suddenly stared at Chu Yuanxiao, half-smiling but not smiling: "Guess, is it possible that you are a descendant of the Chu family who lives outside the Prince Chu's palace in Shijizhou?"

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(End of this chapter)