In the mountain col, there is a small Taoist temple, three green tile houses, five or six big trees, and a dusty earth wall.
Taoist temples are ordinary, but they are extraordinary in remote mountains.
Nowadays, the wilderness is very uneventful. The ordinary villages are no longer scattered naturally, but several villages are grouped together. Thousands of people live together. trenches are dug outside the villages to protect themselves. Smaller town shops are gradually disappearing, and it takes 10,000 people to establish a town. In the past, wealthy families often built their own manors in the suburbs, but now they have moved into the city. They cannot move without building high-walled fortresses, and they also need to hire capable guardians to guard them. The scattered small buildings that can be seen in the suburbs are either extraordinary martial arts forces, or they are Buddhist temples and Taoist temples.
In recent years, the imperial court has respected Dongjun, built a large number of platforms, and classified ordinary jungle temples as obscene temples, and most of them have been abolished. But no matter what, the two schools of Buddhism and Taoism cannot be shaken. In particular, the Buddhist and Taoist forces themselves are two indispensable forces in the martial arts world, and they are additionally compensated by the government's policy of supporting folk heroes. It's just that officially he is no longer as respected by the dignitaries as before.
Therefore, many shady forces have established hideouts under the guise of Buddhism and Taoism. Most of them are built in the mountains where serious monasteries dare not stay for a long time. Experienced veterans will never approach such places.
However, several groups of guests came to the small temple tonight.
Knock knock——
There was a knock on the door, and the door opened a crack. A little Taoist boy showed half of his face and said, "Yes... ah, please come in."
There were two people standing at the door, one old and one young. They were both dressed simply, but they were neatly groomed, and not a single hair was out of place. At first glance, they looked like well-maintained people.
The old man entered first without saying a word. The young man was only seventeen or eighteen years old. His expression was dignified and somewhat arrogant, and he said, "Do you recognize us?"
The little Taoist boy leaned forward and said, "I don't recognize you, but you two are such distinguished and elegant guests. We welcome you at any time. Please come in and have a cup of tea."
The young man smiled slightly and said, "I can talk and I'll give you some tea." After that, he threw away a broken piece of silver.
The little Taoist boy took it and said with a smile: "Thank you, layman." He took the two of them to a monastery, quietly retreated, and closed the door from the outside.
There were already six or seven people in the monastery. Sitting at the top was an old man with white hair, wearing a crane-feather cloak, like an old god. There were middle-aged people and young people remaining, all with ordinary clothes but unusual temperaments.
Only in the corner, there was a dignified and beautiful Taoist nun making tea. The white steam was curling up, adding a scent of tea to the monastery.
The old man came in and rushed to the elder man, bowed and said, "Father-in-law."
The young people he brought shouted: "Grandpa!"
Everyone greeted him one after another, some were called "Uncle", some were called "Brother Wang", and some were called "Brother Nian". It seemed that the people in the room were either relatives or old friends.
The Wang family father and son sat down, and the female Taoist priest stood up and poured a cup of tea for each of them.
Brother Wang said: "I tasted Yunxiangu's tea three years ago, and the aftertaste of that day is still on my tongue." After saying that, he took a sip and said with a smile, "It's the taste that lingers in my mind."
A middle-aged man in the seat curled his lips slightly, as if he was about to sneer, but made no sound.
The old man in Hepao said: "Feize is also here, everyone is here, let's talk about business. Li Feng, you come and speak."
Li Feng was a middle-aged man standing next to the old man in the crane cloak. He had a big face and big ears, and was very dignified. He said: "Everyone, we are all relatives and friends. If you have anything to say in the secret room, please speak directly."
"The opening time of the Demon Cave has been calculated, and it will be six days later. We have prepared carefully for many days, and we will finish the work in one battle. According to the agreement, the manpower from each family should arrive in the next few days, right?" He said and looked at everyone one by one.
Everyone looked at each other, and Brother Wang Wang Feize said: "Father-in-law, it's not that I can't wait to leave, but it's because the wind is tight. Only my father and son entered Heyang County, and they both felt like they were being watched..."
Everyone was in an uproar. The middle-aged man who had just sneered changed his expression and shouted: "Wang Feize, you realized something was wrong and you still dare to come here. What should you do if you attract people? Are you here to be the lackey of the Prosecution Department?"
Wang Feize said with consternation: "Wang is not a child. If he senses something is wrong, won't he adapt to the situation? We took two big loops in the mountains, and even if there were people, I would have gotten rid of him. I am just worried about my father-in-law's here, and the news in Heyang County It doesn’t matter, we have also heard in neighboring counties that there have been a lot of big and small things in the past month, and the prefectural prosecutor is showing off with great authority. Isn’t our plan important?”
The old man in the crane cloak smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, everyone, this Tingfeng Temple is safe. Miaoyun has been running it for many years and has managed it like an iron bucket. Not even a fly can fly in. Don't worry."
Yun Xiangu put down the tea set, nodded and smiled at everyone. Although her expression was dignified, her eyes were filled with an unconcealable charm.
The old man said: "As for the situation in the county, that's right. The District Prosecution Department is clearing the ground, and my Pei family is adding fuel to the flames. They have found a few scapegoats to draw the attention of the District Prosecution Department to Taohualou and the Five Poison Society. . They still think that the swordsman is hiding in Peach Blossom Tower and is desperately pursuing it, but they don’t know that he has already been a guest under the house, presiding over the overall situation, and we are ready to attack, just waiting for a thunderous strike. "
Wang Feize was suddenly enlightened and praised: "Old Taishan's miraculous calculations are still as good as before." Everyone suddenly agreed.
Seeing that he stabilized the morale of the army with a few words, the old man motioned for Pei Lifeng to continue. Pei Lifeng said: "My Pei family is the host, and I will do my duty. Two Sanren, seven knights, and a swordsman will all come out. The rest of the disciples who are 'strong men' are on the outside. Run and do your part.”
Everyone looked surprised, and the person who questioned before said in surprise: "What? Swordsman? Does Ancestor Pei still want to go to the battlefield at such an old age?"
Wang Feize shook his head and smiled: "Pang Ke, you are too ignorant. Why does the Pei family need the father-in-law to come on board? The swordsman has already been replaced by a new one. It's just..." He looked at Pei Lifeng and said, "Can you tell me?"
Pei Lifeng said: "It doesn't matter, everyone will be able to see it in a few days. My family has indeed had a new swordsman, and she is my youngest daughter."
Pang Ke was surprised and said: "Shou Jing's niece?"
Brother Wang frowned and said, "You are too rude. Did you just say your niece's maiden name casually?"
This time the ancestor of the Pei family said: "It doesn't matter, my granddaughter is amazingly talented. She is a swordsman now and will be a swordsman in the future. Her name is not a maiden name, but a knight's name and a sword name. She must be as strong as the wind and as strong as the sword." Thunder shocks can spread thousands of miles."
After that, he smiled and shook his head and said: "I'm old, I'm old, I can't accept it. Now I can't hold a sword, and I can't fight anymore. I thought that my descendants are unworthy, and I have to hold on for two years. Unexpectedly, I got such a granddaughter in my later years. She has outstanding character and appearance, is filial and sensible, and has such talent. She is no worse than me when it comes to picking up a sword. Why don’t I accept my age? Talented people come out from generation to generation, and we old coffin boys If you need to retreat, you should retreat, if you need to give in, you should give in, just waiting to enjoy a few years of peace and happiness."
He praised his granddaughter at length, and everyone was stunned. Even Wang Feize recalled carefully: Is that niece so outstanding? Could it be that I didn't pay attention?
Wang Feize continued the topic and said: "Indeed. It's time for the younger generation to take the lead. This time my family dispatched three Sanren and five knights. Half of them are young people. My son..."
He pointed at the young man who came with him and said: "When I was young, my talent was not obvious, so I thought I would be a knight in a down-to-earth manner. Unexpectedly, after practicing Xuan Gong for a year, I actually inspired inspiration and became a swordsman."
Everyone groaned, with mixed feelings in their voices.
You must know that the talent of inspiration is very rare. Some children are born with extremely keen inspiration. They have all kinds of miraculous performances when they are young. They must be swordsmen Miaozi, which is called innate talent. However, there are also some people whose inspiration is hidden and cannot be exposed until it reaches the critical point. In the later stage, their mental strength will naturally increase after practicing Xuan Gong, or they may be inspired by some stimulation and their talent can be revealed.
This is an acquired talent. Many children in Yinhui Township are the latter. They have been inspired by the Yin Qi, and the prince of the Wang family is naturally the former. Acquired talent is not as good as innate talent, but it is rare.
What's more, Wang Feizeming said that "swordsman's talent" means that not all inspirational talents can be called "swordsman's talents". They must be high enough to be sensed by the sword.
The Wang family has such a son who has a bright future. There are also inspired children in the families here, but firstly, most of them are oblique clan members, not as good as their own father and son. Secondly, most of the inspired children are not up to standard. They can only be heavy swordsmen, not swordsmen.
Pang Ke snorted and said, "In that case, your son will definitely go into the devil's cave? His swordsman's daughter is going to play, and your swordsman's son can't be left behind either."
The young Wang boy glared at Pang Ke.
His father said calmly: "Of course, this has been agreed upon a long time ago. And I asked Cheng'er to bring my family's heritage with him. He is not as good as a swordsman, but he will not be worse than others."
Pei Lifeng praised: "Brother-in-law really understands the righteousness. Everyone, if you don't come out with the secret this time, when will you wait? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The secret is left by the ancestors. No matter how rich it is, if the descendants are unfilial, they will only be left with nothing. If Seize the opportunity to find a sword species and become a real swordsman. You have as much background as you need, but why do you think you are a wealthy family?"
Pang Ke snorted: "It sounds like there must be a sword species in the devil's cave..."
Pei Lifeng said: "There must be! Your Excellency the Swordsman said..."
At this point, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He saw everyone staring at him in the face. He was embarrassed for a while and said, "The Procuratorate said yes."
Patriarch Pei then said, "Yes, we have inside information from the District Inspection Department. Miaoyun has something for everyone to see."
Yunxiangu stood up, took out a sandalwood box and placed it squarely in front of Patriarch Pei. He took out the key from his sleeve, carefully unlocked it, and opened the box.
Everyone couldn't help but be curious when they saw her being so solemn, but due to their own upbringing, they were inconvenient to stretch their necks and twist their eyes to pry.
Patriarch Pei said: "Everyone, come closer, there is only one copy of this thing."
As expected, everyone came over and just took a look, and they were all surprised: "This is..."
Patriarch Pei said: "This is the internal information obtained by Miaoyun from the Earth Inspection Department."
Outside the house, the Taoist boy was boiling water on the porch. The flames of the small red clay stove were green and red, and a large white porcelain teapot was simmering.
While boiling water, he held a book and read it carefully under a candle on the porch.
"Give me some water."
A voice came from above him.
The boy suddenly turned around and saw a beautiful girl standing in the corridor. She was wearing a large furry sable coat, with a light green satin skirt exposed underneath. The wind hair on her neck was fluffy, covering half of her white face. Her temperament was dignified and calm, and her expression was light. It's like a quiet lady in a painting.
The Taoist boy looked at her outfit and felt a little hot. He unconsciously unfolded his sleeves and saw that she was holding a small official kiln bowl in her hand. He stood up and said, "Please wait a moment, the water hasn't boiled yet."
The girl said "Yes" and stood quietly in the corridor, not moving, like a statue. The candlelight shone on her face, making her cheeks shine, and she was so delicate and charming, adding some youthful vitality.
The Taoist boy brought his futon and said, "Sit down."
The girl shook her head slightly and said, "I won't sit down."
The two were silent for a while, but when the water started to boil, he picked up the kettle and said, "Put the bowl over here, and I'll add water. Put it on the ground, but stay away, as it may burn you."
The girl shook her head and said, "The underground is dirty."
The Taoist boy said: "Then you put it on the edge of the tea stove."
The girl didn't say anything, but her brows furrowed, obviously she disliked the fact that the rim of the tea stove was dirty.
The Taoist boy looked at her again and felt that she was dumbfounded, so he picked up the kettle and walked closer. He saw a small amount of water in the porcelain bowl, and a small pastel cup in the middle of the water. The small cup contained light green tea. juice.
He thought for a moment and said, "Should it be added to the water outside? Do I need to add the tea inside?"
The girl's eyes stared at his face, then lowered her head and said, "Put it outside while I warm up the tea. Don't add it inside, I don't drink the water outside."
The Taoist boy said: "You are really particular about it. But it will burn your hands if you hold it like this."
The girl frowned and said, "Will you?"
The Taoist boy felt more and more slowly that the girl was slow to respond, and said, "Of course, haven't your hands been hot before?"
The girl said: "Others used to hold it. Today Lengxiang didn't come."
The Taoist boy suddenly realized that today's gathering was secret, and all the distinguished guests who came did not bring anyone with them. This girl was used to serving others, and she didn't understand anything. He said: "It will be hot. You always think that other places are unclean, so just put them there." Here it is.”
He walked down the corridor, came to the courtyard, pointed to a budding flower tree and said: "This is a plum tree. The plum blossoms have not bloomed yet. You put the water bowl among the branches of the tree, and I will refill it for you." water."
The girl was surprised: "Plum blossoms?"
The Taoist boy said: "The person next to you is called Lengxiang. Naturally, you also like plum blossoms. You know that plum blossoms are noble and pure and do not mix with peaches and plums. You won't dislike the plum trees being dirty, right?"
The girl pondered for a moment and said: "Okay." She placed the white porcelain cup in her hand between the branches and gently twisted her fingers when she took her hand back.
The Taoist boy looked at her and guessed that she had been holding the water bowl all the way and her fingers were sore. He was secretly amused and filled up the water.
The two of them stood quietly under the plum blossom tree. Although the winter plums had not bloomed and they did not smell the fragrance of the flowers, as the water vapor evaporated, they gradually smelled the faint fragrance of tea.
The girl held down the branch with one hand, looking only at the buds, and whispered: "What... is your name?"
The Taoist boy opened his mouth, paused, and then said: "My... Taoist name is Zhaoyang. Miss I don't know... forgive me for being rude."
The girl said: "My name is Pei Shoujing."
