Senior Brother Li and Tang Zhao were boating on the lake.
To go to the owner's sword house, you need to take a boat. There is a wild crossing behind the registered house. There are several small boats. Brother Li untied one and took Tang Zhao to the depths of the water.
Tang Zhao originally thought the water was a lake, but sitting on the boat, he felt it was more like a swamp.
Compared with the lake, the water in the swamp is clearer and shallower. There are many weeds on the water, and the yellow-green reed tents are connected vertically and horizontally, entwined with soft white mist, and the swamp is twisted like a maze.
The water has different depths. In the deep water, you can sail a boat. In the shallow water, you can see the bottom and catch passing carps. In the middle of the water, there is a white sandbar with a bunch of stranded boats lying sideways on the white sand.
Waterbirds are often seen on the water, on sandbanks, and on stranded boats. Mandarin ducks, herons, cormorants, pelicans, bean geese, and wild ducks of all kinds, some were swimming leisurely on the water, some were taking a nap on the sandbar, and some were flapping their wings and entering the water, splashing like pearls. After a while, they came out and had already caught a piece of water in their mouths. Live fish with wagging tail.
The most elegant one is the crane, with its white feathered red crown, slender neck and long legs, and its posture is as graceful as the Goddess of Luo.
"Cranes are singing in Jiugao, and the sound is heard in the sky. Fish are in Zhu, or lurking in the abyss. In the garden of Le Bi, there are sandalwood trees..."
Senior Brother Li praised: "This poem is good. Did you write it? Crane Ming Jiugao, it is very suitable. This is Jiugao Mountain."
Tang Zhao hurriedly said: "No, this is an ancient poem. I just think it fits the scene. According to legend, cranes are immortal birds. Isn't this the residence of gods?"
In addition to the water surface, which is a paradise for birds, the woods surrounding the lake are also very wonderful. Regardless of the region or season, there are evergreen pines and cypresses, straight poplars, weeping willows, single-tree banyan trees and various other rare trees. You can even see pieces of peach blossoms in full bloom, full of branches and beautiful flowers. The boat only traveled for half an hour, as if it had traveled from south to north, from winter to summer, for years.
Hearing his praise, Senior Brother Li became proud and said with a smile: "Our place is like spring all year round. You can have whatever you want and plant whatever you want. When you have your own Jianlu, you can also clean up the courtyard and build a garden of your own. Paradise. If adjusted well, you can even plant autumn and winter plum blossoms and chrysanthemums."
He said sternly: "Although this place is good, it is also dangerous. Although there are no wild animals, the water is a maze and the trees are a maze. If you don't know the way, you will get lost as soon as you enter, and you will not be able to get out until you starve to death. So don't do it yourself Come in and play, if you want to go to the sword hut of a certain Talisman sword master, you must get a jade letter from them, put it on the boat to guide the way, and ride on the boat. Otherwise, you will be exhausted and you will not be able to find their residence. No one is allowed to enter."
He pointed at the bow of the ship. Sure enough, there was a round white jade plate placed on the bow. Although the surface was flawless, it seemed like a pointer was turning in the sunlight. The boat can move forward naturally without paddles, and can also turn around.
This is the secret of magical weapons, not in attacking and killing enemies, but in all aspects of life.
Yu Xin... It seems that Sister Xue gave her a piece. It seems that I can go to her Jianlu by boat.
Tang Zhao thanked Senior Brother Li again for his advice. Senior Brother Li smiled and said, "Don't be polite. You are different from them. You are a Baiyu disciple as soon as you come in. We are serious brothers and should be close to each other. Senior brother, my name is Li Zhihai. I am ten years older than you." He is a white jade disciple under Senior Brother Qin." He pointed to his waist, and sure enough, a piece of white jade fell, which was similar to the Jie Yin brand, but not the same thing.
"There are three types of disciples in our village. The Moyu disciples are the handyman disciples and the registered disciples. They have a lot of chores to do, but they don't get paid. The Qingyu disciples are actually registered disciples. They are essentially the same as the Moyu disciples. You don’t have to do any work and can concentrate on your studies, but you have to pay money, a lot of money. Then there are us Baiyu disciples.”
"Both the Qingyu disciples and the Moyu disciples can only live in an exclusive small valley, live in a public dormitory, and attend lectures in the hall. The Moyu disciples can receive some materials for free after completing their work, while the Qingyu disciples have to pay for any materials they receive. We Baiyu disciples can live by the water. Look at the few clouds and mist over there, which are the sword huts of our White Jade disciples. You are a newbie here, so you can’t live alone in a hut, but at most there are only three or five people living together, which is better than the public house. Much better."
"Furthermore, we can listen to face-to-face lessons from several uncles and senior brother Zhenyu, and have a fixed share of materials. We can get many opportunities to practice, and we grow very quickly. I think you are very smart, junior brother. As long as you are diligent and willing to study, then ten In a few years, you can become a unique Talisman Sword Master."
Tang Zhao nodded. Ten years later he would be twenty-two years old, which was exactly the age Mr. Chen said he would graduate from college. At that time, he could learn to forge swords, and it was not too late to become a swordsman.
The boat sailed into the depths of the reed flowers, surrounded by weatherproof green gauze tents. Even the sounds of water birds disappeared. It became more and more private. Li Zhihai spoke more and more privately, saying: "Actually, the real disciples in the villa are our Baiyu disciples. Because we are all ambitious and have the potential to become Talisman Sword Masters. Most of the Black Yu disciples are from poor backgrounds. Although many are talented, they are burdened with chores and find it difficult to meditate. Only a handful can be promoted to White Yu disciples, and most of them are still years old. Once you get down the mountain, you have to make a living on your own. Qingyu disciples are a group of dandy boys. Most of them don’t even know what a Fu Sword Master is. If their families have money, they come to the mountains to hide in peace. Some of them are eliminated by their families. Nine out of ten are gangsters. During the day, get together to eat, drink and have fun, and ignore them."
Tang Zhao thought of Zheng Shou and felt it was reasonable. He also thought of Hua Xifu, who was also a disciple of Qingyu. He couldn't help but think to himself: Student Hua, please don't let them lead you into trouble, right?
"But we Baiyu disciples only say that our talents are sufficient, but we are not a guarantee. After all, our time is limited. If we haven't become a Talisman Sword Master in fifteen years, we will definitely be driven away. If we really want to become a Talisman Sword Master smoothly, Master, firstly, you have to work hard, and secondly, you also need to rely on opportunities...that is, the support of noble people."
He lowered his voice, as if he wanted to tell a secret: "Although we can listen to the small lessons of all the uncles and senior brothers, and they will answer any questions after class, but if you have no relatives or friends, who will really give you guidance? Let alone He took the initiative to teach. If you really want to learn the real thing, you have to enter someone else's door. The so-called disciple who enters the family, how can you be a disciple if you don't go to the hall and enter the family?"
Tang Zhao thought deeply: "Just now you said that Senior Brother Qin's subordinates..."
Li Zhihai praised: "Junior brother Tang is really smart. Senior brother Qin is seventh in the ranking of Zhenyu disciples. He is the most enthusiastic and talented among all Zhenyu brothers, especially for common people...Junior brother Tang, you are born a commoner, right?" "
Tang Zhao nodded and said: "My little brother comes from an ordinary farming family." This is considered bragging. His family works farming, and he is the only one who is studying. He is not even a boy, at most half.
Li Zhihai nodded. Of course he didn't ask Tang Zhao blindly. It could be seen from his clothes. Tang Zhao's outfit was bought by Xing Ji. It wasn't cheap, but it was obviously different from the clothes of real rich people. Zhuoyu Villa has many wealthy children, and Li Zhihai can tell them apart at a glance.
He sighed: "We all have the same background, so we are naturally companions. If I see you in normal times, I will definitely recommend you to join Senior Brother Qin. Only you have two white jade medals, so naturally you should give priority to introducing Senior Brother. But we can still make friends. My friend, you can’t change your background. Let me ask a little boldly, do you plan to work under Senior Sister Xue or Senior Brother Jiang?”
Tang Zhao said without hesitation: "Senior Sister Xue. I have made an agreement with Senior Sister Xue, so we can't break our promise, right?"
Li Zhihai said: "Yes, Senior Sister Xue is indeed very good. She has a good temper, aloof status, and warm-heartedness. It's a pity that she doesn't have many disciples, otherwise her sword house will be overcrowded. But Senior Brother Jiang... Senior Brother Jiang also has a future. He is vast, has amazing talents, and is favored by the master. He has not yet had any disciples to follow him, and whoever chooses him will be the number one in the world."
His voice became lower and lower, and he said: "Let's talk privately, Senior Brother Jiang is the most proud and has a good reputation. He said in public that he would recommend you, and if you don't vote for him, he will definitely be unhappy. When he is unhappy, he will let others I'm even more unhappy. And Senior Sister Xue has a gentle temperament and a broad mind, so there is room for change if you disobey her."
Tang Zhao thought to himself: Isn’t this bullying an honest person? Just because Senior Brother Jiang is not easy to mess with, he doesn't dare to offend her, and Senior Sister Xue is easy to talk to, so he doesn't dare to offend her?
But Li Zhihai always meant something kind when he said this. He nodded and said, "Thank you, senior brother, for your advice. I will consider it carefully."
What is prudent? Anyway, I will definitely choose Xue Yeyu, and I will definitely not go back on my promise.
As for Jiang Shenyi... Tang Zhao still remembered the way he stood in the void and stretched out his hand to him with his wings fluttering like thunder. It was also a moment of magnificence and heartbreaking. No matter why, he always gave him the precious white jade token out of kindness, and Tang Zhao was not willing to offend a fellow senior at will.
He asked in a low voice: "Is it okay if I ask the village owner to help me explain to Senior Brother Jiang later? If the village owner opens his mouth, everyone will be speechless, right?"
Gu Ru
Li Zhihai gave him a strange look and said, "It would be best if you could invite Master." He thought to himself: Is there something wrong with you? When I meet Master, I'm afraid you won't even be able to say anything. How dare you disturb me with such trivial matters? How can Master care about such nonsense? Except for what he ordered, he would have kicked you out without waiting for you to say a word. This kid is really whimsical.
As they talked, the boat stopped and approached a pier.
It is said to be a pier, but it is actually just a spacious wooden platform on the water. The wooden platform is connected to a wooden plank road, which extends far away like a bridge.
There is a puppet standing on the tree, which is very similar to the talisman puppet Tang Zhao saw in Daxia Xue's mansion, but the depiction is more delicate, the posture is flexible and lifelike.
But somehow, it may be too delicate and too close to human beings, but it looks a bit scary. Tang Zhao glanced at its dull face and felt goosebumps on his back.
Li Zhihai cupped his hands and said, "Disciple, bring Tang Zhao here."
The puppet nodded, a crack opened under its face, and it made a sound like the collision of bells, an unparalleled laugh.
Tang Zhao suddenly felt even more uncomfortable.
Li Zhihai nodded to Tang Zhao and said: "This talisman puppet is Master's servant. He can't speak and can only laugh, so he's called Axiao. We also have to be polite. You follow Axiao in, I'll wait here. You'll be here soon. If you come back early, let's go back together."
Tang Zhao followed Fu Puppet onto the creaking wooden plank road, bypassed several clumps of reeds, and suddenly became enlightened.
At the end of the wooden plank road, there is a vast expanse of white water, all connected with white clouds, and the sky is clear and comfortable.
Sitting by the water is a fisherman wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat, fishing with a bamboo pole. A red-crowned crane stands alone in the water in the distance, bending its neck to shine in the water, as if standing in the white clouds.
so quiet.
Except for the slight ripples caused by the trembling of the fish's swim bladder, the sky, water, people and cranes were all quiet, as if they were in a painting.
Tang Zhao couldn't bear to break the silence, so he stood aside with his hands tied, staring at the fish bladder, as if he could see the end of the world by watching the little bit of movement.
laugh--
I don’t know how long it took, but the fishing line was swung up and the rod was empty.
The fisherman turned around and saw that the man under the bamboo hat was in his thirties, roughly similar to Xue Yeyu. He had two small mustaches and was well groomed. Like feathers. Under his coir raincoat, he wears a black and white crane cloak, with flying feathers on the hem, which also looks like the crane in the water.
Tang Zhao suddenly thought: They are indeed a father and daughter, dressed like birds...
He quickly put away this disrespectful thought and saluted solemnly: "Student Tang Zhao, I have met the owner of the village."
Xue Xianyun's eyes were like arrows, very sharp. He was no longer as leisurely as a crane combing its feathers. If so, it was like a waterfowl staring at its prey before fishing. He said, "Are you Tang Zhao? In the past month, I have heard your name. My ears are getting calloused."
Tang Zhao was a little embarrassed and said: "I worry about Sister Xue and disturb the owner's purity. The student is ashamed."
Xue Xianyun said: "It's not just her talking about you."
Tang Zhao reacted immediately and said, "Is Master Xue okay?"
Xue Xianyun said: "Of course it's not good. That means he's still alive. If he doesn't do something crooked, he won't be able to get better."
Tang Zhao nodded, worried and relieved. It was always good to be alive. He should be aware of his consciousness, but he might not be able to recover.
Xue Xianyun looked at him and said, "I'm curious, why do both of you think so highly of you?"
Tang Zhao was neither arrogant nor humble and said: "Students are just ordinary people, and several elders have the heart to pity the weak and cherish the young."
Xue Xianyun said: "They just said that you are unusual. Whether it is jade or a stubborn stone, I have to see it with my own eyes." He smiled at the talisman and said, "Go and get my key."
Axiao chuckled and left from the wooden plank road.
Xue Xianyun waved his hand, and the white crane on the opposite side flew silently, hovered in the sky, and dropped a piece of feathers.
The feather fluttered and fell into the water, but it seemed as if it had been thrown into a huge boulder. The calm water made waves. The waves parted to the side, revealing a piece of bluestone under the water. In the bluestone, there were two characters like blades engraved on it.
"Gongyu!"
Immediately afterwards, the bluestone moved, revealing a downward step.
Xue Xianyun took off his raincoat and said, "Follow me. What you see below must be carefully remembered and thought about."
Tang Zhao quickly followed, and the two walked down the steps. The bluestone moved again, covering the entrance. The water rose little by little, covering the boulders. The white crane in the sky landed on the water again and stood on the large underwater rock, with only its paws submerged, as if standing on the waves.
The crane cries in Jiugao, and the sound is heard in the sky. The fish is in Zhu, or hidden in the abyss. In Lebi's garden, there are sandalwood trees and valleys beneath them. Stones from other hills, can learn.
