When I woke up, the waist badge finally lit up, marking the route back to the finish line, which also meant the end of this trial.
According to the rules, if you fail to get out before the light disappears, no matter how many waist cards and five-flower stones you get, you will lose.
Wu Gen placed all the waist cards and three Wuhua stones on the ground, and shook Sun Hong awake, "This is what the two of us got from this trial. According to the rules of the world, if brothers come out to work in the wind, they should be divided in half." The piece of Wuhua Stone that came out is not of much use to the two of us, so I just accepted it." As he said that, he crossed half of the waist card and added another Wuhua Stone.
Glancing at the badge on the ground, Sun Hong remained silent and thought for a long time before saying: "Brother Wu, if I didn't have your support all the way this time, it's still unclear whether I could survive.
I feel guilty for sharing half of my wealth. Besides, only twenty people can win the trial in the end. Rather than sharing it equally between you and me, it would be better to leave it to Brother Wu, which would be more reliable. "
"What are you thinking about? I, Wu Gen, will eventually be the leader of the village. How can I convince the public if I do things unfairly? The most important thing when I go out to hang out is to be moral.
If I give up these cards today, if word spreads, which brother will be willing to follow me. Take it, take it, don't ruin my reputation or ruin my future. "Wu Gen had a look of dismay on his face. He gathered the cards assigned to Sun Hong together and threw them away.
In a hurry, Sun Hong took the baggage, looked at Wu Gen, thought for a while and then said: "Brother Wu, I still have some money here, why don't you take it for now, otherwise I will be ashamed to get something for nothing. "
As he spoke, he took off his inner armor, and there were more than a dozen silver ingots hidden inside. Along the way, this kid didn't mind being a bit of a scold.
Seeing Sun Hong's troubled face, Wu Gen had no choice but to take out a silver ingot to calm his mind.
The two packed up and hit the road according to the route.
The journey back is completely different from the journey back, and there are not many risks.
On the way, Wu Gen recounted the situation on the top of the mountain and carefully told Sun Hong to be careful if he met Lin Ruoshi in the future.
This person is calm but yet cunning, ruthless but flexible in his actions. Normally, this kind of person would be a traitor to the country and a ghost. If placed in troubled times, he would be a hero of his generation. If targeted, it would be difficult for ordinary people to escape their methods.
Wu Gen already regretted a little at this time. He should not have been so kind to a woman on the top of the mountain just now.
The two of them moved forward cautiously. It became more and more dangerous towards the end. It was inevitable that some people would have the idea of picking fruits and lurk at the exit waiting for opportunities to snatch the waist cards.
Fortunately, Wu Gen and Sun Hong did not meet anyone else along the way. After walking for half a day, Wu Gen saw a huge arch in the distance, the same as when he came in, erected in a valley.
Before entering, the officer had already said that after entering the Path of Death, according to the formation set up, no matter how far you go, you can only see people in your own group. There are no human traces along this road, which shows how the life and death of this third group are.
Seeing that the waistband was still very bright, Wu Gen and Sun Hong sneaked behind a rock and stared at the arch in front of them without moving.
After a long time, the waist card became dimmed, but Wu Gen remained unmoved, like a patient wild wolf, silently lurking in the darkness.
Sun Hong wanted to speak several times, but when he saw Wu Gen's expression, he suppressed his anxiety again.
Finally, a man jumped out from the darkness, looked around, saw that there was no movement around, and hurried straight to the arch.
Just as he walked to the door, a man jumped out from the roadside. It was the strong man who was with Lin Ruoshi. The strong man intercepted the man and without saying a word, he killed him.
It is said that this person has been able to reach this point, and his strength is not bad. You come and I go, and the strong man is unable to take down for a while, and the two are in a stalemate.
Suddenly, silver light flashed, a broken sword flew out, and Lin Ruoshi rushed out from his hiding place. Caught off guard, the man was beaten in a hurry, his moves gradually faded away, and Lin Ruoshi pierced his chest with a sword, and he died on the spot.
Lin Ruoshi searched him carefully and found some more cards. He disposed of the body properly, covered up the traces of the fight at the scene, and lurked again with the strong man.
Watching the two people's movements silently, Wu Gen had no expression on his face. It is really not surprising that Lin Ruozhen could do such a thing.
The luster of the waist card is getting dimmer, and Lin Ruoshi and the two have not yet come out. It seems that they want to make another robbery before closing.
Sun Hong couldn't hold himself back and gently pulled Wu Gen's sleeve, "I'm afraid it'll be too late if we don't leave."
Wu Gen waved his hand gently, "Don't be impatient. Wait a moment. The two poisonous snakes are hidden at the exit. The two of us can only give them their heads and the hard-earned waistband."
Time passed little by little, and Sun Hong only felt that the time passed like years, and secretly greeted Lin Ruoshi's eighteen generations in his heart.
The light of the badge was almost extinguished. Finally, Lin Ruoshi walked out, looked into the distance, shook his head, and disappeared into the archway with the strong man.
Wu Gen jumped up, pulled Sun Hongtu up and down, and galloped towards the arch with all his strength.
Ahead, the light wall on the arch gradually dimmed and almost disappeared. At the last moment when the light disappeared, the two men narrowly rushed into the arch.
The scenery in front of me changed, and I returned to the valley entrance, where many people had gathered.
As soon as he came out of the archway, Wu Gen rolled on the spot, holding a broken knife and scanning the surroundings vigilantly. Seeing that there were many Xiang troops guarding the area, I felt relieved.
The officer with a fierce expression sat solemnly and glanced around in all directions with stern eyes, "The time has come, everyone, come here and check what is on you."
Wu Gen looked around and saw that there were more than fifty people coming out. It's just that some people are dejected. It's obvious that these people have lost their cards and just saved their lives. Some looked nervous, worried that they didn't have enough cards.
Lin Ruoshi was also among them. When he saw Wu Gen, he was startled for a moment, then showed a smile on his lips, gave a thumbs up, and then turned his thumb down.
Wu Gen smiled broadly, held his hands away from him, and then made a gesture of wiping his neck.
Soon, everyone handed over their waist cards and Wuhua stones. After checking one by one, there were 22 people who got the Wuhua Stone, Wu Gen and Sun Hong were one of them. Counting the cards on their bodies, they found that they each had one hundred and three, ranking 19th and 20th among the 22 people respectively.
Unexpectedly, Lin Ruoshi actually had a Wuhua Stone, but with far fewer waist cards, ranking at the bottom.
With a cheerful expression on his face, Wu Gen walked to the other party, stretched out his little finger and shook it gently. After the trial, the identities of the two are very different, and they will have to deal with this bad thing when the time comes.
Lin Ruoshi didn't look the least bit depressed. She opened her mouth and said three words silently, and we'll see.
The two looked at each other and smiled, passing by each other.
The inventory was quickly completed, and everyone returned the same way they came. But this time, everyone was provided with a mount, and hot soup and food were provided along the way. Compared with when they came here, it was like heaven and earth.
After passing Liushuji, the twenty-two people who got the Wuhua Stone went directly to Dingyuan City, while the rest were dismissed on the spot.
When they arrived at Dingyuan City, everyone was accommodated in a post. This was also a convenience specially provided considering that these common people had no property in the city. Of course, if there is an old residence in the city, you can go there and come back in three days.
After being on tenterhooks all the way to the trial, they suddenly felt at ease. Some people started to think about it, and asked someone to buy brocade and silk clothes. They took folding fans and wandered around the courtyard of Guanyi, which was a way to experience the feeling of being a man in advance.
There are also some people who are visiting here and there, and they will all hang out in Xiangjun in the future. There is no harm in getting to know a few more people. Those who drank and went out quickly formed small groups.
Lin Ruoshi, on the other hand, although ranked last, is still very calm and calm, turning a blind eye to the strange looks from others. He holds a book in his hand every day, gets up early and reads it until late at night.
The next day, Zhang Yuan came to look for Wu Gen and was very pleased to learn about his experience. I was not optimistic about Wu Gen at first, but I didn't expect that he was included in the siege. Now I am stable. After all, I will recruit twenty Xiang troops this time. So I found an old acquaintance from the city and brought Wu Gen and Sun Hong to celebrate.
Things are always unpredictable. On the third day, Zhang Yuan came over angrily and told Wu Gen some bad news.
In this selection, twenty-two people received Wuhua Stone. Originally, only the top twenty were selected, but Captain Yuwen, who always liked to write and write, advised the county guard that as a general, you should not only focus on fighting with bows and horses, but only show off the courage of a man. Conduct a policy inquiry and then weigh everything comprehensively.
Wu Gen was dumbfounded when he heard this. If he was just fighting and killing, that would be fine. If he was allowed to write some articles with his pen, wouldn't he be ruining his life? Besides, I only recognized a few words about kidnapping and robbery. Could it be that when I asked questions, all the papers were filled with words such as "I drove this road and left money to pay for the road".
"Why did the rules suddenly change?" Wu Gen asked in surprise. If something goes wrong, there must be something fishy.
Zhang Yuan glanced at Wu Gen and sighed: "The rules are set by ourselves, but they can also be changed by people. Someone must have had a hand in it, so this accident happened. And I heard that someone said that you were born a bandit and your family background was not innocent enough. , how can you join the Xiang army?"
Only then did Wu Gen understand why everyone was drinking, having fun and swimming around all day long, but Lin Ruoshi was immersed in studying. What was a joke at first has become a real joke now.
"Is there any way to remedy this?" Wu Gen also calmed down at this time and asked.
"Let me think about it... By the way, mirage." Zhang Yuan thought for a moment, then stood up with a slap on his thigh.
Soon, the notice to hold the policy inquiry was posted on the wall of the post. When everyone saw it, they all felt sad. Although most people have already heard the news, after all, knowledge cannot be effective in three or two days.
When the day came for Ce Wen, everyone was taken to a school field, where tables and chairs had already been set up, far apart from each other. A row of soldiers stood nearby to guard against anyone cheating.
Wu Gen turned around and looked around. Everyone was a little worried. When he saw Lin Ruozhen, the other party smiled slightly, pointed at the paper on the table, and shook it slightly towards him.
At this time, Wu Gen had calmed down and knew that he was being plotted. He smiled with his teeth, moved his mouth slightly at Lin Ruoshi, and silently said two words, stupid bird.
Outside the school grounds, there were horse hooves and more than a dozen horsemen riding in. The leader was a middle-aged general, dressed in white robes, with fair complexion, eagle eyes and thin beard, and he looked quite heroic.
An officer hurried forward, lowered his head and clasped his fists, "Captain Yuwen, everything is in order." Wu Gen looked up and saw that this was the legendary Colonel Yuwen.
"Then let's begin." The middle-aged general didn't say much. He glanced at the people waiting for the test and sat down in a high position.
Soon, the test paper was handed out, with only a few words on it, discussing how to secure the country and the entire army.
Wu Gen opened it and looked at it, sighing deeply. He only regretted the book when it was ready for use. Seeing everyone else writing furiously, even Sun Hong buried his head in writing. He bit his pen and thought for a long time, and wrote the five words heaven, earth, man, Tao and law on the paper.
It's not that Wu Gen had any metaphors, it's just that when he was in Dafeng Village, Mr. Banduo often nagged in his ears, and Xiao knew how to write these five words.
When going out to rob, you should follow the five essentials.
Take a look at the sky and you will be able to travel when the weather is good. Second, look at the ground. The terrain must be dangerous and easy to ambush in order to succeed. Three things to look at are: those who inquire about the situation, those who fight with all their strength, and those who finish the work and transport the goods. All are indispensable. Fourth, look at the Tao and make it clear to your brothers who can be robbed and who should be released. Don’t break the rules of the Tao. Five points of view: With so many people going out, they must listen to the boss and not make decisions without authorization.
After writing five big characters, Wu Gen blew on the paper that was not yet dry, feeling quite satisfied. He stood up and strode forward. Under the surprised eyes of everyone, he was the first to hand in his paper.
The officer sent the paper to Captain Yuwen. The other party looked up with disdain on his face and threw the paper on the table. But after waiting for a while, something seemed to move. He took the paper again and scanned it word by word. After a while, he took a deep breath, looked up at Wu Gen, who was counting ants with his head down, and waved his hand.
The men understood and took Wu Gen out of the school grounds, telling him to wait for the results.
A few days later, an officer came to Guanyi with several people and announced the final results of the trial. During this trial of the Road to Rebirth, twenty people entered the Xiang Army, including Lin Ruoshi and Sun Hong.
Once they are on this list, these people are just like the Imperial Academy in the world. They have the foundation to rise, and soon they will be given official positions. Since then, they have opened up the road to the Xiang army and are more noble than ordinary people. Those with better luck may not be selected into the Guards and Forbidden Forces, and their future is bright.
Wu Gen and another person failed the list.
The crowd burst into cheers, and the joy was beyond words.
Lin Ruoshi shook his head and walked past Wu Gen without even looking at him. From then on, the two people's identities were as different as each other, and there was no intersection. How could the swan and the sparrow see each other as well as each other?
Only Sun Hong came over and took Wu Gen's hand, with tears in his eyes, "This is not fair."
Just when Wu Gen was about to persuade him, the officer announced that Wu Gen and the other man were also granted Ding status to the middle class, but they would not join the Xiang army.
There was a roar of discussion, and such a turn of events made everyone a little stunned.
Soon the officer took out the document and a bronze medal. The document had the county guard's seal on it, and asked Wu Gen to press his own fingerprint. From then on, he broke away from his humble status and finally escaped from the fence.
At night, Wu Gen and Sun Hong sat in Zhang Yuan's small courtyard in Dingyuan City, accompanied by Shachu.
The hot pot was boiling, red oil was boiling, and the table was in a mess.
"Come on, brother, let's do it again. Congratulations on the two of you ascending to heaven." Shachu shouted to Wu Gen with a red face, holding up a large bowl of wine, smelling of alcohol.
"Don't drink if you can't speak. With chickens and dogs, plus pigs and sheep, wouldn't the four of us become four animals?" Zhang Yuan scolded with a smile.
Sun Hong had already collapsed on the table, holding the wine glass and giggling.
Wu Gen chuckled and said, "It is said that there were four auspicious beasts in ancient times. If the four beasts are here today, it is impossible to say that thousands of years later, when future generations worship the auspicious beasts, they will all use the appearance of the four of me as a model."
Zhang Yuan put down his wine glass and stared at Wu Gen: "Although you have become a Chinese citizen, you can't hold a higher position in the army. Don't you regret it?"
Wu Gen's eyes were clear and he chuckled: "Why regret it? This ending is exactly what I wanted. It's not that I'm pretending to be free and easy. There are actually too many rules in the military. As time goes by, I don't think I will get into trouble."
Zhang Yuan nodded, "You are self-aware. With your courage to expose Po Tian, even I dare not keep you by my side. But Sun Hong, I want to get him into the village."
"Don't compete with me. He is the future accountant of my village."
"Go away, you're already a scammer, and you're still looking like a gangster. I think you just can't hold yourself up to the wall."
Several people were drinking and chatting, and the lively atmosphere passed through the window, suppressing the howling cold wind outside.
