Chapter 17: Turning danger into good fortune
Under the surface of the lake, the unconscious bluestone slowly sank, and finally landed on a flat piece of sand at the bottom of the lake. The lake was quite deep but extremely clear. The moonlight shone through the clear lake water, and objects could be vaguely seen even at the deep bottom of the lake. .
Bluestone lay motionless at the bottom of the lake, a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth and slowly drifted away.
There is a small patch of sparse aquatic plants next to the bluestone. There are three or five snails in the aquatic plants, all adsorbed on the leaves of the aquatic plants. There are also a few empty snail shells scattered in the mud at the bottom of the lake.
The blood threads floated over and spread between the snail shells. A snail shell suddenly flashed with light. The blood threads floating in the water were suddenly attracted and turned into a blood thread and drilled into the shell. At the same time, the light spread along the blood threads. , touched the bluestone for an instant, and immediately turned into a flash of strong light that enveloped his whole body. After a breath, the light suddenly disappeared again.
The situation at the bottom of the lake remained the same, only the bluestone disappeared.
I don't know how long it took, Qingshi Youyou woke up, and when he opened his eyes, he saw himself lying on the hard and cold black floor, surrounded by a slight white light, and the light was dim and soft.
Qingshi sat up and found himself in a hemispherical closed space with a diameter of about a hundred feet, with a huge circular sky above his head. It was dark and deep, and a galaxy disk composed of countless gravel-like stars was slowly rotating. The light in the hall comes from these stars.
The black ground is made of unknown material, smooth and flat. The bluestone is within a circular aperture about one foot in diameter, outlined by a thin line emitting shimmering light. And this circle is at the very center of the entire circular space.
In addition to the circle where the bluestone is located, there are eight identical circles neatly distributed around this central circle, all equidistant from the central circle twenty feet away. Apart from that, there is nothing else in the entire space.
Qingshi felt himself and was surprised to find that he had no injuries. Whether it was fractures, external injuries or internal organ injuries, all of them were healed.
Feeling the surroundings again, the air is clean and crisp, but there is no trace of aura. As for the rest, it is clear at a glance. The space was huge and empty, and Qingshi felt like a little ant upside down in a big iron pot.
After a while, Qingshi walked out of the circle. Stepping out of the circle was natural and there was no strange feeling.
Qingshi stood still and shouted in the air: "Is anyone here? Junior Qingshi, thank you for saving me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a small animal running out of a circle in front of him and heading straight for him. Qingshi took a closer look and saw that it was a white kitten. It seemed a little bit different, with a different head and body. It looks like a cat, but has a lion-like mane and a fox-like tail. Its white body also has black tiger stripes. At first glance, it looks like a miniature white tiger.
However, this little thing has neither the solemnity and majesty of a tiger nor the nobility and elegance of a cat. It is seen squatting in front of the bluestone, raising its two front paws and bending it in front of its chest, its two big eyes rolling around, its neck moving and its tail trembling. The coquettish, thief-like demeanor is a bit like a weasel.
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The little beast meowed at Qingshi, but it turned out not to be a cat's meow, and Qingshi couldn't hear the sound of any animal he knew.
"Uh, this..." Qingshi was a little at a loss. The little thing turned around and ran towards a circle of light ahead, but it was not the one that came out just now. It disappeared as soon as it ran in.
Qingshi followed, paused briefly, then raised his legs and stepped in.
There was no strange feeling in the body. Qingshi appeared in a courtyard surrounded by fences. There were two circles of light side by side in the middle of the courtyard. Qingshi was standing in one of them.
After looking around for a moment, Qingshi discovered that this was also a hemispherical closed space with a diameter of about a hundred feet, except that there were flowers, trees, sunlight, small bridges and flowing water, and people living here.
There is a two-story building in front of the courtyard. The atrium is wide open. An old man with white hair, white beard and white robe is standing in the door. He looks like a fairy. He lowers his head to face the little beast, seeming to be communicating something.
Qingshi walked over, but couldn't rush in. Just when he was about to speak, the old man raised his head and waved his hand to signal him to wait a moment, then looked down at the little beast and started talking.
Qingshi couldn't understand the little beast's chirping, but he could understand the old man's words. He just heard him say: "If you can't eat it, you can't eat it. I'm too lazy to explain to you." After saying that, he was about to go out.
The little beast rushed to the side and stopped in front of the old man, standing up straight and croaking for a while.
"Hey, your little trick, okay, I'll tell you," the old man said helplessly, "This is a person, not a spiritual beast and not food. Do you understand?"
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"What! Have you eaten it? When have you eaten it?" The old man's eyes widened.
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"Two hundred years ago? Ah! You mean the girl in the floral skirt?"
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"Old Qinglong, you old and irreverent bastard," the old man raised his head and cursed, then lowered his head and said to the little beast, "That won't work, this one is still alive, not dead." He shook his head and shook the white beard under his chin and said with regret. , "Alas, that girl is so pretty and has a sweet mouth, I didn't expect... alas!"
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"Let's talk about it after we die. Let's go on when we're done." The old man said.
The little beast turned around and ran out the door, disappeared into a circle of light and disappeared.
The old man straightened his clothes, coughed solemnly, raised his legs and walked towards the door with his hands behind his back, looking like a fairy.
Qingshi naturally heard what the old man said, and was surprised and thought to himself: It can't be what I thought. This little thing is smart and cute, and the old man has a fairy-like demeanor and kind eyes. It must not be what he meant. I must be overthinking it.
At this time the old man had already walked out of the door.
Qingshi quickly clasped his fists and bowed in salute: "Junior Qingshi, thank you senior for saving me."
"You're awake and your body has recovered? Well, not bad." The old man shook his head and said, "This is not my credit. It was Yunlu who brought you here. As for your injury, it should be your own fault. I didn't help you to recover. You boy, you recovered on your own so quickly. It's amazing. Your luck is beyond the pale. No wonder Yunlu brought you here. No one has come for a long time! Yes! Yes, can you compose poetry?"
"No," Qingshi replied, "Dare I ask senior Gao's name, and who is Yunlu? Please recommend me, senior, so that I can thank you in person for saving your life."
"Well, my surname is Hu, and my given name is Hu Bai." The old man said seriously, "Yunlu is not a senior, but the place where we are. If you can't write poetry, how about your calligraphy?"
"This junior can write a few words, calligraphy is very common." Qingshi was a little surprised, "This place? Senior Hu, please tell me clearly."
"Senior Bai!" the old man said, "Call me Senior Bai, whether it's Bai or Hu."
"Yes, Senior Bai." Qingshi was even more surprised. It was rare for someone to call himself a senior, let alone introduce himself with a Gao surname. This old man seemed to have a moral integrity, but his words seemed a little out of tune. .
"Well," the old man nodded and said, "cultivation people can naturally read and write. But writing can rise to the level of art. Then it is not called writing but calligraphy. I devote myself to poetry and books. It goes without saying that poetry has been written for thousands of years, and calligraphy has both inherited the true meaning and is quite innovative!"
The old man shook his head and boasted, made a follow-me gesture to Qingshi, walked up to the aperture in the courtyard, and kept talking, "You will be able to admire my calligraphy in a while, and if you have the chance, you can also read my poems." Reading and appreciating it is very helpful for improving one’s taste.”
As the old man spoke, he stepped into the circle of light where Qingshi came in, but did not disappear. He waited until Qingshi also stepped in before disappearing together.
The next moment, Qingshi and the old man appeared in another circular space. This space was only about ten feet in diameter. In addition to a circle of light on the ground, there was only a black stone tablet about two feet high in the entire space. The stone tablet was engraved with a series of Golden words.
The old man said: "This is the message left by my master, but I wrote the words. You can appreciate it slowly. I will leave first." After saying this, the light disappeared in a flash.
Qingshi walked out of the aperture and came to the stone tablet. He looked at the words first, but they were neater, but that was all. In this world, they might be considered good, but in Qingshi's eyes they were not worth mentioning.
Qingshi's calligraphy is good. He was a successful scholar in several previous lives, and his calligraphy skills are still in his memory. Although he doesn't have many opportunities to write in this world, if he really wants to write, it will definitely be better than this old man's. The proud work is much better.
Qingshi smiled and shook his head, then read the text carefully:
Everyone who comes to this Yunlu is a destined person, and they all have the opportunity to pass on my mantle and fulfill my long-cherished wish.
Yunlu is a spiritual treasure in the cave. When I was traveling in Taixu, I was unexpectedly attacked by evil spirits (Note 1) and fell here. Yunlu was damaged, I was injured, and I have been trapped here for five thousand years.
Yu reluctantly sealed his remaining soul to wait for rebirth, and asked Yu's four servants to set up tests to wait for a chance.
Destined people in future generations will receive predestined gifts depending on their assessment status. If you can pass the test, you can become my disciple and receive my inheritance. However, I must make a true life oath in front of Yu Ling, reach the Taihao God Realm within ten thousand years, find my husband (Note 2) and tell me this, so that I can be saved.
This matter is extremely difficult, I hope God has mercy on me and helps me. Xue Rong, the Jade Sword Princess of Moro God Realm, weeps in blood (Note 3). Emperor Maru Yanhua lived in the 1,263rd year of his reign (Note 4).
Note 1: It’s that bastard Sailin, the sixth prince of Taihao
Note 2: His Royal Highness Prince Taihao Tuyue
Note 3: It should be oral, the author is Hu Bai
Note 4: Tianlong World Tianlong Dynasty Dayun Emperor around 450 years ago
Annotated by: Hu Bai
Qingshi felt sad after reading it, but he couldn't help but smile at Hu Bai's explanation, secretly thinking that this old man was also crooked.
After reading it twice more and pondering over it again, Qingshi thought: Princess Jade Sword’s words are concise and to the point, and her reasons and appeals are quite clear. However, the details about the assessment are unclear. It seems that the specific matters are her responsibility. Four servants came to perform the execution. I wonder if this old Hubai old man is one of the four servants. By the way, he once said that the princess is 'my master', so she must be. It seems that we have to find him.
Making up his mind, Qingshi turned around and walked into the circle of light, only to find that he was still where he was. He went in and out a few times but never returned to the old man's yard. Qingshi couldn't figure it out and could only shout loudly: "Senior Bai."
After a few breaths, Hu Bai appeared in the circle. The old man came over and asked, "Are there any words that you don't recognize so you can't understand them? This kind of ancient Chinese is not easy to understand. You can ask me consult."
"Junior has already finished reading it," Qingshi replied, "I can recognize the words and understand them."
"Oh! Really? Your literary literacy is not bad." The old man was slightly surprised, then nodded with satisfaction, "Then have you ever paid attention to my calligraphy?"
"The old man's calligraphy is rigorous and neat, which is very good." Qingshi replied.
"Well, this is the inscription. It should be neat and tidy, but what I like best is cursive writing. By the way, look at the third word on the second line," the old man pointed at the stone tablet and said, "It's the word long-cherished wish. Gou, you see how flexible and uninhibited the hook is, not only solemn but also elegant, so this word is neat but not rigid at all. Do you understand, young man?"
Looking at those unattractive curls and hooks, Qingshi almost laughed out loud, but with a look of admiration on his face, he said: "It's really brilliant. Senior, how is this assessment conducted?"
"Well, it's rare to be able to see his brilliance. I really want to learn from you when I have time... I can give you some pointers." The old man said with a little regret, "But it's what the master told me. But I still have to explain things clearly to you first, just follow me." After saying that, he walked into the aperture, and Qingshi quickly followed.
The scene in front of me changed, this time it was back to the empty hall with nine circles at the beginning, but this time it was not coming in from the middle aperture.
"This assessment is divided into three levels, and each level is divided into three levels. I am responsible for the assessment of the three levels of the first level." The old man walked slowly in the empty hall, talking as he walked, Qingshi followed closely Listen carefully.
"The assessment is conducted in order. Every time you pass a level, you have a chance to get a reward and a chance to choose. For example, you now have a chance to choose. You can choose to pass the level or give up. You want to decide Then you can tell me," the old man stopped and faced Qingshi, "Have you thought about it?"
"Huh?" Qingshi was about to listen to the old man explain the details of rewards and choices in detail. He suddenly asked a question without warning. After thinking for a while, he asked, "I want to ask the old man, if I choose to break through the level, I don't know if the old man can Please explain the situation of this level in detail, such as what content is tested in this level, how difficult it is, whether there is a time limit, etc. What will happen if you choose to give up?"
"Hey! There are a lot of problems," the old man said dissatisfied. "There used to be a young man who was very cheerful. He would go through one level after another without saying a word."
"Then what happened to him?"
"Dead, at the third level."
"Failed? Are you playing the game?" Qingshi was confused and asked, "If you died, you failed to pass the level, right? How many opportunities do you have to pass each level, and how many times can you fail at most?"
"If you die, you will die." The old man said calmly.
"Dead! If you don't succeed in breaking through the level, you will die!" Qingshi almost jumped up.
"That's not necessarily true. There is only one chance for each level. Either you pass it, you give up, or you die. That young man is too persistent. He won't give up even if he can't beat it." The old man said unhurriedly, "In fact, if you try But just go there and say 'I give up', and the agency will stop and naturally you won't die."
"Oh," Qingshi breathed a sigh of relief and asked again, "What will happen if you give up?"
"If you give up, there will be no reward. If you give up at any level, there will be no reward for that level," the old man said patiently. "Those who give up must go back and never come here again. Of course, in order to keep it secret, there will be no reward before going out." Erase this memory."
"Then what happens if you pass the test?" Qingshi asked.
"You can get the reward for that level after you pass it," the old man rolled his eyes at Qingshi and said impatiently, "After you get the reward, you can choose to continue to pass the level, or you can give up. Anyone who gives up will have the same result. What do you think? Have you thought about it?"
"Not yet," Qingshi continued to ask, "If I pass the first level, what reward will I get?"
"Well, I won't tell you the reward for this level until you decide to pass it." After a pause, the old man continued, "Actually, there's nothing to think about. Now that you're here, why not try it? I can't pass it. Just say 'I give up' and you say no. Okay, just think about it slowly and call me when you think about it." Then he was about to leave.
"Senior, stay!" Qingshi shouted, "I will break through, and I will never give up easily. I am not just trying to get a few more rewards, my goal is to pass the level. Because of this, I need to be fully prepared before I can Need to know more about the situation.”
"Hey! What a boast." The old man rolled his eyes and walked away.
"Senior Bai," Qingshi continued to ask perseveringly, "the last question, how long can I think about it?"
"It doesn't matter how long it takes," the old man said angrily without looking back, "I can keep thinking about growing old and dying here." Then he stepped into the circle of light and disappeared.
Seeing the old man disappear, Qingshi sighed helplessly.
Qingshi asked a lot of questions, and the old man seemed to have answered a lot of them, but he ignored a few of the most basic questions about the assessment rules, which were the content of the assessment, the difficulty of the assessment, and the time limit that Qingshi first asked.
The old man was either deliberately avoiding the answer, or he was speaking in a confused manner and did not make the point. However, judging from the contact with the old man, the latter seemed more likely.
Qingshi made up his mind: I will never participate in the assessment with a blind eye. I must let this old man reveal all the information I want.
Since 'it takes as long as you like', Qingshi was no longer in a hurry and began to explore the space. He entered the nine apertures in turn. Except for one of them, which led to the stone tablet, the other apertures did not respond to him.
Qingshi studied the aperture carefully. This aperture was obviously the portal for the teleportation array, but there was no clue at all. There was no trace of the array on the smooth floor.
Qingshi entered the stele room and conducted a thorough study of the stele, but found nothing.
Finally, Qingshi returned to the nine-aperture hall, lay on the floor and stared blankly at the stars in the dome above his head, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.
