The Confucian scholar Cui Jue bowed to the two tombs and left the foot of Zhelongbei Mountain, leaving only the young man here.
Chu Yuanxiao first kowtowed three times in front of the two graves, and then began to fill back the soil that had been shoveled out.
The tools that Zhu's gang used to dig the graves were brought by themselves. Now that the people left, the tools were naturally taken away. The young man could only do these things with his bare hands. He knelt on the ground and pulled back. Xu Tu, while muttering in a low voice, seemed to be chatting with the two old people sitting next to him.
"I'm sorry, you two old men. I originally thought that if I had enough brains, I could fight with that guy named Ke, but as you saw, it doesn't seem to be of much use."
While the young man was busy with the work in his hands, he smiled bitterly and said: "I just can't figure it out, why in the eyes of people like them, we who don't live an easy life can't even be counted as human beings?"
Handfuls of soil were carried back to the tomb, and the two stone tablets were erected in front of the tomb. After finishing the work, the young man knelt in front of the two tombs and kowtowed, and then walked up to the tomb. He didn't seem to care about the slippery muddy water after the rain. He just sat on the top of the hillock between the tombs, looking at the silent town in the distance, and murmured softly: "If I only had my fists, Only when you are big or have a lot of money can you become a master. Then I want to know if people like them will also be down one day? What will they rely on at that time? "
——
The small town has a jade street and a side yard of Zhu's mansion.
The three masters and servants of Shuixiu Lake who came from Jinchaizhou gathered again at the stone table in the courtyard.
After changing his clothes, Ke Yuzhi, the young sect leader of Shuixiu Lake, returned to his elegant young appearance in rich clothes. His face was still a little pale at this time. On the contrary, his mother Zheng Chunrou, who was sitting opposite him, had already put her clothes back together and was with Zhe Longbei Mountain. The Mistress of Shuixiu Lake was the same as before the fight at her feet. She was still graceful. From a closer look, her makeup seemed to be slightly heavier than before.
The old woman standing behind the young man raised her eyes and glanced at her madam without any trace at the moment her wife reappeared, and then frowned but said nothing.
The three of them looked at each other in silence for a long time. In the end, it was the youngest wealthy boy who couldn't hold back his emotions. He lowered his head and said gloomily: "Mother makes atonement. My son thinks he has the pearl of wisdom, but he didn't expect to be plotted by that mud-legged guy. I didn’t even expect that the girl was not the only one from the Xihe Sword Sect.”
Mrs. Zheng, who was sitting opposite the young man, smiled and did not let her son see the pair of jade hands and clenched fists under her table. She looked at her son's pale face and comforted her softly: "My son doesn't have to blame himself. Regarding this matter, , we have not gained nothing.”
Ke Yuzhi paused for a moment, raised his head and glanced at his mother, his eyes filled with questions but he did not speak.
Mrs. Zheng looked at the confusion in the young man's eyes and chuckled: "After this incident, my son should learn a truth called 'a lion fights a rabbit with all his strength.' You never thought about it before you went to the foot of the mountain. You will suffer a loss at the hands of that boy, and you shouldn’t.”
Ke Yuzhi's expression became even more gloomy when his mistake was pointed out. Of course, his reaction was not directed at his mother who was reviewing his case, but it was just that this incident really embarrassed him.
Mrs. Zheng smiled when she saw this and did not say anything further. Instead, she changed the subject and said, "Furthermore, Mr. Cui did not write off the deposit we paid before coming here because of this matter. Then I, Shuixiu Lake, This trip is not too bad.”
Ke Yuzhi nodded, thought for a while and shook his head.
Zheng Chunrou watched her son nod and shake his head, couldn't help but smile, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"My original intention was to take away the Liu family's eldest daughter who is said to be the most talented in the town before I leave. At worst, she should be one of the second-tier young people. But now I only have one day. I'm afraid we don't have enough time."
When Ke Yuzhi mentioned this, his face couldn't help but become more gloomy. In the battle at the gate of Beiling Temple, the blind old man with his eyes closed and leaning on a crutch was deliberately lenient, making him think he could wipe it. I followed the rules here, but I didn't expect that at the foot of Zhelongbei Mountain, the Confucian saint suddenly tightened the rules too much.
Now they only have one day, and if they want to go to the door and bargain slowly with people, they still don't have enough time.
Mrs. Zheng didn't have the same regrets as her son. She frowned slightly at first and then quickly relaxed her eyebrows. She chuckled and said, "It's not too bad. Zhu Zhen is also good in terms of talent alone. Besides, He is not light at all, as you can tell from the test when he first arrived that day. There is a spirit in his heart that never dissipates. As long as this kind of person is given some thoughts, he will be able to have success in the future. Achievements.”
When it came to the little fat Zhu Zhen, Ke Yuzhi frowned in disgust. He was not satisfied with the result. It was not because the little fat man was not qualified, but because he just felt that he was not pleasing to his eyes. The original random trial was just that. I did it casually without intending to take him under my wing, but now it has become one of the few choices he has.
As the saying goes, "a crow falls into a flock of phoenixes", but I never expected that Ke Yuzhi would one day choose a phoenix among the crows. How could this be true?
Mrs. Zheng looked at the young man's expression and shook her head with a smile, without saying anything more. In the long run, today's defeat may not be entirely a bad thing for his son, who has been blessed since childhood.
…
In the main courtyard of the Zhu family, the head of the family, Zhu Jiantang, was also sitting at the head of the main hall, listening to the two butlers ranked second and third under him reporting to him a series of changes this morning.
His face was gloomy, not angry and intimidating.
The two butlers, Zhu Er and Zhu San, looked at each other quietly, knowing each other tacitly. Today's incident was really unexpected, but it also felt like kicking an iron plate.
The atmosphere between the three of them was a little solemn. On the contrary, Zhu Zhen, the bored little fat man, was sitting aside. Hearing the two people's replies, he was a little surprised. In the past, I had only heard that the down-and-out person of the same age at the east entrance of the town was a man who was destined to bring evil and suppress others. His mother had given him endless instructions since he was a child not to have any contact with that mud-legged kid, and she was not allowed to say anything!
But today it sounds like it’s quite interesting!
Ever since he heard that the Twelve Sword Immortals of the Xihe Sword Sect had intervened, Zhu Jiantang's expression had become unsightly, with a visible gloom, but he still didn't say much.
He turned his head and glanced at his son Zhu Zhen, who was sitting on one side. Seeing his interested expression, his face became even more ugly, and he warned: "Zhu Zhen, I'm warning you, although our Zhu family is here in Yanguan Town, The place looks pretty good, but compared to those immortals from other places, we can only be regarded as ordinary people! You have already seen the way Shuixiu Lake is doing it, don’t think about provoking others, otherwise it will be so easy Yuanxiao’s fate is right in front of us!”
The little bully Zhu Zhen didn't care. He glanced at his father, then rolled his eyes and said nothing.
Seeing this, Zhu Jiantang was a little helpless. After thinking about it for a while, he said earnestly: "Son, after all, there are countless foreigners who have come here all the way, and there are also countless people who can be taken away. Since our ancestors' generation established here, our Zhu family has how many In all generations, no child has ever left Yanguan and entered the Immortal Sect... Many people say that your father is not good at settling accounts, but who has cared about the embarrassment of the Zhu family for so many years, guarding Baoshan in vain and not being able to enter the gate? Dilemma? If you take this step, you may step on the clouds. If you stay here forever, not only you will be like your father, but also my Zhu family, descendants and descendants for thousands of generations, have already seen the end at a glance. "
When it comes to this matter, the sturdy head of the Zhu family is very regretful. The twists and turns are difficult to describe!
The Jiazi Date in Yanguan Town has been passed down for hundreds of generations. All the people who were once young people in the small town and have left, after leaving Yanguan Town, as long as they have some success, will Come back and pick up your family, and then another family will move in in Yanguan Town.
The twists and turns in this process are all as usual, just like the people coming and going in an ordinary remote town. Only the four most noble surnames in the town have never changed their surnames for many generations!
For some very mysterious reasons, the people in the small town who stayed here will not remember that anyone left during the sixty years between each "Jiazi Promise". Even if some people remember it here and there, they will only think that they have left. Those who left moved away because they went to other places to make a fortune. No one ever remembered that any of them had entered the Immortal Sect, or even that there was such a thing as the Immortal Sect.
I don’t know what kind of immortal methods were used in this whole process. In short, Jiazi has been dealing with it very vaguely. It is so mysterious and wonderful that even a discerning person will feel panic in his heart!
Of course, there are not too many discerning people like this who would panic, but the four major surnames in Yanguan Town have been passed down for a long time, and the heads of each family are probably the most obvious group of them, and because the ancestors of each family were the first to sit here, There has been an agreement among the group of saints for a long time, so this secret that has been passed down orally from generation to generation among the family heads cannot even be revealed to the people next to them!
That's not the case, but looking around, what he sees always makes the head of the Zhu family, who prides himself on being strong, unable to calm down!
They are both the four major surnames in the town. The heads of the Li family in the town have been salt officials for generations. There are also rumors that the Li family has a close relationship with the royal family of the Chengyun Empire where Liangzhou is located. This is probably why generations of salt officials will have a Minghuang imperial edict. The reason for the appointment was personally assigned by the emperor, Zhongshu Ling drafted the edict in his own hand, and the servants personally stamped it with the imperial seal. Then Zuopushe, the Minister of Public Affairs, appointed Huangmen Shilang to go to Liangzhou to deliver the edict! The four top people in the empire are involved at the same time. This card is not available to everyone!
Speaking of the Chen family, they have always been in contact with a scholarly wealthy family with the same surname Chen in a foreign country. Zhu Jiantang is not sure which family it is, but the relationship between the two is like that of the Chen family in a small town. A branch of a wealthy family, the difference in status between him and the Zhu family is also a matter of superiority!
The Liu family in the small town does not have much foreign aid, but their business has been getting bigger and bigger in recent years. They have long been no longer limited to a small place like Yanguan Town. The head of the Liu family, Liu Yuanxiang, has become more and more popular. He is not in Yanguan Town all year round!
After counting them in detail, only the Zhu family has nothing to offer but plenty of land. They can only be imprisoned here by the land under their feet, with no progress except digging in the ground for food!
Seeing that the gap between the Zhu family and the other three families was getting bigger and bigger, it was so big that Zhu Jiantang began to feel guilty in his heart. When he saw the other three family heads with the same surname as him, he always felt that he could not stand up straight. Come!
It was probably for this reason that twenty years ago, Zhu Jiantang took over the authority of the Zhu family from his father, and after learning the secret that had been passed down from generation to generation, he spent a few years feeling unhappy. Only then did the new head of the family, who prided himself on being wise and strategic, change his family's ancestral precepts. Before this "Jiazi Date" came, he contacted the Immortal Sect from abroad in advance and met Jinchaizhou Shuixiuhu who took the initiative to come to his door. When they met in Liangzhou City, the two families hit it off and planned for many years, so that today, the Zhu family could have the opportunity to send a direct descendant of their own family to enter the immortal sect. Once the disciple sent out succeeds in cultivation, the Zhu family will no longer be just a In Yanguan Town, a small place surrounded by clouds, mountains and fog, he was a wealthy country gentleman who could only live on land rent!
This is why he, the head of the Zhu family, deliberately seeks to give the Zhu family an opportunity to ascend to heaven! Among the generations of family heads, there is only one person who can share the credit, and a thousand years of achievements, only one person can control it!
Thinking of this, the head of the Zhu family became a little angry when he saw the little fat man's disinterested expression. He admonished his son in a very serious tone: "Son, I have been planning for my father for more than ten years, just to be able to help you. Fight for a good future!"
As Zhu Jiantang spoke, he picked up the tea cup on the table and took a sip of tea. He smiled and said: "Now Shuixiu Lake is restricted by Mr. Cui and must leave Yanguan Town within one day. So it is obvious that they have no time and opportunity." Go and discuss business with other people. This will be a God-given opportunity for you, and it will also be an opportunity for me, the Zhu family, to turn around. Do you understand? As long as you can become a disciple of Shuixiu Lake this time, work hard and practice hard, and wait until you can practice in the future. When we are successful, our Zhu family will be able to leave this place directly and go to Jinchaizhou. Then we will no longer be the country bullies who have to live on one-third of an acre of land for rent for generations! Son, this is Do you understand that the long-cherished wish of many generations of my Zhu family cannot be tolerated by you?"
The fat little Zhu Zhen, who was originally casual, finally became a little serious when he heard his father's words "the long-cherished wish of many generations of the Zhu family", but the latter sentence inevitably made him feel a little bored!
He supported half of his slightly plump face with one hand, looked at the solemn father of the family, and said: "Dad, to be honest, I didn't really worry about those things you were always calculating. You said I don’t have any problem with taking our Zhu family to a higher level, and I admire you for making it so clear now, but I don’t think it’s a good choice when it comes to worshiping in Shuixiu Lake as you mentioned!”
Zhu Jiantang's face suddenly darkened. He waved away the two officious butlers and watched the door of the main hall slowly close from the outside. Then he turned to look at his son, who was so careless in everything he said and did, and said angrily: "You What kind of nonsense did you say?! I have been calculating for so many years just to send you into the Immortal Sect, and now you tell me that this is not a good choice?!"
Zhu Zhen shook his head, "Dad, after so many years since you sent me to a rural school, I have never studied well. I have not remembered many of the principles taught by Mr. Cui. Among the few sentences I have remembered, There is a saying that 'the correspondence between good and evil is like the correspondence between landscape and countryside'."
At this point, he glanced at his father and explained: "To put it simply, it means that good will be rewarded with good, and evil will be rewarded with evil."
Zhu Jiantang laughed out loud when he heard this. He looked at the little fat man and teased: "You bastard, you still have the nerve to say these words? Are you and Liu Qinghui of the Liu family bullying Zhao Jicheng?"
The little fat man didn't take it seriously, waved his hands and said indifferently: "What kind of good and evil is that? I didn't even hit him, I just said a few unpleasant words, what kind of evil is that?"
Zhu Jiantang nodded and didn't say much. He didn't really care about it, but he rarely heard his son drop his school bags. He was a little surprised and asked with interest: "So? Why did you drop a bunch of school bags?" what you want to say?"
"It's nothing." The little fat man shook his head and said with contempt: "I just feel that if you follow such a family, you will be taken to the ditch sooner or later! Look at what this family has done? I have been famous for many years. The 'little bully' of Yanguan Town, I can't even do such an immoral thing as digging up people's ancestral graves!"
The head of the Zhu family was shocked to realize that his son had said something wrong, and he quickly tried to stop him, but it was too late. He only heard a cold and indifferent chuckle outside the door.
"Oh, immoral?" As the door of the house was pushed open from the outside, the figure of Ke Yuzhi, the young master of Shuixiu Lake, appeared at the door. He said with a cold face: "Zhu Zhen, it seems that when you and I first met, I gave You didn’t get it right in that class!”
The fat little Zhu Zhen sat on the chair and just rolled his eyes without saying a word. He didn't even move his buttocks.
Zhu Jiantang was very embarrassed and a little frightened. He stood up and rubbed his hands to give up his seat to Ke Yuzhi, "Master Ke, I am ignorant and my words are unreasonable. I also ask Master Ke not to remember the faults of others and not to argue with him."
Ke Yuzhi glanced at the little fat man, then smiled at Zhu Jiantang, and naturally sat on the main seat in the hall. He looked at Zhu Zhen with a faint smile and said: "You don't understand what the world of cultivation is like, so I don't bother to argue with you. , but let me give you a piece of advice. In the world of spiritual practice where human lives are at risk, it would be cruel to yourself to insist on the so-called "kindness"! When everyone is staring at a big pill that can easily break through the situation. When taking pills, your so-called courtesy will not be appreciated by others, they will only think that you are a complete fool, and then use the stolen pills to repay the broken mirror, and then kill you without any scruples!"
"Practice is to compete with others for life and with heaven! Just like your father has been planning for many years, isn't it just to prevent your Zhu family from being left behind by the other three surnames? If the three families of Liu, Chen, and Li are going to a higher level today, you Do you want to ask the heads of the three families if they will give your father face and treat him as a similar person? Do you want to ask that Chu Yuanxiao now? If he has the chance to let me die here, he Will you give up this opportunity?"
After Ke Yuzhi said this, he turned his head and looked at the little fat man. Seeing the contemplation on his face, he couldn't help but feel a little complacent and said with a chuckle: "So, Zhu Zhen, as a human being, you can have the opportunity to climb up a step and become a better person." It’s not easy, but not everyone can have such an opportunity. I advise you not to insist on your so-called ridiculous kindness at this time, it is no different from the kindness of a woman who can only grow hair!"
Having said that, Ke Yuzhi said nothing more, and turned to play with the tea cup served by Zhu's servant on the table. He stretched out his fingers to draw circles along the rim of the cup, and confidently waited for the little fat man's reply.
The little fat Zhu Zhen also didn't speak, nor did he glance at the winks his father sitting opposite him kept giving him. He lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes and thought for a long time, so long that Zhu Jiantang had to refill the teacup in his hand three times.
Just when the head of the Zhu family looked at the expression of the old god Ke Yuzhi several times, and finally couldn't help but want to wake up his son, the little fat Zhu Zhen finally let out a long breath, then raised his head and looked first He glanced at Zhu Jiantang, then turned to look at Ke Yuzhi. Under the determined gaze of the young master of Shuixiu Lake, he chuckled and said, "Ke Yuzhi, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you. Although what you said may make sense, I still don't think so." What a wise choice it is to follow you Ke, just like if I were Chu Yuanxiao, even if I had the chance, I would not choose to kill you here."
This answer was so unexpected that Ke Yuzhi, who had failed in his intention, was in a daze. When he came back to his senses, his face became very ugly, "Zhu Zhen, so you are planning to refuse my invitation now?"
Zhu Zhen didn't hesitate at all. He nodded and smiled while Ke Yuzhi and Zhu Jiantang both looked a little blue: "That's right, I won't go to Jinchaizhou with you, let alone enter Xiuhu Lake!"
The moment these words were spoken, all the anger that had been suppressing Ke Yuzhi's heart for the past two days was finally detonated. He completely turned cold and tried his best to suppress his emotions so as not to explode on the spot. He looked at the man with a sinister face. The little fat man smiled for a moment, then suddenly smiled uncharacteristically: "Zhu Zhen, are you doing this to avenge me for breaking that Qingyun cup?"
Zhu Zhen smiled and said, "No, it doesn't count. I can't say that I don't mean to take revenge. After all, a set of Qingyun Cups is still very valuable, but the reason why I don't want to join the same family as you in Shuixiu Lake is not just for that set. Qingyun Cup."
"Haha, good! Very good!" Ke Yuzhi no longer has any tolerance. He can bear being slapped in the face like this. He is not the young sect master who dominates Shuixiu Lake!
"Zhu Zhen, I really didn't expect that my trip to Yanguan Town, which I thought would be boring, not only allowed me to meet Chu Yuanxiao, the mud-legged guy, but also you later! You all seem to think I'm easy to mess with, right? Do you think that Shuixiuhu, my dignified fifth-grade sect, can be bullied by any cat or dog?"
"You think that me asking you to dig up Zhu's ancestral grave is the most cruel method, but you have never thought that the Zhu behind you is actually different from that lonely bastard, right? You have nearly a hundred people, old, young, women and children. Halfway! From today on, you'd better pray that Yanguan Town can always protect your Zhu family, otherwise I will let you watch your entire Zhu family die in my hands one after another."
At this point, he sneered, and his white teeth were so frightening, "The most terrifying thing in this world is not death, but the inability to die! I will make you open your eyes and see how your entire Zhu family is doing in this world." You were teased and insulted in front of you and couldn't die? Then you watched how they were skinned alive and their hearts and lungs were ripped out? And then you watched how your Zhu family lived in misery for generations?! At that time, I hope you can still be as tough as you are today!"
As soon as these words came out, the scene completely turned cold. Even Zhu Jiantang, the head of the Zhu family who was fond of Xiuhu, had a cold face and said nothing. Zhu Zhen looked at Ke Yuzhi's almost distorted expression and stood up from his chair expressionlessly, " In this case, there is nothing more to say between you and me. Zhu Zhen will remember Mr. Ke’s instructions today, and please take the time to leave my house!"
"Ha! Zhu Zhen, I hope you won't regret it then!" After saying this, Ke Yuzhi glanced at Zhu Jiantang, and then left the main hall of Zhu's main courtyard without looking back.
In the main hall, the head of the Zhu family, Zhu Jiantang, slowly stood up and walked a few steps. He stood side by side with his son Zhu Zhen. He watched Ke Yuzhi's figure disappear at the courtyard door. Then he sighed, raised his hand and patted Zhu Zhen's shoulder, speaking softly with a solemn tone. Said: "Son, dad is gambling with you this time on the lifeblood of the entire Zhu family. I hope you are not impulsive!"
Hearing this, the little fat Zhu Zhen withdrew his eyes from looking at the courtyard door, turned his head to look at his father, and said in a playful tone: "Dad, there are no other people here, so we don't have to play tricks, right? Isn't that what you always hoped for?" Is this the current situation? It’s already now, why are you speaking so solemnly?”
Zhu Jiantang paused slightly when he heard the words, smiled and said nothing. He patted the little fat man on the shoulder again, turned his head and looked at the courtyard door with a deep look.
Since you are betting on your life, how can you win big if you don’t bet hard...
——
On the east side of the town is at the foot of Zhelongbei Mountain.
The young man Chu Yuanxiao kowtowed three more times in front of the two re-gathered tombs, then stood up and slowly left the foot of the mountain and returned to the town.
A moment later, when the young man's figure was visible in the distance and was about to disappear at the entrance of the town, a sturdy middle-aged man with a strong build suddenly appeared on the hill between the two tombs at the foot of the mountain.
If Chu Yuanxiao were still here, he would definitely recognize this man as the small-town mason who erected stone tablets in front of the two tombs but did not charge him a penny.
Master Shi stood on the top of the mountain, quietly looking at the young man who was about to disappear in the distance, and whispered softly in an inexplicable tone.
"Cause and effect cycle, retribution is unsatisfactory, sowing karma reaps results, and karma is difficult to measure."
