It was dusk.
On the tree-lined road, a man and a horse came galloping from a distance.
According to passers-by, there is a town here called Qingye Town. From Qingye Town to the north, you can reach the boundary of Lingjiao Valley by walking for ten days.
When we arrived at the boundary of Lingjiao Valley, we also arrived at the door of our house.
I saw a rocky mountain standing a few miles ahead. There are clusters of houses on the hillside shaded by trees. Just when the sunset is shining and the smoke is rising, the tranquility of the mountains and villages seems to be here.
Is that Qingye Town?
At the foot of the hillside where the town is located is a crossroads. Go east from the intersection and you can bypass the town and go north.
However, the scenery is always far away, and troubled times are close at hand.
A group of figures blocked the intersection, and the sound of quarrels broke the tranquility and peace of the place.
Yu Ye gently tightened the reins in his hands, and the horse slowed down.
After leaving Pingshui Town, he headed north.
Although I have never walked this road, I still won’t lose my way if I ask about it. He walked leisurely for a few days, sleeping in the wilderness, firstly to avoid getting into trouble, and secondly, to take the opportunity to practice his skills and ponder his armor-breaking talisman.
When I rushed to Qingye Town today, I wanted to buy bags of rice and prepare some fine materials for the horses. I also wanted to buy some cinnabar so that I could try to draw the Armor-Breaking Talisman again. Who wants to take a detour if someone blocks the road?
Yu Ye drove his horse forward slowly.
But I don’t know who is blocking the road. Let’s see clearly before making any fuss.
There were more than a dozen people blocked at the intersection, and the two sides were still arguing.
On one side were eight or nine men from the world of martial arts, armed with long knives and crossbows, all with arrogant and arrogant looks. On the other hand were two men and one woman, of different ages and looks, who looked like people from the world of politics, each riding a horse and carrying a sharp weapon, but they seemed Quite angry, yet upright.
"Why are our swords confiscated?"
"My brother has been ordered by Taoist Master Bei Qishan to strictly investigate Taoist cultivators in various places. You must register in the register and hand over your sharp weapons, otherwise you will never even think about setting foot in Qingye Town..."
"Beiqi Mountain is dead, where is the Taoist Master? Even if it is as you said, we are all casual cultivators and are not bound by the Taoist sect, let alone hand over our swords!"
"Huh, listen, the eight Taoist sects of Daze have been merged into one family. From now on, whether they are casual cultivators or Taoist disciples, they will all be under the jurisdiction of Beiqi Mountain. Those who resist the order will be responsible for the consequences!"
"What does it mean to disobey orders and bear the consequences? We, Taoists, respect heaven and earth, and Tao follows nature, so what crime do we have?"
"It's useless to yell with my brother. How dare you go to the masters of Bei Qi Mountain to argue with you. You cultivators may seem to be sanctimonious, but you are actually thieves who kill my fellow practitioners and steal the treasures of the Immortal Sect..."
"presumptuous!"
"Hand over the sharp weapon and tell the origin of your name..."
"snort……"
Yu Ye stopped more than ten feet away.
The man who blocked the road for questioning was obviously a gangster who had taken refuge with the monks in Qizhou.
The other two men and one woman were actually cultivators. Not only that, they all seemed to be innate masters, that is, Qi refining monks with some cultivation. Da Ze's Taoist disciples have seen a few, such as Bai Zhi, Chen Qi, or Zhong Jian, Yan Chi, and Mo Can. And it was really the first time that I met three Qi refining masters.
These three people call themselves rogue cultivators?
If Da Ze's casual cultivators were so powerful, Da Ze's Taoist sect would not be in the situation it is today.
During the quarrel, the leading man suddenly dismounted from his horse. There were just two crisp sounds, and the man who insulted him fell to the ground with blood on his mouth. Not to be outdone, the two companions drew their swords and jumped into the air.
How could a group of gangsters be willing to give in? They relied on the strength of their numbers and slashed with their swords, but they were no match for the monks. They were immediately beaten to the point of running away with their heads covered.
After a while, only three monks, two men and one woman, were left at the intersection.
The man who took the lead laughed loudly: "Haha, it's time to eliminate demons and protect the way!"
Another young man also raised his eyebrows and said: "It is unreasonable for reckless people to dare to be so arrogant!"
The woman accompanying me was cautious and advised: "Two senior brothers, it is not appropriate to stay here for a long time!"
"Just follow what Junior Sister Meng said!"
The leading man and his two companions flew onto their horses, but turned back and said with a smile: "Fellow Taoist, why don't you go ahead?"
Yu Ye was still watching, and was secretly curious when he saw that the melee between the two sides had ended, but no one was killed. And he was about to go to Qingye Town, but he didn't want anyone to invite him to go with him.
Fellow?
Can that person see his own cultivation?
"oh……"
Yu Ye raised his hands hesitantly and said: "I am not a Taoist disciple, and I am on a different path from the three of you..."
"Ha ha!"
The man smiled happily, blinked his eyes and said: "The three of us are not disciples of the Taoist sect. We are all casual cultivators like our Taoist friends. But if you go to Qingye Town at this time, you are asking for trouble. From the perspective of those people in the world, , how can you and I not be fellow travelers?"
His companion also shook his head and smiled: "This little brother can hide it from others, but he can't hide it from the eyes of the three of me. Your sword is not a common thing, you can tell it at a glance!"
The woman whispered to herself: "Nowadays, the world is collapsing and the Taoism is gone. As a Taoist, how can we stay out of it?"
"Let's go!"
The man raised his hand and waved, and pointed out: "Those who are destined to walk together on the same road; those who are not destined to go the opposite direction!"
Yu Ye frowned, a little helpless.
No one saw his own cultivation, but the sword showed flaws. Although the long sword was wrapped in cloth, it could not be hidden from the monk's consciousness.
What does it mean to stay out of things, and what does it mean to be predestined or not?
The implication is that if he does not act at this time, he will be suspected of colluding with people in the world and informing others.
This is a forced companionship, which is exactly the same as Feng Laoqi and Jiang Xiong's coercion to join the gang. If I had known, I would have stayed away, and whoever wanted to watch could get into trouble.
However, those gangsters will definitely not give up after suffering a loss. Going to Qingye Town at this time is not a wise move.
Forget it, let’s see what these three people are like.
Yu Ye pinched the horse's belly and walked forward.
The two men looked at each other, smiled, and galloped away.
The woman was a few steps behind, walking alongside Yu Ye, obviously keeping an eye on him in case he changed his mind.
Four people and four riders quickly crossed the intersection, bypassed the town, and headed northeast.
After more than ten miles, night fell.
There was a fire ahead.
There was a forest beside the road, and a fire was lit in the open space in front of the forest. There was no one around, and the lonely fire looked a little strange.
However, the two men were not surprised, or they had expected it, so they stopped here and claimed to rest on the spot.
Yu Ye had no choice but to dismount and saw a stream nearby with lush water and grass, so he led the horse and walked over.
But I heard someone calling from behind: "Fellow Taoist, it's rare that we have the chance to travel together, why don't we get to know each other?"
The three monks were sitting on the grass, and the leading man waved to them.
Yu Ye dropped the reins of the horse, thought for a moment, took out the long sword on the horse and took it in his hand, then turned around and came back.
"Yu Xin, a master of the fourth level of Qi refining at Tiandan Peak, Meng Qingqing, Yu Xin's fellow disciple, a master of the third level of Qi refining. Am I..."
Three monks were sitting together; a burning fire was located two feet away. The bright firelight illuminated the figures of the three people clearly.
The leading man told the origins of the two companions, and the man named Yu Xin answered: "Tao Fengzi, a disciple of Xiyun Mountain, a true master at the fifth level of Qi refining!"
"Haha, just call me Taofeng!"
The man who called himself Taofeng laughed and said: "If you are not crazy, you will waste your youth! Let's not mention the so-called housekeeper disciples. The Taoist sect is gone, and you and I are both homeless!"
Yu Ye looked at the three monks and then at the burning fire.
Who lit this fire?
Qingye Town is only more than ten miles away. If those gangsters come after them, they can easily find this place with the guidance of firelight.
Then I heard Taofeng ask: "Which spiritual mountain does fellow Taoist come from?"
"Down here..."
Yu Ye walked closer, cupped his hands and said, "I am not a Taoist disciple..."
"Ha ha!"
Taofeng stroked his beard and laughed loudly: "We are not crazy people, Taoist friends, we should put away those deceitful words!"
Yu Xin stretched out his hand and signaled: "Little brother, don't be formal, please sit down!"
Meng Qingqing nodded slightly and said softly: "The hilt of your magic weapon is engraved with the inscription of Xuanhuang Dao Sect. The three of us have already seen your origins, and we did not ignore it because of the difference in cultivation and identity. You also There is no need to belittle yourself, as the world is in chaos, you and I as Taoists should work together to revive the Taoist heritage!"
"Ah...thank you!"
Yu Ye didn't know how to respond, so he thanked him and sat down on the spot.
Because of the flaw in the long sword, he was once again regarded as a disciple of Xuanhuang Mountain. Just be wrong, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain his family's origins.
Taofengzi, or Taofeng, is in her early thirties, dressed like a Jianghu person, with a short beard, bright eyes, and uninhibited speech and behavior.
The Taoist disciples of Xiyun Mountain have the fifth level of Qi refining? With the fifth level of Qi refining, you can control the flying sword. If this is true, he can truly be regarded as a true master of Qi refining.
Yu Xin, who is in his mid-twenties, wears a plain gown, has a fair complexion, is handsome, has a free and easy manner, and is gentle and courteous to others. He is a Taoist disciple of Tiandan Peak, with a cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining. Doesn't it mean that his cultivation level is equivalent to Chen Qi's? However, their personalities are completely different.
Meng Qingqing, eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed simply, small, beautiful, with a calm look and soft words. The cultivation level of the third level of Qi refining? Similar to Bai Zhi's cultivation, but less scheming and more sincere and kind.
"Where are your classmates in Xuanhuang Mountain?"
"My fellow disciples... got separated and no one knows where they are going."
"Xuanhuang Mountain is far away from here, why are you here?"
"Go to your relatives and friends."
"Instead of seeking refuge with relatives and friends and doing nothing, why not do something big to live up to this life?"
"oh?"
"Haha, what do you call your little brother?"
"At……"
"Brother Yu, don't worry, just stay here for one night and decide where to go tomorrow morning!"
Taofeng and Yu Xin inquired about the details of Yu Ye and revealed that they wanted to do something big, but they did not force others to do anything. They were obviously waiting for Yu Ye to make his own decision.
Yu Ye sat with his head down, thinking to himself.
He didn't know what these three people were going to do, but he had an ominous feeling that something big was going to happen tonight.
Hear the sermon again——
"Brother Tao, whether you or I are advancing or retreating..."
"Well, even if there is no retreat, even if we sacrifice our lives for righteousness, we must drive the Qizhou monks out of Daze, return my orthodoxy, and continue my inheritance..."
"But the people everywhere are scattered. It is so difficult to fight against the masters of Qizhou..."
"Haha, it doesn't matter. You and I can't deal with the masters, and we can't deal with the Qi Refining monks? Even if the big thing fails, you and I can just go overseas, but let the Qizhou masters know that I, Da Ze Dao Sect, will never give in..."
"coming--"
At this time, the night was getting darker.
In the hazy night, two faint black shadows suddenly appeared from far to near.
Tao Feng suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice: "The war is about to begin, so I will take refuge for a while, brother..."
