There are five silver notes in total, each with a face value of twenty taels of silver.
The bank note is made of somewhat rough yellowed paper, printed with complex blue patterns, and the denomination is marked in the center.
Then there were four ingots of silver, one ingot weighing six or seven taels. The scattered silver pieces added together were about seven or eight taels. The rest were some copper plates with square holes, a total of eighty-seven.
In addition to money, these two people also carried a lot of miscellaneous items such as waist tags and dried meat.
With the money in his pocket, Gu Qing held a handful of brown and black dried meat in his hand. He looked at the four corpses, using his mouth and nose together, breathing slowly to regain the strength he had lost before.
There was no burden on him to activate the Flowing Flame True Form Talisman.
The Flowing Flame True Shape Talisman consumes true energy.
At this time, about half of the true energy in his body was consumed. It was expected that he could still support the activation of the Flowing Flame True Form Talisman again.
But fighting with these two people really put too much burden on his old body. His lungs were like broken bellows. He was wheezing and wheezing, but he could never regain his breath.
When the body is tight, this feeling is not obvious yet.
After he relaxed at this moment, the feeling intensified, making Gu Qing, who originally wanted to take a bite of the jerky, unable to even lift his hands.
The energy and blood stimulated by the dangerous situation faded away, and every part of this old body was in pain, and every joint seemed to be stuck with rust.
A panicked girl's voice sounded from outside the house.
"Master!"
Immediately afterwards, two hurried footsteps came, one heading straight towards Gu Qing, and the other hesitantly walking around.
immediately.
Gu Qing noticed that his legs were hugged by a pair of small hands.
He lowered his eyes slightly and saw that the girl Gu Yue's little face was tense, her expression full of fear, she was hiding behind him, looking at the pool of blood on the ground, her teeth were trembling.
"Master... this is..." The hesitant footsteps came behind Gu Qing. The boy Gu Xing's hands were shaking a little as he looked at the corpses.
Both corpses were cut off horizontally from the chest, and blood spurted out from the charred cross section and several torn places. Gu Xing even smelled a bit of meat.
"Why are you panicking? I just took a little action as a teacher, but only two young people came to attack me." Gu Qing opened and closed his lips slightly, finally regaining some ability to move, stretched out the meat that was not stained with blood, and dried the meat. He handed it to the little girl Gu Yue who was holding his leg.
Gu Yue was immediately attracted by the dried meat.
Her eyes shone brightly as she looked at the dried meat that she had never been able to eat before. She felt that the dried meat was fragrant and the shreds of meat were clearly defined. It looked very much like the game her master had hunted for her in the past and how it looked after grilling. .
She let go of the hands holding Gu Qing's legs, the cute little nose on her face wrinkled, she took a few pieces of dried meat, looked at it hard for a few times, forgot about the several corpses in the pool of blood beside her, and turned her back. , started to take a big bite, and while chewing, he didn't forget to share it with Gu Xing.
"But...but if the government investigates..."
Gu Xing took the dried meat, calmed down, and continued to speak.
"These two people came to assassinate me, my teacher. How can I let them kill me? Oh, if the so-called government is really reasonable, how can they punish me for this? It's just a nest of snakes and rats, and the officials protect each other. Xing, please pack your bags quickly, we will leave immediately and go to Heyang City." Gu Qing coughed lightly, took a piece of dried meat from Gu Yue's hand, who was a little protective of food, and said with a sneer.
"Yes, Master, my disciple understands." Gu Xing on the side half understood, half was confused, and the panic in his heart calmed down.
Although he was very puzzled as to why his master decided to go to Heyang City, he was not asking for anything.
You know, Heyang City is where the county government is located, and the police officers there are more fierce than the last. A few days ago, someone died in Zhaojiacun, and someone reported it to the police. Who would have thought that those vicious police officers would arrest him as soon as they arrived? The resident reporter and several onlookers were beaten to death.
'Master should have his own considerations...'
Gu Xing turned around and left the house.
His thin figure was busy in the inner courtyard and the main courtyard for a while, then he hurriedly packed his and his junior sister's belongings, as well as his master's blue robe that he had never worn before, into a large package, and carried the package on his back. , returned to the room where his master lived.
Then he saw his master sitting on the bed, and his junior sister was leaning next to him, still gnawing on dried meat. The corpses on the ground were still bleeding with warm blood, and the room was filled with a fishy smell.
An inexplicable fear appeared in Gu Xing's heart like lightning at this moment, causing him to pause.
There was a voice in his heart, which seemed to be whispering to him that if he stepped through the threshold of this house, the peaceful life of the past would disappear completely.
"Master, it's ready."
Gu Xing glanced at the corpses and looked at the dead eyes of the two people. He took a deep breath and crossed the threshold.
Gu Qing did not respond immediately.
He was still thinking about the True Shape of Flowing Flames. After completing the process, he opened his eyes and glanced at Gu Xing who was walking towards him, feeling slightly surprised in his heart.
Gu Yue was very young and inexperienced in worldly affairs. Apart from some intuitive fear of the corpses, she actually didn't have any strong feelings about them.彡彡
But Gu Xing is already in a sensible grade and is much more mature than Gu Yue. It stands to reason that this is the first time for such a simple young man to see blood and see the two people who died so miserably. Not to mention that he will be so frightened that he will lose control of his bowels and vomit. , but it shouldn’t be so peaceful.
"Then let's go." Gu Qing got up and got off the ground, hugging Gu Yue down as well, and walked out of the house at the lead.
Gu Xing pursed his lips, took Gu Yue's hand, and handed over a rough rattle. He held Gu Yue with one hand and carried the package with the other. He walked a few steps quickly and followed his master.
The way down the mountain is short, but the way to Heyang City is long.
The fifty-mile journey, when Gu Qing was still alive, could be covered in one or two breaths, but dragging this old body with two little babies, he walked all the way until the second day. In the early morning, I arrived at the gate of Heyang City.
Heyang City is not a big city.
It is said to be a city, but the walls on all sides are nothing more than fences and mounds, and there are no guards at the gate.
Gu Qing stopped and looked inside the city gate.
The city gate is facing a sparsely populated dirt road. There are several vendors selling various kinds of food on the dirt road. There are not many shops on both sides of the dirt road. The most conspicuous one is a restaurant with fluttering flags.
"Master... Xiao Yueyue is so tired... so hungry..." The little girl Gu Yue looked at a steaming stall next to the city gate, her mouth was almost drooling, her tired little face was full of yearning.
"Junior sister! We don't have much money anymore. We only have a dozen copper coins, and we still need to find a place to live..." Gu Xing also looked at the stall eagerly, his eyes wandering over the various steaming foods, but he finally took a bite. Gritting his teeth, he said sadly like a little adult.
Gu Qing was also so tired that his eyes were dim.
Before he set out for Heyang City, everything he saw before his eyes was shrouded in a halo.
When he arrived outside Heyang City, everything he saw was dancing stars, sometimes covered with a layer of darkness. He swallowed and raised his legs, which were as heavy as lead.
"Xiao Xing, after walking for such a long time, how can we survive without eating? Don't worry, I still have money here," Gu Qing said.
"Master is the best!" Gu Yue's eyes suddenly lit up.
Gu Xing was also a little excited, and followed his master and junior sister towards the steaming stall.
The stall owner, a short man with a fat face, frowned when he saw the masters and disciples in tattered robes coming forward.
"Take a bowl of rotten porridge and send that poor old man away." The short man waved his hand and told the waiter to greet the diners.
"You still have a kind heart..." The boy smiled flatteringly when he heard this, and flattered the short man. He came to the back of the shed set up by the stall and poured a bowl of rancid porridge - this was from the past two days. The remaining porridge will be sent to the pig farms of wealthy households in the city to feed pigs today.
'What a son of a bitch, if it weren't for the eldest brother who is the master in the Yamen, I would have stopped serving you long ago...' While pouring the porridge, the boy secretly cursed in his heart.
"Taoist priest, this is a reward from the master's family. Please share it with the two Taoist priests." After pouring a bowl of sour porridge, the boy turned the bowl around and returned to the stall, blocking the way. In front of Gu Qing.
Gu Qing's footsteps stopped.
He looked at the thin-faced boy in front of him, his expression expressionless, and the ravines on his face made him look a little scary.
The boy couldn't help but feel weak when he was looked at like this. The hand holding the bowl of sour porridge could neither move forward nor retreat.
"I'm here just to beg for alms." Gu Qing didn't even look at the bowl of sour porridge. He reached out and took out a small handful of coins from his pocket and handed it to the boy.
The boy took the copper plate and looked up at the tattered Taoist robes on Gu Qing's body. He was startled and then listened to Gu Qing continue to speak.
"Bring over something to replenish your energy and blood. The poor Taoist people smell bad, so they won't enter the shed." Gu Qing spoke calmly, reaching out to cover Gu Yue who was looking at the bowl of sour porridge. On the little head with hair like weeds.
"What did the Taoist Master say? Let's get ready." The boy smiled and said.
He grabbed the handful of copper plates and made a rough estimate. He found that the number of copper plates in the handful was at least twenty, and he felt excited: "This old man grabbed these copper plates and he didn't even count them..."
Thinking of this, the boy's smile became brighter. He took the bowl of sour porridge to the back of the shed and poured it out. Then he returned to the shed, exchanged a few words with the short man, and got ready to eat.
The short man was slightly surprised and stood up and left the shed.
He looked at the old Taoist, who was covered in tatters, and the two little kids. He walked forward with a smile and said, "I wonder where this Taoist came from, so dusty? As far as Zu knows, there is only one nearby." There is a Taoist temple on the nameless hill, could it be..."
"The monks are not lying. I am an ascetic cultivator from Jingzhou. I have visited the senior brother mentioned by the donor before. Unfortunately, the senior brother has passed away and only these two are left. Little baby." Gu Qing responded calmly and said it casually.
"Oh? Old Taoist Master Gu Yunqing has passed away?"
The short man seemed very surprised.
"That senior brother was originally named Gu Yunqing... Alas, it's a pity that all his decades of skills were lost in one fell swoop, and he died miserably at the hands of two young men. The only thing I could do for my senior brother was to bury him. He just wants to rest in peace." Gu Qing shook his head with a hint of pity.
Gu Yue had doubts in her big eyes, but she didn't say anything, while Gu Xing lowered his head with a sad look on his face.
The short man sighed: "Good people don't live long!"
With that said, the short man glanced at the confused Gu Yue and the sad-looking Gu Xing. He turned around and returned to the shed without talking to Gu Qing.
About ten breaths later.
Gu Qing and the two little ones, whose stomachs were already growling with hunger, finally waited until the young man from before came out of the shed and brought out various kinds of food.
The food brought over was not any delicacies, just some ordinary hot dishes and meals with meat fillings.
But for the two little ones who have been hungry all year round, these are considered rare delicacies. After a while, the two little ones had eaten until their stomachs were bulging, and they could no longer even squat. Sitting side by side on the package that Gu Xing had been carrying on his back, they continued to eat.
Gu Qing also ate a big meal to fill his long-empty stomach, and then asked the boy to get some lotus leaves and pack the rest of the meal.
Because the three of them were wearing tattered Taoist robes, sitting on the ground, eating and drinking together, many passers-by stopped and looked at them. These people thought that the stall owner was out of kindness, offering three poor swords, and pointing fingers at the three of them. Discussed.
Gu Yue was younger, which was fine. She looked at the people watching nearby and felt quite excited as if she were just watching the excitement.
Gu Xing lowered his head in shame, even the base of his ears turned red.
"After eating and drinking, let's go into the city." Gu Qing glanced at the crowd of people nearby, expressionless, and entered the city with the two little kids.
The space in Heyang City is not big, and there are only two restaurants. One is located next to the city gate here, and the other is located in the center of Heyang City.
Gu Qing took the two little kids, who were full and a little sleepy, directly into the restaurant not far from the city gate.
This restaurant only has two floors. The interior decoration is really simple. The floor is paved with a layer of uneven gray stone tiles. The entrance is to an empty lobby. There are twenty or thirty sets of old tables and chairs in the lobby. , there were only two tables and chairs with guests eating.
Seeing Gu Qing, who had a tattered Taoist robe, and two dirty children come in, the female shopkeeper, who was chatting with guests at a table and chairs, frowned and walked forward like a willow swinging in the wind.
The female shopkeeper has the appearance of a beautiful woman with bulging front and back, her colorful skirt is swaying, and she is holding a round fan in her hand.
"Hey, where did this Taoist priest come from? Do you want to be a top or stay in a hotel?" The female shopkeeper looked at Gu Qing for a few times, but did not show disdain like most pedestrians she met on the road.
"Stay in the hotel, stay for half a month first, then get a room." Gu Qing glanced at the layout of the restaurant and said.
"One room in the upper room, twenty copper coins per day, three silver coins for half a month..." the female shopkeeper responded skillfully.
As she spoke, her beautiful eyes flashed: "Look carefully, the Taoist priest is also a fairy. I guess he must have been a handsome man when he was young... If the Taoist priest is willing to take a bath and change clothes, he can do the show for me. For the ritual, it’s not a bad idea to give the Taoist priest the three cents of silver needed to stay in the hotel.”
"No need." Gu Qing refused simply.
He took out a piece of broken silver about half a tael, threw it over, and said, "Please get some hot water first. I need to wash up. In addition, just prepare two meals a day, morning and evening. The meals should be rich."
"You brats, hurry up and boil more water today." The female shopkeeper raised her hand to take the piece of broken silver, weighed it, her beautiful eyes were half-squinted, and she glanced at Gu Xinghe with a smile. Gu Yue, two little babies, turned around and said hello.
"This Taoist priest, come with me."
The female shopkeeper turned around again and said something to Gu Qing.
Immediately, she walked towards the second floor, and Gu Qing followed her with two little children to the second floor of the restaurant.
The second floor of the restaurant is obviously much cleaner than the lobby on the first floor. There is almost no dust and the environment is very quiet.
After walking through the corridor on the second floor of the restaurant for a while, the female shopkeeper turned a corner and came to a room on one side. She took a key from her waist, unlocked the door, and pushed the door open.
The space in the room is not big, but not too small either.
At a rough glance, it is about ten feet in diameter, with a bed with neat bedding, a set of tables, chairs and benches, a wooden clothes rack, plus a wooden bucket and other toiletries separated by a curtain and placed between the beds. That's all the stuff in the room.
The morning light shines into the room through the closed window paper.
Wherever it passed, there seemed to be smoke and dust billowing in the beams of sunlight.
"Taoist priest, there is one in the bathtub room. This is the key to this room. If the Taoist priest leaves in half a month, just leave the key in the room." The female shopkeeper handed Gu Qing the key that unlocked the door just now. , "When it's time to eat, someone will come to my door. If no one comes, the Taoist priest can come to the lobby on the first floor to look for me at any time."
The female shopkeeper handed the key to Gu Qing and went downstairs.
Gu Qing walked into the room with two little guys who were so sleepy after eating that they almost fell asleep standing up.
As soon as he entered the room, Gu Qing turned around and closed the door. He found a chair next to the table in the room and sat down. The two little guys sat on the bench, leaning against each other and falling asleep.
"Wash up later and then go to sleep."
He warned the two little ones. Seeing that the two little ones only responded vaguely, he shook his head helplessly and closed his eyes to meditate.
Since I didn't practice under the moonlight last night, the fire poison that was introduced into my body during my previous practice at noon was not neutralized.
Therefore, Gu Qing did not plan to continue practicing under the scorching sun at noon today. After taking a bath, he planned to familiarize himself with the terrain of Heyang City and buy some clean clothes.
About two moments later.
A busboy delivering hot water called the door.
Dong dong dong...
"Sir, the hot water you requested has arrived."
This was a voice that still had some childishness to it. The person who spoke should be a young man. Gu Qing suddenly opened his eyes and opened the door. As expected, there was a half-grown boy with a smart look on his face outside the door.
The half-grown boy was carrying two buckets of steaming water. He was a little surprised when he saw the door opened by an old man in rags, but he didn't say anything. He carried two buckets of hot water into the house and heated the two buckets. After pouring the water into the barrel, he turned around and left the room.
Not long after, he brought up two more buckets of hot water...
After about four or five trips back and forth, the water level in the wooden bucket was enough for a bath. Gu Qing asked the half-grown boy to bring up an extra bucket of hot water. Then the half-grown boy put down the wooden bucket full of hot water and turned to leave. At this time, he slapped a few coins on the table and stopped the half-grown boy.
"Ask this little brother a few things."
Gu Qing pushed these coins towards the half-grown boy.
"Master Dao, please ask." The half-grown boy looked happy when he saw this, and wiped the sweat on his head with the sweat towel on his shoulder.
There was no expression on Gu Qing's old face. He asked the half-grown boy more than a dozen questions in succession, rambling in random directions, leaving the half-grown boy confused.
After the half-grown boy happily left with a few coins, Gu Qing paced back and forth in the room thoughtfully.
In this world, he has only one purpose.
That is to increase one's influence on this world step by step by improving one's cultivation, to the point where one can escape from this world with a single thought.
This is the method he summed up to escape from the world in the cauldron through his two previous experiences of entering the world in the cauldron.
Although there is only one fundamental purpose.
But there are many choices in the process of achieving your goal.
Gu Qing would naturally not let go of such a world where there is a path of cultivation.
'The Flowing Flame True Shape Diagram... This is related to fire, but it is only the most basic True Shape Diagram in the True Shape Refining Way. '
'If we take the path of using fire to move through the true form and seek truth through refining the Tao in this world, I wonder if it will be helpful to the understanding of the third divine will...'
Gu Qing pondered for a while and felt certain in his heart.
Then he woke up the two little babies, gave them a bath together, then let the two little babies sleep on the bed, and then hurriedly cleaned up the old, dead tree trunk-like body.
What surprised Gu Qing was that Gu Xing's package also brought a brand new dark blue robe for his master.
'It is thoughtful, affectionate and righteous. '
Gu Qing glanced at the young man on the bed and sighed.
