The four of them felt so weak and weak at the moment that they were all huddled together, unable to move.
Li Xiuping walked up to the four of them, squatted down, and said with a smile: "The four of you are so skilled. Instead of doing something meaningful, why did you end up robbing families and homes? Isn't this good effort wasted in vain?" .”
The four people immediately begged: "Master, gods, please spare us. This is our first time, but we have never harmed anyone. We originally wanted to join the army, but those soldiers looked down upon us. I also ran out of money, so I had no choice but to think of robbing, but I didn’t expect that I met some old gods for the first time.”
Li Xiuping looked at the four people and it didn't look like they were lying. He stood up and said, "When did I say I would kill you? I said I just wanted to have a meal and find a place to take shelter from the wind and snow."
He then frowned and said: "But according to what you said, if we are really desperate, whether it is eating or hiding from the wind and snow, there is no hope, so I really don't know what the use is of keeping you."
One person hurriedly said: "It's useful. There is a small town nearby. If we pawn our weapons, we should be able to exchange for a lot of money. It will be enough for several immortals to have a good meal. There should be no room for a night's stay." questionable."
Li Xiuping nodded, but then said: "It seems that we can do this ourselves."
The faces of the four people suddenly became more and more ugly, but one of them suddenly said: "It is not an injustice if I fall into your hands. If you want to kill or behead me, please do as you please. I will never frown."
Li Xiuping was a little surprised and said with a smile: "Oh, you are quite brave."
He continued: "For the sake of your backbone, I will let you go, but remember what I said before, a good meal and a good guest room for a night, nothing less will do."
After speaking, he said to "Huoling Zhenren": "Untie it."
"Master Huo Ling" nodded, unlocked the restrictions on the four people, and said: "Don't think about escaping, otherwise it's hard to say whether you can survive."
The four of them nodded repeatedly, but how dare they say no.
Afterwards, Li Xiuping and others, led by these four people, walked towards the small town they mentioned.
The small town was not far away, and there were no soldiers guarding the town. They had obviously gone north.
This place does not seem to have been greatly affected by the war. Various institutions in the city are basically still operating normally, and many people who have fled from the north have gathered.
After the eight people entered the city, the four people really pawned everything they could. However, due to the impact of the war, they were unable to get a good price. However, it was no problem to have a meal and stay for one night.
When the four of them took Li Xiuping and the others to the restaurant and paid for the meal and room, they couldn't help but look bitter.
They originally thought they would have some money left over, so they could find another way out, but now the money left is not enough for them to have a full meal. The key is that now they don't even have weapons. Even if they do go to rob, there is no one to commit the crime. Don't tools just have to wait for death? And still starved to death.
Li Xiuping looked at the few people. It was obvious that he hadn't had a full meal for several days. After sitting down, he smiled and said: "You guys should sit down and have something to eat. If you are willing, you can protect us as we go south." , I will be responsible for food and accommodation. In addition, I will give you an extra tael of silver every day."
Everyone looked stunned, almost thinking they had heard wrongly. One of them asked: "Seriously?"
Li Xiuping nodded and said, "Of course, but if you don't want to, that's okay."
One person said: "It's not that I'm unwilling, but I just don't understand that these immortals are so powerful, why do they need our protection?"
Li Xiuping smiled and said: "Of course I don't need your protection, but I'm not very familiar with this place. With you leading the way, I can avoid a lot of trouble and take less detours."
One person smiled and said: "Then that's no problem. I dare not say anything else. When it comes to leading the way, my third brother is the best at it. There is no place in the entire Qiushui County that he has not been to."
Li Xiuping nodded and said, "Let's eat."
He thinks these four guys are quite interesting. They are good people in the world and have good abilities, but they have ended up in such a miserable situation.
After the four people sat down, they started to wolf down the food and wine. They were obviously prepared for Li Xiuping and the four of them, but most of them were eaten by these four people.
After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms.
Li Xiuping did not go to sleep directly, but stood in front of the window and looked at the falling snowflakes outside the window.
The snow is now much heavier and denser. There is already some snow on the dead trees in the yard. According to this level, there will be a thick layer on the ground early tomorrow morning, which will definitely be a problem for people on the road. affected.
After all, he is a monk with the strength equivalent to the distraction stage. After all, he has faced the Demon Lord in the Immortal Realm and survived. But now he has to worry about whether the schedule will be affected due to the weather. His situation is not the same. The same goes for the four people in the world who were reduced to robbing their families and homes.
Maybe the night wind was too cold, so Li Xiuping closed the window, walked to the stove in the room, added some charcoal fire, grilled it for a while, took off the quilt from the bed, and lay down on the ground next to the stove. , slowly fell asleep.
This has been the case all along the way, and I have long been used to it.
Early the next morning, before dawn, it seemed a little noisy outside, but looking through the window, it seemed like it was already bright.
Li Xiuping put the quilt away and put it back on the bed. Looking at the burnt out stove, he gave up on rekindling the fire, opened the door and walked out.
In the yard, many people were enjoying the snow, and there was a little girl running back and forth in the snow, smiling and very happy.
Under the eaves on the side, a maid and a woman were standing side by side, looking at the little girl playing in the snow with a peaceful smile.
Seeing this family, Li Xiuping smiled slightly. They really meet each other everywhere in life.
This family was the same family that was in the team when Li Xiuping and others went south. The family with braids was not seen at that time, and it is not known whether they were separated or not in this restaurant.
The woman seemed to have seen Li Xiuping, so she smiled slightly.
Li Xiuping smiled back, which was considered a greeting.
At this time, the little girl ran up to Li Xiuping and said with a smile: "Brother, can you play with me?"
Li Xiuping smiled bitterly and said, "I'm afraid it won't work. I'm sick and can't touch the snow."
The little girl nodded, seeming a little disappointed.
Li Xiuping smiled and said, "But I can show you everything."
After saying that, he mobilized the sword intention in his body, and then the snow on the ground began to beat. The snowflakes that were originally gathered together were actually separated into pieces at this moment, and then started beating in the yard, as if they were dancing happily.
The little girl's eyes widened, and she quickly jumped up and down, clapping her hands and saying, "Big brother is so awesome!"
Li Xiuping withdrew his sword intent, and the beating snowflakes returned to the ground. Li Xiuping said with a smile: "Okay, go find your mother quickly. If you get frozen and get sick like your elder brother, it will be bad. "
But the little girl asked: "If you are sick, can you make these snowflakes dance just like your big brother?"
Li Xiuping was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a smile and said, "Of course it doesn't work. The reason why big brother can make them dance is because he has learned something that can make them dance. When you grow up, you can learn it too."
The little girl asked: "Really?"
Li Xiuping nodded.
This little girl has good bones. If nothing happens, she should be able to embark on the path of cultivation in the future, so this is not a lie to her.
So the little girl started to look forward to it.
"Then I'll go back first. I hope big brother can get well soon." The little girl looked at Li Xiuping and said with utmost sincerity.
Li Xiuping smiled and said, "Thank you."
The little girl ran back, and the woman smiled at Li Xiuping again, then led the little girl towards the front hall.
At this time, layman Qingming walked up to Li Xiuping and frowned: "Why do you need to mobilize your sword power for a little girl?"
Li Xiuping smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, it won't have much impact anyway."
The layman Qingming continued: "Is it possible that you want to take this little girl into your family?"
Li Xiuping was stunned and said bitterly: "Senior, I think it's possible. I don't know how long I can live now. What's more, my practice is different from others, and I can't teach her."
He looked at layman Qingming and continued: "But senior is fine. This little girl is very talented and should be able to inherit the mantle of senior."
layman Qingming was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile: "I never thought about accepting a disciple."
Li Xiuping said with a smile: "It's time to think about it. Senior's magical power cannot be succeeded by anyone. That would be a pity."
Master Qingming sighed: "Originally, I planned to pass it on to you, but when I saw you again, you already had the inheritance of the Sword Master. Although they are both swordsmen, my sword master's philosophy of swordsmanship is different. I just have to give up."
Li Xiuping said bitterly: "You all pass it on to me. If I die one day, wouldn't it be all in vain? Seriously, this little girl, senior, can think about it."
Master Qingming glanced ahead and said, "Let's look again."
Li Xiuping didn't say anything more. Recruiting disciples was not a trivial matter after all. Master Qingming naturally had his own plans.
After breakfast, everyone continued to set off. The four guys didn't run away overnight. Maybe they knew they couldn't run away, or maybe they were really impressed by the reward Li Xiuping offered, so they were waiting outside early in the morning.
There were traces of ruts in the snow on the street. It was obvious that the little girl and her family were already on the road, and they had a carriage. It was obviously impossible to catch up with them, so it was almost impossible to meet them again.
Meeting some people once is fate. Meeting them twice means it is more than just fate. This is why Li Xiuping suggested that Master Qingming accept a disciple. It was as if, somehow, the little girl was with him. It seems like there is an inextricable origin.
But if we meet him for the third time, it will be a bond.
After leaving this small town, we walked forward slowly and leisurely.
Fortunately, the snow last night was not very heavy, and it probably only fell in the first half of the night, otherwise it would be really difficult to walk.
After leaving the city, everything was silent and the sky and the earth were white.
The scenery was nice, but the temperature was indeed a lot colder, so when the morning breeze blew, Li Xiuping couldn't help but pull at the mink fur on his body. He felt a little depressed, and even he didn't know why.
A man asked at this time: "I heard that people who cultivate immortals can fly with swords. Why do these immortals insist on walking, even if they hire a carriage?"
Li Xiuping said casually: "Walking is also a kind of practice."
Another man said: "I know this. I heard that Buddhism has a kind of walking practice, which is called asceticism."
Li Xiuping nodded and said, "Absolutely."
Li Xiuping then asked: "If we go this way, can we leave Chi Qiu Kingdom this year?"
A man shook his head and said: "I'm afraid it's a bit difficult. Although Chi Qiuguo is not big, the road is not very good if you go south. If you take the official road, you need to go around a long distance. If you take the mountain road, you will have to go far." Along the way, we will inevitably encounter some wild animals, but the immortals should not care."
Li Xiuping nodded and said, "Just choose the nearest way."
Not to mention, it was a wise choice to bring these people along. Almost one of the four people knew about some of the trails that were not marked on the map. This saved Li Xiuping and others a lot of time. As for the so-called beasts, , with that blue water unicorn here, let alone showing up, I don’t know where to hide.
In addition, these four people also arranged some top-notch accommodation places, which really brought a lot of convenience to Li Xiuping.
At this moment, the man who was very familiar with Qiushui County stopped and saw a fork in the road in front of them.
In fact, he had encountered a fork in the road before, but the man almost didn't hesitate and chose the road directly.
Li Xiuping asked: "What's wrong?"
The man in charge of leading the way said: "The road on the left is closer, but it needs to pass through Hongshi Mountain. There is a group of immortal cultivators like several immortals on Hongshi Mountain, but I heard that these people are not good people. As for the road on the right, , although some were spared, but there was not much power along the way, so..."
Li Xiuping nodded and pointed to the road on the left: "Just take this way."
The man leading the way nodded and walked towards the road on the left...
A carriage moved forward slowly. The man driving the carriage seemed a little worried, so he seemed a little anxious and kept waving his whip.
In the carriage, a beautiful woman looked solemn and held a map in her hand.
The maid asked at this time: "Madam, this Red Stone Mountain is really like the rumors, but it can eat people at night?"
The woman shook her head and said, "I don't know, but if you speed up a little, it won't be a problem to climb over the Red Rock Mountain before dark."
The maid nodded.
At this time, the man driving the carriage suddenly said: "Madam, there is someone in front of you."
The woman opened the car curtain and looked forward.
There were indeed many people ahead, and it looked like they were all fleeing south.
Seeing these people, the woman couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief and said: "It seems that they are also fleeing people, and they happened to be with them."
The driver nodded, obviously relaxed a lot.
There were a lot of people in front of them, probably twenty or thirty, and among them was a little girl with sallow skin, about four or five years old, with two braids. It was obvious that she could no longer walk, but she clenched her teeth and persisted. , it seems that he doesn’t want his parents to worry.
After the carriage caught up with the group of people, the little girl who had been sleeping in the carriage woke up. She glanced outside and saw the little girl with braids. She smiled and said, "It's you."
The little girl with braids also looked at the little girl in the carriage, but said nothing.
The woman in the carriage said a few words to the maid, and the maid nodded, then stepped out of the carriage and said to the parents of the little girl who was trying to quibble: "Such a young child will be tired from walking like this." Damn, if you two don't mind, you might as well let her go to the carriage, where she can talk to my young lady."
The couple frowned slightly, looking a little hesitant.
The maid smiled and said: "Don't worry, you two. My wife just thinks that this child is compatible with my young lady, and her skills will make her suffer less. My young lady will also have a playmate to talk to along the way."
The father of the little girl with braids nodded and said, "If so, thank you very much."
After speaking, he said to the little girl with braids: "Go."
Although the little girl with braids was a little shy, she really couldn't walk, so she timidly stepped onto the carriage.
Several men in the team were staring at the carriage at the moment, with clear meaning in their eyes.
A man lowered his voice and said, "Brother, look at how attractive the women in that carriage are."
A man nodded and said, "She is indeed a rare beauty."
The man who spoke earlier smiled evilly and said, "How about we get rid of her tonight? Then we can still have a car to ride in. If we keep going like this, sooner or later something will happen to our feet."
Someone immediately echoed: "This is a good idea."
But some people were worried: "But these people..."
The man who spoke first glanced at the people and said, "They are just a bunch of untouchables. There is nothing to worry about. If we brothers join forces, there may be many people who will join directly."
The man who was called eldest brother nodded and said: "That maid is not bad. She looks like a young lady. Don't compete with me when the time comes."
The man who spoke first smiled and said: "Brother, I just like that girl. When I think of..."
When he spoke, his eyes shone and his mouth watered.
The leading man said: "I can't bear what you said."
One person said: "Then what are you waiting for? Let's take action?"
Then the four of them looked at the leading man.
The leading man hesitated for a moment, nodded and said, "Let's do it."
After saying that, the five people stopped and the rest of the people continued to move forward.
The little girl with braids had just entered the carriage. After taking a few steps, the carriage stopped.
The woman in the carriage frowned and said, "What's going on?"
As he stuck his head out, he saw a skinny monkey-like man standing in front of the carriage. Beside him, there were four tall and thick men standing, all with malicious smiles.
The driver driving the carriage frowned and said in a deep voice, "What do you want to do?"
The skinny monkey-like man smiled and said: "My eldest brother is afraid that your wife will be lonely, so I want to talk to your wife."
With that said, he walked directly towards the carriage.
Before the coachman could speak, he was pulled out of the carriage and thrown aside...
