He seemed to see nine Aunt Shu smiling at him.
Eight living people, one dead person...
In a daze, Zhao Rang saw Aunt Shu hand him something.
Taking a closer look, he saw that it was the black steel knife that he handed to Zhang Zong.
Zhao Rang did not take his knife immediately. Instead, he squinted his eyes and stared at Aunt Shu's eyes, trying to dig out all the secrets from her cat eyes.
Aunt Shu did not dodge and looked at him without hesitation.
Zhao Rang looked at it for a long time, but couldn't figure out the reason, so he had to reach out and take his knife.
With a bang, Zhao Rang pulled out the knife.
Dark and inky, long and straight.
After spending this time, Zhao Rang noticed that the aura of forest flowing up and down the blade was getting colder and colder.
"Good knife!"
"This black steel sword is not the one in your Zhao family's Bai Dao Hall. Where did you get it? Is there anyone in the world who knows how to forge a black steel sword?"
As soon as Zhao Rang's black steel sword was unsheathed, Bai Hezi's eyes were hooked.
A good horse goes with a good saddle, a sword goes with a hero.
For Bai Hezi, who loves weapons, a good sword is like a naked beauty in his eyes!
"It was given to me by a senior. This is his saber."
As soon as Zhao Rang finished speaking, Bai Hezi asked in surprise:
"Why did Shang Shiyi give you his sword?"
Zhao Rang was not surprised that Bai Hezi knew Shang Shiyi.
The Northern Sword King has a distinguished reputation, and his martial arts cultivation has reached the level of a grand master. He also looks somewhat immortal in appearance, but he is somewhat similar to Bai Hezi.
"That old guy is famous for being a tough guy! Except for his precious apprentice, he won't give anything to anyone who asks him. How did you do that?"
Bai Hezi immediately became more interested in Zhao Rang than ever before.
Zhao Rang just drew the sword, but he just felt stuffy in his heart and wanted to use this to release some.
Unexpectedly, Bai Hezi would ask such passionate questions.
Meeting his earnest gaze, Zhao Rang felt very uncomfortable and said in a hurry:
"I was having a knife fight with his precious apprentice and used this black steel knife as a prize. His apprentice lost, so this knife fell into my hands."
Bai Hezi nodded meaningfully.
He had seen the abilities of Shang Shiyi's apprentice.
Given time, he will definitely be able to shoulder his master's reputation as the 'King of Swordsmen in the North'.
As an old friend of his, Shang Shiyi was good at wine and would go to Baihe Mountain to have a drink with him from time to time.
When the two met, they were both elderly. At most, they would tease each other a few words, but they would not really get angry.
But the junior apprentices are all energetic young people.
Standing side by side, they can feel the desire to draw their swords to compete with each other.
Although Bai Hezi was a landlord, it was a pity that his disciples did not give him face...
In his impression, Shang Shiyi's disciples competed with his contemporaries from Baihe Mountain four times.
There was only one draw, and Baiheshan lost the other three times.
But that draw was somewhat inconclusive. The specific reason was that Bai Hezi had always been tight-lipped, and no one knew except those present that day.
Now that I heard that Zhao Rang defeated his apprentice in front of Shang Shiyi, an old guy who always protected him to the end, I couldn't help but re-evaluate Zhao Rang in my heart!
Although his father, Zhao Boyi, has reached the second level, he is still in the false realm. It's nothing among real masters.
Bai Hezi recalled that the last time he saw Zhao Boyi, he said seriously that in the future, the Zhao family would definitely have someone who truly reached the second-level realm, instead of a fake one like him. At that time, Bai Hezi and others present scoffed at this. Now seeing the black steel knife in Zhao Rang's hand, they realized that Zhao Boyi was not bragging after drinking that day, but that what he said was true.
Although potential has not yet been transformed into strength, it is also part of strength.
People with potential, as long as they don't go astray, will have the corresponding strength sooner or later.
And before you have such strength, potential can be regarded as a golden sign!
"It seems that the Zhao family's Hundred Swords Hall finally has a real heir!"
Bai Hezi sighed.
According to the ancestral teachings of the Zhao family, the successor of Baidaotang must be a swordsman who has reached the second level.
Currently, the one with the highest cultivation level in the entire Zhao family is Zhao Rang's father, Zhao Boyi.
But the pseudo-realm has the added word "pseudo" after all, so it can't be considered real.
Bai Hezi's implicit meaning was naturally alluding to the fact that Zhao Rang would be able to remove this false word with his future cultivation, and then inherit the Zhao family's Hundred Swords Hall in an upright manner.
"The Taoist priest is so complimentary, I'm ashamed of myself!"
Zhao Rang quickly put away the knife and put it next to him.
There is no benefit in hearing some things in advance.
Whether it is studying literature or practicing martial arts, there are many examples of "it is not necessarily better to be older when you are young".
Zhao Rang clearly knows that potential is important, but only when it is stimulated by hard work can it turn into real strength, otherwise it will be a castle in the air and useless.
"The Taoist Master's vision is really vicious, otherwise Mr. Zhao's silver reward would be higher than the two of them combined!"
Aunt Shu followed Bai Hezi's words and said.
The fullness of her chest had stretched her clothes to the limit, but Aunt Shu still inserted two fingers from the side and pulled out a piece of paper.
Zhao Rang has read the format of this paper twice.
No need to ask, it is still a sea fishing document.
Combined with what Aunt Shu said just now, it is not difficult to guess that this sea arrest document belongs to Zhao Rang himself.
Aunt Shu did not open it, but handed it directly to Zhao Rang.
After Zhao Rang took it, he saw that his crime was murder, but the reward was one thousand taels more than Master Shi Ding and Taoist Bai Hezi combined!
But Zhao Rang soon wanted to understand the reason.
It's not because he is better than Master Shi Ding and Taoist Master Bai Hezi, but because the crimes he committed are much more serious than those two.
"Aunt Shu, how many years have we known each other?"
Zhao Rang asked as he took down his sea arrest documents.
Aunt Shu had already prepared an answer to this question and blurted out:
"Seven years."
Zhao Rang was amazed and said with emotion:
"It's been seven years, and I didn't realize that you were from the Investigation Department."
Aunt Shu did not hide anything, and uncharacteristically showed the frankness that only Master Shi Ding could have, and said:
"Because you didn't care about this at all before this trip to the Western Regions. As long as people don't care, they won't think about it at all."
Zhao Rang acquiesced to Aunt Shu's statement.
If he hadn't met Yuan Mingkong by mistake this time, and the two of them went deep into the Western Region together, and experienced so many incidents, he still wouldn't have a clear idea of the Investigation Division.
Before going to the Western Regions, Zhao Rang only knew that the Investigation Division was an existence that no prefect could afford to offend. There was nothing the Investigation Division wanted to do that could not be done. There is no one you can’t find who you are looking for. Other than that, I don't know anything.
Even though he knew this, he still felt that the Investigation Department was too far away from him and that he would never have any interactions with him in this life.
Unexpectedly, everything is determined by fate, and no one can control it at all!
"Um?"
"What's wrong?"
Aunt Shu was surprised why Zhao Rang didn't continue. But Zhao Rang wondered what she meant.
"I haven't found you to be so patient in the past seven years!"
Zhao Rang said with a smile:
"Because you always see me at the wine table."
Zhao Rang has the least patience for drinking.
But for many other things, he was willing to wait.
This sea arrest document would be a big trouble for others, but Zhao Rang was not anxious at all, so his emotion was just a simple emotion, not a prelude to what he would say later.
"There will be a banquet in the garden on the first floor tonight, everyone is invited to come."
Aunt Shu encountered a problem with Zhao Rang, which was neither hard nor soft. She seemed to be asking for trouble, so she simply changed the subject and prepared to leave.
Zhao Rang got excited again and said:
"If all those who commit crimes are treated like this, I'm afraid the first floor won't be able to fit in tomorrow!"
Aunt Shu turned her head and said tit for tat:
"If everyone can commit the crime of entering the first floor, then we in the north are really full of talents, and the return of the south must be a snap!
————————
In the evening, curtains were hung up in the back garden and lights were lit.
Looking from the window of Master Shiding's house, we can see a lot of people in the curtain, and many people are busy.
Each of these people holds a food box in their hands, coming and going, serving wine and food.
"Monk, are you going to this banquet?"
Bai Hezi asked with a smirk.
When Zhao Rang was wondering why he asked such a question, a strong smell of meat and alcohol came from the garden.
Monks cannot drink alcohol, and monks cannot eat meat. These are the clear rules and precepts of monks and must not be broken.
Bai Hezi used this to squeeze Master Shiding and put him in a dilemma.
"Amitabha, as a suspect who came to surrender, the poor monk can receive such courtesy, of course there is no reason not to leave."
Master Shi Ding said it very sincerely, but when Zhao Rang heard it, there was something strange about it.
After thinking about it for a while, I still couldn't grasp the key. I just heard Taoist Master Bai Hezi say again:
"Then you are going to break the precepts? Have you Bodhisattvas agreed?"
Zhao Rang suppressed his laughter and wanted to see how Master Shi Ding would respond this time.
Master Shiding's slightly closed eyes suddenly opened wide and he said word by word:
"It doesn't matter whether the Bodhisattva agrees or not. What matters is whether the poor monk is willing or not. If you can see the truth in your heart, then having the truth is the cause of becoming a Buddha. If you don't seek the truth outside of yourself and seek the Buddha, you will be a fool!"
Zhao Rang's expression gradually became serious.
Although Master Shi Ding's words were in reply to Taoist Master Bai Hezi, Zhao Rang always felt that he was trying to enlighten him.
Zhao Rang couldn't understand the last four lines of Buddhist verses after listening to them for a while.
Generally speaking, it means to pursue your true heart and not be deceived by external things. If you get lost in external pursuits, you will be an extremely ridiculous idiot.
However, after thinking about it in relation to what happened to him today, Zhao Rang still didn't find any connection between the two.
"The smelly monk said something humane... He won't drink wine or eat meat, and he's talking about idiotic things. Do you dare to eat it if I give it to you? You don't even dare to step on ants."
Bai Hezi gave Master Shi Ding a blue eye, then picked up his sword and prepared to go to the garden for the banquet.
"Who said the poor monk doesn't dare to do it anymore? You can see the truth here!"
Master Shiding pointed at his heart, smiled kindly, and suddenly stood up. Without leaving the door, he jumped out of the open window, landed in the garden, and strode towards the curtain.
