There are green pines and cypresses, waterfalls falling into the lake, and the small courtyard does not seem hot, but feels refreshing.
However, when Ji Ping'an said this understatement, the expressions of the two people present changed obviously.
Ye Hongling's eyes suddenly widened, her beautiful face filled with astonishment.
Based on her status, although she cannot be called "emotional and intangible", she rarely shows such emotions.
The last time, I met the "mysterious strong man" on the stone bridge at night.
This time when she came to visit the senior master, she kept her attitude low.
Investigation is one of them.
Taking Ji Ping'an to test Qi Nian's palms and eyes is the second one.
Try to invite the old swordsman to come out and sit in Yuhang as the third one.
But he never expected that the "Gua Master" who was brought up the mountain would be so devoid of awe and talk nonsense.
"You...you know what you are talking about?!" Ye Hongling's face suddenly filled with anger, and her good impression of this divination master suddenly collapsed.
The tone was full of warning.
The old swordsman in a green robe next to him did not get angry, but looked at the young man curiously, with a sense of probing - his mental state of cultivation was evident.
Ji Ping'an didn't seem to feel the former's knife-like eyes, he shook his head and said calmly:
"It's a stupid way to sharpen a sword with stone."
Ye Hongling inhaled gently, with a look of disbelief in her eyes. A Taoist priest from a strange sect, who was probably only in the Qi-nurturing realm, was brazenly commenting on the methods taught by the national master. How could she not be surprised?
"It doesn't matter," Qi Nian smiled, raised his hand to stop the angry female warrior, and said with interest:
"Why do you feel stupid?"
Ji Ping'an asked back: "Why don't you feel stupid?"
Qi Nian smiled casually, with a calm attitude toward young and ignorant children:
"Do you know who I was in the past? What happened to me?"
I know too well... Ji Ping'an looked at young and ignorant juniors and didn't answer.
However, Ye Hongling pricked up her ears and her eyes lit up: "Junior has heard that senior was born in the sword field of Southern Tang Dynasty..."
Everyone with status in Yuhang City has heard about this legendary figure in Xishan, but few people know the cause and effect. It is difficult to tell the truth from the stories passed down.
Ye Hongling did not expect to have the unexpected joy of hearing the gossip between this "legend" and the national master.
Qi Nian said "Yes" and suddenly turned his head to look south, with memories in his eyes:
"The two major cultivation traditions of the Southern Tang Dynasty are Buddhism and Sword Field. Although the latter is less famous in comparison, it is also relied upon by the royal family of the Tang Dynasty. When I was young, I was fortunate enough to be accepted by the master who was walking outside the Sword Field. As a 'swordsman', he was also known as a genius.
After practicing this way for a while, according to the agreement between the sword field and the Tang Dynasty, he entered the Tang army to experience, and spent the whole day clashing with monsters, or fighting with bandits and strongmen.
That year coincided with the turmoil in the Tang Dynasty, bandits and demons were rampant, and the army was also dirty and dirty. I was young and energetic, looking forward to one day becoming a god with the sword. I had an extreme personality and believed in killing to stop killing, but I didn’t want to be killing. Gradually lost in the world, inner demons breed.
Until one day when he was drunk, he saw his colleagues in the army insulting his beloved, so he killed them in anger, and even vented his anger by slaughtering the company and killing many innocent people. This was not tolerated by the Tang Dynasty, so he had to escape into the rivers and lakes to face the pursuit of his former brothers. discuss……"
The breeze comes slowly.
The sound of the waterfall seemed to become lighter.
Ye Hongling listened quietly to this legendary figure telling his past stories, and couldn't help but be immersed in it.
Qi Nian's voice was filled with emotion:
"At that time, I was already terminally ill, and the hostility in my heart was growing. I relied on my cultivation to fight back and pursue people all the way, until finally, my fellow sects killed each other. That day, I killed my best friend in the sect by the South China Sea. My fellow disciples, I won, but I finally woke up and realized that I had become possessed. I was no longer 'killing to stop killing', but had become a murderous demon.
I once wanted to commit suicide, but maybe I was timid or wanted to atone for my sins. In the end, I didn't do it. Instead, I went to Buddhism. I wanted to become a monk and worship in a Buddhist temple to wash away the thoughts of killing, but I was rejected. I had nowhere to go, so I had to When I came to Dazhou in the north, I was as confused as a lost dog, but I didn't expect that I happened to meet the Imperial Master. "
Speaking of this, the thin old man's eyes suddenly glowed:
"The Imperial Master said that I looked a bit like an old friend of his, so he was willing to help me get rid of my murderous thoughts. So, I put on the sword boy's robe and traveled around the country with the Imperial Master, experiencing spring rain, summer flowers, and autumn wind. Winter snow...the seasons change.
I stayed with the Imperial Master for five full years and served as a servant for five years. Those were also the five years that I gained the most in my life.
I have grown even more than I did in the decades in the sword field. I felt like I was completely reborn. A casual instruction from the Imperial Master gave me enlightenment and enabled me to practice hard for ten years..."
"The Imperial Master said that with my level of cultivation, I could have stepped into the realm of observing the sky, but my inner demons were always there. If I want to step out of a new world, I can only completely get rid of my thoughts of killing. So one day in the sixth year, on a snowy day, He took me to the Western Mountain, threw me a stone as big as a millstone, and left behind the teaching that if you grind the stone through, you will come down the mountain...
I cut trees in the mountains and built this courtyard. I drank from the stream when I was thirsty, ate mountain fruits when I was hungry, hunted prey, and sharpened my sword day after day. Later, I built an academy underneath and studied in my spare time. The person I am today is no longer the same person as before. The 'killing sword' is Xishan Qi Nian. "
After he finished speaking, he gently picked up the teacup and took a sip, looked at Ji Pingan and said:
"So, do you still think the method passed down by the Imperial Master is stupid?"
Ye Hongling listened to the whole story, her breathing rose and fell slightly, and her eyes could not hide the longing and yearning.
In her opinion, this experience undoubtedly made the story of "sharpening swords for a hundred years" more vivid and legendary.
In fact, I felt a strong sense of regret:
How wonderful it would be if I could be born a hundred years earlier and live in the same era as the national master.
However, facing the former sword boy's inquiry, Ji Ping'an just sighed softly and said:
"'Senior Qi' may not understand what I mean. What I mean is not that the Imperial Master is stupid, but that you have been using it for a hundred years, but you still haven't understood his true intention."
After a pause, he saw that she was still confused and asked with some regret:
"Do you really think that just by grinding off an ordinary stone, a person can get rid of inner demons and thoughts of killing? If this method is really miraculous, throw a pile of stones into the prison cells of the major capitals of the imperial court and give them to the prisoners to grind. Wouldn’t it mean that if everyone mends their ways, the world would be at peace?”
Qi Nian was speechless and wanted to refute, but could not find a powerful weapon for the moment.
Ji Ping'an continued to sigh, raised his hand and picked up the long sword on the ground that was as thin as a cicada's wings and had a damaged edge, and said:
"Or, 'Senior' thinks that if you polish a stone completely, what kind of transformation will it really bring to you?"
His tone suddenly changed:
"Polishing this stone before you can go down the mountain is just a thought and goal that the Imperial Master casually gave you back then. Because at that time you were confused and didn't know where to go, so you made such a 'commandment'.
It's ridiculous that you take it seriously as a guideline and an iron rule, but you fail to understand the true intention of the national master. Do you think he taught you to sharpen a sword? If this is the case, you should have understood the genius early. The blockade between heaven and earth is not a real shackle. Why have you been trapped in a well for so many years? "
He took a breath and said in a deep voice, word by word:
"If you don't see yourself, how can you see the heaven and the earth? It's easy to break a sword in your hand, but it's hard to break a sword in your heart."
Heart sword!
At this moment, as Ji Ping'an finished speaking, Qi Nian, who was sitting across from him like an old farmer, felt like he was struck by lightning. Thunder exploded in his mind, and the fog gradually dissipated.
At this moment, on the entire Western Mountain, the clouds and mist that had shrouded it all year round suddenly expanded, contracted, and rolled, and the sword energy that blocked the mountain road also buzzed.
Tsk tsk...
Ye Hongling's pupils suddenly shrank, and she saw an invisible sword energy rolling across the stone table in front of her, scraping off a layer of stone debris. She responded by opening up the energy and protecting herself and Ji Ping'an within it.
Sparks flew everywhere, and with a "pop" sound, the tops of the fence around the small courtyard seemed to have been cut straight by an invisible sickle, and they all broke.
A clear sword mark also appeared on the thatched house.
"If you don't see yourself, how can you see the world..."
"It's easy to break a sword in your hand, but it's hard to break a sword in your heart..."
"Heart Sword...Heart Sword..."
Qi Nian repeated these two sentences softly as if possessed. The bun made of bamboo branches seemed to be loose, and the gray hair swayed in the wind.
Ye Hongling was shocked to find that the aura of the old man in front of her was rising, approaching a certain critical point, but at the last moment, it was suppressed.
Qi Nianfei's hair fell back down, the sword intent that spread around him subsided, and the rolling clouds and mist on the west mountain also calmed down, which surprised Qiu Shanchang and others who were looking here in the distant academy.
"Senior...what are you..." Ye Hongling opened her mouth and was greatly shocked.
The next second, Qi Nian's eyes became clear again, and his appearance was clearly the same as before, but his temperament seemed to be another person. He shook his head and said:
"I had some understanding in my heart, but I just felt that it was still a little short of the mark, so I didn't forcefully break through."
Ye Hongling was stunned for a moment, then realized:
Just now, Qi Nian almost entered the realm of observing the sky!
Then, Qi Nian turned his head and looked at Ji Ping'an with complicated eyes, cupping his hands and fists:
"Sir, he spoke softly and righteously, and we all want to be taught."
Then he smiled bitterly and said:
"I don't want to think that I have been sharpening my sword for hundreds of years, thinking that my perseverance is amazing and that I am only one step away from that world. However, I don't want to be trapped in my obsession and fail to understand the true meaning of the national master. I am really ashamed."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and took the long sword that was about to be worn out in his hand, folded it at will, rolled it into scrap metal, and threw it aside.
Ye Hongling's eyes were horrified. So, this hexagram master was not being arrogant and what he said was actually true?
With just two simple sentences, he almost summoned a strong man in the Sky Observation Realm?
What is his origin?
Ye Hongling was a little confused. She found that her understanding of the fortune teller in front of her might not be as good as the real situation.
Ji Ping'an nodded with a smile:
"'Senior's perseverance is commendable. It's not too late to wake up now. When the sword of the heart is sharpened, it will be just around the corner to watch the sky."
Qi Nian cupped his hands and said, "I would like to give you my kind words, sir."
After speaking, the old man seemed impatient to follow the inspiration that arose in his heart and start practicing. But at the same time, he was extremely curious about this hexagram master who spoke in a low-key manner.
With his knowledge, he would naturally not think this was a coincidence.
The young man in front of him is by no means simple, or he has an extraordinary background, or he has some information.
Otherwise, there would never be such a high-level vision.
What's more, is its arrival today really just a coincidence?
Qi Nian wanted to ask, but he keenly noticed that Ye Hongling was in a daze, so he suppressed his thoughts, and Ji Ping'an also stood up and said:
"Then I won't disturb senior's practice anymore."
Ye Hongling had not recovered from the previous shock, so she had to get up together, say goodbye to Ji Ping'an and leave.
Only a food box was left on the ground.
After they were sent off to the mountain, Qi Nian stood on the mountain road with his hands behind his hands for a long time before he looked away in confusion.
Just now he thought carefully about it, and he always felt that the young man's behavior and demeanor were indescribably similar to the former Great Zhou Imperial Master, but different at the same time.
"We haven't been out of Xishan for a long time. It seems that the situation in Yuhang City is indeed treacherous." Swordsman Qi Nian whispered softly, with thoughts in his eyes.
But even though he got rid of his obsession, he still wasn't ready to go down the mountain. He turned around and his eyes fell on the food box. The old man lifted it up with familiarity, opened the lid and prepared to eat.
However, the moment the lid of the box was opened, a folded note was stuffed into the lunch box at some point.
Qi Nian was slightly surprised. He picked it up and opened it with his fingers, thinking it was a note left for him by the academy.
But when he saw the words on the paper clearly, the face of this famous legendary figure who had guarded Xishan for more than a hundred years suddenly changed, and he stood up almost out of control. His eyes were fixed on the words on the paper, as if he had seen something unbelievable. .
There was a secret written on the paper, a secret that the Imperial Master had told him in the past.
The next second, he raised his head suddenly, and Ji Ping'an's smiling face appeared in his mind.
"It's him?"
Qi Nian's beard and hair fluttered, and he had a strong urge to fly down the mountain immediately to catch up with the young man and ask. But in the end he was forced to suppress it.
After thinking for a moment, he held the note in his palm, squeezed it hard, and when he opened his palm again, the paper had been broken into powder and dispersed in the wind.
Old Jianxiu sat down, picked up his chopsticks and finished his lunch slowly, then heard footsteps approaching.
"Master."
Outside the fence, Qiu Shanchang, who was dressed in Confucian robes, bowed his hands and walked in, explaining:
"Ye Si Chief came here just now, so..."
Qi Nian waved his hand: "No problem. Do you know the origin of that young man who is a divination master?"
Chief Qiu Shan thought about it for a moment: "I only know that he opened a shop near Laoliu Street."
Qi Nian said "yes" and said: "You can go for me later. You don't have to say anything, just say thank you."
As he said that, the old swordsman raised his hand to grab it, and a jar of fruit wine flew out of the hut and threw it to Chief Qiu Shan.
The latter hurriedly took it and left despite being full of doubts.
…
…
On the way back to Yuhang, Ye Hongling still rode her big black horse, but she seemed absent-minded and looked at Ji Ping'an frequently.
The female warrior never expected that today's investigation would be full of twists and turns, and she even witnessed the strange scene of the young man giving Mr. Qi some advice. In her heart, she was more curious about Ji Pingan than the case.
He asked a few indirect questions, but Ji Ping'an's answer was impeccable. He only said his own understanding, which happened to happen.
As for the origin... I had prepared it long before going out for training, so I was not afraid of interrogation unless Ye Hongling passed the court and went to the capital of God for inspection.
"This place is not far from the store, so there is no need to see the boss off."
When he arrived at the intersection in the city, Ji Ping'an jumped off his horse and said goodbye.
Ye Hongling kept her thoughts in mind and nodded her thanks. After watching his figure disappear at the end of the street, the demon slayer behind him asked in a low voice:
"Chief Commander, what happened?"
It feels like since he came down from the mountain, his boss's attitude toward the hexagram master has become much more ambiguous.
Ye Hongling said with a straight face: "Don't ask around. I haven't got a clue about the case yet. Do you still have the mind to ask here and there?"
The group of demon-slayers stopped their activities, not daring to offend the tigress, and asked cautiously:
"Then let's go back to the Yamen next?"
Ye Hongling shook her head and said: "Go to the government office. This matter may involve the Ministry of War. We need to discuss it with the magistrate."
Without further delay, the group immediately rode to the north of the city, where the government office was located.
Yuhang has prosperous commerce and abundant finances, and the government offices are also built in a very grand manner. You can see the grandeur from a distance.
But before the group even got close, they noticed something strange in the atmosphere. There were actually cavalrymen wearing armor and swords gathered outside the Yamen, as if they were waiting.
Mansion soldiers?
Ye Hongling raised her sharp eyebrows, vaguely aware that something was wrong, and arrived in front of the door. She raised her legs gracefully, dropped her boots to the ground, threw the reins to her subordinates, and looked at the guards at the yamen entrance who were bowing and saluting:
"Is the prefect here?"
After receiving a positive reply, Ye Hongling stepped into the vermilion gate of the government office, walked a few steps, and caught a passing clerk.
"Condescend to see Mr. Ye!"
The junior officials were busy saluting. The Demon Slaying Division was under the jurisdiction of the Zhenfu Division of the Divine Capital, and was in the rank of the Forbidden Army. Ye Hongling's rank was not low.
"What's going on with those soldiers outside the door?" Ye Hongling asked.
The clerk replied:
"Your Excellency, at about noon, General Fu Zhonglang of the Dadong Army entered the city, and he also brought several prisoners. He borrowed the prison of the government office to be detained. I don't know the specific reason for coming. You have to ask the prefect."
The military system of the Great Zhou Dynasty was called "Fu Bing", but it was similar to the Wei system and was a hybrid system.
To put it simply, it is divided into the Forbidden Army and Guards sequence that protect the divine capital, the "Border Army" sequence that guards the border, and the "Military Mansion" sequence that is dispersed and stationed at the military arteries of major state capitals and stationed troops all year round.
Dadong Military Mansion is a military camp in Lanzhou, southeast of Yuhang. There is a "divine general" sitting in charge as the supreme commander.
General Zhonglang is his subordinate and has a very high rank among the military attaches. Considering that he is directly under the Ministry of War, he is a figure that even the prefect of Yuhang cannot control.
Ye Hongling frowned and felt something was wrong more and more: "Where is General Zhonglang?"
The clerk shook his head and said, "I led the troops out before, but I don't know exactly where they went."
Ye Hongling nodded and said, "I have important matters to report to the prefect, and I will report them ahead."
"yes!"
…
…
Old Willow Street.
When Ji Ping'an said goodbye to the people from the Demon Slayer Division and walked back alone, he was also thinking about the academy case.
As for Qi Nian, although he is a bit stubborn, after a hundred years of sharpening his sword, his murderous thoughts have been almost eliminated.
"If everything goes well, perhaps there will be another Heaven-watching Sword Cultivator in the world before the end of the year... Hehe, when the news spreads, I wonder what the 'Sword Master' at the Tang Kingdom Sword Field will think..."
Ji Ping'an thought.
The shackles of heaven and earth are broken, and these old guys who have accumulated enough have the opportunity to be promoted. This is the case for Pei Wuju and the same for Qi Nian.
Yesterday, Ji Ping'an, Huang He and the others said they wanted to "form cliques" and "form forces." Now he has two more top leaders under his command.
But the faint sense of crisis in my heart has not dissipated...
"Wait, a sense of crisis?" Ji Ping'an paused and suddenly realized something was wrong. The star officer's sensitivity to his own premonitions alerted him.
But before he could deduce it, when he raised his head, he raised his eyebrows.
I saw more than ten armored soldiers in front of "Yijingzhai".
The soft armor shone brightly in the sun, and the whole street was deserted, with few pedestrians.
From the surrounding shops, anxious and worried faces of the neighbors could be seen. Among them, the owner of a calligraphy and painting shop saw him from a distance, changed his color slightly, and shook his head.
But at this time, the soldiers had noticed the young divination master walking out of the street. They looked at each other, subconsciously held down the hilt of their swords, and walked over.
Coming for me?
People from the imperial military department?
Ji Ping'an's mind flashed, and he suddenly remembered the astrology results in Xishan Academy. With his eyesight, he noticed even more keenly that these seemingly ordinary soldiers were all practicing martial artists.
In the dark, there is a subtle sense of energy locking, which means that there are still people ambush in the dark.
Ji Ping'an narrowed his eyes slightly, but no one saw it. At this moment, an illusory astrolabe appeared in the depths of his pupils, and he conducted a round of divination about his own destiny without relying on external objects.
After a while, he got the result he wanted. Without moving, with only a slight hesitation in his steps, he continued to move forward, gradually getting closer to several military warriors.
At this time, one of the leading flag officers suddenly stopped, looked at him, and said:
"Are you Li Anping? The divination master of Yijingzhai?"
Ji Ping'an nodded gently: "It's me. Do you want to tell something?"
The little flag officer suddenly smiled, with a cold look in his eyes:
"It's you who has something wrong. The government received a report that you are involved in a case and need to cooperate with the investigation. Please come with us."
After saying that, the other warriors surrounded him indistinctly, and it seemed that as long as Ji Pingan resisted, they would immediately take action to capture him.
However, what shocked a group of soldiers who were facing a formidable enemy was that the young man in front of them seemed to be completely unaware of the danger. He was just startled for a moment and then showed a bright smile:
"Of course."
So cooperative?
The flag officer raised his chin, and two soldiers on the left and right came forward, tied his hands with leather bands, and escorted him away from Laoliu Street in full view of the public.
After the group of people disappeared, a famous neighbor came out from both sides of the street and started talking, no one knew what happened.
"What's going on? Did you see soldiers passing by just now?"
At the entrance of Mubo Alley, the landlord's aunt Fang Ling, who was attracted by the noise, asked in surprise, followed by a fat little boy who came to watch the fun.
Fang Ling, who was surrounded by neighbors, didn't notice that Fang Shijie behind him was listening to the adults' discussion with a solemn expression. He shrank his neck and muttered:
"I have only been dead for a few hundred years, but now soldiers can just go into the city and arrest people? What are these grandsons doing?"
Fang Shijie suddenly panicked...
Time passed, and when the news spread among the neighbors, it was approaching evening.
Laoliujiekou.
Huang He, Mu Yaoyao and the saint Yu Yu returned together. As soon as they stepped into the street, they were keenly aware that something was wrong in the atmosphere.
"Mr. Xiao Huang, you are back," Hong Gu, who came after hearing the news, looked anxious:
"Mr. Li was captured by officers and soldiers!"
…
Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of chapter)
