Life in the countryside is actually very slow and peaceful.
With the arrival of winter, the busy farming season has come to an end. The residents in the town do not have much farm work to deal with except for some odd things.
After a busy year, people finally have some free time and can enjoy this rare peace.
Taking advantage of this atmosphere, Lu Yuan also gave up his plan to go hunting in the mountains and stayed at home with peace of mind every day.
In addition to regular practice of palm skills, expanding meridians, and tempering internal strength, from time to time he would bring some bacon and appetizers, and ask his cheap teacher Sun Siwen to make a stove, cook wine, and talk loudly.
Lu Yuan still liked chatting with Sun Siwen.
Although Sun Siwen was looked down upon by the people in the town, they thought that he was in his late twenties and could not even pass the exam to become a scholar. It was really a shame for a scholar.
But Lu Yuan was not interested in the classic subset of the imperial examination.
"The Master said, "He who knows everything" sounds uninteresting.
Compared with these, he was more interested in chatting with Sun Siwen about the country of Yue and the customs and customs of various places.
There is a saying that goes well.
A scholar can know the affairs of the world without going out.
Compared with farmers who have spent their whole lives wandering in the farmland, foot merchants who only walk within a certain range can often gather with other scholars and come into contact with higher-level Sun Siwen. Their knowledge and vision are obviously higher than others. to a level.
For example.
Through Sun Siwen's mouth, Lu Yuan learned that the Yue State had eight counties, 72 prefectures, and more than a thousand counties, covering thousands of miles and vast territory.
I also learned that the Yue Kingdom was not the only dynasty in the world. In the north, there were also the Liang Kingdom and the Zhou Kingdom. These two countries were not inferior to the Yue Kingdom.
Among them, Liang State and Yue State did not deal with each other. There were conflicts between the two sides from time to time, but they only caused some friction at the border and did not fight a major war.
And around the Three Kingdoms, there are also some small countries, with strong and weak strength, that pay tribute to and compete with the Three Kingdoms respectively.
Lu Yuan also knew that it was the nineteenth year of Longqing.
Today, Emperor Longqing has been in power for thirty years. Longqing is his third reign title, and it is also the longest-used reign title. It has been almost twenty years.
The above and so on are all information that cannot be obtained in rural teahouses.
Because of this, he worked harder and harder for his cheap teacher.
…
On this day, Lu Yuan came to bring wine, and he and Sun Siwen made an appointment to go to the Meilin outside the town and cook wine together in a small pavilion by the road.
Today’s topic is myths and anecdotes, rural legends.
Ever since he knew that martial arts existed in this world and practiced it himself, Lu Yuan had become very interested in the legendary magic.
Although he doesn't know whether this is a martial arts world or a fairy world.
For more than a year, I have been walking in the mountains and I have never seen any monsters. Fox fairies and wild gods only exist in legends.
But none of this prevents him from understanding and exploring the truth of the world.
The best way at this time is naturally through Sun Siwen's mouth.
Fortunately, this brother Sun, although he was not very good at studying classics and history, he could not pass the examination as a scholar. However, he knows a lot about some rural anecdotes and legends about gods and monsters, and he often reads related anthologies.
When we talk about it at this time, it's quite clear and logical.
Especially the stories about some scholars rushing to take exams and encountering fox fairies, having a romantic night together, and being gifted exam qualifications to each other. Mr. Sun tells it clearly and clearly.
Lu Yuan secretly speculated on this.
This may be professional empathy, or it may be that he has been in poverty for a long time. Brother Sun is extremely depressed, so he is particularly fond of this kind of story about a scholar who throws himself into the arms of a beautiful woman and becomes rich overnight.
Fortunately, he does not reject these stories.
After all, men...
How can we talk about each other's topics without a little color?
Even talking about the excitement, the two even discussed the pros and cons of each erotic story, whether the fox fairy or the belle was better. After commenting, they became red-faced and finally laughed it off.
But Sun Siwen is a scholar after all.
These obscene stories were just told for fun and then ignored. The topic slowly moved to the world court, where they talked about the current affairs of Buddhism and Taoism.
Today, Emperor Longqing advocates Buddhism and canonizes several real masters. It is said that they all have unpredictable powers. They can walk on water and control fire. They are real immortals.
In order to support these real masters, Emperor Longqing spent tens of thousands of money, recruited corvees, and built several large palaces and temples near the capital to house these real masters.
At the same time, Taoist temples were built all over the world, and these monks and Taoists were given tax-free rights, which can be said to be extremely generous.
"Today's peaceful world is all due to the governance of our Confucian sect. Those monks and Taoists refused to do corvee service, did not pay taxes, took in the dead, fornicated the temples, and brought trouble to the court."
Sun Siwen talked about the chaos in the court today. Although he had no fame at all and was still just a commoner, he had the demeanor of Lu Yuan, a great internet sage in his previous life.
At this time, he drank a glass of green plum wine and began to talk about politics: "I hate that your Majesty is bewitched by these monsters and indulges them. If this continues, the country will not be a country."
What is the greatest sorrow for a Confucian scholar?
Of course, what you have learned is not valued by your superiors, and your lifelong ambitions cannot be realized.
For a scholar who has no ambition but no fame, this kind of sadness is even greater.
Because he would find that after studying hard for more than ten years, in the eyes of the emperor, he was not as good as those monsters who could only pretend to be gods and confuse people's hearts.
At the very least, those monsters can be exempted from taxes, become guests of dignitaries, and be worshiped by countless people.
But I have a poor family, and I have to bear the labor and taxes. How can I describe the hardship in one word?
Therefore, it is understandable that Sun Siwen felt angry and frustrated at this time. It is human nature to express a few words of complaint.
Although Lu Yuan felt that if he reported this brother Sun to the government, based on the above words, the other party would definitely be guilty of being a mistress.
But who is he?
How could a trainee of immortality, the God of Arrows on Lantau Island, who lived as long as heaven, do such a shameless thing as betraying his friends?
So this idea just went around in my mind, and then I completely suppressed it after realizing that doing this thing would have basically no benefit, and would instead ruin my reputation.
I, Mr. Lu, will not do anything that is not beneficial.
However, compared to Sun Siwen's complaints, the real mage mentioned in the other party's previous words instantly caught his attention.
Walk on water, harness fire...
Although Sun Siwen scorned these deeds and magical powers, he only thought that they were deceptions created by demons pretending to be gods and ghosts through unknown means to deceive the emperor.
But for Lu Yuan, his understanding of the whole matter suddenly changed to another level.
"Although based on my current exploration of this world, I have not found any mountain spirits, wild monsters, fox ghosts, gods, and the like. But since there are martial arts and internal forces in this world, mysterious powers that do not conform to common sense exist.
Then it is not so difficult to understand and impossible that some people who have mastered the magical power will appear again.
Since these real-life mages who claim to be able to walk on water and control fire are so highly praised by the emperor, perhaps they really have real abilities and have mastered some mysterious powers that are difficult for ordinary people to understand. "
Lu Yuan pondered secretly in his heart, and then cooperated with Sun Siwen to curse a few monsters, and got some more rumors about monsters from him.
For example, there once was a mage who claimed to be invulnerable to water and fire. In the busy city, you can directly put your hand into the hot oil pan and then take it out without any damage.
There was another real person who claimed to be able to read minds. He randomly picked up a stranger on the street and was able to tell exactly what the other person had done before. It was amazing.
What's more, he is a real person from the Tianshi Mansion. It is said that he has amazing magical powers and can control thunder to drive away evil spirits. At that time, a high-ranking official's house in Kyoto was haunted by ghosts, so he asked this real man to help.
This real person from the Tianshi Mansion just came to the main court of the high-ranking official's mansion, performed a spell and drank, and then there seemed to be thunder all around, and there were sounds of women wailing.
Then the real person said that the sneaky person had been destroyed by the thunder. From then on, there was really no evil happening in the high-ranking official's palace, which was immediately amazed by the people of the time and spread widely.
Even Lu Yuan actually heard a businessman talk about this matter when he was drinking tea in the county tea soup two months ago, but it was already a version that had changed countless times.
It has long been beyond recognition and sounds even more bizarre and mysterious.
At that time, I just regarded it as a myth and legend, laughed it off, and didn't pay much attention to it.
At this time, after listening to what Sun Shusheng said, it suddenly dawned on me that it turned out that this was talking about the deeds of real people in the dynasty.
However, after hearing these stories, he began to become a little uncertain.
Because these stories sound too much like magic tricks used to deceive the world, pretending to be gods and ghosts.
For example, when reaching out for a hot oil pan, Lu Yuan knew that there was a scientific method that could easily be done.
There is also the so-called mind-reading skill. It is not difficult to arrange a few helpers in advance or use some thought to collect information.
As for the thunder method to destroy ghosts, that is even simpler. There may not be natural sneakiness, but is it not easy to create man-made sneakiness?
All in all, these stories were so similar to some of the scammers he had seen in his previous life that it was hard not to be reminded of them when he heard them from others.
"So maybe this is really just a martial arts world and there are no gods?" Lu Yuan couldn't help but hesitate when thinking back to the story he just heard.
However, this suspicion only lasted for a while before he was forgotten.
Regardless of whether these are deceptions or not, whether those real mages know magic or not, these are all too far away from me.
Kyoto is thousands of miles away from Dayu County. For this remote small county, things there really only exist in rumors.
"And compared to these illusory things, it is most practical to practice my Flowing Cloud Palm first." Lu Yuan laughed at himself, then raised his glass and continued to drink with Sun Siwen.
…
Since that day when they had a drink and discussed Taoism, Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen had met less often.
This is not because the relationship between the two has deteriorated due to any conflicts, but mainly because they both have things to be busy with.
Among them, Sun Siwen was busy studying classics, forgetting to eat and sleep in order to study.
This scholar, who has been a child student for more than ten years, is preparing to apply for the spring examination in February next year for the twelfth time, and once again strive to become a scholar.
I wonder if it will work this time?
Judging from past examples, it is probably very uncertain.
Lu Yuan, on the other hand, was busy practicing martial arts.
The previous trip to Nanhai had gained him more than just money. It also gave him a clear understanding of his own strength level.
"The leader of the Qingzhu Gang that I killed that day also developed internal strength. Judging from the fact that he was holding an iron rod, he probably also practiced some martial arts. His overall strength should be similar to what I am today."
Lu Yuan carefully recalled the situation that day, and the vague concepts in his mind gradually became clear.
“But such a person is only a small leader in the Qingzhu Gang, at most a middle-level manager, not even a senior executive.
According to this situation, the senior leaders of the Qingzhu Gang, the gang leaders and elders, are at least third-rate masters who have mastered at least two meridians and have initially mastered a martial arts.
Dayu County is obviously richer than Nanhai County. The Black Wolf Gang here can control such a territory and should be stronger than the Qingzhu Gang.
Maybe the leader of the Black Wolf Gang is a second-rate master who has mastered six meridians and has a small amount of internal strength. "
Inferring this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but think of the Ma Jiqing from back then.
This person possesses the Flowing Cloud Palm, and his cultivation level is obviously much stronger than his current one. He has probably reached the second level of mental skills, opened up three or four meridians, and his strength is at the peak of the third rate.
But even such a good martial artist was still seriously injured and fled.
Those who can do this may only be second-rate masters with a small amount of internal strength.
But after guessing this, Lu Yuan quickly thought of one thing: "Since Ma Jiqing was seriously injured, he must have had fights with the top leaders of the Black Wolf Gang. There must be someone in the other gang who knows Liu Yunzhang." people.
And I got Ma Jiqing's martial arts. Although I got it by killing the opponent and touching his body, the Black Wolf Gang doesn't know about it? "
After all, according to the normal routine, when the other party encounters this situation, they will most likely think that Lu Yuan has worshiped Ma Jiqing as his master, inherited the other party's mantle, and then practiced martial arts hard in order to avenge his master.
This is the style that traditional martial arts should follow.
As for his explanation, he did not become a disciple, but instead helped the Black Wolf Gang to kill his enemies.
Regardless of whether the other party believes it or not, just saying that a second-rate martial arts secret book is enough to arouse greed and murderous intentions in people.
Lu Yuan felt that at this moment, a big black pot was placed on him out of thin air, and he didn't know when it would fall.
"So you still have to practice harder. If you don't practice Manliu Yunzhang, your internal strength will be small and you will become a second-rate master. You must not wander around in the world."
He cheered secretly in his heart.
But he has already made up his mind to go into the city as little as possible in the future and try his best to avoid the Black Wolf Gang. Even if they meet, they must never show that they know martial arts in front of the other party.
Otherwise, trouble is definitely inevitable.
The world is too dangerous, and there are always fights and killings. As a noble and immortal person, I really can't afford to risk my life with those reckless men.
You should give full play to your own advantages, compare your lifespan with the other party, and outlast them.
When they are old and their children and grandchildren have not grown up, they will punch Beihai Nursing Home, kick Nanshan Kindergarten, and send each other's family to their graves neatly.
Isn't this delicious?
