Gu Shengchao drove away from the north gate. Seeing no one around, he made a big circle and entered the small town from the east gate, and found a nearby inn to stay.
Yang Qianhui was puzzled and complained: "It's true that you came back after going around in a big circle, causing me to not have a good rest."
Fang Ju guessed Gu Shengchao's intention: "Miss, Brother Gu is doing this for our own good. Now we can have a peaceful sleep." After this incident, Fang Ju's attitude towards Gu Shengchao improved significantly.
Sure enough, in the middle of the night, a large group of people came into the small town and went straight to the inn where Shen Tuhong and his gang were beaten during the day. When they learned that they had left the city, they chased them northward with lanterns and torches high, causing chaos all over the city. Gu Shengchao lived next door to Yang Qianhui and Fang Ju. He was afraid that someone would snitch and the other party would come to his door. He must have chased them away after hearing the noise, so he slept with his clothes on.
Early on the next morning, the three of them washed up and ate their meals before they set out on the road in high spirits. Gu Shengchao observed along the way that the horseshoe marks on the road were messy and varied in depth. He didn't understand why these deeper horseshoe marks appeared. Could it be that there were multiple people on one horse? The further he walked, the less at ease he felt. There was a dense forest next to him, so he simply drove his car and hid in the woods and stopped moving forward. It was noon at this time, and it was time to take a break in the hot weather.
Yang Qianhui didn't understand: "Those people have gone away, what is Brother Gu still afraid of?"
Gu Shengchao explained: "Those people who chase us can't find us, so they will inevitably turn back. For the sake of safety, we can only wait patiently."
About an hour later, the sound of horse hooves could be heard in the distance. When he got closer, Gu Shengchao discovered that there was actually a heavily armored cavalry in the cavalry team. It was equipment that could only be used when the two armies faced each other in a decisive battle. The whole set was worth a lot of money. It can be used in daily training. It is also a large expense, which shows the special status of Shen Tuhong. Gu Shengchao was afraid that they would turn back, so he waited for another half an hour before getting back on the road and heading towards the capital of Xileng Kingdom.
The three of them had a smooth journey without any disputes. Yang Qianhui also calmed down her temper a lot after this incident and learned tolerance and patience. Five days later, they finally arrived at the capital city of Yunshang.
From the name, Yunshang City thought it was built on the top of a towering cliff, above the clouds. When the three of them arrived, they discovered that it was only built between low hills, with a meandering river flowing slowly through the hills. . The highest hillock is occupied by the royal palace, and the remaining hills are used by different institutions and dignitaries. Due to the undulating terrain, standing by the river and looking out from afar, it really feels like floating on the clouds. Houses of various sizes are lined up in rows and rows, arranged from high to low in the hills and valleys. Under the sunlight, the layers are clear, and the river water is rising, making it look like a fairyland in the hazy place.
They inquired about the location of Yunqi Palace. Yang Qianhui couldn't take a rest and asked Gu Shengchao to drive straight there to sign up, fearing that they wouldn't take her in. Fortunately, Yang Qianhui led Fang Ju into Yunqi Palace and walked out happily shortly after, telling Gu Shengchao that the invitation was valid and that they could start practicing kung fu tomorrow.
Gu Shengchao was also happy for them and said with cupped hands: "I escorted you two to Yunqi Palace safely and said goodbye. I hope you will succeed in your studies and fulfill your wishes."
Yang Qianhui said anxiously: "Brother Gu, don't leave. I have another request that I hope Brother Gu will agree to."
"What's the matter?" Ancient Sage Chao was confused.
Yang Qianhui hesitated for a moment, then pulled Fang Ju to signal her to speak. Fang Ju said openly, "My lady said, I originally thought that Yunqi Palace would provide food and accommodation, but they are divided into inner courtyard and outer courtyard. Inner courtyard disciples can do this, but we are just outer courtyard disciples, so we can only find a place to live outside. We have no relatives in Yunshang City, and no one is taking care of us. We are worried that someone will bully us again, so the lady said, please be our bodyguard. The price is still the original fifty taels of silver per month. I don’t know what Brother Gu wants. how?"
Gu Shengchao originally planned to stay to find out what was going on in Yunqi Palace, so he immediately agreed, but there was one condition: they would tell him what they learned every day. Yang Qianhui agreed immediately without hesitation. The three of them went to a restaurant to have a drink first. After they were full, they found an inn near Yunqi Palace to stay. Yang Qianhui and Fang Ju lived in the same room, and Gu Shengchao lived next door.
Fang Ju asked Gu Shengchao to accompany her to search around to see if there was any suitable house for rent. They would have to stay here for at least a year, so it would be cost-effective to rent a house. However, it is not easy to rent a house that you are satisfied with. If you didn't find it that day, you can only think about it in the long run. In the next few days, Yang Qianhui and Fang Ju went to Yunqi Palace to study early every morning, and did not return until near dusk. In addition to transporting them to and from Gu Shengchao, he practiced kung fu alone in the guest room and went shopping. Are there any suitable houses available for rent?
According to the agreement, they had to tell Gu Shengchao what they had learned that day when they came back every day. Yang Qianhui always couldn't understand it, so she simply gave up and let Fang Ju do the talking. Fang Ju was very articulate and could explain clearly every time. The first few days were just some basic skills exercises, but Fang Ju had nothing to do with it. Yang Qianhui had never practiced before. Her back ached when she returned to the inn every day, and Fang Ju gave her a massage to relieve it.
On this day, Gu Shengchao had nothing to do and was wandering around the streets. He saw a fading notice at the door of a courtyard, saying that the courtyard was for rent. From the outside, the high-walled courtyard looked good, but the degree of fading of the notice showed that it had been posted. I haven't rented it out for a long time. Gu Shengchao didn't know the reason, but he still knocked on the door. Not long after, an old man opened the door and looked Gu Shengchao up and down.
"Old man, I'm here to rent a house. I wonder if the house is rented out?" Gu Shengchao said kindly.
"Rent a house, come with me!" The old man was very happy to see someone coming to see the house. He used a cane to lead the way and showed Gu Shengchao to the house.
The house has a nice triple courtyard, with an inverted room facing the street, a back room at the end, and a large inner courtyard in the middle, which is quite suitable for Yang Qianhui and the others to practice martial arts. In addition to the main room, there are also east and west wing rooms and east and west wing rooms. During the inspection, Gu Shengchao found that the old man's breath was restrained and steady, not at all what he should be at this age. His internal strength was definitely extraordinary, but his occasional cough showed the characteristics of an elderly person.
Gu Shengchao was quite satisfied with the house and asked, "May I ask if I have any special requirements for renting a house? I saw the notice outside is old. I shouldn't be unable to rent a house like this."
The old man smiled and said: "Young people have good eyesight. It's really good if there is no problem with the house. It's just that when renting a house, you need to meet the old man's two requirements."
"Speaking."
The old man looked at the sweet-scented osmanthus tree beside the verandah of the inner courtyard: "This courtyard belongs to the owner of my family, so you can't live in the main house and must leave it empty to them. The wing to the east is where the old man lives on weekdays. If you rent it, you can't kick me out. My old man still has to look after this yard. You just saw that it has all the furniture and everything else. You can move in and live in it. There is nothing else. The price is easy to negotiate. "
Gu Shengchao thought for a moment and said, "When will your master come back? Will it affect our renting?"
A trace of expectation flashed in the old man's eyes and he immediately returned to normal. He said calmly: "It won't have any impact. My master can live here for a few months or a few days at most, and the time he comes to live here every year is uncertain."
Gu Shengchao was quite fond of this house and said: "Well, I am also a servant. We will discuss it later when my lady comes over with me in the evening."
The old man sent Gu Shengchao out calmly. It seemed that he had concluded that Gu Shengchao would not rent his house.
As the sun set, Gu Shengchao walked to the gate of the outer courtyard of Yunqi Palace to pick up Yang Qianhui and Fang Ju back to the inn. There were fifty or sixty students who came out together, both male and female, and most of them were accompanied by dedicated personnel to study together. Seeing that they are all rich or noble in their gorgeous clothes, Yang Qianhui is the simplest one. On the way back, Gu Shengchao talked about the courtyard he saw during the day. Yang Qianhui became interested and insisted on going to see it in person, so Gu Shengchao led them there.
Gu Shengchao mentioned the old man's two requests on the way and reminded them that the old man has good internal strength and they need to pay attention to it. However, Yang Qianhui is a newborn calf and is not afraid of tigers: "What are you afraid of? Who dares to bully us with Brother Gu here? As long as the yard is big enough and powerful Just practice, it's been killing me these past few days." Yang Qianhui is quite interested in practicing.
When the old man saw the three of them, he showed them the house with an expressionless face. Yang Qianhui fell in love with the place immediately when she came to the inner courtyard. She immediately practiced a set of basic boxing skills she had just learned and praised the courtyard full of praise. Fang Ju and her old man discussed the price and decided to live here.
Yang Qianhui and Fang Ju wanted to live in the back room, which was quiet and undisturbed and suitable for women. Gu Shengchao checked and chose the west wing. Here, you can see the east wing to monitor the old man at any time to prevent him from doing evil. The east wing is used as a study room for studying at night. It is connected to the kitchen, which is more convenient for cooking late night snacks. After packing, they returned to the inn and officially moved in the next day, cleaning up the signs on the wall that were about to fall off.
The courtyard upon entering the house is large enough. The horses are kept here first, and the carriages are unloaded and stand against the wall, so traveling is not affected.
Everything has settled down, and life is getting on track day by day. After more than a month of study, Yang Qianhui and the others, and Gu Shengchao also have a general understanding of Yunqigong from Fang Ju's explanation.
Yunqi Palace is divided into an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard. There are six pavilion elders in the inner courtyard. The inheritance of each pavilion elder is a direct descendant relationship related by blood and has a high position. There are six elders in the outer courtyard, and they change every five years. As long as you are good at gathering six, it will be enough. I'm not sure who it is. Under the elder, there are a number of supervisors who handle various trivial matters on his behalf. Under the elder, there are a number of instructors. For example, Yang Qianhui and others studied in the outer courtyard with instructors who taught various skills. Governors can be promoted to elders, but teachers cannot be promoted, so everyone is proud to be in the inner courtyard.
Gu Shengchao also noticed Yunqi Palace's industry. Yunqi Palace was present in many restaurants, pawn shops, and various chambers of commerce in Yunshang City. Only in this way could there be enough financial resources to support the operation of the entire sect. In fact, there is no need to pay special attention. On the plaques of various industries operated by Yunqi Palace, there are Yunqi Palace's unique patterns marked on them.
In addition, Yunqi Gongwaiyuan recruits dignitaries and wealthy children from all over the world to study every year. It seems to be free, but it is a bit of a disadvantage. However, it has established close ties with various institutions and departments across the country, and it is even more convenient for them to operate various industries across the country. Make more profits.
