Liu Qinghe came in a hurry and left in a hurry.
When Mr. Mei, the concierge in the courtyard, woke up from his nap, he saw Yunhu standing very quietly at the entrance of Xuansheyuan, looking at the alley with some fallen locust leaves, wondering what he was thinking.
However, thinking of what happened in Xuanxuyuan this year, Mr. Mei thought he had guessed what Yun Huzhi was thinking. He looked at the door for a while, then went into the room and poured a bowl of hot tea. He took it out and handed it to someone standing in the afternoon autumn breeze. Yunhu inside didn't know, and then said softly: "Sir, are you worried about the future in the courtyard?"
Yunhu took the bowl of hot tea and brought it to his lips, took a few sips, then shook his head and said softly: "No."
Mr. Mei did not expect that he had guessed wrong. He looked at the worried scholar with some surprise and said hesitantly: "What is this, sir?"
Yun Hu was silent for a long time, looked at Qiu Feng Alley, sighed, and said, "I'm worried about the future of the world."
Mr. Mei froze there.
The scholar did not tell him a certain secret that Liu Qinghe told him. He just took the bowl of hot tea and walked out slowly in the alley. He stood at the end of the alley and looked at the quiet streets of Nanjingfang.
Mr. Mei followed him with some confusion. Yunhu didn't know but didn't intend to say anything about it. He looked at it for a while, then looked back at Mr. Mei and said, "Has anyone come to the hospital to inquire about enrollment in the past few days?"
Mr. Mei shook his head and said: "No, sir, you also know that something like this happened this year. Maybe in the past few years, the courtyard will not be able to recruit anyone..."
Yunhu stood there silently and said softly: "Yes."
As the scholar spoke, he turned around, looked at Mr. Mei and said, "But I heard that in this world... the Peach Blossom Sword Sect has accepted a disciple?"
Mr. Mei had an embarrassed look on his face, and then said softly: "Yes, it is Li Die, but you also know, sir, that he was taught swordsmanship by Lao Xie and the others, and with his youthful temperament, he is not interested in such things. Be more interested.”
Yunhu smiled softly and said, "Do you think I'm blaming you?"
Mr. Mei smiled and said: "After all, at this time in the courtyard, Li Die didn't come to the courtyard, but went to the Jianzong next door. There must be something..."
"Just go." Yun Hu didn't know but he was very calm. "Even if Li Die comes to the courtyard and becomes the first student this year, it won't have a big impact. On the contrary, it will easily make others think that we are showing cowardice. It will be better if we go there. But..."
Yun Hu didn't know what he wanted to say in the end. Halfway through, he stopped again and looked back at Mr. Mei for a long time.
This man whose surname was Li but was always called Mr. Mei understood what he meant and said softly: "I know that Li Die has been in contact with Lao Xie and Zhang Xiaoyu, but..."
Mr. Mei didn't know what to say for a moment.
Yun Huzi patted Mr. Mei on the shoulder and said slowly: "Forget it, maybe I'm just thinking too much. Besides, although the Human Sword Sect is gone, Cong Xin is still there after all."
Unexpectedly, Yunhu didn't continue speaking. He finished the bowl of hot tea, returned the bowl to Mr. Mei, and then turned around and walked back to the academy.
Mr. Mei stood there for a long time holding the bowl.
There may also be some worry in his expression.
As he said himself, Li Die learned swordsmanship from Zhang Xiaoyu in March last year, and stayed with Xie Cangsheng in the courtyard before he left the Xuanshe Academy.
Of course the concierge himself was worried about such a thing.
only.....
Mr. Mei was silent for a long time.
Without thinking about it, he turned back to the concierge, put the bowl back, and hurriedly left Xuanshuyuan, heading north of the city along the Nanyi River.
...
The signboard of the Human Sword Sect has been taken down, and sometimes passers-by stand under the tree far away from the Sword Sect's gate, looking at the ancient horizontal plaque that was thrown to the ground.
Although everyone felt at the beginning that this place should not be called the Human Sword Sect, but the Human Card Hall.
But seeing such a thousand-year-old horizontal plaque removed from the gate and thrown on the roadside like a piece of broken wood still made me feel a little melancholy.
A place like the Human Sword Sect is of course different from the Sword Sects in Lingnan and Liuyundonghai.
Maybe in the end, they really fell into a situation where they thought they were right and didn't see right or wrong, but after all, they were once the leaders of the world's sword sect in the market.
People may think about which disciple once sold side dishes in the vegetable market or which disciple held a rowing boat on the river. But now, looking over it, all they can see is the loneliness that everything has gone.
Mr. Mei also looked there for a long time. After passing by, he walked and looked back.
There is no new plaque on the sword sect's gate.
When people are used to seeing this, they always feel like there is a big, bottomless hole in that place.
Mr. Mei looked sadly for a while, then looked inside the Jianzong Garden.
The door was open, but no one went in to take a look.
Mr. Mei looked there for a long time, but did not see the figure of the peach-clothed woman, nor the trace of Li Die. After hesitating a little, he walked straight in, along the rockery of the sloping bridge over the clear stream, all the way to the deep. Go everywhere.
It wasn't until he was near a pond that the concierge heard some conversations among the peach blossoms flying in the evening sky.
Not a woman's voice, but the voices of a little girl and a little boy.
Mr. Mei's eyes were a little wide open, but when he remembered that Cong Xin had always looked like a little girl, it was somewhat clear.
After crossing the path and walking to the entrance of a pool, I saw a little girl holding a doll, sitting by the pool and swinging on a swing.
Mr. Mei felt quite strange in his heart. His actions were like sneaking into someone's boudoir and seeing a woman without makeup.
The sword sect in the world is gone, but the peach blossoms in those sword sects are still blooming prosperously, even in the autumn evening of August.
The path of a pond is covered with pink petals.
Li Die was sitting by the bridge over a pond, holding the Peach Branch Sword in his hand, lowering his head and carefully chipping away at a piece of wood.
Mr. Mei stood there with a strange look on his face.
Cong Xin turned her head while holding the doll, tilted her head and looked at the concierge of the academy quietly.
The swing is still swaying high and low, and the rope that Cong Ren replaced in the windy winter of the year 1002 is still very strong and can last for many years.
After a long time, Mr. Mei came back to his senses, looked at Xiao Congxin who was holding the doll, and bowed respectfully.
"I've met the sect master."
Cong Xin was silent for a while, but then she suddenly stood up from the swing, and suddenly transformed into the peach-clad woman that Mr. Mei and Yun Hu had seen on the Nanyi River.
"I am not the sect leader." Cong Xin's words were very sudden, which made Mr. Mei a little confused.
Li Die was also alarmed by the conversation between the two. He raised his head and saw Mr. Mei standing there. He was probably startled. He put the Peach Branch Sword and the wooden board on the bridge with some guilt, and then He patted the sawdust on his body and ran towards Mr. Mei.
"father."
Mr. Mei silently looked at the peach-clad woman not far away, and then at the panicked Li Die who stopped in front of him. He understood something and said softly: "Are you the sect leader?"
Li Die lowered his head and fiddled with the corners of his clothes, probably not knowing what he should say.
Cong Xin turned around and walked towards the creek bridge, picked up the Peach Branch Sword, and said calmly: "In the current Sword Sect, there are only two people, Li Die and me. Li Die has learned swordsmanship from Zhang Xiaoyu, so naturally he is the sect master."
This reason is extremely good.
Probably whoever comes has no way to refute.
Mr. Mei was silent for a while, looked at Cong Xin and said, "Didn't Mr. Yunhu say that you went to the library and brought back many sword techniques to learn?"
The concierge's eyes fell on the bridge, where there were indeed some sword tactics books.
"I haven't started yet."
Mr. Mei was speechless.
And indeed it is.
Li Die looked up at his father cautiously, hesitated a little, and said softly: "Dad, don't you want me to be the leader of this sect?"
Mr. Mei looked at Li Die for a long time, was silent for a long time, and then said slowly: "Although the Human Sword Sect is gone, the Human Sword Cultivator is still there. If you want to be the sect leader, you may face many things in the future."
Li Die's talent is naturally not very good.
Even people like Hu Lu would feel melancholy when they thought that they might become the leader of a sect, let alone Li Die?
Little Li Die stood there silently with her head lowered. Maybe she didn't know what she should do, so she could only play with the corner of her clothes.
Cong Xin's voice came from the creek bridge.
"Cong Ren is dead, but Cong Xin is still there. Even if Shenhe comes, you still have to give me some face."
Mr. Mei looked up at the peach-clad woman standing under the Peach Blossom Creek Bridge, wiping the blade of the Peach Branch Sword. The latter finished wiping the sword and walked towards the two of them with the sword in hand.
Cong Xin stood behind Li Die and handed him the sword again.
Li Die did not take it, but looked up at his father.
Mr. Mei probably never thought that he would one day face off against such a great monster in the world - maybe this was not a confrontation, just a father standing in front of his child to help him see the story ahead.
Mr. Mei looked at the sword in silence for a long time, and then said softly: "You are not the sect leader, then what are you?"
Cong Xin looked back at the peach tree and said calmly: "I am the demon spirit protecting the sect."
Mr. Mei stood there silently.
This is a very unfamiliar phrase to today's world.
In the two thousand years of cultivation, no demon spirit protecting the sect has ever said this.
The previous generation is the previous generation, the next generation is the next generation, and that’s it.
Mr. Mei stood in the peach blossoms, thought for a long time, and asked softly: "What does the guardian demon spirit mean?"
"When someone wants to bully the Sword Sect leader, she will come out and beat them up."
This is Li Die's answer.
Mr. Mei nodded thoughtfully, thinking of an unspeakable metaphor.
But since it cannot be said, naturally it will not be said.
But Li Die looked at his father's expression and probably guessed what he was thinking - probably when Cong Xin told him, Li Die said it outright.
So Xiao Li Die said very seriously: "It's not about raising a dog."
"..."
Li Die looked at the silent Mr. Mei, thinking that his father didn't believe it, so he reached out and took out a piece of paper from his arms.
"This is the contract between us."
Li Die puffed out his chest and said proudly.
Mr. Mei did not take the contract, but took a glance at it and saw the imprint of a peach blossom at the end of the paper and Li Die's somewhat restrained signature and handprint.
The academy concierge was silent for a while and looked at the peach-clad woman.
"Is something like a contract necessarily useful?"
Cong Xin didn't speak, just looked at Mr. Mei quietly.
Li Die said seriously: "How can the contract be useless?"
Mr. Mei was speechless for a moment.
Of course this is what the world says, and so is what is written in the books.
It’s just that it’s probably unknown how many people in the world can keep their promises and abide by the rules.
When keeping one's word becomes a quality worthy of praise...
Mr. Mei sighed, touched Li Die's head and said, "I understand."
Li Die looked at his father in surprise.
Mr. Mei nodded.
So the little boy finally turned around and took the Peach Branch Sword again.
That may be a symbol of the status of the leader of the Peach Blossom Sword Sect in the future.
Mr. Mei stood there, watching Li Die holding the sword in his hand seriously, thinking this.
Just like the square inch and the spiritual platform of Mojian Cliff.
The concierge who came from Xuanshuyuan had somewhat forgotten why he came here.
Probably it was also incredible that such a Jianzong garden ended up in the hands of Li Die.
Or maybe, it's just that I still haven't gotten over the story of this being the Sword Sect in the World.
The Peach Blossom Sword Sect and the Human Sword Sect are naturally two different things.
The former is probably just a small sword sect that has just been established.
Even the plaque of Jianzong's mountain gate has only been cut out in half and is placed on the Peach Blossom Stream Bridge.
However, Li Die also remembered his unfinished work, put away the contract, and then returned to the creek bridge, holding the sword and continuing to cut the wooden board.
Mr. Mei stood there with a strange expression, thinking that his son would become the master of the Sword Sect just like this?
Although this Sword Sect has nothing yet, as long as there is a big demon like Cong Xin here, it is probably not difficult to rise.
The gatekeeper of Xuansheyuan walked towards the outside of the pool very sadly.
Cong Xin also followed.
This woman in peach clothing probably does have some of the scent of the demon spirit that protects the sect. Maybe it's just because she is located near the peach blossom that has been undefeated for thousands of years.
From time to time, peach blossoms fell down, as if being pulled by something, and landed around this woman.
Mr. Mei looked back at Cong Xin, sighed inexplicably, and said, "It turns out that the sword sect in the world is really gone."
Cong Xin stood aside calmly, raised his hand, and untied his two braids.
A waterfall of black hair hangs down.
"The Human Sword Sect is dead."
Cong Xin said very calmly.
"This Sword Sect now is just my Sword Sect."
It has nothing to do with the sword cultivators who were sleeping late on the creek bridge.
Mr. Mei didn't say anything more. He looked back at Li Die who was seriously making a plaque for the Sword Sect on the bridge. He opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say what Yun Hu did not know he had said to him.
The concierge just said softly: "That's good."
But Cong Xin seemed to have guessed the purpose of Mr. Mei's visit. She stood there calmly, looking at this lonely garden. The autumn atmosphere in the world was getting stronger, and the leaves of the garden plants also had a hint of withering.
"I know that Li Die and Zhang Xiaoyu learned swordsmanship."
Cong Xin looked at Mr. Mei with a calm expression.
"This is also the reason why he can be the leader of the Sword Sect."
"It is undeniable that Zhang Xiaoyu is indeed a bastard, but at that time, he was just a bastard, not a beast."
Mr. Mei stood there silently.
Cong Xin continued: "I believe that the world is still willing to abide by the principle of not bullying the young in the world."
It was probably like the two of them would use a piece of paper to agree on all future stories.
Mr. Mei took a deep breath, sighed, turned to look at this human peach demon, and said something sincerely.
"Thank you."
Cong Xin said nothing more.
Mr. Mei thought for a while and realized that he probably had nothing to say, so he walked along the path of the pond in the direction he came from.
But at this moment, a voice called "Mr. Mei" came from behind.
This title made the concierge of Xuanxuyuan a little flattered.
Although everyone in the courtyard will call him Mr. Mei.
But he is really not a gentleman, and everyone knows that everyone in the courtyard just calls him jokingly.
Therefore, when he heard the words "Mr. Mei" from Cong Xin's mouth, Li Taimei was stunned for a long time. He turned around and stared blankly at the man with loose black hair, standing among the flying peach blossoms, like a figure in a painting. woman.
Cong Xin looked extremely serious and sincere.
"Actually, there is another reason."
Mr. Mei was a little confused.
Cong Xin said softly: "About why Li Die can be the leader of the sect."
Mr. Mei was stunned and said softly: "What's the reason?"
Cong Xin did not answer, but said softly: "Xuanshuyuan will have good seedlings in the coming year. I hope Mr. Mei can find a way to ask Dean Yunhu to send some to Jianzong."
Mr. Mei remained silent. After a while, he slowly said: "The relationship between Mr. Yunhu and you should be pretty good."
Cong Xin said calmly: "No matter how good it is, some things still belong to two families, but starting from the husband's side, it is probably a family matter."
Therefore, Cong Xin also had to make some promises when borrowing the sword technique.
After all, both Qing Xiang and Cong Ren are dead.
There is probably no connection between the Jianzong Garden and the Academy.
Mr. Mei said softly: "So that's what it is."
Of course it is.
Cong Xin didn't say anything.
Mr. Mei turned around sadly and walked back the way he came.
"I will try my best."
Although Mr. Mei is not a rookie, he is just a concierge.
