"Master Gu, may I ask if your house is still short of diners?"
Hearing this, Gu Xu's first reaction was: I haven't even paid off the loan to buy a house, so someone would want to come to my house to cheat me out of food and drink?
Of course this was just a joke in his mind.
The "diners" in Shen Qiu's mouth are not guests who eat, but another name for "diners", which refers to people who stay in the homes of noble officials and serve them. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in Gu Xu's previous life, many princes from vassal states, such as the famous Mengchang Lord, Xinling Lord, etc., had maintained a large number of followers, including people from all three religions and nine streams, including scribes who wrote articles and lobbied around, and some who served as There are samurai who are assassins or bodyguards, and there are also thieves who have only some small skills.
In the Daqi Dynasty, "diners" usually referred to aides who made suggestions in the aristocratic bureaucracy, or practitioners who served as worshippers and took money to perform services.
The common characteristic of these people is that they do not hold official positions and do not serve the court directly, but their first priority is to assist their masters.
Because of this, Gu Xu was very surprised by Shen Qiu's words.
He really couldn't imagine that a son of a noble family like Shen Qiu would not inherit a fortune worth hundreds of millions, nor would he become a respected court official. Instead, he wanted to become a guest in the home of a low-ranking official of the sixth rank!
After all, according to common sense, with the power of the Jinling Shen family, it is very easy to find a good future for Shen Qiu.
Seemingly noticing Gu Xu's surprised look, Shen Qiu raised his eyebrows and said, "Mr. Gu, do you look down on my abilities and think I will come to your house to eat and drink for free?"
Maybe Shen Qiu just wanted to show his sense of humor through these words.
But coupled with his ugly and weird face and his eyes of different sizes, it always sounds a bit sinister. "Of course not," Gu Xu smiled and shook his head, "I was just thinking about how worthy and capable I am that I could make a rich young man like Mr. Shen, who comes from a family of bells and whistles, be willing to give up a bright future and come to my house. Are you serious about doing things... Mr. Shen?"
"Of course I am serious," Shen Qiu shrugged, with a self-deprecating smile on his face, "I have a bright future... Mr. Gu thinks too highly of me. As a dwarf, I was born to a rough servant girl. Dwarf, my father still doesn't want to admit that I am his son, let alone seek any future for me.
"If I stay at home, I'll probably have to be a nanny for my stupid brother-in-law - he goes to visit the brothel, and I look out for him outside the door."
Gu Xu was silent for a moment. He didn't know if there was any exaggeration in the other person's words, and he didn't know if the other person was stating the facts or a way of gaining his trust.
"But I'm just a sixth-grade official," Gu Xu smiled faintly and responded, "For a long time before, I was working hard every day to obtain cultivation resources, and I didn't have any lofty ideals and ambitions— —I can’t promise you any future.”
"Master Gu, in fact, what I like is not you now, but you in the future."
"Future me?"
"Today, the Imperial Preceptor is full of praise for your accomplishments in Talismans. For your sake, the Chief Secretary made a special trip from the Exorcism Department to Longmen Academy. Although Her Royal Highness the Princess did not say much, her eyes remained fixed. It all falls on you; even Dean Li, who was originally skeptical of you, put aside his cousin Mo Li after seeing your attainments in Talismans... As long as you pay close attention to these big shots With your performance, even a fool can see that your future is boundless. If I follow you, even if I am just a guard at the gate, I will surely be popular and drink hot food in the future."
Gu Xu smiled.
In fact, he should have expected that when he rose to prominence in Luo Jing City, many people would follow the trend and gather around him - just like every rapidly rising stock would attract a group of speculative investors. .
"Master Shen, as a fourth-level monk, should be able to tell at a glance that I am inherently deficient and have flaws in my bones," Gu Xu said, "Aren't you afraid of losing your money when you invest in me?"
"Los Capital, who masters the art of divine deduction and can see into the future, dares to invest, so why shouldn't I?" Shen Qiu chuckled, "I know, Mr. Gu, you probably just want to practice quietly now, and don't want to get involved. Among the messy worldly affairs.
"However, you are now in the maelstrom of Luojing City. As the youngest sixth-grade official of the Exorcist Department, the youngest non-hereditary viscount of the Daqi Dynasty, and the youngest guest teacher of Longmen Academy, there are many things you want. If you avoid it, it will come to you.
"In addition, in your future practice, you will definitely need a lot of resources - if you purely rely on completing tasks to earn merit to exchange resources, the efficiency will definitely not keep up with your practice speed."
Gu Xu listened silently and said nothing.
Shen Qiu paused for a moment, patted his chest with a funny gesture, and then said: "I, Jinling Shen Qiu, don't have any other strengths. Compared with you, my cultivation talent is far behind. Drawing Talisman Reading and reading are just hobbies.
“However, when it comes to the ability to make money in business and manage connections, I dare say that few people in this Luo Jing City can match me.
"If Mr. Gu is willing to recruit me as your disciple, you can concentrate on your cultivation, and I can help you with all the worldly things; in addition, if you need it, I can also help you run your industry - as long as In a few years, you will become one of the richest people in Luojing City, and you will no longer have to worry about insufficient cultivation resources."
Shen Qiu's words sounded a bit exaggerated.
But Gu Xu knew that this person did have real abilities.
In the past, there were rumors that Shen Hua, the eldest son of the Shen family in Jinling, had always been a man of both political integrity and talent, and was quite famous. He single-handedly managed the Shen family's industry in an orderly manner, making it prosperous and prosperous day by day.
It was precisely because of these rumors that the Daqi royal family considered marrying Princess Zhaoning to Shen Hua.
However, not long ago, when Shen Hua was bumped into by the censor of the capital while visiting a brothel, the world discovered that the legitimate son of the Shen family was actually a mediocre man who was greedy for pleasure and indulged in licentiousness.
There is actually someone else who manages the Shen family's property.
It was not difficult for Gu Xu to guess that the mysterious person behind the scenes was Shen Qiu, who was not even taller than his chest.
Seeing that Gu Xu didn't respond for a long time, Shen Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Does Mr. Gu not believe in my ability?"
"No," Gu Xu shook his head, "I'm just curious about what Mr. Shen wants to get from me - I think your family should be able to give you better, whether it's resources or development opportunities. .”
Both sides are smart people.
Because of this, it is even more important to be open and honest during the conversation and make all conditions clear in advance.
Hearing this, Shen Qiu shook his head with a smile and said, "I have had no worries about food and clothing since I was a child. I don't need you to give me any material things - I just need to leave a room in your house for me to spend the night." A side room is enough.
"My pursuit is actually more on the spiritual level - I want the respect of others, I want to prove myself, I want an opportunity to display my talents in an honest way, I want my relatives who have made sarcastic comments about me to look at me with admiration. I want to tell my people that I, the bastard who has been ignored, is much better than the bastard they surround themselves with all day long.
"Walking alone is too slow.
"But Mr. Gu, you are now a rising star in the Daqi Dynasty. Following in your footsteps, I will definitely walk faster than me walking alone.
"Can you understand how I feel like this?"
As he spoke, Shen Qiu spoke faster and faster and became more and more excited.
Gu Xu nodded slowly: "I understand."
For some reason, when he looked at Shen Qiu in front of him, he suddenly thought of Lu Shiyao from the Lu family in Qingzhou.
One of them is a beautiful woman, and the other is a short and ugly dwarf.
Very different in appearance.
But their situations have many similarities.
Before Lu Shiyao became the owner of the "Jinghong Pen", she was also a neglected concubine with a melancholy and sensitive personality.
A little bit of insignificant kindness from others can become a ray of sunshine that breaks through the darkness, and she will remember it for a long time.
Presumably, beneath Shen Qiu's cynical appearance, there is also a sensitive soul hidden - longing for kindness, longing for respect, and eager to trample on those who look down on him.
"It's our first time meeting you today. Maybe you don't trust me quite yet," Shen Qiu smiled and then said, "But I think that after you showed off your skills in the art of talisman and seal today, many people will follow your reputation. When it comes to your door, there are a lot of troubles that come with it.
"If you don't mind, we can cooperate for a month first. If you are not satisfied with me, I will leave immediately."
Gu Xu pondered for a moment and nodded.
"I live at No. 22 Jinyu Lane, Yanqingfang," he said, "but I won't move there until two days later. In the past two days, you can come to the exorcism department headquarters to see me."
"I just need two days to deal with some things," Shen Qiu said, "I will come to your house immediately after I finish my work."
Then, he clasped his hands into fists, bowed deeply to Gu Xu and said, "Shen Qiu pays homage to Dong Weng."
The clouds in the sky gradually dispersed.
The sun shone down, making the rain on the ground sparkle, and also gave the two figures a golden edge.
…………
at the same time.
Imperial Master Da Qi did not leave the academy immediately, but returned to the pavilion surrounded by vegetation.
At this moment, everyone in the pavilion had left, leaving only Luo Chuan, the head of the exorcism department, and Shangguan Jin, who was standing beside him.
"Can we talk alone?" the Imperial Master said to Luo Chuan.
Luochuan nodded and gave Shangguan Jin a look.
Shangguan Jin immediately bowed obediently and left.
"Shou Luo, in recent times, you seem to want to push Xiaoyou Gu into front of everyone!" Then, the Imperial Master sat next to Luo Chuan and said slowly, "You have been trying your best to help. He was building momentum because he was afraid that someone might not have heard of his name.”
"How do you say this?" Luo Chuan was silent for a moment and asked calmly.
"On the first day that Gu Xiaoyou was rescued from Qingzhou Prefecture, many people were spreading the news about his heroic deeds of saving tens of thousands of people," the national master said, "and when he won the first prize in the Lantern Festival Arena, he Your name is even more resounding in Luo Jing - others may not know it, but I know very well that on the day of the Lantern Festival, you, Luo Sishou, were at the edge of Luoshui River.
"Today, after you personally came to Longmen Academy from the Exorcism Department Yamen to watch the battle of Talisman and Dao, you pushed the public opinion about Gu Xiaoyou in the capital to a climax... If I guessed correctly, when Gu Xiaoyou was in this Talisman Dao battle... After winning the battle of Tao, you will definitely take measures to quickly spread this matter to the exorcism department and the entire circle of practitioners in Luojing.
"I'm curious as to what your motivation is for doing these things."
"Master Imperial Master, are you holding me accountable?" Luo Chuan said calmly, without any change in the expression on his face.
"No, I'm just purely curious," the Imperial Master replied. "As we all know, Luo Sishou masters the art of celestial deduction and can see future scenes through the long river of time - therefore, no matter what you do, it may be There is another profound meaning...I really want to know what will happen in the future that gives you the motivation to do this?"
"Before answering your question, I first have to correct an error in your words for the 128th time," Luo Chuan said. "I have never been able to 'see the future through the long river of time.' So-called The 'Tianji Deduction Technique' is essentially the great Emperor Ziwei of Zhongtian North Pole presenting some future pictures in my mind."
"Okay, let me correct you," the Imperial Master sighed and said helplessly, "What kind of picture did Emperor Ziwei let you see, which gave you the motivation to do these things?"
"The long night is coming, and we need heroes," Luo Chuan replied. "In those extremely dark days when the sun cannot be seen, what is most likely to defeat us is not powerful monsters, but our own negative emotions.
"During the 'Long Night' in the history of the Daqi Dynasty, many people chose to give up because of the despair in their hearts before the sun rose, and were ultimately defeated in front of the ghosts.
"However, if a heroic figure can stand up and become a banner in the long night, allowing the monks of the Qi Dynasty to unite around him and fight with him, then as long as that hero does not fall, the faith in the hearts of the monks will be It won't go out either.
"Not long ago, Gu Xu was able to escape from death in front of the 'fierce god'-level ghosts, was able to find a glimmer of hope in the deadlock blocked by heaven, and was able to save tens of thousands of people in Qingzhou Prefecture on his own... He is undoubtedly' synonymous with 'miracle'.
"In my opinion, making him the hero in 'The Long Night' is undoubtedly an excellent choice."
"He is indeed very good," the national master thought for a moment and agreed with Luo Chuan's statement, "However, 'the trees are beautiful in the forest, but the wind will destroy them'. His current level of cultivation is not high enough... Too much display of sharpness will be harmful to him. It’s not necessarily a good thing, it might cause him a lot of trouble.”
"It doesn't matter if it's a small trouble, it's just a whetstone on his way forward," Luo Chuan said in a calm tone, "As for a big trouble...aren't there still two of us?"
Hearing this, the Imperial Master laughed dumbly: "That's right."
PS: It’s the end of the month, please give me a monthly pass!
