Shi Xiaohan is a heartless girl.
After leaving the room, she quickly jumped towards the dining hall at the northernmost end of the academy with light steps.
The words of the one-armed old man were thrown out of her mind.
On the way, she bumped into Tao Xi, who had just finished his Taoist course. She stood on tiptoes and waved to her to say hello.
"Hey, fellow Daoist Tao, how was your Talisman class this morning? Is your teaching aggressive?"
Tao Xi, who is introverted, originally walked among the crowd with his head down.
When she heard Shi Xiaohan's voice, she was startled, and then whispered hurriedly: "Very good...very good! Mr. Du is not aggressive at all, he speaks very gently and is very patient with students... "
The "Mr. Du" she refers to is undoubtedly Du Yuan, the tall and lanky Talisman master who asked Gu Xu for advice in the academy canteen a few days ago.
In fact, what Tao Xi was thinking was that the tone of our lectures was calm and drowsy, and we didn't care at all whether the students were paying attention to the lectures.
But with her personality, it is impossible to speak ill of others behind their backs.
So I changed to a euphemistic way of expressing it.
"Then you guys are really good at teaching!" Shi Xiaohan said enviously, "I was scolded so badly this morning."
Then she paused and then asked: "How good are you at teaching talisman painting? Did he show the talisman seals he designed in public in class?"
The purpose of her question was naturally to secretly compare Gu Xu with other teachers in the academy.
"No," Tao Xi shook his head, "Mr. Du has been teaching us how to draw 'fire characters' this morning."
"'Fire Character'?" Shi Xiaohan opened his eyes wide, "Isn't this something created by Gu Xu?"
Tao Xi explained softly: "I... We, Mr. Du, admire Lord Gu very much... Mr. Du told us that Lord Gu's understanding of the art of talisman and seal script made him only look up. Especially the fire. Character' may be enough to lead a revolution in the field of Talisman, which will have far-reaching impact and significance."
Shi Xiaohan was stunned for two seconds and exclaimed: "Gu Xu is so powerful in the field of Fu Dao?"
In her memory, Gu Xu probably only started learning Fu Dao last summer.
This means that it only took him a few short months to reach a level in Fu Dao that even the long-famous Fu Dao masters highly praised.
Although Shi Xiaohan knew that Gu Xu had great talent in drawing talismans and seals, she was still incredulous when she heard Du Jiaoxi's comments.
I only heard Tao Xi continue to say: "Mr. Du also said that Master Gu once taught him and helped him re-understand the art of talisman and seal script. To a certain extent, he was equivalent to a teacher who showed him the ropes. If he hadn't still He has the responsibility to teach students, otherwise he is willing to become a disciple of Master Gu and learn from him new ideas for drawing talisman seals."
Shi Xiaohan lowered his head and remained silent.
While she was happy for Gu Xu, her heart suddenly doubled in pressure.
Inadvertently, she remembered the conversation she had with Gu Xu on her birthday——
"I will become strong enough to kill all the ghosts and monsters, protect the people of Yishui, protect my family, and protect you."
"If you kill all the ghosts, wouldn't I become an idler?"
"You are responsible for staying here every day and making cookies for me!"
At that time, she was determined and confident.
But looking back now, she found it a bit ridiculous.
Gu Xu walked far ahead, shining brightly on the vast stage of Luo Jing City. She had trouble keeping up with him, let alone protecting him.
There seemed to be fewer and fewer common topics between the two.
In the past, they would talk about the ghosts in Yishui, the trivial matters of the yamen, the delicacies of Piaoxianglou, their achievements and magic weapons, and then they would have a good time talking about each other's business.
Now, although Gu Xu will deliberately take care of her on the topic, try to understand her preferences, and talk to her about delicacies from all over the country.
But Shi Xiaohan found that it was difficult for him to truly enter his world.
Talismans, formations, feng shui, Gu magic, fate and divination, the struggle between saints and evil gods... these are all too obscure, too distant and unfamiliar for her.
She felt that her appearance and talents were not comparable to Princess Zhaoning, nor was she as outstanding and considerate as Shangguan Jin. In terms of family background, she was not comparable to many students in the academy... She was once the most dazzling little princess in Yishui County. , arriving in this Luojing city where dragons and crouching tigers are hidden, it seems that they have fallen into the dust and become an extremely inconspicuous member of all living beings.
She began to be afraid, what if one day Gu Xu got tired of such superficial topics as "eating, drinking and having fun", how would they get along? Will he find a partner who is more sympathetic and has similar interests?
Although the "Elixir Workshop No. 6" in Qingzhou Prefecture was her birthday gift to Gu Xu... but to a certain extent, wasn't it a bond, a bond that kept him from leaving her?
"Fellow Daoist Tao, do you know of any way to become stronger quickly?" After a brief silence, Shi Xiaohan asked Tao Xi beside him.
Tao Xi thought for a while: "Well... study hard and listen to the lectures?"
Shi Xiaohan thought to himself, isn't this nonsense?
The two stopped talking.
They followed the crowd, walked across the stone bridge, passed through the corridor and the hanging flower door.
Along the way, the words of others drifted to their ears along with the biting cold wind.
"..."
"The auditions for the 'Luoshui Conference' have started today. Have any of you signed up?"
"No. I heard that there are only fifty places to be selected in the entire Luojing City. An ordinary monk like me who only entered the third level this year will definitely have no chance."
"Haha, Senior Brother Qian, I've seen through people like you a long time ago. You usually say all day long that you don't practice and don't pay attention to the lectures, but you always come out on top in every assessment. This time you must have secretly signed up without telling us. On the surface, he said 'no confidence' and 'no chance', but secretly he was thinking of making a splash at the 'Luoshui Conference' and giving us a surprise."
"You have to believe me. I really have no confidence at all."
"How hypocritical."
"After being lied to so many times by you, only a fool would continue to believe you."
"Recently I have heard some rumors, it seems that this year's 'Luoshui Conference' will change the format of the competition, and the outcome will no longer be determined through the arena competition as before."
"No more fighting in the ring? What will it be like?"
"Maybe it's a big melee with hundreds of people? Who survives to the end and who is the winner?"
"In this case, do people with lower cultivation levels have a chance to defeat the strong with the weak? For example, first join forces to kill the strongest people?"
"By the way, I also heard that Gu Xu from the Exorcist Division will go to the 'Luoshui Conference' audition site to commentate tomorrow morning."
"Now he is also a teacher at our Longmen Academy. You still have to treat him with a little respect and call him 'Mr. Gu'."
"A guy who is younger than us is teaching us on the podium... This is really an unimaginable sight."
"Yes, and this morning, Mr. Du repeatedly praised his attainments in Talismans. For such an exaggerated talent, I simply doubt that he has ever been enlightened by God and blessed by Lord Wenchang Xing."
"..."
When Shi Xiaohan listened to these words, he felt mixed emotions.
She couldn't help but ask Tao Xi beside her: "Do you want to attend this year's 'Luoshui Conference'?"
Tao Xi was silent for a moment and replied, "Maybe I'll try it!"
However, at this moment, the voices around him were suddenly lowered a lot.
I only heard someone shouting to his companion: "I seemed to have seen Gu Xu just now."
"What? Where is he?"
"It seems to be over there in the warehouse."
"..."
Regardless of what the academy students thought of Gu Xu in the past, he is now a man of the hour in Luo Jing City. Many people are curious about him and want to see him up close.
As a result, the crowd suddenly changed its direction, flowing from the canteen in the northwest to the warehouse in the north.
Shi Xiaohan and Tao Xi unconsciously followed the crowd.
Then everyone saw from a distance that two people were walking and talking in the northernmost corridor.
Walking in front was a young man wearing a green shirt and holding his head high. He had a handsome appearance and an extraordinary temperament, just like an immortal descended from the earth.
Half a step behind him was a tall, thin, middle-aged man with thin hair, wearing a gray robe. He bowed slightly and nodded, looking quite humble, as if he was asking a question from the young man in green shirt in front.
Because the environment was too noisy, the students could not hear clearly what they were talking about.
But looking at their focused expressions, it was obvious that they were discussing some inscrutable Taoist theories.
Around them, there were many college servants helping them drive away the crowds of onlookers from all directions.
"That gentleman... is Du Jiaoxi who taught us the Tao of Talisman this morning." Tao Xi extended his hand, pointed at the tall and thin middle-aged man, and introduced Shi Xiaohan.
Shi Xiaohan didn't respond.
She looked across the crowd, past the middle-aged man, and landed on the young man in blue shirt.
It was as if there was nothing else in this world except him.
The cool breeze ruffled the hair at her temples.
A few sparrows were chirping on the eaves.
Someone pushed her from behind, but she didn't even notice it.
At the same time, the young man in green shirt suddenly turned around and glanced into the crowd.
The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and his eyes were full of smiles.
Although there were still many people standing around Shi Xiaohan.
But she knew that he must be looking at her.
So she stood up on tiptoes and waved desperately at him.
She thought to herself: "It would be great if I could grow taller and be as tall as Tao Xi!"
The young man in green shirt gestured to her.
His movements were quick, but she still sensed that he meant "little fool."
Then he turned back and continued to answer the question Du Jiaoxi had just asked.
Shi Xiaohan's face turned red with anger, he clenched his fists and said angrily: "Gu Xu, you big bad guy, don't think I can't understand what you are talking about."
At this time, she heard a female college student not far away say to her companions in an excited tone: "Really! He was definitely looking at me just now! His smile is really pretty!"
"Bilan, you really feel good about yourself! He was clearly staring at me," her female companion covered her mouth and snickered, "He also mouthed to me, 'See you on the fifth day of the lunar new year'."
"Oh, stop talking nonsense!"
"..."
Shi Xiaohan clenched his fists tighter.
It wasn't until Tao Xi beside her carefully poked her arm that she came back to her senses, and then the two of them walked towards the dining hall together.
In such a situation, only delicious food can calm her mood.
…………
"What's your last question?" Gu Xu turned around and said politely to Xi Duyuan, the Fu Taoist next to him.
"Master Gu, you just said, 'The media will affect our understanding of the great ways of heaven and earth to a certain extent'," Du Jiaoxi asked humbly, "I am stupid and don't quite understand this sentence. You can Can you tell me in detail?”
Gu Xu said: "Let me give you the simplest example. What is the unit we use to measure time?"
"Time?" Du Jiaoxi thought for a while and responded.
"So if we don't have bell and drum towers, watchmen, sundials, hourglasses and other timekeeping tools, will we still have the concept of 'hour'?"
"Probably...not anymore."
"But even without these timing tools, the passage of time will always exist," Gu Xu said, "The sun will still rise and set in this world, and the seasons will still change.
“It’s just that we may not be aware of the existence of time. We will only feel the beginning, passage and end of our own activities.
“However, these timing tools have changed the way we perceive time. They make us believe that time can be separated from activities and can exist independently as measurable units in the form of ‘hours’.
“The avenue of heaven and earth is like time.
“Its existence is abstract, invisible and intangible.
"Fu seals, cause and effect, swordsmanship...these are all media used to describe it. And these media will also affect the monk's understanding of the avenue of heaven and earth to a certain extent.
"For example, if a sword cultivator practices his sword to the extreme, he will say, 'Everything in the world can be a sword.'
“However, their understanding of the avenue will ultimately have some deviations due to the respective characteristics of these media.
“Because of this, the National Master would say that if you want to achieve enlightenment in a certain field, you need to integrate different Taoisms and understand the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth from a more comprehensive perspective.
"Of course, this is just my own understanding. If there is anything wrong, please forgive me, Mr. Du."
Du Jiaoxi stopped and meditated quietly.
In his opinion, Gu Xu's thinking is always eclectic and transcends books, which is incredible.
But if you think about it carefully, it makes sense.
It seems that Gu Xu is not a native human race in the wilderness, but a god in the sky, bringing some otherworldly thoughts that do not belong to this world to the human world. Every time they meet, Du Jiaoxi will be newly inspired.
After a while, Du Jiaoxi finally digested Gu Xu's point of view, then clasped his hands on his chest and bowed to Gu Xu on the ground: "Thank you, Mr. Gu, for your guidance! I'm really sorry for taking you so long!"
Gu Xu immediately supported him and said to him: "Mr. Du is so polite! Since we work together in the academy, it is what I should do to help each other and explore the avenue of heaven and earth together."
After saying a few polite words to Du Jiaoxi, Gu Xu said goodbye to him, then continued along the corridor and left the academy through the back door.
At this time, he had already received this month's benefits from the academy's warehouse.
In his "Xianyun Residence", there were a few more bottles of "Du Er Dan", which were enough to support his practice for more than half a month.
In addition, he also got some additional materials for drawing formations, which can help him do some formation experiments at home.
"I wonder how that girl Shi Xiaohan spent her first day at Longmen Academy."
While he was thinking this, he boarded a black carriage waiting outside the door and prepared to return home.
In his dense schedule, the rest of the day had to be spent practicing and studying spells.
After all, he still needs to spend some time watching the audition for the "Luoshui Conference" tomorrow.
So today, he will try to climb a few more steps on "Homesickness Ridge".
…………
The second day of February.
The temperature is still cold, but new green leaves have sprouted on the willow trees by the Luo River.
At dawn, the sky is still dark, and the residents of Yanqingfang by the river have not yet woken up.
Only two rooms had lights on all night.
One of them is the study room of Princess Zhaoning's mansion.
The other room is naturally the main room of Gu Xu's courtyard.
After Gu Xu finished his all-night practice, he put on the official uniform of the Exorcist Department, then blew out the candles beside him and walked out of the gate of the house.
A black carriage was waiting for him outside the door.
Today's "audition" in Luojing City was not held on a high platform in the middle of Luoshui River - that was a place only used for grand events where the whole people carnival.
Instead, a temporary arena was set up under the South City Gate.
"Commentary guests" like Gu Xu will watch the game on the city gate tower.
Since there are so many talents in Luo Jing City, even monks from many nearby counties have poured into the capital in recent times, so the "audition" of the capital will be held at the south and north gates respectively.
A quarter of an hour later, Gu Xu arrived at his destination.
When he stepped out of the carriage, a red glow appeared on the horizon, like a faint blush on the face of a shy girl.
The cold wind rustled the flags on the city gate.
The area near the city gate was already overcrowded.
The ones at the front were naturally the monks participating in the competition - some of them held knives, some held swords, some wore cloth shirts, some wore brocade robes, some were rubbing their hands, some encouraged each other, and some Full of confidence, a little uneasy.
More people came to watch the fun.
If a certain monk who stepped onto the stage today wins the first place in the "Luoshui Conference" in the future, they will have new talking points. They can brag to everyone, "When such and such a monk participated in the audition, I concluded that this person It's definitely not something that belongs in the pool... Look, my eyes are not vicious."
Gu Xu, led by the servants, climbed to the towering city gate.
He noticed that Luojing's city walls, including the city towers, were made of huge stone bricks, with a flat surface and a tight structure, with almost no gaps visible. There are jagged crenellations on the top of the city wall, which can be used for reconnaissance and bow shooting. Looking out from the top of the city gate, you can see the wide moat and the suspension bridge opposite the gate.
Three mahogany chairs were placed at the city gate in advance.
Next to each chair, there is a small table with teapots, teacups, desserts, etc. on the table.
At this moment, there was already a person sitting on the chair in the center.
It was a bloated middle-aged man with a big belly and a long beard. He was wearing a black gauze hat and a bright red official robe with Yunyan patches on his clothes - this was the fourth rank of the Daqi Dynasty. Civil service symbol.
From a distance, it looks like a huge mountain of meat piled on the chairs.
Gu Xu was worried about whether the chair could bear his weight.
The other two chairs were still empty.
"Mr. Yang, my exorcist, Gu Xu, is here to watch the battle on the orders of Chief Luo." Gu Xu said to the fat man sitting on the chair.
The fat man's name is Yang Jiong, and he holds the position of "Luojing Fuyin", that is, the secular chief executive of the Gyeonggi region, equivalent to the mayor of Luojing City. Today's audition will be hosted by him.
After hearing Gu Xu's words, Yang Jiong immediately held on to the armrests of the chair and stood up shakily. His round, fat face was filled with smiles, and his small eyes were squeezed into a slit.
He also cupped his hands towards Gu Xu and said: "It turns out to be the boss, I have long admired your name, please sit down, please sit down!"
As a fourth-grade official, Yang Jiong is technically above Gu Xu and does not need to stand up to return the courtesy.
However, in the Daqi Dynasty, the status of practitioners was aloof, and they could not be treated with secular etiquette. In addition, Gu Xu has been in the limelight in Luojing City recently. He is not only highly valued by the saints, but also has a title.
As a mortal without cultivation, Yang Jiong did not dare to show any slightness in front of Gu Xu.
Gu Xu smiled and said some polite words to him, and then sat down on the Taishi chair on the left.
At the same time, he pointed to the empty seat on the right: "Who is the other person?"
"It's Sun Mao, the elder of the 'Crazy Sword Sect'." Yang Jiong replied.
According to the arrangements of the Da Qi court, the reviewers for the "Luoshui Conference" auditions usually have to have one from an official organization and one from a folk sect. As long as your Taoist attainments meet the requirements, you will have the opportunity to be invited.
After all, the "review guests" are not referees, and their words will not affect the outcome of the competition.
Therefore, the imperial court wanted to use this opportunity to win over some unofficial sects and make them feel that "we are valued by the imperial court."
Gu Xu once learned about this "Crazy Sword Sect" in books——
Its mountain gate is located on the outskirts of Luojing. The monks of this sect are all good at using swords, and their main specialty, "Gust Sword Technique", has always been famous for their wild and uninhibited style.
More than ten years ago, it reached an agreement with the Exorcist Department to help the imperial court eliminate ghosts in many villages south of Luojing and protect the lives of local people. The imperial court provided it with some resources to help it train disciples.
Today, Elder Sun's work style is obviously in line with the name of the sect.
Gu Xu and Yang Jiong waited for a long time, but he never showed up at the city gate.
It wasn't until the bell rang and the two participating monks stepped onto the ring that Elder Sun arrived late.
"Sorry, I'm late."
He said "sorry" on his lips, but showed no apology in his actions. Before Gu Xu could speak to Yang Jiong, he sat down on the empty chair, grabbed a piece of peach cake from the small table and stuffed it into his mouth.
Gu Xu glanced at him and didn't pay much attention to his actions.
After all, this old man is a fifth-level monk. It is normal for a worldly master to have a bit of a weird temper.
Yang Jiong's face was a little gloomy.
In his opinion, Elder Sun's behavior was in contempt of the court's rules.
However, Elder Sun's more "crazy" behavior was yet to come.
After a moment, he glanced at Gu Xu, frowned and muttered: "Why is the Da Qi court getting more and more ridiculous? They actually let a third-level kid who has not yet been crowned come with me to comment? Can he recognize it? Are they all the moves of the monks in the arena?"
Then he looked at Yang Jiong: "Mr. Yang, you have to be careful not to crush the stool under your butt... Its price doesn't look cheap."
Hearing Elder Sun's words, Gu Xu couldn't help but complain: "Do people from the Crazy Blade Sect always speak so openly?"
It is indeed recorded in the book that "the monks of the Crazy Blade Sect tend to be wild and informal."
Seeing it with his own eyes today really opened his eyes.
However, Gu Xu remained silent, without any disturbance in his heart.
There is no basis for what you say.
His talent and knowledge, as well as his knowledge, will be proven by facts later. There is no need to argue with Elder Sun.
But Yang Jiong doesn't have such a good attitude as Gu Xu.
His fat face could not help but tremble with anger, and he retorted: "I take care of my chair myself, you don't need to worry about it!"
Of course, on an occasion like today, they would not argue at the city gate, otherwise they would become a laughing stock in front of the people of Luojing.
Yang Jiong finally restrained his temper.
The three of them looked down and looked at the two young monks who were fighting in the ring.
One of them was wearing a black "Qi Yao suit" and holding a long sword. He was obviously an official of the Exorcism Department - Gu Xu remembered that he had seen his face in the yamen, but he was far away and did not say hello.
The other man wore big pants and no shirt, revealing the bronze skin and strong muscles of his upper body, and went into battle with his bare hands.
According to the roster, Gu Xu knew that the former's name was Li Zixuan and the latter's name was Yao Xiao.
The two of them fought together, with sword lights and fist shadows mixed together, making the onlookers dizzy and exclaiming from time to time.
Gu Xu's eyes were like still water.
Elder Sun frowned, his face a little gloomy.
Yang Jiong stared intently at the battle situation on the ring - as a mortal, he could not recognize the moves and did not understand the subtle details, but he seemed to be infected by the atmosphere on the field, and his mood became tense, and his heart He raised his voice and even almost cheered along with the onlookers.
After a long time, the winner was finally decided on the stage.
Li Zixuan, an official from the Exorcism Department, fell outside the ring. His clothes were covered in dust and there was a bruise on his face. He looked particularly embarrassed.
Yao Xiao stood in the center of the ring with a victor's attitude.
Both of them were quietly waiting for the comments from the "guests".
PS: The chapters are merged, with a total of 7k words. One of the chapters is an additional update for the November monthly pass. Currently, two chapters are owed.
(End of chapter)
