Hearing the words "Born to know", Gu Xu suddenly made a bold guess in his mind, and tentatively said to Zhao Yan: "Odd changes to even, does it stay the same?"
Zhao Yandai frowned slightly, showing a puzzled expression: "What did you say?"
"It's nothing," Gu Xu immediately shook his head, "I just think your cousin's behavior is really disgusting."
At the same time, he came to the conclusion in his mind: It seems that Zhao Yan is not a time traveler. After all, I am alone, a stranger in a foreign land.
"Yes," Zhao Yan agreed, "Especially when my uncle proposed that I make a marriage contract with Zhao Yu, Zhao Yu's behavior became more and more rampant, as if he regarded me as his property.
"Fortunately, my father believes that my personal opinion should be respected on a major life matter like marriage, so he has never agreed to it.
"Then, sixteen years ago, Lu Huan, the chief minister of the cabinet, committed treason and was executed by the Nine Clan. The governor Tang Hui was sent to the Lu family's mansion in Qingzhou to carry out the task of ransacking the house.
"Most of the group of people led by Tang Hui could not come out after entering Lu House. It is said that they were retaliated by ghosts.
“But there were a few people who left the mansion early and escaped that disaster.
"During that time, Zhao Yuzheng followed our family's tradition and traveled around Youzhou and nearby areas accompanied by his guards. While killing demons and monsters, he challenged his peers to hone his martial arts skills.
"During his training, he did not change his nature, and did not forget to hang out with people from all walks of life. While fooling around, he happened to bump into a few people who had escaped from the Lu family's house. These people were all low-level soldiers who came from the market. Realizing the seriousness of this incident, he actually shared with his companions the various atrocities committed in Lu's house in a ostentatious tone - the dignitaries who used to be well-dressed and well-fed became prisoners who were trampled and humiliated. Those who wore gold and silver A woman with bruises all over her body was crying and begging for mercy in front of them, which seemed to be something they were proud of.
"Zhao Yu was extremely excited by the rhetoric of these people. After he returned to Jicheng, he conducted the same experiment on prisoners in prison and military prisoners, and then described it to me vividly. He even tried to He moved his hands and feet on me, trying to get me to participate in his disgusting 'games'.
"Fortunately, Coach Cai always followed my father's orders and stayed with me to protect me. He stopped his crazy behavior in time and did not let him succeed. Then my father put him in solitary confinement for half a year, forcing him to face the wall and reflect on his mistakes.
"Later, when I started practicing, my strength quickly surpassed that of Zhao Yu. He was afraid of being beaten by me, so he no longer dared to say any dirty words in front of me, nor did he dare to make any extraordinary moves.
"Just because of these experiences in my childhood, I began to resent marriage, the touch of the opposite sex, and the intimacy between men and women.
"As for those 'hanging around in brothels', it's because I have always wanted to avenge my mother, so I placed spies in the brothels. I hope they can help me find out the true situation back then..."
"I think I said a little too much."
Having said this, Zhao Yan looked at Gu Xu in front of her and forced out an apologetic smile.
In fact, she just wanted to briefly say that she had a difficult relationship with General Zhao Changqi and his son. Unexpectedly, as he spoke, his heart opened quietly, and many words that had been suppressed in his chest suddenly poured out like a flood.
She had long been accustomed to wrapping herself in a prickly shell, covering her inner shadow with pride and indifference. But around the person in front of her, she inadvertently let down her guard more than once.
Gu Xu listened quietly to her confession.
Zhao Yan's tone of voice was calm and her expression was calm, but Gu Xu could detect the turbulent undercurrent beneath the calmness.
He could understand Zhao Yan's mood. He knows that some things and some words may not matter to adults, but they will leave a deep psychological shadow on young children and even cause irreversible damage.
Like a friend of his in his previous life. After hearing a ghost story told to him when he was a child, he did not dare to sleep alone for a long time, for fear that evil spirits would lurk in the dark night and attack him. Not to mention people like Zhao Yan, who has been sharing all kinds of cruel atrocities in reality with her psychopathic cousin since birth.
There was just one thing that confused him.
Since Zhao Yan hates contact with the opposite sex, why did she heal him before? Is this a very torturous thing for her?
"Then before you..." He pondered for a moment and couldn't help but ask.
"You are different from others." Zhao Yan guessed what he was thinking and immediately interrupted him.
Then she suddenly realized that this sentence seemed a bit easy to misunderstand, so she added: "Don't think too much. What I mean is that it may be because the techniques we practice have similar origins, so I am physically different." I don’t dislike you.”
"I understand." Gu Xu nodded. He knew clearly that Zhao Yan's help to him these days should only be out of guilt and repayment of gratitude. He is not narcissistic enough to have the illusion that the other person likes him.
Other young girls may be fascinated by his appearance and admire his legendary deeds. But as the heir to Dayan, Zhao Yan must have seen countless handsome men, beauties, and geniuses since she was a child, so she may have long been tired of aesthetics. She should have given up on these vulgar interests long ago and focused on the avenue of heaven and earth and the revenge plan.
Zhao Yan hesitated for a while, then with a straight face and a serious tone of "discussing cultivation issues", she continued: "To be precise, you don't feel like 'someone else' to me, but like another 'me'" '. Especially on the day you helped me activate my blood vessels, our meridians and even blood vessels seemed to be connected by a mysterious force, and the true energy and blood surged back and forth between each other's bodies... I don't know if you Is there anything similar..."
"I do have a similar feeling." Gu Xu said.
"It's amazing," Zhao Yan sighed after a long silence, "I had doubted before that you might be the illegitimate child left behind by the Zhao family."
"I think not." Gu Xu smiled. In his opinion, the connection between himself and Zhao Yan should come from the "Hui Lu" rune.
In the following period, Zhao Yan briefly described some potential conflicts between her father and uncle. She pointed out that Zhao Changqi, the general of the auxiliary state, had close economic ties with many dignitaries in Daqi, and had cooperated in some industries of refining elixirs and making magic weapons. Therefore, Zhao Changqi is more inclined to compromise with the Daqi Dynasty than Zhao Changying, who has been plotting revenge for his wife. When the Qi court tried to reduce the military power in the hands of Duke Yan, Zhao Changying showed obvious dissatisfaction, while Zhao Changqize believed that handing over military power to eliminate the doubts in the king's mind was a very cost-effective deal.
"I'm very worried that after meeting you, my uncle will send you back to the Qi court for personal gain," Zhao Yan said, "He is a sixth-level monk and has many powerful magic weapons. Although your bloodline is not as good as mine, it is still much stronger than most of the Zhao family. I may not be able to protect you in front of him."
"Then do as you say," Gu Xu said, "First rush to Beiming as soon as possible to get the fragments of the magic weapon.
"I'd like to ask Miss Zhao to be my guide."
"I've told you a thousand times - don't use polite words in front of me."
…………
After making the decision, the two of them didn't waste a moment and started heading north.
When he had plenty of real energy, Gu Xu used the "Astrolabe" to build a space passage, while Zhao Yan grabbed his arm and traveled hundreds of miles in an instant.
When the real energy was insufficient, Gu Xu found a remote and uninhabited place, took out "Xianyunju", changed it back to its original appearance, and then got in to practice with Zhao Yan.
With the "Obstacle Breaking Pill" brought by Zhao Yan and the energy flowing out of the "Hui Lu" rune, his cultivation speed was much faster than before.
When he closed his eyes and was in the netherworld of his consciousness, he felt that he was not walking, but running like the wind. The scenery on both sides of the road quickly receded, and the "Meng Po Pavilion" at the end of his sight in front of him quickly came towards him. Come.
Zhao Yan beside him could clearly feel the surge of true energy in his body.
In her perception, whenever Gu Xu enters the state of cultivation, he seems to become a blazing bonfire in winter, a bursting sun, spreading light and heat to the surroundings without hesitation.
The true energy in her meridians also became excited, and she couldn't wait to respond to the other party.
Practicing the "Nirvana Sutra" is an extremely painful thing, which will make her feel like her flesh and blood are torn and then healed, and her bones are crushed and then restored.
But as long as you enter the state of cultivation with Gu Xu, this pain will be relieved to a great extent, and the speed of true energy growth will also be greatly increased.
"Could it be that the Nirvana Sutra is an incomplete exercise?" Zhao Yan speculated randomly in her mind. "The other half of it is in Gu Xu's body?"
When Gu Xu finished his training and opened his eyes, she couldn't help but ask: "With your training speed, I'm afraid you can break through the fifth realm in two or three months, right?"
"I hope I can survive until then, safe and sound." Gu Xu smiled.
Zhao Yan pondered for a few seconds and then said: "Beside you, my cultivation efficiency seems to have accelerated a lot."
"Me too."
"I'm describing an objective fact. It's not psychological factors, and it's not a joke." She folded her arms in front of her chest and said seriously. The sun shone in from the window and fell on her cheeks, making her skin glow with a hazy light, like crystal snow.
"Me too."
…………
The further north you go, the colder the climate becomes.
Although it is late spring now, there is still a chill in the air in the wild north.
When passing by Jicheng, the capital of Youzhou, the "Hui Lu" rune produced extremely powerful power. Gu Xu could hear the prayers of thousands of people.
This reminded him of the story of "Tai Shang Haotian" and "Emperor Zi Wei" competing for incense.
The power of faith is really powerful. No wonder the gods in the upper world need it to ascend to the highest realm.
However, as you go further north, the farmland recedes and the population gradually becomes sparse, leaving only sparse trees in your field of vision. The hills became steeper and soon turned into snow-covered mountains, standing under the dim sky like white-haired gray-blue giants.
Occasionally, an icy stream passes through the grass and trees, the water surface sparkles and the sky reflects the light.
When the sun set and the silver moon rose, Zhao Yan stood on the edge of the steep cliff, pointed to the place where heaven and earth meet in the distance, and whispered: "That should be the end of the world!"
Her eyes were very complicated at the moment. Gu Xu could see the emotions of curiosity, expectation and apprehension, like an explorer about to land in a new world.
He looked in the direction she pointed and saw a lake covered in clouds and mist on the horizon.
The legendary "Northern Ming" should be hidden behind that cloud. It was a mysterious land that few people visited. It contained the "astrolabe" fragments he wanted, as well as countless potential crises.
Just when the two were about to continue on their way, a huge shadow suddenly rose from the clouds and mist, like an overwhelming curtain, which dimmed the silvery moonlight a bit.
"Do you know what that is?" Zhao Yan frowned slightly and asked again.
"Maybe it's the legendary 'Kunpeng'."
Gu Xu thought of the description he had seen in books: "The Peng's back is thousands of miles away; when it flies in anger, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky."
The book describes Dapeng as huge and majestic.
Although he had been mentally prepared, he was still quite shocked when he saw this scene with his own eyes.
"I heard that 'Kunpeng' is a 'fierce god' level monster." Zhao Yan said with a worried look on her face.
"Don't worry too much," Gu Xu said, "If the description in the book is correct, 'Kunpeng' is different from ordinary ghosts. It is an existence evolved from the great road of heaven and earth. It will not devour humans, but use the two energies of yin and yang." For food... Of course, there is no Yang Qi in this world, it can only swallow Yin Qi.
"As long as we are careful enough not to provoke it, we should not be attacked by it."
As Gu Xu spoke, he took out a few old copper coins from his pocket, tossed them gently, and silently recited the names of "Tai Shang Haotian" and "Emperor Zi Wei", and received the words "Shocking up and down" The hexagram of "Shui Lei Tun".
"The 'Tun hexagram' is the second hexagram of Kan Palace. It means there are difficulties. It symbolizes danger and danger. It requires perseverance and courage to reach it." He explained the hexagram to Zhao Yan, "But it is after all. The auspicious hexagram can be regarded as the symbol of 'difficulties are solved at first'."
"Is your divination accurate?" Zhao Yan asked.
Zhao Yan likes simple and crude fighting methods, and is used to solving problems with the spear in her hand. She doesn't know much about complicated things such as divination, talismans, and formations. In addition, there are not many reliable fortune tellers in Youzhou, and they often calculate results that are far from the truth, which makes Zhao Yan not very confident in the art of divination and deduction.
"Never goes wrong."
"Even the capital city of Luosi wouldn't dare to say that."
"I'm more talented than he is at this."
Gu Xu's tone was very calm, without the impetuousness of young people when they brag, nor the guilt after showing off their strength, but as if he was describing objective facts, telling a truth like "the sun rises from the east."