Fragrant grass spreads in the green fields, and white clouds rise in the green mountains.
The gentleman in a long robe sat leisurely on the field outside the city. He used a rock as a table, spread out bamboo slips, and wrote parting words for the children.
The children who got a bamboo slip all cried and were reluctant to enter the city.
It was Song Xiang's turn. He was a little nervous and walked up holding the corner of his clothes.
"Song Xiang, you are the most courageous and the most thoughtful. I never worry that you will have a bad life." The gentleman looked at him with a smile.
"However, on the path of spiritual practice, it is not enough to dare to think and do it - why you think and why you do it, you must also think clearly about your original intention."
"When you are pursuing physical strength, you need to be alert at all times and don't mess up your state of mind."
After the gentleman finished speaking, he pondered for a moment and wrote on the bamboo slips——
To cultivate one's self is to correct one's mind.
After finishing writing, the husband held the bamboo slip and asked, "Can you do it?" instead of giving it to him directly.
Song Xiang nodded seriously, "Don't worry, sir, we can do it."
"Okay." The gentleman smiled when he heard the words, and with a slight stroke of his finger, the bamboo slip was split into two thin pieces. The handwriting on them was exactly the same, which showed that the ink penetrated the back of the paper and completely penetrated the bamboo slip.
Song Xiang took one of them and heard her husband say seriously: "Since you agreed, you should keep it in mind."
"One day, I found that you had forgotten this sentence."
"Then I will come back and take away your bamboo slips."
…
In the inner courtyard of the palace, it was a deathly quiet room.
The white-haired old prince stood for a long time, clenching and unclenching his fists, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He knew very well that the deep fear he felt was not an overreaction.
That mysterious gentleman's realm was unfathomable more than five hundred years ago. If he is still alive today, how strong must he be?
"No, the situation is not yet certain. He may not be looking for trouble. After all, tomorrow is my birthday." King Changling murmured.
"Tomorrow, His Majesty the Human Emperor should come in person."
"No matter how powerful he is, he dares to deal with a human king in front of the Human Emperor?"
"There are also the seventy-two Qi Refiner Arrays and the Grandmaster's Protectorate... Fortunately, I was prepared in case King Qingyang came knocking on my door."
"With these arrangements, even if he is in Changling, it will be difficult for him to enter the palace. I will immediately ask two friends to come over in advance..." King Changling concentrated on it and kept thinking in his mind.
As a veteran king who has been famous for hundreds of years, he has countless trump cards in his hand. Although the incident happened suddenly, there are still many that he can use.
What's more, his six-hundredth birthday is a big event that shocked the human race. Now countless eyes are focused on Changling City. There are so many powerful people inside and outside the palace. In full view of everyone, what can go wrong?
Squeak——
The door to the quiet room behind him was slowly pushed open.
King Changling's thoughts were interrupted, and he became a little annoyed. He scolded without looking back:
"Get out! I didn't even call you, who let you in?"
There was no reply behind me.
King Changling was stunned for a moment, and then he thought of the most terrifying situation. His eyes were a little dull, and his body turned away extremely stiffly.
The person who opened the door was a young man wearing a bamboo hat and a ge robe, holding an old bamboo slip and looking at him quietly with an indifferent expression.
King Changling couldn't help but take two steps back, his cheeks twitching as if struck by lightning.
Although his appearance and temperament were completely different, the look in his eyes was exactly the same as that of the middle-aged scholar at the cellar door. More than five hundred years later, he still remembered it clearly.
In shock, King Changling could not speak fluently, "How did you get in?"
Isn’t the inner courtyard of the palace already impregnable?
"Yeah - walked in."
Zhu An ate two bowls of noodles today, so he was in a good mood. He even joked with the old prince, and of course he told the truth.
Relying on the feeling of the bamboo slips, I walked slowly and walked in.
King Changling twitched the corners of his mouth, as if he was smiling, but it was uglier than crying.
However, seeing that Zhu An's expression was gentle and showed no murderous intent, he calmed down a bit, straightened his clothes with his hands, and bowed.
"Song Xiang, my dear, meet you sir."
"Sir, long time no see..."
An octogenarian man with white hair and beard, with a hunched back, bowed as a junior to a young man who looked like a prodigal son. This scene looked extremely fantastic.
Zhu An accepted it calmly and then sighed:
"Indeed, I haven't seen you for a while."
"You have lived well during this period, but unfortunately, you have forgotten the words I sent you."
King Changling said sincerely: "Sir, I will remember every word of your teachings in my heart, and I will never forget them in this life."
"Yeah?"
Zhu An seemed to be smiling but not smiling. Whenever someone lied to him, he felt funny for some reason.
Just like those five-year-old children in the village who stretched their necks and said confidently before wiping the oil stains from the corners of their mouths: "Dad, I really didn't eat it."
Living in seclusion in the mountains and forests all year round, Zhu An rarely argued with others and was better at speaking with facts.
So he walked straight to the corner of the quiet room.
When the two passed by each other, King Changling's shoulders seemed to move, but he still stood where he was, bending slightly and with a respectful attitude.
Zhu An didn't care about him, just took off his bamboo hat and knocked on the wall.
The wall trembled slightly, part of the wall opened automatically, and a thick iron door appeared inside.
There is a huge turntable hanging on the door lock, with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches marked on it. If it is not turned correctly, the iron door will be locked directly.
King Changling raised his eyelids, his face expressionless, and he seemed to be a little disdainful.
Zhu An knocked on his bamboo hat again, and amid the sound of interlocking gears, the turntable did not move, but the iron door slowly opened.
Seeing this scene, King Changling became a little uneasy, with doubts and a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
Behind the iron door is a secret room, with circles of formation flags planted on the ground. The yellow flags automatically move without wind, guarding a rusty bronze box in the center.
Zhu An strolled into the secret room, but there was no response from the formation flags on the ground. He was allowed to go deeper and opened the lid of the bronze box with a wave of his hand.
Looking down at the things in the box, Zhu An let out a long sigh, feeling mixed, like dissatisfaction, regret, and regret.
King Changling was dumbfounded, his eyes trembling with horror, staring at the back in front of him...
