Zhao Tianyi said: "I have been so busy with trivial matters recently that I haven't found the time to visit Brother Chen at home to express my gratitude. I really feel ashamed."
"Anyway, no matter how hard you practice, you can determine the outcome with a drink and a peck. Besides, I can't help much. Brother Zhao is serious."
After saying that, Chen Mo looked at the two people next to Zhao Tianyi: "I don't know whether these two fellow Taoists..."
"Ah, it's my fault!"
Zhao Tianyi laughed and immediately added the introduction. He first invited the young man and said: "This is Zhou Zhennan, Brother Zhou. He did not go to the Forgotten Land like us, but succeeded in building the foundation of the sect!"
"Congratulations." Chen Mo celebrated with cupped hands.
"Same joy." The latter responded with a smile on his face.
The woman was wearing a long purple dress, with a round waist that highlighted her slightly plump figure. Her skin was like ice and snow, graceful and graceful. She also had a pair of bright and clear eyes, which also greeted her with a smile.
"This is Junior Sister Zhang Xin. She successfully established the foundation a few days ago. We have been friends for many years and have known each other since we joined the sect." Zhao Tianyi continued to introduce.
Chen Mo said hello in a normal way, and the female cultivator immediately returned the greeting. After Zhao Tianyi introduced Chen Mo to the two of them, Chen Mo asked: "Then where are you going?"
Zhou Zhennan said with a smile: "As the saying goes, an invitation is worse than a chance encounter. A few of us were going to the countryside to have a drink, and then we met Brother Chen. It was just a matter of having multiple sets of bowls and chopsticks. I wonder if Brother Chen can give me a favor? Sit down?"
"Brother Zhou, I accept it with kindness." Chen Mo waved his hand and explained: "I have to go to the Kung Fu Pavilion here, so let's wait for another day. I will treat you another day."
"Brother Chen, are you not giving me face?" Zhao Tianyi pretended to be angry and said: "Wouldn't it be the same if we go to the Gongfa Pavilion to pick someday? Or do you look down on us in your heart and worry about losing your identity?"
"Brother Zhao, what are you talking about?" Chen Mo couldn't let him blame him randomly, so he quickly smiled and shook his head, indicating that there was no such thing.
Zhang Xin, who had been silent for a long time, said at this time: "It happens that I have half a day to spare. Why does Brother Chen have to chase him so urgently on the road of practice?"
"oh?"
Chen Mo became interested. He turned to the female cultivator and said, "This is the second half of "Sheng Qin·Part 2". Could it be that Miss Zhang Xin has also been interested in reading it?"
"Sitting in a well and talking about the vast sky made Brother Chen laugh." Zhang Xin added, "I don't agree with the clever words in the poem, but it ruins the entire artistic conception."
Chen Mo raised his eyebrows: "Then according to what the girl said, what word should be used instead?"
Zhang Xin's starry eyes flashed, and she spoke softly: "I have to spend half a day free again, what do you think, Brother Chen?"
Chen Mo thought for a while and said slowly: "It's better to change the trick into stealing."
"Steal?" Zhang Xin was stunned for a moment, and then muttered silently: "Stealing can give you half a day's leisure, stealing can give you half a day's leisure... What a poem!"
After doing this several times, she became more and more happy, and even looked at Chen Mo with admiration.
How can two rich and powerful men understand the affairs of literati? Just seeing Chen Mo and Zhang Xin chatting so congenially, they thought the matter was done, so Zhao Tianyi said again: "It's rare for Junior Sister Zhang Xin to chat so happily. I am the brother." This is the first time I’ve seen him, don’t say anything else, Brother Chen, you have to go this time!”
"Yeah, just go and sit down." Several people tried to persuade them again. Chen Mo felt that if he refused, he would be a bit too aloof. Although he vaguely guessed their little thoughts, it was hard to refuse the kindness, so Chen Mo could only nod in agreement. .
The four of them raised their hands to summon the Flying Sword Yukong. Chen Mo took this opportunity to quietly observe it. Zhou Zhennan's Flying Sword was obviously carefully selected, which showed that this person had been building the foundation for a while, while the other two controlled the Flying Sword. The sword was a bit raw, and at first glance it looked like a novice monk like him.
"It seems that I have to be careful about his words later." Chen Mo thought to himself.
The country road they were going to was actually a gathering place for mortals within the sect. The families of some disciples of the Fuyun Sect lived here. Chen Mo came here once, and it was to find Qi Zhao to manage his medicine garden.
However, that was all a long time ago.
The four of them flew on the wind and landed in a remote village. They walked through a large number of low houses, and an old but not dilapidated courtyard appeared in front of them. A white-haired old lady was sitting in the courtyard. While washing her clothes, she heard someone knocking on the door. She quickly called out to the old man in the house to greet him.
"It's me, Zhou Zhennan, aunt."
The firewood door opened slightly. When the two old men saw the visitor, the expressions on their faces immediately became excited. They did not dare to speak because of fear and enthusiasm, but they just kept pulling the former into the house to rest.
Of course, they treated Chen Mo and others with the utmost respect.
Chen Mo didn't know why, so he, Zhang Xin, Zhao Tianyi and others sat at the stone table in the courtyard without entering the room.
"I heard Brother Zhou say that these are his friend's biological parents. Now his friend seems to be gone. When he has free time, he will come to visit and take care of them."
Zhao Tianyi whispered to the two of them. After Chen Mo listened, his mind was full of mixed emotions. It seemed that it also brought back memories of his parents. Without saying anything else, he just responded and said nothing.
Not long after, Zhou Zhennan returned to the courtyard and said to everyone: "The four side dishes, roast chicken, fish in vinegar, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and roast rabbit, are all brought by me. You can make some changes to the taste of the dishes." Although it’s not as good as a restaurant, the cleanliness of this place is pretty good, so please don’t despise it.”
Everyone kept saying that he was out of town and had no time to serve the food. The four of them still seemed a bit reserved in their words. After the wine was put into the cup, after three rounds, the familiarity of the four of them was no longer as good as before.
Even so, the words between them were limited to brief personal experiences, as well as some anecdotes about the sect or the path to immortality.
Zhou Zhennan stood up, took a cup, and said to Chen Mo alone: "Brother Chen, I have heard of your name a long time ago. You are among the top ten on the Qianxun list. You must be a master of martial arts. Today is not appropriate. If there is a chance in the future, Zhou would like to compete with you, and treat it as making friends through martial arts!"
Chen Mo's eyes flashed and he was about to speak when he heard Zhao Tianyi answer:
"Brother Zhou, what you said is wrong, why is it inappropriate? How about you take advantage of the wine and try a few tricks, so as not to postpone this matter to the future!"
Zhang Xin glared at Zhao Tianyi: "Don't stir up trouble. We have been flying with swords for a long time, and our spiritual power has been exhausted. Where can we find the strength to compete? Let's eat your food!"
While talking, he gave Zhao Tianyi a piece of rabbit meat.
Chen Mo's thirty years of life experience had already clearly understood their thoughts. He had to be confident in talking, and relying on Lin Yuqin's relationship could only make him qualified to sit here.
As for whether you can sit firmly, it depends on whether there are virtual scholars under the famous name.
Chen Mo chuckled and said: "These are not important. As the old saying goes, fists and kicks have no eyes. What's more, when it comes to fighting, it's not good to hurt anyone, so let's just let it go."
Chen Mo was about to drink the wine in front of him in one gulp, but was gently stopped by Zhou Zhennan.
"Brother Chen, are you worried that Zhou will hurt you?" Zhou Zhennan's eyes were burning.
Chen Mo smiled calmly: "The method of stimulating generals is useless to me."
Zhou Zhennan said: "What's the explanation?"
Chen Mo said: "Then let's fight with each other."
Since the other party was so pressing, Chen Mo couldn't be too humble, so he also stood up and pointed to the red date tree in a stranger's house a hundred feet away, across another path, and said:
"I think Brother Zhou is a swordsman, and he must be very good at controlling qi, so let's test our strength. From our current position, each of us will pop out a wooden chopstick and pierce it into the wall under the jujube tree. Whoever goes deeper is the winner, what does Brother Zhou think?"
Any martial arts master in the secular world can do it by inserting wooden chopsticks into stone, but if the target is a hundred feet away, the meaning will be different.
The monks in the Qi refining stage couldn't reach that far with spiritual energy. They could only reach it with the strength of foundation building. However, the moment they touched the wall, it became a problem again.
If it is too light, it cannot leave any traces. After all, Wen Dou requires depth, but if it is too heavy, the speed of throwing it out during the foundation stage will easily cause the wooden chopsticks to collapse, but it is not as good as the former.
"It's interesting, let's try it."
Although Zhou Zhennan's face remained as usual, he had already put away his contempt for Chen Mo deep down in his heart. The two of them were sitting on the stone bench. The moment they raised their hands to wave, they heard two whooshing sounds, and their palms were facing away from each other. A stream of gray air was shot out, and then they looked at each other and smiled, as if nothing had happened, and the two drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.
Zhao Tianyi stood up and wanted to check, but before he could move even half a step, he was secretly kicked by Zhang Xin. Then he seemed to have thought of something, and moved the stone bench angrily, not mentioning what happened before at all.
Seeing Chen Mo's strength, the group of people relaxed their conversation a little more, and finally talked about the purpose of Chen Mo's trip.
Cultivators in the early stage of foundation building can apply for a management position in the sect. They can be the daily management disciples in the Qi refining period, enjoying the attention of thousands of people, or they can be stationed abroad, powerful and powerful, and they can also serve the back mountain. Ancestors who form pills can take a further step on the path of cultivation, but the specific choice depends on personal wishes.
"Let me explain to a few people in advance that the only candidate for the torture hall has been decided. No matter how you apply, the final result will only be the one who won. The so-called willingness is just a formality..."
Zhou Zhennan said with a smile, and his words were very proud. Although Zhao Tianyi and Zhang Xin were envious, they also had their own goals in mind and could not afford to compete with Zhou Zhennan.
Zhao Tianyi said leisurely: "I am going to join Master Zhan's sect and wait for my position to be announced. What do you want to say, fellow Taoists?"
Although Chen Mo didn't want to get involved in the sect's internal struggle, he had some understanding of it as it related to himself.
The current head of the Fuyun Sect, Ding Lingtao, is a faction of his own, and the other six palm peaks are divided into two factions. This is the orthodox faction, which is in charge of the finance, diplomacy, and daily operations of the Fuyun Sect.
As long as the Qi Refining monks trained by Fuyun Sect advance, they will immediately become a member of the system and be supported and used by the sect.
In addition, there are also factions such as the Xingtang, the Shadow Hall, and the White Tiger Palace that are dependent on the sects. They are outside the system, but in the final analysis, they are another form of shackles.
No one can give Zhao Tianyi the answer to the question of which side to take. Zhang Xin's goal is to get more spiritual stones. She chose the leader faction with the most money, hoping to get a good position.
"Brother Chen, where are you?"
Everyone had finished talking about their goals, except for Chen Mo. The core purpose of this drink was also revealed. They just wanted to form a small circle within the system to facilitate their future actions within the sect.
If they can win over Chen Mo and Lin Yuqin again, then their circle will be considered a valuable network.
Chen Mo didn't even receive the token, so how could he think about his position? But he didn't answer for a long time, which was obviously a distrust of the three of them. He thought for a while and said: "I haven't decided yet, but if I can choose, I still prefer to venture outside.”
Zhou Zhennan's expression changed: "Brother Chen, this is absolutely unacceptable!"
"Why?" Chen Mo asked.
"Brother Chen has been in the sect for a long time. He has no idea about the chaos outside now. Fighting is happening everywhere. Demon cultivators are everywhere. Traces of demon cultivators are all over the seven countries. Everyone knows that a war is about to happen. Going out at this time is not a sheep. Tiger's mouth?"
Zhao Tianyi also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Brother Chen, the safest one right now is the sect. In these days, I have asked many senior brothers. Master Liu who is in the back of the sect essentially belongs to the lineage of Zhan Pavilion Master. , if as an old man, he is willing to say a few words of encouragement, then Brother Chen’s status in the future will be unlimited!"
"If Brother Chen needs to do something secretive, Zhou can also quietly do things within the scope of authority in the execution hall." Zhou Zhennan lowered his voice and said slowly.
"Sure enough, the fox's tail is revealed!" Chen Mo thought to himself.
Maybe it was because he was bitten by a snake once and was afraid of ropes for ten years. Even if the Fuyun Sect was sincere, Chen Mo didn't have much sense of belonging. He couldn't fit into the system, and he didn't want to be troubled.
Chen Mo had already thought clearly. Even if he didn't receive the token, it wouldn't matter. He had not rebelled against the sect and would not be hunted down by the Fuyun Sect. At worst, he would risk everything to visit the Demonic Island, and his training would not be in vain.
But he still had a hesitant look on his face. After pretending to think deeply, he said slowly: "Well... let me think about it for a few days. Besides, it is about the future, and I always have to discuss it with my friends."
The three of them naturally thought of who he was talking about, so they laughed and didn't mention it again. Then the atmosphere returned. Although everyone had reached the point of fasting, they also ate all the dishes on the table.
Time flew by, and the sun set in a blink of an eye. Chen Mo and others were about to return. Zhou Zhennan went to the room and handed the two old men some silver coins. He also left a messenger talisman. If anything unexpected happens, just light it. This way. Came here after receiving the news.
The place where mortals gather is not peaceful either, and relatives who are cultivators of immortality are inevitably used to dominate and bully others. Such trivial matters, leaving this thing behind can reassure the two elders and not be disturbed by outsiders.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Chen will take the first step."
After exchanging the jade slips, Chen Mo said goodbye to the three of them in turn. This trip was not in vain, as he had made a few friends. From now on, in the sect, he would not be blind, and he would not know everything anymore.
Several people waved goodbye and watched Chen Mo leave in an arc with his flying sword. Only then did Zhao Tianyi sigh with emotion: "I didn't win over successfully, but I can still say that we have established a good relationship. Today's trap was not in vain."
Zhang Xin said with a smile: "Rather than this, I want to see who is better in the competition between him and Brother Zhou."
"Then let's go take a look." Zhou Zhennan had absolute confidence. He smiled heartily and walked towards the jujube tree with the two of them easily.
He has been building the foundation for more than three months. In terms of spiritual power, experience, and understanding of the sword, no matter what, it is impossible to compare with Chen Mo, a monk who has just established the foundation.
Therefore, when he saw that his wooden chopsticks were inserted into the wall half a foot deep, but Chen Mo's wooden chopsticks were missing, he knew that he had won.
"He won't miss it, right?"
Zhou Zhennan smiled and said: "If you look for it in the jujube tree, you might hit another place. After all, it is a hundred feet away, so it is understandable to deviate a little."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the shocked expressions on the two people's faces, and even their bodies seemed to have been cast a restraining spell. A bad premonition suddenly came to his mind.
He was eager to know the answer, and hurried over to investigate. When his eyes looked at it, he seemed to be struck by an invisible lightning, and stood stunned on the spot.
The one-foot-thick wall was penetrated straight through, leaving a small hole that seemed to be silently mocking him.
.
