Zhao Mansion.
The eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
At midnight, 12-year-old Zhao Chuan was still tossing and turning in bed.
It has been half a month since my father went out to collect accounts for Zhao Mansion, usually ten days at most.
The mother accompanied the second wife back to her parents' home to visit her relatives, and she hasn't returned yet, but the important thing is that the mother wants to pick up a girl along the way. That girl was for Zhao Chuan, whom he had already arranged to marry, but what Zhao Chuan liked was Qing Lian, his childhood sweetheart in the village.
The banging sound of the fourth watch sounded, and Zhao Chuan still couldn't sleep. He hoped that his father would return safely, and that he could get married to Qinglian.
Zhao Chuan stood up quietly. It is said that most wishes made to an ancient well on a full moon night will succeed. There is an ancient well in the back garden of Zhao's house. It is said that it is very old and cannot be more ancient.
Zhao Chuan climbed up to the high stone well platform. After making his wish, he looked up at the full moon and was shocked: he saw a row of people standing on the high courtyard wall!
Under the bright moon, these people were dressed in black with only their eyes exposed and holding various weapons in their hands. They were obviously not servants of the Zhao family. At the same time, the sound of the watchman's night watch outside the courtyard wall also disappeared.
"There are thieves! There are assassins!..." Zhao Chuan shouted subconsciously.
With only two shouts, a dart whizzed towards Zhao Chuan with a cold light. He instinctively turned around, rolled down the well platform, and quickly got into the bushes in the garden.
At the same time, gongs sounded in the courtyard in front, and the sound of fighting suddenly began. It was vaguely heard that the Zhao family was arranging expert guards to protect the courtyard, and then screams were heard.
Zhao Chuan was lying in the bushes, so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe out. His ears were filled with the sounds of fighting, shouts, and screams...
"What a disaster! The Zhao family is in danger now!" Zhao Chuan complained repeatedly.
The ancestors of the Zhao family offended many people when they were officials in the court in the early years. Everyone in the Zhao family knew this, otherwise they would not have maintained a large number of servants to protect the courtyard.
Zhao Chuan lay down for a moment and felt that it was wrong to hide like this. Although he was not directly related to the Zhao family, his surname was Zhao. His father was the shopkeeper of the Zhao family business. The eldest and second uncles of the Zhao family treated people well and recommended him to the Zhao family. Studying in school, practicing martial arts and medicine, there is no way to hide like this, even to rescue the injured.
After thinking about it, Zhao Chuan got out of the bushes and ran to the front yard to take a look. As soon as he took a few steps, he saw two men in black appearing from nowhere and slashing with a knife.
The bright knife was about to fall on his head in an instant. Zhao Chuan was so shocked that he had no time to dodge. He closed his eyes in fear and said to himself, it's over!
But only two puffs were heard, followed by the sound of someone falling to the ground. At the same time, a big hand covered his mouth and said, "Don't make a sound!" His whole body flew into the air. When he opened his eyes, he was lifted to the ancient well.
"Hold your breath!" The man whispered. In a blink of an eye, he had descended into the well water. He felt extremely cold. After a while, he floated up to a space and placed it on the ground. Zhao Chuan's eyes were dark and he could not see anything. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. A candle has been lit.
Only then did Zhao Chuan see clearly that this was an old man who had gone through many vicissitudes of life. The old man sat on the stone platform and made a few circles with his hands. Then he closed his eyes, not knowing whether he was practicing or thinking about rest.
Oh, isn't this the great-grandfather of the Zhao family? Is this old guy still alive?
The eldest son of the Zhao family is no longer here. I heard that the great-grandfather took the eldest and second uncle to settle here a long time ago. During the ancestor worship ceremony many years ago, someone saw Grandpa being supported by the Second Master and saluting. Later, a servant met the Second Master pushing him past him in the back garden, but no one ever exchanged a single word with him.
Not only was this frail old guy not dead, he turned out to be a mysterious master.
Zhao Chuan looked around and found that this was a hidden stone chamber dug into the wall of a well. There was water at the outlet. It was expected that the well water was used as a cover to connect the rooms. But it was only half the size of a room, and it was extremely dirty and damp. There were only a few stone benches against the wall, and it was an underground tomb with no windows or doors.
Zhao Chuan's body was soaked and his lips were blue. He was extremely cold and frightened, and he was shivering.
At this time, the old man slowly opened his eyes and said softly: "Don't be afraid!", then stood up and walked slowly to him, put his hand on Zhao Chuan's back, and a stream of heat slowly entered Zhao Chuan's body, and he suddenly felt a stream of heat. It spreads throughout the body, the coldness is swept away, and the spirit is lifted.
The old man returned to the original place and continued to sit down, and said calmly: "Fifty years! Still haven't escaped. It is estimated that there will be no one alive in the Zhao family compound by now..."
"Who are they...why do they want to kill us?" Zhao Chuan asked timidly.
"You don't have to ask. There's no use in knowing it. Just do as I say!" The ancient man paused after speaking. "Your name is Zhao Chuan. You are twelve years and nine months old. September 10th." Risheng.”
Zhao Chuan was a little surprised, "How do you know?"
"Actually, you were not born on September 10th, but on September 9th. Zhao Li, the third young master of the second master's family, was born on September 10th. You two made a mistake! Your biological father is the second master, which means that I am your great-grandfather. Whether our Zhao family's lineage can continue depends on you!"
Zhao Chuan was shocked and speechless as he stared at the old man in front of him who called himself great grandfather.
"I only have a few days to live, and I can't help you much. I originally asked you to learn some civil and military medicine, and then send you away if you can survive by your own abilities, but the plan is not changing fast! You have a very different physique, Pure Yang Your destiny is pure Yang, if they find out you will definitely not be able to escape!"
Grandpa seemed extremely angry when he said this. He paused for a while and continued: "Remember, there are only two words: "Live!" "
"I only have time tonight to make some preparations for you, and I have nothing to give you when things happen suddenly! In addition, you also have a third uncle named Zhao Kai. It is said that in Qingfengguan, he has a purple willow leaf birthmark on his left shoulder. He was given to an uncle in his early years. The Taoist priest took it away, and I don't know if you will encounter it in the future. This pear wood pendant is a token!" After saying that, he hung a pendant around Zhao Chuan's neck.
Then he took off his shirt and took off his waistcoat, "This is a soft inner jacket, a protective treasure from the Western Regions. It's a bit big for you now. I added a camouflage layer on the inside and outside. It looks like an ordinary vest!"
Grandpa looked at Zhao Chuan and then at the waistcoat, then rubbed the waistcoat several times on the floor and wall, and then rubbed it with his hands.
"This waistcoat looks dark and dirty now. No one will pick it up if it is left on the roadside!" Grandpa looked at it repeatedly and seemed very satisfied.
Grandpa turned his right hand and another bag came out: "There are still some things in this Qiankun bag, but you can't use it yet. You can only use it when you have the ability to make him recognize his master in the future..."
After saying that, the old man slapped the Qiankun bag into the soft inner layer and handed it to Zhao Chuan: "Put it on first!"
Grandpa continued back to the stone platform and sat down, "The Zhao family has a private school, a martial arts school and a medical school. Have you studied them all?"
"Yeah! Study literature in 147, practice martial arts in 258, and study medicine in 369!" Zhao Chuan said.
"That's good! You have learned to meditate before, and now I will teach you a set of breathing techniques. You need to be able to hold your breath for dozens of breaths before you can get out of the stone room. You sit down on the stone platform over there and practice with me! "
Although the technique is simple, Zhao Chuan is a master of internal martial arts and metaphysics after all. He practiced according to the taught method and only learned to hold his breath for dozens of breaths after an hour. Grandpa was very satisfied and said, "Well, not bad, let's take a rest."
"The ancestors of the Zhao family were honest officials for several generations and made too many enemies. Now they are exterminated. I guess it will happen one day, so I have been practicing hard for decades. Unfortunately, I am old and disabled now, and I have no strength to resist them. I can only fight them." Part of the internal strength has been passed on to you! You have a foundation in martial arts. Now I will help you expand your Dantian and open up your meridians, and then I will pass on some spiritual energy to you. Although you cannot become a master, you still have a chance to escape with your life."
