The next day, the sky was clear and clear.
After a sleepless night, Yan Longyu finally made it to dawn. He and Dugu Haodang briefly ate the white porridge cooked by Yan Gui and then left the small courtyard.
The three of them planned to go out to the market to buy some things first, and then at noon go to find Xu Zhiqing, who came to the city to sell calligraphy and paintings after teaching students.
Dugu Haodang, a gorgeous young man in black clothes with sword eyes and starry eyebrows, walked out of the courtyard with his sword in his arms. Behind him, Yan Longyu, who was dressed in white and had his hair tied up, pulled the sleeves of his robe with a tired look on his face and followed him carelessly, yawning. Yan Gui, who had a short sword hanging on his waist, followed the two of them out, turned around and locked the door of his courtyard.
The three of them came to the alley and looked towards the street together, only to see a man and a woman standing at the end of the dilapidated alley, blocking their way.
In the dilapidated alleys, murderous intent permeated the air, and swords were on the verge of breaking out.
The man has a thin face and slightly sunken eye sockets. He is clothed in linen and has a strong figure. He has an old-looking long sword slung across his back. This man is obviously a young man in his twenties, but he gives the teenagers an indescribable look. Sophisticated and ruthless.
The woman next to the man is covered with a curtain and has a graceful figure. She is wearing a red dress and holding a guqin in her arms. She is mysterious and unpredictable.
Obviously, these two people came with bad intentions.
Yan Gui, with quick eyes and quick hands, quickly drew out the dagger from his waist and stepped forward to block the two young men. Dugu Haodang narrowed his eyes slightly, with a sudden cold light, and pulled out the long sword in his hand at the same time as Yan Gui.
The man carrying the sword glanced disdainfully, pointed at the three of them, and said in a hoarse voice: "Hey, who among you three is called Yan Longyu, stand up for me."
Yan Longyu, who was named, smiled bitterly: "I knew he was looking for me again." He poked the backs of Dugu Haodang and Yan Gui who were blocking him, and said timidly: "That person is looking for me, you guys Let’s give in to two.”
Dugu Haodang and Yan Gui moved to both sides obediently.
Yan Longyu, who had been assassinated countless times in this county over the years, winked at Dugu Haodang and Yan Gui, indicating that they did not need to worry.
Yan Longyu cleared his throat and took a step, opened his arms and said to the visitor with a smile like a beating: "I am Yan Longyu, what do you two do? If you want to kill me, then go ahead. Anyway, I will never fight back."
The mysterious woman at the entrance of the alley smiled contemptuously, "I know you are protected by the immortal in white, one of the top ten masters in the world. We are here today just to bring you a message."
The woman has a graceful and hot figure, but her voice is as clear and gentle as a silver bell.
The man carrying the sword said: "Don't be complacent, no one in this Fulong County can touch you, but if you dare to leave this Fulong County, the two of us will chase you to the ends of the earth and kill you."
The woman holding the piano responded: "So, be obedient, brother, and stay in Fulong County for the rest of your life."
After the two people who came out of nowhere finished explaining what they wanted to say, they jumped onto the roof together and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Yan Gui immediately breathed a sigh of relief, sheathed the dagger and said, "Those two people have long auras, and their martial arts cultivation should have reached the fifth level of breathing, only one level away from the master, and is almost perfect. If we really fight, Dugu and I will His Highness is no match for them."
The realm of martial arts practitioners in the world is rising from one to nine.
The first, second, and third realms are the realm of knowledge and practice, the realm of breaking the internal organs, and the realm of foundation building. People who stay in these three realms are called "warrior disciples." They are mostly tough soldiers on the battlefield and loyal servants of various sects. ;
The fourth and fifth realms are called the Body Tempering Realm and the Breathing Realm. Only those who can reach these two realms can be called a "chivalrous knight". Most ordinary martial artists stay at this stage;
The sixth and seventh realms are called the Concentration and Qi Control realms. Warriors who reach these two realms are called "grandmasters" by the world. Their life span and ability to fight enemies have reached a level beyond ordinary people, and they have abilities that are superior to ordinary people. Ability that is superior to human beings - those who focus on cultivating weapons can communicate with the weapons and be handy; those who focus on refining the body can generate Gang Qi all over the body, which is difficult to penetrate with swords and guns. Therefore, martial arts at the master level are not tolerated either in the court or in the world. A person who is underestimated;
The most mysterious ones are the final eight realms of Dharma and Earth and the ninth realm of Xiangtian. Those who can reach these two realms are "martial arts immortals". They can rely on their own energy to communicate with the heaven and earth, "call the wind and rain", and even reach the ninth realm. You can get rid of your mortal body and ascend to heaven.
In the five hundred years of the Wu Zhao Dynasty, there were only a dozen or so people who had cultivated as much as Tianjiu Realm and had their names recorded in history.
During his lifetime, Yan Longyu's father, Yan Linxiao, was said to have reached perfection in the eight realms of Dharma.
For warriors in the two stages of martial arts apprentice and knight-errant, as long as they are willing to work hard, breaking through is just a matter of time, which varies depending on personal qualifications.
However, in order to reach the two thresholds of a grandmaster or a martial arts immortal, it is not something that ordinary people can make up for through hard work. They need to go through many variables such as chance, coincidence, mental blessings, personal insights, meridians transformation, spiritual energy injection, etc. The right time, place and people and indispensable. This is why there is a steady stream of people in the world of Jianghu who rely on powerful sects with deep foundations to squeeze out their heads.
Therefore, the fifth realm of breathing is a transition from one previous to the next. Some people may not be able to cross it even after working hard all their lives until their heads turn gray, but there are also people who wake up easily and naturally and become masters.
The so-called "breath-opening realm" connects the breath of nature, heaven and earth, and all things.
Seeing a man and a woman disappear, Yan Longyu laughed it off. There are many people who want to kill me, Yan Longyu, who are you?
Yan Longyu looked at Dugu Haodang with a smile, "You are in such a state that you dare to draw your sword!? Remember, if you see someone more powerful than you in the future, run away quickly, don't worry about me, I can move around, no better than you Run slow.”
Dugu Haodang, who had good intentions to protect him, but was "ridiculed" by him, put away his sword and said calmly: "How can I live with a gentleman's sword in my hand? I have now reached the fourth level, so there is nothing to fear in a battle."
"What about you, Yan Gui?"
Yan Gui bared his teeth in an embarrassed smile, "I am born stupid, so naturally I cannot compare to His Highness Dugu. The fourth realm has not yet been perfected."
Yan Longyu hugged the two people's shoulders from the middle, pushed them out of the alley, and said earnestly: "You two, don't be stupid again. If you can't beat us, just run away. There are no such things as the sons of gentlemen." Your own life is important, do you know that..."
——On the forest path outside the county town.
The man carrying a sword and the woman holding a harp blocking the road in front of the alley walked side by side.
The woman holding the piano said softly: "Aqing, what's wrong with you today? Your murderous aura is more than usual."
The man carrying the sword was full of anger and his face was deep, "Because I don't accept it! The same family was ruined. Why is Yan Longyu so lucky? He has a loyal servant, a good uncle, an immortal to take care of him, and a brother who doesn't know his roots and draws his sword. Protect, and I, Lu Jianqing, have to bear the infamy of the Master of Destruction, have to be a dog for others, and take their lives for them. Why?"
"Even if the old Duke doesn't let me kill Yan Longyu this time, I will come myself. For no other reason than that I can't stand him."
The woman holding the piano shook her head helplessly under the curtain and smiled, and said gently: "Okay, okay, don't be angry. If Yan Longyu really talks about it, he still needs to call me sister. I can't bear the suffering of my brother. If you do something, You should be gentler with him."
The young man named Lu Jianqing showed a slight smile on his thoughtful face and nodded gently to the woman. It seemed that this was all the tenderness he had for the woman beside him.
The man carrying the sword, Lu Jianqing, was a descendant of the Qingfeng Lu family in Xiongzhou who was beheaded by Emperor Chunfeng who first ascended the throne fifteen years ago. He was the only surviving member of the family.
And the mysterious woman holding the piano is named Yin, from the Yin family of Yanling in the north.
——
Chengnan Street in Fulong County is mostly populated by ordinary people who kill pigs and sell meat, weave mats and sell shoes, carry burdens and shout. The streets are filled with all kinds of strange smells and a mixture of good and bad. In the county town, all dignitaries of some status and celebrities who pay attention to decorum are not willing to come to this street.
But there is one person who is an exception.
Every day around noon, a scholar selling paintings will appear in a corner of this street.
The scholar is not punctual, but he comes every day. He is not worried about not having a stall, because all the vendors and footmen on this street do not know him.
People respected this young scholar very much. Every year, the scholar would write Spring Festival couplets for people on this street at a low price, earning only a little pen and ink money. Therefore, people in this street called him "Mr. Taofu".
This poor scholar who did not charge tuition fees from the poor people in the village and taught knowledge to the children was Xu Zhiqing, one of the three unnamed disciples of Qin Ruoyang, the master of Emperor Dahuan, and "Mr. Taofu" of Fulong County.
Xu Zhiqing is a native of this county. His family is in the southern suburbs of the county. His parents died young. He is in his twenties or thirties. Seventeen years ago, he had the honor to meet Qin Ruoyang, who had just arrived here. He studied with Mr. Qin for more than two years and became very smart. People, it’s easy to understand. However, after he completed his studies, he did not want to take part in the imperial examination. Instead, he opened a simple school in his yard and taught free knowledge to children in the village who could not afford to go to school. A few years ago, under the auspices of Mr. Qin, he A woman of the same age who fled here got married. Although life was poor, it was enjoyable.
Xu Zhiqing, who looked like a scholar, set up a painting stall in a corner of South Street today as usual. He looked out of place with the people selling meat and wine in the surrounding area.
On the painting stall of the scholar, there are many words, but there is only one painting - "Withered Pines and Cold Autumn Picture" in splash ink, with the edges exposed in the cotton and ravines hidden inside. After nine years of setting up a stall, day after day, this painting has not been sold yet.
Regardless of high or low, Xu Zhiqing would bow to everyone who greeted him on the street and return the favor. At this time, there was no one around, so he took out an obscure old book that no one could understand, and sat by the stall to read it with squinted eyes.
"Let me see, what our Mr. Taofu sells is not paintings at all, but this rugged and proud body! I just don't know, how many taels of silver does your proud body cost?" Yan Longyu appeared in front of the painting stall at some point. .
Xu Zhiqing, who was fascinated by the book, suddenly raised his head when he heard the sound, saw Yan Longyu and the other two people who were already standing in front of the stall, and said with a hearty smile: "Hahaha, you, Yan Longyu, are the only one in Fulong County who knows me. If I am so proud, if someone else does it, If you buy it, it will definitely cost you thousands of dollars, but if you, Yan Longyu, want it, I won’t take any money from you, so just take it!”
While talking, Xu Zhiqing saw the young man in black next to Yan Longyu. He had seen him seventeen years ago. Xu Zhiqing, who knew the identity of the young man, bowed and smiled and said, "I didn't expect His Highness Dugu to be so big. Xu Zhiqing has seen him before." His Highness Dugu."
Dugu Haodang met this young scholar today and saw the picture of dead pine on the stall, and then he understood why Mr. Qin could not put it down all day long. The young man held his sword and returned the greeting: "You and I are half of the same sect, so you don't have to be polite."
"No matter where, how can a fish and shrimp in muddy water be compared with a hidden dragon? Your Highness, Dugu, exalts you."
"Ahem, you two are almost done." Listening to the "nerd" and the "boring gourd" in front of him nodding and being rigidly dogmatic, Yan Longyu interrupted them impatiently and asked the scholar: "Nerd, what are you looking for?" Tell me what’s wrong with me!”
"Well, Jingsong asked me to bring you a message. Your sister Tao wants to see you for something, and she wants you to go to her house in the next two days." The poor Xu Zhiqing slowly turned his head to Yan Longyu, with an embarrassed smile on his face. , seems to be hiding something.
Hearing the words "Sister Tao", Yan Longyu's expression suddenly changed, and he asked Xu Zhiqing in a deep voice: "You'd better tell me the truth, what happened to Sister Tao!"
The smile on Xu Zhiqing's face slowly solidified, and he whispered: "She, she is getting married."
Yan Longyu's heart sank when he heard the answer, his face was solemn, and he stopped talking.
Yan Gui and Dugu Haodang looked at the young scholar with confused expressions.
Scholars are in a dilemma.
After calming down for a moment, Yan Longyu, whose face was like iron, asked again through gritted teeth: "Sister, the man she wants to marry is the county governor's son, Sun Yi?"
Seeing the cannibalistic look in the young man's eyes, Xu Zhiqing gave a timid hum and did not dare to say anything.
After receiving the answer, Yan Longyu turned around and said in a deep voice: "Yan Gui, please help me find out where the second son of the county guard's family is now. Find out and wait for me at the city gate later."
"good."
Yan Gui, who saw Yan Longyu truly angry for the first time, turned around and ran towards the city without asking any more questions.
Yan Longyu continued: "Dugu, accompany me out of the city to meet someone. I will tell you the hidden secrets on the way."
Dugu Haodang nodded, "Okay, I'll go with you."
The two of them immediately walked quickly outside the city gate.
The young scholar standing there looked at the backs of the young people leaving in a hurry, with regret in his eyes. He shook his head and sighed: "Oh, we really miss each other when we will know each other? It's so embarrassing here and now!"
