Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Night Raid
The flame on the torch flickered, in this dark night field, it was the only brilliance other than the moon.
Jing Li held up the torch in his left hand to illuminate the road ahead, and held the rein in his right hand, urging the horse to gallop forward.Such a fast night riding, riding skill is second to none, you must have extraordinary courage, and you must also have an excellent mount.The horse under Jing Li's crotch was left behind by that group of disciples of Bo Longshu King. It was a well-trained horse from its gait, and it galloped so fast on the night road without any fear.
Jing Li turned his head and looked at the other rider behind him.
The young man Xue Jiuniu leaned over the horse's back, holding the reins tightly. Although his mouth was covered with a cloth, his exposed eyes showed a nervous look.
"Are you afraid?" Jing Li laughed and asked loudly.
Xue Jiuniu just shook his head, but his movements were obviously stiff.
The two riders left Luling County at dusk, and walked on the southern suburban road to Qingyuan Mountain. It was already dark before they reached halfway.This is Jing Li's calculation: the night is the best cover.
"Just tonight, I'm going to explore the enemy's formation." Jing Li said to Wang Shouren when he was in the county town.
"So early?" Tong Jing asked, "Is it necessary?"
"The enemy has just lost a lot of troops, so there must be a mobilization, just take a look." Jing Li explained: "Also observe how much their morale has been hit. The battle has just started today, and they will not expect us to move so fast."
Wang Shouren nodded in agreement.He knew that what Jing Li wanted to investigate was not only the opponent's numbers and strength, but also the terrain of the base camp "Qinglian Temple".
The enemy used poisons arbitrarily and could kill dozens of people with a single move. It is not only difficult to defend Luling County, but also the people will be killed and injured. It is better to move the battlefield to the enemy's side - Wang Shouren and Jing Li have the same idea.
"I'll go with you." Hu Linglan had already picked up the longbow while speaking.Yan Heng also wants to join.But Jing Li shook his head.
"It's more convenient to sneak in by night alone." He said, "I've been used to walking at night in the jungles of the southern barbarians. It's easier to be discovered if there are many people. I only need a local who is familiar with the place and can ride fast. lead the way."
The county people all recommended Xue Jiuniu.When the "Jingju Temple" was being repaired last winter, Xue Jiuniu had worked there and was very familiar with the Qingyuan Mountain area; he was also one of the few farmers in the neighboring villages who knew how to ride horses.
——Xue Jiuniu loved horses since he was a child, and hoped that he could find a small job in the post station in the future, so that he would no longer be trapped in the village; but when King Bolongshu arrived, he robbed all the horses in Luling. Little dreams are shattered.
When Jing Li left the county seat, Tong Jing looked at him worriedly.
"Silly girl." Jing Li patted the top of her head: "Leave tomorrow's breakfast to me, don't eat it all..."
At this time, on the suburban road in the dark night, Xue Jiuniu waved his hands and shouted: "It's almost there!"
It has reached about one mile outside Qingyuan Mountain.Jing Li told him to stop his mount, and the two pulled the horse out of the road, wrapped the eight horse's hooves and two horse's mouths with the prepared cloth straps to prevent them from making noise, then turned off the torch, and led the horse through the woods and fields , Continue to approach Qingyuan Mountain.
At this moment, they were traveling only by moonlight, and the wild forest was even darker, with occasional strange calls of insects and birds coming from all around.Xue Jiuniu was more afraid than Ye Ben was before, but he didn't dare to speak without Jing Li's permission.
"You are really good at riding." It was Jing Li who spoke first when walking, "No wonder I said before that I want to go up the mountain and join a gang."
Xue Jiuniu's face flushed in the dark: "I...I don't really want to be a thief...but..."
"I understand." Jing Li's voice was full of understanding: "No one is willing to be trampled on. Who doesn't want to take their lives in their own hands? Especially men."
Xue Jiuniu looked at Jing Li's back by the moonlight.In order to facilitate walking, Jing Li left all his long weapons in the city, and only carried a pair of knives around his waist, a dart knife and a chain gun head.He is actually not much taller than Xue Jiuniu, but the width and thickness of his body give off a very solid and reliable feeling.However, with such a strong body, there is a cat-like lightness when walking.That temperament was completely different from the strong men Xue Jiuniu had seen in the county before.
"You..." Xue Jiuniu asked: "Can you really defeat the hundred or two hundred people of King Bolongshu with only five people?"
"No way." Jing Li replied: "It's up to Mr. Wang to solve that."
"I still don't understand." Xue Jiuniu said again: "Why do you help us in Luling County? We don't know each other well, and we won't give you much money—and I don't think you are doing it for money. Everything No, you still have to joke about your life, and you are more likely to offend the powerful people behind... I can't figure it out..."
"I just like to fight." Jing Li said, touching the handle of the Yanling knife on his waist: "And I like to fight with powerful people. There is such a group of people in front of me——and a group of evil people who can be beaten to death People who don’t feel pity, and don’t feel guilty in their hearts. There is nothing more fun in the world.”
Jing Li turned around and looked at Xue Jiuniu with a smile: "How is it? Do you think I'm crazy?"
Xue Jiuniu shook his head: "It's good to know martial arts, you can do whatever you like."
"It's not bad." Jing Li shrugged, and turned around: "Until you meet someone who is stronger than yourself. Think about the two 'Southern Jiangxi Heroes' hanging on the flagpole."
Xue Jiuniu thought of those two mummies, and understood what a violent world Jing Li was in.
They have gradually approached the foot of Qingyuan Mountain.Xue Jiuniu couldn't help but feel hairy when he thought that he was walking towards the lair of Bolongshu King and other evil spirits, as if he was approaching the mouth of a tiger.
They arrived at a small slope and looked through the bushes, just facing the northern intersection of Qingyuan Mountain.
Looking at it at night, the top of the mountain is pitch black, but beside the mountain road, there are lights from the windows of several houses.
"That's Denglong Village." Xue Jiuniu whispered. "I heard that it has been taken by the disciples of King Shu."
Jing Li saw that the village was guarding the main road at the northern foot of the mountain, and thought that there were hundreds of King Shu and a large number of horses. If they were all arranged in the temples in the mountains, it would be very inconvenient for supplies and access, so they would stop at the foot of the mountain. The village can be attacked or defended, which is a natural choice.
Previously in the county, they had interrogated the captured disciple of King Shu, and wanted to find out more information about the enemy from him.However, that person was influenced by the scriptures and medicines of material transfer teachings and medicines over time, coupled with his belief in and fear of King Bolongshu, he refused to confide in the slightest.
"Kill me..." the Shu Wang disciple even said. "My body is just a sojourn in the common world. After death, I will go to the 'true world'. I sacrificed for the king of surgery and will return soon..."
Jing Li knew that he couldn't ask any more questions, so he decided to go there and see with his own eyes.
"You stay here to watch over the horse." Jing Li wrapped her braided head with a black cloth scarf. "I haven't come back at dawn, so you leave a horse and go back by yourself."
"Let me follow you." Xue Jiuniu asked earnestly, taking off his face scarf.He took out a cloth bag from his waist and opened it. Inside was a sharp knife for slaughtering cattle. He borrowed it from the county butcher and said, "I know the way to this place, and it will never hinder you." .”
Jing Li looked at him, a little hesitant, Xue Jiuniu said again: "Didn't you say that? A man should take his life in his own hands. Now I am fighting for my own place, I don't want to just stand aside and watch others fight. "
Jing Li smiled and patted the kid who thought he was a man.
"Okay. But put away your knife first, don't pull it out without my order. You walk behind me, I'm afraid you will get nervous and chop my ass."
Xue Jiuniu wrapped up the knife with a smile, and took out a bag of charcoal ashes that he had prepared earlier.The two smeared the ashes on their faces and arms, tied up the horses, and sneaked slowly in the sultry night, approaching Denglong Village.
In his early years, Jing Li wandered in the southern barbarian Champa Kingdom. He was hunted down and rounded up by the local natives. He hid and fled in the dark and treacherous jungle. Based on that experience, he developed the ability to sneak in the wild. down him.
He looked back from time to time.Xue Jiuniu is used to all kinds of rough work, and his skills are very vigorous, but because of excitement and fear, his forward movements are too fast and too hard.Jing Li gestured to him several times, signaling him to slow down, and Xue Jiuniu gradually understood how to relax, and the sound of activities became quieter, and he began to truly blend into the dark night.The movements even somewhat imitated Jing Li.
— This kid is a quick learner.
The two observed for a while on the hillside of the village, and after making sure that there were no enemy patrols, they climbed up and leaned against the wall of a house.
This Denglong village is not very big, there are only forty or fifty houses, large and small, built on the hillside, and only three or four houses are lit at the moment.
"Are you all asleep?" Xue Jiuniu asked with a suppressed voice.
Jing Li signaled Xue Jiuniu to keep silent.A figure walked through the alleyway around the corner. He was very thin and holding a plate in his hand.It turned out that it was a village woman who had been captured as a slave by the disciples of the king of Shu, and was walking towards one of the houses with lights shining through with food and wine.
Jing Li and Xue Jiuniu marched separately in the village, peeping through the windows of the village houses without lights one by one.Many houses were already dilapidated, but some of them were full of furniture and sundries, men's clothes were hanging everywhere, and wine glasses and gambling utensils were piled up on the table. It was obviously the residence of the disciples of King Bolongshu, but at this moment, there was no one there.
At this moment, Jing Li saw that Xue Jiuniu was waving anxiously to him in front of the window of a house opposite the alley.Jing Li walked over with silent steps.
Xue Jiuniu motioned him to look in from the window.The window was nailed with strong wooden bars horizontally and vertically, like a prison.Jing Li looked in through the window pane, and under the moonlight, he saw about twenty figures sitting or lying in the house.
If you look carefully, these people are all women, with disheveled clothes and disheveled hair, and their ankles are chained.The room was too dark to see their expressions, but occasionally their movements were very slow, as if they were sick.Some were moaning intermittently, or murmuring unconsciously, resembling dementia.
Jing Li knew that these must be civilian daughters captured by the disciples of King Shu, and it seemed that they had been fed drugs for a long time, so as to provide them with sexual pleasure.
"Why are they all locked in this room?" Xue Jiuniu asked.
Jing Li thought about it and understood what was going on.
"The main force of Shu Wang's disciples is gone." He said: "If they were transferred to other places, they would go to the 'Qinglian Temple', so the women are locked here." He pointed to the few houses with lights Housing: "They only left some subordinates to guard the village. I think there are about a dozen people."
"I touched the lock of this house just now, and it's easy to knock." Xue Jiuniu said, "We can rescue them out."
"No." Jing Li shook his head resolutely: "For tonight's trip, we must not let the other party notice even the slightest sign. We are not ready to confront them head-on."
——Currently, King Bolongshu still doesn't know the details of Jing Li and the others and whether they have any backup. It seems that he will not rashly attack Luling County; There will be a war right away.
"But they—" Xue Jiuniu said anxiously.
"You said that you will never hinder me." Jing Li interrupted him coldly.
Xue Jiuniu was at a loss for words, and lowered his head, but his palm was tightly grasping the sharp knife wrapped in cloth on his belt.
"War is like this." Jing Li's eyes flashed in the dark night, and a lot of past pain was suppressed in it: "For the final victory. We will come back again."
Jing Li took a step forward and was about to go around the village and head up the mountain.But Xue Jiuniu said: "They are all other people's wives and daughters."
Jing Lie turned her head and looked at Xue Jiuniu who was trembling with excitement.
"I don't understand." Xue Jiuniu said, "In order to win, do you have to leave the person in front of you alone?"
"I've said it before, this battle concerns the lives of the people in the entire county." Jing Li said, "How many people do you think that is?"
"Is it because there are few people inside?" Xue Jiuniu asked, "What if there are fifty people inside? One hundred people? Two hundred people? How many people should we leave alone? How many people should we rescue?"
Xue Jiuniu's words made Jing Li stop.
"Once, these monsters came to my village..." Xue Jiuniu continued: "They killed my neighbor's little tiger—we grew up together since we were young. After the monsters left, no one else in the village did anything for me. Xiaohu shed a tear and just said: "Fortunately, I didn't kill too many people.""
Jing Li silently listened to Xue Jiuniu's words.
"They seem to be saying: Xiaohu deserves to die." Xue Jiuniu's eyes were moist.
Jing Li listened to this country boy with far less experience than himself, but he seemed to be reminded of one thing:
——This is not just a war.
Xue Jiuniu suppressed his voice and wiped away the tears from his eyes, but when he looked up, Jing Li had quietly pulled out the Yanling Saber.The mottled and dumb blade only faintly reflected the moonlight.
"Not one of them should be allowed to go up the mountain to report." Jing Li walked out holding the knife at an angle.
Go in the direction of the light.
Xue Jiuniu's chest was full of blood.After watching Jing Li's majestic back disappear into the darkness under the eaves, he looked around for a stone that could knock the door lock.
At this time, in the direction Jing Li went, there was a muffled sound suddenly, breaking the quiet night.Then there was the sound of cups and plates breaking.The sound of several people running hurriedly.Angrily scolded.
Then the scream of death.
Xue Jiuniu raised the stone and was about to smash it at the door lock when he saw a dark figure walking hurriedly in the dark alley ahead.
He ran after it.The moonlight fell on the open space of the village, and it was a disciple of King Bolongshu, who was still wearing the belt of his trousers while running.It turned out that this person happened to be relieved on the other side of the village, and was alarmed by the sound of fighting at the other end, but instead of running to help, he fled to the road up the mountain.
——This makes it even more certain that the opponent's army is in the temple in the mountain!
Xue Jiuniu didn't even think about it, so he ran to chase desperately, and threw the stone at the disciple of Shu Wang along with his running momentum!
Hearing the sound of the wind, the disciple of King Shu lowered his head to dodge in panic, the stone missed him and fell on the wall of the house.
With trembling hands, Xue Jiuniu hurriedly took out the cloth bag on his waist and untied it. He showed the sharp knife for slaughtering cattle, and rushed towards the opponent non-stop.
- None of them can let them go up the mountain!
The disciple of the King of Shu avoided the stone, only to see that the one who was chasing him was just a peasant boy, a knife in his hand was not enough for a two-foot knife; then he heard that the fighting in the other side of the house was still going on, and he suddenly became murderous.
Xue Jiuniu resisted the strong fear.I kept thinking about my best friend Xiaohu who died.
He rushed to the disciple of King Shu, and he was already within the reach of the knife, but he was too nervous to make a move.
The disciple of King Shu howled like a lunatic, and hit Xue Jiuniu with a right fist, which hit Xue Jiuniu in the left eye.
Xue Jiuniu was about to raise his right hand holding the knife, but there was another sharp pain, and the other side had already stepped on the back of his hand.Before Xue Jiuniu had time to call out, the other leg of Shu Wang's disciple greeted him in the face again.
Fortunately, Xue Jiuniu still has the instinct of self-protection, so he put his left arm in front of his face in time.But this disciple of Shu Wang was originally a bandit who had practiced martial arts, and his legs were not weak. He kicked Xue Jiuniu's arm so hard that he hit his nose.
Seeing that Xue Jiuniu had no ability to resist, the disciple of Shu Wang still stepped on the hand holding the knife with his left foot, and stepped on his head hard this time with his right foot on the ground.A fatal kick at any time.
A strange wind sound.
The disciple of the King of Shu couldn't see what was flying over, he only felt a sharp burning pain on the side of his left neck and shoulder.The blood quickly soaked the five-color clothes.
The Yuanyang Yue dart knife was nailed to the dirt wall of the house behind him, reflecting the pale blue moonlight.
The disciple of King Shu lost his strength in an instant, and stood on the spot clutching his left shoulder.
Xue Jiuniu felt the foot on the back of his right hand loosen, and the multiple injuries made his whole body numb.The only feeling is the touch of five fingers holding the handle of the knife.
He got up from the ground and rushed into the arms of the Shu Wang disciple.Tears and nosebleeds flowed at the same time.Teeth clenched.
The disciple of Shu Wang collapsed.A knife handle protrudes from the chest.
Xue Jiuniu stared at the first person in his life who died by his hands, panting heavily.Every joint in the body is weak.
It took him a long time to come back to his senses and found the figure standing behind him.
It is thorn crack.His body was already stained with the blood of nine Shu Wang disciples.The Yanling saber was sheathed.
He walked over, pulled the sharp knife out of the corpse, wiped off the blood, and stuffed it back into Xue Jiuniu's hand.
"Think about the people he has killed. And the people he will kill." Jing Li looked directly into Xue Jiuniu's eyes.That look calmed him down. "Don't think about anything else."
Xue Jiuniu saw light coming from behind again, and there were two more people.They are village women enslaved by the disciples of King Shu, and one of them holds a lantern.Looking at the dead body on the ground, they shed tears of emotion but silently.
"Wake up." Jing Li patted Xue Jiuniu on the head: "It's not time to be in a daze. You have to bring them all back before dawn."
Thinking that the safety of so many people was in his own hands, Xue Jiuniu woke up from the shock of the first murder.
"This responsibility is your own request." Jing Li put his hand on his shoulder: "If you are a man, try to complete it."
Xue Jiuniu nodded vigorously.Being recognized as a "man" by the powerful swordsman in front of him, he was not without a sense of pride.
Jing Li picked up something from the ground.A non-blood-stained Wuyijiao five-color robe that he had stripped off one of the people in the room earlier.He put on the robe to cover up the blood stains, then went to the earthen wall to retrieve the Yuanyang axe, and then ran towards the road to Mount Qingyuan, and soon disappeared in the darkness.
Wang Shouren led the way through the dark streets of Luling County with two disciples carrying lanterns. In order to prevent night attacks, many places in the city have to light up all night.Wang Shouren glanced at the rows of houses under the lights, and couldn't help but miss the time when he was in power.Although he had only been the county magistrate here for ten months, it was after all the first place where he could stretch his ambitions after he came back from enlightenment. He also started to teach and preach in Luling County, so he has a special affection for this place. He had inspected the gates and walls of various cities before, and saw that many places were in disrepair and collapsed, which was extremely detrimental to defense.When Wang Shouren was in office, he mobilized the people to repair the city wall to prevent bandits, but he was transferred away before the repair was completed.The money and food reserved for repairs were all exhausted by his successors, and the fortifications naturally stopped. Although Wang Shouren was a civil servant, he had been fond of reading military books since he was young, and he had studied the methods of marching, attacking and defending. When he was fifteen, he once aspired to be a general.He knows that even if the city walls are intact, it is still very difficult to defend the city.There are really not many strong men available to recruit. Although there are thousands of people in the city, according to his observation, everyone's fear of Nabo Longshu King has been deeply rooted. Once the opponent invades, they may collapse without a fight. Accompanied by several county residents.Seeing Mr. Wang's worried look, they were also very worried. —Need more tough people... Thinking of this, Wang Shouren suddenly remembered a name. He asked the old county resident next to him: "I can't see Meng Qihe during the day... Did he listen to me and go to the military department?" "No... Meng Qihe... half a year after my lord was transferred, he took a group of brothers to Luocao again..." The old county resident said embarrassingly: "Now he is doing business on the north side of Mapiling. I heard that A lot of people gathered." Wang Shouren sighed and shook his head. Then he saw a house in front of him, with a figure on the corner of the roof. It turned out to be Yan Heng, who was sitting cross-legged on the tile surface, with a lantern beside him.He untied the "Still Life Sword" and placed it on the left side, while the long sword "Dragon Thorn" lay horizontally on his knees. Wang Shouren walked to the bottom of the room, and Yan Heng hurriedly stood up as a salute. "The few of us decided to take turns guarding tonight." Yan Heng explained: "I am the first." "Young Xia Yan has worked hard." Wang Shouren cupped his hands upwards.Yan Heng wanted to jump off the roof. "Don't come down." Wang Shouren waved his hand to stop him, then grabbed his robe and climbed up from the window sill on the side of the house.The two disciples who followed him, one was the older Yu Huan, and the other was Huang Xuan. They hurriedly handed the lanterns to the county residents behind, and went forward to help Wang Shouren climb the wall. Wang Shouren is an all-rounder. When he was young, he also practiced archery and fencing hard. His physical strength is not weak, otherwise he would not be able to survive the difficult years in Longchang, Guizhou.Although he is over forty years old, he has already climbed onto the roof in two or three movements.On the contrary, Yu Huan and Huang Xuan who were behind were even more strenuous than him. After all three of them came up, they stepped on the tiles carefully.Yan Heng greeted the two Wangmen disciples again. "It's really nice here." Wang Shouren looked over, the house was in the middle of the county town, and the houses on all sides seemed to be sleeping in the dark.If a person is at a high place, if there is any abnormal sound coming from any side, he can immediately identify the direction. Wang Shouren and Yan Heng sat side by side on the roof tiles.Yan Heng was facing Wang Shouren at close range at this moment, and remembered the aura he had when he first stepped out of the carriage during the day, as well as the respect and trust of the people in Luling County.The lantern reflected Wang Shouren's wise eyes. "How old is the young man?" Wang Shouren asked with a smile. "Just turned eighteen." Yan Heng replied with a slight sigh.He celebrated his birthday on the trip to Jiangxi.Looking back, the worry-free days at Qingcheng Mountain at the age of seventeen seemed far away. "It's not too early to enter the rivers and lakes at this age." Wang Shouren said, "As for me, I left home when I was eleven and went to Beijing to study with my grandfather. By your age, I have already started a family." "I've heard of it." Huang Xuan interjected with a smile on the side: "On the night of the husband's bridal chamber, he actually went to the Taoist temple and talked with the Taoist priest all night about how to keep in good health." Wang Shouren and his disciples all laughed.Wang Shouren stroked his beard: "I was a little crazy when I was young. I even thought about practicing Buddhism and Zen." "Why not later?" Yan Heng asked. "Buddhism's way of birth is not in line with my temperament." When Wang Shouren said, the upright spirit appeared on his face again. Yan Heng deeply felt that in front of him was a person determined to do things for the common people of the world. "I heard what my disciple said." Wang Shouren said again: "Young Xia Yan is from the Qingcheng Sword School." Yan Heng nodded, his face became heavy. "I've also heard about the Wudang faction in recent years." Wang Shouren looked at the bright moon in the sky: "Strength is easy to break. The Wudang faction pursues the extreme, so I'm afraid they will eventually suffer losses. I heard that they are famous for their 'Tai Chi' martial arts that combine strength and softness." It’s a pity that I don’t understand this in the world.” Yan Heng heard Wang Shouren's words, but disagreed.Although Wudang kills masters and enemies, his purpose of doing things cannot be said to deviate from the way of martial arts—as a martial artist, what else can he do if he does not seek ultimate strength? ——My goal is to be stronger than Wudang! Seeing Yan Heng's silence, Wang Shouren thought that he didn't want to mention the tragedy of Shimen, so he changed the subject: "Are you guys coming to Luling because you want to deal with this demon King Bolongshu?" "No, at the beginning we were actually looking for Senior Han Shizi to polish and repair our weapons." "Han Shizi, hmph, thinking about this guy makes me angry." When Wang Shouren said, there was a nostalgic smile on his face: "He would not even sharpen his sword for me even if he died." "Is there such a thing?" Yan Heng asked curiously. "That guy has a very weird temper. He said to me: 'I only sharpen the sword I know how to use. I sharpen the knife for cutting vegetables; I also sharpen the knife for slaughtering pigs; I sharpen the knife for killing people even more. Your sword, It's just a decoration, how many times do you beg me not to wear it.' Tell me, are you angry?" Although Wang Shouren's tone seemed to be joking, there was a hint of anxiety on his face at the same time.Yan Heng noticed it. "My lord, don't worry. Senior Han Shizi, we will try our best to rescue him." Wang Shouren nodded in relief. At this moment, Yan Heng frowned, and cautiously touched the hilt of the sword on his knee.There was movement from the street below. The four of them looked down, only to see that the person who came was Lian Feihong.Holding a small wine bottle in one hand, he waved his hand towards the roof, stepped forward quickly, jumped onto the wall, stretched out his arms, turned over, and landed lightly on the tile surface in the blink of an eye. Although Huang Xuan devoted herself to learning the ways of the sages, she was a young man with a vigorous spirit after all. Seeing such skills, she couldn't help feeling a little envious. "Boy, go to sleep first, let me watch." Mr. Feihong sat down next to Yan Heng: "I'm old, I don't sleep much." He said and took off the sword from his waist and put it beside him. "No, sir is tired from beating today, I can see it." Yan Heng said, "You should rest more." "Are you saying that I'm old and not strong enough?" Lian Feihong screamed strangely, because Yan Heng had mentioned his weakness, especially when Wang Shouren and others next to him heard his words. "Do you want to compete with me now? Just run to the city gate over there and come back, and see who is faster?" Yan Heng looked at the old man who refused to admit defeat, and shook his head. Lian Feihong calmed down, uncorked the bottle, and took a sip from the bottle. "You still say you want guards? Still drinking?" Yan Heng couldn't help but said again. "Fool, there's water in it!" Lian Feihong raised the mouth of the bottle to Yan Heng's nose: "I'm not the kind of idiot who only has the energy to fight after drinking!" Seeing Lian Feihong's sly smile, Yan Heng knew that this was another silly joke he deliberately made, so he couldn't help shaking his head.Such a troublesome old man, I really don't know how he became the head of the majestic Kongtong sect in the first place. At this time, Lian Feihong took a look at Wang Shouren, and only raised his chin slightly to greet him, but he didn't salute, obviously he didn't take the other party's official position seriously.Wang Shouren didn't mind it, instead he bowed to this old man who was twenty years older than himself, showing a lot of respect. Wang Shouren only felt that although he met warriors like Jing Li and Lian Feihong today, although they were crazy people with different ways from him, they were straightforward and sincere, far better than many hypocrites he saw in the literati and official circles. ——Later Wang Shouren once wrote in an article: "A madman's aspirations are preserved in the ancients, and all the clutter and vulgarity are not enough to tire his heart. It really has the meaning of a phoenix soaring a thousand feet, and a sage is a sage." "Boy." Lian Feihong said to Yan Heng again: "I heard from Jing'er that you kept your hands when you confronted the Wudang faction in Xi'an." When he said that, his tone became serious. Yan Hengyang raised his eyebrows.What Lian Feihong said was that he refused to strike Fan Zong, whose hands and feet were blocked, on the roof of the "Yinghua Pavilion", and then did not attack Yao Lianzhou who was poisoned in the room. "Here, you have to get rid of that kind of thinking." Lian Feihong said solemnly: "Now is not a duel between warriors, but a war. There is only one purpose, and that is to kill those enemies. Even ten It doesn't matter if one person, twenty, or thirty people besiege each other. There is nothing despicable or not. Just think about how many people will be killed by them if you let them live, and you won't be unable to do so. " ——Almost at the same time in different places, Lian Feihong and Jing Li said very similar words. Yan Heng thought of the battle of the Ma Pai Gang in Chengdu, and recalled the battle this morning. He bit his lower lip and thought for a while, then looked at Mr. Feihong and nodded. When Lian Feihong mentioned the incident in Xi'an, Yan Heng also remembered a question that had been hidden in his heart for a long time.With a wise man like Wang Shouren in front of him, this is an opportunity to find the answer. "Master Wang, I heard that you are very knowledgeable. There is one thing that I still can't figure out. I am right or wrong. I hope you can give me some advice." As Yan Heng said, he said that he was in the "Yinghua Pavilion" that day, facing Yao Lianzhou's body poisoned and unable to resist, but he didn't seize the golden opportunity to kill his enemy with one sword. "Lord Wang already knows the enmity between Wudang and me." Yan Heng said through gritted teeth, "This person is the culprit who sent his disciples to destroy my Qingcheng faction and my mentor; his deputy Ye Chenyuan also took advantage of my master He Zisheng's illness Eye disease can defeat him. But at that moment that day, I couldn't do it..." He trembled with excitement when talking about the past: "Am I a fool? Is it disloyalty or filial piety?" Wang Shouren was silent for a while after listening. Huang Xuan, a student next to him, interjected: "I said earlier, it is completely unreasonable in our eyes for you warriors to fight for strength and hatred! So what about Mr...." Yan Heng was about to apologize, but Wang Shouren raised his hand to stop Huang Xuan's words. He stared straight into Yan Heng's eyes, as if he wanted to see through Yan Heng's soul. Because of this gaze, Yan Heng put away his previous excitement, and unconsciously straightened up. "Think about it first." Wang Shouren said: "If such a situation happened again today, would you choose to pierce the chest of the Wudang master with a sword at this moment? Or would you make the same decision? Answer yourself honestly. " Yan Heng's heartstrings vibrated when he heard it.Wang Shouren's words taught him to recall the Qingcheng faction's former plaque: "sincere" ——Could it be that what he said is in line with my teacher's teaching? Wang Shouren sat on the roof, looking up at the endless dark sky.The moonlight fell on him, exuding a detached aura. "In the past, because of my outspokenness, I offended the great eunuch Liu Jin, who had great power in the world. I was imprisoned by the imperial staff, and then sent to Longchang, Guizhou. ; but it was in the poor mountains and rivers full of poisonous snakes in Longchang, when I had nothing, I got the most important enlightenment in my life." Wang Shouren pointed at his heart. "The way of a sage is self-sufficient in my nature. The principles of heaven, earth, and myriad things are stored in people's hearts, and there is no other place to look for them." Wang Shouren looked at Yan Heng: "These tests are to let you see the 'true self' inside. The decision at the critical moment is just a reflection of a person's heart. Some people understand the truth in their hearts, but they are confused by selfish desires when they act , that is false righteousness after all; only when you stand upright and at the same time, you can walk the right way and do the right thing, and the outside and the inside are suddenly consistent, that is the unity of knowledge and action." "But..." Yan Heng asked: "What if you do what you think is right, but it only makes you fail?" "Who in the world is immortal? But how many people are there in the ages who can have a clear heart when they close their eyes?" When Wang Shouren was talking, his eyes looked into the distance, as if he wanted to use these two tiny brilliance to illuminate the entire night. "Whoever walks the righteous way in the world will die without hindrance." Yan Heng looked at those small but righteous eyes, as if he suddenly understood something, but couldn't describe it. "Okay." Lian Feihong patted Yan Heng's back vigorously at this time: "Go back to the inn, thinking while sleeping. You just got that 'Fangxian San' drug this morning, you need to rest more." Yan Heng originally wanted to stay and ask Wang Shouren for more advice, but Lian Feihong urged him repeatedly, so he had no choice but to pick up his sword and hold a lantern to bid farewell to everyone on the roof, and then jumped down. "Thank you." Lian Feihong took a sip of water, looked at Yan Heng who was leaving, and said suddenly. Wang Shouren smiled. Lian Feihong continued to look at Yan Heng's back, and the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" behind him. "This kid..." Lian Feihong murmured, "As long as he believes in himself more..."
Wang Shouren led the way through the dark streets of Luling County with two disciples carrying lanterns. In order to prevent night attacks, many places in the city have to light up all night.Wang Shouren glanced at the rows of houses under the lights, and couldn't help but miss the time when he was in power.Although he had only been the county magistrate here for ten months, it was after all the first place where he could stretch his ambitions after he came back from enlightenment. He also started to teach and preach in Luling County, so he has a special affection for this place. He had inspected the gates and walls of various cities before, and saw that many places were in disrepair and collapsed, which was extremely detrimental to defense.When Wang Shouren was in office, he mobilized the people to repair the city wall to prevent bandits, but he was transferred away before the repair was completed.The money and food reserved for repairs were all exhausted by his successors, and the fortifications naturally stopped. Although Wang Shouren was a civil servant, he had been fond of reading military books since he was young, and he had studied the methods of marching, attacking and defending. When he was fifteen, he once aspired to be a general.He knows that even if the city walls are intact, it is still very difficult to defend the city.There are really not many strong men available to recruit. Although there are thousands of people in the city, according to his observation, everyone's fear of Nabo Longshu King has been deeply rooted. Once the opponent invades, they may collapse without a fight. Accompanied by several county residents.Seeing Mr. Wang's worried look, they were also very worried. —Need more tough people... Thinking of this, Wang Shouren suddenly remembered a name. He asked the old county resident next to him: "I can't see Meng Qihe during the day... Did he listen to me and go to the military department?" "No... Meng Qihe... half a year after my lord was transferred, he took a group of brothers to Luocao again..." The old county resident said embarrassingly: "Now he is doing business on the north side of Mapiling. I heard that A lot of people gathered." Wang Shouren sighed and shook his head. Then he saw a house in front of him, with a figure on the corner of the roof. It turned out to be Yan Heng, who was sitting cross-legged on the tile surface, with a lantern beside him.He untied the "Still Life Sword" and placed it on the left side, while the long sword "Dragon Thorn" lay horizontally on his knees. Wang Shouren walked to the bottom of the room, and Yan Heng hurriedly stood up as a salute. "The few of us decided to take turns guarding tonight." Yan Heng explained: "I am the first." "Young Xia Yan has worked hard." Wang Shouren cupped his hands upwards.Yan Heng wanted to jump off the roof. "Don't come down." Wang Shouren waved his hand to stop him, then grabbed his robe and climbed up from the window sill on the side of the house.The two disciples who followed him, one was the older Yu Huan, and the other was Huang Xuan. They hurriedly handed the lanterns to the county residents behind, and went forward to help Wang Shouren climb the wall. Wang Shouren is an all-rounder. When he was young, he also practiced archery and fencing hard. His physical strength is not weak, otherwise he would not be able to survive the difficult years in Longchang, Guizhou.Although he is over forty years old, he has already climbed onto the roof in two or three movements.On the contrary, Yu Huan and Huang Xuan who were behind were even more strenuous than him. After all three of them came up, they stepped on the tiles carefully.Yan Heng greeted the two Wangmen disciples again. "It's really nice here." Wang Shouren looked over, the house was in the middle of the county town, and the houses on all sides seemed to be sleeping in the dark.If a person is at a high place, if there is any abnormal sound coming from any side, he can immediately identify the direction. Wang Shouren and Yan Heng sat side by side on the roof tiles.Yan Heng was facing Wang Shouren at close range at this moment, and remembered the aura he had when he first stepped out of the carriage during the day, as well as the respect and trust of the people in Luling County.The lantern reflected Wang Shouren's wise eyes. "How old is the young man?" Wang Shouren asked with a smile. "Just turned eighteen." Yan Heng replied with a slight sigh.He celebrated his birthday on the trip to Jiangxi.Looking back, the worry-free days at Qingcheng Mountain at the age of seventeen seemed far away. "It's not too early to enter the rivers and lakes at this age." Wang Shouren said, "As for me, I left home when I was eleven and went to Beijing to study with my grandfather. By your age, I have already started a family." "I've heard of it." Huang Xuan interjected with a smile on the side: "On the night of the husband's bridal chamber, he actually went to the Taoist temple and talked with the Taoist priest all night about how to keep in good health." Wang Shouren and his disciples all laughed.Wang Shouren stroked his beard: "I was a little crazy when I was young. I even thought about practicing Buddhism and Zen." "Why not later?" Yan Heng asked. "Buddhism's way of birth is not in line with my temperament." When Wang Shouren said, the upright spirit appeared on his face again. Yan Heng deeply felt that in front of him was a person determined to do things for the common people of the world. "I heard what my disciple said." Wang Shouren said again: "Young Xia Yan is from the Qingcheng Sword School." Yan Heng nodded, his face became heavy. "I've also heard about the Wudang faction in recent years." Wang Shouren looked at the bright moon in the sky: "Strength is easy to break. The Wudang faction pursues the extreme, so I'm afraid they will eventually suffer losses. I heard that they are famous for their 'Tai Chi' martial arts that combine strength and softness." It’s a pity that I don’t understand this in the world.” Yan Heng heard Wang Shouren's words, but disagreed.Although Wudang kills masters and enemies, his purpose of doing things cannot be said to deviate from the way of martial arts—as a martial artist, what else can he do if he does not seek ultimate strength? ——My goal is to be stronger than Wudang! Seeing Yan Heng's silence, Wang Shouren thought that he didn't want to mention the tragedy of Shimen, so he changed the subject: "Are you guys coming to Luling because you want to deal with this demon King Bolongshu?" "No, at the beginning we were actually looking for Senior Han Shizi to polish and repair our weapons." "Han Shizi, hmph, thinking about this guy makes me angry." When Wang Shouren said, there was a nostalgic smile on his face: "He would not even sharpen his sword for me even if he died." "Is there such a thing?" Yan Heng asked curiously. "That guy has a very weird temper. He said to me: 'I only sharpen the sword I know how to use. I sharpen the knife for cutting vegetables; I also sharpen the knife for slaughtering pigs; I sharpen the knife for killing people even more. Your sword, It's just a decoration, how many times do you beg me not to wear it.' Tell me, are you angry?" Although Wang Shouren's tone seemed to be joking, there was a hint of anxiety on his face at the same time.Yan Heng noticed it. "My lord, don't worry. Senior Han Shizi, we will try our best to rescue him." Wang Shouren nodded in relief. At this moment, Yan Heng frowned, and cautiously touched the hilt of the sword on his knee.There was movement from the street below. The four of them looked down, only to see that the person who came was Lian Feihong.Holding a small wine bottle in one hand, he waved his hand towards the roof, stepped forward quickly, jumped onto the wall, stretched out his arms, turned over, and landed lightly on the tile surface in the blink of an eye. Although Huang Xuan devoted herself to learning the ways of the sages, she was a young man with a vigorous spirit after all. Seeing such skills, she couldn't help feeling a little envious. "Boy, go to sleep first, let me watch." Mr. Feihong sat down next to Yan Heng: "I'm old, I don't sleep much." He said and took off the sword from his waist and put it beside him. "No, sir is tired from beating today, I can see it." Yan Heng said, "You should rest more." "Are you saying that I'm old and not strong enough?" Lian Feihong screamed strangely, because Yan Heng had mentioned his weakness, especially when Wang Shouren and others next to him heard his words. "Do you want to compete with me now? Just run to the city gate over there and come back, and see who is faster?" Yan Heng looked at the old man who refused to admit defeat, and shook his head. Lian Feihong calmed down, uncorked the bottle, and took a sip from the bottle. "You still say you want guards? Still drinking?" Yan Heng couldn't help but said again. "Fool, there's water in it!" Lian Feihong raised the mouth of the bottle to Yan Heng's nose: "I'm not the kind of idiot who only has the energy to fight after drinking!" Seeing Lian Feihong's sly smile, Yan Heng knew that this was another silly joke he deliberately made, so he couldn't help shaking his head.Such a troublesome old man, I really don't know how he became the head of the majestic Kongtong sect in the first place. At this time, Lian Feihong took a look at Wang Shouren, and only raised his chin slightly to greet him, but he didn't salute, obviously he didn't take the other party's official position seriously.Wang Shouren didn't mind it, instead he bowed to this old man who was twenty years older than himself, showing a lot of respect. Wang Shouren only felt that although he met warriors like Jing Li and Lian Feihong today, although they were crazy people with different ways from him, they were straightforward and sincere, far better than many hypocrites he saw in the literati and official circles. ——Later Wang Shouren once wrote in an article: "A madman's aspirations are preserved in the ancients, and all the clutter and vulgarity are not enough to tire his heart. It really has the meaning of a phoenix soaring a thousand feet, and a sage is a sage." "Boy." Lian Feihong said to Yan Heng again: "I heard from Jing'er that you kept your hands when you confronted the Wudang faction in Xi'an." When he said that, his tone became serious. Yan Hengyang raised his eyebrows.What Lian Feihong said was that he refused to strike Fan Zong, whose hands and feet were blocked, on the roof of the "Yinghua Pavilion", and then did not attack Yao Lianzhou who was poisoned in the room. "Here, you have to get rid of that kind of thinking." Lian Feihong said solemnly: "Now is not a duel between warriors, but a war. There is only one purpose, and that is to kill those enemies. Even ten It doesn't matter if one person, twenty, or thirty people besiege each other. There is nothing despicable or not. Just think about how many people will be killed by them if you let them live, and you won't be unable to do so. " ——Almost at the same time in different places, Lian Feihong and Jing Li said very similar words. Yan Heng thought of the battle of the Ma Pai Gang in Chengdu, and recalled the battle this morning. He bit his lower lip and thought for a while, then looked at Mr. Feihong and nodded. When Lian Feihong mentioned the incident in Xi'an, Yan Heng also remembered a question that had been hidden in his heart for a long time.With a wise man like Wang Shouren in front of him, this is an opportunity to find the answer. "Master Wang, I heard that you are very knowledgeable. There is one thing that I still can't figure out. I am right or wrong. I hope you can give me some advice." As Yan Heng said, he said that he was in the "Yinghua Pavilion" that day, facing Yao Lianzhou's body poisoned and unable to resist, but he didn't seize the golden opportunity to kill his enemy with one sword. "Lord Wang already knows the enmity between Wudang and me." Yan Heng said through gritted teeth, "This person is the culprit who sent his disciples to destroy my Qingcheng faction and my mentor; his deputy Ye Chenyuan also took advantage of my master He Zisheng's illness Eye disease can defeat him. But at that moment that day, I couldn't do it..." He trembled with excitement when talking about the past: "Am I a fool? Is it disloyalty or filial piety?" Wang Shouren was silent for a while after listening. Huang Xuan, a student next to him, interjected: "I said earlier, it is completely unreasonable in our eyes for you warriors to fight for strength and hatred! So what about Mr...." Yan Heng was about to apologize, but Wang Shouren raised his hand to stop Huang Xuan's words. He stared straight into Yan Heng's eyes, as if he wanted to see through Yan Heng's soul. Because of this gaze, Yan Heng put away his previous excitement, and unconsciously straightened up. "Think about it first." Wang Shouren said: "If such a situation happened again today, would you choose to pierce the chest of the Wudang master with a sword at this moment? Or would you make the same decision? Answer yourself honestly. " Yan Heng's heartstrings vibrated when he heard it.Wang Shouren's words taught him to recall the Qingcheng faction's former plaque: "sincere" ——Could it be that what he said is in line with my teacher's teaching? Wang Shouren sat on the roof, looking up at the endless dark sky.The moonlight fell on him, exuding a detached aura. "In the past, because of my outspokenness, I offended the great eunuch Liu Jin, who had great power in the world. I was imprisoned by the imperial staff, and then sent to Longchang, Guizhou. ; but it was in the poor mountains and rivers full of poisonous snakes in Longchang, when I had nothing, I got the most important enlightenment in my life." Wang Shouren pointed at his heart. "The way of a sage is self-sufficient in my nature. The principles of heaven, earth, and myriad things are stored in people's hearts, and there is no other place to look for them." Wang Shouren looked at Yan Heng: "These tests are to let you see the 'true self' inside. The decision at the critical moment is just a reflection of a person's heart. Some people understand the truth in their hearts, but they are confused by selfish desires when they act , that is false righteousness after all; only when you stand upright and at the same time, you can walk the right way and do the right thing, and the outside and the inside are suddenly consistent, that is the unity of knowledge and action." "But..." Yan Heng asked: "What if you do what you think is right, but it only makes you fail?" "Who in the world is immortal? But how many people are there in the ages who can have a clear heart when they close their eyes?" When Wang Shouren was talking, his eyes looked into the distance, as if he wanted to use these two tiny brilliance to illuminate the entire night. "Whoever walks the righteous way in the world will die without hindrance." Yan Heng looked at those small but righteous eyes, as if he suddenly understood something, but couldn't describe it. "Okay." Lian Feihong patted Yan Heng's back vigorously at this time: "Go back to the inn, thinking while sleeping. You just got that 'Fangxian San' drug this morning, you need to rest more." Yan Heng originally wanted to stay and ask Wang Shouren for more advice, but Lian Feihong urged him repeatedly, so he had no choice but to pick up his sword and hold a lantern to bid farewell to everyone on the roof, and then jumped down. "Thank you." Lian Feihong took a sip of water, looked at Yan Heng who was leaving, and said suddenly. Wang Shouren smiled. Lian Feihong continued to look at Yan Heng's back, and the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" behind him. "This kid..." Lian Feihong murmured, "As long as he believes in himself more..."