Shen Ruoyu rode his horse and whipped his horse, and galloped all the way out of the city.

He hit his aunt's statue of Guanyin; Aunt's Guanyin statue......

When he first started as a junior at Hongjia Hotel, the first thing he learned was that it didn't matter if he broke things; Another thing that I learned almost at the same time was that anything could be broken, except for the statue of Guanyin in the alcove.

He remembered watching Lu Jiang wipe the statue of Guanyin with a silk towel, extremely cautiously, as if it was not porcelain, but a precious treasure.

"Auntie, isn't this Bodhisattva very precious?"

Lu Jiang smiled softly, stared lovingly at the delicate Guanyin in front of him, and said, "Yes; This is what Jiang'er's father bought in exchange for his life. ”

He was speechless for a moment; The aunt rarely told stories about her dead husband and runaway son.

Lu Jiang stroked the statue of Guanyin and said: "His father went out of the city for procurement on the last time, and on the way back, he met a group of robbers who were stopping a couple to rob. His father stepped forward to stop him, but he didn't expect that the gang of robbers was so domineering that they drew their knives and injured people, robbed their property, and then fled. At that time, there was no place to go to the doctor in the barren mountains and mountains. His father bled to death. The couple was very sad, I heard that his father also had a pregnant wife at home, and tried to find a way to find a home, from their only remaining property, took out this Guanyin statue, and I must accept it, saying that it was a family heirloom given to his ancestors by a monk from the South China Sea, which can keep the family incense continuous, and the generations will be rich. I was devastated, and I didn't want to live or die. Later, the lord persuaded me to accept it and helped me pay for the opening of this small hotel. I offered this Guanyin here, and looked at him as if I could see Jiang'er and his father. ”

Lu Jiang shook his head and smiled melancholy. The husband and wife also told them that the monk told them that this Bodhisattva must not be beaten, and if he was beaten, there would be a great disaster in the family; Moreover, the one who broke him would be the source of the calamity in the house. So, I was very careful every time I wiped him; When Jiang Er was young, he was so active and naughty, and he went on a rampage everywhere, so I was worried all day long, for fear that something would happen to him, especially that he would smash this Guanyin statue. may really be God's favor, Jiang Er has broken almost everything in the house, but this Guanyin statue, he has never even touched it, and it has been safe and sound. This Guanyin is also really spiritual, and over the years, the business of this hotel has been getting better and better. So, I'm getting more and more careful. ”

He hesitated for a long time and asked:

"Your son—why did you run away?"

He always wanted to ask this question, but he never dared to speak for fear of touching Lu Jiang's sadness.

Lu Jiang smiled and replied:

"Jiang'er, this kid has been a twisted character since he was a child, and he is easy to admit death when he does anything, which is very similar to you. Often I give him a few words, and he can run out of the house and run for days without coming back. Later, when he was seven years old, one day, a Taoist priest came to the store, Jiang Er entertained him to drink two pots of wine, and chatted a few words, the Taoist priest somehow came to me, and insisted on taking him away, saying that this child was a good material for practicing martial arts, and wanted to take him as an apprentice and teach him martial arts; He refused to tell me where he was going to take Jiang'er, nor did he say whether he would come back. Of course I don't; But Jiang Er himself was willing, he had to go with the Taoist priest, and it was useless for me to stay, so he didn't say goodbye that night, and only left me a note. It's been twelve years, and there's been no news, and I don't even know if he's dead or alive. ”

Later, he told Xiang'er about this; So, every time Xiang'er came to the store to help, she would be extra careful and didn't dare to touch the Guanyin statue.

Shen Ruoyu ran out of the city gate in one breath and rode into the small forest by the river before stopping.

He dismounted, unsheathed with a bang, and danced his sword swiftly, venting the despair and anger in his heart.

He hit his aunt's statue of Guanyin; What does that mean? Didn't he clearly remember that Guanyin was like a spirit, and the person who broke him would bring devastating disaster to this family?

How many people has he killed? How many more people is he going to harm? Why can't it be stopped? Why again and again, as if he can't escape some kind of control, the more he wants to avoid it, the more he wants to change it, the more inescapable and irretrievable; They are all the people he loves, and they are all the people who love him.

Could it be that the innate curse of the eyebrows is really permanently branded in his life, and everything has been destined since he was born, and it has been repeated in such a cycle for the rest of his life?

He cried out in pain in his heart as he frantically danced the autumn wind in his hand.

In late spring, the sun is shining and the grass is flourishing. Shen Ruoyu couldn't see or hear anything, only everything that roared and boiled in his heart occupied all his feelings. The autumn wind only left the dazzling blue light and shadow, which was both real and illusory around him. Gradually, a gentle whirlwind rose from the woods, sweeping over the grassy ground beneath their feet and rising among the dense branches. Soon, the wind picked up. Winds swirled in all directions, swirling through the blades of the autumn wind, sweeping across the trees and down the river into the distance. The clouds are up; It was getting dark. The yin wind rose from among the clouds, groaned and swooped towards the earth, and gradually swirled quickly with the wind on the ground towards the sword heart that was as sharp as lightning. The autumn wind bloomed with a golden dazzling light, wantonly cutting the space into crumbs, fearlessly and wildly sweeping everything.

Shen Ruoyu gradually released all the stuffiness in his heart, and his chest slowly became calm and open. The blade of the sword retracted some of its sharpness and became far-reaching. He continued to dance the sword, his mind was united, he had forgotten himself and the autumn wind, only the freedom and pleasure of flying and blooming as he wished, let him completely indulge in it. He doesn't realize anything; There is no me, no body, no sword, no martial arts - everything is in the air, it is all wind, there is no boundary and path, there is no beginning and destination, just the vastness between heaven and earth, and I am everywhere.

This feeling he had before that unbearable seventeenth birthday; Now, after all the hardships, I finally returned to him. And, more far-reaching than two years ago, as if he had transcended space and melted past, present and future; He was nineteen years old. The autumn wind once again indulged in the blooming of his long-suppressed strength and dreams - nine years.

When the sun set, Shen Ruoyu finally stopped his sword, sat down by the river, walked through the woods, and quietly watched the sunset on the horizon and the reflection of the setting sun in the water.

Now, where does he go from here?

Can't go back to Hongjia Hotel. He wanted to stay as far away from his aunt as possible. As much as possible, I will never see my aunt again in this life; She will be sad, but this sadness will only be temporary; She will live her life in peace.

Shen Ruoyu sat lonely for a long time until it was completely dark. Where should he go? He definitely can't just leave, King Yan, he already has a responsibility, and he can't waste Yao Biao's silver in vain, the prince's expectations. However, if she continues to stay in Beiping, she will inevitably not see her aunt again, which will bring danger to her.

He mounted his horse, and walked slowly and disheartenedly, looking up at the moon that had not yet risen in the sky, thinking about his thoughts; After a long time, he suddenly realized that he had unconsciously walked in front of the Land Temple where he had spent the night with the third brother and them. He hesitated; You always have to find a place to sleep, so why don't you spend the night in this land temple. I don't know if the third brother is there. He dismounted, tied up the second-rate son, and walked into the temple of the land.

The temple was empty; Only one man was lying on the ground in front of the offering table, with a pile of hay under him. When he heard someone come in, he sat up. A faint moonlight fell on his face; Shen Ruoyu was secretly taken aback. In front of him was a soldier, with big shoulders and a round waist, steel beard and tiger eyes, looking about fifty years old, looking at himself quietly.

Shen Ruoyu hesitated, a little at a loss for a while. The old soldier looked at him for a moment, said nothing, and lay back on the haystack, without moving.

He looked around the temple and saw some hay laid on the ground by the wall, so he walked over and lay down on the hay, looking through the tattered window paper at the half-moon outside. The snoring of the veteran reverberated like thunder in the empty temple.

Shen Ruoyu listened to the old soldier sleeping soundly, and said softly: "Come out, third brother." ”

There was a sound of rustling; A group of beggars slipped out of the shadows behind the statue and slipped along the wall to Shen Ruoyu's side. Shen Ruoyu sat up and looked at the beggar friends around him, shrinking their heads one by one, and kept peeking at the sleeping veterans.

"It's okay, there are so many of us, are you still afraid of him?" Shen Ruoyu said softly.

"You're not afraid," muttered a beggar, "you're a great hero now, and even the prince lets you." Where can we compare with you? If one is not careful, let him be caught in prison, and this beggar's crime alone can kill us. ”

Shen Ruoyu was a little funny: "If the prince wants to arrest you and cure you for the crime of beggars, can you wait until today?" ”

The beggars sat down and looked at him. One asked, "Ruoxiao, why did you come here to spend the night?" ”

Shen Ruoyu didn't speak, and smiled faintly.

"Hey, I heard that you were just sent out by Master Yao to procure it?" A beggar asked, "Where did you go and what was there to excite you?" ”

Shen Ruoyu shook his head, still not answering.

"When will it be procured again, call the brothers together, and we will have fun." There is humanity.

"Nonsense," said one of the older beggars, "people are doing business, and what are you going to do with it?" Add to the chaos. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Third brother, is there any way for me to live in Beiping, but I will never see my aunt for the rest of my life?" ”

The third brother was stunned for a moment: "Bastard boy, you ran out by yourself?" Don't know what to do, you? Sister-in-law Hong is such a good person, can you turn your face with her? ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Do you still remember, the statue of Guanyin in my aunt's shop?" ”

"How?"

"I broke it."

The beggars were silent for a moment. The third brother suddenly sneered:

"You're stupid, just running out because of this? Isn't it just a porcelain doll, what's the big deal? ”

Shen Ruoyu looked at him strangely and said, "Third brother, you don't know the story of the Guanyin statue, right?" ”

"Of course I know, it's not that Sister-in-law Hong hasn't told her brother," the third brother said disdainfully, "Stories are stories, my third brother never believed that a little mud man can do anything." ”

"Little mud man?" Shen Ruoyu smiled in surprise: "This is a big disrespect. ”

"Disrespectful?" The third brother smiled disdainfully: "It cares about me eating and drinking? When my third child sold coolies to others, and squatted in the corners to beg for food, he really begged for it, and it was a fart? At the end of the day, it's not all on your own. It's good, it can't help you with anything, and it asks people to burn incense and kowtow to it every day, and if it is not served well, it will bring disaster to others, is there any reason for this? I don't believe it; You don't believe it, too. ”

Shen Ruoyu said dejectedly: "However, my aunt believes it very much. She pretended to be casual, but I knew she cared. ”

The third brother smiled: "Silly boy, sister-in-law Hong is still distressed by you; Otherwise, she would have driven you out eight hundred times with a broom, and she would have allowed you to stay until today? ”

Several beggars comforted him for a while, but at last they could not stand the sleepiness anymore, and lay down one by one and fell asleep. In front of the offering table, the old soldier was still asleep, snorting like thunder.

Shen Ruoyu lay down with her eyes wide open for a while, and slowly fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already dawn. The ruined temple was empty, and the beggars and veterans were gone. There was only a broken gourd and a piece of dry food beside him.

He stood up, shook the straw stick on his body, and walked out of the ruined temple. The second-rate son was still tied to the tree, and was comfortably nibbling on a stack of forage from nowhere in front of him. There was no one around, only the sound of the pony grazing and its snort. He stretched his limbs, untied the second-rate son from the tree, led the horse out of the land temple, and rode to the river where he usually practiced. Seeing the second-rate man lower his head to drink water, he stood quietly in the forest for a while, took a few breaths of fresh air, closed his eyes, and began to practice.

He stood undistracted for an hour, and then began to practice his sword. In the forest, once again, the wind and water are rising. Since yesterday's anger finally pierced the layer of separation in his heart, he and the autumn wind have become one, for a while, the heavy snow and north wind in the night mountain, the clear stream in the valley, the lush jungle between the peaks, the sunrise on the peak, and the map in the palace of King Yan, all swept in front of him.

Between heaven and earth, life can be so extensive.

At noon, he stopped his sword, feeling a little hungry. He had to eat something. However, he didn't dare to return to Beiping City, for fear that as soon as he entered the city gate, he couldn't help but run back to Zaohua Street. Although the third brother enlightened him and gave him a little comfort, he didn't dare to bet on his aunt after all. He had never known much about these Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the like - he couldn't even see a single Buddha statue in the Nightly Mountain. However, if he does not seek the sky, it does not mean that he is not afraid of the sky. Otherwise, he would not have gone to Qingshou Temple to offer incense on March 12. So now, what should he do?

He thought about it when he suddenly heard someone moving not far away. His sense of hearing was already quite acute; After the sublimation of yesterday's martial arts, everything has taken an amazing leap. He listened carefully; The movement was gone, and everything was the sound of running water and leaves rubbing again, and it was unusually dead. Then, suddenly, he heard something again; There was a sound of cautious footsteps, tiptoeing towards him, towards him.

In this brief moment, he had clearly judged who was coming, in what direction, and how far away he was. He walked over to the footsteps. The footsteps stopped and hid behind a large thick tree. However, she hid too late. Shen Ruoyu walked to the tree, stretched out his hand to go around the trunk, and pointed to the itching under her ribs; Nightshade instinctively ducked, and his fingertips unbiased to her breasts.

Nightshade screamed.

"You shameless stinky rascal, let go!" She shouted.

Shen Ruoyu herself was also startled, withdrew her hand like a lightning strike, turned around, and didn't dare to look at her again.

Ye Laixiang's face and neck were flushed, covering her chest, ashamed and angry, and shouted: "Shen Ruoxiao, you are Chengxin!" ”

Shen Ruoxiao's cheeks were red, the roots of his ears were hot, and his heart was beating uncontrollably, as if his whole heart was about to burst out of his throat. The tip of the right finger that made the mistake was like a burn, and it was hot, and the soft and elastic feeling just now still stubbornly stayed on it. He didn't dare to move, he couldn't say a word, he froze in place.

Nightshade sat down angrily and turned her face away from her. Shen Ruoyu still didn't dare to turn back, nor did he dare to walk away, so he could only continue to stand in place. The two of them remained silent for a long time.

Nightshade's anger quickly went down, and she gently touched the place where he had been poked in the chest; He knew that he didn't know what strength he had, he was obviously joking, and he didn't hit her lightly or heavily, and it hurt her so much. Her cheeks were purple and red, and she secretly glanced at Shen Ruoxiao's back for a long time. He didn't move, like a rock.

Then, she stood up and said angrily, "Let's go; Eat and go. ”

Shen Ruoyu did not react. Nightshade walked up to him, looked up at him, raised her eyebrows defiantly, and said, "You're not hungry?" When has this been? ”

Shen Ruoyu lowered his head: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." ”

"You still have the face to say?" Nightshade said coldly.

Shen Ruoliao did not answer.

"Let's go; You want me to starve to death? - You're not allowed to mention it again, do you hear? ”

Shen Ruoliao said: "You don't care about me, go eat by yourself." I'm not hungry. He turned and walked back to the river.

Ye Laixiang followed, looked at his back, and said: "Ruoxiao, you are stupid, you didn't mean to break that Guanyin, and you didn't disrespect her in your heart, if she really has a spirit, she won't know your sincerity." If she is really a bodhisattva, she should have a bodhisattva heart, you were sick at the time, she will not be so strong. ”

Shen Ruoyu did not speak.

Ye Laixiang said: "My aunt misses you very much, do you know it, she was so angry that she demolished the entire alcove because you left." ”

Shen Ruoyu hugged her head and sat down: "Xiang'er, how afraid I am to go back now, do you know?" ”

Ye Laixiang said: "Where is it so serious, I don't believe that the Guanyin statue will really have any retribution." ”

"My aunt said it was very smart, and it made her business better and better."

"That's my aunt and Qi Shengcai, what does it have to do with the Guanyin statue?" Yelaixiang said: "My aunt is not in good health, you are by my aunt's side, you can still take care of her, you have kung fu, and you can protect her, without you, she will really have an accident!" ”

Shen Ruoyu was just about to speak, when suddenly, a slight movement touched his sense of hearing—perhaps his skin, to be exact. He stopped, listened intently, and heard nothing.

He stood up and looked around. Nightshade looked at the alertness on his face, a little nervous.

"Ruoxiao, what's wrong?"

Shen Ruoyu didn't speak, and suddenly a sharp blue light flashed, and before Ye Laixiang could see how he drew his sword clearly, he had already turned over and jumped onto the treetops, and in the blink of an eye, he jumped to another higher tree. Before Nightshade could react, a sound of metal collision sounded, and a person fell to the ground, and Shen Ruoliao also fell, and the wind in his hand had already stopped on the person's throat.

"Who are you? Do you want to do it? He asked coldly, a look of obvious doubt in his eyes.

That person was none other than the old soldier in the land temple before, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, half a head taller than Shen Ruoxiao, and twice as wide as him, and at this moment he was also holding a sword in his hand, with a wide blade of steel, seeing that Shen Ruoliao was holding his life, he reached out and threw the sword to the ground.

Seeing this, Shen Ruoyu hesitated for a moment, removed the autumn wind from his neck and retracted it into the sheath.

The veteran looked at Shen Ruoyu with a pair of bronze bell-like eyes, and his voice was like a bell:

"Shen Shaoxia misunderstood, there is no malice here."

"How do you know who I am?"

The veteran smiled and said, "In the Land Temple last night, the conversation between the young man and your friends was heard clearly. ”

Shen Ruoyu said coldly: "Your Excellency's honorable name? Eavesdropping on our conversation, and now hiding in a tree to spy on me, and saying there is no malice? ”

The veteran smiled: "Young man is not strange; I'm hiding in a tree, not to spy on the young man, but just to say a few words to Your Excellency. Under the surname Zhang, the name is jade, the word Shimei, and he is a commander in the Yanwang Guard. In front of Lord Wang, Master Dao Yan and Lord Yao, Shen Shaoxia's name is a frequent visitor; Last night, when you heard your friends calling your name, you will know who you are. ”

Shen Ruoyu was secretly frightened, and hurriedly saluted: "It turned out to be General Zhang!" The prestige of the adults, if you have heard of it earlier, there have been many disrespectful before, and I hope that the adults will forgive me. ”

Zhang Yu smiled and saluted: "Where is it, the young man is too polite." ”

Shen Ruoyu asked, "My lord just said, you have something to say to Ruoxiao, but you don't know what it is?" ”

Zhang Yu picked up his sword, withdrew his waist, looked at Shen Ruoliao flatly, and said:

"Shen Shaoxia, the prince has been talking to you every day for the past two days, first talking about why you didn't go to him, and then I heard Lord Yao say that you were sick, and repeatedly asked you how your condition was; Yesterday, I heard that you ran out of the house because you broke a porcelain Bodhisattva and disappeared, so I was very anxious, and scolded Lord Yao, blaming him for not taking good care of you, and sent the last general out of the city to look around. Zhang didn't want to be untargeted, I heard that you have a group of beggar friends, all of whom spent the night in the land temple outside the city, so they came to this land temple to squat, and they were fortunate enough to wait until the foot. I was afraid of frightening Shaoxia, so I didn't immediately reveal my identity and explain my intentions, I just pretended to be asleep on the side, and listened to the conversation between Shaoxia and your friend to know the real reason why you ran away from home. Shen Shaoxia, where does the porcelain Bodhisattva come from and what is wonderful, Zhang does not dare to guess; But one thing is for sure, no matter how powerful it is, it has nothing to do with King Yan and Lord Yao. For the sake of this Bodhisattva, the prince has been in a hurry, and Lord Yao has been scolded for no reason. Shaoxia is worried, it's a big deal not to go back to the Hongjia Hotel, but he should have an explanation to the prince and Lord Yao anyway, right? Besides, when the great husband is a pedestrian in the world, when the disaster comes, he is just drawing his sword to meet him; Escaping is never the way to go. What's more, now, the disaster is only in the imagination of the young man, and it has not really come? ”

Shen Ruoyu was extremely surprised, looked at Zhang Yu, and couldn't say a word for a while. He was silent for a long time, turned around, untied the second-rate son, lightly rolled on the back of the horse, and said to Zhang Yu:

"Lord Zhang, I still have to return to King Yan, it has been delayed for too long, and I can't delay a moment of work; That's the first step. If you have a chance another day, you must invite the adults to drink heartily and rest when you get drunk. - Xiang'er, let's go. ”

He reached out and pulled Nightshade onto the horse. Zhang Yu smiled knowingly and waved his hand at them. Shen Ruoyu turned his horse's head and galloped towards the city gate.