In July, the fire flows, the cicadas hiss, and the frogs chirp, which is the midsummer season in Zhongzhou.

The soothing water crosses the Tianyi City, the capital of Zhongzhou League, diffuses and flows to the northeast, passing through the Blood Heart Lake in the Fengming Mountain Region, and converging into the Beitian River. On both sides of the river, golden wheat waves swayed in the breeze in the early morning sun. In the wheat fields, countless slave farmers are busy harvesting ripe wheat in the cool morning.

The sun is rising in the east, and it is the beginning of the hour in the blink of an eye. A small ship slowly sailed towards the Bloody Heart Lake, heading for the ferry on the north shore of the water. On the bow of the boat, two men, one large and one small, stood in the wind. The older man was twenty-eight or nineteen years old, six feet long, with a white beard, a blue round-necked gown, a leather belt at the waist, and black leather six-fold boots, and the hair exposed under the black veil on his head was a little white. The young man beside the man was thirteen or fourteen years old, with a delicate face and a slightly pale face, and his thumb and forefinger kept rubbing the corners of the missing robe on the side of his leg.

The older man turned his head to look at the young man and said softly: "Scatter, leave home for a few months, and travel to Daying and Zhongzhou." Homesick?!" The young man came back to his senses from his thoughts, looked up and said, "Big brother, I'm fine!" I just thought that my mother's death day was approaching, and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to go back to visit my mother's grave this year, so... As he spoke, he couldn't help but bow his head.

The older man sighed lightly and said, "Sanzhi, after this time, we will take a detour to Maodi and move to Xing'an City with Guo Lao and his aunt... The boy nodded yes. The older man sighed, "Alas, it is better to find traces of my uncle on this trip, and we can also comfort my aunt's spirit in heaven." ”

The older man looked back at the stern of the rear cabin and said in a low voice, "Sanzhi, today we are going to enter Tianyi City." Although you are cautious by nature, I still have to remind you that Tianyi is the old capital of the Tianliu Dynasty and the capital of the Five Sects Alliance. You must remember to be cautious in what you say and do, and do not accidentally reveal our identity and hide. In the past few days after entering the city, I need to apply for a notarization certificate, and contact the envoys and people of the Great Shadow here, I can't always let you follow me, you had better practice alone in the pavilion. ”

Without waiting for the young man to reply, the older man continued: "Sanzhi, your innate vitality is pure, and in the past few months, you have cultivated my "Yan Xun Sutra" to pass on you, and you have entered the realm very quickly, and you have already gathered Qi Triple Fold. Now, in addition to continuing to concentrate the Yuan and Ji Qi according to the "Yan Xun Sutra" every day, you should practice more "Eight Wind Tong Refining Techniques" to strengthen the meridians and veins as soon as possible. At this time, when the southeast wind rises, you should feel and practice carefully every day. In a few days, we will go to the Fengming Mountain Domain, you should have felt it when we passed the Blood Heart Lake just now, this Fengming Domain Heaven and Earth Vitality is extremely abundant, it is an excellent place for young cultivators to feel the Heaven and Earth Vitality and accelerate the gathering of Qi after Ning Yuan, which is not much better than the Five Sect Masters Mountain. If you start late and have a hidden illness, it will be very beneficial to practice here. Also, you must step up your study of "Yishan Gong" and the Mixed Yuan Jue that I prequel you in the previous month. In particular, the Mixed Yuan Formula, which was created by the master for the senior brother back then, not only can make the movement of the gong gather qi and strengthen the meridians and pulses twice the result with half the effort, but also has a special function for you, so you don't need to delay your cultivation for a while. Remember, remember!" the young man nodded and said, "Brother Zijing, don't worry, I've written it down." ”

The two didn't say anything more, and saw the opposite ferry getting closer and closer. The sound of footsteps came, and an elderly slave soldier in shabby clothes stepped forward from the back cabin and said to the older man: "Lang Jun, there is Rongcheng Ferry ahead, we need to disembark at this ferry." I wonder if you want to transfer to the Tianyi official ship to go to the capital, or ride a horse or car to the capital by land?"

The older man looked back at the old slave army and said, "Old man, I don't think there are any other ships at that ferry, but why?" The old slave army hurriedly bowed down and said: "Lang Jun, where can the old slave afford to be called you like this, you can call the old slave Rong Laosan." It is like this, from Tianyi City to Xuexin Lake, no private boats are allowed on the water, and only the official ships belonging to the Tianyi City Guard can carry passengers back and forth. The ship we are on now belongs to the Fengming Guard, and we are not allowed to enter this section of the channel. The official ships of Tianyi Mansion have two trips in the morning and evening, and the next trip will not be able to reach this ferry until the beginning of Shen. ”

Rong Laosan swallowed his saliva, and said with bright eyes: "If you two don't have any urgent matters, it is much more comfortable to take the official ship, and you don't need to hire a car or buy a horse." Take the official boat, take the waterway for more than an hour and a half to reach the Nanshi ferry port in Tianyi City, and the two of you will definitely be able to get to the place you want to go before the night curfew. ”

The older man looked at the young man beside him, thought about it for a moment, and said, "We're not in a hurry, let's rest here and wait for the official boat." Rong Lao Sanxi said: "Rongcheng County is the north two miles of the ferry, and it is too early for Shen, so the two Langjun can go to the Chengnan Inn to rest for a while and have some food." ”

"Since it's not far away, Rongcheng County can go for a walk." The older man observed his words and said with a smile: "Third Elder, you are a native of Rongcheng County, right?!" Rong Laosan hurriedly bowed down and said: "Don't dare to call the old! Lang Jun This is really killing the old slave." The old slave is a native of Rongcheng County, and his home is outside the city in the north of the county. The older man waved his hand: "When you get ashore, you don't have to accompany us, or go back to the post house, or go home and have a look." Rong Laosan said: "I can't do it, I can't do it, I have explained it above, I want to serve you two well throughout the whole process, and I must accompany you on the road to Tianyi City, and I can't afford to delay the old slave." ”

The young man suddenly asked the old slave army: "Old man, have you been on this Bloody Heart Lake for a long time?" Rong Laosan smiled and said: "The old slave has been sending off guests on the Bloody Heart Lake for more than forty years. The young man continued to ask, "You have been on the lake for many years, and when you come ashore, would you like to tell us about this interesting story on the lake?" I heard the old people say that it has been more than 200 years since the blood heart lake became a lake, but I have never heard of how to form an old slave. In addition to the Fengming guards on this lake to welcome and send off the nobles, private boats and fishing are not allowed on weekdays. If you don't sail on the lake with the banner of the Fengming guard, and are found by the soldiers, you will be killed. Other than that, there is not much to say. ”

The young man said again: "Then can you talk about Shengguan Sifengtai?" Rong Lao had a hesitant look on his face: "That's known, the five domains of Fengming Mountain, the five mountains of Shengguan, Phoenix gall, Turtle Back, Flying Feather, and Phoenix Tail, that Sifengtai is said to have been built by Emperor Tianliu hundreds of years ago on the main peak of Shengguan." The three mountain domains of Shengguan, phoenix gall, and turtle back are very strictly banned, not to mention Shengguan Si Fengtai, slave troops like the old slave have not even touched the edge of the phoenix gall and turtle back mountain domains. I really don't know what it looks like on Sifengtai. He shook his head again and again. The young man saw that Rong Laosan didn't want to say more, so he didn't ask anymore.

In the blink of an eye, the boat had docked, Rong Laosan said hello to the swaying slave army, took the luggage of the two in the front cabin, and went ashore with the two. The three of them didn't say anything, and after the guards at the ferry checked the public inspection, they walked through the crossing to Rongcheng County in the northwest. The young man saw that Rong Laosan was having some difficulty carrying the burden, so he took a round burden from the burden and carried it on his back, which made Rong Laosan busy and repeatedly confessed. After a short time, the three of them entered the county seat of Rongcheng at the beginning of the year, and Rong Laosan took them to sit down in an inn near the south gate.

After casually using some pastries and meals, Rong Laosan handed over the burden to the familiar doctor for safekeeping, and then took the two of them out to the more prosperous Fang Market in Rongcheng County on the east side of the south of the city. The boy carried his round package on his back and did not hand it over to the shopkeeper.

The two of them didn't have anything to do, and they walked down the street without hurrying. The young man looked at the buildings on both sides of the street and the people shuttling through, and said with emotion: "Big brother, we have traveled through the two countries along the way, and this Rongcheng county is not even inferior to the national capitals of the two countries in terms of prosperity. Look at the pedestrians on this street, although they are not brightly dressed, they are all decent, and even the slave households rarely have bare chests and backs. ”

The older man smiled, "The territory under the jurisdiction of the Zhongzhou League is different. Not to mention the vast soil and fertile land here, and the abundant products, even if it is a half-year harvest from more than 100 national tributes in Zhongzhou every year, it makes the Zhongzhou Alliance rich and prosperous far more than the sum of the countries under the jurisdiction of any of the five cases. Moreover, the five sects of the Zhongzhou League patrolled the world and had a strong army, so who would dare to seek trouble here? The five sects practiced mainly and did not care about world affairs, and there were frequent disputes among all countries in the world, but only in this Zhongzhou League area, which had never been plagued by swords and soldiers for more than 100 years. It is truly a place of peace outside the troubled times!"

The two of them walked to an intersection with sighs, only to see the pedestrians around them talking about something, and hurriedly rushed along the avenue to a place on the south side of the city wall. Rong Laosan, who was walking in front, turned around and said: "Two Langjun, today our county is exempted from slave testing, once every two years, and the scene is not small." If you are interested, you can go and see the excitement, and it will not delay you too long. The older man waved his hand and said, "No need, we just walk around the city, and then we will go back to the inn to rest and wait for the official ship." Rong Laosan turned his head, but the look of frustration on his face fell on the eyes of the older man.

The three of them continued to the east, and after a while, they came to the inner city of Rongcheng County. When I walked into the gate of Fang Market, I saw that the doors of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, and the number of people on the street was very scarce. The older man didn't care, and led the two of them to look at the goods in the shop casually, but they didn't buy anything.

Rong Laosan said with a little embarrassment: "Two Langjun, today is just in time for the slave free test, and more than half of the people in this city have gone to watch. The older man arrived: "Don't worry." The customs and customs of Zhongzhou and my Liang country are very different, but it makes me have a lot of knowledge, which is very good. ”

Looking back at Rong Laosan, the older man paused and said, "Uncle, I see that you are quite concerned about this slave removal test, is there any hidden secret?"

Rong Laosan's face was flushed, he took a step back, and said as if he had mustered up enough courage: "Lang Jun, the old slave is indeed a little selfish. Today, the grandson of the old slave will take part in this slave removal test. This child has no parents since he was a child, and he has been dependent on the old slave for more than ten years. The old slave supported the two of us on a boat on the bloody lake, and only went home for one day at most every ten years, and the child was all taken care of by the neighbors on weekdays. This time the child participated in the slavery test, which was the only chance in his life. The old slave didn't dare to say it, but in his heart, he hoped that Lang Jun would be interested in getting rid of the slave, and the old slave would follow you over to have a look. As he spoke, Rong Laosan's tears burst out of his eyes.

The older man said, "You don't have to worry about us. Go ahead, and look for us at the hotel when you're done. Rong Laosan bowed down and said, "The old slave doesn't dare, the captain asked the old slave to serve the two of you." ”

The older man couldn't cry or laugh, and was about to speak, when the young man on the side couldn't bear to say, "Big brother, this slave release test sounds like a novelty. The younger brother also really wants to go over and see what he can try, why don't we go and see?" the older man shook his head and smiled after a slight groan: "What can be new? Forget it, since you are curious now, let's go and have a fun time and see the slave release test of the Zhongzhou League. ”

Rong Laosan was overjoyed, but he stood there and didn't know what to do. The young man pushed Rong Laosan: "Uncle, don't be shy, take us quickly, don't miss anything." Rong Lao Sanfang came back to his senses, made a few gestures to the older man, and led the two of them to the school field where the slave release test was located briskly.

It didn't take much effort to get to the school, there were more than ten slave guards in front of the school, and the captain who led the team saw that the older men were brightly dressed and had an extraordinary bearing, so he hurriedly came forward and said with a smile: "Two Langjun, come to see the slave test?!" If it is convenient, please issue a public inspection, and take you to a good position to watch the test. ”

The older man took the leather belt from his waist and handed it to the captain. The captain was illiterate, so he took the official inspection and said respectfully: "Lang Jun, please come with me." The three of them walked into the school with the captain, and the school was already surrounded by a sea of people. The captain led the three of them to the high platform on the west side, and said as he went, "The slave release trial will begin soon." This year's scene is very big, I heard the county lieutenant say that several nobles from the five sects came, and even the county order came out to receive it in person. Wait a minute, please take a look at your notarization and arrange a good position for you in the front row. Look at the number of people! You can't see anything in the back. "Go and go, make way for the nobles." The captain yelled at the surrounding civilian slaves, and everyone around them hurriedly gave way.

Approaching the high platform due west, the captain invited the Rongcheng Wei Shi on the fourth low platform on the north side, and handed over the public inspection in his hand to the Wei Shi. The lieutenant Shi opened the public inspection and looked at it, but he was not surprised, and arched his hand: "It turned out to be Lu Zijing and Lu Sanzhi, the two nobles of the Situ Mansion of Liang State, who were disrespectful and disrespectful. Now that the seats on the three sides of the platform are almost full, I am afraid that you two will be wronged and will sit at the end of the stand on the north side. Thank you for your understanding. ”

The older man Lu Zijing said, "You're welcome. My two brothers are just passing by here, and they don't want to bother the lords and nobles. Just find us a seat. Seeing that Lu Zijing did not mean to blame, Wei Shi immediately led the two to the north stand. The older man gave the captain some copper coins to lead the way, and the captain was overjoyed.

The two sat down in the last seat on the east side of the stands, and Rong Laosan was also able to stand behind. Wei Shi arranged for the slave maid to serve some wine and food to the two, and then bowed down and retired. Na Wei Shi said to himself as he walked: "The people from the Situ Mansion and the Sima Mansion of the Liang Kingdom have all come to Tianyi today, and they haven't traveled together, strange things, strange things."

After a moment of "dong dong" drums, the crowd around fell silent. I saw a person standing on the high platform on the west side, walked out of the sackcloth pergola, and said in a loud voice: "Wei Rong of the contemptible county is rexing, announcing the official start of the county's slave liberation test." Today's test is different from the past, not only to the county order personally led the county officials and nobles to watch the test, at the same time, today, fortunately, the five sects in the world, Kwai Shui, Zhichun two nobles also arrived. Do not make a loud noise, otherwise you will not be forgiven. ”

The county lieutenant of Rong paused and said: "Listen to the cheap slaves participating in the test in this county, you have all passed the first test in the township, and you must do your best to perform today, and you must not lose the face of your county in front of the nobles." Okay, the cheap slaves who participated in the test came to kowtow and start the test. ”

As the words of the county lieutenant Rong fell, under the leadership of the two captains, more than 100 young men and women in shabby clothes walked into the field from the northeast side of the school field. Rong Laisan looked carefully, and his face was extremely excited. Suddenly, Rong Laosan came back to his senses, took a step forward and stood behind Lu Zijing's side and whispered, "I've neglected the two Langjun." You two are new to this place, don't you know if you know this slave test?" Lu Zijing smiled and said nothing, but the young man Lu Sanzhi said: "I haven't heard of it." ”

Rong Laosan said: "This slave release test is to let the children of slave families between the ages of thirteen and sixteen take three exams, and those who pass the test can get rid of slave status. If you perform well, you may even have the opportunity to be selected to practice in the five university halls in Tianyi City. The old slave didn't know how this slave attempt came about, but he remembered that it started six years ago. I've heard from a noble person I've heard before, and there doesn't seem to be any other place in Zhongzhou except for the alliance. It seems to have come from somewhere... ”

At this time, the more than 100 slave children had already knelt down in front of the main stage, and were standing still listening to the words of Wei Shi under the stage. Rong Laosan saw that the two of them did not touch the wine and food on the table, so he said: "The two Lang Jun have just eaten the meal, I will go down to ask for some melons and fruits, the melons in Rongcheng are famous and sweet." With that, he stepped down from the east side.

Seeing that there was no one left and right, Lu Zijing condensed his voice into a line, and said to Lu Sanzhi: "Sanzhi, this Zhongzhou League's slave escape test is from my big shadow." Lu Zijing raised his hand to stop Lu Sanzhi's question, and continued: "The teacher tried his best to implement the slave liberation test in the film capital more than 20 years ago. In the past 20 years, the slave liberation test has long spread all over the states and counties of Daying, twice a year, and it has become a common practice. Hehe, this Zhongzhou League is just picking up people's teeth now. If you don't look at it, you know that the three exams are nothing more than obsidian qi control, lifting stones to measure strength, and moving and dodging, which is far worse than my big shadow slave test!"

Lu Zijing said to himself again: "This Zhongzhou League's slave free test, even if the slave children below pass, how many people can really get rid of slaves? Master, you have been thinking all day long about when our big shadow's slave free test will end, and when will the Shadow Wu Academy be able to recruit slave children... Lu Sanzhi listened to half of it, and he was in a fog.