From time to time, Zhang Zhao would go to see if Elder Gu was there, mainly because he was learning the knife, and he also had the idea of meeting Mo Suyan, a girl in white, again. It's a pity that more than a month has passed, and there is still no figure of these two people in the hall.

Lao Sha has become more and more energetic in sending livestock every day, since Zhang Zhao learned several delicate techniques from Elder Gu, the time from pressing down the livestock to cleaning up has become shorter and shorter. Although those disciples in the back kitchen have improved, more than a dozen of them started together, and in the end, Zhang Zhao alone packed up more livestock than they combined. What's more, the livestock are all tied up and hung up by Zhang Zhao alone.

Every day, the surplus meat Zhang Zhao pickled and dried it and put it in a large vat for storage, he took away the large pot of a stove in the kitchen of the small courtyard, and put a large vat into the stove. Every day, a vat of dried meat is grilled and brought to the Yangxian Hall and the back kitchen for everyone to eat.

With the lesson of the pickles last time, several elders took and tasted them without hesitation. These dried meats look black and inconspicuous, and they are hard in their hands, but they are full of fragrance after chewing a few times, with both the deliciousness of meat and the flexible bite of the head. The elders were full of praise.

The elders all liked it, not to mention the disciples in the back kitchen, each of them loaded a few pieces, and took them out and chewed them when they had nothing to do. After the fat master tasted the taste of dried meat strips, he was busy with his mouth every day, and he didn't have time to blame them again.

On that day, Zhang Zhao's behavior of carrying dozens of jars up the mountain was regarded by everyone as being poor and crazy. Now that he has eaten people's short mouths, Zhang Zhaodu in the eyes of everyone is becoming more and more pleasing to the eye, and he also feels that there is some truth in him carrying so many broken cylinders up the mountain.

Zhang Zhao gave the fat master more dried meat than others every time, firstly, because the fat master could eat it, and secondly, he always wanted to inquire about the situation of the girl in white.

On this day, he finally mustered up the courage, and while there was no one on the side, he asked hesitantly: "Fat master, the day you took me to learn the knife, was the girl I met at the door called Mo Suyan?"

The fat master casually agreed: "Yes." ”

Zhang Zhao hurriedly asked, "Is that girl our Lingxiao?"

"Nonsense, isn't Lingxiao able to meet you?" The fat master looked at Zhang Zhao: "Your eyes seem to be glued to the face of other girls, do you think I didn't see it?"

Zhang Zhao was suddenly pierced in his thoughts, and his face was a little hot. The fat master pulled him outside the door: "Zhang Zhao, it's not an unsightly thing to see a beautiful girl with straight eyes." But I tell you, just look at it, and don't have any other thoughts. Save yourself the hassle. ”

Zhang Zhao whispered embarrassedly: "I don't have any other thoughts, just ask casually." ”

"Boy, your fat master has lived for dozens of years, and he has never eaten pork or seen a pig run. You can't hide that little bit from me. The fat master is full of insight into the world.

He stretched out two fingers and compared them on the top of his head: "Now Senior Brother Mo, a pair of eyes grow here, and the sound of his speech comes out of his nose, and he always feels that he is superior to others." Although his girl was good-looking, her temperament was not much different from his. ”

Zhang Zhao was a little puzzled: "What does the fat master mean that Elder Mo looks down on others?"

"You don't have to worry about this, in short, listen to me, don't think nonsense, work hard, if you help Lao Sha and them do this time, when you grow up, there are young girls in their tribe, as you choose." The fat master smiled and patted Zhang Zhao again, turned around and went back to the kitchen.

Although this short conversation did not stop Zhang Zhao's desire to see Mo Suyan, it also made him sober up a little, remembering the scenes when those girls in the town avoided him when they saw him all these years, Zhang Zhao knew that it was indeed self-inflicted trouble if he thought too much.

In the next few days, Zhang Zhao was plagued by a new problem, and the dried meat he put in the outside jar was always inexplicably missing. At first, Zhang Zhao thought that he was mistaken, but day after day, there were always two missing in the same jar.

On this day, Zhang Zhao counted again, convinced that he had not made a mistake, and there were fewer neatly arranged meat strips in the tank. No one will come to this small kitchen at all, except for myself who goes up and down every day, I have never seen anyone else on this mountain road.

He couldn't figure it out even if he thought about it. This also brought a hint of novelty to Zhang Zhao's life, which has been very peaceful since Lingxiao, and he made up his mind to clarify this matter.

So he went down the mountain every day to kill livestock, carried vegetables and salt as usual, brought food to several elders as usual, closed the gate of the courtyard when he went out, and put a blade of grass in an inconspicuous place between the door, to see if anyone sneaked in while he was doing these things.

Every time he came back from killing livestock and delivering food, he did not go to the woods or the lake, but hid in his hut and quietly watched the vat through the window.

After two days like this, the ghost shadow did not see half of it, and every time he came back, the blades of grass on the door were intact, but the dried meat was still two less every day.

Zhang Zhao was very strange, and finally couldn't help but talk to Sheng Jin about it when delivering food. Sheng Jin shook his head after hearing this: "Do you think we stole your meat?"

Zhang Zhao shook his hand again and again: "If you want to eat more, I will send it, how can I doubt a few elders, but I really can't figure it out." I just want to ask what's going on. ”

Sheng Jin thought for a while: "Also, no one will steal a few pieces of dried meat, since it is not a human, then it must be the hand of some beast, the door does not move, it must be from the wall, and it must be when you go to work to deliver food." ”

Zhang Zhao suddenly realized: "Then why does it only take two at a time? It's the same every time?"

Sheng Jin was stunned: "I can't say for sure, maybe this beast can only eat two at a time and be full." ”

Zhang Zhao shook his head helplessly: "It's a pity that I have something to do every day, otherwise I must see what it is?"

On this day, Zhang Zhao returned to the small courtyard after killing the livestock, and saw that the blades of grass on the courtyard gate still hadn't moved, so he entered the yard and counted, and sure enough, there were two more dried meats missing. Zhang Zhao shook his head habitually, stretched out his hand to push the door open, but was startled.

A figure sat upright on his bed, but Zhang Zhao took a closer look at Pang Feiyang, and hurriedly bowed: "Elder Pang, why did you come to me?"

Pang Feiyang said in a harmonious voice: "I heard you talk about losing meat yesterday, so I came over to take a look when I was bored, the thief who stole meat had been caught, and it was there." ”

As he spoke, he pointed with his hand, Zhang Zhao looked in the direction, and saw that a thin straw rope for hanging meat was tied at the head of his bed, and the other end of the rope was wrapped around the neck of a monkey.

The monkey was more than two feet tall, covered in dark brown hair, with a few black stripes from its head to its cheeks, and two bright eyes that looked from side to side, crouching pitifully on the edge of the bed.

Zhang Zhao couldn't help but smile when he took a closer look. The monkey had two paws behind his back, clutching a piece of dried meat tightly on each of them. At this moment, it can be said that the monkey has been stolen.

Pang Feiyang also said with a smile: "This is a black-cheeked ape, there are many in Lingxiao Houshan, don't look at it is small now, but when it grows up, it is the same height as people, this little monkey is greedy, and I still don't throw away those two pieces of dried meat if I am caught." ”

Zhang Zhao laughed and stepped forward, the monkey saw someone approaching, retracted under the bed, but was tied by the rope and couldn't escape, even a few times, although the mouth was so anxious that it squeaked softly, its paws were still reluctant to let go of the dry meat.

Zhang Zhao laughed heartily, stepped forward and hugged the little monkey and stroked it gently, the little monkey was very frightened at first, and gradually found that Zhang Zhao had no malicious intent, so he slowly calmed down.

It curled up in Zhang Zhao's arms and trembled slightly, its claws still clenched. Zhang Zhao couldn't help but smile when he saw it: "What a greedy little guy." ”

With that, he reached out and unfastened the cord around its neck. The little monkey was very well-behaved, honestly motionless, Zhang Zhao untied it and held the little monkey and looked at Pang Feiyang's position.

"Elder Pang, I want to release this little monkey. His eyes were startled, the bed was already empty, and Pang Feiyang didn't know when to leave quietly.

Zhang Zhao walked to the backyard with the monkey in his arms, and under the breeze, his eyes were fresh and green, and his heart was full of peaceful joy. Lightly put the black-cheeked monkey on the ground, stroked its head, and whispered: "Don't be afraid, if you want to eat meat, come and get it, there are many here." ”

Then he slowly retreated a few steps, the black-cheeked little monkey squatted on the ground and did not move, and when he saw Zhang Zhao walking away a few steps, he tried to run out a few steps, turned around and looked, and saw that Zhang Zhao did not chase after him, so he had the courage to drag the dried meat and left.

This black-cheeked monkey steals meat in a way that is really unique, it carries two pieces of dried meat in its front paws to the corner of the wall full of green vines, stretches out its tail and wraps it around a thick vine branch, and climbs to the courtyard wall with its two hind feet alternately, and then stops and looks back at Zhang Zhao, Zhang Zhao smiled and waved his hand, the black-cheeked monkey screamed softly from afar, ran a few steps along the wall, jumped down with both feet, Zhang Zhao followed out and watched from afar, only to see it dragging the dried meat and running fast, and in a blink of an eye it entered the far woods.

When Zhang Zhao put the food in front of Pang Feiyang that night, he said softly, "Elder Pang, I let that little monkey go." ”

Pang Feiyang smiled and said: "It's just a few pieces of dried meat, but this black-cheeked monkey is rumored to have a very tricky mouth, it seems that the dried meat you dried tastes really good." ”

Sheng Jin stood up his ears and listened from the moment Zhang Zhao said it, and said loudly here: "It turns out that Senior Brother Pang, you went to catch a thief for Zhang Zhao, what's the matter, it's a little monkey?"

Liu Feng took a sip of the soup bowl in front of him, and said with a smile: "Senior Brother Pang is really interested, but a few of us old guys have been wondering in the house for a long time. ”

Pang Feiyang smiled embarrassedly: "It's not that I don't say it, but I'm afraid that if I return empty-handed, I will make a few senior brothers laugh." ”

Shu Jiuling's eyes were closed tightly, and he spoke politely, and continued with a little complaint: "Hehe, you are that habit, every time you go out to do things before, you always go secretly, and you don't even say hello, I am not far from your residence, but I calculated, I haven't seen you much in the past few decades." ”

Pang Feiyang put down the chopsticks he had just picked up in his hand, arched his hand and said, "Uncle Senior Brother, forgive me, Feiyang looked back on the past, and he really coldly indifferent the senior brothers in the door." ”

Shu Jiuling said with a smile: "Senior Brother Pang, I was joking, don't say it's you, a few people in this room, which one is not silent on weekdays." ”

Sheng Jin listened to the bowl and was about to talk, Shu Jiuling closed his eyes and turned his head to point in his direction: "I didn't say you." Sheng Jin shrank his head and said no more.

Liu Feng said: "Then I will eat and drink freely from now on, and in this leisure hall, I can't snub myself anymore." ”

Several elders nodded one after another, and then Liu Feng turned to Sheng Jin: "What are you doing with the fun, the silent people who are said by the uncle and junior brother are not including you." ”

Sheng Jin nodded again and again: "What I said is that I was disappointed as soon as I entered the Yangxian Hall that day, all of them were well-known stuffy gourds in the door, and I must not be suffocated to death by my old Sheng." I'm afraid that what a few of you have said in this life is not as much as what I said in a year. ”

Leng Pingyuan said coldly: "One month is enough, you are too modest." ”

Everyone laughed, and Zhang Zhao began to feel that the current Yangxian Hall had a little bit of a homely taste. Suddenly his mind flashed to a fat figure lying on his back and snoring, and the scene reminded him of the old butcher's scolding and snoring. The lights in the Lingxiao Hall were bright, and dozens of people were sitting quietly, all listening to Jiang Tai speaking alone: "Senior brother in charge, this time we have a bad breath, Sun Hu fell into a trap and led us to take Qi Chengyuan and Yang Peng's old nest." There are not a few red-clothed bandits left of his own, and we Lingxiao can finally breathe a sigh of relief. ”

Elder Gu and the others who went to hunt down Sun Hu with him were all tired, and they chased Sun Hu non-stop around Lingxiao for nearly two months, exterminating these bandits who had been enemies of Lingxiao for many years.

For many years, the people in the deacon hall who were expelled from Lingxiao back then, befriended bandits and specifically targeted Lingxiao disciples, although there were not too many strong opponents among them, but they always frequently attacked those Lingxiao people who could not cultivate to the upper three realms, a year ago, the most troublesome gray-clothed bandit gang among them successfully ambushed and killed the Lingxiao Eagle Hall disciples, but strangely they were all killed by those Eagle Hall disciples.

In the past year, Lingxiao showed weakness to the enemy, gathered back all the people stationed outside, and even if he occasionally sent people down the mountain, he was escorted by cultivators from the upper three realms, so that the remaining bandits had nowhere to start.

Several bandits have some eyeliner everywhere, Jiang Tai took a dozen disciples to Chibai City secretly this time to pretend to trade with people, and deliberately hid in the city mysteriously for several days before hitting the road, the whole thing was done extremely hidden on the surface.

Sun Hu really fell for it, he probed that there were no hard hands among these disciples, and found out that Lingxiao and the rest of the cultivators of the Upper Three Realms were all in the mountains, so he set out. Who knew that Gu Jianming and others had already made an appointment with Jiang Tai, and the first day they were still on Lingxiao Peak, and secretly descended the mountain at night, running hundreds of miles to meet Jiang Tai.

defeated the bandits led by Sun Hu, and they were far away with Sun Hu's tracks, and the other two bandits were also wiped out, although there were still fish that slipped through the net, Sun Hu could not ambush them. The threat to Lingxiao's periphery has been completely removed.

In the center of the main hall sat an old man wearing a Taoist robe, with five locks of long beard and a clear face. It was the head of Lingxiao, Chang Qingzi, who looked at the Lingxiao cultivators below who participated in this crackdown on bandits with a smile on his face.

"Everyone has worked hard, and I'm tired from running around for nearly two months, so let's go back and rest. Nagakiko didn't say much, and her face looked very satisfied.

Everyone stood up and left, but Elder Meng from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall stayed. Chang Qingzi looked at him and asked, "Senior Brother Meng, is there anything wrong with you?"

Elder Meng watched everyone leave one by one, and then stepped forward and whispered, "Senior Brother in charge, our Lingxiao has barely made any progress in the past year, and now the money I can use in my hands is getting less and less. If this continues, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to ask me to send those things in the back every month.

The smile on Chang Qingzi's face disappeared: "Senior Brother Meng, I know that it has been difficult for you this year, but for the sake of my spiritual plan, I have to let you put more effort into it, no matter how difficult the conditions are, those things that will be sent to the back must be guaranteed to be delivered." ”

Elder Meng looked embarrassed: "But no matter how calculating I am, I can't make money." It is better to re-do all the original businesses. ”

"I know that from tomorrow onwards, I will let the disciples take over some business, but after a year of breaking off contact, it will take some time to restore my reputation as a Lingxiao. Chang Qingzi sighed: "I'm tired of Senior Brother Meng, let's prepare to live a hard life." ”

Deep in an extremely vast dense forest in the Xuanmu Domain, it was dark and cold, and there was no sunlight to penetrate, and the roots of the towering thick giant trees protruded several feet from the ground, intertwining together to form countless dark caves.

In one of the more spacious tree holes, an old man and a young woman fell to their knees on the ground. "Little Lao'er brought ten high-grade immortal crystals and asked for two elixirs. ”

In front of the two of them, on the wall of the cave made of the roots of the big tree, there is a night pearl embedded in it, and it shines with a faint brilliance. The cave wall facing the two of them gradually moved, and a person slowly stood up under the Night Pearl, this person was covered in a dark brown coat made of tree bark, and he couldn't tell that there was anyone there if he didn't move.

"With your cultivation, even if you take the Divine Killing Pill, you will never be able to kill a Five Qi Peak cultivator. The man in the cloth shook his head: "You have barely reached the upper three realms, and the cultivation of the woman behind you is even weaker, and it is impossible to succeed." ”

He looked at the old man who was kneeling: "So we can't agree to this deal, please go back." His voice was flat, not at all like he was talking about a business worth ten high-grade immortal crystals.

The old man couldn't afford to fall to the ground: "Even if I know that I can't succeed, I have to give it a try, and the little old man sold all his belongings to find this place." Even if I fight to the death, I want to avenge my son. ”

The young woman behind him raised her head, and her face was very beautiful: "Since we have come here, we are with the heart of death, and we hope that you will give you the elixir." ”

The clothed man shook his head: "There is no point in hitting a stone with an egg, you immortal crystals are enough to live the second half of your life, it is better than dying in vain." ”

The beautiful woman with a beautiful face said in a resolute voice: "My father and I have made up our minds, so please give me the Killing Pill, so that the two of us can fight to the death." ”

The man in the cloth looked at the two: "You said that he had a conflict with your husband because of your beauty?"

The beautiful young woman had tears in her eyes: "Yes, my husband argued with him and started a fight, but he was killed by his guards. If I hadn't tried my best to escape, I'm afraid my father wouldn't even know the news. ”

The man in the cloth looked at her face: "In this case, I have a solution, but you have to think about it, this method will make you extremely painful." ”

The beautiful young woman nodded heavily: "No matter what the method, as long as I can avenge my husband, I am willing to give it a try." ”

"Okay, you two get up and get ready, I'll take the things and tell you how to do it. The clothed man twisted, burrowing into the crack in the tree root in front of him.

After Elder Gu returned to Lingxiao, Zhang Zhao resumed his daily study. The jerky he brought with him made Elder Gu very satisfied, and after teaching those basic cutting movements, he would also teach some moves at will.

Elder Gu's cultivation is not only worlds apart from Uncle Wang, he changed the double knife routine of his Qiankun sword technique slightly, and chose a few styles to teach Zhang Zhao: "Come, you have almost practiced the moves, I have played with you." Elder Gu raised his sword with one hand and motioned for Zhang Zhaolai to make a few gestures.

Zhang Zhao was afraid that the situation of cutting Uncle Wang's knife back then would happen again, so he didn't dare to rashly agree: "Elder Gu, I'm afraid of breaking your knife." ”

Elder Gu has also found that the seemingly blunt short knife in Zhang Zhao's hand is a little strange these days. But he was already a martial artist close to the Yin and Yang realm, and of course he scoffed at Zhang Zhao's scruples.

"Come on, you don't have to pay for it. Zhang Zhao was skeptical when he heard this, and he didn't know how powerful Elder Gu was until he started to do it. The two of them intersected with their two knives, and the strange knife in his hand that could easily split the livestock was swept away by Elder Gu's gentle pull.

Zhang Zhao became more and more energetic the more he slashed, and seeing that the strange knife in his hand could not cut Elder Gu's knife, he gradually used his strength, and every move and style was coordinated with the golden light transformation in his brain to cut out, and the feeling of exerting his full strength made him enjoy it very much.

Elder Gu gradually felt a little pressure, and every time he intersected with Zhang Zhao's blade, he felt a shock in his hand. In the first few days, the knife in his hand was only concentrated on three points, and then gradually increased to seven points, and a few days later, Zhang Zhao slashed more and more heavily, so that Elder Gu even secretly entered the long knife in his hand.

He taught Zhang Zhao the Qiankun knife technique that he had changed in five styles. "Lang Lang Qiankun" is a knife move, from the top to the bottom of the enemy's door. "Turning things around" is a backhand knife technique, with turning around and slashing with all your might. "Splendid Qiankun" is a knife flower dancing straight down the plate. "Reversing the world" is to lift the lower abdomen from the bottom up. There is also a style of "domineering Qiankun" is the integration of body and knife, straight to the middle.

These five flip changes can be combined at will with the body method. Zhang Zhao has been learning it for less than a month, and he has mastered the trick. When he started with Elder Gu, he didn't have to have many scruples, and he could change his tactics to attack as he wanted.

Elder Gu only defended and did not attack every time, and he saw Zhang Zhao's coming momentum and blocked them one by one. On this day, Zhang Zhao slashed more and more easily, a piece of knife light slashed down the road and picked it up, the knife went with him and backhanded a "reversal", Elder Gu blocked the knife horizontally, and took a step back under his feet.

After the two stopped, Elder Gu pondered for a moment: "Zhang Zhao, I will teach you these sword techniques, and you should not act with others at will until a critical moment." ”

"Why?" Zhang Zhao looked at him a little puzzled: "Elder Gu, I think it's quite enjoyable to chop." ”

Elder Gu thought about it, and didn't say that he was afraid that he would hurt others with the strength of his hand, so he made up a reason and said, "This sword technique is my secret to you, and you can't let people learn it casually." ”

Zhang Zhao was grateful in his heart, and nodded in agreement, in his opinion, cultivators were all figures like Gu Elders. You can knock yourself down at will. I don't know if Elder Gu is wondering in his heart at this moment: "What did this kid grow up eating, obviously he doesn't have any spiritual power cultivation, but the brute strength on his body is extremely strong." ”

The black-cheeked little monkey came to fetch two pieces of dried meat every day, and after the last time he caught and released, the little monkey could also feel Zhang Zhao's kindness, and no longer avoided him when taking meat.

Zhang Zhaodang had one more playmate, and he waved with a smile every time, and the black-cheeked little monkey imitated his appearance a few days later, grinning and waving, and getting along with him better and better.

One day, Zhang Zhao woke up in the morning, and found that the monkey didn't know when to get into a bed next to him, and fell asleep wrapped in a quilt like himself.

The period of May is approaching, this day Lao Sha pulled Zhang Zhao after sending the livestock: "In two days, we will leave for Danhe grassland, which is the first of the ten grasslands of the Baimu League, every competition will be held there, Zhang Zhao, you prepare your bags." When the time comes, I will pick you up, and the future of our Baitou tribe in the next five years depends on your performance. ”