Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao parted ways on the side of the twelve-foot archway, Chen Ping'an went to Mud Bottle Lane, knocked on the door and shouted: "Song Jixin, are you at home?"

The girl who was scooping up a scoop of water with a gourd scoop in the stove room, burped one after another, and after drinking the water, she suddenly felt a lot refreshed, she put down the spoon, walked out of the stove room, ran to open the courtyard door, felt a little strange, and still replied with a glance: "My son-in-law is not here." Chen Ping'an, why did you knock on the door, didn't you always stand in your yard and chat with us before?"

Chen Ping'an said through a courtyard gate: "Something." ”

After Zhigui opened the door, he quipped, "Rare guests." ”

She glanced at Chen Ping'an's face and asked, "What are you looking for my son-in-law to do?" If you are not in a hurry, I can help you make a statement when you turn around. If you're in a hurry, it is estimated that you will have to go to the Supervision Office to find someone, and you have seen it with your own eyes before, my son-in-law has a good relationship with the new Inspector Song. ”

She found that Chen Ping'an's feet were motionless as if they were rooted, and she rolled her eyes and said, "Come in, what are you doing over there?"

Speaking of this, the girl covered her mouth and laughed coquettishly, "For you, it must be the latter that is more terrifying." ”

Chen Ping'an tugged at the corners of his mouth, smiled far-fetched, and said softly: "Actually, I came to find you, and I shouted so much before because I was afraid that Song Jixin would misunderstand." ”

Zhigui smiled knowingly and asked, "Then let's talk about it, what is the matter?" The ugly words are ahead, the neighbors are the neighbors, and the friendship is the friendship, but in the end I am just a little maid under the fence of the mud bottle lane, and I can't pick my hand or carry it, so I can't help much." However, if you Chen Ping'an borrow money, it is a problem that can be solved with money, even if you are lucky, I have a little way. ”

Chen Ping'an smiled bitterly: "It's not really a matter of money, I'll tell you directly, Liu Xianyang was seriously injured on the side of the covered bridge, and the old shopkeeper of the Yang family's shop went to see it, and there was no way." ”

Zhigui looked dazed, "Why haven't I heard about this, who did Liu Xianyang provoke?"

Chen Ping'an said helplessly: "It's a foreigner, from a place called Zhengyang Mountain." ”

Zhigui asked tentatively: "Then do you want to go through the door with a relationship, so that you can find a feng shui treasure for Liu Xianyang to be buried in?" This is not difficult, I can let my son-in-law talk to the superintendent, and then the government office will come forward and ask the old man Wei to find a place in Taoye Lane, as long as it is not to occupy a hill in a place forbidden by the imperial court, it is not difficult to think of it." ”

Chen Ping'an's already dark face became darker and darker.

She leaned her back against the Spring Festival couplets on the wall, tilted her head, smiled playfully, and asked: "Chen Ping'an, do you want me to repay you for saving your life?" But I'm just a maid, and the old shopkeeper of the Yang family can't do anything, what can I do?"

After Chen Ping'an fought between heaven and man, he said slowly: "Wang Zhu, I know that you are not an ordinary person, on a snowy day that year, when I saw you at the door of my house, I knew that you were different from us. Later, you were also the first person to see that the snake gallstone was unusual, and now in retrospect, the way you looked at us neighbors back then was essentially the same as those outsiders looking at us today. ”

The girl grinned, "Actually, there is." ”

I don't just look down on you ordinary people, but also look down on those immortal monks.

It's just that this sentence, Zhigui didn't say it.

Some truths, on her side, are justified, but on other people's side, they become unruly and unruly.

Chen Ping'an asked: "I was looking for you to ask you if it was possible to rescue Liu Xianyang." I used up a locust leaf, and I could barely hold Liu Xianyang's last breath at that time, although it was not very useful, but at least it was useful, so I wanted to ask, do you have any locust leaves here, especially the excess locust leaves?"

The girl pointed to her nose and asked, "Are you asking my son-in-law Song Jixin if he has a locust leaf, or am I, a little maid without a father or mother?"

Chen Ping'an stared at the girl and said bluntly: "Even if Song Ji has a salary, he won't give it to me." I'm asking you, Wang Zhu. If there is, are you willing to lend it to me, if not, do you know any other way to save Liu Xianyang?"

The girl, who has always been called Wang Zhu, rubbed her chin with one hand, gently patted her abdomen with the other, shook her head and said: "No, it's really not, I don't lie to you, if you come earlier, maybe there are a few locust leaves left." As for the other methods, of course not, and I'm not a god, where do I know the means to bring people back to life, white bones and flesh, right? Chen Ping'an, you can't force people to make it difficult, alas, I really misjudged you, thinking that you are different from them, not the kind of guy who wants to repay the favor. ”

Chen Ping'an still didn't give up, "Really, no, whether I can do it or not, you can talk about it." ”

Zhigui shook his head and said categorically: "Anyway, I don't have it!"

Chen Ping'an smiled, "I know." ”

The boy turned and left, and the emaciated figure quickly disappeared into Mud Bottle Alley.

The girl stood in the alley at the door of her house, looking at the back of the young man who was getting farther and farther away, her expression was complicated, and she had a hint of sadness and anger, and said indignantly: "The locust leaf that you finally got was squandered by you?" Then you can follow Liu Xianyang to die together, anyway, die early and be born early, if you are lucky, you will continue to be a difficult brother in the next life." It's better than those poor worms who don't even have an afterlife. ”

The girl walked back to the courtyard, and when she crossed the threshold, she accidentally burped again, and sneered, "It's a bit of a stretch." ”

She coldly sped up her steps and rushed forward, stepped on it with one foot, and then slowly squatted down, staring at the earthy yellow four-legged snake with horns on its head, and reprimanded: "It's not difficult to borrow and repay, you five little beasts, if you dare to repay the account on credit in the future, see if I don't stew you with skin and cramps!"

The four-legged snake beneath the soles of the maid's feet struggled with all its might, and let out a slight hissing as if begging for mercy.

After Chen Ping'an left Mud Bottle Lane, he ran all the way to the school, but was told by an old man who was in charge of cleaning the school that Mr. Qi went to the mountains outside the town with three foreign guests yesterday, saying that he wanted to explore the secluded and curious, and it would take at least three days to go back and forth. Chen Ping'an was full of loss, and when he turned to leave, the old man with a broom suddenly remembered something, called out to the young man, and said: "By the way, before Mr. Qi went, he told me that if someone in Mud Bottle Lane was looking for him, tell the young man that he had already said the truth, no matter whether he was in school today or not, it would not change the outcome." ”

The boy seemed to have known that this was the result, and his eyes were gloomy.

The stagnant water is slight, lifeless.

But the boy still bent down and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, old man." ”

The old man hurriedly moved a few steps away, stood aside, waved his hand and smiled: "I can't afford to wait for the word 'sir'." ”

The old man saw the young man slowly leaving, and after walking a distance, he seemed to raise his arm and wipe his eyes.

The old man shook his head slightly, thinking of his peers who were also about the same age, and the other two reading seeds, Song Jixin and Zhao Xuan, and then look at this one, life experiences are very different.

It's really a spring breeze for some people, and something is eventful.

Chen Ping'an went to the mud bottle lane, picked up the last bag of copper coins hidden in the clay pot, took three bags of money, walked into Fulu Street, and found the Kiln Supervision Office.

The porter was a little stunned after hearing the introduction, Song Jixin's neighbor in Mud Bottle Lane wanted to find Song Jixin and the superintendent Song?

Chen Ping'an secretly handed him a gold and copper coin that had been prepared a long time ago, and did not speak, the porter looked down, weighed, rubbed his fingers, comprehended, but was not in a hurry to express his position. The young man soon handed over another golden coin, and the porter smiled, but did not take it, and said: "Since you are a sensible person, I will rest assured that I will help you introduce you, otherwise I will be really wronged because you lost this errand." If the government manager agrees to let you enter the government office, it will not be too late to give it to me, if you don't agree, I can't help it, just treat this copper coin as if I have no chance with me, what do you think?"

Chen Ping'an nodded vigorously.

Not long after, the old steward and the porter came together, and the porter gave the young man a look, suggesting that he must not take out a copper coin at this time, and openly accept bribes, which is not a small crime. Fortunately, the young man didn't do that stupid thing, but just followed the steward to the back hall of the government office.

The porter sighed, a little strange, why did the steward nod and agree when he heard that it was a young man surnamed Chen from Mud Bottle Lane. When did the threshold of the government office become so low?

The porter was a little weak-hearted, in fact, he had just seen the steward, and in his words, he persuaded the steward to do more than less, and not to let the young man enter the government office, but he didn't say it directly, I believe that the old steward has practiced in the public for so many years, and he must know it.

The young porter's original small abacus, of course, was to take a copper coin for nothing, without taking risks, and to take it with peace of mind.

Now he just hoped that the poor boy was not a troublemaker.

In the main hall of the back hall of the government office, a tall man in a white robe sat on the main seat and was drinking tea.

Song Jixin sat on the guest chair on the left, played with a bamboo folding fan with one hand, kept opening and closing it, and looked at the straw sandals boy who was brought in with a smile.

The jet-black chair and snow-white robe are very stark contrasts.

The steward retreated, and the man on the main seat put down the teacup and smiled at the young man: "Chen Ping'an, sit casually." We'd actually met in Mud Bottle Lane before, but I didn't recognize you at the time, otherwise I should have said hello a long time ago. ”

Song Jixin felt a little funny, only he knew that this man was obviously a little awkward when he called himself "me".

The boy sat on the chair opposite Song Jixin.

The man asked straight to the point: "Chen Ping'an, you came here about Liu Xianyang's injury?"

The young man stood up and said, "I hope that Lord Song can severely punish the murderer of Zhengyang Mountain, not just expel him. ”

The man smiled, "Actually, this side of the town is a 'lawless place', which means that there is no dynastic law here, and the superintendent is more embarrassed, and he has no right to intervene in local affairs. ”

The man's words and deeds are pleasant, and there is no arrogant posture on his body.

Chen Ping'an took out three bags of copper coins, put them on the high stool next to the chair, and then said to the man with a calm expression: "Lord Song, I know that you are very powerful, I want to know if you can save Liu Xianyang, even if you can't save it, can you give him justice, don't let the murderer kill someone, as long as you leave the town, it seems that nothing is wrong." ”

The man laughed and said, "I'm amazing? Did the girl in black tell you about it?" Well, it can be seen that her martial arts talent is excellent, even better than your friend named Liu Xianyang. To tell you the truth, I'll only kill people, and I'm really not good at saving people. Besides, why should I break the thousand-year-old rules here for the sake of a young man who only has one side?"

When the man said this, he pointed to the three bags of copper coins, "Liu Xianyang without the Treasure Armor Sword Sutra, his life is not worth so much money at all, and as for wanting to buy my favor, this money is far from enough." I'm in a fight with Zhengyang Mountain, just for three bags of money? It's absolutely impossible, and it will be a joke for the entire Dongbao Aquarius to spread it. Chen Ping'an, you may not understand these words very well for the time being, but if you have the opportunity in the future, you will understand that this is the truth. ”

Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Song, can you tell me how to make a move?" Even if you think I can't do it if I die, but Lord Song can talk about it." ”

The man didn't feel that he had any clues, and the powerful vassal king's eyes showed a look of surprise, and he smiled and said: "Chen Ping'an, I don't look down on you and deliberately make things difficult for you, on the contrary, I think you are an interesting person, so I am willing to take the time, reason with you calmly, and do business, understand?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Song Jixin sat in an indecent posture, sitting cross-legged on a chair, and gently patted his knees with a folding fan.

Watching the fire from the other side, it's not about yourself.

Song Changjing didn't care about Song Ji's salary, above the town, this vassal king had a lot of information, and he only lost to Qi Jingchun, he finally broke through the heavens: "Chen Ping'an, you don't have to feel too guilty at all, mistakenly think that your friend died because of you, because Liu Xianyang has long been in a dead end, as long as this young man refuses to hand over the Sword Sutra, it can only be a dead knot, because Zhengyang Mountain will definitely want him to die." Whether it was Qi Jingchun or Ruan Shi, no one could stop it, not that no one had beaten the old ape, but the price that needed to be paid was too great, and it was not worth it. ”

The man took a sip of tea and said leisurely: "Chen Ping'an, have you ever thought about why even you, who deserve the blessing of Zuyin, have a locust leaf, but Liu Xianyang's talent is so good, he didn't get a locust leaf, have you ever thought about this problem?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Excuse me, Lord Song." ”

The straw sandals boy put away the three bags of copper coins, said goodbye to the overseer in front of him, and left.

Although Song Changjing didn't keep it, he actually got up to send it off in person, Song Jixin just wanted to stand up reluctantly, but saw this uncle shaking his head slightly, and sat back on the back of the chair comfortably.

When he walked to the threshold, Song Changjing said without warning: "There are two things that I can do, but I can't do, so as long as you do one of them, I can consider helping you teach the old ape a lesson." ”

The young man quickly stopped and turned around, his face full of solemnity.

The man said indifferently: "One thing is to find an opportunity to kidnap the little girl in Zhengyang Mountain next to the old ape, mess with her mind, and force the old ape to stay in the town forcibly." Another thing was to secretly cut down the old locust tree at night, and then pull out the iron chain that locked the well. You can do both or just one. One thing is done, I will help you seriously injure the murderer, and as soon as the two things are done together, I will kill the old ape of Zhengyang Mountain for you. ”

Song Changjing smiled and promised: "Once you say it, you will never break your word!"

Then the powerful Dali vassal king said an inexplicable word, "Chen Ping'an, I believe you can feel the truth of a sentence." ”

The boy left silently.

didn't see and hear the young man slapping his chest loudly, Song Changjing felt that it was normal, standing at the door, with his back to Song Jixin in the house, and asked, "You are more familiar with him, do you think he will do it?"

Song Jixin shook his head and said, "It's hard to say." Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for him to do things against his will, but for Liu Xianyang's sake, it is estimated that it will be a little suspenseful. ”

The man stood with his hands in his hands, looked at the sky, and asked: "Assuming that the young man really gives people unexpected joy, this king takes this opportunity to intervene in it, whether it is to make friends with Zhengyang Mountain or form an alliance with Fenglei Garden, naturally only one can be taken from one, and it is even inevitable that he will have a grudge with the other party, which is compared to this king standing by and watching, allowing Dali and these two forces to never be salty or light, and never get along with each other, for my Da Li, which result do you think is better?"

Song Jixin stood up, slapped the palm of his other hand with a folding fan, paced slowly, and said after thinking: "Choose the latter in the peaceful and prosperous times, and choose the former in troubled times." ”

Then the young man smiled and said: "No matter whether the world outside the town is prosperous or troubled, it seems that at least Uncle you have made your own choice." ”

Song Changjing sneered and said, "My generation of battlefield warriors, what are you doing in the peaceful and prosperous era?

Song Changjing turned his head to look at the young man with a stiff expression, "This king has already seen that this young man is where your real heart knot lies, and it will be difficult for you to untie it in a short period of time, once you leave this heart knot and leave the town, it will not be conducive to the next practice." So you can see with your own eyes how a simple teenager with an innocent heart becomes angry and tacky. When the time comes, you will feel angry and boring with this kind of person. ”

Song Jixin opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't refute anything, and finally fell into deep thought.

The man walked back to the house, sat down on the main seat, and raised his head to drink the tea in the cup, "The most important thing is that this king plays this boring little trick, in addition to finding a casual reason for being lame in order to fish in troubled waters, but also to make you understand a truth, in the cultivation path you are going to take next, anyone can be your enemy...... For example, your own uncle, I Song Changjing. ”

The boy was stunned.

Song Changjing sneered: "Because of the knotted heart, if you don't pull it out with your own hands, there will be endless troubles, like wild grass in the wasteland, and the spring breeze blows and grows." ”

Song Changjing sneered and said with disdain: "Song Jixin, who is about to become His Royal Highness the Prince of Dali, are you full of grief and indignation, but what can you do now? So how much better do you think you are than Chen Ping'an, who was played with in applause?"

Song Jixin stared at the man with a light face, and the young man grabbed the five fingers of the folding fan, revealing his muscles and bones.

The man sat on the chair, his eyes were deep, and he looked out of the house, as if he was talking to himself: "The more people you see in the future, you will find an interesting thing, what good and evil are rewarded, happiness and revenge, the blood of the husband is angry, what talented and beautiful women, and lovers will eventually become married, all of which are the great pleasures imagined by the waste." Therefore, your own fist must be hard, rely on this king, rely on your biological parents? I advise you to die as soon as possible, otherwise taking you out of the town is tantamount to taking your corpse to a mass grave, the emperor's house, how can it not be life and death. ”

The boy was sweating profusely and sat down in his chair.

Although the young man hid his smugness very deeply after learning his true identity, and there was nothing unusual in dealing with people in the government office, but in the eyes of the vassal king Song Changjing, he was like holding a demon mirror, and saw a spirit that had just turned into a human form. Therefore, between talking and laughing, the ashes are gone.

Song Changjing looked into the distance, and his gaze seemed to have reached the southernmost point of Dongbao Aquarius, to the distant old dragon city.

For some reason, the vassal king remembered a sentence, "The human heart is a mirror, and the cleaner it is, the more it is clean, and the more it cannot withstand scrutiny and temptation." ”

Song Changjing felt that the scholars in the temple, although they chattered about gods and ghosts, but sometimes they said the big truth, and they were martial artists who carried knives, and they couldn't think of it if they lived for a thousand years.

Song Changjing put away his thoughts, stretched out his hand and pointed to the south, as if holding a halberd in his hand, his sharpness was revealed, "Song Jixin, if you think what this king said is wrong today, you can, but bear with it, only when you come to the old dragon city in the future, let's change positions and sit, this king will consider whether to listen to him!"

Song Jixin, the prince of Dali, had returned to normal, and said with a smile: "We'll see." ”

At the door of the official office, the straw sandals boy handed the second copper coin to the concierge as promised.

————

In the twelve-foot archway building, Chen Ping'an saw the figure of the girl in black and ran quickly.

Ning Yao stood under the plaque of "Angry Bullfighting" and asked, "How is it?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head and said: "All three people have been searched, two of them met, Mr. Qi couldn't see it, but I knew the answer at the beginning." ”

The gentleman does not save.

Mr. Qi did say it long before that.

Ning Yao frowned and was silent.

Chen Ping'an then said a word of caution to the girl, and began to run away.

I went to Yang's shop first, and used a gold and copper coin to buy a lot of medicine bottles for treating bruises and internal injuries with an old man who knew the roots. Ointment and medicinal materials, how to use and torment these things, the young man is familiar with the way, the dragon kiln porcelain burning is a job to rely on the mountain to eat, there are often all kinds of accidents, although the old man Yao is not pleasing to the eye can only be regarded as half an apprentice Chen Ping'an, but I have to admit that this young man has sharp legs and feet, and people have no heart, so many errands and spending money are for Chen Ping'an to do, such as buying medicine and decoction for the injured people at the kiln.

Chen Ping'an returned to the ancestral house in Mud Bottle Lane, after closing the door, he first began to decoct the medicine, which was a prescription for treating internal injuries, and in the gap between waiting for the fire, he spread a white-washed but still clean shirt on the table, and tore it into a belt, the straw sandal boy who was known for his stinginess did not feel distressed at all, and then in addition to tying the clothes knife that Ning Yao lent to him to his arm, the young man also tied layers of cotton cloth strips on his calves and wrists.

Chen Ping'an took off the homemade wooden bow on the wall, hesitated for a moment, but still gave up carrying it for the time being, and instead retrieved the slingshot and a bag of stones from the windowsill.

The reason why he knew he couldn't do it, and he didn't regret hitting the wall three times in a row, this is the unique strength of the teenager.

If you don't try it, the young man will be unwilling, just like the young man at the blacksmith shop, the last time, begging the old shopkeeper to try again, it's the same reason.

first looked for the quirky Zhigui, hoping to give Liu Xianyang a chance to get back to life. Looking for Mr. Qi again, it was a fluke, hoping that he could uphold justice, and finally found Ning Yao's so-called martial arts master, the superintendent Lord Song, who made it clear that he would bankrupt his family and make a deal.

The boy thought very clearly from the beginning, so he was very disappointed at this time, but he didn't feel how to break his heart.

In fact, the vassal king Song Changjing and his neighbor Song Jixin didn't understand Chen Ping'an at all.

There are some things that you have to do even when you die. But there are some things that cannot be done even by death.

The young man squatted in the corner, quietly waiting for the medicine soup to come out, this jar of medicine, very strange, no other use, is to relieve pain, once there was a man at the mouth of the kiln of the dragon kiln, suffering from a strange disease, stayed up in bed for most of the day, half dead not to say, the key is that the whole person was so painful that the whole face and limbs were distorted, and then the Yang family shop gave such a prescription, and finally the man died quickly, but he did not walk painfully, and even had the strength to sit up, after explaining his last words, he also went to see the kiln for the last time with the support of the old man Yao.

Chen Ping'an felt that he should be able to use it.

When the boy saw that there were still some pieces of rags on the table, he took off the pair of tattered straw sandals on his feet, took out a pair of brand new shoes that he had never been willing to wear, brought the clay pot, and took out the broken porcelain pieces in them.

About half an hour later, the young man who had done everything opened the door and quietly walked out of Mud Bottle Alley.

Approaching dusk, the sun is no longer dazzling, and there are layers of burning clouds on the horizon, which are incomparably gorgeous.

The straw sandals boy walked towards Fu Lu Street.

On the bluestone street, there are no passers-by, and the teenager walks alone.