On January 7th, when the red hour had just passed, the sky was bright, and most people were still asleep, Tie Huan had already finished his simple morning exercise in the small courtyard of the guest room.

The leaders of Kongoji Temple have maintained a good routine of life for more than a decade, which is exactly what the path of tranquility requires. If it weren't for something very important, he would go to bed every night before the ghost hour and wake up at the red hour the next day. If it didn't rain, he would walk through the birch forest outside the temple and run to the Huangyan Hills to practice his luck and boxing, and only return an hour later for breakfast. His appetite is good after exercise, and his breakfast is usually a bowl of egg and tofu soup with seaweed and chopped green onions, plus three buckwheat cakes, each the size of a soup bowl. One of the most popular breakfast varieties among the monks of Kongoji Temple, buckwheat cakes are made with a mixture of shredded radish, shredded pork, leeks, bean sprouts and shredded salmon, supplemented with several sauces to make this simple dish delicious.

Instead of buckwheat cakes, he ate rice with three dishes that morning.

In fact, he hadn't eaten buckwheat cakes since he stepped into Dragon City, and the recipes of the Iron Fist Temple were quite different from those of the Kongo Temple, with more poultry and meat than more whole grains. Among the four dishes in his breakfast, tofu and green vegetables are produced by Tiequan Temple, and roast venison is purchased from outside. He had two plates of vegetarian dishes and one plate of meat dishes for breakfast every day, and in the evening he ate about the same, with a plate of meat dishes and a delicious soup at noon.

It is reasonable to be generous in the preparation of a distinguished guest, but if the guest is a devout follower of the Dragon Worship Sect, then this sumptuous is excessive. This is no longer abundance, but waste. It's not a practice, it's enjoyment.

In the first few days of living in the White Clothes Courtyard, Tie Huan, under the guidance of Tenghui, walked around the Iron Fist Temple, looked at it briefly, and had a general impression of the temple in the royal capital. But then he spent more time in his room, greeting the elders and monks who came to visit one after another, discussing with them about doctrine and spiritual life. After Xun Zhou informed him last time that he didn't have to make a special trip to the Awakening Temple, he began to frequently go out of his small courtyard and visit all the corners of the temple that were open to him, and he took the initiative to communicate with the disciples of the Iron Fist Temple and learn more about the situation.

He found that the difference between this place and Kongoji Temple was not just in the dining.

The standard of living at Iron Fist Temple is significantly higher than that of Kongoji Temple. The monks are very particular about food, clothing, housing and transportation. Most of the monks' clothes are made of pure linen and cotton, and the elders are dressed very carefully.

Every temple of the Dragon Worship Sect will emphasize penance, spiritual and spiritual double practice, as the largest among the three major temples, the largest number of believers, the most powerful Iron Fist Temple is naturally no exception. However, these days, Tie Hwan has found that some things are not as they appear to be.

For example, daily mountain climbing. This is a tradition at the Iron Fist Temple, which requires that all registered monks should do it as long as their body permits, and as far as Tetsuhuan knows, the elders do not all do this. Although the Great Elder Xun Zhou was nearly seventy years old, he was in good health and in good spirits, and after Tie Huan stayed, he found that the Great Elder had only climbed the Holy Mountain twice, once for the new king's enthronement ceremony, and the other for the day of the dragon's face. If the elder is already old, then the fifty-one-year-old Tenghui has no reason to be absent, as far as Tie Huan knows, the white-clothed elder has not climbed the mountain for at least three days. Of the other elders, only two of them maintained full attendance. It is difficult to say how many of the registered monks are able to do full attendance.

This may all be accidental, and even if the Iron Fist Temple pays more attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation, it doesn't say much. What really caused Tie Huan to be uneasy was the visit of Zhou Qin, the deputy head of the Yulong Regiment, three days ago.

This deputy head was the first and only monk he had ever met in the Iron Fist Temple to express his opposition to the appointment of Grand Elder Xun Zhou as the National Teacher. Of course, this opposition is private.

People of the same faith do not need superfluous words to communicate and exchange ideas with each other. A truly devout believer will know how to express his position. The conversation between him and Zhou Qin quickly went to a level that none of the other elders had reached, and it only took a cup of tea for the two to understand each other.

Now Tie Huan is already very clear that the distance between the two major temples is obviously not just a table.

He decided to go out for a walk, and after confessing to the monks, he left the Iron Fist Temple. The monk asked him if he wanted to prepare a carriage and horses, but he refused.

It was still windy, and the sky was still dark, so he walked out of the Floating Cloud Forest and headed in the direction of the Dragon Avenue. The icy morning breeze was blowing in his face, but Tie Huan, who was barehead and thinly dressed, did not feel cold. Winters in Golden Castle are much colder than here.

He walked all the way down the Dragon Avenue to Shenmu Square. There are not many pedestrians on the road, but there are many vendors on both sides of the road outside the temple area, and vegetable farmers and craftsmen form a lively small market here, where women who get up in the morning to buy vegetables and people who go out for breakfast are active.

After passing through the market, you will find the official road. Julong Avenue from the temple area to Shenmu Square this section is commonly known as the "official road" by the people of the royal capital, the officials of the royal court come out to do business, most of them have to take this road, the official road is the only route out of the city, there are often galloping cars and horses whistling on the official road, so although the dragon avenue is wide, but pedestrians are walking in the pedestrian area on the side of the road.

Tie Huan walked along the pedestrian area on the side of the official road for nearly half an hour before arriving at Shenmu Square. He wasn't too fast along the way, and his mind was always thinking. At this time, the sky gradually brightened, and there were more pedestrians on the road, and the shops along the road opened their doors to start the day's trading.

There is a huge statue in the Shenmu Square depicting the appearance of the Holy King Yugu kneeling to the spirit dragon on the first day of the dragon's face, and since then, the dragon family, who lead the boxers, has been bathed in divine light, enjoying the protection and blessings of the gods for thousands of years.

Tie Huan passed the statue, went around to the colorful gravel road, and walked to the Qunying Palace. Yesterday, he heard from the monks that Madam Qin had finally been approved to enter the Heavenly Prison, and he felt bored and uneasy when he stayed in the Iron Fist Temple, so he thought about coming over to breathe.

When the guards of the Qunying Palace saw that it was a monk who came to visit Madam Qin, they immediately guessed: "It seems that you are the Iron Great Elder of the King Kong Temple?"

"Who am I, the adults can see at a glance, this gate is really a fly can't fly in, and it's safe to live in it. Tie Huan smiled.

"Don't say that, you are the Great Elder, and I am a nobody. This new year has just arrived, and it is also my blessing to be able to meet the Great Elder. Although the guard said this, his face was still a little proud, "Mrs. Qin should have gotten up at this time, so I'll report it for you." ”

Mu Rong has always been an early riser, and so are her children.

When Tie Huan arrived at the Golden Horse Palace, Mu Rong and Qin Shuo were already waiting outside the door, and both of them looked very happy when they saw Tie Huan, and hurriedly took him into the room.

Qin Shuo said: "I just told my mother that we only got the approval to enter the Heavenly Prison yesterday, and we met the Great Elder again early this morning, which can be regarded as a New Year's gift from my god, but my god is thinking about us." ”

"The Great Elder is a blessed person, and of course he will bring good luck. Mu Rong smiled.

"I heard from the monk yesterday about my wife's approval to enter the prison, and as soon as I woke up this morning, I wanted to come and see, the eldest princess has done a lot of things for the people of the Golden Castle, and the King Kong Temple has seen it. She has suffered so much, I am very disturbed in my heart, and I pray for her and my wife every day, you are all sincere believers, and my God knows. Tie Huan sat down, the freshly boiled tea was brewing on the table, the fireplace in the room was burning, steaming, he didn't feel cold all the way, but now he felt a little hot.

"Great Elder, the Day of Dragon Face, which is only once in a hundred years, has ended like this, can you tell me what is the reason for this?" Qin Shuo crossed his fingers with his hands and clenched them into fists, looking nervous and anxious.

"Just like the Dragon Whisperer said before, my god may not be in the Qingming God Realm. ”

"Under what circumstances will my god leave the Qingming God Realm?" asked Mu Rong.

"Maybe there's an unprecedented trouble, maybe it's just an accident. This is a question that only those who can enter the Qingming Divine Realm can say clearly. Now we'll just have to wait and see what the Dragon Whisperer senses next. ”

"I think this must be the punishment of our god for the usurper. Qin Shuo muttered quietly.

Mu Rong glanced at him dissatisfied, "What I told you, do you take it all in your ears?"

Qin Shuo pursed his lips and didn't speak.

"My god supports the Long family, and now the throne still belongs to the Long family, and my god did not send down the disaster of Long Yan, so it is likely that it is not like that. Nothing like this has ever happened in the Kingdom's thousand-year history, and it's hard to predict what will happen next. Tie Huan said worriedly, "We can only pray for our god day and night, and I hope things are not so terrible." ”

Then he changed the subject, "The eldest princess is now four months pregnant, which should be the most worrying thing. It's a boy in the belly, is there anything Madame can do to get her back to Golden Castle?"

"Dailan's situation looks pretty good. But to send her home, the help of the Great Elder may be needed. ”

"Madame, please. ”

"The only person who can bring Dailan home now, I think it's only her aunt Long Nianen. You know, we've been there many times before, and we haven't been able to convince her, and even if something like this happens now, she may not come out, and I can only pin my hope on you. ”

Tie Huan nodded, "This is also the best way I can think of." But now it is difficult for me to go back to Jinbao, Your Majesty has already sent someone to Yuanjing to recruit the Great Elder Tongming, and it should be there tomorrow, and then the matter of the unification of the teachings of the three major monasteries will be discussed. I can't leave until that's over. When I get back to the temple, I'll have a good talk with her. Long Nianen has always been a person who cares about the fate of the kingdom, even if she is closed, I know this very well. ”

"Thank you, Great Elder, this is the best news I have heard since I came to the royal capital. ”

Tie Huan's expression became serious, "My god has made it clear that the diligent one has one gold, and the lazy one has silver." Everyone deserves the results he deserves, and the eldest princess is just like Long Nianen back then, after marrying into the Golden Castle, she is sympathetic to the poor and takes care of the weak, and she should not suffer such a punishment. I may not be able to change this mistake, but if I watch this mistake happen and don't try to correct it, then I have made another mistake. ”

The diligent one gold, the lazy one silver, this is an allusion to the worship of the dragon. According to the ancient legend of the north, the spirit dragon gave his people a very special flower, which was fragrant when it bloomed, and showed seven different colors, which was unusually gorgeous, so it was called "seven-colored flower". This flower is regarded as a treasure that can bring luck and good luck, and it is very popular in the market, but it grows in a very harsh environment, is very sensitive to moisture and temperature, and is not easy to raise, and it needs to be carefully cared for by cultivators until it blooms. Linglong asked two poor farmers to plant seven-colored flowers, the hard-working farmer often got up at night to take care of his flower bed, and finally the cultivated flowers were in good condition, put them on the market, and a pot of flowers could be sold for a golden circle, while the lazy one farmer was unwilling to get up in the middle of the night, and finally got a very poor condition, the seven colors became four or five colors, a pot of flowers was not very valuable, and sold very slowly, and the last pot of flowers was bought by a poor couple for only one silver baht. So the industrious farmer made a lot of money because of his hard work, and later opened a shop and became a rich man, but the lazy farmer did not change his laziness, and in the end he lived a poor life all the time. Linglong used this to warn his people that people would get the results they deserved for what they did.

"Dai Lan is indeed a good girl, as kind as the previous king, it is our luck that the Qin family can marry such a daughter-in-law. Mu Rong looked at Qin Shuo, "You should pray to my god every day, and you can also bring back such a good wife for the Qin family in the future." ”

Hearing this, Qin Shuo's expression became a little unnatural, so he asked, "Great Elder, the Great Elders of the Three Great Sect Temples have gathered together, how many years has nothing like this happened?"

Tie Huan said: "There are seven hundred and forty-three years. ”

Qin Shuo stuck out his tongue and made an exaggerated expression. Tie Huan said: "This reunion is also what I have been looking forward to. The internal problems of my sect have existed for many years, and if we continue like this, our god will only get weaker and weaker. It's time to settle it all. ”

Mu Rong got up and went to the fireplace, the wood in the furnace was burned to red charcoal, and there was a pile of camphor wood neatly stacked on the side, she took a few pieces and put them in the stove, and the wood hit the charcoal fire and made a crackling sound. She turned around and pointed to the chair, Qin Shuo moved over, and she sat in front of the stove.

"Mom suddenly felt very cold, son, go to my room and get my coat. ”

"Don't get cold. Qin Shuo grimaced at Tie Huan, and then pushed the door and went out.

Mu Rong continued to fiddle with the charcoal fire, making it burn more vigorously. "I've been in the royal capital for a few days, and it's much warmer than here. ”

There was something in this, and Tie Huan listened quietly. In winter, the temperature of the Golden Castle is actually lower than that of the dragon.

"When Dai Lan insisted on returning to the royal capital, I had a bad premonition. Sure enough, the first king died in a few days, and the kingdom has undergone a lot of changes overnight, and the current climate of the royal capital is no longer something that we northerners can adapt to. She looked at Tie Huan with an apologetic look on her face, "I don't want you to come here just to listen to my nagging, but I can only say these things to you now." ”

Tie Huan nodded, indicating that she should continue.

"I am not as ambitious as my husband and want to achieve great things, as many people think, I just want my family and the people of Jinju to live happily and peacefully. You know, now that the Northern Alliance has existed in name only, when the war on the front line is over, I will ask my husband to come to the royal capital to show absolute loyalty to His Majesty, and I can propose marriage to His Majesty for my son according to tradition, and bring back another princess to the Golden Castle, and in a few years, the third princess will reach the age of marriage, and my son can wait. If we do, there is no reason for Your Majesty to refuse to release Dailan and her children. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that Dailan has been sentenced to life in prison and that her baby will be raised by Princess Lu after she is born. ”

He sighed.

The fire burned even brighter, and her tone became very sad, "To Dailan, Her Majesty is her enemy, and I intend to sue for peace with her enemy. I would have hurt her by doing so. But I didn't have a choice, she was a good boy and I believe she would understand and forgive me in the end. ”

"My husband would have a hard time accepting my requests, he would get angry with me and accuse me. Therefore I need you, for the sake of my family, for the sake of the whole North, and for the sake of the whole kingdom, to persuade my husband to agree to my suggestion, and that he will respect you very much and will seriously consider your opinion. I don't want a civil war to break out between the boxers, and I don't want to see innocent people suffer in such an unnecessary war. She turned her face to look at Tie Huan, her tone full of pleading. "I originally planned to ask Qin Shuo to invite you over, but my arrival surprised and surprised me. Am I asking too much of you, and if so, I hope you will forgive me. ”

"It's a commendable concession. Madame, you are a wise and noble man, a true believer in our God. I agree with you. He stood up and bowed respectfully to Mu Rong. "My god will never be happy in the infighting between the boxers, it is against the way of peace. Now it is a dilemma, if no one on either side of the stalemate is willing to back down, then both sides will be hurt, and in the end, it will be the people of the kingdom who will be hurt the most. ”

The sound of Qin Shuo's striding outside the door came, and Tie Huan ended this short exchange: "I will leave for the Golden Castle as soon as possible after the arrival of the Great Elder Tongming." Hopefully, all the fighting will end soon and everything will return to normal. ”

After coming to the royal capital from Jinbao, Tie Huan sensed his true mission for the first time.