Exactly thirty-five years ago, the Roland Empire had nine hundred and twenty-five chūn.

Perhaps many people have long forgotten what happened on Chūn Day this year. In most people's minds, the only thing worth remembering about the chūn day of the year more than 30 years ago seems to be that the chūn day of the year seems to come extraordinarily late.

The early cold of the first chūn swept across the central part of the continent, and in order to prevent the soldiers from being frozen during the chūn season cāo exercise, the military command made a special batch of thick military uniforms, and after busy work, they were finally sent to the various armies before the chūn season cāo performance.

However, this year is not as simple as that. For the people of dìdū, there were many, many things that later affected the entire continent on the day of the year.

It was on Chūn that day that His Majesty the Emperor, Augustine VI, officially established his only son, the Grand Prince Arvin, as crown prince. And on this chūn day, the patriarch of the Rollin family died of illness, and the Rollin family, Raymond, inherited the title of earl, became the new Count of Rollin, and inherited the fertile land of the Lorraine Plains.

Among the young nobles of the empire, this twenty-year-old Raymond is undoubtedly a rising star. His talent, his outstanding martial arts, and his genius in military affairs have convinced all those who are optimistic about him that the Luo Lin family, a martial arts family, has produced another outstanding patriarch.

At this time, the best friend of the young Count Raymond was the eldest prince Yawen, who had just been established as the crown prince. One is a young and promising future imperial general, and the other is a future emperor, and the two have a good personal relationship, so that everyone is optimistic about the future of the Rollin family...... It is clearly a herald of the future generation of Ming Jun and good generals. And at this time, who would have thought that one day in the future, this great prince, who was considered to be the future emperor, would be defeated and killed? And this patriarch of the Luo Lin family, who had an unlimited future, would fall into disrepute and lose his official position?

At this time, they are young, hopeful, and chūn triumphant.

Also in his golden years, there is also the patriarch of the Liszt family. It was a famously beautiful man who was erudite and intelligent, and within a year of his arrival in dìdū, he conquered the entire aristocratic circle of dìdū with his personal charm. From music, flowers, art, astronomy, divination, history, dance...... It was as if there was nothing that this Mr. Liszt would not have, and his handsome face and intoxicating smile like a sun god had made countless aristocratic girls and noble ladies fall in love with him.

Even His Majesty the Emperor, Augustine VI, bestowed upon this Mr. Liszt a knighthood. Although the knighthood was a low-ranking title that was not hereditary, the fiefdom of His Majesty the Emperor made Mr. Liszt twice as valuable in the dìdū.

At the same time, this Mr. Liszt also has a net worth of hundreds of millions. As a well-known wealthy family in the mainland, his background is enviable: young and rich, talented, making him the lover of countless girls.

What is even more memorable is that on the Chūn day of this year, the blue ocean scholar of Dìdū finally soared into the sky!

In everyone's memory, about a few years ago, a middle-aged man named Blue Sea came to Dìdū, and no one knew where this old guy came from. He has always been dressed in a plain cotton robe, his long hair is scattered so casually, he chooses to live in the south of the city, where civilians are focused, and on the long street where he lives, everyone, every day, sees this Mr. Lan Hai walking on the street with a smile.

No matter who you are, even if you are just a bakery owner or a chauffeur, whenever you greet him, he will smile and nod at you.

In the eyes of these civilians, this Mr. Blue Ocean is knowledgeable! Because since he came here, he has solved many difficult problems for everyone many times.

If you are sick and can't afford to see a doctor, then you can ask Mr. Blue Ocean for help, and he will find you some herbs that even professional doctors can't understand, and you will be able to heal your injuries in no time.

At first, people thought that this Mr. Blue Ocean was a doctor.

Later, when the owner of a poorly run grocery store next door decided to sell his property and return to his hometown, but the accounts accumulated over the years were not clear, Mr. Lan Hai only calculated for him in one afternoon, and all the accounts for six years were settled.

At this time, people thought that this Mr. Blue Ocean was a Mr. Sè bookkeeper.

Later, a merchant in the leather goods business spread all the leather goods in the yard and exposed them to the sun, but Mr. Lan Hai ran to tell him that it would rain in the coming month, and persuaded him to transport all the goods that were afraid of cháo wetting out of the dìdū. It was the hottest season of the year, and no one listened to the advice of Mr. Blue Ocean.

As a result, as the blue sea gentleman said, two days later, the torrential rain poured down, and the heavy rain for a month caused the Lancang Canal to be executed many times, and the leather merchant suffered heavy losses as a result.

After that, everyone thought that this Mr. Blue Ocean was probably a soothsayer.

Subsequently, a tailor sought help from Mr. Lan Hai in order to make a new robe for a nobleman, but because he accidentally lost the fabric that the nobleman gave him. But Mr. Lan Hai only tore down a curtain at random, and made a new robe out of that curtain in one afternoon—and no one who saw the robe did not praise the beauty of the dress.

At this time, people began to be amazed...... What else is there that this Mr. Blue Ocean can't do?

His fame began to spread.

A man who works as a florist in a nobleman's house accidentally causes the nobleman's favorite pots of flowers to die, and asks Mr. Blue Ocean for help. And after Mr. Lan Hai taught him a few ways, those pots of dead flowers and plants could be miraculously resurrected.

A merchant who trafficked in livestock was deceived by his rival and bought a thousand inferior horses for a large price, and when he was faced with a loss, he turned to Mr. Blue Ocean for help. As a result, Mr. Blue Sea accompanied him to look at the horses, picked out two pregnant mares, and then gave the merchant some advice.

And two years later, the two pregnant mares were trained to be good horses, and the merchant recouped all his capital with the money from the sale of the two horses.

The most amazing thing is that one night, a thief broke into Mr. Blue Ocean's house...... I don't know what happened, but after dawn, the thief had changed into a servant's outfit and stayed with Mr. Blue Ocean and became his loyal servant.

The fame of the blue ocean began to spread in the dìdū. Some of the surrounding civilians began to ask Mr. Lan Hai to educate their children.

Three years after Mr. Lan Hai arrived at Dìdū, he had become a well-known scholar. Although he lived in a civilian area, ate ordinary bread, did not ride in a carriage, lived in a simple small courtyard, and would greet even a groom politely.

However, everyone respected this gentleman. Of course, some Dìdū scholars don't think so, they see the existence of the Blue Ocean as an invasion of their identity.

As a scholar, how can he mingle in a dirty civilian area? I heard that blue ocean, sometimes I don't even wear shoes when I go out...... This is simply rude!

So people began to come to the door to find the ballast and challenge this Mr. Blue Ocean in the name of discussing knowledge...... But without exception, every scholar who comes to the door to find trouble will end up leaving with a shameful face. And Blue Ocean still carries a chair every day and sits under the locust tree in the yard to bask in the sun.

His fame began to spread to the ears of some nobles. In the beginning, these aristocrats believed that Blue Ocean was nothing more than a traditional scholar...... It's like those "scholars" who need to please themselves, these nobles, who boast about patting horses around them, and help themselves vassal elegance.

As a result, Blue Ocean rejected almost all "invitations".

This move made him a "hillbilly who doesn't know how to lift" in the hearts of many nobles.

But on the contrary, it was the chūn day of the nine hundred and twenty-fifth years of the empire. In the triennial academic conference of local scholars, unexpectedly, this Mr. Blue Ocean, who is indifferent to fame and fortune, actually participated.

It was a gathering of almost all of the most famous scholars in dìdū, and it was the best opportunity for scholars to spread their fame and elevate their status. All the learned scholars of the empire will proclaim their doctrines and demonstrate their erudition at this congress. According to historical tradition, anyone who could perform sè at this triennial congress was often hired as a court scholar!

And this time, all the demeanor of the land was covered by the blue ocean.

In a large group of scholars dressed in fancy clothes, the blue sea in plain robes and bare feet is so different. Under the eyes of many mocking eyes, Lan Hai asked three questions to those famous scholars:

The first question: When a person is born as a baby, he will not be ashamed of being naked, but why is it that when he grows up, he wears thick clothes and feels ashamed of being naked?

The second question, he asked, is all that life is for wild animals: mating, fighting, hunting. And the same is true of human life: mating, fighting, hunting. So, what is the difference between man and beast?

The third, even more interesting, was that he invited one of Dìdū's most famous scholars at the time. Then he asked the scholar to hold a bouquet of blooming flowers in his hand, and he held a piece of cow dung in his hand, ignoring the astonished eyes of the crowd, and then he smiled and asked, "What do you think when you see me?" and what do I think when I see him?

This strange move shocked everyone.

At the conference, which gathered so many well-known scholars from almost the most famous places in the entire empire, no one could fully answer the three questions of the blue ocean.

After a heated discussion, Blue Ocean easily announced its answer:

The first question: He told everyone, "When you are wearing clothes now, it is not your body that is hidden, but the shame in your heart, and the baby is shameless." ”

The second question: the difference between man and beast, no one in the audience can answer accurately. The blue ocean easily tells everyone: the biggest difference is that we will "think" about this problem here, while the beast will not.

And the third question is even more interesting. With cow in his hand, he looked at the scholar with flowers in his hand across from him and asked him what he saw when he looked at himself. The university scholar said to Lan Hai in a mocking tone, "What I saw is cow". Lan Hai was not angry at all, but told the other party very elegantly, "What I saw was the flowers in your hand." ”

Just when the university scholar thought that Lan Hai was giving in to himself in disguise, Lan Hai's next sentence made him completely speechless.

"What you see in your eyes is cow, and that's because of the cow you're thinking about. I saw flowers in my eyes, and that's because I thought of flowers...... Sir, that's the difference between us before. ”

Blue Ocean used these three questions to cleverly give these hypocritical scholars the greatest irony. The first question satirizes the shame of these guys, and the second question satirizes their inability to think...... The third question satirizes their inner filth.

After saying all the words, Lan Hai left the scene with a smile.

Just after this day, the name of the blue sea was completely launched in dìdū, and he alone left hundreds of scholars speechless, and many people left dìdū in shame afterwards.

On the evening of the 925th year of the Empire, Lan Hai sat under the big locust tree, holding a cup of tea in his hand, and the thief servant who had been taken in by him stood quietly behind him.

And at this time, a ten-year-old boy stood outside the door of the small courtyard where Lan Hai lived, and had been standing for a full afternoon.

This young man is thin and tall, with a very delicate appearance, and the clothes on his body seem to be from a poor background. It's just that he stood there, but there was a different look in his eyes, as if with a kind of pride in his bones.

He waited from noon to the afternoon, and it was not until late in the evening when the door of the small courtyard where Lan Hai lived was opened, that he walked in.

"Mr. Blue Ocean. He stood at the door, his delicate face full of determination: "I have come to ask you to take me as an apprentice." ”

Lan Hai smiled, he didn't get up, he still sat there, with tea in his hand, he noticed that the young child's shoes on the ground were worn out, noticed the dust on the child's face, and noticed the child's thin body.

"You're from far away?"

“...... Northwest. The boy replied, "I have been walking for a month, all the way to dìdū, and three days ago I heard your name, and I feel that you can relieve the confusion in my heart." ”

"What do you want from me?" Blue Ocean became interested in the child.

Answer. The young man's voice was low: "Sir, I have heard others say that you are the most intelligent and knowledgeable person in the dìdū. I am from the north-west, my family lives in the province of Dessa, my great-great-grandfather was a nobleman, my grandfather was an officer, and my father became a blacksmith in the army. He told me that the army would protect us. But my sister died three years ago, and my house was visited by horse thieves disguised as aliens, who insulted her and cut off her head and hung it on the fence in the yard. My mother carried me and hid in the cellar, I listened to the robbers insulting my sister, heard my sister crying, but my mother covered my mouth and we didn't go out. After the robbers left, my mother wept for three days and three nights, and then she also fell ill and died, and my father was killed by a horse thief a year ago, and all he left me was a sword and five brass horns, and a phrase ...... 'live'. Dear sir, there are many people like me in the north-western province of Dessa. I don't know, is this fate ordained by a merciful god, and is it not possible to change the miserable fate of our land?"

The young man's voice was hoarse, and there seemed to be something in his eyes, which even Lan Hai couldn't bear to look at.

He saw a cloth bag behind the boy, which appeared to be the outline of a sword.

After a long time, Lan Hai sighed. He looked at the teenager with an apologetic face: "Child, I'm sorry, I can't answer your question." ”

A trace of deep disappointment flashed on the young man's childish but firm face, and he was about to turn around and leave, but Lan Hai suddenly stopped him: "Wait." ”

The boy stopped, Lan Hai had already stood up from the chair, walked to the boy's side, he looked into the boy's eyes, and said in a low voice: "There are some things that we can't think of answers...... But not everything has to have an answer in order to do it...... A lot of times, we do it first and then look at the results. We can do it first, and even if it fails, then at least we can know that it won't work – and that's a reward. If we just think about it and don't do it, then we may wait for you to think about it for the rest of your life, and nothing will come of it. ”

After a pause, he said slowly, "I can't tell you the answer, but I can help you try...... Kid, what do you want to learn?"

"Wu!" the young man replied firmly.

Lan Hai smiled: "Wu, you should know that I am a scholar. ”

The boy was silent, he seemed a little embarrassed and a little disappointed. However, Lan Hai stared at the young man carefully for a while, and then said softly, "You come with me." ”

As he spoke, Lan Hai seemed to be about to turn around and walk inside, but asked again: "I almost forgot...... What's your name?"

"Rodriguez. The boy replied, "You can also call me Rodney." ”

"Okay, Rodriguez. Lan Hai silently recited the name softly, and then he smiled: "You are the first disciple I accepted...... Moreover, I think if nothing else, he is also the only disciple who has studied martial arts under me. ”

；

Rodriguez followed the blue ocean into the house. There is also a door in the house and inside is a small room.

"This door is never locked. Lan Hai smiled: "However, I think you may also be the only one who has entered the land besides me." ”

This small room inside is not as cramped as it looks from the outside. Lan Hai is obviously a person who knows how to make full use of space, and what surprised Rodriguez even more was that there was actually a curtain hanging in the room, and on the curtain, those strange words and patterns were ...... Rodriguez actually recognized it.

"This is ......" The young man's face suddenly became very strange: "This is the text of those steppe barbarians?"

"Yes. Lan Hai stood in front of the young man and replied calmly.

"Why do you have such a thing here?"

"Because ......," Lan Hai smiled, "because I myself am one of the 'steppe barbarians' you said...... If you don't mind. Actually, I'm not from Roland Continent, I'm from the grassland, I'm a grassland person. ”

Rodriguez's face changed, and he couldn't help but take two steps back and look at the blue sea carefully.

Lan Hai's eyes are blue, and he can't see the slightest trace of the bloodline of the grassland aliens, and his elegant temperament is not the slightest bit of the prairie people's fierce touch.

"Think it's strange?" Lan Hai smiled: "Maybe in your heart, the so-called grassland people are all those fierce guys who run on horses, right?

Lan Hai said, and he gently lifted the cloth curtain, revealing a long box behind him.

"I came from the grasslands, but I wasn't the tribes and herders. At the northern end of that grassland is a large snow-capped mountain, the highest peak of that snow-capped mountain, and legend has it that if you stand on it, you can directly raise your hand and touch the sky. On the snow-capped mountains, it is a sacred place in the hearts of all grassland peoples, because that place is the cradle of all shamans. Every shaman on the grassland was born in the Great Snow Mountain...... And the people on the snowy mountains are not the same as the people on the grassland. Our physiognomy is very similar to that of the landers of the Roland Empire. Lan Hai said, with a smile on his face: "I was already on the snowy mountain when I was born, and it is not the wilderness you imagined. In fact...... On the Great Snow Mountain, there are relics of a civilization completely different from the Roland Continent, and we Great Snow Mountain people claim to be the remnants of the bloodline of that lost civilization. ”

Rodriguez was a little surprised: "You ......"

"No need for that expression. Lan Hai smiled faintly: "Since I left the Great Snow Mountain, I am no longer from there. Because I saw it a long time ago...... There was a bunch of madmen on that mountain...... Or rather, eleven crazy remnants of the race. I left the mountain and came here just because I didn't want to continue to go crazy with those people. ”

After speaking, Lan Hai gently opened the box, and inside was a slender sword!

After opening the box, a cold air from inside the box immediately enveloped the entire room! The young Rodriguez was excited by the cold air, and couldn't help but tremble gently, and the cold light like the cold moon reflected on his young face, and a strange arc appeared on the blade, which seemed to be shrouded in a layer of transparent and crystalline ice edges, but it could be seen......

It's sharp!

"The name of this sword is 'Beauty Under the Moon'. Lan Hai sighed softly: "Although I don't think you are suitable for using this sword, but ...... I'll lend it to you for the time being. Because although this sword is powerful, when your martial arts reach a certain level in the future, it will become a shackle that restricts you. Because this sword does not belong to you, although it can give you a certain boost, but one day, you will find that you will not be able to exert its true power. At that time, it will become your bondage. ”

After a pause, Lan Hai asked, "Didn't your father leave a sword, you can put that sword in this box." When one day in the future, this beauty under the moon can no longer provide you with growth, but has become your shackles, you can come here and take out your father's relic sword, which you exist here. At that time, I will teach you how to cultivate a sword that truly belongs to you, a sword that can make your soul fit with the sword. ”

Rodriguez stared carefully at the beauty under the moon in the box, and although he was still young, he could still feel the magic and extraordinariness of this sword...... The young man's heart suddenly moved: "Sir, whose sword is it?"

"It's mine. Lan Hai seemed to smile: "But now, I can't use it anymore." ”

Rodriguez was a little surprised: "Sir...... Did you also use to be a warrior?"

A strange expression appeared on Lan Hai's face, he did not immediately answer Rodriguez's words, but stretched out his hand and gently stroked the sword blade of the beauty under the moon, his movements were gentle and delicate, and he sighed softly: "It's not anymore now." ”

Then he seemed to smile: "Anyone who leaves the snowy mountains must voluntarily give up something that belongs to them...... And I stayed in the snowy mountains, which is my 'martial spirit'. ”

The boy was a little dazed, these things that Lan Hai said, the young Rodriguez still can't understand. However, the young man's heart was xìng, and all his attention was focused on this "beauty under the moon".

It was so beautiful! Rodriguez had never seen such a beautiful sword! It was so beautiful that it seemed to hide all its dangers in it. The chill seems to be able to make people's souls fall into it deeply and involuntarily......

When the boy was in a daze, Lan Hai had already taken the sword out of the box, and Rodriguez hurriedly held it with both hands.

"Using this sword, I will teach you a martial art...... It's just that this kind of martial art is not so easy to learn. Especially in the beginning, your progress will be much, much slower than the average person's. But once you really cultivate, you will find that the power of this martial art is endless. You...... Would you like to?"

With the boy softly replied, "I do". Since then, on the mainland, there is finally one more strong man who will fight against him!

A "genius" who went from level 1 to level 3 and spent twenty-five years, and from level 3 to level 8, it took only five years for a "genius"!

；

Roland Empire 925 chūn.

On the day of Chūn that year, the Grand Prince of Arvin became the crown prince. All believed that he would be the future emperor.

Raymond Rollin became the Earl of the Rollin family of Xindi Drollin. The inauguration banquet of the Earl's Land was set up in the new Earl's Palace, and outside the hall of the guests of the Great Banquet, at the back door of the Earl's Palace, on top of a carriage, a young groom was dozing, he tightened his clothes, and muttered: "Damn the weather, it's still so cold at night...... Alas, isn't that butler amazing...... Hmph, I, Made, will be able to become a housekeeper one day......"

And on the same night, to everyone's astonishment, Mr. Liszt, the popular lover who was adored by countless maidens, unexpectedly married a beautiful girl from a poor background, and on this wedding night, Mr. Liszt smiled at his new wife: "My dear, if we have children in the future, I hope to be a beautiful daughter...... In honor of our love, I would like to name her after you...... Arashi Liszt. ”

At the same time, Augustine VI, the overjoyed emperor, had begun to turn his conquest to the northwest, and a huge map hung in his bedroom. And on the corner of the northwest land, a circle was heavily drawn......

When all these things that affected the history of the future continent happened on such the same night, a teenager named Rodriguez, in a hut in Lan Hai's house, picked up his swordsmanship and began his life's struggle.

"My child, since you are now my student, then I will tell you my real name. Lan Hai looked at this young disciple who was a little obsessed with the beauty under the moon: "You remember, my real name is 'Lan Haiyue'. ”

Rodriguez was stunned: "Lan Haiyue? ”

"It's not the weirdest. The Blue Sea Scholar smiled lightly, and then his face suddenly became serious: "I want to remind you of one more thing, this matter, I ask you to keep it firmly in mind in any situation!"

"What?"

"Remember a name, and you must swear to me that under no circumstances shall you go head-to-head with that man!for if there is a demon in this world, then he must be the closest one!"

"Yes, teacher, please speak. ”

"That person, he's my brother, my own brother. But I always thought that perhaps the gods must have sent his soul to the wrong place when they sent it to earth...... He shouldn't have been born in my home, he should have become a devil directly...... In fact, when I left the Great Snow Mountain, he had already been designated as the only candidate for the next Witch King!"

A strange look flashed in Lan Haiti's eyes, and then he smiled bitterly: "Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it's destined, his name happens to form a strange contrast with mine." ”

Speaking of this, the scholar sighed softly: "His name is ...... White River sorrow!"

With this soft sigh, Lan Hai gently reached out and dipped the teacup in his hand in water, and wrote a few words that Rodriguez didn't know at all, and the young Rodriguez looked at the words that looked like squares, and showed a surprised expression: "This is ......"

"This is the text on the Great Snow Mountain, which is different from the text of the Roland Empire. The name Bai Hechou is written like this. Perhaps, I am the only one in the empire who can recognize this kind of writing. ”

Although Lan Hai is erudite and talented, his last sentence was wrong after all.

Because, thirty-five years later, there was still a person on the mainland who recognized this kind of writing.

This person, of course, is ...... Dewey!