Gu Shengchao saw that the innkeeper took the initiative to talk, and asked, "The old man is polite, the younger generation is not very familiar with this place when he first arrives, but he is just curious about the continuous bandits outside the city, I don't know if it will affect your business?"

Seeing that Gu Shengchao took the initiative to lower his posture, the innkeeper was not so restrained, and shook his head and said, "It will definitely be affected, the road is not peaceful, and the business travel will naturally decrease, and there will not be so many people staying in the hotel. Fortunately, there is no war in the city, and it is much better than the chaos outside."

"Yes, the world is not peaceful, and the taxes paid by the court will be reduced, and the burden on the people will be heavy." Gu Shengchao said casually.

The shopkeeper waved his hand to object: "In the past, Hang County was considerate of the suffering of the people, and even if there were bandits, they never increased taxes, and we ordinary people lived and worked in peace and contentment. This is also the reason why he summoned soldiers and horses to suppress bandits, and the common people enthusiastically signed up to participate. It's a pity that the whole army was wiped out, and it has changed since then."

"Oh, how do you say that?" Gu Shengchao felt that the innkeeper had something to say.

He sighed and said, "When officials from other places come to the local area, they must live in my small shop, and the government has never owed a penny. This time we have been defeated, and we have not paid two taels of silver for two months in a row, and we can't afford to owe us this way."

"Two months?" Gu Shengchao was shocked, he remembered that the county guard Hang Yifan personally admitted that half of his ear was cut off by the bandits, and it took three months to recuperate.

Gu Shengchao asked, "When did the Hang County Guard gather his men and horses to set off?"

The innkeeper did not hesitate and said, "It is also two months, and it is only three days from departure to escape, and I keep accounts carefully every day, and these will not be wrong."

Gu Shengchao took out a piece of silver and put it on the table: "We can't live in vain, pay the old man some deposit first, and look at Haihan if there is any trouble."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up when he saw the silver on the table: "My lord, I'm afraid this is not appropriate!"

"Why is it not appropriate, it is natural to pay the silver for the hotel, and besides, to be able to undertake the errand of the government must have a lot to do with the Hangjun Shou, we are all officials, and he gives me almost the same, so don't be polite." Gu Shengchao told the truth.

The shopkeeper smiled embarrassedly: "The adult is wise, the niece of the villain is the county keeper's wife, and I brought her up because of the early death of her parents. The original wife of the county guard died of illness, and less than three years after she married her, she gave birth to a boy and a girl, and I trusted her to receive the favor of the government."

"In this way, I bothered the old man, and the younger generation said goodbye." Gu Shengchao couldn't sleep when he returned to the guest room, and he always felt that something was wrong.

As the sky dawned, Gu Shengchao heard a noise outside.

"Go, I've been staring at you for days, and I must go back with us today to finish the rest of the conscription." Several officials shouted loudly.

"Good old man, my son's legs and feet are not good, the crops in the field cannot be wasted, and I need someone to take care of him, so let him stay." An old woman pleaded.

"Old thing, don't be embarrassed." The officials were a little impatient.

"Please." The old woman seemed to cry.

"Get out!" One of the officials rebuked.

There was a "plop" and someone fell.

"Mother!" A man exclaimed.

Gu Shengchao walked out of the door and stood in the corridor on the third floor, just in time to see the street and alley opposite.

An old woman fell to the ground, and several servants dragged a man forward, who struggled or was taken away.

There were many onlookers, and no one dared to step forward to support and stop them.

The government arrested people, and Gu Shengchao, as an official of the imperial court, was not convenient to openly obstruct, so he had to go downstairs and come to the old woman.

The old woman sat up slowly, she must have fallen and was injured, and she couldn't stop moaning.

"Old man, why did they take your child?" Gu Shengchao leaned down and asked in a low voice.

"Are you?" The old woman saw that the ancient saint was surprising, and hesitated and didn't dare to speak lightly.

Gu Shengchao carefully helped her up, and said kindly, "Old man, I was just passing by here, how dare Lang Lang Qiankun arrest people casually?"

"Young man, hurry up, be careful to arrest you, your life will not be guaranteed." Seeing that the servant was far away, an elder next to him came to help.

"Why?" Gu Shengchao really didn't understand.

"Alas!" The elder sighed and said, "It's not that the bandit officers and soldiers have been defeated recently, and there will be no return to the peaceful and prosperous times of the past. At present, there are too many taxes, too many forced labor, and the rich people have to spend more money, and we poor people can only make a living. The crops in the field have just been planted and are not obvious, and they will be abandoned if no one takes care of them in a few days, and this year is a disaster year, but it is not a natural disaster or a man-made disaster!"

The elders were afraid that they would lose if they talked too much, and they quickly slipped away for fear of causing trouble.

Gu Shengchao helped the old woman back to his home, looking at the dilapidated hut on the four walls of the house, he felt bad in his heart, and left some scattered silver for the old woman.

"Was that the same here before? Aren't you afraid of the court's accountability?" Gu Shengchao was dissatisfied.

The old woman lay on the bed and said disappointedly, "This was not the case before, since the failure of the encirclement and suppression of the bandits, we have endless conscription every day, and we have never heard of all kinds of taxes, and if we continue like this, there will be no way to live."

Back at the inn, Lu Jin got up and called Gu Shengchao for washing water and put it aside.

"Miss Lu walks slowly." Gu Shengchao saw that Lu Jin was going out to go back to his guest room, and hurriedly stopped her.

"Brother Gu, what's the matter?" Lu Jin was curious.

Gu Shengchao groaned, "This place is weird, I want you to accompany me to go around Dragon Bay to find out what those bandits are from?"

"Okay, I've wanted to go out for a walk." After all, Lu Jin is young, and it is really depressing to be locked up at home.

The two of them had breakfast and walked out of the town, Gu Shengchao was worried that it would be inconvenient for horses to walk on the high roads around Longwan Mountain, and he was afraid of being attacked by fierce beasts if he was tied to the wilderness.

Rather than that, it would be safer to leave the horses at the inn.

As the two walked a distance, the cultivated fields on both sides began to become sparse, and the canals and faintly visible ridges by the barren grass showed that there was once lush farmland here, but it was barren for various reasons.

If you go further, you will be completely out of sight.

Looking back, the town also disappeared into the sky.

"Will Miss Lu be able to fight with the sword?" Gu Shengchao asked with a smile.

Lu Jin shook his head and said regretfully, "No one has taught me, I just saw others flying by."

Gu Shengchao encouraged her: "You have safely crossed the tribulation and reached the Mahayana realm, it stands to reason that it is not difficult to walk with the sword, so let's teach you."

"Really, then thank you Brother Gu." Lu Jin was ecstatic.

Gu Shengchao immediately taught Lu Jin the mantra and tricks of the sword.

One taught seriously, the other studied attentively, and after a while, Lu Jin mastered the basic essentials.

Gu Shengchao summoned his sword and stood on it: "You try it, it's easy to learn."

Lu Jin tried to throw out the scimitar and levitate a foot above the ground.

The Ancient Saint Chao Edgeworth hovered beside him freely, stretching out his hand to encourage her, "Don't be afraid, you can do it."

Lu Jin held Gu Shengchao's hand, stood bravely on the scimitar, silently recited the mantra, and slowly flew forward.

With Gu Shengchao's help, Lu Jin became bolder, and as he slowly rose up, she also flew up.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Gu Shengchao slowly let go of his hand, and Lu Jin stood alone on the scimitar and drove quickly forward.

Lu Jin was extremely excited, and inadvertently glanced down, the dizziness of fear of heights made her feel the world spinning, and she suddenly stood unsteadily and almost fell off the scimitar.

"Leave it alone, just keep your eyes on the front." Gu Shengchao reminded Lu Jin.

The scimitar carried Lu Jin to draw an arc in mid-air, and finally regained its stability.

"It's normal the first time, but I'll get used to it after a few more attempts." Gu Shengchao passed on his past experience.

It's better to see than to hear, and it's better to try to see than to see.

No matter how good the method is, it's better to do it yourself.

From the panic at the beginning to the calmness, from the fluctuation at the beginning to the stability of Mount Tai at the end, after a morning of flight, Lu Jin quickly mastered the essentials of the sword.

At noon, the two came to the mountain outside Huanlong Bay

Under.

(After reading it, remember to bookmark it for next time!)