The four of them walked briskly eastward for three or five miles, and when they came across a clear spring flowing into the stream, they immediately felt very dry and thirsty. The Venerable Master stopped happily, took off the empty wine gourd from his waist and handed it to Liu Qing to fetch water, and sat down in the shade of a tree.

After a while, Liu Qing called the spring water, and the wise master took a few sips, quenched his thirst, and handed it to Zuo Tuming, who was sitting aside, and in order to break the silence, asked, "Zuo Tuming, you have been in the rivers and lakes for so many years, but have you figured out what the rivers and lakes are?" ”

Zuo Tuming took the wine jug, quenched his thirst, handed it to Dugu You, and replied softly: "Old Li, forgive the younger generation for being shallow, I really don't know what the rivers and lakes are. I only know that walking the rivers and lakes, many people talk about fighting and killing, many people talk about chivalrous tenderness, many people talk about fairness and fairness, and many people talk about intrigue and tricks. Many times, when dealing with people, there are not many good and bad ways, and they can't figure out what is right and wrong, and they are obviously living for themselves, but they always feel that they are living for others, and they are groggy. When I was young, I mistakenly thought that happiness and revenge were a great joy in life, but now that I am older, I know how bitter and tired I am, and I don't know why these come from and where to go. ”

The wise Venerable Master smiled slightly, looked at Dugu You, saw that he had drunk a lot of water, and asked, "Dugu You, what about you?" ”

Dugu You smiled lightly and replied: "Old Li, the rivers and lakes in my eyes are just a kind of order hidden in the streets, alleys, mountains and villages, which is different from the official. The people who walk in the meantime, if they want to grow big from a small age and become strong from weak, they have to be advantageous and profitable. If you want the strong to be respected and the pine and cypress to be immortal, you have to rely on the power to suppress people, use the power to cut people, speak good words and deeds in the open, and trick and sneak in secret; If you want to lose fame and fortune and retire successfully, you have to be powerful and difficult to use, unreasonable and chaotic, kill in the open, and kneel in the dark; Once the ambition of chasing fame and fortune is put into practice, no matter whether it is successful or not, few people can start and finish well. ”

The wise Venerable Master smiled warmly and said, "It seems that your eldest brother Liu Zhanxiong's life, you two can be regarded as having a thorough understanding. ”

Zuo Tuming said sadly: "I think my eldest brother Liu Zhanxiong, who came from an unknown background, struggled all the way, and was finally respected by the martial arts people in the rivers and lakes as a thief. Who would have thought that he would suddenly lose his wealth and disappear. ”

The wise Venerable Master said, "There is nothing unexpected about this. It is better to use the Buddha's heart as my heart and resolve my sins in life than to cover up the evil with evil, to cover up and be entangled. ”

Dugu You asked: "Lao Li, do you know about my eldest brother's escape into the empty door?" ”

The Wise Master sighed and said, "That ruined temple, which I had not been introduced, would have dared to take in the famous thieves. ”

Zuo Tuming said angrily: "Lao Li, what is wrong with it, why do you want to instigate him to become a monk?" I thought to myself, if it weren't for a monk who was compassionate and brave enough to transform the world, how could he die in vain under the cold palm of his brother and let himself bear the name of killing his brother.

The wise Venerable Master said, "What is not good! What can he Liu Zhanxiong do? Throughout the world of the Great Song Dynasty, although there are many industries, it is difficult to escape the words "Shinong Industry and Commerce". He Liu Zhanxiong came from the poor people, learned a martial arts, took stealing and Taoism as a profession, and couldn't get along with those profiteers and corrupt officials, and the road of 'Shinong Industry and Commerce' can be said to have come to an end. In order to get rid of suffering and clean up their sins and karma, they can't even go through the road of being a Taoist monk and cultivating immortals. ”

Dugu said: "You have said it, my eldest brother only can't get along with those profiteers and corrupt officials, where does the crime come from?" ”

The Venerable Master sneered, "Where did the sinful karma come from? Dugu right, don't forget, thieves also have a way to steal. If even stealing is not evil, then the world will steal, how easy and comfortable it is to live like that, why bother to engage in production in a discreet manner, and spend a busy and laborious life. ”

Zuo Tuming thought to himself that his eldest brother had always been proud of being a thief and a thief, and suddenly had the idea of retiring, there must be something that made him haunted and couldn't let go, and it was difficult to think about it, so he had the idea of seeking relief. Chao Zhizhi asked the Venerable Master, "Old Li, do you know that my eldest brother's temperament changed dramatically in an instant, and why he couldn't think about it?" ”

The Venerable Master said, "More than 20 years ago, we met on the edge of Weishui. He said that he had a tribulation in his heart, and asked me to recommend him a good place to go, which would not only allow him to live the rest of his life, but also help him wash away his sinful karma. I asked him what he couldn't think about, and he said that a few days ago he saved a kind and beautiful woman, and that woman was willing to repay his great kindness and become his wife. On the wedding night, he asked about his wife's past, but found that all the hardships his wife had experienced were due to him, but he had become his wife's benefactor, which was really ridiculous. ”

Although Zuo Tuming and Dugu Right knew that the eldest brother Liu Zhanxiong had run away after the wedding, they didn't know why, and when they heard this, they were also in the clouds.

Duguyou asked, "What the hell is going on?" ”

The Venerable Master said, "There is a local official who asked his subordinates to take the pearls he had scavenged from the people to show favor to the officials in the capital, in order to find a way to enter the capital and serve the officials. Unexpectedly, the news leaked, and when your eldest brother learned about it, he went to steal the pearl, causing the local official to wake up from a bad night's sleep. ”

Zuo Tuming said: "Why does this matter have anything to do with my sister-in-law? ”

The wise Venerable Master said: "The woman Liu Zhanxiong married is the daughter of the yacha who escorted the pearl into Beijing, do you say it matters?" ”

Liu Qing answered on the side: "Master, you mean that Liu Daxia stole the pearl, and the yacha knew that the matter was serious, and the crime could not be escaped, so in order not to be framed by the corrupt official, he dragged his family and fled with his mouth, and since then he has been in the rivers and lakes." And because of the beauty of his daughter, he was remembered by the wicked, and he brought calamity, so that his family was ruined. ”

The Wise Master sighed, "Alas! Liu Zhanxiong stole the pearl and sold it to help the poor, it seems that he is robbing the rich and helping the poor, a great act of benevolence and righteousness, who knows that he is taking the suffering of the Yacha family to nourish his own kindness and good deeds. On the wedding night, he learned that he was the creator of all his wife's suffering, and then he completely realized that the fire at the city gate could affect the pond fish, and he began to regret what he had done in the past. In order not to let the woman know that her tragic life was all due to the heroes and heroes she admired, and chose to commit suicide, Liu Zhanxiong chose to leave quietly, and asked someone to send a letter to the family saying that she was dead, so as to end the matter. ”

Zuo Tuming said angrily: "But my sister-in-law is still living alone, don't you think you shouldn't do this?" ”

Only then did Dugu right understand that the second brother Zuo Tuming, who has always valued love and righteousness, dared to commit a crime, and slapped the eldest brother, which turned out to be to claim compensation for the sister-in-law's lonely life for more than 20 years. It seems that the second brother's palm used a few percent of the internal force, except for the eldest brother who withstood that palm, even the second brother himself may not know.

The Venerable Master of Wisdom sighed, "But at least because she was kept in the dark, she was still in love with a sea of flowers, and she lived in her own free will." ”

Worldly people do everything to live. Since that woman is still alive, as for how to live is her own choice, others can only choose to respect, not to talk too much, let alone forcibly change her, as long as she lives voluntarily.

Liu Qing re-called a pot of spring water and handed it to the wise master, but the wise master did not answer, handed it to Zuo Tuming, left Tuming did not answer, handed it to Dugu right, and Dugu right did not answer. I had just drunk it, so I didn't need to drink it anymore, so I hung it around my waist.

The Venerable Master got up and said, "Let's go, there should be a lot of people waiting for us to meet." ”

Liu Qing followed in the footsteps of the Venerable Master and asked, "Master, who wants to see us?" ”

The Venerable Master replied softly, "As the great protectors of the Dragon Slayer Society, they have betrayed the Dragon Slayer Society, and if the Dragon Slayer dared to ignore their betrayal, the Dragon Slayer Society would have been disbanded long ago, and it would have survived to this day." ”

Liu Qing said: "But Master, the dragon slayer is hundreds of miles away, how can he know about it so quickly. ”

The wise Venerable Master replied, "The Great Dharma Protector betrays the Dragon Slayer Society, as long as the members of the Dragon Slayer Society know about it, and there is no need for the Dragon Slayer to give orders. ”

Liu Qing asked, "Why?" Master. ”

The Wise Master replied, "Killing the Great Protector of the Rebellion is a great achievement for the Dragon Slayer Society. In the future, in the Dragon Slaying Club, you will definitely want the wind to get the wind, and you will get the rain if you want the rain, and you will become an indispensable figure in the Dragon Slaying Club. ”

Liu Qing turned his head and asked Zuo Tuming and Dugu You, who were walking behind, "Two heroes, is this what my master said?" ”

Zuo Tuming nodded slightly and said, "Old Li, how do you know?" ”

The Venerable Master smiled and replied, "Isn't that how you two got to power back then!" Frame them, eliminate them, and promote them to higher positions. ”

Dugu said: "Lao Li, you can't talk nonsense." ”

The wise Venerable Master replied with a smile, "Duguyou, if I talk nonsense, how can you two have a chance to follow me?" ”

Zuo Tuming said: "Elder Li, it is said that such a secret thing does not even know about dragon slaying, how do you know?" ”

The wise Master replied, "If you don't want anyone to know, you can't do it unless you do." The brothers Ximen Qing and Gui Haiming, as the two envoys on the left and right, are above your two brothers, and they are afraid that they will repeat the mistakes of others, so they want to find out the cause of death of those two Dharma protectors, and let them find out the good deeds you have done. ”

Zuo Tuming was puzzled and asked, "Since his brothers know about this, why didn't they tell the dragon slayer?" ”

The wise Venerable Master smiled and said, "You two assassinated those two Dharma Protectors, although they were for the sake of their superiors, but they also had a real grudge against those two people. Brother Ximen Qing and Gui Haiming asked themselves if they had nothing to do with the two of you, and they knew that the martial arts of your two brothers could not win against his brothers, as long as they didn't give you a chance to sneak attack, your brothers would have the heart and power. Besides, his brothers joined the Dragon Slayer Society, just to find out that the masked man who secretly attacked his senior brother's cultivation of Xinwu can't hinder the future of the two of you, and he asks himself if there is no need to expose the two of you, and it is good to be safe. ”

Zuo Tuming and Dugu asked themselves that they had never thought of assassinating Ximen Qing and Gui Haiming brothers for the sake of their superiors, and it was good to be safe.

The sun in the sky is slowly leaning towards the western mountains, orange and red.

The four of them said that, and strode towards the east, hoping for a good dinner and a comfortable night's sleep.