When Zen Master Guangming, Su Hanshan, and Lei Yuzhu set off from the county government, they rode all good horses from one in a thousand.

But seven days later, the horses were housed in another county town and began to walk on foot.

Within the territory of Great Chu, there are too many uninhabited places, some places are because the land is barren and cannot support people, and some places are because the nearby population is sparse, and there is no need to explore.

But more places, because of the fierce terrain, the sinister environment, ordinary people, etc., can not set foot at all.

For example, the Everglades stretches for thousands of miles, seemingly between large meadows, interspersed with some lakes and mud pools.

But in fact, those grasses have no way to bear the weight of people, and if you step on them, you will immediately be swallowed up in the mire.

Fortunately in winter, although the quagmire will not be frozen because of the geothermal surge, the temperature of the upper layer of the swamp will also be reduced a lot because of the cold wind, ice and snow, and it will not transpire too much miasma, and most of the many evil beasts in the swamp will also fall into hibernation.

If it is summer, it is even more terrifying, the poisonous miasma is full of the sky, and the large and small, endless poisonous insects multiply, like black clouds and sandstorms, cruising back and forth, and everywhere they pass, the grass and trees wither, the wild beasts are shriveled, and the fresh branches and leaves of blood will all be sucked up.

There is also the bottomless Grand Canyon, which crosses the road ahead, and at the bottom of the canyon, there is a dangerous existence that no one can say.

At the very least, you need a ladder master to find the narrowest place, step in the air, and cross the canyon in one go.

There are too many sinister places like these to mention, and if you have to ride around them all on horseback, you may not be able to get from Snow Ridge County to the northern border in half a year.

Therefore, most people who want to go to the Shenwei banquet can only abandon their horses, rely on their own martial arts, pass through these dangerous places, and wait until they reach a place close to the border city, and then buy horses and carts again, and buy a line.

Su Hanshan and the three of them didn't pay attention to any carriages and horses, so they didn't buy cars and horses anymore, and after approaching the border city area, they still walked.

The sun and the moon alternate, things change scenery, but the cold wind remains.

On this day, the three people who had climbed over the mountains and mountains climbed to the top of a large mountain again, passed through the dense jungle, and were about to descend from the other side of the mountain, when they suddenly stopped in unison.

The terrain of the mountain in front of you seems to be suddenly low and flat, which makes people feel suddenly enlightened when they look forward on this mountain.

Between the mountains, there are large roads, like the roots of trees, tracing from all directions, leading together to the majestic and simple city ahead.

The black-pressed city wall is like a giant beast sleeping and cultivating in the ice and snow, and the wall has the same height as the nearby hills, but the surrounding peaks, compared with the city, look extremely thin, like scattered and loose piles of rubble.

But in the city, there are many buildings, far higher than the city walls, so that people outside the city can see at a glance.

At the corners of the city wall, there are stone pillars that I don't know what they are used for, reaching into the sky, and the top of the stone pillars is swirling between the clouds and mist, and it is not clear how high it is.

"There, is the city where the Shenwei Mansion is located, the legend is that the earliest in the ancient three dynasties, the period of the great sage of Zhou Gong, has begun to build, and it is rumored that in his later years, Zhou Gong wanted to retreat here, so it is called the Holy Sleep City!"

When Zen Master Guangming saw such a magnificent city pass, he couldn't help but put his palms together.

"During the Five Dynasties in the Middle Ages, the Holy Sleep City was damaged because of the war, and the Northern Governor's Mansion set up by Emperor Qin was not in the Holy Sleep City, so it showed a declining atmosphere, until General Shenwei established a mansion here, so that this ancient city prospered again."

When he was talking about the ancient times, Lei Yuzhu squinted one eye, stretched out his finger, and compared several nearby mountains and the city in the distance.

"We're still thirty or forty miles away from that city, and we can already see it so clearly."

Lei Yuzhu sighed, "Even if it is the county governance of Xueling County, it is not comparable to this city at all, and the painting that my father went back to paint is really not enough to show one-ten-thousandth of its style." ”

Su Hanshan threw a sugar-soaked plum into his mouth, chewed it twice, and walked down the mountain first.

When the three of them really got close to the city, they realized the magnificence of this ancient city more and more.

The width of the walls is such that when one steps through the gates, one feels like entering a long tunnel.

They even hung lanterns inside the gates to illuminate the ordinary caravans, mules, horses, and camels.

In winter, many dangerous places like the Great Swamp in the north of Great Chu will become less vicious than in other seasons.

Thousands of caravans, all adhering to the idea of seeking wealth and danger, will take advantage of the detour between September and April of the following year to go to the northern border cities to sell goods and buy goods.

Then they will live in various border towns for half a year, and wait until the next winter, and then transport goods back to their hometowns.

It takes two years to complete a round trip, and of course, it is a staggering amount of income to make these people so busy.

Su Hanshan did not have a caravan guide issued by the county, and when they entered the city, they had to directly take out the invitation card for the Shenwei banquet.

The soldiers guarding the city gate were neither humble nor arrogant, and there was almost no difference in their attitude towards the ordinary caravan and the guests of the Shenwei banquet, except that after returning the invitation, they struck the bronze gong covered with gluttonous patterns.

Therefore, as soon as Su Hanshan and the others passed through the city gate and came to the city, a team of maids immediately came over, led by a woman wearing a golden hairpin, a flower on her eyebrows, and a purple Luo skirt.

In this weather, she was wearing a long dress, still ruddy, showing a lot of skills, and there seemed to be a faint fragrance lingering around her.

"Ling Qi, the steward of Shenwei Mansion, has seen three distinguished guests."

Ling Qi bowed and smiled before speaking, "Are the three of you here to participate in the Shenwei Banquet?" ”

Zen Master Guangming returned the salute: "Amitabha, the poor monk is just accompanied." ”

Ling Qi glanced back, and there were three maids, each with a tray.

"According to our local customs, distinguished guests come from afar, and after a tiring journey, they will be given a golden ticket first, and they will wash away the frost and cold."

Ling Qi smiled, "Although it's just a little gold, it's a good omen, please don't refuse." ”

"Although the master was not invited, since he came with the guests and was also a guest of our house, this white jade ring is worn, please ask the master to smile."

Among the three trays, there were indeed two golden tickets, a jade pendant, and in each tray, there was a token representing the private room of the restaurant, which was obviously a place for them to stay.

Su Hanshan and they didn't shirk it, and after thanking them, they each accepted it.

The golden ticket was the denomination representing one hundred taels of gold.

The prices of the Great Chu Dynasty were stable, and most of the people used copper coins on weekdays, and one copper coin was enough to buy a large bowl of hot noodle soup in the countryside.

Even in those bustling cities, the food at roadside stalls often costs only three or five copper coins.

The so-called 100 taels of gold, although it does not refer to pure gold, but refers to the gold ingots supervised by the government, but it is also worth a lot of money, and it can be exchanged for about 600,000 copper coins.

All the new ladder masters who are invited, as long as they are present, everyone can get such a generous gift first, and the strength of Shenwei Mansion can be seen.

"I'll have to wait here for the other guests, and the three of you can have a tour of the city first."

Ling Qi said with a smile, "Although our Holy Sleep City is not as good as the Imperial Capital, it can also be called prosperous, the local style, and there are many unique styles, I think it will not disappoint the three of you." ”

As she spoke, she led many maids and retreated.

"I have heard of the reputation of Qingyun Tower, and most of the guests of the Shenwei Banquet have always lived here."

Lei Yuzhu flipped over the token in his hand and said, "As long as we go there, we can see a lot of opponents who will meet at the Shenwei Banquet in advance, do you want to go and see it first?" ”

During the time that the three of them were together, they also got to know each other a lot.

In particular, the Songhe Martial Arts Pavilion and the Wind Thunder Martial Arts Pavilion have completely formed an alliance, and Su Hanshan and Lei Yuzhu already know that the other party has ambitions for the top three, so naturally there are many common topics.

"We're only two days early, and no matter what the others do, we'll see when the banquet starts two days later."

Su Hanshan raised his eyes and said, "I still want to walk around this city even more." ”

Lei Yuzhu chuckled: "Do you know why these golds are given when we first meet, instead of waiting until after the Shenwei Banquet is over?" ”

Su Hanshan: "Huh? ”

"After the banquet, we will give it back, and most of us will leave with it and take it back to our hometown."

Lei Yuzhu said leisurely, "And as soon as we met, when I wandered around the city, it was always easy to see what I was interested in, and when the time comes, most of this gold will still stay in Holy Sleep City." ”

Su Hanshan smiled and said, "Shenwei Mansion looks very atmospheric, do you still care about this kind of detail?" ”

"It's hard to say."

Zen Master Guangming said on the side, "Every year before and after the Shenwei Banquet, it also happens to be the time when the Holy Sleep City holds the Wanshang Festival, and in these two months, all the transactions completed in the city will be reduced by 30% of the taxes drawn by the General's Mansion. ”

"Don't say it's the gold they sent, many times, people from various counties who come to the banquet can't help but take out their own money and promote a few more businesses."

In addition to Xueling, Hanjiang, Nushuang and other counties that are extremely close to the northern border, the counties of the Northland also include Loufu, Lishi, Hedong, Daijun, Shangdang, Yunzhong, Dingxiang and so on.

Just the new ladder masters who meet the invitation criteria, generally speaking, there are fifty or sixty people.

And among these fifty or sixty people, seventy percent are from the county administrations of various counties, and the families and sects they come from will send many people to accompany them.

There are not only the older generations in the team, but also to protect the young talents, but also to let some junior disciples follow the past and open their eyes.

But since it has opened its eyes, many people can't help but buy it big.

In addition, there are many forces that have not received invitations, but also want to come over to join in the fun, or want to take this opportunity to win over those young ladder masters with thin backgrounds.

All in all, even a city as large as the Holy Sleep City, once every ten years, is obviously much more lively than usual at this time when the Divine Mighty Banquet is held.

Su Hanshan and the three of them wandered around the city, and they really saw some novel gadgets, but before they could really pay for it, they were attracted by something else.

That's a couple of silvery-white wolves!

Their fur was as shiny as silver satin, and they looked eight feet tall at the shoulders, and they landed on all fours, and when they bowed their heads, their noses were as high as their faces, and their bodies were about sixteen feet long, with their tails counting.

The big fluffy tail, even if an adult is hidden inside, outsiders probably can't see it.

But these six giant wolves were just used to pull a palace-like carriage, and slowly walked through the street, six black gold wheels of unknown material, crushing the ground and rumbling.

"That's someone from the Wolf Remnant King's Department."

"Being able to use six pure-blooded silver wolves to pull the cart, I'm afraid it's still the real royal family in the Wolf Yu Royal Department, is it also to witness this divine power banquet?"

"There is this possibility, a while ago, didn't the people from the two royal tribes of Laiqiu and Feiyi also come, this time the Shenwei banquet is really lively."

Su Hanshan heard that the people on the street were talking about it, but he didn't seem to be so panicked.

The northern border, although nominally speaking, was dedicated to resisting the invasion of the Northern Wilderness tribes.

But the Northern Wilderness is vast, and there are thousands of tribes, large and small, not all of them dare to be enemies of Great Chu, and even in the founding years of Great Chu, thousands of tribes in the north and hundreds of countries in the Western Regions are all obedient and pious.

In the past five hundred years, there have been hundreds of small and medium-sized tribes, which have been completely diluted by the border people, moved into the border city to live, and become part of the people of Dachu.

Although in the past hundred years, the eight largest royal tribes in the Northern Wilderness, including Yuanfu, Xiu Tu, Huan Poison, and Muye, have ceased to be vassals and have repeatedly attacked the border passes.

However, there are also Langyu, Laiqiu, Feiyi, and Qianqi, the four royal tribes, adhering to the tradition of opening the market, and have long had trade contacts with the border city, so they did not hesitate to assist the border city army and clamp down on the other four royal families.

It's a pity that a few years ago, when King Liang and the Heavenly Mandate Sect launched a rebellion, the high-level of the Qiqi tribe actually revealed their identities as members of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, contacted Yuanfu and other four major tribes, attacked the border pass, and echoed King Liang's rebellion.

Today, there are only three royal tribes left, and they still maintain friendly exchanges with the Shenwei Mansion.

"Whew!!"

Suddenly, the six silver-white giant wolves didn't know what they were stimulated, and their long hairs stood up and howled in the sky.

The onlookers were so frightened that they avoided it, and the silver wolf on the far left turned around and crashed into the restaurant next to it.

There were many ordinary people in the restaurant, Su Hanshan was shocked, and was about to make a move, when he saw a chopstick flying out of the restaurant.

While!!!

This chopstick, hitting one of the fangs of the silver-white giant wolf, made a strange sound like a gong and drum.

The bamboo chopsticks shoot backwards.

The whole giant wolf's body suddenly froze, as if it had become a sculpture, and it fell to the ground hard.

The other five giant wolves were fierce, grinning and leaping.

"Presumptuous!!"

A young figure flashed out of the palace-like carriage, a long whip in his hand flicked, and the tip of the whip exploded in the air, shocking the five giant wolves, and all their bodies were lowered.

This person looks only about twenty years old, with handsome facial features and cold eyes, but his complexion is brown and black, his thick long hair is decorated with many colorful pearls and jades, and he has five or six layers of clothing and accessories on his body.

"This king is the Wolf Yu Kingdom, Prince Darren, these silver wolves have always been obedient, I don't know why they are ferocious today, but fortunately, they didn't hurt the people of Shenwei Mansion."

With a hint of apology in his tone, he looked at the restaurant, "Everyone, if you are frightened, you can go to our Wolf Yu Post House to seek compensation. ”

As he spoke, he shook the whip in his hand, and the tip of the whip twitched at the stiff silver wolf.

The silver wolf was still stiff on all fours, motionless.

Prince Darren's eyes moved slightly, and he put away his long whip, rolled it in his hand, and looked at the restaurant.

Su Hanshan also saw the reason.

Although the chopsticks just now hit the silver wolf's fangs, after the force spread, it just rightly sealed the silver wolf's many acupoints on his body.

Prince Darren's whip wanted to unlock the acupoint, but after the force of his whip went down, the qi and blood on the silver wolf's body twisted by mistake, the original acupoint was unlocked, and a new acupoint was sealed.

That's obviously not a real coincidence, but the technique of people in the restaurant using bamboo chopsticks to hit the acupuncture points is extremely clever and ingenious, and the method that others may use to solve the acupoints has been budgeted.

Su Hanshan thought of his Seven Emotions Destroying God Style, and in terms of the effect of blocking qi and blood points, it was really not as clever as the technique used by the bamboo chopsticks to hit the acupoints.

Inside the restaurant, a young man in white clothes and black hair, with a rosary in his hand, walked out, and he was holding a chopstick in his hand.

"Amitabha, little monk Zhijie, I have seen all the donors!"

Unexpectedly, this young man seemed to be very shy, and with a light wave of bamboo chopsticks, after unraveling the silver wolf's acupoint, he hung his head and said, "This silver wolf donor is crazy, probably because of this string of prayer beads on the little monk's body, which almost affected the donors, and it is the little monk who should make amends." ”

Prince Darren looked at the rosary that seemed to be carved out of topaz, and suddenly said: "It is rumored that the silver wolf of our wolf remnant country has a natural enemy, which is the golden eagle of the Divine Cave of King Kong Cliff, if this golden eagle lives for fifty years, it can fade its claws and grow again. ”

"Your rosary is polished from the old claws of the golden eagle?"

The White Horse Temple on the King Kong Cliff is not inferior to the great sect of the Northland Counties and Counties.

The young monk with long hair fluttering said apologetically: "This rosary can deter a lot of poisonous insects and spirits, and it is quite convenient on weekdays, and the little monk did not expect that he would encounter a rare pure-blooded silver wolf here, and now the smell of the rosary has been sealed." ”

"Hahahaha, both of them are people with status, since nothing major happened, why do you have to stand on this long street?"

Not far away, in another restaurant, there was a man in a yellow shirt, standing by the window, gently shaking the folding fan, and said with a smile, "In the Xiaxueling Situ family, Situ Zhiyun is having a Danyuan meeting with a few family friends. ”

"Prince Darren, Zen Master Zhijie, why don't you come to me and sit down, everyone can talk freely, resolve this little misunderstanding, and make friendships.

Situ?

Su Hanshan looked at the boy in the yellow shirt.

When Situ stopped looking forward to it, he saw the Guangming Zen Master in the crowd, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

(End of chapter)