Qi country.

Qi Wangfu.

Late at night.

Qi Yu came to a courtyard alone, surrounded by many soldiers, and the room in the courtyard was brightly lit and the candlelight was flickering.

He walked to a house, and the soldiers at the door saw him and saluted, "Lord." ”

Qi Yu stopped, looked at the tall door, and then turned his head to the soldier and said lightly: "Don't call me Lord Wang in the future, I'm just the head of the dart game." ”

"Yes. The soldier whispered to Qi Yu.

Qi Yu looked at the door in front of him expressionlessly, stood in place for a while, stepped forward, and knocked carefully.

"Come in. An old voice came from inside the room.

Qi Yu hesitated at the door for a moment, then pushed the door and entered.

Inside, dozens of flames on several candle shelves swayed like beans, but the whole room still felt a little dark. The floor was covered with heavy wooden planks, and the curtains around the room covered the windows tightly. The room is very empty, there is no big decoration, out of the candle shelf, there is only a small table, a few benches, a whole wall of shelves neatly stacked with many books, the rest of the wall is hung with calligraphy and paintings, there are landscapes, birds and beasts, there are also wild grass lines.

Qi Yu walked into the room lightly and looked at the calligraphy and paintings on the walls around him.

"Yu'er, how is it, have you taken a fancy to the master's painting?" Suddenly, an old man's voice sounded from inside the room. Qi Yu looked in the direction of the voice, and an old man was leaning back on the bench with his back to him.

Qi Yu didn't dare to slack off, clasped his fists at the old man, and said, "Master." ”

The old man stood up slowly, looking like a fairy wind bone. His gaze swept over the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall one by one, and he muttered: "Meng Baishi, Sun Jiuzhou, and Mr. Liu...... I have collected all the paintings of these famous masters, but unfortunately, the painting style is too vulgar, there is no strength, hanging on the wall, it is like wallpaper, I don't like it. ”

After that, he turned his head to look at Qi Yu and said, "I heard that in the Silk Yun Building of Chang'an City, there is a painting of the general of the Praetorian Guard of the Chu State, his name is Chen Chen, both civil and military, and the painting has a bloody taste of the battlefield, have you ever seen it?"

Qi Yu lowered his head and said, "Master, I haven't studied these things in detail, and I haven't paid attention to them. ”

"Really?" the old man smiled and said: "It's a pity, it's a thing of the Chu State, at most it can only be let fall into the hands of the common people, our palace is very sensitive to the things of the Chu State, and the local people have already started to auction the objects of the Chu State." What do I say, those adults in the court still have lingering fears about the Chu State. ”

Qi Yu listened to the old man's ridicule, and didn't dare to say anything, but said, "What the master said is true." ”

The old man began to pace up in the small room, and said with his hands behind his back: "Since ancient times, civil and military affairs have been the first, and martial arts have no second. General Chen was infinitely beautiful at that time, I don't know how many suitors wanted to worship him, how many rich ladies admired him, and in the end he was not killed by the Qin people at the gate of Chu City? Li Qiuhan rode through the Huya Pass and slaughtered tens of thousands of people, invincible and invincible, but he never wanted to be assassinated by the Yan people in the mansion. ”

He turned his head, looked into Qi Yu's eyes, and said, "In this world, the most extreme power and the most lofty status that people pursue are all flowers in the mirror and the moon in the water. I kept trying to fly high, but one day I couldn't fly, but I couldn't find where the land was, so I could only keep flying, and finally fell to my death. ”

Qi Yu raised his eyes, still lowered his head, and said, "Disciple remember the master's teachings. ”

After hearing this, the old man smiled kindly and said, "Why are you so obedient when you came to me today? ”

Qi Yu pondered, hesitated left and right for a while, and said, "Master, Qi An, I have already done what you ordered." ”

The old man smiled at him and said, "Good, good." ”

After saying that, he turned around again, paced up in the room with his hands behind his back, and said, "Over the years, after I retired from the position of prime minister, I didn't care much about the affairs of the court. However, when I saw the token that day, I couldn't help but want to mention you. Don't blame the master for the trouble, you have to know that once the emperor spreads the news of his serious illness to Chang'an, it will inevitably cause a shock in the court. You are just the head of the dart game, and you don't have the right to participate in politics, and Qi An is also targeted everywhere, and the position of the prince exists in name only. Think about it, the two of you, a prince and a prince, were so embarrassed by a group of ministers. If there is no emperor, I don't know how things will develop. Therefore, we have to take the initiative to attack, and the master is forced to let you do this thing of borrowing a knife to kill people. ”

"The master's words are serious, and the apprentice remembers the master's good intentions. Qi Yu said.

The old man turned his back to him, sighed heavily, and said, "The court must be careful, one nail at a time." The New Party has not yet received the news that the emperor is seriously ill, but it is certainly trying to find a way to deal with us. But remember, the opponent of you and me is not only the New Party, but most importantly, the Prince, understand?"

After hearing this, Qi Yu was silent for a while, and then said, "Remember." ”

The old man turned to look at him and said, "You should understand, you and Qi An are no longer brothers and sisters, if he wants to deal with you, you must also show your sword." ”

Qi Yu raised his head and said to the old man, "Master, what should I do next?"

The old man smiled, stroked his gray beard, and said, "Don't worry, come, play a game of chess with the master first, I won't lose to you again today." ”

Day 2.

The outskirts of Chang'an.

"Uhh

Chu Liusheng sat on the wet grass with a hideous expression, threw the ancient sword in his hand to his side, groaned, and gasped for breath.

It was the height of summer, in this desolate western region, and the sun was particularly hot. There was no cool place around, everything on the ground was exposed to the sun, baking naked. Chu Liusheng was already covered in sweat, and his hair was hot.

While panting, he turned his head and shouted to Lu Chuan, who was napping against a stone next to the stream: "Hey, old man, don't you want to work so hard, you can practice for two hours, and you don't have any rest at all." ”

Lu Chuan squinted lazily, stretched his legs comfortably, and said, "How many times have I told you, call the master outside." I don't know what to do. ”

Chu Liusheng said angrily: "Your apprentice can't even eat enough now, his pocket is clean, and he doesn't want to make money and let me practice swordsmanship, are you stimulated by anything?"

"If you are told to practice, you will practice, what so much nonsense. Lu Chuan said, "Don't eat if you don't practice the sword-piercing action today." ”

"Huh?" Chu Liusheng's face showed a desperate expression, and he said, "What kind of identity did you have before, and suddenly you know what swordsmanship you know inexplicably?"

A smile appeared on the corner of Lu Chuan's mouth. said: "You don't care about it." Just practice the basics I taught you. ”

Chu Liusheng got up from the ground, trotted to Lu Chuan's side, and said, "Then you should always tell me what the purpose of my sword practice is, right?"

Lu Chuan glanced at him lightly and said, "Don't you want to be some peerless hero?"

Chu Liusheng said to Lu Chuan: "I want to too, but how can I become a hero like me? ”

"Don't be presumptuous, lad. Lu Chuan said, "With me, the world's number one swordsman, to teach you, being a swordsman far beyond ordinary people is more than enough." ”

Chu Liusheng listened, sneered, and said: "Come on, it's just you, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be able to beat the hairy boy in school, and you would brag." ”

Lu Chuan raised his eyelids disdainfully and said, "Do you know the world's list?"

Chu Liusheng nodded and said, "I know, the villains in Chang'an City are all in the book, ranking the masters of the whole world, what are the swordsman lists, swordsman lists, gun king lists or something......"

Lu Chuan cocked his chin proudly, pointed at himself, and said, "The world's swordsman list, the top of the list." ”

Chu Liusheng sneered, looked at him, and said nothing.

"Good brother at the top of the list. Lu Chuan said with a smile.

"Don't blow it, the emperor of this Qi country is still my good brother. Chu Liusheng glanced at him, stood up and walked to the side.

Picking up the ancient sword on the ground, Chu Liusheng put on a posture and practiced in place.

Start, land, a sword through the clouds.

A very simple action, Chu Liusheng had already practiced and was sweating profusely.

"Feel the surging internal force with your heart, and spread the internal force throughout your body when you wear the sword. In the distance, Lu Chuan's shout came.

Chu Liusheng cursed in his heart and carefully controlled the sword in his hand.

There wasn't much feeling in his body, and he couldn't grasp the essentials, so he gritted his teeth and pierced the sword forward.

The leaves in front of them did not move, and there was no reaction.

Chu Liusheng then turned around and slammed the sword forward from behind. This time, he felt some strength in his arm as if it was surging weakly.

Putting away the sword, Chu Liusheng carefully felt the feeling, calmed down, gathered the strength of his whole body, and suddenly pierced the sword forward.

The branches were cut off by the sword and fell to the ground.

"It's almost hot. Lu Chuan leaned on the stone and looked at Chu Liusheng and shouted, "When you lower the center of gravity, don't collect the internal force, and if you collect it, you won't be able to release it." Be under control. ”

Chu Liusheng turned around and said to Lu Chuan: "Master, it's almost time to eat now." ”

"If you can't practice well, don't eat. Lu Chuan said lazily.

Lu Chuan gritted his teeth, glanced at him hatefully, and continued to wave the ancient sword on the grass.

"Don't be in a hurry, there is no shortcut to the basic skills, if you don't practice solidly, you won't be able to practice the later ones. Lu Chuan said, "I won't let you work now, I'll get the silver, if you want to eat, give me obedient sword practice." ”

Chu Liusheng waved his sword vigorously and asked, "Then what are you going to do when you let me practice swords?"

Lu Chuan said loudly: "On the first day of September next year, the Qin State will elect a swordsman with strong martial arts to be the protector of the King of Qin. I can choose from all of them. As long as you can pass the exam in the ring and pass five levels and kill six generals, you can become a guest secretary, and from then on you will be on the gold and silver mountains, the life of beautiful women in the arms, and the rich side. ”

After that, he raised his eyes and looked at Chu Liusheng, and said, "Or, do you want to stay in a poor place for the rest of your life, be a street gangster, live a life where you have eaten the last meal without the next meal, and be poor for the rest of your life?"

Chu Liusheng slammed his sword through a branch and said, "Old man, you think too much, at my level, you don't know, how can I live like that." ”

"People always have to fight for something. Lu Chuan said, "As long as you choose the direction and work hard for it without interruption, then you have already succeeded for most of it." ”

Chu Liusheng stopped what he was doing, turned his head to Lu Chuan and said, "Old man, you won't really let me go to Qin State, what kind of ring to be a guest in the ring, right?"

Lu Chuan smiled and said, "Yes, do you think the old man is joking with me? Someone has to do the position of Keqing, why can't it be you?"

"Come on. Chu Liusheng didn't have the slightest fighting spirit, and said listlessly, "I'd better figure out who I am first, and figure out what happened before the amnesia." ”

"Before you lost your memory, you were actually a swordsman from Dongwei, three feet tall, and I am your credit swordsman. Lu Chuan said with a wicked smile.

"You're only three feet three. Chu Liusheng said while making gestures like a cat, "I can see that you are poor and crazy, and you want to sell me to the Qin State to work hard for you to earn money to spend." ”