Luoshui is leisurely, such as a long dragon lying across the ancient city of Luoyang, winding and shuttling for hundreds of miles, the water potential is vast, the vast soup soup, the sails on both sides of the bank stand in a forest, the green willows are shady, the grass is bright, the long bridge is different like the dragon lying on the waves.

Qixia Village is on the bank of Luoshui, the village is not big, from the east to the west is only two miles away, because it is located at the foot of Qixia Mountain, so it is named Qixia Village.

Although it is not too far from Luoyang, it is inconvenient to travel and few outsiders come and go, so it is not as prosperous as the city, but at the same time it is quiet and peaceful.

This place is in the upper reaches of Luoshui, the water source here is mostly from the water flow on the surrounding mountain peaks, so the river surface is not very wide, but the water is rippling, it is still bottomless, there is a cold air gradually rising from the water surface at night, fluttering, looking at night, it is also a bit like the ghost in the underworld is erratic, it is terrifying.

Of course, this is mostly a lie made up by adults in order to prevent children from running around at night, there are naturally no ghosts and gods in this world, and the so-called ghosts and monsters are just false statements that people fabricate in their hearts to deceive others, or even to deceive themselves.

There is a ruined temple on the bank of Luoshui, which was built in some years, and now there is no one to worship for a long time, it has been dilapidated, only a few children often play and frolic nearby.

But they are all daytime people who dare to come here to play, if there is no shop in front of the village at night, and there is a story of the ghost of Luoshui, where are there children who dare to come here.

An old man with gray hair sat in front of the ruined temple, his hair, even his beard and eyebrows were gray, his long eyebrows covered his eyes, he was a little distracted and faced Luoshui, the sun was shining on his back, warm and warm.

He sat there motionless, not knowing whether he was watching a few children playing, or recalling the bits and pieces of his long life, and he seemed to be a little distracted.

A young boy of about seven or eight years old, sweating profusely, broke away from the crowd and came to the old man, and he took a few deep breaths before calming down.

With a childish voice, he asked the old man, "Old man, why are your eyebrows connected to your beard?"

The old man was stunned by his sudden question, and then smiled: "Because people call me grandpa, I'm probably too old." ”

The boy blinked his dark and bright eyes and said seriously: "Then I won't scream, can you be young?"

The old man stretched out his hand and gently stroked the boy's head and said, "Silly boy, how can you go and return as time passes?" Have you ever seen the water of Luochuan flow away and then flow back?"

The boy scratched his head, thought for a moment, and replied, "But I see that after the sunset has gone today, it will rise again early tomorrow morning, and it is not much different from today's sun."

He spoke like a little scholar.

The old man was slightly stunned, but he didn't expect a seven- or eight-year-old child to ask such a question.

He looked up at the sun in the distance, and then said to himself: "Everything in the world has its way of surplus and deficiency, and the changes of the sea are not overnight. ”

The old man naturally knew that the boy would not understand his own words, and he smiled with a smile like an old bell.

He asked casually, "What is your name, and how old are you this year?"

The boy replied, "My name is Luobei, I am eight years old this year, and my family lives in the east of the village!" He pointed to the distance, as if he could recognize his home at a glance.

The old man looked at the boy, and his eyes under his long eyebrows suddenly became a little more bright, as if there was something more in the long memory, so he said: "Xiao Luobei, you and I have a bit of fate, I came from a distant bull ride, and now it has been more than half a year here, if I spend another night peacefully, I will leave from now on."

Luobei talked with the old man for a few days, saw that the old man was particularly kind, and was moved, the old man came here for nearly half a year, and listened to him talk about many things that he had not seen and could not fully understand, and he also learned a lot of truths, and now when he heard that the old man was leaving, there was a lot of reluctance in his heart.

This old man has a lot of knowledge and is very patient in speaking, which is in stark contrast to Luobei's father, so he is very close to the old man.

"Why didn't Grandpa stay here, if you leave, Luobei will miss you very much!" said tears, and tears welled up in his eyes, turning around and not shedding.

The old man knew that the child's words were naturally sincere, so he stretched out his old hand and touched Luobei's soft face, and said: "Grandpa still has many wishes that have not been fulfilled, so he still has to go to some places and meet some people.

Luo Bei was even more moved when he heard it, he liked this old man from the bottom of his heart, because he always felt that this old man was different from other adults, and other adults were always perfunctory to children.

......

When Xiao Luobei came home, it was already a little late, and he looked a little flustered, because his father only promised to let him go out to play for half a day, and he needed to come back at ten o'clock in the evening, but he didn't expect that he would have slept drowsily beside the old man for a long time, otherwise he wouldn't have returned home so late.

You know, his father Luo Zhongqian is a notoriously strict person, there are few scholars in this small village, since the family moved here three years ago, his father Luo Zhongqian read poetry and books, and under the prayer of the village chief and many villagers, he became the only teacher.

Dressed in a long coat every day, with a ring ruler tightly clutched in his hand, even the naughtiest child would not dare to doze off or make other strange noises in his class.

As Luobei's father, Luo Zhongqian is naturally extremely strict with Luobei, of course, such a father has long been beyond the scope of his father in the eyes of children.

Every child likes to play with a partner of the same age, this is probably the so-called childhood, childhood is unscrupulous, but it is often destroyed by some external forces, so the childhood that should be colorful has a deeper color, and after a long time, this has become the reason why many children are reluctant to play with Xiao Luobei, because they feel that he is the messenger of the devil, and will say bad things in front of the devil, and then they will be reprimanded by the teacher in class.

Of course, this is all a child's idea, because whoever limits their childhood is their worst enemy, and perhaps after many years, you will realize more deeply how much a strict teacher can play a role in your enlightenment.

But today is different, a few children who are usually far away from him took the initiative to ask him out, which made him both moved and a little overwhelmed.

So with a trembling heart, he was not so much playing with everyone as he was playing with others, and it was only later that he realized that the children who asked him to play with him actually wanted to take out the test questions of the exam after the Mid-Autumn Festival from his mouth.

It has been a year since he taught knowledge, Luo Zhongqian wanted to see how this group of children were learning, although they may not be able to produce a top three talent, but thinking that they were talented in learning, it would not be a good thing if they were ruined by a few stupid and unlucky children, so teaching is teaching, or to see the results, so he deliberately said in the last class that he would give everyone a question after the festival.

So this festival is not good for everyone, when I think of the teacher's stern eyes, everyone feels that they can't eat for no reason, and they can't play well.

Luo Bei is different, although he is not fast in learning, but fortunately he is still diligent, after all, at home, every time he hears his father's footsteps, every pore on his body will immediately stand up, how can he not work hard.

However, today because he came back from going out to play very late, he didn't know what kind of punishment he would face, thinking of the punishment, Luo Bei suddenly had an indescribable pleasure in his heart, probably a kind of heroism before he died.

Yes, it is heroic, born as a hero, and died as a heroic, thinking of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu and Han, although he was defeated by Liu Bang in the end, he finally killed himself Wujiang, and he was also a hero.

Children naturally envy heroes and heroes, and the heroes in his eyes should dare to face the bleak life, he understands it this way.

But no matter how heroic the hero, before he becomes a hero, there will be some days when he is not as good as a bear, just like today's Luobei, although he has made up his mind to die, but the moment he really stepped into the house, he still felt a lot of cold sweat behind his back.

Before he stepped into the house, his father's cough was heard in the house, and Luo Bei knew that this was not a real cough, but a signal that his father already knew that he was back and was brewing emotions.

The waiting time is always the hardest, but when you really have to face it, you don't feel so scared, anyway, it's a big deal, so although Luo Bei hesitated for a while, he finally decided to accept his father's questioning.

Of course, although when you are young, you will have a feeling of seeing death as if you are going to die when you face a reproach from a strict father, but no father will really ask for "your life".

Now Luobei is holding this mentality.

Of the three rooms, only the largest one was still lit, and a half-lit candle dripping the table with candle ashes.

My father was sitting at the table with his eyes slightly closed, but his mother was not there, probably because his father had "serious things" and had already opened his mother early so as not to be disturbed.

Loving mothers have many defeated children, this is what his father Luo Zhongqian often said.

"Why did you come back so late?" the father's voice was serious, but he still didn't really open his eyes.

Luo Bei didn't dare to raise his head, the heroic feelings that he had finally accumulated were exhausted the moment he entered the door, and at this time, he was facing his father, a father who was more real than any emotion, he could only lower his head and look at his father's already very worn cloth shoes, as well as the corners of the washed and wrinkled gown.

"Why don't you speak?" was the second sentence his father asked, and although he was not yet visibly angry, Luo Bei could already hear the reproachful tone.

You still have to speak, if you don't open your mouth all the time, I'm afraid you will die even worse, Luo Bei thought secretly in his heart.

"Liu Suo and Zhang Qian, they asked me out...... Go out and ......" Luo Bei was so frightened that he couldn't even say a complete sentence.

"Hmph, what good thing can they do if they ask you out, it's just play, play, play......" When my father heard the names of these two people, he snorted from his nose, indicating that he was not angry.

"They're just trying to get exam questions from me......" Luo Bei said with a choked voice.

Father suddenly opened his eyes, although Luo Bei did not look up, he could already feel how hot his father's eyes were at this time.

"So, what about you?" asked the father.

"I ...... I told them about it......"

"But how do you know?" said my father, speaking quickly.

"I don't know, so I made up one at random and told them ......" The tears in Luo Bei's eyes were already rolling.

The father suddenly laughed, loud and loud.

"Luobei! you...... Do you think you're doing the right thing?"

Luo Bei suddenly raised his head and looked directly into his father's gaze, with tears in his eyes, but he couldn't help but let it fall.

"I ...... I just want them to keep playing with me, what's wrong with me......"

Luo Zhongqian gritted his teeth, this is the first time that his son dares to contradict himself like this, but he is obviously wrong, why dare to do this, where is this still the sensible teenager, where is the teenager who was educated by himself.

He suddenly raised his palm and stopped in mid-air, seeing that he was about to imprint a five-finger red mark on Luo Bei's slightly swarthy face.

But Luo Bei raised his face without flinching, which made this serious father a little unsure of what to do, he studied and entered the profession for half his life, and in the end he was just a small official.

At that time, the officialdom was withering, and finally he was disheartened, so he resigned with an angry seal, coupled with the nightmare change nine years ago, he left his former residence Kaifeng with his wife and children.

After several years of tossing and turning, he finally took his wife and young Luobei to Qixia Village, a remote and peaceful village, where there is little contact with the outside world, as if everything started again.

He rests every day from sunrise to sunset.

But I don't know why, he was unwilling, thinking that his younger brother Luo Shuyun was also a famous person in the rivers and lakes, and that night, more than 70 members of the family died unexpectedly, and in the end even a complete corpse was not found, only the ashes of the courtyard, he didn't believe that this was just an accident, but what was the truth, he was powerless to find it in this life, but he was unwilling to let the truth be buried forever, so he pinned his hope on his son Luo Bei.

In addition to teaching him what he has learned in his life, he is also looking for some martial artists everywhere to teach Luobei some fist and foot kung fu, after all, the rivers and lakes are sinister, and even if a scholar like himself has more knowledge, it is difficult to move an inch.

Therefore, he is usually very strict, the only thing beyond his imagination is that Luobei is just an eight-year-old boy, a naughty age, he needs childhood, he needs friends, and as a father, he deprives all this, and is not even as kind and kind as the old man in front of the broken temple.

The slap did not fall, but Luo Zhongqian's eyes changed from anger to extreme disappointment.

"Hey, you go out!" Luo Zhongqian sighed.

The father didn't look at him again, and closed his eyes in extreme disappointment and sighed.

Luo Bei bit his lip, the tears in his eyes finally couldn't hold back, he didn't want his father to see how he cried, just like every time he was reprimanded.

So, he turned his head and ran out, his father's disappointment may have come from his lying and leaking the question, and he was not wronged, his father's excessive expectations made him breathless, he wanted to tell his father every time, in addition to studying hard, he also hoped that his father could be like other people's families, with a kind face, to become his own dependence.

The moment he jumped out of the threshold, he happened to bump into his mother who came to persuade him, he crashed into his mother's arms, and then he suddenly looked up at his mother, tears slipped down instantly, and in his mother's arms, he couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

His mother wanted to hug him, but Luo Bei broke away, he didn't want to stop, he didn't want his mother to hold herself like every time, she was sad and crying, she was just a woman, a mother who couldn't persuade her husband, but she loved her son deeply, what could she do, it was just self-suffering and sadness.

Because of his father, but for his mother, Luobei was sensible very early.

Mother didn't stop Luo Bei, who ran out, but could only step into the house and see Luo Zhongqian who turned his head.

"Xiaoru, am I wrong?" Luo Zhongqian asked his wife with some wistfulness.

"Brother Qian, Xiaobei is still young, I know you...... But after all, he is only eight years old, and he can't be too anxious, isn't ......" The mother's words gently comforted her husband.

"But...... Hey, I think I'm Luo Zhongqian's cold window for ten years, and in the end I'm just a scholar, I'm more than 70 members of the Luo family, and you have also seen the scene at that time, how can it be described as a tragedy......"

"Brother Qian, you have been haunted by that incident for so many years, I know that you now want to put the responsibility of finding the truth on Xiaobei, but Brother Qian, he is just a child, not to mention that everyone is gone, is the truth still so important?"

Revisiting the past, Luo Zhongqian's face turned a very ugly gray, as if covered with a thick layer of dust.

That accident occurred in August of the first year of Jingkang, when the city of Kaifeng was still a peaceful scene.

The Luo clan is also a famous family in Kaifeng City, Luobei was not born that year, Luo Zhongqian went out as an official, but because of anger in the darkness of officialdom, he finally resigned from the official position, on the way back to his hometown suddenly came bad news, a boundless fire burned for a day and a night, more than 70 mouths did not escape from the sea of fire, the scene was tragic and also alarmed Huizong.

At that time, the emperor Huizong also learned of this, and ordered Kaifeng Mansion to find out the truth within a time limit, who knew that not long after the Jin State Iron Cavalry broke Kaifeng, this major event became a small matter, the second emperor was taken captive, and hundreds of officials were humiliated, who would worry too much about a fire.

But this incident made him unable to sleep peacefully for many years, and even every night he seemed to hear a terrible scream from his relatives.

"I heard that there is a secret incense on the rivers and lakes, which can make martial arts masters temporarily cultivate to the fullest, and ordinary people are even more difficult to resist, you say...... Could it be?"

Luo Zhongqian thought for a long time, but still said it, his voice was very soft, and then looked at his wife gently, his words were a little abrupt, but there were no survivors in the family of more than seventy, he could hardly believe that it was an accident, he thought about it for many years, and after checking it for many years, he had his own doubts.

Bai Xiaoru lowered her head for a long time before she slowly raised herself and looked at her husband.

"Brother Qian, you know that I have been expelled from the sect by my master, but I have also vowed never to divulge the secret ...... of the sect" Although Bai Xiaoru's words were soft, there seemed to be no room for anything.

The look of expectation in Luo Zhongqian's eyes faded, but it did not turn into despair, but gently took his wife into his arms.

"I don't know that you broke with your master because of me back then, so although I have doubts in my heart over the years, I have never asked......"

"But my brother still has parents...... The tragedy of a family of dozens of people should always have an ending...... And this answer...... I'm afraid I can't wait...... That's why I want to give hope to Xiaobei......"

Bai Xiaoru was already full of tears, thinking of the tragedy, the charred and unrecognizable corpses in the garden, and even the baby who was a few months old, none of them were spared, only the two of them survived because Luo Zhongqian went out to be an official, she was still pregnant with Luobei at that time, but she also vomited for several days because of the smell of the corpse burning.

In that year, a big change occurred suddenly, and no one paid attention to this tragedy anymore, let alone a definite investigation.

But no one with a little common sense would believe that it was an accident, Bai Xiaoru knew what her husband meant, and the kind of incense that could make people unconscious did come from her teacher, but she still didn't believe that her teacher would be involved in such a case that could not be related at all.

Of course, she knew that it was a nightmare for Luo Zhongqian, and he spent more than eight years in nightmares all the time.

She snuggled in her husband's arms, and when her husband's anger subsided, she still had to coax her son who ran out of anger, but she was still satisfied in her heart, as long as the family of three could be together safely, there was nothing more important to her.

The candles were flickering, and the flames of incitement were imprinted in Luo Zhongqian's eyes, and the sighs made the night outside seem deeper.

Luo Bei, who was a little stubborn at a young age but a little stubborn in his bones, would not know that this moment of negative departure would be the last time he would see this strict father, until this moment he didn't even know that he was carrying the heavy responsibility of uncovering the truth of a tragedy that happened many years ago, and at the same time began the extraordinary road of his life.

......

......