In the western suburbs of Taiyuan Mansion, there is a Qingfeng Temple. Qingfeng Guan is said to have lasted for thousands of years, in the Spring and Autumn Period, Lao Tzu used to practice here, and during the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also went there to ask for the elixir. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism prevailed, and Taoism declined. Although there is still incense in Qingfeng Temple, there are many birds in the courtyard.

There is a Lingkong Taoist in the view, who is a close friend of Chen Xingwen's father, he is familiar with all kinds of strange skills, and he is also proficient in Danshu, and he has been alchemizing all year round. When Chen Xingwen was a child, he often followed his father to Guanzhong to discuss various techniques with him, and he treated Chen Xingwen like a nephew.

After Chen Xingwen completed the iron work in the blacksmith shop, he went to the Taoist temple to find Lingkong and asked for the slag left over from the alchemy, which was an important raw material for him to make fire powder.

Chen Xingwen thought that if he put it in the tube and let it explode, the force generated would be far greater than the air blown by his mouth, and also greater than the force generated by the spring.

There are few people in Guanli, which is a good place for him to select and purify the slag. So, he lived in a side house next to the Taoist temple.

On this day, several people came to offer incense: a lady sitting in a sedan chair, two sedan chair drivers, four soldiers with weapons, a maid, and a young lady on a horse. Although there are not many people, this formation is rare in Qingfeng Temple. For ordinary large families, the formation may be more lively, but with soldiers escorting them, it is natural that there are family members of officials of a certain level.

The person who came was none other than Li Siyuan's mother and sister Li Jiaojiao. To their surprise, a pair of eyes were already staring at them.

Madame generously offered fifty taels of silver, which was enough for the Taoist priest in the temple for a year's food.

The Lingkong Taoist will naturally not be lazy, and after the guests finish offering incense, please sit down and serve tea, and also instruct his subordinates to arrange fasting meals.

The female guests sat inside the temple, and the rest rested and guarded outside.

Mrs. drank tea and said to the ethereal Taoist: "The old body has been restless recently, it is difficult to sleep and easy to wake up, and he is unable to do it. ”

Ethereal said: "The pill is only suitable for fitness, not for curing diseases." Mrs. Wang's redness in Yintang is a sign of excessive blood and qi, causing palpitations, fatigue, and divine restlessness. Although there are good prescriptions, there are no ready-made medicines. Mrs. eats first, if she doesn't hurry back, wait for the poor road to go up the back mountain to collect medicine, and you can get it in an hour. If you want to return in time, Poor Dao will deliver the medicine to the house tomorrow. ”

Madame: "There's a chief worker." The old body is not in a hurry. It's quiet here, the view is very good, and it's just right for me to take a walk around. It's still early, and it's not far from the city, so it won't hinder the way back. ”

The group stayed to eat. The Taoist chief carried a basket on his back and a shovel and went to the back mountain to collect medicine.

Chen Xingwen didn't know all this, he was busy with his work in the house, and a Taoist priest brought the food to the house during the meal, but he didn't go out. Suddenly remembered something, and asked the chief to ask the chief, so he pushed the door out. happened to meet Li Jiaojiao who was walking by the house.

Li Jiaojiao exclaimed, "Why did you come here?"

Chen Xingwen's face was full of doubts: How does this person know me? "Dare to ask the girl who --??"

Li Jiaojiao said angrily: "You dare to pretend that you don't know me? A few days ago, you dared to ask this girl to accompany you to dinner." I kindly brought you in the door, but you despised me. Tell you, my brother is not here, no one is protecting you!

Chen Xingwen was inexplicable: "This, where does this start?"

Two attendants rushed over and couldn't help but hold his hands. Chen Xingwen struggled and said, "I've never seen a girl, how can I despise you?"

Li Jiaojiao came to him: "I still want to make Lai." Grabbed his hair, lifted it up, and slapped him twice. "I don't want to teach you Chen Xingwu well, you are a bully when you are a girl, I don't care what kind of Laoshzi artifact you have. ”

Chen Xingwen's face felt hot, and he heard the meaning. "The girl didn't recognize the wrong person. I am Chen Xingwen, not Chen Xingwu, Chen Xingwu is my brother. ”

Li Jiaojiao's eyes widened and she looked at it for a while. "Oh? It's a little bit like it, it's a little bit like it. Your name is Chen Xingwen, not Chen Xingwu? Let me ask you: How long have you been away from Jinju?

Chen Xingwen: "It's been almost half a month since Jinzhou, and I lived in Taiyuan Mansion for five days and Guanli for three days. ”

Li Jiaojiao thought for a while and said, "I'm also strange, when I left Jinzhou, Chen Xingwu was still in the general's mansion, how could you come here? Oh, it turns out that you are not Chen Xingwu." I'm sorry, I recognized the wrong person. Who told you that your brothers looked so alike?" he said, motioning for the squire to let go. "Don't blame me, just take it for your brother. ”

"Do you know my brother, what other artifacts do you have?" Chen Xingwen hurriedly asked, he guessed some clues. "The girl is --?"

"My name is Li Jiaojiao, and I am Li Siyuan's younger sister. ”

Chen Xingwen slapped his thigh and complained: "Hey, why is he so unreasonable? You don't need to say that I understand." He must have given the artifact to your brother to ask for merit and reward. ”

"Yes, what's wrong with that?" Li Jiaojiao didn't understand.

"Alas, my brother is a street thug who doesn't know how to make any artifacts. The general asked him to build it, how could he take it? It is a great crime to deceive a general, and it is a great crime to cut off his head, and he still thinks that he will be promoted to an official and make a fortune, and he will be lucky to save his life!

Li Jiaojiao was still a little confused: "Do you mean that he can't make artifacts, you will do it? My brother values artifacts and doesn't care who makes them. Your brother recommended you, and that's a credit. My brother will naturally reward him, how can he take his life? What are you anxious about?"

"The artifact is so powerful that it will kill many people if it is used, and I can't let it be passed on to the world. Again-"Thinking of Li Jiaojiao's identity, it is not appropriate to say things like seeking skin with tigers, so I suppressed the words.

"Oh, so you think. I didn't expect you to have a kind heart. However, whether you have an artifact or not, there is always a war. If you want to fight, you will die, and it has nothing to do with artifacts. Li Jiaojiao said.

Chen Xingwen: "But I don't want to be a participant, then I can't be born." ”

Li Jiaojiao: "Do you believe in Buddhism?"

Chen Xingwen: "Believe it or not. You can imagine how many people have been killed, how many people have lost their sons, how many people have lost their fathers, and how many have become widows, even if I die, I can't feel at ease. ”

"Then why did you build it?" Li Jiaojiao asked rhetorically.

"I, I...... I was so strong for a while, and I didn't expect it to be so powerful. ”

"So strong, what are you fighting with others?" asked Li Jiaojiao again.

Chen Xingwen wanted to speak again and again, and only said after a while: "Don't say it, I have to rush back to Jinzhou, otherwise my brother can't explain it, and it will kill him." With that, he turned around and went into the house to pack his things.

Li Jiaojiao didn't bother him anymore, so she still walked by his house. She thought: Chen Xingwen has a righteous face and a kind heart, although he looks very similar to Chen Xingwu, he gives people a completely different feeling.

Suddenly, more than a dozen black-clothed people with weapons came and surrounded the intersection where the Taoist temple went out.

It turned out that Li Jiaojiao and his entourage were stared at by the strongmen of the nearby cottage on the way here. The horse that Li Jiaojiao rode was Li Siyuan's mount, a treasure horse that traveled 800 miles a day, vigorous and handsome, which made people greedy. And the person sitting on horseback is a rare beauty in the world. Avoiding the path in the mountains and wilderness, it is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet such a treasure. This group of bandits, no matter if you are an official or a soldier, you are willing to let go of the opportunity. Originally, they planned to rob in the middle of the road, but after waiting for a long time, they didn't see anyone coming, and they were afraid that the night would be long and dreamy, so they went straight to the Taoist temple.