Tongli Ancient Town, Suzhou, Jiangnan East Road, the autumn breeze is like water, and the hearts of the people are like snow.

Meng Ran didn't tell Ji Furong about his decision, he was not sure that he would be able to shine in the Ji family's martial arts ring, nor was he sure that he would fight to the end, so he was unwilling to give the girl hope, because he was afraid that the girl would be disappointed again.

On this day, in an unknown restaurant in Tongli Ancient Town, there were two characters who would be famous all over the world in the future, both of which were unforgettable for the people of the rivers and lakes.

After lunch, Meng Ran said goodbye to Ji Furong and returned belatedly.

At the door of the Tongfu Inn, the swordsman surnamed Lin hung a narrow saber from his waist, standing there with a posture that no one would approach, and the corner of his eyes kept staring in the direction of the street.

At the moment when Meng Ran appeared, the swordsman surnamed Lin breathed a sigh of relief gently, and his tense body slowly relaxed, lacking a trace of indifference that rejected people thousands of miles away.

Meng Ran saw the figure that he was looking forward to, and hurriedly quickened his pace, and came to the front of the swordsman surnamed Lin in three steps and two steps.

He smiled apologetically at the swordsman surnamed Lin and said, "I'm sorry, I'm a little delayed, have you eaten?"

The swordsman surnamed Lin signaled that it was okay, and smiled: "Not yet, I'm waiting for you." ”

Meng Ran scratched his sideburns and said with an embarrassed expression: "Come in and eat, I ate just now." ”

While speaking, the two of them had already arrived in the lobby on the first floor of the inn, and the rest of them had already taken their seats and sat there quietly.

After everyone saw Meng Ran, a hanging heart slowly relaxed, and then they began to eat.

When we were done eating and drinking, it was the end of noon.

When Meng Ran put down the teacup in his hand in Geng Nursing Yuan, he said softly: "Uncle Geng, do you have something to do in the afternoon?

"Oh?" Geng Huyuan looked at Meng Ran puzzled and asked, "What's the matter?"

Meng Ran hesitated for a moment, then took out the piece of bamboo in his arms and said, "I decided to participate in the Ji family's competition, and I want to ask if you have time to watch it." ”

Geng Huyuan smiled dumbly and said, "Silly boy, what can I do, even if the sky falls, it won't prevent me from watching your competition." ”

After getting the exact answer from Geng Huyuan, Meng Ran smiled shyly and said, "Then let's say so, I'll rest for a while, and we'll go together when the time comes." ”

Geng Huyuan bowed slightly, and said, "Go ahead, recuperate at this time." ”

After Meng Ran went upstairs, Fan Wuji rolled his eyes and asked, "Big brother, didn't Meng Xiaozi say that he would not participate in the Ji family's competition to recruit a son-in-law? Why did he suddenly change his mind? Could it be that he fell in love with Miss Ji's beauty? Wouldn't he be the unscrupulous son who likes the new and hates the old?"

Geng Huyuan glared at Fan Wuji, who was unabashed, and reprimanded: "Meng Ran naturally has his reasons for how to act, you just have to wait and see, and don't say more." ”

Fan Wuji touched a hard nail, but he didn't care, and said with a wink: "Did you say that Meng Xiaozi went to Miss Private Accounting just now?"

Geng Huyuan glanced at his third brother, and secretly wondered in his heart: "When did this guy the third brother become so smart that he could tell the truth in one word." ”

The swordsman surnamed Lin, who had long been unaccustomed to Fan Wuji's words and deeds, stood up straight, and said in a contemptuous tone: "Is the Fan guard too idle? If you feel that the days are leisurely, Lin wants to ask for advice to see if the short spear in your hand is fast, or your mouth is powerful." ”

Such harsh and insulting words made the hot-tempered Fan Wuji angry, he slapped the table and shouted: "Good thief, An dares to look down on your Grandpa Fan, and watch Grandpa take your dog's life." ”

Hearing the word 'thief', Lin Chong and Hua Rongwu, who were already on the same front as the swordsman surnamed Lin, stood up and glared at Fan Wuji in unison, and if they didn't agree with each other, they killed this noisy guy in exchange for a quiet and peaceful life.

Geng Huyuan patted lightly on the table, and said in an unquestionable tone: "Fan Wuji, you go back to the room immediately now, punish you for thinking about it, if you are the slightest bit lax, don't blame me for being ruthless." ”

After Fan Wuji heard this order, his body trembled slightly, as if he had returned to the scene in the Northland military camp, at that time, his eldest brother Geng Huyuan reprimanded himself and those soldiers who violated military discipline like this.

He clearly remembered how heavy his eldest brother was, and subconsciously shuddered, and reflexively replied: "Yes, Fan Wuji will obey the general's order." ”

In the puzzled eyes of the others, Fan Wuji slowly reacted, he knew that he had said the wrong thing, and looked at Geng Huyuan with a worried face, like a child who had made a mistake, and begged for forgiveness from adults with his eyes.

Geng Huyuan waved his hand and motioned for Fan Wuji to go back to the room and think about it.

After Fan Wuji left, Geng Huyuan pressed the other three back to their seats, and said slightly apologetically: "My third brother is very ignorant and chaotic in terms of human feelings, if there is anything offended, please bear with the three brothers." ”

Lin Chong and Hua Rong shook their heads, signaling that they would not deal with this rough man.

However, the swordsman surnamed Lin, who had always been taciturn, suddenly opened his mouth, and asked in a cold voice: "Fan Wuji, is that guy from the border army?"

Geng Huyuan sighed, did not hide Fan Wuji's background, and said bluntly: "Yes, the third brother once served in the Northern Tiger Army. ”

The swordsman surnamed Lin snorted at the air on the side, and scolded: "Sure enough, I spent time in the livestock pile, not only do I have no conscience, but I also have no brains. ”

Geng Huyuan's face was a little more ugly, and he said calmly to the swordsman surnamed Lin: "I am also from the Tiger Army. ”

The swordsman surnamed Lin was resentful and reprimanded: "So what?"

Geng Huyuan shook his head and said lightly: "In the border army, the killing of good people and pretending to be meritorious are repeatedly prohibited. I'm not defending these people, but Brother Lin must learn to let go and slowly forget those hatreds, otherwise, your life will be over. ”

The swordsman surnamed Lin smiled sadly and said, "Do I still have hope in this life? My family is ruined, who can heal the pain in my heart? What's the point of living like this?"

Geng Huyuan looked at the swordsman surnamed Lin with a sympathetic expression, and said with relief: "Those people back then, who died and walked, want to find their traces in the vast sea of people, how easy it is to say, it is better to do a career while you are still young now, and it is better to live in pain for the rest of your life."

Your family knows that they don't want you to be resentful every day, and their wish is definitely to let you live well, not to be as decadent and slack as you are now. ”

The swordsman surnamed Lin didn't answer, picked up the teapot on the table and poured it into his mouth, as if he was drinking.

After the teapot was empty, the knifeman surnamed Lin said expressionlessly: "That's also a matter for the future, the top priority is to send Meng Ran to Wuliang Mountain safely, and the rest of the things will be talked about later."

But I want to say that if the guy surnamed Fan has no way to say anything again, I will definitely draw my sword against him. ”

Geng Huyuan nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will restrain him and won't let him talk nonsense." ”

After that, the four of them were speechless and sat silently in the lobby on the first floor.

......

By the time Meng Ran woke up from his sleep, it was already more than halfway through.

He washed his face with cold water, and hurried to the Ji family ring with a few people from Geng Huyuan.

When the group arrived near the ring, it was already full of people, and it was more crowded than in the morning.

Luckily, because there are quite a few people who have signed up, the contest has not yet started.

Meng Ran and his entourage crowded in the crowd for a while, and then they heard Ji Daozheng, the third master of the Ji family in the ring, start to speak.

"Thank you for coming, and I would like to extend a welcome to all of you on behalf of Jijia. ”

"Since the construction of my Jijia Wuyuan, it has experienced more than 300 years of wind and rain, during this period, the Jijia has prospered, but also declined, but it still continues to this day, it is really the luck of my Jijia. ”

"Today, it is the first time in the past 300 years that my family has held a martial arts competition to recruit sons-in-law, and it is the luck of my family that you can come to participate in the competition. ”

After Ji Daozheng finished a few polite words, he changed his words and began to mention the important topic of recruiting sons-in-law in the martial arts competition: "I thought that there would not be too many young junjies who signed up, but it wasn't until just now, after the registration of the last young man ended, that I didn't know how many young junyan came, and the number of applicants totaled two hundred and sixty-one, which was really unexpected by me."

I discussed with my ancestor and decided to divide the ring under my feet into four, and eight people could compete in each game.

As for the rules of the competition, as mentioned in the morning, two adjacent numbers face off, that is, No. 1 and No. 2 face off, and No. 3 and No. 4 face off.

The winner advances to the next round, and the loser can compete in the lower bracket if he wants to continue the competition, and if he wins, he also advances to the next round.

This afternoon's time is relatively limited, so the first round of competition will be held first, and the second round will start tomorrow.

Since the total number of participants is odd, I will assign a random friend to say a number before the tournament begins, and the owner of that number will go directly to the second round. ”

Then Ji Daozheng pointed at a random person in the audience, and the person looked excited, and shouted a number without thinking.

Ji Daozheng smiled when he heard it, and said loudly: "Okay, the contestant who directly enters the second round is No. 81, please hold the No. 81 bamboo medal to participate in the competition on time tomorrow morning." ”

As soon as these words came out, the audience sighed one after another, cheering for the guy who won the jackpot, and sighed that he had not been able to have such good luck.

Ji Daozheng continued: "Now that the competition has officially begun, please invite the players from No. 1 to No. 8 to come to the stage. ”

In a commotion, several figures slowly stepped into the ring, and under the guidance of Ji Daozheng, they went to their respective opponents.

With the sound of a gong, the eight teenagers fought.

Geng Huyuan glanced towards the ring, and he was no longer interested in watching, he turned to look at Meng Ran, and asked softly, "Is your bamboo card still there?" I remember that you are eighty-one, right?"

Meng Ran smiled and said, "Exactly, it seems that I came early, but it's okay to see other people's skills, so that I can feel a little bottom." ”

Geng Huyuan smiled with satisfaction and said, "Yes, it's quite calm, a little more stable than its peers, and a little more humble than young people." ”

Meng Ran smiled shyly and continued to look at the figure in the ring.