After saying this, the scholar laughed at himself. What valuable things do Liu Chunshui's disciples have now? A room full of elementary school children, each of whom receives a tuition of only 300 coins a year. Some children from poor families only receive three pieces of bacon.
Liu Chunshui looked at the boy who insisted on his own opinion and didn't want to let go, and asked: "Deep down in your heart, you don't want to kill him, but the problem is that this person seems to want to kill you no matter what, so you kill him, completely, and save your life temporarily, and let tomorrow's matter be tomorrow? Or do you hope to settle things peacefully and make big things small? Right?"
The boy who often listened to the reading seed next door reciting poems blurted out: "Why did the teacher teach me?"
Liu Chunshui smiled and said: "Wang Gu'an, you might as well loosen your right hand first and then decide whether to go around with me. I can't shirk my responsibility for some things, and I must give you an explanation."
Wang Gu'an hesitated for a moment, and after loosening the five fingers of his right hand, he found that Fu Nanhua didn't move at all, his eyes, hair, and breathing were all still.
After Liu Chunshui operated the formation, the town returned to its end.
Liu Chunshui said softly: "Follow my steps closely, and try not to go more than ten steps."
The middle-aged scholar with fluttering sleeves and an ethereal body took the lead to walk to the end of the alley, and Wang Gu'an followed closely behind. During this time, he lowered his head to look at the palm of his left hand, which was bloody and fleshy, and bones were visible, but the blood that was visible to the naked eye stopped flowing.
Liu Chunshui walked in front and asked with a smile: "Wang Gu'an, do you believe that there are gods, demons, and ghosts in this world?"
Wang Gu'an nodded, "I believe it. When I was a child, my mother often told me some old stories, asking me to believe that good will be rewarded with good and evil will be punished with evil. My mother said this the most, so I remember it very clearly. Other things include that there will be water ghosts dragging children in the creek, and there are ghost officials who specialize in trying cases at night in the broken ancestral hall in the north of the city. They also said that the door gods we posted will actually come alive at night to help us protect the house. I didn't really believe in these things before, but... now, I think most of them are true."
Liu Chunshui said softly: "Some of what she said is true and some are false. As for the saying that good will be rewarded with good and evil will be punished with evil, it is difficult to conclude, because the common people, emperors, generals, and immortals have different definitions of good and evil, so the conclusions they draw will be very different."
Wang Gu'an hid the porcelain pieces, quickened his pace, walked side by side with the scholar, looked up and asked: "Mr. Liu, can I ask a question?"
Liu Chunshui seemed to see through the boy's mind and said calmly: "This town is the burial place of the last real dragon in the world. Countless dragons in the world believe that this place has the most prosperous luck and is destined to "give birth" one day. In fact, for three thousand years, the birth of a dragon has been delayed. However, the children born in this town are indeed much better than their peers outside. Many famous Taoist couples in the East Aquarius Continent have offspring born from their union. Of course, not every child in this town has amazing talents."
Liu Chunshui smiled and didn't elaborate on the matter, probably because he was afraid of hurting the child's feelings. He changed the subject, "Almost all the senior monks who participated in the dragon-slaying catastrophe were seriously injured. Many of them settled here, built huts and practiced, and died calmly. There were also Taoist couples who survived by chance, and there were also couples who formed a happy marriage after fighting side by side. After more than 3,000 years of development, the town has reached its current size. On the map of the Dali Dynasty, this place was first called Daze Township, and later it was changed to Longyuan by a saint himself. Later, it was modified again to avoid the word Yuan in the name of a certain Dali emperor..."
The young man who had been holding back his words finally couldn't help it and interrupted Liu Chunshui's words softly, clenching his fists with desire and expectation, "Sir, actually the question I want to ask is about my parents... What kind of people are they..."
Liu Chunshui fell into deep thought, "Since the Taoist who traveled far away has revealed the secret to you, I can also tell you something through the hole he opened. In my memory, your father is a simple and gentle man with mediocre talent. He is not worthy of being taken away from the town. Naturally, he became a chicken rib in the eyes of some people and was regarded as a loss-making business. Maybe it was in anger, or maybe it was because of the real hardship. In short, the porcelain buyer outside the town tampered with your father's "birth porcelain". After that, not only did he have a bad fate, but he also caused you and your mother to suffer together. Later, for some reason, he accidentally learned the secret of the birth porcelain. He knew that once someone opened the kiln and took him away from the town, he would become a puppet for the rest of his life. He secretly smashed the birth porcelain that belonged to you. If I remember correctly, it should be a porcelain paperweight."
Liu Chunshui said in a deep voice: "You should know that every baby born in the town has a code name stored in the secret file. There are also people in the town who will use their unique secret technique to extract a drop of blood and infuse it into the natal porcelain to be fired in the future. The natal porcelain of a girl will be fired for six years, and that of a boy will be fired for even longer. The kiln fire must not be interrupted for a day and will continue to burn for nine years. The talent of a child is like the appearance of ordinary kiln porcelain. You can only leave it to fate and luck, but the bid for "gambling on porcelain" after betting is very high. Although your qualifications are also mediocre now, when your father resolutely broke the porcelain paperweight, the anger of the porcelain buyers outside the town can be imagined."
"As for your mother, she is a woman with a gentle temperament."
Liu Chunshui suddenly laughed when he said this, "When your mother married your father, many people of your age in the town were very depressed. But to be honest, it would be difficult for me to tell you the details of your parents' lives when they were alive. After coming here, I have a lot of things to do besides teaching."
The boy hummed, turned his head gently, and wiped his face with his hands. The boy probably forgot the bad condition of his left hand, and his face was covered with blood, but he was reluctant to wipe it with his sleeves.
The two passed by the Twelve-legged Archway.
Liu Chunshui didn't look at him, and spoke frankly to the young man, "When the real dragon fell here, four saints appeared in person and signed a contract here, stipulating that every sixty years, one person would take charge of this place to help look after the remaining luck left by the real dragon after its death. In fact, there were disputes about whether to cut the grass and wipe it out completely... But telling you these secrets would be harmful to you. Generally speaking, the people of the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, plus a military strategist, are mainly from the four directions. The rest of the various schools of thought, cave heavens and blessed places, immortal families, and wealthy families in Dongbaopingzhou all have a certain share and opportunity to share the benefits here. It's ridiculous to say that whether there is a quota for "buying porcelain" within a hundred years has almost become a symbol of whether a sect or a family has a first-class status." Wang Gu'an said: "I don't understand what the sir said, but I wrote it down. But today I know that my parents are good people, so I am satisfied." Liu Chunshui smiled and said, "I don't expect you to understand it right now. It's just some preparation. Otherwise, if I simply advise you not to kill Fu Nanhua, you will definitely not listen. The reason why I ask you not to kill is not because I, Liu Chunshui, feel sympathy for my own kind, or because I hope that Fu Nanhua and Laolongcheng will be grateful for this so that I can get some benefits in the future. It's not like that. In fact, it's just the opposite. I, a Confucian disciple, advocate involvement in the world. I am most opposed to the unscrupulousness of people in practice. The two sides have been fighting openly and secretly for countless years. If I, Liu Chunshui, was the age when I just went to Shanya Academy to study, then whether it was Liu Zhimao, the True Lord of Jiejiang, or Fu Nanhua, the young city lord of Laolongcheng, they would have no chance of survival now. I beat them to ashes with a palm."
The boy found that Mr. Liu at this time, although his tone of voice was still gentle and his walking posture was equally elegant, he gave people the feeling of being two different people.
Just like when old man He got drunk and said that the porcelain we made was for the emperor, who could compare?
When Mr. Liu said that he could beat someone to ashes with one palm, it was just like old man He at that time, with a different tone, but the same expression.
Liu Chunshui frowned and looked up at Niping Lane, as if he was listening to someone talking. Although he did not show an expression of boredom, the displeasure in his eyes was not concealed.
He finally said coldly: "Leave quickly!"
Wang Gu'an looked confused.
Liu Chunshui explained, "It was the storyteller, whose real name is Liu Zhimao, and whose Taoist name is Jiejiang Zhenjun. He is actually a Taoist from a side sect, with decent cultivation but poor conduct. He was the one who stirred up the grievances between Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua and you. In the end, he planted a crooked talisman in your heart. It was a four-character mantra, secretly engraving the four words 'seeking death' in your heart. His means were extremely vicious."
Wang Gu'an silently remembered the name Liu Zhimao.
Liu Chunshui sighed and asked, "Aren't you curious why I didn't take action?"
Wang Gu'an shook his head.
Liu Chunshui said to himself: "This world is like an old porcelain that has been exposed to the wind and sun for three thousand years. It is about to be broken into pieces. After all, you are outsiders, and there is a big formation to protect you. Whatever you do, just don't go too far, and it will not break the porcelain. But I am the one holding the porcelain. Any action of mine will involve the cracks of this porcelain. In fact, no matter what I do, it will only increase and spread those lines. If it was just the porcelain that broke, it would be fine, but the fate of the five or six thousand people in this town in this life and the next is in my hands. How can I take it lightly?"
But these words that have been pent up for many years and can't be expressed, Mr. Liu spoke too softly, and Wang Gu'an couldn't hear them clearly even with his ears erected.
Liu Chunshui looked at the boy who wiped his face with his right hand from time to time. The two had already walked to the Iron Lock Well in Xinghua Lane, where a woman was bending over to draw water. Liu Chunshui asked, "If a stranger falls into the well, you will die if you save him. Will you save him?"
Wang Gu'an thought for a while and asked, "I want to know, can you really save that person?"
Liu Chunshui did not answer the boy's question, but smiled and said, "Remember, a gentleman does not save."
The boy was stunned and asked in confusion, "Gentleman?"
Liu Chunshui hesitated for a moment, squatted down, first helped the boy in straw sandals straighten his clothes, then wiped the blood off with his hands, and said softly, "When encountering misfortune, you will first have compassion, but a gentleman is not a pedantic person. He can go to the well to save people, but he will never let himself fall into death."
It seems that this question has aroused his thoughts.
The boy asked seriously, "Sir, can I still survive now? If so, how long can I live?"
Liu Chunshui thought carefully, stood up slowly, and said firmly, "If you are not afraid of the bumpy road ahead and the great suffering, you will definitely survive."
The boy smiled brightly and said as if it was a matter of course, "I am not afraid of suffering!"
Liu Chunshui thought about the boy's calmness along the way and felt relieved, "Let's go, I'll take you to a place. Although I, Liu Chunshui, can't help you, it's the end of the matter. Letting you survive this disaster is by no means a violation of the rules. In fact, I should compensate you with an opportunity."
The boy was confused.
The two came to the old locust tree. For some reason, the town was silent inside and outside, and only this old locust tree seemed to be the only exception, with leaves swaying slightly.
After Liu Chunshui stood still, his face was solemn. After bowing, he looked up and asked: "Can Liu Chunshui ask you for a locust leaf so that the young man can leave the town safely in the future, at least within three years, without being affected by the disaster?"
The thousand-year-old locust tree was silent.
Liu Chunshui asked again: "Liu Chunshui has been in charge of this place for fifty-nine years. Even if he has no merit, he has worked hard. Can't he ask for a locust leaf from his ancestors? What's more, the young man is originally from your town. Why are you so stingy?"
The old locust tree still did not respond.
The silence at this moment was like a silent sarcasm.
You Liu Chunshui have great magical powers, but after all, you are one of the Tiandi Circle, and you are the poor man who presides over the hub of the formation. We just don't want to give away this incense in vain. What can you do to me?
Liu Chunshui's face was uncertain. Finally, he could only sigh and look down, full of guilt.
The young man grinned and consoled him: "Master Lu said that as long as I go to the south of the town and find a blacksmith named Ruan and become his apprentice, I will have a chance to survive. Mr. Liu, I believe there will be no problem without this... Sophora japonica leaf!"
Liu Chunshui asked with a smile: "Are you telling the truth?"
The young man scratched his head and said shyly: "It's not true."
Liu Chunshui smiled knowingly.
Suddenly.
A fresh and tender locust leaf fell from the top of the tree.
The boy just stretched out his palm, and the leaf fell into his palm.
On the leaf, there was a golden font, which flashed by.
Liu Chunshui was a little surprised. After a moment, he said in a deep voice: "What is this word, Wang Gu'an, are you willing to repay the He family, regardless of life or death?! To be honest, even without this leaf, you may not have no chance of survival. I can tell you this clearly. So you must think clearly!"
The boy asked: "Is it the He word of Master He?"
Liu Chunshui nodded, "That's right."
The boy put his hands together, gently clamped the locust leaf in his palm, raised his head and said loudly: "As long as I live one day, as long as it is a He surnamed person related to you, as Mr. Liu said before, even if he falls into the well, even if he must die to save him, I, Wang Gu'an, will save him!"
The sound of nature is silent.
Liu Chunshui smiled and said, "Let's go."
When he left with the boy, he turned his head quietly and looked at the highest point of the locust tree, with a sarcastic look on his face.
There were locust leaves with the surname "Wang". In fact, there were more than one or two. But in the end, knowing that this place was about to collapse, they would rather find another host, even if it was not surnamed Wang, but there was still no one willing to look after the straw sandal boy in Niping Lane.
Liu Chunshui turned back, touched the boy's head, and joked, "If it was Ye Dan, Zhao Yao, Gu Can and others who made such a great wish like you did before, it might resonate with heaven and earth."
The boy smiled brightly, "I can't control it, I just do my own thing."
Liu Chunshui asked again, "Are you telling the truth this time?"
The boy smiled and said, "Yes!"