There were footsteps coming from the door of Ye Dan's house. Ji Chenru was about to jump off the wall, but he heard the voice before he saw the person. Someone asked with a gentle smile: "Are you the apprentice of old man He from Baoxi Kiln? Is your surname Liu?"
It was the kiln supervisor in white clothes and a jade belt. He strode out of the door and looked at the wall with a smile.
Ji Chenru's body stiffened, and he found that he had no strength to jump off the wall. He laughed dryly and said, "It was me, sir. When you went to our dragon kiln to open the kiln, my master asked me to demonstrate a few jobs to you."
The man nodded, looked at the tall boy, and asked directly, "Young man, do you want to go out and have a look? For example, join the army and fight on the battlefield. I promise that as long as you can survive for ten years, you can become a high-ranking official. At that time, I will personally hold a banquet for you in the capital to celebrate your success. How about it?"
Standing behind the man, Ye Dan's face was gloomy, and he tightly grasped the old dragon rain jade pendant given by Fu Nanhua.
This scholar who has been called "illegitimate child" and "bastard" for many years now knows the true identity of the man next to him, so the boy understands the weight of the man's words even more. The four words "personally hold a banquet" will be the most powerful life-saving talisman of Dali and the longest ladder to officialdom.
Ji Chenru racked his brains to come up with some sour words, and stammered: "Thank you for your kindness, Master Supervisor, I am overwhelmed... But I have already agreed to be an apprentice in Master Ruan's blacksmith shop, it is really difficult to regret, I hope Master will not... Master will not care..."
The words that the tall boy wanted to say were stuck in his throat, and he could not remember them at all, and his face turned red with anxiety.
Ye Dan seemed to be considerate and reminded him, "It's the great man who doesn't remember the villain's fault."
The man in white robe smiled and said, "It's okay. When you have the opportunity to leave the town one day, you can go to the nearest Danyang Pass and find a warrior named Liu Linxi. He said that Ye Jingchan in the capital recommended you to join the army here. If he doesn't believe it, you can tell him that the man named Ye Jingchan said that you, Liu Linxi, still owe him 30,000 heads of the border cavalry of the Great Sui Dynasty."
Ji Chenru nodded foolishly and said, "Okay."
The man smiled and left. Ye Dan wanted to stop when he sent him to the gate of the courtyard. The man seemed to have calculated his intentions. He didn't turn around and said directly, "Come with me to the supervisory office. I will take you to see someone."
Ye Dan's feet were rooted to the ground like nails, and he said with a dark face, "I won't go!"
That place, which was extremely difficult for the people in the small town, was a den of dragons and tigers for the boy who grew up listening to rumors year after year, and it was a hurdle that he could not get over.
The man who always acted vigorously outside was not annoyed by the boy's ignorance of the times, nor did he stop, but he slowed down a lot: "According to the records of the spies in the government office, you have seen the Sui Dynasty prince surnamed Gao, right? Do you know that the Gao family of the Sui Dynasty and our Dali Ye family are thousand-year-old enemies with irreconcilable hatred? As a prince, he dared to come to this small town in the heart of the enemy country Dali, and you, Ye Dan, are also a prince, but you dare not go to a small official residence on your own territory?"
Ye Dan did not chew on the deep meaning of these words at the first time, but turned his head to look at Ji Chenru in an instant, only to see the tall boy sitting on the wall rubbing his hands and tapping his legs, as if he did not hear the man's words at all.
The white-robed prince of Dali, walking in Niping Lane, raised his lips. The man had gained a little surprise.
He is indeed the offspring of our old Ye family.
However, when he thought that the boy was the son of that woman, the powerful prince who was the first martial arts master of Dali also felt a little upset and difficult.
Ye Dan gritted his teeth and turned back to Shi Hui who was standing at the door of the house and said, "I will be back soon. Don't worry about me for lunch."
Ye Dan just walked out of the courtyard gate, turned around and smiled, "Take the bag of change on my bedside and go to the Du family shop to buy the pair of dragon and phoenix incense pendants. Anyway, we don't have to save money in the future."
Shi Hui nodded and made a careful sign language gesture.
Ye Dan smiled happily and left gracefully.
When Ye Dan walked away, Ji Chenru, who was sitting on the wall, asked cautiously: "Shi Hui, what is the relationship between Ye Dan and the supervisor?"
Shi Hui looked at the tall boy with pity.
Ji Chenru couldn't stand her gaze the most, "What's the matter? It's just knowing an official who is in charge of porcelain firing. Is it a big deal?"
Shi Hui pulled the corner of her mouth, went back to the house to get food, and began to feed the old hen and the group of fluffy chicks.
Ji Chenru felt discouraged for no reason, jumped off the wall and shouted to the house: "Wang, let's go to the blacksmith shop! We can't bear this humiliation anymore."
The girl turned her back to the neighbor's yard separated by a wall and said with a smile: "Buddhas fight for a stick of incense, people fight for a breath, but it's a pity that the loser is just full of humiliation."
Ji Chenru's blood boiled, even his ears turned red, walked to the yellow mud wall, and punched the wall heavily, "Wang Zhu! If you have the guts, say it again!"
The maid threw away all the corn and vegetable leaves, clapped her hands, turned around and said with a smile: "Who do you think you are? Just say it if I want you to?"
Ji Chenru looked at the girl whose figure was growing and becoming more and more bright and beautiful, and was speechless. His heart was empty, just like a porcelain bowl in his heart that fell to the ground.
Wang Gu'an had actually been standing at the doorstep. After seeing this, he walked quickly to the yard and whispered, "Let's go."
The two teenagers walked side by side in the alley. The tall teenager suddenly asked, "Wang Gu'an, am I really unsuccessful?"
Wang Gu'an thought for a moment and said seriously, "The neighbors in the alley all say that my mother is very good, and that my father is a famous taciturn person, so I think whether someone likes or not may not have much to do with whether they are successful or not."
Ji Chenru looked sad, "Then I'm even more miserable. Even if I work hard to build a dragon kiln in the future, or learn all the skills of Master Ruan, she still won't like me!"
Wang Gu'an kept silent to avoid adding fuel to the fire.
Walking in the familiar alley, Wang Gu'an suddenly remembered a scene. In his early years, he followed Old Man He along the stream into the mountains and saw a little elk drinking water by the water. It was not afraid of him. After drinking the water, it lowered its head and looked at the stream for a long time without leaving. In addition to the reflection of the elk on the surface of the stream, there is also a lingering fish in the water.
Before leaving the ancestral home, Miss Ning suggested that since he had a locust leaf, he should leave the town early. With the invisible protection of the ancestral locust leaf, there would not be too many accidents. It is best not to stay in the town for too long, because she didn't know whether Ji Chenru's incident would affect him, Wang Gu'an.
But Wang Gu'an insisted on seeing Ji Chenru accepted as an apprentice by Master Ruan before he could leave with peace of mind.
Because if there was no Ji Chenru, he would have starved to death.
Of course, Wang Gu'an also hoped that Miss Ning could heal his injuries in his home, but the boy didn't dare to say it out loud at the time, for fear that she would think he was frivolous.
Wang Gu'an suddenly asked, "Will you never sell the armor your grandfather left you to outsiders?"
Ji Chenru said with a natural look on his face, "Nonsense, of course I won't sell it even if I die!"
He punched the boy next to him on the shoulder and joked, "I'm not a money-grubber like you."
The tall boy hugged the back of his head with both hands, "Some things you don't have for the time being can be earned with money, but some things are gone, and you really lose them in this life."
Wang Gu'an said to himself, "I understand."
When they were about to reach the entrance of Niping Lane, Ji Chenru burst out with a swear word, and Wang Gu'an put away his thoughts, looked up, and suddenly felt a little heavy.
It was Lu Zhengchun, the eldest son of the Lu family in Fulu Street. It was this man who brought a group of bad friends to block Ji Chenru in this alley and almost beat him to death. If Wang Gu'an hadn't run to shout those few times, Ji Chenru, who had no elders or relatives at home, would probably have been thrown into a mass grave.
Ye Dan was squatting on the wall watching the fun, and kept stirring up trouble. Later, he told Wang Gu'an, who was still frightened, that the behavior of Lu Zhengchun and his gang was called "being a knight for anger" outside the town.
Lu Zhengchun blocked Ji Chenru's way and said with a forced smile: "Don't be nervous, I'm not here to settle old scores with you today, but..."
Ji Chenru interrupted the words of the son of the Lu family, "Come again? A good dog doesn't block the road, get out of my way!"
Lu Zhengchun looked embarrassed and forced a smile: "Ji Chenru, I really have something to discuss with you this time. Last time, you ran away without waiting for us to finish talking. This is not good. You should at least listen to the conditions I offer, right? To be honest, we two brothers are not acquainted without fighting. There is no need to make things so awkward. I am very sincere to those guests!"
Ji Chenru tilted his head and said sarcastically: "Why, you are addicted to matchmaking for others, right? I am surprised. You said that you, Lu Zhengchun, are the grandson of the richest family in our town. Why do you like to be a lackey for outsiders?"
Lu Zhengchun's face was livid, but he still had to maintain a smile on his face. He looked very funny and almost begged: "Ji Chenru, as long as you ask, no matter what you want, they will try their best to satisfy you, such as copper coins? Or how about you tell me the number? For example... 150 strings of coins? Even if it is... 200 strings of coins, I can help you bargain. 200 strings of coins can let you buy half a house in our Fulu Street."
Ji Chenru stared at the eyes and face of the man in front of him, and said contemptuously: "200 strings of coins, you are sending away beggars? Still sincere? I advise you not to talk nonsense with me here, I still have to busy myself with business, get out of the way!"
At the corner outside Niping Lane, a delicate little girl rode on the shoulders of a burly old man. A boy in a red robe was held by the hand of a woman. He should have been innocent at this age, but his face had a sinister look that did not match his age. He said in the language of his hometown: "Isn't this Lu family too stupid? What's the point of coming here..."
The woman shook her head and smiled softly: "When you show kindness to others, you should know how to repay kindness with hatred. When you want to make the most profit in business, you should do what Lu Zhengchun did and test the bottom line of the other party's psychological price first."
The child wondered: "Does it take so much trouble to do business with these natives and low-class people?"
The woman smiled and said: "Human nature is complicated and people's hearts are dark. They are not divided by the level of cultivation. People in small places may be short-sighted, but they are not all fools. If you think like this, you will suffer sooner or later."
The child said, "Mom knows people's hearts well, why don't you just come out and talk?"
The woman patiently explained, "Look at our clothes. No matter which store you go to, any smart seller will rip you off."
The child sighed, "It's just that we are so embarrassed. It's too uncomfortable."
The woman squatted down, held the child's cheek with both hands, looked at the face that looked like his father, and said seriously, "Remember, cultivating the mind is also a part of cultivation. Cultivate strength in favorable circumstances and cultivate the mind in unfavorable circumstances. Both are indispensable."
The child shook his head, broke free from the woman's hands, and said unhappily, "Here comes this empty talk again. It's so annoying. "
The woman was a little helpless, but she didn't continue to teach the truth earnestly. She just felt that her child was talented and had a good foundation. She also had two surnames as a backer, so there was still a long way to go in the future. Although her temperament was a little paranoid and gloomy, she could just simmer slowly. It was the biggest mistake to force the growth of seedlings.
Listening to the boring conversation in the alley, the girl was a little worried, "Grandpa White Ape, what should we do if that person is unwilling to sell things?"
The old man with his hands and knees like a monkey smiled, "Then let him die. The old slave came here to deal with this worst-case scenario, otherwise the money would be wasted without even a sound. However, the safety of the young lady would be a little troublesome at that time, and it would probably have to be entrusted to the Ye family or the Li family. "
Putting aside other things, if he kills someone, although the old man will be expelled by the saint, it is better than a silent splash. It is like throwing a stone into the water, at least there will be some splashes.
However, the old man will never resort to such a last resort. After all, no matter how important the sword scripture is, no matter how precious it is to Zhengyang Mountain, it is far inferior to the longevity path of the young lady on his shoulder. At least that is what the old man thinks.
There are four surnames and ten clans in the town, headed by the Lu family.
But if it is placed outside, on the contrary, the Lu family is at the bottom. It originated from a dynasty ruled by the main branch of the Lu family. After being destroyed by the two major border armies of Dali, the Lu family's position in Dongbaopingzhou is already precarious.
On the other side of the alley, Ji Chenru was particularly annoyed when he heard Lu Zhengchun talking about high positions, huge wealth, and beautiful women, as if he was talking to Ye Dan who had dropped a bookcase. He stepped forward, pointed at Lu Zhengchun's nose and said firmly: "That armor is an ancestral heirloom of my Liu family, and it has nothing to do with money! Even if you let me move to your house today, from now on, you, Lu Zhengchun, call me grandpa every day, I will not bother to pay attention to you! Mr. Lu, do you hear me clearly?!"
Lu Zhengchun, who was standing alone at the entrance of Niping Alley, stared at the scoundrel in front of him. It was obvious that the barefoot were not afraid of the shoes. The eldest son of the Lu family wanted to die here.
Previously, he had been a lobbyist at the covered bridge, blocking Ji Chenru's way to the blacksmith shop, but he failed. When he returned to the house on Fulu Street, his grandfather had entertained those high-ranking guests and quietly called him to the secret room. He did not say anything harsh or talk about the family's great cause. He just pointed at the corpse under the white cloth and said, "Zhengchun, grandpa has no other requirements. I just hope that your brother will not die with regrets. I hope that on the seventh day, you have already walked out of the town, just to see the scenery outside for him."
Lu Zhengchun's eyes suddenly moistened, and he trembled and said, "Ji Chenru, I beg you, okay?"
Ji Chenru was stunned.
This young man with luxurious clothes and delicious food became more and more fragile and helpless, his lips trembling, and he cried, "Okay? I kneel down for you and admit my mistakes for you, okay?"
With a plop.
Lu Zhengchun knelt firmly on the muddy ground of Niping Lane and began to kowtow.
There is gold under a man's knees.
The young man kowtowed very clearly, with a loud bang.
At the foot of the outer wall of Niping Lane, the little girl kicked the old man's chest with her feet, thinking about which mountains she had seen along the way and which one to move back to her hometown.
The boy was a little gloating and asked casually: "Mom, is this Lu crazy? Are we really going to leave the town with a madman in the future? How embarrassing it would be?"
The woman had a complicated expression, thinking of many strange people and things she had witnessed with her own eyes, and she was hesitant to speak, and finally shook her head and said: "No."
Ji Chenru was a little at a loss.
The tall boy could not imagine that Lu Zhengchun would do this. The eldest grandson of the richest family in the town would kneel at his feet and kowtow?
Ji Chenru's face was tangled. At this moment, the boy in straw sandals who had been observing Ji Chenru and Lu Zhengchun suddenly pulled his sleeve and shook his head gently at him.
Ji Chenru couldn't bear it and said, "This is too outrageous..."
Wang Gu'an's eyes were firm and self-evident.
The carefree tall boy had already shown signs of being soft-hearted.
But in the eyes of the black-clothed girl, the straw sandal boy who was a good guy seemed extremely hard-hearted at this moment.
Wang Gu'an's intuition told him that if Ji Chenru agreed to the deal before Lu Zhengchun knelt down, he might suffer at most, but his life would not be in danger. But now Ji Chenru has fallen into the predicament he encountered before. If Mr. Liu had not intervened at that time, his fate would be to kill Fu Nanhua and then be killed, either by the people of Yunxia Mountain or Laolongcheng.
What's more fatal is that according to the "rules" told to him by Miss Ning, if Lu Zhengchun himself is a small town person, if he or the Lu family wants to kill Ji Chenru, Mr. Liu is very likely unable to control him.
Wang Gu'an thought about it, and while Lu Zhengchun was still kowtowing, he lowered his voice and said to Ji Chenru: "If it doesn't work, just pretend to agree to him. Let's meet Master Ruan first, and then we'll talk about it after you are accepted as an apprentice."
Ji Chenru nodded and said to Lu Zhengchun: "Brother, you'd better get up first, get up and talk! What the hell is going on with you!"
Lu Zhengchun didn't get up, but raised his head, and his red and swollen forehead was covered with dirt.
Ji Chenru said helplessly: "But you need to go back first and discuss with them to come up with a fair price. Don't fool me anymore. I'm not a fool. What two hundred strings of copper coins? Let's not talk about whether I will lose money. Just think about whether those nobles will think it's cheap?"
Lu Zhengchun slowly stood up and said with a smile: "That's right! As long as you are willing to give in, Ji Chenru, I, Lu Zhengchun, will be your brother in the future! It doesn't matter whether you recognize me or not, anyway, I recognize you!"
Ji Chenru walked over, put his arm around Lu Zhengchun's shoulder, and walked to the alley together, comforting him: "Old Lu, you must enjoy happiness with your brothers in the future. When this deal is concluded, I will treat you to a good drink anyway."
Lu Zhengchun wiped his forehead and laughed happily: "Drinking is not easy, what's the difficulty, and I'm here to treat you, how can I let you spend money, let's make a deal, otherwise I will be angry."
Ji Chenru laughed and said, "I knew that you were a kind person, Lao Lu. It's right to follow you in the future!"
Wang Gu'an followed the two of them, slightly leaning towards the wall of the alley, staring at the movement at the entrance of the alley.
————
The man in white robe led the young Ye Dan to the back hall of the supervisory office under the guidance of the old steward.
The steward said that Mr. Li from the academy who came from afar waited here for half an hour and said that he would leave for the academy to visit a Confucian elder.
Ye Jingchan said nothing about this, but just asked, "Has the assassin who died in the alley been found out who was the pawn of the force?"
The steward hesitated.
Ye Jingchan frowned and said, "Huh?"
The old man quickly bent down and said in panic, "It was the Ye family of Fulu Street."
Ye Jingchan sneered, "You don't even know how to give me a little surprise!"
The old steward was sweating profusely.
Ye Dan remained silent, his eyes burning.
In the school, Liu Chunshui gently put down his book and turned his head to look. Standing at the door was a handsome young man wearing a high hat and a scholar's robe, smiling but not speaking.
Liu Chunshui had a calm face and was serious.
In the town, a bald man wearing strange clothes, walking barefoot, with a haggard look, came to the iron lock well, looked into the deep well, put his hands together, closed his eyes and whispered: "Buddha sees a bowl of water, 180,000 insects."
Outside the town, on the top of a mountain, someone stood on the thick branch of a towering ancient tree, looking at the outline of the town, with a tiger talisman hanging from his waist and a long sword on his back.
Beyond this world.
On a long road that tilted upwards and seemed to lead to the sky, it was surrounded by clouds and mist, and no scenery could be seen.
There was a young Taoist nun with a yellow crown, riding a white deer, slowly climbing up.
There was another Taoist priest with a handsome face beside her, his steps were light and graceful, like flowing clouds and water, and two big fish with long beards, one red and one green, swam around him.
Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Soldiers, the three religions are one family, and they are about to gather in the town.
In the blacksmith shop by the stream in the south of the town, a father and a daughter were forging iron, and sparks flew like a gorgeous rain of fire.
The man held the sword embryo and said to the ponytail girl who was swinging the hammer: "Don't go to the town for a while."
The strength in the girl's hand immediately weakened a lot, and she felt that all the strength in her body had slipped away with the snacks in the town.
The man laughed angrily: "What a prospect!"
The girl turned her grief and anger into strength, and hit the red sword with a heavy hammer.
Under the shining sparks, the girl was like a fire god descending to the world.