Thirty-seven, the death of old age
The window on the second floor opened and he was pulled in.
"It's me!"
Without lamps, the Yuan Dynasty imposed a curfew.
But Song Qingshu heard the voice and said in surprise, "You are the old man!"
The person who pulled him was the old man who had a drink with him that day.
"It's me...what did my little brother do to get chased by the officers and soldiers?"
Song Qingshu smiled and said, "Hey, I couldn't sleep at night and went out for a walk. Unexpectedly, I was met by these officers and soldiers..."
The old man was silent for a while, and then said: "Little brother, you don't believe me. You are not telling the truth. Junzhou Prefecture has long pasted your portrait all over the city and outside. I recognized the painting at a glance.
You, I never thought that you are really a young hero, and you actually teamed up with the heroes of Baima Village to kill Wumalu, a dog official!"
Judging from his tone, he is probably a rebel!
So Song Qingshu stopped being careless and told him the story of how he was framed.
After hearing this, the old man sighed, "What a pity."
"If it's really what you did, you don't have to be humble. It's just that you were wronged, but this is troublesome... You can't get out of the city now. I will have a way to get you out of the city tomorrow morning."
Song Qingshu's expression changed. He was worried about how to escape tomorrow, but he didn't expect someone to give him a pillow when he fell asleep.
He actually trusts this old man. Some people are just acquaintances, but they can become close friends.
"I'll help you this time, and I'll be able to get all the wine you bought me last time."
One meal changed a life! Song Qingshu was glad that he did not drive the old man away at that time.
"Then I'll thank you in advance!" Song Qingshu said with cupped hands.
After spending a restless night holding the sword, Song Qingshu woke up as soon as the rooster crowed.
At this time, the sky was slightly bright, and he heard the sound of "ping -pong pong" downstairs. Song Qingshu clenched the sword.
I took a careful peek and saw that the old man was packing his things.
"These are antique calligraphy and paintings. I am taking them out of the city today. Later you will pretend to be my boy and show me the goods." The old man said as he packed them away.
Song Qingshu went downstairs and said again: "It's just that I'm afraid all the officers and soldiers know my appearance. I'm afraid that if I am recognized, you will be innocently harmed."
The old man glanced at him and laughed loudly: "Indeed, you don't look like ordinary people. You don't look like a coolie!"
"But don't worry, the mountain man has his own clever plan!" The old man said, and he rummaged through the cabinets and found a bunch of weird bottles and jars.
"I've been traveling around the world for many years, and I've seen a lot of strange things. Occasionally, I've acquired a miraculous skill that can change people's appearance."
"Disguise?" Song Qingshu was shocked, "Are you talking about the art of disguise?"
The old man nodded and said, "You can call it that. Although I am not good at learning, it is not difficult to make it for you so that the officers and soldiers can't recognize it."
After that, he asked Song Qingshu to go over and tinkered with medicines and unknown liquids in various bottles for a quarter of an hour. When Song Qingshu looked in the mirror again, what appeared in the bronze mirror was already a dark-skinned, average-looking young man.
Song Qingshu's previous appearance was the type that was so heroic and unforgettable at first glance. Now, if you fall into the crowd, you will never find that ordinary look.
"Your skills are also superb!"
Song Qingshu sighed, but the old man took out a pamphlet and handed it to him.
"This is the secret book of disguise. I compiled it based on what I learned. I originally planned to pass it on to my disciples. Unfortunately, I have been wandering for half my life without any disciples."
The old man sighed and said: "You can be considered my little friend. You will definitely need it now. When you leave the city later, you can do it yourself if you want to disguise yourself."
Song Qingshu nodded, his gratitude beyond words. The old man taught him the art of disguise. He could have called him master, but in the end he still couldn't speak.
"Thanks."
The old man waved his hand, "Put on your makeup, change into my servant's clothes, and help me carry the calligraphy and paintings onto the carriage."
The two worked hard for a long time, loaded half a cart with calligraphy and paintings, and then drove the carriage to the city gate.
Song Qingshu became a "fugitive" for the first time, and he couldn't help but sweat as he approached the city gate.
"What are you two doing?" A Han guard came up with a spear and asked.
"Sir, my car is full of calligraphy and painting. I went out of the city to do some business." The old man said humbly.
"Huh? We are arresting fugitives recently, and you, the old boy, are out of the city at this time... I think this boy looks very similar!" The guard said and was about to reach out to catch Song Qingshu.
Song Qingshu was startled. Could it be that there was a flaw in this disguise technique? He thought that his other hand had quietly touched the sword hidden on the inside of the car rail.
The old man intercepted the guard's hand and signaled Song Qingshu to calm down with his eyes. Then he jumped off the carriage and said to the guard with a smile, "My lord, this old man is also doing legitimate business. Please don't accuse me wrongly...
."
He took out a few grains of silver from his sleeves and said, "Master, this is the money for the wine. I'd like to invite a few of you for your convenience."
The soldier collected the money and waved to let him go.
"Fortunately, it's another one asking for bribes!" Song Qingshu was glad in his heart that these soldiers only wanted money rather than their lives.
After the carriage had gone far out of the city, the old man said leisurely: "You must not be impulsive just now. Most of the Yuan soldiers, especially the Han soldiers, can provide conveniences if they give money. As long as they are not imperial prisoners and the money is in place, they will all
Dare to let it go."
Song Qingshu nodded. A few years ago, he heard that some people in the Jianghu community pooled money to lure people from prisons.
The old man was driving the car, and Song Qingshu had time to take out the invitation from his arms and check it.
After taking one look, Song Qingshu was stunned.
The cover of this invitation is exactly the same, but when you open it, there are lines of beautiful small characters. There are only four large ink characters: Don't delay.
Opening another invitation, it read: Return to Wudang soon.
The invitation has been stolen!
Song Qingshu was stunned. Who took away the invitation card from under his pillow and deliberately left these reminders?
Back to Wudang...
He had an ominous premonition and hurriedly said: "Old man, let's go to the east of the city."
"What, you're not going back to Wudang?"
Song Qingshu took the invitation back into his arms and explained: "If I go back the way I came, I might not be able to go back. I plan to take the route from the east, then go north, and go around in a circle before going back."
Going east, there is a city named Xiangyang.
Song Qingshu suddenly discovered that this crisis was also an opportunity. Although he suffered an unjust injustice, he also got rid of several senior brothers and could travel alone in the world.
With his current strength, as long as he is careful and does not cause trouble, he can still live well.
"Okay." The old man was about to turn his horse around when suddenly there was a rapid sound of horse hooves coming from a distance.
Amid the loess smoke, a cavalcade arrived in an instant.
"No, it's the pursuers!" the old man said, untying the reins of the carriage, "horse and run!"
Fortunately, the horse was tall enough, so it could run even if two people rode on it. At this moment, a monk in yellow clothes flew over.
It was that first-class monk! Song Qingshu had no power to fight back in front of him. Unexpectedly, he also came after him. There was really no way to escape this time!
Song Qingshu drew his sword, "Old man, please leave quickly, I will deal with this person!"
While he was speaking, he had already used his strongest sword to strike at Monk Fan. He could only leave his sword to fate.
I saw the monk floating out a palm and actually neutralizing Song Qingshu's sword attack, and a huge force attacked him.
With a "pop" sound, Song Qingshu spat out a mouthful of blood, and the Song family heirloom sword in his hand had been broken into two pieces.
"Sure enough, I am really vulnerable in front of a first-class warrior!" Song Qingshu smiled bitterly.
The monk struck with another palm, intending to take only Song Qingshu's Tianling Cap and kill him on the spot!
Song Qingshu sighed, and when he was in despair, a person suddenly jumped out from behind and caught Fan Seng's palm.
"Old man? You actually know martial arts?" Song Qingshu said in surprise. He always thought that he was just an ordinary person, but he didn't expect that he was hiding it secretly!
The old man nodded, "I haven't used kung fu in many years, and I have almost forgotten it!"
As he spoke, he punched his arms, shouted loudly, and pushed out his palms - a strong force of energy surged along his palms toward Fan Seng.
The monk met him again, but was shocked and took a few steps back.
"Shaking Mountain Palm?" Song Qingshu didn't recognize this martial art. It was Wudang's Mountain Shaking Palm, which Yu Lianzhou had used before.
The old man grabbed Song Qingshu, jumped up, mounted his horse and flew away in the dust.
The monk looked at the direction in which the two men were fleeing rather fearfully, and stopped pursuing them. He only thought that the old man was a master of Wudang, and it seemed that he would not be able to kill the traitor today.
Rushing into a ruined temple, the old man suddenly fell to the ground. Song Qingshu stepped forward to check his pulse and found that his breath was disordered. He was obviously seriously injured!
Come to think of it, the old man is not a match for that monk yet. He may have suffered internal injuries when he forcibly brought out the Mountain Shaking Palm to fight with that monk.
Song Qingshu didn't know internal energy and couldn't heal his injuries, so he could only light a fire and wait for him to wake up. He didn't wake up until the afternoon, but his face was pale and his breath was weak. He might not be alive for long.
Song Qingshu felt guilty. He moved his lips and was about to speak, but the old man said, "Little brother...you don't need to say more. Wudang and I have a long history. If it weren't for Master Zhang's rescue back then, I would have been a dead man."
People are dead...Now that the Wudang disciples are in trouble, how can I not help them?"
So that was the case, Song Qingshu finally understood. If it was just a one-sided relationship, this old man should never risk his life to save her.
"It's just that I haven't mastered the Kung Fu Master Zhang taught me yet, cough cough..." The old man coughed out a mouthful of blood, and took out a booklet and a writing brush from his arms with trembling hands.
"There are only two things I can use in my life, one is the art of disguise, and the other is this pen."
It turned out that when he came to Junzhou this time, he heard about the bandit suppression and came to watch!
"The hero of Baimatai inspired me to write another book, but I don't have time to finish it! I have finished writing the outline...the thirty-six villages in Danjiang should have a total of thirty-six heavenly gangs."
!”
The old man took Song Qingshu's hand and said, "I only ask my little friend to complete this final work for me, but I will die without regrets!"
He had seen Song Qingshu's conversation before and thought he would live up to the outline of his novel.
Song Qingshu opened the book and looked at it. The first page read: It is said that Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty was in power. On March 3rd, the third year of Jiayou, at five o'clock in the morning, the emperor sat in the Zichen Palace and received congratulations from hundreds of officials... . .
Song Qingshu didn't know who this person was, but this was the first chapter of the later classic "Water Margin"!
"I want to make a wish for the heroes, hoping to reopen the Great Song Dynasty!" The old man raised his head and shouted.
Song Qingshu turned to the last page and saw the words "Huhai Sanren" written on it. He suddenly realized that this old man was Luo Guanzhong, the author of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms"!
"You are Senior Luo!" Song Qingshu was in awe, never expecting that this old man was actually the author of two of the four famous works he wanted to meet!
The old man waved his hand, "He's just an old man, and his name is insignificant. When I convert myself, there will be only Huhaisanren! Little brother, thank you..."
After the old man finished speaking, he took his last breath.
It took a long time for Song Qingshu to recover from the impact. Who would have thought that Luo Guanzhong in history would be a martial arts master, and he would lose his life because of himself.
Holding the volume, Song Qingshu felt heavy, which was the weight of life.
"I can only restore this wonderful book by relying on my memory!"
Chapter completed!