Xu Dangren leaned leisurely on the recliner, holding a long sword in his arms and stroking it gently.
Ever since he came to Tianxuan City, the old man has been like this when he has free time.
He moved a wicker chair and sat at the door of the small courtyard, where he stayed all day.
At first, Chu Qingxiao was a little worried. Xu Dangren was not very adaptable to life in Tianxuan City.
After all, there seems to be some unpleasantness between Jianyue City and Tianxuan City.
For this reason, he and Yue Jian even went to the old man to communicate with him about the matter.
But the old man said that he liked this place very much and liked to stay like this - after half a lifetime of wandering, he was very satisfied with his current stable life.
Chu Qingxiao didn't know if what he said was sincere, but if he wanted to leave here, he had to wait until Zhao Nianshuang came out of seclusion and greeted her before leaving for Xizhou, so he could only do this for the time being.
At this moment, everyone in the courtyard was busy with their own affairs.
Meng Ziliang went to teach his employer the sword.
Meng Jin took Zhu Quan and left early in the morning. According to her, she had to use her own way to make Zhu Quan change his ways, but Chu Qingxiao did not have high hopes for this.
Chu Zhaozhao and Ziyu had to continue to consolidate their cultivation, and Yue Jian didn't know where they went.
However, Lu Sandao was still drinking by himself at the stone table in the small courtyard. According to the agreement, she had to go to the Yaoguang Sword Pond with Chu Qingxiao today.
Seeing that Chu Qingxiao had packed up and walked out of the house, Lu Sandao, who was drinking vigorously, hurriedly hid his wine bottle behind his back, wiped the wine stains on his mouth, and looked at Chu Qingxiao with a naive smile: "Little... Xiaoqing
Xiao, I'm ready, let's go."
"belch!"
Chu Qingxiao rolled his eyes, there was nothing he could do about this Jiu Mengzi.
"We'll talk later, Senior Sister Lu, you can rest for a while," Chu Qingxiao said.
"Okay, then I'll drink for a while... ah no, I mean to take a break." Lu Sandao said.
Chu Qingxiao was already used to this. He ignored the other party and walked straight to the old man sitting at the entrance of the small courtyard.
The old man was holding a teapot in one hand and stroking the sword in his arms with the other, looking contented.
Chu Qingxiao stood beside him, took a deep breath, and was about to ask a question.
"That sword is good." But before he could say anything, Xu Dangren's voice came out at this moment.
"Huh?" Chu Qingxiao was stunned when he heard this.
But he reacted the next moment, but still asked in shock: "How did senior know?"
Xu Dangren did not turn his head to face Chu Qingxiao, but drank a cup of tea by himself, and immediately said: "Although my eyes are blind, my ears are not deaf yet."
"And the sword in your sword case is a bit noisy."
When he was in Cangying Village, Xu Dangren mentioned more than once that he had the ability to listen to swords. Chu Qingxiao thought it was a bit exaggerated at first, but only now did he know that the other party did have such an ability.
After a brief moment of surprise, Chu Qingxiao asked again: "In the opinion of the seniors, should I return this sword to the Yaoguang Sword Pond?"
When the question came out, Xu Dangren, who was lying on the wicker chair, obviously paused in his movements, and then turned his head towards Chu Qingxiao.
"In this life, people need to make decisions every moment."
"From what to eat tonight to what to wear tomorrow."
"From which girl you like to what you do for a living."
"I helped you make a decision today. If you encounter problems in the future, who will help you make a decision? After all, I am quite old. Obviously I cannot live forever."
Xu Dangren's words were a bit serious.
Chu Qingxiao felt that this was not necessary, after all, he just wanted some advice.
"I..." With this thought in mind, he was about to argue.
"Then do you think it is a sword? Or a person?" But after the words left his mouth, Xu Dangren asked again.
This time, Chu Qingxiao was stunned, and then said: "I don't understand, is there any difference?"
"If it is just a sword, but it is the sword of Tianxuan Mountain, then it must follow the rules of Tianxuan Mountain. When it is time to return to the sword pool, it must naturally return to the sword pool." Xu Dangren said very relaxedly.
Chu Qingxiao frowned and said, "But he doesn't seem to be just a sword."
"Do you think he is human?" the old man asked.
Chu Qingxiao hesitated for a while and responded: "At least it's very close to the category of a person."
"Then since he is a human being, why do you make decisions for him?" Xu Dangren asked.
This question made Chu Qingxiao tremble. He looked at Xu Dangren in surprise, only to see a faint smile on the corner of his mouth.
Chu Qingxiao suddenly understood, and he quickly saluted Xu Dangren: "Thank you, senior."
After saying this, he didn't stop and ran quickly towards the outside of the courtyard.
The old man on the wicker chair listened to the young man's departure, and slowly lay down on the wicker chair again. While stroking the sword in his arms, he murmured in a voice that only he could hear:
"What a sword."
"It's a pity that I was born in Tianxuan Mountain..."
Behind him, the woman drinking wine on the stone table also took a big gulp of wine.
Her brows and eyes were full of drunkenness, but at this moment, the corner of her eye was staring at the sword in the old man's arms that had never been unsheathed.
…
"These friends of yours are more affectionate and righteous than I thought." Meng Jin held a silver gun in his hand, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Zhu Quan who was standing aside with interest.
Logically speaking, Zhu Quan should be very proud at this time, after all, this is his most powerful evidence against Meng Jin.
But in fact, Zhu Quan's face looked particularly ugly at this moment. He stared at the scene in front of him dumbfounded. All of his companions were knocked to the ground by Meng Jin in less than ten seconds.
At this moment, they were lying on the ground in a mess, covering their chests or legs with their mouths and wailing in a low voice.
"You see, as long as you are willing to practice swordsmanship, you might be able to do this one day." Meng Jin put the silver gun back behind him and gave Zhu Quan a good prospect of a bright future.
Zhu Quan had no intention of understanding Meng Jin. After he came to his senses, he hurriedly untied the rope from his body and walked quickly to one of his companions.
"Brother Gu, are you okay?" he asked slightly anxiously.
When the young man surnamed Gu heard the sound, he covered his chest and sat up reluctantly. His face turned pale and he shook his head. He glanced at Meng Jin beside him and said with lingering fear: "This girl is merciful, and...
It didn’t hurt any vital parts, and it should be fine after the pain lasts for a while.”
Zhu Quan couldn't help but thank Meng Jin.
He could only ask again: "Why are you so reckless today? She is just trying to be fresh. In a few days, she will be like those guys before. When she sees that she can't take me down, she will leave in despair."
Meng Jin was obviously not the first person to accept this commission. Several people before him also tried various methods to get Zhu Quan to submit, but in the end they all failed.
But the young man surnamed Gu said with a wry smile: "We have received news that the plan of Zhijian Tang has been advanced, and we will go to Shanshuigou to drive away the residents today..."
"What?" Zhu Quan's expression suddenly changed after hearing this.
"Where's Uncle Meng?" Zhu Quan asked again.
"Everything is ready, just waiting for you!" the young man surnamed Gu said again.
"Let's go!" Zhu Quan said immediately without any further nonsense.
The young people around him also got up from the ground in embarrassment, preparing to follow Zhu Quan and leave.
Meng Jin looked on in confusion, but she obviously would not let Zhu Quan leave so easily.
At that time, she stretched out a hand and put it on Zhu Quan's shoulder, saying: "Performing such a play is like running away. Do you think I am too stupid?"
Zhu Quan's departure was paused at this moment. He slowly turned his head to the side, and his profile no longer had the slightest trace of fear and cowardice.
Instead, he became a bit colder and more determined.
Meng Jin was keenly aware of this change, and her heart trembled.
"Miss Meng, at another time I will accompany you to make fun of you and satisfy your bad taste of giving advice on other people's lives."
"But today, I'm sorry."
"I'm not very free."
After he said this, Meng Jin suddenly felt a burning sensation on the fingertips of his hand on Zhu Quan's shoulder.
The stinging pain made her blush and she quickly retracted her hand.
But in this moment of confusion, Zhu Quan had already led the group of young people and left quickly.
Meng Jin finally came to her senses. She subconsciously looked at her fingertips and saw that her fingertips were a little red. Obviously, the burning sensation was real and not her imagination.
…
Sun Li burped.
He stretched out his hand to wipe the wine stains on his beard and walked unsteadily on the streets of Tianxuan City.
He walked aimlessly.
He just wanted to visit the sect where he had lived for many years.
He has been coming to Tianxuan Mountain since he was very young.
Although his talent is average and his qualifications are mediocre.
But he wanted to learn swordsmanship from a very early age - he wanted to be a swordsman who could wield a sword across the world and eradicate evil.
If you encounter injustice on the road, draw your sword to help.
If you meet interesting people on the road, drink and chat with them.
Happy grudges, carefree and at ease.
Among the sword sects in the world, Tianxuan City is second to none.
Naturally, he came here because of the reputation.
Now that I think about myself at that time, I was indeed a bit naive.
After all, to be such a carefree swordsman, in addition to having a chivalrous and righteous heart, you must also have matching talents and qualifications.
The way of spiritual practice is so cruel.
No matter how hard you try, you can't compare to someone else's sudden flash of inspiration.
However, Sun Li did not regret his original decision.
Although he did not become such a carefree swordsman, at least he still did many meaningful things in his life.
He had been to Longjiang City, where he killed the Wei people who entered the country and massacred the people of Yu.
I went to Ningzhou in the east and dealt with the resurrected Long Kui.
He also went to the Suye Kingdom in southern Xinjiang to suppress the demons and foreign gods that descended here.
He once drank strong wine with his fellow soldiers in a deadly situation, and fought his way into the enemy's formation during a flag hunt, fighting to the death.
He once held a candlelight night walk with his beloved girl at Shangyuling Lake. He heard her voice like a silver bell, saw her dancing gracefully, and said that he and his wife would grow old together.
He also once watched the Taoist ancestor of the Li family attain Taoism on Taishen Mountain, ascending to the Heavenly Gate in one step, and became a Taoist saint.
Although in most stories, he is just an inconspicuous or even dispensable supporting role.
But compared to ordinary people, his life was wonderful enough and lucky enough.
He is very satisfied with this.
Although it is true that he is not happy, at least he is doing chivalry and justice, holding the sword for his sect and for the justice in his heart.
…
only.
The young man wearing bright clothes and angry horses will one day have gray hair.
Sun Li couldn't escape this rule either.
After his old friends left one by one and he could no longer lift the sword, he chose to retreat from Shenhe Peak and spend his remaining years in Tianxuan Mountain.
A few years ago, he could practice a set of sword skills in the morning to stretch his muscles.
But in recent years, his body has gradually become worse than before.
He understood that that day was coming soon.
His girl unfortunately died in the hands of the Wei people in the battle of Longjiang City thirty years ago.
From then on, he never had the intention to look at the girls next to him, no matter how beautiful they were.
He had no descendants, and the only thing he cared about was the sword that had been with him for more than forty years.
And now, its matter has finally been resolved.
Sun Li could wait for that day without any worries.
But after all, they are still not used to living without it. After all, they have been getting along day and night for so many years.
He only knows the heart of the sword, and the sword knows his will.
Probably because of this, Sun Li drank a lot of wine today and then wandered aimlessly in Tianxuan City.
He remembered that when he first came to Tianxuan City, Tianxuan City was not so big.
But in the past few decades, the changes have indeed been rapid.
Today's Tianxuan City has been expanded more than ten times compared to before.
Outer disciples with long swords on their waists can be seen everywhere. They are walking on the streets, discussing the art of swordsmanship and talking about how to practice.
This is a thriving scene.
Many years later, these disciples, like him, will be promoted to the inner sect, and then they will get their own spiritual swords, slay demons, and act chivalrously.
This honor should be passed down from generation to generation for eternity.
And there may be a tiny bit of his contribution in this.
Thinking of this, Sun Li felt somewhat honored.
With this thought in mind, he turned into an alley again.
But the scene in front of him made him frown suddenly.
How come Tianxuan City still has such a boundary?
Such thoughts came to his mind.
In front of us are rows of low shanties. At a glance, this dilapidated scene seems to have no end in sight.
The smell of rot is permeating the air, sewage is flowing on the ground, and rats and insects can be seen everywhere, but the ragged residents living there seem to have become accustomed to all this.
"Are they also disciples of Tianxuan Mountain?" Such doubts filled Sun Li's mind.
He was a little puzzled.
He felt that Tianxuan City should not have such a place, nor should there be such embarrassed disciples.
Tianxuan City is so big that most of the time, for an old man like him, just traveling between the east and north of the city is enough to meet all his needs.
So much so that he never knew that there were such a large number of people trapped in the mud to the west of Tianxuan City.
Why did they end up like this?
Sun Li was a little confused.
"We notified you three days ago that you have to move out of here!"
"This is the land of Tianxuan City, not a place for people like you to live!"
Just when Sun Li was confused, a voice filled with contempt and anger came from not far away.
Sun Li looked up and saw a large group of disciples wearing Liuhuan Peak uniforms, led by a middle-aged man, entering the shanty town.
They were like a herd of wild bulls rushing in, tearing apart the shacks that were simple but enough to provide shelter from the wind and rain. From time to time, they spoke with a bit of arrogance towards those who were trying to protect themselves.
The residents of his home exchanged harsh words with each other.
The scene was chaotic.
There were children with dirt on their faces standing in front of the collapsed shacks, howling and crying.
A woman in ragged clothes hugged a disciple's thigh and begged loudly, but was kicked away.
Several men gathered in front of the leading Liuhuan Peak disciple, saying good things about giving him a few more days of grace.
But he was also beaten by a group of disciples.
Sun Li was a little angry.
He touched his waist and wanted to pull out his sword.
Just like every time before.
But this time, his hand came up empty.
He suddenly realized that his sword was no longer there.
And not only that.
His cultivation level has begun to decline, his hands and feet are no longer agile, and even his eyes are a little dim, unable to catch the opponent's offensive.
Even the little spiritual power and sword intention left in the body have become sluggish.
But after a slight hesitation, he still stepped forward.
Just like many years ago.
The young man in green clothes and the angry horse in bright clothes.