Huaiping Prefecture, that is, Huaiping County Prefecture, is not only the capital of Huaiping County, but also the economic and political center of the entire Huaizhou.
Although it is a prefecture, it has a vast territory and is located in the Huaiping Plain. In terms of area alone, it is equivalent to an ordinary small county.
As the transportation hub of the whole state, it is connected to the official road stations that extend in all directions, and it is located just on the main road of the Taihuai River. You can take a boat directly down to Taizhou, so the river trade is also extremely prosperous.
If you are on the famous Taihuai Ferry, it is said that you can see a real scene of hundreds of boats competing against each other and thousands of sails working together.
The clouds are light and the wind is gentle, and the sky is clear and blue.
Step over and moo, step over and moo.
A regular machine noise mixed with strange cow noises echoed above the official road.
Looking from a distance, I saw a green-black carriage that looked like a small house, covered with iron armor, speeding along the spacious official road.
The cart is not pulled by a horse, but by an ox beast called the Mangshan Ox. Its size is not ordinary, it is three to four meters tall. It has three horns, its body is pitch black, and its tail is like a snake's tail.
The force was so great that it caused the carriage to fly up.
The neat and spacious official road has also been renovated and paved with something similar to a track. The carriage wheels run on it, making little rumble sound. Therefore, dragged by Mangshan oxen, the speed is much faster than ordinary carriages.
"Obviously it is a simple ox-drawn cart, just like the ox-carts in my hometown. Why is the ox-cart in this county so fast? Is it because the black ox is stronger than the old ox that I raise at home?"
Wang Shouyi sat upright on the wooden chair, placing his hands steadily on his knees, not squinting, but occasionally looking out of the car window with his peripheral vision, marveling in his heart.
He comes from Huaiping County, a small village under Yuan'an County.
My father's generation has always made a living by farming. He grew up in the soil, and his original life was naturally not easy and comfortable.
However, the brothers of his father's generation were born with good luck. Once when they went into the mountains to collect medicine, they happened to encounter fierce beasts fighting each other. They became fishermen and picked up the corpses of two blind bears and returned to the village.
The family, by paying the grain tax, donated the animal carcasses to Liu Bapi in the village. Taking this opportunity, they got some benefits. When they carried out the spiritual field reconstruction decree above, they allocated several fertile fields and added them.
With various tax cuts, life is fine.
Not surprisingly, in a few years, when the family has a better foundation, they will be able to find a wife. She may not be beautiful, but she will definitely be strong and can help the family.
In the future, if you give birth to a few fat boys, drag them up, and have a family with three generations living under the same roof, it will be a normal thing.
If you think about it this way, it's actually not bad.
But Wang Shouyi was unwilling to accept it.
As the strongest young man in the village, he has been very strong since he was a child and has a lot of supernatural power. He can overturn a pig at the age of fourteen or fifteen. Every time he goes up the mountain, he can catch at least two rabbits and take them home.
Thanks to a unique encounter, he learned a few Sanshou moves from an old Taoist priest in the Chenghuang Temple, and his skills became even better.
Now three or five big men can't get in. After that, it only took three months for him to achieve the goal of unblocking his muscles, which made the old Taoist priests call him a genius.
Because of this, not only this village, but also matchmakers from several nearby villages came in droves, almost breaking the threshold, and even threatened to get a wife without any gift. In the eyes of the singles in the village, it was just a dream.
Even the old mother at home felt very relieved and began to clean up the house in preparation for welcoming her daughter-in-law.
But in the end he refused.
Compared to farming peacefully, Wang Shouyi was even more fascinated by the loess land where he could see the scene thirty years later at a glance, the breath of wilderness, and the loyal rivers and lakes.
Therefore, he ignored the dissuasion from his family and even had a big quarrel with his old father. He stubbornly took some savings and set out for Huaiping, where he visited a martial arts school and practiced martial arts, determined to do something big!
At the speed of Mercedes-Benz, he looked at the mountains on both sides of the official road, which were getting smaller and smaller, and felt excited and uneasy in his heart.
I knew I was entering the Huaiping Plain.
Going all the way north, you can reach Huaiping City, the real core of Huaizhou.
At this time, along the endless official road, you can even vaguely see the shadow of a magnificent and majestic city, sitting majestically and solemnly on the other side of the sky.
He took a deep breath and inadvertently glanced at the other passengers in the car.
There are muscular knights wearing martial arts shorts, there are walking businessmen with exquisite clothes and steady faces, and there are also young knights and girls who have an arrogant face and talk loudly from time to time.
Of course, there are more farmers like him in commoners who are determined to find a living in the county. After all, as the capital, even if they work hard, they can make more money than farming in their hometown.
However, most of these people had their heads lowered and behaved in a reserved manner. They looked like they were from the countryside.
Wang Shouyi, who was a little nervous at first, was relieved unconsciously when he saw this.
He was wearing a smart outfit, had short hair, was tall, and had bulging muscles. He looked nothing like these people!
Thinking of this, he began to imitate those dashing knights, relaxed slightly, unintentionally pulled open his clothes, revealing his strong pectoralis major muscles, shook his head, and looked around.
"Are you going to Huaiping too?"
At this moment, a voice suddenly appeared next to him, almost startling Wang Shouyi,
"Yes, in the past few years, I have been wandering outside and haven't been home for a long time. I didn't expect such a big change. Brother, are you the same?"
He pretended to be bold and said, deliberately or unintentionally showing that he was a local and had a foothold, and finally asked a question to take the initiative.
Only then did he look at the man talking next to him.
He has a bald head, and although his brows and eyes have a calm expression, his sharp-edged face is powerful without being angry.
Wearing a black robe, although the style is old, the materials used are extraordinary at first glance. Although the body is covered to some extent, it cannot hide his burly figure. At first glance, he is a tyrannical person. He is really on the edge of a knife.
The guy who licks blood.
Although he also sits upright, his temperament is simply not comparable to that of a fake like him.
After observing the crowd around him and subconsciously making space for them, Wang Shouyi came to this conclusion.
It's just that such a fierce person, why would he talk to me for nothing? Is it because his posture is too arrogant?
Slowly, he put his legs together, put his hands on his knees again, put on his clothes neatly, and returned to his previous appearance.
"I'm not. My hometown is far away. I heard that Huaiping is the capital of martial arts in Huaizhou, so I came here specifically to learn martial arts."
The one who spoke was naturally Lin Mo.
After he handed over the Lin family's affairs and left a letter to Lin Yuantian and others, he set out on his own and set foot on the road to Lingtai Sect.
During this period, traveling in the wild was easy. With his current strength, in the mountains and forests that seemed dangerous to ordinary people, without going to the depths of the mountains, it was basically like walking on flat ground. It only took him less than half a month to reach Huaiping.
After leaving the forest, he followed the crowd and boarded this strange-looking ox-armored cart that even gave him a sense of familiarity.
'They are also outsiders, coming here to practice martial arts?'
Wang Shouyi instantly found a sense of belonging in the strong man next to him, and even overcame the fear and fear in his heart.
Because he is also from out of town! And he also came to study and practice martial arts!
There is no difference between the two!
Thinking of this, this simple man who was over two meters tall couldn't help but laugh, and his tone became a little excited:
"Yes, Huaiping is a really big city. In the entire Huaizhou, martial arts is the most prosperous. I heard that there are martial arts schools all over the place, and there are even many major sects."
He sighed with emotion, his words were full of longing. After he finished speaking, he realized that he had made a mistake. His face suddenly became hot and he lowered his head in embarrassment.
But what he didn't expect was that the strong man in front of him didn't seem to hear the flaw in his words, and instead nodded with deep understanding.
"This is natural. You must know that the two top powers in Huaizhou, Qianshan Sect and Lingtai Sect, are both located in Huaiping. This is not a holy land of martial arts. How else can it be?" At this time, another person in the same carriage came.
Passengers also chimed in.
"However, although there are many major sects and powerful inheritances, the corresponding requirements are also strict. Most of them require disciples who have been trained since childhood. It is difficult to get in halfway. Not only do you have to check the foundation and pay attention to character, but you also have to be truly talented and beautiful.
OK,
Therefore, after entering the city, don’t aim too high and go directly to those powerful sects, which is a waste of time and effort with no results. Finally, find some sect affiliated with you, slowly advance through the ranks, and when you reach a certain level, you can also get subsidies from the Yanwu Division.”
Seeing Lin Mo's extraordinary temperament, the man thought about it and reminded him again.
"Doesn't that mean you don't have to spend money to practice martial arts? What a good thing!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Shouyi on the side widened his eyes and couldn't help but scream.
You must know that he doesn't have much money, and there are no forest rabbits for him to hunt in Huaiping, so he is ready to do half-work and half-martial arts.
I didn't expect to get such good news in the car. It was really exciting.
He quickly came forward and asked:
"Brother, what kind of thing is this martial arts performance and how much is the subsidy? How can we get it when we go to the city?"
He asked three questions in a row, which made the speaker confused.
Only then did Lin Mo take a serious look at the person sitting across from him.
This man is very young, in his early twenties, wearing a white shirt, with an average face, unremarkable, but his eyes are extremely bright. Although he speaks calmly, his facial features cannot hide his arrogance.
He should be a member of the family who has never been severely beaten.
At this time, the man also came back to his senses. He glanced at Lin Mo, then at Wang Shouyi, who looked eager, and at the people in the carriage who were attracted by the shouts. He felt a little embarrassed, but still whispered:
"The Performing Martial Arts Department is an organization set up by the Great Zhou Dynasty in recent years. It is only to further promote martial arts. As long as you are of high level and go to the door for verification and inspection, and there is no evidence of committing a crime, you can obtain it.
But in the end, it is just to enhance the martial arts atmosphere among the people. Therefore, the symbolic meaning of the subsidy is greater than the actual meaning. If you want to rely on it for daily practice, it is not enough.
It's usually right next to the city lord's palace. It's very conspicuous and you can find it as soon as you go there.
I would like to remind you that martial arts requires more resources as you go further along the way. If you go to Huaiping, when you get off the bus, there will be many people dragging you into a gang hall.
At that time, no matter how good the other party's verbal promise is, don't agree easily or follow suit.
If you want to practice martial arts, it’s best to find a formal martial arts hall registered with the Yamen, or a sect’s annex.”
The man said emphatically to Wang Shouyi.
Naturally, he saw his true identity. Although he was tall, he was just like an embroidered pillow, with little traces of martial arts.
On the contrary, this person in front of me...
Ma Tianbao looked at Lin Mo, who was wearing black robes across from him, and his heart skipped a beat. He had an indescribable feeling, just like when he was facing an elder in his clan. This was why he answered the call.
"In short, when you get to the county, you always have more opportunities and resources than the outside world. Just like the armored ox cart we are riding in, which was developed by public losers and can travel thousands of miles a day, how can people in other places imagine it?
I heard that the Ministry of Industry is planning to connect the main roads around the county, and the transportation will be more convenient by then, what do you think, Master?"
"Um?……"
Lin Mo was startled, and when he looked at Ma Tianbao's gaze, he realized that he was asking himself.
He subconsciously touched his bald head, smiled and nodded,
"The road to martial arts is difficult and difficult, but as long as you persist and practice Sanfu in the winter and Sanfu in the summer, you will definitely be able to get ahead. And in a martial arts holy place like Huaiping, you will definitely be faster. The key is to see yourself."
"Then...what should I do then?"
This young man who walked out of the mountain village felt a little confused after his mood rose and he asked unconsciously.
The man smiled and said, "If I were you, I would join a martial arts school or other academy in the early stage and practice to a certain level. Then there will be many ways to earn resources. If you don't want to kill, you can work as a guardian for the rich clan.
Or give enlightenment to those martial arts boys. Generally speaking, there is no danger. The higher you enter the power level, the better the treatment.
If you have a strong sense of combat, then go take on missions from the faction, or go out hunting, etc.
By the way, I heard that the imperial court has issued more official tasks recently, and the treatment is also good, so you can give it a try when the time comes."
After saying that, he looked at Lin Mo inadvertently,
"My name is Ma Tianbao. May I ask the master's name?"
Lin Mo thought for a while, shook his head and smiled, "I'm not a monk, just call me Lin Mo."
"It's Ma who was abrupt..." Ma Tianbao suddenly felt embarrassed.
The main reason was that Lin Mo had a bald head, a serious face, and an upright posture, which made him think he was a monk.
After this misunderstanding, the atmosphere became much more harmonious.
Lin Mo took the opportunity to inadvertently ask a lot of questions and get a preliminary understanding of Huaiping.
For example, in Huaiping, a huge city, dragons and snakes are mixed together, and there are many forces, but overall it can be divided into "one army, two sects, six families and thirteen factions".
The first army among them naturally refers to Zhou Shengjun.
As the capital of a state, the Great Zhou Dynasty has extremely powerful forces here. Not only are there the rumored Yin Army who have assembled military formations, but there are also powerful iron-blooded military leaders who suppress one side.
As for the two sects, they are the Qianshan Sect and the Lingtai Sect. Both of them have been in power for thousands of years and have a profound foundation. They have quite a reputation even in other states.
The Six Families and Thirteen Factions are forces at a lower level.
But even the weakest one has a master standing by.
Lin Mo couldn't help but sigh. It was worthy of being a county government. This was simply a bigger stage, with a county or even a state as its stage.
While listening, he expressed his own opinions.
There was a strange sound of striding and mooing in my ears, mixed with a few muffled snorts, and I was thinking about how to get to Lingtai Sect.
You must know that the real Lingtai Sect's mountain gate is not in Huaiping City, but in the Lingtai Mountains on its east side. Ordinary people really don't know where it is.
"Brother Lin, after arriving in Huaiping, I wonder where you will go to practice martial arts?"
Ma Tianbao, who was sitting across from him, took out a bottle of home-brewed Linggu wine that he claimed had been brewing for decades, filled three glasses, and chuckled.
"For now..."
Lin Mo shook his head and was about to answer, but suddenly his eyes froze and he looked out the window.
Roar!
The next moment, a shocking beast roar came from the distance.