The next day, the three of them crossed the Jinsha River and headed to the Erhai Lake in the southwest. The weather gradually turned colder. As Cheng Zhan said, as far as the eye could see were mountains and plains with no roads and the terrain gradually rose. The terrain of the mountains and plains was complex, but the beautiful scenery was endless.
.
The Hengduan Mountains extend from the Tubo Plateau to northwest Yunnan, then to the southeast to form the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and then across the Jinsha River to Maoshan and Hushan. It rises and falls, with heights varying by hundreds of feet. They are all folded mountain shapes, forming the western part of Dianchi Lake.
The great longitudinal valley stretches for hundreds of miles.
The Jinsha River loops back south in the northwest of Erhai Lake and flows eastward to the Bashu District. The mountains are rolling far and near, the springs are clear, the streams are shallow, the forests are deep, and there are no people in sight, making it like a paradise.
That night, the three of them camped in a valley, brought game, and made a fire to barbecue.
The three of them sat by the campfire, eating in silence, and the atmosphere was strange.
Feng Guoting sighed: "You two guys are forcing me to talk."
Long Ying said: "If you don't tell us, it doesn't matter. We can only be your followers and follow you to see where you lead us."
Wan Renyu said: "If you don't say it, you have to say it. Now that we have entered the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the more I know about your affairs, the more I can make decisions for you. It is better for three brothers to think together than for you to think wildly alone."
Feng Guoting smiled bitterly and said: "Now that the matter has come to this, what is there to hide? Alas! For more than ten years, I have been accustomed to keeping things secret in my heart, so it is difficult to speak out at the moment."
Long Ying said in surprise: "Young Master must be twenty-seven or eight years old at most. Ten years ago, it was seventeen or eight years old. Didn't it happen more than ten years ago when you were thirteen or fourteen years old?"
Feng Guoting said: "Your ability to judge people's age is far from your ability to judge weight. I am now in my thirties, one year younger than Wan Ye. However, I started my career very early, and I started wandering around at the age of thirteen.
Wandering.”
Wan Renyu said in surprise: "Thirteen years old? How can your parents allow you to wander outside?"
Feng Guoting said bitterly: "I ran away from home, assuming it can be considered a home. I was born in a peasant family and lived in a mountain village near Chengdu. My parents worked in farming to make a living. However, when I was nine years old, my parents fell ill one after another.
He passed away, leaving me and my eldest sister to depend on each other. Fortunately or unfortunately, my eldest sister was beautiful and was spotted by a wealthy family when she was doing business in Chengdu. She took her as a concubine, so I moved to Chengdu with her. The wealthy family's first wife had already been there for a long time.
During the funeral, I also had two concubines who treated my eldest sister like a jewel, and loved my house and my family. I was able to read and write. However, I always felt dissatisfied in my heart, thinking that my eldest sister was like a flower stuck in cow dung. This
The wealthy man named Zhang was full of vulgarity and was more than twenty years older than his eldest sister. His nine children, born to his wife and his concubines, were very hostile to me, so I had no choice but to hang around outside all day long.
I am most interested in Taoism, so I learned something from several Taoist masters who are proficient in martial arts, but they don’t regard me as their disciples, and I learned most of them secretly.”
Long Ying said: "Is this the first time you are telling these past events?"
Feng Guoting said: "I have indeed never told anyone. Looking back now, I deserved to be hated. His grandma, no matter how hard those idiots try, I can understand that the body
He became stronger and stronger due to his martial arts practice, and he became proficient in the world of martial arts because he was half a wild child. By the time he was fourteen, he was already as tall as an adult, so it would be strange not to be jealous."
Wan Renyu said: "Do you even pay less attention to them?"
Feng Guoting said: "At that time, I was young and energetic, and I relied on my intelligence. Naturally, I didn't take them seriously. One day, the five sons of the rich family, together with three young servants, tried to teach them a lesson in the back garden.
I. Alas! How could I know how to hold back in that situation? I beat them until they all lay on the ground and couldn't get up. But I was more afraid than they were, so I hurriedly left the letter and ran away, never to go back again."
Wan Renyu frowned and said, "Don't you miss my eldest sister?"
Feng Guoting said: "She just gave birth to a son for a wealthy family, and her care for me is not as good as before. My leaving can save her a lot of worries. Alas! That's not how things are. She will definitely be worried about me.
She ran away heartbroken. I didn’t dare to go back to find her, let alone check on her situation, because I was afraid of knowing things I didn’t want to know. She is a very kind person.”
Both Long Ying and Wan Renyu were speechless, because they had never thought that the elegant and elegant chief swordsman of the imperial court had such an unbearable origin.
Feng Guoting said solemnly: "This is also a turning point in my life. At that time, I was fifteen years old. I had just celebrated my birthday. On the top of a mountain, I witnessed two eagles fighting each other in the sky, starting a fierce chase. From this I realized
I was fascinated by the superb fencing skills, so I cut bamboo into swords and lived like a savage in the mountains. I studied the swordsmanship day and night and created the forty-nine "original moves" of my swordsmanship.
"
Wan Renyu nodded and said: "This is the training process of all martial arts masters. The most powerful moves are all created by themselves."
Feng Guoting looked up at the night sky, his eyes filled with the affection of memories, and his tone of voice became slower and as quiet as water: "I also remembered a legend I heard from an old Taoist priest who had traveled all over the world. It was near Dali, in the high mountains.
Hidden in a place called the Eagle's Nest, a group of giant psychic eagles gather together, and then they are born to broaden their horizons, which can also be regarded as an ascetic practice in the way of swordsmanship."
Long Ying said: "So we are going to Dali." He couldn't help but remember that Wu Sansi had mentioned that there was a group of soft and boneless Kabuki actors from Dali.
Feng Guoting said: "Dali is just the name we Han people call it because the place is rich in marble. It is located at the boundary between the forces of the Sui Zhao and Meng Xunzhao. It is a large market and fishing village. The locals call it 'Erxi Market'
, because there are many marble workshops concentrated in the area, hence the name Dali."
Wan Renyu said: "The eagle's nest should be in the west of Dali, where the famous Cangshan Mountain is."
Feng Guoting said: "Dali is located at the intersection of the Hengduan Mountains and the Ailao Mountains. The most famous one is of course Cangshan Mountain. The eighteen streams between the nineteen peaks of Cangshan Mountain flow into the Erhai Lake in the east. The long and narrow Erhai Lake runs parallel to Cangshan Mountain.
It is shaped like a human ear, which is also the origin of the name of Erhai Lake. The only outlet of Erhai Lake is the West Erhe River, and the south flow merges with the Lancang River. There are vast tracts of fertile land between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, which is the most fertile land in the Erhai District and a hotly contested place for all imperial edicts.
You have to see it with your own eyes to understand what a charming area it is.”
The two of them listened leisurely and fascinated.
When Feng Guoting spoke, every word was filled with affectionate memories, which shows that he had an unforgettable and beautiful experience with this land, and it was also the place where he was so traumatized that he has been lost to this day.
Feng Guoting continued: "This place is where the Bai people live together. There are more than a hundred houses near Erhai Lake, and the others are still felt tents. They make a living by animal husbandry, farming and fishing. The force is not strong. It can be said that in Mengxu
Struggling to survive in the cracks between the two powerful clans, Zhao and Zongsui, the Bai clan in Dali has its own clan leader and shaman, and its life is considered abundant and stable. However, the balance of power in the Erhai District has now been broken by the rise of Zong Mi Zhi.
I can no longer be optimistic about peace here."
Dragon Eagle asked: "Have you found the eagle's nest?"
Feng Guoting cast his eyes towards the mountain peak on the left, which was the resting place of the divine eagle tonight, and said slowly: "I disguised myself as a Wu barbarian, bypassed the Erxi Jiji, and sneaked to Cangshan Mountain. Regardless of the Bai or Wu people, they are all open to outsiders.
People have the heart to reject. Especially the Wuman people who call themselves the "Eagle Clan" living in Cangshan Mountain regard themselves as the guardians of the eagle's nest and do not allow anyone to set foot in the eagle's nest. Everyone in this tribe has strong martial arts, including other fierce edicts.
I don’t dare to offend them.”
Wan Renyu let out a breath and said: "There is such a twist in it, I really didn't expect it."
Longying said: "This is called a strange thing, and it is precisely because of this that the eagle can avoid the danger of hunting."
Feng Guoting said: "The giant eagle born in the eagle's nest is a spiritual eagle. It is not afraid of hunting at all. It lives on the steep Yingyang Peak. It is not easy to climb up, and it will be attacked by groups of eagles. I
It took three months to walk from Bashu to Dali. Along the way, I chose the highest and most steep mountains to climb and the most rapid rivers to swim in, as part of my kendo practice. When I arrived at Cangshan Mountain, I
It felt like I was completely reborn. It was in this peak state that I went deep into the mountainous area without anyone noticing and climbed to the top of Yingyang Peak."
Wan Renyu was surprised: "Didn't Ying'er attack you?"
Feng Guoting showed a drunken expression and said: "I just want to lure them to attack me. At that time, I was young and timid. I didn't dare to fight with others unless I had to, and I was even more afraid of defeating those idiots.
I would injure people and form grudges. But without actual combat, how would I know if my Kung Fu Dog was effective? So I used a knife to sharpen a blunt wooden sword, and went to the eagle's nest to compete with the psychic eagle. I only competed on moves, not on anything else.
Injuring them, and even stealing lessons from them. I didn't know how embarrassed I was at the beginning. I was scratched all over by them and had to hide in the crevices. It wasn't until the eighteenth day that I finally mastered their agile and god-like attack and retreat methods. By the ninth
Thirteen days later, the eagle could no longer leave any claw marks on my body, and even more strangely, it no longer refused to attack me. I can’t describe the touching feeling.”
Long Ying and Wan Renyu understood what they heard. On this peak, a peerless swordsman was born.
Feng Guoting said: "The more than a hundred giant eagles in the eagle's nest accepted my existence. Instead, I observed them carefully, not letting go of any of their movements or stillness. The trajectory of their flying and descending movements implied the meaning of my presence.
The result of swordsmanship. I lived my life in a state of fascination, with only the condor in my head. I don’t know how many days passed, but my dreamlike life ended abruptly. The Eagle Clan finally discovered me, the intruder.”
Longying said with a smile: "They live impatiently!"
Feng Guoting smiled bitterly and said: "On the contrary, I am the one who is impatient. They have more than 500 male warriors from my clan to besiege me, and because I am grateful to them, I dare not hurt them. On the cliff,
A bad guy would get killed, so he had to run away with all his strength. Before escaping from Cangshan District, he was intercepted by them five times. Fortunately, his martial arts improved greatly, and he was able to escape in the end. By the time he escaped from the mountainous area, he had already been hit.
Three arrows, and more than a dozen other minor and serious wounds, I finally couldn't hold on anymore and passed out. Unexpectedly, I gained enough experience in three days and three nights from the actual combat that I have been dreaming of for many years."
The two of them could imagine the thrills and difficulties of narrowly escaping death.
Wan Renyu said: "Did you really not hurt any of them?"
Feng Guoting said: "You can say that, but it is inevitable to hit the opponent's acupoints and make them lie down obediently for a while!"
Long Ying praised: "Only Young Master can still hold back his hand under such circumstances."
Then he asked: "Did she save you?"
Feng Guoting smiled bitterly and said: "Things still have a twist. When I woke up again, I was in the demon clan's tent."
The two people's eyes widened in surprise, and they shouted together: "Then are you still alive?"
Wan Renyu said: "It must be because they see you and don't hurt them. They think you are a good person and make an exception."
Feng Guoting said: "This is just one of the reasons. What's more important is that when I fell to the ground unconscious and the eagle people wanted to kill me, several condors flew down from the sky to drive them away."
Dragon Eagle patted its legs and said, "As expected of the psychic eagle, they already regard you as their friend."
Feng Guoting said: "However, my injuries were too serious and their witch doctors were helpless. Moreover, due to excessive blood loss, my life was in danger. After discussion, they decided to send me to the best witch doctor in Dali Plain District for treatment.
Can you save my life?"
Long Ying casually guessed: "Is your beloved the daughter of a witch doctor?"
Feng Guoting's expression darkened, and he whispered: "She is the witch doctor. She has a very nice name, Meiyue. Her father is the most respected witch in Erhai District. It is said that she has great supernatural powers and can understand ghosts and gods.
She only gave birth to her first baby at the age of ten. She also inherited her father's mysterious talent. At the age of twelve, she knew how to heal people and animals, could understand the language of animals, and could summon the spirits of the dead. When I was sent to her tent, I
The current condor is still a young eagle. It fell from its high nest before it learned to fly. It was seriously injured and was sent to her for treatment together with me."
Wan Renyu let out a deep breath and sighed: "It's a very touching story."
Long Ying asked: "Is she beautiful?"
Feng Guoting's eyes showed endless hurt, and he said in a hoarse voice: "She was twenty years old that year, and I was only seventeen. At first, I didn't think she was beautiful. At most, she had regular features and a fair complexion.
A bit morbid, but she has a very special temperament and charm, and she doesn't like to talk. At least half of my work is created by this thing of hers. Look!"
He took out a long, crystal clear needle about seven inches long from his pocket.
The cry of the eagle came from the place where the condor was resting, and then the condor appeared above and flew down.
Longying shouted: "Don't give me the jade needle."
The condor landed on the shoulder of Feng Guoting, and the wind brought up caused the fire flakes to fly up from the bonfire, like sparks in the sky, and came between the three of them. The atmosphere was extremely strange.
The divine eagle focused its eyes on the jade needle and let out two more mournful cries, which made the eardrums of the three people hurt.
Wan Renyu said in shock: "Put it away first!"
Feng Guoting took the jade needle into his arms and buried it, and said: "She used this jade needle to stimulate my various fire points with divine help. After seven days of treatment, I was able to close the door of hell that I had already half-stepped in."
Pulling it back made my skills much better, and it was also the needle that saved Ying'er's life."
Long Ying said, "She must be like Lu Xun, an extraordinary person with psychic abilities."
Then he asked: "Will I fall in love with her next?"
Feng Guoting said: "If that's the case, there's no need to go all the way back to Dali today. She served me with all her clothes on for seven days and seven nights. When she got tired, she slept between me and Ying'er. I'm still young, and I still don't know that she is sleeping in the same tent with me.
I later learned that she has a detached status among the Bai people. Not only can she not be touched, but she cannot be looked at directly. I never thought about falling in love with her, or that she fell in love with me. I only regarded her as another biological sister.
Of course, I didn’t have sex with her. So after I recovered, the first thing I did was to tell her that I was going back to China."
Wan Renyu frowned and said, "Didn't you say you would take her back with you?"
Feng Guoting said sadly: "The only thing I was thinking about at that time was how to improve my swordsmanship."
Long Ying said: "How did she react?"
Feng Guoting said hoarsely: "She is as calm as usual. She just wants me to be careful and avoid the Uzbek tribe's sphere of influence."
Wan Renyu said: "If either of us were in your situation, he would have left and wandered in the world outside the tent. You really don't have to blame yourself like that."
Feng Guoting said: "The problem is not here, but that I really fell in love with her, and I fell madly in love with her, but I didn't realize it at the time."
Long Ying said: "That's it, you left her."
Feng Guoting said: "It's just like that, calm, without holding back, without resentful eyes, everything is as usual, just like when I walk outside the tent on weekdays, but both parties know that after leaving this time, I may never come back, and I will never come back.
I never thought about going back.”
Long Ying said: "How long will it take for you to go back?"
Feng Guoting said: "After seven days, I couldn't help but go back. Without her by my side, everything, including my beloved sword fighting, has lost its meaning. The most painful thing is when I fall asleep at night, without her whispering beside me.
The words were so difficult to bear. I never thought I would fall in love with her, but the emptiness and loss I felt without her made me realize that my love for her was so deep and hard to extricate myself from."
Wan Renyu said solemnly: "Have you ever thought about being cast down by her? It is said that many Yi women are proficient in such magic, not to mention she is a famous witch?"
Feng Guoting nodded and said: "I have indeed thought about this possibility, which is one of the reasons why I rushed back to find her. Alas! My God, on the third night after I left, Meiyue was killed by the clan members
She was found dead in the tent, not only with a peaceful expression, but also with a smile on her lips. The moment I returned to Dali, she had already been laid to rest."
The two stared at him blankly.
Feng Guoting understood what they were thinking, and said sadly: "I am the only one who knows that she committed suicide for me."