On September 21, at Shenshi, Chu Nanfeng and his wife, who had been separated from Luo Xiaoyao for more than ten days, came to the Youzhou branch of Tongbao Pavilion.
Ma Kongran was extremely pleasantly surprised. His respect for Chu Nanfeng was similar to that of the pavilion master Luo Hanshui, but he knew that the veiled and silver-haired Ma Xilan was Mrs. Chu Nanfeng. He was surprised, but he did not dare to show it on his face.
Afraid of being disrespectful, he hurriedly ushered Chu Nanfeng and his wife into the hall and sat down.
It turned out that when Chu Nanfeng and his wife arrived at Xuankong Temple, they originally wanted to visit Master Wu Zhen to thank him for his guidance in finding Mahi Lan. However, they learned that Wu Zhen was traveling abroad. Chu Nanfeng had no choice but to take Mahi Lan to visit Hengshan Mountain.
Instead, he went to the Daming Temple in Youzhou to visit Master Jue.
Unexpectedly, he learned that Master Jue had gone to the "Xinglong Temple" in Beijing. Chu Nanfeng knew that Buddhists were very particular, so he guessed that the two eminent monks deliberately avoided each other and knew that they could not force themselves. They just wanted to go north to Liaodong to investigate.
Explore the whereabouts of Mu Daocheng.
After Chu Nanfeng took his seat, he said: "Chu and his wife are here this time. I would like to ask Manager Sikong to help me with something..."
"Mr. Chu, please give me your instructions." Sikong Ranqian said with a smile.
"Chu wanted to find out the whereabouts of Senior Mu... I heard that the Privy Envoy from the Northern Court of Liao Dynasty was sent to Korea as an envoy to Goryeo. He might know his whereabouts. Tongbao Pavilion has a branch in Liaoyang Mansion. Can I send a letter to inquire about this mission?
Have you returned to Liao territory?"
Liaoyang is located in an important town in eastern Liaoning and is the capital of Liao Dynasty. The envoys sent to Goryeo will definitely stop by and settle down, so it is easy to find out. Chu Nanfeng did not know the exact whereabouts of Mu Daocheng, so he could only look for the whereabouts of the privy envoy, but Xianglong
Cong Yun was among the envoys. He was afraid that when he went north, the privy envoy had already left Liaoyang and went to Beijing. He missed the opportunity to meet, so he asked Tongbao Pavilion for help.
"It's easy." Sikong Ran nodded and said: "It's late autumn now and it's snowing in Liaodong. Flying pigeons to send messages is very inconvenient. It's not as good as manual transmission. Although there are dangers on the road, they are all experienced and slower than flying pigeons.
Not long after, the old man immediately sent a message to the ancient steward of Liaoyang, asking him to pay attention."
Chu Nanfeng had not considered the weather, but he knew that Sikong Ran's manpower was not much slower than a flying pigeon, so he must have traveled both day and night, so he said: "If it is snowy and the road is difficult, the arrow guards in the pavilion do not have to travel all night..."
"Mr. Chu, don't worry. It's more than a thousand miles from Youdu to Liaoyang. Although there are no other branches on the way, there are inns operated by this pavilion every two hundred miles or so."
"Oh?" This was beyond Chu Nanfeng's expectation.
"Liao territory not only has good horses, but also valuable furs, ginseng and many valuable medicinal materials. Merchants from all over the Central Plains are also trying their best to obtain them. However, we only have two branches in Liao territory. The circulation of silver notes is not widespread, and there is a huge demand for ready-made gold and silver.
, considering that there might be thieves on the road, the pavilion master set up an inn to prepare for unexpected events..."
Chu Nanfeng nodded, secretly admiring Luo Hanshui's thoughtfulness. Then he heard Sikong Ran say: "There are six inns on the way, and the messengers among them are all Orions and are familiar with the surrounding road conditions."
"Chu is not familiar with the roads in Liaodong, and he doesn't know the local dialect, so he is worried that it will be inconvenient. Hearing this, haha... I am overly worried."
There are as many as five or six ethnic groups living together in Liaodong. Chu Nanfeng thought it was reasonable. When he heard that there was an inn in Tongbao Pavilion on the way, he felt happy.
"I will also send two arrow guards to accompany you to make contact." Sikong Ran glanced at Ma Xilan and said, "It is cold in Liaodong and there is wind and snow on the road. I will prepare a carriage with you and my wife will travel on my behalf."
If the weather is freezing, Chu Nanfeng is not afraid of it even if he is a cultivator. However, Mahilan can only return to his true state. Although he can cope with the bad weather, Chu Nanfeng does not want Mahilan to be tired. After hearing what he said, he felt that it was reasonable and said
: "So Lao Sikong is in charge. Oh, has there been any news about Liu Gongwen?"
Nearly two months had passed since he and Wu Wangbo returned to the Central Plains. Now that they had arrived in Youzhou, Chu Nanfeng once again inquired about Liu Gongwen's whereabouts.
"After Mr. Chu and the elders broke into the Guard Mansion last time, I asked around again and heard that Liu Thief also returned to the Guard Mansion shortly after Mr. Chu and others returned. However, he is not sure whether he is still in Youzhou now.
…”
Sikong Ran paused for a moment and then said: "The servants in the guard house are all Khitan people. It is difficult to bribe and ask questions directly, so I can only ask the servants of some noble officials. This guy rarely goes out to perform his duties to protect officials... I think.
He was the one who had taken precautions."
"Hmm..." Chu Nanfeng frowned, nodded and said: "This evil thief is now armed with all kinds of weapons. If you want to kill him, you will have to spend a lot of time keeping an eye on him. After Chu finds Senior Mu, he can then slowly find him."
he."
Liu Gongwen had to be killed, but Mu Daocheng's whereabouts were still uncertain. Chu Nanfeng was worried, so he naturally put Mu Daocheng's safety as his top priority.
Three days later, as the Xu hour was approaching, a carriage stopped in front of a large inn at a ferry in Xianzhou, Liaodong. Two people in long cloaks got out of the carriage, none other than Chu Nanfeng and his wife.
This inn does not have a two-story pavilion like those in the Central Plains. They are all bungalows. However, it occupies a very large area. It is built more than 300 feet away from the river and faces east and west, on a higher ground.
At this time, in late autumn, heavy snow fell in Liaodong, and the river had already frozen. Because it was not yet extremely cold, the ice was very thin, but it made it impossible for carriages and horses to walk on the ice. Many merchants heading to Liaoyang were blocked here.
The ferry crossing.
It was dinner time at this time, and many guests in the restaurant gathered around several tables, leaning against the stove and brazier, drinking mare kumiss and chatting while eating.
Snowflakes are flying outside the store, the sky and the earth are white, the cold wind is howling, and the wine is hot in the hall, drinking and laughing with southern accents and northern accents, it feels like a comfortable scene in the world.
This inn is located in Tongbao Pavilion. Two days ago, the innkeeper Zhao received the news that a distinguished guest was coming and had already arranged to wait in the upper room. As soon as Chu Nanfeng and his wife arrived, the innkeeper Zhao immediately welcomed them to the upper room.
.
It took a long time to wait for the thick ice to cross the river. Considering the large number of merchants, the inn had more than fifty rooms. Thinking that there were too many manpower to take care of the guests and get warm, Tongbao Pavilion had a ground dragon when it built the inn.
Warming.
As soon as Chu Nanfeng and his wife entered the room, they felt like they were in a warm spring. After taking off their cloaks and sitting down, they heard the shopkeeper Zhao say: "The ice on the river is thin now. If you, sir, are in a hurry, you may have to abandon the carriage...
Sir, I will rest for now tonight, and I will immediately take the people across the river, pick up the carriages and horses, and wait for me on the other side, so that there will be carriages and horses for Sir to use tomorrow."
The road to Liaoyang Mansion must pass through the Liaohe River. There is more than an inch of thin ice here, but for those who have cultivated in the Guizhen Realm, it is easy to pass by using Qinggong. Chu Nanfeng smiled and said: "It's not far from Liaoyang, and there is no place ahead.
Wu Jianwei reported back the news of the return of the Liao envoy. It is thought that the Liao envoy has not returned from Goryeo yet, so the two of us will just cross the river by ourselves tomorrow, so the shopkeeper does not need to worry..."
"Sir, you must not do this." Shopkeeper Zhao said anxiously: "This is a small responsibility..."
"Nanfeng, just follow what the shopkeeper said." Ma Xilan smiled slightly. She knew in her heart that the shopkeeper was acting under orders. If Chu Nanfeng refused, he would be blamed.
When Chu Nanfeng heard Ma Xilan's agreement, he nodded and said, "That's fine, let's arrange it this way."
Shopkeeper Zhao was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered the waiters in the store to prepare the food and wine and bring them to the upper room.
Perhaps he had been prepared for it. A few moments later, several exquisite hot dishes were delivered to the room, and there was a pot of hot "Return Drunk". This surprised Chu Nanfeng. He had developed this habit since Ma Xilan's accident.
It is a habit to drink wine to relax one's mind, but one is very particular about the quality of wine. When in Taibai Mountain, one would only drink wine when one is "drunk upon return".
Later, I went out to visit Mahilan and slowly changed my habit. Although I tasted fine wines from all over the country, I had a soft spot for "Return Drunk". The recipe for making wine was only known to Luo Hanshui and Fang Yuan. After Luo Hanshui's accident,
, Fang Yuan had no intention of sending anyone to brew it, and even on Chu Nanfeng's wedding day, he couldn't drink the "return drunk". How could he not be happy to see it now.
The ones who brought the wine and food were the two arrow guards who were accompanying them. Seeing the surprise on Chu Nanfeng's face, one of the arrow guards said: "This is the ancient steward of Liaoyang who specially asked someone to deliver it. I heard that it was delivered here in the morning."
Inn…"
"Oh, that's it." Chu Nanfeng said with a smile: "Gu Guanshi is really thoughtful."
Gu Guanshi had delivered wine to Taibai Mountain before and recognized Chu Nanfeng. Thinking that he knew Chu Nanfeng's traveling speed, he specially sent someone to deliver the wine to the inn. The two arrow guards put the wine and food before bowing and leaving.
Chu Nanfeng looked at Ma Xilan who was holding a pot and pouring wine, and felt something in his heart: "The birds are flying south, the wine is mellow and the thoughts are dear..."
In the past ten years or so, whenever I think of Mahilan, I am only reminded of this "Return Drunk", but now drinking "Return Drunk" with Mahilan has a different flavor.
Mahilan knew what he was thinking and smiled slightly, "I will walk side by side with you on the windy road back home."
Chu Nanfeng looked at Ma Xilan, whose eyes were as tender as water, holding the cup in both hands, "Nanfeng has a toast, Madam!"
"Lv Yi and I respect my husband." Mahilan raised a glass to greet her, and with a slight touch, they both had a small taste of the wine, but neither of them finished the wine in one gulp.
There is no better connection than this. Although the two got married in their forties, their love is still the same as that of a boy and a girl falling in love for the first time. They respect each other as if they were guests in their ordinary interactions. Their expressions of mutual love do not obscure their true feelings due to the vicissitudes of time.
reveal.
The two were loving each other and enjoying a slow drink. When they were halfway through the food and wine, they suddenly heard footsteps coming from outside the house, followed by the voice of shopkeeper Zhao, "Mr. Chu, I have something to disturb you..."
Chu Nanfeng said hurriedly: "Come in." He knew that the people in Tongbao Pavilion were polite and considerate, and would never bother him and his wife while they were having dinner unless there was something really important.
Shopkeeper Zhao pushed the door open and walked in, followed by a man dressed as a shop assistant. After the two bowed to greet him, shopkeeper Zhao said: "Before a cup of tea, two customers came into the shop. One of them seemed to be nearly five years old.
One is an old monk with white beard and hair. When the man entered the store, his clothes were soaked, and his face turned red and white. He seemed to be doing exercises to heal his injuries. The monk's right sleeve was in tatters, so he must have been fighting with someone.
…It was snowing heavily outside, but there were no snowflakes on the monk’s body.”
"Oh?" Chu Nanfeng was slightly surprised. When you reach the realm of spiritual consciousness, you can use Qi to turn the rain and snow close to you into mist on rainy and snowy days, but you have to pay attention to the distance. If it is more than ten miles
During the long journey, it will be difficult for the Qi machine to be depleted without dripping water.
He was not familiar with the surrounding environment of the inn, and thought that the monk might have come from nearby. If not, his cultivation would have reached the mountainside realm.
"My martial arts skills are low. Although I can't tell the man's skill, I feel that his cultivation level is far better than Xiao's..." Shopkeeper Zhao said: "If we talk about Xiao's return to his true nature, his skills and the use of Qi...
It takes half a cup of tea to soak your clothes and steam them dry."
"What do you mean by the shopkeeper?"
"In normal times, only the river here has water, and here it freezes everywhere... This man is soaked all over, probably because he fell on the ice of the river, and the distance from the river to the inn is nearly two miles. With his cultivation level
Your clothes will never get soaked."
Chu Nanfeng nodded, "But if you reach the realm of spiritual thoughts, it is easy to use a qi machine to steam the moisture off your clothes in an instant... It seems that this person is seriously injured."
"Mr. Chu is right. At the beginning, the pavilion master was worried that the martial arts people in Liaodong were strong and did not know the details, so he told me to pay attention to the people in the world. Xiaoxin guessed that he was fighting with others. After settling the two of them,
Then I went to the river with the arrow guards in the store to check, maybe there will be news soon."
"Although the ice layer is thin, a person who has returned to true cultivation will not fall into the water while walking on it. And the shopkeeper saw that he has extraordinary martial arts skills... I think he was knocked down by someone."
But people in the world often seek revenge and fights. With shopkeeper Zhao's knowledge, he would not make a fuss about it and come here to tell him. Chu Nanfeng thought about it and asked: "The shopkeeper is here to tell Chu about this."
, is it related to Chu going north to Liaoyang?"
"I'm not sure, but I know that Mr. Chu inquired about the whereabouts of the Liao Dynasty envoy and Mr. Mu, and listened to the conversation between the two men. It may be related to Mr. Mu." Shopkeeper Zhao nodded and turned to the shop assistant beside him.
He said: "Zhang Biao, tell Mr. Chu what you heard..."
"Yes." Zhang Biao nodded and said: "The main courtyard is already full. There are only a few guest rooms in the side courtyard where the servants and grooms are accommodated, so the villain led the two of them to the side courtyard to settle down. Xu is the villain.
They were just ordinary people with foundation-building skills, and they were unprepared. When the villain was lighting the charcoal stove for heating in the corridor, he heard the old monk say in the room: "I can hurt you like this with a knife made with my hands. It's really worth it."
"You are famous. If I hadn't been suspicious and followed you, uncle, you might have met with something unexpected." After the old monk finished speaking, there was no reply from the man..."
This inn only has a ground dragon in the main courtyard, and a charcoal stove and brazier are used in the side courtyard to avoid the cold.
"After finishing the fire, the villain went into the room and heard the old monk say: "From now on, you don't have to go back to the Privy Councilor's Mansion, Congyun. Uncle Master's punch may not be able to hurt him at all. I think he will go there.
Seeking revenge, regarding the trip to the south of the Yangtze River... It seems that my uncle must accompany you." Then the man responded, "Thank you, uncle." The young man had already finished what he was doing.
I didn’t dare to stay, so I resigned.”
When Chu Nanfeng heard about the residence of the Privy Councilor, his heart was already moved. When he heard the word "Congyun", the name of "Elephant King" Long Congyun immediately appeared in his mind, and he was even more shocked. After thinking,
But I heard Shopkeeper Zhao say: "I listened to the steward's message and paid attention to the Liao Dynasty's envoy to Goryeo. I knew that the envoy was the Privy Envoy. After listening to Zhang Biao's report, I was afraid that these two people might be related to Mr.'s trip, so I took the courage to do so."
Come and disturb me."
Chu Nanfeng suppressed the shock in his heart and smiled slightly, "It should be related to Chu's trip. Thank you to the shopkeeper for coming to inform me."
After a pause, he added: "These two people have achieved great cultivation. You must not deliberately listen to their words again, in case they become suspicious..."
Shopkeeper Zhao saw his solemn expression, and felt a shiver in his heart. He cupped his hands and said, "I will follow Mr.'s instructions... Then I will go see if the arrow guard who went out to investigate has returned?"
Chu Nanfeng nodded, and when Shopkeeper Zhao and the two left, he followed them, looked at the sky outside, closed the door, and said in deep thought: "If my inference is correct, the injured man should be Long Congyun
...making a knife with your hands, living up to the reputation? I'm afraid it refers to Senior Mu. One punch may not be able to hurt his foundation? Three souls and seven souls are the foundation of a human being, and the 'Hundred Tribulations Fist' is designed to hurt three souls and seven souls..."
When Chu Nanfeng said this, his face became more solemn, "Long Congyun should be at the top of Mingqiao Mountain. This old monk is his uncle. He can hurt Senior Mu... His cultivation level is at least the level of the Golden Body.
Perhaps he was also the one who hurt Brother Luo. Senior Mu was hit by a punch. If nothing serious happens, he will definitely follow..." He stopped and looked at Mahilan.
Ma Xilan had never met Mu Daocheng, but she knew that Chu Nanfeng respected him very much. When she saw Chu Nanfeng looking at her, she knew what Chu Nanfeng was thinking. Now that Mu Daocheng had not come to the inn, she was worried that he would suffer.
Punishment.
After taking Chu Nanfeng's cloak and putting it on for him, Ma Xilan picked up her own cloak and put it on, "Luyi will advance and retreat with her husband."
Looking at her gentle but determined eyes, Chu Nanfeng nodded, and tightened the leather hat for her closely. Without saying a word, he held Ma Xilan's beautiful hand and walked out of the room.
The night outside was dim, snowflakes were still flying, and the courtyard was covered with thick snow. The courtyard was surrounded by houses, which blocked the strong wind. There was no large amount of snowflakes drifting in on the corridor. Chu Nanfeng and his wife walked along the corridor into the inn hall.
hall.
There were no other guests in the hall at this time, only the two arrow guards who had followed Chu Nanfeng were drinking and chatting by the brazier. When they saw Chu Nanfeng and his wife walking in, they looked up and stood up to greet them with surprise on their faces.
Shopkeeper Zhao at the counter was shocked when he saw Chu Nanfeng and his wife dressed up as if they were about to go out. He hurriedly walked out of the counter and whispered: "The inquirer should be back soon, sir, who are you?"
Chu Nanfeng was about to answer, when there was a "bang" sound, the store door opened, and the biting cold wind blew in the snowflakes. The temperature in the hall dropped slightly, and the brazier suddenly dimmed. A man in smart clothes ran in.
Stomping his feet, he turned around and quickly closed the door.
This well-dressed man was the archery guard in the store who went out to check. After bowing his hands to Chu Nanfeng and his wife, he said to shopkeeper Zhao: "The younger one was five or six feet south of the ferry on the other side and found several big trees in the forest beside the river.
Cross-cutting, there is still a large area of ice on the river that has broken through. It is snowing heavily now, and a thin layer is gradually forming..."
Now it was confirmed that there was someone fighting in that place. Chu Nanfeng nodded when he heard this, "Thank you, everyone, Chu will take care of this matter."
Looking at Shopkeeper Zhao, "Don't disturb those two people, remember that."
With Chu Nanfeng's martial arts skills, there was no guarantee that he could defeat Mu Daocheng at this time, let alone the old monk who said that one punch injured Mu Daocheng. He was afraid that Shopkeeper Zhao and others would be careless and lose their lives, so he said it again
command.
This was Chu Nanfeng's second order. Shopkeeper Zhao did not dare to take it lightly and solemnly said: "Young master, please don't worry."
"Then Chu will take leave."
Shopkeeper Zhao knew that he had a plan in his mind, so he couldn't dissuade him. He hurriedly signaled the arrow guard to open the store door, and said to Chu Nanfeng and his wife, "Sir, madam, please take care of yourself."
In the cold wind and falling snow, Chu Nanfeng gently held Ma Xilan's left hand, stepped out of the store door, and walked quickly. However, he saw the snowflakes floating close to him, but they turned into white mist and dispersed. Standing in the store, shopkeeper Zhao and others looked at
Seeing it, everyone was secretly amazed.
This inn was more than 300 feet away from the riverside ferry. After a while, Chu Nanfeng and his wife arrived. Snowflakes were flying, and they saw a white line more than a hundred feet wide extending from north to south. It was the thin ice-covered Raoyang River.
River, Chu Nanfeng thought in his mind, held Mahilan's left elbow, and rushed towards the other bank. After a few ups and downs, he arrived at the place where the arrow guard said the fight was going to be.
Even though it was covered with heavy snow and thin ice had formed, because it hadn't been long, you could still see the traces of the river breaking through, measuring six or seven feet in length and width.
Chu Nanfeng stopped at the bank of the river to take a look. He turned around and walked towards the mountains and forests to the east. He saw four broken trees lying sideways. He moved his right hand and waved away the white snow covering the broken trees. He took a closer look and looked serious.
, "This tree was broken by the "Jade Plate Thousand Hairs" technique. It seems that the person who fought with those two people is indeed Senior Mu."
"The old monk said that Senior Mu had punched him... From his tone, he seemed to think that Senior Mu had to be injured. It was just a matter of the severity of the injury. Then why didn't he take advantage of the situation and pursue him?" Mahilan asked suspiciously.
"I think the man accompanying the old monk was seriously injured. He was eager to rescue him and was afraid of Senior Mu's cultivation, so he didn't dare to pursue..." Chu Nanfeng muttered: "This move is "Jade Plate Thousand Points"
"It's about defending and leading the attack. If my guess is correct, when the man was shot down into the river by Senior Mu, the old monk punched from behind and attacked, so Senior Mu turned around and used "Jade Plate Thousand Hairs"..."
After thinking for a while, he added: "But Senior Mu has already entered the realm of Nascent Soul and is already able to do two things at once. Even if someone in the same situation makes a sneak attack, he should be in time to deal with it. Why did he get punched by the old monk?"
In confusion, he raised his head and looked at the mountains to his side. The hills here are more than ten feet high, and extend southward along the frozen river. The place where the ferry crosses and connects to the mountains to the north is nearly ten feet wide.
The forked road in the valley is thought to be a passage for merchants to pass by.
Chu Nanfeng hesitated for a moment, then held up Mahilan's arm and climbed to the forest covered with white snow. He lightly touched the snow and ice on the treetops and swept southward. Five miles away, he suddenly saw the mountain was indented.
There was an open space in a valley, and two people fell down.
After looking around, Chu Nanfeng said slowly: "I heard Master Wu say that if the "Hundred Tribulation Fist" is used by Yuanying, a person with a golden body, it is designed to hurt people's souls. If Senior Mu hurts the soul, it will inevitably
He needs to be calm and focused, and he should not dare to travel far when his consciousness is in a trance. This place may be a place where he can rest his mind and calm down..."
"What Nanfeng said is absolutely true." Mahilan nodded and said: "My mind is clear and my energy is unobstructed. If my consciousness is stagnant, I should take a breather from the place of fighting to this point..." Although her cultivation declined after being poisoned, she still remained
He has the insight of a master of martial arts.
The two looked at each other, got into the woods to the northeast, and followed the mountain to the southeast to take a closer look. Naturally, they wanted to see if there was a hidden cave. Finally, they found a cave halfway up the mountain in a recess due east.
At the entrance of the cave, overgrown weeds were weighed down by the thick snow, making the entrance of the cave half as tall as a man clearly visible.