Hot as China, cold as snow

After entering the boundary of Lingzhou, Mr. Liu got off his horse, stepped on the chain bridge, crossed the ring river, and entered a small island called Pinggu.More than a circle around the island is a free-growing peach tree. This kind of tree blooms here all year round. The pink petals dance with the wind. It is easy to get lost if you are in it.He bypassed the peach blossom forest he planted around the island, passed a light blue crape myrtle bush, and not far from the quiet spring pool were several neat low houses and courtyards.

There are some plants in the yard, the fence is neat, and the path is flat.Mr. Liu stood outside the fence, looking at the white-haired old man who was pruning branches with his sleeves on the inside of the fence, his eyes were full of affection, and he said in a cheerful tone: "Master."

The white-haired old man didn't look back, and continued to work on the inside, he only said: "Why, you knew you would come." Mr. Liu didn't say a word, just walked over a few steps, and took the tool in the white-haired old man's hand: "I Come on, you always rest."

The man from Taoshan glanced at him, handed over the tools in his hand to Mr. Liu, put down his sleeves, turned around and walked back into the house, turning his back to him and said, "Come to my room later."

Young Master Liu watched Master go away, nodded quickly and said: "Yes, Master."

Mr. Liu finished pruning the peach branches, put away the tools, and walked slowly to the door of Tao Shanren's room. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but he heard the old man at the door say, "Come in."

Mr. Liu walked in after hearing the sound, but saw Tao Shanren standing in the room with his back to him, so he called out in a low voice: "Master, I'm late."

But Tao Shanren yelled: "Kneel down." Mr. Liu had prepared for this but only realized that his master was really angry. When he heard the words, he immediately knelt down firmly in front of Tao Shanren.

Tao Shanren turned around and held a ruler in his hand, with a stern expression on his face, and asked, "Where have you been these past few months? Don't think that I don't know the outside news because I'm in the mountains."

"As Master knows."

"You don't explain? How did you tell the old man?" Tao Shanren fixed his eyes on Young Master Liu who was bowing his head.

"I said, my friends in the rivers and lakes invited me to taste wine, appreciate bamboo and discuss poetry, learn martial arts, and exchange ideas."

"But what did you do? If it weren't for the past two years, you and your junior brother made some achievements in the arena, met some friends, and did some meaningful things. Do you think I would let you go down the mountain? My first two years I shouldn't have let you go down the mountain in [-], what's the matter? After gaining some fame, I thought that I could learn martial arts well enough to be able to stand on my own. Let me tell you, you haven't become a teacher yet, and you haven't passed the level of the old man. How dare you lie to me as a teacher, you are amazing Right, let me tell you, at a young age, this is going down the mountain without telling the old man, and at an older age, this is deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors. Reach out!"

"Master's teaching is correct. Master is serious, and you must never dare to bully your master and destroy your ancestors." As he spoke, he stretched out his hands and raised them to the top of his head.

"You still dare to talk back." Tao Shanren raised his ruler and slapped Mr. Liu's palm hard.Young Master Liu's palms turned red immediately, and he bit his lip, not daring to move.

"Why? Dissatisfied." Tao Shanren turned around Mr. Liu, and said earnestly: "However, let me ask you, do you know which country you are from? Ah! Let's not talk about anything else, you are from the Chengtian Empire Man! Who is he, Leng Xuanren! He is a person from the Shunhui Empire, a person with royal blood. Who is it that you do not act well with, but why do you cooperate with him.” He said fiercely He slapped Mr. Liu's hand twice.Mr. Liu did not say a word.

"It's fine for you to show up with Leng Xuanyan, but you should never get in touch with their royal affairs. You shouldn't meddle in it. It's a good thing that your reputation in the Jianghu two years ago was completely ruined, and you still made trouble. You made such a big noise." Tao Shan stomped his feet fiercely in anger: "The old man is still counting on you to create the glory of the Ziwei clan and become famous. I have high hopes for you. But you? You have to be angry Can I die?"

Mr. Liu put down his hands, looked up at Tao Shan with clear eyes, and said, "Master, Mo is so angry. It's my disciple who is not filial."

Tao Shanren sighed, put aside the ruler in his hand, sat on the bed, put his hands on his knees and said: "You can't have any contact with Leng Xuanren in private." Young Master Liu remained silent.Seeing that he didn't speak, the Taoshan people automatically thought that Mr. Liu agreed, and said again: "I knew it was you who encouraged your junior brother Yu Wenzhu to lie to me together. What did you do when you wanted to go out of the mountain? How did you meet Leng Xuan?" Blade? Say it.”

Mr. Liu took out a box from his bosom, opened it carefully, and there was a silver light flowing inside. A stone flower lay in the middle with five-colored leaves on the tip, exuding a slight fragrance. Mr. Liu carefully raised it to the top of his head: "Master likes these herbs, I heard that the five-color stone flower is a holy medicine for healing, so I wanted to find it."

"You went to Mount Xutu? So the rumor that Qu's lineage disappeared on Mount Xutu is because of you." Tao Shanren took the box and glanced at the five-color stone flower: "It's really a good thing. Don't think that Take it, and I will spare you."

"I don't dare. There is still an iron face on Mount Xutu. At that time, master, I didn't know that the iron face of the master of the killing tower was Leng Xuanyan."

The Taoshan people waved their hands: "After you went up to Mount Xutu, the fog on the entire Mount Xutu cleared away. Later generations went to the mountain again, but no one was found. All the houses and caves collapsed, like It was like an earthquake. Xutu Mountain Villa disappeared from the rivers and lakes. Then how did you get involved in the matter of the cold black blade seizing the palace in the Shunhui Empire?"

"I knew his secret. I was injured at the time and I was not his opponent. He was afraid that the secret would spread, so he gave me two options: disappear or help him. I had no choice but to stay and start over. "

"Are you injured?" Tao Shanren's tone was slightly raised, and he hid it well, but he still showed some nervousness, and said in a flash: "It's a lesson, and it will cut your arrogance. It's better now, and the injury needs to be healed. , you can’t leave future troubles, or you will suffer when you reach the old man’s age. This matter is over, and it’s good to separate yourself from Leng Xuanyan in the future. Your identity is destined to be an enemy with him. But This old man really didn’t expect that Iron Mian, the host of the killing building, would be that child Leng Xuanren from back then.”

"Then I kept rushing back. I made Master worry, it's my disciples who are not filial."

"You still know. Go to the ancestral hall and kneel in a while, and repent and repent." The Taoshan man sighed and said, "Do you think that I favor Yu Wenzhu in everything, but I strictly discipline you? Zhu'er has a straight temper. , I have listened to you since I was a child. The old man punished him less than you. If he did not commit serious crimes, he would not always make him kneel in the ancestral hall, and even let him go in and out of Pinggu at will, but restricted your behavior."

"No, how could my apprentice resent Master. I know that Master hopes that his son will become a dragon and has expectations for me. It is for my own good, and I am sensitive to my identity. Yu Wenzhuo also accepts me in everything. Master, I can do it in this life. Meeting you is my greatest luck."

"Okay, you go to the ancestral hall and kneel!" Tao Shanren stretched out his hand to chase him away.

"Wait, Master." Young Master Liu raised his head and called Tao Shan to stop, "I wonder if I can go down the mountain in a few days?"

"What do you want to do again? It seems that you have no repentance at all." Tao Shan raised his eyebrows.

Mr. Liu did not flinch, and continued: "Master, I have been away for several months and have only come back. I want to see my father. He was young and fought all the year round, leaving the root of his disease and not in good health. I have Some five-color stone flowers, thinking that grinding the five-color stones into powder and taking them as medicine can strengthen the body, so I want to send them to my father. After all, it is the kindness of nurturing." Mr. Liu observed the master's expression, and saw that his expression was different. He said again: "I know Master doesn't want me to contact there, but they are relatives after all."

"However, I really don't know who you are like with your stubborn temper. When you were young, you were such a thoughtful person, why didn't you discover your inner stubbornness. On the surface, I said what you are, silently, secretly thinking Right there. I spent a long time waiting here for the old man. No matter, no matter, you have grown up and have your own ideas. You can go."

"Thank you, Master." Mr. Liu thanked him, then got up and went to the ancestral hall.

The incense burns in the ancestral hall day and night, and countless memorial tablets are placed on it.At the top is a stone statue.It was a barefoot man, with colorful floating clouds under his feet, holding a sword across his chest in one hand, and holding a crape myrtle flower in the other hand slightly forward, with a peaceful face, as if smiling at the person in front of him.The most peculiar thing is that at this moment the statue is [-]% similar to Liu Gongzi Liu Moran.

Liu Moran knelt down respectfully, bowed three times, then looked up at the statue of Moment, with a slightly complicated look on his face.He sighed slightly, then lowered his head, a little sleepy, and closed his eyes. Under the yellowish light, there was only a silent figure, nodding his head regularly.

The weather at night was fine, the door of the ancestral hall was not closed, a figure sneaked in quietly, Liu Muran moved his ears, and before that person approached him, he opened his eyes suddenly.

"Hey, it's really boring. Senior brother, you can't let me scare you and be discovered by you again."

"Yu Wenzhu, I haven't seen you for a few months, are you still the same! Why do you give me a gift to scare me? Is this kind of game interesting? You have been playing since you were a child, and you have never grown up? How old are you? Noisy." Liu Moran turned his head, and what caught his eyes was a naughty and handsome sunny boy, he curled up his mouth in disdain, rolled his eyes, put one hand on his chest, and hid the other behind his back.

"Hey, you said me as soon as we met, brother, you really hurt my heart. You don't have a sense of humor at all. You have scared me so many times since I was a child. It's a pity that I heard that you came back I rushed back to Pinggu to see you, and even brought delicious treats behind my master's back to comfort you, it seems that you won't appreciate it, forget it, I'll eat it myself." He said and put the food hidden behind his back. He took out the box and held it in front of Liu Moran: "Don't say that I don't think about you, junior brother."

Liu Moran reached out to take it, but Yu Wenzhu quickly took it away, snorting in his nostrils.Holding up the food box to tempt him, Liu Moran couldn't help chuckling, picked up a stone casually, hit Yu Wenzhu's wrist, and firmly caught the food box that was about to fall to the ground with his other hand.

"Hey." Yu Wenzhu snorted: "Where did you learn this trick? Why didn't you see Master teach it before? It's not fair! Why haven't you seen you use it before?" After finishing speaking, Liu Moran sat on the ground Beside him, helping to take out trays of food.

"When I went out, I met an interesting person, so I secretly learned the skill of concealed weapons. But it seems that it is not good to eat here! What a sin." Liu Moran said and looked at the statue.

Yu Wenzhu looked at him very contemptuously: "Come on, you will feel sorry for the ancestors, I don't believe that. What are you pretending to do, there is no way to lie to me. But, brother, every time you bow down to this statue, you will Don't you think it's awkward? I look exactly like you, so I feel like I'm kneeling down to worship my own portrait." He said with an exaggerated expression.

Liu Moran knocked Yu Wenzhu's head with chopsticks: "You boy, there is no distinction between superiority and inferiority." Yu Wenzhu dodged, and after a while Liu Moran shook his head and smiled: "It's really a bit awkward." Yu Wenzhu saw that he was not making a move. , posted it again.Liu Moran changed from kneeling to sitting, picked up a dish, and said, "I'm really a little hungry." Then he ate, completely forgetting who just said that there was no distinction between superiority and inferiority.

"Hey, are you a little hungry? Are you sure you're not a reincarnation of a starving ghost? How do you look like you're eating?"

Liu Moran took the time to look up at Yu Wenyi, but he said in a big voice, "You're still hungry if you don't eat, but you'll be even more hungry after eating."

Yuwen asked seriously: "How long have you not eaten?"

"It's almost a day." Liu Moran didn't care much.

Yu Wenzhu complained all over his face and said: "You deserve it! Look, without me, you dear junior, you wouldn't be able to take care of yourself. Have you missed me these few months?"

Liu Moran glared at him, clearly saying, who would miss you.Yu Wenzhu didn't care, but gave a thumbs up instead: "Senior brother, you are really evil, once you go out, you will become famous. Fortunately, the master restricts you to go out, otherwise you will pay it back."

Liu Moran blushed, and gave him a threatening look: "It's notorious, you dare to laugh at me."

Yu Wenzhu hurriedly shied away: "No, no, remember to take me with you when you have such a good thing next time." Hearing this, Liu Moran seemed to remember something, put down his chopsticks, took out a box from his arms, handed it to Yu Wenzhu, and motioned for him Open.

Seeing that he didn't intend to make a joke at all, Yu Wenzhu opened the box according to the instructions, and a colorful halo came out, and there was half a five-color stone flower lying inside.Yu Wenzhu closed the box and pushed it back to Liu Moran, saying: "Why do you give me this? I don't want it. You spent so much effort to get the five-color stone flower, which almost cost your life. I don't want it." Yu Wenzhu said goodbye Nodding, a little bit of self-blame.He was the one who helped senior brother persuade master to let senior brother leave Pinggu.

Liu Moran seemed to see it, and pushed the box back into his arms: "This is a thank you gift. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gotten this treasure. You deserve it."

"I didn't do anything right?"

"Brother, just take it for me. Master promised me that I will go down the mountain in two days."

Yu Wenzhu put the five-color stone flower beside him without any taboo: "Brother, do you want to go back to the palace?"

"En." Liu Moran said lightly.

"Aren't you telling me the truth? It's just a pretense to want to go back to the palace. If you want me to say that you miss the one in the palace. Brother, you are good at everything, but you are too emotional." Yu Wenzhu stared at His eyes said word by word: "I don't know if this is good or bad."

"Help me keep it secret, don't let master know. That person's health is getting worse and worse, because of what happened back then, master and his elders have always been prejudiced against him. The Chengtian Empire has been recuperating in recent years. He is a good emperor. There was no war under his rule, and it was a great and prosperous age. No matter whether he is a good husband or father, he is still a good emperor, isn't he? No matter how you say it, such an emperor should live a long and healthy life. "Liu Moran looked up at the statue above, as if speaking to Yu Wenzhu, as if he was convincing himself, more like wishing on the statue of Moment.

Under the tree not far away, Tao Shanren stood behind the tree with his hands behind his back, looking at the silhouettes of the two brothers under the dim light of the ancestral hall, he naturally heard their conversation clearly, he turned cold and remained silent.A gust of wind blows, the leaves rustle and fall one after another, leaving only the shadows of the trees under the moonlight.