Bright Moon and Cold Thousand Mountains

(three)

That Liushang Qushui banquet can be described as Ye Tang's first step into the rivers and lakes.

He was a nobody, he followed behind Zhong Buyan, pretending to be a disciple from the twelfth floor and sneaked in, he disappeared as soon as he entered the arena, Zhong Buyan didn't see anyone after looking for a while, so he followed him.

Different from the Ziyang Mountain Sword Discussion Club, Madam Baihua's banquet this time is mainly about flower viewing, followed by martial arts competition.In the next few days, when most of the people who admired the flowers left, Mrs. Baihua slowly revealed her success.

If the rest intends to show off their martial arts skills, here are the leaders of various sects who are currently famous, and everyone will judge the top three together.The second and the third are the peonies "Ehuang" and "Nvying" that Mrs. Baihua personally gifted to her, and the one who wins the first place can make any request, and Mrs. Baihua will definitely make it happen.

As soon as this remark came out, many people directly pointed their finger at Zhong Buyan's famous sword.It's a pity that the skills are not as good as people's. In the second half of the journey, the wheel-to-wheel battle consumes manpower and energy, and there are not many people left standing in the field.

After another round of sparring, only Qiao Wanshan, the elder of Huashan, the inheritor of Wuyue swordsmanship, remained.

Ye Tang appeared at this moment.

No one knows where he came from, and challenged Qiao Wanshan by name.

The other party was a round older than him, but he didn't intend to give in. At first, everyone sweated for this ignorant young man, but when he really started to make a move, he realized that his worries were for nothing—— Qiao Wanshan was in Ye Tang's subordinates are like a fledgling child!

He certainly doesn't know how to use Liuyang's palm moves, some people in the martial arts have tasted it under Qiu Xinglang, once they use it, they will definitely reveal their secrets.So when Ye Tangfu made a move, it was the two styles of "Yunxia" and "Haishu".

The moves of Liuyang Palm are simple but rigid. After practicing for so many days, Ye Tang felt that it was very boring. Behind Qiu Xinglang and Hua Ni's back, he didn't tell anyone, and he had already added many changes to it.

He used another set of palms, combined with the light and agile Luo Wuhen footwork, Ye Tang played Qiao Wanshan around, his face turned red, and he couldn't resist at all!

Within fifty rounds, Qiao Wanshan conceded.

After that, several people stepped forward to challenge, but they were all defeated by the palms of their hands.

Ye Tang stood lightly and deftly in the field, with the pride of a young man.Mrs. Baihua praised him as a hero, and the girls of Miaoyin Pavilion secretly wrote a song and sang about his heroic demeanor, and his name spread all over the world!

"Young Xia Ye has won this title, do you have any wish?" Mrs. Bai Hua exhaled like blue, and blessed him.

Ye Tang looked around, and locked on Zhong Buyi among the many envious eyes.

Unlike other people who were surprised by the limelight of an unknown person, he looked at Ye Tang with a deep smile as if he had foreseen the end from the beginning.Seeing him looking at her at this moment, Zhong never tires of it or twitches, she lifts her chin, signaling Ye Tang to speak up if she has something to say.

He had already figured it out, it was just a sword.

"I think," Ye Tang said, crisply said, "Let's compete with Sect Master Zhong."

As soon as this remark came out, his jaw dropped in shock.

Dongfang Yuan hadn't screamed yet, Zhong Wuti chuckled, stood up and stepped on the edge of the table, and landed in front of Ye Tang in the blink of an eye, without a word of nonsense: "Young Xia Ye, please enlighten me."

That was the first time Ye Tang called him "Master Zhong", with a bit of teasing and mischievous thinking, he was so vivid that he never tired of hearing the bell.

He never thought about it before walking forward, Ye Tang also called him Master Zhong soon after, but he gritted his teeth.

But Zhong Buyi cannot predict the future, he lives in the present.

Ye Tang attacked with a volley of palms, Zhong Buwei didn't dare to neglect, his wrist trembled slightly and he let out a metallic clear roar, and the Changhe Knife came out of its sheath in response!

The light of the knife is like snow, and like the moon, it can cut mountains and break seas, but what it uses is a lingering "Ten Miles of Misty Rain".

Ye Tang dodged a gust of wind on his side, and with a skill in his hand, he went straight to snatch the knife that never tires.Sensing his intention, Zhong Buti retreated hastily, the blade was restrained, his mind was flustered, and he was worried that Ye Tang would be hurt by the blade's energy, so his movements were slow for a moment.

And at this moment of hesitation, Ye Tang slammed into his arms fiercely——

The Changhe Dao was thrown out of his hand suddenly, and Zhong Buyi held onto Ye Tang's waist.

But there was no sound of swords falling to the ground.

The man in his arms raised his toes, and immediately grasped the handle of the knife lightly, winked at him showing off, and said in a volume that only the two of them could hear: "It's so embarrassing for me to steal your knife, why don't you give this knife to me? "

The breeze was blowing slightly, but at that moment Zhong Buyi felt that there was a tsunami in his heart, smashing something majesticly, and he returned to calm in an instant, he couldn't find the residue, and he couldn't understand the throbbing just now.

His arms were still around the young man's waist, Zhong Buyi heard Ye Tang's words, but thought that his waist was so thin inappropriately.

Still distracted, Ye Tang couldn't wait for his answer, turned around, pushed his arm lightly, and the Changhe Knife was already in its sheath - in the eyes of others, it was just a momentary change, after the "click" sound of the sheath closing, , Four wild cheers.

Zhong Buyi's hand holding the handle of the knife trembled a little. He raised his eyes to look at Ye Tang, who had already sat back in his original position, looking at him with his chin propped up.

Those eyes were really bright, his face was flushed because of a burst of sparring, his clothes were opened a slit, and he could see his not-so-thin chest.

Zhong Bu Tien avoided his gaze.

"I'm still close!" Ye Tang said carelessly, "It seems like it will take another ten years to win against Master Zhong!"

Dongfang Yuan smiled and said: "It is said that your elder brother Zhong is a top expert, don't be brave, kid, you are only 17 years old, there is still a long way to go - but think about it quickly, what gift do you want?"

Ye Tang rolled his eyes, and made a black and white movement: "I want that Gu Yan sword."

His volume is not high, but it has already caused waves in all directions.

During the banquet, people laughed that he didn't know the heights of the sky and the earth, and some people made jokes that the sword was the hottest, and no one in the world would want it.Some people praised Ye Tang for being young and promising, while some said sourly that he was just taking advantage.

In the middle of the boiling sky, Zhong Buyi walked towards Ye Tang, and calmly said: "If you like it, I will give it to you."

After finishing speaking, he ignored everyone's amazement, and called a disciple on the twelfth floor by name: "Tomorrow... no, I will hurry back to Xixiu Mountain to get it this evening, and I must deliver it to Ye Shaoxia before the fall."

Ye Tang was taken aback, he was extremely embarrassed, his cheeks were flushed, and he quickly covered them with his hands.

Zhong Buyi happened to walk up to him. Seeing Ye Tang's appearance, he sat down and said in a low voice, "I don't want it? I got what I wanted. Why do you still have this expression? Could it be that you are lying to me?"

"No!" Ye Tang retorted softly, "How did I know you would really give it away? Dongfang Yuan said you wouldn't give it away..."

He only had a pair of eyes exposed, and the lower half of his face was buried between his arms, making him even more cute.Zhong Buti's heart softened, he couldn't tell what he was feeling, so he reached out and rubbed Ye Tang's head.

Ye Tang reminded him angrily: "Men don't touch their heads."

Zhong Buyi withdrew his hand and didn't answer his words, just said calmly: "Forget about others, but don't you like it, I'll send you off."

When the Guyan Sword was delivered to Ye Tang, it was just the beginning of the autumn wind.

Since a spring feast in Luoyang, he has accepted Dongfang Yuan's invitation to accompany the two of them.During the conversation, he realized that Zhong Buyi hadn't been out of Xixiu Mountain for ten years, and this trip to the Central Plains was the second time in his life that he had left the boundary of Ningzhou. I didn't have time to see anything.

"Brother Dongfang always said that the customs and people in the Central Plains are more than a little interesting. I have long been yearning for the beautiful scenery everywhere in the changing seasons. Right now, all the affairs on the [-]th floor are on track, and my junior brother helps me to take care of them, so I have some free time."

When Zhong Buti said this, they were about to leave for Yanxia Mountain.

Dongfang Yuan parted ways with the two when they settled down in Jiangling, a little chore in the Miaoyin Pavilion was not a big deal, but Kang Yinxue, who had the reputation of "plain hands and voiceless", wanted Dongfang Yuan to go back.

The beauty begged, even though she was extremely unwilling, Dongfang Yuan had no choice but to say goodbye.

There were only two of them left, Zhong never tired of asking Ye Tang where he was going and asked him to go with him.If it were someone else, maybe Ye Tang would not agree so easily, but along the way, he made some strange mistakes, and Zhong Buyi would only nod at everything he said.

The peonies in Luoyang City were all in bloom, and they went all the way south to Yunmengze.

In the scorching summer, I borrowed a small boat from the lotus picker, Zhong never tires of punting the boat, let Ye Tang sit on the bow and play in the water.

The lotus leaves in Yunmeng Lake seem to have disappeared in the hot summer. Even though the sun is shining, there is still some coolness.There was a faint fragrance of flowers and leaves lingering in the wind, the girl on the boat next door wanted to teach Ye Tang how to pick lotus, he followed suit, and soon he piled up dozens of lotus pods by his side.

He folded a large lotus leaf, put it upside down on his head, took a lotus pod, cut off the overly long stem, and ate it as if no one was around.

Ye Tang had never eaten this before, and followed others to learn.Seeing that the girl moved briskly, he then stuffed the white lotus seeds into his mouth, but the next moment he was so bitter that he frowned: "Bah bah bah! It's not delicious at all——"

"Very stupid!" Zhong Buti laughed at him from the stern, "Are you a native of the Central Plains? Why can't you compare to me, a foreigner from Xixiu Mountain?"

Ye Tang angrily threw the lotus stalk at Zhong Buti, the lotus leaf on top of her head tilted, covering her entire face.

In the depths of the lotus root, there is gradually no one.Zhong did not tire of propping up with the oars, fixed the boat so that it would not float around, walked from the stern to sit behind Ye Tang, and peeled the lotus seeds for him.

The egret landed on the top of the black-covered boat Shi Shiran, Ye Tang looked curiously, and was about to ask a question when suddenly his mouth was gagged by a lotus seed.He chewed it suspiciously, his mouth was sweet and crisp, completely different from the one he made just now.

He was a little surprised and said, "Why isn't it bitter?"

Zhong did not tire of exerting force lightly, cut the green skin and white flesh with his fingernails, and showed him a piece of lotus heart in the middle: "This is bitter, you just swallowed it together, you must not be used to it. But the fishermen in Yunmengze are used to soaking lotus heart Tea, antipyretic and calm."

Ye Tang asked: "Then the tea is also bitter?"

Zhong Buyi nodded: "Everyone in the world suffers from bitterness. Only when you get used to this taste can you discover the sweetness."

Ye Tang was tired of his frequent arguments. He always felt that this person was suffocating in Xixiu Mountain. If he met a younger junior, he would be a teacher and teach him earnestly. I don't know who can bear it.

So he leaned back and covered his face with a lotus leaf: "I'll sleep for a while."

Zhong Buti said yes, pity him, the majestic head of the twelfth floor, who is now working tirelessly in the depths of Yunmengze to peel lotus seeds for a young boy, and will have to drive him back later - it is ridiculous to say, but he is willing to do so.

The surrounding fields are silent, occasionally there is the sound of fish playing in the water among the lotus leaves, egrets singing, and the plump lotus pods bowing their heads gently.

On the evening of July [-]th, Zhong Buyi and Ye Tang faced each other silently in the breeze.He thought for a while, and his fingers lingered over the lotus leaf that covered his face, but he didn't take it off in the end.

"Let's go back now." He said, stood up, and the boat made a series of waves in response.

Ye Tang was still lying down, and asked in a daze, "Is there a moon tonight?"

Zhong Buyi looked up and said, "It's the new moon."

Ye Tang still had his eyes closed, and said without beginning or end: "That's great."

He didn't know what Ye Tang was talking about, so he just smiled in response.With the oars in hand again, Zhong Buwei followed the way he came, opening up lotus and lotus pods all the way, with the boundless blue sea and bright sunset behind him.

There is clearly something different, but Zhong Buyi can't tell.

It wasn't until later that he realized the tenderness of that day. Although he couldn't describe it well, the predecessors had already written similar feelings, but it was "the south wind knows what I want, blowing dreams to Xizhou".

After coming ashore from Yunmeng, Ye Tang had a whim, and for the first time mentioned the destination he wanted to go to.

"Yanxia Mountain?" Zhong Buti asked, "Is it Yanxia Mountain in Jiangning? The sky can also come..."

Ye Tang blinked: "Is that good?"

Zhong hesitated for a moment, seeing his yearning appearance, he swallowed Tiangao Luyao back abruptly, and said, "It's really easy to go, do you want to ride a horse or take a boat? We can pass Chuzhou by land. I heard from Brother Dongfang that literati and inkmen yearn for it." The mountains and rivers of Chuzhou, and the Lushan Waterfall, must also be a sight."

Ye Tang's gaze shifted: "Of course it's fine, I can do it."

Zhong Buti asked him patiently: "Why do you want to go to Yanxia Mountain?"

"Oh, it's nothing to say. It's just that I heard my sister say that the maple leaves in that place are very beautiful. She saw it once, and she can't forget it." Ye Tang said carelessly, "Since you know it's not far away, the summer is getting farther and the autumn wind is far away. At first, why not go there in person to know what kind of beautiful scenery is unforgettable for a lifetime.”

Zhong Buyi smiled and said: "There are so many beautiful mountains and rivers in this world, can it be possible that you can see enough in just one or two years?"

He naturally talked about the important point, Ye Tang didn't know how to answer.

When leaving Shuiyue Palace, Hua Ni did not make an agreement with him that he must end his wanderings and go back to worship the Moon Sect, but if Hua Ni was in trouble, Ye Tang would take it upon himself to do so.During the days he came to the Central Plains, he also heard from many people that the mysterious Left Protector of the Moon Worship Sect had never appeared. Some said he was Hua Ni's puppet, while others said that he might just scare the children, and there was no such person at all.

Luoyang City became famous in the first battle. If they really want to confront them with swords in the future, they don't know what to do.

In the past, he didn't know what the Central Plains thought about the Moon Worship Sect. After half a year since joining the WTO, he also knew that the congregation of the church below did some brutal acts.

There are constant skirmishes, and sooner or later a big fight.

How will he deal with himself then?

Do you really want to shield those criminals?But if not, what would Hua Ni think of him?

Ye Tang fell into a long silence, not knowing what he was thinking about, thinking that he was troubled by his own question, so he patted Ye Tang on the shoulder tolerantly: "It's nothing, you can go to see us if you want .”

He never asked about Ye Tang's background, nor did he ask about his apprenticeship, just like his elder brother.Sometimes Ye Tang thinks this is good, but most of the time she is afraid.

It doesn't matter if you fall out with other people, but he is only worried about Zhong Wuti.Ye Tang often feels that Zhong Buyi lives a transparent life and can always guess his identity. If he doesn't say anything, he doesn't have to mention it. When the day comes, Zhong Buyi will point a knife at him...

It's not that Ye Tang hadn't thought about it, he was disappointed to find that there was no countermeasure.

The person next to the ear continued to talk: "Today, let's go to the Dongting first. Dongfang wrote the recommendation letter a long time ago. We just need to go to the courtyard where the disciples of Miaoyin Pavilion are located. Naturally, someone will arrange board and lodging - I know the place, let's go." Is it?"

The second half of the sentence made Ye Tang wake up from the entanglement, and nodded blankly.

His appearance made Zhong Buyi worry for a moment, but thinking that he was lying down and sleeping all the way in the boat just now, maybe he was not awake, or maybe the wind was blowing.When he pulled Ye Tang's wrist, he retracted reflexively, Zhong Buyi held his fingers and slapped his palm, telling him not to move.

Sensing his intention, Ye Tang smiled and said, "Brother Zhong, do you still see a doctor?"

"I can feel one, two, three for ordinary pulses, but it's not enough for complex ones." Zhong Buyi said, "It's okay, I'll make you a bowl of ginger soup after staying here later."

Ye Tang didn't like to drink that, and immediately frowned upon hearing this: "Why drink it when you're not sick?"

Zhong Buyi let go of his hand, and pushed him forward: "I'm worried."

The bowl of ginger soup was finally drunk, and the next day Zhong did not tire of fulfilling his request, and took Ye Tang from Dongting, all the way down the Yangtze River.

At the best time of the year, the sky is high and the air is crisp, and the clouds are floating in the sky.

The two rode together, visited the Lushan Waterfall, which is the world's most magnificent scenery in Zhong Buyi's mouth, and then moved forward.The blue tiles and white walls of Huicheng, the beautiful Huangshan, and the small bridges in Gusu are all beautiful scenery.Ye Tang had to stop for a few days when he encountered something interesting and delicious, and he never tired of it and followed him in everything, so he ate while walking, and when he arrived at Yanxia Mountain, the autumn colors were already thick.

The forces on the twelfth floor are mainly in the area of ​​Ningzhou in the Western Region, surrounded by the head of the sect, and now he is not thinking of Shu, the acting head of the house specially sent someone to send the Gu Yanjian to Yanxia Mountain in advance, and bought a courtyard here, so that the clock will never tire of staying.

The yard is not big, and it is appropriate for an ordinary family to live in the same house for three generations, but he and Ye Tang feel empty here.

The disciples who brought the Guyan Sword gave Zhong Buyan their things and bid farewell to him. This place is far in the south of the Yangtze River, and they had to return to Xixiu Mountain before the long winter in Ningzhou. go back.

Looking at those figures in white riding horses, Ye Tang realized something later: "Aren't you going back to Xixiu Mountain this winter?"

"Junior Brother, look, nothing big will happen." Zhong Buyan said in peace, "Going back to Xixiu Mountain and then going to the Central Plains, and when the mountain is closed in winter, it will take more than half a year to go back and forth."

Ye Tang was shocked: "So far?"

Zhong Buyi dipped in some tea and drew for him on the table.

After going out of Tongguan, passing through Zhangye, and then passing through the old imperial guard's mansion, it didn't arrive in Ningzhou until it entered the Gobi.And Xixiu Mountain is outside Xuanwu Town, the northernmost town in Ningzhou. There are many mountains and criss-crossing peaks. Go work hard.

Ye Tang was speechless: "I was just outside the pass when Xixiu Mountain was, I didn't expect it to be so far—"

"Yes," Zhong Buyi joked, "I once sent a good friend who was the head of the sect to live on an island in the East China Sea. If they wanted to meet each other, they would have to trek through mountains and rivers and travel thousands of miles. But when they really met, We will part again soon."

Ye Tang asked: "It's such a trouble, why do we still have to meet?"

Zhong Buti said: "If a gentleman makes a promise, why should he be afraid of thousands of mountains and thousands of waters?"

Seeing that Ye Tang seemed to understand, he sighed softly again: "Forget it, you are still young, what should I tell you? But if you live in the northern region or southern Chu and want to see me, I will go through fire and water. Go to the appointment."

Having won the thousand gold promise, Ye Tang was not as happy as he imagined, and only looked at him thoughtfully.

Zhong Buyi thought that he didn't understand the meaning, but just as he was about to say it again, Ye Tang suddenly asked softly: "Are you serious? No matter where I am in the future, if I want to see you, you will come from Xixiu Mountain?"

There was a flash of water in his eyes, Zhong Buyan also followed him seriously, nodded and said: "As long as you want."

On the willow shoots on the moon, Ye Tang lowered his eyes and said nothing, the corners of his mouth were clearly smiling.

(four)

There is everything in the small courtyard, Zhong Buyi rested with Ye Tang overnight, and went to Yanxia Mountain the next day.

Zhong was not afraid that the maple leaves in the mountains were not yet red enough to disappoint Ye Tang, so he got up early in the morning and asked the old man in the city, and then went to the woodcutter's house outside the city to inquire about the situation and the route up the mountain before turning back to the courtyard.

He opened the door and entered, Ye Tang was sitting in the courtyard looking at the Gu Yan sword.

The Changhe knife is thin and narrow, because it needs to match the Chunshui knife technique, although it is five inches longer than ordinary lancets, it is still light and dexterous.The handle of the knife can be held with both hands, and with a little force, the blade will resonate with a metallic sound. It is exactly the opposite of the Changhe Sword. The Guyen Sword is called "Sword", and it is wider than ordinary long swords by more than three fingers. It is simple and heavy in the hand.

The scabbard is engraved with spring flowers, which are so gentle that it doesn't match the sword body. From a distance, it looks like a heavy flower branch.

He moved his hands, grabbed the hilt of the sword, and drew out an inch of edge.

The blade is sharp and sharp, and the moment is like the rising sun!

Ye Tang couldn't help admiring that the sword was indeed a good one, stood up and took a few moves of the simplest three-talented swordsmanship, feeling that this Guyan sword fit the four characters of "great ingenuity as clumsy".It seems bulky, but the sword style can accommodate all kinds of things. Unfortunately, it is a waste to fall into one's own hands. If a talented swordsman obtains it, he may be able to gain a lot.

An elephant has no form, but a great sound has no sound. If you have practiced martial arts to the highest level, you probably don't rely on tangible things to be effective.But in today's martial arts, I am afraid that there are very few people who can reach this level.

The flower-folding hands on the twelfth floor may be comparable...

While meditating, someone approached in front of him, Ye Tang raised his head and heard Zhong Buti ask him, "How about the sword?"

"It's a good sword." Ye Tang said, put the sword back into its sheath, and put it on the table again, "It's a pity that I don't know swordsmanship, it won't be effective in my hands—you said you found it for Gu Yan Good Lord, do you regret it now?"

Zhong Buyan's expression was indifferent, showing no emotion, he just said: "I'm only 17 years old, it's not too late if you want to learn sword again someday. The left and right swords are already yours, and you can give them away or use them yourself in the future. Keep it."

Ye Tang smiled and said yes, and took the sword back into the house.

When he came out again, he changed into a smart attire, and said with great interest: "Brother Zhong, you went out early in the morning. You know how to go up the mountain, right? The weather is fine now, and I think we can go to Yanxia Mountain today."

Zhong didn't tire of being told his whereabouts and didn't make trouble, he just held the Changhe knife behind his back and told him to follow.

Yanxia Mountain is located in the southeast of Jiangning City. This day, when it hit Xiumu, there was an endless stream of people going to enjoy the maple leaves.Official young masters rode tall horses, ladies and ladies walked slowly in soft sedan chairs, and servant girls followed behind with food boxes and clothes.

People who practice martial arts don't have to be "down-to-earth", Zhong Buyi suggested riding a horse, but Ye Tang rejected it, thinking it was too ostentatious.

So he walked like ordinary people, the young man was still interested in walking slowly at first, but after walking for a while, he couldn't bear his temper, and with a little step, he used lightness kung fu and walked away like a flying swallow throwing a forest.

Zhong was helpless and had no choice but to go with him.

The original name of Yanxia Mountain is untestable, and the "Yanxia Fu" written by the literati of the former dynasty is famous all over the world, so when later generations mention this place, they all use Fu as the name.Jiangning City was originally the capital of the former dynasty. Although the royal family moved the capital after the change of dynasty, there are still many wealthy businessmen and descendants of nobles living here.

Because of the fame of that Fu, Yanxia Mountain became well-known all over the world, and there was an endless stream of tourists who came here admiringly.Parents and officials complied with public opinion and not only built hiking trails, but also built a total of twelve pavilions at the foot of the mountain, on the side of the mountain, and on the top of the mountain. There are different scenery in the south, east, and north.

"...the autumn scenery is so beautiful, I can't stop lingering." Ye Tang read along the stone tablet outside the gazebo on the top of the mountain, muttering in a low voice, "These scholars are hard to pronounce when writing a stone tablet, but a sentence of beautiful scenery can fill more than 100 characters, but In the final analysis, I think it’s not as good as those chivalrous travel notes I read when I was young!”

Zhong did not tire of seeing that the inscription was made by a contemporary Hanlin editor, who used to be a teacher at the Beichuan Academy, guessing that Ye Tang didn't understand this relationship, so he followed him and said: "Cifu is good, but visitors here can climb to the top. There are a few who can understand—look at those officials’ children, they can’t even walk when they get to the mountainside.”

"That's why the above said that this pavilion is facing the water of Qinglong Lake. In midsummer, willows will be beautiful, and in autumn, you can overlook the red maple of the whole mountain." Ye Tang looked far away, "Is Qinglong Lake over there?"

The moat passes around the stone wall, and Yanxia Mountain is located on a high ground. The place where Ye Tang and Zhong Buyi stand is facing the lake that the moat draws water from.

The maple leaves are so red, overlooking the whole mountain, the whole field is dyed rich red by maple trees, the outline of the Qingdai mountain range in the distance is blurred, and the leaves are rippling with the wind, like a sea of ​​blood - Zhong Buzhi thought to himself, not so much romance , but somewhat ominous.

Almost at the same time as this thought, the murder case a year ago came to mind.

Xixiu Mountain has rarely been involved in the world, but that tragedy made Zhong Buyan, who devoted himself to forging swords and knives back then, tremble with fear.

Hua Ni, the leader of worshiping the moon, killed a young man on the top of Yanxia Mountain with extremely cruel means.When the man was still awake, she cut open the man's chest and abdomen alive, took out the heart, and shredded it under the eyes of the man, then cut off the man's limbs one by one with a saber, watched with cold eyes, and finally died of bleeding.

Later I heard that the man was an elder disciple of the Huashan Sword Sect. He was obsessed with swordsmanship, and met Hua Ni by accident. He didn't know his identity, but thought that this woman was a celestial figure, and even made a private decision with her behind his master's back.

But when he found out the truth, he immediately got scared and wanted to cut off contact with Hua Ni.

Hua Ni pretended to agree, and asked him to come to Yanxia Mountain to meet, saying that this place was the first place they met, and she would have no regrets if they said goodbye here.The man did not doubt that he was there, refused the protection of his senior brother, went to the appointment alone, and caused disaster.

When his body was found, it had been chopped into pieces, and the methods were extremely violent, and the blood stained the maple tree red—it was summer, and the maple leaves were not yet red.

But since then, the maple leaves in Yanxia Mountain seem to be more beautiful.

Ye Tang's words still echoed in his ears, "My elder sister said that the maple leaves there are very beautiful. I have seen it once, and I will never forget it."

Zhong Buyi frowned, this scene made him uncomfortable, he turned his head to look at Ye Tang, who was fascinated by it.

They went out later than the scheduled time, and after they arrived, they walked around the mountainside for a while, and now they reached the top, less than three quarters later, there was already a sign of the setting sun.

Zhong Buti asked: "Go back?"

"Let's wait a little longer." Ye Tang said, sitting on the fence of the gazebo, his legs dangling.

He nodded: "Then wait a little longer."

The golden crow sank to the west, and the whole sky seemed to be on fire, and the clouds rolled and the clouds were relaxing, and there was a bright sunset glow.Seeing the changes in the clouds, Ye Tang thought to himself: "The 'cloud' in the palm of Liuyang is originally after 'Haishu', and it must have taken the magnificent morning glow, but at this time the sunset is also so gorgeous, maybe it has a different appearance."

He can still see the gods, and he seems to have gained something.

As the sun sets in the west, the sky in the east suddenly becomes bright again, and a crescent moon and stars rise together on the blue and white skyline.Young people seldom watch the scenery quietly. The rare big river in Huainan and the green mountains and flowing water are under his feet. He is a little crazy.

"I gave my heart to Mingyue..." Ye Tang murmured.

He was silent for a long time, and suddenly he spoke at this moment, Zhong Wuyi sat next to him, and he could see the young man's expression on one side of his face.

Ye Tang's face was covered with a layer of warm golden color by the sunset, and the already gentle outline appeared even more ambiguous.Zhong Buyi was in a daze for a moment, and raised his hand, wanting to touch his reddish earlobe.

"What's behind it?" Ye Tang scratched his head, "I can't remember."

One word awakened the dreamer, Zhong Buti's hand stopped in the air, he couldn't advance or retreat, so he had to land on Ye Tang's shoulder, and he spoke from his mouth: "It's not a good word anyway."

Ye Tang thought for a while, then said: "That's right, the moonlight is not warm, it can't shine on people's hearts."

Zhong never tires of smiling: "You always make me feel strange when you say this."

Ye Tang: "Isn't what I'm telling the truth? People's hearts are like rocks, and they can't be warmed up. Even if they occasionally soften their hearts and say something nice, they will still harden in the end."

"What?" Zhong Buti said.

Ye Tang's eyes were lowered, but he stopped talking about people's hearts.

His eyelashes cast a thin layer of shadow on his eyelids, and he spoke slowly but in a low voice: "The place where I live is backlit, but the moon is very nice to see. Every evening, I run to a high place with my sister on my back, where there is a tree, Jump up there so no one can see it. I sat there until very late before going back to my room to sleep, and the new moon, crescent moon, full moon... are all cold."

Zhong Buyi felt that there was something in his words, and a terrible conjecture flashed in his mind, and without waiting for him to convince himself, he immediately threw this idea out of his consciousness and said, "Where are your parents?"

"They don't want me." Ye Tang said softly, "Sister and I depend on each other for life."

What about the others?Where is your home? Who taught you all your martial arts?If Sister is an ordinary weak woman, I'm afraid she doesn't have such a great ability?Why didn't I tell you to go out again?

The longer I get along with Ye Tang, the more mysteries I feel about him.

But now the silver light shines on the red maples all over the place, Zhong Buyi didn't say anything, his fingers finally touched Ye Tang's shoulder, and lightly touched Ye Tang's shoulder in the other's surprise, telling him to lean on his shoulder.

Later, he thought, he should have known, but he has been unwilling to believe it.

Ye Tang has a special liking for Yanxia Mountain, and it happens that the twelfth floor is here to set up a courtyard. The winter is long, Zhong never tires of going back to Ningzhou, and he has no other matters to worry about, so he stays here for a long time.

The maple leaves have been red for a long time, and Ye Tang often runs to the mountains at dawn and doesn't come back until dusk.Zhong Buyi never asked him what he did, but said that other people's affairs had nothing to do with him, so he didn't go with him, and stayed in the courtyard to practice martial arts by himself - he always said that there is no limit to the way of martial arts, let alone "Heaven and Earth Kungfu" needs more persevere.

He has broken through the ninth floor at a young age, which is rare among the previous heads of the twelfth floor.But Zhong Buyan did not choose to knock on the tenth floor of "Heaven and Earth Same Life" like everyone else, but let himself stagnate.

He has his own reason.

"Heaven and Earth live together" is also known as the chapter of breaking love. It was very difficult for anyone to reach this state before, and it was difficult for most people to practice it in their entire lives.And there are records in the twelfth floor that the people who practiced the Dao of Longevity to Dzogchen soon resigned from the head of the sect and lived in seclusion in the depths of Xixiu Mountain without a trace.

how so?

What about the so-called state of severance in "Heaven and Earth Live Together"?

Zhong never tires of thinking about the unique knowledge on the twelfth floor, and will never take risks before his doubts are fully understood.

This day Ye Tang went out as usual, and didn't come back until sunset in the evening.

He never refused to walk obediently through the gate of the courtyard, and arrogantly rolled over from a tall pagoda tree beside him and landed on the ground—there was a pagoda tree outside the courtyard, and he was promoted to make a fortune, to be promoted to a high position, and to get a lot of money—as soon as he stood still, the tip of Ye Tang's nose moved slightly, There is a subtle aroma.

The scene under the tree made him startled, the people in the courtyard were guarding the red clay stove, warming wine and entertaining guests.

Ye Tang couldn't help asking: "Brother Zhong, why do you want to drink today?"

Because of his martial arts practice, Zhong Buyan didn't drink often, Ye Tang saw that he served only a handful of glasses, and most of them were at the irresistible banquet.They lived in Yanxia Mountain for a long time, and it was the first time that Zhong Buyi wanted to drink.

"I saw yellow clouds in the sky, and counted the snowfall tonight." Zhong Buti said, beckoning him over to sit down, "There is a saying that it will snow when you come late, so you must have a drink."

Ye Tang sat down safely. There were two celadon wine glasses on the table. He picked up a toy and said, "Where did you get the wine utensils?"

"You went shopping in the city when you went out. This set is very cute, so you brought it back." Zhong Buyi took the fan and slowly fanned the wind, and the fire in the furnace was in full swing, "If this snow really falls, it will soon fall winter."

Ye Tang said "hmm" and said, "What's the connection?"

Zhong Buti said, "I guess you haven't seen snow before."

Ye Tang was speechless for a moment.

The winter in the Huainan Mountains is not warm, but because it is in the valley and near the stream, the climate is troublesome. Even if it snows every year in March or September, it melts as soon as it hits the ground, and it rarely accumulates as thick as other places.

However, the "Yi Xing" branch of Baiyue Sect is a pure yang body, which can't stand the damp and cold very much. Ye Tang has not yet reached the stage of being free from cold and heat. Every winter, he nests indoors, practicing martial arts, and sleeps in a daze until the spring is warm. Flowers are reactivated.

This time, the clock didn't tire of talking nonsense, he didn't mention himself, and changed the subject: "So what if you haven't seen it, there won't be a piece of meat missing."

Zhong Buyi smiled and handed him the wine: "Try it, drunk Sanqiu in the city—that restaurant has been open for many generations, and it is said that it is a century-old restaurant, and this wine has been sold for almost 100 years."

Ye Tang saw that he was no longer lifting the snow, so he quickly took the cup.

The liquor was clear, with tiny ripples rippling in the celadon cup, just like the Qinglong Lake they had seen in the daytime, when surrounded by willows, there was a fragrance of grass and trees.

He took it up to the tip of his nose and sniffed it. The smell was not strong, and he was a little disappointed: "It's not as good as the wine at Madam Baihua's banquet."

Zhong didn't tire of being silent, and pushed his arm to show him to experience it for himself.

It was not the first time for Ye Tang to drink alcohol. The cup in his hand was small, full of liquor, and it would overflow everywhere with a slight tremor.He hastily sipped half of the cup in one sip, and in an instant, the warm liquid ran across his throat, and immediately burned up, but it was not unbearable, but very gentle, and after he swallowed it, he tasted a little aroma between his lips and teeth.

"It smells like flowers, but there shouldn't be any flowers in this wine. You said that it has been sold for a hundred years, which makes sense." Ye Tang commented, withdrawing his previous disdain, "It's a good wine."

Zhong Buti laughed loudly, and clinked glasses with Ye Tang after filling the cup for him.

Ye Tang was stunned and said: "You don't want to play drinking orders with me, do you? I don't know that!"

Zhong did not tire of shaking his head, and clinked glasses with him again: "Our Ningzhou rules, drinking and clinking glasses is just for the sake of winning, but this year is approaching, it is rare to have a drink - I hope my Xiaotang will be safe and sound in the coming year. "

After drinking a glass of wine in a panic, Ye Tang rubbed his hands, his palms were already hot.

The courtyard was silent for a while, and the night was not as bright as the moon, and the lanterns on the porch became the only light source.Ye Tang lowered his head, not daring to look at the clock tirelessly, but he clearly felt that the man gently covered his hand.

"Xiaotang." He whispered, the smell of wine still lingered between the two of them, "Whether it's the snow in Xixiu Mountain or the snow in Jiangning City, it's all the same. I won't think too much about it."

Ye Tang blinked his eyelashes quickly: "It's different..."

After being interrupted by Zhong Buyan, he took his hand tightly and asked him to watch: "Look, it's snowing."

The yellow clouds dissipated, and the sky became clear.The north wind brought a moist coolness to his face, Ye Tang finally dared to raise his head, there seemed to be pieces of frost flying under the lamp, but it was not as condensed as frost flowers. .

He was momentarily speechless.

Zhong Buti stood up, secretly moving his kung fu with his hands.Xixiu Mountain's unique kung fu was originally practiced in the extremely cold northern region. At this moment, he was concentrating his energy in the palm of his hand, making it almost impossible to see how he moved. He listened to the wind walking around and turned around. Between the size, it was sent to Ye Tang's eyes like a treasure.

"Flower-folding hands, come back from stepping on the flowers." Zhong Buti said, his fingertips moved slightly, and the snowflakes condensed into ice crystals.

The exquisite and translucent color reflected a reddish youthful face.

Ye Tang reached out to touch it, but after drinking, his body became hot. As soon as he touched it, the ice crystals immediately melted into water.He rushed to nothing, but his hand fell into Zhong Buyi's palm and was held by him.

"Brother Zhong?" Ye Tang raised his head suspiciously.

But like snowflakes floating on the branches, his lips suddenly felt cold, and Zhong never tired of hugging Ye Tang's waist, and did not let go for a long time.

In the second half of the night, the snow fell silently, but there was a tendency of wind and clouds.

Ye Tang couldn't sleep well, so he simply got up and lit the lamp, grabbed the clothes that he didn't tire of, draped them outside, and pushed the door out with his front folded.He was always afraid of the cold, but this day he felt that his body was warm from the inside to the outside, and he didn't feel cold even when he was blown by the cold wind.

The first heavy snow in Jiangning City didn't fall completely until the middle of the night, the sky was slightly bright, Ye Tang stood on the porch, thinking, this was the first time he saw falling snow in 17 years ago.

He thought of Hua Ni again for no reason. When he left Shuiyue Palace, he knew that Hua Ni was not feeling well at that time. There were rumors in the world that the Lord of Worshiping the Moon was also betrayed by men. From then on, he would arrest a young man every month and torture him in every possible way.Ye Tang had never seen this scene before, he knew that Hua Ni was infatuated with the disciples of the Huashan Sword Sect, otherwise he wouldn't have dug out his heart.

At that time, he thought that Hua Ni would handle it by himself, so he didn't have to worry about it. Now that he had seen the red leaves of Yanxia Mountain for several days, he thought that maybe he left a little early—at least spend that time with her.

If there is no such thing as the clock, at most one year, Ye Tang will still return to Shuiyue Palace after going to the place he wants to go.

Hua Ni is right, when he sees the faces of all beings in the martial arts world, he will understand that he can't go anywhere except Shuiyue Palace.

But now he hesitated again.

Ye Tang sighed, he sat down on the railing, his legs sticking out of his robe, exposed to the air.The cold might wake him up a bit. Ye Tang can't be a good person, nor can he be a hero.

The door "creaked", and Ye Tang turned his head away. He was still sleeping soundly on the couch just now.