Cloud of the Qing Dynasty

Mu Liuyun was a little at a loss. He had been devoted to martial arts since he was a child, and he didn't worry about other trivial matters.This trip down the mountain, food, clothing, housing and transportation were arranged by Yichenzi along the way, and the junior disciples served along the way, so that he subconsciously felt that someone would take care of these troublesome things, and he didn't realize until he was reminded that this trip would take care of them for him. The person responsible has become a cold corpse.

Seeing that he was silent, the innkeeper couldn't sit still, and said submissively: "Master Dao, this... this matter involves the Shangqing Palace, we dare not deal with it without authorization, you have to give me some advice."

Seeing Mu Liuyun's perplexed expression, Zhang Chi sighed and said, "I think so, shopkeeper, you should first restrain the corpses of the four priests, and then report to the officials."

"Report, report to the official?" The innkeeper was stunned.

Zhang Chi has already begun to rummage through the bodies of the dead, finding out their silver weapons, weapons and belongings. While packing, he said, "People are killed, of course we have to report to the officials, although the affairs of the rivers and lakes are ordinary. You also turn a blind eye and close your eyes, but you have to tell them what happened. The officials will send the body to Yizhuang and notify the people from the Shangqing Palace to come and claim it. In the meantime, I will trouble you to take care of the priests When the people from Shangqing Palace come to pick it up, tell them by the way that we are going to track down the murderer, and if there are no accidents, we will return here in a few days, and let them wait here for a few days."

As he said that, he took a piece of silver from Yichenzi's purse and handed it to the innkeeper: "This money is regarded as compensation for your losses."

The innkeeper looked at Mu Liuyun hesitantly, not daring to reach out to pick it up, Mu Liuyun turned his head in frustration: "Just do as he said."

"Hey, good." The innkeeper took it over and ordered the guys to start cleaning up the chaotic scene.

While packing his bags, Zhang Chi said to the innkeeper in a rambling manner: "By the way, I also need someone to wash the clothes that the Taoist priest has changed. When we come back to pick them up, bring us some food to eat on the way." The dry food, and the torch, do you have a new water bag here? No, then bring the water bag of Daoist Yichen, he won’t need it anyway.”

Mu Liuyun watched him explain a bunch of seemingly trivial things in detail, and for the first time in his life began to pay attention to how these chores should be handled.

After Zhang Chi packed his bags, he seemed to remember to ask: "By the way, I have been fighting and talking for a long time, but I still haven't asked for the name of the Taoist priest."

"Mu Liuyun." The frustrated Mu Liuyun replied a little coldly.

Shangqing Palace is not a pure Taoist temple, nor is it a pure Jianghu sect. Some people in the temple like to call themselves by Taoist names, and some like to call themselves by common names. "Well, he cupped his hands and said with the attitude of "I like to put a hot face on a cold ass" and said: "It turns out to be Brother Mu. The next Zhang Chi, the bow is Zhang Zhang, the galloping Chi, nineteen years old, unmarried, People from Yongzhou, it is a pleasure to meet you."

***

Zhang Chi rode Yichenzi's bay red horse, and Mu Liuyun rode his own white horse, trotting along the official road one after the other.

Mu Liuyun originally thought that Yichenzi's horse would not be willing to be ridden by strangers, but Zhang Chi's riding skills are quite good, and he also knows the horse's habits very well. Riding a strange horse is as easy as raising it from a young age. It's not like he's just keeping himself from falling off his horse with his excellent balance and reflexes.

Today's moonlight was bright enough to see the general terrain of the road. They lit torches again, but Zhang Chi still deliberately slowed down.

Because he found out that Mu Liuyun is not very used to riding a horse, driving at night is no better than during the day, and if he runs too fast, something may happen.

Mu Liuyun was silent all the way, letting the white horse habitually follow the partner ahead.

Before going down the mountain this time, he didn't have much contact with Yichenzi and the three younger disciples who were murdered, so he couldn't say he was sad about their death, he was a little angry, but more of a dazed one.

Now that it happened, he naturally wanted to seek justice for the death of his fellow disciple, but he really didn't know anything about this world.

In Shangqing Palace and many sects with similar structures, there is a customary rule. When the next generation of disciples also start to become masters, the previous generation will no longer accept disciples. It will only let him worship under his disciple and accept him as his disciple.

But this is not a formal sect rule, so when the unreasonable Master Xuan insisted on accepting the young Mu Liuyun as an apprentice, no one in the sect could object.

Xuan Yidao is the only surviving uncle among the previous generation of the Seven Sons of the Shangqing. He has always lived in seclusion in the Qingfeng Pavilion on the back mountain of the Shangqing Palace, rarely asking about sect affairs.He never confiscated an apprentice in his life, and it was not until his later years that he took in such a closed disciple on a whim, and people in the sect still complained about it.

Fortunately, both Mu Liuyun and Xuanyi Master and Disciple lived in the Qingfeng Pavilion, and everyone tacitly downplayed the existence of such a person, rarely letting people outside the sect know about it.After all, in Shangqing Palace, where "order of seniority and order" is very important, it is rather awkward that the respected head suddenly has a "junior junior" who is younger than all his disciples.

It is conceivable that Mu Liuyun has no friends since he was a child. All his peers are gray-bearded old people. Those who are older than him should call him "Master Uncle", and those of his age should call him "Master" respectfully. Say "Uncle Grand Master".Mu Liuyun, who had no peers to play with since he was a child, had to become young and mature, staying in the Qingfeng Pavilion every day, either practicing martial arts, or copying the classics of the family, day after day, year after year.

The seven sons of the Shangqing Dynasty are very filial to Xuan Yichang, the only living elder. For chores such as chopping firewood, delivering water, cleaning and sweeping, there are new junior disciples who are responsible in shifts. The cost of food and clothing in the pavilion is the best in the sect, and even the incense they use every day is high-quality sandalwood incense with a box of tens of taels of silver.

Mu Liuyun didn't know this, but he only knew that someone would deliver the three meals a day, someone would sweep the floor when it was dirty, someone would wash and iron the clothes after changing them, and if there was anything missing, just tell the rotating disciples I never have to work hard for the trivial things in life.After all, Xuan Yichang is a person who has never had an apprentice in his life, and has no idea of ​​training his disciples' living ability at all. He only knows to let him concentrate on learning martial arts and not be distracted by these chores.

In recent years, Master Xuanyi often traveled far away, and he would not return for three to five years, so Mu Liuyun lived alone in Qingfeng Pavilion all year round.He always thought that he was used to living alone, but only now did he realize that he had never lived alone.

Once he left the care of the people in the sect, he was just a disabled person with high martial arts skills, and he was completely helpless with the trivial things necessary to maintain his life.

***

Mu Liuyun remained silent all the way, and Zhang Chi didn't dare to initiate a conversation. It wasn't until the sky gradually brightened that he broke the long silence: "Let's stop to eat and let the horse rest for a while."

Mu Liuyun nodded silently. They stopped by the side of the road and let their horses graze nearby. Zhang Chi secretly observed Mu Liuyun's face while eating the tasteless dry food.

Yesterday, he was hunted down by Mu Liuyun all the way just in time for a quick glance. Later, because of the dim light and busy proving his innocence, he never had the time to carefully observe the other person's appearance. Until now it was dawn and his sight became clear. Only then did he have time to take a closer look at Mu Liuyun's appearance.

When he saw it, he couldn't take his eyes off it.

Feeling Zhang Chi's rude gaze, Mu Liuyun frowned, and asked displeasedly, "What are you staring at me for?"

"Ten years ago, did you go to Xingyang?" Zhang Chi looked at him in disbelief and asked.

"Xingyang?" Mu Liuyun shook his head, "I have no impression."

"Think about it carefully. That night, in a ruined temple in the suburbs, you killed a villain with half of his face burned. At that time, people in the world called Yan Luo Liang Xiaotian with a half face. Is there such a thing?"

Mu Liuyun thought about it for a while. Although this was an old story ten years ago, the number of times he went down the mountain from childhood to adulthood was very few, and the number of enemies he killed was also limited. Such an obvious appearance feature like burning half of his face is something that he just wants to forget. can't forget.

"How did you know?" Mu Liuyun looked at Zhang Chi suspiciously. Back then, Yan Luo and Liang Xiaotian murdered members of the Shangqing sect and were punished by the Shangqing palace, but the sect leader never mentioned who did it. few people know.

"It's really you!" Zhang Chi's tone became a little excited, "Do you remember? At that time, you not only killed Liang Xiaotian, but also saved a child from him."

Mu Liuyun was taken aback: "Really..."

"You don't even remember?" Zhang Chi had an unbelievable expression, as if Mu Liuyun had done something to disappoint him, "For so many years, I don't even know your name, but I have always thought about you For saving my life, I thought I would repay you well one day, but you don't even remember me."

"...So, I saved you before?" Mu Liuyun still couldn't remember.

Zhang Chi nodded, and said with a look of reminiscence: "At that time, my parents were both dead and homeless, so I could only live in a ruined temple, but I accidentally ran into half of Yan Luo hiding there to heal his wounds. He was afraid that his whereabouts would be revealed, so he wanted to kill him." I silenced you. At the critical moment, you descended from the sky like a god and killed the villain. I was lucky to save my life. At that time, you saw that I was poor and sick, and you gave me a piece of silver, a whole tael. If it weren't for you , I will not live today at all.”