The cross wind swept across the endless snowfield outside Liangzhou Pass, and a crescent moon hung at the end of the sky. The pale moonlight illuminated the endless land.
In the wilderness, there was a bonfire, next to it was a temporary triangular tent built with tarpaulin, and two horses tied to wooden stakes.
Two men wearing sheepskin winter coats sat on the ground beside the campfire.
One person holds a wine bag, threads rabbit meat on a stick, and roasts it on the fire.
The person opposite was holding a silver hairpin and stroking it gently, with an old black-sheathed sword stuck beside him.
The man who was roasting rabbit meat picked up the wine bag and took a big sip. White mist came out from his mouth and nose, and he looked blankly at the northern snowfield:
"Yuanfeng, I've been looking for you for months. What are you looking for? At least tell me."
The man opposite him was in his early thirties and quite handsome. His name was Pei Yuanfeng, and he was also known as Zheng Feng in the world, but this has long been a thing of the past.
Now Pei Yuanfeng is just a wanderer from a border town who is far away from the world and traveling aimlessly.
Facing the inquiry, Pei Yuanfeng put away the silver hairpin, took the wine bag and took a big sip:
"I'm looking for a herb called Snow Lake Flower. It grows on the banks of Tianlang Lake and blooms in winter."
"You say that every time. I, Yang Chao, have been living in the border for more than ten years, and I have never heard of such a thing outside the border. Even if there is, I heard that there is a war in the north of Tianlang Lake. The war is chaotic, and we are the three-legged cats.
Martial arts, in the past, had to be strengthened..."
Yang Chao, who was in his early thirties, chatted alone for a while. Seeing that Pei Yuanfeng was silent, he said curiously:
"Yuanfeng, I see that you have thin skin and tender flesh, and you are also literate and can write couplets. You look like a rich kid in the city. Why can't you think about it and come to hang out in this poor country?"
"I am the second eldest child in the family. I wanted to inherit the family business, but my father refused to accept it. I was dissatisfied and had a quarrel. I wanted to get ahead before going back, but I was just messing around, so I was too embarrassed to go back."
"Why would you be so shameless about going back? If you don't have a good reputation, and you know how overweight you are, you can honestly go back and be your second uncle, helping your eldest brother take care of the family business. You are still the second in command in the family..."
Rumble...
While he was talking, there was a roar from above the snowfield, which sounded like rolling thunder from a distance.
Yang Chao handed the roasted rabbit meat to Pei Yuanfeng, then lay down on the snow with his ears pressed to the ground:
"It seems to be the Beiliang frontier army... I guess they are going to fight again. Let's go quickly..."
Pei Yuanfeng pulled out the Chilonghuan Shou Dao from his side, untied the reins and got on his horse, looking towards the north:
"You enter the customs first, and I'll look for you later."
"Then you have to be careful, don't run into the Beiliang soldiers... drive——"
Hooves, hoofs, hoofs -
After Pei Yuanfeng watched Yang Chaoyuan go, he rode his horse and continued heading north. After walking for less than half a mile, he saw a chaotic battlefield at the end of the snowfield, and the shouts of killing were loud.
Pei Yuanfeng sat on his horse and looked out with his sword in hand, but did not get closer. He bypassed the area where the two armies were in contact with the enemy and continued to march towards Tianlang Lake.
But after walking a few miles, I heard a faint cry coming from the snowfield:
"Wow——"
Pei Yuanfeng hesitated for a moment, then followed the sound on his horse to a hill in the snowfield, where he saw a lonely carriage moving slowly in the ice and snow.
There were more than ten arrows in the pulling horses, and the same was true in the carriage. The tattered carriage had a banner hanging in front, and the ancient emblem of a tribe could be faintly seen on it, and the cry came from it:
"Wow——"
Pei Yuanfeng quickly came to the carriage, opened the curtain to check, and saw a man dressed as a servant lying in the carriage, with an arrow stuck in his back, leaning against the corner of the carriage and dying.
The servant held a swaddle in his arms, and inside was a little baby, crying loudly.
Pei Yuanfeng got off his horse and entered the carriage, picked up the baby, and saw a small package beside the servant, which contained many jade medicine bottles.
Pei Yuanfeng held the baby and the package, and came to the snow hill to look out. The desolate snowfield was deserted, and only the flames of war in the distance were gradually spreading here...
The old town was covered with heavy snow, and there was no trace of people at night. However, a cry could be heard in a small escort office in the corner of the town.
"Wow——"
There was a dim light on in the backyard room of the escort agency.
Yang Chao held a bowl of hot goat milk, stood in front of the table, and kept chanting:
"Little ancestor, stop howling, come and drink milk..."
Pei Yuanfeng brought hot water, poured it into the basin, tested the water temperature with his hands, then opened the jade medicine bottle and poured a few drops into it:
"This kid seems to have something wrong with his body. He keeps crying without using this medicine. Even if the doctor in the town looks at it, he can't tell what kind of medicine it is. I don't know how long he can live..."
Yang Chao held the milk bowl and fed it into the baby's mouth:
"I think this baby is quite strong. It's probably the medicine that nourishes the body. It makes him feel comfortable so he doesn't cry."
After Pei Yuanfeng finished feeding, he picked up the baby and placed it in warm water.
Yang Chao stood in front of him and looked around. When he saw that the little baby was neither crying nor fussing, he looked around and said with a smile:
"This baby looks smart, has a big bird, and will grow up very well. I haven't seen his parents coming to look for him. I'm afraid he will have to be raised in the future. Do I need to give him a name?
"I have to get one, what is it called?"
"Well... how about you become a member of my Yang family from now on, and give me the last name Yang? What's the past? It's over. From now on, I'll call you Yang and start over..."
"Wow——"
"Hey? You don't like it yet? What do you want to be called...Yang Big Bird?"
"The cries are so loud that those who make the noise at night can't sleep, so let's just scream..."
Pei Yuanfeng turned his eyes towards the distant north, thought for a while and said again:
"Night Terror Hall."
"Night Terror Hall...not bad..."
——
Four years later, the new year is coming.
In the small escort agency in Honghe Town, because of the addition of a smart little baby, the originally lifeless atmosphere became much more lively.
Raising a baby is a delicate job and requires money. For this reason, Pei Yuanfeng, who had been traveling all year round, settled down and focused entirely on the business of the escort agency, recruiting seven or eight more escorts.
At the end of the year, more than ten people gathered in the Escort Bureau to have New Year's Eve dinner. Mrs. Lin next door was carrying Xiao Liuzi, who had just turned one year old, on her back, cooking in the kitchen, while Young Dongjia, who had just turned four, stood behind her,
Holding a candied haws in her hand, she teased the fat boy on Mrs. Lin's back.
"Tangtang, firecrackers are being set off outside, why don't you go out and take a look?"
"Only children set off firecrackers..."
"Haha, such a big baby talks like a grown-up..."
Compared with gradually entering the formal escort agency, Pei Yuanfeng, who served as the boss, put all his energy on his adopted son, gave up what he wanted, gave up, and became increasingly depressed.
Before the New Year's Eve dinner was over, Pei Yuanfeng returned to the backyard alone, sat alone under the eaves, staring blankly at the Chilong Huanshou knife lying across his knees. After only a moment of silence, he was overcome by drunkenness and fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, when all the escorts had dispersed and the entire escort agency was quiet, a soft sound of "rustling" suddenly woke up Pei Yuanfeng, who was drunk and dreaming.
Opening your eyes and looking around, the lanterns under the eaves gave off a little light.
There was a little child full of energy, standing on a bench at his feet, holding a sheepskin jacket for going out in his hand, draped over him.
When she found that he was awake, she yelled in a sweet voice and said:
"Go to bed and sleep. What should I do if I get sick from the cold?"
Pei Yuanfeng blinked. He had never felt "father's kindness" before, but now he suddenly understood what "son's filial piety" meant.
After a moment of silence, he grinned and raised his hand to rub the little baby's head:
"Jingtang, do you want to be a master?"
"It's not good to fight and kill. The son of that family at the entrance of the town was stabbed to death because of a fight..."
"The purpose of practicing martial arts is to protect your family and country, not to fight and kill. It is better to have a knife in your hand than to be unable to protect your home when something happens. I am someone who has been there, so you must remember this."
"oh……"
"Moreover, these days, men who are powerless have a very miserable life. If you don't practice martial arts and you are so good-looking, when you grow up, you will be snatched away by the daughters of the mountain kings outside the town.
Those arms are thicker than your thighs..."
"..."
"Haha~ You still know that you dislike beautiful girls? There are no beautiful girls in Honghe Town. The most beautiful girls in the world are all in the capital. They have had no worries about food and clothing since they were young. They have big butts, good fertility, big breasts, and plenty of milk...
"
"Where is the capital?"
"It's in the southeast, just after crossing the Qingjiang River. How about it? Do you want to practice martial arts? I'll teach you sword skills."
"okay."
"Humph! Practicing martial arts is not a child's play. Go and stand on horseback for an hour!"
"Eh?"
…
——
In the blink of an eye, another four years have passed.
It was early summer, and the land in Honghe Town, located in the Great Gobi Desert in the northwest, was earthy yellow, with not many green trees and not many pedestrians in sight.
On the bank of a small river outside the town, Ye Jingtang, who had been beaten three times a day for four years, stood alone on the knee-deep stone beach, using a sledgehammer to smash the stones in the river, then opened them and picked them up from under the stones.
A small finger-long fish.
On the stone beach not far away, several women from the town were washing their clothes and chatting casually:
"I heard from my man that the current emperor is a woman, and she just took over a few days ago..."
"Can a woman be an emperor?"
"Why can't women? Look at the family in the oil shop. The mother-in-law is so fierce that she can't even scold her in half the street. The men are as skinny as chickens. That means the woman is in charge..."
…
There is also a small bamboo basket with hay lit in it. An ugly bird covered in gray fluff lies lazily in the bamboo basket. From a distance, it looks like a hemp ball, looking eagerly at the Night Terror Hall.
Small fish skewered with foxtail in hand:
"Chiji..."
"I've known it all day long. If you gain weight again, you might be stolen and stewed during the Chinese New Year..."
"Gu..."
"Hey?"
Ye Jingtang discovered that the little chick he had picked up was still responding. When he turned around, his eyes were full of surprise.
Before we could figure out why, the sound of horse hooves came from the distance:
Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...
Ye Jingtang raised his eyes and saw at the end of the official road, a horse running from a distance, heading north. The horse was very majestic and mighty, and it was very different from the ordinary horses in the Escort Bureau.
Honghe Town is located in a desolate place on the border. There are very few outsiders coming and going on weekdays. When Ye Jingtang saw this scene, he carried the small fish and held the birds, and quickly ran to the small earth bag beside the official road to look at it.
The speeding figure looks like she has traveled a long distance, but is not dusty. She is wearing clean black and white clothes and a hood on her head. She looks like a woman from a good background. Compared with the khaki border town,
Seems out of place.
The lady in white came galloping towards her, and when she was about to pass him by, the horse slowly stopped. The lady in white on the horse looked around, and then looked at him:
"Little baby, which way to Tianlang Lake? How far is it?"
The voice is very light, with a sense of being out of this world.
After Ye Jingtang took a look, he didn't run down the dirt bag, but just pointed into the distance:
"Twenty miles ahead, go right on the fork in the road. When you exit the customs, go northeast. I don't know how far exactly. I've never been there. That's outside the customs. Ordinary people are not allowed to go in or out. What are you doing there?"
"You speak quite logically... I'm looking for a herbal medicine. Thanks."
The heroine in white took out a piece of silver and threw it to Ye Jingtang on the dirt bag, and then she continued to gallop into the distance on her horse.
Ye Jingtang moved away the bird that had taken advantage of others to eat the small fish. He looked at the retreating figure of the heroine in white and was a little confused. Before he could think twice, his leg was knocked by the handle of a knife.
"hiss--"
Pei Yuanfeng, who appeared behind him at some point, looked very ugly and scolded him seriously:
"The world is not peaceful. When you meet a stranger of unknown origin, remember not to look at him casually. If you encounter a ruthless person, you will be dead if a dart is thrown down casually."
"That's a woman..."
"How can a clean woman walk alone at the border without any real skills? In the world, this kind of person is far more terrifying than those bandits who are full of gangster spirit..."
Ye Jingtang thought it made sense, took note of these words carefully, and asked again:
"Who is that woman?"
"Looking at his appearance, he should be from Yuxu Mountain."
"Yuxu Mountain... is that very powerful Taoist temple?"
"You know quite a lot. What? Do you want to marry a wife like this?"
"I'm just asking out of curiosity..."
"Zhizi Mo Ruofu, I still don't understand what you are thinking? Such a woman has no chance of marrying a grandmaster without the skills of a grandmaster. Don't even think about it. When you grow up and become a grandmaster, she will be a long time ago.
Just get married..."
"I've beaten all the invincible opponents under the age of fifteen in Honghe Town. How can I be considered a master?"
"You are far behind. Martial arts masters are all fairy-like figures. You are down-to-earth and study hard and practice hard. Don't aim too high. You can probably become a master at the age of thirty. If you are like now, fishing and walking all day long, you will be waiting to be beaten."
The daughter of the mountain king outside the town should be snatched to be the wife of the village..."
…
——
In the blink of an eye, ten years later, another year is coming to an end.
In the escort agency in the border town, four large tables were set up, and more than ten escorts were sitting at the table, drinking and chatting. The leader was a tall young man, dressed in black, with an extremely handsome face.
The big, fluffy white bird stood on the stool, eagerly looking at the wine and meat on the table.
Yang Chao, the bodyguard who already had white hair, sat beside him holding a wine glass and said softly:
"After establishing business with Beiliang, life has indeed become much more comfortable. The business of the Escort Bureau has increased several times compared with previous years. The empress still seems to have a lot of skills. If there were no gangsters like the Hongshan Gang and the Horse Gang,
, these days are really comfortable..."
"Honghe Town is a small place after all. There is not even a county magistrate around it, and the court has no control at all. To collect the reward for the heads of horse bandits, you have to travel hundreds of miles. If you want to be safe, you have to go to the Central Plains."
"With the Dong family's ability, they can make a name for themselves wherever they go. But in the past, when the Young Dong family was young, it was too risky to abandon the escort business and take the Young Dong family to travel outside. Now the Young Master is older, has old injuries and spends all day long.
If you drink, you probably won’t be able to run away..."
"I'm eighteen years old, and my martial arts skills are better than my father's, and I'm good enough to take charge of the family. I'll try to persuade him later, but it really doesn't work. I'll go to the Central Plains first to have a look, and then I can take my father over to enjoy the blessing..."
"The young master wants a girl from outside, right?"
"well……"
"The boy from the young master's family is so handsome. He is still a baby even at eighteen years old. He almost makes the older girls and younger daughters-in-law in the town cry. He has to worry about even taking a bath. I wouldn't be able to survive this day...
"
After chatting for a long time, Ye Jingtang left the table first and went to the backyard.
The backyard where only two people live is filled with stone locks, wooden stakes and other weapon training tools. Because they study hard every day, they are not covered with snow.
There is a chair under the eaves of the old house. Pei Yuanfeng, who has turned gray, is leaning on the chair to sober up, just like he was fifteen years ago, with his long knife across his knees.
The difference from the past is that he looks a bit sloppy, with a beard and a lot of wrinkles on his face.
Ye Jingtang sighed secretly, took a blanket from the house, and put it on Pei Yuanfeng's chest.
Rustling, rustling~
There was a slight noise, and Pei Yuanfeng opened his old eyes drunkenly. Looking at the little baby who no longer had to stand on the stool and even had to bend down to put on clothes for him, a flash of light flashed in his eyes as if he was from another world.
"Go inside and sleep. Be careful of catching a cold here."
"got used to……"
Pei Yuanfeng sat up a little straighter and motioned to the bench next to him:
"It's the New Year again, these days go so fast...a lifetime will pass quickly in the blink of an eye."
"You are celebrating the New Year, please say something auspicious. I heard that masters in the world of martial arts can normally live to be over a hundred years old, and they are considered to be in their prime at fifty years old."
Ye Jingtang sat down in front of him and looked at the moonlit night sky with sparse stars:
"Now that I have grown up, you don't need to worry about the escort agency. How about we go out and make a living? You have worked hard for half your life, and you deserve to be happy."
Pei Yuanfeng shook his head slowly. After all, he had already enjoyed the happiness before he was twenty years old, and in his old age he was trying to atone for the impulsiveness and recklessness of his youth.
Looking at the grown-up Ye Jingtang, Pei Yuanfeng thought for a while and said:
"I'm old and too lazy to run. You must go out and make a living, otherwise your life will be in vain. Where are you going to go in the future? Find a wife in the capital?"
Ye Jingtang shook his head: "People in the world are not asking for trouble by going to the emperor's feet. I heard that there are many swordsmen in Zezhou. I have been practicing swordsmanship since I was a child. I think I can meet many like-minded friends there."
"hehe……"
Pei Yuanfeng was not surprised by this statement. The first stop for young swordsmen in the martial arts world when they first came out of the mountain was usually Junshan Terrace.
That is the starting point for swordsmen, and it is also the end point that all swordsmen pursue in their lives.
"Don't be in a hurry at Junshantai. It's better to go outside and see the world first. By the way, don't run to Beiliang."
"Huh? Why?"
"This is the rule of the rivers and lakes. The Jianghu of Dawei is my hometown. When you are desperate, you will go to Beiliang Jianghu to become a homeless prodigal and try to find a way to start over. You still have a way to go. If you go to the rivers and lakes now, you will stop the past.
The only way out."
"Oh... I have no plans to go to Beiliang, but I still want to visit the Central Plains."
"When are you going to go there?"
"On the third day of junior high school, I have to send escorts to Shazhou. I'll probably come back in March. Let's talk about it then. You should also go out for a walk. There's no point in staying here and drinking."
"hehe……"
Pei Yuanfeng shook his head and smiled. He didn't say much. He just picked up the wine bottle from the side of the chair and poured a bowl of wine for Ye Jingtang:
"I don't know when you were born. You will be one year older in one year. After today, you will be eighteen. You have to walk your own path in the future. Don't embarrass me when you go out."
"That's natural."
Ye Jingtang held the wine bowl and touched it with Pei Yuanfeng:
"As we celebrate the New Year, do we have to say a few auspicious words?"
"Well... all things welcome the spring and send off the remaining wax, and the year ends tonight. In the new year, I hope you will find some beautiful wives."
Ye Jingtang's eyes were full of smiles. After thinking about it for a while, he suppressed his words:
"Happy New Year!"
Pei Yuanfeng chuckled twice, picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, then leaned on the chair and looked at the fireworks soaring into the sky in the town. After a while, he looked at the Night Terror Hall. There was deep reluctance in his eyes, but also
No regrets at all.
After all, Jianghu also has a time to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Although he has accomplished nothing, a Jianghu has to go on his journey. When his son reaches adulthood, he has completely finished walking. The next journey should be left to the newcomers. There is nothing to regret.
…
————
Happy New Year, Aguan wishes you all a happy New Year, may you all have a healthy and prosperous year ahead or2!