Jiang Yan was in a daze after a drinking fight with others. Su Kou was a pharmacist after all, and his drinking capacity was half that of the swordsmen and pen clerks. He wanted to help, but he was completely drunk.
The group of swordsmen and penmen were staggering around one by one. It was already the zenith of the moon, and Xiao Lu Deng had already fallen into a deep sleep. Even Yaya and the little gardener were dozing off again and again.
When the full moon banquet was about to end, Wei Changli called Jiang Yan to the roof of Mianyue Tower. The cold wind blowing from Xiandu Mountain made him sober from the wine.
"Mr. Wei, can a sheep like yours get into the house?"
Jiang Yan patted Aries on the head, perhaps with too much force, causing Aries to stumble and the cart to shake.
Wei Changli glared at Jiang Yan, and then comforted his old Aries.
"Why are you teasing him when you have nothing to do? Be good, we are not the same as him."
This old sheep is Wei Changli's exclusive mount, and he rides the sheep cart around Mahuang Lane several times every day.
"Why do you keep calling me out? Are you afraid that I will get all your swordsmen and penmen drunk?" Jiang Yan said with a slight smile.
“It’s great to be young”
Wei Changli looked at these noisy young people, his eyes filled with memories and loneliness, but there were no more people with whom he could laugh, curse, and talk happily over wine.
"This is something your mistress gave you. Keep it. Maybe it will come in handy in the future." Wei Changli thrust something wrapped in silk satin into Jiang Yan's hand.
"Why doesn't my wife give it to me?"
Jiang Yan said that he was about to open it and take a look, but was stopped by Wei Changli.
"It's a bit inconvenient for her. Don't open this thing in front of others. Keep it safe."
After seeing Jiang Yan put it in the bookcase, Wei Changli started talking about business.
"The practice of the Eight Prefectures depends to a large extent on talent. Before the talent is fully realized, the speed of practice will be very fast. Once the upper limit of talent is reached, it will be difficult to move forward.
Therefore, some people who seek immortality before they are thirty years old will hardly make any breakthrough in the next few hundred years. How far have you cultivated now?"
"Perhaps I am in the situation you mentioned. The practice of Qian Yuan Mirror is very smooth. In a few months, I may be able to hit the realm of Taoism. But if I practice opening hundreds of acupoints, if I don't have enough spiritual power to support it, I'm afraid
It’s quite difficult”
Wei Changli nodded, "How many points have been integrated?"
"You also know this?"
This surprised Jiang Yan. He only practiced the fusion of hundreds of acupoints in the land of Yique. The fusion of life points and the physical body allowed his body to continuously strengthen, giving him a physique comparable to that of a martial artist or a monk.
Except for that old dragon, no one else should know.
"Nonsense, when I met Da Laohei, your father wasn't even born yet," Wei Changli said angrily.
Only then did Jiang Yan realize that the reason why Da Laohei helped him exercise was actually because of Wei Changli's intervention.
"Hey, tell me how much virtue I have accumulated to allow my husband and you to cultivate me like this. It's really hard to repay in this life."
"Stop talking to me such bullshit"
Jiang Yan received a slap on the head from Wei Changli. Although he didn't use any force, Jiang Yan still showed his teeth in pain.
"Your master came to see me before going to Daxuan City. Do you want to know what the two of us talked about?"
"Master, half of his life's energy has been given to the Wen family, and the other half has been devoted to my wife and my junior brother.
Now that I am able to take charge of my own business in Qingdu, he should be able to rest assured that the topic of conversation with you is nothing more than Wenfu or my junior brother." When Lu Daoxuan was mentioned, the topic became a bit boring.
"you guessed wrong"
"My senior brother has the world in his mind, and he can paint all the world with one stroke. He has a carefree and true life, but at the last moment of his life, not only his cultivation level plummeted, but also his brain became confused. Otherwise, how could those stinky melons in Daxuan City be...
His opponent?" Wei Changli became indignant when he mentioned this matter.
"What did the master tell you?" Jiang Lu vaguely felt that it was related to him.
"You also know that I have always wanted you to take over the responsibilities of the Wen family, but my senior brother came to see me. He told me that we scribes are the freest and most unrestrained people in the world, especially you.
Of course, part of the reason why he accepted you as his disciple is that you are extremely talented in painting, but more importantly, he saw the shadow of me when I was young in you."
"I look like you?" This was the first time Jiang Yan heard about it.
"I have a loose nature, I can laugh and curse as I please, but I also value love and righteousness. I wish I could spend my whole life soaking in a wine vat. Another thing is that I don't seek advancement. Those born in the year of the mule will only move if they are kicked."
Jiang Yan laughed after hearing this, saying it was really the same.
"Do you know what is the most painful thing in my life?" Wei Changli asked sadly.
"have no idea"
"The most painful thing in my life is that I chose to become the head of the Wen Palace."
Jiang Yan never expected that these words would come from Wei Changli's mouth. The Lord of the Eight Palaces was the true ruler of the Yuling Continent. He stood at the pinnacle of the times and controlled the world at his command, but this became the most painful thing for him.
"The Mansion of Literature is an open and tolerant place. Although every scribe has different personalities and hobbies, they all advocate freedom.
When I was your age, my biggest wish was to be a traveling painter, carrying a book basket, a bamboo hat, a cane, and my wine, and travel across thousands of mountains and rivers, painting with pen and ink.
There is a block in the middle of the book, which records the prosperity and beauty, and the ups and downs of the world.
But after Ziwu Valley, my master wants to pass me the title of palace master. Everyone knows that such a position is extremely prestigious, but I don't have the ambition of my senior brother Qi Cifeng. I just want to look at the blue sea and the sky.
But at that time, the Wenfu School was in a state of turmoil, and the hard work of countless people in the thousand-year-old school could be ruined if they were not careful.
I am afraid of living up to the kindness and teachings of my late master, and I am even more afraid that the Qingdu and Wenfu that I deeply love will become ashes of the past.
Therefore, in the midst of thousands of haloes, I suppressed all my desire for freedom in my heart, and carried this path that made it difficult for me to escape from the shackles for eternity. It has been seven hundred and sixty-four years now.
Being in a high position and dominating the sky is the source of suffering and pain in my life."
Jiang Qian had also heard that when Wei Changli became the lord of the palace, it was in a turbulent time. It was he who helped the building to collapse and turned the tide before it fell. After more than seven hundred years of hard work, the era of the Wenfu's resurgence came.
With the strength to compete head-on with Confucianism.
But he himself has not gained a good reputation among the people of the Qing capital for more than seven hundred years. The prodigal son, Wei Ruanruan, has countless such names. From ancient times to the present, he is the only palace master who has become a joke among the people after dinner.
"Have Zhang Lingsu come to see you?" Wei Changli suddenly asked again.
"Well, he said that I was a victim of a disaster and gave me a divine colored stone."
"That old fellow Yuan Wushe once predicted that the eternal night in the Eight Prefectures is about to fall. If even Zhang Lingsu said so, it seems to be true.
All the palace masters knew that the Eight Palaces had reached another critical point of life and death, but they didn't know what kind of disaster it was and how to deal with it.
I have decided that the hope of Ba Wen Mansion is bet on you young people, Lu Yun, Meng Dongjiao, Chen Daoshu, Feng Buzhou, especially you, so I will rescue you from Daxuan City even if I fall out.
But senior brother came to me, hoping that I would not use kindness to tie you up. I have been so failed and depressed in my life, why should I keep you in this position?
You should know how wise the old guy is. He is right. The cycle of rise and fall is the ultimate principle of heaven and earth and cannot be reversed by human effort.
Therefore, I give you the freedom to choose. The first thing is the path your master gave you. He hopes that you can live your life happily without any disasters, and love the mountains and rivers, laugh and curse.
The path I show you is to do the same as me, give up yourself and shoulder the burden of the civil family."
Countless memories came to Jiang Gu's heart. The kind old man had left him far away, but he was still working on his future.
"You don't have to tell me the answer now. It may take a year or ten years before you can see your true heart and know the final answer." Wei Changli took out a simple wooden box from the sheep cart.
"I will give you this pen first. If you are willing, when you pick up the pen, it will be the day when you succeed the palace master. If you are not willing, find a suitable owner for this old pen that has been passed down by the Wen Palace for thousands of years."
Jiang Yan immediately guessed what kind of pen was in the box and quickly refused.
"Master Wei, Jiang Lunwan dare not take the Wen Mansion's important weapon, please take it back."
"I have a premonition that Wenfu is about to face the greatest catastrophe. I need to arrange everything so that I can deal with it with peace of mind. You are the person chosen by my senior brother. He has always had better vision than me. If I don't believe it, who else can you believe?
If it’s given to you, take it.”
Hearing Wei Changli's serious tone, Jiang Yan quickly knelt on the ground and held the wooden box with both hands.
"Although you are not asked to take over the Wen Mansion, you will still be under great pressure. The Baiyang Sect wants to resurrect the old monster from the Ci clan, and they are bound to get your body.
The news coming from the sword and pen officials recently is that the masters of the Baiyang Sect are gathering together, and perhaps they will come to the Wen Mansion in a while."
"They dare to attack Wen Mansion?" Jiang Yan asked in shock.
"Is there anything that this group of evildoers dare not do? I will give you this inscription. There are several mountains in the Immortal City that are full of spiritual energy from the branches of the earth. From tomorrow on, you will not go to the Wen Mansion for the time being. Go to the Immortal City with peace of mind.
Retreat, you must break through to the Taoist realm before the war, otherwise you will not even have the power to protect yourself."
"yes!"
"Jiang Yan, I have another personal matter I want to ask you for."
Just before Jiang Chan left, Wei Changli stopped him again.
"According to the rules of Wenfu, after the death of a great painter who has made great contributions to Wenfu, he will be buried in Dudong Wenxian Mausoleum, and his portrait will be enshrined in Bi Tui Pavilion.
But if that day comes, I hope you can help me spread the ashes to the North Sea to see the wrathful sea; to scatter the ashes to the wilderness to see the thunderous beasts galloping; to scatter the ashes to Zhongshan Mountain to watch the thousands of peaks compete in the show.
.In a word, if a stranger is not around, it should be regarded as a ghost wandering around."
"Are you explaining your funeral arrangements? Although I can't predict what kind of eternal night will come, which makes people like you and Zhang Lingsu feel panic, but don't forget that you are Wei Changli, and the world can take you for granted.
I’m afraid the human being has not yet been born!
After this eternal night has passed, you can abdicate and go where you should go. As an elder, don't bother a junior all the time. It's very annoying.
Therefore, I will not agree to this matter."
Jiang Yan left impatiently. He hated this kind of depressing and dull atmosphere that made him unable to breathe.
"Yes, I am Wei Changli, how can Yongye scare me? I am getting more and more timid as I get older!"
Jiang Yan held Lu Deng in his arms, and the two paper figures carried Yaya and the little gardener all the way back to Mahuang Lane, while Su Kou was caught in the hand of a paper crane.
After Jiang Yan left, none of the scribes present at Mianyue Tower left. Everyone knew that another huge crisis was brewing.
After returning to Mahuang Lane, I wanted to send Lu Deng back, but found that my wife was missing?
After searching inside and outside for many times, he couldn't find it, which made Jiang Yan panic.
Jiang Chan scattered countless paper cranes in Qingdu. After sensing Jiang Chan's anxiety, all the paper cranes flapped their wings and walked through the night.
Even so, thousands of paper figures and cranes searched every inch of the Qing capital.
When he was anxious, a ray of light fell on the courtyard of Mahuang Lane, and a person came running in panic. The person who came was actually Song Yu.
"Song Yu? Why are you here?"
"Where is my master? Where is my master?" Song Yu rushed into the room anxiously.
"The master's wife is missing"
"Missing? Two of the cold silkworms that Master gave me suddenly died. I thought something must have happened to Master, so I ran back overnight!"
After Song Yu, the silkworm breeder, became enlightened, he felt that his talent was insufficient, so he voluntarily gave up his status as a scholar and returned to Guangling City to concentrate on his own path.
Wenfu had offended other schools regarding Jiang Yan's matter, so any news would be blocked within the boundaries of Yunzhou. However, Song Yu sensed something strange through Hancan and ran over in a panic.
Hearing that two Han silkworms had died, Jiang Gu became even more uneasy. How could he find someone who could not be found with thousands of paper cranes?
Jiang Yan suddenly remembered a place, turned around and ran out, it must be somewhere!
There is a place called Dushan after Wenfu. From Wenfu classics, we know that a great sage from Wenfu, the first Fuyuan to teach Du Fanchuan, was buried here, so it was named Dushan.
From then on, everyone who made great contributions to the Wen Mansion will be buried here. Being born in front of the mountain and dying in Dudong has become the lifelong wish of all scribes.
Jiang Gu took Song Yuzheng to Du Dongwenxian's mausoleum. Although the mausoleum was full of graves, it didn't feel gloomy at all.
When Jiang Yan came to Lu Daoxuan's grave, a woman quietly leaned against the tombstone with her eyes closed, and a happy smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
Lei Hongyi was dressed in red, with painted eyebrows and lips, and a phoenix crown on her head, just like she did when she married Lu Daoxuan.
"Master's wife..."
"master…"
A mournful cry spread throughout the Wenxian Mausoleum.
Lei Hongyi has been infatuated with Lu Daoxuan all her life, but she did not show any sadness after learning that Lu Daoxuan died.
At that time, she thought that being pregnant with Lu Deng gave her another spiritual sustenance, but now thinking about all these strange things, Lei Hongyi clearly had her intention to die when she learned the news.
After seeing Jiang Yan and Wei Changli's meticulous care for Lu Deng, the last trace of concern was finally dispelled. There was not much nostalgia in the world, and Lei Hongyi finally went with her beloved.
Both Lu Daoxuan and Lei Hongyi cared deeply about Jiang Chan. The two closest relatives left one after another, leaving him in a trance.
Jiang Yan was filled with regret. If he had noticed earlier, would he have been able to save his wife's life?
"I have heard some great love stories. Jiao Liu turned into a bird, Han He turned into a mandarin duck, and Liang Zhu turned into a butterfly. They all ended with sad and beautiful endings.
And you two were born in the same quilt and now die in the same hole. If you are born in the next life, you will never be the same as them. You will definitely turn into a lotus in front of the Buddha, and you will be indistinguishable from life to life."
Jiang Chan buried Lei Hongyi and Lu Daoxuan together, and Song Yu saw three letters in her hands. One was left to Jiang Chan, asking him to take care of Lu Deng, one was left to Song Yu to pass on the mantle, and one was left to Jiang Chan, asking him to take care of Lu Deng.
It is written that Erlu Deng personally opened it!