Meng Chaoge, Luo Piaoling, Fire in the Stone, Jiang Yichen appeared in the chrysanthemum garden without anyone noticing.
The old man, together with Yi Zhongren and Murong Jing, talked in detail with the four people for two full hours in Taoran Pavilion.
After a brief meal, Luo Piaoling, Meng Chaoge, brother and sister accompanied the old man and Yi Zhongren to Huanxin Pavilion to make tea and talk.
Murong Jing and Shi Zhonghuo, who were almost the same as the chief steward of Juyuan and the chief steward of Tingyu Pavilion, walked among the corridors of Juyuan and chatted wordlessly.
Jiang Yichen "left aside" everyone and walked around aimlessly. After a long time, he groped his way towards Zhang San's residence.
Four years have passed since Hongye brought Zhang San back to Juyuan from Xijiang County.
Jiang Yichen only made a special trip to visit Zhang San once in the same year before returning to Xishan Island to visit his relatives.
Although he didn't make any promises to Zhang San at that time, he made up his mind to avenge Zhang San's dethronement, Situ Zhong's tragic death, and the destruction of the Wuxiang Sect!
It's just that time has passed, and he once fell into sorrow because of the destruction of Xishan Island. He also vowed to take revenge and narrowly escaped death several times. He gradually fell into the treacherous quagmire of the rivers and lakes, constantly hesitating between right and wrong.
It is getting further and further away from the happy grudges that I once thought.
As brothers who have gone through life and death together, Jiang Yichen has not been able to torture Zhang San to death, and Ji Qianlin, who tortured Situ Zhong to death, is unable to get rid of the smiling Maitreya who condoned Ji Qianlin's evil deeds.
As a "non-staff member" of the Wuxiang Sect who benefited from the "Wuxian Sitting and Forgetting Mind Technique", Jiang Yichen not only failed to cause much trauma to the Nether Sect behind Danxia Villa, but even became associated with it for his own selfish reasons.
Even though they later parted ways, they still agreed to a deal with Lu Hao to settle the old grudges on Xishan Island, regardless of Wu Xiangmen's kindness in gifting the sect's martial arts.
No matter how many reasons or excuses the Tushita Gang and the Netherworld Sect have, the massacre of the Wuxiang Sect is an evil act that harms the world.
It is precisely because of this that whenever he thinks about these two great feuds, Jiang Yichen is always scratching his head, not knowing how to face Zhang San who is still alive in the world, and the Wuxiang Sect who has basically been eliminated from the world.
Just now I learned from the garden steward that Zhang San's injury recovered three years ago and he decided to stay in the chrysanthemum garden. Jiang Yichen lingered for a long time and finally chose to face it.
After years of recuperation, Zhang San is not only in good mental condition, but can also manage to eat independently with a bowl and spoon.
Jiang Yichen arrived at the right time. Zhang San had just finished eating and was digesting his food in boredom, waiting for his lunch break.
Seeing that Jiang Yichen came a little "sneaky", Zhang San's eyes widened and he grinned for a long time before suppressing his excitement and slowly opened his mouth and said: "It's done! It's done!"
Jiang Yichen obviously didn't expect Zhang San to be able to speak. Although his speech was unclear, it did not hinder his understanding.
Jiang Yichen, who has always been delicate and even sentimental, almost had red eyes. He blinked a few times to hide the sadness in his heart and said with a smile: "Yes, it's me. Long time no see, brother Zhangsan."
…
…
For more than half an hour, Jiang Yichen, who had previously listened a lot and talked little in Taoran Pavilion, became the keynote speaker without hesitation.
After all, it was very difficult for Zhangsan, who had cut off his tongue, to speak clearly. Most of the time, Jiang Yichen said whatever Zhangsan wanted to hear.
No matter how stupid Jiang Yichen is, it is not difficult to see that most of the reason why Zhang San chose to stay in Juyuan was to see him.
In order to talk to Jiang Yichen more and relieve the guilt in Jiang Yichen's heart, Zhang San went to great lengths and talked a lot.
In the past few years, Zhang San has been very concerned about Jiang Yichen's movements in the world. He can find out many things from the mouth of the steward of Juyuan, but it is difficult to ask anyone for the details. Wouldn't it be great to come and tell the story in person?
Jiang Yichen and Zhang San talked about the battle of wits with the Disha Sect under the guidance of Master Tinglan, their righteous deeds in Hanyang Village in Shu, and how they accidentally helped Yuntian Guan retreat from the Nether Sect, and how they fell
Strange encounters behind the Yin-Yang Bridge.
Zhang San listened with great interest, and finally used his eyes to urge Jiang Yichen not to miss such a good girl like Leng Mei.
In addition to asking Jiang Yichen to tell more about his personal experiences, the focus of Zhangsan's words was to enlighten Jiang Yichen, hoping that Jiang Yichen would shed those unnecessary ideological baggage and live a good life.
Perhaps all the energy he had accumulated for three or four years was spent in one fell swoop. After half an hour, Zhangsan showed obvious signs of fatigue.
Jiang Yichen didn't stay long anymore and left after Zhang San went to bed.
But before Jiang Yichen could decide where to go for a walk, or go to Huanxin Pavilion to chat with his old man, Uncle Ren, he was called out by someone.
The man was dressed in brocade clothes as always, but his bun was only tied with a band. His face was as beautiful as a crown jewel, and he had a graceful demeanor.
He not only lacks the dandy style of a young man from an aristocratic family like Lu Feng, but also has the chic and calm manner of a handsome man in the world.
Jiang Yichen didn't expect that this person would actually find him here.
Earlier, when this person saw him, he would have given him a warm hug three steps at a time.
Now, he is hesitant to move forward.
If Jiang Yichen came to Juyuan, the person he was most afraid of meeting was Zhang San, and the second person he was afraid of running into was this person.
He felt ashamed of the former.
As for the latter, they are afraid that after meeting the other person, they will think of the related person and feel pain in their heart.
This person was the first brother he met when he first entered the world.
The good brother who once saved his life, carried him on his back twice, and talked to him about everything.
When he heard that he had been kidnapped, he did not hesitate to break into Murong Jing's Longtan alone.
Although the two of them have rarely met each other, it can be said that they have long been brothers who share a love and a life-or-death relationship.
Unexpectedly, because of the shameless behavior of Murong Jing's brother Murong Kang, Jiang Yichen had a deep thorn in his heart. Even if he pulled it out, he still felt heartache every time he touched it.
"Brother Murong."
Murong Jing also felt infinite guilt for this brother who, although not a blood relative, knew everything about him. Seeing Jiang Yichen's forced smile, Murong Jing, who was always eloquent, felt a bitter taste on his lips and didn't know what to say.
Should Jiang Yichen be enlightened about how many regrets he has in this world? Since he is destined to have no destiny, he should just let it go naturally?
Murong Jing felt that he was not worthy to say these words, and he found it too difficult to speak out the manuscript he had written in advance.
After being embarrassed for a while, it was Jiang Yichen who unexpectedly broke the deadlock: "Brother Murong, how have you been doing these past few years?"
"Good." Murong Jing blurted out without thinking, with the same perfunctory attitude he usually used to deal with all kinds of people. But as soon as he opened his mouth and teeth, his mind immediately became more active, and he said cheerfully, "Okay, it's really good.
"
"Not only has my body become stronger and stronger over the years, but my skills have also become much stronger than before. I guess I won't be too far behind you."
While he was talking, Murong Jing had already approached Jiang Yichen, stretched out his arm to wrap around Jiang Yichen's other shoulder, and talked as he walked.
"Besides, I have gradually handed over the affairs of the chrysanthemum garden to me. Do you think it's okay?"
"Hey, if you need anything in the future, be sure to tell me, and I promise to help you get it done!"
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Just like the deep friendship we had when we were young, when we meet again after a long separation, there will always be some kind of invisible barrier that is difficult to break, and we will no longer be able to get along with each other as warmly as we did when we were children.
Jiang Yichen and Murong Jing could not talk about their petty feelings, but they could no longer express their feelings as freely as before.
But this does not prevent the two from maintaining full trust in each other.
No matter who encounters difficulties, the other party will do their best to help solve them.
No matter who is in danger again, the other person will do their best to save them, regardless of their own safety.
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When Jiang Yichen and Murong Jing slowly arrived at Huanxin Pavilion, it seemed that Luo Piaoling and the old man had just finished a game of chess.
Yi Zhongren touched his palms there and admired.
Meng Chaoge and Shi Zhonghuo only smiled implicitly.
It seems that Luo Piaoling won the game.
The old man stroked his beard and said with a smile: "You still have to obey the old age, young people are more ruthless."
Luo Piaoling said respectfully: "From Piaoling's point of view, old man, you have done the best that I could imagine."
The old man shook his head and said with a smile: "Haha, you don't seem to be a flatterer."
Luo Piaoling said: "This flattery is gained by putting oneself in someone's shoes."
The old man asked for advice: "How to say it?"
Luo Piaoling explained: "People will always die in war. If you want to reduce the number of deaths, you must create opportunities for victory, seize them firmly, and end the war as soon as possible."
The old man agreed: "Not bad."
Luo Piaoling said: "Then there must be sacrifices."
The old man followed his wishes and said: "This is what is called dying well."
Luo Piaoling said: "It is even more important to be ruthless in making decisions. I have friends all over the world, and friends all over the world regard me as a friend. They are willing to do their best for me, but I will never let my friends die."
The old man seemed to have realized something and said: "This is what is called no regrets. However, how can the famous Qingjian Master in Zhongzhou be a ruthless person?"
Luo Piaoling said: "I have played very few chess games, so now I can still be ruthless in my moves."
The old man slowly exhaled and said, "I have played a lot of chess."
Luo Piaoling said: "So, I put myself at your age, old man, and found that I can't do better than you."
The old man silently accepted Luo Piaoling's statement, then changed the subject and said, "You rarely play Go."
Luo Piaoling said: "Not much."
The old man said: "You are not bad at playing."
Luo Piaoling said: "Looking at it from another angle, there is not much difference between the two."
The old man said: "Only divided into Zhongzhou and Waiyi?"
Luo Piaoling said: "Well, another point is that there are more and more pieces on a chessboard, and there are fewer and fewer pieces on a chessboard."
The old man thought about the meaning of this sentence and agreed: "It is true. The chessboard inside and outside Zhongzhou is of this size. At most, there will be three or two variables. There will not be a steady stream of chess pieces entering the game, and each chess piece will be different."
The value function is different at different moments, but the chess pieces in Go are generally the same."
Hearing this, except for the old man and Luo Piaoling, the other five people present smiled bitterly, thinking that the two of them would have to deduce and discuss the details of the detailed discussion in the morning.
Sure enough, the old man deepened the topic on what he just said and said: "It seems that it is inappropriate to use Go positions to correspond to the world situation. After all, not every chess piece is black or white."
Luo Piaoling sighed with a smile: "I can't help but feel bad about other people. The chess pieces are not black and white. I just want to see the situation more simply. There are too many variables in each piece of Go, and it is easy to be affected by local gains and losses.
For the overall situation, chess makes it easier to coordinate the overall situation. If you really can't fight for Zhongzhou, just get rid of it in advance."
"So, how many chess pieces can be left?"
"It should be no less than 60%."
"So Zhongzhou is not too corrupt yet, but 60% to 90% is really not optimistic."
"You don't need to destroy all the opponent's combat power to win."
"I am just confused. For Zhongzhou, a draw is already a victory."
"The best we can do is to bring peace to this world for another hundred years."
"This has allowed at least three generations of people to live their lives in peace, so how can we win this battle?"
"Is this old man wandering around during the exam?"
"I can't say I'm asking for advice from the future of Zhongzhou."
"I don't dare to take it seriously. In fact, the consideration of wandering has already been included in the chess game just now."
"So, the focus is still on Jianghu?"
"It must be Jianghu."
Speaking of this, the old man sighed again. He usually didn't sigh as much as he did today. He said a little feebly: "But the world of Zhongzhou is no longer what it used to be."
Luo Piaoling understood the old man's helplessness and had no choice but to explain his views clearly.
"Well, this doesn't count as worshiping the past and denouncing the present. It's just that the world of the previous generation was too glorious."
"There is the Huo family who can guard the country, there is the Wudang Shaolin who is as good as the imperial army, there is the moral alliance that runs around to build a front line of defense for the people, and there is Xiao who is good at fighting and leading the martial arts heroes to destroy the enemy's lair in one fell swoop.
, the two extraordinary heroes Yan, and countless heroes who were unknown to the end but were willing to shed their last drop of blood for Zhongzhou..."
"The rivers and lakes of the previous generation were walls that foreign barbarians could never tear down, or even be insurmountable."
"Left to Zhongzhou was an extremely tall figure, which also pierced a thorn in the heart of the imperial court that had to be removed."
"The battle of Ningtai has exposed the tip of the iceberg of the foreign barbarians' strategy against Zhongzhou. What's more, it is not an exaggeration to say that the current Zhongzhou world is falling apart."
"Using rivers and lakes to control rivers and lakes, overthrowing Zhongzhou's rivers and lakes, the history of twenty years ago can be completely reversed. The foreign rivers and lakes are now the insurmountable trenches of Zhongzhou. Countless soldiers will be buried, and Zhongzhou will sink."
After hearing the words, the old man thought for a moment and said: "That's why, before we fight against the outside world, we must first settle down the inside, otherwise the world of Zhongzhou will not be able to survive for long."
Luo Piaoling then said: "So sacrifice is inevitable."
The old man asked: "As you said, the world of Zhongzhou can no longer be what it was before, so how can it function?"
Luo Piaoling launched his own discussion.
"It can be roughly divided into three categories."
"The first type is the Jianghu elite. They are the scouts and vanguard battalions of Zhongzhou. They must take the initiative to search for the deployment of the enemy's Jianghu forces. If necessary, they must confront each other head-on and strike first!"
"The second type is mixed into the army. Most Jianghu people are used to being unorganized, and it is difficult to follow orders and prohibitions. Therefore, the more dispersed the number of people, the better. It is not suitable to form a group, and the strength cannot be too outstanding. There should be at least one or two generals.
With the ability to intimidate the opponent and restrain the opponent's behavior, this group of people has an unexpected effect in wartime, and at the same time can strengthen the team's defense to a certain extent."
"The third category requires the elite of the elite to go deep behind enemy lines to perform beheading missions alone. This mission has the highest benefits and the highest risks. Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, there may be no return."
After the old man listened, he added: "In my opinion, there needs to be a kind of person added to this third category, the bodyguards who guard the generals like you. Well, Wu Yue will be your shadow from now on, you just need to
Make your arrangements, and he will be solely responsible for your safety."
Everyone was surprised when they heard this. Before Luo Piaoling could speak, they heard the old man say: "Liandie is waiting for a new life. The weakest link in Tingyu Pavilion at present is the intelligence and information link. The ANBU managed by Wuyue never lags behind others.
Only by going to Tingyu Pavilion can it be most effective. You Ming will also follow, and the Daoyi Alliance will not collapse with the support of Jing'er and Long'er."
The old man finally said: "I have indeed squandered all my ruthlessness, and I don't want to see some bloodshed and sacrifice. The future of Zhongzhou will ultimately depend on you."
There was a moment of silence in the Huanxin Pavilion. It seemed that Yi Zhongren had already known that the old man had this idea, so there was not much surprise.
The rest of the people didn't know what to think.
For a long time, Luo Piaoling stood up and bowed solemnly, saying:
"My name is Piaoling. Master named me because I hope that I will no longer be lonely and wandering without a fixed place to live."
"I didn't expect that after Master left, I would have to go against his original intention and always run around here and there, basically unable to live in peace."
"But no matter how I wandered, I never left Zhongzhou."
"It was General Shi who allowed Piao Ling to live happily in the first half of his life. On the day he left Shi Mansion, Master conveyed General Shi's words, asking us not to be blinded by hatred and to care about the safety of the world."
"Piao Ling asks himself that he is not such a selfless person, but since he has accepted Master's dying request, he will put all hatred behind Zhongzhou and keep even a trace of fire for Zhongzhou."
"Not to mention that Piao Ling is already a useless person with no power to restrain himself. Even if he only has one breath left, Piao Ling is willing to find a glimmer of hope for Zhongzhou!"