The national teacher does not practice

Chapter 175
Green pines and cypresses, waterfalls falling into the lake, and even this small courtyard doesn't look hot, it just feels refreshing.

However, when Ji Ping'an's understatement was thrown out, the expressions of the two people present obviously changed.

Ye Hongling's eyes widened suddenly, her pretty face was full of astonishment.

With her status, although she can't be called "emotions and anger are invisible", she rarely shows such emotions.

The last time I met the "mysterious strong man" on the stone bridge at night.

This time when she came to visit a senior expert, she kept her posture very low.

Investigation is one of them.

Taking Ji Ping'an to give Qi Nian palm eyes to test the truth is the second.

Try to invite the old swordsman to come out of the mountain, and sit in Yuhang as the third.

But they never expected that the "gua master" who brought him up the mountain would be so fearless and utter nonsense.

"You...you know what you're talking about?!" Ye Hongling's face suddenly burst into a little anger, and her good impression of this divination master suddenly collapsed.

The tone was full of warning.

The old sword cultivator in green robe next to him didn't get angry, but just looked at the young man curiously, with some intention of searching—it was obvious from his state of mind.

Ji Pingan didn't seem to feel the knife-like eyes of the former, shook his head and said calmly:
"The method of sharpening a sword with a stone is too stupid."

Ye Hongling inhaled lightly, her eyes were unimaginable, a strange Taoist priest, probably a young man in the state of nourishing Qi, dared to comment on the method taught by the national teacher, how could she not be surprised?
"It's okay," Qi Nian smiled, raised his hand to stop the furious female warrior, and said with great interest:

"Why do you feel stupid?"

Ji Pingan asked back, "Why don't you think you're stupid?"

Qi Nian smiled casually, with a calm attitude towards young and ignorant juniors:

"Do you know, the old man's identity in the past? What has he experienced?"

I know it all too well... Ji Pingan didn't answer with the mentality of looking at young and ignorant juniors.

Ye Hongling pricked up her ears, and her eyes lit up: "This junior has heard that senior was born in the Southern Tang Sword Field..."

For Xishan, a legendary figure, everyone in Yuhang City has heard of it more or less, but very few people know the cause and effect, and the stories handed down are difficult to distinguish between true and false.

Ye Hongling did not expect that there would be an unexpected joy, to hear the gossip between this "legendary" and the national teacher.

Qi Nian said "En", and suddenly turned his head to look to the south, with memories appearing in his eyes:

"The two major practice inheritances in the Southern Tang Dynasty, one is Buddhism, and the other is sword field. It's just that the latter is relatively unknown, but it is also relied on by the Tang royal family. When Yu was young, he was fortunate to be accepted by the teacher who walked outside the sword field. As a 'sword apprentice', he also had the name of a so-called genius.

Such a small success in practice, according to the agreement between the sword field and the Tang country, entered the Tang army to practice, or clashed with the monsters all day long, or fought with the bandits and strong men.

That year coincided with the turmoil in the Tang Dynasty, the bandits were rampant, and the army was filthy and dirty. I was young and vigorous, looking forward to the day when I would become a master of swordsmanship. Gradually lost in the world, demons breed.

Until a certain time after drinking, I saw my colleagues in the army insulting my beloved, killing him in a rage, and slaughtering the company like venting my anger, killing many innocent people, which was not tolerated by the Tang Dynasty, so I had to escape into the rivers and lakes and face the pursuit of my former brothers. discuss……"

The breeze is coming.

The sound of the waterfall seemed to be getting softer.

Ye Hongling quietly listened to this legendary figure telling the story of the past, and couldn't help but immerse herself in it.

Qi Nian's voice was filled with emotion, full of vicissitudes:
"At that time, I was already dying of illness, and my heart was full of hostility. I relied on my cultivation to fight back and hunt me all the way, until finally, I was in the same sect. On that day, I killed my best friend in the sect by the South China Sea. Brother of the same school, I won, but I finally woke up and realized that I had become a demon, no longer 'killing to stop killing', but a murderous demon.

I once wanted to commit suicide, but maybe it was cowardice, maybe it was because I wanted to atone for my sins. In the end, I didn't do it. Instead, I went to Buddhism. Came to Da Zhou from the north, looking like a lost dog, but he didn't want to, just happened to meet the Master of the State Teacher. "

Having said that, the thin old man's eyes suddenly glowed:

"The national teacher said that I was a bit like an old friend of his, so he was willing to help me get rid of the killing intent, so I changed into the robe of the sword boy, and traveled the rivers and lakes with the national teacher, spring rain, summer flowers, autumn wind, Winter snow... the four seasons rotate.

I have been with the national teacher for five full years, and I have been a servant for five years. Those are also the five years that I have gained the most in my life.

It is even greater than the decades of growth in the sword field, as if reborn, and a random word of advice from the national teacher has enlightened me and encouraged me to practice hard for ten years..."

"The national teacher said that with my cultivation base, I could have stepped into the sky, but my heart was accompanied by demons. If I want to get out of the new world, I can only completely eliminate the killing intent, so on a snowy day in the sixth year, He took me to the west mountain, threw me a stone as big as a millstone, and left behind the teaching that the day when the stone is worn out is the day to go down the mountain...

I cut wood in the mountains, built this yard, drank streams when I was thirsty, ate mountain fruits when I was hungry, hunted prey, and sharpened my sword day after day. Later, I built an academy underneath and read books in my spare time. Today, I am no longer the same as before. The 'killing sword', but Xishan Qi Nian. "

After he finished speaking, he lightly picked up the teacup and took a sip, looked at Ji Pingan, and said:

"So, do you still think the method handed down by the national teacher is stupid?"

After listening to the whole story, Ye Hongling's breathing fluctuated slightly, and her longing and longing could hardly be concealed in her eyes.

In her opinion, this experience undoubtedly made the story of "sword grinding for a hundred years" more vivid and legendary.

Even, gave birth to a strong regret:

How wonderful it would be if he could be born 100 years earlier and live in the same era as the national teacher.

However, facing the question from the former sword boy, Ji Pingan just sighed lightly and said:
"'Senior Qi' may not understand what I mean. I don't mean the national teacher is stupid, but you have used it for a hundred years, but you still haven't understood his real intention."

After a pause, he saw that he was still confused, and asked with some regret:
"Do you really think that by grinding away an ordinary stone alone, one can eliminate the demons and murderous thoughts? If this method is really effective, throwing a pile of stones in the cells of the various state capitals of the imperial court and grinding them for the prisoners will Isn’t it true that everyone reforms and rehabilitates, and the world is peaceful?”

Qi Nian was speechless and wanted to refute, but couldn't find a powerful weapon for a while.

Ji Pingan continued to sigh, raised his hand to pick up the worn long sword on the ground that was as thin as a cicada's wing, with a broken edge, and said:

"Or, the 'predecessors' thought that completely polishing a stone, for you, what kind of transformation does it really have?"

His tone changed suddenly:
"Grind this stone, and then you can go down the mountain. It's just a thought and goal that the national teacher gave you casually back then. Because you were at a loss at that time and didn't know where you were going, that's why you made such a 'commandment'.

It's ridiculous that you really regard it as a standard, iron law, but you don't understand the real intention of the national teacher. Do you think he taught you to sharpen a sword?If this is the case, you should have contemplated geniuses early. The blockade of heaven and earth is not a real shackle. Why have you been trapped in the well for so many years? "

He paused for breath, said in a deep voice, word by word:

"If you don't see yourself, how can you see the world? It's easy to break the sword in your hand, but it's hard to break the sword in your heart."

Heart sword!

At this moment, as Ji Ping'an's words fell, Qi Nian, who was sitting across from him like an old farmer, was struck by lightning. It was like a thunderbolt exploded in his mind, and the fog gradually dissipated.

At this moment, on the entire western mountain, the cloud and mist that shrouded it all year round suddenly expanded, contracted, and rolled, and the sword energy that blocked the mountain path also hummed in response.

chi chi...

Ye Hongling's pupils shrank suddenly, only to see an invisible sword energy blowing over the stone table in front of her, scraping off a layer of stone debris, and she stretched out the energy to protect herself and Ji Pingan.

Sparks splashed in all directions, and with a "pop", the tops of the fences around the small courtyard seemed to be cut straight by an invisible sickle, and all broke.

There was also a clear sword mark on the thatched cottage.

"If you don't see yourself, how can you see the world..."

"It's easy to break the sword in the hand, but it's hard to break the sword in the heart..."

"Heart Sword... Heart Sword..."

As if possessed by a demon, Qi Nian repeated these two sentences softly. The bun made of bamboo branches seemed to be untied, and the gray hair trembled in the wind.

Ye Hongling was surprised to find that the aura of the old man in front of him was rising, infinitely approaching a certain critical point, but at the last moment, it was forced down.

Qi Nian's flying hair fell down again, the surrounding sword intent subsided, and the rolling clouds and mist on the western mountain also calmed down, which surprised Qiu Shanzhang and others who were looking at this side from the academy in the distance.

"Senior...you are..." Ye Hongling opened her mouth and was greatly shocked.

In the next second, he saw that Qi Nian's eyes were clear again, and he was clearly the same as before, but in terms of temperament, he seemed to be another person. He shook his head and said:

"I realized something in my heart, but I just felt that it was still a little short, so I didn't forcefully break through."

Ye Hongling was taken aback for a moment, and then realized:

Just now Qi Nian almost stepped into the realm of observing the sky!

Then, I saw Qi Nian turning his head, looking at Ji Pingan with complicated eyes, clasping his hands together:
"Mr. speaks in a small way, and reads together to be taught."

Then he smiled wryly:

"I don't want this old man to sharpen his sword for a hundred years, thinking that his perseverance is amazing, and he is only one step away from that world, but he doesn't want to be trapped in obsession and fail to understand the true meaning of the national teacher. I am extremely ashamed."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and summoned the long sword that was about to wear out in his hand, folded it at will, turned it into scrap iron, and threw it aside.

Ye Hongling's eyes were terrified, so this hexagram master wasn't brazen, but what he said was actually true?
It was just two simple sentences, and almost called out a strong man in the sky-watching realm?
What is his origin?
Ye Hongling was a little confused. She realized that her understanding of the divination master in front of her might not be as good as the real case.

Ji Pingan smiled and nodded:
"'Senior''s perseverance is commendable, and it is not too late to wake up now. When the heart sword is sharpened, the sky is just around the corner."

Qi Nian cupped his hands: "Borrow sir's auspicious words."

After finishing speaking, the old man seemed impatient and wanted to follow the inspiration in his heart to practice.But at the same time, he was very curious about this hexagram teacher who spoke in a modest way.

Based on his knowledge, he naturally wouldn't consider this a coincidence.

The young man in front of him is by no means simple, or has an extraordinary background, or has certain information.

Otherwise, there would never be such a strategic vision.

What's more, is it really just a coincidence that its arrival today?
Qi Nian wanted to ask, but keenly noticed that Ye Hongling was in a trance, so he suppressed his thoughts, and Ji Pingan got up and said:
"Then I won't disturb the senior's cultivation anymore."

Ye Hongling hadn't recovered from the previous shock, so she had to get up together, bid farewell to Ji Pingan and left.

Only one food box was left on the ground.

After sending the two of them down the mountain, Qi Nian stood on the mountain road with his hands behind his back for a long time before looking back suspiciously.

Just now, when he thought about it carefully, he always felt that the young man's demeanor was indescribably similar to that of the former Great Zhou Guoshi, but different.

"I haven't been out of the West Mountain for a long time. It seems that the city of Yuhang is really turbulent." The swordsman Qi Nian whispered softly, thinking in his eyes.

But even though he broke his obsession, he still didn't intend to go down the mountain. He turned around and his eyes fell on the food box. The old man lifted it up familiarly, opened the lid, and prepared to eat.

However, the moment the lid was lifted, a folded note was stuffed into the lunch box at some point.

Qi Nian was slightly surprised, picked it up and twisted it with his fingers, thinking it was a note left for him by the academy.

But when he saw the words on the paper, the face of this famous legendary figure who had been guarding Xishan for more than a hundred years suddenly changed, and he stood up almost out of control, his eyes fixed on the words on the paper, as if he had seen something incredible .

There is a secret written on the paper, a secret that the national teacher told him in the past.

The next second, he raised his head abruptly, and Ji Pingan's smiling face appeared in his mind.

"It's him?"

Qi Nian's beard and hair fluttered, and he had a strong urge to fly down the mountain immediately to catch up with the young man and ask.But in the end he was forcibly suppressed.

After thinking for a while, he held the note in his palm, squeezed it hard, and when he opened his palm again, the paper was shattered into powder and scattered with the wind.

Old Jianxiu sat down, picked up his chopsticks and ate his lunch slowly before he heard footsteps approaching.

"Master."

Outside the fence, Chang Akiyama, dressed in Confucian robes, cupped his hands, walked in, and explained:

"Just now Yesi was the first to come, so..."

Qi Nian waved his hand: "No problem. Do you know the origin of that Guashi boy?"

Akiyama thought about it for a while: "I only know that there is a shop near Laoliu Street."

Qi Nian gave an "en" and said, "You can go for the old man later, you don't need to bring anything, just say thank you."

As he said that, the old Jianxiu raised his hand to grasp falsely, and a jar of fruit wine flew out of the hut and threw it to Chief Qiu Shan.

The latter hurriedly took it, although he was full of doubts, he still left in response.

……

……

On the way back to Yuhang, Ye Hongling was still riding her big black horse, but she seemed absent-minded and looked at Ji Pingan frequently.

The female warrior never expected that today's investigation would be full of twists and turns, and she even witnessed the wonderful scene of a young man calling Mr. Qi.In her heart, her curiosity about Ji Ping'an had surpassed the case.

He asked a few questions on the sidelines, but Ji Ping'an's answer was impeccable, and he only said what he understood, which happened to hit him.

As for the origin... After making preparations before going out for training, I am not afraid of interrogation, unless Ye Hongling passes the imperial court and goes to Shendu for inspection.

"It's not far from the store, so the chief executive doesn't have to send it off."

When he arrived at the intersection in the city, Ji Pingan jumped off his horse and bid farewell.

Ye Hongling thought about it, nodded her thanks, and watched her back disappear at the end of the street, and the demon-slayer behind her asked in a low voice:
"Boss, what happened?"

It feels like after going down the mountain, the head of the family's attitude towards the hexagram master has become much more ambiguous.

Ye Hongling put on a serious face: "Don't inquire. The case is still unclear, and you still have the heart to ask?"

A group of demon slayers stopped and did not dare to touch the tigress, and asked cautiously:
"Then shall we go back to Yamen next?"

Ye Hongling shook her head and said: "Go to the government office, this matter may involve the Ministry of War, we need to discuss with the magistrate."

Without further delay, the group immediately rode their horses to the north of the city, which is the area where the government office is located.

Yuhang is prosperous in commerce, abundant in finances, and the government office is also well-built, and the grandeur can be seen from a distance.

It's just that before the group approached, they noticed that the atmosphere was a bit strange. Outside the yamen, there were cavalry gathered in solid armor, as if they were waiting.

Fubing?

Ye Hongling's sharp eyebrows raised, vaguely aware that something was wrong, she arrived at the door, raised her leg gracefully, landed her boots, threw the reins to her subordinates, and looked at the guards at the yamen gate bowing in salute:

"Is the prefect here?"

After getting an affirmative answer, Ye Hongling stepped into the vermilion gate of the government office, walked a few steps, and caught a passing small official.

"I'm humbled to see Director Ye!"

The little official was in a hurry to salute, the Demon Killing Division was under the jurisdiction of Shendu Town Fusi, and it was in the order of the Imperial Army, and Ye Hongling's rank was not low.

"What happened to the group of soldiers outside the door?" Ye Hongling asked.

The little official replied:

"My lord, General Zhonglang of the Great Eastern Army's Mansion led his troops into the city at noon, and brought a few prisoners with him. He was imprisoned in the prison of the government office. I don't know why he came here. You have to ask the magistrate."

The military system of the Great Zhou Dynasty was called "fubing", but it was similar to the Weisuo system, and it was a hybrid system.

To put it simply, it is divided into the Forbidden Army that guards the capital of God, the sequence of the Imperial Guard, the sequence of "Frontier Army" guarding the border, and the sequence of "Military Mansions" that are scattered and stationed in the military arteries of the major state capitals and stationed all the year round.

Dadong Army Mansion is a military camp in Lanzhou, southeast of Yuhang.There is a "God General" who is the supreme commander.

Zhong Lang will be his subordinate, and he is a high-ranking military officer. Considering that he is directly under the Ministry of War, he is a figure that the prefect of Yuhang cannot restrain.

Ye Hongling frowned, feeling more and more strange: "Where will Zhonglang be?"

The little official shook his head and said, "I led troops out before, but I don't know exactly where to go."

Ye Hongling nodded, and said: "I have something important to report to the magistrate, and I will inform you first."

"Yes!"

……

……

Old Willow Street.

When Ji Pingan bid farewell to the demon slayer and walked back alone, he was also thinking about the academy case in his heart.

As for Qi Nian, even though he was a bit stubborn, after a hundred years of sharpening his sword, his desire to kill had indeed been almost eliminated.

"If it goes well, maybe there will be another Guantian Sword Cultivator in the world before the end of the year... Heh, when the news spreads, I don't know how the 'Sword Master' in the Tang Country Sword Field will feel..."

Ji Pingan thought about it.

The shackles of heaven and earth are broken, and these old guys who have accumulated enough have the opportunity to be promoted. This is the case with Pei Wuju, and so is Qi Nian.

Yesterday, Ji Ping'an and Huang He said they would "form cliques" and "build forces", and now he has two more top-level people under his command.

But the faint sense of crisis in my heart has not dissipated...

"Wait, sense of crisis?" Ji Pingan paused, suddenly aware that something was wrong, and the star officer's keen sense of his own premonition made him vigilant.

But before he could deduce it, when he raised his head, he raised his eyebrows.

I saw more than ten armored soldiers in front of "Yi Jing Zhai".

The soft armor shines brightly in the sun, the whole street is chilled, and there are few pedestrians.

In the surrounding shops, there were anxious and worried faces of the neighbors. Among them, the owner of the calligraphy and painting shop saw him from a distance, changed his color slightly, and shook his head.

But at this time, those soldiers had already noticed the young Gua Master walking out of the street, looked at each other, subconsciously held down the hilt of the sword, and walked over.

For me?

The troops of the imperial military department?
A thought flashed in Ji Ping'an's mind, and he suddenly remembered the astrology results in Xishan Academy. With his eyesight, he noticed more keenly that these seemingly ordinary soldiers were all martial arts practitioners.

In the dark, there is a subtle sense of locking the air mechanism, which means that there are still people ambushing in the dark.

Ji Pingan's eyes narrowed slightly, but no one saw it. At this moment, an illusory astrolabe appeared in the depths of his pupils, and he did not rely on external objects to perform a round of divination on his own destiny.

After a while, he got the result he wanted. He didn't move, and his footsteps were only slightly hesitant, so he continued to walk forward and gradually approached several military warriors.

At this time, a small banner officer in the lead suddenly stopped, looked at him, and said:

"You are Li Anping? The hexagram master of Yijingzhai?"

Ji Pingan nodded lightly: "It's me, do you have something to divination?"

Officer Xiaoqi suddenly smiled, and a cold look appeared in his eyes:

"It's because you have something to do. The government received a report that you are involved in a case and need to cooperate with the investigation. Come with us."

After finishing speaking, the rest of the warriors formed a vague siege, as if Ji Pingan would immediately attack him if he resisted.

However, what stunned a group of soldiers who were on the verge of an enemy was that the young man in front of him seemed unaware of the danger, and after a slight start, he showed a bright smile:
"Of course."

So fit?

The little flag officer raised his chin, and two soldiers on the left and right stepped forward, bound his hands with cowhide bands, and escorted him away from Laoliu Street in full view of everyone.

After the group of people disappeared, a famous neighbor came out on both sides of the street, and started talking about it, not knowing what happened.

"What's going on? I saw a soldier passing by just now?"

At the entrance of Niping Alley, Fang Ling, the landlady's aunt who was attracted by the noise, asked in surprise, followed by a chubby little boy watching the fun.

But Fang Ling, who was surrounded by neighbors, didn't notice that Fang Shijie behind him was listening to the adults' discussion with a serious face, shrunk his neck severely, and muttered:

"I've only been dead for a few hundred years. Now, can soldiers enter the city to arrest people? What are these grandsons doing?"

Fang Shijie suddenly panicked...

Time passed, and just as the neighbors spread the news, the time was approaching evening.

At the intersection of Laoliu Street.

Huang He, Mu Yaoyao, and the holy maiden Yu Yu returned together. As soon as they stepped into the street, they were acutely aware that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

"Mr. Huang, you are back," Hong Gu who heard the news rushed over with an anxious expression on her face:
"Mr. Li was taken away by officers and soldiers!"

……

Correct the typo first and then change
(End of this chapter)