Republic of China

Chapter 340: Mountains and Rivers

Different from the vast plains, Yunnan Province has picturesque mountains and rivers, and every scene contains the wonders of nature.

The mountains here are of various shapes and majestic, some are soaring and flying, some are rolling and undulating. For example, some mountains are lush and green at the foot, but there is snow all year round on the top, and the peaks are looming in the clouds.

The water here is clear and lively, and the waves sparkle under the breeze, like countless gems sparkling on the water.

The people here are even better. In addition to the Han people, there are also many quaint minority villages, where people wear ethnic costumes of different styles. They are warm and hospitable and never consider themselves "outsiders". Even though they have their own traditional customs, they all have hot Chinese blood flowing in their bodies.

Although the mountains and rivers are beautiful, there are many places that have not yet been developed. Uninhabited areas are not uncommon. There are dangers lurking in them, and even the best hunters are reluctant to set foot there.

There is a mountain range, which is the remnant of Yunling Mountains, and is located in the southern part of Chuxiong. It is truly primitive, and apart from birds and animals, there seems to be no living person.

like.

Deep in the mountains there is a village area with houses scattered around, including some stone buildings that resemble some kind of ancient altars. Judging from the degree of weathering, they are indeed very old and have been abandoned for a long time. There are weeds growing inside and outside, showing the vicissitudes of time.

There was a hunchbacked old man in a coarse cloth gown standing beside a low cliff, gazing at the clouds in the sky from afar. The old man's hands were as white as jade, flawless.

What kind of past could leave no calluses on hands at this age?
The breeze blew his short silver hair, which was in harmony with the nature here. Various unknown birds landed on his shoulders, as if they were good birds choosing good trees to rest in, and they really regarded the old man as a best tree stump.

But this wooden stake has an iron plate hanging around its waist.

The Yin fish of Tai Chi elephant is exactly the same in shape as the waist badge of Da Chongjiu.

suddenly.

The birds fled as if they were startled by something.

Then a thin mist spread behind the old man, and some sighing sounds were heard, followed by very light footsteps.

The old man looked straight ahead and said calmly, "My old friend, your magic rope has improved again, right?"

A man with a dull expression walked out of the mist. He had a well-developed upper body and a short lower body. He was probably in his forties or fifties, with some gray hair on his temples. However, he was a hundred times more energetic than the old man on the cliff. The badge hanging on his waist was the other half of a yang fish.

The taciturn man stood five or six steps behind the old man, without moving forward, and simply answered with two words.

"Fortunately."

"If traveling a thousand miles a day and eight hundred miles a night is considered okay, then a train that puffs out smoke is not even scrap metal, right?"

"Trains can reach every corner, but not everyone can learn the magic rope."

"Yes, the times have changed. It's time for the old man to return to the dust. Look at this beautiful country, but it's full of old age. Sometimes I wonder if I was right to follow General Cai's advice that year? Will I have the face to see General Cai again after I die?"

"You have done your duty and have a clear conscience."

"Really? I feel guilty about this. More than half of Lao Yang and Tai Yin were killed and wounded, and even more were killed and wounded in Shao Yin and Shao Yang. If I had done my duty, I should have torn you into pieces with my own hands."

Even though he spoke words full of murderous intent, the old man's temperament remained as calm as water, without the slightest ripple.

Instead, the murderous aura emanating from the dull man was even more obvious, and birds, insects and ants dared not approach him.

"You're too stubborn."

"Does that mean you're right?"

"Da Chongjiu should not be obsessed with local disputes. At present, the country is in chaos and in doubt. It is like a person's body. How can he control his chaotic limbs if his mind is not clear? Da Chongjiu should do everything he can to serve the top with all his heart and soul. When the country is stable and the waves are calm, it will not be too late to deal with those evil and rebellious people."

"My old friend, do you think too highly of Da Chongjiu? The only original purpose of its creation was to prevent evil people from making trouble and to check and balance the various sects and factions to prevent them from fighting. But now you say you want to abandon the original intention and serve high-ranking officials. Are you going to serve them tea or warm their beds?"

"You know, I've told you many times that Da Chongjiu needs to change, but I know you and many others admire traditional dogma and will never compromise easily. I want to reform Da Chongjiu, but if the higher-ups want to change Da Chongjiu, we can only start over."

"Including joining forces with the Japs to kill our own people?"

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Without destruction, there is no construction."

"I feel like I've seen this tone before. Hmm, now I remember that Commissioner Wang also said the same thing about Jinling on the first page of a Jiangcheng newspaper some time ago. So, you've joined Commissioner Wang's network, right?"

"It's better than the thieves in Jinling who are occupying the magpie's nest and only know how to fight and scheme among themselves."

The expression on the dull man's face finally showed some changes.

How much pleading?

How unbearable?

How much emotion and how much determination?

He lowered his head slightly, and spoke again slowly after a moment, "Believe me, when everything is settled, I will atone for my sins. You know, I don't have many years left to live, and you still have a new great-granddaughter to hold. There is no point in you and I fighting to the death, and there is even less meaning in dying together. It's better for you and I to wait here for the result."

The old man finally turned around and looked at his old friend who was nearly two years younger than him but with whom he had been friends for decades.

He used to be full of vigor and vitality, but now his temples are gray.

"I have seen all kinds of people in this world. As for the proud and arrogant, you are the most arrogant, except for Mo Wenshan who disabled himself. It's only the fifteenth year of Guangxu. Time has smoothed your pride, and you even have times when you have to humble yourself."

The dull man sighed slightly, walked forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with the old man, looking at the clouds, "People always change, I do, and Mo Wenshan is sure to change, but what remains unchanged is the belief, regardless of right or wrong, but for the person in power, if the power is not controlled by his will and is not used by his will, then it should be eradicated or purified."

Among this group of peaks, there are relatively more buildings in the valley on the northeast side, with only a narrow gap in the sky for entry and exit.

The valley is full of lush forests, and many houses are built against ancient trees. It has both Han style and minority flavor, making it a truly idyllic place to linger.

Among them was an inconspicuous thatched house.

The sun shines through the clouds, reflecting the top of the Mediterranean Sea like a big light bulb.

Gao Shou sat on a small stool and carefully maintained the tip of the white wax spear.

A graceful lady was standing in front of a small peach tree nearby. She just stared at the tall, foreign-looking man, as if she would never get tired of looking at him until the end of time.

"Tsk tsk ~ You two seem to be in a good mood. How about I make some time to host the ceremony and let you guys worship heaven and earth?"

The voice was full of ridicule, but there was no third person to be seen here.

Gao Shou was used to this. He looked at the dull tip of the gun and said unhappily, "You, a grave-keeper, can be a master of ceremonies? Save your energy first. You'll be busy later. You'll have to survive first."

The lady's expression changed from joy to resentment. She thought Gao Shou would agree.

The unknown voice came again: "What's wrong with looking at the graves? There is nothing shameful about the skill of collecting ponds. When I find a good seedling, I will promote it."

Gao Shou's expression became gloating, "Hey~ You old guy from the Northeast are not as good as me. I really met a few good seedlings when I went to Feng Province some time ago. They are all one in a million. They are definitely excellent candidates to learn your stuff. It's a pity that they have become your disciples, and their master is——"

"I know. Xiao Jiang told me. Jian Jue and Mo Wenshan are both great. I was wondering how a few guys could easily defeat the Shimen branch of Yiguandao. With Jian Jue out, even ten branches wouldn't be enough. But then again, I have some friendship with Mo Wenshan. I'll talk to him after this matter is over. Master, worshipping one is the same as worshipping two."

As they were talking, snowflakes began to fall in the valley where it was spring all year round.

Gao Shou stood up and stretched, his joints creaking.

"As I said, let's talk about it after we survive."

Then he walked towards the narrow passage of sky, holding the white wax stick, and the noble lady followed behind him, holding a bright red bone flute in her hand.

Both of them wore their iconic bamboo hats.

at the same time.

Countless figures rushed into the valley from all directions, some took the narrow gap between them, some walked along the sides of the high cliffs, and some even escaped underground through the earth flow, each showing their magical powers.

Until strange snowflakes began to fall.

Unlike Gao Shou and others who could see it with the naked eye, in the eyes of these people, the snowflakes were completely transparent.

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean you can't feel it. Those who can appear in this valley are all the best among the contemporary Xuanmen extraordinary people.

After the fastest few people realized something was wrong, they each used their magical powers, either using Taoist talismans or magical instruments to protect themselves, trying to break through the ominous force.

However, the snowflakes that seemed to be falling from the Shenxiao Palace ignored the power unleashed by the talismans and magical instruments. They continued to fall slowly and steadily until they landed on a person's hair and penetrated into it.

Then all the bones in the black-robed professor's body burst at the same time. His whole body was filled with the smell of blood, and he collapsed in a weird and fast posture.

Da Chongjiu Shaoyang died in an instant.

Before death, his head made a strange sound like popping beans, and blood oozed out of his pores one by one, emitting a thick blood mist.

"Don't panic, this is the Gu of White Tiger Shaoyin Tong Yi. It's useless to force it. You have to counter it and dissolve it."

The man behind the deceased looked calm. He was not shocked by the sudden death of his companion, nor was he horrified by the way he died.

He quickly took out a small box and stirred it rhythmically with bamboo chopsticks. It contained brightly colored syrup.

At this critical moment of life and death, he blew up the sugar man lightly.

The candy man kept getting bigger and bigger, like a giant pufferfish that was inflated with many spell patterns flowing inside.

With a crisp bang, the sugar man exploded and syrup splashed everywhere.

There are no more transparent snowflakes within a radius of ten feet
At the same time, high above the temple, a young man was possessed by spirits, and a tiger roaring in the forest appeared behind him, with an extremely terrifying aura. Opposite the young man and the tiger was a female actress in a costume, who gave a signal with her fingers, and the mountain flag behind her rose up in the wind.
At the same time, in the dense forest, flying knives collided with flying swords that were also swinging like arms, and the swords flashed and the leaves shattered.
The entire valley and the narrow strip of sky began to boil.

All kinds of strange noises were heard everywhere, and if you looked down from above, you could clearly see all kinds of precious lights and talismans.

True fire weak water.

Control objects and activate tools.

Sandy wind and thunder.

There is endless blood spilled.

The sound of gunfire seems too different here.

Jiang Shihu threw away the revolver in annoyance. Although he knew that this thing would be of little use in a head-on confrontation with his peers, he had seen Zhao Sanyuan use it very skillfully before, so he also wanted to try it.

However, the opponent is the successor of Wuling School, and his school's Mirage Tower technique has already been perfected.

Everything he saw was distorted, and Jiang Shihu knew that this was not just an illusion.

The first leader of the Wuling Sect was said to be a master who walked out of the Peach Blossom Spring. His ability to turn reality into illusion was unimaginable to ordinary people.

However, Jiang Shihu still has a way to deal with it.

The prerequisite is that the other party can bear Jiang Shihu's old illness.

Gulu gulu~~~
"Wait! Wait! Brother, since we used to be colleagues, can you let me go to the toilet first? You also know that I have a bad stomach. By the way, I treated you to Bobo Chicken two years ago - Hey! You hit me just because I said so!"

A sneer in reply came from the illusion.

"Did you shoot first?"

At the same time, the talisman fire exploded on the thick branches of the towering tree, revealing a beautiful figure.

Shangguan Baitu was still as cool and aloof as ever, his bow looked like a full moon as he dodged.

The black arrow flew with shining light.

The opponent obviously knew how strong Shangguan Baitu's archery skills were, and it was impossible for him to escape even behind cover.

Then he immediately made a hand gesture, stepped on the ground, and walked on the ground.

The arrow light turned several arcs in the air and bypassed the tree trunks.

I could feel the arrow's energy penetrating my back, but who knows how deep this arrow could penetrate.

To be on the safe side, after seeing the pile of rocks in the distance, the burrower immediately rushed out of the grass. As he jumped, the short blade in his hand was covered with ink runes. He turned around and swung it out, hitting the arrow directly.

Ding--

The arrow was knocked away.

But the black light increased instead of decreased.

Double arrows in succession!

The tail of the first arrow is followed closely by the second arrow!

There was another crisp sound.

In a flash, a bronze mirror with coiled dragon pattern was placed on the chest of the earth escaper. It was a genuine antique from the Han Dynasty.

The bronze mirror covered with green copper emitted invisible lines, which entangled the second arrow in a very short time, stopping its momentum and cracking the bronze mirror inch by inch.

The Earth-Dweller secretly thought it was a close call, fortunately he had made two preparations. However, his luck was really not that good. Shangguan Baitu was a top-notch fighter among the Four Symbols Shaoyin. She was not good at long-range combat or close combat. Who didn't know that Da Chongjiu was a descendant of the Qingcheng swordsman?

But before the earth escaper could launch another killing move, his pupils contracted drastically.

I saw the eagle feathers at the tail of the second arrow crack rapidly, followed by the arrow shaft.

That is an arrow that points forward.

The third arrow!

Three arrows in a row!

The Earth Drifter watched helplessly as blood burst out of his chest, and in the last moments of his life he could only smile bitterly.

It would be nice to die in your hands.

It's a pity that I didn't express my feelings to you in the end.

After succeeding, Shangguan Baitu felt neither happy nor sad, and he did not have the energy to express any useless emotions, because at the moment he succeeded, several talismans shot out at him at the same time, as well as a scarlet rosary that was bigger than an iron gallbladder.

It’s Xuanwu Laoyang!

In front of the cliff, neither the old man nor the dull man intervened in the fighting.

Gradually, strong men from the old man's faction were pushed here, but they did not dare to get close to the dull man because they all knew how powerful he was.

And more of those who came to surround and kill were dull men.

Obviously, the winner has been decided.

The noble lady supported Gao Shou, who was seriously injured, but Gao Shou was more concerned about how many strands of his hair he had left.

The strong man who was only heard but not seen also showed up. He was an unrealistically handsome and weak scholar, as if he could be blown to pieces by the slightest wind. His temperament had nothing to do with a grave-keeper.

"Damn it, I paid a lot of money to ask Master Nei Liansheng to make these shoes for me. If I die today, you have to burn ten pairs for me!"

A man who looked like a teacher on the other side nodded heavily as a sign of agreement.

Shangguan Baitu stood beside Gao Shou, staring closely at a young man in the opposing camp who was holding his stomach.

Jiang Shihu.

(End of this chapter)