Before going to Yancheng, Yun Yifeng sent a letter back to Fengyumen, telling Qingyue and Ling Xing'er to take good care of the sect and not to follow them to the northwest. So this time I suddenly heard that more than a dozen disciples had come, and I was also surprised.
"Don't worry." Ji Yanran said, "I'll take a look with you."
All the disciples were dusty, their clothes and shoes were covered with dust, as if they had driven for many days against the wind and sand. As soon as he saw Yun Yifeng, he hurriedly said: "Master, something happened to Xing'er!"
According to what they said, there was some conflict between Qingyue and Ling Xing'er some time ago. Returning to Chunlin City, we diverted westward to go to Yancheng. The road was smooth at first, but a few days ago, when passing through a desert, I suddenly encountered a group of ghost-faced men. The opponents were evil in kung fu and were very familiar with the terrain. Disappeared without a trace.
"There are deserts everywhere, we can't find them everywhere, so we have to chase the army all the way." The disciple said, "I also ask the sect master to save the savior."
Ghost face, black clothes, mid-night robbery, strange martial arts, all of the above add up, and it is likely that the night wolf witch clan has no choice but to run away.
Yun Yifeng asked: "Is this an action against Xing'er alone?"
"No." The disciples shook their heads, saying that they were just resting on the sand dunes that night, and suddenly they heard footsteps in the distance. direction to go. Behind them, followed by more than 30 middle-aged men and women, all tied with ropes, staggering together, dressed like herdsmen.
"The moonlight was dim that night, and we couldn't see the faces of those people clearly. We thought they were just ordinary robbers." The disciples continued, "So we decided to rescue them."
Unexpectedly, when I got closer, I realized that it turned out to be a group of ghost-faced people, very evil.
The disciples of Fengyumen are not low in martial arts, thinking that the other party is unwilling to fight, so they released poisonous mist. At that time, Ling Xing'er happened to be alone on the other side, and it was probably because of this reason that she was taken away together.
The place where the incident happened is in the Vulture Valley. If the other party's next plan is to rush back to the Night Wolf tribe, then in two days, they should go around to Lingmu Lake to get water.
"I'll go." Yun Yifeng said, "Your Highness will continue to lead the army forward, there is no need to delay because of this matter."
"Can you bear it?" Ji Yanran held his arm, "Why don't I dispatch a team and let Ling Fei take them to save Xing'er, at least he is more familiar with this terrain than you."
"I'm fine, but I'm really worried." Yun Yifeng said, "The mere 20 or 30 ghost-faced men are not enough to threaten me, and it's just a matter of time to investigate and see what kind of monsters they are. "
Jiang Lingfei also said: "I'll go with the master of the Yunmen, and bring two more disciples of the Fengyumen who can remember the way. There is no need to bring the army. There are many people and the goal is big. If you disturb the opponent, it will not be good for the action."
Ji Yanran sighed inwardly, and said to Yun Yifeng: "Then I will order Lin Ying to take people to search near the Vulture Valley, and you and Ling Fei will go to Lingmu Lake to guard. Be careful along the way."
Li Jun really wanted to help, but he was not good at everything, so in the end he could only watch the two of them go away with a concerned expression, and that look was all he needed to wave a handkerchief around.
Cuihua and Xiaohong are both excellent hummers, they run like nine days of thunder, and the other two are also battlefield horses, and their pace is not slow, so they arrived at Lingmu Lake in only five days.
Under the moonlight, the mirror-like lake is like a huge gem, emitting a quiet light. There was no one, only a few wild horses and wild sheep, pacing back and forth to drink water leisurely.
The disciple was a little worried. After traveling for so many days, don't be too late. There is no one in this place who can ask the way.
"We took a shortcut." Jiang Lingfei said, "If the other party wants to go back to the deserted hills, they must come here to replenish water. They still have prisoners, so they can't go fast."
"With more than 30 people, it's very inconvenient to move around, so I probably won't go anywhere else." Yun Yifeng said, "Let's find shelter from the wind and rest, and wait for them to come."
The two disciples went to the other side as promised, and Jiang Lingfei removed the saddles of Xiaohong and Cuihua, making them look like wild horses. They were tired from the journey, so they could go to the lake to eat some grass and have a good time.
Yun Yifeng smiled and said, "I can't tell, Brother Jiang is quite careful."
"If you don't want to call me a good old friend, I will naturally take good care of it." Jiang Lingfei sat beside him, "Don't worry, Miss Xing'er has high martial arts skills. For the people of the Night Wolf Witch Clan, she has found a treasure. Before the grassy hills, she was relatively safe."
Yun Yifeng nodded: "I also believe in Xing'er's self-protection ability. But there is another thing. According to what my disciples said, when they had a dispute with the ghost-faced man that night, more than 30 young and middle-aged captives just stood there. Standing aside, staring blankly."
This is really strange. If ordinary people are tied up with ropes and see someone helping them, they should at least struggle or shout for help. How can there be wooden stakes that don't move
Jiang Lingfei guessed: "Do you suspect that they have been poisoned?"
"It's also possible that the Red Crow Sect is really so powerful." Yun Yifeng said, "It only takes a few days to wash people into what they want."
"If there is a chance, I would like to see it myself." Jiang Lingfei rested his arms on his pillow, "But they really have a way of fooling people. I heard from my uncle that the Red Crow Sect was like a hurricane that swept across the beam back then. After realizing what was going on, Jiangnan and Jiangbei are already in chaos. Everyone feels that the end is coming, and they have no intention of farming. They just give money to the god of bullshit like water, and ask him to hold his hand high, and don't rain thunder on his head. .”
It sounds absurd and even ridiculous to others, but for the victim, it is a tragic pain that cannot be erased throughout his life. Some people sacrificed their children, and some killed their own sisters and brothers with their own hands. Although there is no gunpowder, it is more desperate than war—people in the flames of war can at least clearly know what they need to do and what they should do, even if The homeland is burned and the body is disabled, and there is still hope of ushering in a new life, but the cult also destroys the soul. That is the real hell that will never see the light of day.
"This group of people will be hacked into pieces, and it would not be a pity to die ten thousand times." Yun Yifeng said, "It's a pity that Maou escaped back then."
Jiang Lingfei sat up halfway and made a silent gesture.
After a while, the sound of footsteps really came from a distance, blown intermittently by the wind. Yun Yifeng was a little surprised. Previously, he only knew that Jiang Lingfei's kung fu was not low, and he was afraid that he could be ranked among the top three in the martial arts world, but he never expected that he would be so high. three points.
"It sounds like there are thirty or forty people, they should be the Night Wolf Witch Clan." Jiang Lingfei drew his sword halfway out of its sheath, "You only save Miss Xing'er, and leave the rest to me." But don't be too tired, otherwise after returning, someone People are afraid that they will settle accounts with me again.
The sound was getting closer.
The other two disciples of Fengyumen also noticed something strange, and they hid in the dark and looked over quietly. It was the group of ghost-faced men that night, they were still leading the herdsmen with ropes, and Ling Xing'er was among them, with a dumbfounded expression on their faces.
Suddenly such a large group of people came by the lake, and the wild horses all ran away, only Xiaohong and Cuihua, because the owner was still here, so they were still drinking water slowly, with shiny hair covered in silver, tall and handsome , like the horse descending from the earth in the story.
Ling Xing'er also saw the two horses. Although she had never seen Cuihua, she knew Xiaohong, so she was a little happy. With this joy, Yun Yifeng heaved a sigh of relief, just now he almost thought that even Xing'er had been tricked into joining the Red Crow Sect, but luckily, now it looks like it's probably an act.
Seeing that the group of ghost-masked men had already approached, Jiang Lingfei clenched the hilt of his sword, and was about to fight out, but Yun Yifeng grabbed his wrist, signaling him to hold off. At this moment, the moonlight was shining brightly, hanging on the thick dark blue sky, surrounded by a trace of dark red clouds, mottled shadows slowly flowing, and there was an inexplicably strange appearance.
Sure enough, the captured herdsmen immediately knelt on the ground and began to kowtow indiscriminately. Xing'er was forced to follow suit, but kept peeking around, trying to find Jiang Lingfei.
Yun Yifeng listened for a while, and said: "These people are worshiping the spirit god, hoping that he can lift the shackles on his hands and wash away the sins on his body. If we rush out at this time, I'm afraid we will be killed Treat him as a monster from the sky, and then be instigated by the Night Wolf Witch Clan, maybe they will turn against us."
Although such an unarmed herdsman, it doesn't matter if there are another three hundred, but after all, the purpose of this trip is to save them, not to kill them. If they really go crazy, unless they are knocked out, how to bring them back is really a problem.
Jiang Lingfei asked: "Then what are you going to do?"
"These days, I have also studied the Red Crow Sect, and there are actually only a few teachings." Yun Yifeng said, "These herdsmen have just come into contact with it, and even if they believe it, they are not to the point of dying, maybe I can break it back." He patted Jiang Lingfei's arm, "You stay here first, play by ear, if I really can't say it, it's not too late to kill someone."
After finishing speaking, he changed his clothes and stepped out lightly.
Jiang Lingfei: "..."
The two disciples of Fengyumen also stared at each other, not knowing what the current situation was.
The ghost-masked man was lighting a fire and cooking by the lake, but suddenly a trace of whiteness flashed in front of his eyes, like snow in winter. When he looked up again, he saw a young man in white walking across the lake in mid-air. The sleeves flutter like heaven and earth.
Ling Xing'er: "..."
The herdsmen were still kneeling on the ground, and forgot to stand up for a while, all staring blankly.
Although the ghost-faced man didn't know who this person was, he also knew that the person floating out of the sand in the middle of the night must not be his own, so he killed him without saying a word, but before he got close, he screamed He fell to the ground, rolled over in pain while hugging his arms.
Jiang Lingfei blew on his fingertips in satisfaction, the hidden weapon newly sent by the Jiang family was really easy to use. As thin as an ox, it will burrow at the sight of blood, run into the cracks in the bones, and no matter how good it is, it will not be able to find it.
Seeing that their accomplice was injured, the rest of the ghost-masked men didn't dare to act rashly any more, they just watched vigilantly.
Yun Yifeng's face was cold and cold, and he stood with his hands behind his back. The wind blew the hem of his clothes up high, and his black hair also flew up. His face as white as fine jade was illuminated by the moonlight, and it became a piece of fine jade that glowed—how should I put it, Even less like a mortal.
So the herdsmen who were still worshiping the spirit god just now began to worship the white-clothed fairy again in a blink of an eye, or in other words, they simply regarded him as the savior god.
Seeing this scene, the ghost-faced people who were waiting for the opportunity just now suddenly seemed to be bewitched. Without waiting again, they shouted "He is not a spirit god", their voices were almost torn apart, as if they were extremely angry.
Jiang Lingfei frowned, thinking to himself that this group of people didn't simply come out to deceive people, but they believed in the existence of spirit gods at all? It is likely that the old swindler wrapped in a robe will touch his head affectionately, and he will die. When he hears that others are called "spiritual gods", he is as excited as his own father being slandered.
Yun Yifeng didn't change his face: "Why can't I be a spirit god?"
"We have seen a spirit god!" The ghost-masked man said bitterly, "He is the only savior in the world, and he is definitely not like you!"
Yun Yifeng readily admitted: "I am indeed not a spirit god."
The herdsmen became restless.
Yun Yifeng continued: "Spiritual God is only mine—" He thought about it for a short while, endured strong discomfort and said, "Mount."
Cuihua is sorry.
Jiang Lingfei was not at all on guard, and almost laughed out loud.
Ling Xing'er lowered her head and mingled with the herdsmen, her shoulders shaking.
"Bold!" Hearing such nonsense, the ghost-faced man became even more furious. Yun Yifeng asked: "Then why do you believe that he must be real and I must be fake? Is it just because he was one step ahead of me and claimed to be a spiritual god? Then if someone came earlier than him, then Who should be the spirit god of the time?"
The ghost-masked man was successfully walked in, and said: "The end is coming, only the spirit god can protect us."
Yun Yifeng asked: "Have you ever seen him call the wind and rain, cast beans into soldiers, bring the dead back to life, turn stones into gold?"
Ghost-faced man: "..."
The ghost-masked man said forcefully: "We have seen the spirit god stepping barefoot through the fire, and his hands have sharp iron teeth!"
Yun Yifeng slowly walked down the sand dunes, his white clothes were like frost and snow, his eyes were like cold stars, and his voice was like an empty valley and shallow stream piercing through bells and broken jade. Illness cannot be healed. As a spirit god, not only can't conjure food and herbs, but also grow claws every day, jumping repeatedly in the fire with bare feet, it sounds like there is no half fairy, but it is no different from evildoers. What kind of protection is this? ?”
Ling Xing'er clasped her hands on her chest, and said devoutly and crisply: "God, save us!"
Jiang Lingfei held his forehead, who came out of the Fengyumen.
Yun Yifeng continued to ask: "Taking a step back, even if there is a doomsday, and there is a raging fire that burns the world, has the spirit god explained in detail how he will save you? Will it be covered with a cover, or will it lead the believers to fly to the sky together? "
The ghost-masked man was actually a little confused, but he still argued: "Lingshen is the most intelligent person in the world, and he will definitely have his way."
"Wrong." Yun Yifeng said lightly, "He is not the most intelligent person in the world, but the most ignorant person, because only ignorant people don't know their ignorance. And those who realize their ignorance , are qualified to be called wise.”
Ghost-faced man: "..."
Yun Yifeng pressed on step by step: "Do you know the difference between me and him?"
The ghost-faced man shook his head with difficulty.
Yun Yifeng said: "He claims to be the wisest because he doesn't know his own ignorance, but I think I'm ignorant because I have wisdom that he doesn't have."
The ghost-faced man was completely dizzy.
The herdsman was also dizzy.
After a while, someone timidly asked: "Then if the end of the world comes, can the gods save us?"
"No." Yun Yifeng looked at him and encouraged him gently, "You have to rely on yourself."
Jiang Lingfei applauded silently, amazed. I thought, it's over, if someone has such a helper, I'm afraid I won't be able to win the quarrel in my life.
Yun Yifeng sat by the lake and motioned for everyone to gather around. At this time, Cuihua happened to have a full stomach, so she trotted all the way, took Xiaohong by his side, and kept rubbing her head. The herdsmen are even more convinced. They naturally recognize that this is a first-class horse with a temper like a wolf. If a stranger tries to get close, his jaw will be kicked off. How can there be such intimacy
Yun Yifeng said: "Tell me, what does that fake spiritual god do every day in the deserted sand and grass?"
The ghost-faced man fell silent, and after a while, he murmured: "Many houses have been repaired, and many huge stones have been moved to pile up around the wasteland."
Yun Yifeng motioned him to continue with his eyes.
This said, it was several hours. The moon was hidden in the lake, replaced by a golden morning glow and a salted egg yolk-like sun, the light was warm and warm. The herdsmen's hands and feet were all untied, and they started a fire and cooked together. Because they no longer believed in the "spirits" blown out, they felt like liars after listening to the ghost-masked man's narration.
The scorching midday sun made his skin sting. Yun Yifeng had roughly figured out the situation in the deserted sand and grass, so he stood up and said to the herdsmen, "Go back, just continue with the previous life, the end will not come."
Everyone agreed, and they all dispersed happily. The ghost-masked man asked, "What about us?"
"In the old lair of the Night Wolf Witch Clan, there should be many herdsmen trapped, right?" Yun Yifeng said, "Would you like to follow me back to the Daliang barracks, and discuss the matter of saving people together?"
Hearing the words "Daliang Barracks", the ghost-masked man's expression froze obviously. His brain, which had been dizzy all night, finally woke up, and vigilance and hostility surged in his eyes again.
"That's right, I am indeed not a god, but a person from Daliang." Yun Yifeng looked at them, "So now you are going to go back to the deserted hills and kowtow to Fu?"
Ghost-faced man: "..."
Yun Yifeng thought about it, and felt that this group of people should still know a lot of things. It would be a pity to kill them, and there might be other uses for keeping them, so he patiently said: "Actually, why are you so covetous? Everything in the world has no fixed form. , just like this desert, the reason why it is called a desert is because you and I both think it is a desert. In the same way, the reason why a spirit god is a spirit god is because you think he is a spirit god. It's nothing but shit."
"We can't say no to you!" The ghost-masked man was still holding the knife handle tightly.
Yun Yifeng said with a good temper: "I can't say it, because the truth is on my side, do you still want to hear it? If you and I both think that the other party is a friend, then maybe we will really become friends."
Ghost-faced man: "..."
"Even if you go back now, you have already leaked too many secrets about the sandy grass and barren hills." Yun Yifeng reminded, "Why don't you go back to Daliang with me to provide clues, which is equivalent to meritorious deeds. I’ll let you off, it’s impossible to get a silver cover to protect you in the raging fire, and you can count on it by killing chickens and showing them to monkeys.”
"We... We still have relatives there!" One of them said humanely.
Yun Yifeng picked up the saddle from behind the sand dunes, put it on Cuihua's back, and got on the horse: "So it's all the more important to follow me back to Daliang, and discuss a plan to save people as soon as possible, otherwise?"
"Let's go, what are you still doing?" Ling Xing'er crossed her arms and stood aside and urged, "If it's later, it will be dark!"
The ghost-masked men looked at each other in blank dismay, and finally followed.
So just like that, Master Yunmen successfully brought back more than 30 ghost-masked men. Ren Jiangmen's third young master had superb martial arts skills, so he just didn't get the chance to display them.
"Hey, how did you figure out those..." Jiang Lingfei thought for a while, and changed the word "nonsense" into "reason".
Yun Yifeng replied: "Read more on weekdays and think hard." And when inquiring about news, does Feng Yumen really only squat outside the window to eavesdrop? It is the real ability to coax the other party to tell the clue obediently.
Jiang Lingfei: "..."
"Let's go." Yun Yifeng patted Cuihua, "It sounds like there are not only traps but also mazes near the deserted sandy hill. Don't be careless. We have to tell the prince quickly."
Above the desert, smoke and dust billowed.
In the barracks, Li Jun was studying the mechanism on his wrist. A few days ago, Jiang Lingfei wanted to leave, and Lin Ying was not there, and he didn't dare stick to Ji Yanran's side to seek protection. He looked very pitiful, so Yun Yifeng gave him this hidden weapon. It is said that it is infinitely powerful, as long as it is pressed, it can kill people in the invisible.
"If it's not a critical moment, don't press it randomly, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable!" Yun Yifeng warned seven or eight times, "Do you remember?"
It was the first time in Li Jun's life that he had a hidden weapon in the rivers and lakes. He was very excited and nodded repeatedly: "Remember, remember."
Yun Yifeng's eyes were intense: "Remember, if you hurt a Liang soldier, the prince will reprimand me."
Li Jun also has a serious expression, if you hurt the soldiers of Liang, the seventh brother will only reprimand you, but it may be fatal to me. Then I raised my hand and swore that I really wouldn't press it randomly.
Only then did Yun Yifeng leave in peace, but Jiang Lingfei frowned and said, "Is it reliable to hand over such a cruel hidden weapon to him?"
"Fake, it's just an empty wooden shell." Yun Yifeng said, "He is timid and cherishes his life. If you and I are not here, he will definitely try his best to get close to the prince. Who dares to come to the barracks to kidnap someone? Be safe. Putting something on his wrist is nothing more than making him feel more at ease and less talking."
Jiang Lingfei suddenly realized, thumbs up, smart.
Sure enough, in so many days, Li Jun didn't press the mechanism once, and just wiped it lightly every night as a treasure, cherishing it very much. Hearing the commotion outside the tent, he opened the curtain to peek at it through a slit, and the guarding soldier smiled and said, "Prince Pingle, it's Yunmen Master and Young Master Jiang who have returned safely."
Not only came back safely, but also rescued Ling Xing'er, and brought back a group of ghost-faced men from the Night Wolf Witch Clan—very cooperative ghost-faced men, who knew everything, and even caused deep quarrels between Yerten and the leaders of the other tribes. Deeply puzzled, I wondered if this was a spy sent by Hao Meng and Fu Wei, otherwise, why would I start talking before the trial
Ji Yanran also asked: "What's going on?"
Yun Yifeng thought about it for a while, and felt that it was a long story, so he just said: "What they said should be true."
Yelten was dissatisfied: "What kind of answer is this?"
Jiang Lingfei patted him on the shoulder: "Does the leader know what is wisdom and what is ignorance?"
Yelten: "..."
"Traveling for days is really tiring, why not let them rest for half an hour and eat something." Yun Yifeng said, "Then come and interrogate them together."
Ji Yanran nodded: "Alright."
The man was brought back by Yun Yifeng, and the rest of the tribe naturally had no objection, and within half an hour, they all dispersed. Only Yerten kept looking unhappy, and when he walked to a secluded place, Abi beside him suddenly said softly: "Knowing ignorance is wisdom, and knowing wisdom is ignorance."
Yelten stopped and looked at her in surprise.
…
And in the big tent on the other side, Yun Yifeng had already soaked in the bathtub—yes, when marching and fighting, His Royal Highness King Xiao still did not forget to bring a big bucket for his sweetheart. It just so happens that there are many grassy hills in this area, but there is no shortage of water. Ji Yanran massaged his scalp carefully, and said, "Big Stone Maze?"
"That's what they said." Yun Yifeng lay on the edge of the barrel, "That's true, otherwise, if the army really attacked the door one day, you couldn't just jump in the fire with bare feet and expect to be able to defeat the enemy. Always take precautions beforehand.”
Hao Meng has been entrenched in the sand and grass barren hills for many years. No one can tell how many traps he has set up nearby. Unfortunately, the captives he brought back this time are all herdsmen who have not long joined the Night Wolf Witch Clan. They have just been trained as ghost faces. , even if they cooperate again, there is not much that can be said.
"There are worse things." Ji Yanran said, "The Red Crow Sect's theory about 'spiritual gods' is too deceptive, especially after more and more herdsmen abandon their homes, other people who heard the news also Then I started to move around." Even though they didn't know what the "spirit" was, they still felt that everyone else had gone, and if they didn't go, they might miss out on a great event.
It is obviously not a good thing to change from passively accepting incitement to actively seeking the other party's asylum, and this trend is spreading among many herdsmen, and it may soon cross the border and invade Daliang.
Yun Yifeng frowned. If all the herdsmen gathered together, he could say "the reason why the spirit god is the spirit god" again, but this is obviously unrealistic, and this set of rhetoric is too cloudy, It is boring and boring, and it is basically impossible to spread it on a large scale and gain popular support.
"Why don't you talk anymore?" Ji Yanran looked at him, "It's been a hard journey, shouldn't I stop talking about these annoying things to you?"
Yun Yifeng came back to his senses, held his hand and said, "Because it's something that bothers me, so I should speak up and solve it earlier."
The water was already a little cold, Ji Yanran took a big blanket, wrapped her around the bed, and held her in her arms to dry slowly. The moon is full and the night is late... When the outside is not very quiet, Yun Yifeng hides with a smile: "Hey!"
"Be quieter." Ji Yanran let go of his waist, and reminded, "If the guards at the gate hear it, they might think I'm doing something again."
"It makes sense, then put on clothes." Yun Yifeng sat up with support, "It's almost time, don't make everyone wait too long."
The beauty just came out of the bath, only wrapped in a blanket, but she was going to do military affairs.
His Royal Highness Xiao Wang sighed deeply, bowed his head: "Kiss one."
Yun Yifeng kissed the corner of his lips, and patted his chest to express comfort, it's okay, this shows that the prince is a person who will do great things.
And beside the bonfire at the other end, Li Jun was listening in a daze, wondering: "Then I have always been deeply aware of my ignorance, so in this way, isn't it very wise?"
Jiang Lingfei: "..."
Li Jun was complacent and thought to herself, so I am pretty good.
The author has something to say:
· About wisdom and ignorance, is a classic topic in the history of human thought. Plato's Apology of Socrates