Qu Linfeng entered the town tremblingly.
More than ten years have passed since the Shirou Rebellion, and there are no traces of war anywhere. There are no more hanging trees, there are many more long-lived old people, and there are occasional disasters in the territory, but they are all dealt with by the imperial court. The world is becoming more and more stable, with the Chigou family being the dominant one in the demon sect, and the righteous path rising in dry mountains, and Hengheng slowly returning to its heyday.
The styles of Karesan and Heng are much different - Heng's foundation is there, and he still tends to recruit children from rich families and cultivate them carefully since childhood. The requirements of Kushan are much broader. Even if they are older poor children, as long as they are capable, Kushan sect is willing to accept them.
Children from poor families are naturally willing to give it a try. Kushan is also considered a new sect. Even if his kung fu is not as good as that of the Heng sect in the future, it is still a way out.
At this time, Qu Linfeng went to visit Dry Mountain.
He had just turned twelve years old, and for the first time he left his adoptive father and went to the city with a farmer he knew well. The town is bustling with pedestrians and the stalls are bustling. Once the children's eyes are glued to it, they can't leave. Qu Linfeng lived in a very remote place and had been to the market several times. He was instantly fascinated by the paper pinwheels and candy-twisted people.
"Old Li, it's a rare visit. Let's go buy some candy." The peasant woman who was traveling with him couldn't bear to look at it and quickly urged her husband. As a result, they sold goods well and made a small profit. They could barely afford a copper plate.
The farmer who was driving the cart understood it and bought a stick of syrup. The woman tasted it herself and gave most of it to Qu Linfeng.
Qu Linfeng put on a straight face, thanked her politely, and hid a bunch of money in the woman's bag. He was so fast that the peasant woman didn't notice.
"You're a sensible kid, and you don't make any noise. Your father is willing to let you go." The woman saw him licking the candy bit by bit, and she felt some affection for him.
They naturally knew about Qu Linfeng's identity.
They lived in a village with a cripple who was unkempt. The lame man had a broken foot, couldn't do any work, and didn't like to talk to others. He found a remote abandoned house to live in and didn't even want to say hello to the villagers. Rao: That lame man's heart is high, so he always needs to eat and drink. With his unique skill of literacy and ghostwriting, he could still make a living.
The Li family often went out to the village to sell goods, and they were quick-thinking. They once advised the lame man to teach the children and become a half-baked teacher. Unexpectedly, the lame man refused without even thinking, as if he had been humiliated. A few years ago, there was a matchmaker who saw that he looked upright and had read a book. She wanted to help the lame man find a matchmaker, but he almost kicked him out of the yard.
Over time, despite the enthusiasm of the villagers, people gradually began to ignore him.
The cripple's only job was to go to the fields to watch the farmers work and chat. He often has complicated eyes that are completely incomprehensible to others, and he is a complete weirdo.
He just picked up Qu Linfeng.
This child was abandoned by outsiders in the village. When he was first discovered, Qu Linfeng's legs and feet were paralyzed, and the village doctor also said that he needed medical treatment. Everyone looked at me and I looked at you, and they were a little hesitant - no one was well-off, so how could they want to raise a paralytic who was a burden to others? If we leave this matter alone, we can get rid of this child with just "Tianyan".
To everyone's surprise, the lame man remained silent for a long time and then picked up the child. After a few months, the lame man seemed to have used some kind of "internal force healing" technique, and the baby's legs and feet were able to bounce back, and he was given a name "Qu Linfeng" that was incompatible with the village.
The cripple was still very silent, and even his father was not allowed to scream. Qu Linfeng has been sensible since he was a child and knows how to run around for his "adopted father". He looks good, gets along well with the villagers, and even being lame is not so objectionable.
"My foster father said that since I can read, I should go out and make a living." Qu Linfeng said obediently.
Peasant Woman: "...Oh, he can also speak human language. He is a scholar after all, why don't his own sons teach him well?"
"My foster father said that you have to see everything for yourself. His eyes are his, and mine are mine." Qu Linfeng shook his head, "I chose the Kushan sect myself. I heard people say that as long as you are willing to work hard, Kushan will be the best." The party will pay for people to study.”
When he first mentioned this matter to his adoptive father, his lame adoptive father had a subtle expression on his face, but in the end he didn't say anything.
The donkey cart wandered to the dry mountain station. The dry mountain sect was recruiting disciples, and the town was very lively. Qu Linfeng carried a small parcel on his back, said goodbye to the Li family and his wife seriously, and then got into the small carriage of the Dry Mountain Sect.
There were mostly young people in the car, and a young man with tied hair caught special attention - he was wearing silk and satin clothes, and he looked much wealthier than others. The man rolled his eyes and looked at the roof of the car, obviously noticing the others. Fortunately, this place is not far from Dry Mountain, and the carriage only lasted for two days, so there was no time for the young man to cause any trouble.
There are many young people who want to join the Kushan sect gathered here, and the surroundings are lively. A play about the founding of the People's Republic of China was being sung in this room, and books about hanging trees were being talked about in another room. Many people gathered around.
"I know this. This was done by the first generation leader of the Kushan Sect! He spent a lot of money to collect all the remnants of the founding of the country. He even checked the books of Luojiu and Xilong, and forced him to Let’s explain clearly what happened during the founding of the People’s Republic of China.”
The boy in satin clothes said loudly, with a hint of showing off in his tone.
"He Cheng'an, a demon raised by a tree, first raised and used the famous General Yin, and then killed him with his own hands! One of the two heroes who appeared later to save the country was one of them. General Yin’s transformation. It’s the same star-turned-immortal, even his name has changed.”
Qu Linfeng tilted his head - this seemed to be inconsistent with what he had heard. According to his adoptive father, one of the two heroes who saved the country was General Yin himself. But if you think about it, they only come from a small place, and the adoptive father probably got the wrong news. How can anyone live that long
"... The other one of the two heroes who saved the country is the first generation leader of the Dry Mountain Sect, and he is also a star-shaped immortal. He specially spent money and energy to reverse the case of General Yin, all for the sake of friendship in heaven. !" The satin dress continues.
Many boys and girls came up to him with admiration, but Qu Linfeng was concerned about him. From this angle, you can vaguely see the outline of the sect on Dry Mountain, which is very majestic.
The method of selecting disciples of the Kushan Sect changes every year, and it is difficult to predict whether someone will be selected or not. It is said that one year, when time was tight, they even sent a goose demon to pick people. There must be tens of thousands of people who want to get into the headquarters of the Dry Mountain Sect. In this way, only a few hundred people can be selected in batches. Qu Linfeng had already thought about it. If he couldn't be chosen, he would just go to a horse station and work as a handyman. At most, if I have to work a few more jobs, I'll be able to read the book.
That night, the boys and girls were arranged to an inn.
There was only one person guarding the inn. The man's eyes were wrapped with cloth, and he looked like a blind man. However, he was blind and his hands and feet were surprisingly agile. Qu Linfeng was also a person who had done a lot of work, and he immediately felt friendly.
He carefully moved closer to the man and lifted a bucket of water in a similar manner, hoping to take the opportunity to strike up a conversation. The man looked like he had eyes on the back of his head and turned towards him instantly. Before Qu Linfeng had time to speak, he heard a scream—
"Done!!!"
A man rushed over as fast as he could to escape. He was short and his feet slipped a long way on the floor, just in time to stop on the footman's heels. I saw the man put his arms around the servant's waist, his face extremely miserable.
"Son, I accidentally brought a thief in, you can't just die without saving him!"
Handyman "子": "..."
Handyman: "You get up first, there are children here."
When Qu Linfeng saw this man suddenly appearing, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up instantly. The man looked at him for about ten years. Although he had a sad expression on his face, the evil aura he exuded sent a chill down his spine.
The man turned a deaf ear to what the handyman said: "You have to explain it clearly to that person. The thief was originally targeting his small treasury. I... Well, I was just being used. It really has nothing to do with me. ”
The handyman was helpless: "Why didn't you catch the thief?"
"That thief has extraordinary light skills, and I even noticed him following him. I can't find him in a place as big as Dry Mountain."
"Otherwise, if you rush in without saying hello, the thieves won't be able to break through Dry Mountain's protective formation." The handyman responded melancholy.
The man was stunned, looked up at the ceiling, and muttered strange words such as "Why are you handing out greeting cards with those cats and dogs?" "Which of us is following the other?" "How can you bear to do this to me?"
Somehow, in order to change the subject, he happened to "discover" Qu Linfeng on the other side: "Who is it, the kid here who came to join the sect?"
"Um."
"You have to arrange the selection anyway, why not take this as a test." The man's eyes flashed, as if he was about to shed tears in the next moment. "I've activated the mountain-sealing formation, and the thieves can't escape. Just tell me that it's been arranged, and that fox... that person won't be able to get through with me."
The handyman wiped his face vigorously, looked up to the sky and sighed.
"Tell me, what did the thief steal that could scare you like this?"
"Medicine, medicine, cures the disease."
"... Ah Si, is Chigou's young leader dead?"
"Don't say such horrible things!"
Qu Linfeng on the side was confused when he heard it, but he finally caught a few key words: "As long as everyone searches the mountain together, we can find the thief."
The handyman smiled bitterly: "I don't know if that thief is dangerous, but I still have to leave this matter to the adults -"
He shook off "Ah Si" who was hugging him and wouldn't let go, with helplessness on his face.
"But if you help with some side jobs, you can also see some character. I will... report it later, maybe it will be possible. Your name is Qu Linfeng? We are destined to meet you, so you can follow us to find him."
On the second day, people were awakened at Yinshi. More than a hundred people were divided into five teams, each led by two dry mountain disciples, and climbed the mountain seriously. Satin Yi and Qu Linfeng were divided into groups, with unhappy faces on their faces.
Dry Mountain is not a big place, but it has deep forests, thick grass, and many caves. The beasts roared one after another, which made people weak in the legs. It was late autumn, and maple leaves covered the ground like fire. The scenery in front of you is beautiful, but you don’t have the intention to appreciate it.
"Why are you looking for something?" he complained, "It doesn't sound like a hero at all."
Ah Si nodded fiercely: "What's wrong with looking for something? Otherwise there is a thief to catch. According to the original arrangement, you have to search for demon flowers all over the mountains and plains."
"Monster-seeking grass is more interesting than attacking people!"
Ah Si sneered and glanced sideways at the silk and satin clothes. The latter was unconvinced and immediately bared his teeth and claws: "Look at your dressing, you are so disgusting. Why are you ordering us around?!"
"What, do you have to join the Kushan Sect to be considered a Kushan person?" Ah Si stopped his anger, supported the handyman, and winked on the spot. "I can't say enough—"
As a result, when he was halfway through speaking, his head was pressed by the handyman: "What are you telling the child?"
Ah Si clicked his tongue and changed his tactics: "You brat, what's your name?"
Silk coat: "Young master, I don't want to change my name, but I don't want to change my surname. What's the last name?"
He raised his head, not hiding the aura of a wealthy man about him.
"Okay, I'll remember you." Ah Si said sadly.
Qu Linfeng had nothing to say. A person of about 10 years old and a child of 14 or 15 years old are seriously angry. This scene is a bit funny. He glanced feebly, and saw a very similar tiredness in the other person's eyes.
The children are not allowed to run around and explore the road without encountering any difficulties or dangers. As time went by, people almost regarded it as a game. Some people grabbed the maple leaves and spoke briskly. At this moment, Qu Linfeng suddenly noticed a strange aura.
Someone was peeping at them, their eyes full of hostility.
He immediately pulled He Jiuyi away, who was still sulking, and the expressions on his wife's and Ah Si's faces instantly became condensed. He Jiu reacted very quickly, his head was spinning, and he took out the knife in his hand.
"who?!"