It's snowing at night.
Ten li on the outskirts of Beijing is full of powerful Zhuangzi gardens, and there is a small town on the way, which was originally a place for the servants of the rich and famous Zhongming Ding food family to rest their feet and tiptoe. Because of the powerful travel, they had to send people to Zhuangzi several days in advance to check, and they had to leave reliable servants to watch Zhuangzi. Once they went, these noble servants also began to sell land and buy properties nearby, and gradually formed a prosperous town.
Today is exactly the second day of the first lunar month.
Most of the aristocratic dignitaries are in the capital, and Zhuangzi on the outskirts of Beijing is deserted.
The stewards of these gardens, together with their relatives, no matter whether they are civilians or family members who have been servants for generations, when the snow has stopped, they all gather in the town to drink and gamble for money, and have a lively New Year.
Banners with dice painted on them fluttered in the cold wind.
A man wearing a felt hat walked in with his head down and his sleeves rolled up.
There was a lot of noise in the casino. The oil lamps hanging on the walls were swaying, and it was a little dim. The tables around the Eight Immortals were crowded with people.
The big-bodied casino was watching the game, leaning against the wall and looking at everyone with sullen eyes.
The man who entered the casino took off his felt hat, and squeezed into the dice-sized table to probe his head—he was dressed a bit shabby, with only a jacket on his body. But this frail appearance on this snowy day is obviously a domestic servant who has no money in his pocket.
Either the owner is particularly stingy, or it's just too bad.
The nobles punished those servants who made mistakes but had some sentimental thoughts by sending them to Zhuangzi. These people could only survive for the rest of their lives. The world was so cold that it was difficult for them to eat and clothe themselves.
That is to say, during the New Year, if you are gifted by the master, you can get some reward money.
This kind of person is common in casinos, and the big man watching the scene glanced at him contemptuously, but without even seeing his face, he passed over the man.
- He didn't know that he was looking away.
No matter how many people watch the casino, how can they recognize Lian Jiazi
This person in disguise is Ji Hong.
The residence of Venerable Huanjian is not far from this town. Ji Hong came here this time, and it was useless to hide his eyes. He restrained his spiritual power, avoided his eyes, pretended to be cowering, and smeared a layer of black charcoal on his forehead and cheekbones. Those domestic servants are generally the same.
In his previous life, Ji Hong felt that everyone in the cultivation world had their eyes above the top. The Yuanying cultivators looked down on people below the Jindan stage, and the cultivators generally did not pay attention to mortals. This kind of neglect made the eight-tailed fox in the previous life hidden in the mortal world. The world is prosperous, and the righteous demons are ignorant. Instead, they question each other. Even after Beihai County rounded up the demon fox, there are still people who question whether the demon fox really exists.
These cultivators, whether they are proud of their status or used to avoid the world, they all ignore the mundane things too much.
For example, the blindfold method they used to use is really useful, but if they encounter a cultivator with a higher level of cultivation, they will simply put the label "I am a cultivator" on their forehead. Especially like Ji Hong today, sneaking into a place where the monks are not interested and will not come. If he uses a trick, then the label must be added with "I have a problem", "I have bad intentions", "I Is doing something sneaky", what could be more stupid than that
This is the sphere of influence of Venerable Huanjian. On the road, it is not unusual to encounter one or two magic cultivators occasionally! Everyone has nothing to do these days, and when they see people who use blindfolders, they become curious, and some play tracking.
- Ji Hong, who considers himself not a fool, showed a mocking smile.
Soon, he disappeared without a trace, took out the copper plate from his sleeve tremblingly, and followed the bet.
Ji Hong threw it casually, but he was not lucky enough to lose all of it, but he sighed every time he lost, which made the people around him dislike and shout the poor ghost to go away.
He was not annoyed after being pushed a few steps, and continued to lean in cheekily.
Until an hour later, when he pretended not to glance at the casino again, Ji Hong's heart skipped a beat, trying his best to contain his inner joy.
The person he was waiting for has arrived!
I don't know when, a young man came into the noisy casino. He looked white and clean, but he looked at him quietly, looking at his sleeve and purse, showing no interest in the dice shaking in the porcelain cup. He didn't care about the thick stack of silver coins.
It didn't take long for the young man to set his goal.
He slowly took out some pieces of silver, approached a table, and casually started gambling, but his eyes always fell on the jade pendant hanging from the waist of a drunk man beside him.
The pendant is probably made of jade, a bit variegated, but the texture is excellent and it looks very delicate. Eighty percent of it was leftovers like jade, and the master rewarded it. It seems that this servant is quite powerful, and the identity of the master is not bad.
The man shouted and slapped the silver bill, looking like he would neither lose nor win, he was in a good mood.
Ji Hong also pretended to be pushed and walked around to the table.
The boy raised his head and glanced at him, Ji Hong only stared at the dice, his face flushed, just like other gamblers.
After a few rounds, the young man made his move. With a flick of his fingers, he touched the jade pendant. The movement was very light. However, before he had time to slip away, the big man in the audience shouted angrily, took a few steps forward, and picked up the young man's clothes. collar.
"Little thief! Dare to stretch your claws in our casino?"
Everyone in front of the gaming table was shocked and touched their pockets.
The young man struggled for a while, and said angrily, "You reckless brat, what nonsense are you talking about? My lord, I am making a bet here, luck is prosperous, don't spit your blood!"
"My Hetian jade pendant!" The owner shouted, grabbed the young man with his hand in reverse, and said viciously, "Did you steal it, send it to the official!"
Watching the excitement next to him sneered: "Mr. Wang, the first month yamen is taking a break! Besides, if you go to the government for this matter, the noble master will also dislike it. If you find something, break his hand, that's all."
The owner glanced angrily at the young man, and found that he was dressed in simple and ordinary clothes, and he looked like a foreigner. His eyes were fierce and bright: "Boy, ask your family to take a few bucks to redeem, and I will let you go."
"You are talking nonsense!" the young man shouted struggling, and pointed at the big man who was watching the casino, "Which eye did you see that the young master stole from him?"
"Humph!"
The big man in the audience smiled yinly, "Boy, I'll keep an eye on you when you come in! Last year, you stole the snuff bottle from the third steward of the Xu family in our casino and beat you up. How dare you come this year?"
The owner of the owner heard that it was not someone with a history, and he was instantly refreshed. He rolled up his sleeves and shouted angrily, "Take this kid off, search for the things, throw them out after a blow, and freeze to death, it's mine!"
The boy's originally indifferent expression suddenly changed, he took out the pendant and threw it out, and spat: "Who cares about this worthless scrap, the servant will still be the servant in the next life!"
"You hit!"
Immediately, the casino was like a pot was opened, and there was a burst of punches and kicks, and some irrelevant people also kicked a few times in troubled waters.
Ji Hong didn't go to join in the fun, but just pointed at the gaming table and scolded: "It's still not open, I'm placing a bet!"
The dealer who rolled the dice looked at him lazily, opened the cup, and it was surprisingly small at three o'clock.
Ji Hong was overjoyed, and shouted, "Haha, I won, I will lose, I bet fifty copper coins."
Although the money in the casino was a mess, of course the dealer remembered to place bets, especially Ji Hong, a poor guy, who wandered around for an hour, and the money he took out of his sleeves was not even fifty coins. Woolen cloth!
"What did you say?" The banker looked at the poor ghost long ago, "Come on, someone is cheating!"
Ji Hong was enraged, turned the table over and shouted, "You guys are cheating and cheating! I've lost a tael of silver!"
"Drag this troublemaker out, fight!"
So Ji Hong was also beaten up by ping ping pong pong.
"Steward Wang, are you still taking off this little thief's clothes?"
"How much is the clothes worth? If you break your hands and feet, just throw them out!"
The big man who was watching the casino gave Ji Hong a good beating, then dragged the two out together, opened the curtain at the entrance of the casino, and threw them directly into the middle of the road, with their faces planted in the snow.
The night was dark, because there was no curfew in the first month of the month, and the taverns in the town were constantly singing and singing. The drunk Laihan was thrown out three or four, but no one stopped to watch.
The wind and snow were tight, and passersby passed by in a hurry.
"This casino must be using fake dice!"
Ji Hong slapped the snow fiercely and raised his head angrily.
The thief who was beaten beside him with a bruised nose and a swollen face made a strange noise from his bones, and then he just sat up straight.
"Bah." The young man curled the corner of his mouth at the casino angrily and muttered a swear word, "People are so busy, I forgot to use this face to visit this casino."
The two looked at each other in the snow, and Ji Hong opened his mouth in mock surprise: "This... fellow Daoist?"
"Hmm." The boy looked unhappy.
"That jade pendant is worth one hundred and eighty taels of silver, and is beaten by mortals, is this worth it?" Ji Hong grabbed a handful of snow, wiped off the black charcoal on his face, and some black moles on it, and then added a little more to the surrounding area. With a trick, he took out the clothes from the storage bag and put them on, and when he stood up again, he looked like a handsome young man again.
The young man's eyes lit up: "Isn't the Taoist friend using a blindfold method?"
"Ha, my cultivation base is shallow, and I only like to gamble. Since I was ten years old, I have often disguised myself and went out to have fun. Later, when my family changed dramatically, I was almost exiled. Fortunately, my roots were good and I was rescued." Ji Hong said with a smile, "Once we passed Over the years, I was about to make pills, but I couldn't forget the sound of the dice. I had to sneak out and enjoy it."
The young man nodded again and again, seeming to agree with this.
Two fingers bent back and forth, sighed: "This youthful hobby can never be changed in a lifetime!"
"The Taoist friend has a deep cultivation base, and I didn't find it before. I don't know if there is any place where Ji Hong can help you when you come to the capital." Ji Hong said respectfully but calmly, secretly complimenting the other party's blindness.
The young man looked at him with interest: "You were beaten, but you're not annoyed?"
Ji Hong shrugged: "I don't need this meal, I've been beaten a dozen times this year!" After speaking, his expression changed suddenly, and he said fiercely, "It sounds weird! How can I listen to the dice filled with mercury? Identify the position, why is it wrong!"
"Haha." The young man laughed, "Even if you are a mortal, you won't be able to see how skilled you are!"
Ji Hong was happy when he heard the words, but he concealed it well.
The young man looked at him and felt a little more favorable towards this fellow in distress. This young man was born in the market, and no matter how well he concealed it, he still couldn't help but commit his old problems.
Stealing ill-gotten gains is not enough, but definitely not stealing from the poor.
Besides, being rich doesn't mean you're a villain. How can you tell who is good and who is bad when you stand on the street
So he liked to go to the casino and go into the kiln to be a thief.
"Come on, I'll invite fellow Daoists to drink!" The young man didn't take back his tricks, patted Ji Hong on the shoulder, and said happily, "I have nothing to do in Beijing this time.
One of the two finds each other interesting, and it is rare to meet eccentrics, and the other is interested in making friends, and they quickly talk hotly.
Ji Hong is a man of two generations, he has a lot of experience, and he knows the other's hidden quirks and true identity.
When they arrived at a restaurant, before the food was served, the two were already familiar with each other as if they had been friends for many years.
"Oh... I'm a little thief in the market. I didn't know my parents or my surname since I was a child, so I was called Xiao Liuzi." Yue's, actually told me to shut the door! The dead old man is getting more and more outrageous!"
Ji Hong held up the cup and sighed: "My master, who died many years ago, said that he was a demon cultivator, but he did nothing to hurt the world. He was killed by a Yuanying cultivator sent by Gathering."
"You are near the suburbs of Beijing, and you are also a subordinate of Venerable Huanjian?" The young man squinted at him.
"Yes, it's a pity that my cultivation base is shallow." Ji Hong did not mention his identity or ask the other party's origin, but only persuaded the wine to eat the food, and also introduced the signature dishes here. The young man was very satisfied and smiled.
"Your roots are really good. In the future, you will be promoted to the Nascent Soul Stage and seek revenge. It will be a matter of time." The boy said with narrowed eyes.
Ji Hong paused and smiled inadvertently: "Thanks to the good words, it's just that the right way deceives me too much, and it's not one day or two days. What do you say, just drink!"
The young man nodded, holding the jug and said angrily: "There are too many bad masters in this world, and that's the one in my family! They don't teach me swordsmanship, they say I don't look like a sword! Then they pick me up as an apprentice, and again I hate that I can't steal the money, and said I want to go out to sell art! Damn old man! So rich, every year in the first month of the month, I don't even have a drink, and this year, I don't even want my apprentice!"
He slapped the table, and Ji Hong only poured the wine and didn't speak.
The drooping eyes flashed a smile.
- If he hadn't been reborn, if he hadn't been a Mahayana cultivator before Ji Hong went into trouble, how could he know that the unfathomable Huanjian Venerable likes to play shadow puppets now that he is a small base-building demon cultivator
And the first venerable of the magic way, the apprentice of Huanjian, the apprentice, the venerable Zhetian, doesn't seem to have a good relationship with the venerable Huanjian. In fact, he has to avoid people's eyes and eyes to see his master every year, and he has a hobby of stealing things in the market