. I have updated the reader Q&A section on WeChat. I will continue to answer some of the readers’ questions in the future. Laohuo’s WeChat ID: laohuo13141, which is the pinyin of the word “Laohuo” plus the number 13141
At noon, Fang Yun met Yun He and learned that this time the Yun family in Fuyuan and the Nie family each produced one Jinshi, two Juren, five Xiucai and a private army of a hundred men.
The Jinshi of the Yun family is Yun Dan, whom Fang Yun had met in a restaurant. The Jinshi of the Nie family is Nie Cheng, and both of them are good friends with Yun Ao.
This was the Yun family's family affair, so Fang Yun didn't say much and just waited to set off for Fushan tomorrow.
As long as I get half of the dragon-patterned rice and blood jade, everything will be fine.
On the morning of November 14, Fang Yun got up early, washed up, and went to the main hall.
Fang Yun, wearing a white Hanlin uniform and black cloth shoes, stepped through a door and looked up at the sky.
The time in the Blood Mang Ancient Land is calculated according to that of the Holy Yuan Continent, because there is no day or night in the Blood Mang Ancient Land itself. The sky and the earth are shrouded in blood-colored clouds and a faint blood mist. It is never bright but not too dark either.
When he was far away from the main hall, Fang Yun heard chaotic and low conversations.
Turning the corner, I saw dozens of scholars standing in the courtyard in front of the main hall, including Jinshi, Juren, Xiucai and Tongsheng.
Seeing Fang Yun coming in, many scholars of low rank hurriedly bowed.
"Good morning, cousin Yun Fang!"
"Good morning, Brother Yun!"
"Good morning, Mr. Jinshi!"
Fang Yun just bowed, without further courtesy, and walked towards the main hall.
The main hall was empty. After greeting each other, Fang Yun stood at the door like several other Jinshi.
Fang Yun rarely participated in social activities and spent most of his time reading. Now he stood alone among the crowd and looked around, but there was no one familiar to him. He suddenly felt lonely.
"I don't know how Yuhuan is doing in Shengyuan Continent, I don't know whether Ao Huang's promotion to Dragon King is going smoothly, I don't know how Jianmei Gong's experience as a great scholar is going, Yan Yukong and the others are probably studying in the Holy Academy..."
As Fang Yun was thinking, he suddenly froze, then shook his head gently. He thought that he would never have been so sentimental before, but now he understood the true feelings of some poems. Only people from other places can understand the loneliness that goes deep into the bones.
Being a stranger in a foreign land, I miss my family all the more during the holidays.
I feel lonely even when it's not a holiday. If it's a holiday, it will be even harder.
Fang Yun was suddenly stunned for a moment and remembered something. If nothing unexpected happened, he would spend the New Year in the ancient land of Xuemang.
It's only one and a half months away from the Spring Festival.
"Sigh..." Fang Yun couldn't help but sigh softly, and then he realized that he seemed a little miserable recently.
"Cousin Yun Fang."
Fang Yun looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young scholar walking towards him with a smile on his face, a hint of embarrassment and worry, and he seemed to not know where to put his hands.
Fang Yun remembered this person. Yun Jieying from the second house.
The previous head of the Yun family had four sons, so they were divided into four branches. The eldest and the third son were both very promising, one was a Jinshi and the other a Juren. So the first and third branches were very powerful. But the second and fourth sons were only Tongsheng, almost invisible people at home, and they were old and inconvenient to move around. They would not show up in the recent Western Expedition to Hunt Monsters.
Only Yun Jieying from the second branch showed up, bringing with him ten of his own private soldiers.
In the ancient land of Xuemang, any scholar would recruit private soldiers. If you are a scholar but don't have private soldiers, you will not be taken seriously.
Fang Yun smiled and said, "It's Jieying."
Yun Jieying was happy and excited to see Fang Yun's intimate way of addressing her, and said, "Cousin, have you eaten?"
"Not yet. Let's eat together before we set off." Fang Yun said.
"Cousin, you are so easy-going. By the way, I heard that your ox-cart was prepared by the owner of the family himself. If you don't mind, you can go together with our second branch's car. Hehe, you have a high academic degree and have experienced actual combat, so it will be safe to stay with you." Yun Jieying felt a little embarrassed.
Fang Yun took a closer look at this slightly shy young man. His complexion was rosier than that of ordinary people, his eyes were clear and transparent, his lips were slightly thick, and there were a few freckles on his face. He looked very honest.
Fang Yun also knew about the fourth branch of the Yun family. The relationship between the second branch and the first branch was OK, but it was not harmonious with the third branch. Yun Jieying had a good relationship with Yun Jie, but had some minor conflicts with Yun Ao. Yun Jieying was seeking protection rather than inviting him.
Seeing Fang Yun didn't answer immediately, Yun Jieying hurriedly said, "My cousin, you are from another place, and many things are inconvenient for you. I have ten private soldiers here, all of whom are my own people, so they are easy to use. Although the uncle of the family head has allocated fifty private soldiers to you, they are all soldiers. They are useful in battle, but not easy to use at other times. Don't you agree?"
Fang Yun heard that Yun Jie, who used to be handsome and dull, suddenly became eloquent today, and it was probably his parents' idea.
Fang Yun's eyes softened and he asked, "I heard that you have a good relationship with Yun Jie."
Hearing Yun Jie, Yun Jieying's expression changed immediately. A mist appeared in his eyes and then quickly disappeared. He nodded heavily and said, "Big brother treats me very well, so my father didn't want me to go at first, but I took the initiative to ask to go and avenge big brother!"
"You are so young, you may have never participated in a monster hunt? "
"I... I'm ashamed to say that when I was a scholar, I fought with the monster soldiers in the training ground. I have also experienced battles but I didn't fight in person. My parents have always been afraid that something might happen to me, so they said they would allow me to hunt monsters only after I became a juren. I only became a juren last year, so I haven't participated in any monster hunting yet." Yun Jieying answered honestly.
"Well, that's fine. I just came to the frontline city recently. Although I traveled with Yun Jie, I can't even remember the route we took. It's much more convenient for me with you here." Fang Yun said this deliberately.
The gift that scholars in the ancient land of Xuemang have for becoming Jinshi is their ability to debate, but they are weak in other aspects. Only a university scholar can have a photographic memory.
"Okay! Thank you, cousin!" Yun Jieying smiled happily.
"Then stand behind me." Fang Yun said.
"Yes!" Yun Jieying walked behind Fang Yun very seriously.
After a while, Yun He, the head of the Yun family, appeared, with an old scholar beside him. Fang Yun recognized this man. He was Yun He's friend of many years, named Kang Xingzhi. This man had a hot temper, and like Yun He, he was a respectable elder.
Since everything was ready, Yun He didn't say anything. After speaking a few words, he invited everyone to dinner.
Yun He specially called all the Jinshi to his side.
Yun He, Kang Xingzhi, Yun Ao, Fang Yun, Yun Dan and Nie Cheng, a total of six people, sat together and formed the top force of this monster hunting team.
After dinner, everyone left the Yun family and arrived at the west gate of Juyun City.
Outside the west gate, there stood a total of two thousand soldiers in armor, half of whom were the private soldiers of the scholars, and the other half were the private soldiers of the Changle Yun family, which were equivalent to the private soldiers of the family head Yun He.
At the west gate, there was also a Hanlin and dozens of scholars.
The ancient land of Xuemang has its own rules. When the monster hunting team marches westward, the scholars with higher literary status in the city will write a march poem to enhance the strength of everyone and boost morale.
After the Hanlin wrote the farewell poem "Chang Wu", everyone's body size increased, and there was obvious improvement in strength, endurance and other physical aspects.
Afterwards, all scholars either boarded armored ox carts or rode dragon horses, while ordinary soldiers walked, leaving Juyun City and heading towards Fushan.
(To be continued…)