According to rural customs, hanging white banners in the first month of the lunar year is a very unlucky thing.
However, for the people of Yanziwu, this is really a very common thing. On New Year's Eve, when the family is reunited to eat and drink and happily welcome the new year, they receive a call from the northern Xinjiang or the South China Sea, saying that their children and relatives have unfortunately died in the war. Everyone will quietly put down their bowls, chopsticks and wine glasses and raise the white flags that have been prepared long ago under the box.
They believe that the white flag can summon souls. They cannot retrieve the bodies of their loved ones, and even the ashes are difficult to obtain most of the time, but they hope to summon the souls of their loved ones back, so that they can return to their roots and meet them in their dreams.
Sacrifice is the norm.
However, it was the first time that Yanziwu raised the white flag for a foreigner, and it was for a Japanese.
Chiba Hyobu died in battle. According to his last words, he hoped to stay in China and let his body turn into a handful of dust.
The old drunkard handed the matter over to Fang Yan to handle, and sent his shroud, coffin, and tomb to Qianye Military Department.
Yes, making shrouds, building coffins and reserving tombs for the living is also an ancient tradition of Yanziwu.
Moreover, only the most respected people in the family can have such preferential treatment and honor. After death, these people can be buried in the ancestral mountain, and their spirit tablets can be placed in the family ancestral hall.
Now, the old drunkard gave this honor to Chiba Bingbu.
Of course, it is impossible to place Qianye Bingbu's spirit tablet in the Fang family ancestral hall. Everyone is worried that Qianye Bingbu will fight with the ancestors of the Fang family after entering.
After all, everyone's living habits and ways of thinking are still very different.
Fang Yan carried out the funeral for Qianye Bingbu according to the etiquette of a disciple, and hung white banners on the tallest camphor tree in the Fang family yard.
Fang Huwei personally wrote a couplet and asked Fang Yingxiong to hang it at the door: Chiba Bingbu, a distinguished guest from a foreign land, and the Oriental Sword God, a hero of heaven and earth.
Fang Yixing led Fang Hao, Zhao Chengxin and others to slaughter pigs and sheep in preparation for a banquet for the guests.
If the old drunkard wanted a grand funeral, the Fang family would naturally give him one.
A banquet is essential for a lavish funeral. During weddings and funerals, the villagers need to be invited to a good meal. The more sumptuous and lively the banquet, the more it can be called a lavish funeral. This is no different from the outside world.
At the door of the hut, the gentleman held a large tea bowl and looked towards where the Fang family was, and asked, "Is there any funeral in the Fang family?"
"The Eastern Sword God Qianye Bingbu came to Yanziwu to challenge Mo Qinglong and died in battle. After his death, he left a will hoping to be buried in China and become a handful of dust in the earth. The Fang family is preparing for his funeral." Bai Xiu, who was standing behind him, replied softly.
"How much power will be restored if you underestimate the enemy?" asked the gentleman.
“Less than 50%.”
"How powerful is Qianye Bingbu?"
"Twenty years ago, the two were evenly matched. After twenty years of sword training, Qianye Bingbu's swordsmanship has become more advanced, and his swordsmanship has become one. He has almost no rivals in the East. Those who have seen the battle with Fang Yan at Yijian Peak said that he is a very terrifying opponent. If Fang Yan hadn't broken through his Tai Chi Heart on the spot, it would have been difficult for him to win this match."
"Then how did Mo Qingdi, who had less than 50% of his strength, defeat Qianye Bingbu who was at his peak?"
"He came here to seek death." Bai Xiu said with a sigh.
"The Fang family values kinship and righteousness, and this is a beautiful thing to do." The gentleman pondered for a long time and said, "Hang up my white banner."
"Sir-----" Bai Xiu stopped them. The gentlemen hung up the white banner, and Qianye Bingbu's death became a big event for the whole Yanziwu.
"Hang up." The gentleman waved his hand and said firmly.
"Sir, you've hung up the white banner-----" Fang Yingxiong ran to Fang Yan, panting, and said.
"The Ye family hung a white banner-----" Fang Haohan moved in front of Fang Yan and said in a low voice.
"The Li family hung a white banner-----"
"The Ruan family hung a white banner------"
------
The entire Yanziwu was hung with white banners.
The Fang family hung a white banner because of the deep connection between the old drunkard and Qianye Bingbu, and also because of the experience of Fang Yan and Qianye Bingbu being both enemies and friends.
The reason why Mr. Xu hung the white banner was because he deduced the truth from some unusual information. Heroes appreciate heroes, so how could Mr. Xu's action not be heroic
The other Yanziwu villagers hung white banners because they began to pay attention to this matter, understand it, and then respect and admire this foreign visitor from the bottom of their hearts.
Perhaps when they meet on the battlefield, they will fight to the death, but this does not affect their good feelings towards their opponents.
Because they are all the same kind of people.
If they were not the same kind of people, how could they meet in such a dangerous and harsh place? If they were not the same kind of people, how could they sacrifice their lives for a goal that seemed empty and meaningless
Like millions of other people, they can live in a prosperous city, find a comfortable job, marry a beautiful wife, and have a few lovely children. With their abilities, they can live a more comfortable and secure life.
But why did they meet on the battlefield
The news of Chiba Haowu's father's death in battle reached Huacheng, and Huacheng passed the news of Chiba Hyobu's death in battle to Iga Ittoryu. Iga Ittoryu spread the news of Chiba Hyobu's death in battle to the entire East Asia and the more distant world of warriors.
Iga Ittoryu Dojo.
A long-bearded man with a black silk scarf tied around his head remained silent. The rows of young warriors sitting opposite him looked at the middle-aged man with stern expressions.
"Everyone, our Iga Ittoryu king, our Oriental sword god, Mr. Chiba Hyobu challenged Qinglong, one of the Three Dragons of China, and unfortunately died in battle." The black-bearded man said hoarsely. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands were clenched tightly.
boom----
The whole audience was in an uproar.
"Mr. Qianye Bingbu, did he really -- did the Saint die?"
"Impossible, how could our Sword God be defeated by their Azure Dragon? He is invincible, this is impossible-----"
"Kill my Sword God. We will fight him to the death----"
------
"Although I don't want to believe it, this is the truth I know. This is a shame, a shame for our Iga Ittoryu, and a shame for all Japanese warriors." The man guided the young warriors' emotions just right. "Blood debts must be paid with blood. Please practice your sword skills, so that one day our blood will flow for the Azure Dragon."
"Bloodbath of Azure Dragon."
"Bloodbath of Azure Dragon."
"Bloodbath of Azure Dragon."
------
------
Saga Ittoryu.
In the vast dojo, an old man in white clothes told this fact with an indignant look.
"Although Chiba Hyoubu is from the Iga-ryu, which is in competition with us, we are all one family. We are all one family. If we share one's glory and one's shame, we are all one family. If the Azure Dragon of China killed our Eastern warriors, I would be unworthy of being a human being if I don't avenge him. Everyone, please be careful and dedicated. In the future, we will challenge the Azure Dragon and avenge Chiba Hyoubu."
"revenge."
"revenge."
"revenge."
The black-robed swordsmen waved their scimitars and shouted at the top of their lungs.
At the foot of Mount Yaqi, there is the Koga-ryu Ninja Village.
In a simple hut, two men sat opposite each other.
One was a bald middle-aged man wearing black, with several scars on his face and looking a bit fierce. The other was a thin old man. His age was hard to tell, but he was really too old. His skin was so loose that it was about to fall off, his teeth had all fallen out, and even his eyes could hardly be opened.
"Chiba Hyobu died in battle, this is the death of our Eastern warriors." The bald man said viciously. "Chiba Hyobu has always been the totem of our Eastern warriors and the hero in our hearts. Now he has also died in the hands of the Chinese Azure Dragon. Our Ninja Clan cannot turn a blind eye. I will go to China to challenge the Three Dragons and Seven Tigers. If I win, it will prove that our Eastern warriors are not vulnerable. If I lose, let me die on the battlefield."
The old man opened his eyes with difficulty. His sagging eyelids almost covered most of his pupils.
He looked carefully at the bald man in front of him and said, "Mr. Guangze, it's great that you can make such a choice. You are worthy of being the pride of the Koga Ninjas. As a Jonin-nin, you need to stand up in times of crisis like this."
"Go, go and see their three dragons and seven tigers. I look forward to your return. At that time, I will personally crown you the Ninja King. Even if you die in battle, isn't it also a kind of honor? Chiba Hyobu has walked a path that no one has walked before. He made a choice that we don't have the courage to make. He is a hero, the soul of our nation. So are you."
The bald man knelt on the ground, kowtowed three times, then turned and left without saying a word.
Bang----
The door of the room closed and the oil lamp in the room went out in an instant.
"Do you know? Our Oriental Sword God died in China-----Oh my God, I really can't accept it."
"The Three Dragons and Seven Tigers of China, each of them is a master picked out of ten thousand----Qinglong Mo Xiaodi broke into the East with one sword twenty years ago, and fought dozens of masters in the East until he ran into Qianye Bingbu who was equally young and talented. Only then did he stop his conquest----If it weren't for Qianye Bingbu, if it weren't for our East Sword God, our entire East Warriors would have been trampled under his feet----"
"Swordsmen from the East, do you have the courage? Do you still have the passion? If you are not a bunch of cowards, then go and seek justice for our Sword God-----"
"Kill Qinglong, and clear your hatred----"
------
Chiba Hyobu's death in battle aroused indignation and hatred among the entire Eastern martial arts community.
One after another, the dojos and schools stood up. They hung the portrait of Chiba Hyobu at the entrance of the dojo and swore a solemn oath to avenge the Sword God.
Chiba Bingbu was thus deified!
After the Sword God, there will be no more Sword God!
(PS: I was dragged to Beijing to attend the founding conference of Baidu Literature. After the dinner, I hurried back to write a chapter. The update is late and the update is too little, please feel free to slap my face. Anyway, it is already very swollen. Also, thank you to Xingye Xie for the reward again and again!) (To be continued)