Heaven's Formula

Chapter 219 The Two Fang Family

"Crush the ice into fine ice crystals to eat...it's also a way to improve the taste." The old man scooped a spoonful of shaved ice and put it in his mouth, "But it's ice after all. It's so luxuriously packaged, it's impossible to change the taste of the ice." the essence of—"

When he wrapped the spoon in one bite, the rich taste immediately melted on his tongue!Needless to say, the mellow sweetness, a clear fresh salty taste like a whirlwind destroyed the sweltering heat in the tree house, and he seemed to hear the sound of waves beating against the rocks in an instant.

Fang Jiuzhang felt his beard tremble!

There is no doubt that the golden liquid is honey.

For this dense forest, honey is an occasional dessert. Considering that there are nearly [-] people in the Fang family, it is obviously more cost-effective to use it in pastries.Such a luxurious way of eating a mouthful of ice with a mouthful of honey is rare even for the head of the Fang family.

But if it's just honey, it obviously can't achieve this effect.

That delicate saltiness is the key!

The green powder exudes a faint tea fragrance, which just neutralizes the boundary between salty and sweet.

"What's in that white bottle?" Fang Jiuzhang asked curiously.

"It is written on the paper—it is said to be the essence of salt accumulated in 2000, commonly known as Jinxia refined salt, and it is also a specialty of their place." Fang Yanni replied.

"This thing must be very expensive. Fang Xiandao, that kid... has a heart." The old man showed a gratified expression, "What about the green one?"

"It is a powder made by drying and grinding selected tender green tea leaves, and the tea leaves come from royal palace tributes."

Fang Jiuzhang suddenly felt that compared to the origin of these things, the crystal bottle and the box filled with fluff were not so excessive.

Rather, from the design to the packaging, this gift embodies the heart and luxury.

Soon, a bowl of shaved ice was eaten up.

The old man who was still thinking about it decided to ask the eldest disciple to make another one - anyway, Yuniang didn't know how much the gift was at the beginning, so it didn't matter if he ate a little more.

Fang Yanni naturally agreed.

While scraping the ice with a scraper, she asked, "Grandpa, you just said... what does it mean that the owners of the living dead have evil intentions? Why would they prefer to die?"

"Hey, this is what happened in the previous generation. It's normal if you don't know about it." Fang Jiuzhang was silent for a while, and finally said, "Forget it, you are the chief disciple, and you will take over the position of the head of the family sooner or later, so I will tell you gone."

"Master, I—"

"You don't need to shirk, this is the mission of the left-behind disciples." He stretched out his hand to interrupt the other party, "You should know what the function of the token on the head of the living dead is, right?"

The eldest disciple lowered his head, "Maintain the mind and strengthen the memory. If it is damaged or pulled out, the living dead will lose most of their memories."

"That's right." Fang Jiuzhang said, "And one of the characteristics of the undead, or the reason why they are called the undead, is that they recover quickly without consciousness. As long as they don't die on the spot, after a month or two Basically, it can be recovered to seven or eighty-eight."

"In the past, when the living dead were seriously injured and dying in battle, one way to save their lives was to destroy the tokens and make them fall into a deep sleep."

"The disciple knows this method."

"Well, after all, this is the only way to save your life when you encounter an unavoidable danger." Fang Jiuzhang sighed, "But some people deliberately take advantage of this feature and treat the living dead as objects to satisfy their selfish desires. They use torture, Making pain for pleasure, pulling out the magic talisman when the living dead can't bear it and is about to die, repeating itself."

Fang Yanni couldn't help but widen her eyes, "How could it be..."

Although these people are called the living dead, they are loyal and reliable combat partners in her eyes. They are no different from ordinary people on weekdays. They also need to eat and drink, and know how to be happy and angry.How could the Fang family treat their partner as such a tool for fun?

"It's not an alchemist." Fang Jiuzhang said bluntly, "It was the people outside the mountains who did this kind of thing...it was the Fang family's own family."

Fang Yanni shivered and almost dropped the spatula in her hand.

"They...why..."

"Why did you do that? No one knows the reason, or even how long this kind of life has lasted. After all, as the main family, in the past few decades, there have been many living dead. They brought the wounded ones back to Shuquan Mansion. Since then, the head of the family has said on the surface that he wants to raise the threshold for lending, but in fact he has never given away a living dead." The old man shrugged, "So no matter what is in those books, It is impossible for Yuniang and I to agree to the other party's request."

"There is such a thing." Fang Yanni suddenly thought of something, "Could it be that the goat milk was delivered so late this time, and it has something to do with it?"

"That's not true, the living dead is just one of the countless conflicts between the Fang family outside the mountain and the Fang family of Shufa." Fang Jiuzhang waved his hand, "Hey, why are you talking about such a heavy thing, the days will be long in the future, It’s not too late for you to understand. Is the new shaved ice ready? I’ll eat it quickly so that Yu Niang won’t notice the quantity problem—”

"Huh? Can't notice anything?"

With the familiar voice below the tree house, it was Fang Jiuzhang's turn to tremble this time.

Fang Yu, another patriarch of the Fang family, the old lady that all the disciples called, climbed up the tree house nimbly.

Fang Jiuzhang immediately changed his words, "Oh, you came just in time! That boy Fang Xiandao sent us a gift, and I'm trying it! Guessing you'll be back soon, I prepared a bowl for you in advance!"

"Guess it?" Fang Yu sneered, "Did you forget that you don't know anything about hexagrams, and what you are proficient in is Duishu instead of Kanshu?"

"This...can't I just guess intuitively?"

"Intuition works, so what do you need to do?" Fang Yu didn't bother to argue with him, "But your reaction like this shows that you haven't caused any actual damage to me. Put the food aside, where is Fang Xiandao's letter?"

"Old lady, here is his letter." Fang Yanni quickly handed over the letter.

"Hmm..." Fang Yu sat down on the spot and began to flip through the letter - she read the letter very fast, and reached the end in less than ten minutes, "Yes, it seems that he is doing well in Jinxia City."

"That's right, I can afford such an extravagant gift. I'm afraid my pockets are a lot bigger than when I went out." Fang Jiuzhang agreed, "As for the living dead thing he said, what do you think? That kid thinks you can do it." I can make a judgment, but in fact he doesn’t know the inside story of the past at all, I think it’s better for you to write the letter yourself and reject it—”

"Let Qianyan go." The old lady folded the letter.

"Pfft—" The old man spit out a mouthful of saliva unexpectedly, "Yu Niang, what are you talking about?"

"I said, let Qianyan pass by." Fang Yu repeated, "But the living dead need to be accompanied by alchemists, and in this case..." She looked at the eldest disciple of the Fang family, "Yan Ni, you also go to Jinxia All right."

"Me?" Fang Yanni suddenly felt her chest jumping up.

2 The Warning of Hexagrams in Chapter Twenty

"Wait, Yuniang, what do you mean?" Fang Jiuzhang said loudly, "It's not like you don't know about the living dead! Besides, that kid Fang Xiandao said that he will wait until you read the transcribed pages before making a decision. What do you want?" I agreed without looking at it, could it be that I followed the boy's way?"

He stared at the letter paper in his wife's hand, "I see, it's the script—the script is attached to this paper!"

"Grandpa, if Kanshu is not angry, there is no way to stimulate it..." Fang Yanni reminded in a low voice.

"No need to explain, he said yes, that's it." The old lady rolled her eyes and didn't want to talk to him at all.It wasn't until Fang Jiuzhang was frustrated that she closed her mouth and stopped shouting loudly, she said slowly, "Of course I know, that's why I let Qianyan pass. Since she was born, she has never interrupted her memory, and she has the ability to murder her Yes, there are probably not many in this world."

"Although that's the case, why is it necessary? The living dead are rare, and there are not even a few disciples. You don't just want to curry favor with a Jinxia City's prime minister, do you?"

"Huh?" Fang Yu narrowed his eyes.

"Cough," Fang Jiuzhang felt the murderous intent, "No, you definitely wouldn't do that."

"I... took a few hexagrams today." Granny Fang's voice suddenly became a little tired. The best in ten years."

"It's just that there are twists and turns in the road ahead. I come here every few years. There's nothing to worry about." Fang Jiuzhang said indifferently, "I guess the group of people down the mountain are thinking about some crooked ideas again? In the mountains, only With you and me sitting in town, I'm afraid they won't make waves."

"If only it was that simple." The old lady shook her head, "I saw that the turbidity spread this time was so large that it almost filled every corner of the dial, so I paid more attention and divination the other Family."

"What's the result?" Fang Jiuzhang sensed something was wrong.

"No family is normal. The feedback from the six families is extremely vague, and the hexagrams cannot even be formed."

"how come!"

"It's really weird. This can't be explained by ordinary twists and turns. It can only be said that alchemists intervened and deliberately interfered with the hexagram calculation. There are only a handful of Daqili who can do this."

The old man took a deep breath, "Could it be that you mean—"

"Well, it's probably the moment the master said."

"Uh... old lady, old lady, what are you talking about?" Fang Yanni asked with a blank face, "Why can't I understand anything?"

Fang Yu looked at her dotingly, "Do you know why other aristocratic families gather as one, but the Fang family is divided into two families?"

"Because the Fang family outside the mountain is particularly annoying, every time I see them, I feel like we owe them a lot!" the eldest disciple said without hesitation.

"Hahaha... They really think so in their hearts." The old lady grinned, "In fact, the family separation is a rule set by the ancestors of the Fang family. He assisted Emperor Taizu to ascend the throne, and returned to Lingzhou after receiving a reward. So this ancestral precept was established. To recruit disciples who sense energy, every head of the family must be a person who senses energy, and the family members who cannot awaken the ability to sense energy move to live in towns outside the mountains. Gradually , this wave of people has become the current Shufa Fang family and the Shanshita family."

"Why do this?"

"Because that big man believes that the six great families will not last forever. The decentralization of power a hundred years ago was just an act to win people's hearts. Cultivate qi sensers born in various places, so Taizu will distribute this power to the six people who have made great contributions to Conglong."

"But people who are sensitive to energy have great potential after all. The ancestors of the Fang family believed that letting the aristocratic family handle this process is a hidden danger after all. Once they get over it, this power will eventually be taken back. In order not to hurt future generations, he put Those who have the blood of the Fang family are separated, so naturally they will not be affected by this change."

The old lady showed emotion when she said this, "It has to be said that this is a once-and-for-all decision. With the blessing of the Shufa Fang family, those family members will do everything smoothly, and their influence at the foot of the mountain will also Determine the number of new entrants to the Fang family. When the crisis comes, as long as the Fang family is discarded as a burden, it will not affect the family. Even without us, relying on the foundation laid by the past few decades, the Fang family And it can last for a long, long time.”

"...Is Master so far-sighted?" Fang Yanni was stunned for a moment, "Then why does the family under the mountain still feel that we owe them?"

"Because the branch family can take care of the left and right, but neither side can be perfect. Compared with the Fei family and the Luo family, they have almost become the real power behind the state, and the state pastor is just an equal in front of them, but The family at the bottom of the mountain...is naturally inferior." Fang Yu let out a long sigh, "People's desires continue to expand with time, and family precepts will gradually fade with time. Perhaps the current head of the family no longer regards this rule Make it a thing."

"Yu Niang," the old man coughed twice, "divination is just divination, neither prophecy nor reality, what if things are not like this?"

"Do you think I'm just divination?" Fang Yu said bluntly, "I have sent inquiry letters to other aristocratic families, and I have also sent messages to Gyeonggi, entrusting those disciples who work in the Privy Council to inquire about the news. Let Qianyan Going to Jinxia City is also a kind of response, Fang Xiandao said in the letter that the Prime Minister of the Privy Council is interested in the living dead, and what this interest is, you can find out after a thousand words."

Fang Yanni suddenly had a premonition that something bad was going to happen, "If your divination result is correct, it is really the moment that the master said... What will happen to the Fang family?"

"It's nothing, at most it just disappears." Fang Yu said slowly.

"Don't—!" The eldest disciple grabbed the old lady's sleeve suddenly, "I don't want to go alone, and I don't want to leave the two of you alone!"

Fang Yu laughed out loud, "Silly boy, the fact that the Fang family is gone doesn't mean we are gone."

"Eh?" Yan Ni didn't react for a while.

"If it's really time to unite after a long time, then what the higher ups want to take back is just the power to recruit people who are sensitive. If the court wants it, we will give it to you. Without the name of the Fang family, aren't we a family?" the old lady said. Smiling and shaking his head, "It's just to see who is quicker and better prepared to deal with it. It happens that Fang Xiandao thinks Jinxia is pretty good, so let's go and have a look first. Don't forget that for fortune tellers—"

""No matter what kind of form changes you face, you can find an optimal solution." Fang Yanni chanted subconsciously.

"Correct." Fang Yu patted her on the shoulder with satisfaction, "Son, do you like that kid Fang Xiandao?"

"What... this... my... old lady..." The eldest disciple's body suddenly stiffened like a block of ice, and his snow-white cheeks quickly turned rosy, forming a stark contrast with the silver-decorated cloth hat on his head.

"Lingzhou people don't need to pay attention to being reserved. By the way, the Fang family has two patriarchs, and one male and one female are the family motto passed down by the master. According to the usual practice, it should be the turn of the Fang family in the future. You are the one to inherit, and the other person is up to you to decide—although the Fang family may disappear, this rule can still be continued!" Fang Yu encouraged, "Go to Jinxia with Qianyan, I will wait for you here good news."

Chapter 221 The new official took office

Shenzhou, the west gate of Jinxia City.

"Woo—" Hong Siqi stopped his horse and looked in the direction of the gate.Through the city gate, he could see the flow of people in the city and the lively shops on the street.

"Master, this place...seems to be more prosperous than expected." Ding Pan, the servant, said excitedly, "I thought this promotion was a secret relegation!"

"If you can think about it this way, it proves that you didn't suffer enough before and didn't let you learn this lesson." Hong Siqi disagreed, "Don't even think about it, if it's really a good seat, why should the officials throw it to me? "

"Uh, this... seems to be the same."

"Compared to prosperous places, I prefer small towns that are a bit down-and-out, at least you don't have to be worried about all the time, and it's easier to get money." He touched the horse's head, "This place, I'm afraid every corner They were all taken over by the powerful from all sides.”

"Then... what should the master do? Should I report to the government office first?"

"Report? The government has been taken over by pirates. Who should I report to? The most urgent thing is to find out who is in charge of this Yancheng." Hong Siqi clamped his horse's belly and let the mount slowly walk towards the gate of the city. Go, "Let's enter the city."

He is the new prefect transferred by the Ministry of Officials.

As a Jinshi during the Tianfeng period, Hong Siqi's official career in the first half was fairly smooth. Although he failed to stay in the palace, he was stationed in other places for 15 years, and he was promoted from the seventh-rank magistrate to the fifth-rank magistrate. This is the most proud part of his life. time.However, in the next ten years, he never got a promotion, and every time he was promoted, he was promoted and demoted, and it happened to be when he had laid a solid foundation and was about to make a fortune.This made fewer and fewer cronies who were willing to follow him, and even promoted adjutants turned their heads to work for the chief officer who replaced him. Sometimes Hong Siqi himself wondered if he was being targeted by a certain important person in the court. will be treated as such.

Until this time, it was no longer a flat transfer, but a real promotion to the prefect, but he had long since disbelieved that the officials of the Ministry of Officials made this adjustment based on his political achievements.

Ten years of standing still is enough to change a person's ambitions. When he was admitted to Jinshi, he still had a grand vision. Now he only wants to save enough money so that he can live a life of dignity and glory after he becomes an official.

As for the Hall of Supreme Harmony far away in Gyeonggi, it has become something beyond his reach.

After registering his identity and entering the city, Hong Siqi quickly discovered something different about this city—there are places under construction everywhere in the city, as if Jinxia is not an ancient city with a long history, but a new place that has just been established.

Considering the content of the letter of introduction sent along with the appointment and dismissal order, he can understand that the city was attacked by pirates and many urban areas were damaged.However, this kind of restoration is often extremely slow. People who lose their residences usually also lose their property. After they become refugees or beggars on the street, the next group of people will replace them and become the new occupants of this land.This process takes a few months at least, and a few years at most, generally depending on the total population and prosperity of the city.

But here, he was surprised to see that many houses were being built at the same time. It was obviously not a restaurant or a hotel, but a row house for people to live in.Even the shapes of these houses are very similar, as if someone behind the scenes is commanding the big construction.

"Break ground during the day, wouldn't it disturb the people?" Ding Pan wondered, "The government can use this as a reason to issue a ground-breaking license, which requires a certain amount of money to start construction, and at the same time grants a certain amount of convenience for entering and leaving the city, and it should be able to make a fortune. Master, do you think my idea is right?"

While collecting benefits, you must make the benefits worthwhile. This idea is what I have always taught him, but now... "Hmph, copying it mechanically." Hong Siqi snorted, "You can know from the style of the house. For a collective construction, it must be difficult for someone with such skill. Your method can only limit the people who build by themselves, so you don’t want to get a piece of the pie from the other party.”

"Uh...is that so?" Ding Pan stroked the back of his head, "It seems that I was thinking too simple."

More than that, Hong Si agreed.What surprised him more than the houses was the sight on the side of the road—whether it was the main road or the alley, he didn't see any beggars.As a common figure in the city, or a faction, it actually disappeared without a trace in Jinxia City.

He couldn't understand for a while, what happened before that made such people disappear.

If they were attacked by pirates, they should have increased rapidly.

Hong Siqi decided to choose a teahouse as his entry point to understand the situation.

He knew that once he announced his identity, it would be very difficult for him to have the opportunity to find out the details of Jinxia City.

Surprisingly, there were not many people in the teahouse, only two or three including Xiao Er.

After Hong Siqi ordered a pot of spring tea, he called Dr. Tea over again, patted a few copper plates and said, "Can I ask a few questions?"

The latter smiled happily after accepting the saliva fee, "Guest officer, just ask!"

"Hey, brother over there." Suddenly someone yelled at him, "Is this your first time in Jinxia City?"

Hong Siqi nodded in surprise, "Not bad."

"If you want to ask questions, you can go to the General Affairs Bureau. The answers there are all the latest government policies. You don't need to ask Dr. Cha."

Dr. Cha obviously didn't dare to offend the guest, so he could only cough twice and said, "The secretariat's answers are all business matters, and there won't be gossip and anecdotes."