Sealing Sword

That night, Chu Xiwei finally returned to Dongming Valley wearing the stars and wearing the moon.

When he went, he brought a group of people with him, but when he came back, he only accompanied half of them. He left the rest of the people to Qin Lanshang, and followed Lu Mingyuan to Sanmai Academy.

It is said that "children can't help their mothers". Although this sentence is not appropriate for Qin Lanshang, it is inevitable that children will give birth to their own thoughts when they grow up.Chu Xiwei was like this back then, and so was Qin Lanshang.

After drinking in Zuichunlou that night, Chu Xiwei took Lu Mingyuan and others to leave Tianjing City, not planning to stay there any longer.Originally thinking that sending someone to send Lu Mingyuan back to the Sanmai Academy to deal with the funeral of the Southern Confucianism and to assist the academy teacher in rectifying the internal affairs was the utmost benevolence, but he didn't expect that girl to volunteer to intervene.

Chu Xiwei was not in a hurry to reprimand her this time, but just asked a few words: "Why are you going? What can you do if you go?"

At that time, it was by the moat, under the shade of green poplars, the east was just showing its white belly, and the sky was still dim. He couldn't see the girl's drooping eyebrows, but he could hear her voice: "There is no reason, I think I should go Then you should go and never give yourself a chance to regret it.

"I don't know much, and I can do very little, but I can't let others do it for me."

Chu Xiwei was silent for a moment, and then said: "There are secret stakes of the imperial court and factions in the Sanmai Academy, and they are intriguing. If you go this time, my foster father and I may not be able to protect you."

"I always have to learn to protect myself and others." Qin Lanshang thought for a while, took his hand and put it in her petite palm, and said softly, "Uncle Ye said, 'Children will grow up, adults will grow old' "Uncle, I think he's right."

Maybe they will still be so strong when they are all old, but children can't always hide behind adults.

The towering trees will always wither, and the mountains and rivers will be cut off.

What's more, people who are born, old, sick, and dead, whose fortunes and misfortunes are unpredictable?

Chu Xiwei raised her other hand, paused for a moment in mid-air, and finally landed on her head, rubbing it lightly.

"I'll keep you 'Inspirited Flute' and a team of 'Ghost Shadows' so I can take care of myself." After a pause, his eyes fell on Lu Mingyuan again, his inner strength gathered into a line, cold and cold, "If something happens to her, And if you are safe and sound, I will give you ten times more."

Lu Mingyuan still folded his fan and half-covered it. Hearing this, he rolled his eyes with a smile, but nodded solemnly.

This is a farewell, each going his own way, and the good and the bad are independent.

This journey is full of dangers, and it is not easy to come back.By the time Chu Xiwei returned to the Nether Valley, it was already past midnight.

He led his subordinates past the sentry post without disturbing the extra people, and sent them back to rest after issuing simple orders, while he himself went back to Liufengju despite the dust all the way.

However, besides the sweeping servants and guards, there is one more person in Liufeng Residence.

Shen Wuduan was sitting under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree in unlined clothes, idly tapping chess pieces with one hand, and shaking the small silver jug ​​filled with wine with the other, his face was slightly drunk, but his eyes were still clear.

Seeing him enter the courtyard gate, Shen Wuduan waved his servants away, then raised his chin towards the empty seat in front of him, and said: "Since I received your flying letter, I have started to calculate the schedule, and I am back tonight. Sit down and have a drink first. "

Chu Xiwei caught the small silver jug ​​thrown towards the front door, and raised her head to take a sip of the wine. This time, the wine tasted bitter in the mouth, but after passing through her throat, it returned to sweetness, and the taste of a fusion of bitterness and sweetness filled her mouth.

He raised his eyebrows: "What kind of wine is this?"

"The 'Ten-Year Lamp' of Jialan City." Shen Wudu played with Baizi between his fingers, "You must have a lot of emotions when you go north to Tianjing. I wonder if this pot of wine can comfort you?"

A glass of wine in the spring breeze of peaches and plums, ten years of night rain in the rivers and lakes. (Note)

In the past, the spring breeze proudly saw peaches and plums, but now I am wandering in the rivers and lakes, listening to the wind and rain with a lantern for ten years.

When I revisited the old place, everything changed, and I really felt a lot of emotion.

Chu Xiwei closed her eyes, took another sip, sat down opposite him, and said, "That's enough."

He said these three words lightly, and when he returned home, his gloom seemed to be diluted with the drink, and disappeared in the cool night wind while exhaling.

Shen Wuduan and him looked at each other, took the jug, skipped the topic tacitly, and smiled slightly: "Let's have a game."

He was older and held the white pieces, while Chu Xiwei took the black and went first. The two people's chess moves are in the same line, and they both took a strange and strange path. Settle down the magic point and kill the dragon.

Shen Wuduan looked at it carefully for a long while, then gave in with a long laugh and said, "You won."

"Assignment."

"No, no, no, you and I will go all out in this round. You win because of your own ability. If I lose, I am no longer as good as you. What is there to say?" Shen Wudu raised his eyes and looked at him, "Xiwei, you His chess skills were taught by me, from the very beginning I completely imitated my style, now I have my own plan, and from the beginning I lose more and win less, now I am better than me... You know, this is what reason?"

Chu Xiwei said: "Ten years is not a long time."

"Ha, there are countless people who waste their time in this world. Ten years can change life and death, and can also make people completely different from the inside out." Shen Wuduan pointed one hand at his heart, shaking his head, "Xi Wei, You've had a change of heart... well, very well."

Chu Xiwei remained silent.

"Over the years, I have watched you grow up, from a wolf cub who chooses and devours you to what you are today. You look like a dog and you can live in it, but I haven't really delegated power to you for a long time, you know why?"

Chu Xiwei said, "Because I'm not qualified enough."

"Indeed." Shen Wudu tapped the chessboard with his fingers, "You are extremely talented, both in martial arts and knowledge, you have advanced very quickly, what is even more rare is your perseverance, you are not afraid of hardships or death, you have vision and ambition... Unfortunately, You are too cruel."

Chu Xiwei didn't say a word, and listened to Shen Wuduan: "You have a fierce style, ruthless means, and a clear distinction between people and the world, and you rarely leave room for others, so you cut off many retreats for yourself, and forced yourself into a corner. A seemingly high position is actually on the cusp.”

After a pause, he smiled again: "And you are still very stubborn, and you will never repent."

Chu Xiwei couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips.

His eyebrows are from his mother's, and his facial features have been exquisite since he was a child. After he opened his eyebrows, his eyebrows and almond eyes were even thinner. If his eyebrows were not like swords, his eyes were like knives, and he was often unsmiling.

But now he hooked his lips that were pursed into a crescent moon, and the evil spirit in his eyes was gone, reflecting the emptiness of the night, and a slight smile flowed from his brows and eyes, which softened the perennially cold expression, but he did not show any femininity at all. A bit more calm and breezy.

It seemed that at this moment, he faded away the remaining youthfulness, and really began to grow into a calm and mature man.

Chu Xi smiled and asked, "Then am I qualified now?"

Shen Wuduan said: "It depends on your current ability... Tianjing and his party have gained a lot, right?"

Chu Xiwei was very clear about the hidden meaning in his words. After all, although he was the head of the sect, he still had a shallow foundation. The real power of the Hundred Ghosts Sect was still mostly in the hands of Shen Wuduan. reasonable.

Not angry or angry, Chu Xiwei told the story of her meeting with Chu Ziyu frankly, including her own background and Chu Ziyu's plan, without any reservations.

As for his identity, Chu Ziyu did not say anything when he made a deal with Shen Wuduan, and Chu Xiwei never mentioned it for so many years. Feeling surprised, only a kind of "it should be so" clear.

However, after hearing Chu Xiwei's words, Shen Wudu was silent for a long while, and asked: "Since the emperor Gaozu, it is true that 'Xiamen use martial arts to violate the law, and Confucianism uses literature to disrupt the law' has indeed become very pernicious, which has led to the fact that there are now bright and dark currents in the world. Not to mention, Ruan Feiyu has good sense and planned all these back roads... But, what do you think of this matter?"

Chu Xiwei said: "It's said that 'people don't fight with officials', not to mention the emperor's order, so of course no one dares to disobey."

Shen Wuduan's face darkened: "So you have to use the Hundred Ghosts Gate to be his puppet!"

Although he is old, the treasured sword is still powerful, now his smile has faded, his face is downcast, and he no longer looks like that old urchin, his brows and eyes have a cold murderous intent, just like the king of hell with a pen to hook his life.

Under such heavy pressure, Chu Xiwei remained motionless as a mountain, and just smiled lightly.

"Swords and swords are to people, just like people are to superiors. They are tools for chasing fame and fortune." Chu Xiwei poured herself a glass of wine, "However, a sharp weapon has double edges, and it hurts others even more. Don't care about blood, but a wise man will have thousands of worries when he comes out of the sheath."

After a pause, he smiled at Shen Wudu: "Although the string puppet is manipulated by human hands, the clues are vertical and horizontal, and it also restrains people."

Shen Wudu squinted his eyes, but the pretended seriousness receded from his face like a tide, his body relaxed, and he looked lazy and boneless again.

"Sure enough, he has grown up and has a lot of thoughts." Shen Wuduan raised his eyebrows, "Let's talk about it and listen."

"Born with yin and yang, the world has turbidity. Although good and evil cannot be tolerated, they are inseparable from each other." Chu Xiwei frowned slightly, and inadvertently let out a line of sighs, "Since the founding of the Great Chu, He values ​​the power of martial arts quite a lot, from the support and solicitation in the time of Gao Zu, to the fear and suppression in the time of the late emperor, Chu Ziyu now intends to use the appearance of delegating power as an appearance, and the reality of control."

Shen Wuduan said: "It is better to block than sparse, and to kill is better to control; retreating behind the scenes, turning light into darkness... It seems to have severed the connection with the Jianghu, but actually nailed the wedge at a crucial place, easy to calculate. Presumably he It is not a matter of a day or two to stare at the Hundred Ghost Gate."

To master a chess piece, you must first ensure that the chess piece is not on any side, and there are not many powerful and neutral sects in the Jianghu, and the Hundred Ghosts Sect is second to none.

Thinking of this, he raised his eyes to look at Chu Xiwei, with unclear meaning: "Back then when I took you over, I was really asking for trouble."

Chu Xiwei was not annoyed, she just sorted out the chess pieces in a slow manner, and said, "However, foster father should be happy that I have this trouble."

"Your personality, once you leave the past behind, you will never go back, and he will never allow you to return to the court with all your claws and claws. In this case, you are still my adopted son who has been raised for ten years, and you are still a member of the Hundred Ghosts Sect. Of course I’m happy about this.” Shen Wuduan stretched out his hand to help him pick up the chess pieces, and the corner of his mouth twitched, “You are young and energetic, and you have the ambition to reach the sky. There is nothing wrong with wanting to strike the sky with an eagle. Naturally, it's not for the sake of being a dead ghost who can't see the light for life... But whether it's in the rivers and lakes or in the temple, you need to guard against the end of the bird, so you have to remember how you won this game today."

Chu Xiwei twitched her eyelashes, and her words were ironic: "Of course...you can see each other for a long time by keeping a line in the world."

Shen Wudu clapped his palms and laughed loudly: "Okay, children can be taught!"

After placing the chess pieces, Shen Wuduan stood up, hooked Chu Xiwei, and said, "I'm in a good mood today, come and practice with me, loosen your muscles and bones."

Chu Xiwei had wanted to have a serious fight with Shen Wuduan for a long time, but apart from teaching him when he was young, since four years ago, Shen Wuduan had mostly let him go in actual combat, and rarely taught him personally.

Now Chu Xiwei is stuck at the peak of the sixth level of "Branched Roads", and Shen Wuduan has reached the stage of transformation. He desperately wants to have a fight with Shen Wuduan, so that he can touch his key point.

Hearing this, Chu Xiwei had a rare flash of fighting intent in his eyes, and stood up and said, "Then, I will ask my adoptive father for advice."

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Note: From Huang Tingjian's "Send Huang Jifu", the original intention is that the poet recalls the joy of gathering and feasting in the past, and further expresses the deep thoughts of the ten years of separation.