Still pity the grass and trees

On the desk, a green dragon paperweight was pressing a few pages of letters full of small letters, the corners of which were shaking in the autumn wind.

Li Congning sat behind the desk, his thick black eyebrows furrowed, his hands crossed his chest, and his face was serious.

The wind chimes under the door eaves jingled, and Tan Fengxuan bent over to enter, holding a cup of tea in her hand, and gently placed it on the table.

When Li Conning saw his wife, his frown slightly relaxed, and the corners of his lips twitched.

He took tea to drink, while Tan Fengxuan picked up the Qinglong paperweight and read Zhai Yu's letter carefully from the beginning.

"What do you think?" After finishing reading, Tan Fengxuan asked her husband as she rolled up the paper in her hand.

Li Conning said: "It's not surprising, the chaos in the martial arts world is like this, it's about time."

Tan Fengxuan leaned on the armrest of the grand master's chair, feeling quite emotional: "Shaolin Wudang can hold its breath."

"They have hundreds of years of foundation and superb martial arts that are not passed on to outsiders. They are not very afraid of the Xifan Sect. If they are not touched by them, naturally there is no need to take the initiative to attack."

Tan Fengxuan scolded coldly: "This group of monks and Taoists really only care about their own practice, and don't care about the sufferings of the world."

Li Conning shook his head and smiled, lamenting that his wife still has a chivalrous heart in her old age.

"Except for Wudang Shaolin, there are only Xuandaomen, Xiongtu Escort, Zhuyue Pavilion, and the Beggars' Clan. If we want to form an alliance, the four of us must discuss it. The Beggars Clan's stalls are loose, and Fang Lang's martial arts are only They are considered second-class, they can’t control martial arts. That old fellow Zhai Yu must have understood, so he only invited me and Hua Yueying to discuss it first.”

"Hua Yueying has been quite famous in the martial arts these years, so it should not be underestimated."

Li Conning didn't think so: "It's a woman who can't bear the big responsibility."

"So," Tan Fengxuan didn't see much joy on her face, paused for a moment, and asked softly, "Isn't the leader of the alliance you, or Zhai Yu?"

"Who else? Ming Biaohua lost his hand, Hu Han was seriously injured, Ni Guanming and Master Yubai were both dead, and now the family is unknown. Prestige and martial arts are equally important, and there are disciples under their hands, except for me and Master Yubai. Zhai Yu, there is no one else."

Li Conning spoke excitedly, his eyes jumped out, he clenched his fists, and punched the desk hard as if to vent.

Tan Fengxuan looked at him in surprise, vaguely recalling her husband's high-spirited appearance back then, smiled slightly, and soon sighed again: "Do you want to be the leader?"

Li Congning said loudly: "Who doesn't want to? Now that the alliance is a foregone conclusion, since there is a once-in-a-century opportunity, why not fight for a real man! What's more, I don't want to be subordinated to others and obey Di Yu's commands!"

Tan Fengxuan is still amiable: "I think back then, when your father asked you to inherit the escort agency, you refused in every possible way and insisted on using your sword to escape. Looking at it now, if it hadn't been for decades of human affection and love under the management of black and white Wei Ming, what qualifications do you have to compete today?"

Li Congning was stunned for a moment, lost in long memories, in a trance, and sighed for a while: "Yes, the world is unpredictable, and good fortune tricks people."

Tan Fengxuan lightly rubbed her husband's shoulder: "Since you have made up your mind, I will only support you. If you want to fight for the position of leader, you must win over Zhu Yuege. They are in Jingzhou, hundreds of miles away from here, and they haven't moved much in these years , it's really your fault."

Li Congning argued: "It's not all due to me. Hua Yueying only came to power six years ago, and it took a year or two to clear up the door and get a firm foothold. When the old pavilion master was here, he didn't like to associate with fellow martial artists."

Tan Fengxuan nodded and gave advice to her husband: "This time Zhai Yu's banquet, Master Hua will definitely delay in Xiangyang. If not, let's invite her to stay in the mansion and take this opportunity to bond. I heard that Xiao Ji and her recognized brother and sister , but one or two can be used.”

The couple discussed for a while, and the maid came to invite Tan Fengxuan, saying that the young master was playing on a swing in the garden and asked his mother to play together.With a kind smile in the corner of Tan Fengxuan's eyes, she hurriedly straightened her dress and was about to leave.As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he suddenly remembered something again, turned his head and said to Li Congning, "Second Brother Li, I have something to ask you."

Li Conning raised his eyebrows resentfully: "Feng Xuan, do you still have such a relationship with me?"

Tan Fengxuan didn't answer, and there was a touch of sadness in her beautiful eyes: "Whether you can become the leader or not, I think the first thing after forming an alliance is to encircle and suppress the Xifan Sect and... Let's kill the demons."

Li Conning didn't say a word, it was a tacit agreement.

"When killing demons, Brother Ji... can you stop torturing him and give him a good time. I always feel that even though he has fallen into a demon, he must have some difficulties."

Li Conning and her looked at each other for a moment, and replied: "Okay."

Li Chengyi was the only one playing on the swing in the garden, but there were quite a few people watching.The servant girls stood in a row by the corner door, and Li Chengyi's personal servant stood behind the swing frame, pushing the swing up high.

The young master's carefree laughter echoed in the desolate house, somewhat sweeping away some of the haze in everyone's hearts.

When they fell from the sky with cheers again, Li Cheng also turned his face and asked enthusiastically, "Master, Master's Wife, do you want to fight?"

This kid is too shrewd, Xie Wufeng just called his apprentice casually, and he would spread around that he is the direct disciple of Wuchanggu. If it wasn't for his sweet talk and winking, and calling Ji Tanyin "teacher's wife" to make Xie Wufeng feel good, otherwise he would have been beaten up.

"Cheng Yi," Ji Tanyin glanced at the stunned expressions of the servants on the opposite side, his face turned red and then turned pale, "I told you not to bark."

Xie Wufeng snickered beside him, Ji Tanyin annoyed him, took two steps to the left, and hid under the shade of a tree.

Xie Wufeng followed and asked, "Aren't you going to play on a swing?"

Ji Tanyin curled her lips: "It's only for children."

Xie Wufeng pinched the tip of his nose: "Aren't you just a child?"

"I'm not, I'm an adult." Ji Tanyin raised his head and wanted to refute a few words, but suddenly saw the blue stubble on Xie Wufeng's lips, his Adam's apple rolled twice, and swallowed back.

He is eight years older than Cheng Yi, so he feels that Cheng Yi is a child, but Xie Wufeng is eleven years older than him, and in the eyes of the other party, he may also regard himself as a funny thing.

Xie Wufeng seemed to guess what he was thinking, and asked softly: "Don't you like me treating you like a child?"

Ji Tanyin said in a rough voice, "Of course not."

"But I hope you will always be like Li Chengyi, happy." Xie Wufeng stared at him with warm eyes, pressed the corner of Ji Tanyin's mouth with his right thumb, and raised it upwards, "I have been laughing less and less recently."

Ji Tanyin grinned comically, but remained motionless above the nose, staring at Xie Wufeng seriously: "Don't you always say I'm stupid? I won't be stupid when I grow up."

Xie Wufeng chuckled: "Stupidity has nothing to do with growing up."

He relaxed his strength, and gently scratched Ji Tanyin's cheek with his thumb, thoughtfully.Ji Tanyin lowered his eyes nervously, wondering if Xie Wufeng wanted to kiss him, they had indeed not been in close contact for a few days.

"Ayin?"

Ji Tanyin raised his brows and gave a bewildered "hmm".

Xie Wufeng withdrew his hand and blinked at him: "Come to sleep in my room tonight."

Ji Tanyin didn't say anything, she turned her face and continued to watch Li Chengyi play on the swing.

Li Chengyi kept yelling all the time, seeing Tan Fengxuan approaching, he quickly waved: "Mom, push me!"

Tan Fengxuan smiled and said, "Here we come, where's your elder brother?"

Li Cheng also complained: "He went to find sister Meiren again!"

There was an immediate burst of good-natured titters among the servants.

Tan Fengxuan played with her son for a while, took out a handkerchief to wipe off the sweat, walked to Xie Wufeng and Ji Tanyin to rest, and asked with a smile: "Xiao Ji, won't you play two laps?"

Ji Tanyin shook her head, thinking sullenly, why do they all think I should go!Displeased in his heart, his tone was a little cold: "I'm only playing on the swing on Wenling Peak, and that's what Master made for me."

Tan Fengxuan's face was a little stiff, and she said "um" in embarrassment, and smiled.Ji Tanyin couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. Thinking of the rumors she heard today, she asked, "Auntie, I heard that Xuandaomen invited Uncle Li and the Master of Flower Pavilion to a banquet. Is it true?"

It wasn't long before Tan Fengxuan knew that this matter was being concealed, so she admitted it after a little hesitation.

Xuandaomen's invitation was a private banquet, and there was no fanfare. After all, although the Xiyan Mountain Villa and Hengshan School had suffered heavy losses, they still had a place in the world. It would be unreasonable to exclude them from the discussion of the alliance.Therefore, Zhai Yu planned to discuss the key issues in advance—especially the ownership of the leader, and then spread the hero posters to hold a martial arts conference. At that time, with the support of Zhu Yuege and Xiongtu Escort, other sects would be able to move forward smoothly.

This time, he had a lot of wishful thinking, but he didn't know that Li Conning also had the ambition to dominate the world.

Ji Tanyin didn't care about the changing situation, he only cared about the safety of one person, clenched his fists, and asked hesitantly, "Then...are you going to deal with 'Night Demon'?"

Because the devil always wears dark clothes and kills people at night, people in the martial arts world both hate and fear him, calling him "Night Demon".

Tan Fengxuan couldn't bear to look at him, avoiding the young man's aggressive eyes, "Inevitable."

Ji Tanyin's lips trembled, he took a breath, and asked, "Is there any plan? Didn't it mean that he is elusive and his whereabouts are a mystery?"

"There will always be a way." Tan Fengxuan didn't want to talk any more, and hurried to the swing frame, and said loudly: "Cheng Yi, look at the sweat on your head, come here and wipe it off!"

Looking at the scene where the mother and son were in harmony, Ji Tanyin's childhood memories suddenly flooded into his heart. At that time, he was also sitting on the swing frame, swinging too high, and fell from mid-air without holding on to the rope. His little face turned pale with fright. She screamed and screamed with her eyes closed, thinking her ass would bloom, but instead she fell into a firm embrace.Ji Heng hugged him in a circle, and joked with a smile: "Tan'er is such a coward!"

At that time, Ji Tanyin's wife had not passed away, and she often took care of vegetables and fruits in the vegetable field beside her. When she heard the laughter, she turned her head, holding a handful of vegetables in her hand, with a smile on her face and tender feelings.

Now the teacher's wife has long since returned to the land, and the teacher has disappeared, leaving him alone, powerless and helpless.

"Let's go, we motherless people, we can't understand their mother-child love." Xie Wufeng mocked without pain, and pushed Ji Tanyin to the corner gate of the garden.

The path paved with cobblestones was very narrow, and the two walked side by side, their bodies were unavoidably close to each other, rubbing against each other for a little heat.Ji Tanyin quietly glanced at Xie Wufeng, thinking of the "you and me" he said, feeling a little unsteady comfort.

At noon the next day, a soft sedan chair was carried into Xiangyang City.The bearers were four young men, wearing uniform dark blue clothes with a blood-red crescent moon embroidered on their chests.A beautiful woman was accompanying her, and the group of people was silent and unafraid, all of them were masters of martial arts.

"Pavilion Master, where do you stay?" The accompanying woman approached the small window of the sedan chair and whispered, "Both Xiongtu Escort Bureau and Xuandaomen have handed over posts."

While still pondering inside, the woman suddenly let out a low cry, with a bit of contempt in her laughter: "Hey, Li Conning is here to pick up the avatar."

"Really," the person inside said calmly, "Since Escort Li has come in person, we naturally can't take away his kindness."