Still pity the grass and trees

The next day, Li Conning took his wife and eldest son with Zhu Yuege to the Xuandaomen banquet.

Xuandao Gate is located in the south of Xiangyang City. A wall several meters high encloses more than [-] acres of land. It is adjacent to Baitao River in the east and Xuesong Mountain in the west.This day the sect was very lively, with disciples coming and going, but it was orderly and not chaotic at all.Several of Zhai Yu's high-ranking apprentices stood outside the door, all wearing blue cloth bunts, their eyes were bright and restrained, and their heroic spirit was bursting out.The eldest apprentice took the lead, and performed posthumous etiquette to Li Congning and his party, with a calm posture, neither humble nor overbearing.

After entering the door, there is a spacious training ground first, where the newly recruited disciples are practicing basic sword skills.When meeting the guests, they all stood up and said hello.Li Congning commented lukewarmly: "The rules are taught well."

Li Chengyang fell behind, walking side by side with Hua Yueying's maid, Ming Yan, occasionally looking at each other and smiling awkwardly.The night before, his father told him that this girl was good at martial arts, and she might be the only one in Zhuyue Pavilion, so he told him to make friends with his heart and ask Hua Yueying's true thoughts.Li Chengyang has always disliked intrigues. Unexpectedly, his father suddenly became ambitious in his old age and wanted to be the leader of the alliance. He had no choice but to help him with all his strength.Just as he didn't know how to start a conversation, Ming Yan said, "Mr. Li, why do you always look at me?"

Li Chengyang stammered: "I, I, I didn't..."

"I heard that you already have a crush, but you still look at other women? It's really half-hearted!" Ming Yan was born with a beautiful face, and she also knew her own charm. After staying in an environment surrounded by stars for a long time, it was inevitable that she would be frivolous and arrogant.

Li Chengyang didn't like her tone of voice, so he pretended not to hear her, and turned his head to look at the house in the distance.I saw a familiar figure flashing across the verdant forest. "Ah!" He let out a low cry, and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Ming Yan asked: "What's wrong?"

Li Chengyang blinked, staring blankly into the distance without saying a word.There is a circle of pines and cypresses planted on the outer wall adjacent to the Xuandao Gate. The sunlight penetrates the branches and leaves, reflecting the dancing dust.However, that graceful figure had disappeared, just like the scene in his dream every night.

"Chengyang, what are you doing standing there!" Li Conning turned around and scolded.

Li Chengyang hurriedly followed, walked a few steps, and looked back reluctantly.

Xuandaomen is a square pattern, close to the east wall of Baitaoxi, there is a remote corner where hay, straw, firewood and the like are piled up.At this time, the golden straw was shaking, and a new hill was raised, and a girl in red came out of it.

The girl didn't have time to pat off the debris on her body, she hastily stretched out her hand to pull the person inside, and complained: "Miss, there are so many people in the house today, so I shouldn't come out, in case the master and wife find out..."

"It's just to take advantage of the number of people. If there are distinguished guests, my parents won't take care of me." Zhai Yingshi helped the maid's arm to stand up. The two of them restored the stack of wheat to its original shape, cleaned their clothes, and walked in the direction of Baitaoxi.

Xin Ling was worried: "If the master knows that I secretly took you out of the house, he will definitely skin me."

"Xin Ling," Zhai Yingshi sighed, "I'm so bored. I know that my parents love me and can't bear the pain of being separated, why am I not? But sitting at home all day is really hard."

Xin Ling pursed her lips and remained silent, tightly holding the lady's soft arm.She is the abandoned daughter picked up by Zhai Yu, who has been serving Mrs. Zhai until Zhai Yingshi came home.Although she is a servant girl, she has always been loved by the couple because of her appearance is half or six like that of the lost daughter, like a goddaughter.Xinling still remembers the scene when she first met Zhai Yingshi. Everyone in the hall cried into a ball, and she cried too. She looked at Zhai Yingshi with tears in her eyes, and thought to herself, everyone said that I resembled her, but in fact, there is no comparison. It is clear that one is the cloud and the other It's mud.

Zhai Yingshi has no airs of being a lady, she treats Xinling like a sister, the two have a close relationship, sometimes they even sleep together.From summer to autumn, in many starry nights, Xin Ling quietly opened her eyes, held her breath, and stared at the sleeping face of the young lady.Occasionally, she would reach out her hand out of nowhere, touch Zhai Yingshi's chest with her fingertips, and then retract it tremblingly.

Those thoughts originally only belonged to the night, but the closer she got to Zhai Yingshi, the stronger the desire in her heart became.Ever since Zhai Yingshi met Li Chengyang, jealousy has grown like weeds.

"Are you going to see that brat?"

Di Yingshi blushes on her cheeks: "Don't talk nonsense."

"I knew it!" Xin Ling clutched the handkerchief in his hand, and said bitterly: "Miss, Li Chengyang is not a good person, he deliberately belittled you when he first met!"

"Xinling, you are too hostile to him." Zhai Yingshi didn't want to talk more, so he changed the topic, "I came out today because I have an old friend to see."

"Who is it? You never mentioned it." Xinling was unwilling to let go, looking at her young lady with worried eyes, feeling infinitely distressed and curious about her 20 years of wandering abroad.

"One of my benefactors. Don't ask any more questions, just wait for me here." Zhai Yingshi acted simply, leaving Xinling behind and walked into the bushes on one side.

It was rare for Xin Ling to see her so resolute and decisive, so she was stunned for a while.Looking back, Zhai Yingshi has long since disappeared.

After waiting for a cup of tea, Xinling became anxious, walked back and forth along the shore, and couldn't help calling for Miss into the woods.Because he was afraid of startling the guards at Xuandao Gate, he didn't dare to let go of his voice to shout, his eyes were red with anxiety, and his hands and feet were cold.

She pushed aside the grass and walked a few steps deep into the dense forest. She thought that the forest was only two or three mu in size, but when she entered, she realized that there was something hidden in the cave. The inside was lush and lush, and the sunlight was mostly blocked. Out, the shape is weird.

"Miss!" Xin Ling was frightened and began to cry.

"I'm here!" A familiar voice came from the direction of Baitaoxi, Xin Ling turned around and ran away, until she broke out of this gloomy place, and the sun stabbed her head like a sharp arrow, she felt relieved, and she hugged Zhai Yingshi , Choked up and said: "You scared me to death!"

Zhai Yingshi patted her on the back and teased, "You're so timid."

Xin Ling was emotional, shaking her head and weeping: "I will never take you out again, the two of us will just play in the mansion, never go out for the rest of our lives, and never see other people!"

It took Zhai Yingshi a lot of effort to coax her well.Meeting an old friend in the forest before, getting some bad news, and comforting Xin Ling who was crying, really exhausted her physically and mentally.

The two returned to Xuandaomen from the "dog hole" under the wheat pile. Xin Ling rubbed his red eye circles, finally noticed the gloomy look on the young lady's face, and tentatively asked her why she was so upset.

Zhai Ying's poem was vague: "It's nothing."

They walked around the pine forest and returned to the inner courtyard along the familiar path.Zhai Yingshi walked in front, suddenly stopped, Xin Ling supported her waist, took a closer look, and immediately flew into a rage: "This is the family's inner house, how did you sneak in?!"

"I..." Li Chengyang's face was flushed, and he couldn't stop bowing, "I came to the house as a guest, but I got bored and went out for a walk. I didn't know this was an inner house. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

He leaned forward, but his eyes were always glued to Zhai Yingshi's face, full of affection.

Xin Ling felt annoyed for a while, stepped forward to block the young lady, and shouted: "What are you looking at, why don't you hurry up and get out!"

Zhai Yingshi tugged at Xin Ling's sleeves, tilted his head and smiled at Li Chengyang: "It's okay, you go through the bamboo forest in front, and then walk forty feet along the path, you will see a hanging flower gate, past it is the main hall."

The soft words, like the sound of gurgling water, are indescribably sweet and pleasant to the ears.Li Chengyang murmured: "Thank you, girl."

He made a bow, turned around and walked towards the path in the bamboo forest. After a few steps, he suddenly turned his head again, stared abruptly and enthusiastically at Zhai Yingshi, moved his lips, and said quickly, "I miss you often!"

Spots of sunlight fell on the bamboo forest, illuminating his face brightly and radiantly.

Zhai Yingshi was taken aback for a moment, seemed to want to laugh, but felt embarrassed, covered his face with his hands, and lowered his eyes.Xinling stood aside, feeling breathless and having chest pains, as if someone was strangling her throat.She stomped her feet violently, picked up a stone and threw it at Li Chengyang: "Get lost!"

On this day, the banquet held by Xuandaomen with ulterior motives finally broke up unhappy.The living room was in a mess, Zhai Yu's eldest disciple Duan Qin directed the maids to clean up the mess, cleaning up the broken wine glasses and porcelain plates on the floor.

"Eldest senior brother!" A group of young men pushed and pushed into the room, scrambling to squeeze towards him, and asked, "How is it! Is the master determined to be the leader?"

"From now on, we will be the direct disciples of the martial arts lord! How powerful!"

"Don't make trouble," Duan Qin waved the girl out with a wave of his hand, under the excited gaze of his juniors, he lowered his voice and said, "I'll sit with you today, and listening to Li Biaotou, it seems that he is also interested in the position of leader!"

"It's just him?!" Zhai Yu returned to the main room and slammed the door heavily, "A dart walker, what kind of decent family is he? He has grown up in the past few years, and he has been given some face in the martial arts, so he forgot his surname. Already!"

"Keep your voice down." Zhou Xiaowan was sitting on the couch embroidering, her eyesight was bad when she was old, and she had to straighten her arms and look at it for a while when she embroidered a few stitches.She heard her husband's angry panting, and advised: "Don't be so sad when you have dinner later, you will be worried when you see Shi'er."

Hearing her mention of her daughter, Zhai Yu's face instantly softened, and even warmed up: "I know."

"If you want me to say, what are you fighting for the leader? We are both people who are about to die, and we are thankful that we can bring our daughter back. Wouldn't it be nice for the family of three to live in harmony?"

Zhai Yu said to her: "You think I don't want to? But if Li Conning becomes the leader, will our life be easier? When the time comes to encircle and suppress the Xifan sect, it is necessary to charge the Xuandao sect at the front. I don't care about the safety of hundreds of disciples." ?"

Filled with anger, he kicked over the stool and couldn't stop complaining: "There is also that Hua Yueying who said good things for Li Congning in the open and in the dark, and I am angry."

"Really?" Zhou Xiaowan is a slow-tempered person, completely opposite to Zhai Yu's violent temper. They have been husband and wife for so many years, and neither of them has changed a bit for each other.She threaded the needle in a calm manner, and said: "I think the Master of Pavilion Hua is sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight."

Zhai Yu didn't believe it, so he sneered: "You said she also wants to be the leader?"

Zhou Xiaowan didn't answer, put the embroidery thread in her mouth and sipped it, and said slowly, "Look."

Zhai Yu sat down beside her, meditating secretly.After a long while, seeing that Zhou Xiaowan still couldn't thread the needle well, he snapped impatiently and snatched it away.

Zhou Xiaowan let go of the satin, and quietly added: "Don't underestimate women."

In Xiongtu Escort, the atmosphere was similarly dull.Li Congning called several confidant brothers who had worshiped him to the courtyard of the main courtyard, and described the scene of today's banquet one by one.

The youngest said in relief: "Brother Li, don't worry, the brothers all support you. We have dealt with the big gangsters in the underworld. There are famous heroes and masters in the white way, and they also have human relations. If you really want to be recommended by the martial arts, Li Big Brother is definitely more popular than Zhai Yu."

One person was worried: "He can't play tricks, can he?"

Li Conning frowned: "I'm just worried about this."

"No way, Zhai Yu is also the leader of a faction, and has some status in the world," the speaker paused, "But it's always good to be on guard."

Li Conning saluted and said: "Then I will trouble you guys."

"Brother for how many years, what is the eldest brother saying? By the way, why didn't the young escort come?"

When mentioning the eldest son, Li Conning immediately darkened his face: "I was told to reprimand me, and I am reflecting on it. These days are too shameful, and today's banquet is also sluggish."

Everyone laughed, and the youngest said: "Since ancient times, heroes have been saddened by the beauty pass, and Chengyang is at the age of youth, it is inevitable!"

"Speaking of which, which family's girl is it? Brother Li, hurry up and prepare a bride price, and come to propose marriage!"

Li Conning thought of his wife's speculation, and waved his hand in a disturbed manner: "I don't care about him!"

In a row of wing rooms to the east, the lights were bright, and the windows reflected two shadows sitting opposite each other.

Ji Tanyin rolled the dice, two three came out, he let out an "ah" and stared pitifully at the chessboard—seeing that he was about to lose again.

Xie Wufeng pushed the cup over: "You are allowed to shake it again."

"Really?"

Xie Wufeng was serious: "Really, I just took a breath and gave you good luck."

Ji Tanyin took the cup, closed his eyes reverently, and muttered something in his mouth. After shaking it, it turned out to be two sixes, and he yelled in surprise.

Xie Wufeng propped his forehead lazily, and asked with a smile: "Happy?"

"Well," Ji Tanyin nodded, and hurriedly jumped forward holding the horse. When he reached the designated position, he raised his neck hesitantly, "but I'm still flustered."

Since the evening, Ji Tanyin's right eye has been twitching, Xie Wufeng saw that he was out of his mind, so he dragged him into the room to fight Shuanglu.Ji Tanyin grew up in the deep mountains, and had never learned such entertainment games, so he felt very novel, and played until dark before he knew it.

"This wins you," Xie Wufeng packed up the chess pieces and asked Ji Tanyin: "It's getting late, sleep here tonight?"

Ji Tanyin glanced at him sideways, his bright black eyes showing anticipation and hesitation.

"I know you are in a bad mood, so I won't tease you," Xie Wufeng walked in front of him, squatted down, and opened his arms, "Is it okay to hug?"

Ji Tanyin could hardly look at him, Xie Wufeng was too gentle at this time, like a deep lake, attracting him, a stubborn weed, to cast its shadow.

He hesitantly climbed onto Xie Wufeng's shoulder, and just about to speak, a horrified cry cut through the long silent night and shattered the peace of the mansion.

"The night devil is coming! The night devil is coming!"

Ji Tanyin rushed out of the door, jumped onto the roof in a few steps, and ran all the way to the main courtyard, grabbing the red-headed bodyguard who reported the message: "What did you say!"

The bodyguard's teeth were trembling, and his head was covered with cold sweat. After all, he had practiced martial arts before, and he didn't pee his pants in fear. He swallowed with a thud, and said to Ji Tanyin: "It's true! I was on duty at the gate of the city, and I saw him and Tie Bi Gong Huang chips are fighting!"