Seeing the clouds

Chapter 3 Eryi Guoshi

The black-haired prisoner finally woke up. He was lying on a simple bed, with bandages all over his body. He smelled of herbs and was in constant pain.Her hair was also cut short, and her pale face was somewhat delicate.He was a little curious, and he vaguely remembered that he passed out in the desert. He didn't know who rescued him, brought him here, and cut his hair.

He stood up, pressed his left shoulder, and looked around. The room was empty and dark, as simple as a bed.He got out of bed, walked over, opened the door, and let in the sunlight.He looked at the corridor. The noise coming from downstairs looked like an inn.

He walked down the stairs. The stairs were a bit old, and the wooden boards would make a "squeak" sound when he stepped on them, as if he was in danger of falling at any time.Downstairs, all kinds of people were eating, some in small groups, armed with swords, holding wine bowls, shouting and toasting each other, which seemed heroic but affected the guests at the next table.But after all, there are many people, and they are equipped with swords. They look like gangsters, and no one can persuade them. Everyone is unwilling to get into this bad luck. Who knows whether the other party will use swords against each other if they disagree.

In addition to the people in the world, there were also some scholars who were talking about the temple, speaking so loudly that they wanted to open their mouths and swallow the whole world.The black hair didn't like those sour bookish people, and those scholars who thought too highly of themselves didn't look like heroes who went to the desert to do chivalry and rescue people in danger.However, there was a middle-aged man who caught the attention of the black-haired man. He was wearing a green coat, with two eyebrows like stars, pupils as dark as night, short hair, a flaxen cloth tied on his forehead, and bangs on the left side. Slide out the fabric band to cover your cheeks.His face is a bit angular and slightly weathered, but despite the weathering, he still looks like a crown jewel. He looks like a man from the world, but he is drinking alone there. With this temperament, if he had been ten years earlier, he would have definitely been a romantic figure.

The middle-aged man also noticed the black hair, nodded to him, and motioned for him to come over and sit down.The black hair didn't think much and walked over. The middle-aged man took a sip of wine and said, "Are you awake?"

The brunette nodded.

"After suffering such a serious injury, I'm lucky not to die. I didn't expect your life to be tough. Do you want to drink?"

The brunette shook his head.

The middle-aged man looked at the black hair and said amusedly: "Why don't you speak? I didn't remember that you were mute. The sound of "Daddy" yesterday made me feel scared. "

After listening, the black-haired man smiled bitterly and hesitated to speak: "Sir..."

The middle-aged man said "Hey" and waved his hand: "Why do you call me husband? I am not a scholar. My surname is Li. You can just call me Uncle Li." The black-haired man said sincerely, " Uncle Li".

The middle-aged man surnamed Li was very happy when he heard the black-haired boy say "Uncle Li" sincerely, and he drank heavily.He wiped his mouth and continued to ask: "Where are you from, kid?" Then the elder and the younger began to communicate.

"A native of Jizhou in the Northern Qi Dynasty."

"What's your last name?"

"The surname is Zhang, and the single name is a common character."

Zhang's surname?The middle-aged man frowned and looked at the young man named Zhang Fan in front of him.

The character "Zhang" carries a lot of weight in the Northern Qi Dynasty. As the only king with a different surname in the dynasty, the name of the Northern Qi king is Zhang Yunping!The Zhang family can be said to be thousands of households in the three states of Yan, Bing, and Hebei in the Northern Qi Dynasty.But now everyone knows that Zhang Yunping, the general who was named the King of Northern Qi, was recently exposed for treason and the destruction of nine tribes. After the battle in Yunxia City, he disappeared and became a wanted criminal in the world.At this time, I was wearing the hat of the Zhang family in Jizhou, either without any worries, or I wanted to take advantage of the last bit of Zhang family's anger to cheat them into eating and drinking.But the kid in front of me doesn't look like a swindler.

The middle-aged man looked at Zhang Fan carefully, shook his head and said: "You are dishonest. Uncle, I saved your life. It would be better for you to use a false name to fool me. The surname Zhang is not common in Jizhou. You really take it seriously." I do not know anything?"

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment and bit his lip, wondering whether he should tell everything.But when I think about it, the other person is indeed my savior, so it is really not appropriate to hide it like this.

In the end, he decided to tell the truth: "My name is indeed not Zhang Fan, but my surname is indeed Zhang, and my name is Yue Yue. Zhang Yunping, the biggest sinner in the world, is my father. Since my nephew's life was saved by Uncle Li, Then Uncle Li took me to the court to get the reward, and I had no complaints."

The young man named Zhang Yue, whose pseudonym was Zhang Fan, bowed his hand.

Now it was the middle-aged man's turn to be stunned. He didn't expect that this nonsense of "You really think I don't know anything" would lead to a huge secret.During the battle of Yunxia City, it was said that Lu Jishan and Fan Yuan took Zhang Yunping's eldest and younger sons respectively, one to the northwest and the other to the southeast. Thinking about this, it is quite possible.After coming back to his senses, he smiled disdainfully and said: "What use is gold and silver to me? Call me Uncle Li and you really think you are my nephew? His temperament is exactly the same as that of Zhang Mangfu, but his appearance is very different. But the Zhang family boy , do you know who I am?"

Zhang Chuchu was speechless when he was asked "Do you know who I am?", but judging from the middle-aged man's tone, it sounded like he was an old acquaintance of his father's?Not many people in the world dare to call their father "Zhang Mangfu".So he replied weakly: "I don't know."

The middle-aged man did not answer immediately. He picked up the bowl, drank all the Guanwai liquor in the bowl, put the bowl down, and said the name that he had been away from for a long time.

"Li Muzhi."

This was undoubtedly a shock to Zhang Yue. No wonder the middle-aged man in front of him dared to call his father Zhang Mangfu!

Li Muzhi was one of the last four generals of the Warring States Period. He was a former general of the Southern Tang Dynasty. He studied under Zhou Dong of Crouching Tiger Mountain. His marksmanship was extraordinary and holy, and he was also a rare handsome man. He was a rare man who could occupy a seat in the temple and the world.He defeated Zhang Yunping, who was known as the "Pillar of the Qin Dynasty" several times on the battlefield, and once led the declining Southern Tang Dynasty to resist the attack of the Qin Dynasty.Later, he resigned from his official position without any reason and exiled himself outside the Northwest Pass. The reason for his actions has become a secret that no one knows.

The reason why Zhang Yuechu knew Li Muzhi despite not having experienced the Warring States Period was because Zhang Yunping once talked about him with Bai Feng, the first counselor of the Northern Qi Dynasty, while drinking in the pavilion.At that time, Bai Feng's evaluation of Li Muzhi was: "Li Muzhi is brave and decisive, good at using soldiers, knows military strategies, and can attack the heart. Although he killed lightly at first, he finally restrained himself and had the capacity of a national scholar." The person who was called a national scholar by "Ten Steps and One Calculation" Bai Feng, the only one in the world is Li Muzhi!
After seeing Zhang Yue's reaction, Li Muzhi smiled and said, "I wonder if Zhang Yunping has ever talked about me in front of you."

After seeing Li Muzhi's smile, Zhang Yue wanted to laugh but did not dare to laugh. He said with a serious face: "My father only has two words to say about Uncle Li."

"Oh?" Zhang Yue's words aroused Li Muzhi's curiosity. He wanted to know what Zhang Yunping, who he regarded as his lifelong enemy, would say about him. "What is it?"

Zhang Chuchu replied: "My father once called Uncle Li a national scholar."

After hearing Zhang Chuo's answer, Li Muzhi was stunned at first, and then laughed for the first time. He only heard him say: "I didn't expect that after being scolded for so many years, the first kind words I heard came from his life." The number one enemy. Although I am a little reluctant, Zhang Yunping’s words come from the bottom of his heart: I did not save your boy’s life in vain.”

He continued: "Although I don't know if it's true or not, you probably don't even know what a national scholar is, so it sounds somewhat believable."

Zhang Chuchu finally smiled with peace of mind after hearing this: "To be honest, uncle, I really don't know what a national scholar means."

Li Muzhi lowered his head and shook his head without explaining the meaning of the national scholar. He only said to himself: "Zhang Yunping, do you know that saying "guoshi" is equivalent to giving your son a life-saving amulet."

Zhang Chuchu didn't understand the meaning of Li Mu's words and asked softly: "Uncle Li?"

Li Muzhi poured a bowl of wine, looked at Zhang Yue, and said calmly: "Looking at the many scars and ravines on your body, it reminds me of the mountains near my hometown. It must not be easy."

Zhang Yue smiled after hearing this: "It's not too pretentious to say it's hard, it's just hard to control. There are many people in the world who work harder than me. If I pour myself in front of Uncle Li, Bitter water, what’s the difference between that and a girl?”

"That's the truth." Li Muzhi nodded, "What are your plans for the future?"

The young man thought for a moment and replied: "I want to find my father and brother."

Li Muzhi thought for a while and said: "Your father disappeared from the world after the battle in Yunxia City. I don't know whether he is dead or alive, so I can't help you. However, your brother was taken to the southeast by Fan Yuan. Specifically, in Well, I can’t tell. But if you know of your father’s acquaintances in the southeast, you can go and ask.”

"The southeastern part of Northern Qi...the area is quite large." Zhang Yue said thoughtfully.

"Moreover, going from outside the Great Wall to central China or even Jiangnan will cause troubles along the way. Your father has now become the enemy of the world. At the worst, you and your father are both wanted criminals by the court; at worst, he died in the Warring States Period. The people in your father's hands are not a small number, and those remaining family members will definitely cause trouble for you. You have no martial arts skills, and I have vowed never to set foot in the Central Plains again. I will only send you to Yumen Pass. Next Everything is up to you."

After listening to what Li Muzhi said, Zhang Yue clenched his fists and said forcefully: "I promised my brother to take him to the East China Sea to watch the tide when he was old. When I was a child, my mother taught me that a man should be a good man. Promises are gold. Say I have to do it when it comes, and I can't break the promise, even if it's extremely difficult along the way."

Li Muzhi admired the young man's trustworthy character, but after hearing the young man's heroic words, he couldn't help but smile: "Although tens of millions of people are going to leave, Zhang Yunping's son must have this courage. But let alone your brother and It’s crowned, are you crowned now?”

When the young man heard Li Muzhi's words, he felt that what he had said before seemed a bit ridiculous. He laughed at himself softly and said, "No, but I will reach the top in one month."

After hearing this, Li Muzhi held his chin and thought: "Then I will definitely have to miss your wedding day, but if you call me Uncle Li, it seems that you can't escape your wedding day."

When the young man heard this, he quickly added fuel to the fire: "Yes, yes, Uncle Li, you are so powerful, the gift must not be light, otherwise it will insult your identity, at least you will get some kind of sword, sword, top secrets of mental skills and so on"

A middle-aged man named Li Muzhi, the former general of the Southern Tang Dynasty and now recognized throughout the world as the Spear Immortal, almost spit out the wine he drank.He said angrily: "Your flattery makes me feel comfortable and hurt at the same time. I never saw that you are such a naughty and philistine before."

The young man laughed and said, "Because I wasn't familiar with you before. I'm embarrassed to speak."

The middle-aged gun wizard glared and said, "Stop it, I'm not that familiar with you yet."

The young man curled his lips and said, "What you said is so unkind. It doesn't sound like the national scholar my father said at all."

After hearing the word "guoshi", Li Muzhi, who valued his state of mind more than anything else, was finally defeated.He shook his head and said, "Forget it, I'm afraid of you. Tell me what you want."

When Zhang Yue heard this, he said solemnly: "I want to practice swordsmanship."

Li Muzhi was a little curious: "Why?"

The young man explained the reason: "Uncle Lu died in the desert to save me, but I couldn't even take back Uncle Lu's sword. I feel guilty."

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then he laughed loudly, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, which directly shattered the image he had created previously.At the end of the laugh, he ended up lying on the table, attracting the attention of the people around him.

Zhang Chuchu felt the gazes around him and felt a little embarrassed.He whispered to the middle-aged man who was lying on the table and laughing loudly: "What's so funny about Uncle Li."

But Li Muzhi ignored him at all. After a while, he finally suppressed his laughter and sat up.But seeing Zhang Yue's serious look on his face, he grinned again.

Zhang Chuchu had no choice but to look at him and smile.

In the end, Li Muzhi suppressed his laughter and told Zhang Yue an astonishing truth: Lu Jishan, as a grandmaster who could reach the top ten in the Central Plains Martial Arts Ranking, used a knife instead of a sword at all!Zhang Chuchu couldn't believe it and looked at Li Muzhi in confusion.

Li Muzhi said: "The name of Lu Jishan's sword is Shenshu, and its style is similar to the Tang Dynasty sword produced in the old Southern Tang Dynasty. The blade has a straight and long blade with a sharp tip, which can be used for cutting and assassination. The shape is very similar to a sword. So you would mistakenly think that it is a sword." Lu Jishan is a master of swordsmanship.

Zhang Yue nodded after knowing the truth, and then said: "Then I want to practice swordsmanship."

"So you only practice martial arts because of Lu Jishan, right?"

Zhang Chuchu nodded again: "Yes, I want to practice martial arts and then avenge Uncle Lu."

Li Muzhi took a sip of wine and poured cold water on Zhang Yue for the first time: "Then you should save your time. Lu Jishan is also among the top 20 in the martial arts review. The person who can kill him is not a fuel-efficient lamp. You can take revenge. It will take at least [-] years to practice in a place where no one is around, and this is if you have good talent."

"Not one, there were three people who were chasing me at that time, but one of them in black didn't take action."

"Then you still have a slight chance."

After hearing Li Muzhi's affirmation, Zhang Yue took a deep breath and hummed heavily.

In the end, Li Muzhi explained: "What I mean is that if you find a place where no one is around and practice Kung Fu for 20 years, you can find the weakest among the three and have a slight chance of killing him."

Zhang Yue wanted to die: "Uncle Li, don't always let other people show you your prestige and destroy your nephew's ambition."

As a result, Li Muzhi laughed and said: "The other person is not here, why should I be more powerful than him? I am telling the truth. Let's not talk about the top ten in the martial arts review. The ten or even 20 people behind these ten are all genuine. Don't think that just because two people are fighting against one means that the two people are in a different state. It's not necessarily true that Sanshu Kon, who is ranked second in the martial arts rankings, and Fang Qifu, who is third in the martial arts rankings, teamed up to fight against Zhou Tong, who is ranked number one in the world. Victory is guaranteed.

As a result, Zhang Yue was not moved at all and just asked curiously: "Where is Uncle Li ranked?"

Li Muzhi explained: "The martial arts evaluation list only records the Central Plains martial arts masters, and even excludes people from the three religions and some old monsters who live in seclusion, so I am not included in this list, but if you really want to be ranked, the top ten is still no problem."

As a result, the young man burst into laughter: "Since Uncle Li can be in the top ten, then with Uncle Li as my leader in martial arts, my mirror-breaking speed will definitely not be bad!"

Li Mu was stunned. He didn't expect this kid to have this plan.

At this time, three or five big men walked in from the front door of the inn. The leader was carrying a big knife, his hands were covered with bandages, and he looked very impressive.The waiter responded, but was dismissed by them. They looked around, seemingly looking for something.

Zhang Yue's face looked a little ugly when he saw it.Li Muzhi asked: "What's wrong?"

Zhang Yue lowered his head, trying not to be seen by others, and whispered: "I know the leader. He is the second in charge of the animal pen. He is quite capable."

Li Muzhi looked at the strong man named Fan Li carefully and shook his head after feeling that this man's aura was only two levels high.

Although this kind of thing Li Mu could kill countless people with his hands, shaking his head turned out to be a prick in Zhang Yue's eyes.He asked anxiously: "Will it prick my hand?"

Li Muzhi took a sip of wine and smiled: "What's so troublesome about this? Even if Fang Qifu and Sanzhou are here in person today, I can still keep you safe, let alone this kind of miscellaneous fish?"

After hearing Li Muzhi's assurance, Zhang Yue was relieved, but then he provoked another stab: "Uncle Li, you have said the second and third, what will happen when the first comes?"

As a result, Li Muzhi stretched out his hand and patted the silly boy's head gently, and said funnyly: "Zhou Tong, who ranks first, is my mentor. Do you think he will come?"

The young man rubbed his head, showing his original expression, and then he also laughed.

But the laughter caught Fan Li's attention. After all, Zhang Yue was still wearing the clothes of patrolman Liang Er, which was very conspicuous to Fan Li.He twisted his arm, held the big knife, and walked in the direction of Zhang Yue. At this time, the innkeeper and waiter came to persuade him, but they were pushed away by the other horse thieves behind him, signaling them to be quiet.Many of the guests had already started to flee when they saw this, and only some brave people in the world were still there to continue drinking and plan to finish the show.After the shopkeeper was pushed away, he began to pray not to start a fight, otherwise he would smash the tables and chairs, which would affect the business and cost a lot of money to repair.

Fan Li walked up behind Zhang Yue, looked at him indifferently, and said softly: "I've been looking for this little fish for a long time." After that, he completely ignored Li Muzhi who was sitting aside pouring wine into the bowl, and stabbed him He slashed at the back of Zhang Yue's head.

He did not notice that after the Guanwai Baijiu in the wine jar was poured into the wine bowl, there was not a single ripple, and it was as quiet as lake water.An even stranger thing happened after that. Fan Li's sword stopped abruptly an inch away from the back of Zhang Yue's head. No matter how hard Fan Li tried to increase his strength, he just couldn't get in at all.

Fan Li was shocked and took three steps back, looking at the calm middle-aged man in front of him as if he was facing a powerful enemy.But the other horse thieves in the distance didn't see any clues, felt a little confused, and began to look at each other.

This kid had been in the animal pen for several months without any friends or relatives. Why did he find such a giant Buddha sitting next to him when he ran out?

Fan Li was considered someone who had experienced the small world, so he was not very panicked. He thought about what kind of benefits this boy had promised this man. If it was just like this, things would be much easier. Is it possible that this boy could afford something? Can’t our Shama Gang afford it?

Although he thought so in his heart, he still said without confidence: "Fan Li from the Shama Gang has a debt to settle with this guy today. Although I don't know what benefits this guy promised me, but if I am willing to give in today, At that time, Fan Li paid double the reward and respected Xiongtai as a nobleman of the Shama Clan. From now on, Xiongtai’s affairs will be our Shama Clan’s affairs.”

Li Muzhi took a sip of wine, but he was completely unimpressed. He raised his head and looked at Fan Li, pointing his right hand at Fan Li at the same time, and said coldly: "You, go and settle the bill for me now, then get out, and I won't hold you accountable. You and your Shama gang."

Fan Li was pointed at and insulted. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed angrily, and said with ill intentions: "It seems that my brother is really planning to make an enemy of our Shama Gang. Although I am not talented, I am still a second-grade grandmaster. The brothers behind me are not fuel-efficient, I hope you will think about it again."

Don't eat and drink a toast.

However, the middle-aged man still didn't take it seriously. He waved his hand and said, "Don't say it so nicely. The second-level realm forcibly promoted by taking secret medicine is the real second-level realm? There is no second-level realm in your real realm. You can't hold on until you die." It's only a second-grade one. Remember to be more vicious next time you threaten others, such as killing the whole family."

Fan Li's eyes were gloomy after being seen through.

"Originally, I planned to settle the account, take your people out, and I won't hold you accountable. Now that I think about it, I might as well forget it. Anyway, your Shama Gang has done a lot of bad things. Why don't I do it for you today? Let heaven prevail."

After speaking, Li Muzhi picked up the bowl filled with wine. The next moment, the bowl exploded in his hands and the wine spilled all over the table.At the same time, Fan Li felt a huge pressure in his body, as if all the internal organs in his body had been destroyed. He lay bleeding on the ground, with no breath in his body, and he could no longer die.The horse thieves behind him exploded like the wine bowl before, and blood flowed all over the ground.When Zhang Chuo saw this scene, he covered his mouth with horror on his face.

As for the other people in the store, except for the Jianghu people, they just looked shocked. Some of the other ordinary people had already vomited when they saw the broken internal organs on the floor. The shopkeeper turned pale with fear and trembled all over.But as the cause, Li Muzhi stood up slowly, patted Zhang Yue to indicate that he was leaving, and went to the counter to pay. Zhang Yue looked at the back of the middle-aged man in front of him, swallowed hard, and said to himself He said: "This is so damn domineering." After saying that, he stood up in a hurry and stepped on the blood on the ground to follow.

Li Muzhi walked up to the shopkeeper, knelt down and patted his shoulder.The shopkeeper was a short old man. He was so frightened that he sat on the ground and turned pale. This slap made him even more frightened and moved his butt back crazily.Seeing this, Li Muzhi regretted his previous high-profile behavior. He shook his head helplessly, took out a bag of silver and threw it in front of the shopkeeper. He said, "I'm sorry for staining your inn. Let's take this money as compensation." ." After saying that, he stood up and ignored the reaction of the old shopkeeper and looked at Zhang Yue.

"Uncle, you're not talking big, are you?" Li Muzhi, who had just shown off his skills, said with a smile.As a result, before Zhang Chuchu could answer, the people who had been sitting around drinking and watching the theater rushed to Li Muzhi. Some said they were from some sect and asked to be friends with him, and some simply knelt on the ground and begged Li Muzhi. Accepting a disciple, his attitude was so determined that it seemed that Li Muzhi would not leave the inn alive unless he accepted him.The words of those people in the world were like a thousand mouths. Li Muzhi was a little impatient. He took a bowl and a jar of wine from somewhere, and began to pour the wine slowly. His technique was the same as when he killed people before. Seeing this scene, the people in the world immediately became as silent as a chill and dispersed, leaving only Li Muzhi and Zhang Chue behind.

Zhang Yue was obviously a little unhappy at being squeezed by those Jianghu people, but he did not dare to get angry at the middle-aged man, so he could only suppress his displeasure and replied: "I didn't say it, Uncle Li is a master, several floors high. "

After hearing this, Li Muzhi laughed loudly and drank the newly poured wine.

Zhang Yue thought of something, and finally asked the middle-aged man in front of him, whom he called a master, with some embarrassment: "Uncle, is there any way for me, my nephew, to break through the realm quickly? The faster I can break through, the better."

The middle-aged man was stunned. He obviously did not expect that Zhang Chuo would ask him about martial arts training methods that were similar to encouraging others. He pondered for a moment and replied: "Yes, there is, but it will be life-threatening and it will shorten your lifespan. Do you want to try it?" ?”

Zhang Chuchu got the answer and replied "Yeah" with firm eyes.

Li Muzhi shook his head and said helplessly: "Why are you doing this?"

Zhang Chuchu didn't answer, he just lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly.

Seeing that his attitude was so firm, Li Muzhi stopped talking nonsense and handed the wine jar in his hand to Zhang Yue. Looking at his curious expression, he said, "Drink it."

After listening to Li Muzhi's words, Zhang Yue looked at the pure Guanwai Baijiu in the wine jar. Without any doubt, he picked up the wine jar and drank it all in one gulp.It was not that he had never drank strong alcohol before, and it was not the first time he felt the spicy taste in his mouth, but after entering his stomach, the alcohol seemed to be burning his whole body, and severe pain spread throughout his body.But he could bear the pain, otherwise the pain he suffered in the animal pen would have made him faint several times.

But it was too painful, more painful than all the previous pains combined!He gritted his teeth, veins popped out on his forehead, and his whole body was shaking. Suddenly, a sweet smell surged into his throat, breaking all his endurance. He spit out blood and passed out completely.

Li Muzhi watched this scene in silence until Zhang Yue passed out on the ground. He shook his head, picked him up and carried him on his shoulders as he walked out of the inn.

He was talking to himself, but he seemed to be saying to the unconscious Zhang Chue: "From now on, I can only see whether your life is good or not."

After a while, he seemed to have figured out something, and added: "But if you are lucky, you won't meet me here. It doesn't look good."

Outside the inn, he gently placed the unconscious young man on the old camel that had been with him for a long time, looked at the yellow sand and whispered softly.

"Even if your fate is bad, I hope you can win the bet this time."

Because losing the bet means death.

So don't die.

(End of this chapter)