Shi Xiaohan is a heartless girl.
After leaving this room, she quickly jumped towards the dining hall at the northernmost end of the academy with light steps.
The words of the one-armed old man were forgotten by her.
On the way, she bumped into Tao Xi, who had just finished the Fu Dao course. She stood on tiptoes and waved to her to say hello.
"Hey, Fellow Taoist Tao, how was your Talisman class this morning? Is your teaching good?"
Tao Xi, who is introverted, had been walking among the crowd with his head down. middle.
She was startled when she heard Shi Xiaohan's voice, and then whispered hurriedly: "Very good... very good! Mr. Du is not fierce at all. He speaks very gently and treats Students are also very patient..."
The "Mr. Du" she refers to is undoubtedly Du Yuan, the tall and lanky Talisman master who asked Gu Xu for advice in the academy cafeteria a few days ago.
Actually, what Tao Xi was thinking was that the tone of our lectures was calm and drowsy, and we didn’t care at all whether the students were paying attention to the lectures.
But with her personality, it is impossible to speak ill of others behind their backs.
So I changed it to a euphemistic way of expressing it.
"Then you guys are really good at teaching!" Shi Xiaohan said enviously, "I was scolded so badly this morning."
Then she paused and continued Asked: "How good are you at teaching talisman painting? Has he ever shown the talisman seals he designed in class?"
The purpose of her question was naturally to secretly tell Gu Xu to the academy. Let’s compare it with other teachings here.
"No," Tao Xi shook his head, "This morning, Mr. Du has been teaching us how to draw 'fire characters'."
"'Fire characters'?" Shi Xiaohan Opening his eyes, "Isn't this something created by Gu Xu?"
Tao Xi explained softly: "I... we, Mr. Du, have the highest regard for Mr. Gu... Mr. Du told us Master Gu's understanding of the art of Talisman and Seal Script made him look up. Especially this 'fire character' might be enough to lead a revolution in the field of Talisman Dao, which will have far-reaching influence and significance."
Shi Xiaohan was stunned for two seconds and exclaimed: "Gu Xu is so good in the field of Fu Dao?"
In her memory, Gu Xu probably only started doing this from last summer. Learn the Tao of Talisman.
This means that it only took him a few short months to reach a level in Fu Dao that even the long-famous Fu Dao masters highly praised.
Although Shi Xiaohan knew that Gu Xu had great talent in drawing talismans and seals, she was still incredulous when she heard Du Jiaoxi's comments.
I only heard Tao Xi continue to say: "Mr. Du also said that Mr. Gu once taught him and helped him re-understand the art of talisman and seal script. To a certain extent, it was equivalent to giving him guidance. Teacher. If he didn't have the responsibility of teaching students, otherwise he would be willing to be a disciple of Master Gu., learn from him new ideas for drawing talisman and seal script. ”
Shi Xiaohan lowered her head and remained silent.
While she was happy for Gu Xu, her heart suddenly doubled in pressure.
Inadvertently, She remembered the conversation she had with Gu Xu on her birthday - "I will become strong enough to kill all the ghosts and monsters, protect the people of Yishui, protect my family, and protect you. "
"If you kill all the ghosts, wouldn't I become an idler? "
"You are responsible for staying here every day and making cookies for me! ”
At that time, she was determined and confident.
But looking back now, she feels a little ridiculous.
Gu Xu was walking far ahead, Shining brightly on the vast stage of Luo Jing City, it was difficult for her to even keep up with him, let alone protect him.
The common topic between the two seemed to be becoming more and more common. Less and less.
In the past, they would talk about the ghosts of Yishui, the trivial matters of the yamen, the delicacies of Piaoxianglou, their achievements and magic weapons, and then talk about each other's business, which was so happy.
p>Now, although Gu Xu will deliberately take care of her on the topic, try to understand her preferences, and talk to her about food from all over the country,
But Shi Xiaohan finds it difficult to truly understand her. Enter his world.
Tao, formations, Feng Shui, Gu magic, fate and divination, the struggle between saints and evil gods... these are all too obscure and difficult for her to understand. She felt that she could not compare with Princess Zhaoning in terms of appearance and talent. She was not as outstanding and considerate as Shangguan Jin, and she could not compare with many students in the academy in terms of family background... …The little princess who was once the most dazzling in Yishui County seemed to have fallen into the dust when she arrived in the city of Luojing, where dragons and crouching tigers were hidden.
She began to be afraid. What if one day Gu Xu gets tired of superficial topics such as "eating, drinking, and having fun"? Will he find a partner who has a more connected soul and similar interests?
That Qingzhou Mansion? Although her "Elixir Workshop No. 6" was her birthday gift to Gu Xu... to a certain extent, it was not a bond, a bond that kept him from leaving her.
"Fellow Tao Tao, do you know of any way to become stronger quickly? "After a brief silence, Shi Xiaohan asked Tao Xi beside him.
Tao Xi thought for a while: "Well... study hard and listen to the lectures well? ”
Shi Xiaohan thought to himself, isn’t this nonsense?
The two stopped talking.
They followed the crowd, walked across the stone bridge and walked through the corridor and Chui Hua Men.
On the way, the words of others drifted to their ears along with the biting cold wind.
"..."
"' The auditions for the Luoshui Conference have started today. Have any of you signed up? ”
“No. I heard that only fifty places were selected in the entire Luojing City. An ordinary monk like me, who only entered the third level this year, definitely has no chance. "
"Haha, Senior Brother Qian, I have seen through people like you a long time ago. You usually spend the whole day saying that you don't practice and don't pay attention to the lectures, but you always come out on top in every assessment. This time you must have secretly signed up without telling us - on the surface you said 'no confidence' and 'no chance', but secretly you were thinking of making a splash at the 'Luoshui Conference' and giving us a surprise. "
"You have to believe me. I really have no confidence at all. ”
“How hypocritical. "
"After being deceived by you so many times, only a fool will continue to believe you. "
"Recently I have heard some rumors, it seems that this year's 'Luoshui Conference' will change the format of the competition, and will no longer determine the outcome through an arena competition as before. "
"No more fighting in the ring? What would that change to? "
"Maybe it was a big melee with hundreds of people? Who survives to the end is the winner? "
"In this case, people with lower cultivation levels will have a chance to defeat the strong with the weak? For example, let's unite together first and kill the strongest people? "
"By the way, I also heard that Gu Xu from the Exorcist Division will go to the "Luoshui Conference" audition site to commentate tomorrow morning. "
"Now he is also a teacher at our Longmen Academy. You still have to treat him with a little respect and call him 'Mr. Gu'. "
"A guy younger than us is teaching us on the podium... This is really an unimaginable picture. "
"Yes, and this morning, Mr. Du repeatedly praised his attainments in Talismans. With such an exaggerated talent, I simply doubt that he has ever been blessed by God and blessed by Lord Wenchang Xingjun. "
"..."
When Shi Xiaohan heard these words, he felt mixed emotions.
She couldn't help but ask Tao Xi beside her: " Do you want to attend this year's 'Luoshui Conference'? "
Tao Xi was silent for a moment and replied: "Maybe I will try it! "
However, at this moment, the voices around him were suddenly lowered a lot.
I only heard someone shouting to his companion: "I seemed to have seen Gu Xu just now. . "
"What? Where is he? "
"It seems to be over there in the warehouse. "
"..."
No matter what the academy students thought of Gu Xu before, he is now a man of the hour in Luo Jing City, and many people are curious about him. , wanting to see what he looked like up close.
So, the crowd suddenly changed its direction and rushed from the dining hall in the northwest to the warehouse in the north.
Shi Xiaohan. He and Tao Xi followed the crowd unconsciously.
Then everyone saw two people walking and talking in the northernmost corridor.
The person walking in front is a young man wearing a green shirt and holding his head high. He has a handsome appearance and an extraordinary temperament, just like an immortal descended from the earth.
Half a step behind him was a tall, thin, middle-aged man with thin hair, wearing a gray robe. He bowed slightly and nodded, looking quite humble, as if he was asking a question from the young man in green shirt in front.
Because the environment was too noisy, the students could not hear clearly what they were talking about.
But looking at their focused expressions, it was obvious that they were discussing some inscrutable Taoist theories.
Besides them, there were many college servants helping them drive away the crowds of onlookers from all directions.
"That gentleman... is Du Jiaoxi, who taught us the Tao of Talisman this morning." Tao Xi extended his hand, pointed at the tall and thin middle-aged man, and introduced Shi Xiaohan.
Shi Xiaohan did not respond.
She looked across the crowd, past the middle-aged man, and landed on the young man in blue shirt.
It was as if there was nothing else in this world except him.
The cool breeze ruffled her hair at the temples.
A few sparrows were chirping on the eaves.
Someone pushed her from behind, but she didn't even notice it.
At the same time, the young man in green shirt suddenly turned around and glanced into the crowd.
The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and his eyes were full of smiles.
Although there were still many people standing around Shi Xiaohan.
But she knew that he must be looking at her.
So she stood on tiptoes and waved desperately at him.
She thought to herself: "It would be great if I could grow taller and be as tall as Tao Xi!"
The young man in green shirt gestured to her.
He moved quickly, but she still sensed that what he meant was "little fool."
Then he turned back and continued to answer the question Du Jiaoxi had just asked.
Shi Xiaohan's face turned red with anger, he clenched his fists and said angrily: "Gu Xu, you big bad guy, don't think I can't understand what you are talking about."
< p>At this time, she heard a female college student not far away say to her companions in an excited tone: "Really! He was definitely looking at me just now! He looked really good when he smiled!""Bilan, you really feel good about yourself! He was clearly staring at me," her female companion covered her mouth and snickered, "He also mouthed to me, 'See you on the fifth day of the new year'." "
"Oh, stop talking nonsense!"
"..."
Shi Xiaohan clenched his fists tighter.
She didn't come back to her senses until Tao Xi beside her carefully poked her arm, and then the two of them walked towards the dining hall together.
In such a situation, only delicious food can calm her mood.
…………
"What's your last question?" Gu Xu turned around and said politely to Fu Taoist Xi Duyuan beside him.
"Master Gu, you just said, 'The media will affect our understanding of the great road of heaven and earth to a certain extent'," Du Jiaoxi asked humbly, "I am not talented enough to understand this sentence. I don’t quite understand. Can you explain it in detail?"
Gu Xu said: "Let me give you the simplest example. What is the unit of time we measure?"
"Hour? "Du Jiaoxi thought for a while and responded.
"Then if we don't have bell and drum towers, no watchmen, no sundial, hourglass and other timekeeping tools, will we still have the concept of 'hour'?"
"Should we ...It won’t happen anymore.”
“But even without these timing tools, the passage of time will always exist,” Gu Xu said, “There will still be sunrises and sunsets in this world. Seasons change.
“It’s just that we may not be aware of the existence of time. We only feel the beginning, passage and end of our own activities.
“However, these timing tools have changed the way we perceive time. They make us believe that time can be separated from activities and can be used as measurable units in terms of 'hours' Form and independent existence
“The avenue of heaven and earth is like time.
"Its existence is abstract, invisible and intangible.
"Fu seal script, cause and effect, swordsmanship...these are all media used to describe it. And these media will also affect the monks' understanding of the avenue of heaven and earth to a certain extent.
"For example, if a sword cultivator practices his sword to the extreme, he will say, 'Everything in the world can be a sword.' Language'.
"However, their understanding of the avenue will ultimately have some deviations due to the respective characteristics of these media.
“Because of this, the National Normal University will say that if you want to achieve enlightenment in a certain field, you need to integrate different Taoisms and understand the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth from a more comprehensive perspective.
"Of course, this is just my own understanding. If there is anything wrong, please forgive me Mr. Du. ”
Du Jiaoxi stopped and meditated quietly.
In his opinion, Gu Xu’s thinking was always eclectic and transcendent of books, which was incredible.< /p>
But if you think about it carefully, it makes sense.
It seems that Gu Xu is not a native human race in the wilderness, but a god in the sky, taking some things that do not belong to this world. , otherworldly thoughts are brought to the world, and Du Jiaoxi is inspired by it every time they meet.
After a while, Du Jiaoxi finally digested Gu Xu’s point of view, and then clasped his hands on his chest. , bowed to Gu Xu and said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Gu, for your guidance! I'm really sorry for taking you so long! ”
Gu Xu immediately supported him and said to him:"Mr. Du is so polite! Since we work together in the academy, helping each other and exploring the avenue of heaven and earth together is what I should do."
After saying a few polite words to Professor Du, Gu Xu said goodbye to him, then continued along the corridor and left the academy through the back door.
At this time, he had received this month’s benefits from the academy’s warehouse.
In his "Xianyun Residence", there were a few more bottles of "Du Erdan", which were enough to support his practice for more than half a month.
In addition, he also got some additional materials for drawing formations, which can help him do some formation experiments at home.
"I wonder how that girl Shi Xiaohan spent her first day at Longmen Academy."
While thinking this, he boarded a car waiting outside the door. Black carriage, ready to return home.
In his dense schedule, the rest of the day had to be spent practicing and studying spells.
After all, he still needs to spend some time watching the audition for the "Luoshui Conference" tomorrow.
So today, he will try to climb a few more steps on "Homesickness Ridge".
…………
The second day of February.
The temperature is still cold, but new green leaves have sprouted on the willow trees by the Luo River.
At dawn, the sky is still dark, and the residents of Yanqingfang by the river have not yet woken up.
The lights in only two rooms stayed on all night.
One of them is the study room of Princess Zhaoning's mansion.
The other room is naturally the main room of Gu Xu’s courtyard.
After Gu Xu finished his all-night practice, he put on the official uniform of the Exorcist Department, then blew out the candles around him and walked out of the gate of the house.
A black carriage was already waiting for him outside the door.
Today's "audition" in Luo Jing City was not held on a high platform in the middle of Luoshui River - that was a place only used for grand events where the whole people carnival.
Instead, a temporary arena was set up under the South City Gate.
"Commentary guests" like Gu Xu will watch the game on the city gate tower.
Because there are so many talents in Luo Jing City, and even monks from many nearby counties have poured into the capital in recent times, the "audition" of the capital will be held at the south and north gates. Proceed separately.
A quarter of an hour later, Gu Xu arrived at his destination.
When he stepped out of the carriage, a red glow appeared on the horizon, like a faint blush on the face of a shy girl.
The cold wind rustled the flags on the city gate.
The area near the city gate is already overcrowded.
The ones at the front were naturally the monks participating in the competition - some of them held knives, some held swords, some wore cloth shirts, some wore brocade robes, some were gearing up, Some encourage each other, some are confident, and some are uneasy.
More people came to watch the fun.
If a certain monk who stepped on the stage today wins the first place in the "Luoshui Conference" in the future, they will have new talking points, and they can brag to everyone, "When such and such a monk participated in the audition, I concluded that This child is definitely not from the pool... Look, my eyes are not vicious."
Gu Xu, led by the servants, climbed to the towering city gate.
He noticed that the city walls of Luojing, including the city towers, were made of huge stone bricks, with a flat surface and a tight structure, with almost no gaps visible. There are jagged crenellations on the top of the city wall, which can be used for reconnaissance and bow shooting. Looking out from the top of the city gate, you can see the wide moat and the suspension bridge opposite the gate.
Three mahogany chairs were placed at the city gate in advance.
Beside each chair, there is a small table with teapots, teacups, desserts, etc. on the table.
At this moment, there is already a person sitting on the chair in the center.
It was a bloated middle-aged man with a big belly and a long beard. He was wearing a black gauze hat and a bright red official robe with Yunyan patches on his clothes—— This is the symbol of the fourth-grade civil servants of the Daqi Dynasty.
From a distance, it looks like a huge mountain of meat piled on the chairs.
Gu Xu was worried about whether the chair could bear his weight.
The other two chairs are still empty.
"Master Yang, I'm here to see the exorcist, Gu Xu, on the orders of Chief Luo to watch the battle." Gu Xu said to the fat man sitting on the chair.
The fat man's name is Yang Jiong, and he serves as the "Luojing Governor", that is, the secular chief executive of the Gyeonggi region, equivalent to the mayor of Luojing City. Today's audition will be hosted by him.
Hearing Gu Xu's words, Yang Jiong immediately held on to the armrests of the chair and stood up shakily. His round, fat face was filled with smiles, and his small eyes were even more squeezed. It became a seam.
He also raised his hands to Gu Xu and said: "It turns out to be Mr. Gu. I have admired my name for a long time. Please sit down, please!"
As a fourth-grade official, Yang Jiong is logically a senior official. Above Gu Xu, there is no need to stand up and return the courtesy.
But in the Daqi Dynasty, the status of practitioners was transcendent, and they could not be treated with secular etiquette. In addition, Gu Xu has been in the limelight in Luojing City recently. He is not only highly valued by the saints, but also has a title.
As a mortal with no cultivation, Yang Jiong did not dare to show any slightness in front of Gu Xu.
Gu Xu smiled and said a few polite words to him, and then sat down on the Taishi chair on the left.
At the same time, he pointed to the empty seat on the right: "Who is the other person?"
"It's Sun Mao, the elder of the 'Crazy Blade Sect'." Yang Jiong replied.
According to the arrangements of the Da Qi court, the reviewers for the "Luoshui Conference" auditions usually have to have one from an official organization and one from a folk sect. As long as your Taoist attainments meet the requirements, you will have the opportunity to be invited.
After all, "review guests" are notThey are not referees, and their words will not affect the outcome of the match.
So the court wanted to use this opportunity to win over some unofficial sects and make them feel that "we are valued by the court."
Gu Xu once learned about this "Crazy Sword Sect" in books -
Its gate is located on the outskirts of Luojing. The monks of this sect are all good at using swords, and their main specialty, "Gust Sword Technique", has always been famous for their wild and uninhibited style.
More than ten years ago, it reached an agreement with the Exorcism Department to help the imperial court eliminate ghosts in many villages south of Luojing and protect the lives of local people. The imperial court provided it with some resources to help it train disciples.
And today, Elder Sun’s work style is obviously in line with the name of the sect.
Gu Xu and Yang Jiong waited for a long time, but he never showed up at the city gate.
It was not until the bell rang and the two competing monks entered the ring that Elder Sun arrived late.
"I'm sorry, I'm late."
He said "I'm sorry", but there was no apology in his actions. Before Gu Xu could speak to Yang Jiong, he sat down on the empty chair, grabbed a piece of peach cake from the small table and stuffed it into his mouth.
Gu Xu glanced at him and didn't pay much attention to his actions.
After all, this old man is a fifth-level monk. It is normal for a worldly master to have a bit of a weird temper.
Yang Jiong's face was a little gloomy.
In his opinion, Elder Sun's behavior was in contempt of the court's rules.
But Elder Sun’s more “crazy” behavior is yet to come.
After a moment, he glanced at Gu Xu, frowned and murmured: "Why is the Da Qi court getting more and more ridiculous? They actually let a third-level, uncrowned brat join me. Get up and comment? Can he recognize the moves of all the monks in the arena?"
Then he looked at Yang Jiong: "Master Yang, be careful not to crush you. The stool under your butt...it doesn't look cheap."
Hearing Elder Sun's words, Gu Xu couldn't help but complain: "The people of the Crazy Blade Sect are all so talkative. Cover it up?"
The book has indeed recorded that "the monks of the Crazy Blade Sect tend to be wild and informal."
Seeing it with his own eyes today really opened his eyes.
But Gu Xu remained silent, without any disturbance in his heart.
There is no basis for what you say.
His talent, knowledge, and knowledge will be proven by facts later. There is no need to argue with Elder Sun.
But Yang Jiong does not have such a good attitude as Gu Xu.
I saw his fat face trembling with anger, and he retorted: "I take care of my chair myself, you don't need to worry about it!"
Of course, in On an occasion like today, they would certainly not argue at the city gate, otherwise they would become a laughing stock in front of the people of Luojing.
Yang Jiong finally restrained his temper.
The three of them looked down and turned their attention to the two young monks who were fighting in the ring.
One of them was wearing a black "Qi Yao suit" and holding a long sword. He was obviously an official of the Exorcism Department - Gu Xu remembered that he had seen his face in the yamen, but he was far away at that time. , without saying hello.
The other man wore big pants and no shirt, revealing the bronze skin and strong muscles of his upper body, and went into battle with bare hands.
According to the roster, Gu Xu knew that the former’s name was Li Zixuan and the latter’s name was Yao Xiao.
The two of them fought together, with sword lights and fist shadows mixed together, making the onlookers dizzy and exclaiming from time to time.
Gu Xu’s eyes were like still water.
Elder Sun frowned, his face a little gloomy.
Yang Jiong stared intently at the battle situation on the ring - as a mortal, he could not recognize the moves and did not understand the subtle details, but he seemed to be infected by the atmosphere on the field, and his mood changed. I became nervous, my heart was in my throat, and I even almost cheered along with the onlookers.
After a long time, the winner was finally decided in the arena.
Li Zixuan, an official from the Exorcism Department, fell outside the ring. His clothes were covered in dust and there was a bruise on his face. He looked particularly embarrassed.
Yao Xiao stood in the center of the ring with a victor's attitude.
Both of them were quietly waiting for the comments from the "guests".
PS: The chapters have been merged, with a total of 7k words. One of the chapters is an additional update for the November monthly pass. Currently, two chapters are owed.