Chapter 23: Life is like water under ice
In Qihuang Valley, the moon is bright and dim.
Although the environment of the small courtyard next to Hantan is elegant, the roar of the waterfall outside the window makes it difficult for Zuo Lingquan, who lives here, to fall asleep.
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The courtyard is surrounded by bamboo trees, and the environment is simple and elegant. Apart from the bed, desk, and wardrobe, there are no other furnishings in the room.
There was a green lamp on the table and a sword on the bedside. Zuo Lingquan sat cross-legged on the bed and read the "Qi Nourishing Jue" given by Wu Qingwan.
The Qi refining techniques of each sect are the core foundation of establishing oneself. It is impossible to record them all in one book, and they are usually divided into many books.
For example, the "Qi Nourishing Technique" practiced in Qihuang Valley can only be practiced up to the sixth level of the Spiritual Valley, and it will be broken at critical moments.
If you want to learn the latter, you have to go to Jingtai to worship the mountain.
The same is true for Qihuang Valley. The function of the classics room is to preserve the Qi Refining Technique. The "Qi Nourishing Technique" is divided into eighteen parts, and the next one will be given when the level is reached.
In this way, the disciples who leave the sect will pass it on to the apprentice privately. The highest level the apprentice can reach can only be on the same level as the master. If he wants to be promoted, he must come to Qihuang Valley to become a disciple.
This can be regarded as a way for the major immortal families to maintain their monopoly position. Casting a wide net over a long period of time not only saves the initial investment, but also wins the gratitude of the lower-level monks.
Wu Qingwan admired Zuo Lingquan very much and gave him "Qi Yang Jue", which recorded the cultivation methods from the first level of 'Qi Sea' to the third level of 'Dove Tail'.
Zuo Lingquan read it for a moment, closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the bed, feeling the ethereal 'qi' between heaven and earth with his heart.
It's a pity that such an attempt, even with the guidance of the skill map, has the same result - nothing.
After sitting on the bed for a long time, Zuo Lingquan felt nothing except that the waterfall outside was a bit noisy. He sat with his eyes closed for too long and was still in a trance. Inexplicably, he remembered the incident of scratching Wu Qingwan's clothes in the afternoon.
The two big white lumps lingered, and they subconsciously compared them with Tang Jingxun and Jiang Yi.
Knowing that he had evil thoughts in his heart, Zuo Lingquan stopped his meaningless meditation, picked up his sword and walked out of the courtyard. He came to the cold pool with water as clear as a mirror and started practicing his sword day after day.
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On the cliff above the waterfall, Wu Qingwan also didn't rest.
After seeing Zuo Lingquan's swordsmanship, Wu Qingwan rummaged through her collection of books, trying to find the answer to why she couldn't refine her true energy, but unfortunately she couldn't find any clues. In the end, she could only run to the stone platform and sit cross-legged. Looking down at the young man, he moved forward with one sword after another in an almost rigid manner.
The practice method was very rigid, but Wu Qingwan was very focused on it.
Because thatโs what practice is.
As Jiang Yi said, practicing is actually not interesting.
Everyone in Qihuang Valley is looking for 'immortality', but the road to immortality is elusive. In the sect of 3,000 people, there is probably not a single person who can truly live forever and have an eternal appearance. Everyone will leave. On a road that is impossible to reach the end, there can be no slack.
In Qihuang Valley, whether you are the master master or a new disciple, you have to get up before dawn, meditate and improve your cultivation according to the cultivation plan formulated by the master, and then complete the tasks assigned by the sect, such as sweeping the floor, weeding, Herb collection patrols, etc., day after day, year after year.
Days like this were no different from Zuo Lingquan's almost rigid thrusting of sword after sword. It seems to be full of vitality, but in fact it is lifeless. You will not dare to be lazy throughout your life, and there will be no changes, until you suddenly gain enlightenment and skyrocket, or you can't hold on and become discouraged.
Wu Qingwan watched Zuo Lingquan practice his sword, and actually understood why he persisted so stubbornly - because she, too, hoped that one day, she could experience the true freedom of the world of "arriving at Nanshan in the morning and staying at Beihai at night".
It didn't matter whether she walked or not, at least she was still on the road.
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Under the same night sky, the lights in Donghua City were as bright as day.
The incident at Qiyuntai was over, and Zuo Lingquan's name became a household name within a day.
Compared to the princes, princes and ministers in the capital, the prince-consort who was hiding in the mountains and practicing swordsmanship felt like an outsider on this night.
Floating life is like water at the bottom of ice. Zuo Lingquan's eyes have been on the ice since he was a toddler, and he is not interested in the water flowing eastward day and night; but the water under the ice, whether you pay attention to it or not, is always flowing day and night. Keep flowing quietly.
On Zhuangyuan Street in the capital, at the residence of Prime Minister Li Jingsi, the lanterns were lit and the visiting guests had just dispersed.
In the back house of the Prime Minister's Mansion, candles were lit in the study, and two silhouettes were reflected on the window paper. Careful words could be heard faintly in the deserted courtyard:
"...The eldest princess has chosen a consort, and the Jiang family will definitely rush to prepare for the princess's marriage. The prince-in-law is not someone we can use, so we have to find a way to let the eldest princess choose someone else. If the wedding ceremony is completed, given the temperament of the eldest princess, Even if I am a widow, I will not choose anyone else..."
"...The princess has made up her mind. I'm afraid it won't be easy to replace someone. My subordinates have checked today. Zuo Lingquan has really been flawless since he was a child. He is upright, has a kind heart, respects the old and loves the young, knows the law and observes etiquette. , my subordinates have been picking on each other for a whole day, and in the end, I want to marry my daughter off..."
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The desk was tapped.
"No one is perfect. Zuo Lingquan is only seventeen years old, and he is not a saint. How can there be nothing wrong with him? The stabbing of Cui Shanying in the street a few days ago was an extraordinary act. Although there was a reason for the incident and he could not be convicted, it also shows that This guy is too chivalrous and is prone to breaking the law with force. If you send someone to watch carefully, if you find an opportunity and use a little temptation, you can make him make a big mistake..."
"Li Xiang, this son is by no means a reckless person. Although the knife that stabbed Cui Shanying was harsh, it did not hurt any vital parts. He was very well-controlled. Afterwards, the Zuo family sent someone to apologize, and Cui Shanying was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear. , looking at that look, I really want Zuo Lingquan to strike again. This shows that that kid understands the situation and is ruthless only if he can be provoked, and he will take the bait if he cannot be provoked..."
"Wang Zheng, if you say nice things to him, do you really want to marry your daughter to him?"
"Alas~ Mr. Li is serious. After what I said today, a woman who wants to marry her daughter-in-law doesn't necessarily have to..."
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"I know I'm guilty, so I'll find a solution now. Li Xiangjing will just wait for good news..."
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Compared with the undercurrent in the General's Courtyard, the atmosphere in the Imperial City was much more pleasant.
The appointment of a consort by the eldest princess was a great event celebrated by the whole country. There was constant singing and dancing in the imperial city. The little emperor, who was only 12 years old, and his servants set off fireworks outside the imperial study. It was unknown why he looked so happy. My sister congratulated me, and I was secretly happy that my housekeeper-like sister finally got married.
The imperial study room was filled with incense, and there were endless memorials on the desk.
Longli Princess Jiang Yi, wearing a black and red palace dress, sat behind the imperial court and reviewed the writings. She was quite dissatisfied with the noise outside the window. From time to time she wanted to scold the emperor for going back to writing, but in the end he stopped talking.
In any case, once the consort is settled, she will really be getting married soon.
Sooner or later, after getting married, he will leave the imperial city. No matter how long he finds excuses to delay, he will not be able to delay it for too long. He and his biological brother who depend on each other will eventually become two families.
In the past, she was strict with her brother because she wanted him to grow up early, but Jiang Yi didn't want her brother to only remember her strictness, so in the last few days, she had to relax more when it was time to relax.
There was a green lamp on the table, and the firelight illuminated the neat handwriting on the memorial, but Jiang Yi couldn't read it tonight.
Before choosing a consort, Jiang Yi only regarded this as a troublesome matter, but after choosing a consort, her mentality would eventually change. Even if she didn't want to think about it, the newly familiar name 'Zuo Lingquan' still lingered. Go around the heart.
Leng Zhu held the fold and stood beside him to put his hands together. When he saw the princess raising her hand and rubbing her eyebrows, she said with concern:
"Princess, are you tired? Why don't you go back to the palace to rest."
Jiang Yi put down the gold pen for annotation and leaned back on the chair, her face indeed looking a little tired. She turned to look at the full moon outside the window, was silent for a moment, and then asked:
"Where is Zuo Lingquan?"
"I asked the arresting department to pay attention, and left the city gate at noon, heading towards Qihuang Valley."
"This guy is really positive..."
Jiang Yi murmured softly. After resting for a while, he picked up the pen again and ordered at the same time:
"Write a letter to my aunt and ask her to pay attention to Zuo Lingquan. If he dares to molest his senior sister or anything, tell me at any time and I will deal with him."
Leng Zhu only met Zuo Lingquan once, but she already knew a little about Zuo Lingquan's personality. She said softly:
"How could Mr. Zuo do such a thing? He is not one of those playboys in the capital who hangs around in romance."
Jiang Yi was first persuaded and then persuaded by Zuo Lingquan. When she heard that the person next to her, Leng Zhu, was saying good things to others, she gave Leng Zhu a sideways glance:
"What? I haven't even gotten married yet, but your heart as a personal palace maid has already gone to the prince-in-law? Are you praising him so much now because you want to make him pity you more if you follow me in the door in the future?"
Leng Zhu and Jiang Yi were the same age, and they were also young girls. Hearing this, his face turned red:
"How could that be? I'm just telling the truth."
Jiang Yi knew it was the truth, but she didn't want to hear it. She thought about it, then remembered Tang Jingxun's incident, and said:
"I don't think he is as good as he looks. Didn't he spend the night at the wine shop in Linhefang? How could a gentleman spend the night in a single woman's house... Go check it out for me, that Tang Jingxun What kind of woman is she, what is her appearance, and what is her relationship with Zuo Lingquan..."
Leng Zhu blinked, looked at Jiang Yi curiously, and said with some uncertainty:
"Princess, you...are you jealous?"
Jealous? !
Jiang Yi, who was immersed in writing, froze, then raised her eyes and said angrily:
"You damn girl, why should I be jealous? Would I be jealous of Zuo Lingquan? I had no choice, so I chose him. I don't like him. He has ten or eight women outside, and I don't even care... "
"I don't care. Why is the princess checking Tang Jingxun?"
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"Ahem, it's the maid who talks too much. The princess doesn't care, but the consort has an affair, and he can't hide it from the princess. I'm going to check it out..."
"Forget it, check for nothing, it makes me really jealous..."
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