The gathering was warm and enjoyable, but everyone had their own affairs, so it naturally dispersed. Ning Ji returned home and continued to practice his martial arts based on the insights he gained that day, without going to monitor the little rascal.
The next day was Qixi, the Double Seventh Festival, when women would pray to the moon for skill and hope for marriage. For men, the main event was to worship Kui Xing and pray for fame. The Huaxia Army held many activities that day, the most lively of which was probably the discount promotion on several designated examination books at the book market.
For example, the exquisitely printed collector's edition of "Principles of Object Examination" was sold at the price of an ordinary rough-printed version, and the paper quality alone was tempting. Because the details of the examination were only announced yesterday, a large number of scholars went to buy them that day, causing congestion at various specialty stores. The great Confucians and celebrities stayed in the tea houses nearby to recognize people, scolding them with great sorrow. Some people shouted that this was a conspiracy by the Huaxia Army to divide everyone and called for unity.
Most of those who openly came to buy books were scholars from poor families. Some lowered their heads and slipped away after buying the books, while others were righteous and didn't care about the accusations of a group of great Confucians. By the afternoon, there were gradually more situations where people asked others to "buy on their behalf." The Huaxia Army didn't stop this, and the purchase limit for each person was two sets, one for personal use, and the other could be secretly sold to others.
The chaotic situation was accompanied by the festive atmosphere. Ning Ji, who was working at the martial arts competition venue that day, heard the discussions outside. Some scholars even started brawls on nearby streets, causing the crowd and martial artists watching the competition in the venue to run out to watch the excitement. After returning, they marveled, saying that the scene was chaotic, but it was a pity that the Huaxia Army arrived too early, and no one was killed.
In the coming days, the direction of the city's trends was often so restless and chaotic. For Ning Ji, the most profound feeling was probably the significant increase in the number of participants in the martial arts competition, and the number of martial artists with internal skills and excellent skills was also gradually increasing.
Outside, after one or two months of gathering and running-in, the leading figures in both the literati and martial artist circles had made a name for themselves through this grand gathering, and people with the same goals gradually recognized their companions and gathered together.
Among them, there were Confucian scholars who wanted to directly overwhelm the Huaxia Army in academics, appearing openly and upright; some literati with intense ideas and increasingly wary of the Huaxia Army began to dive beneath the surface, secretly contacting like-minded people; some literati wavered, being the most idle; and there were also very few who accepted the Huaxia Army's ideas of the four classes of people, object examination, and enlightenment, and began to openly oppose those great Confucians—of course, it was not easy to say how many of these were spies.
On the martial artist side, several experts in internal energy finally began to show overwhelming strength in the martial arts arena, slightly increasing Ning Ji's enthusiasm for watching the competition. However, as the news that the Huaxia Army would select talents from the martial arts competition spread, the martial artists' desire to perform became even stronger, and accidents of breaking people's hands and feet often occurred, greatly increasing his workload.
Sometimes, that Huang Shan would come over to greet him, chatting and trying to get close. These bastards hadn't even started doing anything yet, and Ning Ji was already starting to hate them.
He worked during the day, strolled around at night, listened to various bizarre remarks at Wen Shoubin's place, and then watched the movements of Qu Longjun, who was locked up in the courtyard all day long. Over time, he found that women were truly terrifying.
Since arriving in Chengdu, Qu Longjun had been locked up in the courtyard for more than a month. She didn't seem to find it boring to look at the same scenery every day. Ning Ji had been running around in the mountains since he was a child, learning martial arts from experts, watching military training. He also had female childhood friends who learned martial arts from Aunt Hongti and Aunt Gua. They were no different from boys on weekdays, and they were ruthless in their attacks. Sometimes, when they fought in groups, they were unscrupulous, which even Ning Ji found troublesome. For these girls, they could live and jump around even if they were left in the wild without food for ten days. If Qu Longjun was locked in the courtyard like this, she would probably cry for her parents after three days.
Truly, specialization in one's field...
When the bad guys were just talking nonsense and didn't take any action, Ning Ji's thoughts became more and more divergent. Looking at Qu Longjun, he didn't want to kill her every day like before.
He came down from the battlefield and had also seen the families of many deceased comrades. Then, he heard that these enemies were coming to make trouble, which made him very angry. He was ready to kill anyone who crossed him. Who knew that after monitoring for a month, these ambitions were worn down by the enemies. Sometimes Qu Longjun would stare blankly downstairs, and he would stare blankly upstairs, only feeling that these people were pathetic, hateful, and pitiful.
In this way, the hottest—but actually not too uncomfortable—dog days of summer passed. On the thirteenth day of the seventh month, Chen Fan, his elder brother and sister-in-law, and others came to celebrate his birthday. In the evening, Aunt Gua and his father, who were busy with work, also secretly came for a while, encouraging him to make progress in his studies and improve every day. This was his clear early autumn at the age of fourteen.
Time passed day by day, and the restless Chengdu on the surface didn't show too many signs of great chaos...
**************
The fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Ghost Festival, yellow paper and white banners floated in the sky, and occasionally paper effigies of Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Hell Guards paraded through the streets during the day.
Qu Longjun burned paper money in the northeast corner of the courtyard to commemorate her father who had died at the hands of the Huaxia Army many years ago.
In various places on the Chengdu Plain, there were also commemorations of all sizes taking place. Under the peaceful sunlight, in a prisoner-of-war camp near the garrison of the First Division of the Fifth Huaxia Army on the north side of Meizhou, Wan Yan Qingjue stood inside the tall fence, watching the cavalry gathering and departing in the distance.
"What's wrong?"
"Something unexpected has happened on the Han dog's side..."
"Is someone coming to rescue us?"
This prisoner-of-war camp was not large, and it held many high-ranking prisoners of war who had been selected. They already knew that they would be escorted to Chengdu in half a month to participate in the prisoner-of-war presentation ceremony. This would be one of the most humiliating moments for the Jurchen clan in forty years, but there was nothing they could do about it.
However, at this moment, a group of Jurchen nobles and generals with sufficient war minds saw the unusual nature of this expedition by the Huaxia Army, as if they had encountered some unexpected situation. The thoughts of the crowd couldn't help but become active.
Of course, looking at the guards around the camp, they understood that escape was impossible. They could only hope that the Grand Marshal or the Valley God had thought of some good way to come and rescue them...
Returning to Chengdu, in the afternoon, Xigua had packed her luggage and was preparing to mount her horse with a team of guards to leave Yingbin Road. Ning Yi saw her off for a while: "Take care on this trip."
"Take care of yourself after I leave. I always feel that some people are about to lose their patience." Xigua held her husband's hand, looking a little embarrassed. "Otherwise, call Sister Hongti over..."
"There are so many people here, and Chen Fan is watching in the dark. What are you fussing about?" Ning Yi smiled. "It will be easier for them to fall in if you leave. Don't worry, what can a few hooligans do? Your man is a seasoned veteran. Anyone who comes will die."
"...After all, you are the world-renowned Blood Hand Human Butcher." Xigua hesitated for a moment, then laughed.
Ning Yi slapped her on the butt: "Alright, stop being glib. Just leave the city in a high-profile manner."
The two said goodbye again, and Xigua led her guards on horseback towards the west gate of Chengdu. Along the way, she could feel unusual gazes watching her.
……
At the same time, Lu Liutong was sitting in the upper seat as the most important guest at a gathering. In the courtyard, some young martial artists were sparring with each other, and he would give some pointers to some martial arts seniors next to him.
"Martial arts, the most important thing is such exchanges. Speaking of which, during the Jianshuo years, the fall of the Central Plains also relatively promoted the southward transmission of Northern Boxing. Look at the stances of these two, the traces of North and South are very clear... In my opinion, having them is a good thing, it shows there is exchange. Being very clear is a bad thing, it means the exchange is not enough..."
Although he was old, he had considerable experience and knowledge. Everyone nodded in admiration at his pointers. The two young martial artists who received the pointers were even more delighted, feeling that listening to these martial arts seniors was better than staying home and practicing for ten years.
At the martial arts competition venue, Lu Xiaolun, Lu Liutong's son, broke his opponent's leg with a mud hand. The referee announced his victory, and he was still shouting at the opponent, sneering as he watched the man roll around clutching his broken leg: "I told you to jump, are you jumping now?!"
The young doctor who jumped onto the stage to treat the broken leg pushed him away, his face cold and unhappy: "Don't block me, you've won."
"Hey, this injury can't be cured, don't waste your effort, he's crippled!"
"Get out of the way."
The young doctor squatted on the ground and began to skillfully perform emergency treatment. Lu Xiaolun's eyes twitched. He often broke people's bones, and he was also good at treating them. This young doctor looked skillful, and might be able to cure the other person to seventy or eighty percent. This kind of young doctor might be from the Huaxia Army who came down from the battlefield—he immediately disliked this cold face of the Huaxia Army soldier.
Just like those ungrateful guys from Badao that day, looking down on everyone!
After the referee announced the victory, he stepped down from the ring and walked towards the injured man and the young doctor who were giving first aid on the spot. He stood next to them and said: "Kid, have you been on the battlefield?"
The young doctor's face was stained with some blood, his eyes focused, and he ignored him. Lu Xiaolun walked past him, casually sweeping his foot, wanting to silently knock the person's broken leg out of place again.
Just as his foot was casually raised, with a "啪" sound, the young doctor's hand had somehow crossed over and pressed on his thigh. The force was not great, but it pressed his leg back before he could exert any force. In an instant, the hairs on Lu Xiaolun's back stood on end. The young doctor, squatting on the ground, looked up like a cold poisonous snake: "What are you doing? Walk properly."
He said this and let go. The coldness of that moment faded like an illusion. Lu Xiaolun walked towards the outside of the arena.
Cold sweat faintly seeped out from his back.
Lu Xiaolun was now in his early fifties. When he was young, he liked to enjoy himself and socialize. Although he traveled around, his occasional socializing did broaden his horizons. Now, he could be considered a martial artist of considerable skill among the Greenwoodsmen. But just now, he couldn't even tell whether the young military doctor had stopped him because of intuition or because of his martial arts skills.
He just vaguely felt that if the other party had martial arts skills and any weapon in his hand, with just that one move, the blood vessels in his thigh would have been cut open. This vital point was touched casually, and he hadn't been able to react. Was it because the other party's martial arts skills were high, or was it because he was careless...
Considering the other party's age, he believed the most likely possibility was that he had been careless.
The sunlight of the early autumn evening shone on the streets of Chengdu. He met up with a junior brother who had followed him, and walked towards the place where his father was attending the gathering not far away, still thinking about the young military doctor's business on the road. After walking a few streets like this, on a street with not many pedestrians, his junior brother suddenly tugged at him. Lu Xiaolun looked up towards the front, and a tall man wearing a gray-white turban was coming towards them, his eyes not looking kind.
This man was burly, half a head taller than Lu Xiaolun. His hands had large knuckles, and his fists and knuckles were covered in calluses, obviously a Greenwoodsman with considerable skills. Lu Xiaolun didn't care about the other party's physique. His lifelong studies were dedicated to breaking bones, and he wasn't afraid of hard skills. On the other hand, some swift and agile weapon skills could pose a threat to him. Looking at the other party now, he cupped his fist in salute.
"Who are you?"
The man walked evenly, swinging his fists, still coming over: "Lu Xiaolun, the successor of Old Man Liutong, recently everyone in the city is talking about the flaws of Badao, I've come to try your martial arts. Let's spar."
Recently, Lu Xiaolun and his father had been participating in various grand gatherings and had been paying attention to the masters who had poured into Chengdu to participate in the martial arts competition during this period. But he had no impression of the person in front of him. The other party's attitude was calm, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of him, his hands open, relying on that physique, he really had an aura of swallowing heaven and earth. Lu Xiaolun rushed forward.
The two men's arms collided hard in the air twice. Lu Xiaolun only felt pain in his arms. He joined his arms together, using the skill of the Eagle Claw to directly grab the other party's left arm, intending to twist it off as soon as he grabbed it. The sound of the wind from a fist whistled beside him!
This punch came up along the left rib. Lu Xiaolun's mind buzzed, and he felt that his internal organs were churning. He was about to vomit his overnight meal. The surging pain spread to his head. The next moment, his Eagle Claw could no longer grab the other party's arm. The other party took a step back and punched him in the face. Then, he grabbed him with a stride, rotating and throwing him out.
Lu Xiaolun's body rolled seven or eight zhang on the road, and yellow earth flew everywhere. The junior brother who had been standing next to him was about to rush forward, but the big man's fist, as big as a vinegar pot, slammed down and knocked the other party to the ground, unconscious.
Lu Xiaolun spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground, trying to get up. Because his stomach was churning, he struggled and failed to succeed. The big man hadn't made a fatal move. Looking at the pair of junior brothers on the road at this time, he finally shook his head: "Alas, another fame-seeker..."
"You are...you...are..."
Lu Xiaolun endured the feeling of wanting to vomit and spoke with difficulty. Having mixed in the Greenwoods for thirty years, he knew very well that he could be beaten, but he couldn't not know the identity of the person who beat him. For example, being beaten by Zhou Tong, being beaten by Lin Zongwu, being beaten by Xinmo, surviving the beating was originally a dazzling achievement. This man in front of him was so skilled, how could he be unknown?
Under the setting sun, the man did not answer and disappeared at the end of the road in the blink of an eye.
……
The figure who beat Lu Xiaolun walked across several streets. When he arrived outside the martial arts venue, he happened to meet the end of today's competition. He found a bamboo hat and put it on, quietly looking at the resumes and deeds of the "masters" on the propaganda board by the roadside, estimating their martial arts skills. He also hoped to see some clues about the strength of the Huaxia Army, or, he hoped to find out how high Xinmo's martial arts were.
During these days, he had also cautiously searched for companions who might be trustworthy. He had thought that the Lu family, who had been touted as a Greenwoods leader and seemed to have some grudges with Badao, would be so powerful. Who knew that after fighting, they were just mice.
Looking at the crowd walking out of the martial arts venue, his eyes were a little complicated. He had practiced boxing all his life and was obsessed with martial arts. If possible, he originally wanted to join such a competition of masters to explore the truth of martial artists in the world.
But it didn't matter.
This time, the Left Prime Minister Tie Yan personally came to visit, asking him to come out of the mountains.
A scholar dies for his confidant.
Some small pleasures had to be put down.
Wang Xiangfo thought so in his heart.
After watching for a while, he walked towards the front, leaving this street. By the side of the road, the young doctor, carrying a portion of pig's head meat, stepped onto the road home, passing him by.
*************
The setting sun sank below the horizon, and someone gathered in private.
"...If we don't act again, the Huaxia Army will finish dealing with the surrounding affairs and enter the city."
"...Today's meeting is for this matter."
"...This afternoon, Liu Xigua left the city with people."
"...She is going to deal with an urgent matter."
"...After the Southwest War, the Huaxia Army captured nearly 40,000 Jin soldiers, and the surrendered Han soldiers totaled hundreds of thousands..."
"...The resettlement and incorporation of these people, the control of the entire Sichuan Fourth Route, and various aftermaths have exhausted the strength of the Fifth Huaxia Army..."
"...They are preparing to free up their hands and hold a military parade to present prisoners in early August..."
"...Militarism."
"...Scolding is useless..."
"...It takes time for the Huaxia Army to handle things, and our people are not coming quickly. Now it's a mess outside. It seems that if we don't act for a while, these scholars will have infighting themselves..."
"...If we want to do something, we only have this little time..."
"...Fortunately, the old bull-headed guy next to them had an accident..."
"...The Liu surname Badao came forward to quell the situation. The First Division of the Fifth Huaxia Army, I heard, also received orders and was urgently dispatched. In this way, their forces will still be tight for a few days..."
"...The Ghost Festival opens the gate of hell. It's these few days... What do you all think?"
……
……
……
Silence stretched for a long time, and someone tapped their finger down.
Bang.
"...It will surely resonate with a hundred responses."
……
……
In the courtyard, Ning Ji, who returned a little late, lit yellow paper, placed the pig's head meat in front, and commemorated the two or three people in his memory. The autumn night was even more pleasant. He was not yet old enough to truly understand the meaning of commemoration. After talking for a while, he ate the pig's head meat with rice.
Summer was over, and he was another year older. There was peace everywhere, completely different from the atmosphere before the Jurchens came. There probably wouldn't be any fighting and killing next.
……Disappointment.