Chapter 481 The Long Road

"drive--"

Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...

Under the gloomy sky, a horse team galloped across the wasteland, bringing up billows of dust and smoke.

Night Terror Hall walked in the front wearing a black cloak. From time to time he took out his telescope and looked at a small dot hovering in the sky several miles away.

The team behind them were the Dongming tribe members led by Qinghe, followed by a carriage in the middle, with Hua Qingzhi's master and servant sitting in it.

Hua Qingzhi was kidnapped to the Southern Dynasty for no apparent reason. During this time, she either hid in the carriage house in Jingjie City or moved with the army, and basically never left the house.

She thought that her return home was far away, and she would stay here for the next few years, and might even never see her parents again. After getting married and having children in the Southern Dynasties, Hua Qingzhi felt very depressed.

But suddenly, she was on the road to reunite with her parents again. With the speed of the cavalry, she would probably return to her father in a few days, but Hua Qingzhi couldn't be happy anymore.

After all, it was the first time I went to Yun'an with the envoy, and I left behind many beautiful memories - the first encounter at the Wang Family Medical Center, the accidental reunion in the Furong Garden, and the poetry exchange at Longyin Tower. Everything is enough to make people recall it. Half a lifetime.

And this time...

On the carriage, Hua Qingzhi raised the curtain and looked at the Black Stone Pass, which had long been invisible to the rear. She tried hard to recall the experience of this trip, but found that she could only think of the hesitation and anxiety when she was kidnapped, and the shame of the female master when she talked nonsense. , and then it becomes a blank, as if nothing has been experienced.

There are so few unexpected experiences in life, but they all ended without a cure. It’s a bit regretful to think about it...

Gulu gulu...

On the fast-moving carriage, Lu Zhu sat in front of her, looking quite disappointed. Otherwise, she would have already set off, so she wouldn't be able to say anything else.

On the opposite side of the carriage, Xuanji, who was wearing a snow-white skirt, was leaning on the couch, with her hands on the side of her face, and her peripheral vision was always on Hua Qingzhi.

During this trip to various tribes in the West Sea, Ye Jingtang had to take Hua Qingzhi to the West Sea Protectorate. At that time, he would not be able to bring too many people into the city. For safety reasons, Shui'er also followed the team and served as the second officer. The main guard is safe.

Although Xuanji's demeanor was born in this world, and he has the demeanor of a worldly master who says, "Everyone is awake, I am drunk alone", but his character is destined not to think about serious things. At this time, he was looking up and down, just observing Hua Qingzhi's figure.

Hua Qingzhi is a charming young lady from a scholarly family. She has a slender figure, is quiet and elegant, and although she does not know martial arts, her figure is of the same type as that of Xuanji.

Xuanji, the real person, held her clothes tightly. She was perfect in both shape and body proportions, but she couldn't resist the talent of her apprentice's best friend. Let's not talk about the stupid Sanniang. Even Ning'er dared to mock her, and she couldn't compare with Yunli's niece. , now it’s not easy to see a girl who is equally matched, and naturally I find it pleasing to the eye.

The long road was quite boring, and Qinghe did not accompany her to drink to relieve her boredom. Xuanji, bored, simply sat up and asked:

"Miss Hua, can you drink?"

Hua Qingzhi knew that the fairy in white across from her was the most powerful female martial artist in the Southern Dynasties. She was also the tutor of the Empress and Prince Jing. She was regarded as a master of both civil and military skills and was highly respected. She was sitting here silently, but she actually had some There is an element of restraint in it.

Seeing that the other party spoke first, Hua Qingzhi put down the curtain, turned her face back, and nodded:

"I don't usually drink much."

Master Xuanji took three small cups from the side and placed them on the small table between the two of them:

"A drink will relieve a thousand worries. Miss Hua doesn't seem to be in a good mood. Maybe after a few drinks, all her worries will be forgotten."

Wow~

Hua Qingzhi was really worried now, but she didn't know what she was worried about. Seeing the clear wine falling into the cup, she really thought about getting drunk before resting. She sat forward and asked curiously. :

"I heard that Senior Lu is a disciple of the Taoist sect?"

Master Xuanji blinked her beautiful eyes: "If you don't mention it, I have almost forgotten my true ways. Yes, I am the 19th generation disciple of Yuxu Mountain, and Lu Taiqing is my senior brother. If you don't dislike the elders who show their age, and Just call me the same as Night Terror Hall."

"Oh~"

Although Lu Zhu was not a member of the martial arts world, he had naturally heard of living gods like ‘Lv Taiqing’. When he saw Xuanji Master claiming to be his junior sister, he looked surprised and said:

"Zhenren Lu is said to be a master of Taoism in the mountain. He is already seventy or eighty years old. If Fairy Lu is a junior sister, then this year..."

Master Xuanji was accepted as a disciple by his senior brother. He has never even met his master and is not very old. However, seeing the two little ladies being curious, Master Xuanji still joked:

"I went to Yuxu Mountain when I was three years old, and now I have practiced for a full period of time."

"ah?!"

Hua Qingzhi was also secretly guessing the age of this stunning fairy. When she heard this, she looked in disbelief:

"Fairy Lu is already sixty-three?"

Master Xuanji picked up the wine glass and handed it to the two people who were dubious:

"It doesn't look like it?"

Is this similar?

Hua Qingzhi saw Xuanji's skin and figure in real life, and she believed him even if he said he was only two or three years older than her. How does this look like an old man in his sixties? She took the wine glass and held it in her hand, looking at it carefully:

"I really can't tell... Could it be that Fairy Lu has practiced the Taoist art of immortality?"

Master Xuanji did not deny or admit this, but just asked:

"Want to learn?"

As a daughter, Hua Qingzhi definitely hopes to have an ageless appearance, but it would be too abrupt to directly ask for apprenticeship. She shook her head:

"I'm just asking out of curiosity. I heard that Fairy Lu taught the civil and martial arts of Wei Shengsheng and Prince Jing?"

Master Xuanji naturally nodded at this:

"It's a pity that he is useless. He has only learned half of my master's skills. He is usually too embarrassed to talk to others. The most powerful person I have ever taught is Ye Jingtang. I personally taught him his handwriting."

The first time Hua Qingzhi saw Ye Jingtang, she was attracted by its handwriting that looked like silver hooks and iron paintings. She was naturally surprised when she heard the words:

"Mr. Ye's calligraphy was also taught by Fairy Lu?"

In order to teach Ye Jingtang how to write, Master Xuanji even had her bow-tie pants taken away. However, it was hard to explain these things clearly. She just said:

"Monks don't lie. The Night Terror Hall is outside. If you don't believe me, just ask him."

"Why don't I believe it? It's just an accident. I didn't expect Fairy Lu to look so young and be able to teach three outstanding people. I give Fairy Lu a toast."

Hua Qingzhi raised her glass to toast and drank it down solemnly.

As a result, she never thought that this pretty and dusty fairy would drink wine that was stronger than a rough man, and her mouth felt like a burning knife. She choked and coughed twice, and tears instantly came out:

"Ahem..."

Luzhu accompanied the toast, but also choked. His face turned red and he quickly put down the glass to help the young lady calm down. At the same time, he interjected:

"I heard that killing, stealing, sexual intercourse, lying, and drinking are the five precepts of Taoism. Does Fairy Lu break the precepts by drinking alcohol?"

Master Xuanji poured wine for the two of them again, speaking seriously and nonsense:

"There is an old saying outside, saying, 'Food and wine pass through the intestines, but the heart of the Buddha remains', which is the principle of cultivation. If the body is moved and the mind is not moved, breaking the hundreds of precepts is also on the path of cultivation; if the body is not moved and the mind is not moved, it is nothing more than a lifetime of hard work. Worldly idiot..."

Hua Qingzhi finally managed to suppress the alcohol, but her head started to feel dizzy. After hearing this, she continued:

"It means 'cultivation talks about the mind but not the traces'?"

"Hmm, I have some wisdom."

"The root of wisdom seems to be a Buddhist saying..."

"The great road leads to the simplest road. Different roads lead to the same destination. Come and drink."

"Oh, teachable..."

…

At the same time, outside the carriage.

Because Fan Qinghe didn't want to hook up with the witch in front of his tribe, he kept riding outside, maintaining the calm look that 'King Dong Ming' should have.

Hearing that the enchantress started to play tricks again and deceive the little girl, Fan Qinghe felt a little annoyed. He speeded up his horse and came to the Night Terror Hall and whispered:

"Jingtang, you don't care about her? You almost fooled Miss Hua into lameness..."

?

Ye Jingtang was originally tracking birds with a telescope. When he heard this, he put down the telescope, his eyes were a little strange, and he thought to himself:

If you are lame, at least you have a good leg. Miss Hua...

However, these words were not appropriate. Ye Jingtang quickly brushed away the distracting thoughts and looked back:

"I'm bored on the road, so there's nothing wrong with joking to relieve my boredom. Why don't you go get some drinks too?"

"I am Zhu Zong of the Dongming tribe. What do you think of drinking while marching in a hurry?"

After Fan Qinghe said something with his head held high, he looked back to make sure that the tribesmen were not paying attention, and then whispered:

"Also, last time you went out, you only had me and Yunli by your side. You came to me every day to help you take care of yourself, and I didn't say anything. This time the witch followed you, and you..."

Ye Jingtang raised the corner of his mouth:

"Understood, together."

"What together!"

When Fan Qinghe was playing in a group, the demon girl looked at and bullied her, and Sanniang Ning'er was able to help her block it. If they were two people together, with the demon girl's naughty and fun-loving temperament, they might have tricked her into something. He looked pitiful, and his eyes were slightly fierce:

"You can only bully her, not me. Otherwise, I will not come out when I return to Dongming Mountain this time!"

Ye Jingtang didn't believe it at all, but verbally followed Aunt Fan and nodded:

"I know."

Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...

——

The group of people galloped towards the north, following the traces of the unknown cavalry ahead, keeping a distance of twenty miles from each other, with Niaoniao acting as a reconnaissance plane to guide them back and forth.

The scene outside the pass was very different from that in Liangzhou. More than a month ago, King Liang led the Liangzhou army to Liaoyuan and surrounded Pingyi City. The entire Liaoyuan had turned into a battlefield, and traces of small-scale battles could be seen from time to time.

The few villages and towns that were originally scattered on the prairie have been turned into empty cities in the war. Except for the occasional scouts from the two dynasties that they encountered during the march, no one was seen.

Because Pingyi City had been completely surrounded, with tens of thousands of Liang Wang's troops stationed around it, the unknown cavalry ahead did not go to Pingyi City.

Ye Jingtang followed him like this for two days. He originally thought that the other party wanted to go directly to the Xihai Protectorate. However, after passing through Pingyi City, he found that the tracking team began to move northwest and slowly arrived in the Heihe area.

The tribes in the West Sea are not all deserted Gobi. After crossing the Liaoyuan, they arrive at the Hexi Plain on the north bank of the Heihe River. It is one of the few areas suitable for farming among the tribes in the West Sea. It is ruled by the Gouchen Tribe and more than 20 small tribes, and the area is as large as Liang. The state is about the same size. After crossing Haoshan Mountain, you will reach the area where Xuanhao tribe is located.

After the fall of the Northwest Royal Court, the leader of the tribes in the West Sea was the Gou Chen tribe. Sima Yue publicly paid tribute with the tribes, but secretly colluded with King Zuo Xian, not only refusing to pay taxes, but also helping to suppress the In exchange for the benefits of Beiliang, various ministries opened up wasteland and cultivated land quietly.

After twenty years, all the tribes had insufficient food to eat, but the Gouchen tribe's population had doubled, and the extra people were still young adults. Among the tribes in Xihai, it could be called the largest family.

Night Terror Hall is across the river, and you can see the cultivated land and cities on the plains. The population is much denser than that of the Dongming tribe. Because the two countries are at war on the Liaoyuan side, many soldiers and horses have been stationed in fortifications along the Black River.

Fan Qinghe drove his horse to follow all the way. At this time, he stood beside Ye Jingtang and motioned to a city on the other side of the river:

"That's the Black Cluster City. It's stuck in the Heihe River Triangle. It's named after its shape like an arrow. It used to be the military center of the Royal Court, specifically used to prevent the south from moving north."

Just looking at the location where this city was built, Ye Jingtang knew that this was the southern gateway to the Northwest Royal Court. He nodded and said:

"Looks impregnable."

"That's natural. The Gouchen tribe is the strongest of the four major tribes. It borders the Heihe River in the south and is surrounded by mountains on the other three sides. There are passes everywhere, which is much harder to fight than Dongming Mountain. If Sima Yue hadn't wanted to fight to the death and rebelled, , it won’t be a problem for the Royal Court to survive for another few decades..."

Fan Qinghe said this and said:

"Each tribe is proud of their ancestors, and the Gouchen tribe and the Wuma tribe kill each other's clan leaders, which is not an irreconcilable conflict, but being a dog to the Southern and Northern Dynasties is a serious sin that is not worthy of entering the ancestral hall.

"You are from the tribes of Xihai. Even if you kill Sima Yue yourself, the Gouchen tribe will still return to the royal court. There are big differences in the Gouchen tribe now, mainly because it is too close to the Xihai Protectorate.

"As long as the Gou Chen tribe returns to the royal court, they will definitely be the first to be beaten. And you and the Gou Chen tribe have an old grudge. If you deliberately use them as consumables after taking power, they will be left alone to face Beiliang. …”

Before Ye Jingtang came over, he also learned about the chaotic situation of the tribes in the West Sea from Yuhu Benben, and said:

"We will unite other ministries first. As long as we cooperate with the imperial court and achieve results, they will naturally follow. The imperial court has sent heavy troops this time. Even if there is no Gouchen Division, it is not impossible to defeat the Xihai Protectorate."

Fan Qinghe, as the king of the Dongming Tribe, said:

"Don't think too highly of the Southern Dynasty. The Gouchen tribe is in front, and behind you are Haoshan Mountain, Dongming Mountain, and the Wuma tribe's grassland. If you, Queen Tianlang, hadn't stood up to carry the flag, all the tribes in the West China Sea would be watching. King Liang had his head smashed, and he never thought about the black river in front of him. If he dared to go deep into the Xihai Protectorate alone, he would have to be taken back by the troops of Heicucheng to make dumplings. "

Ye Jingtang didn't know much about warfare, and he didn't delve into these matters. He looked at the cavalry that had crossed the river:

"Looking at the direction of this team, they are going to Black Cluster City. Could it be that they are contacting the Gou Chen Department?"

Fan Qinghe shook his head: "The tribes in the West Sea are now considered the territory of Beiliang. How can King Zuo Xian rest assured that the Gou Chen tribe will control such an important place as Black Cu City? Although the place belongs to the Gou Chen tribe, there is King Zuo Xian in it. The army is said to be assisting in defense, but in fact it is to defend the Gou Chen tribe from rebelling and seizing the city. The people who went to find King Zuo Xian could not tell for sure. "

Night Terror nodded thoughtfully, and after looking at the river bank for a while, turned and returned to the carriage:

"Fairy Lu, we are about to cross the river. I will find a...strip..."

The car curtain was opened, and the aroma of wine came out of the shop.

In the not-so-large carriage, Xuanji was leaning on the couch, her cheeks flushed and she was sleeping with her hands on the side of her face.

Hua Qingzhi, who had been dragged to drink all the way, was already too drunk and had already been drunk for two days. At this time, she was resting against Lvzhu.

Hearing the voice, Hua Qingzhi opened her eyes dizzily, and after looking at the Night Jing Hall for a while, she heard:

"Young Master Ye, I...I'll have a drink with you..."

"?"

Ye Jingtang was speechless. He walked into the carriage and helped Miss Hua, who was about to pour him a drink, up. Then he turned around and held Shui'er's hands and shook them:

"Shui'er?"

Master Xuanji slowly opened her eyes, first patted the hand of the Night Terror Hall thief, and then looked around:

"Are you there?"

"We need to cross the river somewhere. I'll find a boat."

Ye Jingtang was half-crouching in the carriage, and as soon as he straightened Shui'er upright, Hua Qingzhi, who was behind him, fell down in a daze, and her forehead was pressed against his back.

Boom~

Ye Jingtang helped Hua Qingzhi again and said helplessly:

"She doesn't know how to drink. Why did she drink so much? What should she do if she gets into trouble when she is away from home?"

Master Xuanji regained consciousness after waking up, stood up and supported Hua Qingzhi:

"Children, don't interfere with adults' matters. Just go to your boat."

?

Ye Jingtang felt that Shui'er was a little skinny. Seeing that Hua Qingzhi was so dizzy that she probably couldn't remember anything, she raised her hand and patted Shui'er on the back of her waist.

Pa~

Unexpectedly, Hua Qingzhi had not completely broken up yet. After seeing this scene in a daze, she even covered her buttocks. Apparently she was afraid that Ye Jingtang would also spank her.

Naturally, Ye Jingtang didn't take advantage of the situation. After asking Shui'er to take good care of him, he got off the carriage and found a boat to cross the river nearby...

———

Rong Aguan writes a little slower. It’s not that he doesn’t want to write, but he does lack energy. I’ve had breakfast since I started writing in the morning, and I’ve only written so much. I should be fine once the weakness subsides or2