Small town
It was snowing, and thick clouds hung over the sky. The white salt and snow hit people's faces. The wind howled for the whole night, and the weather suddenly became abnormally cold. The people on the road all rubbed their hands in the cold, and their noses were bright red.
It was almost the new year. Pei Zi Yun sat in an inn and looked out the window at the falling snow. In the distance, he could hear the faint sounds of crying.
"Boss, what's wrong?" The boss was pasting the couplets. It was almost midnight, and there were very few customers. The boss announced that everyone who came to eat and stay today would have a 20% discount.
Hearing Pei Zi Yun's question, she sighed, "It was a mother and daughter. Halfway through their journey, the man died of illness. Since he died, and they had no money to return home, they were crying."
"The mother and daughter are going to sell themselves to buy a coffin to bury their man. Our cries have disturbed you!"
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he did not say a word. He then walked out of the door. A gust of cold wind blew against him, carrying snow with it. Pei Zi Yun looked over and saw that not far from him, the river had frozen over. The snow on the ice was swirling around like mist.
Pei Zi Yun looked at the two men squatting under the eaves and did not move forward. After some time, he said, "Boss, boss!"
The boss caught up to him, "Young Master, your dishes are almost ready. What can I do for you?"
"If I remember correctly, a normal coffin would only cost three taels of silver. Staying in your inn should be enough for a few taels of silver right? Here, take this." As he said this, he took out two silver ingots and threw them over.
The innkeeper took a look and saw that there were two taels of silver. The innkeeper could see that the silver was thin, the edges were white and the bottom was white. When he bit into it, he could see that the inside was white. This was about eighty percent of the highest quality silver. He then asked, "Young master, what is this?"
"Give it to the mother and daughter. Return your lodging fee and buy a coffin. Keep the rest for your traveling expenses."
As soon as these words were spoken, the innkeeper's smile froze. He then spoke with much sincerity, "Young Master is really kind. However, I do not need to pay for this inn. This inn has been in my hands for five generations. If a customer dies here, I do not charge any fees. Young Master, don't worry, I will send the money over."
Pei Zi Yun sat down and nodded his head. At this point, a waiter came over with some food and wine, "Young Master, your food and wine are here."
Pei Zi Yun nodded his head, and the waiter carried the plates down the stairs.
Pei Zi Yun ate his meal as he stared at the snowflakes falling from afar. Ever since he killed the pirates and burnt the Dao Amulet, no one had attacked him along the way.
Go back?
If something like this happened, they wouldn't be able to complete the task of requesting for a conferment when they returned. At that time, the sect would definitely replace them with someone else to do it. Who would get the credit then?
If he lost this point, he would lose the opportunity to become the Sect Leader's Disciple. He could not retreat, he could only move forward.
Thinking up to this point, he still felt a little depressed. He poured himself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp. He felt a burning sensation in his throat. After eating a few mouthfuls of the dishes, his brows relaxed.
"Young Master, I see that you are depressed, and it seems that things are not going well. Can you give me a cup of wine so that I can help you resolve the knot in your heart?" A voice drifted over. Pei Zi Yun looked up and saw a Daoist leading a Daoist boy. They stood in front of the table in front of Pei Zi Yun.
'This Daoist has come in a strange manner. Let's see what he has to say before making a decision.' Thinking this way, Pei Zi Yun then said, "Daoist, please take a seat and drink."
The Daoist boy then sat down in front of Pei Zi Yun and picked up a piece of peanuts. It was extremely fragrant and crispy. He then downed a cup of wine, looking extremely refreshed.
Pei Zi Yun laughed and poured himself a cup of wine as well. He then looked at the little Daoist boy beside the Daoist boy. This little Daoist boy had her hair combed into a hairpin, and looked extremely delicate. Her face was red from the cold, and her face was expressionless. Pei Zi Yun frowned.
'Who is this little girl? She looks familiar. And from her expression, she doesn't seem friendly towards me!' Pei Zi Yun thought to himself as he hesitated. Pei Zi Yun then laughed, "Daoist Leader, I'm afraid you're here to scam food and wine out of me. But that's nothing much. I'm in a bad mood. Daoist Leader, if you want to drink, please do so. In this snowy weather, the two of us can drink together and chat."
"Waiter, bring the bowls and chopsticks, and add a few more dishes for these two guests." Pei Zi Yun turned around and shouted to the waiter.
"Alright, please wait a moment, it'll be served soon!" The waiter acknowledged and brought the bowls, chopsticks, and wine over. The little Daoist boy sat down as well and picked up the chopsticks to eat the dishes, as if he was hungry.
The Daoist boy took the wine pot and poured himself a cup of hot wine. He then tilted his head back and drank, "This wine is not bad. Did you give the mother and daughter some money just now? You're indeed kind. "
"The new year is coming, and those who are still staying in this inn are all poor people. I have money on hand, why should I be stingy with it?" Pei Zi Yun drank a few cups of wine and saw that the Daoist boy was deep in thought. He then laughed, "This is just a feeling of the human heart. It cannot be said that I'm kind. Or rather, when people are rich, they tend to be kind. When people are poor, they tend to be evil.
When people are rich, they tend to be kind. When people are poor, they tend to be evil. When people are good, they tend to be evil. "The Daoist boy nodded his head and sighed," Well said. "
"The world is chaotic, and people compete to eat each other. There's no such thing as kindness. I, a Daoist, am deeply affected by this."
"Now that the world has been peaceful for seven years, good people will be born from peace. Young Master, how long do you think this peace will last?"
Pei Zi Yun gulped down a cup of wine and ate some of the dishes. He then looked at the falling snow and laughed, "Daoist, why are you so curious about my opinion? If I had to say, the world has been divided for a long time, and united for a long time, it must be divided. For thousands of years, this has happened."
"Haha!" The Daoist boy laughed, "Young Master must be joking. The world has been divided for a long time, and united for a long time, it must be divided. It's just that to you and me, whether we live in peace or chaos, the difference is like the distance between heaven and earth."
"Ever since the collapse of the previous dynasty, our dynasty has been in order. This year is already the seventh year. The Imperial Court is stable, and it's a blessing for the people."
Pei Zi Yun listened to the Daoist boy's words and laughed, "The world is far from stable."
He paused before continuing, "As a person, three years is enough to stabilize the world. There's an old saying, 'Three years does not change your father's ways'."
"As a ruler, only thirty years can be considered stable. The dynasty has only been established for seven years, and we need at least another twenty years of peace before the world can truly be considered stable."
When the Daoist boy heard this, he laughed, "Young Master, you're right. The Emperor's body isn't stable, and he's in a hurry to clear out all the evils in the world to pave the way for the Crown Prince. This is where trouble lies. Young Master, what do you think of this?"
Pei Zi Yun froze as he gulped down his wine. He then laughed, "Daoist boy must be joking. My dynasty has just been established, and the Emperor ascended the throne at the age of forty-five. It's been seven years since then, and we're in the prime of our lives. I hope that the Emperor will take good care of his body, and rule for another twenty years without any worries.
"Young Master is right, that makes sense. It's just that Young Master said that the world isn't stable yet, and now you're saying that you hope for the Emperor to rule for another twenty years. Are you saying that without these twenty years of peace, there will be trouble?"
"If that's the case, Young Master agrees with me. The fate of the world is still changing. I can see that Young Master is a genius, and can see things clearly. In the future, there will be chaos."
Pei Zi Yun cleared his throat, "I can see that you, Daoist priest, understand better. Is Daoist priest trying to stir up the tides, or is he trying to stir up the winds?"
When the Daoist heard Pei Zi Yun's words, he drank his wine and smiled without saying a word. He then stood up, "The wine's almost finished. Look, the mother and daughter are here to thank you."
When the mother and daughter walked over, the mother raised her head and looked at Pei Zi Yun, thanking him profusely.
"My man came to the prefecture to take the examinations, and failed. He was too ashamed to return home. When my mother and I heard the news, we rushed over and found him in this inn."
"He's been sick for a long time, and I took care of him. I couldn't save him, and only managed to see him one last time."
"I've spent all the money I had on me, and didn't expect Young Master to give me ten taels of silver."
As she spoke, she started crying. Pei Zi Yun consoled her, and found out that she still had a son at home, and a few acres of land. He guessed that the silver would be enough for them to return home. He then said, "No matter what, let's buy a coffin and send it back."
The innkeeper then walked up to them and persuaded them to leave.
Pei Zi Yun was a big customer, and was very generous with his money. The innkeeper boiled a huge bucket of hot water and sent it to Pei Zi Yun's room. Pei Zi Yun soaked in the bucket, and the innkeeper added more water from time to time.
"We've troubled the innkeeper."
"Of course not, I can't be compared to Young Master's kindness."
Pei Zi Yun was in a daze as he asked, "Along the way, how are the people?"
"It's alright. Firstly, the security is good. A few years ago, there was chaos, and there was killing everywhere. Bandits were everywhere. Although this inn of mine has been passed down for five generations, I couldn't afford to close it down. Now that the world is at peace, we're living a better life."
"Don't think that the mother and daughter look pitiful. A few years ago, they died on the road, and we didn't even have time to bury them." The innkeeper said as his muscles twitched, as if he was thinking about the tragedy.
"I'd rather be a dog in times of peace than a man in times of chaos." Pei Zi Yun nodded his head as he stood up. The innkeeper then retreated out of the inn.
Pei Zi Yun lay under his blanket, and saw an old book. Seeing that it was a novel, he laid on the bed and started flipping through it. Gradually, he fell asleep.
The night grew darker, and the wind blew. All of a sudden, a flash of light appeared under the eaves of the room. The light shone through the window, and Pei Zi Yun's screams could be heard from inside. It sounded like he was crying out in pain, and soon, everything went silent.
The room was silent for a long time, as snowflakes continued to fall. After some time, Pei Zi Yun's voice could be heard, "Dao leader, why didn't you come in?"
"Clap clap!" The sound of clapping could be heard from outside, as a Daoist appeared, "Master Top Scorer, you're so alert, and managed to avoid the ambush. How could I put myself in danger?"
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun pushed open the window, "I've been discussing matters of the country with this Daoist brother in the day, and yet you're here to kill me at night. I wonder who leaked my information? I hope that Daoist brother will be honest with me. "
The Daoist had already left with the young boy. When he heard the footsteps, he turned around and smiled, "Master Top Scorer, you pointed your sword at us. How can I tell you who it was that left a mark on your body? How can we know your whereabouts?"
"Dao leader, if you don't wish to speak, you wouldn't have answered me."
"That's true. This is an open plot. Look around you, and you will find the person who planted the Dao Amulet." As he spoke, the Daoist turned around to leave.
'Yes, Song Zhi and I are enemies. Why would an outsider benefit from this? This is an open plot. It's a pity that I have no choice but to accept it. How can I allow the person who framed me to go unpunished?'
Pei Zi Yun thought to himself. All of a sudden, a light bulb went off in his head. The young Daoist was the daughter of the leader who tried to assassinate him. He had seen her before at the relay station.
It was just that she looked familiar. Could it be that the original owner knew her?
He then shouted, "Dao leader, please take care. Can you tell me the name of the young girl you've brought with you?"
"Ji Ai Guo!" The Daoist replied. He then took a big step forward and disappeared into the snowy night.
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