The night wind blew, and the stars in the sky dimmed. In the quiet courtyard of the county town, the door was closed with a few clicks. Only a few rays of light seeped through the gap. Although Zhou Dong's kick was powerful, the direction of the kick was accurate. Lin Chong's back hit between the two doors, breaking the latch. Fu Lu found a wooden stick to replace the latch and bolted the door.
When he turned around, the angry old man was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, holding a teacup as he waited for the tea to boil on the stove beside him. The old man's face was reflected in the flickering light of the fire. Fu Lu went over and stirred the fire. "Actually... Junior Martial Brother Lin has had a hard time..."
The furious old man shook his head at this moment, but it did not mean that he was in denial. Instead, he seemed to be a little disinterested. He held the small teacup, closed his eyes, and thought for a while. The courtyard was silent for a while. Then Zhou Dong spoke.
"That year, among the disciples I accepted, Lin Chong was the most talented. He was the best at martial arts, and he won the most matches between fellow disciples." The old man slightly raised his head. He spoke slowly as he recalled. "He had a good relationship with everyone, and he also had dealings with you. But among those disciples, I didn't like him. Lin Chong didn't know this, but you asked me... Do you remember? "
Fu Lu thought for a while and nodded. "I remember. At that time, master, you only admitted this, but you didn't give a reason. I always thought that Junior Martial Brother Lin had done something improper in private, so I kept him at a distance and often observed him in secret. Later, I found that Junior Martial Brother Lin's character wasn't bad, so I thought master had misunderstood something.
"You were the senior martial brother of all of them, and you followed me the longest. Naturally, you could see my likes and dislikes. But you guessed wrong. It was just that at that time, I couldn't say. Do you see it now? "
"Is Junior Martial Brother Lin's character... too cowardly?"
"To be able to walk on the grass and kill so many people, his character can't be said to be cowardly." Zhou Dong shook his head and opened his eyes. "In his heart, there was one less knife."
Hearing this, Fu Lu hesitated. "I remember that at that time, you kept saying that martial artists should hide their knives..."
"That's right. Martial artists have to hide their sabers." Zhou Dong sighed. At this time, the tea was already boiling. He took down the kettle and began to pour tea. In the deep night, the smell of boiling tea permeated the courtyard. "When I taught the Imperial Fist Dojo, the disciples were all fierce fighters. If we use force to fight and kill at every turn, what have I taught them? Therefore, although Shi Wengong's martial arts skills are high, I really don't like him. Hmm, Shi Wengong. His name has the words' Shi ',' Wen ', and' Gong '. Back then, I thought he was a modest person. Although Chong Lin has the character 'Chong' in his name, it's actually the other way around. "
Putting down the teapot, he said, "Back then, it was also because I didn't want martial arts practitioners to act recklessly that I told my disciples to hide their swords. I even warned them that when they couldn't bear it anymore, they should at least give in. Because they always felt that they couldn't bear it anymore when they could still bear it. But Lin Chong had grown up in a rich and populous place. Although he had a high level of comprehension, he had learned early on the power of rules. That's why even though he's talented in martial arts, I can only say that he has a good attitude. He's too vicious. I told him to hide his swords, but if he doesn't have a sword in his heart, what is a martial arts practitioner? Lin Chong was too strict, so I didn't like him. But at that time, I couldn't say that. "
The old man's words stopped in the wind. Fu Lu thought for a while and sighed, "Actually, Junior Brother Lin was also very loyal and heroic at that time. That's why everyone liked him …"
Zhou Dong shook his head, "Loyal and heroic is not a sword, it's just a person's personality. Master Tan once told me that in a good world, scholars have a ruler in their heart. They use it to measure people's hearts and to set rules. But martial arts practitioners need a sword in their heart. It's not good if the sword is too sharp, but it's not good if it's not. When those rules are old and no longer applicable, the world has gone astray. Martial arts practitioners need to use their sword to cut them off. Then, new rules will appear. "
He lowered his head and looked at the tea in the teacup, "That's how it is. Martial arts practitioners have the most sensitive temperament. When an ordinary man is angry, blood will spill ten steps away. The sword in a person's heart is his conscience. If it's right, then it's right. Scholars set rules, but they only know how to fix it. If they do something wrong, they have a bunch of excuses. But conscience is the most direct. If something is wrong, then something must be wrong. Then, they should break the rules and come up with a better one! So, heroism is not a sword. Sword is right and wrong. It's wisdom and courage. It's the rule of killing!
"People are forced to become bandits in the mountains? Because everyone is doing it, that's why it's not a sword! Going with the flow is not a sword. Doing things that others can't do and dare not do is a sword! Keeping morality in mind, it's not a sword to say that you are forced to do it every day. Righteousness is a sword! Lin Chong had no sword in his heart. He was forced to do that, but he still dared to live by the rules. Because he knew that being forced to become a bandit in the mountains was the rule. Being a bandit in the mountains meant killing innocent people. That was the rule. Heh, he killed people and rebelled. He even abandoned the emperor. But, he didn't have the guts to break the rules in his heart. What's the use of his martial arts skills … He's useless! "
The old man took a sip of tea and put down the cup. His half-white beard and hair were clearly angry. Fu Lu nodded silently, but he sighed in his heart. Although the old man said that he disliked Lin Chong the most, in reality, after learning of Lin Chong's death, he had done far more for Junior Apprentice Brother Lin than any of his other martial brothers. This included asking Ning Liheng to at least let this disciple live. Fu Lu could also see that the old man didn't really like Ning Liheng. Given the old man's strict and meticulous personality, he had done Lin Chong a favor by asking him to do him a favor.
Just like when he first learned of Shi Wengong's death, the old man had only lightly snorted and then ignored him. Now that he thought about it, although Junior Apprentice Brother Lin had a weak personality, his youth had been smooth sailing. He had married a beautiful wife and served as an instructor in the Imperial Army. If not for what happened later, he would have lived a happy life. While the old man was angry at his lack of ambition, he was also angry at the evils of the world.
Deep into the night, the old man sat in the courtyard for a while. Suddenly, a bird flew over. Fu Lu reached out and caught the bird. He nodded to Zhou Dong and said something. Then, he extinguished the fire in the stove. The master and servant left the courtyard and went to the small forest outside the county. Not long after, four figures came. The one in front was a middle-aged woman. Three people followed behind her. The one in front was dressed like Marquis Yu, followed by two attendants. When the four people came, Zhou Dong and Fu Lu were standing by a small pond in the forest. The middle-aged woman came over and said, "Master." Zhou Dong nodded. Marquis Yu, who was behind him, hurried over to greet him.
"Lu Qian greets Great Grandmaster Zhou. It's already so late, why did you summon us …"
"Don't mention it." Zhou Dong's back was facing them. He waved his hand and said, "I've done what Grand Commandant Gao told me to do."
"Ah, then Ning and Lu have really …"
"This old man has another thing to ask Marquis Yu to tell Grand Commandant Gao. Come here, I'll tell you."
"Yes."
Zhou Dong was the most powerful man in the world. He was arrogant. Ever since they met, his attitude towards them wasn't good. Lu Qian was interrupted several times, but he didn't think it was strange. He cupped his hands and walked over, stopping behind Zhou Dong. Zhou Dong put his hands behind his back and looked into the night. After a moment of silence, he finally said, "In Bianliang City, the son of Gao Qiu called himself Flower Taisui. You kidnapped all the women he liked, right?"
Lu Qian was slightly stunned.
"You and Lin Chong were good friends. But when Flower Taisui liked his wife, it was also you who arranged it, right?"
Lu Qian saw Zhou Dong turn around and look at him like a tiger. He cupped his hands and subconsciously wanted to take a step back. "I …"
"Shameless man!"
Zhou Dong slapped down with his palm. In that instant, Lu Qian wanted to move his feet and raise his arm to block the attack, but none of these became reality. In the eyes of the crowd, Zhou Dong raised his palm and lightly patted Lu Qian's head. Lu Qian's body trembled.
"… How can I let you live?"
As his voice fell, Lu Qian knelt down and fell with a bang. Not far away, Lu Qian's two followers' teeth chattered. "You, you … you killed …"
"Wenying, Fu Lu, kill them and deal with them." Zhou Dong straightened his sleeves, turned around and left with his hands behind his back. Fu Lu didn't move, but the middle-aged woman called Wenying waved her hand and two darts pierced into their heads. Zhou Dong paused and turned around. The two figures had already fallen. "Oh, try not to let others know about Lu Qian's death. Don't spread it."
Fu Lu cupped his hands and said, "Yes." After giving this order, Zhou Dong floated away. The woman called Wenying tilted her head. "Of course, we can't let others know that we killed people from the Great Commandant's Mansion. Master doesn't need to give special instructions." Her name was Zuo Wenying. She and Fu Lu were originally Zhou Dong's servants. Later, they became husband and wife. Fu Lu said, "Just now, Junior Martial Brother Lin came and was beaten away by Master. Now that Master has seen Marquis Lu Yu, he naturally can't let him go back and harm others. But let Junior Martial Brother Lin know that his great hatred hasn't been avenged yet, maybe it will give him some motivation. "
Zuo Wenying shook her head. "You're right about that Junior Martial Brother Lin, but I don't like him. His family is ruined, but he only knows how to be a bandit! With this kind of temperament, how can he be called a man! "
Fu Lu sighed. "Master also said the same." In the forest, he put the corpse in a sack, mixed it with stones and sank it to the bottom of the lake. While doing this, he told his wife about the process of Lin Chong's meeting with Zhou Dong. He couldn't help but sigh.
"Ai, Junior Martial Brother Lin has been practicing martial arts since he was a child. His martial arts skills are very good. In fact, he is a person without many desires. It's just that he suddenly met with misfortune. Master is right. Seeing Junior Martial Brother Lin's temperament, he also wants to sharpen him. But this kind of sharpening, ordinary people may not be able to bear it. When he left this time, he must be disheartened. It's hard to say whether he can live or not. If we can clearly tell him what Master said later, he might be able to live a little longer … "
"He was forced to this extent, but he still couldn't understand himself. If we only said a few words, how could it help him? Even if he did understand, it wouldn't be his own! I think your temperament is a bit sentimental. " Zuo Wenying pursed her lips and shook her head. "In my opinion, your thinking is wrong. The most important thing is that you haven't thought about it."
"Hmm?" Fu Lu frowned and looked at his wife.
"Because he is Zhou Dong's disciple!" Zuo Wenying kicked a sack into the lake. She raised her chin and looked at him with disdain. She said resolutely, "He is the disciple of the world's number one! How can he spend all his time feeling sorry for himself and asking others to coax and persuade him! He is Master's disciple and learned Master's martial arts! Encountering these things, how can he shrink back and be weak? If that's the case, it wouldn't be a pity if he died! Who hasn't encountered difficulties? Haven't we? Back then, my family members also died! He is Zhou Dong's disciple, so he should know that he can do anything when encountering this kind of thing. He can even hide, but he shouldn't be a bandit! He is Zhou Dong's disciple. Why can't he ask for more of the big things! All day long, he thinks about the big things and doesn't forget about morality. All day long, he thinks that he has no choice but to do evil things! He only talks and thinks in his heart. If he has to die, then so be it! Hmph! "
Fu Lu looked at his wife who spoke arrogantly and gradually smiled. He nodded. "Sure enough … you know Master's personality the best. I have indeed thought wrong. No wonder everyone says that you are a woman who is not inferior to men. My personality is a bit soft. Like Master said, it's not good to have a knife in my heart … "
He reflected on his wife. Hearing him praise her, although they had been married for many years, the woman's face turned slightly red. Fortunately, it couldn't be seen clearly in the dark.
"You have a knife in your heart. It's enough that I know about it." After a while, she added, "Master also knows about it."
*****
That night passed quietly. The next morning, more people came one after another. Ning Yi dealt with the plan of how to sweep Bamboo Creek and Anping area. Occasionally, he would go to see Hongti. At noon, Zhou Dong and his servant left Yiyuan County. However, before they left, they seemed to say something to Hongti, which made Hongti a little unhappy …
*****
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