As Zhou Dong had said, the people in the Greenwood Forest, whether they lived well or not, mainly cared about their reputation. It was true for others to say this, but it was also true for Zhou Dong himself.
As a Saint of Martial Arts who was seventy years old, the old man was not too picky. For disaster relief, he had visited hundreds of bandit strongholds in the past few months, and when he heard about Ning Yi, he had traveled thousands of miles to come here. As long as it was a good thing and in line with morality, even if there was no return and the person involved did not know, the old man would not hesitate to work hard or even pay a higher price for it.
But over the years, he had become the most respected person in the world. Although he did not care about this empty title, everywhere he went, the old man was treated with respect, and if he put forward his ideas, people would certainly take them seriously. There were even disciples like Yan Huan, who, although not necessarily smart, would be motivated by the old man and risk their lives because of him.
On this trip to the south, although Ning Yi was respectful to him, he did not give him too much face. The two times they met, it was the same situation. Zhou Dong did not hold a grudge, but he could not stick his warm face to the cold buttocks of a junior. Therefore, the next day, after he finished what he felt he should do — leaving behind his ideas for improving the formation — he directly left.
When Tian Donghan handed Ning Yi the few sheets of paper on improving the array formation, Ning Yi felt a little emotional. But at this time, his mind was not on these things. The revenge and deterrence had been ended after the explosion in the center of the small town. Next, he would return to the capital and immediately set off for the north. Because of the disturbance at the wedding, things were already behind the original plan. He had originally sent a letter to Hongti, telling her that he was going to Lu Liang, but now he did not know if she was waiting anxiously.
Since he knew about the Qiyan Tribe and Bei 'er's matter of Temujin, he had to redo many of his plans. For Ning Yi, it was hard to calculate the end point of these plans when a lot of information was not clear. What enemies would he have to face in the future? What would he have to guarantee at the very least? What would he have to guarantee at the very least? Since the strength of the enemy could not be calculated, the things that he would have to deal with could not be estimated, so it was hard to calculate how far the lowest standard of self-protection would go.
As long as the standard was not set, the plan could have no upper limit. Therefore, no matter how much time they had left, there was not enough time. Even if they could only do their best, they still had to race against time with the work at hand. Even with such pressure, he was not willing to give up on his family or the people he cared about. Most of the time in the capital, he still accompanied his wife and children.
Fortunately, he was no longer an entrepreneur who started from scratch and slowly fumbled around. Even though he was nervous, he could still methodically release more than a dozen lines to move forward: the development of Takeshi, the training of the family guards, the control of storytelling and propaganda, the research and development of new products, the use of gunpowder, the operation of the plan in Lu Liang, and the attention he paid to the Miaojiang side … After confirming his thoughts, the plans related to these things were rapidly expanding.
Although some of these things were still at the foundational stage where they could not be seen to be effective, if one were to look at the past, from February of this year, the plans and projects Ning Yi had at hand were so radical that they were almost crazy. Just the idea of improving and using gunpowder alone, he had chosen more than a dozen areas, including landmines and phosphorescence, and let the fireworks workers in the workshop try them out.
Because most of these craftsmen were not geniuses, their individual abilities were limited. Even with the inspiration from Ning Yi, many of the projects still encountered problems at the beginning. These projects around Ning Yi were like walking on a high wire rope, but soon people would find that on the whole, these projects began to grow rapidly in a few months. These projects began to grow rapidly in a few months. Although some of them failed and were returned to the archives, many of the ideas were still landing on the shore of success in a crazy and radical state. The person walking on this tightrope was obviously an experienced acrobat.
Compared to the research and development of new items, the abundance of Takeshi products, the expansion of business, and the confrontation with the various families involved in the disaster relief incident could only occupy a small part of Ning Yi's mind. As for the group of people in Taoting County, they were even more of a small part of a small part. It was also because the capital had really gone too far before. At the party where Ning Yi married Yunzhu and Jin'er, a group of people came to make trouble. Although some of them were killed on the spot, there were still some who escaped.
The gathering was not considered grand, but there were many people from the Right Minister's residence who came to congratulate him, such as Yao Zunian, Ji Kun, and Monk Jueming. Although they usually looked friendly, but these people had complicated relationships with each other. Yao Zunian was a great scholar of the present age, and he actually had his own family behind him. Ji Kun was the chief steward who handled the dirty work for the Right Minister's residence, and Monk Jueming was of royal birth. Ordinary people from the Green Forest and the underworld would not dare to bully these people.
At that time, these people's faces were gloomy and angry. Later, because the news of the Taoting County Hero Conference came too timely, Ning Yi took the time to go south. It was a kind of "you're standing in the right place, I can't help but kick you" nature. When the matter was finished and Zhou Dong arrived, Ning Yi was already dealing with other matters.
The hunt in Taoting County quickly ended, and as for the problems directly involved, most of them were solved by the government. And under the indirect influence, the spread of the evil reputation of the 'inner demon', and more people from the Green Forest were filled with righteous indignation. There were more complicated causes and effects, and it was difficult to sum it all up to this single matter.
In this tragedy, the only thing that could leave a little trace in Ning Yi's heart was probably seeing Zhou Dong again. Although it was not pleasant, but the existence of this old man was not easy to forget. But it was only a little memory that remained in his heart.
However, although the meeting was not pleasant, after leaving the Peach Pavilion, Zhou Dong still went to many places for the matter of Ning Yi. It was not until one or two years later, through some rather direct information collection, that Ning Yi learned in bits and pieces that this old man had deliberately mentioned this matter in many meetings, explaining and guaranteeing Ning Yi's actions in disaster relief. But at that time, the evil reputation of the inner demon had spread far and wide, and the tragedy in the Peach Pavilion had been deliberately publicized. In fact, Zhou Dong's words and guarantee could not have played a decisive role.
But no matter what, thinking of these things at that time, recalling these two unpleasant meetings, after all, formed extremely complicated feelings in Ning Yi's heart.
This is a story for the future, let's not mention it for now.
*****
It was summer. In the distant North, after the fall of Emperor Tianzuo's forces, the Jin Kingdom was busy sweeping the land west of the destroyed Liao. After Zhang Jue was killed, whether it was Guo Yaoshi's Ever-Victorious Army or the Wu Dynasty army stationed north of Yanmen Pass, they no longer made any big moves and began to turn passive defense.
The situation in the North was delicate, and in the court in the South, a somber and vigilant atmosphere was brewing. In the spring of that year, Tong Guan was conferred the title of Prince of Guangyang because of his meritorious service in recovering the six provinces of Yan and Yun. Tan Zhen, who took over his position, began to actively build his own political achievements. He tried to recruit and rope in the refugees and mountain bandits in the North, and tried to recruit the Tiger King Wang Qing to build a line of defense in the North with Taiyuan as the center.
Whether such unscrupulous methods could play a necessary role had not yet been tested, but it could be imagined that the following figures on the accounts would become very beautiful. At the same time, it would also expand the deficits and gaps in the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. Qin Siyuan and the others had tried to persuade him, but the Emperor was willing to trust the newly promoted Privy Envoy. Knowing that there would be no results, after a symbolic rebuttal, Qin Siyuan had no choice but to give up.
In any case, compared to an expert like Tong Guan, in the eyes of Qin Siyuan and the others, Tan Zhen could only be regarded as a bastard with mediocre aptitude. Mediocre aptitude meant that the damage he could cause was limited.
Of course, this limited aptitude was relative to Tong Guan. The slightest movement in the court would set off great waves among the people. Because Tan Zhen's first fire needed political achievements, the examination, leadership, and control of the soldiers were not strict, and the people in charge below him responded to the court's call.
On the roads in the North, some people from the Underworld with criminal records and mountain bandits who robbed homes had already begun to use this east wind to wash their names. They killed and set fires to be recruited, asked the court for supplies, ate royal grain, and became tall, rich, and handsome. They married beautiful women and set foot on the peak of their lives. Just thinking about it made them a little excited. At this time, this change was still in the beginning stage, but there were already many people from the Underworld who had been attracted over. They joined the mountain bandits who had connections with them and handed over their identities to wash their names.
The ripples caused by Tan Zhen's ascension were naturally not limited to what was on the surface. The officials of the court were not all mediocre or idiots. While they were recruited, they naturally wanted leadership. The various bandits in the mountain strongholds planned to take the court's salary for free while maintaining their independence. There were also some bandits who, after being recruited, discovered that they had been foolish. Others had not handed over leadership, but they had. They had truly become bitter soldiers, and so they began to make their moves from below.
No matter what, the issuing of an order from the court meant that several areas in the North would have an invisible change in ruling power. In history, every change in power and interest, no matter big or small, would not be quiet. The conflicts between mountain bandits, soldiers, and the people from the Underworld did not subside because of the recruitment. It was just that under the name of these immature recruitment policies, they became more and more intense day by day.
In the North, the court, and the land of the Wu dynasty, the laws of survival formed by undercurrents were like a complex food chain on the prairie. Sometimes it was calm, sometimes it was violent, sometimes it was hidden, and sometimes it appeared ferociously. And in this world, there were even more people who lived their seemingly simple and unadorned lives. Only when they were watched by the cruel laws of survival would there be a ripple.
In a small village near Yuying County on East Shandong Road, Lin Chong was sitting under a tree on the edge of a field, watching a stream quietly flow past in front of his eyes.
The spring plowing season had already passed. This period of time was idle in the countryside. Lin Chong often went out to see if there was anything to do. Sometimes, he would follow the nearby man surnamed Fang, who had some skills, to do some short-distance work like escorts. But he was unwilling to get involved in long-distance work that was too troublesome.
As for this period of his life, these days in the countryside, he was satisfied. He thought that he was satisfied. But there were many times, such as now, that he did not want to go home. He only wanted to sit by this stream for a while and think. Sometimes, he would think for half a day.
Last winter, after seeing Gao Yanai in the Damyo Residence, the confusion in his heart became more and more obvious. This confusion was mixed with great hatred, self-blame, and pain. That day, he followed Gao Yanai all the way to the end, thinking that he should do it, should give it his all, it was time for this beast to be punished for his crimes. But in the end, he still could not make his move and kill him. So he suddenly realized that he was actually so weak.
Widow Xu in the village, who was now his woman, in a sense, could satisfy him. This satisfaction did not come from her appearance. He no longer cared about such things. She made him feel warm. Although at the beginning, this widow was shrewish and even tyrannical, ever since she got together with him, this woman was indeed obedient to him. Perhaps it was because her husband had died, she especially cherished this man in front of her. She depended on him, and he even had some kind of dependence on her. It was like she was the only treasure left after losing everything.
However, after last winter, the pain and hatred in his heart often made Lin Chong unwilling to go home too quickly. He vaguely thought that he should not enjoy that kind of warmth so willingly. If he enjoyed it, wouldn't it make him even more cowardly? He had such a deep hatred and a reason to take revenge, but not only did he not take revenge, he actually felt warmth here …
At the same time, the other part of his heart, which was like dead ashes, was telling him that he should forget everything and live the rest of his life peacefully in this small mountain village. That was what he originally thought. It was only when he saw Gao Muen at the Daimyo Mansion that the pain piled up again.
Occasionally, when he met up with that "Big Brother Gao", he would also be able to hear some news from the outside world. Most of the news was about the forest, such as how the Great Radiant Sect was doing, or how Zhou Dong was doing. Right now, the most complicated thing he had heard was his master's name. These emotions made him sit under the tree, not willing to go home, feeling depressed.
But no matter what, when the sun set, he still got up and walked back. The woman would wait for him at home and cook a meal. At night, she would also do her best to please him with her body, making him feel warmth in his heart. Thinking of this, he felt guilty for returning home late. It was also on this day that when he walked out of his courtyard, he heard noises.
"Get out! Get out! I'll chop off your hand … Try it … "
"Hey, woman, you still dare to mess around? Your lover hasn't come back yet, right? Do you know that he doesn't want to come back at all …"
"Go to hell, do you know that when he comes back, he'll beat you to death …"
"Beat me to death, come on! Beat me to death! You loose woman, you're my cousin's woman … "
"I've returned what I owed to your family. Scram …"
"Hmph, you're still so arrogant? Let me tell you, that wild man of yours isn't a good person. Look at the scar on his face, he's definitely a fugitive wanted by the authorities. He got a tattoo … Do you want me to report this to the authorities …"
"Go ahead, go ahead. Let me tell you, you've offended the wrong person. Get out now, and I won't argue with you. If you don't get out now and keep talking nonsense here, I'll kill you with a knife. Then I'll kill your entire family. At worst, I, Xu Jinhua, will die with you. See if I can do it … "
Lin Chong's face darkened. He also knew the man who was arguing with Xu Jinhua in the courtyard. He was the cousin of Xu Jinhua's original husband. Most people called him Geng Erlazi. He was a famous lazy man in the village. Because he was idle and had nothing at home, no woman was willing to marry him. Because of this, he was a bit reckless when he saw a woman, and because of this, he was beaten many times by the villagers.
After Xu Jinhua's Husband, Geng Erlazi's cousin, passed away, Geng Erlazi probably had ideas about Xu Jinhua. Lin Chong had also noticed this, but at that time, Geng Erlazi had just arrived. He looked tall and strong, and Widow Xu was shrewish, so he didn't dare to do anything. Now, he probably felt that he knew Lin Chong's weakness, so he couldn't help but come to him. It was probably not the first time.
The affairs between men and women in the village were far simpler than those in the city, but in many aspects, they were also far more messy than in the city. If this kind of idle man came to the door and talked nonsense to a widow, if she didn't resist, it was possible that she would be raped. This kind of people were notorious, and they didn't even have any sense of shame. In many villages, there were more or less one or two of them.
Lin Chong took a stick and walked in through the door. At the door, Geng Erlazi noticed Xu Jinhua's gaze. He turned around and saw Lin Chong, and his eyes flinched.
"You, you, you, what do you want … Surnamed Mu, what do you want …"
Lin Chong raised the stick at him. Although he was cowardly in some aspects, he was still a soldier. He was skilled in martial arts, had a murderous aura, and had a scar on his face. When he really showed his murderous intent, not many people could control their emotions in front of him. The wretched man's legs almost trembled. "You, you, you want to kill me … You can't … Do you know that if you kill me, the government will come? Surnamed Mu, you are a fugitive. The scar on your face must be a tattoo. You dare to kill me …"
The stick in Lin Chong's hand paused. At this time, Xu Jinhua rushed out of the room and pushed Geng Erlazi to the muddy ground in the yard. "Get out! Get out of here … "
The man crawled up from the ground and stared at Lin Chong. "Haha, I was right, right? Surnamed Mu, if I report this to the government, what will you do … Haha, if you have the guts, kill me, kill me … Xu Jinhua, you adulterers … You must have joined hands to kill my cousin. You will have retribution, you …"
Seeing Lin Chong walk over, he staggered and ran out of the yard, pissing his pants. Lin Chong was standing at the yard's gate when Xu Jinhua pulled him back. His eyes were bloodshot, and his whole body was trembling. After a while, he swung the wooden stick in his hand down, and with a boom, a crack appeared on a bluestone in the courtyard. The front part of the wooden stick was also broken, and it was buzzing. If someone who knew him saw this, they might be surprised that his martial arts skills had improved so much.
In fact, with his martial arts skills, if he really wanted to kill Geng Erlazi, he wouldn't need a stick, and he wouldn't be discovered by Geng Erlazi. He could just walk in and stab him to death with one finger. But right now, he was indeed afraid of the government's involvement. He was just afraid that he would disrupt Widow Xu's life and cause her to get involved in all kinds of trouble.
He stood at the gate for a long time. Xu Jinhua stretched out her hand to calm him down. "Calm down, calm down. He wouldn't dare, he wouldn't dare."
But after a while, Lin Chong finally said, "I'll go kill him."
Widow Xu suddenly hugged his hand. Her eyes were complicated. No one knew what she was thinking, but she subconsciously shook her head. After a while, she looked at Lin Chong. "Don't kill him. Let's go. Take me with you …"
Lin Chong's body stiffened. He turned his head to look at the woman behind him.
"You … are willing … to go with me?"
"I … Why wouldn't I be willing? I've returned everything that belonged to the Geng family. Now, this house is just an empty shell. They still come here every two or three days. You are my man. Wherever you go, I will go. You … You can't leave me behind. "
After saving Lin Chong, although she didn't ask, she must have guessed in her heart. Whether Lin Chong was a strong man, a bandit, or a wanted criminal, she didn't care. In fact, she didn't care if Lin Chong killed Geng Erlai. She was just worried that Lin Chong would kill someone and run away alone.
After a while, Lin Chong subconsciously said, "The rice in the fields … has just been planted …"
"No, I don't want the fields either." The woman shook her head. "You … You can get work, right? I'll follow you. I'm willing to eat bran and drink porridge. Take me with you. We'll find a place where no one knows us to live. I'll help you have children. Don't go alone … "
Speaking of this, the woman became a little emotional. Lin Chong stood there. After a while, he gently tilted his head.
When night fell, they packed up their few belongings and money and left the small mountain village. They agreed to live in a friendly place where no one knew them. They would farm a few acres of land, have a group of children, and live together until their hair turned white. This was a new beginning that belonged to them.
At the same time, a woman named Lou Shuwan was sitting on a step in the mountain village. She looked up at the stars. This was a mountain village under the command of the Tiger King, Tian Hu. As she sat there, many men pointed and looked at her from not far away.
Once upon a time, she might have liked the feeling of being watched by others, and she had also enjoyed interacting with certain men. But now, regardless of whether it was a scholarly gigolo or a boorish hero, all that was left in her heart was an ugly impression and a feeling of disgust.
Although many people were watching her, not many men dared to come over and say or do anything. She had her own journey. She was just passing by and staying for the night. Tomorrow, this woman who had accepted the Tiger King's order would lead her team of guards and head northwest. Her goal was to go to Luliang Mountain and cooperate with a large mountain village there to open up a business path.
Ever since she pledged allegiance to the Tiger King, she had accomplished many things.
This time, there wouldn't be any problems.
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