The two retainers to Tao Manwu's left and right each gripped a chain that came out of the assassin's shoulders. At the end of this chain were two enormous short knives.
The little girl wanted to go forward, but for the first time, Yelu Xiezhen showed an anxious expression. He jumped off his horse and crouched in front of her. His eyes were firm, but his voice was gentle. "Little princess, don't come near!"
Tao Manwu grunted, then shouted to the old man. "White-haired grandpa, my name is Tao Manwu. I won't hurt you, and, and … you're about to die."
The white-haired old man's eyes shone. "Little girl, what did you say you were called?! Say it again! "
Tao Manwu shouted loudly, "My name is Tao Manwu!"
Then she said something that no one, including Yelu Xiezhen, could understand. "I know that person!"
The old man laughed hoarsely, without the slightest bit of sorrow of someone about to die, only an indescribable pleasure. "Good, good, good! What a good 'heaven never bars one's way'! Heavens, just take it that I, surnamed Chu, owe you once! "
Tao Manwu tugged at Yelu Xiezhen's sleeve and said seriously, "Big brother Xiezhen, can I say a few words to white-haired grandpa? Don't worry, I know he won't hurt me. I won't lie to you! "
Yelu Xiezhen was the only one who knew about the little girl's talent. He intimately rubbed her little head. "But me and the three elders will all stay by your side, okay?"
The innocent little girl nodded her head vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. It was very lovable.
She quickly walked forward. Yelu Xiezhen and the two retainers followed closely behind.
When Tao Manwu was five or six steps away from the tall and sturdy old man and the Finger Profound Realm retainer, she suddenly sat down cross-legged on the ground. Then she raised her head and said, "What's the matter, old grandpa? If I can help, I'll definitely help you!"
Yelu Xiezhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He used his eyes to signal the Grandmaster to loosen his fingers. The latter wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he still loosened his grip and pulled back his fist. He moved three steps to give the little master enough vision. Even though he knew that this assassin was like a lamp that had run out of oil and dried up energy, the Finger Profound Realm expert still didn't dare to lower his guard.
The old man with disheveled hair also followed the little girl and sat cross-legged. He glanced at the Finger Profound Realm expert with slanted eyes, and said with a cold snort, "If it were any other time, I'd kill you with one hand!"
In fact, the old man had already given up on the idea of escaping. The reason why he used the last of his energy to hide here was to leave himself a relatively dignified death.
The world was so big, but he just had to meet this little girl called Tao Manwu. Perhaps this could only be explained by the will of heaven.
The old man lowered his head and panted heavily. His broad chest heaved up and down violently. After his breathing calmed down slightly, he looked at the little girl and slowly said, "Little girl, I've heard that person mention you before. But what I'm curious about is how you recognize me."
Tao Manwu didn't hide anything and said in a clear voice, "Previously, I only knew that I should go this way, but actually, I didn't know what I would encounter. I only know that you won't hurt me … and I can see things that others can't … "
The little girl thought for a moment and quickly stretched out her hands, drawing circles in the air in a seemingly random manner. It was very messy.
The old man clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "This kind of talent is really unheard of! Before I parted ways with him, I heard him mention you unintentionally. I know that there's a little girl called Tao Manwu in Beimang … "
Tao Manwu blinked her eyes that were full of spirit. They were overflowing with light and color.
In the depths of her eyes, there was some happiness and some sadness.
The old man coughed and put his hands on his knees. He said in a low voice, "I originally had a big idea in mind … Forget it, let's not talk about these things anymore. In short, before I left Beiliang, I wanted to go to the Central Plains Jianghu. But I received a secret letter from another old man, saying that there's a mystery in Dunhuang City. He hoped that I could do one last thing, but unfortunately, I only did half of it … Tao Manwu, remember, let that person know as soon as possible, the sooner the better! Let him know that he doesn't only have a woman in the north, but more importantly, that woman gave birth to a child for him! "
Tao Manwu opened her mouth slightly. She was clearly at a loss.
The old man smiled bitterly and said, "I don't care whether you'll help or not. To be honest, it's reasonable if you don't help. Anyway, I can die with peace of mind."
After saying this, the old man put his hand into his sleeve with difficulty. This action scared Yelu Xiezhen and the three retainers as if they were facing a great enemy.
However, the old man only took out a thin yellowed book and gently threw it to the little girl. He said self-deprecatingly, "He gave me a knife manual. Later, he added some moves himself. I can roughly understand it, but unfortunately, I can't learn it. Little girl, I'll give it to you."
Tao Manwu took the knife manual with both hands and held it in her arms. Her eyes were moist.
She knew that the old man was really going to leave.
The old man pointed his thumb at himself and said with a smile, "Little girl, remember, I'm a white-haired old man called Chu Kuangnu. I'm the first peerless master that person has seen in his life! "
The old man pulled the corners of his mouth and closed his eyes. He said to himself, "That chicken leg soaked in lake water, damn it … it's actually delicious …"
Tao Manwu wiped his tears and promised loudly to the dead old man, "I promise you! I'll definitely tell him! "
— —
After Tantanon, Huan Wen, and the Confucian scholar Yao Baifeng, Liu Huai served as the Imperial College's Left Chancellor at the age of forty. For the next thirty years, an entire thirty years, he didn't transfer to another office. In the end, he died as the Imperial College's Left Chancellor.
During this time, the youngest Left Chancellor in the history of Liyang refused the invitations of the new Emperor of Liyang time and time again. He didn't want to be the Minister of Rites or the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy.
The last time the old man taught at the Imperial College, he unreasonably gave a lecture to a hall full of Beiliang scholars.
The old man held a jug of Green Ant Wine in his hand. Before he started the lecture for the scholars in formal attire who were sitting upright and still, he raised his arm and gently shook the jug. He said with a smile, "Do you know how much this jug of wine sold for in the fourth year of Xiangfu? You definitely won't be able to guess. Today, even if this jug of wine is the best Green Ant Wine, it's only sixty copper coins. I remember on the first spring night of the fourth year of Auspicious Charm, the first time I drank wine, it was our Northern Liang Path's Green Ant Wine. It was so expensive ah! Someone only left me with a small pot of wine for three mouthfuls, yet he charged me a total of six silver taels! At that time, I really didn't think it tasted good. I only felt that my throat was burning. If it wasn't for the fact that I was penniless at the time and that I drank the wine on credit, I would've spat out that mouthful of Green Ant Wine. And this person even shamelessly boasted that he sold a jug of three taels of silver to me for six taels of silver on account of us being from Beiliang. Don't you think this guy is black-hearted? "
The young scholars who were studying at the Imperial College immediately roared with laughter.
The old man smiled and said, "He's indeed black-hearted, isn't he? En, you're actually not unfamiliar with this guy. He was once the Right Chancellor of our Imperial College for a short period of time. Fortunately, he quickly packed up his things and left. His surname is Sun and his name is Yin. You guessed right, he is that 'Old Fifth Sun' of our Great Peace City, Lord Sun Yin, who has been the Minister of War in the six departments of the Minister Province! "
The scholars of Beiliang first subconsciously kept quiet out of fear. However, they quickly roared with laughter.
If it was other officials, not to mention a second-rank Minister of the central government, even an assistant minister wouldn't dare to laugh so openly.
However, Old Minister Sun was different. In his words, "You juniors, as long as you don't bully me and beat me up on the spot, then it's fine. It's fine even if you scold me in secret. Ever since I, Sun Yin, became a high official, I've never scolded anyone with a lower rank than me. Why? If I don't like them, I'll just tell them to leave. What's the point of scolding them? Only those with a higher rank and a louder voice than me can I only scold them to satisfy my cravings. "
Sun Yin's temper wasn't good. On the contrary, it was extremely bad. However, this guy either hated and feared him to the extreme or admired him to the point of prostrating himself on all fours. There were very few neutral people.
It had to be known that even the Emperor once said with a smile, "Every time Old Man Sun scolds people in court, no matter if I feel that it's reasonable or not, I'm not in a hurry to make a conclusion. Every time, I'll first listen to it. When I've completely thought it over, I'll decide whether to scold him back or give him a few pots of good wine."
Sun Yin, who had moved through the five yamens of the Minister of Administration Province and become a Minister, seemed very similar to the important official of the previous dynasty, Tantanon, but also very different.
Probably the only person in the world who could scold people better than Sun Yin was the Beiliang Daoist Administrator who had only entered the capital three times in his life. He was the Administrator who had held the position of Administrator for the longest time in the world, Chen Xiliang! He was the only one.
The Administrator for half his life, the Left Chancellor for thirty years.
Today, the Liyang imperial court used this term to describe a certain person in the officialdom who hadn't moved for a long time.
The former referred to Chen Xiliang, the latter to Liu Huai.
The old man waited until everyone calmed down and said in a low voice, "The scholars of your generation in Beiliang probably can't imagine the scene of the past. My memory is still fresh. The year I left for the imperial examination was the last year of Yonghui. When I entered the capital, it was the first year of Xiangfu. At that time, I was in Tai 'an City and met a group of scholars from other places. They were wearing bright clothes and holding fans. Hmm, you seem to be about the same now … At that time, after two people knew I was from Beiliang, they asked and answered questions in a strange way. One asked 'Li Yangke lifts the classics and light poems. Logically speaking, the poor scholars of Beiliang had a great advantage. Why did they still have no harvest at the end of the year? How strange!? ' One answered loudly, 'Because those Beiliang barbarians don't even know how to write poems, let alone the classics and essays!' "
The old man looked at the young faces. Most of them had angry expressions, but there were also calm and sarcastic expressions. Naturally, there were also some who were completely indifferent. The old man had seen a lot of ups and downs, so he didn't find it strange.
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