Zhuxi Swordsman

The sun rose higher and higher, the sky brightened, and the temperature gradually increased.

The procession from the Xiahou Mountain Manor, carrying gifts, traveled along the official road. The procession consisted of dozens of people, and the carriages and horses were all stable.

Xiahou Yi, the old steward of the manor, is also a cousin of the manor lord, Xiahou.

Although his hair and beard were already white, he was still very healthy. He rode a fine horse, leading the way, with a sword hanging down on the side of the saddle, its red tassel swaying and fluttering.

The scenery of the South filled him with joy and delight.

Traveling south from the Mount Taihang, it gets warmer and warmer.

Waterways Zongheng, and reeds grow lush and green.

The vast, flat fields are more pleasing to the eye than the strange peaks and rocks commonly seen in the Mount Taihang, bringing a sense of relaxation and tranquility.

Xiahou Yi also noticed that people were always practicing martial arts with spears and sticks in the threshing grounds of those farmers.

There were also some people with solid skills who led the masses in weeding the fields, teaching them to coordinate their body, eyes, hands and feet, and to move in a very methodical way.

With Xiahou Yi's discerning eye, it was easy to see that those people were teaching Southern Shaolin Kung Fu.

Agriculture and Zen are integrated; martial arts are practiced through agriculture.

Martial arts, as a profound and extensive field of knowledge, is connected with all kinds of trades and professions.

When the garrison troops were first established, they also followed the tradition of simultaneously farming and practicing martial arts.

However, the imperial court has always been reluctant to see ordinary people practicing martial arts.

The establishment of military households, which allowed families to produce soldiers for generations and prevented recruitment from outside, was also intended to ensure that military skills were passed down within specific military households and not spread indiscriminately.

The fact that the Southern Shaolin is now acting so ostentatiously clearly indicates the magnitude of its ambitions, which cannot be described simply as resisting Japanese pirates.

Xiahou Yi wondered to himself whether the manor lord hadn't thought of this, or whether he had and was still willing to send someone to deliver a generous gift.

It's most likely the latter.

"Old man, are you going to the Southern Shaolin?"

As the Xiahou Family's troops turned a corner, they heard someone calling out towards them from the nearby ferry crossing.

Xiahou Yi turned his head and saw a young man in a gray robe and black shirt, wearing long boots, walking towards him.

This person had full cheeks and bright eyes, but as he walked, he yawned and appeared somewhat tired.

He carried the black-sheathed longsword across his shoulder, his hands resting on the tip and end of the sword as casually as if he were holding a carrying pole.

"I've heard that recently, the second young master of the Xiahou Aristocratic Family has led the Southern Shaolin monks to the coastal areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, always leading the vanguard in every battle and destroying several Japanese pirate strongholds that they hadn't yet managed to evacuate."

The swordsman said, "Presumably, the Xiahou Aristocratic Family and the Southern Shaolin have an alliance. Your carriages, horses, and swords all bear the mark of the Xiahou Mountain Manor, so it's not hard to guess where you're going."

Xiahou Yi carefully examined the swordsman but couldn't discern his skill level. He felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he might have encountered a master.

"Young man, are you going to travel with us?"

Xiahou Yi laughed, "Fellow practitioners of the martial world should help each other. I'll have someone make room for a horse right away."

I don't want to ride a horse.

The swordsman said, "I'm really tired of sitting on boats, and riding a horse is exhausting. Could I rest in your carriage for a while? I can pay you."

He took out a few taels of loose silver from his pocket.

Xiahou Yi took it and examined it. He found that the silver was of good quality, but there were some scattered marks on the edges of the silver that were somewhat similar to Chinese characters, but rather resembled those of Dongying.

"Um."

Xiahou Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Perfect timing. That carriage was originally prepared for me, but I don't like riding in carriages. Why don't you go inside and rest?"

The swordsman grinned and climbed into the carriage. He lowered the curtain, and a long sigh of relief could be heard from inside, indicating he was quite comfortable.

The Xiahou Family's carriages and horses were indeed as steady as old oxen.

However, as the group traveled on, they intentionally or unintentionally formed a circle around the carriage.

If there is any unusual activity there, the Xiahou Family's sword formation will surely be able to unleash its most ferocious power against it.

As everyone remained on high alert, they approached the foot of Southern Shaolin Mountain when they heard the sound of galloping hooves approaching from behind.

Xiahou Yi looked back, his face filled with surprise and joy. "Second Young Master?"

"Whoa!"

Xiahou Feishan reined in his horse and asked in surprise, "Uncle Yi, what brings you here?"

Xiahou Yi explained, "The Master of the Manor sent us to deliver a generous gift to the Southern Shaolin."

He was prepared for the second young master to lose his temper when he heard the master's name.

Xiahou Feishan's expression merely changed slightly before he waved his hand and said, "Giving gifts? Go ahead and give them, it's none of my business."

He killed some skilled fighters among the Japanese pirates. Although none of them were as good as Miaokong individually, he felt that, when you consider the odds, they were still a match for him.

Therefore, I plan to return and discuss this with Chu Tianshu.

Xiahou Yi laughed and said, "How could it not be related to the Second Young Master? This is a gift from our Xiahou Aristocratic Family to Layman Tian, presented on behalf of the Second Young Master, to formally accept him as a disciple."

Xiahou Feishan's whip, which he was about to raise, stopped in mid-air, his expression extremely complicated. "Wh-what?"

This old bastard, just when I was about to regain some respect for him, he did this.

Could you please consider my feelings, or at least ask me beforehand?

Do you know that Layman Tian?

Xiahou Feishan composed himself, pondering how to resolve the situation. He said, "He's not a monk. He has an eccentric temperament. What you've prepared might not please him and could even anger him."

"Okay, let me see what gifts you've prepared first. If anything seems off, I'll make a new gift list, and you can search for them then."

"Once I've collected them all, I'll give this as a gift to anyone who wants to become my apprentice."

As he spoke, Xiahou Feishan lifted a corner of coarse cloth from the cart, only to see boxes piled up underneath.

The truck was securely bound with thick ropes, making it difficult to open.

He turned to look at the carriage, drew his sword from its sheath, and lifted the curtain.

As sunlight streamed into the carriage, the person who had been sleeping with his sword as a pillow opened his eyes, his eyelids squinting slightly.

"It's you?!"

Xiahou Feishan was extremely surprised, "How did you end up in my carriage?"

The swordsman sat up and chuckled, "Just hitching a ride? I paid for it."

Xiahou Feishan turned his head to look, his eyes seeking confirmation.

Xiahou Yi nodded and said, "This young man was indeed someone I met on the road just now, and I hitched a ride with him. Is he an old acquaintance of the Second Young Master?"

We've known each other for a while, but we're not very close.

Xiahou Feishan looked at the swordsman, "You're here to see Chu Tianshu?"

The swordsman nodded. "When the news of Chen Zuqi's defeat and death at the Southern Shaolin reached Dongying, coupled with some existing rumors, it caused quite a stir throughout the city."

"Someone sent a fake to try and stabilize the situation. I intervened and discovered that his last resort was a Japanese sword technique, clearly not the real Chen Zuqi."

"Sigh, killing counterfeiters seems to make one look inferior to killing genuine ones. I just wanted to come and see this Layman Tian."

Xiahou Feishan pondered for a moment and said, "You're not planning to assassinate him, are you?"

The swordsman's eyes widened. "What makes you say that?"

"Your original targets, the Flowing Cloud Manor Master and the Pirate Heavenly King, are both very famous and major threats to the imperial court."

Xiahou Feishan solemnly said, "I think Chu Tianshu now meets your assassination criteria in every aspect."

The swordsman laughed, "You suspect I'm a member of the imperial court?"

What you consider the standard is probably not my true standard.

He thought for a moment, "As for whether I serve the imperial court, let me put it this way, I am from Zhuxi."

Decades ago, due to land annexation and heavy taxes and corvée labor, a large number of farmers on the border of Huguang, Hunan and Shaanxi chose to abandon their homeland and flee with their families to the Jingxiang Mountains.

They spared no effort to reclaim land in the mountains and cut down trees to build shelters in order to find a place to live.

However, the government could not tolerate such a loss of population. They blocked the mountain passes and repeatedly sent people into the mountains to search for and confiscate the land that these people had painstakingly cultivated.

More than a decade or so ago, the displaced people finally reached their breaking point.

Led by Liu Qianjin, Monk Shi, Li Yuan, and others, the displaced people rose up in rebellion, killing officials and instigating uprisings.

They repeatedly defeated the troops sent by the Governor-General of Huguang to suppress them, forcing the imperial court to dispatch the Beijing Garrison, together with local forces, forming a total of eight armies, before the refugees were finally subdued.

Although the refugees suffered heavy casualties in this battle, the imperial army also suffered significant losses.

The upper echelons of the imperial court were finally shaken and discussed the matter several times.

Seven new counties, namely Zhuxi, Yunxi, Baihe, Tongbai, and Yiyang, were established, each with its own jurisdiction, in order to provide a place for the remaining refugees to settle down.

They can use the newly cultivated land for their own purposes.

The refugees settled down, and the seven counties gradually became bustling towns with a constant flow of merchants from the north and south, thanks to their active land reclamation efforts.

The so-called Zhuxi people are descendants of refugees from that era.

"Perhaps some people in Zhuxi might also be tempted by the imperial court and risk their lives for it, but I don't trust those things."

The swordsman said, "Gold, silver, beautiful women, land, fine clothes, and titles are all less desirable than the sword in my hand."

He raised the black-sheathed longsword in his hand.

"And the sword in my hand is not meant to be used to kill certain people."

"I think this ' Layman Tian,' who so easily subdued the Divine Constable Xiahou, is also that kind of person."

Xiahou Feishan frowned. "I haven't been convinced by anyone."

The swordsman said, "Is that so? If you were so unwilling to go all the way to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, why did you come back?"

Xiahou Feishan hesitated for a moment; to say he was convinced was not really true.

But it seems that when she was with Chu Tianshu, she was quite comfortable eating, drinking, and playing, and her mind didn't have time to think about so many things that were hard to extricate herself from.

When I go out to do business, I do things that I'm willing to do.

Aside from being sparred with and seeing a lot of bald guys, life is pretty good.

"Ha, it seems like that's someone you'd find quite pleasant to be around."

The swordsman handed over a wad of silver, saying, "Xiahou, here, please introduce me to someone."

Xiahou Feishan snorted, "You should at least have a name."

The swordsman pondered for a moment and said, "Hmm, you can call me Lu Shuangyan."

Xiahou Feishan: "Real name?"

"Calling it Yan Shuanglu is fine too."

The people's hearts are as firm as iron, but the official laws are as scorching as a furnace.

Human hearts are like charcoal, turning the world into a furnace.

(End of this chapter)