Xie Yuan was not surprised to see the strange-looking nail-biter from Chunjiang Tower here again. Yesterday, Old Wu said that there were many weird people in the capital.
But as soon as he came in, he heard this greeting, which seemed to be coming from the weirdo, which made him a little surprised.
Are you calling me?
Xie Yuan was a little unsure. He was not even sure if the sound came from that person. This was very rare for a warrior with a keen ear and eyesight.
The two people still turned their backs to all living beings, motionless.
Well, why is there one less person in the back today...
The other diners didn't make any movement, not even one turned around. Did they not hear this sound?
Are you hallucinating?
Xie Yuan always felt a little weird. Just when he was doubting himself, he heard an erratic voice:
"I asked you to come over, didn't you hear me."
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The two hooded figures still didn't move, but Xie Yuan was now sure that the words came from there.
Hearing this very rude greeting, Xie Yuan frowned slightly and looked around calmly.
He found that although the hall was noisy, since these clear words could pass through and reach his ears, the people around him should also be able to hear them clearly. However, none of the drinkers who were used to doing good things made any move.
Can’t hear you?
Xie Yuan was thoughtful, walked slowly to the corner, and cautiously bowed his hands to the two people sitting and standing:
"This friend, are you looking for me?"
"Friend..."
Xie Yuan now saw that the man sitting seemed to be shaking, and an indistinct voice came from the hood. The message came from below:
“Sit down and eat.”
Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment, feeling a little confused.
He pondered for a moment:
"I made an appointment with a friend. He will be here shortly, so I won't disturb you."
After saying that, Xie Yuan was ready to stay away from this weirdo. About to take a step, I suddenly heard:
"The young monk will not come back. Please sit down and have lunch with me."
Xie Yuan suddenly turned around in surprise.
Does this hooded man know Huijue?
Or did he hear all their conversations outside?
His eyebrows were slightly twisted, this person was really weird.
But Xie Yuan feels that he is most likely an expert, not a mere weirdo.
Xie Yuan was thinking about rejecting, when suddenly his mind moved, he pondered for a moment, and then slowly sat down on the bench.
The hooded man seemed to move and made an indistinct sound:
"Be good."
Xie Yuan's face was solemn. He was not really willing to answer this mysterious man, but he When I was about to leave, I seemed to have an instinct urging me not to leave.
It seems that as long as you take a step, bad things will happen.
It's a bit magical... Look at what medicine he sells in his gourd.
After Xie Yuan sat down, he immediately looked at the face of the sitting hooded man.
However, he was surprised to find that even at this angle and this distance, the hooded man's face was still dark and blurry, as if no light could enter here.
Xie Yuanshua raised his head and looked at the man standing behind him, only to see the same thing. Even if he looked up from below, he still couldn't see anything.
When the man saw him looking over, his hood paused slightly, as if he was nodding.
Even if I possess the Heavenly Hidden Technique and the Heavenly Illusion Technique, I can’t see any flaws at all?
Xie Yuan was very vigilant, knowing that the two people in front of him had such high skills that they were by no means ordinary people, not even ordinary masters.
But for now, at least there is not much hostility.
And be adaptable.
Xie Yuan sat down and was about to order when he heard the hooded man say plainly and erratically:
"Serve."
Xie Yuan raised his eyebrows and saw Boss Wu, who had just returned behind the counter, suddenly raise his head and look around the lobby in surprise. Then he seemed to see Xie Yuan sitting here, blinked and said nonchalantly:
“Okay.”
Xie Yuan calmly observed the tables around him and found that no one responded to what the hooded man said.
It's not that I ignored it after hearing it, but it seemed that I couldn't hear it at all...
But Xie Yuan was sitting here, and he definitely didn't feel any fluctuations in his inner breath. Secret and other techniques were not noticed at all.
Maybe he just couldn't notice it.
Xie Yuan observed silently, feeling that the hooded man was very mysterious and unfathomable.
Boss Wu moved into the kitchen and served the food surprisingly quickly. Xie Yuan even saw Boss Wu roll up his sleeves and act as a waiter himself to put the dishes on the table like running water, with some food on his hands. It was so oily that it seemed that he even fried the vegetables himself, that's why he cooked them so quickly.
He put the dishes on the table respectfully. Xie Yuan could see that he was really afraid of this mysterious man.
But let alone Boss Wu, who has little cultivation, even if he opens a store and faces such strange customers, I am afraid he will have a conflict in his heart.
In the blink of an eye, more food than the three of them could eat was placed on the table. It was so full that there was no room for it on top of each other.
Xie Yuan cursed, this man didn't even say what dishes he ordered, he just said that he was being treated like this. The treatment was much better than what he had received yesterday.
It seems that those who cause trouble will still get more preferential treatment, and the distribution will be based on the trouble, which has been done since ancient times.
The diners next to him also followed Boss Wu’s movements and noticed this. They looked at the hooded man and Xie Yuan a few times, and then someone said dissatisfiedly:
“Boss, let’s order first. Why are they served first?”
Old Wu was excited and hurriedly went over to apologize:
"Guest, eh! The guest over there had already ordered the food, and the kitchen was ready and just waiting for everyone to serve, that's why it was so fast. What are you doing? I'll be here soon! I kept you waiting for so long, it's my fault that Old Wu is so stupid!"
He hit himself hard with his right hand. He tapped his left hand twice without holding back, and his left hand even turned red. Then he said with a flattering face:
"Sir, I will serve you food right away! I will give you a bottle of wine, what do you think?"
Seeing that the boss was so polite, the guest felt satisfied and even a little guilty, so he naturally said harmoniously:
"It's easy to talk, boss, your business is good, I understand. But I am also inviting friends to dinner... Haha, go and get busy."
"Thank you for your understanding! I will give you a 20% discount!" Next time you invite your friends, please come to the box.”
Boss Wu said in a low voice with a smile on his face.
The guest was even more satisfied and nodded repeatedly.
It’s not easy to do business, and it’s even more difficult to do so well.
Xie Yuan listened to the movement next to him and commented silently.
“Eat.”
The hooded man spoke, then stretched out his hand and moved his chopsticks.
Xie Yuan wanted to judge the man, woman, age or child from his hands, but he saw that the hands were wrapped with thick white cloth, and there was nothing visible at all.
The hooded man held chopsticks in his hands wrapped in white cloth. He twisted the food and put it into the hood, then followed it into the dark cave. Even Xie Yuan saw the chopsticks that were peeking into the shadow of the hood. not see.
Xie Yuan gave up now, knowing that he had no intention of letting him investigate and that he couldn't see anything, so he just buried his head in eating.
The two of them were just eating chopsticks one after another in silence. The warrior had a big appetite and even ate all the dishes on the table in one go.
Xie Yuan was actually seventy percent full halfway through eating, but just as he was about to stop eating, he saw the hooded man still holding his chopsticks. He felt weird sitting there, so he had to Bite the scalp and sweep up all the dishes.
Until he had finished all the side dishes he could choose, and the pots and bowls were clean, he had no choice but to put down his chopsticks, glanced at the man standing behind him, and said to himself:
"It seems like this He is not qualified to serve at the table. So if he stands here every day, won’t he get hungry? Well, is the other person taking another shift to eat..."
While Xie Yuan was thinking wildly, he saw the hooded man put down his chopsticks, and then said lightly:
"You can go."
Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment, feeling very strange.
What is this? Just ask yourself to accompany you to eat?
He hesitated to speak, but finally stood up, cupped his hands, and made a gesture to leave.
"Don't stay in the capital."
A voice came from behind.
Xie Yuan turned around in surprise, only to see that the two weirdos were still facing away from him and there was no movement, so he had to leave with a frown on his face.
After leaving Chunjiang Tower, Xie Yuan walked for a long time and suddenly found a bald head at the intersection.
He squinted his eyes and said:
"Master Huijue, what took you so long? Did you fall into a trap?"
Huijue turned around and said with a serious face:
"Thank the almsgiver for saying this, I didn't expect any favors from the little monk. ."
Xie Yuan stared at him:
"Do you know the person inside?"
Huijue immediately took a step back and looked to the side:
"I don't know what the donor is talking about."
When he said this, his expression clearly said "that's it".
Xie Yuan frowned and said:
“Who is that person?”
"The Buddha said..."
Huijue put his hands together and said with a pure face:
"It can't be said."
"It can't be said?"
"Don't say it. The young monk doesn't want to have his tongue pulled out."
Huijue shook her head like a rattle.
Xie Yuan saw that Huijue was very tight-lipped, so he had to shut up, and then said:
"Have you eaten?"
"Thank you for your concern, the monk, the monk has already eaten. ”
“Eat in the toilet?”
"Thank you, almsgiver. The young monk didn't go to the toilet, why did you lie to yourself."
Xie Yuan snorted and asked:
"What did you do in the capital?"
"Of course I am here to save all sentient beings, point out the confusion, and help believers in the Buddha country reach the other side."
Huijue said with a holy face.
"Speak well."
"Just come to see the fun."
Huijue chuckled and said:
"The Qianlong Banquet is a big bustle, and the young monk also comes to join in the fun." Son."
Xie Yuan nodded slowly.
I didn't ask at first, but now I suddenly had an inexplicable lunch and received an inexplicable reminder. When I saw Huijue coming, I felt that nothing good had happened.
He asked:
"Monk, has anything happened to this Qianlong Banquet?"
Hui Jue looked innocent and looked at Xie Yuan as if he was looking at a fool:
"Thank you, donor. The monk said he can tell fortunes. Do you really believe it? If he could predict the future, the young monk would not come to Chunjiang Tower..."
Xie Yuan didn't believe that he knew everything, but he didn't believe that he didn't know anything.
Every move of this little monk has a profound meaning that is unpredictable when you think about it afterwards.
Since he didn’t say it, there must be a reason, and he couldn’t find out if he asked... Where can I find it? There are many famous Buddhist temples in the capital. Is there any place I should go to?”
Huijue announced the Buddha’s name with a calm look on his face:
"Amitabha! Thank you, donor. If the dharma can be told, it would not be called the dharma."
"Just move forward, and the dharma you should obtain will naturally appear when it is supposed to appear." "
Xie Yuan frowned:
"Monk, I don't like how talkative you are. "
Huijue put his hands together with a look of compassion:
"Thank you, donor. The burden on you is very heavy. The monk can only share it for you, but you have to walk the road yourself. In this world, all living beings have their own consequences. Who can help whom? The sea of suffering is boundless and cannot be crossed. The crossing is endless."
He looked at the sky with a look of compassion on his face, which made Xie Yuan frown.
Suddenly, the young monk turned around, smiled, and blinked:
"Thank you, almsgiver, does this young monk look like a senior monk?"
"..."
"Haha, master is going to let me be promoted to a great Buddhist monk in Bodhi Courtyard. When the time comes, I will be very impressive when I wear the red cassock!"
Hui Jue smiled with a proud look on his face. Xie Yuan clenched his fists and said expressionlessly:
"Congratulations."
"Haha, thank you donor for being so polite."
Huijue smiled and looked at the small temple on the street next to him:
"I would like to thank the donor for sending me this gift. The young monk is here to place orders."
Xie Yuanjian walked here unknowingly. Next to the small temple, his eyes flashed:
"Monk, what have you been busy with these two days? Why don't you come and have a discussion when you have time."
When Hui Jue heard this, he originally wanted to talk, but directly Stepping into the temple gate, turned around and said:
"The young monk still needs alms to eat. Thanks to the donor, you can go to the Qianlong Banquet to show off your power, and the young monk will not accompany you."
After that, he clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and then slammed the door.
When Xie Yuan heard that the bolts behind the door were bolted directly, he couldn't laugh or cry, so he had to turn around and leave.
On the way back to the Xie Family Courtyard, Xie Yuan frowned slightly.
The mysterious man’s inexplicable lunch and Hui Jue’s mysterious words have no idea of their purpose.
Xie Yuan originally thought that the Hidden Dragon Banquet was just a simple royal banquet, but now he had a feeling that it would become a little more complicated.
Does it all matter?
Xie Yuan is a little confused, but...he doesn't have to figure it out on his own.
Back at Xie's Capital Villa, he went directly to the study and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Xie Yi's voice came out.
Xie Yuan entered the door and saluted Xie Yi behind the desk:
"Second uncle, are you busy?"
"Tell me, what's the matter? Practicing? Or from Qianlong Yan?"
Xie Yi smiled and put down the letters in his hand.
Now that you meet a weirdo, if you don't sue your parents, you will be asking for trouble.
Xie Yuan immediately told the story about the strange man and rice he encountered in Chunjiang Tower.
After hearing this, Xie Yi frowned slightly, thought for a while, and said:
"This is all he said in total?"
"Yes, except for eating. Cai, just let me leave the capital.”
Xie Yuan nodded.
He came to attend the Qianlong Banquet, so naturally he couldn't just listen to a weirdo with unknown origins.
Xie Yi’s eyebrows were raised, thoughts flashed through his mind, and many figures flashed across his mind.
But with these few sentences, it is really difficult to tell who is pretending to be a ghost, and why is Xie Yuan kept away from the capital?
Xie Yi took a breath and asked:
"Do you have your own judgment?"
Xie Yuan shook his head:
"I can't think of it at all, and I can't tell the identity at all."
Xie Yi nodded slowly :
"Then let's write this down for now... Xie Yuan, the day after tomorrow is the Qianlong Banquet, you should recharge your batteries. Remember, this time is to increase your knowledge, don't have any other pressure, Preserve yourself first.”
Xie Yi asked again, and then took out a breast shield from the drawer:
"You are here just in time, this is for you."
"This is..."
"If you don't need to activate your true energy, this is a pretty good piece of armor, and you can also use it in the Hidden Dragon Banquet. If it's a critical moment, you can activate it with all your strength, and even a grandmaster can't hurt you."
Thank you. Yi handed the breast mirror to Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan was a little surprised. He had only seen Situ Qin's magic weapon that could withstand the Grandmaster's attack with his current level of cultivation.
Even for the disciples of aristocratic families, if they can withstand a single blow and save their lives, it is quite good, and often only the core disciples can possess it. And these time-sensitive protective magic weapons are probably the most valuable ones in the family treasury.
"Second Uncle..."
"Take it."
Xie Yi waved his hand and did not let Xie Yuan say more.
He said in harmony:
"Xie Yuan, you are the future of our Xie family in Chen County. I even see the shadow of Xie An's ancestors in you.
"You should grow up well. Get up and lead me, Mr. Xie, to take another step forward from now on. "
Xie Yuan held the breast shield, cupped his hands and said:
"Second uncle, I can save it. ”
"Go, even though it's just an experience, you can also prepare for it. The Qianlong Banquet starts with civility and then martial arts, and there are many exams, which is quite interesting."
Xie Yi waved his hand, and Xie Yuan resigned.
Walking outside, Xie Yuan bumped into Xie Lingyun again.
As soon as she saw Xie Yuan, she shouted:
"Hey, where did you go to eat at noon? Why didn't you take me with you?"
Xie Yuan smiled and said:
“Don’t you think that Huijue ran away because of his verbosity? The monk and I went to Chunjiang Tower.”
“Went to Chunjiang Tower to eat good food again? And with a Monk? Wasted everything."
Xie Lingyun pouted.
Xie Yuan shook his head:
"The monk didn't come to eat, but a strange thing happened... The hooded weirdo in the corner asked me to accompany him to eat, but he didn't say anything after the meal..."
"What corner? A weirdo?"
Xie Lingyun blinked and said in confusion.
Xie Yuan frowned:
“It’s the table that has been sitting in the corner, sitting and standing at one time, and the whole body is tight, and it is still there today.”
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Xie Lingyun thought about it and said:
“Why don’t I remember, aren’t there those people from the Western Regions in the corner?”
Xie Yuan was stunned, stopped, grabbed Xie Lingyun and asked quickly Said:
"Yes, just next to the people from the Western Regions yesterday, didn't we say that those people were weird?"
"I'm talking about the people from the Western Regions... How can there be others? People?”
Xie Lingyun looked confused.
Xie Yuan was startled for a moment, then slowly let go of his hand, a little surprised.
Yesterday they also discussed that Chunjiang Tower has guests of all kinds from all over the world. Xie Lingyun must have seen it there. It is impossible not to notice the characters with such distinctive features.
How could you not remember?
Xie Yuan frowned, suddenly turned around, and went back to the study. This information is a bit weird, so I need to tell Xie Yi quickly.
"Hey, why are you acting weird?"
Seeing Xie Yuan running back again, Xie Lingyun quickly followed up and shouted loudly.
Back in the study, Xie Yuan knocked on the door and found no one answered. The book boy at the door bowed and said:
"Sir, the master of the house has just gone out."
Going out?
Xie Yuan raised his eyebrows, but since he didn't see Xie Yi, he had to give up.
He felt that Xie Yi seemed to be busy with something. He was coming to the capital, which seemed a bit abnormal. There were so many things going on in the clan, and the clan leader would generally not leave the clan lightly;
And Now it seems that it is not normal for him to twice tell himself to put self-preservation as the first priority.
Is there really a storm coming?
Xie Yuan breathed out, looked at Xie Lingyun who was following behind him with a confused look on his face, and shook his head:
"It's okay, let's go."
"It's so nagging..."
Xie Lingyun took out the words he used to evaluate others and shook his head.
Then in the afternoon, Xie Yuan received a letter from the palace, but it was from Situ Qin.
She said that she would stay in the palace for these two days and would not come out again. She would wait for the Qianlong Banquet to see his style again.
In the letter, she tactfully told Xie Yuan that the emperor's physical condition seemed not to be good.
Could it be said that the emperor is on his deathbed? No wonder the capital seems to be in such troubled times.
Xie Yuan thought secretly.
But in this case, how can the Qianlong Banquet be held?
Xie Yuan was a little puzzled. He heard that this Hidden Dragon Banquet was quite grand, and even Zhikong Mountain, which had always been secluded from the world, sent its disciples to attend.
He felt as if he was in a misty mountain. No matter how he looked, he could only see one side of the mountain, and he didn't know the whole picture, which made it seem like he didn't know what he was seeing.
Forget it, prepare well, everything will be clear when the Qianlong Banquet comes.
Xie Yuan touched the breast protector that was already installed on his chest and practiced the exercises behind closed doors.
The fourth day of the winter month.
As the morning sun rose, Xie Yuan and a group of young people stood at the entrance of the Forbidden Palace.
Xie Yuan saw the familiar Wang Qiwen and Cui Lei, as well as more young people he didn't know, but all of them had strong auras and amazing momentum.
From their expressions, manners, and clothing, Xie Yuan compared them one by one with the top ten geniuses on the Qianlong List, and gradually they all agreed.
Senior Brother Qin should also be invited, but I heard that he was practicing in seclusion. Xie Yuan was very sorry that he could not come this time. Otherwise, he could have heard from him what the sect master said about him. What is your attitude now...
Jin Ri had just jumped out of the earth completely. The palace door opened wide, and a group of palace people came out and led the group of geniuses who were participating in the Qianlong Banquet inside.
Xie Yuan and others first went to a side hall near the palace gate, where their old father-in-law explained the rules of the palace.
Xie Yuan thought that the lecture would not last long, but apparently he underestimated the number of rules in the palace. The lecture lasted all morning, and then he had to do random checks and assessments. If he answered incorrectly, he would have to repeat it all over again.
He inexplicably remembered the fear of endorsing the endorsement back then, which was a bit difficult for several of the disciples of aristocratic families, not to mention those sect masters and one or two rare individuals.
However, one person in the crowd caught Xie Yuan's attention, that is, the woman who was known as Zhikong Mountain's new fortune teller.
She was covered with gauze, and her face was hidden behind the white gauze. Her whole body seemed to be in the mist, making it difficult to see clearly. Even her eyes were wrapped with a white cloth, making people wonder how she could see the road clearly.
We had a simple meal in the side hall at noon. It was not until afternoon that everyone passed the test, then entered the palace and went straight to the imperial garden.
Only then did Xie Yuan understand why he had to get up early and go out early for the dinner. It turned out to be to give them enough time to study.
When they arrived at the Royal Garden, Xie Yuan, who was used to seeing luxurious and elegant houses, also had his eyes opened again.
Exotic flowers and plants, fairies, birds and beasts can be seen everywhere walking around in the garden.
The jade pillars, golden eaves, carved beams and painted buildings are both majestic and meticulous. The combination of grandeur and elegance is a royal style.
Xie Yuan and others took their seats one after another in the seats that had been arranged in the imperial garden. The stream flowed along the seats, and the mist emitted from it turned out to be spiritual energy that helped practice.
Not only the few scattered people were dumbfounded, but also Xie Yuan, Wang Qiwen, and Cui Lei took a few more glances, secretly thinking that it was unusual to have the world under their control.
However, Xie Yuan only looked at the furnishings for a while, and then turned his attention to the one near the front. There were a few princes and princesses there, and one person with a beautiful and beautiful smile, it was Situ Qin.
Situ Qin and he looked at each other, with eyes bent and smiles on their faces. The two of them had communicated, and there was no need to say anything more.
When everyone was seated, only the top of the row was still empty, and everyone slowly became quiet.
An old eunuch with drooped white eyebrows and a face as white as paper slowly came out from behind and said in a loud voice:
"The Emperor has arrived!"
The two rows of palace people came out silently, like water, and lined up on both sides.
A majestic old man wearing a dragon robe and a big belly came out. He just appeared, and everyone present bowed their heads:
"See Your Majesty!"
The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his eyes swept across the venue, and he showed a smile:
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"My lords, no courtesy."
Xie Yuan straightened up and secretly said that it would be nice for a warrior to have a banquet without having to kneel down.
The emperor looked full of energy, his face flushed, and he spoke eloquently for a long time, encouraging the young people, and then began to have a banquet.
After three rounds of drinking, the emperor stopped drinking and said harmoniously:
"Everyone, as a hidden dragon, when the spring breeze comes, you will ascend to the sky and enter the earth, dominating the rivers and lakes. But if you want to be a soaring dragon in the world, , He is proficient in military strategy, how can he not know about civil affairs? ”
Everyone knew that the main topic was about to begin, so they all put down their golden cups and jade chopsticks, waiting for the emperor to come up with the topic.
The emperor said slowly:
"When I wrote "The Theory of Aristocratic Family", it became famous for a while, causing an uproar and turbulent sentiments. I think about it as if it was yesterday. However, if I think about it carefully, I have already More than fifty Time flies by, and a person's life passes by like a fire in a stone or a horse in a crack.
"You are all talented people, and you must have read my book. I have a question for you guys.
“I dare to ask, what good does this family do to the world?”
(End of this chapter)