Chapter 2: On the way
At dusk, the setting sun melts gold, and the official roads are coated with a layer of warm color.
The roadside inn had already been occupied by those who came first. It was the convoy of Hedong County. There were hundreds more people than Pingyang County. The girls and young men of the county governor’s family had occupied the guest rooms, and the remaining people were nearby. Set up camp and circle around the inn, which is very spectacular.
If it is a team from a small county town, the leader of the team will directly go up to seize it and no one will dare to argue about right and wrong. It's a pity that Hedong County is a large county in Chu State, and the Wang family of the county governor is very powerful, so no one dares to provoke him. The leader of the Zhao family gritted his teeth and asked the team to camp in the open space on one side, not to compete with them for territory.
When Zhao Shun and his party got off the car, the camp was already set up. During the bumpy ride, many children were too weak to get out of the car and were carried off by the accompanying warriors. The common people were not treated so well. They were thrown out of the car like chickens by their collars, and started to put up their own tents crying.
Zhao Yue and Zhao Mian became energetic as soon as they landed and chatted non-stop.
Wang Cheng seemed to attach great importance to the recruitment. Zhao Shun found that a middle-aged man in purple robe was following the commander. He said he was following him. This arrogant leader of the Zhao family was very polite to him, talking and laughing. .
There are also differences between warriors. Zhao Shun heard from Professor Zheng that those who have just entered martial arts should start with skin training. The skin is as hard as iron and cannot be scratched by ordinary weapons. This This stage is called forging the body, and it is the only way for a warrior to enter the realm of martial arts.
A warrior can be called a warrior only if he has mastered the skills. There are three levels in martial arts training. The first level is full of energy and blood, and the strength can carry the cauldron. The second level is to master the subtle skills, and the martial arts is perfect. The third level is to learn from the skills. , integrated and integrated, as for the ultimate martial arts, it is the unity of all methods, using the body as a magical weapon, and becoming a master.
Zheng Jiaoxi glimpsed the opportunity at the moment of life and death. His energy and blood surged in his body, and he stepped into the first level of martial arts. Many people are stuck in physical training all their lives and cannot be promoted to warriors. There are very few who are as lucky as Professor Zheng.
However, in the third level of martial arts, one level is difficult and the other level is difficult. Zhao Shun's father, Zhao Jian, was less than thirty when he perfected his sword skills and broke through to the second level. There was no progress for the next twenty years, and there was no hope in this life, so he placed his hope in his descendants to prevent the Zhao family from falling.
The commander's surname was Pang, and his given name was Zhen. He had a transcendent status in the Zhao family. He was the only second-level warrior besides Zhao Jian. He was recognized by Zhao Jian as his adopted brother, and Zhao Shen had to call him uncle. Pang Zhen is not a tactful person. He can be so polite. Without Tongtian's strength, even if he is sent by the royal city, he will not be able to lower his head.
Zhao Chun knew in his heart that this middle-aged man in purple robe was probably the third level of martial arts mentioned by the instructor. After practicing martial arts to this point, everyone in the world would respect him as a master.
When I was in the car just now, I also saw a man dressed similarly in the station. He was younger than the Zhao family. He should be a warrior sent by Wangcheng to Hedong County. I don't know if every city has one. If so, there are more than a hundred cities in Chu State, and the martial arts masters dispatched by them are almost equal to the entire strength of several small countries.
Like the Lu State where Zheng Jiaoxi lived before his escape, there were only twenty triple warriors in the country, and they were already able to separate themselves into one side. It's a pity that under the pressure of Jin and Wu, two behemoths that were not inferior to Chu, they were destroyed in less than a month.
As long as a master is not born, the number of martial arts masters is almost the basis for measuring the strength of a great country. The Chu State has been passed down to this day, and its capital is naturally strong. Zhao Shun was lucky among misfortunes, being born in a big country and not suffering from war.
However, being able to send such a large number of warriors down not only shows the importance of recruitment, but also to deter local forces and consolidate centralization of power. Political power is far away from Zhao Shun. She only devoted herself to practicing Taoism and was able to spend the rest of her life peacefully. With expectations for the future, the simple meals became sweet. Zhao Yue next to her kept complaining, but Zhao Chun ate happily.
After finishing the remaining soup and rice in two or three mouths, Zhao Shun took the book and entered the tent. He heard from the driver that if we go a little further and reach densely populated areas with mountains and forests, there will be no danger of banditry. After many lives, the convoy will no longer rest every day, but will drive all night, all the way to the royal city. Zhao Shun cherished this rare leisure time and prepared to rest early. The two sisters got enough sleep in the car, picked out their meals, and went to other tents to find people to have fun with.
The people who can camp next to the Zhao family are also well-known families in Pingyang County. The younger generations have seen each other on weekdays, and the Zhao sisters did not look out of place in the past. Several families sat together and made a lot of noise, which made Zhao Chun miserable and couldn't sleep.
The night fell completely, and it was completely dark. No one on the other side of the civilian population spoke, and they all stopped. Several families here were still making a fuss. After Pang Zhen yelled twice, they didn't dare to make any more noise. Zhao Yue and Zhao Mian entered the tent secretly and continued to talk small words. Zhao Shun didn't fall asleep. He listened to a few words with his ears pricked up, and then he realized that several more teams were coming from behind, but they were all from remote small towns, with more than a hundred or dozens of people. The Wang family of Hedong County also asked someone to send drinks, and they wanted to discuss setting off together tomorrow to take care of each other.
On the second day, Zhao Shun got up early, washed his face, and practiced two sets of swordsmanship. When it was completely light and someone beat the gong to wake up the team, Zhao Yue and Zhao Mian got up.
As expected, Hedong County sent someone. He was a tall and thin man, who should be the leader of the Wang family. He spoke straightforwardly and directly, very much in line with Pang Zhen’s temper. The two of them immediately agreed and merged the team into one. There were four long queues running parallel to each other. As for the small town, the two of them did not consider it. Whether they wanted to follow them or wait until they were all gone before setting off, they didn't care.
The Wang family chose twelve children this time, twice as many as the Zhao family. Most of them were boys, and there were only two girls, Wang Chuyan and Wang Yijiao. The two were very polite and willing to talk to the Zhao sisters, but their expressions were indifferent and not enthusiastic. Zhao Yue and Zhao Mian thought they were shy and introverted, so they kept asking them about things in Hedong County. However, Zhao Chun could tell that the Wang sisters looked down on them, but it was boring to have no one to talk to, so he lowered his body and chatted with them for a few words.
“I haven’t been to Wangcheng yet. People say that Wangcheng is the richest place. I don’t know how it compares with Hedong County.”
Wang Chuyan twitched the corners of her lips and said, "How can a remote and poor place be compared with the Royal City?" She pulled the handkerchief on her hand and added, "My grandma and I live in the Royal City, and we often go back during the Chinese New Year. I go there every year to worship my ancestors, so I don’t think there’s anything special about it.”
The Wang sisters are the direct daughters of Mrs. Wang. They have a distinguished status and pride themselves on being superior to others. After Wang Chuyan finished speaking, he stopped talking. The two of them sat in a row, and the arrogance that naturally rose in their bodies made Zhao Mian turn green.
On the other hand, Zhao Yue who asked the question didn’t think it was anything. She was heartless. When she saw this, she said “oh” and said: “This is our first time to go there. I heard from my mother that this time That Taoist temple wants to select people to become gods. I don’t want to go. What’s good about being a god? You can’t see anything after being locked up in a Taoist temple for a lifetime.”
Hearing Zhao Yue’s rejection of being chosen, the Wang sisters looked at each other. At one glance, it was as if a burden had been put down, and the first smile after meeting him appeared. Zhao Shun remained silent. He looked at the other people in the car while reading a book. He was also surprised when he saw this strange appearance. It stands to reason that Taoist priests are not popular nowadays, and the Wang sisters should not be like this.
Zhao Chun thought about it and gave them the same idea as himself of wanting a stable future life as a reason. Then she heard Wang Chuyan say: "Everyone has his or her own destiny. The king today is a sect that emphasizes etiquette and morality. There must be a reason for it." As for the reason, she refused to say it. Zhao Shun became more and more confused and decided to go into the royal city to inquire again.
(End of this chapter)