Chapter 252 The first defector
“Master Gu, may I ask if your house is still short of diners?”
Hearing these words, Gu Xu’s first reaction was: I haven't even paid off the loan to buy a house yet, so someone would want to come to my house to cheat me out of food and drink?
Of course this is just a joke in his mind.
The "diners" in Shen Qiu's mouth are not guests who eat, but another name for "diners", which refers to people who stay in the homes of noble officials and serve them. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in Gu Xu's previous life, many princes from vassal states, such as the famous Mengchang Lord, Xinling Lord, etc., had maintained a large number of followers, including people from all religions and nine schools, including scribes who wrote articles and lobbied around, and some who served as There are samurai who serve as assassins or bodyguards, and there are also thieves who only possess some minor skills.
In the Daqi Dynasty, "diners" usually referred to aides who made suggestions in the aristocratic bureaucracy, or practitioners who served as worshippers and took money to perform services.
The common characteristic of these people is that they do not hold official positions and do not serve the court directly, but their first priority is to assist their masters.
Because of this, Gu Xu was very surprised by Shen Qiu's words.
He really didn’t expect that a noble family boy like Shen Qiu would not inherit hundreds of millions of family property or become a respected court official. Instead, he would like to work in the home of a sixth-grade official. Doorman!
After all, according to common sense, with the power of the Jinling Shen family, it is very easy to find a good future for Shen Qiu.
Seemingly noticing Gu Xu's surprised look, Shen Qiu raised his eyebrows and said, "Mr. Gu, do you look down on my abilities and think I will come to your house to eat and drink for free?"
< br>Perhaps Shen Qiu just wanted to show his sense of humor through these words.
Paired with his ugly and weird face and his eyes of different sizes, it always sounds a bit sinister. "Of course not," Gu Xu smiled and shook his head, "I was just thinking about how worthy and capable I am that I could make a rich young man like Mr. Shen, who comes from a family of bells and whistles, be willing to give up a bright future and come to my house. Are you serious about doing things..."
"Of course I am serious," Shen Qiu shrugged, with a self-deprecating smile on his face, "A bright future... Master Gu, too. You think too highly of me. As a dwarf, and a dwarf born from a rough servant girl, my father still doesn't want to admit that I am his son, let alone seek a future for me.
"If so. Staying at home, I'm afraid I can only be a nanny for my stupid brother-in-law - he goes to visit the brothel, and I look out for him outside the door. ”
Gu Xu was silent for a moment. He didn't know if there was any exaggeration in the other person's words, and he didn't know whether the other person was stating the facts or a way of gaining his trust.
“But I am just a sixth-grade official,” Gu Xu smiled faintly and responded, “For a long time before, I had been working hard every day to obtain cultivation resources. No matter what lofty ideals and ambitions I have, I can’t promise you any future.”
“Master Gu, in fact, what I care about is not you now, but you in the future.”
"My future me?"
"Today, the Imperial Master is full of praise for your attainments in Talismans and Taoism; the Chief Secretary made a special trip from the Exorcism Department Yamen to Longmen Academy for you; Princess Although Your Highness did not say much, her eyes have always been on you; even Dean Li, who was originally skeptical of you, after seeing your attainments in Talisman Dao, dismissed his cousin Mo Li stood aside... As long as you pay close attention to the performance of these big shots, a fool can see that your future is unlimited. If you follow you, even if you are just a gatekeeper, you will definitely be popular and drink spicy food in the future. .”
Gu Xu smiled.
In fact, he should have expected that when he emerged in Luojing City, many people would follow the direction of the wind and gather around him - just like every stock that is rising rapidly. Attracting a group of speculative investors.
"As a fourth-level monk, Mr. Shen should be able to tell at a glance that I am inherently deficient and have flaws in my bones," Gu Xu said, "Aren't you afraid of losing your money when you invest in me?"
"Los Capital, who masters the art of divine deduction and can see into the future, dares to invest, so why shouldn't I dare?" Shen Qiu chuckled, "I know, Mr. Gu, you probably just want to practice quietly now. I don’t want to get involved in the messy worldly affairs.
“But you are now in the maelstrom of Luojing City. As the youngest sixth-grade official in the Exorcism Department, the youngest non-hereditary viscount in the Daqi Dynasty, and the youngest guest teacher at Longmen Academy, even if you want to avoid many things, it will come to you.
"In addition, in your future practice, you will definitely need a lot of resources - if you purely rely on completing tasks to earn merit to exchange resources, the efficiency will never keep up with your practice speed."
Gu Xu listened silently and said nothing.
Chen Qiu paused for a moment, patted his chest in a funny manner, and then said: "I, Jinling Shen Qiu, have no other strengths, and my cultivation talent is even worse than yours. Eight thousand miles away, painting talismans and reading are just hobbies.
“But when it comes to the ability to make money in business and manage connections, I dare say that few people in this Luo Jing City can match me.
"If Mr. Gu is willing to recruit me into his sect, you can concentrate on your cultivation, and I can help you with all the worldly things; in addition, if you need it, I can also help you. You run the industry - in just a few years, you can become one of the richest people in Luojing City, and you no longer have to worry about the problem of insufficient cultivation resources."
Shen Qiu's words sounded a bit exaggerated.
But Gu Xu knew that this person did have real abilities.
In the past, it was rumored that Shen Hua, the eldest son of the Shen family in Jinling, had always been a well-known man with both political integrity and talent - he single-handedly managed the Shen family's industry in an orderly manner, making it prosperous and prosperous. increasingly prosperous.
It was precisely because of these rumors that the Daqi royal family considered marrying Princess Zhaoning to Shen Hua.
However, not long ago, when Shen Hua was bumped into by the imperial censor of the capital while visiting a brothel, the world discovered that this heir to the Shen family was actually a mediocre man who was greedy for pleasure and indulged in licentiousness.
There is actually someone else who manages the Shen family's property.
It was not difficult for Gu Xu to guess that the mysterious person behind the scenes was Shen Qiu, who was not even taller than his chest.
Seeing that Gu Xu did not respond for a long time, Shen Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Does Mr. Gu not believe in my ability?"
"No," Gu Xu shook his head. , "I'm just curious about what Mr. Shen wants to get from me - I think your family should be able to give you better, whether it's resources or development opportunities."
Both parties Be a smart person.
Because of this, it is even more important to be open and honest during the conversation and make all conditions clear in advance.
Hearing this, Shen Qiu shook his head with a smile and said: "I have had no worries about food and clothing since I was a child. I don't need you to give me any material things - I just need to give them to me in your house. It’s enough to have a side room where you can stay overnight.
“My pursuit is actually more on a spiritual level—I want the respect of others, I want to prove myself, and I want someone who can act honestly. I want to make my relatives who have made sarcastic remarks look at me with admiration. I want to tell my tribe that I, the bastard who has been ignored, am much better than the legitimate son they surround me with all day long.
“Moving forward alone is too slow.
“But Master Gu, you are now a rising star in the Daqi Dynasty. Following in your footsteps, I will definitely walk faster than I can on my own.
"How I feel...can you understand?"
While speaking, Shen Qiu spoke faster and faster, and became more and more excited. Gu Xu nodded slowly: "I understand."
For some reason, when he looked at Shen Qiu in front of him, he suddenly thought of Lu Shiyao from the Lu family in Qingzhou.
One of them is a beautiful woman, and the other is a short and ugly dwarf.
Very different in appearance.
But their situations have many similarities.
Before Lu Shiyao became the owner of the "Jinghong Pen", she was also a neglected concubine with a melancholic and sensitive personality.
A little kindness from others can become a ray of sunshine that breaks the darkness, and she will remember it for a long time.
Presumably, beneath Shen Qiu's cynical appearance, there is also a sensitive soul hidden - longing for kindness, longing for respect, and eager to trample on those who look down on him.
"It's our first time meeting you today. Maybe you don't trust me quite yet," Shen Qiu smiled and then said, "But I think that after you showed off your skills in the art of talisman and seal today, many people will follow your reputation. Coming to the door, there will be a lot of troubles.
“If you don’t mind, we can cooperate for a month first. If you are not satisfied with me, I will pack my bags and leave immediately. "
Gu Xu pondered for a moment and nodded.
"I live at No. 22, Jinyu Lane, Yanqingfang," he said, "but I won't move there until two days later. Live there. In the past two days, you can come to see me at the Yamen of the Exorcism Department Headquarters. "
"I just need two days to deal with some things," Shen Qiu said, "I will come to your house immediately after I finish my work. ”
Then, he clasped his hands in fists, bowed deeply to Gu Xu and said, "Shen Qiu pays homage to Dong Weng."
The clouds in the sky gradually dispersed.
The sun shone down, making the rain on the ground sparkle, and also gave the two figures a golden edge.
…………
At the same time.
Imperial Master Da Qi did not leave the academy immediately, but returned to the pavilion surrounded by vegetation.
At this moment, everyone in the pavilion had left, leaving only Luo Chuan, the head of the exorcism department, and Shangguan Jin, who was standing beside him.
“Can we talk alone?” the national master said to Luo Chuan.
Luochuan nodded and gave Shangguan Jin a look.
Shangguan Jin immediately bowed obediently and left.
"Shou Luo, in recent times, you seem to want to push Xiaoyou Gu into front of everyone!" Then, the Imperial Master sat next to Luo Chuan and said slowly, "You have been trying your best to help. He was building momentum, fearing that no one had heard of his name."
"How can I say this?" Luo Chuan was silent for a moment and asked calmly.
“On the first day after Gu Xiaoyou was rescued from Qingzhou Prefecture, many people were spreading the news about his heroic deeds of saving tens of thousands of people,” the national master said, “and when he was in the Lantern Festival Arena After winning the championship, his name resounded throughout Luo Jing - others may not know it, but I know very well that you, Luo Sishou, were at the Luoshui River on the Lantern Festival.
"Today. , after you personally came to Longmen Academy from the Exorcism Department Yamen to watch this Talisman Dao battle, you pushed the public opinion about Gu Xiaoyou in the capital to a climax... If I guess correctly, when Gu Xiaoyou was involved in this Talisman Dao battle, After winning the battle, you will definitely take measures to quickly spread the news to the exorcism department and the entire circle of practitioners in Luojing.
“I’m curious as to what your motivation is for doing these things.”
"Master Imperial Master, are you holding me accountable?" Luo Chuan said calmly, without any change in the expression on his face.
"No, I'm just purely curious," the Imperial Master replied. "As we all know, Luo Sishou masters the art of celestial deduction and can see future scenes through the long river of time - therefore, no matter what you do, Everything may have a deeper meaning... I really want to know what will happen in the future to give you the motivation to do this?"
"Before answering your question, let me first. I want to correct an error in your words for the 128th time," Luo Chuan said, "I have never been able to 'see the future through the long river of time', which is essentially the so-called 'divination technique'. The great Emperor Ziwei of Zhongtian Arctic presented some pictures of the future in my mind."
"Okay, let me correct it," the national master sighed softly and said helplessly, "Zi. What kind of picture did Emperor Wei show you that motivated you to do these things?"
"The long night is coming, and we need heroes," Luo Chuan replied, "In that period when the sun cannot be seen, In extremely dark days, what is most likely to defeat us is not powerful monsters, but our own negative emotions.
"In the 'Long Night' in the history of the Daqi Dynasty, many people chose to give up before the sun rose because of the despair in their hearts, and were ultimately defeated in front of the ghosts.
" However, if a heroic figure can stand up and become a banner in the long night, allowing the monks of the Qi Dynasty to unite around him and fight with him, then as long as that hero does not fall, the faith in the monks' hearts will also be Will not go out.
“Not long ago, Gu Xu was able to escape from death in front of the ‘fierce god’-level ghosts, was able to find a glimmer of hope in the deadlock blocked by heaven, and was able to single-handedly save tens of thousands of people in Qingzhou Prefecture. ...He is undoubtedly synonymous with 'Miracle'.
"In my opinion, making him the hero of 'The Long Night' is undoubtedly an excellent choice. "
"He is indeed very good," the national master thought for a moment and agreed with Luo Chuan's statement, "However, 'the wood is as beautiful as the forest, but the wind will destroy it'. His current level of cultivation is not high enough... Showing off your edge too much may not necessarily be a good thing for him, and it may cause him a lot of trouble. ”
"It doesn't matter if it's a small trouble, it's just a whetstone on his way forward," Luo Chuan said in a calm tone, "As for the big trouble...aren't there still two of us?"
Listen At this point, the Imperial Master burst into laughter: "It's true."
PS: It's the end of the month, please give me a monthly ticket!
Thanks to Jinzhu Zhechi for his 1666 reward, thanks to the 1600 reward who has been with me all this time, and thanks to the leader of Luo Xiqi Sect and Edward Chuxia for his 1500 reward!
(End of this chapter)