Chapter 298 Spring in Jiange
Shi Xiaohan has always been a simple and pure person.
When you are happy, you will feel that the whole world is bright, and you will walk like a little sparrow, with an unconcealable smile on your lips; when you are depressed, you will feel depressed. The emotions are clearly written on his face, and it seems that everything around him is covered with a layer of dust, and even his favorite food will become bland and tasteless.
Today, when she won three consecutive auditions and heard the thunderous applause from the audience, she couldn't help but raise her chin triumphantly, and her bright almond eyes narrowed into crescent moons. The whole person was almost floating with excitement.
It seems that she did not win the audition, but became the number one in the world.
"Fellow Tao Dao, after the 'Luoshui Conference' begins, I will let all the monks in the world see the power of the 'Overlord Sword Technique'." As soon as she stepped off the ring, she grabbed Tao Xi's sleeve next to her and said excitedly said.
In contrast, Tao Xi is much calmer and more aware of his own caliber.
"Don't underestimate the monks in the world," Tao Xi said softly, "For me, I have no regrets if I can have the opportunity to compete with the proud men of Qi Tian."
Shi Xiaohan frowned slightly.
At this time, she was in a state of extreme expansion. She only wanted to hear others praise her, and did not want to hear words that would enhance other people's ambitions and destroy her own prestige.
Gu Xu often describes her temper in private as "like a kitten" - if she is touched along the fur, she will be in a happy mood and it will be easier to get along with her; but if touched against the fur, she will feel... I get depressed, have a little temper, and even blow up on the spot.
"Don't be so presumptuous, Fellow Taoist Tao," she said, "don't you have any further expectations for the 'Luoshui Conference'? For example, to win a ranking or something?"
"Expectations..." Tao Xi lowered his head and said after hesitating for a moment, "If I have to say... As an inexperienced talisman master, I hope to have an opportunity to ask Master Gu for advice in person."< br>
Shi Xiaohan glanced at her with a look that hated iron.
She considered her words for a while, then put her hands on her hips and said to Tao Xi earnestly like a big sister: "Fellow Tao Tao, you have to understand that you don't need to be so afraid of those so-called geniuses. . They are all human and certainly have weaknesses, and they are by no means invincible.
"For example, a talisman master like Gu Xu may be really good at drawing talismans, but his close combat ability is basically zero. If you get close enough to him, you can do whatever you want to him."
Tao Xi lowered his head. Head, did not speak.
Most Talisman masters are not good at close combat, which is a well-known fact in the Daqi Dynasty’s cultivation world.
But the key to the problem is - you first need to have the ability to get close to them!
…………
That night, as soon as Shi Xiaohan returned to his dormitory, he couldn't wait to sit down at the desk and write a letter to Gu Xu.
Although during the recent period, she was exhausted and sore from the devil training arranged by Hu Yun.
But the moment she picked up the pen, her physical fatigue seemed to be swept away. Thousands of words poured out of her mind like spring water, flowing continuously to the tip of her pen.
Her three auditions basically ended quickly.
But she chose to use her pale and immature writing style to write down the battle process in detail and for several pages.
Just the action of drawing the sword was added with exaggerated words such as "the tiger's body shook", "lightning and thunder", "the color of the sky and the earth changed", "everyone was shocked" - it doesn't matter whether it is appropriate or not, as long as it is domineering enough, Just pile them on one after another.
If an uninformed person saw it, they would probably think that she was describing a battle between gods and demons, and a battle between saints.
After finishing writing, she stuffed the letter paper into the envelope, wrote the address of "No. 22, Goldfish Lane", walked out of the dormitory, and handed it to the porter of Longmen Academy.
She couldn't help but start to fantasize happily about how Gu Xu would praise herself in his reply.
However, at this moment, she suddenly remembered that she had not written a reply to her father yet.
As a "daughter lover", Shi Lei would write a greeting letter to Shi Xiaohan basically every day, asking her "Have you eaten enough?" "Have you dressed warmly?" "Is training hard?" and other questions.
Shi Xiaohan thought he was too verbose, so he kept saving his letters and only replied once a week.
After thinking for a moment, she took out a piece of letter paper again and wrote on it:
"I killed three powerful opponents and successfully passed the audition - this kind of thing, you You definitely couldn't do it when you were young, right?
"When the 'Luoshui Conference' officially begins, will you come to the capital to cheer for me? ”
…………
Early spring.
The weather in Shudi Jiange is getting warmer.
The peach blossoms are just blooming at the foot of the mountain, looking like a brilliant red cloud from a distance.
Su Xiao stood in the forest clearing with a wooden sword in hand.
But he didn't focus on practicing his swordsmanship moves as usual.
But he looked into the distance, dazed.
Around him, voices, applause, and the clash of swords came from time to time, which merged with the fragrance of flowers and plants and rippled in the peach forest.
This is the disciples of Jiange competing in martial arts.
The "Luoshui Conference" is coming soon, and these young people are all eager to shine in front of everyone.
As the most talented young disciple of Jiange, Su Xiao will naturally represent Jiange in the "Luoshui Conference".
It’s almost time to set off.
But when he thought that he was about to go to Luojing City, which was thousands of miles away, his mood was particularly complicated.
"Senior Brother Su is having enlightenment again?" Several Jiange disciples passed by him and looked at him with eyes full of admiration.
The image of Su Xiao in the eyes of the disciples of Jiange is quite similar to the image of Gu Xu in the eyes of Luo Jing Fu Xiu - diligent and hard-working, with unparalleled enlightenment, he may have new insights into martial arts or magic anytime and anywhere. .
Su Xiao shook her head.
He really wasn't having an epiphany today.
He was just thinking about someone.
In the spring of sixteen years ago, when he was an ignorant child who had just started to learn swordsmanship, he waved goodbye to that person in this peach forest.
"Dad, when will you be able to come back from your trip to Luojing City this time?"
"Waiting for next spring, when the peach blossoms here bloom again, I will come back here to see you."
"You must keep your word!"
"Of course you do," the man said with a smile on his face , more brilliant than the flowers on the tree, "A gentleman's words are hard to chase. Your father's promise is as solid as Luojing's city wall. When we meet next year, I will bring you Luojing's walnut cake to try Taste."
"I don't like walnut cakes," the young Su Xiao said with a frown, "I just want to hear your stories about how you and your comrades used swords to kill monsters."< br>
"No problem, I will tell you when I come back," my father said in a proud tone, "You have to know that although our 'Shenji Camp' has only been established for two years, it has already established a great Meritorious service. Niu Huang, Mie Yuqi, Zhu Yan, Wutong Shen...these terrifying ghosts were all wiped out in the hands of me and my comrades."
Su Xiao looked at him with longing eyes.
In the eyes of a boy of his age, his father is undoubtedly a heroic existence.
What's more, his father was a famous swordsman in the Daqi Dynasty and a true hero.
"What kind of ghosts are you going to deal with when you go to the capital this time?" Su Xiao asked curiously. "Qiongqi." The father smiled mysteriously.
"Is that the big bad guy who looks like a tiger, has a pair of wings, and eats countless people?" Su Xiao said in surprise, "Dad, you must kill him and eliminate harm for the people!"
"Of course!" The father patted his chest confidently, "I have made very good preparations to deal with it this time!"
At this point, the father paused for a moment, then lowered his head. Looking into Su Xiao's eyes, he said, "Have you noticed that some changes have taken place in my body in the past few days?"
Su Xiao narrowed his eyes and looked at his father carefully from head to toe. Once again, he replied seriously in a childish voice: "Your beard has grown longer, and you have also gained a little weight."
My father was amused by his words and laughed.
"Silly boy, what I want to tell you is that I have broken through the sixth realm."
"What is the difference between the sixth realm and the fifth realm?"
Su Xiao at that time He is just a monk in the first realm. The fifth and sixth realms are too far away for him, and he does not have a clear concept of them in his heart.
“The monks in the sixth realm have Dharma, but the monks in the fifth realm do not.”
“What is Dharma? Is it very powerful?”
"Wouldn't you know it if you saw it with your own eyes?"
My father said with a smile, and summoned his own Dharma image with a thought.
Soon Su Xiao saw a shadow several feet tall appearing behind his father, exuding terrible pressure, which made him lower his head involuntarily, not daring to look at it.
This phantom looks like a ferocious god with three heads and six arms, wearing golden armor and holding bows, arrows, swords and other weapons.
"My 'Dharma' is the 'True Monarch of Fire Virtue' above the nine heavens," my father raised his chin and introduced with joy, "He serves the 'Tai Shang Haotian Jade Emperor' A god next to me is called the 'Five Qi Zhenjun' together with Taibai Jinxing and others..."
His father talked for a long time, but Su Xiao couldn't understand many of the nouns in it.
Su Xiao only felt that this "Shenjun Huode" seemed really powerful - if his father had this thing, he might really be able to defeat the notorious monster Qiongqi.
On that day, the petals danced with the wind, like a colorful rain, exuding a refreshing fragrance.
Su Xiao grabbed her father's hand, stepped on the fallen leaves on the ground, and sent her father several miles away.
As he walked, his father repeatedly told him to listen to his master and practice his sword well.
He told his father over and over again to come back early.
Then his father waved goodbye to him, stepped onto the flying sword, and disappeared into the distant horizon.
Since then, Su Xiao has come to this peach grove every day, either practicing cultivation, practicing swordsmanship, or simply being in a daze, watching the peach blossoms wither, buried in the soil, and then fruits growing on the trees. .
He silently counted the days in his heart, one day, two days, three days...
He has always firmly believed that as long as he waits here for a year, he will wait until the peach blossoms bloom again. On that day, his father would control the flying sword and return to him, telling him the wonderful stories of demons and the exciting battle between the "True Monarch of Huode" and Qiongqi.
However, the spring breeze comes and goes, and the peach blossoms bloom and wither.
Su Xiao has grown from an ignorant little kid to the most admired senior brother in Jiange.
But he still didn't wait for his father to come back.
My father’s wave turned out to be the eternal farewell between the two of them.
…………
On February 21, the twenty-fourth year of Tianxing, Su Xiao stood for a long time at the place where he saw off his father, with many thoughts.
The spring breeze ruffled his hair and made his cheeks itch, but he didn't even notice it.
He sighed softly and took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
That was the bad news brought to him by the imperial envoy sixteen years ago.
The paper said "Su Hao, guest of Jiange, leader of Daqi's 'Shenji Battalion', and sixth realm monk, unfortunately died while fighting Qiongqi at the age of thirty-nine."
The imperial court gave him the posthumous title of "Wu Xiang" and gave Su Xiao a batch of valuable elixir resources as a pension.
In addition, the envoy also said that due to the fierce fighting, Su Hao and his comrades had no bones left.
In order to commemorate them, the imperial court could only build an ancestral hall for them in the capital, hoping that the world would always remember their merits and sacrifices.
Su Xiao has been to that ancestral hall several times - there is a tall stone tablet inside, engraved with the names of heroes, surrounded by incense, and people worship in front of the stone tablet.
The name "Su Hao" is at the top.
These two characters were written by Luo Chuan, the head of the Exorcism Department, with sonorous and powerful strokes and an awe-inspiring aura.
But Su Xiao didn’t like the atmosphere in that ancestral hall.
He has always believed that "Su Hao" in the ancestral hall is just a symbol for people to admire, an empty name.
Only in his own memory, his father is a living person.
My father once taught Su Xiao how to practice swordsmanship step by step under the dim yellow candlelight; he also used his body skills to fly over eaves and walls, letting Su Xiao sit on his shoulders and experience the feeling of flying.
He also brought a set of clay sculpture toys for Su Xiao from Jiangnan, but he accidentally broke them on the road, which made the young Su Xiao cry. However, early the next morning, he quietly used magic to repair the toys and put them in place. Place it next to Su Xiao's pillow, and at the same time coax his son that "this is done by gods to help you", "gods like obedient children", "gods will only help you if you listen to your father"...
Su Xiao often recalls these scenes in her mind.
People often say that he is cold and arrogant, and that he is difficult to approach.
But in fact, he just has a lot of things on his mind.
Recently, Xu Man, the master of the Jiange Pavilion, told him that the leader of the "Luoshui Conference" would be eligible to enter the royal treasury and select a precious magic weapon.
When Su Xiao practiced, he was obsessed with the swordsmanship itself and was not interested in the title of leader.
But he learned that there was a treasure in the inner treasury called the "Hunyuan Box" - it was made of Fuso wood and contained the Hunyuan from the edge of the world. It was said to be able to span time and space and look back into the past. .
Su Xiao wanted to know how his father died in the war.
Although that "Qiongqi" is a ferocious god-level ghost, its actual combat power according to intelligence is only similar to that of a peak monk in the sixth realm.
Logically speaking, it is almost impossible for the "Shenji Battalion" to be completely wiped out in front of it - after all, the members of the "Shenji Battalion" are geniuses from all over the country. Even if they really can't defeat them, they should still be able to defeat them. The ability to escape!
"Dad, the peach blossoms at the foot of the mountain are blooming again," thinking of this, Su Xiao put away the yellowed paper in his hand and said softly, "This time, it is my turn to leave for the capital."
In his hand The wooden sword swung up and down again.
The invisible sword energy quietly chopped down the peach blossoms on the tree. The flowers fell like raindrops, and then sprinkled on his body, which was three points thicker than the color of blood.
(End of this chapter)