Chapter 005 Me and My Enemy Father and Brother

It is now the 165th year of the Yongxing Dynasty. The future described in the report has not yet arrived. Under the emperor's rule, the world is at peace and the people can live and work in peace and contentment.

The mountain where the Sword Sealing Pagoda stood lies in the south, thousands of miles from the capital. The village, nestled amidst the verdant mountains and clear waters, is exceptionally tranquil and peaceful, and the villagers are all warm and honest. Upon seeing a stranger enter the village, their first reaction is to greet them, and then to ask what they are doing.

Chen Wenjian was not a talkative person. He stood aside calmly, looking around and listening to Chen Yunli chatting and talking skillfully with the villagers.

Chen Yunli was lively, sweet-mouthed and good at talking. In a short while, he made up an identity for the two of them as mountain people. He used the excuse that it was his first time traveling far away and he knew nothing. He very smoothly got the latest news and interesting things happening around the village, and even got a few freshly baked pancakes.

Chen Wenjian believed that he did not have such ability, and watched with great interest. Apart from his cultivation, his empty heart seemed to be filled with something. Looking at the surrounding scenery, he could vaguely understand Chen Yunli's previous admiration.

"Come, try this pancake."

Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Chen Yunli tear off a piece of bread and put it in his mouth. After chewing it, his eyes lit up and he stuffed the rest to him: "Eat it while it's hot, it tastes amazing!"

Chen Wenjian looked at him with the pancake in his hand, pondered for a moment, then turned his head to look at the yellow and green tree next to him. In the shadow of the branches and leaves, a squirrel was squatting, gnawing on a chestnut. Its eyes were bright and its cheeks were bulging, which was subtly similar to his expression at the moment.

For some reason, Chen Wenjian suddenly found it quite interesting and, following Chen Yunli's advice, tasted the pancake. The freshly baked pancake still had the aroma of the wok, and it was crispy and delicious. It was indeed quite tasty.

Looking at Chen Yunli again, he had already started praising the lady who fed him the noodles for her superb cooking skills.

Chen Wenjian thought, this person is really likable.

The two of them walked and stopped, and it took them a long time to walk out of the first village. Chen Yunli's pockets were already filled with various wild fruits and snacks.

He gave half to Chen Wenjian, and ate a wax melon with one hand holding his clothes and the other hand, eating it sweetly. He kept looking around, and he was really busy.

Chen Wenjian didn't touch the food Chen Yunli had given him. He squinted his eyes and looked into the distance, roughly estimating the distance. He said, "It's still half a mile to the second village. There's a shallow stream in between. There are people fishing there."

"Hmm." Chen Yunli followed the direction of his gaze and saw only sparse vegetation and a small loess path. He couldn't help but say enviously, "You have such good eyesight! I can't see anything."

Seeing that he had finished his wax gourd, Chen Wenjian picked out a large one from his arms and handed it to him, describing what he had seen: "There's a wooden bridge over the stream. The water is clear and waist-deep. There are many plump fish and shrimp, but there's only one person fishing...ah."

Before he could finish his words, they were replaced by a single, flat tone.

Chen Yunli peeled off the melon rind and asked curiously, "What do you see? People fishing has become fish catching people?"

He was just joking, but Chen Wenjian suddenly turned around and looked at him with a subtle expression: "Yeah."

"……ah?"

"The man caught a half-meter-long fish and dragged it into the stream." Chen Wenjian narrowed his eyes, not knowing what he saw, and added, "He was choking on the water while pulling at the rod. He looked like he wanted to die with the fish."

“…”

Chen Yunli dropped his melon and jumped up and down on the spot: "What are you waiting for! Save people!"

When the two men arrived at the place, the fisherman had been dragged to the deepest area in the middle of the stream by the fish he caught, and the water had already covered his chest as he struggled.

At this critical moment, he still held the fishing rod tightly, his arms raised above his head, the fishing line was taut, and the bamboo pole bent into an exaggerated arc, as if both would break in the next second.

However, this fishing rod is as tenacious as its owner. The head and tail are almost connected, and there is no sign of breaking at the bend.

Chen Yunli was stunned and amazed.

"Save people?" Chen Wenjian put his hands in his pockets and looked at the person fighting with the big fish in the water without any fluctuation in his eyes. His voice was quite gentle when asking for his opinion.

Chen Yunli came back to his senses, rolled up his sleeves and rushed forward: "Help him, help him! Quick! That fish is going to drown him!"

He ran as he spoke, and just as he reached the stream and had not yet entered the water, he heard a crisp sound of breaking wind behind him, and then the bottom of the water seemed to be violently stirred by something, creating circles of ripples.

The ripples gathered around the fisherman and formed a whirlpool. The water level in the center of the whirlpool dropped, while the water level on all sides rose. While saving the fisherman's life from danger, it also brought the big fish that was lurking underwater and "making trouble" to the surface.

"boom--"

As Chen Yunli was staring in astonishment, Chen Wenjian slowly stopped beside him, and with a flick of his right hand, the fisherman and his sturdy fishing rod were pulled ashore. At the same time, the half-meter-long fish also landed on the shore, swinging its tail and jumping back and forth alternately, full of energy.

Chen Wenjian brushed off the non-existent dust on his sleeves as he withdrew his hand, and said calmly: "The person has been rescued."

Chen Yunli was stunned for a moment, and detected a hint of seeking praise in his calm tone.

It's hard to say whether this is an illusion or not, but considering that his mission is to let the big devil experience the beauty of the world and prove the positive role of family affection in shaping life experience, Chen Yunli turned around and gave Chen Wenjian two thumbs up.

He smiled and said, "That's amazing!"

Chen Wenjian blinked, and his usually gloomy pupils seemed to be illuminated by a little sunlight, and suddenly became bright.

"Ahem! My fish!"

Suddenly, a sudden noise interrupted their conversation. Chen Yunli turned around and saw the fisherman getting up from the ground. He hugged the big fish, which was almost as wide as his body, with his thin arms and refused to let go even after being hit in the face by the fish's tail.

He is always persistent.

Chen Yunli patted his forehead, ran across the wooden bridge to the other side, helped the man up, and helped him hold down the struggling fish.

Chen Wenjian followed forward, not understanding, but for Chen Yunli's sake, he helped again. He snapped his fingers and a strong wind blew out, knocking the fish unconscious.

Chen Yunli and the fisherman both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you both for your help."

The fisherman hugged the fish and smiled shyly at the two of them. Only then did Chen Yunli see his appearance clearly. He was thin and elegant, dressed like a scholar. He didn't know where he got the strength to fight with the fish in the water for so long.

Chen Yunli had heard of legends about fishermen before, like how they could catch everything except fish, how they could be seen in remote villages, and how they blessed their fishing rods before fishing. However, this was the first time he had seen someone so obsessed with the fish he caught, and he couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

"Sir, this is..."

The scholar wiped his face and, hearing Chen Yunli's hesitant tone, he explained with a smile, "Oh, my children are waiting to eat fish. I'm sorry to have bothered you two. But this fish is so big that my children and I can't finish it. If you two benefactors don't mind, would you like to come to my house for a simple meal?"

He pointed to the top of his head and looked at the fish again: "By the time I finish cooking the fish, it will be almost time for lunch."

Chen Yunli looked at Chen Wenjian, and seeing that he was indifferent, he asked the scholar, "Is it convenient?"

The scholar nodded gently: "Of course."

The scholar's name is Ning Bufan. His home is not far from a stream. He lives alone with his younger brother. He usually copies books in a bookstore to earn money. Today his younger brother fell ill. The doctor said that drinking more fish soup would help his body recover, so he borrowed a fishing rod from his neighbor to go fishing.

This is also the reason why he refused to let go of the rod even when the fish dragged him into the water.

Chen Yunli was good at communicating with people. He became familiar with Ning Bufan in just a few words. He even found out the name, age and illness of Ning Bufan's brother, which allowed Chen Wenjian to once again witness his extraordinary affinity and ability to make friends.

There are such people in the world who can easily gain the love and recognition of others without doing anything.

"We're here. The wooden house in front is my home."

Ning Bufan's voice interrupted Chen Wenjian's thoughts. He looked ahead calmly and saw a two-story wooden building surrounded by several clumps of green bamboo. The stairs were built outside the house, winding upwards. The handrails were covered with unknown vines, with scattered red flowers blooming on them, with a strong fragrance.

The wooden door was open, and within it leaned a slender figure, a handsome young man. His dark hair was loose and slightly curly, and he wore a long coat over his undergarment. He idly twirled a red flower he had plucked from a vine, clutching it between his fingers.

Hearing the footsteps, the young man looked up and saw that he was exactly the same as the younger brother who took his mother's surname as Ning Bufan had just described.

"Shao Tu!" Ning Bufan ran towards the young man, holding the fish. The fish that he couldn't lift before seemed as light as a feather to him now. "Are you still sick? Why did you get out of bed? Go back to your room and get some rest!"

Ming Shaotu sighed softly and took the fish from his brother's hand when he rushed over. "Got it. I'll put the fish away for you and then go back. Who are they?"

Chen Yunli raised his eyebrows when he heard this. This young man was well versed in speaking skills. He first agreed to go back to the house to calm Ning Bufan down, and then took the opportunity to change the topic to divert his attention and help him solve the little trouble he was facing.

Ning Bufan said that he had a cold personality, but in fact he was a very tight-lipped person.

Chen Yunli thought about it, grabbed Chen Wenjian's sleeve and walked forward with a smile: "My name is Chen Yunli, and this is my companion, Chen Wenjian."

As soon as he finished his introductions, Ning Bufan rushed over, telling his brother everything that had just happened by the stream. Finally, he added, "So I invited them back for dinner as a way of thanking them for saving me."

"I see." Ming Shaotu nodded and pushed him into the door. "Go change your clothes first, or I'll recover and you'll catch a cold again. Gentlemen, please follow me into the house. I only have a cup of hot tea for you, so please don't be disgusted."

"Don't mind, don't mind. We've been walking for half a day, and a cup of hot tea is just right to quench our thirst." Chen Yunli smiled and walked in, holding Chen Wenjian's hand.

Chen Wenjian noticed that Ming Shaotu's expression changed for a moment when he heard their last name was "Chen." But because he didn't sense any hostility, and...

Chen Wenjian glanced at Chen Yunli's hand and decided not to say anything. If he had seen it wrong or misunderstood him, it would spoil his interest.

While thinking, he followed Chen Yunli obediently into the hall of the wooden building.