31. Tiger, swallow the dragon
In the small courtyard, the crow flapped its wings and looked around at the dark clouds.
The dark clouds, after having eaten their fill, wanted to pounce on it, but were easily avoided every time. The crow's cry was full of mischief.
For some reason, Chen Ji suddenly felt that the crows and cats, the young man and the old man seemed particularly harmonious and peaceful in this yard.
And tonight is one of the few peaceful nights since he came into this world.
No one framed anyone, no one fought.
The mysterious veil of the world is finally slowly unveiled before our eyes.
"Master," Chen Ji asked the most confusing question: "All officials need to be killed like us..."
Old Man Yao was puzzled: "Kill what? Kill the patients?"
"Hmm?" Chen Ji was even more confused: "Master, how do you practice?"
Old Man Yao said lightly, "Cure the patient, and his sick energy can be used by me."
Chen Ji was shocked. The same way of cultivation had different methods of practice?
However, just as he thought of this, a crow stood on the apricot tree, its wings like fingers, pointing at Chen Ji and laughing so hard that it almost fell off the branch.
Chen Ji: "...Master, lying is pointless!"
Old Man Yao sneered, "After all, you're still inexperienced. You have brains, but not much. And remember, this world is more difficult than you imagine. Trust no one except yourself and that raccoon."
"You can't believe it either?"
"Yes, I can't believe it either," Old Man Yao said, shaking the crumbs of Wu Yun's leftover snack into his mouth, not wasting a single bit. "Our cultivation method is the most secretive in the world. Once it's known, the Secret Service will want to kill you, the Chief Justice will want to kill you, Prince Jing will want to kill you, the Emperor will want to kill you, and every official in the world will want to kill you. This method cannot be cultivated without brains."
"Master, are there other officials practicing our method?" Chen Ji asked curiously.
Old Man Yao recalled: "I killed a few, but I don't know if I killed them all."
Chen Ji: “…”
After chewing the biscuit, he felt a little choked and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water before continuing to ask, "Master, what is the name of our cultivation method?"
Old Man Yao stroked his beard and said, "I've answered enough questions. I don't want to answer anymore..."
Before he could finish his words, Wuyun had already thrown himself into his arms and started rubbing against him.
Old Man Yao thought for a moment and replied, "Some people call it 'Tiger'."
Chen Ji thought thoughtfully: "Tiger?"
"Some people also call it 'Dragon Swallowing'."
The traces were solemn for a moment, the meaning of the tiger was obscure, and swallowing the dragon seemed to be more to the point!
He asked curiously, "Master, if you kill me, can you improve your cultivation?"
"No," Old Man Yao glanced at him and said, "If you kill me, your cultivation speed will be faster. Why don't you try it?"
Chen Ji: "...Master, you don't have to be so polite."
Old Man Yao continued to explain, "If you were the only one in the world practicing 'Mountain King', your cultivation speed would be 100%. If there were two people practicing, your cultivation speed would be 50%. What do you think? Does this make you more interested?"
Chen Ji frowned and said frankly: "I think many people will be tempted."
"Therefore, all the officials in this world will not accept disciples unless they have no other choice."
"What's considered a last resort?"
"Either they are seriously injured and on the verge of death, or they are about to become old, or they know that there is no hope of exploring the great way," Old Man Yao said with emotion: "I have seen masters teach their disciples.
, the apprentice wants to kill the master, I have seen a father pass the knowledge to his son, and the son wants to kill the father. "
Chen Ji noticed the desolation in the old man's tone: "Master, besides She Dengke and Liu Quxing, do I have any other fellow disciples?"
Old Man Yao sneered and said, "Yes, he's dead. I killed him."
Chen Ji hesitated for a moment: "Do you have children?"
Old Man Yao was silent for a long time. "I answered that just now. When you live long enough, you will understand one thing: don't easily get tied to others. Those who do are destined to say goodbye and be disappointed."
At this moment, Chen Ji finally understood why Old Man Yao was so unkind. The story behind his dullness was definitely not something that could be explained in just a few words.
Old Man Yao must have been teaching his son sincerely, otherwise he could have waited until he was dying to teach him the ways of cultivation, but Old Man Yao's son seemed to have evil intentions.
It's no wonder there are so few officials in this world. It's because those who have mastered the secrets of cultivation will never easily pass them on to others, and will even fight against each other. Not all sons in the world want to harm their fathers, but there are also sons who do.
Chen Ji was puzzled: "Why did you choose to accept disciples, and three at once?"
Old Man Yao glanced at him, then looked at the crow that was still teasing the dark clouds. "I don't have any master-disciple relationship with you. I just don't want this path of cultivation to end in my hands, so don't hold too much hope in me. You pay the tuition, and I'll teach you skills. That's all."
Chen Ji felt that the reason given by Old Man Yao was not sufficient, but he did not continue to dwell on it. He just said sincerely: "Even though you may not believe me, I will definitely not harm you..."
"Don't talk about it so early," Old Man Yao sneered. "I've told you everything I need to tell you. I'm telling you this because I'm afraid you'll die in obscurity. As for the rest, I might tell you some later when I'm in a better mood."
Chen Ji: "...When are you in a good mood?"
"If you return my ginseng, I'll feel better."
Chen Ji hurriedly said, "I'll go to the drug dealer when I wake up tomorrow..."
Old Man Yao, hunched over, paused at the main entrance. A crow fluttered and landed on his shoulder. "Don't overthink it. Since you're already working for the Secret Service, you've already stepped foot into this world. Life and death are determined by fate, so just don't regret it."
Chen Ji asked, "Master, what is the Jianghu?"
Old Man Yao said calmly, "The Jianghu is a place where things go on day after day, with nothing new to offer."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because human nature is like this, day after day, there is nothing new."
Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Master, what kind of person is the Minister of the Secret Service?"
"The most vicious person in the world, otherwise why would everyone call him the Poisonous Face?" Old Man Yao pushed the door open and walked into the room. "In the days to come, you will miss the good times before you knew him."
Chen Ji looked at the old man and the crow on his shoulder, and suddenly it was as if he saw the dark clouds and himself on the long street of Los Angeles that night.
But then, old man Yao in the house suddenly hummed a song with a strange rhythm: "Law-abiding people are worried every day, while bullies sing every night. Those who harm others for their own benefit ride on horses and mules, while those who are upright and fair go hungry. Repairing bridges and roads is a blind act, while there are many murders and arson. I went to the Western Paradise to ask Buddha, but Buddha said there is nothing I can do..."
Chen Ji returned to the house and lay flat on the bunk bed with his arms as a pillow. The song his master had just hummed echoed in his mind, and dark clouds lay on his chest.
"Wuyun, please don't lie on my chest. I can't sleep like this."
Wu Yun looked up at him and said, "If it weren't for me, your master would have told you so much. After making such a great contribution, it's reasonable for him to sleep on your head, okay?"
Chen Ji was silent for a moment: "That makes sense!"
…
…
In the early morning, before the rooster crowed, the dark clouds had disappeared.
Chen Ji carried a shoulder pole to fill the water tank and swept the yard clean.
He saw a crow perched on a branch of the apricot tree, looking at him, so he smiled and greeted him. The crow only glanced at him sideways and continued to sleep on the branch.
When everything was ready, Chen Ji put the Buddhist Tongbao on his wrist and put all the silver ingots in his pocket before going out.
Medicine dealers are in the East Market, merchants traveling from north to south settle here, students going to take exams stay here, and officials taking up their posts entertain here. It must be the hub of the world.
However, they are just passers-by in Los Angeles and will leave after the hustle and bustle.
Chen Ji walked for about an hour from the Taiping Clinic before he could hear the noise of frolicking in the East Market. The brothel had closed, but fishermen had just returned from the river, carrying baskets of fish ashore, while trackers carried ropes toward the canal.
Chen Ji looked up, his eyes searching for signs one after another, and finally stopped at "Bailu Pavilion", which was the largest drug store in Luo City. 60% of the herbs in the city relied on it for wholesale and transportation from the north and south herbal medicine markets.
This is also where Taiping Medical Clinic purchases medicinal materials on a daily basis, and all three brothers have been here.
As Chen Ji stepped through the threshold, a wealthy shopkeeper came up to greet him with a smile: "Hey, Doctor Chen, why are you here today? Didn't my servant just go to Taiping Medical Clinic to stock up on supplies yesterday?"
Chen Ji smiled and replied, "Master sent me to find some old ginseng for the palace. I wonder if Bailu Pavilion has any in stock right now?"
The shopkeeper said in embarrassment, "Let Doctor Chen know that this aged ginseng is very expensive. We purchased it according to the predetermined quantity. Your master instructed us to buy one ginseng per month, and we don't have any extra to give to Taiping Medical Clinic."
Chen Ji turned and left: "Then I'll go ask somewhere else."
The shopkeeper quickly grabbed him and said with a smile, "Young Doctor Chen, you're so anxious! Why didn't you listen to me finish? It just so happens that the few ginseng branches Fang Ping's Pharmacy ordered yesterday haven't been delivered yet. We're old friends with Imperial Doctor Yao, so if the palace needs them, we can share them with you first."
Chen Ji remained noncommittal: "Then take it out and let's see it."
"This way please. The precious herbs are all in the backyard."
The shopkeeper led Chen Ji to the backyard of Bailu Pavilion and pushed open a wooden door of a warehouse: "Please."
After Chen Ji entered, he looked around at the more than ten boxes of medicinal herbs, but heard the sound of a door closing behind him.
Strange, I'm just looking at the ginseng, why close the door!?
wrong!
Chen Ji crouched down and rolled forward. When he stood up again, he saw the shopkeeper swinging a dagger towards him with an extremely ferocious look on his face.
However, Chen Ji arrived first and kicked the shopkeeper in the fat belly.
The shopkeeper hadn't expected that Chen Ji was actually faster than him. Not only did he dodge the attack, he was also able to counterattack in an instant. After being kicked, he fell backwards and shouted, "Save me!"
Chen Ji wanted to take the opportunity to catch up and kill the shopkeeper, but he didn't expect the wind to attack him again from behind. Someone flashed out from behind the wooden box of medicinal materials and put a dagger to his neck from behind.
This time, the opponent's speed was so fast that Chen Ji had only seen it in Lin Chaoqing, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, and he had no time to react.
He felt the coldness of the dagger, and the hair on his neck instantly stood up, but he could only calmly ask, "What are you doing?"
The person behind him said calmly, "You betrayed your own name and your own identity, and betrayed Zhou Chengyi. Don't you deserve to die?"
Chen Ji was speechless... Whatever you fear, it will come true!
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