Things have changed and people have changed. When Ye Zhou saw Lin You, these four words were the only ones that popped into his mind.
Lin You has grown old - not in appearance, but in temperament. His face no longer has the confusion of his youth, but he has also lost his sharpness. He is like an old man in his twilight years, about to get old, so his whole person has become gentler.
Even to the point of weakness.
He bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to Ye Zhou, being more sincere and respectful than when he was young.
Perhaps it is because he witnessed the insignificance of human power that he believes more in the power of immortals and gods.
"Save the world?" Ye Zhou held a cup of tea in his hand. He had been through three planes, and hearing such words did not seem heavy to him anymore. He looked at Lin You, who burst into tears while speaking, and said calmly, "There is no need to save something that is already rotten to the core."
Lin You stopped crying, he raised his head with a blank look, as if he had returned to his youth.
Ye Zhou: "If it's poisoned, we can scrape the bones to cure the poison, but if it's already rotten, what's the point of saving it?"
Lin You asked stupidly, "The Immortal is talking about... changing the dynasty?"
Lin You had never had this idea before. No matter who was on the throne, he believed that a minister should be loyal to the monarch and the country. He wanted to save the people, but he did not want to be a traitor and leave a bad reputation in history books.
He wanted to be a loyal and pure minister, but the immortal said... there was no need to save him.
Seeing Lin You's expression, Ye Zhou felt a little reluctant, but he continued: "The change of dynasties is natural. Mortals say long live, but who can live to ten thousand years? It's just a wish during the prosperous times."
"What is the difference between a country and a person? People are born, grow old, get sick and die, and so are countries."
Lin You knelt on the ground. He sat down on his legs as if he had lost his strength, staring at the floor with lifeless eyes.
Ye Zhou: "You have to think clearly about what a country is. Is it the millions of people, or the royal relatives in the temple, or the nobles who have been passed down from generation to generation? Who do you want to save when you want to save the world?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin You seemed to hear a huge bell banging in his ears, shaking him all over. These words were like a gust of wind that blew away all the fog in his heart, and like a sharp blade that peeled off the shell of self-deception.
Lin You knelt on the ground exhausted, half of his body was cold and the other half was hot. The two forces pulled him and made him feel miserable.
"Look, in the final analysis, you don't want to save the world either." Ye Zhou, "You want to save the secular power, and the people are just incidental. If you can't figure this out, you can't save anyone."
As a child of an aristocratic family, Lin You cannot escape the stigma left on him by class. If he wants to save the world, he must first break away from the identity of a child of an aristocratic family. If he wants to raise a knife, the tip of the knife needs to be aimed at more than just people outside his class.
And people of his own class.
Ye Zhou: "I can't help you."
“Yes, it’s Lin… He is self-righteous and blinded by one thing…” Lin You raised his head, his eyes filled with tears, but his gaze became exceptionally firm, and the youthful spirit seemed to have returned to his eyes.
Now Ye Zhou was willing to continue talking to him.
·
"The immortal is talking to him." Cao'er's mother handed the man a cup of tea. The man didn't dare to enter the supermarket. After seeing Lin You go in, he just dared to stand at the door. It was only because Cao'er's mother saw that he was reserved and had clear eyes, and didn't look like a bad person, that she invited him into the supermarket.
But she also asked Wu Yan to keep an eye on the man, and if anything went wrong, he should draw his gun immediately and not give the other party a chance to fight back.
The man stared blankly at the tea that Cao'er's mother handed to him. The paper cup seemed to have no weight. He touched it lightly and the cup sank inwards, but it did not break and the tea in the cup did not spill out.
Since arriving here, the man has been jumping back and forth between shock and horror.
Is this an immortal cave or a monster cave?
Is this seemingly kind old woman in front of me really a human being?
He heard Lin You call this woman Aunt Li, so he asked cautiously: "Excuse me, Fairy, where exactly is this place?"
When Cao'er's mother heard the word "fairy lady", she felt that this young man was particularly pleasing to the eye, and a smile appeared on her face: "This is the cave of the immortal."
The man sat on the sofa, feeling uncomfortable all over. He felt that the chair was very soft, but would not let him sink into it. It seemed as if there were steel bones supporting him, but would not hurt him. The tea in his hand exuded fragrance. He was afraid and respectful, so he spoke more carefully: "My master and the immortal... are they old acquaintances?"
Cao'er's mother thought about it and felt that this statement was not wrong: "It is true that there was an old relationship, but Lord Lin was still a young man at that time."
She sighed and said, "It's been twenty years."
She herself found it strange. After only a few months, when she came back, the world had changed drastically. Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye. This might be what the story in the book says: One day in heaven, one year on earth.
Although the speed of time flow is not exactly consistent, the principle is the same.
Cao'er's mother looked at him for a moment, and finally asked, "What is your name, warrior?"
Man: "My last name is Zhao, Zhao Kuo."
He didn't dare to mention his official position. In the immortal cave, an official position in the mortal world should not be worth mentioning.
Zhao Kuo glanced at the objects in the "cave" from the corner of his eyes. Everything here made him feel like he was in a dream. The shelves next to each other were filled with things he had never seen or heard of before. The light above his head was not visible, but it was brighter than the sunlight outside.
It’s just that the people here… don’t look like fairies or fairy children, but are just like ordinary mortals.
Zhao Kuo's heart was full of questions, but he didn't dare to ask. He could only sit in his seat, his mind full of strange thoughts, like a tangled mess, but he couldn't find a clue.
Cao Er Niang suddenly said, "Sir, you don't have to look. We are indeed mortals. We have been rescued by immortals and followed them to the Three Thousand Small Worlds."
Zhao Kuo was shocked and murmured, "Three Thousand Worlds..."
Cao'er's mother nodded: "Are you hungry, sir? Do you want to eat something?"
Zhao Kuo waved his hands quickly. He had no appetite at all. "No need, no need. Zhao is not hungry."
So Cao'er's mother winked at Cao'er, telling her to keep an eye on this man, while she waited at the door of the lounge.
Cao'er's hair has now reached her chest, and although her facial features have not changed, her temperament has changed greatly, and her skin has become much whiter because she doesn't have to work every day. Although she is still a long way from being a beauty, her demeanor is already extraordinary.
Cao'er looked straight ahead, she knew she talked too much, so now she was going to practice keeping silent.
There are some things I can only tell my sister.
Sarah came back from the seasoning area, holding a bag of dried chilies in her hand, chewing as she walked forward. When she saw Zhao Kuo, she didn't stop, but was a little surprised: "Someone came so soon?"
Wu Yan next to him said, "Mr. Lin is here."
Sarah thought about it for a while. Who was Mr. Lin? She couldn't remember.
Four hundred years did not improve Sarah's memory. On the contrary, because she met so many people, she subconsciously forgot unimportant people.
But Sarah still nodded, as if she knew everything: "It's him."
Zhao Kuo almost fell off the sofa when he saw Sarah. He tried hard not to lose his composure, but his heart was in turmoil. Blond hair and red eyes were common among the Hu people, but such strange red pupils were something that even the most knowledgeable people had never seen before.
"Don't panic, brave man." Seeing that he was frightened, Cao'er broke her silence and whispered, "She is a demon enlightened by an immortal. She has done nothing evil and will not hurt anyone."
“Monster, monster?” Zhao Kuo’s heart was broken, but he still forced a smile, “No wonder… it’s not like ordinary people.”
Cao'er looked at him sympathetically.
When she first saw Sarah, she threatened her with a knife.
Thinking about it now, she didn't know where she got the courage from. Thinking about the people who died at Sarah's hands later, she could only thank her sister again and again for not killing her.
In the lounge, Ye Zhou leaned on the sofa, closed his eyes and talked to Lin You.
"I wonder if the immortal still remembers Zhao Er and others." Lin You and Ye Zhou talked about "old friends". "After they returned to the south, they did not open the escort agency again. They each bought land and now have no worries about food and clothing."
Ye Zhou nodded slightly, but was not touched at all: "Really? That's good."
Lin You added: "This time we are suppressing the Huang bandits. They have changed their leader. The leader is named Yang Zhi. He claims that he has seen an immortal and has his destiny. So he rose up and wanted to change the world..."
Yang Zhi? Ye Zhou thought about it carefully and finally remembered: "Is it him?"
As soon as Lin You heard the immortal's tone, he knew that Yang Zhi had indeed seen the immortal. He asked cautiously, "From the immortal's perspective, does he have the aura of an emperor?"
Ye Zhou had never seen Yang Zhi before, he just remembered the name and remembered that the other party came to him to buy a horse.
Well... the other party gave him a lot of things in exchange, which solved his urgent needs.
But Ye Zhou only had a name for this person in his memory, so Ye Zhou said: "He was in trouble that day, I just asked people to help him, I didn't see him in person."
Lin You lowered his eyes: "This man is now very powerful in the north. He has established the Northern Court and intends to divide the land and rule it."
Ye Zhou smiled. He didn't expect that the bandit who bought the horse from him at that time actually had the ambition to become king and even went to this extent.
"I came here today to wipe out Beiting." Lin You didn't think he did anything wrong when he came.
After all, he is loyal to the country. As long as he is loyal to the country, he must punish the evildoers. But if, as the immortals say, the change of dynasties is the natural law of nature, then what is the point of him suppressing bandits?
Would the situation be worse than it is now if we changed the emperor?
Ye Zhou: "In that case, you can go ahead."
Lin You: "Does the Immortal think that I should suppress the bandits?"
Ye Zhou still closed his eyes: "Why not use your own eyes to see how the people live under his rule."
"It is easy to distinguish between good and evil. If the people live well, then it is good. If the people live poorly, then it is evil. The rest are just unorthodox ways."
Lin You straightened his collar, knelt down again, and touched his forehead to the ground: "Thank you for your guidance, Immortal."
Lin You is not an ambitious man. He has too many concerns. He can neither rise up nor fight against the class. He is like a small boat in troubled times. He has a heart to save people, but he does not have a heart of stone.
Kindness cannot command the army, righteousness cannot command wealth, affection cannot establish affairs, and goodness cannot be an official.
Some good virtues will lead to different consequences when placed in different positions.
Who can be saved by an indecisive person?
Ye Zhou didn't notice it before, but when he looked at Lin You now, he could actually see that the other party was not capable of being at the helm.
Ye Zhou did not let Lin You rest in the supermarket. He asked Cao'er Niang to send Lin You away. After all, they knew each other before. He also asked Cao'er Niang to prepare some convenience foods for Lin You.
Before leaving, Lin You asked Ye Zhou: "Isn't it for the purpose of changing the dynasty that the heavens sent immortals to the earth?"
Ye Zhou shook his head: "No, the change of dynasties is natural, and it is also natural for me to come to the mortal world to gain experience. It's all natural."
Lin You bowed three times before finally leaving.
·
Lin You came out of the lounge with mixed feelings. However, as soon as he walked out, he saw Zhao Kuo sitting on the sofa. Zhao Kuo was holding a cup of tea that had already gone cold in his hand and was looking at the shelf blankly.
"Brother Zhao." Lin You put away the thousands of thoughts in his mind and walked towards him with a smile.
Zhao Kuo stood up nervously and asked in a low voice: "Is the immortal here? Sir, do I need to go over to see him?"
Lin You shook his head slightly: "That's not necessary. Since the immortal didn't say he wanted to see you, then he won't see you."
Zhao Kuo was both relieved and disappointed.
He whispered, "What are these things on the shelf..."
Lin You just remembered it, and he said with a smile: "Brother Zhao, you can walk around freely. If you have something to exchange, you can exchange it for something here."
"The immortals are kind and don't care about things."
Zhao Kuo's eyes widened and he suddenly stood up: "Really?"
He was asking Cao'er who was standing nearby.
Cao'er nodded: "Mr. Lin is right."
Zhao Kuo strode forward. He was extremely curious about the things on the shelves. Fortunately, Cao'er followed him and explained the uses of the goods to him in detail.
"This is an electric fan for cooling off. It can be used over there." Cao'er led Zhao Kuo to the side to use the fan.
Zhao Kuo looked at the spinning blades, his face flushed with excitement: "This thing can rotate by itself without any human effort or wind power!"
Cao'er explained, "But it needs electricity. If the warrior wants to replace it, it won't work after we move back."
Zhao Kuo was stunned for a moment and asked, "What is electricity? The power of lightning? How can lightning be used by humans?"
Cao'er didn't understand either, so she could only ask Zhao Kuo to wait for a while and then called Feng Ling to explain.
Feng Ling thought about the wording and said, "Wind power, water power, and electricity are all natural forces. The former two can be used by humans, and the latter can naturally be used, but it requires more media."
Zhao Kuo: "Who can be the matchmaker? Can a mortal be used?"
Feng Ling: "It can be used by mortals, but..."
Feng Ling explained to Zhao Kuo in detail the principles of electricity use, which left Zhao Kuo bewildered - he didn't understand, he just thought it was very powerful.
"Instead of asking about electricity, you should ask about steam."
"You should be able to use steam more easily than electricity."
Lin You was also attending the class. He was more interested in steam than electricity. Feng Ling had no choice but to open a small class.
The earliest steam engines did not have much technical content, which might have been difficult for that era, but these difficulties could definitely be overcome. Feng Ling even drew a blueprint and gave it to them.
Lin You hesitated again and again when he took it, but still asked: "Where did the fairy come from?"
The truth is that Feng Ling doesn't look like a woman from the Liang Dynasty.
Feng Ling thought for a moment and said, "A hundred years from now, or a thousand years from now, I don't know."
Lin You and Zhao Kuo looked at Feng Ling in disbelief. Cao Er finally couldn't help herself and said, "Feng Ling is a person in the Three Thousand Worlds. Where she is, there are towering buildings, electric lights on the road, and iron cars that don't need to be pulled by oxen or horses. Just step on the accelerator and it will move automatically!"
She finished her words in one breath and then closed her mouth.
Feng Ling smiled and said, "Just like she said."
Lin You's lips moved, and he stammered, "This is really... really..."
Feng Ling: "We don't have an emperor, no nobles, and no aristocratic families."
Lin You asked puzzledly: "Who will govern the country then?"
Feng Ling: "Of course they are officials, but they are all selected through examinations and cannot be hereditary. The country's top leaders are also elected by ordinary people based on their performance and reputation, and they are elected every five years."
Now Lin You and Zhao Kuo were both stunned. They could never have imagined that it could be like this.
Feng Ling was puzzled: "The emperor is only one person. This person may be wise, but he may only be wise for a period of time. If he himself cannot guarantee it, how can he guarantee it for his descendants?"
"Isn't it scary to leave the fate of a country to one person?" Feng Ling.
Lin You smiled bitterly and said, "That's the truth."
Zhao Kuo's three views were shattered, and he also said vaguely: "Your Majesty has the mandate of heaven and the protection of heaven, and your descendants should also be wise."
Feng Ling: "Then how did the king of the ruined country come about? Did the empress in the palace cheat on the emperor?"
Now Lin You and Zhao Kuo's faces changed.
Seeing that their expressions were not right, Feng Ling stopped talking.
Let’s not talk about the topic of cuckolding the emperor any further.
What Zhao Kuo got in the end were all small gadgets, probably because they only had two horses and they had to suppress bandits later, so they couldn't take away any big things.
Feng Ling took the things Zhao Kuo handed over - a jade pendant and a jade ring.
Zhao Kuo was a little ashamed: "I really didn't bring anything out."
Feng Ling scanned it with a barcode scanner, saw the price and smiled at Zhao Kuo, "That's enough, you can pick some more."
Zhao Kuo quickly said: "No, no, no, this time is enough, I am not greedy."
Feng Ling advised, "I don't know when the immortal will come again. It may be decades later, or even a hundred years later."
Zhao Kuo glanced at Lin You, who sighed quietly, "It's been twenty years since I last came here, and Aunt Li and the others haven't changed their appearance..."
Zhao Kuo swallowed his saliva, but he quickly thought of his parents, wives, concubines, and children at home. If all else failed, he would ask an immortal to accept him as a disciple. Without him, how could the whole family, including women, children, the elderly and the young, survive in the chaotic world?
But the temptation of immortality was too great, and Zhao Kuo forced himself not to think about it.
Zhao Kuo changed into a snakeskin bag to hold the gadgets he had exchanged for.
He not only replaced the telescope, but also the flashlight and the children's walkie-talkie, which were the three most useful things to him. The rest were some dry food and handicrafts. He even replaced some earrings and necklaces.
He filled a snakeskin bag to the brim.
Lin You also took out the jade hairpin and exchanged it for a telescope, but didn't change anything else.
Originally, Ye Zhou wanted Lin You to take Wu Yan and the others with him, but then he changed his mind and realized that Lin You and the others were on their way to suppress bandits. No matter what he would do in the end, there would definitely be a conflict between the two sides. Wu Yan and his wife also had a baby, so it was really not suitable for them to go on the journey with them.
But waiting for Lin You to return? That's not very reliable either. No one knows how long it will take them to suppress the bandits.
In ancient times, wars could last from a few months to several years or even more than ten years. As long as both sides had supplies, a stalemate could continue for a long time. Unless there was a huge gap in strength, it would be a pipe dream to expect a quick victory.
Ye Zhou could only call Wu Yan and his wife over: "Do you want to stay now, or come with me first and come back after this place is stable and there is no fighting?"
Wu Yan and his wife looked at each other, both undecided.
They had a child with them, and even if the immortal was willing to give them money and food, it would be difficult for Wu Yan, a middle-aged man, to protect the child.
But this time they begged to return to Daliang Dynasty. If they didn't stay, it would be like playing tricks on the immortal.
The couple couldn't say a word. They stood in front of Ye Zhou with their heads down. Wu Yan said in a difficult voice, "Please give us some advice, Immortal."
Ye Zhou thought about it. After all, they were his employees and had worked for him for so long. He still hoped that they would not take risks. "It's not a good idea for you to stay."
"Why don't you stay with me for a while longer."
There is a time difference between the two sides. Maybe when they come next time, Daliang Dynasty will have returned to peace.
Wu Yan and his wife breathed a sigh of relief - they wanted their child to grow up, not to risk his life. Compared with life, letting the child remain a baby for a few more months was not a big deal.
Looking at their expressions, Ye Zhou knew that he had made the right decision.
He only hoped that Lin You would not die in the fight against bandits, and that he could protect Wu Yan. Otherwise, Ye Zhou would not dare to let Wu Yan open a branch here. Without the protection of the powerful, it would be useless no matter how many guns he gave Wu Yan.
·
Lin You and Zhao Kuo left the supermarket leading the horses. Zhao Kuo put the snakeskin bag on the horse's back. They didn't speak all the way until they returned to the road. Lin You climbed onto the horse and watched Zhao Kuo hold the snakeskin bag in front of him.
Zhao Kuo finally couldn't help asking, "Master Lin, do you think what the fairy said was true or false?"
Lin You smiled and said, "Of course it's true. Why would she make up such a lie to deceive us?"
In his arms he still had the steam engine blueprint that Feng Ling had given him. Feng Ling told him that creating something from scratch was the most difficult thing, but once you had it, it would be easy to improve it, as there would always be smart people who could figure out the tricks.
Zhao Kuo still couldn't believe it: "If there is no emperor, how can the world be stable? How to deal with corrupt officials?"
Lin You just said, "Don't think about it. The immortal never told me this. You also know that this will happen a hundred years later. How can you just apply it mechanically?"
"Let's go faster. We've wasted so much time. I don't know if we can catch up with them before dark." Lin You squeezed the horse's belly and raised the whip. Yellow sand flew up everywhere, and Lin You left the horse far behind.
Zhao Kuo looked down at the snakeskin bag on his chest, took a deep breath, and quickened his pace.
Lin You rode on his horse and turned to look in the direction of the supermarket.
He waited twenty years before he could see the immortal again.
I don’t know when we will see each other next time.
Perhaps he would be very old by then.
But immortals remain eternally young and never change.
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