Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (Twenty-Eight)
The young man looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. His face was not too fair, but had a healthy rosy complexion. There was a lively vitality between his eyebrows. When he grinned, his teeth were full of white teeth. His appearance and temperament combined made people feel that he was wavering between being honest and shrewd at first glance.
The first word, "beggar," followed by "Xiao Qi," drew Meng Shizhuang's attention. He looked him over, left and right, up and down, and couldn't find a beggar this respectable. Could it be that Daohai City was so prosperous that even beggars had to be this respectable? The second word, "Xiao Qi," swirled in his mind, and when he met the piercing eyes before him, a thought flashed through his mind: "Are you... the Xiao Qi from back in the ruined temple?"
The beggar Xiaoqi transformed himself, and after a long wandering, he met a fellow who had a similar miserable experience. In the meantime, he learned calligraphy and martial arts, wandered around the market and did various jobs. Before he was twenty, he had already comprehended various life principles. When Daohai City opened for household registration a few years ago, he registered himself a household and took a new name, Qianduo.
But people who know him still call him Qian Qi.
Qian Qi had been wandering around the modest Daohai City, experiencing daily ups and downs, encountering even the most ruthless of individuals. Despite his struggles, he remained true to his original aspirations. As he was about to part ways with his longtime friend, he missed him deeply. This was especially true for Meng Shizhuang, who had once offered him aid with a sullen face in a dilapidated temple, and for Lao Ju, who had left him heartfelt words.
So he spoke so passionately that Meng Shizhuang even doubted her own memory.
Did he, Lao Ju, and this "little beggar" have such a memorable friendship in the dilapidated temple? Moreover, he vaguely remembered that he had always told the little beggar that he was a girl.
Of course not.
This was simply Qian Qi's knee-jerk reaction, as he'd been out and about, telling people what he meant to them. After an enthusiastic greeting, he saw Meng Shizhuang's hesitation and immediately understood her confusion. Scratching his head, he explained, "I'm young enough to be fooled by you, hero. How can I not tell now that you're just trying to evade me?"
Too.
After all, Meng Shizhuang’s way of proving that she is a woman is just a blunt sentence “Are you blind? I am a girl.”
Qian Qi glanced behind Meng Shizhuang a few more times and asked, "Hey, did the hero separate from you?" He always had a good memory. Compared to Meng Shizhuang, he wanted to thank Lao Ju, who used to be "a crane standing out among chickens" and "a bright moon in the mud". Although they had not been together for a long time, he at least held him back for a while with his actions, and did not let him go astray when the prosperous and peaceful times were about to come.
He still remembered the look of Lao Ju holding two swords, calm and composed as a mountain in the face of wind and rain, so he naturally ignored the fact that he was always taking medicine. Based on his impression of Meng Shizhuang as a "bamboo pole" when he was young, he felt that Lao Ju could live a very long life.
Meng Shizhuang was stunned.
Qian Qi was the first person to ask directly about Lao Ju's passing. The neighbors all knew about Lao Ju's passing on Huangque Island, and they wouldn't deliberately poke holes in his feelings by asking unnecessary questions. Even more so were the people in Prince Liang's mansion, whose half-room study was a sea of stationery. They'd probably know everything about how many dishes Meng Shizhuang picked up with her chopsticks at a meal.
He couldn't explain how he felt, but he didn't slouch for long. "He's dead. He's been dead for a long time."
When Qian Qi heard this, he was stunned.
His expression did not show exaggerated sadness, but rather a hint of disbelief and deliberately suppressed depression.
Since he happened to run into an acquaintance in the city, Meng Shizhuang took advantage of the situation: "I came back here to build a new grave for him. You know Sujian Mountain..." He paused. The tombstone on Sujian Mountain hadn't been carved yet, so it must not be a proper name for the mountain. So he changed the question, "What does that mountain west of the city belong to now?"
Meng Shizhuang thought about it for a long time.
Lao Ju never said it to him, and even on his deathbed, he only asked, "I want to see Lao Hu once." He had once projected his love and hatred onto Lao Ju, constantly saying he wanted to take him down the mountain. If it weren't for Luo Shun, or even just him, would Lao Ju have been like Lao Hu, standing in that loosely organized "bandit den" until his final moment?
Probably... yes.
Of the people who came and went on Sujian Mountain, it seemed that he and Lao Hu's beloved disciple were the only ones born there; the others had come for refuge out of desperation. Perhaps no one else shared his deep hatred and fear for that place. Lao Ju sympathized with him, so he refused to say a word before closing his eyes.
He has already taken the risk of disturbing Lao Ju's sleep, so why not see things through to the end?
Besides, Lao Hu was still waiting for him on the mountain.
After hearing this, Qian Qi paused with a strange look on his face: "West of the city...you mean Canglin Mountain? That place has been designated as a public mountain of Daohai City by the state government. Building a tomb there...I'm afraid it won't be possible." However, he didn't think what Meng Shizhuang said was so fantastic. After all, he had heard someone bragging about building a nest there.
He thought of the quarrels he had witnessed in recent days and couldn't help but wonder when did Canglin Mountain become so popular?
Thinking about it, Qian Qi smiled and asked without hesitation: "Hero, before you fell into the ruined temple, were you also a person from the mountains?"
Meng Shizhuang naturally denied it: "I am not."
After he denied it, he added slowly: "He...that old man is." He thought to himself that he would have to rely on others to get this done, otherwise he would have to scatter Lao Ju's bones on the mountain as fertilizer... Not to mention whether Lao Ju would mind, he felt that it was a pretty stupid thing to do.
Qian Qi had been observing him throughout his brief conversation. Although he was still rather gaunt, his expression was one of calmness and composure. His crippled hand remained intact, his left hand wielding a sword. He possessed an indescribably majestic and magnanimous air. His sharp aura had faded, and now he possessed a chivalrous air.
Qian Qi's heart moved, thinking about the people in the room arguing endlessly, and shouting "My heart is like a sword" in a drunken state.
Isn’t this sword coming?
It might be the sword of a “fellow countryman”.
Wouldn't it be great if an old friend could give them some advice and dissuade them from their foolish dreams?
Qian Qi didn't reveal everything, just tossing out the scraps he knew. "I know. Was it called 'Jianshan' in the past? My friends in the same courtyard know more than I do. Why don't I take you there and ask them?" He held back, fearing he might be wrong. The world had been in turmoil for so many years, and now that things had settled down, he'd seen countless people crying in grief and indignation after encountering setbacks while searching for their loved ones.
So it’s better not to say anything final.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Meng Shizhuang, this "old friend", could stop those friends from committing suicide. He might as well just leave for the first time and go back to the escort agency and let others do the errands. He has always been diligent in his work and it is easy for him to ask for help occasionally.
Although Meng Shizhuang had doubts about his enthusiasm, she had something to rely on and was not afraid of encountering any problems that could not be solved.
He nodded slightly, but before he could even lift his foot, he turned around and caught a glimpse of a white shirt on the street corner. He gave a helpless smile and bowed to Qian Qi, sword in hand, "Please wait a moment." Qian Qi nodded hurriedly, watching him turn and leave. He smacked his lips, feeling that the young man who had cheated, robbed, and robbed, with a face full of resentment, had grown up to be so elegant and graceful with just a wave of his hand.
He amused himself by imitating Meng Shizhuang's actions and words, and was amused by his own boring imitation.
Here, Meng Shizhuang chased after Yi Ying. Even though they were only an arm's length apart, the delicate and noble flower still refused to turn back. Meng Shizhuang didn't want to run too far, so she raised her voice a little: "If you run again, I won't chase you."
After he finished speaking, Bian Hongqiu really turned around and showed his nonchalant face.
Meng Shizhuang walked over and said, "Didn't I tell you to wait for me on the boat before I come back for dinner?"
Bian Hongqiu: "I'm just taking a walk."
Judging from the few steps Meng Shizhuang took in pursuit, Bian Hongqiu was definitely not just "strolling casually." "How could she just walk casually and pass me by just a few blocks?"
Bian Hongqiu had no choice but to use the same trick again and blinked to see that he didn't say anything.
It's so annoying.
Meng Shizhuang smiled: "I was wrong, it's just telepathy. It just so happened that I was thinking of you, and I could see you when I turned around."
Bian Hongqiu, however, was already familiar with his style. Even after they'd made love more than once, Meng Shizhuang would at most refrain from saying anything particularly offensive. If he had to open his mouth to coax her, Bian Hongqiu would have been irritated. While he was completely captivated by Meng Shizhuang, he kept a wary eye on him: "You're talking so nicely, but what's the real story?"
Meng Shizhuang was stunned by his words. After pondering for a moment, he felt that he did have some "something wrong with Zhong Wuyan" meaning.
But he didn't intend to change. Wearing a flower in his hair was a lifelong thing, and Bian Hongqiu was sometimes greedy. But it was hard to force someone to eat "soft rice." He smiled handsomely and used the hilt of his sword to hook Bian Hongqiu's palm, which was hanging at his side. "I've asked Jingyan, your family is wealthy and powerful, so I have no choice but to marry into your family. Is it okay to accept a small betrothal gift in advance?"
After he finished speaking, Bian Hongqiu saw that the ends of his eyebrows, which had grown into his temples, were slightly raised.
It also stirred up Bian Hongqiu's heartbeat.
Bian Hongqiu really wanted to give away everything she had control over in Prince Liang's mansion, including herself, to Meng Shizhuang: "You're going to ask her instead of me? What kind of betrothal gift do you want?"
Meng Shizhuang then explained how Sujian Mountain had become a public mountain. In the past, the continents were in chaos, with bandits having more influence than the governor, and mountaintops were controlled by robbery. He truly didn't know how to legitimately find a place for Lao Ju and Lao Hu to stay. He was at his wit's end, but for Bian Hongqiu, it wasn't a problem.
Bian Hongqiu took a few quick steps and stuck close to him: "That's easy. I'll tell you when you get back to the boat."
Meng Shizhuang watched him leave.
After dealing with this "troublemaker", Meng Shizhuang went back to find Qian Qi.
Qian Qi watched the whole thing with great interest, only to discover that the other man was a young man even more handsome than the girl. He was very good at dealing with people, and he wouldn't ask questions he shouldn't ask. He led Meng Shizhuang to the small courtyard he rented with someone else, and as they walked, he kept saying to himself, "My courtyard is small, please don't be disgusted, hero."
Meng Shizhuang was there to ask questions, not to visit. Compared to Qian Qi, his actions and words were much colder and more rigid, and he simply didn't respond. Qian Qi didn't feel awkward, and he kept talking to himself the whole way, not letting a single word slip. About an incense stick later, they heard a heated argument, then turned the corner and saw a small door at the end of the alley.
Qian Qi has become accustomed to such quarrels recently.
Meng Shizhuang listened carefully. The noise was intense, but it seemed to be coming from a single person. It wasn't an argument, but more like a single person's roar. He listened even more closely, and suddenly the voice sounded familiar. He tried to think of everyone he could think of, but couldn't place it. While he was pondering, Xiaoqi had already retreated through the courtyard gate.
The small courtyard, neither luxurious nor shabby, was disturbed by the sudden arrival of a visitor, so the voices died down. Three people stood in a standoff in the courtyard. Meng Shizhuang didn't look for the source of the voice. His gaze was first drawn to the figure sitting by the well, his eyes raised red. His figure remained the same as before, as tall and straight as a pine or bamboo, his face angular and handsome, a combination of chivalrous and scholarly. If it weren't for the loss of his boldness and sharpness, he would have been even more stunning.
But no matter how he changed, Meng Shizhuang still recognized him at a glance.
The other party does the same.
He didn't need to identify Meng Shizhuang by the familiar yet unfamiliar white sword in her hand like his two companions. He immediately stood up from the well and said in a hoarse voice: "You...Meng Shizhuang?"
As soon as this voice came out, Meng Shizhuang knew that his judgment was correct.
It’s him, Ke Congzhou.
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