Before Yan Zhengming once again tried to escape punishment through shameless means such as bribery and cheating, Cheng Qian ran away first.

After returning to Qing'anju, he meticulously finished the scriptures that his master had punished him to copy, and he wrote until midnight. Except when Xueqing came to call him for dinner, Cheng Qian stayed in the study all the time - at this time, only Xueqing could invite him, because once Xueqing called him for dinner and Cheng Qian ignored her, so Xueqing stayed with him until late at night when he was hungry. From then on, no matter how much Cheng Qian didn't want to be disturbed, he never ignored him again.

After finishing it in one breath, Cheng Qian ran to the Sutra Tower under the stars.

This was the first time that he pushed open the door of the Sutra Building with his own hands and walked in with dignity. However, Cheng Qian lingered for a while around the sword manuals and martial arts spells that he often browsed, and still followed his master's instructions and went to the second underground floor.

He was actually very good at pretending to obey but actually disobeying, but he didn't really like dealing with his master this way.

The second to last floor is only slightly better than the bottom floor, and it is also a seldom visited place. The books here are neatly arranged, showing that not many people would flip through them. Cheng Qian picked out a few volumes at random, and saw that the front side was full of portraits, and the back side contained the life story of this disciple - his name, how he entered the sect, what kind of person he was, why he entered the Tao, what Tao he entered, how many ups and downs he had, and when he "returned" in a certain year and month, and finally after the dust settled, there was the verdict given by later generations.

There are also some who disappeared along the way or were expelled from the sect. They are now separated from each other and their subsequent fate is unknown.

Cheng Qian read for a while as a pastime, but in the end he was so sleepy that he fell asleep leaning against a corner of the bookshelf. He was awakened by the book in his hand falling to the ground. He leaned back, slid off the bookshelf, and fell to the ground in a daze.

Although there were talismans in the Sutra Building to prevent moths and moisture, it was still cold due to not seeing the sun for a long time. Cheng Qian shuddered at the icy ground. At this time, he saw that there seemed to be something under the bookshelf.

There was a small gap between the bottom of the bookshelf and the ground. Only a very thin child could put his arm in it. Cheng Qian rolled up his sleeves as if possessed by a ghost, fumbled under the bookcase for a few times, and dragged the thing out.

It turned out to be a portrait, and the strange thing was that it was only half a page. The middle of the paper seemed to have been cut by a sharp weapon, and only the upper body of the man in the portrait was left. He was wearing a robe that was neither new nor old, but did not look shabby at all. I don't know who the painter was, but with just a few strokes, his unparalleled elegance seemed to have penetrated the paper.

But... who is this senior?

Cheng Qian turned to the back of the portrait, but there was not a single word on it.

Cheng Qian didn’t know much about painting, but from a layman’s perspective, he thought the painting was very well done and didn’t look like a waste… but how come there wasn’t a single word on it?

He was puzzled, but fortunately, Cheng Qian was never interested in the affairs of people he didn't know, so he soon stopped worrying about it. He packed up the half scroll of painting, went back upstairs, picked up a few books and took them back to read.

The days passed quickly. On the sixth day of June, the masters and disciples of the Fuyao sect ended their daily monotonous teaching and set out down the mountain in a mighty procession.

Of course, the "grand" scene was created by the eldest senior brother Yan Zhengming.

This man prepared several large carts, one for him and the others for his luggage - in his own eyes, it was a necessity for survival, but in the eyes of others it was just a bunch of dispensable odds and ends.

Apart from him, everyone else - including the only girl, Shuikeng, only carried a wooden sword and a small bag on their backs - Cheng Qian also brought two bundles of books and hung them on the horse's back.

Despite this, Young Master Yan still complained bitterly. He hadn't been down Fuyao Mountain for seven years, and the hardships of sleeping in the open air along the way almost cost him his life.

Master Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with a man riding alone in the daytime, but he couldn't bear to see his master and fellow apprentices outside in the wind and sun, so he leaned over and said to his thin master riding on a skinny horse: "Master, take the fellow apprentices in the car, it's too hot outside."

Master Mu Chun said with emotion: "Disciple, you are so filial."

After all, young people grow older with each year. Although Yan Zhengming has become more and more conceited, he is indeed more sensible than before. For example, at this moment, Master Yan, who never reads people's faces, keenly heard the sarcasm in his master's words.

In the end, the master rejected his suggestion and just threw the puddle in the backpack into Yan Zhengming's car, asking her to use her dripping saliva to teach Master Yan a lesson. Turning around, Master Mu Chun saw Cheng Qian again. Cheng Qian was affected by the backlash of the talisman that day and never recovered. His little face was still blue and pale.

Mu Chun said to him, "You can also go to your brother's car and rest for a while. Don't be stubborn. You can also read a book in the car."

Yan Zhengming said: "Yes, little copper coin, come and play with little junior sister. My car is big enough for the two of you to roll around in."

Cheng Qian rejected him without hesitation, saying, "Brother, you are too modest. With your convoy, you are more than enough to marry into the palace and become a queen."

Yan Zhengming was rarely kind, but he was always treated like a donkey. He immediately lowered the curtain in anger, not wanting to see that little bastard again.

Cheng Qian remembered that his master had said that the eldest brother entered the Tao through the sword, and that most people who enter the Tao through the sword have firm minds and determination—except for a few strange people like Yan Zhengming.

But he himself is different. The master said that he entered the Tao through his heart.

What is "entering the Tao through the heart"?

Cheng Qian spent a long time in the Sutra Building during the first few days, but still couldn't figure out what this "heart" refers to. There are so many different opinions and schools that he was overwhelmed and had no idea. However, among the various statements, they all mentioned one point, "Those who enter the Tao through the sword strengthen their bodies, and those who enter the Tao through the heart refine their spirits."

"Refine the spirit" means to temper one's mind. It includes concentration, patience, pain, perseverance and so on. When one has cultivated to a certain level, one can do whatever one wants without breaking the rules. But for Cheng Qian, who is just getting started, the most basic way to refine the spirit he can find is to practice asceticism.

At this point, he had already regarded this hot summer journey as a method of asceticism.

After three days of walking, the master and his disciples arrived at the coast of the East China Sea.

There is a small town on the coast of the East China Sea called Fulong Town. When the weather is fine, people standing on the harbor can see the shadowy fairy mountains overseas. There are all kinds of shops selling fairy artifacts in the town, and it is difficult to distinguish the real from the fake. Regardless of spring, summer, autumn or winter, there are always bustling people, and countless tourists from near and far every year.

But no year is as lively as this one.

When Master Mu Chun and his companions arrived, almost all the inns in the town were already full. Yan Zhengming suggested sending a Taoist boy to inquire on the roadside to find out which one was the most expensive. He planned to use gold to buy out a few good rooms.

The master pretended to be deaf and dumb and ignored his bad idea.

The old weasel was familiar with the route and led them without stopping to the southernmost suburb of Fulong Town and headed straight for a row of thatched huts.

It was a row of real thatched houses. From the outside, their architectural style was similar to that of a stable. A few well-fed chickens were strolling at the door. There was also a stone pigpen next to it. A fat and stupid creature was opening its eyes curiously, looking at Young Master Yan's convoy of red dresses.

Yan Zhengming pushed open the car door, frowned, looked around, stretched out his arm and poked Cheng Qian: "What the hell is this place? A toilet?"

At this time, he had already forgotten that Cheng Qian had just made him so angry that he fell backwards. It can be seen that Yan Zhengming is not a very persistent person and does not hold grudges. Perhaps showing off in different ways every day is his main job.

Cheng Qian looked at him with some sympathy and said, "I just saw Master go in and knock on the door himself - I'm afraid this is where we'll rest tonight."

Yan Zhengming: “…”

He would rather sleep in the carriage.

There is nothing more depressing than being out and about. After a long while, the angry Yan Zhengming remembered his duty as the eldest senior brother. He looked around and raised his head angrily to ask Li Yun, "Where is the overbite?"

Ever since Li Yun was stimulated by Cheng Qian, he refused to indulge in material things. He rode on horseback all the way, reading books like Cheng Qian. Hearing the words, he pointed upwards without raising his head. Everyone looked up in the direction he looked, and saw a big wolfberry tree at the door of the thatched cottage. Between the lush branches, there poked out a head that looked like it was dented by a punch.

Han Yuan said to his fellow disciples with different expressions, "You called me? Wait for me to pick some red fruits for you. There are so many of them here. They are sweet!"

Present worldly treasure.

Yan Zhengming slammed the car door angrily and decided to die rather than get out of the car.

However, he got off in the end - because the journey was long, the little junior sister who still had difficulty communicating with others could not hold it anymore and urinated in his car.

Because of this, Yan Zhengming's face was dark blue until the second half of the night.

This large group of huts has a very self-aware name, which is called "Broken Inn".

There were two lines of words posted at the door of the shabby inn. "Three cents a night" was written on the left door frame, and "Stay if you want" was written on the right door frame. There was a green-faced, fang-toothed monster painted on the door, and there was no waiter to greet or see off guests. It looked as if it was all very arrogant.

The master knocked on the door for half an incense stick of time before the owner showed up. He was a big man over eight feet tall, and his figure was like an iron mountain - almost the same width horizontally and vertically!

His beard stood up with anger, his face was like a copper basin, and he had thick lips with both corners of his mouth hanging down, looking exactly like someone collecting a debt.

As soon as this man left the house, Li Yun's horse was startled, and it retreated about ten feet with small steps, almost bumping into Yan Zhengming's carriage. The horse's face was full of horror.

The master clasped his fists humbly and familiarly, and said with a smile: "Brother Wen Ya, long time no see."

All the disciples and Taoist children felt that it would be difficult for them to look directly at the words "gentle" and "elegant" in the future.

The "Iron Tower" looked impatient when he opened the door, but when he saw Mu Chun Zhenren clearly, his expression eased a little and he muttered, "Xiao Chun, why are you here?"

Cheng Qian was caught off guard when he heard this frightening name. He swayed and almost fell off his horse. Goose bumps quickly appeared on his body.

"Come in," Wen Ya glanced at Master Yan's majestic motorcade and frowned, "You're here, but why are you bringing your family with you? Are you going to see your bride off?"

Li Yun, Cheng Qian and Han Yuan all looked at Yan Zhengming with a snicker. Yan Zhengming took out his new sword, grinned and slapped Li Yun's cowardly horse hard on its butt. Li Yun's horse immediately turned into a flying horse, raised its front legs high, and jumped forward a few times hysterically, stirring up the flock of chickens in front of the broken inn to fly towards the sun, and even the fat pigs followed suit and grunted.

Yan Zhengming walked in the whistling wind, arrogantly into the most shabby thatched house he had ever lived in in his life, his heart filled with despair and sadness as he had no bright future.