Chapter 4: Killing Game Again, Seeing the True Dragon for the First Time
Chen Li only brought some gifts on this visit and chatted with Jiang Changsheng for two hours before leaving. He was already working in the capital, so it was not easy for him to squeeze out time to visit him.
During the interview, Chen Li also asked him about his recent martial arts skills. He was very low-key and said that he was still improving, but did not say how strong he was.
He couldn't guarantee that Chen Li was not an enemy, so he was very careful when communicating with him.
Half a month after Chen Li left, the New Year arrived.
The Jing Dynasty also had New Year ceremonies, which heralded the alternation of the old and the new.
Longqi Temple is a place for practicing Taoism, so it is not very lively during the New Year.
After the New Year, Meng Qiuhe brought his disciples back. There were sixteen people when they left and twenty when they came back. Among them were three babies and five sloppy teenagers, which means that four disciples were lost.
Qing Ku also had an arm broken and was no longer as lively as before. Jiang Changsheng was shocked when he saw him and asked him about his concerns, but Qing Ku smiled nonchalantly and narrated his experiences in a calm and relaxed manner.
"Brother, you are right. The mountain is not as good as the mountain. There is no war, but people's hearts are hard to predict."
Qing Ku sighed, and Jiang Changsheng was unable to comfort him, so he could only pat him on the shoulder.
The next day, Qing Ku practiced martial arts in the courtyard early in the morning. The disciples in the same courtyard already knew what had happened to him and did not disturb him. After Jiang Changsheng rang the bell on the tower, he practiced martial arts next to him.
He is used to practicing alone, which makes him feel safe.
The return of this group of disciples shocked Longqi Temple for a long time, because even the second senior brother was injured, and the world of martial arts was more dangerous than they had imagined.
A full month passed before the topic of the underworld in the mountain completely disappeared, and Longqi Temple also became lively because there were eight new disciples and three young children, so the disciples often gathered around them.
Jiang Changsheng has already completely mastered the Vajra Roar and the Chi Finger, and is concentrating on the Taoist Natural Power.
Martial arts focus on internal strength. If the internal strength is strong, it is easy to practice external martial arts. However, Jiang Changsheng practices the method of cultivating immortals!
Jiang Changsheng's senses were already extremely powerful. He had felt that the true Qi of the three senior disciples was not even half of his. Even Taoist Qingxu's true Qi was only about the same as his. This was enough to show the gap between the cultivation techniques and the martial arts techniques.
He was not arrogant. True Qi was only one aspect. Strength also depended on other factors, not to mention that his body was still in the growth stage.
Chen Li came once every six months. Every time he saw him, Jiang Changsheng could feel his tiredness. The top scholar who once was full of vigor and vitality and pointed out the murderer had become a heavy and tired official.
The emperor's pursuit of immortality became more and more serious. He often got angry in the court and officials were often dismissed from their posts, which made the court officials uneasy.
Time flies.
The fourteenth year of Kaiyuan.
The fourteen-year-old Jiang Changsheng is almost 1.7 meters tall, with a handsome face. His long hair is casually tied behind his head with a straw rope, revealing his forehead, and his temples reach his shoulders. His appearance is extremely outstanding in Longqi Temple. Some female disciples have a secret crush on him, but he is only obsessed with practicing martial arts.
According to the Taoist rules of Longqi Temple, if one wants to start a family, one must leave the temple and go down the mountain.
This year, summer.
On the bell tower, Chen Li sat on the ground, wiping the sweat from his forehead, with a worried look on his face, and said, "Changsheng, aren't you hot? Why don't you stay inside to avoid the heat?"
Jiang Changsheng sat on the guardrail, looking like he would fall down at any moment, but he was as steady as a rock. He closed his eyes and replied, "If you are calm, you will feel cooler."
"You, you are becoming more and more like Taoist Qingxu."
Chen Li sighed, and then began to complain: "His Majesty the Emperor is really getting more and more stupid. He actually ordered people to dig a canal from the north to the south, extending to the seashore. This is not something that can be completed in ten or twenty years. I heard that he just wanted to facilitate the transportation of elixirs. It's ridiculous and outrageous!"
Jiang Changsheng opened his eyes with a strange look on his face.
canal?
Isn’t this what Yang Guang did in Chinese history?
Chen Li became more and more indignant as he spoke. Building the canal would require too much manpower, material resources and financial resources. Not only would the national treasury be strained, but the people would also suffer.
"If this continues, we will have to go to war again and attack other surrounding dynasties. Alas, the prosperous times will no longer exist."
Chen Li spoke with a look of concern for the country and the people, and Jiang Changsheng couldn't comfort him.
Judging from the situation, if Jing Dynasty is really in chaos, Longqi Temple will not be safe either.
Jiang Changsheng felt a sense of urgency. Although his true energy was far beyond that of Taoist Qingxu, he had many enemies.
You must hurry up and practice the fourth level of Taoism Natural Power!
Chen Li talked for an hour and then left. He really couldn't bear it anymore and was about to faint from the heat.
Jiang Changsheng watched him leave and found that Chen Li began to hunch over.
What a waste of time.
Although Jiang Changsheng is only fourteen years old, his past and present lives combined make him over forty years old, so he has always been very sensitive to the passage of time.
His body was still young, so he felt that a day in the mountains was like a year at the foot.
One month later.
Senior Brother Li Changqing found Jiang Changsheng and asked him if he was willing to go down the mountain to gain experience.
Jiang Changsheng refused directly.
The killing game is coming again?
Li Changqing left disappointed. After all, going down the mountain cannot be forced.
Three days later, Li Changqing brought fifteen disciples down the mountain, the youngest of whom was thirteen years old.
Jiang Changsheng has been waiting for a hint.
as expected.
At noon the next day, a line of words popped up in front of him:
[In the 14th year of Kaiyuan, the spy persuaded the eldest brother to lead you down the mountain, but you refused, thus avoiding a murder and obtaining the survival reward - Miscellaneous Art 'Time Calligraphy']
calligraphy?
Jiang Changsheng was disappointed. It seemed that the size of the disaster would also determine the size of the reward.
In his spare time, he has completely mastered the alchemy skills he had learned before, but unfortunately he does not have a medicine cauldron to make the alchemy.
The calligraphy is quite good. Longqi Temple has always been a place where dignitaries come to recite poems and enjoy themselves. There are many four treasures of the study in the temple, all of which were given by guests.
It's a good idea to cultivate your sentiments when you have nothing to do.
After all, life here is really boring except for practicing martial arts.
Jiang Changsheng asked for pen, ink and paper that day and practiced calligraphy in the house. While practicing calligraphy, he was thinking about the spy.
This is the second time. There is a way to find the spy. After all, he has asked Jiang Changsheng to go down the mountain twice. He only needs to ask the eldest and second brothers to find him out.
At night, Qing Ku returned to his room. He had just washed his feet and sat on the bed, wiping his feet with a cloth while saying, "Brother Changsheng, the Emperor will come to Longqi Temple tomorrow. Do you want to go and see him? He is the current emperor, and it is rare to see him in a lifetime."
Hearing this, Jiang Changsheng's right hand trembled slightly. He asked calmly, "What's so good about the emperor? Does he have one more mouth than us?"
Qing smiled bitterly and said, "Don't say that, be careful it gets out. If you don't want to go, then don't go."
Jiang Changsheng raised his hand, admired his own writing, and said with a smile: "It's not that I won't go, I just have nothing to do anyway."
There were three words written on the white paper.
Not a gentleman!
…
At noon the next day, Jiang Changsheng was walking on the stone path between the courtyards. He had just finished practicing his skills and was about to go see his father.
Even from a distance of a hundred feet, he could already hear the discussions of his fellow disciples.
"Is that the emperor? He is so wise and powerful!"
"Yes, it is said that the emperor has cultivated the true dragon energy and is like a dragon in the world."
"I'm curious whether the emperor has found the elixir."
"Don't talk nonsense. If you are heard, you will be beheaded."
The closer Jiang Changsheng got to the Mingxin Palace, the less he heard, and soon he heard the conversation between Emperor Jiang Yuan and Taoist Qingxu.
The two were reminiscing about the glorious past , with Jiang Yuan doing most of the talking, mostly with emotion, and Taoist Qingxu echoed him, in a nonchalant manner.
Outside the courtyard near the Mingxin Hall, there are golden-armored guards guarding it strictly and no outsiders are allowed to approach.
Meng Qiuhe and a group of disciples were waiting on the road that the emperor had to take. There was a small stream that ran through Longqi Mountain and there was a small bridge across it. The flowers and plants on both sides of the stream were extremely dense. There were a group of people in the stone pavilion next to the bridge. There were more than a dozen people, and they were so crowded that there was no room for them to stand in the pavilion.
Meng Qiuhe was bragging about what he had seen and heard during his last training. When he saw Jiang Changsheng approaching, his eyes lit up and he said, "What a rare guest, Junior Brother Jiang, why are you here? Come in quickly and make room for us."
The three disciples who were sitting quickly stood up, and the other disciples who were standing also made way.
Jiang Changsheng is the only disciple that Taoist Qingxu said could practice freely and did not need to attend sermons. He has a special status. In addition, he usually keeps to himself, which makes the disciples feel distant from him and dare not offend him easily.
Jiang Changsheng sat down in the pavilion and asked with a smile, "Second Senior Brother, how come you have the leisure to tell a story?"
The three eldest disciples of Longqi Temple are all martial arts fanatics. The eldest brother Li Changqing is extremely talented, while Meng Qiuhe is of average talent. However, he makes up for his shortcomings with hard work and has won against Li Changqing in competitions.
Meng Qiuhe smiled and said, "Of course I came to see the true dragon spirit. It is said that the emperor is like a dragon following his body, so how can I not pay homage to him?"
The word "bai" is said with some level of sophistication.
Jiang Changsheng started chatting with his fellow disciples. All the disciples were surprised by his arrival, especially Meng Qiuhe.
Meng Qiuhe was very curious about Jiang Changsheng's current strength. He had approached Jiang Changsheng last year and proposed the idea . However, Jiang Changsheng directly admitted defeat and said that he was not qualified enough. As a senior brother, he could not force him to do anything, so he had to give up.
Half an hour later.
A group of golden-armored guards came over, and the figures of Taoist Qingxu and Jiang Yuan appeared in the sight of the disciples. The disciples walked out of the stone pavilion one after another, knelt down and saluted. Jiang Changsheng did the same. There was nothing wrong in kowtowing to one's own biological father.
When Jiang Yuan approached, Jiang Changsheng couldn't help but look up and met Jiang Yuan's gaze.
Jiang Yuan was wearing a dragon robe with a golden background and a light imperial crown on his head. He had a dignified face and gray hair on his temples. He was just walking over with his eyes downcast, and his eyes met Jiang Changsheng's. Jiang Changsheng froze and quickly lowered his head.
He had imagined countless situations of meeting Jiang Yuan, and even thought about having a direct showdown, but how could he make Jiang Yuan believe it?
There are no witnesses.
Taoist Qingxu just happened to save him outside the palace.
"This little Taoist priest raised his head."
Just when Jiang Changsheng was feeling extremely confused, Jiang Yuan's voice came. He did not look up, thinking that Jiang Yuan was calling other disciples.
Taoist Qingxu's voice rang out: "Changsheng, His Majesty is calling you."
Jiang Changsheng subconsciously looked up and met Jiang Yuan's gaze again. He did not hide his nervousness. He thought something was wrong when he saw that the emperor was not nervous.
He noticed an old eunuch behind Jiang Yuan, with his head down, back bent, and extremely weak, as if half of his body had been buried in the ground.
Such a powerful true qi, even stronger than that of Taoist Qingxu!
Jiang Changsheng remembered him. It was this old dog who took him out of the palace. However, it was not this old dog who fought with Taoist Qingxu. He was passed around by many people along the way.
Jiang Changsheng didn't pay much attention to the old eunuch, but lowered his eyes and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
