three 1
The soft felt felt like needles. Liu Qingye tossed and turned, hoping to fall asleep so he wouldn't have to face Moler and Dali's mother. But he couldn't fall asleep. Moreover, Aima Khan was still singing in the distance. One song after another sounded like "The rouge on the horse's back is more beautiful than the flowers" to Liu Qingye. The red figure of a red eagle swayed in front of his eyes until dawn.
It was really dawn. Liu Qingye woke up from his drowsiness and turned over to sit up - he had a blanket on him, so it was said that Aunt Dali had come back, but when he looked at Moller's bed, there was no sign that anyone had slept there.
Where did Moller go?
With a bang, the half-closed door was knocked open, and the cool breeze of the early morning rushed in. Moller stood there, his eyes red, his chest heaving violently: "Liu Qingye, come out! Explain it to me clearly!"
Liu Qingye smelled the strong smell of alcohol in the air, like a bunch of poisonous insects gnawing at his bones, drilling into his body through every pore. He was drunk, had no strength, and was unable to speak.
Moller yelled angrily, rushed over and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him out of the house. "Come out with me! Come out!" he shouted, "Explain it to me clearly!"
Liu Qingye was like a dead person, letting himself be dragged, stumbling out of the door and coming to the place where he had danced last night - the messy footprints on the ground could still vaguely show the joy of the dance, but the result of the joy was like this.
"Liu Qingye——" Moller punched him, full of anger.
Liu Qingye saw it clearly, but he didn't want to dodge at all - let him beat him, it was his fault in the first place, and he would feel better if he was beaten to death. He felt his eyes blurred, red, black, blue, and green, all swirling there, and as they spun, a picture of the grassland unfolded, and the one riding a horse on it was the red eagle.
"Speak up! Explain it to me clearly!" Moller punched him again, "What did you promise me in the first place?"
How did he agree? Liu Qingye thought, "A friend's wife should not be cheated on"! His ears began to buzz, as if someone was beating an iron drum in his ears. But as soon as the iron drum sounded, the song followed: "Rouge on the horse's back...Rouge on the horse's back is better than flowers..."
"Why don't you answer me?" Moller grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard, "Say something! Fight back!"
I have nothing to say! Liu Qingye thought silently, tilting his head to one side.
"Speak up! Speak up!" Moller pushed him to the ground. "You have to explain it to me clearly!"
"Mole! You're crazy!" A red light flashed, and Dan Ying ran over. With both hands, he grabbed Moller's shoulders and tried to pull him away.
But Moller was extremely sad and angry at this time. He just grabbed Liu Qingye and shouted, "Talk to me! Tell me!" and slammed his head against the dry ground again and again.
Liu Qingye's face was covered in blood. He just turned his head to the side and said nothing.
Dan Ying felt heartbroken when he saw that he was seriously injured. He kicked Moller away and said, "Are you crazy?" Then he held Liu Qingye in his arms and carefully wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve. He was relieved when he saw that his eyes were not injured.
Moller was kicked to the side by Dan Ying, and he jumped up, stunned, and said: "Miss Dan Ying...you...you really like him?"
Dan Ying said angrily: "So what? What's your business who I like!" As he said that, he lowered his head and carefully treated Liu Qingye's wound.
Moler stood there, legs apart, hands hanging, mouth open, eyes wide open, stunned for a long while, then suddenly screamed "Wow" and turned to run away. At that time, a group of onlookers had gathered around him. Moler was so angry that he pushed and hit the people who blocked his way, and ran out of the village.
Liu Qingye vaguely caught a glimpse of Moller's angry figure, and suddenly pushed Dan Ying away and sat up. Seeing that Moller was getting farther and farther away, he suddenly jumped up and was about to chase him.
Dan Ying grabbed him and said, "You are so badly injured, why are you still caring about that brat?"
Liu Qingye shook off her hand and was still going to chase Moller. But he heard a shout: "Qingye, what are you doing here all morning!" It was Cao Mengsheng, who walked over with his hands behind his back and an angry look on his face.
Liu Qingye lowered his head and saw a drop of blood dripping on the ground. He called out "Master" and dared not say anything else.
Cao Mengsheng snorted and said, "Dan Ying, go get Moller back. Qingye, come with me."
Dan Ying pouted and stamped his feet, saying, "Master, I don't want to chase him. He beat me like this. Let him die outside!"
"Dan Ying, stop being so willful!" Tashan also arrived, "Master is talking to you, why are you talking back! Go quickly, this is all your fault!"
Dan Ying wanted to refute, but knew that it would be useless to say anything, so she turned around and ran in the opposite direction of Moller. Tashan shouted a few words, but she ignored him and disappeared in the crowd in a blink of an eye.
Tashan sighed and said to Cao Mengsheng: "Brother, this..."
Cao Mengsheng said, "Brother, don't be angry with Dan Ying. It's my fault!" Then he turned around and walked out of the village, saying, "Qingye, come with me!"
Liu Qingye followed his master silently and walked to the Gobi Desert outside the oasis, where the scorching sun was raging.
Cao Mengsheng stood still, and quickly pulled out the long sword from his waist, threw it in front of Liu Qingye, and said, "Show me the sword technique that I taught you two months ago."
Liu Qingye had no idea of his master's intention, so he could only pick up the sword, hold it across his chest as a salute, and then began to practice according to the rules.
This sword technique is called "Songtao". It emphasizes the continuous sword energy, controlling the sword with internal force, steady moves, and complex changes. It is indeed the best martial arts in Songqiao Academy. Liu Qingye has been practicing since two months ago, but his internal force is not yet pure. Although his moves are swift, they give people a feeling of lightness and weakness. Back then, it was because he did not practice this sword technique well that his master punished him to carry a huge stone.
Thinking of the boulder, he couldn't help but wonder: If I hadn't been punished that day, how would I have met Moler? How would I have been trapped in a sandstorm? How would I have met Dan Ying? If not, how could such a storm have happened today?
He was distracted for a moment, his hands slowed down, he made a mistake, and his steps became chaotic.
"What are you daydreaming about!" Cao Mengsheng shouted angrily. At the same time, he swung his sleeves and struck the sword blade.
Liu Qingye only felt that his master's strength was endless and his sword almost slipped out of his hand. He hurriedly drew his sword to avoid it, turned his wrist, and returned to his own routine.
"That's it!" Cao Mengsheng grabbed the sword with his bare hands, as easily as plucking a flower from a branch. He put the sword back into the sheath and said, "Don't dance with the sword anymore. Show me your palm technique!"
Liu Qingye was stunned for a moment, then looked at his master with a gloomy face and replied with his head down, "Yes." He clenched his fists and started practicing palm techniques.
He was very familiar with this palm technique, it was the "Free Flying Flower Palm", light and swift, he heard that his mother was quite proficient in it, people in the martial arts world called it "Free Flying Flower". That day when he competed with Dan Ying in the arena, he used the Free Flying Flower Palm.
Alas, the flying flowers are as light as a dream! If I hadn't used this palm technique that day, how could the Tashan tribe leader have seen through my identity? How could I have won over Dan Ying, my junior sister? How could I ride with her?
He was distracted for a moment, and his moves became faster and faster. He was wandering around in the Gobi Desert, and he tripped over a dead tree root somewhere, stumbled, and fell. But he turned over in the air, stood up crookedly, and continued to fight.
"That's enough!" Cao Mengsheng shouted angrily and slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't practice anymore. It's a mess. You are simply wasting the master's skills!"
Liu Qingye was startled, and felt that his master's fingers were like eagle claws holding him tightly. It was obvious that he was very angry. He immediately came to his senses and knelt down: "Disciple knows I was wrong."
"You also know your mistakes?" Cao Mengsheng said coldly, "I thought you no longer cared about me, your master, your dead parents, and the great cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty!"
Liu Qingye knelt there, not daring to say a word. He only felt the swelling on his face where Moller had hit him, and it was throbbing in pain.
"What do you mean by not talking?" Cao Mengsheng scolded, "Tell me, what have you done these days when your master and the leader of Tashan tribe were busy with the affairs of the Thirteen Tribes Alliance? Did you read more saintly articles and practice more boxing techniques? Or did you just ride horses, dance, and talk about love with your junior sister?"
"disciple……"
"What's wrong with you?" Cao Mengsheng scolded, "I've heard from the Tashan tribe leader that Dan Ying and Dali's mother's son - your junior fellow apprentice - were childhood sweethearts. How dare you come in and interfere between them? Don't you know the moral code? Don't you have any sense of propriety, righteousness, and shame?"
I have it, how can I not have it? A voice in Liu Qingye's heart shouted, if I really don't have it, why would I be so painful?
"Even if you like my junior sister, and my junior sister likes you too—" Cao Mengsheng said, "Don't you care about the great cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty? You have thrown all the teachings of the master behind your head—you have completely disgraced my Songqiao Academy!"
"I dare not." Liu Qingye bowed his head, "Master said that if the Tartars are not eliminated, there will be no home. I... I will never dare to forget, and I will never be nostalgic for love."
Cao Mengsheng finally heard what his disciple said, and calmed down a little. He reached out and helped Liu Qingye up, patted his shoulder and said, "I was young once, and I know that flowers and moonlight, tenderness and sweetness are more attractive than swords, fire, rain and blood. However, as Han people, when the country is destroyed and the family is ruined, we have to put personal gains and losses aside for the sake of national justice. Like me, and your junior uncle, are all like this..."
Why did he suddenly mention Junior Master? Isn't that Ye Bailian, Dan Ying's mother? Liu Qingye was a little puzzled, but seeing that his master looked serious, he didn't ask, so he just nodded and agreed: "Disciple will remember Master's teachings."
Cao Mengsheng also nodded and said, "Just remember it. Don't promise verbally and then forget it the moment you turn around. The Thirteen Tribes Alliance is about to be signed, and Fu Chakang's troops have always been a major concern for us. Your Uncle Wu and Sister Li have been gone for many days. Last night, I discussed this matter with the head of the Tashan tribe, and we both felt that there must be changes... Alas..."
Liu Qingye listened silently - yes, this was his life. Before this, he was crazy! He should be beaten and punished, so that he could sober up! "Master," he said, "I have committed a serious mistake. Please let me carry this stone and run five times -" As he said that, he pointed to the huge stone next to him, which seemed to weigh at least 200 kilograms.
Cao Mengsheng looked at him, and finally relaxed his frown. He said, "It would be best if you could wake up. Go and run five times now. When you are done, I will take you to apologize to the leader of the Tashan tribe."
Liu Qingye had never felt the sun so scorching, the boulders so heavy, but his steps had never been so fast. He had a vague feeling that as long as he stopped, the damn thoughts he tried so hard to get rid of would come back to haunt him; or, it seemed that he had a grudge in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe, and he had to run until he was sweating, exhausted, and his bones were falling apart, before he could release this grudge a little.
He ran all the way, and when he reached the poplar tree, he turned back to the starting point and ran towards the tree again. He ran in one breath for who knows how many times. On the last run, he actually ran past the poplar tree without even noticing it. It was not until he suddenly stepped on a dead body bone that he looked up and realized that the scenery around him was very unfamiliar. Looking back, the poplar tree was already on the horizon behind him.
Dead bones! He wondered, was it one of the Qing soldiers killed by his master and himself that day? Was it an anti-Qing patriot who was killed by the Qing soldiers many years ago? Or was it simply a traveler who was trapped in the desert and died?
Whoever this was, he was dead, and that was the reality.
No matter how depressed Liu Qingye was, it was impossible for him and Dan Ying to be together. This was the reality!
He suddenly no longer had anything to vent. He sighed heavily, turned around, and walked back to the poplar tree step by step - feeling dejected and indescribable.
"Liu Qingye, are you crazy too!" A red figure suddenly flashed under the poplar tree - ah, the one riding the horse came, reined in in front of Liu Qingye, turned over and fell down, like a red cloud.
Liu Qingye was startled, took a few steps back, opened his mouth and stared, then dodged and tried to escape by a detour.
Dan Ying rushed forward and blocked his way: "It's obviously Moler's fault. It's really unreasonable for the master to punish you!"
Liu Qingye lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and dared not speak - he knew that if he was afraid of accidentally eliciting something from Dan Ying, then all his determination would be shaken. He just looked at the shadows of the two people under the scorching sun. He was carrying a responsibility as heavy as a mountain, while Dan Ying, floating in the shadow, was wearing a red headscarf.
Dan Ying stamped her feet and said, "Are you dumb? Or are you sick from being beaten by Moler? Put the stone down quickly, I'll help you take a look!" As she spoke, she had already put her hands on Liu Qingye's shoulders - just a gentle push, Liu Qingye could have easily dodged it, but he didn't, instead he trembled, stood unsteadily, and the boulder rolled off his back. He was forced to raise his head, and met Dan Ying's green eyes, sparkling.
"Junior sister..." Liu Qingye found that his voice was a little high-pitched. Was this self-deception? However, for the great cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty, he could even sacrifice his life, so why not deceive himself? He couldn't bear the stigma of stealing a lover, forgetting his loyalty for the sake of beauty, and ruining the great cause for his children's private affairs! Otherwise, how could he face his dead parents? How could he call himself a disciple of Songqiao Academy?
