Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Li Dalong felt as if he had been hit hard. He took a few steps back and sat down dejectedly on a wooden bench, tears streaming down his face.

Li Mi suddenly regained her strength, stood up, walked a few steps to Li Tiezhu and Qinglan, pulled Li Tiezhu up from the ground, and kept saying, "Tiezhu, are you okay, Tiezhu..."

"I'm fine, Mom." Li Tiezhu wiped his tears and stood up from the ground.

"These damn beasts..." Li Mi held Li Tiezhu's hand with one hand and Qinglan's hand with the other, tears streaming down her face.

Qinglan just stood there blankly, her eyes empty and two lines of tears falling silently.

Li Tiezhu suddenly took a deep breath, raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, and seemed to become calm in an instant. He whispered to comfort her: "Sister, don't be afraid, I'm here for you."

Li Mi suddenly let go of her hand, turned around and came to Chen Yuan, and knelt on the ground: "Mr. Chen, please save Qinglan. You are a rich man, and four years of land tax is nothing to you. Please give my family some gold and silver to make up for the debt!"

Her voice was heart-wrenching and she kowtowed repeatedly, which was very moving.

Li Dalong opened his eyes and shouted, "Mother, get up!"

Li Tiezhu took two steps to Li Mi's side and wanted to help her up: "Mom, what are you doing?"

Li Mi continued to struggle: "Let go..."

Chen Yuan stood up from the wooden bench, stretched out his hands, and together with Li Tiezhu, helped Li Mi up, saying in a gentle voice: "Auntie, what are you doing? Tell me what's the matter slowly."

Just now, when Li Fugui and his son were threatening the Li family, he had been sitting at the square table, watching quietly without saying a word.

It was only at this point that the first sentence was spoken.

Li Mi then stood up from the ground and said anxiously, "Mr. Chen, please give me some gold and silver so that my family can get through this difficult time..."

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly: "Auntie, I don't have any gold or silver on me."

Li Mi raised her hand and grabbed Chen Yuan's hand: "Don't you have bracelets, sir? Those bracelets are so beautiful, they must be made of fine jade. If you take out one, you can save Qinglan..."

Just as Chen Yuan was about to speak, Li Tiezhu grabbed Li Mi's hand and tried to pry it apart, whispering, "Mother, don't do this, let go quickly, how can you force Master Chen?"

Li Mi tightly grasped Chen Yuan's hand, veins popping out on the dry back of her hand. She turned to look at Li Tiezhu and said, "You and your father saved Master Chen, and he has lived in our house for so many days. What's wrong with me asking for a bracelet?"

Li Tiezhu growled, "Mom, this is not about the bracelet or not!"

"Li Fugui had long been colluding with the officials in the county government to force my sister to marry Li Wenju as a concubine. This fake land deed was just an excuse."

"Even if Master Chen really helped our family pay the land tax for the past four years, it would be useless. Li Fugui could still come up with fake land deeds for 20, 30 or even 100 acres. He has plenty of ways to force our family to submit."

"Those corrupt officials can also take this opportunity to make a fortune. This is a bottomless pit that can never be filled!"

Li Mi slowly released Chen Yuan's hand and murmured, "Those officials should be reasonable. Master Chen, please, for the sake of Tiezhu and his father saving your life, save Qinglan. Maybe it will work. They can't force people to destroy their families, right?"

Li Tiezhu sighed and forcibly helped Li Mi up: "Mother, if Master Chen pays this money, he will offend Li Fugui."

"He has no achievements and is not from this place, so how can he defeat Li Fugui, a local tyrant?"

"We just fed Master Chen some herbs that we dug from the mountains. In the past half month, Master Chen has taught me and my sister how to read and write. From now on, my sister and I can be considered as scholars. This is something that cannot be bought with any amount of money."

"Mr. Chen doesn't owe us anything. Li Fugui has already set his sights on us. How can we drag Mr. Chen into this?"

Mrs. Li Mi was stunned. She pushed Li Tiezhu's hand away, tears streaming down her wrinkled face: "Mr. Chen, I don't understand anything. Tiezhu is right. We shouldn't involve you in our family's affairs."

"Who made Qinglan born in a hunter's family and so pretty? This is fate, this is fate..."

"Ah!" Li Dalong suddenly stood up, kicked the wooden stool away, roared to the sky, turned around and walked into the north room.

Qinglan had a dull expression and empty eyes. She slowly turned around and walked towards the west room. Her movements were stiff, like a walking corpse.

Chen Yuan saw it all, but his expression remained calm and he didn't say a word.

Li Tiezhu supported Li Mi with both hands and bowed slightly to Chen Yuan: "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry, my mother was very upset and didn't mean it, please don't take it to heart."

Chen Yuan said: "It's okay, help Auntie back to the house and have a good rest."

"Yeah." Li Tiezhu responded, supported Li Mi and walked into the north room.

Chen Yuan looked around, then looked at the half-open courtyard door, stood up and walked into the west room.

Qinglan was lying on the bamboo bed in the outer room, curled up with her hands clasped across her chest, her eyes dull and no tears on her face.

Chen Yuan squatted in front of her and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Miss Qinglan. There is always a way out. Li Wenju will get his retribution."

Qinglan's eyes lit up: "Really?"

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Really."

He raised his hand and gently stroked Qinglan's head, then stood up and walked into the inner room.

Qinglan raised her hand towards Chen Yuan, but grabbed nothing. Her hand hung in mid-air for a long time before falling. She was still curled up on the bamboo bed, but there was a little more spirit in her eyes.

……

The full moon hangs high in the sky, and the sky is full of stars.

The moonlight was like water, sprinkling into the courtyard and covering it with a layer of light white frost. Only under the shade of the locust tree was it still pitch black.

In the dead of night, everything was silent, with only the faint chirping of insects coming from the mountains.

Suddenly, a cool breeze blew, and the branches and leaves of the locust tree swayed gently, rustling, and in the hazy moonlight, it looked like ghosts dancing.

The bamboo curtain in the west room was gently lifted, and a figure walked out of the room.

The man walked very lightly and silently. In the moonlight, he was tall and thin, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. It was Li Tiezhu.

He was wearing a linen short coat, a pair of straw sandals, an iron spear in his hand, a bow on his back, a pot of bamboo arrows on his waist. He had a firm expression and a hint of murderous intent in his eyes. He glanced at the north and west rooms, pursed his lips, and walked towards the courtyard gate.

At this moment, a leisurely voice came from under the shade of the locust tree: "The moon is bright and the stars are bright, but this is not the time to kill people."

"Who!" Li Tiezhu's face changed drastically. He stopped immediately, raised the iron spear in his hand, and turned to look over.

In the shadow of the locust tree, Chen Yuan walked out slowly and looked at Li Tiezhu: "It's late at night and you are holding a sharp weapon. Are you going to cause trouble for the Li family?"

Li Tiezhu looked closely and saw Chen Yuan in a white gown and a pair of black boots. He was tall and slender, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a smile on his face. He could not help but stand there in a daze.

For the past half month, Chen Yuan had been wearing linen clothes and straw sandals. It was the first time that Li Tiezhu saw Chen Yuan wearing a white gown. Under the moonlight, he looked free and easy, ethereal, and like an immortal.

He breathed a sigh of relief, put down the iron spear, looked around, and whispered, "Master Chen, please speak softly, don't wake up my parents and sister."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly and lowered his voice and said, "The Li family has many guards. You alone are no match for them."

Li Tiezhu avoided answering and looked at Chen Yuan with a hint of disappointment: "Sir, you have changed your clothes and shoes, but are you leaving?"

"Li Fugui has no grudge against you, so he won't make things difficult for you. After you leave Qingshan Village, follow the main road for 80 miles and you will reach Yunrui County." Chen Yuan smiled and said, "You haven't answered me yet, are you going to kill Li Wenju?"

Li Tiezhu tightened the iron spear in his hand: "No, in addition to Li Wenju, I also want to kill Li Fugui!"

Chen Yuan asked, "Aren't you afraid of revenge from the Li family?"

Li Tiezhu's young face had a ferocious expression, and he whispered, "I can't care about that anymore. I can't watch my sister marry that beast Li Wenju as a concubine!"

Chen Yuan said: "The Li family has been a family of gentry for hundreds of years. It seems that Li Wenju is quite infatuated with Miss Qinglan and is willing to marry her in a sedan chair carried by eight men."

"Although Miss Qinglan's marriage to Li Wenju as a concubine will not be good for her reputation and her status will be lowered, but she will live a life of luxury from now on, which may not be a bad thing."

Li Tiezhu shook his head and said, "My lord, you don't know that Li Wenju is a playboy. He relies on the power of the Li family to bully others and do all kinds of bad things."

"He loves to ruin the innocence of decent girls, and then take them home as concubines. When he gets tired of playing with them, he discards them like old shoes and beats and scolds them at every turn!"

"Li Wenju married nine concubines in total, beat two to death, and gave three away as playthings."

"He seems to like my sister now, but in a few months, my sister will become like his previous concubines, either becoming a servant or being given away to others as a plaything!"

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "This Li Wenju is really worse than a beast, but before Li Fugui left today, he sent people to guard nearby. How do you plan to avoid these spies?"

Li Tiezhu hesitated for a moment and said, "My house is built outside the village, and there are wild beasts that invade from time to time. There is also a back door, which is very hidden. Outsiders don't know about it, and it can avoid those eyes."

"If you are worried about the Li family's servants, you can come with me through the back door."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "You are indeed thoughtful, but even if you avoid these spies, are you sure you can kill them all by yourself?"

Li Tiezhu gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not sure, but I can't watch my sister fall into the fire pit!"

Chen Yuan frowned and said, "In the past half month, I have taught you how to read and write. I once told you the story of Fan Sui. Do you still remember it?"

Li Tiezhu nodded and said, "I remember, Master said that in a very remote place overseas, there are several countries coexisting."

"Fan Sui was a native of Wei, eloquent and good at debate. He accompanied Xu Jia, a senior official of Wei, on a diplomatic mission to Qi. He helped Xu Jia to escape a siege in front of the King of Qi and was rewarded by the King of Qi."

"But Xu Jia became jealous and reported to Wei Qi, the prime minister of Wei, saying that Fan Sui was colluding with Qi and betraying Wei. Wei Qi beat him half to death. Fortunately, Fan Sui got help from his good friends and escaped from Wei."

"He defected to the State of Qin and became prime minister. He severely humiliated Xu Jia, and ten years later, he forced Wei Qi to commit suicide. It is revenge for a gentleman, and ten years is not too late."

Chen Yuan said: "That's right. It's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. If you know this, why are you acting so rashly?"

"The Li family is powerful and has many servants. If you go alone, you will just die in vain."

"You are gifted and intelligent. If you work hard, study diligently, and delve into the Seven Classics, you will surely achieve something in the future."

"Although I am a commoner and a foreigner, and cannot compete with the Li family in Yunrui County, my family is not short of money."

"As long as you put down your bow and spear, I will continue to teach you to read."

"When you pass the imperial examination and rise to prominence, it won't be difficult to severely punish the Li family or even wipe out their entire clan. What do you think?"

Li Tiezhu showed hesitation on his face: "What about my sister? What should I do with my sister?"

Chen Yuan said calmly: "The moon waxes and wanes, and people have joys and sorrows. It is difficult to have everything. You are just a hunter's son now, without any achievements, and you cannot save Miss Qinglan."

"Even if you sneak into the Li family tonight, you will only die under the swords of the Li family servants. It is useless. It is better to preserve your useful body, endure the humiliation, and avenge Miss Qinglan ten years later."

Clang.

Li Tiezhu's hand loosened, the spear fell to the ground, he lowered his head, and his whole body trembled.

He clenched his hands tightly together, his nails pierced the palms of his hands, and blood flowed down, dripping onto the ground and dyeing the loess red.

After a long while, Li Tiezhu finally raised his head, his eyes red and filled with tears. He looked at Chen Yuan and growled, "Mr. Chen, my family is diligent and hardworking. We make a living by hunting. We dare not break the law and never bully others. We have done nothing wrong. Why does God treat us like this? Why does my sister have to marry Li Wenju? Why?!"

Chen Yuan looked calm and said calmly, "The man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. Miss Qinglan is very beautiful, but you don't have the power to protect this beauty, and this is your crime."

"Strength..." Li Tiezhu murmured, "Master Chen, can I really pass the imperial examination?"

Chen Yuan said: "Of course, with my personal instruction, you will definitely pass the exam."

Li Tiezhu's expression changed constantly. He loosened his hands, then clenched them again. After repeating this several times, he suddenly calmed down and bowed to Chen Yuan with his fists clasped together: "Mr. Chen, thank you. I know you are doing this for my own good, but I cannot agree to it."

After saying that, he slowly bent down and picked up the iron spear on the ground.

Chen Yuan frowned and said, "Why, I didn't explain it clearly enough?"

"If you go to the Li family now, you will die. But as long as you endure for ten years, you will be able to pass the imperial examination, get your revenge, and bring honor to your family."

"Can't you see the pros and cons?"

Li Tiezhu took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Master, you are right. But my sister treats me very well. Although she is only two years older than me, she gives me all the delicious food. When we need to cut cloth for new clothes during the Chinese New Year, she always refuses and asks Dad to cut me half an extra foot."

"In the past half month, she has been wearing that gray-green dress every day. It was the dress that my mother made for my sister during the Chinese New Year two years ago."

"Although it was winter, my family was poor and I grew up so fast that I had to change my clothes every year. My mother could only use the little cloth she had left to make a skirt for my sister to wear indoors on New Year's Eve."

"My sister likes this skirt very much. If it gets a little damaged, she will patch it up. She would never wear it normally."

"This is the first time she has worn this skirt for half a month. I have never seen my sister so happy, because she met the young master, who is willing to teach her to read and write..."

Li Tiezhu paused, turned his head and glanced at the west room, a smile appeared on his face, and he said: "I am very happy too. Before I met you, I was very simple and knew nothing."

"It was you who taught me how to read and write, told me many stories, and taught me many truths."

"I used to naively believe that there was justice in this world, and that as long as I worked hard and did good deeds, I could live a good life."

"This is what my parents taught me, and I actually believed it. I never thought about why they were so hardworking and kind, but still lived in such poverty and why they couldn't even wear new clothes during the Chinese New Year."

At this point, Li Wenju's smile faded, he lowered his head, and his voice became low: "Li Fugui came to my house today, and I got your advice. I finally know that there is no justice, no justice, no justice in this world, only power. I have no power, so I can only be bullied."

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes were dry and bright, "But, Master, you also taught me that a real man has things he should not do and things he should do!"

"I can't watch my sister suffer. Even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, I will give it a try. If I kill Li Fugui and Li Wenju, my sister won't have to be his concubine anymore."

"If I fail, I will just die, but I have fought to the death. Even if I die, I will not be ashamed of my sister!"

Chen Yuan looked at Li Tiezhu, and Li Tiezhu looked at him with a firm expression.

He clasped his fists and bowed: "Thank you for your teachings over the past half month. Tiezhu is very grateful. Unfortunately, I have failed to live up to your expectations. Please leave as soon as possible to avoid trouble from the Li family."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "You have a pure heart. You have almost died, but you are still worried about my safety. Well, I will teach you again what real power is."

After saying that, he raised his hand and grabbed it. The Feiyun Sword appeared out of thin air in front of him. The sword body trembled slightly, and under the moonlight, the cold light flashed. (End of this chapter)