I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 115: The Black Book's Changes (Two in One)

After a few days, Xie Yuan took all the necessary weapons and supplies, made all the necessary preparations, and arrived at Lin Yuanwai's farm in the south of the city at the agreed time.

Linjiazhuang is less than a mile away from the south gate of Yunzhao County. After leaving the city gate and following the country road, you can see the vast mansion and the endless paddy fields behind the mansion from afar.

It was the time of spring plowing. Just as the sky was getting light, countless tenant farmers were bending over in the fields, working busily. Birds were chirping in the roadside trees and roosters were crowing in the farmland. It was a scene of early spring when all things were blooming.

At the wide gate of Zhuangzi, there are two huge stone lions, showing the style of the owner.

"If I were an ordinary warrior, with my current level, I could find a local powerful man to marry, rely on my father-in-law's resources to continue practicing martial arts, and move to the provincial capital step by step to study martial arts. This might be a bright path."

Xie Yuan looked at the weather in Linjiazhuang and suddenly thought of something.

This path is not only a bright path, but also almost the only smooth road for a person like him who has no roots and no background.

There are countless talented young people in ancient and modern times who have made a name for themselves with their own abilities. When faced with olive branches from others, they are conceited about their talents, proud and unwilling to bow their heads - not even to bow their heads, but unwilling to lower their heads.

However, no matter how talented you are, if you want to move forward, if there is no one to support you, you will always hit the ceiling, even if you are very talented. Because there will always be someone who is more talented than you and has more resources. When you finally realize that you have missed the opportunity, you can only say in vain: it is too late to save trouble.

If the goal is very clear, being lofty is not a bad thing; it’s just that many people are young and don’t know what they are pursuing.

Those who can truly break through the invisible barriers on their own are geniuses among geniuses, and it is rare to find one in a million. Most people should still know the current situation.

If Xie Yuan had just relied on his unique talent to become a warrior from Xiaoshi Village, his best choice would be to accept the olive branch from Mr. Lin, Mr. Zhang, or some other squire, and take advantage of it to rush to Yunzhou Prefecture, and then see if he could go further. At worst, he could come back to be a rich man, happy and safe, and also get ashore. This is the safest strategy.

However, Xie Yuan did not want to make this choice.

He is different. He has not relied on talent until now.

He relies on hard work.

Talent is limited, but Xie Yuan's efforts are unlimited, so his talent is also unlimited.

Ceiling? There is no ceiling.

This talent allowed Xie Yuan to set his sights on reaching the top of the mountain of martial arts.

Now that he had embarked on this journey, he still wanted to see the scenery from above.

From a dragon lurking in the abyss, to a flying dragon blocking out the sun, there will be a day when it rises higher than the sky.

Xie Yuan knew that he came here not for a leisurely stroll in the countryside.

So when Xie Yuan saw the fat man standing between the two big stone lions at the main gate of Linjiazhuang, two paths seemed to appear in his mind instantly, just like the fork in the road in the game that determines the direction of the plot.

He thought about a lot of things, but without hesitation, he chose the one he should take.

Mr. Lin is a plump, middle-aged man with a kind face. He smiles as soon as he opens his mouth:
"Haha, nephew Xie, you're here early! Haven't had breakfast yet? Come on, go inside and have a bowl of meat porridge first."

Xie Yuan dismounted and bowed:
"Mr. Lin, you are welcome. I have made all the preparations and can leave at any time. I wonder if Miss Lin is ready?"

Mr. Lin rubbed the green gemstone ring on his thumb and said:

"No hurry, no hurry! My dear nephew, please go in and have a rest first. We can take a look around the farm. My daughter will be ready soon."

He grabbed Xie Yuan's arm, as affectionate as if he were his own uncle. He first took Xie Yuan to the spacious main hall to drink a cup of tea, and then took a walk around the manor, which was larger than the escort agency.
"This is the stable... this is the kitchen... next to it is the private school of Zhuangzi. I thought people still need to be able to read, so I invited a teacher to teach, and the children of the tenants around could come. As a result, I was given the title of a great philanthropist, haha..."

Standing at the back door of the manor, Mr. Lin pointed to the thousand acres of fertile land and countless tenants and said:
"In my Linjia Village, no one has gone hungry in the past three years. The villagers still recognize me. In the county town, I also have three silk shops, all of which are purchased from Yunzhou Prefecture. The county magistrate also often patronizes my business."

Xie Yuan nodded and said sincerely:
"Mr. Lin is a man of great virtue and a great fortune, which is admirable."

"Haha, not at all! Nephew Xie is so young, but he has achieved great success in cultivation. That's admirable!"

Mr. Lin smiled and said:
"Actually, I've wanted to practice martial arts since I was a kid, but unfortunately I don't have the talent. My eldest son is only good at studying and has just passed the exam to become a scholar, so I don't think he can practice martial arts.

"Although the children in the manor are all from the Lin family, they are loyal and can take care of the house. But my business is getting bigger and bigger, and I will never feel at ease if there is no one in the family who is good at martial arts. There are many strong people in this world, and martial arts is respected. If there is a Lin family member, even a son-in-law, who has the qualifications to practice martial arts, I will definitely support him. I will donate half of my family wealth to the big sect.

"Well, I'm familiar with several of Yunzhao's local officials, and I also have some business in Yunzhou Prefecture. If I want, we can all work together, and any big martial arts school in the city will give me a favor, and it won't be a problem."

Facing Mr. Lin's almost explicit words, Xie Yuan, who had already made up his mind, just bowed politely:

"Thank you Mr. Lin for your kindness, but Xie Yuan is still young and is only focused on practicing martial arts, so he has no other thoughts for the time being."

Seeing that Xie Yuan was unmoved, Lin Yuanwai seemed to praise and sigh:

"It's a good thing that young people have lofty ambitions. Well, let's go back and prepare to set off. Haha, you and my daughter are both young people, you can communicate more."

The two returned to the mansion, and when they approached the backyard, Xie Yuan stopped.

Lin Yuanwai walked in naturally and saw several maids waiting outside the door. He couldn't help but frowned:
"Hasn't Zhen'er packed up yet?"

"Master, the young lady said she will be ready soon."

Several maids saluted quickly.

Mr. Lin was somewhat dissatisfied:
"Girl, why are you so slow? Hey, why didn't you go in to help?"

"The lady said she would do it herself and asked us to wait outside..."

Mr. Lin shook his head:

"I don't know what you're thinking about."

He turned out of the backyard, apologetically:

"Thank you, nephew. This girl is so annoying. Please wait a little longer... Hey, nephew, what's wrong? You look... Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Xie Yuan quickly put down his sleeves, his expression normal:

"No. It's okay, Mr. Lin, where did you say the study was? You said that the layout of Zhuangzi was very particular, but I didn't quite understand."

When Mr. Lin heard Xie Yuan say this, he seemed to be interested in Linjiazhuang again, and his eyes lit up:
"Okay, I'll take you to have another look, one more look."

Xie Yuan followed Mr. Lin and wandered around the mansion with three entrances and five halls and changing scenery. However, every time Mr. Lin wanted to explain the garden scenery or the furnishings of the house, Xie Yuan said to change the place.

Originally, Xie Yuan was told to get familiar with the place, but he just glanced at it hastily, absent-mindedly, turned around quickly, and returned to the backyard.

Mr. Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead. Xie Yuan walked too fast, and the fat and lazy Mr. Lin couldn't keep up.
"My dear nephew...my dear nephew, is this Zhuangzi's layout okay?"

"Well……"

Xie Yuan stared at the backyard, his eyes flickering slightly.

Layout? What layout?

He walked around, of course not to see any layout.

No wonder I felt like something was wrong since I entered the village, but I didn't notice it at first.

It was not until he walked out of the backyard for the first time that Xie Yuan felt a sudden burning sensation on his arm.

He lifted up his sleeve and saw that the black lotus petal mark that had not changed was actually flowing slowly!

This startled Xie Yuan instantly. Since he got this mark, it has never changed. This is the first time that a mutation has occurred.

He didn't know what was going on, but he found that the heat of the mark was different in different places in the village. After walking around, he finally determined that the closer to the backyard, the more obvious the reaction. The root cause seemed to be here.

Xie Yuan was a little hesitant. He wanted to go in and take a look, but this was the backyard where the women of Lin Family Manor lived. Even if he really agreed to be the son-in-law of the Lin family, now was not the time to go in.

However, this mark has been there for so long and this is the first time it has changed. If Xie Yuan doesn't figure out the reason, he will be very worried.

Think of a way...

While thinking, Xie Yuan suddenly paused and shook his arms subconsciously.

Feeling gone?
What is the reason...

Xie Yuan frowned and looked towards the backyard again, only to see a girl in a lake blue dress suddenly walk out.

The girl was of medium height, quite slender, with a waist as slender as a willow branch and a very delicate oval face, which made people feel pity and love.

She was holding a round fan in her hand. When she came out to meet Xie Yuan, she slightly covered her face with the fan and bowed slightly as a greeting.

Xie Yuan carefully looked at the girl for a few times, but didn't find anything unusual. He subconsciously commented in his mind:
“Prettier than Sister Lanhua.

"But it's far worse than Situ Qin..."

When Mr. Lin saw the girl coming out, he sighed:
"Girl, what's taking so long?"

"Dad, we're going so far and have so many things, so it will take us a while to pack. Why are you rushing me?"

The girl whispered.

"Okay, okay, hurry up and have someone load the boxes onto your car, so you don't miss the deadline and keep me waiting! My dear nephew, this is my daughter Lin Zhen. I'll leave you in charge of the journey!"

Mr. Lin bowed to Xie Yuan.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lin. I will bring Miss Lin to Yunzhao safely."

Lin Zhen glanced at Xie Yuan, a faint blush appeared on her fair cheeks, and she quickly looked away.

When Mr. Lin saw this scene, he stroked his beard and laughed.

In a short while, the servants loaded Lin Zhen's luggage onto the carriage, and followed by four guards, five coachmen, and Xie Yuan set off together.

The roads to Yunzhou Prefecture are all official roads with a lot of people, so there won't be any problems. A few people will be enough. Last time, Situ Qin led 20 people but was still killed. It was her own special reason.

Before leaving, Xie Yuan, sitting on his horse, bowed to Lin Yuanwai and said goodbye. But he saw Lin Yuanwai took a long sword from the servant, pulled it out and showed it to Xie Yuan, then handed it to him:

"My dear nephew, come here. I have collected this long sword with great difficulty and have kept it as a treasure at home. It can cut hair and iron like mud. It is a precious sword for heroes. Take it."

Xie Yuan took a look and saw that the knife was shining coldly, the precious steel was gleaming, and it was extremely sharp. It was a rare precious sword, many levels higher than his own sword. He quickly declined:

"Mr. Lin, I can't do that. You have already paid the deposit to the escort agency, and I can't accept any more gifts."

"This is what I agreed with Escort Master Shen. It's part of your reward. How can I feel at ease if you protect my daughter without a sharp weapon? Take it, take it."

Lin Yuan forced the knife into Xie Yuan's hand and let it go. He then deliberately brought up the chief escort officer as an excuse. Xie Yuan had no choice but to accept it and bowed:
"Thank you Mr. Lin for your kindness. I will ask the chief escort to calculate the value of this knife later..."

"Don't say these polite words. I have no other intention in giving this sword to you. Even if my nephew and my Lin family have no destiny, you are worthy of this precious sword just because you are so handsome and successful at a young age. I also want to wield the sword, but it is buried here. The precious sword is given to the hero, that's all I can say."

Mr. Lin waved his hand and smiled generously.

Xie Yuan's heart moved slightly, and he stopped refusing. He put the knife on his waist and bowed to Mr. Lin seriously.

There is a reason why Mr. Lin has such a big business. Although he has not practiced martial arts, he speaks and acts with great courage.

He accepted this gift.

Seeing Lin Zhen's little head sticking out of the carriage window and waving vigorously at his father, he looked into the house again, turned back and fell into thought.

"What's in the backyard that made my mark so hot? Now the feeling has disappeared. Looking at the panel, the Black Book hasn't changed..."

He glanced at the carriage calmly and thought:

"As soon as Miss Lin came out, her fever disappeared. Could it be her fault?"

Xie Yuan slowed down his horse slightly, walked alongside the carriage, coughed lightly, and didn't know where to start asking.

You can't just ask "Hey, do you know why my arm is hot?" or "Girl, there's something wrong with you"...

He thought for a moment and said in a gentle voice:

"Ms. Lin, are you going to Yunzhou Prefecture to visit relatives?"

"Yes. I have an aunt who lives in Yunzhou Prefecture."

The girl's thin voice came from inside the carriage.

"Ms. Lin and aunt are very close?"

"When I was a child, my aunt often hugged me..."

Xie Yuan approached Lin Zhen in a bland way, and after a long conversation, he slowly turned the topic to martial arts:

"Has Miss Lin ever practiced martial arts?"

"No. I'm too weak to practice even the basic moves."

"So... Miss Lin, have you ever collected any precious objects to nourish your body?"

"Foreign treasure? No, but I took a lot of medicine."

"Hmm... Does Miss Lin have any rare items in her courtyard? Book pages, lotus petals, etc..."

"Thank you, Chief Escort. We just met for the first time. You asked me about my background and the furnishings in my boudoir. It makes me feel shy."

Hearing the voice in the carriage with a hint of shame and anger, Xie Yuan felt a little embarrassed and had to shut up.

This round of conversation was just like chatting with a goddess on WeChat. He asked questions and she answered, just like checking her household registration, and finally made her impatient...

Xie Yuan couldn't help but feel a little over-hasty, but he couldn't blame him. After all, the mark on his body had always been a concern for him.

Just as he was scratching his head, thinking about what to ask next and how to ask, he suddenly heard a sigh from the carriage and was startled.

This sigh sounded as if one was carrying Mount Tai on one's back. It didn't sound like the sigh of a rich young lady who could easily get angry or happy. It was in stark contrast to the feeling of Lin Zhen's words just now.

What surprised him even more was that a voice was heard again in the carriage. Although the voice was somewhat similar to the previous one, the tone was completely different!

A hoarse and tired voice like ice and snow reached Xie Yuan's ears:

"I'm here after all... Thank you, Chief Escort. You'll see the opportunity later and run as far as you can. Remember, remember."

What? What's coming?
Wait, this voice...seems a little familiar?
Just as Xie Yuan was puzzled, a slender jade hand suddenly reached out from the window and grabbed his arm.

Xie Yuan suddenly felt the mark on his left arm suddenly heat up and become hot, as if it was burning!

(End of this chapter)