What surprised Mu Weizhou was that it was clearly a courtyard.
The three of them took two steps inside. On both sides of the road at the entrance were two purple bamboo forests. There was a pond in the courtyard, and there was a small bridge over the pond. Through the small bridge, they could directly enter the hall from the courtyard.
The courtyard was about thirty feet deep and twenty feet wide. Opposite the door was a hall with two rooms on both sides. The rooms were twenty feet wide and ten feet deep, facing the courtyard. There were no doors or windows in the hall, and the doors and windows of the rooms were all open. There were a few stone holes on the stone walls of each room that allowed sunlight to pass through, just like the stone room they were in just now. The light that seeped in was reflected by the scattered bronze mirrors, making the entire courtyard seem very bright. One could see the layout clearly without a torch.
The side room was like a living place. There were stone beds, tables, chairs, and bookshelves behind the stone tables. There were even some rolled up bamboo slips on them. In the other room, there were pots, stoves, jars, and other things like spinning wheels and looms. On the wall of the main hall, there was a word carved in seal script. On one end, there were zither, zither, flute, and building. On the other end, there were sword shelves and two stone boxes.
Mu Weizhou was still sizing her up when he heard Wei Luan say,"It really is an immortal cave." Mu Weizhou walked around the courtyard and asked,""What, what is this place? The design was comprehensive, harmonious, and beautiful. It was indeed like an immortal's cave.”
Liu Qingping stood in front of the seal script in the hall and said,""Brother Mu, do you want to know what this place is?”
"Oh? Brother Liu, is it written on it? What did it say?"
" This is a poem," Liu Qingping said to the stone wall,""All things in the world can transform into reality. Chaos and clarity had their own beginning and end. When you're inside, you're in shape. The three surfaces of the sky are the same in size. The principle of small virtue does not disturb the common name. When the Great Way is implemented, the world is for the public. It is in the way of conduct and in the mind. He advanced and retreated like a morning star. The body is gone, the name is gone, and there is no rest. A hundred turns and a thousand turns, the joy of life is in it."
Mu Wei repeated the story as he listened. Although he couldn't understand it immediately, he felt that there was a profound meaning behind it. Especially the phrase," On the road, the world is for all ", which felt especially catchy. After Liu Qingping finished reading, he said,"The journey of the Great Dao is for the world!" This poem was quite interesting. Brother Liu, can you explain?”
"I'm afraid it's hard to explain right now," Liu Qingping said with a smile. But it's not over yet. There are a few more words after that. Listen well--Tao Le Cave, Fan Li."
" Fan Li, Fan Li..." Mu Weizhou thought as he muttered. He felt that these two words were very familiar.
"Fan Li, could it be that 'Tao Zhu Gong' Fan Li?”Wei Luan asked.
"Ah, right, Fan Li. It was the Fan Li who helped the King of Yue, Gou Jian, achieve his hegemony. After he became famous, he went on a boat with Xi Shi on the Five Lakes. This person later went to Dingtao and became Tao Zhu Gong. Yes, yes, I remember now. It's him, it's him.”Mu Weizhou said happily.
"Brother Mu, you look so happy. Are you familiar with Fan Li?" Liu Qingping smiled.”
" Of course, there are five people I admire the most in the Records of the Historian," Mu Weizhou said while counting his fingers."One is Liu Bang, one is Xiang Yu, the next is Ji Bu, and the other is Wei Gongzi Wuji and Tao Zhugong.”
"Oh?" "Brother Mu, why do you admire these five people?" Liu Qingping asked.”
"Hmm, how should I put it. Gaozu Liu Bang raised his three-foot sword, rose from the grass, cut down the white snake, and settled the world with a commoner. It was not easy to finally have one person in the world. He was flexible and could unite people. He was definitely a man. As for Xiang Yu, he had led thousands of Jiangdong disciples to fight for the world and was invincible. Although he was eventually defeated by Liu Bang and ended up committing suicide on the Wujiang River, he had done things openly and righteously.”Mu Weizhou replied.
"What about Ji Bu?" Wei Luan asked.
"Ji Bu is an extraordinary person. Able to yield and stand up, chivalrous and loyal, famous throughout the Jianghu. There was a saying that 'a thousand taels of gold is not as good as Ji Bu Yi Nuo.' If a person could do that, what else could he ask for?”Mu Weizhou continued," As for Young Master Wuji, he was a guest of the world and was extremely wealthy. However, in order to protect Zhao, he chose to steal talismans and go into exile. Later, he led five countries to defeat Meng Ao and captured Hangu. Qin did not dare to attack and his virtue shook China.”As Mu Weizhou spoke, he couldn't help but feel fascinated.
"Oh, Brother Mu, how about I tell you about Tao Zhu?”Liu Qingping paced with his hands behind his back.
Mu Weizhou looked at his pedantic appearance and said with a little amusement,"Brother Liu, tell me."
"As for Fan Li, not only did he assist Gou Jian, but he also saved Yue and destroyed Wu. He could also judge the situation and retire after success. In the end, he returned with a beauty and became Tao Zhu Gong. You also want to be like him, free and unfettered in the world, happy in the world, right?”Liu Qingping asked mischievously.
Mu Weizhou looked at the thin and weak child in front of him and his gaudy and pockmarked face. He suddenly felt as if he was a close friend. In the past, he had occasionally talked to people about one of them, and the answers he received were either that he was in ancient times or that he had to be down-to-earth. Mu Weizhou wondered if those people knew what he was talking about, and even more so, he suspected that they had never heard of this person. Therefore, he was even more impressed that he could put on a self-righteous face when he knew nothing. However, at that time, other than nodding in agreement or praising the other party as a " fearless person," he really didn't know how to deal with it. At this moment, two thousand years away, there was actually a child who could speak his mind. How could he not feel warm? Mu Weizhou was about to say something when Liu Qingping walked up to him and helped him straighten his clothes. He looked at him and said,""Then Brother Mu, do you think the powerful Fan Li you admire will leave us a way out?”
Mu Weizhou was instantly unhappy. That's right, in a desperate situation, he actually forgot where he was on a whim. He was really big-hearted. The three of them gathered their thoughts and began to search the cave carefully.
After a while, the three of them gathered by the pool and looked at each other's expressions. They could not help but feel dejected.
Mu Weizhou looked at the two of them and said,"You two, I think this must be the place where Fan Li lived in seclusion. He wouldn't have left only one way out for himself. Otherwise, if he encountered this situation, he would be looking for trouble. What we need to do now is to familiarize ourselves with this place and adapt to the environment. I believe that in time, we will definitely be able to find a way out.”
Liu Qingping was happy to hear that.""Brother Mu is right. Fan Li is so smart, he definitely won't let himself fall into a desperate situation. Let's say 'since we are here, we should take it as it is'. I believe that once we familiarize ourselves with this place, we will be able to find a way out.”
When Wei Luan heard what the two said, she felt that it made sense and made arrangements. Mu Weizhou first hid the fire seed, then prepared to return to the stone room above to get more firewood. Liu and Wei began to search through the rooms, mainly to find food.
Mu Weizhou tried his best to bring down as much firewood as he could, but he felt that something was amiss. This stone room was sealed. Although there was a stove and firewood, a clever housewife couldn't cook without rice. If there was nothing to eat, they would starve to death. Mu Weizhou did not say anything in front of the two of them just now. Now, he was hoping that the two of them would be able to dig out some rice.
Mu Weizhou returned to Taole Cave and put down the firewood. He saw Liu Qingping and Wei Luan sitting on the stone bridge in front of the hall with their hands behind their backs, frowning. He wondered if he had guessed correctly. He walked over happily and asked,"What's wrong with you guys? Why do you look so sad?"”
Liu Qingping clasped his hands behind his back and lowered his head. He said sadly,""Brother Mu, we've searched for half a day, but there's no grain here. The jars in front of the stove are all empty.”
"Yes, Duke Muen, we will starve to death if we don't have rice." Wei Luan said faintly. We have to go back to the stone room above and try to get the boatmen to save us tomorrow.”
"Sigh, I thought of this a long time ago. Tomorrow morning, we will go to the stone room above to call the boatmen. However, don't have too much hope. I told you that just to make you feel better. Therefore, we still have to find a way out as soon as possible.”
"So you're lying to us?" Liu Qingping sighed.”
Mu Weizhou did not know how to answer, so he encouraged,"Actually, you don't have to worry. I believe that in a few days, we will be able to find a way out. Do you see those two pieces of purple bamboo? We can eat bamboo shoots these few days.”
Hearing his words, Wei Luan continued,"Duke Muen, bamboo shoots usually only appear in the spring. Moreover, we have already dug up these two Purple Bamboo Woods.”
"Yeah, Brother Mu, are you lying to us again?”Liu Qingping asked.
Actually, Mu Weizhou didn't know what was going on with the bamboo shoots. He had said that because he thought that it was a solution, and also because he wanted to make them feel more at ease. Hearing them say this, she felt a little anxious and thought, When others transmigrated or were in dire straits, they would encounter white apes offering fruits and flying eagles flocking together to eat and drink. When they jumped off a cliff and broke their legs, they would even have village girls delivering food. Why did he encounter stone rooms connected to stone rooms? He was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks, not knowing how to comfort the other two. He accidentally saw Wei Luan's smile and his heart moved. He said,"Why are you two putting your hands behind your backs? Let me see."
When the two heard this, they smiled and took a step back, still holding their hands behind their backs.
Mu Weizhou jumped to Liu Qingping, grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand, and hooked his left hand behind him. Although Mu Weizhou had only practiced the Kongyuan Art for a few days, Liu Qingping was still under his control because it was a high-tier unique skill, and he was very talented. In addition, he had a foundation in Taekwondo. Although Liu Qingping was shouting," No, I won't give it to you ", the thing in his hand was snatched away by Mu Weizhou.
Mu Weizhou held the thing in his hand and felt that it was slippery. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was actually a live fish that weighed about one to two catties. "Where did this come from?" Mu Weizhou asked in surprise.”
Wei Luan finally couldn't help but laugh,""Duke Muen, so this pond is a fish pond. It must have been designed by Mr. Fan Li for fun. He didn't want to let us have it and become our granary. Just now, when you went out, Benefactor Liu noticed that we easily caught two tails with our swords. We were lying to you just now."
Although Mu Weizhou was fooled, he was not annoyed. He said happily,"I just didn't think that Miss Wei would be as mischievous as Brother Liu. But now, we don't have to worry too much.”
" There's something else that you probably didn't expect," Liu Qingping said." We found something good."”
"What good stuff?" Mu Weizhou asked in confusion.”
The two of them brought Mu Weizhou to the weapons rack in the front hall and pointed to two stone boxes, one long and one square, saying,"Look, we found this."
Mu Weizhou opened the stone box. Inside was a treasured sword and an exquisite hilt. The sword was two feet long and completely black. There were diamond-shaped patterns on it, and three turquoise stones were inlaid on both sides of the sword. The hilt was round and hollow, and at the end was a tiger's head facing down. Although Mu Weizhou did not understand swords, he could tell at a glance that it was a good item. This sword wasn't as sharp and intimidating as ordinary swords. Instead, it gave off a gentle and simple feeling. He fell in love with it the moment he saw it.
Mu Weizhou held the sword in his hand and slashed it twice. He felt that it was very heavy, but it was quite smooth. He found that on the other side of the sword, near the sword guard, there were four words engraved. He quickly asked Liu Qingping,""What do you think this is?"
Liu Qingping and Wei Luan came closer to take a look and heard Liu Qingping say,""I know that this script is Bird Seal Script, but I don't recognize these four words. I'm afraid I can only find out if I look for my master. Sister Wei, do you know?"
Wei Luan shook her head and said,"I don't know either, but this is definitely a good sword. Look."”As he spoke, he had Mu Weizhou point his sword horizontally and pluck out a strand of hair. He let the hair fall from a foot away from the sword. When the hair touched the blade, it actually split into two. Mu Weizhou and Liu Qingping were speechless. "Good sword!" they said in unison.”
Mu Weizhou carefully placed the sword in the stone box, then grabbed the hilt beside him and said,"Why would the hilt and the sword be placed together? Could it have been cut off by this black sword?”
"Brother Mu, be careful!" Liu Qingping was shocked." Look carefully. It's not just the hilt.”
Mu Weizhou paid attention to Liu Qingping's call. He felt that the hilt of the sword was rather heavy in his hand, not much lighter than the black sword from before. He took a closer look. The sword was there, but it seemed to be faintly there. If he didn't pay attention, he wouldn't be able to see it. The black sword from before had already surprised them, and this one left them dumbfounded. Mu Weizhou imitated Wei Luan and pulled out a strand of hair. He blocked it with the indistinct blade and the hair broke. The three of them couldn't help but exclaim in unison.
Liu Qingping took it and looked at the inscription on the sword. He said,""I understand. This sword was the legendary Cheng Ying Sword.”Seeing Mu Weizhou and Wei Luan's puzzled expressions, Liu Qingping continued,""Have you ever read 'Lie Zi Tang Wen'?”
Wei Luan shook her head slightly. Mu Weizhou continued,"Hmm, is it the story of the two children debating the sun?”
Liu Qingping did not expect the two to answer his question, but when he saw that Mu Weizhou was able to tell him the content, his eyes revealed joy and admiration. He continued,""Brother Mu is so knowledgeable. Then do you remember the three swords of the Shang emperor?”
Mu Weizhou was able to answer the "Liezi Tang Questions" because there was a recitation chapter in the high school language textbook. As for the three swords of the Shang emperor, he had no impression of it at all. He did not feel ashamed. Thinking of Liu Qingping's words, he must have understood it very well. He said,"I don't have any impression of that. Brother Liu, quickly tell us about it.”
Liu Qingping pursed his lips and said,""I remember that in the 'Three Ancient Swords', it was said that the Shang Emperor had three swords. One was called Cheng Ying, one was called Night Training, and one was called Hanguang. It was said that the sword was invisible, and when used, it was as if it didn't exist. One couldn't even feel it when stabbed. During the day, one could see the shadow of the Night Training Sword, but the light of the sword could not be seen. At night, the light was full, but the shape could not be seen. If one was slashed by it, it could be used as it pleased, without bloodshed. As for the Cheng Ying sword, the blade could be seen in the faint light. When it touched an object, the faint sound of the sword cutting through could be heard. If it passed through a person's body, the person would not feel pain. It was an elegant sword of the emperor. Brother Mu, the sword in your hand is faintly visible under the current light. It's almost identical to the description of the Cheng Ying sword in the text. But…"
Mu Weizhou and Wei Luan couldn't help but nod. Seeing Liu Qingping stop, they couldn't help but ask,""But what?"
Liu Qingping tilted his head and said in confusion,""Legend has it that these three swords never separated and were later hidden by Kong Zhou of the Spring Autumn Guard. Why are they here? Why is there only one?"
Liu Qingping's question made Mu Weizhou feel that it was too profound. Thinking about it, he didn't know how to answer, so he said,""I'm afraid we won't be able to understand this easily. Fan Li had helped Vietnam to become the overlord. Who knew how he had gotten it.”The other two nodded slowly.
The three of them examined the Cheng Ying sword for a while more before carefully putting it back into the stone box.
At this moment, Mu Weizhou was quite excited. Although one of the two swords was pitch-black and the other was fleeting and shadowless, they complemented each other in the box and made a good match. Then, he hurriedly opened another square stone box, wanting to see what was inside. He found that there was nothing in the large stone box except a two-foot-long scroll of parchment. Mu Weizhou picked up the parchment and unfolded it. There were drawings of sword-wielding figures in different poses on the parchment, and there were a few lines of text beside each of them. Mu Weizhou counted. There were a total of six pictures, which seemed to be six sword techniques. Mu Weizhou looked at the words on the map and knew that it was official script, so he handed the parchment to Liu Qingping. Liu Qingping took the parchment and said while reading,""This is a sword manual. It's called the Tao Le Sword Art. There were a total of six moves. They were called 'Pangu Splitting the Sky',' Kuafu Chasing the Sun','Nuwa Refining the Stone',' Suiren Lifting Fire','Fuxi Performing Divination' and 'Shennong Tasting Grass'. Each move had a specific training method and explanation. Brother Mu, this seems to be a sword manual.”
When Mu Weizhou heard that the six moves he had mentioned matched those of the ancestors who had pushed forward the development of the Celestial Empire in the ancient legends, he could not help but wonder what kind of sword technique it was. " Wait," Liu Qingping continued,""There is also an afterword here-Giving Seven Techniques, Destroying the Strong Wu…Brother Mu, this is the sword technique that Mr. Fan Li and Xi Shi copied when they were in seclusion.”
It turned out that when Fan Li helped Gou Jian, the King of Yue, to destroy the State of Wu, he knew that the King of Yue could share hardships but not wealth. He left without saying goodbye and took Xi Shi to live in seclusion in Taihu Lake. Every day, he would read, dance, play the zither, go boating, wander the mountains and rivers, and roam the world. This underground house was the place where the two of them used to escape the heat in the summer. The things inside were what they had used in the past, and this sword manual was indeed given to him by a friend when he left. If he could master it, he would be invincible. As for the black sword, it was one of the ten famous swords, the "Clear Sable". It was the masterpiece of the Great Swordsman Ou Yezi and was known as the Sword of Benevolence. These two swords were a gift from the King of Chu when Fan Li returned to Chu after his successful retirement. Later on, he decided to move to the Tao Land and make a living in the world. He didn't want his weapons to be stained, so he left the sword manual and sword here.
After Mu Weizhou and Wei Luan heard this, they realized that there were so many reasons behind it.
At this moment, Mu Weizhou's stomach started to growl. It turned out that the sky had already turned dark when the three of them were talking. The three of them quickly cut the fish and started a fire to cook the meat to satisfy their hunger. What they didn't expect was that the taste of the fish was extremely fresh and tender. It was rich in juice, sweet and smooth in the mouth, and very delicious. After eating, the sky was completely dark. When he was about to rest, Mu Weizhou ran back to the stone room above and took down all the bedding items that could be used. Mu Weizhou had wanted to suggest that Wei Luan sleep on the stone bed, Liu Qingping sleep on the stone table, and he sleep on the floor. He did not expect the other two to let him sleep on the stone table and the two of them sleep on the stone bed.
When Mu Weizhou heard this, he held the two boatman's clothes he had bought yesterday. His heart was in a mess. He really wanted to ask if there were still uncountable men and women. Why was Liu Qingping so charming? What's so good about a pockmarked child? He even wanted to remind Wei Luan that she was definitely not a child at the age of fifteen or sixteen. However, when he saw that the two of them didn't seem to mind, he felt that he had been completely defeated by Liu Qingping. He vaguely thought that Wei Luan was not a woman. However, another voice also wanted to tell him that he was more jealous. Mu Weizhou plucked some purple bamboo leaves and laid them on the bed. He put on a set of clothes and covered himself with another set before falling asleep while practicing. Apart from the sound of the waves in Taihu Lake, there seemed to be the whispers of Liu and Wei. "Completely defeated!"
The next day, the three of them got up early and went to the stone room upstairs to roar for most of the morning. No one came to answer, so they completely gave up. After returning to the Tao Le Cave, the three of them discussed for a while and decided that Liu Qingping would translate the Tao Le Sword Technique. Mu Weizhou would follow the path to check if there was an exit, and Wei Luan would cut fish and dig bamboo shoots to prepare food.
Mu Weizhou spent about two hours carefully inspecting the pathway, the stairs, and the stone room above. He found that there was no exit at all. Wei Luan had told him to find something strange, but he did not find it. When Mu Weizhou returned to Taole Cave, he saw Liu and Wei chatting happily. He wanted to go over and listen to what they were talking about, but when the two saw him return, they stopped chatting. Mu Weizhou reported the situation to them, and Wei Luan continued,"Duke Muen, I've already prepared the food. Let's chat while eating. Qingping, let's eat." Mu Weizhou had already smelled the aroma of the food. The difference was that the aroma was very special. Hearing Wei Luan's words, he hurriedly said," Hey, Miss Wei, I think you should stop calling me benefactor. I really don't feel comfortable hearing it." Why don't you call me Wei Zhou just like how you call Brother Liu?”
"Weizhou?" "I'm afraid that's not a good idea," Liu Qingping said with a smile.”
"What's not good about it? We met yesterday. If I can call you Qingping, why can't I call me Weizhou? Benefactor, benefactor sounded awkward.”Mu Weizhou said.
"Brother Mu, although we met yesterday, I'm afraid we're different.”Liu Qingping said.
"What's the difference? We're all friends." Mu Weizhou asked.
"We slept together. What about you?”Liu Qingping said.
" I can also…" Mu Weizhou suddenly stopped talking and said,""I'm not as thick-skinned as you. I'm an adult, and you're a child. How can I lower myself to your level?”
Seeing the two bickering, Wei Luan couldn't help but say,""I think you guys should stop fighting. 'Benefactor Mu doesn't like me teaching you, so Qing Ping doesn't recommend me to call you Wei Zhou. How about this? From today on, I'll call you Young Master Mu.'”
"Young Master? What kind of young master am I? But don't say it, it sounds much better than my benefactor.”Mu Weizhou said.
As he spoke, Wei Luan had already brought the food over. He did not expect it to be a big pot of stewed fish. Other than a few fat fish, there were also some purple plant stems inside. Mu Weizhou picked a piece and tasted it. He felt that it was crisp and clear, and his mouth was filled with a strange fragrance. He couldn't help but praise,"Miss Wei, you have good skills! What was this? Bamboo shoots? It's so delicious?"
"You're wrong!" Wei Luan replied. I was going to dig out some bamboo shoots, but I found another plant growing in the purple bamboo. I thought it was also bamboo, but the bamboo joints were actually wrapped in this kind of stem. Moreover, when it was not ripe, it had a strong fragrance, but it was different from when it was ripe.”
"Aiya, it's too delicious. It's a blessing in disguise." Mu Wei said as he ate," Good food and good craftsmanship. Mr. Fan Li is right. Paradise of Taole, Paradise of Taole."”
" You're wrong again." Wei Luan smiled and said,""This isn't my handiwork, it's Qingping's handiwork.”
Mu Weizhou was stunned. He quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and glared at Liu Qingping."No way, you know how to cook too? Brother, is there anything you can't do other than giving birth?”
Liu Qingping glared at him, not knowing what to say. Seeing this, Wei Luan smiled and said,""Brother Liu is still young, Young Master Mu, don't tease him. Sigh, the bamboo doesn't look like bamboo, and the sugar cane doesn't look like sugar cane. Let's give it a name, okay?”The three of them argued for a while and finally decided to call it "Xianggan".
The pot of fish was so delicious that the three of them finished it without realizing it. Mu Weizhou had eaten half of the pot by himself. After he was done, he heard Liu Qingping say to him,""Brother Mu, we have thought of a way to get out. Do you want to hear it?”
When Mu Weizhou heard that he could go out, he hurriedly said,"Yes, why not? How do we get out?"
Liu Qingping led her to the sword room and said to him,""Use this Clear Sable Sword to split the stone box.”
Mu Weizhou did as he was told and slashed at the stone box with the Clear Sable Sword. The stone box was cut open, but the sword was intact.
"Use the Void Element Art again and hack.”Liu Qingping said to him.
Mu Weizhou did as he was told and used his Void Element Technique to strike the stone box again. The lid of the stone box actually broke in half.
"Brother Mu, have you seen it? With your current martial arts, you can only open the lid of the stone box at most. If your internal energy is deeper and your sword skills are better, I think we can split open the roof of the stone room and get out!”Liu Qingping said happily.
Hearing this, Mu Weizhou felt that it was a good idea and asked,"You mean you want me to practice the Tao Le Sword Art?”
Liu Qingping handed him a few pieces of "sweet" tablets and said,""This is the first move I translated. Let's practice it one move at a time. When we're done with these moves, we'll use 'Splitting the Mountain to Save Yourself'. Brother Mu, I'm counting on you."
Mu Weizhou had wanted to let the two of them practice, but then he thought about how it was his duty to take care of a child and a girl, so he calmed down and practiced the Tao Le Sword according to Liu Qingping's instructions.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]