The sky was 10,000 kilometers wide and filled with clouds. If one looked down from the sky, the northern end of the Western Desert Continent looked like the tail of a giant turtle. However, it was slightly narrow and there was a small country on it called Qingwen.
Qingwen Kingdom was located in a place where the Qi of Heaven and Earth was thin, and there were very few martial arts mysteries. Therefore, there were very few martial arts cultivators, and there were many scholars and literati. Therefore, the country was founded on literature. This country was located in the south of the powerful Chongwu Kingdom, so it paid tribute to it every year and submitted to it every year to seek the protection of a powerful country.
This country was about 4,000 miles long from north to south and 2,000 miles wide from east to west. The north was flat, while the south was full of mountains and rivers. The mountains were connected to the sea from east to west, and there were layers of mountains that rose and fell continuously, reaching into the clouds and forming the Mianyun Mountain Range.
In the depths of the mountain range, there was a mountain called Yaning. The mountain range was steep and the peaks were high. At the foot of the mountain, there were several villages scattered at the foot of the mountain. The barking of dogs and the crowing of chickens could be heard far and near. There was also the clear Wangning River, which meandered through the villages.
Qiao Zhuang lived in the south of Mount Yaning. There was a family in the west of the village. The male owner was a teacher in the school. The villagers called him Mr. Qiao. Mrs. Qiao farmed at home. The two had a son. He was smart and intelligent since childhood. He was named Xuan. The three of them lived happily and peacefully.
Qiao Xuan had been taught by his father since he was young. When he was ten years old, he was already proficient in writing. He had finished reading all the books in the family library. His father felt that he had nothing to teach him, so he wanted to send him to the town a hundred miles north of Mount Yaning to study.
The Qiao family had been farming and studying for generations, so they had not accumulated any small assets. They could only wait a few more years to save up enough money to send Qiao Xuan away to study. Qiao Xuan was too young, and Mother Qiao felt sorry for her son. She did not want him to leave home at such a young age. She was afraid that he would not be able to live alone, so she let Qiao Xuan stay at home.
Qiao Xuan had nothing to do all day. As he grew up, he felt that his days were boring. He played with his friends every day. He went up trees to pick up birds, went down rivers to fish, and even learned from hunters to set traps, catch rabbits and chickens, climb mountains and climb rocks, cut wood and collect herbs. The more steep the mountain was, the more he enjoyed climbing.
Every evening when he returned, his clothes were torn and his elbows were injured. Qiao-mu's heart ached, Qiao-fu punished him severely, but Qiao Xuan refused to change. The two of them had no choice but to let him go.
Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, it was late spring. At this time, Qiao Xuan was already fourteen years old, and he suddenly had a great yearning for the gods. He often squatted in front of the street and listened to the elders in the village talk with fervor. Only then did he know that the Yaning Mountain really suppressed demons.
It turned out that ever since the children in the village began to remember things, the adults would often scare them by saying," There are monsters on the mountain. If you don't sleep, the monsters will come." The children were so scared that they went to sleep early. Later on, when they grew up, they would secretly run up the mountain to fight the monsters. Other than scaring out a lot of wild rabbits and pheasants, they didn't even see any ferocious wild beasts. That was it.
Now that Qiao Xuan had learned the truth, he had gone up the mountain to search for it for a long time, but he still found nothing. Later, he asked all the elders in the village, but he could not find where the demon was. He could only listen to the elders 'nonsense gloomily. Suddenly, he heard that 1,500 miles to the south was the Chongwu Country where everyone could practice martial arts. He was busy and excited. When he heard that, he wished he could also learn powerful skills.
The setting sun set in the west, slowly sending the afterglow. Smoke began to fill the air, and the old people gradually dispersed. Smoke rose straight up, and every household laughed and laughed. Red lights lit up in front of the window.
Only then did Qiao Xuan wake up from his infatuation. Seeing that the night was already hazy, he hurriedly got up and ran home. Just as he slipped into the courtyard, he saw his father still dressed in green, with a gloomy and thin face. He stood there with puffed cheeks and was so frightened that he hurriedly slipped into the house.
Qiao-fu had already seen Qiao Xuan. Seeing that he had returned so late, and instead of running over to apologize, he even wanted to sneak into the house, Qiao-fu couldn't help but become even angrier. He shouted,""Stop right there! Going crazy all day, what kind of behavior is this!”
Qiao Xuan quickly stood up, his forehead drooping. He pursed his lips and kept quiet, thinking helplessly,""Sigh, I've been caught again. I'm going to be taught a lesson again.”
Qiao-fu saw that his son was still as stubborn as before and refused to admit his mistake. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to attack.
Qiao Xuan saw his father like this and was about to run when he saw his mother blocking in front of him. He thought to himself," It's safe."
Qiao-fu was suddenly blocked by his wife. He hurriedly shouted and struggled with all his might, but no matter how hard he pushed, he could not move. He could only helplessly give up.
Qiao Xuan looked at his mother's back happily, feeling that his mother was a big tree that sheltered him from the wind and rain. Suddenly, he heard his mother shout,""Hurry up and stop cooking. If we don't eat, the food will get cold. Let Xuan 'er wash his hands first. We'll talk while eating.”
Qiao-fu stopped when he heard that. He remembered what they had agreed on and his anger dissipated by half. He said seriously,"Xuan 'er, wash your hands and eat. I have something to tell you.”
Qiao Xuan was puzzled and quickly asked,"Mother, what's the matter?" Quickly tell me! And why is Father so angry?"
Madam Qiao smiled gently and urged,"It's a good thing. Hurry up and wash your hands. Your father will tell you at the dining table.”
Qiao Xuan hurriedly went into the house to wash his hands. When he sat down at the dining table, Qiao-mu had already scooped the food. Qiao-fu glared at him and continued eating. Qiao-mu smiled and also picked up her chopsticks.
Qiao Xuan looked at his parents and saw that the two of them only cared about eating and did not say anything, so he also picked up his bowl and started eating. After eating a few mouthfuls, his heart was extremely unbearable, so he smiled and said,"Father, what is it? Quickly tell me!"
Qiao-fu glared at him and put down his bowl and chopsticks. He shouted angrily,"Don't talk when you eat, don't talk when you sleep. Eat your food in peace!”
Qiao-mu smiled." Your father came back early today to tell you something good. He didn't expect you to come back so late, so he threw such a tantrum." Actually, you're already fourteen years old, and you're not young anymore. Your family is preparing to…"
"Mother, stop talking!" Qiao Xuan quickly interrupted and quickly looked at his parents before shouting,""I'm still young and don't want to get married yet.”
Qiao Xuan couldn't help but hug his head and cry out in pain. When he looked up and saw that it was his father who had hit him with chopsticks, he asked aggrievedly,""Father, why did you hit my head with a chopstick?”
Qiao-fu was both angry and amused. He shouted sternly,"Who wants to marry you? What are you thinking about all day? I'm so angry!"
Seeing the two of them like this, Qiao-mu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Qiao Xuan stammered," Mother, why are you still laughing…You were the one who said that something good would happen, but in the end, you caused me to be beaten up. Besides, Hunter Qiao's son, my good buddy, Star Tiger, is already 14 years old. He married a wife a few months ago, so I thought…"
"Don't think so blindly." Qiao-fu interrupted and glanced at his wife before saying solemnly,"The good thing your mother said is that you've grown up and can go out to study. In a few days, I'll arrange everything and send you to school in the town. This time, you must study hard and glorify your family!”
When Qiao Xuan heard that he was studying, he immediately lost his energy and said unhappily,""Mother, aren't you reluctant to let me go on a long journey? I don't want to study. I want to stay at home with you!”
When Madam Qiao heard her son say this, she was very touched. She patted Qiao Xuan's head and said gently,""I don't want you to leave either, but I have to consider your future. If you don't study, you won't have a future. Listen to your father and go to the town. First, you have to pay attention to your health and safety. Second, you have to study hard.”Tears immediately flashed in her eyes, and she quickly turned her head and kept quiet.
Qiao Xuan saw that his mother was about to cry as she spoke, so he lowered his head and thought to himself,""It seems that Father and Mother have made up their minds and insist that I go to the town to study. This won't do. I have to think of other ways.”She rolled her eyes and said,"It takes a lot of money to study in the town. Our family is so poor. How can we afford it?" I don't want to empty my family and let my parents suffer from poverty.”
When Qiao-fu and Qiao-mu heard their son say this, they were extremely moved. They looked at Qiao Xuan with gratification before Qiao-mu said,""Xuan 'er has really grown up and knows how to think for the adults.”
Qiao-fu let out a long sigh and smiled."Xuan 'er, don't worry! You can study in peace. If you can obtain fame, not only will your future be settled, but your mother and I will not have worked hard in vain.”
When Qiao Xuan heard his parents say this, he knew that he had no choice but to tell the truth."I really don't want to study anymore!"
"What?" Qiao-fu suddenly stood up and shouted, his chopsticks falling to the ground. His hands trembled as he pointed at Qiao Xuan and shouted,"Say it again! You don't want to study anymore. Are you used to being crazy these past few years? I'll beat you up, you unfilial bastard." Before she could finish her sentence, she wanted to swing her arm, but Qiao-mu, who had already stood up, grabbed her firmly.
Madam Qiao was also a little angry, but she didn't want her son to be beaten up, so she shouted anxiously,""Xuan 'er, quickly apologize to your father! We can't let you do as you please."
Qiao Xuan saw that his mother was holding his father back, so he suppressed his urge to rush out of the door and stubbornly said,""Reading is too boring. I want to practice martial arts. I want to be like a god, flying into the sky and earth, omnipotent.”
The two of them were stunned by these words and looked at each other silently for a long time. They opened their mouths but did not know what to say. Qiao-mu could only let go and sit back down.
Qiao-fu also sat down slowly and said in a deep voice,"The stories you heard about the gods are all folk legends. They can't be true. Compared to studying, practicing martial arts was tens of thousands of times more dangerous and difficult to get ahead. Your mother and I only have you. We only hope that you will be safe and sound, grow up and start a family. You won't want your mother and I to die, right?”
Qiao Xuan saw how scary his father sounded and asked hesitantly,""Father, don't scare me! It's just martial arts. I don't fight with anyone, so how can I lose my life?”
Qiao-fu looked at his innocent son and frowned with a bitter smile. He said solemnly,"In this world, which day is not fought for? Sigh! Even if I told you all this, you wouldn't understand now. You should know that there are poor scholars and rich martial artists, right? It's fine for your family to support your studies, but if you want to learn martial arts, it might not be enough even if you sell everything you have and go bankrupt.”
After Qiao Xuan heard this, he suddenly seemed to have lost his breath. His hands hung weakly on his knees, his chin resting on the table. His eyes were blank, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Qiao-fu saw him like this and wanted to persuade him a little more, but Qiao-mu quickly waved her hand to keep quiet. Qiao-fu coughed lightly and got up to return to the inner room.
Madam Qiao raised her wrinkled hand and gently stroked her son's hair, saying kindly,""Your father has taken in many students again. He has to prepare for lessons until very late every day. His face is getting thinner and thinner.”Then, she looked at Qiao Xuan. Seeing that her son did not have any reaction, she had no choice but to stand up and quietly clean up the dishes.
Qiao Xuan stood up lazily and walked back to his room with a heart full of melancholy. Seeing that his son had left a lot of food, Madam Qiao quickly covered the food into the pot and sighed. She locked the courtyard door and returned to the inner room to rest.
The next morning, Qiao Xuan woke up exhausted. He lay lazily on the bed and stared at the roof beam. His heart was in a mess. Not long after, he heard his mother knock on the door and softly call for breakfast.
Qiao Xuan weakly replied with a soft " hmm " and didn't get out of bed. It was only when he heard that his parents had finished their meal and left the house one after another that he got dressed and got out of bed with a heavy heart.
Qiao Xuan opened the door and saw that the table was covered with food. After washing up, he sat down at the table and ate, thinking as he ate. His expression slowly became determined, and before he could finish eating, he got up and went back to his room. He picked up a pen and wrote a line of words before returning to the table. He pressed the note under the bowl, hurriedly locked the courtyard door, and ran to the front street.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]