Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 400 Frost Descent
The cold wind was as sharp as a knife, the snow was rustling, the vast snowfield was endless, the heavy snow was blown up by the wind, it looked like layers of waves, and also blew up a corner of the robe of the wanderer from the Northern Territory.

Abbot Dongwen of Xiaoxitian was wrapped in a cloak, all white and covered with snowflakes. The monk's robe under the cloak was also white, but he had a bunch of green willow branches pinned around his waist, which became the only touch of green in this vast world.

Dong Wen converted to Buddhism at the age of thirty and practiced martial arts. In ten years, he became the top martial artist and became the abbot of Xiao Xitian Temple. Now he is only about fifty years old, but compared with Zhu Jiutian, Shamantian and others who are getting younger and younger, he seems a little old.

Due to his martial arts skills, there are not many wrinkles on his face, but his plain eyes are like stagnant water, filled with his sorrow and misfortune.

Only when he occasionally stroked the willow branches, would those unfortunate eyes occasionally reveal the greenness of willow branches.

He needed this to remind himself that he still had a daughter in the world.

He remembered clearly that his daughter was born under a willow tree in spring.

Master Dongwen had long lost his human emotions because of the pearl relic tower.

Without emotion, there is no obsession.

Without obsession, a person is no longer a person, but just a walking corpse... In fact, he had already lost the desire to live.

Having no feelings, no emotions, what a sad thing, but he couldn't even feel sad for himself.

He took out the wine flask from his bag and drank the wine in big gulps.

Guan Yunshu never told Zhao Wumian that her master was a wine-drinking and meat-loving monk, but Dongwen's drinking did not mean that his Zen mind had reached the state of "wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart".

On the contrary, when Dongwen first entered the mountains to become a monk, he was strict with himself and abided by the rules, which was the image of a high-level monk that people imagined in the world.

But now, as he drank the wine in big gulps, the burning feeling in his throat and chest reminded him that he was still a human being.

He started coughing loudly, his face flushed... He had been drinking like this for a few years, but he still couldn't drink.

He was not a drinker.

When the wine jug is empty, Master Dongwen will pretend to be joking and think:
There is no more wine, so I have to go buy a pot, so that I can live another day.

The area north of Yanyun has been the main battlefield for the battles between the Central Plains and the Rong people and Goguryeo since ancient times. There are countless corpses buried under the snow.

In recent days, the situation has become even more tense. A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, so this place is rarely visited.

When we arrived at the town, we found that the wine shop was not big, with only three or four square tables and a few drinkers sitting here and there. They were obviously gangsters who valued money more than their lives.

Dongwen sat down, ordered a pot of wine, and drank by himself. The drinkers looked at the monk robe under his cloak and couldn't help but take a second look at him, but there are all kinds of people in the world, so it is not surprising that he is just a monk who loves to drink and eat meat.

With their martial arts status, it is obvious that they cannot come into contact with martial arts masters like Dong Wen.

After drinking for half a day, Dong Wen gradually became drunk even though his physique was far from that of an ordinary person. But suddenly, the sound of horse hooves rolling over snow was heard outside the wine shop. It soon came closer, and someone got off the horse, looking anxious and hurried, perhaps a drunkard.

The visitor raised his hand and opened the wine curtain.

Whoosh————

The cold wind blew in through the gaps in the wine curtains, causing most of the drinkers to shrink their necks and shout, "Young man, close the curtains quickly."

The man ignored the drinkers. He stood in front of the wine shop, staring at the cave inscriptions, stunned where he was. He didn't expect to meet the famous abbot of Xiaoxitian here.

He stood in front of the wine shop for a few seconds, then lifted his cloak to shake off the snowflakes, strode forward, sat down in front of Dong Wen, and said with a smile:
"Abbot, it's rare to see you drinking in Jianghu... I wonder if you could do me the honor of inviting me to drink a cup?"

Dong Wen raised his eyes calmly and looked at the person who came...it was Mo Jingxue.

But at this moment, he couldn't even feel any emotion like surprise.

He shook his head calmly, "As a monk, I have already broken my vows by drinking, so how can I invite you to drink?"

"Then I'll buy the abbot a drink." Mo Jingxue raised her hand and called the shopkeeper to bring a pot of northern liquor.

"I don't drink the wine of the dead."

As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the field suddenly froze.

Wen Wuzheng tied their horses in front of the wine shop, lifted the wine curtain, and looked at the two people. Hearing this, he was slightly stunned, and slowly clenched his hands under his cloak.

Mo Jingxue didn't care at all and just said, "The wine for the dead and the wine for the dead are the best to drink."

After the words were spoken, both of them remained silent.

Until Dong Wen suddenly glanced at Wen Wuzheng, then retracted his gaze, looked at Mo Jingxue, and said softly:
"The descendant of the Zhubei Alliance was killed by Wen Wuzheng's orders... Did you also steal the Sheath of Seclusion?"

Dong Wen traveled around the world, obviously not just for sightseeing... He checked a lot of things.

Wen Wuzheng did not deny it, but silently tightened his sleeves and said coldly:
"You are wrong. I didn't kill the descendants of the Zhubei Alliance, but the villains who colluded with the Taixuan Palace and intended to rebel against Li Fuchen."

Dong Wen frowned slightly, "Your father is the left deputy general under General Yi, but you are so cruel to the people of Taixuan Palace. Are you worthy of General Yi?"

Wen Wuzheng sneered: "General Yi wants a unified country, a safe life for the people, and no war, not narrow loyalty to one family... I am doing this to live up to General Yi's spirit in heaven. What qualifications do you have to use General Yi to pressure me!"

Dong Wen asked, "So you planned to ambush Xiao Yuankong? Do you know who he is?"

"The old lover of the Palace Master of Taixuan Palace, the adopted son of the royal family of Chen State, has now transformed himself into the mistress of the empress, the lover of Lady Canghua, the son-in-law of the Jiangnan Su family, the disciple of the Sword Master here, and..."

Wen Wuzheng glanced at Dong Wen. Although the atmosphere was tense at the moment, he suddenly smiled.

"Your daughter also seems to have an unclear relationship with him. Dongwen, Dongwen, you said that your whole family followed General Yi to join the Zhubei Alliance, but you couldn't save Chen Country, nor General Yi's life.

Later, he lived in seclusion in Yanyun, in the mountains, but his wife died, and he couldn't even live a good life in seclusion...

Then he became a monk, but he didn't do well as a monk. He was a wine-drinking monk, and his daughter was tempted by love again...

Your family has been muddled through decades, what have you ever accomplished?"

Dongwen's face was expressionless.

Mo Jingxue drew the ceremonial sword from his waist and leaned it on the table. Seeing the two people arguing, he had no interest in interrupting. He just drank by himself. After half a pot of wine, he slammed the wine bowl on the table, and the crystal wine spilled.

"That's past."

He raised his hand to wipe the wine from the corner of his mouth, not wanting to gain any advantage in argument, and gripped the hilt of his ceremonial knife tightly.

Wipe————

The clear blade is slowly rubbed out of the scabbard.

"Stop talking nonsense. Let's see whether the abbot will toast me or I will toast the abbot..."

Before he finished speaking, an extremely shrill sound of swords being drawn suddenly rang out from the wine shop!

The letter that Zhao Wumian asked Xue Xiao to deliver was soon delivered to Guan Yunshu and Mu Lier.

Mu Lier was no longer lonely and sad, and Guan Yunshu's eyes and eyebrows also showed joy.

But Xuexiao has not returned to Beijing to reply. It’s not because the two women need its help, but they don’t know how to reply to Zhao Wumian.

If you write straightforwardly, it will definitely ruin the charm.

Even Shen Xiangge, who usually sent things to Zhao Wumian to express his longing for him, would always send snow, water, or even socks to pretend to be a coquettish woman. He was unwilling to write directly "I miss you", let alone these two women.

Mu Lier went to the town to buy some fine wood and carved herself lifelike, intending to send the little figure back.

Originally, she didn't know how to do carpentry, and this wooden figurine was a hint to Zhao Wumian that she had been missing him a lot during this period.

Guan Yunshu was in a dilemma. He didn't want to send things back as casually as Mu Lier did, otherwise he would be laughed at by her.

But if she didn't send it, she wouldn't want to do it in her heart...

What should I send then?
Guan Yunshu was secretly distressed for several days because of this little thing, and Xue Xiao also slept with them in the saddle bag for a few days. His life was actually not bad.

Until the two women arrived outside a town.

The town is a small one, sparsely populated.

There is a river next to the town, which has long been frozen.

There are trees by the river, with willow branches swaying.

After being accustomed to the dull whiteness of the snowfield, the two girls suddenly saw lush greenery before their eyes, which made them decide to stay in the town for a day to rest their eyes.

Mu Lier stood under the willow tree, her white dress swaying sideways with the willow branches. She stroked the bark with her small hands, "This is Artemisia willow, cold-resistant, different from the beautiful willows in the south of the Yangtze River."

Guan Yunshu was not interested in the species of the willow tree. She noticed a tombstone under the willow tree and walked over to take a look.

There are only five simple words on the stele.

'Tomb of Liu Guanshi'

This is the tomb of a woman. Liu is her husband's surname, and Guan is her own surname.

Mu Lier glanced at him, raised her eyebrows slightly, smiled slightly, and said, "She has the same surname as you? It's a coincidence. There are not many people with the surname Guan in the world."

Guan Yunshu had lived for twenty years, and this was the first time he met someone with the same surname as him.

The tombstone was built in a good location, on a small hillside, facing the endless snowfield on the other side of the river.

You can watch the sun rise and the moon set, and you can watch the clouds rise.

There was a yard built next to the small hill, located on the edge of the town, but the gate was closed and covered with dust. The lanterns hanging in front of the door had long been blown to some corner by the cold wind, leaving only two iron hooks for hanging the lanterns.

The couplets in front of the door had become just a few pieces of red paper, and the original words could no longer be seen.

The yard has long been dilapidated and no one lives there.

The two women led their horses, clattering through knee-deep snow, to the gate of the villa. They took a few looks and then looked away. It was obvious that they would not do anything to break into a private house.

There are also many willow trees planted around the courtyard.

Guan Yunshu raised her little hand and broke off a branch, then pulled the sleepy Snow Owl out of the saddle bag. "Since that woman and I have a connection, I'll take it."

The snowy owl reluctantly raised its wings...can it be allowed to sleep a little longer?

Guan Yunshu glanced at it sideways, and the Snow Owl was immediately startled, picked up the willow branch and flapped its wings and flew away.

It still remembers that Guan Yunshu plucked the feathers of Ding Jingcheng's golden eagle with a slap in Shu and cut them up for cooking.

Mu Lier didn't care what Guan Yunshu sent to Zhao Wumian. After seeing Xue Xiao fly away, she withdrew her gaze and went to the wine shop in the town with Guan Yunshu to inquire about the news.

The two women had been inquiring for more than two months without much hope, but this time they got something.

A few days ago, Dong Wen, Mo Jingxue, and a middle-aged man in Confucian robes fought for a day and a night in a town a hundred miles away in the northeast. They destroyed the entire town and turned it into ruins.

But it was obviously impossible for them to know who was the winner or the loser. They only heard from the escaped wanderers that they fought to escape from the world.

The two women looked at each other, and then Mu Lier immediately left the wine shop, stood up, used her lightness skills, drew a white line in the snow, and chased the Snow Owl.

The Recluse Sheath is indeed in Mo Jingxue's hands, and he has already appeared... This news must be let Zhao Wumian know.

The weather in the capital was getting colder. Luo Xiangzhu had already put on a thick goose yellow jacket. Due to her frail body, even though she was wearing thick clothes, her face was always rosy when she walked outside, which was very cute.

Recently, she has been following Luo Chaoyan around, learning how to cook. She also always carries the basin and washboard to wash Zhao Wumian's dirty clothes by herself, doing the rough and tiring work that only palace maids would do.

But Luo Xiangzhu didn't feel tired. She just felt that these were things she should do in advance as the future marquis's wife.

Luo Chaoyan felt ashamed when she saw this. She and Xiao Yuanmu had competed overtly and covertly for countless times, but she found that her cousin was at the forefront and was a much better lady than her and Xiao Yuanmu.

As for the Queen Mother, she wanted to help Zhao Wumian with some housework and fulfill her duties as a wife.

Unfortunately, if she really did that, she would be like a mother-in-law washing clothes for her son-in-law...

Even though she already has Luo Xiangzhu, she still rushes to do this. Even a fool knows who the Marquis is doing when he stays overnight in the harem most of the time.

Before the Marquis got married, the Queen Mother, the pretty widow, rushed to wash his clothes. If it were later, she wouldn't even dare to think about what she would wash.

While Luo Chaoyan was handling government affairs in Fumo Palace, he received a memorial presented by a senior official from the Ministry of Rites.

"Winter is a time of closure and hibernation. The cold air kills and all kinds of work stop. If we hold a grand wedding at this time, it may violate the harmony of heaven and earth. Moreover, the ceremonial guards and escorts will inevitably suffer from the wind and frost. The spring sun starts to rise and all flowers are in bloom, which is a perfect sign of harmony between heaven and earth. The yin and yang of heaven and earth are spring and winter hides. Therefore, the wedding ceremony should be in harmony with the four seasons. Now that your majesty is so holy and virtuous, and you want to hold a grand wedding ceremony, I humbly think that spring is warm and bright, and all things are budding, which is indeed a good time for auspicious ceremony..."

There was a lot of blah blah, but in fact, after discussion among the civil and military officials in the court, they decided to get the wedding done right after the New Year, taking advantage of the joy of the beginning of spring and the new year.

The day when Zhao Wumian would 'enter the palace as empress' was set in the early spring of the second year of Guichan.

Luo Chaoyan obviously attached great importance to her marriage. She didn't want to miss out on any of the right timing, location and people, so she was not in a hurry and agreed quite readily.

The main reason was that Luo Chaoyan had not yet dealt with Xiao Yuanmu, and was afraid that this petty rebel leader would cause trouble on her wedding day.

It was just right for Zhao Wumian to take advantage of this period of time to make more achievements. In this way, he could marry Luo Xiangzhu, Su Qingqi and others as queens with less resistance.

Luo Chaoyan was very considerate of Zhao Wumian and didn't want Zhao Wumian to not even give his cousin Qingqi and the others a status.

Zhao Wumian's virtue is far more important than her openly monopolizing Zhao Wumian.

However, when she thought that they would be able to get married in a formal ceremony in the early spring of next year, Luo Chaoyan couldn't help but feel happy. She jumped left and right in the Fu Mo Palace with joy, no longer caring about the emperor's majesty.

After all, Luo Chaoyan is only eighteen years old this year, two years younger than Luo Xiangzhu. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is half a 'young emperor'.

Things like the Emperor's Mindset were just her pretense... After all, without them, she couldn't be the emperor.

It was not until the maids standing in the hall could not help but raise their eyes to look at him that Luo Chaoyan suddenly came to her senses, calmed down, and asked with a stern face:

"Where is Wei Ming Hou?"

Female official Zhongli lowered her eyebrows and said in a low voice: "The Marquis just sent the Imperial Preceptor out of the palace."

That means going to Zeng Lengyue.

Luo Chaoyan glanced at the sky, then sent someone down and said, "Go to Zeng Lengyue to ask the Marquis to come back and have dinner in the palace tonight."

"promise."

……

"Cut it."

In Zeng Lengyue's room, Zhao Wumian, with his arms bare and his muscular upper body exposed, concentrated his energy and spoke to Xiao Lengyue.

Xiao Lengyue held the Wuhen Knife in his hand and looked at Zhao Wumian's abdominal muscles for a few seconds, then looked a little embarrassed.

"The swords of ordinary warriors are completely different from my aunt's sword..."

"I am not fighting against an ordinary warrior. If I can successfully cultivate the Xuantian Liuli Body and block my aunt's sword, then my chances of winning against Mo Jingxue and Wudamu will be much higher."

Zhao Wumian has not been idle during this period of time. He has been constantly deducing within the Naraku Red Silk, and has been practicing the Xuantian Liuli Body in reality for several months. Now that he has finally mastered the art, he went to his aunt to learn more.

Xiao Lengyue also knew this principle. To put it simply, horizontal training is about endurance, strength, and resistance to blows. In the process of training, one will inevitably suffer physical pain.

But Xiao Lengyue's family never let Zhao Wumian practice these horizontal training skills since he was a child. Why?

He doted on Zhao Wumian too much and was reluctant to beat him like a punching bag.

Why do you have to endure so much pain to practice this kind of Kung Fu? The knife is fast, the sword is fast, the spear is fast, and you can still beat others so hard that they can't even raise their heads and can't even touch you.

This is how Xiao Yuanmu practiced. She had never practiced horizontal training, but before she was injured, she was still the undisputed number one in the martial arts world.

Xiao Lengyue took a deep breath, and heard a crisp "choke" sound. A cold light suddenly passed by Zhao Wumian's chest, leaving a spark, but only a white line appeared in front of his chest.

These muscles, bones and skin are much stronger than when Zhao Wumian just woke up.

If he didn't disperse his power, even Zi Yi would not be able to insert the needle into him even if she wanted to give him acupuncture.

But Zhao Wumian frowned. He could feel that his muscles, bones and skin were still several times inferior to Zhu Jiutian's.

Moreover, although Xiao Lengyue's knife looked sharp, it was actually soft and had little power.

I'm not willing to use any effort at all.

"Try to use more strength. After all, I am the famous Luoshen in the martial arts world. If you see blood, will you still be unable to hold back?"

Having said that, Xiao Lengyue wouldn't dare to play for real even if he could restrain himself.

Although Xiao Lengyue always meddles in everything and often beats Zhao Wumian with her embroidered shoes, giving her the image of a "strict mother", the fact is that the person who beats Zhao Wumian with a wooden stick if he doesn't practice well in martial arts is Jiu'er.

Jiuer is the real "strict mother".

Xiao Lengyue has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

choke----

Another knife, sparks flying everywhere.

The force seemed to be much greater, but in fact the blade was retracted as soon as it touched. Even if Zhao Wumian did not practice the Xuantian Liuli Body, but some other golden bell cover, he would not be able to break the defense.

Zhao Wumian could see that Xiao Lengyue was soft-hearted, but Xiao Lengyue was the only martial arts champion who could be tested. He couldn't go all the way to the Detective Department to let Chief Su chop him a few times.

If he can't block Wu Kui's sword, then there is no point in practicing his horizontal training.

It can't be to extend the time, right?
He is already a fierce guy, so this is not a big deal.

Before this, the Queen Mother and the little mute were on the couch together, but they couldn't handle it either. They had to use methods like closing their feet and clenching their hands to barely keep each other evenly matched.

Seeing that Xiao Lengyue was unwilling to use any strength, Zhao Wumian pondered for a few seconds and decided to find a way to anger Xiao Lengyue.

While he was thinking, he glanced at Xiao Lengyue.

Xiao Lengyue had her hair tied up, her lips painted with rouge, and she wore a green skirt. She looked simple yet elegant, but her beautiful figure seemed to be fully wrapped up by the plain green skirt. The contrast was too great, and instead, she had a faint sexy aura.

She raised her eyebrows slightly, "Isn't the force enough?"

Zhao Wumian hardened his heart and asked, "Last time... well, I took a quick glance and saw a small black mole on Auntie's chest. Was it on the left or the right..."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Lengyue's curious expression suddenly turned dull and then her face flushed red.

"What are you talking about! I'm your aunt!"

Before he could finish his words, Xiao Lengyue suddenly slapped him with a palm filled with anger.

bang————

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard on Zeng Lengyue's pavilion, followed by the explosion of the wooden wall. A figure suddenly shot out, leaving a trace of water on the calm surface of Gurong Lake, and slid out for dozens of feet. Then he raised his hand and slapped the lake surface, splashing water. He then released his strength and stopped with his feet firmly on the lake.

Xiao Yuanmu and Zi Yi were consulting a patient next door. When they heard the sound, they pushed the window open and saw Zhao Wumian with bare arms and only a pair of pants, flying towards them on tiptoe over the lake.

He has a graceful demeanor and good manners, but there is a visible slap mark on his chest...

"Puff..." Zi Yi chuckled, and seeing Zhao Wumian approaching, he did not hesitate to add insult to injury:
"You are so good, Zhao Wumian. I thought you were already great just playing aunt and nephew, master and disciple. I didn't expect that you would even..."

She seemed too embarrassed to say the following words and was unwilling to continue.

Xiao Yuanmu didn't say anything, but just glanced at the hole in the wall and gave an order without any hesitation:

"Take this opportunity to get a few thousand taels of silver from Luo Chaoyan to repair it."

In fact, the two girls were next door, and they could hear what Zhao Wumian and Xiao Lengyue said. They knew that Zhao Wumian was deliberately trying to make Xiao Lengyue angry.

If it were Luo Xiangzhu, she would definitely ask if Zhao Wumian was injured, but unfortunately these two women only knew how to tease Zhao Wumian in their own way and bicker with each other.

Zhao Wumian ignored the two women and flew into the house through the gap. He saw Xiao Lengyue sitting on a chair with her arms folded, sulking. When she saw Zhao Wumian coming, she turned her face away with a cold expression.

Zhao Wumian touched the small handprint on his chest and said helplessly, "Why doesn't Auntie use a knife?"

"I don't want to use a knife when I'm angry... come here."

Zhao Wumian walked over obediently and stretched out his hand quite skillfully.

Xiao Lengyue sat on the chair, bent down to take off her embroidered shoes, and slapped his hands twice.

When Zhao Wumian made her angry when she was a child, she would clap her hands with her embroidered shoes.

Now that Zhao Wumian is the martial arts champion, she still claps with her embroidered shoes.

"Do you know you're wrong?" she asked fiercely.

Zhao Wumian stood beside her, and the late autumn wind rushed in from the gap, bringing a chill.

"I know I was wrong."

"What's wrong?"

"You shouldn't deliberately make your aunt angry."

Xiao Lengyue blushed and patted his palm with her embroidered shoes, "You shouldn't bully your aunt."

Xiao Lengyue had already said the word "bully" in a subtle way.

Zhao Wumian wanted to ask, wasn’t it my aunt who took the initiative last time?

And the last time in Lushan, while he was unconscious...

But Xiao Lengyue hadn't gotten over this yet, so Zhao Wumian didn't say much to avoid embarrassing her.

In the past, Zhao Wumian had always said sweet words just to make the girls laugh, not to embarrass them.

Snapped----

Xiao Lengyue threw the embroidered shoes on the ground, lifted the hem of her skirt, put her feet in white socks into the embroidered shoes, and then put her skirt down. Then she heard the sound of flapping wings coming from outside Zeng Lengyue.

Zhao Wumian looked back and saw Snow Owl flying into the room from the gap in the wooden wall and standing on Zhao Wumian's shoulder.

It had a yellow willow branch in its beak and a small bundle tied to its foot.

Snow Owl raised his foot.

Zhao Wumian took down the small package and removed the yellowed willow branch from its beak, looking a little puzzled. Then he opened the small package and looked at the vivid image of a female swordsman in white. He immediately realized that this was sent by Mu Lier and Guan Yunshu.

He couldn't help but smile as he stroked the statue of the female swordsman in white and looked at the yellow willow branches.

Xiao Lengyue sat upright, exerting the aura of an aunt, and tilted her head to look at Zhao Wumian, who had a happy expression, and smiled slightly.

"Those two from Yanyun?"

"kindness."

"That's thoughtful... There's a letter in the bag, don't you want to take a look?"

Zhao Wumian took out the text message and thought that it contained the secret words that Mu Lier and Guan Yunshu said to him. However, after he opened it, the joy on his face gradually faded.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Lengyue asked.

Whoosh————

As soon as he finished speaking, the autumn wind grew stronger, bringing with it the moisture from the Ancient Banyan River, which poured into the room through the gap.

There were a few flakes of snow in the breeze that looked like willow catkins.

Zhao Wumian glanced through the gap, overlooking the capital, looking towards the direction of Yanyun, raised his hand to take a snowflake, and lowered his eyes.

"Mo Jingxue has a clue."

Tonight, frost.

Winter is coming.

(End of this chapter)