Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 166 Shangyuan
Sitting in Yin Garden, in the chess house.

After hearing what Chen Qingzhi said, the Fifth Dimension lowered his voice and reported: "There is something that was not included in the report. The boy named Ren Yuan was actually Sun Youyue's junior fellow apprentice. After his death, he took over as the head of the Shangqing Sect and became the leader of the Taoist sect."

"He dares to take on this hot potato? He is such a fool." Even Chen Qingzhi couldn't help but exclaimed: "Don't you know what a mess the Dao Sect is?"

"He should have known, but he had no choice." The Fifth Dimension could not hide his admiration, "Under that situation, if he had not stood up, the Dao Sect would have been completely finished. In fact, the Dao Sect was able to escape this disaster and seek refuge in Ningzhou because he used himself as a bargaining chip."

"Haha..." Chen Qingzhi glanced at him with a smile and said, "I heard that you want to protect him."

"Yes." The Fifth Dimension nodded hurriedly and said, "I believe he is the key to the revival of our Taoism."

"Oh, such a high evaluation?" Chen Qingzhi said with a smile: "Don't worry, Senior Brother Sun's junior brother will definitely be protected, but we have to wait until Donghun Hou is captured."

"Then they will have to stay in the Gou Chen Si for a while." The Fifth Dimension said with a wry smile.

"This is good," Chen Qingzhi said softly, "They have been targeted by the Ming ghosts, and those evil spirits will not stop until they achieve their goal, so the safest place is here."

"What Chen Shuai said is right." The fifth dimension responded.

"But I'm a little curious, why is Ming Gui keeping a close eye on them? Although the incorruptible bones are precious, is it really worth being so persistent?" Chen Qingzhi asked casually.

"This..." Diwu Wei quickly flipped through the report and said embarrassedly, "Nangong didn't write it. I'll go back and ask her and then report back."

"No need." Chen Qingzhi shook his head and said, "It's getting late, you should go back and rest."

"Yes." The Fifth Dimension bowed and saluted, then quietly retreated.

After the fifth dimension left, Chen Qingzhi turned his attention to the chessboard. After a long consideration, he picked up a chess piece and placed it steadily on the chessboard that was in a stalemate.

~~
The next morning, when Chen Baxian woke up from his dream, he was fed a mouthful of dog food.

"Hey, pay attention, there's a single guy here." Chen Baxian said to A Yao who was combing Ren Yuan's hair, "Big sister, your hands should be holding a sword, not a comb."

"What is it to you?" A Yao glanced at him and put the hairpin in Ren Yuan's hair.

"Alas, you have no sympathy for your brother at all." Chen Baxian curled his lips. Of course, he was just joking. Then he whispered to Ren Yuan about the content of the meeting last night.

Hearing that he could board the ship without any worries, Ren Yuan was immediately happy and said, "That's great. Cultivation in reality is too slow. I practiced all night last night, but still made little progress."

"No, brother, it's such a good time at night, but you just go to practice instead of accompanying your elder sister?" Chen Baxian said in disbelief.

"Isn't practicing together also companionship?" Ren Yuan said as a matter of course: "Senior Sister is also absorbing the Emperor's Flowing Liquid."

"Yes." A Yao also nodded happily.

"Oh, I'm really impressed by you two." Chen Baxian felt that he was just talking at cross purposes with them in this regard.

~~
In the next few days, Ren Yuan practiced on the boat at night and learned martial arts from Chen Baxian during the day.

Chen Baxian was proficient in southern boxing and northern kick, swords, spears, sticks and clubs, and had rich fighting experience, so he was more than qualified to guide Ren Yuan.

Although his senior sister was much better at fighting than him, her moves were simple, accurate and ruthless, plain and without any skills, so she naturally could not teach Ren Yuan.

So throughout the day, the two men fought bare-chested in the yard for a while, then used weapons to fight for a while. Then they stopped to rest for a while, Chen Baxian gave some pointers, and then the two continued to fight...

Regardless of whether there is progress or not, at least they have a place to vent their abundant energy.

Ren Yuan really likes this state where he doesn't have to think about anything and there is nothing urgent to do. He just needs to focus on cultivation. He even feels that it would be no problem to stay here for a year or two.

But he was overthinking. How could a wonderful story be so slow-paced?

That evening, he and Chen Baxian were practicing "角迪", a close-range ground technique. After being pinned down by Chen Baxian countless times, Ren Yuan finally mastered the technique and successfully pinned him to the ground, pressing his hands and feet tightly against his limbs, and pressing his body tightly against him. The two of them were breathing heavily, and the atmosphere was very tense.

At this moment, the courtyard door was suddenly pushed open, and Yang Zhong came in with a lunch box, and saw Ren Yuan pressing on Chen Baxian, both of them were shirtless.

"Sorry to bother you." He quickly closed the door and went out.

"Come back!" Ren Yuan and Chen Baxian shouted hurriedly, "We are practicing wrestling."

"Oh, wrestling practice, I thought you guys got sick from being locked up." Yang Zhong came in and said to A Yao who was watching the fight with a cat in her arms, "Sister, why don't you just take care of them?"

"I think it's pretty." A Yao watched with great interest.

"It's not exciting enough without blood!" The civet cat still disliked it.

"I'll let you see blood right now!" Chen Baxian jumped up and glared at the civet cat.

"Why is Second Brother here?" Ren Yuan also stood up and brushed off the dirt on his body, and asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to avoid suspicion and pretend you weren't familiar with him?"

"It's alright. Nangong Chuangzhu ordered me to look after you from time to time. I'm just following orders." Yang Zhong said, putting the food box on the stone table and said, "Today is the Lantern Festival, and we eat noodles and silkworms."

"It's only the Lantern Festival now? I thought it was a long time ago." Chen Baxian smacked his lips and said, "It seems that too many things have happened since the Chinese New Year."

"We left Peach Blossom Spring on the sixth day and returned to Beijing on the twelfth. Isn't it normal that today is the fifteenth?" Yang Zhong opened the lunch box, took out three bowls, and scooped the noodles for the three people.

"Try my wife's cooking."

The so-called silkworm noodles are made from mung bean powder, glutinous rice, flour and sugar. They are made into silkworm-shaped noodles, and are cooked into soup with offal meat. It is a festive food for the Lantern Festival in those years, which is equivalent to the Yuanxiao Festival in later generations.

Ren Yuan scooped a spoonful and put it into his mouth. He found the noodles soft, tender and elastic. Cooked with the broth, it absorbed the aroma of the meat and tasted very tempting.

I couldn't help but praise: "Sister-in-law's craftsmanship is first-rate."

"Yeah." Chen Baxian nodded and said, "If I can get out, I will live in your house."

"..." Yang Zhong looked at him with disdain and said nothing, "There is also a lantern festival on Zhuque Street tonight. It's a pity that you can't go to see it together."

"Why don't you hurry back for the Lantern Festival?" Ren Yuan smiled and said, "Go shopping with your sister-in-law."

"Hey, she's waiting for me at the gate of the government office." Yang Zhong walked away and said, "Eat slowly, I'll come to see you another day."

"Another guy who forgets his friends for the sake of a beautiful woman." Chen Baxian pouted unhappily and took a big bite of the noodles.

(End of this chapter)