Nine Transformations of the True Spirit

As if he had been hit hard, Li Dalong took a few steps back and sat slumped on the wooden bench, with tears rolling down his face.

Li Mishi suddenly regained his strength, stood up, walked to Li Tiezhu and Qinglan in a few steps, pulled Li Tiezhu up from the ground, and kept chanting: "Tiezhu, are you okay, Tiezhu..."

"I'm fine, mother." Li Tiezhu wiped away his tears and stood up from the ground.

"These beasts who can kill a thousand swords..." Li Mi held Li Tiezhu's hand with one hand and Qing Lan's hand with the other, with tears streaming down her face.

Qinglan just stood there blankly, her eyes empty, and two lines of clear tears fell quietly.

Li Tiezhu suddenly took a deep breath, raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, seemed to become calm in an instant, and comforted in a low voice: "Sister, don't be afraid, there is still me."

Li Mishi suddenly let go of his hand, turned around and came to Chen Yuan, plopped down and knelt on the ground: "Mr. Chen, please save Qinglan. You are a rich man, and four years of land tax does not count to you. What, please give my family some gold and silver to make up for the debt!"

Her voice was heartbreaking, and she kowtowed repeatedly, which made people moved.

Li Dalong opened his eyes and shouted: "My dear, get up!"

Li Tiezhu came to Li Mishi in two steps and wanted to help her up: "Mom, what are you doing?"

Li Mishi kept struggling: "Let go..."

Chen Yuan stood up from the wooden stool, stretched out his two hands, and together with Li Tiezhu, helped Li Mi up, and said warmly: "Auntie, what are you doing? If you have anything to do, please tell me slowly."

When Li Fugui and his son threatened the Li family just now, he had been sitting at the square table and watching quietly without saying a word.

Only then did the first words come out.

Li Mi stood up from the ground and said urgently: "Mr. Chen, please give me some gold and silver to help my family get through this difficult time..."

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly: "Auntie, I don't have gold or silver on me."

Li Mishi raised her hand and grabbed Chen Yuan's hand: "Don't you have a bracelet, Master? Those bracelets are so beautiful, they must be made of good jade. As long as you take out one, you can save Qinglan..."

Just as Chen Yuan was about to speak, Li Tiezhu took Li Mi's hand and tried to break it open. He whispered, "Mom, don't do this. Let go. How can you force Mr. Chen?"

Li Mi held Chen Yuan's hand tightly, with veins sprouting on the back of his dry hand. She turned to look at Li Tiezhu: "You and your father saved Mr. Chen, and he has lived in our house for so many days. I want a bracelet." What's wrong?"

Li Tiezhu growled: "Mom, this is not a matter of bracelets or not!"

"Li Fugui has long been colluding with the officials in the county government to force my sister to marry Li Wenju as a concubine. This fake land deed is the reason."

"Even if Mr. Chen really helped our family pay the land tax for the past four years, it would be useless. Li Fugui could still get another 20 acres, 30 acres, or even 100 acres of fake land deeds, and there are many tricks to force our family to do so. Submit."

"Those corrupt officials can still take this opportunity to make a fortune, but this is a bottomless pit that cannot be filled at all!"

Li Mishi slowly let go of Chen Yuan's hand and murmured: "Those officials must be reasonable, Mr. Chen, please, for the sake of Tiezhu and his father who saved your life." Come on, save Qinglan, maybe it will work, they can't force people to have their families destroyed, right?"

Li Tiezhu sighed and forcibly helped Li Mi up: "Mom, if Mr. Chen pays this money, he will offend Li Fugui."

"He has no fame and is not from a local family. How can he fight against a local snake like Li Fugui?"

"Our family just fed Mr. Chen some herbs dug from the mountains. In the past half month, Mr. Chen has taught me and my sister how to read and write. From now on, my sister and I can be considered scholars. How much is this? It can’t be replaced.”

"Mr. Chen doesn't owe our family anything. Li Fugui has already set his sights on our family. How can he drag Mr. Chen into trouble again?"

Li Mi was stunned. She pushed Li Tiezhu's hand away. Tears flowed freely on her wrinkled face: "Mr. Chen, I don't understand anything. Tiezhu is right. You shouldn't be implicated in our family's affairs." ”

"Who allowed Qinglan to be born into an Orion family and still be so beautiful? This is fate, this is fate..."

"Ah!" Li Dalong suddenly stood up, kicked the wooden stool away, shouted to the sky, turned around and walked into the north room.

Qinglan's expression was dull and her eyes were empty. She slowly turned around and walked towards the west room, her movements stiff, like a walking zombie.

Chen Yuan took in all this, his face remained as usual and he did not speak.

Li Tiezhu supported Li Mi with both hands and bowed slightly to Chen Yuan: "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry. My mother is in a mood. It's not intentional. Don't take it to heart."

Chen Yuan said: "It's okay. You can help my aunt back to the house and have a good rest."

"Yes." Li Tiezhu responded, supported Li Mishi, and walked into the north room.

Chen Yuan looked around, then looked at the ajar door, stood up and walked into the west room.

Qinglan was lying on the bamboo bed outside, with her hands clasped in front of her chest, curled up into a ball, her eyes dim, and there were no tears on her face.

Chen Yuan squatted in front of her and said softly: "Miss Qinglan, don't be afraid. There is no road ahead for everyone, and Li Wenju will be punished."

Qinglan's eyes sparkled: "Really?"

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Really."

He raised his hand and stroked Qinglan's head, stood up and walked into the back room.

Qing Lan raised her hand to reach out to Chen Yuan, but she missed it. Her hand hung in the air and fell down after a long while. She was still curled up on the bamboo bed, but her eyes were a little more lively.

…

The full moon hangs high and the sky is filled with stars.

The moonlight was like water, shining into the small courtyard, covering it with a light layer of white frost. Only under the shade of the locust tree, it was still dark.

It was completely silent in the middle of the night, except for the faint chirping of insects coming from the mountains and fields.

Suddenly, a gust of cool wind blew by, and the leaves of the locust trees swayed gently, making a rustling sound, like ghosts dancing in the dim moonlight.

The bamboo curtain in the west room was gently lifted, and a figure walked out of the room.

This man's footsteps were very light and silent. Under the moonlight, he was tall and thin, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was Li Tiezhu.

He was wearing a linen short coat, a pair of straw sandals, an iron spear in his hand, a bow on his back, and a pot of bamboo arrows on his waist. He looked resolute and had a faint evil spirit in his eyes. He glanced at the North Room and the West Room and took a sip. He pursed his lips and walked towards the courtyard door.

At this moment, a leisurely voice came from the shade of the locust tree: "The moon and stars are numerous, this is not the time to kill."

"Who!" Li Tiezhu's expression changed drastically, he immediately stopped, raised the iron spear in his hand, and turned his head to look over.

In the shadow under the shade of the locust tree, Chen Yuan slowly stepped out and looked at Li Tiezhu: "In the dead of night, you are holding a sharp weapon, but you want to find trouble for the Li family?"

Li Tiezhu looked closely and saw Chen Yuan wearing a white gown and a pair of black boots. He had a long body, sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, and a smile on his face. He couldn't help but froze in place.

In the past half month, Chen Yuan has been wearing linen and straw sandals. This is the first time Li Tiezhu saw Chen Yuan wearing a white gown. Under the moonlight, his temperament was free and easy, floating out of the dust, like a fairy.

He quietly breathed a sigh of relief, put down the iron spear, looked around, and whispered: "Mr. Chen, please be gentler, don't wake up my parents and sister."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly and lowered his voice: "There are many nursing homes in the Li family. You alone are no match for them."

Li Tiezhu avoided answering and looked at Chen Yuan with a hint of disappointment: "Young master has changed his clothes and shoes, but you want to leave?"

"Li Fugui has no grievances against you and will not embarrass you. After you leave Qingshan Village, follow the road for eighty miles and you will reach Yunrui County."

Chen Yuan smiled: "You haven't answered me yet, are you going to kill Li Wenju?"

Li Tiezhu tightened the iron spear in his hand: "No, in addition to Li Wenju, I also want to kill Li Fugui!"

Chen Yuan said: "Aren't you afraid of the Li family's revenge?"

Li Tiezhu's childish face had a ferocious expression, and he whispered: "I don't care so much anymore. I can never watch my sister marry that beast Li Wenju as my concubine!"

Chen Yuan said: "The Li family has been a gentry for hundreds of years. It seems that Li Wenju is quite infatuated with Miss Qinglan and is willing to marry her into the family with an eight-carriage sedan chair."

"Although Miss Qinglan marries Li Wenju as a concubine, her reputation is not good and her status is lowered, but from now on she will be well-dressed and well-fed, which is not necessarily bad."

Li Tiezhu shook his head and said: "Young master, you don't know. That Li Wenju is a prodigal. Taking advantage of the power of the Li family, he is domineering and does all kinds of bad things."

"What he likes most is the innocence of a good-natured girl, and then he takes her into his home as a concubine. When he gets tired of it, he abandons her like a worn-out shoe, beating and scolding her at every turn."

"Li Wenju married nine concubines in total, killed two of them, and gave three of them to others as playthings."

"He seems to like my sister now, but in a few months, my sister will be like his previous concubine, either reduced to a servant, or given to others and reduced to a plaything!"

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "This Li Wenju is really worse than a beast, but before Li Fugui left today, he sent someone to guard the area. How are you going to avoid these spies?"

Li Tiezhu hesitated for a moment and said: "My house is built outside the village, and is infested by wild beasts from time to time. There is also a back door, which is extremely hidden. Outsiders don't know and can avoid those informants."

"If the young master is worried about the Li family's servants, you can go through the back door with me."

Chen Yuan smiled and said: "You have good intentions, but even if you avoid these informants, are you sure you can kill them with your own strength?"

Li Tiezhu gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not sure, but I can never watch my sister fall into a pit of fire!"

Chen Yuan frowned and said: "In the past half month, I have taught you how to read and digit. I once told you the story of Fan Sui. Do you still remember it?"

Li Tiezhu nodded and said: "Remember, Young Master said that there are countless countries coexisting in extremely remote places overseas."

"Fan Sui is a native of the Wei state and is eloquent. He accompanied Xu Jia, a senior official of the Wei state, on an envoy to Qi. He rescued Xu Jia from the siege in front of the King of Qi and was rewarded by the King of Qi."

"But Xu Jia was jealous and secretly reported to Wei Qi, the prime minister of Wei, that Fan Sui was betraying Wei by Tong Qi. Wei Qi beat him half to death. Fortunately, Fan Sui got help from his friends and escaped from Wei."

"He defected to Qin and became prime minister. He severely humiliated Xu Jia. Ten years later, he forced Wei Qi to commit suicide. He wanted to avenge a gentleman. Ten years is never too late."

Chen Yuan said: "Yes, a gentleman's revenge is never too late in ten years. Since you know this, why do you act so recklessly?"

"The Li family is powerful and has many servants. If you go alone, you will die in vain."

"And you are talented and intelligent. If you work hard, study hard, and study the Seven Classics, you will definitely achieve something in the future."

"Although I am white and a foreigner, I cannot compete with the Li family in Yunrui County, but my family is not short of money."

"As long as you put down your bows, arrows and iron spears, I am willing to continue teaching you how to read."

"When you become a Jinshi in high school and rise to prominence, it's not difficult to severely punish the Li family, even to wipe out the whole family. How about that?"

Li Tiezhu's face showed hesitation: "What about my sister? What should I do?"

Chen Yuan said calmly: "The moon waxes and wanes, and people have joys and sorrows. This matter has never been solved in ancient times. Now you are just a son of an Orion with no fame and fame, so you can't save Miss Qinglan."

"Even if you sneak into the Li family tonight, you will only die under the sword of the Li family's servant. You will be useless. It is better to keep your useful body, bear the humiliation, and avenge Miss Qinglan ten years later."

Clang.

Li Tiezhu let go of his hand, and the spear fell to the ground. He lowered his head and trembled all over.

He clenched his hands tightly, his nails pierced his palms, and blood flowed down, falling to the ground drop by drop, dyeing the loess red.

After a long while, Li Tiezhu raised his head, his eyes were red and filled with tears, he looked at Chen Yuan and growled: "Mr. Chen, my family is diligent and makes a living by hunting. We dare not break the law or discipline, and we never bully others. "We did nothing wrong, why did God do this to us? Why did my sister marry Li Wenju?"

Chen Yuan looked calm and said calmly: "Everyone is not guilty, but he is guilty of having a jade. Miss Qinglan was born very beautiful, and you have no strength to protect this beauty. This is your sin."

"Strength..." Li Tiezhu murmured, "Mr. Chen, can I really pass the Jinshi examination?"

Chen Yuan said: "Of course, with my personal guidance, you will definitely pass the exam."

Li Tiezhu's expression changed. He loosened his hands and then clenched them again. After several repetitions, he suddenly calmed down and bowed to Chen Yuan with cupped fists: "Mr. Chen, thank you. I know you are doing it for my own good, but I can't agree. "

After saying that, he slowly leaned down and picked up the iron spear on the ground.

Chen Yuan frowned and said, "Why, I didn't explain it clearly enough?"

"You are going to die if you go to the Li family now, but as long as you endure for ten years, you can pass the Jinshi examination, take revenge, and honor your ancestors."

"Can't you see clearly the pros and cons of this?"

Li Tiezhu took a deep breath and said: "Young master is right, but my sister treats me very well. Although she is only two years older than me, she gives me all the delicious food she has, and she cuts cloth and makes new clothes for the New Year." , she always shied away and asked dad to cut me half a foot more. "

"She has been wearing that gray-green dress every day for the past half month. It was the dress my mother made for my sister during the Chinese New Year two years ago."

"Although it was winter, my family was poor and I grew up quickly. I had to change my clothes every year. My mother could only use the little remaining cloth to make a dress for my sister to wear in the house on New Year's Eve. "

"My sister likes this dress very much. If it gets a little damaged, she will patch it up. She would not wear it at all."

"This is the first time she has been wearing this dress for half a month. I have never seen my sister so happy because she met the young master and he was willing to teach her how to read and write..."

Li Tiezhu paused for a moment, turned to look at West House, with a smile on his face, and said: "I am also very happy. Before I met the young master, I was very simple and didn't understand anything."

"It was the young master who taught me how to read and write, told me many stories, and taught me many principles."

"I used to naively believe that there is justice and justice in this world, and there is a master in the sky. As long as I work hard and do good deeds, I can live a good life."

"This is what my parents taught me, and I actually believe it. I have never thought about why they are so hard-working and kind-hearted, why they still live in such poverty, and why they can't even wear new clothes during the New Year."

At this point, the smile on Li Wenju's face faded, he lowered his head, and his voice became deeper: "Li Fugui came to the door today, and the young master persuaded me. I finally know that there is no justice, no justice, no justice in this world. Master Qingtian only has power. If I don’t have power, I can only let others bully me.”

He suddenly raised his head, with all the tears in his eyes shining brightly: "But Young Master also taught me that there are things that a real man should not do, but he must do something!"

"I can't watch my sister suffer. Even if there is only one chance in ten thousand, I will give it a try. If I kill Li Fugui and Li Wenju, then my sister will not have to be their concubine."

"If I fail, it will be nothing more than death, but I have also tried my best. Even if I die, I am worthy of my sister!"

Chen Yuan looked at Li Tiezhu, and Li Tiezhu looked at him with a determined expression.

He cupped his fists and bowed: "Thank you for your teachings in the past half month. Tie Zhu is very grateful. I have no choice but to live up to your expectations. I also ask you to leave as soon as possible to avoid the Li family from causing trouble to you."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "You do have a pure heart. You narrowly escaped death, but you are still worried about my safety. Forget it, I will teach you again what real power is."

After saying that, he raised his hand to grab it, and the Feiyun Sword appeared in front of him out of thin air. The sword trembled slightly and shone with a cold light under the moonlight. (End of chapter)