Chapter 0001: Ants

Young Master Zhou cast a disdainful glance at Xu Yi, then turned and walked away. His voice drifted back from a distance, "With descendants like you, akin to donkey dung, Lord Mingde must be rolling in his grave, enraged. Oh, I forgot, nowadays, where is Lord Mingde's grave? It has all been turned into pigsties!"

Haha, young master, is it just him? A creature as insignificant as an ant, and he dares to practice martial arts! I could crush him with just one finger!

Before long, the bowl was filled to the brim with copper coins, and among the pile of coins, a few silver coins could be faintly seen.

The speaker is a young gentleman in traditional Chinese attire, accompanied by two burly men. One has a full beard and an imposing presence, while the other has a towering physique, with a hawk-like nose and deep-set eyes. Just by their appearance, it is evident that they are formidable warriors.

Although the wooden house is dilapidated, it is still my hometown

It smells so good! Hehe, it is said that you, Xu Yi, have recently gained weight, and it seems that the rumors are true. You drink and eat meat every day, making me feel inferior. It is truly enviable.

Rest assured, Young Master Zhou, the land deed has already been submitted, and the government office is currently reviewing it. How about this: at this time tomorrow, I will be here waiting, and you can send someone to collect it

Then a rough voice shouted, "A thirty-jin grinding stone, thrown thirty zhang away, hit in one strike. Young master truly possesses divine strength; it seems that the breakthrough to the late stage of body refinement is not far off."

Xu Yi got up, turned his gaze towards the sound, and his eyes suddenly narrowed coldly. He grabbed the old yellow dog and threw it into the house, then swiftly closed the door behind him, standing firmly in the pavilion.

In the end, with this timely song lyric as a conclusion, the already very touching story moved the entire audience to tears as soon as the lyrics were sung

Having tidied up the belongings, the scholar bowed deeply and determined the location for the next forum before departing

Under a mottled old sycamore tree, a group of villagers surrounded a scholar, listening intently to his words

The pear board emitted two more sounds, and the scholar stood up, holding a broken wooden bowl, and walked towards the audience, greeting each person in turn

He simply struck the two pieces of yellow pear wood in his hand against each other, producing a series of crisp sounds, opening his lips and throat, his voice clear and resonant

After covering the pot, Xu Yi returned to the room, took a copy of "The Collected Works of Zhuangzi," and sat down in front of the stove, gently stroking the soft skin on the neck of the old yellow dog while quietly reading the book

The verdant green mountains, with the gentle mountain breeze blowing, create a warm and amiable atmosphere, bringing a sense of tranquility to Xu Yi's heart

Guang'an Prefecture is a place of abundant resources and prosperous people, and although it is inhabited by rural villagers, they are not lacking in wealth.

Xu Yi put down the book, was about to rise and lift the lid of the pot, when his eyelids twitched, and he suddenly pounced on the old yellow dog, knocking it to the ground

Upon arriving home, it was already past noon. After a busy morning, Xu Yi felt a burning hunger in his stomach. He quickly picked out several pieces of pickled meat weighing around six to seven jin from a broken jar in the corner, bent down to the earthen stove beside the wooden house where two black pots were set up on a low shelf, lit a fire, placed the meat in the front pot, and put rice in the back pot

Without waiting for Xu Yi to respond, the man with the scruffy beard laughed heartily, grabbed Xu Yi by the collar, and lifted him up, saying, "Indeed, you must properly guide your grandfather, you son of a dog!"

The story of the scholar is a rare source of exquisite entertainment in the countryside, as one's spirit sways with the unfolding narrative, admiration and gratitude naturally arise for the scholar, leading to a generous disposition when the time comes to act

Upon seeing it, my heart is at ease

Xu Yi walked briskly, just as noon was approaching, and had already arrived at the entrance of Xu Family Village

Under the golden sunlight, the lush Huiyin Mountain resembles a massive dragon's spine, extending towards the distance. At the lowest point of the dragon's spine, seventy to eighty crooked wooden houses are scattered like chess pieces at the foot of the mountain, stretching for several miles.

Woof woof

The man with a scruffy beard stepped forward, halting just half a step in front of Xu Yi. He reached out and lightly patted one side of Xu Yi's face, sneering, "Kid, I believe you are well aware of our intentions. There is no need for our young master to waste more words, so let us get straight to the point and handle this matter swiftly"

Before the sound of the drink had faded, a fist as heavy as a hammer struck Xu Yi's shoulder. With a dull thud, Xu Yi flew more than three zhang away like a kite with its string cut before crashing to the ground. His face immediately turned pale as paper, and blood began to seep from the corner of his mouth.

When the song ends, the entire venue falls silent

Just now, the scholar spoke of a tale between a fox spirit and a scholar, one human and one妖, who came to know and love each other, ultimately separated by the heavens and the mortal realm

Xu Yi said calmly

Every day, whenever he returns from his travels, the old yellow dog will certainly come to greet him from afar

The turbulent Longjiang River flows endlessly down from the peak of Yin Mountain, winding around Xujia Village without pause

A person and a dog are walking slowly along a mountain path, which is narrow and overgrown with thorns, allowing only one person to pass. Whenever Xu Yi tries to make way, he is swept aside by the old yellow dog’s tail, forcing him onto the narrow path while the dog navigates through the thorns beside him, resembling a benevolent elder caring for a younger one

Compared to our young master, you are not worthy

The scholar, aged eighteen or nineteen, had a prominent nose and handsome eyes, yet his face was waxy and pale, resembling that of a sickly person. He was draped in a linen garment that had been washed to a faded white. When the wind blew, the linen clung closely to his body, though his physique was not weak.

Young Master Zhou is joking; I merely rely on my eloquence to concoct some absurd tales to make a living. How could I dare to compare myself with a person of your stature

It is said that the fox spirit's lingering fragrance scattered with the wind, and with Zhang Sheng, who had achieved fame on the golden list, separated by the realms of yin and yang, became a source of eternal regret. Zhang Sheng was overwhelmed by sorrow, which was inescapable. Remembering the kindness he had received, he extinguished his aspirations for a lofty career, resigned from his official position, and returned to seclusion, building a cottage by the fox hill, contemplating life and death, and resolving his remaining days... As the saying goes, once having crossed the vast sea, one finds it hard to regard other waters as significant; apart from the peaks of Wushan, there are no clouds worth mentioning. Indifferently passing through the flower clusters, I am reluctant to look back, half due to the pursuit of the Dao and half due to my feelings for you.

When the other side collapsed, a loud bang was heard, as if the stove had been hit by a cannonball, suddenly caving in, with earth and stones flying, and smoke and dust billowing.

Xu Yi remains cold and aloof

Even the child who knows nothing of love and affection was rendered speechless

In August, the autumn slaughter has not yet begun, but the coolness has already arisen

This scholar hails from the nearby Xujia Village, named Xu Yi, and is eighteen years old this year. Previously, he was unremarkable, but in the past two years, he has gained a reputation in the surrounding areas due to his abundance of captivating stories.

The bearded man laughed wildly towards the sky

Young Master Zhou laughed heartily and said, "You are quite perceptive! Tomorrow, I will be participating in a hunting expedition at Yinhshan. You should wait by the roadside; I hope you do not disappoint me, otherwise you know the consequences. By the way, I have heard that you have been practicing your martial arts recently, and I assume you have made some progress. Why not spar with my subordinate so I can offer him some guidance!"

Xu Yi gently patted the wrinkled head of the dog, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart

Xu Yi was still a hundred zhang away from the wooden house when an old yellow dog came running joyfully from a distance, barking. As it approached, its two front paws reached up towards Xu Yi's shoulders

This old yellow dog has stayed with the Xu family for nearly twenty years, having long since become a part of the Xu household. Xu Yi's parents have passed away, and he has no siblings, so to a certain extent, the old yellow dog is also his only family member

In about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the aroma of meat and rice wafted out from the gap in the pot lid, curling with the thin smoke and drifting towards the distance

Xu Yi's small wooden cabin is located in the far corner at the foot of the mountain. Due to the passage of time, the cabin is not only old but also somewhat tilted