Chapter 1: The Great Disturbance at Dongshi

Hahaha ... ...

Fortunately, today is the market day, and the income is somewhat higher than usual. Old Man Ke plans to finish work early today.

At that moment, the three big men flew back to the second floor

When that person was throwing the chair, they must have been obstructed by something, so the three individuals could not see clearly and assumed that the person had flown past. They then hurriedly pursued, but what the three did not anticipate was that the person in the green attire was hanging upside down from the eaves after breaking through the railing. The three believed that the person in green had flown past and rushed after them.

At this moment, several other diners also got up to leave. Old Man Ke, having roamed the rivers and lakes for many years, knew that it was best to leave quickly in such situations. If a life were lost, and the authorities arrived, those present would be in trouble, and they might inadvertently get caught up in the vendettas of the underworld.

Old man Ke, upon hearing this, patted Ke Yuequan's head and said with a smile, "Hehe... indeed, indeed"

The old man responded with a sound, then pulled over a small bench beside him and sat down, resting the huqin on his left hand, rubbing the strings and plucking them.

On the first floor of Sanjin Restaurant, there sits a portly middle-aged man by the window on the left side. This man is about forty years old, with a round face, short eyebrows, and a mustache shaped like the character "八".

Dressed with great care, wearing a square cap adorned with purple gauze and golden edges, embellished with jade pieces, clad in a dark purple brocade robe with intricate patterns and wide black borders interwoven with golden threads, and donning short boots made of black cowhide.

The old man hurriedly got up, took it with both hands, and repeatedly expressed his gratitude, saying: "Thank you for the compliment, sir. Indeed, this is my granddaughter"

Dressed in a coarse cloth garment that has been washed to a grayish-white and is covered in patches, holding a shiny huqin in his left hand

Old man Ke, seeing this, hurriedly grabbed Ke Yuequan's hand and ran outside

It seems that the elderly man singing and the little girl should be a grandfather and granddaughter.

Grandfather, this should be considered a strategy to lure the tiger away from its mountain, right

After a great disaster, there must be a great epidemic. Old man Ke, fearing that something might happen to his granddaughter, packed some valuables and left Changlong County with his twelve-year-old granddaughter, Ke Yuequan. Little did he expect that this departure would last for two years

Ke Yuequan was so frightened by the terrifying face that he let out a loud scream. At the same time as Ke Yuequan screamed, that horrifying face swiftly retreated upward.

As the rabbit leaps and the hawk descends, the four individuals on the second floor and in the library flit about, while the diners in the restaurant have yet to comprehend what has transpired, and then all four of them vanish without a trace

Old man Ke pondered, filling a pot with smoke, and said: "Perhaps something obstructed their view, preventing the three of them from seeing clearly"

During the Zhenguan period of the early Tang Dynasty, the country was divided into ten regions: Guannei, Henan, Hedong, Hebei, Shannan, Longyou, Huainan, Jiangnan, Jiannan, and Lingnan

After speaking, he hurriedly turned around and ran out

After listening, Ke Yuequan suddenly realized and nodded, exclaiming "Oh". After a moment of thought, he asked, "So, what trick did that person in the green attire use to make those three individuals mistake the chair for him?"

Old Man Ke was originally a teacher, and his son was a scholar. After having a granddaughter, Old Man Ke resigned from his teaching position to enjoy his later years and help his son take care of the granddaughter

The sound initially came from over ten zhang away, but with each sentence spoken by the man, the sound drew closer by one zhang, and in the blink of an eye, it reached the temple entrance

Liu Taiyuan traveled far and wide, and at a glance, he could tell this was a matter of grievances in the martial world. He hurriedly took out some loose silver and placed it on the table, saying to Old Man Ke: "Hurry up, this is a matter of the martial world."

The old man should be in his sixties, with grayish-white hair and several deep furrows etched into his forehead.

Just as Liu Taiyuan and Old Man Ke were chatting, suddenly!

Liu Taiyuan said: "The place of Runzhou is quite nice"

With the help of the villagers, Old Man Ke, enduring the sorrow of sending off his child with white hair while his own hair remains black, hurriedly buried the parents of Ke Yuequan.

Old man Ke sat down in front of the campfire, lit his pipe, and then said: "It must have been that person in the green clothes who, when breaking through the railing, threw a chair out. However, he himself did not fly over; instead, after breaking through the railing, he hung upside down on the eaves. Haha... that's how I startled you."

Just as Old Man Ke, Liu Taiyuan, and Ke Yuequan were all gazing across, suddenly, with a whoosh!

Ke Yuequan bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, sir"

Old man Ke realized after talking with Liu Taiyuan today that he had been wandering outside with Ke Yuequan for more than two years

Liu Taiyuan looked up and discovered that two people were standing ahead: an elderly man with a white beard and a girl in a red dress

Today is the market day, and Bai Mu Township is particularly lively, with a bustling crowd. Scholars and literati stroll leisurely, while porters and vendors hurry by. Street vendors call out their wares from their stalls, creating a scene of thriving prosperity

Old man Ke sat on the ground leaning against a pillar, puffing on his pipe with a soft sound, squinting his eyes as he gazed through the broken window outside, while Ke Yuequan was busy cooking by the fire beside him

Liu Taiyuan pondered for a moment; it is indeed rare for a person to have leisure time, and dining alone can be somewhat dull. Thus, he inquired, "Well, what songs do you all know?"

Liu Taiyuan, at that moment, could not think of anything in particular that he wanted to hear, so he said: "Well... just sing your best piece."

During the Kaiyuan era, the regions of Shannan and Jiangnan were further divided into eastern and western parts, and additional administrative divisions such as Jingji, Dujing, and Qianzhongdao were established, resulting in a structure of fifteen administrative circuits

Liu Taiyuan noticed that it was still early in the day, so he began to engage the old man in casual conversation, saying: "May I ask how you are addressed, sir? Your accent does not seem to be that of a local."

The three men had just flown to the second floor when Ke Yuequan suddenly heard a series of loud crashing sounds from above. He then saw a pile of plates, bowls, and chopsticks flying out from the second floor, heading straight towards the three men. The three men hurriedly waved their hands to defend themselves, but there were too many bowls and chopsticks, and they were moving too quickly

The administrative divisions of the Tang Dynasty were organized into circuits and prefectures, with circuits overseeing states and prefectures, and states and prefectures further subdivided into counties

Ke Yuequan said with a smile: "Those three people are truly foolish tigers; they were transferred just like that."

Then, he sat down next to Old Man Ke

Just as the three men were flying this way, Ke Yuequan heard a series of loud explosions coming from the other side of the second floor. He quickly turned his head to look and saw some broken wood flying down from above, while at the same time, a grayish figure leaped out from the upper floor, heading towards the rooftop across the way

Liu Taiyuan said to Old Man Ke: "Your granddaughter is so young, how can you take her out to wander around? It is so hard for her to endure the wind and sun. Why don't you let her stay at home?"

San Jin Restaurant is located at the entrance of Baijiu Street

Liu Taiyuan listened while eating, occasionally nodding his head. When he became excited, he would hum a line or two in agreement from time to time.

One year, Old Man Ke took his twelve-year-old son, Ke Yuequan, to a neighboring county to watch a play. Unexpectedly, a few days later, heavy rain suddenly fell, causing a landslide. Since it occurred at night, Ke Yuequan's parents, like many others, were buried alive in their sleep

The two individuals saw numerous broken pieces of wood flying out from the second floor, while simultaneously, a dark figure was soaring towards the roof of the opposite building

At this moment, Ke Yuequan, who was cooking on the side, said: "Grandfather, what exactly happened at the inn at noon? Those few people were flying over here one moment and over there the next."

A loud crack sounded from above my head

As the right hand pulled the bowstring, dividing the bow, jumping the bow, and flying the bow, the erhu produced a melodious sound under the old man's skilled technique. Once the little girl stood still, grasped the rhythm, waved her hand, and opened her mouth, she began to sing.

When those three burly men realized they had been tricked and attempted to return to the second floor, the pursued figure in the green attire threw out the bowls and chopsticks, forcing the three men to retreat. Then, the figure in green ran away from the other side ... ... That should be it

Ke Yuequan's fear regarding the incident that occurred at noon today has long since dissipated, but now, reflecting on what happened at that time, he feels quite curious. Therefore, he has been pondering over what exactly transpired, yet after much contemplation, he still cannot make sense of it. Consequently, he decided to ask his grandfather about it.

Old man Ke was smoking intermittently, contemplating when he would return home to settle down.

The old man quickly replied with a smile, "Of course, of course, may I ask what you would like to hear, my lord?"

The three men, caught off guard, were forced back to the rooftop on the opposite side

Having spoken, he exerted a bit of strength with his legs, and immediately flew towards the second floor of the Sanjin Restaurant. The other two men in yellow also swiftly ascended to the second floor of the Sanjin Restaurant.

Then Old Man Ke took Ke Yuequan to buy some vegetables, preparing for lunch and dinner

As soon as the three men landed, they let out a furious roar and flew over again

The old man said, "Indeed, my hometown is Runzhou in the eastern part of Jiangnan. My surname is Ke"

Then he pointed at the little girl beside him and said, "My granddaughter's name is Ke Yuequan"

In Baimu Township, there is a street called Baihe - Tu - Shujium Street. As the name suggests, the entire street is essentially filled with taverns and inns, and the aroma of wine can be detected from afar

Old Man Ke led Ke Yuequan to the street, and he noticed that the lunch hour had already passed, with few customers remaining in the nearby restaurants and eateries

Then he smiled and said: "It must be those three big men chasing the person in the blue clothes. They encountered each other on the second floor, and that person in blue used a trick to make the three big men think the chairs were themselves, causing them to fly out from one side of the second floor. The three big men were deceived and ended up flying onto the rooftop across the way.

In the late Kaiyuan period, there were a total of 328 prefectures and departments, and 1,573 counties across the country

A stark white, inverted face suddenly appeared before Ke Yuequan; this face was not merely pale, but as white as paper.

At this moment, the three figures that had flown out earlier were already standing on the rooftop across from them

This person, Liu Taiyuan, is engaged in the silk trade. His fleet often docks here for rest and resupply. Each time, Liu Taiyuan comes to this restaurant to dine and take a short break

Although this little girl is still quite young, her singing skills are remarkable; she can sing in falsetto, belt out notes, and perform with a strong voice, all with impressive flair

The shadow that first flew from the building to the opposite rooftop turned out to be a chair, and at that moment, the chair was crashing onto the rooftop across.

Due to the fact that many roads in Changlong County and neighboring counties were destroyed by mudslides, Old Man Ke and Ke Yuequan had no choice but to take a longer route back to Changlong County. By the time they returned to Changlong County, it had already been five or six days.

Old man Ke, upon hearing this, tapped his smoking pipe, pondered for a moment, and said: "Well, this..."

At this moment, the man in black pointed over here and shouted: "That person is still upstairs!"

At that moment, a burst of male laughter suddenly came from outside, "Hahaha, the brains of those three fools from Ruohai Manor are not as useful as that of a yellow-haired girl."

Artists like Old Man Ke, who travel the rivers and lakes, earn just enough to make ends meet. It is unlikely for them to stay in places like inns; they typically spend the night in corners under eaves or in dilapidated temples and abandoned houses

At this moment, the dishes ordered by Liu Taiyuan had already been served. Just as Liu Taiyuan had taken a few bites, he heard a voice beside him say, "Sir, would you like to listen to some music?"

Speaking of Runhe - Tu - Shuzhou, it reminds me of the sealed jar wine and the crab roe soup dumplings, haha

Currently, Old Man Ke and Ke Yuequan reside in a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Baimu Township

Then three figures were seen simultaneously flying towards the opposite side

Liu Taiyuan took out several copper coins from his bosom and handed them to the old man, while saying to him: "This girl is your granddaughter, isn't she? She sings very well"

In Dongshi County, there is a river called Baimu River located about 8 li to the south, and Baimu Township is situated at the bend of the Baimu River

It has been more than two years, and I do not know what my hometown has become. Now I want to go back, but I am also afraid to return, because I fear seeing the desolate homeland and the graves overgrown with wild grass

Old man Ke sighed and said, "It's hard to explain in just a few words..."

It turns out that Old Man Ke lived together with his son Ke Shanyuan, his daughter-in-law Zhang Qinghe, and his granddaughter Ke Yuequan

Soon, the three burly men also flew out from another exit, chasing after the direction in which the grayish figure had departed.

All three are men, two of whom are wearing yellow clothes, and one is wearing black clothes

There is a small dock situated at this bend, so ships coming from the south and north all dock here for a brief rest and resupply before continuing their journey. Therefore, although Baimu Township is a small village, its level of prosperity is not inferior to that of some small counties

Ke Yuequan said happily: "I understand, I know, I know!"

Unknowingly, a song has finished singing, and Liu Taiyuan has also finished his meal

Ke Yuequan glanced at the old man Ke upon hearing this, and the old man Ke said: "Since this gentleman has invited you to sit, you should take a seat. Quickly thank this gentleman."

Then a rough voice shouted, "Chase! Don't let him get away!"

As the lights begin to shine, the bright moon hangs in the sky

One of the burly men in a yellow shirt shouted angrily: "Bastard! It's a chair!"

The girl in the red dress stood with her head lowered behind the old man. She appeared to be around ten years old, with a large braid, and was wearing a long garment of bright red fabric adorned with yellow flowers.

However, as Ke Yuequan grows older, she must also find a suitable match, and I myself am aging and can no longer continue to drift like this

Liu Taiyuan turned to Ke Yuequan, who was standing, and said: "Come, come, sit down, don't just stand there"