The next morning, Chu Wanning woke up with dark circles under his eyes. He didn't sleep well at all last night, so he looked especially gloomy. His originally cold face was covered with a thin layer of ice, and there was no warmth.
He pushed the door open and saw Mo Ran washing clothes outside.
… Why is he washing clothes so early in the morning?
Didn't he wash them last night?
Seeing him coming out of the house, Mo Ran seemed a little embarrassed. His cheeks were splashed with soap, and he turned to greet Chu Wanning, "Master."
"Yes."
"Sun Sanniang kept his promise. He took the money and sent the food to every house in the morning. I put it on the small stone table in the yard. Master, go eat it. "
"What about you?"
"I've eaten." Mo Ran's arm was soaked in the sparkling water, and the lines were strong and refreshing. "After you've eaten, we'll go sell butterflies and flowers together."
The food Sun Sanniang gave him was very simple, but the amount was not small. There were actually three steamed buns.
He sat in the small yard and slowly ate the pastries. The sun rose from the east, and the sunlight shone through the grape trellis, creating mottled shadows on the table.
He turned his head and looked at Mo Ran's tall back, and a vague feeling of warmth surged in his heart.
He took a big bite of the steamed bun.
The appearance of the golden begonia and the red spiritual butterfly immediately caused a huge commotion in the market on Flying Flowers Island. All the fishermen on the island swarmed over to take a look. Even those who didn't plan to visit the market today were attracted by the sight of the golden begonia and the red spiritual butterfly.
"There are flowers!"
"What's so strange about flowers? Haven't you seen flowers before?"
"Golden begonia! It's made of spiritual power! It's blooming all year round! It can even transmit sound! "
"Wow! Where is it? Where is it? "
A huge wave of people came.
"There are butterflies!"
"What's so good about butterflies? There are a lot of them in spring."
"It's red! It's made of spiritual power and can drive away small evil spirits! It's very beautiful and obedient. It won't run around and will fly around you! "
"Ah! 'Really?' Where? Where? "
Another wave of dark clouds surged forth.
Sun Sanniang was sleeping in his mansion when he heard the news. He couldn't help but take a few of his attendants to the market. Before they reached the entrance, they saw streaks of golden-red light gushing out from the crowd in the distance. Some people couldn't help but click their tongues in wonder.
She felt as if her heart was being scratched by ants. She pushed away the surrounding villagers and walked over to take a look.
He saw the two Immortal Monarchs who had come yesterday. One of them had a bright smile on his face and was performing tricks to attract bees and butterflies, trying to attract business. The other one was expressionless and stood under the tree with his arms crossed. He didn't say a word and remained silent.
"Selling butterflies, selling butterflies —" The handsome man turned around and smiled at the other man with a dull face. "Master, why aren't you shouting?"
Huh?
Chu Wanning snorted coldly in his heart.
He didn't know how to spell the word 'shout'. Did he have to be as shameless as Mo Weiyu, a vulgar person, and shout, "Selling flowers, selling begonia flowers" in front of everyone?
Don't even think about it.
"How much are the butterflies?" They felt that such celestial objects must be very expensive. The crowd hesitated for a long time. Finally, someone dared to ask for the price.
Mo Ran said, "Ten gold for one."
Chu Wanning coughed behind him.
Mo Ran said, "… Three copper coins for one."
"So cheap?" The surrounding people were shocked. They all came forward to buy. Mo Ran handed a butterfly to the left and a flower to the right. While he was busy, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a little girl in ragged clothes in the distance. She was biting her fingers, looking longingly at the bustling scene here.
Mo Ran smiled and didn't say much. He suddenly closed his five fingers, forming an extremely beautiful butterfly. He gently blew, and the butterfly floated to her side across the sea of people and landed on her braid.
The girl was stunned. Her face was full of astonishment. She walked a few steps hesitantly, then stopped and shook her head.
She had no money …
Not to mention three copper coins, she didn't even have a single one.
Mo Ran waved his hand at her and mouthed the words "for you" to her. Then he winked, smiled, and turned his head away, continuing to busy himself.
Sun Sanniang watched as the dazzling and beautiful spirit items were bought. A young lady who loved beauty directly put a begonia flower in her black hair bun. In an instant, her head of black hair shone brightly and shone with an indescribable air of nobility. She couldn't help it.
"These butterflies and flowers, I want them all."
Mo Ran raised his eyes, his smile undimmed. "I was wondering who was so generous. So it was you, Sanniang."
"How many are left? Count them, I'll take them all back to the residence. "
"That won't do." Mo Ran smiled. "Everything has a first come first serve. Others came before you, and they haven't finished buying. I can't let you have the things first."
Sun Sanniang looked at the crowd of villagers and immediately became anxious. She was afraid that they would be sold out. She said, "Then I'll increase the price."
"I can't make the decision." Mo Ran said, "I'm just helping. You have to ask my Shizun about the price."
Sun Sanniang went under the tree and found the aloof flower seller Chu Wanning.
"Immortal Gentleman, sell those flowers and butterflies to me. We're all businessmen, the price can be negotiated."
Chu Wanning said coldly, "Ten gold each."
Mo Ran heard this and couldn't help but laugh. He turned his head and saw Chu Wanning's pair of dark eyes. He was amused for a moment, but he also felt lush softness. He couldn't help but grin and scratch his head. His deep dimples were very beautiful.
Sun Sanniang was very rich, and this money was just a small amount to her. She quickly ordered the servants to take away the Begonias and Swallowtail Butterflies.
When she returned to the fu, she immediately combed her hair into a high bun and inserted more than fifty brilliant and colorful golden flowers. She also let the butterflies dance around her. The servants saw that her head was covered in golden light. From a distance, she looked like a burning candle. They couldn't help but find it funny. However, since she was their master, they could only hold it in. They held it in until their ribs were about to break. In the end, they didn't laugh out loud.
Sun Sanniang wasn't happy for too long. Someone came to report that the two Immortals were selling other things in the market. She was startled when she heard this. With a cloud bun on her head, she was surrounded by bees and butterflies. Once again, she ran towards the market.
"Selling butterflies — selling butterflies —"
Sun Sanniang squeezed through and put her hands on her hips. She was furious. "Didn't I just buy all of them? Why are there more? "
Mo Ran blinked. "They're newly made."
"Since they can be newly made, why did you sell them to me for ten gold each?!"
Mo Ran smiled. "Think about it. You get up in the morning and go to a pan-fried bun shop where there are many people waiting in line to buy pan-fried buns. Everyone else is waiting in line, and you want to cut in line. The shopkeeper tells you that you can eat first, but you have to pay more. Isn't that right?"
Sun Sanniang said angrily, "You, you profiteer, you …"
Just as she was thinking about how to refute this person's fallacious reasoning, she suddenly saw the Immortal who had been silent all this time walking over. Chu Wanning's fingertip flashed with brilliance, and a twin begonia flower appeared on her fingertip.
Although Sun Sanniang was angry, her attention was also attracted. She asked, "What is this? Why is it different from the previous one? "
"This kind of Begonias has been added with the Face Changing Technique. If you put it at the bedside before sleeping, it will keep you radiant the next day. The effect is about fifteen days." Chu Wanning casually handed the flower to Mo Ran and said to Mo Ran, "Go and sell it. One hundred gold each."
"Wait." Sun Sanniang was afraid that these two people would say something about cutting in line and asking for extra money. Although she was furious, she still said, "Don't take it away. I want this one. How many more can you make? I want all of them! "
Chu Wanning said, "I don't want to use the same technique too many times, so I'll only make three."
"Then I'll give you three hundred gold."
"Mo Ran, take the money." Chu Wanning said and lowered her head to condense the other two flowers. She handed them to Sun Sanniang and then began to condense the fourth flower.
Sun Sanniang was unhappy. "Didn't you say you'd only make three?"
"This flower has been added with the Art of Fine Sound." Chu Wanning said lightly, "When worn, it can make a woman's voice become more pleasant."
"…" Sun Sanniang was greedy for money, but she was even more greedy for time. She anxiously watched as this immortal who was at the peak of life and death condensed one flower after another. She was so angry that her teeth itched, but she could only say, "Okay, okay, okay. I'll buy it. I'll buy it."
At night, when they went back and closed the door, the master and disciple sat at the table and calculated the money. They found that it was enough for the people they brought over to eat and drink well. When the fire on the other side was extinguished, Chu Wanning pushed half of the money to Mo Ran and kept the other half. He said, "Before we leave, return the rest to Sun Sanniang."
Mo Ran was stunned. "Why?"
"Flying Flower Island is far away from Linyi, and there are few resources. It's very inconvenient to eat and wear. But look at the fishermen on the island, most of them have enough to eat and wear. Don't you think it's a bit strange? "
"… Yes." When he said this, Mo Ran thought about it carefully and felt that it was indeed so.
Chu Wanning said, "You'll know if you ask around. Today, when you were cleaning up the stall, I went to the village chief and asked him some things. In fact, this Sun Sanniang was originally a disciple of Linyi's Confucian Wind Sect. Because her talent wasn't high, her master didn't really care about her. She entered the sect for five years, but she still only knows basic swordsmanship. "
Mo Ran was slightly surprised. "She's a disciple of the Confucian Wind Sect? Then has Shizun seen it before? "
"No." Chu Wanning said, "The village chief said that when she was seventeen, she followed the cultivators of the Confucian Wind Sect to Flying Flower Island to recruit new disciples. Those cultivators of the famous sects took advantage of the long journey and the fact that the island was full of mortals. Even if they were bullied, they couldn't go all the way to the Confucian Wind Sect to denounce them. Therefore, during that time, they committed crimes against the islanders. They ate for free, stole money, and even … "
"Even?"
"Even sexually assaulted young men and women."
"…"
Chu Wanning said, "Sun Sanniang couldn't stand it, so she quarreled with her senior martial brothers and sisters. She was young and insignificant, but her temper was fierce. She offended her fellow disciples, and in the end, she was plotted against. After being stabbed by one of the senior martial brothers, she was pushed down the cliff."
Mo Ran muttered, "So that's how it is? No wonder the village chief advised her that she wasn't a disciple of the Confucian Wind Sect. I didn't expect … sigh … "
"Yes. She was lucky. That sword didn't hit her vitals. After she fell into the sea, she was seen by a fisherman who was fishing. That fisherman had two daughters, but they both died early. After saving her, he took her as his adopted daughter and taught her how to fish, hunt, and do business. Later on, her adopted father passed away, and she inherited his legacy. Gradually, she became the biggest family on Flying Flower Island. "
Chu Wanning paused for a moment and said, "You heard it too.
She said that this year's harvest on Flying Flower Island wasn't good, so she was the one who opened the granary and gave aid to each family. Although Sun Sanniang's business was good, she only took money from cultivators. She never took a single cent more from the islanders. She would even subsidize the poor. "
Mo Ran didn't say anything, but he remembered the little girl he saw in the market earlier that day. She longed for begonia flowers.
With that kind of shabby dressing and dirty face, it was obvious that she had lost her parents.
However, she wasn't thin. Her cheeks were bulging, and her eyes were shining with a clear light. If it wasn't for someone helping her, such a young child who had to beg for food for a living, wouldn't she have become sallow and emaciated?
"Sun Sanniang goes out to sea more than twenty times a year. Each round trip takes seven to eight days, so she spent most of her life on the sea. Look at her luxurious residence, why bother to come and go in the wind when she's already in her fifties? Every year, she painstakingly brings the things on the island to Linyi to sell for money. Then, she goes to Linyi to buy supplies and bring them back to Flying Flower Island? "Chu Wanning said," She obviously doesn't lack money. "
"… I understand." Mo Ran felt bad after hearing that. He immediately got up, took the half of the money, and was about to leave. Chu Wanning called out to him.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to return the money I earned from her to her."
"Sit down."
Chu Wanning said lightly.
"Why are you so silly?"
"Hmm?"
"Look at Sun Sanniang. She has a strong personality and is very strong-willed. What she hates the most are cultivators … Tell me, if you go over and give her the money like this, won't she beat you out of the house? "
"…"
Mo Ran thought for a while and suddenly felt a little pain in his back. He couldn't help but sigh and ask, "Then what should we do?"
"I've told the village chief that before we leave, we'll give the rest of the money to him and ask him to find a chance to pass it to Sun Sanniang." Chu Wanning said, "At that time, we'll all be gone. After all, money is something that can make life better on Flying Flower Island. She won't refuse it."
Mo Ran lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then nodded.
"You're right, Master. We'll do as Master says."
Chu Wanning sighed and said, "There are many things in this world that can't be judged by just looking at the surface. Sometimes, the layer under the surface may not be the final truth. I often remind myself that I need to calm down and judge people and things carefully. But sometimes, I still can't help it. "
His words made Mo Ran very uncomfortable.
Judging a person based on their appearance, judging right and wrong, good and evil, right and wrong, wasn't this what he had done to Chu Wanning in the past?
Apart from him, most people in the world of mortals would find it extremely difficult to maintain a pair of clear eyes and a calm heart in the face of intense emotions. They would think and see the truth hidden under the dust and sand.
He was like Chu Wanning to Chu Wanning and Nangong Si to his mother. Which one of them wasn't bewitched by emotions and blinded by appearances? In the end, they made a painful mistake that they couldn't look back on.
Perhaps only people like Chu Wanning, who seemed to be indifferent and unreasonable, would stubbornly leave room for everyone in his heart and try his best not to judge everything with the greatest malice. Therefore, the more Mo Ran tried to understand him, the more he found that the Northern Dipper Celestial Venerable, who seemed to be more irritable than anyone else, had a heart that wasn't tainted by evil.
Under this person's arrogant and cold face, there was actually a kind and tolerant soul.
Because of this soul, he pitied Chu Wanning more and more, and an extremely strong desire to protect him arose in his heart. Perhaps it was because he had been through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and his hands were stained with blood, that he could understand more and more that there was nothing more precious in this world than a pure heart.
It was a Qiang flute in the smoke of war, a flower in the trenches.
Therefore, the Emperor Ta, who had once brought disaster to the world, silently thought in front of such a soul.
If there was a day when Master needed it, then even if he was covered in cuts and bruises, even if his blood ran dry, even if he died without a complete corpse, even if he had to sacrifice his head and damaged soul.
He would protect this clean Northern Dipper Celestial Venerable.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing." Mo Ran smiled. "Just thinking about some small things."
"Small things?"
Mo Ran pursed his lips and suddenly remembered that when he went to the market in the morning, Chu Wanning said to him that he wanted to learn the art of sword control. He said, "Master, come with me."