In the summer of the 12th year of Jianxing in the Great Jin Dynasty.

The boundary of Qingping Mountain in Yunzhou.

"Oh, now the world is getting more and more chaotic, and business is getting harder and harder..."

A tavern on the north official road in Qingping County was filled with travelers of all kinds who were temporarily resting. One of the middle-aged men with a sad face seemed to have drunk a lot of wine, and couldn't help but complain to the store in front of him.

"Who said it was not? Especially after the rumor that there were rioters in Sizhou half a year ago, people fled here in the north."

The store owner is a man with dark skin and honest appearance. When he heard the merchant’s complaints, the store owner just smiled and agreed.

"Hmph! After all, the government is still incompetent! There were only more than a thousand rebels in Sizhou who gathered people to rebel, but the government repeatedly defeated the rebellion, so the rebels became increasingly powerful and began to conquer cities and lands everywhere..."

When the middle-aged man who was drunk heard this, he immediately showed an indignant look on his face.

"Customer, be careful of your words."

The store owner quickly reminded him in a low voice, and glanced at the guests resting around him quietly.

These days, the government is criticizing the government in broad daylight. Even if the other party doesn’t want to live, don’t implicate yourself innocently!

"Sorry! I've lost my words after drinking."

The middle-aged man seemed to realize that he had said the wrong thing and woke up most of the wine. Then he took out a cent of silver from his cuff and put it on the table. He didn't even care about the wine the store had just received and hurriedly left the restaurant.

The store owner silently collected the silver. After confirming that the silver was real, he packed up the table as if nothing had happened, and then called other guests in the restaurant.

"Shopkeeper, I'll bring two pounds of the best wine in your store, and I'll bring you whatever I have to eat! The money is definitely indispensable."

Not long after, a sudden sound of horse hooves came from outside the restaurant. Then a young man with a dusty and heroic spirit broke in. He sat in the seat where the merchant had just left, and slapped the long sword hanging from his waist on the table, revealing a bohemian and heroic attitude, which attracted the attention of the guests around him.

"Okay! Please wait!"

The shop owner smiled and responded, slowly delivering a jar of wine.

"Your guest drink first, and you will be given what you eat in a while."

"no problem!"

The young man smiled and nodded, took the wine jar and patted the mud seal, and slapped several big mouthfuls directly into his mouth.

"Himmer... It's really good wine!"

Putting down the wine jar, the young man couldn't help but burp, and his white cheeks gradually began to turn red, but his black eyes became particularly bright.

"I appreciate it from the customer, as long as you feel satisfied!" the store owner said with a smile.

After a while, the store brought the prepared food one after another. The young man casually opened up the conversation while drinking and eating.

"Store, are you a local person in Qingping?"

"Yes, do you have any questions?" the store owner said in confusion.

"Now the world is broken, bandits are rampant in various states and places, and the people are living in poverty. But I didn't expect that since I came to Qingping Mountain, I saw a peaceful scene, and I didn't even meet a villain who had robbed the road..." The young man drank a sip of wine and said with emotion. "I heard rumors on the road that Qingping Mountain had a mountain god protecting the peace of the country, so I couldn't help but feel curious and wanted to ask for a certificate of one or two."

"Asking to the guest officials, rumors are usually unreliable. The so-called mountain god theory was first circulated in the mouths of rural people near Qingping Mountain. The country people always like to exaggerate some strange things. Over time, the mountain god theory gradually spread..." The shop owner smiled and said without considering it. "In fact, the local county magistrate sent people to Qingping Mountain to find the so-called mountain god, but in the end they all returned without success. Therefore, the mountain god theory was probably made up by those rural people."

"Is that true?" the young man said half-believingly.

"Hmph! Shop! You still claim to be a local from Qingping. Don't you know another rumor about the mountain god?"

At this time, a short and strong man sitting not far away interjected in disdain.

"Oh? Another rumor? Can this elder brother talk to me in detail?"

When the young man heard this, his eyes lit up. He picked up the wine jar and came to the other party’s table, and at the same time he took the initiative to fill the other party’s bowl with wine.

"You are sensible! Actually, it's okay to tell you. As far as I know, the so-called mountain god in Qingping Mountain is not a real god circulating among the rural people, but a paradise living in seclusion in Qingping Mountain. It's just that the rural people mistakenly regard this master as a mountain god."

The short and strong man took the wine bowl filled with the young man without hesitation and drank it all.

"A master? Has anyone seen it with his own eyes in Qingping Mountain?" The young man quickly poured wine for the short and strong man and asked again.

"If no one had seen this paradise, where would you think this rumor came from?" The short and strong man picked up the wine bowl and said in a plain tone.

"...But didn't the store just now that the county magistrate sent people to the mountains to search several times? If there were really experts in the mountains, why did the county magistrate get nothing?" The young man thought for a moment.

"Haha, since you are a paradise, do you think you can see it if you want to?" The short and strong man pulled the corners of his mouth and said.

"I want to go to Qingping Mountain to find out what I said." The young man thoughtfully said. "After all, hearing is false, and seeing is true."

"..." The short and strong man was silent for a while. "Boy, I advise you not to go to Qingping Mountain."

"Why?" the young man said inexplicably.

"Nothing, this is just a piece of advice I have given you. It's up to you to listen to it or not."

After saying that, the short and strong man drank all the wine in the bowl, threw down some copper coins, and stood up and left the wine shop.

"interesting."

The young man narrowed his eyes and looked at the other person's departure back, and couldn't help but mutter.

Whether it is the mountain god or the paradise, the young man never forgot the issue he was concerned about at the beginning.

Why is the Qingping Mountain alone peaceful?

During this period, he had been circulating in many places in Yunzhou, but none of them was as peaceful as the Qingping Mountains, and even more peaceful than the prosperous times of the Emperor's period.

He knew that the county magistrate of Qingpingshan was just a mediocre talent. If he had the ability to govern, he would have been famous long ago. Otherwise, why would he still hold the position of county magistrate in the age of knowing destiny?

Since this is the case, it means that there must be someone else who caused the current situation in Qingping Mountain.

And the spearheads of many clues are pointed directly at the so-called mountain god or a laity in Qingping Mountain.

There are wise men in the countryside, but the ancients are truly unlucky.

After drinking the wine in the jar, the young man's eyes were still bright. He threw a penny of silver at will, and he left the wine shop and rode his horse towards Qingping Mountain.

In the next ten days, the young man searched for the trail of the "mountain god" in Qingping Mountain. He went deep into Qingping Mountain several times, but even with the help of hunters familiar with Qingping Mountain, he always returned disappointed.

"Young Master, give up. If the Mountain God doesn't want to see you, maybe you will never find the Mountain God in your life."

In the endless winding and lush forest, the elderly hunter carrying archers and holding hooks, looked helplessly at the young man sitting in the shade of the tree in front of him and persuaded him.

"And Qingping Mountain is a long way to go. Not to mention the Lord of the Mountain God, even if you find an ordinary person who hides in the mountains, it will be difficult to reach the sky..."

"Are opportunities not forced?"

The young man sighed softly.

In fact, this period of search made him more convinced that there was indeed a rumored paranoid in Qingping Mountain.

Because he accidentally heard something very strange from the nearby villagers.

Qingping Mountain is located in the east of Yunzhou, connected to Moyun Ridge in the south and overlooking Tongshui in the north. It has been a dangerous portal for military strategists since ancient times. Qingping Mountain is steep and has complex terrain. In every chaotic times, bandits and refugees escape into the mountains. Even in the peaceful season, the vast Qingping Mountain has never lacked strong men and evil people who have fallen into the bandits.

However--

According to local villagers who have lived at the foot of Qingping Mountain for generations, since five or six years ago, the bandits who have been robbing families and robbers around Qingping Mountain have gradually disappeared. The county magistrate sent someone to investigate, but was shocked to find that the nests where these bandits gathered were all gone to the entrance of the building, and they have been abandoned for a long time.

From then on, the saying of a mountain god was spread across Qingping Mountain, and foreign bandits even regarded the mysterious Qingping Mountain as a forbidden area.

So where did these mysteriously disappeared bandits go?

The answer is self-evident.

"Brother-in-law, today we will go deep into the mountains and forests for the last time. If there is no harvest, I will completely die of this heart."

The young man slowly stood up and apologized toward the old and strong hunter in front of him.

"Okay, that young man remember to follow me immediately and never get separated."

The hunter shook his head helplessly, carried the hook and hatchet and continued to overcome all obstacles in the mountains.

The mountain road is difficult to walk, and it coincides with the midsummer, and wild animals, snakes and insects are flooded. Fortunately, the old hunters are experienced and can often detect danger in advance based on clues in the forest. After climbing over a ridge, the old hunters looked at the sky and stopped.

"Young Master, you can't go forward any longer, otherwise you will not be able to rush back before dark."

The old hunters knew the dangers in the forest after nightfall, especially when they had only two people.

"Okay, let's turn around."

The young man shook his head in disappointment, and did not force the old hunter to venture with him any longer.

Unexpectedly, when the two were about to leave, the young man suddenly changed his face. He rushed forward and stopped the old hunter, and at the same time drew out his sword and pointed it at the dense forest ahead and said loudly.

"Who is hiding there sneakily! Get out of here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a rustling sound in the forest. After a while, two men, one tall, one short, one fat and one thin, appeared slowly in front of them.

"The young master is really alert. No wonder he dared to leave the mansion quietly..."

The short and fat man opposite looked at the serious young man with a smile on his face, and said in a gentle tone.

"It's you guys?"

Seeing the two of them clearly, the young man instantly showed a terrifying expression, because no one knew the identities of these two people better than him.

"Did your second brother send you here?"

"Since my young master recognizes our brothers, why bother asking questions knowingly?"

Apart a distance, the short and fat man and the tall and thin man stopped.
To be continued...