Rise From Eight Hundred Chapter 757

Chapter 757 The Path of Clear Mind (Part 1)

January 6, the twenty-seventh year of the Republic of China!

Due to the imminence of the Japanese troops from the north and the south, hundreds of thousands of troops dispatched by the Ministry of Military Affairs, including the Northeastern Army, the Northwest Army, the Yunnan Army, the Sichuan Army, the Guangxi Army, and the Central Army, are gathering around Xuzhou. , the troops ordered to guard the city have begun to set up defenses. A large number of trenches have been dug outside the city to deploy barbed wire. Machine gun fire points and various anti-artillery fortifications have also begun to be built in various important defense areas in the city. Soldiers can be seen everywhere standing guard, and it has become like a castle. Big military camp.

In addition to the infantry corps originally stationed in the city, many infantry corps headquarters have set up liaison offices in Xuzhou City to facilitate the fifth theater headquarters to receive supplies.

Therefore, except for some residents in the city, the number of soldiers walking on the street accounted for one-third.

However, when you stand on the street and look up, you see more refugees huddled in the streets and alleys, dressed in ragged clothes, waiting for a bowl of porridge to be distributed every day to survive.

Most of them escaped from Jiangsu and Zhejiang during the Battle of Songhu. Ordinary people whose homes were destroyed by the war fled south to Jinling. Unexpectedly, the Japanese army followed, and they had to start their escape journey again.

Unexpectedly, leaving their hometown was only the beginning of the disaster for these ordinary people. Because of the outbreak of the war, domestic inflation increased at an alarming rate. Before the war, a piece of silver could buy 16 kilograms of polished rice in a big city like Shanghai. In Xuzhou, In such smaller cities, you can buy 20 kilograms, which is enough to feed an adult man for a month.

But with the outbreak of the war, prices began to skyrocket. In just half a year, prices more than doubled.

That also means that a piece of silver can only buy 8 to 10 kilograms of rice at most. For the millions of people who fled, what made it even worse was that before the war, many ordinary people responded to the government and exchanged silver for one to one. Instead of the legal currency issued by the government, I naturally chose to bring more portable banknotes before fleeing.

Originally, the purchasing power of legal currency is the same as that of silver, but some unscrupulous merchants actually reduce the purchasing power of legal currency without authorization. Although the government has laws to prohibit and crack down on it, in times of war and chaos, merchants who dare to do so must have sufficient background support.

The refugees' only wealth was harvested little by little along the way. After escaping for more than a thousand miles, many people could only become impoverished.

Huddled on the streets of this city that was about to become a battlefield, it wasn't that they didn't want to escape, but that they really couldn't escape.

Anyway, here, the war zone will distribute a bowl of porridge and water every day. Even if the rice porridge is as clear as boiled water and the soaked rice grains can be counted clearly with the naked eye, it can still allow you and your family to barely survive. If you leave this city, you can only It could end up being starved to death.

Mingxin's eyes are filled with anger!

　　glaring fiercely at the sinister grain shop owner in front of him.

This is already the third day he entered Xuzhou City.

Since that day when he bid farewell to his senior brother and came down the mountain, he has been sleeping rough all the way to the southeast.

Although Ming Xin has no experience in traveling in the world, he has been a smart child since he was a child. Otherwise, he would not be called the only disciple who can shine by his master, nor would he become the most powerful person in the Taoist temple at such a young age.

He knew that if he wanted to slay demons, he had to go to the place closest to the battlefield, so he marched to Xuzhou City on the third day.

The city gates of Xuzhou were strictly inspected. Fortunately, he had a certificate for Taoist disciples. When he went down the mountain, he went to the local township chief to get an identity certificate. The three-foot Qingfeng sword carried behind his back also well explained his identity as a Taoist priest.

When asked about the reason, he heard that the Taoist priest wanted to go to the battlefield to kill demons and join the army. It happened that the old mother of the captain and company commander who was guarding the city gate was also a Taoist believer, so he was let into Xuzhou City.

Mingxin originally planned to inquire carefully in Xuzhou City to find out which army was the most elite, so he would join that army and enter the battlefield to kill the enemy.

Ming Xin has strong confidence in her three-foot green front, even in the era of bullets and cannonballs.

Unexpectedly, before she heard the news, Mingxin witnessed with her own eyes the miserable situation of refugees huddled in groups everywhere in Xuzhou City.

Ming Xin may never forget the scene that happened three days ago in front of her. Because it was too crowded, a thin man who was shaking with hunger accidentally knocked over the porridge bowl he was holding carefully.

Without caring about anything else, the panic-stricken man actually licked food on the muddy ground and spilled the porridge water on the ground. His mouth was full of mud and he didn't care. Then, he carefully put the mud stained with rice grains and porridge water into a bowl. , not even a grain of rice was missed.

After staggering for two hundred meters, he arrived under the eaves of a roof that was less than a foot wide. He opened up a quilt full of holes and smelly, and took out a child who was only a few years old. Dip your fingers into the muddy rice grains and put them on the child's mouth.

The almost motionless child miraculously opened his mouth and swallowed the extremely dirty rice grains bit by bit. Time and time again, half a bowl of rice porridge with mud was eaten up by the child.

The child glanced at the man with his big, dull eyes. The man with a haggard face grinned and smiled.

　　Yes, he smiled, because the child ate the small half bowl of rice porridge, even if most of it was mud, but it didn't matter, it meant that the child who was about to starve to death could live a little longer.

How can a father be dissatisfied with joy?

At that moment, Ming Xin, who was watching all this from afar, felt a soreness at the end of his nose. If he hadn't had amazing concentration since he was young, he would have burst into tears.

This place has not yet become a battlefield, but the people are already suffering so much. So what should the Chinese people in the battlefield be like?

The little Taoist priest with amazing determination suppressed the sadness in his heart, but he didn't know that his cheeks were already cold.

She watched quietly as the smiling man licked the bowl in his hand. After a while, Mingxin walked over and bowed with one hand, "Xiao Dao Mingxin, I have learned medical skills from my teacher since I was a child. Just now I saw that the child had difficulty moving. Can I check the condition and get medication based on the symptoms?”

The man raised his head feebly and looked at Mingxin, who had a solemn look on his face, with a sad look on his face. He wanted to say something, but in the end he only uttered two words: "Hungry disease!"

Ming Xin was stunned and looked around. He saw refugees lying down and huddled on the spot after drinking porridge.

He finally understood that the reason why those refugees huddled under the eaves during this daylight hour was not that they did not want to move, but that they did not dare to move.

Activity means consumption, consumption of the bowl of rice porridge they just scooped up after frantically grabbing at a soup kitchen. Then they will not be able to survive another day and night until the next soup soup, a long and cold winter night. Use up the only calories brought by the porridge water.

If you want to save them, you don't need any medicine, just food.

Just, how should he save them? Touching the only piece of silver in the lining of his chest, Ming knew that even if he used this piece of silver to buy a few kilograms of food, it would not be enough to feed the nearly 100 refugees here.

But other than that, he only has a green Taoist robe, and the only valuable thing is the Qingfeng sword passed down by his ancestor on his back, but it is a sharp weapon for him to slay demons in the future and must not be lost easily.

But perhaps, there is another way.

“Do you want to have food to eat?” Mingxin asked the man and the refugees huddled around him.

Although no one spoke, the longing in their eyes revealed their thoughts.

"Okay, I'll hire you and others at half a catty of rice per person per day. You don't need to do anything for me. You just need to help me gain popularity. Just give me a few shouts at critical times." Ming Xin offered the conditions and took the He took out his only piece of silver and threw it to the man. "This is the deposit. Go buy ten kilograms of rice and cook a pot of porridge so that everyone can keep up."

Not to mention half a catty of rice per person per day as payment, just so that they can cook porridge to satisfy their hunger, hundreds of refugees are not flocking here.

As a Taoist priest, he paid his dues and found a shop to borrow a few gongs. Mingxin Xiaodao had an idea and the performing arts venue was born.

Yes, what Ming Xin thought of was his excellent martial arts.

Although our ancestors have taught us that they are not allowed to use force to break the ban, and they are not allowed to show off their martial arts! But now he is here to save the common people, not to show off himself, so the Grandmaster will be lenient to him!

Xuzhou is a large city with a radius of hundreds of kilometers. According to the census in the 25th year of the Republic of China, it has a permanent population of more than 160,000. Although many people fled the war and went further south, there are still an unknown number of people. Due to the floating population and the presence of the army, the population is only much larger than before.

The Chinese are also a very peculiar existence. Regardless of the era, even at this moment of night, there is never a shortage of people watching the excitement.

Hundreds of refugees gathered in a circle. There was no need to beat the gong. They stood on several floors inside and outside. There were soldiers and civilians. Standing in the middle was a little Taoist priest with an immortal spirit, which undoubtedly increased people's curiosity. . It's just that the little Taoist priest didn't have any props. He was just standing there alone, which made him even more mysterious.

After waiting for a long time, someone finally got impatient and shouted in the crowd: "Little Taoist priest, what do you want to do? If you have any work, show it to the men!"

“Yes! If you don't have a job, don't go out and embarrass yourself!”

“Don't tell me, this looks pretty good. I can probably sing in Tsing Yi even if I put on makeup in the theater.”

Naturally, those who made sarcastic remarks and rude jokes outside the field could only be those soldiers who were allowed to go shopping on leave. They were under great pressure due to the coming war. They finally came out to relax but did not see what they wanted to see. Most of them were from peasant backgrounds. It's strange that the tone is good.

“I am a poor Taoist who performs for no other reason than to raise funds for the victims of the disaster on the street, and I also ask the fellow villagers to donate generously!” Mingxin was unmoved, and made a Taoist bow with one hand, and said sincerely.

"Money is easy to come by. Little Taoist priest, you have the ability to make men happy. If you can only show off your skills and tricks, don't blame the men for ruining your situation." A soldier's rough voice sounded.

Ming Xin Dao has a firm heart, so naturally he will not get angry because of these words. He smiled slightly and said, "I have been practicing martial arts with my master since I was a child for fifteen years, but I don't like this fancy fists and embroidered legs."

"The little Taoist priest is quite crazy. Then show it to me. If you perform well, I will donate this piece of gold." The soldier who spoke before squeezed out of the crowd, took out a piece of silver from his pocket and put it in the palm of his hand. Throw it up and down.

"Okay, with the words of the military master, Xiaodao's mind has been determined." Mingxin was full of confidence in her first performance in her life, and she glanced around. "Get the props!"

Several refugees immediately stood up and stood up a few wooden sticks as thick as goose eggs that were placed under their feet.

On the top of the 3-meter-high wooden sticks, a wooden board no wider than a finger is nailed. Each wooden board has a copper bell on the top. The four wooden sticks are arranged in a semi-arc shape in front of Mingxin. With Mingxin as the center, the radius is about seven meters. About eight meters.

“What is this?” The soldier with the rank of sergeant was slightly startled.

Mingxin moved his hand slightly, and a small willow dart slipped out of the special pouch in his sleeve and fell into the palm of his hand. This was the hidden sword he had practiced for more than ten years. Because the dart is secretive, it is difficult to guard against it. Its essence is The technique of taking darts and the accuracy of shooting are one of the unique skills in Guanzhong.

But I didn't expect that today it would be a game of performing arts for the people to watch. I just hope that the ancestors will not be surprised, Mingxin thought to himself, and while the sergeant was still staring at the willow leaf dart in his palm, he suddenly waved his arm.

A crisp sound of "Grab!"

The vibrated copper bell also made a clear sound.

A flying knife no longer than ten centimeters accurately hit a wooden sign six to seven meters away.

The wooden sign was only one meter away from the sergeant.

The people squatting or standing around him suddenly realized that this man was actually doing a knife-throwing stunt.

This dart is like a blind cat hitting a dead mouse, but what about the next dart? What if the shot flies away? Everyone's expressions changed drastically and they dispersed one after another.

“The military master is so courageous, Xiaodao admires him!” Mingxin made a Taoist bow with one hand.

"Good guy! This knife is worth this ocean!" The sergeant looked sideways at the wooden sign not far from him. He was stunned at first, and then he couldn't help laughing when he looked at the panicked people around the wooden stick.

He should be considered the person closest to the wooden sign, but he did not move. After the little Taoist priest said this, does it also prove his military courage?

With these words, he also had to leave this ocean behind.

Perhaps only he knew it, but in his heart he scolded this little Taoist priest who knew nothing about heaven and earth. Te Liang's knife was really scary. If he messed up, his life would be over.

You can still get a pension if you die on the battlefield, but if you die here, where can you go to find reason? Even if you kill the little Taoist priest ten times, it won't make any difference!

This place needs to be brought back no matter what.

"Come, come, little Taoist priest, show your ability to the fullest. There are still two pieces of ocean waiting for you to get it." The army sergeant calmed down and wanted to see how accurate Ming Xin could be.

It's two oceans again! Ming Xin, aren't you working hard? The palm of his hand moved slightly, and another willow dart slipped between his fingers. His arm was raised between his fingers. Within three seconds, there were three more swords, and the sword hit the wooden sign.

The sergeant couldn't help but be stunned.

One hit with one sword may be called luck, but with such a fast speed and three consecutive hits, it can only be attributed to strength.

"good!"

"Wonderful!"

The refugees immediately shouted, and the people followed, but more people gathered to watch.

For this sergeant, one piece of ocean was already painful, but two more pieces would cost half his life.

"Your sword is definitely accurate, but it's worth an ocean, but it's not worth my two dollars, unless you have something better than this one." The sergeant shook his head.

“Then, Master, take this stick!” Ming Xin, however, remained calm. "You can shake it up and down or side to side!"

The sergeant's face is a little white!

I feel very regretful in my heart. This is totally a suicide attempt! I'm still shaking up and down, you think I'm stupid!

But the courage of the soldier did not allow him to back down. He gritted his back molars and raised the wooden stick, shaking it from side to side in a heroic manner, "Is this okay?"

The copper bells sounded crisply!

The people around him collectively stepped back, leaving a large open space.

"No! No matter what, Xiaodao has to earn two pieces of silver from Master Jun!" A slight smile appeared on Mingxin's face.

Then he took out a piece of white cloth from his robe, folded it, wrapped it around his eyes, and tied it behind his head: "Master Jun, you can move your steps and body!"

The sergeant's legs trembled involuntarily. Only then did he realize what the copper bell on the top of the board was for.

He didn't dare to move, but it wasn't enough to move.

The little Taoist priest who cannot see clearly relies on the sound of the copper bell to identify his direction.

ps: Today is still two chapters in one. The girl was not injured yesterday, but it was extremely troublesome to go to the traffic police station to issue a certificate or something. I ran all morning to finish it, and I had a social event in the evening, so I started coding when I came back at noon. I have finished writing it now, so I will update it soon.

(End of this chapter)

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