Chapter 234 Volume B: Risking One's Life for Gains, Sifting Through the Waves of Gold

Chapter 234 Volume B: Risking One's Life for Gains, Sifting Through the Waves of Gold
古朴厚重的地图画卷展开，宽五尺，长九尺，整个河北之地展现在众人面前。
下方大河划掉了地图四分之一的区域，大河以南自东向西就是大赵的济郡、魏郡、司郡、伊郡，再往西就是大唐地界了。
The area north of the Great River, where the color is noticeably darker, is known as Hebei.
Like an incomplete and irregular cross, it runs through the middle of this land, with the Wuxing Mountains serving as its backbone. Among them, the northern Wuxing Mountains are the tallest and most majestic, dividing this land into two enormous geographical units.
西面是被五行山系中无数山岭分割而成的盆地、平原和谷地，地形崎岖破碎，一直向北向西延伸到广褒无际的西昆仑，数万里之地，越往西往北便越是平坦，也更苦寒，便成为妖兽的天下。
The eastern region is a relatively complete plain, but it is also divided by numerous mountains, lakes, and rivers. However, it has a relatively larger area.
The Five Elements Mountain in the north bifurcates in the central part and forms a large cross shape. The plain between the West Five Elements Mountain and the Great River is likely the most populous area in present-day Hebei Province. Translated:
The painting on the east side is the Eastern Wuxing Mountain, which extends all the way to the East Sea. However, compared to the Northern Wuxing Mountain, the Eastern Wuxing Mountain appears shorter and more scattered, resembling a broken bone buried in the sandy land, with fragments revealing traces of hills.
“这里，这里，还有这里，是道宫能为你们选出来的最合适的立足之地，玄空山，卧龙岭，七宝岗，……”
易初阳手指在地图上滑动，沿着大河以北紧挨着河边不算太远的区域从西向东，“玄空山在最西面，南距大河六百七十里，可以从白牛渡过河，玄空山方圆六十里，虽然面积不大，但是灵气浓郁，周围亦有不少灵田灵地，距离大赵最近，……”
“卧龙岭在玄空山以东北一千九百八十里安水之畔，卧龙岭不高，绵延一百二十里，一样灵气馥郁，唯一遗憾的就是周围地势有些复杂崎岖，人口数量也不及玄空山周围，……”
“还有就是七宝岗了，七宝岗在卧龙岭东面二千二百四十里，距离大河只有四百二十里，向南越过大河就是济郡，七宝岗地势最好，绵延起伏两百里，都不算高，而且挨着霍罗泽，……”
负责介绍情况的那名九莲宗弟子应该是对河北之地相对熟悉的，对三处所谓的福地Lingshan情况都讲得头头是道，听起来似乎比蟠山朗山都还要好许多，对于可能存在的风险却是闭口不提或者轻描淡写。
王垚等人自然也明白这等话也就是听听就好，也许的确是道宫替重华派选出来的最好地方，但那也只是相对而言.
真正有那么好，河北并非无主之地，就算是北戎人控制不住，但地方上的宗门世家，实力雄厚的散修，还有前年来不断滋长起来的异修，以及妖兽，都是这块土地上的利益参与者，岂会眼睁睁看着这般Lingshan宝地无动于衷?
After bidding farewell to Yi Chuyang and others, Wang Yao and his two companions now held in their hands a map and a scroll.
However, these items only provided a general idea, and the specific advantages and risks of the three supposed spiritual mountain treasures had to be investigated by the Zonghua Sect themselves.
毕竟河北之地荒废千年，现在很多人都对那里相当陌生了，少数真的去过河北之地的，也不过是探险式的浅尝辄止，也未必对河北之地有多么深的了解。
似乎是有感应，还没有走出九莲宗道院的大门，陈淮生抬头一看，左侧的道路尽头，宣尺媚的目光投了过来。
“师兄，我遇到了朋友，你们先走，我稍后自己回来。”陈淮生见状，连忙向王垚和徐天峰告假。
王垚和徐天峰也都看到了宣尺媚，脸上露出会意的笑容，“好，不急，我们还有时间。”
一炷香时间后，陈淮生和宣尺媚已经坐在了他们曾经小酌过的遇仙楼上。
“淮生哥要去河北？”举起酒杯抿了一口，宣尺媚语气里多了几分惆怅。
“不去又能如何？”陈淮生灿然笑对：“宝剑锋从磨砺出，梅花香自苦寒来。去河北历练磨砺，也许才能让人成长更快，尺媚妹子难道没有发现愚兄的进境超群么？”
宣尺媚的惆怅之意被陈淮生半带炫耀式的话语给冲淡了不少，哪怕明知道淮生哥这是故意凑趣来逗自己高兴，但她心情还是好了不少。
She gave Chen Huai-sheng a teasing glance, and Xuan Chi-mei pursed her lips and said leisurely, "The land of Hebei is nothing like Da Zhao. There are ferocious beasts everywhere, and rogue cultivators abound. The wandering cultivators there are especially ruthless, practicing murder, trade, arson, and looting without any trace of moral or ethical code..."
Chen Huaisheng nodded: "We are aware of all this, but since Daogong has determined that we should go to Hebei, when one is under the eaves, one has to bow their head. What other choice do we have?"
Xuan Chimei hesitated to speak, but Chen Huaisheng understood what she meant and shook his head slightly: "This is a difficult time for the Zhonghua Sect. I have benefited greatly from the sect, so I have no intention of being timid or stepping back. Besides, going to Hebei doesn't necessarily mean that we can never come back. If Baili Sect continues to swallow everything and have everything go smoothly for them, I actually think that they may encounter problems in the future. Once a certain situation or aspect goes wrong, it could lead to a complete collapse. Their sect's cohesion may not be as strong as our Zhonghua Sect's."
宣尺媚明白了陈淮生的心意，不再多言，低垂下头：“那淮生哥内心是不是也对我们九莲宗心存怨恨，怒意满腔呢？”
陈淮生摇晃着手中的小酒盅，一时间没有想好怎么回答这个问题。
“要说没有一点儿恨意，肯定不可能，九莲宗肯定也有自己的难言之隐，或许有心无力，这一点我们掌门掌院他们也都清楚，但九莲宗之前就不该给我们太大希望，……”陈淮生斟酌着言辞，“当然，从我个人角度来说，关键还是我们自身没能及时发现九莲宗面临的困境，若是能早一些觉察，或许可以做一些其他的补救措施，不至于到最后落得个任人宰割的境地，当然，可能我们比凌云宗结果好一些，……”
"You guys are having better results than Lingyun Sect?" Xuan Chimei exclaimed, "Lingyun Sect chose Mount Taiwu first, where the conditions are better than the ones given to you. They made the decision first, so they have the priority to choose and took the opportunity ahead of you..."
陈淮生不以为意，淡淡地道：“那又如何？再好的灵地，若是一个宗门自身都缺乏宁为玉碎不为瓦全敢于一战的决心意志，最后不一样也要沦为他人嫁衣裳？尺媚妹子，不信我们打个赌，凌云宗若是这样下去没有改变，也许十年二十年之后，大赵修真界就再无凌云宗了。”
Xuan Yamei pondered deeply.
Chen Huaisheng didn't say much and drank on his own.
“淮生哥所言小妹颇有触动，我师尊也说九莲宗迫于形势要求凌云宗服从，但是凌云宗其实是可以反抗不尊的，哪怕打一仗，至少也能让紫金派不能那么轻而易举地入主，但凌云宗似乎过于看重双方实力对比差距了，不愿意作‘无谓’的牺牲，……”
“牺牲从来就没有无谓一说，很多时候打不打和打不赢是两个问题，一个是态度问题，一个是实力问题，没有了态度，就失去了精神意志，而一个宗门能维系凝聚壮大不灭的魂魄，就是精神意志。”陈淮生悠悠地道。
With liquor warming my throat, its lingering aroma brings a hint of spiciness.
宣尺媚双颊泛起一抹酡红，但目光却越发清亮，“淮生哥，我总觉得你在任何时候都充满了信心，从来没有畏惧和担心过，重华派就这么好？”
陈淮生一愣，摇摇头：“哪有，愚兄夜不能寐，辗转反侧的时候也不少，不过很多时候要学会苦中寻乐，要不自个儿得郁闷死了。”
被陈淮生的话逗得一笑，浓郁的甜意从笑靥肌光里透出来，一时间整个房间里似乎都充满了清甜芬芳。
似乎是注意到了陈淮生目光中的热意，宣尺媚心中也是一荡，随即稳了稳心志。
She knows that it is not yet time for her to consider these issues.
连淮生哥三年光景都能从一个悟道不能的道种穷追猛赶超越了自己，这如何能让让她心里服气？
她现在也是面临着从炼气五重向炼气六重冲击的瓶颈，一直在寻找着契机，而且她也有把握就在半年之内突破。
“淮生哥，明日道会就要结束了，各大宗门座次也会重新排定，你们和凌云宗虽然遭遇了波折，但是好像排位也不会有变化，……”宣尺媚岔开话题。
“哦？”陈淮生也收敛了心神，平静地道：“这些我们倒没有关心，只是我们都去了河北，道宫还觉得我们该在大赵宗门中排序么？”
"Shouldn't it be calculated?" Xuan Chi Mei nodded. "The Dao Palace seems to be encouraging various sects and aristocratic families to expand and develop in Hebei Province, but it seems that everyone is not very willing at the moment and is still watching..."
"So that's why they want our Rehua Sect and Lingyun Sect to test the waters as sacrificial lambs?" Chen Huaisheng's heart grew even colder with suspicion.
Perhaps there really is such an intention behind it. No, there must be an absolute intention, and even Jiulian Sect is involved in it, right?