The capital of the Gaowu Kingdom is called Tianwu Castle.

A small storefront was taken down, and a bookstore was opened there, called Fanchen Academy. It is incompatible with the bookstores that sell martial arts books next to it, and in this world where martial arts are mainly practiced, this bookstore only sells books on mind cultivation.

The shopkeeper of the bookstore is an old man, who is immortal, but he looks weak. He just lies on the recliner in front of the bookstore every day and reads books, and most of the books in his hands are books that no one cares about in this Gaowu country.

One day, a young guard came, "Shopkeeper, do you have a martial arts cheat?"

The old man smiled, "Since it's a cheat, why do I sell it in this bookstore?"

The young guard scratched his head, "My exercises are family heirlooms, and I can't improve them now." ”

The old man shook his head, "You don't need cheats. The old man threw over a book, the title of which was "Be Kind to Others".

The young guard pursed his lips and threw the book down and walked away.

The shop next door was an armory shop, and the blacksmith was strong and powerful, but very kind. Seeing that the old man had persuaded the customer to quit again, the blacksmith couldn't help but persuade, "I said the shopkeeper, you sell books like this, you can't sell them at all." Even if you sell some hard qigong exercises, you can make more money than now. ”

The old man who was called the shopkeeper shook his head, "I just want to know whether I should do what others like or what I like." ”

The blacksmith laughed twice, "I loved to sing when I was a child, but my father can strike iron." I know that if I don't strike iron, I will starve to death, and our blacksmith shop, a century-old shop, has powerful weapons and makes a lot of money. ”

The blacksmith's son, who was pulling the bellows, shouted, "Daddy, I want to study with the shopkeeper." ”

The blacksmith slapped his son on the head, "Studying? Reading is a fart! With your blacksmith head, you will be able to make iron at most in the future! If you don't make iron, you will starve to death!"

The shopkeeper smiled and asked the blacksmith, "What if you don't starve to death?"

"Not yet!" replied the little blacksmith, who was slapped again by his father.

Then the old blacksmith said, "How can there be such a time? If we don't strike iron, my family will starve to death." ”

The shopkeeper opened the book and read it again.

It's a good bookstore, and there are always a few people coming in one day. But most of them are martial artists, and these life principles are really useless to these martial artists. Most of them pouted and left.

As for those dignitaries and noble women, they also enter occasionally, but they just look at the names of those books, and they are not as good as the books.

After a month, the bookstore business chatted. On this day, many people stood in front of the bookstore, because a couplet was hung outside the door of the bookstore.

Shanglian: Whoever is a scholar is useless

Downlink: Useless is a scholar

There is also a piece of rice paper outside the door with big characters written on it, "100 gold asks for horizontal approval".

The shopkeeper was still leaning on the recliner and reading a book, as if the shop that begged for hundreds of dollars was not his.

A group of people coaxed and shouted, but they couldn't make the shopkeeper's expression change at all. The little blacksmith was hired by him to greet those who came to inscribe the inscriptions.

After a while, the little blacksmith shouted out the horizontal criticism written by these people, "It is indeed useless", the shopkeeper shook his head.

"It's my business," he shakes his head.

"It's your business," he shook his head.

"What's the use," he said, continuing to shake his head.

......

"Useless use," the shopkeeper opened his eyes and looked at the man who had written the line. It was a young man who thought he was in his twenties, he was carrying a long sword, his face was like a crown of jade, and he looked like a noble son.

The shopkeeper smiled, "This chivalrous man can get a hundred gold." This man reminded him of a man, a young man who was once as confident.

The young man with the sword on his back shook his head, "I don't want a hundred gold, I just want to talk to Mr." ”

Everyone was clamoring, "Don't you want a hundred gold? Isn't that stupid?"

The young man only chuckled, saluted the shopkeeper, and walked towards the bookstore.

The shopkeeper also smiled, led the young man into the discord, and said to the little blacksmith, "Close, the bookstore is closed for one day today." ”

The young man sat still, looked at the shopkeeper, and said nothing.

The horse shopkeeper also sat down and began to quietly boil water and make tea in the tandoor on the side.

"Gao Wu Guo and Wan Jian Guo have been at war for a hundred years, and their national strength has been lost, but they are still dying. What can the shopkeeper teach me?" said the young man.

"How is reading?" replied the shopkeeper with a smile.

"I read, but he doesn't read, what can I do?" the young man sighed.

"If you read, you will win the battle. Naturally, he would read. The shopkeeper said again.

"If I were to study, how could I be sure that I would be victorious?" the young man asked.

"Not sure, it's possible to win the battle. The shopkeeper replied.

"What's the use of reading?" asked the young man again.

"You say, useless. The shopkeeper replied.

The young man was silent, and after a moment he said again, "Sir, do you think reading is useful?"

"What's the use?" said the shopkeeper.

"Enrich the country and strengthen the army, and the war is good for repairing the military. The youth said.

"Not necessarily. The shopkeeper said.

"What's the explanation?" said the young man.

"Today, I promise a hundred gold for horizontal criticism, and reading is for a hundred gold. Tomorrow I will use books as waste paper, so what's the use of reading?" said the shopkeeper again.

The young man smiled slightly, and bowed to the shopkeeper, "I don't know if Mr. is willing to become an official?"

The shopkeeper took a sip of tea and said with a light smile, "In this way, reading can be used for official careers." ”

The young man bowed deeper again, "I don't know if Mr. is willing to be my prime minister?"

"Hahaha!" the shopkeeper laughed louder, "In this way, reading can enrich the country and strengthen the army, and it will be beneficial to fight and cultivate the military." ”

Emperor Gao Wu worshipped a new prime minister.

In the court hall of all the martial artists, among the martial arts who came and went, the minister walked slowly and softly through the palace gate every day, but stood at the front of the court without hesitation.

When a group of warriors quarreled over the battle with the Ten Thousand Swords Kingdom, the prime minister suggested retreating and avoiding its edge.

Imperial edicts were issued frequently.

In the "Land Reclamation Order", all the land cultivated by the people on their own shall be owned by the people, and the imperial court shall collect one-tenth of the tax burden.

"Stop Killing Order", unless the judgment is not allowed, the private fighter is beheaded.

"Military Merit Order", those who go into battle to kill the enemy, are rewarded with military merits, honorable knights, gold and silver, and fiefdoms.

According to the "Gang Order", all private gang organizations must be reported to the government, and the government has the right to recruit and transfer them for a short time. All gang warriors must obey the government's dispatch at least one month every year, otherwise the report will be cancelled and the gang will be punished.

......

As soon as the decree came out, the entire Gaowu country was mobilized. And the "Gang Order", which everyone felt was the easiest to trigger a backlash, was most thoroughly implemented after the Prime Minister had a conversation with the Red Star Society, a gang that had just grown up.

A year passed, and the young man with the sword on his back gave the battle order in high spirits. The retreat of the day has turned into a thick accumulation, and there are nearly a million gang troops on the border, and the regular army soldiers are well fed.

The shopkeeper, Ma Xiangguo at this time stood beside the young monarch, looking into the distance.

The young monarch said excitedly to the minister, "Ma Lao, let's go with me to see my high martial arts iron hooves to break through the Ten Thousand Swords Country." ”

The prime minister shook his head slightly, "Your Majesty, I'm leaving." ”

"Why?" the monarch's expression suddenly became nervous.

"Your Majesty, do you remember, what's the use of reading?" asked the shopkeeper with a smile.

"Useless use. The monarch remembered that it was a year ago that this answer allowed him to gain the support of the old man in front of him.

The shopkeeper nodded, "This year, I have the answer, so I don't have to delay it here for a long time." ”

The monarch was stunned, "What is Ma Lao's answer?"

Ma Guoxiang smiled slightly, "No one is useful, so naturally reading is useless." If someone uses it, it is useful to read it. ”

The monarch frowned and looked at his prime minister, "What does Xiangguo mean by this?"

Ma Guoxiang nodded, "The way of heaven is impermanent, and when the person who pursues the way of heaven is near, there will naturally be traces to follow." Heaven is ruthless, it depends on whose hands it holds. I offer a plan for Your Majesty to strengthen the country and repair the army, but the country of ten thousand swords will be destroyed because of my life. ”

"Are you always going to leave me?" said the young monarch, his face was full of anxiety.

Prime Minister Ma stroked his beard, bowed to the young man and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for helping the old man to enlighten." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the young monarch shouting, "Where is the worship hall!"

Five monks jumped out in the rear, including even a big offering in the foundation building period, this big offering is also familiar with the horse country, the two once drank tea and talked about it, and at this moment they couldn't help but persuade, "The minister of the country is a scholar of heaven and man, once he leaves, I am afraid that the country of Gao Wu will be in danger!"

Ma Guoxiang smiled, his body changed, and a middle-aged man appeared in front of everyone, he smiled indifferently, "Even so, we have nothing to be nostalgic for this piece of monarchy!"

Everyone felt a flower in front of them, and the middle-aged man disappeared.

The young man Xiao Wu who was flying in the air silently thought, "The other Yuan Babies are almost the same!" Seeing that this body was Xiao Zicheng's appearance, he spread his hand, and three stars appeared among them, surrounding each other, he smiled slightly, "A star is a star, no wonder you turned into a magic robe, at that time, I was afraid of the power of immortals, so I want you to protect it!"

Xiao Wu looked back, and on the canopy of the sky that had just darkened, a star was shining, it was the North Star, but it was different from usual. It is the North Star, but there is the breath of Xiao Wu on it.

"For example, Beichen, why bother picking the stars! Beichen, it is Beichen!" Xiao Wu stood in the void with a smile, and under his feet was the martial cultivation star, far away, the stars were brilliant.