It was late in the morning in Shuobei, it should be the time when the roosters crow, and the horizon was still a dark blue. Xiahou Lin got up early in the morning, put the horses in the stable into the carriage, and led them to the gate. Chi Yan brought the quilt, and made it soft and firm in the carriage according to Xia Houlin's instructions. Xia Houlin found another hand stove, heated it, and stuffed it into the quilt.
Fanzi also got up one after another, gathered in the yard with knives on their shoulders, glanced at Chi Yan pulling a carriage, and looked at each other.
"Master Chiyan, why did you set up the carriage?" You Fanzi asked.
Chian didn't reply, just silently looked behind the crowd. Everyone turned their heads and saw Xiahou Rong come out of the room with Shen Jue in his arms. Shen Jue crouched in Xia Houlin's arms, staring at Xia Houlin, but didn't move. Xiahou Lin didn't even look at him, he went straight through the stunned crowd and sent Shen Jue into the carriage. Xia Houtong put the stove in Shen Jue's arms, helped him tuck the quilt, and finally touched his cold cheek.
"This anesthetic can numb a cow. I was afraid of hurting your body. I mixed it with water, but it was enough to last a day. Stop struggling, I won't let you go up the mountain." Xia Houlin looked down at him, "I You are already dying, but you still have a great time. You can't go on adventures with us, go back and live a good life, don't think about me. If I survive, I will go back to you, and then I will follow you. You can hit or scold as you like."
Shen Jue closed her sour eyes tightly, bitterness in her mouth. He was too careless, he thought that he had come here, and Xia Houlin would not be able to help him no matter how much he objected, but he did not expect that Xia Houlin would actually play a trick. A light kiss fell on his forehead in the darkness, he opened his eyes, and saw Xiahou Lin smiled at him, and placed a folded piece of paper beside his pillow.
"This..." Xia Hou Lian paused, as if to say it hard, "It's my suicide note."
Shen Jue opened his eyes wide and watched him cry. Xia Houlin helped him dry his tears and smiled guiltily, "Master, I always seem to make you cry."
His limbs were sore and numb, like a ghost pressing a bed, Shen Jue wanted to get up, wanted to speak, but was powerless.
Xia Houlin looked at him quietly for a while, and finally said softly: "Master, goodbye."
He backed away, the curtain fell, and the inside of the carriage was dimly dark again, with only a ray of light leaking in from the window panes. Shen Jue heard Xiahou Rong say outside: "Fifteen people will take the Governor back to Beijing, and the rest will follow me up the mountain."
The carriage started, and the deep ruts on the slush stretched out. There was Shen Jue in the carriage, and Xia Houlin was at the other end. Xia Houlin led the crowd to start climbing, and the hooks shot into the rock, and they climbed up the mountain along the hooks. The sun is about to come out, and the blue end of the original blue reveals the blue of the crab shell. Xia Houlin hung on the cliff, turned his head to look back at the carriage, which had become a dark little spot, slowly moving forward on the white snow field.
He thought of his suicide note. He had written that suicide note for a long time, and he wanted to say too many things, and in the end he became speechless. He thought that the biggest creditor in his life was Shen Jue, and the debt he owed him was a debt that could not be repaid with his life. He really wants to repay it with his whole life, preferably until he is 70, 80, and 90 years old... For the song and dance on the Qinhuai River to pay off the debt, the bells of Hanshan Temple to pay off the debt, the Jiannanchun in Bashu Miaodi and the sunset on the yellow sand outside the Great Wall , When they can no longer walk, they will build a hut at the foot of the green hill... They lie in the hut and close their eyes, and the debt of a lifetime will come to an end.
It's a pity that he can't give anything after all, and his debts will be taken to the other side of Huangquan.
so…
The carriage was bumpy, and the suicide note slowly unfolded in the constant shaking. Shen Jue saw the hazy handwriting in the corner of the letter—
"Master, I'm sorry, this time, just treat me as my fault."
Xia Houlin and his party climbed non-stop, and along the way, they encountered one after another of pale skeletons in the cracks of the rocks and the old pine trees growing out of the cliffs. Chi Yan said that it was the ancestors of Garan, they came alone, but died halfway. Everyone looked up, and from time to time a piece of snow-white bone appeared between the stacked rocks. No one knew their names, and their knives sank deep into the snow, revealing only the rusted hilt.
It turns out that Baili's house is the main hall of Jialan, and it is also the burial place of assassins. This snow-capped mountain is the real knife mound of the assassin.
Climbing up a cliff, Jihan took off the burden on his body, and placed the steamed buns and pickles on the ground.
"What are you doing, Master Chiyan?" You Fanzi asked.
Chi Yan said: "The abbot said that when he saw the seniors, he wanted to invite them to dinner."
He turned his head to look at Xia Houlin.
Xia Houlin walked over in silence, the two knelt down in front of the snowy mountain, Xia Houlin took out the wine bag and sprinkled the strong wine on the snow.
"Assassins like me have no name, no surname, no king, no father, no family, no country. With the Bodhi sword, the blade of life and death, we kill innocent people, sinners, ordinary masters, and generals. Darkness is my brother, and Changye is my blood relative. I wait, for the shadows in the light, the ghosts in the night, the moths in the fire, to commit sins, and to kill the enmity. Entering this door of liberation, I will obtain my immortality. May your ancestors live in bliss and return to immortality together."
"The twenty-ninth generation Garuda, Xiahou Lin."
"The thirtieth generation Garuda, Xiahou Chiyan."
"May you seniors, protect my brothers and move forward without hindrance." Xiahou Rin said word by word, "Wow, sorry, Fu Wei Shang!"
The snow wind came through the mountains, and the heavy snow fluttered in the sky like flying white flags. In the vast snow, the fans seemed to hear the whispering whispers of ghosts - "rebirth in bliss, together with immortality", "reincarnation in bliss, together with immortality", "rebirth in bliss, together with immortality". The sound was like a heavy bell, swaying and swaying in the snow.
Xiahou Rin and Chi Yan kowtowed three times, and Xueluo covered his body.
Fanzi were all silent, silently listening to the whistling in the wind and snow. The place was silent, as silent as death, and only ghosts could whisper. In an instant, they suddenly felt that this place was originally the resting place of dead souls, and they were strangers who entered the forbidden area by mistake.
Xia Houlin stood up from the snow and said to them, "If Chi Yan and I are exposed in a while, you can evacuate by yourself after setting the fire, don't worry about us."
"How does this work?" Xi Xuan frowned.
Xia Houlin shook his head and said, "Do as I say."
Only then did the fans realize that the burden of Chian was almost empty, and he did not leave rations for the return journey. This assassination had only a knife, no sheath. These two men had no intention of going back alive from the beginning. They were the assassins of Garan, and they shared the same fate with these dead souls—
Buried in the snow mountain, the soul chases the snow.
Shen Jue took a deep breath and shook hands. His fingers were already able to move. This anesthetic was not as powerful as Xia Houlin said. Either he mixed it with too much water or he bought a fake. Xia Houlin has been staying under his nose, and this medicine is probably bought out of disgust. Chi-hate that kid, Shen Jue's eyes darkened with anger, he originally thought he was an honest man, but he didn't expect to be a two-faced person!
Shen Jue pressed her elbows against the car board, trying to straighten up. His body kept shaking, and he couldn't use his strength. He gritted his teeth and persisted for a while, but he still lay back. Although it only took a while, he was already sweating profusely. He tried again, but it still didn't work, so he relaxed, looking at the roof of the car and gasping for breath. After resting for a while, he stretched out his hand to look around the car, trying to use strength, but his fingers trembled, and his fingertips turned blue due to the force, but it still didn't help.
You bastard, Xia Houlin this bastard! Shen Jue closed her eyes, panting.
The carriage ran fast, swaying straight, something fell out from his waist, and with a muffled sound, he reached out and found a cold and hard hilt of the wrong golden knife.
It's his dagger.
The snow fell all over the mountains, and the snow on the ground was enough to cover the heels. The patrolling assassins rested under the pine trees to eat dry food. Someone went out to urinate. ice. Putting a hand on his shoulder, he smiled and said, "Let's go out together?"
There was a sudden pain in the back of his waist, his eyes narrowed, his hand covered his mouth, and the screams were covered in his throat. He grabbed the hand of the person behind him twice and slumped weakly.
Xia Houlin pushed him into the snow, put on a mask, turned his head and walked towards the assassins in the middle. He grabbed the crossbow from behind his waist with both hands, and shot short arrows from left to right, piercing the eyebrows of the two at the same time. Small blood flowers splashed from between the eyebrows, like bright flowers, with a bloody beauty. The assassins were startled and drew their knives one after another. However, countless fans fell from the sky, the goose ling knives slashed in the flying snow, and the blood splashed like fireworks.
A man escaped, and Chiyan walked out from behind the tree and passed him by. No one saw Moan unsheathed, but the man had already collapsed, clutching his neck.
Bury the body and hide the blood. Everyone put on their masks and walked towards the Hou Mansion.
After going out of the forest, you have to walk another section of the mountain road. After crossing a seven-arch bridge, you can see the Hou Mansion. It was a huge and majestic black brick wall, lying in the snow wind, like rolling dark clouds, as if dividing the two worlds of yin and yang. The snow and fog are too thick and the sight is not good, and the lanterns are still lit during the day. Hug-sized lanterns hang two tucks under the wall, faintly exuding a little halo, the only warm color in the vast snow and wind. A corner door opened at the bottom, and two lines of assassins stood in front of the door.
The fans quietly replaced everyone and pushed open the door for Xiahou Rin and Chi Yan.
"You two, please be careful!"
Xia Houlin patted a fan on the shoulder, turned around and crossed the threshold with Chi Yan. The door knocked with a bang, the door closed behind him, and the sight in front became clear, the walls were smoked black, the hanging flower doorway in the distance had collapsed in half, the carved stone plaque was broken into two pieces, and half of it was sinking into the snow. There are huge ancient trees lying across the broken walls, all scorched, the black wood is covered with white snow, and there is an indescribable desolation.
However, the first thing that catches the eye is not the ruins, but the... dense snowmen.
In every corner stood snowmen, three in a pair, tall on both sides, short in the middle, plump bodies, billowing white, like dumplings piled up together, with two thin branches sticking obliquely on their bodies, it was their weak hand. The three snowmen held hands with each other, and some of the snowmen's heads were not straightened, but they seemed to be shaking their heads.
"Has this place always been ruins?" Xia Houyi frowned, "And these snowmen, have they always been there?"
Chi Yan walked in front of a snowman and looked into the snowman's dark eyes through the white porcelain mask, "It wasn't before Bailiyuan became Yama."
"..." Xia Houlin said, "I mean Bailiyuan hasn't rebuilt Hou's mansion?"
"Well, not repaired."
"Why don't you repair it?" Xia Houlin looked at the snowman, "Is this snowman like a family, parents and children?"
Chiyan went around behind the snowman, behind the snowman on the left was "Brother Chiyan", on the right was "Sister Ah Chu", and in the middle was "A Yuan". Xia Houlin obviously noticed it too. Looking behind the snowmen one by one, "Brother Chiyan", "Sister Ah Chu", "A Yuan", "Brother Chi Yan", "Sister Ah Chu", "A Yuan", one after another the same snowmen, The same handwriting over and over again, stubbornly repeated, piled up in desolate ruins.
"Because one's world is in ruins." Chi Yan whispered.
The snow was flying, and there was a faint sound of Xun in the bleak snow wind, hidden in the snowflakes, like a whisper. Chi Yan listened quietly, he suddenly remembered that when he was fourteen years old, he seemed to save a girl. He played xun on the edge of the pond, a tune taught to him by the abbot. When the abbot said that he was lonely, he would blow the xun, and the xun sound was like a low whisper, and he could pretend that others were talking to him. He actually felt that the abbot was a bit stupid because his mouth was blowing xun and there was no way to respond. He was talking to himself, or he was lonely.
But he still blew, his Xun sound scattered in the moonlight, like a white butterfly flapping its wings, flying alone to the distant horizon. He forgot how long he had been blowing, and when he was tired, he stopped and wanted to go back to his room to sleep. As he passed the corridor, he saw the girl, leaning against the post, her chin resting on her knees, a small ball.
He remembered the small, pale cheeks in the blue moonlight.
It's her, it's Bailiyuan.
It turned out that they had met a long time ago, before they became mortal enemies.
White gauze lanterns swayed in the wind and snow, and he remembered Bailiyuan's wish written on the sky lantern—
Our family will always be together.
"Let's go, Xiaolin, follow the sound of Xun and find her," Chi Yan turned and walked forward, "kill her."
Shen Jue breathed slowly, her palms opened and closed. The snow was flat, but the carriage could not help shaking, and the small lanterns on the outside slammed against the wall of the carriage. He probed into the dagger a little bit, and the wrong gold hilt was held in the palm of his hand. The complicated patterns on the hilt rubbed against his palm, causing subtle pain. He propped himself up and sat up, his hands and feet were still limp, and his body collapsed involuntarily. He turned around, leaned against the perimeter of the car, tightened his fingers, pulled out the dagger with trembling hands, and made a slash on his left arm.
Severe pain ran through his body, and warm blood gurgled out, soaking his wet sleeves. The body was still numb, and the pain wasn't enough. Shen Jue gritted her teeth and made the second and third strikes. The pain overwhelmed the anesthesia, and the strength slowly recovered. With trembling hands, he opened the curtain, and the wind and snow poured in. Fanzi, who was driving the car, turned his head in surprise and saw his pale face and sullen eyes.
"Now, immediately, go back!"
Assassins roamed the ruins like silent ghosts, black shadows appearing and disappearing in the pale snow. They didn't speak to each other, Xiahou Lin and Chi Yan didn't dare to talk, they quietly walked through the crumbling corridors, passing by the darkened courtyards and halls. The xun sound is getting closer and closer, scattered in the heaven and earth, as if a little trembling, like drifting snowflakes.
They passed a hut, and three snowmen watched them silently through the moon hole. Chian didn't stop, and walked up the corridor, Xia Houlin took a few glances and followed behind. The corridor twists and turns, leading to the depths of the snow and fog. Xia Houlin felt a little uneasy in his heart, this Xun voice was like a wandering ghost, guiding them to an unknown place of death.
They entered the barren garden, and in the middle of the frozen pond in front of the faded pillars saw the kite. With her back to them, she sat cross-legged on the ice, a hazy petite shadow in the snow.
"Are you going or me?" Xia Houlu asked in a low voice.
Chiyan didn't answer, and walked straight out of the corridor, step by step toward the center of the pond.
The cold sword light flashed in the flying snow, the sound of the Xun stopped abruptly, and bright red blood stains appeared on the ice. Xia Houlin also walked over and looked down at the small corpse. Bailiyuan's profile was hidden under her long black hair, as pale as a doll. Xia Houlin squatted down to check her face, there was no human skin mask, it was a real face.
Unexpectedly went well. Xia Houlin thought, then just sneak out before the assassin finds out. I hope Shen Jue calms down before he goes back, and he can pretend to be injured so that Shen Jue can't bear to blame him.
"Xiao Lian, draw your sword." Chi Yan suddenly said.
"Ah?" Xia Houlin looked up at him.
Chi Yan has already drawn out his knife, facing the empty snow mist all around.
"No xun," he said.
Xiahou was shocked, and subconsciously looked at Bailiyuan's hand.
Ghostly assassins came out from behind the ruins, their white porcelain masks expressionless, and their dark eyes stared at them.
It was an ambush, and Bailiyuan knew they would come!
Xia Houlin pulled out the step lotus and turned back to Chiyan, the snowflakes fell on the black knife, forming a thin layer of frost.
A short shadow appeared at the top of the ruins in the distance. She was wearing a plain jacket with phoenix and cloud shoulders and a horse-faced dress with makeup, woven, gold and red satin. In the white snow, she was as gorgeous as a bloodstain. Chi Yan looked at her from a distance, silent. The girl opened her hands to them, as if embracing the snow, and as if she were embracing a person.
She grinned, revealing a radiant smile.
"Brother, you are here to kill me!"