The moon hung brightly on the treetops, white and bluish, like an upside-down porcelain plate. Occasionally, dark clouds can be seen, which is the peeling glaze on the porcelain body.
Liu Shao'er was lying alone in the carved canopy bed, the Zhuluo tent was hanging, and the moonlight shone directly on her body through the half-opened mullioned window. She fanned the fan for a while, and looked at the talented and beautiful woman in red and green skirt painted on it. Suddenly, she was upset for no reason. She threw the fan, knocked the fan bone on the ground, and slid into the black lacquer incense table. There is no shadow underneath.
She opened the box, and inside was folded the dresses she had bought recently. The red and gold-colored bijia, the horse-faced skirt woven with gold and heavy silk, and the gold-embroidered jacket with silver-red makeup and flower plate are more beautiful than the other. She took out each piece and compared it on her body. She walked around in front of the mirror, thinking that the royal princess was no match for her beauty, so she went to sleep contentedly.
When she was sleeping soundly, a pair of cold hands reached into the bed, and Liu Shao'er tossed and woke up. She was startled, and quickly sat up and shouted, "There are thieves! There are flower thieves! "
"Liu Shao'er, Liu Shao'er! It's me!" The visitor covered her mouth and stopped her sharp voice. Liu Shao'er took a closer look and realized that it was a book.
He was quite haggard, with a shaggy beard and dust on his face. Liu Shao'er stroked her heart and calmed down for a while, before she said, "You're going to die! You're bluffing me like this!" As she spoke, her eyes turned red again, "You friend, you've been away for several months, and you're still sending a letter in front of you, and you're behind. There's no more news. I'll treat you like the man next to you and abandon me!"
Shu Qing accompanied her smiling face and said, "But I bring money back every month! I'm busy with things later, so I don't have time to write letters."
Liu Shao'er raised his head, revealing his porcelain-white chin, and said bitterly, "If you abandon me, I'm not afraid! I still have a flattering face, and I will never starve to death."
"Where are you talking about?" The book was in a hurry and couldn't help raising her voice, she saw that Liu Shao'er's eyes were red, like the red makeup on the corners of her eyes, her heart softened again, and she whispered, "Liu Shao's eyes are red. Son, you believe me, I will not leave you alone. Even if I die, I will leave you enough money to keep you safe for the rest of your life."
The moon moved a little to the east, and the window lattices separated the moonlight into grids, like broken white tiles. Liu Shaoer helped Shuqing take off his clothes, and put his coat and hat on the rosewood hanger. The shoes were unsightly dirty, so they placed them by the door, and waited for the girl to come and wash them in the morning.
The two lay in one place, hugging each other, Liu Shao'er nestled in the love of the book, and asked: "Erlang, seeing that the autumn season is approaching, you can't play with that Xiahou Lu recently, reading with peace of mind is serious."
Shu Qing suddenly stuttered and said, "I... I..."
"Although your sworn eldest brother has indeed helped us a lot of money, he is not a serious person after all. Now you still have to watch him pay for your entanglement. It is not good to cut off contact with him for the time being. If you want to see Master Juren, you can't mess with him anymore."
Shi Qing's heart was twisted into a twist. He wanted to tell Liu Shao'er that he was a murderer and a desperado according to what Xia Houlin said, but he couldn't open his mouth. After hesitating for a long time, he said dejectedly: "Liu Shao'er, I won't go to the imperial examination, don't think about it."
"What! That Xiahou Lin doesn't want to do it for you!" Liu Shao'er sat up.
Shu Qing got up, lowered her head and said, "I'm not a student, so give up. It's good for me to do business with my brother. That's it, don't talk about it." He turned around, no matter how Liu Shaoer beat him, he didn't say a word.
Liu Shao'er sat on the bed, looking at her blue-white hands and feet, hanging out under the moonlight, the moonlight seemed to be mixed with ice, and it was cool on the hands and feet, and her hands and feet became more and more white, as if they were transparent.
Liu Shao'er is not uncommon for people like Shu Qing and Xia Houlin. Running around in the rivers and lakes, running business, doing some idle work, some hit the big luck, and can make a lot of money, but more overturned the boat halfway, and couldn't float up for a lifetime. What's more, Shuqing is doing business with other people, and living a life of relying on people's breath, what a precarious situation!
The man named Xia Houlin looked a bit shrewd, and there was a ruthlessness in his eyes, he could make money. The clothes in her box and the jewelry in her make-up buns were not bought by Shuqing with money from Xia Houlin? But people are people, and a nerd like Shu Qing can't do anything if he can't take the imperial examinations.
She has tried it all. Shuqing is a poor man with no father, no mother, and no family. Earlier, he followed the master in the rivers and lakes, and now he is in the rivers and lakes with Xia Houlin. How can he have a good future
Liu Shao'er put down the tent, it was pitch black, the moonlight roamed outside, and she could never come in again. She lay down, very tired from writing, and fell asleep. She listened to the man's heavy breathing and slowly closed her eyes.
Shu Qing followed Xia Houlin away the next day, and Liu Shao'er stood on the tall building, silently watching the two of them go away slowly in a boat. The one in black linen was Xia Houlin, squatting on the salt bag, and the people from the Cao Gang didn't know what to say. The one who handed over the shirt to the Yuebai student was Shi Qing, still waving at her. Liu Shao'er turned around indifferently and led the maid away.
———
Xia Houlin hurried back to Jialan. Except for paying respects to Xiahou Pei and Chinese New Year, Xiahou Lin basically does not return to Jialan. Jialan Village at the foot of the mountain is still a small village. The thatched houses are crowded together. Half-old children are fighting each other with knives in the open space in the middle. When they saw Xia Houlin and Shuqing riding past, they stopped and looked at the knives with dark eyes. It was overcast, with an icy coldness, like rusted iron that had been buried in a tomb for a long time.
Xiahou Rin knew that they were looking at the knife he hung on the side of the horse. With the knife, they could put up their cards and leave the mountain. But they don't know, most of them never come back.
Xia Houlin first went up to the top of the black-faced Buddha to visit Chiyan. The guy just came back from Oara a few days ago, and he brought him the gold-encrusted glazed earrings worn by the Oara people. That place is very expensive, and only people with status can wear it.
"You don't want me to make a hole in my ear to put it on, right?" Xia Houjin pinched the earring and turned it under the sun. The transparent glass reflected colorful rays of light in the sunlight.
Chi Yan pushed back his hair, and on his right ear there was an identical ear piercing, and the pale colored glass resembled his eyes. Only then did Xia Houlin realize that Chi Yan only gave him an ear.
"Good mother, you," Xia Houlin said, looking into his ears, "what are you doing wearing this stuff, the girls are chirping."
"The men in Oara also wear it." Chi Yan said, "The exact same earrings, the exact same you and me, just right."
"We are from Daqi, not from Oara." Xiahou Lin twitched the corners of his mouth, put the earring in his purse, and said, "I won't wear it if I kill you."
Chi Yan looked a little frustrated, but he didn't say anything, just turned his eyes to watch the sunset. At the end of the mountain, the setting sun has already fallen halfway, like a thin and torn red paper-cut, sticking to the sky. The mountain wind was blowing, and it was cool on the face. The two of them sat on the top of the mountain, as if surrounded by clouds, surrounded by ink-like mountains, with feather-like clouds floating in the middle, flowing slowly. .
"Chiyan, do you know where our Jialan case slip library is?" Xia Houlin asked suddenly.
The reason why he came back was precisely because of the case library. The rules of Jialan are strict, and the assassination of assassins is recorded in documents, including the life, preferences, family property, assassination time, location, weather, and the candidate of the sheath, all of which are recorded and filed in the archives.
His mother had promised him to ask Jialan for the sheath, but when he went to Liuzhou to find Xiahou Pei, no one knew that the one who died in Beishi was Xiahou Pei. At that time, he thought that Xiahou Pei had fooled him, but now it seems that Xiahou Pei probably only needs a sheath. And that sheath probably didn't support Xiahou Pei at all, and he didn't know how to avoid Jialan's accountability.
So as long as you know that you find Xiahou Pei's document, you can find the sheath, and you can know who killed his mother.
Chi Yan didn't speak for a long time, and when the sun was about to go down, he lowered his eyes and asked, "Are dead people so important? Is it more important than living people?"
Xia Houlin was stunned for a moment and asked, "What do you mean?" He turned his head to look at Chi Yan, his eyebrows lowered, the shadows of his eyelashes fell into his eyes, showing a depth that he did not often have.
Chi Yan didn't speak any more, just led Xia Houlin into the cave, pulled away the vines on the wall, and a dark cave half human height appeared, like the unfathomable mouth of a beast, waiting to drink blood and eat people.
"The black-faced Buddha is empty, and the library is in the black-faced Buddha's belly." Chi Yan said.
"It turns out that the abbot came up from here!" Xia Houlin said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier, it made me climb the mountain for so long every time."
"Originally, you couldn't go in." Chi Yan whispered, "But..." He raised his eyes to look at Xia Houlin, his big black eyes were calm and peaceful, "As long as it is your wish, I will help you realize it."
"..." Xiahou Lin didn't know what to say, so he thanked him dryly, and bowed to go in.
Chiyan suddenly stopped him and asked, "Xiao Rong, do you want to be the abbot?"
Xia Houlin turned around and wondered, "Why do you do that stuff? I don't want to be a bald man, knocking on wooden fish and chanting sutras all day."
Chi Yan didn't say anything anymore, put down the vines, and the cave was completely dark. Xia Houlin took out the fire stick and blew it, and the fire burst into flames. Xia Houlin stood there for a while, thinking about what he had said before. He felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, Chian was a person without wishes, so he regarded his wishes as his own. But it seemed like he owed Chiyan something, and the ear tint in his purse suddenly became heavier, and he suddenly remembered that he never thought of bringing anything for Jiyan.
Alas, forget it. Xia Houlin stopped thinking too much and concentrated on going down the stairs. After descending an unknown number of steps, there must be at least a hundred or so, and suddenly there is a large open space, with a row of large tables, filled with bottles and jars. Xia Houlin walked a few steps, and suddenly there was a small round pebble under his feet. Xia Houlin picked it up and saw that it was a small pill.
There are several pots of flowers and plants under the surrounding stone walls, there is a flower in the middle, no leaves, only a slap-sized red flower, with layers of slender petals curled inward, like blood-stained fangs, looking at the An indescribable monster.
Isn't this place where the abbot takes drugs? Xia Houlin looked at it and thought, he had the urge to burn this place down, lest the abbot continue to harm people. But after thinking about it, he gave up. After all, he came to check the documents, so it's better not to make extravagances.
Suddenly there was a thin moan in front of him, Xiahou Lin hurriedly blew out the fire, and walked forward in the dark. The moaning got closer and closer, and there was candlelight flickering in the cave in front. Xiahou walked over with a cat on his waist and saw a row of bedding, about a dozen of them, lying on top of the stone wall. Their faces were blue and white, their mouths were half-open, and some could still groan a little bit, while some had been silent.
Xia Houlin walked over and saw several familiar faces. One was an assassin who defected last year and was caught by Akiba, but he disappeared. Xia Houlin thought he had been beheaded, but he didn't expect to be here.
Xia Houlin did not delay much and continued to walk down. The next floor was indeed the case library. Book compartments taller than a person were densely placed on the ground, and only one person could walk between the two book compartments. With his eyes wide open, he searched through the dusty dossier, and finally found the "Garduro" dossier on the bookcase in the middle. It was full of information about Garuda in all dynasties. When he turned to the end, he saw the portrait of Xiahou Pei.
I don't know who painted this portrait, except for the face, there is nothing like Xiahou Pei. The woman in the painting has bright eyebrows and a sweet smile, like a boudoir girl who is ignorant of the world. How can she look like a murderous Garuda? But Xiahou Lin stroked the little statue, and his eyes were still red. He wiped his eyes hard and turned the file back.
The dossier records Xiahou Pei's assassination every time, from the age of twelve to the age of thirty-five. Xia Houlin turned to the back, wanting to see Xiahou Pei's last battle, but found that that side had been torn apart, and only a few pages were left in the cracks of the book, like a row of yellowed teeth.
In fact, Xia Houlin had expected it long ago, but he was not reconciled and held a little hope. Now, this hope is like sand between fingers, all of a sudden slipped away with the wind. Xiahou Lin stayed in place for a while, then turned a few pages forward.
In the twenty-eighth year of Qianyuan, in the summer of April, Dingsi, Qingzhou, it rained heavily. Garuda beheaded Cao Gang Ye Xiu on Chengnan Street.
In the twenty-seventh year of Qianyuan, in the autumn and July of Dingwei, there was a hundred-foot cliff and rain. Garuda beheaded He Kun, the head of the He family, in the He's archway.
In the twenty-seventh year of Qianyuan, in the summer and June of Jiachen, Taozhu, it rained heavily. Jialou Luo pursued Mu Qing, the second master of Junzi Dao, in Wujia Village, but he was surrounded by ten people and killed him.
…
Xia Houlin turned a few pages in succession. Since the twenty-sixth year of Qianyuan, heavy rain, heavy rain, rain, rain, heavy rain... It's all rain! It turned out that that person had long wanted his mother to die! Qingzhou is near the sea, and April is the most rainy month. Hundred-foot cliff faces the sea, and there are often heavy rains in summer and autumn. Taozhu is the same. That person deliberately sent his mother to assassinate her in the rainy season, just to aggravate her injury!
Who in the end has the power to distribute the sale of the eight parts of Galan? who is it…
Xia Houlin's head hurt for a while, he knew the answer, the dark shadow appeared in his mind, getting clearer and clearer.
But why would he do this? Xiahou Pei is Jialan's first knife, and she has never betrayed Jialan. Why? He turned back to the side where the small portrait was painted. There was a faint line of ink in the footer, and the name of the artist was written, almost invisible.
It says: Murder.
Xia Houlin's hands were shaking, and the file seemed to be so important that he could hardly hold it. The shoulder was suddenly tapped, and Xia Houlin was suddenly startled.
"It's me." Qiuye turned out from behind, "I knew you would come here."
"Master." Xia Houlin's eyes were red.
Akiba put the dossier back into the bookcase and whispered, "Let's go, let's go out and talk."
As soon as the words fell, footsteps came from the upper floor. Both of them were shocked. Xia Houlin quickly blew out the fire, and hid in the depths of the book with Qiuye.
The sound of footsteps approached, a man appeared in front of him holding a candle, Xia Hou hunched his body, and peeped at the man's face from the gap above the dossier. The man's face was blocked by the book grid, and Xiahou Rin could only see a long shadow on the wall in a ray of light, wiggling one by one. Xia Houlin felt that his eyes were a little flowery, and he looked at it, as if he saw the erratic ghosts beating in the whole cave, filling the cave with each and every one.
The man did not speak, was silent, and stood where Xia Houlin had just stood. He put his hand on Garuda's file and stopped for a long time.
Finally, he pulled out Garuda's file, turned to the page of Xiahou Pei's portrait, and carefully tore it off and placed it on the flame of the candle. The flames licked the small statue, Xia Houlin's heart clenched, he saw Xiahou Pei's bright smile turned to ashes in the fire, scattered into the air, and there was no trace.