In the past six months, some things have developed wonderfully.
Sikong Jianshou, who had already made up his mind to let his assassination skills follow him to death, met Nie Xingxie, an assassin who was cold on the outside and hot on the inside, and was immediately rewarded. successor.
The scheming of Ye Qingxuan and others is still not suitable for being a killer, and they can't fully understand the coldest killing intent in this lore sword, but Nie Xingxie is different, the value of his existence is to kill, it is his master Yan Wu She is a specially trained killer to take revenge on all the enemies who betrayed him.
It's a pity that Yan Wushe died too early to give Nie Xingxie the highest guidance, but this time he met Sikong Jianchou, he would never let Nie Xingxie this piece of rough jade go.
Although Nie Xingxie could not worship Sikong Jianchou as his teacher, he became the adopted son of the old killer. Sikong Jianchou taught the [Ten-Step Lore Sword]in his pocket, and half a year of hellish training made Nie Xingxie After mastering about 60% of the power of this sword, as soon as he came out of the mountain, he killed Zhong Wuji, an incomparable Void Returning Realm expert, leaving many masters of the magic sect helpless to see Zhong Wuji die on the spot.
Meng Yuanyun and Nie Xingxie, one in the open and the other in the dark, were investigating information in Shuzhou. After being attacked by the Demon Sect, the two immediately disappeared and hid.
This combination of killers and thieves is all based on concealment. Even though the Demon Sect used amazing manpower for a while, they couldn't find their traces, which made the senior management of the Demon Sect very annoyed.
At the same time, Ye Qingxuan and his party, who bid farewell to Wuyizhuang, drove the carriage unsteadily into the southern area of Shuzhou.
Five days later, Luzhou Mansion, the seat of Jiangyang County, was already in sight.
"Luzhou Mansion" was called "Jiangyang" in ancient times, and it was also called Jiucheng and Jiangcheng. Located in the southeast of Shuzhou, at the confluence of the Dajiang River and the Tuojiang River, the water transportation is developed, and various forces gather here, and the open and secret struggles have never stopped.
But since ancient times, Shuzhou has been hindered by the dangers of mountains and rivers, and the folk customs are simple and simple, and they love a self-sufficient life.
Before Ye Qingxuan first came, he asked the Yang brothers who were familiar with Shuzhou martial arts about the power distribution of this transportation hub city, and through research on Shuzhou martial arts, Ye Qingxuan discovered that the strong regional concept of Shuzhou people has already It is not only aimed at people outside Shuzhou, but also within Shuzhou, which is also geographically distinct. Every state, county, and even every county has the most powerful gangs of the locals themselves. Gangs above the county level exist.
Even the two most famous Shushan Sword League and Tang Sect in Shuzhou are mainly based on the states and counties they occupy, and it is difficult to extend their hands to other states and counties to achieve a dominant chess board.
Among them, the six major sword sects of the Shushan Sword League have become the most powerful sects in Shuzhou because they each occupy a state and county, and they have been promoted to one of the "Ten Ten Sects". The famous Chengdu Mansion is well-known.
As for the Luzhou Mansion that Ye Qingxuan and others are about to enter, there are three major forces fighting against each other. They are the Nanchuan Gang, which controls the transportation of the city, the Qionghua Club, which controls all the gambling games and brothels in the city, and the Yangwei Escort, which has businesses all over Sichuan.
The three major gangs each have their own business. In this Luzhou mansion, the well water has always been the same as the river. The whole Luzhou mansion has developed a relatively peaceful and prosperous atmosphere in this balance.
Because Luzhou Mansion is located in a strategically important place from Shuzhou to Jingzhou, and is also a major water transport city, the "Dajiang League", which has always attached importance to controlling the waterways of the Dajiang River, has a lot of contacts with the "Nanchuan Gang" here, and there is even a "Dajiang League" in the local area. The sub-helm responsible for liaising with the business of all parties is only because this place is mainly for business transactions, not for territory. Therefore, the "Dajiang League" here is not strong. It only relies on two shops and has dozens of people left behind. People are called Zhongsun Ji.
This person is a group of old people with the highest seniority in the "Great River League", and they are close friends of the old leader Jiang Tao. Ye Qingxuan is not familiar with him, but he has a close relationship with Zhong Sunji's eldest brother Zhong Sunliang. This also established a good relationship between the two.
As soon as Ye Qingxuan and his party entered the city in a carriage, they were greeted by Zhong Sunji who had received the news.
As soon as he entered the city, Ye Qingxuan already noticed the difference here. He clearly felt the peace and prosperity of the people in Shuzhou compared with the war-torn Central Plains.
Today is the eighth day of April, and the Shuzhou area becomes extremely lively on this day.
Chinese children can be seen in the streets and alleys, holding hands and singing nursery rhymes: "Buddha was born on April 8th, caterpillars get married today. Marry to the mountains and never go home."
Ye Qingxuan watched it very interestingly, and Zhongsun Ji next to him explained with a smile: "This is a local custom in Shuzhou, called 'marrying caterpillars'. Every day on the eighth day of April, people go to the fields to collect grass leaves. , seedlings, and the dew on the leaves, and bring them home to grind ink. Then, write on the cut strips of red paper, "The caterpillar gets married today, and goes to the mountains, and will never return home." After writing, Paste two pieces of paper crosswise on the inner wall of the house, and the locals believe that this will protect the crops from pests and allow a good harvest.”
Ye Qingxuan and the others nodded in understanding.
The people drove the ox cart forward, and the front team was not just a celebration team of any ethnic group, leading the cattle. They played the reeds and flutes, sang folk songs, and danced Miao dances to celebrate their traditional festivals.
The girls are all dressed up in gorgeous clothes, and the gorgeous clothes of Qiang girls are more full of exotic customs. The sound of coquettish laughter and play fills the city gate avenue lined with shops. On the crowded streets, the sound of firecrackers is endless, and the smoke is everywhere, full of festive atmosphere.
Seeing Ye Qingxuan and the others showing curious faces again, Zhong Sunji explained with a smile: "The same day is also a festival of several major tribes in Shuzhou, called 'Outing Qing Festival', and some are called 'Niuwanghui', anyway They are all offering sacrifices to the God of Earth, praying for a bumper harvest of crops for a year... "
Ye Qingxuan and the others were overwhelmed by the beauty, and they were very happy to be able to catch up with such a festive celebration.
Suddenly, everyone forgot about the turmoil outside them, and could not help but get involved in this city full of love for life, and they moved slowly with the crowd of people shoulder to shoulder.
There are multiple floors and pavilions, standing on both sides, all decorated with lights and festoons, and the middle door is wide open for everyone to enjoy.
Some wealthy families invited musicians and actresses to perform to add to the fun, exuberant joy, and an unreal feeling of poverty and intoxication.
For a moment, the crowd lingered and forgot to return, not knowing where to go, they just followed the crowd slowly forward.
Zhong Sunji led a few servants to arrange Ye Qingxuan and others in the small courtyard behind his shop first, and then said with a smile: "Everyone, take a short rest, I have reserved a place at the largest restaurant in Luzhou Mansion 'Zuixianju', I will clean up the dust for a few of you later."
Ye Qingxuan didn't expect the other party to be so fanatical, so he quickly declined: "Uncle Ji is too polite, you and my family, why bother to spend so much money, and I should not make too much publicity on this trip, or it will cause trouble for everyone in vain."
Zhongsun Ji let out an "eh" and said, "Brother Ye is wrong to say that."
"Oh? Would you like to hear more about it?"
Zhongsun Ji explained with a smile: "Since brother Ye is on behalf of the court to win over the people, how can he do it quietly? If he doesn't show courage, many local sects who maintain a neutral attitude will not join us. Only We are powerful enough, imposing enough, and arrogant enough, and these people will think that we are strong enough, and they are willing to attach to us, because they think we are strong enough to win. If we are too low-key, although it is good for safety, it is not good for snatching those people. The art of choosing sides..."
When Ye Qingxuan heard this, he immediately cupped his hands and said solemnly: "Thank you, Uncle Ji, for reminding me. These kind words are just words that awaken the dreamer. Indeed, I was too concerned about my personal safety before, but I didn't understand the purpose of this trip at all. But Uncle Ji's understanding is also slightly biased. The younger generation is just the forerunner of the trip to Shuzhou. My main purpose is to expand my reputation and influence. It is also my main task to make good friends with gangs in various places. I'm not able to do it, it's more appropriate to find someone with high morals and respect for this kind of thing, the court does have other arrangements, the younger brother is just here first, to see what everyone thinks..."
Zhongsun Ji hurriedly said: "Oh, hehe, then forgive me for talking too much, little old man."
"That's not the case, Uncle Ji. Although I'm not a special envoy of the imperial court, I really need to show my identity and demeanor, so as not to be looked down upon by the local sects in Shuzhou."
Ye Qingxuan secretly said in his heart: This old man has a lot of capable people, just looking at Zhong Sunji's eyes, he can tell that his ability is extraordinary. Although his martial arts are a little weak, but he is really good at dealing with those local snakes in the local area.
Everyone talked and laughed all the way, and came to the "Drunk Fairy House".
Zhong Sunji is indeed a good dancer with long sleeves. In this banquet, apart from a few local masters from the "Dajiang League" as companions, Tian Kaijiang, the deputy head of the "Nanchuan Gang" "Dragon Boat in Arms", was also invited as a guest. There are several local sect masters, which can be regarded as quite high standards.
From this point of view, this Zhongsun Ji also intentionally reminded Ye Qingxuan to immediately establish a good relationship with the local sect and win support.
This banquet was a joy for both the host and the guests. Since the people showed great kindness, Ye Qingxuan also showed great face, which made the heroes of the various factions at the meeting have a good impression of Ye Qingxuan and the Kunwu faction. They are willing to come to this banquet. It is the intention to establish a relationship with the rising Kunwu faction. Now seeing Ye Qingxuan being so polite, he is very happy, and it can be regarded as the establishment of the lowest covenant.
It's just that when the atmosphere upstairs was in full swing, everyone suddenly heard an uproar outside, followed by noisy discussions spreading. The adjacent courtyard of this "Zuixianju" is an inn run by the same owner. At that time, the crowd was already turbulent and panic-stricken.
Just when everyone was wondering, a voice floated up from the chaotic voice downstairs, saying: "It's not good, someone from the escort agency was robbed, it seems to be someone from Yunzhou, what's his name 'far away? Mountain Escort'. It's so miserable, no one is alive..."
When the words "Yuanshan Escort Bureau" came to Ye Qingxuan's ears, his complexion suddenly sank, he put down his chopsticks lightly, and said to everyone apologetically: "Everyone, it seems that this meal can't be served. I ate with... "