The snow was still falling, and the night was getting darker. The officials and gentlemen in the village who were arranging for this group of officials went to rest in various houses. Fan Xian didn't let Hong Changqing and the swordsmen watch at night, because he knew that there were still dangers hidden outside. Although the six swordsmen were good at assassination, they didn't have a good method for long-distance attacks. He was alone in a daze. Although the fire in the brazier was burning and there was a lot of bamboo charcoal on the side of the basin, it always made people feel that the temperature seemed to have dropped a bit.
It was quiet.
Fan Xian stretched out his hands to warm the fire, his head was slightly tilted, obviously distracted, and he suddenly said, "My sword went out."
He paused for a moment, and then concluded: "But, Zhan Kong."
The light in the ethnology hall changed slightly, and the red light in the brazier illuminated Fan Xian's shadow, which twisted and moved on the ground, and then a man in black clothes walked out of the shadow, He naturally sat beside Fan Xian.
Fan Xian glanced at the pale middle-aged man, and handed over the wine bag.
Shadow quietly looked at Fan Xian's wrist and the wine bag in his hand. After thinking for a while, he shook his head and said in a gloomy voice, "Alcohol makes people slow down."
"What's the name of Yan Xiaoyi's son?" Fan Xian changed the subject, took back the wine bag and took a sip, feeling a pungent fire from his lips to his heart.
"I don't know." Shadow shook his head, and then said, "You gave him a good nickname."
Fan Xian said: "Don't be too tense, this little brother Arrow should still be freezing in the snowy night outside, how could he dare to attack from nearby."
Shadow nodded.
Fan Xian handed over the wine bag again and said, "Take a couple of sips. I'm not Chen Pingping. Although there are many people in this world who want to kill me, at least it's not that easy."
Shadow thought for a while, took the wine bag and took two sips. After a while, two traces of blush appeared on his pale cheeks. He looked like a clown on a stage, very cute.
Fan Xian chuckled, and said, "If you and I get along differently, I can't bear the loneliness in the dark anyway... I've always been curious, don't you usually need to eat and drink?"
When protecting Chen Pingping or Fan Xian personally, the shadow was always around, no wonder Fan Xian would ask this question.
Shadow said gloomyly: "Of course I have my own way."
Fan Xian shook his head, didn't say anything more, and turned back to the first sentence: "You saw that my sword cut through the air."
"Yes, my lord," Shadow said without emotion, "That Thirteenth Wang is very strong."
Fan Xian was silent. Of course he knew that Wang Xi was very strong, strong enough to approach the ethnology quietly in the snowy night, but he let neither himself nor the shadow notice it, so strong that he could, when the arrow flew into the air, A wandering spirit stood in front of Fan Xian like a ghost, so that Fan Xian's sword... cut into the air.
The seemingly simple green banner blocked it, but Fan Xian knew the strength contained in that black arrow in the snowy night, the more understated Wang Xi's performance, the more it proved his strength.
"I can't see through him." Fan Xian picked up the iron rod from his feet and fiddled with it in the brazier. "This Shisan Lang is indeed very strong, but he is very tolerant. A ninja must have big plans..."
He suddenly raised his eyebrows: "It's not Ren, he doesn't care, Wang Xi's conversation shows that he doesn't care about many things, he doesn't care about my verbal attacks, he doesn't care about my deliberate humiliation... If he was really sent by Sigu Jian, why does he not care so much?" ? Only if you don’t care, can you not care. If a person can’t see what he wants, it’s a little troublesome.”
What exactly does this Thirteenth Wang want
This question gradually weighed on Fan Xian's heart. He didn't like this kind of situation where an outsider suddenly ran in to make the situation messy.
Shadow suddenly said: "This person... should be from the Sword Cottage, but not just from the Sword Cottage."
Fan Xian didn't understand it very well, but he believed... Shadow's judgment, the closed disciple taught by Si Gu Jian, was indeed mysterious and powerful.
He sighed and said, "Let's talk about it after he kills Brother Xiaojian."
Shadow glanced at him, knowing that this is the so-called certificate of honor, knowing that Fan Xian used this knife to kill people not because of the fineness of the knife, but because of the heart of the knife. If Wang Shisanlang really looked around the sword, Yan With Xiaoyi's son killed by him, Fan Xian has a lot to write about. At least there will be a huge gap in the relationship between Xinyang and Dongyi City.
"Others don't know that Thirteenth Wang is Si Gu Jian's closed disciple." Shadow reminded.
Fan Xian calmly explained: "If he kills Brother Xiaojian, I will let the whole world know that he is Si Gu Jian's closed disciple."
Shadow was silent for a moment: "My lord is wise... But, this kind of benefit may not be enough."
Fan Xian understood what he meant, and playing with Sigu Sword would make Dongyi City angry. Although Fan Xian and the entire Qing court were used to putting blame on Sigu Jian's idiot's head, but now that Sigu Jian put himself Fan Xian shared a trace of his sincerity, and it would be a pity if this trace of sincerity was used to sow discord between Xinyang and Dongyi City.
He glanced at the shadow, and said quietly: "I'll listen to you about the affairs here in Dongyi City, you are more familiar with it than me."
"Yes, my lord." Shadow said slowly: "Also, there will be heavy snow in the next five days, which is suitable for archery attacks, so be careful."
"How far is the black knight from us?"
"Ten miles."
Fan Xian fell silent. In such a snowy day, it was really troublesome for a master of arrows to surround the convoy far away. Fortunately, there were black knights sweeping around, and it was impossible for the other party to mobilize the military team to take risks. .
To mobilize the army to kill Fan Xian, all the targets must be wiped out without leaving a trace of evidence to present to the palace.
And even the most powerful army in the Qing Kingdom was not capable of killing all five hundred black cavalry without leaving a few alive.
"I don't understand why they chose to attack me on the way back to Beijing. The other party should know that the possibility of success is not high." Fan Xian frowned and said, "Although Yan Xiaoyi's son is young, he is not so arrogant. It is."
"Maybe he has a reason to do it." Shadow said slowly: "I'll kill him."
After thinking about it for a while, Fan Xian shook his head slowly: "I don't know who else is around him, the two of us are together, let that Wang Shisanlang do it... Safety first, a creature like a master, it's very difficult." Gather a dozen or twenty, if there are only a few people, why should we worry?"
Shadow gave him a strange look, but said nothing.
Fan Xian looked up at the dark beams with gray nets hanging in the ethnology hall, and sighed in his heart. He didn't dare to use his own people to launch the most powerful counterattack on this snowy night, because... in the past two or three years , The biggest gap in his mind is that arrow, that bow.
Yan Xiaoyi's bow and arrow.
Until today, two years later, Fan Xian can still clearly feel the breath of death in the turret of the imperial city, the hostility attached to that arrow, and he still feels extremely palpitating.
The arrow from outside the ethnology earlier came too suddenly and unreasonably, so Fan Xian was worried that this was a game, a game of trying to lure himself or his shadow into the snowy forest to snipe.
Yan Xiaoyi was also ordered to return to Beijing this year. The court reported that he was still on his way and hadn't arrived in Beijing, but who knows... On the way, which way is it? Are you on your way back to Beijing
Fan Xian fumbled at the charcoal fire in the brazier, his thoughts had already drifted to the snowy forest outside the village, the fire in the brazier gradually dimmed and extinguished.
"Go to bed early."
Fan Xian sighed in the dark, got up and patted his buttocks, tightened the collar of the fox fur coat, and pushed open the gate of the ethnology. The wind and snow outside poured in, making his eyes narrow, but no arrow shot. Come here, but let him a little disappointed.
※※※
On the second day, the convoy followed the north of Yingzhou, took the official road and headed towards Kyoto. Because of what happened last night, the security work of the entire convoy became more stringent. Three of the swordsmen from the Sixth Division pretended to be businessmen walking in the snow, watching all suspicious people from the dark.
Fan Xian issued another order, and the five hundred black riders who had been protecting the front and rear of the convoy from a distance also drew closer to the convoy, faintly audible the sound of hoofbeats, in order to ensure safety.
And along the way, there are always some characters with a bit of Jianghu atmosphere in the teahouse, in the restaurant, in the inn, and outside the post station, watching the train.
The spy swordsmen of the Overwatch Council were a little vigilant. After reporting to Fan Xian, Fan Xian just nodded slightly, without any major reaction.
When he was about to leave Yingzhou, a woman with a broken arm waited respectfully by the roadside, stopped the convoy, and asked to see an adult.
When Fan Xian saw her, he drank his tea and looked at this rather charming woman with some interest.
The woman knelt in the carriage, with a trace of awe and fear, said: "This subordinate has seen the adults."
Fan Xian nodded, waved his hand and said, "Guan Yumei got up and talked."
"Yes." This female bandit who was famous in Yingzhou at that time, Xia Qifei's cousin, stood up respectfully, half hunched so that her head did not touch the roof of the carriage.
"What did you find?" Fan Xian asked, rubbing his brows. Although the Overwatch Council's intelligence network spreads all over the world, if you want to investigate people in the market, it is still not as good as Jiangnan Shuizhai, a gang that is deeply rooted in the people. Jiangnan Shuizhai can find out exactly what kind of guests the family's inn picks up, and who the car dealership picks up.
Guan Yumei reported the situation these days, and then said: "Only one person was vaguely found, and he was carrying a big burden, but the brothers in the gang couldn't follow him. He disappeared in Fujiapo the day before yesterday. Looking at his whereabouts, it should be Went to Kyoto."
Fan Xian was silent for a moment, thinking that Brother Xiaojian really came to kill him alone with great courage.
After a few more words, he let Guan Yumei get out of the car.
The convoy started to move forward again, just like the observation of the sky with shadows, there was still snow in the sky in the next few days.
Finally arrived at Weizhou on the upper reaches of the Weihe River safely. This place is the last state government in the south before entering the capital. The city is not big, but it is also very prosperous. However, the return date of the imperial court has been set early, and Fan Xian's family property silver box is still in the Weihe River. On the way, under the protection of the Shazhou navy, he slowly headed to Kyoto, but he could not delay any longer.
So on the second day, he left Weizhou, but at this time he had already revealed his identity, and at the same time transferred a hundred state troops to Weizhou. The Weizhou side was afraid that something might happen to this great man, so of course they responded to every request.
The enlarged team walked northward for a day, left the territory of Weizhou, and entered Kyoto.
Fan Xian stood on the carriage and looked back. On the short hill behind him, Jing Ge wearing a silver mask was watching him. He nodded. Jing Ge got on the horse and shook his right fist. Like a black sharp knife, it cut through the tranquility of the hills, passed through a hill, and was about to fall into the black cavalry camp forty miles away.
This is the death rule of the Qing Dynasty court. The black cavalry was the invincible army that His Majesty the Emperor personally allocated to Chen Pingping back then. However, in order to ensure the transcendent status and balance of the Overwatch Council, the black cavalry was strictly prohibited from entering the territory of the capital.
If you take a step forward, you will be killed without mercy. This is the iron law of black cavalry. Fan Xian often thought that from this iron law, he could understand that even though his own emperor, Lao Tzu, was so self-confident that he could treat anyone who rebelled as a trifle, I'm afraid... Deep down, he also understood that Qing Guo's dignitaries If you rebel, the cripple is the most terrifying.
Although the emperor would not believe that the lame man would rebel, as an emperor, he must guard against it.
※※※
Entering the territory of Kyoto, the official roads gradually widened, the mountains and forests gradually decreased, and the number of pedestrians increased. The wind and snow gradually subsided, the snow gradually melted, and the horseshoes were wrapped in wet mud, making it difficult for the entire convoy to move forward.
However, everyone in the Overwatch Council has relaxed their minds. No one in the capital would dare to snipe in broad daylight.
Although Fan Xian was a very cautious person, he was no exception. Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, even if there were occasional ambitious people in the military, no one dared to make trouble near the capital.
A small valley appeared in front of the eyes, the white snow pressed the precious evergreen forest, and the branches creaked under the pressure, and the frost became a dragon.
Fan Xian lifted the heavy curtain, looked at the valley, and found that there were no rocks on the mountain, and the huge city of Kyoto could be seen in the distance, suffocating like a giant beast.
Fan Xian put a smile on his face, Jingdu, he is finally back, Brother Xiaojian's extremely unreasonable arrow has made him nervous for so many days, it seems that he really needs to strengthen his xinxing cultivation.
…
…
Suddenly his earlobe trembled, and he heard the sound of a sharp knife piercing into flesh in the forest ahead. It was the sound of the shadow moving his hands, and then he heard the sound of a crossbow being pulled.
With a scream, Fan Xian reached out to grab the groom in front of him, and all the carriages in the convoy stopped abruptly following the scream!
From above the short hill, a huge crossbow arrow pierced through the air, and with the sound of howling wind and thunder, it hit the carriage where Fan Xian was sitting with a hiss.
The groom screamed wildly, broke free from Fan Xian's hand, and stood in front of Fan Xian!
Although Fan Xian reacted extremely quickly, the crossbow bolt that was about the length of a man's arm still pierced the coachman's chest and abdomen fiercely, blood and internal organs were all sprayed out, and the liver was smeared!
The crossbow shot out and pinned the coachman's body to Fan Xian's side. Fan Xian's expression was gloomy, he slapped the wall, and with a clang, a wooden board was quickly lowered from the cotton curtain of the carriage, sealing the entire carriage.
Immediately afterwards, countless terrifying, suffocating crossbow arrows sounded in the valley!