Twilight, Tongguan Road narrow road.
Wu Du rode his horse across the mountain road and into the plain.
"drive!"
Hurry up, the way back is easy to walk, you will reach Xichuan in two and a half days, and then come back over the mountains and mountains. If the journey is smooth, you can turn back in three days.
The setting sun slowly sank at the end of the rolling hills, illuminating the mountains with a dark red light. The shadows between the mountains and the mountains intersect. I don't know when it started, Wu Du has gradually not liked the night. Whenever night falls, there will be a feeling of desolation that will end one day; I don't know when it started, he has become accustomed to walking in the daytime, and does not want to go back to the night.
"You are an assassin, an assassin has no day, only night."
The voice resounded in his ears again.
He urged the horses to chase the last light of the sunset in the west, as if he did not want to see the world entering darkness so quickly. The rest of the brilliant dark blue left him a quiet and colorful dream.
He still remembered that when he was a child, he didn't like the day, he only liked the night, and it was safe and practical to be one with the night, but now he prefers to stay in the day. The daytime is more lively and interesting. When the boy wakes up in the morning, he will talk to him with a smile, busy with this, and the world will come alive in an instant.
Once they fell asleep at night, they stopped talking. Wu Du seemed to have returned to his own world, guarding the closed door, waiting for Duan Ling to wake up and talk to each other. Another day passed, another sleep, and the door closed again.
Just like what I saw in Zhao Kui's mansion before, a Western bell from Fanbang's tribute, every time it arrives, a door will be opened on the bell, and a little man will come out of the door, chirping. When Wu Du saw it for the first time, he thought it was amusing, but the little man would only come out at midnight. The rest of the time, whenever he passed the bedroom, he would stop and wait, waiting for the little man telling the time.
There is only so much fun in life, and Wu Du couldn't help but sigh that he was really a failure.
The stars rose, and the Big Dipper shone brightly in the autumn starry sky, guiding his direction. In a few days, it would be the Qixi Festival.
How did you spend Tanabata? I'm afraid that on the last day, it will not be so easy to escape... Wu Du began to think that since he left the teacher's door, he has always been alone, and the festival is not like the festival, and the New Year is not like the New Year. After this time, you can rest well.
Wu Du always felt that he couldn't see through that kid. Since the first day this young man named "Wang Shan" came to him, he seemed to be hiding something in his heart, hiding it deeply and deeply, as if he was wearing a mask. . However, after thinking about it carefully, Wang Shan really didn't do anything too unusual.
Sometimes shrewd like a fox, sometimes stupid, I really don't know who it is...
In the quiet night, there was a breeze blowing from the mountain road, and the horse's hooves seemed to become lighter. The leaves flew up beside Wu Du, rustling, and he was left behind. The Fomalhaut Gate also rose, and Wu Du turned the direction along the winding mountain road, turned to the southwest, and entered the official road in the mountain.
In the early morning of the next day, Duan Ling slept darkly and looked tired.
There was a thick fog that day, and when he came out of the courtyard, he could barely see his fingers. Duan Ling subconsciously wanted to call Wu Du, but remembered that Wu Du had gone back to Xichuan. The housekeeper came to inform, and Duan Ling went to see Bian Lingbai.
Fei Hongde's legs were almost healed. The two were waiting for Duan Ling to have breakfast. There were several generals in the hall.
Bian Lingbai said to Duan Ling: "You came in a hurry a few days ago, and I haven't introduced you to these few. They are all Tongguan lieutenants and uncles."
Duan Ling just got up, but the generals were first to give in.
"Don't dare, don't dare."
Bian Lingbai introduced them one by one, two lieutenants, two school officials, one chief clerk, one deputy general surnamed Wang, the other Xie, with the highest status, but the chief clerk had no control. This Gao Shen, even more reluctant to let the headmaster intervene in the internal affairs, so when the meal was over, the school official and the headmaster retired, only Wang Yu and Xie accompanied him.
After the meal, Ling Bai ordered one person to order troops and accompany him and Duan Ling out of Tongguan to the eastern section of Qinling Mountains to check whether his treasures were still in good condition.
Tongguan is built on the mountain, with Xichuan in the south, Huaiyin and Shangzi in the east, and Xiliang in the north.
There is a vast sea of clouds, billowing fog, and the vision goes up all the way, the mountains seem to be separated on both sides, and the cloud waterfalls go straight out of the mountains.
"Rong'er." Bian Lingbai rode a horse and walked side by side with Duan Ling.
"Hey, uncle." Duan Ling replied.
"You talk too little." Bian Lingbai said, "It's always so quiet and quiet that you say you are mature and stable, yes, too little talk, I'm afraid you won't be able to help."
Duan Ling said: "I am like this at home. My uncle taught me the right lesson. I will open up more in the future."
"Your father is a prudent person." Bian Lingbai said, "If you talk too much, you will lose, and if you say too much, you will be wrong. Tell me, what do you think of Liao and Xiliang today?"
Duan Ling knew that Bian Lingbai was planning to rebel, and Bian Lingbai also deliberately did not hide it from him, vaguely, as if he intended to reveal a little to him, but he did not explain the overall plan to him, presumably to try his loyalty.
"I will do whatever my uncle thinks," Duan Ling replied.
Bian Lingbai laughed. He didn't expect Duan Ling to say that. Usually, stupid people don't see their own stupidity, but they also like to beware of being too smart around them - this is what Li Jianhong taught him.
"You have to do something for me." Bian Lingbai added, "I think that Prince Dang Xiang likes you very much. You can make an appointment with him for me to go outside the city. I have other arrangements."
"Okay." Duan Ling agreed without thinking.
Bian Lingbai was a little surprised that Duan Ling didn't ask anything, but this attitude of not asking anything was exactly what Bian Lingbai wanted.
"But I'm not sure." Duan Ling thought for a while, and said, "What if he doesn't want to follow me? I'm afraid he... becomes suspicious? By the way, uncle, what are we going to do?"
Bian Lingbai gave him an inscrutable look, and said, "You won't find a way by yourself?"
Duan Ling was silent, and Bian Lingbai said, "Accompany him more. If you don't understand anything, just ask Mr. Fei."
Duan Ling had no choice but to nod, thinking that you want me to sell my color, but it was just right, I just wanted to chat with Helianbo.
The clouds dissipated, and the Qinling Mountains were always covered with a dark cloud. When they came to the place where they had been abducted last time, Duan Ling said, "It's near here."
Bian Lingbai was about to instruct someone to start a search, but Duan Ling gently pulled the corner of his shirt and said, "Uncle, I have something to say."
Bian Lingbai walked aside, Duan Ling remembered that Fei Hongde was not here, and suddenly couldn't help but admire the old fox. At that time, Fei Hongde already knew that he had found the entrance to the treasure! But said nothing.
"I suspect a place." Duan Ling whispered in Bian Lingbai's ear, "No one told me."
"Take me there." Bian Lingbai said, and then ordered his subordinates to wait here, and asked Duan Ling, "Do you know how to use swords?"
"I can shoot arrows." Duan Ling replied.
Bian Lingbai took a bow and a quiver to him, and threw him a sword. Holding the sword, he motioned Duan Ling to mount the horse, and Duan Ling pointed the way, and then rode his horse into the dense forest.
"Here." Duan Ling said, "I saw it when I came last time, but I didn't tell Mr. Fei."
Duan Ling's original intention was that I didn't tell Mr. Fei, don't show your words, but Bian Lingbai misinterpreted his meaning and nodded subconsciously: "Well, good."
Duan Ling didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Bian Lingbai dismounted carefully, and the two of them looked into the cave where the assassin passed that day. There was a cool breeze blowing from it, and Bian Lingbai stepped forward. Duan Ling bent his bow and took an arrow, took cover from behind, and when he pointed at the back of Bian Lingbai's neck, his hands trembled.
Now that the arrows are fired, one hundred and one hundred, but even if they shoot, they can't escape, so let's wait for Wu Du to come back.
"Come in." Bian Lingbai said.
Duan Ling checked the traces around, and there was obviously a winding passage leading to the deepest part of the cave. At the end, there was an empty underground cliff in front of him. Duan Ling lit a candle and signaled Bian Ling Bai to look at it. Sure enough, there was a cliff edge. There are traces of footsteps.
"Uncle, I can't go in anymore." Duan Ling said.
Bian Lingbai looked uncertain, as if thinking about something.
"Look at the back." Duan Ling said again, "There is a rope cut."
"It's here." Bian Lingbai nodded slowly and said, "Come back to find the treasure another day, and let Mr. Fei figure out the day."
"Let's go." Bian Lingbai stood in front of Duan Ling, and Duan Ling suddenly didn't want to kill him. Except for wanting to rebel and kill Helianbo, Bian Lingbai didn't seem to do anything too much to himself. .
Bian Lingbai looked back at Duan Ling, his eyes were a bit strange, and he seemed absent-minded. Duan Ling was thinking about when Wu Du would come back when suddenly Bian Lingbai stretched his foot and Duan Ling couldn't dodge and slid down the edge of the cliff. , immediately shouted.
Bian Lingbai looked at Duan Ling silently, a little regretful.
"I'm sorry, Rong'er." Bian Lingbai said, "Uncle thought and thought about this secret. It's better that less people know about it. Anyway, your Zhao family is dead, and you can still be reunited with your father when you go down. Come on, uncle will burn some paper money for you."
Then, Bian Lingbai stepped on Duan Ling's hand with a ruthless kick. Duan Ling shouted angrily and rolled off the edge of the cliff.
In the evening, Wu Du hastily rushed into Xichuan City.
The imperial decree to move the capital has been issued. In less than half a month, the big households have withdrawn from the thousand-year-old imperial city, and the city is in chaos.
"Where's the prime minister?" The night when Wu Du continued to steal the ledger, he hadn't closed his eyes for three days and two nights, and his eyes were full of tired red threads. The first thing he did when he entered the mansion was Mu Kuangda, but the prime minister's mansion was empty. There are a few people, and they must have moved to Jiangzhou first.
Wu Du's secret message is bad, don't leave, otherwise, it will be too late to go to Jiangzhou again!
Lord Changliu was playing shuttlecock with Mu Qing in the courtyard, and the two of them glanced at Wu Du.
Mu Qing said in surprise: "Wu Du?! Where is Wang Shan?! Where have you been?!"
Lord Changliu looked at Wu Du suspiciously, Wu Du gasped, stood with folded arms, and said, "I want to see the minister, there is an emergency military situation."
Changliu Jun laughed and said: "How to use 'seek'? It seems that it is really urgent, unfortunately, Mu Xiang has already gone to Jiangzhou first."
Wu Du: "..."