"Hey, who would have known that the monster would suddenly jump out of the cage, if the child hadn't jumped up and pushed the second son away..."
"The hands and feet are broken and the lungs are crushed, and the right half of the body is completely destroyed. What a sin!"
"I don't know how long that immortal medicine can hang for?"
"What a pity, she looks so beautiful..."
Blood-stained bandages were piled high beside the bed, and the shredded viscera was stained on the blanket, giving off an indescribable smell. The young Baixie was lying on the bed, and the right side of the body under the quilt slumped in strangely, as if there was no abdominal cavity. The position where the right arm and leg were supposed to be bent and bent into a shocking shape.
"No matter what kind of elixir it is, as long as it can sustain life, I will use it. Thank you for saving my brother's life. If you have any other wishes, you can tell me now..."
The young Juzong stood by the sickbed and said something, but Bai Xun was not listening. Tears from the pain still remained in the corner of the child's eyes, he opened his eyes ignorantly, and turned his eyes to the young man standing behind Juzong.
The second son of the eldest grandson family, Du Kaixun.
He was not two years older than Bai Huan, but he was much taller and stronger than the skinny Bai Huan. The innate madness and cruelty cannot be leaked from his handsome facial features. From the outside, his bright eyebrows and deep and clear outline are even very attractive to girls, and he has already shown the appearance of a handsome young man in the future. .
Probably touching Bai Hao's timid gaze, he twitched the corner of his mouth and laughed.
Ju Zong said: "I asked someone to ask, saying that you entered the eldest grandson's house during the famine three years ago, and your parents and family were gone. I wonder what other wishes you have? No matter what it is, I can..."
"It's okay," Bai Hao said in a low voice.
He bowed his head under Juzong's gaze and tried to curl up, but his small, broken body couldn't do it.
"Yes... Second Young Master gave me food, otherwise I would... starve to death."
He swallowed his saliva and wanted to say something but didn't dare. After a while he could only repeat it stubbornly:
"It's ok."
From the moment he stepped into the gate of the eldest grandson's family, his life no longer belonged to him, even if it was smashed to pieces or crushed into flesh by monsters.
Changsun Chengfeng fell into silence. After a while, he raised his hand and gently touched the top of the child's soft black hair, and said in a low voice, "Have a good rest."
The door opened and closed, and the room, which was filled with the strong smell of blood and medicine, finally fell silent.
Bai Hao was lying on the bed alone, staring blankly at the bed curtain with wide eyes.
squeak-
At this time, the sound of pushing the door suddenly sounded again, and the light strip extended from the crack of the door into the room. Du Kaixun went back and forth, got into the house in the sight of Bai Xun's suddenly lit up, and walked around the sickbed with his hands behind his back, then stopped and said with a smile, "Don't listen to my brother."
"Second son..."
"You can't live anymore." Du Kaixun interrupted him mercilessly.
Perhaps it was already well known, Bai Hao didn't react much, but the look in his eyes gradually dimmed, and he pursed his pale and tender lips for a while.
Du Kaixun found a chair and sat down, observing him condescendingly. It seemed that through the mutilated and embarrassed appearance, he discovered something more interesting inside, and suddenly asked, "Do you want to survive?"
Bai Hao raised his head blankly.
"Can you do anything for me?"
"..." The unbroken light in Bai Hao's eyes lit up again inch by inch.
Du Kaixun's smile deepened. He leaned against Bai Xun's ear, as if sharing a great secret among his playmates, with a trembling of excitement in the end, and said softly and word by word:
"When I condense a soldier thread, I will make you a soldier."
"That way you won't be in pain, you won't die, you will always be by my side and be loyal to me."
"You will always love me, forever."
…
That love will never be disobeyed, just as the master's command to the soldiers is supreme and will never change.
"—Didn't you say you love me and swear you'll never leave me?"
In the front hall of the Punishment and Punishment Hospital, the sun was dazzlingly pale. The grown-up Du Kaixun's body and outline are more stretched, but the sullenness in his smile is more difficult to hide. He walked around in front of the eyes with his hands behind his back, stopped under Bai Hao's horrified gaze, and said with a smile : "Then cut out your heart and show it to me."
Everyone was stunned, and the director of the East Punishment and Punishment Court stood up and shouted, "Due Kaixun!"
"What's wrong?" Du Kaixun looked down at Bai Hao's bloodless face, and his smile became more and more fierce and irritable: "I asked you to cut out your heart, didn't you hear?"
Don't do this, please don't do this.
The heart is my last flesh, and I'll die if I cut it out, please don't—
However, the command represents absolute control, which represents the inability to resist. Bai Huan saw his hand raised inch by inch, and stretched out to his left chest tremblingly, the huge despair and disbelief made his ears buzz. In a trance, he heard someone shouting and yelling in the hall. The head of the palace strode forward and grabbed his hand that was about to dig out his heart, but he couldn't stop it completely. To the chest!
"It must be Yan Ling!" Someone came to understand: "This kid dares to use the spell Yan Ling on the slave to force him to dig his heart!"
"It's too much, how can it be too much?!" "No, the president of the palace! We have to find a way to stop that kid with the surname Du!" "Hurry up!"
Some cultivators couldn't care less, and drew their swords and pointed at Du Kaixun, who was pushed down by the crowd: "Can't you untie it soon?!"
But the next time he laughed, he just let his throat face several Sen Han's sword tips, as if this scene aroused his even more mad bloodlust.
"No, I just want to see his heart." Du Kaixun said with a smile, "it's useless to kill me, come on."
The voices of the surrounding people were like a frying pan, and the angry accusations and roars almost overturned the roof, but Bai Hao couldn't hear anything. Gong Weiguang couldn't break his hand with brute force, and he didn't dare to use his spiritual power to directly break the bone or cut it with a knife. His hands are broken, hurry up!"
I'm not worth hurting yourself, Master Gong.
useless.
Bai Xun's fingertips had already pressed into the flesh of his chest, and the last bit of strength could only make him move his lips palely. Just listen at this moment - bang!
The door slammed open, and a familiar figure entered with a sword. The powerful energy shook everyone to a staggering, and some people lost their voices: "Juzong!"
Bai Xie Misheng looked at her, her pupils suddenly clenched.
The young Changsun Chengfeng had a cold expression on his face, he dropped his sword and stood up. Before he could say a word, he quickly walked over to hold Bai Hao, his fingertips flickered, and he penetrated into the body like a phantom, and fell directly behind him. spine.
Du Kaixun, who was still at ease just now, suddenly realized something, and suddenly broke away from the crowd: "Stop!"
But before he finished speaking, everyone saw Changsun Chengfeng turn his wrist, and at the same time, a crisp sound came from the back of Bai Xun's body - Kara!
Du Kaixun was furious: "No!"
As if a certain prohibition switch was finally closed, Bai Hao let go of her hand and collapsed backwards, with hot tears finally pouring out of her eyes!
Du Kaixun was still roaring something furiously, and the surrounding voices all faded into a distant background.
He smelled the light fragrance of wood in Juzong's arms, and suddenly his mind was very quiet, like the vast plain after a heavy snow, the whole world moved farther and farther from his side, until it turned into a vague and indistinct point of light.
"You don't belong to him anymore," Zhangsun Cheng's gentle and calm voice sounded from his ears.
"He doesn't deserve it."
"You have nothing to do with him anymore."
Bai Hao opened his quiet eyes.
In the hall of the Golden Boat Sky Pavilion, the mirror-like floor is expansive and bright, reflecting the huge purple light magic array magnificently. He crossed his legs and settled on the formation. Not far away, Changsun Chengfeng immediately strode forward, frowned and asked, "How?"
Mu Duo Zhuzheng withdrew the last ray of spiritual power used to detect it from the back of Bai Hao's neck, until the thin line formed by the thick purple light completely disappeared, then got up and said: "All the spiritual veins, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, blood vessels, blood vessels, blood vessels, and skeletons in Bai Zhenren's body. The soldiers' silk at the joints are all intact and the number is intact. It seems that the soldier's silk drawn from the bones of the Fahua Xianzun has nothing to do with Bai Zhenren, and should have been refined later."
He couldn't help frowning, and said suspiciously: "That Du Kaixun actually didn't die, this is very strange."
Changsun Chengfeng looked at Bai Hao in front of him with a complicated expression.
"Ying the leader of the alliance and others are still waiting for the result, then I'll go first." Mu Duozhu politely cupped his hands: "Bai Zhenren, there are many offenses today, don't take it to heart."
Bai Hao bowed politely.
After Mu Duozhu left, the hall of the Sky Pavilion returned to silence. The circular circle radiated a radiant glow, which dimmed Juzong's expression. After a long time, he finally let out a breath, knelt down in front of Bai Hao, and picked up the right hand that was hanging down beside him.
There was only one silk thread left in that hand, which was linked to the broken wrist, and Changsun Chengfeng took it back with his own hands. There was a slight mechanical sound from the fracture, and only a faint red mark remained on the damaged skin, and the red mark gradually disappeared after a while.
The injury did not leave any traces on the surface of the soldiers. As long as you close your eyes and don't look, don't think, and don't remember, it's as if the tragic past has never happened.
"Don't hurt yourself next time." Changsun Chengfeng whispered, "I'm not the one who made this body for you. I can't completely restore the skeletal body."
Bai Hao looked at him quietly, without saying a word.
Changsun Chengfeng leaned over and picked up the robe on the ground, and with this posture of kneeling on the ground, he carefully draped it on Bai Xun, with a gentle, serious and focused expression, like wrapping a rare treasure: "Don't be afraid, Bai Hao."
After a pause, he said again, "I won't let you hurt any more."
Bai Hao said softly, "It's okay..."
The lavender light wafts faintly, like a dream. Bai Hao's beautiful face seemed unreal in this radiance, and he looked at Changsun Chengfeng so deeply, as if he saw the more distant and vague years through him.
"It doesn't matter, I want to do it myself."
He closed his eyes, listened to the sound of his heart beating in his chest, and whispered, "... Lord Juzong."
·
"Bai Zhenren's body is intact?" Ying Kai confirmed it again with a serious tone.
Mu Duozhu cupped his hands and said, "That's true. Except for a heart that is still flesh and blood, the bones, joints, spiritual veins and organs have all been weaponized, and there is no shortage of half an inch of soldier silk in the whole body. It seems that it was planted in Fahuaxian. The soldier's silk in Zun's body was indeed refined after Du Kaixun."
He turned to Xu Shuangce with a three-pointed mocking expression on his face: "I traveled thousands of miles to the icefield without killing a single Du Kaixun, Sect Master Xu? Did you miss out?"
Unexpectedly, Xu Shuangce did not answer him, nor did Ying Kai.
The golden boat moved forward slowly, and the wind howled from the sky. The two great masters stood leaning on the railing, Ying Kai frowned and said slowly, "Separating the head and piercing the heart with one sword, there will never be a chance of surviving, even if he trains himself into a soldier. possible."
After speaking, he paused and asked, "Shuangce, do you still remember the ghost cultivator in Linjiang City?"
Xu Shuangce asked, "What?"
"You threw Du Kaixun's head off the cliff, and the ghost repairer has no head under his hood; Du Kaixun wanted Gong Zhengyu's right eye before he was alive, and he wanted Gong Zhengyu's corpse after death, while Linjiang wanted the right eye of Gong Zhengyu. The ghost cultivators in the capital are also related to the Fahua Immortal Venerable who kills everywhere, and can become the person who will provide him with a body for his rebirth." Ying Kai's brows furrowed even more tightly, "All kinds of connections are really strange, and the word 'coincidence' can no longer be used simply. Let me explain. - Do you think it is possible that after Du Kaixun died, he refined himself into the ghost cultivator in Linjiang Capital?"
Mu Duozhu said in surprise, "Ghost cultivator?"
Unexpectedly, Xu Shuangce was silent for a moment, but shook his head: "Only with a high realm during his lifetime, can he become a ghost cultivator after death. Although this child has an amazing talent, he is not as weak as a weak crown when he dies, so it is unlikely that he will become a ghost cultivator. …”
He stopped abruptly, and Mu Duozhu asked, "What is it?"
Xu Shuangce remained silent.
Ying Kai was a little helpless: "I understand what you mean, you still insist that the ghost repair in Linjiang City is the resurrection of the Fahua Xianzun, right?"
This debate happened once after they left Linjiang City. Xu Shuangce insisted that the ghost repair was related to Gong Wei. For this reason, Ying Kai also made a special trip to Dingxian Mausoleum to check Gong Wei's body, which led to a backlash. The catastrophe of mass corpses.
But from the current situation, as Ying Kai said, the suspicion of Du Kaixun is much greater than that of Fahua Xianzun.
Xu Shuangce was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Ying Kai."
"how?"
"Do you think Gong Zhengyu had two souls, good and evil, before he died?"
Both Ying Kai and Mu Duozhu were stunned, and then laughed at the same time. Yi Zong smiled and shook his head: "Let's not say this kind of thing is like a person is born with two heads, just say that you, me and Brother Ying have personally checked his body when he was young. Soul, if there is anything strange, couldn't we have discovered it decades ago? Brother Xu, even if you don't believe in us, you should believe in yourself, right?"
Xu Shuangce did not answer Mu Duozhu. His eyes were still dark and calm at first glance, but if you look closely, you will find that the depths of the pupils are a little lax, as if suddenly caught in a long dream.
Ying Kai couldn't help but wonder, "Shuang Ce?"
"… "
Xu Shuangce's gaze seemed to be staring at an erratic point in the air, and after a while he suddenly said softly, "I sometimes wonder... Could it be that since Gong Zhengyu's death, we have all fallen into a huge illusion?"
The two were stunned, Ying Kai frowned and asked, "Why do you think so?"
Xu Shuangce was wearing black inner armor, and his handsome and indifferent face was even colder under the light of the sky. His black eyes were like two deep wells, and his thin lips were tightly pressed and he did not say a word.
"This should be impossible, Shuangce." Ying Kai pondered for a moment, then slowed down: "Among the three major illusions in the world, there is only 'mirror to connect yin and yang'. With the help of the power of the thousand-degree mirror world artifact, a brand new one can be constructed. Illusory world, but we have no ability to include all our masters in it. Besides, it is very simple to distinguish between reality and fantasy, don't you remember that iron rule? - There is no illusion in fantasy, unless it is constructed. people."
"For example, when you were in the illusion world of the thousand-degree mirror world, only Gong Zhengyu could use illusion techniques, and all beings in the mirror did not know that illusion techniques existed; you can see that there are hundreds of illusion techniques in Xuanmen, and you can see that this world is not an illusion world. It's real. Then why do you have such a weird idea?"
Both of them stared at him closely, but seeing that Xu Shuangce didn't seem to be listening at all, he suddenly asked, "Then are we in a dream?"
Ying Kai asked, "What?"
"Could it be that I had a dream, and everyone in this world is just a creation of a dream?"
Mu Duozhu finally couldn't listen anymore, he lifted his sleeves and moved his wrists, and said politely: "Brother Xu, if you are really confused, I would like to help you with the power of thunder, I believe your confusion will be solved immediately. …”
Ying Kai quickly grabbed him and asked Xu Shuangce, "Do you really think so?"
"… "
"In recent years, you have been unable to retreat in Cangyang Mountain, perhaps because of the stagnation in entering the country, and you can't help but think more. After the matter of the soldiers is over, you might as well come to Punish Shu Palace and stay for a while. Brother Mu and I will help you. How about you sort out your spiritual veins?"
Xu Shuangce did not answer. After a long while, I saw him lower his eyelashes, exhaled, and said, "No need. I've been worrying too much."
Ying Kai and Xu Shuangce traveled all over the world when they were young, and knew that it was extremely difficult to convince a good friend with a firm will, and sometimes even suspected of being stubborn.
At this time, a disciple lifted the curtain from the attic, and quickly stepped forward and bowed: "Master Yizong, someone from the Ice Pavilion came to report, saying that 90% of the soldier's silk in the remains of Hua Xianzun has been extracted, and half a It's time to clear it up. What's your message?"
If Du Kaixun really wants the remains of Fahua Immortal Venerable, and there is a way that everyone still does not know to sneak into the Dingxian Mausoleum, then the best way is to move the immortal body to the Punishment Palace, and let Ying Kai take care of it himself. - Ying Kai was about to say something, but when he heard the bead curtain connecting the rooftop and the attic lift, the eldest grandson Chengfeng stepped in:
"Wait a minute, fellow immortals. Dare to ask if the remains of Immortal Venerable are being sealed in the Ice Pavilion?"
Mu Duozhu said "Ah": "What is the opinion of Juzong?"
The tit-for-tat ferocity on Changsun Chengfeng has disappeared, and the easy-going friendliness has once again returned to that handsome face. He put his hands in the sleeves of his robe and said with a smile: "I have a method, which is especially dangerous, but it may be possible to trace where Du Kaixun is currently hiding."
Ying Kai asked suspiciously, "What method?"
·
Ice Pavilion, a great formation for hiding corpses.
Gong Wei stood beside his own corpse on the ice bed, dazed in his heart, as if he had lost something.
His mind was very chaotic, countless thoughts were scattered, and it seemed that he had realized something instinctively, but when he thought about it carefully, he couldn't grasp anything, and it was blank.
After an unknown period of time, the biting chill in the corpse pavilion finally woke him up slowly. Gong Wei stiffly started to cover the burial clothes back on the corpse. He was so upset that he didn't take another look. He couldn't tell where the inexplicable desire to escape came from, so he turned around and was about to leave the hall.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a few footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Ying Kai's voice was from far to near: "—Chengfeng, you said this method is dangerous, where is the danger?"
someone is coming!
Gong Wei's footsteps stopped, and he hadn't decided whether to stay where he was or to rush out to call his brother. In just a few short breaths, he heard a few footsteps and came to the gate of the Zangshi Pavilion. Fortunately, the two gatekeeper disciples have recovered their sanity, and they greeted each other: "Meet the leader of the alliance, and the leader of Xu!"
Xu Shuangce? !
Gong Wei's hand trembled, but he didn't respond, his body had already taken a step forward and turned his head to look around. The rotunda was empty, not even a screen to hide in, and there was a carved window in the far corner. Gong Wei rushed over like a hurricane to take a look, and it was locked!
What to do, to hide or not to hide
The disciples outside the door met five or six times in a row, and all the great masters in the world gathered together. In a panic, Gong Wei's mind was in a mess, and he suddenly turned around and his eyes were fixed.
Between the bottom of the Xuanbing bed and the floor, there is a hidden and narrow gap, less than half a foot.
The door opened with a creak, and several feet filed in.
"Although I don't know how Du Kaixun planted the soldiers' silk into the golden coffin, it is unlikely that he would sneak into the Dingxian Mausoleum." Zhangsun Chengfeng walked to Xuanbing's bed and stood still, looking at the soldiers When the human silk was drawn, he turned back and said, "That is to say, he cannot control his puppet close-up, it is likely that he had planted a set of clear and complete action instructions for Fahua Zun's immortal body through the soldier human silk in advance. "
"—For example, 'come to me'?" Ying Kai asked with a frown.
"I guess it is. At the same time, there should be a specific location for his hiding." Zhangsun Chengfeng said: "So as long as we find out what he instructed Fahua Xianzun to do, we can know what he planned and where he is currently hiding. already."
Under the ice bed, "Xiang Xiaoyuan"'s rare heavy-yin physique perfectly melted into this icy corpse pavilion. Gong Wei pressed his voice to the floor quietly, staring at the pair of white-faced black-bottomed silk boots beside him. .
That was Xu Shuangce.
Whether it was his illusion or not, Sect Master Cangyang seemed to be standing closer to the Xuanbing Coffin, and even gave him a sense of oppression from being close at hand.
Ying Kai asked: "How can I know what he instructed the palace... What did he instruct this corpse puppet to do?"
"Every Juzong can pour the primordial spirit into the body of the soldiers, and perceive the consciousness that the soldiers once had through the soldier's silk. If the Fahua Xianzun is still alive, this method is simple and easy to implement, and I am obliged to do so; but The danger now is that the Fahua Zun has already passed away, and rashly using the primordial spirit to perceive the dead is extremely risky, which is no different from breaking through the ghost wall."
"Therefore, it is now necessary for a great master with a very high realm and an extremely powerful Yuanshen to infuse the soldier's silk in the body of Immortal Fahua with spiritual power, and use his Yuanshen to 'open the way' for me, and I will be able to help you all. Show what Du Kaixun has left in the consciousness of Immortal Venerable." Speaking of which, Changsun Chengfeng paused and looked around the crowd: "I am incompetent, I am not yet in the Mahayana environment, and I dare not rush into the boundary of life and death. Grandmaster is willing to take the risk of damage to the Primordial Spirit for me?"
Primordial spirit directly straddles yin and yang, even if it is slightly damaged, it is no different from dying.
Everyone, look at me, I look at you, Mu Duozhu stepped back a zhang away on tiptoe, and said politely: "How dare you make an axe in front of the great masters?"
Yu Chi Rui had been looking at the corpse on the ice bed with a sad look in his eyes. At this time, he was taking out the spiced peanuts he often eats from his sleeve, and wanted to gently put a few of them beside the corpse; when he heard the words, he paused, raised his head and blinked his eyes, suddenly pointing at Xu Shuangce: "—Why doesn't he go?"
In fact, since entering this corpse pavilion, everyone has been secretly guarding against Xu Shuangce's sudden action to destroy the corpse, but unexpectedly, Xu Shuangce kept his head down silently and did not respond.
It was not until Yuchi Rui called him by name that he finally raised his head and exhaled, and said lightly, "I'll come."
However, Yu Chi Rui has always adhered to the principle of opposing Sect Master Xu—I oppose what Sect Master Xu supports, and I support what Sect Master Xu opposes; I rush to do what Sect Master Xu does, and even if Sect Master Xu does not do it, I will never lie to me. Do. So when he saw this scene, he immediately changed his mind: "No, I'll do it."
Changsun Chengfeng: "..."
Mu Duozhu: "..."
Ying Kai held his forehead and sighed: "Changsheng, monks in the early Mahayana realm should not take risks rashly." Then he turned to Xu Shuangce under Yuchi Rui's unconvinced stare, and said, "You don't have a love... A little disciple is planted. After entering the soldier's silk, the spiritual veins are damaged every inch, do you need to inject a lot of spiritual power every day?"
Everyone looked sideways, but Xu Shuangce did not change his face: "How?"
"If your Primordial Spirit is damaged, wouldn't it delay your disciple's treatment? So it's safest for me to come in person." Ying Kai turned back to Juzong, his tone was gentle but did not allow him to refuse: "Chengfeng, as long as you show your skills, it's up to me. The primordial spirit will come to clear the way for you."
"What?" Yu Chi Rui released his hand and raised his head to object: "How can this be done!"
Three or four peanuts in his hand rolled along the edge of the ice bed to the corner on the side of the corpse's head, and then fell through the small gap between the ice bricks.
pat, pat, pat.
Gong Wei, who was lying flat at the feet of everyone, was expressionless as he watched as the five-spice peanuts kept leaking from the top of his head and fell one by one on the ground in front of him.
"Chengfeng has always done things safely, and there won't be too much risk. I think this is settled." Ying Kai finally couldn't help lowering his voice and scolded: "—Changsheng, your food fell to the ground again!"
The eldest grandson Chengfeng said: "Although there is a risk, there is nothing we can do. Now we can only take this risky move." He couldn't help but sigh: "There are such evil obstacles in the clan, it is true that I am not strict in governing the family, and I cannot escape. The blame—ah! If Sect Master Xu hadn’t missed seventeen years ago, he would have killed Du Kaixun in the extreme north, why would he be so unfortunate now!”
Under the ice bed, Gong Wei's eyelids jumped suddenly.
Seventeen years ago, Xu Shuangce went to kill Kaixun
The extreme north is thousands of miles away from Cangyang Mountain, why did he do this
He was thinking wildly when suddenly Mu Duozhu's cold voice came from above his head: "Jianzong? Excuse me, what are you doing?"
Gong Wei on the ground and Yu Chi Rui on the ground froze at the same time.
"Abandoning filth on the golden boat is strictly prohibited. Did you know that Liu Xuzhi threw four grape skins last time, and his disciple Meng Yunfei paid four thousand taels of silver to redeem him?"
The surroundings fell into silence for a moment, and Ying Kai said in a trembling voice: "Brother Mu, you are too dark... Changsheng is not quick to pick it up!"
Yu Chi Rui muttered "Oh", only then did he realize that all the peanuts had fallen from the cracks in the ice bricks, so he lay down on the ground and stretched out his hand to pick it up under the ice bed without saying a word.
Gong Wei: "?!"
The air froze.
Gong Wei: "…"
Yu Chi Rui: "..."
One of the two was lying under the coffin, and the other was lying beside the coffin. They looked at each other with blank expressions.