At midnight, the snoring was getting louder.
The night wind blew and the window paper rustled.
Although the bonfire is getting colder, there are four walls to block the wind, creating a peaceful nest where the children can sleep soundly.
boom--
A loud noise broke the peace for a while.
The people inside were startled and panicked for a moment.
boom--
There was another loud noise and the door opened.
A cold wind blew in my face.
Someone is standing at the door.
The child lying next to the fire pit rubbed his eyes and looked away, his whole body shivering.
Under the dim firelight, I could see that the man was extremely tall and thin, standing like a flagpole. He was draped in a black cloak and had shocking white hair scattered on his shoulders. I couldn't see my facial features clearly in the darkness, but my eyes felt as sharp as a spear, as if they could pierce the endless night.
The white-haired man glanced at everyone, and finally stopped on the face of the fattest person in the back.
The man had a big head and was sleeping in the thickest part of the straw in the deserted village hut.
"Who are you?"
The white-haired man asked.
The big head sat up in a hurry and was stunned when he heard this. This man kicked the door in the middle of the night and startled him, asking him who he was?
Hula la, five or six people stood next to them, all of them were strong men like iron towers. They surrounded the white-haired man in the middle, and the room suddenly became much smaller.
The big head regained consciousness and shouted: "Light the fire."
Several people lit fires and the light became brighter.
The big head saw the white-haired man's face clearly.
The man's face was very white, and suddenly he couldn't tell how old he was. He seemed to be in his twenties, but there were already many wrinkles on his eyebrows. In addition to wrinkles, there were other marks on his handsome face.
scars.
His face was covered with various scars, making his face look like a curly bowl, but the scars were very light, as if they were old injuries from a long time ago. The white lines almost blended into the skin, but You can finally tell the difference under the bright firelight. Once you can tell the difference, you can't help but imagine the broken look of the face before, which is horrifying.
The big head took some effort to move his attention away from the other person's face, and then looked behind him.
The white-haired man carried a sword on his back. The sword was very long. Although the details could not be seen clearly, it was very delicate from the scabbard to the sword.
After glancing at the sword, Big Head's expression suddenly changed. All the previous confusion, anger, and disgust disappeared instantly, leaving only a smiling face.
He cupped his hands and said: "Bao Renxing, the little man, is a tooth master. I dare to ask the swordsman..."
The white-haired man looked calm and said: "Human trafficker?"
Bao Renxing smiled and said: "Human Ya - a serious tooth discipline. I do serious business. I go to the imperial court and work with wealthy people. We are our customers in heaven and on earth, in the world and beyond." As he said this, he hinted at his subordinates. People move away.
The white-haired man no longer looked at him, only looking at the ground, where a dozen children were scattered.
This is the only room in this deserted village hut that can be protected from the wind. Bao Renxing prides himself on being a decent Yaxing, and he is also a good man who cares about the poor and the weak. He does not monopolize the house and has everyone squeeze together. Of course, he sleeps by himself. The softest one, the subordinates can share some straw, and the remaining children can only huddle together to keep warm.
Seeing that the white-haired man looked at each child and said nothing, Bao Renxing guessed the other person's intention and said with a smile: "Master Swordsman, do you want two children to handle? I recommend two to you? Although these children are from other families. It’s been booked, but as long as you like it, it’s all on me, and I’ll definitely squeeze in a few people for you.”
He even called him a swordsman twice, but the other party didn't deny it. It seemed like it was true. It was not that he had ever done business with people like this in a roundabout way, but this was the first time he faced the swordsman in person. He also pretended to be sophisticated and couldn't help but flatter him. In short, it was always good not to hit the smiling person.
The white-haired man looked at each one carefully and said, "Where did you get all these?"
Bao Xueyi: "In the refugee camp to the east, a total of sixteen have been taken in."
The white-haired man said: "To the east - Ash Demon Cave."
Bao Renxing praised: "You are an expert - this year, Yuxia County has only landed this devil's cave, and there are more than ten refugee camps. The refugee camps to the east are all available here. Maybe you have the vision in the future. Those who are better than me can pick up one or two, but the good ones are gone.”
At this time, the white-haired man had looked around, without any change in his expression. But based on Bao Renxing's shrewd and sophisticated judgment, if the other party was looking for something, he probably didn't find it.
The white-haired man suddenly said: "Everyone, come out." After that, he walked out of the door.
The rest of the people looked at each other in confusion. Bao Renxing came to his senses and said: "Since the knight has given the order, everyone should go out." He waved his hand and hurriedly got dressed. No one else took off their clothes, so they naturally lined up and followed him out. There was only a clattering sound, which was the chains colliding with each other.
At this time, the bright moon is hanging high, and the moonlight is like silver. The white-haired man stood in the open space, his head full of white hair like a silver waterfall falling from the sky.
The rest of the people were standing on the opposite side. They had just come out of the house to catch the wind. Most of them were shivering. Even the big men seemed a little shorter out of thin air. The children were all like quails.
The white-haired man once again looked at the young men and women one by one. This time he not only looked at their faces, but also looked at them one by one.
The children were frightened and confused. Suddenly a little girl said "Ah" and covered her head. She staggered and the old felt hat on her head almost fell off.
"You come out."
He pointed to the girl.
The girl stayed for a moment, endured her headache, and took a step forward timidly.
"what is it call?"
"Mingjing..." the girl whispered, "Chi Mingjing."
This name is not something that a girl from the mountains can have. She comes from a good family.
The white-haired man reached out to her, and the girl took a few steps toward him hesitantly.
The big men looked hesitant and didn't know how to deal with it. Bao Renxing hurriedly put on his clothes and came out. When he saw the girl being called away by the white-haired man, he couldn't help but gnash his teeth and growl in his throat several times with reluctance. When he caught up with her, he was smiling again.
"Since Lord Swordsman likes it, it will naturally belong to you." Bao Renxing said with a smile: "This child is the most outstanding among this batch. He was definitely going to be sent to a good place. Now that you like it, there is nothing else to give. You take it with you. This means that a pearl belongs to its own owner, and a sword is given to a hero. Even if a regular customer kills me, I have to fulfill it for you first."
At this time, Chi Mingjing finally got in front of the white-haired man. The white-haired man slowly knelt down, looked at her and said, "Who is the customer?"
Bao Renxing laughed dryly and said: "The rules in our business are that you can't tell the names of customers, otherwise you won't be able to get along..."
"Um?"
The white-haired man raised his voice slightly, and Bao Renxing felt numb all over, and immediately said: "It's just Jinshan Hao, Wuduhui, Taohualou, and Pei's family."
The white-haired man said calmly: "Are they all local snakes?"
Bao Renxing knew clearly in his heart that this person was indeed from out of town, otherwise he would not have known that there was such a famous figure in the local area. If he were a real swordsman, the county hero would have to be replaced by someone else. He smiled and said: "They are all in the county." The... is a tiger on the ground. The Five Poison Society is powerful, and the Pei family is not inferior to the Xue family. If the Xue family disappears, then the Pei family will take over. But when it comes to spending money generously, it has to be the Jinshan No. .Peach Blossom House and all these things...have tainted your ears."
The white-haired man narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You know a lot. You also know about heroes."
Bao Renxing said with a smile: "Those who do business must have a sharper ears and eyesight. In this three-acre area of Heyang County, apart from the news that can only be heard under the beds of each house, any news that comes from people's mouths to people's ears, the little ones know a little bit about it. Son."
The white-haired man looked indifferent, but he smiled for no reason, and said: "In that case, when will the next bad month be?"
Bao Renxing was shocked, then laughed dryly. He was obviously speechless after being asked, but he was very thick-skinned and did not show his embarrassment. He said: "A villain knows about things on earth at most, how can he know about things in heaven?"
The white-haired man couldn't hide his mockery and said, "Then let me ask you, I want to find something in Heyang, where should I look for it?"
Bao Renxing kept his posture, and did not feel that the other party was making things difficult for him. Instead, his confidence suddenly surged. He wanted to show off his skills and said, "May I ask what you are looking for?"
The white-haired man said: "I am asking you, not you asking me."
This was obviously making things difficult. Bao Renxing said calmly, "If something can be bought openly and is extremely valuable, it should be in the warehouse of the Jinshan. If not, it should be in the treasure house of the Jinshan." . If this thing is illegal and extremely dangerous, it is likely to be secretly hidden by the Five Poisons. Black Spider Villa, Golden Toad Island, and Iron Scorpion Castle are all possible. If that thing is wandering among the people, no one knows where it is and wants to activate it. If you want to find it, then you have to go to Peach Blossom Tower. The way they go down to Wumen is the wildest. If they can’t find it, no one will be able to find it.”
The white-haired man suddenly said: "Where is the government?"
Bao Xingye: "The government? There are large quantities of grain and so on, but precious things don't go to the government treasury. Even a lone ranger can swagger in and out a few times, and the really good things have disappeared long ago. The government in Heyang County is not helping." "
The white-haired man was deep in thought. Seeing that he had listened, Bao Renxing became more excited and spoke more eloquently: "If something is related to the swordsman at a glance, then... it may not be in Heyang."
The white-haired man said: "Oh?"
Bao Xingye: "We have a saying, things in the sky must return to the sky. The swordsman's things will eventually return to the swordsman's hands. There are too many people who want to climb the ladder to heaven. And there is not a single swordsman in Heyang County. , the good things that really open the door won’t stay here.”
The white-haired man said: "If you don't keep good things, where are the people?"
Bao Renxing was stunned for a moment, and when he saw the white-haired man's hand touching the girl's broken felt hat, he immediately realized, "There are indeed people doing this business in Heyang County, but as I said, there will always be a place where it should be." This is not a thin horse. It will be more valuable when it is raised and trained. These seedlings will be sold while they are young. When they are old, they will be useless. No one will keep them in their hands. They will all be sent to the customers. Most of them are not in Heyang County anymore. And there is no good source of goods. Refugee camps can only be searched once. It would be good if one good product comes in every year and a half. If there is no disaster, the only way to identify good goods is Try your luck...ah!"
He suddenly slapped his leg and groaned: "What a pity. If I had known you were coming, I would have tried my best to keep that once-in-a-lifetime goodie tonight for you. This one is better than hundreds of others."
The white-haired man overflowed with a sneer and said: "Once in a lifetime, do you know what a once in a lifetime means?"
Bao Xingyi: "The villain is mortal with naked eyes, but at least he has been to many places and has some experience. You may not be able to recognize ordinary jade, but rare pearls are also easy to recognize. That child could see clearly in my hand from across the room. Traces of the magic weapon."
The white-haired man said: "I recognize it if I recognize it. Why is it strange?"
Bao Renxing shook his head and said: "It's not that I recognize it, it's that I see it clearly. Look at my magic weapon."
He stretched out his hand, and his fingers were as bright as a mirror, perfect.
"One day ago, this was a magic weapon."
The white-haired man said: "Yuanshu weapon?"
Bao Renxing said with a flattering smile: "Exactly. The child can see it clearly at a glance, and he can almost see through the cracks. And I believe this is the first time he has seen this thing. Although the child has read books for a few days, he can't see it at all." He's so dull that he can be considered a nerd at best, not a young man who has seen the world."
The white-haired man said: "Oh, where are the people?"
Bao Renxing sighed and said: "That's right, I missed it. He also had a magic weapon to protect him at the time. I was afraid that he still had a backer, so I didn't chase him. I should have brought him to you if I had known. No matter who was behind him, how could he compare? Are you going to marry me? Alas, it's useless to say this, you can't find him again. Unless you go to Taohualou, they are very good at finding people."
The white-haired man muttered: "Peach Blossom Tower belongs to the lower fifth sect... You are Yaji, so naturally you are also a member of the lower fifth sect, and you belong to Peach Blossom Tower."
Bao Xingye said: "The villain is an official, and he is no longer the same as them. The villain has always looked down on their lowlifes. But it is true that there are still a few acquaintances in Taohualou. If you have anything to do, I will Let me guide you. Even the number one incense owner of Peach Blossom House will definitely be willing to do the hard work. What do you think?"
When he said this, he was extremely sincere, knowing that if the other party agreed, he would not only avoid a misfortune, but also gain an opportunity for a prosperous career.
The white-haired man said: "Okay... let's do it."
As he spoke, he suddenly lifted up the broken felt hat on the girl's head, revealing a patch of gray!
Taking her hat as a boundary, the lower half of the girl's hair is still dark and shiny, while the upper half of her hair is completely gray-white, completely different from the top to the bottom. It is not even the white hair of old age, but extremely withered and gray, as if extinguished. of ashes.
The girl named Chi Mingjing had been quietly listening to the two of them talking with her head curled up. She was obviously used to being silent. Suddenly her hat was lifted, revealing her hair. She screamed and held her hair with both hands. , tears flowed freely.
"Don't-don't look...go away!"
She screamed, completely out of control, and not even the shackles at her feet could stop her hysteria.
Bao Renxing was a little frightened and angry, and he opened his mouth to reprimand, but he saw the white-haired man holding the girl, holding her hair with one hand, and holding her shoulders with the other, comforting her like a parent comforting a child, and whispered: " It’s okay, relax, don’t worry, your hair looks great, that’s proof of your awesomeness. Look how awesome you are.”
Bao Renxing was stunned. He didn't know that this white-haired man could speak with such warmth.
Suddenly, he felt a chill all over his body.
The other person's gaze went over the little girl's head and onto his face.
The experienced man's teeth suddenly trembled.
Bao Renxing's experienced intuition made him tremble all over, his legs went weak uncontrollably, and he knelt down with a plop.
The white-haired man held the girl's hand and said calmly: "Very good, I want you to do your best. So I want to keep you -"
Just listen to a scoff, and blood splashes——
A carrot-like fat hand flew up and fell to the ground amidst Yaji's screams, soaking the pool with blood. There is also a jade ring on the thumb.
Then, there was a continuous sound of cutting into the meat, and all the strong men present rolled to the ground, some were missing limbs, or even their bodies were severed, blood spattered everywhere, and it was like a slaughterhouse in an instant.
Chi Mingjing had never seen this before. Even though he had just calmed down a little, his legs couldn't help but fell to the ground. He couldn't even cry, but his teeth chattered.
"What are you afraid of-" The white-haired man's hand pressed back on her shoulder.
The hand was slender and strong, spotless, and had no trace of blood.
"Look carefully and look at their pain. This pain should have happened to you. And it is a hundred times crueler than this. It is long-lasting, endless, desperate torture."
Chi Mingjing raised his head tremblingly and followed the sound.
She didn't see the white-haired man's face, only a sharp sword blade.
It was hanging three feet above her head.
The sword was as clear as a mirror, reflecting her panicked face.
A flash of light flashed, her face was completely imprinted on the sword, and her person disappeared.
The white-haired man stands alone in the moonlight, holding an unsheathed sword. There is a faint shadow of a girl on the long sword, like a painting.
After a moment, the long sword was returned to its sheath, and the white-haired man walked up to Bao Renxing, who was still breathing:
"My hand fell off, but my head didn't fall off. Do you still recognize Peach Blossom Tower?"
But a few miles away, Tang Zhao was lying on the straw, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
