When Feng Miaoqing saw Xiao Yunfan coming out of the valley, he said coldly with a cold face: "Did Master Lu hide them well?" Xiao Yunfan nodded, and then said slowly: "Lu knows that you hate them, but even if they are all executed, Feng Miaoqing I'm afraid the second master of the family won't be able to survive." Feng Miaoqing lowered her head, tears falling from her cheeks.
After a while, she walked up to Xiao Yunfan and said slowly: "Master Lu and the little girl have the grace to save their lives. Please accept my bow." After saying that, she knelt down and wanted to salute. Xiao Yunfan quickly helped her up and said solemnly: "This can't be done." Then he sighed and continued: "Now that the Feng family has suffered such a disaster, I'm afraid the girl in Sichuan will not be able to return. I don't know what the girl's next plans are?"
Feng Miaoqing's eyes were filled with tears. She lowered her head and was silent for a moment and said: "I...I don't know..." Xiao Yunfan stretched out his hand and handed her a handkerchief and said softly: "If you believe me, I can make some arrangements for you." Feng Miaoqing He raised his head, stared at him with a pair of wonderful eyes, and said with sobs: "Lu... Mr. Lu, please tell me."
Xiao Yunfan said: "The Feng family's rebellion has been made an ironclad case by the court. It may not be easy to overturn the verdict. If the girl trusts me, I can escort the girl to an old friend. Do you think it is appropriate?" Feng Miaoqing said. : "It's up to you to make the decision. But before I go there, I want to pay homage to a friend, and I hope your husband will agree."
Xiao Yunfan asked: "Dare I ask where the soul of this friend of the girl is?" Feng Miaoqing bit her lips and said quietly: "His...his name is Xiao Yunfan, and he is buried in Huashan." Hearing this, Xiao Yunfan's chest tightened, She was moved in her heart and said: "It's rare that she cares about me." Feng Miaoqing saw his strange expression and said in surprise: "Sir, what's wrong with you? Do you know him?"
Xiao Yunfan said solemnly: "No, no, I admire this Daxia Xiao very much, but it's a pity that he and I have always had a close relationship. Since the girl is going, I will accompany her." The two got on the carriage.
Xiao Yunfan shouted: "Drive!" and whipped the horse on the buttocks. The strong horse was in pain, spread its hooves, and ran away in the distance.
Along the way, the two of them didn't speak much. When dawn rose, the carriage stopped on the bank of a river. Xiao Yunfan walked to the carriage window and said, "Miss Feng, it's been a bumpy ride. Are you feeling better now?"
Feng Miaoqing opened the curtain and said, "Mr. Lu, I'm much better. Where is this place?" Xiao Yunfan said, "According to the map, we have arrived in Gong County." Feng Miaoqing jumped off the carriage. Xiao Yunfan untied the horse's reins, stroked the horse's mane with one hand, and whispered a few words to the horse, and the horse took off and went to look for food with his companions. Feng Miaoqing wondered: "What did you say to them?"
Xiao Yunfan smiled and said: "I said we don't bring much rations, let the brothers eat by themselves." Feng Miaoqing opened his eyes wide and asked: "Do you know horse language?" Xiao Yunfan shook his head and said: "Of course I don't understand horse language. But horses are spiritual animals, and they mostly understand what people say."
In the dark blue sky, stars flickered with light, like countless pairs of bright eyes, overlooking the earth. The two of them were sitting on the ground beside a bonfire. Feng Miaoqing stretched out her hand to stroke her temples, raised her head, looked at the stars in the sky and suddenly said: "When I was young, my grandfather told me that when people die, they will become stars in the sky. His old man is gone now, but he doesn't know which of the stars in the sky Is it him?"
Xiao Yunfan said: "Of course you are the brightest literary star." Feng Miaoqing felt happy and sad at the same time when she heard him praise her grandfather. She turned around suddenly, looked at Xiao Yunfan blankly and said: "Mr. Lu, I call you Lu How are you, big brother?" Xiao Yunfan said with a smile: "Girl, you can call me anything, but don't call me Mr. Lu, Daxia Lu. It's really awkward to call me that." He scratched his head.
Feng Miaoqing smiled slightly and said: "Okay, Brother Lu. I won't call you Daxia Lu, Mr. Lu. Don't call me "girl" or "girl". Since I call you brother, you can call me Qingmei. That's great. ?" Xiao Yunfan said: "Okay."
The moonlight scattered in the river like broken silver. Suddenly, rumbling drums were heard from the cliff opposite, and then a huge "尰" character appeared on the mountainside, surrounded by flames. It was ten feet long and wide. Under the night, it looked quite spectacular.
Seeing this, Xiao Yunfan couldn't help but wonder: "Sister Qing, look!" Feng Miaoqing said: "It looks like the character Bo." Xiao Yunfan asked: "What do you mean by the word Nianbo for the person under Shangji? What does Bo mean? ?”
Feng Miaoqing grabbed a pebble, threw it into the river, and said: "The word "Bo" means the person who is among the thorns. "Bo" refers to the people of the Bo people. Both men and women of the Bo people are good at singing and dancing, and have been doing so for generations. Dai lived in the mountains of western Sichuan.
According to legend, their ancestors were descendants of Emperor Yan, the descendants of the Shennong family. Sixteen years ago, the imperial court sent troops to raid the Bo people's homeland. At that time, they were celebrating. Men, women, old and young gathered together happily. But I didn’t expect that disaster would fall from the sky, and the Ming soldiers would attack the city and massacre them all..."
Although Feng Miaoqing said only a few words, Xiao Yunfan was shocked and said: "Isn't the imperial court's behavior the same as that of bandits?" Feng Miaoqing said: "In the whole world, there is nothing but the king's land. On the shore of the land, there is nothing but the king's ministers. Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin As I said, how can you allow others to sleep peacefully on the side of the couch? The emperors of ancient times all had the ambition to dominate the world, and the current emperor is no exception.
Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, we have recruited and surrendered the Bo people and carried out the "reform and return" policy. It was deplorable that the corrupt and ruthless officials were enriching their own pockets one by one and extorting excessive taxes from the Bo people, which triggered the civil uprising. During the Longqing period, the imperial court sent troops to quell the rebellion. At that time, the Bo people were brave and good at fighting, but the imperial court's repeated campaigns failed.
It was not until Zhang Juzheng, the prime minister of this dynasty, came to power that he united with the local gentry and wealthy families and sent general Liu Xiancai to eliminate the Bo people in one fell swoop. Speaking of robbers, he's not bad at all. Those who steal the hook will be punished; those who steal the country will be punished by the princes. "
After hearing this, Xiao Yunfan let out a long sigh: "What a 'those who steal hooks will be punished; those who steal the country will be princes.' After all, it is just for the sake of fame and fortune, and behaves like a beast." His eyes looked at the huge The word "Bo" pondered: "The word "Bo" appears here. Could it be that not all the Bo people were killed back then, and there are still bones and blood living in the world." Feng Miaoqing praised: "Brother Lu's guess is very possible."
Xiao Yunfan was originally very interested in the word "bo". In the past, his people would have flown to the other side of the river. Now that Feng Miaoqing was taken into consideration, he had no choice but to give up his thoughts. Feng Miaoqing was as smart as ice and snow. Seeing Xiao Yunfan hesitate to speak, he had already guessed what he was thinking.
Then he smiled and said: "Brother Lu, my little sister is very interested in the word "尰". I wonder if you would like to accompany me to find out?" Xiao Yunfan said without thinking, "Okay. Let's go and take a look."
So the two of them walked slowly along a stone bridge not far away to the other side. The open space on the shore was filled with huge rocks, and the sound of the drum came from the depths of the stone forest.
The two of them were getting closer and closer to the sound of the drum. Suddenly, Feng Miaoqing tugged on Xiao Yunfan's sleeve and pointed at the torch in his hand.
Xiao Yunfan immediately woke up and threw the torch in his hand on the ground. Then he took her hand and continued to move forward. Feng Miaoqing couldn't help but feel her cheeks burn. She wanted to shrink her hand, but Xiao Yunfan's hand was held tightly with no intention of letting go. Feng Miaoqing had no choice but to lower her head, bite her lip, and follow him.
In the darkness, her heart was pounding like a deer, and her ears were feeling hot. Of course Xiao Yunfan wouldn't see it, but he could feel her cold and slippery palms. I thought: Her hands are so cold. Could it be because of fear? Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry in my heart.
The two hid behind a rock and looked forward while holding their breath. I saw a blazing bonfire burning in the center of an empty stone flat. Directly to the north was a high platform. In a stone wall cave behind the high platform, four giant statues with exquisite carvings and ferocious faces stood proudly. Five feet high. There are eight flagpoles erected on the ground on the east and west sides, and eight bronze drums on each side. A brazier supported by twelve iron frames.
Accompanied by the deafening sound of drums, five strong men wearing strange masks held torches and danced barefoot around the perimeter of the bonfire. On a high platform not far away, a man wearing a shaman robe, pheasant feathers in his hair, and thick makeup on his face also danced to the beat of the drums.
In his skinny palm, he held an ox bone clapper covered with bells. When the drum sounded, he tapped the clapper, and then recited the sacrificial inscription loudly. Suddenly, he jumped up, raised a sheep bone staff beside him, and pointed in the direction of the bonfire. A stream of blue smoke rose up, and the flames on the firewood suddenly jumped several feet high, swaying from side to side, like an elf. generally.
At this time, dozens of men and women in the outer circle, led by a hunchbacked old man, all knelt down, clasped their hands, and prayed to the bright bonfire. As the flames continued to change, the man on the high platform rotated his body and his sleeves and robes rustled. Suddenly, he stuck his staff on the stage, his head kept shaking, his body trembled, and he muttered something.
Suddenly, a cloud of white mist rose under his feet. His person was sitting cross-legged in the air. Everyone present was horrified when they saw this scene. They all knew that he was possessed by a god. They all knelt down on the ground and worshiped.
The old priest spoke to everyone in the air in Bo language: "I am Zhurong, the God of Fire. What do you want?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the hunchbacked old man stood up. He waved his hands to the tribesmen behind him. Those Bo people in rich costumes put the three animals, fruits, wine, delicacies, silk and other things that had been prepared in advance on red lacquered wooden trays, raised them high above their heads, and placed them respectfully. Below the high platform.
Just after all the gifts were presented, a man with a broad forehead and a gold ring hanging from his right ear strode up behind the hunchbacked old man. Xiao Yunfan saw that this man looked so familiar, as if he had seen him before somewhere, and suddenly remembered what he had seen in Wuhou Temple that day. With a thought in his heart, he whispered: "It turns out to be him, Sanda."
Feng Miaoqing said: "Brother Lu, do you know this person?" Xiao Yunfan nodded and said: "I thought he was a Miao person, but now I know he is a Bo person." Feng Miaoqing's eyes fell on the old priest again, and when he saw him Floating in mid-air, he was extremely surprised and asked, "Brother, how do you think the old priest was able to sit in the air?" Xiao Yunfan shook his head and said, "I couldn't tell a clue at the moment."
After a while, eight young men walked toward Sanda carrying four cages covered with black cloth on poles. That Sangda pulled off the cloth covering the cage and grinned. Xiao Yunfan saw clearly that the cage was filled with children, all huddled up and crying.
Sangda said to the hunchbacked old man in the Bo language: "Chief, this is the sacrifice we have prepared for the gods this year." The old man glanced at the cage, nodded, and smiled: "Well done, Sangda , offer them all!”
Feng Miaoqing saw that the cage was full of children, with looks of fear on their faces, and pity welled up in her heart. He gently pulled Xiao Yunfan's sleeve and said: "Brother, I heard that the barbarians in southern Xinjiang will sacrifice human beings. It seems that they are going to operate on these children. Think of something quickly." Xiao Yunfan clenched his fists. His eyes were full of anger, and he said coldly: "Sister Qing, just stay here and don't move. I'll go meet them right away."
Sanda pulled out his sword and waved it lightly. Then he cut off the ropes tied to the bamboo cage, grabbed a child's hair and lifted it up. The child screamed in pain, tears streaming down his face, and kicked his hands and feet in the air. Sanda chuckled and said to his subordinates: "Hurry up and get rid of these little brats, otherwise Lord Vulcan will get angry and we will not be able to bear the consequences."
The priest with feathers on his head said in Bo language: "Bo people, my children, I heard your prayers clearly. I understand the hatred in your hearts, the pain of losing your loved ones, and the bitterness of leaving your homeland. It is the Han people, the greedy Han people, who have taken away everything from you. To get back what you have lost, every Han in the world must die..."
At this time, Sangda and others took off the clothes of a bunch of children, tied their hands and feet, and put them in two huge copper plates according to male and female gender. Then, they were lifted up by two strong men one after another and dedicated to them. priest. The priest waved and gestured to the five men dancing in front of the bonfire. The five people can understand and, as agreed in advance, prepare sharp knives, silver plates, wine bowls, etc. and raise their hands above their heads.
The priest waved his sleeve, and his whole body was shot out like a projectile. Walking with both feet in the air, the posture is extremely chic. All Qinggong lifting and vertical techniques require the use of strength. This priest was no exception. Before his feet even landed on the ground, the black staff had already stabbed out diagonally from his ribs. He paused on the ground, bringing out a spark, and he jumped up again with the help of his strength.
Wait until he is almost floating to the bonfire. Pressing down the black staff with one hand, there was a clanging sound, stone chips flying, and firelight splashing. The black stick as thick as the mouth of a wine glass was wedged into the ground by his internal force like an iron nail. In the flash of lightning, his man took advantage of the situation and bounced up, standing on the top of the black staff like a big bird. A big man raised a sharp knife to cut open the intestines of a child. He felt a numbness on the back of his head. He turned around and saw no one there, so he couldn't help but curse.
When he tried to raise the knife again, he was hit on the back of the head again. He turned around and looked into the field, and saw everyone lying on the ground. He looked at his companion, who quickly waved his hand. He was puzzled and was stunned for a moment.
