Zhengyang, the overlord of the East, has been in existence for more than 400 years. Throughout history, there has never been such a long-lasting country. However, the alternation of yin and yang, birth, old age, illness and death, and the cycle of all things in the world have always been irreversible trends.
Xiongba, like Zhengyang, has already passed his prime and is getting old. At this time, he is more like a person lingering on his last breath, trying to force himself to survive.
In the year 458 of Zhengyang, the drama of Kowloon's succession to the throne was suddenly staged. The city of Nanjing, which served as the stage, almost turned into scorched earth, all life was devastated, and countless people died in vain.
In this year, a boy and girl lost their home forever. Fortunately, they were saved by an old man with a white beard. Their lives changed from then on to an unknown road full of twists and thorns.
Zhengyang 476, spring of the eleventh year of Xuyang
Dongting Wushuang Mountain, the first peak in Wuling.
Tianyun Peak is located on the west side of Dongting Lake in Huguang Province (Zhongzhou). It is the highest peak in the Wuling Mountains. The peak is covered with snow all year round, and about one-third of the mountain is shrouded in dense fog and snow that persists for many years.
Tianyun Peak is not a famous mountain, and is even somewhat unknown. Although it is the highest peak in the Wuling Mountains, it is often forgotten because the peak is steep and dangerous, making it difficult for ordinary people to climb. There is a big gap compared to some famous mountains in the Wuling Mountains.
In recent years, Tianyun Peak has become famous because the two leaders of the Wulin Zhengdao Demon Sect moved their homes to this Tianyun Peak. For a time, countless martial arts heroes gathered at Tianyun Peak, and a prosperous town was born at the foot of Tianyun Peak, called Fair Town.
The tenth day of May is the annual grand fair in Pingxiang Town. On this day, all shops, stalls and restaurants in Pingxiang Town will be closed. Because no matter how big or small the shop is, it will be contracted by people from the martial arts world. Naturally, the things sold and displayed on this day are also related to martial arts.
It is said that some people once bought peerless magic weapons at the fair in Fair Town, some also found cherished martial arts secret books, and some even bought a discipleship of a major martial arts sect...
In short, the grand gathering in Fair Town has evolved into a grand ceremony for the entire world.
The Yingbin Restaurant in Fairy Town is the only restaurant open during the fair. Rumor has it that this restaurant is the only joint venture between the Holy Sect and the Evil Sect. Yingbin Restaurant occupies a huge area, six floors high, with hundreds of tables and seats. Most of the seats are placed below the fourth floor. Membership is only available on the fourth floor and above, so no entry is allowed.
On the ninth day of May, in the evening, although the sun gradually set in the west, the orange sun tried its best to squeeze out the last ray of light to shine on the earth, but because Tianyun Peak blocked half of the sun, darkness gradually fell. But even in such a fair town, there are still a lot of people, and most of these pedestrians are tall, burly and strong martial arts people, holding various weapons in their hands.
Because Yingbin Restaurant is located at the entrance of Gonghe Town, you can see the flow of people coming and going from the top floor of the restaurant.
At this time, in the private room on the fifth floor of the Yingbin Restaurant, a huge round table was covered with melon seeds and nuts, the teacups were all upside down, and the ground was covered with spat out melon seed shells and other garbage. Several young people were standing in various postures. , some squatting on window frames, chairs, railings, or wrapping their arms around pillars, or standing by the window with arms folded, and one person lying on the roof beam.
Everyone who entered Fair Town could never have imagined that the members' area of the Yingbin Restaurant would be such an unbearable scene. And these young people all come from the holy place in the hearts of righteous martial arts people - the Holy Sect.
"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, look! That guy over there in the red tights. This guy has a strong build and sharp eyes. He walks like a dragon and doesn't have any obvious weapons on him. He is probably a deep-seated guy. Hidden or not!" The guy on the beam was shouting and spitting out melon seed shells, making the few people who were unlucky enough to get hit look at him angrily. Someone picked up the teacup at hand and smashed it, and the guy on the beam exclaimed. With a cry, he reached out and grabbed the extremely fast tea cup.
"Gou San'er! Get off me! This is the third time you've spit on me. Do you think I'm easy to bully?" The burly young man who threw the tea cup raised his head and cursed angrily, but the young man named Gou San'er The man was still lying on the beam, laughing, and just ignored him.
"Xiong Er, lower your volume, I'm going to go deaf!" The young man with his arms crossed is the cleanest of all, whether it is meticulous hair, clean and smooth clothes, or a delicate face. .
"Si Niang, get out of here!" Xiong Er continued to roar. He was usually the least able to deal with this sissy guy. Now this guy stretched out his white hands to dig at his ears. This look made Xiong Er's body get goosebumps. The handsome young man nicknamed Siniang smiled upon seeing this. This was his surefire way to take advantage of Xiong Er.
"Brothers, stop arguing and listen to what the senior brother said. The person that the third brother mentioned is about to disappear!" A drake voice that had not completely changed its voice suddenly sounded. Although the sudden voice was not loud, it was But still let everyone hear clearly. This was a young man hugging a pillar. He was no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. He was also the youngest person present.
"Xiao Qi, you must be a master, why do you need your senior brother to take action?" Siniang covered her face with one hand, revealing her eyes from between her fingers, her eyes sharply analyzing the man in red that Gou San'er was talking about.
"No, I want to listen to Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Look at me, why are you in a daze again!" Xiao Qi shouted sharply with his drake voice.
"Xiao Qi...Why are you up there? What's going on? Liu Lang!" Liu Xin turned around and leaned against the window frame. He was a little surprised to find that Xiao Qi was pressed tightly against the pillar. It looked like he was himself. He was holding the pillar, but in fact he was tied up with thin threads that were almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
Liulang stuck his head out of the window, glanced at Xiaoqi, and then at Liu Xindao: "Senior Brother, it was Xiaoqi who lost the bet with me. He should be trapped on the pillar by me for an hour, but it's not time yet. .”
"Fart, let him down quickly. You lost the bet with Uncle Wu and agreed to blow the cold wind outside for a day, but in the end you ate Jiuzhen duck, squirrel fish... and drank sweet-scented osmanthus wine. You yourself He’s just someone who doesn’t abide by his bet, and yet he dares to tie up Xiaoqi for an hour, making such nonsense!”
"You kid!" A young man with a vicissitudes of life, but whose actual age was no more than 20, stood up from his chair with a loud noise and looked at the head exposed through the window with an unkind expression. At the same time, such an unkind look continued. There are four other paths.
Rokuro, who was stimulated by the ten pairs of eyes, put his head back with a whoosh, and finally loosened the restraints that bound Xiao Qi.
"Eldest Brother, Eldest Brother! Sixth Brother, he eats alone!" Although Xiaoqi's voice is a bit harsh, he is young and is the youngest among the brothers, so he is the most loved and the only one who can act like a spoiled child without being bullied. Two beaten people.
Xiao Qi came up to Liu Xin, and Liu Xin rubbed the top of his head lovingly for a while. He looked back at the sky and saw that the person Gou San'er was talking about had long since disappeared.
"The person San'er mentioned has a good background. He is probably a disciple of Emperor Wu City. But it has nothing to do with us. The most important thing now is to have a big meal and go up the mountain. Of course, Liu Lang is not allowed to eat this meal. He will clean the latrine after he returns. Ten days!" Liu Xin finished speaking in an understatement, but everyone except Xiao Qi showed different expressions, including vigilance, worry, and cold hostility.
"Elder brother, did Emperor Wu come to the city because of the great dynasty?" Uncle Wu looked solemn.
"Who knows, you don't need to be too nervous. It's not eleven years ago anymore. Although Emperor Wu City is powerful, it can't make any waves in our territory. Let's go, see everything you need to see today. It’s done, we can now do business with Mr. Zeng, the work is done, let’s go have dinner!”
"Okay, I want to eat Dongpo elbow, senior brother!"
"Okay!" Liu Xin smiled heartily.
Xiaoqi was the first to go out. Liu Xin stood at the door and turned around to look. He found that Gou Saner and the others no longer looked relaxed, so he reached out and knocked on the door frame.
"Let's go, there is nothing to worry about. Emperor Wu City is no longer the tiger that just came out of the cage. If you are really worried, then have a good meal, go back to seclusion, and give them some color at the big meeting in a month. Look, let them know that our Holy Sect is the leader of the right path!"
When several people saw Liu Xin's natural expression and his eyes full of confidence and indifference, they felt that the pressure in their hearts was much lighter. Gou San'er shouted and slapped Xiong Er's broad back with a powerful palm. There was a loud bang, and then he ran out of the room in a hurry. Xiong Er yelled and chased after him.
Liu Xin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the expressions on the faces of the other two people were also more relaxed.
As for how Liu Xin recognized that the man in red was a disciple of Emperor Wu City, it was actually very simple. In today's Jianghu, except for the two major forces of the Holy Sect and the Evil Sect, as long as there are people with a level of cultivation above a small degree, they are basically disciples of Emperor City Wu.
The loose cultivators in the world have disappeared, the smaller sects have almost all been destroyed, and the larger sects are basically actively or passively attached to Emperor Wu's city...
Eleven years ago, Emperor Wu City swept across the world with the help of the imperial court. At that time, everyone in the world was in danger, and the Holy Sect was also facing a formidable enemy. These junior brothers of his had just entered the sect at that time, and even Xiaoqi and Liulang had not yet entered the Holy Sect at that time. But the storm in the world that year not only had a strong impact on the world, but also affected the people at the lowest level. Xiaoqi and Liulang are the representatives of these two, and they were also implicated by what Wu Emperor City did. Until now, they still have deep fear, or in other words, fear of Emperor Wu City!
Liu Xin himself may have had some fear in his heart, so when he discovered the origin of the man in red, he inevitably fell into the past.
The man in red, who was confirmed by Liu Xin as a disciple of Emperor Wu City, seemed to be very familiar with Fairy Town, but this was actually his first time here.
After the big fair in Fair Town, restaurants are still restaurants, and hotels are still hotels, but these restaurants and hotels are basically rented out by the same people who hired them during the day. Of course, many people will leave here overnight, too. Someone will take advantage of the darkness to follow. This is the norm in the world.
The man in red entered an iron shop called 'King of Soldiers' before night fell completely. This kind of iron shop is the most common in Fair Town, second only to the medical shop.
These are also the two major industries most closely related to Jianghu people: the iron shop that kills people, and the medical house and pharmacy that saves people.
Therefore, in Pinghe Town, the second center of the martial arts world, these two types of shops are the most common.
The name of the 'King of Soldiers' iron shop is extremely arrogant, but it is not ranked among the blacksmith shops in Fair Town. There is only one blacksmith and three apprentices in the shop. The quality of the products is neither good nor bad, but the price is relatively high. Therefore, the old people from Fair Town do not come here, only some strangers come in.
But this is also what the owner of this shop needs to achieve. After all, blacksmithing is his side job, while spying is his main job.
The man in red saw the blacksmith and three apprentices in the backyard of the blacksmith shop. He knelt down on one knee and saluted respectfully:
"My outer disciple Ruan Yongyi has met Lord Wuhou!"
In the direction where Ruan Yongyi knelt down, the middle-aged man, one of the three apprentices, chuckled, wiped his hands on his linen pants, walked to a wooden pier beside him, and sat down on it like that. He looked at Ruan Yongyi with interest and said:
"You are quite clever. How did you figure out that I am Wuhou's?"
Ruan Yongyi maintained his kneeling posture without even raising his head:
"My subordinates have heard of your name and know some of your history, so they think that the hard work of a blacksmith is not in line with your temperament. For a person with great wisdom like you, since you want to hide in the blacksmith shop, you naturally have to dress up. The one who is suitable, natural but does not require too much effort at the same time. Then you, the person who encourages the wind, are naturally the least effortful one, so I boldly guess that you are the Marquis Wu!"
"Hahaha!" A laugh came from the other side, and the shrewdness and pride on Ruan Yongyi's face disappeared instantly.
"You are good, you are smart, but you guessed wrong. But guessing wrong has the advantage of guessing wrong, which proves that my disguise is effective!"
Ruan Yongyi raised his head in disbelief, only to see the man next to the blacksmith who was shirtless, revealing a strong bronze figure. There were pits and money-like marks on it, which were burned out after being hit by molten iron all year round. of scars. Only a person who has been working hard all year round would have such a mark...
And this person was the first to be eliminated by Ruan Yongyi, even before the blacksmith.
If Liu Xin were here, he would find that he knew this blacksmith apprentice, and could even say he was very familiar with it.
He has a rather bookish name:
No asphalt!
Mo Zhu looked at Ruan Yongyi who was sweating profusely, gave him a very kind smile, then motioned to the blacksmith next to him to get busy, and asked the apprentice who Ruan Yongyi mistakenly thought was him to help him up.
"What level?"
"Return to Mr. Wuhou, my subordinate is an outer sect heaven-level man!"
"Who is the superior?"
"Senior Brother will take direct charge of my subordinates when they return home!"
"The city lord personally passed it on to Cheng Biyu!"
"Yes!"
"Since he is handling this matter personally, do you think he is planning to make big moves when he comes to Emperor Wu City?"
"I don't know, but Senior Brother Cheng has a secret letter for me to deliver to you personally!"
After saying that, Ruan Yongyi took off his red outer robe, then took off his inner garment, tore off the lining of the inner garment, and handed it to Mo Zhu.
Ruan Yongyi's movements during this process were not hurried or slow. Different from his previous nervousness, he was very focused and steady when doing this.
Mo Biyu nodded inconspicuously. This Ruan Yongyi was actually a secret agent of Marquis Wu. Cheng Biyu sent him here probably to give him this talent.
Unexpectedly, even Cheng Biyu began to infiltrate Wuhou with his own people. Wuhou, this sweet potato, was like a mouse and was about to take a bite.
This thought flashed through Mo Bi's mind, then he took the piece of cloth handed over by Ruan Yongyi with a smile, got up and went to the back room. This ordinary piece of cloth can reveal text through some means, and not many people in Emperor Wu City are qualified to possess these means. Of course, he is one. Cheng Biyu did not have this qualification before, but now that he can use this method, it means that Cheng Biyu has successfully ascended to the throne.
The contents of the secret letter are not known to outsiders, and the purpose of the people coming to Emperor Wu City is also a mystery. Liu Xin, who returned to the mountain, looked out the window at the starry sky covered by thick clouds.
Things in the world are so strange. You can see the starry sky clearly at the bottom of the mountain, but it is not easy to see it when you come to the mountain. It's hard to see clearly when you're so close. Liu Xin thought about this for a long time but couldn't understand it.
After drinking some wine at the foot of the mountain, Liu Xin finally started to get drunk, and Liu Xin turned over and got off the window edge.
But when I actually went to bed, I couldn't fall asleep. The more I closed my eyes, the more energetic I became. When Liu Xin opened his eyes, his thoughts drifted back to eleven years ago unconsciously.
