Outside Guangning Gate, market
There is a Western Market outside the imperial capital. After hundreds of years of development, this Western Market has long been unable to accommodate so many goods. Therefore, a market has been established outside Guangning Gate. After years of development, this market has It was beginning to take shape, and might have grown even larger had the imperial court not allowed the construction of masonry buildings here.
There are no masonry buildings in the market, but wooden buildings are not prohibited. Therefore, the nine-vertical and nine-horizontal market is entirely made of wooden buildings. It is about two miles long from east to west and one mile wide from north to south. The area is considered vast.
The market has no name, and no one has given it a name. Anyone who comes here will say Guangningmen Market, and everyone will understand.
The market is full of merchants, and naturally some people have spotted the business opportunities and opened a lot of inns. However, most of the inn rooms here are crowded and compact, and most of the guests can only stay for one night, so it doesn't matter.
In one of the inns called Ke Lai, several rooms on the second floor were occupied. The guests who checked in were all knights from the Jianghu. Everyone was wearing weapons. The leader was dressed as a wandering Taoist priest. The shopkeeper was very impressed with him. deep.
On the second floor, in the room, a wandering Taoist priest sat cross-legged on the bed, squeezing it in his hand, with a whisk placed across his leg, his eyes closed, and his washed starched white Taoist robe was wrinkled, and it looked a bit old. .
Under the bed, several people were also sitting cross-legged, surrounding both sides of the wandering Taoist priest.
"A great calamity is approaching...the sky and the earth are dark...the sun and the moon have no light...the sky is dead...the yellow sky is standing...years old In Jiazi...the world will be prosperous...the white lotus descends to the earth...all the people will turn around!"
Several people murmured and repeated this sentence in their mouths, while the wandering Taoist priest's lips were tightly closed, like a stone sculpture.
"Silence!" Suddenly, Taoist priest You Fang opened his eyes, revealing a pair of ordinary eyes, and looked out the door.
Everyone was silent at the same time, stopped talking, did not turn around, and did not show any questions.
Duoduoduo
After three knocks on the door, the door was pushed open and was not locked.
The person who came in was a man who looked like an old farmer in shorts. When he spoke, he spoke in an authentic rural dialect. This language comes from a certain mountain village. After leaving the mountain, few people can understand it, let alone the imperial capital. , what people speak is all in Mandarin, and it sounds classy.
The man who looked like an old farmer babbled a lot, but everyone remained silent, waiting closely for Taoist You Fang's reaction. Taoist You Fang was the only one in the audience who could understand this language, because Taoist You Fang and the old farmer were fellow villagers!
The wandering Taoist priest also spoke out, chirping and croaking a few words, and the old farmer left.
After the door was closed, Taoist priest You Fang opened his mouth and said in Henan dialect that everyone could understand:
"We have been discovered. Clean your tail and we will enter the city!"
Everyone below said in unison: "Win!"
At this time, outside the market, Liu Licheng was wearing civilian clothes, with a cart following him. There were several rice bags on top, concealing the weapons placed underneath.
"Qianhu, that group is at Ke Lai Inn." Du Daochun from Baihu, dressed in linen, came to Liu Licheng and said.
"Brothers, please be careful, follow that group of people, and wait until you attack in a remote place. Don't do it in the market. There are too many people here!" Liu Licheng stared at the Ke Lai Inn, wondering if he could continue to stay in the market. If Jin Yiwei continues to work, it depends on his subsequent performance.
"Qianhu, the spies in the inn sent news that the group left through the back door and are now passing through the market and heading north!" Cheng Guotao hurried over and whispered a few words in Liu Licheng's ear.
"Huh? How to go north." Liu Licheng frowned in confusion.
"Maybe they are going to Xibianmen? We have transferred back the manpower there, and it is most empty now. Could it be that they also ambushed spies there, so they changed the direction temporarily." Cheng Guotao explained.
Liu Licheng was still a little puzzled. If he came to meet Qi Ji, Guangning Gate was indeed the best place. Although there were guards guarding it, there were more trucks and horses coming in and out. Compared with Xibian Gate, Guangning Gate was the best place. The door opening is larger, and the flow of people and horses is more than twice that of the Xibian Gate.
And there is a market outside the city with a complicated crowd.
Although he had doubts in his heart, Liu Licheng still led the people to Xibianmen.
To the north from the market, there is a small forest. At this time, the sun is setting in the west, and a large area of golden sunlight shines on the small forest, and the light and shadow in the small forest are blurred.
There are more than a dozen people and nearly thirty horses hiding in it. This grove is not vast, but it is better because the trees are dense and the scene inside cannot be seen from the outside.
This group of people is Elder Tang's men, and they have been waiting for news.
While these people were doing nothing, closing their eyes and concentrating, a whistle came from the woods, and a dozen people suddenly opened their eyes and stood up.
This is the whistle that tells everyone to get ready.
At the edge of the bushes, the two sentries sent away the messengers who came to deliver the message, and then walked back. The time had been agreed upon, and in two minutes, they would leave from here to meet outside the Xibian Gate.
Elder Tang sent a message, and it would depend on the situation. If there were officers and soldiers chasing after them, they would flee in all directions. Elder Tang would find a way to break out on his own. As long as everyone scattered and fled, someone would eventually be able to escape.
Not long after the two sentries entered the woods, a man who looked like a wandering Taoist priest came to the bushes with a dozen people armed with various weapons.
The wandering Taoist priest glanced at the bushes, nodded, and took the lead in leading the people inside.
And behind a low slope a mile away, Liu Licheng quietly appeared with a group of royal guards.
"Qianhu, they entered the bush. The subordinates here know that the woods are not big, so it is not difficult to encircle and suppress them!" Du Daochun took a look at the bush and felt confident.
They brought nearly a hundred people this time, and if some of them weren't still at Yinshan Gong, he could have brought even more people.
Until now, Yin Shanggong is still searching for someone. I heard that she is a woman and she has taken away a lot of money. Almost a month has passed and she is still holding on to her.
Liu Licheng was a dangerous egg now. He didn't dare to touch the bad luck of Yin Shanggong, so that part of his manpower was never able to come back.
"Send people to watch at both ends of the forest. If you find any signs of their actions, report them immediately." Liu Licheng ordered.
"yes."
At the same time, in the Shanguo Temple in the outer city, Qi Ji was well prepared. Accompanied by Elder Tang, they left the Shanguo Temple in disguise.
As soon as there was movement here, Liu Xin started taking action at the same time.
Nearly two hundred people from Nanzhen Fusi Qianhu Office gathered around the west gate in a mighty manner.
Liu Xin was not worried about Qi Ji and others escaping from the west gate, because the thirty miles of plains were enough for them to catch up with the former.
On the contrary, it would be troublesome if Qi Ji and others entered the outer city again.
Liu Xin followed closely behind Luo Bei, who originally wanted Luo Bei to take control of an important place.
But the latter refused.
Liu Xin had no choice but to let him go, so each of the four former general banners led a position, and Liu Xin slowly advanced in the middle.
Qi Ji and Elder Tang had a very smooth journey to Xibian Gate. There were indeed many spies from the Jinyiwei at the city gate. Elder Tang's eyes swept over the Xibian Gate like poisonous snakes.
Finally, his heart dropped a little, because there were indeed no Jin Yiwei or other spies at the door.
This is indeed a very good opportunity.
So a few people continued to move forward, heading towards the west gate. Along the way, they walked as usual, without any hurry or looking around, just like ordinary people preparing to leave the city.
Video recording and other credentials are not required when leaving the city, only when entering the city.
Therefore, when leaving the city, you just need to queue up and pass by in turn. Because there are too many people coming in and out of Xibianmen, you need to queue up.
Slowly moving forward along the line, Qi Ji and others successfully left Xibianmen. Qi Ji actually breathed a sigh of relief, and Elder Tang's remaining vigilance was less than 30%.
Shortly after they left the city gate, the number of people around them became sparse, and a loud shout suddenly came from the Xibian Gate behind the gate.
"The Jinyi Guards arrest the prisoner, and all the other people disperse."
Elder Tang looked back and was shocked, because dozens or hundreds of royal guards in fish-dragon suits rushed out from the entrance.
"Damn it! There are guards in uniform. This is a trap. Get out!" Elder Tang's expression suddenly changed. He called out, hooked his hand on Miracle's arm, and ran outside in large strides.
He himself is a Dacheng Realm practitioner, and even running with a person is almost the same as riding a horse, but all this is established before his internal energy is exhausted.
Several of Elder Tang's men had already seen this scene far outside the city and immediately ran towards the bushes.
Meanwhile, over in the copse, the hour had come. More than a dozen people rushed toward the Xibian Gate with more than 30 horses.
Liu Licheng saw dozens of horses rushing out of the bushes without even reporting from his men. He immediately climbed up the hillside and roared:
"No, chase!"
Liu Licheng led a group of royal guards and rushed down the short slope.
There were no horses among these royal guards, so they could only watch the thirty or so horses in front of them fly away in the dust.
"Damn it! These bastards even prepared horses in the woods. Quickly mobilize the troops and inform the Imperial Army to send out the cavalry! By the way, you go west, they are riding horses, and in the end they can only go to Guandao, you guys Interception on the official road.”
"yes!"
Cheng Guotao immediately led most of the men and horses to the west, while Liu Licheng led a small number of men and horses to continue chasing the group of people on horseback.
In the grove, the wandering Taoist priest stared at this scene with his mouth open. He was a little confused. Just now, more than 30 horses suddenly rushed out from the other side of the grove. They were startled and they thought they were ambushed. .
But then all the Jin Yiwei on the short slope ran out, and instead of heading towards the bushes, they ran after the group of horseback riders.
When Liu Licheng led people through the bushes, the wandering Taoist priest recognized Liu Licheng at a glance.
"Isn't this one of the two people the Venerable Protector has named to be killed? It really takes no effort at all!"
"Dharma protector, what should we do?" one of his subordinates asked.
You Fangdao squinted his eyes and thought for a while, then swept the dust away and said:
"There are more than a dozen people following this person, and those people in front are riding horses. I don't know their origins, and they don't seem to be good people. Why don't we fish in troubled waters and see if we can find an opportunity to kill this person first? .”
"Hit!" The men all said in unison.
Then a scene appeared outside the outer city of the imperial capital. Wonderful sights that ordinary people cannot see.
At the Xibian Gate, a dozen people including Elder Tang and Qi Ji were running in front, followed by Shangbaijin Yiwei led by Liu Xin, who spread out and outflanked them in all directions.
Liu Xin had prepared horses long ago, so several general flag officers and minor flag officers, including Liu Xin and Luo Bei, all had mounts.
However, Liu Xing did not directly give the order to chase them. After all, the opponent's strength was not detailed. If they pursued them rashly, they might suffer a loss. It would be better to let the opponent run first and use up some energy.
When the pursuit was less than half a mile away. Liu Xin saw the dust rising in the distance and knew that it was a small group of cavalry. There were not many, but there should be twenty or thirty cavalry.
I guess this is Qi Ji and others' back-up plan.
Liu Xin instantly figured out why they had to leave from Xibianmen, because they had already arranged their backup plan here.
Now Liu Xin couldn't rush forward rashly.
Because among the people he led, there were only a dozen people riding horses. There were more than thirty people on the other side.
When Elder Tang saw the dust rising in front of him, he knew it was one of his own, and his face suddenly became happy.
Although there are cavalry behind them, they are only about a dozen, and they are all royal guards. It seems that the Forbidden Army has not really taken action yet.
Time was running out, and there was only one stick of incense left until Elder Tang and his men could meet up.
Liu Xin thought for a while, glanced at Luo Bei behind him, and finally decided to explore the way first.
Luo Bei is a strong man. If they join forces, even Bu He can fight. After deciding, he and Luo Bei separated from the front of the team and rode with all their strength to catch up.
Elder Tang heard the sound of horse hooves approaching quickly from behind. He turned around and saw two young people.
He laughed, completely unafraid, and actually stopped, letting Qi Ji go first, while he turned around and faced back.
After all, he is a long-established master in the world, so he is naturally not afraid of two young people.
Moreover, these two people dared to chase them out, so they must be the leaders of the other party.
Elder Tang was not too familiar with Jin Yiwei's costumes. He didn't know that one of the two young men in front of him was Qianhu, but even if he knew, it would probably not matter.
Because he is also a Dacheng realm warrior, and Qianhu in the Zhengyang Dynasty is generally a Dacheng realm warrior.
And I am a senior Dacheng, and the other two seem to be no more than thirty years old. Even if they are also Dacheng, their cultivation level must not be much higher.
The two sides approached quickly.
"Little baby, take my knife!"
Elder Tang's sword is a long-handled sword. The length was more than four feet. He should not have had this weapon on him before, but after he turned around, this long knife appeared.
This long knife is Elder Tang's treasure. The blade can be folded and split. It is usually tied behind the back and covered with a robe, making it difficult for others to notice.
The reason why Elder Tang dared to confront the two cavalrymen was because this sword was originally made for killing horses.
Elder Tang faced the two riders and suddenly stimulated his inner strength to the extreme.
Then he stepped heavily on his feet, and his whole body seemed to fly up and walk close to the ground.
At the same time, his whole body began to spin in the air, and the blade formed a circle of brilliant sword light on his side. The target was the oncoming pair of equestrian legs.
Naturally, Liu Xin couldn't let the other party cut off the horse's legs easily. This was not because he wanted to deduct money afterwards.
But now he is also a horse family, and he has feelings for horses!
So he jumped.
The Xiuchun Sword came out of the scabbard, and a rainbow of swords fell from the sky, hitting Elder Tang's sword.
Carrying the momentum of the horse, Liu Xin's sword was powerful and heavy, enough to crack mountains and crack rocks, directly interrupting Elder Tang's sword flash and forcing Elder Tang to take two steps back.
Elder Tang did not expect that this young man would have such a level of cultivation and that the sword light would be so fierce.
But this is not the time to care about it. Elder Tang used both arms hard and the long knife was like a dragon entering the sea.
"Breaking the waves and killing the dragon!"
The long knife in Elder Tang's hand suddenly became extremely flexible and strange. The light of the knife continued into waves, but the real killing move was hidden under the waves.
Liu Xinxiu's spring sword is fierce and motionless in the face of the rolling waves, just like a rock in the sea.
Elder Tang didn't expect this young man to be so steady. Although his sword flashes were sharp, they were all false moves. The real killing moves were hidden behind them, waiting for Liu Xin to kill him with one blow when he was distracted.
"Old man, the name of your move is nice, but it's not powerful enough. Are you tickling me?"
Liu Xin launched a verbal offensive. Elder Tang's face turned red with anger, and turned livid the next moment.
"The little baby is looking for death!"
Elder Tang took a step back and concentrated all his inner strength on his arms. The force of the sword changed instantly. The long sword was extremely ferocious, and brought a cold blade of light straight towards Liu Xin's head.
This requires hard work of internal strength!
Liu Xin naturally didn't know how to take the move. He changed his body shape and left an afterimage on the spot. He stepped on it with both feet. His whole body was like an illusory butterfly. He jumped horizontally twice in a row and finally landed on Elder Tang's body. On the side, Xiu Chun Dao came out and slashed past.
Elder Tang did not expect that this young man's movements were so ethereal and swift. He lost sight of the opponent's figure for a moment, but the next moment he sensed Liu Xin had appeared beside him. Elder Tang immediately put away the knife and used the long handle. Sweep to one side.
Liu Xin's sword was originally a false cut. When he saw the opponent's sword hilt sweeping towards him, he immediately put the sword away and followed the trend with another slash.
Elder Tang couldn't put away his sword. He was rushing to push Liu Xin back with this blow. He injected almost all his strength into it, but Liu Xin's sword used the force to hit him. His whole body was unstable and he was about to be hit by this force. Huge force pulls forward.
Fortunately, Elder Tang was also experienced. He immediately released his hands and allowed the handle of the long knife to fly to one side, while he turned to hold the blade.
His hands turned into palms and attached to the blade. Elder Tang's body rotated in a circle. When he retracted his arms, the inertia on the blade was released. The handle of the blade fell into his hand again, and at the same time, he retreated sharply.
It only took a few moves for Elder Tang to realize that Liu Xin was not simple, so he did not struggle, but ran towards the smoke in the distance.
At this time Luo Bei had already caught up with the team in front.
Luo Bei used a sword, which was actually not suitable for fighting on horseback, but his cultivation was so advanced that he was already a Dacheng realm warrior.
With one click, the two magic dancers counterattacked with their swords, but Luo Bei easily found the opening and sealed their throats with a sword.
In fact, it was just a moment when a horse and two people passed each other. The two men covered their necks and fell to the ground at the same time.
Beside Qi Ji, You Xingjian turned around and looked at Luo Bei, who was coming on horseback. His eyes were full of fighting spirit. He slowly raised the scabbard, flicked the tip of his finger, and the sword was immediately unsheathed!
A bit of cold light appeared in the field, instantly attracting Luo Bei's attention.
This is a superb sword!
The hilt of the sword held in You Xingjian's hand is engraved with two simple words:
Break the road
