Lao Li has been wandering around the world for many years, and he has never seen any kind of people. Lao Li has a panoramic view of the instantaneous change in the demeanor of the old vegetable seller and his wife.
Seeing the old couple gradually disappearing into the crowd, Lao Li was aroused by the abnormality that the two people had just shown, and put away the wine bag. He was worried that Gu Xiao would not find him, so he took out the firewood he carried. The knife carved a small mark at the base of the wall, then stood up and quickly followed the old couple selling vegetables.
The Lantern Festival is approaching, and the street is crowded with people coming and going. Lao Li quickly squeezed through the crowd and finally found the old vegetable seller and his wife. The two of them were still the old man carrying the load in front, and the old woman holding the pole tremblingly in the back as they walked among the crowd.
When Lao Li found these two figures, he slowed down a bit. Just as Lao Li was slowly following the two people in front of him, he saw the trembling old woman suddenly turned her head and looked in his direction from the corner of her eyes.
Lao Li hurriedly turned sideways and turned to the stall selling things on the side, so as not to let the old woman's peripheral vision catch him.
"Uncle, whatever you like, pick whatever you like. They are made of fine bamboo and oil paper. No matter it snows or rains, you won't get wet!" The vendor looked at Lao Li and tilted his head. He thought there was business coming from his own stall, so he hurriedly introduced it.
After browsing absentmindedly, Lao Li didn't hear the vendor trying hard to introduce his goods. He only glanced at the old woman who just stood up and looked back with his peripheral vision.
Seeing the old woman selling vegetables standing there, she looked back and scanned the crowd behind her, but found nothing out of the ordinary. The corners of her mouth moved slightly, and the old couple continued to walk forward.
Only then did Lao Li hear the hawker murmuring: "I don't want to buy it. It's still occupying the space and hindering my business."
Not wanting to talk too much to the hawker and arouse the old couple's ideas, Lao Li took out a few coins and threw them to the hawker. He picked up a bamboo hat, put it on his head, and continued to follow the place where the old woman disappeared.
After another long search, Lao Li finally found the old couple again at the entrance of an inconspicuous alley. Seeing them walking into the deep box, Lao Li hurriedly pushed aside the bustling crowd around him and walked to the entrance of the alley.
The festival is approaching, and everywhere in Liangzhou City is noisy and noisy. However, this alley is extremely quiet, and even the entrance of this alley is rarely passed by. When something goes wrong, there must be a demon. Lao Li hesitated at the entrance of the alley, whether to follow him or not. At this moment, Lao Li heard a slight noise behind him. Listening carefully, he found that it was indeed coming towards him. Alerted, he pulled out the hatchet from his waist, turned around, hugged a person with one hand, and then the hatchet came up.
The blade of the hatchet was pressed against the man's throat, and only then did Lao Li see the face of the man. He was the vendor who had just sold him a bamboo hat. At this moment, the hawker was shivering with the blade of the hatchet pressed against his throat. He made several "ding-dang" sounds and a few pieces of loose money fell to the ground.
"Why are you following me?" Lao Li did not let down his guard. He still held the vein gate of the vendor selling coir raincoats and bamboo hats with one hand, and held a hatchet against his throat with the other.
The vendor was so frightened that his face turned pale and he was just shaking. Seeing the terrible scars on Lao Li's face again, his feet softened and he was about to collapse to the ground.
Seeing the hawker's attitude, Lao Li loosened the hatchet pressed against his throat slightly, and asked again and again: "Why are you following me?"
When the vendor saw that the hatchet on his throat had moved away a little, he said cautiously: "Uncle, I just bought the villain's bucket hat. I didn't have any change. The villain chased me all the way and gave it to me. Sir...send it over."
Seeing that the hawker's fearful expression was no longer disguised, Lao Li used his inner strength to throw himself into the hawker's body. He sensed that the hawker's body was mixed with mixed auras and his breathing was chaotic. It was true that he did not know martial arts. He glanced at a few loose coins scattered on the ground, and then put down. Xinlai said: "Don't follow me anymore. The money on the ground is my apology money for scaring you. If you pick up the money, leave quickly."
The hawker who saw his life was still concerned about the reward money all over the floor. Although his legs and feet were weak, he still rolled out of the alley.
Seeing that the hawker had fled far away, Lao Li turned around and looked at the quiet alley. After a while, Lao Li could not resist his curiosity. After leaving a mark at the entrance of the alley, Lao Li slowly stepped into the alley.
Compared with the noise on the street, this alley was so quiet that when Lao Li stepped into it, the thick snow under his feet told Lao Li that few people had been to this alley, so it was so thick. The snow, the muffled sound of stepping on the snow, felt like I was back in the silence of the Mountain of No Return.
The further Lao Li walked, the more frightened he became, and the more doubts he had in his heart. Until we reach the end of the alley, the end is under the city wall of Liangzhou City. Both sides of the alley are blue brick walls about ten feet high. There are no traces of relays on the brick walls, and the snow on the ground is so deep. , but no footprints were seen. I just saw with my own eyes that the old couple selling vegetables walked into the alley. No matter how fast they walked, it was impossible for the two old people to disappear into the alley without leaving a trace.
Not good, Lao Li said secretly in his heart. Turning around suddenly, he saw the old man and his wife selling vegetables standing a few feet behind him, looking at him coldly.
Especially the old woman, who had completely lost the trembling look of an old person she had just been carried by Xue Hu, replaced by a cold and fierce killing intent. Behind the old man and woman, there stood several men in black with only their eyes exposed, all holding weapons and silently staring at him.
Lao Li became more and more frightened. He walked in this alley for a long time and didn't find anyone behind him. This shows that the martial arts of these people are beyond his reach alone.
What surprised Lao Li even more was that the group of people separated, and one person emerged from them. It was the hawker who sold him a bamboo hat that he had just let go. This hawker was no longer trembling with his hatchet at his throat. He walked up to the old man and his wife with a smile on his face.
"For mushrooms, is it better to eat empty ones or Xiangjia ones, or eat cold ones?" the vendor said with a smile.
Lao Li has been wandering around in the world for many years, and he knows that the other party is trying to find out who he is using slang, whether he is an expert or a layman, and whether he is an expert or a layman. People are still officers and soldiers.
"Lao Hai was curious for a moment, so I'll ask for your forgiveness if I've already kicked him out of the house." Lao Li knew that since the other party asked, he wouldn't do anything easily, so he used slang to apologize first.
When the hawker saw Lao Li, he said a few words with his mouth and announced his home. He was not an officer or soldier. He looked at Lao Li's face and looked at it. He didn't look like he was sent by that man. However, these people are not what they used to be, so they still can't be careless. . So the vendor turned around and whispered something to the people behind him.
The old man, the old woman and several people behind him heard the hawker speak, their faces grew colder, and they quietly clenched the weapons in their hands.
The hawker smiled and said: "Brother Li is a traveler in the world, so he naturally knows that those of us who travel in the world are always a little scrupulous about the rules. This is not directed at Brother Li, so please don't be offended."
Lao Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but when the hawker spoke again, his relaxed nerves immediately became tense again.
"As someone who travels around the world, you should know that you should stay out of this business. But when I gave the money to Brother Li, I reminded you." The hawker spoke again, with a smile on his lips and added: "Brother Li followed blindly. If my people don't have some agenda, how can I trust you? What did Shakuchenren send you to do?"
At this moment, Lao Li really wanted to slap himself in the face and accompany the young master and Miss Lin'er to go shopping, but he wanted to join in the fun out of curiosity.
After listening to what the vendor said, Lao Li knew that even if he told the truth and he came to take a look out of curiosity, the other party would not believe it. But now, even if the other party doesn't believe it, he can only tell the truth and give it a try. What's more, I have never heard of the name he mentioned.
He could only clasp his fists and say: "Listening to your tone, these brothers should be the ones in charge. I'm sorry to bother you this time, but sometimes it's just a coincidence. I was drinking and sunbathing on the street just now, and I saw this The second elder was telling a story to a little girl. Out of curiosity, he overheard a few words. Later, when he saw that the second elder was not like a normal person, he became curious and came to have a look. I have never heard of the person you just mentioned, and he was not sent by someone else. .”
The hawker was stunned. This man thought he was a businessman who collects money to do things in the world. Judging from his appearance, he is not a man of many abilities. Just in case, it is better to be cautious.
The hawker chuckled and said, "I'm afraid you don't believe what Mr. Li said, right?"
"I said it is indeed the truth. If you don't believe it, there is nothing you can do about it." When Lao Li was in the world, he was not a good-tempered person. He explained the truth to himself, but the other party was still aggressive. He had the same fiery temper as when he was in the world. I was also hooked by this hawker.
"Then don't blame me, brother Li. If my men take action, I'm afraid it won't work without blood. If you want to say it now, it's still too late." The hawker still said to Old Li with a smile on his face.
Lao Li was completely irritated by the hawker and said, "No need to worry, you guys can still stop me. Let's see what we can do."
After saying that, Lao Li held the hatchet in his hand and took a stance.
Seeing the posture of Lao Li holding the hatchet tightly, the vendor took the old man and the old woman back a few steps. The group of masked men behind him, each holding a weapon, slowly moved forward and pressed towards Lao Li.
——
But on Gu Xiao's side, Lin'er was pulling his sleeves and worming his way into the crowd. Lin'er was small and darting around in the crowd, but Gu Xiao, who was pulling his sleeves, suffered a lot.
Those who were carrying goods and carrying firewood were either going east or coming from the south. After a while, Gu Xiao was turned into a 'painted-faced cat'. It wasn't until Lin'er saw a noodle maker's stall that he Stopped.
Looking at Gu Xiao who turned into a "painted-faced cat" behind him, the depression in Lin'er's heart just now was completely wiped away. With his eyes smiling like crescent moons, Lin'er said: "What's the matter? Isn't our martial arts expert Gu Daxia extremely skilled in qinggong? How did he become like this?" After getting along with each other for many days, Lin'er often found something like this. Whenever he had the opportunity, he teased Gu Xiao a few words.
"Hey, I saw you were in a bad mood just now, and I wanted to help you change your mood, so I made a few jokes. Why do you still hold a grudge?" Gu Xiao knew that Lin'er was jokingly calling her 'rich rich man' , he also seized the opportunity to make fun of himself, and replied with a wry smile.
Lin'er pretended to be aggrieved and said: "Yes, yes, Master Gu, the little girl will buy a face for the hero and make amends for him, okay?"
Before Gu Xiao could reply, he turned around and threw a few coins at the noodle maker's stall and said, "Boss, give this guy one."
The boss who got the money was quick and careful. He carefully looked at Gu Xiao's pattern, took out some glutinous rice flour, and mixed it with some colored paraffin. He pinched, rubbed, kneaded with his fingers, and then used the small bamboo knife in his hand to dexterously point, cut, carve, and draw. Not long after, a handsome young man wearing a long gown and a large cloak appeared in the hands of the boss.
Taking the mask that looked exactly like Gu Xiao, the girl squinted her eyes and looked at the 'painted-faced cat' Gu Xiao, then looked at the mask for a moment, and said with a smile: "Yes, it really looks like it, but if you compare this cat with a face full of It’s even more like that if you add it, hahaha.”
Liangzhou City, in the middle of the street.
The girl smiles like the April sky, the boy sighs that the sun and moon are idle,
The two of them gradually blended into the festive atmosphere.
