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…………
early morning.
In the quiet valley, there is a group of busy people.
More than a dozen men armed with sharp knives were searching among the dense forests of the valley. Looking up from here, we see the cliff covered by the jungle. On the cliff is the Yan family's courtyard.
There was another man and a woman, standing under the tree and talking.
The man is Yan Shu, the head of the Yan family. He seems to have been awake all night, with a trace of tiredness on his gloomy face.
The woman wears a bun on her head, wears a thin gown, and covers her face with a cloth kerchief, just like a man's dress. Her slender waist and clear voice show the unique charm of a woman.
"The world is dusty and thieves are rampant!"
"Just like Miss Bai said, the thieves destroyed the tomb of my ancestors and killed several of my children and nephews. They are really lawless!"
"In this case, how can we let the thief escape?"
Miss Bai is none other than Angelica dahurica.
Today she came to Yan's house, claiming to be traveling abroad, and came to visit her. Yan Shu heard that she was a disciple of Xuanhuang Mountain and a fellow sect member of his ancestors, so he naturally treated her with courtesy. When his family was attacked by thieves, he took her to inspect the scene of the incident, hoping to get help from experts.
"Hey, did you see the horse dung and horse tracks?"
Yan Shu sighed, stretched out his hand and said: "The thieves prepared strong horses in advance and fled south from here. I sent people to chase for dozens of miles, but only caught one horse. The two thieves had already escaped without a trace. "
Horse manure, grass and messy footprints can be seen in the clearing in the forest. In the snow and mud, you can still make out little traces of blood.
Bai Zhi stared at the blood on the ground and said thoughtfully: "One of the escaped thieves is still young. What is his name and where is he from?"
"Although the little thief is young, he is definitely not a good person. According to his accomplices, no one knows the origin of his name."
Yan Shu had other worries and said to himself: "However, the other person's surname is Feng and his name is Lao Qi. He is a powerful thief who runs rampant in all directions. He especially likes rare and rare treasures. My ancestor's tomb is not known to outsiders, but he is familiar with it. I came looking for him, not only destroyed the tomb, but also took away the purple ginseng fruit in the tomb. I am worried that my ancestor’s enemies were secretly causing trouble during his lifetime, and I don’t know who the enemies are. Miss Bai comes from the Taoist sect and has great magical powers. If you can give me some advice, Yan I can’t thank you enough!”
When he said this, he bowed deeply.
Bai Zhi nodded slightly and said to herself: "Purple ginseng fruit, I've heard of it, is used to transform Qi, strengthen the base, ward off evil spirits and detoxify..."
Yan Shu thought that his request had been responded to, and did not dare to hide it. He said truthfully: "I also learned from the oral tradition from my elders that the purple ginseng fruit came from overseas immortals and was obtained by the ancestors for a lot of money. He had no hope of immortality, so he left it to Descendants. Unfortunately, the Yan family's children are dull and have no chance to practice!" He spread his hands to express his helplessness, and said angrily: "Who would have expected that the spiritual fruit hidden in the tomb would be stolen by thieves? I, Yan Shu, am ashamed of my ancestors!"
"Where did your ancestors practice?"
"Beiqi Mountain."
"oh……"
Bai Zhi has long heard about the past events of the Yan family, but at this moment, she is more concerned about the young thief.
"Master Yan, please excuse me!"
Bai Zhi was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand to say goodbye.
Yan Shu was a little surprised and said helplessly: "Miss Bai, I was entrusted by Yan..."
"Don't worry, the thieves won't come."
Bai Zhi left without looking back. After taking a few steps, she suddenly asked: "It is said that the thief's hands and feet are shackled?"
Yan Shu still felt lost and said hurriedly: "The shackles are black iron chains and are very strong. Unexpectedly, the thieves were so stubborn that they both escaped."
Bai Zhi stopped making any sound and drifted away.
…
From the Yanjiazhuang courtyard to the north, two or three miles away, there is a mountain depression.
Although Shanwa is not far from the Yan family's farmyard, it is covered with thorns, piles of rocks, and the weather is freezing, so few people come here on weekdays.
At this time, there were two people hiding in the pile of rocks.
One was Feng Laoqi, with disheveled hair, torn robes, and blood stains all over his body. His hands and feet were tied with iron chains, and he was sitting on the ground leaning against a stone, but his eyes were closed and he was unconscious.
One was Yu Ye, who was also in a state of embarrassment. The difference was that he had his eyes open and silently looked at his accomplices.
Thinking back on everything that happened before, it still makes people feel emotional and difficult to calm down.
Yesterday, Feng Laoqi was severely injured after being beaten. If you can't bear it in your ambition, you will take care of it. Who would have thought that he suddenly woke up, grabbed Yu Ye, and said solemnly and resolutely, boy, escape with me.
At that time, Yu Ye was so shocked that he could not speak. In order to dispel his doubts, Feng Laoqi frankly told the whole story, the dangerous situation, and the final decision.
For this operation, Feng Laoqi stepped in to explore the way, while Jiang Xiong just gathered people. The two met Yu Ye at the agreed meeting place. Seeing that he was young and ignorant, they lured him into joining the gang and used them to coerce him. Breaking into Yan's house went smoothly at first, but unexpectedly they suffered a big loss in the tomb. Later, the five people were captured without any help and were tortured one after another. Jiang Xiong couldn't stand the torture, so he complained that Feng Laoqi had been cheated, and asked him to recover his property, etc. Feng Laoqi complained about his troubles and simply ignored him.
Feng Laoqi knew in his heart that as long as no one confessed, his life would be safe for the time being. Who would have thought that after being tortured, he and Yu Ye were the only ones among the five who did not beg for mercy, and their injuries were the most serious. The next day, they were tortured in turn. Jiang Xiong was safe and sound. Lu Kai and Feng Er did not return, but Feng Lao Qi was beaten extremely fiercely. Fortunately, he was extremely strong and pretended to be seriously injured, so he survived by chance. Later, it was Yu Ye's turn to be tortured, but it was Jiang Xiong again. Feng Laoqi also concluded from this that his speculations and worries finally turned into a cruel fact.
Ginger Bear confessed.
Once he confesses, the Yan family will know the details of the five people. Lu Kai and Feng Er, who had done all the bad things, were destined to die. Yuye's origins are unknown, and he may be able to live a few more days. And he, Feng Laoqi, was the leader of the thieves and was instigated by others. He also hid property looted from various places. Neither Jiang Xiong nor the Yan family would let him go. So he made a desperate move and decided to escape from the dungeon. He was afraid that he would be unable to support himself alone, so he asked Yu Ye for help.
As expected, as Feng Laoqi expected, under his questioning, Jiang Xiong opened his mouth and revealed a flaw, because he should not know the life and death of Lu Kai and Feng Er. After Feng Laoqi killed Jiang Xiong, Yu Ye followed his plan...
Yu Ye thought of this and shook his head.
It's not easy to be a thief. Not only does the sword lick blood, but you also have to beware of betrayal by your accomplices.
This Feng Laoqi kills without blinking an eye. And although he is ruthless, he is not a heartless person.
As Yu Ye sighed, the scene from last night could not help but reappear in front of his eyes.
Feng Laoqi dragged his seriously injured body to the outnumbered enemy, and it can be said that he tried his best. Even at the last moment of life and death, he still let Yu Ye escape first. When they crashed in the dense forest, the two found the horses they had hidden beforehand. They found it difficult to ride because of the iron chains, so they drove the horses away alone. Where to flee next is another matter.
According to Feng Laoqi's words, the more dangerous the place, the more conducive it is to survival. What's more, his injuries have worsened and he may not be able to hold on for much longer. He needs to find a hiding place so that he can worry about it later.
So, after the two walked out of the forest, they did not go far away, but took a detour back and continued searching in the darkness. When I arrived here at dawn, I hurriedly hid in the pile of rocks. Before he could take a breath, Feng Laoqi collapsed on the ground and passed out...
"well--"
Yu Ye looked at the unconscious Feng Laoqi, the small place covered by a few stones, the iron chains binding his hands and feet, and the tattered robes, and couldn't help but sigh.
Although they can escape here for a while, it is freezing cold and they lack food and drink. If there is another heavy snowfall, the situation they will face will become even more difficult.
Find another place to go after dark?
And Feng Laoqi hasn't woken up yet, how can he be left here. As for the extent of his injuries, he was not allowed to check or ask last night, for fear that his condition was worrying...
"oh--"
With a painful groan, Feng Laoqi opened his eyes.
Yu Ye hurriedly got up and reached out to help him.
But Feng Laoqi shook his head and took out an animal skin bag from his arms. Perhaps it was too strenuous. His chest was heaving, he was panting, and a pool of blood oozed from his waist and abdomen.
Yu Ye recognized this animal skin bag.
Feng Laoqi hid a horse in the forest, with a luggage tied to the horse's back. At that time, he got the animal skin bag from his luggage, took out a sharp knife and stabbed the horse in the buttocks. The horse was frightened and ran wildly out of the woods. Then he stuffed the bag into his arms and took it out again.
Feng Laoqi's hands were trembling as he took out a wine bottle from the bag, opened it, put it to his mouth, and drank "gudu, gudu". The drink he drank rushed out of his mouth, dripped down his beard, and wet his chest again. The uncondensed blood on his chest suddenly became bright red. In the blink of an eye, he dropped the wine bottle and let out a long breath of wine. A slight smile appeared on his haggard face, and his dull eyes also glowed with a bit of brilliance.
Judging from his appearance, is his injury getting better?
Yu Ye seemed to have seen a rainbow on a rainy day, and his heart suddenly felt much more relaxed. He quietly stood up and took a look, but found nothing unusual. He squatted down again and asked expectantly: "How is it?"
"ha……"
Feng Laoqi laughed, a bit hoarse, and his eyes gradually became sharper or deeper, perhaps mixed with relief, hesitation, helplessness and determination, but in short they were still elusive. He paused and said meaningfully: "You and I can be considered brothers who share hardships, life and death, and I don't know your name yet?"
"I am Yu Ye, from Yujia Village in Xingyuan Valley. After this winter, I will be sixteen."
Yu Ye did not hide anything and truthfully told the origin of his name.
Feng Laoqi took him out of the dungeon, fought his way out of the siege, and saved his life. It was such a person who deceived him, coerced him into joining the gang, and caused him to be tortured and almost died in the dungeon. Regardless of the grievances and grievances between the two parties, the two of them are indeed more like a pair of life and death brothers who share weal and woe.
"Xingyuan Valley is hundreds of miles away from here, why are you traveling so far alone?"
"I……"
"Could it be that the family suffered a disaster and was forced to go out to survive?"
"Um……"
"Cough, cough...that's all!"
Maybe Feng Laoqi wanted to have a heart-to-heart conversation, but Yu Ye's hesitation made him lose his patience. He suppressed his cough and said: "Whether you believe me or not, please listen to me. I, Feng Laoqi, am known as a thief and lord, but I have not destroyed my conscience. I will never kill indiscriminately unless I have to. This time I went to the Yan family, I was really entrusted by someone, just for the purple ginseng fruit in the tomb, but I didn't know the treasure, but you picked it up and ate it. And you accidentally ate the fruit and you were fine, so you must be extraordinary. I have met several Taoists. My friend, you know a thing or two about this..."
He took a breath and suddenly said: "My home is located in Beimang Village, and I still have a mother-in-law and a young daughter at home. Can you come for me and deliver a message to her mother and daughter?"
take a message?
Yu Ye didn't know how to answer or refuse. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded affirmatively.
Feng Laoqi's anxious eyes became gentle. He raised the animal skin bag and gestured: "Open -
Yu Ye took the animal skin bag and took out a few things. One is a small knife that once stabbed a horse's butt. It is about three inches long, purple and black, heavy in hand, has no handle, and has no edge; the other is a piece of animal skin the size of a palm, with mountains and rivers painted on it and marked with characters. ; There are also a few gravel-like yellow and white things.
"This sword comes from an ancient tomb. It should not be a mortal object. I haven't found a suitable buyer yet, so I keep it with me. Because I must leave a way out, this thing was lucky."
Is the retreat he is talking about that horse, or is he referring to something else?
Hunters in the mountains are no strangers to all kinds of sharp weapons. The so-called long swords and short swords both have hilts and blades, and the same is true for Chenqi's sharp sword weapon.
And this weird little knife is also called a sword?
When Yu Ye was confused, he heard Feng Laoqi continue to say: "This sword can cut through iron and stone, or it can remove the chains on our hands and feet..."
Cutting through iron and stone?
Yu Ye took the small sword and drew it against the iron chain on his foot, making a shallow mark with a "chi" sound. As the hand exerts more force, the mark becomes deeper. He couldn't help but be secretly surprised, and then grabbed the iron chain on Feng Laoqi's foot and continued to try.
There are iron locks at both ends of the chain. Cut off one of the links and your hands and feet can be freed.
Feng Laoqi's breathing became heavier, and his words became short and urgent——
"Don't lose the map of Luming Mountain. It's marked with a secret mark. Find the belongings I stored, give one or two to my mother-in-law, and the rest will be considered as reward... tell me this for me... cough..."
Yu Ye lowered his head and was busy, unable to speak for a moment. Suddenly he noticed something strange and stopped with his hand.
Feng Laoqi coughed a few times, a stream of blood spurted out of his mouth, and his chest rose and fell rapidly. He wheezed, "Tell Wan'er, her mother... to find a good family..." When he said the last words With one sentence, it was like letting go of the last care, with an indifferent smile on his face, and he murmured to himself: "I'm sleepy... I'm asleep..."
He still had his eyes open, with a smile on his face, but he was no longer making any sound, as if he had really fallen asleep.
Yu Ye was stunned for a long time, then slowly reached out and opened his robe.
There were two more blood holes between Feng Laoqi's chest and waist and abdomen. Two arrows penetrated from back to front, and the sharp arrowheads were vaguely visible...
