Bai Ze left the Zizhu Forest, returned to Shanshui Residence, and began to explain everything about his journey north. This time out of the mountain, Bai Ze left Xiaoman behind and planned to go north alone. Lu Hao was very happy at Zuowang Peak recently. Seeing this, Bai Ze asked him to stay with Jian Xi and only took Zhu Yan with him.
After all, this monkey is a military beast with a naughty nature. If one day he goes crazy and destroys his own house, it will not end well.
"Master, when Xi'er grows up, can you travel around the world with Master?" the little girl asked, trying hard.
Bai Ze touched Jian Xi's furry head, squatted down, and said softly: "When I come back, Master will take you back to Hengqu Town."
After being away from home for a long time, the little girl also misses Jian's mother very much.
Jian Xi nodded heavily and said crisply: "Okay, it's settled! Master, let's pull the hook."
"Okay." Bai Ze smiled and hooked up with Jian Xi.
"Young Master, you must be careful when you go north this time." Xiaoman said sternly, "The Blood Shadow Tower also has many eyes and ears in the North. If you need it, Young Master, you can dispatch them through the Blood Shadow Order."
Bai Ze nodded.
After explaining the matter, Bai Ze spent the day studying and practicing swordplay with Jian Xi. On the day we left the mountain, the snow stopped falling, and Pei Guoguo came to see Bai Ze off. The young swordsman exchanged a few words with his senior sister and said, "I hope that senior sister will spend more time teaching Xi'er to study and practice while I'm away. "
"I know." Pei Guoguo kicked the snow on the ground, looked at Bai Ze with her hands behind her back, and curled her lips, "You are so long-winded, just like Master. Forget it, you are leaving anyway, I will practice well. .Leave Xi'er to me, don't worry!"
"Sixth Senior Sister is still considerate." Bai Ze said with a smile.
Pei Guoguo's pretty face turned red, she let out a sigh, and threatened: "Be careful, I will file a complaint with Third Senior Sister!"
Bai Ze pretended to be shocked.
The girl chuckled and said, "Haha, I lied to you! Junior brother, be careful along the way. I'll wait for you to come back."
"Yeah." Bai Ze nodded, his heart full of warmth.
In the past, Xie Xuan and I traveled around the world and were at home all over the world. I only knew that with the old man by my side, it was the same wherever we were. Now this mountain peak has given Bai Ze too much attachment and has become a true home in the young man's heart.
After bidding farewell to Sixth Senior Sister, Bai Ze went to the Duansu Peak Sword Hall again. When they arrived at the place, Bai Ze realized that Xue Xing had already left and went north. The deacon of Zhijian Hall told Bai Ze that Xue Xing left a letter for him.
Bai Ze opened the letter and looked at it. There were only a few words in it. He only asked Bai Ze to slowly go north to the Great Wall on the border of Dazhou. He would observe the situation in the rear along the way and if necessary, rectify the evil chaos and evil within his power.
Bai Ze knew it well, put away the letter, said goodbye and left Duansui Peak.
After leaving the Immortal Gate, head all the way north.
Winter in the north is the most bitter and cold, and it is also the longest season of the year. Bai Ze steers the spirit boat with lightning speed. Thinking of Xue Xing's explanation, I couldn't turn a blind eye after all. I drove like this for two days and walked slowly for one day, taking my time and seeing all the miserable conditions of the people in the northern land who were suffering from the bitter cold and the war. I felt heavy for a while.
"The suburbs are not peaceful, and the elderly cannot rest in peace. Their descendants have been killed in battle, so how can they finish their work alone? When I throw my stick and go out, my colleagues will be miserable. Fortunately, my teeth are still there, but my bones are dry."
The troubadour described the tragic conditions of the war, and the recruitment of troops in the north. The Zhenbei General Mansion conscripted a large number of soldiers to go to the Great Wall, and also arranged for the common people to transport grain and grass. Often, one household would have to conscript two strong men. If there is a shortage, money and food will be used to offset the shortfall. If they couldn't come up with money or food, they would ask the elderly at home to join the army.
These conscripted soldiers had different divisions of labor, from rushing to support the war, to repairing the Great Wall, to transporting grain and military supplies, and making fires and cooking. Each one of them had a major responsibility.
Even if these pressures are shared among every small family, they are extremely cruel. But when you go up to the temples and down to the common people, it's very clear. Once the border line of defense of the Great Wall is breached by the wilderness tribe, what they are about to face is catastrophe!
On this day, Bai Ze came to Xiapi City, a city in the northern part of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
This was the scene Bai Ze saw with his own eyes at the south gate of the town.
The chief of Xiapi City raised his cane whip and shouted loudly: "Go, go, go! Before dark, we must arrive at Tengqiao Town to garrison. If we delay, I will be held accountable by the superiors, and you will not be able to escape punishment!"
Among the troops, there were three hundred strong soldiers responsible for escorting them. Including Na Shi Chang, there were no more than ten people in total. They were wearing bamboo armor and holding long spears. Only Na Shi Chang had a short sword on his waist.
The farewell team crowded at the city gate, and the sounds of mourning, shouting, and farewell were so noisy that the chief had no choice but to yell at the crowd and lead the team straight towards Tengqiao Town.
At the city gate, old, young, women, and children crowded together, eagerly watching the team of a hundred people leave for a long journey. No one knows whether this farewell will last forever.
The wife is sad and the mother is in tears.
Bai Ze has seen such a scene countless times along the way.
Bai Ze dressed lightly in coarse linen clothes and carried an iron sword. He and three or five rangers outside the city squeezed into the crowd and reached the city.
The melancholy clouds of war enveloped the entire city. Even if the sky was pale, it could not illuminate the gloom in the hearts of the people at the bottom of the North.
The cold winter in the north is the most difficult time of the year for the people. People living in cities and towns may be better off, but even so, many people from poor families still freeze to death every year.
These families cannot afford to buy charcoal, but firewood makes smoke, and the cold is bone-chilling at night. Not to mention the elderly and children, even strong men cannot stand the smell of smoke.
Not to mention those families who can't even afford firewood.
Marching in the cold winter, I don’t know how many corpses will be added to the road.
Bai Ze came to an inn to rest. The waiter is a teenage boy with a thin body. The shopkeeper was quite enthusiastic and hurriedly came to ask: "Young hero, please come in quickly! There are many vacancies in the shop, but the food here may be a bit shabby. I hope the young hero doesn't dislike it. It's the same everywhere in this city. . But if you warm a pot of wine and a few plates of side dishes, the shop can still get it."
Bai Ze glanced around and saw that there were scattered figures in the inn. Most of them were knights and knights dressed like him. They were drinking and discussing current affairs there. It could be said that the atmosphere was deserted.
"Shopkeeper, please arrange a cleaner room." Bai Ze said, "I'm not particular about serving a pot of wine and food. Just watch it."
"Okay, no problem, please, young hero!" The shopkeeper took the broken silver handed by Bai Ze and said, "Do you want the wine to be warm? Young hero, do you want to eat in your room or in this hall?"
"That's it." Bai Ze said, "It doesn't matter if the wine is warm."
Bai Ze found a seat near the window. Not long after, the waiter brought the warmed rice wine and several plates of side dishes. Bai Ze picked up a pair of bamboo chopsticks and slowly drank the dishes while listening to the remarks of the knights. .
During the conversation, Bai Ze learned that a considerable number of people in this inn spontaneously gathered in groups and rushed to the Great Wall on the border, wanting to contribute to the war on the Great Wall.
In troubled times, there are many knights who are righteous.
"When did these northern barbarians become so fierce?" In the inn hall, a man in tiger fur said roughly: "A few days ago, I heard that the section of the Great Wall on the border of Weiguo has been breached by those barbarians!"
"Alas, the Wei Kingdom is really unlucky." Another man said, "The Qiufeng Pass was captured by the Jin State in a sneak attack, and the Great Wall border behind was breached by the barbarians! The Wei Kingdom is in danger. If it is not protected, the country will be destroyed. ah!"
"This is too scary to say." A young swordsman at the next table said with a stern face: "Brother, I have no information. I don't know that this Weiguo has already been married to me, Dazhou! The little princess of Weiguo, Changle, has long been married. Marry me, Prince Zhou, and become the crown princess."
"No wonder General Zhendong led his troops to defend the country. It turns out that there is such a relationship in it!" Someone suddenly realized.
But then, someone immediately questioned: "Brother, could it be that you just heard it from hearsay? If it is true that the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty married the Princess of Wei, not only everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty knows about it, at least this news should be widely known to the world!" Li has traveled all over the country, how come he has never heard of this kind of news?"
Several people started arguing, and Bai Ze felt that he had gained nothing. His eyes wandered and he looked at Chu Er, a scholar in white on the other side of the inn hall. Bai Ze saw the handsome face and extraordinary bearing of the scholar in white, and couldn't help but take a second look.
Unexpectedly, the scholar in white smiled and raised his glass to Bai Ze.
Baize smiled and raised his glass to drink with the scholar.
After having enough wine and food, Bai Ze checked into the room with the waiter and planned to go out and walk around the city. After leaving the inn, there were few people on the long street, and few people visited the shops on both sides. The journey was quite boring. But as Bai Ze walked further, he felt that there seemed to be a faint air of death permeating the city.
If there were bones frozen to death on Picheng Road, Bai Ze could still understand where the death energy came from. But along the way, although the people's livelihood in the city was in decline, the bones of people who had frozen to death were not piled up on the roadside.
At this moment, Bai Ze's eyes narrowed, and he vaguely realized that there might be something evil hidden in Picheng.
Since ancient times, when humanity has been in chaos and humanity has declined, demons have emerged.
Bai Ze made up his mind and decided to wait until nightfall, when the yin was strong and the yang was declining, to take a closer look at where the death energy in the city came from.
Bai Ze returned to the inn, returned to his room, and sat quietly until late night.
Just when Bai Ze thought that the faint wisp of death he noticed in the city during the day was due to his own suspicion and overthinking, two hasty and distant dog barks suddenly came from the distance.
In the room, the young swordsman suddenly opened his eyes, opened the window, and looked toward the west of the city in search of a sound. At this time, the crescent moon was in the sky, and Xiapi City was shrouded in the misty moonlight, making it even darker.
The vague feeling of death during the day suddenly became stronger when the dog barked deep in the alley.
Bai Ze grabbed the iron sword on the table, climbed out of the window, flew forward, and stepped on the green tiles on the roof of the inn without making any sound. Then the figure rose and fell, moved quickly on the rooftops of the long street, and headed straight to the west of the city.
Not long after Bai Ze left, the window on the other side of the inn was quietly pushed open. Under the dim moonlight, I saw that the person by the window was the scholar in white who was drinking with Bai Ze in the hotel hall during the day!
"It's true that humanity is declining and ghost ways are prospering." The white-clothed scholar's eyes were deep and he also looked towards the west of the city. "The ghost cultivator has not been heard of in the north for many years, but now in the troubled times, demon sects, alien races, and ghost ways have all appeared on the scene. It's really The killings are endless..."
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