It had been dark for a long time, but Lin Pingzhi was tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
When Li Chunfeng of the Tang Dynasty formulated the "Linder Calendar", he clearly pointed out: "The ancient calendar divided the day, starting from the half hour of Zi." The midpoint of Zi hour was the beginning of the day, which was just a moment with a special timing function.
Lin Pingzhi, who had something on his mind, still remembered that the old people enjoying the shade under the big trees in the village once said to him mysteriously, "When you are not pregnant, you should go home quickly. When the baby is half gone, hundreds of ghosts will come out, and it is easiest to see ghosts." , it’s better to find where you are going as soon as possible.”
Lin Xiu, who couldn't sleep in his quilt, felt apprehensive in his heart. He looked at the pale moonlight leaking into the room through the cracks in the window, and listened quietly to the call of the city guard as he slowly came closer. If you listen to the melancholy rhythm of the watch in the city late at night, every three times of the watch sound is accompanied by a long chant, which seems to mean the words "beat and kill".
Finally, the young escort of Fuwei Escort stood up alone, walked out of the room cautiously, walked quickly past several brightly lit rooms, passed through the martial arts training ground with shadows of trees, and finally arrived at the door of the backyard. He looked inside through the crack in the door.
A few days ago, the escort office was bustling with activity, but now it was deserted and deserted, as if it was a world away.
After Tian Guinong brought people to the restaurant and returned home, Lin Zhennan was overjoyed and ordered people to buy a large amount of land and water ingredients, and held a banquet to entertain more than a hundred people from the escort agency. From the escort chief's accountant to Ma Bian's cook, everyone was Drunk as hell, several of Jiang Wen's disciples ate without any scruples.
But after that, Lin Zhennan seemed to have learned from the painful experience, and suddenly ordered his two children and Jiang Wen's three apprentices not to enter the front yard and escort room at will. Three meals a day were provided by the kitchen alone - it happened that the house also had a chef. A pair of children are responsible for going in and out every day, serving food and water.
Lin Zhennan's reason is that the world is dangerous and must be guarded against. But Lin Pingzhi always felt that something was wrong, even the sounds coming from the escort room in the front hall and the smell coming in were wrong.
The escort house was always lit at night, and during the day there was always the sound of swords and guns clashing. It seemed that many escorts were practicing martial arts day and night. Every half an hour for a hundred days, there would be footsteps falling like raindrops, mixed with the sound of gongs and gold drums, as if they were fighting against some invisible opponent.
Even through the courtyard wall, Lin Pingzhi could hear their angry and fearful voices, their resolute and pessimistic footsteps, and their endless rush, as if they were engaged in a battle that would never win and could never be seen. The fight to the end.
Slowly, Lin Pingzhi also discovered that whenever the door was opened, Lin Xiu could see some exhausted and sweaty escorts resting against the corner, and then disappeared into a lighted room in the backyard. inside.
When Lin Pingzhi became curious, he used Qinggong to step onto the wall. Although his view was blocked by the gable in the backyard, he could still see the small door on the diagonal side of the escort office. Wheel trucks carrying meat, vegetables and livestock are queuing up in the narrow aisle, waiting for the chef to count the ingredients and send them to the kitchen.
Such bizarre scenes never stop at the corner of the day and at dawn. The amount of ingredients used each time is equivalent to a family banquet.
Lin Pingzhi couldn't understand why the family could have a banquet every day. But if there was no one to eat, the food accumulated in these small carts over time would be enough to fill the front hall, but now it seemed as if they were being sent away Entering into the bottomless belly of Taotie, there was not a single ripple.
That's not all the weirdness.
Since the arrival of the imperial plaque with black background and gold paint, the bodyguards have been whispering in twos and threes, talking about this ominous thing, looking at it with fear and disgust, and even if they just pass by by chance, they will panic. Shift your gaze, preferring to turn a blind eye, as if there is some kind of ghost that can eat people's minds and take people's lives.
Lin Zhennan, who used to give Lin Pingzhi lessons every morning and dusk, and weigh his martial arts, has not set foot in the backyard for several days. He even slept in his own room like a man possessed, and only stayed in the front hall day and night.
Perhaps because he couldn't stand Lin Ping's painstaking interrogation, Mr. Shi from the Fuwei Escort Bureau finally revealed that Mr. Lin had something important to attend to, so he could only sit in the front hall, fully clothed, without leaving for a moment. Undress and leave.
What's even more strange is that some people say that they accidentally saw Lin Zhennan, who had long been neglected in martial arts, dancing his sword alone in the front hall late at night, as if he was having a fierce battle with an invisible opponent, using all the cunning and sharp skills he had never seen before. Moves, but when he came back to his senses, he found that Lin Zhennan was sitting upright with his sword in hand, as if he had never stood up at all.
All kinds of news came quietly, but Lin Pingzhi could see fewer and fewer escorts.
Lin Pingzhi immediately thought of the ominous black plaque.
Now, whenever he closes his eyes, he will see his father's majestic face, holding his sword in fear, staring at the rugged and winding handwriting on the golden lacquer royal plaque.
Lin Pingzhi imagined that the plaque continuously transformed into various strange shapes, wreaking havoc in the front hall, condensing into a nightmare entity, spreading all kinds of disasters and terror, and devouring the lives of the escorts in Fuwei Escort Agency. , and also swallowing up his father's sanity that was on the verge of collapse...
Lin Pingzhi was awakened from his chaotic delusion by the sound of another "kill me" sound.
At this time, outside the crack of the door was a dark night that was so dense that it couldn't be dispersed. If you stared for a long time, you could see the loneliness of white shadows emerging from the void.
As a pungent, blinding, indescribable rancid smell rushed towards him, Lin Pingzhi's eyes were filled with ghostly shadows, and those lurking monster minions were rushing toward him!
Lin Pingzhi fell suddenly from the crack of the door and covered his mouth tightly to prevent himself from screaming.
He was scared, confused, and desperate, because all the reliance he once had was now reduced to the shock of reaching out but finding nothing.
But he must not give up, because he is the young escort leader of Fuwei Escort Agency, and besides his father, he is the person who should guard the agency the most.
He still remembered the poverty and loneliness when he was a child in the countryside, living with his mother in a crumbling thatched hut. He also remembered the grand occasion of today's Fuwei Escort Agency, where people were crowded with people and surrounded by flowers.
This huge difference caused him to have the same nightmare more than once. And since his mother passed away after giving birth to his younger sister, the last signpost for distinguishing fantasy dreams has disappeared. In his eyes, it has become even more difficult to distinguish reality from fantasy. Similar scenes always appear in his disturbing dreams.
In a strange and topsy-turvy dream, he encountered the death of his father, the decline of the escort bureau, the burning of his entire business to ashes, and his own helpless wandering in the world.
He met a lot of people and made a lot of efforts, but he still suffered humiliation and deception throughout his life. When the name of his enemy resounded throughout the world, he could only live and look up to him like an ant, never having a chance to turn around.
What’s even weirder is that in this dream, he never dreamed of his sister Yueru, nor did he dream of his master Jiang Wen—but once his father passed away, the person he cared about most was his sister, and the most trustworthy person This person is the master who lives in seclusion in Wuyi Mountain.
As he grew older, Lin Pingzhi was able to guess that the source of these dreams was the hesitation that emerged in his heart.
People who once had nothing, once they encounter even a straw-like hope, they will try their best to grab it, and then they will be as vicious as a wolf to guard against being taken away.
Therefore, Lin Pingzhi was obviously very timid, but he always wanted to catch something boldly.
For example, his father, the escort agency, and all the people who are by his side now, he doesn't want to lose any of them again.
The sound of the watchman suddenly faded away. Lin Pingzhi bundled up his single clothes and stood in the cold wind, puffing up his chest again and looking at the crack in the door.
This time, even though he heard the strange sound of rustling tiles again in his ears and caught a glimpse of white shadows falling from the corner of his eyes, there was only determination and determination in his eyes.
…………
It had been dark for a long time, but Lin Zhennan was waiting restlessly.
Fuzhou City's night watchman sounds like "fighting to kill" come and go every night. When Lin Zhennan first came here, he heard the locals say, "There are three mountains and two towers in the city, and you will know the trouble is happening by listening to the tower bells." It reminds me of those specious omens of good and misfortune found in ancient books.
Looking at the royal plaque with the words "General Leader of Southern Green Forest" in gold letters on a black background, Lin Zhennan fell silent and slowly closed his eyes, slightly soothing his exhausted nerves.
Suddenly, a sneaky shadow came through the front door.
"Chief escort, I'm back..."
The figure of Escort Shi slowly emerged from the night, and walked quickly into the hall of Fuwei Escort Bureau where the plaque "Fu is in front of Wei" was hung. When he saw the plaque, he pursed his lips in disgust, and then He came to Lin Zhennan who was sitting upright with his sword in hand.
Lin Zhennan slowly opened his eyes when he heard the voice, his eyes were bloodshot, and he said slightly hoarsely.
"How did things go?"
Shi Biaotou let out a deep breath and stiffly moved the shoulder he had injured a few days ago.
"Don't worry, chief escort."
He grinned mysteriously and said with some pride, "I saw it with my own eyes. There is nothing wrong with it. Don't worry!"
Lin Zhennan finally breathed a sigh of relief after getting this unexpected but deeply concerned answer.
"That's good. You go to the backyard kitchen and call Master Hua out. I have something to tell you."
Captain Shi left in a hurry and came back again. This time he brought back a middle-aged man with a round and fat face.
"Chief escort, are you looking for me?"
Master Hua, who worked in the kitchen, had just fallen asleep. The recent affairs at the escort agency had also put him under a lot of pressure. A person who was usually happy and content with his fate began to feel restless. At this time, there was obvious worry on his fat face.
"To let you know, the kitchen and the escort room are almost full now, and we can only put them in the front yard."
Lin Zhennan waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say any more.
Lin Zhennan watched the two people arrive and wanted to stand up from the Grand Master's chair in the lobby. However, his strength had been exhausted in the silent confrontation with Yubian for several days, and he stumbled and almost fell.
Bouncer Shi hurriedly stepped forward to help him, but Lin Zhennan accidentally photographed the cross wound on his shoulder and instantly grinned.
"Hiss... Chief escort, you have to be careful about your health!"
Shi Biao didn't say anything. After enduring the labor pain, he helped Lin Zhennan stand upright. He didn't dare to let Lin Zhennan move his hand.
"Shi Biaotou, Master Hua."
Lin Zhennan declined the support, stood up and said slowly, "After planning day and night for the past few days, we finally managed to secretly send all the more than a hundred people from the Fuwei Escort Bureau out of Fuzhou City, preserving the vitality of the headquarters. The two of you are really indispensable."
The two of them looked at Lin Zhennan without saying a word, but their eyes were full of mixed feelings, and even a little calm, because all this was so difficult.
Lin Zhennan looked into the distance, and the candlelight in the hall danced and shone on his face. The light and shadow moved uncertainly, so that although his expression did not change, it clearly showed various emotions of joy, sorrow, and joy.
"The strategy of reducing troops and adding more firepower has worked, but I still feel a little uneasy in my heart. The agreed-upon code signal was not sent back from outside the city. Maybe the imperial envoy sealed the city too tightly, or maybe I was too worried."
Lin Zhennan said, "As the limelight of the Escort Bureau has passed, Fuzhou City's attention is now diverted by the imperial envoy's rebellious behavior. Escort Master Shi, you will go to Zhongren Medical Center tomorrow to seek medical advice in the name of your injury becoming serious." Medicine, don’t come back yet.”
Then he turned his head and took out a bill from his sleeve, "Master Hua, you can redeem these one hundred taels at any branch of the escort agency. You can take your child with you and go back to your hometown to visit relatives and leave tomorrow. With your superb cooking skills Art, even if you don’t want to work in Semicolon, it’s probably not a big deal.”
Both of them were deeply moved when they heard this, and immediately admired Lin Zhennan's thoughtfulness and thoughtfulness.
Captain Shi didn't even expect that the strategy of "reducing troops and adding more firepower" that he had only heard about in storybooks could actually be used to perfection in Lin Zhennan's hands, which shocked him.
Lin Zhennan has been operating in Fuzhou for a long time. He has always insisted that happiness comes before prestige, peace is the most important, and he has carried out the business of making good friends to the end. He is completely different from the ordinary gangsters who look like gangsters. Therefore, information from all parties in the city can still be collected through different channels and help Lin Zhennan discover the problem.
Although he had been ordered to stay in the escort office for the past few days and refuse visitors, he did not become confused and ignorant because of this.
He knew that Geng Jingzhong was crazy, that the imperial envoys were hunting down the White Lotus Sect, that the three lanes and seven alleys had been turned upside down, and that since Tian Guinong was scared away, some rumors about the Fuwei Escort Agency had been spread intentionally or unintentionally. Come on.
These sneaky tricks are not something to be afraid of in normal times, but at this dangerous moment, Lin Zhennan can no longer sit idly by.
With his keen sense of smell, he found the only way to survive among the numerous murderous intentions - retreat!
Jiang Wen once persuaded Lin Zhennan, so Lin Zhennan also read a lot of books in the past few years. Strangely, what interested him most was not poetry and arithmetic, but military books about strategies and strategies.
Lin Zhennan believes that since ancient times, the way of business has been like the way of military affairs, and the way of using military force is nothing more than the four words of virtuality, virtuality and reality.
For example, before, when the Qing government thought that Fuwei Escort would take the opportunity to retreat from Fuzhou City, Lin Zhennan used Xiao Shitou and Hong Wending to defeat the heroes in the battle to secure the position of leader of the Southern Green Forest Alliance.
Another example is now, when the Qing court thought that the Fuwei Escort Bureau was giving a banquet to prepare its subordinates to be recruited and sit back and relax, Lin Zhennan was secretly planning to withdraw the troops from the Fuwei Escort Bureau's head office from Fuzhou City to preserve their strength.
No one expected that Lin Zhennan would choose to have the courage to evacuate the troops secretly in full view of all parties and in the heat of the storm.
But Lin Zhennan thought very clearly that Geng Jingzhong, the backer of the Fuwei Escort Agency, was now imprisoned in the palace. The situation was unknown, and someone was constantly targeting them secretly. The more power they had left, the more dangerous the situation became. It was clear that the end of the situation had appeared. Net clamp situation.
When Lin Zhennan is here, the main office of Fuwei Escort Agency is there, and when the escort masters are there, the branches in various places will not collapse. The two are indispensable.
The strategy of adding more stoves and reducing troops is to reduce troops first and add more stoves.
In order to reduce the number of troops and secretly infiltrate Chen Cang, Lin Zhennan made the illusion of having a good time and drinking every day in the past few days. He asked his bodyguards to hide under the car and transfer out of the bodyguard bureau while transporting food. He then used his contacts and means accumulated over the years in Fuzhou City , sent out of the city safely in batches.
In order to add more cooking space to hide from others, he ordered Master Hua to stockpile the various ingredients he bought every day. This made Master Hua think hard about processing the ingredients and delaying the rotting and stinking. He ordered Escort Shi to lead the rest of the escorts to practice on time and make noise. , confusing the spies outside the mansion, so that when there were fewer and fewer people, each of the bodyguards had to be almost dead from exhaustion before they could make a sound of nearly a hundred people with only a dozen people.
In order to ensure the safety of the channel, Lin Zhennan went through various contacts in cloth and silk shops, gold and blacksmiths, fruit preserves, cultural and bookstores, medicine shops and medical clinics, etc., and planned every step day and night, especially Thinking about the aftermath of the incident.
Relying on sleepless nights and exhausting his energy, he finally waited until today when all of them were evacuated.
"Chief escort, I don't necessarily have to leave."
Officer Shi sighed and said, "Your family members haven't left yet, so you need someone to protect you. Even though my martial arts skills are low, I can always delay it for a while."
Master Hua lowered his head and said nothing.
Although he is the kitchen chef of the Fuwei Escort Agency, he is only hired with money. He is not a man of the world like Escort Shi. In the past few days, he has been cooperating with the escort master Andu cautiously. Stuck in this quagmire.
Therefore, he had already made up his mind to leave. Lin Zhennan could also see that he just wanted to take his children away from the land of right and wrong and live an honest life in a different place. Even Lin Zhennan did not dare to promise to work with his escort agency. Considered.
"It doesn't matter. I have my own plan on how to get out of the city. Zilu is still trapped in prison. I must find a way to break the situation and give him freedom."
Lin Zhennan shook his head and said, "Besides, the reason why I dare to do this is because of the secret chess move Zilu left for me. With the skills of his two apprentices, it was enough to frighten the thief Xiaoxiao and protect Xiuer and Yueru. .”
Shi Biaotou was silent for a moment, and then said with some reluctance, "But... they are still children after all..."
Lin Zhennan gave him a meaningful look.
"They are children and Zilu's apprentices. Since their master can predict the enemy's opportunity and keep them, how can he stand by and watch once the escort agency is in danger? Don't worry."
Escort Leader Shi sighed slightly, wondering why his chief helmsman trusted a knight-errant so much that in his eyes, the hundreds of escorts in the escort bureau could not make him feel as safe as Jiang Wen alone.
"Chief escort..."
Master Hua finally summoned up the courage to speak.
"Although I have to leave tomorrow, I still want to repay you for taking care of me these years. Thanks to the chief escort, my two children can go to school and learn to read."
There was a smile on Master Hua's fat face, but he couldn't hide his guilt. "I, I'm going to the kitchen to dispose of the ingredients. Now I'm going to dig a hole in the corner of the kitchen and bury more of the rotten ingredients..."
Lin Zhennan looked at him regretfully, but did not deliberately hold back, but said sincerely.
"Then it'll be hard work."
Master Hua's fat figure disappeared from the side door that had been smashed and not repaired. Captain Shi also sat in the hall, keeping silent with Mr. Lin.
Lin Zhennan stared at the imperial plaque with gold paint on a black background, and once again fell into deep thought without saying a word. He started a long game with an enemy far away in the Jinluan Palace, trying to find a way out of this dead situation.
But suddenly, two hurried footsteps sounded from the side door.
This time, two short figures walked quickly, carrying an unconscious half-grown boy on their shoulders.
"Xiu'er! What's wrong with you!"
Lin Zhennan suddenly exclaimed and found that it was his eldest son who was unconscious, and the ones carrying him in were the magnanimous Hong Wending and the stupid Xiao Shitou.
Hong Wending frowned slightly, put Lin Pingzhi on the chair, checked his breathing and pulse familiarly, and then said to Lin Zhennan: "Mr. Lin, I was resting in the room just now, and suddenly I heard something moving outside the door, so I rushed I went out and found Mr. Lin passed out at the door of the yard."
He thought for a moment and continued to add: "In my opinion, he was knocked unconscious intentionally. His life was safe and he did not kill him. Therefore, it is difficult to judge the other party's intention."
Lin Zhennan also nervously stepped forward to check and tried to wake up Lin Pingzhi, but in vain.
"Young Master Hong, haven't you found any trace of the other party?" Shi Biaotou asked in surprise.
Hong Wending nodded: "The opponent's Qing Gong is very good, and there is probably more than one person. First, someone led me out, and when we fought with me, another person knocked Mr. Lin unconscious. And there was probably a third and fourth person. Personal existence..."
Lin Zhennan felt alarm bells ringing in his heart and asked uneasily.
"How did you know?"
Hong Wending's attitude remained calm.
"Because at the same time, your daughter was also targeted by the man in white, so there are probably some thieves breaking in."
Lin Zhennan almost crushed the armrest of the chair.
"What! Yueru was also poisoned?!"
Hong Wending calmly shook his head and said, "General escort, don't worry."
He pointed to the dazed little stone beside him, "My senior brother was walking out of the door and he got into a fight with the thief, biting each other all the way, so that the thief could not succeed."
Lin Zhennan was at a loss for a moment, staring at the small stone, as if he couldn't figure out whether the "bite" was a virtual word or a real reference.
"I was hungry and came out to look for something to eat." Xiao Shitou added abruptly, which confused Lin Zhennan even more.
"father!"
With a shout, Lin Zhennan suddenly turned around and saw that his youngest daughter was already standing behind him. At this time, she couldn't wait to throw herself into his arms. She held her tightly with both hands and refused to let go for a moment.
Lin Zhennan hugged his daughter tightly and kept saying, "As long as everything is okay, it will be okay..."
Xiao Shitou thought for a while and suddenly said: "But junior sister is missing again."
——He didn’t know why he said it again, he just felt that this scene was very familiar.
Lin Zhennan's mood fluctuated greatly in a short period of time, and he felt as if his heart was about to stop.
"What?! Ningdie is missing?!"
"When we went in to look for Ningdie, we found that the roof tiles of her room were shattered on the ground, and no one was there. She might have been captured by another man in white. Fortunately, my senior brother remembered the smell of her body, and we are planning to go there now. Get our little junior sister back."
Hong Wending nodded, "Master once ordered us to guard the Fuwei Escort Bureau. Now only the Chief Escort Chief is in charge of the Fuwei Escort Bureau. We will try our best to get back before dawn. Please be careful."
Feeling that the situation was unprecedentedly tense, Lin Zhennan nodded decisively, glanced at his tightly hugged daughter and unconscious son, and said resolutely.
"This matter cannot be delayed. You two can just leave. I have my own opinions on everything in the house!"
The two children looked at each other, then climbed over the wall without further words and disappeared into the night, leaving only the stunned Shi Biaotou, dumbfounded by what happened suddenly, and said slowly.
"Chief escort, can I stay here now?"
Lin Zhennan looked at him and said helplessly: "Then I'll help you. Be careful not to injure your shoulder."
Shi Biaotou raised his head slightly proudly and sang "Nai", picked up the cooked copper stick with one hand that was not injured, and volunteered to patrol the house to observe whether the thief had left or returned.
In the dim night, Shi Biaotou stepped through the door of the front yard and walked into the area of the escort house where the lights were deliberately lit. He almost bumped into Master Hua who was in a panic and was returning.
"Oh, look at the road, what are you doing?!"
Shi Biaotou avoided the injury slightly angrily and stopped Master Hua, who was in a state of confusion, "What are you holding in your hand?"
When Master Hua heard this, he suddenly woke up and clung to the end of the copper stick as if it were a life-saving straw. His body shivered involuntarily, as if he was suffering from malaria.
"Guard...Guard head! I just dug a hole at the door of the kitchen...and found it...you...look at this!"
He was holding an oil paper bag in his hand, and just as he was about to hand it over, his hands suddenly shook and fell to the ground.
In an instant, a dark, smelly thing rolled out of the oil paper bag, turned around twice before lying on the bluestone floor, and made no movement.
Captain Shi pinched his nose and approached without feeling obscene. With the pale moonlight in the yard, he finally saw clearly the sloppy thing on the ground. It was a human palm with its arms cut off and rotten and smelly!
Master Hua was so frightened that he couldn't speak. If this ghost thing appeared in the kitchen where he was busy every day, wouldn't it be another butcher's knife chosen for his neck every day? !
What made Shi Biaotou even more unbelievable was that he could identify the owner of this palm from the shortened ring finger at a glance - the original owner of this severed palm must have been drinking and gambling with him every day. Head Guard Zheng should have left the city safely two days ago!
