(2)
Dusk is approaching, and the setting sun dyes the road ahead red. The shrill cries of crows hovered in the sky. They stopped on the ruins of the village beside the road, or were eating the leftovers on the ground, or looking at the five people walking this way.
Bai Feng saw the dilapidated houses at her feet overgrown with weeds, and her face instantly showed an expression of disbelief. She couldn't help but sigh: "How could this happen..."
Zhao Kuo heard his friend beside him muttering to himself and asked curiously: "What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing. Ahead is the west gate of Yangcheng." Bai Feng replied.
"Oh!" Zhao Kuo looked at Bai Feng with wide eyes, as if he knew some secret.
The city wall of Yangcheng is very dilapidated. It is not only overgrown with weeds and lacks bricks and tiles, but also has a big hole on the right side of the gate, which is big enough for an adult man to pass through.
Seeing that there were no soldiers guarding the door, the five people went straight in. Unexpectedly, a ragged man came up by the door and hugged Zhao Kuo's thigh, crying: "Master! Give the villain some money." Come on! The villain hasn’t eaten for several days..."
Only when Zhao Kuo came to his senses did he realize that this man was not only covered in sores on his hands, but was also extremely ugly. He wore a rag hat with a brim and a scar on his dirty face extending from the corner of his left eye to the left corner of his mouth. Seeing the dirty hands covered with black mud and the yellow pus dripping from the sores on his hands, Zhao Kuo was frightened and subconsciously took half a step back. He was only able to force himself out by the weird man holding him tightly. stay on the spot.
"You... let me go! I'll give it, I'll give it!" Zhao Kuo said as he hurriedly took out a bunch of money, but was stopped by Tuoba Yan.
"Master Zhao, don't expose your wealth!"
Zhao Kuo looked at the few people walking around and the desolate and dilapidated atmosphere, and then confidently replied: "Brother Tuoba, you think too much, you should send him away with money!"
Bai Feng remained silent, just observing carefully from the side. He stared at the sores on the beggar's hands, which seemed familiar to him. When the beggar saw the long hanging money, he immediately let go of Zhao Kuo and thanked him repeatedly.
"Do you know where there is an inn?" A-Bian asked, pushing his exhausted body away from Zhao Kuo who was arranging his clothes.
The little beggar put away the money in a panic, pointed to the alley behind him, nodded and replied: "Turn around the alley in front and keep walking until you can see one."
"A-Bian, give him half of our remaining dry food." Bai Feng, who had been silent just now, suddenly said this.
A-Bian looked puzzled, looking at the little beggar's extraordinarily thin body, pale skin next to the sores, and delicate voice. He understood in his heart: Bai Feng was pitying this weak child, and besides, he had arrived in a city with more abundant supplies. As long as he had money, it would be much easier to buy food and clothing than before. So he gave half of the white-flour steamed buns he was carrying to the little beggar.
After leaving the little beggar, the five people walked into the dark alley. The alley is on the shady side of the tall tile-roofed houses next to it. Because there is no sunlight all year round, it makes people feel very eerie. When a gust of wind blows, you can't help but tighten your body to fight against the momentary chill.
Bai Feng, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped the four people behind him, and saw two figures slowly appearing on the road ahead.
"Be careful!" Bai Feng roared.
A tall, thin man holding a strange long-hook weapon stood on the left side; on the other side was a man holding an ax as big as a lumber ax, dragging a huge and round body that was almost eight feet tall. They were all wearing dark-colored tights, and from a distance, they almost blended in with the surrounding environment.
"It's too late! Poor foreigner, hand over the money quickly!" said the man with the axe.
Bai Feng and his group moved back slowly and carefully. Unexpectedly, a man's voice came from behind: "Where do you want to run? Little fat sheep."
Zhao Kuo looked back and saw a tall man standing there with a big knife in one hand and his chest exposed. The thick velvet on his chest was particularly noticeable. When everyone realized that they were surrounded by bandits, Zhao Kuo suddenly shouted: "Wow! Look!" The other four people immediately looked in the direction Zhao Kuo pointed - behind the sturdy man. I saw the little beggar who had just left me hiding on the edge of the alley, still holding the white-faced steamed bun given by A-Bian. When he realized that Zhao Kuo and the others had seen him, he couldn't help but sweat dripping from his forehead. The "scar" extending from the corner of his left eye to the corner of his left lip actually slipped down from his face!
Zhao Kuo was furious after seeing this scene and kept calling him a liar: "This little liar actually betrayed us!"
Tuoba Yan looked helpless and had no choice but to draw his sword and fight. When the little beggar discovered that the "scar" was exposed, he covered the left side of his face and ran away in a panic.
The two groups of people faced off for a long time. Due to the larger number of people, Bai Feng and his party forced the bandits not to act rashly. In order to protect A Bian and Zhao Kuo who were not good at martial arts, Bai Feng decided to team up with Tuoba Guang to fight against the man with the long hook weapon and the man with the giant axe; while Tuoba Yan protected them. Behind the two of them, they were facing the huge man alone. The two people who did not know martial arts were in the position between Bai Feng and Tuoba Yan.
The first to act were the two men holding long hooks and giant axes. They first distanced themselves from each other on the left and right, and then slowly approached Bai Feng and Tuoba Guang.
Almost at the same time, the man with the long hook attacked Tuoba Kuang. He deliberately launched a feint attack on Tuoba Kuang's knife, hoping to use the hook to restrain Tuoba Kuang's weapon; and the tall man with the giant ax even pounced. Bai Feng's long sword is intended to be like a tree: even if it only withstands a fierce encounter between swords, cracks will inevitably appear on the sword. So Bai Feng had to dodge left and right, and from time to time he had to beware of sneak attacks from long hooks.
While resisting, Bai Feng thought: "Their fighting method is to take away the opponent's weapons first! And their cooperation is very tacit, and they must have worked together for many years. But he and Tuoba Guang have only known each other for a day, and if they continue to fight for a long time, only There is a defeat. Tuoba Yan on the other side is fighting hard with the burly man wielding a sword. If even Tuoba Yan can't hold on, the consequences will be disastrous..." At the moment when Bai Feng was thinking hard and couldn't figure out a plan. Finally, a soft voice reached the ears of everyone in the alley from behind Bai Feng.
"Lord Officer, right in front!" Then there were footsteps coming one after another, and dozens of soldiers surrounded them from the head and end of the alley.
"Unload all weapons, otherwise, shoot without mercy!" The leading spearman was majestic, with two mustaches on his lips and a goatee under his lips. The sharp eyes make people dare not disobey his instructions. Wearing Han army armor, holding a red tassel spear in his right hand, he is about seven feet tall and has a vigorous posture.
After hearing this, everyone dropped their weapons one after another. The burly man looked disdainfully and looked at the leading spearman angrily, and was then taken away by two soldiers. In the end, the two groups of people who fought with weapons were brought back to Yangcheng County Yamen.
