(41)
As the saying goes, it is easy to hide from an open gun, but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow. The strange shadow that appears this night will have an unknown impact on the conspiracy of Bai Feng and others. And they naturally knew that the spy was most likely a Taiping Dao agent, because if the other party was a friendly helper, he would not be so sneaky.
After Daoming's strategy, Bai Feng inevitably had another accident, so he immediately said goodbye to everyone and hurried back to Taiping Taoist Temple to exchange his original identity with E Feiying. The people in the pharmacy also rekindled the candle flames in the side hall and began to prepare for tomorrow's heaven-sacrifice ceremony.
For example, after a special candle is made, the next step is to figure out how to put it on the altar by the river.
Although there will definitely be swordsmen from the Taiping Dao waiting around the altar, there will definitely be times when they are negligent during this long night.
Therefore, Zhao Kuo, the rich man, planned to wait until the dead of night before going to the altar of Taiping Road alone to perform a show of stealing and exchanging pillars.
After Zhao Xiaomei and Ajuan heard this, they both angrily accused each other of overestimating their capabilities. And Zhang Yi tried to dissuade him earnestly: "I wonder what Mr. Zhao is planning? This incident was originally just a grudge between Zhang Yi and Taiping Dao. As everyone knows, now everyone is involved in it. It really shouldn't be..."
Zhao Kuo replied: "At first, I really wanted to help and benefit Doctor Zhang and make a business deal. But after learning about what Taiping Dao did, I felt more and more that our 'National Master' was ambitious. . He is building Taipingdao branches everywhere, probably not only for the purpose of preaching, but also for his future 'conduct'..."
"What Mr. Zhao said is really shocking!" Zhang Yi replied: "It's just that you have to risk your life to go to the altar, so please think twice."
"Doctor Zhang, please imagine this. If Sima Tu is successful in this battle, then more people will be bewitched by Taiping Dao. In time, if all the people in the world convert to Taiping Dao, then Sima Tu will subvert the country, wouldn't it? An easy thing?" Zhao Kuo glanced at the little girl and Ajuan next to him. They were dumbfounded and speechless, and continued: "Our Beizhen has always been far away from the war in the Central Plains, but its fate is to be at war with this. The two countries are closely related. I am afraid that Taiping Road will extend its clutches into my homeland, so I, Zhao Kuo, have just been so desperate."
After hearing this, Zhang couldn't help but admire the other party's foresight. Apart from that, he didn't have much to say.
After a moment of silence, the two girls who had been speechless for a long time also spoke out their words one after another.
"Zhao Kuo, please bring the slave family with you!" Ajuan said: "The 'little flower' we planted together should be put to use now."
"Brother, there's me too!" said the younger sister, "Walking for justice, subduing demons and slaying demons, I've been thinking about these things in my dreams!"
Zhao Kuo seemed to just want to laugh it off and said: "Oh, you two! If I had known, I should have driven you home..."
Zhang Yi looked at these three people and sighed that they shared his sorrows. Although they have only known each other for a few days, they are as familiar as if they had known each other for decades. The so-called friendship between gentlemen is nothing more than that.
They drank tea and talked until midnight, and then they separated and went about their own business.
I want to ask whether Zhao Kuo and the others can succeed in their actions? It is better to follow the pace of time and come to the heaven-sacrifice ceremony the next day to find the answer.
People in the world often say: "When things go to extremes, they will inevitably turn upside down, otherwise things will be peaceful and peaceful."
And the beginning of this day happens to be the hottest time these days. That bright round sun, round and huge, reflected countless golden threads, passing through the shallow and low clouds and fog, and then scorching the earth.
People stood under the sun, but within a short time they began to sweat profusely and their mouths went dry. What's more, someone was so hot that he fainted and lost consciousness in the crowd of people praying on Taiping Road.
Almost everyone felt that the sky seemed to be lower than before, which was why it was so muggy. Only those Taiping Taoists still sat or stood in the same place calmly, closing their eyes and meditating. Among them, naturally included Sima Tu, the Heavenly Master of Taiping Dao, who was overlooking all living beings in the center of the sword formation.
I saw more and more people fainting due to exhaustion due to the three consecutive days of hunger strike. The spectators and E Binghuan, the governor of Jimingyi, finally couldn't sit still.
E Bing hurriedly asked a gun-wielding guard next to him: "How many people have fainted from heatstroke now?"
"Sir, if we include our people, we are almost thirty!"
"If this continues, everyone will die. After all, not everyone has the moral conduct of Taiping Taoists!" E Bing also said, turning to look at the surrounding spectators in an attempt to gain their approval.
"Dad is right! Most villages don't have special curtains to shade the sun like we do, and they don't have enough water and food to satisfy their hunger. Naturally, their physical strength will be slightly weaker." E Feiying agreed.
Seeing that his cousin was the first to take a stand, Zhang followed suit and said, "Uncle E, in this situation, it's better to stop the ceremony first."
After listening to the words of his two close relatives, E Bing nodded repeatedly, then looked at Zhao Kuo, who was sitting with him at the side, and asked: "What do you mean, Mr. Zhao..."
"Me?" Zhao Kuo looked disapproving. He looked at Bai Feng and sneered, "Brother Bai, you always have a special fragrance on your body today. What is it?"
"Smell?" E Bing looked at Bai Feng behind him doubtfully and sniffed: "How come this smell is a bit like... the smell of powder on Ying'er's body! Could it be possible, you two!"
"No, no, no, it's not!" E Feiying's face turned red with anxiety, waving her pure white sleeves, she kept complaining: "I just lent some rouge to Sister Murong, maybe Mr. Bai accidentally got it on Let's go!" After that, she secretly kicked Zhao Kuo behind the bench to vent her anger.
"No matter how good your relationship is, you must not break the rules!" E Bing also said righteously: "When the matter in Xiahe Town is over, you, Bai Shaoxia, and Miss Murong will go back to Jimingyi together, and then choose Set a good date to get married, so that daddy can finally get married... If the emperor and Mr. Sima can be invited to preside over the wedding by then, that will be even happier!"
"Dad... stop talking..." E Feiying lowered her head in shame. Her slightly pink face was like an embellishment of her white shirt, making her look more like a little girl than ever before. A girl, not a heroine who likes to wield swords and guns.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Kuo suddenly changed the topic at this time, as if he was firmly controlling E Binghuan's thoughts. One moment, he was happy, and the next moment, he returned to more practical issues: "Master E , you asked me whether I should stop the ceremony? I think, 'You are not a fish, how can you know the happiness of fish?' Maybe for them, living like this is more meaningful?"
"Is it meaningful to ignore life?" E Bing replied.
"I wonder if Mr. E believes in Taiping Dao?"
"No."
After Zhao Kuo heard this, he immediately asked: "But according to what I heard, Taoist Wugou was promoted by Mr. E back then..."
"Speaking of this matter, we have to start from the time when the emperor led his army to the west for the first time." E Bing also stroked his moustache and began to tell: "The situation was urgent at that time. During the first time the emperor led the army to the west, Encountering repeated setbacks, his thoughts were confused and he was seriously ill. It was at that time that Mr. Sima suddenly appeared and offered a strange plan and panacea, forcing the pursuers back and rescuing the emperor. From then on, he became famous!"
Zhao Kuo nodded in agreement, and then looked at Bai Feng beside him for a moment, as if they had the same mind. Then he turned to E Bing and said: "Since Master E is not a Taiping Taoist, he can't go there with the same feelings." Treat them. As I said, let’s continue the ceremony. Today, I don’t want to go back to rest. I’m just waiting here for God’s blessing. What do you think?”
E Bing also watched the others nodding in agreement, and his own compassion began to waver.
"Then...since all the juniors are so perseverant, E is naturally embarrassed to shirk it. Maybe the sun is so fierce today, it's just a test given to us by God."
The discussion caused by the scorching sun and people fainting from heatstroke came to an end, but the real confrontation had just begun.
