"Li Tai, you are so brave. You dared to attack the master without my order. It seems that you are paying less and less attention to me, the leader of the Red Army." It turned out that it was the short and sturdy young man who looked at the body and saw this Bian had already made a move and quickly shouted to stop.
"Li Tai didn't dare. It was only when I saw that the boy in official uniform wanted to attack the king that my subordinates took action to stop him." The young man with unibrows, who was called Li Tai, saw the short and stocky boy walking towards him with an unkind expression and hurriedly stopped him. Kneel down and explain continuously.
"Then why did you start a fight with Master Kongfa?" The short and stocky boy sneered and asked in a stern tone.
"That boy made rude remarks..." Li Tai still wanted to argue.
"Shut up, do you think I didn't see what happened just now? Huh, don't think that with the "Great Immortal" behind you, you can ignore my order. Do you really think that I don't dare to touch you?" Shorty Zhuang The anger on the young man's face was still there, and he stared at Li Tai with a pair of round eyes and scolded.
"I don't dare, I know I'm guilty." Li Tai hurriedly lowered his head and said.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I think General Li was just a little reckless and impulsive, and he had no objection." At this time, the young scholar who had not made any move stepped forward to persuade him.
Wang Qi'an had been paying attention to the situation on their side. Although Li Tai looked frightened on the surface, in fact, the moment he lowered his head, Wang Qi'an noticed an imperceptible sneer on his lips. It seems that the Red Army is not that united, but they don't know who the "Great Immortal" they call is. Judging from the tone, does this person have a higher status than this short and stocky boy?
While Wang Qi'an was thinking, Kongfa's voice sounded in his ears, and he whispered to Meng Ke:
"Ke'er, I have already guessed their identities, but I don't know why they appeared here. These three people are not weak, especially the short and stocky boy. Despite his young age, his strikes are quick and neat, and his martial arts are as good as Above the young man with unibrows just now, even if he fights alone, the uncle does not dare to win. There is also the scholar who has not made a move. He is calm and calm, showing the demeanor of a first-class master. If their purpose is not good, the uncle will I will pester them for a while, and you and the others will immediately disperse and run away, and then try to go to Shangyuan Temple to inform your master." Kongfa said in a low voice.
"But..." After hearing that the situation was so bad, Meng Ke wanted to say more, but Kong Fa had already waved his hand to stop him from talking.
When Wang Qi'an heard the exchange between the two, he couldn't help but get closer to them and said to Kongfa: "Master, don't worry now. I think the situation may not be so bad."
The scene of the three of them whispering fell into the eyes of the young scholar. After whispering a few words to the short and sturdy boy, he stepped forward in front of the three of them, clasped his hands and saluted: "Xiaosheng has met the master and all my friends. , it was just a misunderstanding, our General Li was impatient and reckless, please forgive me, we have no bad intentions here, we just received the report from our secret agent and came to Taipingguan to find out what happened."
At this time, the short and sturdy young man turned around and came to the crowd. His thick eyebrows were raised, his eyes widened with anger, staring at Meng Ke. His voice was as loud as a bell, and he asked unceremoniously: "What do you think of these corpses over there?" Find out who did it?”
Meng Ke was so stared at that he felt terrified. An Lin's skill was indeed the best among the three as his uncle said. When he was about to tell his previous guess, he was interrupted by Kong Fa.
"Excuse me, is the donor the leader of the Red Army known as the "Reincarnated Arhat"?" Having learned from the past, Kongfa was afraid that he would take action against Meng Ke, so he couldn't help but take a step forward, implicitly protecting Meng Ke behind him, and asked Cha Yan.
"How brave, since you dare to call me the king directly." Li Tai also stepped forward at this moment and shouted to Kongfa in a sharp voice.
"Shut up." The short and sturdy young man glared at Li Tai, his anger clearly still lingering.
Then he turned to Kong Fa and said in a gentle tone: "Master has good eyesight. I will not change my name or surname. I am Zhang Yuxian of the Red Army."
The change in this person's attitude is very strange. He was rude to the two officials before, and he was fierce when he questioned Meng Ke, but when he was facing Kongfa, his tone became very respectful, which is puzzling.
"It turns out to be the leader of the rebels..." Upon hearing Zhang Yuxian's name, Meng Ke and other officials couldn't help but change color on their faces, and some of them couldn't help but draw their sabers and stand on guard.
On the contrary, Wang Qi'an and Kong Fa didn't change their expressions and didn't react much.
It turns out that Zhang Yuxian was a minor official in Xunzhou Prefecture of the Southern Han Dynasty. He was young, vigorous, and highly skilled in martial arts. He couldn't bear the corruption and darkness of the court and was brutal and unjust, so he gathered a crowd to rebel. He killed the governor of Xunzhou and proclaimed himself king. Then before the Southern Han Dynasty sent a large army to suppress it, he retreated to Qianzhou and recruited refugees from all walks of life. In just six months, his number expanded from thousands to more than 100,000, and his momentum was great. Huoda has become the largest rebel force in Lingnan, and is currently at war with the Southern Han Dynasty. No wonder Meng Ke and others panicked when they heard his name, thinking that the army was approaching.
"Don't worry, this is not a strategic location. The Red Army did not follow me here. Besides, you are just minions used by the government. I will not hurt you. Hahaha..." Zhang Yuxian seemed to be telling Meng Ke and others The reaction was very satisfying and he couldn't help but laugh to the sky.
Zhang Yuxian continued: "Since the master has guessed, I don't need to cover up anymore. The person who just fought with you is our army's left general Li Tai." Then he pointed to the young scholar next to him and said, "This is me. Seng Jingquan, the counselor in the army, I am here today just to seek confirmation, not to cause trouble."
"There was a murder in Taiping Temple last night. More than ten people lost their lives. Is the donor's coming here related to this matter?" Kong Fa seemed to have already guessed the identities of the three people. Hearing his introduction, he was not very surprised. It's just that these three people were there. The Red Army has a very high status, and Zhang Yuxian is the leader of the army. I don't know why it is so important that he can come in person.
"Master, do you know that two of the corpses side by side over there are our Red Army soldiers?" Zhang Yuxian turned his head and pointed to where the corpses were placed.
"The benefactor is referring to the "tough bandit" Jiang Dun and the "evil girl" Feng Cuihuan. The poor monk has guessed it before, but it just needs to be confirmed."
"Yes, they are members of my vanguard team. They were supposed to go back last night, but they never showed up. I thought something was abnormal, so I came to check it out in person. I didn't expect that they had been brutally murdered. Does the master have a murderer? clue?"
"Amitabha! There are too few clues left at the scene. We don't have a clue yet. The poor monk has something unclear. I hope the donor can clear up his doubts. Why did the Red Army Pioneer Group appear in Taiping Ancient Temple? What did the donor assign them to investigate?"
"Monk Kongfa, don't you think you have too much control? Why should I tell you about the Red Army?" Li Tai seemed to be afraid that Zhang Yuxian would reveal the reason, so he rushed to shout first.
"Shut up, don't be rude to Master." Seeing Li Tai speak rudely again, Zhang Yuxian couldn't help but frown and shouted loudly.
Wang Qi'an next to him had no good impression of Li Tai, and felt that he was different from what he was on the outside. His obedience and respect to Zhang Yuxian was only superficial. Although he was scolded many times, he did not restrain himself and seemed not to be afraid of Zhang Yuxian.
Zhang Yuxian pondered for a moment and then said: "I only seek to be fair and aboveboard in my actions. Moreover, what I practice is the authentic Buddhist practice, and I can be said to have the same origin as the master. For this reason alone, I am not willing to lie to you." ." When Zhang Yuxian was young, he met a strange person who taught him the Buddhist teachings and told him to respect his fellow disciples. Therefore, after his debut, he was known as the "Reincarnated Arhat" and regarded himself as a member of the Buddhist lineage, so he always had a respectful attitude towards the emptiness of Buddhism.
"The day before yesterday, our army received a secret report saying that there are recent rumors in the world that the Taoist martial arts secret book "Baopuzi" written by Ge Hong, the former number one Taoist, has reappeared in the world. For hundreds of years, the book has not been found in Chongxu Guan. I found the trace because it had been hidden in the Taiping Temple. It is said that the Taoist priest responsible for purchasing daily supplies in the Taoist temple took the opportunity to go down the mountain and enter the town. He ran to find Aunt Hong in Xiuxiang Tower and accidentally said while drinking and passionate. Spilled."
"Although the rumors are well-founded, I grew up in Boluo since I was a child, so I naturally know very much about this matter. Although Taiping Ancient Temple was once prominent in the martial arts world at that time and had a close relationship with the Zakawa Immortal, in the past hundred years, this The temple has long faded out of the sight of martial arts in the Central Plains. The ancient temple, including the master Xuanyi, all devoted themselves to Taoism and did not practice martial arts, and they have never been heard of participating in martial arts. If it is true as the rumors say, the temple contains "Baopu" "Zi", in the face of such profound martial arts, all the disciples in Guan Nei remain unmoved, and no one has practiced it for hundreds of years."
"I didn't believe these rumors at first, but when I received the secret report, someone happened to be nearby, so I sent two subordinates to find out why the rumors started. I just didn't expect that they would encounter such a change here. It seems that at present This matter is not simple. The two men under my command are not weak, but they can't even block a single move from their opponent. This shows that the murderer is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also ruthless and ruthless, leaving no room for mercy. Who on earth has this ability?" In the last few sentences, he seemed to be asking about emptiness and talking to himself, secretly speculating in his mind.
"Among the other corpses, three of them have the same clothes, and they all have dragon-shaped patterns embroidered on their lapels. They should be the emblem of a certain gang. The other two, if my subordinates guess correctly, should be from the Lingnan Gang. One person He is a confidant of their second master, and they have met and interacted with each other once." After seeing the corpse at this time, Seng Jingquan casually told the latest discovery.
"Lingnan Gang? I heard that the new generation of gang leader Liang Feng is completely different from his father's calm and conservative attitude. He is very ambitious. He relies on his power and is very arrogant in the area of Prince Xing's Mansion. In the past two years, he has intensified his efforts to attack dissidents and comrades. Some are disobedient. The gangs were either wiped out or merged, causing the Lingnan martial arts world to be in turmoil." Kong Fa frowned slightly.
"We received news that the reason why the Lingnan Gang dared to be so arrogant and domineering was because they secretly relied on Shao Wang Liu Hongya as their backer." Seng Jingquan added.
"Hmph. The Liu family are all cruel and tyrannical, mean and heartless. They have their own ambitions and have no regard for human ethics. It's only a matter of time before brothers start fighting. I don't think they can sit in the court for long." Zhang Yuxian heard Liu Hongya's name. , with a look of disdain on his face, and his words couldn't help but become rude.
He turned around and glanced at the morgue again, and said:
"The lieutenant general of our army cannot be allowed to die in the wilderness. Jing Quan and Li Tai will take away the bodies of Jiang Dun and Feng Cuihuan and find a place to bury them. The cycle of heaven and retribution will not bring good results. Sooner or later, I will deal with what happened today." Find out clearly, kill for life, I will record this account first."
"I obey," Seng Jingquan and Li Tai responded.
"I have something important to do, so I'll take my leave first. If I have the opportunity in the future, I'll go to Shangyuan Temple to ask for your favor." Zhang Yuxian then said goodbye to Master Kongfa with his hands over his hands, and then turned around and left in the direction he came from. Li Tai and Seng Jingquan each carried a corpse and followed quickly. Although Meng Ke and other officials wanted to stop them from taking away the corpse, they knew they were no match for the other party, so they had no choice but to give up.
After seeing the other party go far away, Meng Ke asked: "Uncle Master, why didn't you tell him the result of our discovery just now?"
"People's hearts are unpredictable, and the people of the Red Army are not easy people. If they know that this matter is related to Prince Wending's palace, there is no guarantee that they will not alert the snake, and then it will be difficult to implement our plan." Kongfa explained.
"It is said that the Red Army has established a palace in Qianzhou. Nanwu and Dahan are afraid that they will become too powerful and difficult to control, so they have prepared to jointly deal with them. At such a tense and critical moment, their leader suddenly appears here? Judging from his tone, If you didn’t come here because of the Guguan matter, then what could be more important than staying in Qianzhou to take charge?” Meng Ke asked doubtfully.
"This matter is getting more and more complicated. If the words of Zhang Yuxian and others are true, regardless of whether the rumors are true or false, it will add fuel to the already turbulent situation and make it even more chaotic. Poor innocent people have not enjoyed peace for many years. I have to rush right away. I went back to Shangyuan Temple to inform my senior brother about the matter and respond as soon as possible. After arranging all matters, I immediately went to Prince Xing’s Mansion, hoping to find out the whereabouts of Master Xuanyi Monastery as soon as possible. Ke’er, the aftermath work here will be left to you. ." Kongfa looked worried.
"Yes, uncle, don't worry, my nephew will handle the matters here." Meng Ke replied.
After Kongfa finished speaking, he said a few words to Wang Qi and then left.
After the battle just now, Wang Qi'an has been thoughtful, frowning from time to time. After Kongfa left, he immediately said goodbye and left, leaving only Meng Ke to direct the aftermath of the incident.
Wang Qi'an originally wanted to go back to Xiaogu, but suddenly his heart moved and he thought that Chu Yunxia's whereabouts were unknown, so he turned towards Zhengjia Village and ran towards it.
Everything that happened in front of the Taiping Ancient Temple fell into the eyes of the group of people who had arrived ten feet away from the temple and were hidden in the trees.
The proud young man said: "Second uncle, who are those people just now? Do you know them? I didn't expect that there are people with such tyrannical skills in the wild land of Lingnan."
Witnessing what just happened, the old man who took the lead fell into deep thought. He seemed to be thinking about something. The expression on his face changed several times, flickering between bright and dark, and he didn't even hear the young man talking to him.
"Second uncle, what's wrong with you?" The young man didn't hear a response for a long time and couldn't help turning his head to look at the old man. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but ask the old man with concern in a louder voice.
The old man came back to his senses at this moment and said: "I was just thinking about who could be so sensitive to information and be able to get ahead of us and get there first."
"I do recognize the person who just attacked the monk. He is a well-known underworld figure in the martial arts world, Xuanyinzhao Li Tai. He was briefly active in the Central Plains and Jiangnan areas. He is a sinister person who is sure to retaliate and has many enemies. It is said that in recent years Joined a rebel force in Lingnan. It seems that the other two people are also from the rebel force. The identity of the young man seems to be higher than that of Li Tai. I heard that this rebel force has occupied Qianzhou. Could it be that they are also from the rebel force? Are you here for the secret?" the old man replied after the young man repeated the previous question.
"Don't worry about him. The most important thing now is to find out what happened in the temple. The young man seems to have a lot to do with the temple. Maybe we can get some useful information from him. Chang'er, you He Jing'er follows him, waiting for an opportunity to get close, and inquire about the situation. Be careful not to reveal the purpose of this trip."
"Chen Da and Chen Er, you stay here and continue to observe the situation in front of you. Pay special attention to the official who is taking the lead, so everyone who comes into contact with him should keep it in mind."
"The others have found a shelter nearby and are waiting for orders."
Seeing Kong Fa and Wang Qi'an leaving one after another, the leading old man quickly issued instructions in succession.
"If I guess correctly, that monk should be Kongfa from Shangyuan Temple. This man is very famous in Lingnan Buddhism and has great martial arts skills. I want to go and meet him in person." The old man added.
"No matter what the outcome is, before the third watch tonight, everyone will gather back at the mountain temple that we passed by when we came here. We will first synthesize the various collected intelligence clues before making the next plan. Now that we have come all the way here, There is no reason to return empty-handed." The old man said firmly.
"Yes, my nephew understands." After the dignified young man who was called Chang'er responded respectfully, he hurriedly left with the handsome young man, chasing Wang Qi'an through the woods and trees. Watching the two people's backs go away, the old man suddenly showed a cold smile that was imperceptible.
Wang Qi'an had already passed through a bamboo forest on the left side of Taiping Ancient Temple and was walking down the mountain along the path. He seemed very preoccupied, so he didn't notice anyone following him.
Zhengjia Village is located in an open and flat area at the foot of Boluo Mountain. It is just a small village with a dozen or so families sparsely scattered. A mountain spring stream flows slowly down the mountain, twists and turns in front of the village, and winds its way east.
Wang Qi'an had been to this place several times with Chu Yunxia, so he found the location easily. After arriving at the village, he came back to his senses and remembered that he still had a mission. He first went straight to the hut where Chu Yunxia's family was, and carefully After the search found nothing, they rushed out and checked in other houses one by one. They found that except for the fact that all the villagers were missing, everything else was as usual. There were no signs of fighting or damage inside and outside the villagers' houses. The scene It can be said that there are no clues, and it is really difficult to start.
When Wang Qian returned to Chu Yunxia's home again, he couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. He tried his best to think about whether there was anything he had missed. His sensitive nose was of no use at this moment, because after so many days, many smells had disappeared.
Unexpectedly, in just a few days, such strange and huge changes happened one after another. First, the beauty disappeared and disappeared. Now, many Taoist brothers in the Taiping audience have died tragically, and the life and death of Xuanyi Temple Master is uncertain. Everything happened so fast that he was caught off guard.
"Excuse me, is anyone there?"
At this time, people's voices sounded outside. Wang Qi'an felt happy and hurriedly stepped out of the house. He saw two people standing outside the fence. It was the dignified young man and the handsome boy who had followed him here.
When Wang Qi'an saw the two of them, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but his eyes were wide open. He thought to himself that it was rare to see such temperamental people in this poor and remote country.
"Why are you two brothers here? Do you need help?" Wang Qian couldn't help but said politely, thinking that the other party was a guest from afar.
"Brother, please excuse me. My two brothers came here to play and didn't want to have fun all at once. Unexpectedly, it was getting late. When we went out of the mountain, we lost our way. We didn't know where to stay. We just happened to see this village. So I came here to ask if I could stay for a night?" the Xuanang young man said with his hands clasped in his fists.
Boluo Mountain has always been a holy land for Buddhism and Taoism. There are many good men and women, and tourists passing by. Wang Qi'an did not doubt that he was there. Moreover, seeing the two brothers, one tall and tall, the other delicate and agile, neither of them looked like evil people, and he couldn't help but feel sad. Good impression.
At this time, night was approaching, and the place was still some distance from the town. He thought that the villagers were gone anyway, and there were many vacant houses here, so it would not be a big deal for them to stay for one night, so he said:
"I see, then please come in and have a rest. There's no problem in staying overnight. Once things are tidied up, you two can rest for the night."
Wang Qian said and welcomed the two people into the house.
The interior decoration of Chu Yunxia's house is very simple, with only wooden tables, bamboo chairs and other simple daily items. Wang Qi'an could only act as the host for the time being. He invited them to sit down on the bamboo bench and asked casually: "I wonder where you two are from? It sounds like you are not local from the accent."
"I'm Sima Chang. This is my sister-in-law Sima Jing. Don't be surprised, brother. My sister-in-law always likes to dress up in men's clothes when she goes out. We are from Jinling. We are here with my uncle Nan to do business this time. We are new to Guibao. If there is any rash interruption, Please forgive me, little brother."
It turned out that this person was Sima Chang, the young master of the Sima Mansion, the largest aristocratic family in the south of the Yangtze River. He had already prepared a plan to conceal his identity. Now that he saw the heroic spirit of the young man in front of him and his upright and generous behavior, he couldn't help but feel a desire to get acquainted. He deceived him, so he truthfully told his identity, but concealed the purpose of his trip.
Sima Jing beside him couldn't help but was stunned when he heard this. She looked at her brother in surprise. She didn't expect him to be so frank, even telling the truth about her disguised as a man. Sima Chang seemed to know what she was thinking and reached out to touch her. shoulder, nodding and smiling at her.
No wonder seeing how delicate this young man was, he turned out to be a woman disguised as a man, Wang Qian thought to himself, and couldn't help but look at Sima Jing again. Sima Jing just turned around at this time and met Wang Qi'an's gaze. She had already noticed that the man in front of her was majestic and tall, with exquisite outlines. When the two people's eyes met, Sima Jing was attracted by him. As soon as his eyes touched her, her cheeks burned, and Fangxin felt panicked for a while. She cursed herself secretly and hurriedly pretended to get up and inspect other corners of the house to hide her abnormality. Thinking in his mind, he couldn't help but glance at Wang Qian again.
"Brother Wang Qi'an, Brother Sima is so polite. You two are guests from afar. However, the farmhouse in the mountain village here is no better than an inn or restaurant. The layout is simple and simple, so you two can only make do with it for one night." Wang Qi'an said.
"Why aren't there anyone else here? Have they all gone out and not returned?" Sima Jing couldn't help but ask with a little doubt because Wang Qi'an was the only one seen in the whole village.
"Well, this mystery has been bothering me. I don't know where they went?" Wang Qi'an let out a long sigh, his expression dimmed, and when the Sima brother and sister looked suspicious, he told the strange things that happened in Zhengjia Village Explained again.
"Is there such a bizarre thing? So many people in the entire village disappeared all of a sudden? There can't really be mountain monsters haunting it, right?" Although Sima Jing is skilled in martial arts, when she thinks about such a remote mountainous area, it is most likely that ghosts are at work. , couldn't help showing a look of panic and nervousness, and couldn't help but lean against his brother Sima Chang.
"I never believe in ghosts and ghosts. According to our speculation, this matter is most likely a secret gang that kidnapped people." Wang Qi'an shook his head and expressed his and Meng Ke's thoughts.
"I have also heard about the case of Dongyue Kingdom. It seems that this matter is not simple and extremely difficult." Sima Chang nodded and said solemnly.
"By the way, my roommate and I want to spend a day exploring the surrounding area tomorrow. I wonder if Brother Wang has any recommendations?" Sima Chang asked, remembering the mission of this trip.
"Actually, I am not a local. I heard that the scenery of Feiyun Peak is steep and beautiful. It is a major scenic spot here. Brother Sima may want to go there." Wang Qi'an said sheepishly.
"Thank you, Brother Wang, for your advice. When I was in the south of the Yangtze River, I heard that Mount Boluo is a well-known holy land for Buddhism and Taoism. It is said that there is a thousand-year-old temple here. I wonder if Brother Wang knows about it?"
"There is indeed such a Taoist temple, but you two came at the wrong time. A tragedy had just occurred in this temple, so it is no longer suitable for tourists to visit." Wang Qi'an knew that they were referring to Taiping Temple, and thought that it would be such a coincidence, although there was There was a trace of doubt, but he still told the truth about what happened in the temple.
"How could there be such a cruel and easy-to-kill person? You said that there are dragon-shaped patterns embroidered on the skirts of your clothes. As I guessed correctly, they must be members of the Mosasaurus Gang of Hangzhou City. I didn't expect that they would also come all the way here. ?" Although Sima Chang knew that there was a murder in the temple, he only got more details after hearing Wang Qi'an talk about it. However, when he heard that the victims were actually members of the Mosasaurus Gang, he couldn't help being secretly surprised. He didn't expect that they had also received the news. He also rushed to Lingnan before them.
"The Mosasaurus Gang?" Wang Qi'an has not traveled around the Jianghu, so he doesn't know much about the Jianghu gangs.
"We have some interactions with them in Hangzhou City, so we know something about them." Sima Chang explained.
Just as Sima Chang was about to take the opportunity to ask Wang Qi'an for more information about Taiping Temple, he suddenly saw his face change and his right ear move slightly, as if he was listening attentively.
Seeing this, Sima Chang showed the expected state of a master. He concentrated his ears and listened carefully. Sure enough, he caught the slight sound of breaking wind. At the same time, a surprised thought flashed in his mind. Could it be that the young man in front of him still had the skills? Above him, he can detect abnormalities in advance.
"What's wrong with you?" Sima Jing, whose skills were far inferior to her brother's, asked in confusion when she saw both of them looking strange.
Sima Chang pointed his fingers to signal her to be silent, and said: "There are people approaching outside. Listen to the footsteps, there are at least three people." After saying that, he looked at Wang Qi'an, as if he also wanted to hear his judgment.
But Wang Qi'an's expression returned to normal at this time, and he seemed not to know that anyone was approaching.
"Have the villagers come back?" Sima Jing couldn't help but ask.
"They are not like ordinary villagers. These people come with great force and fall to the ground lightly and silently. They should be martial arts practitioners, and they are not weak." Sima Chang said vigilantly.
At the moment when the two of them were talking to each other, the sound of clothes breaking in the wind stopped. It seemed that the person who came had reached the open space outside the house and stood firm. Although he was chatting happily and his alertness was greatly reduced, the visitor was not discovered until he was dozens of feet away from the door. His skill was so high that it cannot be underestimated. Could it be that he was the three people who appeared in front of the audience today? Sima Chang thought in his mind.
When he was about to get up and go out to see what was going on, there were voices outside.
