The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month is the small year.
New Year's Eve is approaching.
The "Cloud Car" carried Xiao Ding, Tang Qingqing, Ye Rongqiu, and Zhou Ziheng out of Qingcheng Mountain and drove slowly on the road to Jinxiu Villa. This section of the official road was in disrepair and was a bit bumpy, but fortunately there were often Cars and horses can still pass through.
After Xiaoding said goodbye to Fan Shitai, the head of Emei, and Chen Xuanguan, the head of Kongtong, at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain, he changed his usual state of making jokes and became silent.
He leaned against the car lattice and sat meditating. He held the glass of wine handed over by Ye Rongqiu in his hand and forgot to drink it. He let the wine in the glass spill on his arm without wiping it.
Tang Qingqing and Ye Rongqiu knew that he must be thinking about something important, so they never interrupted him.
The "Cloud Car" drove no matter how far it went in the bumps. Finally, Xiao Ding's frown gradually relaxed and he became the smiling Xiao Ding again.
Tang Qingqing likes Xiao Ding who loves to laugh, and Ye Rongqiu also likes the way Xiao Ding laughs.
As long as Xiao Ding has a smile on his face, they feel particularly relaxed and comfortable.
Tang Qing said angrily: "Idiot, what were you thinking about along the way?"
Xiao Ding smiled and said, "I was thinking about what Mr. Zhao said."
"Master Zhao? Oh, you're talking about Zhao Qingming, one of the top four talents in Qingcheng? What did he say? Why don't we know?" After asking several questions at once, Tang Qingqing's expression seemed like she could not help but jump up and pinch her. Holding Xiao Ding's neck, he poured out all the words in his stomach.
Xiao Ding pinched his brows, as if he had thought about too many questions just now and felt a little tired. He smiled and said: "Of course you won't hear me if you walk so fast. I deliberately slowed down and said a few words to him. "
Indeed, when Zhao Qingming saw off his guests just now, Xiao Ding seemed to be greeting him from behind, but Tang Qingqing, Ye Rongqiu and the others were eager to leave Qingcheng Mountain immediately. Too many things had happened in the Qingcheng Sect in the past few days, which made them feel very sad. It was depressing, and they were not used to saying hello to others, so naturally they walked very fast.
Ye Rongqiu thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Did you ask him who among the Four Shows in Qingcheng left Xifengju the night before the martial arts competition?"
Xiao Ding nodded and smiled: "Not bad, smart."
Tang Qingqing snorted coldly in her nostrils and deliberately looked out the window.
"But Zhao Qingming's answer surprised me." Xiao Ding sighed.
Tang Qingqing couldn't help but turned around and asked, "What did he say?"
Xiao Ding drank all the wine in the cup and said with a wry smile: "He said that the four of them had left Xifengju the night before the martial arts conference. They worked in pairs and inspected the defenses of the major sects at the foot of the mountain. ."
Ye Rongqiu and Tang Qingqing looked at each other, both of them seemed to have felt Xiao Ding's helplessness.
"At that time, it happened that Zhao Qingming and Nie Qingyun were in a group, and Wei Qingshu and Liu Qingfeng were in a group. Do you think it's strange or not?" Xiao Ding sighed lightly.
Ye Rongqiu said: "Do you suspect that what Wei Qingshu said is false?"
Xiao Ding said calmly: "It's not that I have doubts. I just feel that this matter ended too quickly and too easily."
Tang Qingqing shouted: "Simple? In just a few days, the Qingcheng sect's masters have been killed and injured, and their vitality has been greatly weakened. You actually said it was simple."
Xiao Ding said seriously: "Because of this, think about it, Zhao Wuji and Taoist Yue died cleanly, and the murderer didn't give them a chance to take action. Why did he reveal his flaws when he killed Wei Qingshu?"
Tang Qingqing and Ye Rongqiu also found Xiao Ding's explanation unbelievable.
Ye Rongqiu frowned and said, "Did he underestimate the enemy?"
Xiao Ding smiled lightly and said: "No, if the murderer is really Liu Qingfeng, then Wei Qingshu should not have a chance to take action. He will never be injured by Wei Qingshu's sword and run away. The four shows of Qingcheng have been apprenticed together since they were young. We are naturally very familiar with each other's martial arts routines and temperaments, so how could Wei Qingshu easily dodge that deadly swordsmanship? "
Yes, even the leader of Qingcheng, Zhao Wuji, couldn't avoid a sword that penetrated his throat. Why could Wei Qingshu avoid it? Is it true, as he said, that he has suspected that there is a mole among the four shows in Qingcheng?
But since I already had doubts, why did I go to the appointment alone? Is he confident that his martial arts is better than his master Zhao Wuji and his uncle Yue Wuhua?
Ye Rongqiu said suddenly: "Are you suspecting that Wei Qingshu is using a trick to catch the thief?"
Tang Qingqing was still unwilling to give in and argued: "But Wei Qingshu was indeed wounded by the sword, and he was also poisoned by the soul-destroying incense. Everyone knows that all my Biyu Qingxin Pills have been swallowed by Bing Hua Tuo." Well, if there is no antidote to the Soul-Destroying Incense, all he can do is wait for death. How could he take such a risk? "
Xiao Ding smiled and said: "Don't forget, the Jasper Qingxin Pill you picked up on the cliff fell from the murderer. On the official road in Chenzhuang, we all drank the poisonous wine of Bing Hua Tuo. But the murderer did not take Biyu Qingxin Pills, which proved that he had the antidote for Hua Tuo's illness. He did not believe in the efficacy of Biyu Qingxin Pills, which showed that he was an extremely cautious person. How could such a person not leave the medicine for himself? If he takes the back road, since he can have an antidote, why can't he have poison? "
Tang Qingqing said in shock: "You mean, Wei Qingshu killed Liu Qingfeng, then stabbed himself, first took the antidote and then the soul-destroying incense?"
Xiao Ding sighed: "I am just guessing. There is no evidence to prove that Wei Qingshu is the murderer."
Ye Rongqiu asked in confusion: "But where did he get the Soul-Destroying Incense?"
Xiao Ding said: "It's easy to think of this. The sick Hua Tuo has been controlled by others. He is worried about the safety of his family, so he naturally has to hand over the soul-destroying incense and its antidote."
Tang Qingqing felt like her head was about to explode. She shouted, "Wei Qingshu and Zhao Qingming drove ahead when we came out of Shaolin. Our course of action was all decided on the fly. How could he contact others?"
Ye Rongqiu also echoed: "Yes, it is difficult to follow the carriage in secret as it speeds along the official road. If you follow too closely, you will easily see through it. How could Bing Huatuo know exactly where your destination was that night?" That ruined temple? "
"I was thinking about this question along the way. If Wei Qingshu is the real murderer, what method will he use to get in touch with Bing Huatuo." Xiao Ding handed the empty cup to Ye Rongqiu, and Ye Rongqiu rolled his eyes at him. Fill the wine glass.
Xiao Ding raised his glass and took a sip, and said slowly: "I finally thought that he has another way, at least one more, and that is the hell coin in his hand!"
The carriage driven by Wei Qingshu and Zhao Qingming was pulling Zhao Wuji's coffin. Wei Qingshu threw a few pieces of paper money back from time to time, and Zhao Qingming shouted: The soul returns to the old friend, and strangers avoid it.
The scattered ghost paper money, commonly known as road money, is said to allow the ghost to follow it and find its way home. It is money to pay filial piety to the mountain god for the land.
The coins were scattered on the road, and two carriages passed by at high speed. No one would notice any information on the paper money.
If Bing Huatuo happened to pick up a piece of paper with information, he would naturally be able to easily find where Xiao Ding and the others stayed.
Qingcheng Mountain, Shangqing Palace.
The mourning hall has been evacuated, but the memorial tablet remains.
Zhao Qingming, Nie Qingyun, and Wei Qingshu were adding incense to the spiritual tablets of Zhao Wuji and Yue Wuhua.
The injury on Wei Qingshu's left shoulder was not fatal. After applying gold wound medicine, he was able to move freely.
After offering the incense, Zhao Qingming looked at the memorial tablets of Zhao Wuji and Yue Wuhua, clenched his teeth, and said sadly: "Dad, Master Yue, you two have a good journey. Even if you travel to the ends of the world, my child will definitely find the thief Liu Qingfeng. I cut his body into thousands of pieces with my own hands to comfort the spirits of the two elders in heaven."
Nie Qingyun's eyes were also red, and he said solemnly: "And I, my junior brother and I will avenge your two elders."
Wei Qingshu cried: "It's a pity that I was injured by the sword and can't go down the mountain immediately. When I recover, I will go down the mountain to meet my two junior brothers. If I find the thief, I will eat his flesh and drink his blood to relieve the hatred in my heart."
Zhao Qingming said: "Qingcheng cannot be without an owner for a day. The senior brother is seriously injured and it is not suitable to travel far. To kill the thief, I will go with the third senior brother. I will ask the senior brother to temporarily take over the position of head and revitalize Qingcheng." !"
Nie Qingyun also agreed: "This is the best. The thief has disappeared now, and it will be difficult to find him for a while. Senior Brother also needs to rest for his sword injury. If you stay in Qingcheng Mountain, you will have a long way to go."
Wei Qingshu was about to argue when he suddenly heard someone outside the hall laughing and saying, "You three don't have to go down the mountain. I have found Liu Qingfeng."
Following the laughter, four people walked in outside the hall. It was Xiao Ding and others who had just left Qingcheng Mountain not long ago, and they left and returned.
