"master!"
This second-rotor man was very familiar with Dawei's incision. He opened his mouth and called Zhao Rang "Master" and bowed very humbly.
Zhao Rang didn't care about these situations.
On the contrary, he felt that this man was so flattering and smooth, and he didn't know how to lead the way... Looking for a guide is not a butler. The most important thing is to be able to remember the road and know the direction clearly.
I still remember that when a group of them came to Chagan Tologai, they brought three locals with them. In the end, they encountered a heavy rain, but everyone had their own opinions. This is absolutely undesirable, because the crisis occurs in a split second and cannot be delayed at all.
Now with a guide, there will be no disagreements, but if he makes a mistake, there is no room for error.
"Brother Rang, everything is here, all prepared according to the list you made!"
Ximen Dazhuang still remembered that Zhao Rang asked him to count again. Now that the count was completed, he came to reply.
Zhao Rang's mind was not here and he nodded casually without saying anything. But it suddenly occurred to me that this guide was found by Ximen Dazhuang’s clan brother, so there should be no problem. After all, his younger brother was going to go with him, so nothing would happen to the only child of the Ximen family, right?
After thinking this way, Zhao Rang became more enlightened and regained his energy. He asked the waiters to sort the things into categories, load them on horses, and tie them tightly. Be especially careful with dry food and water, as these are life-threatening matters.
Even though the martial arts cultivation of the group is not low, hunting in the mountains is still a matter of luck. What's more, outsiders like me need guides just to cross the mountains. There are no birds and animals that have lived in the mountains for a long time. They are not familiar with the terrain.
Yuan Mingkong had already called his sister and Ye Sanniang.
Everyone's luggage didn't matter much. Zhao Rang looked at his somewhat worn clothes and wondered if he should change before setting off. But thinking about the rugged mountain road, I felt that it was unnecessary. It was better to wait until I climbed over the Songtao Mountain, entered the country, found a good inn to settle down, freshened up, and changed clothes.
With the fifty thousand taels of silver sent by the Ximen family, there is no need to worry about money problems along the way.
Tongbao Bank has four branches in the Western Region.
Except for the Lanmo Kingdom, which ranks at the bottom, the other three kingdoms have semicolons in the royal city, so the flying money can be exchanged at will with credit. In addition, Mr. Ximen thoughtfully prepared a thousand taels of silver in case of emergencies.
Money is just enough when needed. Especially cash silver ingots, each piece is as heavy as a stone. If you carry too much, it will become a burden, and even a horse cannot carry it!
After holding the horse and walking to the entrance of the semicolon, Yuan Mingkong and the new shopkeeper, Mr. Ximen, chatted alone for a while.
The sky was clear and clear, Zhao Rang squinted at Songtao Mountain in front of him, and an ancient saying came to mind unknowingly:
"What's going on in the mountains? Send flowers to make wine, and spring water to make tea."
But these mountains are definitely not mountains in the Western Regions.
The mountains here are high, and the snow does not melt all year round. There is no sight of clear spring rocks flowing upstream, and naturally there is no way to make tea with spring water.
"Do you want to find the knifemaker in the mountains?"
Ye Sanniang also stared at Songtao Mountain like Zhao Rang.
When Zhao Rang was talking to the old master about this in the kitchen just now, Ye Sanniang was not around. As for how she knew, Zhao Rang didn't know. Along the way, there are already many incredible things about her that are hard to fathom.
At the beginning, Zhao Rang was still a little wary. After all, it was necessary to be on guard against others, and Ye Sanniang was so "famous". But so far, the only thing Zhao Rang can be sure of is that Ye Sanniang has no malice or bad intentions towards him.
"Yeah, my knife is gone...it's like I'm not wearing any clothes, something's wrong with me!"
Ye Sanniang was amused by Zhao Rang's metaphor and said:
"It's good not to wear clothes. The sun is so strong, it's cool to go without clothes!"
Zhao Rang knew that Ye Sanniang was teasing him again, so he quickly interrupted and said:
"I don't know if it's cool without clothes, but I know I'd die quickly without a knife!"
After saying that, he rolled his eyes at her.
Ye Sanniang chuckled and said:
"Isn't it true that my sister is here and has said that she will protect you, so she will definitely do it. Am I someone who doesn't keep my word?
At this point, he paused and then continued:
"At the beginning, when I found out that my husband was not sincere towards me, I said I would kill him, and I did what I said."
Zhao Rang turned around and looked at Ye Sanniang in surprise.
This was the first time she took the initiative to mention her past affairs.
Although this matter has been widely circulated in the northern territory of Dawei, it is still a very pleasant feeling to hear the true owner talk about it with my own ears.
Zhao Rang felt that he should say something at this time. He couldn't let Ye Sanniang wait here alone, but he didn't know what to say. His mind twitched and he asked:
"How did you kill him?"
A normal person would probably not ask such a question, and an abnormal person would not ask it at all. What Zhao Rang said was groundbreaking!
On the contrary, Ye Sanniang was very calm, with no trace of emotion on her face, and she answered easily:
"Same as when you killed the man named Zheng in my store."
Zhao Rang took a deep breath.
He chopped off the head of the man named Zheng with one knife. Unexpectedly, Ye Sanniang was so cruel.
But when she mentioned this matter, it gave Zhao Rang some headaches... The Zheng family is also a similar martial arts family in the north. When things happen in the Western Region, he will eventually go back. The paper can't contain the fire. I think the Zheng family now knows who did it.
On the surface, they probably won't make any noise, but secretly making trouble is the most uncomfortable thing. The elders all know that guns are easy to hide and hidden arrows are difficult to guard against. It is impossible for Zhao Rang to stay in the high-walled compound at home for the rest of his life, right?
Thinking of this, his need for a good knife became even more urgent!
"Master, can we go up the mountain directly?"
Mr. Ximen told the guide that all matters concerning advance and retreat should be asked of Zhao Rang, and all others should serve him respectfully and politely.
Only then did Zhao Rang notice that while he was talking to Ye Sanniang, they had already reached the foot of the mountain.
"Go up, go up the mountain!"
I heard from the guide that before Dawei was divided into two, this Songtao Mountain was often visited by people from Dawei. There were even some literati from the academy who built a pavilion on the mountain to cook tea and enjoy the scenery. .
"You said there is a pavilion on this mountain?"
Building a pavilion is not the style of people from the Western Regions. It is understandable that Dawei people come to visit mountains and rivers and see different scenery, but it is a bit unusual to spend effort to build a pavilion.
"Yes, sir, there is a pavilion. I forgot its name. Every time I go over the mountain, I always look at it from a distance and never dare to get close."
Zhao Rang keenly grasped the word "dare not" in the guide's words and asked:
"Why do you say you don't dare? Is there any danger in that pavilion?"
The guide swallowed and replied:
"Later, Dawei people almost stopped coming, and the pavilion was abandoned. Then for some reason, the government officials designated a ten-foot radius around the pavilion as a forbidden area to prevent civilians from getting close!"
Zhao Rang frowned when he heard this, feeling even more strange.
Barren mountains, abandoned pavilions, what other taboos could make people from the Western Regions take them so seriously?
Seeing Zhao Rang's silence, the guide felt that he might have had an idea and wanted to take a look, so he whispered:
"If you want to go, I know a way. It's very hidden. There are almost no people who know it."
Zhao Rang did not agree immediately, after all, he was not alone. Ximen Dazhuang and Ye Sanniang had nothing to do with each other, but he had to ask Yuan Mingkong for his opinion.
Unexpectedly, Yuan Mingkong had already come over and said:
"Of course you have to visit such an unexpected place! In an unexpected place, there may be unexpected surprises."
Zhao Rang nodded and said:
"That's right! Maybe the swordsmith is hiding near the pavilion!"
Although this possibility is slim, nothing is absolute. Since the guide knows the route, it’s always right to try your luck. If you really encounter one, you have to ask for a knife no matter what.
I just don't know if the knife maker will agree. From the description of the master in the kitchen, the knife maker should be a person with personality and temper. He can do the work without being paid.
"Master, if we decide to go, we have to tie the horses at the bottom of the mountain. The road is easy for people to go up, but it will be difficult for horses. There are some places that are very dangerous, and people can only just turn around."
Zhao Rang asked with a smile:
"If that's the case, then my brother won't be able to go up?"
The guide looked up at Ximen Dazhuang, assessed his size, and replied honestly: "
"It's so annoying..."
Ximen Da Zhuang immediately became unhappy.
If everyone goes and only he and the horse stay, doesn't that mean he is the same as an animal? It's really worse than killing him!
Seeing Ximen Dazhuang's eyes widening with anger, the guide immediately changed his words and said tactfully:
"But this master looks like a practicing practitioner, so there must be no problem!"
Zhao Rang waved his hand and said:
"Let's go and see! He's not stupid either. If he really can't get through it, it's just because he's too strong. It has nothing to do with you. Just rest assured and lead the way!"
Everyone found a secluded place at the foot of the mountain, tied up the horses, and deliberately loosened the reins faster so that the horses could eat the weeds in the ground. Then they followed the guide and climbed step by step along the path to the pavilion. go.
The further up he went, the more Zhao Rang discovered that there was indeed something special about this Songtao Mountain. Logically speaking, the Western Region is dry, but halfway up Songtao Mountain, it was actually shrouded in clouds and mist. The Tasong grew extremely strong and became a bit greener in color. The pine cones that fell to the ground were not very cracked, and there was still a lot of pine pollen inside. When you grind it with your hands, you will feel the scent of pine, mixed with a faint fruity aroma.
However, looking up, wherever the mountain wind passed, there were undulating pines and waves. Zhao Rang didn't see a single peach tree, which felt a little inconsistent with the name of the mountain.
"Did the mountain people who lived in Chagan Tologai depend on this mountain for their livelihood?"
The guide shook his head and explained:
"Songtao Mountain is divided into north and south. The master is now stepping on the north slope. The north slope only has some beautiful scenery, so Dawei people used to come more often. Those mountain people often go to the south slope. The south slope is rich in animals, especially squirrels! "
Yuan Kexin suddenly interrupted:
"Squirrel?! Do you eat squirrels?"
In a girl's impression, squirrels are extremely cute, which makes it hard for them to open their mouths. Unexpectedly, the guide said excitedly:
"Yes! Squirrel meat is delicious, we usually grill it!"
"What does squirrel meat taste like?"
None of the people present had ever eaten squirrel.
When Ximen Dazhuang heard about eating, he became greedy.
