Zhao Rang touched his nose awkwardly and said:
"Zhenhai City is close to the Southland, so freezing to death is unlikely. But starving to death is possible."
Qingqing thought that Zhao Rang would vigorously defend himself, but she didn't expect that he would admit it openly and honestly. For a moment, he felt like his fist was hitting cotton, and he was very unhappy.
"Anyway, the baggage was recovered in the end. It was a near miss!"
Zhao Rang said indifferently.
Qingqing frowned and said seriously:
"It's true that I got it back, but isn't it better to avoid such complicated matters?"
Zhao Rang immediately lost his temper, remained silent for a long time, and nodded.
If the baggage hadn't been lost, he would have happily paid the bill at the breakfast shop, and then took the token to meet the investigation department in Zhenhai City.
However, she would never go to the dry market or stay in an inn, nor would she interact with Mrs. Liu, the 'Red Begonia', or Boss Hu, who had unknown intentions.
I don’t care whether it’s troublesome or not, these two people are not fuel-efficient lamps. Who knows what trouble will come later.
Especially the 'Red Begonia' Madam Liu, Zhao Rang is the most confused. Every time I see her, I always think of Ye Sanniang.
The two men are similar in age and temperament, but their behavior is very different.
In general, Mrs. Liu has an evil nature all over her body... There are 800 tricks and no less than ten escape routes in her every move.
"By the way, you haven't said why you came to Zhenhai City suddenly."
Zhao Rang changed the topic.
"I took the order and came to you directly on the way."
Qingqing looked at him and said.
"Is there something urgent? By the way, where are Da Zhuang and Yuan Mingkong now? Didn't we agree to meet by the river?"
Zhao Rang became more and more confused.
"Because of the Longfan Club."
Qingqing said solemnly, but did not tell him about the whereabouts of Ximen Dazhuang and Yuan Mingkong.
"What does this have to do with Long Fan?"
"The Dragon Sail Society is just a pawn pushed out by the group of rebels in the south. According to the information on the first floor, the Dragon Sail Society has been completely controlled by an organization called the 'Bow Snake' since it gave up its banditry and took refuge in the South. . These are the real minions serving those traitors."
Zhao Rang had heard a little bit about the 'Gong Snake' before, and he also knew that the Longfan Society alone, a group of bandits with former water bandits, could not accomplish such a big thing. The most they could do was set up a battle to scare the common people and ordinary traders, so he did not Not too surprised.
"But the 'Gow Snake' was built by the people who left the Chaji Division in the Southland."
Qingqing's words were shocking.
He never expected that Longfan Society, Gongshe would have such entanglements with the Investigation Department!
"Back then, when Dawei divided and ruled, the South was completely under the control of rebels, and the Southland Investigation Department was forced to disband. Some of the personnel returned to the North, but they were so disheartened that they simply settled down in Zhenhai City and lived a normal life. . The other ones who didn’t come back used the resources and relationships that the Investigation Department had operated in the Southland for many years, and they took advantage of both sides. They took root, renamed themselves and established the 'Gow Snake', and controlled the Dragon Sail Society, and then became relied on by that group of rebels."
Qingqing explained.
"So 'Bow Snake' is actually a former unit of the Investigation Department!"
Zhao Rang gradually understood.
"You can say that."
Qingqing nodded.
"But to be more precise, the 'Bow Snake' was founded by the traitors in the Investigation Department. They not only betrayed Dawei, but also betrayed the creed of the Investigation Department."
Of course Zhao Rang knew the importance of the Investigation Department to Dawei.
These people were once their comrades and comrades-in-arms, but now they have become their enemies...
"This time the Dragon Sail Club is causing trouble in Zhenhai City, it is the 'Bow Snake' who is behind it. However, they are not just trying to help the rebellion in the South. They mainly want to take this opportunity to stir up disputes between the North and the South, so that I will take advantage of the opportunity to make it big."
Zhao Rang also changed his previous leisurely attitude and said seriously:
"It seems that this matter is much more serious than I thought...and that Mrs. Liu knows my details, there may be many pairs of eyes staring at us right now."
"in addition!"
Qingqing suddenly said,
"Zhao Rang, I hope you can temporarily put aside your prejudice and guard against Mrs. Liu."
In my mind, this was the first time Qingqing called him by his full name.
"She is someone we can trust in Zhenhai City, I promise! And she knows much more about the 'Bow Snake' than we do."
Zhao Rang thought about it again and again, but still didn't agree.
Seeing this, Qingqing said lightly:
"Everyone has their own secret. As long as her secret does not affect our goals, we don't need to delve into it. Besides, didn't you also get someone else's surrender letter? She has already regarded you as a member of the Investigation Department. If you don't keep your word, the final debt will be settled on the head of the Investigation Department!"
Zhao Rang was speechless for a moment.
He couldn't deny what Qing Qing just said.
"ok, I get it."
Zhao Rang finally nodded, but still had reservations in his heart.
Qingqing did not tell Zhao Rang where he would stay in Zhenhai City. He only asked him to continue living in his current inn. If something happened, he would come back to find him. They would be busy with their own affairs the rest of the time.
After parting ways with Qingqing, Zhao Rang planned to go back to the inn first.
At the entrance of the inn, Boss Hu stood straight on the street.
As soon as he saw Zhao Rang, a strange smile appeared on his face.
"Brother, we meet again."
Boss Hu said angrily.
Zhao Rang felt a chill in his heart and asked:
"Boss Hu, is something wrong?"
"Of course there is something."
"Brother, do you know that you have become a famous person in Zhenhai City now?"
"Oh, is it so?"
Zhao Rang asked calmly.
"Hey, if you are not a famous person, why did you hang out with the people of the Investigation Department in such a short period of time? I think with my brother's financial resources, he is definitely not coveting the beauty of that girl, right?"
Zhao asked him to respond calmly: "Boss Hu, I think you may have misunderstood. Qingqing and I are old friends and have known each other for a long time. Our meeting in Zhenhai City was purely accidental."
Boss Hu's face changed slightly. He obviously didn't expect Zhao Rang to admit it so directly. He laughed twice and said:
"Haha, that may be my misunderstanding. However, brother, the water in Zhenhai City is very deep, and not everyone can stay safe here."
There was a threat in the words, which made Zhao Rang's eyes sharpen.
Boss Hu's eyes flashed with a hint of cunning, he approached Zhao Rang and whispered:
"As for you, brother, there's no need to be harsh. I know what's in your baggage, and ordinary people can't get that token."
Zhao Rang's heart tightened, but the other party turned around and said:
"No matter who you are or what you are doing, it doesn't matter. Brother, I am a businessman and I only want to make money. As long as I can make money, it doesn't matter who the money belongs to, how it came from, or whether it is clean or not!"
People like Boss Hu are definitely not uncommon in Zhenhai City.
They look rough, but in fact they have a keen sense of smell and unique survival wisdom, and can always find their correct position in the chaos.
"Boss Hu means that as long as you have money and enough money, you can do anything?"
"There is nothing in Zhenhai City that I, Mr. Hu, cannot do."
Boss Hu said confidently.
"Then I wonder what price Boss Hu wants?"
"Well...it depends on what you want to do, brother."
Zhao Rang chuckled and said:
"Since Boss Hu has great hands and eyes, I will definitely come to you when I am in need."
After saying that, he turned around and prepared to walk into the inn.
Boss Hu was not in a hurry and said loudly to Zhao Rang's back:
"Brother, walk slowly and come to me anytime if you need anything. Remember, there is nothing in Zhenhai City that I, Mr. Hu, can't do!"
Zhao Rang sneered secretly in his heart.
Boss Hu, this poisonous snake, might bite back at any time.
Instead of risking cooperation, it is better to keep a distance, be careful, and never offend until the final showdown.
Now that Qingqing and his identities were exposed, he needed some time to sort out his thoughts.
More importantly, Zhao Rang seems to have not adapted to the new environment of Zhenhai City.
Several hours passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhao Rang stayed in the room, sitting quietly in the darkness, like a sculpture.
The closed window slowly opened a crack.
The hustle and bustle of the street market rushed in instantly and filled the whole room.
Then a figure floated in like a ghost.
Zhao Rang did not move.
The visitor didn't seem to expect such a reaction from Zhao Rang. After being stunned for a moment, he said softly:
"it's me."
Although the voice was very soft, Zhao Rang immediately recognized the identity of the person.
"It's not dark outside yet. At least ten people saw you coming in through the window. You might as well just go through the front door!"
Zhao Rang said without emotion.
Qingqing didn't reply. She went to the table and lit the candle.
The dim candlelight reflected on her face, making it look very soft.
But Zhao Rang had no intention of doing this, and wondered why Qingqing came to him at this time.
"Let me see you."
Qingqing said, with a hint of concern in her tone.
"Is it okay for Boss Hu to find you?"
"fine."
Zhao Rang shook his head and said.
"That's good. But you still have to be careful."
Qingqing reminded.
"I know. What then?"
Zhao Rang didn't believe that Qingqing would really come in through the window just "to see herself."
"Um."
Qingqing nodded and said:
"I just received training from the Investigation Department, and the people from the Bow Snake are already targeting you."
This news is not surprising to Zhao Rang. But he still asked:
"Aren't the people from the Bow Snake always in the Southland?"
"Even if the sheepherder doesn't come himself, he still has to send two dogs out to watch, right?"
The sheep in Qingqing's mouth, of course, refers to the Longfan Society.
"Besides, they should know about your relationship with the Investigation Department."
Qingqing said, looking at the bundle Zhao Rang put on the table.
The token was lying safely inside the baggage.
"Then what are they going to do to me?"
"Isn't it just those methods? They have everything the Investigation Department has, and they can do what the Investigation Department doesn't have."
Qingqing said, with a bit of disdain and contempt in her tone, as well as a touch of hatred.
Zhao Rang asked very calmly:
"Then what do I do now?"
Qingqing's tone softened again and said:
"Don't worry for now, but just in case, let's change our stay first."
Zhao Rang did not agree with this approach of avoiding trouble.
He was never one to sit still and wait for death, so he asked again:
"Is there any way to get the upper hand?"
Qingqing seemed a little surprised by Zhao Rang's question, but then she laughed:
"Zhao Rang, are you too naive? The Bow Snakes are cruel and ruthless people, and they act cautiously, making it difficult for them to reveal their flaws."
Zhao Rang didn't speak, just looked at Qing Qing quietly.
He found that there seemed to be an imperceptible coldness hidden in Qingqing's eyes.
He had seen this look on Hong Jiang before when he was in the Western Region.
He stood up suddenly and grabbed Qingqing's wrist.
Any actions or words are redundant at this moment.
Qingqing struggled to break away from Zhao Rang's hand, and in a flash, she had retreated to the corner of the room.
She still had that gentle smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with murderous intent.
"It seems you have discovered it. I wanted to take you to a spacious place, but I can make do with it here."
As she spoke, she became dazed again and rushed toward Zhao Rang.
The candlelight flickered like a ghost, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to be on the verge of breaking out.
The flame of every candle is jumping, and the shadows on the wall are distorted as the woman and Zhao Rang move.
Zhao Rang's face was cold and stern at this moment, like a deep starry sky, glittering with stars, but as cold as ice.
His hand tightly grasped the handle of the black steel knife.
The jet-black blade shone coldly under the candlelight, as if telling the countless moments of life and death it had experienced.
This woman is like an erratic ghost, her body appearing and disappearing in the dim candlelight.
Every movement is like catkins in the wind, gentle yet powerful. Her hands sometimes clenched fists and sometimes spread their palms. Just when Zhao Rang thought he saw her movements clearly, she always changed at the last moment, making it difficult to guard against.
Zhao Rang took a deep breath and stared closely at the woman's figure, trying to find any flaws in her movements.
Suddenly, his figure was like the wind, and he came closer in an instant. The black steel knife turned into a cold light and pierced the woman's throat.
This blow was as fast as lightning and as hard as thunder, as if it was going to tear the entire inn apart.
But this woman seemed to have anticipated this blow...
She gently turned her body to one side and cleverly avoided Zhao Rang's attack. At the same time, she slapped out with her backhand.
The palm wind was sharp and hit Zhao Rang's chest. It seemed like an understatement, but in fact it contained overwhelming power.
Zhao Rang flicked his wrist, and the black steel sword drew an arc in the air. With one stroke, the sharp sword energy struck the woman's waist.
After several confrontations, Zhao Rang gradually figured out the woman's path.
He found that although this woman's palm technique was strange, every attack followed a strange rhythm.
This rhythm is like natural breathing, but also like the murmur of some kind of god.
If you want to capture this woman, you must break this rhythm!
Immediately afterwards, the speed of Zhao Rang's sword swing began to become erratic.
The sudden change caused the woman's figure to become a little sluggish.
The blade drew a cold light in the air.
Although the woman tried her best to avoid it, she was still injured by Zhao Rang's sword energy. Her clothes were cut, leaving shallow blood marks on her fair and tender skin.
"The Zhao family sword still has its ways, but you are just showing off the sharpness of the blade! If it were an ordinary sword, you wouldn't be able to hurt me at all!"
Once the sword was drawn, Zhao Rang never opened his mouth.
Seeing that the attack was unsuccessful, the woman could only grit her teeth and try her best to deal with Zhao Rang. The light of the knife and the shadow of the palm had already smashed the bed frame and window lattice, and all the eyes of the market were looking towards this place for a long time.
At this moment, the blade seemed to hit the woman's neck again.
This knife was so fast that even Zhao Rang himself could not react!
Seeing that there was no way to dodge or avoid, the woman unexpectedly broke her arm at the last moment, narrowly avoiding this fatal blow... but her hair was Zhao Rang's sword energy cut off a few strands and fell down. There was a brief silence in the room.
The sound of the street outside the window seemed to fade away, leaving only the faint candlelight and the mess on the ground.
The two stood opposite each other.
Before the final moment, the real victory or defeat will not be known to heaven and earth.
Zhao Rang's hand holding the black steel knife trembled slightly.
The knife strike just now had exhausted almost all of his energy...
This woman was also pale, and the blood from her broken arm was stained through her clothes. The hateful eyes seemed to want to eat Zhao Rang alive.
"Hahaha……"
The woman suddenly laughed inappropriately.
"Why, you really think you're going to kill me!"
The woman took out a small bell from her arms and shook it gently.
As the bell rang, a strange wave rippled through the room, similar to the rhythm of her previous strange palm skills.
Zhao Rang suddenly felt dizzy, as if his soul was about to be shaken away!
This weird magic weapon can shake the mind and even capture the soul.
Zhao Rang tried his best to stabilize his mind, but the strange fluctuation came like a tide, making it impossible for him to resist...
A proud smile appeared on this woman's face.
She shook the copper bell and walked slowly towards Zhao Rang.
"Isn't your knife very fast? Come on, use another knife. Look, I'm so close to you!"
The sound was like a nightmare.
The world in Zhao Rang's eyes also became distorted.
In a daze, I saw the scene of me practicing swordsmanship in the Zhao family compound when I was young... I saw my fear and confusion when I killed my first person... I saw the days when I fought side by side with Yuan Mingkong in the Western Regions... As well as last year’s birthday and Ximen Dazhuang’s debauchery in the Evergreen Garden.
The woman was even more proud when she saw this.
The copper bell has successfully shaken Zhao Rang's mind, and now he is ready to be slaughtered.
This woman raised her luck, raised her palm high, and was ready to kill Zhao Rang with a blow on top of her head!
Unexpectedly, at this time, a sudden change occurred!
A ray of white light flew out from the baggage on the table and instantly hit the copper bell in Qingqing's hand, shattering it!
This woman seemed to have suffered a backlash, her energy and blood surged, and her figure flew out.
Zhao Rang felt a cool breath pouring into his heart, and the strange fluctuations were instantly dispelled.
When he regained consciousness, he saw that the woman had stumbled open the door, rolled down the steps, rushed out of the inn amidst the exclamations of everyone in the hall downstairs, and disappeared among the crowds in the market.
And that white light flew back into Zhao Rang's baggage.
He hurried forward to investigate and found that it actually came from the land deed given to him by Master Baiheshan's uncle!
In the thin paper of the land deed, Uncle Shi actually sealed a copy of Lu Zu’s personal flying sword energy, which saved his life at the last moment!
Zhao Rang couldn't help but smile bitterly...
I thought that I had done Bai Hezi a big favor, so Bai Heshan should owe him a favor.
Unexpectedly, I still received a life-saving favor in the end!
Just as he put away his baggage, another person appeared in front of the open door.
Without enough energy to regulate his breathing, Zhao Rang immediately struck the opponent's neck with a knife.
Madam Liu seemed not to have expected that Zhao Rang would suddenly take action, and a look of panic flashed across her face.
"Master, what do you mean by this? Is this why I don't want you to see me?"
Mrs. Liu gave a squeaky sound and said resentfully.
"Mrs. Liu came here late at night. I wonder if you have any advice?"
Zhao Rang asked coldly, pointing the knife diagonally at the ground.
Mrs. Liu did not answer Zhao Rang's question, but walked into the room gently.
Her eyes swept across the messy room, and finally fell on the black steel knife in Zhao Rang's hand.
"It seems that the young master has just experienced a trouble."
Zhao Rang did not respond.
He stared at Mrs. Liu very vigilantly, trying to discern some clues from her eyes.
"Don't worry, sir, I don't have any ill intentions in coming here."
When Mrs. Liu saw that Zhao Rang was silent, she took the initiative and said:
"I just happened to be passing by the market downstairs and heard the noise here, so I came here to take a look."
Without reaching out to hit the smiling man, Zhao Rang tried his best to calmly say:
"Mrs. Liu is really a warm-hearted person."
Mrs. Liu didn't care about Zhao Rang's indifferent attitude and still smiled and said:
"Young Master is joking."
With that said, Mrs. Liu took out an exquisite card and handed it to Zhao Rang.
There is a crabapple flower embroidered with gold thread on the card.
Zhao Rang's pupils shrank...
He has seen this flower countless times!
Even in the room where he is now, there are them on the window lattice and bed frame!
At that time, I just thought it was just a decoration... but it was not connected with Mrs. Liu in front of me.
Mrs. Liu is nicknamed "Red Begonia". This inn is full of begonia decorations. Doesn't it mean that...
"This inn and my wife..."
"To tell you the truth, sir, this inn, the cloth shop opposite, and the gambling shop next door are all my property!"
Mrs. Liu said calmly.
"It turns out that Madam is the one with hands and eyes that can reach the sky."
Zhao Rang felt like he had fallen into a trap at this moment.
Mrs. Liu smiled softly and did not comment on Zhao Rang's praise.
"Young Master is overly praised. In this city of Zhenhai, I am not the only one with hands and eyes that reach the sky."
As she spoke, her eyes glanced at the bundle Zhao Rang put on the table intentionally or unintentionally.
"I know a little bit about what the young master went through tonight."
Madam Liu changed the topic and said:
"But don't worry, sir, no one in this inn dares to do something to my concubine."
Zhao Rang frowned slightly. He didn't like the feeling of being seen through.
But now the situation is stronger than people, and he still needs time to collect his thoughts and regain his strength.
"Then there's Madame Laurieu."
Zhao Rang said as he prepared to put away the black steel knife.
Mrs. Liu asked the waiter to move Zhao Rang to the top floor of the inn.
This room is spacious, bright, luxuriously and comfortably furnished, and has a bathroom.
This should be Mrs. Liu's own preference.
After all, there is an almost identical bathroom in her villa.
At this moment, the bathtub was filled with steaming water and sprinkled with various flower petals and spices.
After the last 'Huan Meng San', Zhao Rang also found that taking a bath was indeed helpful for recovery and thinking, so he immediately took off his clothes and jumped into the bath.
The temperature of the water was moderate. After soaking in it, Zhao Rang felt that the fatigue all over his body was gradually dissipated.
Closing his eyes, he began to think about everything that had happened tonight.
From Boss Hu's confidence, to Qingqing's sudden visit, to the fierce battle with the mysterious woman, and finally the appearance of Mrs. Liu...
All these seemed unrelated, but Zhao Rang vaguely felt that there seemed to be some kind of connection.
Especially Mrs. Liu's last sentence, "No one in this inn dares to do anything to my concubine," made Zhao Rang suspicious.
Shaking his head, Zhao Rang felt that his thoughts were a little confused.
He knew what he needed most now was calmness and sobriety.
Zhao Rang soaked in the bath for a full hour before he felt that his strength had returned to 70% to 80%.
Put on your clothes, walk out of the bathroom, and come to the window of the room.
When he opened the window, a cool night breeze blew in his face, making him feel refreshed.
Looking up, there are stars in the night sky and a bright moon hanging high.
Zhao Rang stood in front of the window, letting the night wind blow on his face. The doubts and uneasiness in his heart were gradually replaced by calmness, and he threw away the distracting thoughts in his mind.
He knew that what he needed most now was rest.
