Li Ang slowly stopped, his boots making a soft sound as he stepped on the gravel on the ground.
The crossbow mounted on the carriage window was nearly an arm's length wide. The crossbow body was dark and dull, and the arrow clusters shone with an icy cold light.
In terms of shape, it is almost the same as the crossbow used by the soldiers of Zhenfu Division.
There is no shelter in the alley, with towering walls on both sides. There is no room to move, and it is impossible to hear whether there is anyone living behind the wall.
Snap.
The driver driving the carriage flicked the reins, lowered his sleeves, and turned his head sideways - the face under the bamboo hat was none other than one of the two sword cultivators who guarded Jiao Cheng at Pingkangfang that day.
And extending from the bottom of its cuffs is a suspended, gently trembling handleless flying sword.
Tap tap tap tap.
Li Ang stepped forward, boarded the carriage, and immediately smelled the smell of herbs.
I saw that the spacious car was covered with a thick white cloth.
Sitting on the double row of seats were Jiao Cheng, Di Wu and another middle-aged swordsman.
Jiao Cheng's right lame leg was covered with messy linear cuts, as if a sharp instrument had scratched the skin.
Although Di Wu and another sword cultivator, whose hands were stained with blood, had used herbal powder and cloth to bandage the wounds, they still could not stop the blood from seeping out and dripping on the car.
"Cure him and the money will be yours."
Di Wu took a deep breath and took out a wad of flying coins from his arms with a blood-stained palm. The smallest denomination was five hundred coins.
"I know you know trauma,"
The pale-faced Jiao Cheng struggled to retract the crossbow mounted on the carriage window, leaned against the inner wall of the carriage, and gasped: "After you left with You Xiao that day, I asked someone to investigate. What did you do in Zhenzhou?" People have treated trauma.
Heal me. "
Jiao Cheng's tone was firm, his index finger always resting on the crossbow.
Li Ang glanced at him expressionlessly, without taking the flying money from Di Wu's hand, and said indifferently: "The tool is not there."
"Go to Huaidefang."
Jiao Cheng lowered his voice, and the monk sitting in front of the carriage swung the reins and drove the carriage north, stopping in front of the hotel courtyard where Li Ang lived.
Jiao Cheng did not get out of the car, but asked Jian Xiu and Li Ang to jump out of the carriage together, went into the house and took out the medical kit, and returned to the carriage.
and sent the carriage to the southeast.
During the drive, Li Ang did not use pure wine to cleanse his hands, but directly used silver hooks and silver thread to suture the wounds on his burned legs.
I wonder if the herbal powder covering the burnt legs has any special effect.
Jiao Cheng did not cry out in pain during the entire suturing process, and the wound on his leg did not ooze a lot of blood, but his face became increasingly pale.
Jiao Cheng handed the crossbow to Di Wu and asked him to continue aiming at Li Ang.
Another sword cultivator in the carriage also controlled the flying sword, hovering above Li Ang's head.
Outside the car window, in Chang'anfang City, people are still noisy.
In two days' time, it will be July 15th, the Buddhist Obon Festival. Both rich and poor must prepare wine, food, and paper money to pay homage to the deceased to show their memory of their ancestors.
Roadside shops have already started selling various commemorative items, clothing and hats. In some markets, lanterns are hung up in advance and lit to pray for blessings during the Bon Festival.
The streets were noisy, and government officials and delinquents from Chang'an County and Wannian County were maintaining law and order at the intersections.
Occasionally, you can see some bad people holding thin dogs, sniffing the scent of passing carriages and pedestrians.
Li Ang remained silent and sutured the wound slowly and steadily. On the contrary, Di Wu and the sword cultivator driving the carriage became nervous first.
The carriage gradually approached the intersection ahead,
The thin dog that was originally lying on the ground by the roadside seemed to have sensed something. It barked "wooow", stood up from the ground, and looked at the slowly approaching carriage.
"Gudong."
The bald Di Wu swallowed hard, his palms holding the crossbow were covered with sweat, and his eyes seemed to be looking through the carriage to nail the thin dog.
Snapped.
Jiao Cheng got the strength from nowhere, tightly grasped Di Wu's wrist, and forced Di Wu to put down the crossbow.
As for himself, he took out a packet of medicinal powder from his arms, crushed it with one hand, and sprinkled the powder in the car.
A strange, inexplicable smell filled the carriage and escaped through the windows.
The thin dog that was alert on the roadside sniffed its nose, tilted its head in confusion, and watched the burnt carriage passing by in front.
The bad guy holding the thin dog's leash also yawned and didn't notice anything unusual at all.
Surprisingly, it passed.
Li Ang's eyelids twitched slightly. The fine dogs responsible for security patrols in Chang'an City were all domesticated by the Zhong family of the Town Fusi. They could easily smell and track the smell of human blood.
First of all, the packet of medicinal powder in Jiao Cheng's hand must be extremely precious.
Secondly, no matter what they are plotting, they don't want the outside world to find out - otherwise there is no need to be sneaky and use kidnapping to threaten treatment.
Li Ang is a student who is going to take the final exam of the Academy. If he suddenly disappears the day before the exam,
Even if some people think that Li Ang is abstaining from taking the exam,
There will also be students from the same hometown and academy personnel looking for him in the city, causing commotion - after all, it is necessary to prevent students from wanting to eliminate competitors, and the academy will definitely take this very seriously.
They might even send monks to search the city together with the people from the Zhenfu Division.
At this point in time, holding Li Ang hostage...
'What is it for? '
Li Ang gradually sped up his sewing movements, and the carriage successfully drove out of the intersection and continued eastward.
Guangdefang, Xinghuafang, Lanlingfang, Jinchangfang...
The carriage headed southeast until it entered the wall of Qinglongfang and stopped in a hidden bamboo forest.
"It's sewn and bandaged."
Li Ang used the gauze bandage in the medicine box to wrap up the burnt injured leg.
He put away the silver hook and silver thread, and wiped the blood on his palms and surgical instruments with the white cloth in the medicine box.
Jiao Xiang seemed to feel no pain. He stretched out his hand and squeezed his right leg that was tightly wrapped with bandages several times. With the help of Di Wu and the middle-aged sword cultivator, he stepped out of the carriage.
The breeze lifted the window curtains, and through the shade of bamboo leaves, one could see a flat-bottomed boat slowly sailing in the river not far in front of the carriage.
On the side of the boat hangs the sign of a certain building in Pingkangfang - not Lianhua Building.
The boatman in a bamboo hat standing on the bow of the boat, holding a bamboo pole, parked the boat on the shore.
Jiao Cheng turned around and said to Li Ang, who was still in the car: "Li Xiaolangjun, would you like to come with us?"
"Where to go?"
Li Ang did not ask why the other party held him hostage, and whether the other party knew the possible consequences of holding him hostage. Jiao Cheng was a smart man and there was no need to talk nonsense, "I have cured your leg injury. Tomorrow, I will still have The final exam of the Academy.”
"I know that if things go well, Mr. Li Xiaolang, you will be able to return to Chang'an in time to take the final exam tomorrow with a reward of 10,000 yuan tonight. Now, I just ask you to come with us."
Jiao Cheng said hoarsely: "Please."
Jiao Cheng was so determined that he even risked the wound on his right leg to burst and refused to rest.
'What they are planning must have been planned for a long time, and the situation is extremely urgent. This painting boat came from Jinchangfang in the northeast and sailed to the southeast. In other words, the destination is... Huangqu. '
Li Ang's thoughts raced in his mind, 'Are they going to leave the city? ! '
The water system of Chang'an City in the State of Yu is collectively known as the Eight Waters and Five Canals.
The eight rivers refer to the eight rivers around Chang'an City, such as Dianshui, Jishui, Jingshui, etc.
The five canals refer to the five main channels artificially built to utilize the water sources of the eight rivers and introduce water from outside the city into the city. They are Qingming Canal, Longshou Canal, Yongan Canal, Huang Canal and Cao Canal.
The Yellow Canal is located in the southeast of Chang'an City and is the main channel of Qujiang Pool. Along the river of Qujiang Pool, you can go directly out of the city - there are too many painted boats traveling on Qujiang Pool every day.
Now it’s the Obon Festival and the crowds of tourists are getting thicker.
Even if the city's government officials, bad guys, and soldiers from the town's police department come out in full force, they may not be able to take care of every corner.
According to the usual rules, only ships entering the city on Qujiang Pond must be carefully searched, and ships leaving the city must be glanced at. What's more, it's a high-end painting boat from Pingkangfang.
Pingkangfang has always had the lingo of "walking a horse" and "taking a bath". Staying here means staying overnight, while walking a horse means traveling with a prostitute——
Especially going out for a horse walk in the city, which is not a shameful thing among Shilin people. On the contrary, it is very chic.
Many men of letters and dignitaries would do this.
The soldiers responsible for the security patrol on Qujiang Pond naturally would not let themselves get into trouble and search for a Pingkangfang high-end painting boat that was about to leave the city——
Wouldn't it be embarrassing if a certain prime minister or minister was found inside.
In a flash of lightning, Li Ang guessed where Jiao Cheng and others planned to go.
His face remained calm, he picked up the medicine box and stepped out of the carriage.
Under the gazes of the two sword cultivators, they stepped onto the boat.
In the beautifully decorated boat, there were several men with tattoos on their foreheads and several Pingkangfang women who looked a little nervous.
Li Ang glanced at them, then found a place to sit down, holding the medicine box.
"Little doctor Li, please."
Jiao Cheng and others also boarded the boat. Di Wu stepped forward and handed over a black square scarf. Li Ang glanced at it, then took out the handkerchief with green seams from his arms and covered his eyes. .
The boat sailed again silently, and the sound of bamboo and silk music and the sound of drinking wine came from the boat, just like an ordinary boat.
Wearing a blindfold, Li Ang silently felt every turn of the ship, calculating in his heart the speed of the water and the speed of the ship.
The painting boat left the stream and sailed into the Yellow Canal River.
Gradually, the sounds of other boats were heard on the river.
'Out of town. '
Li Ang felt the course of the ship, and with a turbulence and swaying, the boat docked at the shore.
Brush pull.
There were voices standing up around him. Li Ang took off his blindfold and saw Jiao Cheng, Di Wu and others walking out of the boat and coming to the bow.
This seems to be a hidden forest, and horses have been prepared in the clearing in the forest.
Li Ang followed Jiao Cheng and others off the bow of the ship and watched the painting boat slowly sail away, moored in the middle of the river with other painting boats, and lit candles for evening lighting.
"Li Xiaolangjun's first exam at the academy, he ranked first in the imperial subjects. You should be familiar with riding a horse, right?"
Jiao Cheng raised his chin, and with Di Wu's support, he got on the horse and tied the bamboo crutch that never left his body around his waist.
Li Ang glanced at him, said nothing, and chose a horse to ride on.
The corners of the eyes of the two sword cultivators always shrouded him.
Li Ang had no doubt that as long as he made any move, the two sword cultivators would throw their flying swords and stab at him quickly.
"Can your legs still hold up?"
Li Ang asked lightly, and Jiao Cheng grinned, "I don't need to worry about this, Mr. Li Xiaolang. Let's go."
Jiao Cheng flicked the reins and galloped away.
The two sword cultivators, Di Wu, and the tattooed men who got off the boat and met in the forest all followed on horseback.
The road in the forest was quite bumpy, and Jiao Cheng's legs were wrapped with gauze, but his speed did not slow down at all.
Half an hour later, everyone stopped on horseback in a mountain col. Di Wu took the lead to dismount, and after a while to determine the direction, he walked straight to a withered pine tree, squatted on the ground and swept away the fallen leaves, revealing what was hidden under the pile of fallen leaves. square wooden boards.
Di Wu pulled the copper ring on the wooden board and lifted the wooden door.
There is a hole half a foot in diameter hidden under the door. If you look down along the hole, you can actually see a staircase going down diagonally.
If you listen carefully, you can faintly hear the sound of gurgling water below.
'Chang'an Ghost Market...'
Li Ang let out a breath of air that was imperceptible. He had thought that the destination of Jiao Cheng and others was here, but after seeing it with his own eyes, the doubts in his heart became even greater.
'The Chang'an Ghost Market is a place for underground trading, selling demons, monsters and other prohibited goods. With Jiao Cheng's status, connections, and financial resources in Chang'an City.
You can completely let your men go out of the city, conduct transactions on your behalf, and then find a way to transport it back to the city through other methods.
There is absolutely no need to put yourself in danger - there are countless desperadoes and defected monks hiding in the ghost market.
If there was a conflict, even the two sword cultivators might not be able to save him.
Unless...he didn't come here to trade in the ghost market.
But for something else. '
Di Wu took the lead and walked down the steps in the dark. He used the torch he took out from his arms to light the torch on the tunnel wall.
Jiao Cheng limped forward, leaning on a bamboo crutch. When his head disappeared at the entrance of the cave, he glanced at Li Ang.
'Do you still think highly of me? '
Li Ang frowned slightly and walked forward holding the medicine box, with countless guesses in his heart.
The risks and benefits of holding him hostage are out of proportion. Jiao Cheng is a rational and calm person and will not deliberately retaliate for taking away Song Shaoyuan and You Xiao six days ago - especially after he found out that the money he had was from the Duke of Yan's Mansion. After getting it.
This time I came to the ghost market, there must be something extremely important.
Treating the man behind the ghost market?
Or...
Li Ang looked at the burnt right leg in front of him - there was faint blood seeping out from under the bandage.
'The injuries suffered by Jiao Cheng were not chopping injuries with sharp objects, but lacerations with sharp objects. That's why the injury looked horrific, but it did not damage any major arteries or veins, and could be sutured. '
Li Ang held on to the cold and damp tunnel wall and walked downwards. "There are two possibilities for causing such large-scale scratches with a large number of sharp objects."
One, the sword master’s flying sword.
Second, the innate strong wind. '
The congenital wind only exists at high altitudes. Six days ago, Jiao Cheng's subordinates suffered from plateau cerebral edema that should not be present in a flat environment...
Li Ang stared at Jiao Cheng's back and went down to the bottom of the steps.
Here is an underground river, with three wooden boats tied by iron chains on the flowing river.
