Of course, the same city of Chang'an is located in a different time, space and scenery. The feeling of being in the form of a cat is completely different from that of being in human form; at least there is no need to deliberately avoid and dodge the crowds that are still active at night, or the public servants and soldiers patrolling back and forth.
Even if it is seen occasionally, it is basically the result of turning a blind eye; walking through the streets and alleys, running between the corners and the eaves, is better than flying high up in the night sky, overlooking the tiny and abnormal thousands of lights and fireworks under the flowers. The market ecology is much more realistic.
Although separated by hundreds of years of time and space, the night in Chang'an is still so lively and full of vitality. Although a strict curfew system is implemented on the main roads between cities, it still cannot be stopped. Some figures scurrying about in the darkness.
The closed gates and tall walls seemed unable to stop the strong will and mobility of a few agile uninvited guests, who took advantage of the alternating intervals of patrol sergeants on the streets to shuttle back and forth. And in a workshop that looked like a small city, it was even more like a group of demons dancing wildly.
The night market that runs all night long and the shops and itinerant vendors that open exclusively at night mean that the streets in the square are still filled with groups of pedestrians even after midnight. It’s just that today is the Ghost Festival, so there are some different atmospheres and scenes from usual.
Every household has set up banners to ward off evil spirits, and there are also ghost-faced operas parading and dancing in the streets; river lanterns flow along the water in every ditch. The streets were filled with a strong smell of fireworks. In front of every door, paper money for ancestors was burned bit by bit, and the embers floated in the air.
In addition, in various monasteries and temples, the all-night Chaodu Dharma Assembly and the Luotian Dajiao were held. The gathering of monks and laypeople sang and played music all night long, which echoed far away in the neighbors. The Zhongyuan Night in the Dafang District looks full of some kind of beautiful and magical colors;
Therefore, even if Jiang Tian swaggered through the crowded place without hesitation, he would not attract much attention and attention, as if he had become a part of the weirdness of this Zhongyuan night by default. Only some children who are overly curious,
He will yell or call friends to chase and tease him for a while, and then he will be scolded and stopped by his alarmed family members. Jiang Tian even deliberately appeared in front of a little kid with a runny nose and flew up to the roof; then he watched the screaming child being beaten by a mixed double.
But there are also some other surprises. Some old men and women were sharing the sacrifices in the yard. After seeing Jiang Tian, they not only quickly stopped the shouting children, but also fearfully took out bowls and distributed some wheat rice, cakes, and even chickens and fish. eating;
The incense was solemnly placed on the wall as a sign of worship. It was obvious that under the special season and night atmosphere, Jiang Tian was regarded as some kind of strange existence. This left him speechless, but he would not be angry at these ignorant and blind believers.
He didn't deliberately overturn their confessions or scare them; he just felt a little unhappy and overturned several sneaky people along the way, kicked down a hidden Liang Shang gentleman in public, and even filmed him Kill some rats, bats, night birds and the like that are blocking the road.
Finally, after galloping through seven or eight city squares, Jiang Tian also arrived near the East Market where he had visited during the day. Of course, compared to the hustle and bustle of people during the day, the East Market at night is a different story, a dark and quiet scene with only a few dim lights scattered around.
Those are the traces of the clerks responsible for guarding the warehouses and shops at night, and the night watchmen responsible for preventing fire and theft. Through the temporarily broken and dissipated clouds, the moonlight's clear, watery radiance fell between the stacked buildings, full of sadness and lamentable sadness.
It is only separated from the south by one street, but in Pingkangli, where lights are bright at night, music and music are endless, and people's voices are heard far away, it forms a sharp contrast between silence and movement; it also attracts people who patrol by the high wall or stand guard. The Wuhous on the fire watch tower received most of their attention and conversation topics.
The target Jiang Tian wanted to visit happened to be located in the East City; neither the high walls with barriers erected around the perimeter nor the surrounding ditches hidden as partitions could hinder him. However, after easily crossing the wall and entering Dongshi, Jiang Tian once again encountered another unexpected situation.
Those were countless pairs of eyes flashing out from the darkness, glowing with dim light; they were almost shining brightly, focusing on Jiang Tian, the "similar" who suddenly broke in. Then, it turned into a series of loud roars and whines full of warning and threats;
It also made Jiang Tian secretly say something bad. I didn’t expect that there are so many domestic and wild cat groups in the East Market; however, as a large market that generates a lot of garbage and food leftovers every day, it is easy to breed a large number of rodents, and it is also inevitable for cats to gather. .
However, his ontological consciousness is still human, so how does he know how to negotiate with these wild cats? Therefore, in a short period of time, a louder cat meow continued to break the silence of the dark night, and also attracted the attention of the Wuhou on the Wanghuo Tower again; Jiang Tian moved in an instant.
It was as if a small hurricane passed out of thin air, blowing these clustered cats into the air in rows and pieces, and then screamed and rolled among the awnings, corners, and barriers. One of the gray cats, which was obviously fat and strong, was knocked unconscious by Jiang Tian and carried away.
When the Wuhous on the watchtower secretly shined the light reflected by the concave copper plate on this area, they could only illuminate a large area of cats running around, as well as the messy ground that had been knocked over and overturned. It was boring. After saying something bad, he turned his attention back to Ping Kangli.
However, the scope of Dongshi was too large; therefore, it took Jiang Tian a long time to find the intersection marked during the day; then, following the scratches left on the wall, he came to an inner alley. In front of the shabby gate; it is also the place where the secret stalker finally disappeared.
Immediately, he threw the huge gray cat that he had dragged over the wall and threw it in. The next moment, amidst the dull screams of meows and the movement of being knocked down, someone began to yell and curse loudly; obviously, there was still someone left behind in this dark courtyard.
However, why the lights are not lit in the middle of the night seems a bit suspicious and questionable. Therefore, amid the vague sounds of driving and chasing inside, Jiang Tian also climbed over the wall and saw an inner courtyard filled with many wooden components and with weeds growing out of them.
Rows of tall and old warehouses stand in the middle, and the windows for ventilation and light are all nailed and sealed with wooden boards; only the dark-looking door leaves are exposed because they are not completely covered. A dim yellow light came; obviously, this was a hidden human habitation.
But a man dressed as an old man was waving a rafter; with extraordinary agility far beyond his age, he was angrily chasing the vaguely injured big gray in the narrow gap filled with wood in the yard. The cat; was dodged and jumped away again and again.
The next moment, Jiang Tian was on the tiled roof of the tall warehouse, easily pushing aside several heavy tiles; sneaking into the space between the supporting beams and arches below. To the eye, there is only a thin layer of dusty partitions, top covers, and pillars, but there are no traces of rat or bird activity.
There are not many traces of moth or decay on the upper ends of the mottled columns. Instead, they still smell of freshly applied lacquer that has not yet dissipated. Obviously, this is the result of regular maintenance and long-term cleaning. This also allowed Jiang Tian to further confirm his guess.
Therefore, he quickly found the downward-turning cover exit and the built-in long ladder between the tile roof and the partition between the beams and columns. Immediately afterwards, a rather clean and spacious space appeared in front of Jiang Tian; it looked like a carpentry workshop that doubled as a warehouse.
Various tools, stands, and semi-finished wooden furniture are placed quite neatly and orderly; it's just that no work has been done for a long time, so there is no sawdust or shavings on the ground. Instead, in the back half of the warehouse, the large work shed originally used for resting was lit with lights.
However, there were several people drinking around the fire, their faces full of alcohol and half-drunk. Judging from their appearance and clothing, they did not look like craftsmen or handymen in brown clothes with short hips; instead, they were wearing some unusual clothes. Lapel leather jacket, round-necked floral robe, fur-edged gown, and simply tied up in a bun.
In other unlit work sheds, there were people resting under silk quilts, or taking naps wrapped in flannel blankets. There were even men and women huddled together in a specially decorated bed tent. Judging from the clothes and accessories scattered on the ground, they are somewhat incompatible with the surrounding environment.
However, judging from the traces of contamination inside these sheds and the types of living utensils, these people have been entrenched and hidden here for at least a short period of time. Moreover, all people have one thing in common, that is, they have swords and weapons within easy reach.
Even under the pillows of the man and woman sleeping soundly in the bed tent, there were faint traces of a long hard object pressing down. It's as if these people need to be prepared and alert for something anytime and anywhere. Later, Jiang Tian, who was quietly swimming among them, also discovered several secret sentries hidden in the shadows on the beams.
These people were wearing dusty one-piece robes, but the edge of the leather armor was exposed at the collar; and on the other side of the squatting people holding knives, there were also one-handed crossbows with unstrung strings and short swords inserted in the rows. Ya;'s breathing in the darkness was almost inaudible, but it seemed smooth and long, obviously trained.
In addition, Jiang Tian also discovered living supplies obviously needed for long-term lurking, including stored rice, flour, wine, sauce, salt, vegetables, tents, blankets, clothes and quilts; a variety of clothing for changing clothes; and a variety of long and short weapons and spare parts. Bows and crossbows. And a lot of bottles and cans whose uses I don’t know.
At this time, the chasing and beating outside finally came to an end; the old man hid himself in like a ghost; and then walked around the narrow passage made of wood, semi-finished products and stands; carrying the The dying big gray cat turned straight into the work shed and said:
"Tonight, I was almost disturbed by this beast. I should use it to skin and drink wine, and give it a good reward..." However, he saw several people who were drinking and eating meat around the charcoal stove and soup cauldron. A companion, however, was already staggering drunkenly on the floor, and couldn't help but said in surprise:
"You are too imprudent. Why didn't you leave a sober person? You are all drunk. Who will come to pick me up later?" Then he looked at the beam above. From the secret sentry position, he shouted: "Everyone is drunk, why don't you guys on duty know something?"
However, what responded to him was silence; although the human silhouette in the shadow was still waiting in its original position, there was no reaction or response at all. The next moment, the man who had disguised himself as an old man couldn't help but feel a chill running down his back, and suddenly said: "Yes..."
In an instant, a stream of lightning-like light passed in front of him, slicing most of his neck; and at the same time, it turned the rest of his words into splatters of blood like arrows; just as he collapsed. In the corner of his eye, he seemed to see a furry silhouette holding a sword in its mouth...
And with the thick bloody smell that spread in an instant, some people in the small room above the work shed were instantly awakened; a disheveled man leaned out holding a short knife; he saw a cat standing on a pile of weapons. ; There was a frightening light in his eyes, and he couldn't help but swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
