In the dead of night, a figure appeared furtively outside the hut where Gu Shengchao and his friends were resting. The man took out a slender knife, poked it through the crack in the door, and unbolted the inner door bit by bit. Then he tiptoed to the bedside. Under the faint starlight, the two people sleeping on the bed were vaguely visible. The man slowly took off a wooden ax from behind and slashed at the two people on the bed.
Once, twice, three times...
The man swung the ax and chopped it nearly forty times before letting go. I don't know whether it was because of nervousness or the weight of the ax. He was breathing heavily and his whole body was shaking. He trembled and walked out. There was a fire stick outside the door, and he went to the candlestick next to the bed and lit the candle. The room was bright and it turned out to be the male landlord. He was breathing rapidly, and with trembling hands he lifted up the quilt full of holes that had been chopped with axes.
Suddenly, the male landlord said "Ah" and stepped back in panic.
There was no one on the bed. There was just some straw stuffed under the quilt. It was impossible to tell in the dimness, as if someone was really sleeping there.
He was terrified. When Gu Shengchao and the others turned off the lights, he saw clearly that the two of them were indeed sleeping on the bed.
Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder lightly from behind.
"ghost!"
The male landlady was already trembling, and he was so frightened that he fell forward as soon as his legs gave out, and he no longer had the strength to stand up. He mustered up the courage to look back, only to see Gu Shengchao and the masked woman standing side by side, staring at him with teasing eyes.
"You are not dead?" the landlord asked in horror. He really thought he had seen a ghost.
Gu Shengchao mocked: "What, you've done something wrong, aren't you afraid of ghosts knocking on your door?"
"I, I..." The male landlord was scared, his lips trembled and he couldn't speak for a long time.
The masked woman of the ancient sage Chaola sat beside the bed. He stood in the middle of the house with his arms folded across his chest. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "When I gave you the money, I knew something was wrong by looking at your greedy eyes. Also, at night we We need to take a rest, who is leaning under the window to peek? If we hadn’t guessed these little tricks of yours, we would really have died unjustly."
Only then did the male landlord realize that his thoughts had been seen through. He didn't believe it and said, "Then where were you just now?"
Gu Shengchao said disdainfully: "When we encounter a scoundrel like you who is interested in making money, we can only sleep on the floor and wait for you to come to our door." He grabbed the ax thrown by the landlord on the ground and put it on his neck He shouted: "Tell me, how many lives have you murdered in total?"
"Hero, spare your life." The male landlady was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "This is the first time for me. I am blind. I have offended two heroes because I am blind. Please spare your life, hero." He fell on the ground with his whole body, He kept kowtowing and took out the broken silver given by the ancient sage Chao from his arms. He held it up with both hands and begged: "I don't want any more silver. I just ask the hero to spare his life."
Gu Shengchao took back the money and the axe, "Seeing that you have a wife and children to take care of, I will spare your life today, get out!"
The male landlady also suffered a cut on his forehead and rolled away.
Gu Shengchao closed the door, bolted the door again, and comforted: "Don't be afraid, girl, I won't dare to come here tonight even if I borrow some of his courage, just rest peacefully." He hugged the torn quilt and lay down on the ground. With a gentle wave of his hand, a strong wind passed by and extinguished the candle.
The bed board made a sound, and the masked woman lay down and sat up again, and said softly: "Why don't you, Master, go to bed and rest too? I won't mind."
"Thank you. I have lived without a fixed place since I was a child, and I am used to this." Gu Shengchao declined the woman's kindness.
It was getting brighter, and the two of them woke up and finally had a solid night's rest.
Gu Shengchao walked out of the room, and the male landlord immediately greeted him, "Did the hero sleep well last night? Your horses have been fed. Do you want to see if you have eaten before leaving?"
"No need, just prepare the hot water and bring it over." Gu Shengchao ordered.
The male landlord didn't dare to neglect and served him carefully.
The masked woman finished washing up, and then the two of them got back on the road. Before leaving, Gu Shengchao threw the money he had collected yesterday to the landlord: "I think you have a family to support, take it, and don't do anything harmful to nature in the future."
The male landlord took the money and thanked him profusely.
There was a family at the entrance of the village cooking pancakes on the stove in the courtyard. The smell was quite good. Gu Shengchao bought more than ten pancakes, one for each of the masked woman, and put the rest into a cloth bag and carried it behind his back.
After finishing a piece of cake, the two of them had already left the small village. The road ahead became increasingly difficult. Fortunately, they were riding horses. If they were on foot, their legs would be stuck in the tall grass.
The two of them slept in the open and walked forward. It was almost noon on the third day and they finally found a town. The two stayed at the inn, and the masked woman washed up in the guest room alone. Gu Shengchao asked the waiter for directions. He learned that there were two roads to choose from, one was closer and the other was further away, but you could take the bus on the further road. The boat is missing the saddle and the fatigue of the horse all the way. What made the ancient sage even more happy was that he was familiar with the farther road. When he was a child, he wandered around the world and once walked here. If the clerk hadn't mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten it.
Gu Shengchao made up his mind and continued to choose the longer path. He had calculated that if those who were chasing them found that they had gone the wrong way and pursued them through a side road, they would definitely go to the small village to inquire because that was the only place where they could rest, which would delay them for at least two to three days. If they go to take a boat again, the other party will be delayed for one or two days. In this way, it will be extremely difficult for the other party to catch up with them.
The masked woman heard about Gu Shengchao's plan and agreed without any hesitation. The two rode horses to the pier by the river. There happened to be a passenger ship going down the river. Gu Shengchao booked a single room with a small window next to it, which allowed him to see the scenery on the river. But their accompanying horses were a problem, and the crew refused to allow them to board the ship.
Time was running out, and no one wanted to buy the horse because they were unfamiliar with the place. In desperation, the two had no choice but to untie the saddle, bridle, etc. from the horse and throw it aside. Horses are extremely humane. They seem to know that they are going to be free again. They run wild on the grass excitedly, rub their big heads against Gu Shengchao and the masked woman, and then run away with flying hooves and disappear. without a trace.
The days on the boat are monotonous and pleasant, and there is no need to worry about being hunted down or framed. Gu Shengchao was worried and checked the entire cabin again, but found nothing suspicious. There were couches in the cabin private room for resting, but Gu Shengchao still chose to sleep on the floor.
The masked woman couldn't bear it and advised: "Young Master, don't be so cautious. You should go to bed and rest. I know you are a good person, so don't get cold."
Gu Shengchao smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, the ship is full of decks, and the bed is made of wood. It's the same wherever you sleep. It's just a different position. I'm used to sleeping alone, so this is good."
When the woman saw that he insisted on his own opinion, she no longer forced him to do anything difficult.
The big ship sailed on the river for two days, but Gu Shengchao lived like a year. He was used to wandering outside, but suddenly he was locked in a small room, unable to stretch his body freely, and he was extremely depressed.
The woman was prone to fainting at every turn. This happened once before boarding the ship, but it did not happen after boarding the ship. Maybe it was because the environment was comfortable and there was no turbulence like on the road, which was related to her emotions.
At dusk and sunset, the sunset glows on the entire river. The river surface is sparkling under the breeze, as if countless golden scales are jumping and flashing.
The masked woman looked at the scenery of the river through the small window and couldn't help but sigh: "The beautiful scenery outside is really hard to let go."
Gu Shengchao said seriously: "Girls are ladies of the world. They stay in the boudoir all year round and don't care about worldly affairs. The beautiful scenery you see may be just the most ordinary days of ordinary people. Your elegance after a good meal may be because they have worked so hard but still have not enough to eat. reality."
The woman seemed to be about to retort, but she hesitated for a moment but held back.
Gu Shengchao also felt that something was a little abrupt just now, and explained: "Girl, please don't be angry. I lost my parents when I was young and wandered around the world. Maybe it's because I have experienced too much suffering and witnessed more misery in the world. I am just a rough man who doesn't understand the style. "
The woman shook her head and said: "I am not a lady, I am also a poor person who has no parents and is being bossed around. But I have been in a cage for a long time. This moment of leisure makes me feel happy and I start to lose my temper. The choice of words makes the young master laugh."
Gu Shengchao hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't hold back what he was saying, and asked tentatively: "Girl, don't be weird, I'm just curious. If you ask something wrong, girl can pretend that I didn't say anything. I accidentally heard it in the Changqing County Government Office. As for the few words about the girl, the value of the girl during our escort car is extraordinary. If she were just a simple poor person, I'm afraid the people who are chasing us wouldn't go to such trouble."
The woman looked out the window in silence. After thinking for a while, she turned around and asked, "Young Master is a loyal person. I shouldn't have any scruples. May I ask you if you know about Miaochun Pavilion?"
Miaochun Pavilion is the most famous romantic place in the Dawu Dynasty. It can be said that everyone knows about it. From the princes and nobles to the common people who drive carts and sell milk, they all cherish it. Miaochun Pavilion had branches in every county in the Dawu Dynasty. The largest and most luxurious one was not in the capital, but in Fanzhou. The capital is a mixed bag, and the emperor is under the influence of various forces. There are too many high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen gathered in romantic places like Miaochun Pavilion, which can easily lead to contradictions and conflicts, but makes it difficult to stay there for a long time. On the other hand, in Fanzhou, flood and drought wharves are gathered here, transportation is convenient, Fu Min is abundant, and merchants come and go, which naturally contributes to the existence of Miaochun Pavilion. More importantly, it is not easy to attract attention when someone comes to the capital, saving a lot of trouble and annoyance.
Gu Shengchao nodded: "I have heard some words, 'Liu Ye'er's eyebrows are full, Chu's waist is pure and clean, her pink jade face is pretty, and her beauty is extraordinary in the bamboo rain.' They are talking about the four beauties in it who are all-powerful, named Liu Ximei and Chu Susu. , Zhu Zhenyu and Zhu Meier, are known as the Four Wonders of Miaochun Pavilion. I often hear people say that if I could see the beauty of one of these people in my life, I would die without regrets."
The woman sighed and took off the veil that had always been covering her face.
Gu Shengchao was stunned for a moment.
The woman's handsome face is as smooth as gelatin, and her pair of phoenix eyes are as penetrating as clear springs. Although she is not as naturally beautiful as the Erba beauty, the charm between her eyebrows and eyes is a unique charm that can only be cultivated through many romances.
"You are..." Gu Shengchao couldn't believe that there was such a stunning woman in the world.
The woman complained sadly: "I am the 'Liu Ye Mei Yue', the first of the four wonders of Miaochun Pavilion, called Liu Ximei. Everyone thinks that we are unattainable, but in fact we are the playthings of officials or wealthy businessmen. There is nothing we can do if we can't break free. Every day He is well clothed and well fed, but he is like a bird in a cage. All joys and sorrows are in the hands of Miaochun Pavilion. What a pitiful person."
The ancient sage was stunned. The fairy who was once unattainable was sitting in front of him alive. He rubbed his eyes to confirm that it was not a dream, and said doubtfully: "Miaochun Pavilion is also a large sect with many masters. As a girl, how could she be allowed to wander alone in the rivers and lakes without protecting her?"
