Geng Jian looked at the crumpled drawing paper swinging slightly in the air and had mixed feelings for a moment.
Although he didn't believe in the existence of the kind of magic power mentioned in the letter, he felt a little more at ease when he learned from Hou Yiyong that Cao Baiji might be an old man in his sixties.
Now the results have come to light. It turns out that the person in the painting is not called Cao Baji at all, but Mu Qing.
It seemed that he was really a junior under the age of twenty. Amidst all the twists and turns, he was still silently digesting the complex emotions in his heart.
Feeling the eyes of everyone in the study, especially the teasing Bai Hao on his face, Geng Jian tightly held the obsidian sword in his hand and asked softly: "Where is this Mu Qing now?"
Hou Yiyong replied: "They should still be in that caravan, escorting them along."
Geng Jian thought of the information about Hidden Valley recorded in Tianshou, frowned and asked, "Are Hidden Valley's assassins also engaged in the dart business?"
After hearing this, Bai Hao smiled softly, patted the hem of his black robe, stood up and said, "Hidden Valley is not exempt from power and wealth, otherwise how could I ask them for the Wanhua Dan?"
Bai Hao went straight to the bookcase behind him and took out an intelligence collection book with the title "Hidden Valley Insights" on the cover. While flipping through it, he said: "Second Geng is working for His Majesty, everywhere in the world." After all, running away is not as good as our Suzaku City taking root in the southern border of the Imperial Dynasty. You must know that the Hidden Valley now is no longer the Hidden Valley it used to be."
Geng Jian's eyes followed Bai Hao's movements, and when he saw a few words on the cover, he couldn't help but ask: "I wonder what the city lord's insight is?"
Bai Hao said with a smile: "In less than three years, the Hidden Valley will no longer be the Hidden Valley of Tiannan Marsh Forest, but the Hidden Valley of the Imperial Dynasty."
Geng Jian's eyes flashed, thinking of some rumors, and said: "Is there anyone who wants to make the business bigger and more convenient?"
Bai Hao walked back to the table quickly, spread out a power distribution map of Tiannan Marsh Forest, and said seriously: "Tiannan Marsh Forest has always been a no-no-no zone. And among them, the most powerful branch is Hidden Valley. "
Bai Hao tapped his finger on the location of Hidden Valley surveyed by Suzaku City, and continued, "The Hidden Valley Quanfu family wanted to do business, and they opened bookstores in all the major capitals of Kyushu in our dynasty. Since they have put themselves in On the bright side, how could we not get in touch? Let money lead the way."
Bai Hao said with a smile: "There are many things in this world, and money is the most convenient way."
"Has your Suzaku City obtained His Majesty's approval?"
"certainly!"
Geng Jian heard the other party's confident tone and temporarily forgot what he wanted to know in the first place. He concentrated on looking at the detailed map that Tian Shou did not have. After pondering for a moment, he asked: "Even if you are the same as Quan Mansion in Hidden Valley, The bloodline is connected, but it’s still not enough. The core of Hidden Valley is the assassin bloodline.”
In a secular dynasty that can practice flying in the sky, strength is often the most important. With enough strength to defeat everyone, power, wealth and other things will even come to you uninvited, so Geng Jian does not think Bai Hao does it. That's enough.
Bai Hao looked at the long sword in Geng Jian's hand, narrowed his eyes, and sighed: "Strength is indeed the most important thing. Brother Geng is thinking in the right direction, but he still doesn't know much about Hidden Valley."
Geng Jian looked directly at Bai Hao quietly, waiting for him to add something.
Bai Hao chuckled and said: "The core of Hidden Valley is actually not the rumored assassin lineage, but the Zhanglu lineage. In Hidden Valley, assassins are not allowed to have their own thoughts and feelings. They can only act as A sword that is obedient to kill people, but the person holding the sword is of the same lineage as Zhang Lu. Those people in Zhang Lu are very mysterious. They seem to be the existence of people from the Heavenly Ranking. They are very powerful, with the lowest cultivation level of the third level. For assassins with alien intentions, they will always respond with the most brutal killing methods."
Geng Jian's frown deepened. He really didn't expect Bai Hao to know so many things. It seemed that Bai Hao had connections with other forces in Hidden Valley.
Bai Hao felt the inquiry in Geng Jian's eyes and smiled: "In addition to wealth, there is also power. There is someone in Hidden Valley who wants to hold the sword that should belong to him."
"The second elder of Hidden Valley, Jiang Xingyuan, is a powerful person in the assassin lineage. This person has a very strong desire to control power, but he has become someone else's puppet. How can he be willing?"
"You mean the most mysterious elder in Hidden Valley?" Geng Jian asked.
"Yes, Murong Yin, the great elder of the Zhanglu lineage." Bai Hao nodded.
He took Mu Qing's portrait from Hou Yiyong's hand, and the coldness in his eyes quickly disappeared, and said: "This Mu Qing should be Hidden Valley's fledgling assassin this year. In the Iron Bone Village incident, Cao Baiji's identity is also very important. It’s suspicious, maybe it’s related to Hidden Valley, I think this person seems to be a thorn in Jiang Xingyuan’s eyes, and things have become a lot more interesting.”
Geng Jian raised his sword and pointed lightly at Mu Qing's portrait, and asked: "What entry point did the city lord find?"
"There's no rush. I think it won't take long before I can get Brother Geng to meet this person. Then it will be up to Brother Geng."
"I owe you something again."
Bai Hao handed Na Mu Qing's portrait to Geng Jian, and there was already a deal between the two.
…
It's the end of Si hour, approaching noon.
It was almost three hours since the caravan that Mu Qing was in left the town and headed back.
"Ah sneeze - ah sneeze -"
"Mu Qing, are you okay?"
Liu Weirui turned around on the horse, Mu Qing's figure was reflected in her moist eyes, and she naturally showed a look of concern.
Mu Qing blew his nose with his hands and replied in embarrassment: "Maybe I didn't pay attention to the time during my practice last night, and I suffered a little bit of the spring cold. It's not serious."
"I have a small bottle of essence here, you can try it."
Liu Weirui fumbled around Yingying's waist for a while, handed Mu Qing a small porcelain bottle that smelled of mint and grass, and joked: "Is there someone who has been thinking about you from afar? Otherwise, why would you keep talking?" sneeze."
Mu Qing took a deep breath of the essence and suddenly felt refreshed. He shook his head and said with a smile, "Girl, you are joking. The essential oil in this small porcelain bottle is really powerful. Not only can it soothe the five senses, it also seems to be effective in preventing and treating miasma in the mountains, mosquitoes and poisonous ants." "
"That was given to me by my sister. Speaking of which, Cao Baiji lit poisonous smoke in the bonfire that night, and Xiaochan and I sprinkled some of it on the facecloths covering our mouths and noses."
Liu Weirui slowed down her riding speed, tilted her head and asked coquettishly: "Do you want to discuss these things with her then? She is indeed quite powerful."
Mu Qing's slender lips opened and closed slightly, and finally he shook his head and did not answer.
Seeing the other party's silent response, Liu Weirui pursed her red lips. She still remembered that Mu Qing said that he would leave immediately after escorting the caravan safely back to Jinguan City. She actually wanted to invite him to sit at home and see her good friend again, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
For a while, the two sides walked quietly on the road. It was like this most of the time between him and him, they were close but silent.
Although he was promoted to the third level on the way and was considered a real master within the imperial dynasty, Mu Qing was actually only eighteen years old less than two months ago.
He was so young and ignorant, and had been staying in Hidden Valley, but he didn't really understand the thoughts of a girl who was nearly four years older than him.
But the subtle atmosphere of silence between him and Liu Weirui was indeed intentional on his part.
Not only because he needs to be alert at all times, ready to rescue people at any time without being distracted, but also because he feels that his status as an "assassin" will only bring disaster to friends who do not belong to the same world.
So even if he feels the kindness and closeness of the other party, he will only choose to keep it in his heart and not respond.
Liu Weirui's water-cut eyes were slightly narrowed, and complex emotions appeared on her beautiful face like a peerless goddess.
She quietly looked at Mu Qing, who was walking beside her, and vaguely felt that the other party tried to control their interactions because of their different status and roles.
Mu Qing straightened his back and looked into the distance, only to see a green forest stretching to the sky with no end in sight.
The sky is clear and cloudless, the thin spring light makes all the dust appear. Tiny and ethereal dust smudged the branches under the caress of the sun, gently swaying gracefully and casting a sacred and mysterious light on the entire forest.
"This forest is huge, it should have a name."
"Xingchui Forest."
Liu Weirui answered Mu Qing's doubts softly, stepped on the stirrups and looked into the distance, like a passionate friend introducing the scenery of his hometown, and said seriously: "The plains and fields are wide with stars, and the rivers are flowing with the moon. Behind the forest of Stars Chui. It is the Yueyong River, the largest tributary of Qingchuan River. I heard from my father that every Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon is full, you can float in the wind and overlook the forest under the moon, and you can appreciate the stars in the sky falling over the plain forest, and the jade-colored full moon pouring into the broad river. of unparalleled beauty.”
When she got excited, Liu Weirui stood up with her feet in the stirrups, keeping her upper body slightly tilted and her lower back sunken.
At this time, under the clear and clear sky, a beautiful lookout picture came into being.
The double peaks on Liu Weirui's chest were as delicate and tall as mushrooms after a spring rain, and because of her leaning down movement, the curves surged into swaying mountains and rivers. The mountains and rivers curled and stopped until they reached her graceful waist. Suddenly tightened, the waist curve was gentle and melodious, before falling to the bottom and climbing to the top. The plump and plump buttocks finally became the finishing touch of this painting.
Just like those blissful moments in his spiritual life, Mu Qing finished admiring the entire painting in a daze, and while his mind was intoxicated, he saw Liu Weirui moving again, and then suddenly turned his attention to the forest in the distance. , with a scratchy throat, he sighed: "That... will be really beautiful."
The blush on Liu Weirui's fair and pretty face smeared across her cheeks, and finally climbed up to her ears. When she started to step up, she clearly felt the eyes attracted to her curves. She was stiff for a moment before sitting down.
Her bright eyes filled with spring water, she tucked a strand of black hair from her smooth forehead behind her ears, recalling the past and said softly: "My father said that he led the caravan back then and failed to calculate the time to get out of this forest. , but it turned out that a big river lay in front of me, so I had to sleep beside the river under the moonlight. But...it was also the time I met my mother."
Mu Qing was embarrassed to inquire about Liu Weirui's family affairs and asked softly: "How long does it usually take to walk through this Xingchui Forest."
Liu Weirui looked at him with a slightly annoyed look and replied: "At least four hours, after passing through the forest, you have to walk upstream along the Yueyong River for a while before there is a bridge across the river."
Mu Qingjian frowned slightly, sizing up the impact of the shift in skylight on the dark environment under the forest.
Whenever you encounter this kind of forest on the road, you will be in two different worlds before entering and after entering, and your field of vision will instantly become darker and gloomier. Is there any danger hidden in it?
Mu Qing and the others were walking at the front of the caravan this time. When they turned around and looked behind them, they passed by the Xiaochan siblings who were following them not far away. After that, there was a long caravan and scattered people. Everyone in Iron Bone Village.
Since it had been determined before that if there was danger next, only the safety of the three people needed to be ensured, Mu Qing would not waste his efforts in asking the people in Tiegugu Village who were lax in their actions to march according to the previous formation requirements.
As his mind was racing, he suggested to Liu Weirui beside him: "There is still half an hour before noon. Since we can't get out of the forest in front of us in a short time, why not let everyone have lunch now and arrive at Shen time after noon?" The sun is shining during this time, and when we enter the forest in front of us at that time, our view will be clearer."
"Okay!" Liu Weirui responded with a brisk smile: "It's all up to you."
