Zheng Xiu and Cheng Xiao remained motionless.
The other eight people looked at each other without saying a word, and took a step forward to check the volume "Plum Blossoms Awakening the Snow".
"You don't need to worry. Since Dugu agreed to this, he will definitely keep his promise and let you all enjoy this painting together."
Dugu Xiang clapped his hands twice, and two disciples of the Dugu family moved a wooden eucalyptus, and Dugu Xiang spread the "Plum Blossoms Proudly Snow" on the eucalyptus.
"Great painting!"
Yue Chongyang twirled his beard and chuckled. He touched the scroll with the fingertips of his other hand, feeling the texture on it.
Zhang Daer's eyes were as wide as bells, unwilling to let go of any details.
Others reacted much the same way.
It’s not like they really came here to appreciate the paintings.
The drunkard's intention is not to drink.
Dugu Xiang took a step back with a smile, spread his hands and signaled: "You are welcome," and silently observed everyone's reactions. When he saw the reactions of Cheng Xiao and Zheng Xiu, a vague light flashed in his eyes.
Eight people gathered on both sides of the long eucalyptus, which was a bit crowded.
Zheng Xiu could tell at a glance that the scroll was fake, but he had to step forward to confirm again, or maybe he was just pretending.
Just as he was about to take a step, Zheng Xiu turned around and noticed that Cheng Xiao simply closed his eyes, holding the broken knife, standing there coolly. After thinking for a moment, Zheng Xiu asked with a smile: "Why don't you look?"
Cheng Xiao didn't open his eyes: "I don't understand."
Zheng Xiu: “You don’t understand why you’re still here?”
Cheng Xiao: "Someone understands."
Zheng Xiu asked, "What if not?"
Cheng Xiao said coldly: "Wait." After Cheng Xiao said this, he glanced at Zheng Xiu, pursed his lips, and said: "Keep waiting."
Zheng Xiu: "By the way, I'm sorry about your knife."
Cheng Xiao was silent for a moment, a full ten seconds, and then he squeezed out one word at a time, spelling it out in one sentence: "The killing knife can be cut off, it will still be usable."
Only then did Zheng Xiu realize that Cheng Xiao's brief silence was not to be cool or show off, but to organize his words.
Recalling the scene where Cheng Xiao used a broken knife to chop down the unnamed evil master of the Purple Blood Sword, Zheng Xiu suddenly realized that it was indeed the case, and praised: "So that's how it is, it's good."
Cheng Xiao did not regard the weapon as a treasure, but as a "tool" that could be replaced at any time.
When Zheng Xiu and Cheng Xiao were chatting in a strange atmosphere.
The eight people surrounding Chang Eucalyptus could remain calm on the surface at first, but as time went by, some began to become impatient.
Zhang Dayer cursed angrily: "Mother, what the hell did you draw!"
Yue Chongyang chuckled: "If you don't understand, don't force it."
Zhang Da'er sneered: "Can you understand? I understand, but let's talk about it so that everyone can see it!"
Yue Chongyang showed an enigmatic expression: "There are infinite mysteries hidden in Gongsun's calligraphy, and his brushwork is exquisite. As the saying goes, every line is like a mountain. Yue dare not say that he can get a glimpse of the realm of Gongsun's painting. He can only say that he has a little understanding of it. . As for... Yue believes that the way of painting can only be understood but cannot be expressed in words, so everyone should look for opportunities!"
Yue Chongyang smiled brightly, and there was hidden treachery in his words with Zhang Dayer, as if he was avenging Zhang Dayer's disrespectful words towards him not long ago.
When Zhang Daer heard this, he was angry, but he couldn't get angry easily. What Yue Chongyang said is also true. No one among the ten people present would tell others the secret they saw.
Zheng Xiu saw that the atmosphere beside Chang Gu was "hot", smiled slightly, and stepped forward to join in the fun.
At first, Zheng Xiu was convinced at first glance, but after taking a closer look, Zheng Xiu became more confident.
The painting is definitely a good painting, lifelike, but it is not the handiwork of Grandpa Gongsun.
"Master Dugu, you have already obtained the calligraphy treasure of Gongsun Hua Sheng, have you seen any secrets?"
At this time, someone was unwilling to give up and asked Dugu Xiang loudly in front of everyone.
"Yes, yes, everyone knows Dugu Daxia's magnanimity, and everyone is dissatisfied with it. You won't be stingy in sharing your opinions with us, right?"
Several other people agreed and put tall hats on Dugu Xiang's head for free.
Zhang Da'er even vaguely blew it to the head of Hidden Sword Villa, and had the feeling of placing Hidden Sword Villa as the "Supremacy of the Martial Arts".
At first, Dugu Xiang smiled wryly and waved his hands, saying that he had practiced swordplay since childhood and had been with the sword for thirty years, so he didn't know anything about music, chess, calligraphy and painting. But later on, it was difficult to reject the kindness, and Dugu Xiang said helplessly: "Since you are so complimentary, Dugu will not treat you as outsiders and make a fool of yourself."
Zhang Daer laughed: "We are our own people! We are all our own people!"
"But before that, Dugu has a merciless request."
Dugu Xiang calmly looked at Cheng Xiao, who was waiting with his eyes closed, clasped his fists and said, "Brother Cheng, can you borrow "Willow Swallows in Spring Pond" to take a look? Dugu guarantees it with the century-old reputation of Hidden Sword Villa..."
But before Dugu Xiang finished speaking, Cheng Xiao reached into his arms and threw the "Picture of Willows and Swallows in the Spring Pond" towards Dugu Xiang.
No one expected Cheng Xiao to be so decisive. Everyone, including Zheng Xiu, was stunned. Yue Chongyang clenched his fists fiercely in his sleeves. At that moment, he had a desire to fight for it. He believed that the reactions of others were similar.
But in the end no one put their thoughts into action. They are not stupid, and they cannot understand. There is no benefit in taking the scroll away at this time. On the contrary, it will offend Hidden Sword Villa, which is not worth the gain.
Dugu Xiang caught the "Picture of Willow Swallows in the Spring Pond" thrown by Cheng Xiao and couldn't wait to spread it out on the long eucalyptus.
In the yellow scroll, there is a clear pond. In March, there are lush willow trees beside the pond, with their branches and leaves dancing, creating colorful reflections in the pond. Smart swallows are playing among the willow leaves. Each swallow has a different posture, either spreading its wings, stroking its feathers, or playing in the water. The swallows are quite charming.
The most eye-catching thing is that one of the swallows has its wings spread out and a small blood-red insect in its beak. At the first glance, the little red insect seemed to be twisting in the swallow's mouth, as if it were alive. At the second glance, the painting was still a painting, and everything just seemed like an illusion.
"Sure enough!" Dugu Xiang caressed "Willow Swallows on the Spring Pond" and said with emotion: "The paper used by Gongsun Painting Sage for the 'Four Seasons' is made from a kind of bamboo silk produced only in the Western Regions. Although it is called It is impervious to water and fire, but it is extremely resistant to decay. Legend has it that paintings made on bamboo silk paper can be preserved for hundreds of years without fading."
Duguxiang walked aside, lifted the oil lamp on the candlestick, and placed the scroll above the heart of the flame in front of everyone.
"Do you suspect that there is something else going on in the material of bamboo silk paper?"
Zheng Xiu touched his chin and asked. Dugu Xiang's approach made his eyes light up. When he got the other two volumes of four-season pictures from Xie Luohe, he focused on the painting content itself and did not think about the "material".
Some special materials are added to the ink, which will take shape after heating. But most of these are irreversible. As soon as Zheng Xiu asked the question, he shook his head. Although Dugu Xiang used a "fake painting" as a temptation for some reason, since there is no "invisible ink" on the scroll, it will appear. If there are traces, then it is obvious that Dugu Xiang should have tried it in advance.
The "tried" that Zheng Xiu is thinking of here does not only refer to the fake Four Seasons Chart. It is very possible that he has also tried the real Four Seasons Chart.
Zheng Xiu is still thinking about Dugu Xiang's purpose of doing this. The reason why Xie Luohe said "the plan has changed" may be because she knew that Dugu Xiang would not show the real painting, so she changed the plan temporarily.
Everyone eagerly put their heads together, waiting for Dugu Xiang to answer his questions.
It's not that they don't use their brains, it's that they simply can't understand the Four Seasons Map and simply wait for the result, hoping that Dugu Xiang will accidentally reveal the secret of the Four Seasons Map.
as expected.
After heating the two pictures of the four seasons above the oil lamp for a moment, Dugu Xiang shook his head helplessly: "It won't work. Unless you destroy the scrolls at all costs and verify the paintings by flooding, acid etching, and burning, it will be difficult to examine the bamboo silk paper itself. See through the mystery of the Four Seasons Chart.”
Zhang Dayer suddenly sneered: "Dugu Daxia, you are a little unkind!"
Dugu Xiang was stunned: "Brother Zhang, how do you say this?"
Zhang Daer sneered, his body trembling with fat, and he stared at Dugu Xiang with narrowed eyes without any explanation.
At this time Yue Chongyang frowned, he always felt that something was wrong.
If no one left here can find the location of Gong Nie's treasure house with only two pictures of the four seasons, then what's the point of Dugu Xiang's hard work in organizing this martial arts conference?
Others had different thoughts, looking here and there from time to time. After Dugu Xiang explained the origin of "Bamboo Silkworm Paper", they only hoped for a flash of inspiration and some clues.
Everyone knows that the opportunity is rare right now. The Four Seasons Picture, as the name suggests, is divided into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter, with a total of four scrolls. Now two of them, half of the secrets of Duke Nie's treasury, were openly displayed in front of them. If they couldn't see through the secret at this time, they might really have to wait until the day when the Four Seasons Pictures gathered together.
The people who stayed were neither mediocre nor stupid. Everyone had the idea of snatching away the two paintings regardless of face, but no one dared to act rashly. Not to mention that they are now located in the Hidden Sword Villa, which is heavily guarded and filled with masters. Besides, whoever strikes first will be attacked by others in an instant. Cheng Xiao's sharp knife alone is enough to kill them. A pot of it. Thinking about it, people always cherish their lives, and no one would foolishly risk their lives for the sake of this unclear meaning of the four seasons.
"Is it possible that we need to find the scenery on the scroll separately? Then we can find the location of Gong Nie's treasure house?"
In the silence, someone felt uncomfortable and couldn't help but ask.
Everyone looked at each other.
Want to laugh.
But couldn't laugh.
This is actually the first thought that comes to anyone's mind when they see the scenery on the scroll.
It’s just that this “answer” was too superficial and no one said it. What's more, trying to determine the location of a treasure house in the north and south of the world based on the scenery on the two scrolls is simply a fool's errand.
Time passes minute by minute.
No one answered the previous question. The person who asked the question reacted after a moment, blushing and lowering his head, full of annoyance.
Until midnight.
Duguxiang, who had been quiet since he explained to everyone what "bamboo silkworm paper" was, suddenly shouted: "Be careful!"
stop!
A powerful sound breaking through the air attracted everyone's attention. Almost at the moment of the reminder, the sword box behind Dugu Xiang opened with a clang, and the dragon-grained sword was suddenly unsheathed.
Ding!
A sharp arrow shot straight at him. Dugu Xiang stood proudly on the spot. With a flick of his sword tip, he easily deflected the sharp arrow behind him.
"There's an assassin!"
There were screams outside the house, and sharp arrows shot through the roof one after another, shooting at Dugu Xiang, one after another like a violent storm. After Duguxiang blocked the third arrow, Tong Kong shrank and said in horror: "The legendary twelve consecutive arrows! It's Xieluohe!"
When the others heard this, their expressions changed drastically and they raised their weapons.
When Zheng Xiu heard this, he was happy and hurriedly took Xiao Tao to the side.
Ding ding ding ding!
call!
"puff!"
The oil lamp in the house was blown out by the arrow wind, and everyone's eyes suddenly became dark. With a bang, the roof collapsed. The bright jade-like moonlight poured into the house through the large hole in the roof. A black figure fell from the sky like a ghost and landed silently in front of the long eucalyptus.
Looking at Dugu Xiang again, in the first wave of arrows, he was knocked away by the force contained in the arrows. The tip of the sword trembled wildly and hit the wall. His face was pale and blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth. The "pop" sound in the darkness just now was the sound of Dugu Xiang vomiting blood.
"Thank you!"
Xie Luohe was still wearing the same mask at this moment. She didn't seem to care about revealing her identity. After a chuckle, she said thank you, then reached out and swept away the two four seasons pictures on the long eucalyptus. She came back from where she came from and jumped on the roof to escape.
"Hurry up!"
Only then did the other people in the house react. At the same time, they used their skills to break through the roof and chased Xie Luohe's escaping figure.
The only ones left in the house were Dugu Xiang, who was vomiting blood, Zheng Xiu, Xiao Tao, Zhang Dayer, and Cheng Xiao, and everyone else chased them out.
Zhang Da'er didn't believe in evil, so he touched the long table, found it empty, and then said in shock: "Were you really robbed?"
Dugu Xiang climbed up from the corner, breathing heavily, waving his sleeves to wipe the blood from his mouth, and said with a wry smile: "What a Xie Luohe."
Boom.
There was another shock. The hall could not withstand the destruction of several masters. The broken beams collapsed downwards. Zheng Xiu frowned. While protecting Xiao Tao, he wondered, why did Xie Luohe take action now?
Does she know where the real "Picture of Plum Blossoms and Snow" is hidden?
Xie Luohe blatantly took away two scrolls, and the Hidden Sword Villa was already in chaos. Fires flickered everywhere, illuminating the entire villa brightly at night. After the seven masters chased them out, all the disciples in the Hidden Sword Villa were alarmed by the sight of the "assassin" who was searching for them.
"It's not a good place to stay for a long time."
Now that Xie Luohe has taken action, his ambiguous relationship with Xie Luohe during the competition will definitely be suspected by Dugu Xiang. Thinking of this, Zheng Xiu covered Xiao Tao's cherry mouth and motioned her not to speak. He wanted to take Xiao Tao away from the villa before talking.
】
"Hmph! Brother Xiao, I'm afraid Dugu won't be able to let you go easily! I'm offended!"
In the house that was gradually collapsing, Dugu Xiang had already noticed Zheng Xiu who was sneaking away with Xiao Tao. He endured the pain on his back and slashed with his sword. The long sword emitted a dazzling white light and instantly spanned several feet, cutting the upper beam of the exit. Cut off, blocking Zheng Xiu's retreat.
When Zheng Xiu saw that his way was blocked, he did not panic and took out the Luohe pen from his waist.
Cheng Xiao had a "dead face" from the beginning to the end, closing his eyes tightly and maintaining the posture of holding the black scabbard in his arms. He only moved his upper body from time to time to avoid the falling bricks and beams above, and remained unscathed.
When Zheng Xiu pulled out the Luohe pen and Dugu Xiang blocked Zheng Xiu's path with his sword, Cheng Xiao moved. Cheng Xiao took a step toward Zheng Xiu, then faced Dugu Xiang and opened his eyes.
The atmosphere was tense.
He opened his ears and looked left and right, his eyes moving wildly, wondering what he was thinking.
Dugu Xiang frowned: "You are actually in the same group?"
Cheng Xiao shook his head, his expression unchanged: "He has to pay for my sword."
Cheng Xiao's matter-of-fact answer made most of the tense atmosphere disappear immediately, and Dugu Xiang's suppressed anger expression was obviously stunned. He thought about many possibilities, but he never expected that Cheng Xiao's reason for siding with Zheng Xiu was to make Zheng Xiu pay for his broken sword.
While he was dumbfounded, Dugu Xiang was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood. My Hidden Sword Villa cannot afford to pay for any broken swords. If you really want it, my huge Hidden Sword Villa can forge a large basket for you overnight.
Zheng Xiu never expected that Cheng Xiao would side with him for such a strange reason. So he was not in a hurry to "draw the ground as a prison", but looked at the complicated expression of Dugu Xiang with a smile: "Why should the hero Dugu be angry? There are not many outsiders here, and I think there is no need for all of us to hide him."
Dugu Xiang asked: "What do you mean by this?"
Zheng Xiu revealed the truth in one sentence: "The Picture of Plum Blossoms Awakening the Snow is fake."
Zhang Dayer: "Fake??"
Cheng Xiao: "Fake?"
Xiaotao: "Yes, Master said it was a lie!"
Another woman's voice came from above: "Fake."
Before she finished speaking, Xie Luohe, who had transformed into Feng Bei's appearance, fell from the roof, and she turned back.
Zheng Xiu was overjoyed: "You came back to save me?"
Xie Luohe blinked at Zheng Xiu: "Not entirely."
Seeing Xie Luohe coming back, Dugu Xiang vaguely guessed the fate of the others and his face turned pale.
"Give it back to you."
Xie Luohe shook his hand and threw a scroll towards Cheng Xiao.
Cheng Xiao opened it and saw that it was the "Picture of Willows and Swallows in the Spring Pond" that he had lost and found.
