The sun is shining high.
The sky is just right.
Little Amei raised her eyes and looked at the little bits of sunlight leaking through the branches and leaves of Dakai.
"What a wonderful day."
She suddenly dropped the mandarin duck embroidered into a duck in her hand, pulled out a wooden sword from the vine bushes at the corner of the yard, grabbed a random pastry and stuffed it into her mouth, then ducked down and quietly slipped out the door.
The door was ajar.
She turned sideways, like a cat made of water, squeezing silently through the crack of the door.
But as soon as he looked out, a group of figures were blocked in front of him.
scare!
She shrank back again with a swish, causing the door to creak twice.
Quite a while.
Only then did he poke his little head out and saw that the person outside the door turned out to be a Taoist priest with short hair.
"It turns out to be Taoist Li."
The little girl complained, and slipped out of the crack in the door.
"What a good Tian'er, why are you blocking the door and scaring people?"
"It turns out to be little Amei." Li Changan said with a smile on his face, "Such a good Tian'er, do you want to sneak out for fun again?"
"Shh! Lower your voice."
The little girl hurriedly turned her head and looked in the door. When she saw that there was no movement, she breathed a small sigh of relief and looked at the Taoist priest curiously.
"Why did the Taoist Master suddenly come back?"
Li Changan has been staying at Shuiyueguan for convenience during this period.
"Is it because of..."
The little girl pointed to the opposite side.
At the other end of the street, the Li'er Building, which used to be full of wealthy customers and lively and wealthy people, is now closed and empty, giving it a sense of depression.
"You also know?"
"Of course! Who didn't listen to the noise last night?" The little girl put her hands on her hips. "There was a sudden commotion in the middle of the night, and it didn't even open this morning. The neighbors spread the word, saying that the vixen in the building was fighting with the man. , If you don’t win, you will reveal your true colors and eat people!”
The little girl looked serious, but she obviously didn't understand that this "fight" was not the other "fight". Instead, she came close to her again, her eyes darting around, with one part nervousness and two parts curiosity and curiosity. Seven points eager to try.
"Tell me, are there really monsters in this city?"
"Of course."
There was a sudden voice from the side, but it was Bo Ziyu who was approaching with a swagger, holding a knife on his shoulder.
"Specializes in eating little girls who wet the bed."
"Bah!" The little girl wrinkled her nose, "You're the one who wet the bed."
As soon as he finished speaking, he came inside the door.
"Amei?"
"This damn girl, did you go out and go crazy again?"
The little guy's neck shrank when he heard it, and he didn't care to argue with the policeman, so he quickly ran away.
Li Changan looked funny and looked back at the policeman.
"Why are you here?"
The man said that he would take a break today and go visit Mr. Xing, who was still recovering from his injuries.
"I was kicked out."
"How to say?"
"My aunt said that now that the evil epidemic is raging in the city, men should be loyal to the country. She asked me to do my best, not to hold you back, Taoist priest, and not to lose the face of the Yamen. I haven't even entered the door. He just blocked me back."
He looked like a naughty kid who had been spanked by his parents (Harmony), with a look of grievance and resentment on his face.
"Taoist Priest, tell me, how have I slacked off in the past few days? Even if there is no credit, there is still hard work..."
When this guy opens his mouth, it's like a river that has burst its embankment and flows endlessly. The Taoist priest didn't like to hear other people's petty remarks, so he just nodded perfunctorily. Fortunately, Bo Ziyu mumbled for a while and then asked about business matters.
"What's the situation like this?"
"This morning, someone came to the temple to burn incense. They said there was a monster in the house."
"Where is that person?"
The Taoist pursed his lips.
Bo Ziyu looked around and saw a small door opened in an inconspicuous corner of Li'er Building. A little maid in a green jacket leaned out half of her body and waved to the two of them.
…………
"Why be so sneaky?"
As soon as the two of them entered, the maid quickly closed the door tightly and led the two of them into the dark corridor.
Bo Ziyu bumped his foot accidentally and was now bumping his feet and complaining.
But the little maid is not easy to deal with either.
"What do you mean by being sneaky?" He was not polite at all. "Who doesn't know this in the city? Wherever you two go, there are monsters everywhere. If others see you, how can we do business in the building?"
"What kind of business are you doing?" Bo Ziyu laughed, "Why don't you act like a vixen and fight."
The little maid rolled her eyes.
"What kind of vixen? What kind of fight? Nonsense. This poor man must have been possessed by monsters after being hit by too many monsters! Taoist priest, you have to treat him."
"Don't worry." Taoist Shi Shiran said, "His disease doesn't bite."
The little maid covered her mouth and smiled.
After walking through the corridor ahead, we finally saw the light of day.
Facing it is a spacious courtyard.
It is full of flowers and trees, with yellow, green, black, white, red, and blue mixed in, but the most common purple color in Xiaoshui is missing. In the center of the yard, there is a large pond that introduces running water. Carp can be faintly seen swimming, disturbing the water waves and giving off a faint aroma of wine.
The little maid held up her skirt and walked quickly across the flower (harmony) path, urging:
"Hurry up! Hurry up!"
"My wife is waiting upstairs."
…
The two followed the maid up to the attic.
The upstairs is spacious and elegantly furnished, but at first glance I didn't see the third lady, only cats walking around all over the floor.
They are sitting, lying, or playing, and the bells on their necks are ringing crisply, which is really nice to hear when they are intertwined.
Among them, a round, fat orange is the cutest.
Bo Ziyu was delighted to see Hunter Xin, and stretched out his hands, but the cat easily dodged, jumped onto Li Changan's shoes, and wrapped its tail around his trousers.
The Taoist priest sniffed.
This cat does not have the stench of ordinary free-range cats. Instead, it has a fragrance. It must have been contaminated by long-term exposure to some kind of precious spices.
Li Changan held Fat Orange in his arms, from the tip of his ears to the tip of his tail.
The cat purred and opened its belly.
A chuckle sounded from behind a curtain in the attic.
"It turns out that Daochang Li is also a cat lover."
The curtain opens.
The bed in the back was limp, and the third lady was half-lying on the couch, with a thin quilt covering her body. Her silver-moon-pan face was devoid of any powder, which made her less charming, but her frowning brows and sickly look made her look even more delicate.
"Taoist priest, class leader, please forgive me."
"The little girl is ill and cannot come to visit in person. Instead, I bothered you two to come. I'm really ashamed."
With that said, with the help of the little maid, he slowly stood up and the quilt slowly slipped off his body. At this moment, her body is soft and her eyes are soft, which inevitably reminds people of the phrase "the servant is weak when he lifts her up".
pity.
There are two men across from each other, one is like fire and the other is like a mirror.
No one understands the style, and Bo Ziyu is so carefree and straightforward.
"No need to gossip."
"Madam, all you need to do is tell us, what did your maid mean when she said there were monsters in this building?"
This attitude was really a bit rude to the beauty. The third lady didn't say anything, but the little maid next to her got angry first. Fortunately, Sanniangzi patted her little hand, and she was like a cat that had been turned upside down in the Taoist's arms, and she put away her sharp teeth and sharp mouth.
Of course, I didn't forget to give Bo Ziyu a hard look.
But Team Leader Bo didn't see it at all and just kept urging. The third lady was not angry and said softly:
"There are raging rumors in the city, saying that there are many monsters that have transformed into humans and are hiding around the city, waiting for opportunities to eat people. I didn't really believe it at first. Where did these monsters come from in this peaceful world?"
"But first of all, the little girl has seen the Taoist master's skills at the Dionysus Festival; secondly, we and other business people always have some thoughts of preparing for a rainy day. So, I bought some demon-proofing pills (explanation pills made by Feng Chong) at the Yamen. Medicine), after resting at night, secretly distribute it to everyone in the building. Who would want to..."
There was a look of horror in Sanniangzi's eyes, and she couldn't help but patted her chest, making trembling waves.
Bo Ziyu was just reckless and not a eunuch, so he looked straight at him immediately. Li Changan also appreciated the scenery attentively, but at least he did not forget about business.
"Then what?"
"Later, a maid who was usually close to me actually turned into a monster immediately after swallowing the pill." She was obviously still frightened, and she paused for a long time before continuing, "Fortunately, I have a friend who is Temporarily staying in the building, he was very skilled in martial arts and subdued the demon."
As she said that, Sanniangzi's eyes glanced somewhere intentionally or unintentionally.
"If he hadn't been here, I, Li'er, would have become the food of demons all over the building."
That’s all.
She struck a small bedside gong.
Then heavy footsteps and the heavy creaking of the wooden stairs were heard.
Fat Orange's limp body in the Taoist's arms suddenly stiffened.
Not long.
Then I saw two big men carrying an iron cage upstairs. The cage was wrapped in a thick black cloth. I couldn't see what was inside. I only knew that the iron cage was heavy and placed on the floor with a loud bang.
The third lady didn't show off. She nodded and the man over there pulled off the curtain.
"Meow!"
Fat Orange's hair suddenly exploded and he suddenly ran out of the Taoist priest's arms.
Hearing it again, cats howled one after another, and bells jingled randomly. Within a moment, all the cats on the ground fled away, leaving only a few pieces of paralyzed and smelly cat urine.
Li Changan and the other two didn't care about the cat, they just stared at the thing in the cage.
It was a monster with the head of an animal and the body of a human being.
The head is like a dog, with curved and sharp teeth protruding out of a long snout. His expression was sluggish, and when he was exposed to the light, he even let out a few low howls similar to those of an owl.
The body is like that of an ordinary woman, wrapped in a tattered and dirty underskirt. All the limbs have been cut off, revealing yellow and bloodless fat, muscles and smooth bone cross-sections, which shows that the person who did it is good at craftsmanship.
"What monster?"
Bo Ziyu asked quietly.
"Wild dog. A thing that eats the brains of dead people."
The Taoist priest's answer did not avoid others.
When the third lady heard the words "dead man's brains", her charming smile suddenly froze for a long time, and she said after a long time:
"Although we have subdued this monster, we don't know how to deal with it, so we have to lock it in this iron cage. We invite you two to come here to find a way to deal with it."
"Sister, please rest assured." Bo Ziyu took care of everything, "Just leave it to us to take away."
"So, I can't thank you enough."
The third lady and everyone else in the room all breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. It seemed that although the monster was in the cage, the pressure on them was no less than outside the cage.
So, the third lady bowed Yingying again.
"In the past, when we heard about demons causing trouble, we just treated it as a conversation piece during the banquet. Now that this happened, we realized that demons are terrifying and the situation is critical."
"If you two don't give up, I'm willing to do my best."
The two of them quickly returned the gift.
Li Changan was polite, while Bo Ziyu was more serious.
The Taoist priest didn't know it because he was an outsider, but he knew that this famous Sanniangzi was not some cuckolding lady, but a person with a name in the government, and she was running two of the most important businesses in Xiaoshui City. One of the goods - food. With his connections and financial resources, if he can help with all his efforts, it will definitely be of great help to the demon epidemic.
Apart from anything else, if she was willing to finance a thousand and eight hundred taels, she would keep the half-dead guys in the yamen howling and looking for monsters.
He was secretly rejoicing.
The third lady over there suddenly showed hesitation.
"only……"
Bo Ziyu's heart trembled, "Just what?"
"The little girl has an unkind request."
The Taoist priest didn't understand why, but Bo Ziyu was already patting his chest.
"But there's no harm in talking!"
Sanniangzi smiled and said: "My friend heard that the Yamen offered a huge reward for this matter, and he was very interested. However, although he is very skilled in martial arts, he does not know the magic. I hope you two can help him."
Bo Ziyu was shocked when he heard this: "Do Sanniang's friends also value this little money?"
"I am not the leader, but my little girl is also very confused." The third lady sighed quietly, "There are some people who don't want what others are willing to give to them, and they would rather risk their lives to get it themselves. Can you tell me, are there such weirdos in the world? ?”
At the end of her words, Sanniangzi's tone didn't sound like she was talking about friends, but like she was talking about enemies.
"How can a dignified man depend on a woman for food and clothing?"
There was a loud (harmonious) sound in the room, and a young man came out from behind the screen that Sanniang was looking at frequently.
This man's appearance cannot be said to be very handsome, but he has a tall and straight posture and a cold face, which makes people feel sharp when looking at him.
He nodded at Li Changan.
"Taoist Priest, long time no see."
Although he said "Long time no see", the Taoist priest really had no impression of this face, but after a closer look, he saw that he had a long knife on his back, a short knife hanging on his waist, a saber hanging on the left side, and two more on the right side. Looks like...a knife seller.
The identity of this person suddenly emerged.
Zhang Yi.
Unexpectedly, the former poor and slovenly knight now had his hair cut, shaved his beard, changed his clothes, and suddenly became the guest of the richest woman in Xiaoshui.
This is really...
The Taoist priest secretly clicked his tongue.
Tongue to the end, everything?
…………
South of the city.
Changfengfang.
"Your uncle is in good health! Do you want to worry about it? His legs and feet are not very good. He lies in bed all day long and pretends to be a master, and he has gained a lot of weight. I'm afraid he won't be able to wear his official uniform after he resumes his job in a few days."
"Go! Go! Don't be an eyesore here."
My aunt sent Bo Ziyu away with a few words, and as soon as she closed the door, the fierce and strong look on her face suddenly melted away like ice and snow, revealing the hidden sorrow.
She hesitated in the yard for a moment, then patted her face and forced a smile.
Go through the door.
The room was filled with the bitter smell of medicinal materials, and Xing Captou was lying on the bed. His body was not as fat as mentioned before, but he was obviously almost skinny.
Hearing the noise, he struggled to get up. His aunt quickly went up and supported him carefully.
"Sent away?"
"Sent away."
"Have you given instructions?"
"I told you everything."
"That's good." Xing Baotou nodded weakly and muttered, "The situation in the city is difficult now. It is the time to do our best, how can I be distracted by this old man. Besides, if this matter is done well, Now, Yu'er is going to take over my position, isn't it natural..."
He rambled on for a long time, and then saw his wife's forced smile.
"There is no need to worry, madam. Didn't the real person say it last time? I am just old and frail, and my injuries only come and go. As long as I take care of myself patiently, I will eventually get better."
"Why don't I believe Yu Zhenren's words?" Auntie shook her head, "It's just..."
Before the words were spoken, tears fell first.
Xing Baotou had no choice but to cheer up and comfort him softly.
At this time.
Bang, bang.
There was a sudden knock on the door outside the yard.
Could it be that Bo Ziyu left and came back?
The aunt quickly wiped her eyes, straightened her expression, and went out.
Open the door.
There was a strange man outside the door.
He had an ordinary face and ordinary clothes, but somehow, my aunt knew this person's identity.
He is a doctor.
The doctor smiled and saluted.
"But it's in Xing Captou's house?"
"Exactly. I wonder why the doctor is here?"
"I heard that the head catcher was injured by a monster and had to be trapped on the bed. I feel deeply sorry. Therefore, I came here to offer a magic medicine."
As he spoke, the doctor took out a pill from behind his elbow.
It is about the size of a finger and is milky white and translucent.
Under the sunlight, something seemed to be trembling slightly inside.
