Although the four finally embarked on the journey together, Sheng Xuanyuan and Su Ye naturally did not reconcile.
The four of them headed north, half wielding swords and half on foot, and arrived at Dingkou Ridge within a few days. The Dingkou Ridge area is located in the northern boundary of Luoyao and borders Changtai several villages and counties away. In principle, it is still under the jurisdiction of the Sheng family. The four people with good disguises came here for half a day, worrying about finding out the news.
Nearly a month has passed since the Cangyu Ancient Sword came out. In one month, high-level monks can travel all over China. The four of them had to find reliable information in this area before making a decision.
In a small guest room in the inn, the smell of settled old wood was everywhere, a little choking. Under the reflection of a large candle, four people sat in a circle on the floor. In the middle was the picture that had been A half-broken map. Su Ye's knuckled fingers pointed at the northern border, to the west of Julong Pass, and said: "At first, Cang Yu was discovered in Changtaibian County. This sword was found in the hands of a casual cultivator. Soon after, this casual cultivator He died 'for no reason'. The information from the sources is that before this casual cultivator held the sword, the Cangyu Sword had been circulating in the weapons market for a while. It was probably sold as an ordinary weapon by people who did not know the goods."
"You don't need to guess to know that this casual cultivator was killed by the person who took the sword. It is estimated that after this incident, the news of Cang Yu's appearance spread widely. This kind of rare treasure sword is what all the cultivators want. Find out It’s not difficult to get the news, but I’m afraid it might be mixed with fake news to deceive others.” Su Ye said and crossed his arms.
Qiong Yi's eyes were fixed on the red point on the map: "Right now, the most convenient way for us is to find reliable news in this city."
Su Ye nodded, "A certain local should be familiar with this area, right?"
"This ridge is far away from my family, and I rarely leave Baifen Mountain. Apart from reading a lot about the land and water, I don't know anything about it. Don't expect me." Sheng Xuanyuan lowered his eyes, and his tone was so calm that he couldn't pick out any fluctuations. There was no expression on his face.
Su Ye ignored him. The room was already cramped, and now the atmosphere was even more gloomy. Qiong Yi sat between them as if he was being tortured. He pointed at the map and continued his analysis: "This Dingkou Ridge runs north-south, and the two cities at Lingkou are located at both ends. We are in Danxiang City at the south end, and the city at the north end is called Wu Yue, nominally belongs to the territory of the Yue family."
Yan Ting nodded deeply, "We have all seen the chaos in the city when we came here. People here are mixed. The west of Danxiang City is close to the ridge, which seems to be the headquarters of a certain sect. The east of the city is flat and open. The mountains are convenient for trade and hiding, and the flat city is easy for vehicles and horses to travel. He lowered his brows and thought: "If we want to find out the news, the goal of traveling together is too big for the four of us. It would be too dangerous to divide the troops into four groups. Why not divide the troops into two groups to look for clues? One group will go to the west of the city, and the other will go to the downtown area in the east of the city." How about we meet back at this inn at night?"
Sheng Xuanyuan thought of something and responded: "Okay."
"Then Sheng Jin and I will go to the west. Even if the Jianghu sect is stationed, the two of us can handle any danger." Qiong Yi said. Su Ye and Yan Tingshen had no objection to the grouping and nodded in agreement. The four of them checked their disguises, put on their weapons, and left the inn one after another.
Yan Tingshen and Su Ye walked out of the inn and easily blended into the crowd. Qiong and Yi stopped for a while before setting off, always paying attention to the appearance of people passing by at the inn window.
"This Danxiang City is really chaotic. Almost everyone has a knife." Qiong also saw that the merchants carrying burdens on the roadside had ring knives on their waists, and exclaimed: "You don't see that often elsewhere."
"After all, there are many sects here. Not to mention that the head of the ten sects stands in Guangyao on the high mountains to the west. The three Zen Yin sects are also close to here, and more wandering cultivators gather here. Our clan's law management method is also He is quite ruthless, and of course he is in danger of others." Sheng Xuanyuan said and motioned for her to go downstairs: "Let's go to Ningxi Road first, where we can find out the news."
Qiong also nodded: "Let's go."
*
Su Ye and Yan Tingshen walked in the East Market for about half an hour. First, they followed the guys who were not dressed like ordinary people. They wanted to listen to the conversation, but they didn't expect that they were just a few businessmen doing business. They also pretended to be buyers and asked the locals. Inquiring about the news, there were many different opinions, but no one could answer accurately. Finally, when I was tired from walking, I went into a tavern and sat in the corner waiting for tea.
The three big men at the table in front were happily eating wine and meat. Although the conversation was not loud and was even more confusing in the noisy environment, their ears could still hear clearly: "I heard that that ...has been taken over by a boy named Zhang Yan. His cultivation level is very low. He hid and fled in Wuyue City. The city is not big, but people are good at hiding. After searching for several days and nights, he was not caught. Looking for..."
Su Ye didn't pay attention to them at first. When these words fell into his ears, his heart suddenly tightened: What they said was...
Isn't it right? Cang Yu's news is at your fingertips?
"Why do you hear this?" Another big man at the same table lowered his head and lowered his voice: "I hear this too! It's being spread in the Taoist community! I'm afraid it's already going crazy in Danxiang City..."
Yan Tingshen pretended to drink tea and heard someone say: "I'm afraid this kid won't survive tomorrow. I've heard that Wu Yu's gang of desperate gangsters have already rushed to Wu Yuecheng! Even if he is lucky, he can escape for a while. It won’t last forever! Hehe, what do you think, how about our brothers also miss it? Maybe..."
"Hahahahahaha, that little kid Zhang Yan picked it up! Where can you run after you pick up the treasure? The Demon Sect in the north has already emerged, to the west? When you pass the pass, you will see that the Rong people's military camp has been set up! It's better to pick up a few heads and exchange them for wine money, and have a good time, so as not to lose your life in it!"
"Stop talking about this, brothers, drink!"
"Do it, do it!"
Su Ye saw that the remaining tables or two in the tavern were all chatting and drinking, but their attention was obviously on the three big men. He and Yan Ting looked at each other deeply, and Yan Ting smiled deeply and cleared his throat: "Brother Ye! You can't drink with this knife wound on your body! Cang Yu deserves to be a magic weapon. It's been half a month and he can't heal even a small wound... Oh, it's strange to say. Didn't you and I just chase that little boy today? The thief came to Danxiang, why did he go to Wuyue so quickly? Tsk, that’s weird!”
Su Ye's surname was changed inexplicably, and he coughed violently, but still cooperated with him and continued: "Please lower your voice! Are you not afraid of death when you talk so loudly?"
"Yes." Yan Tingshen hurriedly lowered his voice: "Blame me, blame me, I'm too worried about you."
"Hey! Boy!"
A high-pitched drake screamed, and a lean man with a rough face walked up to the table for two people with a machete in his hand. He had a short mustache and his mustaches trembled when he spoke: "You guys Are you telling the truth?" He stepped on the low table with a thud and shook the table legs. "This is the first time I have heard such news about you two. Everything else is exactly the same. ! Speak quickly! Otherwise I’ll chop you down!”
Su Ye rolled his eyes: "What? Did I say something?"
"Cang Yu Sword!" the rat-bearded man screamed, the sharp voice hurting his ears: "Didn't you fight with him? Where is that man hiding?"
"How do I know where it went? Maybe it's in Danxiang or Wu Yue?" Su Ye's smile was a little ferocious: "Why don't you go check the man named Wu Yu and see where they are now. where?"
The rat-bearded man took back his feet and thought for a while, then turned around and kicked the table of the three big men: "Are you telling the truth? That Zhang Yan is hiding in Wu Yue, and you are in Danxiang? Is the information in the Taoist story incomplete? How many are scattered?”
"We are drinking! What are you doing? Looking for death?"
"I'm asking you something!"
"You have a fucking mouth, don't you?"
"You dare to attack your grandfather and me? Give me a knife!"
Seeing the four people fighting together, Su Ye and Yan Tingshen quietly paid their bills and ran away. "What a way to divert trouble to the east." Su Ye patted Yan Tingshen and heard him say in a low voice: "There are more than two tables of listeners there. According to my observation, there are five tables all filled with casual cultivators with weapons. Don't go around them. But we have to wait until they get around us.”
"Wu Yue is one or two hundred miles away from here. You can walk there in seven or eight hours without resting, and it takes almost half an hour to use the sword. The city is remote, and although it is indeed a good place to hide,... the rat-bearded man said that he This is all the news you heard, brother Yan, don’t you think it’s strange?”
"Of course it's strange." Yan Tingshen replied: "The singleness of the news means that it is very likely to be true, but true news will not spread so widely. It can only be fake news that someone is willing to make everyone think that it is true news." said At this point, he couldn't help but laugh: "Interesting, ordinary sword seekers don't think so much, they will go wherever they get some information; those who have a high level of cultivation and target Cang Yu, even if they know that the information may be false , I will go there just to be on the safe side, let’s call it a conspiracy, and it’s quite a bit of a conspiracy.”
Yan Tingshen smiled deeper and deeper: "So I'm going to use another cover to stir up trouble. At least it can cause some trouble, right?"
"Indeed." Su Ye nodded: "As long as there is no other news, we will always be restrained, and we have to go even if we don't."
Yan Ting spread his hands deeply: "After all, only those who set up the trap are active, and we are all passive. Let's go and get some more information. By the way, Su Ye, do you know what the identities of those who communicate on the road are?"
"have no idea."
Yan Tingshen and him were both at a loss, "...too. Let's ask along the way."
*
West of the city, inside the teahouse.
When Qiong Yi and Sheng Xuanyuan were having some refreshments, they asked the waiter to ask them a few questions. There were many people coming and going at this resting place, and the waiter in the store was the most knowledgeable. They easily found out about a man named Zhang Yan. The man was running for his life with the Cangyu Sword, and he was probably hiding in a corner of Wuyue City.
The two of them were a little skeptical about the clues they could easily find out. At this time, the storyteller on the teahouse table was talking vividly and eloquently. The listeners in the audience were immersed in the scene, but Qiong Yi was a little confused. Can't sit still.
"...I just heard Miss Lu shouting with a sword, 'Who dares to meet me!', but Miss Yue in the audience was so angry that she immediately drew her sword to fight! Oops!" The storyteller raised his hand and said, speaking like a drumbeat. Intensive: "I saw that the sword was like a swimming dragon! It was as fast as lightning! In just a few rounds, the outcome was already known!..."
"...and the second Young Master Sheng, seeing that Miss Lu is so good with swordsmanship, he actually wanted to have a fight with her! Try your skills! Dear judges, this battle is extraordinary! But seeing him …”
The lobbyist was eloquent, and he waved a folding fan in front of his gown, attracting the listener's attention and immersing himself in the scene: "... He thought the outcome was uncertain, but when he turned around, he saw a sword - Wow! He didn't expect the opponent's silver sword. The victory or defeat has already been determined by hanging on his neck! Seriously – it’s not unexciting!”
The audience cheered: "Okay!"
"Some of the talented people who followed the banquet wrote lyrics and music, and it goes up to the palace: Evening in the peach grove, all the flowers are blooming, the spring banquet shocked everyone, the teacher came out unknown and provoked criticism; the anger was hard to wipe away, with martial arts, the empty spots fell and the flowers scattered by themselves, A perfect sword and you will be victorious!"
"Que Zudao: I am surrounded by weak feelings, I like to persuade others, and those who criticize harsh words will follow me with angry thoughts. I will patrol with string songs three times, and chase with my sword, but I will make the world——" The storyteller prolonged his voice and patted Xingmu hard: "Everyone knows Brilliant!"
"good!--"
"Hurrah--"
Waves of admiration and applause rang out, and Sheng Xuanyuan also clapped along with it. Qiong Yi, who was one of the parties involved and was sung as a guest in the book, could not hold back her face wearing fake leather. She was ashamed and annoyed and stood under the table. She kicked him repeatedly and said fiercely: "You! You are still making noises! What are we here to do, listen to a book?"
