[Happy New Year to all friends who pass by or follow this book]
Lao Ma suddenly felt a thump in his heart, thinking to himself, have I bumped into the God of Wealth today? Why do these guests keep coming one after another?
Thinking in his mind, he looked towards the person coming. Hey, Ganqing has a new face again.
The person who came was tall and thin, covered in a white cloak, and even his head was covered by a hood. So it was unclear whether the white on his body was a cloak or snowflakes.
After he said those words, he shook his cloak and the snowflakes were shaken off, revealing a green robe under the cloak. Then he lifted the hood and exposed his head and face.
His hair was tied up in a green scarf, he had a quiet and elegant appearance, fair skin, and was about in his early thirties. As soon as he appeared in this old and greasy tavern, the originally dark room suddenly seemed to light up. He stood at the door, and his whole body People have a unique elegance. If it weren't for the sinister aura between his brows, at first glance, I would have thought it was a child of a certain aristocratic family who came here to avoid the snow.
But after a brief pause, the man in white stepped forward again, and without waiting for anyone to greet him, he came to a table opposite the two old men and sat down.
Lao Ma hurriedly walked over, and a smile appeared on his bark-like face: "My guest, what do you want?"
As soon as Lao Ma finished speaking, he felt something was wrong. In addition to burning knives and horse and mutton, what else could he do in this poor place?
The man in white didn't look at him, his eyes swept around the five people, and then smiled and said: "You who hurried slowly have finally arrived. You are cold and hungry now. Shopkeeper, it seems that you are so The wine and meat are pretty good, so feel free to have some.”
After he finished speaking, he handed Lao Ma a piece of silver. When the latter was received in the hand, the weight was very heavy, probably more than ten taels. Lao Ma smiled awkwardly and said: "Sir, there are too many, I can't find them..."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." The man in white waved his hand and said: "We are destined to meet each other. If you still have someone here who has not settled the bill, even if I invite you, it should be enough, right?"
The man in white was generous with his money, and even more generous with his words. Lao Ma couldn't help but feel a rush in his heart. In a sparsely populated place like Daomakan, he probably wouldn't be able to earn these ten taels of silver even if he sold wine and meat for two or three years. At that moment, he nodded and bowed, "That's enough, that's enough. Wait a moment, sir. The food and wine will be here soon." After saying that, he turned around quickly. As he took a step, he suddenly felt that his whole body became lighter.
Except for the young man by the window who was still drinking and eating meat, the other five people in the store stopped and looked at the man in white.
It is not uncommon for people to be generous and generous in the arena, but the two old men are not ordinary people in the arena. They have rich experience and are seasoned in the arena. Although they feel that the man in white also has an extraordinary background, they don't know who the other person is at the moment, so they are both a bit confused. cautious. But since the man in white had already said that he would pay the bill for the people in the store, although the young man did not react at all, the five of them could not lose their etiquette.
So the burly old man immediately bowed his hands to the man in white and said: "My friend is too polite, but we meet by chance, how can we let you spend such money? We can pay for the drinks ourselves. We appreciate your kindness."
The man in white laughed, looked at the five people and said: "The old gentleman is being polite, but it's just a few drinks, sir, don't worry about it. Besides, it's cold and freezing, so it doesn't matter if you drink a few more drinks, just think of it to warm your body." ”
They were not familiar with each other, and the burly old man stopped talking, and just politely bowed his hand to the man in white.
In a moment, Lao Ma diligently brought the wine and meat to the man in white. Good guy, the meat in that basin was more than double that of other people in the store.
"Sir, please use it slowly. If you don't have enough money, please give me more." Lao Ma had earned enough silver today, so his tone was gentle and polite. As he spoke, he personally filled the man in white with wine before retreating. .
Lao Ma returned to the counter and looked at the people in the tavern with a smile on his face. He was full of surprises and secretly thought that the wish he made when burning incense to the God of Wealth on New Year's Eve this year seemed to come true.
But the man in white smiled and said nothing, slowly picked up the bowl, and then drank it all in one gulp.
Lao Ma couldn't help but stare blankly behind the counter, secretly saying that he had a good drinking capacity.
Shaodaozi has a strong flavor and is as strong as fire. It is mostly produced in cold places in the north. People who are less able to drink will almost get drunk after one drink. And this man in white actually drank a bowl in one gulp, which is really a huge amount of alcohol.
The man in white drank all the Shao Knife in the bowl without changing his expression. Then he took a long breath and said to himself: "What a strong wine! It really dispels the cold and relieves fatigue. It is very comfortable."
While he was speaking, he glanced at the window and found that the young man by the window was looking out the window, as if he was admiring the snow scene.
The young man sat alone, looking focused and silent, as if he didn't care at all about other things around him.
The two old men and the other three were silent for a while. They were very curious about the man in white who behaved strangely and openly, but they didn't know where he came from. So he could only watch with cold eyes.
"If you don't leave someone alone, God will leave you alone." The man in white filled another bowl of wine at this time. After a long sigh, he impromptuly recited a poem to himself: "It's hard to have a wasted life." There is no hope for the spring breeze of the willows. The late snow has killed thousands of mountains, and the blood has been stained with hatred for twenty years." His head shook slightly when he was reciting the poem. When he said the last two sentences, the wind suddenly howled outside the window, and a chill came from Volumes poured in from outside the window, and the atmosphere in the tavern immediately became cold, and a sense of chilling suddenly spread.
Somehow, the two old men who were watching silently felt a chill in their hearts at the same time.
The two old men were wealthy people in the world, so they could not tell the level of the man in white's impromptu poem, and his tone was not passionate. However, when they thought about it carefully, they were shocked to realize that there was murderous intent in the lines.
And the thin old man felt a vague sense of foreboding in his heart. It felt like a thorn in his back, but he didn't know what was wrong.
"Kill a thousand mountains, and keep a grudge for twenty years." The man in white seemed quite satisfied with his impromptu poetry, his eyes flashed brightly, and he repeated two more sentences. Then he continued: "The wind and snow are turbulent and the mountains are cold. It really suits the time and the situation. There is nothing happier in life than this. It should come to light."
After he finished speaking, he became excited and poured another bowl of strong liquor down his throat.
After two bowls of strong wine, a faint flush finally appeared on the white face of the man in white. He suddenly looked up at the two old men and said with a smile: "I have something to do when I first came here. Now it's snowing heavily, so I'm temporarily lost." I want to know the direction. I would like to ask you two gentlemen, where can I go from where the street crosses both ends?
It looked like he was actually lost.
The two old men saw that there was no difference in his expression and took the initiative to inquire. They didn't think much about anything else for the moment. The thin old man had lived in the Central Plains for a long time and was not familiar with this place, so he did not answer. But the burly old man was a true northerner, so he replied casually: "That's easy to say. According to what my friend asked, from here on, the two ends of the land are in the east-west direction. Five hundred miles to the east is the border of the Central Plains. You can go straight. Enter the pass; walk three hundred miles west to reach the boundary of the fifteen cities in the northwest, where most of the barbarians gather." The old man paused, then asked: "I just don't know where this friend is going. ?”
Hearing this, the man in white nodded and said, "I see. As long as you know the direction you want to go, you can go anywhere. Thank you, sir, for your advice."
The burly old man added with good intentions: "It's okay if my friend goes to the Central Plains. If he wants to go to the fifteen cities in the northwest, it can be a snack. It's always very chaotic there."
The man in white smiled softly: "To be honest, I came here to wait for a friend I have known for many years. As for where to go, I will send him away wherever he goes."
The burly old man suddenly said: "It turns out that you are going to see your friend off. But the weather is too bad, and your friend may be delayed on the way."
But the man in white shook his head and said: "This friend of mine is not late. And I am not seeing him off."
"Oh?" The burly old man couldn't help being curious, frowning and asked: "It's not a farewell, but what is it?"
The man in white was silent for a moment, his face changed a little strangely, and then he slowly said two words: "Farewell."
These two words were loud and clear, and the three young and strong men heard them clearly. They were stunned and couldn't help but look at the man in white.
But the skinny old man's expression suddenly changed slightly, he raised his head suddenly, and directed two cold arrow-like gazes at the man in white.
The burly old man didn't react for a moment. He looked at the man in white in surprise and said, "Send him off? Could it be that your friend is about to die?"
The man in white suddenly laughed and said, "Yes, he is indeed about to die."
The burly old man's heart suddenly trembled. He had already sensed something was wrong from the other party's strange words.
The thin old man who had been silent all this time finally asked: "Since your friend is about to die, why are you not anxious at all? If you can't even see him for the last time, then what's the point of saying goodbye?"
The thin old man had a stern face and his tone was a little cold.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." The man in white was still smiling. He also looked at the thin old man with an interesting look in his eyes. "He can still wait, so I'm not in a hurry."
"Since you said your friend was not late, where is he now?" the thin old man asked.
However, the man in white poured a bowl of wine and held it in his hand, then changed the subject and said, "I have quite a crush on this gentleman. I wonder if I can share a bowl with you as a reward?"
"It's easy to talk about." The thin old man also brought a bowl of wine and said: "Since you are so elegant, I should accompany you."
The man in white smiled and nodded: "Okay, please."
The two of them raised their bowls in the air, and then drank the whole thing in one gulp.
The burly old man watched the two people talking and drinking, and his face gradually became serious.
The thin old man slowly put down the wine bowl. The bowl of strong wine flowed down his throat and into his stomach, and suddenly a bloody courage rushed to his head. Then his eyes were like nails on the face of the man in white, and he asked in a deep voice: "But I don't know if there is a reason for this bowl of wine?"
"This bowl of wine naturally has a reason." The man in white did not avoid his cold eyes at all, and said calmly: "This is a bowl of farewell wine."
As soon as these words came out, even if others didn't understand the hidden words of the two, they could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the tavern had gradually changed.
The three young and strong men all put down their bowls and chopsticks in unison, their eyes solemn.
"Since it's a farewell drink, why do you come to drink with me?" The thin old man said coldly: "Because I and you are not friends."
The man in white shrugged, with a smile on his face. His eyes slowly passed over the faces of the two old men, and then he said lightly: "Old sir, the reason why I say friend is because I found that my husband and my Friends who haven't seen each other for many years are somewhat similar. And you all seem to be travelers passing by. In that case, I will lend you a bowl of wine to see you off, just as a chance to meet each other."
"Really?" The thin old man still seemed to have some reasons not to believe the man in white, "Although we just met each other in the rivers and lakes, I still want to advise you. Although there are many similar people in the world, you must never mistake the wrong person. "
"I am thirty-four years old this year, and I am not yet old, so my eyesight is quite good." The man in white chuckled and said, "So even if I haven't seen you for many years, I will never forget the appearance of my friend. As for that I don’t know if my friend still remembers me, but if he can still remember me, I believe he will be very surprised.”
The thin old man raised the corner of his mouth and said calmly: "It is difficult for people to remember someone as outstanding as you."
The man in white smiled and said: "The tone of the old gentleman is very similar to that of my friend. So I am a little confused. I wonder if you have a friend like me?"
The thin old man replied without thinking: "No."
The man in white sighed softly and said, "It's okay not to have one. If the old gentleman really has a friend like me, it would be a bit sad."
The two talked for a long time, and there were many things they said that were confusing and unclear. But now everyone has realized that it is not an accident that the man in white appears here.
So the burly old man's face was heavy. He kept staring at the man in white, but he couldn't remember who it was in his mind.
The thin old man was also thinking about it secretly. Although he felt that the figure in white was suspicious before the burly old man, and he seemed to have a vague impression of that person, he could not remember it no matter what.
But the ambiguous words of the man in white may not be fully understood by others, but to the thin old man, they have a very strange feeling of innuendo.
Although he has retired from the world for many years, his vigilance has not disappeared. In order to find out the details of the man in white, he could only continue: "If this person can make you sad, then he must not be a good friend."
"Yes, that is indeed the case." The man in white sighed softly: "I wonder if you, sir, would be interested in hearing the story of my friend?"
The thin old man's eyes flashed: "I am all ears."
"In this case, I'll keep the story short. Sir, you can treat it as a story to accompany the wine." The man in white said: "This friend of mine was an important figure in a sect far away from the Central Plains. One year, there were some people in this sect. He went to the Central Plains for business, but unexpectedly he had a conflict with the martial arts people in the Central Plains due to some things, which led to him being jointly hunted down by people from all walks of life in the Central Plains. This sect is not someone who just bullies people they recognize, so the two sides started a fight, and the Central Plains people Although there were many people, they did not take advantage. But at this moment, my friend, together with another person in the sect, got acquainted with those Central Plains people and rebelled against the sect, and also took away the members of the sect. An important thing. As a result, this sect was completely defeated in that war, and was almost wiped out by the martial arts in the Central Plains. The remaining people had to temporarily withdraw from the Central Plains with hatred. But now that man’s life span is approaching, so I kindly came here to see him off for the last time. .”
The man in white was talking eloquently, but his expression remained calm.
He told this story very casually, as if it was indeed a long-ago story and it had nothing to do with him.
But when the two old men listened carefully to this story, as the man in white's narrative deepened, their expressions couldn't help but change drastically.
The skinny old man's deeply wrinkled and dull face revealed a look of extreme shock, and his thin body trembled.
With a "click", his trembling hands unexpectedly crushed a corner of the table to pieces, which showed how shocked and excited he was.
"Who are you?" the thin old man asked sharply with his face twitching. He stared at the man in white with burning eyes, and his voice was trembling.
The atmosphere in the tavern suddenly became tense.
The young man by the window turned his head and looked around, his thick eyebrows frowning slightly.
But I saw that the man in white didn't care about the drastic change in the expression of the thin old man, and still said calmly and calmly: "Since you have drunk the farewell wine, then naturally, I will be the one who will die for you."
"What did you say?" The burly old man couldn't help but stood up, pointed his halberd at the man in white, and shouted coldly: "It doesn't matter if you hide your head and show your tail. Since you are coming for us, why don't you tell us your name?"
As soon as the burly old man stood up, the three young and strong men beside him also stood up at the same time.
As expected, the man in white came here specifically to cause trouble.
Before the secret joy of the shopkeeper, Lao Ma, had dissipated, he suddenly found that there was a chill in his tavern that made his heart tremble.
It was a murderous aura that was as deadly as death.
Lao Ma has lived in a small place like Daomakan that no one cares about for most of his life. He has never seen such a tense situation. He stood behind the counter in horror for a moment, his mouth opened but he didn't know what to say.
Because these people in the tavern are not the kind of gangsters that Lao Ma has seen who usually fight on the streets.
The man in white looked at the five extremely nervous people leisurely, and finally a complicated look appeared in his eyes. There was solemnity and solemnity in those eyes, as well as joy and anger.
He was still sitting behind the table, looking at the thin old man with a cat-and-mouse attitude and expression and said slowly: "Old man, do you really not know who I am?"
There was a lot of hatred in his voice.
The skinny old man's face was livid, and he gritted his teeth and said word by word: "I probably know who you are. After more than twenty years, you are finally here."
The burly old man's face also trembled. He looked at the thin old man with fear in his eyes and murmured, "Seriously?"
"It seems that there is no mistake." The skinny old man's expression suddenly became fierce, and he said slowly: "They are here."
"Fu Changqing!" The man in white stared at the thin old man and snorted coldly: "Or should I call you Fu Minghe by your real name? You have been incognito for twenty years, and it seems that you are going blind, and now you know that I am who."
The two old men trembled all over.
"Where did the birdman come from and dare to act wild here?" The three young and strong men finally couldn't bear it anymore, and one of them shouted sharply: "Do you know who you are talking to?"
Unexpectedly, the man in white didn't even look at him, and said casually: "Northwest Iron Spear Gate, Iron Central Hall. Although you are famous in the northwest, in my eyes, you are not worth mentioning at all."
Before the man could attack again, the man in white looked at the two old men coldly, and suddenly said with a strange smile: "Fu Minghe, I, Chongyuan, have been ordered by the Holy Missionary Master today to come here specifically to bid you farewell." Then. Turning his eyes, he stared at the burly old man: "As for you, Tiezhongtang, you were also one of the accomplices in the massacre of my disciples..."
"Blood debts are paid with blood, so I will join you today," he paused briefly, and then he suddenly flashed murderous intent, "Send you on your way!"
