This discovery really shocked Chang An. He never expected to meet Lao Zhou again under such circumstances.
At this time, scenes from two months ago resurfaced in my mind, and some doubts seemed to have new explanations.
But he was not in the mood to recall the past at the moment, because the mystery in Liangzhou City had already been solved by him.
He slowly put away Lao Zhou's head, silently left Yizhuang, walked slowly on the street, sorting out everything he had seen in the past two days, slowly, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, a clear The veins are already in his palm.
On the quiet street, sporadic footsteps suddenly came, and a fat middle-aged man with a sinewy face walked towards him. He was tall and sinister, but when he saw Chang An, his face seemed to change, with a flattering smile. He trotted up to Chang An
"Hey, hey, boss."
It was the owner of the gambling house during the day, named Ling Hu.
Chang An glanced at him and said lightly
"How's the check going?"
Ling Hu carefully took out a piece of paper from his arms, lowered his head and handed it to Chang An, saying
"It was found out that they were once guests of the Gu family."
Chang An took the note, looked at the dense handwriting on the paper, frowned, and asked
"How is Mobei lately?"
Ling Hu said
"I was about to report to my boss that Daxia Mo's village is almost ready, but..."
"But what?"
"There is one more person in the village."
"who?"
"It was said that it was a child saved by Mo Daxia, named Gu Yuanwu."
There was a slight fluctuation in Chang An's eyes. In the dark night, his expression could not be seen clearly.
"I know, back off."
Ling Hu bowed his head and left.
April 20
Pang Chong and others sat in the lobby early. In addition to them, the other guests in the inn also sat in the lobby.
"Squeak!"
The sound of pushing the door sounded, and Zhao Huanhuan and Chu Muhe walked into the inn. Zhao Huanhuan looked around.
"Where's Daxia Chang?"
Pang Chong looked at Zhao Xuanyuan and Chu Muhe beside her, and said coldly
"He'll be down in a moment."
Zhao slowly glanced at him, found a table near the door, and sat down.
On the other side, Leng Lianyi’s cold voice came out at an inappropriate time.
"How long do we have to wait? We're not here to play house with you."
There was also some commotion among the people around.
Obviously, they came here for the box at the city gate. They were stopped by Chang An in the inn last night. Naturally, they had a grudge. However, they were afraid of Chang An's martial arts, but they dared not speak out. But now, the box is gone. Of course, they are unwilling to let them continue to stay here for the sake of a murder case that has nothing to do with them.
The sound of footsteps came from the stairwell. Chang An, dressed in rich clothes, appeared from the corner of the stairs. He was smiling, followed by a fat middle-aged man with a sinewy face. He was the gambling house owner, Ling Hu.
Everyone looked at Ling Hu in confusion, but Zhao Huanhuan and Chu Muhe looked shocked. Chu Muhe said
"Master Chang, when did this person enter the inn, I didn't notice it at all."
Although he went to the West City Gate last night, the entire inn was still monitored by the experts from the City Lord's Mansion. But throughout last night, they did not notice at all when the middle-aged fat man next to Chang An entered the inn.
Ling Hu smiled slightly and explained to Chu Muhe and Zhao Huanhuan
"My name is Ling Hu, and I am the owner of Changle Gambling House in this city. Of course, this gambling house belongs to the Chang family."
Zhao Huanhuan's expression softened slightly. Although Ling Hu was so mysterious, since he was Chang An's subordinate, at least he was not her enemy.
But the people around him were not calm. The twin thieves looked at Ling Hu with gloomy expressions. On the other side, the three heads of the Liger Hall also looked very bad and stared at Ling Hu.
"Hey, Master Ling, who once dominated the martial arts world, is now hiding in Liangzhou City and opening a casino."
Leng Lianyi played with the wine glass in his hand and said in a strange voice. His voice was neither loud nor quiet, but everyone in the inn happened to hear it.
Zhao Xuanyuan looked at Chu Muhe suspiciously.
"Uncle Chu, what is this man's background?"
Chu Muhe frowned and said
"Five years ago, Ling Hu was an absolutely top-notch master in the world. He was the fourteenth in the world, below the three great masters, and after the tenth master. He was the head of Lingyun Village. Ling Hu was sent away. No., Chaotang Tiger."
"Chaotang Tiger?"
Zhao Xuanyuan was even more confused as to why he had such a name.
Chu Muhe explained
"It is said that this guy has always wanted to be a policeman and was determined to fight injustice, but the government thought he was ugly. Wearing official uniforms would lose the face of the government. In desperation, he had no choice but to become a bandit, but he was obviously a gangster. , but secretly he often helps the government to catch important criminals. Several guys in this inn have suffered secret losses at his hands, but I didn’t expect that he was actually taken under the command of the Chang Family Master.”
Zhao Xuanyuan burst out laughing. Looking at Ling Hu's ferocious face, he actually felt a little cute at this moment. Who would have thought that such a ferocious man could actually be a righteous person who likes to fight injustices. .
Ling Hu looked at those martial arts people with unkind expressions with a smile. He was not angry and said calmly.
"Haha, I am no longer the master of Lingyun Village at home, and the Lingyun Village in the early years no longer exists. Now, I am just a boy who looks after things for my employer."
"snort!"
Leng Lianyi snorted coldly and stopped talking.
Pang Chong stood up and looked at Chang An
"Chang Daxia, today is the last day of our agreed period. I hope Chang Daxia can give us an explanation."
Chang An said confidently
"Deputy Commander Pang, please rest assured. I asked everyone to gather here today just to give everyone an explanation."
Zhao slowly said
"Then let's get started, Master Chang."
Chang An checked his face and asked Ling Hu in a low voice.
"How long will it take for the people sent out yesterday to come back?"
Ling Hu whispered
"We have entered the city now and are on our way here."
Chang An nodded slightly and turned to everyone
"Everyone, I guess you all have questions about what happened in the past few days. Now, I will tell you a story."
"This story begins a year ago. Everyone here must know what happened a year ago. Gu Jingshi, the king of the North, died in the imperial capital, and the Gu family was wiped out overnight."
Leng Lianyi smiled sinisterly
"I don't know who is so bold that he even dares to destroy the Gu family."
The twin thieves on the other side said sarcastically
"This person is much stronger than some people. They are destroying the Northern King's sect, while some people only dare to kill small fish and shrimps."
Hearing this, Leng Lianyi looked at the twin thieves with a cold expression.
Chang An glanced at them, and the three of them immediately regained their momentum. He continued.
"There are many speculations about this matter in the world. Some say that a young master escaped from the Gu family. Others say that Gu Jingshi, relying on his own merit, went to Beijing secretly and attempted rebellion. His plan was exposed and he died in the imperial capital. His entire family was executed, and even more Some conspiracy theorists believe that the man from Taiyang City was afraid of Prince Gu’s great achievements and crossed the river to destroy the bridge.”
"But everyone has overlooked one thing. As a prince who had sealed a territory and split the land, why did Gu Jingshi rush to the imperial capital alone without any soldiers or orders, even if he wanted to rebel? No brainer."
"It's all because of one thing."
Chang An said.
Zhao Xuanyuan looked startled, and then seemed to suddenly realize
"Could it be..."
Chang An nodded and said
"Yes, it is the box that Commander Qu was ordered to escort this time."
The head of the Liger Hall asked again
"How does the head of the Chang family know this?"
Chang On Road
"Do you still remember why you gathered in Liangzhou City?"
The twin thieves recalled
"A few days ago, a news spread in the world. A young man who claimed to be the orphan of the Gu family, Gu Yuanwu, wanted to present a treasure to the palace. Our brothers don't care about these grievances in the court. It's just that I don't know where the saying came from. The treasure is actually related to the mystery of immortality. When Qu Fengzhi and his party return to the imperial capital, they must pass through Liangzhou, so we will wait here."
Leng Lianyi also echoed in a cold voice.
"Yes, I'm here for that too. Although I'm skeptical about the news, I still want to try my luck."
Chang An looked at the other Jianghu people, and they all nodded slightly, indicating that it was for the same reason as Leng Lianyi and the others.
Chang An smiled
"Regardless of whether Gu Yuanwu is real or fake, have you ever thought that the real reason that caused the Gu family to be exterminated might be this palace treasure."
Leng Lianyi and others were slightly startled. Thinking about it carefully, it was possible.
Chang An continued
"Since the Gu family holds a valuable treasure, it will naturally attract the covetousness of others, but the Gu family will not easily reveal the secret of the valuable treasure they hold. So how did the murderer know that the Gu family had obtained this valuable treasure."
"There is a traitor in the Gu family."
In the corner, Pingchuan calmly took over the words.
Chang An nodded and smiled.
"This is the only possibility. If someone leaks the secret of the important treasure, someone will naturally focus on the Gu family."
"Then, there was a story about the King of the North entering the Imperial Capital alone, but was imprisoned. So, why the King of the North did not obey the summons, but still went into danger and entered the Imperial Capital alone. This is a mystery that puzzles me."
"We push the time to this year. A young man who calls himself Gu Yuanwu wants to present a treasure to the palace. Qu Feng, the commander of the Forbidden Army, directly received the order and went to Ningchuan Prefecture to retrieve the treasure."
"Vice Commander Pang also suspected that the palace had wiped out the entire Gu family for this treasure. The reason was that he thought Commander Qu really wanted to kill the young man at the moment when he obtained the treasure. Although he didn't know why, Commander Qu didn't in the end. Take action."
"But from the information I have collected, the facts seem to be slightly different."
Pang Chong looked at Chang An in confusion.
"Is there any hidden secret in this?"
Chang An laughed, and then said decisively
"Yes! There is indeed a hidden secret. My Chang family has done well in business in the past few years. It is spread all over the country, and we have always had a supply relationship with the Gu Jiajun in the north, Linghu!"
Ling Hu beside him suddenly took out a scroll and untied the red thread on the scroll.
"Wow!"
The scroll fell to the ground, and a portrait painting appeared.
"Great Commander!"
Pang Chong said in shock.
The portrait painted on it was clearly Qu Fengzhi, the commander of the Forbidden Army.
Ling Hu explained
"What you are seeing now is the portrait of Xu Fengzhi, the instructor of the Gu Jiajun and one of the guests of Prince Gu's house. He is now the world-famous commander of the Forbidden Army and one of the seven great masters. Of course, at that time, Naturally, he was not as famous as he is now, nor did he become a grandmaster."
Under the portrait, the words Xu Fengzhi were written clearly.
"impossible!"
Pang Chong shouted. He looked at the portrait in disbelief. There was no way he could mistake the commander he lived with day and night. But he couldn't accept this truth because he was not only the coach of the Gu Jiajun but also the commander of the Imperial Army. thing, but also related to a more important thing.
Yes, that's the traitor who betrayed the Gu family at a critical moment a year ago!
Regarding this matter, he recalled the murderous look in his eyes when Qu Fengzhi looked at Gu Yuanwu, and everything had the answer.
Chang An continued
"After the Gu family was wiped out, Qu Fengzhi transformed from the leader of the Gu family army to the dignified commander of the imperial army. It can be said that he rose to the top in one step. So, how did he do it?"
Zhao Huanhuan's face was as dark as water and he took the words.
"He is the traitor who betrayed the Gu family."
Chu Muhe said
"If he is a traitor, but he suddenly changes his identity and becomes the commander of the Forbidden Army, then does it prove that the original murder of the Gu family is indeed inseparable from Tai'an City."
Chang An looked at him
"I thought the same thing last night when I first learned about his identity. But one thing doesn't make sense. Why didn't Qu Fengzhi kill Gu Yuanwu? There is only one reason. Deputy Commander Pang and others were present at the time. He can't kill. Killing would be equivalent to telling the palace that he was involved in the annihilation of the Gu family, and why he couldn't let the palace know about it is naturally because the palace was not a participant in the matter. "
Chu Muhe said
"This still does not prove that the palace has nothing to do with this matter."
Chang An nodded
"Indeed, this alone does not mean that the palace was not involved in this matter."
"Let's continue talking. It was there that Qu Fengzhi took the box and was about to return to the imperial capital. He was intercepted and killed more than twenty times in a row. The methods were endless. Qu Fengzhi brought out fifty brothers. When they arrived in Liangzhou , there are only thirteen people left.”
Speaking of this, Pang Chong and others lowered their heads in despair, as if recalling that terrible journey again.
Pang Chong said in a low voice
"That is the most complicated assassination method I have ever seen in my life. Can you imagine that even a passing cat may be covered in poison, and a kitchen knife in the hand of a cook will suddenly split into a dozen flying knives , when you are extremely hungry, you suddenly smell the fragrance of noodles in the distance. Although you instinctively want to take a look, you know that it is a trap and will never touch it. But when you smell the fragrance of noodles, At that time, you were already under the influence of the incense. Even if you kill the assassins, their bodies will emit poison and drag you to death..."
Everyone listened to Pang Chong's words and remained silent. Even if they were just listening, they felt frightened. This shows how terrible the memories are for those who have experienced this personally.
"Ahem"
Chang An's cough broke the tranquility in the inn, and he continued
"Next, when they got here, they were so exhausted that they were ready to rest for a night before continuing on their way."
"It's just that the flame of revenge has already been ignited in the hearts of some people. How could it be extinguished just because some forbidden soldiers died? Qu Fengzhi, the traitor, is the first person he wants to kill most. That person may not He knows exactly who made Qu Fengzhi betray the Gu family, but he is convinced that Qu Fengzhi is the first person he wants to kill."
Speaking of this, Chang An slowly looked at Zhao Xuanyuan and said meaningfully
"So, Fu Rushui, who had been waiting here for a long time, attacked him."
Following Chang An's words, Ling Hu on the side unfolded another picture scroll
"Wow!"
On this painting is a woman. This woman has a phoenix hairpin on her head. She is graceful and elegant. Although she looks over thirty, she is still very beautiful. In the lower right corner of the portrait, it is written, Gu Rubing.
Zhao Xuanyuan looked at Chang An suspiciously.
"Who is this?"
Chang An smiled and looked at Zhao Xuanyuan
"Miss Zhao, I still remember what you told me about why your master left the City Lord's Mansion a year ago."
Zhao Xuanyuan nodded blankly.
"Master said it was for the sake of an old friend. Could this be Master's old friend?"
Chang An nodded
"You must have guessed that this woman named Gu Rubing must have an inseparable relationship with your master, and she was the Princess of the North at that time. She changed her husband's family name because she married Gu Jingshi. She has a surname, so few people know that her real name is Fu Rubing."
