"Hello Ruan Se." Jing Yu symbolically extended his right hand to express friendship.
Ruan Se stretched out his left hand to hold it expressionlessly. Jing Yu felt the warmth from his palm and confirmed that the other person was a human, so he let go. Ruan Se continued to stand numbly, as if waiting for Jing Yu's next instruction.
Jing Yu waved his hand: "Let's go then. Sorry, Master Shang, we will be staying soon." He stood up straight, stretched and let out a comfortable groan.
It has to be said that Ruan Se's ability to lead the way is indeed top-notch. Jing Yu always feels that this facially paralyzed boy has a satellite map installed in his head, and he can know where to go next without even looking up. Ruan Se himself rode a maroon mare with exaggeratedly curved scimitars on both sides of the saddle. Ruan Se did not want to reveal his level, but Jing Yu always felt that his approach did not look like that of a Dangzhou native.
A few people rode hard for about six days and arrived at the northernmost border of Dangzhou. This is also the border of Dalin. Beyond the border is the tribe of the Fox tribe in the north.
Jing Yu originally thought that this place would be a scene of devastation and war, but after passing through a long and narrow mountain gorge, it suddenly became clear that it was like a paradise, where the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. Jing Yu couldn't help but sigh at the scenery in front of him. The fox clan was indeed very intelligent and could actually choose a paradise as their residence.
"You...if you have been to the Fox Clan in the south...you will be even more shocked." Ruan Se said intermittently.
Song Qian agreed: "The Fox Clan in the south is the famous Qingqiu lineage. The scenery there is even more pleasant and it is far away from the war."
Listening to the few words between the two of them, Jing Yu felt a surge of expectation in his heart. He hoped that one day he could go further south during a public trip.
Even if the scenery is like this, it is still difficult to conceal the atmosphere of decline and dilapidation. Jing Yu formally entered the tribe and found that the streets were surrounded by mostly women, old and young, with a minority of young adults. He could not imagine what happened at that time.
Ruan Se still led the way. He summoned several trembling old people to wait in the ancestral hall while Jing Yu and his party entered again. When the old people met these new faces, they obviously had a brief moment of fear. This was the message Jing Yu got from their helpless eyes.
Several old foxes were sensitive to spiritual power, and their eyes were focused on Jing Yu and Ning Qu throughout the process.
"I wonder why Ruan Se invited us old bones to come here today?" one of the yellow-haired old foxes asked.
Ruan Se introduced everyone's identities to several people. Naturally, those old foxes didn't know because they had lived in this isolated place for hundreds of years and had never left. Jing Yu just smiled and didn't say much. He wanted to get to the point as quickly as possible so that he could solve the mystery of decades ago.
The old foxes talked to each other and began to introduce the background of the fox clan in the north.
Originally, the Fox Clan lived in the Demon Kingdom, and the earliest lineage was Tushan. Later, the rebellion within the Demon Kingdom coupled with the differences between the Warring Faction and the Suihe Faction. Gradually, many big demon clans were divided, such as the Fox clan, the Dragon King of the East China Sea and other demon clans.
The Fox clan was large and complex, so they were divided into one south and one north. The south was located in Qingqiu, and the north was near Dangzhou.
But the real strong men of the Fox Clan are all located in Qingqiu. The Fox Clan is divided into strong and weak ones based on the number of tails. They do not use the human training system. The Qingqiu lineage is basically composed of six-tailed and above strong men, and any one of them can defeat a seventh-level or above human being in a single fight. It is said that the patriarch of Qingqiu cultivated the Nine Tails in the past few years, approaching the eleventh level of the human race.
It's not like the Fox Clan in the north has never produced strong men, but it's a pity that this strong man insisted on returning to the Demon Kingdom alone and has not returned yet. Maybe he rejoined the Demon Kingdom, or maybe his soul returned to the star sea.
When several old foxes learned that the current head of the Shang family was the only human being with a bracelet, they all sighed. One of them left early because he could not bear the grief. The rest was spent crying silently for about a stick of incense. Jing Yu and others calmed down the old fox and asked them to start telling the truth about that year.
The demon kingdom will not retaliate against the demon clan that escapes their control. This is the tacit view of many demon clans.
But God's will is inevitable. After all, the Fox clan in the north is weak and unable to withstand foreign invasion. The old foxes showed a gloomy look. They watched with their own eyes as the young and middle-aged men in the tribe went to die one after another, covering the retreat of the women, young children and the elderly, like a high wall blocking the enemy and their families.
The old fox was very sure that those intruders were not forces from the Demon Kingdom. It contains humans, demons, and even all kinds of life. The fox tribe didn't know who they had offended, but they were wiped out by such a group. Compared with the invasion of alien races, sometimes cannibalism is more terrifying. It was the yellow-haired old fox again. He said that he saw many fox monsters among them.
"Why do we want to kill your lineage? I know Qingqiu is not easy to mess with, but is it too radical to kill just one lineage of fox clan?" Jing Yu asked his own question.
The old foxes all shook their heads in silence regarding this question.
Then they asked where the Shang family's wife was buried. They wanted to see if the girl promised under the peach blossom tree was still buried under the peach blossom tree.
As a result, Jing Yu learned a shocking news, that is, the girl was not dead and was still alive and well. As for the news about the head of the Shang family, there is probably something wrong.
In this way, the owner of the jade bracelet became clear. If the fox girl was not dead and it was possible to escape to the capital, then the bracelet was lost by her, but Jing Yu still didn't understand why he lost the bracelet, and Why don't you go see the head of the Shang family?
He felt that this matter was not simple. Mysteries were constantly being solved, and new mysteries were constantly emerging, like mushrooms after a spring rain.
Jing Yu still let Ruan Se lead the way to the peach blossom tree to find out. The peach blossom tree was no different from the surroundings, except that two red ropes hung above it, dancing in the wind, just like the emotions of two people, intertwined, ups and downs.
The last few people went to the cemetery to pay homage to the young people who died for some reason. A tragedy happened here. A sentimental little girl like Qiao Xu was crying so hard that Jing Yu had to give her a few taels of silver to eat. to comfort her.
Ganshui County.
Shang Yushan was overjoyed when he learned that the fox girl was alive and immediately hosted a banquet for everyone in Dingmingsi. While pushing cups and changing cups, Song Qian accidentally mentioned the specific circumstances of the changes in the Fox clan, and Shang Yushan also told another part of the truth about that year.
"The Shang family also sent people to support them. When they went there, there were fifty people, but only three came back. Two were disabled, and one was not injured because he led the Fox clan to retreat. Even so, after the accident was over, the Shang family still contributed efforts and money. Help the Fox tribe rebuild their home.
Some nostalgic old people and some women who did not want to fall into the dust went back to live again, and some young people from the Shang family got married and had children, and now they have a paradise where they seem to live and work in peace and contentment. "Shang Yushan said drunkenly while drinking wine.
However, there were no personnel from Ganshui County among the invading forces who were indirectly aware of the incident, so it did not appear to be a malicious suppression by a competitor. Jing Yu felt that the Demon Kingdom did not intervene in this matter but could not escape its involvement. The composition of those forces was chaotic, and it might be a cover-up to divert the target and make people think it was some Jianghu force.
The head of the Shang family stated at the banquet that he must see his wife again within one year of his life. He planned to transfer the property to Ruan Se and go to the capital to find his wife.
Jing Yu also felt that it was time to return, and followed the Shang family leader to find the fox girl, asking why the bracelet was lost and guiding a few people to Ganshui County. Does she know the forces behind it or is there some hidden secret? Do you want to use Sadakiji's help to eradicate the enemy and take revenge?
In the past few days when the head of the Shang family was preparing to transfer the property, Jing Yu and others had free time to wander the streets. In order to fill the emptiness in his heart, Qiao Xu went to the restaurant every day, either roasting duck or suckling pig. Song Qian practiced swordplay behind closed doors, while Jing Yu and Ning Qu occasionally went to the street to buy some jewelry.
As a result, he met an old acquaintance in Ganshui County. The Liufeng Escort Agency appeared here for some reason and moved in with the Shang family. Based on the context, Jing Yu knew that this was the escort agency hired by the Shang family owner to return to Beijing with peace of mind. Still unable to avoid the embarrassing scene of recognizing each other in the hall, Jing Yu and Jiang Xiao stared at each other in a stalemate.
"Didn't you go back to Beijing?" Jiang Xiao looked like he was asking for help.
At this point, there was no need to hide the matter. Jing Yu immediately revealed his identity and fumbled for a token from his waist: "I am affiliated with the Dingming Division in the capital, and I have come to Dangzhou to handle the case."
This frightened Jiang Xiao. He didn't expect that the dude who had been following him for so many days was actually an official of Dingming Division. He really wanted to slap himself twice. His previous behavior was probably not too offensive.
However, Jing Yu didn't care about this, he still maintained a brotherly relationship with Jiang Xiao, and the two of them walked hand in hand and prepared to go to the restaurant to reminisce about the past. Little did they know, in the dark, an escort wearing the uniform of the escort agency released a homing pigeon and left quietly.
A few days later, in order to take care of the property, Ruan Se could not lead the way, so he threw a map to Jing Yu and asked him to go to the Fox Clan ruins on his own. This time Jing Yu decided to act alone. He took advantage of the morning light and rode a fast horse northward alone, leaving the three of them to stay temporarily at Shang's house. Shang Yushan returned to Beijing with the escort team. The escort team sometimes transported people, but Jiang Xiao still had experience.
Jing Yu also thought about Ruan Se's identity on the way, and why he was so trusted by the Shang family's head that he could get the Shang family's property. One is that the head of the Shang family has no heirs, and the other is that Ruan Se's background is unusual.
His scimitar is a product of the Western Regions. This is what Jing Yu recently found out, which shows that Ruan Se is from the Western Regions and why he came to Dangzhou. It is most likely that there was also war in the Western Regions. He fled to the Central Plains and was taken in by the head of the Shang family.
An ancient article from a previous life is very consistent with the scene of the Fox Clan ruins - "It was extremely narrow at first, and then it opened up to people. After walking dozens of steps, it suddenly became enlightened."
Another six days later, they arrived at the Fox Clan ruins. Just as Jing Yu was about to go in, he heard constant shouting and cursing inside, as well as the crying of women and children. He first squatted sideways on the edge of the gorge, stuck out his head, looked inside, and found several warriors dressed as Jianghu people patrolling the entrance to the village.
There were different kinds of demons and sneaks in the village who were beating the innocent foxes with long whips. Jing Yu looked at one of the foxes, it was the yellow-haired old fox that day. He shook his head slightly, signaling Jing Yu to run away quickly. .
Just as he was about to return the way he came, the hair on his back stood up and Jing Yu's heart skipped a beat...
After Ningqu got up, she found that there was nothing around her. She hurriedly went to the hospital to search, but she didn't see the dead fish-eyed young man who slept with her every night. So Ningqu called Song Qian and Qiao Xu. Qiao Xu was still tired of getting up. After mocking Jing Yu for a few words, he also helped search for him, but he didn't see him.
Song Qian thought that Jing Yu might get up early to go to the market to buy things and would come back later, so he told Ning Qu not to worry. Seeing that Ning Qu's eyes were red with anxiety, Ruan Se brought bad news.
"Jing Yu...asked me...borrowed the map. He...went to...the Fox Clan ruins."
Song Qian suddenly had a bad premonition, and he immediately took Ningqu and Qiao Xu on horseback along the previous road to the Fox Clan ruins.
…
In the tower in the capital, Gu Danqing was drinking tea again. This time he made chrysanthemum tea. He got angry from eating too spicy hot pot a few days ago, and had blisters in his mouth, which made him in a bad mood. It was rare for him to go down from the tower today. Under the guidance of the guards, Gu Danqing walked along the spiral staircase to the underground of the tower.
This is a dungeon, dark and damp, with formations arranged around it.
Sitting in the middle was a blue-haired, pale-faced young man, with countless chains wrapped around his body. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, wearing only a thin coat.
The blue-haired boy opened his eyes and sneered: "The sun rises from the west today?"
"I'm chatting with you, don't be impatient." Gu Danqing didn't care much and sat cross-legged on the floor.
The blue-haired boy looked around at the formations and sighed: "These formations are about to expire. Do you plan to change a batch by then? Or let me out?"
Gu Danqing raised his eyebrows: "Oh? You actually believe that I will let you out."
The blue-haired boy pretended to beg: "I'm not very lethal. If you show mercy and let me go, you can gain more merit."
"Naive." Gu Danqing sneered.
Jing Yu woke up and found himself hanging upside down from a tree. He tried to shake his body and found that there was a rope wrapped around him, making him unable to move. He looked up and looked around. Those fox tribesmen were enslaved to work in the fields. If they were not careful, they would be beaten by the intruders.
A whip hit his face. Jing Yu felt his face burning. He grimaced in pain and saw a young man standing in front of him, holding the whip tightly. One of the young man's eye sockets is hollow, and his face is covered with scars, making people shudder. Jing Yu spit out a mouthful of phlegm in anger and greeted the eighteenth generation of the other party's ancestors.
"Don't worry, we can have a nice chat." The young man smiled and whipped him again.
"CNMLGB." Jing Yu spat out a mouthful of blood and continued to curse.
The young man still had a smile on his face, veins protruded on the back of his hands, and he struck the bridge of Jing Yu's nose with two whips. Warm liquid flowed out of Jing Yu's nose, and he was still angrily cursing the young man in front of him.
The young man's smile remained unchanged, and the whip in his hand did not stop. He listened to Jing Yu's dirty words, as if he were attending an elegant concert, enjoying it as a listener at the seat.
When Jing Yu got tired of scolding, he stopped and stared at the young man with those dead fish eyes.
"Have you calmed down? Let's have a good chat." The young man threw away the festering whip in his hand.
Facing the other party's overwhelming anger, the young man asked slowly: "Are you familiar with those untouchables?"
"Fuck you, they are not untouchables! Show some respect!" Jing Yu took a breath and roared loudly.
The young man wiped the spit from his face, but still smiled: "A pariah is a pariah, and you can become a master by hiding? You are quite naive. Don't you know that power is respected in the world?"
"You are the one who is ignorant. Equality for all is the general trend. You are short-sighted!" Jing Yu retorted back to the young man's point of view.
The young man didn't bother to argue with Jing Yu. He clapped his hands and called two servants: "Put him in a small dark room. Eat and drink as much as you want. I'll keep it for use." (To be continued)
