Under the sky

Chapter 105 Side Story: Night Tour in Yuanjiang River

"Yuanjiang River, the lower reaches merge with Chenshui River." Wen Ruoshan walked upstream along the river.This is the river bank. The ground is full of cobblestones and it is difficult to walk. He took every step carefully for fear of spraining his feet. He then said: "Hunan is surrounded by mountains on three sides. It is not easy to get in and out. Hezhou is known as the gateway to Guizhou and Yunnan, and the Yuanjiang River is the passage. .”

"The largest sect in Hezhou is Yinjiabao, and the head wife is Shen Yongci's sixth sister Shen Fengjun." Xie Gubai followed Wen Ruoshan.He seemed quite accustomed to the rugged terrain and was walking much more steadily.

"It's quite a gatekeeping thing." Wen Ruoshan replied.

"It is more convenient to enter Hunan from Hubei. Otherwise, we can only take the Yuan River and go down the river." Xie Gubai fell into deep thought, "Western Hubei is governed by the Xiangyang Gang, and it is the only stable place in Wudang."

"Since ancient times, military strategists have fought for the territory and controlled the Yangtze River waterway." Wen Ruoshan said, "What else do you think?"

Xie Gubai was silent for a moment and shook his head.Wen Ruoshan took a pen and took some simple notes on the paper.Just as it was getting dark, I suddenly saw a figure coming upstream. He was writing with his head down and looking along the way.Wen Ruoshan put away his notes and winked at Xie Gubai. Xie Gubai pointed at Wen Ruoshan. Wen Ruoshan knew that he wanted to test it by himself, so he shook his head and pointed at Xie Gubai again.

Xie Gubai also shook his head and pointed out that Hui Wen was good.Seeing that man approaching, it stands to reason that Wen Ruoshan would bump into him and apologize to him for conversation.This is a tacit understanding between the two of them. Whenever they go somewhere and want to inquire about information, the two of them will always find ways to get close to people. Usually Wen Ruoshan comes first. If he fails, Xie Gubai uses this as a basis to try again. Almost always succeeds.

But Hui Wen Ruoshan made up his mind to let Xie Gubai test it first.As for why I have such thoughts, it's probably because I'm bored. After doing the same thing for a long time, I want to start in a different way.

As the man gradually approached, the two stopped making gestures.Xie Gubai seemed to have made up his mind not to take action. The two exchanged glances, and Wen Ruoshan also became angry - it's not good that I have to accommodate you every time.

When the man saw someone on the opposite side, he turned sideways, and Wen Ruoshan also moved to the side of the river to avoid it.Just as he was about to miss him, Wen Ruoshan looked at Xie Gubai, as if he was determined not to move.Xie Gubai suddenly stretched out his foot and tripped the man. The man said "Oh!" There were stones on the river bank. The fall was really heavy and his scalp was broken.Wen Ruoshan quickly stepped forward to apologize, and the man cursed angrily: "How are you walking? Such a long road can trip people up!"

Wen Ruoshan couldn't help but apologize, and the man pushed him and cursed: "Get out!"

Wen Ruoshan's feet were already unstable. With such a push, his body tilted and he slipped into the water with a "pop" sound.Seeing him fall, the man calmed down a little and snorted coldly.Xie Gubai stepped forward and said, "My friend is being rude, so I'm here to excuse you. I'd like to pay you some medical fees." After saying this, he couldn't help but bow and bow, and took out three coins from his arms and handed them over respectfully.When the man saw that he had money to take, he lost some of his anger, cursed a few times and left.

Wen Ruoshan got up wet all over, his knees were bruised, his hands and feet were in pain along with his waist and legs, and he complained: "Isn't this hurting me?"

Xie Gubai said: "You stepped forward too quickly. If you let me speak, he will push me. You don't have to suffer this physical pain."

Wen Ruoshan said: "You dare to blame me? You owe me once!"

Xie Gubai smiled and said, "Just treat it like I owe you. How do you think I can repay you?"

Wen Ruoshan said: "Let me think about it. Help me go back to the inn to change clothes first. Oh, it hurts like hell!"

He has been traveling with Xie Gubai for two years. In the past two years, he has been to Wudang, Beggar Clan, Hengshan, Diancang, Tangmen, Qingcheng, and back to Hengshan.

This is my second time coming to Hengshan. The last time I went from Fujian to Guangdong, I got into trouble and had to leave as soon as possible.The summer in the south was too hot. As a northerner, he was not used to it. When he arrived in Guangxi, he fell seriously ill and almost died.

The Nine Families have traveled all over the place, and in two years the Kunlun Conference will be held. Is it time for this journey to come to an end?
"I don't have any clean clothes." On the carriage, Wen Ruoshan found only a single shirt and shorts from his luggage and said angrily, "I was going to find an inn to wash my clothes today, but I didn't expect to get all wet!"

"There's a house in front of you, go and borrow some clothes."

The carriage stopped in front of a farmhouse outside the town. Xie Gubai got out of the car. After a while, he came back with a blue linen robe.Wen Ruoshan reached out and took it. Seeing a few patches on it, he didn't mind it. He found a hidden place behind the house to put it on, then got in the car and left, heading all the way to Hezhou.

"How was that man just now?" Wen Ruoshan asked, "What did you see?"

"It's not a local accent, it sounds like the Yunnan-Guizhou area." Xie Gubai said, "It's either Diancang or Qingcheng."

"Maybe it's the Tang Sect." Wen Ruoshan said, "I saw it clearly before I fell. What he drew was the same as mine. It was also a topographic map." He raised the notes in his hand that had been mussed into a ball, "It's mine. The parts are all blurred, so I have to redraw them when I go back."

Xie Gubai pondered for a long time and said: "It is more likely that the upper reaches of Yuan River is in Qingcheng, or Qingcheng."

This is a good inference, Wen Ruoshan thought, but it is more like a good excuse. "I think Qingcheng has family members in Hezhou. Isn't it easy to survey the terrain? I still say it's Tangmen or Diancang." He seemed determined to go against Xie Gubai today.

"It's Qingcheng." Xie Gubai drove the car, "My guess is always more accurate than yours."

Hezhou and Xiangxi are governed by Yinjiabao and are the main sect forces in western Hunan.It was almost dusk when the carriage entered the city. The two of them found an inn, with Wen Ruoshan walking in front. The waiter greeted him: "Sir, does your master want to eat or stay?"

"Master?" Wen Ruoshan looked down at himself and understood immediately.He was dressed in coarse clothes and followed Xie Gubai in. They only regarded him as a servant.He couldn't help but look back at Xie Gubai. Seeing that Xie Gubai didn't defend himself, he obviously wanted to take advantage of this, so he had to say: "Two rooms, rest first and then eat."

Wen Ruoshan rested for a while, and after his hands and feet stopped hurting, he took notes on the terrain he surveyed today.When he finished his work, it was already Xu o'clock, and he went to find Xie Gubai again.

He has been with Xie Gubai for more than two years and still cannot solve all the mysteries about this man, but he prides himself on knowing this man well enough.Maybe, he is the person who knows Xie Gubai best in the world besides Xie Gubai's relatives - if he still has relatives alive.Only this point, Xie Gubai never revealed, he only made up an excuse of "Guigu Clan member" that would make anyone suspicious.

He knows what this person wants to do and his ambitions.

Time is running out and the journey is long overdue.We should have found a place to stay two months ago.Wen Ruoshan knew this very well.He believed Xie Gubai knew better than him.But Xie Gubai still had no decision.

"In two years' time, Kunlun will discuss it." Wen Ruoshan asked, "Have you decided where to go?"

Xie Gubai sat at the window, looked downstairs, and said lightly: "Still thinking about it."

"I thought the conclusion had been reached." Wen Ruoshan said, "This is not like you."

"Since we're still thinking about it, it means we haven't decided yet. We have time."

"How about a night out tonight." Wen Ruoshan suddenly changed the subject.

"Lantern Festival has passed for a long time. What festival is today?" Xie Gubai asked.

"It's just the common people's idea to go out at night only on festivals." Wen Ruoshan said, "Go as you please, then you will be romantic."

"If it's not a holiday, Hecheng has a curfew." Xie Gubai asked, "If you want to be romantic, the prison is usually not ventilated."

"You were right about one thing just now. We still have time." Wen Ruoshan's eyes were firm, "The curfew will be imposed after half an hour. Besides, there are places in Hengshan where the curfew is open all night."

"Brothel?" Xie Gubai asked, "The lesson you learned last time was not enough. Do you want to leave Hengshan as soon as possible again?"

Mentioning what happened last time, Wen Ruoshan felt a little guilty, "You won't get into trouble twice, but today, I won't come back until I'm drunk."

Xie Gubai replied: "If it's tomorrow..." He was halfway through his words when Wen Ruoshan interrupted: "It has to be today!" He had always been polite and polite, and rarely interrupted when others were talking. Surprised, she turned to look at him, with a hint of curiosity in her deep eyes: "Are you really so interested?"

"When was the last time we got drunk?" Wen Ruoshan asked.

Xie Gubai said: "A year ago, in Tangmen, you were the only one who was drunk."

Wen Ruoshan remembered that time when he arrived in Chengdu, which was more than 1000 miles away from Tianshui. He could reach home in less than three days on a fast horse.But he did not go back after all. He only wrote a letter to the family and sent it back.That time he felt homesick and got very drunk in Chengdu.

"Hezhou is far away from Tianshui." Xie Gubai said.

"Do you have to be homesick to drink?" Wen Ruoshan smiled, "You can drink when you feel like it."

Perhaps because there are many female heads, Hengshan is the most kind to women among the nine families. Not only is it forbidden to marry a wife, but doting on a daughter is a capital crime, and there is even a law of divorce.Except for the "boat owners" from the beggar gangs along the coast, there are no prostitutes in the territory, only brothels.The style of brothel girls is no better than that of ordinary brothels. The entire courtyard can accommodate one person, and even if they spend a large sum of money, they may not be able to entertain them.Not only that, except for people with positions in the sect, Hengshan only issues night orders to brothels. If a guest returns late, the brothel will send a servant to accompany him back to the house with the night order. If he is stopped and searched on the way, he can't help but ask.Wen Ruoshan didn't know where this rule came from. I heard that it was for the convenience of the guests. Later Xie Gubai said that it was to prevent guests from staying overnight under the curfew and causing trouble. No matter how late it was, guests could always be seen off, and it was also for the brothel ladies. Convenient to travel.

The two of them first went to the riverside to look for a painting boat.There is a rule in Hengshan brothel painting boat. There are two lanterns hung on the bow. If they are red, they are called "Begonia sleeps late in spring". Needless to say, the allusion means that it is resting and refuses to accept visitors, or there are already guests staying overnight; if hanging If you hang a pink lantern, it is called "Azalea welcomes guests late." In Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, azalea is known as the welcome flower, which means welcome; if you don't hang a lantern, it probably means: "I will not entertain guests today."

There were three painted boats on the river, all hung with red lanterns, which showed that there were no song books.It was already late at night, there were few pedestrians on the road, and I didn’t know where to go to inquire. Besides, he was not a regular customer, so the girl would not welcome him at this time.

Seeing that the curfew was approaching, Xie Gubai said: "If you want to drink, I will drink with you."

Wen Ruoshan frowned and said, "They say that beauties drink wine, but without beauties, how can wine come from? Two grown men, it's not easy to have sex after drinking."

"You slept when you were drunk last time. Besides, having sex while drunk is also a death penalty." Xie Gubai finally couldn't help but ask, "What happened to you today?"

"You are so resourceful that you can't even think of a way to find a brothel?" Wen Ruoshan did not answer Xie Gubai's question, and still insisted on drinking: "You can try your luck, but I won't go back to the inn tonight." He looked around and saw There was a deep courtyard, the layout was quite elegant, and the lights were still bright, so he stepped forward and knocked on the door.A strong man's voice asked at the door: "Who is it?"

Wen Ruoshan looked at his clothes and said, "My young master wants to meet the young lady!"

The man in the room yelled: "Damn it, this is not a brothel! You blind idiot is barging in here, get out! If you don't get out, I'll give you a beating!" It seemed like it was a nursing home for a wealthy family.

Wen Ruoshan still refused to give up and asked again: "May I ask where the Zhangtai is?"

"Fuck, what time has it been? Just scratch your dick and scratch it!"

Wen Ruoshan stuffed a piece of silver weighing about three cents under the door and asked, "Brother, do you see any silver falling on the ground?"

"After two streets, turn right and go straight. There is a good courtyard. You will see it when you get there! If you can't find it, come and ask me again. I will guard the door here and won't run away!" The strong man replied, His tone became like a son meeting his father.

"Thank you, brother." Wen Ruoshan said.

"If you spend money like this, you should ride a Yangzhou crane." Xie Gubai said.

Wen Ruoshan ignored him and followed the instructions to find the courtyard, which was indeed different from the surrounding houses.He knocked on the door, and a maid came out to answer the door. She looked like she was 23-[-] years old.

Wen Ruoshan said: "My young master wants to meet the young lady."

The maid glanced at Xie Gubai, frowned and asked, "There will be curfew in a moment, do you know?"

Wen Ruoshan said with a smile: "It is said that a moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold, and even a moment cannot be wasted."

The maid smiled and said: "You are really good at talking, little boy. When I was young, I lost a lot of people who were as sharp-tongued as you."

Wen Ruoshan said with a smile: "The girl said something wrong and got into trouble. If you don't report it, I will come and report it tomorrow, saying that you dislike her for being old."

Seeing his threat, the maid hurriedly said: "I praised you for your cleverness just now, but now you are acting like a rogue!" Then she said, "I have never seen your young master, who introduced him? It's so late and Baipu Courtyard doesn't accept strangers. "

Wen Ruoshan said: "My son's surname is Wen, and his name is Wen Ruoshan. The girl can just call me Xiaojiu. Please let me know, Miss. I will only drink and chat tonight, nothing else."

The maid closed the door, came out again after a while, and said with a smile: "You're lucky. Miss is so hungry that she can't sleep. I'll use the Yang Qi of you two to calm down the evil." Then she covered her mouth and said with a smile, "I don't know if I can suppress it." Woolen cloth."

Wen Ruoshan smiled and said, "Thank you very much for taking me in, Miss." He stepped aside and asked Xie Gubai to go in first.Xie Gubai saw that he was messing around tonight and wondered what his plan was.Wen Ruoshan smiled and said, "Sir, you must have a great time today."

Seeing that he was serious, Xie Gubai smiled and said, "Okay!"

The maid said again: "Although you are welcome to come in, you must follow the rules, otherwise you will be beaten indiscriminately."

Wen Ruoshan said with a smile: "You have to pass three levels. It seems they are playing music, writing, drawing, making pairs, throwing pots, and guessing riddles. Just do it right."

The maid smiled and said: "Is there any talent here? It's not difficult for my family to pass the three levels, just to find the right answer, to solve the residual genealogy, and to guess the riddles." Then she said, "Please give me twelve gold coins."

Hengshan brothel is famous for its elegance. There are often "three passes" tests to test the talent and learning of the guests. If they can't pass the test, they have to pay all the invitation money, touch their noses, go home, and come back next time.

Wen Ruoshan smiled and said, "I'm more afraid of other things. These three levels are exactly what my young master is good at." So he paid ten taels and said, "Young Master has shown his skills."

These three things are easy for Xie Gubai.The two of them were invited into the inner hall. Wen Ruoshan saw that although the furnishings in the hall were elegant, most of them were old, and even the flowers and plants in the garden were sparsely trimmed. It did not look like a busy place.It's just that there is a wisp of fragrance burning in the hall, it is elegant and comfortable, the cushions are warm and soft, the wine vessels are crystal clear, and the hospitality is not careless.

The young lady who came out was named Liu, with a fancy name and a pretty face. However, she looked about 26 years old, so she might actually be a year or two older.At that time, women generally married before they were twenty, and even among the girls of the Nine Families, there were very few who were still unmarried. As a brothel lady, this girl was already extremely old.

As early as when the maid opened the door, Wen Ruoshan had guessed [-]% to [-]%, and now that he saw the young lady, he was even more sure.Hengshan is famous for its brothels, and there are many famous prostitutes. This girl's youth is gradually passing away, and her business has gradually become deserted, so the flowers and plants outside the courtyard have been neglected.

Xie Gubai cupped his hands and said, "My girl's name is elegant and sounds very nice."

Liu Qingluo asked: "I'm a bitch, I don't know where I've seen the young master? From the young master's accent, he's not from Hunan. If he's a tourist, why did he suddenly visit Bai Puyuan?"

Xie Gubai said: "I..." Wen Ruoshan said: "My master was addicted to alcohol. He wanted to find a place to drink and someone to talk to, so he walked and asked me to knock on every door and ask questions along the way. , it’s fate that I came to Baipu Courtyard now.”

Liu Qingluo covered her mouth and smiled and said, "Sir, you are really elegant." Xie Gubai raised his eyebrows and said, "Then let's have a drink, girl."

Wuling wine has been famous since ancient times. Wuling is located in the north of Hezhou. It was Wuling wine that Liu Qingluo served.The three of them were chatting and drinking. Wen Ruoshan took one glass after another without paying attention to the topic. He laughed loudly when something interesting was said. He said he was a young man, but Xie Gubai was like a wine companion.When asked about Hunan anecdotes, Liu Qingluo was good at speaking. Although she did not talk about romance, she always responded to advances and retreats. She played music and sang harmony. Sometimes she was elegant and graceful, sometimes her eyes were wandering and charming. As for giving orders and drinking, she mostly only tasted it briefly.Xie Gubai, on the other hand, unknowingly drank a few more drinks, and when the conversation was over, he felt sleepy.

Liu Qingluo said: "Speaking of Hunan, in addition to the Hengshan sect, there are also famous brothels. I think of an interesting thing. Last year, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, chose the oiran, which made a big joke."

Wen Ruoshan and Xie Gubai looked at each other in confusion. Wen Ruoshan coughed slightly and changed the subject: "I've heard about this, Miss Liu, let's just talk about Hunan. Let's just say that Kunlun has been discussing this for 90 years, and finally Who is the famous lady? Who ended up best?"

Liu Qingluo said: "If we say the most famous one, isn't it the one whose head was cut off by Mrs. Lengmian? She also met the best end."

Wen Ruoshan said in surprise: "Is it better to have my head cut off?"

Liu Qingluo said: "There are also people who marry into rich and powerful families. I have heard of people who married into direct descendants of the Tang family. So what is the result? It's not just that they died at a young age. There is also a misfortune in life. , stepped into the family of the nine noble families, and finally ended up with a fallen flower. The most popular prostitute in the world is none other than Mrs. Cold Face. Such great achievements will have to be made into a small god a hundred years later, and every prostitute in the house will have to worship her. Well, wouldn’t it be a great honor to let her cut off her head with her own hands? How many beauties have been produced in Hengshan in the past 50 years, who is as famous as this girl?"

Wen Ruoshan had been to Tangmen and knew the anecdote she told. He also heard about the eldest son of Mrs. Lengmian marrying a famous prostitute in Hengshan, but Xie Gubai became interested in another thing.

"I have heard about the story of the Tang Sect, but I don't know what happened to the girl who stepped into the door of the nine noble families?"

"That happened more than ten years ago. She was also a girl from Hezhou. It was said that she was in a relationship with a heir from the Nine Great Families and she was pregnant with an heir. The heir had no legitimate son and was about to correct his position, but he died for no reason. One corpse, two lives.”

"Girl, do you know which family he is from?" Xie Gubai asked again.

"The girl's surname is Qin, and her nickname is Manyao, but I don't know who the prince is that she is in love with." Liu Qingluo suddenly stopped talking, and then said after a long while, "I heard it in the streets and hearsay, so it is not credible. Talking too much will lead to mistakes. , this bitch deserves to be punished." He poured himself a glass and drank it.

The three of them took turns holding the cup, and Wen Ruoshan was determined to get drunk. One cup after another, he was so drunk that he fell unconscious.

When Wen Ruoshan woke up, he felt like he was lying in the clouds. His whole body was soft, except for his headache.He found himself lying on a soft quilt, smelled the fragrance of powder, and saw the gauze curtain, so he hurriedly sat up.Liu Qing was wearing plain clothes, trousers and a tulle, sitting in front of the mirror combing her hair.Wen Ruoshan was stunned for a while and called out: "Miss Liu?"

"Why don't you sleep more?" Liu Qingluo tied her hair into a fragrant bun and didn't put on makeup. She thought it was still early and she didn't need to entertain guests.Wen Ruoshan asked the time, and it was almost noon. He wanted to get up and change his clothes, but saw the girl's house was there, and then remembered that his luggage was still at the inn, and he couldn't change it even if he wanted to.

Liu Qingluo asked her maid to get some sour plum soup to sober up, then she sat on the edge of the bed and fed Wen Ruoshan with a spoon.Seeing her charming and meek appearance, Wen Ruoshan's heart moved and he hurriedly said, "I'll do it myself!" He took the bowl.Liu Qingluo watched him drinking soup and suddenly said, "How about you marry me?"

Wen Ruoshan was only short of spitting out a sip of soup, and said hurriedly: "Miss, don't be ridiculous!"

Liu Qingluo covered her mouth and smiled softly, her eyes moved, it was very touching, and she said: "No kidding. There is no need to betrothal, and there is no need for you to redeem yourself. Baipuyuan and the manor are worth several hundred taels of silver, and they will be given to you together. Get both."

Wen Ruoshan said: "If you are looking for my master, I am just a servant."

Liu Qingluo said: "I must not be blind. If you were a servant, the streets would be full of slaves."

Wen Ruoshan just smiled bitterly and said: "The girl is very talented and beautiful, but she is still afraid that she will not find a match with a famous man? Why should she give in to a villain?"

Liu Qingluo said: "Let's just say you are willing or not. Or do you have a wife?"

Wen Ruoshan was stunned for a while and asked, "Does the girl know who I am?"

Liu Qingluo blinked her eyes and said with a smile: "Could he be a legitimate son of the Nine Families who hid in Baipu Courtyard to avoid his enemies?" As she spoke, she simply lay down on Wen Ruoshan's lap, held her chin with her slender fingers, and raised her head. looking at.

Wen Ruoshan knew that she was talking about the story of Mrs. Lengmian, so she laughed out loud, shook her head and said: "That's not true." He moved his legs slightly, and felt that the beauty was too abrupt, so he simply didn't move, resting his hands on the back of his head, staring at On the top of the bed, he continued, "I am from Tianshui. My family is engaged in business. I have written several books and gained a little fame. I relied on my little talent and knowledge to achieve a career and work hard for this world, but I wasted several years in vain. He accomplished nothing and ended up teaching in a private school. After that, he burned books to be jealous of the world and drowned his sorrows in wine. He neither married nor established a career. When he was about to turn [-], he met Mr. Xie, regained his ambition, and traveled with him to nine famous families. "

"Oh? So... you don't like women?" Liu Qingluo opened her eyes wide, as if she had seen something new.

"I can understand the girl's mood." Wen Ruoshan said, "I think back to the time when all the sex and art were available, the traffic was busy in front of the door, and the princes and grandsons were flattering, just like the stars over the moon, only saying the fragrance of flowers, not afraid of the butterflies not coming. When the prosperity is gone, When the door was deserted, I was shocked to realize that I was greedy for glory and wasted my time, so I couldn't help but panic, I just thought that this life is already like this, it is better to stay safe."

"Girl, you are just like me at that time. You feel that the best days of your life have passed, and all that is left is confusion. You just want to find someone you like." Wen Ruoshan shook his head and said, "No, don't treat yourself badly. , especially a girl like you."

Liu Qingluo looked at Wen Ruoshan longingly, gently stroking her lower lip with her knuckles, as if she was touched by his words. After a while, she burst out laughing, laughing so hard that she laughed.Wen Ruoshan looked at her quietly, smiled, and asked, "Have you figured it out?"

"Young Master guessed wrong." Liu Qingluo couldn't stop laughing, "I... am not... not greedy for glory, I... I was deceived..."

Wen Ruoshan was stunned.

"I thought about the unforeseen consequences of marrying a rich and famous family, so I chose a poor boy who looked very ambitious. He said he wanted to start a business and make money to marry me. He took away my savings and promised to come back in three years. Five years have passed. Without any news, I lost both my personal property and my property." Liu Qingluo laughed so hard that she almost lost her breath, "When I wake up, even the maid who serves me will be old."

Wen Ruoshan smiled bitterly: "It's worse than I thought..."

Liu Qingluo said: "Fortunately, I'm not idle either. I've saved some money through my past friendships, and my life is safe, but I'm a little lonely. At this age, it's not my turn to be picky, and I don't want to give in. , it’s been a waste of time.”

"But Young Master's story is quite good." Liu Qingluo stopped laughing, stood up and sat back on the edge of the bed, and said, "Young Master, if you don't mind being rude, how about I tell you about Young Master?"

Wen Ruoshan smiled and said, "Please tell me."

"Young Master is not a dissolute person, he just has big things in mind and wants to indulge himself." Liu Qingluo said, "Young Master has to make a decision, even if it is not a matter of life and death, it is a major matter in life. He wants to use wine to be bold and show off his heroic spirit. It's a pity that your friend I haven’t paid attention to your worries yet.”

Wen Ruoshan was stunned for a while and said, "Miss Liu's guesses are much more accurate than mine."

Liu Qingluo smiled slightly, got up from the bed and returned to the dressing table: "Since the master has no intention of being a concubine, I have no choice but to continue waiting for the heartless man."

Wen Ruoshan advised: "Girl, why bother?"

Liu Qingluo said: "As the young master said, don't treat yourself badly. If you meet someone who is knowledgeable and understanding, and knows how to show love and cherish her, then marry her. If you don't find a good one, I will stay with you."

Wen Ruoshan was stunned and said, "What's the difference between obeying the law like this and not obeying it?"

Liu Qingluo pursed her lips and smiled and said: "From the outside, if they think that I am sincere and unconventional, my beauty is poor and my life is poor, if I take pity on me, this Baipu Courtyard can still support me for two more years."

Wen Ruoshan said: "Perhaps the lady's lover did not let her down, but something happened on the way and was delayed..."

Liu Qingluo smiled and said: "Young Master is a good man, I appreciate your words. By the way, I haven't asked you how to address him yet."

"My surname is Wen, and my name is Wen Ruoshan." Wen Ruoshan smiled bitterly: "That's the name of my friend."

"It turns out they even played the trick of changing names." Liu Qingluo teased.

Only then did Wen Ruoshan ask Xie Gubai: "Where is my companion?"

"That young master left early in the morning and said he would wait for you back at the inn."

Wen Ruoshan said, "I'll lend you something to use." After saying that, he jumped up from the bed, went to the courtyard, looked for pores on the ground, dug out two earthworms, cut them open with a knife, removed the internal organs, and roasted them over the stove fire. Qian Bian, Liu Qingluo only felt weird.Wen Ruoshan wrapped the two dried earthworms in a towel before saying goodbye and leaving.

Liu Qingluo walked him to the door and hesitated to speak. Wen Ruoshan knew that she had something to say and asked, "Girl, if you have something to say, please just say it."

"It's really rude to talk to each other in a shallow way. But the young master is an honest man, so I will give you a few more instructions." Liu Qingluo said, "That friend of yours doesn't show his emotions and anger, and hides them very deeply. The young master interacts with him. , need to be careful.”

Of course Wen Ruoshan understood Liu Qingluo's good intentions, so how could he not know about Xie Gubai's problems?So he said: "Thanks for the tip, I know this friend well. From now on, we will never see each other again. If I have the chance to return to Hengshan someday, if the girl is not married..."

Liu Qingluo asked: "Young Master is willing to marry me?"

Wen Ruoshan smiled and said: "I will definitely help Miss Liu arrange a good marriage."

Liu Qingluo smiled and said: "That bitch has another hope. She is waiting for the heartless man and also for the young master."

Wen Ruoshan rushed back to the inn, looked for Xie Gubai, and said, "If you find the man on the Yuanjiang River yesterday, I can know where he came from."

Xie Gubai asked: "What else do you want to check?" Wen Ruoshan's behavior in the past two days was so weird that even he couldn't figure it out.

"He came to check the topography of Hezhou, just like us." Wen Ruoshan said, "He will be where we are. He must be in Hezhou City."

They walked back and forth in Hezhou City, and sure enough they saw the man from yesterday near the east gate.

"I can tell where he is from." Wen Ruoshan said, "Watch me do the trick."

The man was looking up under the city wall, probably calculating the height of the city and the surrounding environment.Wen Ruoshan walked forward quickly with a handkerchief in his arms, bumped into the man with a bang, and said "Oh," and the handkerchief fell down.The man cursed: "You Hezhou people have long necks, can't you see the road?!"

Wen Ruoshan quickly picked up the handkerchief and said anxiously: "Hey, be careful of my mountain leech!"

The man saw that Wen Ruoshan looked familiar. When he heard the words, he lowered his head and saw a pair of long objects in his handkerchief. He smiled and said, "What kind of mountain leeches? A pair of earth dragons are worthless!"

Wen Ruoshan raised his head, pretending to have just recognized him, and said in surprise: "Why is it you again? What a bad luck! You pushed me into the river yesterday, and I don't care about you. You don't know this mountain leech either. I hope He's calling the duck "Yuanyang!"

The man didn't recognize Wen Ruoshan at first, but after he reminded him, he immediately remembered it and cursed: "Why is it you again!" Seeing him carefully blowing the dust off his handkerchief, he didn't want to argue with him, but was about to leave. Ruoshan said again: "This mountain leech is from Yunnan. I wonder if you have never seen it! Are you embarrassed?"

The man was so angry that he turned around and pointed at the pair of shriveled earthworms on his handkerchief and said: "What kind of mountain leeches are these? Are they earth dragons or dried ones? They are useless! Who doesn’t have eyes?”

Wen Ruoshan said: "There are many kinds of locusts in Yunnan, you just don't know them!"

Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou were prolific in medicinal materials, which were important commodities in Dian Cang, and mountain leech was one of them.

"Shit! I'm from fucking Yunnan! I'm familiar with mountain leech, you're not a mountain leech! If you don't believe me, go to a drug store and ask and see who shows up!"

Wen Ruoshan was stunned and asked: "Isn't it really a mountain leech? I was deceived? No, I have to go find that doctor to argue!" After that, he turned around and left.I just heard the man sneer from behind: "Taking advantage! What kind of good medicinal materials can the doctor get?"

Wen Ruoshan couldn't hide the smile on his face.

※ ※ ※

"Unless you say he is a Qingcheng disciple living in Yunnan." Wen Ruoshan was very proud, "He was not sent by Qingcheng. It can be seen that you are not always right."

"So?" Xie Gubai asked.

"We have visited the Nine Families. Wudang is weak, Shaolin is infighting, Huashan is ruthless, Zhuge Ran is in charge of Dian Cang, the crown prince Zhuge is incompetent, and the Beggar Clan is in the same league with Dian Cang. Although the second generation of the Nine Families is There are many good candidates, but there is only one best."

"It's time for us to find a place to stay." Wen Ruoshan said, "You know where it is."

"Shen Yuqing is called an embroidered pillow." Xie Gubai replied, "He may not have such courage."

"Why don't we talk until we see him?" Wen Ruoshan said, "I know you wanted to see him before."

"Are you going too?" Xie Gubai asked, "Wen Ruoshan, the author of "Longyu Mountain Records", is going to Qingcheng?"

Wen Ruoshan knew what Xie Gubai had been worrying about. On that snowy winter day in Guangze Temple two years ago, the assassin pretending to be a barbarian told his origin before falling off the cliff.

It's Qingcheng, and the person who wants to kill Wen Ruoshan is in Qingcheng.And it has a high position of authority.It is for this reason that the last two months of this journey were so wasted.The answer Xie Gubai was looking for already existed.But he delayed it because he was worried about him.This is not his character.

"Wen Ruoshan is not going, only Xie Gubai and his companion are going." Wen Ruoshan smiled and took out a set of newly bought clothes. The color and material of the clothes were better than what he was wearing. "These two You’ve always made the most decisions this year, so it’s time for someone else to make the decision.”

There was a rare slight mood swing on Xie Gubai's face.He understood Wen Ruoshan's absurdity yesterday and his decision today.But still he said nothing.The answer is there, why hesitate?
"I will be your master from now on, you have to call me Young Master." Wen Ruoshan said with a smile, "As for you, you are 28 this year, so let's call you Xiaoba."

Wen Ruoshan spent a few days drawing the topography of Hecheng and left Hunan with Xie Gubai.On the way, they heard that Dian Cang had sent an envoy to ask for a visit to Qingcheng, so they detoured to Guangxi to investigate the news, and then entered Sichuan from Guizhou.

One night, a fast horse ran into Yinjiabao, bringing news about the night list.Before dawn, another fast horse rushed out from Yinjiabao and rushed to Ba County with a secret message that was urgent for [-] miles. It happened to bump into Wen Ruoshan and Xie Gubai who were resting at the inn.

Baipuyuan is still doing business as usual, but the carriages and horses are still scattered. 28 is not considered old, but it is considered old in a brothel.Liu Qingluo was still looking forward to it, looking forward to that heartless man, and also looking forward to Mr. Wen who promised to introduce her to a good marriage.

(End of this chapter)