Under the sky

Chapter 128: Stormy Sky ([-])

Just when Shen Weichen was about to act coquettishly again, someone hurried to the door, bent down and said respectfully: "I've seen Mr. Ya, Mrs. Chu, and the eldest lady."

Shen Yayan frowned and asked, "What's the matter?"

The guard said: "The master has an order to invite the eldest lady to Qian Tang. He said that he wants to inform the eldest lady about something related to Mr. Li."

Shen Weichen was surprised. Could it be the news about Li Jingfeng?Suddenly, he felt his sleeves tighten. It turned out that Mrs. Ya heard that Shen Yuqing was looking for her and grabbed Shen Weichen's sleeves.Shen Weichen patted his mother's hand to comfort him and said, "Report to the leader, I will go right away."

Shen Weichen called for the sedan chair, and when he arrived at Qiantang, Xie Gubai and Zhu Menshang had already arrived.Shen Weichen asked: "Is there any news about Jingfeng?"

Shen Yuqing looked solemn, and after a while he said: "Jingfeng ambushed Master Yan in Kunlun Palace..."

It turned out that Mi Zhiwei was taken to the execution hall and interrogated for three days, and finally everything was explained in detail.Li Jingfeng and Yang Yan rescued the heads of the Nine Families in Kunlun Palace, ambushed Yan Feixi, and jumped off a cliff to his death. Everyone remembers this young man who had taken revenge on the Nine Families.Everyone was talking a lot, some were ridiculing and some were feeling sorry. Even though Mi Zhiwei was not on the mountain at the time, he heard about it.

Shen Yuqing told the story about Kunlun Palace, saying that Peng Xiaobei died, Yang Yan had his identity as a genocide, and Hengshan and Shaolin managed to survive, but Li Jingfeng finally jumped into a deep valley and disappeared.Shen Weichen knew that he was missing because he was obedient. Li Jingfeng had not only issued a complaint of hatred against the nine families, but also assassinated Yan Feixi. If Huashan was to embarrass him, how could he escape this dragnet?Most of them have already been buried in the valley.

Li Jingfeng left with Ye Bang, and there was no news from him. Shen Weichen has been worried. When he heard the news of his death, he felt his chest was heavy, and he couldn't breathe out. He was in a trance, and he didn't feel sad for a moment.

After Zhu Menshang heard the whole story, he cursed: "Fuck, he doesn't even have a chivalrous name, why should he seek revenge? He's not even a genocide, he's just an enemy for nothing, how can he pretend to be a hero? Is there anyone so stupid?"

After he finished speaking, he stood up, stretched, and said: "This kid is stubborn. He knew from the beginning that he would not end well. Now he is asking for mercy. What good results can be achieved by doing good things these days? ?" He patted Shen Weichen on the shoulder and said, "Okay, I came here specially to hear the news, and it is also a clear account of the traces of an old friend. I will go back first, and my little sister will go back to rest earlier." He glanced at Xie Gu again. Bai said, "Aren't you going home yet? Do you have anything to discuss with the leader?"

Xie Gubai shook his head and said, "I'll go with you."

Zhu Menshang said: "Okay."

Shen Weichen said: "Thank you, Mr. Zhu, I'll see you off."

Zhu Menshang said: "No, there are only a few steps to the door." He left immediately and walked quickly towards the door.Xie Gubai then followed. Shen Weichen arrived at the entrance of the hall and suddenly called out to Xie Gubai.

Xie Gubai asked: "Is there anything else, little sister?"

Shen Weichen asked: "Mr. Xie has been in Qingcheng for two years, and these are the only major cases he has investigated?"

Xie Gubai said: "Everything that should be given to my little sister has been given to me."

Shen Weichen smiled and said: "That means there is still something hidden that shouldn't be given?"

Xie Gubai's face actually showed a rare and subtle smile.

Zhu Menshang was heard shouting: "Lao Xie, aren't you leaving yet?"

Xie Gubai stopped replying and left in separate sedan chairs with Zhu Menshang.

Shen Yuqing stepped forward and asked, "What did you say to eldest brother?"

Shen Weichen shook his head and said, "Brother, come back with me for a walk."

Shen Yuqing nodded, and the brother and sister walked side by side.Along the way, Shen Yuqing saw that Shen Weichen's expression remained unchanged, he just lowered his head and said nothing, and didn't know how to comfort him.It was already midnight, the sky was getting dark, and the remaining sunlight stretched the shadows of the two people long.The surrounding servants lit lanterns, and when they arrived at Shen Weichen's boudoir, it was actually bright.

Shen Weichen said: "Brother, wait for me." She walked into the boudoir and walked out after a while, holding a wooden figure in her hand. Shen Yuqing recognized it as a statue of Li Jingfeng.

Shen Weichen said: "No matter how hard you carve this wooden figure, you might as well bury it." After saying that, he squatted down and dug a small hole in the garden. After a moment of confusion, he took out the Tang knife from his waist and cut off a bunch of hair. Tie it to the wooden figure, place the wooden figure in the pit, hold the earth in both hands, and cover the wooden figure.

Shen Yuqing said in surprise: "Little sister, you..."

Shen Weichen watched the wooden figure being gradually buried by the soil and said, "Doctor Zhu is right. Jingfeng's temperament has already predicted this result."

Shen Yuqing pressed Shen Weichen's shoulders and whispered: "Brother, I know you are sad..."

"No, brother, you don't know." Shen Weichen covered the last handful of soil and said sadly, "Because I didn't know I would be so sad." As soon as she finished speaking, her tears couldn't stop dripping on the soil. , Shen Weichen wiped it again and again, and the more he wiped it, the more he couldn't stop it.

Shen Yuqing was very fond of Li Jingfeng, and because of his gallbladder, he was also sad and sad. He even felt sorry for his sister, and he knelt down. Thinking of the hardships of the past few days, and the injustice that his sister had suffered, his eyes turned red.He took a breath, simply sat on the ground, and gently stroked Shen Weichen's back.

Shen Weichen just squatted on the ground and cried, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. He cried for almost half an hour before he calmed down a little.Shen Weichen whispered: "Brother... you have been wronged."

Shen Yuqing smiled bitterly and said, "You are the one who feels wronged. What is there to feel wronged about?"

"I can cry when I feel wronged. Everyone can see it, including my brother. But my brother can't cry when he feels wronged and sad. No one can see it, not even my little sister."

Shen Weichen refused to comfort him. After this comfort, Shen Yuqing almost cried. He turned around quickly, wiped away his tears with the corners of his sleeves, and said, "You really want to embarrass your brother by saying this."

"I've cried more in the past few days than I have in ten years." Shen Weichen was stunned for a long time, then simply sat on the ground, and then said, "Brother, I am no longer on duty in the execution hall."

Shen Yuqing said in surprise: "What's wrong?"

"Some things become more difficult the more you have an identity." Shen Weichen said, "What should I do if my investigation of the case hinders my brother?"

Shen Yuqing understood what Shen Weichen meant. He had just taken power and needed people. He wanted to use the torture hall to intimidate his subordinates.Many of these famous and powerful people have dirty hands.

"You don't have to worry about brother." Shen Yuqing said, "You can deal with whoever you want."

Shen Weichen still shook his head: "After all, I can't do what Jingfeng wants to do. If I really find out something that embarrasses my brother, if I don't do it, my conscience will not go away. But brother..." Shen Weichen held Shen Yuqing's hand and said, " I believe that one day I can make Qingcheng cleaner than it is now. When I have no worries, I will return to the execution hall and help me govern Qingcheng."

Shen Yuqing saw that Shen Weichen had made up his mind and said, "Where do you want to go if you don't go to the torture hall?"

Shen Weichen forced a smile and said, "Brother, help me think of a good position."

Shen Yuqing smiled and said: "Brother, I have an idea to let the little sister show off her talents and satisfy Mrs. Yayeya." He was about to continue, when he saw a sedan approaching from a distance and recognized it as Mrs. Chu. He stood up from the sedan chair and said, "Mother is here." When Shen Weichen heard that Mrs. Chu had arrived, he quickly wiped away his tears and stood up.

Mrs. Chu got off the sedan and saw his brother and sister standing outside the house. She asked, "You two brothers and sisters are not in the house. What are you doing standing outside? Are you greedy for coolness?"

Shen Yuqing said: "I was just chatting with Xiaoxiao about some personal matters."

"I heard Shen Lianyun talk about the Kunlun discussion. I didn't find you in Junzi Pavilion, so I expected you to come here." Mrs. Chu said, "Your sworn brother..."

When Shen Weichen heard Mrs. Chu mentioning Li Jingfeng, the heavy feeling in his heart resurfaced. He felt bored and tangled, almost crying, so he said: "Mrs. Chu, you and your brother are talking about business. I won't interrupt you. Go back to the torture hall to clean up." thing."

Mrs. Chu saw that her eyes were red and swollen and her tears were still wet, so she nodded and said, "Go, I'll say a few words to your brother and then leave."

Shen Weichen bowed and retired, asked someone to bring the horses, and went off on his own.

Mrs. Chu said to Shen Yuqing: "I heard about your sworn brotherhood. I thought you would be sad, so I came to see you. Your brother's temperament is similar to that of his father. It's a pity that we, mother and son, couldn't even save him. "

Shen Yuqing knew that her mother had an old relationship with Li Jingfeng's father, and they probably met when her mother visited Kongtong.But her mother never mentioned the reason. Shen Yuqing was too busy managing Qingcheng's government affairs and had no time to ask about the past in detail. She was just sad about Li Jingfeng's death and said sadly: "Brother Jingfeng was loyal and courageous, and he was even more kind to the children. I also hope that he will return to Qingcheng in the future and have fun with his children..."

Mrs. Chu sighed, and then said: "I feel guilty towards their father and son, but I don't know how to repay this guilt."

Shen Yuqing comforted her mother and said: "It's just that brother Jingfeng jumped off a cliff and disappeared, which may not mean he is really dead. Good people have their own destiny, and brother Jingfeng has always been very lucky. He... a good man like him... shouldn't die young. .”

Mrs. Chu shook her head and sighed, "I hope so." She added, "I'm just here to see you. I hope you won't be sad about the death of your sworn brother." Then she patted him on the shoulder and sighed, "It's about your father. ,troubled you."

Shen Yuqing shook his head gently, and was about to say something to comfort his mother, but saw his mother's expression turn serious.

"Yu'er, from now on you will be the king of Qingcheng." Mrs. Chu said sternly, "You have to hold on to this day."

■

Shen Weichen called for the city gate to be opened and went all the way to the Baxian execution hall.She had not been in office for a long time, so she did not have many personal belongings. She only had a few miscellaneous items and a few prison books that she had annotated and recorded legal cases and public cases, so there was no need to put them away in a hurry.But the more depressed and sad she became, the more she wanted to find something to do, so she came to the execution hall without caring about the late night.

When she arrived at the execution hall, she found that Xia Lijun had not left yet.Xia Lijun stepped forward to salute and asked: "Master, is there something wrong when you come so late?"

Shen Weichen said: "I have resigned from the position of the execution hall. I came here tonight to pack some things and say goodbye to you."

Shen Weichen was packing his things in the study. When he turned around, he saw Xia Lijun standing at the door and asked, "Is there something wrong, Commander Xia?"

"Why did the hall master resign?" Xia Lijun asked.

"I'm still not good at the punishment hall." Shen Weichen was stunned for a while, then shook his head and said, "General Xia said before that I was a courageous person, but in fact, this is not courage. I am Ya Ye's daughter, and I am domineering in Qingcheng. , all big people are looked down upon in front of me. I am good at martial arts, and I am not afraid of taking risks. Just like if you see two common people fighting on the road, if you know martial arts, go up and separate them, you will not be in danger. If it is When two masters are fighting, if you try to break up the fight, you will accidentally get slapped and you will die, but you still dare to break up the fight, this is called courage."

"As long as it's the right thing, you know you can't do it but you still do it, you know you can't bear the consequences but you still do it, and you do things that you will be ridiculed for and you don't know your own abilities. That's courage. I can only think of these things as difficult at best. Even if you have to judge your own abilities, it doesn’t really mean you have any courage.”

"Such a person will not live long." Xia Lijun said.

"It's hard to live long." Shen Weichen looked gloomy, and that heavy feeling rose again.She cheered up and said: "Right now, I have a lot of worries, and I'm afraid that my conscience won't let me go. It's better to resign from the torture hall and have peace of mind."

"So the eldest lady decided to pretend to be deaf and dumb, pretending not to know?" Xia Lijun still spoke unceremoniously.

Shen Weichen shook his head and said: "When I don't have to worry about anything, I will come back to the execution hall. Commander Xia, I will have many things to rely on you then."

Xia Lijun looked at Shen Weichen and remained silent for a long time, so long that even Shen Weichen felt embarrassed. He was about to say something when he heard Xia Lijun say:

"Miss, I want to resign from the punishment hall." She even changed her title.

"Why?" Shen Weichen was surprised. With this girl's character, why would she resign now?
"The girl that other people want is not what I want. I wanted to find something worth doing for the rest of my life, so I entered the torture hall." Xia Lijun said, "But if someone like the eldest lady would be embarrassed, then there are still other things in this torture hall. What’s the reason worth doing for the rest of my life?”

"It's not now. Miss, you said we could be friends, but I don't want to be your friend, I want to follow you."

Shen Weichen was startled when he saw Xia Lijun standing very upright when he said these words, his eyes staring at him, and his body did not shake at all.She noticed that there was a strange look on Xia Lijun's face. It was the piety when she went to the temple to burn incense and pray to gods. This girl was more resolute than most men.

"Miss, you are the one worth spending my whole life doing. You are resolute, courageous, and capable. You will do great things, and I can follow you to do great things."

"From now on, when you are in the torture hall, I will hold the torture stick; when you are in the boudoir, I will be the guard. No matter where you are, I will be by your side." Xia Lijun continued, "I know that with the martial arts of the eldest lady, There is no need for protection from someone with low martial arts skills like me, but..."

"Any knife that wants to hurt the eldest lady must be stained with my blood first." With a pop, Xia Lijun knelt down straight and put his hands on the ground. "Please take it in, eldest lady."

Shen Weichen didn't expect that she would follow him, so he stepped forward to help her up and said, "You don't have to do this." Xia Lijun refused to get up and asked, "Miss, did you agree?"

Shen Weichen was hesitating when Xia Lijun continued: "No matter whether the eldest lady agrees or not, I will not stay in the execution hall anymore."

Shen Weichen knew that she had a stubborn personality and said with a smile: "You will be one more master, and I will be one more friend. What's wrong with that?"

Xia Lijun kowtowed and said, "Xia Lijun will swear allegiance to the eldest lady from now on."

■

Zhu Menshang opened a private room in Xinghua Tower and invited the girls he knew most well. He only asked them to sing little songs and drink with him.The girls saw that Zhu Menshang was not like before. They neither touched his hands nor joked and flirted with him. They just kept drinking and drinking without even playing tricks.Zhu Menshang was an expert at rolling fireworks and good at joking. He was a famous guest at Xinghua Tower. Whether it was for money or friendship, he asked a few questions about his concerns. Zhu Menshang just sighed: "Good people are not good these days." To live a long life, it is better to drink more, sleep with girls, and live a more leisurely life."

He knew that Li Jingfeng died, and the Shen Yuqing brothers and sisters must be sad. It would be better for a group of people to cry while watching each other than to hide under the quilt and cry alone, so he didn't say anything at the moment and let the Shen brothers and sisters collect their emotions.It's a pity that there is one less good person in the world.Then I thought of Peng Xiaobei, a hero who escaped from the first grade of junior high school but could not escape from the fifteenth grade. He did not die in Jiangxi, but died in Kunlun Palace.And Yang Yan...

Where did that kid go?Yang Yan assassinated Yan Feixi in Kunlun Palace. Although Hengshan and Shaolin factions protected him, who knew how viciously Yan Feixi would plot?Yang Yan had little friendship with the Shen brothers and sisters, and he did not seek death like Li Jingfeng and made vengeance against the nine families. No one paid attention at the time, and no one knew about the follow-up.

Even though Zhu Menshang was open-minded and worldly, he couldn't let it go in his heart. Maybe he could find out Yang Yan's whereabouts by asking a few people, but there was no need to go find him. As long as he knew he was safe, he would feel better.But I thought to myself that Yang Yan's martial arts status is low, and this time he has aggravated his hatred with Huashan. I'm afraid that even his status as a genocide species can't stop Huashan from secretly committing crimes.

In this world... bad people sit high in temples, but good people have to struggle in the mud.

The more he drank, the worse the taste of the wine became. Zhu Menshang was half-drunk, and when he was about to go into curfew, he stood up and said, "I'm going back. I'll be back early tomorrow."

Several girls asked him to stay overnight, but Zhu Menshang couldn't bring himself to show interest, so he put on his coat, paid the bill, and walked out of the gate of Xinghua Tower.There were few pedestrians on the street, except for the red lantern at the entrance of Xinghua Building. The road was dark, and Zhu Menshang was familiar with the roads. He walked crookedly towards Cixin Medical Center with drunken eyes open.

He came to a crossroads, and there were two people standing on each side of the crossroads. There was the sound of horse hooves, and a fast horse galloped past him.The curfew is about to come soon. Are you galloping like this late at night? Is there something urgent to report?

Zhu Menshang's chest felt upset and depressed, but he didn't care.Maybe he drank too much today, and suddenly there was a turbulence in his stomach. He hurriedly held on to the wall beside him, and with a "vomit" sound, he vomited all over the floor.

He wiped the dirt from the corner of his mouth and saw a pair of feet approaching, a slight reflection on the ground.

Is it the reflection of a sharp weapon?Zhu Menshang was confused at first, but suddenly became alert. When he raised his head, a figure rushed towards him...

■

Is Li Jingfeng really dead?Xie Gubai thought that if he jumped off the cliff to go where he told him to go, then he might still have a chance to survive.

But he didn't tell the Shen brothers and sisters and Zhu Menshang about this.If Jingfeng is safe, given his character, he will return to Qingcheng to help sooner or later. If something happens to Jingfeng, hope will be lost later, which will only make it more sad.

Besides, he still doesn't know whether Qingcheng is safe.He didn't know whether Shen Yongci still had confidants and whether there were still remnants of the Sa religion.

Is it really for this reason?Xie Gubai asked himself, is there any uneasiness that he still hasn't figured out, what dangers he hasn't discovered yet, or maybe he even senses that something is slipping out of his control?
Can Shen Yongci really retire in such a peaceful manner?
There are many more things to come.Xie Gubai was about to undress and go to bed when he suddenly heard several noises outside the room and someone shouted: "There is an assassin!"

Immediately there was the sound of bows and arrows breaking through the wind, the sound of swords clashing, voices shouting, and footsteps trampling, creating a mess.Xie Gubai frowned and rushed to the window, where he saw dozens of figures fighting.The number of people who came was unknown, but it was by no means as simple as a few assassins, and they were so blatant that they broke through the door in an instant.One of the masked men was particularly skilled in martial arts. When he encountered an ordinary guard, he would kill one of them with three sword strikes and charge straight to the room. Fortunately, the guard stopped him and slowed down the assassin.

Such a large number of assassins, so blatant?Who can mobilize so many people in Qingcheng?Xie Gubai was thinking to himself when four guards rushed to the room. One of them whispered: "There are many assassins and their claws are hard. Mr. Xie, we will send you away first!" Xie Gubai nodded, guarding against the assassins. He had already queued up. Although there were many people coming, Shunru Alley was only two streets away from Jixiang Gate. Such a big fanfare would definitely alert the Jixiang Gate guards and city patrol disciples to come for protection.

Two more guards were injured and retreated, shouting: "There are many people coming, Mr. Xie, please retreat first!"

Four guards protected Xie Gubai as he retreated to the inner courtyard.Hearing the sound of killing gradually approaching, the guards from the inner courtyard rushed forward. There was a fierce battle in the corridor with the flash of swords.The assassin advanced quickly and seemed to have the upper hand.There is no secret door or tunnel in this manor, but there is an escape route. Xie Gubai has surveyed it beforehand. Just climb over the wall and you will find a narrow alley. After passing through the narrow alley, you will find the main road.Most of the residents of Shunru Alley are Qingcheng dignitaries, many of them are skilled in martial arts, and there are many bodyguards guarding the courtyard. If there is such a big movement, they will definitely come forward, and then it will be safe.

Four guards protected Xie Gubai as he retreated to the backyard wall. One guard said, "Mr. Xie, let's escort you out first."

Xie Gubai nodded. The guard knelt down and bent down to kick. One person helped Xie Gubai step on it and climbed out of the wall. The other two were strong and had already climbed over the wall to meet him. When Xie Gubai landed safely, Only then did the other two people dig out.

There was only room for one person to pass through the narrow alley, so the four of them, two in front and two in back, protected Xie Gubai and walked quickly towards the end of the alley.Sure enough, the streets were already crowded with onlookers, each holding a lantern, illuminating the dark night like daylight. Although Xie Gubai lived in seclusion, he still recognized many of his neighbors.

The guard at the rear said: "Mr. Xie, as soon as you come out of the alley, you squat down and we will protect you."

Xie Gubai replied: "I know."

The guards led Xie Gubai out of the dark alley, closely guarding him from the front and back, and shouted loudly: "There is an assassin who wants to assassinate Mr.

As if he had expected that Xie Gubai would come out of this alley, a few cold arrows suddenly shot out, hitting the guard on the left side of Xie Gubai's cheek and chest with two "puff" sounds.The two assassins mingled with the crowd of onlookers and rushed over like they were desperate, getting into the gap.Before Xie Gubai could squat down, he saw a black shadow rushing towards him.

"Puff"... This was the third time tonight that he heard the sound of a sharp weapon penetrating his body at close range.The first two times, the guard on the left was hit by an arrow, but this time... it was the sound of a knife being hit in his own chest.

Xie Gubai didn't see clearly and didn't know what kind of weapon was pierced into his body.With the sharp pain as the sharp weapon was withdrawn from his body, he judged that it was a short-handed weapon.

Puff puff……

It was a short knife, maybe a dagger, that was going in and out of his stomach.Two... three... maybe more.

The assassin was hacked to death by the remaining three guards and onlookers. The remaining three guards were still skillfully protecting him. There were shouts and footsteps. He was surrounded by many bodyguards and disciples of the sect. He should be safe with the protection of these neighbors' men.

It's just too late...

He knelt down and felt that every breath he took was accompanied by severe pain, from his chest, from his abdomen... He covered the wound, and it felt as moist as if his hand was soaked in water.

It's all blood...it's all snow...

Xie Gubai lay on his back, as if he saw the wind and snow floating in the dark night, drowning him...

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[Announcement] The update method of the second series of Under the World: Double updates every week, that is, 1 chapter will be updated every Tuesday and Friday

(End of this chapter)