Under the sky
Chapter 343 Side Story: Arrow flies like time
Chapter 343 Side Story: Arrow flies like time
"Bow and arrow are different from martial arts competitions. There are routines, offense and defense, and tricks. The victory or defeat of the archer can't be determined from the moment the string is released."
Kunlun 64 years spring March
There were seven horses in the stable, three more than before.Zhu Guili drove Lao Chuizi into the stable. When he walked through the front yard corridor, he saw the dendrobium blooming in the garden and couldn't help but stop. After he really smelled the fragrance of the flowers, he continued to walk to the hall.
Master has said that arrows must be fast and people must be slow.
In addition to Shopkeeper Zhou, there were three other people in the hall, one on each bench on the left and right, and a strong man sitting on the floor. There was a strange distance between them, as they were when they were sheltering from the rain in a ruined temple.
"Hello, shopkeeper Zhou." Zhu Guili said hello and sat down in the corner of the hall near the door.The three people didn't look at them, and he tried his best to avoid impolite gazes. When working here, he should avoid interacting with other people unless necessary, and don't say hello when he sees them on the street. It's good for both others and himself.
Shopkeeper Zhou was as unhurried as ever, sipping tea and tapping the lid of the cup against the bowl, which dissolved the silence in the hall.He took out three pieces of paper from his chest, each piece of paper was a transaction.
"Zhang Youxun, the head of the punishment hall of Dayong Chongshan Sect in Xiangdi, 50 taels..."
Dayong, 50 taels.The Chongshan sect is not big, and there should not be many guards around the execution hall master. Zhu Guili was about to speak... "I want it." The man sitting on the floor responded first.
Shopkeeper Zhou seemed to have noticed Zhu Guili's intention, raised his eyes and asked: "You want it too? Together?"
It’s only 50 taels. If it’s divided equally, the store will take [-]%, leaving only a little over [-] taels, after deducting tolls and expenses along the way... Zhu Guili was thinking about it when the man sitting on the floor cursed: "It takes two bites to chew such a small amount of minced meat." ?”
"No need." Zhu Guili shook his head. He hated arguing and had no intention of fighting with that person. There were two more behind him anyway.
Shopkeeper Zhou replaced the second one: "Cai Xiaoliu, from Jincheng, Longdi, Iron Sword Silver Guard, from Tianshuimen, 300 taels."
A case coming from Longdi this far away must be a big one and a hot one. Stores usually charge only [-]% for such big cases.He had never heard of this person named Cai Xiaoliu, but he guessed that it would not be easy to deal with, and it would not spread to Fujian if it was not a problem. It must be a problem for all the three regions of Long, Shaanxi and Shu.
300 taels... He wanted to give it a try, but it was too far and he was worried that he would not have enough travel expenses. What he was most afraid of was that someone would beat him to it halfway.Zhu Guili didn't respond, and neither did the two people on the bench.
"The last one." Shopkeeper Zhou looked down and said, "Su Chengyou, Xia County..."
Xia County?Zhu Guili felt a familiar feeling and felt a little dazed...
"The boss of the Xiangji ship of the Giant Whale Gang, the captain of the Geng fleet, twelve liang."
"Fuck!" The man sitting on the bench on the left cursed, and the man on the bench on the right burst out laughing.
The scolding and laughing are due to the same reason, ten taels of silver are also used to buy one's life?The boss of the giant whale gang is also the captain of the fleet. After all, he has some skills, and half of it is given to the store. Who would kill a captain for five taels of silver?Might as well become a dead soldier.
What kind of bad job is this, mixed in?Who set the price, and which idiot agreed?
Shopkeeper Zhou saw that no one answered, so he left one piece, put away the remaining two, and said, "Just these three."
The man sitting on the ground stood up, took the paper from Shopkeeper Zhou, and left with the two people on the bench.Zhu Guili stood up but was not in a hurry to leave.Old Chuizi was in the stable, and there was fodder in the manger. Old Chuizi could eat enough. He was thinking of a reason to delay, but he couldn't find one, so he just looked at Shopkeeper Zhou.
"What do you want to say?" Shopkeeper Zhou asked.
Zhu Guili couldn't find anything to say, and was embarrassed and was about to leave when Shopkeeper Zhou suddenly asked, "Have you been in Quanluo for half a year?"
"I've been here for half a year." In the night list business, after every job is done, it is best to hide in another area of the Nine Families to avoid the limelight. He just did a business in Guangdong nine months ago.
"We're having dinner in the backyard, why don't we stay for a meal?" Shopkeeper Zhou asked, looking down at Zhu Guili's worn-out straw sandals.
"Excuse me." Zhu Guili did not refuse the shopkeeper's kindness.
There are four large round tables in the backyard, and there are seven or eight people sitting at each table. These people are called guardians, and most of them are dead men in the industry.Dead soldiers are desperadoes, their skills are not high, but their income is not necessarily meager. For one job, they can earn ten taels while alive, and they will also have housing expenses after they die. However, those who eat at this table have to change their jobs every two years.
Zhu Guili randomly picked a table and sat down. The dead men all looked at him, recognizing that he was doing a real job. How come he was wearing shabby shoes and old clothes and was not as well-dressed as the people in the courtyard?Zhu Guili pretended not to notice, wolfed down his food, said hello casually, went to the front hall to thank shopkeeper Zhou, and left.
"There is not much business in blood buns. You haven't eaten a single bun in the past six months, so you might as well be a dead soldier." Shopkeeper Zhou said, "Even if there is no big job, you won't be without food."
"I can't be a dead soldier." Zhu Guili shook his head.
"You have to be a dead soldier only if you can't make a decent living. I've never heard of someone who can't be a dead soldier if you can't make a decent living." Shopkeeper Zhou said, "You are young and poor, what are you proud of?"
Zhu Guili still smiled bitterly: "I'm covered in cheap bones, where's the backbone? I really can't be a dead soldier."
"Otherwise, Xia County is not far away, and five taels of silver can last for several months."
"The money is too little." Zhu Guili replied casually, "Not enough for expenses."
When Zhu Guili came to the stables, he heard a commotion. It turned out that Lao Chuizi was grabbing food, which made other horses unhappy and got two hooves.Zhu Guili took out the old and skinny horse, walked out of the farmyard on broken straw sandals, and walked into the crowd of people in Xiushui Town.
The money was too little and he was in Xia County. He didn't want to go back to Xia County, but he didn't say it and no one wanted to know.In the night list, all questions were nosy. Zhu Guili would not ask the names and origins of the three assassins, nor did he want to make friends with them. The shopkeeper never cared about the days after these people left the yard.
There are not many poor people doing regular work on the night list. The assassins who stuff the money into their purses without counting the money after finishing their work usually don't live long.This kind of person either spends his money on women or loses money at the gambling table, using his chime to take over the next job, until one day he hits a hard claw and dies on the road.
Those who survive are those who have calculated carefully and know how hard it is to earn a living.
Zhu Guili would count the banknotes carefully every time he took them.
Where are you going to spend the night tonight?he thought.He was wanted on his back, and although it was many years ago and the inn didn't recognize him, he couldn't afford to stay in the inn even so.He knew that there were several unowned wooden houses outside the village, and the windows of the one at the east entrance of the city were not yet rotten.
He patted Old Hammer's butt, the belongings on the horse clanked, and the unstrung bow hung on the horse's side.This piece of "Baizhang Kill" is the most valuable thing in his body. It is a work of Jinyu Villa. He originally bought it for 20 taels of silver.
Zhu Guili remembered the first time he met Duan Qing, the owner of Jinyu Villa. At that time, he didn't think he was a master of bows, but more like a businessman.He was wearing a cloud-patterned gown made of Shu brocade and a clear emerald crown on his head. When the master of the Tang Sect's military hall came, Duan Qing went out to greet him in person. He was eloquent and eloquent. He was different from the master Zhu Guili had imagined. .
Zhu Guili bought this "Baizhang Killer" at Jinyu Villa.He likes its uncarved and simple look, which of course makes the price affordable. Even this bow is older than the old hammer. The trouble is that Jinyu Villa no longer makes bows and arrows. I heard that they use sleeve arrows instead.
A fire was lit next to the hut, and Zhu Guili ate dry steamed buns that broke into pieces and mixed with water before swallowing.
He won't starve to death for a while, he thought, Lao Chui is different. It is actually wrong to say that a horse will not be fat without weeds. A horse that only eats weeds will definitely not be fat.
He thought about the work in Xia County. Why would someone want to buy his life for only ten taels of silver?He was still a captain, so why did the needle connect this small amount of silver to the thread?
Ten taels, just ten taels?Too weird.
The next day he came to Guixiang Tower.There weren't many people in the lobby. This was a famous store, and you couldn't get out without a lot of money when you walked in.He stood at the door wearing tattered clothes and straw sandals. He glanced at the shopkeeper, Lao Wu, and then led Lao Chui around to the back door of the kitchen.Not long after, the back door opened, and the sound of a bone chopping knife hitting the chopping board was heard inside. It was Lao Wu who walked out.
"What are you doing here?" Old Wu looked around like he was on guard against thieves, "Is something wrong?"
"I want to ask about the ten taels of silver deal." Zhu Guili tilted his head and asked carefully not looking at the kitchen or his feet, "Who took the answer?"
Lao Wu was the waiter. When Zhu Guili came from Guangdong, he was the one who led the way to shopkeeper Zhou.The waiter occasionally does needlework.
"Why are you asking?" Old Wu wiped the sweat from his neck and stared at him.
"I have no work, no money, and am too idle."
"If you lose all your money, should you put it on the pillow?" Old Wu realized that he was asking too many questions and immediately changed his mind, "Don't meddle in other people's business. Listening to stories is taboo in this business. If you listen to too many stories, your life will be short."
Zhu Guili doesn't gamble or go whoring, he spends his money on women... that's right, but why is he explaining, who wants to hear it?He stopped Lao Wu who was about to go back to the kitchen: "I just want to know who picked up the phone." He didn't manage Lao Wu's money, so he had to make up an excuse at random.
Old Chui Zi was really old. He was already weak after walking only a few dozen miles. When he flicked out his tongue, Zhu Guili didn't know whether it was going to gasp or die.
When I met Xiaozhuang at the pier, he was dragging a basket of miscellaneous fish into the fish stall. The strong fishy smell and rotten stench hit my nostrils, as well as the unique smell of salt on the seaside.This was a smell that Zhu Guili was familiar with. He hadn't smelled it for more than ten years, and he suddenly felt sentimental.
"I have to sell this basket of fish first." Xiaozhuang winked, "Follow me to the market and wait?"
"No, I'll wait for you here." Zhu Guili fished out a white fish from the bamboo basket. The slippery fish body still felt familiar to the touch.
"Thirty cents!" Xiaozhuang cursed, "No one can take a fish from me for nothing!"
"It's too expensive. This kind of miscellaneous fish was only worth twenty taels before." Zhu Guili threw the fish back into the bamboo basket, "Why did you accept this job? Ten taels..."
"Did you take it?" Xiaozhuang looked at Zhu Guili's rags, straw sandals, thin horse, old bow, and slender figure one by one, with doubt in his eyes, "That's the captain of a fleet. "
"I haven't made up my mind yet," Zhu Guili replied.
He waited outside the fish stall market for half an hour before following Xiaozhuang to punt out to sea. Xiaozhuang was still muttering: "Actually, this is against the rules."
Are you still following the rules in this business?Zhu Guili thought to himself.
He met the brother and sister on a broken ship.The clothes were so tattered that they couldn't cover his arms and legs. Compared with the brothers and sisters, Zhu Guili's rags were considered luxurious.The elder brother is thin and short, and the younger sister is even thinner than the elder brother. Her eyes are narrowed to a slit, not much taller than an older child. She also has dark skin and short stature. Zhu Guili can recognize them as crooked hooves at a glance.
"You are boat owners? You were raided by the Giant Whale Gang and you want revenge?" Zhu Guili understood immediately and shook his head, "Why do you do business if you can't pass this threshold?"
"We are good people!" Brother shouted with red eyes, "Our family was recruited by the Beggar Gang and came ashore to be good households, and they agreed to let us cultivate wasteland and open up fields!"
Boat owners are a big force in the outer sea. Some of them form groups with hundreds of boats. Although most of them are small boats, they are also a hidden danger in disrupting public order and robbing fishermen.In recent years, the Beggar Gang has been trying to recruit settlers, promising to help them clear the wasteland. If they know martial arts, they will be arranged to join the sect as disciples. However, it is not easy for Qi Tu to get ashore. They have been discriminated against, neglected, and excluded. Not a few acres of good farmland.
The story is neither complicated nor exciting. The family went ashore to reclaim wasteland and were bullied. They thought that in a few generations they would be able to put down roots and not have to chase waves at sea. Although life was difficult, they could finally get through it.More than a year ago, the family took a boat to visit relatives who still lived at sea, but they were attacked by a giant whale gang boat.
"They treated us as pirates and killed us for the credit! They threw my two cousins who had not yet learned how to stand into the sea, and chopped up six fry that could not kill fish! My family, including four generations of relatives, carried 74 ships All [-] people on the boat were dead! I protected my sister by jumping into the sea to escape, and was hit by an arrow!" My brother cried loudly and pulled up his sleeves. There was a scar the size of a copper coin on the front and back of his arm.
Listening to stories is the most taboo thing in this business. Listening to too many stories will shorten your life.
"Twelve taels is too little." Zhu Guili said.Perhaps it was because he had been in this business for so long that he didn't feel filled with righteous indignation and was so calm that even he was surprised.
The brother pushed his sister forward: "My sister can sleep with you, as many times as you like."
On the way back, Zhu Guili asked Xiaozhuang: "Have you heard his story?"
"There are always a few guests who like to tell stories. Don't they have any deep grudges and kill people for fun? Just listen to these stories. Everyone only talks about their own misfortunes. Why don't you ask, they are so poor and have nothing, where did they get these ten taels of silver? Xiaozhuang shook the oar, and the boat rocked on the waves. "Actually, my great-grandfather was also a boat owner. It is difficult to reach the shore."
Zhu Guili said "Oh" and then realized that Xiaozhuang was not tall and his skin was indeed a little dark.
"You accept this deal because you sympathize with this brother and sister?"
"I only agreed to it after I slept with his sister. I just signed up for a job, and I didn't suffer any loss if no one took me." Xiaozhuang laughed, "Just try it, that bitch worked hard, and then she said she wouldn't take any money if it didn't work out." , whoring for free."
There was no guilt or sympathy in his tone, just like himself.
"I'll take this job," Zhu Guili said, "But I won't enter Xia County. I want a ship, and they have to find a way."
"You really want to accept it? It's only ten taels of silver!" Xiaozhuang looked surprised, his eyes widening as if he was being stepped on.
"Took it." Zhu Guili lay down and looked up at the blue sky.
Zhu Guili spent a lot of time, including confirming Su Chengyou's appearance and asking about the time when they went out to patrol the sea.This was not difficult at first, but for a transaction of only ten taels of silver, I couldn't afford the help of Ye Bang's needle.
There was no moon that night, and the giant whale helped a Mengchong ship that could carry more than a hundred people move forward in the waves with its lights on. The brother rowed a small boat and floated on the water, slowly approaching the warship.
The boat was very slow, avoiding the lights, and there was a familiar salty smell in the wind. Zhu Guili licked his lips.On the sea, the sound of the wind was particularly clear, and the rushing water seemed to have a rhythm. He went to the dark to string Baizhang, and the bowstring stretched and creaked, mixed in with the sound of waves in the dark night.
"Why do you have to wait to go to sea?" My brother was puzzled.Shouldn't the master of the night list sneak in and assassinate, or attack when the opponent is alone?Why do you have to wait for the enemy to board the warship, leading the entire ship of disciples, and do it when you don't even know whether the enemy will show up?
"I won't go into Xia County. I used to live there and the people there know me."
Both brothers and sisters were surprised, not knowing that the assassin they hired was a local.
Zhu Guili looked at the shore, it was so dark that there was no light at all.Although he didn't see anything, the appearance of Xia County was vaguely in front of his eyes. It might have changed, but he didn't know it.
"When I was a child, I used to play with stones on the beach with my friends."
Zhu Guili believed that the brother and sister knew what floating stones were, a skill passed down from a certain general in the previous dynasty.At that time, barbarian bandits often invaded overseas and became a serious problem in the area. The general taught the people to use floating stones to defend against the enemy.Later, the Sea Whale Gang followed the Nu King in the uprising. The rebels were poor and had few bows and arrows, so they used floating stones instead of bows and arrows. They could hit fifty feet away, and those with high skill could hit a hundred feet away.It is said that at that time, the leader of the Haijig Gang, Qian Furenqian, could swing a boulder weighing two hundred kilograms, and one stone could smash a big hole in an official ship.
For this reason, it has become a tradition in eastern Fujian to make floating stones.The children were playing with floating stones, competing to see who could hit them farther and more accurately. They broke several roof tiles and windows. The adults kept yelling and scolding, and drove the children out of the city to play. Zhu Guili followed the other children to the beach to throw stones. .
"I always win." Zhu Guili smiled slightly.
He thought of his days in Xia County.My father is a butcher and has seven children in his family. His four sons are named Houli, Welfare, Guili, and Geely. He has felt that his name is ugly since he was a child, and even his surname is ugly...
He thought of the majestic Beggar Clan disciples he had seen on the warships, and became interested in learning martial arts.
He remembered that when he was eight years old, his father wanted to kill a pig and asked him to do it...
Dad said that he shouldn't learn martial arts, and it was useless to learn martial arts, but he still wanted to learn martial arts.He entered the Gushan Gate. He had the qualifications and made rapid progress. He received the title of chivalrous man at the age of 20 and competed in martial arts. No one was his opponent.
He didn't stay in the sect, but became a bodyguard, the one with the best treatment.He worked as a bodyguard on the Qingyuan, the largest bank account in the Beggar Clan. He was unmatched in swordsmanship, fists and feet. With his amazing martial arts skills, he became a bodyguard leader at the age of 23, with a bright future...
He was engaged to the daughter of the chief escort, and all his brothers bowed to his martial arts, believed in him, admired him, and he was entrusted with important tasks...
I really shouldn’t learn martial arts, I shouldn’t learn martial arts at all…
"Do you still have to wait? I'm afraid of being discovered." His brother asked anxiously, interrupting his recollection.
"There's no moonlight tonight, so they can't see you. Steer the helm and be careful." Zhu Guili said, "Slow down, slow down."
The faster the arrow, the slower the man.
He thought of the master who taught him archery. He met his master when he was 12 years old.The master does not have a prominent reputation, nor does he come from a well-known sect. This is a world where Hou Yi can only serve as a guard after his resurrection. The master is still an ordinary nurse even when he is in his forties. He is too poor to even buy a few arrows. .He saw his master practicing archery on the beach. He was so competitive that he compared his accuracy with floating stones and lost miserably.He wanted to learn, but the master said that learning bows and arrows is useless in this world. If you kill him, you will be a disciple of the sect. It is just fun to practice archery by yourself.
At first, he learned archery for fun and never thought of making a living from it.At that time, I thought about a lot of things in the future, but I never thought that I would make a living on the night list.
"I saw him!" the brother exclaimed.Zhu Guili had also discovered that the captain's uniform was different from that of ordinary disciples. Su Chengyou had just walked out of the cabin and was inspecting the ship's edge.
"Turn around now, the faster the better, the farther the better." After Zhu Guili finished speaking, he raised his hand and raised his bow.
The sharp sound of breaking wind suddenly appeared in the waves, and the rebounding bow string could not help but tremble, and there was still a lingering sound.
Bows and arrows are different from martial arts competitions. There are routines, offense and defense, and tricks. The victory or defeat of the archer can't be determined from the moment the string is released.
The boat turned around and left, disappearing into the dark ocean before the warship caused a commotion.Zhu Guili looked towards the shore. After the arrow passed, he had to leave Fujian.
Once the arrow leaves the string, there is no turning back.
■
"You can't learn archery without a bull's-eye. If you miss the target, you won't know where the arrow is going, no matter how high or far it flies."
Kunlun 66 years spring February
Zhu Guili had been lying in the grass for four hours.He went up the mountain three days ago to survey the terrain and waited for the bull's-eye to pass.During these four hours, he listened to the chirping of insects and birds, smelled the scent of grass and flowers, and carefully smelled several kinds of floral scents here.He likes to smell the flowers, watch the sunrise, and listen to the wind. These are very comfortable, and most importantly, they cost nothing.
But he lay down for four hours. During these four hours, there were passing foxes, hares that kicked on his back, mountain rats that bit his calf, and bird droppings all over his body. Apart from these, there was nothing more annoying than Countless bugs.
Lao Chuizi took a leisurely walk and chewed grass, and took a nap when he was tired.It has become more and more sleepy in recent years, and Zhu Guili has to poke its butt every time to determine whether it is dead or asleep.
After waiting for four hours, the man finally appeared, riding a horse from the west of Chidao, alone, three hours later than expected.Zhu Guili took a breath and nocked the arrow——
Before the arrow was fired, a figure rushed out from the side of the road and fought with the man.
Alas, damn it, someone is snatching your life again!Even if you release the arrow now, you will still have to quarrel if you succeed.All work on the edge of a knife is a matter of penny-pink, and it is impossible to divide it evenly. When faced with an arrogant person, not only is the work in vain, but the blades of the sword may also be pointed at each other.
He didn't want to think about the dispute, and unconsciously prayed for the target, asking God to bless the prey and kill the assassin, and then he would clean up the mess. This was the safest way.
His wish soon came to nothing, as the assassin stabbed his prey to death and walked away.Zhu Guili shook off the leaves all over his body and stood up. His work was in vain and he was itchy all over.
He was starving.There are birds in the sky and beasts in the mountains. Anyone who travels far away must have pots, bowls, and a tent. Zhu Guili had all these, but he could only dig wild vegetables to satisfy his hunger when he was hungry.
"What's wrong with your face?" Shopkeeper Huang asked in surprise.
"Insect-bitten."
"Did you fall into a mosquito nest? Your face is swollen bigger than my pot."
Unlike Shopkeeper Quan Luozhou, Shopkeeper Qiannan Huang is talkative and caring, but also appropriate and does not ask too many personal questions.Another advantage of this man is that he is provided with two meals a day. Some shopkeepers are not willing to let people who do regular work stay in the courtyard to cause trouble.
Even Old Hammer was eating well in the stable, but he didn't seem to be gaining any weight. He was probably so old that he no longer had the energy to gain weight.
Zhu Guili likes Qiannan because it has many mountains and is so secluded. He also hates Qiannan because there are more bugs he doesn’t recognize than he has heard of.
There are not many insects in the north, but it is cold. If you lie in the snow for four hours, the snow can bury your eyes.
"I'm fine. Shopkeeper, I'll ask you for some needlework." The soles of his shoes were worn out, and it was very hard to walk back up the mountain road.
"You've been doing this for several years, and you don't gamble or go whoring, or have food or clothing. Where do you spend your money?"
"Repay the debt." Zhu Guili replied casually, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand.
"Isn't it enough to kill the creditor?" Shopkeeper Huang asked.
"After a person dies, the debt still has to be repaid." Zhu Guili said.
Last year, Baizhang was killed, so he asked a craftsman in Shu to make a new bow, which cost 40 taels of silver, which was a lot of money.He helped Xin Gong give him a name that his father would give him, which was called "One Thousand Profits".
"We have a big deal this time. Let me tell you first. If it goes through, I can pay off whatever debt you owe."
"How many?"
"Two thousand, the store only takes [-]%."
He was not interested. The more expensive the goods, the more spicy the goods. He just asked: "Who is it?"
"Tao Dashan, the richest man in Guiland."
This man was so rich that even Zhu Guili had heard of him.
"There are many people snatching this kind of big item, so it's not my turn." Zhu Guili was repairing his shoes. The edges of the shoes were full of pinholes. This pair of shoes had also come to an end. He couldn't even find a place to put the needles next time.
You have to save money, your expenses have been too high recently.
"Not only is it big, it is also very spicy. The news leaked out that Tao Yuan hired more than a hundred masters to protect the courtyard, and monks of Jue generation hired more than ten, not to mention Wudang and Tianshuimen masters, plus bodyguards to protect the courtyard, even if Dozens of people broke into the Tao family compound, and they all had to come out sideways."
"The shopkeeper is just looking for words, no one can do this business." Zhu Guili suddenly said, "Shopkeeper, give me this needle."
Shopkeeper Huang waved his hands indifferently and asked, "Want to know who wants to kill him?" "I don't want to hear stories. Listening to too many stories will shorten your life." Zhu Guili put the needle in his sleeve and asked, "Is there anything else? Selling?"
"No more." Shopkeeper Huang shook his head and asked again, "Aren't you going? You might as well check it out in Guizhou City."
"If everyone who works a regular job hangs around with this idea, there won't be dozens of embarrassing people near Mr. Tao's home, how can we not arouse suspicion? What kind of business do you do and join in the fun?" Zhu Guili replied disapprovingly.
"This is 2000 taels. Aren't you short of money? It's enough for you to pay off your debts."
2000 taels, after deducting expenses and store taps...
"I'll give it a try." Zhu Guili changed his mind, "But the shopkeeper wants to lend me travel expenses."
"Borrow one and pay back three." Shopkeeper Huang said, "If you don't get it back, my loss will be in vain."
"I'll just borrow one or two."
He bought a big bag of cheap bacon and rode Lao Chui eastward.He walked slowly, and had to dismount from his horse to accompany Lao Chuizi for nearly half of the time. He arrived in Guizhou City half a month later and met the waiter at the joint.
"Four people came here before, but they all left." The waiter at the joint said, "You can't break into the courtyard if you don't have a lot of people. If you come to the city with a lot of people, you will be suspected. The food is so spicy that anyone who wants to bite it will burn their tongue. Mr. Tao is looking for it. If anyone who wants to kill him is found, the deal will be broken up."
Zhu Guili walked slowly around Guizhou City, passing by the large manor outside Tao Yuan. In just this circle, he saw at least five or six masters.He was so blatantly poor, and Lao Chui Zi was so old that no one cared about him, even in the bustling city of Guizhou, he didn't attract any attention.He looked to the south of the Tao family compound. Three streets away was the Ningguo Temple with a pagoda in it.
"I want to find a place to stay. Outside the city, in the south. It's best if there are fewer people walking around. I need two meals and one night's stay."
He was a little surprised when he saw Widow Cai for the first time. She was seven feet two inches tall.Zhu Guili is confident in his ability to judge length and distance. Seven feet two inches is four points, not one point more. He can kiss his forehead when he stands on tiptoes.She was wearing blue coarse cloth, had a stern face, and her hair was black but rough and not lustrous. She was about in her early thirties.
"Are you doing a real job?"
He found Widow Cai looking at him, so he straightened his shoulders and exposed her thick chest.
"You pretend to look like one. The poorest hunters outside the city are more respectable than you." Widow Cai said as she walked up to Big Hammer and asked in surprise, "Is this your horse?"
"I don't think anyone else wants to keep it either."
"Blessed by Bodhisattva, this horse is old as if it is about to die. How old is it? Have you ever seen other horses live to such an old age?"
"The horse dealer sold it very cheaply." Zhu Guili said, "I thought it was going to die, and I was deceived by it for ten years."
Widow Cai chuckled and immediately turned serious.When she smiles, she shows a tiger tooth, making her look several years younger.
Zhu Guili's heart skipped a beat and he turned his head to look around. It was a hillside with no other residents on the left and right. It was more than a mile away from the nearby village. He had to go around a corner and it was very hidden.
"Tie the horse to a tree, and if anyone sees you, say you are my cousin. But I still hope you will be seen less."
"Aren't you afraid of gossip?" Zhu Guili asked.
"It's more convenient for people to know that there is a man in my family."
Zhu Guili understood what she meant and tied the horse to the tree in front of the cabin.He heard the sound of wind chimes when he entered the door. He raised his head and saw a string of wind chimes hanging behind the door. As soon as he opened the door, the wind chimes rang.
There are two rooms on each side of the house and a cradle in the corner, but Widow Cai has no children.Each window was sealed with a wooden board, leaving only two three-finger-wide air gaps at the top and bottom.
There will always be scoundrels who want to test young widows who don't have men at home, especially in such a secluded place. Zhu Guili believes that there must be a dagger under Widow Cai's pillow.
"You sleep in that room." Widow Cai pointed to the room on the right, "You can eat with me when I eat."
Widow Cai is not afraid of Zhu Guili. There are rules in the night list, and these rules are sometimes more reliable than those of the Nine Families.
Guizhou City opens its gates at three o'clock on the fifth watch, that is, at five o'clock on the Yin hour.During morning classes at Ningguo Temple, monks will gather in the main hall to chant sutras.Zhu Guili entered the city among the people rushing to the early market. He walked less conspicuously and faster than riding a big hammer.
Sneaking into Ningguo Temple was easy. The monks were not alert. He climbed to the top of the tower and looked at the Tao family compound in secret.Sometimes he would come during the day, pretending to go to the pagoda to worship, and sometimes he would come in the afternoon to observe what was going on in the Tao family compound.He was careful not to attract anyone's attention or be remembered.
Tao Yuanwai would get up around the end of the day, wash up, leave the bedroom and go to the study. The route would be to see which concubine's room he slept in the night before.With more than a hundred masters working in at least three shifts, stationed throughout the courtyard, he had little chance. Tao Yuan had at least six masters following him closely when he went out and left, so his arrows would definitely be blocked.
In order to survive, Tao Yuanwai spent at least tens of thousands of taels of silver, which is really impeccable...
No wonder this stuff is so spicy.
Zhu Guili went back to Widow Cai's house after checking every day and entered the room after saying hello. Widow Cai had a vegetable garden and raised a few chickens and two pigs. She usually grew vegetables and sold them in the city. When she was busy in and out, It will bring up the sound of wind chimes at the door.
They didn't talk to each other on weekdays, including when eating. It was awkward at first, but then they got used to it. As long as they didn't get too close, Widow Cai would pretend he didn't exist.
In the past, while waiting, Zhu Guili was used to searching for sounds and smells to pass the time. The room he slept in was not big, and there was no bed. Most of the windows were sealed, and the room was dark. There were few sounds of wind, birds, and the fragrance of flowers and plants, and there was only a slight musty smell.
He began to look forward to the sound of wind chimes brought by Widow Cai when she came in and out. It was a rare sound in the house. He used it to judge whether Widow Cai was inside or outside the house, as well as the smell of oil smoke and chicken feces on her body.
One night, in his sleep, he was startled by the sound of footsteps outside the window, and immediately got up on alert, but the other party only came to the front of the hospital, cursed in a low voice and left, probably after seeing Lao Chui Zi at the door.
He even hoped that the ruffian would knock on the door and cause some trouble.
A few days later, he saw Widow Cai hoeing in the backyard from the window, so he went to the backyard and took the hoe from her hand. Widow Cai stepped back and stared at him in fear.
"I'll help you hoe the ground, and you'll help me carry the big hammer around. It's almost suffocating."
He began to help Widow Cai grow vegetables to pass the time.
Two months later, Zhu Guili fully understood Tao Yuan's daily life. Although he still knew nothing about the details of the layout of the courtyard, knowing these was enough.The question is, how to get past the six close masters and hit Tao Yuan?
He took the bow and arrows into the city over two days and hid them in the ceiling of the Ningguo Temple.
All that's left is to wait.
"Are you still planning to move in?" That day at dinner, Widow Cai suddenly said, "It's been two months and you still haven't left?"
Zhu Guili shook his head: "I'm waiting for the opportunity."
"how much longer?"
"You want to drive me away?" Zhu Guili asked.He has indeed been bothering me for a long time, and the longer it goes on, the less safe it becomes.
"I wish you could stay longer, they would give you one penny a day." Widow Cai said, "But I have to know something in my heart."
One penny a day, of course, the night list must be paid first, and then it must be paid back.
"I don't know." Zhu Guili shook his head, "I spent a lot of money, I have to do the work, otherwise I can't pay it back."
In the past two months, I have owed more than six taels of silver, and shopkeeper Huang's one tael... no, it is three taels of silver.
"Are all those who work regular jobs as poor as you?" Widow Cai asked. She had never seen any other assassins.
"I owe a debt," Zhu Guili said, "I haven't paid it off yet."
"How much money can you earn from doing a business?"
"Look at the bonuses, there are also 50 to [-] taels, usually around [-] taels, and the store will give you a bonus." Zhu Guili didn't want to be questioned, so he asked, "How did you become the pin on the night list?"
"My man is the needle. He used to do business in the city, looking for information. I didn't even know he was doing this business. After he died, a friend of the store came to offer condolences. Seeing that the family was poor, he asked me to take care of the shortage for a month. For five coins, just help find out the news, and you don’t need to do anything else.”
This is the thickest needle. It can't help the shop with work, it's just an eyeliner, but for a widow, five pieces of silver is already of great help.
"Why do you do this?" Widow Cai asked.
Zhu Guili was eating his rice and was silent for a long time before replying: "The money comes quickly."
Zhu Guili went to Ningguo Temple early every day. His chance was only the time when Tao Yuanwai walked from the bedroom to the study. Once Tao Yuanwai entered the study, he put away his bow and arrows and returned to Widow Cai's house to help her take care of the vegetable garden, raise chickens, and do some work. farm work.
He has always been very patient and can repeat the same job day after day.
Repeat it long enough and it becomes a habit until you die of old age.
The flower trees on the mountain were in bloom, and the mountain was full of colors. When the waiter came, Zhu Guili was helping Widow Cai to apply pig fertilizer. His whole body was full of the smell of pig feces, and Big Hammer slept under the tree until he stuck out his tongue.The waiter came unexpectedly, and Widow Cai quickly brought him into the house to avoid being seen.
"Shopkeeper Huang asked me, will you still take this job?" the waiter said, "No one will take it, and no one will come to Guizhou City anymore."
"Did Mr. Tao capture someone who wanted to kill him?"
"not yet."
"That means the business is still going on." Zhu Guili glanced at Widow Cai casually, "I still want to stay here and wait."
"You've grown a beard." Widow Cai suddenly said during dinner that day.Zhu Guili touched his cheek, and his beard had already covered his chin. He hadn't shaved for a long time.
Widow Cai walked into the room, and Zhu Guili saw her taking out a dagger from under the pillow, and handed it to him: "Let's shave your face."
The hint was obvious enough. That night, Zhu Guili pushed open the door of Widow Cai's room.
"I want a child." After gasping, Widow Cai said, "Any boy or girl will do."
Zhu Guili thought of the cradle at the door of his house. He heard that Widow Cai had given birth to two children, both of whom died before their first birthday. The villagers said she was a child, so she moved out of the village to live alone.
"Do you want anything else?" he asked.
"No more." she replied.
A few days later, Zhu Guili came back from Ningguo Temple. Dachuizi was still sleeping under the tree. Zhu Guili kicked him, but Dachuizi did not get up.
"Big Hammer is dead." Widow Cai said.
This time it was really too long to wait, so long that he couldn't even get through the big hammer. Zhu Guili smiled bitterly, but he couldn't bear it.
"Skinned a horse? Even a dead horse has a price."
"No, bury it." Zhu Guili said, "I won't go to Ningguo Temple tomorrow morning."
"You're still in debt."
He hesitated for a long time and finally said: "I won't return it."
Zhu Guili dug a big hole and dragged the big hammer into the hole with great effort. It turned out that this beast was so heavy. Why was he pretending to be thin before?
He filled up the hole and asked Widow Cai the same question that night.
"what else do you want?"
"A manor, a shop, selling some knick-knacks."
"Very expensive."
"Then don't ask."
Not going to Ningguo Temple is just an extra half hour of sleep, and the days are no different from before.
In June, the weather was getting hotter. The nailed window panels were tight and he was sweating all over. Zhu Guili wanted to enjoy the cool air on the mountain. When he heard the banging sound, he walked out of the room. Widow Cai was removing the wooden boards on the window.
"It's too hot." Widow Cai said, "You need some air."
"I'll do it." Zhu Guili removed the wooden board with just a pull of his hand without using a hammer, and the room suddenly became brighter.
In July, on this day, he went up the mountain to chop firewood. When he came back, he sat under the trees outside the courtyard to enjoy the shade, smelling the fragrance of flowers and listening to the chirping of cicadas. His heart felt at ease, but also a little empty.
Widow Cai shouted from the kitchen, "Zhu Guili!" He didn't pay much attention. When he came to the kitchen, he saw Widow Cai holding a chicken upside down and clasping the chicken's neck with her thumb. Zhu Guili didn't even bother to shout "Slow", and Widow Cai held it in her right hand. The knife slashed across the chicken's neck and he said, "Today is Zhongyuan. Go to the city and buy some gold paper!"
Chicken blood surged out, instantly covering Zhu Guili's vision. He was trembling all over, his heartbeat was speeding up, his abdomen was twitching, he couldn't move, he was sweating, and he couldn't hear Widow Cai's cry clearly.
He had been at ease for too long and had become lax. Widow Cai didn't know what was wrong with him.
His eyes went black and he passed out.
When he woke up again, he was lying on the bed and suddenly woke up.
"You are fainting from blood?" Widow Cai showed her fangs and smiled in disbelief, "You are an assassin, and you are fainting from blood? How do you kill people?" She almost burst into laughter.
Zhu Guili couldn't stop trembling all over. Those old things... were they reminding him?
Widow Cai noticed something strange in his expression and asked seriously, "What's going on?"
"I'm not afraid of killing people...but I'm afraid of blood. I'm very afraid...a little blood is fine, but a little more will make me dizzy." Zhu Guili said tremblingly.His throat was dry and he drank some water from Widow Cai before he felt calm.
Zhu Guili also didn't hunt in the wild. He couldn't kill chickens and dogs, and he couldn't process the prey even if he shot it.
He couldn't be a dead soldier, he would fight at close range and faint at the sight of blood.
He would even avoid places like fish stalls, markets, and kitchens.
"Speak slowly and I will listen." Widow Cai said.
"I've wanted to learn martial arts since I was a child. My father said that it's useless for people who are sick with blood to learn martial arts. I didn't listen and became a disciple of Gushanmen. I have a talent for martial arts and have good internal skills. At the age of 20, I was the number one among my disciples. .”
"After receiving the title of knight, I didn't dare to join the sect. There were too many kills in the sect, so I went to work as a bodyguard on the Qingyuan Hao. I practiced with other bodyguards, and no one was my opponent. Everyone admired me and liked me. I I have been escorted several times and everything was safe. I became a junior escort at the age of 23. The chief escort promised me his daughter, and I made an appointment..."
Silver notes are circulated among the bank accounts of the Nine Families. If you accumulate enough silver notes, you have to go to other bank accounts to redeem the silver notes for cash, and escort a large amount of silver back. The amount is huge and the journey is long, so bodyguards are needed to protect you.Escort carts containing cash are usually heavily guarded and well-defended. Ordinary horse bandits and bandits are unlikely to rob such escort carts, and this will alarm the Nine Families, who are bound to be surrounded and suppressed.
The escort business is more about people than martial arts. You only need to clear the hills and collect some benefits from everyone. It may not be cost-effective to kill and kill. Horse bandits are also human beings, and each one will die less than one.
"I thought that after so many years, as I became more skilled in martial arts and grew older, this problem would be cured." Zhu Guili said, "But if you walk too much at night, you will eventually run into me."
He took 8000 bodyguards to escort [-] taels of silver from Huidi back to Qingyuanhao. This was the border area of Wudang and the security was the most chaotic. However, the bandits had already followed the rules and the banknotes were well managed, so he would take on this task.
Three hundred horse bandits attacked them. In fact, this was a battle that should be defended. Ordinary horse bandits were no match for the disciples of the sect, especially those sent to escort them must be elite. After all, the monthly salary given was much higher than that of ordinary disciples of the sect.
If Zhu Guili, the leader of the team, had not suddenly collapsed for unknown reasons, causing everyone to lose command and fall into chaos, the escorts would not have lost.
When he woke up, there were corpses everywhere, and 47 bodyguards were dead. Xiao Chen, Lao Wu, Tie Jizhang, Lao Yanshu... they were all his friends in the escort agency.He was confused and did not dare to return to his hometown.The sect counted the bodies and found that he was missing and did not come back. Thinking of the young escort leader who suddenly fell silently on the battlefield, he suspected that he was colluding with the horse bandits and issued a wanted arrest and investigation.
"How much is a life worth?" Zhu Guili asked Widow Cai.
This question cannot be answered. Just like the bonus on the night list, there is one life worth 2000 taels, and another life worth [-] taels.
He could surrender, but even if he didn't die, his life would be over. He couldn't afford 47 lives with this one.
He thought about taking revenge, but he had the ability of a master, but he couldn't see blood. Moreover, the horse bandits had snatched this huge sum of money and had long since disbanded to make their own living. He couldn't find any of them.
"I have nowhere to hide and nowhere to make a living. Only then did I realize that I still have a skill..."
Bows and arrows can kill people without seeing blood, and only a small drop can be seen from a distance, like smearing mosquito blood.
So he joined the night list.
"For 100 taels, I will pay 100 taels for one life, 47 lives, and 700 taels. When I earn money, I ask Ye Bang to send it to the family members of the deceased brothers. I paid back 15 taels after 500 years. Still short of one thousand, two hundred taels."
"You can't learn archery without a bull's-eye. If you miss the target, no matter how high or far the arrow flies, you won't know where it's going." This is what the master said when he taught Zhu Guili how to learn archery.These 700 taels are his bullseye. He has been flying for 15 years, and the bullseye is right in front of him.
Zhu Guili closed his eyes, and the room fell into silence.
Killing Tao Dashan is enough for 200 taels, but it will inevitably cause huge waves and Zhu Guili will flee Gui.If Tao Dashan is not killed, even if he chooses another career, Widow Cai will not be able to follow him around and live in exile.
One thousand, two hundred taels, how many years will it take to pay back?
Widow Cai got up and found the abandoned wooden boards to nail the windows again.
"Repay this debt. If you don't repay it, you will never be able to live with it for the rest of your life." Widow Cai nailed the window shut. "Go to bed early tonight. We have to go to Ningguo Temple tomorrow morning."
"Come back as soon as possible if nothing happens." She instructed.
Zhu Guili returned to Ningguo Temple and waited with his bow stretched out, waiting for the guard to relax for a moment, or for Tao Dashan to accidentally take two more steps...
That day, the master who was supposed to step forward to guard took a few steps slower and failed to follow. Tao Dashan walked a few steps faster.
There was no struggle, the struggle was over, and an arrow without centering would not hit. However, when the arrow left his hand, Zhu Guili still felt a huge pain in his heart, as if it was stabbing his heart.
He did not delay, and immediately left Ningguo Temple, Guizhou City, and Guidi. He ran very far, farther than the arrow he shot.
In the autumn of August 66, the year of the Kunlun Conference, an arrow shattered the pottery and shocked the nine families. Dian Cang was furious and searched Gui all over, but could not catch the murderer.
The Jianghu people found ten famous masters on the night list, and took the arrow as time as the leader, and they were named the top ten masters on the night list.
Two years later, Zhu Guili returned to Guidi and Widow Cai's house. The door was closed and the walls of the house collapsed.
The original waiter took refuge two years ago. The new waiter respected him very much and kept bowing: "I heard that Widow Cai and her daughter left four months ago. Widow Cai became ill after giving birth. My daughter died of illness again... She had already lost two children before..."
"Shut up." Zhu Guili heard the news from the night list.He pushed open the door, and the wind chimes hanging on the eaves made a crisp sound.
Widow Cai and her daughter were buried next to Dachui, and the tombstones were erected on behalf of the night list.
Zhu Guili hugged the tombstone and cried all night.
An arrow cannot be without a bullseye, otherwise it will not know where it will go no matter how high or far it flies.
But if this arrow hits the target, where will the next arrow go?
An arrow is like time, gone forever.
(End of this chapter)
"Bow and arrow are different from martial arts competitions. There are routines, offense and defense, and tricks. The victory or defeat of the archer can't be determined from the moment the string is released."
Kunlun 64 years spring March
There were seven horses in the stable, three more than before.Zhu Guili drove Lao Chuizi into the stable. When he walked through the front yard corridor, he saw the dendrobium blooming in the garden and couldn't help but stop. After he really smelled the fragrance of the flowers, he continued to walk to the hall.
Master has said that arrows must be fast and people must be slow.
In addition to Shopkeeper Zhou, there were three other people in the hall, one on each bench on the left and right, and a strong man sitting on the floor. There was a strange distance between them, as they were when they were sheltering from the rain in a ruined temple.
"Hello, shopkeeper Zhou." Zhu Guili said hello and sat down in the corner of the hall near the door.The three people didn't look at them, and he tried his best to avoid impolite gazes. When working here, he should avoid interacting with other people unless necessary, and don't say hello when he sees them on the street. It's good for both others and himself.
Shopkeeper Zhou was as unhurried as ever, sipping tea and tapping the lid of the cup against the bowl, which dissolved the silence in the hall.He took out three pieces of paper from his chest, each piece of paper was a transaction.
"Zhang Youxun, the head of the punishment hall of Dayong Chongshan Sect in Xiangdi, 50 taels..."
Dayong, 50 taels.The Chongshan sect is not big, and there should not be many guards around the execution hall master. Zhu Guili was about to speak... "I want it." The man sitting on the floor responded first.
Shopkeeper Zhou seemed to have noticed Zhu Guili's intention, raised his eyes and asked: "You want it too? Together?"
It’s only 50 taels. If it’s divided equally, the store will take [-]%, leaving only a little over [-] taels, after deducting tolls and expenses along the way... Zhu Guili was thinking about it when the man sitting on the floor cursed: "It takes two bites to chew such a small amount of minced meat." ?”
"No need." Zhu Guili shook his head. He hated arguing and had no intention of fighting with that person. There were two more behind him anyway.
Shopkeeper Zhou replaced the second one: "Cai Xiaoliu, from Jincheng, Longdi, Iron Sword Silver Guard, from Tianshuimen, 300 taels."
A case coming from Longdi this far away must be a big one and a hot one. Stores usually charge only [-]% for such big cases.He had never heard of this person named Cai Xiaoliu, but he guessed that it would not be easy to deal with, and it would not spread to Fujian if it was not a problem. It must be a problem for all the three regions of Long, Shaanxi and Shu.
300 taels... He wanted to give it a try, but it was too far and he was worried that he would not have enough travel expenses. What he was most afraid of was that someone would beat him to it halfway.Zhu Guili didn't respond, and neither did the two people on the bench.
"The last one." Shopkeeper Zhou looked down and said, "Su Chengyou, Xia County..."
Xia County?Zhu Guili felt a familiar feeling and felt a little dazed...
"The boss of the Xiangji ship of the Giant Whale Gang, the captain of the Geng fleet, twelve liang."
"Fuck!" The man sitting on the bench on the left cursed, and the man on the bench on the right burst out laughing.
The scolding and laughing are due to the same reason, ten taels of silver are also used to buy one's life?The boss of the giant whale gang is also the captain of the fleet. After all, he has some skills, and half of it is given to the store. Who would kill a captain for five taels of silver?Might as well become a dead soldier.
What kind of bad job is this, mixed in?Who set the price, and which idiot agreed?
Shopkeeper Zhou saw that no one answered, so he left one piece, put away the remaining two, and said, "Just these three."
The man sitting on the ground stood up, took the paper from Shopkeeper Zhou, and left with the two people on the bench.Zhu Guili stood up but was not in a hurry to leave.Old Chuizi was in the stable, and there was fodder in the manger. Old Chuizi could eat enough. He was thinking of a reason to delay, but he couldn't find one, so he just looked at Shopkeeper Zhou.
"What do you want to say?" Shopkeeper Zhou asked.
Zhu Guili couldn't find anything to say, and was embarrassed and was about to leave when Shopkeeper Zhou suddenly asked, "Have you been in Quanluo for half a year?"
"I've been here for half a year." In the night list business, after every job is done, it is best to hide in another area of the Nine Families to avoid the limelight. He just did a business in Guangdong nine months ago.
"We're having dinner in the backyard, why don't we stay for a meal?" Shopkeeper Zhou asked, looking down at Zhu Guili's worn-out straw sandals.
"Excuse me." Zhu Guili did not refuse the shopkeeper's kindness.
There are four large round tables in the backyard, and there are seven or eight people sitting at each table. These people are called guardians, and most of them are dead men in the industry.Dead soldiers are desperadoes, their skills are not high, but their income is not necessarily meager. For one job, they can earn ten taels while alive, and they will also have housing expenses after they die. However, those who eat at this table have to change their jobs every two years.
Zhu Guili randomly picked a table and sat down. The dead men all looked at him, recognizing that he was doing a real job. How come he was wearing shabby shoes and old clothes and was not as well-dressed as the people in the courtyard?Zhu Guili pretended not to notice, wolfed down his food, said hello casually, went to the front hall to thank shopkeeper Zhou, and left.
"There is not much business in blood buns. You haven't eaten a single bun in the past six months, so you might as well be a dead soldier." Shopkeeper Zhou said, "Even if there is no big job, you won't be without food."
"I can't be a dead soldier." Zhu Guili shook his head.
"You have to be a dead soldier only if you can't make a decent living. I've never heard of someone who can't be a dead soldier if you can't make a decent living." Shopkeeper Zhou said, "You are young and poor, what are you proud of?"
Zhu Guili still smiled bitterly: "I'm covered in cheap bones, where's the backbone? I really can't be a dead soldier."
"Otherwise, Xia County is not far away, and five taels of silver can last for several months."
"The money is too little." Zhu Guili replied casually, "Not enough for expenses."
When Zhu Guili came to the stables, he heard a commotion. It turned out that Lao Chuizi was grabbing food, which made other horses unhappy and got two hooves.Zhu Guili took out the old and skinny horse, walked out of the farmyard on broken straw sandals, and walked into the crowd of people in Xiushui Town.
The money was too little and he was in Xia County. He didn't want to go back to Xia County, but he didn't say it and no one wanted to know.In the night list, all questions were nosy. Zhu Guili would not ask the names and origins of the three assassins, nor did he want to make friends with them. The shopkeeper never cared about the days after these people left the yard.
There are not many poor people doing regular work on the night list. The assassins who stuff the money into their purses without counting the money after finishing their work usually don't live long.This kind of person either spends his money on women or loses money at the gambling table, using his chime to take over the next job, until one day he hits a hard claw and dies on the road.
Those who survive are those who have calculated carefully and know how hard it is to earn a living.
Zhu Guili would count the banknotes carefully every time he took them.
Where are you going to spend the night tonight?he thought.He was wanted on his back, and although it was many years ago and the inn didn't recognize him, he couldn't afford to stay in the inn even so.He knew that there were several unowned wooden houses outside the village, and the windows of the one at the east entrance of the city were not yet rotten.
He patted Old Hammer's butt, the belongings on the horse clanked, and the unstrung bow hung on the horse's side.This piece of "Baizhang Kill" is the most valuable thing in his body. It is a work of Jinyu Villa. He originally bought it for 20 taels of silver.
Zhu Guili remembered the first time he met Duan Qing, the owner of Jinyu Villa. At that time, he didn't think he was a master of bows, but more like a businessman.He was wearing a cloud-patterned gown made of Shu brocade and a clear emerald crown on his head. When the master of the Tang Sect's military hall came, Duan Qing went out to greet him in person. He was eloquent and eloquent. He was different from the master Zhu Guili had imagined. .
Zhu Guili bought this "Baizhang Killer" at Jinyu Villa.He likes its uncarved and simple look, which of course makes the price affordable. Even this bow is older than the old hammer. The trouble is that Jinyu Villa no longer makes bows and arrows. I heard that they use sleeve arrows instead.
A fire was lit next to the hut, and Zhu Guili ate dry steamed buns that broke into pieces and mixed with water before swallowing.
He won't starve to death for a while, he thought, Lao Chui is different. It is actually wrong to say that a horse will not be fat without weeds. A horse that only eats weeds will definitely not be fat.
He thought about the work in Xia County. Why would someone want to buy his life for only ten taels of silver?He was still a captain, so why did the needle connect this small amount of silver to the thread?
Ten taels, just ten taels?Too weird.
The next day he came to Guixiang Tower.There weren't many people in the lobby. This was a famous store, and you couldn't get out without a lot of money when you walked in.He stood at the door wearing tattered clothes and straw sandals. He glanced at the shopkeeper, Lao Wu, and then led Lao Chui around to the back door of the kitchen.Not long after, the back door opened, and the sound of a bone chopping knife hitting the chopping board was heard inside. It was Lao Wu who walked out.
"What are you doing here?" Old Wu looked around like he was on guard against thieves, "Is something wrong?"
"I want to ask about the ten taels of silver deal." Zhu Guili tilted his head and asked carefully not looking at the kitchen or his feet, "Who took the answer?"
Lao Wu was the waiter. When Zhu Guili came from Guangdong, he was the one who led the way to shopkeeper Zhou.The waiter occasionally does needlework.
"Why are you asking?" Old Wu wiped the sweat from his neck and stared at him.
"I have no work, no money, and am too idle."
"If you lose all your money, should you put it on the pillow?" Old Wu realized that he was asking too many questions and immediately changed his mind, "Don't meddle in other people's business. Listening to stories is taboo in this business. If you listen to too many stories, your life will be short."
Zhu Guili doesn't gamble or go whoring, he spends his money on women... that's right, but why is he explaining, who wants to hear it?He stopped Lao Wu who was about to go back to the kitchen: "I just want to know who picked up the phone." He didn't manage Lao Wu's money, so he had to make up an excuse at random.
Old Chui Zi was really old. He was already weak after walking only a few dozen miles. When he flicked out his tongue, Zhu Guili didn't know whether it was going to gasp or die.
When I met Xiaozhuang at the pier, he was dragging a basket of miscellaneous fish into the fish stall. The strong fishy smell and rotten stench hit my nostrils, as well as the unique smell of salt on the seaside.This was a smell that Zhu Guili was familiar with. He hadn't smelled it for more than ten years, and he suddenly felt sentimental.
"I have to sell this basket of fish first." Xiaozhuang winked, "Follow me to the market and wait?"
"No, I'll wait for you here." Zhu Guili fished out a white fish from the bamboo basket. The slippery fish body still felt familiar to the touch.
"Thirty cents!" Xiaozhuang cursed, "No one can take a fish from me for nothing!"
"It's too expensive. This kind of miscellaneous fish was only worth twenty taels before." Zhu Guili threw the fish back into the bamboo basket, "Why did you accept this job? Ten taels..."
"Did you take it?" Xiaozhuang looked at Zhu Guili's rags, straw sandals, thin horse, old bow, and slender figure one by one, with doubt in his eyes, "That's the captain of a fleet. "
"I haven't made up my mind yet," Zhu Guili replied.
He waited outside the fish stall market for half an hour before following Xiaozhuang to punt out to sea. Xiaozhuang was still muttering: "Actually, this is against the rules."
Are you still following the rules in this business?Zhu Guili thought to himself.
He met the brother and sister on a broken ship.The clothes were so tattered that they couldn't cover his arms and legs. Compared with the brothers and sisters, Zhu Guili's rags were considered luxurious.The elder brother is thin and short, and the younger sister is even thinner than the elder brother. Her eyes are narrowed to a slit, not much taller than an older child. She also has dark skin and short stature. Zhu Guili can recognize them as crooked hooves at a glance.
"You are boat owners? You were raided by the Giant Whale Gang and you want revenge?" Zhu Guili understood immediately and shook his head, "Why do you do business if you can't pass this threshold?"
"We are good people!" Brother shouted with red eyes, "Our family was recruited by the Beggar Gang and came ashore to be good households, and they agreed to let us cultivate wasteland and open up fields!"
Boat owners are a big force in the outer sea. Some of them form groups with hundreds of boats. Although most of them are small boats, they are also a hidden danger in disrupting public order and robbing fishermen.In recent years, the Beggar Gang has been trying to recruit settlers, promising to help them clear the wasteland. If they know martial arts, they will be arranged to join the sect as disciples. However, it is not easy for Qi Tu to get ashore. They have been discriminated against, neglected, and excluded. Not a few acres of good farmland.
The story is neither complicated nor exciting. The family went ashore to reclaim wasteland and were bullied. They thought that in a few generations they would be able to put down roots and not have to chase waves at sea. Although life was difficult, they could finally get through it.More than a year ago, the family took a boat to visit relatives who still lived at sea, but they were attacked by a giant whale gang boat.
"They treated us as pirates and killed us for the credit! They threw my two cousins who had not yet learned how to stand into the sea, and chopped up six fry that could not kill fish! My family, including four generations of relatives, carried 74 ships All [-] people on the boat were dead! I protected my sister by jumping into the sea to escape, and was hit by an arrow!" My brother cried loudly and pulled up his sleeves. There was a scar the size of a copper coin on the front and back of his arm.
Listening to stories is the most taboo thing in this business. Listening to too many stories will shorten your life.
"Twelve taels is too little." Zhu Guili said.Perhaps it was because he had been in this business for so long that he didn't feel filled with righteous indignation and was so calm that even he was surprised.
The brother pushed his sister forward: "My sister can sleep with you, as many times as you like."
On the way back, Zhu Guili asked Xiaozhuang: "Have you heard his story?"
"There are always a few guests who like to tell stories. Don't they have any deep grudges and kill people for fun? Just listen to these stories. Everyone only talks about their own misfortunes. Why don't you ask, they are so poor and have nothing, where did they get these ten taels of silver? Xiaozhuang shook the oar, and the boat rocked on the waves. "Actually, my great-grandfather was also a boat owner. It is difficult to reach the shore."
Zhu Guili said "Oh" and then realized that Xiaozhuang was not tall and his skin was indeed a little dark.
"You accept this deal because you sympathize with this brother and sister?"
"I only agreed to it after I slept with his sister. I just signed up for a job, and I didn't suffer any loss if no one took me." Xiaozhuang laughed, "Just try it, that bitch worked hard, and then she said she wouldn't take any money if it didn't work out." , whoring for free."
There was no guilt or sympathy in his tone, just like himself.
"I'll take this job," Zhu Guili said, "But I won't enter Xia County. I want a ship, and they have to find a way."
"You really want to accept it? It's only ten taels of silver!" Xiaozhuang looked surprised, his eyes widening as if he was being stepped on.
"Took it." Zhu Guili lay down and looked up at the blue sky.
Zhu Guili spent a lot of time, including confirming Su Chengyou's appearance and asking about the time when they went out to patrol the sea.This was not difficult at first, but for a transaction of only ten taels of silver, I couldn't afford the help of Ye Bang's needle.
There was no moon that night, and the giant whale helped a Mengchong ship that could carry more than a hundred people move forward in the waves with its lights on. The brother rowed a small boat and floated on the water, slowly approaching the warship.
The boat was very slow, avoiding the lights, and there was a familiar salty smell in the wind. Zhu Guili licked his lips.On the sea, the sound of the wind was particularly clear, and the rushing water seemed to have a rhythm. He went to the dark to string Baizhang, and the bowstring stretched and creaked, mixed in with the sound of waves in the dark night.
"Why do you have to wait to go to sea?" My brother was puzzled.Shouldn't the master of the night list sneak in and assassinate, or attack when the opponent is alone?Why do you have to wait for the enemy to board the warship, leading the entire ship of disciples, and do it when you don't even know whether the enemy will show up?
"I won't go into Xia County. I used to live there and the people there know me."
Both brothers and sisters were surprised, not knowing that the assassin they hired was a local.
Zhu Guili looked at the shore, it was so dark that there was no light at all.Although he didn't see anything, the appearance of Xia County was vaguely in front of his eyes. It might have changed, but he didn't know it.
"When I was a child, I used to play with stones on the beach with my friends."
Zhu Guili believed that the brother and sister knew what floating stones were, a skill passed down from a certain general in the previous dynasty.At that time, barbarian bandits often invaded overseas and became a serious problem in the area. The general taught the people to use floating stones to defend against the enemy.Later, the Sea Whale Gang followed the Nu King in the uprising. The rebels were poor and had few bows and arrows, so they used floating stones instead of bows and arrows. They could hit fifty feet away, and those with high skill could hit a hundred feet away.It is said that at that time, the leader of the Haijig Gang, Qian Furenqian, could swing a boulder weighing two hundred kilograms, and one stone could smash a big hole in an official ship.
For this reason, it has become a tradition in eastern Fujian to make floating stones.The children were playing with floating stones, competing to see who could hit them farther and more accurately. They broke several roof tiles and windows. The adults kept yelling and scolding, and drove the children out of the city to play. Zhu Guili followed the other children to the beach to throw stones. .
"I always win." Zhu Guili smiled slightly.
He thought of his days in Xia County.My father is a butcher and has seven children in his family. His four sons are named Houli, Welfare, Guili, and Geely. He has felt that his name is ugly since he was a child, and even his surname is ugly...
He thought of the majestic Beggar Clan disciples he had seen on the warships, and became interested in learning martial arts.
He remembered that when he was eight years old, his father wanted to kill a pig and asked him to do it...
Dad said that he shouldn't learn martial arts, and it was useless to learn martial arts, but he still wanted to learn martial arts.He entered the Gushan Gate. He had the qualifications and made rapid progress. He received the title of chivalrous man at the age of 20 and competed in martial arts. No one was his opponent.
He didn't stay in the sect, but became a bodyguard, the one with the best treatment.He worked as a bodyguard on the Qingyuan, the largest bank account in the Beggar Clan. He was unmatched in swordsmanship, fists and feet. With his amazing martial arts skills, he became a bodyguard leader at the age of 23, with a bright future...
He was engaged to the daughter of the chief escort, and all his brothers bowed to his martial arts, believed in him, admired him, and he was entrusted with important tasks...
I really shouldn’t learn martial arts, I shouldn’t learn martial arts at all…
"Do you still have to wait? I'm afraid of being discovered." His brother asked anxiously, interrupting his recollection.
"There's no moonlight tonight, so they can't see you. Steer the helm and be careful." Zhu Guili said, "Slow down, slow down."
The faster the arrow, the slower the man.
He thought of the master who taught him archery. He met his master when he was 12 years old.The master does not have a prominent reputation, nor does he come from a well-known sect. This is a world where Hou Yi can only serve as a guard after his resurrection. The master is still an ordinary nurse even when he is in his forties. He is too poor to even buy a few arrows. .He saw his master practicing archery on the beach. He was so competitive that he compared his accuracy with floating stones and lost miserably.He wanted to learn, but the master said that learning bows and arrows is useless in this world. If you kill him, you will be a disciple of the sect. It is just fun to practice archery by yourself.
At first, he learned archery for fun and never thought of making a living from it.At that time, I thought about a lot of things in the future, but I never thought that I would make a living on the night list.
"I saw him!" the brother exclaimed.Zhu Guili had also discovered that the captain's uniform was different from that of ordinary disciples. Su Chengyou had just walked out of the cabin and was inspecting the ship's edge.
"Turn around now, the faster the better, the farther the better." After Zhu Guili finished speaking, he raised his hand and raised his bow.
The sharp sound of breaking wind suddenly appeared in the waves, and the rebounding bow string could not help but tremble, and there was still a lingering sound.
Bows and arrows are different from martial arts competitions. There are routines, offense and defense, and tricks. The victory or defeat of the archer can't be determined from the moment the string is released.
The boat turned around and left, disappearing into the dark ocean before the warship caused a commotion.Zhu Guili looked towards the shore. After the arrow passed, he had to leave Fujian.
Once the arrow leaves the string, there is no turning back.
■
"You can't learn archery without a bull's-eye. If you miss the target, you won't know where the arrow is going, no matter how high or far it flies."
Kunlun 66 years spring February
Zhu Guili had been lying in the grass for four hours.He went up the mountain three days ago to survey the terrain and waited for the bull's-eye to pass.During these four hours, he listened to the chirping of insects and birds, smelled the scent of grass and flowers, and carefully smelled several kinds of floral scents here.He likes to smell the flowers, watch the sunrise, and listen to the wind. These are very comfortable, and most importantly, they cost nothing.
But he lay down for four hours. During these four hours, there were passing foxes, hares that kicked on his back, mountain rats that bit his calf, and bird droppings all over his body. Apart from these, there was nothing more annoying than Countless bugs.
Lao Chuizi took a leisurely walk and chewed grass, and took a nap when he was tired.It has become more and more sleepy in recent years, and Zhu Guili has to poke its butt every time to determine whether it is dead or asleep.
After waiting for four hours, the man finally appeared, riding a horse from the west of Chidao, alone, three hours later than expected.Zhu Guili took a breath and nocked the arrow——
Before the arrow was fired, a figure rushed out from the side of the road and fought with the man.
Alas, damn it, someone is snatching your life again!Even if you release the arrow now, you will still have to quarrel if you succeed.All work on the edge of a knife is a matter of penny-pink, and it is impossible to divide it evenly. When faced with an arrogant person, not only is the work in vain, but the blades of the sword may also be pointed at each other.
He didn't want to think about the dispute, and unconsciously prayed for the target, asking God to bless the prey and kill the assassin, and then he would clean up the mess. This was the safest way.
His wish soon came to nothing, as the assassin stabbed his prey to death and walked away.Zhu Guili shook off the leaves all over his body and stood up. His work was in vain and he was itchy all over.
He was starving.There are birds in the sky and beasts in the mountains. Anyone who travels far away must have pots, bowls, and a tent. Zhu Guili had all these, but he could only dig wild vegetables to satisfy his hunger when he was hungry.
"What's wrong with your face?" Shopkeeper Huang asked in surprise.
"Insect-bitten."
"Did you fall into a mosquito nest? Your face is swollen bigger than my pot."
Unlike Shopkeeper Quan Luozhou, Shopkeeper Qiannan Huang is talkative and caring, but also appropriate and does not ask too many personal questions.Another advantage of this man is that he is provided with two meals a day. Some shopkeepers are not willing to let people who do regular work stay in the courtyard to cause trouble.
Even Old Hammer was eating well in the stable, but he didn't seem to be gaining any weight. He was probably so old that he no longer had the energy to gain weight.
Zhu Guili likes Qiannan because it has many mountains and is so secluded. He also hates Qiannan because there are more bugs he doesn’t recognize than he has heard of.
There are not many insects in the north, but it is cold. If you lie in the snow for four hours, the snow can bury your eyes.
"I'm fine. Shopkeeper, I'll ask you for some needlework." The soles of his shoes were worn out, and it was very hard to walk back up the mountain road.
"You've been doing this for several years, and you don't gamble or go whoring, or have food or clothing. Where do you spend your money?"
"Repay the debt." Zhu Guili replied casually, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand.
"Isn't it enough to kill the creditor?" Shopkeeper Huang asked.
"After a person dies, the debt still has to be repaid." Zhu Guili said.
Last year, Baizhang was killed, so he asked a craftsman in Shu to make a new bow, which cost 40 taels of silver, which was a lot of money.He helped Xin Gong give him a name that his father would give him, which was called "One Thousand Profits".
"We have a big deal this time. Let me tell you first. If it goes through, I can pay off whatever debt you owe."
"How many?"
"Two thousand, the store only takes [-]%."
He was not interested. The more expensive the goods, the more spicy the goods. He just asked: "Who is it?"
"Tao Dashan, the richest man in Guiland."
This man was so rich that even Zhu Guili had heard of him.
"There are many people snatching this kind of big item, so it's not my turn." Zhu Guili was repairing his shoes. The edges of the shoes were full of pinholes. This pair of shoes had also come to an end. He couldn't even find a place to put the needles next time.
You have to save money, your expenses have been too high recently.
"Not only is it big, it is also very spicy. The news leaked out that Tao Yuan hired more than a hundred masters to protect the courtyard, and monks of Jue generation hired more than ten, not to mention Wudang and Tianshuimen masters, plus bodyguards to protect the courtyard, even if Dozens of people broke into the Tao family compound, and they all had to come out sideways."
"The shopkeeper is just looking for words, no one can do this business." Zhu Guili suddenly said, "Shopkeeper, give me this needle."
Shopkeeper Huang waved his hands indifferently and asked, "Want to know who wants to kill him?" "I don't want to hear stories. Listening to too many stories will shorten your life." Zhu Guili put the needle in his sleeve and asked, "Is there anything else? Selling?"
"No more." Shopkeeper Huang shook his head and asked again, "Aren't you going? You might as well check it out in Guizhou City."
"If everyone who works a regular job hangs around with this idea, there won't be dozens of embarrassing people near Mr. Tao's home, how can we not arouse suspicion? What kind of business do you do and join in the fun?" Zhu Guili replied disapprovingly.
"This is 2000 taels. Aren't you short of money? It's enough for you to pay off your debts."
2000 taels, after deducting expenses and store taps...
"I'll give it a try." Zhu Guili changed his mind, "But the shopkeeper wants to lend me travel expenses."
"Borrow one and pay back three." Shopkeeper Huang said, "If you don't get it back, my loss will be in vain."
"I'll just borrow one or two."
He bought a big bag of cheap bacon and rode Lao Chui eastward.He walked slowly, and had to dismount from his horse to accompany Lao Chuizi for nearly half of the time. He arrived in Guizhou City half a month later and met the waiter at the joint.
"Four people came here before, but they all left." The waiter at the joint said, "You can't break into the courtyard if you don't have a lot of people. If you come to the city with a lot of people, you will be suspected. The food is so spicy that anyone who wants to bite it will burn their tongue. Mr. Tao is looking for it. If anyone who wants to kill him is found, the deal will be broken up."
Zhu Guili walked slowly around Guizhou City, passing by the large manor outside Tao Yuan. In just this circle, he saw at least five or six masters.He was so blatantly poor, and Lao Chui Zi was so old that no one cared about him, even in the bustling city of Guizhou, he didn't attract any attention.He looked to the south of the Tao family compound. Three streets away was the Ningguo Temple with a pagoda in it.
"I want to find a place to stay. Outside the city, in the south. It's best if there are fewer people walking around. I need two meals and one night's stay."
He was a little surprised when he saw Widow Cai for the first time. She was seven feet two inches tall.Zhu Guili is confident in his ability to judge length and distance. Seven feet two inches is four points, not one point more. He can kiss his forehead when he stands on tiptoes.She was wearing blue coarse cloth, had a stern face, and her hair was black but rough and not lustrous. She was about in her early thirties.
"Are you doing a real job?"
He found Widow Cai looking at him, so he straightened his shoulders and exposed her thick chest.
"You pretend to look like one. The poorest hunters outside the city are more respectable than you." Widow Cai said as she walked up to Big Hammer and asked in surprise, "Is this your horse?"
"I don't think anyone else wants to keep it either."
"Blessed by Bodhisattva, this horse is old as if it is about to die. How old is it? Have you ever seen other horses live to such an old age?"
"The horse dealer sold it very cheaply." Zhu Guili said, "I thought it was going to die, and I was deceived by it for ten years."
Widow Cai chuckled and immediately turned serious.When she smiles, she shows a tiger tooth, making her look several years younger.
Zhu Guili's heart skipped a beat and he turned his head to look around. It was a hillside with no other residents on the left and right. It was more than a mile away from the nearby village. He had to go around a corner and it was very hidden.
"Tie the horse to a tree, and if anyone sees you, say you are my cousin. But I still hope you will be seen less."
"Aren't you afraid of gossip?" Zhu Guili asked.
"It's more convenient for people to know that there is a man in my family."
Zhu Guili understood what she meant and tied the horse to the tree in front of the cabin.He heard the sound of wind chimes when he entered the door. He raised his head and saw a string of wind chimes hanging behind the door. As soon as he opened the door, the wind chimes rang.
There are two rooms on each side of the house and a cradle in the corner, but Widow Cai has no children.Each window was sealed with a wooden board, leaving only two three-finger-wide air gaps at the top and bottom.
There will always be scoundrels who want to test young widows who don't have men at home, especially in such a secluded place. Zhu Guili believes that there must be a dagger under Widow Cai's pillow.
"You sleep in that room." Widow Cai pointed to the room on the right, "You can eat with me when I eat."
Widow Cai is not afraid of Zhu Guili. There are rules in the night list, and these rules are sometimes more reliable than those of the Nine Families.
Guizhou City opens its gates at three o'clock on the fifth watch, that is, at five o'clock on the Yin hour.During morning classes at Ningguo Temple, monks will gather in the main hall to chant sutras.Zhu Guili entered the city among the people rushing to the early market. He walked less conspicuously and faster than riding a big hammer.
Sneaking into Ningguo Temple was easy. The monks were not alert. He climbed to the top of the tower and looked at the Tao family compound in secret.Sometimes he would come during the day, pretending to go to the pagoda to worship, and sometimes he would come in the afternoon to observe what was going on in the Tao family compound.He was careful not to attract anyone's attention or be remembered.
Tao Yuanwai would get up around the end of the day, wash up, leave the bedroom and go to the study. The route would be to see which concubine's room he slept in the night before.With more than a hundred masters working in at least three shifts, stationed throughout the courtyard, he had little chance. Tao Yuan had at least six masters following him closely when he went out and left, so his arrows would definitely be blocked.
In order to survive, Tao Yuanwai spent at least tens of thousands of taels of silver, which is really impeccable...
No wonder this stuff is so spicy.
Zhu Guili went back to Widow Cai's house after checking every day and entered the room after saying hello. Widow Cai had a vegetable garden and raised a few chickens and two pigs. She usually grew vegetables and sold them in the city. When she was busy in and out, It will bring up the sound of wind chimes at the door.
They didn't talk to each other on weekdays, including when eating. It was awkward at first, but then they got used to it. As long as they didn't get too close, Widow Cai would pretend he didn't exist.
In the past, while waiting, Zhu Guili was used to searching for sounds and smells to pass the time. The room he slept in was not big, and there was no bed. Most of the windows were sealed, and the room was dark. There were few sounds of wind, birds, and the fragrance of flowers and plants, and there was only a slight musty smell.
He began to look forward to the sound of wind chimes brought by Widow Cai when she came in and out. It was a rare sound in the house. He used it to judge whether Widow Cai was inside or outside the house, as well as the smell of oil smoke and chicken feces on her body.
One night, in his sleep, he was startled by the sound of footsteps outside the window, and immediately got up on alert, but the other party only came to the front of the hospital, cursed in a low voice and left, probably after seeing Lao Chui Zi at the door.
He even hoped that the ruffian would knock on the door and cause some trouble.
A few days later, he saw Widow Cai hoeing in the backyard from the window, so he went to the backyard and took the hoe from her hand. Widow Cai stepped back and stared at him in fear.
"I'll help you hoe the ground, and you'll help me carry the big hammer around. It's almost suffocating."
He began to help Widow Cai grow vegetables to pass the time.
Two months later, Zhu Guili fully understood Tao Yuan's daily life. Although he still knew nothing about the details of the layout of the courtyard, knowing these was enough.The question is, how to get past the six close masters and hit Tao Yuan?
He took the bow and arrows into the city over two days and hid them in the ceiling of the Ningguo Temple.
All that's left is to wait.
"Are you still planning to move in?" That day at dinner, Widow Cai suddenly said, "It's been two months and you still haven't left?"
Zhu Guili shook his head: "I'm waiting for the opportunity."
"how much longer?"
"You want to drive me away?" Zhu Guili asked.He has indeed been bothering me for a long time, and the longer it goes on, the less safe it becomes.
"I wish you could stay longer, they would give you one penny a day." Widow Cai said, "But I have to know something in my heart."
One penny a day, of course, the night list must be paid first, and then it must be paid back.
"I don't know." Zhu Guili shook his head, "I spent a lot of money, I have to do the work, otherwise I can't pay it back."
In the past two months, I have owed more than six taels of silver, and shopkeeper Huang's one tael... no, it is three taels of silver.
"Are all those who work regular jobs as poor as you?" Widow Cai asked. She had never seen any other assassins.
"I owe a debt," Zhu Guili said, "I haven't paid it off yet."
"How much money can you earn from doing a business?"
"Look at the bonuses, there are also 50 to [-] taels, usually around [-] taels, and the store will give you a bonus." Zhu Guili didn't want to be questioned, so he asked, "How did you become the pin on the night list?"
"My man is the needle. He used to do business in the city, looking for information. I didn't even know he was doing this business. After he died, a friend of the store came to offer condolences. Seeing that the family was poor, he asked me to take care of the shortage for a month. For five coins, just help find out the news, and you don’t need to do anything else.”
This is the thickest needle. It can't help the shop with work, it's just an eyeliner, but for a widow, five pieces of silver is already of great help.
"Why do you do this?" Widow Cai asked.
Zhu Guili was eating his rice and was silent for a long time before replying: "The money comes quickly."
Zhu Guili went to Ningguo Temple early every day. His chance was only the time when Tao Yuanwai walked from the bedroom to the study. Once Tao Yuanwai entered the study, he put away his bow and arrows and returned to Widow Cai's house to help her take care of the vegetable garden, raise chickens, and do some work. farm work.
He has always been very patient and can repeat the same job day after day.
Repeat it long enough and it becomes a habit until you die of old age.
The flower trees on the mountain were in bloom, and the mountain was full of colors. When the waiter came, Zhu Guili was helping Widow Cai to apply pig fertilizer. His whole body was full of the smell of pig feces, and Big Hammer slept under the tree until he stuck out his tongue.The waiter came unexpectedly, and Widow Cai quickly brought him into the house to avoid being seen.
"Shopkeeper Huang asked me, will you still take this job?" the waiter said, "No one will take it, and no one will come to Guizhou City anymore."
"Did Mr. Tao capture someone who wanted to kill him?"
"not yet."
"That means the business is still going on." Zhu Guili glanced at Widow Cai casually, "I still want to stay here and wait."
"You've grown a beard." Widow Cai suddenly said during dinner that day.Zhu Guili touched his cheek, and his beard had already covered his chin. He hadn't shaved for a long time.
Widow Cai walked into the room, and Zhu Guili saw her taking out a dagger from under the pillow, and handed it to him: "Let's shave your face."
The hint was obvious enough. That night, Zhu Guili pushed open the door of Widow Cai's room.
"I want a child." After gasping, Widow Cai said, "Any boy or girl will do."
Zhu Guili thought of the cradle at the door of his house. He heard that Widow Cai had given birth to two children, both of whom died before their first birthday. The villagers said she was a child, so she moved out of the village to live alone.
"Do you want anything else?" he asked.
"No more." she replied.
A few days later, Zhu Guili came back from Ningguo Temple. Dachuizi was still sleeping under the tree. Zhu Guili kicked him, but Dachuizi did not get up.
"Big Hammer is dead." Widow Cai said.
This time it was really too long to wait, so long that he couldn't even get through the big hammer. Zhu Guili smiled bitterly, but he couldn't bear it.
"Skinned a horse? Even a dead horse has a price."
"No, bury it." Zhu Guili said, "I won't go to Ningguo Temple tomorrow morning."
"You're still in debt."
He hesitated for a long time and finally said: "I won't return it."
Zhu Guili dug a big hole and dragged the big hammer into the hole with great effort. It turned out that this beast was so heavy. Why was he pretending to be thin before?
He filled up the hole and asked Widow Cai the same question that night.
"what else do you want?"
"A manor, a shop, selling some knick-knacks."
"Very expensive."
"Then don't ask."
Not going to Ningguo Temple is just an extra half hour of sleep, and the days are no different from before.
In June, the weather was getting hotter. The nailed window panels were tight and he was sweating all over. Zhu Guili wanted to enjoy the cool air on the mountain. When he heard the banging sound, he walked out of the room. Widow Cai was removing the wooden boards on the window.
"It's too hot." Widow Cai said, "You need some air."
"I'll do it." Zhu Guili removed the wooden board with just a pull of his hand without using a hammer, and the room suddenly became brighter.
In July, on this day, he went up the mountain to chop firewood. When he came back, he sat under the trees outside the courtyard to enjoy the shade, smelling the fragrance of flowers and listening to the chirping of cicadas. His heart felt at ease, but also a little empty.
Widow Cai shouted from the kitchen, "Zhu Guili!" He didn't pay much attention. When he came to the kitchen, he saw Widow Cai holding a chicken upside down and clasping the chicken's neck with her thumb. Zhu Guili didn't even bother to shout "Slow", and Widow Cai held it in her right hand. The knife slashed across the chicken's neck and he said, "Today is Zhongyuan. Go to the city and buy some gold paper!"
Chicken blood surged out, instantly covering Zhu Guili's vision. He was trembling all over, his heartbeat was speeding up, his abdomen was twitching, he couldn't move, he was sweating, and he couldn't hear Widow Cai's cry clearly.
He had been at ease for too long and had become lax. Widow Cai didn't know what was wrong with him.
His eyes went black and he passed out.
When he woke up again, he was lying on the bed and suddenly woke up.
"You are fainting from blood?" Widow Cai showed her fangs and smiled in disbelief, "You are an assassin, and you are fainting from blood? How do you kill people?" She almost burst into laughter.
Zhu Guili couldn't stop trembling all over. Those old things... were they reminding him?
Widow Cai noticed something strange in his expression and asked seriously, "What's going on?"
"I'm not afraid of killing people...but I'm afraid of blood. I'm very afraid...a little blood is fine, but a little more will make me dizzy." Zhu Guili said tremblingly.His throat was dry and he drank some water from Widow Cai before he felt calm.
Zhu Guili also didn't hunt in the wild. He couldn't kill chickens and dogs, and he couldn't process the prey even if he shot it.
He couldn't be a dead soldier, he would fight at close range and faint at the sight of blood.
He would even avoid places like fish stalls, markets, and kitchens.
"Speak slowly and I will listen." Widow Cai said.
"I've wanted to learn martial arts since I was a child. My father said that it's useless for people who are sick with blood to learn martial arts. I didn't listen and became a disciple of Gushanmen. I have a talent for martial arts and have good internal skills. At the age of 20, I was the number one among my disciples. .”
"After receiving the title of knight, I didn't dare to join the sect. There were too many kills in the sect, so I went to work as a bodyguard on the Qingyuan Hao. I practiced with other bodyguards, and no one was my opponent. Everyone admired me and liked me. I I have been escorted several times and everything was safe. I became a junior escort at the age of 23. The chief escort promised me his daughter, and I made an appointment..."
Silver notes are circulated among the bank accounts of the Nine Families. If you accumulate enough silver notes, you have to go to other bank accounts to redeem the silver notes for cash, and escort a large amount of silver back. The amount is huge and the journey is long, so bodyguards are needed to protect you.Escort carts containing cash are usually heavily guarded and well-defended. Ordinary horse bandits and bandits are unlikely to rob such escort carts, and this will alarm the Nine Families, who are bound to be surrounded and suppressed.
The escort business is more about people than martial arts. You only need to clear the hills and collect some benefits from everyone. It may not be cost-effective to kill and kill. Horse bandits are also human beings, and each one will die less than one.
"I thought that after so many years, as I became more skilled in martial arts and grew older, this problem would be cured." Zhu Guili said, "But if you walk too much at night, you will eventually run into me."
He took 8000 bodyguards to escort [-] taels of silver from Huidi back to Qingyuanhao. This was the border area of Wudang and the security was the most chaotic. However, the bandits had already followed the rules and the banknotes were well managed, so he would take on this task.
Three hundred horse bandits attacked them. In fact, this was a battle that should be defended. Ordinary horse bandits were no match for the disciples of the sect, especially those sent to escort them must be elite. After all, the monthly salary given was much higher than that of ordinary disciples of the sect.
If Zhu Guili, the leader of the team, had not suddenly collapsed for unknown reasons, causing everyone to lose command and fall into chaos, the escorts would not have lost.
When he woke up, there were corpses everywhere, and 47 bodyguards were dead. Xiao Chen, Lao Wu, Tie Jizhang, Lao Yanshu... they were all his friends in the escort agency.He was confused and did not dare to return to his hometown.The sect counted the bodies and found that he was missing and did not come back. Thinking of the young escort leader who suddenly fell silently on the battlefield, he suspected that he was colluding with the horse bandits and issued a wanted arrest and investigation.
"How much is a life worth?" Zhu Guili asked Widow Cai.
This question cannot be answered. Just like the bonus on the night list, there is one life worth 2000 taels, and another life worth [-] taels.
He could surrender, but even if he didn't die, his life would be over. He couldn't afford 47 lives with this one.
He thought about taking revenge, but he had the ability of a master, but he couldn't see blood. Moreover, the horse bandits had snatched this huge sum of money and had long since disbanded to make their own living. He couldn't find any of them.
"I have nowhere to hide and nowhere to make a living. Only then did I realize that I still have a skill..."
Bows and arrows can kill people without seeing blood, and only a small drop can be seen from a distance, like smearing mosquito blood.
So he joined the night list.
"For 100 taels, I will pay 100 taels for one life, 47 lives, and 700 taels. When I earn money, I ask Ye Bang to send it to the family members of the deceased brothers. I paid back 15 taels after 500 years. Still short of one thousand, two hundred taels."
"You can't learn archery without a bull's-eye. If you miss the target, no matter how high or far the arrow flies, you won't know where it's going." This is what the master said when he taught Zhu Guili how to learn archery.These 700 taels are his bullseye. He has been flying for 15 years, and the bullseye is right in front of him.
Zhu Guili closed his eyes, and the room fell into silence.
Killing Tao Dashan is enough for 200 taels, but it will inevitably cause huge waves and Zhu Guili will flee Gui.If Tao Dashan is not killed, even if he chooses another career, Widow Cai will not be able to follow him around and live in exile.
One thousand, two hundred taels, how many years will it take to pay back?
Widow Cai got up and found the abandoned wooden boards to nail the windows again.
"Repay this debt. If you don't repay it, you will never be able to live with it for the rest of your life." Widow Cai nailed the window shut. "Go to bed early tonight. We have to go to Ningguo Temple tomorrow morning."
"Come back as soon as possible if nothing happens." She instructed.
Zhu Guili returned to Ningguo Temple and waited with his bow stretched out, waiting for the guard to relax for a moment, or for Tao Dashan to accidentally take two more steps...
That day, the master who was supposed to step forward to guard took a few steps slower and failed to follow. Tao Dashan walked a few steps faster.
There was no struggle, the struggle was over, and an arrow without centering would not hit. However, when the arrow left his hand, Zhu Guili still felt a huge pain in his heart, as if it was stabbing his heart.
He did not delay, and immediately left Ningguo Temple, Guizhou City, and Guidi. He ran very far, farther than the arrow he shot.
In the autumn of August 66, the year of the Kunlun Conference, an arrow shattered the pottery and shocked the nine families. Dian Cang was furious and searched Gui all over, but could not catch the murderer.
The Jianghu people found ten famous masters on the night list, and took the arrow as time as the leader, and they were named the top ten masters on the night list.
Two years later, Zhu Guili returned to Guidi and Widow Cai's house. The door was closed and the walls of the house collapsed.
The original waiter took refuge two years ago. The new waiter respected him very much and kept bowing: "I heard that Widow Cai and her daughter left four months ago. Widow Cai became ill after giving birth. My daughter died of illness again... She had already lost two children before..."
"Shut up." Zhu Guili heard the news from the night list.He pushed open the door, and the wind chimes hanging on the eaves made a crisp sound.
Widow Cai and her daughter were buried next to Dachui, and the tombstones were erected on behalf of the night list.
Zhu Guili hugged the tombstone and cried all night.
An arrow cannot be without a bullseye, otherwise it will not know where it will go no matter how high or far it flies.
But if this arrow hits the target, where will the next arrow go?
An arrow is like time, gone forever.
(End of this chapter)
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