Under the sky

Chapter 45 There are also thieves in the road
Autumn and September of the 88rd year of Kunlun
The buzzing sound lingers in my ears, annoying flies.

My whole body hurt, as if it had been cut into many pieces, and I didn't know where my arms, legs, and waist were.What time is it now?No, it’s time to get up. We still have to go to Kongtong to become a disciple...

Crying?Whose cry?mother?Why is it only mother?Where is dad?By the way, mom said daddy is dead. When did daddy die?How did you die?I can't remember...it's so noisy...did flies get into my ears?

Li Jingfeng opened his eyes suddenly and saw flies all over his eyes. He stretched out his hand to swat them, but it hurt so much when he moved.He took a deep breath, a stench surged into his chest, his throat spasmed, and he almost vomited.With this move, I felt a sharp pain in my chest - there was a sword scratch there, and the wound had not yet healed.

After another rest, Li Jingfeng took a closer look.This is a small wooden house. Looking out the window, the ghost-headed sword flag is fluttering in the wind, which is very flamboyant.His right hand was in severe pain, and he stood up with his left elbow. His elbow seemed to be caught by something, and it was pulled to his right hand.When he looked again, he saw a pair of shackles connected to an iron chain, clasping his hands. The iron chain was about two feet long, which gave him room to stretch out.He reached out and touched his waist again, and sure enough he touched an iron chain.

Not a dream?He recalled the memory of the last time he woke up and turned around. The old man was squatting in the corner, his eyes dull. He was also wearing shackles and chains. There were a bunch of yellow and white things beside him. The piles of flies were attracted by these filth. caused by the stench.Li Jingfeng thought that it would be too much to treat an old man like this. His blood surged and he felt dizzy. Then he thought, where is the sword?He reached out and touched it, but couldn't find the original intention. If he touched himself again, the banknote was gone. "Did that person take it away?" The original intention was given by Shen Weichen, but now it was taken away by someone. He couldn't help but feel upset and anxious.Seeing that his wound was bandaged, he knew that someone was rescuing him, but since he had been rescued, why did he tie him up again?What kind of place is this? Is it the thief Gao Yu mentioned?

He had a thought in his mind and wondered, could it be that the other party knew that he knew Shen Yuqing's brother and sister, so he tied him up and planned to blackmail and threaten him?But how did the other party know that he knew Shen Yuqing's brother and sister?He only mentioned this matter to Gao Yu from Beiying Hall. Did Gao Yu collude with the horse thieves?He was having random thoughts and couldn't help calling out to the old man, but his voice was weak. He wanted to let go, but it hurt when he opened his mouth.

The room was not big, less than ten steps in radius. Even though the voice was whispered, the old man should have heard it, but he ignored him.Li Jingfeng shouted a few more times: "Old sir, where is this place? How come you are locked up here?"

The old man ignored him at first, but after a while, he turned his head and looked at him coldly.Li Jingfeng couldn't help but be shocked when he saw that his lips were slightly open and his saliva stuck the surrounding beard together. His appearance was very terrifying.

The old man suddenly rushed towards him and reached out to grab him. Li Jingfeng was so frightened that he shrank back, causing injuries. He cried out "Ah!" and almost fainted from the pain.The old man jumped two steps in front of him. He was entangled in the iron chain and could not go any further. His hands were waving in front of him. Li Jingfeng looked closely and couldn't help but scream.

The old man's hands were of uneven length. The thumb and ring finger of his right hand were missing one section, the middle finger and little finger were missing two sections, and the index finger was completely broken off.The left hand is not much better, with one section missing each on the index finger and middle finger, and two sections broken off on the ring finger and little finger.Out of ten fingers, only one thumb is intact.

The broken parts of those severed fingers were flat, as if someone had cut them off knuckle by knuckle, which was very terrifying.I just heard the sound of "whirring" coming from the old man's mouth, and he couldn't stop salivating. It turned out that a small wooden stick was stuffed in his mouth. There were ropes tied at both ends of the wooden stick, which were wrapped around the back of his neck and tied tightly. The old man was short of fingers and could not move on his own. dismantling.

Li Jingfeng couldn't help but feel angry. He couldn't bear it when he first saw the old man tied up with iron chains. When he saw his fingers cut off and a wooden stick stuffed in his mouth, he thought, how could he torture someone like this?He reluctantly moved his body and leaned against the wall, looking at the old man. The old man was holding on to his hands, as if asking for help or trying to catch something.Li Jingfeng hurriedly comforted him and said, "Old sir, I don't mean any harm. Don't do this, be careful not to hurt yourself."

The old man didn't seem to hear anything and just kept reaching out to grab it.Li Jingfeng saw that although his appearance was terrifying and he was full of stench, his expression was miserable and he couldn't help but reach out his hand.The old man shook his hand, scratched and scratched it, but he had no fingers left and could not hurt Li Jingfeng.After a while, the old man suddenly held Li Jingfeng's hand tightly and cried while holding it in his arms.Li Jingfeng listened carefully and heard that the old man had a wooden stick in his mouth and could not speak clearly. He could only hear a few single words, such as eagle, horse, chicken, etc. Li Jingfeng thought to himself, why are they all animals?

He didn't know what was going on. The old man cried for a while, maybe he was sleepy, and fell asleep on the ground. Li Jingfeng withdrew his hand, thinking that if he fell into the hands of a horse thief, it would be a disaster.He looked around and saw only a field of straw. One end of the chain around his waist passed out of the ground and seemed to be locked somewhere outside. This was where they imprisoned the prisoners.

At this moment, there was nothing he could do, and the flies kept swooping at his face, making him very uncomfortable. Li Jingfeng had no choice but to raise his left hand, clasp his index finger with his thumb, and shoot down a fly with a precise flick.He was poor since he was a child and had no toys to play with, so he played with swatting flies. Whenever he saw flies or mosquitoes, he would flick them away and they would all fall away.When he was working in the back kitchen of Fu Ju Guan, if he saw flies surrounding the kitchen waste, he would use this trick to drive them away.If you ask him how he mastered this unique skill of swatting flies, he will scratch his head and say that he just hits when he sees it correctly. There is no secret. Others only say that practice makes perfect.

As he continued to fight, corpses of flies fell all over the floor. Li Jingfeng also felt sleepy and fell asleep leaning against the wall.I don't know how long it took, but suddenly I heard a voice calling: "You bastard, are you awake?" Li Jingfeng woke up with a start and saw a thin man wearing coarse linen clothes looking at him.The man threw a skin bag in front of him and said, "Drink water?"

Li Jingfeng felt his mouth was dry, so he picked up the bag and drank.The thin man turned around and left. After a while, he brought a bowl of noodle soup, put it on the ground, and said, "Eat!" in a very polite tone.

Li Jingfeng was unconscious for several days. As soon as he smelled the aroma of noodles, his stomach immediately started to growl. Enduring the pain all over his body, Xilihulu ate a bowl of noodles and asked again, "Why are you arresting me?"

The thin man took the empty bowl and said, "Let's wait until the handle of the knife comes off later." After that, he walked away.

About half an hour later, the slender man walked in with a strong man and said, "The knife handle wants to see you!" After that, he untied the iron chain around his waist, and the two of them, one on the left and the other on the right, held him up. Walk.

After leaving the cell, Li Jingfeng saw the whole picture of the horse thieves' village.The terrain seems to be on a mountain, but I don't know which mountain it is. Looking left and right, I can see mostly low wooden houses, which are very simple. Although I don't know the number, I guess there are at least dozens of them.He looked back at the hut where he was imprisoned. There were several thick wooden stakes inserted outside, and iron chains were tied to the stakes. The other end was connected to the house, tying him up.He also saw some women leading their children to grind wheat and make dough, and there were also strong men practicing tricks, sharpening knives, and feeding horses. If you didn't know that this was a horse thieves' village, it would be no different from an ordinary village.

Li Jingfeng was taken to a greenhouse by the two men. On the right side of the greenhouse was a wooden sign with the words "Wenyitang" crookedly carved on it and blackened with mud to make the three words more conspicuous.The greenhouse is made of wood, with a roof covered with withered grass, and several long benches placed in the middle. It is considered neat and elegant in this cottage, and it is expected to be a place for their discussions.

Several people were chatting in the greenhouse, and among them sat a middle-aged bald man, wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket, with a strong build, a pair of bright tiger eyes, and several scars of varying depths on his face.A young man was sitting on the ground at his feet. He looked handsome and his face was very clean, which was completely different from the fierce look around him.There was a sword on the young man's lap. The scabbard was luxurious. Li Jingfeng took a closer look. Wasn't it the original intention of Shen Weichen to give it to him?I couldn't help but feel angry.

When several people saw Li Jingfeng arriving, they immediately fell silent. The young man stood up and stood next to the bald man.There were a total of six people in the shed. In addition to the bald man and the young man among them, there were four people sitting two on the left and two on the right.Li Jingfeng was taken to the center of the greenhouse. Everyone turned their attention to the bald man in the middle with great respect. It was obvious that this man was the leader.

The bald man said: "I am Rao Dao Daozi, have you heard of me?"

Li Jingfeng nodded, looked at the young man behind him, and said, "That sword is mine." Although he was seriously injured, his voice was weak but firm.

Everyone around laughed. Li Jingfeng didn't know why they were laughing. His face turned red and he asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"We are horse thieves!" said a fat man on the right, "Are you asking for something from a robber?"

"I don't want to ask for it, do you really think you earned it by yourself?" Li Jingfeng said, "I thought I said something wrong, but it turns out you are shameless."

The fat man was furious, stood up and yelled: "You bastard, what the hell are you farting?!"

Seeing that Li Jingfeng was not afraid, Rao Daozi waved his hand for the fat man to sit down.He asked Li Jingfeng, "It's not impossible for you to get this sword back. I ask, you answer." He took out the medicine bottle given by Zhu Menshang from his arms and said, "This is the top medicine. I have never seen such good medicine." Yes. Are you a big ticket dealer? Do you know medical skills?"

Li Jingfeng shook his head and said: "I don't have medical skills, and I'm not a big ticket person like you said. It was given to me by a friend, he is a doctor."

Rao Daozi said: "Liar, top medicine is extremely harmful to the body, and ordinary doctors will not use it."

Li Jingfeng said: "I'm not lying. It was really a gift from a friend."

Rao Daozi asked again: "Then where did you get so much silver?"

Hearing what he said, Li Jingfeng seemed not to know that he had friendship with the Shen brothers and sisters. So wasn't arresting him for ransom?He didn't want to cause trouble, so he replied: "I sold my family property and came to Kongtong to learn skills."

Rao Daozi asked suspiciously: "Study skills? Which school do you learn from?"

Li Jingfeng replied: "I have never learned kung fu."

Rao Daozi frowned and said sullenly: "I'm telling you so loudly and angrily, but you kid is playing me like a fool! You don't know martial arts, how can you fight three people who know kung fu and kill two of them?"

Li Jingfeng said: "Those three were weak in kung fu. I tried my best to kill them, but it was only by luck that I killed them. If I had learned from a master, how could I have been injured like this?"

Rao Daozi showed disbelief, and said: "You said you are not a doctor, but you have medicine on you, a lot of silver, and a sword, and you say you don't know martial arts. This is not nonsense!"

Li Jingfeng said: "Who said that those who carry swords can do martial arts, and those who carry medicine can be doctors? You are bald, can you be a monk?"

The young man was furious, rushed forward and cursed: "I told you to mock my father!" As he said this, he kicked Li Jingfeng's knee.The script asked Li Jingfeng to kneel down and kill his spirit. When Li Jingfeng saw it, he jumped to the side, but he was seriously injured. His whole body ached when he moved. He was swept to his calf and fell heavily to the ground.He didn't want to show weakness in front of the enemy, so even though the pain was so painful that he almost shed tears, he still held back a groan and managed to stand up again.The young man tried to kick him again, but Rao Dao shouted: "Stop! Son, come here!" When the young man saw his father yelling, he walked back to his father angrily and dissatisfied.

Even though he was holding the sword, he was not angry, and said: "I don't have a scar on my head, so I am not a monk. This sword is exquisite and expensive, and cannot be worn by people like you. I saw your dodge, you really don't know martial arts, buy it What’s the use of such a good sword?”

Li Jingfeng said: "That was also given as a gift."

The man with triangular eyes next to him cursed: "Damn, the medicine was given as a gift, and the sword was also given as a gift! Knife handle, this kid is slippery, he doesn't know kung fu anyway, kill him, keep it for future trouble!"

Rao Dao glanced at Sanjiangyan. Sanjiangyan knew that he said the wrong thing and hurriedly said: "How about locking him back in the house and keeping him company with that lunatic!"

Rao Daozi stared at Li Jingfeng again, as if he was weighing whether he was lying.The two people's eyes met, and Li Jingfeng did not dodge.Rao Daozi thought for a while and asked, "What is your name?"

"Li Jingfeng."

"This is not a name that ordinary people would give." Rao Daobaozi said, "It seems that your background is not bad. Do you want to learn from a master and become an Iron Sword and Silver Guard?"

Li Jingfeng nodded and heard several disdainful snorts.

Rao Daozi said: "You can get this sword back, and you can follow us from now on. If you want to learn kung fu, I will let someone teach you."

Li Jingfeng was shocked. He didn't expect that the bandit would actually recruit him into the gang, and he said hurriedly: "I don't want to be a bandit!"

Rao Daozi said: "It's not inappropriate. I can see that you look down on bandits. It doesn't matter. I saw you injured on the road and saved your life from the robbers. This is a fact."

Li Jingfeng was very surprised and asked: "Save me?"

Rao Dao said: "Instead of saving you, who will treat your injuries?"

Li Jingfeng first heard about the evil deeds of the thieves, and then saw the miserable condition of the old man in the wooden house. His original intention was invaded again, and he couldn't help but think that the other party was holding him hostage and threatening Shen Yuqing's brother and sister for ransom.But the other party wanted him to join the gang and didn't seem to know that he was related to the Shen brothers and sisters, so he asked: "If you save me, why do you tie me up?"

Rao Knife Handle said: "You are seriously injured and cannot be saved unless you are brought back to the stockade. Since you know the location of the stockade, I cannot let you go. If this place is leaked, there will be disaster immediately. I have to take care of hundreds of brothers and their families." life."

Li Jingfeng said: "I don't want to be a horse bandit. Return my sword and luggage to me, and give you the medicine and silver. I swear I will never reveal this place. Otherwise, you can just blindfold me and take me out."

The young man was very displeased when he heard him asking for his original intention again and again, and said: "How can I save your life and get you a sword?"

Li Jingfeng said: "This sword was a gift from an old friend. I can't give it to you. I'm sorry." He believed that the other party was the one who saved him, and his tone became much gentler.

Rao Daozi shook his head and said: "The lives of hundreds of people in the village are in my hands. I can't take risks, and you can't leave."

Li Jingfeng said: "Then what are you going to do with me? Kill me?"

Rao Daozi shook his head again and said: "If I don't kill you, I'll keep you until you change your mind."

Li Jingfeng managed to raise his voice and said: "I will not change my mind in 20 or 30 years!"

Without saying anything, Rao Hong pointed at the slender man before and said, "Old Hong, help him find a room." Lao Hong said yes, supported Li Jingfeng and said, "Follow me."

Li Jingfeng thought to himself, wait for a while, wait for the injury to heal, steal the sword, and then escape.He also thought that this knife was not as vicious as the rumors said. After all, he had saved his life. At most, by not revealing the location of the cottage, he would be repaying the favor of saving his life.He thought of the old man who was locked up in the hut. He didn't know what grudge the man had against Rao Dao Baozi, but he was tortured like that.

Lao Hong led Li Jingfeng to a small house. The house was so small that he could knock his head on the roof when he jumped up.Lao Hong pointed to a kang and said, "You will stay here temporarily."

Li Jingfeng stretched out his hand and said, "The shackles haven't been released yet."

Lao Hong cursed: "You are a prisoner, do you really think you are a guest? I'm warning you, this place is guarded day and night, don't even think about escaping! The old man in the cell is your role model!"

Li Jingfeng was shocked. It turned out that the old man failed to escape and was tortured like this.The good impression he had towards Rao Dao Baozi suddenly disappeared without a trace, and he said angrily: "Are you still a human being when you treat an old man like this?"

Lao Hong ignored him and said with a smile: "You know you're afraid? If you're afraid, just obediently accept the name certificate and join! There is food and accommodation here. Although the stable life does not last long, it is one day at a time. If something unexpected happens one day, that will be the case." Life." He added, "You leave this house, or I will tie you to a cell and suffer!"

Li Jingfeng didn't know what he meant by "voting a name certificate", so he just lay down on the bed.His injuries were not healed and his whole body ached, and he fell asleep again soon.

At night, he heard a knock on the door, and a girl came in with a bowl of gnocchi, put it on the ground, and said, "Eat it." After she finished speaking, she did not leave. She looked at Li Jingfeng carefully, and Li Jingfeng was looked down upon by her. Zi Zi asked: "What are you looking at?"

The young girl said: "There are few young people in the village and even fewer outsiders. I came here specially to see you. You don't know how long I begged my father before he asked me to bring me this bowl of noodles. My name is Bai Niu. ,May I have your name?"

Li Jingfeng saw that her skin was fair. He had heard how tall and fair the northern women were, so he replied, "My name is Li Jingfeng."

Bai Niu was very curious about him and asked: "One hit three and killed two of them. Are you very powerful and have learned kung fu?"

Li Jingfeng was annoyed by this question. Ever since he met the Qingcheng disciples at Fuju Hall, people kept asking him if he knew Kung Fu. Why was Kung Fu so easy to learn?He shook his head and said, "Why do everyone say I know Kung Fu? I don't."

Bai Niu said: "Uncles said you refused to join the gang, why? With us, you will eat gnocchi and mutton every day."

Li Jingfeng shook his head and said: "I came to Kongtong to learn from my master and join the Iron Sword Silver Guard, not to be a horse bandit."

Bai Niu pursed her lips and said: "Iron Sword and Silver Guard are all bad people, what's so good about them!"

Li Jingfeng asked in surprise: "How do you say that?"

Bai Niu said: "My father and mother asked me not to go out of the cottage casually. If the Iron Sword Silver Guards are attracted, the people in the cottage will die. It's good for us to live here. If they find out, they will kill us. Do you think it's bad?" bad?"

Li Jingfeng thought to himself, you are horse thieves. When you encounter a sect, you will be wiped out. How can this be considered bad?But looking at her naivety, he didn't expose her and asked instead, "Are you planning to stay here?"

Bai Niu said: "No, I lived far down the mountain when I was a child, and I moved up later."

Li Jingfeng asked: "We live well down the mountain, why move up the mountain?"

Bai Niu frowned and said: "What's better! I often went hungry when I was a child! I still remember one winter when I was sick and there was no firewood at home. I almost froze to death in the middle of the night. My father took apart the hoe handle, piled up a few clothes, and burned what could be burned at home. Everything was burned down, and my mother hugged me and cried, asking how I would live in the future. The next day, my father followed Rao Dao and moved to the mountains, and my life became stable."

Li Jingfeng heard that her family was forced to live in poverty. His parents died young, and he learned to be self-reliant very early. He knew that it was not easy to make a living, not to mention the severe cold climate in Gansu, which made life even more difficult. He couldn't help but sympathized and asked: "Your father should also know martial arts." Yes, why don’t you go to a nursing home?”

Bai Niu said: "I don't know, I never asked dad. Have you ever been a nurse?"

Li Jingfeng shook his head and said, "No. But life in the nursing home is not easy either. It depends on people's faces."

Bai Niu said: "I moved to the mountain village when I was nine years old. I don't know much about the things at the foot of the mountain. Can you tell me some stories about the foot of the mountain?"

Li Jingfeng said: "I am from Qingcheng and I don't know the story of Kongtong."

Bai Niu tilted her head, "Qingcheng? I think I've heard of it. Is your city blue? I love blue the most, it's so beautiful!"

Li Jingfeng said: "Qingcheng is not green. It is named Qingcheng because the sect first originated from Qingcheng Mountain."

Bai Niu asked: "Where is Qingcheng Mountain?"

Li Jingfeng said: "It is in Sichuan, but Qingcheng is not in Qingcheng Mountain. Alas, speaking of it, Qingcheng Mountain is also still in Qingcheng." Qingcheng Mountain is within the territory of Tangmen, but it is under the jurisdiction of Qingcheng. It was unclear at the moment.

Bai Niu asked: "If it's not in Qingcheng Mountain, then where is it?"

Li Jingfeng said: "Ba County."

Bai Niu said: "How come you are so confused? You say Qingcheng originated from Qingcheng Mountain, and you say it is in Ba County. Where is Ba County?"

Li Jingfeng originally wanted to say that he was in Sichuan, but felt that this was more confusing, so he said: "It's a long story, so I'll tell you slowly when I have time."

Bai Niu smiled and said, "Okay, you eat the noodles first."

She waited for Li Jingfeng to finish eating the noodles, then packed up the dishes and left.After a while, Lao Hong brought in Li Jingfeng's luggage and quilt. Li Jingfeng saw that the clothes and utensils were all there, but the book sent by Xie Gubai was missing.Now, the silver coins, medicines, books, and swords he had received as parting gifts were all gone. Especially the original intention, it worried him the most.

After that, it was Bai Niu who brought him food and pestered him to ask many questions. Li Jingfeng was not a well-informed person and was often hesitant when asked, but he gradually found out about the cottage.

Bai Niu's surname is not Bai, but she was given this nickname because of her fair and tender skin since she was a child.Her father Qiwei, nicknamed "The Winged Tiger", was the second-in-command of the village, and he was the fat man who scolded him in the greenhouse that day.

By the time he recovered from his injury, it was already November.Li Jingfeng had been trapped in this cottage for the past few months. All he ate was noodles every day, but there were mutton and chicken variations. Apart from Lao Hong coming to ask if he wanted to join the cottage, he had nothing else to do. He was really bored and sick.

On this day, Bai Niu came over happily and shouted, "It's snowing!" Li Jingfeng walked to the door and saw fine snow falling in the sky.Bai Niu pursed her lips and said, "When will you join the village? Then you can go out and play in the snow with me!"

All the men in the village have jobs, but Bai Niu is at the age where she loves to play. She has no one to accompany her, so she comes to pester him every day. In recent months, the two have gradually become close to each other.Li Jingfeng said: "I will not be a horse bandit."

Bai Niu pursed her lips, cursed: "You have a stubborn temper!" and ran out.

Li Jingfeng estimated that his injuries had healed and it was time to wait for an opportunity to leave. However, the stronghold was guarded day and night, so he had to think carefully about how to escape.He thought of the old man in the cell and felt sympathy. He had suffered such inhuman treatment. If he could escape, he would find a way to rescue the old man.Just as he was thinking about it, he heard another knock on the door. He thought it was Bai Niu who came back to chat with him. When he opened the door, he saw that it was Rao Dao, and he couldn't help being surprised.

Rao Daozi entered the door, put the book on the table, and said, "This book is quite good. It contains many anecdotes about the Nine Families. Where did it come from?"

"It was written by a friend and was given to me to pass the time during my trip." Li Jingfeng did not expect that Rao Daobaozi would come to return the book and read it.

Rao Dao nodded and said: "This friend of yours is talented and learned, and he is a person who has traveled through the nine families. How did you get to know him?"

Li Jingfeng didn't want to talk about what happened in Qingcheng. He only said that he used to work as a waiter in an inn and made friends with tourists.Rao Daobozi asked about the silver and the sword, and said that he had met a rich boy in Qingcheng and knew that he was going to travel far away, so he gave it as a gift.

Rao Dao changed the subject and said: "There are not enough reserves in the village. Your injury is very good. You can work with us tomorrow."

Li Jingfeng knew that what they were doing was robbing, and said in surprise: "I don't want to be horse bandits!"

Rao Daozi said: "Not everyone wants to fall into the trap of being a bandit, but since you know the location of the stronghold, I can't let you out. Whether you are considerate or angry, you are destined to be with us."

Li Jingfeng said: "No matter how much the village leader persuades me, I will never agree." He added, "Since the village master doesn't want to leak the secret, why not kill me?"

Rao said with the knife in his hand: "Killing those who can't resist is not a good man."

Li Jingfeng said: "Then torturing an old man makes him a hero?"

Rao touched his bald head with the handle of the knife and said, "You mean the one in the cell?"

Li Jingfeng said angrily: "Who else could it be? Lao Hong said he wanted to escape and was tortured like this by you!"

Rao Daozi nodded and said: "You know my methods, how dare you escape?"

Li Jingfeng said: "You save my life, I won't betray you, but of course I will run away if I find an opportunity!"

Rao Dao was not angry at all, and said with a smile: "You are really honest. Okay, let me tell you straight away. Tomorrow I will start work. All the men in the village who are taller than horses will have to go out. I am worried about the remaining women and children here. .How about you go to the cell and settle down for two days?"

Li Jingfeng thought that if he walked with them, he might be able to escape, so he said, "I'll go with you."

Rao Daozi said: "You can fight three people with one without knowing martial arts. Maybe this is what you should do." He patted Li Jingfeng on the shoulder and walked away.Early the next morning, someone came to urge Li Jingfeng to go out. He had been locked in the house for a long time, and he felt indescribably comfortable when he saw the light of day again. He also felt uneasy at the thought of going on a robbery today.Lao Hong led him to choose a mount. He raised his hands and asked, "Can't these shackles be removed?" Lao Hong shook his head and said, "I won't let you go until you join the gang. Now you are still a prisoner."

I saw a few huge beasts, which looked like horses but not horses. They were taller than horses, with double rugged peaks on their backs, which was very strange.Li Jingfeng remembered that the book written by Xie Gubai mentioned that people in Gansu Province used camels to replace their leg strength, and asked the people around him, and it turned out to be camels.This was the first time he saw a camel, and he thought it was magnificent.

He looked for his horse in the stable. He had not seen it for a long time and missed it very much. He was about to get on the horse when he suddenly felt a pain in his waist and was kicked to the ground. When he looked up, it was Rao Changsheng, the only son of Rao Daozi. The original intention is worn around the waist.

Rao Changsheng said: "Beast, is this still your horse? Get out of the way!"

Li Jingfeng stood up, patted his clothes, and said, "This sword is not for you to rob homes and kill innocent people indiscriminately!"

Rao Changsheng raised his head and threw it at Li Jingfeng's face, but Li Jingfeng lowered his head to avoid it.Rao Changsheng used all his strength, but he didn't expect that Li Jingfeng could avoid it. He couldn't hold back, and his body tilted. There was a light snowfall yesterday, and the ground was slippery. He accidentally fell to the ground, and he was very embarrassed. He couldn't help but feel more embarrassed. In anger, he stood up and punched Li Jingfeng.Li Jingfeng dodged two punches in succession, and the third punch hit his face, causing a lump to swell immediately. Rao Changsheng was about to hit him again when someone next to him shouted: "Master, stop fighting, the handle of the knife is coming!" stop.

After a while, Rao Daozi arrived and saw that Li Jingfeng's face was swollen. He frowned and asked, "What's going on?" Li Jingfeng just remained silent.Rao Dao looked at the horse bandits around him and asked, "Who shot him?"

No one dared to say anything, Rao Changsheng said: "He wanted to ride a horse, but his hands and feet were inconvenient and he fell."

Rao Daozi asked: "Did you hit him?"

Rao Changsheng didn't dare to reply, so Rao Daozi said again: "I want to ask you something!"

Rao Changsheng nodded.

Rao Daozi asked: "Does he have weapons on him?"

Rao Changsheng shook his head.

Rao Dao said: "He has no weapons and no martial arts, why did you beat him? All the things I usually taught you were used to feed the camels? What did I say?"

Rao Changsheng said: "When you see swords and weapons, you move life and death. If you don't know how to use force, you don't use force."

Rao pointed the knife at Li Jingfeng and said, "Come here!"

Li Jingfeng stepped forward, spared the knife and said: "He punched you, you punch him back!!"

Li Jingfeng shook his head and said, "No need."

Rao Dao said: "If you don't want to fight, I will fight for you!"

Rao Changsheng's expression changed and he said to Li Jingfeng: "Fight quickly, don't let my father do it!"

Li Jingfeng saw that his arrogance turned into fear, and he knew that his family was very strict, and if he were to attack you with a sword, he would definitely suffer a heavy blow, so he said: "I won't hit you, but return the sword to me, and we will be settled." "

Rao Changsheng said angrily: "Don't even think about it!" He raised his fist and punched himself in the face, causing his nose to bleed. Then he got on his horse and said angrily: "I don't owe you anymore!"

Rao Dao looked at Li Jingfeng. Li Jingfeng shook his head and signaled that he would not pursue it further. He picked a bad horse that no one had chosen and followed the horse bandits out of the village.

He was becoming more and more elusive about this knifeman. It seemed that he was fair in dealing with things. He couldn't even bully his own son, so how could he get into the business of a horse bandit?But it was true that he robbed his own silver and horses. He himself admitted that he was a horse bandit, but he did not kill him when he was caught, but only forced himself to join the gang. What kind of plan was this?
He thought all the way and followed the horse team forward. There were people watching him in front and on the left and right. The horses were poor and there was no chance to escape.They walked like this for a day, and that night, Lao Hong tied an iron chain to his body and tied the other end around his waist. Four or five people were crowded into the tent, making it difficult to move around and unable to find a chance to escape.On the second day, the third day, the fourth day, and on the morning of the fifth day, we saw a small village.

Bai Niu's father Qiwei took the lead and led more than a dozen horse bandits to rush forward, shouting: "The harvest in the barren mountains and fields is not good, and there is a famine in Raodao Village. Please ask the villagers to help! The food is not too coarse, and the oil is not too greasy." ! No swords are seen, no lives are hurt!"

The group of people kept running rampant around the village, knocking over utensils, frightening the animals, and the village suddenly became a mess.With a roar from the sword handle, dozens more horse thieves rushed forward, holding their weapons high, and wandered around the outskirts of the village.

After a while, I heard several shouts, and it seemed like someone was fighting. Rao rode his horse forward with his sword in his hand, and heard Qiwei shouting: "Good fellow countryman, you also hired a bodyguard for the hospital?!"

Rao Daozi rode his horse forward, and the group followed.Li Jingfeng looked very panicked when he saw seven or eight people standing in the village, each holding a weapon, forming a circle to protect them in front of the village.The dozens of horse bandits were circling left and right, circling them.

Rao Dao moved his horse in front of these people. Just waiting for an order, everyone rushed to fight, but he did not give the order. He dismounted, walked to the group of guards, and asked: "You are invited by the villagers. bodyguard?"

One of them, who seemed to be the leader, nodded.

Rao Daozi asked again: "How much silver did you receive?"

The man replied: "Two taels of silver."

Rao Dao said: "Give the money back to the villagers, and get the hell out of you!"

The man said: "We have guarded the village for a long time..."

"Your mother!" Rao Daozi scolded, "You have to protect them after collecting money. This is the job of a bodyguard! If you want to protect this village, just draw your sword! If you draw your sword, I respect your chivalry. With the pestle on the edge of the knife, life or death depends on your fate!" As he spoke, he thrust a ghost-headed knife into the ground and shouted, "Think clearly! There is no turning back arrow when you open the bow, and there is no blood when you draw the sword!"

His ghost-headed sword was not unsheathed, and he thrust it into the ground more than a foot into the ground. The wasteland was hard, and his hand strength was unusual. The nursing staff were frightened when they saw it, and they hurriedly said: "Pay back the money! Pay back the money!"

Several people took out some silver and returned it to the village chief. They lowered their heads to avoid the resentful glares of the villagers and galloped away with their horses.With the bodyguard gone, the villagers lost their support and dared not act rashly, leaving the horse bandits to plunder the village's money and food.Li Jingfeng couldn't bear it when he saw their miserable expressions. He was about to pat his horse and move forward when he was stopped by Lao Hong.

Li Jingfeng said: "They are all poor, let them go!"

Lao Hong said: "The handle of the knife has its own meaning, don't mess with it blindly!"

It took two hours for the horse bandits to plunder the village, leaving a mountain of wheat, grain, oil and silver piled up.

Rao Daozi asked: "Is that all?"

Qiwei said: "The land hasn't been scraped yet, maybe there will be more after scraping."

Rao Dao said, "No need." He looked at the villagers and asked, "How many people are there in the village?"

The village elder replied: "There are more than a thousand people in the village, and there are more than 300 old and young. Uncle, you have wiped out the whole village, and we are starving to death. Why don't you kill us all?"

Rao Dao slashed the knife on the ground, divided the pile of money and grain into two large and small portions, about seven to three parts, pointed at the big portion and said: "Keep these for the winter, it is enough." After saying this, he directed the people below to move the grain and grass. Then he moved all the small portion of silver grain.

Lao Hong said: "Did you see it? The handle of the knife is well-measured."

Li Jingfeng thought to himself, isn't this also robbery?Even if you have some conscience, you still rob.Just as he was thinking about it, his eyes suddenly flashed and he asked, "What's written on the wall?" He clapped his hands, looked at it from a distance, and said, "It seems to be a picture." When Lao Hong looked around, he saw only a distant picture. There was a wall, but I couldn't see clearly what was on it. He cursed: "What nonsense are you talking about! Can you even see clearly?"

Li Jingfeng said: "I can't see clearly, I just think it's weird."

Rao Dao Baozi happened to be riding back. When he heard this, he asked, "What's weird?"

Li Jingfeng said: "I don't know what kind of patterns are painted on the wall."

Rao Daobozi frowned and asked, "Where?" Li Jingfeng pointed to a private house in the distance and Rao Daobozi said, "Take me to see it."

Li Jingfeng rode forward, led Rao Daozi to the outside of a small house, pointed to the ghost face painted with cinnabar, and said with a smile: "It turns out to be a ghost with a green face and fangs."

Rao Daozi's face was solemn and he said: "You have good eyesight. You can still see a picture the size of a fist from such a distance."

Li Jingfeng said: "There is no obstruction in the desert, so you can see far."

Rao Dao said: "This is the sign of the sand ghost. This village will be destroyed."

Li Jingfeng asked in surprise: "What is the Sand Ghost?"

"Another band of horse bandits in Longnan not only scraped the land, but also wiped out the butchers. They would not stop until they killed all of them. They made a mark and told their colleagues not to get involved."

Li Jingfeng said: "Why don't you remind the villagers to run away?"

Rao Daozi said: "It's difficult to leave home. People can leave, but food can't leave, animals can't leave, houses can't leave, and they can't survive the winter."

Li Jingfeng asked urgently: "What can we do?"

Rao Daozi didn't say anything, and turned around on his horse. The bandits on horseback had already carried it.Rao Dao said: "Everyone, let's go!"

Li Jingfeng said anxiously: "We can't just ignore death! This village has been massacred. From now on, there will be less places to catch the autumn wind and blow grain and oil! We have to let them escape!"

Rao Dao closed his eyes and meditated, and said slowly: "Don't say anything later, I have a sense of discretion. If you open your mouth randomly, I will chop you with one knife!"

When everyone was out of the way, Rao Daozi suddenly reined in his horse and shouted: "Old mangy, please order 50 people to move these things back to the village with your son!"

The old mangy man was the fifth master of the village. He was about fifty years old. He was a mangy man with a pockmarked face. He asked, "What's wrong with the handle of the knife? There's not enough grain and oil for the village to survive the winter!"

Rao Daozi's face was solemn and he said: "That village was marked by the sand ghost."

The old mangy man said in shock: "Those sand ghosts who peel off skin and eat bones?"

Rao Daozi said: "They made the mark and no one else is allowed to interfere." He sneered, "We robbed the village first, and we settled the grudge."

Qiwei said: "The geese are plucking their feathers, and the Raodao Village is passing by. Naturally, some grain tax will be levied. When we meet on the narrow road in the future, we will decide who is the best!"

"Since we have collected money and food, we have to protect others. The sand ghosts are short-sighted and let them slaughter a village today and another village tomorrow. In three or two years, how can there be any villages to help us fight famine?" Rao raised his knife. Dao shouted, "Let them know that there is only a group of horse thieves in Longnan, and it is our Rao Dao Village!"

Everyone heard his heroic shout and raised their weapons in response.Rao Changsheng said: "Dad, I will stay and fight the sand ghosts with you!"

Rao Dao said: "You have never killed anyone, why should you fight the sand ghost? Go back to the stronghold!"

Rao Changsheng begged and said with a knife in his hand: "There needs to be someone in charge of the village, please help your uncle!"

Rao Changsheng saw that his begging was unsuccessful, so he turned his horse's head and escorted the cavalry back to the stronghold.

Rao Daozi said to Li Jingfeng: "You have good eyesight, help me see which direction they are coming from."

Li Jingfeng looked around and said, "It's not high enough here to see far enough."

Rao pointed the handle of the knife to the hillside and said, "Go up there and take a look."

Li Jingfeng rode towards the hill. There was no one around him at this time, so it was a good time to escape. However, he was worried about the safety of the village, so he didn't expect that the boss would slap his hands on the hill and look into the distance.

Qiwei patted his horse and stepped forward, walked up to Rao Daozi, and said in a low voice: "No one knows about the good things you have done. The case in Qifeng Village is still your fault. Why bother with Sand Ghost and both sides will suffer?"

Rao Daozi said: "The sand ghost is searching everywhere, and there must be food and oil on him. After this battle, we will wait for the New Year."

Qiwei saw that the leader had made up his mind and stopped talking.After a while, Li Jingfeng pointed to the south and said, "There is dust over there, is it them?"

Qiwei and Rao Dao went up the hill and looked in the direction indicated by Li Jingfeng. Where could they see any dust and smoke?Qiwei said: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Rao Daozi knew that Li Jingfeng had excellent eyesight, so he pointed to a hill in the distance and said, "There is a hill over there. Let's ambush there."

A group of more than a hundred people galloped for more than ten miles and arrived at the hills before the Sand Ghost. Praying for power, they saw the dust flying in the distance and it seemed that a large number of people were coming, so they believed Li Jingfeng.

Rao Daogaozi asked: "How many people and horses are there? Can you see clearly?"

Li Jingfeng said: "There is something covering the front. I have to climb higher to see."

Rao Daozi said: "I'll go up with you and have a look. Be careful not to show your traces."

The two climbed up the hill, lowered themselves and looked out. "There are about 100...200 people." Li Jingfeng said honestly, "At least twice as many as us."

After saying that, he saw Rao Daobaozi's face solemn and knew that Rao Daobaozi was in trouble.This time, more than 150 people came to Raodao Village. Only the women and children stayed in the village. It was considered an outpouring of people. Only 50 people were assigned to escort the grain back to the village, leaving only 100 people.The opponent's number is twice that of our own, and the sand ghosts are notorious. They are not ordinary people. If they go head-to-head, even if they win, they will suffer heavy casualties.

Li Jingfeng asked: "Knife handle, are you very good at kung fu?" His standard for judging kung fu was Shen Weichen. Although he felt that Rao's knife handle was not as good as his younger sister's, he showed his hand thrusting the knife into the ground in front of the village, and it was obvious that he was very strong. big.

Rao Dao raised his eyebrows and said: "It's not good to be on the martial arts road." Then he looked at the sand ghost in the distance, "It's just the best among horse thieves."

Li Jingfeng said: "I have an idea, please think about whether it is feasible or not." He pointed to the path in the hills and said, "I just saw it, their leader is at the front, and the queue of 200 people is very long. They I didn't expect an ambush. The road is high at both ends and low in the middle. We laid an ambush and waited for them to pass by. More than 100 of us lined up in a human wall and cut them off head to tail. You can pounce on them and kill their leader. Maybe you can scare them. They have to retreat."

Rao Daozi laughed loudly and said: "It turns out that it was Zhuge Kongming who came to Rao Dao Village, but he couldn't see Mount Tai!"

Li Jingfeng blushed and said, "I'm just raising an idea. I don't know if it will work yet."

Rao Daozi said: "It works very well!"

Rao Dao called Qiwei, and each of them led 50 people. They hid in a hidden place on the hill. After waiting for more than an hour, they saw a little ghost flag stained with black blood floating in the wind.There is another horseman in front of the flag, neatly dressed, with a spear hanging on the horse. The clothes of the people behind are dirty, obviously their identities are different, but they are all majestic, high-spirited, majestic and murderous.

Li Jingfeng was lying next to Rao Daozi. Seeing the opponent's power, his heart almost jumped out of his chest.But seeing Rao Dao Baozi laughing secretly, he asked doubtfully: "Dao Baozi, why are you laughing?"

Rao Daozi smiled and said: "It turns out it's a gun, so I'm relieved!"

Li Jingfeng didn't understand what he meant.When the Shagui cavalry passed through the canyon, Rao got on his horse, clamped his feet, and jumped out from the height. The people and horses on both sides jumped out at the same time, blocking the road and blocking the dozen or so riders at the front. The ghosts are separated by the sand.

The leader of the Sand Ghost didn't know what was going on. He saw divine soldiers descending from the sky on both sides. He was stunned when he saw another rider flying in the sky. A ghost-headed sword was unsheathed in mid-air, and it was very dazzling in the sun.The leader of the Sand Ghost didn't have time to get his gun, so he had to pull the reins sharply, and the horse stood upright to protect his front.The handle of Rao's sword was already prepared, but he didn't swing the sword effectively. He turned his horse's head and went around to the side to chop the leader.

The leader originally thought that the opponent's sword would hit the horse, so that he could take the opportunity to grab his gun, fly back and respond to the enemy. Unexpectedly, the sword was just a feint, and the opponent circled the horse and tried to strike.To take the gun at this moment, it was necessary to let go of the reins. Once the horse's hooves fell, the front door would be wide open and it would be difficult to dodge the sword. He was an excellent horseman and pulled the reins to turn the horse around and block the sword's handle.However, Rao Daozi was also waiting for him to reveal his flaw. With the knife in hand, the horse kept circling around the leader. The Sand Ghost leader had no choice but to follow suit, thus forming a human-like horse that kept circling in place, with another horse surrounding it. The sight of it spinning is weird and funny.

In terms of distance alone, the leader's horse is the center of the circle, and the handle of the knife revolves around it, making it difficult to control. However, the leader's horse is human-centered and difficult to sustain for a long time.Although this scene is funny, it is actually dangerous. Once the knife handle is too fast or too slow, and it does not go around the leader's side or misses the opportunity to swing the knife, the leader can immediately block the knife with his horse and fight back with his gun.The leader was also miserable. He held on to the reins with both hands and dared not let go, unable to get his gun.It is not difficult for him to dodge the knife, it is not difficult to take the gun, and it is even easier to let go. The difficulty is to let go and dodge the knife at the same time, and to retreat at the same time.

The stalemate only lasted for a short while, and the sound of killing from behind was loud. The men and horses of both sides were already facing each other. The winner was a matter of who had better riding skills and long-lasting horse power.After all, the horse of the leader of the sand ghost struggled to hold up, and his front hooves fell. With this fall, the leader's middle door suddenly opened wide, and a white light came to his eyes.He was really a master. He turned his body to the side of the horse and avoided the killing move in a blink of an eye. At the same time, he touched the barrel of the gun with his right hand.Although he was forced to dismount, he could still fight as long as his gun was still there.

However, Rao Dao's sword was still a feint attack. The sword turned around and it was not killing a person or a horse.

He slashed at the gun.

It was a gun made of fine steel, and even the gun body was made of steel. This knife cut off the gun handle, but it stopped the leader from getting the gun.Before the leader could hold the gun firmly, he grabbed it and was stabbed with all his strength. Unable to hold on to the gun, the gun flew out of his hand and the horse ran away.

He fell off his horse and lost his gun. He didn't give the leader a chance to pick up his gun with his sword, so he drove his horse towards the leader and slashed with his sharp knife, forcing the leader to retreat continuously until he retreated to the edge of the mountain wall.Rao Dao shouted loudly, clamped his legs around the horse's belly, and hung half of his body on the horse. He swung the knife sideways and slashed at the leader's chest. This time, it was no longer a feint.

The leader moved his hands up and down, trying to seize the white blade with his bare hands, but the clamp was caught. How powerful was the sword's handle? How could it be that he could seize it just by saying it? With a "poof", the leader was cut into two pieces in the chest.Rao turned over and dismounted, cut off his head, stood on the horse, raised it high, and shouted loudly, as if he was crazy. The roar echoed in the desert after the first snowfall.The remaining sand ghosts fled one after another, leaving behind the food, grass and baggage they plundered, which was enough for Raojiazhai to live a good year.

However, the people in Raojiazhai were not without injuries. During the period when Rao Daobaozi was entangled with the leader, three of their brothers died and more than ten were injured.Although compared with the results of the battle, such damage was insignificant, but when Li Jingfeng returned to the village and saw his family members crying, he still couldn't bear it.

"Put the pestle on the edge of the knife, life or death depends on your fate." Rao Dao said, "Every time I go out, I know what I am doing."

"Why do you want to be a horse thief?" Li Jingfeng asked, "You are so good at martial arts, why can't you find a job?"

Rao Daozi was silent for a long time, and after a while, he sighed and said, "You don't understand. Nothing in this world is perfect, and everything is left to your own hands." After saying that, he patted Li Jingfeng's shoulder hard and said, "You are the one this time. Tou Gong, I promise you a condition, tell me what you want!"

Li Jingfeng said: "Give me the sword back and let me and the old man go."

Rao Daozi said: "These are three conditions, and I can't let you leave."

Li Jingfeng said: "I won't betray you, and no one knows I've been here."

Rao Daozi looked at Li Jingfeng quietly and said slowly: "You don't have three hundred lives on your back, so you don't know how to take this risk. In short, you can only join the gang, or you can continue to be locked up here. Let's change the conditions. .”

"Let the old man go," Li Jingfeng said. "I think the village leader is also a good man. What's the point of torturing people like this?"

Rao touched his chin with the handle of the knife and said, "Follow me."

He dragged Li Jingfeng to the cell. As soon as he opened the door, the smell hit his nostrils.He walked towards the old man, reached out and took off the restraints from his mouth. The old man screamed wildly, opened his mouth and bit, but the handle of the knife did not allow him to bite, so he withdrew his hands to avoid it.

The old man kept mumbling: "Ying'er... Qiqi... Xiaoma..." Li Jingfeng listened carefully and realized that he was not talking about animals, but people's names.Seeing that he was panic-stricken again, he shouted, "Monster! Ghost! Monster! Bo Xun... It's Bo Xun!... Monster!... Ah..." As he said this, he hugged his head and cried, looked at his hands, and bit hard. Down.Li Jingfeng exclaimed, and the handle of the knife was like lightning, clasping his chin, and stuffing the wooden stick back into his mouth to tie it up.

"When I saw him five years ago, he was already crazy and chewed his hands to pieces. I cut off the rotten fingers and kept only these. In order to save his life, I had to imprison him."

Li Jingfeng said in surprise: "Then... Lao Hong said he was trying to escape..." He immediately understood that Lao Hong had lied to him, so he asked again, "Do you recognize him?"

Rao Daozi shook his head and said: "I don't recognize him, but he broke into the stronghold, so we can't let him leave."

Li Jingfeng thought to himself, wouldn't it be harder for him to leave Raodao Village even if a lunatic broke into the village and wouldn't let him leave?The thought made me even more discouraged.

(End of this chapter)