Anthology of Gu Long: The Prodigal Son of Border Town

Chapter 35 The Sword Without Sheath (1)
The fire went out.

Li Mahu's grocery store has been burned to the ground, and the butcher and the small noodle shop next door, which "specialize in pigs, cattle and sheep", have suffered equally.

The wooden house in that narrow alley was also almost burned down.

Some salvaged pieces of furniture are still piled up by the side of the road, and a few broken buckets are rolling in the wind. I don’t know who their owners are?
The burnt wood was still dripping wet, and the fire had obviously just been extinguished not long ago, and even the wind carried a smell of burnt fire.

People in the border town used to get up very early, but now there is no one on the street, presumably because they were exhausted from fighting the fire last night, and now they are sleeping with their heads covered.

The already desolate town looks even more desolate and miserable.

Ye Kai walked slowly up the street, suddenly feeling guilty.

In any case, the fire would not have started if it hadn't been for him, who should have come to put out the fire with the bucket.

But last night, what he was carrying was a flagon.

How many people in the town will be homeless after this fire?

Ye Kai let out a long sigh, and couldn't help thinking of Zhang Laoshi, the owner of the small noodle shop.

Zhang Laoshi is really an honest man. He is not only the owner of this small noodle shop, but also a cook and a waiter, so he always wears a greasy apron all year round. My wife can't afford it.

But he is still smiling all day long, even if you only go to eat his Yangchun noodles for three Wen, he will still take care of you like a god of wealth.

So even if the noodles he cooks are like paste, no one has ever complained.

Now that the noodle shop has been burned to the ground, what will this poor honest man do in the future?

Although Ding Laosi, the pig butcher next door, is also a bachelor, his situation is much better than him.

Ding Laosi can also go to Xiao Bieli's shop for a few drinks, and sometimes he can even sleep there.

The cotton shop in the past was not burned down, and even the big signboard hanging outside that reads "Fine Elastic Cotton, Carved Lacquerware for Takeaway" is still intact.

"Qingshui brocade and fine satin, kung fu needles."

"Refined fan, rain gear, self-defense velvet quilt."

Except for Xiao Bieli, these three stores are the most prosperous in the town, even if they are burned, it doesn't matter.

But none of them were burned.

Ye Kai smiled wryly, and was about to find someone to ask Zhang Laoshi about them, but someone came to him first.

The lantern on the narrow door was still on.

A person suddenly stretched out half of his body from inside, waving to Ye Kai non-stop.

This person had a pale face, and seemed to have a smile on his face. He was the owner of the silk and satin shop, Chen Daguan from Fuzhou.

There was no one in town who was better at business or less popular.

Ye Kai recognized him.

As long as this place is open for business, Ye Kai already almost recognizes it.

He thinks that talking to these people when he has nothing to do will always yield some unexpected gains.

He couldn't think of what Chen Daguan wanted him for?
But he still walked over, with a deliberate smile on his face, and before he could ask him, Daguan Chen retracted his head.

The door opened.

Ye Kai had no choice but to go in, and suddenly found that almost all the people he recognized were in this place, but Xiao Bieli was not there.

Except for Chen Daguan, everyone's face was very heavy, and there was neither food nor wine on the table in front of them.

They obviously didn't invite Ye Kai to drink.

It was not yet bright, and there were no lights in the house. These people all had pale faces, staring at sleep-deprived eyes, and their attitudes were not friendly at all.

"Did they already know that I started the fire?"

Ye Kai smiled, and couldn't help but want to ask them if they wanted to settle accounts with him?
They were indeed looking for someone to settle accounts, but it was not him, but Fu Hongxue.

"Since the surname Fu came, disasters have followed."

"Not only did he kill people, but he also set them on fire."

"Before the fire started, someone saw him go looking for Li Mahu."

"He came here as if to make us suffer."

"If he doesn't go, we simply can't live."

Apart from Chen Daguan and Boss Song of Cotton Co., the speakers were Ding Laosi and Zhang Laoshi, honest people who don't usually talk much, but they also spoke today.

When everyone mentioned Fu Hongxue, they all gritted their teeth, as if they wanted to bite off a piece of his flesh.

Ye Kai listened quietly, and when they finished speaking, he asked lightly, "What are you going to do to him?"

Chen Daguan sighed, and continued: "We were going to invite him to leave, but since he is here, of course he is not willing to just leave like this, so..."

Ye Kai said: "So what?"

Zhang Laoshi hurriedly said: "Since he wants us to be unable to survive, we also want him to be unable to survive."

Ding Laosi slammed his fist on the table and said loudly: "Although we are all good citizens who keep our own place, but if you provoke us, we are not easy to provoke."

Boss Song held the hookah, shook his head and said, "A dog will jump over a wall when it's in a hurry, let alone a human being?"

Ye Kai nodded slowly, as if he felt that what they said made sense.

Chen Daguan sighed again, and said: "Although we want to deal with him, it's a pity that we have more energy than we want."

Boss Song sighed and said, "Of course honest people like us can't fight a murderer."

Chen Daguan said: "Fortunately, we finally made some friends who are capable."

Ye Kai said: "You mean the third boss?"

Chen Daguan said: "The third boss is a person of status, how dare we disturb him?"

Ye Kai frowned and said, "Except for the third boss, I can't think of anyone else who is capable."

Daguan Chen said, "It's a young man named Xiaolu."

Ye Kai said: "Xiaolu?"

Chen Daguan said: "Although this man is young, it is said that he is already a first-rate swordsman in Jianghu."

Boss Song said leisurely: "It is said that he killed thirty or forty people in the past year, and all of them were martial arts masters."

Zhang Laoshi gritted his teeth and said, "A murderer like him has to find someone like him to deal with him."

Chen Daguan said: "This is called an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

Ye Kai pondered, and suddenly asked: "The small road you mentioned, is it the road of the road?"

Chen Daguan said: "Not bad."

Ye Kai said: "Is it Lu Xiaojia?"

Chen Daguan said: "That's him."

Boss Song let out his breath slowly and said, "Master Ye also recognizes him?"

Ye laughed and said, "I've heard that his sword is both ruthless and fast."

Boss Song also laughed, and said: "In the past two years, no one in Jianghu has heard of him, I'm afraid not many."

Ye Kai said: "Not many."

Boss Song said: "I heard that even the Four Swords of Shenlong and the head of Diancang in Kunlun Mountain have been defeated by his sword."

Ye Kai nodded and said, "Boss Song seems to be very familiar with his affairs."

Boss Song smiled again, and said leisurely: "I want to teach Mr. Ye that this remarkable young man is the young master of a distant relative of mine."

Ye Kai said, "He's here?"

Boss Song said: "At least he hasn't forgotten me as a poor relative. He sent a letter to me just two days ago. That's why I knew he was nearby."

Ding Laosi hurriedly said: "So last night we had already found someone to talk to overnight."

Boss Song said: "If there are no accidents, he will be here before sunset today."

Zhang Laoshi clenched his fists and said with hatred: "At that time we will have to make Fu Hongxue look good."

Ye Kai listened, suddenly smiled again, and said: "Since you have already decided on this matter, why tell me?"

Daguan Chen said with a smile: "Master Ye is a sensible person, we have always regarded Mr. Ye as our friend."

He seemed to be afraid that Ye Kai would say something bad, so he hurriedly continued to explain: "But we also know that Mr. Ye has always been kind to that Fu."

Ye Kai said: "Are you afraid that I will meddle in my own business again?"

Chen Daguan said: "We only hope that Mr. Ye will stop taking care of him this time."

Zhang honestly said: "I am an honest person, and I can only tell the truth."

Ye Kai said: "You say."

Zhang honestly said: "You'd better help us and kill him. If you don't help us, at least you can't help him, otherwise..."

Ye Kai said: "Otherwise what?"

Zhang Laoshi stood up and said loudly: "Otherwise, even if I can't beat you, I will fight you hard."

Ye Kai laughed and said: "Okay, it really is the truth, I like to hear the truth."

Zhang Laoshi was overjoyed and said, "Are you willing to help us?"

Ye Kai said: "At least I won't help him."

Chen Daguan breathed a sigh of relief, and said with an apologetic smile: "Then we will be grateful."

Ye Kai said: "I only hope that when Lu Xiaojia comes, you can let me know."

Chen Daguan said: "Of course."

Ye Kai sighed, and murmured: "I really want to see this man, and his sword..."

Suddenly someone said: "It is said that his sword is rarely seen by others."

This is Xiao Bieli's voice.

His men were still on the stairs, and the voice had already come down first.

Ye Kai raised his head, smiled, and said, "Is his sword the same as Fu Hongxue's?"

Xiao Bieli was also smiling and said, "There is only one difference."

Ye Kai said: "Which point?"

Xiao Bieli said: "Fu Hongxue's sword can kill three types of people, but his sword can only kill one type."

Ye Kai said: "What kind of people do you only kill?"

Xiao Bieli said: "A living person!"

He walked downstairs slowly, with a bleak smile on his pale face, and continued: "He is different from Fu Hongxue. In his opinion, there are only two kinds of people in the world, the living and the dead."

Ye Kai said: "He will kill anyone who is alive?"

Xiao Bieli sighed, and said: "At least I haven't heard that he has ever been killed by the sword."

Ye Kai also sighed, and said, "Now, I just want to know one thing."

Xiao Bieli said, "What's the matter?"

Ye Kai said, "I don't know if it's his sword speed? Or Fu Hongxue's sword speed?"

This is exactly what everyone wants to know.

The sun has risen.

Zhao Da, the town's local security guard, was instructing several of his brothers to clear the scene of the fire.

All the people in the house had come out, stood under the eaves, watching and discussing.

Xiao Bieli and Ye Kai still stayed in the house.

Ye Kai looked at the people outside from the window, and said with a smile, "Unexpectedly, Zhao Da works very hard."

Xiao Bieli said: "Of course he should work hard."

Ye Kai said: "Oh."

Xiao Bieli said: "Everyone in the town knows that Li Mahu is not sloppy. He has been working for more than ten years, and it is said that he has saved thousands of taels of silver."

Ye Kai pondered, and said: "Silver cannot be melted."

Xiao Bieli said: "He also has no descendants."

Ye Kaidao: "So as long as you can find the silver, it's the Landguard."

Xiao Bieli said with a smile: "No wonder they all say you are a sensible person."

Ye Kai said: "Did you hear everything they said?"

Xiao Bieli sighed: "When these people speak, it seems that they are afraid that others will not hear them."

Ye Kai said: "It's no wonder you can't sleep, I thought someone was drinking with you upstairs."

Xiao Bieli's eyes flashed, and he said, "You think it's Ding Qiu?"

Ye Kai smiled, pulled out a chair and sat down.

Xiao Bieli said, "You want to find him?"

Ye Kaidao: "To be honest, the person I really want to find is Fu Hongxue."

Xiao Bieli said, "You don't know where he is?"

Ye Kai said: "You know?"

Xiao Bieli thought for a while and said, "Of course he won't leave this place."

Ye Kai laughed and said, "I'm afraid I can't even drive him away with a whip."

Xiao Bieli said: "But it is very difficult for him to find someone who welcomes him here."

Ye Kai said: "It seems that it is not easy."

Xiao Bieli pondered, and said slowly: "It's just that there are some places where there are no owners, and the doors are never closed."

Ye Kai said: "For example, what places?"

Xiao Bieli said: "For example, Guandi Temple..."

Ye Kai's eyes lit up, he stood up suddenly, and said, "The person I admire the most is this Master Guan, it's time to go to his temple and burn some incense."

Xiao Bieli said with a smile: "It's better to burn a few less, don't burn the house down."

Ye Kai also smiled, and said: "Fortunately, Master Guan never opens his mouth, otherwise it is very possible."

The charred bones have been cleaned up, but there is no news of Yin Zi.

Zhao Da had already rested and was drinking water from a big bowl, yelling loudly to tell his brothers not to be lazy.

If the silver is found, everyone will have a share.

Ye Kai walked over, stood beside him and watched, and suddenly whispered: "I heard that some people always like to bury their money under the bed."

Zhao Da was shocked and said, "Yes, I should have thought of this kind of place long ago."

He seemed to realize that the person who spoke was Ye Kai, and immediately turned his head and said with a smile: "If you find it, Mr. Ye, your wine account in this place will be entirely my Zhao Da's."

Ye Kai said: "That's not necessary, I just hope you can take care of this dead man and get them two thin-skinned coffins."

Zhao Dao: "The coffin is ready-made, and you don't need to spend money to buy it."

Ye Kai said: "Oh, there are coffins here that don't cost money, I've never heard of them."

Zhao Da laughed and said, "My lord, have you forgotten that someone sent several coffins the day before yesterday?"

Ye Kai's eyes lit up again, but he asked again: "Isn't the coffin going to be sent to Wanmatang?"

Zhao Da whispered: "Three bosses are having bad luck these two days, who dares to send the coffin there?"

Ye Kai said, "Where's the coffin?"

Zhao Dao: "It was originally piled up in the open space behind. When the fire broke out yesterday, I asked people to move it to the Guandi Temple. The only advantage is that everyone who died in the past two days can get a bite."

Ye Kai said with a smile: "It seems that the people who died here in the past two days really died in the right place."

Zhao Da sighed, and said: "But people who have not died are really suffering in such a poor place."

Ye Kai said: "Who says this place is poor, maybe there are thousands of taels of silver waiting for you to get it."

Zhao laughed loudly and said, "Thank you for your auspicious words, young master. I'll go get them right away."

He rolled up his sleeves, rushed over, turned around suddenly, and said, "My lord, if you have any troubles here, I, Zhao Da, will definitely choose the best coffin for you."

Ye Kai watched him go away, he didn't know whether he was angry or amused, after a long time, he smiled wryly, and murmured: "Look at you, you are really a fucking friend."

Although this street is the essence of this place, of course this place is more than just such a street!

Go out of this street and turn left, the houses are even more shabby and dilapidated. People who live here are either shepherds, cart drivers or horse washers, and the guys in the big boss shops also live here.

A woman with a big belly was squatting there to start a fire.

She was carrying a child on her back, and there were three standing beside her, each with pale faces, but she herself looked more haggard and old like an old woman.

Ye Kai sighed secretly—why do poorer families have more children?

Is it because they don't have the money to light the lamps at night and nothing else to do?
In any case, it seems to be an invariable law that the poorer the person, the more children, and the more children, the poorer the person.

Ye Kai suddenly felt that this was a very serious problem, but he couldn't think of any way to make others have fewer children.

But he believes that there will always be a way to solve this problem in the future.

Not far ahead, you can see the dilapidated Guandi Temple.

The incense in the temple was not very strong, and even the gold paint on the statue of Lord Guandi had peeled off.

The gate was about to collapse, and the coffins were piled up in the yard. The yard was not big, so the coffins could only be stacked.

The god case in the temple is still intact, if someone sleeps on it, it is guaranteed not to collapse.

Because someone is sleeping on it right now.

A pale man was holding a pitch-black knife tightly in his hand, and staring at Ye Kai with a pair of bright eyes.

Ye laughed.

Fu Hongxue didn't smile, but stared at him coldly, and said, "I said before, you go your way, I'll go mine."

Ye Kai said: "I heard you said it."

Fu Hongxue said, "Why did you come looking for me again?"

Ye Kai said: "Who said I came to find you?"

Fu Hongxue said: "Me."

Ye Kai laughed again.

Fu Hongxue said: "There are only two people in this place, one is alive and the other is a wooden man. The one you are looking for will never be a wooden man."

Ye Kai said: "You mean Master Guan?"

Fu Hongxue said: "I only know that he is a wooden man."

Ye Kai sighed and said, "I know you never respect others, but at least you should respect him."

Fu Hongxue said, "Why?"

Ye Kai said: "Because... because he has become a god."

Fu Hongxue sneered, "He is your god, not mine."

Ye Kai said: "You never believed in God."

Fu Hongxue said: "I don't believe in this kind of person, and I can't think of anything he has done that deserves my respect."

Ye Kaidao: "At least he wasn't bought by Cao Cao, at least he didn't betray his friends."

Fu Hongxue said, "There are many people who haven't betrayed their friends."

Ye Kai said: "But you should know..."

Fu Hongxue interrupted him, and said coldly, "I only know that if it wasn't for his arrogance, Shu Han would not have died so quickly."

Ye Kai sighed and said, "I also know why you don't respect him."

Fu Hongxue said, "Oh?"

Ye Kaidao: "Because others respect him, no matter what you do, you must be different from others."

Fu Hongxue suddenly turned over and walked out slowly.

Ye Kai said: "Are you leaving now?"

Fu Hongxue said coldly: "The vulgarity here is too heavy, I really can't bear it."

Ye Kai sighed: "If a person wants to live in this world, sometimes he has to be a bit vulgar."

Fu Hongxue said: "That's your idea, whatever you think, it has nothing to do with me."

Ye Kai said: "What do you think?"

Fu Hongxue said, "That has nothing to do with you."

Ye Kai said: "Aren't you going to live in this world?"

Fu Hongxue said: "I have never lived in your world at all."

He didn't look back.

Ye Kai couldn't see his face, but saw his hand holding the knife suddenly clenched even tighter.

It's a pity that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the pain in his heart.

Ye Kai looked at him, and slowly said: "No matter what you think, one day, you will still come back to this world, because you still want to live, and you must live."

Fu Hongxue didn't seem to hear these words anymore, he took a step with his left foot first, and then his stiff right leg followed.

Ye Kai looked into his eyes, and there was a look of worry in his eyes.

Even though his saber was faster than Lu Xiaojia's sword, but this leg...Fu Hongxue had already walked out of the yard.

Ye Kai didn't keep him, nor did he mention Lu Xiaojia's matter.

Lu Xiaojia had at least two or three hours before he could come, and he didn't want Fu Hongxue to be nervous until sunset.

He didn't come here to warn Fu Hongxue.

He is for the coffin in the yard.

The coffin was originally brand new and brightly painted, but now it has been damaged in many places, and some have even been charred.

If it wasn't for Zhao Da's sudden whim, these coffins would probably have been burned by that fire.

Perhaps the person who set the fire intended to burn the coffins.

Ye Kai picked up a lot of stones, sat on the stone steps, and threw the stones onto the coffin one by one.

When the stone hit the coffin, it made a "dong" sound.

The coffin is empty.

But when the eighth stone he threw hit the coffin, the voice changed.

The coffin did not seem to be empty.

What's in the coffin?
Although there are more empty coffins, there are actually several coffins that are not empty.

With a strange expression on Ye Kai's face, he actually walked over to move these coffins out.

Why was he suddenly interested in empty coffins?

Open the coffin lid, it is not empty inside.

There was a dead man in the coffin.

What else is in the coffin but the dead?
It is not surprising that there are dead people in the coffin.

(End of this chapter)