Anthology of Gu Long: The Prodigal Son of Border Town

Chapter 5 Kanto Wanmatang (2)
Eighteen tables inside the door were empty.

Only the mysterious owner was still sitting on the small table at the top of the stairs, playing dominoes.

It was daytime, and the place never greeted any guests during the day.

The owner of this place may not be doing a noble business, but there are plenty of rules.

If you want to come here, you have to obey his rules.

His temples have turned gray, and every wrinkle on his face hides so many joys, pains, and secrets, but his hands are still as soft as a girl's.

He was dressed gorgeously, almost to the point of extravagance.

There is a gold bottle on the table, and the wine in the glass is amber, lustrous and soft like a gem.

He is slowly laying out the dominoes one by one on the table, forming a gossip.

As soon as the red-clothed woman rushed in, her footsteps were lightened, she walked over gently, and said, "Hello, uncle."

As soon as she entered this room, this wild and savage girl seemed to become gentle and well-behaved immediately.

The master didn't turn his head to look at her, but nodded with a smile and said, "Sit."

The woman in red sat down opposite him, as if she wanted to say something, but he waved his hand and said, "Wait a minute."

She was actually obedient, so she just sat there quietly and waited.

The master looked at the gossip made of dominoes on the table, and on his pale, thin, weather-beaten face, his expression seemed to be very heavy. After a long time, he turned his head up and let out a long sigh, feeling even more depressed.

The woman in red couldn't help asking: "Can you really see many things from these dominoes?"

The host said: "Yes."

The woman in red blinked and said, "What did you see today?"

The master picked up the golden cup, took a sip, and said solemnly: "It's better that you don't know about some things."

The woman in red asked, "What if you know?"

The master said slowly: "The secrets are unpredictable, if you know, there will be disasters instead."

The woman in red said: "Knowing that there is a disaster, can't you think of ways to avoid it?"

The master shook his head slowly, with a more serious expression, and sighed: "Some disasters cannot be avoided, absolutely cannot be avoided..."

The woman in red looked at the dominoes on the table, was stunned for a long time, and murmured, "Why can't I see anything?"

The master said sadly: "It's because you can't see it that you are happier than me."

The red-clothed woman stayed for a while longer before she smiled and said, "I don't care about these things, I just ask you, will you come to our house tonight?"

The master frowned and said, "Tonight?"

The woman in red said: "Daddy said that he invited some very special guests tonight, so he wants to invite you to go with him, uncle; after a while, a car will come to pick them up."

The master pondered and said, "I'd better not go."

The red-clothed woman pursed her lips and said, "Actually, Daddy also knew that you would never go, but he still asked me to come for this trip, which made me bullied by a brat, and almost died of anger."

Only one person laughed and said: "The little ghost didn't bully my aunt, it was my aunt who wanted to kick the little ghost to death first."

The woman in red was stunned.

Ye Kai also came at some time, and was lazily leaning against the door, looking at her and smiling.

The woman in red changed color and said, "Why did you come here?"

Ye Kai said leisurely: "The person who shouldn't come here is not me, but you."

The woman in red stomped her feet, turned around and said, "Uncle, if you haven't kicked this man out yet, what did you hear him say?"

The master smiled faintly and said: "It's getting dark soon, you'd better go back quickly, lest your father be in a hurry."

The woman in red was startled again, stomped her feet fiercely, and rushed out of the door from beside Ye Kai.

She walked so fast that she nearly tripped over the threshold.

Ye Kai said with a smile: "Go away, grandma. If I fall to my death, no one will pay for my life."

The woman in red rushed out, closed the door with a "bang", and suddenly pulled the door open again, saying:
"Thank you, good grandson, for your concern. My aunt won't fall to her death."

Before the words were finished, the door was closed again with a "bang", and there was a sound of hoofbeats from outside the door, which stopped at the door and disappeared into the street in an instant.

Ye Kai sighed, smiled bitterly and murmured: "What a rouge horse, what a tigress."

The master suddenly laughed again: "You are only half right."

Ye Kai said: "Which half?"

The master said: "The people nearby have nicknamed each of them and the horse. The people are called Yanzhihu, and the horses are called Yanzhinu."

Ye laughed.

The host continued: "She is also the only daughter of your host tonight."

Ye Kai lost his voice: "Is she the daughter of the third boss of Wanmatang?"

The master nodded and said with a smile: "So you'd better be careful tonight, don't be bitten off by this rouge tiger."

Ye Kai laughed again, he suddenly found that this person was not as mysterious and lonely as he appeared on the outside, so he asked again: "What is the third boss's last name?"

The man said: "Ma, Ma Fangling."

Ye Kai laughed and said, "Ma Fangling, why did he choose such a woman's name?"

The master said: "Father's name is Ma Kongqun, daughter is Ma Fangling."

He looked at Ye Kai with a pair of eyes that understood life, and said with a smile: "What you really want to ask is definitely not the father, but the daughter. Since I have heard the string songs, how can I fail to understand your elegant meaning."

Ye Kai laughed loudly and said: "I hope that the master tonight will have the same demeanor as the master here, and Ye Kai will consider it a worthwhile trip."

The host said: "Ye Kai?"

Ye Kaidao: "The leaf of the leaf, the opening of the door... that is, the happy opening."

The master laughed and said, "This is what makes a man worthy of his name."

Ye Kai said: "Where is the master?"

The master pondered, and said, "Let's leave Xiao Xiao."

Ye Kai said: "Wood leaf Xiao Xiao Xiao Xiao? Farewell to different threads? Li Sorrow?"

Xiao Bieli said: "Does your Excellency think this name is a bit ominous?"

Ye Kaidao: "It's not necessarily ominous, it's just...it just makes people feel a little melancholy."

Xiao Bieli said indifferently: "There is always a banquet in the world. Parting is inevitable in life. In the future, your Excellency will leave here, so why not. So, if you think about it carefully, this name is very common."

Ye Kai laughed loudly and said: "But since ancient times, those who have lost their souls have only been different. Since your Excellency has chosen such a worrying name, it should be clear."

Xiao Bieli also laughed, and said: "That's right, it should be clear."

He drank it down in one gulp, held the cup and meditated, and suddenly said: "Actually, the most ecstasy in life is not parting, but reunion."

Ye Kai said: "Get together?"

Xiao Bieli said: "If we don't get together, how can there be parting?"

Ye Kai chewed for a long time, couldn't help sighing, and murmured: "Yes, if there is no reunion, how can there be parting?... If there is no reunion, how can there be parting?..." He repeated these two sentences in a low voice , seems to be a little crazy.

Xiao Bieli said: "So your Excellency is also wrong, and you should understand it." Ye Kai walked over, raised his glass and drank it, and suddenly smiled, saying: "If there is no mistake just now, how could there be any mistake?" Now what about this glass of wine?
So sometimes it's good to be wrong. "Suddenly, the car whizzed and stopped outside the door.

Xiao Bieli sighed a long time, and said: "Just said goodbye, it seems that the time has come, Wanmatang's car has come to pick up the guests."

Ye Kai said with a smile: "But if there is no parting, how can there be a reunion?"

He put down his wine glass and strode out without looking back.

Xiao Bieli watched him go out, and murmured: "If there is no parting, how can we get together? It's a pity that sometimes once parting, it is difficult to get together again."

A black-painted cart with eight horses galloping abreast was parked outside the door.

The black paint is like a mirror, and a person stands alone to entertain guests, but he is dressed in white clothes like snow.

A white silk pennant was planted obliquely on the car: "Kandong Wanmatang".

Just as Ye Kai walked over, the man in white bowed his head and said with a smile: "Your Excellency is the first one here, please get in the car."

This person is younger than Hua Mantian, but he is still about 40 years old. He has a round face and a white beard. Even when he is not smiling, he is very amiable.

Ye Kai looked at him and said, "Do you recognize me?"

The man in white said: "I haven't seen Jing yet."

Ye Kai said: "If you don't recognize me, how do you know that I am a guest of Wanmatang?"

The man in white smiled and said: "Your Excellency has only been here for one night, but your luxury has already spread throughout the border towns. Besides, if it weren't for a hero like Your Excellency, how could there be the most beautiful woman in the world?"

Ye Kai said: "Do you recognize this bead flower?"

The man in white said: "This pearl flower was originally given by me."

He didn't let Ye Kai speak, and suddenly sighed again: "It's a pity that although I pretend to be affectionate, I still haven't won the smile of the beauty."

Ye Kai smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "I have been complimented before, but it is the first time in my life that I am so happy to be complimented."

The cabin is comfortable and clean, and can seat at least eight people.

Now only Ye Kai came.

When he saw the flowers all over the sky, he felt that there was a crouching tiger hiding a dragon in Wanmatang. Seeing the man in white, he felt that Wanmatang not only knew people, but also made good use of them.

Even if he is the welcoming envoy of the family of the prince and general, he may not be able to have such witty words and empathy as him.

Whoever can make such a man run for him must be a great man.

Ye Kai suddenly wanted to hurry up and see what kind of character the third boss was, so he couldn't help asking, "Are there any other guests?"

The man in white said: "It is said that there is a guest invited by Your Excellency."

Ye Kai said: "You don't need to worry, this person will definitely go, and he must use his own method. I'm asking the other four."

The man in white pondered, and said, "They should have come now."

Ye Kai said: "But they haven't come yet."

The man in white suddenly smiled again and said, "So we don't have to wait any longer, those who should go will always go."

Night is approaching.

The wilderness looks more desolate and vast.

The banner of Wanmatang has been hidden in the boundless darkness.

The man in white sat opposite Ye Kai, smiling.

His smile never seemed to tire.

The sound of horseshoes was like thunder, breaking through the boundless silence.

Ye Kai sighed suddenly and said, "If I go alone tonight, I'm afraid I won't be able to come back."

The man in white seemed to hear it very harshly, but he forced a smile and said, "How do you say that?"

Ye Kaidao: "I heard that Wanmatang has three thousand stones of fine wine in the cellar. If I drink it alone, will I be drunk to death?"

The man in white smiled and said, "Don't worry about this, your Excellency, there are plenty of heavy drinkers in Wanmatang, and even I can accompany you for a few drinks."

Ye Kaidao: "If there are so many masters in Wanmatang, I will definitely die."

The smile of the man in white seemed to be a little stiff, and said: "There are drunkards, how can there be any masters?"

Ye Kai said lightly: "I'm talking about a master of wine. If so many people take turns to toast my wine, it would be strange if I don't die of drunkenness!"

The man in white showed his face and said: "The three bosses invited you this time just to see your demeanor. Even if you are persuaded to drink, it is just for fun. There is no reason to make you drunk."

Ye Kai said: "But I'm still a little scared."

The man in white said, "What are you afraid of?"

Ye Kai smiled and said, "What I'm afraid of is that you won't come to feed me."

The man in white also laughed.

At this moment, a strange singing sound suddenly came from the wasteland.

The singing is sad, like weeping, like some kind of mysterious scripture spell!But every word is heard clearly:
Emperor of Heaven, Emperor of Earth.The eyes are bleeding, and the moon is dark.

As soon as you enter Wanmatang, your blade will be broken, and your heart will be broken!

Emperor of Heaven, Emperor of Earth.Tears are like blood, heartbroken.

Once you enter Wanmatang, you will never want to go back to your hometown.

The singing is mournful and stern, echoing indistinctly, like some kind of mysterious scripture mantra, or like the night cry of a lonely soul.

The expression of the man in white has gradually changed, and he suddenly reached out to push the window and said, "Sorry."

Before he could finish the two words, his figure had flitted out of the window, and after another flash, he was out of sight.

(End of this chapter)