Chapter 30 1. Cat and Mouse

Shi Tianxiu, Minister of the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty, always had such a pleasant smile on his face.Whether facing the supreme Ninth Five Lord or an ordinary border guard, this seemingly innate smile never left his face.At first glance, he doesn't look like the master of the most powerful force in the world, but more like a shopkeeper who is kind and rich. But after watching for a long time, you will find that the same smile is actually slightly different when facing different people.For example, now, his smile is extraordinarily bright: "Your chance has come..." "No."

It's a pity that such a bright smiling face didn't play its due role, and he resolutely dispelled all his attempts with just two words. Everyone in Daming's army knew that Shi Tianxiu's smile was not easy to catch.But looking at the entire Forbidden Army, daring to interrupt the Minister of the Ministry of War like this would not give him any face, except for Huo Jinglei, the number one master of the Forbidden Army and the head coach of the 800,000 Forbidden Army.There will never be anyone else. At this moment, Huo Jinglei was holding a black object in his hand, and he was drawing something on the paper.In the face of this superior immediate boss, he didn't even raise his head, and pushed back all the subtext behind the smiling face in one gulp.

Shi Tianxiu's smile remained unchanged.He didn't even show a trace of embarrassment, just raised his left thumb: "People say 'thunder and silence', and it really deserves its reputation. You can guess my intention. But you might as well guess again, since I knew you would refuse, why? How dare you come to invite you out of the mountain?" Although Shi Tianxiu is nominally the supreme commander of the imperial army, he never dared to be arrogant in the face of the number one master of the imperial army, and actually called himself "my subordinate". Huo Jinglei's facial features are handsome, but his complexion is slightly pale, his nose bridge is high and straight, his eyes are not ordinary black, but faintly blue, and he looks somewhat similar to those Western visitors.Seeing that he has no roots and no roots, but he can achieve great things repeatedly. He stands out from the Forbidden Army, which is popular in terms of seniority at the age of 20. Obviously, he can't do it just by relying on martial arts. In terms of deep scheming, he is as confident as the one in front of him This old fox.Hearing Shi Tianxiu's confident words at this moment, Huo Jinglei was suspicious, but his face remained calm.He smiled lightly and said, "My lord, please clarify."

Shi Tianxiu stroked his long beard, and said unhurriedly: "This time I Da surrendered, the Holy One was magnanimous, and sent envoys to make an alliance with I Da at the border. If the alliance is concluded, it will be a blessing for all people." Huo Jinglei sneered and said: "I don't understand the principles of the people, but I only know that I owe Daming countless blood debts. Although the Holy Spirit is magnanimous now and won't let the thieves and chieftains pay their blood debts, let Huo Mou protect him. Huo Mou is a rough man. People don’t have such a heart on their own.”

Shi Tianxiu smiled and said: "If you are still a rough person, how can there be smart people in the world? Ming people don't say dark words, in fact, I came to invite you this time to go to the border to meet alliances, but it is not to protect me. , but I ask you to deal with a person." Speaking of this, Shi Tianxiu deliberately looked around, and when the Guanzi was sold enough, Fang slightly lowered his head.Only whispered one word: "Lian!" Huo Jinglei was taken aback, his originally loose eyes suddenly turned sharp, although Shi Tianxiu still didn't speak, his heart was relieved, knowing that he had successfully persuaded the number one expert in the capital.

Huo Jinglei achieved his ambition in his youth, and his martial arts and wisdom were all chosen at the moment. Although he is young, he can be said to be omnipotent.Except for that time— In March of the second year of Longqing, Xu Tong, the governor of Huguang, teamed up with the Golden Knife League, one of the seven sects, to ban the White Lotus Sect and wantonly kill the members of the White Lotus Sect, intending to expel the White Lotus faction from the two lakes.Immediately, the White Lotus Sect issued a 33-day life and death order, saying that Xu Tong's head would be taken within three days.

The government and the public were shocked immediately, and Huo Jinglei, who had already emerged at that time, was ordered to protect Xu Tong.And the killer sent by the White Lotus Sect is Lian, the direct disciple of the seventh Maitreya Xu Yunhong, the leader of the White Lotus Sect. It was a gamble between two top young people in the arena.The bet is the head of Huguang Governor Xu Tong and the power of the White Lotus Sect.At that moment, the killer and the imperial army, this pair of natural enemies of fate, each had their own schemes and were evenly matched.This wonderful cat-and-mouse battle has become a legend passed down by word of mouth among young knight-errants.

Until the last day of the three-day period, which happened to be Xu Tong's birthday banquet, after all, it was the assassin Wang Qigao who used the Dragon Sparrow Sword to chop off Xu Tong's head at the cost of his left arm. and go.Since the first battle, the reputation of the number one assassin has spread all over the world, and it also made Huo Jinglei, who has been invincible since his debut, experience defeat for the first time! "I replied to submit to the imperial court, but I greatly offended the White Lotus Sect, causing the Thirty-Three-Three-Day Order of Life and Death to reappear in the world. Fortunately, at this moment, Xu Yunhong is trapped in Longhu Mountain, so he can only issue the order but not personally act, otherwise... I answered the same. A generation of heroes, looking at Bai Lian from top to bottom, the one who has the ability to pose a threat to him is none other than 'Lian'!"

Looking at Shi Tianxiu, who was smiling more and more in front of him, and remembering the shocking force that broke his self-confidence at the birthday banquet that day and woke him up from nightmares every night, Huo Jinglei's mouth showed a sneer. Shi Tianxiu wanted to continue talking, but Huo Jinglei suddenly threw away the black object in his left hand, put the paper in front of Shi Tianxiu, and said abruptly: "How?" Shi Tianxiu was also used to Huo Jinglei's style, He picked up the white paper and looked at it for a while, and couldn't help smiling. ——The paper was a portrait of Shi Tianxiu, but it was not in the freehand style that is popular nowadays.Seeing that the lines of the picture are rigid, every detail is clearly visible, even the shadow of the chin and the wrinkles at the corners of the mouth are engraved on the paper stroke by stroke, vividly.At first glance, Shi Tianxiu even suspected that what he was holding was not a painting, but a mirror.

Huo Jinglei raised his head for the first time and said, "How?" It seems that he cares more about the world's evaluation of this painting than the life-and-death fight at the border. Shi Tianxiu looked at it for a while, then Fang smiled and said: The sun slowly climbed to the east. "It's amazing! I have been immersed in calligraphy and painting for half my life, but I never thought that there is such an incredible painting method that can fully reveal the truth." Huo Jinglei smiled complacently, but Shi Tianxiu continued: "This must be a painting technique from the West. I don't know anything about this technique, so I couldn't comment on it at first, but the painting has the same meaning all over the world, so this painting technique is enough. As far as it is concerned, it can only be regarded as low-grade." Unexpectedly, Shi Tianxiu, who was so low-profile just now, speaks so bluntly at this moment, Huo Jinglei was stunned for a moment, and did not answer.

Shi Tianxiu continued: "Painting emphasizes technique as the basis and meaning first. Although this painting is detailed and the technique is amazing, it looks like it does not make people feel the slightest emotion. It just shows what you see rigidly. With all due respect, if you continue on your current path, you will only become a painter in the end." Huo Jinglei murmured: "It's your fault for your looks..." Suddenly, he jumped up from his seat, "Okay, I will accompany you to the border gate!" Shi Tianxiu was overjoyed when he heard the words, but shook his head. Shaking his head, he said, "You didn't go with me, you went by yourself." Huo Jinglei laughed and scolded: "Do you want me to negotiate with me?" Shi Tianxiu's smile remained unchanged: "The person who negotiated with me is not you, nor I, but, Lord Hou!" "Bai Yihou?!" Huo Jinglei was shocked, unexpectedly this incident would have something to do with this mysterious figure in the legend, "Bai Yihou has gone, what do you want me to do? Although the White Lotus Sect is powerful, can it be Can you still kill people under Bai Yihou's nose?" Shi Tianxiu put away his smile in a rare way: "No one knows what Bai Yihou is thinking." Having said that, he sighed, but stopped talking.Huo Jinglei smiled and said: "Then what do you want me to do? Go against Bai Yihou? Are you not afraid that he will come back and tear down your lair?" Shi Tianxiu smiled wryly and shook his head, "If the world is a precarious hut, then we are just plasterers, and all we can do is tinker, do you understand?" Huo Jinglei didn't answer, but turned to look north.For some reason, he had a premonition in his heart that the coming crisis would be a crisis he had never experienced before!