Chapter 2 second quarter

Time: At the beginning of noon, at two o'clock (according to today's time, it should be eleven thirty in the morning). Location: At the foot of the lonely mountain. Gushan is connected to Baidi in the east and Sudi in the west.It faces the Baoshi Mountain where the pagoda stands across the small West Lake, and looks across the West Lake from the Phoenix Mountain where the Imperial Palace is built.During the Northern Song Dynasty, Layman Lin Hejing once lived in seclusion on the lonely mountain. This old gentleman was famous for his eccentricity of "the plum wife and the crane" and the poem "the shadows of the branches are horizontal and the water is clear and shallow, and the fragrance is floating at the moon and dusk".Today's Gushan is already the location of the unnamed villa.

Zeng Yaowu and Chang Yangwei fastened their horses at the foot of the lonely mountain and looked up at the mountain. They saw lush trees and rippling greenery, but there were no traces of buildings.The two climbed up the steps along the path paved with bluestone slabs. The path twisted and circled, passed through the bushes and the shade of flowers, and after a few steps, it made people feel like they were out of the world. The hustle and bustle in front of the mountain had long been left Behind the head, no longer heard. No matter how good the scenery is, it varies from person to person. When Xie Lingyun came here, he should chant:

"The wide sandy road opens, and the path of Weiyu mountain breaks." When Wang Anshi came here, he sighed: "The wind fixes the flowers, and the birds sing and the mountains become more secluded." However, the perspectives of the two catchers appreciating the scenery are different.Most of the people in the six doors are hot-tempered.Zeng Yao practiced martial arts for a long while, turned and turned around, but still couldn't see the gate of Wuming Villa, Wuming got angry and shouted angrily: "Mom, do you want to exhaust me to death?" Chang Yangwei persuaded: "Brother Zeng, you should restrain yourself. Don't forget that when the time comes, Mr. Bao will remind you that Mr. Cao is a master outside the world. When you and I meet, we must speak nicely. , keep your brows down and look good, and you must not play the official's temper."

"So what about the worldly masters? The worldly masters should live on high mountains? I got angry and burned the whole mountain with a fire." Zeng Yaowu lost three days of flower wine, and he was suffocating. Huo, now the more he talked, the more angry he drew out the simple knife at his waist, and he slashed at the plum trees on both sides of the road.The big knife fell, and the branches broke and the flowers remained.The road is colorful, but the fragrance still exists.If Layman Lin Hejing knew about it, he would definitely return to the human world in a fit of rage, and seek revenge for killing his wife.

Zeng Yaowu slashed for a while, and said: "You and I have met many high-ranking officials and dignitaries since we were servants, and we have solved many shocking crimes. When you mention the name of the Ministry of Criminal Justice for urging the two ghosts, no one in the world will be respectful." Respect? Besides, he was ordered to summon him to the Ministry of Punishment today, so why should he speak kindly to him and keep his eyebrows low? If he knows the current affairs and readily agrees to come with us, then that's fine. If he hesitated for the slightest bit, don't blame me for giving him a stick on the spot to relieve my sulkiness."

Chang Yangwei said: "Brother Zeng is right. Master Bao's order is unreasonable. Thinking about him, the third son Cao is just a commoner. When he sees you and my brother, he has to be like those ordinary people and respect us. When the mouse sees the cat, it doesn't dare to vent its breath, it only obeys orders and obeys orders." Zeng Yaowu walked all the way, felled all the way, and used the seven-seven-forty-nine-style subduing tiger sword technique over and over again three times before he reached the gate of Wuming Villa. The gate is about six feet high and imposing. The main gate and the left and right side gates are tightly closed at the moment.There is a building above the gate, the roof is paved with copper tiles, and on the ridge of the roof are bronze flying dragons, phoenixes and flying horses.

Chang Yangwei felt timid at first, and said: "Look at this gate, and you will know that it must be an extraordinary family." Zeng Yaowu sneered and said, "Are you scared? What kind of double ghost are you? You're just a coward." Zeng Yaowu ignored the bronze animal head door knocker, but swung his fist at the door, hitting the heavy wooden door with his fist , making a dull sound, Zeng Yaowu punched several times, but the wooden door was still closed.Chang Yangwei didn't want to be ridiculed by Zeng Yaowu again, so he also raised his fist and slammed the door, shouting: "The Ministry of Criminal Justice is handling the case, open the door quickly." These two are also people who have practiced martial arts, and the strength of a pair of iron fists is really not small , The sound of banging on the door can be heard by people a hundred steps away.The two smashed for a long while, and the fists were quite painful. They gradually felt a little bored and bored, and then they heard footsteps coming from a distance.The footsteps sounded very leisurely, as if they were not in a hurry to answer the door.The footsteps stopped behind the door and asked, "Who is here?"

Zeng Yaowu yelled loudly: "Master, I have been calling for a long time and you didn't hear me? The Ministry of Punishment is fast, there is an urgent business, open the door for the master quickly." He raised his fist and slammed on the door several times. It was the side door that finally opened slowly.As soon as a crack was exposed, Zeng Yaowu rushed over and pushed the door open fiercely, strode into the door, and Chang Yangwei followed behind.The person who answered the door was a young doorman, about thirteen or fourteen years old.He didn't panic when he saw the two majestic arresters, but sized them up with great interest, and then said, "It was you two who knocked on the door just now?"

"Who else could it be if it wasn't your two grandpas?" The doorman sneered and said, "Are the two of you convicted?" "Your Majesty, it's nonsense. Your two grandfathers are the policemen with knives in the Ministry of Criminal Justice. I have always been the only one who asks about other people's crimes. Who dares to ask about my crimes." As he spoke, he raised his palm, ready to slap the doorman over on the ground. Chang Yangwei hastily stopped Zeng Yaowu, and said: "Brother Zeng, don't get angry. This door boy is just a child, and the power of Brother Zeng's series of chain palms is well known in all martial arts. If you slap down, this child will either die or be disabled. I Seeing that this doorman is very eloquent, let him finish his speech first."

"Little door boy, let me spare you from death, and tell me, what is your grandfather's crime?" The doorman put his hands behind his back, as if he didn't know that he had walked back and forth through the gate of hell at this moment, held his head high, and said with a high air: "First, since you want to ask the door, why don't you knock on the knocker? Are you barbarians?" Di, you don’t understand my Chinese etiquette? Second, you forced your way in before I even invited the two of you in. As a police officer, you should know the law and abide by the law. How could you break into a private house like this?”

Zeng Yaowu sneered, and said: "A mere doorman is also worthy of teaching me a lesson. My master just doesn't understand etiquette, and my master trespasses on private houses. What can you do to my master? Don't talk too much, do your best, and go get you The master called out and came with us to the Ministry of Punishment, so as not to delay the work of your two grandfathers." The doorman shook his head and said, "Do you know what this place is?" Zeng Yaowu said: "I don't care where you are! Even if it's the Heavenly King's father's house, my master will talk like this." The doorman not only shook his head, but also sighed, and said: "So that you two can learn more, this is Wuming Villa, the only Wuming Villa in the world. The temper of the two of you is really in the wrong place." Chang Yangwei couldn't help but said: "You are a little doorman, where do you come from so much nonsense. Why don't you hurry up and report to your master, and then play tricks here and talk big words, which made Master Zeng really angry. If I want to reward you with a punch and a half palm, I will just sit on the sidelines and stop persuading you." At this time, the doorman not only shook his head and sighed, but also showed an expression of extreme regret. He pointed at the two of them with his round fingers and scolded: "You two are desperate. If Uncle Meng knows If you beat on the door with your fists just now, and if you didn’t invite yourself in, he will cut off your hands.” Zeng Yaowu yelled, and said: "Oh my god, it's really the opposite. I don't believe it. There are people in this world who are so bold that they dare to cut off my hand." The doorman pointed forward with his hand and said, "Uncle Meng is here, why don't you ask him yourself." Zeng Yaowu saw a hunchbacked old man walking towards him slowly, leaning on a cane. The old man was wrinkled and gray-haired. He looked about 150 or 60 years old.Walking staggeringly, relying on the support of a crutch, did not fall to the ground.He walked so slowly that one had the illusion that he was not approaching but walking away. Zeng Yaowu saw the shape of the old man, laughed and said: "Just such an old man who is half buried in the ground, still wants to chop off our fists?" Chang Yangwei also raised his head and laughed. Although the old man walked very slowly, he finally came to the two policemen.He raised his dim eyes and asked the doorman, "I heard someone knock on the door just now, where is he?" The doorman pointed to the two policemen and said, "These are the two." The old man glanced at the two policemen coldly, and said coldly: "The old man is the housekeeper of this villa, and you two knocked on the door just now?" Zeng Yaowu said: "It's just the two of us. Bad old man, I heard that you are very angry. If you are angry, you will cut off our hands, won't you?" He and Chang Yangwei looked at each other, but couldn't help it. Laughed wildly. The old man patiently waited until the two police officers finished laughing, and then said: "The old man does not want to cut off your hands." Zeng Yaowu said: "It seems that although you are old and confused, you are not stupid. You know you can't offend us two masters." The old man said: "I don't want to cut off your hands, but you two will kneel Come down and beg the old man to cut off your hands." Zeng Yaowu didn't believe in evil, he stretched out his hands, and said in a dark voice: "I have my hands here, it's useless to keep them, I beg you to be merciful, sir, cut them off, it's a good deed Accumulating Yin Virtue. Hmph, I want to see if you really have the guts." The old man sneered, the doorman was silent, but Chang Yangwei was taken aback, he said in a trembling voice: "Brother Zeng, your hands..." Once Zeng Yaowu heard Chang Yangwei's urgent and terrified tone, he subconsciously looked at his hands, and when he saw it, he was almost out of his wits.The two hands were black and shiny, as if they had been newly painted. The palms were as big as a grinding disc, and the fingers were as thick as lotus roots. Compared with the original wrists, they looked very strange and abrupt.What's even more frightening is that from the beginning to the end, he didn't even feel the drastic deformation of his hands, as if those hands didn't belong to him, or they concealed him and changed independently. Out of caution, Chang Yangwei also looked at his hands, which were in the same shape as Zeng Yaowu, and suddenly his whole body went limp, he couldn't stand steadily, and almost fell to the ground. Zeng Yaowu had a sore throat, stared at the void, and asked in a dry and hoarse voice: "How did this happen? How did my hands become like this?" Who is he asking?Ask others or ask yourself?Ask the sky or ask the earth?no one knows. The doorman replied: "Who told you not to knock on the door according to the rules. If you are willing to condescend a little and knock on the knocker to call the door, you will have no trouble at all. But you still want to hit the door with your fist, but you don't know that the door has already been painted all over. Very poisonous. This is the retribution you deserve. Besides, your hand is swollen, and your arm will also be swollen in a short time. The poison spreads rapidly in your body. Within three days, you will Swell as huge as an elephant. At that time, you will be like a big balloon that is fully inflated. As long as you poke a needle casually on your body, it will explode, and your internal organs will be full. The land is full, and even the cost of the coffin is saved. Fortunately for you two, this method of death is actually not terrible, because you will not feel any pain until the moment of death. Hey, died young, I don't feel sorry for my husband." Uncle Meng said: "Ordinary people are bound to die, it's only in the morning and evening. It's better for you to mourn, go back and prepare for the funeral, and give yourself a decent funeral!" Zeng Yaowu and Chang Yangwei knelt down in front of Uncle Meng at the same time, begging in a mournful voice, "Please forgive me, old man." Uncle Meng moved away slowly, and said: "The man has gold under his knees, not to mention two officials. I can't stand such a big gift." Zeng Yaowu and Chang Yang walked forward with their knees, chasing and kneeling in front of Uncle Meng, saying : "Old man, old Bodhisattva, old god, old Buddha, old man, old ancestor, the villain has eyes but does not know Mount Tai, please show mercy and spare the lives of the little ones. The little ones will never dare to gone." Uncle Meng turned his head away and said, "What you are suffering from is the poison fermented by immortals. There is no cure for this poison in the world. It is useless to ask me." The two of them couldn't believe it, they just kowtowed and begged again and again. Uncle Meng sighed: "If you know your mistakes, you can correct them. There is nothing good about it. The old man has a way to save the two lives. I just don't know if the two officials can rely on it?" The two were overjoyed, raised their heads and said: "Please give advice, old gentleman." Uncle Meng said: "Up to now, the only way to save the handsome man is to lose the car. The small one is the big one. Use a sharp knife to cut off your hands quickly, and cut off the way for the toxin to flow into your body. Although you lose your hands, you can save your life. What do you two officials think?" ?” The two looked at each other anxiously and fearfully, and said, "Is there really only one way?" Uncle Meng nodded and said: "Go to heaven and earth, ask about the past and the present, there is no other way." Although Zeng and Chang have been in the rivers and lakes for many years, they have also experienced countless dangerous battles, and they have done quite a few things of cutting off people's limbs and even taking people's lives, but they want to cut off the hands that have been with them for many years. After all, it is difficult to make up your mind. Chang Yangwei scolded Zeng Yaowu: "It's all your fault, you bastard son of a tortoise, which caused my hand to be cut off for no reason. You will die badly. You have a son with no asshole, and a daughter who is a prostitute." Zeng Yaowu scolded back: "Mother, why do you scold me? You beat the door yourself, and I didn't ask you to do it." "If you don't beat your grandma's first, how can I beat it after you?" "I beat it whenever I like, it's none of your business?" "You made me lose all my hands, how dare you say it's none of my business?" After a big scolding, neither of them would shut up. Uncle Meng let them be quiet with a loud roar, and said sharply, "You two, don't hesitate any longer. If you hesitate any longer, when the toxin spreads to the arm, I'm afraid the arm will have to be chopped off too." The door boy chimed in and said, "Because you two are policemen and came here on official business with the court, so Uncle Meng will tell you this life-saving method on the sidelines. If it is an ordinary person, Uncle Meng is too lazy to care about their lives. A few days ago, A few quacks trespassed on the unnamed villa, and they were poisoned by the immortal yeast, and they all swelled to death afterwards, leaving no bones left." Zeng Yaowu gritted his teeth and yelled, "Okay, just cut it." He stretched out his hand to draw the knife, but his swollen hands couldn't handle it, he couldn't even hold the handle of the knife, let alone pull it out. up. Uncle Meng said: "I said earlier that you two will come to beg me to cut off your hands." Zeng Yaowu and Chang Yangwei sighed, and said: "Forget it, let it be, I beg the old man to cut off both of my hands!" Uncle Meng leaned on a cane, and smiled with his chest out.The doorman also echoed Uncle Meng with a wild laugh.The old laughter and sharp laughter were mixed, and Zeng Chang and Zeng Chang looked at each other, but shuddered. Uncle Meng stopped laughing and said seriously, "Have you got up, sir?" The door boy said, "You have already woken up." Uncle Meng snorted, and said, "Young master got up early today." The door boy said, "Young master is at Zizhu. Yuanli is playing chess with Master Lu." Uncle Meng said: "No wonder. Then we should keep our voices down, so as not to disturb the third son. Otherwise, he lost the game and will blame us for it." Seeing the old and the young just chatting and forgetting their existence, Zeng Chang and the two feel very uncomfortable. They really want to get angry and should be angry according to reason. However, at this moment when lives are at stake, their words and deeds have to Doubly cautious.The two don't know whether their fate is good or bad. They have even been deprived of the right to participate in their own fate, so they can only wait for the verdict with a high degree of nervousness. Zeng Yaowu called out tremblingly: "Old man, the toxin must have reached my arm, right?" Uncle Meng turned his wrinkled face to Zeng and Chang, who were kneeling on the ground. The remnants of the smile just now made the criss-crossing wrinkles on his face even more chaotic, like a boulder thrown into a lake that had already been wrinkled by the spring wind.As a result, this old face looked a lot more benevolent, even benevolent.Uncle Meng said: "I don't want to embarrass you anymore. You two officials, get up. The old man just wanted to scare you, but you actually believed it. It's really easy to deceive." Zeng Yaowu said: "Old man, you don't know how to get rid of the poison in our hands, how dare we get up." Uncle Meng said: "You two go out, close the door, put your hands on the door knocker, and rub the poison a few times, and the poison will be cured naturally. Remember, the swelling of your hands will disappear within a day, but within half a year Inside, you are not allowed to eat meat, take a bath, get angry, or have sex. As long as you break any of these four precepts, you will lose all your work and the toxicity will recur. Also, I advise you two, the door knocker is embedded in the door, not for use. It is not for decoration, but for knocking on the door. Walking in the rivers and lakes, only by following the rules can your life be longer." Zeng and Chang thanked Uncle Meng, went out in a hurry, closed the door, put their hands on the door knocker and rubbed for a few times.It was really effective, the hands felt sensation immediately, the two of them burst into ecstasy and secretly rejoiced.Originally wanted to escape from the wrong place quickly, but remembered that the official duties assigned by Mr. Bao had not yet been completed, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and knock on the door with the knocker. Uncle Meng answered from behind the door, "What else is there?" Zeng Yaowu had seen Uncle Meng's methods, and never dared to do anything wrong again, and said very humbly through the door: "Old man, please inform the third son, Mr. Bao asked him to move to the hall of the Criminal Department, and we have important matters to discuss." Uncle Meng said: "Master Bao you are talking about, could it be the first arrester in the capital, the fifth grandson of Bao Qingtian and Bao Longtu, Master Bao Wen?" Zeng Yaowu said: "Exactly. Since the old gentleman and Mr. Bao also know each other, please let me convey it for you." Uncle Meng is quite old, but his anger is much stronger than that of young people.He sneered and said, "I thought you were the only arrests who didn't know the rules. It turned out that even Mr. Bao didn't know the rules. He said he had an important matter to discuss. In my opinion, there is clearly a difficult case that is difficult to solve. He wants to ask my family for help." The young master asks for help. Since he is asking for help from my young master, he still wants to put on an official authority, he thinks too much of himself. Who does he think he is? Does he know who he is giving orders to? If my young master really Go to pay a visit to him in the lobby of the Ministry of Punishment, can he afford this ceremony? You can relay what I said to Mr. Bao without omitting a single word. Take it as you please." Hearing Uncle Meng's words, Zeng Chang and the two were dumbfounded.They never imagined that an old man who was about to die would dare to scold their boss, Mr. Bao, in front of the two of them, with extremely presumptuous words and extremely arrogant attitude.As the saying goes, if you beat your master, you have to watch the dog.Uncle Meng scolded Mr. Bao so badly that the two of them, as subordinates, were disgraced and dull. Zeng Chang and Zeng Chang exchanged glances, and the same terrible thought flashed in their minds: If even a servant of the Wuming Villa dared to be so arrogant and domineering, he would not take the official dignity and badge seriously.I really don't know how arrogant and defiant the owner of the villa should be. Seeing that Uncle Meng was in a rage, Zeng Chang and the two dared not add fuel to the flames. They could only plead softly: "Old man, you have to pity my two brothers. There is really no way for us to go back to do business like this. Please, old man In any case, please help me to accommodate you. If we relay your words to Mr. Bao, Mr. Bao will definitely punish the two of us for our ineffectiveness in his anger. We must be relegated to Yingtian Prison as the most despicable jailers. , the future of the two of us is over. My two brothers kneel down here for you, unless the old man agrees to bring the letter to the third son, otherwise my two brothers will not be able to kneel forever." Zeng Chang and Zeng Chang knelt down across the gate with the belief that they would win. Uncle Meng said: "You two kneel down and don't care about it. We are in the same boat. You are afraid of being punished by Mr. Bao, but I dare not tell the third son such a rude request. You two go back first and tell Mr. Bao Since you are asking for help, you should put down your dignity, show sincerity, dress lightly, and come to the villa to plead with the third young master in person. That's all for now, both of you, please go back." When Zeng and Chang heard the sound of footsteps and crutches beating the ground gradually fading away, they couldn't help but secretly groaned in their hearts. If they left here, Mr. Bao's thunderous anger would surely kill them under the plaque of "Mirror Hanging High" in the Ministry of Punishment. smashed to pieces.The fierce and ruthless Baowen, like his famous ancestor, has the supreme authority over his subordinates.The two fought for the land with their heads, shouted at the tsunami, and begged loudly, claiming that they would not leave until they achieved their goal.Anyway, I have already lost all my face, so I can just have no scruples. Uncle Meng, who hadn't gone far, frowned and said, "If they continue to make such a noise, I'm afraid the third son will hear it, what should I do?" Suddenly the doorman's eyes lit up, and he said with a smirk: "Uncle Meng, did you forget about Da Fei and Xiao Fei?"