Chapter 8 Chapter 8: The Web of Destiny

With a bamboo basket on his head and a big package on his back, Wu Zixu walked heavily on the road to Yueyang, not afraid of the eyes of passers-by, and greeted people from time to time. His recklessness is justified.At this moment, even if I meet someone who is looking for him wholeheartedly, I am afraid that I will still miss him.The reason why he can become the invisible and invisible thief is because he has an unparalleled advantage, that is, he can pretend to be anything without any flaws, because he has indeed done that job.Strictly speaking, he doesn't need to pretend at all, he just needs to transform back to the blacksmith, carpenter, groom, jade dealer, massage therapist, or cook, fisherman, butcher, farmer, charlatan, and the like.Therefore, he can easily hide his identity and has never been seen through.Which industry has he never set foot in?Then he can incarnate into tens of thousands, and investigate the reality of the target in a pervasive manner. Only when he is fully sure can he start stealing treasures.

Unfortunately, he has one of the biggest flaws, that is, he only likes to be himself.When Yinliang is in hand, he will restore his original appearance, so that he can enjoy life to the fullest and feel his own existence.And this became his loss this time. Now he has turned back into a master snake catcher who specializes in snake gallbladder. Inside the bamboo basket are more than a dozen poisonous snakes whose fangs have been pulled out by him, all of which he caught with his real skills on the road.Watching him skillfully pick up the scary poisonous snake from the bamboo basket, and kill the snake to get the guts, no one can associate him with the five escaped robbers.In addition, he speaks the local accent of people from Yunnan and Guizhou, his skin is dark after exposure after changing his appearance, his body is bent, his eyes are half-opened and half-closed, and he smells like snake medicine. I can't even recognize myself in the reflection.

As long as he can get into Yueyang City, he will have a way.With all his skills, finding a job should be easy.After integrating into the group life of Yueyang City, he can calmly decide how to get in touch with Qian Shichen.It won't be easy, but he's sure he can do it. You can reach Yueyang City at dusk tomorrow. Whether "fate" still favors him in particular, or will turn around and oppose him, it will be obvious after arriving in Yueyang. Yueyang City.The chief minister's office. Ji Nieti sat at the main seat, holding a letter from Feige from Eunuch Feng, and read it with all his heart.

Qian Shichen sat beside him.The most influential local minister in the south was about the same age as Jneti, and had just passed his forty-third birthday ten days ago.He is not tall, but he looks strong and flexible. His intimidating strength can be seen from his shoulders and neck. Invincible power and influence. Qian Shichen was born with a strange appearance, his eyes were long and thin, reminiscent of the sharpness of a blade, and the pearls half hidden in his eyes were shining brightly, giving him a feeling of deep city.He has a broad face and a bulging chin, but contrary to Ginetti, he has rich expressions and can greet people with a smile, but he can also become murderous at any time.

At this moment, he was pursing his lips tightly, showing an expression of dissatisfaction, like a bad boy who was having a fight. Jneti put the letter on the table, closed his eyes and meditated.As soon as he arrived in Yueyang, Qian Shichen couldn't wait to show him the letter from Eunuch Feng. Qian Shichen said angrily: "Your Majesty Ji, tell me! Didn't the Grand Eunuch send someone here to make it clear that we don't have the ability to handle this matter well?" Jneti still closed his eyes, leaned against the back of the chair, and wrote lightly: "I know Gu Yueming, he is the scariest person I have ever seen in my life. I not only mean that he is an excellent swordsman, but also because he is a man who is not afraid of death. Do you understand? A first-class master who is not afraid of death can scare anyone, including me, Ji Nieti. Gu Yueming is the most powerful weapon in the hands of the Grand Duke. One of his specialties is the ability to track and search , In this regard, his ability is unique, I firmly believe that he has a special endowment, Shichen, do you understand?"

Qian Shichen frowned and said, "Master Ji never thought that if he successfully captured Xue Tinghao, wouldn't he take all the credit for us? Even if we don't care about the merits and demerits, at least it will appear that we are incompetent." Ji Nieti opened his eyes, stared at Qian Shichen, and said expressionlessly: "Whoever has more credit is not in my consideration. What I care about is how to find the Chu box. The Grand Duke sent Gu Yueming here to strengthen our strength." Strength. Gu Yueming came to Yueyang not to oppose us, but to help us. In some special cases, having too many people doesn’t help, otherwise we would have caught Xue Tinghao, and Gu Yueming’s role in such a situation is useless It is measurable. And you have to remember that Gu Yueming is not here to be our subordinate, even the Grand Duke cannot control Gu Yueming's solitary behavior."

Qian Shichen was speechless to Ji Nieti and dared not refute. The divine light in Ji Nieti's eyes gradually gathered, shooting out a terrifying light, and slowly said word by word: "Perhaps the minister is still not aware of it, you are walking on a very dangerous road, and you are doubting the intentions of the Grand Duke. In the past fifty years, none of the people who doubted the Grand Duke ended well." Qian Shichen lowered his head and said fearfully: "Shichen never meant that, Lord Ji please forgive me. Shichen will do his best to serve the Grand Duke." Jneti closed his eyes again.

At this time, someone came to report, Qiu Jiushi asked to see Ji Nieti.Ji Nieti opened his eyes, and a strong murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and then said: "Shichen doesn't need to avoid the table. Please come in." Wushuang looked up at the starry sky, feeling confused. Hei'er was eating the green grass by the small river leisurely and contentedly.It was a gift from An Jie to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. An Jie treated her like a loving father who loves his daughter, but An Jie could never take the place of her father in her heart. The person I met when crossing the river this morning was most likely someone from the government, otherwise the people of the Great River League would not have become so docile and respectful after seeing the contents of his robe.Just looking at his unruffled demeanor when blocking arrows, and his calm and quick reaction, one can tell that he is a top-notch expert.And the person who attacked him should not be underestimated. She had never thought of such a method.

The image of a young man who was offered a reward of one hundred taels of gold by Huangfu Tianxiong couldn't help appearing in his mind.She must have never seen him before, why did he arouse some unspeakable feelings in her?A feeling of déjà vu. well!Stop thinking about it.Her only wish now is to go to Yunmengze and find her uncle.Regardless of the truth of the matter, she vowed to find out.She never believed that father was that kind of person. After reading Huangfu Tianxiong's handwritten letter, Ji Nieti handed it to Qian Shichen for him to read it, then looked at Qiu Jiushi who was sitting on the other side of the table, and said, "The last time I saw Chief Huangfu, I felt his expression. There is a difference, when he spoke, his heart seemed not there, so it turned out that such an unfortunate thing happened. Ninth Master, don't worry! We will fully cooperate with you, this time the five escaped robbers will not be able to fly."

Qian Shichen put down the letter and said angrily, "You actually want to mess with me, Qian Shichen. He changed his mind because he was impatient!" Qiu Jiushi hurriedly thanked him, and said: "According to our estimation, the most convenient choice for Wudun Pirates at present is to steal the treasure 'Heavenly Lady Jade Sword' handed down by the Lord. What's more, according to Wudun Pirates' usual habits, he is a It is impossible for a smart fool who likes to challenge the difficulty not to be fascinated by the 'Tiannu Jade Sword'. He also despises other inferior treasures."

Ji Nieti sized up Qiu Jiushi with his spirit, and said: "The Ninth Master has a thorough understanding of Wudun Pirates, and he has also convinced me that Wudun Pirates are very likely to come to patronize Shichen. But there is one thing I still want to see." It doesn't make sense, even if he steals the jade sword, how can he get rid of it? Everyone knows that the jade sword is the treasure of the minister's town house." Qiu Jiushi calmly said: "He can personally extort money from Mr. Qian." Qian Shichen shook his head and said: "This is impossible. Let him be supercilious. With us waiting in full force, he dares to come here just to throw himself into a trap." Ji Nieti said lightly: "So we must not let him realize that we are waiting in full force, so as to scare him away." Qiu Jiushi thought to himself, in comparison, Ji Nieti is far above Qian Shichen in terms of intelligence and insight, the most frightening thing is that he doesn't show his emotions like Qian Shichen. Put it on your face.He pondered and said: "The most powerful method of the five escape robbers is his escape technique. So every time he steals the treasure, the owner is surprised to be the target of his attack. From this it can be seen that he has a set of methods to conceal his identity. Ability to deceive everyone. No matter how the owner hides the treasure secretly, Wudu Thief can find it. Among those who are patronized by Wudu Thief, the owner knows that it has been stolen until someone else asks him for a ransom. From the treasures in the cash box in the basement, we can see how clever the five escaped robbers are." Ji Nie nodded and said: "The Gui Gang has conducted a very in-depth investigation on the five escaped robbers." Qian Shichen said disapprovingly: "How can the set of Wudun robbers work in my Sifu? It's just that there are twelve Tibetan dogs patrolling the mansion, so it's guaranteed that he will come and go." Qiu Jiushi said: "According to the situation of all the owners, even if there is a vicious dog, during the period of five escapes and robbery, they are silent and seem to be unaware." Qian Shichen said with confidence: "Let me reveal a secret to Mr. Ji and the Ninth Master. My jade sword is real or fake. I usually enshrine in the main hall a copy made by a skilled craftsman. When there is a celebration, I will take the real one." Come out. Therefore, if the five escaped robbers dare to steal the treasure, there is a great chance to miss the auxiliary car. But even if it is a fake, it is worth at least several hundred taels of gold, so I specially made a mechanism on the bracket where the jade sword is placed, as long as When the jade sword is off the shelf, the alarm immediately rings, making it impossible for the five escaped thieves to hide." Jneti and Qiu Jiushi applauded at the same time. Qian Shichen said complacently: "We don't need to do anything, the Sifu wants everything to go on as usual, and Yueyang City doesn't need to strengthen its defenses and inspections. It's fine if the Wudu robbers don't come, otherwise they will fall into our net." Qiu Jiushi happily said: "If Wudun Pirates came here to steal treasures as we expected, it will be the first time since his debut that people have known about his activities in advance." After a while, he continued: "But don't be afraid of 10,000, just in case. We have a kind of powder called 'God Catch', as long as it is dissolved in water and applied on the real and fake jade swords, the smell seems to be there, but it can last for a long time. It lasts for several months, and people who come into contact with it will be stained with the smell. Unless the five escaped robbers really understand the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, they will become fish in the net. he comes." Ji Nieti and Qian Shichen were moved at the same time, this plan is impossible to guard against, and they don't worry about being fooled by the five thieves. Ji Nie asked: "Who came up with this plan?" Qiu Jiushi said: "This is our usual way to track down the enemy." In fact, this is Ruan Xiuzhen's clever plan against the five escaped thieves, but Qiu Jiushi didn't want Ji Nieti to have scruples about Ruan Xiuzhen's intelligence, so he understated it strip off. Qian Shichen murmured, "Have the Five Dungeons realized that you have seen through his identity?" Qiu Jiushi thought about Ruan Xiuzhen's analysis of Wudun Pirates, and replied: "Wudun Pirates is proficient in the threshold of the rivers and lakes, and he must be an extremely intelligent person. Since he knows that he has a deep hatred with our Dahe League that cannot be solved, when he guesses With our manpower and material resources, we can easily figure out his background, so he should be aware of his situation." Qian Shichen said suspiciously: "Does he still dare to come? The risk is too high." Ji Nieti said decisively: "As long as there is even the slightest possibility, we have to assume that he will definitely come and do it. This may be the only chance to catch Wudun Pirates. The matter of Huangfu's gang leader is equal to ours, and it must not be done." Take it lightly." Qiu Jiushi secretly sighed, this favor is owed to him, but otherwise he would never want to capture the five escaped robbers alive.According to his personality, even if Jnetti becomes an enemy in the future, he still has to repay this favor.He hurriedly said: "Master Ji and Lord Qian's kindness will never be forgotten by our gang." Qian Shichen said relaxedly: "Does the Ninth Division have a place to stay in Yueyang? If you don't mind, I can set aside a courtyard in the mansion for the Ninth Division to rest. It will ensure easy access and allow me to be a landlord." Qiu Jiushi quickly declined, and after the three of them discussed the details of the cooperation between the two parties, Qiu Jiushi said goodbye and left.In their minds, it was only a matter of time before the five escaped robbers were caught. No one thought that things would turn out to be side effects, which was completely beyond their expectations. Wu Zixu sat on the top of the mountain, looking at the brightly lit Yueyang City.Whether this city is another starting point for him or his end, he is not even half sure. For Dahemeng, the person he is most worried about is not Huangfu Tianxiong, but his subordinates Ruan Xiuzhen and Qiu Jiushi. Both of them have a culture and a martial arts, making Dahemeng the most powerful gang. If Ruan Xiuzhen really lived up to his name, he would have guessed that he had to make a big deal so that he would have enough money to live in hiding for a period of time, avoiding the limelight and fire, before making a comeback.In his current situation, nothing can achieve his goal better than stealing Qian Shichen's "Jade Sword of the Heavenly Lady".Under such circumstances, the Great River League will come in full force and set up a net around Yueyang. As long as he reveals his whereabouts, he will definitely have no way to go to heaven and no way to go to earth, because he has absolutely no idea of ​​the so-called five elements escape method. If he had a choice, he would not set foot in the city gate of Yueyang, but all his hopes and future were pinned on the Ye Mingzhu in his bosom. In recent years, the Dahemeng's power has expanded rapidly, and it is deeply tabooed by the court. With a local minister like Qian Shichen, the Dahemeng and the Dahemeng should be suspicious of each other, and they will not cooperate with each other. Tomorrow, he will be one of the first people to enter the city when the city gates open. He will forget who he really is and devote himself to the life of a snake gall dealer.And the package containing all kinds of tools has been hidden in the dense forest outside the city, waiting to be taken when needed. Thinking of this, his blood boiled.He enjoys the excitement of being desperate, only in this way can life show its beauty. Gu Yueming flew off his horse and landed on the grass beside the small river. The familiar fragrance flooded into his nostrils, and the image of the girl appeared in his mind again. She is so strong and independent, graceful and graceful, with a mysterious smell all over her body, and she seems to have ulterior secrets that keep her away from other people.But these are not the reasons to attract him.But what was it that attracted him?He couldn't speak again. It was only half an hour since she left, but Gu Yueming knew that it would not be easy to catch up with her, because the steed she was riding was not under his favourite. Many people think that Gu Yueming is a ruthless person, but he knows his own business, he is really a person with rich feelings, otherwise he would not feel that life is the heaviest burden and that this road is so difficult to walk.It's really painful to be a human being, and the biggest pain is that he doesn't understand why he is so painful.He has no reason to be so miserable.But how can you be happy when there is nothing in the world that can make you feel interesting? Where is she going? When she just left the ferry, she took the official road in the direction of Changde and went along the west of the river, but this was just a trick of suspicious soldiers, so she turned back to Dongting Lake.If she hadn't spent half an hour waiting for the attacker by the river, to see if the attacker would be so stupid as to cross the river to chase him immediately, she would never be able to catch up with him. Her evasive behavior made him believe even more that she had something to hide.Who is she going to hide?Most likely it was myself.She must have guessed that he was from the government from the reactions of those people in Dahemeng who questioned him. An unexplainable fear and tremor surged deep in Gu Yueming's heart.If her final destination is Yunmengze, and her secret is related to Chuhe, it is like an inescapable fate that they will meet each other at Dutou.The web of fate had been stretched to bind them together. He didn't think he fell in love with the girl at first sight, that's not the case, but she did touch his heart, and he had emotions he couldn't understand.Do you know her?What did she say to herself?well!This is impossible. Hui Jian came to him, Gu Yueming jumped on the horse, leaned over to Hui Jian's ear and said softly: "You and I will chase someone." With a yell, he went to pat the horse. Qian Shichen entered the garden of the East Garden and came to a small stone house.Compared with other places in the Sifu, this is a completely different world. It seems to be independent, self-contained, quiet and lonely. The stone house is very different from other gorgeous houses in the mansion. It is a bit like moving the mountain dwelling house into the mansion without change. The gray walls and blue tiles are unpretentious, but they can blend into the garden, giving people a feeling of forgetting the mundane. "Come in!" The voice was calm and honest, with submissive power. Qian Shichen showed a respectful expression, pushed the door open and entered. Except for a big box in one corner, there are only two big seats in the room.At this time, a person was sitting cross-legged on the mat against the wall. Since there was no light, the figure melted into the darkness.Taking advantage of the moonlight coming in through the east window, one can see that this person has long hair hanging down his shoulders, is tall and thin, and has bare feet. The gloomy atmosphere is very frightening. Qian Shichen called out "Senior Brother" respectfully, then sat down on the mat opposite to that person, and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother is back, how is the situation?" Qian Shichen gradually got used to the darkness in the room, and the man's face became clear, and the other party's eyes that seemed to contain infinite wisdom were staring at him shiningly. The man said indifferently: "The situation is very wonderful. Gu Yueming really deserves his reputation, he is not an ordinary person who is in vain. I ambushed him twice, and the first time he found out that I was not using the right weapon. I almost suffered a big loss. If I hadn't used Taoism in time, I might not be able to retreat. Then I took advantage of him to cross the river, and shot him with a crossbow machine from the bottom of the water, but he shot it down with the wrist guard hidden in his sleeve. Gu Yueming is definitely not an ordinary sword hand, but a talented Qishi." Qian Shichen was surprised: "With the ability of senior brother, can't you even deal with him?" The man said calmly: "If it's a fair situation, with sword against sword, I, Gemo, can only kill him with a 50% chance, but if I cooperate with Taoism, he will definitely die." Qian Shichen felt the special feeling every time he faced Ge Mo in the past: when Ge Mo looked at you, he always used another pair of hidden eyes to search for some secrets in your heart; when listening to you speak, He seemed to be using another pair of ears to hear sounds that others could not hear.Although his person is in front of your eyes, the real him exists on a higher level. Qian Shichen was never afraid of anyone, but he was really in awe of this senior brother. Qian Shichen was speechless: "Is Gu Yueming so powerful? How can we do it?" Ge Mo said in a deep voice: "Eunuch Feng sent him here because Eunuch Feng has lost his patience, so he put all his eggs in one basket, because Gu Yueming is not under the control of anyone, including Eunuch Feng. And because of Gu Yueming's solitary style , coupled with his extraordinary ability to track and search, will pose the greatest threat to us. If Gu Yueming finds Xue Tinghao before us, the consequences will be unimaginable. The current plan is not to kill Gu Yueming, but to find Xue Tinghao, and see if we can find Xue Tinghao from him. Know more about what happened that year, and then kill him to silence it." Qian Shichen took a deep breath and said, "But Xue Tinghao seems to have disappeared. Senior brother has used the magical power, but he still has no way of knowing where he is." Ge Mo said lightly: "Xue Tinghao has arrived at Yunmengze." Qian Shichen was stunned and said, "Brother, are you sure?" Ge Mo said: "Only Yunmengze can prevent my Taoism from being able to use its skills, otherwise I would not have missed Chu He. There is a strange power in Yunmengze, which comes from ancient gods. They Protecting the ancient city and guarding Chuhe. But I already feel that the mysterious power of Yunmengze is fluctuating. As I expected, this year's Ghost Festival, the ancient city will be opened again, and the whereabouts of Chuhe will be revealed. Xue Tinghao is in the It is in Yunmengze, so it can avoid the search of the divine power." Qian Shichen's breath became short of breath, his eyes shot eagerly, and he said, "Brother, are you going to Yunmeng Lake?" Ge Mo didn't answer him directly, but said, "How about Ji Nieti?" Qian Shichen said bitterly: "This old fox's mind is unpredictable, but I always feel that he has a different view on the events of the year. His threat to us is not inferior to Gu Yueming. This time, there are thirty-six factories with him. Wei's elite, everyone's martial arts are tyrannical, even if I try my best, it is still not easy to kill him." Ge Mo said: "Killing him is the next strategy, unless the minister decides to abandon wealth and power." After a short pause, he continued: "Shichen's eyelids are green, is it because of excessive drinking?" Qian Shichen was not surprised that Ge Mo could see things in the dark as if they were in daylight, because he had long been used to it, and said with a wry smile: "When I think of the Chu box almost falling into my hands, I feel depressed and want to find a place to vent my anger. Wealth, power , Beauty, for me, lack of any one, life is not complete, how many people can treat these as cheap mud and dung like my senior brother." Ge Mo said angrily: "I'm not blaming you for your behavior. But drinking will be chaotic, sex can hurt the body, everything must be done in moderation, restraint and depression, in order to enjoy the fun." Qian Shichen seemed to turn a deaf ear to it, and said to himself, "I really want to take senior brother to meet someone." A contemptuous look flashed across Gomo's eyes, but he didn't say anything. Qian Shichen, however, had an intoxicated expression on his face, and said to himself: "The person I want to take my brother to meet is the Baichun girl from Hongyelou. She is not only beautiful, but also smart, graceful, and her eyes are full of affection , passionate and unrestrained but also a little shy, as charming as you want, I really want to see if senior brother will break the precept because of her." Ge Mo said in a deep voice: "Don't blame me for ruining the scenery. From now until July 14th, you must remain vigilant. If there is any mistake, you can't afford the consequences. If you want to get the Chu Box, you'd better follow my advice." Do." Qian Shichen thought to himself: I don't know what kind of luck happened tonight, he reprimanded Ji Nieti and Ge Mo successively, the most useless thing is that although he didn't think so in his heart, he dared not speak out.Quickly changed the subject: "When will senior brother leave for Yunmengze?" Ge Mo said calmly: "I am determined to win this trip. After sitting for an hour, I will go to Yunmengze immediately. You have to be careful with Gu Yueming, he is definitely a difficult person, and he is more likely to be the only one in the world who is qualified and I am a person who fights for his strengths." Qian Shichen said in surprise: "Zuo Wang? What kind of Taoism is this?" Ge Mo said: "You get it because you keep thinking, and you forget because you keep thinking; leaving form and removing wisdom is the same as the way, which is called sitting and forgetting. Frankly speaking, what I said to you is just playing the piano to a cow. If the heart is ashes, there will be nothing. Uncertainty; body and Tao are the same, there is no way out. Xue Tinghao is no longer an ordinary person, but an eminent monk who has attained the Buddhadharma. If I cannot be in the peak state, I will miss the only chance to kill him. Let’s go !" Qian Shichen resigned and left knowingly.