Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty-Seven

Qian Shichen rode his horse away from the chief minister's mansion, surrounded by eighteen horse guards, and galloped along the street towards Hongyelou. The long rain powder sprinkled from the gray sky and landed on his face, which made him feel happy to fight it out, which is exactly the portrayal of his mood at this time. The fear caused by the Dongchuang incident has been swept away. The reputation of the Great River League in the area of ​​the Yangtze River is indeed at its peak. The generals under his command and the neighboring local ministers knew that the Great River League was involved in the charitable act, and they all responded enthusiastically.

Now that he has sent his family away, he has no more worries, and the ambitions that have been sapped by wine, sex and wealth are alive again in his heart.He always believed that he was not an ordinary local official, and that the noble blood of the ancient Chu royal family flowed in his body. At this time when the imperial court was decaying, he should stand up and make great achievements. Grains are being continuously delivered to Yueyang City from all over the world, and a batch of grains that should have been transported to the capital were also held in Yueyang by him. After a year and a half, when reinforcements from the Great River Alliance arrived, all the south of the Yangtze River would be in his hands.At that time, only Eunuch Feng was afraid of him, and he no longer had to be afraid of anyone.

Qian Shichen no longer had any scruples. Wu Zixu rowed the boat away from Fengzhu Pavilion and headed towards Shuixiangxie. His state of mind is peaceful and serene, because there is no more half-heartedness, and everything is going according to plan.In the fog and rain all over the lake, it seemed that he was the only person and boat left in the world, and other personnel and affairs had nothing to do with him. This misty rain was very evil, there was no warning when it came, and in a blink of an eye, the inside and outside of the building were transformed into a dreamlike world, and everything became unreal.

The dark night and misty rain seemed to be tailor-made for him by Goddess Yunmeng.He is the man who knows best how to take advantage of circumstances, which are the circumstances in which he acts most altruistically. Dots of lights lit up around the shore of the lake, and under the shroud of mist and rain, they turned into small and large lights one after another, full of water. Since the first treasure robbery operation, he has understood that no matter how sophisticated the plan is, there will always be some subtleties, and he must rely on a little luck.And that is something that no mortal can control, it depends on God's will.

Now that he has done his part and is fully prepared, it depends on whether Goddess Yunmeng is on his side. He has never missed a shot, will this be the only exception? Gu Yueming parked the boat under an arch bridge, waiting for the night to come and the killing to begin. He had long been numb to death, whether his own or someone else's.He did not deliberately glorify the act of killing, giving it the adornment of justice.Since he was sensible, he knew that this was a matter of position. Due to the different situations, the two sides were in opposing positions. When the conflict became acute, the two sides went to extremes and could only be resolved by force.This is exactly the case with him, Qian Shichen and Ge Mo.

He will kill people tonight, most of them are people he never knew. Everyone's death will bring a painful blow to the family of the deceased, but this situation has continued since history, and it will not stop in the future.Big and small wars, one after another.The history of man is the history of war. He didn't understand why he was so tired of war, but indulged in the life of killing or being killed.Doesn't the blood of fighting spirit flow in his body?Only by facing death and contacting death can the heavy burden of life be lightened. The misty rain outside the bridge is long, and he has never been affected by weather changes. Since this sudden and endless drizzle fell from the sky, he has been dominated by a never-before-seen and inexplicable emotion. The beautiful figure of the girl named Shuangshuang couldn't help appearing.It was as if in this world full of struggle and hatred, she saw the only beautiful thing in this ugly world from her, and found a refuge in a heavy life.

Is he in love with her? He didn't know and didn't want to find out. One of the secrets he didn't tell anyone was that he hated himself, that he had blood on his hands.He only knows how to hate, but never understands what love is all about. He has no qualifications to fall in love with people at all. Love has nothing to do with him, only death belongs entirely to him. If he could exchange his life for the joy and happiness of both of them, he would do so without hesitation.That was not sacrifice, but redemption, redemption of oneself. Wushuang pushed open the window, and the moist and fragrant air flowed into the small hall of Yuzhu Pavilion from the quiet and sleeping hanging ladle pond with a gust of wind.The water pavilions and pavilions on the opposite bank were hidden in the mist and rain, only a few dim lights remained.

She thought of Wu Zixu.What kind of person is he?Why did he keep saying that he was possessed by a god, so that he couldn't help himself?I always refuse to delve into it. Is it because I am afraid that after knowing the truth, I will change my mind, and she doesn't want to change her destiny at all? Maybe it's because her heart is too tired to bear other things; or maybe she doesn't want to face the reality, and just wants to hide in the cocoon she's used to.In that closed world, everything is simple and clear, only herself and the secret she carries. But Wu Zixu's picture of Yunmeng Goddess broke a gap in her sealed cocoon, and her stable world was shaken.

She didn't understand why she couldn't resist helping Wu Zixu, she was both familiar and unfamiliar with this person.Why is there such a strange feeling? Does she have to change herself? Baichun stood on the platform of Shuxiang Pavilion facing the pool, leaning on the railing to look at the mesmerizing lake view. Is Qiu Jiushi wiping his world-famous Conferred God Stick now, waiting for the best time to strike at Wudun Pirates?According to rumors, when he fights with people, his Conferred God Staff can be long or short, and it can change in thousands of ways, and there are unpredictable opportunities.

Since breaking up in the pouring rain outside the Bamboo Building, she had been secretly looking forward to his change, but as time passed, her hope gradually dimmed, and at this moment, she no longer had any hope. He will definitely come, but not for her. Qiu Jiushi made her realize the other side of a beautiful thing, but she didn't dare to blame him, she could only entrust it to good luck. The servant girl's voice came from the entrance of the lower level of the water pavilion: "Master Chief Envoy is here!" Qiu Jiushi felt very bored. He really wanted to find something to do, to give his mind a direction to focus, to make time go by faster, to adjust his mind, but he was always restless and couldn't spend more time on anything.

He once picked up his favorite art of war book, but he gave up after reading a few pages; he went to the garden to play sticks for a while, but he didn't have the usual vigor. If Ruan Xiuzhen was here, he could still chat with him, everything would be fine, but he only hated that he went to the Yueyang gang to arrange to capture the five escaped robbers. Suddenly, he realized that he was feeling lonely, a kind of loneliness that made people feel extremely lonely.This was an emotion he had never felt before. Before, he would only be so busy that he could steal half a day free, which was already a rare joy. This is an unbearable loneliness, the loneliness of losing the woman he loves the most, and he knows better that he will carry this feeling for the rest of his life. Tonight will be the most difficult night in his life, just as Ruan Xiuzhen described, there is a road of no return ahead of them, after tonight, he can no longer turn back. On the platform facing the pool of Shuxiang Pavilion, there is a round table covered with a large umbrella to block the endless drizzle. The wind lamp hangs from the center of the umbrella, reflecting the cups, pots, chopsticks, and cold cuts on the table, which has a unique flavor. Qian Shichen's entourage and servants all retreated downstairs.In this mist-shrouded world, Qian Shichen felt like he was stepping on the whole world, not only because everything was under control, but also because of the stunning company of admiration.So far in life, what more can a husband ask for. Baichun toasted him first, and said coquettishly: "Your Excellency is really good at whetting people's appetites. There is no half truth in telling a story, and you are always tricky and vague. If this is still the case tonight, Baichun would rather not listen!" Qian Shichen laughed and said, "Don't worry Baichun, it's different tonight!" Baichun asked, "What's the difference?" Qian Shichen said confidently: "Baichun will understand soon." Baichun said angrily, "It's a trick again." Qian Shichen said happily: "This pass must be guarded, otherwise it will spoil the scenery. Look! What a touching night, I will lead Baichun back to the mysterious age more than a thousand years ago, and continue the ancient city. Fascinating story." Baichun said softly: "My family is listening!" Qian Shichen was elated, Baichun had never been so obedient to him before, which made him feel that the relationship between them was a little closer.He said happily, "Is Baichun's promise still valid?" Baichun said softly: "Don't worry, my lord, the oath will still take effect. But such a touching story is lost among us, don't you think it's a pity, my lord?" Qian Shichen wondered how it would be lost, at least the descendants of my Qian family would know, but he couldn't say it because it would destroy the touching atmosphere of the secret of the story, so he said casually: "As long as there is a day for me, Qian Shichen, Baichun must not tell anyone." At the same time, he thought that if even Qian Shichen couldn't find Chu He, his children and grandchildren would have no hope. Suddenly, he felt that it didn't matter what he said, even if Baichun leaked the secret, it still wouldn't affect the development of the matter.Everything is a foregone conclusion. The round table in the hall of Shuixiangxie is full of painting tools. Watching Wu Zixu spread out the drawing paper enthusiastically, and pressing it with paper, Cicada Wing frowned and said, "Mister, are you going to improvise? But..." Wu Zixu cut her off and said, "Of course I understand that the eldest lady is accompanying Mrs. Qian in a romantic way! There is a little bit of rain, but there is no wind or moon. Ha! The last one of the eight pictures of beauties is going to have a new meaning. It will become a beautiful thing passed down through the ages.” Cicada Wing said angrily: "You are not making new ideas, but destroying. What is your head made of? Don't you know that Mr. Si is not to be offended? Missy will never come here at this time, you It's a waste of time." Wu Zixu raised his finger, pressed it to his lips, made a silent gesture, moved to the side of Chan Wing, and said, "Miss Chan, have you forgotten who I am?" Cicada Wing looked at him in astonishment. Wu Zixu lowered his voice, and said mysteriously: "I'm a five-dun thief! Extraordinary people have extraordinary behaviors. If they do things that ordinary people think of, what are they called extraordinary people? Ha! If Elder Sister Cicada wants to help me Busy, you must do as I say." Cicada Wing became skeptical and said, "Are you really a five escaped thief?" Wu Zixu said in an airy voice: "Of course it's the genuine Five-Dun Bandit, from head to toe it's the same Five-Dun Bandit who has never missed a shot." Cicada Wing was aroused by his exaggerated words of scrambling to recognize the five escaped bandits, and asked: "Why can't I tear off your beard?" Wu Zixu said proudly: "Because the concoction I used to stick my beard can't be torn off, the things that Wu Dun stole are certainly not ordinary things, right?" Cicada Wing was stunned and said, "Isn't it impossible to get it off?" Wu Zixu took it for granted, "Isn't it enough to shave it off?" Cicada Wing "puchi" laughed, and patted his chest lightly, and said happily: "I almost frightened you to death, it turns out that you are not a thief at all, so people worry about you for nothing. You are really an asshole, how can such a thing be done?" Just kidding." Wu Zixu approached her with a smile and said, "It's rare that Sister Cicada cares about me so much, I'm really touched." A red cloud flew up on the left and right cheeks of the cicada wings, and said angrily, "Who cares about you!" Wuzi felt itchy humbly, moved closer and closer, and said beside her ear: "Elder Sister Chan doesn't care about me, why would you worry about me?" Cicada Wing moved her delicate body aside, and said in Buyi, "Don't get so close." Wu Zi shrugged his shoulders indifferently, returned to the table and sat down, and said, "Sister Chan, please sit down." Cicada Wing said: "It's better to stand here." Wu Zixu frowned and said, "What's there to be afraid of when you're separated by a table?" Cicada Wing moved to the opposite side of the table and sat down step by step for the camp. Seeing him staring at him with scorching eyes, he became unnatural, and said angrily, "What's so interesting?" Wu Zixu smiled and said, "I'm cultivating painting affection." Cicada Wing's eyes lit up, and she lowered her head. Wuzi was humbled, and understood that she mistakenly thought that he was going to start painting her immediately, so he couldn't hold back the joy in his heart, and at the same time let himself grasp her most beautiful side. In terms of beauty, compared to the charming Baichun, Cicada Wing is like starlight to Haoyue, but the attraction of Cicada Wing to him is not inferior to Baichun. The reason lies in her "truth", a kind of love from the heart. Sincere and sincere temperament.If he can grasp this characteristic of her and embody it on the drawing paper, it will be another masterpiece just like the completed seven pictures of beauties. But at this moment, his mind is still blank, unable to form a clear portrait in his mind like the previous seven paintings, as if with the help of a god, and then draw them into a painting like a natural skill. From his own situation, he accurately grasped the "mind" of Yunmeng Goddess. He knew more clearly that Gu Yueming's idea was right.Tonight's success or failure does not lie in his ability to escape the robbers, but in whether he can obey the will of Goddess Yunmeng, so he must "do as he pleases, not force it". Gu Yueming took off his outer robe slowly, and hung it on the cross-shaped wooden frame erected in the middle of the boat.At the bottom of the dark bridge, anyone who looks in suddenly will mistakenly think that he is still sitting on the boat. He is wearing a water jacket, with a sword in his waist, a saber and a barrel of crossbow bolts on his back, and a four-bow crossbow machine hanging on his chest, completely entering a fighting state. He sensed the approach of the enemy. If the enemy comes to attack, they must take a boat to attack him along the river. Of course there will be cooperation on land, but at the beginning the attack will be mainly by water.If they don't activate it, it will be thunderous when they activate it, and they will use long-distance attacks such as crossbows and big bows to kill him all at once. If he survived by luck and was forced to evacuate from the bottom of the bridge, the enemy ambushing on the shore would give him a deadly surprise attack. When Gomer got his place by sorcery, this situation would inevitably arise, and there was no other possibility. Know yourself and the enemy, and you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles. Gu Yueming calmly picked up the iron hook attached to the long rope at his feet, tied one end of the rope around his waist, turned over and sank into the river beside the boat. Wushuangnv boarded the boat and swayed towards the Qingzhu Pavilion.The excuse she prepared was to send five black smoke bombs to Baichun, but the real reason was to see the picture of the goddess, preferably alone. This was the first time since that catastrophic night that she did something purely for herself, and what she wanted to figure out was the situation of fate described by Wu Zixu.Is she really part of this fate?What is her position in this fateful situation?Is everything preordained?Father was destined to disappear in Yunmengze, uncle was destined to be forced to commit suicide by taking poison, and she was destined to kill Gu Yueming.What is it all for? she wants to know. Only by directly contacting Goddess Yunmeng, she might be able to get an answer. Baichun drank the wine that Qian Shichen returned, her cheeks flushed, she looked a little overwhelmed by alcohol, which made her even more charming, like a blooming flower. Qian Shichen stared straight ahead, Baichun's eyes were burning with longing and anticipation, although he knew that the reason why she was like this was because of Yunmengze's story, but he was interested in his story no matter what, Immediately filled with pride, he decided to make Baichun feel worthy of this night.Shen Sheng said: "The last story, I sold off in two places, Baichun remember which two places?" Baichun happily said: "It's finally revealed. Of course I remember, the first place is the place where Mrs. Wuzhong Hexiang threw herself into the river. What kind of strange things happened? The other place is the second generation of the city lord of Yunmeng City. How can I find out Is the box related to the foreign object in the endless river?" Qian Shichen said from the bottom of his heart: "Bai Chun is really smart and has fully grasped the key points of the story." Baichun said softly: "Why do you want to keep me, my lord?" Qian Shichen said: "Because this involves a secret that can bring death to anyone, Gu Yueming came all the way to Yueyang for this reason. What is the relationship between Baichun and Gu Yueming? Why did he come here as soon as he arrived in Yueyang Seeing you, have you visited Hongyelou many times since then?" Baichun showed an unbelievable expression, and said: "The story that the adults told is not a story, but a fact? How is this possible? What you said cannot be true." Qian Shichen was very satisfied with Baichun's reaction, which met his expectations, and said, "Baichun will answer my question first." Baichun looked at him for a while, and said: "My senior sister is a friend of Brother Gu, and my senior sister sent a letter to me, and I will forward the letter to Brother Gu, that's it." Thinking of Gu Yueming, Qian Shichen's heart was immediately filled with murderous intent, and he was relieved that Gu Yueming's life would definitely be lost tonight.How could Gu Yueming cope with Ge Mo and fifty other experts who were familiar with Yueyang City as if they were at home. He happily said: "So Gu Yueming is an irrelevant person, let's not mention him again in the future." Bai Chunfang's heart was shocked, she intuitively felt Qian Shichen's hatred for Gu Yueming, and remembered that Gu Yueming had repeatedly warned her not to deal with him, and now she probably knew from Qian Shichen's leaked words why Gu Yueming came south, but still It is impossible to understand how Qian Shichen and Gu Yueming formed an inextricable bond. Qian Shichen showed a thoughtful look, and said slowly: "I don't know how many years later, at the place where Mrs. Xiang threw herself into the river, a strange tree grew out of the river bed, reaching half the depth of the water. As it spread, everyone believed that this tree was the incarnation of Mrs. Xiang after her death, and called it the Concubine Xiang Tree." Baichun's mind was attracted by what he said, and he said in amazement: "Is there really such a strange thing in the world?" Qian Shichen said: "This matter is absolutely true. Later, the King of Chu went all the way from the capital to see what happened. He designated that river section as a forbidden area and sent people to build a city on the east side of the Wuending River to guard it." Baichun took a deep breath and said, "What's so special about this tree?" Qian Shichen said: "Of course the concubine Xiang tree is not an ordinary tree, it is unique, it is shaped like an umbrella, the trunk is as thick as two people hugging each other, the color is red, the leaves are black, it is as big as a human palm, like five fingers spread out, The stems are spiked and hooked downwards. No matter how the river surges and rushes, it can't affect it." Baichun asked, "Is this tree still there?" Qian Shichen looked away from her for the first time as if he hadn't heard her words, and cast his eyes on the misty Hanging Piao Pond. He exhaled and said, "This is not the most wonderful place. The strangest thing is that this tree grows every ten years. It blooms and bears fruit once, but only one fruit. The flower is golden yellow and has a strange shape. When it is in full bloom, it is so beautiful that it cannot be seen. The fragrance is overflowing and spread far and wide." Baichun said with great interest: "What grows from this tree must be a fairy fruit." Qian Shichen nodded and said: "Anyone who has seen the fruit will have this idea like Baichun. This fruit is as big as a fist, grows from the top of the tree, is round and transparent, crystal clear like jade, and is called Xiangguo." Baichun asked curiously, "Is there something wrong with picking?" Qian Shichen turned his gaze back to her bright pretty face, and said in a deep voice: "This fruit grows extremely fast, and it doesn't take a day for it to be fully ripe, and the growth process starts at noon every time. Seeing a vision in the sky, suddenly there was thunder and lightning, rain and wind, and it stopped growing until midnight, followed by thick fog, which made people feel that this fruit is absolutely extraordinary." Baichun looked left and right, and said in amazement: "I'm so scared to tell the adults." Qian Shichen shot a fiery look in his eyes, and said: "Anyone who sees this fruit hopes to keep it for himself, eat it without hesitation, and see if he will become a god. Will Baichun do this? " Baichun shook his head and said, "I don't know." Qian Shichen sighed: "Baichun guessed right just now. This tree has no knives and axes, and ordinary weapons can't cut off the Xiangguo at all. At that time, the river was soaring, and the water flowed like ten thousand horses under the wind, rain, thunder and lightning. It's not easy to get fruit from such a river." Baichun was stunned and said, "What about after the child's time?" Qian Shichen said: "Xiangguo will quickly wither and shrink, disappearing without a trace." Baichun was dumbfounded. Qian Shichen said: "But the attraction of Xiangguo is too great. For hundreds of years, countless people have risked their lives to pick the fruit, and countless people have given their lives for it. The way to eat Xiangguo." Baichun said: "Is it done?" Qian Shichen nodded and said: "There is indeed someone who has successfully taken food in the water. This person is a warrior with excellent water skills. He tied a thick rope around his waist, and tied the other end to a boulder by the river. He accurately calculated the length, and then Jump into the river when it is fruiting, and eat the Xiangguo in the water. Alas!" Baichun said nervously: "What happened?" Qian Shichen said in a deep voice, "He's bloated to death." Baichun lost her voice: "What?" Qian Shichen said: "There was no abnormality when he first took the food, but when he returned to the shore, his whole body suddenly became swollen until he died of swelling. The death condition was extremely miserable. No one dared to do this again since then." Baichun couldn't speak, and remembered Qian Shichen's two words that "it's a very magical thing, and very scary at the same time". Qian Shichen said: "At this time, the story of Xiangguo finally reached the ears of the King of Chu. The King of Chu couldn't hold back and came to the south in person to witness the spectacle of the concubine Xiang tree blooming and bearing fruit. He had no choice but to be unwilling. So he ordered his confidant general to build a city by the river to guard, and ordered this general to come up with a method of picking fruits. It was more than ten years later that Zhuancheng stood beside the river. As a result, he was still at a loss, and even more depressed, three years after the completion of the city, he died, and his son succeeded him as the second-generation city lord." The drizzle outside the umbrella is getting denser and denser. Under the light of the wind lamp, it turns into silver threads, closing the small world inside the umbrella. The light cannot reach far. They seem to be in a rain cocoon woven by the rain silk spit out by the sky. Inside, there are echoes of tragic and desolate stories from ancient times. Two speedboats with no lights turned out at the bend of the river and sailed downstream towards the bottom of the bridge where Gu Yueming was.From Gu Yueming's point of view, he couldn't see the enemy on the boat, because his eyes were blocked by the shield erected on the bow, so he could only be sure that the enemy was hiding behind the shield and bowed his bow. Gu Yueming turned his head and glanced downstream at the other end of the bridge, but found no trace of the enemy. He immediately let go of the hand holding the side of the boat, dived into the depth close to the bottom of the river, and approached the enemy boat nimbly like a fish in the dark water. In an instant, he grasped the reality of the enemy. Dahemeng did not participate in this action against him, otherwise, if Qiu Jiushi, who is proficient in military strategy, presides over the overall situation, he would never use this seemingly meticulous, but actually very stupid method to attack him. Qiu Jiushi or Ruan Xiuzhen will see through his hidden boat under the bridge, which is a tactic to lure the enemy.They would first force him out from under the bridge, and then slowly deal with him. Under normal circumstances, the tactics the enemy is using now are more than enough to deal with anyone.But if the person to deal with is him, Gu Yueming, it is no different from seeking his own death. The host was Ge Mo. Although he was skilled in martial arts and knew more about demons, he was not an expert in marching and fighting. If he met him, he would only suffer a big loss. The river was suddenly brightly lit, and the enemy pulled down the cloth covering the wind lantern. The sound of arrows leaving the string resounded intensively. Everything is in Gu Yueming's calculation.Gu Yueming rose from the bottom of the water, hooked his sharp hook into the bow of the enemy boat on the left, hooked it firmly, then emerged from an angle beside the enemy boat that the enemy could not see, took a breath, and dived into the water again, with four bows and crossbow arrows The machine came into his hand, turned around and dived.At this time, the enemy boat passed above, and the archer standing in the middle of the enemy boat was completely exposed to the range of his crossbow machine.The hook line connected to the bow of the enemy boat was stretched straight. The sound of the machine gun. The crossbow arrows were shot in a row, rushing upwards from the river, screaming in response to the arrows, the four crossbow arrows hit four enemies accurately, and the injuries were not vital, but the position of the shoulders and arms, not because he suddenly softened, It's a strategic consideration. Gu Yueming's strategic goal tonight is Ge Mo. Only by killing Ge Mo can he win a big victory tonight.Killing will only arouse the opponent's desperate heart, but hurting others can weaken the enemy's combat effectiveness, making the opponent have to allocate manpower to rescue the wounded.As far as the current situation is concerned, two enemy boats each have two people injured by arrows, which can immediately paralyze the combat effectiveness of the two boats. In order to quickly treat the wounded, the two boats must withdraw from the battlefield immediately, and this is exactly what Gu Yueming planned. part. The killing on both sides of the strait shook the sky. Like a rain of powerful arrows, they blindly shot from the ambushing enemies on both sides of the strait to the water section where Gu Yueming originally fired the crossbow arrows. Holding the handle of Wanjian.