Chapter 45 Chapter 45: Life and Death

Fengzhu Pavilion. Wu Zixu listened to the situation about Ji Nieti, took out the night pearl that had lost its luster from his waist, handed it to Gu Yueming, and said proudly: "If I tell others, the person who is willing to take the stolen goods with me is the local minister, protect me The one who came to me was the emperor's bounty hunter, and the one who came to meet me was the chief of the factory guards, who would definitely be regarded as a lunatic." Gu Yueming held the Ye Mingzhu with her fingers and brought it to her eyes for a closer look. Wu Zixu stared at the pearl and said: "I used to use a small wooden box to hold this ghost thing, fearing that my clothes wouldn't be able to cover it when it was shining brightly, but now I just stuff it in my belt."

Gu Yueming said lightly: "This luminous pearl should have lost the ability to shine in the dark." Wu Zixu retorted: "Of course not. It only became like this after I met Qian Shichen. Otherwise, how would I have found it in Yunmengze in the dark night?" Gu Yueming said calmly: "Your rebuttal is the answer. If it has been blooming golden light as you described, it can be seen from the inside and outside. It has long been discovered by the factory guards who searched the lake many times, or it was picked up by Xue Tinghao, Ge Mo and others , how could it be your elder brother's turn to discover it."

Wu Zixu was speechless. Gu Yueming put away Ye Mingzhu and said: "Of course the opposite possibility exists, but my feeling is that it is true. Ye Mingzhu should have lost its brilliance a long time ago, and it was only at certain critical moments that Goddess Yunmeng would use her supernatural powers to reappear." The brilliance of the night pearl. There must be some reason we don't understand." Wu Zixu murmured: "You take this unspecialized bead to see Ji Nieti, what is the use? Will it be self-defeating?" Gu Yueming smiled and said, "I'll tell you Ji Nieti's reaction, just take it as another test for Goddess Yunmeng."

Wu Zixu froze, and said after a while, "My God! This must be the first time I've seen brother Gu's smile. What's going on?" Gu Yueming said: "I have indeed changed. The factors that make me change are extremely complicated and difficult to explain in one word. Let me choose one of them to tell you that the protagonist of the story is your neighbor Shuangshuang girl." Wu Zixu was confused and said: "Shuangshuang?" Gu Yueming then told the story of meeting Shuangshuang, her background, and the purpose of coming to Hongyelou one by one. Wu Zixu's eyes kept widening, and finally shouted: "It's unbelievable. The weirdest thing is that when you first saw her, she was looking at my reward picture. From that moment on, the three of us were destined to Go to the ancient city. Ha! With her joining us, we are even more powerful, and her illusion skills are beyond the expectation of our enemies."

Then he asked anxiously, "When should we set off?" Gu Yueming smiled bitterly and said, "Are we going to decide this round? Goddess Yunmeng has arranged for July 7th, an auspicious day to escape to Yunmengze. Do you have another day?" Wu Zixu said excitedly: "Although the auspicious day has been chosen, the good time is yet to be determined. For example, before, during, or after the banquet. The most ideal is of course when the guests leave the venue. Hundreds of people disperse at once. I will fish in troubled waters. As long as I can When we go out of the city, you and the beauty will accompany me, and with the addition of Jineti's super fast horse, the enemy can only eat the dust behind us."

Gu Yueming said: "What about your deal with Qian Shichen?" Wu Zixu showed a strange look, but did not speak. Gu Yueming said: "What's the matter?" Wu Zixu let out a breath and said, "I'm really fascinated by ghosts. Until the moment I showed Qian Shichen the Ye Mingzhu, making a lot of money was still my only goal, and I was willing to take the biggest risk for it. But with After Qian Shichen connected, I actually forgot about this goal. It doesn’t matter whether I have money or not. The most important thing is to go to the ancient city and meet the goddess in my dreams. She is what I have been looking for all my life. Everything else It's irrelevant, including silver taels."

Gu Yueming showed a thoughtful look. Wu Zixu lowered his voice and said: "I've entered the state of the five escaped thieves again, and I'm confident that no matter how the situation changes, I can escape from Yueyang City, even if no one helps me. I'm a little worried. If Qian Shichen doesn't care If everything wants to kill you, your situation will be very dangerous." Gu Yueming looked at him carefully for a while, nodded and said: "Congratulations, brother Wu, you have indeed reached the peak state now, which has greatly increased my confidence in you. You don't have to worry about me, Qian Shichen will not be so stupid like him. Mobilizing the power of the government to deal with me is tantamount to openly betraying the court, and there is no turning back. Under such circumstances, he will have to rely on the breath of the Dahe League in the future. Will Qian Shichen be willing to become a member of the Dahe League? How can Yueyang be so easy to kill me in such a prosperous city? One is not good, and if I make troubles all over the city, it will definitely be harmful to Qian Shichen's fight for the Chu box. Qian Shichen is a coward, he dare not do this."

Wu Zixu's eyes shone brightly, and he said happily: "Brother Gu sees very clearly, I convinced you. It's funny to think about it, one of us is the most amazing soldier, and the other is a thief who has never missed a hand. Get together, and do the same thing side by side with utter devotion, to find the most miraculous treasure that has been buried for thousands of years." Gu Yueming laughed dumbly and said: "How is that possible? But you really turned into another person like a reborn person. Frankly speaking, before this, I was confident that if you became my enemy, I would be absolutely sure to kill you. Wherever I go, I will die. But now my confidence has been shaken, and I am only 50% sure of killing you. Alas! 50%! Fifty-five percent is tantamount to no certainty. The five escapes are indeed well-deserved."

Wu Zixu said: "Brother Gu, please go and tell Shuangshuang that after she performed her illusion, she slipped outside the south gate and waited for me. I will not disappoint her." Gu Yueming stood up and said: "When it comes to escaping, no one is better than you, I should trust you." Wu Zixu stood up to see off the guests, and sent them to the gate, while Gu Yueming stepped down the long steps. Wu Zixu shouted: "Are we friends?" Gu Yueming raised his voice without looking back: "If this is not considered a friend, what should it be?" A smile overflowed from the corner of Wu Zixu's mouth, watching Gu Yueming disappear outside the moon cave gate.

After Gu Yueming left, Wu Zixu stood outside the door for a while, enjoying the state of "five thieves". Looking back on the past 20 days, one thing after another turned like a wheel, his state fell from the peak to the bottom, and at this moment he finally climbed the peak again, and he was ready. He doesn't understand himself, and sometimes suspects that he is a person with multiple personalities.When he saw Huangfuying die before his eyes and knew that he had caused a catastrophe, he climbed to the peak state of "five escaped robbers", so he was able to escape from the encirclement in the area where the enemy's power was strongest.When he crossed the river and got rid of his pursuers, his state was like sliding down a steep slope, turning into a shadow of a snake, a cowardly fugitive who was like a mouse.When he found the luminous pearl, his state stabilized, but what he was thinking about was how to use this luminous pearl to make a fortune, and went straight to Yueyang City recklessly, so that he fell into a desperate situation.

But what really aroused his fighting spirit was not the reappearance of vitality, but Baichun's message. Suddenly, he finally realized what he was looking for all his life, and he immediately climbed to the top. Among his many identities and personalities, the "Five Escape Thief" is at the top. In this state, he is the most outstanding thief of all time. No one can catch him. No one can do it. What will happen after arriving in the ancient city, whether he can find what he has been looking for, he doesn't want to be distracted. The most important thing is to find the ancient city that has disappeared for thousands of years, then everything will have its own answer. At this time, Cicada Wing appeared at the door of the Moon Cave, beckoning to him, "Follow me quickly, Miss is looking for you." Wu Zixu hurriedly walked down the stone steps, and said with a smile, "Hello, Little Cicada Wing, I thought you came to me sincerely to cultivate love for painting." Cicada Wing's pink face turned red, and said angrily, "When will you be serious?" Wu Zixu came to her side and said happily: "We seem to be going in the wrong direction. The most convenient way to get to Qingzhu Pavilion is to cross the pond by boat. We can enjoy the scenery of the lake and mountains and get closer." Cicada Wing looked at him in surprise, and found that his state was unusual, and said: "Everyone has gone to the Hongye Hall to prepare for the dinner the day after tomorrow, and the eldest lady is there to make arrangements, and you are the only one who is lazy here. .” After finishing speaking, he led him along the path to the south towards the main hall. As soon as Gu Yueming left Hongyelou, he met Ruan Xiuzhen who was waiting for him. The latter walked up to him and said, "How about finding a place to sit down and talk for a while? It won't take much time, Brother Gu." Gu Yueming calmly said, "So what if you talk while walking?" Seeing his friendly attitude, Ruan Xiuzhen was quite flattered, and hurriedly said: "Of course there is no problem. The Ninth Master told me that Brother Gu deliberately missed two opportunities to fight back against him. This should not be in line with Brother Gu's usual style. Brother Gu why? How to do this?" Gu Yueming said: "You are not my enemy, how could I succeed, and this is my usual style." Ruan Xiuzhen said distressedly: "Our attitude towards the five escaped thieves happens to be the opposite, isn't it enough to make Brother Gu regard us as an enemy?" Gu Yueming said: "This is back to the problem of fate that Mr. Ruan said. Fate seems to place us in opposing positions, but what we think is everyone's freedom. Let me tell you !You are in a situation where the mantis is catching the cicada, and the oriole is behind. But I am not much better than you, and everyone is also in danger." Ruan Xiuzhen walked more than ten steps beside him, and said in a deep voice, "Ji Nieti?" Gu Yueming said: "Ji Nieti reported the latest situation to Eunuch Feng by means of a letter sent by a flying pigeon. You should hear back in these two days. Ji Nieti is definitely a powerful person, but he is still far behind Feng Gonggong. Hope You have already asked about Chu He from Qian Shichen. Eunuch Feng is determined to win Chu He and cannot afford to lose. Eunuch Feng and J Nieti have different positions on this matter, and J Nieti will deal with you The matter is placed on the Chu box, and there is a complete plan. Do you want to know what is the most frightening thing about Jneti?" Ruan Xiuzhen wondered, "Why does Brother Gu take care of us so much?" Gu Yueming said: "I'll talk about the reason later. The most frightening thing about Ji Nieti is that his eyeliners are all over the world. Not only Qian Shichen's every move is under his strict supervision, but the situation of your Dahe League is no exception. For example, As long as you capture the five escaped thieves, Huangfu Tianxiong will give way to Qiu Jiushi, and he knows it well, this should be the secret of your gang, right?" Ruan Xiuzhen showed a shocked expression. Gu Yueming said lightly: "Mr. Ruan finally realized that the situation is not good." Ruan Xiuzhen looked solemn, and said: "Brother Gu has clearly stated that our crisis lies in the fact that the enemy is in the dark and we are in the dark, but up to this moment, we still haven't felt the threat of Ji Nieti at all, and we haven't noticed his mobilization of troops, it's really weird .” Gu Yueming's expression changed, and he said, "Mr. Ruan, are you interested in going to Dwelling for a detailed discussion? The situation may be worse than I guessed." The three magnificent buildings in the south courtyard of Hongyelou, mainly Hongyetang, are truly magnificent.More than 200 flags of different colors and with the names of the girls in the building are neatly arranged and hung high on the eaves of the three buildings, making Hongye Building colorful and full of romantic atmosphere. The vast pavilions and gardens near the lake are called "Chitai", with ribbons fluttering and lanterns everywhere, turning into a colorful world and a lively scene of festivals and celebrations. From the top to the bottom of the Red Leaf Building, all the people were mobilized. The laughter of the girls and the maidservants echoed in the vast space of the hanging dipper pool. If you haven't seen the intoxicating scene of Yingying Yanyan chasing and playing, it is hard to imagine. believe. Wu Zixu was dazzled by seeing, and when he was busy looking for beauties with "relationships", he was led by the sleeves of Cicada Wing, walked to the Hongye Hall, and warned: "You have to be more disciplined, don't be promiscuous." Wu Zixu realizes that he has become the target of all the girls. Everyone winks at him. Without asking, they know that they are attracted to his painting skills. If he is the former him, he must be out of control, but now he seems to belong to him, obediently following the cicada Yi's footsteps, said: "Sister Cicada's tone is like my wife, is she in love with me?" Chanyi let go of his sleeves, gave him a glance and said: "The devil is in love with you, you are the most carefree bastard." Wu Zixu said happily: "Sister Cicada scolded you well. Ha! Don't worry! I understand my daughter's family's concerns best. I say I don't love you, but in my heart I love you to death. I really want to see my little cicada wings wearing as thin as It must be very cool to have a single garment with cicada wings to help me cultivate my love for painting.” The cicada's wings were overwhelmed, and the jade cheeks were burning, so he quickened his pace and went straight into the Hongye Hall. The scene at the entrance is even more spectacular. Nearly a hundred large round tables that can seat ten people are arranged on the left and right, three rows on each side, and each row has thirteen tables, leaving a vast space in the middle that is more than ten steps wide and nearly seven hundred steps long. But the most attractive thing is the more than 30 girls standing in the central space. The most beautiful girls in Hongyelou are all gathered in the team, including the "seven beauties" that Wu Zixu knows.Seeing Wu Zixu, dozens of pairs of beautiful eyes lit up at the same time, that scene was as attractive as it could be. Wuzi was intoxicated with humility, knowing that he earned it with a bald pen, and felt a sense of accomplishment living up to this life, and almost turned back into a lustful Lang Geng. Baichun, who was directing the dance rehearsal, saw Wu Zixu, and said coquettishly, "Let's rest for a quarter of an hour, and then proceed to the second rehearsal." Then the girls went one step ahead to welcome Wu Zixu, took Wu Zixu away from the cicada wings, took his arm affectionately, and dragged him towards the gate. Wu Zixu received this kind treatment, and he was fascinated and said: "Could you hug me a little tighter, and lean your body closer." Bai Chunbai glanced at him, did not answer him, stopped at the main entrance, then pulled him and turned around with him, facing the lobby, and said: "The eight paintings are hung on the left and right walls, evenly distributed, and there are inscription boards beside the paintings. , for people to write poems and essays, if Mr. Lang is interested, he can be the first one to write poems." Wu Zixu was enjoying the intimate contact with her, and sighed: "Although I am a painter, I am not a poet. I can only hide my clumsiness because I don't want to make a fool of myself." Baichun asked: "It's the first time I've seen you so modest. Alright! I'll let you off about writing a poem, but you can't refuse the job I've arranged for you." Wu Zixu said: "Isn't my mission successfully completed?" Bai Chundao: "At the dinner party the day after tomorrow, I will lead a welcome team of one man and seven women to receive the guests. The seven women are the seven beauties with pictures as evidence, and you are the man. You will introduce the eight beauties with your own words. His eloquence should be more than competent, and it can make our dinner party much more colorful." Wu Zixu smiled wryly and said: "Aren't you hurting me? I know that I am a five-dun robber, and among the many guests, there must have been to the capital, and even met Lang Geng who was really lame. Being exposed on the spot is impersonation." Bai Chun happily said: "Finally, you are forced to reveal your true colors. You are really hateful, you know how to put on a show, and you pretend to be flawless. The most hateful thing is that the more you think you are a five-dun thief, the less I think you are a five-dun thief." Steal." Wu Zixu said: "After the secret meeting with Qian Shichen last night, I have no intention of hiding it from you, it's just that you don't believe my sincere words." Baichun said: "Then you won't attend the dinner the day after tomorrow?" Wu Zixu smiled and said, "That dinner party was my only chance to escape, how could I miss it." Baichun said: "Understood! I want to apply the mantra that Fat Daddy often talks about, that is, I am on your side, and I will help you as you want me to." Wu Zixu said: "Can you arrange for Shuangshuang's magic show to be in the middle of the dinner?" Bai Chunxiu's eyes lit up, and she said softly, "Shuangshuang!" Wu Zixu said: "If Baichun has nothing else to do, I want to go back to Fengzhu Pavilion." Baichun looked upwards, made a mischievous expression that was almost pissed off, and said, "What kind of luck have I had these two days? In the past, I was the only one who drove men away, but now it's the men who are yelling to leave .Can you be patient? I'm not done yet!" Wu Zixu leaned close to her ear and said, "On the contrary, I was afraid that I would not be able to resist your temptation and betray Goddess Yunmeng and Bai Chunhuan, so I ran away." Bai Chunyu's cheeks became dizzy, and she spat: "Don't try to fool me, you have seen through you, you are the best at bluffing. You haven't told others about your dream." Wu Zixu said: "Actually, it's not a big deal. Now that the shock has passed, it's not that scary anymore in retrospect." Baichun said angrily: "Speak out quickly, a man is a man, he always hesitates when he speaks, which makes people impatient." Wu Zixu said: "I dreamed that I rushed out from an ancient city, rode a war horse, and walked on a road that would never end." Baichun was stunned and said, "Ancient city?" Wu Zixu sighed: "There is nothing wrong with the ancient city. The problem lies in the weather. In the dream, the sky was as black as ink, the rain was violent and the wind was violent, and there were thunder and lightning, and my vision was blurred. Run forward. There are constant electric fires coming down, and the ears are filled with thunder, but the road is never ending, and I don’t know why. Hey! Why did your face become so ugly?” Baichun looked at him palely, hesitated to speak. Wu Zixu asked: "Is Baichun uncomfortable?" Baichun took a deep breath and said, "I don't have anything. Sigh! You went to see Qian Shichen last night, what did you say?" Wu Zixu said: "I don't want to hide it from you, but I don't want Baichun to be involved in this matter. Hey! Now I suddenly have enough passion for painting, and I want to rush back to paint the painting that I promised Chanyi and Yanniang, and fulfill the promise." Baichun stared at him blankly, and after a long while, nodded and said, "Okay!" Wu Zixu hurriedly left.