Chapter 48 Chapter Forty-Seven I Should Begin This Way

"This is how I should begin to tell" is a general title, which includes six unfinished fragments, each of which I have been eager to replace the original scene for the past eight years "Sun Xiaoliu jumped from the window on the fifth floor out, a pair of soles landed on the red brick road..." an attempt.It's a pity that they all failed; as for the reasons for the failure, I can't completely blame the gangsters, gangs, members of the underground society or terrorists; I should start like this: The time Big Brother took me to Taichung, I was very thankful that there were not only seven out-of-print books and a stack of incomplete manuscripts in the book bag, but also a black leather booklet given to me by our villager Xu Laosan.It was a comparison table used to search for underworld halls in various places in Taiwan; the one marked "702" was not on page 702, but indicated the second hall in the seventh area.The seventh area is Taichung City, and the second hall is the "Humanities Rehabilitation Hospital and Nursing Center" located at No. 19, Ziyou Road, Taichung City.At that time, a group of five of us sat in a row on two European-style long wooden chairs at the entrance of a McDonald's fast food restaurant. Together with the plaster statue of Uncle McDonald's occupying a seat, there were six silly birds in total.The eldest brother scratched his white hair desperately, rubbing out a snowflake dandruff more than half a foot in diameter, and sighed with self-reproach: "Why did you forget? Why did you act like a mouse? Why did you put your paws down and there was no sign of it?" Already?" The assistants of the Big Brother next to him seem to be completely indifferent to the problems of the Big Brother and me, they sip Coke, iced tea, and orange juice, talking about the girls passing through the arcade. The size of the breasts, the thickness of the waist and legs, and the length of the linen skirt.Occasionally, he would turn sideways, pointing at the fast-moving vehicles on the road, and said in a tone of mutual knowledge: "That is the car of Xie Tongyun of the Tiandao League." "That is the car of Wu Tianfu in Taixi." Little brother—huh? He's shaved his hair." "Wow! That's Zhuang Bingyin from Niupu, why did he come to Taichung?" "No! A Bingzai's car is black—" "He doesn't Will it be resprayed? What about the car number socks—7788999; what could be wrong?"

During the beast ride for about half an hour, the three idiots at least recognized fifteen or six cars belonging to ten different gang leaders on the north-south vertical line.Later, I couldn't help but tentatively asked a skinny guy with dark skin, brown hair, "Are there really so many people on the "Tao"?" The man looked at my left eye, then at mine Right eye, the corner of the mouth raised, and the other two assistants laughed almost at the same moment; as if I asked an extremely stupid question that was unanswerable.But he still answered me: "There is no such thing as "on the Dao" or "on the Dao"! If you know each other, you know it; if you don’t know it, you don’t know it. It’s really a simple thing.” Apparently he didn't intend to talk to me any more, so he turned back to sip the ingredients, and continued to observe the scenery on the street.

Just when they were laughing like that, I could suddenly think of the lesson Xu Laosan taught me in the office of Fuhua New Village that year - the world we live in is actually just another magical, alien world. A reflection of a powerful, violent world.As if I had some kind of epiphany, I hastily tore open the bookbag, took out Xu Laosan's black leather booklet from the inner interlayer, and turned to the part of Taichung City. I elbowed Big Brother's arm and said: "Isn't there any signboard in the place you're looking for?" The eldest brother shook his head, nodded again, and seemed to feel that nodding and shaking his head was wrong again, so he simply scratched his scalp more vigorously.He murmured: "Zhengzi Road goes all the way to No. 9." "Zhe Zi Road goes all the way to No. 9." In fact, we have already come to the vicinity of the entrance, and the elder brother in his eighties doesn't think his memory is that bad. It's bad, but he doesn't think the hall looks like the hospital in "No. 19"—I think it's because people at his age instinctively hate hospitals.

But you could also say that Big Brother is right—it's not a hospital; it's heaven, it's hell, it's a recluse's paradise, it's a graveyard of memories.It was originally called "Humanities Bookstore"; there were only two words recorded in Xu Laosan's pamphlet: "Forbidden Land".I reunited with Wan Defu and Qian Jingnong in this forbidden place, and I also met Sun Xiaoxu, Li Shouwu and Wang Xunru; I saw Zhao Taichu again.Zhao Taichu, who was still wearing a cow dung-colored wool cap on his head, met me face to face, and only said one sentence: "I said we will meet later!" Then he turned and walked out.

"Master Zhao, go slowly." The eldest brother bowed and made a way out. "It's okay to walk slowly. If you walk slowly, you won't be able to catch up with the bus. If you can't catch up with the bus, you won't be able to get a number. I can’t die—it’s so hard not to die!” Zhao Taichu replied, but his figure rushed towards the door. This was the first scene I saw in that hall.Maybe it was because I just arrived here, and Qian Jingnong smiled and said, "This is related to a painting from 27 years ago. There were seven layers in the painting in the past; I glimpsed a painting on his layer in the beginning. The calamity is a bamboo knot protruding spot, which should be in the "death gate" of the Dunjia Pan. He caught up with the car today, registered the number, drew a lottery, and lived in the Rongmin's home, and there are still seven years left Yang can live, and after seven years, someone will end his life in the Rongmin's House. If not, the fate will be messed up, and it will not be the only one in the early days. I am afraid that none of us, old ghosts, will be able to stand up to that man. What about an appointment!" At this point, he flicked his sleeves twice, and suddenly there was a square of paper the size of a banknote in his hand, which he folded seven times and shook into a very large paper film. The upper right corner of the paper film was missing. It is a palm-sized piece, but the clump of bamboos on the picture is still very clear. It is strange (perhaps because the paper film is too light and there is no wind to move it automatically) that the clump of black bamboos is swaying back and forth, showing a vivid posture.Almost at the same moment, Sun Xiaoxu, Li Shouwu and Wang Xunru also shook out their hands.A layer of paper film with missing corners almost surrounded me.I turned around involuntarily, and found that the same paper film was hanging from the lintel of the closed door at the back—needless to say: it was pasted by Zhao Taichu when he was leaving.Qian Jingnong continued: "I didn't expect you to come here until today in Dachun—there is another layer in this painting; now in Baili Wenxiang's hands, it's a pity that he is teaching at this moment, and you missed it."

"It's the corner that's missing—" Li Shouwu twisted his pockmarked face, leaned out from behind his painting, and said, "I have already sent it to your lord; it's a pity that he dragged his family and took care of his life, and we have nothing to do with it." missed." Just when Li Shouwu said this, I raised my neck in a posture that almost suffocated people thirsting for air, trying to completely remove my eyes from the surrounding of ink bamboo, but unexpectedly I caught a glimpse of the wall in the distance when I raised my eyes. There was actually another picture hanging—the one of "Big Brother Red" and "Second Brother Blue".

The above two thousand one hundred words was my first failed attempt.Although it simply described the first few minutes of my visit to the "Humanistic Rehabilitation Hospital and Nursing Center" with Big Brother, I failed to explain in more detail how Big Brother drove away the three assistants at the gate of McDonald's , and did not explain the hospital's dilapidated and mottled exterior and decayed interior, and even forgot to describe the stench of mud and rotten sauce that permeated every inch of the air.But if it is written like this, it seems that too much pen and ink will be wasted on sensory details, thus delaying the rhythm of the original facts.So I pause.

Perhaps I should begin my statement thus: Li Shouwu, who had a pockmarked face, had a pair of eyeballs of obviously different sizes, and the right eye, which often observed things through a magnifying glass, was smaller.After he removed the magnifying glass from my face, he responded to the doubts that flashed in my pupils as if he had seen through my mind, and said, "These are not pock marks, but the retribution for destroying the Buddha and the Dao." This incident happened a full sixty years before my first meeting with Li Shouwu, which can be called a catastrophe in the Central Plains martial arts.On that day, a torrential rain fell suddenly in Tai'an, Shandong Province. According to reports, the rain destroyed nearly a thousand hectares of farmland, hundreds of thousands of trees, landslides, and broken roads, especially in the Jiuzhanggou area. , the situation of Zoushan overflowing "made the local elders startled and horrified, and they all thought it was an unprecedented vision."This is to be found from Li Shouwu's personal experience——

At that time, Li Shouwu was still a new member of the "Blue Clothes Club" and worked at the "Nanchang Camp" He Zhonghan. It was rumored that an ancient secret book called "Ten Essentials of Musashi" engraved on the Buddha's head had been left here, so he automatically Inviting Ying, going north for business, after many days of tracking and investigation, I finally arrived at Jiuzhanggou.However, there is another twist here, that is another deed that Li Shouwu lingers on and cannot let go of. It turns out that when Li Shouwu was working in the "Nanchang camp", he accidentally learned that the secret agents of the "old man" intended to kill him. Kill two young knights recommended by the old Cao Gang, both of whom have feuded with heaven and earth for generations.These two people have never lived with Li Shouwu, but Li Shouwu knows very well that if the spy Guoer carries out this beastly method, it will inevitably lead to a bloodbath in the Jianghu—at least Wan Yanfang, the chief snake leader of the old Cao Gang, is determined not to do so. Will let it go; in this way, Feitu will stir up the fire between the Qing and Hong gangs, and it is more likely to trigger a suppression operation by the central government to eliminate the figures in the rivers and lakes.Li Shouwu, a military officer with a low position and low speech, could not shake the decision of the government's secret agents, so he could only use this opportunity of business trip to deliver a message to the old Cao Gang. This secret letter was drawn by Li Shouwu himself. Zhang painting, there are allusions hidden in the painting, and the allusion is hidden. When Li Shouwu personally recalled the past to me, this painting was hung on a wet and stained wall beside us. "If it wasn't for the preservation of this painting," Li Shouwu touched the pockmarked face and said, "It wouldn't be a "raindrop"

of honor. " On that day, Li Shouwu saw the dragon hanging in the sky and the dark clouds. He knew that there would be a rainstorm, so he paid a lot of money to rent a small boat and rushed to Jiuzhanggou. "The true face.Unexpectedly, it was as he had expected before; the single-pole boat had just reached the mouth of Jiuzhanggou, and the heavy rain seemed to teach the giant spirit god to split the sky with an axe, and poured a piece of lake and sea into the mortal world of the lower world. In the coming battle, the water droplets dropped from the top one after another surpassed the grapes, and the clusters fell rapidly, more like a sharp arrow with a ten thousand pole.In just a few breaths, the tarpaulin canopy was already overwhelmed, and it was about to collapse.Li Shouwu changed his mind and said: Look at the torrential rain, which is unusual. If you wait for a while, if there is no shelter, the paper seal you carry with you will inevitably be soaked, so how can you use it to deliver news and save people from the butcher's knife? under?Wouldn't it be a waste of thought and pen and ink, and still not beneficial to the overall situation?While thinking, he tore off a corner of the oilcloth boat awning, wrapped the paper seal he brought with him tightly, tied it up, and stuffed it inside his shirt against his chest—this was the only delay, but within a few minutes, the rapids in Jiuzhanggou It has skyrocketed several times; these few minutes are missing, and the opportunity that could have given up the boat to land and find another cover was missed, but I saw a wall of waves several feet high pushing forward.Li Shouwu just fastened the buttons of his clothes, and naturally couldn't control the pole with both hands, so he instinctively activated a small dharma circle deep in his dantian—this wheel has no form or body, but it is the hub of energy and blood in the whole body, the source of spirit , Once activated, the momentum is like a thousand junctures; Li Shouwu originally wanted to establish his heels and stabilize his footsteps, but he didn't have time to know the severity of the force. Hearing the loud sound of "Huo Lang", the ground suddenly emptied, and a small boat stood upright. The stern made a big arc and touched the sky, and the bow of the boat dipped more than a foot into the river.Then the bottom of the boat was pushed forward by the head-on turbulent waves, and the flat boat capsized and disappeared in the blink of an eye.But at this moment, Li Shouwu was dragged by his sinking force, and followed the overturned boat and rolled into the nearby vortex. His momentum became more and more unstoppable, and he was about to plunge into the bottom of the ditch—all in one breath. He gave up and lost all thoughts; he only thought that this time he might really die, and the two pairs of hands and feet that could not swim at all were spared, scratching and kicking among the muddy waves—but he didn't know that struggling like him, and Very different from ordinary drowners.When others drown, the key is that they cannot breathe and the blood cannot supply oxygen. It only takes a moment to writhe and the alveoli are exhausted.However, Li Shouwu originally had the "Dharma Circle Kung Fu" that he cultivated unintentionally. From Shenting, Qimen, Huantiao, Quyuan, Yinshi, and Sanli to Shenfeng seven acupoints, he formed a small circle of heaven and fell into the water. Before closing the breath, take only half a breath, then you can use the situation to guide you out of the seven acupoints of Yunmen, Zhongfu, Juque, Zhangmen, Jingmen, Jiwei, and Taicang, forming a middle circle.In terms of the amount of inhalation and inhalation, although it is only a few times, it is already full, smooth and complete for the eight guides of Qi Xing, including storage, residence, flow, expansion, transmission, distribution, soaking, and moistening. ——Only Li Shouwu himself did not know about it.

It is also because his consciousness is still in a state of ignorance, his limbs are still kicking and kicking, every push and kick, all of them have a strong will to survive, the so-called "qi comes freely, strength comes from the mind" , every movement has the mighty force of Mount Tai surpassing the North Sea, pouring out continuously; drumming the waves, adding to the surging. At this time, if any unsuspecting villagers pass by the forest beside the ditch, they can clearly see: in the mouth of the ditch, which is less than a few feet wide, there seems to be a dragon and a turtle monster making waves in the heavy rain, turning the original The already very turbulent river surface rolled out a bowl-shaped vortex with a diameter of six feet and a height of nine feet. This vortex sometimes went east, sometimes west, suddenly south, and suddenly north, without stopping for a moment. ; However, every collision sweeps away the earth, stone and sediment on the edge of the ditch mouth and collapses it to a square meter.In this way, in less than a half-hour, Jiuzhanggou has become Shibazhanggou—how can the mixed trees and shrubs growing next to the river be destroyed by the wall?First, the branches and leaves flew horizontally, then the roots were exposed, and then the rain washed away, but the bushes that were originally full of vitality suddenly turned into large and small bare trees, which were poured into the rapids one after another, floating and sinking. Floating to the barren river where there is no foundation to cling to.In fact, it’s not just earth, rocks and trees that drift with the crowd. It is rumored that there are a total of 84 Buddha heads inscribed with the secrets of the "Ten Essentials of Musashi", and they were also driven by Li Shouwu's inner strength. The strong currents stirred up and down, sideways; they hit each other several times, and one by one was scattered from a sunken ship that was originally transporting timber.The larger and heavier ones will fall to the river bed and be buried in the silt; the smaller and lighter ones will ride the waves and go along the river.It is rumored that the Buddhist martial arts that can defeat a hundred thousand soldiers will never be restored. Nineteen of them were caught by fishermen fifty years later. Local archaeological experts suspected that it was a contemporary product of the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Shanxi Province, so they wrote an article in detail, speculating that the 19 Buddha heads could be used as evidence that Buddhism had spread as far as the Qilu area when it was first spread. It is not worth arguing. Let's say that Li Shouwu drowned in the river, but with half breath of breath, he danced and danced, and actually drained the water several feet away from him so that it could not adhere to it, and his body gradually heated up.In fact, this is the result of the magical function of the so-called "lively" in French.To use an analogy to describe: this dharma circle is like the people of this world who build a dam, and then add a huge generator at the bottom of the dam, and then use the cathartic torrent to lead the water back to the place where it came from, so it goes round and round. endlessly.Li Shouwugu didn't intend to show off any kung fu, but unexpectedly, he fully demonstrated this kung fu at the critical moment of life and death.But seeing that his body was hot, he didn't feel suffocated anymore. He opened his eyes instinctively, not feeling shocked: he was actually in a whirlpool that looked like a huge bowl, and his hands and feet were waving and dancing involuntarily. , pushing and jumping.Li Shouwu immediately realized: This is caused by the filling of internal energy and the turnover of Yuanling. I just don't know if the paper seal with me is splashed wet?Just because he was distracted by this painting again, Li Shouwu's vigorous internal energy dissipated immediately, but his body was thrown out violently by the bowl-shaped water vortex that was gathering around it and spinning rapidly. Li Shouwu Wu Fu fell face down, lying on a large patch of poisonous vines, within a short moment, his cheeks were full of itching and unbearable, just a little scratching, the poison-soaked holes would break the skin and bleed, leaving a lifelong scar. The above 2,900 words is my second failed attempt.Its problem is that a large number of piled-up action descriptions become an effect similar to inertial writing, which makes the novel get into the branch of Li Shouwu's unintentional destruction of martial arts treasures with one hand, so I can't explain the inside story and details of "Nanchang Camp" at all. The background of the fight between the White Lotus Sect and the Beggar Gang—they were all squeezed out by a heavy rain and bruises on their cheeks. It would be an exaggeration to say that this is a bottleneck in creation, because these two failures were written purely for the purpose of documentary memos in the afternoon when I arrived at the "Humanistic Rehabilitation Hospital and Nursing Center" due to boredom.The environment at that time - a place that cannot be described as dirty, dirty, shabby, dilapidated - indeed stimulated me to take two small steps on the back of Gao Yang's stack of incomplete manuscripts at a very smooth and fast speed.Every sentence, every word, even every word, every time the pen falls and covers the paper with Gao Yang's handwriting through, I seem to suck a mouthful of cool, sweet and sweet spring dew , breathed in a cavity of fresh air from the leaf tips of the emerald green forest, and was released.Little did I know, but that night was the beginning of a long imprisonment.At exactly 9:30, the two small wooden doors on the top of the clock on the wall opened suddenly, and a rusted spring protruded out. The spring still made a "gugu" sound.Wei Zhengzheng actually came out from the entrance of the passage, followed by a bald man, and I didn't recognize him as Zhao Taichu until the bald man put on the cow dung hat.Wan Defu suddenly came out from under which layer of hell: "It's all here!" I should explain this before transcribing the opening of my third failed novel, because this attempt was at nine o'clock that night Happened half a day later. Perhaps I should begin my statement thus: Before I felt that this hospital was like a passage, I always thought it was just a room about five meters in length and width. The outline of the iron fence can be seen through the frosted glass patchwork of different pictures, and it is difficult to tell whether it is day or night outside.There are no windows on the left and right walls of the room, but since there are decades of calendars and calendars hanging on them, it is very easy to give people the illusion of panes.There is an ancient painting hanging on the remaining wall—it used to hang on the mud wall of the military dependents’ village where I lived when I was young, and it can be used as a baffle for the seams.On the right side of the painting is a Western-style wall clock. The pendulum is closed in a long wooden box, and only half of a layer of glass is left to let people see that it is still shaking from side to side; it is almost a room—the only thing that can move. thing.On the left side of the painting is a three-sided wooden frame without doors. Behind the frame is what I call a passage.However, when no one is going in or out, the opening looks like a black curtain. At this moment, no one came out of the passageway and restored its dark appearance.Everyone sat down around a broken round table—the one with his back facing the painting was Wei Yizheng, who was beating a pair of silver chopsticks from time to time; they sometimes called him "Third Lord", sometimes "Wei Third Lord", and occasionally someone called him "Uncle Hui", he also agreed.Sitting on his right is Li Shouwu, a pockmarked man with long fingernails and a pair of deep myopia glasses.Li Shouwu's right is me.The chair I'm sitting on has no arms.My eldest brother is inferior to me, he is leaning on a high stool with his buttocks half pouted, and he is still sitting. His neck is stretched out so long that it almost covers Sun Xiaoxu on my right—in fact, That's okay; because Sun Xiaoxu's head and face (I'm afraid his body and limbs too) are smeared with a half-mud, half-paste and shiny medicine-it is said that if this is not the case, within a few hours, there will be carbuncles and rotten skin. If you delay for another three or two days, your skin will turn into pus and blood.On the right side of Sun Xiaoxu is Wang Xunru, who has a yellow beard and big teeth, and everyone calls him "crazy Bianque".Wang Xunru was whispering to Zhao Taichu on his right; I couldn't hear it, but I could see it was the kind of dispute that they didn't know each other very well, but they were very serious.Sitting shoulder to shoulder with Wei Zhengzheng is Qian Jingnong with the same purple face; Qian Jingnong is just like when I was taking my master's qualification oral exam nine years ago, nodding and smiling at me from time to time, as if talking happily with people in silence A kind of madness.Behind him on the right is Wan Defu with silver hair and bald head; judging from the posture of bowing his back and protruding his neck, he should also be leaning on a bench. "The number is wrong! The people are wrong! The year, month, day, and time are not the same!" Zhao Taichu's voice suddenly became louder, and he looked around the crowd, saying: "This meeting requires eight people, and one of them is a snake. Mao Zhidong. Now there are nine of us waiting, but none of them are snake-like, and it has been seven years since Jimao, isn't it all messed up?" He said, waving his hand and drawing a circle on the calendar card on the wall behind him. , but his eyes were fixed on my face, he snorted and said: "I got acquainted with this son long before you all. He was born in the year of Ding You, and I have already inquired about it." As soon as these words were finished, there was a burst of speech around the round table like a hot pot.Some said: "Which one said that tonight is a "covenant between Jimao"?" Some said: "Xiao Liu is Xiao Snake." Some said: "Xiao Liu can't even make a pot of stewed soup. Can it be counted?" Some said: "Hanqing and him are uncles and brothers, how can we get to know him later than you?" Some said: "I'm not afraid of ten thousand, just in case; if I figure it out, I didn't ask your old man It’s inappropriate to witness with your own ears.” It was Li Shouwu and I who didn’t say a word, and it was Wandefu who came or went, and finally even my eldest brother added a few words in a low voice: “If there is one more person Then don’t count me in, if I count as a fart, it’s over?” "Let's just listen to Dachun; since Hanqing has invited people all the way, there are always some phrases and words to ask for advice." Qian Jingnong turned to Wei Yizheng and said, "Didn't the third master ever recommend that this son would one day or Can you "put what you have learned into a pot and cook it"?" Before I could respond, Wang Xunru bared his teeth and added a few words to Zhao Taichu: "Anyway, you have been teaching that enemy to be strangled to death in 1900; once you die, won't we be eight people?" "There is still no Snake Xiao." Zhao Taichu did not show weakness. "Xiao Liu is Xiao Snake." Sun Xiaoxu repeated in a low voice. "Add a little six, even if I die, there is still one more." Zhao Taichu laughed: "You are not convinced when you say that the three characters of "crazy Bianque" are only one "crazy"! In my opinion, there are many idiots like you, and you should die." "Not much, not much!" The eldest brother yelled again: "I don't count, I don't count. Don't quarrel, my brother--my younger brother has indeed solved the crossword puzzle, and he solved it ten years ago .” As soon as the last words were uttered, the room suddenly fell silent.Li Shouwu seemed to take out a magnifying glass out of a reflex action without thinking at all, thinking that there was nothing to look at, and put it on the broken round table casually.Almost at the same time, everyone else (I think even Big Brother behind me) rolled their eyes toward my face.Qian Jingnong nodded more vigorously; Wei Yizheng pursed his lips.But he tried his best not to make a sound, the two arms of Zhao Taichu and Wang Xunru who were pushing and blocking each other froze in the air, Sun Xiaoxu first shook his head and sighed, seeing that I didn't say anything, he said in a low voice: "That's me The year I acted as the President of the United States, alas! I feel like it was already in the Qing Dynasty, how did I live for so long?" "Brother Xiaoxu! When you were reincarnated into the world, there were still several years before the Qing Dynasty; I can't wait until you are old." Wei Yizheng finally laughed twice, but stretched out his arms towards me. With two fingers in the middle, his face darkened: "Since I have already solved it, when "Professor Long" and I stepped in and gave your little brother a degree, why didn't you show one or two?" "How do I know you're in the same group?" I slapped away his finger that was almost stuck between my eyebrows, and before I had time to warn him not to point fingers, the right half of my body tightened, and the shoulder socket was already poked by the big brother Clasped fingers; Big Brother frowned on his right brow, and whispered: "Don't be rude!" "And you!" I yelled at Big Brother, "Aren't you going to tell me that someone shot me? If you don't tell me, what shall I say?" "That's not difficult, "white-faced scholar." Wan Defu slowly stretched his right arm, pointed at the dark passageway between Wei and Li, and said with a smile: "Let's go up later." Take a look at Room 4, your brother doesn’t have so much time to spare! Now that you guys are all here—Master Wei even took Mr. Zhao back from Taipei in a pheasant cart—just to hear your brother’s opinion; In any case, you guys have been waiting for more than twenty years—" "Almost thirty years." Wang Xunru said. "Thirty years are three years away." Zhao Taichu said, pushing his right wrist vigorously, pushing away Wang Xunru's left arm. At this moment, Li Shouwu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said something: "If you don't want to know, how can you say anything?" "Well said!" When Qian Jingnong said, she raised her hand, put her fingers together like a pen, and danced in the air to write. What she wrote was exactly two lines: "Thinking back when the crime happened back then, the situation was very restrictive, and our six elders had no place to hide. We stayed overnight in Shouwu's nest and discussed such a plan for a secret visit; what a blessing! Didn't you yourself not know until Xiaoliu In the year when you worshiped under Shouwu's sect, you donated all your prejudices. Would you be willing to communicate with us and advance and retreat together? At that time, it must have been twelve years before Wan Boss left?" "Hey! If you want to say that "Tongshengqi" is the time when Xiaoliu passed on the word and said "meeting and summing up", it is not bad for twelve years;" Zhao Taichu pulled off his woolen cap and looked at him with great disdain. Wan Defu waved his hand and said angrily: "If you want to say "advance and retreat together", it is already a matter of "Yiqing". This bastard has not taken our six elders seriously for nineteen years!" "Sin, sin! Don't dare! If Mr. Zhao refuses to forgive, Defu will go to No. 9 to get the family law." Wan Defu said, glanced at me again, and continued: " However, you all know that if you were blessed back then, if you hadn't spent twelve years gathering 36,000 runaway bachelors, setting up a net, rabbit ears and eagle eyes, how could you be as smart and intelligent as the "white-faced scholar" How about the character who solved Wanlao’s anagram? Now that you can solve it, in my opinion: “Scholar with white face”—you don’t have to hesitate, just let me know.” "Someone forbids me to say it." I threw out an excuse I had prepared a long time ago: "Because it's dangerous for everyone." Before the words were finished, another commotion erupted above the tabletop which was less than two feet in diameter.This time my eldest brother was the loudest—but no one paid any attention to him—he was yelling: “Danger? What’s the danger? Going up the mountain of knives, going down the pan of oil, riding on the back of a tiger, sleeping in a nest of snakes, what’s the point?” Dangerous?" What Zhao Taichu said was: "This kid can't read the last chapter, how can he solve the crossword riddle? It's clearly an excuse to delay, but you actually believed it." Wei Yizheng frowned and turned to Qian Jingnong Suan said: "It seems that Xiao Nizi must be troublesome." Qian Jingnong still nodded and smiled, pointing to me: "He is also interested in him, otherwise why bother?" Wang Xunru seemed to be talking to himself, but in fact Still pointing at Zhao Taichu a few words'! "I think my ancestor Shennong tasted all kinds of herbs, but he chewed lightly; why should he eat the stems, eat the leaves, and feed the branches? He is not a cow!" As the noise subsided, Sun Xiaoxu seemed to have waited for an unmissable gap, hurriedly hoarse his voice like a fish out of water, and said, "Danger is naturally dangerous. Brothers, don't forget, come on." Gao Yang died on the second day after the third master of the month got the "Meat Brush Ukiyo-e". Gao Yang was as meticulous as a hair, and few people can match him; Brothers, think about it: We are so hard to ask, isn't it a little too anxious?" "In my opinion, these are two different things." Wei Yizheng said: "What Gao Yang has in his hands is the evidence of a suspicious case in which the big devil fiddled with tricks and reversed right and wrong. It goes without saying that foretelling involves danger. Yes. If Dachun understands it, it is only Wanlao’s last words. From the perspective of Wanlao’s leisure and generosity, what the last words are about to explain may not be things like arresting murderers and revenge—but what is the danger? ?According to me, it’s Xiao Nizi’s gossiping, gossip-” "No! If this son has solved the mechanism hidden in "Bodhisattva Man" ten years ago," Li Shouwu finally raised the magnifying glass, gestured to me, and said, "And he has never told anyone about it. As for prolonging your life to this day, the so-called danger is not necessarily a shadow of a snake, didn't he just say to teach people to let go of a shot?" "That incident was indeed done by members of Hong's new gang; however, it seems that the newcomers were naturalized and tried to show off, and acted recklessly--our bachelors of the Zong family have already dealt with it--" Wan Defu hurriedly distinguish. "No one here blames you for not being able to do things!" Li Shouwu took a look at Wan Defu, and continued to say to Wei Yi: "The third master doesn't have to blame Honglian; maybe she knows a lot more than us." Then, he leaned to the right at an almost imperceptible speed, and when the pockmarked face was almost pressed against my cheek, he whispered to the crowd: "Once this little brother wants to know something, you can Of course I would." The wooden door above the Western-style wall clock box was suddenly opened at this moment, and a half-red rusty spring popped out from inside. It barked "Gu Gu", "Gu Gu" ten times, during which no one said a word—— For a split second I had the illusion that I was among a group of mortuaries or wax figures—of course they were all waiting, but everyone seemed to have lost any hope of waiting because they had waited so long; In other words: they seem to have completely forgotten what they are waiting for, and they just maintain a posture that seems to be holding their breath; in addition, there is only one sound, as light as a drop of water, knocking down every half an hour-I didn't realize it until later : It was the amber ointment dripping from the tip of Sun Xiaoxu's chin to the floor. Before Wandefu didn't say a word, leading me to that passage—or I was getting suffocated, and I pushed myself to stand up, and Wandefu happened to give me a gesture to guide me to the passageway—before , I am silently reciting Honglian's name.The reason why he stood up like no one else and for no reason seemed to be the result of anxiety?If there's a worthwhile explanation for it, it's that (subconsciously) I don't want to miss her like a zombie or a wax figure.I stood up and took two steps, or one step, and Wan Defu also got up and spread out a palm indicating the direction to the right. There was a passage entrance like a black curtain, and there was no light beyond a few feet behind the door frame. and.I began to try to remember the appearance of the first woman in my life that I might actually love.However, as has happened countless times in the past: what I can see in the dark are only many parts that flicker and disappear, which are certain fragments and outlines of human organs under close gazing, and in the end only ten minutes are left. Abstract lines.It's like picking up a small piece of a jigsaw puzzle that has just been assembled and then broken immediately. You still know its position in the original picture, but with the anxiety or even fear of not being able to restore the appearance of the memory; He stared at the finer and smaller areas until everything disappeared into complete darkness. At this time, I still realized that I was walking in a straight line-at least I didn't turn, and the sound of Wandefu's footsteps was always one step behind me.I haven't thought about whether people can walk a straight path without seeing at all.In short, when I walked slowly and slowly, I never doubted that I might be walking in a so-called "formation", nor did I imagine that they might just mention red lotus and stir up my restless mood just to make me I walked into a place called "Human Dunzhen" without any defense. "The meaning of Master Li's words just now, "white-faced scholar", you have to understand it carefully." Wan Defu's words suddenly drilled down my spine, echoing in all directions, I turned my head instinctively to look, but there was darkness in front of me, Even the silhouettes of Li Shouwu and Big Brother's backs at the entrance of the previous passage, as well as the corners of the table and chairs in the room are also buried in the darkness.万得福继续道：“咱们老爷子一生行事俱是在幽冥晦暗之地、助人逃过光天化日之劫，其中磊落，不是外人能明白的。在你老弟看，咱们这些光棍祇不过是鸡鸣狗盗、作奸犯科之徒；这个么，咱们也不必辩解；倒是几位爷看你老弟投缘，似乎是可以说得上几句的人物，才前瞻后盼、巴望着你老弟到此一会——莫怪赵爷说话不中听，他老人家祇不过是以为时辰未到、不该强你所难而已；其实他的意思和李爷一般并无一一致，总然要等你老弟哪一天知心会意，情愿同咱们结纳，大伙儿成了一家人，你老弟自然肯将老爷子遗言赐告了。” “你要带我上哪儿去？”我驻足不前，试着伸手朝黑暗中摸索挥打了一阵，听见自己的话也带着回音。 万得福的笑声则忽而从我右边传出，道：“那要看你老弟想上哪儿去了。这么着，我先引你见几个人，见过他们，你就明白赵爷摆这个阵可是用心良苦啊！”一个“苦”字还没说完，我右侧豁然一亮，万得福手上多了个三寸来长、状若飮料吸管的纸媒，尖端微火一点，怡恰照亮了方圆一尺左右之内的空间。“这叫“火折子”。”万得福说着，火折子缓缓向下移动，照亮他腋下一个和夹克同色的软包裹，他探手入内，取出一支四寸多长、有如袖珍箭矢之类的物事，随即以之充当钥匙，箭镞子往一个锁孔里伸去，再一捣，那锁头似是铜铸，在半黄半青的焰苗映照之下显著炭黑、带些苔绿，它应声松榫，门也朝左开了，里头是个四席大小的房间，和寻常病房并无不同，一床、一几，床头有日光灯一盏，变电钮有些短路，是以光晕始终乍明乍灭。床上躺着个男子，一身看不出是白是灰、与床单同色的薄衫裤、半边袖管和裤管从盖毯下翻捅出来，极其扭曲的一副睡相。 “你老弟不认得此人了？”万得福吹熄火折子，趋步靠近床头，忽地一把楸起那人的头发，让他坐起来。那人也不挣、也不抗，似仍熟睡未醒，任万得福摆布得如此，便成了个坐姿——这样儿整张脸庞又靠近日光灯管许多，面颊上的肉刺、胡髭清楚些了，可我仍旧认不出来。 万得福又用另只手撩了撩挂在墙上的一套黑西装，登时扬起一阵尘埃：“那么这套衣服呢？”我又摇了摇头。 “这小子当年拿啤酒瓶敲了你一记脑袋瓜子，你居然忘了？” “是——”我的脑袋瓜子彷佛又挨了一记：“是那一次在MyPlace，我和几个侨生去喝酒……”底下的事不消说，我一毂驴儿全想起来——那是我第一次遇见红莲的晚上，在酒馆里搅进了和侨生们一起挂彩的战局；这个穿黑西装的家伙十分耐打，我连干了他两拳，他连晃都不晃一下。可是眼前这人却像个特大号的塡布玩偶——我甚至怀疑他究竟还有没有气息；“他怎么了？” “光棍行事，有来有往。他教翰卿一个徒儿访了一年才访着了下落；既然当初给了你那么一下，翰卿那徒儿也照方给了他一下，就这么回事。”万得福说着，左手一松，那人顺势一滑、又躺了回去。 “我们喝了酒闹事，你们插什么手？” “这小子是“哼哈二才”底下的喽啰；要不是他，“一才”还不至于从你这一头又盯住了红莲。幸亏翰卿那徒儿出手精到利落，否则牵丝攀藤，势必从红莲身上又追出魏爷、钱爷踪迹，那就不妙了。”说到这儿，万得福迎面走来，把我的肘弯朝前轻轻一提，我毫无抵拒之力，拧腰抬踵，竟往身后踉胆跌出数步，但听原先那门“碰”的一声关上，我又回到了一片黑暗之中。 “别吓着了，“书生”！”万得福一面说一面不知使了个什么手法、再次打亮火折、持短箭打开几乎是正对面的另一扇门，道：“方才那是二号，咱们再看看一号，好教你老弟知晓咱们不祇是逞凶斗恶而已。” 一号房里扑鼻漫着一股韭菜和大蒜混合的臭味儿，房中坐着个年约五十上下的男子，衣裤尽如先前所见者，唯此人座下是张轮椅，椅旁也是一床、一几，床头除了日光灯，还悬着个巴掌大的塑料壳儿晶体管收音机，正播放着京剧名伶孙元彬教唱戏曲的节目，这人冲我们各点了点头，笑道：“今儿田师父下饺子，吃多了，打嗝儿带放屁的，空气不好。万兄别见笑。” 万得福回了句：“不碍事。”随即对我低声叹道：“此人原本在老爷子府里当差干卫士，老爷子升天之夜，他忽然成了个痴子。我后首一查看，才得知他被人掐断了百会、玉枕之间的一条血脉，非但腰脚瘫痪，也省不得事了。是后活一日、只记半日事，现成是个废物。无可如何，权且容留在此。” 接下来，万得福又带我访视了隔壁三号房，里头住的是四处为人追杀、几无容身之地的瘸奶娘。此妪行年也已近八十，号曰瘸奶娘，可是双腿灵便巧捷，一双纒小又放大的“挛骨削趾足”看上去并不跛，却是那只原来并不跛的好腿曾经在二十五年前、她逃家出走的一场恶战之中负了伤，膝盖骨被“哼哈二才”发暗器打碎。其后经“痴扁鹊”汪勋如调治痊愈，居然行走如常、健步似飞，亦可谓因祸得福了。瘸奶娘谈兴奇佳，单只万得福说了句“见过瘸奶娘”，她便扯住我的袖子从一只放大的小脚说到汪勋如的医道。万得福好容易找着个谈隙岔了句“这位老弟台的尊翁启京先生当年也在帮，与你还是同船来的”，瘸奶娘两片垂褶披覆的眼睑陡地一翻，一双瞳仁泛起了银亮亮的光芒：“启京先生是“理”字辈儿“前人”；听李爷说：当年“二才”私通洪魔、干下欺师灭祖的勾当之时，众人皆不知晓，唯独启京先生是个目证。可惜他老人家离家忒早，与咱们断了音信，否则咱们及早提防，小爷也不至于受他俩妖言惑诱，干下那般狗彘不如的事体来。”越说到后来，她的一双眼珠子越鼓凸圆大，直似要跳出眶子的态势；尤其是“小爷”二字，说的是咬牙切齿，听来倒像要吞吃掉那“小爷”的模样。她当下转脸冲万得福道！——“这位小兄弟就是要来说解老爷子字谜的那位贵客么？”万得福点了点头，眉峰却蹙了蹙，彷佛犹豫着该不该告诉她：这位“贵客”什么也还没说呢。瘸奶娘则径自抢道：“那你可得好生款待款待——老田今晚下了一锅饺子，人人夸说好吃，你一让他再包些个，给贵客消消夜、点点心——” 万得福没等她吩咐完便挥手辞出，跟我说日子长得很，要吃“田翁”的饺子有的是机会，可是“该见的人还是先见一见的好”。正当我纳着闷：什么叫“日子长得很”？五号房的门又开启了。此室全然不同于之前的三间，里面极是敞阔，大约是一号房、二号房的十倍长宽，比之三号房也大了三、五倍有余，同样是四壁无窗，仅靠着几处零零落落的小灯、以近乎萤囊般微弱的晕光照亮咫尺之内的范围，可以看出这是一间书房，四壁连架迄顶，都是书。这我才注意到：那些高高低低、似是任意放设的小灯都附有黑罩铁夹，夹置于一落又一落挤不进壁架的书堆顶端；其目的本不在照明——反而像是夜间公路地面上的猫眼反光板，仅在让人不至于撞翻那一落书而已。在书房的最深处，倒是有那么一盏台灯亮着，一人背向伏案，头颈肩背遮去了绝大部分的光线。万得福又压低嗓门道：“之前此地是个书店。民国三十八年播迁之后，一直是咱们老漕帮的物业。民国五十六年二月底大整肃，十之八九的书都给查封销毁了，出版的事业也不许做了。之后祇零零星星、偷偷摸摸地印了李爷、孙爷和赵爷的三部书——” “等一下！”这是我踏进“人文复健医院曁护理中心”以来第一次感到如此亢奋，较之下午趴在那张破圆桌上写前两个失败的开场时更觉惬意十分，我忍不住叫出来：“五十六年二月国家安全会议成立，之前不到一个月你们出版了陈秀美那本《上海小刀会沿革及洪门旁行秘本之硏究》，你说的大整肃和这两件事有关系吗？” ““白面书生”总算是“想知道点儿什么”了——”万得福得意起来，不自觉地抬手抚熨几下一头很白的发丝，道：“这些个事要是没有关系，祖宗家门儿也不致沦落到这步田地啊！” 在我们这么交谈着的当儿，桌前那人影忽地转了过来，发梢轻扬、背光约略映显的脸庞轮廓泛着美丽的红晕。我可以清晰地看见那颊边极柔极细的茸毛——是我熟悉到不能再熟悉的一个身体的细节、一个零散的片段、一块小小拼图上的局部，我曾经粗暴地啄吻和吸吮过的位置。我和她几乎同时喊叫起来：“红莲！” “我不是红莲。”她已经在我失神愣立的当儿站起身，向我伸出一只意味着礼貌和距离的右手。我握住了；那只手和红莲的手一样温暖、一样绵软、一样滑腻，我再握紧一点，想索性把她整个人拽进怀里来。可是她不依，她也没有把手缩回去的意思，只像是早就猜想到我会有此一拽似地顽固抗拒着，且在同一剎那间递过来另一只手——在这只刻意显示的左手腕徺骨内侧的皮肤上，并没有那朵我曾长久谛视、狂烈啮咬的赭红色莲花。 “我是陈秀美——红莲的母亲。”她平静而温柔地说。 犹之乎急于躲避一种羞窘难堪处境的直觉所使然的那样，我匆忙且莽撞地甩脱陈秀美的右手、移开了视线；不期然却瞥见书桌上摊放着一本大约一尺多长、不及两尺宽、展开两页则占据了近乎半个桌面的布面精装画册，入眼的一幅图画上是两个裸身相拥的男女，采教士姿态；男子歪顶着武士髻、膘肥肉厚，女子朱唇微启、星眼半闭，通体油胖白皙。奇的倒是在男子阳具处并无图形，而是一个“酉”字，字边散落了一圈银色粉末，近旁则放置着一枚大约是用来刮除银粉的壹圆镍币。 “得福！烦你跑一趟，去同三爷说：《肉笔浮世绘》解出来了，它不是一本寻常春宫，恐怕还是当年随着钱氏一族的工匠绘画东渡扶桑而流落出去的一套医谱，而且谱中另外藏着机关—— “依我推测，它祇是半部，独有人形而无穴印；倘若再合上汪爷的“少林十二时辰气血过宫图”，或恐正是钱、汪二位爷参详了大半辈子而未果的一部医道——其珍贵深奥更在《吕氏铜人簿》之上，甚至还是打通“汪家医”和“吕门医”两支绝学的关隘呢！ “如果我这个推测成立，当年罗德强擅闯汪爷医院的用心就再明白不过了：他一定是在密晤莫人杰之时无意间发现东宝片场收庋此书，且其中藏着这么个连洪魔都未必知悉的机关。可是当日此书乃是由莫人杰向片场借出披阅的，非得立即归还不可；倥偬之间，祇好暂时作罢。待罗某回国之后，必然会向洪魔禀报此事邀功——对洪魔而言，罗某这就未免涉入过深且知情忒甚了。应该就是在这个节骨眼儿上，罗某察觉洪魔有意对他这唯一的活口下手、也才一不作、二不休，索性向汪爷示警的。”她喋喋叨叨地一口气说到这里，我已经百分之八百地确定她不是红莲了。我的红莲沉默、慧黠、神秘而且非常放荡，绝大部分的时候，她不会让你知道她的看法、她的见解、她的思想，比“绝大部分的时候”更多一点的时候，她不会让你知道她要做什么、以及她在哪里。 “至于你，如果你要问我红莲在哪里的话——很对不起——我也不知道。”陈秀美跟我说完了这些，撇过脸见万得福还站在原处，不由得皱了皱眉，道：“怎么还不去呢？” “就去了。”万得福面无表情地欠欠身，朝我勾了勾手指头，道了声：“请罢。”这一次、万得福似乎并没有带我从进来的门出去，我们并肩走出数步之外，我漫不经心地回头要再看陈秀美一眼，但是她、书桌和台灯已然消失了。原处变成一整面通顶连墙的书架。我略微怔了怔，想确认一下行进的方向，左肘又给万得福一抵，朝右转了半圈，他却已经走到我的前方，一面有如自言自语地沉吟道：“这妇道也是可怜，十几岁上怀了身孕，丈夫又无缘无故遭人谋害，人就有些个顚狂。幸亏钱爷容留，指点她读读书、认认字，照管书店的事渐渐也做得了，后来托钱爷帮衬，还拿了个学位。只这疯病厉害，就连汪爷的医道也诊治不了。 “大整肃之后，袓宗家门里忠肝义胆的光棍四处不能容身，各位爷彼此也不方便时常见面，如何照应她呢？便给送进松山疗养院住了好些年。直到六十六年夏天，赵爷为了避敌耳目，自己放了一把火，把书店烧了，原地重新安顿，装成废墟面貌，里头再摆上个固若金汤的弥天大阵，才又把她接过来的。这妇道每日里捧著书读了又读、读了又读，动不动就说找到了一个什么什么证据，又访着了一条什么什么线索。有时侯儿抓起本明星画报，看了便说那白嘉莉就是她女儿红莲，已经教石牌训练班的特务培育成谍报人员，专陪国外元首睡觉、好套取情报：有时候儿翻着本多少年前的旧杂志，看了便指着照片里的人说她丈夫其实活得好好儿的，并没有死——照片里的人明明是“老头子”，哪儿是她丈夫呢？ “当时汪爷陪着孙爷在花莲山里养伤、李爷领着小六在桃园行馆习艺，钱爷、魏爷早已改名换姓——教书的教书，作厨的作厨；这二位爷虽然时相往来，可若依着赵爷书中历法所示，还不到会面的日子。就连我，也还没参透赵爷书里的机关，怎敢贸然出首和诸位爷相认呢？这可就苦了赵爷了。偏偏赵爷为人强项，凡事从不求助告帮；祇他同瘸奶娘二人苦苦撑持，好在我东奔西走、上求下索，总算寻着了三万六千忠义光棍；不久又识出了赵爷书里的藏字历法；这才一方面得着接济、有了凭靠，一方面则藉那“一清专案”撺掇了一百零八条好汉自首，好与诸位爷在苦审里重新聚义、共商大事的——” “那么红莲呢？”我猜想万得福还想说说他们“共商”了些什么“大事”，但是我并不关心。我重复了一遍我所关心的：“红莲呢？” 就在这转瞬之间，我倏忽觉察到万得福并不是走在我的前面、反而应该是绕回我的后面去了。 念起身动，我猛回头，果然看见他的背影已在七、八步开外，当下消逝在浓黑之中。正待追上去的时候，第二个念头又波涌般席卷而来——他也许已经转向左走，重回先削陈秀美所在的位置，且脚步声和带着回音的话语也确乎自彼处传出：“那是另一头儿的事了——咱们是不是先上四号瞧瞧去？你老弟所耿耿于怀者不是放了你一暗枪的那小子么？咱们不多不少、不深不浅，也照样儿给他来了那么一下子。祇不过——谁教他身上没裹着“壳子”呢？嘿嘿嘿嘿……” “我要知道的是红莲！”此刻我全然不在乎寓得福究竟身在何方，我拚命喊着同样一个句子，喊了五遍（或许六遍），像是承受了十分重大的委屈，直喊得眼角微湿而口唇却发出阵阵干燥撕裂的疼痛。我依然可以在闪烁晶莹、曳拖着刺状星芒的灯光下辨认自己被几万册、甚至几十万册书籍包围着，我也越来越清楚地知道自己为什么会陷身在这个疑惑和解答时隐时现、互缠互绞的阵中，然而——关于红莲的一切，我已彻底迷失；且正因为这迷失，我爆发了自己从未付出过的爱意。 以上的整整一万字是我第三个失败的尝试。开始动笔写它的时候我已经见过了四号房的倒霉鬼——他曾经挥舞着一把二尺四、几几乎在双和街和青年路口的红绿灯下砍断我的手筋或脚筋。当时他的脑袋上没有半茎头发，可是如今躺在病床上，发丝已经长得能够打辫子了。他显然已经不认得我，还悄声拜托我：“如果有机会回到阳间去的话一定要打电话给“花枝”，叫“花枝”务必赶快把“孝堂”大伙解散掉。”他并不知道——就算知道了也不会相信——其实他还活着。但是那样像一具点髅架子般活着又其实和死了没什么差别。病房里当然没有昼夜、祇有睁眼和闭眼。他睁开眼睛之后所能做的就祇是吸食一种叫“安素”的奶汁，以及用稍稍可以动弹两下的几根手指头枢弄尿袋管子。 在这活死人隔壁的六号房里住的是个粗头大脸的汉子。这间房里没有床、也没有日光灯，仅有的黄光来自一具嵌在墙上、专供停电时照明的蓄电灯泡。黄光斜射而下，恰恰敷洒着对面墙角的汉子四周。他的左手给铐在三尺高的一根白铁横栏杆上，整副看来十分壮硕的身躯半坐半跪地蜷缩着，右手自腕骨以上仍凸肌暴筋，犹似健身房的教练；可是腕口却只剩下一截覆了层薄皮的秃骨，手掌则泡在他面前不远地砖上的一只玻璃瓶子里——我不能确定瓶中所盛的是什么样的油汁或溶液，不过那只断掌悬浮着，空气中则传来混合了甲醇、乙醚、汽油和消毒水的味道；因为室内绝大部分的空间都摆置着或粉红、或墨绿、或透明无色的燃剂。据说这汉子外号人称“火霸天”，当年不过三十出头的岁数，便已经纵火不下四百二、三十起了。 “一清”囚审期间，各方光棍首领汇整信息，得知“火霸天”旗下几个消防器材公司进货出货时程、以及此子惯常做案手段，遂在狱中研议，要设下个趁火打劫之局。 到了民国七十五年秋天，相传国府宣布解除戒严令，光棍们争说：“帮朋大老”何不趁此出去透透气、观观风向？设若洪魔爪牙消磨、气焰略减，便是庵清光棍替祖宗家门挣一副头脸的时刻了。倒是六老怀疑其中颇有险诈，深恐这解严之举不过是敌垒识破庵清方面藏身囚牢之策而安排的一个欲擒故纵之计。于是又迁延了好几个月，直到魏谊正不得不出去会晤高阳，钱静农也非得当値应卯、向孙小六传授一身绝学不可了，这才由赵太初摆下一个小小的“风遁阵”，掩护另五老出狱。其间竟有一事是出乎五老音——料之外的。 就在这九九八十一颗梨核儿布起的阵式一经作用——时在民国七十六年二月十二、阴历丁卯年正月十五之夜——登时狱中校场掀起一片沙墟尘爆，密云罡风自地脚拔空冲起，五老鱼贯而行，刚刚站定在一个篮球架底下的钢骨方圈之中，忽然瞥见阵口赵太初身后站出来密匝匝、闹哄哄的一群好汉，正是万得福亲率着一百单八将前来送行了。此际自万得福身侧闪出一个张翰卿来，奔前数丈，捧呈给孙孝胥一枚纸封，曲膝拜倒，泣道：“二十年前六位大老受了洪魔毒火残烧；此仇不报，众家光棍寝食不得安宁。这里头的机关，就请诸位爷笑纳了罢！” 封中之物无它，却是光棍刚刚打探来的一个密闻：“火霸天”刚丢失一笔大生意。原先招标的买方是中国石油化学开发公司，要在高雄大社厂的丙烯腈反应系统纯化区设置自动防火侦测机具，可是“火霸天”出价过高，中化大社厂所生产的丙烯腈（供应下游工厂制造压克力纤维、塑钢之用）当季行情又看跌，这买卖便让他人夺去。依“火霸天”行事习惯，结下如此难堪的梁子，则三个月内必然是要滋事报复的。自竞标日的一月三十号算起，四月底之前，“火霸天”势必要对大社厂展开行动。 四月二十六日下午三点钟，该厂丙烯腈纯化区果然发生连续十起爆炸。方圆五里之内的厂舍、民宅玻璃门窗悉数震碎，消防单位一共出动了十一辆化学车、十三辆水箱车、耗时两个钟头才稍稍控制住火势。此案延宕五年又三个月未曾破得，因为事发当时“火霸天”即为孙孝胥亲手擒住——他就此住进了“人文”，给削去惯常用来点火的右手。然而，之所以囚之在此，并不单是为了报复——在另一项更重要的大计划之中，“火霸天”洪子瞻还是一份诱饵；只不过五年又三个月以来，还没有任何人作过“放饵”的决定。 截至我写出第六个失败的尝试为止，八号房一直是空的。据说那是一个宽敞无比的房间，可以容纳所有老漕帮庵清光棍亟欲诛灭的仇家。我说我不相信这么多年下来这几个老鬼祇囚拏了二号、四号和六号房里的三口仇家——这纯粹祇是为了跟万得福抬杠而已——万得福的答复却玄奇得很：他说：“李爷的嘱咐你老弟不记得了么？设若你老弟想知道的就祇这么些，然则在赵爷的“人遁阵”中，又岂能别有所见呢？”然后他为我打开了八号房门，里面是另一方幽冥晦暗的空间，除了门内数尺之处放置着和先前外间屋中一模一样的破圆桌之外，全无其它陈设——连藤椅、板凳或壁钟、月历之物都没有。倒是桌面上有一盏油灯和四杯冒着蒸汽儿的热茶。我凑近桌边、垂脸端详了一会儿，但见各杯之中确是黄澄澄、清荡荡的茶汁——祇杯体下半截沉淀着厚达寸许的古怪物事。其物长不过二、三厘、粗不过毛发一般。有些黑、有些白，有些则灰似雨前之云，也有极少的一部分黄如车后之土；入眼直要令人作呕。 “这是咱们六位爷的胡子碴。”万得福接着道：“六位爷每年一到万老爷子忌辰，便薙下这么一部蓄了三日夜的胡子碴，盛入杯中供奉。待哪一日擒住了“二才”、小爷还有洪魔之际，便伺候他们一口飮下。”说到这儿，万得福引我退出，随手掩上八号房门，当下却早已一旋踵俯腰，利用交睫即逝的一点油灯余光，将对面的七号房门又打开了。 此间是我安身立命之地。我有一袋书、一迭反面透露着高阳字迹、还勉强可供书写的残稿遗骸，一个专属于我的房间、专供我疑思惑想而布奇设幻以应之的迷阵。我的左邻是一间森严肃穆的祠堂——九号，奉祀着老漕帮庵清光棍数百年来的列宗列祖、家法家规；里面还有无数载录着该帮典章制度、仪节德训、礼器刑仗的籍簿册，以及比图籍簿册更多的幽灵——我在写完第四则开场——的时候撞见一个，他说他叫俞航澄，他要告诉我当年远黛楼事件之后他之所以引咎退位、乃是受到万子青挟制、不得不然，最后我没搭理他。我的右邻既是一位我素所尊仰的前辈学者、也是一位搜证翔实、推理