Chapter 30 Chapter 30 The Long Night

The night mist is misty, the leaves are withered, the lotus pond is full of dead leaves, the path is full of weeds, and the garden that used to be full of flowers, willows and green, plum blossoms and chrysanthemums is now full of ghosts. At the end of the small bridge, there is Sanwu Abode, which is "Lengxiang Xiaozhu". The first famous hero in the martial arts world and the first beauty in the rivers and lakes lived here. At this time in the past, the plum blossoms were about to bloom, and the fragrance was intoxicating. But now, there are cobwebs on the corners of the walls, and dust on the window sills. The romantic scene of the past has long since disappeared, and even the immortal plum trees have withered.

The lights in the small building were still on, and there were scattered drums in the distance. It's the fourth watch. At the end of the long night, a figure suddenly appeared in the thick fog. Is this a sleepless person, or a ghost from the underworld? I saw that his hair was disheveled and his clothes were disheveled. He looked so depressed and haggard, but his expression still looked so chic, and his eyes were as bright as the cold stars of autumn night. He walked across the small bridge desolately, and seeing the withered plum tree, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. The plum blossom was originally his good companion in the past, but today it is as emaciated as a human being.

Then his people suddenly flew up like swallows! The window of the small building is closed, and on the pale yellow window paper, a slender figure is reflected, and it seems so lonely, so lonely. There are hundreds of cracks on the window sills. Looking through the cracks, you can see this lonely person, facing the lonely lamp, sewing clothes. Her face was pale, and her beautiful eyes had lost their former luster. There was no expression on her face, she seemed so indifferent, as if she had long forgotten the joys of the world, and the sorrows of the world of mortals. She just sat there, sewing stitch by stitch, letting her youth slip away at the tip of the needle.

The holes in clothes can be mended, but the wounds in the soul cannot be healed by anyone... Sitting opposite her was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child. He was very handsome, and his quick eyes made him look even smarter, but he was also so pale, so pale that one forgot he was a child. He was drooping his head, practicing calligraphy stroke by stroke. Although he is young, he has learned to endure loneliness. The downcast man was lying outside the window like a ghost, watching them quietly. There were tears in the corners of his eyes. After an unknown amount of time, the child suddenly stopped writing, raised his head, stared at the flickering flames on the table, and was in a daze.

The woman also stopped sewing, looked at her child, her eyes showed endless tenderness, and said softly: "Xiao Yun, what are you thinking?" The child bit his lip and said, "I'm thinking about when Daddy will come back." The woman's hand trembled for a while, and the tip of the needle pricked her finger, but she didn't seem to feel the pain at all, her pain was in her heart. The child said again: "Mom, why did Daddy leave suddenly? It has been two years now, and there is no news." The woman was silent for a long time before she sighed softly and said, "I didn't know when he left."

An indescribable cunning suddenly appeared in the child's eyes, and he said, "But I know why he left." The woman frowned and scolded softly: "You little child, what do you know?" The child said: "Of course I know. Daddy left because he was afraid that Li Xun Huan would come back and seek revenge on him. As soon as he heard Li Xun Huan's name, his face immediately changed." The woman wanted to speak, but all her words turned into a long sigh. She also knew that the child knew a lot, maybe too much. The child said again: "But Li Xun Huan never came, why didn't he come to see Mom?"

The woman's body seemed to tremble again, and she said loudly, "Why did he come to see me?" The child giggled and said, "I know he's always been Mom's good friend, hasn't he?" The woman's face turned even paler, she stood up suddenly, and said with a straight face: "It's almost dawn, why don't you go to sleep?" The child blinked and said: "I don't sleep because I want to be with my mother, because my mother has been unable to sleep at night for the past two years, and even seeing the baby makes me feel very uncomfortable."

The woman slowly closed her eyes, a stream of tears streaming down her cheeks. But the child stood up and said with a smile: "But I should go to bed too, tomorrow is Mom's birthday, I have to get up early..." He walked over with a smile, kissed the woman on the cheek, and said: "Mom should go to bed too, see you tomorrow." He walked out with a smile, and as soon as he walked outside the door, the smile disappeared immediately, with a look of resentment in his eyes, and he murmured: "Li Xunhuan, others are afraid of you, but I am not afraid of you, one day , I want you to die by my hands."

The woman watched the child go out, eyes full of pain, but also full of pity, this is really a smart child. She has only one child. This child is her life, no matter what he did or said to make her sad, she still loves him the same. A mother's love for her child is endless and unconditional. She sat down again and turned the light on brighter. She is afraid of the dark. Whenever night fell, an indescribable fear would arise in her heart. At this moment, she heard a soft cough coming from outside the window. Her expression changed immediately. Her whole body seemed to be frozen, and she sat there blankly, staring at the window stupidly, her eyes seemed to be filled with joy, but also with fear...

After an unknown amount of time, she stood up slowly, walked slowly to the window, opened the window slowly with a trembling hand, and said in a trembling voice, "Who is it?" The milky white fog floated into the window one by one, and scattered in all directions. The full moon was covered by the thick fog, and only a faint gleam could be seen. Where is there any figure around? The woman looked around blankly, and said sadly: "I know you are here, since you are here, why don't you come out and meet me?" There was no voice, and no response. The woman sighed for a long time, and said sadly: "You don't want to see me, and I don't blame you. We are indeed sorry for you, sorry for you..."

Her voice became softer and weaker, and she stood there blankly for a long time before slowly closing the window. The light in the window also gradually dimmed, and finally went out. The earth seemed to have been completely engulfed in darkness. The period before dawn is always the darkest. But after all, the darkness also has its time to pass, and the east finally showed a glimmer of dawn, and the night fog that came with the darkness gradually faded. Behind the sycamore tree in front of the small building, a figure gradually appeared. He just stood there motionless for an unknown how long, his hair and clothes were almost soaked by dew. His gaze was always staring at the window of the small building, as if he had never moved. He looked so old, tired, and haggard... He is the person who appeared in the white mist like a ghost last night, and he is also the alcoholic who has been intoxicated all day long in Sun Tuozi's shop! Although he didn't speak, his heart was calling. "Shiyin, Shiyin, you didn't feel sorry for me, it was I who was sorry for you..." "Although I can't see your face, but for the past two years, I have been around you day and night, protecting you, do you know?" The scorching sun broke through the morning fog, and the sky became brighter. Covering his mouth with his hands, the man barely suppressed his cough, quietly walked through the bluestone path covered by mud and fallen leaves, passed through the moon gate whose red paint had peeled off, and quietly walked to the front. The whole house is completely deserted, and the hall that used to be full of dignitaries is now only left with cobwebs, dust, and windows that have been blown to pieces by the wind and rain. There was no one around, and no human voice could be heard. He walked down the long stone steps to the front yard. The front yard seemed more desolate and dilapidated than the back garden, only the porter's hut next to the gate, the doors and windows were barely complete. Those who have been here in the past, no one would have imagined that this splendid mansion has become like this in less than two years. He bent down again, coughing lowly, a ray of sunlight shone on his head, and in this night, his originally dark hair was turned white by sorrow and emotion. Then, he walked slowly to the porter's hut. The door was ajar, but he pushed it open gently. As soon as the door was opened, there was a smell of cheap and bad wine, and the room was dirty and messy. A person was lying on the table, holding a wine bottle tightly in his hand. Another alcoholic. He smiled self-deprecatingly and started knocking on the door. The person lying on the table finally woke up. When he raised his head, he saw that his face was covered with pockmarks and wrinkles caused by bad wine, and his beard and hair had also turned white. No one would have thought that he was the biological father of Lin Xian'er, the number one beauty in martial arts. He looked around drunkenly, rubbed his eyes, and murmured: "Someone knocked on the door early in the morning, have you run into a ghost?" After saying this, he really saw the downcast middle-aged man, frowned and said, "Who are you? How did you come here? How did you come here?" His voice was getting louder and louder, and he seemed to have regained a bit of the style of a big butler. The downcast middle-aged man smiled and said, "We met two years ago, don't you recognize me?" Mazi stared at him for a few times, his face immediately changed color, he stood up suddenly, and was about to prostrate himself on the ground, and said in surprise, "It turned out to be Li..." The downcast middle-aged man supported him before he bowed down, covered his mouth before he finished speaking, smiled and said slowly: "It's good that you still recognize me, let's sit down and talk. " Mazi hurriedly moved the stool, and said with an apologetic smile: "How can the villain not recognize you, sir? The villain was blind last time, and he will never again this time, but...you have indeed aged a lot in the past two years, sir." The downcast middle-aged man seemed to sigh a little, and said: "You are old too, everyone is old, have you been doing well in the past two years?" Mazi shook his head and sighed, "I might still brag in front of others, but in front of you..." He sighed again, and continued with a wry smile: "To tell you the truth, the past two years, even I didn't know how to get by. Today I sell a calligraphy and painting, and tomorrow I sell a chair to live, oh..." The down-and-out middle-aged man frowned and said, "Could it be that the family can't even survive?" Mazi lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. The down-and-out middle-aged man said: "Dragon... When Fourth Master Long left, didn't he leave any expenses for settling down?" Mazi shook his head, his eyes were red. The downcast middle-aged man turned even paler, and coughed uncontrollably. Mazi said: "Madam herself still has some jewellery, but she is so kind-hearted that she distributed them to the servants and told them to sell them and start some small businesses to make a living. She...she would rather suffer by herself than treat her badly." other people." Having said that, his voice was already a little choked up. The downcast middle-aged man was silent for a long time, and sighed: "But you didn't leave, you are really a very loyal person." Mazi lowered his head and smiled, and said in a low voice, "The villain just has nowhere to go..." The desolate middle-aged man said softly: "You don't need to be humble, I know you very well, some people have a bad temper, but a good heart, it's a pity that few people can understand them." Mazi's eyes seemed to be red again, he forced a smile and said, "This wine is not good, sir, if you don't mind it, just drink a couple of glasses." He went to pour the wine, only to find that the bottle was empty. The downcast middle-aged man smiled and said, "I don't want to drink, I just want a cup of tea... Do you think it's strange that I also want to drink tea. This is the first time in many years." Mazi also laughed, and said: "It's easy, I'll go and boil a pot of water for the uncle, and make a pot of tea properly." The downcast middle-aged man said: "No matter who you meet, don't mention that I'm here." Mazi nodded and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir, the villain has already dared not talk too much." He walked out excitedly, but he still didn't forget to close the door. The desolate middle-aged man's expression immediately dimmed again, and he said to himself sadly: "Shiyin, Shiyin, you are suffering so much, I am the one who hurt you, I will protect you no matter what, and I will never let anyone hurt you you!" The sun shone through the windows, and it was full daylight. Tea is not good. But as long as the tea is boiling hot, it will not be difficult to swallow, just like women, as long as women are young, they will not be too annoying. The down-and-out middle-aged man sipped his tea slowly. He drank tea much more slowly than drinking alcohol. When the cup of tea was finished, he suddenly smiled and said, "I used to have a very smart friend who once said Interesting words." Mazi smiled and said, "Master, it's very funny when you talk by yourself." The desolate middle-aged man said: "He said that there is absolutely no wine in the world that you can't get drunk, and there is absolutely no ugly girl. He also said that it is because of these two things that he lives." With a smile in his eyes, he continued: "Actually, the older the wine, the better the fragrance, and the older the woman, the better the taste." Mazi obviously couldn't appreciate the "taste" in his words, he was stunned for a while, poured another cup of tea for the down-and-out middle-aged man, and then asked, "Master, what's the matter with you when you come back this time?" The downcast middle-aged man was silent, and after a long time, he slowly said: "Some people say that there are treasures in this place..." Mazi laughed and said, "Treasure? If there is a treasure in this place, that's fine." He suddenly withdrew his smile, sneaked a glance at the downcast middle-aged man from the corner of his eyes, and tentatively said: "If there is a real treasure in this place, sir, you should know." The down-and-out middle-aged man sighed and said, "Although you and I don't believe that there are treasures here, there are many others who believe it." Mazi said, "Who is the one who spread the rumor? Why did he create such a rumor?" The downcast middle-aged man pondered and said: "He has two intentions. First, he wants to lure some greedy people here to fight and kill each other, so that he can fish in troubled waters." Mazi said, "Other than that, what other meanings does he have?" The downcast middle-aged man's eyes flickered, and he said slowly: "I haven't shown up for many years, and many people in the Jianghu are asking about my whereabouts. Maybe he did this to lure me to show up, to lure me Shot!" Mazi raised his chest and said, "If you make a move, it doesn't matter, so that those people can see your skills." The desolate middle-aged man smiled wryly: "Among those people who came this time, there are a few that even I can't deal with!" Mazi was surprised and said, "Are there really people in this world who you can't even deal with?" Before the down-and-out middle-aged man could speak, there was a knock on the door suddenly. A clear voice shouted: "Excuse me, is this the Fourth Master Long's mansion? I'm waiting for a special visit." Mazi murmured: "It's strange, even ghosts haven't visited here for two years, how could there be a visitor suddenly today?" After about half an hour, Mazi came back with a smile on his face, and said with a smile as soon as he entered the door: "Today is Madam's birthday, even I forgot, but those people still remember, they came here specially to pay respects to Madam on her birthday." The down-and-out middle-aged man pondered, and asked, "Who are these people here?" Mazi said: "Five people came in total, one is a very dignified old man, one is a handsome young man, and the third is a one-eyed dragon, and the most frightening one is a man with a green complexion." The downcast middle-aged man frowned and said, "Is there a lame man among them?" Mazi nodded and said, "That's right...how did you know, sir, do you know them too?" The desolate middle-aged man coughed lowly, but his eyes revealed a light that was sharper than a knife. This kind of sharp eyes made him look like he suddenly changed himself. Ma Zi didn't pay attention, and said with a smile: "Although these five people look a bit strange, the gift they gave was really not light, even when Fourth Master Long was still around, no one gave such a heavy gift. " The downcast middle-aged man said: "Oh?" Mazi said: "Among the eight-color gifts they gave, there was a large coin made of pure gold, which weighed at least four or five catties. I have never seen someone so generous." The down-and-out middle-aged man frowned and said, "Did Madam accept the gift they gave you?" Mazi said: "Madam originally refused to accept it, but those people sat in the living room and refused to leave. They wanted to see Madam anyway, and said that they were good friends of Fourth Master Long. Madam had no choice but to ask Young Master to come I went to accompany them in the living room." He smiled and said: "Master, don't look at the young master's young age. He is really good at dealing with people. He is more experienced than adults in his speech. None of the guests did not praise him for being extremely smart." The down-and-out middle-aged man stared at the tea in his cup and murmured: "These five people have come, who else will come? Who else dares to come?" Zhuge Gang, Gao Xingkong, Yan Shuangfei, Tang Du and Shangguan Fei were talking to a child in red in the hall where most of the furniture had been emptied. Although these five people are all supercilious gangsters, they didn't show the slightest contempt towards this child at the moment, and they spoke very politely. Only Shangguan Fei still sat there quietly, without saying a word, as if nothing in the world could make this indifferent young man speak. Zhuge Gang showed a kind smile on his face again, and said: "The young master is amazingly talented and high-spirited, and his achievements in the future are bound to be limitless, but I hope that the young master will not treat us old trash like us at that time. Stranger, I will be very happy to wait." The child also smiled and said: "If the junior's future achievements can be half of the seniors', he will be satisfied, but it will all depend on the support of the seniors." Zhuge Gang clapped his palms and laughed loudly: "Young Villa Master is really good at talking, no wonder Fourth Master Long..." His laughter stopped suddenly, and his eyes were fixed on the outside of the hall. The pockmarked figure was already solemn again, and the person who followed him in was a man in black with a black scarf and black robe, black shoes and black socks, and a long sword with a black scabbard slung across his back. He was tall and burly, almost twice as wide as the pockmarked man, but he didn't look bloated at all, instead he looked thin and vigorous. He had a strange dead gray on his face, his eyebrows slanted into his temples, his eyes stared at him with arrogance, and a few wispy beards were blown away by the wind. He looks proud, unrestrained, serious, and uninhibited. Anyone who took one look at him knew that he was anything but ordinary. Zhuge Gang and the other five looked at each other, as if they were also inquiring about this person's background. The child in red clothes had already greeted him down the stone steps, he clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, you are here, the fluffy plants are shining brightly, junior Long Xiaoyun..." The man in black looked him up and down, and said, "Are you Long Xiaoyun's son?" Long Xiaoyun bowed and said: "Exactly, senior must be my father's old friend, I don't know Gao's name?" The man in black said indifferently: "You won't know my name even if you tell me." He strode up the stone steps and entered the hall proudly. Zhuge Gang and the other five people also stood up to greet each other, Zhuge Gang clasped his fists and said with a smile: "My servant..." He only said two words, and the man in black interrupted him, saying: "I know you, but you don't need to inquire about my origin." Zhuge Gang said: "But..." The man in black interrupted him again, and said coldly: "My reason for coming is different from yours, I just came to have a look." Zhuge Gang smiled and said: "Since this is the case, there is nothing better. When the matter here is over, I will be grateful." The man in black said: "I don't care about you, and you don't care about me. We don't have anything to do with each other. Why should we thank you?" He found a chair and sat down, closing his eyes and recovering himself. Zhuge Gang and the other five looked at each other again. Gao Xingkong smiled and said: "I have heard for a long time that this is the most famous garden in Jianghu. I wonder if the young master can lead me to go around and have a look." Long Xiaoyun sighed, and said: "The incompetence of the younger generation has caused the family to fall and the garden to be abandoned..." Gao Xingkong cut his mouth straight and said: "If the mountain is not high, there will be immortals; if the water is not deep, there will be dragons. In the past ten years, there have been many famous chivalrous men, beauties and high scholars here. Even a three or five huts are already eye-opening gone." Long Xiaoyun said: "Since that's the case, everyone please." With a sound of "quack", the Jackdaw started up. A group of people strolled across the path. Long Xiaoyun was leading the way first, and the man in black walked last, his eyes were half-opened, his hands were tucked into his sleeves, and his expression seemed very desolate. Long Xiaoyun pointed to a withered plum grove in the distance, and said: "Over there is Lengxiang Xiaozhu." Yan Shuangfei's eyes flickered, and he said, "I heard that Xiao Li Tanhua lived there in the past?" Long Xiaoyun lowered his head and said, "Not bad." Yan Shuangfei caressed the flying gun hidden in the long gown with his palm, and said with a sneer, "He is a flying knife, and I am a flying gun. It would be a pleasure to compete with him one day." The man in black stood far away, and said coldly: "If you can really compete with him, it will be a strange thing." Yan Shuangfei suddenly turned around and glared at him angrily.