Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Living and dying with the knife

This knife finally did not cut off! And who knows what will happen after this knife is cut off? Ye Kai let out a long breath, and smiled again, smiling at Hall Master Wanma. Ma Kongqun also smiled and said: "Okay, you really have courage and guts. Is this Mr. Fu who the owner of the flower farm can't invite?" Ye Kai hurriedly said, "That's him." Ma Kongqun said: "Since Mr. Fu is here, I finally appreciate the honor. Please, please sit down." Gongsun Duan suddenly looked back, staring at Ma Kongqun with scorching eyes, and said in a loud voice, "His saber?..."

Ma Kongqun had deep thought in his eyes, and said with a faint smile, "Now I can only see his men, but not his sword." The meaning in the words is profound, and I don't know whether it means: the light of others has covered up his knife, or is it saying: it is his people who are really dangerous, not his knife. Gongsun Duan clenched his teeth tightly, the muscles of his whole body were throbbing non-stop, he stomped his feet suddenly, and with a "choke", the scimitar was sheathed. After a long time, Fu Hongxue walked in with heavy steps and sat down far away.He still held his knife tightly in his hand.

His hand was placed next to Murong Mingzhu's beautifully decorated long sword encrusted with pearls and jade.The pitch-black scabbard seemed to have overshadowed the bright pearl. Murong Mingzhu's face has also faded, his face is blue and white, and he suddenly stands up. Yun Zaitian's eyes flickered, Ben was paying attention to him, and said with a smile: "Your Excellency..." Murong Mingzhu didn't wait for him to speak, and rushed to say: "Since someone can bring a sword into Wanmatang, why can't I bring a sword?" Yun Zaitian said: "Of course, it's just..."

Murong Mingzhu said: "Just what?" Yun Zaitian smiled lightly, and said, "I just wonder if your excellency has the courage to live with the sword and die with the sword?" Murong Mingzhu was stunned again, her gaze slowly shifted from the indifferent smile on his face to Gongsun Duan's veined iron palm, feeling that her body was gradually stiffening. Le Leshan had been lying on the table, seemingly intoxicated, at this moment he slapped the table suddenly, and laughed loudly: "Okay, good question..." Murong Mingzhu's figure flashed, and suddenly she dashed out, reaching out to grab the sword on the table.

There was a sound of "crash, la la", and another seven swords were thrown on the table. There are seven swords with the same ornate decoration, and seven identical gemstones on the scabbards sparkle under the lamp. Murong Mingzhu's hand paused in mid-air, her fingers were already stiff. Hua Mantian walked in without knowing when.There was no expression on his face, he looked at him quietly, and said lightly: "If your Excellency must wear a sword, it is better to wear these seven swords together." Le Leshan suddenly laughed again and said: "Wanmatang in Guandong is really a place where dragons and tigers are hidden. It seems that tonight, some people may come too late to leave!"

Ma Kongqun put his hands on the table and sat there quietly, still sitting upright and straight. No matter what happened in this place, he always seemed to stay out of it. He didn't even look at Murong Mingzhu. Murong Mingzhu's face was completely pale, staring at the sword on the table, after a long time, she reluctantly asked: "Where are their people?" Hua Mantian said: "He is still there." Yun Zaitian smiled again, and said leisurely: "It seems that there are not too many people in the world who have the courage to live and die with the sword." Le Leshan smiled and said, "That's why smart people carry neither knives nor swords."

His man was still lying on the table, not knowing whether he was drunk or sober, he stretched out his hand to grope on the table, and murmured, "Where's the wine? Why can only swords be found in this place, but never wine?" of?" Ma Kongqun finally laughed out loud, and said: "Okay, good question, I invite you all today for the purpose of conspiring to get drunk with you all—won't you hurry up and serve the wine?" Le Leshan raised his head, looked at him with sleepy eyes, and said, "Is it true that if you are not drunk, you will have no return?" Ma Kongqun said: "Exactly."

Le Leshan said: "What if I'm drunk? Can I go back?" Ma Kongqun said: "Of course." Le Leshan sighed, leaned his head on the table again, and murmured, "I'm relieved now... Where's the wine?" The wine has been served. A golden bottle, a huge toast, and the wine is emerald green. Murong Mingzhu's face also seemed to have turned emerald green, and she didn't know whether to sit down or go out. Ye Kai suddenly slapped the table and said: "Such fine wine, such a happy gathering, how can there be no singing and music to add to the fun? I have heard for a long time that Mr. Murong is both civil and military, and has a good understanding of rhythm. I wonder if you can sing a song for us?"

Murong Mingzhu finally turned her gaze and stared at him. Some people's smiles will never be malicious, and Ye Kai is exactly this kind of person. Murong Mingzhu looked at him for a long time, then suddenly let out a long breath and said, "Okay!" He picked up the giant cup on the table and drank it all down. He actually hit the cup with chopsticks and sang softly: "The emperor of heaven, the emperor of the earth, his eyes are bleeding, and the moon is dark. Once he entered the Wanmatang, the knife broke his blade, Heartbroken." Yun Zaitian's expression changed again.

Gongsun Duan suddenly turned around, staring at each other angrily, Tiezhang has pressed the handle of the saber again. Only Ma Kongqun remained calm, even with an expression of admiration on his face. Murong Mingzhu drank another cup, as if wanting to boost her courage, she said loudly: "I wonder if you have heard this slang song before?" Ye Kai hurriedly said: "I have heard of it!" Murong Mingzhu's eyes flickered, and said: "After hearing this, Your Excellency, what's your opinion?" Ye Kai said with a smile: "I just think there is a very clever sentence in it."

Murong Mingzhu said: "Only one sentence?" Ye Kai said: "Yes, there is only one sentence." Murong Mingzhu said: "Which sentence?" Ye Kai closed his eyes, and chanted in a low voice: "A knife breaks a blade, a person breaks a heart... A knife breaks a blade, a person breaks a heart..." He recited it twice, then suddenly opened his eyes again, glanced at Ma Kongqun from the corner of his eyes, and said with a smile, "But I don't know if the hall master has also heard the magic of this?" Ma Kongqun said indifferently: "I would like to hear a good opinion." Ye Kaidao: "The knife breaks the blade, and the heart breaks. Why don't you say that the sword breaks the blade, but why do you say the knife breaks the blade?" His eyes flickered, he looked at Murong Mingzhu, then at Fu Hongxue, and finally at Ma Kongqun's face. Fu Hongxue sat there quietly, staring quietly at the knife in his hand, his pupils seemed to shrink. Murong Mingzhu's eyes were shining, and she sat down unknowingly, a strange smile gradually appeared on the corner of her mouth. When his eyes came into contact with Ye Kai, his eyes were filled with gratitude immediately. Flying Spider must not be a talkative person, so he can always use his eyes. At this moment, he has made up his mind that he must make friends with Ye Kai. "It seemed much more pleasant and easier to be his friend than his enemy." Seeing this, Flying Spider immediately drank the glass of wine in front of him, frowned and said, "Yes, why must the knife be broken? What is the mystery of this?" With a sullen face, Hua Mantian said coldly: "Only the person who sang this song knows the mystery of this. Everyone should ask him." Ye Kai nodded with a smile, and said, "That makes sense, I seem to be asking the wrong person..." Ma Kongqun suddenly smiled and said, "Your Excellency did not ask wrong." Ye Kai's eyes flickered, and said: "Could it be that the hall master also..." Ma Kongqun interrupted him, and said in a deep voice: "Kantong swords and horses are unparalleled in the world, I wonder if you have heard of this sentence?" Ye Kaidao: "Kandong knife and horse?...Could it be that there is some relationship between the knife and the horse?" Ma Kongqun said: "Not only is there a relationship, but the relationship is very deep." Ye Kai said: "Oh!" Ma Kongqun said: "Twenty years ago, in the martial arts world, only the Divine Sword Hall was known, but the Wanma Hall was unknown." Ye Kaidao: "But twenty years later, only Wanmatang is known in the martial arts world, and there is no Shendaotang." The smile on Ma Kongqun's face had disappeared, and he was silent for a long time, before he let out a long sigh and said slowly, "The person who only because of Shendao Hall died seventeen years ago!" Although his face was still calm, there seemed to be a deep murderous intent hidden in every wrinkle on his face, which made people shudder. No matter who glanced at him once, they would never dare to look at him a second time. But Ye Kai still stared at him, and asked: "But I don't know how the people in Shendaotang died?" Ma Kongqun said: "Die by the knife!" Le Leshan suddenly slapped the table again, and murmured: "A good swimmer drowns in water, and a master swordsman dies under someone else's knife. What the ancients said really makes sense, makes sense... What about wine?" Ma Kongqun stared at his hand whose four fingers had been cut off with a single knife, and then continued word by word after he finished speaking: "Everyone in Shendaotang is a brother of Wanmatang, everyone has been cut off with a knife. Cut off the head, died in the ice and snow, this blood debt, the brothers in Wanmatang have never forgotten a day in the past eighteen years!" He suddenly raised his head, stared at Ye Kai like a knife, and said in a deep voice: "Your Excellency should understand now, why must the knife be broken?" Ye Kai didn't avoid his gaze, his expression was still very calm, he pondered, and asked again: "For eighteen years, the hall master hasn't found out who the real culprit is?" Ma Kongqun said: "No." Ye Kaidao: "Hall Master's hand..." Ma Kongqun said: "It was also cut off by the same knife." Ye Kai said: "The hall master recognized the knife, but he couldn't recognize the man's face?" Ma Kongqun said: "The knife cannot be covered with a black scarf." Ye Kai laughed again, and said: "That's right, if the knife is covered with a black scarf, it won't be able to kill people." Fu Hongxue was still staring at the saber in his hand, and suddenly said coldly, "What if the saber is in its sheath?" Ye Kai said: "With a knife in its sheath, of course it can't kill people." Fu Hongxue said: "The knife is in the sheath, is it afraid that people will recognize it?" Ye Kai said: "I don't know... I only know this one thing." Fu Hongxue was listening. Ye Kai smiled and said: "I know that if I had any involvement in the murder case eighteen years ago, I would never have brought a knife into Wanmatang." He smiled, and continued, "Unless I'm an idiot, I'd rather carry a gun and a sword than a knife." Fu Hongxue turned his head slowly, his eyes finally shifted from the knife to Ye Kai's face, there was a strange expression in his eyes. This is the first time he has watched someone for so long—maybe it is also the most solemn time! Murong Mingzhu had drunkenness in his eyes, and suddenly said loudly: "Fortunately, this is an old case from eighteen years ago, no matter whether you bring a knife or a sword, it doesn't matter." Hua Mantian said coldly, "That's not necessarily true." Murong Mingzhu said: "Everyone here, except for Mr. Le Da, was just a child eighteen years ago, how could they have the ability to kill?" Hua Mantian suddenly changed the subject and asked, "I wonder if your excellency has married?" Murong Mingzhu apparently still couldn't figure out what he meant by asking this question, so she nodded. Hua Mantian asked, "Do you have any children?" Murong Mingzhu said: "One son and one daughter." Hua Mantian said: "If you have a grudge against others, who will avenge you when you are old and powerless?" Murong Mingzhu said: "Of course it's my son." Hua Mantian smiled and stopped asking. He didn't need to ask any more questions. Murong Mingzhu was stunned for a while, then forced a smile and said, "Does your excellency suspect that some of us are descendants of those murderers?" Hua Mantian refused to answer this sentence - refusing to answer is usually an answer. Murong Mingzhu blushed and said: "So, does the hall master have some special intentions for inviting us here today?" Ma Kongqun's answer was straightforward: "Yes!" Murong Mingzhu said: "Ask me!" Ma Kongqun said slowly: "If there are people, there must be chickens and dogs. Everyone, have you heard the sound of chickens crowing and dogs barking all the way?" Murong Mingzhu said: "No." Ma Kongqun said: "Do you know what this is for?" Murong Mingzhu said: "Maybe no one in this place raises chickens or dogs." Ma Kongqun said: "How come there are no shepherd dogs and hunting dogs in the horse farm in the border town?" Murong Mingzhu said: "Yes?" Ma Kongqun said: "A single owner of the flower farm has raised eighteen bulldogs from Tibet." Murong Mingzhu looked at Huamantian out of the corner of her eyes, and said coldly, "Maybe the owner of the flower farm doesn't even have a dog that can bark—a dog that bites doesn't bark at all." Hua Mantian said with a sullen face, "There is absolutely no dog in the world that doesn't bark." Le Leshan suddenly raised his head again, smiled and said: "There is only one kind of dog that never barks." Hua Mantian said: "A dead dog?" Le Leshan laughed loudly and said: "That's right, dead dogs, only dead dogs don't bark, and only dead people don't talk..." Hua Mantian frowned and said, "What about the drunk people?" Le Leshan said with a smile: "People who are drunk not only talk a lot, but also say annoying things." Hua Mantian said coldly: "This is also the truth." Le Leshan laughed again, and said: "Isn't the truth always annoying... wine, wine?" His laughter stopped suddenly, and he fell on the table again. Hua Mantian frowned, his face full of disgust. Yun Zaitian suddenly rushed to say: "In the Wanma Hall, there were twenty-one male dogs and seventeen female dogs, a total of thirty-eight; there were three hundred and ninety-three chickens, and an average of three eggs per day. There are hundreds of chickens, and about forty broilers are eaten every day, which is not counted here.” At this moment, like the steward in the account room, he reported the running account. Ye Kai smiled and said, "But I don't know how many roosters are there? How many hens are there? If there is too much difference between Yin and Yang, the farm owner should let the roosters get more nourishment, so as not to affect the hen's laying eggs." Yun Zaitian also smiled, and said: "Your Excellency is indeed a kind person, but it's a pity that it is no longer needed." Ye Kai said: "Why?" Yun Zaitian's face suddenly darkened, and he said word by word: "The thirty-eight dogs and three hundred and ninety-three chickens here all died overnight." Ye Kai frowned and said, "How did you die?" Yun Zaitian's face became more serious, and he said: "The neck was cut off with a knife, and the head died in a different place." Murong Mingzhu laughed again and said: "If the owner wants to find the murderer who killed chickens and dogs, I have a clue." Yun Zaitian said: "Oh?" Murong Mingzhu said: "The murderer must be a cook, if I'm asked to kill so many chickens in one go, I still don't have that ability." Yun Zaitian said with a sullen face, "It's not a cook." Murong Mingzhu suppressed a smile and said, "How can you tell?" Yun Zaitian said in a deep voice: "This man killed more than 400 chickens and dogs in one go, and no one heard the slightest movement. What a fast knife technique!" Ye Kai nodded and said loudly, "It's a sharp knife!" Yun Zaitian said: "With such a fast knife, not to mention killing chickens and dogs, isn't it very convenient to kill people?" Ye Kai smiled and said, "That depends on who he wants to kill." Yun Zaitian's gaze was fixed on Fu Hongxue, and he said, "Your Excellency, I wonder if this knife can cut off the heads of more than four hundred chickens and dogs in one go?" Fu Hongxue still had no expression on his face, and said coldly: "You don't need to use this knife to kill chickens and dogs." Yun Zaitian suddenly clapped his hands and said, "That's right." Ye Kai said: "What's wrong?" Yun Zaitian said: "How can a person with such a saber skill and such a sharp weapon come here in the dark to kill chickens and dogs?" Ye Kai said with a smile: "If there is nothing wrong with this person, it must be that his life is too boring." Yun Zaitian's eyes flickered, and he said, "Don't you all see what his intentions are?" Ye Kai said: "I can't see it." Yun Zaitian said: "Even if everyone can't see it, there is a saying that you must have heard of." Murong Mingzhu then asked: "What are you talking about?" Yun Zai seemed to suddenly show a trace of fear in his Tianmu, and said slowly, "Does not stay!" Murong Mingzhu was shocked, and lost her voice: "Don't leave the chicken and dog?...Why do you want to keep the chicken and the dog?" Yun Zaitian said coldly: "If you don't kill them all, how can you stop future troubles forever?" Murong Mingzhu said: "Why do you want to kill them all? Could it be... Could it be that the group of murderers who killed the sect of Shendao eighteen years ago came to Wanmatang again today?" Yun Zaitian said: "It must be them." Although he was trying to control himself, his face was already turning blue. After saying this, he immediately raised his glass and drank it, and then slowly continued: "There will never be anyone else except them!" Murong Mingzhu said: "How do you know?" Yun Zaitian said: "If it wasn't for them, why did they kill chickens and dogs first, and then kill them again? Isn't this just scaring the snake?" Murong Mingzhu said: "Why would they do this?" Yun Zaitian clenched his fists tightly, with beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, he gritted his teeth and said, "It's just because they don't want us to die too quickly, too easily!" The neighing of horses could be faintly heard in the night, making the Wanma hall even more silent as death. The autumn wind wailed, and the world seemed to be filled with eerie and chilling intent. Autumn nights in border towns often make people feel cold from the heart to the heels. Fu Hongxue was still staring at the knife in his hand, but Ye Kai was observing everyone. Gongsun Duan didn't know when, but he began to take a long gulp of wine again. Hua Mantian had stood up, with his hands behind his back, pacing up and down under the mural of galloping horses, his steps were as heavy as if he was dragging an iron chain weighing hundreds of kilograms. Flying Spider's face turned pale, and he looked up at the roof in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking. The wine that Murong Mingzhu had just drank seemed to have turned into cold sweat—if this old case eighteen years ago really had nothing to do with him, why was he so afraid? Although Ma Kongqun was still calm, he was still upright, sitting there upright, as if he was still completely out of the way. However, his hands had already pressed into the table, and they were actually embedded in the table. "It's better to be drunk to relieve a thousand worries." But is Le Leshan really drunk? A smile appeared on the corner of Ye Kai's mouth, and he suddenly realized that the only person who really didn't change was himself. The tears of the candles had faded, and the wind blew in from outside the screen, making the candles flickering all over the house, lighting up everyone's faces with green, white, and red faces, as if everyone had evil intentions in their hearts. After a long time, Murong Mingzhu forced a smile and said, "There is still something I don't understand." Yun Zaitian said: "Oh?" Murong Mingzhu said: "They have killed all the people from Shendaomen, you should seek revenge from them, why did they come to the door first instead?" Yun Zaitian said in a deep voice: "The magical sword and the ten thousand horses come from the same school. We share weal and woe, and we share grievances and enemies." Murong Mingzhu said: "You mean, they also have enmity with Wan Ma Tang?" Yun Zaitian said: "And it must be an unsolved hatred!" Murong Mingzhu said: "Then why did they wait until eighteen years later to come to you?" Yun Zaitian's eyes seemed to be looking into the distance, and he said slowly: "In the battle eighteen years ago, although they killed all the disciples of the magic sword, they also suffered heavy injuries." Murong Mingzhu said: "You mean, at that time they were powerless to come to you again?" Yun Zaitian said coldly: "Wanmatang has risen in Kanto for 30 years, and no one has dared to lightly offend any plant or tree in Wanmatang." Murong Mingzhu said: "Even if they want to recuperate at that time, there is no need to wait eighteen years." Yun Zaitian's eyes suddenly stared at his face like a knife, and he said word by word: "Then maybe it's just because they are disabled, old and weak, so they dare not take revenge until the next generation grows up!" Murong Mingzhu suddenly moved and said: "Does Your Excellency really have doubts about us?" Yun Zaitian said in a deep voice: "The blood debt of eighteen years ago is still fresh, and today's new enmity has arisen again. Hundreds of brothers in Wanmatang have their lives tied to this battle. Shouldn't I be extra careful?" Murong Mingzhu said in a high voice: "But we just arrived here last night..." Ye Kai suddenly smiled again, and said, "Because we are strangers who just arrived last night, the suspicion is the heaviest." Murong Mingzhu said: "Why?" Ye Kai said: "Because this happened only last night." Murong Mingzhu said: "Could it be that we have already started our actions as soon as we got here, could it be that they are people who have been here for seven or eight days?" Ye Kai said slowly: "Eighteen years of old hatred, I can't even wait for a moment, let alone seven or eight days?" Murong Mingzhu wiped the sweat from her forehead and murmured: "This doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense at all." Ye Kai said with a smile: "It doesn't matter whether it works or not, we should always be grateful." Murong Mingzhu said: "Grateful?" Ye Kai raised the golden cup and said with a smile, "If we hadn't been the most suspicious, how could we have tasted the fine wine that Wanmatang has stored for many years today!" Le Leshan suddenly slapped the table again, and laughed loudly: "Okay, well said, as long as a person can think about everything, he will be much happier...Wine, wine..." This time he finally touched the glass, and immediately raised his neck and drank it down. Murong Mingzhu said coldly: "Your Excellency can still drink this wine, it's not easy." Le Leshan stared and said: "As long as I don't do anything wrong, it doesn't matter if he regards me as a chicken killer or a dog killer, it has nothing to do with me, why can't I drink this wine?... Where's the wine? Is there any wine?" When the wine came, his men were already on the table, and he was snoring loudly again in an instant. Hua Mantian looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, as if he wanted to grab this man from his seat and throw him out the door. For other people and other things, Hua Mantian is very patient and calm. Otherwise, how could he stand in the wind and sand all night? But as soon as he saw Lele Mountain, his anger seemed to come immediately, and he couldn't help showing hatred on his indifferent face. Ye Kai found it very interesting. He never misses anything that has a little something special about it, and it's sure to be a lot of fun. When he was observing others, Ma Kongqun was also observing him, obviously finding him very interesting. I don't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, the eyes of the two suddenly met, it was like a knife's edge meeting, sparks seemed to have entered and exited the eyes of both of them. Ma Kongqun forced a smile, as if he wanted to say something. But at this time Murong Mingzhu suddenly sneered and said: "Now I finally understand completely." Yun Zaitian said: "What do you understand?" Murong Mingzhu said: "Third Boss must think that among the five of us, one of us came here specially to seek revenge, and the purpose of finding us here today is to find out who this person is!" Ma Kongqun said indifferently: "Can you find it?" Murong Mingzhu said: "I can't find it, this person doesn't have a signboard on his face, if he wants to admit it himself, I'm afraid it will be very difficult!" Ma Kongqun smiled and said, "Since I can't find it, why bother?" Ye Kai immediately smiled and said, "Third Boss probably wouldn't do something superfluous." Ma Kongqun said: "It's still Brother Ye Mingjian." Murong Mingzhu rushed to ask: "What is the purpose of this meeting tonight? Does the third boss have any other orders? Or is it really just to treat us to a big meal?" The front of the words is aggressive, this noble young man of Hu Bai Nuo seems to have completely forgotten the shame of untying the sword just now after drinking three glasses of wine. Aren't the children of rich and noble families mostly without a city in their hearts? But Ye Kai also seemed to find this very interesting, as if he had discovered something special about Murong Mingzhu. Ma Kongqun pondered, then suddenly stood up, and said with a smile, "It's late at night, and the journey back to the city is far away. I have prepared guest rooms for you all, but please feel sorry for the night. If you have something to say, it's not too late to talk about it tomorrow." Ye Kai immediately yawned and said, "That's right, if you have something to say, it's not too late to talk about it tomorrow." Flying Spider smiled and said, "Brother Ye is really an easy-going person. It's a pity that not everyone in the world is as easy-going as Brother Ye." Ma Kongqun's eyes were burning, and he said, "Where is your Excellency?" Flying Spider sighed and said with a wry smile: "A person like me can't be easy-going." Murong Mingzhu stared at the eight swords on the table, said: "Besides, this place is at least much more comfortable than the inn in the town." Ma Kongqun said: "Young Master Fu..." Fu Hongxue said indifferently: "As long as I can let this knife stay, so can my people." Le Leshan suddenly said loudly: "No, I can't stay." Hua Mantian immediately lowered his face and said, "Why can't you stay?" Le Leshan said: "If that kid came in the middle of the night, killed the wrong person, and chopped off my head, wouldn't I be wronged?" Hua Mantian changed color and said, "Do you have to go, Your Excellency?" Le Leshan squinted his drunken eyes, suddenly smiled again, and said: "But if there is still good wine to drink here tomorrow, even if my head is really chopped off, I will accept my fate." Everyone stood up and no one insisted on going. Everyone felt that although this night could not be passed peacefully, it was still better than leaving. If a person walks on this wilderness at night, anything is possible. Only Gongsun Duan was still sitting there with Da Ma Jin Dao, drinking wine in big gulps... The wind and sand have lightened, but the sun is farther away. There was no sound, only a horse neighing occasionally in the wind on the grassland, which sounded a bit like the night cry of a lonely ghost in a foreign land. A sky lantern, hanging alone in the sky, also makes this wasteland even more desolate and desolate. The night moon in the border town and the wanderer in a foreign land are equally lonely.