Chapter 18 The Seventeenth Secret of the Secret Path

The entrance to the secret passage, under the edge of a large cinder mound next to the cemetery, is covered by a large snowman that has not yet begun to melt. The snowman has a round head and two black eyes made of small briquettes. , in the dark, it is very cute, even a bit like a clay doll in Wuxi. Lao Zhan said proudly: "I asked my five grandsons and the family members of the small workers in my coal yard to pile it up overnight. Because the pile of porcelain is solid, the snow did not melt." Shovel off more than half of the snowman's buttocks, and the entrance to the secret passage is exposed.

Lao Zhan explained again. "Anyway, the weather is starting to warm up. No matter how big a snowman suddenly disappears overnight, no one will notice." Sitting under the snowman's buttocks is a bluestone slab. Remove the bluestone slab to see the real entrance. It seems that although it is just a black hole, shepherd is already very satisfied with this black hole. This old Zhan is really a traitor, just because he designed the entrance of this secret passage, he is already qualified to ask someone for a thousand taels of gold leaves and a young girl with long legs. Even Mu Yanger couldn't deny this, and of course Lao Zhan had to boast about himself.

"Behind this pile of cinders is the law field that Mr. Wei temporarily set up this time, so the tunnel I dug is not long. After this incident, the tunnel is useless, so the tunnel I dug Not deep." He must first express his credit in a very humble way, so that people can have a deeper impression of him. "Although this tunnel is shallow and short, you have already arrived at the place you want to go before my carriage turns around." Old Zhan said, "And you will definitely see what you want to see." He would like to stress one more point, the most important one.

"Chop off with a knife, the head falls to the ground, Mr. Wei retreats, the supervisor retreats, the executioner retreats, the guards retreat, everyone retreats, and this place has become a coal field where even rabbits don't come to shit, only me is left Daddy doesn't love the little manager who grandma doesn't love, and he's still staying here, when that time comes, you say you want to leave at the third watch, can I keep you until the fourth watch?" These words sounded so enjoyable. The more old Zhan talked, the more enjoyable he was, and the more Shepherd listened, the happier he became. Suddenly, he took out a stack of gold leaves from his body, and held them respectfully in front of Lao Zhan with two small hands like chicken feet.

Lao Zhan was a little suspicious instead: "What do you mean?" "I don't mean anything. I just admire you. I never thought in my life that I would meet such a shrewd and experienced person like you. This little gold is just a little bit of respect." Others' respect may not be accepted, but Jin Zi is hard to refuse, but it's just that he is a cunning and cunning person who is in charge of things like Zhan, so it is inevitable that he will be a little overwhelmed. "Where's that little long leg?" "She's still in the car." Shepherd said, "I'll go down the tunnel, and your old man will get in the car."

Lao Zhan laughed so hard that he couldn't close his mouth, and he couldn't help but smile, but Mu Yang'er just asked him one more question. "Is there any problem under the tunnel?" "Of course not." Lao Zhan swore to the sky: "If there is a problem, you fuck my ancestors." So Mu Yang'er got off the tunnel, and Lao Zhan got into the car. He was thinking, thinking of that little girl with long legs and thin waist. He had heard that there were many women who could take a man to a heavenly bliss, especially a woman with such long legs. Now all he wanted was to see her face.

He didn't see her face, and never would, because as soon as he got into the car, those long legs he wanted were already around his neck and wringing him to hell. It's past noon. All the guards have been identified, and there is absolutely no impostor. The execution ground was completely silent, except for the footsteps when the sheepskin boots stepped on the cinders, there was no other sound at all. The inspector went around the execution ground three times, and only paused for the first time when he passed the closed brick kiln, and walked very quickly the rest of the time. But Wei Haoke is sure that as long as there is any suspiciousness in this area, it will never escape his sharp eyes that have accumulated a lot of wisdom and experience.

Now he has sat down, sitting on the chair specially prepared for him. Although the guards couldn't recognize who this supervisor was, everyone was taken away by his intimidating aura. None of these strong men who had gone through hundreds of battles dared to breathe loudly. . Only Wei Haoke lowered his voice and asked, "How is it?" The supervisor's eyes were full of ferocity, but his thin and icy face was expressionless, and he just said coldly: "Now you can release the prisoner." Ding Ning raised his chest and raised his head, and under the protection of eight guards, he strode into the execution ground.

He had made up his mind not to let the emotions in his heart show on his face, never to let anyone see his anger and sadness before he died. He was still young, and he still had a lot of things to do, so he died here for no apparent reason, it was really an unjust death. But he also knew that he was dead. Ever since he found out that the rope Wei Haoke used to tie him was twisted with gold wire, he knew he was going to die.And he died at the hands of his friend who he always thought would save him. ——What a great irony this is. But since he was going to die, he had to die with honor and pride, just like when he was alive.

So when he walked into the execution ground, his look and attitude were like walking into his own living room. But when the supervisor, who had been as cold as a blade and as green as a rock, suddenly showed a very strange expression in his eyes, even Jiang Duanxian noticed it. Jiang Duanxian happened to walk into the execution ground at this very moment. Jiang Duanxian was wearing a tight-fitting gray cloth dress, the color of which was almost black. This is the traditional attire of their profession during execution. No matter what kind of person wears this kind of clothing, it will give people a gloomy and chilling feeling. People in this profession also know how others feel about them, so they always They rarely get close to others.

Jiang Duanxian is a good example. No matter where he goes, there will be a feeling of being isolated and abandoned. Only in the execution ground, at the moment when the steel knife falls, can he be relieved. When he walked to the execution ground, the execution officer was verifying Ding Ning's body. Jiang Duanxian didn't hear what they were talking about, because when he saw the supervisor, he also had a very strange expression in his eyes, almost exactly the same as the supervisor's expression when he saw Ding Ning. A roll of documents that he had read suddenly appeared in his mind. The information about this execution supervisor was not recorded in detail. Of course, the background of such a person is extremely secret, and what he did, of course. Absolute secrecy is also required. In this case, the information about him is of course not exhaustive, Jiang Duanxian can be sure. No one knew the name of this person, and even a few well-informed people only knew his secret code name. ——Eye of the wind. The meaning of the eye of the wind is the origin of the wind. When the wind blows outward, the wind blows everywhere, but there is no wind in the eye of the wind. So no matter where he sits, it will become calm and stable, and the wind and rain outside will never blow inside, because this place has become a "wind eye". If you want to list the twenty most terrifying people among the masters of the rivers and lakes, this person must be one of them. If you list the ten most terrifying people, this person may also be one of them. Jiang Duanxian was convinced of this, so he once warned himself not to confront this person unless it was absolutely necessary. Although they have met head-on today, they are on the same side, and there will never be any conflict. Under such circumstances, why did Jiang Duanxian look so strange when he saw him. Is it because he never expected to see this person here, just like the execution supervisor never expected to see Ding Ning here, so the two people had the same expression in their eyes. After knowing the identity of the beheading officer, Jiang Duanxian had a little doubt in his heart. Although the defense of the execution ground is very tight, it can even be said to be airtight, but Jiang Duanxian already felt that someone was lurking in the dark, lurking in a certain place. Very secret place. This was told to him by a fifth sense that was close to that of a wild animal. Of course, Feng Yan should have the same feeling as him with his past achievements and experience. But Fengyan didn't seem to notice it at all. —Is this his negligence?Or a trap he left on purpose. From Ding Ning's back view, Jiang Duanxian could already see that his physical strength was still very weak, and his skills had definitely not recovered. After such a long period of suffering, it will certainly take a while to recover. With his current physical strength, even if someone loosens his rope, he has absolutely no way to escape. No matter how formidable a swordsman Ding Ning was in the past, now three or two guards may be able to control him to death. With this beheading officer on the execution ground, no one can rescue him. At this time Ding Ning had turned around to face him, with an indescribable mockery and contempt in his eyes, Jiang Duanxian of course understood what was going on in his heart, but pretended not to see it. The two stared at each other coldly, and after a long time, Ding Ning spoke, with the same contempt and ridicule in his voice. "Mr. Peng, this time you finally got your wish." Ding Ning said, "It seems that I will die by your knife this time." "Yes." Jiang Duanxian had no expression on his face: "It seems to be like this." "No matter what, I can die by your knife, which is considered a moment in my life." Ding Ning said flatly, "At least it's better than being hacked to death by a cook with a kitchen knife." Jiang Duanxian seemed to be unable to hear the sarcasm in his words at all, and only told him: "It doesn't matter what you want to say, I will definitely wait until you have finished speaking before making a move." Ding Ning smiled: "Is this your kindness to me?" Jiang Duanxian actually admitted: "Yes, this is indeed a favor, I have never treated people like this." His expression was cold and serious: "I have never been willing to give favors to others in my life." Ding Ning suddenly asked: "What if you owe someone else? You still don't pay it back?" Jiang Duanxian was silent. Some words do not need to be answered at all, silence is already the best answer. "Since you don't want others to owe you, of course you don't want to owe others. I have always believed in this." Ding Ning said, "That's why I'm asking for one thing now, just as I once promised you Ask, do something for you." "What do you want me to do?" "I know that prisoners will kneel down when they are tortured, but I want you to make an exception for me." Ding Ning spoke word by word. "Whether I live or die, I don't want to kneel down." He said, "If I die, I will die standing up." Jiang Duanxian's face, which was already very dark, seemed to have added a heavy haze, and it took a long time before he could speak, and only said three words: "I have no right." "I know you have no right to make this decision. No matter what kind of person you are, at this moment, you are nothing but an executioner. You have no right to make any decisions except killing people with a knife." This time, Ding Ning's words didn't have the meaning of ridicule, but he was just telling a fact, Jiang Duanxian's eyes had a touch of pain that was hard to detect, as if a sharp needle pierced his heart. "So I have already asked the supervisor and execution officer, and he has authorized this matter to you." Ding Ning stared at Jiang Duanxian: "I believe that you don't have to kill a kneeling person, and you don't have to ask me to kneel. Only willing to swing the knife." His eyes suddenly filled with expectation: "This is my last request." "I'm sure you will agree." Jiang Duanxian did not answer this sentence, his eyes suddenly passed over Ding Ning's shoulder, and looked directly at the supervisor. The sharp eyes of "Wind Eye" were also looking directly at him. Both have learned that the other knows themselves as well as they know him. It was the supervisor who spoke first: "Jiang Duanxian, the chief deacon of the Criminal Department, is fifty-four years old. His ancestral home is Daming Mansion, and he was originally from the West Imperial City. He asked Jiang Duanxian: "Is that right?" "right." "This is your official resume. Of course, I know a little more about you." "Oh?" "We seem to have met once before." "Yes." Jiang Duanxian finally said: "Seven years ago, we met once in the Wuliu Pavilion in Huifeng Mountain Villa in Bashan." There was a cruel and stern smile in the eyes of the supervisor: "I didn't expect you to remember this matter so clearly." Jiang Duanxian also had the same smile in his eyes. "Unexpectedly, you have noticed me that time." "When you appeared in the crowd that time, I noticed you and recognized your origin very quickly." The execution supervisor said: "I believe you must have recognized me very quickly." "How do you know?" "Because you were going to deal with Gu Daoren that time, and you seemed determined not to let him take over Bashan's door, but after you saw me, you quickly disappeared from the crowd." Jiang Duanxian smiled darkly. "That's right, I did retreat because I recognized you, because I didn't have the confidence to deal with you." Jiang Duanxian said, "I don't want to forge an enemy like you." "I understand what you mean." The execution supervisor said, "Standing on your hostile side is also not a pleasant thing." "I admit." "Fortunately, we are on the same side today." The supervisor said, "It's much more pleasant to be your friend than to be your enemy." "Yes, I feel the same way." Jiang Duanxian looked at the execution supervisor coldly, and said in a surprisingly cold voice: "It's a pity that we will never be friends." The golden bottle was almost finished, and Murong Qiushui was already a little bit drunk, and he raised his glass to Wei Haoke with a smile. "Mr. Wei, are all my calculations correct? Should you toast me?" Wei Haoke didn't toast his wine, but there was respect in his eyes. Murong Qiushui laughed loudly: "I know you admire me, because you can't help but admire me, even I can't help but admire myself." He is not without reason. "I'm sure that Feng Yan and Jiang Duanxian are natural enemies, and I'm also sure that Ding Ning will not kneel down and be stabbed." He asked Wei Haoke: "Do you think I'm right?" ——Ding Ning must die standing up. When his body is sent back, his relatives and friends will think that he was assassinated by Jiang Duanxian, not ordered to execute him. Of course there is a big difference, no one will seek revenge from an executioner. Of course, there is a big difference between dying standing and kneeling, which can be seen from the direction of the blade cutting and the angle of the wound. Murong Qiushui had indeed considered every detail of this plan, and he didn't know if it was because he had too much free time that he had such meticulous thoughts. No matter what, Wei Haoke couldn't help but admire him, but deliberately pretended to be indifferent and said: "You still miscalculated one thing." "Which thing?" "You're sure that Huajing Yinmeng will definitely come today, that's why I specially recruited Fengyan to deal with her." "That's right." Murong Qiushui said: "No one can understand Yinmeng better than Fengyan. Apart from him, I'm afraid there is no other person who can deal with this difficult woman. To be honest, even I can't deal with it." she." Murong sighed and said, "I'm a little afraid of her." Wei Haoke asked Murong: "Did you also say that if Yinmeng wants to come, no one can stop her? If she comes, no one can find her?" "Yes." Murong said, "But as soon as she comes, she can't escape Fengyan's palm; even if no one else in the world can find her whereabouts, Fengyan can still be found." "If you're right, you're wrong." This is a difficult sentence to understand, so Wei Haoke explained: "You can count on her coming, as long as she comes, Fengyan will know, but Fengyan didn't find her at all, so it can be seen that she didn't come at all , so you are wrong." He actually added: "If Fengyan didn't notice her when she came, you would be wrong too." Murong Qiushui suddenly started to groan as if he was suffering from a sudden illness, and put his hands on his head, as if he had a terrible headache. This is not entirely a fake, there are not many people who can not feel a headache when they hear Wei Haoke's words. These words are like tongue twisters. "Mr. Wei, I was wrong, I admit I was wrong, can you forgive me, can you not give me another headache?" Wei Haoke is indeed a troublesome person, and Murong really has a headache for him, but compared with the person who just appeared now, Wei Haoke is just a good baby. This person is of course Huajing Yinmeng. She didn't go to the execution ground, but appeared here, and suddenly appeared like a white ghost. The knife is out of its sheath. The blade has a shiny black edge, a pitch-black handle, and there is no blood-red coat on the blade ring. Although it lacks a sense of prestige and vigor, it has a heavy sense of killing. Jiang Duanxian grasped the saber backwards, facing Ding Ning squarely. Ding Ning did not avoid his gaze. Jiang Duanxian hugged his arms, and the blade was raised outwards. There was no sound in the field, and even the sound of the wind seemed to have stopped along with the person's breathing. Spring is cold, and it is colder when there is no wind than when there is wind. Jiang Duanxian's eyes are like nails, fixed on Ding Ning, his voice is also like nails, and he utters three words like hammering into a stone. "Turn around, please." As soon as you turn around, the blade will be pushed out, as soon as you turn around, your head will fall to the ground, and as soon as you turn around, it will be eternity. Ding Ning didn't turn around, he was not afraid of facing death, but he still wanted to ask Jiang Duanxian a word. "Why do you want me to turn around?" Ding Ning asked, "Don't you dare to kill me when you are facing me?" Jiang Duanxian was silent again. After being ordered to execute, the prisoner knelt facing the heavenly court, and the executioner raised his knife and dropped it. Seeing the head roll to the ground, not only did he feel no apology in his heart, he didn't even feel a little bit. For him, this kind of thing is just a necessary task, a profession and skill to make a living, just like a butcher slaughters pigs, dogs, cattle and sheep every day. The masters compete, and the outcome of life and death is determined in an instant.Relying on a momentary spirit, relying on a three-foot green edge, the winner will live, the loser will die, and there will be no complaints about life, glory, death, and sorrow. Seeing the other party die by the sword, there may be a bit of sadness in the heart, but it will soon be replaced by the glory and excitement of victory, and sometimes there is even a bit of brutal pleasure. This feeling is also unavoidable, which is the "evil" side of human nature. For the people in the Jianghu, riding alone with a sword, being happy with kindness and hatred, asking for nothing from others, and having a clear heart, are the true qualities of a man. But if you want to kill a defenseless person, that's another matter entirely. It's something most people can't do. Even if this person is someone you must kill, and you have countless new and old hatreds with you, how can you move your knife when he is watching you helplessly, with no room for escape, struggle and resistance? Jiang Duanxian was silent. He was silent, just that he neither spoke nor made a sound, not that he did not move. His actions don't need words at all, and don't make any noise, especially when he's cutting. When he swung his knife, it was not only silent, but even invisible. Not only silent, invisible and shadowless, but also lifeless. ——With a knife in hand, the opponent's life is already at stake, but with a swing of the knife, there is no life left. Now Jiang Duanxian has moved his knife. It was three quarters noon on March 15th. The snow had just fallen in spring, and the weather was clear and dry. It was a good day for killing people.