Chapter 114 Chapter Eight Night Talk by the Stream

Shang Xiuxun was like a goddess in the sky, her clothes fluttering in the night wind, she stood proudly with her hands behind her back, and said indifferently: "The rice balls you made tonight are of a very high standard and satisfying." Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling quickly thanked them. The beauty looked up at the starry sky and said coldly, "Is the old guy dead?" Xu Ziling nodded sadly. Shang Xiuxun turned away and turned her back to them, as if she didn't want to be seen by the two of them, before saying after a while: "You two walk with me!" The two of them were amazed, and this invitation was too unreasonable for a woman who was always arrogant and lonely.He could only follow her suspiciously.

Shang Xiuxun walked slowly in the wilderness, under the light of the stars and the moon, her hair shone brightly, and her elegant back carried an extraordinary and unspeakable mysterious beauty. Shang Xiuxun didn't speak for a while. When she reached a pile of boulders scattered along the creek, she stopped and sighed softly, "Sit down!" Kou Zhong hurriedly said, "We'll just stand." Shang Xiuxun picked a big stone and sat down comfortably, then said: "Sit down!" When the two saw her sitting down, they were polite, and each chose a smooth stone to sit on.

The voices of Liu Zongdao and others speaking could be faintly heard in the distance. Shang Xiuxun said softly: "Do you think I'm rude? I'll wake you up to see me if you're asleep." Kou Zhong smiled wryly and said, "You are our big boss, so we naturally have to obey your orders." Shang Xiuxun smiled coquettishly, thought for a long while, and said with a smile: "This is why I love talking to you two boys, because you only think of me as a boss, and don't treat me like other people. I am the supreme owner of the field. The best thing is that I know you have a lot of things to lie to me, and I just can't catch your sore feet."

The two were greatly embarrassed. Xu Ziling said: "What do the owners think we might have lied to?" Shang Xiuxun shook her head coquettishly, turned her eyes around the two of them, looked up at the night sky, and said softly: "I don't really know. But I always feel that the two of you are not simple. Mother often said Lu Miaozi is extremely intelligent, aloof by nature, and has never looked down on others, so she has never been passed on to others. Alas! People’s personalities don’t change, why does he think so highly of you?” Kou Zhong shrugged and said, "I'm afraid he won't know until he comes back to life!"

Shang Xiuxun said indifferently: "There is no proof again! What did he pass on to you? I went to his small building before leaving, and this hateful old guy didn't leave anything behind!" Xu Ziling said in a deep voice: "Mr. Lu's ingenious artifacts have become funerary objects and will be buried with him forever." Shang Xiuxun looked at him intently with beautiful eyes, and said lightly: "Does he have nothing left for you?" Kou Zhongdao: "There are only a few notebooks recording his lifelong learning, do you want to read it?" Shang Xiuxun shook his head and said, "I don't want to touch his things."

The two of them felt relieved and thought to themselves that this would be the best. Shang Xiuxun suddenly said: "Liar!" The two were taken aback, thinking that if she wanted to search her body, they had no choice but to turn around and leave immediately. A smile escaped from the corner of Shang Xiuxun's mouth, he glanced at them several times, and said calmly: "This is unreasonable. The things that the old guy invents are all treasures that are hard to find in the rivers and lakes. Since he has taken a fancy to you, how can he be stingy?" So far. However, I will not delve into this matter, so that the old guy will still laugh at me under the Nine Springs."

The two secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and of course there was no trace on their faces. Shang Xiuxun suddenly sighed again, and said: "My heart is a little messed up, can you find some interesting things to talk about?" The owner of the beauty field actually begged with soft words, and both of them felt flattered. Xu Ziling suddenly said: "Why don't I make a hexagram for the field owner to see why the field owner is upset." Kou Zhong exclaimed in his heart. Shang Xiuxun was surprised and said, "Do you know how to count?" Xu Ziling said proudly: "I just learned it from Mr. Lu." Fearing that she would refuse, he hurriedly raised his hand according to the method taught by Lu Miaozi, and started a lesson of Liuren. After counting with his fingers, he said seriously: "This lesson is called 'Meng' , the reason why the field owner is confused is because the situation is unclear and the trap is on the way."

Shang Xiuxun said in astonishment: "It seems to be a little bit good, just seven days and eight days, can you learn such a difficult thing?" Kou Zhong had an idea and said: "Xiao Jing is a genius in arithmetic, but I am a genius in military art, hehe!" Shang Xiuxun said disdainfully: "You are the thickest-skinned genius, and you don't even look in the mirror." Kou Zhong laughed and said, "Don't underestimate the old guy's vision, you can test me if you don't believe me." Shang Xiuxun sneered at first, then murmured: "Okay! There are eight essences in Sun Tzu's Art of War, tell me about it."

Kou Zhong said calmly: "Art of war is dead, but people are alive. If you let me analyze the current situation for the field owner, the field owner will not have to be upset by the unclear situation." Shang Xiuxun was stunned for a while, and finally said with the mood of giving it a try: "Let's talk!" Kou Zhong respectfully said: "This time the host led people to Jingling, is it because Jingling sent people to ask for help?" Shang Xiuxun's phoenix eyes turned cold, and he said slightly angrily: "Did Fu Er tell this?" Xu Ziling said displeased: "In the face of a catastrophe, does the owner still care about such trivial matters as family laws and regulations?"

Shang Xiuxun was stunned for a moment, Fang felt a strange feeling in her heart, at this moment Xu Ziling was still a bit of a servant, so she forgot to scold him for a moment. Kou Zhong analyzed in a leisurely manner: "Jianghuai Army came to the west this time, and the timing was impeccable. It is obvious that they plan to move..." Shang Xiuxun cut him off and said, "Who told you that it was the Jianghuai army who committed Jingling?" Kou Zhong said triumphantly: "If you have to be told to know, you are not a genius in the art of war. There are many things that you don't need to see or hear, but you can also imagine with your heart."

After a pause, he smiled and said, "For a long time, Jingling's Domineering Villa and our owner, your Pegasus Ranch, have been the fat of the surrounding forces. It's just that this meat is hard to choke, so it's impossible to get it! Now The four bandits invaded our ranch, and Du Fuwei took the opportunity to threaten Jingling, if there is no subtle connection between the two, I would not believe it if I was killed." In Shang Xiuxun's eyes, the two chatted like they had become two other people, so she couldn't help but listened intently, forgetting about their status and qualifications, and said with a frown: "You are quite familiar with the situation in Jianghu. But why did you guess that Du Fuwei just stood still outside Jingling City, instead of besieging the city and storming it?" When it came to the last two sentences, her tone turned sharp, and Yu Rong showed suspicion. Xu Ziling said indifferently: "The siege of the city is just going down. Du Fuwei is a man who is well versed in the art of war. How can he give up the plan of killing two birds with one stone? Just imagine if Jingling has been broken before the army of the ranch arrives, then the owner of the ranch can only retreat to the ranch , and then contact the cities and villages of the four directions, and fight hard. If Du Fuwei wants to expand the results of the battle, it will be difficult to reach the sky." Shang Xiuxun's delicate body trembled slightly, she muttered silently, showing a thoughtful expression, obviously moved by Xu Ziling's words. Kou Zhong said in a deep voice: "The host hastily made the trip this time, maybe he fell into Du Fuwei's treacherous scheme to lure snakes out of the cave..." Shang Xiuxun stood up suddenly, and said coldly: "You two go back to sleep!" After saying that, he hurriedly went to discuss with Liu Zongdao and others. Waking up the next morning, Shang Xiuxun summoned the two of them to the tent, beside Sister Fu and Xiaojuan, she said solemnly: "Today, you two have made great contributions, and I will reward you according to your merits in the future. Change the itinerary now, the two of you, Fu'er and Juan'er will return to the ranch with the second deacon, do you understand?" The two secretly complained. Kou Zhong frowned and said, "It's unwise for the host to send us away." Sister Fu and Xiaojuan turned pale at the same time, wondering whether they were going to die because they contradicted the owner so much. Shang Xiuxun's reaction was not as intense as they imagined, but she said displeasedly: "I am not wise, if you don't tell me the truth, I guarantee you will suffer." Kou Zhong calmly said: "Don't forget that we are... Hey! You understand! It's a wise decision to let talents go without using them." Surprisingly, Shang Xiuxun did not lose his temper, and sighed: "It's not that I don't want to bring you with me, it's just that going to Jingling is dangerous and unpredictable, if something happens, how can I take care of you?" Kou Zhong lowered his voice and said in a serious manner: "To be honest, my two brothers are actually masters who hide their secrets, and there is no problem in protecting themselves in case of accidents. Hey! What are you laughing at?" Sister Fu and Xiaojuan couldn't bear it anymore, from snickering to covering their mouths into laughing. Shang Xiuxun also smiled at it, and said in a bad mood: "With your three-legged cat-like kung fu, there is nothing to hide, just follow orders, I don't have time to spend on you." Xu Ziling hurriedly said: "Master, please listen to a few more words, we are carrying the knowledge taught by Mr. Lu, facing Dad... Hey! Lao Du's army will definitely come in handy..." Shang Xiuxun said angrily: "What nonsense, when you make the system that you have only learned for a few days, the city will be destroyed." Kou Zhong said with a flick of his tongue: "The owner's words are wrong. Lu Miaozi has an inexhaustible knowledge, one of which is called formations, just like the eight formations that Zhuge Wuhou set up in Caishiji back then. Things are about talent rather than time. For example, Xiao Jing can understand it as soon as she hears it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him to say a few words for the host to listen to.” Shang Xiuxun, Sister Fu, and Xiaojuan cast doubtful eyes on Xu Ziling, so he could only make up nonsense, "The sky is five, the earth is five, and the five numbers match each other. Hey! Are you caught?" Kou Zhong refueled and added jealousy: "This is called the Heaven and Earth Wuhe Grand Formation, which can generate changes and conquer ghosts and gods. Even if the opponent's army is thousands of horses, if you enter the formation, you will... ha ha... as if you are in the fog." Shang Xiuxun half-believingly said: "If you two change to Taoist robes, you will become two underage demons." Seeing the embarrassment of being ridiculed, Sister Fu and Xiaojuan could only smile bitterly. Kou Zhong saw that the plan was not going to work, so he pinched his fingers and said: "The owner of the farm sent us back to the ranch because he was afraid that our lives would be lost. So I set up a hexagram. , which means it will surely save our two little lives, without any damage." Shang Xiuxun said: "When did you change from a genius of military art to a genius of magic?" Kou Zhong's face remained unchanged, and he said proudly: "Creating a hexagram is the simplest basic skill, it depends on sincerity and righteousness, the heart is the foundation, and the number is used. One is better than five, Xiaoyan is ten, and Dayan is fifty-five, it is clear and reasonable, and the hexagrams are as accurate as gods." He is a very smart person, although he is not very interested in arithmetic, but he listened to the discussion between Lu Miaozi and Xu Ziling, learned a little bit of superficiality, and even boasted about it, he is quite logical. Shang Xiuxun pondered for a while, then said coldly: "Why are you so eager to go to Jingling? You don't even care about your life?" Xu Ziling, who is quick and wise, said with a sullen voice: "Because Mr. Lu thinks that we should apply what we have learned and do our best for the ranch." Kou Zhong continued: "Before he died, he also said that we are not only a sign of premature death, but also have a deep destiny, so we can let go and make a career out of it." The two were used to singing together, Shang Xiuxun's face moved slightly when he heard it, and asked: "Can your hexagrams predict good or bad luck?" Kou Zhong said without changing his face: "Of course. If there is anything you need to know, just ask Xiaojing to figure it out." Xu Ziling wanted to punch Kou Zhong in his heart, but on the surface he had no choice but to put on the appearance of the best fortune teller in the world, smiling and nodding affirmatively. Shang Xiuxun seemed to have persuaded himself after a lot of hard work, and said listlessly: "Okay! I'll let you stay and try. If there is something good or bad, I can only blame the old guy for misreading. Don't complain after you become a ghost. I didn't warn you first." Everyone continued their journey. The number of people going to Jingling changed from the original twenty-eight to twenty people, and they were divided into four groups, each taking a different route, and using the towns along the way as meeting points, in order to deceive others. Shang Xiuxun didn't know whether it was because he wanted to take advantage of their divination ability, or because he liked to listen to the two people's nonsense, or because he wanted to protect them personally, so he made up Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong to be in the same group as her, as well as Liang Zhi and Wu Yan, plus Shang Peng and Shang He are the two veteran masters, and their strength is the strongest in this group. A group of seven people dressed up as travellers, Shang Xiuxun put on men's clothes, and sat in the carriage with Shang Peng and Shang He. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling still served as the imperial guards.Liang Zhi and Wu Yan dressed up as guardsmen and escorted them in the car. In the afternoon, people and horses cut into the official road and drove towards Xiangyang, the big city northwest of Jingling. The number of people and horses on the road is increasing, and business travelers are traveling together to build momentum.Only people in the world dare to travel alone, or two or three together on the road. Liang Zhi fell a little later and reported to Shang Xiuxun: "I have asked the people from Xiangyang, and I heard that the city is now controlled by the local tycoon Qian Duguan. This person is good at using double swords and dominates Xiangyang. Whose account is it?" They are not sold, and the management is okay. However, the tax to enter the city is quite heavy, and the business travelers who come and go complain quite a lot.” Shang Xiuxun said: "We must enter the city before the gate of Xiangyang. We can take a boat to Jingling tomorrow morning. Although it takes an extra day, it will make the enemy unable to figure out our itinerary. It is still very worthwhile." Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling suddenly realized that Shang Xiuxun had accepted their advice, so they made some tricks on the route to Jingling. Shang Peng's voice came and said: "Why don't the old man go to Xiangyang first to arrange the ship matters, in this time of chaos in the world, sometimes even a lot of money may not be able to hire a big ship that can carry people." Shang Xiuxun said: "Old Peng, please rest assured, Xiuxun has ordered Xu Yang and Luo Fang to rush to Xiangyang to handle this matter!" Shang Peng praised: "The host is very careful." When Liang Zhishang was about to speak, a sharp sound of hooves came from behind. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were about to turn their heads and look back, Liang Zhi shouted displeased: "Don't worry too much, just drive the car aside." The two of them gave him a fright and hurriedly drove the car to the side of the road. A group of more than thirty men who seemed to be desperadoes in the rivers and lakes flew past them like flying, and everyone turned their heads to look at them. One of the leading young men also asked: "Does it look like it?" Another fat man replied: "It shouldn't be!" Then it disappeared like a whirlwind outside the bend in the road. Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong wiped off their cold sweat at the same time, it turned out that the two people who were talking to each other were "Gold and Silver Spear" Ling Feng and "Fat Sha" Jin Bo. Hiding under the rubble that day, they had heard the two talking, so they recognized them immediately. Later, they wanted to chase them to try their skills, but met Liu Zongdao and others, who were hired as cooks at Pegasus Ranch, and they unexpectedly ran into them here again. Fortunately, he was not recognized, otherwise he would be in trouble. What are they going to do in Xiangyang? Liang Zhi wondered, "Who are these people?" Shang Xiuxun suddenly said: "Xiaojing! Tell me what they do?" Xu Ziling had no choice but to "calculate with his fingers", and said: "They are looking for two people, and they are full of the smell of war and danger." Wu Yan said "Ah!" and said, "That must be Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling. These two people have turned the south upside down, and they have the secret map of 'Duke Yang's Treasure House'. Everyone hopes to capture them. " Liang Zhi nodded and said: "The deputy deacon's words are reasonable. But since these two guys can assassinate Ren Shaoming amid thousands of troops, how can they be easy to deal with? These people just overestimate themselves." Shang Xiuxun said in a deep voice: "How old are Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling? Do you know what they look like?" Wu Yan replied: "They have debuted for several years. I'm afraid they must be in their thirties! I've heard people say that they are as thick as bulls and have hideous faces. You can tell that they are not good people just by looking at them." On the one hand, the two cursed in their hearts, and on the other hand, they were very grateful to Wu Yan. Shang Xiuxun was silent for a while before ordering: "Go on!" Knowing that they passed the barrier again, the two breathed a sigh of relief. "call!" The whip lightly hit the horse's buttocks, and the carriage drove back onto the official road.