Infinite Brilliant Scroll

Chapter 2 Green Face Ghost

Diancheng East Street, in a brightly lit mansion.

There were only four people in the living room, sitting around an Eight Immortals table.

Sitting on the east side is a middle-aged man of medium height and stocky build. It is Li Piaoling from Guangzhou Iron Arm Martial Arts Academy.

"Lord Zhuang, we came to Diancheng with great fanfare to open a smokehouse, and our original intention was to lure that green-faced ghost out and eradicate him.

But yesterday you brought dozens of people into the city under the watchful eyes of everyone, and today when you went out to inspect the business, you brought all these people with you, isn't it a bit too ostentatious? "

Li Piaoling's voice was thick and calm, and he said to Zhuang Chengxian who was sitting on the west side, "There are so many men, and they are all strong men with guns. I'm afraid that green-faced ghost will be afraid and won't show up easily."

The legend of the green-faced ghost has been spread for three years in the three nearby cities and seven villages, with a radius of nearly a hundred miles.

Three years ago, the young owner of Houji Dyeing Cloth Workshop in Tancheng took the female workers in the workshop by force.The female worker was humiliated and became thinner after returning home. She cried secretly, but refused to say more.

Seeing that her daughter was about to cry blind, her father couldn't find out what happened after all the hard work. Instead, there were rumors from the city that the daughter had no shame and hooked up with the young master's family. Everyone in the village looked strange and talked a lot.

In desperation, the old man went to the dyeing cloth workshop to find someone to reason with, and happened to meet a group of friends from Shaodong's family who were out to have fun. During the disturbance, he was pushed, causing the old man to fall to his death under the steps.

At the government's office, the cloth dyeing workshop spent two taels of silver to take care of it. It was decided that the old man was making trouble for no reason, so he fell to his death and transported the body back home.

Filled with grief and indignation, the female worker threw herself into the river with her old father's body in her arms.

This kind of thing has long been commonplace, and there are a few kind-hearted sighs, and it is often nothing more than that.

But that night, a man wearing a dark green mask broke the limbs of the young owner of the cloth dyeing workshop in the brothel in Tancheng, hung him from the corner of the eaves with a hemp rope, and covered him with a white cloth behind him. Crimes written all over them in bright red.

The piece of cloth was like a flag, and accompanied by the screams of the young master, it fluttered in the sky above Tancheng, and it became a night that many people will never forget.

That was the first time the green-faced ghost appeared.

At that time, he was surrounded by a group of young men from the young master's house, and after a lot of entanglement, he overturned those people and was able to escape.

But three months later, when he reappeared, his strikes were already sharp and ruthless.

Mr. Wu's house in Tancheng has two rice shops, buy low and sell high, a opium hall, and a gambling house. The family is well-off and makes money every day.Every now and then, a few corpses can be carried out from the smokehouse, all of them are dead smokers.

The second time the green-faced ghost attacked was in the blue sky, when Mr. Wu was visiting the gambling house, he jumped off the roof, cut his stomach open, and jumped on the roof to leave. The thugs around Mr. Wu had no time to react. .

Seven days later, the green-faced ghost struck out for the third time, killing Zheng Daxiucai who annexed Mr. Wu's business.

The local government posted a wanted warrant, and the police patrolled night and night, but found nothing.

But three days later, I heard that there was also a murder case in Heyang City. It was the green-faced ghost who killed a well-known local lawyer. He specialized in litigation for wealthy businessmen. , Murder, theft, buying murder, as long as you find this lawyer, you can all be released without charge.

The lawyer had his tongue cut out and died in a terrible state, which shocked the whole Heyang City.

The wealthy businessman was panicked, and the common people secretly cheered.

The three cities of Tancheng, Heyang, and Diancheng, the seven townships of Dawang Township and Huaihua Township, and more than ten nearby villages, all those who spread their bad names have been patronized by the green-faced ghost.

Only in that first year, 37 villains were put to death.

In the second year, not only the government and the white ways tracked down the whereabouts of the green-faced ghost, but also many people in the underworld offered a high price for the head of the green-faced ghost.

But also in this year, the green-faced ghost did a big thing.

He assassinated the county magistrate of Heyang.

In Heyang City, the most evil people, those rich businessmen, boxers, and lawyers are not even ranked, and the county magistrate is second to none.

This county magistrate took office in the 15th year of Guangxu, that is, in [-] in the Western calendar.

In the year when he took office, in the name of Emperor Guangxu canonizing the empress, he added an additional congratulatory tax to Heyang City.

For more than ten years, Heyang City has been full of complaints, and the people are struggling to live, secretly calling the county magistrate "the sky is three feet high".

The county magistrate of Heyang also knows that he has done a lot of evil, and sooner or later he will be watched by the green-faced ghost. He has six guards following him when he goes in and out. Wolfdog, adjust ten muskets to listen to.

The green-faced ghost assassinated him three times, but the first time he failed because of the vicious dog's warning.

During the second assassination, the green-faced ghost seemed to have a good understanding of the habits of wolf dogs. He killed seven vicious dogs with a flick of his fingers, and was shocked by the musket.

For the third time, the green-faced ghost used a long, sharpened bamboo pole to throw it from the wall opposite the county magistrate's house.

The bamboo pole pierced through the window, turning the two guards into blood gourds. The shocked magistrate of Heyang, accompanied by all the guards, fled in all directions.

During the chaos, the green-faced ghost dressed as a courtyard guard with plaster on his face found an opportunity to block the Heyang county magistrate's throat.

After this incident, the reputation of the green-faced ghost became even worse. Those who are rich and unkind, who bully men and women are afraid of him like ghosts and gods, but even ordinary people are afraid of him, and dare not treat him as a knight , Secretly regarded him as a ghost.

There are even some families who quietly offer the tablet of the green-faced ghost.

The death of the county magistrate of Heyang alarmed the admiral of Guangdong by the name of the green-faced ghost. The admiral was furious and ordered a huge reward for his arrest.

However, when the wanted notices pasted on the wall were all torn and torn by the wind and rain, there was still no tendency to catch the green-faced ghost.

The green-faced ghosts still seek evil and come to kill people with knives, especially those who buy and sell opium and open opium dens, one of them will die.

In the third year, among the nearby three cities and seven villages, no tobacco shop dared to open. Those who misbehaved were either killed, or sold their properties at a low price, and moved to other places with their families. .

But selling tobacco soil is a lucrative business, and it's really itchy to put such a big piece of fat in three cities and seven villages here.

General Nalando of Guangzhou has set his sights on this place.

He personally invited three well-known boxers in Guangzhou, paid a generous deposit and promised a lot of interest, and invited the three of them to go to the three cities and seven villages with his named admiral Zhuang Chengxian first to try to eradicate them. Green-faced ghost.

The title of admiral sounds a little bluffing, but the registered admiral has no real power at all, and a person like Zhuang Chengxian should be polite to the three famous boxers in front of him.

Facing Li Piaoling's question, Zhuang Chengxian put on a kind smile on his goat-like thin face, and said: "It is the general's intention to bring these thirty elite soldiers. Naturally, there are deep considerations. Master Li, don't worry. And listen to me.

It should be known that in the past three years, almost all the people in the three cities and seven villages have been killed by the green-faced ghost. We pretend to be wealthy merchants from outside, and we want to go to this dangerous place to seize vacancies in the tobacco business. The number guard is the normal behavior of a businessman.

If you don't bring it, I'm afraid it will make the green-faced ghost even more suspicious, and the delay will only be longer. "

Li Piaoling rolled his eyes and nodded, "That makes sense."

"And Master Li doesn't have to worry that the green-faced ghost won't dare to come."

Zhuang Chengxian raised his teacup with self-respect, took a sip, and said calmly, "Before we came here, the General had checked the case files of the three cities and seven villages.

What the masters were looking at was the part of the dossier about Wu's autopsy, so that the masters could use the traces of the killing to reverse the method of the green-faced ghost, and they knew what they were doing.

And I don't have much vision in boxing, so I had to focus on other places with a few staff members in the general's mansion, and there are some situations that are very noteworthy.

For example, in the first year of the Green Face Ghost's crimes, in addition to killing those big businessmen, he also killed Li Liezi from Dawang Township, Huang Po from Liushu Township and others.

Compared with those big businessmen, the influence of these little people is naturally a drop in the bucket, not worth mentioning. They just did things such as starve their mother to death, beat their wives, poisonous and mute daughter-in-law, and abducted a few foreign orphans to brothels. little things.

Whether it is a dedicated killer or those rebellious parties, it is impossible to pay much attention to these little people, but the green-faced ghosts came to them one by one, and made these three cities and seven villages, known for their infamy. , all killed. "

Hearing this, Li Piaoling felt absurd in his heart, and said with a smile: "Even killing old women and cripples, is it possible that there are really people in this world who, big or small, specialize in such chivalry?"

Li Piaoling and Zhuang Chengxian laughed together, even the boxers sitting on the north and south sides couldn't help smiling.

No way, this assumption is really ridiculous.

Even Huang Feihong, who was the most famous chivalrous man in Guangdong a few years ago, was a master of both medicine and martial arts. He kicked seven kicks in the air for a moment, and each kick could crack stones. It's all about dealing with those who sell opium.

If he suddenly came to the door along the street and killed all those profiteers, thugs, and old godly women, then people would no longer praise his reputation, and would only think that he was insane.

These days, there are evil people all over the mountains, at home and abroad, buying and selling tobacco, and even the legal business that the Qing government has now recognized.

How many knives would it take to kill those damned people?Unless it is to turn the world upside down and recreate the universe, how is it possible?
People who were born and grew up in the Qing Dynasty, even those who dare to have such an idea, are very few, and they will directly put this kind of thing into practice, and they will do it for three years, unless they are crazy. There is no second explanation.

But after Zhuang Chengxian laughed, his face suddenly sank, and he said: "But what we have to deal with this time is probably a real madman."

As soon as his expression changed, the smiles of the other three gradually faded away.

There was silence on the table for a while, and then the bald old man sitting on the north side said, "Then this blue-faced ghost must be young."

"really."

Zhuang Chengxian nodded, "The aides of the General's Mansion also analyzed it in the same way, and there are some places that can be used as evidence. For example, after he assassinated the Heyang County Magistrate, the batch of foreign guns mobilized by the Heyang County Magistrate was once stolen. Took a few.

Later, when he committed crimes, there were several cases where he directly killed the target with a foreign gun. "

The kung fu of the green-faced ghost is not weak, but the older generation of boxers are very repulsive to foreign guns. This is a deep-rooted thinking, and there are almost no exceptions among the older generation.

Just like in the Boxer Rebellion, when foreign guns were seized in the Boxer Regiment, those big boxers would never touch them. Even some young and middle-aged people thought that these things belonged to Western monsters and should not be kept. There were only a very small number of them. Young people are willing to use it.

Zhuang Chengxian added: "In addition, those foreign guns did not come with much ammunition. After the green-faced ghost used up, he never used the gun again. He probably had no way to get ammunition, that is to say, There will be no complex organizational support."

The dark-skinned, tall and strong man sitting on the south side answered at this moment: "But according to the autopsy results, this green-faced ghost's kung fu has improved a lot.

After this year, it seems to be stuck in a bottleneck, and no more clever means can be used.If you are a young person, if you want to make such progress, you must have a master around you to guide you at any time. "

This man has a northern accent, but he came to Guangzhou from the north to open a school to teach apprentices, and he made a name for himself as the "Iron-toed Fire Dragon" Wang Xiongjie.

Everyone in Guangzhou knows that he has a vicious eye for Kung Fu, and the results deduced from the autopsy report should not be wrong.

Zhuang Chengxian praised: "Master Wang and the hero general have the same views. There must be a teacher by the side of the green-faced ghost, but when the green-faced ghost was in danger several times, this teacher did not show any signs of showing up.

It is very likely that it is an old boxer whose skills have regressed and only his vision is still there.As long as the green-faced ghost is eradicated, an old thing is nothing to worry about. "

The bald old man in the north also held up the teacup. The teacup, which is a suitable size in the hands of ordinary people, looked extremely small in his calloused palms.

"A young man with youth, talent, and ideas, but unfortunately a bit crazy."

He swallowed the scalding hot tea in one gulp, and when he opened and closed his mouth, puffs of hot air sprayed out, and his voice was mixed with a breath-taking Shen Xiong.

"Then let's just wait, this green-faced ghost will come within three days, and when he comes, let him know what kind of person he should be and what he should do in this world.

If you take the wrong path, you will be crushed to pieces. "

click!
The ceramic teacup was crushed into a handful of sesame-sized crumbs by the bald old man's seemingly inadvertent palm, which leaked out of his big hand and scattered on the table.

It is not difficult to crush ceramics with bare hands, but there is only such a light sound, and the crushing is so fine, which means that there is no dryness in the boxing technique, which is not the level that ordinary boxers can achieve.

Li Piaoling's eyes were fixed, and he thought to himself: Zhu Changshou, an old man, has been famous for at least 30 years, his physical strength should have gone downhill long ago, why does his kung fu seem to be more refined.The bonus that General Nalan promised him is probably much higher than what he gave me.

When Li Piaoling turned his head, Wang Xiongjie happened to look away too, and the two of them looked at each other with the same expression and eyes.

Zhuang Chengxian's mind was happier than the two of them at this time.

The more capable Zhu Changshou is, the more secure he will be on this trip.

Every time the green-faced ghost attacked the leader, Zhuang Chengxian was in charge of this matter, saying that he was being used by the general, but in fact he also served as a bait.

But apart from Zhu Changshou, what really reassured Zhuang Chengxian was the thirty elite soldiers who were patrolling all over the mansion.

As we all know, the Green Battalion and the Eight Banners have long been empty airs and paper tigers. General Guangzhou claims to be able to control the military power of the whole of Guangdong. People from the Boxer Regiment back then.

General Guangzhou himself is also aware of this point. For the sake of his wealth and life, he has a group of elite soldiers under his command to raise and train.

These 30 people were transferred from there. They were all people who learned from Western-style schools. They were of high quality.

The foreign guns they are equipped with this time are good things that General Guangzhou bought from Americans only this year.

A few years ago, the Americans fought against the Spaniards. They suffered losses in firearms and worked hard to create this batch of new guns. They are more powerful than the old-style foreign guns before. A gun costs 50 yuan without ammunition. two silver.

After firing a test shot, at a distance of fifty paces, it can still penetrate an inch-thick wooden target wrapped in three layers of cowhide.

What's more important is that this kind of gun has a novel design. People who have not been trained don't even know how to shoot, and they don't worry about being snatched by the green-faced ghost, who opposes their side and poses a threat.

Zhuang Chengxian stroked the long and thin beard on his chin, and took a sip of tea contentedly.

Everything is ready, just waiting for the green-faced ghost to take the bait.

………………

The lights in the mansion were still on.

Beyond the dark courtyard wall in the southeast corner, at some point, a head wearing a blue-black mask poked out, staring coldly at the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)