sword sentient beings

Chapter 533 Yulang
The end of Liangzhou, the beginning of the wild.

The environment in Liangzhou is already extremely bad, but it is only when we reach the border that people know that there is more to it than bad.

The extreme drought, severe cold, and strong wind are no longer suitable for human survival.Even if there are some oases that can take care of the lives of travelers, it is difficult to support how many people live there.

Moreover, in recent years, the local oasis has rapidly degraded, the water source has dried up, the living conditions have deteriorated day by day, and the majesty of the imperial court has also deteriorated day by day.The border of Dajin is actually receding day by day.

For example, at the end of Liangzhou, there used to be a large oasis, which was replaced by Yulang.There is a lake in the oasis, surrounded by forests, and it is evergreen in all seasons. It is called the "beautiful jade" on the Gobi Desert.

When the Jin Dynasty demarcated the frontier, a small city was built here, also called "Yulang". Although the population was small, there were one or two hundred garrisons there. "boundary marker".

After leaving Yulang, no matter what, it can no longer be called the territory of China. People born in the west of Yulang are veritable "barbarians".

However, in recent years, the oasis has become more and more dry, the water level of the lake seems to be lower every year, and the forests around the lake are also withered.However, the military salary of the imperial court could not be paid out, no new soldiers joined the army, and the old soldiers ran and died, and even Yulang City gradually fell into disrepair.

Over the years, it has been difficult to say that Yulang is still the territory of Dajin.

In fact, more than ten years ago, this city could basically be called a "relic".

But ten years ago, a mysterious force suddenly intervened in Yulang, slightly rebuilt the abandoned city, and built a half-black and half-white border city.Among them, dragons and snakes are mixed, there are many lawbreakers, and many of them are engaged in unscrupulous businesses.The so-called illegal transactions in the city, killing and arson outside the city, and doing everything, has become a "three-nothing" zone in the real shadow.As more and more disasters happened, the vicious reputation was also spread around, which can be called "stop children crying at night".

Later, the mysterious force simply appointed the city lord and stationed them with armed forces, just like an independent kingdom.Three years ago, the plaque of "Yulang City" was simply removed and replaced with "Yulang" city. If it was in the domain of barbarians, it would be called the official establishment of a city-state.

With such a big fanfare, that mysterious force is still mysterious in the eyes of the public. Ordinary people don't know its origin, they only think it is a hidden sect or a mysterious master.It’s just that most people who have channels have already tacitly understood that it is taboo to name the power that controls Yulang, and it is the darkest and most evil place in the world——

There are two mountains!
"That's Yulang City, so... weird."

When Tang Zhao... oh, it was Young Master Jian from Changfa Manor and his party came to Yulang City, the young swordsman in the team couldn't help being surprised.

This Yulang City is indeed very strange. The strange thing is that the city wall is very rugged, with a "concave" shape on the front, and the surrounding walls are folded in three steps, twisting like a Chinese knot.

Tang Zhao glanced at Fang Weiran who was speaking, smoothed his white hair calmly, and said in a vicissitudes of voice: "Fang Swordsman probably didn't know it when he came here for the first time. This is the layout of the new city wall of Yulang City. This kind of winding wall Although there are too many dead spots, which is not conducive to defense, it can produce more shadows."

Fang Weiran suddenly realized: Since there are two mountains, of course the more shadows the better.He maintained his persona as a confidant swordsman of the young master, nodded a little arrogantly and politely and said: That's it, "I've been taught."

Tang Zhao continued to say to Zheng Yun: "Master, let's go to the city to rest. There is our own business in the manor in the city. It's just for you to rest."

As a moderate-scale manor on Wangliang Mountain, Changfa Manor has a shop in Yulang City, and their own people are always stationed in the shop, usually openly doing serious business and secretly doing illegal business, just like other manors.

In other words, successfully connecting with people in the store without showing any flaws is the first hurdle that this team needs to pass from the beginning to the end.

Zheng Yun raised his head, feeling a little nervous: After preparing for so long, he is finally going to face the test.If you can't pass the first level, then this trek will become a big joke.

Shouldn't it be?

The pavement of Changfa Manor is a dyeing workshop.

On the surface, their business is a serious business, not a demographic market.

After all, it is impossible for a city to sell only its population, and the people on the Liangshan Mountains are still human beings, and they can't lack for everything, so the various markets in Yulang City are very prosperous.

Entering the city, you will be greeted by the scenery from Wangliang Mountain.A group of outsiders who came here for the first time all observed carefully.

From the first impression, Tang Zhao found that the dye business in this place should be very good.

Because although there are not many people on the street, most of the pedestrians, regardless of men and women, are dressed in brightly colored clothes, and the colors are so bright that it is staggering.There are some big men who are not young, five big and three thick, and they still wear very bright clothes, even if they are bright red and green, they can wear their upper body.At a glance, it seems to see a spring garden, colorful.

Tang Zhao recalled the information he had read: Wangliang Mountain was shrouded in shadow all year round, the light was very bad, there were no flowers and plants, and even pearls and gemstones lost their color. When I got out of the mountain, I doubled up in bright clothes and shiny jewelry to make up for it.

Not only the people, but even the walls of the houses can be painted and decorated as soon as they can be painted. They are complicated and colorful, and they are close to gaudy in the eyes of people with a little taste. Indulgent pleasure.

Tang Zhao already knew about these terroirs by looking at the materials before, but seeing them with his own eyes and reading the text descriptions are still two different things.Therefore, he observes very carefully, pays attention to details, silently compares with what he knows, and at the same time pretends to turn a blind eye, after all, his persona is a local.

On the street, even if Tang Zhao just came here, he could tell who was a foreigner and who came down from Mount Wang.In addition to the color of the clothes, there is also a very high proportion of white hair in the local people.And those guests who looked very wealthy, if they were locals, were surrounded by sword slaves.

The sword slaves are also very easy to distinguish. In addition to the hair of various colors, the walking posture is also very unique, dragging one step at a time, like a zombie.This kind of posture is only seen by the sword slaves who have gone to the Liangshan Mountain, and the slaves who have just been trafficked will not walk like this no matter how weak they are.

Seeing the weird, unreasonable walking postures that can be seen everywhere, the group of people felt a little uncomfortable to some extent.

Tang Zhao made a careful distinction, and found that there were quite a few outsiders in the city, and they were divided into several types.Some of them are dressed in rich and noble clothes, they are real distinguished guests, they are here to participate in the Deep Film Festival, and they may even be the special guests of Wang Liangshan.But most of them cover up, sitting in the car, or wearing a hood to cover their faces. Obviously, it is not a glorious thing to openly associate with Wang Ershan. Awkward.

Others were merchants, so-called slavers.Not everyone is as fat and big-eared as Bao Renwu, but some temperaments are still common.After watching a lot, even if you can't "smell" the smell of human traffickers like Chi Mingjing, you can guess a lot.

There are also some people who look like lawbreakers at first glance. They are either vicious or evil-looking, and they look like they are hiding in the city.But no matter how fierce he is, he is as well-behaved as a sheep in the city, and he will never dare to make trouble.

"Hey, merchant this way—"

Tang Zhao turned his head, and saw a group of merchants entering the city behind him being led away by two big men in purple clothes: "Did you see the inn with the colorful flags? That's for you people to stay. Yes, keep you safe. I advise you sheep-like mortals not to find a place to sleep indiscriminately, and don’t listen to outsiders’ words, otherwise it will be difficult to get out of a black shop after entering a black shop. Go, go.”

Tang Zhao thought to himself: Good guy, even the slave traders have become sheep here?These welcome guides are much better than when we organized the sword casting meeting, and they don't have any sense of service?

As expected of Wang Ershan, even if it is Shenyinghui, others are begging for Wang Ershan, and it is not Wang Ershan begging for outsiders.

But no one came to give advice to Tang Zhao and his party, probably because Tang Zhao's white hair is very iconic, even though he dressed plainly, he still looked like his own.Tang Zhao pondered that he might have to change into red and green soon.

"Master, we are here." The team stopped in front of a shop.

"Long Hair Dyeing Workshop." Zheng Yun popped out of the car, looked up and said, "Isn't our family's business very prosperous?"

Indeed, this shop has three fronts, and it is not surprising to say that it is simple, but it is not unusual on the street.The gate is closed during the day, and only one door is opened in the west room for entry and exit. It seems that the business is not very good.

Tang Zhaodao: "I have already sent back the news of the young master's return. Today, the door may be closed to thank guests, and I will specially welcome..."

Before the words were finished, all the doors were opened, and seven or eight people were snatched out.The first few of them have white hair.

Before Zheng Yun could see clearly, all these people knelt down and cast their bodies on the ground, shouting: "Welcome young master back to the mountain. I wait for the stars and the moon, and I finally hope for you to come back!"

Zheng Yun straightened his back slightly, he had actually been preparing for this scene for many days, and now it was time to test the results of his hard work, so he nodded at the dangerous color next to him.

Wei Se was sitting in the carriage with him, specially to "serve" him, and now he got out of the car and opened the curtain for him, revealing his still sitting still figure.

Zheng Yun'an was sitting in the car, only raised his eyes, didn't even raise his hands, let alone got out of the car, hummed with his nose, and said, "Get up."

Those people stood up cautiously and stood aside with their hands tied. Only the old man at the front bowed and said, "Please get off the carriage, young master." With a wave of his hand, a thin sword slave came up and knelt on the ground to step up for him.

Zheng Yun remained calm, stepping on the sword slave down to the ground, showing no discomfort at all, as if he had been used to trampling on it since he was a child.

At this time, he just glanced at the old man in the head, and saw that this man was very old, with accumulated wrinkles on his face, and he didn't have a single black hair on his head. If calculated according to the normal age, he would be in his eighties instead of ninety.

But he is from Wangliang Mountain, maybe forty or fifty, or even younger.

"Well, you..."

Zheng Yun deliberately couldn't call out his name, Tang Zhao stepped forward and said with a tuned voice: "Young master, this is the chief manager of our Zhuang Shang Xingcang."

The head manager nodded and bowed, and said: "What kind of manager is serving the young master."

Zheng Yun was stunned, and said: "How can I not recognize you? You were an old man when I left, and you are still an old man now. Please trouble the chief manager to come down the mountain to pick me up. I didn't expect it. Go in and see us How is the house?"

(End of this chapter)