Sword from Hengshan

Chapter 126 I would like to call you the strongest (8.473k)
The two groups asked along the way and found two connected inns in the east of the town.

As soon as he got off the horse, several waiters in the store gathered around him with nervous looks on their faces, followed by the shopkeeper who looked a little old and was wearing a red cap.

Seeing that they were covered in dust and their clothes were covered in mud and blood, I was afraid that they might be bad guests.

The shopkeeper was very nervous, fearing that he might get into trouble.

He did not dare to rush in, so he could only ask in a trembling voice: "My fellow heroes, where are you coming from?"

His question was cryptic, but Zhao Rong, who was walking in front, answered directly, "Don't worry, shopkeeper. We are disciples of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, not bandits."

"Do you have any room available?"

How can an innkeeper not know the affairs of the martial arts world? The words "Five Mountains Sword Sect" are much more familiar than the Sun Moon Divine Sect. When the shopkeeper heard this, the wrinkles under his eyelids lightened and he smiled:

"I've heard of you for a long time. You are the Great Hero of the Five Mountains."

"There are still ten rooms available."

Zhao Rong hesitated whether to save some money. Everyone squeezed together. Linghu Chong, who was empty-handed, remained silent, but Xiang Da Nian strode forward and said proudly:

"I want them all."

He added: "Prepare more food and boil some hot water."

After he finished speaking, he took out a handful of silver coins. The shopkeeper weighed the silver and immediately smiled. "Sir, please come in quickly. I'll ask the cooks to prepare the meal!"

Obviously, this silver is more useful than the four words "Five Mountains Sword Sect".

'Okay, Danian, you made a fortune?'

Zhao Rong looked at Xiang Danian with a smile in his eyes.

Xiang Danian didn't say anything, just smiled faintly, and everything was said without words.

There are ten rooms, most of which accommodate two people.

After settling the horse, Zhao Rong patrolled the area around the inn again to take a look at the terrain and alleys.

I didn't notice anything unusual, so I went upstairs and changed into some dry clothes.

He practiced the Xisui Jing and meditated for a while. Then Junior Sister Wei Jin came over and called for dinner. Only then did he open his eyes and go downstairs.

Sect Leader Yue and Master Mo have already started eating with peace of mind, thinking that the food is not poisonous.

Perhaps because Xiang Danian was quite generous, the shopkeeper specially sent him some cakes. The residents of Qingshui Town ate sugar cakes on the Double Ninth Festival, which were also called Double Ninth Cakes.

Dried chrysanthemums are mixed in, which makes it fragrant and sweet.

Most of the food we had eaten along the way was dry food, and there had been a bloody battle last night. At this moment, we had a feeling of "closing the scroll and drinking wine in a moment, as if seeing the smoke and dust clearing for thousands of miles."

The Chongyang cake in my hand tastes sweeter and more delicious.

Seeing that his junior sister was greedy, Linghu Chong smiled and broke off most of the cake in his hand and gave it to her.

Then he looked towards Zhao Rong.

The two junior sisters Yuying and Wei Jin from the Hengshan Sect shared the cakes in their hands with the young leader and said with a smile, "Eat more, senior brother."

Lao Denuo and Nan Shanshi were concentrating on eating, and their eyes were flickering when they lowered their heads.

It seemed that he knew something that the other two factions did not know.

Seeing the shopkeeper sitting behind the counter, Zhao Rong chatted with him for a few words.

"Shopkeeper, I don't see many martial artists in Qingshui Town. Is it that there are not many martial artists on weekdays?"

"No."

The shopkeeper, who was counting on the abacus, looked up and said:

"There are a lot of people on weekdays. There are always a few people showing off their guns and clubs in my shop every day. But recently, there have been a lot of robbers and thieves in Sanshipu, so people who want to do good deeds or just join in the fun are all going there."

He showed a trace of trepidation, "I heard that many people died, and some townspeople were scared away. Some fled to Qingshui, or went east to Luzhou."

"I see," Zhao Rong asked again, "Has anything big happened in Luzhou recently?"

"A few days ago I heard a few martial artists say they wanted to join in the fun over there."

"I'm just running a small business, and they all say it's a big deal, so I don't dare to ask."

The shopkeeper kindly reminded, "If you go to Luzhou, you must be careful when passing by Sanshipu."

He felt that his words were unpleasant to the ear, so he quickly added with a smile.

"Of course, the heroes are masters of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, and they are not comparable to ordinary people in the martial arts world. The villains will flee at the sight of the heroes."

Zhao Rong thanked him with a smile, thinking to himself, "You got it exactly the opposite."

Their conversation naturally reached the ears of others. Sanshipu was just ahead of Qingshui Town.

Thinking of the black-clad evil cult members in Guankou Temple, he felt that this thirty shops were not a good place.

But when riding a horse on the main road, you can't avoid this road.

At about 3 p.m., disciples from both sects dispersed in the town to gather information.

The main purpose was to inquire about the news of the Hengshan and Taishan sects.

Because of the Double Ninth Festival, there were quite a lot of people in the town, especially the small tower in the west of the town, with tourists on top and hawkers on the bottom.

From the first to the ninth day of the lunar month, there are six or seven altars under the tower for worshipping the stars. Many devout men and women buy incense and burn it in the altars.

In addition, it rained yesterday and it cleared up today.

Visitors who have not climbed to the top will inevitably feel lost, so they use the tower to climb up.

Just as the shopkeeper had said, Zhao Rong met several townspeople who had escaped from Sanshipu.

"There were bandits, no doubt about it! I saw it with my own eyes. It was a large group of men in black. They were riding horses and were stronger than bears. The muffled sound of their horses' hooves could be heard from far away."

"This group of people are Guanting thieves. I heard that they were wiped out by the imperial court a few years ago. I guess they are not all dead yet and have revived again."

Another man carrying a bag said, "Young man, listen to my advice and don't go to Sanshipu for now."

Zhao Rong asked several people and felt increasingly worried.

Near the small tower in the west of the town, he passed through a small market where people were hawking goods along the way, but still did not get any news related to the other factions.

The more this happened, the more I felt a bad feeling.

Almost at the edge of the market, he suddenly stopped.

My eyes were attracted by a craftsman.

This is an old man with gray hair and a green scarf wrapped around his head, like a sculptor of a statue.

A Buddha statue is being carved with three circles of sun-like backlight behind it.

He had a thick layer of calluses on his palms, but he only had a carving knife, but he seemed to be assisted by God.

Wood chips were flying everywhere, and the statues looked lifelike in the backlight.

The old sculptor was concentrating on carving a Buddha statue. After a moment, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the handsome young man with a sword on his waist, but with a hint of vigilance on his face.

"Are you interested in statues?" the old man asked with a smile, his white hair moving slightly.

Zhao Rong shook his head. "I know nothing about this. I can only admire from afar. The old senior's sculpture skills are amazing, so I'm sure his sword skills are even better."

The old man wiped away a streak of sawdust from his face, showing a slight surprise.

He instantly understood Zhao Rong's intention and immediately felt bored:

"You are so young, but you have a keen eye. Why are you so thoughtful? Do you think you will be malicious to anyone who can use a sword?"

"I have been sculpting this statue for many years, but you don't have to be suspicious."

Zhao Rong thought that he was overthinking and was made nervous by the people from the Songshan School, so he couldn't help but smile at him apologetically.

The old man doesn't care.

Zhao Rong added, "There are many great temples in Nanyue. If you take this old master's craft to Hengyang, it will surely be very popular."

"Are you a disciple of Hengshan?"

"Yes, my master is Mr. Mo Da, Xiaoxiang Yeyu."

The old man looked calm, shook his head, and was silent for a moment. Suddenly he stared at Zhao Rong and said:
"You are no ordinary young man. I have been here for twenty-two years since I gave up my sword and started learning sculpture. I have met countless people from the martial arts world who have passed by me, but none of them has known my true identity like you have."

"Why twenty-two years?"

The old man's face darkened: "Twenty-two years ago, I was defeated by a man and gave up the sword."

"Oh?" Zhao Rong's curiosity was aroused. "Can you tell me about it?"

The old man had kept this story hidden for a long time, and now, rarely finding an audience, he opened the dusty memory in front of the young man.

"But... it all started forty-five years ago."

"I was a generation older than you at that time, with great talent and youthful vigor. It was widely rumored in the martial arts world at that time that Chang Qingzi, the best swordsman west of the Three Gorges, went to the Fuwei Escort Agency to challenge Lin Yuantu, but was defeated miserably."

"I was so excited after hearing this that I studied swordsmanship hard for seven years outside Gusu City and went south to Fuzhou."

"Let's fight Lin Yuantu before he retires on his 70th birthday."

The old man looked solemn and said in horror: "The Lin family's swordsmanship is really amazing. Lin Yuantu's sword is as fast as a ghost and his body is as fast as lightning. I can't resist it at all."

Zhao Rong could even hear a hint of horror in the old man's tone.

Zen Master Du Yuan was originally a master in Putian Shaolin. When he was 70 years old, he had already mastered the sword technique of Exorcising Evils. This old man was even braver than Chang Qingzi.

I also heard him say: "After the great defeat in Fuzhou, I returned to Gusu and practiced sword for sixteen years."

"The Exorcist Sword Technique has a profound impact on me. This time, I have gained a lot!"

"Just when I was about to go out and become famous, I met such a person."

The old man recalled, "I don't know what this man's name is. He was wearing a wedding robe at the time. I think he was getting married in Jiangnan. Seeing that he had an extraordinary aura and was carrying a long sword, I chose him as the first stepping stone."

"did not expect"

The old man's eyes widened slightly: "My self-proclaimed extraordinary swordsmanship is full of flaws in his eyes."

"I lost again."

"Any random passerby could defeat me. I had no face to stay in my hometown, so I came from Gusu to Luzhou, and then to Qingshui Town."

"For the next twenty-two years, I worked as a sculptor and never touched a sword again."

Twenty-two years ago, wasn’t that the time of the Huashan Qi Sword Contest?

Jiangnan Wedding
This!
Zhao Rong's eyes sparkled: "Old senior, meeting each other is fate, shall we compete?"

"you?"

"Yeah, me."

"No comparison, no comparison," the old man shook his head and continued to carve the statue.

The old man thought:

"It's very strange. To be able to tell that I know swordsmanship from the knife I made requires not only the vision of a master, but also a lot of spirituality. How can this boy be an ordinary person? I will definitely not take action."

"If I lose to a young man, it will be a bad omen in my later years."

"Once, twice, but never three."

"Never take action, never take action"

Suddenly, the young man said seriously:
"I have never lost a sword fight. Although you are a statue, you have mastered the spirit of sword fighting. Why don't you show me one of your moves? If I meet that man from Jiangnan in the future, I can also take with me the experience you have given me when I fight him."

When the old man heard this, his brows immediately frowned.

"Young man, you are even more arrogant than I was when I was young."

"I only showed you one move, what can you think of it?"

As he spoke, he turned the carving knife in his hand and stabbed it towards Zhao Rong like a sword, creating a shadow of light that was quite dreamy.

It’s just one move, or not even one move at all.

This simple stab, without any special moves, contained his insights from sixty years!
No matter how talented a young man is, it is impossible for him to understand anything.

But he didn't know,
Zhao Rong had been watching Wu Shenfeng practice swordsmanship, which was similar to his sculpting and fusing swords; both were on the long road of returning to nature.

This sword, which he had been immersed in for twenty-two years, seemed to give Zhao Rong a different kind of confirmation.

In the eyes of the old sculptor, the young man silently drew his sword.

Like him, he stabbed a sword through the air.

This sword may look ordinary to others, but in the eyes of the old man, it seemed to have penetrated through decades of time, making him lose his mind and unable to extricate himself.

When he came back to his senses, the Autumn Water was sheathed.

Both of them were in a daze and didn't say anything.

The old sculptor fell into a misunderstanding. He thought that Zhao Rong's sword was learned from his sword moves just now.

Zhao Rong wanted to go back to the Five Gods Peak and his mind flew to the top of the Sky Pillar.

"How old are you?"

"sixteen."

"Sixteen?"

"sixteen."

The old sculptor was slightly distracted again, but sighed, "I have failed again."

"Lin Yuantu, a Jiangnan man, and you."

The old man added: "You are the youngest, but you defeated me now."

"I would like to call you the strongest."

Zhao Rong quickly waved his hand and said modestly: "Senior, please say this ten years later. I can't bear it now."

ten years later?
The old man laughed after hearing this and was amused by him.

He was about to say something when the boy in front of him suddenly ran away without even saying hello.

Looking at the receding figure, I felt a little lost.

Just as the old man was about to continue sculpting the statue, he heard hurried footsteps again.

I couldn't help but feel happy.

Zhao Rong brought two jars of wine and said, "I have received your guidance today, so please have a sip."

"Most people drink chrysanthemum wine on Double Ninth Festival nowadays, but I bought osmanthus wine."

The old man was curious: "What's the explanation?"

"It is the Mid-Autumn Festival to appreciate the osmanthus, pray for reunion, and hope to have the opportunity to meet with my predecessors again."

Zhao Rong asked again: "I still don't know your name, senior?"

"The last name is Gu."

Zhao Rong's eyes were red. "Junior Zhao Rong, my master is Mr. Mo Da. Senior Gu is about the same age as my master, and is equally kind. I think he is very friendly."

"I'm going to Luzhou now, and then I'll go south. I don't know when I'll have the chance to see you again."

"If Senior Gu is too quiet to think of something new, he can go to Hengyang to enjoy the scenery. I will definitely be your companion."

The old man smiled and shook his head, but when he heard him say he was going to Luzhou, he couldn't help but remind him:
"If you go to Luzhou, you can avoid Sanshipu. The charcoal seller next door said that all the brave men in Sanshipu charcoal yard have fled from the town. It shows how vicious they are."

They chatted for a few more sentences and then Zhao Rong said goodbye and left.

The old sculptor was carrying two jars of osmanthus wine, looking at the young man's back, thinking of the sword, and recalling the past.

He chuckled, his eyes slightly blurry.

I want to buy osmanthus flowers and put them in the wine, but it doesn't look like the time when I was young.
……

The world is vast, and there are so many talented people and hermits.

Zhao Rong couldn't help but think of Mr. Sang who sold tea in Hengyang Tea Shop. He didn't expect to meet another sword master today.

If I hadn't gained some insights from observing the Five Gods Peak, I would not have been able to tell at this moment that the old man surnamed Gu had hidden his sword skills.

What a pity. I was not able to invite this old senior Gu to Hengshan.

This is a master at the head of a sect, and he lives in seclusion in the market. Zhao Rong is really envious of him.

If we could find eight or ten such people and bring them to Hengshan, and teach them martial arts and swordsmanship to our disciples, wouldn't our Hengshan sect instantly become a top sect?

When the young master returned to the inn, there was still a look of regret on his face.

But in the inn, there was endless laughter.

"Master Yue, it has been a long time since we last met!"

"We must get along well!"

"Yes, let's drink a few more cups tonight, and then we'll set off together tomorrow to go to Luzhou and kill the Demon Cult!"

"..."

As soon as I entered the inn, I saw two sturdy men with thick bat-shaped eyebrows and hearty smiles on their faces.

There were seven or eight people around them, and the two carriages outside the inn that exuded the scent of medicine should be theirs.

Mr. Mo Da, Sect Leader Yue, and Lady Ning were chatting and laughing with them.

As soon as Zhao Rong came in, Mr. Mo Da smiled and said:

"This is my useless disciple."

The taller man laughed and scolded, "Mr. Mo, why are you joking? Young Master Zhao and Young Master Linghu are both outstanding young masters of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. Their future is limitless."

"It's totally inappropriate to say 'useless' to us."

Another person said, "If the two disciples are not good enough, then our disciples will be ashamed to death."

The two of them really know how to talk.

Sect Leader Yue and Sect Leader Mo Da both smiled.

Zhao Rong smelled a fragrance and looked at the carriage outside, but didn't pay much attention to it.

The two big men were about fifty years old, naturally older than them in seniority. He didn't want to be rude, so he quickly stepped forward to greet them after they showed up.

Mr. Mo Da said, "These two are the two heroes of the Xia family from Sanqin Yangweizhuang. This one is the Iron-hearted Xia En. This one is the Iron-hearted Xia Jie."

The nickname "heartfelt and daring" is not given randomly.

When the heart is cut open, bile drips out, showing sincerity! "Uncle Xia!"

Zhao Rong shouted twice.

"Good!" Xia En exclaimed, "Young Master Zhao's reputation has long been known throughout the Central Plains. He is indeed an extraordinary man."

"You are really too arrogant to call me uncle."

He wasn't being polite.

Previously, because of the attention of Alliance Leader Zuo, Zhao Rong’s name was widely known in the Central Plains. Otherwise, as a young boy from Hengyang, he would never have become famous in the Central Plains martial arts world unless he did something earth-shattering.

Mo Da smiled and said some polite words. The other party was of a higher generation, so there was no need to be so arrogant.

Yue Buqun also praised them: "Back in the Three Qins, you two were kind and generous, and loved to fight for justice. We even wiped out the Three Bandits of Ningshan together."

"Yes," the big man said with a look of nostalgia, "that was fifteen years ago."

"Well, at that time, Zhuangzi was hit by a plague and hundreds of people died. My brother and I were barely alive. We went all the way to Xiaocheng to ask for medicine and help, and we barely survived."

"This time, I heard from my friends in the martial arts world that the Five Mountains Sword Sect and Shaolin and Wudang are joining forces to destroy the Demon Sect. The first battle will be in Luzhou. Xiaocheng is not far from Luzhou. My two brothers heard the news and wanted to help."

"I didn't expect to meet all of you distinguished guests from the Five Mountains here. I am so happy."

"Hahaha!"

"..."

The few of them were chatting animatedly. Zhao Rong stepped back with a smile, then curiously followed the scent to the carriage.

A thin man immediately rushed out of the inn.

"Brother Zhao, are you attracted by the fragrance?"

This man's name is Yin Shouque, and he is Xia En's eldest disciple. He is older than Zhao Rong, but Yang Weizhuang is not on the same level as the Five Mountains Sword Sect, so he doesn't dare to be so arrogant as to call himself a senior brother.

"Yes, it smells like flowers and medicine."

"Brother Zhao, wait a moment."

He responded and got on the carriage. Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan also came up to join in the fun.

Not long after, Yin Shouque came out holding a small jar. It clearly smelled like medicine, but when he opened the jar, there was a smell of wine.

Linghu Chong instantly perked up.

"Junior Brother Yin, what kind of wine is this?"

"This is Dahu wine," Yin Shouque said with a smile, "This is good stuff, look."

He took out a pair of chopsticks from the carriage, reached into the small jar, and then pulled out something. Yue Lingshan and Linghu Chong's faces changed slightly.

It turned out to be a huge black bee, probably as big as half a child's fist.

"This thing is called a giant tiger bee. It is quite rare. Soak it in wine. It becomes both wine and medicine. The wine also contains a lot of nectar, which gives it a strange fragrance."

Yue Lingshan said: "Isn't this a poisonous bee? I heard that one bite of it can kill a cow."

Yin Shouque smiled and explained: "This bee is indeed extremely poisonous."

"But using medicinal herbs to treat it can neutralize the poison and turn it into medicine."

"Master knows that there will be a great battle between good and evil in Luzhou, so he brought all the medicinal wine with him. If any of our friends are injured, this wine can be taken internally or applied externally to have miraculous effects."

Zhao Rong nodded secretly.

I have a better impression of the two big men.

The Five Treasures Wine of the Five Immortals Sect is a treasure of the sect. This Dahu Wine is far inferior to the Five Treasures Wine, but it is also a treasure of Yang Wei Zhuang.

No wonder Master Mo and Sect Leader Yue were so enthusiastic towards them.

……

Towards evening, a man sneaked up to the crooked tree at the north entrance of the town and tied a black rag around it.

Not long after, the second person came over and untied the tattered belt.

After a while, the third person tied a black rag belt.

After an incense stick of time had passed, the fourth person carved a cryptic sun symbol on the tree with a dagger.

When it was completely dark in the evening, a fifth person came and went to the tree and made several regular scratches with a knife.

At night, the night watchman from Qingshui Town passed by here and urinated on the crooked tree.

……

The disciples of the two factions who had gone out to gather information all returned to the inn at night and greeted Yang Weizhuang's two uncles respectively. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Xia En took out several jars of Dahu wine. At first, no one dared to drink it because they were afraid that the poisonous bees were extremely toxic.

The two heroes of the Xia family took the lead in drinking to prove that there was no poison.

Zhao Rong naturally wouldn't stop him, he knew that medicinal wine was a good thing.

After everyone drank it, they felt refreshed and their mouths were full of floral fragrance. It was indeed a treasure.

It is said that tiger wine can cure external injuries. Nan Shanshi and Lao Denuo, who were the most seriously injured, applied the wine to their wounds. They felt a stinging pain at first, but gradually they felt a tingling and comfortable feeling.

Really useful!

Laudno is full of fragrance, like a pollen man.

He thought to himself, "If I could steal the recipe for this precious wine and send it to Mount Song, my master would definitely be happy."

The disciples summarized the news.

Qingshui Town seemed to be a place with little information, and it knew nothing about the situations of other sects. Did all the martial artists here really go to Luzhou to join in the fun?
"Shop 30 is quite dangerous."

"We know there are tigers in the mountains, so it's better for us to avoid them."

"We can change to a small road. It's hard for horses to go, and the carriages of the two uncles can't go even further."

Xia En suggested: "We have farmhands passing through here. Since the terrain in the town is complicated and prone to ambush, we can follow the main road to the edge of the town and then bypass Sanshipu from the side."

Xia Jie's face condensed, and he said in a deep voice, "It's okay, everyone, go closer to Sanshipu and hold the reins and walk slowly."

"I'll ride a fast horse to explore the town."

"If the demon cult thieves are ambushing us, I will ride my horse to lure them out and fight them head-on outside. We are not afraid of them!"

"That's right!" Xia En clenched his fists, "I'm going to have a bloody fight with the Demon Cult, so that these villains can see my determination to eradicate the demons!"

The disciples of both factions all thought to themselves, "These two uncles are both very strong in appearance, and have very hot tempers."

The two Xia heroes had their hands on the hilts of their swords, as if they couldn't wait to use their swords to drink the blood of the cult thieves.

Lady Ning said bluntly: "How can we ask Brother Xia to take risks?"

"We'll just listen to Brother Xia. It's okay to take a detour."

Everyone nodded.

Perhaps it would be safer to abandon the horse and go around Sanshipu, but now that the deal has been reached, Zhao Rong cannot refute the opinions of his predecessors.

The two factions slaughtered the evil cult bandits miserably in Erlang Temple. Now that they have more manpower, they are even more emboldened.

Judging from the attitudes of Sect Leader Yue and Lady Ning, the two Xia clan heroes must be quite capable.

At night, they prepared to vacate a room for the people from Yang Wei Zhuang to stay in, but they insisted on sleeping in the carriage, saying that they wanted to keep watch outside.

After some pushing and pulling, a room upstairs was finally made available for the two heroes of the Xia family.

No matter how good your reputation is, you are still a stranger.

Zhao Rong traveled around the world, but he still remained wary of these people.

At night, I wanted to check if the two heroes of the Xia family had any unusual movements, but I could hear their deafening snoring through several doors.

"Brother, prepare everything you asked for."

"it is good."

"Tomorrow will probably be a turbulent day, so everyone please be careful."

"clear."

……

Zhao Rong did not sleep soundly that night, but fortunately nothing happened. When he opened his eyes, it was just dawn.

I opened my mouth and breathed in, and the faint fragrance was still there.

The aftereffect of Dahu wine is quite strong.

He tried to circulate the Xisui Meridian, and the Qi circulated through his body. Then he heard a few roosters crowing outside.

When he opened his eyes again, the smell of alcohol on his body was gone.

Only then did he stand up with satisfaction.

It’s not that I dislike the floral scent, it’s just that it’s too strong and can easily affect my judgment of other scents.

The sun had not yet risen, but the crowing of roosters in Qingshui Town woke up the three parties.

The Hengshan and Huashan disciples quickly gathered together after washing and bought a lot of hot meat buns from Danian.

Nan Shanshi and Lao Denuo were still smelling fragrant. Female disciples such as Li Weijin, Guo Yuying, and Yue Lingshan would glance at Yang Weizhuang's carriage from time to time.

This wine works better than spices.

However, they had no injuries on their bodies, so they didn't waste it by applying the liquid on their bodies.

We rode on horseback and headed east to Sanshipu.

Yang Weizhuang's carriage was loaded with precious medicinal wine, and the jars were easily broken, so naturally they didn't dare to go fast.

On the way, I heard Yin Shouque shouting in sorrow, "A jar of wine is broken!"

It turned out that the car was shaken badly when passing through a rocky pit.

"It's broken, so what's the big deal?"

"The important thing is to hurry on."

The two Xia heroes didn't care at all. Although Lady Ning didn't say anything, she slowed down her horse.

If the people in front slow down, the people behind will go even slower.

After walking about thirty or forty miles, we came to a tea stall on the side of the road where some traveling vendors stayed.

The two heroes of the Xia family invited them to have tea. The disciples and farmhands heard them calling out and all went to get tea. Zhao Rong frowned and followed them to take a look, but found nothing wrong.

I thought to myself, "Am I being mean-spirited?"

While drinking tea, Linghu Chong praised their Dahu wine to Yin Shouque, "When I heard the wine was broken just now, my heart ached, as if it was broken."

Yin Shouque smiled and said, "If there is any wine left in Luzhou, I will give two jars to Senior Brother Linghu."

Seeing Jiu Mengzi's overjoyed look, Zhao Rong wanted to kick him on behalf of Sect Leader Yue.

"Big Brother has a strong scent on him. He drank several cups yesterday," Yue Lingshan joked. "This is the precious wine of the two uncles. Daddy knows it's a good thing, so he didn't blame you for drinking too much."

"Master, don't let this make you drunk."

Linghu Chong said, "Of course," and then curiously asked Zhao Rong, "Brother Rong, why is there no fragrance on your body?"

"Yeah." Yue Lingshan was also curious.

Zhao Rong said, "I am young and my alcohol tolerance is low. I only drank one glass yesterday."

Yin Shouque frowned slightly: "Strange."

"Our Dahu wine uses medicine to remove poison, and it tastes sweet when mixed with flowers. The sweetness makes you salivate, and the fragrance is endless."

“Unless all the medicinal effects of the tiger wine are absorbed, the fragrance will not dissipate.”

"To get rid of the smell in one day, only a senior with extremely high internal strength can do it."

Yue Lingshan smiled: "What's so strange about that? Senior Brother Zhao just drank very little."

Zhao Rong rubbed his head and said to Yin Shouque, "Junior sister, what you said makes sense."

Linghu Chong looked at Zhao Rong, unable to suppress the smile on his face, "Junior Brother Zhao hid it so well, but was exposed because of a glass of wine, how interesting."

"No wonder Master and his wife always say that drinking alcohol can cause trouble. It turns out they are not lying."

"Even a man like Junior Brother Zhao was defeated by a glass of wine, how can Linghu Chong not be defeated? He should drink less in the future."

He thought of another incredible thing.

"Master, Master's wife, Master Mo, both have a faint fragrance. Junior Brother Yin said so. Could it be that Junior Brother Zhao's skills are even better than those of the three elders?"

"Junior Brother Zhao also had a strong scent of medicine on him yesterday, so he definitely drank more than one cup."

Linghu Chong trusts his nose.

Yin Shouque, who didn't know the truth, was confused and felt strange, but didn't ask any more questions.

The two horse-drawn carriages carrying wine really slowed down their progress, and in the evening of that day, they saw a broken signboard with the words "Sanshipu Town" written on it.

The road in front of the town is wider, and there are wheel and horse hoof prints on the road.

It rained the day before yesterday, and judging by the tire tracks on the road, they are definitely not new.

Looking closely, there are very few new stamps in the past two days, and almost no vehicles use this road.

Is the person who left the mark two days ago still in the city?

Are these the people ambushed by the Demon Cult?
Although one mark cannot explain everything, everyone still becomes alert when thinking about it this way.

As we got closer to the entrance of Sanshipu Town, we saw slightly more wheel and horse hoof prints, but it was still far from being as lively and bustling as Qingshui Town.

Ning Zhongze shook his head slightly and looked at Master Yue and Mr. Mo Da.

"Go around it."

"Well, it's too quiet."

The hearing of the two masters is naturally better than others.

Second Brother Xia was not afraid at all, and said he would ride into the town on horseback, taunt and anger the evil cult thieves inside, and lure them out.

Brother Xia told him to stop messing around.

So the three groups turned around and walked half a mile, taking a small path to the north.

There was dead grass on both sides of the road, probably more than one meter tall.

There are forks in the road along the way. If you don’t have someone familiar to lead the way, it would be difficult to tell the direction among the weeds.

However.
The further Zhao Rong walked, the more suspicious he became. He looked dimly at the farmhand who was leading the way ahead.

This person just said that he had walked this road before, why does it sound so familiar?

At every intersection, without hesitation.

He asked the guide, "How far is it?"

At this time, the man turned around with a hint of apology on his face: "I don't know either."

"I haven't walked this road often. Now there's so much grass that I can't see clearly. I'm afraid I'll have to take a longer detour."

Zhao Rong looked at him and it didn't seem like he was pretending.

I heard Brother Xia scold again, "Then why did you walk so fast? I thought you were very familiar with it."

Brother Xia patted the farmhand on the shoulder and said, "Old Wang, look at the sun in the sky. I'm afraid it's going to make us spend the night in the weeds."

"Two manor masters, not that, not that."

The man waved his hands repeatedly, looking very nervous, and swallowed his saliva with a gulp.

Zhao Rong's mind was on these people. Mo Da and Yue Buqun suddenly raised their hands, signaling them not to speak.

He immediately became alert and listened carefully.

It sounds like bells!

"drive!"

Mr. Mo Da and Sect Leader Yue took the lead and rode their horses towards the source of the sound, and everyone followed.

Soon, they caught up.

I saw a small donkey dragging a forked bamboo basket with charcoal on both sides, and an old man in gray clothes wearing a straw hat, leggings and straw sandals.

He carried a wooden stick as thick as his wrist on his shoulder, with two pheasants with long tails hanging on the end.

The sound of bells came from under the donkey's neck, and the old man was humming a cheerful tune.

It turned out that he was a coal transporter from Sanshipu Town.

Sect Leader Yue said, "This old man is from the Sanshipu charcoal yard. He knows the way."

"I have walked this road my whole life, how could I not recognize it?"

When he said this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

This person is much more reliable than the farmhands at Yang Wei Manor.

Zhao Rong's brows twitched slightly, thinking of the old man Gu whom he met in the city yesterday.

So I asked politely:
"Old man, how far is it to the charcoal field?"

"We will definitely arrive before the sun sets."

"Yesterday I heard that the men in the coal mine were killed by bandits, and many of them died."

The old man sighed and said, "That's right."

“So many people in the city ran away.”

"With my old bones, it doesn't matter whether I run or not."

After hearing what he said, everyone thought that the old man was quite free and easy.

Zhao Rong narrowed his eyes slightly
……

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(End of this chapter)