Knife splashing

Chapter 106: Manchuan Pass Lu San

"Wind, forest, fire and mountain" refer to different things.

The so-called "wind" refers to all kinds of rumors.

Two people make a "forest", so "forest" means looking for partners. There are some shameful jobs in the underworld that are difficult to do alone, and it's difficult to call for companions in a short time, so people come here to ask for help.

In the underworld, "fire" usually means having goods and money. For example, when bandits smash a kiln (rob a manor), the one with oil and water is called a "fire kiln", and the one without oil and water is called a "water kiln".

In this Fengwen Hall, "fire" represents various commissions. Although the rewards are generous, most of them are shameful activities such as robbery, murder, fraud, etc.

As for the "mountain", it is as still as a mountain. If people in the underworld get into trouble and need to hide or find medical treatment, they can get it done here. Of course, the price is not low.

These are the "shops" among the five kinds of businesses in the underworld. Some are open to welcome customers from all directions, while others do shameful business.

If there is robbery and murder, it is a "black shop".

Stores with brand names like this are usually a powerful force located in different areas. They abide by the rules of the underworld and will not act recklessly.

"You two, please come inside."

The waiter opened a room and invited the two people in.

The room was not big and not elegant. There was nothing else except chairs and a table. Even the windows were sealed.

The candles were lit and the light was a little dim.

This kind of arrangement naturally has its own rules.

First, it is secretive. When the door is closed, it becomes a world of its own, indicating that no one can eavesdrop. Second, it is safe. The layout of the room is clear at a glance, indicating that there are no mechanisms or traps.

After the two of them sat down, the waiter went out immediately and came back a few moments later with a wooden tray containing a teapot, a small stove, and many teacups.

Then he walked out without saying a word.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "People in Ezhou love tea. When they go from one house to another, they offer a cup of tea. Even if you say you don't want tea, they will still serve it to you."

"Master Dao, you don't know this, do you?"

Sharifei smiled and said, "This is going to be a discussion."

Boom boom boom!
Before he could finish his words, someone knocked on the door and came in.

It was an old man in black coarse cloth, with a weathered face and a smile on his face. He opened the door and bowed, saying, "You two have come from afar, thank you for your hard work."

The so-called meeting is hard, he must be a gangster,
As long as you are in the world, you are a person with bad luck.

The old man looks ordinary, but he is a veteran when he speaks.

After he sat down, he did not rush to speak. Instead, he picked up the small teacup on the tray, glanced at the two of them, put the teapot and one teacup on the tray, and placed the other cup outside the tray.

Wang Daoxuan knew at a glance that this was a tea arrangement.

The so-called tea formation is also one of the underworld jargons.

A teapot, a tea tray, and several teacups can produce countless changes in the formation, all with their own meaning.

Generally speaking, there are four major categories: testing, seeking help, visiting friends, and fighting, among which there are many formations.

Each formation has a related method to break it.

Don't underestimate this, and don't think it's cumbersome.

When traveling in the world, one cannot do without the ways of the world. More friends mean more paths to take, and with more friends you can travel the world.

After opening the Spring Code and becoming familiar with the rules of the martial arts world, even if you don't have a penny, you can still travel around the mountains and rivers and at least have something to eat.

Of course, in the underworld, people pay more attention to "only speaking half of the truth", because there are many human relationships and grudges, and the person who is trying to trick you might have a grudge against the gang.

In the last second, he greeted you with a smile, and in the next second, he swung his knife and started chopping!

Although Wang Daoxuan has also been in the underworld for many years, his ways are different. When it comes to his understanding of this, he cannot compare to Sha Lifei, let alone Li Yan.

But even so, he saw this first wave.

The formation is very simple and is called the Willow Formation.

The saying goes, "There is a world of its own in the willow array, and there is no outsider to the brotherhood of martial arts." The simplest meaning is, it just depends on whether you are a fellow martial artist.

This kind of small formation was naturally no problem for Sharifei. He simply put the teacup outside into the plate, picked it up and made a tea drinking gesture, then put it back and raised his hand to invite everyone.

The old man was not surprised and continued to set up the formation.

The subsequent formations become more and more complicated, testing both your background and your intentions.

It may seem cumbersome, but the test has its own meaning.

If you are a newbie who only knows a few rules, I'm sorry, the price of some information will increase.

Even if you suffer a loss, you have to bear it. This is the rule everywhere.

But who is Shalifi? He is a man full of nonsense, who can even mistake a sesame seed for a watermelon. He is also well versed in the rules of the underworld, and he frightened the old man opposite him.

Of course, the old man had a rough idea in his mind, and began to wash and brew tea slowly, and then poured it for the two of them, and then asked: "I wonder what news do you two want to know?"

At this point, there is no need for code words.

Sharifei didn't waste any words and asked directly: "We sent the coffin of a Xuanmen elder back to Wujiagou, but the whole village was gone, and even the graves of the family members could not be found. What happened there?"

"Wujiagou..."

Hearing that it was related to the Xuanmen, the old man's face suddenly became solemn. He pondered for a moment, dipped his finger in tea, and wrote a word on the table.

When they took a look, they found it was a tiger.

Wang Daoxuan frowned, "Is there a tiger problem in Wujiagou?"

"It's not a real tiger."

The old man sighed, "But sometimes, people are scarier than tigers."

"Wujiagou is nothing special, just ordinary. If you two hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known that there was a senior from Xuanmen hiding there."

"But two years ago, they found gold in the ditch there. Although it was a small amount, it attracted the attention of the county lieutenant Qiao Sanhu."

"You two also know that the court has a rule that gold, silver, copper and iron mines cannot be mined privately. In order to cover up the news, Qiao Sanhu first silenced those who knew about it, and then used tricks overtly and covertly to force the people of Wujiagou, young and old, to move away from their hometown..."

As he said this, he sneered, "He did this secretly, but how could he hide it from his fellow martial artists?"

"I see."

Wang Daoxuan sighed when he heard this, and shook his head, "Where did all the old and young people in Wujiagou move to?"

The old man replied: "Moved to Ezhou."

Sharifei was stunned, "Why did you run so far?"

"What if I don't run?"

The old man shook his head and said, "Someone in Wujiagou discovered something strange and wanted to go to Chang'an to report it, but Qiao Sanhu has someone in Chang'an."

"After learning the news, we directly asked the Fire Bear Gang of Chang'an City to take action. We tied the man up in the inn and buried him alive in the suburbs."

"Wujiagou couldn't afford to offend, so they had to flee far away."

Sharifei got angry when he heard this and cursed, "This dog official is really hateful. Is there no fellow martial artist who would kill him?"

The old man laughed bitterly and said, "You two, you can only say this to me, but don't mention it outside."

"Although Qiao Sanhu is only a county lieutenant, he is not that simple. One of his cousins ​​is a master of the Shangshan lineage. He is quite famous in Chang'an and is also a worshiper in the prince's mansion."

"Qiao Sanhu also gained power because of this. He was well connected with both the black and white circles in Shangzhou. He also recruited a group of underworld villains and set up a gambling den at Manchuan Wharf to make money. His family wealth was quite rich."

"Even several successive county magistrates had to look at his face before doing anything, and he was known as the 'Fengyang Tiger'."

Upon hearing this, Sharifei scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Well, forget it, I can't afford to offend him." The old man said in a deep voice, "To be honest, I have to remind my fellow martial artists from outside to avoid losing their lives."

"Since you two are here to escort the deceased back to his hometown, please don't get involved in these disputes. As for finding a way, although the people in Wujiagou have moved away, I know that there is a fellow jianghu who is a ferryman on the Jinqian River and knows everything about Wujiagou."

"That man joined the Cao Gang. His name is Lu San."

"But it's a bit troublesome to find this person..."

…………

The deserted village of Wujiagou and the old ancestral hall.

The cart driver, Lao Mengtou, and the porters were drinking. The farmer's rice wine was not valuable, and the dishes were pickled vegetables and salted beans, but everyone drank happily.

When Shari flew back, he avoided them.

The few people didn't care. Although they were also people in the underworld, they also had their own rules. They didn't listen to what they shouldn't listen to, and didn't ask what they shouldn't ask.

"That's what happened."

In another room, Sha Lifei recounted the story and shook his head, saying, "There is only one person left in Wujiagou, but it will be a bit troublesome to find that guy. I'm afraid you will have to do it yourself."

Li Yan frowned, "What trouble?"

Wang Daoxuan said: "I suspect that man is a sorcerer!"

"According to the information from the Fengwen Pavilion, this Lu San was not originally from Wujiagou. He was abandoned in a barren mountain when he was young, and was later picked up by the Wujiagou village guard and raised in the land temple at the entrance of the village."

"The villagers felt sorry for him and often sent him food. He grew up eating food from many families. After the village guard Hanhan died, he stayed in the land temple, cleaning every day and living on a portion of rice allocated from the village public fields."

"This person has been eccentric since childhood, taciturn, likes to be alone, and often talks to himself facing the mountains..."

"Oh?"

Li Yan was a little surprised, "Feng Wen Hall knows so much?"

Sharifei continued, "Of course there is a reason for that. After Wujiagou moved away, this guy did not leave with them, but ran to Manchuanguan and joined the Cao Gang."

"It's strange, since joining the Cao Gang, this guy has not followed the boat, but has been ferrying people on the Jinqian River, and the Cao Gang has been respectful to him."

"Moreover, he had a conflict with Qiao Sanhu's men. I don't know where he learned his boxing and kicking skills, but he has already stepped into the hidden power and his skills are extraordinary."

"Although the Cao Gang did not seek revenge on Qiao Sanhu for him, they also made it clear that they would do so. Qiao Sanhu's men saw him as a thorn in their side, and several attempts to kill him in secret failed."

"What's more troublesome is that this kid has no fixed place to stay and is very mysterious. Even the people in the Cao Gang don't know what he does on a daily basis."

"He is very cautious. If anything goes wrong, he will jump into the river and escape. If we go there, I'm afraid we won't be able to find him at all."

"I see."

Li Yan looked up at the sky and saw that it was already sunset. He thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll leave now."

Sharifei was stunned. "So urgent? Why not wait until tomorrow?"

Li Yan shook his head and said, "We still have things to do. We can't stay here for too long. For me, there is no difference between day and night."

After that, he packed up his things, went out, got on his horse, shook the reins, and his figure became farther and farther away in the sunset...

…………

Manchuan Pass is a hundred miles southeast of Fengyang County.

When Li Yan arrived, night had already fallen.

I saw an ancient town separated by a river among the mountains. It was quite large. Under the cover of night, the town was still brightly lit, boats were lined up on the river, and fishing lights were dotted like stars.

Even before getting close, the official road was already bustling with activity.

The mule and horse caravan coming from the north traveled thousands of miles and arrived at night. Dozens of carriages were lined up in a row, and there were many people on the car, all of whom looked weathered.

A large caravan like this one would have its own guards. When they saw Li Yan riding towards them, they immediately grasped the hilt of their swords and became secretly alert.

Li Yan glanced at it casually and didn't care.

The road was congested and we could only follow the flow of people.

In the caravan, there was a young man who had just started out in the martial arts world. He looked at the prosperous town ahead with stars in his eyes, "Brother, this pier is really big!"

The senior brother was obviously showing off, "This is the Water and Land Wharf. Goods from the north travel by land, turn south here, and travel by water again, so it's called the Water and Land Wharf."

"This Manchuan Pass connects the north and the south. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times, so it is naturally prosperous. Do you see that this side is a dry dock, and that side is a water dock? This half is called 'Qin' Street, and that half is called 'Chu' Street..."

"I know, I am loyal to both Qin and Chu!"

"You idiot, look at what you can do! Remember, once you enter this town, don't mess around. Gangs from all over the country gather here, and it's a mixed bag. People die every night."

"what?!"

"Don't be too scared, just follow me. Once we get here, we've completed our mission. I'll take you to have some fun later."

"Going for a drink?"

"Fool, go find a girl and sleep with her!"

"Hahaha!"

Seeing the young man's face flushed, the people around him burst into laughter and joked, "Lu boy, I'm afraid the girl will have to give you money tonight."

"W-why?"

"Rules, how can you not pay for eating a chick?"

"Hahaha…"

The group of people were teasing the boy to their heart's content, and the boy's face turned red and his neck became thick, and he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Li Yan eavesdropped halfway and became a little absent-minded.

The information provided by Fengwenguan is too little.

Just as the people from the caravan said just now, Manchuan Pass is a place where all kinds of people gather, and it is a large and diverse place with gangs from both the north and the south. In addition, there are merchants and porters coming and going... It can be said that it is a condensed small world of martial arts.

It’s not that easy to find someone.

Where can I find this clue...

While Li Yan was thinking, he had passed the huge archway of Manchuan Pass.

There is no wall here, and there is an old street in front of you. Teahouses, wine shops, brothels and gambling houses on both sides are brightly lit and bustling, no worse than the ancient street night markets in previous lives.

Not far away on the opposite side is the Mule and Horse Chamber of Commerce.

This is the territory of the carriage and horse gang, and they also run a business of storing horses, charging money based on the quality of the stable and feed.

After Li Yancun got his horse, he walked towards Qin Street.

He had a vague idea that the person who is most familiar with you, apart from your relatives, is probably your enemy.

Lu Sanzang was in Manchuan Pass, often fighting against Qiao Sanhu's men. He was probably just waiting for a chance to vent his anger on his fellow villagers.

Qiao Sanhu's men are probably also keeping an eye on his movements...

Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly smelled a familiar scent, but he couldn't remember who it was.

Li Yan quickly looked up and saw a middle-aged man in a blue shirt striding among the crowd.

He had a thin face and yellowish skin, but his body was straight, and he was followed by two men, looking very imposing.

He happened to know this person.

It’s Han Kun, the leader of the Xianyang Cao Gang!
(End of this chapter)