Knife splashing

Chapter 93: Mountain Rain and River Road

Rumble!
The sky was gloomy and thunder was roaring.

After a while, a drizzle began to fall, lingering like silk, hitting the leaves on the roadside, making a rustling sound.

Now is the time of Frost Descent, when all things are complete, the sun goes down into the earth, the yin energy begins to condense, and the weather is getting colder. It is the time of the year when the temperature difference between day and night is the largest.

As soon as it rains, the cold air rushes up from the soles of my feet.

"This is so unlucky..."

Sharifei stood under the eaves, shivered, then turned around and walked in, giving a thumbs up, "You are so smart, Taoist priest. He predicted that it would rain today and took us out of the way in advance. It's a pity that we don't have a proper place to stay."

This is an old house on a hillside.

The old house is in a remote area. It is said that it was built by a wealthy businessman many years ago, who planned to settle the entire family here. However, he never expected that it was destroyed by bandits just after it was built, and it has been abandoned ever since.

Although most of the houses have collapsed and are surrounded by weeds, the two remaining large main halls are large enough to shelter everyone from wind and rain.

Inside the house, Wang Daoxuan burned a handful of dry mugwort and waved it in every corner, especially those rotten and dark nooks, to dispel bad luck.

The old man who handled the cart fed the horses, four porters chopped firewood and built a stove. As for Li Yan, he thought other people's cooking was unpalatable and unclean, so he did it himself.

After a few days, everyone has cooperated well and everything is in order.

Sharifei felt bored, so he complained, "That innkeeper is really rude. We are fellow travelers, but he didn't even let us in."

"Otherwise, we would have eaten something hot by now..."

After they set out from Xianyang, their journey was smooth.

After a few days, we arrived at the foot of Qinling Mountains.

Wang Daoxuan checked the sky and found that it had been raining for several days. If they continued on their journey, the coffin would probably get wet, so he took everyone to find a place to rest.

This place is not far from the road into the mountain. There is an inn a few hundred meters away. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to enter. They just pointed us to this place to take shelter from the rain.

The leader of the porters was called Yue Ba'er. He rolled down the hillside while playing as a child. He did not die, but his head was covered with scars.

When he grew up, he shaved his head, and with scars all over his head and a face full of fat, he was inevitably nicknamed Scarred. Over time, no one called him by his real name anymore.

Although he looks fierce, he is actually an honest and responsible person. With his fierce look, he became a famous porter in Xianyang City in just a few years.

Hearing Sha Lifei's complaints, Yue Ba'e scratched his head and said with a silly smile, "Sha Hero, we are sending Yin people back home, and the inn is for Yang people. Wouldn't it cause trouble for them if we go there?"

"There is a rule in our business that we don't visit random people, so as not to bring bad luck to others. In the past, we slept in the wilderness and dilapidated temples. We are used to it."

The coachman, Lao Mengtou, was from the Taixing Coach and Horse Company. He was a seasoned man. He rolled his eyes and smacked his lips and said, "Traveling is like this. Everyone is exposed to the wind and sun. The only thing I regret is the drink."

Sharifei was amused when he heard this, "You are so good, old Meng, you are begging for wine in a roundabout way, right? What good wine can this old shop in the countryside have?"

"Ah~"

Old Meng blinked and said, "You don't understand this."

"The Fenglai Inn at the foot of the mountain is a well-known inn in Chang'an. They brew Liulin Laoqin wine from Fengxiang, which is the best."

"It's mellow and elegant, sweet and refreshing, with harmonious flavors and a long, clean aftertaste... Tsk tsk, in terms of kung fu, I'm not that good, but I've traveled all over the country, so I know exactly where the best wine is!"

Sharifei swallowed his saliva at what he said, "Don't lie to me."

Li Yan, who was cutting vegetables, was also moved. "Uncle Sha, since it is a pseudonym, there must be a lot of news in the underworld."

"Since we can't leave today, go buy some wine for everyone to keep warm, and get some information on the way. It seems that the Qinling Road is not peaceful."

"Good Le!"

He was very happy, put on a straw hat and raincoat, and rushed into the rain.

When it comes to work, he is lazy, but he is good at running errands and gathering information.

Wang Daoxuan had just finished removing the dark clouds and lit three incense sticks, inserting them into the small incense burner next to the coffin. He then smiled and said, "Don't worry, the road we are taking is the Qin-Chu Ancient Road, which just passes through Mount Zhongnan."

"There are many Taoist temples on Mount Zhongnan, and there are many Taoist masters practicing in seclusion. There are always pilgrims from Chang'an all year round, so there is basically no danger."

"But now is the Frost Descent, and jackals are sacrificial animals. The wild animals on the mountain need to hibernate, so I'm afraid they will come down to harass us..."

Halfway through his words, Wang Daoxuan saw Li Yan staring blankly outside the door, and frowned, whispering, "He appeared again?"

Li Yan nodded and said nothing.

In his sight, the Lengtan Youshi appeared again in the drizzle outside the door, still covered in blood, with long hair hanging down, and his left hand pointing at the Qinling Mountains.

Although Qing Yangzi said it was okay, he still felt a little uneasy.

There was no other reason, it was just that the appearance of this You Shi was too miserable.

What on earth did he go through...

…………

"The phoenix is ​​flying and spreading good news, and the guests and friends are all talking about their deep feelings..."

Sharifei looked at the couplet on the door of the inn and muttered, "What a coward! This Jianghu inn is so elegant. It must be opened by some young woman!"

This Fenglai Inn is quite large.

There are couplets pasted on the tall wooden door, and strings of gourd lanterns hang on both sides, connected to the mud wall, enclosing the entire inn and the surrounding fields.

Before Sharifei entered the door, he heard the neighing of mules and horses inside.

After entering the courtyard, I saw animal sheds on both sides of the spacious yard to shelter from the rain. Two servants were busy feeding hay to the mules and horses.

One of the round-faced waiters saw Sha Lifei and hurried over, bowing repeatedly and saying with a wry smile: "Hey, sir, the team that escorts the Yin people is indeed not allowed to enter, please don't embarrass me."

"Look how scared you are, you little idiot."

Sharifei glared at him and said, "I'm here to buy some drinks, can you let me in?"

"Of course."

The waiter quickly bent down and raised his hand, "Sir, please come in."

The shop owner has seen all kinds of people coming and going, many of them are unreasonable and act sideways. Sharifei's attitude can't scare him at all.

Sharifei was too lazy to argue, so he trotted all the way, jumped over the muddy puddles, lifted the curtain and entered the inn.

In the underworld, inns are divided into different levels.

The top-notch ones are often opened in prosperous cities, with more than a dozen courtyards inside and outside, and the guests are all nobles and wealthy businessmen.

The high-end ones are similar, but slightly smaller. They are often located next to famous brothels and taverns in the city, or near crowded places such as academies.

As for those on the road, most of them are relatively simple.

This Fenglai Inn is divided into the front hall and the backyard.

The front hall has two floors. The middle one is spacious and filled with square tables for guests to drink and eat. There are wooden railings and brick stairs on both sides leading to the rooms on the second floor.

As for the backyard, there are large bunk beds with more than a dozen people in a row, as well as single rooms with their own courtyards. It all depends on whether you have enough money.

Perhaps because of the autumn rain, there are quite a few people in the inn.

"Waiter, bring me a pot of Lao Qin wine and some food."

Sharifei shouted, then found an empty corner to sit down, took out a copy of "The Story of Shamen Hongniang" from his bosom, pretended to be flipping through it, but actually was paying attention to the movements around him.

He was an old hand and could quickly see through the details of the person who came to the inn.

The group of people on the left were neatly dressed, spoke elegantly, were all vegetarians, and had guards standing behind them. They were obviously a group of people offering incense from Chang'an.

The so-called incense-burning group is to go to famous mountains and rivers to burn incense together, one is to express sincerity, and the other is to enjoy the scenery along the way.

They usually have a little wealth, so they team up to hire some guards, after all, some places on the road are not safe...

Those on the right were obviously the deliverymen of the inn. They drank muddy liquor and ate pickled vegetables. They were in high spirits and even sang and played finger-guessing: "Aiyo, liquor is made from grains. It makes your arms weak first and your legs weak later. Liquor ruins a gentleman and water ruins the road. Even gods cannot produce liquor..."

They shouted so loudly that several people from the Chang'an Incense-burning Group nearby looked uneasy, but after the guard whispered to them, they could only hold back and not get angry.

Sharifei laughed secretly in his heart.

Although these rickshaw drivers look crude, they are not easy to mess with. They have the support of the rickshaw dealerships and may even be familiar with the bandits on the road.

If there is a dispute, it is better to cover the face and beat him up.

If there is someone with bad intentions, he would secretly kill people and steal the goods, then throw the bodies into the woods to feed the wild animals. It is not uncommon for such people to do so.

If you are wanted, the worst that can happen is that you can go to another state and continue working.

These Chang'an incense-burning groups are really not to be trifled with.

As for the remaining people in the store, most of them are solo artists. Some are muscular and perform to make a living, while others are drummers who carry a liuqin and a three-stringed instrument on their backs. Their faces are frosted and miserable, and they drink a pot of muddy wine to lament the hardships of the world...

That's what the inn is like.

Ordinary people are busy with their farm work, so most of the people on the road are either delivering goods or making a living.

Sharifei looked around for a while, but didn't see anyone who was annoying. Just then, the waiter brought some drinks and snacks, so he asked in a low voice, "Waiter, let me ask you, is the road peaceful recently?"

As he spoke, he took out a few copper coins and placed them on the table.

"Sir, you have asked the right person."

The waiter put down the drinks and dishes, then picked up the plate. The copper coins on the table had disappeared. He laughed and said, "This place is close to Mount Zhongnan. Not to mention the bandits, even the wild animals in the mountains are vegetarians and chant Buddhist scriptures. They will not hurt people."

"Sir, are you going to Shangzhou?"

Sharifei nodded and said, "Let's go to Fengyang."

The waiter looked around and whispered, "Be careful after you pass the Zhongnan Mountain area. The driver who came back yesterday said there were wild animals hurting people over there."

"Also, there are quite a few outlaws on the mountain in Niubeiliang. They seem to be short of money recently and even had a fight with the Dingyuan Escort Agency. I heard it was a big fight."

"Although you are the team that sends the evildoers, there is no guarantee that you will take action."

"Oh…"

Sharifei frowned slightly, "Thanks."

He had heard of the reputation of Niubeiliang. It had a complex terrain, high mountains and dense forests. It was also the only way to Shangzhou, and there were quite a few bandits entrenched there.

The government launched several raids but failed to completely eradicate the rebellion.

It seems that I need to go back and discuss it with Li Yan.

Thinking of this, Sharifei immediately shouted, "Waiter, pack these and bring me ten kilograms of wine."

"Good Le!"

The waiter's face was filled with joy and he quickly went to fetch the jar of wine.

Those poor guys can't afford to drink Liulin Laoqin wine, so the more clear the better. Maybe the shopkeeper will be happy and reward him with more.

Sharifei was a tall and strong man, and he picked up the ten-pound jar of wine as if it were a piece of cake. But just as he was about to leave, another person came in from outside the door.

The visitor was a middle-aged man, wearing a green shirt, a cowhide belt and wrist guards, and a long sword at his waist. There was no smile on his face, but a murderous look between his brows.

The key is the shoes on his feet. Although they are covered in mud, they have black boots and thick white soles.

These are thick-soled black boots, official boots that can only be worn by officials or children of officials.

He glanced around, frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Waiter, are there any good private courtyards left?"

The waiter smiled and said, "Sir, the yard has been rented out."

The middle-aged man casually threw out a bunch of money and asked, "Who is it?"

The waiter quickly took it and said with a silly smile: "You are embarrassing me, how dare I say..."

Having said that, his eyes drifted to the side.

There, was the incense-burning group from Chang'an.

Without saying anything, the middle-aged man came directly to the incense burning group, clasped his hands and said, "Excuse me, everyone. My master can't stand the noise and wants a separate yard. Can you give it up? I am willing to pay three times the store fee."

Several people in the incense-burning group were already annoyed by the noise made by the rickshaw drivers and were about to leave, but when they heard these words, they immediately became unhappy.

"Your Excellency is a little overbearing?"

"That's right. Do you think we can't afford it?"

There was also a young man in the incense-burning group. When he saw the other party's official boots, his eyes changed slightly. He quickly stopped everyone and smiled and bowed, saying: "This sir, my father Zhang Xianqi works under the new governor Li. I wonder if you..."

This is a test, but also a test.

If the other party is of great importance, you can just give it up and establish a relationship with him.

If the other party is just someone from an ordinary small government office, he will retreat when he sees difficulty.

And what you say is polite and won’t offend anyone.

Hearing "Mr. Li, the new governor", the middle-aged man's expression immediately changed, and he said in a deep voice: "Forget it, no need to bother you."

A trace of disdain flashed in the young pilgrim's eyes, and he glanced at the rickshaw drivers. He felt that it was a disgrace to his status to stay in an inn with such a bunch of rough guys.

On the other side, the middle-aged man turned around and asked the waiter, "Is there a quiet place nearby to take shelter from the rain?"

The waiter swallowed and his eyes drifted away again.

"You coward, if you keep looking at me, I'll dig out your eyes!"

Sharifei cursed directly, and then said: "Traveling in the rivers and lakes is always inconvenient. There is a house over there. It's okay for us to give up one."

"It's just a team of people sending evil spirits. If you are not afraid, come."

After saying that, he put on a straw hat and raincoat and went out.

After leaving the inn, Sharifei immediately saw two carriages parked under a tree on the side of the road. The carriages were large and elegant, with cloth curtains closed. There were six knights standing beside them, all wearing blue robes and official boots.

He didn't want to cause trouble, so he left with the jar of wine.

The middle-aged man followed and ran to the first carriage, bowing respectfully and saying, "Sir, there is no private courtyard. It has been occupied by a group of pilgrims from Chang'an..."

After hearing what he said, an old voice came from the sedan chair, "Fengping, you've been deceived. Although the court has repeatedly banned it, the children of officials often ask for a note when they go out and rest in the post station on the way."

"You haven't seen many boastful people like this in Chang'an, have you?"

"But you did the right thing. We don't need to cause trouble."

The middle-aged man named Feng Ping nodded and said, "Master, there is an abandoned house nearby where you can take shelter from the rain, but there is also a team sending off the deceased."

Inside the carriage, a voice was heard again, "We are just sending the deceased back to his hometown. I am also returning to my roots. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Let's go."

"Yes, sir!"

The middle-aged man waved his hand, and the team immediately entered the rain.

At this moment, a crack appeared in the wooden window on the second floor of the inn. A bearded man stroked his chin, stared at the convoy slowly leaving, and said in a deep voice:

"Hai Chi Zi (high-ranking official), Huo Dian (rich man), Xing (seven) Jian Gua Zi (good hands), he is definitely the real boss."

As he said this, he turned his head and looked into the house.

"Third brother, this idea is a bit tough..."

(End of this chapter)