In the courtyard, the body of the military counselor Gu Xi was gradually burned to ashes. The residual snow on the flagstone gradually melted and turned into a strange human-shaped island. What made these scenes happen were the small fireballs that the deceased had contemptuously mentioned.
Ning Que stood aside and watched silently. He didn't know that Eldest Brother would be satisfied with his performance in the Winter Garden of the General's Mansion. He was only satisfied with his previous performance.
He didn't expect that the military counselor Gu Xi was such a powerful Talisman Master. Gu Xi had used at least 30 talismans to tear the Qi of Heaven and Earth into numerous small turbulent cracks. Moreover, he could make these talismans not conflict with each other. His means were really shocking. In the face of the enemy's long-planned means or plan, he chose the simplest and most direct way to deal with it. In the face of absolute power, any conspiracy was as fragile as residual snow in the fire. He was very satisfied with his previous response.
When the fist blasted Gu Xi's head, the sadness and stagnation in his chest and abdomen seemed to be blasted away at the same time. Recalling the thousands of stones in front of the Front Gate of Devil's Doctrine, he understood a lot of things.
Under the shade of the winter tree, he had a lot of unwillingness in his heart. Those things that made him unhappy were the so-called Stone Array Tactics. How to water the Stone Array Tactics? The Great Spirit in the chest was enough. How to cultivate the Great Spirit? When you meet someone you want to kill, just kill him directly. What's the point of looking forward and behind? What's the point of thinking about the overall situation?
"I came from the mountains, rivers, grasslands, and villages. I came from the General's Mansion in the village. I came only to take your life."
Ning Que softly said this revenge poem written by Sangsang. He held the podao with both hands and erased all the footprints left on the ground. He didn't worry that Xia Hou would catch any evidence against him. He just wanted to prevent the world from finding out the truth that he had joined the Devil.
After doing these things, he gently jumped over the gray wall of the mansion. A clear fragrance of onions came from a distant house. He was stunned for a while and then walked out of the alley. He looked calm and serene. He didn't look like a God of Death who stretched out his bony claws from the netherworld to seek revenge. He was just a traveler eager to go home.
…
…
When Ning Que returned to the General's Mansion, the Winter Courtyard was in chaos. The faces of all the captains and servants were filled with shock and fear. The news of Gu Xi's death must have spread. Without any expression, he silently walked to the horse carriage outside the stone gate of the Winter Courtyard and took the luggage from Shanshan.
On the stone steps outside the Winter Courtyard, General Xiahou was bidding farewell to Eldest Brother. There was no emotion on his cold face, as if the death of his loyal subordinate had no effect on his state of mind.
Suddenly, Xia Hou looked back at Ning Que.
Ning Que looked back at him calmly.
Although he had just chopped off one of Xia Hou's arms, Ning Que was not vigilant at all. Both he and Xiahou had killed many people and violated many laws of the Tang Empire. Their status was not ordinary. As long as there was no evidence and they were not caught on the spot, there was nothing they could do.
Looking at the slightly raised eyebrows of the middle-aged man on the stone steps and the undisguised cold killing intent in his eyes, Ning Que thought of the unstoppable fist by the Hulan Sea. Then, he thought of the punch he had thrown before and laughed.
At this moment, Ning Que really wanted to tell Xiahou that he would wait for him in Chang 'an and kill him. But he did not say anything. He quietly carried the heavy luggage and followed Eldest Brother to the horse carriage. Then, he gently pulled Shanshan.
…
…
"Actually, the most important thing to be a person is to be happy."
In the simple carriage, Eldest Brother looked at the street view of Tuyang City outside the window and suddenly said, "Hatred can't be washed away by blood. So, killing people is really not that interesting."
Then, he looked back at Ning Que and said with a gentle expression, "I'm not talking about forgiveness. Of course, I don't want you to be killed at any time. But if this kind of thing continues to develop, it will be hard to find an end. And it is very troublesome to be constantly avenged. Your Senior Brothers and Sisters and I can hide in the back of the mountain of the Academy and not come out. But if you want to enter the human realm, there is no way to hide. Even if the name of the Academy is as heavy as a pig's head and no matter how strict the laws of the Tang Empire are, if the other party is not afraid of death, they will naturally not care about these things. "
Ning Que listened to Eldest Brother's teachings and thought silently for a moment. Then, he nodded and did not say anything.
The cold wind lifted the curtain of the horse carriage. Nobody knew where the strong smell of onion came from. He looked out of the window in confusion. It was almost dusk, but the streets of Tuyang City, which were sparsely populated during the day, seemed to be much more lively. Soldiers and people all had joyful smiles on their faces. The murder that happened not long ago did not have too much impact on the secular life.
Ning Que seemed to have thought of something. He jumped out of the horse carriage and walked into a local produce shop that was still open. After buying some things for Sangsang, he walked out of the shop. Suddenly, a loud muffled sound came from the distant city wall. He looked over in surprise and saw several fireworks shooting into the sky, illuminating the gradually darkening night.
He stood by the street with a paper bag in his hand, looking at the beautiful fireworks with a smile on his face.
Today was the New Year's Day. Every family in Tuyang City was making dumplings. No wonder the whole city was filled with the pungent smell of onion.
With the sound of fireworks, the 14th year of Tianqi ended.
…
…
Night had just fallen in Chang 'an City.
A black horse carriage was parked at the entrance of Lin 40th Street, but there was no horse. The carriage was dark and seemed to be made of steel and iron. It was engraved with complicated lines, which looked a little decadent because of too much dust.
A wet rag reached up from the bottom of the carriage and wiped off the dust in the complicated lines. Suddenly, the lines recovered their original vitality and became beautiful and vivid.
Sangsang put the rag into the bucket and scrubbed it for a while. Then, she wiped her red hands on her apron and glanced at the closed door of the Old Brush Pen Shop. Then, she struggled to carry the bucket into the shop.
During the Spring Festival last year, Shopkeeper Wu and Aunt Wu had invited her and Ning Que to have the New Year's Eve dinner together. Aunt Wu looked a little hesitant when she invited her for lunch this afternoon, probably because of the disturbance a few days ago. It seemed that she did not want her to agree.
Sangsang could see that, so she did not go to have lunch.
She walked back to the courtyard and poured out the dirty water. She stared at the two urns in the corner for a while and then went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles for herself. She did not fry the eggs, but only put a few more scallions in it, and it was considered a New Year's Day.
Sangsang did not care whether the neighbor invited her to have New Year's Day dinner or not. Since Ning Que was not at home, she wanted to live a simpler life. After finishing the noodles, she closed the door of the shop and climbed onto the cold brick bed.
She was born with a weak body, so it was very difficult for her to heat up the quilt with her body temperature. She was used to spending a long time before falling asleep. So, she stretched out her thin fingers in front of her eyes and looked at the burning Haotian Divine Flame between her fingers to kill time. Then, she counted the notes under her pillow and closed her eyes.
On the last night of the 14th year of Tianqi, Haotian seemed to add some fireworks to the human world. She quietly dispersed the thick snow clouds above Chang 'an City and let the starlight shine on the quiet or busy houses.
The faint starlight fell on the Old Brush Pen Shop on Lin 47th Street, on the two lonely urns in the courtyard, and on the wall of the Old Brush Pen Shop's backyard. There was a lonely cat in the snow on top of the wall. It was licking the wound left after fighting for food with its own kind in the winter snow. It looked up at the stars and meowed in pain.
…
…
For an empire to be strong and prosperous, many people needed to put in more effort, especially the bureaucracy that maintained the empire's operation. On the first day of the New Year, when the people in Chang 'an City were still sleeping or still hungover, many government offices in the imperial court had already started their work in advance, especially the government office responsible for the capital's security.
Dozens of government runners of Chang 'an Local Government came to Lin 47th Street with iron rods and rulers in their hands. On the first day of the New Year, the gray walls of the alley were covered with thick snow. It was not as lively and warm as it used to be, but had become depressing and solemn.
The bailiffs knocked on the doors of all the shops along the street and politely but unquestionably asked the people in the shops to leave. No matter if they were visiting relatives or going shopping in the western part of the city, they were not allowed to stay in the alley.
Second Brother Wu, who sold fake antiques, cursed and got into the carriage. When Aunt Wu got into the carriage, she looked back at the closed door and thought, "Sangsang is still in the shop. She should be fine, right?"
Sangsang was fine. She got up early as usual, but after eating the leftovers from yesterday and cleaning the table, chairs, brushes and inkstones, she could not find anything else to do, so she just sat at the table and stared blankly with her chin in her hands.
At this moment, someone knocked on the door of the Old Brush Pen Shop.
She opened the door.
Outside the Old Brush Pen Shop were several local government runners of the Chang 'an Local Government. Their faces were cold and even a little fierce. The iron chains in their hands clanked in the cold wind. It seemed that they were not being blown by the wind, but by their hands.
The leading middle-aged official was wearing a cyan official uniform. His eyebrows were a little white, and his face was full of vicissitudes. He was the most powerful arrester of the Chang 'an Local Government, Tie Ying.
Tie Ying looked at the dark and thin little handmaiden in front of him and was slightly stunned. He asked, "Are you Sangsang?"
Sangsang was a little stunned and nodded.
Tie Ying looked at her and asked with a frown, "Did an old man stay here a few days ago?"
Sangsang looked up at him.
Tie Ying took out a portrait and handed it to her.
Sangsang looked at it and confirmed that the person they were looking for was her teacher. She said, "He is dead."
"I know." Tie Ying said, "This old man is a criminal wanted by the imperial court. You have kept him for such a long time without reporting to the government, so you have to go with us."
Sangsang thought for a while, looked up at him and asked seriously, "How long will it take?"
Tie Ying and the government runners of Chang 'an Local Government behind him were all stunned.
They were ordered to arrest a criminal today, but they did not expect that it would be such a young dark and thin handmaiden. But this dark and thin handmaiden did not show any fear, which was even more difficult for them to understand.
Sangsang then asked, "Do I need to bring bedding?"
…
…
(The next chapter is around 5: 30 AM) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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