On the 16th of February, in a small county near Siping Hill.
It had been two days since the thunderstorm. The sky had cleared up, and all living things were thriving on the land that had lost its winter aura. When the carriage stopped by an inn, a big shot from the capital alighted.
Recently, with Siping Hill as the center, the nearby villages and towns were not peaceful. Of course, such unrest could only be sensed by those with a keen sense of smell. For ordinary people, it was just that there were more bandits in the vicinity, and there were occasional cases of bloodshed. If it did not affect their own families, they would not pay much attention to it. After all, it was normal for some hooligans and ruffians to fight to the death in the villages and towns.
To the people of the Underworld near Siping Hill, or to the people involved, the next few days were filled with a reign of terror since Tie Tianying, Zong Fei Xiao, and the others had suddenly made their move on the eleventh day of the second month. Over the past five days, the nearby towns and villages had been plowed several times by the Ministry of Justice. Not only were the remnants of the Yongle Dynasty wiped out, but some of the people from the underworld and the people from the underworld were also greatly affected. Although the area around Siping Hill was peaceful, there were actually a few regular mountain bandit camps in the surrounding mountains. This kind of situation was normal everywhere except for Jiangnan, which was the most affluent area. They usually didn't kill people casually. What they did most was to collect protection fees from the escort teams that passed by. Of course, sometimes it was inevitable that they would run amok in a certain area. Under the tremendous pressure of the past few days, several bandit strongholds had been forced to disperse and flee.
Ordinary people felt that the security was declining, and the people of the Underworld were in chaos. But for another group of people, it was a different situation. To them, even if the current situation affected one side, it was not even a small matter. Sometimes, they would look at it for a special result. Zuo Houwen, who had just arrived, was one of them.
As the head of the Zuo family in the capital and the cousin of the Great Scholar Zuo Duanyou, he came here because it was on the way. To him, in the complicated situation that had been going on for the past few days, the only thing he was concerned about was a simple question: "How's the situation?"
"The remnants of Euphoria led by Fang Baihua are already at the end of their tether. Although they are still on the run, Constable Tie and Constable Zong are mainly blocking the escape route in the southwest. They have been narrowing the circle for the past few days. I believe it won't be long before …"
After getting out of the car, Zuo Houwen walked into the inn. The person who greeted him was actually the third Chief Constable of the Ministry of Justice, Fan Zhong, who had arrived yesterday. There were a total of seven chief detectives in the Ministry of Justice, and three of them were already gathered here. Fan Zhong had a close relationship with the Zuo family, which was why he was summoned by Zuo Houwen. However, after he said a few words, Zuo Houwen waved his hand while walking.
"Wang Shaoshi's people will naturally care about Fang Baihua and Fang Qifo. How's the account? "
Fan Zhong nodded. "The one who brought the accounts to the north this time is Deng Yuanjue, the bandit known as Buddha of Treasure Light. He used to be one of the four generals under Fang La's command, and he's rather difficult to deal with. But now that they're deliberately making a ruckus, we've already cut off their path. Now Fang Baihua and the others are in the southwest, while Deng Yuanjue and the other bandits are in the north. It seems that they're going to attack the capital and make the accounts public, so that Fang Baihua and the others can escape. But … it's unlikely that they'll escape. I guess we'll see the result in three to five days at most. "
"What do you think about the reliability of the accounts, Chief Fan?"
"Well … I dare not speak nonsense, but it seems that there are indeed many people who are concerned about this matter."
As they spoke, Zuo Houwen had already arrived at the back of the inn. A servant girl led the way and opened the door of the room that had been prepared. Zuo Houwen waved his hand and gestured for Fan Zhong to take a seat. His appearance was simple, but there was an unquestionable momentum in his gestures. After Fan Zhong sat down, Zuo Houwen waved his hand and asked the servant girl to leave. Then, he personally poured a cup of tea for Fan Zhong and placed it in front of him.
"Since everyone wants it, it's a good thing. Chief Fan, you're the best at this. I'm just an outsider, so I won't say much. The implications of this account can be big or small. It has something to do with my Zuo family, but it's not a big deal. But … it's better to have it in our hands than in the hands of others. I'll leave it to you, Chief Fan. "
Fan Zhong took the cup of tea and drank it. When he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something. "How long will Grandpa Zuo be staying this time?"
"About two to three days. I'll be waiting for your good news. Why? "
"Uh, recently, there's been a mix of good and bad people in the vicinity. It's really not peaceful. The Ministry of Justice's search has scared some people away, but Fang Baihua and the others still have a bounty on them. There are also many people from the Underworld who have come over these few days. Some are seeking fame and fortune, and some are spies arranged by other people, including … the Right Minister's Residence and the Office of Secret Investigations … Although there aren't many, it's inevitable that there will be complications. Please take care of yourself, Grandpa Zuo. "
Zuo Houwen nodded and smiled. "I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Chief Fan." After the incident at Siping Hill, Fang Baihua and the others were surrounded and blocked in this area. Some of the people from the Greenwood Forest were chased away, but there were still more people who rushed over from different channels. It was barely enough to hold a Heroes' Assembly. This was the reason why Fan Zhong came. But the Zuo family had a deep foundation, and Zuo Houwen naturally had experts protecting him. It was enough to just mention it. But one of the people caught his attention. "The Office of Secret Investigations is also here. Who are they?"
"There aren't many, about twenty people. The leader is a scholar called Cheng Zhouhai from the Prime Minister's Residence. They came late and don't have deep connections, so they can't find out too much. They're still following the rules. Cheng Zhouhai can't do much. Nowadays, he visits Constable Tie once a day. It's called communicating with him, but in fact, he might be trying to get information. But … he won't be able to find out too much. "
Zuo Houwen nodded. "I know. Cheng Zhouhai … I've heard of him. He's Qin Siyuan's disciple, so he's not simple. Just be careful. "
"Yes." Fan Zhong nodded and was about to leave when he hesitated for a moment. "I heard that the Office of Secret Investigation's current affairs with the Lulin Forest are being handled by a man named Ning Yi. I heard that this person does things unconventionally. When Duke Zuo was in the capital, I wonder …"
"He's just a man who married into the Prime Minister's family to seek riches." Zuo Houwen smiled and casually tapped his fingers on the table. "Maybe because of this, he's a bit more ruthless. Prime Minister Qin is good at using people like this, but he deviates from the path of a gentleman. He's not worth mentioning. "
"Yes, I'll take my leave."
"Go."
Both sides talked casually. After Fan Zhong left, Zuo Houwen frowned slightly. Then, he shook his head and dispersed his thoughts.
*****
In the small town, the matter that concerned the lives and fortunes of hundreds of people only occupied a small part of Zuo Houwen's thoughts. As for the people involved, he had to put his life on the line to make arrangements and run around. As time passed, the once chaotic situation began to become clear again.
Putting aside the few people who had been completely scattered, at least on the two sides where the crowd had gathered, one side was led by Deng Yuanjue and An Xifu. They held account books and assumed the attitude of heading north. The other side was still led by Fang Baihua. This group of people fought and fled, suffering heavy casualties. They wanted to cross the hills in the southwest and enter the branch of Dabie Mountain to seek a chance of survival.
It had only been a few days, but the entire situation had progressed rather quickly. Since the night of the eleventh, when Tie Tianying and the others attacked, the pursuit and escape had never stopped. Several states and counties worked together to search for the bandits who had been scattered, and on the other hand, there was a fight going on at any time. Fang Baihua and the others changed directions and hid their tracks. On Tie Tianying and Zong Fei Xiao's side, they also did their best to deploy their troops amidst the chaotic and complicated information. Every day, information about the people who had been captured, the people who had died, and the mysterious experts of the Greenwood Forest were gathered. They were overwhelmed by the information. Being able to sort out the clues and finally suppress the traces of the two groups of people within a certain range was enough to prove that they were experienced in this aspect.
When all the information became clear again, everyone understood that the situation would only become clear in the next one or two days. Although there was a possibility that Fang Baihua and the others had escaped, this possibility was already rather slim.
When the water dried up, the fish would die. For Fang Baihua and the others, this was the situation they were facing now. When they were suddenly scattered, there was still space for them to move around in the surrounding counties. But as time passed, and Tie Tianying and Zong Fei Xiao led the group to gradually reorganize, there was less and less space to move around. In the short span of a few days, the only way out left for them was to escape southwest into the mountains. But at this time, the direction towards the Dabie Mountains had become the focus of Tie Tianying's men's defense.
To them, these were things that they understood as well.
The afternoon sun shone on the rocks in the forest. When Du Sha raised his head to look at the sunlight, he pursed his lips. The color of blood on his pale face floated for a moment before returning to a frighteningly pale state.
He only had one arm left.
In just two or three days, he would be able to regain consciousness, speak, walk, and even raise his sword to kill again. The thin man before him seemed to have another unbelievable demon supporting him at this moment. When Luo Bingren brought him some water, he weakly but firmly made a decision. "Go tell the princess … we are not leaving."
At this time, the last few dozen people that Fang Baihua could bring with her were gathered in the nearby col, and most of them were injured. Making such a decision at this moment was a little impulsive, but when Du Sha said this, Luo Bingren understood his reason. In a sense, he had been waiting for Du Sha or someone else to say it.
So he went to tell Fang Baihua about this. Sitting in the shadow of a strange rock, the middle-aged woman who was equally haggard but determined raised her head to look at him. Then, she leaned on her spear and stood up. At this time, someone beside her spoke, "What are you doing! Luo Bingren! You cowards of the Blade want to retreat! At this time!? "
"Shut up!" Fang Baihua scolded the person beside her. She looked at Luo Bingren and then at the other members of the Blade Blade around her. "You know that at this time, only by heading southwest and into the mountains will we have a chance of survival."
"That's not it." Luo Bingren smiled. "The princess also knows that at this time, we will die sooner if we huddle together. If we are alone, we may be able to fish in troubled waters and survive."
Actually, everyone understood what Luo Bingren said. The main purpose of Tie Tianying, Zong Feixiao, and the others was to capture Fang Baihua. Although the search for those who were scattered was strict, there were always a few who could escape by luck. In fact, in the past few days, some people gradually realized this and chose to leave alone. Of course, most of them would still be captured or killed. As for those who stayed, most of them were loyal subordinates of Fang La and Fang Baihua. The uprising had failed, the rescue had failed, and their companions were either dead or injured. If they left alone, they would have nothing left. Moreover, their chances of survival were not high if they left alone.
But as for the reason why the Blade Blade and the others wanted to stay, everyone understood after a while.
It was because Liu Watermelon was missing.
Two days ago, Liu Watermelon, Fang Shuchang, and Qian Luoning went out to inquire about the situation. He was originally one of the top martial artists in the team. Later, Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning came back and told them about their encounter with Lin E 'chan. They thought that after they left, Watermelon would definitely be able to escape. But later, they found out that they had fallen into a trap and Watermelon never came back. When they were moving that day, Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning felt guilty and chose to stay to wait for more clear news. It was said that they fought with Zong Feixiao and left with injuries.
The next day, when they fought with a group of Sikong Nan's subordinates, they found out that Liu Watermelon was defeated by Lin E 'chan and was killed by their leader. His corpse was thrown into the river.
This news was obtained after they captured a few people and interrogated them, so it was not without credibility. Only the fact that he died without a corpse left some hope. However, there was still no news at this time, so Du Sha and the others were unwilling to leave.
Fang Baihua could not say anything. Not long after, the afterglow of the setting sun shone down. The people in the valley were divided into two groups. One group went southwest, while the other group stood in the light, looking back at the road they came from, not knowing where to go …
*****
Large groups of soldiers and bailiffs quickly passed through the mountain roads. On the foothills nearby, Zong Feixiao rode on his horse and watched everything.
The positions of Fang Baihua and the others were almost confirmed. Next, it was time to sweep them one by one. He did not want to spread out his forces and alert the enemy. Without overwhelming power, even if he won, it would be easy to scatter these people again. The other party was all experts. Once they were scattered, there would be fewer people who could be captured. Only by surrounding them with overwhelming power could they succeed in this battle.
In any case … they were already heading towards despair. At this time, without any strong external stimulation, the remaining people would probably still stick together.
One day … or at most two days, the matter would be over, and they could go to the capital to talk about their achievements.
There would not be any unexpected problems …
He once again calculated the situation in his mind, including Sikong Nan, Lin Eechan, Fang Baihua's people, Deng Yuanjue's force that suddenly appeared, some of the surrounding forests and grasslands, and even the small group of people from the Office of Secret Investigations … After thinking through all of these, he confirmed that there should not be too many factors outside of his calculations involved.
And just as he passed by this mountain ridge, a group of about 20 people was gathered in a small town about five kilometers away. The leader was about forty years old. He had a sturdy body and was skilled in martial arts. He was one of Tie Tianying's assistants and was called Constable Tian Li. They had come today for a piece of information, but just now, they had already met with another group of people outside the town.
Now, the people around him were talking about this matter.
"Big Brother Tian, what is the background of that scholar? He has been coming in and out of our camp every day for the past two days."
"There are only about 20 people from the Office of Secret Investigations here. They can't get much information, so they want to talk to us. Why are you so curious? In this line of work, don't ask too much. "
"No, I heard that this person is from the capital … We're just curious why a scholar would interfere in this kind of matter. It's not peaceful around here, is he tired of living …"
"It's the Office of Secret Investigations. They always do strange things. We still don't know what exactly they do." Tian Li sneered. "A scholar who hasn't come into contact with these things, it's not strange that he always wants to interfere. In the past, there were many scholars who insisted on interfering because they didn't know anything. They wouldn't understand even when they died … "
"But then again, Big Brother Tian, there are really a lot of people interfering in this matter. That person called Lin Zongwu even said that he wants to challenge Zhou Dong. Is he reliable?"
"He's qualified to challenge Grandmaster Zhou, but if he wants to win, forget it." Tian Li smiled. "But speaking of which, there are too many experts around this time. I, Tian Li, am considered one of the best in the Pugilistic World, but if I were to rank my position, I wouldn't even be in the top ten … Fang Baihua's side, although a little worse off, is still top-notch. Fang Baihua is already powerful, and there's no need to mention Buddha of Treasures and Deng Yuanjue. Even three of me might not be able to handle one of them. That Tyrant Blade Liu Dabiao … Her father is really powerful. He's probably the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to challenge Zhou Dong. Although this Liu Watermelon is a woman, her skills aren't inferior to Fang Baihua's. Unfortunately, I heard that she was killed by Lin Zongwu … "
He paused for a moment. "As for Lin Zongwu, he used to be called Lin Evil Zen. He was the Demonic Buddha more than ten years ago and was very powerful. When he became famous, I didn't know anything … Wang Nantuo also has the right to challenge Grandmaster Zhou. They have many talented subordinates and are very strong … As for those people from the Greenwood Forest who came to join in the fun, there are quite a lot of experts, but compared to these people, they're a little lacking … But to be honest, if I meet these people when I'm handling a case, I'll take a detour. This time, there's also a lot of people … For example, there's a scholar from the Office of Secret Investigations. He's just here to watch the show … But there's no need to offend him. After all, he's from the capital, so I greeted him just now as a friendly gesture. Give him some face, and we'll meet again in the future …"
At this point, Tian Li stopped in his tracks and looked ahead. He then lowered his voice and said, "It's almost there. It's just up ahead."
He gave everyone a look, and the constables immediately stopped chatting and spread out in all directions. Not long after, they surrounded a small courtyard.
Everyone hid under the wall and was about to knock on the door or climb over the wall when suddenly, a loud sound came from the back of the courtyard. The sound of a door being broken was mixed with the sound of weapons clashing. Someone shouted, "Catch him …"
"It's the bandit Blade Tyrant …"
"Don't let him get away … Ah —"
Everyone immediately charged in that direction. At this moment, the people who rushed out were Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning, who had been recuperating for two days.
The sunlight tilted slightly and turned red. There were still a few hours before the anticipated yet unexpected battle. This was just a small interlude in the drama caused by the Seven Buddhas near Siping Hill. But a moment later, Tian Li, who was not considered an important participant, was shocked by a scene he had never imagined.
That was what happened after she chased the injured Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning for a few streets. At that time, everyone had already decided on a plan to chase after them. Since Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning still had amazing skills after recuperating, they initially chose to avoid their sharp edges and surround and exhaust them. After the battle, the warning gong in the small town rang. Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning ran to a street. When they saw people charging at them from both the front and back, they chose a side road to escape. Then, they seemed to have seen someone.
The two of them raised their sabers and charged over at the same time. The figure disappeared over there. Only a few clanging sounds could be heard as a saber light flew into the sky. It was Fang Shuchang's saber. It was split into two and flew out. In the next moment, Fang Shuchang's entire body was sent flying. He spat out a mouthful of blood and rolled on the ground a few times. He actually lost consciousness.
Qian Luoning shouted loudly. Everyone had already rushed to the intersection. When they looked over, there was only one person fighting Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning on the street. At this moment, after the figure had simply exchanged a few blows with Qian Luoning, he suddenly pushed Qian Luoning's body with two palms. One of the palms hit her chest and the other hit her lower abdomen. It seemed silent, but the movement was extremely fast. Qian Luoning's feet seemed to have left the ground. She rushed across the street, which was half a foot away, and crashed into the mud wall on the side of the road.
The mud wall collapsed. Smoke and dust billowed. Qian Luoning's body fell inside, and for a moment, there was no sound. The figure fighting the two people bent over and threw the steel saber aside. He stood up, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the bloodstains on his face.
Not far away, more than twenty people from the Office of Secret Investigations were rushing over.
Tian Li opened his mouth and stared dumbfoundedly at the figure of a scholar in a long robe amidst the smoke and dust. Since Fang Shuchang had spat out half of Tian Li's face when he was sent flying, and now he was wiping it, half of his face had turned a strange red color. When the subordinates of the Office of Secret Investigations arrived, they were also somewhat dumbfounded at this scene. However, the scholar only said coldly and simply, "Arrest him."
The young man named Cheng Zhouhai looked over. After a moment, a cordial smile appeared on his cold expression. "What a coincidence, Constable Tian."
"You … you …" Tian Li frowned. His mind was in a mess. He was now an expert in the Lulin Forest. Like the bailiffs around him, most of them knew the level of Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning's skills. Just now, they thought that the Office of Secret Investigations only had about twenty people and couldn't interfere in this matter. But judging from the scene in front of them, this young man's skills had already reached the pinnacle. The few moves he had exchanged with Qian Luoning just now were truly exquisite and made their hearts tremble. At this moment, in their eyes, the existence of the Office of Secret Investigations had suddenly become a female wolf lying on the sidelines.
"Sure enough, I heard that the Right Prime Minister is very shrewd. The Office of Secret Investigations actually sent this kind of person. They are indeed not to be trifled with …" With this thought in mind, the people of the Office of Secret Investigations had already bound Fang Shuchang and Qian Luoning. The man named Cheng Zhouhai said gently, "Constable Tian seems to have something to say. You and I are brothers. If you have something to say, please don't be shy."
Tian Li swallowed. "These … these two people are actually wanted by the Ministry of Justice …"
"Oh?" The man's voice paused. After a moment, he tilted his head with a thoughtful expression. "So, you are saying that you want to …"
The voice drifted over slowly. "… snatch food from the tiger's mouth?"
After a moment of silence, Tian Li suddenly laughed. "How could it be? How could it be? Mr. Cheng has misunderstood, misunderstood …" He decided that at his level, it was better not to negotiate with the head of the Office of Secret Investigations for the time being …
*****
When the setting sun turned orange, Chen Fan fed Ji Qianer the last mouthful of porridge and then looked at the sun.
Sometimes, it could be said that luck was fated. In these two days, when he had made up his mind to die, the expected pursuit did not come this way. Chen Fan knew how to treat injuries and prescribe medicine. In these two days, he had managed to save Ji Qianer's life, but it also made some other things start to become clear.
He put down the bowl of porridge and placed Ji Qianer's mandarin duck knife on the inner side of the bed. A cheerful smile appeared on Ji Qianer's face.
"I have to go."
"Now?"
Ji Qianer looked at him.
"I think it's about time …"
Two days was enough for him to go out and gather some information, including the approximate whereabouts of Fang Baihua, Deng Yuanjue, An Xifu, the general movements of the Ministry of Justice, Sikong Nan, and even … Liu Guagua's disappearance. The water was almost dry, and the fish was about to come out. Therefore, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.
Although, if he chose to stay out of the matter, he and Ji Qianer might survive. And the matter outside, no matter how he looked at it, seemed that there was no way to reverse it. But sometimes, a man had to do something even though he knew it was impossible.
Ji Qian 'er understood this as well.
"Xiao Fan …"
"Hmm?"
"Master used to say that if a person is going to die, he must hold his head high."
"…" Chen Fan was silent for a moment, then revealed a smile, "I don't plan to die … But if I really have to die …" He tilted his head.
Ji Qianer also smiled, "Xiao Fan, my husband is already dead. If you guys go too, don't worry about me. I will go kill a few more people and then catch up to you."
Chen Fan laughed without a sound, but there was a hint of nostalgia. After a while, he said: "Sister Qianer, I remember when I was young, I watched you practice your saber and wanted to defeat you. I started later than you, but now I am already stronger than you … My speed is very fast, if you want to catch up, you have to hurry."
He took a deep breath, and then suddenly said, "However, it's impossible to believe such a thing after seeing my corpse. When I was young, someone told me that I was a general built on the bones of ten thousand people. Before I become invincible, how can I die? You are a woman after all, your knowledge is still shallow … I'm leaving, take care of your injuries … "
Hearing him speak, Ji Qianer smiled and closed her eyes, turning her head to the side. Chen Fan waved his hand and walked to the door. Not long after, when Ji Qianer turned her head, the setting sun had already swallowed that determined figure in a sea of orange …
Night fell, and the forest was full of ghosts.
The wind howled …
*****
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