"Let's go out and take a look." The man who seemed to be the leader ordered a man in his twenties who had stopped eating.
The man immediately put down the things in his hands and found a bundle of rope in the cave. There was not only one rope, but many. Each rope had an iron ring on its head and tail.
He tied a long rope around his waist and held the other rope in his hand. He walked a few steps to the entrance of the cave and hung an iron loop of the rope on an extra iron hook on a rock. He then pressed on the iron hook and used a special tool to seal the extra gap on the iron hook.
He pulled it twice with all his strength. There was no problem. The man turned his body upside down with his back facing the outside. He raised his head and his body 'flew' out. In just a few moves, he had fallen more than ten meters.
The length of the rope on the man's body was just right behind him. He pulled his hand and stopped his falling posture. He took out another rope from his arms and wanted to hang it on the side. There was also an iron hook there for him to hang the iron ring on the rope.
Releasing the original rope in his hand, the man switched to another rope and swung gently. He held the rope with one hand and the other with the iron ring on it. When his body was parallel to the ground, he reached out with his hand and hung the iron ring on a protruding iron rod.
The iron rod was only bent a little upward by Weiwei. It was too different from the shape of the hook. It seemed that if he was not careful, the iron ring would fall off.
After doing this several times, the man swung out of the waterfall by sticking to the rock wall behind the waterfall. When the last rope was used, there was a concave pit in front of him.
The man dug in with one hand, and like a monkey, he nimbly dug one small hole after another diagonally down to the bottom. After dozens of times, when his feet landed on the ground, he let out a long breath, and then gasped for breath a few times. Obviously, the movement just now had consumed a lot of his physical strength.
If someone stood below and looked up, they would not be able to see the concave area on the 'road' he used his hands and feet to get down. They would only think that the mountain wall should be like that. Moreover, most of the concave areas were chiseled out from below. Looking up from below, they would only see a flat rock wall.
The man below looked up at the sky. The sound of the fireworks exploding was louder than in the cave because the sound of the waterfall crashing into the pool below was closer.
Fireworks were still blooming in the sky, not only in the sky where they saw it from the cave entrance, but also in the sky above other places.
The color of the fireworks was very monotonous. It was only red, and the pattern was also monotonous. They were all circles. If they came to see it at night, it would be many times better than now.
The man who came out of the cave behind the waterfall looked at the fireworks in the sky with a trace of sadness in his eyes. He raised his head and opened his mouth to catch some water droplets that were blown by the wind. He swallowed them twice, took a deep breath, and climbed up the same way he came down.
When he reached the place where there was a rope, he grabbed the rope with his hand and swung it. He swung it just under the other rope. The hand that was holding the rope earlier exerted force outwards, and the iron ring hanging on the iron rod was swung off.
After doing this several times, he returned to the cave, took off the iron ring, and shook his two arms to relax. When his breathing was even, he said to the person who ordered him to go out, "Sect Master, the sky outside is full of fireworks. It's the same as the signal we sent. Sect Master, please make a decision."
A few coughs sounded. After a while, the Sect Master that the man addressed as "Sect Master" spat out a mouthful of phlegm and said, "We're in trouble. Our people have been caught without sending out a signal. The people from the Zhang and Wang Clans are here. They're the only ones who are familiar with all kinds of fireworks. They'll fill them with all kinds of metal powder and arrange them."
"Sect Master, do you want to leave early? To avoid being blocked in the cave by them? "Another person asked worriedly.
The Sect Master shook his head and gasped for breath twice. His voice was like a bellows as he said hoarsely, "Leave? If you leave, you will be caught immediately. The people hiding below don't know where we are hiding. As long as you don't go out, how will others know that there is a cave behind the waterfall?
From the inside of the cave, you can occasionally see the blurry scenery outside. That is because there is light outside. Looking at the waterfall from the outside, you can't see anything. Take advantage of the fact that they haven't found a place to hide. Immediately go and steam the rice. Steam the rice and put it in the ventilation holes. Let the wind blow it dry.
From today onwards, the food we eat will be halved. No one is allowed to go out. We will waste time with them. We will leave two years. I don't believe that they will always send people to keep an eye on us. Staying in the cave is uncomfortable, but it is better than dying. Only by living can we have a future. "
With the Sect Master's words, the other six people seemed to have found their backbone. They calmed down and finished the rice as quickly as possible. Then, they began to cook the rice. The rice with the outer skin removed could not be preserved for too long in the current environment. They could only cook it and then take it to the ventilation area behind the cave to blow it dry. Only by blowing it dry would it not spoil.
When it was time to eat, they could just soak it in water. The taste was not good, but it could keep people alive. Only by being alive could there be hope.
While they were busy, the man who went down before said to the Sect Master, "Sect Master Ning should have made a move in Hangzhou. Also, Sect Master Qi of Duchang. As long as he puts something in the water, it will kill both the fish and the people. At worst, they will get sick. Let's see how they treat it."
When the Sect Master heard the man's words, there was no trace of happiness in his eyes. He said, "Don't count on it. As expected, they have been caught. Since the people of the Zhang Family and Wang Family can find Mount Lu, they must have found all the people outside. Judging from the momentum, the team they sent is not small.
Don't be afraid and don't underestimate the enemy. Guarding the cave is not only to protect your lives, but also to protect the rest of us from understanding the Tang Empire. Once you die, all the information we have collected over the years will be gone. We will remember a lot of it in our hearts. "
"Sect Master, Sect Master Qi is very cautious. How could he be caught? How about this? I will go out first before they find us and bring the information to our people. My skills can still be used in the mountains. "
The man who had climbed down earlier had a doubtful look on his face, but there was also a trace of determination.
"Haha." The Sect Master sneered and coughed twice. "You have great skills in the mountains? Do you think the protection team of the Zhang Family and Wang Family is worse than yours? Once you go out, you will definitely be caught. Can you be sure that you won't reveal the cave we are hiding in? Just stay here obediently. For the hope of our people, enduring for a year and a half is nothing. "
As his voice fell, the six people in the cave fell silent. Obviously, they did not want to stay in the cave for too long. The cave was dark and damp, and the sound of the waterfall was constantly ringing in their ears.
They still did not believe that Sect Master Qi would be caught, but they did not dare to object. This was because the person in front of them had never been wrong.
"It's a pity that there are a few small holes in the cave that lead to unknown places. Moreover, the holes are too small for people to pass through. Otherwise, we can think of a way to the closest place to the outside and listen to the sounds. Why don't we have nothing to do and dig inside? Maybe we can find a new way out."
"If you want to dig, then dig. Don't make too much noise in case someone discovers the hole outside and is also puzzled. Be careful. There is no harm in being careful."
The Sect Master did not continue to stop them. It was good to find something for others to do.
*****
"Brother, are we going to fish for prawns in the middle of the night?" Compared to the people in the cave who were nervous, Xiao Bei and the others were much more relaxed.
After eating dinner made from real rabbit meat, Xiao Bei ignored the fatigue from the day and lay in the tent, thinking about what to do in the middle of the night.
They saw a pool by the side of the road. To be precise, it was a small river flowing through here. Affected by the terrain, it gathered into a bubble, but it was just flowing water.
When Zhang Xiaobao was cooking at night, Xiao Bei fished out three transparent prawns. Each prawn was two centimeters long. According to Xiao Bei's understanding, the water was shallow, so the prawns were small. Then, in the middle of the pool, the prawns could grow.
Catching prawns was more difficult than catching fish. Xiao Bei estimated that with the swimming ability of the nine of them, if they jumped into the pool to catch prawns for an entire night, it would be a very good result.
Therefore, she dismissed the idea of using her hands to catch prawns. She wanted her brother to help her catch them, or use a net to catch them. However, the net that her brother carried with him was not used to catch prawns. It could be used to catch fish, but it could also be used to catch birds.
However, if it was fish, there was no need for her brother to do it. Xiao Bei could catch enough fish to fill everyone's stomachs in a very short period of time. It was not challenging, so she did not want fish.
Zhang Xiaobao was troubled. His sister said that she wanted to fish for prawns, so he should help her. However, how could there be any prawns in that small pool? When the hook was put down, it was thicker than a prawn. Unless the prawn was really blind and learned from a python, it would definitely not bite the hook.
"How about this? I'll go down and see if there are river snails. If there are, I'll let you guys drink some wine tonight. I'll make spicy fried river snails for you guys. Didn't you bring chili in your bag? Let your sister tell you a story. After listening to the story, I'll bring the river snails back. "
Zhang Xiaobao really did not have the ability to catch prawns and exchange them for a dish for his sister.
Xiao Bei was still considered sensible and did not make a fuss like other children. After thinking for a while, she said, "River snails? Alright, I won't listen to the story. I'll go and fish too. Fishing for river snails requires touching the bottom. I'm good at swimming. The weather is hot, so the water is not too cold. "
"Alright, let's go together." Zhang Xiaobao agreed very readily. He brought his siblings to the pool.
The sky was not completely dark, but the setting sun could not be seen because of the mountain. The sky was still bright. Accompanied by the thin mist that had just risen, it was like a dream.
The nine children changed into swimsuits. They had deliberately brought them along. There was a lot of water in Mount Lu, especially where there was a waterfall. Xiao Bei wanted to fight with the waterfall. As for whether her brother would let her go after they saw the waterfall, it would depend on the size of the waterfall and the flow of the water.
When they were about to go down, Xiao Bei did not let her brother follow. She said that there was no need to kill a chicken with a butcher's knife. The nine of them were enough.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan stood guard beside the pool. They found some dry grass and branches that could be lit. They planned to light it all night to illuminate the area.
Wang Juan looked at her siblings playing in the pool and said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Look at how you spoil them. I reckon you can even pluck the stars."
Zhang Xiaobao revealed a smile. "Stars won't do. They are too big, even bigger than the sun. They can't be plucked. If they want monkeys, I can catch them. If I have the ability to let them live happily, why must I control them?
It's not like they don't know the hardships of the common people. It's good to let them suffer so that they can treat the common people as humans in the future. Since they know that the common people have a hard time, I won't reject their requests. "
"You still don't want to admit it. I'm not referring to them not caring about the feelings and lives of the common people when they grow up. It's that if you agree to anything, they will keep asking for things. In the past, I saw my colleague's children asking him for all kinds of cars and other toys every time I saw them.
When I went to his house, the entire house would be filled with toys, but the children would still ask him for them. This is called insatiable greed. It's called asking for a yard when given an inch. It's a bad habit. "
Wang Juan recounted what she had seen and shared it with Zhang Xiaobao as her experience.
Zhang Xiaobao did not think much of it after hearing it. He asked, "Does your colleague not play with his children? If the children want something, he has the money to buy it. After buying it, he will throw it to the children. Usually, he will leave the children to the nanny and school. If it's a young child, he will leave it to the kindergarten. "
"How do you know?" Wang Juan was taken aback.
"How can I not know? I specialize in this kind of thing. In fact, what the child wants is not a car. The purpose of him wanting a small car is to show off to his friends so that he can have more people to play with. So, he always asks the adults to buy it to ensure that he can exchange material and spiritual conditions with others.
In fact, children's requirements were very low. If you bought them a few toys and some snacks every day, they would be satisfied. They mainly wanted to play with adults because the people they trusted the most were their relatives, and they were also the ones they were most attached to.
If you don't believe me, you can find a rich family now and see whose children often can't be with the adults. You can order the adults to ask their children when their children want things. They have two choices. One is to buy something for them, and the other is to play with them for half a day. See how many children choose to play with the adults. "
Zhang Xiaobao said to Wang Juan. With their identity, no matter how they ordered a family, that family would not dare to have the slightest objection.
"Nonsense. I don't believe it. How can I have time to find others to test it? You don't have children yourself, and you still have the nerve to say that you understand? "Wang Juan retorted.
"Whether I have children or not is not my business alone. I'm not bisexual. All the children in the world are my children. If anyone doesn't want them, give them to me and I'll keep them all.
Alright, now I'll do an experiment that you can see the results of immediately. Tell Xiaobei and the rest to let them play by themselves. The two of us will go and rest. After they have played enough, they will also go and rest. Let's make spicy river snails tomorrow morning. See if they can still be as happy as they are now. "
Zhang Xiaobao suggested an idea.
Wang Juan thought about it and was really tempted. She looked at her younger siblings who were swimming in the pool and tossing river snails over from time to time. Seeing that they were having fun, she shouted to them, "Xiaobei, Xiaoyuan, you guys play by yourselves first. Your older brother and I will go and rest. We will wait until tomorrow morning to make delicious food. Go and play."
Just as she finished speaking, the nine children who were playing in the water all stopped. They stepped on the water and looked to the shore.
"Sleep? Oh, then I'll go to sleep too. We'll fish again tomorrow morning. "Xiaobei's voice sounded, sounding very regretful.
The other children did not make a sound, but they also swam towards the shore.
"See? They actually don't want to play in the water themselves. They want us to accompany them. Even if it's just watching them play, it's fine too. You were the one who shouted, so you can settle it. "
Zhang Xiaobao gloated at Wang Juan.
Wang Juan glared at Zhang Xiaobao and said, "You were the one who suggested it. You settle it. I don't care. Let's see what you have to do. You can't possibly go back on your words, right?"
"Me? It's no big deal. Watch. " Zhang Xiaobao said. He said to his younger siblings who were swimming towards the shore, "Your older sister is afraid that you guys will catch a cold. The water is cold, but are you guys cold? If you're not, continue catching. Actually, we're waiting to eat. "
"Not ~ cold." The nine children shouted almost at the same time. With a cheer, they turned their heads and returned to the place where they were just now to continue fishing for river snails.
"You even tricked children." Wang Juan admired them in her heart, but her mouth belittled Zhang Xiaobao.
"I wanted to tell them the truth. If they heard it, what do you think they'll think? Just wait. In a while, I still have to apply mosquito repellent on them. I don't want them to get stung. "
As Zhang Xiaobao spoke, he looked at his younger siblings who continued to play happily. The corner of his mouth revealed a satisfied smile.
While the two of them were playing with their younger siblings, four figures appeared on the way they came. When they saw the tent, they immediately sped up and ran over.
"Little Master, Little Miss, the person surnamed Qi has already relented. He found the things they wanted to get into the lake and river." One of the four people said to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
Zhang Xiaobao did not immediately speak to the person who came. Instead, he shouted into the water, "Four more people are coming. Catch more and invite them to eat together. If they're tired, come up and rest."
After that, the other side replied affirmatively. Zhang Xiaobao then asked the person who came, "What is it?"
"Little Master, it's some leftovers from refining copper, silver, gold, iron, aluminum, and other metals. Some are from Japan, and some are from several small countries in the southwest. They have been exchanging good things with us at very low prices.
As a result, the waste they refined did not get into the water or sea. They accumulated all of it, dried it, put it in barrels, and secretly transported it to the Tang Empire. It started two years ago.
They are planning to pour those things into the lake and river. We have already found them. There are actually more than ten thousand barrels. The people of the Gong Tribe are rushing over. After taking a look, we can estimate how much damage it will cause if it is poured into the water. "
The person who came replied.
After hearing his words, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's eyes widened. After looking at each other, Zhang Xiaobao nodded and said, "Good plan. More than 10,000 barrels of dried and refined metal things? Volatilize some of them that are poisonous and prepare the rest for us? How did they come up with it? Good, good. Don't pour it out. Keep it for me. I'll let them know what it means to change the stars. "
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