One.
Of course, Power of Hu was also a person.
However, he was a very extraordinary person. In his life, he had indeed done many extraordinary things.
When he first entered Jianghu, many people called him "Fox."
But in addition to the cunning and resourcefulness of a fox, he also had the patience of a camel, the diligence of an ox, the strength of an eagle, the agility of a dove, and the sharpness of a sword.
Unfortunately, he was now old.
His eyesight had declined, his muscles were loose, and his reactions were slow. He also suffered from a very serious rheumatism, and had been bedridden for many years. He couldn't even stand up.
Fortunately, even now, he was still respected by others.
The ancient hall was wide and open, but it was filled with an indescribable gloominess.
The tables and chairs were also old, and the color of the paint had gradually faded. When the wind blew in, the straw dust on the beam would fall with the wind and land on the guests.
There was still wind.
Liu Changjie brushed the dust off Dragon Fifth. "This place really needs to be cleaned up," muttered Dragon Fifth. Liu Changjie laughed. "I don't care. Some people are destined to roll around in the mud." "You're one of those people?" asked Dragon Fifth. Liu Changjie laughed.
Liu Changjie nodded. "But you're not, and neither is Master Hu." "Do you really have to compare me to him?" asked Dragon Fifth coldly.
Liu Changjie said, "Because you are the same kind of people, born to be high and mighty." Dragon Fifth closed his mouth.
The hall returned to silence. The wind rustled through the window paper, like the sound of falling leaves.
Autumn was near its end, and snow was approaching.
"Is Master Hu here?"
"Yes." The person who answered the door was also an old man. "Wait in the hall, I'll go announce your arrival." The old man had a head full of white hair and a face full of scars. Presumably, he had been a companion who had gone through life and death with Power of Hu.
So he spoke rudely. Liu Changjie forgave him, and waited in the hall for a long time.
Where was Hu Yue 'er?
Presumably, she already knew Liu Changjie was here. Why hadn't she come out?
Liu Changjie didn't ask. There was no one to ask.
He had only been to this place twice. Both times, he had only seen three people — Hu Li, Hu Yue 'er, and the old man who answered the door.
But if you think you can come and go as you please in this place, you are wrong, very wrong!
'Want your life' means that he really wants your life!
Old Master Hu had been in the underworld for decades. Countless heroes had fallen into his hands.
There were even more enemies who wanted his life, and many of them had come here to try.
None of the people who came had ever made it out alive.
The moon gradually set in the west, and the hall became even darker.
Old Master Hu hadn't shown up yet.
Dragon Fifth couldn't help but sneer. "It seems that his arrogance isn't small."
"You're not the only one who puts on airs," said Liu Changjie coolly. He laughed again. "Besides, if I were you, I wouldn't be in a hurry to see him." "He's not in a hurry to see me?" asked Dragon Fifth.
Liu Changjie: "He's not in a hurry."
"Because I'm already a fish in his net?"
"But in his eyes, you're still a poisonous dragon." "Oh?" said Dragon Fifth.
"He's a very cautious person. If he doesn't ask clearly, he won't come to see a poisonous dragon like you." "Why?"
"First of all," said Liu Changjie, "we need to ask whether or not this poisonous dragon has turned into a fish, and whether or not this fish is beneficial." "Ask who?" asked Dragon Fifth.
"Who knows you best, and who understands this matter the best?" "Lan Tianmeng?"
Liu Changjie smiled.
"He's here too?" Dragon Fifth asked.
Liu Changjie: "I think he just got here."
At this moment, an aged voice could be heard. "I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting." Two.
In the long and spacious hall, there was an arched door with curtains, dividing the hall into five levels.
Liu Changjie and the others were outside the first level of the hall, but the voice came from the last door.
An emaciated and haggard old man, wrapped in a fox fur coat, sat in a large chair that could be pushed forward.
The people pushing him in behind were the old servant and Lan Tianmeng.
At this moment, there was a sudden cracking sound. Four iron bars fell from the four arched doors, completely separating Grandpa Hu from Liu Changjie and the others.
The iron bars were as thick as a child's arm. Even if there were a magnificent army with thousands of men and horses, it would be very difficult to break through.
Liu Changjie wasn't surprised. The first time he had come here, he had seen it. The one who was surprised was Dragon Fifth.
Only now did he truly believe that Power of Hu's cautiousness was unparalleled.
Liu Changjie stood up and bowed with a smile.
"Hello, Grandpa."
Power of Hu's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. "I'm very good. You're very good. We're all very good." Power of Hu laughed. "Heaven's net grinds slowly, but nothing escapes. I knew that sooner or later this day would come." He smiled and said, "And I wasn't wrong about you. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." Liu Changjie looked at Lan Tianmeng and laughed. "Have you already told the Old Master everything that happened?" Lan Tianmeng rubbed the scars on his face. With a bitter laugh, he said, "If you had hit me any harder, I wouldn't have been able to speak." Power of Hu laughed aloud, "Now the two of you are even, neither of you is allowed to keep this matter in your heart." Suddenly he waved his hand, turned his head and said, "Remove all these things as well." "These things," he said, were the four iron bars.
The scarred old man hesitated. Power of Hu frowned. "You'd best remember, Grandpa Liu is now my brother. Between brothers, nothing can stand in the way." Dragon Fifth suddenly laughed coldly. "What a pair of brothers. One is a dog, one is a fox." Power of Hu's expression didn't change. With a smile, he said, "You'd best remember, as long as we brothers are alive, you people will all die without a burial site!" The iron bars were removed.
Power of Hu suddenly said, "Give that thing to Master Liu, and drag that Poison Dragon over here, let me take a good look at him." Immediately the old man came over with a brocade bundle in his hands. Inside the bundle was a set of blue cloth clothing.
It was the same set of clothing that Hu Yue 'er and Liu Changjie had worn on the night of their engagement. It still carried her fragrance.
Power of Hu said, "Before she left, she specifically asked me to leave this for you." Liu Changjie's heart sank. "She … where did she go?" Power of Hu's old and haggard face revealed a sorrowful expression. "Somewhere everybody goes." Once they leave, they will never return. " Power of Hu sadly said, "The moon waxes and wanes, and people experience joys and sorrows. You are still young, you must be more open-minded about this kind of thing." Liu Changjie's body stiffened.
Could it be that Hu Yue 'er was really dead?
She had been constantly reminding him to live well. Why did she have to die?
Why did she die so suddenly? Why did she die so early?
Liu Changjie didn't dare to believe it, he didn't want to believe it.
But he couldn't not believe it.
Power of Hu sighed. He looked even older, even more haggard. "Ever since she was little, she had an incurable illness. She knew she would die at any time. She always hid it from you, always refused to marry you, because she didn't want you to be sad." Liu Changjie didn't move. He didn't speak.
He was no longer a hot-blooded, impulsive youth. He didn't cry or laugh. He just stood there in a daze, as if he had turned into stone.
Lan Tianmeng also sighed.
"I've never urged people to drink, but now …" He walked over with a jug of wine in hand. "Now you really need to drink a few cups." The wine was warm.
Clearly, he had prepared it for Liu Changjie.
For a person whose heart was already broken, other than wine, what other comforts could there be?
So what if he drank the wine?
When the wine entered his heart, wouldn't it transform into lovesickness and tears?
But what if he didn't drink?
Being able to get drunk to his heart's content is always a good thing.
Liu Changjie finally accepted the wine jug. He forced a smile and said, "You drink a cup with me." "I won't drink," Lan Tianmeng said.
He forced a smile. "The blood in my mouth hasn't dried yet. I can't drink even a drop." Liu Changjie laughed again. "Even if you don't want to drink, you still have to drink."
Lan Tianmeng stared blankly.
"Even if you don't want to drink, you still have to drink." What was that supposed to mean? Who would have thought that Liu Changjie would do something even more outrageous?
He lifted the wine jug, intending to pour it into Lan Tianmeng's mouth.
Lan Tianmeng's face changed.
The scarred old man's face also changed.
Only Power of Hu remained expressionless. He suddenly waved his hand, and three cold stars shot out toward Dragon Fifth.
Dragon Fifth's pressure points had been sealed, and he had just been dragged over by the old man like a dead fish.
But when the three cold stars arrived, he suddenly flew up into the air!
He was like a divine dragon flying into the air.
Power of Hu, who was as cold as a withered vine and as steady as a boulder, also changed his expression.
"Ding!" Sparks flew everywhere. The secret weapon he had shot out had nailed itself into the bluestone floor.
Then another "ding!" Lan Tianmeng's fist struck out. It didn't hit Liu Changjie's face, but it did break the wine jug.
The wine in the jug splashed out like a meteor, splashing onto his face and into his eyes.
It was as if he had been hit by the most terrifying secret weapon in the world. He suddenly screamed and covered his eyes with his hands, and then rushed out.
Could it be that the wine in the jug was actually poisoned?
Liu Changjie had clearly completed the mission Power of Hu had given him. Why did Power of Hu ask someone to poison him?
Why did Dragon Fifth, who had clearly been captured by Liu Changjie and couldn't even move, suddenly fly up into the air like a divine dragon?
III
There was no wind.
Outside the window, the dark gray clouds were completely still. It looked like a faint ink painting.
The mournful screams had also stopped.
Lan Tianmeng had just rushed out when he fell onto the stone. This tall and sturdy old man had suddenly collapsed.
Liu Changjie watched him fall, then turned his head. Dragon Fifth's body had just landed.
Power of Hu sat there motionless. His expression had returned to normal. He muttered, "Seven steps.
"Seven steps, he only ran seven steps."
Liu Changjie couldn't help but sigh. "What a powerful poison wine." Power of Hu said, "I personally concocted that poison wine."
"For me?" Liu Changjie asked.
Power of Hu nodded. "That's why you should regret it."
Liu Changjie: "Regret?"
"That wine tastes very good," Hu Li said.
His eyes seemed to carry a hint of regret. "Lan Tianmeng didn't deserve to drink that wine." "Oh?" Liu Changjie said.
Power of Hu said, "He was never a good person. He didn't deserve to die like this." Liu Changjie said, "Death is death …"
Power of Hu interrupted him. "There are many kinds of deaths."
Liu Changjie: "What kind of death was it?"
"It's a kind of pleasure," Hu Li replied.
Liu Changjie: "Is it because he died very quickly?"
Power of Hu nodded. "The quicker the death, the less painful it is. Only good people deserve to die like that." He raised his head and gazed at Liu Changjie. A strange smile suddenly appeared at the corners of his mouth. He slowly said, "I always thought you were a good person. That's why I concocted that poison wine for you." Liu Changjie laughed. "Now that you mention it, I should be thanking you." "You really should be thanking me."
Liu Changjie: "But you forgot one thing."
"What is it?" Power of Hu asked.
Liu Changjie: "You forgot to ask me first, do you want to die?" "When I want to kill someone, I don't ask if they want to die," Power of Hu said calmly. "I only ask if they deserve to die." Liu Changjie sighed. "That makes sense."
Power of Hu said, "Therefore, you should be dead by now."
"I didn't die because I'm not a good person?" Power of Hu laughed. "You're not a good person."
"If I were a good person, I wouldn't have guessed that you wanted to kill me." "I was just about to ask you, how did you figure it out?"
"From the very beginning, I figured it out."
"Oh?" Power of Hu said.
"From the very beginning, I suspected that the real thief wasn't Dragon Fifth, but you." "Oh?" Power of Hu said.
Liu Changjie said, "Because all of the cases occurred after you retired. Dragon Fifth isn't afraid of you. If he wanted to commit a crime, he wouldn't have waited until after you retired." Power of Hu said, "That's not a good enough reason."
Liu Changjie said, "Every single one of those cases was done extremely neatly. Not even a single clue was left behind. Only a true expert could do that." Power of Hu said, "So Dragon Fifth isn't a true expert?"
Liu Changjie: "He's not."
"How can you be so sure?" Power of Hu said.
"Because I'm an expert. I can see it."
"You're sure?" Power of Hu said.
"I'm not. That's why I need to find evidence." "That's why you went to find Dragon Fifth."
Liu Changjie nodded. "The reason I did that was, of course, to make you trust me and let your guard down. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get close to you." He laughed. "If I hadn't captured Dragon Fifth and brought him to you, how could you have ordered people to take down those iron bars?" Power of Hu sighed. "I really misjudged you. You really can't be considered a good person." "But I haven't misjudged you."
Power of Hu laughed again, but there was no smile in his eyes.
"What kind of person am I?" he said with a smile. "Can you really see it?" "Because of your caution and resourcefulness, no one should have been able to catch you. Unfortunately, your ambition is too great." Power of Hu listened.
Liu Changjie said, "When you start, you might want to stop quickly. But once you start, you won't be able to stop, because you will never be satisfied." Power of Hu stared at him, his eyes looking like two beads of ice.
"So not only are your crimes getting bigger and bigger, they're getting more and more numerous. You know it's very dangerous. Even though you've retired, sooner or later these things will find you." He seemed to sigh with emotion. "Once you've eaten a day's worth of public service, you'll never be able to leave this place." Power of Hu said, "That's why I had to find someone to take the blame for me. That's the only way to get these cases dismissed." "Because you know that only after all these cases are dismissed can you get away with it forever." Power of Hu smiled. "It seems you really are an expert."
"But I still can't figure out why you had to find Dragon Fifth." "You can't figure it out?" Power of Hu said.
"No matter who you found to take the blame, it would be easier than finding Dragon Fifth." Power of Hu looked at Dragon Fifth. Dragon Fifth had already sat down in the most comfortable chair he could find.
He looked as calm and collected as ever, as if he had nothing to do with this matter.
Power of Hu sighed again. "I really shouldn't have found him. He's not easy to deal with." "But you had to find him."
"Why?" Power of Hu asked.
"Because this matter isn't something you can decide on your own." Power of Hu said, "Oh?"
Liu Changjie said, "You have a partner who has long since wanted to kill Dragon Fifth." Power of Hu said, "When did you figure it out?"
"It wasn't until I found Madam Lovesickness that I figured it out." Power of Hu said, "Could it be that my companion was Qiu Hengbo?"
Liu Changjie nodded. "She shouldn't have known I was going to find her. But she had been waiting for me." Power of Hu said, "You suspect I told her?"
"Other than myself, the only people who know about this matter are Dragon Fifth, Qin Huhua, and Hu Yue 'er." Power of Hu said, "Of course you wouldn't have told her."
"Dragon Fifth and Qin Huhua wouldn't have either."
Power of Hu admitted.
Liu Changjie continued, "So, after thinking about it, there's only one explanation for why Qiu Hengbo knew about this secret — because she was in cahoots with you." He laughed again and said, "Besides, although you are not a calculative person, six plus one makes seven. I can still calculate that." Power of Hu frowned, he did not understand what he was talking about.
Liu Changjie said, "I already know that outside Qiu Hengbo's secret cave, there were always seven people guarding it. But Hu Yue 'er only told me the names of six people. That day in the hotel on Qixia Mountain, I only saw six people." Power of Hu said, "You only saw Tang Qing, Dan Yifei, Old Zhao, Iron Monk, Big Dog Li, and that yin and yang person?" Liu Changjie nodded. "So I was curious, where did the other person go?" Power of Hu said, "Now you figure it out?"
"I thought about it, and there was only one explanation." Power of Hu said, "What explanation?"
Liu Changjie said, "She didn't say the seventh person, because I know that person." Power of Hu said, "Who is that person?"
"If that person isn't Wang Nan, then it's Hu Yue 'er herself." Wang Nan was the person who had pretended to be Hu Yue 'er's husband in the thatched cottage. He was the greedy villager who feared death.
Liu Changjie said, "Of course I know that Wang Nan isn't a real villager, and I also know that he isn't a real constable." Power of Hu said, "You know his background?"
"It's because I don't know, that's why I'm suspicious." Power of Hu sighed again. "You're very thoughtful, even more thoughtful than I am." "You have things you can't figure out?" asked Liu Changjie.
Power of Hu said, "A lot."
Liu Changjie: "Speak."
Power of Hu said, "You didn't really subdue Dragon Fifth?"
"You said it yourself, he's not an easy person to deal with." Power of Hu said, "He didn't really kill Qin Huhua?"
Liu Changjie said, "Qin Huhua is his good friend, and also his only loyal friend. Who would want to kill a friend like that?" Power of Hu said, "Is this just a play that you deliberately put on for Lan Tianmeng to see?" Liu Changjie said, "I already figured out that Dragon Fifth definitely has one of your spies by his side." Power of Hu said, "So you deliberately let Lan Tianmeng come back first and tell me about this matter." "I didn't beat him up just to vent my anger," said Liu Changjie. "I wanted you to believe me." Power of Hu laughed bitterly. "I really can't believe you and Dragon Fifth were in cahoots." "You still can't figure it out?" said Liu Changjie.
Power of Hu said, "After you saw Qiu Hengbo, did you not see him face to face?" "No."
Power of Hu said, "Then when did you discuss this plan?" Liu Changjie suddenly laughed. "Do you know why I angered Kong Lanjun into leaving?" Power of Hu shook his head.
"Because I deliberately wanted her to take the empty box with her." Power of Hu said, "What secret does the empty box hold?"
Liu Changjie said, "There's no other secret, it's just a script, that's all." Power of Hu said, "You mean this script?"
Liu Changjie continued, "I knew that Kong Lanjun would definitely bring the empty box back to Dragon Fifth. I also knew that he would definitely follow my script and accompany me in this play." He smiled and said, "You didn't misjudge him, and neither did I. It's just that he's a lot smarter than we think. He played this play even better than I did." "You're forgetting a good role," said Dragon Fifth. Dragon Fifth suddenly.
Liu Changjie laughed. "Of course Qin Huhua played a very good role."
"But he was worried the whole time."
"Worried that my plan wouldn't work?"
Dragon Fifth nodded.
Liu Changjie: "But you still managed to make this play come to life."
"That's because he's the only one who's worried." "You're not worried?" asked Liu Changjie.
Dragon Fifth laughed. "I don't have many friends, but I don't often misjudge people." "What kind of person do you think Power of Hu is?"
Dragon Fifth said, "His biggest problem isn't greed."
Liu Changjie: "What is it?"
"It's black-hearted."
"You're more accurate than I am." He sighed.
He sighed and turned to Power of Hu, "If you did not want to kill us to shut our mouths immediately, perhaps even now I would not be able to confirm that you are the one I want!" "And now you are sure?" Power of Hu asked.
"Without a doubt."
"You seem to have forgotten something as well."
Liu Changjie: "What is it?"
"That bandit can fly over roofs and vault over walls. He can enter and leave the Prince's mansion as if there was no one there. I, on the other hand, am a half-paralyzed cripple." Liu Changjie laughed again.
"You don't believe me?" Power of Hu asked.
"If you were me, would you believe me?"
Power of Hu looked at him, then at Dragon Fifth. He suddenly laughed. "If I were you, I wouldn't either." This time, when he laughed, there was a smile in his eyes. It was a smile as cunning as a fox's, as venomous as a snake's.
He suddenly turned his head and asked, "Do you believe me?" "I believe you."
"Are my legs completely numb?"
"Yes."
"Where are your knives?"
"They're here."
The old man's face was expressionless. He slowly extended his hand and flipped it over. Two knives appeared in his hand. They weren't long, but they were very sharp.
Power of Hu smiled and asked, "Is your saber fast?"
"Very fast."
"What if you stab my leg?"
"It won't hurt." "Why?"
"Because your legs are already crippled."
"Is that true?"
The old man said, "I'll try."
His face was still expressionless. He suddenly moved, and with a flash of light, the two knives stabbed into Power of Hu's leg. The one foot three inch long knives pierced all the way to the hilt.
Blood flowed down the knives, but Power of Hu still had a smile on his face. "So it's true. It doesn't hurt." The old man lowered his head, the wrinkles on his face twisting. He gritted his teeth and said, "It's true. I believe you." Power of Hu smiled and raised his head. He looked at Liu Changjie and Dragon Fifth. "What about you two? Do you believe me now? "No one replied. No one could.
Outside the window, a breeze blew in, carrying with it the fragrance of osmanthus flowers.
Dragon Fifth suddenly sighed. "It's going to rain tonight," he muttered. He slowly stood up, brushed the dust from his robe, and walked out without looking back.
Liu Changjie watched him leave. He also sighed. "It's definitely going to rain tonight," he muttered. He also walked out. When he reached the door, he couldn't help but look back. "I don't want to get caught in the rain. I should be leaving anyway." Power of Hu smiled. "I don't want you to get caught in the rain either. You're not a good person, but you're not a bad person either." "But there's something I want to ask you."
"Ask away," Power of Hu said.
Liu Changjie said, "You have fame, you have status, and you have a lot of people who worship you. Your life is more comfortable than most people's." Power of Hu said, "That's something I earned through years of hard work."
Liu Changjie: "I know."
He sighed. "It's because I know, that's why I don't understand." "What don't you understand?" Power of Hu asked.
"You've worked hard for many years to get to where you are today. Now you have everything, and you're an old man. Why do you want to do this kind of thing?" Power of Hu was silent for a long time. Then he slowly said, "At first, I didn't understand. Why is it that the older a person gets, the more greedy they get? Don't tell me they want to take their money with them to the grave? "" Now you understand? "
Power of Hu slowly nodded his head. "Now I understand. Old people are greedy for money because they have seen through everything. They know that there is nothing in the world that is more real than money." "I still don't understand," said Liu Changjie.
Power of Hu laughed. "Wait until you're as old as me, then you'll understand." Liu Changjie hesitated for a moment before finally leaving. When he reached the door, he couldn't help but look back. "Where's Yue 'er?" "You want to see her?"
Liu Changjie nodded. "Whether she's dead or alive, I want to see her." Power of Hu closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, whether she's dead or alive, you won't be able to see it," he said coolly. Another gust of wind blew in through the window, bringing in a fine drizzle.
Power of Hu opened his eyes and looked at the knife in his leg. His entire body twisted in pain.
The rain was cold, very cold.
"It's late autumn," Power of Hu murmured. "It's going to get colder and colder." He suddenly pulled the knife out of his leg …
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