Night, 28th of February, 30th year of Xuanji Heaven's Formation.
On a plain at the foot of a mountain, 15 miles away from Guan Yuan, hundreds of tents were set up by bonfires. Purple silk tassels floated on top of the tents, indicating that they belonged to the imperial court's special organization, the Purple Cloaks.
A large number of Purple Cloaks who had been evacuated from Guan Yuan County met up with the experts who had been waiting at Mount Donglan for days. They knew that they had been deceived and were preparing to head to Shangfeng Prefecture according to the First Princess's orders. On the way, they passed by a town to rest for the night, only to discover that a green-faced villager was being carried out and carried to the side of the mountain. When questioned, they were told that there were people in the village who had contracted a strange disease and had died. The Purple Cloaks looked around and saw that every house had scattered white rice to ward off evil spirits. The Purple Cloaks had long been traumatized by what had happened to Guan Yuan and did not dare to stay any longer. Thus, the Purple Cloaks, who had always valued enjoyment and would sleep in the best bed wherever they went, finally had the chance to camp out for the first time in a hundred years.
The Purple Cloaks set up camp with their backs to the mountain and their faces to the water. On this spring night, the mountains and flowers swayed in the wind. The scenery was not bad. It was a pity that the old men who had just been frightened in Guan Yuan County were not in the mood to appreciate it. After arranging for the night watch, they set up camp early and went to sleep.
Scattered starlight shone on the tents, extending from the tent closest to the mountain wall all the way to the top of the mountain wall, where a man and a woman sat with their sleeves fluttering in the wind.
The woman's feet were placed on the top of the cliff, her hands supporting her back as she looked up at the stars and moon in the sky. After a long time, she let out a long sigh.
"I've been holding it in for so many days. I've suffered, I've endured, I've endured, I've been beaten, I've been imprisoned, and it's not easy for me to make a comeback. Today, I'll definitely kill you and beat you until you lose your soul."
The man tilted his head, the sparse starlight shining into his eyes. It was hard to tell which was brighter. He chuckled softly and reached out to pick up the woman's long hair that had fallen to the ground. "Don't use too much strength. We still have to save some strength for the show in Tong City."
"Of course." "Something as perverted as the purple cloak is but a microcosm of the entire Xuanji Dynasty. It grew out of the rotten mud of this damned dynasty. Rather than relying on manpower to slowly dig it out, it's better to change the entire soil and turn it upside down."
She picked up two small cloth bags with one finger and said proudly, "Zong Yue is really a good child. The moment he heard that we went missing in Xuanji, he knew that something was going to happen. He actually sent a bag of good stuff to all of his Guangde branch halls. He even thought that I might go berserk after taking that medicine. My hard work for him was not in vain. I even became the Empress."
She spoke happily, but Zhangsun Wuji, who was beside her, said lightly, "Just because of this, there will come a day when I will have a good talk with him."
Meng Fuyao immediately shut up and rolled her eyes. She quickly changed the topic and said to Lord Ingot, who was sitting solemnly beside her, "Rat, are you ready?"
Lord Ingot nodded with deep hatred. Lord Ingot, who had traveled freely throughout the Seven Kingdoms, was now filled with hatred for Xuanji. In this damned country, the honorable Lord Ingot, who had always been kind and aloof from worldly affairs, had been forced to crawl into a rat's hole and be pinched by someone. This was the greatest humiliation that a rat had ever experienced in its life. It was intolerable to crawl into a hole, but intolerable to be touched!
If he did not take revenge, he would not be a good rat!
"Go." Meng Fuyao placed her hand on his forehead and said kindly, "Where there is light, there is darkness. Darkness calls for light, and light calls for darkness. You are a beautiful warrior in a sailor suit of love and justice. You will represent the moon and destroy them!"
"Go and take off the pants of those who have offended you!"
Lord Ingot, dressed in a black sailor suit and an assassin's black scarf, immediately picked up the two small cloth bags and climbed down the wall of the mountain with great enthusiasm and speed, his blood boiling like a wolf's.
The small black ball slithered into the darkness like a black line, then silently scuttled into the various tents. Amidst the continuous snoring, he covered his nose and grabbed the powder from the small red bag on his back, scattering it on the mattress. Then, he scuttled to the corner of the tent, grabbed the powder from the small green bag, and sprinkled a little into the burning incense burner.
The red was bristle powder, and the green was Soul Shock Incense. When bristle powder met Soul Shock Incense, it would explode.
The effect was strong, and the smell was fragrant. A little bit of each would make it hard to sleep.
Lord Ingot sprinkled more in the purple tents with golden threads on them. Purple capes had a strict hierarchy, and there was a huge difference in the equipment and clothing of different ranks, making it easy to identify them. The ones with golden threads belonged to the general team.
The bag on his back was soon empty, but Lord Ingot did not leave. He found a random bush and squatted down, waiting with bright eyes.
There were two others beside him, also waiting with bright eyes. One of them let out a low yawn and said, "I'm sleepy, brother. Lend me a lighter."
The other one rolled its eyes at him.
After a while, there was a commotion in the tent.
The purple capes, who were sleeping soundly, suddenly felt hot and dry. In a daze, they involuntarily tossed and turned on the mattress on the ground. The bristle powder stained their bodies, making them itchy and unbearable. They crawled up and scratched with all their might, causing their skin to fly everywhere. When the skin flew out, it stained those who were sleeping next to them, causing another wave of itchiness.
So they all crawled up and scratched. The more they scratched, the more flustered they became. The more they scratched, the more uncomfortable they felt. Their skin started to bleed, but it did not stop the itchiness. Instead, it was as if the itchiness was at the bottom of their hearts, drilling into their blood vessels. Their hearts started to pound again, and the itchiness became more and more unbearable.
They could no longer stay in the small tent. They all felt suffocated, so they lifted the tent and rushed out. Only then did they realize that there were people rushing out of the tents on all sides, including their superiors.
Everyone scratched randomly. The purple capes, who had not slept outdoors for a long time, could not determine whether their skin was not used to the grass seeds, so they pulled each other's underwear to check. Most of the itchiness came from their lower bodies. They took off their pants, and under the moonlight, they saw red marks on their skin. They were all scratched by themselves, but they could not see anything strange.
"Hey! It's itchy! It's itchy! " Suddenly, someone was making a ruckus in the shadow of the tent, doing the action of taking off his pants. "It's been raining lately, and it's very humid. I haven't changed these clothes for a few days, and it's uncomfortable to wear them. Let's take them off!"
Everyone was itchy and irritated. When they heard this, they immediately thought that it was because of their clothes. They scolded their superiors for being unscrupulous and not allowing them to take off their clothes while they were sleeping. Immediately, they felt a cool breeze blowing over them.
It was cool! Looking at each other's bodies under the moonlight, they all burst into laughter. They felt that when people took off their clothes, their faces seemed to suddenly become strange. Looking at them, they became interested again. They compared their sizes with each other and laughed.
In the camp, a group of naked men was making a ruckus. Captains of all levels came out to stop them. They repeatedly shouted and ordered people to go back to their tents to be careful. Everyone laughed and responded sparsely, but they did not move.
The leader of this group of purple cloaks was a chief captain. There were a total of 20,000 people in the purple cloaks, divided into 20 corps, and each corps had 2000 people. Below the corps was a brigade, and each brigade had 500 people. Below the brigade were groups of 50 people. In addition to the chief and deputy chief, there were chief captains, brigade captains, and team leaders. Originally, there were 10,000 people in the purple cloaks in the capital city of Tongcheng, and another 10,000 people were stationed in various capitals. However, since the First Princess became the inspector in the middle road, the purple cloaks were mobilized. Now, there were about 13,000 people in the purple cloaks. This chief captain temporarily led these 3,000 people. Among them, 2000 were direct subordinates, and the other 1000 were from other teams. Therefore, his control was a little insufficient. When the superior also grabbed the buttocks and gave orders to the subordinates, the deterrence of the orders was really very limited.
After a while, they squatted at the entrance of the tent and discussed whether it was because of the humidity. In the shadow of the tent, the person who took off his pants first said again, "Humidity, there are herbs on the mountain that can cure it. Just mash them with juice and apply it. They can be found all over the mountain. The grass is dark green, has long hooked teeth, and has tassels at the top. I can recognize it at a glance."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone shouted from the bushes halfway up the mountain, "Hey! Why are you guys still scratching? There are ready-made herbs on the mountain, I'm not itchy anymore! "
With a loud bang, the purple cloaked men who were not wearing their cloaks started running naked …
Under the starlight, countless white naked men started running wildly. They were like fish fighting to be the first to jump into the dark green sea. The swaying yellow and white quickly converged into the mountain from all directions, disappearing into the gray cliff and the dark forest.
"Come back! Come back! Don't enter the forest at night! "The purple cloaked leaders felt that something was wrong. They ran out of their tents and shouted to stop them.
However, their subordinates were so itchy that they wanted to relieve the itch. They could only pretend that they did not hear them and ran far away. The leaders had no choice but to grab their butts and poke their heads out of their tents. They shouted, "Gather more, we'll use it on the big guys —"
Their shouts were carried by the wind to the top of the cliff. A certain woman on the cliff looked down at the jumping white dots. She squinted her eyes and sighed in fascination, "It's a magnificent sight!"
She then added, "It's a rare sight to see in a hundred years."
Zhangsun Wuji stood up and said, "Tie Cheng and Zhong Yi echoed each other and finally chased them up the mountain. Let them clean up that place first. Next, it's our business … The moon is dark and the wind is strong, it's perfect to run around naked."
Meng Fuyao smiled. "The weather is dry, perfect for killing."
= = =
In the main tent, the purple cloaked commander was scratching his itch. As he scratched, he thought about the strangeness of the night, from the plague in the town to the inexplicable itchiness of the whole team. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. He suddenly stood up and was about to call for help.
He had to call all of them back! Even if he had to kill a few disobedient ones!
He hurriedly put on his clothes and was about to order his bodyguards to call for help when the tent curtain was suddenly lifted. A man in fluttering purple robes walked in with a smile. "Commander, there's no need to call for me. I'm coming."
The man's smile was light, and he walked over unhurriedly. The commander stared at his eyes and felt a chill in his heart. He was a smart and knowledgeable man, so he immediately understood that he could not fight him head-on. He quickly leaped backward.
"Chi!"
The extremely soft sound of a blade tearing through flesh was something the purple-cloaked captain had heard countless times in his life. But this time, it was different. This time, it was his own.
His heart turned cold, and within that coldness came a warmth. What was cold was someone else's blade, and what was warm was his own blood.
The commander turned his head with difficulty. Through his shaky and hazy vision, he saw a delicate young man in a black robe with a knife pointed forward and a sinister smile on his face. He himself was hanging on that knife.
The young man's arm was raised straight and unmoving, as if he had been waiting for the commander to leap backward and onto the tip of the knife.
The commander, however, knew that it was not the case.
How could he be mediocre when he could climb his way up to the commander's position in a world where the strong preyed on the weak? His instincts, honed through countless bloody battles, enabled him to sense enemies and killing intent within a thirty-meter radius. But just now, not only did he not know how the man in purple had entered, he did not even sense anyone behind him when he retreated.
These two people … were they the ones who killed a hundred purple cloaks, and were the ones they had been searching for day and night?
At the moment before his death, his mind was clear. He clearly felt the young man slowly pull out the knife and carelessly blow his blood on the knife onto his face. He said, "This posture is really handsome. From now on, I will be called Meng Chuixue."
Meng …
So … it was her.
The commander wanted to open his mouth and shout. He wanted to tell his superiors that he finally knew who the expert was. Unfortunately, Meng Chuixue would not give him a second to struggle.
His last consciousness was that a black and white thing suddenly rushed over and blocked his mouth with its butt.
= = =
In the smaller captains' tent next to the main tent, a few captains were scratching their heads as they discussed the current situation. They did not sense the massacre taking place next door at all. In fact, there was no movement at all next door.
"Like a headless fly, we don't even know who the other party is!"
"At Guan Yuan, our brothers died mysteriously!"
"The enemy is in the dark while we are out in the open, we are at a disadvantage!"
"Don't complain, it's still okay here. I heard that the brothers who worked with the Iron Guards in Shangfeng have suffered countless losses. Those black dogs are vicious!"
"I don't know what the First Prince is thinking, to actually work with the Third Prince."
"Don't talk about national affairs, don't talk about national affairs, the matters of the higher-ups are not something we can guess!"
The tent fell silent. Everyone was well aware of the struggle for the throne of the Four Stars Pearl Sect, but it was also something that everyone knew was absolutely untouchable — it was said that every time there was a struggle for the throne of the Four Stars Pearl Sect, there would be an earth-shattering massacre. The current Emperor had fought his way to power amidst dense conspiracies, and now, in order to carry forward the glorious tradition of the Four Stars Royal Family, he was going to use this trick on his next generation.
It was obvious that he was going to appoint a female lead, but he was still delegating power to the princes and princesses. The most powerful competitors, the Eleventh Prince, the First Princess and the Third Prince, seemed to be exiled, but they were allowed to occupy the Northern, Southern and Southern Territories, and each controlled a group of strong forces. No one could figure out what His Majesty was up to, nor did they dare to figure it out.
In the silence, someone murmured, "Strange, it's been so long since he came back from picking herbs."
"It's dark and you can't see clearly." Someone laughed. "Don't mention this, I don't feel it if you don't mention it, but the more you mention it, the more itchy I feel."
"I'll give you a scratch."
"Who wants you to scratch, clumsy — —" The captain suddenly froze midway through his words.
This voice … was unfamiliar!
When he looked up, he saw that the captains around him were frozen in place, like white puppets under the light. He moved his eyes sluggishly and wanted to turn his head to look, but for some reason, his head could not move. He forced his eyelids to open his eyes and take a look. A man in light purple clothes was leaning against the tent door with a smile on his face, and a youth in black clothes was striding over.
There was blood on the tip of his knife, and as he walked, large drops of it rolled down. The sticky blood brushed against the faint jade-colored true qi that enveloped his body and fell down, sparkling brightly under the light.
As he walked over, as he approached, the captains felt the pressure on their bodies suddenly lessen.
They looked at each other, and with all their strength, leaped up together and rushed to the top of the tent.
Escape first!
Their martial arts were not weak, and in an instant, they had already reached the top of the tent. With a 'chi la' sound, they broke through the leather tent and popped their heads out.
Immediately after, they felt their bodies suddenly become light.
It was really light, as though their entire bodies had suddenly lost half of their weight, including their souls.
The six heads that popped out of the tent froze, their faces forming a hexagonal shape as they looked at each other under the starlight and moonlight. They could see the paleness and paleness of each other's faces gradually emitting the aura of death. Their eyeballs congealed one by one until the divine light completely dissipated.
Below the tent, Meng Fuyao wiped her sword and muttered to the remaining six heads, "This is good, it'll save me some trouble."
She raised her head and knocked on the top half.
"999 Piyan Ping, a quick itch reliever. It's always available at home. Do you have it at home?"
= = =
On the mountain, the bare-bottomed purple captains were still searching freely. Someone was searching between the cracks of the rocks, mumbling, "Eh, there's no such grass."
Someone came over and joined him in his search. Suddenly, he grabbed a blade of grass and asked, "Look, isn't this it?"
The man in the purple cape leaned over and squinted his eyes in confusion. He was astonished as though he had suddenly discovered a new continent. "Eh, why are you wearing clothes?"
That person flashed a bright and beautiful smile at him. She reached out and patted him on the shoulder. Then, she slapped a knife into his chest. She smiled cutely and said,
"You're mistaken. Humans should wear clothes, only beasts don't."
= = =
Behind a shrub on the mountain path, there was a pool of clear water that was as pure as jade. One look and anyone could tell that it was absolutely pristine and unpolluted water that could be directly bottled for drinking.
Someone who was itching to the point of dryness couldn't help but have his eyes light up when he passed by the pool. He felt that the cool water was truly mesmerizing. He immediately called for his friends and jumped into the water without wasting any effort to take off his clothes. "Good! Comfortable! "
"Just take it as a bath. Who knows, maybe it'll be better after a night of soaking!"
"Give me a back rub."
"Tsk tsk, why do you smell like head oil? Tell me honestly, which middle-aged woman did you have sex with in Guan Yuan? "
"With your mother!"
"Bah! You're courting death! "
The sound of water splashing could be heard. You slap me and I slap you. Recently, the purple capes had been too tense. It was rare for them to enjoy such fun in the wild. The bright moon was in the sky and the cool spring water made them all feel like having fun. They laughed and slapped each other, causing sparkling water that was half the height of a person to splash.
As they slapped, they suddenly felt dizzy.
Not only did they feel dizzy, but they also felt flustered. Not only that, they also had difficulty breathing. White light appeared in front of their eyes. They thought it was water but it wasn't water. They thought their eyes were splashed with water. They rubbed their eyes with their hands, but bright red blood came out.
Then, they looked up at the others. They didn't know why their faces were also red. However, they didn't know if it was because their eyes were red or because the other party was just that red.
The cold moon was silent. The pond water was clear. In front of the dark mountain wall, a group of people stood in the water. They watched each other rub more and more blood came out. This scene was a little strange no matter how they looked at it.
Therefore, they all knew that there was something wrong with the pond water. They scrambled to climb up the shore. They climbed faster than they jumped in. However, there was one more person at the edge of the pond. He coldly pursed his lips and squatted at the edge of the pond. He grabbed a heavy sword and slapped down whoever climbed up.
The faster they climbed, the faster they slapped down. It was like a game of whack-a-mole. It was rare that he had quick hands and eyes. He didn't miss a single spot.
The people in the pond screamed in pain, desperately crawling out from all directions. The man grabbed the sword and spun around, running from the east side of the pond to the west side. He spun around like a hurricane, making it hard to distinguish his silhouette, slapping the sword around like a whirlwind.
Gradually, the people climbing up became fewer.
Gradually, the people in the pond became fewer.
Those who should sink had already sunk. When it was time to float up, it would naturally float up.
That person lowered his head to take a look. He rotated his sore wrist and swung his sword a few times before nodding his head in satisfaction. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "Master said that if I look at this pool tonight, my Lightness Skill and Swordsmanship will improve greatly. Now that I look at it, it seems that it is indeed true."
= = =
There were more people scattered on the mountain in groups of three to five, looking for the imaginary Anti-Itch Grass.
Sometimes, they would encounter a situation like this — a few grey-clothed men, usually in groups of four, would appear woodenly in front, back, left, and right. There was an exquisite small-scale formation, and with a few swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh, the swords would pierce through the heart, drawing a bright red rainbow under the moonlight. Before the rainbow shadow could disperse, the woodenly clothed men would have already moved to another location and come again.
Or there were some who were more careful. They were afraid of encountering wild beasts or danger on the mountain at night. So, they invited more people. About ten of them would happily look for herbs. They would tour the mountain under the moonlight and observe the grass under the fog. It was a special feeling.
Someone even had the mood to write a poem. He shook his head and recited, "The sky is bright under the moonlight. I look down at my crotch. They are all small crotches, only I have big crotches!"
There was a burst of laughter around. A group of people shouted in unison and rushed up to twist him. They wanted him to open his eyes and see clearly who was the real big crotch.
A group of naked people pounced on each other. Under the moonlight, they were like white cotton covers. They were having fun. Suddenly, they felt a chill somewhere.
It was just a chill. They didn't have time to feel the pain.
Then, they saw a young man in a black robe. He smiled and looked down at them with his hands on his knees. On the black knife in his hand, there were more than ten "big crotches".
Hearing this, he smiled sincerely and said, "How can that be compared to you? Let's just cut them off and weigh them. Come, come, let's see who is the biggest. "
= = =
On the night of the 28th of February in the 30th year of Xuanji Heaven, the night the purple cloaks were seriously injured.
After the 14th of February, the purple cloaks were attacked again. This time, the consequences were even worse. One company, six companies, and twenty squads were killed in the camp. Seven to eight hundred purple cloaks died inexplicably in colorful postures on the back mountain of the camp. Nearly two thousand purple cloaks disappeared. Some of them saw the killing that night and hurriedly fled. Some were lucky enough to slip through the net and came down from the mountain. They found the camp was a mess and ran away for fear of military law. Most of them didn't go up the mountain and didn't see the killing. But in the morning, they found that their leaders were dead and their companions didn't return. They knew that they would be unlucky if they went back like this. So, they simply divided up the main camp's belongings and slipped away.
Anyway, they had earned enough for half a lifetime. Although the purple cloaks were treated well and could do whatever they wanted, they were often in danger because they were too hated. Now that their leaders were dead, they couldn't even explain what happened. Instead of going back to the dark room to be tortured, they might as well change their names and become rich.
Three thousand people, one night and three days.
If the death of a hundred people the last time was said to have shaken the Xuanji court, this time it was the collective silence. The First Princess, who had been repeatedly thwarted, was so angry that she couldn't speak. With one kick, she killed the chief captain who came to report the bad news.
Then, she immediately replaced the purple cloaked leader and asked the new leader to choose one of his or the enemy's head and offer it to her.
She originally lived in Duanjing, the capital of the Central Road. Now, she had also rushed to Shangfeng Prefecture in the Southern Territory. Anyone who wanted to enter the Southern Territory had to pass through Shangfeng. Tens of thousands of people were stationed in Shangfeng, and the investigation network radiated to the villages and towns within a hundred miles.
But until now, no one had actually seen who the murderer was. Back then, the Magistrate of the Li Family and the Village Magistrate Li Zheng were both alive. However, Li Zheng, who held the lantern and led the purple cloaked leader into the backyard, was so frightened by Meng Fuyao's killing that he died before he could finish a sentence. The Magistrate and the Village Magistrate desperately tried to recall, but could only remember that the murderer's knife was very bright, and his eyes were red and bloody. As soon as this testimony left his mouth, he received a slap from the old man in the purple cloak.
With such a useless witness, it was even more difficult to find the murderer. It was even impossible to follow the map. The First Princess ordered that all the prefectures in the Central Road were strictly prohibited from entering and leaving the city at will. Those who entered and left the city must have a travel permit and a Xuanji household registration document. They would first be checked and then stamped with the seal to enter and leave the city. If there was a need to enter and leave the city daily, it had to be recorded in the yamen. According to the portrait of the murderer that the County Magistrate had barely pieced together under interrogation, it was put up at all the city gates. The portrait was of uncanny workmanship, bold and colorful. The figure looked like Zhong Kui in the New Year painting, and his temperament was like the Thunder God of the Ninth Heaven. In particular, his pair of large, blood-red eyes were brighter than light bulbs.
= = =
On the third day of the third month of the thirtieth year of Xuanji, it was the day of the Rising Spring Festival in Shangfeng.
The Rising Spring Festival was one of the most important festivals of the year for the people of Xuanji Central Road. It was held on the third day of the third month of the first spring of every year, and it meant that "the first glimmer of spring, the prosperity of the year". At that time, the people from a hundred miles around would come to Shangfeng County to show off their most beautiful handicrafts, show off their most exquisite utensils, and perform the most unique tricks. Xuanji was famous for producing many skilled craftsmen, and they loved to compete with each other in "skill". The handicraft industry accounted for a large proportion of the country's economy. Therefore, the Rising Spring Festival had always been the biggest platform for competition among the industry. Whoever's product won the first prize would become the king of the industry, and their wealth would be rolling in. Whoever's daughter's embroidery won the first prize would be worth a hundred times from then on, and every family would prosper.
On this day, it was extremely lively inside and outside the city gate. Early in the morning, the crowd was already a few miles long. The officers and soldiers were busy interrogating one by one. Seeing that the crowd was increasing, the team became impatient, and the interrogation became much more relaxed.
A few officers and soldiers guarding the east gate, led by an old assistant, were sweating profusely as they shouted, "Line up, line up! Don't push, don't push! Hey, hey, go back for me! I'm talking to you! "
Just as they were busy, they suddenly saw a young daughter-in-law with half her face covered gracefully walk over. Beside her was her in-laws and husband. They were carrying a load to set up a stall for the festival. The young daughter-in-law was very pretty. The pair of black eyes that was exposed outside the peach-pink round fan were bright and delightful. When those eyes flashed, the young officer's heart skipped a beat.
However, he still did not dare to be negligent and extended his hand. The young daughter-in-law gently handed over the travel pass and the document. It was complete. The officer pinched it and suddenly felt that something was wrong. Just as he was about to speak, the young daughter-in-law leaned over. Her breath smelled like orchids and she said with a sweet smile, "Sir …"
The apricot yellow silk tassels on her fan hung down and softly brushed against the back of the officer's hand. The rippling sensation made the officer's body go limp and he immediately forgot what he was going to say. The young daughter-in-law's eyes flickered and she reached out to take the document back. Her fingernails lightly scratched the officer's palm. Her strength was neither light nor heavy. Her expression was half flirtatious and half teasing. Her tone was also fluttering and gentle. "Sir, can we go to the next gate and stamp the city entrance seal?"
"Oh …" The officer was scared out of his wits by that scratch. He looked at the young daughter-in-law in a daze and looked back at her with a smile. Even his bones felt lighter. How could he still remember that "something was wrong"?
The person in charge of stamping the city entrance seal was the old assistant. He was a gentleman and was also responsible. He had to pick through the documents one by one. The old fellow seemed to be frowning deeply and seemed to have something on his mind.
The young daughter-in-law floated over and handed over the travel pass. The old assistant touched it with his hand. "Hmm?" He said. However, the young daughter-in-law suddenly let out an "Aiya!" as if someone had bumped into her. Her body leaned forward and the silk fan in her hand fell in front of him.
The old assistant's eyes suddenly lit up.
A top-notch embroidery!
The embroidery was only the size of a palm. The clothes, accessories, expressions, and colors were all exquisite and lifelike. Even the creases on the clothes were natural and smooth, as if they were about to fly away. The sorrowful mood of the woman leaning against the window under the cold moonlight seemed to be right in front of his eyes. There was also a poem beside it. The old assistant wasn't well-versed in words, but he could tell that the words were exquisitely embroidered and had an extraordinary aura. It was completely different from the stiff and inflexible appearance of ordinary embroidery. It complemented the painting of the beautiful woman. It was a rare and wonderful item even in Xuanji, which was full of talented people …
If such an item was brought to the "Rising Spring Festival", how many people would go crazy for it?
The old assistant's heart started to pound. He thought of the matter that he had always been worried about — his daughter was already eighteen years old. She was ugly and had yet to marry. He had asked many people but still couldn't find a husband. Now that he had this, would he still need to worry?
His eyeballs were glued to the fan and couldn't come down anymore. The young wife spoke in a sweet and soft voice. She laughed and said, "Aiya, it's dirty." She brushed the fan towards his hand. The old assistant instinctively gripped it tightly. With the fan in his hand, he no longer had the time to study the Travel Permit or open his mouth to speak. The wife pushed her finger. The yamen runner beside him who was busy stamping the fan didn't even raise his head. He stamped the fan and waved his hand.
The few of them walked over slowly and smiled. The old woman smiled and said, "Even I feel sorry for her, let alone this old servant."
The young wife was shy. She twisted her body and poked the forehead of the "mother-in-law" with a slender finger. "You look so bad!"
The "husband" jumped over and rolled his eyes. He said in a low voice, "Rabbit!"
"Do you think it's easy for me?" The 'little wife' grumbled and said in a bashful tone, "You refused to act as the real woman, but you asked me, a man, to put on makeup and powder. I even offered my precious embroidery, but I didn't even get a single word from you."
"Good, very good. A natural actress, infinitely coquettish." Meng Fuyao, the "mother-in-law", came over with a smile and praised the wife's acting skills.
Madam Zhong immediately leaned forward with a sweet and fragrant voice. She placed her slender fingers on his. "Good man …"
Her collar was suddenly grabbed by someone. The wife turned around and said in a low voice, "Tiecheng, don't spoil the mood every time …" She suddenly choked halfway through.
"Father-in-law," Zhangsun Wuji looked at her with a smile. His expression was very gentle, but his eyes clearly said, "If you don't stop touching me, I'll let Sir Yuan Bao serve you day and night …"
The wife immediately declined and dragged her feet away. She sighed and murmured, "The father-in-law and mother-in-law have stolen from the city, the wife has kicked the wall …"
= = =
The Rising Spring Festival lasted for seven days. Because of the festival, although the First Princess and the Third Prince had strictly ordered the camps not to go out, the Purple Cloaks and some high-ranking commanders of the Iron Guards still couldn't resist the temptation of the bustling lights in the city. They snuck out and "enjoyed the people".
Of course, these people were women.
However, compared to the tyrannical and lawless Purple Cloaks, the rules of the Iron Guards were better. They usually visited brothels, while the Purple Cloaks did not touch women after the incident at the Li Family Courtyard. According to the rules, the two families divided the brothels in the south of the city to the Purple Cloaks, and the brothels in the north to the Iron Guards. They fought their own battles and minded their own business.
The First Princess and the Third Prince were afraid that the two families would fight, so they strictly forbade jealousy. Thus, they lived in harmony.
However, something went wrong today.
According to the usual practice, during the festival, the famous courtesans of the nearby states and counties would usually come to the city to perform their fighting skills in the city, to promote their talent and reputation, in order to achieve greater fame and better treatment in the prostitute industry. This time was no exception. Some famous beauties came, especially the "Couch Cloud", which was famous in Shangfeng. What was a Couch Cloud? It was said that this woman had practiced a special technique. Her bones and flesh were light and soft. When a man slept on her, it was like lying on a soft cloud. One could imagine how good it felt!
In fact, the lower half of the body was always more important than the upper half. Zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting were all about artistic conception. When it came to seductive power, artistic conception was absolutely not as good as a couch cloud. Therefore, the talented courtesans of the city could only look at the "Couch Cloud", who was as busy as a marketplace.
The "Couch Cloud"'s place of hospitality was different from other places. She chose the Seven Star River in the city. The Seven Star River ran from the north to the south of Shangfeng City. It was the first river in the city. Usually, some pleasure boats floated on it, doing some prostitution business. Today, the "Couch Cloud" was also interested. She chose the Seven Star River. She didn't need a magnificent pleasure boat, but an ingenious light boat with a red lantern on it. It drifted leisurely on the blue water, like a sleeping woman waiting for her guest. It was even more tempting.
Under the night sky, the Seven Star River glowed with brilliant lights and vibrant colors. Countless people on the shore were waiting anxiously for the arrival of the beauty. It was said that "Yi Chi Yun" was not an ordinary prostitute who would be tasted by tens of thousands of people. She had a high social status and integrity, so the guests had to be personally chosen by her.
It was said that the girl's famous words were:
Chickens also have their own personalities!
Before the night was over, a light boat arrived amidst the expectations of the crowd. It stopped ten meters away from the shore. Looking from the weeping willows on the shore, the light boat was silent.
The crowd waited anxiously. Among them were the contractor of the brothel in the south of the city, Purple Cloak, and the big boss of the brothel in the north of the city, Iron Guard. The leaders of the two sides looked at each other, then looked at where they were standing, and turned their heads.
The small boat had been silent. At this time, the silence was better than the sound. Just when the crowd was about to explode with impatience, the red lantern suddenly lit up. A plain-clothed woman suddenly appeared under the lantern.
Her clothes were light and soft. She was as charming as a drifting cloud.
Under the cover of the red lantern, the woman's face was hazy. However, her graceful bearing was like that of a fairy, like a beautiful jade.
From the crowd's point of view, they could only see her snow-white and slender hands clasped at her abdomen. Her posture was elegant, like a magnolia blooming in the morning glow.
The corner of her skirt fluttered like a white lotus on the water. In the cool wind of early spring, it drew out 120% of its charm.
The most beautiful part was that flowing figure. The plain clothes and light makeup could not hide the charm and beauty that seeped out from her bones. Whether it was the bulge or the depression, it was a natural beauty. It was the work of a top-notch craftsman with the help of the gods.
The crowd looked at the beautiful figure in the distance and momentarily lost their breath.
It was really … a Couch Cloud …
That woman did not speak. She stood up on the boat and entered the cabin, leaving behind her beautiful figure that attracted the longing and stunned gazes of the crowd.
In the silence, the small boat quieted down again. Then, the sound of a pipa suddenly came from the boat!
The sound could split rocks and stop the clouds!
That pipa song suddenly came from nowhere. The silver bottle broke and clanged. Wind and thunder shocked the sky, piercing through the confusion and chaos, splashing the sound!
The sound was like the surging of the sea, the wind of the five continents. The sound was like the sound of thunder rolling in all directions. The wind swept through the mountains and rivers, and there was the soaring of a phoenix in the sky. The colorful tail feathers pierced through the clouds. The wind rose, the clouds soared, the moon hid, and the sun rose. After the endless brilliant light, the horizon gradually became bright and spacious. The clear sound flowed, the sound was ethereal. Like the fluttering willow, it floated up and down to the peak of the distant mountain. The pine trees rustled. Dusk came in all directions. The frost bell rang in the clouds. The moon rose in the middle of the sky. Who in the depths of the distant mountain slept on a rock? And the moonlight gradually sank, falling into the red tent and jade boat. Lingering, beautiful, soft, clever … all the lively and prosperous dreams of the pink pavilion.
Everyone entered the dream.
A peerless song.
He had never seen a piece of pipa that was able to combine the ethereal and the beautiful in such a clever way. The turns were natural and seamless. Not to mention the finger technique, just the three turns of the different artistic conception of this piece had reached the pinnacle of perfection.
And the person who played the pipa, what kind of otherworldly beauty, elegant and romantic?
Everyone was immersed in their thoughts. They automatically replaced the plain-clothed woman as the person who played the pipa. Thinking like this, thinking of the woman's figure that was even more beautiful than the pipa, it was like a fire was burning in their hearts. That fire washed away all reason, leaving only that enchanting and beautiful figure.
The pipa song stopped. The curtain on the boat was lifted. A little maid in green poked her head out, holding a flower with her fingertips. She said with a smile, "Masters, is there anyone who is willing to be on this light boat with my lady, between the soft clouds … rippling?"
Her last two words made the masters' eyes light up. Their lower bodies tightened.
The little maid had already raised her hand and tossed the flower up. She said with a smile, "Whoever picks this flower will be first."
The magnolia floated up, leisurely swaying.
Dozens of figures flew up from the shore.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang." Immediately, there were sounds of collisions. First, it was the collision of flesh and skin, followed by the clash of swords and spears.
Someone in midair cursed, "F * ck your ancestors. What are you Guardians doing here today?"
"Purple cloaked man with rotten eyes and sore buttocks. You can come, but I can't!"
"This is the south of the city!"
"Who told you that the Seven Star River is the south of the city?"
"Pah! Get out of the way! "
"Get lost!"
Splat, splat, splat. There were people falling into the water, still digging their eyes and noses in the water. The purple cloaked man and the Guardians had a long history of grievances. It was only because of the strict orders from their masters that they were not to fight. Now that they were burning with desire, they were determined to get the girl in the boat. Moreover, the Seven Star River ran from the north to the south. Who said that was the south (or north) of the city? In any case, no one was breaking the rules. They would just beat them up to vent their anger!
While they were fighting in the water, the people on the shore were still fighting endlessly. The purple cloaked deputy leader and the second leader of the Iron Guard were both here today. These two high-ranking officials with the highest level of martial arts were also tempted. This was an extremely rare beauty. Just by looking at her figure and listening to her lute, it was obvious that she was a peerless beauty. How could they let her go? Besides, even if they didn't want to force their way in, now that the other party was trying to snatch her away, how could they just let her go? If they let her go, what face would the purple cloaked man (Iron Guard) have?
Both of their martial arts were very high, and their strength was about the same. The purple cloaked deputy leader shot through the air in a streak of purple light, taking half a step forward to seize the flower. The second leader of the Iron Guard took a step forward and kicked him. The two of them exchanged a few blows in midair, then each flipped over and landed on the ground, raising their hands.
They each snatched half.
The purple cloaked deputy leader shouted anxiously, "My half is bigger, I!"
The boat floated a few times and moved towards the north. The second leader of the Iron Guard looked at the position of the boat, then turned his head to look at the painting building that the Third Prince had marked as the boundary between the north and the south. His eyes lit up, and he shouted, "The boat is now in the north of the city, I!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the boat floated again and floated back to the south. The purple cloaked leader was furious when he saw this, and cursed, "You are blind! Shameless! "
"You bastard! You were clearly on my side just now! "
"You are courting death!"
"You are muddle-headed!"
"I will kill you today!" He took off his clothes.
"Next year tonight will be the anniversary of your death, you old dog!" He rolled up his sleeves.
"Bang!"
"Pa!"
"Murder!"
Other than the purple cloaked guards and the Iron Guards who were fighting on the shore, the rest of the commoners had already escaped.
The small boat swayed a few times, and slowly moved away, drifting under the willow branches in the distance. Of course, the murderous people could not see anything, and even if they saw it, they could not chase after it.
In the boat, a woman in plain clothes sat cross-legged with a smile, pouring wine for the man sitting opposite her. Her snow-white sleeves revealed her delicate wrist.
"I did not expect you to play the lute so well, it really stunned me."
The man reclined on the brocade bedding, his slender fingers gently plucking the strings. Under the faint light of the red lantern, his long eyebrows were like ink, his skin like jade, and his long hair was spread out, draped over his shoulders with a light belt. He had a faint smile on his face, and his black robe was elegant.
He looked up, and his smile was like a blooming flower, elegant and quiet with a hint of captivating charm.
"This is a song I wrote for you, it is called 'Phoenix Dance in the Wind'. Today, I finally have the chance to play it."
He smiled and plucked the strings. The sound of the strings was clear and melodious, like the sound of his thoughts.
"If you like it, I will play it for you every day of my life."
= = =
On the third day of the third month of the 30th year of Xuanji City, the two major supervisory forces of Xuanji City, the purple cloaked guards and the Iron Guards, disregarded the strict orders of their superiors and rashly killed each other over a prostitute in Shangfeng City. Two senior commanders were killed and one was disabled, and their attendants were injured. Some people directly died in the Seven Star River, and their corpses only surfaced a few days later. As a result, the long-accumulated conflict between the purple cloaked guards and the Iron Guards, who had always been in discord but had to tolerate each other due to the restrictions of their superiors, finally broke out. Within a few days, there were several explosions, and more than ten thousand people in the city were engaged in a melee.
The First Princess and the Third Prince were busy restraining their subordinates, and were exhausted from running for their lives. They no longer cared about assassinations and arrests.
Therefore, some people leisurely left the city, leaving the mess for the Princes and Princesses to clean up. They stealthily ran all the way, hiding during the day and traveling at night.
On the tenth day of the third month, an urgent notice from a courier station in the suburbs of the capital was sent to the Ministry of Rites of Xuanji City. The Ministry of Rites was in an uproar.
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