(It’s a little late. The 9,000-word chapter is not included in the update on the 4th.)
Eagles circled in the sky and crows screamed on the dead branches.
The originally flat and wide official road had long been in pieces, and a motorcade was jolting along.
As the largest vassal state of the Zhuying Dynasty, Shihao Kingdom is located in the northwest of the dynasty. It is famous for its fertile fields and rich products in the central part of Aquarius Continent. It has always been the large granary of the Zhuying Dynasty. It is also a vassal state of the dynasty. Shihao Kingdom and The Huangting Kingdom of the Great Sui Dynasty had a completely different choice. The Shihao Kingdom, from the emperor and the important ministers of the temple to the vast majority of the frontier generals, chose to go head-to-head with an army of great Li cavalry.
The war has spread throughout the Shihao Kingdom. Since the beginning of this spring, the fighting has been extremely brutal in the entire area north of the capital. Now the capital of the Shihao Kingdom is deeply under siege.
Not only the people of Shihao Kingdom, but also several nearby small vassal countries whose military strength is far inferior to that of Shihao Kingdom, are all panic-stricken. Of course, there are many so-called smart people who have surrendered to the Song family of Dali early and are watching the fire on the other side, waiting to see. It’s a joke. I hope that the invincible Great Li cavalry can simply massacre the city and kill all the Shihao Kingdom loyalists who are foolishly loyal to the Zhu Ying Dynasty. Maybe they can still learn from their kindness and fight without bloodshed. With their help, They successfully captured the tall cities with arsenals and treasury intact.
The bumpy road made many drivers of this convoy complain incessantly. Even many strong men with long bows on their backs and long knives on their waists were almost broken. They were all sluggish and struggling to cheer up. , looking around in all directions to prevent rogues from plundering. Almost all of these young and strong men who were in their seventies or eighties and were familiar with riding bows and horses had the smell of blood on their bodies. It can be seen that this journey south was not an easy journey in the chaotic world.
It's really like making money with your head tied to your belt. It's no exaggeration to say that if you spill your urine, you may accidentally drop your head on the ground.
The most dangerous interception during the period was not the refugees who had turned into bandits, but a group of 300 Shihao soldiers pretending to be horse thieves. They treated their caravan as a big piece of meat. That fight started early. Nearly half of the caravan guards who signed the certificate of life and death were killed or injured. If it weren't for the fact that there was a hidden mountain god hidden among the employers, who would have made dumplings for the officers and soldiers along with the people and goods.
This convoy needs to pass through the hinterland of Shihao Kingdom, reach the southern border, and go to Shujian Lake, which is regarded as a dragon's pond and a tiger's den by the secular dynasty. The convoy took a large sum of money, but it only dared to stop at the border pass, otherwise no matter how much money it had, it would not stop at the border pass. , and were unwilling to go one step further south. Fortunately, the dozen foreign merchants agreed and allowed the convoy guards to turn back at the Chidori Pass on the border. After that, this group of merchants would live or die by grabbing huge profits at Shujian Lake. It's better to just die on the way and let the robbers have a good year, and the convoy won't be responsible anyway.
Walking down this road is really a purgatory on earth.
Starving to death for thousands of miles is no longer a term used by scholars after a glimpse in a book.
Along the roadside, the convoy would often come across some thatched thatched shops, and adults were constantly selling two-legged sheep. At first, some people couldn't bear to send their children to the chopping block in person and handed them over to the butchers, so they thought of a compromise. The best way is to exchange children with thin faces and yellow muscles between parents, and then sell them to the store.
Many hungry refugees, wandering in groups on the land of Shihao Country like zombies and wild ghosts, swarm up whenever they encounter a place where there may be food.
, the earthen forts built by powerful families in some places were stained with blood, as well as some corpses that had not been cleaned up in time. The convoy once passed a large fort with five hundred young and strong guards of the same clan, and bought a small amount of food with a lot of money. A bold man
The strong young man was envious of the hard bow of a caravan guard, so he got close to it and pointed to a row of shriveled heads used for demonstration on the wooden fence outside the castle. The young man squatted on the ground and said with a smile to a caravan guard.
After saying that, summer is the most troublesome, attracting mosquitoes and flies, and it is easy to get plague, but as long as it snows in winter, it can save a lot of trouble. After saying this, the young man grabbed a stone, threw it at the wooden fence, and accurately hit one
He raised his head, clapped his hands, and glanced at the caravan attendants who showed admiration. The young man felt quite proud.
At that time, a young woman wearing green clothes and a ponytail made the young man's heart flutter. The reason why he talked and did this with the caravan attendants was simply because the young man wanted to express himself in front of the beautiful sister.
It's a pity that the sister in Tsing Yi didn't look at him from the beginning to the end. This made the young man very disappointed and disappointed. It would be great if such a beautiful woman like a fairy on the temple murals appeared among the refugees who came here to seek death.
?Then she will definitely survive. He is the eldest grandson of the clan leader. Even if it is not his turn first, his turn will come one day. But the young man also knows that there is no such charming woman among the refugees.
, there are occasionally women, most of them are dark-skinned, skinny and skinny, as thin as starving ghosts, their skin is also rough, which is too ugly.
Next to the sister in Tsing Yi, there was an older woman standing with a sword on her back, but her appearance was much different, especially her figure. If the latter appeared alone, the young man would also be moved, but at that moment
They stood together, and the latter disappeared from the young man's eyes.
The caravan continued south.
There would often be refugees blocking the road with sharpened wooden sticks. The smarter ones, or those who were not really hungry yet, would ask the caravans to bring out some food, and they would let them go.
Of course, the caravan didn't bother to pay attention and just moved forward. Generally speaking, as long as they drew their knives and took off their bows, the refugees would scatter in fear.
There were also some refugees who just rushed forward with red eyes, intending to rob them. The caravan guards were originally from martial arts backgrounds, and were not from the Shihao country. They had already gone numb all the way south, and so many brothers and friends had died in the team.
Deep down in their hearts, they longed for someone to rush forward and relieve them of their hatred, so the elite cavalry were thrown out like fishing nets, holding knives in hand, or competing in archery skills. The one who shot in the eye socket was the best, followed by the one who shot through the neck, and the one who shot through the neck.
If you hit the heart again, if you can only shoot in the abdomen, legs and feet, you will be ridiculed and laughed at.
The number of merchants who hired guards and convoys this time was small, about ten.
In addition to the woman with a ponytail in green clothes who rarely appears, and a woman with a sword on her back who lost her right thumb, there is also a serious young man in black robes. These three people seem to be in a group. Usually the convoy stops for repairs, or
It's outdoor camping, and it's relatively group-friendly.
In addition, the leader of this group of merchants who want money at the expense of their lives is an old man wearing a green shirt and a long coat. It is said that his surname is Song, and the guards like to call him Mrs. Song. Mrs. Song has two retinues, one is carrying a long black stick on his back,
A man who does not carry weapons and looks like an out-and-out martial artist. The two are about the same age as Mr. Song. In addition, there are three men and women whose eyes look cold even if they smile on their faces. They are very different in age and the women are mediocre in appearance.
The remaining two are grandfather and grandson.
The impression given to the subordinates is that this group of merchants, except Mr. Song, are all arrogant and don't like to talk.
That night, I rested in a dilapidated inn that had been abandoned and the subordinate staff had fled. All the items had been taken away.
A woman in green with a ponytail squatted on top of a mostly collapsed earth wall outside the inn.
The sword-carrying woman who was inseparable from her stood under the wall and said softly: "Senior Sister, in more than half a month's journey, we can cross the border and enter Shujian Lake."
The woman in green clothes was a little absent-minded and hummed.
Master Song slowly walked out of the post house, lightly kicked a young man who was squatting on the threshold, and then came to the wall alone. The woman with the sword immediately saluted in Da Li Mandarin and said: "I have seen Mr. Song.
.”
The old man smiled and nodded, "Ms. Xu is still so polite, it's too polite."
This doctor is not a medicine shop doctor.
This elegant and elegant old man in green shirt is the chief doctor of the Department of Ceremony and Cleaning Officials of the Dali Ministry of Rites.
In this position, small vassal states such as Huangting Kingdom and Shihao Kingdom belong to the larger Sesame Officials. Just the yamen of the Ministry of Rites has a minister above it, and there is also a minister above it. Maybe one day it will be replaced by an auxiliary officer of the same rank, such as Yuanwailang
He was robbed of his position. But in Da Li, this is an extremely critical position. He is one of the three most powerful doctors in the Da Li Dynasty. His position is not high. From the fifth rank, his power is extremely important. Except for the name of one
The temple is responsible for the responsibilities of the officials and ministers of the Qing Dynasty. It is also responsible for the evaluation, assessment and recommendation of the righteous gods of a country's mountains and rivers.
The Chongdan River, where Da Li had never set up a river god or a temple, suddenly had a river spirit named Li Jin. From a shopkeeper who originally opened a bookstore in Hongzhu Town, he suddenly became a river god. It is said that he is the god of the river.
Following the path of this doctor, I was able to jump over the dragon gate, climb to a high position on the altar, and enjoy all kinds of incense.
The two women were Ruan Xiu and Xu Xiaoqiao who had left the Longquan Sword Sect and traveled down the mountain.
As for why they had to leave the Great Li Dynasty so far, even Xu Xiaoqiao and Dong Gu were surprised. As for their senior sister Ruan Xiu, it didn't matter at all.
Seeing that Mr. Song seemed to have something to discuss, Xu Xiaoqiao took the initiative to leave.
Doctor Song walked to the wall, sat cross-legged, and said with a smile: "I want to thank Miss Ruan for her generosity."
Ruan Xiu put away a handkerchief, hid it in her sleeve, shook her head, and said vaguely: "No need."
Doctor Song smiled and asked: "I would like to ask, does Miss Ruan not care, or does she tolerate it?"
Ruan Xiu asked: "Is there any difference?"
The old man nodded and said sternly: "If it's the former, I won't bother. After all, as an old man like me, I have also had the years of admiration as a teenager. I know that it is difficult for a young boy like Li Muchi not to be unmoved. If it is the latter,
Or, I can give a few words to Li Muchi or his grandfather. Miss Ruan doesn’t have to worry about forcing someone to do something difficult. This trip south is an official matter assigned by the court, and there are still rules that should be followed. Miss Ruan is not going too far at all."
Ruan Xiu said: "It doesn't matter. He can just look at it if he likes. His eyes are not my responsibility."
Dr. Song laughed dumbly.
Among the two accompanying him this time, there were two old warriors from the martial arts world who were following him. One was a pure martial artist temporarily transferred from the Great Li army. He was in a golden state and was said to be the great spy of Luboting who went to the military commander's account.
If you throw a glass of wine into the face of that accomplished general and scold him, of course, you still have to hand him over.
A gang leader who came from the Da Li Jianghu sect and was also in the Seventh Realm.
The other three are a team of temporarily formed Niangan Lang. Among them, the young man named Li Muchi is a Taoist genius who is proficient in talismans and formations. He and his grandfather and father are all Dali for three generations.
The father of Nian Ganlang of the imperial court had died in an accident not long ago, so for the grandfather and grandson, this trip to the south was not only official business in the yamen, but also mixed with personal grievances.
On this trip south to Shujian Lake, there were two things. One was on the surface, and it was not a big deal. He, the minister of the Qing Dynasty who worshiped the temple, was the talker. All three of the Longquan Sword Sect had to take orders from him.
, obey his command and dispatch.
At the beginning of autumn this year, two people died at once. A foreign Jindan monk with a hidden identity secretly took away a disciple. This young man was quite special. Not only was he
The innate sword embryo also possesses martial arts fortune, attracting the attention of several martial arts temple saints in the local state.
Da Li was bound to win, and even the Imperial Master heard the news and took it seriously.
It was probably tit-for-tat, which is ridiculous to say. It was Da Li Nian Gan Lang who first found the young man and the three of them found this good seedling. They took turns staying behind and cultivating the young man with all their heart for four years.
After a long time, the secretive golden elixir monk jumped out of nowhere, killed two people, and then abducted the young man and fled southward, escaping two pursuits and roundups during this period.
, very cunning, with high combat power. During the escape, the young man showed an extremely amazing character and aptitude, and helped the Golden Core cultivator twice.
In the end, Green Wave Pavilion's intelligence revealed that the Jindan monk and the young man fled into Shujian Lake. After that, the Niu Niu entered the sea and was never heard from again.
For this kind of pursuit, not only the Great Li Dynasty, but actually all the mountain forces in Aquarius Continent will not be foolish, but will look down upon it. Experienced sects, as long as they have some background, will strive to fight the lion with the rabbit, all in one go.
Use all your strength to solve the problem, instead of adding fuel to the battlefield like a mediocre general, sending groups of people to die in vain, feeding the opponent with war, and ultimately raising tigers to cause trouble.
The opponent was an old Jin Dan who was good at fighting, and he also had a good location. Therefore, the combat power of Langzhong Song and his team was not as simple as that of two Jin Dans. Together, they were roughly equivalent to the combat power of a powerful Nascent Soul.
On this point, Dong Gu and Xu Xiaoqiao had conducted detailed deductions in private several times and came to a conclusion that was relatively reassuring.
To be continued...