Early in the morning, a clever black crow flew over the military camp. Without paying attention, a faint shadow passed through my fingertips and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Kong Hua arrived early at the camp where Meng Yi was resting his body. General Meng Tian was already there. After listening to Kong Hua's narration last night, even though he tried hard to close his eyes, he still couldn't sleep for a moment.
Casualties during marches and battles are not a strange story in the military camp. Since ancient times, diseases and fatalities have always happened from time to time, but this time it went beyond common sense. Naturally, I never blinked at the theory of weird and chaotic gods.
Meng Tian's attitude towards this crisis, which was completely different from the past, had some obvious differences, which was enough to arouse his attention and concern.
"The former Proverb City of Zhao State?" The Imperial Capital of Xianyang has always had historical and literary policies related to every vassal state during the Warring States Period, but this one called Proverb City cannot be found. I don't know if there was a mistake by the civil servants or someone erased it. "Where is it?"
?”
"Northeast", Meng Tian said outside the tent: "You can reach it from Wuqiu through the dense forest and over two peaks."
"It turns out to be that place. In history, something like this happened!" Kong Hua couldn't sleep all night. He thought about a lot of questions. He knew that the place was just mentioned by others, so he didn't want to talk to today.
Related.
It has been proven that the murderer was not a natural disaster but man-made, but even if this confusion was solved, other confusions popped up. What kind of character was the person who escaped from the Falcon Arrow? This person must be familiar with the military camp.
Because he can freely travel around the military camp to start his own operations.
After he reported the information to Meng Tian one by one, it can be seen that as a general, he saw the soldiers dying worthless, and the truth was as hard to find out as the moon in the water, and his expression began to become unstable.
Kong Hua continued: "The situation has developed so far, and the one who is closest to the truth is the old man in the stable. The reason why he was killed should be to suppress his confession. All the previous events, if not deliberately disturbing people's hearts, are enough to show that the old man was touched by certain factors.
I touched something I shouldn’t have touched, or said something I shouldn’t have said.”
I heard that the old man has been abnormal recently, and last night's tragedy seemed to announce the brewing of a storm. If we want to find a breakthrough from the invisible storm, we can only start from the origin of the old man. The general's efficiency is really fast.
In one night, he went through the historical materials that had been buried long ago, but what surprised him even more was that the person who provided this information was actually Nan Gongyan, the deputy general of the Qin Army.
It is said that at the end of the Warring States Period, a city in the State of Zhao was in a strange situation. It suffered disasters caused by the black scorch fire, and the whole people migrated. It has been in decline since the beginning. Now, the endgame at that time is surprisingly similar to the present one, as if it was played.
The same black dance music, many insightful people in later generations investigated it, and the information obtained was actually closely related to the northern nomads in the past. The northern Huns took advantage of the troubled times in the Central Plains to mix into many turbulent vassal states, and plundered their people as sacrifice resources to create strange killings.
Most of them come from witchcraft experiments.
If we want to understand the murderer's methods now, we should probably start from the past in Eucheng. Things have changed, but no matter it is in the past ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years, day after day, there are always some clues that can prove something. This place is close to Eucheng.
The descendants of the remaining households are the clearest clue so far.
"Investigation is easy, but who goes to investigate is a problem." Konghua bowed his head and finished his words one by one.
Meng Tian couldn't help but frown and look at the people around him, looking at every expression on his face expressionlessly, and asked in a calm and slightly turbulent tone: "Military doctor Konghua, what kind of person are you?"
Kong Hua's raised gaze caught him, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately lowered his head as if in fear, and responded in a low voice: "Kong Hua, a villain, is a military doctor in the Qin camp and has served the empire for eighteen years."
The words were clear and clear, but Meng Tian frowned again when he heard it. He had a good mind and analyzed clearly. As a military doctor, wouldn't it be possible? It was regrettable and made people feel wary. He asked lightly: "What is the difficulty in investigating candidates?"
?”
Kong Hua saw the cautious look in Meng Tian's eyes, avoided his sight, lowered his head and said: "There are foreigners passing by around Philadelphia. Now the Huns influence covers most of the areas southward. During this period, a large number of Huns warriors patrolled. Now Qin
The situation in the camp is urgent. If we want to find useful information in a short time, we need to send people with wisdom and strategy and who understand the Xiongnu language. If there is an emergency, we can avoid the enemy's eyes and ears, or communicate with them to eavesdrop. However, the people of Qin have never been able to
When dealing with the Huns, no one in the army who can speak the Xiongnu language will be the best."
"How did you know this information?" Meng Tian asked coldly. Kong Hua's words were like a military personnel who was reading about economics. He could not be associated with the profession of military doctor.
Kong Hua settled down and lowered his head: "Yesterday morning, the general warned with his life that the villain must find the crisis no matter what he thinks of, but he can conduct a thorough investigation anywhere in the army. It has been three days, the villain
People spent most of the time inquiring about military records from previous years and recent times, and there may be many oral traditions. The general said this morning about the proverbs of Zhao State. Coincidentally, the veteran in the camp mentioned a few words about the hidden Huns when Qin destroyed Zhao State. That's it.
I can do a simple inference analysis. Regarding the recent enemy situation in Yancheng, I asked about it from the commander of Luo Zhihu last night."
In the faint morning light, Meng Tian once again looked at this military doctor who had a keen understanding of military affairs and hidden wisdom. After a long while, he said cheerfully: "What's so difficult about being able to understand the language of the Xiongnu? I, a descendant of the Meng family, have learned and memorized since childhood.
In addition to military strategies and battles, he also supervised the compilation of the Twenty-Four Histories, which also involved the folk culture of various countries. This is the so-called knowing yourself and the enemy. Otherwise, how can you lead thousands of armies to fight against foreign armies?"
"The only people who are qualified for this task are you and the Major General. But the Major General cannot afford to be seriously injured, so it is impossible to carry out the task." Looking at Meng Tian's resolute face, Kong Hua's eyes suddenly deepened, and he pursed his lips tightly.
He pursed his lips and said in deep thought: "Do you really want to do it in person?"
"We'll leave tonight, it only takes three hours." He spoke with such confidence that there was almost no hesitation.
"A general must never joke. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be disastrous."
Meng Tian made up his mind and said: "If you have finished speaking, then get ready. I will take you and Luo Zhihu and set off on time tonight."
Kong Hua knew that his status was humble and his words were not strong enough, but he still wanted to persuade again, but Meng Tian just snorted arrogantly: "You think something will happen to me?" He stared at Kong Hua with contempt and said, "Now is the most important time.
What I am worried about is not my personal safety, but the morale of the entire army. As you can see, the morale of the army has been shaken secretly. His Majesty the Emperor has entrusted the army to me, but my subordinates have put the army on the brink of danger.
I have to make the most effective decision in a short period of time."
Just when Konghua was at a loss what to do, a weak voice suddenly sounded from inside the tent: "The safety of the general is not a trivial matter."
Major General Qin Jun came to his senses, and people outside the tent quickly rushed in. The military doctor stretched out his hand to explore Meng Yi's heart. His surprise turned into a relieved smile, and he looked at Meng Tian again. Although his eyes were dim, he could feel his strong fluctuations in emotions.
Meng Yi slowly opened his tired eyelids and said slowly: "It's better to go to the end. Although I don't want anything to happen, I can't let anything happen to you, especially at this time, besides..."
The worry on Meng Tian's face dissipated in an instant, and she interrupted him without any explanation: "Meng Yi, you know, as a general, I cannot sit still and wait for death, and even you cannot stop me."
Meng Yi closed his eyes and remained silent, hesitating. After hesitating several times, he finally said, "Brother, forgive me for being stupid, but I don't know if this... is worth it?"
Meng Tian sighed vaguely, turned around and walked to the tent, and said earnestly: "It doesn't matter whether it is worth it or not, it just depends on whether the right decision has been made. What is more important than the military morale of the army nowadays?
?" His eyes were impenetrable, and his quick tone expressed the decisiveness in his heart, but Meng Yi knew that this general with more than ten thousand people would definitely not be so impulsive when doing things, and he would make such a decision,
It must have a deeper meaning.
The roots of Yancheng can be traced back to the Warring States Period a hundred years ago. It declined fifteen years ago. The city residents dispersed until the unification of the Six Kingdoms. After several earthquakes, coupled with its remote location, the abandoned buildings were not repaired and were gradually replaced by vegetation and vegetation.
Covered by wind and rain, the descendants of Hyungseong, who refused to stay away, settled in the suburbs, formed villages, and lived a hunting life.
That night, people no longer heard any strange noises in their ears. However, an indescribable buzzing sound lingered in Mengtian's ears, making him unsure whether it came from reality or a dream.
This sound rang in the ears of many people again, like a gray melody behind the rain curtain. It became stronger and stronger, embellishing the black charm dancing under the Wuqiu Waterfall into a fantasy and a real one. Finally, it slowly retreated, as if it were slanting.
The oblique starlight blends into one.
After that, the three of them set off and entered this area of lush vegetation. The night sky was so blue that it seemed as if the sky had been washed by water and disappeared into the darkness, and people's mood became heavy.
A bone-numbing cold wind blew through the treetops from the north. It was inconvenient for those on the road to ride through the mountains and forests, so they could only walk quickly.
After crossing a mountain peak, the forest was always shrouded in dense fog before. Fortunately, the veil of thick fog has taken off its camouflage, and the forest shows its distinct appearance. The land to the east is covered with all kinds of trees, which look bright under the starlight.
Full of vitality, the three of them quickened their pace, and after a moment they were invisible in the dense forest.
Looking to the east, after crossing the Willow River, the Northland is filled with endless rolling hills. Finally, after crossing the second mountain top, black and brown areas mix in front of you, extending to the foot of the mountain as far as the eye can see.
They followed the winding road at the bottom of the valley, bypassed a steep hill, entered another wider valley, and then crossed the hills further away.
Slowly, the gentle hills finally appeared in front of them. Between the valleys and hills, the large forest disappeared from sight. As he ran up and down, Konghua panted violently, and his pounding heart seemed to beat out of his chest.
When I came out, I felt so uncomfortable that I felt like I was dying, but the two people who were walking quickly in front never slowed down even a little bit.
In front of you are trees and streams, as well as countryside covered with green grass. The only sounds come from the breeze and the chirping of nightingales.
They walked into the entrance of the village, and the entire field of vision was wrapped in a faint mist. The further they went, the darker it became. Several simple houses were clustered together to form a closely connected courtyard. Some of the courtyards were surrounded by tree trunks. The support seems to collapse at any time.
"Everyone, please pay attention. We don't know what kind of friction there will be with us here. What I want to emphasize is that you can't conflict with the people here, let alone expose your identity." Standing at the door of the courtyard, Meng Tian explained softly.
Dong dong dong...
Dong dong dong...
The knocking on the door continued, and through the windows of the houses inside, one could see the lights extinguishing one after another, and the slight coughing became quieter and quieter, until it was completely hidden.
For a long time, no one came out.
At Meng Tian's signal, Kong Hua said loudly: "We are apprenticed doctors. It is difficult to walk even if it is dark. I would like to find a place to stay. Can it be convenient?"
"You guys, seriously..." Looking through the crack in the door, a rickety old woman appeared in the night. When she heard the word doctor, she hurriedly walked over and stood ten feet away from the door. He asked hoarsely, "Are you really a doctor?"
A delicate silver needle bag protruded from the crack in the door. After seeing it clearly, the old woman begged sadly: "Doctor, can you save my son?"
Konghua outside responded: "Old man, what happened to your son?"
The old woman said in a depressed tone: "I have been bitten by wild beasts for several days, and my health is getting worse day by day. Please save my son quickly, please!" As she spoke, she broke down in tears and almost fell to her knees.
“The wounds bitten by wild beasts are often irregular, with different depths, bleeding, local swelling, and pain.” Kong Hua said with professional knowledge: “For milder cases, the incubation period of the onset is from ten days to more than one year. For those with severe bites, In the early stage, patients will have headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, etc. In severe cases, they will be fearful and uneasy, with wound pain and numbness. In the later stage, they will experience extreme terror, convulsions, and difficulty breathing. Elderly, are your children's symptoms like the above?"
"Yes, yes." After hearing this, the old woman didn't care about anything else. While crying, she unlocked the tightly closed door and brought the three people into the courtyard. She glanced around and saw about twenty households. Hey, the coughing sound that had been hidden for a long time sounded again.
The old woman opened the door, and there was a crying woman in the room. The dim butter lamp illuminated half of her miserable face.
"God bless me, the doctor is here today," the old woman said, and sat down beside the patient's bed anxiously.
Kong Hua knew at a glance that the patient had symptoms of a wolf bite. His face was bloodless at the moment, his chest was heaving up and down, and his coughing was as violent as tearing. It sounded like an uneasy feeling that it would explode at any time, Kong Hua said. : "If you delay it for too long, the situation is not good!"
After hearing this, the woman beside the bed held her face and sobbed, then let go and asked sadly: "Is there any hope left?" The old woman next to her also shouted for help in an exaggerated and jealous manner.
"It can be saved." After two short words, Kong Hua said no more. He took out the spare medicine and started using skillful and exquisite acupuncture and massage methods. Not long after, the green and black face on the bed was like a flower about to be healed. The flowers squeezed out new life and bloomed again. Women and old women were surprised and surprised to see it. Their bodies were excited, and they knelt down on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
With this, Meng Tian just explained his purpose of coming straight to the point, but after hearing that, the old woman's excited voice suddenly stopped, and then she looked like she didn't know what the other party was talking about. The woman looked at Meng Tian indifferently, her eyes were indifferent.
The unknown direction was flickering, and he murmured: "Before..."
Before she finished speaking, the old woman asked loudly: "What do you want to do in that place?"
In front of the hesitant and panicked old woman, Meng Tian explained in a calm tone: "My hometown suffered from a strange disease of unknown origin. I learned from the refugees in Yuncheng that the disease was almost the same as the strange thing in Yuncheng many years ago. The local doctors were helpless.
, the superiors specially sent me here to look for clues, can the old man help us?" After saying that, he specifically glanced at the dark corner where the woman had looked before.
The old woman's dim eyes looked at the energetic man opposite him, who looked like an ordinary man at first glance. Finally, she sighed and said in a hoarse voice: "I can't tell if it's a strange disease or a curse. Everyone who has seen it has stayed away."
Come on, doctors like you who not only don't hide, but also come here to inquire are really rare... Our families didn't want to live here far away from the place where we gave birth. Although we witnessed the tragedy with our own eyes, none of us ordinary people could.
I don’t know the cause and effect, so if I want to get the answer, I’m afraid I have to ask the people who live in Proverbs City.”
Meng Tian asked again: "I heard that that place is now a deserted and deserted city. Do you mean there are still people living there?"
"There is another person," the old woman said firmly; "A few years ago, there was a strange-looking man from the Western Regions. He was greedy for money by nature. He accumulated a lot of good things in his life. He was afraid of others getting involved wherever he went, so he simply stayed there.
People who dare to go to the abandoned city sometimes come here to exchange some items for food. That person should know something besides being lucky, otherwise he would not be joking with his life."
…
Afterwards, the old woman thought of her son's life-saving grace and couldn't refuse, so she set off with the three of them.
When the courtyard door opened, the whistling wind rushed in, and there was a roar in their ears. Meng Tian and Luo Zhihu secretly exchanged wary glances, and followed the old woman to the ruins of Yancheng without saying a word.
The rolling hilly area has ended. At their feet is a slender valley. They pass through the last two steep hills and arrive at a broad plain. There are no more undulating terrains. What blocks the view is an abandoned Warring States building.
city.
Under the huge moonlight, many stone pillars still stand on the weed-covered stone floor, and abandoned mansions stand alone in the dark night. Going further, you can see a long street on both sides, and the style and scale of the old city have begun to change.
Clues can be seen, in the deep night sky, wisps of starlight reflect the various reliefs on the roof.
After walking on this dilapidated street for a long time, I didn't see anything strange or anything I was vaguely expecting. This sense of permanence is like walking in an endless corridor, with more and more empty buildings impersonally
The mist dispersed, and everything was silent, like a paralyzed world. Only a few of them were still alive.
"Here we are," the old woman said, pointing to a three-story building. "This is his address."
The door was unlocked and only vaguely closed. After entering the pavilion, I found that the three floors inside had been merged into one. Rows of tall rectangular cabinets extended from the ground to the top of the building, occupying the entire space.
, there are a dazzling array of equipment and items placed in thousands of grids, both named and unnamed. Herbs and animal skins are hung on the beams. The cold wind blows gently at the items of different lengths, and the atmosphere becomes abnormal.
Weird.
Meng Tian looked around, but there was no sign of anyone. At this time, the old woman called out loudly: "Old sir, someone has seen you coming."
No one answered, only the noise of carving was heard from a remote corner. Luo Zhihu carefully opened a shaky door and saw the figure of an old man with shaggy hair squatting inside. He used a blunt instrument to
There are patterns carved on the floor. If you look closely, you will see a complex intertwined pattern and text. I don’t know its meaning. If you block your eyes, it will look like a building surrounded by a square circle. It is surrounded by dense silk threads, like the radiation of the sun.
The rays of light emitted.
Under the dim oil lamp, everyone saw his face clearly. He had dark skin, sloppy clothes, messy golden hair hanging down his back, tied in knots, and his long beard was specially combed into funny little braids.
He lowered his head and was busy with his work, as if he was not aware of the arrival of the uninvited guest. When he heard the old woman calling him loudly again, he shouted impatiently: "I heard it, I heard it", and finally stopped temporarily.
He raised his head and glanced at Luo Zhihu, then glanced at the three people behind him. His eyes were a strange dark green, which was very reminiscent of the natives of Miao territory. What was unexpected was that he could only roughly
He glanced at the stranger, showed no expression or said anything, then lowered his head and continued carving his pattern.
Luo Zhihu said: "You are that person from the Western Regions...don't you ask who we are?"
The people from the Western Regions said in a dark and ugly tone: "Usually the people who appear here are dead people. The dead always bring me peace. Now that the living people are here, I don't know what kind of bad luck will happen. You go away, I am here."
You are not welcome."
The old woman took two steps forward and said, "Mr., you are well-informed and may be able to help them."
The man from the Western Region snorted unceremoniously and replied unhurriedly: "I am a frog in a well who never leaves home and I don't know anything."
"Maybe I didn't know before, but I won't know for sure next time." A trace of ridicule suddenly flashed across Kong Hua's face, and he reached for something in his arms, seducing the people from the Western Regions in a soft voice.
Sure enough, the Westerner's eyes lit up and he looked at Kong Hua with great interest, waiting for his next words. Then, Kong Hua shook open the delicate cloth bag, and rows of shining silver needles came into view.
.
The Westerner raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly suspiciously: "Silver?"
"Yes, the silver one is yours." Kong Hua's eyes were as dark as night mist, and he looked sideways at him with a charming smile.
"In this case, I may have remembered something." The Westerner came out, grabbed the set of silver needles with his fingers, and led everyone outside, finally going around a shabby kitchen.
The old woman ended her role as a guide, bid farewell to everyone, and left in a panic. Meng Tian and Luo Zhihu looked at each other, watching her back disappear into the night.
"Don't you want to ask us what we want to know?" Konghua asked.
The people from the Western Regions moved under the pot hole, struggled to move out a pile of bamboo slips, and said: "Everything I know is recorded here. If you come a few days late, I'm afraid it will all turn into ashes. What do you want to ask? What if?
The question you asked is beyond the scope of my knowledge, so I'm sorry, but your trip was in vain."
Meng Tian picked up a volume at random and flipped through it. It was full of old Zhao characters, so he opened up the topic and said: "We want to know what was the thing that sucked people's essence and blood when they massacred the people in Yancheng many years ago? What is the use of this thing to harm people?"
What kind of person?"
The Westerner's eyes dimmed, he paused, and asked, "What do you ask it for?"
"Just answer it."
"I don't have detailed records here, but I know that the thing is called a moth, a blood-sucking monster created by the Huns. As for the kind of people who use this kind of thing to harm people, of course they are the Huns. Dogs follow them.
It belongs to the master, and so does the moth. Wherever the master is, it will be there. When the Huns who experimented with moths many years ago left, it will naturally leave with it."
Luo Zhihu sneered and said: "It's not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster. That's why you dare to hide here alone and guard your wealth?"
The people from the Western Regions squinted at him with lustful and disgusting eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Don't talk about it... I seem to have forgotten to tell you that I heard that moth flies became extinct more than ten years ago because the experiment failed.
"
Meng Tian pursed his lips into a cold line, and said to him in a low voice: "But now it appears again!"
"Are you in the city?" The Westerner was stunned for a moment, then breathed out and said decisively: "Absolutely not in the city. Moths lurk in crowded places and will never come to this barren land.
"
Meng Tian asked again: "What are the habits of the moth and how can I find it?"
The Westerner glanced at Mengtian slyly, flicked the silver needle in his hand, and then said, "I have repaid you enough for your kindness."
So Kong Hua had no choice but to put his hand into his arms again, and the people from the Western Regions looked sideways and couldn't help but urge: "Hurry up, hurry up... medicine? I have plenty."
"Can detoxify hundreds of poisons".
After Konghua gave a brief introduction, the people from the Western Regions quickly reached out and took it. He said, "I don't know, but there is one person who knows, the tombkeeper in the tallest building in the center of the city. Go ask him!"
"Is there anyone else in the city?" Konghua asked.
"Well! Now he and I are the only ones left."
"What kind of person is that?"
The people from the Western Regions said in a strange way: "He is a handsome young man. It is said that he was a noble son of a certain vassal country a few years ago. He is more knowledgeable than me. He seems to know everything and is more courageous than me. I heard that he lives in
That place is still haunted!”
Meng Tian sneered coldly: "In this world, I have never seen a single dead ghost, but I have seen a lot of living ghosts." For such a resolute and awe-inspiring general, he has always believed that there is nothing strange in the world, and it is easy for others to disturb themselves.
…
Following the instructions of the people from the Western Regions, a few people approached the city center. Their eyes saw the tall and abrupt buildings among the stretching houses, which looked like an ancient tomb, blocking their sight, like the vast images flowing under the bright red moonlight, and then...
Like the slaying giants of the Warring States Period, it tells the story of the rise and fall of Proverb City.