If it were normal, Qin Xiao wouldn't care too much.
But it is already midnight. Logically speaking, Mapo should have fallen asleep long ago. At this hour, even young and strong people need to rest, let alone this old woman who has half her foot in the coffin.
.
The window was tightly sealed with linen, but Qin Xiao could see the light showing through the cracks. He didn't sleep at this time, and he didn't know what the old woman was doing in the house.
Qin Xiao walked past the oil shop and was about to go to his courtyard when he suddenly stopped.
He turned back and looked at the window, thoughtfully.
Ever since the mysterious old woman appeared a few days ago, Qin Xiao's doubts have deepened. Strangely enough, every time he thinks of the old woman, Mapo's shadow involuntarily appears in his mind.
The lights were still on in Mapo's house in the middle of the night. Although it was strange, it had nothing to do with Qin Xiao.
But for some reason, Qin Xiao felt a sense of curiosity in his heart at this moment.
Looking up at the moon in the night sky, Qin Xiao took a deep breath and quickly ducked into a narrow alley opposite.
He was so familiar with this street that he could feel it brick by brick with his eyes closed.
Passing through this gap is the back alley. This back alley is not a pedestrian place, and no one would come here on weekdays, but you can get to the back of the oil shop.
Qin Xiao's footsteps were very light and he walked behind the oil shop with a low body. There was a window open on the back wall, and the front window was sealed too tightly. Qin Xiao couldn't see what was going on in the house. He wondered what the back window was like.
It was not as tightly sealed as the front window, but after taking a look, I found that the rear window was also sealed with linen cloth, and I was speechless.
But compared to the front window, there is indeed a gap between the linen cloth of the rear window. Although it is not big, you can really peek inside.
Qin Xiao already found it strange that the front window was sealed tightly, and the back window was also sealed, which made Qin Xiao wonder if there was something invisible in the old woman's house.
But what kind of hidden secrets could such a dim-sighted old woman have?
He held his breath, put one eye at the very small gap, and looked into the house.
When he saw the scene in the room, his expression suddenly changed and he almost made a sound.
The room was lit with a solitary lamp, and the furnishings were very simple. There was a bed in the corner, and in the middle of the room, there was a large bathtub.
The big bathtub was made of bamboo and was filled with hot water. Waves of hot air dispersed from the big bathtub like mist. However, Qin Xiao clearly saw that there was a woman lying in the bathtub.
Her head rested on the edge of the tub, and her black hair spread out. Although most of her body was hidden under the water, and her face could not be seen clearly due to the mist, the skin on her neck was as white and dazzling as snow.
It’s unforgettable.
Qin Xiao took a surprised look and immediately shrank back.
Although it was just a glimpse, the sight that caught his eye shocked him greatly.
No matter how stupid he was, he could still see that the person bathing in the room could not be an old woman, and how could the white and greasy skin belong to an old woman who was over seventy years old.
Could it be that Mapo does not live alone?
But the moment he looked back, he saw from the corner of his eye a chair beside the tub. On the chair were clearly piled the linen robes that Mapo usually wore. In addition, he even saw a pile of other clothes.
Things are piled on the chairs.
His little heart was pounding.
He held his breath, closed his eyes, tried his best to calm down, and then leaned forward again. Looking inside the house again, the bathtub was still filled with mist, but what surprised Qin Xiao was that the woman who was lying in the bathtub just a moment ago,
At this moment, there was no trace at all. If it weren't for the steam still coming out of the bathtub, Qin Xiao even suspected that he was dazzled.
He hurriedly looked at the chair next to the tub. The clothes originally piled on it were nowhere to be found.
He frowned, thinking that in just a short moment before and after him, all the people and clothes were missing. The speed of that person was simply astonishing.
There was no trace of anyone in the room at a glance. Qin Xiao wondered if he was really dazzled just now?
He also knew in his heart that if the other party discovered him and evaded quickly, he would be in danger now and would not dare to stay here for a long time. Full of doubts, he walked back to the alley and was about to enter the alley.
However, his eyesight blurred. Before he could see clearly what was going on, he felt like he was hit hard by something on the back of his head. He was dizzy for a moment and turned around to see what was going on. He vaguely saw a shadow standing next to him.
, but before he could see clearly, his eyes blurred and he fainted.
I don't know how long it took before Qin Xiao woke up from his coma. His eyes suddenly became brighter. He looked around and found that he was in Mapo's room. The bathtub in the middle of the room was still there, but it was already gone.
There was no heat, probably because the water inside had become cold.
But there was no one else in the room. He wanted to stand up. Only then did he realize that his legs were tied with tendon ropes, and his two arms were tied behind his back. The most terrible thing was that his mouth was
He was also covered with linen and had something stuffed in his mouth. He didn't know what it was. He couldn't even speak.
He groaned secretly in his heart, knowing that someone must have discovered him while peeping, and that person had arrested him.
He tried his best to calm down, wondering if it was Mapo who took action?
But Mapo is so old that a gust of wind can blow her down. How could she have the ability to attack her?
He still vaguely remembered that before he fell into coma, he was hit on the back of the head by someone. The person's movements were crisp and neat, and his body movements were like ghosts. How could Mapo have such abilities?
Could it be that someone has occupied Mapo's house?
Turtle City is a mixed bag of good and bad, and there are naturally many scoundrels in the city, but there are also many wanderers, and among them there are also some masters who can climb over walls and climb walls.
When I was joking with the officials in the yamen, someone said that the Turtle City seemed peaceful, but in fact there was an undercurrent surging behind the scenes. In this city, there were spies from various forces lurking, including spies from the Tang Dynasty and Wu Tuo.
He and spies from various tribes in Tusun in the north, and even Murong in southern Xinjiang sent spies to lurk in the city.
Although Qin Xiao was dubious, he believed that there must be masters lurking in the city, and at least the mysterious old woman who had rescued him several times was lurking in the city.
If what he spied tonight was a spy from a certain force, but she discovered it, then he would be in a really bad situation now.
He was thinking wildly when he heard a "squeak" and the door was pushed open. Then he saw Mapa wrapped in a linen robe walking in slowly. This old woman had gray hair and a wrinkled face.
The age spots are clearly visible, but the way she walks is obviously not as hobbled as before.
Mapo walked up to Qin Xiao with cold eyes. She untied the linen covering Qin Xiao's mouth and took out another black cloth from his mouth. It was a little greasy. Qin Xiao took a look and almost spit it out.
I suspect it must be a rag used for wiping.
"Ma...Ma Po...!" Qin Xiao forced a smile, thinking that since Mapo appeared, things shouldn't be too bad. After all, he and Mapo have been neighbors for so long.
, I am usually polite to her, so I shouldn’t be cruel to myself.
"choke!"
Mapo actually held a dagger in her hand and took it out from the scabbard. Under the lamplight, there was a cold light. Qin Xiao saw that Mapo's originally cloudy eyes were extremely sharp at this moment, like stars in the night sky.
"That night, a shadow entered your courtyard." Mapo's voice was slightly hoarse: "Do you know who that person is?"
Qin Xiao was startled, and some Zhang Er monks were confused and said awkwardly: "Map, I don't quite understand what you said...!" As soon as he finished speaking, the sword flashed, and Qin Xiao instantly
Then he felt a coldness in his throat, and Mapo had already held the edge of the dagger to his throat.
"Whatever I ask you, you answer honestly." Mapo said coldly: "Kill you and bury your body in the alley behind the house. I guarantee that no one will be able to find out who did it in ten years."
Qin Xiao thought to himself that the old woman was right.
If she really died in her hands, she would bury herself behind the house, fearing that no one would know.
If he disappeared, the captain's mansion would of course look for him, but who would have thought that he would be killed by a helpless old woman?
Even though Han Yunong was powerful, he would probably only think of it being related to the Zhenhou Mansion, and would never think that it was Mapo's fault.
Qin Xiao only felt embarrassed.
"I really don't know who you are talking about." Qin Xiao said with a bitter face: "Please remind me."
"The night that man named Guishou San died in Zhenhou Mansion." Mapo said coldly: "Do you know who the person who came out of your house that night was?"
Qin Xiao's heart trembled, and he thought to himself that this Mapo was really not that simple.
Guishou San was killed without anyone noticing, and the corpse of that guy was completely disposed of by the mysterious old woman, which completely made his body disappear from this world.
Mapo actually knew that.
It seemed that the old woman had been keeping watch on the night of the incident.
"I don't know." Qin Xiao said: "That night Guishou San wanted to kill me, and then someone suddenly appeared and killed Guishou San, and then she disappeared."
"He's gone?" Mapo said coldly, "If you don't know who he is, how could he save you? You're lying."
"You're not lying." Qin Xiao said: "Since you know that Guishou San is dead, don't you know who that person is?"
Mapo sneered: "Am I asking you, or are you asking me?" The blade tightened even more. Qin Xiao felt that the blade would pierce his throat if it moved forward half an inch, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Ma Po, I really don't know who she is." Qin Xiao sighed: "It's no use forcing me to death. I don't know whether he is a boy or a girl." He thought to himself that the mysterious old woman had told him,
Her identity must not be revealed to the outside world. She has saved his life. Of course, he cannot betray her immediately just because Mapo held a dagger to his neck.
Seeing that Qin Xiao was dishonest, Mapo sneered, took back the dagger, and took out a small bamboo tube from her arms.
Qin Xiao saw that the bamboo tube was turning yellow, and saw Mapo carefully opening one end of the bamboo tube and putting one hand on the mouth of the bamboo tube. He didn't know what kind of medicine the old woman was selling in the gourd, but he was suddenly shocked and finally realized that Ma
Although Po was wearing the usual linen brown robe, with silver hair and wrinkles on her face, her hands were not wearing gloves. The exposed hands were as white as jade, with lush jade fingers like orchids, and she
Her appearance didn't match at all, and she instantly understood that the woman she had seen lying in the bathtub through the back window was actually Mapo.