Some people screamed, some shouted in pain, some cursed, and some begged. The common people who were caught for no reason and tied aside had different reactions and expressions. Suddenly, a group of unscrupulous guards yelled loudly.
Naturally, the eight people did not know that this afternoon, after learning that Wuhou Dong Zhongting had betrayed his father-in-law and defected to Weibo Town, Lu Chuntang, the Shaoyin of Henan Prefecture, had notified all Wuhou's bad guards in the city and set up checkpoints at the eight gates of Luoyang.
, strictly investigate those who leave the city. The purpose is to catch Dong Zhongting, who is cheating on others, and to capture and torture those who follow Dong Zhongting and commit mischief and help the emperor.
Therefore, the civilians who had their hands and feet tied down below the city tower were all strong and healthy men with well-equipped hands and feet. Some of them were indeed proficient in fists and feet, and they became the targets of "care" for bad guards.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the eight people immediately exchanged glances, turned around, and quickly walked towards the north-south street between Jiaoyefang and Demaofang.
Unexpectedly, among the noisy guards who were shouting for interrogation under the upper east gate, there were also people with keen vigilance. When they saw the eight people sneaking around, they immediately shouted and ordered them to stand still and accept the interrogation.
How could the "Four Lowly Friends" be willing to be captured without hesitation? Immediately, Yang Chaoxi and the others gathered around them and accelerated their pace. Soon they poured into the streets between Jiaoyefang and Demaofang and disappeared from the sight of the group of unscrupulous guards.
This operation of "guilty conscience" was like poking a hornet's nest. The unscrupulous guards who were originally guarding the upper east gate, concentrating on checking people leaving the city, seemed to have smelled the fishy smell, but most of them buzzed and chased after them.
Come up.
Yang Chaoxi and Li Xiaoman are both skilled in light kung fu, and the "Four Lowly Friends" are not weak at all. Only Luo Changqing's method of lightening the body and lifting the body is a little mediocre, but it ends at the end.
In this way, it is enough to escape the pursuit of a group of bad guards.
The eight people ran past Demaofang and immediately turned west. After passing Yudefang, they hurriedly turned north... just going around in circles. After a while of tea, the eight people had circled half a circle along Dunhoufang.
It happened that a team of donkey carts was heading towards Beishi, carrying goods just unloaded from Zhangshui. Just looking at the shape of the goods, it looked like cloth shipped from Lingnan.
"Three Girls in Colorful Silk" Su Juanjuan had a keen eye and quick mind. She rushed forward first and started chatting with a man who looked like a groom.
After a few words, Su Juanjuan smiled happily and waved to the people a few feet away. Seeing this, the seven people also hurriedly caught up with them. After asking, they found out that the goods carried by these horsemen and porters were exactly what they were carrying.
It is a new batch of Sichuan brocade and Gui cloth purchased from "Chaoyuan Cloth Shop" in Bei City.
And this Su Juanjuan happened to be the new shopkeeper of the "Chaoyuan Cloth Shop" in Bei City, who had just taken over from her eldest sister Su Mian last year. Therefore, even though these horsemen and porters saw that she was too plump and wearing heavy makeup, it was really shocking.
But everyone had a look of respect on their faces, except for the fierce-tempered shopkeeper Su.
Everyone followed this group of donkey carts and plunged into the North City.
Only then did Yang Chaoxi take a closer look at Su Juanjuan. As expected, there was a striking look between the shopkeeper Su who bought the silk and twisted silk from her mother's hand, as well as the shopkeeper Su from the "Chaoyuan Cloth Shop" in Nan City a few days ago.
for similarity.
Su Juanjuan naturally felt the strange gaze of this "powerful Lin Duyang", thinking that he was interested in her appearance and wealth, so she couldn't help but smile charmingly: "Brother Lin, what are you doing? He stared at the slave family, looking again and again.
Look! Could it be that because of the beauty of the slave family, you want to capture her and take her to the mountains to be a village wife? Geez!"
Yang Zhaoxi's face couldn't help but turn red. Fortunately, the rubber mask was still there and no one noticed it. He immediately took out the sandalwood belt hook, shook it, and then defended: "Sister Su, don't misunderstand! I went to Nanshi to sell it the day before yesterday.
Bu, shopkeeper Na Su looks a lot like you, so I took a few glances..."
Su Juanjuan felt a little disappointed, but still smiled and said: "It turns out that he is the distinguished guest of my second sister! What a coincidence, what a coincidence! We met today, which shows that we have a lot of fate. There happened to be pursuers behind, so he went to hide in my shop first
How about hiding?"
However, Yang Chaoxi knew that today's matter had not yet been settled, and thinking about the kindness that Aunt Su's family had shown her mother, she couldn't bear to see trouble brought to the "Chaoyuan Cloth Shop" in Bei City, so she immediately waved her hand and said:
"No! No! If that group of bad guards knew that we were hiding in Bei City, they would search every shop first. Not only would they be unable to escape, but they would also affect Sister Su's business...
For the present plan, it is better to find a remote place, settle down first, and then try to get out of the city tomorrow."
Seeing Yang Zhaoxi's polite refusal, Xiao Man felt relieved and echoed: "Brother Lin is right. Although the bad guards are mediocre in martial arts, they can't kill them all because of the large number of people. Once the news is leaked, it is inevitable that the general will be killed.
The monks, vassal soldiers, and knight-errants on the other side of the canal have attracted... It would be better to suffer the consequences for a night and hide our whereabouts."
Su Juanjuan rolled her eyes and said with a half-smile, "Little Man, don't you trust my 'Four Lowly Friends'? Or are you worried that I will snatch away your Brother Lin?"
When Xiaoman saw her revealing her feelings with her words, her pretty face turned red with embarrassment. Fortunately, the gauze covered her face and blocked most of it. Just a hint of shyness in her eyebrows made Zheng Liulang and Du Shazhou smile without saying a word.
.
Luo Changqing was worried that Xiaoman would be embarrassed and argued with Su Juanjuan. He immediately interrupted and said with a smile: "Girls of the Su family, please don't misunderstand me! The believers in my religion are used to being cautious and cautious, so safety is the top priority in everything.
Besides, there are many residences in the northern market where goods are stored, so you only need to find one that is unused to avoid being inspected by unscrupulous guards."
At this moment, Carpenter Liu, the "elm-brained man" who had been silent all this time, suddenly opened his mouth and said: "I have... a room there. It's very safe."
Luo Changqing knew that this dear friend had always been taciturn. Now that he had opened his mouth, he must be very sure that everyone would be safe. And although Carpenter Liu looked dull, he was actually a man of great wisdom and foolishness. He only believed in "
"Tell not all the truth, not all lies." He only keeps his mouth shut when something happens and refuses to express his views easily.
Luo Changqing quietly glanced at Xiaoman and hurriedly thanked him: "Then I'll bother Brother Liu!"
The stars are beginning to rise, and the new moon is getting brighter.
The gentle evening breeze after the rain flows through the streets and winding streets, bringing some comfort to people.
The eight people walked through the shed, passed through the trees, and walked around several times before arriving at a wooden studio filled with debris.
Yang Zhaoxi glanced at it and had mixed feelings. He couldn't help but think of the afternoon five years ago when Fang Qidou brought him to get the zhemu knife. It was also that day when he encountered his mother being bullied in Bei City, so he took action in anger; later;
Fang Qidou took him to Chaoyuan Cloth Shop, where he sold out all the silk and twisted silk in his mother's hands.
Looking at the houses and sheds in front of us, we can see wood utensils, rough materials, corner materials, shavings, and tools such as axes, chisels, rulers, and saws mixed in. Five years have passed by, but not much has changed.
The only difference is that there is a wooden sign full of insect holes hanging under the main eaves. On the wooden sign there are five crooked characters painted with charcoal: Liu Ji Mu Zuo Xing.
Only then did Liu Carpenter become a bit more like a master: "Guys... don't be too weird. I'm in the back. Follow me."
The seven people followed him through the shed and entered the main room, only to find that everything was dark in front of them. However, Carpenter Liu was familiar with the road and touched an oil lamp to light it, and it suddenly became bright.
I saw a row of I-shaped saws hanging neatly on the east wall, arranged in order of size. Carpenter Liu took off the I-shaped saw from his shoulder and hung it in one of the empty spaces. However, he kept walking and walked to the west
, opened a wooden door, revealing a small courtyard.
Carpenter Liu held the lamp in one hand and protected the flame with the other. He stepped through the wooden door first and led the seven people into the small courtyard. The moonlight shone down, sandwiching the starlight, illuminating the courtyard clearly in black and white.
On the east and west sides, there are several small thatched huts, which are where Carpenter Liu cooks and rests on weekdays. Directly to the north is a tall brick hall with empty windows and wide open doors. Inside the house are piles of various things.
There are various types of screens, couches, tables, and tables, some of which are plain and some of which have been painted. This is the residence where Carpenter Liu stored the finished utensils.
Yang Zhaoxi couldn't help but ask: "Brother Liu! I wonder which room Liu Shibo lives in? Have you rested now?"
Carpenter Liu suddenly turned around: "Brother Lin... do you recognize my second uncle?"
Yang Zhaoxi shook his head: "I came to this wood shop a few years ago and used a pair of zhemu knives. It was Liu Shibo who received us at that time, so I asked this question."
Carpenter Liu was silent for a moment, and his voice was low: "Second uncle... is dead! The year before last, the Xiecheng Canal was dredged, and the River Canal Department recruited carpenters to build boats. Second uncle didn't know how to swim, and once he launched the boat to push it... When he picked it up again, it was already swollen and rotten.
La!"
Yang Chaoxi was stunned on the spot, not knowing what to say. Luo Changqing also heard about this for the first time, and said sadly: "Brother Liu, my condolences."
Carpenter Liu didn't answer, and went straight up the stairs. He pushed a certain lacquered landscape screen with his hands, and there was a "bang bang bang bang" sound in the mansion. While everyone was astonished, there were so many people in the mansion.
Various wooden utensils, like small hills, had a gap of less than three feet in the middle.
Carpenter Liu held an oil lamp in his hand and entered through the crack. The others followed closely behind him and moved sideways. After walking for several feet, he finally emerged from the wooden utensils and came to an empty dark room.
Carpenter Liu held the oil lamp high, tilted it toward the wall, and immediately ignited a long lantern in the corner.
The fire glowed white, filling the room with light, and the beating white flames exuded the strange aroma of meat. Zheng Liulang first exclaimed: "This, this is actually a Deng Deng!"
As the lantern was lit, the darkroom was now as bright as day. The reason why it seemed empty was because the walls in the darkroom were deserted and there was almost nothing. There was only a long lantern standing on the corner wall, and a
A dark wooden box.
Carpenter Liu reached into his arms, carefully took out the square nails, and put them seriously into the wooden box.
Only then did everyone discover that the four walls of the darkroom were actually coated with a thick layer of lime, but they had turned yellow over time. On the four walls, there were many strange murals painted with charcoal, depicting people, beasts, ghosts, and monsters.
Scattered and scattered, irrelevant.
If you look closely, you can see that the painting is exquisite, the lines are smooth and lifelike!
However, the strange thing is that if these unrelated murals are in human form, there are no hair, scales and claws. If they are in animal form, they have no hair, scales and claws. Regardless of humans, animals, ghosts, acupoints, vital points, doors, etc., they are all painted with red paint.
The marks were clearly marked, and at first glance, I thought they were blood stains, which was quite scary. There were some monsters and ghosts high up, and there were square nails stuck in the door, but they obviously hadn't bothered to remove them yet.
The entire darkroom is actually where the "elm-headed" Carpenter Liu practices his martial arts!