Xu Zun and others were burying pots to make rice, resting in place, and preparing for the next trip.
In order not to cause trouble, they did not enter Xinye County, but headed west from Zhaoye Temple towards Yonghui.
Everyone was dining by the fire, but Xu Zun called Liu Dong to the distant pine forest to talk.
"Yes, sir," Liu Dong said, "Don't worry, she is her own grandmother, and she takes better care of her than I do!"
"Well, then I'm relieved!" Xu Zun nodded.
It turned out that when Liu Dong returned to Xinye County this time, he left Xiwa in the care of his mother.
After all, the journey to Yonghui this time is long and full of dangers, and it is not convenient to bring a six-year-old girl.
Of course, Xu Zun would not treat Liu Dong badly and also gave his old mother some money.
Not to mention, Xiao Xiwa is smart and sensible. Xu Zun likes this little girl very much, but he has no choice but to leave her in Xinye because he has no time to take care of her.
"Sir," Liu Dong said again, "I have also heard about the things you asked me to inquire about. The matter about Zhaoye Temple is indeed very strange."
"Oh?" Xu Zun asked, "What's going on?"
"I'm asking the villagers at the foot of the mountain," Liu Dong said. "When you go down the mountain from Zhaoye Temple, you must pass there.
"According to the villagers, it has been very cold recently and they rarely see nuns coming down the mountain. They have no idea that Zhaoye Temple has been evacuated!
"In the past, they would often see nuns going down the mountain to purchase goods, but in the past ten days, they have not seen any of them."
Ten days...
Xu Zun thought to himself that it seemed that the absence of people in Zhaoye Temple had nothing to do with him knowing Shen Qian's secret.
Perhaps after Shen Qian became a monk at Zhaoye Temple, she already sensed the possibility of being exposed, so she evacuated early, right?
In this way, there seems to be a big problem with Zhaoye Temple!
"Liu Dong," Xu Zun warned, "No matter what I ask you to do from now on, don't let those eight guards know about it."
"I understand," Liu Dong nodded, "Don't worry, I understand this!"
"And..." Xu Zun took out a piece of gold and handed it to Liu Dong's hand, "This is your salary!"
"Ah?" Seeing the heavy gold, Liu Dong waved his hands repeatedly, "I can't do it, I can't do it, sir, it's too much, too much! You have already given me a lot, how can this be allowed?"
"Take it, you serve me Xu Zun, I will not treat you badly!" Xu Zun handed the gold to Liu Dong's hand, "From now on, as long as I, Xu Zun, am here, I will keep you rich and prosperous!"
"Thank you so much, sir," Liu Dong quickly knelt down and kowtowed, crying bitterly with emotion, "Your great kindness and kindness will never be forgotten by Liu Dong! To think that I, a mere little thief, would be lucky enough to follow your righteous path, is that it took me eight lifetimes to cultivate."
What a blessing!
"Don't worry, sir, Liu Dong will follow you to the death from now on, even to the death..."
After chatting with Liu Dong, the two returned to the team.
However, Xu Zun did not eat in front of the fire, but entered the carriage with a bowl of steaming noodles.
At this moment, Ku Niang was also eating outside, and Timur Ani was the only one in the carriage.
"What's wrong? No appetite?" Xu Zun handed the noodles to Ani, "Would you like some?"
"Xu Zun," Ani stared into Xu Zun's eyes and said, "You finally want to talk to me?"
"What else are we talking about?" Seeing that she had no intention of eating, Xu Zun picked up his chopsticks and began to grumble.
"I didn't expect that you are really capable," Ani said coldly, "that you can actually bring me out? Aren't you afraid that they will sue you for harboring traitors?"
"I feel..." Xu Zun said without raising his eyes, "Your martial arts is not weak, right? It shouldn't be inferior to Huo Anu and Zhao Yu!"
"That day...the reason why you were captured alive by us was because you were also suppressed by Ku Niang, right?"
"Why are you asking this?" Ani asked, "I haven't asked you yet, who is that woman? Why didn't she say a word?"
"Okay," Xu Zun finally glanced at Ani and said with a smile, "Then let's talk about your Xuanmen affairs first?"
"I was about to tell you," Ani said solemnly, "Although I choose to follow you, don't try to get any information from me, I won't tell you anything!"
"Okay," Xu Zun agreed casually, "Then you should stop asking me those useless questions! I said, I keep you just to warm the bed!"
"You..." Ani blushed, "Are you serious?"
"I, Xu Zun, keep my word," Xu Zun said, "If you don't like it, you can leave at any time, and I will never stop you."
"You..." Ani was no longer fooled by Xu Zun, and said, "I seem to have been fooled by you. You took me out of the South Prison because of your conspiracy!"
Ani was right, the reason why Xu Zun devoured Ani to death was because he took Ani out of the South Prison.
In this way, even if Ani can escape and go back, it will be difficult to prove her innocence.
People in Xuanmen will definitely think that Ani has been bribed by Xu Zun.
"Since you understand everything," Xu Zun said lightly, "then just completely obey your body and mind and I will be fine!
"When I destroy Xuanmen, you can live an upright life!"
"Impossible!" Ani refused decisively.
"Look, you are in this situation, either you have to die to make your decision clear, or you completely obey me," Xu Zun advised, "but you can't be so hesitant like now. This will not be good for both sides, especially for a stunning woman like you.
!”
"You...you won't understand..." Ani lowered her head silently, looking sad.
"Don't worry, I'm not a good person, oh no, I'm a good person!" Xu Zun corrected, "I'll give you some time to think clearly, but... this noodles is quite fragrant, are you sure you don't want to take a bite?"
…
Half a month ago, Yonghui County, Sanhekou Wharf.
In the depth of winter, it rained unusually heavy here, and the rain was mixed with ice particles as big as beans.
The road surface is extremely slippery and there should be few pedestrians on the street.
However, many onlookers gathered at Sanhekou Pier.
Because, in a wine shop by the dock, a bizarre murder occurred.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way... The Sheriff is here, please get out of the way..."
Following several shouts, a man wearing a red official uniform entered the wine shop surrounded by county officials.
This man's name is Tao Lang, and he is the governor of Yonghui County.
Unexpectedly, the rain was so heavy. After entering the wine shop, Tao Lang shook the rain off his body and complained to his subordinates:
"You knew it was raining, but you didn't bring an umbrella. You are a bunch of idiots..."
"Master Tao, we are here!" At this time, a young official came forward to greet him, pointed to the depths of the wine shop and said, "You...be careful..."
"This..." As he spoke, Tao Lang had already noticed the blood on the ground and asked, "Do you know who died?"
"Listen guys," the young official replied, "the person who died is the store manager Yan Sen and Yan of the big warehouse!"
"What!!?" Tao Lang was shocked and stopped immediately, "Why is it him?"
"And..." the young official reported, "Guys said that shopkeeper Yan was dragged into the wine cellar by a ghost and then eaten!"
"What?" Tao Lang was even more surprised, "A ghost? Eat it? That's nonsense! Where did the ghost come from?"
As he said this, Tao Lang walked into the counter and saw a long trail of blood on the ground leading to the wine cellar...
"this……"
Tao Lang bravely walked into the wine cellar, only to see several police officers waiting next to a bloody corpse in the wine cellar.
Tao Lang came over to take a look, and immediately felt his stomach churn, and he couldn't help but want to vomit.
But I saw that the head of the corpse had been gnawed by something, and it was beyond recognition! The body of the deceased was also covered with deep claw marks and bite marks, it was simply too horrible to look at...
"This..." Tao Lang covered his mouth and nose and took a closer look, and found that the clothes this person was wearing were indeed shopkeeper Yan from the big warehouse.
And this miserable appearance indeed seems to have been caused by being bitten by some ferocious beast!
"ah!!?"
"ah……"
At this moment, screams of surprise suddenly came from outside the wine cellar, as if something terrible had happened.
Tao Lang turned his head and saw a huge and ugly green monster rushing in from the counter and pounced directly on him!
The monster seemed to have just come out of the water, with disgusting mucus flowing on its wet body, sharp claws on its hands, and terrifying fangs on its face. It turned out to be the legendary monster!
"Ah!!? Ah..."
Seeing the monster rushing toward him, Tao Lang was frightened. He was quickly knocked down by the monster, and then felt that his cheek was pierced and torn by cold fangs...
