After being drunk, the liver and gallbladder are still in full swing, the fish and dragons are frightened, and the chivalrous spirit is soaring.

The three people on Pegasus soon galloped all the way to the north of Jinghua City, only a few miles away from the Cao Gang gathering place.

Lu Chengfeng looked from a distance and saw that the Caogang was not the deep house compound he imagined, but a large contiguous large and small courtyards, overlapping and built along the water, horizontally and vertically, densely packed.

Like weaving a net.

These large or small courtyards all have flags with blue and white water ripples fluttering in the wind. They stretch for ten miles at a glance, occupying half of the northern part of Jinghua City.

The blue and black navy blue background of the flag is painted with a white water ripple pattern. When the evening breeze blows, it is like water waves rippling on the flag, stretching for ten miles, like a huge ship on the blue sea.

The sail is dancing.

When Lu Chengfeng took a look, the pattern on the flag seemed to be somewhat similar to the plain paper fish pattern in his memory, but it was not exactly the same.

So he took out the list of clues that King Xuan had given them that night from his pocket, and asked Wu Jingmo to light a fire for him and light it up, then handed it to Tian Zifang and politely asked for advice:

"Brother Tian, ​​may I ask if this wavy fish talisman is also the symbol of your Cao Gang? Why is it different from the one painted on the flag?"

Tian Zifang looked at it, smiled boldly, and said:

"That's right! It's just that the secret command your Highness holds is called the White Fish Talisman, which is naturally different from the water ripples on our Hengbo flag. But both are my Cao Gang's command codes, but one is exposed and the other is.

It’s just dark!”

It turns out that the wavy fish pattern is called the white fish talisman! This flag is called the horizontal wave flag! What an image!

"By holding this white fish talisman, we can help our own people! I wonder where your highness got it?"

Lu Chengfeng curled his lips, smiled mysteriously and said:

"Don't worry about where I got it from, but it is related to the Jiang family's murder case that has caused a sensation in the city recently."

"Jiang's family murder case!" Tian Zifang heard this, his dark and resolute square face, his eyes were like lightning, but there was a look of shock in his pupils!

"Our Cao Gang has been responsible for transporting salt and grain to the imperial court. Although we are also involved in the black market, most of our Cao Gang brothers are good-natured and straightforward in everything they do. I never expected that there would be such a cruel and ruthless person!"

Tian Zifang lowered his head heavily and let out a long sigh. When he thought that the gangsters in the Jiang family's murder case were actually hiding among the Caogang brothers around him, even a hero like Tian Zifang felt his spine tremble.

cold.

Lu Chengfeng had just come out of the mountain not long ago. He only heard that the Cao Gang was a large group of people and used its power to bully others. But after hearing Tian Zifang's words, he was shocked.

Tian Ziconveniently introduced Caobang to them one by one, and Wu Jingmo also helped explain.

Lu Chengfeng listened to the two of them talking for a long time, and finally got a rough idea of ​​the full background of the Cao Gang:

In other words, this Cao Gang originated from water transportation. It was originally the "Cao Army" under the imperial court. In the past ten years, due to the successive wars in the southwest and northern border fortresses connecting Nanli and the northern end, most of the military households were assigned to the Cao Army.

They went to the front line to fight. As a result, an unorganized fleet of mercenary chariots and horses came into being.

Over the past ten years, after continuous development and expansion, it has become a world-famous caogang with a monopoly on salt and grain transportation. It has also become a link between rivers, lakes and temples.

There are a large number of people in the Cao Gang, including a large number of sailors, trackers, helmsmen, footmen, warriors and other personnel, along the grand canal that was dug in Dajing decades ago, in a mighty manner, all over the docks in the north and south of Dajing.

.

Later, it developed to the point that wherever there is a water system, there must be Caobang's horizontal wave flag flying.

However, wherever people gather, there must be rivers and lakes.

A large number of young and middle-aged men from the lower class gather in these dock areas to work for a living. Some of them are energetic and smart, and they have begun to figure out some unorthodox ways to make money.

The above situation has become more complicated with the expansion of the Caogang's power, and many gray areas have gradually taken shape.

The current Cao Gang, after more than ten years of evolution, has become a self-contained system with strict hierarchies and complex systems, comparable to any big gang in the world.

This is what people call "Caobang" now.

"I heard that the current leader of your Cao Gang is called Ma Rulong? It is said that he has a close relationship with Tang Boen, the son of the prime minister of the current dynasty?"

After Lu Chengfeng figured out the basic outline of Caobang, he raised his eyelids, looked at Tian Zifang meaningfully, and asked.

"Your Highness is exactly what you said. The reason why our Cao Gang is so strong is because of the blessing of our master! If he hadn't been on good terms with Mr. Tang, our Cao Gang would not be so prosperous in this Jinghua City.

!”

Tian Zifang clasped his fists and replied.

The man in front of me called himself a rough man while drinking. It seemed that he was indeed a straight-headed man who didn't think too much!

Lu Chengfeng thought about it and asked again:

"On the way there, I forgot to ask which pier Brother Tian is stationed at in Caobang? What is he responsible for? If I want to drink later, I might as well come to Brother Tian and get drunk for a while!"

"Hi! I, Tian Zifang, am an ordinary martial artist in Caobang. I am under the jurisdiction of the Dayu Wharf Branch on the Jiuqu River in the suburbs of Beijing. It is a small place, not comparable to Jinghua City! But it is not far from Jinghua City.

, I can still come here for a drink after I get the monthly payment! But, I can’t take care of my little girl Xiao Yuan... Sigh..."

As Tian Zifang talked, his expression gradually changed from cheerful to gloomy. When he mentioned his sister who died tragically, he became even more sad and sighed constantly.

After Lu Chengfeng comforted him for a while, Wu Jingmo asked:

"Brother, what I just said is that there is a branch of yours on the Jiuqu River outside Beijing, called the Dayu Wharf Branch? I heard that your branch is very skilled! No wonder I think Brother Tian is very good.

You have the demeanor of a hero, I guess you guys from Dayu Wharf are all very good at martial arts!"

When Tian Zifang was praised like this, his dark and bright cheeks turned a little red, but he still patted his chest and said proudly:

"Master Wu has great eyesight! I, Tian Zifang, can say without any humility that my skills rank second in the Dayu branch. No one dares to be the first, even in the realm of the Caobang chief helm.

My fists and feet are also worthy of my name!"

After saying that, he raised his thick eyebrows and sighed sadly:

"Those of us who are martial artists do know a bit of boxing and kicking skills. But we are still incomparable with those who come from well-known and upright families in the world! By the way, we have a brother in the helm, who was killed in the past two days, and he is still here

I can’t find out which master of martial arts is responsible for it, I really can’t rest in peace!”

As he spoke, his hands clenched into iron fists, and his eyes were filled with anger.

Lu Chengfeng's face couldn't help but turn red and white.

Wu Jingmo had already extracted the answer he wanted from him, and then said:

"Really? But right by the Jiuqu River, there is a large sea of ​​bamboo nearby?"

"Exactly! How did you know, sir? Could it be that this case has been reported to Beijing?"

Tian Zifang asked in surprise, he didn't expect that the chief official of the capital city would also know the news about their dead man in the wilderness. He was worthy of being the parent official of the capital city! He was well-informed, and his hands and eyes were astute!

Thinking of this, he hurriedly asked:

"Mr. Wu, have you received any other reports from Dayu Pier? We also have a brother who went out with the dead brother, but only found that person's body. Do you have any news about him? Yes

Life or death, let me know it makes me feel better."

"Did he disappear? I haven't heard of it. You are close to the Jiuqu River. Could it be that he accidentally fell into the river?"

Wu Jingmo replied calmly.

"Maybe." Hearing this, Tian Zifang became dejected again.
Chapter completed!