Rain falls in Jiangning City in the dark. At midnight, there are running figures shuttled in the rain.
In the early morning at the southern end of the city, commotions were reported from two closed medical clinics.
At this time, the various stores that can gain a foothold in Jiangning City are either taking shelter from a certain force of the Justice Party and buying flags to protect themselves, or they have a good artistic industry and background, which is sufficient to protect themselves. Especially in Bafang Green Forest Hall
At this time when the guests were gathering, there were many fights and fights. Among the doctors and doctors in the city, they also received preferential treatment. Their living conditions were not enough compared to those above, but more than enough compared to those below.
The young man armed with a knife forced open two medical clinics and demanded medicines with a strong and fierce attitude. What he asked for even included valuable medicinal materials that were not available in the market. Naturally, he was stopped at the first moment. The apprentices in the medical clinics or
The nurse rushed out with swords, guns and clubs, and was knocked to the ground. The doctor in charge knew that he had met a strong man, and after saying a few nice words, he respectfully welcomed him in.
Such riots were not unusual in Jiangnan at this time, and the riots subsided after a brief appearance. A reckless man with martial arts status could not offend the doctors in the medical clinic, and a chivalrous man with strong martial arts status could not offend the doctors in the hospital.
, as long as the other party still has a sense of proportion, instead of reporting to the official to find someone to find "justice", it is better to form a good relationship.
I called two medical clinics one after another and collected some life-sustaining medicines that were barely enough. The waves in the dark night seemed to be drowned by the soft autumn rain, and the night became quiet again in this atmosphere.
Under the damp bridge in front of Wuhu Inn, a young monk wearing a ridiculous wig lit a fire. After the elder brother who went out with a knife to grab medicine came back, they set up earthen pots and boiled medicine. A lame man named Xue Jin kowtow
I had a lot of headaches and wanted to help these two little knights who appeared late at night to save my dying wife...
The city of Jiangning outside the bridge was submerged in black. People seemed to be isolated by this darkness, just like the ripples caused by the teenager robbing the drug store could hardly spread. People in the city did not know that there was a small bridge in the darkness.
, how anxious people are, and looking out from the bridge opening, they can't see anything clear. People who were beaten during the day, and the surrounding households, are all licking themselves under their respective bridge openings.
of wounds.
Of course there are more things brewing in the darkness.
Located in Zhong'an Square in the southeast of the city, in a corner of "Juxianju", members of the "Five Lakes Inn" who were arrested during the day were being tortured, with soldering irons burning their skin and bamboo sticks opening their fingernails
, the interrogators who tortured them overnight made them confess their crimes as members of the "Book Club" over and over again.
Shi Weiyang did not fall asleep. He even came to the execution room accompanied by Wu Chennan and saw the bloody scene with his own eyes. Both of them felt nauseated at first, but a special sense of excitement kept them both from sleeping.
Go down.
After returning from Wuhu Inn, his father Shi Baofeng didn't comment much on this action, but the approval on his expression already made Shi Weiyang know that he had done the right thing and washed away the shame of a month ago.
Then, with the vague revelation from the big shopkeeper Jin Yongsheng, Shi Weiyang understood that his actions touched the core of something on a larger level.
The most important thing is that with the help of Wu Chennan, he has grasped the core of the big man's behavior.
Does Wuhu Inn have anything to do with the "Book Club"? Is it important?
Does it matter whether the person captured is innocent?
I have always treated Yan Yunzhi with courtesy, but is it important?
I have always wanted to treat others like a gentleman, but does it matter?
When you have truly reached the level of your parents, including elders like Jin Yongsheng, what matters more is whether you can live well in terms of face and whether you can live well. Regarding Yan Yunzhi's affairs, I didn't do a good job. The conflict at Wuhu Inn,
It was too naive to think that I was going to catch a thief and that I had no ill intentions towards the other party and that the other party would inevitably open the door for convenience.
Baofeng followed the Fair Party and made a fortune rapidly. As Shi Baofeng's second son, Shi Weiyang was young and handsome. He was always praised for his talent and intelligence, and was regarded by most people as Shi Baofeng's favorite son.
.When he came to Jiangning this time, he followed Jin Yongsheng and other shopkeepers to receive all parties at Juxianju. Although he said that he was dealing with it in a chic way, in fact, deep down in his heart, he always felt a little uneasy.
He was worried that he would be regarded as a dandy by those old gangsters, worried that he was not capable enough, and that the other party looked down on him in his heart despite being pleasant on the surface. Especially after making some mistakes, he felt even more anxious in his heart. However, when Wu Chen
After Nan pointed out these things to him, he finally grasped the core of how these big people behaved.
There is really a sense of enlightenment that "if you hear the Tao in the morning, you may die in the evening."
The face of the Wuhu Inn was easily regained, and the knife from the "book club" was handed over to his father. Shi Weiyang was very excited. That night, he and Wu Chennan chatted for half the night about the Yan family and Yan Yunzhi.
Seize the contradiction and make a plan. In the early hours of the morning, the prototype of a plan was roughly finalized. The two deduced it once and felt that it was quite feasible. Shi Weiyang almost wanted to ask people to get ready immediately, but Wu Chennan stopped him with tea.
Got him.
"Second Young Master." Wu Chennan said, "Whenever there is a big event, you must be calm. You just got the approval of the Duke last night. It is not yet dawn, so we are shouting at people in a hurry. We are afraid that we will fall into the eyes of others."
I will feel that you are eager to show off. Besides, you and I still have some paper talks about the Jianghu matter, and we want to do something against the Yan family. We might as well discuss this calculation with Mr. Jin and the others, firstly, to give our seniors face, and secondly,
Let them know, Second Young Master, what you are thinking about today..."
After hearing what Wu Chennan said, Shi Weiyang reacted, held the other person's hand and said, "It's Chennan who reminded me that it was indeed me who was irritable. Alas, if Chennan hadn't done this..."
The two of them held hands in the room and encouraged each other. It was almost dawn before they fell asleep on the same bed.
…
The movement under the bridge had stopped when it was almost dawn.
"...I've tried my best."
The young man whose pseudonym was Long Aotian said this. After he finished speaking, he took the young monk out of the rain curtain, then turned back and said another sentence.
"Maybe I can survive..."
There was a hesitation in his words that he felt was unnecessary.
The woman under the bridge didn't wake up. She had a bandage on her head and her body was limp. The breath in her nose was like a gossamer. When Xue Jin touched her, she had a putrid smell from living under the bridge for a long time. , and she was as skinny as ever. Because the young man said that she might still be alive, Xue Jin couldn't hold her in his arms. He kowtowed to the outside of the bridge, not understanding why these two benefactors came to show their kindness. , I can’t think about it anymore.
He sat in the rain in a daze, trying to take care of his wife, but most of the time it was just a long period of sluggishness and blankness. As dawn approached, he knelt down and slept there for a while in the clear rain. He didn't know when. , woke up again in a daze. Yueniang lay there, putting her hand between her nose, as if she was dead, but for a long time, she could still feel the slightest breath.
I have to make money, I have to beg for food...
He thought to himself. However, it was still raining, and he couldn't get much food during the day. However, there was a martial arts competition going on in the city. There might be some leftover water in a more lively place, but he didn't know if he could reach it with these legs.
He struggled to get up. The struggle from yesterday to this morning almost exhausted his strength, making him crawl for a while before he stood up unsteadily. The step up the river embankment in the rain was another huge step. Obstacled, he tried to get over, rolled over, fell down, and got up again shakingly.
A figure walked through the rain curtain and came here. A figure picked him up and dragged him back to the bridge. This was the little benefactor yesterday. He was talking about something. Maybe it was because of the rain in his ears. , Xue Jin couldn't hear anything clearly. He knelt on the ground and began to kowtow. After a while, another little benefactor came over and placed a bowl of gruel in front of him.
Xue Jin trembled his lips and began to drink porridge.
He saw the two little benefactors lighting up the fire again and cooking up the potion. His wife Yueniang could no longer take the concoction. The juice was squeezed open her mouth and dipped on her tongue bit by bit.
…
Gather the wise people.
In the early morning, a few simple porridge and rice dishes were prepared in the hall. Shi Baofeng sat at the front seat, eating breakfast and chatting about trivial matters with Shan Lifu and other big shopkeepers who came over.
Jin Yongsheng came in from outside, took a dossier in a cloth bag, and handed it to Shi Baofeng's personal attendant.
"It's hard work, Mr. Jin. He was working on things early in the morning... He didn't sleep all night, right?" Shan Lifu said hello with a smile.
"Greetings to my boss, hello shopkeeper Shan, hello all shopkeepers..." Jin Yongsheng smiled and waved his hand: "I'm getting older. I'm not as good as I used to be. I can't stay up late every day. Recently, when I'm not late, I always doze off. I just wake up. We have to do it earlier...well, the group of people captured by the Second Young Master have been interrogated."
While he was talking, he sat down on the seat next to Shi Baofeng. The servants served him hot minced meat porridge. Shi Baofeng on the side pushed the pickle plate in front of him to him: "Come on, Mr. Jin , Today’s pickles are pretty good.”
"Then I'm welcome." Jin Yongsheng smiled and picked up his chopsticks.
"What was the result of the trial?" Shi Baofeng asked casually.
"They are all from the reading club. The second young master said last time that there was something fishy there, and he was right. The confessions in it were all signed."
"I heard that all the people in that inn are virtuous farmers." Shan Lifu said, "Will the study club be..."
"Under the name of Southwest, everyone wants to take advantage. Don't make blind guesses about which family doesn't have people from the reading club." Shi Baofeng said.
"But the confession said that they were a reading club established by King Ping Ping's order." Jin Yongsheng took a sip of porridge and said casually.
Everyone in the hall fell silent for a moment, and Shi Baofeng smiled: "It's just nonsense again."
Everyone also laughed: "That's right, that's right, Mr. Jin, I think the trial will continue."
Jin Yongsheng nodded: "It is true that they will continue the trial."
"However, the Second Young Master destroyed the Wuhu Inn yesterday. Fu Pingbo and King Ping Ping may not be able to swallow their anger today."
"Someone said last night that Nong Xian might be going to attack..."
"Then these confessions can be put to use..."
Everyone discussed it.
Shi Baofeng put down the spoon in his hand and wiped his mouth.
"I checked the Wuhu Inn yesterday because I discovered a problem there last time. Although my action yesterday was reckless, it didn't seem to cause trouble. In the recent period, it seems that Zhou Shang and King Pingyi have been having a serious quarrel.
, but their dispute on the stage is a dispute between gentlemen. The restless 'book club' in private is what really makes everyone panic. This rumor is really powerful. It is said that Ning Liheng organized this book club.
It was the big leader who did it, Xu Zhaonan, He Wen, Zhou Shang, or me, all sorts of nonsense, these kind of secretly careerists are our real enemies."
He paused: "Okay, let's take advantage of this incident to put the reading club on the table and let everyone talk about it. If someone says that Mr. He instigated the reading club, let Mr. He say it is not
, some people say it was us who instigated it, but we happened to say no. Now is the time to talk about alliance, and everyone is honest and innocent... Well, this is a good thing..."
When Shi Baofeng said this, several shopkeepers also laughed.
"That's right, that's right, the 'Book Club' always used to do things secretly, hiding them, but big troubles would happen..."
"On the table, these rumors spread by the reading club are useless..."
"My boss is really far-sighted..."
"Second Young Master is not bad. He noticed the problem at the end of last month and secretly investigated it for so long. Only then did he catch it all. You can keep your composure..."
A group of people echoed this, and when Shi Weiyang was mentioned, Shi Baofeng looked aside: "Where's the second brother? Why didn't you come out to eat?"
Everyone looked at me and I looked at you. After a while, a person came over and said: "Second Young Master discussed things with others until late at night, and it seems that he fell asleep not long ago."
Everyone was silent for a moment, and someone said: "Second Young Master has become diligent..."
Shi Baofeng waved his hand: "Ignore him... There is no meeting today, but I will meet with He, Gao, Xu and Zhou in the afternoon. He will bring up Nong Xian's matter, and I will bring it up just in time.
Ask him..."
He thought for a while and then said: "It is related to the future of the Fair Party... He will express his position."
Everyone immediately nodded in agreement.
…
Shi Weiyang and Wu Chennan woke up at noon. At this time, Shi Baofeng had already left Juxianju to deal with other matters, including various arrangements for a small meeting with He Wen and others in the afternoon, which made him lose his mind.
to give my father a chance to say hello.
Recalling the plan set against the Yan family, Yan Yunzhi and others last night, Shi Weiyang temporarily put aside the idea of asking for an invitation. After washing up for a while, he and Wu Chennan invited the big shopkeeper Jin Yongsheng to have lunch.
After hearing the two people's plans, Jin Yongsheng looked at the two young men repeatedly for a while, and somewhat admired their boldness and enterprising spirit.
"According to this idea, things... can be done." He thought carefully for a while, "However, there are still many things that can be considered in terms of specific details... For example, the Second Young Master and Young Master Wu considered Yan Yunzhi's character.
, but have you ever considered that Yan Tiehe is also an old Jianghu..."
"Let me see, there are a few points that can be considered regarding this matter..."
The old shopkeeper revised the plans of the two young people one by one.
After the discussion about this matter was basically finished, Shi Weiyang suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked about what happened last night and his father's attitude this morning. Jin Yongsheng talked more about the book club.
After giving this excuse to Shi Baofeng, Shi Baofeng will take the opportunity to attack He Wen and others this afternoon, and then it is possible to bring the conspiracy faction of the "Book Club" to the forefront and eliminate it completely.
This was a major event related to the future of the entire Fairness Party, and it was now handed over to Shi Baofeng. At that time, Wei Yang had no worries anymore. After lunch, he and Wu Chennan began to make arrangements for Yan Yunzhi.
I don’t know when the rain stopped. Many strategic trajectories are extending in the city, accompanied by the operations of big figures. Sooner or later, these trajectories will affect the lives of countless people. And at the same time, because of this
The ruins of the Wuhu Inn that was destroyed by the fire are standing quietly on the roadside at that bridge. Near the Wuhu Inn, the residents who were affected yesterday also have their own small trajectories, and some of their injuries have been bandaged.
, started a new day of struggling for life, and in some cases, the pain gradually began to worsen due to lack of medical treatment.
The lame man under the bridge was muddleheadedly guarding his wife, who was barely alive. He had nothing to do and couldn't sleep. He didn't rest in peace until he was knocked unconscious by two benefactors.
time.
Two teenagers wearing tattered raincoats were nearby asking about yesterday's events. Since the other party was doing things for the sake of face and fame, not long after, they also found out about Shi Weiyang's name and information about the "book club" from the people around them.
, and the ins and outs of all this...
…
"Kill the shit baby first."
Long Aotian, the "martial arts leader" who had made several plans and changed them several times after entering Jiangning City, changed his plans again. The "shit baby" in his mouth did not know whether he was referring to Shi Baofeng or Shi Weiyang, but it seemed that
It's not important anymore.
There was already strong anger building up on his face.
The rain had stopped. At this moment, they were sitting by the damp and broken river embankment. Under the bridge not far away, the lame man seemed to move slightly.
…
“If you want to achieve great things, you need to act vigorously and resolutely.”
In the center of the city, Shi Weiyang and Wu Chennan made tea in the teahouse. They were chatting while watching the activities in the shops on the other side of the street.
We were already close to the venue for the martial arts tournament. The streets were crowded with people, and the restaurants and tea shops on both sides were quite lively. Shi Weiyang no longer cared about the hustle and bustle of the martial arts tournament. Among the shops he and Wu Chennan were observing, a group of people
A small "hero meeting" is taking place. Yan Tiehe, the second master of the Yan family and the "Wind Chasing Sword" who came here this time, is participating in it and is making friends with heroes from all walks of life.
Near the window, a tall, thin man with a long sword and a scar on his face looked back. He could see Wei Yang's gesture to him from across the street. What concerned him even more was that a little further to the side.
The secret code of Jin Yongsheng hung on the window of the restaurant was the spy arranged by the Baofeng earlier. He was working as a double agent, and his life was relatively smooth. With this order from Jin Yongsheng, it meant that his good days were over.
Already.
Sighing, he stood up with his sword in hand and walked forward.
"Er Master Yan, you are polite to all the heroes in person." He greeted loudly, "...Today's gathering of heroes is a grand event. Seeing that you all are chatting so happily, Xiao doesn't want to spoil the fun, but he has a big heart.
Block base, I’m really unhappy if I don’t complain... Mr. Yan, I heard that when you entered the city this time, Yan Jiabao did some things that were not very authentic..."
He held his sword forward, and with every step he took, the inner energy in his words increased by one point.
Across the street, Shi Weiyang and Wu Chennan also heard the voices and noises coming from there.
"……here we go."
Wu Chennan smiled.
…
North of the city.
When Shi Baofeng led several of his men into the spacious hall, Xu Zhaonan and Zhou Shang had already arrived. They were sitting on adjacent chairs. They didn't know what they were talking about. When they saw Shi Baofeng, they stopped.
Talk, stand up and greet.
Xu Zhaonan was quite tall and had a smile on his face. Zhou Shang was a dwarf and didn't have a good look on his face. He just held his hands with a cold face as a courtesy. The three of them sat down and Xu Zhaonan laughed and said: "I heard that Boss Shi yesterday
Someone smashed up the property of Nong Xian Zhao Jingci, so you don’t give Mr. He face? It’s really… good job.”
"Xu Gong, don't talk nonsense." Shi Baofeng said with a smile, "The dog is shapeless and acts recklessly. Just now it caused such a disaster. Shi is just a small businessman. Who dares to stroke the fair king's tiger beard? He will soon be
I apologize to Mr. He..."
He paused slightly: "But when it comes to this matter, there are mistakes and mistakes. The few people caught have now been determined to be careerists from the 'Book Club'. They are extremely vicious and abominable. They recruited their own
After the origin, they still have delusions and make random claims, saying that Mr. He was behind the "book club" and that they are Mr. He's imperial guards... This is an ugly statement that wants to disrupt the foundation of our Fair Party. How to deal with this in a moment?
How many people will be left to Mr. He to decide."
Zhou Shang next to him sneered: "Boss Shi is not worried. Are they telling the truth?"
"Mr. He is already the King of Justice, why bother to create your own rebellion." Shi Baofeng waved his hand and knocked on the coffee table, "I'm sure! Mr. He will give us all a clear explanation later.
!”
He tapped his fingers, word by word, and the room became a little quiet as he spoke. Xu Zhaonan and Zhou Shang looked at each other thoughtfully. Shi Baofeng took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "It's Mr. Zhou, I'm afraid
You are not expecting Mr. He to do this kind of thing, you are the most extreme in your behavior. If Mr. He also has the same temperament and is always willing to throw blame, maybe you and Mr. He can talk better in private."
Zhou Shang frowned.
Xu Zhaonan next to him waved his hand: "Okay, okay, let's stop speculating. You see, they said they were going to meet and chat. The three of us will come first. General Gao and Mr. He haven't arrived yet. What do you think?
Are the two of them just like the three of us, chatting and talking to each other?"
Zhou Shang glanced at him: "Why did you put General Gao ahead of Mr. He?"
Xu Zhaonan was stunned.
Shi Baofeng laughed: "Mr. Xu loves to talk nonsense. According to what you said, I was the third one to come over just now. Didn't you and Mr. Zhou also have a close relationship in private?"
"Master Zhou and I are brothers and sisters, and the same goes for Boss Shi. We have always been on heart-to-heart."
"Ha ha ha ha."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
The two of them laughed for a while, and Zhou Shang looked at them and said, "What if Mr. He comes over later and really accepts the 'book club' thing, what will you do?"
"..."
"..."
"Ha ha ha ha."
"Hahahahahaha..."
"Master Zhou is really good at joking..."
"That's right, that's right..."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
"That will... lead to a fight!"
"Four! Hit one!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"
In the light blue sky, Shi Baofeng and Xu Zhaonan burst into laughter. After a while, Zhou Shang also looked at them and laughed...
…
"Brother."
On the river embankment, two teenagers who had been busy all night were standing there. The young monk in disguise looked at the sky in the distance and spoke, "There is something I can't figure out."
"Um?"
"I followed Master when I went south this time, and I saw a lot of tragic things. There were tragedies in the north, there were tragedies in the south, there were tragedies in the city, there were also things outside the city... In recent years, some people have had their arms and legs cut off when things suddenly happened, and they even starved to death.
I’ve met a lot of people, and the lame uncle under the bridge is very miserable, but brother, look at every household in this city, how many people are not like this?”
They could see the miserable figures under the river embankment, and in front of their field of vision, there were still overlapping black tiles and gray walls in the dilapidated city, with figures walking among them, living in confusion. The little monk asked.
"Brother, why does this lame uncle's matter make you so angry?"
Ning Ji stood on the river embankment and was silent for a moment.
After a while, he whispered: "He used to have some friendship with my family."
The young monk thought for a while and understood a little bit. He put his hands together and said: "Amitabha."
Under the river embankment, the lame man woke up rustlingly. He was at a loss for a while, and then went to see the woman's condition.
"Brother, can his wife... survive?"
…
After the rain stopped, the thick clouds still glowed with a light blue color. The clouds rolled and were torn open a few holes, and light fell from the gaps in the clouds. No one knew that the clouds were rolling to cover those broken holes.
mouth, or the light of day will tear the hole even wider.
Below the light and clouds is the boundless earth, and above the earth is the gray-black city. In the city are row upon row of houses and criss-crossing rivers. On the broken embankment of one of the inconspicuous rivers, the insignificant Ning Ji
Standing expressionless.
He looked at the people under the bridge and whispered:
"Amitabha."
…
Soon after, King He Wen of Ping Ping and King Gao Chang of Gaotian walked into the spacious hall. The five kings of Ping Ping greeted each other and joked for a while. Then, Shi Baofeng asked He Wen the key question, and together with the other four
, waiting for a simple answer.
In the city, the direction of the wind and the color of the clouds are about to change...