The weather was beautiful, and it was sunny for several days. Along the way, the wild paths were covered with clouds, the mountains were verdant, and the population was extremely sparse. We occasionally came across a few villages, but Xia Zhaoyi and the others did not go in. They were just on their way.
The arrival time in Jiuning County was half a day earlier than the previous budget, but Sun was quite unwell due to running around these days. Ji Xiahe was anxious to ask for help, so Xia Zhaoyi had no choice but to take Zhi Changle to the mountains to find some herbs.
The mountains and forests are secluded and there are many steep cliffs, but Xia Zhaoyi likes places like this the most, as it is as smooth as walking on flat ground.
Shen Lie asked about the names of many wild plants, but she could name them all. She also picked some wild fruits, washed them with stream water, and asked Shen Lie if she wanted them.
The two of them ate fruits and sat by the stream for a nap. The water was gurgling, clear and bright. The trees above their heads blocked the sun, and Xia Zhaoyi would look up from time to time.
Whenever she raised her eyebrows, Shen Lie couldn't help but look at her.
The girl's side profile is really beautiful, her nose bones, lips, and the arc of her long neck are smooth and smooth. Her skin is moist and white, reflecting the light of the stream, making it bright and moving.
He, who had always been teased by his subordinates for his pure heart and stoicism, suddenly felt that a fire was started because of her, dark and bursting. He had to suppress it with all his strength in order to prevent this fire from burning up.
"Shen Lie, it's strange," Xia Zhaoyi said, "there are very few birds chirping here."
Shen Lie turned to look at other trees, and it seemed that this was indeed the case.
"I don't know if it's man-made or something." Xia Zhaoyi said again.
"Man-made," Shen Lie's eyes fell on several bird traps in the distance, "it should have been several days."
A lot of scattered weeds fell on the bird trap. It was not deliberately piled up for cover, but it must have been left here.
Xia Zhaoyi pinched his fingers and said: "Birds are the spirit of heaven and earth. They are free and unrestrained, but there are always people who want to take advantage of them."
Shen Lie thought of the Chongtiantai worship ceremony a few years ago and said, "These birds are now captured, maybe it is related to the war?"
"I can't count the hexagrams, they are only for reference." Xia Zhaoyi withdrew his gaze and looked at Shen Lie, "Speaking of war, I actually have something to say."
Shen Lie's eyes darkened slightly and he looked at her quietly: "Ali Dan said."
Xia Zhaoyi's eyes were serious: "The world is in chaos, and all parties are vying for victory. There are too many warlords now, generals and counselors are everywhere, and heroes and heroes emerge in large numbers. Shen Lie, no matter you choose to live in seclusion in the future, or who invites you, I hope we will not Just like in the past few years, contact has been cut off."
"Okay." Shen Lie smiled lightly.
"I don't know when we will meet again next time," Xia Zhaoyi sighed, looked to the distant sky, took a bite of the fruit, and said calmly, "I hope the road ahead goes well, whether it's you or me, everything goes well."
Before going down the mountain, she bundled the herbs individually and put them in a makeshift basket.
Dai Yu and Du Xuan had reluctance written on their faces, not wanting to be separated from Xia Zhaoyi.
Lin Zhonghu was even more reluctant to leave. He was scared when he saw Shen Lie, but this time he wanted to go south with Shen Lie.
Xia Zhaoyi got on the horse and pulled the reins neatly: "When I return to Zhaozhou, I will write to Muzhou to tell you that I am safe. I should arrive before you, but letters are always delayed."
"Okay," Shen Lie nodded, "if I feel stable, I will write to you immediately."
Xia Zhaoyi said goodbye with a smile, then looked at Dai Yu, Du Xuan, Lin Zhonghu, Ji Xiahe and Sun, and expressed their respect to each other.
He Zhi Changle rode away, but stopped again in the middle. Xia Zhaoyi couldn't help but look back.
Shen Lie also got on the horse, pulling the reins and looking towards her.
The wind was gentle and gentle, and the young man was tall and tall, looking at her from a distance. She couldn't see his eyes from such a distance, but his temperament was quiet rather than cold.
Xia Zhaoyi suddenly felt a little sad about separation.
She turned around and continued to ride her horse.
Speaking of which, she has been to many places and met many people over the years, and every time she leaves, she is cool and neat, without any nostalgia.
The last time I felt this kind of separation was many years ago, on the day my second brother left.
Even if her master handed her the words "Life is difficult for the common people" four years ago and asked her to travel, she was not reluctant to give up.
"Master," Dai Yu sighed, "Ali is gone."
Shen Lie didn't respond, looking at the horizon where the girl's back disappeared.
Until she left completely, she never looked back.
Lin Zhonghu was sitting on the carriage with the curtains open. He looked at the horizon and then at Shen Lie.
The man's side face was as cold as frost, and he still had his usual cold handsome face, calm and distant from strangers, but Lin Zhonghu always felt that there seemed to be something different. It was a very strange change that happened as soon as the girl left.
Feeling something, Shen Lie turned around and glanced at Lin Zhonghu with a deep and cold gaze. After all, Lin Zhonghu was also a seven-foot man. He was so frightened that his heartbeat skipped a beat.
He discovered what was different, it was murderous and violent energy.
In this very short period of time, the young man in front of him transformed from a piece of cold jade into a sharp and frosty sword.
Lin Zhonghu suddenly remembered that when he was by the river, Shen Lie asked about Xia Zhaoyi's "ambition".
Lin Zhonghu swallowed hard. There was no need to ask. This young man was full of wanton ambition and dominance from head to toe.
He is definitely not a kind person, someone who is willing to be stable and peaceful, or someone who is willing to be manipulated by others.
And only an hour later, Lin Zhonghu's idea was confirmed. Du Xuan left the ancestral hall at the foot of the mountain outside Jiuning County for a while. When he caught up again, he was followed by nearly twenty men, all of them tall and powerful. A nimble and agile player.
Du Xuan looked solemn and reported to Shen Lie in a low voice when he came back. There were still more than thirty people scattered in three places, and they would have to go to Yongwu City in Huazhou at the earliest to meet them.
All the manpower was originally deployed in Fushang County to deal with Guo Yu, but the Ji family was indecisive, hesitant and timid, which was a real failure.
The tiger in the forest was listening to the sounds outside with his ears raised, and his ears were almost touching the curtain of the car that had been lowered.
Someone suddenly tapped him on his shoulder with the handle of a fan, and the tiger in the forest was so frightened that he quickly turned around.
"Is it fun to eavesdrop?" Ji Xiahe said.
The tiger in the forest said: "I, I just admire you."
In particular, Fushang County was raided by soldiers and horses stationed in the camp at that time, and his second brother's head was missing, but according to reports from Du Xuan and Shen Lie, none of them were injured.
These subordinates are very adaptable and will never stay in one place for too long. If they don't wait for someone within the stipulated time, they will break them into pieces and scatter them.
It was this kind of vigilance that allowed them to survive the entire search in Fushang County.
"I admire you too," Ji Xiahe opened his fan and shook it slightly, his eyes becoming confused and vain, "The world is changing, and we are going to Huazhou next, but Huazhou is full of rebels, and the entire Huazhou is torn apart."
Also, I don’t know where the Ji family members are now, whether they are in Huazhou or have left Huazhou and have arrived in Zuilu.
Thinking of the word "Ji family", Ji Xiahe felt like he was having a long and ridiculous nightmare.
