In the tenth year of Yuansui, on the eighth day of the tenth lunar month, we crossed the Yugu Lake eastward along the Yanjiang River and arrived at the territory of Weiliang. The Guannan hills of Sizhou were already a vast expanse of white. The north wind picked up snow foam and rolled it against the surface.
Occasionally, the snow on the treetops is swept down by the wind, and a white mist rises in the sky.
The blizzard that occurred half a day ago was so fast and violent that the cars, horses and pedestrians on the road almost disappeared overnight, leaving only wild deer or red foxes in the forest occasionally walking through the snow.
Several lines of footprints of different shades were left behind. However, among the white all over the mountains and plains, there was a dark brown carriage, zigzagging forward in the snowy field against the wind and snow.
There was a "bang" sound, and the carriage suddenly tilted to the right, causing the two old horses pulling the carriage to neigh. The driver, who was wearing a felt coat and almost turned into a snowman, quickly tightened the reins and urged the horses to stop, and then
Coughing, he turned his head and said to the person sitting in the car through the thick cotton curtain:
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid the axle is broken and I won't be able to walk for a while."
"How far is it from Jingshu now?"
An old woman's voice rang out from inside the car. After speaking, she opened a narrow slit in the curtain, revealing half of her face.
"I estimate it will still take a day's journey. However, there are no villages or shops in this forest. It's probably impossible to find anyone to help."
The driver shrugged helplessly, but a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes.
"Then please excuse me and see if I can repair that wheel. With such heavy snow, we can't let two women walk into the city on our own legs, right?"
The old woman seemed to understand what the other party meant. She immediately got out of the car and took out a heavy money bag in front of the man, but she did not hand it directly to the man's hand:
"I still have ten gold baht here. If we can deliver the two of us to Jingshu in time according to the previous agreement, I will give you all the extra money."
"Okay, I remembered that there should be some replacement parts in the car. Sir, please go sit in the car for a while, don't freeze yourself."
When he saw the money, the man immediately got busy driving back and forth. The price of ten gold bahts was already double the previously negotiated fare from Yugu Lake to Jingshu. Fortunately, the axle was not broken.
It's just that the iron hub was cracked by the cold and broken in half, so it's not too troublesome to replace it.
However, the old woman did not get in the car immediately. Instead, she stood in the snow and watched the driver's every move, for fear that he would do something else in the car. After all, the road was blocked by heavy snow, bandits were rampant along the way, and dangers were everywhere. She was willing to do it for money.
There were not many drivers who took risks, so even if they were blackmailed, they would have to comply with the other driver's wishes first. At this time, the only thought in her mind was to do everything possible to get to Jingshu City.
While the two were talking, another petite figure sitting in the car also moved. The girl did not show any uneasiness due to the accident, nor did she open her mouth to ask any questions. Except for a few times along the way,
She didn't appear in front of the coachman even a few times while the coach was resting. The reason was because her old lady had warned her before getting on the coach that the people of Weiliang were tough and fierce, far less elegant and kind than the people of Wanzhou. And she
If a handsome face attracts the driver's lust, it may bring a lot of unnecessary trouble to the long journey.
The sound of the car being repaired and the driver's heavy breathing floated into the girl's ears from outside the curtain. She opened a small opening in the fur cloak she was wrapped in, lowered her head and asked softly:
"Xueling, tell me, can our car still be repaired?"
In response, a small white head poked out from under the cloak, its small black eyes rolled around, and it chirped twice as if talking to the girl.
"You also think it can be repaired, right? This way... it's good... Although my mother-in-law has comforted me, my heart is always hanging in my throat along the way..."
The girl lowered her head as she spoke, and a strand of curly red hair slipped out from her cloak and waved slightly in the air:
"Before, even when I was living on a deserted island in the Tianwu Strait, even when I was caught on a black ship, and even when I was forced to show my true colors by that old fox of Marquis Jinghai, I was never as worried as I am now. You said... ...It would be great if Xiaostaiba, Ziyin and the others could stay with me at this time..."
At this point, Ning Yue's shoulders began to rise and fall involuntarily, and her long eyelashes trembled. A few crystal clear tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, sliding down the bridge of her nose and dripping on the back of the little white fox.
After escaping from Mulu City with Granny Cen, the red-haired girl prayed devoutly every day that her two friends could escape safely. At first, she always had nightmares, not that she dreamed of Qi Zi hiding in the execution ground with his head missing. , it was the dream that Jiang Yan held Xiao Tianmo in his hand and was shot to death by random arrows in the city. It was not until a few days ago at Jade Bone Lake that the news that the young master of Ye State was kidnapped by his gang came to her ears, which made her She laughed uncontrollably.
But soon, a new trouble appeared in the girl's heart. Grandma Cen's trip was to take her to meet a person in Jingshu City. And this person was the leader of the rebel party in Cangliu City. As a The only daughter of the Archpriest, Ning Yue had mixed feelings in her heart. She wanted to know what this person who had been causing her father a headache for many years looked like, but she couldn't imagine what the other party would do if he knew her identity. Some processing.
Although Grandma Cen had been trying to convince her how approachable the leader was, however, as the destination got closer, the girl couldn't help but feel worried again and again.
The little white fox stuck out its tongue obediently and licked away a few tears hanging on Ning Yue's chin. The girl raised her hand and wiped the corners of her eyes, then continued talking to herself:
"If Little Stutter is here now, he will definitely say that the car can be repaired immediately, and then hurriedly drag Zi Yin to help. However, whether it can really be repaired is a matter of opinion. Even if it cannot be repaired, he will I dared to say that no matter what kind of car I took, even if it carried me all the way, it could take me to Jingshu. Ziyin, on the other hand, might open a jar of Qingli Shao, and then talk about something I didn’t know about the snowy scene in front of him. The legend on land made me forget that I was trapped here..."
The girl gradually became immersed in the endless longing for her companions, and a faint blush appeared on her face, "But it's useless to say anything now. I just hope that Little Stutterer and the others can be safe, and I have nothing to be dissatisfied about." God in the sky, I know I will seem too greedy when I say this, but I really hope that one day, the two of them can find me again in this vast sea of people... If, at that time, I If you are still alive on this land..."
Ning Yue clasped her hands together, raised her head and prayed devoutly in the direction of the sky. At this moment, the curtain beside her was suddenly opened, and Granny Cen outside the car gasped and said to her:
"Miss Yue'er, the car has been repaired. Sit tight and we'll be on our way."
However, the strange thing is that after the old woman finished speaking, she lowered the curtain in her hand, as if she planned to sit in the front driving position with the driver.
"Mother-in-law, it's cold outside, why don't you come in and sit -"
The red-haired girl couldn't help but persuade. But before she could finish her words, the old woman opened her mouth and interrupted:
"Miss, you just sit in the car. I just feel a little bored. It's good to sit outside."
From the other party's tone, Ning Yue felt that her question seemed a bit unnecessary, so she swallowed the second half of the sentence that was already on her lips. The carriage staggered and set off again, but she didn't notice it. Since then, the intermittent coughing sound in the coachman's throat has disappeared.
The wheels made two deep tracks on the ground, but what was different from before was that there was a hint of bright red in the marks. The snow was still falling, and in just a moment, it brought with it the dazzling red color on the ground. Even the traces of the ruts were obscured by the newly fallen white, making them difficult to detect.
One day later, the carriage finally entered Jingshu City.
The people of Weiliang are naturally brave, and they have 200,000 Guanning warriors who are known as "the murderous spirit serves as the sword and the courage, and the fierce flames come out from the north to kill the enemy chieftains." Therefore, even its capital is only a hundred meters away from the border between Huaiyou and Chengguo. Miles away. The city is heavily guarded all year round. According to legend, even Luqiu Borong, the leader of Wei Liang Kingdom, would sleep with his sword on his pillow.
Ning Yue followed Granny Cen into a remote and quiet courtyard in the north of the city. From the outside, the courtyard was not very big, but after entering, she realized that the winding paths lead to secluded areas. At the moment, the girl was sitting upright in front of her. The man writing furiously in the hall was the master they planned to meet on this trip.
"Mother-in-law, is this Master Kunjie you are talking about?"
"That's right. But Miss, it's better to keep quiet for the time being, so as not to disturb your thoughts."
"But it's been a while since we came in to burn incense. Is he planning to just ignore us?"
The person at the table seemed to be very focused on what was happening in front of him, and failed to notice that the servant had already brought two guests inside to stand there. Ning Yue was really anxious to wait, so she asked a few questions in a low voice, and then she made the other party look up:
"Grandma Cen! I'm sorry. There are too many things to do today. Don't be restrained. Just sit down and stay for a while."
The man just raised his face and smiled, and then immediately buried his head among the letters on the desk. Ning Yue glanced sideways at the other person when she passed by the shore, and saw that his face was thin and bookish. , the smile on his face was as sincere as a child's, and he just relieved his worries for a moment.
Unexpectedly, there was a sudden tightening in her arms, and the little white fox actually struggled and jumped down to the ground, bared its teeth at the man beside the case, and let out a "scared" growl, as if he was very dissatisfied with the fact that he made his master wait. The red-haired girl quickly stepped forward to catch the little beast, but Xue Ling changed her usual obedient and submissive temper. She dodged her master's hands and ran away again, jumping onto the table in front of Kun Jie. .
With just a crisp sound, the little white fox instantly stepped over the brush washer in front of Kun Jie, and then stepped into the inkstone where he was grinding ink, immediately messing up all the paper on the case.
The man finally had to put down the pen in his hand and looked at Ning Yue, who was standing there blankly, but did not reprimand her. Upon seeing this, Granny Cen immediately pulled the girl to kneel down and said in fear:
"My lord, forgive me! If you want to be punished, please punish me!"
"Grandma Cen is serious. The words on this paper can still be read clearly. I will order someone to make a copy later."
Kun Jie did seem to have a good temper. He immediately took the piece of paper he had written on from the case and handed it to the chief clerk who came after hearing the news. Then he whispered a few instructions in the other person's ear. When I turned around, I found that the guest was still kneeling on the ground and did not get up. He quickly stepped forward and reached out to help him.
Unexpectedly, the naughty little white fox came up again and bit the man's sleeve, preventing him from touching Ning Yue. The red-haired girl felt anxious and ashamed, and hurriedly took off her cloak and pulled the little white fox away. Wrapping him tightly, he was not allowed to run around anymore. When he raised his head to look at the man in front of him, he saw that he was still smiling, with no trace of anger on his face.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to Xue Ling today to be so disobedient."
"The white fox is a mountain spirit, and it is normal to be naughty. It doesn't get in the way, it doesn't get in the way."
Kun Jie laughed, and then asked straight to the point, "Are you the daughter of the great priest Feng Mo Shu? I have heard Granny Cen talk about you a long time ago. You are indeed the same as coral, with a fiery red head. hair!"
"How did you know that your mother's nickname was Coral and that she also had red hair? My mother-in-law told you that?"
Ning Yue had completely let down her guard at this time. She always believed that face comes from the heart, and if she could treat others kindly, she could quickly gain her trust. Both Jiang Yan and Qi Ziyin met her standards, so in front of her, This Kunjie probably doesn't have any bad intentions.
Kun Jie was quite straightforward. Hearing the girl ask this question, he didn't beat around the bush, but went straight to the point:
"You should know what is the biggest threat to Cangliu City right now, right?"
"The treasures in the city are about to be exhausted, and there is nowhere to replenish them." Ning Yue nodded. She still didn't know what the rebel leader in front of her wanted to see so urgently, but she felt vaguely in her heart. , all of this is not unrelated to his own life experience.
"That's right. The mysterious rose is the source of our clan's magic power, and it is an irreplaceable thing that allows our clan to survive in the sea. However, there is one thing I dare say you don't know -"
Kun Jie paused for a moment, then suddenly suppressed the smile on his face, "Even if the Xuangui is exhausted, even if Cangliu City is gone, we don't have to fight to the death with the people on land in order to return to our homeland. In fact, there is a third party There are options, but the news has been completely blocked by the high priest in the city and is not known to the clan. And the people who once knew this secret are now not even left alive in the entire Cangliu City. .”
"There is... a third way to choose? How can you be so sure?" Although she has been away from the bottom of the sea for many years, hearing the man in front of her accuse her blood relatives, although the girl was moved in her heart, she still couldn't help but feel a little conflicted. .
"There are too many secrets hidden in the Dharma Hall of Cangliu City, including countless legends and documents left by our ancestors. If you are willing, it is not difficult to verify. In fact, our ancestors never thought of letting their descendants live under the sea forever. They lived in the land and left hope for their descendants - they once gave their all to leave a road to the paradise for their people. Now, their secrets are buried deep underground somewhere in this world. , waiting for us. And that place is the holy city that our family has passed down from generation to generation!"
"Holy City? Is what you are talking about the eternal legendary city that was left on land long before our ancestors completely changed their bodies and appearance and built Cangliu City on the seabed?"
Ning Yue was so shocked that she jumped up on the spot. Because whether it was the poems passed down orally among the Cangyu people or the records in various classics, the legends about that piece of paradise and the promised land were already familiar to all men, women, old and young. However, the only thing is that none of these stories mentioned its exact location. So all the tribesmen gradually believed that it was just a false illusion left by their ancestors.
"It is the legendary holy city. But back then, our chief priest turned a deaf ear to this discovery. From the beginning, he had no intention of continuing to investigate, and he was not willing to spend his energy searching for the whereabouts of the holy city. .What's more, he actually ordered that all those who knew about this matter should be classified as traitors and be killed. I believe you all know what happened next. Because of this, Feng Weishu became a member of the older generation. A demon who kills without batting an eyelid. And I led some survivors to escape to the land and survive—"
"I don't believe it! How could my father turn a deaf ear to such a piece of news that is of no harm to our clan? He obviously cares so much about his clan, and he killed so many people just to protect Cangliu City... …”
The man's words were like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, making Ning Yue on the opposite side shake a few times. She could only stand upright again with the help of the old lady beside her. Until this moment, she still had the last hope for her father in her heart. Defend him.
"What's important is whether the high priest deceived you and everyone in Cangliu City. Back then, I sent Granny Cen to take care of your mother and daughter at home for many years. Why don't you ask her?"
Kunjie seemed to have expected such a reaction from the girl. He sighed deeply and seemed to be extremely sad.
The red-haired girl's eyes were already full of tears. She turned her head and looked at Granny Cen, who had never said a word. She saw the old woman nodded and said in a hoarse voice:
"Miss Yue'er, what Lord Kunjie said is not a lie."
The last remaining good thing about her father in Ning Yue's heart finally completely dissipated at this moment. She couldn't figure it out no matter what, the man who claimed to regard the well-being of the entire clan as his lifelong pursuit and was determined to lead his clan back to the The great priest who thrived in his homeland would actually do such a thing behind his back!
She fell to her knees dejectedly, holding the little white fox in her arms and burst into tears. As she cried, she suddenly raised her head, stared at the rebel leader in front of her, and asked in a choked voice:
"So, you asked my mother-in-law to bring me here this time just to tell me this in person? Then what? Are you still expecting me to break up with my father and then help you deal with him?"
Kun Jie never said a word of advice from beginning to end. He just looked at the crying girl on the ground quietly. After hearing her asking this question as if she was giving up on herself, he opened his mouth to explain again:
"No. After all, he is your father. Although most of the rebels have a blood feud with the Archpriest, they are not as cold-blooded and ruthless as him. Our top priority now is not revenge, but saving people. Many clues are there It can be proved that the method of making firebolt guns may also originate from the Holy City. As long as we find the person who revealed the secrets of firebolt guns and firebolts to Qi Shouyu, we may be able to find the Holy City and then find the way to the paradise. , save the tens of thousands of people in Cangliu City who are waiting to die!"
"But what can I do about this? I'm just a fool who doesn't know anything..."
"It is said that the blood of the high priest is the key to opening the door to the Holy City. And at this moment, his Feng Weishu's blood is also flowing in your body, so——"
"So you want me to use my own blood to help you enter the Holy City, right?" Ning Yue finally understood what the other party was thinking, and nodded without any hesitation, "I can promise you. If my father has indeed He has committed those mistakes, so it is up to me to make up for him. At least this way, I will not hate myself as his descendant!"
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