It was a young man in white clothes. His back was to the moonlight, and he could not clearly see the expression on his face, nor could he feel the energy on his body.
But Mu Xiaoyun knew who the visitor was.
The person who came was none other than the famous Ghost Swordsman.
The man in black behind Mu Xiaoyun felt a chill in his heart, as if the blade of a knife was constantly scratching his heart.
"An worship."
Mu Xiaoyun chuckled, trying to calm down and said: "You haven't rested so late?"
An Jing took a few steps forward, and the faint moonlight reflected on his face without any expression, "Isn't it the same with Chief Mu?"
Mu Xiaoyun said: "I received the secret order from the leader."
An Jing shook his head and said, "She has no such secret order."
Mu Xiaoyun's heart twitched, and the expression on her face froze for a moment, but she adjusted quickly, "Maybe the leader didn't tell An Zongfeng."
An Jing said calmly: "Yi Daoyun is at the entrance of Sanfeng, and the master of White Tiger is also at the entrance of Sanfeng. Who are they?"
His words were very calm and without any ripples, but the heart of the man in black opposite him was like thunder.
Mu Xiaoyun fell silent.
"bass!"
The leading man in black pulled out a long knife from his waist, and the blade reflected a cold light.
An Jing looked at the man in black and continued: "If I guessed correctly, you should be Zeng Zhen."
There are many masters in Houjin Suoming Mansion. In addition to Qiu Fengsheng, there are naturally masters. Zeng Zhen, the soul-cutting sword, is one of them.
Because the Soul-Slaying Sword is low-key and restrained, he is not ranked among the top four swordsmen in the world, but anyone who knows his strength knows that his strength is definitely not lower than the four top swordsmen, and can be ranked among the five top swordsmen in the world.
In this huge world, some people seek fame and gain fame for the sake of profit. Some people no longer pursue too much fame because of the convenience, but feel that fame is a drag. Zeng Zhen in front of him is the latter.
Over the years, he has killed more people for Suoming Mansion than Qiu Fengsheng.
Not long ago in Youshan, the master of Tianji Pavilion died in his hands, and his purpose was to put pressure on the second prince Zhao Mengtai.
When the Emperor of Humanity failed to break through the shackles in seclusion and the prince gradually came to power, the pressure in Zhao Mengtai's heart was like a spring. He only needed the last straw to press down to allow him to rebound.
Zeng Zhen's purpose is to put down this last straw.
In addition, he has also done many things. For example, he once assassinated Wang Shiyi but failed, and then pretended to be a master of the White Tiger constellation to assassinate people in the world of Yan. He was already familiar with these things, so he pretended to be a master of the White Tiger constellation this time.
Entering Dongluo Pass, he felt very calm.
Zeng Zhen took out two pills from his sleeves and put them in his mouth, saying, "Did Master Qiu die in your hands back then?"
"yes."
An Jing did not deny it.
Qiu Fengsheng died in his hands. With his identity exposed, this is no longer a secret.
Zeng Zhen's eyes were cold, and the long knife in his hand had a cold light, "He was kind to me."
"So you want to kill me for revenge?"
"All the masters in Dongluo Pass will be transferred to Sanfengkou."
"I understand."
The two stopped talking, and the entire dark street became quiet.
Zeng Zhen's aura continued to soar, and the energy of the mountain roaring and tsunami exploded, which was extremely terrifying.
Zeng Zhen made a swipe with his palm, his figure erratic, dodging left and right, approaching An Jing in a curve, the war soul knife in his hand was raised, and he attacked with an unpredictable phantom.
Clang!
An Jing flicked his fingers, and a sword energy shot out.
The first fight between the two was mainly based on testing, so it looked ordinary. It can only be said that there is murderous intent in the ordinary. Once the opponent cannot support it, the ordinary moves can also evolve into killing moves that can severely damage the opponent. The move ends the battle.
Phantom style!
Zeng Zhen practiced the Battle Soul Sword Jue, which was famous for its treacherous and ferocious swordsmanship. The billowing fog centered on him and spread in all directions. Anjing was soon submerged in it, making the surrounding area several feet thick. An area of dense fog.
The fog flowers condensed one after another. Zeng Zhen stepped on the fog flowers, attacking An Jing silently but as fast as lightning. Every move and every move was indescribably weird and cunning. Zeng Zhen Those who take the wrong path are to use surprise to win.
Although An Jing fought against Zeng Zhen for the first time, he naturally knew the opponent's moves and routines very well with his sophisticated vision.
A ray of Zhanran sword energy blasted through the dense fog, and the fog was directly separated.
Zeng Zhen was secretly shocked by An Jing's insight. The opponent not only blocked his attack, but also counterattacked with a sword, which broke through the thick fog.
An Jing's expression remained unchanged, even though Zeng Zhen's Qi continued to surge.
With a flick of his wrist, An Jing's fastest sword technique was unleashed. The sharp sword energy filled the thick fog, and a breathtaking wind blade appeared in it, and finally roared out in all directions.
Looking from the outside, the thick fog area within a few feet seems to be like a big hedgehog, and the slender sword is both fast and sharp.
There was a muffled groan in the thick fog, and a figure was knocked out of the thick fog. It was Zeng Zhen. At this moment, he was slightly embarrassed, with a shallow sword mark on his chest.
Zeng Zhen forcefully swallowed a mouthful of blood that was about to spurt out. Although An Jing's sword was not fatal, the sharpness contained in it and the sharpness of the Suppressing Evil Sword broke through his body-protecting Qi.
When Mu Xiaoyun saw this, his heart was shocked.
With just one move, Zeng Zhen was in a state of decline. You must know that he had swallowed two blood-burning pills. This pill can speed up the burning of blood essence and increase his cultivation level in a short period of time.
Behind Zeng Zhen, large areas of thick fog poured out. This time, the thick fog did not spread in all directions, but gathered behind Zeng Zhen and connected with his back, like a small sea of fog with rough waves. , both true and false.
boom!
With one foot stepping through the hall, Zeng Zhen rushed towards Anjing in a rare straight line. Supported by the sea of fog behind him, he looked majestic and unstoppable.
The air could not withstand the impact of Zeng Zhen's momentum and swept towards both sides.
Zeng Zhen's war soul sword exuding black energy slashed out fiercely. At the same time, the sea of fog behind him suddenly broke away from Zeng Zhen in a more violent manner, swallowing An Jing all at once, as if a flood was overflowing, and the manpower seemed to be overwhelming. Extremely small.
If an ordinary person is hit by the insubstantial sea of fog, he will definitely panic and develop flaws. Even a calm-minded person will be affected to some extent, not to mention that there will be Zeng Zhen’s fierce attack later, because the sea of fog will be smooth. It sprays out through his body, so he is the only one unaffected and can attack his opponent as much as he wants.
Amidst the ebb and flow of the situation, those with slightly higher abilities will all be placed in Zeng Zhen's hands.
This is Zeng Zhen's ultimate move, a combination of virtuality and reality. The sea of fog affects the opponent's mind, and the move attacks the opponent's body, making the opponent tired to deal with it.
boom!
The monstrous wave of true energy rushed in all directions, creating a stormy sea.
Zeng Zhen's Battle Soul Sword was blocked by An Jing's Suppressing Evil Sword. Zeng Zhen's momentum from the Sea of Fog did not leave any flaw in An Jing's body.
A strange look flashed across Zeng Zhen's face. The War Soul Knife pressed against the Suppressing Evil Sword and was sent forward. With a chirp, a slender sharp blade ejected from the front end of the War Soul Knife and pierced Anjing's facade. If he was struck by
When this sharp blade stabs you, your face will inevitably bloom.
His left hand was like lightning. An Jing smiled coldly, as if he had expected it. He stretched out two fingers to hold the sharp blade like lightning.
Since the opponent was attacking with the Suppressing Evil Sword, the force was inevitably a little weaker. An Jing's two fingers not only clamped the sharp blade, but also ended the opponent's attack. Unless the opponent gave up the Soul Sword, it would be impossible to defeat him.
Organize a second wave of powerful killing moves in a short period of time.
"not good!"
Zeng Zhen was afraid that An Jing would use any means, so he simply let go and retreated.
Zeng Zhen's speed was extremely fast, and An Jing fought with him and directly withstood his unrivaled strength. At that moment, his body also staggered and took three steps back.
An Jing raised his arm, and hundreds of sword rays rushed out from An Jing's sword blade, charging towards Zeng Zhen in front of him.
Four Symbols Sword Judgment! The wind does not stay!
Wow! Wow!
Wherever the sword light passed, a fierce and boundless wind suddenly sprung up.
Zeng Zhen's heart was shaking violently, and his blood vessels became transparent. It was visible to the naked eye that on the skin of his right arm, the true energy from all over his body was gathering crazily, and red blood was surging throughout his body.
puff!
The mighty blood energy formed a red barrier.
Zeng Zhen knew clearly that he couldn't stop An Jing, but that didn't matter. His real goal was to use the move with his right hand. He rubbed his thumbs, brought the iron sword together, poured a lot of infuriating energy, and waved diagonally.
Countless sword energy surged and densely covered the surroundings. In an instant, the world turned into Shura Hell, and Zeng Zhen turned into an evil ghost coming out of the underworld.
The blood barrier coupled with the strange light of the sword was Zeng Zhen's killer move.
After An Jing swung the sword, his expression was indifferent and calm. Even though Zeng Zhen swung countless swords, his eyes did not blink.
"Boom!"
The only thing he saw was a green sword light emerging from the sky and surging forward.
It penetrated the blood barrier, shattered countless sword lights and rushed forward.
A cold sound penetrated the heart, and the blood of everyone around him seemed to freeze.
That sword was as bright as the starry sky, and a darkness like the ink moon instantly enveloped the world.
quick!
too fast!
Zeng Zhen only felt a bright light appear in front of his eyes, and then felt a heat on his neck. He subconsciously reached out and touched it.
That was hot blood.
Only when he saw the blood did he realize that his throat had been pierced.
"thump!"
In the silent night, only the sound of a body falling to the ground was heard.
Two moves!
The second master of Suoming Mansion fell to the sword in just two moves.
For many masters in the Suoming Mansion, this scene was like a bolt from the blue.
When Mu Xiaoyun saw this, his hanging heart dropped slightly, and then he sighed with relief.
After a few breaths, they also came to their senses, and each of them rushed towards An Jing with wild beast-like eyes.
Without the elixir from the Suoming Mansion, they would only die. If they killed the ghost swordsman in front of them, they would still have a chance to survive.
With an indifferent expression, An Jing took away the two Heaven and Earth Spiritual Essences from Zeng Zhen's body, and rushed towards the dozens of Suomingfu masters who were coming to kill him.
With a shot of the Suppressing Evil Sword, it suddenly turned into six sword lights and surged forward.
"Puff puff!"
The sword light flashed across, the cold air pierced away, and the air on both sides was like separate air waves.
Among the masters in the world, swordsmen are the fastest in killing people.
A sword with two edges is intended to kill someone.
As the sword light dissipated in the sky and the earth, dozens of corpses fell neatly to the ground, and the six swords of the Suppressing Evil Sword merged into one again and fell into An Jing's hands.
Hot blood continued to flow down his neck, staining the bluestone red.
All the masters in the Suoming Mansion are dead.
An Jing looked at Mu Xiaoyun in front of him.
Mu Xiaoyun laughed, "He is indeed the best swordsman in the world."
Somehow, she felt a little more emotional in her heart. When she was in Yuzhou City, An Jing was only at the first level of cultivation. Now, the two qi masters are all dead souls under his sword. Such rapid progress
, which is difficult to measure.
The temperature at night makes people feel cold.
The shimmering blade of the sword makes people feel cold.
People standing under the moonlit night also feel cold.
Seeing that An Jing didn't speak, Mu Xiaoyun couldn't help but smile. He lowered his head and said, "How do you know?"
An Jing asked: "Isn't Liu Qingshan who was in Shuangmulin on Jiangnan Road rescued by people from the Hou Jin Dynasty?"
"It seems that you suspect me because of this."
Mu Xiaoyun gave a bitter smile and said: "Hou Jin has a deep presence in the world of Yan State."
An Jing naturally knew that Fengyulou, one of the five gangs, was supported by Hou Jin. Now that Cao Gang was also supported by Hou Jin, the layout was more than deep.
An Jing was silent for a long time and said, "Go and see the leader."
"No need."
Mu Xiaoyun shook his head.
If she must find someone in the Demon Cult who makes her feel guilty, then it must be Zhao Qingmei.
Zhao Qingmei gave her all this to join the Demon Cult and achieve her current status and identity. She was afraid of seeing those eyes.
Some people are not afraid of others treating her badly, but they are afraid of others treating her well because they can't bear it.
No matter what she did, she felt she owed something to someone.
I owed it to my parents, so I married Liu Qingshan, the leader of the Cao Gang whom I didn't love.
I owe Liu Qingshan, so I have been trying to find a way to rescue him. The reason why I even joined the Demon Cult is because of Liu Qingshan.
At this moment, she felt tired.
This feeling made her suffocate.
Mu Xiaoyun's red lips were slightly open, and her voice was a little confused and confused. "The first time Hou Jin contacted me, I refused. The second time they threatened my parents' lives and my husband's life."
An Jing said: "So you have chosen a path of no return."
"There is no turning back in life."
"Yes, there is no turning back in life."
"sorry."
Mu Xiaoyun said softly.
Some words were trivial, but they were the only ones she could say.
An Jing waved his hand and said: "There is no need to say these three words, you have to walk your own path."
The two stopped talking, and time seemed to have stopped.
After about a few breaths, Mu Xiaoyun took a deep breath and said: "There is a large army of Hou Jin coming along the path, and Zeng Zhen and I are responsible for responding to them. This is the only thing I know."
With that said, she walked to Zeng Zhen's body and picked up the long knife on the ground.
"The army of Houjin!?"
An Jing frowned when he heard this.
Now that the Black Armored Army of the Demon Sect has gathered at Sanfengkou and Daoguan, where did this sudden appearance of Houjin's army come from?
Mu Xiaoyun put a knife across his neck, then closed his eyes, greedily absorbing the air mixed with blood.
"In my next life, I don't want to walk around in this world anymore. It's too tiring."
At that moment, she saw Xue Chen, Jiang Sanjia, Mu Xiaowan, Peach Garden, and the other courtyard where she had lived since she was a child. She could see every plant and tree very clearly, and she saw many things.
"puff!"
With the flick of the blade, blood spurted out like a fountain.
Mu Xiaoyun's body fell heavily to the ground, losing all his breath.
An Jing came to Mu Xiaoyun, looked at the woman with wide eyes in front of him, and reached out to close her eyes.
In the final analysis, Mu Xiaoyun is just a person who is at the mercy of fate, or a chess piece in the hands of those who are playing games. In this huge world, he can't help himself, and a chess piece like her who is unwilling but has no strength
, there is only one end in the end.
That is death.
This is the destination of all chess pieces. There is no end to the game. The chess pieces will eventually die. Even if the game is over, the chess pieces can only return to the chess basket.
This is the fate of the chess pieces.
An Jing stood up and suddenly raised his head as if he sensed something.
The moonlight was bleak and cold, a bit chilly to the bone.
There is even some blood-like red light in the pale yellow halo.
For some reason, An Jing felt that there was a hint of murderous intent in this scarlet light.
Dongluo Garden, Quiet Room.
The night is like water, with a bit of coolness.
Zhao Qingmei sat cross-legged on the futon, frowning slightly. She felt that her cultivation was growing faster and faster, and it only took the blink of an eye to reach the third level of Qi.
An Jing was able to reach this realm of three qi with the help of several strands of heaven and earth spiritual energy, while she completely relied on the demon species, or the cultivation that Nan Weiping gave her in return.
"Nan Weiping"
Zhao Qingmei only felt that the pressure from the demon was getting bigger and bigger, so she couldn't help but stand up and walked out of the quiet room and came to the bedroom.
"Where is your husband?"
She thought she would see An Jing, but found that the bedroom was empty. She thought for a moment and then headed towards the Demon Sealing Platform.
She was a little uneasy tonight, and her intuition told her that she should go to the Demon Sealing Platform to see Nan Weiping. Especially when she looked up and saw a hint of scarlet in the pale yellow moonlight, it made her feel a little anxious.
Black lotuses sprouted from Zhao Qingmei's feet, and her speed reached the extreme, and she soon arrived at the Demon Sealing Platform and the Demon Sealing Well.
At this time, the night was silent, and the moon hanging high above was getting bigger and bigger.
Zhao Qingmei shook her hand, moved her two swords downwards, and jumped into the Demon Sealing Well.
The pressure inside the Demon-Sealing Well is getting heavier and heavier, accompanied by a howling cold wind.
Zhao Qingmei had lived here for several months and was naturally familiar with this place. She walked towards the cave with her two swords in hand.
"Clang! Bang!"
Before even getting close to the cave, you could hear the sound of the iron chain shaking.
Zhao Qingmei narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, took out the fire certificate, and strode into the cave.
In the cave, several iron chains extended from all directions like spider webs. At this moment, Nan Weiping regained her unkempt appearance. When she saw Zhao Qingmei appear, she did not show any surprise, "You are here after all."
Zhao Qingmei looked at Nan Weiping, the 'senior expert' whom she once believed in, and said indifferently: "Do you think the tricks you did in the demon species can really make me become a demon?"
A strange smile appeared on Nan Weiping's lips, "If you are equally confident that you will not be controlled by demons, why do you ask me?"
Zhao Qingmei raised her eyebrows, and her eyes gradually became cold.
Her cultivation has been improving rapidly recently, which is a good thing, but it has almost reached a point where even she can't control it, which is actually a harm.
Nan Weiping raised her head and looked at the darkness above, and said: "Tonight, you can enter the realm of three qi, and everything will fall into place."
"tonight!?"
Zhao Qingmei looked at Nan Weiping, she knew that this old guy must be trying to hide his secrets, or that there was some important information that he had not told her and An Jing.
Nan Weiping said with a smile but not a smile: "Tonight is a good time. The tide of heaven and earth will come. You have a demon seed in your body. Others may not be able to sense the tide of heaven and earth, but you can feel the subtle fluctuations of heaven and earth."
The demon species regards everything as a wave, and every plant and tree is a kind of wave. The internal force is also a wave, and the true energy is a higher level and subtle wave, because it can be combined with the human spirit. The demon species transcends
The fluctuations of life and death are capable of what others cannot.
After being silent for a long time, Zhao Qingmei looked at Nan Weiping and shook her head, "I don't understand."
Nan Weiping smiled and said: "What don't you understand?"
Zhao Qingmei said: "I don't understand what you are thinking?"
Zhao Qingmei initially wanted to harm her, but she saw through it, and later they cooperated because of the predicament between the two. However, Nan Weiping secretly left hands and feet on the demon species, claiming to be on guard against Zhao Qingmei, but in return he fed her a lot of energy, making her
His cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds and he has been promoted continuously.
Nan Weiping said coldly: "All I did was threaten you and rescue me."
"I promised you that I will rescue you if I have the chance in the future."
"What if you break your promise?"
"Nothing unexpected."
"Then I'll just wait for you to rescue me. The mark of the demon seed can be easily eliminated by then."
"good."
Zhao Qingmei looked at Nan Weiping and said, "When my husband takes the Dulu Sword, he will come to rescue you."
If she promised Nan Weiping, she would naturally do it, and she always felt that what Nan Weiping said was not as simple as it seemed, and seemed to have another purpose.
Nan Weiping said sarcastically: "I hope I'm not dead and you haven't become a demon by then."
As she spoke, she raised her head and glanced above her head.
At this moment, the true energy surged out from Nan Weiping's dantian and spread to all directions.
Even though Nan Weiping has been trapped here for hundreds of years, and the true energy in his body has been greatly reduced, the power formed at this moment is like a vast ocean wave. Under the vast sea of true energy, Zhao Qingmei is like a ship
boat.
"Is this the strength of the Grand Master?"
Zhao Qingmei's heart was filled with shock, and she subconsciously stepped back.
"Tum! Tum! Tum!"
The violent energy broke through the sky, and the Demon Sealing Well could not sustain this terrifying and terrifying energy.
The next moment, an even greater amount of true energy poured into Zhao Qingmei's body, and the entrance door in her body opened and closed. She sat down cross-legged and prepared to break through to the realm of three qi.
The Demon Sealing Platform, in the main hall.
Jun Qinglin sat at the head of the empty hall, with only Ouyang Ping and Ouyang Quan below.
All the sadness that should have been felt has passed, and at this moment, Jun Qinglin only had peace in his heart.
"Master!"
Ouyang Quan bowed respectfully to Jun Qinglin, who was in charge, and then picked up a bowl of tea.
It was an extremely simple apprenticeship ceremony. There was no bathing, burning incense, or offering sacrifices to the gods. There was only kowtow and a cup of tea.
Jun Qinglin drank the tea, then took out two volumes of books and said: "These are my "Wen Tianlu" and "Seven Tribulations", as well as my life's cultivation experience. If I become a leader or An in the future,
If they want to see the scenery, just show it to them. It may not be of any help to their practice."
Ouyang Quan carefully took the book and said, "Yes."
Jun Qinglin patted Ouyang Quan on the shoulder and said with a smile: "I have a successor."
Ouyang Ping said with a serious face: "Don't lose the reputation of the Great Elder in the future."
Ouyang Quan said seriously: "Disciple will definitely not lose the reputation of master."
"Hahaha."
Jun Qinglin waved his hand with a smile and said: "You are too serious. There is nothing prestigious in this world. I just hope that you can get these two martial arts and do something for the Demon Sect, or help the world in dire straits."
Let Li Shu do something."
Tian Wai Tian, Tian Wai Tian, from the beginning has been looking for a Tian Wai Tian, a land where everyone in the world can live happily.
It's just that hope always goes in the opposite direction and goes further and further away.
"Great Elder."
Ouyang Ping looked at the old face, let out a long sigh, and then said: "If the Yan Dynasty rescues us, don't we have much hope of defending Dongluo Pass?"
Jun Qinglin stood up and walked down the hall, "The ambition of the barbarians in the prairie is filled with wildness in their blood. It is this wildness that makes them terrible. It is also this wildness that makes thousands of people...
It will be a terrible situation."
Going south to herd horses is something engraved in their blood. They not only herd horses, but also kill sheep for their meat.
This can be seen from the fact that dozens of cities in Beihuang Dao were attacked.
Slaughtering the city, looting, and constantly plundering, in their eyes, humans and animals are the same, and women are just tools for them to vent their desires and play with them wantonly.
They feel that they are superior, arrogant, and wanton.
No one knows it better than Jun Qinglin, who has gone deep into Houjin twice.
He didn't care which emperor made the decision for these thousands of miles of beautiful rivers and mountains. The only thing he knew was that Hou Jin's march south was a disaster of massacre.
It is almost impossible for Dongluoguan to block this tiger that has been salivating for a long time.
Zongzheng Huachun took action personally, and you can see his determination.
Ouyang Ping has been at the border for a long time, and he also knows that Hou Jin is wild and how terrible it will be if the tiger comes out of the cage?
It will definitely bring disaster to the world.
Jun Qinglin said quietly: "This tiger should be dealt with by the other tiger. Only when these two tigers fight can Tianwaitian continue. We must retain Tianwaitian's vitality and cannot let Tianwaitian decline in our hands."
."
With the current strength of the Demon Sect, it is really difficult to fight against Hou Jin. Only a dynasty like Yan State can resist Hou Jin.
Ouyang Ping sighed: "Yes."
If there is anyone in this world who knows a thing or two about Jun Qinglin, it must be Ouyang Ping.
Ouyang Ping remembered that Jun Qinglin once fell in love with a woman who was once a disciple of a sect in the Yan Kingdom. Later, the prairie barbarians often went south, so the woman joined the Wuhu Sihai Hall to fight against the prairie barbarians. Later, she disappeared during a mission.
In the grassland.
Ouyang Ping didn't know what happened next, Jun Qinglin never mentioned it, and he didn't ask any more questions.
Jun Qinglin went deep into Houjin twice, both for that woman, and even fought against Zong Zhenghua Chun for her.
There may not be many people in the Demon Sect who want to fight against Hou Jin more than Jun Qinglin.
This was also one of the reasons why Ouyang Ping never agreed to the Demon Cult's surrender to Hou Jin when Hou Jin tried to win over him.
"Boom! Boom!"
At this moment, the ground was shaking.
"Demon Sealing Well!?"
Jun Qinglin jumped up and disappeared directly into the hall.
Ouyang Ping and his son also hurriedly walked out, but they were surprised when they came to the entrance of the hall.
The land around the Demon Seal Well can be seen clearly with smoke and dust rising all over the sky. It is a mess and is full of devastation.
Ouyang Quan said in shock: "What's going on?"
Not only Ouyang Quan, but also Ouyang Ping also frowned and was filled with doubts.
Jun Qinglin looked at the scene in front of him, then raised his head and glanced into the distance without saying anything.