The wind and sand outside the Great Wall were flying all over the sky unscrupulously, and the floating dust was like sand falling from the sky. Yuchi Pingting and his party accelerated their horses faster and faster in the lonely wind and sand, without any slack.
Outside the Yong'an Pass, it was extremely desolate and magnificent. After Yuchi Pingting and his party came out of the pass, facing this lonely and vast desert, they felt a surge of emotion in their hearts.
"Mom, it's so majestic." Mo Mo couldn't help but say. This was the first time he had gone out to see such a vast scene. Although it was desolate, a feeling of awe suddenly arose in his heart. When he was young,
Something seemed to have sprouted in my mind for the first time.
"Think about Yong'an Pass. It was very prosperous a hundred years ago. There was plenty of water and grass here, and it was a good place for animal husbandry. There used to be several royal horse farms here, and ordinary people made a living by raising animals." Yi Xiaoyao said thoughtfully: "
After the war between the two countries, life here was devastated and the people were in dire straits. Over the past hundred years, the war between the two countries has continued to expand, and the original residents at the border had to leave the land where they were born and move closer to the border. Now some residents at the border can only make a living by exchanging trade with each other.
I think I came here once twenty years ago. It was spring, and it was still green and full of life..." Yi Xiaoyao's face was full of emotions that were difficult to read. Yes, outside Yong'an Pass now, everything is devastated.
, it was desolate, and with the flames of war, life was devastated.
"Xiaoyao, the trade you're talking about is the famous golden and jade dark place here?" Yuchi Pingting asked after hearing this.
It turns out that, as Yi Xiaoyao said, there used to be a lot of people from the two countries living outside the Pass, but due to the war, not many people live here anymore. However, this has caused many green forest people to come and go here. Especially some
Most of the fugitives with serious crimes are here, but these people are not economical, and they are not willing to endure the hardships here, so they engage in life-threatening activities, mostly going to bustling cities to rob all kinds of treasures.
, and then take it here to sell it. As time passes, this kind of black trade becomes bigger and bigger, and the entire underground black market becomes more and more blatant. Indeed, neither country has ever come out to hunt these people, so they do whatever they want.
, so now this market is very large and is known as the “dark field with golden carvings and jade bricks”.
"Exactly, it turns out that the boss knows a lot about things outside the customs, but I've never heard you mention it before." Yi Xiaoyao said with a smile.
"I've only heard about it, but I haven't really been here. It's hard to talk about it because of hearsay. I heard that this dark field made of gold and jade is controlled by a mysterious family, but I don't know who it is." Yuchi Pingting said.
arrive.
"Yes, this matter is extremely mysterious." Yi Xiaoyao cleared his throat and continued: "The outside world only knows that the person responsible for the transactions in this market and a group of related people are all capable people in the martial arts, but the specific master behind the scenes is
Who, I still don’t know.”
"If nothing else happened, I would really like to visit this dark field." Yuchi Pingting smiled slightly, just like a blooming flower, adding a touch of color to this vast and desolate desert. She admitted that she was
I have always been interested in this new and weird thing.
"Boss, what are your plans next? Are we going to wander like lonely ghosts in this vast desert?" Feng Qingyu asked.
"I want to go to the place where the accident happened. I want to see the people alive and the bodies dead." Yuchi Pingting said firmly.
"Beiwu Mountain, I heard that the place where the landslide occurred is Beiwu Mountain and Nanhua Road. Let's go this way." Yi Xiaoyao said, pointing to a mountain with rugged rocks in the distance, and several people whipped up their whips and galloped away in that direction.
Nanhua Road is a winding road at the southern end of Beiwu Mountain. Due to the landslide a few days ago, the mountain road is full of rocks, making the already rugged mountain road even more difficult to walk.
"I heard that the soldiers who were involved in the accident were buried on the spot. Let's look for it." Yuchi Pingting said, but there was a trace of sadness on her beautiful face. She didn't know if she could find Nangong Feiran among the dozens of corpses.
, and his younger brother Yuchi Changxun, who was just starting out in his career, but an intuition told her that Nangong Feiran must still be alive. It was relying on this intuition that she insisted on going out to search for him.
"Let Xiaobai help." Mo Mo said, turning to the snow mastiff who was following Yuchi Pingting: "Xiaobai, go look for the place where dozens of soldiers' corpses are buried. If you find it, I'll give you some candy."
Eat."
As soon as Mo Mo finished speaking, he saw the Snow Mastiff jumping up and galloping towards the northeast, just like a white lightning flashing past. Yuchi Pingting and others quickly rode their horses to catch up.
The Snow Mastiff stopped at a slightly flat place, looked at the people who were quickly catching up, and groaned slightly.
"Bad Xiaobai, why are you running so fast? Humph." Mo Mo pouted as he spoke and turned his head away from the snow mastiff. Xiaobai stood on his hind legs like a coquettish child and raised his upper body to reach the horse.
of ink.
"Boss, look." Yi Xiaoyao pointed to a raised dirt bag in front of him, and then said: "It can be seen that the soil here is newly plowed, so it should be right here."
"Boss, do we really have to dig a grave?" Feng Qingyu asked softly. She didn't know whether Yuchi Pingting's decision was appropriate.
"Dig, if you don't dig, how can you know whether Nangong Feiran is inside?" Yuchi Pingting's face was filled with determination and no doubt.
Although Yi Xiaoyao had already made preparations and brought a shovel with him when he came, he still hesitated when he really wanted to do it.
Yuchi Pingting scooped up a deep shovel of soil without hesitation, then threw it aside and said to Yi Xiaoyao who was still hesitating: "Why, Yi Jian Xiaoyao, who is not even afraid of killing, is afraid of killing people?"
"Are you kidding?" Yi Xiaoyao blushed and started to take action immediately. Feng Qingyu saw that Yuchi Pingting had strengthened her determination and no longer hesitated. Only Mo Mo was running happily with the snow mastiff.
"Boss, look." Yi Xiaoyao shouted, he had already dug out a piece of white bone.
"Everyone, be careful and dig slowly." Yuchi Pingting said, and his men had already reduced their strength. It seems that the soldiers who died in the landslide were not very careful when burying them, because the pit was dug very shallow and covered with
The soil above was not thick either. Soon, a horrifying picture full of bones appeared in front of several people, and immediately, a stench was heard.
Yi Xiaoyao took the handkerchief Feng Qingyu handed him, covered his mouth and nose, and then boldly jumped into the pit and carefully turned over the corpses. These corpses were now bones. They all looked the same and it was difficult to distinguish them.
, the only thing that can distinguish them is probably the clothes on their bodies.
"Boss, there is a lieutenant here." Yi Xiaoyao said and pointed to a corpse. Only his clothes were different from others. Yi Xiaoyao said again: "I wonder if this is Yuchi Changxun."
"No." Yuchi Pingting said with certainty: "Changxun is taller than this one, so this one is definitely not Changxun."
"Boss, it seems that the others are all soldiers, and the most senior officer is probably this deputy general." Yi Xiaoyao said.
"Xiaoyao, look how many people there are in total?" Yuchi Pingting said. The doubts in her heart were getting heavier and heavier. She vaguely felt that this matter was not as simple as imagined.
"Boss, there are only thirty-four corpses, wait, that's weird..." Yi Xiaoyao said to himself.
"Thirty-four? What's going on?" Yuchi Pingting also frowned. Because she remembered clearly that she had seen the list of martyrs. Except for a dozen people who died on the battlefield, the other dead people were all because of
There should be thirty-six people who died due to this landslide. Why are there only thirty-four now? And there is no one who looks like a general like Nangong Feiran.
"Xiaoyao, what did you find?" Feng Qingyu asked.
"Here, there are two people who don't seem to have died from a landslide, but rather were hacked to death with a knife..." Yi Xiaoyao said.
"Lift it up and have a look." Yuchi Pingting said after hearing this. It seems that this matter is indeed not simple.
Yi Xiaoyao laboriously moved the two corpses up one by one, and Feng Qingyu hurriedly walked over to take a closer look.
"Boss, there is indeed a problem." Feng Qingyu said to Yuchi Pingting after reading.
"Is it a violent death?" Yuchi Pingting asked with a solemn face.
"Yes, both of this man's feet were broken. It seems that he was injured under heavy pressure. He should have been crushed by a boulder during a landslide. But this is not the cause of death. The cause of death is a sword in the chest. This is probably caused by someone.
Right." Feng Qingyu said.
"Boss, it seems that things are not simple, but where should we go to find the prince?" Yi Xiaoyao asked.
Yuchi Pingting didn't speak, just pacing aside. Seeing this, Yi Xiaoyao and Feng Qingyu knew that she was thinking, so the two of them covered the dug grave again.
"There has been a problem from the beginning." Yuchi Pingting said with certainty, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes, indicating the seriousness of this problem.
"Boss, are you saying there is a problem with this war?" Yi Xiaoyao was puzzled.
"Yes, think about it. It turns out that each battle between the two countries lasted at least three months, or even a year, with countless casualties on both sides. But this time, it only took a month, and I went to the General Assembly
Victory, there are only a handful of casualties. Isn't this strange?" Yuchi Pingting continued: "There must be a hidden secret to what happened during this period. I think our trip south may take a little longer."
Yuchi Pingting thought to herself that since she was being targeted, no matter what kind of conspiracy it was, she would uncover it.
"Boss, where should we start investigating now?" Feng Qingyu asked. In any case, it is not easy to find someone on the border between the two countries.
"I heard that there is a town above this desert, right?" Yuchi Pingting asked Yi Xiaoyao.
"Yes, Desert Villa is where business travelers will rest, and the dark place with golden carvings and jade is also there." Yi Xiaoyao said, he remembered that when he was a child, he followed his master here and went to the Desert Villa and the dark place.
However, it has been twenty years and I don’t know what changes have taken place.
"Let's go there to rest first, and then make arrangements after we settle down." Yuchi Pingting said, carrying Mo Mo onto the horse, and then climbed on the horse herself.
"Boss, how much do you know about this desert villa?" Yi Xiaoyao asked.
"I heard that the owner of this desert villa, Jun Tianxing, is a weirdo. No one has seen his true face, and no one really understands his life and past. He suddenly came to this desert villa and became a fairy like a myth.
Master."
"Yes, this Jun Tianxing lives in seclusion and is very mysterious. All his affairs are taken care of by his disciple Wantong. Both masters and disciples have unique skills, but they regard their fame as dirt and work in this desert.
When we started a business, there was only one in the desert, so the business grew bigger and bigger, turning the original villa into a town. Although this Jun Tianxing is like a local emperor, no one has ever said anything bad about him." Yi Xiaoyao said.
I remembered what happened with my master in the desert villa twenty years ago.
"It sounds very attractive. The desert villa, the dark field with golden carvings and jade, is getting more and more interesting." Yuchi Pingting said and couldn't help but smile.
"But I have seen all this deep mountains and wasteland. Where is there any town in this endless land?" Feng Qingyu asked.
"This Desert Villa is right behind Beiwu Mountain. If we go faster, we can get there before dark."
After saying this, the three of them whipped their horses and galloped along the mountain path.
Desert Villa, as the name suggests.
The area between the two countries is very surprising. First there is a vast plain, and in the northeast there are continuous mountains. After the mountains, there is a vast desert. Only after leaving the desert can you reach the Liao Kingdom.
Desert Villa was a manor in the early days, receiving business travelers. However, as more and more people came here, the manor could not accommodate them, so these people began to build houses near the manor. As a result, many people had no fixed place to live.
They all come here. Yes, more and more people are coming to this place, forming a town, but the name is still called Desert Villa. These people are not ordinary honest and peaceful people, they are all people with skills, but they are
The intentions of this are different, but they are okay.
At this time, Desert Villa was bustling with people. The only tavern was full of people, and there was an arm-wrestling competition. The winner would get a jar of fine wine collected by the store.
Since Yuchi Pingting and his party walked into this populated place, people looked at them sideways from time to time.
Indeed, Yuchi Pingting and his party all looked like noble people, not to mention the beauty of the girl, the handsomeness of the boy, and the cute and handsome only child Mo Mo. But most of the people still stared at the people who came with them.
Snow mastiff.
"Mom, these people's eyes are so fierce." Mo Mo said.
"Leave them alone and don't look around." Yuchi Pingting said. She knew that the people here were not easy-going people. Although she was not afraid of trouble, she didn't want to cause trouble now. She still had important things to do.
"Boss, let's go to Desert Flying Eagle Inn." Yi Xiaoyao said, "There is only one inn in Desert Villa."
"That's fine, I don't want to cause too much trouble. Otherwise, I really want to go stay at the old manor in Desert Villa and meet this Jun Tianxing." Yuchi Pingting's face was full of arrogance.
"The Desert Flying Eagle is said to be opened by Wantong, a disciple of Jun Tianxia, the owner of the Desert Villa. Although they are not in charge of this place, the business travelers who come and go cannot escape their eyes." Yi Xiaoyao said.
"Okay, maybe we need help at this time. Let's go to Desert Eagle." Yuchi Pingting said.
"It would be great if we could get their help, but I'm afraid it won't be easy." Yi Xiaoyao said. He knew very well that the desperadoes living here were either willing to work hard for money, but for them there was no such thing.
There is no morality at all. Whoever pays the highest price will sacrifice his life for him. And there are some people who are not driven by money and are people with eccentric temperaments.
While they were talking, several people had already arrived outside an inn.
From the outside, this inn has three floors. A large apricot-yellow flag hangs crookedly outside the door. The four characters "Desert Eagle" are written on it with flying dragons and phoenixes. There is no waiter coming out to lead the horse or greet the guests.
Everything seemed very cold, but Yuchi Pingting could clearly feel that there was a strong energy here.
Yi Xiaoyao led the horse towards the stable, while Yuchi Pingting took Mo Mo's hand and walked into the inn with Feng Qingyu.
This inn is really not small. The first floor is full of tables, chairs and benches, obviously it looks like a restaurant, and the second and third floors are guest rooms.
Yuchi Pingting took a glance and saw that there were not many people in the hall on the first floor. There was a man in green robe sitting in the deep corner of the hall, eating food and drinking leisurely. He did not raise his head to look at the few people who came in. Others came closer.
There were three or five tables put together at the stove table, and there were a dozen people sitting there. They seemed to be Qiang people passing by. They were talking in words that Yuchi Pingting couldn't understand, until Yuchi Pingting and Feng Qingyu walked in.
When they came in, several tall men stopped holding the wine glasses in their hands and looked at them. Their eyes lit up, and then they smiled and said something to each other, full of obscene sounds.
"How many guests do you want to eat or stay in a hotel?" At this time, a girl of fifteen or sixteen years old came up and asked.
Yuchi Pingting took a look at the girl. She was dressed in Hu clothes and looked rough and bold, but her brows still retained the aura and liveliness of a girl. She had two deep dimples on her face. She was asking them with a smile. At this time
Yi Xiaoyao also walked in, patted the dust on his body, and walked towards Yuchi Pingting.
"Eating and staying in a hotel." Yuchi Pingting said. She clearly saw a strange color in the girl's eyes after seeing Yi Xiaoyao.
"Please come with me," the girl said, leading them upstairs, but her eyes flew towards Yi Xiaoyao from time to time. As she walked, she said, "It must be your first time here. I'm surprised by the sight.
."
Yuchi Pingting said "hmm" and didn't say much.
"Little sister, my name is Mo Mo, what's your name?" Mo Mo asked, holding the girl's hand. He seemed to be very interested in the strange accessories on the girl's body.
"My name is Lan Ning'er, you can just call me Ning'er. Apart from the boss, I am the only other waiter in this store, so if you need anything, just ask me." Lan Ning'er said with a smile.
Lan Ning'er brought several people to the third floor, where Yi Xiaoyao stayed alone, Yuchi Pingting and Feng Qingyu took Mo Mo to the third floor. After they put their luggage away, they turned around and went downstairs to eat.
The three of them chose a table in the corner and sat down. After ordering a few side dishes, Yuchi Pingting looked around and realized that this inn was not small, but there was only one waiter.
"Boss, it's really strange here. It's a wild place, and inns and restaurants are easy places to get into trouble, but there's only one waiter, and she's a little girl." Feng Qingyu said and glanced at Lan Ning'er who was busy at work.
.
"Hehe, Uncle Xiaoyao, I think that young lady likes you." Mo Mo said with a bad smile.
"What do you know, a little brat? Don't talk nonsense." Yi Xiaoyao pretended to be serious and scolded, while Yuchi Pingting and Feng Qingyu laughed and said nothing.
"Uncle Xiaoyao is blushing and feeling shy." Mo Mo said, clapping his hands.
"No way!" Yi Xiaoyao said but couldn't help but touch his face. It seemed that it was indeed a little hot. He was about to quibble when he saw Lan Ning'er coming over with a wine bottle and stopped talking.
"This is the wine brewed by the shop. Let's try it. It's not as strong as in Guan Nei, so the wine will be stronger." Her silver bell-like voice was very moving.
"Miss Ning'er, the two countries started a war a few days ago. When the war starts, will it affect this place?" Yuchi Pingting asked.
"That's not true. Why do you ask me this, sister?" Lan Ning'er seemed very cordial and directly called Yuchi Pingting her sister.
"It's nothing, I just want to find someone..." Yuchi Pingting hesitated to speak.
"Oh, it seems you are from the Liang Kingdom. Are you going to the Liao Kingdom to find someone?" Lan Ning'er asked, blinking her eyes.
"Tell you, will you help us find it?" Mo Mo asked with a smile.
"No, if I leave, the boss will be busy all by himself, but I heard that after the war, there was indeed a general from the Liang Army who returned to the Liao Kingdom with the Liao Army." Lan Ning'er said casually.
But her casual words shocked Yuchi Pingting. Nangong Feiran had already been captured when he went south to the south? No, with his personality, even if he died, he would not wait until he was captured.
"Is this true?" Yuchi Pingting asked hurriedly.
"I just talked about it. I don't know if it's true." Lan Ning said and walked away, because the table full of Qiang people asked her to serve wine.
"Boss, do you think it is possible that he is the prince?" Feng Qingyu asked.
"Whether it is or not, I have to go and see." Yuchi Pingting said, indeed, she didn't have a clue now, everything was at a loss, she could only try.
"Xiaoyao, tomorrow I will go to the Liao Kingdom to inquire. Qingyu, you stay here with Mo Mo, and be careful in everything you do." Yuchi Pingting ordered.
"Mom, I also want to go to Liao Kingdom to find my father." Mo Mo was dissatisfied.
"Good boy Mo Mo, you and Aunt Qingyu are here to inquire about information and see if you can get any other information." Yuchi Pingting coaxed Mo Mo.
Just as he was talking, a middle-aged man about forty years old came over with the food. While serving the food, he said with a smile: "The store is in a remote location and the dishes are limited. I hope you can accommodate me. As for me, I am
The boss here, if you have any orders, just give me a shout and I'll be there."
Yuchi Pingting looked at the boss. He was different from Lan Ning'er. The boss was dressed in simple clothes, which was different from Lan Ning'er's gorgeous Hu clothes. However, both of them seemed to love to laugh, and their smiles were sincere, Yuchi Pingting thought.
, to be able to settle down in such a place, these two people must not be ordinary people.
Feng Qingyu said with some worry: "Boss, when you two go to Liao Kingdom, you have to be careful."
"Don't worry, as long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you." Yi Xiaoyao patted his chest, and then said: "Let me tell you, you have to be careful. I think those Qiang people have bad intentions.
." Yi Xiaoyao lowered his voice and said.
Feng Qingyu glanced over there, and there were indeed a few men looking towards them from time to time.
"Then Xiaobai and I will protect Aunt Qingyu." Mo Mo imitated Yi Xiaoyao and patted his chest.
"That person is really strange." Yi Xiaoyao gestured to the man in green robe sitting in the corner with his back to them: "From the moment he came in until now, he has always been in that posture. Except for occasionally moving his hands to drink, the rest of his body is...
It has not moved, and looks like a dead person."
Yuchi Pingting also noticed this, but she has no time to care about it now. Is what Lan Ning'er said true or false? If it is true, Nangong Feiran was captured by the Liao army. How should she save him? If it is false, then he will disappear.
Where is the corpse of Nangong Feiran? Yuchi Pingting has more and more doubts in her heart. She feels that it will be difficult for her to live the carefree days like those at Fengyu Villa.
"Qingyu, you are asking around here, but you must be careful yourself." Yuchi Pingting whispered to Feng, and then said to Mo Mo: "Good son, you have to listen to auntie and don't be naughty, okay?"
"Yeah." Mo Mo responded.
Yuchi Pingting picked up the wine glass and said: "Since I left Fengyu Villa, I haven't been able to have a good drink with you. Since I have this opportunity today, let's have a drink." Yuchi Pingting said.
"Boss, why do you say it's like saying goodbye? It's not like we'll never see each other again. Mo Mo and I are waiting for the good news about you and Xiaoyao." Feng Qingyu also picked up the wine glass, but her heart was still a little sour. Who knew what they were doing
What will you encounter when you go to the Liao Kingdom?
"That's right, boss, don't be so sad, we will take the prince back to Luoyang City together." Yi Xiaoyao also raised his wine glass.
The strong liquor passed over the tip of her tongue. It was indeed fragrant and bitter. Yuchi Pingting knew that she had a strong premonition that there would be a lot of trouble in this line of work.
The next day, Yuchi Pingting and Yi Xiaoyao dressed up a little and pretended to be Liao people, and easily sneaked into the Liao Kingdom.
"Boss, you're not just searching aimlessly like this, are you?" Yi Xiaoyao asked.
"Then what suggestions do you have?" Yuchi Pingting asked.
"The three major camps of the Liao army are all here. They have just withdrawn their troops. They probably won't return to the capital soon. Why don't we go to the military camp and have a look." Yi Xiaoyao said.
The corners of Yuchi Pingting's lips rose. Yi Xiaoyao said what she thought, so she said: "The three major camps are Feilong, Lianghuo, and Fierce Wolf. You go to Fierce Wolf, and I'll go to Feilang. We'll meet at the restaurant at noon.
." Yuchi Pingting said and pointed to a restaurant not far away.
"Okay!" With that said, the two of them moved separately.
Feilong Military Camp is in the west of the city, and Yuchi Pingting rides a horse quickly through the crowd.
When she arrived, she discovered that the Feilong Army Camp was different from what she had imagined. She thought that the Liao army's defeat on the battlefield would make the soldiers very disappointed, but she was surprised to find that these soldiers were all radiant and energetic. Could it be that
Is it still worth being happy after losing the battle? Yuchi Pingting thought, quietly approaching a soldier who was patrolling, and pointed with a delicate finger, and the soldier fell to the ground.
After a while, the soldiers dressed as Yuchi Pingting were already shuttled through the Feilong camp, and the poor Liao soldier who had encountered such a thing on his first shift was currently being tied up deep in the woods near the military camp.
On a tree. If Yuchi Pingting hadn't been kind-hearted, she wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to move him there just to spare his life.
Yuchi Pingting took the opportunity to look for all the places where people were detained, but almost all of them were empty. While hesitating, someone suddenly called him.
Yuchi Pingting looked at the man's attire. He should be a general. Then he asked carefully: "Sir, what's the matter?"
The man said without turning his head: "Immediately notify the Fifth Route Pioneer Officer to come to my tent." After saying that, he walked into the Chinese Army tent with a high air. Yuchi Pingting could now confirm his identity, if it was good.
, he should be the commander-in-chief of the Feilong Camp.
Fifth Route Pioneer Officer? Is that right? I don’t know any of them, but Yuchi Pingting is not anxious at all, because this little thing can’t trouble her.
Yuchi Pingting walked to the door of a tent and said to the soldiers standing there: "The general asked you to inform the Fifth Route Pioneer Officer and gather in his tent. Hurry up." Yuchi Pingting said grandly, with great air.
The soldier's expression was a bit strange. Although he didn't know why the general asked him to do something, he was so excited that he didn't think much about it and obeyed the order and went to inform him immediately.