Chapter 5 The hidden picture of the secret agreement
After noon, Zhi Shou left alone, leaving the breeze to meditate.
When he passed the blacksmith shop again, the door was open, with half a blackened curtain hanging down. Steam was coming from inside, and there was a constant "dang-dang-dang" sound.
Zhikarizhen opened the door curtain, but there were no other guests inside. A shirtless man raised a hammer in one hand, clamped the red-hot knife embryo with iron pliers in the other hand, placed it on the chopping board and beat it continuously, causing sparks to fly.
"Sir, what do you want to prepare?" The big man turned his head away, and glistening beads of sweat rolled down his bulging pectoralis major muscles, falling on the chopping board, and white smoke emitted with a "sizzling" sound. He saw that Zhikari was really wearing
Wearing a small green linen jacket, a strange color appeared on his face, but the hammer in his hand did not stop, and he suddenly smashed it down, which made Zikari's eardrums numb.
"I want to make a sword that suits me." Zhikarizhen took a deep look at the big man's shiny skin. The color was earthy, and the muscle texture was densely intertwined. At first glance, it looked like wrinkles. It was the secret Hou Tuba of the Zhi family.
A unique sign of the Earth Body Refining Technique. Without the direct bloodline of the Zhi family, it would be impossible to achieve it.
"What material do you want to use? Fine iron, bronze, or tungsten steel, mixed with gold? How long, wide, thick, and what style do you want? What are the requirements for the hilt, hilt, and scabbard?" the big man asked casually, and the hammer
I keep knocking.
"Is the shopkeeper here? Can I have an interview with him?" Zhikarizhen glanced at the iron stove, sink and stacked iron ore and metal in the corner of the room, then turned to the hidden inner room.
The big man raised his thick eyebrows: "Why trouble the shopkeeper for such a trivial matter? I can make the decision."
Zhikarizhen pondered for a while and said, "I want to carve this pattern on the hilt of the sword." He walked to the edge of the sink, dipped his fingers in water, and drew the two words "Zhishi" with birds and fish on the earthen wall. The big man was shocked and couldn't help but stop his blacksmithing. The young man took his time and wrote the words "Bailing Mountain" again.
The big man opened his eyes wide and stared at Zhikarizhen in disbelief: "You..."
"I'm from Bailing Mountain."
With a "bang" sound, the big man threw away the hammer, rushed to the inner room, and shouted excitedly: "Dad! Someone is coming from Bailing Mountain!"
Immediately, a shirtless old man of the same stature ran out. His body was as majestic as a mountain. He only wore a pair of calf-nose trousers. His face was dark and yellow, and he looked at Zhikarizhen with piercing eyes: "The guest is from Bailing Mountain?"
Zhi Shouzhen nodded and recited: "The majesty has no boundaries, the soil behind it pulls out the ground, the energy penetrates the nine secluded areas, and the power connects the mountains and rivers..." This is the secret essence of the secret technique of pulling up the soil behind.
"Dad, you are really a member of our tribe!" the big man shouted happily.
The old man's eyes widened: "Why don't you close the door? What are you yelling about!"
The iron door closed and the room darkened. Zhikarizhen and the old man looked at each other for a long time. The firelight from the iron stove made the old man's face alternately sad and happy.
Eight hundred years ago, the Zhi clan traveled far into the wilderness and were frequently intercepted and killed. Zhi Gandang, the leader of the Zhi clan, led his eldest son to break out of the siege. On the way, he secretly sent the other three sons away, each carrying a small amount of clan and tribe treasures, and hid in the wilderness, hiding their names. After that, the Zhi family established a foothold in Bailing Mountain. In order to prevent the Yu clan from coveting it, all parties made a secret agreement that unless someone became a witch spirit, the descendants would never contact each other in order to preserve the bloodline.
"Is there anyone in Bailing Mountain who has become a witch spirit?" the old man asked in a trembling voice. Eight hundred years have passed, and his lineage has long declined. Only the father and son are left, living their lives in this sheep-slaying gathering.
Zhi Shouzhen nodded slightly, and in his soul, the eight-winged golden cicada made a long cry, clear and exciting. The blood of the old man and his son throbbed, their hearts and souls were turbulent, and they could not help but have the thought of surrender.
The old man turned pale with shock: "How could it be you?" Even Zhi Shan, the most talented person in the Zhi family tree, had to be over 30 years old, and his muscles, bones, qi and blood had to be strengthened before he gave birth to the nine-headed infant snake witch spirit.
"Blood sacrifice." Zhi Shouzhen said calmly, "There is no longer a Bailingshan Zhi clan in the world."
The old man stayed for a long time and said bitterly: "That's it."
"Zhi Shou Zhen, the 61st generation patriarch of the Bailing Mountain Zhi Clan, pays homage to the clan uncle." Zhi Shou Zhen said solemnly, with the palm of his left hand facing the sky and the palm of his right hand facing the ground, he performed the ancient ritual of the Wu clan in a precise manner.
"The Zhi family Zhi Lu, Zhi Jian and his son pay homage to the clan leader." The old Chinese spoke with a trembling voice, his palms facing each other, clenched into fists, and he bowed his head and responded solemnly with the ancient ritual of the Wu clan.
The big man also hurriedly returned the gift, muttering to himself, this little boy with thin arms and legs is actually the patriarch of the Zhi family?
"I'm so lucky to meet my clan uncle and clan brother here." Zhikarizhen sighed. There had been no news for many years. Even he only knew that the three clansmen were hidden in the middle, north and south of the wilderness. The specific locations were unknown.
Know.
Zhi Lu looked sad: "If the clan leader doesn't come, our branch will be cut off." The orthodox Wu clan only intermarry within the clan to keep their blood pure. His son Zhi Jian could not find a Wu clan woman to marry, so he had to grow up alone.
Lifelong.
Zhi Kaizhen asked: "I wonder how the other two tribes are doing?"
Zhilu smiled sadly: "There has been no news about the southern branch for a long time. It is said that the northern branch got into trouble and was exterminated by the Ghost Cult a hundred years ago."
Ghost Sect...Zhi Shouzhen thought for a moment and asked: "Uncle, are the things you kept still there?"
"Here." Zhilu hesitated and said, "The patriarch's...?"
"I'm here too." Zhikarizhen bent down, lifted up his pants, grabbed his calf and pulled hard, pulling off a small piece of flesh-colored skin.
The old man also immediately tore off a small piece of thin skin from his chest and handed it to Shikari Makoto. The two pieces of thin skin were as big as a baby's palm, with tooth-shaped edges, as thin as gauze, and exactly the same as the skin color. When the two pieces were put together, the tooth shapes matched each other.
It just looks like half a picture.
Zhikari really brought it close to the firelight, and dense blue thin lines and several light red dots faintly appeared on the map. They were the route that the Zhi family moved to the wilderness and several treasure hiding places. The treasure map was originally divided into
Four copies, firstly, to confirm each other's identities in the future, and secondly, if there is any loss, the whole army will not be wiped out.
"Thank you so much, Uncle Clan." Zhi Kaizhen put away the thin skin and put it on the calf again. The thin skin is taken from the skin of a strange insect called a scorpion in Dimengdao. It blends perfectly with human skin, and there is no trace of it.
Abnormal.
"If the hidden pictures can be handed over to the clan leader intact, my clan can be considered worthy of our ancestors." Zhilu sighed, "Now that the clan leader has become a witch spirit, what are his plans?"
Zhi Shouzhen replied: "Temporarily avoid the limelight and wander around. After waiting for the witch spirit to become a master, I will return to the ancestral court of Tianhuang to fulfill the last wishes of my ancestors."
Zhi Jian was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but interjected: "Clan Chief, as you have become a witch spirit, shouldn't you kill everyone and do it vigorously to show off the majesty of my Zhi clan?"
"Shut up!" Zhilu shouted, "What do you know?"
Zhi Jian was obviously not convinced, his chest rose and fell rapidly a few times, but he finally remained silent.
Zhi Shou really didn't mind and said: "Uncle Clan, I am in urgent need of a sword. Do you have a suitable finished product here?" He used a short dagger to wield the sword, but after all, it was a little short of the mark.
"The clan leader is in trouble? Are you from the Yu clan? Your clothes look like..." Zhi Lu hesitated, with a strange look on his face. Zhi Jian curled his lips, he was the direct descendant of the clan clan, and it was really embarrassing to wear the turtle uniform of a brothel.
If it were him, he would rather die than suffer such birdiness.
"I will solve the problem myself. Don't worry about it." Zhi Shouzhen looked at Zhi Lu. He was probably at the beginning of refining qi to restore the spirit. Zhi Jian could only refine qi and couldn't cope with Zhang Wujiu.
What's more, according to the agreement made eight hundred years ago, once one branch becomes a witch spirit, the other three will completely hide and go away to other places to preserve the seeds for the continuation of the bloodline for the branch.
Zhilu said happily: "Chief, wait a moment, I have a few good sharp weapons in my hand." He turned back to the inner room, and after a while, he took out a few swords.
The first sword was sheathed in shark skin and had an extremely long blade. It was made of sharp and hard hundred-forged snowflake steel. The blade had a cold light that could detect people. Shikari Makoto shook his head slightly, and the blade of about five feet pointed at him.
A little too long.
The second sword was of ancient style, heavy and thick, and the bronze blade shone with exquisite pine waves. Zhikari Zhen grabbed the hilt with the engraved eagle wings, waved it a few times, then put it down again to look at the third sword. p>
This is a broken sword, less than two feet long and no more than three swords in weight. The sword body is as narrow as a willow leaf and as thin as a cicada wing. The flowing sword sword continuously narrows back, revealing a faint crimson color. It is reflected by the firelight.
, the broken sword floats like a wisp of miserable mist.
Zhikarizhen held the bottom of the broken sword. There was no hilt, and crimson silk threads were wrapped around it. The tentacles were soft and cool, absorbing sweat. He walked to a test stone and stabbed lightly with the sword. The tip of the sword sank into the stone silently, almost
I can't feel any resistance.
Zhi Ludao: "This cut-off sword was left behind after the death of an outsider who passed by the Sheep Slaughter Fair many years ago. The material is neither jade nor gold. It is very strange, like a rare item obtained from the Earthly Dream Road. But it is so thin.
The sword may not be able to withstand the impact of gravity."
"It doesn't matter, just this one." Zhikari said happily. The broken sword was light and sharp, which was very suitable for his agile and accurate sword stroke. He did not ask for the scabbard and took half an old cotton cloth from Zhilu.
Wrap the broken sword in layers. Holding it in your hand like this will not attract attention.
"Clan leader, please forgive me." Zhilu hesitated for a while and said, "Swordsmanship has always been the evil way of the Yu clan. Our clan's destiny should be based on witchcraft and witchcraft."
Zhi Shouzhen smiled lightly: "I don't have to. Uncle Clan, please clean up and leave as soon as possible. The sheep slaughtering market will soon be in chaos. This is also the last time I come here. Unless I return to the ancestral home someday, you and I don't have to see each other again."
."
He was stunned for a moment, looked around sadly, and sighed for a long time: "I'm finally leaving." For a moment, my heart was empty, and I didn't know whether it was because I suddenly lost my persistence or because I felt relieved.
"Dad, I'm going to clean up the things!" Zhi Jian ran back to the back room excitedly and got busy. He was in his prime and ambitious, so naturally he was not willing to spend his whole life in this wild land.
"Uncle, brother, take care." Zhikarizhen looked at Zhilu who had stood there for a long time like a stone statue, then turned and left.
"Chief of the clan -" Zhilu hissed from behind, "My clan will surely regain its prestige and fight back to heaven! I'm waiting for that day!"
Although the words were grand, Zhikarizhen could hear a hint of exhaustion that could not be concealed. He turned around and stared at the increasingly faint flames in the iron furnace. Back then, perhaps everyone in the Zhi clan had a blazing torch burning in their hearts.
However, the torch will eventually burn out.
At that time, what is the meaning of burning? Zhikarizhen opened the door at a loss, and the strong sunlight from outside shone in. He squinted his eyes slightly and walked towards Yihongyuan.
Turning the corner, he suddenly stopped and hid in the shadow of the eaves.
Not far away, people were shouting horses neighing, and dozens of horse-riding bandits were fierce and murderous, surrounding the main entrance of Yihongyuan. The sabers were unsheathed one after another, shining with a bright cold light.