Great Sui Guoshi

Chapter 673 The Mermaid

From mid-June, Telus has a Mediterranean climate. The summer is hot and dry, the sun is scorching, and there is little rain for several days in a row.

Lu Liangsheng inquired along the way, only to know that this is a big province, the city is called Antioch, close to the coast.

After entering the city, what I saw was a bustling city, which was very different from the Egypt I visited. The buildings and houses studded with rock bricks and wooden slats were staggered in height, forming a large circle around a huge domed building in the middle.

In the open window of the attic, a woman wearing a hood threw the sewage into the street, and the mud splashed scared a sow next to her with four or five piglets to run away in a panic.

In the criss-crossing streets and alleys, most of the passers-by are wearing round-neck robes, barefoot or stepping on a pair of upturned shoes, chatting and laughing with others; amidst the sound of hawking and yelling, the women leaning on the fence and at the hotel gate bare their shoulders, smearing makeup, hooking up. With a charming smile on the corner of his lips, he stared straight at the passing pedestrians. Occasionally, someone came up to talk in a low voice, and then took the other person's arm and walked to the dark place.

"There are also prostitutes here?"

Unable to understand the words, how could Wang Feng and the others fail to see it? With their eyes wide open, they carefully watched the swaying waist step into a dark alley or hotel.

"A barbarian is a barbarian. In broad daylight, it's so straightforward. Why don't you have some music, chess, calligraphy and painting to add elegance, tsk tsk..."

The four stood on their toes, craned their necks and looked around for a few moments, then it was a pity to follow Lu Liangsheng through the messy street ahead, and found a tavern, brushed off the sleeves of their robes, patted off the dust, and went in. The clerks in the store are not only men like in Zhongyuan, but there are also women walking among them.

In the tavern, people's voices, laughter and cursing gathered together. The woman carrying the plate walked past a table, was wrapped around her waist by an outstretched hand, and sat on the guest. During the struggle, a few copper coins were stuffed into the deep groove on her chest, and suddenly overflowed. With a smile, sitting on the guest's body twisted even more fiercely.

"Degenerate!" "Despicable!"

"I'm so envious...Ah bah, vulgar!"

"It's better for me, Da Sui."

The four of them stared at this scene, muttering to each other. Lu Liangsheng on the other side sipped the drink, frowned slightly, put it down and never picked it up again. The word 'siren'.

After all, this kind of place has the best news.

"...Bring me another can of ale. I'm going to Egypt to sell a batch tomorrow. I'll drink some more today. I won't have enough to drink on the way."

"I heard from the sailors on the ship docked at the pier that a governor was killed over there, and a group of Orientals did it."

"Persian, or Arab?"

"Whether they are Persian or Arab, they won't kill us, hehehaha."

"Speaking of ships, do you know about the sirens? I never thought that there really are sea monsters in the sea."

"The city has been talking about it for the past two days, I have heard some, have you seen it?"

"It was the boat I inquired about. It ran into the boat that caught the siren. The sailors on it said that they saw a half-man, half-fish hanging on the mast from a distance, and they yelled at them, and the other side said To be sent to Constantine for the Emperor."

"Is it as beautiful as in the legend?"

"I do not know."

Amidst the noisy conversation in the tavern, the maid holding the wooden tray put down the clay pot full of wine, turned around, and the five people at the table near the door had already left at some point, and a few copper coins were stacked on the table. Looking around, the maid took off her belt without a trace, whistled and went to the next table.

The noise spread outside the tavern, and Lu Liangsheng, who was walking among the crowd on the street, walked extremely fast. A gust of breeze from his sleeves wrapped around the old donkey and the four scholars disappeared into the city in the blink of an eye.

The sun faded to yellow, and the sun gradually turned into a touch of orange on the sea. Among the turbulent waves, groups of white gulls seemed to smell fish, flying around a large ship, neighing and flying. When they approached, they were swept away by a long pole.

"This is dedicated to His Majesty, you birds dare to approach!?"

"Wuka, come here for a change, you come to catch the birds!"

The man eating the long pole lowered his head and called out to a companion who was fixing the rope. The latter dropped the rope, raised his elbow and wiped the sweat on his forehead, and looked up at the long pole from the opponent's hand, hanging on the mast. A figure under a cross tree.

"Not dead?"

"I just watered it, so I can't die. Put it down later, and before presenting it to His Majesty, whip her first, so that she will be honest."

The man handed over the work, stretched easily, and finally took a look at the siren hanging above, went to the cabin and poured a glass of ale against the side of the ship, and told the other crew members that they would see the emperor after landing What kind of reward did you get.

After taking over the young man who was driving the seagulls, he squinted his eyes and hugged the long pole against the pillar, looked at the siren with his head down, and smiled suddenly. He had never seen a siren, and he never thought that the mermaid in the rumor would chase them The boat ran away, and when it saw the fishing nets falling down, it would be silly to drill into it.

"After passing Athens, you will arrive at Constantine in one day. Just take a look at the sea a few more times. There will be no chance in the future."

The young man joked to the siren talking to himself, and soon, the sailors who had left before came back, brought the captain and several crew members, and slowly lowered the mermaid hanging from above to the deck.

"grumble......"

The merman's hands were bound, and the tail of the fish was tied to the mast with a rope, and he couldn't move even when he put it down. His eyes watched in horror as the thick sailor came over with a whip. The latter spat on the deck and got the captain's Agreeing, he slammed his arm away, and the whip was thrown into the air, and then, it was pulled down fiercely.

crackling—

The whip passed over the scales and scratched off the delicate and white upper body, leaving a bloodstain in an instant. The mermaid's eyes widened, and before the scream of "嘤——" came down again, the whip came down again and landed on the shoulder like seaweed. The few strands of hair in the hair immediately broke and spilled into the air, and the drawn out bloodstains slowly ooze blood.

"Chichi... ah... ah..."

The merman opened his mouth wide, as if crying, and shook his head vigorously, begging them not to hit him. Seeing her begging for mercy and howling, several people laughed, and one of them squatted down with his belt untied, while stretching out his fingers to hook her He pulled his mouth wider and saw that there were fine and small teeth inside, so he retracted his hand regrettably, and put his belt back on again, which made his companion laugh even louder, and punched him lightly with his fist.

Someone laughed and shouted:

"Sanders, be careful not to be bitten off by the siren, the woman in your family, we will take care of it for you!"

On the deck, there was another burst of laughter, causing the man to snatch the whip, vent his anger on the mermaid in front of him, kick him hard, raised the whip and throbbed violently again, and the delicate skin on his upper body was bloody and bloody. , blood splashed on the faces of several people.

"Chi... Chi Chi... Woo..."

The merman screamed and became weak, and the overconscious people rushed up, dragged and dragged the whip-wielding Sanders back, grabbed the whip and threw it on the ground, and quickly asked the stunned young man to go to the cabin to get some externally applied wounds. medicine.

"Hitting so hard, how can His Majesty get a reward?!"

During the scolding, someone took the opportunity to kick the man named Sanders, who got up from the ground and wrestled with the speaker.

The big ship was chaotic, and still sailed through Athens, closer to Constantine to the north.

Chapter 674 God, please bless us!

"Gee~~"

Viscous blood condensed along the cracked skin on the deck into a pool of bright red that pierces the eyes. Amidst the merman's weak moaning, the captain of the ship stepped forward to check the injury, and exhaled heavily. He didn't kill him, turned around and pulled the wrestling two people apart, raised his hand and punched Sanders against the ship's side, went over and pinched the opponent's blood-stained chin in front of him, his eyes showing fierceness.

"Do you know, we want to get rich, relying on this siren, the boat we have spent half our lives on will not be able to make this trip, if she dies, I will hang your limbs and hamstrings on the bow to feed the sharks!"

Over there, the young man who came out of the cabin found medicine to smear the dying siren, and wrapped a bandage around it. After hearing the captain's words, everyone silently guarded the mermaid, praying that they would not die.

"The few times I smoked just now, it was enough to make the sirens behave. Sanders is such a waste. If he loses the wealth I got, I will kill him first, and then sell his wife to a brothel. Change money!"

"...Before selling, beat his woman like this."

Running ships on the sea are mostly people who dare to exchange their lives for money. They have had the lives of pirates and ordinary ships on their hands. Sometimes they lose money in business. The companion who almost broke their fortune.

Moreover, the story of the capture of the sirens has long been spread along the way, just to spread the story to the emperor's ears, not to mention wealth, but also to gain a resounding reputation among the common people and peers. At that time, it will not be one or two ships , Maybe it's not necessarily a change, to obtain a title, to add several large ships to form a fleet.

If the Siren had an accident on the way to Constantine, I am afraid that killing this companion named Sanders would not be able to dispel his anger.

Fortunately, squatting next to the siren, the young man named Uka made a reassuring gesture to them, and everyone's hanging heart was finally realized. Sanders, who was squatting on the side of the boat with his head down, went back to his respective positions and continued to drive the boat to speed up.

"I love my wife so much!!" Seeing that his life was saved, Sanders raised his head and yelled at them, attracting everyone's attention again, and quickly squatted back and hugged his head.

On the turbulent sea, the white sails swelled, and the ship broke through the waves. The news that the siren was captured on the ship spread to various cities along the coast as early as ten days ago, especially when I saw the siren hanging on the mast with my own eyes. Other passing ships directly confirmed the news.

Especially when they received the news that the legendary sea monster would be sent to the emperor, the local officials quickly dispatched letter ships and fast horses to Constantine by sea and land to reach Emperor Phocas's message. before.

Such an anecdote was even passed down as a miraculous thing, and it was publicized along the way. The people of Constantine who heard about it had long been looking forward to it in the city. Look out over the horizon.

Crowded and noisy streets and alleys extend into the city. In the huge castle, crystal-clear chandeliers are burning. In the middle of the main hall covered with red carpet, a figure hurried in with a small roll of letter paper, across the red carpet. The generals and administrative officials on the side walked around with the scrolls in their hands and handed them in.

In the first place, the emperor named Phocas frowned with a laurel wreath, and slightly tilted his head towards the guard at the side. The latter stepped forward to take the scroll, handed it to the emperor, and then slowly unfolded it, looking at it A smile appeared on the corner of the emperor's mouth.

The generals were originally summoned to talk about the affairs of several provincial nobles and administrative officials, and whether the assassination of the governor of Kalabosa was related to these people.

But the news at the moment made him feel quite comfortable. After all, he was only a centurion, and later forced a confession to kill the emperor to get the throne. The nobles and officials in various provinces were very dissatisfied with his behavior. Knowing that Kalabosa was the governor and they killed them, then it would be justified to send troops by themselves.

And the news sent at this time is about the siren, the legendary sea monster, who was captured in the sea by the people under his rule during his tenure as emperor, and will be presented in front of the throne, which is of great political benefit .

After a while, he put away the letter paper and handed it to the clerk for safekeeping, and recorded it. With an unabated smile on his face, he got up from the throne and asked the messenger to step down, and then he looked at the generals and officials who had doubts in their eyes.

"The siren siren is about to arrive in Constantine."

Immediately there was an uproar below. I had heard this rumor before, but it was only from various places, so it was not true. However, I was a little surprised to hear the emperor confirming the matter with my own ears.

Phocas looked at everyone's expressions with satisfaction, and walked down the red carpet slowly: "...The sea monster is an evil monster in the sea. According to rumors, it often lures passing ships to approach with a charming singing voice. And eat the bewitched sailors above, now captured, the gods are on my side!"

Immediately, he waved his hand: "Tell this exciting news to my subjects, all the people of Constantine, and let them go to the harbor together to witness the gift that the gods gave me as the emperor!"

In the early morning of the next day, the emperor's decree was spread in the city, and when the sun gradually rose through the gaps in the clouds, the emperor's guard of honor and chariots had already left the castle. The guards rushed to the harbor, and the people in the city and the farmers outside the city also flocked to the largest harbor in the city this morning. The ships in the distance have not yet arrived, and the place is full of moving figures. Looking from afar, A dark patch.

Amid the undulating waves reflecting the morning light, a large ship in the distance gradually appeared on the sea level. The several royal warships that had been waiting for a long time received the order to go out together, like warriors welcoming a triumphant expedition, guarding on both sides, slowly moving forward together. Sail back to port.

Looking at the huge city standing on the flat-topped hill and the crowds in the harbor below, on the ship named White Pearl, more than a dozen crew members and captains stood on the bow and took off their hats and shouted excitedly over there. Some suppressed their surging emotions and began to pray.

"We're almost at the harbor. The royal fleet has been dispatched. The emperor must be here."

"...I seem to have seen wealth, titles, and hundreds of beauties waving in front of us."

"God, please bless us."

The whispered prayer seemed to be felt, the sea wind gradually increased, and the speed of the ship was blown faster. Just as they approached the Constantine harbor, on the other side of the strait, small stones fell down. Sea cliffs and reefs, sinking into the sea.

A donkey's hoof stopped on the edge of the sea cliff, Lu Liangsheng seemed to have heard a prayer, his eyes were indifferent and cold, and he turned to the blue sea in the distance outside the cliff, and six warships escorted the middle one towards the blue sea in the bottom of his eyes. On the other side of the strait, Jucheng harbor sailed past.

"grumble......"

A weak moan sounded slightly on the deck. The young man guarding the siren turned his head and saw the weak mermaid moving a few times at this time. He raised his face and looked in a certain direction outside the ship, as if feeling a familiar breath, pale A smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he yelled again in excitement.

"grumble?!"

Wuka followed her line of sight suspiciously, turned around and looked at the sea cliff in the distance, but it was a pity that it was difficult for ordinary people to see, but there was a small and vague black shadow standing there.

However, the next moment, a strong wind blew in his ears, and his eyes were squinted, he raised his arms to cover his face, and the mast of the ship was shaking and creaking.

In the distance, on the sea cliff, Lu Liangsheng stood on the edge of the cliff facing the wind, his hair fluttering, his robe fluttering, his hands pinching the magic arts and slowly stretching them up, his eyes glowed with a light blue light .

Then, slowly closing his eyes, the bright day darkened.

"If you want to see God, I will let you meet."

Chapter 675 Sea Giant

"got windy!"

"It's very windy."

The seaport of Constantine was crowded with people, people from inside and outside the city flocked around a high stand, resting their toes on their toes and looking forward to the ships that could be seen. Some people muttered and looked at the sky, for some reason. The wind suddenly picked up.

All to witness the legendary Siren Siren.

In the middle of the vast sea of ​​people, on the high stand, the emperor wearing a golden satin robe and a laurel crown sat majestically on a big chair with a golden back cushion, overlooking all of this.

As the wind whimpered past his ears, he nodded slightly to the guard on one side. The latter bowed in understanding and walked to the edge of the viewing platform. He opened his mouth and shouted hysterically towards the dark figures below and around him.

"Quiet!!"

"—Your Majesty, I have something to say!"

The sound drifted through the crowd with the wind and spread from above. The original noisy voices gradually became quieter. They all turned their heads to look at the high platform, only to see the emperor in full costume getting up from the throne, holding a crossed scepter and walking to Standing on the edge of the platform, amidst countless intertwined sightlines, the people below bowed their heads.

Phocas raised his face slightly, satisfied with the people's respect for him, and slowly opened his mouth.

"My subjects, the warriors of Constantine returned from the sea and presented to me the evil siren sirens. With their charming songs, countless brave sailors were buried in the sea, and many families were broken. Parents, wives and children lost their sons. , Husband, I listen to the whispers of the gods, evil will bow down to the gods, and at the feet of Constantine, your emperor!"

The robe flew up in the wind, Phocas took a deep breath, stretched his hands and raised them slowly, his voice was raised and roared out.

"The gods have stood on the side of Constantine, your emperor. He asked me to tell you that God will always bless his believers, my people. Today, let us witness together that the gift God gave us, a head Evil siren, judge and execute by all of us!!"

After listening to the sonorous and powerful words, countless people and soldiers of Constantine raised their weapons and fists one after another.

"Huh!"

"Huh!"

In the midst of shouting and shouting like a tsunami, the eyes suddenly became cloudy. Someone stopped shouting, raised their arms high, and raised their faces to look at the sky. More and more people around them also noticed something strange. They raised their eyes one after another. Emperor Phocas on the high platform was originally enjoying the shouts coming in like waves, but suddenly the shouts around him gradually weakened.

"What happened?"

Phocas slowly opened his eyes. Countless people below were raising their heads to look at the sky at this moment. The emperor raised his face instinctively, and what came into view was the sun hanging high among the clouds, with black spots on the edge. moving.

"This is......"

In the soft murmur, the black patch is like a wandering cloud, quickly swallowing the sun, the sunlight under it is shrinking little by little, and the darkness is coming from afar like a tide, as if someone is reaching out from behind to blindfold the eyes Live normally, instantly covering everyone's field of vision.

"My eyes, see!!"