Heaven's Formula

As for the white petals I saw that day, there was no trace of them.

"The smell here is terrible." Li said suddenly.

Xia Fan agreed, "There are too many naked ones."

After the end of summer, it is the beginning of autumn, and it is inevitable to run around the pier under the sun, sweating profusely.Coupled with the belt and pants that are hardly changed, the habit of defecating everywhere, and the smell of firewood smoke, the smell is naturally not much better.

"I'm not talking about sweat," Li shook his head. "There's a stench of blood here, as well as the stench of decaying corpses."

"Now? Fresh?"

"No...it should be old and new." She stepped on the bricks and stones under her feet, "For example, the ground here has been soaked in blood."

That's what happened.

Probably what she smelled were the traces left by the hacking and killing between gangs. As long as no one cleaned it, the smell of flesh and blood soaked into the crevices of the stone would last for a long time.

"Then let's go, don't watch it." Xia Fan turned around and said.

Anyway, it's hard to get anything if you stay any longer, so it's better to go to the market and buy a new dress for Li.

The reward above is not only an official position, but also a reward of up to 500 taels, and compensation for picking two lightning strikes from the Ministry of Finance of the Privy Council.His technique does not rely on lightning strike wood, so he didn't cash it out immediately, but the money is already in his hands.Not only can he pay off all his debts, but he can also leave a large sum of money.

For ordinary farmers, it may take more than ten years to save this money.Hearing the news of Xie Chong's appearance, Zhang Shenpan's first reaction was anticipation, perhaps because of this.

The Privy Council's reward is much higher than the fixed salary.

"Be careful!" Li suddenly reached out to stop Xia Fan.

Then he heard a soft whoosh.

A dagger flew obliquely and inserted into the gap between the stone slabs in front of the two of them.

Li Zheng wanted to chase him out, but was stopped by Xia Fan, "Wait a minute, don't act alone, there may be fraud!"

The fox demon immediately took back the steps it had taken.

"This dagger should not be aimed at us," Xia Fan looked towards the direction where the hidden weapon was thrown - a group of people over there were busy unloading goods, and it was impossible to see who was suspicious for a while.But the dagger's route is low and its speed is not fast. Even if Li Bu stopped it, it could only fall to his feet at most.

"What is that for?"

Xia Fan picked up the dagger, inspected it a little, and soon found that there was a groove at the end of its wooden handle, and there was a thread attached to the outside.

He grabbed the end of the thread and pulled it, and a thin roll of paper fell into his hand.

"The person who throws the dagger should be for this."

Xia Fan unfolded the scroll, and there was only one sentence on it. "If you want to know the truth about Gaoshan County, come to the harbor pier at midnight tonight."

Chapter 86 The Demon Witch

"This is... the Flying Arrow message?" Li asked curiously, playing with the dagger.

"Strictly speaking, it's a flying dagger. But it's okay." Xia Fan tore up the scroll and threw it into the ditch beside the road.The running sewage quickly turned the paper into a mush.

"are you going?"

"Don't go."

The fox demon was slightly taken aback, as if he hadn't expected him to answer like this.

"Zishi, the seaside, if it's a trap, wouldn't there be nowhere to run? It's also convenient for the other party to take advantage of the night to kill and throw corpses. If the other party really wants to talk about something, it's too inexperienced."

Xia Fan took out a chip used for making talismans and a small piece of charcoal pencil, and wrote on the spot, "Tonight at Xushi, Wanfulou." Then he wrapped it around the dagger.

Li on the side couldn't help asking curiously, "Wanfu Tower? Isn't that the biggest restaurant in Jinxia City?"

"That's right, this is the first choice for a meeting. How can there be someone who refuses to show their face, and asks to go to the wilderness for the first time? I didn't choose the location at the gate of the Privy Council, and I was already thinking about the other party. "

To be honest, it is absolutely a lie that Xia Fan has no interest in this news. The dagger thrower can not only know his whereabouts, but also directly point out that there is a problem in Gaoshan County. These two points alone are enough to show that the other party is not aimless, and there is a high probability that there is something on hand. .

But he didn't forget that the person who has the information in his hand may be the insider, or it may be the real culprit.The trick of fishing with clues is what an alphabetical organization is best at.

He is now a thorn in the side of the third department of the Privy Council, and is regarded as a close friend of the third princess by the outside world. It is always right to think more about everything.

Wanfu Building is located in the busiest section of Jinxia City. It can be said that there are no empty seats at seven o'clock, and many local gentry and wealthy businessmen often have dinner there. Even the Privy Council cannot do it in front of so many people.

Xia Fan found a willow tree with a hole along the street, and forced the dagger into the gap.

"This should be okay?"

"Well, if the other party wants to send a message, the most important thing is to make sure we see the letter, so the messenger should have been following us secretly. Even if they miss it once, they should come back again."

"But the seat fee in the big restaurant is very expensive, what if they have no money and can't get in?" Li Tan said with his hands.

Xia Fan paused... This is really a tricky angle.

Having said that, whoever knows the details of the case in Gaoshan County might not even be able to afford this little money?

But after thinking about it, he still took out a tael of silver and stuffed it in.

……

In the evening, the Wanfu Building was brightly lit.

This wooden restaurant has three floors. The first floor is a public space, the second floor is a booth, and the top floor is a box.Moreover, there is a high-ceiling design in the center, and the upper floor can overlook the crowd below. The layout alone is unique.

The main dishes of Wanfulou are mainly seafood and fish. I heard that the store has been operating here for more than 50 years. It is one of the best old restaurants in the city.

Xia Fan sat in a partition near the void on the second floor. The field of vision here was wide open and could cover the entrance of the first floor. If there was any unexpected situation, he could find it immediately. It was really a good choice for meeting strangers.

Of course, while waiting, he did not forget to order a table of dishes to enjoy slowly.For dishes like steamed abalone and braised sea cucumber, as long as the ingredients are fresh enough, they can be delicious enough without seasoning.At least Li had a great time eating. To make it easier to pick up vegetables, she changed her hat into a headscarf, and she basically ate abalone one at a time.

"Is it swollen...don't you eat it?" Li asked vaguely while chewing the seafood, "You guys are all terrible, but you're the only ones who are good at this."

"Let you eat first, and then you will have the strength to follow the other party."

"I'm not an idiot, how can I eat so much!" Li gave him a hard look, but the chopsticks in his hand didn't stop.

Xia Fan enjoyed it.

For him, there are basically only cooking methods of steaming and roasting. After all, it lacks a little flavor. Frying with high oil and high heat is his favorite method.Therefore, it is more interesting to watch Li eat than to eat by himself.

Suddenly, two figures walking into the lobby caught Xia Fan's attention.

They were wrapped in shabby robes, and they didn't look like people who could afford a restaurant.It may not be very eye-catching outside, but in the restaurant with bright lights, this attire looks very abrupt.Almost immediately, Xiao Er stepped forward to stop the two of them, probably questioning how they passed the level of reception.

One of them raised his head and met Xia Fan's gaze.

He didn't look away, but just stared at it.

Xia Fan realized instantly that this was not the first time this person had seen him—he undoubtedly knew him!

"The messenger is here."

He said something in a low voice, then snapped his fingers, and summoned the servants beside him, "Did you see those two people below?"

"I see, guest officer, do you want to drive them out?"

"No, those are my guests, go and bring them up."

The servant's expression changed immediately, the people who came here to dine were more or less well-connected, even if it was a businessman, they were not something they could provoke.It is absolutely taboo for the store to drive away the guests of the guests.He hastily bowed and said, "Forgive me for being blind! I'll go now!"

After a while, the two were brought into the compartment.

"Sit down." Xia Fan made a gesture of invitation, "Let's talk while we eat if we have anything to do."

Then he heard a series of grunts.

Wait, these two guys... Could it be that they came here on an empty stomach?Xia Fan was a little stunned for a moment, he talked about the truth about Gaoshan County, but he even had to plan for a dinner, which reminded him of his college days, when no matter who said to treat guests, everyone would eat less on purpose, Just to empty the stomach and have a good meal.Could it be that he was still caught, and the other party's purpose was just a dinner?

"My lord, please forgive me. The situation...is a little special." Probably the other party also realized that this was too weird, and explained with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"It's okay." Xia Fan simply relaxed, "I can wait for you to eat something first."

With such misery, it is absolutely impossible to be the culprit behind the evil incident.It even aroused his curiosity in reverse, what kind of person would be exposed to this information, and could be so downcast that he couldn't get enough to eat.

Although both of them were wrapped in dirty robes and their faces were covered by hoods, he could tell that they were a man and a woman, and they were not very old.Among them, the status of women may be higher, because men will subconsciously look at women before saying anything.

From this point of view, the person responsible for delivering the letter and following him should be this person.

"That robe...can't you take it off?" Xia Fan pretended to be dissatisfied.

The man hesitated, "Sorry, we can't show our appearance for the time being, at least not here. Once people find our whereabouts, assassins will follow one after another."

"That's not a sign of sincerity."

"My lord—" he was stopped by the woman just halfway through his words.

"He's right. If you don't even want to show your true face, how can you talk about trust and cooperation." After she finished speaking, she unbuttoned the clothes on her chest little by little, took off the hood, opened the robe, and revealed Red and white robes underneath.

"I am the princess of Yamaguchi, the 144th generation great witch, Wuyueyao." The woman panted softly, "I came here with a century-old covenant, and I want to meet Princess Guangping of your country, can you please introduce me ?”

Chapter 87 Private Salt

Yamaguchi?

Xia Fan shook his right hand and pinched the copper wire pendant in his sleeve pocket to his fingertips.As long as the opponent makes any changes, his streamer technique can immediately pull out a barrier made of electric arcs in front of him.

"Are you the behind-the-scenes instigator of Gaoshan County?"

"Instigate?" Wu Yueyao was taken aback for a moment, then quickly shook his head and said, "Your Excellency may have misunderstood. Although Xie Ma and Dong Sheng have the same origin, what they want and do are different."

Where is Dongsheng Kingdom?Xia Fan found himself at a loss, "You mean...you have more than one country?"

"Dongsheng is a puppet country where the feudal lords rebelled and established themselves as the king. It is not the same as the evil horse!" The man couldn't help but interjected.

Wu Yueyao did not agree, "Which kingdom didn't evolve step by step from small to large? It is rumored that the evil horse was just a small tribe hundreds of years ago."

"Master May!" the other party said anxiously.

"When I say this, it doesn't mean that I intend to give up my resistance——Dongsheng Kingdom's behavior is fierce and vicious, and it will do everything. My people will be reduced to slaves, and anyone who disobeys will be slaughtered. They annexed the evil horse." At this point she slightly lowered her head and said, "I hope that your country can help the evil horse for the sake of the covenant, and Guo Ji and I will be very grateful."

It's a bit of a lot of information.

Xia Fan pondered for a while, if what the other party said is true, then it is obvious that in a hundred years, not only Yongguo has undergone earth-shaking changes, but also the opposite side of the sea is almost the same, so that when the long-interrupted contact is restored, the first thing brought over there is Help information.

He looked at Wu Yue carefully—from her appearance, she was a little younger than Ning Wanjun, her hair was a rare grayish brown, there was no crown or bun on the top of her head, and her hair was pulled back into a thin It's a long bunch and tied with a blue hair band. This dress style is indeed quite different from Qi Guo's.

The biggest difference from ordinary people is that she does not have black eyes and black pupils, but a bluish circle at the bottom, like a bay on a sunny day.

The appearance characteristics of this alien race are indeed convincing to a certain extent.

It's just that the sea traffic that has been silent for so long has quietly resumed now?No matter how Xia Fan thinks about it, he feels a little strange. Whether it is Xiema or Dongsheng, trade needs are always indispensable, right?What's more, Qiguo also has many well-informed wealthy merchant families. If there is an additional trade partner who can navigate, they will not be unresponsive.

No... that's not the most important question yet.

The key point is, why did the other party not go to the government, but wanted to ask him for a recommendation?

After thinking for a while, Xia Fan decided to find out the details of the other party first, and then said, "I do have a relationship with Princess Guangping, but it's not so good that I can see her whenever I want. If you want to see her, this reason may not work."

"Why?"

He picked up a piece of fish cake, dipped some sauce into his mouth. "As you can see, Yongguo no longer exists. The so-called century-old covenant should be a matter of the previous dynasty. If you came as a foreign envoy, you should send an official document to the local government and wait for the Ministry of Rites to reply. What's more What's more, aiding a foreign country requires the use of swords and soldiers. You don't think that Princess Guangping can handle such a big event alone?"

"I tried, but I still haven't been able to get a reply. I think... Maybe Dongsheng Kingdom has infiltrated your government." Wu Yueyao took a breath again, "I also know that sending aid is difficult to achieve, so I just ask your country to block the private salt trade with Dongsheng, so that the evil horse can relieve some pressure."

"What did you say?" Xia Fan was surprised, "Selling salt?"

"Yes, our country is located on the sea, the terrain is narrow and long, and the salt resources are extremely scarce, so the side that occupies the salt production area naturally has an advantage. It is through buying a large amount of salt from the continental country that Dongsheng bought other princes, so that he can win in the battlefield. Go up and encircle and chase down our country's warriors, and win them by numbers."

Xia Fan's mind flashed like a bolt from the blue!

The Wang family is actually selling salt to foreign countries!

All the previous fragmentary information was pieced together by this one clue.

Since he took such an important resource as a transaction object, the things he can exchange for are probably not just money.The magistrate of Gaoshan County has a ninja-like qi-sensing monk around him, so he should be inseparable from the Wang family.If the murder that Li witnessed was instigated by the Wang family, then where did the people who died in the grottoes in the back mountain of Gaoshan County come from? The answer is vaguely ready to be revealed.

As the designated salt merchant of Jinxia City, he does have reason to be able to deal with those who burn and sell salt privately. For these prisoners who have been sentenced to death, as long as they do something with the government, it is not difficult for them to change their methods. Die - after all, no one cares about the final fate of these criminals.And the mechanism in the grotto can not only handle the corpses, but also please the Privy Council, which is undoubtedly killing two birds with one stone.

It can be said that in this evil case, none of Shenzhou official circles, Jinxia salt merchants, and Jinxia Privy Council were innocent.

Everyone gets a piece of the action.

And the common people who died in vain because of evil spirits are that insignificant "price".

Xia Fan took a deep breath.

Reminiscent of Zhuzhi County 20 years ago, the situation may be even worse.

"Is there anything to prove your identity?"

Wu Yueyao slowly handed over an old leather paper.

Xia Fan spread it out, and found that the handwriting on it was jerky and distorted—it was another ancient character that Yongguo had used.

Although it is difficult for ordinary people to think of using this kind of text to forge, but considering the degree of insurance, only the translation of it can be regarded as a reliable proof.