Star Trace Gate

Two more days passed.

Lingnan Prefecture, in the inn opposite the government office.

Fatty Wu sat beside the tea table and asked softly, "Since yesterday, have Brother Liu and Erlang not sent any letters?"

"Yes."

The fourth son, Owl, squinted his eyes and replied, "But if we calculate the time, they should be able to enter the city by tonight at the latest."

Fatty Wu has been waiting for the past two days. Firstly, he wants to meet the know-it-all Lan Asan, and secondly, he is waiting for Lao Liu and Er Leng to join him.

However, Lao Liu only replied to him last night, claiming that he and Erlang had done a small matter, which delayed them for a while, but they would be able to set off at dawn.

Fatty Wu scoffed at this kind of talk, thinking to himself, you just want to have a good time with a prostitute before working, as if no one has this habit.

But in this case, they cannot move around randomly for the time being, otherwise once Lao Liu and Er Lang arrive, they will be caught empty-handed.

Fatty Wu took a sip of tea, looked up at the owl and asked, "Why do you keep looking outside?"

"Father is making fun of me again. Did I want to see it? My eyes just went over there by themselves... I was clearly talking to you." Owl felt that his father was discriminating against him.

"I've told you a thousand times, don't practice your purple pupil technique anymore, because sooner or later, one day you will be looking up and can't find what's below." Old Wu made the dirtiest joke.

Owl said with a frown: "I can't find it now...it all depends on experience and skills."

"......!" Fatty Wu was speechless.

His eight adopted sons were like a zoo, with nicknames like little bat or owl. However, these adopted sons had been with him for a long time, and although they respected him in their hearts, they had already become familiar with him and would occasionally joke with their adopted father.

Of the eight adopted sons, only Little Bat did not come on this trip because of his broken hand, while the rest stayed with their adoptive fathers.

In the afternoon, it was almost evening.

Fatty Wu was just about to take a rest after finishing his meal in the side room when the Five-Yizi Crested Dog led a skinny middle-aged man and pushed the door open and walked in.

"Godfather! Asan is here." The crested dog called out respectfully.

Fatty Wu slowly raised his head and saw the skinny middle-aged man. He bared his teeth and said, "Hey, brother Ah San, it's harder for me to see you now than to climb to the sky."

"Boss, what are you talking about?" Ah San nodded and bowed, "I'm doing business in the three places of Lingnan. If it weren't for your care... I would have been killed and fed to dogs long ago. I didn't show up these two days, it was really unavoidable, please don't blame me."

After Fatty Wu waved at the Crested Dog, the other party closed the door and left the room.

Under the candlelight, Ah San, who had a rat-like face, red pimples all over his face, and dressed very simply, looked no different from a country bumpkin. But even such an unattractive man was extremely wealthy and had considerable power in the three regions of Lingnan.

Whether it is rescuing people from the government, gathering information, or secretly selling various banned items of the court, as long as you can find him and give him a reasonable price, he can do it.

However, this man has always respected Fatty Wu, because when he was not yet successful, he was in trouble and imprisoned, and was almost chopped to pieces, and it was Fatty Wu who helped him out of trouble.

In the side room, Fatty Wu waved his hand and said, "Sit down."

Ah San bent down and sat down. Although he was a guest, he took the initiative to pour tea for Fatty Wu: "You go first."

Fatty Wu glanced at him and said with a smile, "Brother Ah San, where have you been making money lately?"

"Oh, forget about the talk of getting rich." Ah San waved his hand: "I've been in big trouble these past two days."

"Haha, how can you get into trouble in this Lingnan Prefecture?" Fatty Wu replied.

Hearing this, Ah San looked around suspiciously and whispered, "Brother, I'm really in big trouble. The day before yesterday, a general under Yuan Bau contacted me privately. He wanted to buy some military rations and magic weapons, the more vicious the better. I don't want to do it, so I've been hiding."

Fatty Wu was shocked when he heard this: "Are you talking nonsense? Will the government ask you to buy military rations and magic weapons?!"

"How dare I speak nonsense in front of the big boss?" Ah San nodded slightly. "The one who came to me was the nephew of the Golden Wolf General. He asked for a large amount of food and fodder. He also reminded me to contact the food storages on several hills and secretly transport them to the major camps. The hidden weapons must also be second-grade magic weapons. The more the better."

Fatty Wu didn't quite understand for a moment: "Why did the Golden Wolf General's nephew ask you to buy these things? Is there any business?"

Ah San was also stunned when he heard this response, and asked curiously: "You... don't you know what happened in Lingnan Prefecture?"

"what happens?"

"General Bau was dismissed from his post, didn't you know?" Ah San asked again.

Fatty Wu blinked and shook his head slightly: "I went to another state capital before, and after arriving at the inn, I have not had any contact with outsiders. Are you saying... Bau was dismissed from his post by the court?"

"Yes." Ah San nodded repeatedly and said, "The news that Bau was dismissed from office by the emperor has spread among certain specific groups in the city. He was investigated by the emperor because he was involved in the case of Prince Huai's purchase of land. I heard that an important figure in the court pleaded for him. The emperor, considering his meritorious service when he was young, showed him leniency and did not sentence him to death. He only punished him by dismissal from office."

Fatty Wu was stunned.

Ah San added: "This Bau has been dismissed from office, and he should not have come back yet. But his nephew suddenly wants to buy magic weapons and hidden weapons, and gather food and grass. Do you think I can take this job? Damn it, if I don't take it well, my whole family will be gone. So I can only hide...!"

Fatty Wu sat on the chair, his expression frozen, but his eyes bright: "This... this matter is indeed a bit weird."

"It's more than just weird." Ah San looked around habitually again and said in a low voice: "There are also rumors that someone saw Bau's personal soldiers breaking into the county government office... and the county magistrate never came out again. In short, the gentry and wealthy families in the city are now in a panic and are discussing a lot in secret."

"brush!"

Fatty Wu stood up suddenly and walked around the room: "Even if Bau's brain is full of shit, he shouldn't dare to do anything rash, right?"

"Who cares? We should stop speculating about the affairs of those important people. No matter who dies tomorrow, life will go on as usual." Ah San drank his tea and looked up and asked, "Boss, why are you so anxious to call me here? I will do whatever I can."

Fatty Wu ignored him completely. He just walked to the window, pushed open a corner of the wooden window, and looked into the distance at the government office opposite.

The government compound was brightly lit, giving the place a solemn look, with nothing to be seen wrong.

Fatty Wu saw this and frowned, "Damn it, Bau has been fired, why are his family members so quiet?"

"Tap!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fatty Wu suddenly saw a large group of soldiers coming from south to north. The line was endless and there was no end in sight.

"Curfew, lock down the city!!"

Flags were flying, horses were trampling the ground, and the leader of the thousand households shouted loudly: "Citizens in the city, all are under curfew from now on, no one is allowed to leave their rooms!"

When Fatty Wu saw this scene, his face suddenly froze: "It's over, I can't get out!"

At the same time, outside Lingnan Prefecture.

Old Liu got off his horse and lay down in the dense forest on one side of the official road. He looked up at the surrounding scene with a strange expression and said, "Why did the soldiers suddenly block the road?!"

Next to him, Erlang was carrying two people's luggage on his back. He looked honest and said in a deep voice, "Brother Liu, could it be that the woman you prostituted with before was angry because you asked for too many things... so she asked the black soldiers to block the road here?"

Old Liu rolled his eyes at him and said, "What's the big deal? Is it necessary to send troops to arrest him? Hey, little brother, can you dry your brain before using it?"

Erlang sneered and said, "When the old King Huai was alive, he said that the commander of the imperial guards must have everything except brains. I will do whatever His Highness tells me to do...!"

Old Liu was convinced: "I will try to play with you less in the future. I'm not smart enough to begin with, but after spending so much time with you, I almost thought they were cracking down on pornography."

"Let's go back and see if other roads are also blocked."

After saying that, the two of them left quietly.

……

Northeast of Lingnan Prefecture, Sunset Town.

On the edge of the town, in a farmhouse that looked very poor.

A widow bent over, carrying water, and called softly, "Ya'er, Jun'er, hurry up and fetch the firewood. Stop playing around."

"Mother, can I go to Paozi and pick some red flowers? Mrs. Liu wants to arrange a marriage for her grandson. If she wants a few flowers, she can give her some money." A little girl wearing patched clothes replied while standing outside the earthen wall courtyard.

"She was just joking with you, but you took it seriously."

"But I promised her."

"Come back for dinner before sunset." As the mother spoke, she had already walked into the earthen house.

"Okay, I will definitely come back with my brother before sunset." Looking at the little girl who was less than ten years old, she shouted happily, then pulled her brother's hand and ran all the way to the town entrance.

In the mud house, the widow was boiling water to make trouble, doing the work of two people.

Her husband died at the hands of a bandit leader a few years ago. Since then, the family has been without a male head. She takes care of two children alone and visits her husband's mother from time to time. She is very hardworking and strong-willed.

In the dilapidated courtyard, there are three rammed earth houses, leaning towards the south, as if they will collapse at any time.

"call……!"

The widow wiped the sweat from her forehead and put the steamed bun into the pot.

Soon, the smoke from the cooking stove rose up towards the setting sun and the sunset glow.

……

After half of the You hour, the sky gradually darkens.

Sunset Town, famous for its towering terrain, looks like a paradise at this moment. It is shrouded in an extremely bright glow, and the mountains and fields are all golden.

Next to a puddle of water, a brother and sister put down the bundle of firewood that their mother had already collected, and were clumsily climbing up the low cliff.

The elder sister stepped on her brother's shoulders and reached for the red flowers on the cliff. Her forehead was covered with sweat. "Brother, move a little further to the left...!"

"Hurry up, sister. I can't hold on any longer." A-di's thin body was already trembling.

“Ouch, I still can’t reach it, just one flower short…!” My sister’s face turned pale with anxiety.

"brush!"

Just then, a breeze blew by.

"Clap!"

Immediately afterwards, the sound of footsteps was heard on the wall.

The little girl in grey cloth felt a flash before her eyes, and then she saw that the red flower that she couldn't take just now disappeared out of thin air.

"Hey, flowers...!"

The little girl opened her eyes wide and looked back around.

Behind him, there is a kind-looking monk wearing a monk's robe and with Buddhist beads hanging on his chest. In the reflection of the setting sun, he looks very dignified.

The little girl was stunned for a moment, then immediately jumped off A-di's back and saw the red flower in the monk's right hand at a glance.

She was a little embarrassed, her face flushed, and she asked weakly, "Master, Mrs. Liu's son is getting married, and I'm short of one flower. Can you give it to me?"

"sure!"

The kind-looking monk slowly stretched out his hand and inserted the bright red flower into the girl's hair. He smiled and said, "Amitabha, what a dazzling little girl."

Next to him, my younger brother looked at the monk's robes stained with golden light and the monk's solemn face, and immediately asked, "Master, are you a person with supernatural powers? Are you an immortal?"

The great monk looked down at the two of them in the golden light, shook his head slightly and said: "I am not an immortal, I am Monk Peng...!"

……

In a large camp on the outskirts of Haizhou Prefecture connected to Lingnan.

A general of a thousand households knelt on one knee and shouted: "Your Highness, the soldiers have been counted and can set off immediately."

The fat dragon sat on the horse and waved the whip, saying, "Once you are on the horse, do not display the flags or make any noise. Just rush to Sunset Town!"

"The final general honors your order!"

"Set off."

The fat dragon gave an order and slapped his horse, "Go!"

In the queue, Ren Ye looked at the fat dragon's bossy attitude and said quietly, "Sooner or later, I will train an army of earth dragons! They do nothing every day but hold meetings and parade troops, pretending to be cool."

As soon as these words came out, Xu Bangzi immediately responded, "I heard that the soldiers of Qingliang Prefecture were once killed by an immortal who used a sword to break 26,000 armor pieces, piercing through all the patellas... Your Highness, it seems that all your men are crippled."

Li Yan nodded and said, "You are right. I was there at the time. They were all crippled soldiers, and I heard that they are difficult to cure..."

"How dare you!"

Ren Ye turned around and cursed: "Don't look down on people with your dog eyes, don't look down on the young and poor!!"

"Haha." Xu Bangzi grinned.

Ren also thought about it for a moment: "And aren't you also a cripple? How did you expect this day to come and integrate into the team in advance?"

Hearing this, Xu Bangzi whipped his horse and shouted, "I'm not lame! Go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of galloping horses resounded across the earth as they headed straight towards Sunset Town.

………………

One chapter in the morning and three chapters in the evening, a total of thirteen thousand words.

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