across the Quartet

broken chapter three

"If my guess is correct, Wei Zhuang is right here, isn't he?" The strange man put his hand on the coffin and asked.

"Why do you know?!" Wu Jiu frowned.This should be a secret that only Gathering Quicksand is qualified to know.

"At first, when I happened to meet your convoy on the road, I just felt a little suspicious, but I wasn't sure if you were the one I was looking for; I used sword energy to test it, but I didn't get any response from anyone in the team. So at that time, and left."

"But then you go and come back."

"Because I found some corpses of Qin soldiers in Puyin Village, all of which had their throats severed with white knives, and they were clean and tidy... It can be seen that you are by no means ordinary people. But if the person I am looking for is indeed among you, why would you fight the sword?" No response to Qi? I used to be puzzled. Until later, I suddenly thought of another possibility." Gai Nie pointed to the coffin on the car.

Wu Jiu shook off the blood on the sword, but did not put it back into the sheath. "I see. That's why you have been following us."

"I originally thought that if things were as I guessed, then when the enemy is approaching, 'he' will definitely show up. But 'he' has not appeared for a long time. So I wonder if I am completely wrong, everyone People who have nothing to do with each other at all... until a rocket ignited the carriage, and I saw an old man—" The strange man saluted the woman in red who was sitting on the ground. "Madam Huo Mei, please stay safe."

"You... are Gai Nie." Huo Mei put down the shirtless corpse in her arms, hugged Lin'er who was holding the corner of her clothes, and stood up. "I haven't seen you for several years. I thought that since my young master was able to leave Ghost Valley safely, you must have died long ago."

Gai Nie said: "My luck is good. I was lucky to take a life."

It turns out that he is really a fellow of Master Wei Zhuang... Hong Lian thought in disbelief.But he still refused to admit defeat and said: "So what about the brothers? I heard that the Guigu sect has always been at odds with each other, and they will never stop. Don't think I haven't heard the story of Sun Bin and Pang Juan."

Gai Nie thought for a while and said, "Master used to say that Xiaozhuang is more like Pang Juan."

"……What do you mean?!"

Huo Mei coughed twice, interrupted them and said: "Gai Nie, just now you said - you are looking for Lord Wei Zhuang? But how could you guess that he is here? Why do you want to help us?"

Gai Nie said: "Two years ago in the south of the Zhang River, I made a blood alliance with the Korean general Wei Zhuang, and agreed that if Korea was in trouble in the future, Zhao Guo would come to rescue; when Xinzheng was besieged, I was in exile abroad. Before he had time to return to Handan to ask for troops, he heard that Xinzheng had fallen. But I also heard that Lord Hengyang of South Korea was escorted by his minister Wei Zhuang and fled abroad, so in order to keep my promise, even if there was only one person, I had to come here. "

Hong Lian couldn't help but moved and said: "If it is true as you said, you are a person of faith. Unfortunately, I still can't fully believe you. You only heard that Xinzheng City was broken and the son fled. How could you know in advance that we are going to leave? Route? Don’t tell me that you came from Zhao country and met us on the road, is this all a coincidence?”

Ge Nie finally turned his head and looked at her, "This is..."

"This one is the princess of Korea, His Highness Honglian." Huo Mei said.Guren shook her head vigorously.

"Korea doesn't exist anymore, there is no princess there. That name is no longer needed. From now on, my name is..." She said and looked at her arm, a pair of arms with interlaced red and black stripes The snake is there with its head held high. "Chi Lian. My name is Chi Lian."

"Miss Chilian." Gai Nie nodded to her and then explained in detail: "When I heard that the young master escaped, I thought that the Qin people would not easily let the fleeing Korean royal family go, so they must set up a net nearby to find them. And if I want to help Xiaozhuang, I can only infer which country he intends to go into exile. In general, people guess that he probably plans to either go east or south, and find a country between Qi and Chu ;These two countries are relatively powerful and have a vast territory, which makes it easy to hide. However, I think that neither of these two roads is chosen by Xiaozhuang. Roads must be heavily guarded. Second, whether it is Qi or Chu, both black and white in the country have their own forces. If you want to seek their protection, you must be restrained everywhere; Xiaozhuang's understanding must be because he doesn't want to live there for a long time. So I guess, there is a place that Xiaozhuang wants to go the most - not only can it be beyond the expectations of the Qin people, but he also knows the terrain and features of that area. If you know it, it is enough to deal with any pursuers. That is Yunmeng Mountain."

Hearing Gai Nie say the name of the place, Chi Lian almost let out an "ah" and held back.

"However, to go to Yunmeng Mountain in the territory of Wei, you must first cross the big river. Qin people also have people checking the waterways, so they can't choose the well-known ferry. After thinking twice, I feel that crossing the river from Bolangsha near Yangwu is the best way to cross the river. The most hidden—the waterways here are criss-crossed, the terrain is complicated, it is extremely difficult for horses and horses to walk, and there are almost no people at ordinary times. Ferrying from here is convenient for concealing whereabouts and getting rid of pursuers. So I decided to try my luck and walk along the river in Bolangsha After wandering around for several days, but did not see any boats, I decided to visit the nearby villages. I met you on the way."

Gai Nie confessed in this way, then turned to Huo Mei and said, "At the beginning when I noticed that there was an assassin attacking you, I didn't take action because I couldn't confirm your identities; it was also because I originally speculated that if Wei Zhuang was indeed in that In the coffin, he will stand up to defend against the enemy in times of crisis. But now it seems that Xiao Zhuang chose this special hiding place not only to pass the Qin people's interrogation, but also for other reasons-for example, He suffered a serious internal injury, and sealed his five senses with the secret technique of the teacher, I don’t know if it’s true or not?”

Huo Mei was startled suddenly, bowed her head and remained silent.The fact that Wei Zhuang became obsessed and had internal injuries due to practicing secret techniques is the biggest secret in the quicksand, and it must not be revealed to outsiders no matter what.Besides, she just heard Gai Nie say that "he was lucky enough to take a life", and she thought to herself: They Guigu Sect has always been a single passer. According to Gai Nie, he seems to have had a life-and-death fight with the young master, and almost died in the young master. under the sword—could it be that this time, he came to seek revenge? !

Although she was flustered, she didn't show it at all on her face, she showed her face with a charming smile and said: "Although there are many people in Qin, who can hurt the young master? Shouldn't Mr. Gai know the sword skills of your Guigu sect the best?"

Ge Nie nodded and said: "I also find it strange, but just now—"

"The situation just now is probably a test for the young master to his subordinates." Huo Mei cut off his words and sighed deliberately, "Dying in such a place can only show that the person did not stay by the young master's side." Qualifications."

"You are sure--"

"Of course we are sure to repel those snare assassins, but without your help, I'm afraid we will suffer heavy losses." Huo Mei changed the subject and suddenly bowed down to Ge Nie Yingying, "Especially our mother and son, all thanks to Mr. For safety, Huo Mei is very grateful."

"Madam, please get up." Ge Nie stretched out his hands to help.Huo Mei's feet suddenly went limp, as if she had exhausted her strength, and she threw herself forward—even Lin'er almost slipped out; fortunately, Ge Nie held her up in time.At that moment, she flipped her wrist and slammed a thin, sharp dagger into the gap between his ribs—the edge of the blade was deftly raised, and the angle was aimed just below the apex of the heart.

No one expected this to happen.Even the people in Quicksand stood aside, no one thought of cooperating with her.

Chi Lian recognized the murder weapon at a glance——because Huo Mei was weak after giving birth, Wei Zhuang specially found a rare sword from Chu State for her self-defense, which was said to be small and sharp. None of them are inferior to the ancient sword Yuchang; Master also loves this sword very much, and even named it Qilin Thorn.

The moment he drew his sword, Chi Lian saw from her an icy calm that only those who are used to seeing life and death would have.

Master may have lost all his martial arts, and his strength is not as good as that of an ordinary farmer, but her beauty, her frailty, her expression and posture, and even her own child can all be turned into the deadliest bait and weapon by her.No wonder this sickly woman is regarded by Wei Zhuang as the most reliable confidant.

Unfortunately, she still missed.

Gai Nie grasped the edge of the dagger, ignoring his bloody palm, and asked expressionlessly, "Ma'am, what is the meaning of this?"

"The young master has the grace of my family's life. It is our duty as subordinates to remove hidden dangers for the young master." Huo Mei said so, but her eyes couldn't stop slipping towards Lin'er who was caught by Gai Nie.

Gai Nie gently put the child in his arms on the ground, pointed to the coffin driveway: "If I meant to do harm, why didn't I take advantage of the chaos and do it?"

Huo Mei bit her lips and said, "If you don't do anything now, you must have other plans. For example, you want to ask the young master about the whereabouts of Young Master Cheng."

"...Is his whereabouts really important?"

What Wei Zhuang needs is the "fact" that Young Master Cheng did not fall into the hands of the Qin army; so that no matter who he plans to support as the King of Han in the future, he can use the title of "Hengyang Lord".As for where the real Han Cheng is, at least no one in Quicksand cares.Huo Mei felt from Gai Nie's eyes that he almost understood Wei Zhuang's plans.

Because of this, he is more dangerous than anyone else.

"Or maybe, you are unwilling to be defeated by the young master's sword, and want to ask him for some secrets of the master's sect, and then replace him and become the master of Ghost Valley."

"Gei was not defeated by Wei Zhuang's sword." Gai Nie said in a word, "I don't intend to become Guiguzi."

Huo Mei snorted and laughed, showing contempt.

"It seems that I can't win the trust of you." Gai Nie threw the unicorn thorn on the ground and licked the hideous wound on his palm, "But there are things that can be done, and things must be done. Before seeing the junior brother with his own eyes, Regardless of whether you like it or not, Gai will walk with you."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the forest suddenly became tense again. Many people silently adjusted their breathing and were ready to strike at any time.But I saw Baifeng standing on a branch with her arms folded, and said old-fashionedly: "Aunt Mei, why are you bothering. This person is very skilled, and he has no plans to fight us right now. Why don't we let him deal with those snare killers? After we cross the river, if there is no Qin Bing chasing him, then find another chance to kill him."

Do you dare not discuss the question of when to kill him in front of the prey, Chi Lian slandered.

Not wanting to, Gai Nie looked up at him, then turned to persuade Huo Mei and the others, "Isn't what this little brother said unreasonable?"

Hey, what do you agree with what he said?Chi Lian wanted to use the chain sword to twist his neck and shout.

"You are too cunning, as long as we see you within three feet of the young master, we will not feel at ease." Huo Mei sneered.Wu Jiu behind her held up the sword.Wushuang lay on the ground and let out a low growl.

"...If that's the case, I'll just stay close to this hearse." Before he finished speaking, he retreated sharply, disappearing into the dense forest like those snare killers.

"Wait!" Hong Lian hurriedly chased after her with her sword. The chain sword bounced out like a snake out of a hole, only sweeping down a few leaves.Bai Feng raised his eyebrows on the tree. "What are you chasing him for? Can you kill him?"

Who can kill him?He didn't ask this question, and he didn't need to ask.

Huo Mei sighed, picked up the unicorn thorns on the ground, and wiped the blood on them with her clothes.Wu Jiu approached her and persuaded her in a hoarse voice: "Bai Feng is right. We have to deal with this person, not for a while. Just wait for Master Wei Zhuang to wake up—"

"What I'm worried about is Master Wei Zhuang." Huo Mei shook his head, "When he just woke up, his physical strength and true energy were very weak; the disciples of their vertical and horizontal sects have always been at odds with each other, and they will never stop dying; perhaps, Gai Nie and others This is the opportunity."

"I don't think he is that kind of person." Bai Feng jumped down from the tree and cut off the arrow shaft stuck on Wushuang's leg with the feather blade in his hand. "Even if Master Wei Zhuang couldn't show his true strength when he just woke up, there are still us."

"If he is not good for Master Wei Zhuang, can you get rid of him?" Chi Lian asked rudely.She didn't even notice that she had unknowingly picked up the habit of people in the quicksand, and began to call the palace guards back then "my lord".

Bai Feng looked at the direction Gai Nie left and smiled slightly. "His sword may be powerful, but he is not a killer. We are.

That night, the people in Quicksand hurriedly buried the corpses of their companions, loaded the injured into the carriage, and continued on their way in the dark.Because there were many wounded, and Wushuang's body was too big, they abandoned a lot of food and goods in the carriage; Chi Lian and Bai Feng also had to get out of the carriage and walk on foot.At noon the next day, I finally arrived at Bolangsha mentioned by Gai Nie.

The roads here are indeed difficult—or rather, there are no roads at all.The coachman drove the carriage carefully, passing through sand dunes overgrown with thorns, continuous puddles, and swamps; the big river in the distance was steamy and thick, and the cattle and horses on the other side could not be seen.

Chi Lian was sleepy and exhausted, so she could only force herself to move forward by holding on to the crossbar outside the carriage; her boots were covered with a layer of mud, and the hem of her skirt was completely soaked in muddy water. Seeing this, she was secretly angry and made up her mind to go After crossing the river, find a place to change into a man's attire.The carriage was unusually quiet, and there was no sound of moaning or moaning, which made her worry that some of the wounded were dead.

"It's almost here." Huo Mei knocked on the window lattice from the carriage, and said.

The carriages and horses all stopped.A coachman took out a bamboo flute from behind and blew a strange and piercing piece of music - he played it three times in total, with a half-quarter pause between sections.At the end of the song, Chi Lian noticed something shaking in the white reed.

The reeds are flying.Several rather spacious fishing boats dangled out from the reeds. The leading one was twenty feet long and twelve feet wide. There were several burly men standing on the boat. Although they were dressed like fishermen, their waists were mostly Hanging crossbows, quiver, and bronze broadsword, it is clearly a group of water thieves.Standing at the front was an old boatman with gray beard and hair, hunchbacked and wearing a coir raincoat behind him.He coughed a few times, then rushed to the shore and cupped his hands: "But friends from the west? Although some of them look familiar, there are still things you need."

The piper jumped down from the cart, tore the dangling copper fish from the hearse, and solemnly handed it over.

The old boatman took the copper fish and weighed it in his palm, then took out an identical copper fish from his bosom, and stuck the sides together—the copper fish fit together like a tiger talisman.He squinted his eyes and smiled, spread his fingers and pointed behind him and said, "Everyone, get on the boat."

The men on the boat helped them carry the wounded and coffins on the carriage to the boat.The fishing boat gradually sailed towards the middle of the river, and the old boatman said again: "Is the one on the shore also one of our people?"

Chi Lian looked in the direction of his finger—it was that guy Ge Nie.He followed them quietly in the second half of the night, and she almost forgot about his existence.At this moment, he put on the bamboo hat again, and stood on the top of several reeds, his body seemed to be as light as a gull and heron by the water.

Huo Mei frowned and said: "As expected, he is still following us. Don't let him jump on the boat."

"So it's the right one." The old boatman said with a chuckle, "Don't worry, Ma'am, this place is about forty or fifty steps away from the shore. As far as I know, there is no light function in the world that makes people jump so far in one go. Even if he can It doesn't matter if you are in the water, my sons are best at catching dragons in the water." He winked, and the big men on the boat all aimed at the people on the shore with their bows and arrows.

However, Gai Nie suddenly exerted force from his feet, and his body soared into the sky, jumping so high - Chi Lian was surprised and strange, the purpose of that person should be seeking "far" instead of "high"?Almost at the same time, the archers on the boat shot out their arrows one after another, but the arrows flew past Gai Nie's feet, causing him to use his strength on the shaft of the arrow to rush towards the boat!

Chi Lian cursed inwardly, so it turned out that this person had calculated that the people on the boat would shoot arrows as soon as he moved, and even used those arrows flying towards him as ladders in the air.In a blink of an eye, he had already jumped on top of them, and landed heavily on the coffin impartially.

Time almost stopped flowing at that moment.A dozen or so archers on the boat aimed their arrow clusters at him, at such a short distance, even a fool would not miss it.But they dare not move.

Gai Nie half-kneeled on the coffin lid, and inserted the half of Nine Death's sword body into the coffin for more than six inches.

Chi Lian covered his mouth and swallowed the scream.She could imagine that at this moment, the sharp cold blade was hanging on Wei Zhuang's chest, within a hair's breadth.

Ge Nie lowered his head and opened his mouth.

"If you believe in me, you should take back the bows and arrows in your hands, because I will never hurt him; if you don't believe me, you should take back the bows, because even if a thousand arrows go through Gai, he still has the strength to push this sword into the final stage." Bottom. Dare I ask you, do you want to give it a try?"

No one dared to make such an attempt.

The quicksand boats floated across the river carrying the people who caused them such a headache.

TBC