across the Quartet

Chapter Ten

The descendants of Guigu were relatively silent.The woods are filled with a wall of brotherhood, guarding against the silence of their insults.

Before setting off from Xinzheng, Gai Nie was actually a little secretly happy.He originally thought that if he joined hands vertically and horizontally, he would definitely be successful; but this time, he injured and disabled his own people before even touching the shadow of the enemy.Even the third-rate sects in Jianghu couldn't make jokes like this.

Wei Zhuang was actually laughing. "The sea of ​​qi in the dantian is empty, and it feels as light as a swallow."

"Xiao Zhuang, you—" Gai Nie was worried that his younger brother would become delirious due to the upheaval, but Wei Zhuang seemed very calm indeed. "Brother, don't worry, I've always suffered from seizures, lasting at most three to five days, and all symptoms will be cured; therefore, the loss of internal energy should only be temporary."

Gai Nie shook his head and sighed, "This so-called secret technique of Guigu Sect is really a bit..." He swallowed the word "deceitful" without saying anything.

Said: "Xiao Zhuang, I heard from my master before that some of the practice methods recorded in the secret arts are too overbearing, and the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. I'd better not practice it in the future."

"Guiguzi of all ages has used this volume as a basis to improve his cultivation; besides, the volume of secret arts was passed down to me by the master. What do you mean, could it be that the master intended to harm me?"

"No, it's not." Ge Nie hurriedly said, "But—"

"Actually, before this trip, I expected that it might happen in the near future." Wei Zhuang leaned against a tree, raised his jaw slightly, and had an air of control over everything on his face. "Over the years, I have been trying to figure out how to improve the internal strength of Guigu. Every time the true energy in my body is about to move abnormally, I will have a general premonition. However, there are a group of desperadoes in the quicksand. How can the leader of such an organization There is such a fatal weakness. Although this is a secret that only a few people in the quicksand know, even the closest and most trusted people may betray you at any time. Brother, do you still remember the last time you and I met in Korea? Did you see what happened?"

Gaine nodded.Back then when Xinzheng City was broken and Wei Zhuang led Quicksand to escape, when internal injuries occurred, the subordinates of a certain stronghold took the opportunity to rebel and almost caught the trap.This incident obviously gave Wei Zhuang a lot of excitement, making him more cautious and suspicious than before.

Wei Zhuang continued: "After that time, I thought of two countermeasures to cope with the matter: one is to pretend to have a seizure when it doesn't occur, and the other is to confuse the time of the real seizure. Falseness can not only test the loyalty of subordinates, but also make it impossible for those with unruly intentions to find the law of my illness; second, it is to stay away from quicksand when it really occurs, or retreat, or travel, so that none of them can find me. But in this way Your actions must have an excellent cover, so that no one will notice that I left to cover up my weakness. So senior brother, this time, you are simply a good excuse to come to your door."

Gai Nie was silent for a while, and took a deep breath. "Although I don't get along with quicksand often, in my opinion, your subordinates are very loyal to you; in order to eliminate potential threats for you, even if they risk their lives."

"Senior Brother, don't think of people's hearts too simply. My uncle Han Fei once said an interesting saying: 'If you make friends with others, you want them to be rich and honor; if a craftsman makes a coffin, you want them to die young. People are not benevolent, but craftsmen are thieves. If people are not valuable, they will not be sold; if people are not dead, coffins will not be bought.' People's desires have always been like this. Quicksand is loyal to me because of trust or fear of my strength, because Follow me to gain benefits and betray me will be punished. The so-called "the love of a minister does not necessarily mean that he can love his king, because of the great profit." Once I lose this strength and lose the authority of rewards and punishments, all Loyalty and reverence evaporate in an instant."

Gai Nie shook his head and said, "Perhaps it is generally the same, but there are always exceptions. At least Miss Chi Lian would never treat you like this..." Wei Zhuang gave him a sideways glance thoughtfully.Gai Nie quickly changed the topic: "Xiao Zhuang, you really have a thorough understanding of people's hearts. However, it is too tiring to always be wary of the people closest to you."

"Yes, Wei also knows that he is too thoughtful; the less he thinks, the more carefree he will be. Just like stupid people are naturally more likely to find fun than smart people. According to this, brother should be the happiest person in the world one?"

Ge Nie couldn't help smiling.But he paused, and said again: "We are going to deal with three different forces, and they are all people with sinister intentions; do you need to find a hidden place to rest for a few days and wait for your internal strength to recover; don't follow me Go forward."

Wei Zhuang's expression changed. "Brother, do you think Wei is a burden? Even if I lose all my internal strength, I have no less than ten ways to kill you, do you believe it or not?"

"..." Ge Nie thought to himself that even if you still had your internal strength, you might not be able to kill me, but he wisely refrained from speaking.The two stood in a stalemate for a while, then he sighed, took out something in the shape of a red bean from his bosom, handed it to Wei Zhuang and said, "You don't have internal energy to protect your body now, and the poisonous bug just now is dead, take this first." let's go."

"What is this?" Wei Zhuang asked after taking it and swallowing it in one gulp.

"The fruit of Shennongcao. When I left Guigu, I took some Shennongcao seeds with me; unfortunately, I have been serving in the army since then and have no chance to plant them. After entering Qin Dynasty, I often had free time, so I planted them at home in Xianyang. A few plants. This time I was ordered to protect Mr. Changping. I really can’t trust this person, so I brought a small bag of sun-dried Shennong grass with me, in case someone poisons the drinking water.”

Wei Zhuang nodded with satisfaction. "Brother, you really have improved." He looked up at the sky and asked, "Where do you plan to go next?"

Gai Nie said: "Just now we deduced that Lord Changping should have killed the group of killers who robbed him; but we don't know what action he will take next? If he has been killed by Wu Shen, then how can we find him?" It is also useless; but if he escapes, where will he go? I think there is a place that may be able to answer this question."

The younger brother looked at him, and they both said in unison: "Ying Chen."

Wei Zhuang showed a sneer. "Since he has betrayed Chu's assassin, only the soldiers of Qin can protect him."

"But Yingchen is the city of the Qin people. If you enter, I'm afraid it will be difficult to move—"

"I have my own way. What's more, what's more, it's more necessary for me to find out who is secretly colluding with Lord Changping; since Liusha cooperated with King Xiong of Chu, he naturally doesn't want to see other people being made kings. If Someone really conspired against the King of Chu, what kind of families are behind the scenes, and what is their strength? Only when this issue is clarified can Zhuang explain to his allies."

Seeing that Gai Nie couldn't persuade him to leave, he had no choice but to continue walking with his junior brother.The two found a way out from the forest, mounted their horses again, and rushed towards Chen Cheng.Before leaving, Gai Nie took out a few more fruits and leaves and handed them to Wei Zhuang to avoid accidents.

"Shen Nong Grass has four usages, do you know?" He didn't wait for his younger brother to reply, he said enthusiastically: "When planted in the soil, the leaves will close when they are poisoned; pick the stems and leaves and dry them, and when they come into contact with the poison, The color will turn black; taking the fruit can delay the onset of toxicity, and soaking the roots in water can detoxify and lax—"

"I don't fucking want to know!"

It was almost dusk when we arrived at the gate of Chen County.The setting sun was like blood, and there were two rows of Qin soldiers in armor standing under each city gate. Although they had been on duty for a day, everyone's faces were tired, but their posture was still upright.Wei Zhuang observed for a long time, and said to Gai Nie: "The investigation at the gate of Yingchen City may be less rigorous than that of Xinzheng, but now that you have not recovered from your internal injuries, if you use lightness kung fu to force a breakthrough, it will be difficult not to alarm the guards. How do you plan to mess it up?" go in?"

Gai Nie was puzzled and asked, "Why do you want to get in there?" As he said that, he dismounted and walked straight across the suspension bridge, walking directly under the west gate.Several Qin guards guarding the city gate saw him and exclaimed in unison: "Mr. Gai!"

Is it because of face?Wei Zhuang thought angrily.

The soldiers gathered together with their halberds in hand, and said one after another: "It's really Mr.... I heard that you are missing. The county captain even sent someone to draw a picture of you, and searched nearby—"

Gai Nieli said: "Because I was attacked by someone, I stayed outside for a few days. I have something urgent to see the county magistrate." He wanted to make an identity for Wei Zhuang, but when he turned around, his junior brother disappeared again.He must have sneaked into the city first while the guards were focused on Ge Nie.But at this moment, both of their skills are not in the state, so one is in the light and the other is in the dark, cooperating with each other is really excellent.

So Gai Nie didn't care too much, and walked to the county government office alone with two guard soldiers who led the way.After three days away, he felt that the atmosphere in the city was a bit strange. Even though it was evening, the street seemed to be covered with a layer of mist like a veil, and it was a bit choking to breathe.

"This weather..."

As soon as he opened his mouth, a guard rushed to answer: "In the past few days, farmers who are nesting outside the city are burning straw, and the wind is blowing here, and there is a dusty smell on the street all day long. Smoke. Really annoying."

Gai Nie nodded and continued to stride forward, his mind slowly turning.Assuming Lord Changping really came back here, how would he explain what happened to the defenders and officials in the city?It is only said that the hunting party was attacked by unknown assassins.But why didn't the city send a team of sergeants to investigate the location of the accident, at least to collect the bodies of the dead guards?Why did the county lieutenant order someone to search for the whereabouts of Gai Nie alone?

If Lord Changping was in the city right now, he knew that Gai Nie was not among the dead, and he specifically mentioned this to the officials of the Qin State, his intentions might be very vicious.But Gai Nie wanted to take a gamble at this time. The county magistrate and county lieutenant may not be completely on the side of Mr. Changping.The county magistrate of Chen County, surnamed Li, is from Shangcai. He has been the county magistrate here for three or four years.This person is proficient in government affairs and criminal laws, and it is said that he has some distant relatives with Li Si in Xianyang; but Ying Chen has an important position, and if he is not really shrewd and capable, he would not be sent here.The county lieutenant, surnamed Gongsun, was from Hexi, and was in charge of the military in and around the city.When Mr. Changping and his party first arrived in the city, although the officials were warm and welcoming, they still showed a little estrangement in their actions; that day Mr. Changping insisted on going out hunting, which they did not agree with.However, the title of Lord Changping is too high, and local officials can only be instructed by him.Now that several of King Qin's trusted guards died on this trip, the local officials must bear great responsibility from top to bottom after being investigated by the higher authorities.If they can't find the real culprit or anyone else who should be responsible for the crime, then Qin Lu's punishment knife may fall on their own heads.

Before he could think it through, he stepped into the county office.The two guards asked Gai Nie to wait in the hall and hurried inside to report.After a while, a man with the appearance of a scribe asked him to sit in the meeting hall for a while, saying that the county magistrate was playing chess with others in the courtyard behind the hall.Ge Nie noticed that the little official's expression was a bit unnatural, but he was quite sure to persuade the county magistrate, and because of his status in Qin, the local officials would not directly attack him, so he just nodded, Said that the matter was urgent, and wanted to wait directly in the courtyard.The little official didn't stop him either.

The courtyard behind the official office is square, with one end on a higher terrain and a gazebo built on the top of the slope; at this season, other plants and trees have withered, only a few rows of ancient cypresses planted against the wall are still lush and green.Gai Nie saw the county magistrate sitting in the pavilion with his back to him, his figure just blocking his opponent.He took a few steps forward, cupped his hands and called out, "Master Li."

At this moment, from the ancient cypress bushes on both sides, there was the sound of the machine being wound up in a uniform manner.The voice of Qin Nu was very familiar to Gai Nie.He couldn't help but secretly sighed that the internal injuries were worse than previously estimated, otherwise the servant would have noticed how many people were hiding nearby as soon as he stepped into the courtyard.

But on the other hand, he also felt the opponent's fear of him.

"My lord, what does this mean?"

"Gai Nie, you are so courageous; you failed to collude with the Chu people to attack your colleagues, and yet you dare to come back here." The chess player who was blocked by the county magistrate stood up with an angry expression on his face.When Gai Nie saw him, he immediately understood everything—this person was none other than Mr. Changping.

It seems that Xiao Zhuang's previous guesses about his various behaviors have turned from fiction to reality.

Gai Nie really didn't bother to pay attention to this person now, so he only said to the magistrate, "My lord has already learned the whole story of the hunting and assassination from Mr. Changping? Do you fully believe what Mr. Changping said? If this matter is really the result of my collusion with outsiders Why, why do you want to come back and throw yourself into the trap?"

The magistrate looked hesitant.Lord Changping snapped back and said: "It must be that you and your accomplices saw that Qi was not among the dead, so they made a special trip to plot the assassination!"

"Oh? If I want to kill you, I just need to hide in the city, and I will succeed sooner or later. Why do I need to show my face in front of people? It's unnecessary?"

"you!"

Gai Nie turned his head and said to the county magistrate: "During the trip, only Mr. Changping returned alone in a team of dozens of people. Don't you think it's strange? The reason why I came three days late is because I suffered an internal injury and was recuperating in a hidden place. ; But Mr. Changping didn't seem to be injured in any way, I don't know why?"

Lord Changping glared at him, and said loudly: "Absurd! If Qi colluded with the people of Chu, why did Qi come back? You have been missing for three days, but it is very suspicious. The hunting route is unknown to outsiders. If someone did not reveal the secret How would the enemy know where to lay an ambush?"

Gai Nie didn't expect that the suspicious points he found on Mr. Changping would be used by him in turn to criticize himself, and he couldn't help laughing. "Mr. Changping, don't you think that this reason for suspicion is more suitable for you? Everyone knows that Gai first voted for Zhao and then Qin, and he has no contact with Jingchu; and you are the blood of the king of Chu, the son of Chu. , I am afraid that there are still many Chu people who want to regard you as king."

Mr. Changping retreated an inch as if being pricked by a needle.But his attitude soon became tough again, and he sneered: "Why did the sword master evade it so cleanly? Others may not know it, but I know that you must have contacts with Chu people. Back then you recognized my identity in Zhao Guozhi, why? One of them is that I am similar in appearance to the current king of Chu. If you were not a guest of the king of Chu, how would you know this?"

Gai Nie's eyes froze, but he was speechless for a moment.Now he has figured it out, the story Changping Jun wove in front of the county magistrate and others is roughly like this: Chu Wang Xiangchu regards Changping Jun who moved to Chencheng as a serious problem, and he Gai Nie accepted a bribe from Chu State, Ordered to get rid of Mr. Changping—this matter is half true, so it is not easy to reveal flaws.However, Mr. Changping first designed to get rid of the accompanying guards of King Qin, and then silenced the killer who helped him. This kind of bizarre thing is hard to win people's trust.

His silence at this time is obviously more suspicious in the eyes of others.County Magistrate Li clapped his hands, and four soldiers brought a large animal cage from a hidden place in a cart. The railings were all made of cast iron, and only a small narrow door was left; he said to Gai Nie: "There are so many doubts about this matter. The county does not dare to arbitrarily determine the guilt of the husband, but has to temporarily ask the husband to rest for a few days. Li has sent people to send letters to Xianyang, Nanjun and other places, and within a few days There will definitely be a special envoy from the emperor to arrive. At that time, an expert will investigate the truth of the matter. If it is true that the husband has been wronged, Li will make a plea to the husband." He pretended to be calm, but the stiffness of his jaw could not help revealing a trace of tension.

Gai Nie's eyes turned back and forth on the county magistrate and Lord Changping, and then looked around at the crossbow arrows in the cypress bushes, causing the soldiers hiding behind the trees to shed a lot of cold sweat.The county magistrate himself swallowed, and hid his trembling fists in the large sleeves of his toga.

After all, the reputation of the Juggernaut is really terrible.

However, the bloody fight that many people expected did not appear.The Juggernaut actually bent down with his hands behind his back, got into the cage without saying a word, and let the soldiers lock him down heavily.The county magistrate breathed a sigh of relief, and said in an apologetic tone: "A few days ago, the county captured a lot of thieves, and the prisons in the city are full, so I have to wrong you, sir." Of course, even if ordinary prisons are not satisfied, he would Don't dare to lock Gai Nie inside.This iron cage was originally used by the nobles of the Chu state to house fierce tigers and giant bears, and it was made extremely strong.Only using this kind of thing to trap the Juggernaut can be reassuring.

into the night.It was quiet in the courtyard.There is a Qin soldier on duty at each corner of the iron cage in the middle.

Gai Nie stood in the cage with his hands behind his back. Although he was treated like this, there was no trace of anxiety or anger on his face.Suddenly he heard him groaning in a low voice: "Things have nature, and things have combination and separation. There are things that are close but not visible, and things that are far away can be seen."

The four guards couldn't help but sneak a few glances at him.But he immediately closed his eyes and said nothing, his clothes fluttered without any wind, as if he was cut off from the whole world.

The street separated from the courtyard by a wall is also dark and silent at this moment.

Wei Zhuang leaned against the fence, crossed his arms, and smiled "as I expected".He knew that Gai Nie was so obedient in the daytime because his internal injuries had not recovered. If he tried to fight the bow and crossbow at this time, although he could barely win, it would also expose his weakness. With the cunning of Lord Changping, he would definitely seize the opportunity Attack the enemy's weakness.However, Gai Nie did not boast of his identity and fully cooperated with the actions of the county magistrate, so that the soldiers and officials of Qin State lost the reason to kill him;And he can take advantage of this gap to heal slowly on his own.However, is Gai Nie's idea really waiting until Xianyang sends people to investigate the suspicious points of this matter?

No, he was waiting, but what he was waiting for was definitely not the special envoy who would arrive without knowing when.

"Senior brother is very elegant."

He murmured in a very small voice, and a thin vibration was immediately poured into his ears. "Xiao Zhuang, you are indeed here."

The first time Gai Nie talked to himself, he predicted that his junior brother would be nearby.Once Wei Zhuang opened his mouth to answer, he would be able to determine the location and use the method of "transmitting sound into secret" to send out the words alone.

"Senior brother, you finally regained some internal strength, why waste it on spreading the word." Wei Zhuang laughed softly. "Now, what are you going to do?"

Gai Nie sat down in the cage with his head lowered so that Qin Bing could not notice the movement of his cheek muscles. "Mr. Changping framed me, but it exposed his intentions. I couldn't figure out his purpose before, but now it seems that he just wants to protect himself. Qin is preparing for the battle against Chu. Considering that Lord Changping did not want to turn his back on Qin and surrender to Chu. But the King of Qin ordered him to move to Yingchen at this time. On the one hand, he was worried that he would be murdered by assassins sent by the King of Chu if he was too close to the border of Chu State. On the other hand, he was suspicious I received a secret order from the king of Qin, which is called protection but actually surveillance. Once we find that he has suspicious behaviors close to the motherland, we will kill him immediately. He colluded with the killer of Chu State just to get rid of us, and then push the matter to me In this way, he can not only get rid of the control of the King of Qin, but also gain a foothold in Chencheng, relying on the army of the Qin State to protect himself. The most critical point of his plan is that no one of the guards can bring the news back to Xianyang; it is a pity To deal with me, he was not sure of killing, so he deliberately let the assassin of Chu State carry Xinzheng's entry and exit certificate on his body, and lead me to Xinzheng. At the same time, he asked someone to search for my whereabouts with a graphic, in case I did not fall into the trick and go to Zheng Instead, he returned to Chen, and he could arrange in advance and order the county magistrate and others to trap me. If I can find evidence of his collusion with the assassin of Chu State, such as letters and other things, I don’t have to entangle with him, just take the As long as the evidence is returned to Xianyang, he will be able to report to the King of Qin. However, this person is so shrewd, this matter must not be easy."

"Brother, you talk a lot of nonsense. Just say what you want me to do."

"I do want to ask you to do something."

"Oh? Do you want to get out of the cage?"

Wei Zhuang raised the five fingers of his right hand to his eyes, clenched his fist and released it.If the internal strength is still there, he can twist those iron bars like straw ropes with his bare hands.But now, we can only use some more ingenious methods.Unexpectedly, this sense of powerlessness being restrained everywhere made him try a different kind of excitement.

"No. It's another one. In the morning, the county magistrate's unintentional action reminded me. Mr. Changping also had a jade ring hanging on his waist. He probably only got it in recent years, and he didn’t have it when he was in Zhao State. But he always wore it on the journey from Xianyang to Chencheng, and never took it off; it was also on the day of hunting. But when we met again today, I found that the piece of jade was missing. gone."

"Do you think that jade is strange?"

"I'm just guessing randomly. Mr. Changping lived in Qin State for a long time, so not many people in Chu State would recognize his appearance; the usefulness of the portrait is really limited. And if he wants to contact the killer here, he must have a reliable talisman token in his hand. The ghost car is exactly the nine-headed divine bird worshiped by Chu people. I remember that only eight heads were engraved on Changping Jun’s jade ring; the missing head, judging from the pattern, should have been carved in the gap of the jade ring. "

"Senior brother has sharp eyes." Wei Zhuang said, "This kind of jade carving sounds really suitable for some kind of proof, like a tiger charm; the person who makes a contract with Mr. Changping must hold the missing piece of the jade ring in his hand." For a period of time, when we meet, we must strictly put together the glyphs to prove the identities of both parties."

"That's right. So it's best to search the residence of Mr. Changping carefully. If you find this piece of jade, you can steal it for inspection; if you can't find it, it can also prove that Mr. Changping deliberately discarded the jade after he was assassinated." , this action must have a deep meaning. But I don’t know that with your current skill—”

"Small things."

Wei Zhuang replied, looking beyond the wall to the many houses in front of the courtyard.After entering the city, he put Gai Nie aside and made many arrangements.But the whole plan may not unfold as he expected, because in this round, there are at least two "uncertain" people who make him afraid, like two uncontrollable chess pieces.One is that Wu Shen who doesn't know where he is.He was very sure that killing Lord Changping was a task entrusted to Wu Shen by the King of Chu, but he hadn't finished it yet.After Wu Shen lost his prey in the forest, did he know where to go?If he had already entered the city, would he risk a battle with many Qin soldiers and go deep into the government office to take people's lives?And is the intention of the voodoo formation he left in the woods consistent with what he guessed?Thinking of this, Wei Zhuang couldn't help taking out the hollow wooden box from his sleeve, holding it up to his eyes for a closer look.The blood-stalking beetle was fed the animal blood in the forest by him yesterday, and it was very quiet at the moment.

Gai Nie noticed that the aura of his junior brother had disappeared.He sat cross-legged in the cage and waited for an unknown amount of time. During this period, everything in the county office was as usual, and there was no movement.It can be seen that no matter what Wei Zhuang did, he did it covertly enough to not alarm anyone.

It is worthy of being the famous quicksand assassination group; and it is really rare that I can work for its leader to go out in person.Ge Nie thought wildly—I heard that the price of hiring Quicksand to do something is extremely high. If there is no such relationship as the same family, he probably cannot afford to hire him based on his salary alone.

Suddenly, he heard many light footsteps a few streets away.If he hadn't been injured, he should have noticed these movements a moment ago.Those who came were obviously well-trained masters, and they moved in an orderly manner, but they were not wearing armor, which showed that they were definitely not Qin soldiers in the city.At this time, Wei Zhuang's voice came again.

"Brother, we are in trouble."

Ge Nie frowned. "Who is here?"

"There are people from all over the world. Although good and evil are mixed, there are quite a few masters. Perhaps, all the sages gathered together to see the demeanor of the sword master in the cage." Wei Zhuang sneered, and then lowered his voice extremely low. "Leave this matter to me. No matter what I say or do in the future, you must not make a sound or act rashly. Otherwise, you and I may have to confess here tonight."

"But..." Gai Nie wanted to talk about his inner strength, but there was something in his junior's voice that made him think it would be better not to mention it.No one understands Wei Zhuang's essence better than him - although most of the time he is proficient in calculating gains and losses, making trade-offs, even to the point of being cruel, there is still a madness in Wei Zhuang's bones.In some special occasions, in order to get something or prove something, he can ignore his life at all.This stubbornness of calmness and madness is not inferior to Ge Nie.

"Brother, do you believe me?"

Ge Nie stretched out his hands and clenched into fists on the iron bars of the cage.

"I believe."

TBC