Alternative Jianghu Adventures

It's the rainy season.

Since Xiangguo communicated with foreign enemies to seize power 15 years ago, the southern barbarians, Xirong and Beidi have rushed straight in. In the past 15 years, Xiangguo Lu Kun led the young emperor to suppress the opposition forces in the 42 counties of Kyushu, and on the other hand, he also tried his best to prevent foreign enemies from further endangering the regime.

After 15 years of wars and turmoil, with increasingly heavy levies and miscellaneous taxes, the Nanman was barely suppressed, but the disbanded Xirong and Beidi formed a group of forces in the northwest border, ready to take the opportunity to enter at any time.

However, another continent across the sea to the east has made a lot of war fortune by taking advantage of the civil strife in Kyushu in recent years.There is an endless stream of merchants coming and going, seeing the emptiness in Kyushu. Recently, pirates and Japanese pirates have also mixed in the caravans and burned, killed and robbed from time to time.

Looking around, the entire 42 counties of Kyushu, a little more stable is the calm south and central hinterland.

And Qingzhou, which is adjacent to the Wuhe River, has also become the largest gathering place in the south, and it can be said to be a safe haven in troubled times.

"Damn!" Xia Yun put Shiliu in front of him, put his hands through Shiliu's waist and tightened his grip on the reins. Even though they were both wearing bamboo hats, the sudden rainstorm still drenched both of them. Drenched chicken.

"What a messy safe haven! I'm going to his uncle's Xanadu!" Xia Yun said angrily, "Go on the road well, this rain will come when you say it! This damn rainy season!"

She recalled the Dancing River that she had just crossed by renting a boat—the legendary river like the silk of the Milky Way, so named because it looked like a graceful woman in the sun—at this time, it instantly turned into a water dragon in the storm, mixed with Endless anger roared at those who tried to cross the river.Almost swallowed the two of them in the river.

Sixteen sighed, "Actually, we can stay in the station for a few more days, why do you insist on crossing the river in this weather?"

"I'll go! Staying for a few more days won't cost any money!" As soon as Qian Xiayun's voice was mentioned, he raised his voice a few degrees, "You don't feel sorry for me, but I do! Besides, the rainy season will fall again indefinitely. Come down, the south is such an annoyance, if you wait until the weather clears, you may have to wait for three months like last year if you are unlucky, I don’t have the time to spare, I have to wait for you.”

sixteen:"……"

It was her misfortune to meet a dead poor man.

Shiliu sighed again in his heart. After the two reached an agreement that night, Xia Yun immediately changed his face and snatched the 3000 taels of silver from her.

"Didn't it mean... the money will be yours after three months?"

Shiliu still remembers Xia Yun's swearing tone when facing her questioning in a low voice, "I said follow the rules, but I didn't say the rules of following the right path. Who told you that you didn't make it clear beforehand? Let's go black and eat black, and give money first. , delivery later, understand?"

So Xia Yun snatched all the fragments of money left on Shiliu, and now she had to bow her head under the eaves, even if she was 12 unwilling, she had to follow Xia Yun to cross the river in this damn weather.

However, Xia Yun still has a bit of conscience after all, and actually abided by the agreement of Hu Shiliu for three months. After some consideration, he put a tael of silver on Shiliu with a painful face, saying that it was just in case he got separated. , anyway, not starving to death in a short time.

"It's your luck to meet someone like me who is so benevolent and righteous." Xia Yun said earnestly when he handed over a tael of silver to Shiliu.

sixteen:"……"

That's true, thank you.

"Here we are." Xia Yun's voice above his head brought Shiliu back to reality. The horse they were riding on snorted, its front hooves were raised high in the air and it stopped suddenly.

Qingzhou.

In front of it is a tall dark brown city wall, and the square stones are neatly engraved with the three characters of Qingzhou City in a thin gold body with the blade dipped in ink.After being washed by the rain, it became even more stern and majestic. Shiliu raised his neck slightly, but he couldn't see the edge of the wall all at once.

Xia Yun patted Shiliu on the head, and said angrily, "What are you looking at! The bamboo hat on your head has poked me, lower your head for me!"

The two rode together on the same horse, Xia Yun was holding the reins behind, and was a head taller than Shiliu.As soon as Shiliu moved, the bamboo hat on his head was like a horizontal wooden sword, poking at Xia Yun's shoulder.

Xia Yun got off the horse with Shiliu and stood in the crowd waiting to join the group.

Even in this kind of weather, the profit-seeking merchants and the refugees who have been traveling for a long time still converged into a huge crowd, providing a steady stream of popularity for this city.

Although the major cities were not closed after the war, they were much more under martial law than usual, and all people coming and going were subjected to body searches and spot checks.

Xia Yunbai waited boredly for the team to take her turn. Seeing the rainstorm dwindle until it stopped, and finally reached the verge of swearing, she suddenly saw three soldiers coming out of the city with a few pieces of paper. Caused a commotion.

The naturally restless factor prompted her to stand on tiptoe and try to find out—fortunately, she was almost at the door now, so there was no need to leave the line and start over again.

With the paste in their hands, the soldiers brushed the back of the paper two or three times, and stuck it on the wall that could not be drenched by the rain with a snap, and pasted several sheets in one go.

"Cut, notice." Xia Yun curled his lips, "It's boring... hey, right!"

Xia Yun suddenly patted Shiliu on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Sixteen, can you read?"

"I learned a little with Miss when I was young." After Shiliu nodded in a daze, Xia Yun pushed him in front of the notice and almost fell down. "Come on, come on, read to my sister what is written on it?"

Originally, things like reading and writing were a lot of money for ordinary people. After the troubled times, it was something that they would never even think about. Go to school?

Only wealthy businessmen and dignitaries would allow their clansmen to learn this kind of thing.

"... A reward is offered... The main criminal Li Goudan (?) is a refugee who entered the city on the [-]th day of the first lunar month. He has lived in the Polongwang Temple in the north of the city for a long time. He lives by begging and stealing. He was arrested and imprisoned in February. The three guards escaped and released the rest of the prisoners...their appearance is shown in the picture, I hope you all will offer a reward regardless of whether you live or die..."

"A penny!" Xia Yun suddenly took the last words.

Shiliu was startled and confused, "Aren't you illiterate?"

"Well, I don't know anything else, but I still need to know money and numbers." Xia Yun blinked, as if falling into Qian's eyes, rubbed Shiliu's face, and praised and smiled like a child, "Oh my goodness Ah, Shiliu is really powerful, let my sister pinch it."

sixteen:"……"

Even though both of them are 22 years old, is it because she is relatively short that Xia Yun often treats her like a child?

I was so tired, I really wanted to grab the money back and walk away.

Sixteen weighed his own strength in his heart, and felt that he could not beat Xia Yun no matter what, so he gave up helplessly.

"Let's go, let's accompany my sister into the city, and buy you delicious food when I enter the city." Xia Yun grabbed Shiliu's arm and held her fingers like a familiar one.

It was their turn in the team, Xia Yun showed a big smile to the soldiers guarding the gate, quietly handed over the three pieces of silver in the other hand, and bared his white teeth, "Brother, go back and buy wine to warm your body. It's not easy in the new year, don't freeze... Well, my sister and I went to the city to find a relative

The sender of the letter will leave in a while, so, no need to register? "

The soldier guarding the gate was also Menerqing. When he saw the two little girls, he felt that there was nothing wrong with them. The other party was so kind, so he turned a blind eye and waved his hand, "Go in."

Xia Yun nodded and bowed and almost didn't kowtow to the soldiers guarding the gate three times. While the country bumpkin entered the city, he was 12 curious about everything next to him, and at the same time he took Shiliu to the main street with seemingly inadvertent turns. In front of a pawn shop.

Strange to say, this pawn shop is unremarkable even though it is on the main street. At first glance, it is very easy to ignore it, thinking it is just an ordinary private house.

"Well, you wait for me at the door, and I'll come as soon as I go." Xia Yun told Shiliu to stand at the door of the pawn shop, and said with a smile, "Don't just leave, I don't care if you are kidnapped."

As he spoke, he turned around and strode into the pawn shop.

"Hey! Shopkeeper Qian! Young master, I have come back alive! Still not coming out?"

"Hey, look who's here, it's Xiao Xia, the poor ghost," a fat man showed his face from behind the counter, with a simple and honest look, but there was unspeakable treachery in his eyes, he pushed open the small door beside him, He greeted the clerk, "Xiao Zhuo, come and watch the store for me."

Talking about the tacit understanding with Xia Yun, he entered the small door and entered the underground warehouse of the pawn shop.

Shopkeeper Qian found a small box among hundreds of cabinets with ease, and held it in his hand, "Have you brought the ransom?"

Xia Yun took out a 1000 tael silver bill that he had snatched from Shiliu from his bosom, slapped it on the hand of shopkeeper Qian, took the box back, and opened it while muttering, "That's right, I'm rich now, my lord." people."

"Hmph, every time I do a task without the principal, I take this broken sign as my place. I really think my place is a shelter." Shopkeeper Qian was a little annoyed.

"Didn't I redeem it every time?" Xia Yun asked indifferently.

Take out a square plate the size of a copper coin from the box. The material is wood but not wood, iron but not iron. It is made of extremely rare cinnabar. Once practiced by the master's blood, it can be deformed arbitrarily, and even attached to human skin, like a tattoo, harder than armor!

Xia Yun smiled and tattooed the brand on his left wrist, and there was a knife scar that circled half a circle from left to right on the left wrist. It could be seen that it was an old wound, but the hideous scar was How awkward it would be to appear on a sunny girl.

Just like the oblique cross-shaped sword mark on her forehead, people dare not think deeply about the story behind it.

A string of uppercase numbers suddenly floated on the surface, one thousand eight twenty four.

"That little girl of yours is just staying outside like this? Don't worry?" Shopkeeper Qian raised two mustaches.

"Sixteen?" Xia Yun tilted his head, briefly described the process of the two meeting, and said with a smile, "There is no disguise, the face is covered with real leather, and the hands are covered with

It is unclear whether the cocoon is caused by work or practice. "

Thinking about the feeling of "accidentally" pinching sixteen faces and the tactile sensation when the two of them held their fingers together, she affirmed, "I've been observing for a while. After all,

In this world, there are very few other people whose lightness ability surpasses mine. That young lady died so suddenly, even her blood was hot, it was impossible to go out to chase her without a trace. "

"Come on." Shopkeeper Qian couldn't help laughing, "It's just you? Xia Yun, who is ranked No. 820, [-], and [-]th on the Shenyuan Pavilion Assassin List? Few people can surpass him with lightness skills... If you want to talk about the number one tree, I would fall Believe me, you—forget it.”

"Cut!" Xia Yun rolled his eyes, "Believe it or not, anyway, let me see, what exactly does this little girl want to do?"

"I said you are really interesting. You know that he has no good intentions, but you still keep him by your side. According to your temper, shouldn't you grab the silver ticket and run away?"

Xia Yun made a grimace, "Isn't this in a good mood!"

Who called, who called Shiliu to say that she was born on the [-]th day of the first lunar month?

There is also a strange sense of familiarity with her young lady when we first met... Although she, Xia Yun, can be sure that the young lady is indeed dead, and there is absolutely no such thing as a so-called civet cat for the prince, but she always feels that something is wrong. That's right.

In this case, you want to run away intellectually, but you can't do without emotionally.

Shopkeeper Qian knew that if Xia Yun really didn't want people to know what she wanted to do, no one would be able to knock out half a word from her mouth full of integrity, so he didn't ask any more questions, just told, "You Be careful."

"Shopkeeper, I've completed this mission too, should I be rewarded?" Xia Yun casually changed the subject, took out a blood-stained cloth bag from his bosom, and threw it in front of Shopkeeper Qian, "263 No. [-] mission, to take the head of Majiazhuang's third head... Well, the head is not easy to carry, so I can dig out the eyeballs, right?"

The pawnshop in Qingzhou City is actually a stronghold of Shen Yuange in the local area. The pawnshop is also a bank business, and because of the huge amount of silver in circulation, it just provides a natural gathering point for the assassins who hand over their missions.On the surface, there are constant transactions, but secretly, there are turbulent transactions.

"That's fine." Shopkeeper Qian nodded, still smiling, and took out 50 taels of silver, "If you kill the third leader of the bandit den, you can do it. Fortunately, the people behind this mission have a lot of money. I said, this person is not even worth 20 taels of silver."

The corner of Xia Yun's mouth twitched, "That's why I picked it up!"

She took the silver and scanned the rows of shelves with her eyes. Some of the shelves in each row were regular storage goods, while others were sheets of paper with clearly marked prices.

"Here is a task that I think is quite suitable for you." Shopkeeper Qian took out a piece of paper from a shelf beside it and handed it to Xia Yun, understanding that she could not read, explained, "It's here in Qingzhou City, where the Dragon King in the north of the city A few acres of fertile land next to the temple was seized by the Wang family, and the Wang family is a relative of the prefect of Qingzhou City, so no one cares about it. There is a reward, whoever takes the life of the head of the Wang family will offer 100 taels."

"...so little?" Xia Yun curled her lips and exaggerated, "That's the head of a big family! 100 taels, the life of the head is so worthless?!"

"The 100 taels were put together by the people whose land had been invaded, one copper coin at a time." Shopkeeper Qian said in a serious voice, "This is already their limit."

Xia Yun was silent for a while, then snorted, and said impatiently, "Cheng Chengcheng, 100 taels is money, anyway, this kind of person is not a person in the world, but he is easy to kill. If you don't kill it, you don't kill it."

After finishing speaking, he grabbed the piece of paper from the shopkeeper Qian, went up without looking back, and complained in his mouth, "ah, I'm so poor, why can't there be a rich man? Why why? Ahhh!"

Xia Yun was muttering about having no money, when he went out, he saw Shiliu holding two bunches of candied haws and eating them with relish, his face turned dark immediately.

"I remember I told you again not to waste money?"

Shiliu nodded in bewilderment, then glanced at the candied haws, wondering, "But this... just cost two dongs..."

"What? Two pennies?!" Xia Yun was heartbroken, "These two are at most five coppers! You pay two pennies! You were cheated, do you understand!!!"

"Eh?" Sixteen smiled embarrassedly.

"Smile, smile! I'm laughing at you big-headed ghost!" Xia Yun nodded sixteen's forehead with hatred, "Your lady is ignorant of world affairs, don't you know that firewood, rice, oil and salt are expensive?"

The little girl Shiliu who was taken out by the miss for the first time in her life shook her head honestly. She was not a servant in charge of purchasing in the mansion. , Going out is what others say, and everything is paid to open the way. Neither the master nor the servant thinks there is anything wrong with it.

Looking at Shiliu's innocent eyes, Xia Yun's breath was stuffy in his chest, and finally turned into a sigh, "Okay, have a snack next time, do you hear me?"

Sixteen nodded, handed the candied haws in the other hand to Xia Yun, smiled warmly, "Do you want it?"

For a moment, Xia Yun was in a daze, and Shiliu's voice seemed to coincide with the one in his memory——

***

"Hey! I brought it for you, let's go!" Xiao Xiayun climbed over the high wall, and threw the oiled paper bag into the arms of Xiao Baozi in the courtyard, just right in Yue'er's hand.

Yue'er happily opened the oiled paper bag, the candied haws inside had melted a bit and stuck together, she struggled to separate one and held it in her mouth, and handed the other to Xia Yun who had just turned over from the wall, soft and sticky said, "Do you want it?"

The author has something to say: ah...it was supposed to be released on Monday, but it turned out to be unexpectedly busy...today I desperately present this chapter...the next update...probably...in two or three days...

PS: I don’t know why this chapter is always blocked... I think I didn’t write anything, it’s a strange thing