different paths

"It seems that your counterfeit has been very busy recently." Jia Wujue stood in front of the bulletin board and folded his arms and said, "Nearly ten wealthy families under the Xiaozhou Mansion were unfortunately picked."

Yan Qixiang frowned slightly: "I seem to have an ominous premonition."

"Oh?"

"The matter of Xiaozhou Mansion is probably just the beginning."

Jia Wuba looked at him sideways: "Did you offend someone recently? Or did you owe something?"

"Debt?" Yan Qixiang frowned and smiled, "Yan has only owed love debts in his life, but creditors can't do such a thing."

"That's weird..." Jia Wuyu stroked his chin and glanced at the bulletin board, "Maybe we should start with that mask."

Although the mask on the notice is only outlined with ink, it is enough to describe its unique style.The mask has four layers and nine heads, and there are nine small skulls in the middle of each layer, with protruding black eyes and big mouths, which is terrifying.

"There are tens of thousands of mask craftsmen in this world, how can we find out?"

"I have my own way." Jia Wujue patted his chest and said, "But you have to pay for tonight's board and lodging."

"What's so difficult about it?" Yan Qixiang said lightly, "As long as you want, you can choose the food, food and room in Yizhichunzhong." Then, he glanced at Jia Wucha with a smile, and added, "Of course, beauties of all colors are also welcome. It's up to you to choose."

"Wu Fu Xiao received the beauty's grace, thank you for your love." Throwing these words, Jia Wujue ran away without a trace.

Yan Qixiang looked at his back, smiled and shook her head, her eyes fell on the bulletin board again, and sighed softly: "Bitter, bitter..."

In the evening, Yuncheng was very lively. The waiters in restaurants of all sizes shouted loudly, and the diners chatted freely. At this moment, the exhaustion of the day was finally released.The restaurant was full of guests, and there was a long queue in front of the stall.Walking on the street full of people, Jia Wujue took a deep breath with great satisfaction. The aromas of various foods mixed together, rushing into his nostrils and immersing in his lungs, making him involuntarily feel happy.

He looked left and right, and finally stopped in front of a small stall selling sweet potatoes.Unlike other vendors who warmly welcome customers, this one is completely at your own discretion.The stall owner was lying on a rocking chair, his face covered by a tattered big straw hat, as if he had fallen asleep.On the stove in front of him, there was only one sweet potato, the skin of which was scorched.I am afraid that it is the casual attitude of the stall owner that makes customers rarely patronize.The stalls near him were full of customers, but his family was alone, and no one came to the door for a long time.

Jia Wukai went to the stove, without saying hello to the store owner, he just picked up the sweet potato and gnawed it.

"It doesn't look very good, but it tastes good." After eating half of it, Jia Wuchai wiped his mouth and commented.

"Extreme delicacy, only those who are destined can taste it." An old voice came from behind the straw hat, and it turned out that the stall owner was awake.

"It's really not easy to be your predestined relationship with the boss." Jia Wu bullied the ugly half of a sweet potato in his hand, walked to the side of the stall owner, and sat down.

A line of sight came out from the gap in the straw hat, lingering on Jia Wuba's face.

"How, are you still satisfied with this face?"

Apparently Jia Wuhai's face was not to the stall owner's liking, and the stall owner was very disinterested and said, "Why is it you again!" As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and put the slipped straw hat on his face again, really not wanting to The appearance of seeing people.

"Who told me that I can always find you?" Jia Wujue shrugged his shoulders and said, "I encountered a little trouble recently, and I just wanted to ask you for advice, but I didn't expect you to be here."

The stall raised a finger in a disinterested manner, but did not speak.

Jia Wuyu said to himself, "I know, as usual, you can only ask one question."

Rotten straw hats, old rules, this man who sells sweet potatoes like Jiang Taigong fishing is a fortune teller.Seeing Jia Wuchao being so self-conscious, Bu Shuanzi finally became more talkative, and a lazy voice came from under the straw hat: "Where's the little brother with the bead on his forehead last time?"

"It was snatched away by someone." Jia Wuju said calmly, his eyes moved.

"Nothing." Bu Suanzi snorted coldly, "It's a waste of money for such a good forehead pearl to follow you."

"Are you interested in his face or his person?" Jia Wuju muttered.

Bu Suanzi turned one finger into two: "It's both. But," his tone changed, full of bewilderment, "I can see all directions, little old man. If you want to know the whereabouts of that little brother, The little old man will naturally be able to find out."

"Don't bother your Excellency, this opportunity is only one time, there is an urgent matter to be done right now, so why waste it." Jia Wuhua paused, and then said, "Besides, he is a living person, I still don't believe that I can't find him. "

"Looking back suddenly, that person is—" Bu Suanzi sang a half-sentenced poem, then changed the subject and asked directly, "Are you here for the mask on the bulletin board?"

Jia Wuchao nodded.

"The little old man was surprised when he saw the notice." Bu Suanzi said slowly, "I never imagined that someone would use your inferior face."

"Thank you for the compliment." Jia Wujue said in a bad mood, "Copy my mask and put it aside first. Do you have any idea about the weird mask that the flower picker wore when committing crimes?"

Bu Shuanzi cleared his throat: "You have to think about it, if this is your problem, it cannot be changed."

When Jia Wuchai heard this, he knew that he must know the origin of the mask, so he brows happily and nodded emphatically.

"Poor that beautiful bead on the forehead..." Bu Suanzi sighed pretentiously, and then said, "The flower picker wore a mask for the Nuo dance."

Jia Wuju is no stranger to Nuo opera.In order to exorcise Najib, avoid disasters and pray for blessings, the imperial court regularly organizes the palace Nuo, and there are also many kinds of Nuo events among the people.Nuo opera pays attention to the use of objects to carry spirits. Although the customs vary from place to place, there are masks with unique shapes on the Nuo altar to act as god-like objects.The more common masks such as Erlangshen and Liu Guanzhang masks have been seen by Jia Wujue in social dramas, but this is the first time he has seen the four-layered and nine-headed Nuo mask.

"This mask is called Zhang Song. It is the mask worn during the Zhang Song dance in the temple. This kind of Nuo opera is also called 'jumping'. Zhang Song often holds a sacred umbrella, bow and arrow, and leads the dragon, tiger, bear and bull to dance together. , to drive out the demons."

"If it's Nuo in the temple, many people should have seen it when the grand ceremony was held in the Imperial Temple." Jia Wuchai said doubtfully.

"It has happened before, but it's just an old dream from the previous dynasty..." Bu Shuanzi said with a vicissitudes of life, "As the new emperor ascends the throne, naturally he will not rehearse the Nuo drama that the royal family loved to watch."

It's the previous dynasty again.

The matter of the Yue King's Excalibur originated from the previous dynasty, the Liufan Buddha was built in the previous dynasty, and the mutton fat jade bottle was also a gift from the previous dynasty, and now the nine-headed chapter song seems to be related to the previous dynasty.

Is it all just a coincidence?

"Since it can't appear in the palace Nuo, can someone still make this Nuo face now?" Jia Wuju asked.

But Bu Suanzi waggled a finger: "Ask one question at a time, no bargaining will be made."

Jia Wuchai didn't get an answer, but he patted the dust and stood up indifferently: "It's okay if you don't tell me, there are many imperial merchants in this city, and the Royal Craftsmanship is set to have a branch here, just ask." , He stretched out his hand and waved it back, and left the sweet potato stand without looking back.

The craftsman's office is at the entrance of Dongjie Lane. It was getting late, and a young man was carrying a long door panel and was about to close the door.The guy was really not tall, but the door was long and thick. He stumbled, and when he was about to fall, a hand suddenly appeared behind him, helping him regain his balance.

The boy turned his head gratefully, and saw a young man who was about his age, said with a smile, "Be careful." The boy hurriedly wanted to thank him, but Jia Wuchai waved his hand to help him install the door panel, and then asked Said: "I don't know if this is the craftsman's office in Xiaozhou?"

"Exactly." The young man responded repeatedly, "Does the guest officer have an order to pick up?" A regretful expression appeared on his face, "Unfortunately, all the managers in the store have gone home. If the guest officer needs it urgently , you might as well leave your name, the opening will open tomorrow morning, and the young one will tell the steward."

"I'm not here to pick up the goods, but I'm looking for someone." Jia Wuchai fished out in his arms, and handed the rubbed nine-headed Nuomian portrait to the boy, "Do you know who the craftsmen in this shop are?" Can you make this kind of Nuo noodles?"

The young man stared at the portrait carefully: "Nowadays, everyone prefers Nuo noodles like Empress Houtu. Few people ask for Nuo noodles like this Rakshasa, and not many people know how to make them. There was a lady in the store earlier. The master surnamed Wang was good at making this kind of Nuo noodles when he was young, but he is too old to come to the shop a long time ago."

"Do you know where Mr. Wang lives?"

After thinking for a while, the young man shook his head: "He seems to have changed his residence several times, and I don't know where he lives now." He paused for a moment, as if he was trying to remember, and finally his eyes lit up, "But the steward He once said that Master Wang likes to drink a few sips when he is free, and he often goes to Wangchao Restaurant, saying that the Futou wine there is the most authentic."

Upon hearing this, Jia Wuchai thanked the boy with his hand, and made up his mind to go to Wangchao Restaurant to try his luck tomorrow.

tick, tick,

It's like the sound of water droplets, and it seems that the agility of the water is missing, and it's a little more heavy——

That was the sound of blood dripping.

A pair of feet on soap boots walked in with the pattering sound.The lights here are dim, the air is gloomy and cold, and all kinds of instruments of torture are hung on the surrounding stone walls. Two people covered in blood lie behind the iron bars, dying.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, one of them opened his blood-stained lips, and said in a hoarse voice: "I want to see Lord Solu, I'll call, I'll call all of them—"

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by a chuckle. The snow-white soles appeared in front of his eyes, and a cheerful voice came from above his head: "Recruit? Boss Fang, what are you planning to recruit?"

When Fang Pojia heard this voice, he was taken aback for a moment, and slowly raised his head in fear - on the brocade robe, embroidered with a snake covered in scales, flew into the top of the cloud, with its bloody mouth wide open, revealing Sharp fangs and bright red poison letter.Further up, an innocent face appeared in front of him with a full smile.

Fang Pojia seemed to have seen a ghost, regardless of the serious injury on his body, even if he crawled on the ground, he had to crawl farther, as if he didn't want to stay in front of this person for a moment.

There was a trace of grievance on the visitor's face: "Mr. Fang, why are you ignoring me? Didn't you just recruit?"

"Xue Zhanyi, why did you appear here..." Fang Pojia leaned against the cold stone wall in despair, his hoarse voice was barely audible.

"Since Chief Escort Fang has something to say, as a member of Yuqiansi, I naturally want to listen carefully." Xue Zhanyi curled his mouth, showing a regretful expression, "But it seems that compared to me, Chief Escort Fang The one I want to see more is Master Suo Luzheng."

As he spoke, he took a few steps forward, stretched out his toes, and kicked another unconscious prisoner on the chin.He kicked that person's face to one side, and his messy hair fell to one side, finally revealing some of his true colors, it turned out to be Zhang Qiuzhi.After being tossed like this, Zhang Qiu seemed to have regained some consciousness, and his breath became heavier.

Xue Zhanyi "tsk tsk" twice, not without regret, said: "It turns out that Zhang Daxia is not dead yet."

"How could you and Lord Solu—" Fang Pojia heard his words, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"How could we be together?" Xue Zhanyi took his words and said with a slight smile, "Boss Fang's words are wrong. There are two divisions in the Yuqian Division. Although Suo Luzheng and I are in the same division, we are in the same division. Each belongs to its own department. To put it nicely, each performs its duties, but actually," he said, his smile became brighter, "I wish I could put the other party to death. Therefore, the people Suo Luzheng wants to protect, Of course I can't let him live. What's more—" He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clearly expressed.

When Fang Pojia heard it, his originally dull eyes became even more hollow, as if he had already foreseen his own end.