Become a cat [Zhan Zhao]

The sky was getting hotter and hotter. When A Lan walked all the way outside the city, the sun was already in the sky, and even the wind was carrying a sense of dryness and heat.Most of the pedestrians on this road are farmers from nearby cities, and there are also groups of merchants, but there is no single girl like A Lan.Therefore, when Ah Lan walked towards the gate of the city on the hot ground with a long stick on her back, there would always be people staring at her for a long time, some eyes were just curious, but some eyes were not kind.

But Alan was not afraid.She walked towards the tall city gate calmly and unhurriedly. If someone looked at her for too long, she would stare back unceremoniously.The name of the city should be written on the horizontal plaque on the city gate, but when Alan looked up, he realized that he didn't know those two words.Moreover, although the local conditions and customs of this place are similar to those of the Central Plains, it is not any place that Alan knows.

But no matter what, she still strode into the city.

It's quite lively here. Although there are people coming and going at the gate of the city, but going deep into the city along the main street, it doesn't show any sense of bleakness and desertedness.Alan saw many local residents chatting in groups on the street, sometimes beside a tall plane tree, sometimes under the awning in front of a certain tea house.There are also inns, wine shops, restaurants, and all kinds of dim sum shops, grocery stores and jewelry shops here. It can be said that although its prosperity is not as prosperous as that of Bianliang in Tokyo, it is far beyond that of ordinary towns.

Alan recalled what the general said, the dream here was jointly constructed by all the people who entered the 'sea of ​​fire'.So whose dream did this ancient and prosperous city come from?It should not be Zhan Zhao, Ah Lan thought, this place is not only different from Zhan Zhao's hometown in the south, but also different from Kaifeng where he has been lingering for a long time.

It would be troublesome to find Zhan Zhao now, could it be that she really had to travel all over the world to try her luck to see if she could meet Zhan Zhao?A Lan couldn't help frowning. She tried to sense the other party's existence through the key, but the fire in her stomach seemed to have been extinguished.Even if the other half's key is still with Zhan Zhao, she might find it difficult to find him in this way for a while.

It seems that the road ahead is full of difficulties, let alone only three days.

Just when Alan thought about it, she was passing by an unremarkable small restaurant. A young man who was busy with dust was leading a child into it, and happened to pass by Alan.Alan's eyes glanced at the other person's face inadvertently, and in just a moment, the person had led the child into the restaurant, but Alan's legs suddenly turned into mud, and he could no longer move.

Even though Alan came here for Zhan Zhao, she was still surprised that she found the target so easily.

That person looks exactly like Zhan Zhao.

Amidst the noisy sound of cicadas singing in the afternoon, A Lan's eyes followed the young man, but the other didn't seem to notice it. On the contrary, the child he was leading suddenly turned around and gave A Lan a fierce look, and opened his mouth in silence. Said two words.

Get out.

Alan couldn't help taking a step back.

"Guest officer," the clerk at the door finally couldn't help but speak in authentic official language, "Are you going in or not?"

Alan blinked her eyes a few times, and finally moved her footsteps to follow the restaurant.The light inside was dim, and it smelled of bad wine, sour and smelly.Seeing that she was no longer sticking to the door to block the way, the guy left her alone, and let Alan sit at a table by the window as if he was sleepwalking—only a table away from the big and young couple just now.

It was noon, so there were quite a few people eating.The store was bustling with activity, and the voices of those who had drunk too much were enough to blow off the roof.A Lan absent-mindedly ordered a few side dishes and a bowl of noodles, her eyes lingering on the diagonally opposite table all the time.The young man didn't seem to be in his twenties, and although he was poorly dressed, he looked very energetic.The child he was carrying was neatly dressed and clean, and was writhing restlessly in a chair at the moment.

A Lan lowered her eyes, her heart beating involuntarily.She found that she couldn't be sure whether the man was Zhan Zhao, no matter how she swore to tell the general and Han Shi in the tower that she would never mistake him, but she didn't know that she wanted to be sure until she was in this position. How difficult is Zhan Zhao's identity.

Especially the person in front of her looks much younger than the Zhan Zhao she knew, what if his personality is different at this time?How can I be sure that he is the person I am looking for?

Maybe feeling can help, but what if it feels wrong?This is what Alan finds it difficult to make a decision the most.In her heart, she actually felt that the person opposite who looked exactly like Zhan Zhao was not Zhan Zhao, but what if she was wrong?What if the Zhan Zhao in the dream is different from the real one?

Did you just miss it?

"Noodles!" The man came over with a greasy tray, and placed a large bowl of noodles heavily in front of A Lan, as if this could cover up the fact that there was only half a bowl of soup and a few noodles in such a large bowl.

"Thank you." Ah Lan said absently, then took apart the chopsticks and stirred in the still hot and steaming soup.She decided to follow the other party first and observe secretly for a while.

So when the two got up and left after eating, although Ah Lan pretended to bow his head to drink the soup, his eyes were always glued to each other.As soon as they went out, Ah Lan threw a few copper coins on the table, grabbed his stick and chased them out.

As soon as I went out, the scorching sun poured down on my head. Although the shop was extremely hot, the outside was even more tanned and dazzled.A-lan looked around, horrified to find that he couldn't find the other party's trace.She grabbed the drowsy guy standing at the door and shouted in a low voice, "Where did the two people who came out just now go?"

"What are you talking about?" The guy was startled, rubbed his eyes and straightened up, seeing a girl tugging on his collar, he immediately went into a fit, "Let go, what are you doing."

Not only did Ah Lan not let go, but he also bumped the other party against the pillar behind him, gritted his teeth and asked patiently, "The two guests who just came out, one big and one small, where did they go?"

The buddy looked at A Lan like a ghost, probably finally realized that the person in front of him was not easy to mess with, and finally raised his finger in a direction.A Lan immediately dropped him and chased after him.However, the alleys in that direction were complicated, and Alan stopped at a fork in the road after only a few steps. Where are you going?

Out of town?Or find an inn to rest?

Alan looked back at the city gate, the direction was completely opposite to the direction the man pointed, but there might be other gates for entering and exiting.But it's hot and sunny at the moment, and it will be very hard to travel with children, especially if you don't have the strength to walk, and you haven't hired a sedan chair or rented a carriage...

While thinking wildly, she walked wildly in the narrow and dirty alleys, hoping that she could meet him again.The road here twists and turns, and Ah Lan's mind is too disturbed. When she realizes that she has entered a dead end, she is already far away from the entrance of the alley.

A kind of blood-curdling murderous aura suddenly spread in this dead and silent alley, A Lan suddenly looked back and saw only the flash of the knife.The knife pierced her neck, and the other party grabbed her shoulders and pressed her against the wall. Alan's right hand holding the stick was knocked out of the way with his knee.

"Clang", the long stick fell to the ground.

Ah Lan closed her mouth tightly and let out a muffled snort. Although it was a scorching heat, the alley was cloudy and cold. Looking at the other party's deep black eyes, she felt chills in her heart.

Now I can be sure: this person is definitely not Zhan Zhao.

"Do you know," the other party finally said, with a low and gloomy voice, "If I had met you a few months earlier, you would be a corpse now."

This voice... Ah Lan suddenly understood it, but it was too late, she almost blurted out: "You are Qingjiu!"

Qingjiu's slow breathing was slightly stagnant, and after a long time, he suddenly smiled, leaned closer to A Lan's ear and whispered softly: "It's been a long time since anyone called me that. Who sent you here? Gao Li? Mao Feng Qiu Jiawu?" He slowly reported the names of a few people, his eyes always on Alan's face.

Alan's right hand was still in severe pain, and there was a gust of wind in the alley, she unconsciously lowered her voice and said, "No one sent me here, I have no malicious intentions."

"Then where did you hear the name Qing Jiu?" Qing Jiu asked, his tone was even gentle, so gentle that it was creepy.

Alan never knew that this person had such a scary side, but it was too late to regret it now, she thought about the way out and said: "This name was told to me by a man named Han Shi."

"He asked you to come to me?" Qingjiu asked.

Alan replied: "I didn't come to look for you."

Qingjiu smiled suddenly, and asked: "Then, who are you looking for?"

The familiar name rolled around Ah Lan's lips, but her intuition made her not answer this simple question, she just said: "The reason why I came to this place has nothing to do with you, but I can't tell you."

"It seems that you really don't know who I am." Qingjiu said lightly, "I just heard the name Qingjiu before."

Alan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, but the other party finished speaking in the middle of nodding: "Otherwise you will know that if Qingjiu wants to ask you a question, you'd better say something instead of letting him force you to speak." you say."

"..." Ah Lan pursed her lips, and the opponent's knife was pressed against her neck, and she could feel blood flowing down her neck.

At this moment, a boy's voice suddenly came to mind at the alley: "Brother!"

Alan turned her head instinctively, but before she could see the speaker, Qingjiu cut the back of her neck with her palm.Countless black dots surged up in front of his eyes, Alan staggered and fell to the ground.

Before she lost consciousness, she heard the child say:

"Are you going to kill her?"