[Comprehensive] leaning on flowers and bamboo

The clues left by Bao Zheng are simple and clear, directly pointing out where he went.

However, it has been a clue for three months, and now Bao Zheng doesn't know what's going on, but now that Pang Tong returns to Beijing, he can still stir up trouble in the muddy water of the capital, so the Liao people don't need to worry about it for the time being. Those who are worried are those who have ulterior motives, those who have ulterior motives in the Zhao family.

After tidying up and resting, Gongsun Ce and Hua Manlou took Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang straight to Xiangyang.

"Brother Gongsun, what do you think of Brother Bao? Is it really okay for him to be here alone?"

"Bao Zheng is not a fool, he's just a little lazy at ordinary times, but his ability to save his life is not inferior to others. Save time talking and still have to catch up on the road."

Zhan Zhao curled his lips when he heard the words, thinking that Gongsun Ce's temper was bad again.

I really feel that Gongsun Ce was much gentler when he was blind. Although he would tease people at that time, it is not like now.

It was rare for Bai Yutang not to argue with Zhan Zhao, instead he stared at Hua Manlou for a while, and was even more curious about Hua Manlou's origin and master, Hua Manlou's kung fu was so powerful.Huamanlou is a blind person. Bai Yutang has seen blind people with good kung fu, but those are all high kungfu but blind due to other reasons. Huamanlou said that he was blind since childhood, so he can become a blind person. As a top martial arts master, it can be seen that Hua Manlou is really a martial arts prodigy, not to mention other things, this ability of hearing and debating, and a keen sense of smell, I am afraid that others will not be able to learn it in half a lifetime.

When Zhan Zhao, who had Gongsun Ce speechless, went to look at Bai Yutang, he happened to see Bai Yutang look away from Hua Manlou, raised his eyebrows strangely, and when he saw him looking over, he snorted coldly and turned his head away. The rein makes the horse go faster.

"Arrive at the small town ahead before dark, let's rest overnight and continue on our way tomorrow morning."

"It will take five days to go to Xiangyang at the fastest here, and this is only half of the journey."

"Last night, I was on the road until midnight and slept in the wild. Today I have to find a place to sleep, otherwise I will not be able to bear it." People rush on the road day and night, five days like this, who can bear it.

Hua Manlou naturally agreed, comforting the eager Zhan Zhao, "Zhan Zhao, don't worry, Bao Zheng will never let himself lose his life if he understands that he will be an official in the court. He was safe until we found him."

"Really?"

"kindness."

"Okay, then let's go to the small town ahead and take a rest. To be honest, I'm a little hungry, and the dry food on the way is not enough to satisfy my hunger." After Zhan Zhao finished speaking, he scratched his hair in embarrassment, " This hair was going to be shaved off, but Big Brother Gongsun said, since it is all kept, let’s keep it.”

Hua Manlou couldn't see what Zhan Zhao's hair looked like, but judging by the fact that Gongsun Ce and Bai Yutang used Zhan Zhao's hair to make fun of it in the past few days, they knew that it was newly grown and still attached to the scalp, so it couldn't be tied Sometimes, it's not very pretty.

Seeing a small town not far away, Gongsun Ce got off his horse, held the rein and glanced at Zhan Zhao, "Wouldn't it be nice to keep it? After a year, this hair can be tied up. At that time, he will be a handsome young man. He is even more handsome than I am." When you reach the seventeenth or eighteenth, you will still be strong with your head bare?"

Bai Yutang didn't intend to hold back his laughter at all, his stomach ached from laughing.

Hua Manlou was smiling, but it didn't look like he was smiling because of Zhan Zhao, but just because of the rare relaxed atmosphere.

The small town on this road is indeed small. When you look up, you can see the other side of the town. There are houses on both sides, a road in the middle, and a river across it. But at this time, most of the houses are already packing up their things and going home to cook. Those who are still walking outside are in a hurry.

Gongsun Ce glanced at it. He didn't think it was strange at first, but after walking a few steps, he felt very strange.

Why is everyone in this town like strangers, and there are not many people to talk to on the road.

"It's weird, why everyone is so busy, they don't even say hello when they meet."

"It is indeed strange."

Not only Gongsun Ce found out, but Hua Manlou and the three of them also found out.

There is something quirky about this town.

"Go in and have a look."

When they returned to Luzhou last time, they also encountered an ambush.Gongsun Ce had no choice but to walk forward cautiously, holding Huamanlou's saber in his hand, "It's always right to be careful."

"Why don't I arrest someone and ask them. I've seen these people, they don't know martial arts, they're just ordinary people." Zhan Zhao thought he was in an ambush at first, but when he raised the stick in his hand, he felt something was wrong. "Brother Gongsun, wait, there is a little girl over there, I'll go ask."

After Zhan Zhao finished speaking, he ran over, lowered his head slightly and said, "Little sister, let me ask you, has something terrible happened to you recently?"

"Hey, who are you? My mother said, don't talk to people you don't know."

"...Well, I'm not a bad person, I just passed by here to stay overnight, can you tell me what happened to you recently?"

The little girl in floral dress took a look at Zhan Zhao, "I'll tell you quietly, don't tell others."

"I promise not to tell."

"Aniang said that in the past few days, I will sacrifice to the gods. The patriarch is selecting suitable people as sacrifices. I don't understand. I'm going home. If Aniang knows that I won't go back after going to the toilet for a long time, I will definitely be scolded." The little girl stood up from the rock, patted the debris on her clothes, "Little brother, I'm leaving."

Zhan Zhao waved his hand, seeing the little girl left before returning to Gongsun Ce and the others.

"That little girl is very clever, probably because there is a sacrifice to the gods here, and boys and girls are needed as sacrifices, so every family is in such a hurry, and no one is willing to contact anyone more."

"There is still such a place? Worshiping the gods? Taking children to sacrifice to the gods?!" Gongsun Ce's eyes widened when he heard the words, "This is ignorant and pedantic, and children are used as sacrifices. There are so many pigs, sheep, cattle and horses. The ancestors used these as sacrifices, how could it be so cruel to take a child as a sacrifice?"

Gongsun Ce couldn't imagine that such a place existed, and the local people didn't even refute it.

Is it possible to watch a child being sent to the mountains, and then being taken away by jackals and tigers for food?

Hua Manlou tugged at Gongsun Ce and said, "Let's go nearby to see if there is anyone we can borrow."

"If such a day happens, no one will take us in for a night."

There is no inn in this town, and people who pass by will spend the night at the people's homes if they encounter difficulties. Now that the situation is like this, their original hope of staying overnight may be in vain.

Bai Yutang was not surprised at all, he led the horse and walked forward: "Since other families can't accommodate us, then we should go to the village chief's house to spend the night."

"Hope the mayor here is a good guy."

After Zhan Zhao finished speaking, Gongsun Ce suddenly thought of the innocent mayor of Laiyan Town.

"Are you really going to the mayor's house?"

"Brother Gongsun, this is not coming to Yan Town. Nothing will happen. Don't worry." Of course Zhan Zhao knows what Gongsun Ce is worried about, but it can't be because of that matter. Whenever Gongsun Ce encounters a similar situation now, he will think of it. , In that case, I'm afraid I won't be able to get rid of the shadow in the future.

Even Gongsun Ce never felt afraid or shadowed during the case in Lingjia Village, but he was worried about this matter because he couldn't let go of the viciousness and viciousness of those people.

Hua Manlou was listening to the conversation between the two of them and knew there might be something wrong with it, so he took Zhan Zhao's words and said, "Except for the mayor, no one dares to take us in at will. Let's go and see if the mayor won't Take it, it’s better for us to borrow a few quilts than to sleep outside.”

"Brother Hua, if the Hua family doesn't come to visit this remote town, maybe this place will become the source of the Hua family's business development in the future."

"The affairs of the Hua family are not for me to decide. If you are interested, you can go back with us and ask my elder brother's opinion."

"Forget it then." Bai Yutang shook his head thinking of Hua Yixuan, "I don't want to be a businessman."

Several people had already come to the courtyard of the mayor's house while they were talking, Zhan Zhao stepped forward and knocked on the door, and an old servant came out, Zhan Zhao immediately raised a smile and asked, "Old man, I want to ask if this is the mayor's house? "

"Little brother, it's true that this is the mayor's house, but you are—" the old servant hesitated for a moment, "what are you looking for?"

"We are here to stay overnight. We passed by here, but we didn't expect to find a place to live. We can only offend the mayor and come to bother you. Can you borrow a spare room for us for one night?" Gongsun Ce stepped forward and said, "Old man, See if you can let us see the mayor."

The old servant poked his head outside and opened the door a little, "Come in, I'll tell the mayor."

"Thank you."

"Oh, it's rare to see such a polite young man. These days..." The old servant seemed to be talking to them or talking to himself, closing the door and leading them inside, "A while ago A dark young man, I should not have seen him at night, but for his white teeth."

Gongsun Ce, who was talking to Hua Manlou in a low voice, was startled when he heard this, and forgot what he wanted to say to Hua Manlou just now, "Old man, you said you have seen a very dark person?"

"Yes, there is still a crescent moon on his forehead, but he is very polite and sensible."

There are many dark-skinned people in the world, but there is only one person with dark skin and a crescent moon on his head.

"Brother Bao really came here before!"

"Old man, do you know how long that man has been here, and what he said he was going to do?"

The old servant was deaf and didn't respond, and continued to read: "It's a pity, it's a pity, there are only so few good seedlings."