Yangcheng

"Luo Xuanfang is dead?"

In the past two days, Lu Jian suffered from cold and asked for leave at home, but she was not idle, still dealing with official documents.

She wasn't there when Luo Xuanfang crashed and died in Fengtian Temple, but she got the news within half an hour.

Lu Jian coughed several times, walked out of the study, and went to the front hall in deep thought.

At this time, the time for Sanchao had already passed, so she searched around the mansion, but she couldn't find Lan Wan.

"Where's Madam?" Lu Jian asked the maidservant.

The maid said: "Madam seems to have not come back from Shuyuan yet."

"Where is Xing?"

"I didn't see anyone either... probably didn't come back either."

Lu Jian pondered for a moment, and immediately asked her servants to help her find fur clothes, prepare the carriage, and head out against the wind.

On winter nights in Boling, the cold wind howls, and when it blows through the Qiongyu Valley, it makes shrill screams, just like human screams.

Last year was Shi Ruzhuo's first year in Boling. She still remembers that winter when she was still preparing for the exam in Tong's Mansion, when she was reading at night with the lights on, she heard someone in the yard screaming miserably, like the roar of a dying beast. With palpitations and restlessness, he couldn't help knocking on the door of Bai Erniang's room next door.

Bai Erniang heard her say this and laughed at her: "That's the howling of the north wind, not some wild beast."

Bai Erniang and Aye were slaves in Dongchun, which is also in the northern region, and worked as slaves for more than ten years before going to the warm and humid Su County.

When she was a child, she often heard her Aye talk about Dongchun. The North Wind's voice was a novelty at first, but after hearing it, she knew what was going on and she didn't take it to heart.

Shi Ruzhuo, a native of Su County, was a little indigestible about the power of the north wind and didn't want to admit it, but he was really a little scared, so he asked Erniang Bai:

"Can I sleep with Abai?"

"Of course! But my snoring is not much quieter than the wind outside."

Shi Ruzhuo smiled and said, "Snore, just snore, kind."

At that time, Shi Ruzhuo was still a person who could not sleep even the howling of the north wind. Thinking about it, it was actually just a year ago.

A lot happened this year.

Shi Ruzhuo is helping the Cui family of Boling to write inscriptions to make money, which is a way for scribes to get rich.It is said that someone earned a house in Boling by writing epitaphs and inscriptions.

Shi Ruzhuo was fined one year's salary, and Yang Guang gave her a limited amount of money, so she had to continue to make money to support herself.

In fact, there are many ways to survive in Boling, as long as you work hard, everything will be fine.

Shi Ruzhuo knew that she had become a thorn in the side of a certain party, she could not continue to live in the Tong's House, otherwise it would only hurt the Tong's family.

She lived back in Juxingfang again, and it was good to stay with Zhu Liuniang and the others.

The inn of Juxingfang was a little cold before New Year's Eve.Those who failed the exam and didn’t want to take the exam all went home. They planned to continue to fight again next year. Those who were close to home also went back. The rest were too far away from home. They had to go back and forth for several months. of.

Cen Wuniang failed the ranking last year, and she attributed all the reasons for her failure to the fact that she just came to Boling, and was fascinated by this damn world of flowers and flowers, and lost her mind, so she failed the ranking.

She didn't go anywhere this year, and just focused on taking the exam. Even if there is no hope for the Jinshi subject, she can always do the other subjects!

All the other students from Su County who came to Boling to take the exam all passed the exam, even Ge Yangguang passed the exam, why couldn't she?

It happened that Shi Ruzhuo was staying in the inn again, and Cen Wuniang and several other candidates who planned to compete again next year gathered around her to serve her tea and water, hoping to gain some experience from her for taking the exam.

It is very easy for Shi Ruzhuo to write inscriptions for people, and he can teach people while writing.

Cen Wuniang also knew that she had been fined a year's salary for sending Ge Yangguang to Beidi, and now she was short of money and needed money.

She taught everyone that she didn't mention the remuneration at all. Cen Wuniang couldn't see it, so she took the initiative to mention it to the candidates who were attending the class.

Everyone consciously pays ten cents for each class, so many people put together a few hundred cents, so that Mr. Shi can have a good meal after the class.

Although everyone is poor students, those who have listened to Shi Ruzhuo's lectures have benefited a lot, it is definitely worth ten cents, and everyone is willing to pay for this money.

Shi Ruzhuo didn't want the money at first, but Cen Wuniang asked her to keep it:

"It will last long if you work hard. It's good for everyone. Don't be polite. It's not easy for anyone in Boling."

Shi Ruzhuo enjoyed his time in Juxingfang quite a bit. Although he occasionally ran into Fan Yu, Fan Yu's probing eyes made her uncomfortable, but since Shi Ruzhuo looked back at her calmly last time, in the end it was Fan Yu. After turning his eyes away, the discomfort disappeared.

There is no need to be afraid of any kind of threat. Shi Ruzhuo found that the best way to protect himself is to face the threat directly and not run away.

The inn here in Juxingfang is cheap, and there must be no charcoal basins in the room like Tongfu.

Fortunately, Tang Jianwei prepared the winter clothes for her. It was light but warm and very comfortable to wear. This winter should not be difficult.

……

That night, Shi Ruzhuo was hungry after teaching, so he went out of the inn to buy some food.

Bought a bowl of meat soup and planned to eat it while it was hot, but suddenly a chill came down her back, she immediately turned her head and glanced around the crowd.

Lu Lanxin was not found.

Speaking of which, I haven't seen Lu Lanxin in the past two days, maybe she is recovering from her injuries, or maybe she moved to the crowded and noisy Juxingfang, so it is not easy to follow.

Thinking of Lu Lan's heartache, combined with the fact that this person is widely spread in Boling as a beauty-loving person, Shi Ruzhuo thought, maybe she is trying to get rid of ugly scars and bruises.

Shi Ruzhuo finished eating the meat soup and walked back. It was already night and the curfew was about to come.

She saw a young man who was about the same age as her younger brother standing by the bridge holding the hem of his shirt, looking around very anxiously.

Shi Ruzhuo stepped forward and asked him: "What's the matter, did you get lost with A Niang?"

The little gentleman nodded, his eyes were full of anxiety: "Aniang was still here just now, and she disappeared in a blink of an eye..."

"Don't worry, speak slowly, do you still remember which direction A Niang is going?"

Mr. Xiao Lang thought for a while, then pointed to the right: "It seems to be that..."

"Go, sister will take you to see if you can find your mother."

"Okay!" Xiao Langjun seemed to have found support, and held Shi Ruzhuo's hand.

The two went to the alley, and Mr. Xiao Lang took her further and further away.

Turning a corner, when Shi Ruzhuo looked directly at the dark alley in front of him, he instinctively felt something was wrong.

When she was about to let go of Xiao Langjun's hand, she found that Xiao Langjun was so strong that he held her wrist so hard that she couldn't break free.

"you……"

When the little man looked at her again, the immature and anxious look on his face just now was gone, and he was completely calm and adult.

"Where do you want to go?" Xiao Langjun pulled her forward and threw her to the ground, "You haven't helped me find my mother yet!"

This little man was armed with kung fu and was very strong. Shi Ruzhuo's head was injured by an extremely rough fall, and his consciousness lost instantly.

"It's tied up." Xiao Langjun said, and five or six people jumped down from the dark alley to tie up Shi Ruzhuo.

Shi Ruzhuo spotted one person, and kicked on the other person's face with all his strength.The man didn't expect that the weak woman whose head was bleeding from knocks would dare to move, and was kicked straight.

The other party cursed, and slammed Shi Ruzhuo's neck forcefully with his palm. Shi Ruzhuo quickly fell into the darkness, unable to move, and could only vaguely hear the curses of these people.

"The stinky girl is getting impatient!" The man wiped away the nosebleed, and wanted to kick a few more times to discourage him, but was stopped by Mr. Xiao Lang.

"Don't do these superfluous things, the Lord told us to catch up and go back, and don't make extra troubles."

"Yes……"

"Where is the eldest lady?"

"Don't worry, she was running around with her injured body a while ago, but now she has a high fever and fell ill, and she is still resting in the card hall."

"It's fine if she doesn't get up, otherwise our lives will be in danger. Let's go!"

Throwing Shi Ruzhuo into the sack deftly, and tied the mouth of the sack, Shi Ruzhuo had great difficulty breathing, feeling that she was forced to curl up into a ball, and she tried her best to fight against the coma in the violent turbulence.

She didn't know what would happen when she woke up once she really fell into a coma.

She couldn't faint... She bit her lip, using the pain on her lip to maintain her only consciousness.

……

After an unknown period of time, she was ups and downs in the bumps of being carried, until a sudden fall made her sober up a lot.

Suddenly light broke into his eyes, Shi Ruzhuo struggled to open his eyes, and found himself in a Buddhist hall.

The doors and windows of the Buddhist hall were closed tightly, and the rows of candles were so bright that they were eerie.

The huge wooden Buddha statue was looking down at her, and the smell of incense lingered at the tip of her nose. Gradually, when the blurred vision narrowed, she could see the woman in front of her clearly.

This woman's age is a little hard to guess, she looks like she is in her 30s or 40s, it's possible.

Her original facial features were beautiful and kind-hearted, with a dignified high bun, she should be a person who loves to laugh.But at this moment, she was wearing a long black dress with the same black floor-length shawl on her outside. The incense rose from behind her, and the hall was extremely quiet.

This woman standing in front of the Buddha statue is exactly the same as the oppressive feeling given by the Buddha statue.

"Shi Ruzhuo?"

There were many people standing beside the woman, all bowing their heads slightly, seeming very respectful to this woman.

Shi Ruzhuo's hands were tied behind his back, and he was forced to lie on the ground and look at him.

No need to guess, Shi Ruzhuo could tell from her face that she was somewhat similar to that person, even the fake smile was similar.

"You are Lan Wan." Shi Ruzhuo replied.

Lan Wan narrowed her eyes and smiled, "So you know me too."

Shi Ruzhuo sneered and didn't answer her again.

Lan Wan asked her to release her, set her up, stepped forward and pinched Shi Ruzhuo's chin, and lifted her face up.

Lan Wan forcibly turned her face, looked at her carefully, and then tasted her body again, disappointedly said:

"It's so ordinary that it's hard to even call it good-looking. The figure is also tasteless. How did you do it so that you can fascinate Ah Xing?"

Ah Xing?This is Lu Lanxin's fine print?

Thinking of Lv Lan's injuries all over her body, Shi Ruzhuo couldn't help laughing, this small character really didn't match her.

Lan Wan saw that such an ordinary-looking country girl could still laugh in a dangerous situation, and she became a little interested.

She took out the dagger, cut along Shi Ruzhuo's lips, opened her teeth, and forced her to open her mouth.

"Ah Xing has been cowardly since he was a child, and he is always interested in useless things that he shouldn't be obsessed with." Lan Wan was speaking, and the attendants behind him brought out a few heavy bamboo baskets. Shi Ruzhuo took a look, then The bamboo baskets are full of wriggling snakes.

There was only one red snake in one of the bamboo baskets, the red snake was caught out, the attendant killed it on the spot, and dripped all the blood of the snake into a wine cup.

Lan Wan took the wine cup.

"This snake is not simple. I have raised it for three years, and let it drink the blood of other snakes and Zaolidan every day to grow up. Now its blood has the poison of Zaolidan, and all the other snakes can smell it. , will become extremely manic, just want to eat quickly."

Sure enough, the strong smell of snake blood quickly permeated the Buddhist hall, and the snake in the bamboo basket changed from a slow wriggling state to an excited struggle, as if it was about to break through the bamboo basket.

Lan Wan forced Shi Ruzhuo to drink up the snake blood.

When Shi Ruzhuo was coughing violently, Lan Wan threw away the wine cup, looked at her with a smile and said, "Soon your flesh and blood will become the fat food of the snakes. The cute little snakes will go crazy for you. Guess what, Which part of you will be eaten first? Legs? Neck? Throat, I guess."

When the snake blood entered, Shi Ruzhuo felt as if he drank hot and smelly medicinal juice, and soon his body became extremely hot, and his internal organs were as frenzied and painful as if they were on fire.

Under the excruciating pain, Shi Ruzhuo burst into a strong rage, and even being grabbed, he yelled and bumped his head against Lan Wan's chin who was close at hand.

Lan Wan was almost knocked to the ground by her, Shi Ruzhuo bit hard on the wrist of the thief who was restraining her, the man was bitten straight, and let go of his hand in severe pain.

The poison of Zaoli Pill made Shi Ruzhuo almost go crazy, the light of the knife was in front of her eyes, her mind was in chaos and she didn't have time to be afraid, she rushed up to face the light of the knife and pushed the opponent away, and hit a window, with a crash, Shi Ruzhuo fled through the window.

"My lord?" Everyone was waiting for Lan Wan to issue orders, after all, the outside of the Buddhist hall was more dangerous than the inside of the Buddhist hall, especially at night.

This is also the reason why Lan Wan's group didn't put much effort into restraining Shi Ruzhuo, and she would die if she escaped.

At this moment, a follower reported: "My lord, Mrs. Lu is waiting for you in the front hall of the villa..."

Lan Wan clutched her sore chin and frowned tightly.

Madame is here?Isn't she resting at home?How did you come to such a far place?

When Lan Wan got up and walked to the front hall, she said to her subordinates: "It is impossible for ordinary people to get out alive after entering my Ten Thousand Snakes Villa, let alone drinking the Red Blood Snake. Bring Shi Ruzhuo's body to see me."

"Yes!"

"Has the news arrived from Tong Mansion?"

"Return to the Lord, it has already arrived."

"Ah."

Lan Wan came to the incense burner, carefully dabbed in the scent that Lu Jian would like, straightened her hair in front of the mirror, adjusted her appearance, and then went to the front hall.

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