treacherous world

"Old man, what are you talking about?" Xiao Liang went to help the old man.

"No...no, it's all a crime." The old man got up and limped to run with his cane.

"Oh." Xiao Liang wanted to catch up, "Old man, what are you running for?"

"I can't say it, I can't say it, I'm wrong, I shouldn't go to the troupe to buy that evil thing! There's a knife on Sezi's head." Don't look like the old man is limping, he runs fast, and he mutters indistinctly, "Tianji Don't let it out, don't let it out..." He ran away in a blink of an eye, making Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao confused.

"That old man is really weird." Xiao Liang turned to look at Bai Yutang, "He is wearing a policeman's clothes, he should be from the yamen."

Bai Yutang nodded, "Wait for Liang Bao to come over and ask him later."

"Meow meow."

At this time, the fourth son tugged on Zhan Zhao's clothes, "I'm hungry."

"Oh, let's find a place to eat before we come back." Zhan Zhao picked up the fourth son, knowing that he was frightened today, and felt a little distressed.

Although Bai Yutang didn't have much appetite after seeing some disgusting things, but since the fourth son wants to eat, let's take it with him.

When they arrived at the gate, they met Liang Bao who ran back and asked about the lame old man, but Liang Bao said that the old man was a lunatic.

"What scare?"

"Then I don't know." Liang Bao shook his head, "I also thought he was weird when I first came here. I heard from the old man in the yamen that there was a strange case more than ten years ago, and many people died. The old man was in charge of investigating the case and then went crazy. Yes. But he was lucky, and the others were scared to death. Sigh, this Qushan County is a ghost place, strange things happen every year, and I don’t know if it’s bad Feng Shui. By the way, do you want to move to Yamen to live? ?”

Zhan Zhao thought about it and nodded.

Bai Yutang knew that Zhan Zhao felt that it would be convenient to investigate the case in the Yamen, so he agreed, and decided to take the fourth son and Xiao Liang to eat first, then go back to the inn to get things, and move to live in the Yamen.

The four of them went out. It was almost dusk at this time, and because of the recent murders, the streets of Qushan County were deserted.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang found a restaurant that was relatively lively, went up to the second floor, asked for a nice seat, and ordered food for dinner.

Xiao Liang brought food for the fourth son, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were a little worried that the fourth son would be scared and become as dumb as before and slow to react.But it seems to be okay now, there are still talking and laughing, probably because Xiao Liang is by the side.

"After all the hard work today, I didn't go to Cheng's little monkey." Zhan Zhao asked Bai Yutang while eating, "Why do you only drink alcohol? Are you not hungry?"

As soon as Bai Yutang saw the white rice in the bowl, he thought of the black and fluffy dead rats in the throats of those dead people, and shook his head, "I'm not hungry."

"Oh..." Zhan Zhao laughed, "By the way, those dead mice are really everywhere. I don't know if they will crawl into wine jars, oil tanks, or rice tanks..."

Bai Yutang took a deep breath and put down the wine glass, looking at Zhan Zhao helplessly.

Zhan Zhao had a smile on his face.

After eating a few more chopsticks, Zhan Zhao listened attentively, "Is someone here?"

Bai Yutang rested his chin on one hand, looked downstairs, and saw a group of people coming.

There was a man in black at the head, and the people behind them were Feng Boyuan, who had escaped before, and the two women in white.

"Looks like he's looking for trouble." Bai Yutang shook his head, and seeing that the fourth son saw it too, he was a little afraid to rub against him, so he stretched out his hand to pinch his cheek, "Sissy son, Zhao Pu will be here in a few days." , you remember to tell him that the people in the February Palace bully you."

The fourth son blinked and nodded, "Yeah!"

Sure enough, those people got off their horses in front of the restaurant and rushed upstairs in a hurry.

Bai Yutang glanced at the person who came, but he was a little surprised... because the man who came up had a smile on his face, not as murderous as before.

"Fifth Master Bai." The man in black stepped forward and saluted Bai Yutang, "I'm Yao Jingfeng."

Bai Yutang frowned slightly - he seemed to have heard the name Yao Jingfeng before, but there were so many people in the world, he couldn't be in a hurry.

Bai Yutang has always been not very warm in his dealings with others. Friends who are acquainted with each other just hug each other, and those who don't know each other will not pretend to be familiar, and just nodded lightly.

Feng Boyuan followed behind, a little dissatisfied, feeling that Bai Yutang was arrogant, and the two female disciples behind him were even more so, shouting, "Bai Yutang, this is our head of the Er Yue Palace." Bai Yutang didn't understand even more, the two Isn't the Mistress of the Moon Palace a woman... how come she is the head of the house again.

But he didn't bother to care about these, this time he didn't even nod his head, thinking he didn't care about my business.

Zhan Zhao sat on the side with his chin in one hand and listened to the movement. Although he couldn't see it, based on his understanding of Bai Yutang, he probably knew that this person's appearance at this time was definitely very annoying.

"Can we sit down and talk?" Yao Jingfeng seemed quite stable, he didn't care, and said he wanted to sit down when he got to the table.

Seeing him not far away, the fourth son slipped into Bai Yutang's arms.

"This is the young master who kicked the young palace master?" Yao Jingfeng shook his head, and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I heard from the guardians that this matter has nothing to do with you, they were scared You, I apologize with you."

The fourth son looked at him and said to himself, this person seems to be quite kind.

"Oh?" Zhan Zhao asked, "Have you found out the cause of death?"

"This is?" Yao Jingfeng saw that Zhan Zhao had an extraordinary bearing, but just now Feng Boyuan told him that this person is blind.

"My surname is Wang." Zhan Zhao smiled.

"It turned out to be Brother Wang." Yao Jingfeng nodded and said, "He died of poisoning, and we found something in the young palace master's throat..."

"Dead rat?" Bai Yutang asked.

Yao Jingfeng was taken aback, and Feng Boyuan and others beside him were also taken aback, and asked, "How does your Excellency know?"

Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao, saw him nod his head slightly, and said, "The previous dead also had dead rats in their throats."

"It must be the so-called horse belly?" Yao Jingfeng frowned, and asked the two of them, "I know some clues, can you please go with me?"

Zhan Zhao was puzzled, "What clue does Brother Yao know?"

"I heard their description of horse belly, and the big fish that was caught was not horse belly, but a tiger fish." Yao Jingfeng said seriously, "But tiger fish are very rare, and people often say that tiger fish is horse belly. Friends, where there is a horse's belly, there will be a tiger fish."

"What do you want us to do for you?" Bai Yutang asked straight to the point.

"Catch the horse's belly!" Yao Jingfeng smiled confidently, "Cut off a few pieces of tiger fish meat and throw them into the water, and the horse's belly will naturally come to rescue your friend and catch it when the time comes. It's just that we don't have enough manpower. so……"

"I have no reason to help you." Bai Yutang flatly refused.

Yao Jingfeng was taken aback for a moment, and looked at Bai Yutang in surprise. It was rumored that this person was very difficult to serve, and it was true. "Our family's good words and begging, caught the horse's belly, and helped you solve the case." Feng Boyuan was dissatisfied. He was old and only felt that Bai Yutang was too conceited.

"What's the matter?" Bai Yutang still didn't care, stretched out his hand to pick out a piece of steak, and stuffed it into the mouth of the youngest son in his arms, "I'm not from the yamen, so what does it matter to me if you can grab the belly of a horse?" relation."

"Brother Bai doesn't want to eliminate harm for the people?"

"I don't really appreciate your methods." Bai Yutang said clearly, "Using a friend's flesh to ensnare is not authentic."

"Well, I think so too." Zhan Zhao ate the food that Xiao Liang put in the bowl for him, and nodded in agreement with Bai Yutang's words.

Yao Jingfeng had a bad nose and couldn't get down from the stage, so he could only feel that Bai Yutang really didn't save any human face.

"Hahaha……"

At this moment, someone at another table in the inn was heard laughing.

Everyone looked over and saw a thick bearded man with a big knife in his hand and meat on the wine table in his hand, holding a wine jar and laughing at Yao Jingfeng, "Yao Jingfeng, do you think you two What kind of place is Yegong, people look down on you."

Yao Jingfeng was slightly embarrassed, but immediately recovered his composure and didn't say much.

"Dare to insult my Er Yue Palace!" The girls were about to draw their swords to face each other, but Feng Boyuan held him back.

Bai Yutang saw it, and said to himself, this Yao Jingfeng seems to have a deep scheming mind, I don't know if he is open-minded or insidious.

"Feng Bo, why are you talking to the boss?!" Feng Boyuan cursed.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were a little surprised when they heard the name. Feng Boe is a well-known curly-bearded thief in the world. He claims to be a curly-bearded celestial master and is best at catching ghosts. He and the strange doctor Feng Boyuan are brothers.

"Hey, Dharma protectors, they're all from my own family, it's okay." Yao Jingfeng waved his hand to stop Feng Boyuan.He stood up and bowed his hands to Bai Yutang, "Since Fifth Master Bai is unwilling to help, Jingfeng has no choice but to capture the horse's belly by himself. There will be a later date."

Bai Yutang nodded and did not see him off.

Yao Jingfeng took Feng Boyuan away.

Bai Yutang took another piece of spare ribs and stuffed it into Sizi's mouth.

"Aren't they looking for me anymore?" The fourth son seems to have heard the man say that he doesn't care about his own business and doesn't pursue it.

Bai Yutang nodded, "Don't forget to tell Zhao Pu that Er Yue Gong bullied you."

Zhan Zhao had no choice but to say, "Oh, if Zhao Pu finds out, wouldn't the world be turned upside down?"

"That's good." Bai Yutang raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "It's not pleasing to the eye."

"Where did they offend you?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"If you don't like it, you just don't like it. There's no need for a reason." Bai Yutang asked, "Have you finished eating? Go back to the yamen after eating."

"Didn't you go to the inn to get the salute?" Zhan Zhao pulled Xiao Liang to get up when he was full.

"You guys go back first, I'll go to the inn to get it." Bai Yutang took out the silver tael from his pocket to pay the bill, and went downstairs with Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao's heart skipped a beat, did Bai Yutang discover something?

When they went downstairs, everyone didn't stay, and went back to the yamen first.

Leaving Zhan Zhao and the fourth son in the bedroom of the Yamen Kuayuan, Bai Yutang left alone, but instead of going to the original inn, he went to the night market in the east of the city.

In the east of the city, people are mixed and chaotic, prostitutes and ruffians are everywhere, and there are gambling shops and pawnshops.

Bai Yutang walked through here, looking at the sentient beings in their original form.

From time to time, a few kiln sisters stepped forward, took a look at his appearance, and then stopped in shock. When they came back to their senses, the man had already left.

No matter how big or small the county is, there will be a place where the five poisons gather. People always need entertainment.

Bai Yutang searched for a long time, and finally found a few troupes that were juggling.

Looking carefully one by one, Bai Yutang spotted a troupe with a lot of people, a few pretty girls were playing with throwing knives, and there were some weird-looking people, such as dwarfs and giants.Bai Yutang stood aside and listened, and found that these people spoke with local accents, and they seemed to be local theater troupes who had lived there for a long time.

Bai Yutang found an elderly man who looked like the class leader, gave him some silver taels, and said he wanted to ask some questions.

When the class leader saw someone giving money, he naturally listened patiently, "You can just ask."

"Is there a kind of theater troupe that raises people who are neither human nor strange?" Bai Yutang asked, "For example, snake people, frogmen, etc.?"

"Oh, that's naturally there." The troupe master smiled, "The scale of that kind of theater troupe is huge, and there are indeed a few in the Central Plains."

"Is there such a thing as a fishtail?"

"Yes!" The class leader nodded quickly, "That thing is called a sea mermaid, also called a merman. It is recorded in "Tai Ping Guang Ji" that this sea mermaid can be found in the East China Sea. The big one is five or six feet long and looks like a human. The mouth, nose, hands, claws, and head are all beautiful women. The skin is as white as jade, and the hair is like a ponytail, five or six feet long. The yin shape is no different from that of a husband and a woman. They are obtained by widows and widows near the sea, and they are raised in the swamp. People are the same, and they don’t hurt people.”

Bai Yutang frowned and asked, "Really?"

"Hey, does this uncle want to buy it?"

"Do you know where it's sold?"

"Of course I know, but what, this thing is expensive, and it's not something ordinary people can afford, and it's asking for this price." After speaking, the class leader stretched out Wuzhi's finger and made a comparison of five.

"Ten taels?"

"Hey, it's so cheap, it's the best!" The class leader raised his eyebrows with a smile, "5000 taels."

"Where to buy?"

"Hey, I have to order! They are all kept on the other side of the East China Sea." Seeing that Bai Yutang was well dressed, the class leader said, "I seem to be a man with money, but ah, I advise you not to buy this thing."

"Why?"

"It's pitiful and evil. The sea mermaid is also known as a murderer. Most of the buyers are confused by its appearance. They often indulge in singing and dancing every day. Later, they are often dragged into rivers, lakes and seas and drowned to death. The sea mermaid will take the opportunity to escape. .”

"Oh..." Bai Yutang nodded and asked, "What does this thing eat?"

"Fish, shrimp or dead things." The class leader said mysteriously, "Don't look at her extremely beautiful, but the food she eats is disgusting."

"There is more." Bai Yutang asked, "Do you know what a mouse is?"

"Oh, it's the Ten Thousand Rats, that's a legend." The old class leader waved his hand, "To put it simply, it's a mouse spirit, or a very big mouse. It is said that when it speaks, all the mice in the world will obey."

……

Zhan Zhao sat and waited in the yamen room, worried in his heart, what did Bai Yutang do alone?

The fourth son and Xiao Liang combed the stone, and the room was quite quiet.

Waiting and waiting, Zhan Zhao inexplicably felt a little sleepy... Maybe it was because he was worried about his brother being too tired for the past few days, but now that Bai Yutang came, he could breathe a sigh of relief, leaned against the head of the bed to take a nap, and even fell asleep after a while.

In the haze, Zhan Zhao saw a vast ocean in front of him... It seemed that there was a flood, and there were dead rats everywhere on the water. From a distance, he saw two familiar figures being washed away. On the left was his brother, and on the right was Bai Yutang.

"Brother, Yutang?!" Zhan Zhao hesitated and didn't know where to go to save him, but saw his elder brother suddenly disappeared, and Bai Yutang was dragged to the depths of the water.

Zhan Zhao himself felt breathless, and when he sank into the water, he saw that the person holding Bai Yutang was not a human being, but a human head and body, a snow-white fish tail...

"Brother Zhan?"

Zhan Zhao just felt suffocated.

"cat!"

"what!"

Zhan Zhao was awakened by a violent shaking, and the darkness returned to his eyes...

"what happened?"

The voice was Bai Yutang, and then Zhan Zhao felt someone helping him to sit up, and then heard the fourth son ask, "Meow meow, you are having nightmares, you have been calling Yutang all the time."

"Uh..." Zhan Zhao rubbed his head, a little embarrassed, but the dream just now was too weird.

"What dream is it that scares you like this?" Bai Yutang just came back and saw Zhan Zhao struggling on the bed, frowning and calling Yutang vaguely, knowing that he was having a nightmare, so he hurried to wake him up.

"Oh, no..." Zhan Zhao shook his head, "I dreamed of my brother..."

"What a coincidence, your brother's name is also Yutang?" Bai Yutang asked with a half-smile.

"Ahem." Zhan Zhao coughed, and Xiao Liang put a cup of tea in his hand.

Zhan Zhao took a sip and said calmly, "By the way, I also dreamed of you. You were captured by a female hooligan, so I called you."

Bai Yutang sighed speechlessly, this cat...