treacherous world

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang walked quickly into the teahouse, and as expected, Hong Niang and the old man were sitting and drinking by the window.

The old man looked kindly and kindly at first, but looked carefully, he didn't seem to be a Han Chinese, he looked a bit like a foreigner, and he was similar to a foreigner in the south, with a flat nose, dark complexion, protruding chin, and a wide forehead.

"What a coincidence." Hong Niang smiled and greeted Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang who came upstairs, "Master Zhan, are you feeling well?"

Zhan Zhao frowned slightly, "Don't bother."

Bai Yutang remained calm, paying attention to every move of the old man opposite Hong Niang. The old man was not among the woodcutters he saw at that time, but there were a few people behind him who looked familiar.

"~" At this time, a girl behind the old man suddenly spoke, "This Han man is just handsome, men are so beautiful, he really is an outstanding man."

Zhan Zhaoxin said, it's over, stepping on Bai Yutang's tail!Sure enough, Bai Yutang's expression darkened. Although outsiders saw no change at all, he was always expressionless.

The two found a table not far away and sat down. Hong Niang pointed to the two empty seats and asked, "Do you want to come over and do it together?"

The old man looked at Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao, "This is the legendary Central Plains martial arts master, Zhan Zhao Bai Yutang... The name is very famous, I have heard it in the south."

Hong Niang smiled, "This is the first time the old man has seen it."

Bai Yutang frowned slightly, "The people behind you should have met earlier.

"?" The old man looked back at the crowd behind him, there were men, women, young and old, a total of ten or so in total.

"Gelong, have you seen them?" The old man asked, seeing that Bai Yutang seemed to have glanced at the big man.

The big man acted dull, just nodded mechanically, and didn't speak.

"Hehe." The girl who praised the two of them for their good looks just came over and said, "Master, we met when we were looking for clues in Houshan, if my brother hadn't stopped me at that time, I would have eaten him... Hehe. "

Bai Yutang didn't speak, Zhan Zhao knew that there was a limit to his patience, if he provoked him again, he would probably lose his face.

At this moment, the bullying was a little awkward, Zhan Zhao was considering how to ask, if he couldn't ask, he would startle the snake, so he didn't ask... He was more concerned about the relationship between Hong Niang and Zhan Hao.

Zhan Zhao was hesitating, but saw that Bai Yutang asked the waiter to bring a pot of good Maojian, and ordered some refreshments. His posture seemed to be that he didn't want to ask, and only drank tea.

Zhan Zhao thinks this is a good idea, to keep the same in response to all changes!Very Bai Yutang style.

This time it's Hong Niang and the old man's turn to be tricky, they can't just sit and say nothing.

The old man looked at Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao and asked, "You two, have you found something?"

Zhan Zhao pretended to be confused, pretending to understand, and asked knowingly, "What?"

"Don't pretend to be confused, you two, what I'm asking is have you got that thing?" The old man seemed to be in a bad temper, with a straight face.

Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao and asked, "Do you want osmanthus cake or almond tofu?"

Zhan Zhao smiled, "Osmanthus cake."

Bai Yutang pushed the plate forward for Zhan Zhao, raised his hand to take the teapot and poured tea.

Hong Niang naturally knew that these two people were not easy to provoke, one would be difficult to deal with, not to mention the two added together, Zhan Zhao was more reasonable, Bai Yutang would kill someone if he provoked.

"Hehe, to tell you the truth, we want to find something." Hong Niang said, "Have you heard of the legend of the hidden palace?"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang shook their heads together, "No."

The old man is a little upset, why pretend to be confused!

"Sigh." Hong Niang was obviously more sophisticated than the old man, "Everyone is sensible, and we didn't hide it from you, this time we came here for the hidden palace."

"You have something to know, and we also have something to know." Bai Yutang said unhurriedly, "Where is Zhan Hao?"

Hong Niang was stunned for a moment, pretending to be sad and clutching her chest, "Oh, where would I know where Zhan Hao is? You men are all heartless and ungrateful, pity us women, I feel sad for you all day long. "

Zhan Zhao was taken aback for a moment—could this person be with his elder brother?

Just when he was wondering, he saw Bai Yutang raised his eyebrows at him—don't believe it, your big brother won't be able to see her again, right?This is a well-known poisonous woman in the world!

Zhan Zhao scratched his chin - also.

For a while, the two sides were deadlocked.

"Oh...forget it, it's better for us to suffer." Hong Niang said, and took out something from her side, which looked like a lotus flower candlestick, but the lotus flower was not open but closed, black stone... ... Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang took a look at it, and felt that it was somewhat similar to the stone used for that strange stone statue.

"This is the key wheel." Hong Niang explained to the two of them, "We found the hidden palace, and we must have this key wheel to open the palace door."

Zhan Zhao nodded, "So what?"

"Master Zhan, you don't want to enter the hidden palace?" Hong Niang was a little surprised.

Zhan Zhao shook his head, "Whoever cares about heaven and earth palaces, golden palaces and silver palaces, it has nothing to do with me."

"Longevity and wealth can rival a country, Master Zhan is not tempted?" Hong Niang probed, "Your elder brother is much more ambitious than you."

After hearing this, Zhan Zhao felt angry. This Hong Niang spoke one by one to Zhan Hao, and seemed to have a good relationship. What is the eldest brother doing?It was Hong Niang who was bluffing, trying to use Zhan Hao to trick them.

"Life and death depend on fate, wealth and honor depend on heaven." Zhan Zhao smiled, "It's better to obey the destiny."

"Then what if the fate says that you are going to die today? Hahaha..." At this time, behind the old man, there was a skinny young man. He looked up at the two of them and laughed.

Zhan Zhao glanced at him, and before he could say anything, he heard someone say, "It's up to you?"

Everyone was taken aback for a moment, it was not the person sitting who was speaking, but an old man sitting at a table in the distance.The old man was dry and skinny, and his appearance was a bit ugly. He said with a strange smile, "Young people nowadays don't know the heights of the heavens and the earth, no...the ones in the Central Plains are better and well-educated. Like."

"Smelly old man, what are you talking about?!"

The young man was annoyed, he took a step forward, pulled out a dagger from his waist, and was about to kill the old man... But the strange thing is, as soon as he got near the old man, he froze and couldn't move...

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang frowned at the same time.

I saw the young man crooked, fell headfirst to the ground, clutching his heart and yelling, rolling and twitching, looking very painful.

The group of people who came with him were furious, they hurried over to help him, and then Zhan Zhao said, "Don't touch it!"

Everyone was stunned.

Zhan Zhao pointed to the man's chest, "Look carefully!"

Those young people took a closer look and saw that the man's chest was covered with dense needles of ox hair.

Everyone didn't know what to do.

The kind-hearted old man saw the situation, and there was a look of displeasure in his eyes, "It's too shameful for a martial arts senior to bully a junior." "Hey hey!" The skinny old man laughed badly, "Of course wild dogs can't Barking in the teahouse, disturbing people's peace!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang knew it well, that old man was not simple, just now he was very fast, the young man was unprepared, and because he was too shallow and crazy, he suffered all these hardships for nothing.

Even though the old man acted for them, his methods were vicious and his intentions were sinister, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were very shameless.

Seeing that the young people were all busy, Bai Yutang said, "Go find a magnet to take the needle, pour some strong wine, and ask the doctor to help detoxify."

Several young people looked at the old man who was sitting still in the family. The old man nodded and signaled to do so. They carried the young man away. There was a medical center not far away. After a while, the young girl ran back and said, "Master, brother never mind."

The old man nodded and bowed his hands to Bai Yutang, "Thank you."

"Hehe." The shriveled old man was not very happy, "People say that Chinchilla is cruel, but looking at it now, it seems a bit kind-hearted."

Bai Yutang frowned slightly, glanced at the old man, and Zhan Zhao replied, "Cruelty is for cruel people, old man, you still have such a big temper at your age?"

"Haha." The old man raised his face and laughed loudly, "I can't help it, how are you feeling today.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang already knew the identity of this old man. He is a poisonous old man Niu Lang who is good at using ox hair needles to plot against others.

This Niu Lang has a bad reputation in Jianghu, maybe he happened to pass by Xinghua.

"Old man, I bumped into someone I'm destined to meet today." Niu Lang said with a little deep meaning, "I'm very interested in the hidden palace you just mentioned..."

"Old man." Hong Niang turned her head and glanced at him, "You are already old, and death is just around the corner, what do you want to do in the hidden palace?"

The old man raised his eyebrows, "What do you girls from Chilongmen say?! My old man has a long life!"

"not necessarily……"

At this time, the old man opposite Hong Niang suddenly said, "It's only today."

"Varied……"

Niu Lang didn't say the word "what" when he saw a figure flashing.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were secretly surprised, the old man is so light-hearted.

Looking at Niu Lang again, his head has fallen to the ground.

The old man did not know when he came to his side, and with a slight flick of his sleeve, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang saw a dagger as thin as silkworm wings hidden in his sleeve, and were slightly taken aback—the old man in the world with a dagger with broken wings what?He is not weak in kung fu, and he seems to have some status, I have never heard of it.

In this quiet place of the teahouse, a bloody case suddenly happened... The ordinary tea drinkers ran away screaming in shock.Soon some yamen servants came, and Zhan Zhao waved at them. The yamen servants probably understood that this was a vendetta.Generally, this kind of Jianghu vendetta kills the yamen and doesn't care about it, so they all retreat.

"Central Plains martial arts, there are many talents, but there are also good and bad!" The old man said lightly, and saw the disciples coming out of the medical center opposite, helping the injured young man, nodded slightly, and said to the remaining disciples behind him, "Let's go."

"Yes!" The disciples saluted respectfully and nodded their heads.

"Hey!" Hong Niang was anxious, "The old man just left? We haven't finished talking about our serious business yet."

"The residents of Yinshan were originally the ancestors of my Yin clan. There is nothing wrong with inheriting their ancestors' property. We were exiled in a foreign land and traveled thousands of miles just to find the tablets of our ancestors." The old man ignored Hong Niang, but looked at Zhan Zhaohe Baiyu Tang, "Since we know where the things are, it will be easier to handle. Let's visit the house some other day." After finishing speaking, he took his men and left.

"Wait." Zhan Zhao stopped.

The old man turned his head, "What's the matter?"

"What's your surname?" Zhan Zhao first asked his name, "Forgive my blind eyes, I can't recognize it."

"It's just a small person from the wild tribe." The old man stretched out his hand and stroked his beard lightly. "My surname is Jia, and my name is Huai. Behind me are my disciples and grandchildren. They have no family or affiliation and live in seclusion in the South China Sea! This behavior came from the hidden palace. I have lived here for more than half a year, and I have no clue."

"The murder of the Li family is related to you?" Although Bai Yutang asked, he felt in his heart that this old man might not be that kind of person.

"No." Jia Huai shook his head, "I don't kill innocent people."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other, the old man really didn't look like a liar, so who could have done it?Moreover, these people are highly skilled in martial arts, and the weapons they use are also different, which do not match the wounds on the corpse in the case of Li's family extermination.

Jia Huai left with his men, leaving Hong Niang in the building to face Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang alone.

"Disappointing." Hong Niang shook her head, trying to escape, "Then I'm leaving too."

"Oh." Bai Yutang sneered, and asked Hong Niang, "Do you think you can go?"

Hong Niang's face paled slightly, "Oh, fifth master, are you scaring me, a weak girl?"

"I'm not interested in whether Chilongmen wants the hidden treasures or not." Zhan Zhao looked at Hong Niang and said coldly, "But I want to know the clues of big brother. If you don't tell me today, don't think about leaving."

Hong Niang patted her chest, "Alas! The heroes of the rivers and lakes are bullying weak women."

Bai Yutang frowned, her face was displeased, Hong Niang knew she was about to offend her, so she quickly said, "You all don't know, I can't say anything about Zhan Hao!"

"Why?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled, "Is my elder brother still alive?"

"He's alive and well!" Hong Niang curled her lips and muttered in a low voice, "I don't dare to talk nonsense, maybe I'll die when I go back!"

"Where is he?" Zhan Zhao asked impatiently.

Hong Niang lowered her voice and said, "Now Chilongmen listen to him!"

……

As soon as Hong Niang's words came out, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were taken aback. The news was too shocking... Just when they were in a daze, Hong Niang saw the right moment, jumped downstairs, and escaped for nothing. without a trace.

Bai Yutang chased to the window and looked down, Hong Niang had already mixed into the crowd and slipped into the alley and fled.

Looking back at Zhan Zhao, "Mao'er, what she said may not be the truth, and Chilongmen is a big school, and your elder brother doesn't know martial arts."

Zhan Zhao nodded slightly, but he was puzzled in his heart. If Chilongmen belonged to his elder brother, then Hong Niang was also instructed by his elder brother to find the whereabouts of the hidden palace this time, wanting the huge wealth in the hidden palace?What do you need so much money for?The eldest brother also took away the mourning orb from the underground palace of Yishui River... What the hell is he doing?

Just as he couldn't figure it out, he felt the warmth between his brows, Zhan Zhao hurriedly raised his face, stretched out his hand to cover his forehead, and looked at Bai Yutang in front of him in puzzlement.

Bai Yutang shook his head helplessly, "Don't frown!"

"..." Zhan Zhao nodded, Bai Yutang paid for the tea, and also overpaid for the loss of the teahouse, and went downstairs with Zhan Zhao.

On the way back, Bai Yutang suddenly said to Zhan Zhao, "Cat, shall we go to the hidden palace?"

Zhan Zhao was silent for a while, then nodded, "En!"

……

Inside the yamen, Gongsun was sitting at the table looking through books about Yinshan and Yingong, as well as letters from Bao Zheng. He also did some research on Yingong and sent all the information to Gongsun.

"Jiujiu." Sitting on Zhao Pu's lap, the fourth son watched Xiao Liang practice, holding Hong Lie's big eagle in his arms, and stroking the eagle's smooth hair.

This eagle is also docile, its claws are closed, and it is like a big rooster for the little four to hug and pet.

"What?" Zhao Pu was staring at the lotus candlestick painted on a picture album, talking to the fourth son absent-mindedly.

"This lotus is also in the picture drawn by brother Miaomiao last time."

After the fourth son finished speaking, Zhao Pu and Gongsun were stunned and looked up at him, "What?"

Last time, the fourth son rubbed a reverse drawing on paper, and he has been hiding it in his purse.Last night, I happened to tidy up the small purse, and I studied it with Xiao Liang for a while.I just saw the lotus platform on the picture scroll that Zhao Pu was looking at, and somehow felt that the position was reversed. The fourth son is not confused at the moment, because the rubbing is reversed!

Zhao Pu took the rubbing that the fourth son took out from his purse, and looked at it carefully with Gongsun.

Gongsun turned the rubbings over and took a picture against the sky. The lotus symbol on the reverse side was exactly the same as the lotus candlestick symbol on the book.

"This is the lotus key wheel that is said to be used to open the door!" Gongsun said seriously, "Could it be that there is some code word from the theater troupe?"

This lotus platform looks very strange, if it is a coincidence, it is unlikely to happen, even the details are the same.

"Hmm..." Zhao Pu also nodded, "It's strange."