Faraway Wanderers

The plum blossoms in the yard are full of branches, falling all over the ground, spreading on the residual snow that will not be cleaned in time in the future. At first glance, it is impossible to tell where is snow and where is plum. When the wind blows, the fragrance is leisurely, The courtyard is full of circulation.

Under the curtain of dusk, the moon is above the eaves, and the light is as cool as water.

At the end of the small courtyard there is a corner door called Plum Blossom which covers half of the corner. The bricks paved with large bluestones led to a dark cell, and a long and deep murderous aura rushed over.

The scent of flowers seems to be blocked to the other side of the gate, and it can't get through at all.

There were also a few guards standing there, with swords on their bodies, they stood like wooden figures, and there was a big iron bar as thick as an adult man's arm at the door.

Pass through the dark narrow passage of the prison cell, and walk in, there are three large stone gates controlled by mechanisms, each of which is guarded by people. They all disappeared, as if the long and narrow road was the road of ghosts in the underworld, and the lights flickered endlessly at several points, like will-o'-the-wisps.

In the innermost cell, a man's voice said something in a low voice, and then there was a moment of silence, as if another person sighed, lightly and effortlessly.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the darkness of the cell, and even the fire was extinguished. The scream was extremely shrill, like a dying animal, and it only caused an indescribable chill in people's hearts.

One of the two guards at the door whose back was facing the prison cell seemed to be a newcomer, with a youthful look on his face. Hearing this movement, he couldn't help shivering, and glanced at himself secretly. His companion found that the other party seemed to be deaf, standing upright as motionless as a mountain, and immediately restrained his mind and lowered his eyes.

But the screams were too high-pitched and long-lasting, the man broke his voice, hoarse his voice and continued, and finally lost his breath, and the screams turned into whimpering moans, but it seemed more miserable.

The new guard only felt goosebumps rushing out of his body.

After about a stick of incense, the man's voice disappeared.Not long after, the two dragged a middle-aged man who didn't know whether he was dead or alive. The man was bare-chested, his head was tilted to one side, his hair was already wet with sweat, his lips and tongue were bitten, and blood scum flowed down the corners of his mouth. When he came out, there was no injury on his body, but a dark red nail was driven into each of the seven large holes on his chest and abdomen.

As if connecting into a strange and terrifying totem, the young guard's eyes couldn't help following the middle-aged man until they disappeared at the other end of the stone gate.

At this moment, a person whispered behind him and said, "Have you ever regretted seeing this?"

The young guard trembled in fright, and turned his head suddenly, only to see a man in a royal blue robe standing silently behind him at some point, and his companion on one side had already knelt on the ground on one knee, the young man reacted, Busy also knelt down and said in his mouth: "Villa Master."

The man in the long robe seemed to be about 28 or [-] years old, with a gentle appearance, like a scribe, but his face was covered with a sickly look, his brows and eyes were deep and clear, his eyes were extremely bright, and they were always slightly drooping, called that extremely The extremely thick eyelashes cover half of the eyelashes, and when they are lifted up occasionally, there is an indescribable coldness in them, and every time one looks at them, one's heart is also chilled. There was a taste of indifference and ungratefulness.

Hearing the boy's address, the man couldn't help but look at him more, chuckled lightly, and said, "You're new here, right?"

The boy lowered his head: "Yes."

The man raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder twice: "Remember, you can't call me the owner of the villa in the future. I'm no longer the owner of the villa. You should call me Mr. Zhou next time."

The young man looked up at him quickly, then lowered himself respectfully: "Yes, Mr. Zhou."

The man nodded, waved his hands, and said, "You two go, I'll be alone for a while."

The two guards responded and went out side by side. The young guard still couldn't help but look back, and saw the man in the blue robe leaning quietly on the door frame, his eyes seemed to be staring at something in the void, or something He couldn't even see it, the boy somehow felt that he seemed to be going to a far away place.

The first iron gate came down, and the silent old guard suddenly said in a low voice: "Your Excellency looks like a gentle and gentle scholar. You can imagine that it was his hands that nailed the old Bi." Did you get the 'Seven Orifices and Three Autumn Nails'?"

The young man was taken aback, and turned his head to look at his older companion. The old guard's temples were turning white, and he sighed, "There are still many things you don't understand. Our 'Skylight' basically has no way out. , if you want to go out, you have to be dead and disabled."

In the fourth year of Rongjia in Daqing, the name of "Skylight" was enough to make the whole government and the public feel terrified.

"Skylight" is an organization composed of spies and killers, who are directly loyal to the emperor. No one knows how many of them there are, and no one knows where they hide—but no one doubts that their tentacles can extend to the ends of the earth go.It was established by Rongjia Emperor He Lianyi when he was still the crown prince. Up to now, the entry and exit are strictly controlled and the rules are orderly.

The first leader of "Skylight" - the man in the sapphire blue robe is the former "Four Seasons Villa Master", and now Zhou Zishu, Master Zhou.

From the secret affairs of the palace to the traffickers and pawns, it seems that there are no secrets in the "skylight", so there is a rule that no living person with a mouth can leave the skylight, come in and go out, unless he is dead , or he invited himself to the "Seven Orifices and Three Autumn Nails".

The so-called "Seven Orifices and Three Autumn Nails" means that seven poisonous nails are sealed with internal force on the seven most important acupoints on the chest and abdomen. Shaped like a useless person, the poison entered the five internal organs for three years, and died of exhaustion.

Although I lived three years secretly, it is better to die than to live.

But even so, there are still people who would rather be a living dead than leave the skylight from time to time.

Three years of idly living is the greatest favor bestowed by the emperor.

Let's say that Zhou Zishu retreated to the left and right, and went back to the small cell by himself, closed the door, put his hands behind his back, walked slowly for a week thoughtfully, then stopped, took out the corner of the wall and placed the seven orifices and three autumn nails small box, open it.This terrifying little thing exuded a smell like the cold fragrance of plum blossoms. Zhou Zishu took a deep breath, and then stretched out his hand to untie his robe.

On the surface, he looked tall and well-proportioned, but when he unbuttoned his clothes, he revealed a shriveled body that seemed to have been drained dry by something. Between the thin chest and abdomen, there were clearly six seven orifices and three autumns. The nails were nailed on in unknown years, and they almost grew into the flesh.

Zhou Zishu looked down at his body, smiled self-deprecatingly, picked up a small knife from the side, gritted his teeth, and re-cut the flesh that was already closing around each nail. He cut the knife very quickly and steadily. , as if the flesh was not his own, without much effort, the entire chest was soaked with blood, and looking at it again, those nails that had been driven in earlier seemed to be driven in just now.

Then, as if some level had been activated, he let out a muffled grunt, and then he leaned limply against the corner of the wall and slid down slowly, his body trembling unceasingly, the only bit of blood on his lips faded away, his teeth There was a "clucking" sound from the bite, and suddenly he twitched violently. His eyes opened slightly, and then slowly closed, his head tilted to one side.

His face was pale and bloody, as if he had turned into a corpse.

It was not until the dawn of the second day that the person curled up in a corner of the cell twitched slightly, and then slowly opened his eyes. When he tried to get up for the first time, his legs were weak and he almost fell back. After the second time, he stood up reluctantly, took out the silk, soaked it in water, carefully wiped off most of the blood on his chest, closed his skirt again, picked up a seven-orifice three-autumn nail, and put it in his bosom.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked out.

Striding out of the prison cell and back to the small courtyard with cold plums and white snow, Zhou Zishu felt a refreshing fragrance rushing towards his face, as if it easily washed away the bloody smell all over his body. Standing under the plum blossom tree for a long time, I leaned up to sniff it lightly, and a smile appeared on my face unconsciously.

He sighed lightly again, and said in a low voice, "Come here."

A man in black came out like a shadow, bowing down and waiting for him to speak.Zhou Zishu took out a dark token and threw it to him, saying, "Go and ask Mr. Duan to come, and ask him to meet with me today."

After receiving the token, the man in black disappeared without anyone noticing, as if he had never appeared there before.

Duan Pengju, the housekeeper, was pulled up by Zhou Zishu after mastering the skylight, and he only listened to his deployment.This man has ability and ambition, and he never hesitates to show this ambition.

Sometimes Zhou Zishu looked at him as if he looked at himself a few years ago.It didn't take long for Duan Pengju to come with the token. He still didn't understand why, after all, this is a group of shady people. Except for Zhou Zishu, other people don't have many opportunities to face the saint.

Zhou Zishu didn't say much, and only left him to have breakfast, and guessing that the emperor was about to go to court, he ordered: "Let's go."

So he went to the palace. Although Duan Pengju didn't know what he meant, he didn't ask much, but followed silently.

The two arrived at the upper study room one after the other, and Emperor Rongjia He Lianyi was already there, as soon as he heard that they were coming, he immediately had someone call them in.After Zhou Zishu and Duan Peng held a big ceremony, Zhou Zishu took out a roll of bamboo from his sleeve and presented it to He Lianyi, "Your Majesty, this is what you ordered last time."

He Lianyi took it over, but didn't look at it in a hurry. Instead, he sized Zhou Zishu up, couldn't help but frowned and said, "Your complexion is getting worse and worse. I'll ask the imperial doctor to show you later. There must be hidden wounds on your body. Don't underestimate Wan, don't take it seriously just because you are young."

Zhou Zishu smiled slightly, without nodding, he just said, "His Majesty Lao is worried."

He Lianyi glanced at Duan Pengju again, was taken aback for a moment, and then asked, "Why is Pengju here today? I haven't seen you for a while, and I seem to be much more energetic."

Duan Pengju squinted his small eyes, and hurriedly said with a smile: "It's hard for the emperor to take care of everything, and he can still remember the old slave."

He Lianyi smiled, vaguely felt that Zhou Zishu seemed to have something to say, so he opened the bamboo tube he brought first, took out a small paper scroll from inside, looked at ten lines at a glance, with a smile on his face, looked up Said to Zhou Zishu: "This matter is done beautifully, Zishu how do you want me to reward you?"

--coming.

Zhou Zishu suddenly lifted the hem of his clothes and knelt on the ground. Duan Pengju didn't know why, so he had to kneel down.

He Lianyi frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"

Zhou Zishu said softly as if he was exhausted: "I hope the emperor will reward me with grace."

He Lianyi smiled and said: "Get up and talk, you have lived and died for me in Daqing all these years, apart from this country, what else can I not promise you? Let's talk about it."

Zhou Zishu straightened up, but still knelt, and then silently untied the skirt of his robe. As soon as the thick and airtight robe was unbuttoned, a bloody smell immediately rushed to his face. The body was bleeding again because of the bumping of the sedan chair and horse.

He Lianyi stood up suddenly: "Zi Shu!"

Duan Pengju was so frightened that he fell silent.

Zhou Zishu opened his palm again, and on the slender palm lay the last seven-hole three-autumn nail, and said, "Your Majesty, I have punched six nails by myself. If I also punch in the seventh one, I'm afraid it won't be able to last for the palace and the emperor." Farewell, I beg the emperor to give me the grace to ask Pengju to help me fulfill my minister."

He Lianyi was stunned for a long time, but couldn't utter a word. After a while, he sat back down, looked up at the beam in the study, and whispered to himself: "Yunxing is stationed in the northwest, Beiyuan ...Bei Yuan is gone, are you going to abandon me now?"

Zhou Zishu remained silent.

He Lianyi was silent for a while, then said with a sigh: "I'm a loner."

Zhou Zishu continued: "Your Majesty, you don't need to worry about the skylight. Pengju has been following me all these years. He is trustworthy and capable..."

Duan Pengju interrupted him: "Master! Master, you can't say that, my old Duan never thinks like that! You...you can't..."

Zhou Zishu said in a low voice: "Seven orifices and three autumn nails, three autumns will break the heart, and there is no turning back when you open the bow—"

He bowed down and kowtowed to He Lianyi, but he didn't raise his head after kowtowing, and said in his mouth: "For the sake of my service for so many years, I have fulfilled my minister."

He Lianyi stared at the blood gourd-like man. At that moment, no one knew what the emperor was thinking in his prime - those years were cautious, those years were exhausted, those years were full of wars, and those years were windy, frosty and bitter. , those years... and finally he ruled the world, but everyone was gone, only him left.

Everyone cannot escape the impermanence of the world and the abandonment of the years.

After a while, he closed his eyes and waved his hand.

A smile appeared on the corner of Zhou Zishu's mouth: "Thank you, Lord Long En."

As if he had encountered something very happy, his pale face with a sick look turned a little blush, and he turned to Duan Pengju happily, and pushed the last nail into his hand: "Come on."

Duan Pengju hesitated for a while, then gritted his teeth, raised the dark red nail, and nailed it firmly into the flesh and blood of his owner. He knew it was extremely painful, and he was used to it over the years. Unable to bear this, he couldn't help but let out a scream, but Zhou Zishu just flinched slightly, still standing upright, there was no scream, only a barely audible muffled groan.

He even felt that there was a smile in Zhou Zishu's muffled hum.

Duan Pengju felt that the owner had gone crazy.

Zhou Zishu paused for a while, and finally bowed to He Lianyi, his face was as white as paper.

The strength in his body was receding rapidly, and the feeling of numbness began to rise slowly, and he said the last four words: "Your Majesty, take care."

Then without waiting for He Lianyi to reply, he strode out of the upper study room, as briskly as if he had rested some burden, his figure flashed and disappeared.

[Volume [-] of the Lost Rivers and Lakes Wine Shop]