Tomb Raiders

Chu Yuyang put the note and brocade box that Shen Liaobai found last night on the table, and said: "This morning, Hanzhang and I checked the other four rooms, but found nothing."

A group of people were clueless about the branch in the brocade box. Song Qiancheng held up the thumb-sized branch and put it in the sunlight to have a look, "Do you see something in the middle?"

When Shen Liaobai heard the words, he immediately leaned over to look. There were tiny gaps on the surface of the branches, which were similar to the gaps caused by the cracking of the bark in winter. Under the sunlight, you could see dark green spots inside.

"How about," Song Qiancheng glanced at Chu Yuyang, "Let's break it apart and have a look?"

Although he was sent by King Ding, he didn't have much power at all. Firstly, King Ding handed over the matter to Chu Yuyang to take full responsibility. Secondly, according to Chu Yuyang's personality, if he didn't want to obey, Song Qiancheng would There is nothing to do with him.

Chu Yuyang nodded.

Receiving the promise, Song Qiancheng stretched his hands hard, and then made a sound of doubt. This seemingly fragile branch did not break into two under his hands in response.

"This...?" Song Qiancheng looked hesitantly at the intact branch in his hand.

Hanzhang sneered: "Song Jun didn't eat enough this morning, why didn't he have any energy?"

He snatched the branch from Song Qiancheng's hand, and it was as hard as an iron block, and it couldn't be broken no matter what, Hanzhang's stubborn temper also came up, "I still don't believe that this thing can be invulnerable."

He took out the dagger he carried with him and chopped it upwards. This dagger was solid and practical, and it made a crisp impact sound as if it was being cut on a shield, and the branch was still intact.

Now even Hanzhang was dumbfounded.

Chu Yuyang couldn't help frowning, he put away the branch and handed it to Wen Hao, "You send this thing to Chang'an's house quickly."

Wen Hao took the brocade box and said: "Da Lang, it's dangerous to go here, there are very few people around you, Wen Hao should stay and help you."

Song Qiancheng, who was ridiculed as a useless person, looked at Shen Liaobai, who was calm and composed, with a look of shame on his face.

Naturally, the brocade box couldn't be given to the two of them.

"I have someone to choose," Wen Hao said as he stood up, despite his unremarkable appearance, he was very strong, and directly lifted the diners from the other table who were eating with their backs to them, and handed the brocade box to him , "You have been following us all the way, and it is very boring to think about it, so I will trouble you to send this brocade box to the Chu family in Chang'an."

The man looked at the group present, gritted his teeth, and went out with the brocade box.

Hanzhang had already recovered from the blow just now, he took a sip of salty tea leisurely and said, "Brother Song, it seems that King Ding doesn't really believe in your ability."

Song Qiancheng could only smile embarrassingly, "Song did something wrong, but fortunately his colleagues made up for it, so that he would not be blamed by the king."

"Just now that person has followed us all the way since we left Dingzhou City, and regularly reported the situation to King Ding. King Ding is suspicious, and he needs to know the details before he can rest assured." Wen Hao explained to Shen Liaobai who was out of the situation. .

So it turns out, Shen Liaobai secretly thought about Fu, he also knew something about King Ding's deeds. It is said that he was deprived of his military power after his outstanding military exploits in his early years, and he was given the title of King Ding and asked him to be a soldier in Dingzhou City. An idle prince with no real power.

So many years have passed without wind and waves, if Shen Liaobai hadn't participated in this action in a wrong way, it is only as if King Ding is going to spend his old age in peace and tranquility.

"Guest, do you need anything else?" the shopkeeper asked.

Shen Liaobai remembered the note left by Ying Qing, and asked casually, "Does the shopkeeper know Zhang San?"

The shopkeeper froze and asked, "What is the customer looking for?"

Shen Liaobai naturally noticed her small movements, and said peacefully: "It's nothing serious, I just heard that he had been in contact with my brother, so I want to ask him if he has any clues."

"Hey," the shopkeeper slapped the table, "This three just doesn't learn well, just wait a moment, I'll call him right away."

After finishing speaking, he hurried out, but after a while, he pinched a thin man's ear and forced him to come in.

"Ouch, sister, be gentle." The skinny man begged for mercy.

"Quickly tell me, where did you hide that guest surnamed Shen, did you kidnap him?"

"How dare I, there are five of them, each of them is very skilled, how could I tie him up."

When the shopkeeper heard about it, he still didn't let go, "Then where did your gold come from?"

Zhang San covered his ears, with a painful expression on his face, "They gave it to you."

The shopkeeper glared, "Nonsense, why did they give you money for no reason?"

Seeing that the shopkeeper was about to strike again, Shen Liaobai hurriedly dissuaded him: "Madam, please be merciful, just let him go and talk about it."

The shopkeeper gritted his teeth and let go of his hand.Zhang San rubbed his red ears, took a deep breath, and finally recovered, "I didn't charge them for nothing. I took them to the back mountain. The money they gave was a fair deal."

"Houshan, you don't want to die, you actually took them to Houshan," the shopkeeper almost knocked Zhang San down, "Don't kill yourself, and don't harm others, do you know the identity of this guest?" Brother hasn't come back yet?"

"I, I don't know," Zhang San stood stupidly, "I took them up the mountain, they stood on the top of the mountain and looked at them, and then let me come back first. I was afraid that they would get lost, so I made a special trip along the way." Mark, they haven't come back yet?"

"Where is the back mountain you mentioned?" Chu Qianyang asked.

The sharp eyes made Zhang San take a step back unconsciously, "Just behind the village, there is a swamp before entering the mountain. If you are not careful, you will sink into it, so few people go there. When I was short of money before, Then I will go to the back mountain to hunt some game for money, so I am quite familiar with that area."

"Take us there, and I'll pay you double."

Despite repeated dissuasion from the shopkeeper, Shen Liaobai decided to follow Zhang San to Houshan.

Don't look at Zhang San's thin and thin, but he walked up the mountain road unambiguously, bouncing up like a monkey.Chu Yuyang's master and servant had good foot strength and followed closely. Shen Liaobai and Song Qiancheng gritted their teeth and followed behind them.

"It seems that brother Shen is not one of them." Song Qiancheng said.

Shen Liaobai smiled and said: "We are all grasshoppers tied to the same rope now, why are we not in the same group?"

"That's right," Song Qiancheng chuckled, "I heard that you came to find your younger brother? That's the same purpose as Chu Yuyang's."

Shen Liaobai thought of Chu Zhong that Chu Qianyang had mentioned, "Who is Chu Zhong?"

"Chu Zhong, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, is the father of Chu Qianyang." Song Qiancheng replied.

"Minister of the Ministry of Industry?" Shen Liaobai frowned slightly, "Why did you come to find the tomb for King Ding?"

Song Qiancheng wiped off his sweat, and said with a smile, "I can't say what it means. Brother Shen is a smart person, so he should understand it better than I do."

In addition to wanting the treasures in the tomb to recruit soldiers and horses, King Ding also wanted to obtain the Book of Heaven for Governance - the Taiping Jing. The intention of rebellion was very obvious, but Chu Zhong, who was the minister of the Ministry of Industry, was helping him. Could it be... Shen Liaobai gasped. With a breath of cold air, Chu Zhong wanted to help King Ding rebel, so the eldest son, Chu Yuyang, must also know that it was a lie that King Ding asked them to help find him, and his real intention was to rebel...

"Can't walk anymore?"

Chu Yuyang's voice suddenly appeared beside him, and Shen Liaobai was startled. It turned out that he was just thinking about things and fell behind. Chu Yuyang deliberately slowed down and waited for him to catch up.

"No, it's nothing." Shen Liaobai shook his head. Everything just now was just speculation. Before knowing the truth, it is not true. If there is a grudge in your heart, it will be difficult to cooperate.

"Ahead is a swamp," Chu Yuyang said, "Treading in the footsteps of the people ahead."

This swamp is very large, and it is no different from ordinary mud when viewed up close. In some places, weeds are still growing, which is very easy to confuse people.Shen Liaobai walked forward stepping on the footprints of the front, and Chu Yuyang followed behind him.

Halfway through the walk, the calm mud suddenly bubbled up, and it bubbled faster and faster. The whole swamp boiled like a pot of boiling water, emitting bursts of white smoke.

Shen Liaobai stopped, because a hand protruded from the mud in front of him, at first it was a finger, then slowly the palm, the arm, and then the piece of mud was shaking, as if the ghost of the person who had been trapped in it before was haunted. Scattered, as if wanting to climb up from inside.

Shen Liaobai wanted to move, but his body was very stiff, and he could only move his fingers with all his strength.

The muddy hand had moved in front of him, grabbing his feet.Suddenly there seemed to be a huge force on his feet, trying to drag him into the mud.

One hand lightly touched his back, then quickly covered his mouth and nose, dragged him forward quickly, and just when Shen Liaobai was about to suffocate, that hand finally let go of him.

Shen Liaobai fell on the solid ground and gasped, "What, what's going on?"

Chu Yuyang, who was sitting beside him, had recovered his composure, "It's miasma."

Shen Liaobai sat up, only to realize that the sun had long been hidden in the dark clouds, the sky was gloomy as if it was going to rain, and a milky white miasma floated from the swamp. The strange thing was that the miasma only wandered above the swamp, Do not float into the mountains.

"This miasma can make people hallucinate?" Shen Liaobai murmured, his eyes naturally fell on the shoe surface, and he was surprised again. There were four muddy fingerprints on the shoe surface, and the lines on the fingers could be clearly seen.

Chu Yuyang pulled him up from the ground and said, "Let's go."

Shen Liaobai didn't care too much. Since he followed, he knew there was no turning back. He took a deep breath to calm his heart, and followed Chu Yuyang to climb up the mountain, and joined another group of people at a position a little ahead. .

"Lang Jun," Zhang San saw Chu Yuyang approaching, stepped forward and said, "It's going to rain today, and there is no place to hide from the rain in this mountain, and climbing the mountain in the rain is also very dangerous. Knocking and bumping, I will have my ears ripped off by my sister."

Chu Yuyang looked up at the sky and said, "It won't rain for a while, not to mention there is miasma in the swamp, we can't get out."

"This...well," Zhang San gritted his teeth and said, "Sirs, please follow me."

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