Cloud of the Qing Dynasty

After his reminder, Mu Liuyun had some impressions. Back then, he was only seventeen or eighteen years old, and it was the first time he went down the mountain to work for the sect. When he was killing that villain, he did save a child.

That time when the brother who brought him down the mountain insisted on giving him a piece of silver as a precautionary measure, Mu Liuyun thought he would never need the money at all, but at least he knew that money was needed to see a doctor and buy medicine at the foot of the mountain. At that time, when he saw that the child was sick, he gave the silver to the child. As for the concept of twelve taels for a poor child, he actually didn't know.

This matter was trivial to him, so he forgot about it afterwards, unexpectedly, by chance, the child who was rescued at that time turned out to be the suspect who poisoned his nephew.

Seeing the change in Mu Liuyun's expression, Zhang Chi asked expectantly, "Do you remember?"

Mu Liuyun nodded: "At the beginning, it was just a one-sided relationship. Unexpectedly, ten years later, you can still recognize me."

"My memory is relatively good, and I was particularly impressed at the time. But last night was dark, so I couldn't recognize it for a while." Zhang Chi scratched his hair in embarrassment, and suddenly reacted, "No, you even need this Suspect?"

"It's incredible that someone who met once ten years ago can still remember it so clearly." Mu Liuyun said lightly, "Also, even if I saved your life, it doesn't mean I should trust you , before your suspicion is cleared, don't rush to get close."

Zhang Chi opened his mouth, as if he wanted to defend something, but in the end he just said dejectedly: "...Okay."

Looking at him like a puppy with drooping ears, Mu Liuyun almost had the illusion that he was bullying others. He shook his head to dispel the inexplicable guilt, and stopped talking.

In fact, up to now, he has somewhat believed that Zhang Chi was not a murderer who poisoned people, but the master always said that people in the world are sinister, and he didn't dare to make a judgment before the matter was really clarified.

In order to save their lives, people will definitely try their best to justify themselves. If it turns out that it was Zhang Chi who did it, the Shangqing Palace will inevitably ask the murderer to pay with blood, so before that, he doesn't want to have any deeper entanglements with Zhang Chi.

***

After that, there was nothing to talk about all the way. In the evening, they came to a small village called Qingshan'ao.

This is still a village of the Han people, but you can already see some people dressed as Miao families walking in and out of the village, buying and selling some local products with the Han people, and talking about the price in half-baked Chinese.

From the moment he entered the village, Zhang Chi warmly greeted the villagers along the way, and the villagers responded to him with smiles, and some even stopped to chat with him. People here speak with a heavy accent, and Mu Liuyun listened I don't quite understand what they are talking about, but I just feel that this is a picture of a child who was born and raised here and suddenly returns to his hometown after leaving home for a few years.

But Zhang Chi clearly stated that he is from Yongzhou. Although Mu Liuyun is not very familiar with geography, he also knows that Yongzhou is near Chang'an, which is far away from Miaojiang.

Mu Liuyun thought about it for a while, but didn't say it clearly, but just kept it in mind.

Zhang Chi handed over the horse to the care of the villagers, and led Mu Liuyun up the mountain along a steep path that was difficult for horses to pass.

The vegetation in this area is dense and the terrain is steep. Some paths are directly attached to the cliffs, and some places don't even have roads, so you have to climb along the cliffs.Fortunately, Mu Liuyun's lightness kung fu is very good. Although Zhang Chi is far inferior to Mu Liuyun, he can be regarded as vigorous and vigorous, which is not a difficult task for them.

"The Miao doctor Xin Lanshan you said lives in this kind of place?" Mu Liuyun luckily broke a cane hanging from the corner of his robe, walking in this kind of place, it's really inconvenient for him to dress up.

"Yeah, he has a weird temper and doesn't like living in crowded places." Zhang Chi thought for a while and added, "Maybe you might think he's rude when you meet him for the first time, but that's just how he is. , I didn’t intend to embarrass others, so don’t take it to heart.”

Mu Liuyun nodded, thinking that Zhang Chi was taking him for someone. Could it be that he beat someone because he was rude?

Seeing his unhappy face, Zhang Chi was really worried about Xin Lanshan.

After leaving the village and walking for almost a meal, they found a hut built by the mountain stream. There was gurgling water in front of the house, a vegetable garden surrounded by a fence at the back, and several big white geese were raised. , It's really an idyllic scenery.

The big white geese screamed loudly when they saw someone from a distance. A strong man dressed as a Hmong man with a height of eight feet like an iron tower was hoeing in the garden. Hearing the sound, he raised his head and looked at them.

"Lanshan!" Zhang Chi greeted from afar.

The big man said nonchalantly as if he saw a neighbor who had to meet every day: "Zhang Chi, you are here, what's the matter?"

"I can't come to you if I have nothing to do?" Zhang Chi said carelessly on the fence, "But this time I really have something to do."

"Who is he?" Xin Lanshan remained expressionless.

"Mu Liuyun is in the Shangqing Palace." Mu Liuyun clasped his fists according to Jianghu etiquette.

"Come in and sit down." Xin Lanshan put away his hoe and went to open the door.

Zhang Chi smiled awkwardly, and explained to Mu Liuyun in a low voice: "His performance today can be regarded as enthusiastic, don't be surprised."

Mu Liuyun didn't know how to express that he was not such an overbearing and unreasonable person, so he nodded annoyedly: "I see."

Zhang Chi glanced at him secretly, with worried eyes.

***

Xin Lanshan cooked dinner for three without saying a word, and then came to ask Zhang Chi what he wanted from him. Zhang Chi took out two small bottles containing poison, and roughly explained what happened to him at the inn. over again.

Xin Lanshan nodded and said blankly, "I'll test it and give you the result tomorrow."

After dinner, Zhang Chi helped Xin Lanshan pack his things familiarly, while Mu Liuyun meditated on the bamboo couch to adjust his breath, and gradually entered a state of forgetting both things and me.

At this time, his Lingtai was exceptionally clear, and he could hear sounds from far and near clearly, even the slight sound of Zhang Chi taking off his clothes could not escape his ears.

Zhang Chi said, "I'm hurt a little, please help me take a look."

Xin Lanshan pressed the bruised and purple wound on his chest, and Zhang Chi let out a hissing gasp: "It hurts! Take it easy."

"It's not serious, just rub the medicinal wine for two days and it will be fine." Xin Lanshan dug out a bottle of medicinal wine from the messy shelf and threw it to Zhang Chi.

"Oh..." Zhang Chi took the medicinal wine, rubbed it on the wound with a grin.

Xin Lanshan lowered his voice: "This was injured by someone with strong sword energy and internal martial arts. You said that Mu Liuyun misunderstood you as a murderer. Did he do this injury?"

"Yes." Zhang Chi said truthfully.

Xin Lanshan was still expressionless: "I have a special drug to deal with inner strength masters, do you want to help you put him down?"

Zhang Chi hurriedly said: "Don't, I managed to explain the misunderstanding clearly and let him agree to investigate the real culprit together for a while. At this time, I can't make more troubles. I will travel in the rivers and lakes in the future. If I get stuck with the Qing Palace , when the time comes, I will suffer."

"Okay, I'll keep the drug for you, you can see the situation yourself." Xin Lanshan found another bottle from the messy shelf and handed it to Zhang Chi.

"This is a good thing!" Zhang Chi happily took it.

***

The next day, Xin Lanshan went through some screening methods and finally came to a conclusion.

"This is the soul-breaking thistle." When it came to the matter related to the poison, Xin Lanshan suddenly became more talkative, "This kind of poison is really rare in the Central Plains. It only grows in the village near Wugu Village in Miaojiang. In a mountain depression, it will not survive if it is moved to other places. And this poisonous weed can only see blood and seal the throat when it is fresh, and it will lose its effectiveness when dried, ground, and pulped. Abdominal pain and nausea."

Zhang Chi asked in amazement: "Isn't that only for immediate use?"

"That's not true. If you pick it up, the effect can last for about a day. If you dig it out with the roots and mud, and bring it out in a pot, it can survive for four or five days, but it still can't be taken very far, so apart from Around Wugu Village, no one knows about this."

Mu Liuyun said: "From this point of view, the person who poisoned must have come from Wugu Village."

Xin Lanshan nodded: "The people in Wugu Village are very xenophobic. They guard that mountain to prevent outsiders from entering. Even if it wasn't done by the people in the village, they sold it to outsiders."

"Understood, thank you for your advice." Mu Liuyun got up and wanted to set off, then turned around and asked Zhang Chi as if thinking of something, "Do you know how to get to Wugu Village?"

Zhang Chi nodded: "I know, it's a bit far from here, let's go back to the inn to prepare."

"What else do you need to prepare?" Mu Liuyun didn't want to delay for a moment.

"You don't always think that as long as we come to Wuguzhai, slap our swords on the table, or grab them and beat them up, they will obediently tell the truth?" Zhang Chi said, "Miaojiang is full of people. You are a master at using poison and Gu, no matter how good your martial arts are, if you just rush in so recklessly, you may not even know how you died in the end."

Mu Liuyun couldn't refute it, he was a blank slate in terms of Jianghu experience, so he had no choice but to listen to Zhang Chi right now.

"Anyway, you have to trust me. I'm more anxious than you to find the murderer and clear up your grievances. When you get to Wugu Village, you don't want to talk. I'll deal with everything."

Mu Liuyun frowned and nodded helplessly.

***

The subsequent itinerary was not so rushed, and they did not return to the inn where they met before until the evening of the next day.

There were already many people living in the inn. The travelers who traveled from north to south didn't know or care about what happened here a few days ago. Only the innkeeper quickly put down what he was doing and came up to them when he saw them.

"The two are back! Has the murderer been found?"

"Not yet." Zhang Chi said, "But we already know that the murderer used a poisonous herb called Soul-Breaking Thistle. Has the shopkeeper heard of this poison?"

The innkeeper thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I haven't heard of it. But yesterday, a few people from the Shangqing Palace came. What a coincidence, I just left this morning."

"Gone?" Mu Liuyun frowned and asked in surprise.