"He's just standing stupidly waiting to be knifed? Not like a man at all! ”

Among the onlookers outside the noodle shop, a scholar said with great disdain, but his voice was female, if Zhang Zhen saw her, he would definitely recognize her as Wu Xiaoran, who had a leg friend before. Pen %fun %Pavilion www.biquge.info Wu Xiaoran stood beside the amorous female goblin Hua Lianrui, with a charming smile on the corner of her mouth, and she was stretching her neck to watch a good show.

"What do you think is a real man? Give that little girl to Fan Meng? Or take the guys in the store to fight back, and then be beaten and a few more people die? Hua Lianrui asked with a little playfulness.

Wu Xiaoran snorted and did not speak.

Hua Lianrui tilted her head, looking at Zhang Zhen, who had two daggers inserted in the noodle shop, and the smile on the corner of her lips was even stronger: "The knife just now was hit by himself, and he wanted to save some face for Fan Meng, but unfortunately, he still doesn't know about people like Fan Meng." ”

Wu Xiaoran's face changed, and he couldn't help but say, "He's not your friend?" You...... You don't help him? ”

Hua Lianrui deliberately made a very surprised look, pointed to her nose, and said in a slightly exaggerated tone: "I help him?" I have no official and no power, I can't fight or kill, how can I help? Do you want to go to bed with that Fan Meng? ”

Wu Xiaoran was silent again, and the chill on his originally heroic face became more and more intense.

Hua Lianrui looked at it in her eyes, grinned, reached out to grab Wu Xiaoran's shoulder, shook it gently, and said with a smile: "My good sister, don't scold me in your heart." Just because I don't help doesn't mean I won't ask someone to help him, you see......"

Wu Xiaoran turned his head to look at Hua Lianrui's gesture, and just saw a handsome boy walking out of Yixiang Courtyard, walking quickly towards this side with an angry face under the leadership of a guy.

"He? How did he ...... Also in Yixiang-in? Wu Xiaoran said with some surprise. Seeing him coming, she ducked into the crowd, trying to block her body, apparently the two were not in the same boat.

Hua Lianrui tilted her head and gave a not very satisfactory answer: "Then who knows, it's a coincidence~"

――――――――――

Fan Meng picked up the fourth dagger, looked at the only one left on the table, and suddenly panicked in his heart, according to his intuition, two daggers couldn't kill the young man in front of him who looked weak.

But he must let him die!

Fan Meng secretly wondered in his heart whether to turn his face on the spot and let his subordinates cut him with knives, or find a few killers afterwards.

"Fan Meng!"

Just when Fan Meng was holding the dagger and his face was cloudy, a white-faced scholar squeezed through the crowd and walked into the noodle restaurant, speaking out loud and awe-inspiring.

Fan Meng's brows suddenly furrowed, he had forgotten how many years he hadn't heard the title of "Fan Meng", and even his eldest brother, the man who covered the sky in Tongyu City, just called him "second" very affectionately.

But hearing this voice, Fan Meng knew who the speaker was, so he suppressed the urge to be angry, turned his head, looked at the young man dressed in Sven in front of him, and shouted three words respectfully in his mouth.

"Young Helper—"

Several other men in the noodle restaurant also saluted in unison.

"Hmph." The scholar glared at Fan Meng and walked over to support Zhang Zhen. Seeing that Zhang Zhen had two daggers in his body and blood gurgling, the scholar's face was unbearably unnatural, and he waved his hand twice at a loss, it seemed that he didn't know whether to help Zhang Zhen pull out the dagger or cover the wound, and said with a somewhat knotted tongue: "You...... Are you okay? ”

"It's fine." Zhang Zhen smiled at the scholar gratefully.

"Fan Meng, what are you doing here? What the hell is going on? The scholar stared at Fan Meng and asked.

Fan Meng didn't speak, and a ruffian next to him who looked very clever said: "Young helper, it's like this, the second master took his brothers out to collect protection money, and when he passed by this noodle restaurant, he felt hungry, so he came in to eat something." Unexpectedly, this kid not only greeted us, but also spoke unpleasantly, calling us scum and scum. The second master was angry, so he reasoned with him. ”

"Is that so?" The scholar turned around and asked Zhang Zhendao.

Zhang Zhen smiled bitterly and did not speak.

The scholar is not a stupid person, he probably knows very well what kind of goods are in his gang, his face sank, and Fan scolded fiercely: "Lie to me with this kind of words, do you treat me as an idiot!" Fan Meng, you're too disrespectful! The sage said, the righteous are more helpful and the unrighteous are less helpful, you are so oppressive of the good people for the sake of the township, how will the Black Tiger Gang gain a foothold in Tongyu City in the future! ”

Fan Meng still didn't say anything.

The scholar was about to rebuke, and it seemed that he was about to make a long speech, Fan Meng suddenly raised his head, his eyes were wide and wide staring at the scholar, and his appearance was majestic.

The scholar was taken aback, and when he first entered the door, the spirit of anti-violence and peace suddenly declined, and his body couldn't help shrinking.

"Young helper, you should be in charge, you shouldn't be in charge, I advise you not to interfere."

"You, how dare you talk to me like that, you are so bold, I ...... I'm going to tell my dad ......" The scholar pointed at Fan Meng, not knowing whether he was frightened or angry, and his hands kept trembling.

Fan Meng smiled: "Big brother I is famous, eloquent and strategic, why did you give birth to such a waste." Ignoring the scholar's reaction, he waved his hand and prepared to leave with his brothers.

When he walked to the door, the crowd of onlookers scattered and fled, Fan Meng stopped, suddenly turned around and stared at Zhang Zhen, the threat was overflowing: "Boy, you wait for Lao Tzu, this matter is not over!" ”

Watching Fan Meng and his group disappear into the street, Zhang Zhen smiled, and the bitterness in his smile became heavier.

The young scholar who came to help him was called Zhao Lei, he stopped in the noodle shop for a while, and angrily recited incoherently several times "The saint has a saying" and so on, and left. When he left, he ordered a middle-aged housekeeper he brought to call a carriage, saying that he was going to move outside the city to live, and he didn't want to be with a group of scum.

Then the store naturally lost business. Zhang Zhen's popularity is good, but now Zhangjia Noodle Restaurant is a fire pit, and they can't avoid it for fear that they will stick to a star and give birth to a disaster.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhen simply dispersed the guys, asking them to go home when they should go home, and treat their injuries when they should be treated. Xue Qi was a little sad and reluctant when she left, and wanted to stay but was rejected by Zhang Zhen, the little girl didn't say anything, but her expression was very gloomy.

When everyone was gone, Zhang Zhen closed the door with difficulty, went to the door panel, and then sat alone at a table, reaching out and pulling out the dagger between his shoulder and chest and abdomen.

If the grumpy old man was here at this time, he would definitely be angry at him for not knowing whether he was alive or dead, and if such a deep wound was not carefully treated, he would have taken the dagger out and basically waited for the bleeding to die.

Zhang Zhen didn't seem to realize it, he only pulled a towel and tied his shoulders with his teeth, ignoring the wounds on his chest and abdomen. He took a pot of soju and walked back and forth around the noodle restaurant he had opened for a year, while slowly drinking alone, stunned.

A pot of wine is very long to drink, and the strong soju has to be walked around the throat three times before it can be swallowed, and when the last bit of wine in the pot is dripped, Zhang Zhen woke up and looked up, the sky was dark.

Pick a dim lantern, the wine is also drunk, and everyone is drunk, Zhang Zhen swayed all the way through the streets and alleys.

When he returned to his small courtyard, Zhang Zhen suddenly saw a person sitting faintly at the door of his house!

Could it be that Fan Meng's people blocked the door? Zhang Zhen was shocked, and the alcohol immediately subsided a lot.

Zhang Zhen was careful and sent the lantern forward, and through the dim light, he could see clearly that there was a girl sitting in front of the door.

She sat on the threshold of the gate with her knees crossed, her head buried between her knees, and her long hair tied up was running down from one side, looking soft and weak.

Zhang Zhen sighed, approached and squatted down, and gently pushed her. The girl let out a muttered mutter, slowly sobered up, looked up and saw Zhang Zhen, her eyes were a little confused at first, and soon turned into self-blame and guilt.

As soon as the "shopkeeper's ......" spoke, tears flowed down her eyes.

She didn't call him Brother Zhang anymore, but changed it to the shopkeeper, and waited at his door so late, how could Zhang Zhen not understand what she meant.

Zhang Zhen stretched out his hand that didn't hold the lantern to hold her shoulder, and when he raised his arm, he pulled the wound on his shoulder, and couldn't help but take a breath.

"Shopkeeper, your wound ......" Xue Qi had tears on his face, and subconsciously wanted to touch Zhang Zhen's wound, but his hand stretched out and stopped in mid-air.

"A little injury, it's out of the way." Zhang Zhen thought for a while and said, "Xiaoqi, where do you live?" ”

"Outside the city, a kind lady ......" Xue Qi said softly, without saying much or asking more, quietly waiting for Zhang Zhen's next words.

Zhang Zhen took out a silver ingot from his arms, put it in Xue Qi's hand, looked at her eyes, and said very seriously: "Don't come to the noodle restaurant for a while, just stay where you live, and don't go anywhere." ”

After Zhang Zhen finished speaking, he felt irritable again, he knew very well that if the Black Tiger Gang wanted to trouble her, his clumsy method would not be able to hide for two days, but what else could he do? Hide her in the Yixiang courtyard of the flower stamen? Or hide her in your own home? He couldn't protect himself.

You can't let a girl's family run away with money, right?

Run? Zhang Zhen's heart moved when he thought of this thought.

"I don't have a handmaid in my house." A cold voice suddenly sounded behind him like a ghost.

Zhang Zhen turned his head suddenly, and a white paper lantern in the alley shone out of a person, a man dressed as a man, and a woman looking at each other.

"Miss Wu?" Zhang Zhen frowned, his tone puzzled. He didn't expect this unreasonable woman to appear in this place at this time, and he couldn't guess what she wanted to do.

"Call me Wu Xiaoran, since you don't have a good impression of me, don't use honorific titles with a clear conscience." Wu Xiaoran's tone was still cold, and he walked towards this side with a light footstep, so light that there was almost no sound.

"What are you doing here?" Zhang Zhen protected Xue Qi with his backhand, and said with some vigilance.

Wu Xiaoran walked closer, looked at Zhang Zhen condescendingly, and a beam of firelight radiated from the top of the lantern, shining on Wu Xiaoran's expressionless face, like a ghost in the night. Her lips moved: "I said, my family lacks a handmaiden." It's up to you to do the work of the next person or not. ”

She asked Xue Qi, but it was Zhang Zhen who was looking.

"! Dry! Of course it does. Zhang Zhen hurriedly said, not noticing that he actually helped Xue Qi agree.

Of course, Zhang Zhen knows what it means to be a servant girl in the dignified family of a county, regardless of whether the work is heavy or not, at the very least, no one should dare to go to the county commander's house to find trouble.

Zhang Zhen didn't quite understand why Wu Xiaoran would help him, but he knew that she was indeed helping him, and if she wanted to trouble him, she didn't need to be so troublesome.

Wu Xiaoran turned around, took a step, and stopped again, she was waiting for someone.

Zhang Zhen pulled Xue Qi to her feet, then pushed her forward and motioned for her to follow Wu Xiaoran.

Xue Qi walked to Wu Xiaoran's side very obediently, turned his head to look at Zhang Zhen, and bit his lip tightly. Her whole body trembled, tears rolling in her eyes, but she didn't say a word.

This girl, when she saw the bloody towel wound on Zhang Zhen's shoulder, she didn't cry and shouted that she would help him with medicine; When she heard that Zhang Zhen wanted to give her silver, she refused without hypocrisy or guilt; When Zhang Zhen pushed her out and let her go to Wu Xiaoran's house to be a maidservant, she didn't hesitate.

From beginning to end, she was following his arrangement, and only in the end, she silently gave Zhang Zhen such a look.

Some people say that they are more beautiful than they do, and some people do more beautiful than they say, and Xue Qi undoubtedly belongs to the latter.

Zhang Zhen looked at Wu Xiaoran deeply, and said sincerely and gratefully: "I don't thank you for my great kindness, and I will repay it in the future." ”

"I'm not helping you, I just don't want to see such a girl being ruined by someone like Fan Meng." Wu Xiaoran didn't look back, said coldly, and walked away.

Without being urged by others, Xue Qi obediently followed, but she always stared back at Zhang Zhen with her eyes back, as if she wanted to imprint him in her eyes, until the night cut off her vision.

Seeing the two leave, Zhang Zhen reflexively entered the door of his house.

Back in the hall, Zhang Zhen hung up the lantern casually, sat on the Taishi chair, and stared at the door. He didn't expect Wu Xiaoran to come, but no matter what, Xue Qi was able to leave with her, and finally relieved his worries. The scenes of the day did not fade away, he still clearly remembered the feeling of the steel blade piercing his skin, and of course he did not forget what Fan Meng said when he left.

Black Tiger Gang! Black Tiger Gang......

Zhang Zhen once had the privilege of hearing a senior monk preach the Dharma, saying that it is clear to forget all aspects of self, to reach the worldly Dharma and to come out of the world's Dharma, to integrate without hindrance, to be just right and not to grasp the Dharma.

Abandoning hatred and resentment, there is nothing and no self, this realm is too profound and obscure, Zhang Zhen doesn't understand it very well.

The candles in the lantern "snapped" and the candlelight flickered, reflecting the ghosts in the whole room. Zhang Zhen suddenly felt a trace of anger in his heart, got up and walked to the bedroom, leaned on the side of the bed and pulled out a rough wooden box from under the bed.

The wooden box was more than half a man long, and it was placed on the bed with a bang, which obviously carried a lot of weight. Zhang Zhen blew the dust on it, then opened it gently, and what caught his eye was a short sword placed in a groove of just the right size, and the sword body flashed with a faint cold light.

Zhang Zhen stretched out his hand and rubbed it lightly on the hilt of the sword, his eyes crossed the wooden box, and his mind was already drifting away.

There was a high mountain there, and there were things on the mountain that he wanted to forget but still remembered, and a few people he missed so much, who he hadn't seen for more than a year, and I wondered if they were doing well.

Then Zhang Zhen remembered the oath he had made when he went down the mountain.

After a long time, he laughed, a little stunned, but still closed the wooden box.