A few guards at the city gate instantly became the first of the swords of the killers, but these soldiers only had time to draw their swords and raise their spears. In terms of fighting alone, in the face of this group of masked people who make killing people their profession, they have almost no chance to fight back.

The soldiers on the tower instinctively set up their bows and crossbows after seeing the lightning fast and wind-like slaughter at the city gate, but before they could wind up their arrows, the group of black-clothed masked men had already rushed out of half of the north gate.

Faced with this situation, the archers had to change their shapes. However, as soon as they turned around, they saw several men riding after them, and they recognized the leader as the commander of the Kyoto garrison.

Recognizing his identity, the archers on the castle tower withdrew their bows and arrows one after another to prevent accidental injury. At the same time, a group of gunmen came down the tower, and the black-clad killers broke through the door.

But the group of killers did not have a heart for war, and after killing a few of the guards at the gate who intercepted them, they immediately rushed out of the gate and ran towards the suburbs, a speed that the spearmen who came down from the tower were beyond the reach of the soldiers. Some of the spearmen were about to throw their spears, but when they saw that the commander and his party had already pursued them on horseback, they had to give up.

Noticing that the commander's men and horses were thin, although he hadn't figured out what was going on, the general of the north gate didn't hesitate any longer, and immediately raised his flag and gave orders, and sent a group of elite horsemen to chase him out.

……

After chasing a smooth road, seeing that the distance with the group of killers had been stretched extremely close, only a group of North Gate cavalry that was a little slower behind could catch up, even if it was just by releasing arrows, it would be able to subdue those killers, but unexpectedly, the group of killers actually dodged into the hill.

The mountain road is steep, and after the killer gate enters the mountain, it is like a flea burrowing into the fur.

Li Gai and his party had to give up their horses. On such terrain, it is also faster and more agile to pursue on foot than on horseback.

However, after walking a short distance on the mountain road, an attendant approached Li Gai's side and said puzzledly: "My lord, I have climbed this mountain, and with the position we are in now, there is no way down the left and back of this mountain. ”

Li Gai glanced at him, "Are you sure?" ”

The squire nodded.

"That's even better." Li Gai groaned: "Then you go to meet the officers and soldiers at the north gate behind." They didn't need to climb the mountain to pursue, they only had to divide into two ways and lay in ambush on this side of the mountain we were on, and on the right side. If the killers are going to go down the mountain. Shoot the arrows immediately, but keep them alive as much as possible. ”

"Understood." The squire nodded and turned away.

With only a cup of tea, Li Gai and his party climbed to the top of the mountain.

It was only then that they could really catch up with the killers. There were so many twists and turns along the way, which also made Li Gai believe. This group of killers came to this mountain, so familiar with the terrain of this place, they obviously came prepared.

But Li Gai also wondered, why did this group of people choose such a terrain to escape, since they are so familiar with this place, how can they not know that this mountain has two cliffs? Running into such a place where half life and half death. It's better to spread out in the wilderness.

However, in the next moment, he instantly understood.

Near the top of the mountain, there is a slight slope. The killers all stopped when they got there.

Knowing that they would stop like this, instead of rushing down the ridge as soon as they reached the ridge, he regretted a little that the cavalry from the north gate had been guarding the bottom of the mountain.

It's just that this regret quickly turned into surprise.

Among the killers standing together, four people suddenly waved the narrow swords in their hands. But it is pointed to the people around him.

Because the group of killers were all holding swords in their hands on the way away. Therefore, during this period, several people suddenly turned against each other, which made the people in the same group late to expect.

It's just a breath late, and he becomes a ghost under the sword.

Pare! Stab! Choose!

In a few moves, the four killers took out the remaining sixteen people in their group. Moreover, the corpses of the sixteen men fell horizontally and piled up in a row, and were soon swallowed up by the flames formed by the powder spilled by the four men and the fire folds thrown out.

Killing his companions and setting them on fire, the swift action reveals the coldness and cruelty of emotion.

Ligai and several of his attendants were stunned by the sight for a moment, and the next moment they rushed up and stepped past the burning corpses, all they saw was a straight cliff, and the four killers covered in the blood of their comrades were long gone.

The cliff is full of rocks as if it had been cut by a heavenly axe, and even the old mountain pine with roots like tiger claws cannot grow on such a terrain, and there are only a few cracks on the hard stone wall where some vines and grasses grow. A hint of mountain wind rushed up against the cliff, shaking the two ropes lying on the rock wall.

Li Gai's gaze paused for a moment on the dripping blood on the rock wall next to the rope, and one of the attendants beside him immediately spoke: "My lord, let the lowly official go down and take a look." ”

"Slow." Li Gai stopped the attendant with his cross arm, and after a deep groan, he said: "With such a thick rope, carrying two people is already the limit." If they have left the rope, you will be ambushed if you go down alone. And if they are still hanging on the ropes, why should you accompany them to their deaths? ”

The attendant was stunned and hesitated: "But this rope is loose." ”

"They are killers in the industry, they should have learned the kung fu of concealment, so they will naturally consider whether they will be betrayed by the rope carrying them after they go off the cliff." Li Gai said in a calm voice, and said: "It may also be a trapezoidal rope, but this will affect the retreat speed compared to the straight rope, maybe it is not inevitable." This mountain wind affects people's judgment. ”

"So what?"

"This time, let's listen to the meaning of the heavens!" As he opened his mouth, he pulled out the saber hanging from his waist and slashed at the rope mouth, and while cutting the rope, he rolled up several pieces of gravel and fell off the cliff.

Seeing Li Gai lock his brows and put the knife into the sheath, one of the attendants clenched his fists and said angrily: "It's hateful, just let them escape under their noses like this!" ”

Li Gai didn't say anything, just turned around and walked over to the pile of killer corpses that had just been engulfed in flames. At this time, the fire receded slightly, but the black clothes worn by the group of killers had been burned to tatters, and the skin on their bodies and faces exposed outside the clothes was also burned and twisted.

Li Gai squatted down, reached out and grabbed a handful of sand on the ground and rubbed his palm, then picked up a narrow sword that had been burned by the flames that had been used by the group of killers, and carefully examined the edge of the sword. The smell of the charred corpse diffused before his eyes, and he didn't even notice it.

After a while, Li Gai spoke: "This group of killers did not participate in the assassination of the Lin Mansion, except for some live blood splashed on their own bodies, their swords are very clean in other places, and the blades are as smooth as new. ”

There were already two attendants beside Li Gai who squatted down, picked up a few swords and examined them in turn, and one of them said with a puzzled look in his eyes: "Could it be that the purpose of their retreat is to pose for us at this time?" ”

The other attendant suddenly sighed and said, "Aside from the qiē, they are a group of poor people. ”

Li Gai didn't say anything, and when he saw the North Gate cavalry coming from the bottom of the mountain, he could already expect that they had been lying in ambush at the bottom of the mountain for a long time and had not seen the target descend the mountain, and finally they were led up the mountain by the fireworks.

He stood up and said indifferently: "Check it, and if there is anything suspicious except their swords, put them away." As for these corpses, since they have all been disfigured, they should be burned in one place, so as not to be bitten by mountain beasts at night and painted everywhere, which will frighten the residents in the suburbs of Beijing. ”

……

After dealing with the aftermath of the remains, Li Gai went down the mountain with his entourage.

Walking on the smooth road in the suburbs, an attendant beside Li Gai couldn't help but ask: "My lord, why don't you order someone to search the mountain?" ”

"As you just said, they are just a bunch of poor people, and even if they were to find them, they would not say anything with their cruelty." After Li Gai finished speaking, he took a deep breath.

Holding the handle of the saber hanging from his waist, he said slowly, "Those killers are very organized, but they were sold clean by their master's family. To put an end to today's situation, we need to start with Kyoto. ”

The attendant nodded when he heard this, but at the same time, he was embarrassed: "From the humble point of view, it seems that it is difficult to have a place to deal with this matter, and it may be more hopeful to find those killers." ”

"Fire oil, swords, phosphorite, these are all clues." Li Gai groaned and said, "When we arrived at the Lin Mansion, the fire there seemed to have been burning for a while. However, judging from the situation of chasing the killers just now, all of them did not disperse and leave the group. They went all the way, but they didn't leave for a long time, did they wait to see the house burn down before leaving? ”

When Li Gai said this, thinking of the dilapidated appearance of the Lin family's old mansion, and thinking that Lin Shan might be more than lucky, his heart couldn't help but tighten slightly, and the pace under his feet suddenly accelerated.

"From this, I first deduce that it was not a killer sent by the proprietor who participated in the assassination today. The more proprietors there are, and the more dispersed their forces are, the more chances we have of detecting their vine tentacles. A team, or a spliced team, can't go too neatly, there will always be people left behind. ”

As soon as Li Gai said this, although he didn't specifically refer to the team of people he led, the group of people who followed him couldn't help but speed up their pace, and subconsciously didn't want to walk at the back.

"All the devices in and out of Kyoto and the three suburbs of the iron shop are in and out, and they are all checked! In addition, why this kind of military reserve of fire oil will flow out of the military workshop, I will go to the Ministry of Industry to transfer personnel to investigate thoroughly. As for Lin Anyuan's old friends, Wan Defu's henchmen are the ...... I will personally apply to His Majesty for access to these sealed archives. ”

Li Gai paused slightly when he said this, and then said categorically: "Whether he is safe or fallen, such a thing, with me in Kyoto for a day, you must not sit idly by." The imperial court must also give the incoming new officials a convincing reason to work hard and fulfill their duties! ”