The night is like water, the sky is like ink, and the sky has been drifting with light rain at dusk, but it is very gentle, and the drizzle is like silk, which is very tactful and characteristic of the rain in the south of the Yangtze River.

Many street pedestrians did not even hold oil-paper umbrellas or wear robes, but walked the streets in a hurry, gradually turning into the small alleys with white walls and gray tiles, and rushing back to their houses before curfew.

Curfews have existed since ancient times, especially in times of war and disaster. Violators of the curfew are subject to detention at least and justice on the spot. In the Tang Dynasty, the law stipulated that there was a crime of "committing the night", and the Southern Tang Dynasty adhered to the Tang law and also implemented a curfew policy, which was to lock the city gate and prohibit entering and leaving the city gate at night.

Tang's "Palace Guard Order" stipulates that every night the "daytime" that the yamen has missed has been exhausted, and at about three o'clock in the evening, the dusk drum will be sounded 600 times to prohibit travel; Every morning after five or three o'clock, 400 "open door drums" are sounded. Anyone who walks on the streets of the city without reason behind the "closed door drum" or in front of the "open door drum" is guilty of "committing a night crime" and is to be given 20 lashes.

If it is an official business such as delivering a letter to the government, or a private matter such as buying medicine for a wedding or funeral, or a medical treatment for an illness, you can only walk with the permission of the street patrolman, but you are not allowed to leave the city.

A few days ago, Bai Susu's carriage was able to go out of the city at night, mainly because there was Peng Jingqing, the daughter of the prefect, on the car, and there was a special waist plate given by his father, which could travel freely, which was issued by the prefect's internal government, and there were few such brands in the entire Runzhou City.

On the already silent street, there were several figures passing through the streets and alleys, and their figures were hidden, calmly avoiding the gong-beating guards and the daily patrol of the fast catching team.

"It's dry, watch out for the candles!"

"Bell-" The crisp gong sounded.

The two husbands, one tall and one short, gradually moved away, and several black-clothed figures suddenly appeared in the area of Liushi Alley on Dasuo Street, and the mansion in front of them was the location of the Su Mansion.

Lu Qian, the head of the Ding family's nursing home, whispered to the five green forest heroes behind him: "The front is Su Chen's mansion, and the people we want to arrest are inside, so be careful." At present, there is a boxer instructor in Su Mansion, and some family guards, let's move quickly, leave after sweeping, send to the idle courtyard designated this morning, and transport it out of the city early tomorrow morning. ”

A young man in his twenties said disdainfully: "Don't worry, our Jiangdong Five Monsters will make a move, catch a powerless scholar, and we won't be able to catch it!" ”

This Jiangdong Five Monsters is the Green Forest Bandit, in fact, it is a bandit who has practiced martial arts, robbed a house, and has a bad reputation, several people have the same smell, and they have worshiped brothers in the mountains and forests, and since then they have formed a community of interests, sharing blessings and hardships, and usually living in the Yellow Crane Mountain Manor fifty miles outside Runzhou City.

Among the five monsters, there are four men and one woman, in order, 'Hydra' Ke Xiandong, 'Impermanent Scholar' Qiu Chusheng, 'Rainstorm Needle' Ye Sanniang, 'Flower Destroyer' Tian Yongguang, and 'Flying Crane on the River' Jiang Yunhe, all of which are nicknames from the mixed green forest. If you don't have a loud nickname, you're embarrassed to mix with the green forest ringing horses.

Lu Qian said with a smile: "Several heroes are all famous people in Jiangzuo Lvlin, I believe that this matter will not be difficult for you today." ”

"Hmph, that's!" Tian Yongguang smiled contemptuously, secretly thinking that the Ding family was making a big fuss, catching a squire's son, and actually spent 10,000 taels of silver to ask the five of them to help, this money is really good for thieves!

"I'll go over the wall and open the door!" Jiang Yunhe is the best at light-weight kung fu, flying eaves and walking on walls, climbing over walls and courtyards, which is his forte.

Ke Xiandong, the head of the five monsters, advised: "Fifth brother beware!" ”

"Brother, don't worry, this is a trivial matter!" Jiang Yunhe took two steps back, looked at the one-zhang high courtyard wall of the Su house, and ran forward quickly. Stretched out his hand to put on the dripping tile of the beast's head on the wall, and after pulling it with his strength, he turned over and lay down on the wall, and the action was clean and neat.

Jiang Yunhe saw that there was no movement and no human figure in the courtyard of the Su house, so he jumped directly into the courtyard, and then bypassed the stone wall of the screen and opened the door of the Su family in the gatehouse.

The people waiting outside took the opportunity to enter the Su Mansion and closed the door.

'Hydra' Ke Xiandong was holding a snake staff, his hair was scattered, he was not wearing a square scarf, but a black scarf wrapped around his forehead, wearing a black satin robe with a white striped round neck, his eyes were slender, and he squinted almost as if he hadn't opened his eyes.

"Find out which one Su Chen lives in, I'm here today, I have to capture that guy!" Ke Xiandong, as the leading brother, took the lead in speaking.

"The real Su family, there are only two Su Chen brothers and sisters, Su Chen should be in the main room!" Lu Qian reminded in a low voice.

The six of them walked cautiously in the courtyard, approaching Su Chen's room step by step, Tian Yongguang had already taken out a copper pipe, planning to use the smoke to stun Su Chen in the room first, and it would be more convenient to take it away, and he would not struggle and shout.

Tian Yongguang's nickname is 'Flower Destroying Daoist', and he once worked as a sweeping boy in a Taoist temple, and learned some martial arts and swordsmanship from the master. However, after Li Jing ascended the throne, he was interested in Buddhism and Taoism, and did not strongly support the Taoist temples in the Tang Realm in the south of the Yangtze River, so many Taoist temples declined. When Tian Yongguang was seventeen years old, he often fainted at night at the female pilgrims who came to the Taoist temple to enter the incense and ask for a child to stay overnight, and did some things lacking in virtue.

A year later, there was a squire's family with a fat boy, but found that the child was not like himself at all, the more he thought about it, the more wrong it became, so he took people up the mountain to question, and after the Taoist temple owner learned the ins and outs, he drove Tian Yongguang down the mountain, cut off the master-apprentice status, and no longer accepted as a Taoist disciple.

After returning to the vulgar, Tian Yongguang began to steal chickens and dogs to support himself, and often continued to be obsessed with incense at night, harming many women, wanted by the government, hiding in Yellow Crane Mountain a few years ago, was absorbed into the five monsters, and took the nickname: Destroying Flower Daoren.

At this moment, a coquettish voice suddenly came from Ling'er's room: "Who is it!" ”

"Whoosh!" A hairpin pierced through the oiled paper on the window lattice, broke out of the hole, and shot at Tian Yongguang, who was close to Su Chen's door, startling the gangsters outside.

Then, the door opened, and Peng Jingqing walked out of the door with his hands in his hands.

She happened to sleep in Su Mansion tonight, in the name of drunkenness, she actually didn't drink too much, she just made an excuse, Bai Susu left at dusk, but she stayed. Recently, even she herself has found that she seems to be more and more attached to Ling'er's bed.

"Who are you, why did you break into Su Mansion at night, and what are your intentions?" Peng Jingqing's eyes were sharp, and his tone was full of questioning and coldness.

"Stinky woman, you take care of a lot!" Tian Yongguang dodged the hairpin that shot out, almost scratching his cheek, a little angry.

Ke Xiandong snorted: "Do it!" ”

Ye Sanniang raised her hand and took the lead in attacking, and dozens of embroidery needles flew out.

"Woohoo!"

Peng Jingqing's face turned cold, and his body hurriedly dodged, avoiding the hidden weapon of the embroidery needle.

Ke Xiandong waved the snake staff, and Qiu Chusheng held an iron fan in his hand, attacking left and right, to take the lead in restraining this woman in Tsing Yi.

Peng Jingqing's hands were empty, there was no blade, he turned his hands into palms, and started with the two green forest heroes.

In the dim night, the three of them quickly fought each other, and there was a muffled sound of fists and feet, Peng Jingqing frowned, and noticed that the arrivals were good at martial arts, all of them were hard stubble, and she alone could not control these black-clothed people of unknown origin, and let out a long roar: "There are thieves, catch assassins!" ”

Her voice rang out, and she wanted to alarm the fists and the family in the chamber to come and help.

Jiang Yunhe's footwork was continuous, holding a short-bladed dagger in his hand, and he also besieged it to deal with the woman who unexpectedly appeared in Su Mansion together.