In the snow-covered wilderness valley, the wind is bitterly cold through the walls. The whining of the wind, like a ghost crying wolf, rolls up the snow powder on the snowfield. The snow powder that has been accumulated for many days is no longer snowflake-shaped, but small Xiaoice droplets, snowballs, rustling on branches and grass sticks.

The boy hid in the snow, cowering and waiting for time to pass, knowing that this time he had survived the ordeal again. The tail finger of the left hand, the abnormal twist of the ring finger, has long been obscured by the cold, and the tooth marks on the back of the hand that are deep in the bone have been blackened, and the boy knows nothing. It seems that even the joy of surviving is so faint.

He couldn't understand why the shirtless boy before was fighting with him so fiercely, tearing until he bites. Can't he see that his force is higher than he is? He just wanted to survive this test quietly, so why did he force himself to kill him?

Returning to the station in a daze, his little shack, No. 29 was still remembering the face of the shirtless boy, he wanted to remember him, no matter what number he was, otherwise maybe no one would remember his existence.

The rag curtain of the shack was lifted, and a touch of red swept in with the cold wind. The 3rd came. He didn't know why No. 3 had been taking care of himself, teaching himself martial arts, and insisting on teaching himself literacy, but he just felt that the carefully wound but faded red head rope on No. 3's braid was so eye-catching, bringing something different to this small village with only black and white.

No. 3 chattered a lot, helped himself bandage the wound on his left hand, and told himself to take care of himself or something. There is another piece of clothing missing from the No. 3 waist, and it is almost impossible to cover the white waist. The 13-year-old 29 still can't understand why the occasional leak of skin is so appealing to his eye......

Jiangnan is the end of winter, last night may be the last snow of winter, scattered and melted and gradually condensed ice hung on the branches with difficulty, maybe tomorrow here will bloom spring plum buds, but today will still be their reflection of the sunset. The bloody remnant sun faded, and the snow and ice reflected the last glow of the blood, and finally they were gradually submerged by the darkness.

Liu Guannan sat quietly on the chair facing the shadow wall of the courtyard gate, and there were three cups of tea on the tea table between the guest and the guest, but the tea of the host and guest did not move at all, and could only reflect the moonlight poignantly.

Liu Guannan stared at his left wrist in a daze, with two completely faded gray and white head ropes tied to it. One is from No. 3, and the other is tied to the braid when his wife met him. His eyes were slightly dry, as if he had never shed tears since he could remember, Liu Guannan thought quietly.

At night, the sound of horses' hooves woke up the village, which had never been disturbed, and a group of lost Northern Barbarian cavalry unexpectedly broke into the training village that had been forgotten by the Assassin. Although the 17 guards and 5 training elders of the small village were strong, after all, the number was too small and they were old, and they were gradually defeated under the impact of the military array and military bows and arrows, and several elderly elders with more than 40 training camp children finally rushed into the wild forest east of the valley after giving half of their lives.

No. 3 dragged himself to death, gradually separated from the team in the chaos, and hid in a barren mountain with no people.

The bow and arrow stuck in No. 3's back finally exhausted the last of her strength, and she handed over the martial arts training experience she had stolen from a dead elder to herself, smiling and telling herself to work hard to live.

buried No. 3 with snowdrifts, and walked alone on the snowfield for 4 days and 3 nights on the 29th, before finally encountering the shepherd's camp, and since then he has become Liu Guannan, an orphan in an unknown village in Xiangping, Liaodong. Because No. 3 told him before he died that her younger brother, who was very similar to herself, was called Liu Guannan.

When he was 20 years old, the small village where he lived was invaded by the Northern Barbarians again, and he had secretly trained himself in martial arts, joined the cavalry battalion of the Northern Army of the Federation, and became an official soldier. Gradually promoted to officer.

In 580, the high-spirited had forgotten his past self, and when he was stationed in Youbeiping, he unexpectedly met the second elder of the town who was responsible for training the young killer. The second elder who risked his life to stand out from the encirclement was already an old man with a broken leg who was dying of old age, but he still recognized himself in the public bath through the hidden tattoo on his back.

Although the second elder at this time had long lost his previous majesty, Jiwei, who had been training and living in the village for 8 years, still let himself bow his head and accept the other party's token. He only admitted the identity of the assassin, and did not agree to join the other party's Blood Blade organization, but the second elder took care of him back then, and promised to do him a favor in the future and do three things for him, which can be regarded as breaking away from the conditions of the assassination and replacing the assassin's pursuit of him.

11 years later, Wang Dong, the godgrandson of the second elder, found himself with the short knife of the second elder, and since then Yangzhou has a branch of the blood blade. Wang Dong snatched his disciple Zhou Wen by chance, and snatched his daughter, until one day his disciple Zhou Wen came to bid farewell to him, and then personally sent Wang Dong and his own daughter to hell.

In the quiet courtyard, there was no light on, and the subordinates who received the master's orders would never come to disturb the old man who was sitting on the circle chair in the courtyard at this time. Under the cold reflection of the waning moon that had just risen, the courtyard felt a little bleak and lonely.

Footsteps sounded, and the guest he was waiting for should have arrived.

The adjutant led a pair of young men and women to the courtyard. The adjutant gestured and bowed back.

Liu Guannan looked at the visitor, and first saw that the girl in the intermediate inspector uniform was very beautiful, with pure appearance, fair skin, a pair of smart big eyes, and a small mole on the tip of her nose.

But when his gaze moved to the man, he immediately reversed his assertions. By this man's side, although the brilliance of the girl is not completely concealed, it has also become the existence of the man's accessory makeup.

The man is tall, thin, and his appearance can only be described as beautiful. The temperament is both noble and bookish, which makes people want to be close, but also makes people stop and be ashamed. Although it is difficult to define the senses that a man gives people at a glance, Liu Guannan absolutely clearly feels the unfathomable bearing of the other party. He is already a colonel's armed force and can skip the rank and fight with a major general, but he is as at a loss to face the most mysterious elder in the ice and snow more than 40 years ago.

The man in a senior police inspector's uniform can be said to stand directly at the top of the police force. As the chief of city defense, he knows very well that the chief and deputy police chiefs of the federal government are only a higher-level governor-general. That's a middle-aged man in his sixties. Fortunately, although he is not a major general, he is also a real division commander, so he doesn't have to salute the other party first.

"Who are you?"

"Capital area, FBI prosecutor Yu Bule, hello Master Liu."

Tan Jiaren stood up and saluted, "Senior Commander Liu, Tan Jiaren, the intermediate police inspector of the Procuratorial Department, salute you." Then handed the documents of the two to Liu Guannan.

Liu Guannan didn't look at it, but just looked at Yu Bule's face and said: "It turned out to be a high-level member of the Central Committee of the Federation, but I didn't know that Chief Yu came to the door today, and he was disrespectful and disrespectful." ”

Yu Bule also smiled and returned the salute: "Master Liu bowed down to govern the two places and ensured the peace of Jiujiang and Lujiang, which is really a model for my generation." I shouldn't have disturbed Master Liu's purity, but I just went to Liyang to ask for marriage and passed by Shouchun, if I can't come to the door to ask for advice, I hope your Excellency will not blame, disturb and disturb. ”

"Asking for marriage in Liyang? But this lady next to her? Liu Guannan looked at Tan Jiaren with great interest: "Sir Yu is lucky, our Yangzhou women are as gentle as jade, and Miss Tan is already looking forward to shining without powder, and she is really fragrant." Chief Yu is young and promising, and he has such a good companion, which is the envy of others. Come on, come on, please take a seat, spring tea has not arrived, taste my Yangzhou autumn white dew, it is also a unique flavor. ”

Tan Jiaren quietly looked at the two big and small foxes and greeted each other, never mentioning the matter of the missing person notice in the newspaper, it really seemed that the guest of honor who met by chance could only stand by the side for a while, waiting for the adjutant to serve new tea, and started his own job of serving tea and pouring water.

Yu Bule picked up the tea bowl, "I heard that Master Liu is from Liaodong in the north, and I don't want to love the tea ceremony." ”

Liu Guannan said gently: "I have been away from Youzhou for a long time, and I have long forgotten the hometown sound, and my hometown has long been unconcerned, so I naturally cut off contact." After living in Yangzhou for decades, he has long regarded himself as a Yangzhou person. Not to mention anything else, this Yangzhou tea alone makes people have to love. Please. ”

"Qi Chen Serun, this should be the Tieguanyin in the south of Huiji. Spring water and autumn fragrance, Master Liu is enjoying it, no wonder he loves southern life. ”

"I like tea, but it doesn't matter the category or the season. It's just that Chief Yu came by chance, and the adjutant got on the newly arrived Huiji Qiuxiang. If it were me, even if it was the light and tasteless Jinling autumn frost, it would be as sweet as a meal. It's just used to entertain Chief Yu, which is disrespectful.

Chief Yu knows that he is noble, and Jun's tea lies in the taste, paying attention to the aroma, water quality, environment, atmosphere, and skills, and thinking about meditation, concentration, self-cultivation, and life philosophy. And for me, tea is a life of bitterness and sweetness, it is true, and it is respectful. ”

Yu Bule smiled and took two sips before he said leisurely: "I was born in the capital area, which is also in the north, and there was no tea produced originally, whether it was tea or wine, it was only a part of drinking water for Xia. It doesn't matter if the spring rain and autumn dew are poured into this tea bowl, isn't it all water? It's just secular etiquette, conventions, and I have to force my feelings, so that Master Liu laughs. ”

"Chief Yu's statement is also true. But the world says that cooking tea is better than wine, and sitting on a detailed paper. Drinking tea has long been a sign of high society life, how not to follow it? ”

"The ancient medicine scriptures say, 'Tea is bitter and cold, the yin in the yin, the sinking, the descending, the most able to reduce the fire.'" Fire is a hundred diseases, and fire is clear. However, there are five times of fire, and there is reality and fiction. People who are bitter and strong and have a healthy stomach have more fire in the heart, lungs, spleen and stomach, so it is suitable for tea. It is also said that "the tea is sweet and bitter, slightly cold and non-toxic, removes phlegm and heat, eliminates food and lodging, and facilitates urination."

It can be seen that tea is originally a medicine, and then it is a sacrifice, and then there is a record of 'the use of tea, not only for medicine and food, but also for the needs of customers', which shows that its function also changes with time. But isn't it just a drink after all? Since it is a convention, why bother to distinguish between elegance and vulgarity, it is all up to people? ”

Mr. Yu said. However, I don't read much in the next book, because Hey Tea has also read the "Book of Tea", not only are people elegant and vulgar, but also tea is not superior? 'The upper one gives birth to rotten stones, the middle one gives birth to oak soil, and the lower one gives birth to loess. 'The trees of a mountain are still distinguished by high and low, and their births are different, and their nature is also different. ”

"This is all people's favor, and I haven't got the heart of tea. What is the best thing about tea? Sacrifice? Diet? Medicine or Hospitality? Suppose I visit Mr. today, and I have a migrained head or diarrhea, and Mr. Ren is like a bitter lamp before the rain and autumn dew? It is also useful. ”

"Kuding, bitterness." Liu Guannan muttered and did not continue to speak.

"Besides, serving tea to entertain guests is not in the tea nature, but in the main heart. Today, Mr. treats me with autumn fragrance, and with all due respect, it is not as good as a bowl of aged mulberry leaves at my father-in-law's house in Liyang. Yu Bule smiled and apologized.

Liu Guannan suddenly laughed, "Adjutant Chen, bring the cooking kettle, go to the damn autumn fragrance Tieguanyin, come and drink the Jinling Spring that I am used to, as long as Chief Yu doesn't blame last year's Chen Tea for neglecting the distinguished guests." ”

Yu Bule smiled: "The guest is as good as the host." However, before the next observation of the two-style knife technique, mainly stabbing, I have heard for a long time that Master Liu is a martial artist, can he be demonstrated by his fiancée under the next, and give one or two instructions? ”

"How dare you, it's a pity that there is no wine tonight, otherwise I would have had to drink two glasses with Chief Yu. We use tea instead of wine to drink...... I can't talk about advice, I happened to learn a few stab-based killing moves in my early years, and I want you to take a look. ”

In this way, Yu Bule and Liu Guannan drank tea and chatted, and Tan Jia and Liu Guannan demonstrated the killing moves with wooden knives respectively, and at half past nine in the evening, Yu Bule got up and said goodbye and left. Before leaving, he didn't forget to invite Liu Guannan to have time to go to the capital area to attend his wedding, even if the wedding didn't work, he must go to the house as a guest.

On the way back to the hotel, Tan Jiaren couldn't help the curiosity in her heart, and finally asked out loud: "Sir, I didn't understand your conversation too much. ”

"Oh, so what do you understand?"

I understood Liu Guannan saying that he had nothing to do with the secret stab and the blood blade, and I also understood that he had not participated in the assassination and wanted a clean life. In the end, he seems to be helping us, but I don't understand why. You didn't mention the assassination and Zhou Wen, why did it end? ”

He used tea as a metaphor for people, lamented his origin, and said that he sought truth and respect, and did not want to show people by his background. So there is no need to mention it. He mentioned two kinds of tea, Tieguanyin and Biluochun, which are used to entertain guests, both of which are herbal teas, and both are teas that should not be drunk on an empty stomach.

On the way to the courtyard, the adjutant said, Liu Guannan is waiting for us in the courtyard, and he hasn't eaten yet, has he? There was only tea on the table, and there were no melons and fruits and snacks, so there was no need to mention it, and I knew his attitude towards the secret thorn. Although he didn't know who the person was, he clearly told us that he had broken the door several times and had nothing to do with the assassination.

Zhou Wenhui must have been influenced by him, so why mention it? He finally showed me the assassination technique of the Secret Assassination, so he could see his heart. Why should I tear my face apart and uncover what happened decades ago? Moreover, as he said, it is not a sin to be born in a different place. ”

"What do you mean by Kuding tea?"

"Kuding tea is not a tea genus, but isn't it also drunk by us as tea, and it is still named after tea? Although not everyone agrees, the effect is the same as that of many teas, and it is also called tea. ”

"What about the other suspicions? For example, his wife Liu Liushi? It seems to be recorded in the information that it is called Liu Qingxian. ”

"Looking at his people and knowing his heart, Liu Guannan is not a person who is unkind. Did you notice his left hand? ”

Tan Jiaren thought for a moment, "There is a wound on the left hand of the tiger, and the wound is dented and proliferated, which should be the wound of the beast's bite." Wrist...... What is tied to the wrist...... Filament rope, like a head rope. It's faded and should be more than 20 years old. ”

"Yes, I'm starting to use picture mnemonics. The head rope is good, but the filament rope is not accurate, a cotton head rope, which has turned grayish-white, has been badly worn for more than 40 years. The other is the silk head rope, which is also nearly 30 years old, and I guess the silk rope should belong to his wife Liu Qingxian. ”

"Oh, is that really an accident?"

"Well, when I gave birth to Liu Tingting before, Liu had a difficult birth. I judge that Liu's may be congenitally unfavorable for production. Go back and let the left-behind team members of Team Leader Sima check the records of the hospital when Liu Tingting was born in 585 or whether there are any nurses and doctors who have an impression. Yu Bule said lightly.

"Moreover, Liu Guannan has already given me the most crucial clues, and we can't ask for more."

"Are you talking about the invasion of a small mountain village in the northeast that no one knows about Liu Guannan?"

Looking up at the cool night, Yu Bule gently took Tan Jiaren's little hand, "Let's go, Allure." Tomorrow we go home. ”