Chapter 1: Looking at the Sword (Part I)

When the beacon tower was built, the site selection was very particular. Almost every two beacons are about the same distance between them, and their bases are much higher than the surrounding terrain. At first glance, it is very eye-catching in the wilderness. What's even more rare is that in order to facilitate the soldiers to hold on, there are often deep wells dug in or near the beacon tower. Not only can it provide drinking water for the soldiers, but it also completely solves the supply worries of the passing caravans.

After the forces of the Great Cannibals took control of this area, all beacons were completely destroyed. However, the well was preserved intact. Local herdsmen regard it as the source of their livelihood, and used it as a good place for business travelers to rest and recuperate. At the same time, the robbers like to wait near the beacon tower, killing all the prey near the water source.

The beacon tower near Andijan is nicknamed the Yellow Mud Pier, and because of the clay that is unique to the vicinity, it has a golden yellow color. Under the sunset of the Western Regions, it is particularly eye-catching. This place is one of the stopovers along the way that Qi Dazui and the caravan leader have negotiated in advance. The reason why everyone chose this place is because this beacon tower is very close to the city, only about ten miles. In line with the principle that rabbits do not eat grass next to the nest, the local tribal nobles will not attack caravans here. If the horse thieves in other regions dare to "cross the border", as long as the merchants give enough benefits, the tribal private soldiers stationed in Andijan will rush to the battlefield in half a pillar of incense.

Therefore, not only Qi Dazui, an old Jianghu with many years of experience as a caravan guard, will regard the beacon tower near Andijan as a safer place. Other large and small business travelers and knife gangs also regard Huang Nidun as the first choice for field sharpening. As long as everyone doesn't enter Andijan City and makes do with it all night under the yellow mud pier, they can go directly to Xiuxun Prefecture the next day. In this way, the entrance tax that would have been paid twice can be saved once. In addition, there was a tacit agreement that if a small caravan met near the Yellow Mudun, it could gather into a larger group on a voluntary basis. A strong caravan can also accept the refuge of a small caravan after receiving a certain benefit. In this way, the number of swordsmen protecting the caravan is greater and the power is more concentrated. Even if professional and cameo horse thieves want to fight a caravan, they will weigh in advance whether they can afford the loss.

As the fighting had just subsided, the departure times of the caravans were about the same this year. So at this moment, under the yellow mud mound, there are all kinds of tents set up in the front and back. Although the caravan of Qi Dazui and the others was huge, they couldn't bully people here. I could only choose a depression that was slightly sheltered from the wind at a distance from the well, and slowly stopped.

After the station was chosen, there was no need to greet them with their mouths, and the swordsmen immediately began to get busy. The old swordsman brings the young students who are new to the industry, and the middle-aged swordsman who is not old or new voluntarily forms a group and acts with experience. The crowd quickly laid a circle of wooden stakes on the periphery of the station, and then connected the wooden stakes with straw ropes that bundled the goods. Then, the men of the caravan stacked the whole basket or whole box of goods along the straw rope in a circle, and the scattered goods that could not be packed in baskets were placed in the gap in the middle of the bamboo basket. Then the cattle were taken away to feed the water, and the open space surrounded by bamboo baskets and wooden boxes was cleaned and the tents were erected. A camp of what appeared to be the ground was raised.

The vendors are very particular about their eyes. The hastily erected tents inside the makeshift camp looked crooked and disheveled. In fact, some kind of underlying agreement was very strictly adhered to. The leader elected by the crowd lives in the middle of the camp, the shopkeeper of the big business with old qualifications and sufficient capital lives in the inner circle, and the vendors with average qualifications and capital go out in turn. On the outermost periphery, near the crates and stakes, were the tents of the swordsmen. All of them were made of coarse felt, thick and dirty, and some tents were covered with patches of all sizes. But it is the most neat place in the entire temporary camp, faintly revealing a bit of majesty.

The temporary camp was so large that as soon as the caravan leader's central tent was erected, a small caravan would come and ask for it. Because of the addition of outsiders, the swordsmen will also share one or two percent of the "pump" received by the caravan leader, which will be counted as a reward other than the agreement. But today's situation was a little disappointing to Qi Dazui, standing at the gate of the camp and looking forward to it for a long time, the merchant guys behind him began to be busy making food, but the other caravans around him didn't even have the meaning of coming forward!

"It's strange, could it be that the horse thieves on this road have all died down? Or the vendors ate the leopard gall one by one! Not only was Qi Dazui disappointed, but his old partner Chu Duyan was also very dissatisfied with this. No one will have too much money to sell. None of the swordsmen can guarantee that they will be able to come out to take over the transaction next time, so every time they go, they hope to earn more melons and dates, and leave some for the wives and children behind them, so that they will be treated with white eyes when they can't take care of themselves.

"I'm afraid there is a team that is stronger than ours nearby!" Qi Dazui thought about it and could only come to such a conclusion. But as long as it is from Shule City, what caravan can be bigger than the one behind him. After all, where is his reputation for the rivers and lakes with his big mouth? As long as he is a little familiar with the situation in Shule City, when he hires a swordsman, who will not be the first to think of him Lao Qi?

"Impossible!" Chu Duyan squinted his eyes, and the cold light swept around. "News of an armistice has just gotten out. Even the merchants who came from Qiuzi couldn't have set off earlier than us. Unless they didn't take the war seriously at all, they set off from Chang'an in the spring, and they happened to come here at about this time? ”

This is a reasonable assumption. Chang'an City is the most prosperous place in the world. It is also a gathering place for all the special goods of Middle-earth and the countries of the world. Merchants from Persia, Flynn, and even further afield, driven by huge profits, were often willing to spend three to five years or even more on a round trip. If there is such a group of merchants who do not want to die, they will transport goods from Chang'an to the west in the spring. It is just right to avoid the time when the Silk Road was closed due to the war.

A caravan that can do business thousands of miles away will naturally not be too small. Compared with the improvised team behind Qi Dazui, the small traders and hawkers are of course more willing to take refuge under the wings of the former. It's just that, in this way, the expected extra money will not be available, and the swordsmen from Shule City can't help but feel a little lost in their hearts. While he was scolding, he heard a very majestic voice scolding: "Wouldn't it be better for a group of short-eyed fellows to have a larger caravan to accompany them?" I'll go out and see, which way of the gods came to Huang Nidun today? Lao Qi, you call someone again, come with me! ”

Seeing that Qi Dazui was majestic among the swordsmen, when he saw the person who spoke, he immediately put on a smiling face, "Yes, Brother Mo is right." No matter how much money you have, you have to spend it! Old Prince, let's go learn from Brother Mo. Brother Mo, you always go here, be careful, the brothers just sprinkled a horse nail in the sand! ”

"A few nails, it's a fart!" The strong man known as Big Brother Mo pursed his lips disdainfully and counted down with a smile. "It was swept away by a horse thief with a bamboo rake, and it was all cleaned up. It's better to leave the door for them directly! ”

"Your brother is right! But after all, the brothers have memorized one, and it is better to be able to make a little more than to be idle, don't you always say?! Qi Dazui nodded again and again, his mouth was smoother than oil.

Seeing him so low, Chu Duyan couldn't help but be secretly angry. However, being angry is angry, and he also knows that Lao Qi is doing this all for everyone. The strong man in front of the head is called Mo Da, and he is the confidant of the caravan leader. Just by looking at the head and the light that can't be hidden in his eyes, he knows that he is a guy who is used to eating knife-tip rice. This kind of person is not a last resort, and Chu Duyan will definitely take the initiative to provoke. Besides, when Qi Dazui had to pull him up, the caravan leader originally thought that the price of hiring him was too high, but thanks to the guy surnamed Mo muttering a word next to him, he reluctantly agreed.

Although the surnamed Mo has a rebellious temper, he has a lot of experience in the rivers and lakes. With Qi Dazui and Chu Duyan, they casually went around for half a circle, and then asked the specific location of the other big caravan. With a bit of a fussy taste, he walked quickly towards his goal. It was still a long way from the other party's camp, but he suddenly hesitated and stopped, stood in place and started to stay!

"What's the matter, Brother Mo?" Qi Dazui reacted extremely quickly, and immediately pressed his hand on the handle of the knife, and Chu Duyan and Chu Duyan were one left and one right, sandwiching the strong man surnamed Mo in the middle.

"Don't be impulsive, they're definitely not horse thieves pretending!" The strong man Mo Da quickly stretched out his palm and grabbed the arms of Qi and Chu. "Hurry up, don't get too close to them. Don't mention it to anyone when you look back, just look at it as if you didn't see anything! ”

"Hmm!" Qi and Chu agreed in a muffled voice, but their eyes couldn't help but continue to drift forward. What kind of road did the other party have, and he didn't even have the courage to come forward to say hello? Just as he was wondering, the temporary camp in front of him had been opened, and a few people quickly greeted him.

If you leave at this moment, you will be suspicious. Without a big order, Qi Dazui and Chu Duyan hurriedly let go of the handle of the knife and greeted each other with the courtesy of the rivers and lakes. Seeing that he couldn't get out, the strong man Mo had no choice but to stand up and clench his fists, and greet the people with a wry smile, "The time-honored shopkeeper of the Cheng family in Anxi, passing by here, specially sent a small one over to see if there is a chance to partner!" ”

"It's you, Mo Qi......, why are you here?" Among the people who came, the leader obviously had a 'friendship' with Mo Da, and he stopped vigilantly ten zhang away, and pressed his hand on the hilt of the knife.

"You know me?!" was called out of his real surname, and he was extremely arrogant before, and his arrogance disappeared in an instant. "Ah, I remembered, you are Yuwen General, the cousin of the Yuwen family...... young master. Don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong. Wan Qian is now a general who looks after people's goods. Definitely passing by, passing through. Don't dare to tell you half a lie! ”