Volume 4 Heavenly Pure Sand

Chapter 1: Looking at the Sword (Part I)

The weather in the Western Regions was cold early, and it was only a few days after autumn, and the shrubs and weeds up and down the mountains had been blown into layers of scenery by the wind. Light green, goose yellow, light gold, fiery red, from bottom to top, the second place is distinct. If it were twenty years ago, the knife head Qi Dakou would definitely stretch his neck and chant a song about the Tang law that he learned in the wine shop in Shule City. In the swordsman circle in the northwest, he is one of the few "show talents" who have gone to county school for a few years and can write a beautiful Wei monument. But now, Qi Dazui only wants to close his mouth as tightly as possible. The Silk Ancient Road has become more and more dangerous, especially after leaving the ** control area, it is simply a trap step by step. If you are not careful, the entire caravan will be destroyed. Qi Dazui is already forty-seven this year, and after a few more trips, he can go home to recuperate, so it is better to attract less attention.

"Damn the Celestial Cultist!" Chu one-eyed rode his horse and walked beside Qi Dazui, looking left and right, while scolding. He is Qi Dazui's old partner. Because in the early years, he helped people to escort goods, and one eye was blinded by a horse thief with a crossbow arrow stained with fermented dung, so he got such a nickname. However, the swordsmen have rumored that Chu Duyan was not only shot by someone back then, but also some things that represent the identity of a man were also shot badly. Otherwise, he would not have changed his whole personality after returning from the closure of the ghost gate. drove his virtuous and beautiful wife back to her parents' house for no reason, and lost nearly half of the family property to her father-in-law. Later, his wife angrily remarried a widower who opened a restaurant, and gave birth to a baby boy in less than seven months after marriage. According to the fellow swordsmen who had secretly gone to see it, the boy's eyebrows looked very similar to Chu Duyan. After the news spread, Chu Duyan just quietly found a place where no one was there and cried, and then continued to add blood to his knife, and never approached his wife's new home within fifty steps.

Since then, however, the man's temper has gotten worse and worse. At every turn, he pulls out his knife and fights with people. Fortunately, when he encounters risks, he always swings his knife and rushes to be the first. Therefore, the new and old swordsmen in all parts of the Western Regions don't like Chu Duyan or not, and every time they take on a big job, they always remember to call him to do it together.

There is a way that people don't want to die, and ghosts are also afraid. For more than ten years, the swordsmen who walked the Silk Road with Qi Dazui have died, crippled, and there are only a few left who have survived to this place! Chu One-eyed has also become one of them! There was a lot of rolling in the sea of blood in the corpse mountain, and a strong murderous aura was tempered on this person's body. A slight sweep of one-eyed eyes can make nearby companions shudder. When it comes to desperate moments, the light that shines out of that single eye can slow down the bandits' hands and feet. For the swordsmen, this half-beat is the difference between life and death, and everyone follows Chu Duyan and rushes up, often tearing out a bloody way for the caravan behind them in the bandits!

More than two months ago, ** and the forces of Heaven were in full swing in the area of Jiandaluo, causing the merchants to stop one after another. In Lingxi, Hezhong, ancient Persia and even the west farther than ancient Persia, the prices of silk and tea have soared. Now, the war has finally come to a temporary halt, and the merchants, whose eyes have been burned red by profits, have come out one after another. At the same time, the heroes of the green forest who had been "starved" for half a year also smelled the smell of meat, and they picked up the weapons hidden in the livestock shed, and gathered into groups like hungry wolves again. When he saw his prey, he pounced on it without hesitation, and "ate" it so much that there were no bones left.

The more this is the case, the higher the price of the swordsman's life. Therefore, the knife head Qi Dazui has obviously earned enough net worth to support his life, but he still can't resist the temptation of copper coins, and continues to lead the team on the ancient silk road. With the reputation and appeal that he had gained on the road for many years, he ignored the ugly face of the caravan leader, and forced the other party to pay four times the high price of hiring ordinary swordsmen, and pulled his old partner Chu Duyan into the team. In order to use the latter's evil spirit, to increase the chance of safe return for the entire caravan.

An extra amount of money means a decrease in profits. Naturally, the merchants were not too happy. And Chu Duyan's ugly face and personality when stained with fire also made the merchants and fellow swordsmen stay away from him. So along the way, Qi Dazui became Chu Duyan's only listener. The ears were filled with the vulgar scolding of the latter, from morning till night, from Shule to the Tulukart Pass.

After crossing the Tulukart Pass, it was completely out of the control of the Anxi Army. Chu Duyan's gaze became more and more gloomy, and the scolding became more and more hoarse and ugly. It's no wonder that he is angry, if it weren't for the defeat of the Heavenly Sect's group of grandsons, he blocked the valley leading to Kaburo by himself, everyone could have taken the southern route. In that way, although passing through the area controlled by the great cannibals, the caravan will inevitably be plucked off a layer of skin. But it's slightly safer than taking the northern route. And through bribery, it is completely possible to reduce the loss to a minimum.

However, the generals of the Heavenly Fang Sect were too timid, and in order to escape the battle with **, they destroyed the most convenient and safest road to the west. Therefore, the caravan had no choice but to go north, passing through the state of Huxun (present-day Ferghana), Kangju (present-day Samarkand), resting, and then to Persia. On this road, there are more than a dozen governors who have received the canonization of the Great Cannibal, and all of them are as greedy as mosquitoes. However, these governors, and there are not many soldiers under their command, they can't control the entire northern route of the Silk Road, resulting in a lot of bandits along the way. Some local nobles are themselves bandit leaders. Collect poll taxes and bring harm to the people under their rule. Once greed suddenly arises one day, he immediately gathers the soldiers under his command, changes his clothes, and goes to other people's territory to do a big job.

"Grandma's, damn Celestials. Damn it! "The front is almost to Andijan, and the beacon tower built by the Anxi soldiers in the Gaozong era is faintly visible. Chu Duyan looked around, and his mouth continued to curse. If it weren't for the damned Tianfang people, they would take advantage of the civil strife in the Tang Dynasty to incite the princes of all ethnic groups in this land to become independent. The Andijan front line will be very peaceful. **Accustomed to establishing order, the first thing to do wherever he goes is to eliminate the bandits and connect the post roads. Not at all like the heavenly people, the mouth is full of how merciful Allah is, how comfortable the kingdom of heaven is. In reality, he is unwilling to do anything except scrape the ground.

"That's pretty much it, beware of the Celestial Cultists in the caravan!" Qi Dazui finally couldn't bear it anymore, turned his head, and said a word to the old man. "This pimple is already considered the sphere of influence of the Heavenly People. Scolding the bald donkey at the gate of the temple, don't you think you live a long life? ”

"I just don't like I've lived a long life, what's wrong?!" Chu one-eyed stalked his neck and replied loudly. Although he was not convinced, he thought of his partner for many years and gave his old friend a face. No longer greeting the ancestors of the Heavenly People for eight generations, but scolded in a general way: "Anyone who brings calamity to the people in the name of the gods will not die a good death." Otherwise, he will definitely not be a good immortal! ”

This is also a bit of truth. And no one likes to take the initiative to scold themselves. Qi Dazui smiled, not as knowledgeable as the other party, "When I get to Xiuxunzhou, I want to find two good horses for myself." What about you, will you follow me to the horse market for a spin?! ”

"Balls! There are so many bandits along the way that you can't get a good one!" Chu Duyan slanted at him and struck him stupidly. In an instant, there was a rare warmth in his eyes, "Your little table, you're almost five years old, right?" Buy a small Dawan horse, just let him raise it slowly! ”

"The little table will be six years old after the New Year. The little stool is also two years old after the New Year! Qi Dazui nodded, and his face was full of happiness as if he had chopped through a knife and axe. I bought a male and a female, and asked someone to bring back my son's uncompetitive son. Let him take care of the little table first, and when the little stool is bigger, it's time for the mare to give up the cubs! ”

"That's a shrewd fight! No wonder there are so many brothers of ours, only you have saved a family business! Chu Duyan nodded, and his tone of voice finally became normal. Two grandsons of an old friend, he has hugged. is not afraid of him at all like other children, but sticks to him and calls him the second grandfather. This reminded him of the son he was raised by others, who was twenty-three years old, and his adoptive father only recognized money in his eyes, and was reluctant to prepare a bride price for the child. And Shule has few daughters of the Tang family here, so he has stubbornly postponed the family affair until now.

"After this trip, let's take a look!" Seeing the faint sadness on the old friend's face, Qi Dazui immediately guessed what the other party was thinking, sighed, and put himself in his shoes, "It's been so many years, what else can't you let go?!" The guy who opened the restaurant has a good character, although he has picked the door a little, but he has always treated Xiaobao as his own child. ”

"Bullshit pro-life. The biological one is reluctant to give him a good daughter-in-law?! Turning around and sweeping away, no one else was close to him, Chu Duyan frowned and complained. Lao Tzu is not reluctant to have this face, but he is unwilling to make Xiaobao and his mother angry. Otherwise, I don't care what the guy who opened the restaurant thinks! ”

"Pull it down, you!" The corners of Qi Da's mouth turned up slightly, posing as if I didn't know you yet. "You man, you are dying to suffer shame. That's it, when you go back to Shule, I'll be the east, and please go over there and eat garlic sheep's tail. By the way, let's take a look at Xiaobao, and then take care of his family affairs for him. The person who opened the restaurant was reluctant to pay, can't we two do it? I'll do half for you! ”

"Eventful! Who is rare with your two melons and dates! Chu Duyan glared at Qi again, and scolded stupidly. Lao Tzu has not saved money for so many years? Lao Tzu just doesn't give it, what's the matter? Old thing, salty and don't worry about eating turnips! ”

"Okay, okay, count me in a lot of things, okay?" Qi Dazui smiled again, too lazy to be serious with this bastard. He could guess a little bit of Chu One-eye's thoughts, when the arrow poison entered the brain, it could happen again at any time. He couldn't bear his wife to be widowed for him, so he cut off the other party when he was sober. Who would have thought that God would play tricks on people, Ming Ming Langzhong said that he would not survive for five years at most, but Chu Duyan lived a miracle. Therefore, the wrong things that are done recklessly can only be regretted secretly by no one. The guy who opened the restaurant has no descendants except Xiaobao. If Chu Duyan has been hiding from Xiaobao's mother and son, it is better to raise relatives than to raise relatives, and people have not taken care of Xiaobao's mother and son in vain in this life. If he kills back at this moment, he will leave a heavy belongings to do things for Xiaobao Zhang Luo. Do you call your son surnamed Chu, or continue to follow someone else's surname Zhang?

So there are some things that are better to be confused than to understand. Confused and only hurts one person, but it will hurt a lot. Over the years, he has seen Chu Duyan drunk and lose his temper, and he has seen Chu Duyan secretly wiping his tears alone. But he never saw it, Chu Duyan went to the residence of his ex-wife, mother and son. Although Shule City is only the size of a palm, the distance between the two families is only half an hour.

"It's just that you're troublesome!" Chu Duyan continued to be unrelenting. "If you have that mind, let's think about how to bring the team back safely. In the past two days, I always feel that my heart is not very steady! ”

"What's the wrong way?" Qi Da was stunned for a moment, and immediately lowered his voice and asked. With the intuition cultivated by years of walking in the rivers and lakes, in the past few days, he has also felt that his scalp is numb. It's always like you're being stared at by a pair of eyes, but you can't find out where these eyes are.

"I can't find it! But it's just not steady! "Although Chu One-eyed looks rude, his mind is very delicate." What do you think, how about the waves of bandits we encountered on the road? When did the bandits in the Western Regions become so unbeatable that they were scattered by us casually, and they didn't even touch a single cold hair of the caravan? ”

"Hmm-" Qi groaned with a frown. Looking back, seeing that no one was eavesdropping around, he lowered his voice and discussed with Chu Duyan, "Don't tell others this, so as not to shake the morale of the team." In the last few days, I have also felt like my eyelids are jumping. But if you think about it carefully, maybe the news of the westward advance of the Anxi army was heard by the bandits. I was afraid that I would be settled by the general after the autumn, so the ruthless ones stayed away from this area, and only a group of rookies remained! ”

Hearing this, Chu Duyan couldn't help but sneer slightly, "It's so beautiful to think!" The army of the imperial court will stand up for you and a group of vendors? We don't believe this ourselves, let alone those habitual bandits along the way. I guess the first few waves of bandits are all stepping on plates. The purpose is to test our strength. After all, with so many businesses putting together a team, it's hard to swallow in one bite. ”

Qi Dazui gasped and responded awe-inspiringly, "So you estimate that the other party is going to hide somewhere and give us a hard blow!" You one-eyed dragon, why don't you die?! ”

"It's not all." Chu Duyan smiled and directly ignored the second half of the curse, "I guess the bandits are also gathering the team." Let's test our strength first, and then find that no matter who it is, it is difficult to swallow such a large caravan in one bite. So several families gathered, worked together, and then sat on the ground to share the spoils! ”

He said it indifferently, but Qi Dazui's face became more and more pale when he heard it, and he gritted his teeth and thought for a long time before he lowered his voice and said, "If this is the case, the caravan will be suspended." Do you think you can pay the protection fee? ”

"Difficult!" Chu Duyan touched the knife in his hand and denied it in a low voice. "They are all horse bandits, and no one can control such a long journey. And many of them are the private soldiers of the aristocratic lords, and they will change places after getting a vote. Unlike the Tianshan Mountains, it also pays attention to a long stream of water, and does not drive out the traders! ”

"That's going to be a real problem!" The more Qi Dazui listened, the heavier his heart sank, pouting his teeth and muttering. Old age cherishes his life, he doesn't want to bury his bones early without seeing the day his grandson marries his daughter-in-law. However, he was the only one who looked at the swordsman, and if he suddenly retreated at this moment, the caravan would be completely destroyed on the road. The reputation of the entire Shule knife company was also completely ruined because of his actions alone. In that case, not only will the backstage of the traders not be able to spare him, but all the swordsmen in the northwest region will also rush together to destroy his full door.

"What's the trouble! Isn't it the same as in earlier years?! Chu Duyan could see it, grinned, and smiled to explain. Don't keep following me. Find a few clever ones, come over and listen to my command, and be responsible for exploring the way for everyone in front of the head. Find a few more daring ones and put them in charge of the break. You yourself sit in the middle and command the team to break through. Over the years, when we were in big trouble, didn't we all do this? At that time, they will be safe and will continue to make a fortune and make a lot of money. Whoever falls into the hands of the bandits considers himself unlucky. That's the way of the rules, and it's not that they don't understand it! ”

That's what the rules of the road are, bloody, but very fair. The swordsmen exchanged their lives for money, and the traders risked the loss of their bones to go to the West to earn a hundredfold profit. The further west you go, the higher the price of tea and silk. In particular, tea can buy hundreds of catties of shoddy goods in the Central Plains, and when it is transported to ancient Persia, it is equivalent to silver. When it was transported to Flynn, it is said that when the local merchants sold it, the tea balls were wrapped in gold. The outer layer of gold leaf is only an addition, and what is hidden inside is a real treasure. As for how many swordsmen on the road are buried in other places, and how many traders are in different places, all of them are talking about drinking afternoon tea in silk clothes, otherwise, it will not bring out the noble identity of the owner.

"I've arranged it. In the middle of the dispatch, there are others! You don't have to worry about it! Qi Dazui nodded, pretending to be calm, "I'm used to partnering with you, and doing the work of pathfinding together is definitely better than others." Just keep your eyes round and show me where the danger is. The two of us have been working together for half a lifetime, and I don't believe that this time we will lie on the road! ”

", you crow's mouth. To die, you go yourself. Don't count me! Chu Duyan smiled and scolded in a low voice. Dispatching in the center is definitely safer than opening the road in front of the head, even if you are a new knife player, you also understand this truth. But although Qi Dazui is cautious, he is not an unrighteous guy. That's why he gave up the welfare of the knife head, and preferred to accompany him by example.

"Don't pull who you pull! The rest are younger than you. Qi replied with a big smile, straightened his waist, and held the handle of the knife in his hand tightly. Brethren, get your spirits up. The blue-eyed girls of Xiu Xunzhou, washed and waiting for you! ”

Xiu Xunzhou is the name of the Tang people for the thirsty city. Traders from other areas have forgotten the name and are calling it the newly changed name of the food, Bahanna. Similarly, the Kangju of Samarkand, which was changed to the Sabbath of Arammi. Only the Tang people, the descendants of the Central Plains, who are proud of their Chinese blood, have always adhered to their names a hundred years ago, as if they could shorten the distance between each other.

"Great!" A neat response came from behind him. Many faces blackened by the wind and sand, with smiles, with a desire for happiness, with sweat from the hurry, the autumn sun is reflected between the eyebrows.