The man in black looked at Qin Mubai with his empty mask eyes, as if he was quite proud, patted his clothes and sat down, and said slowly: "Don't worry, General Qin." Business is all about slowly. We've all spent a lot of time talking about it a little longer. ”

"What do you mean?" Qin Mubai also sat down and asked.

"Ho-ho!" The man in black laughed, laughing so badly, "To this day, I'll tell you the truth!" Since last autumn, when various localities began to pay taxes and grain, we have been asking Zhang Luo who will be the next Xiangzhou assassin and who will take over the Xiangzhou military government. Later, we learned that it was you and Li Ke, which really made us happy. ”

"Why?" Qin Mubai couldn't help but be a little annoyed.

"Because only under the cover of big people like you can we live better and make more big money. When we make enough money, we should stop doing it. The man in black chattered and laughed, so embarrassed, "Do you feel quite angry, General Qin?" Actually, you don't have to be angry, we don't mean to look down on you in the slightest. Actually, we are really afraid of you, especially you, Qin Mubai. You're shrewd, tough, and hard to deal with. Li Ke has no prestige and fame, but in fact, he is not a threat, because his mind is very big, and he only regards Xiangzhou as a passing place and does not take it to heart. So from the very beginning, we laid out a detailed plan of how to deal with you. ”

Qin Mubai furrowed his brows: "So, since we stepped on the ground in Xiangzhou, you have been monitoring our every move with a password?" ”

"Wrong." The man in black said, "Since you have not left Chang'an, your every move has been within our surveillance. I even know that your father has gone to Lanzhou, and your wife who has not been through the door runs a liquor store in Chang'an, and she is still planning to come to Xiangzhou to open a shop and make a living. ”

Qin Mubai couldn't help but be a little annoyed: "If you dare to touch my family, the consequences will definitely be very serious!" ”

"Don't be angry, General Qin. We just seek money, never innocently hurt people, and we don't want to make enemies everywhere. After a long period of hard work, isn't it to make friends with General Qin and make a fortune together? The man in black was calm and said calmly, "Presumably, you know a little bit about us." I don't have to hide it from you. Yes, we do have a large amount of food in our hands that we are in a hurry to get rid of. Food, you know. Jiangnan has a humid climate and is prone to mildew. Once it gets moldy, it's not worth much. Didn't you pretend to be a merchant last time, pretending to be Chang'an Wu Yuanqing to go to Zhengchang Grain to talk about business? The lion opened his mouth and said that he wanted 500,000 stone grain. Coincidentally, Zheng Anshun really came to Xiangzhou later, which was really a godsend. Then, our plans changed a bit. ”

"Can you tell me about your original plan?" Qin Mubai said coldly.

"Ho-ho, it doesn't hurt to tell you!" The man in black laughed and said, "Originally, we planned to wait for your wife, Wu Meiniang, a businesswoman who has become famous in recent years, to arrive in Xiangzhou, and then find a way to get rich with her, and then through her, go through your door and make it easier for us." Unexpectedly, after we performed a scene in Eight Ghost Ferry to test your attitude, you took the initiative to come to the door, and coincidentally, you also moved out of Zheng Anshun. This is a godsend. Chang'an Zheng family, this is the largest buyer in the world. And so a new plan was born. ”

"So, Zheng Anshun is missing, Princess Wu's mother and daughter are missing, and my deputy Pang Fei and Zhao Chong, the commander of the navy, are also missing, right?" Qin Mubai said coldly.

"You're not bad at all. However, if something goes wrong, please take care of General Qin! If we grass cowards want to sit down and have a good business with General Qin, we should always have some capital in our hands, right? But don't worry, we never dared to abuse any of them, they all ate and drank well, and all of them were safe and comfortable. The man in black said, "Say a thousand, say ten thousand, we just want that General Qin can make a fortune with us." Everyone takes what they need and goes their own way, how leisurely? ”

"What do you mean, to each his own according to his needs?" Qin Mubai asked.

"Hehe, why should General Qin pretend to be stupid?" The man in black said with a smile, "Which of the successive Xiangzhou assassins and military captains is not the same as us?" It is precisely because we know that Li Ke, the king of Wu, and General Qin are arrogant and extraordinary, so we are cautious and tempting. After seeing that you seem to have an attitude of not being at odds with us, I had no choice but to make this decision. But why do you do that? Life is a lifetime, but the grass and trees are bright, make more money, live a good life, beautiful wives and concubines, thousands of acres of fertile land, full of food all day long carefree, isn't it leisurely? You are born into a noble birth, so you don't have to worry about money and livelihood. We grass cowards were originally just poor people, and if we wanted to be prosperous and rich, we had to find some way by ourselves. ”

"So you robbed the house, killed the people, and sold the goods?" Qin Mubai sneered.

"Alright! I'm not here to tell you these big things. The man in black seemed to be a little impatient, and his fist tapped lightly on the table, and said, "I am very sincere to cooperate with General Qin and make a fortune together." I just don't know, what does General Qin think? ”

"Getting rich, everyone wants to make money, and no one has a grudge against money." Qin Mubai touched his chin and said, "I just want to know, how do we work together, what should I do, what can I get, and what risks do I have to take?" ”

"Good. General Qin said this, which is the attitude that a person who talks about business should have. The man in black nodded and said, "What we need General Qin to do is actually very simple. That is, for the next few days, you don't care about what is going on on the river. At the same time, a military order was issued, so that we could travel unhindered on the Han River. ”

Qin Mubai smiled, "Then do you want to lend the Divine Fish Spaceship of the Military Mansion to you for use?" It was a big load, and no one checked it. There is probably no safer means of carrying cargo than a military ship. ”

"General Qin, don't be cynical." The man in black said calmly, "Actually, as long as you are sincere and willing to cooperate with us, you don't need to do anything." Every month of the year, we take the initiative to pay homage to ourselves. I promise, even if it's a Mid-Autumn Dragon Boat Festival, you will receive more filial piety money than you have for three years. If you want, you can become the emperor of Xiangzhou, whether it is in the officialdom or in the green forest, you will be able to respond to every call, and everyone will only look forward to you. ”

"What about Li Ke, the king of Wu?" Qin Mubai said, "He's a thorn in history. Logically speaking, he is the lord of Xiangzhou. ”

"What ...... he," the man in black chattered, as if he was a little disdainful, and said, "Although he is a prince, he is not a small ambition. He came to Xiangzhou as an official, neither seeking fame nor profit, and it was difficult for us to impress him. But I can guarantee that he will live a very stable and peaceful life in these days in Xiangzhou, and he will not be impeached like when he was in Anzhou before. As you know, although Li Ke is smart and capable, he also has a lot of bad problems. Pick one at random, metaphorically saying that indulging in lust and gambling is enough to participate in the emperor's play. ”

Qin Mubai's eyebrows sank slightly, and he couldn't help but be a little surprised in his heart: This group of people actually has such a heavenly ability?!

"Don't be surprised, General Qin. Don't think crookedly. The man in black said calmly, "We are just a group of grass robbers, and there is no one to support us in the court. It's just that now that the Zhenguan Tang Dynasty officials are ruling Qingming, and ordinary people want to sue the prince, I'm afraid it's not difficult. Anyone who writes a complaint and submits it to Chang'an Dali Temple or the Imperial History Observatory to supervise the imperial history, the officials don't dare not accept it or conceal it or report it, right? ”

"You are really scheming, vicious enough, despicable enough!" Qin Mubai scolded in a deep voice.

"Hehe, thanks for the compliment." The man in black said with a smile, "In these years, the righteous man and gentleman have either long been ancient, or two or three meals have not been settled. Compared with the two, I am still willing to be a despicable and shameless villain. In fact, we are really a group of grass cowards who have no ambition and no ability, all we want is to make some money and then go back to be good citizens with peace of mind. Don't ask for a lot of wealth, but ask for a little better than ordinary people, that's enough. If General Qin is embarrassed, afraid that it will be difficult to explain to the emperor in the imperial court, we can also make a promise. As long as this batch of grain is sold, we will wash our hands and retreat to the rivers and lakes, and the ghosts of the West River will stop from now on. In the future, King Wu and General Qin can also report this achievement to the imperial court, saying that after you take office, the political clarity and danger under the rule of Xiangzhou will be worry-free, and you will be greatly rewarded. Isn't that the best of both worlds? ”

"Sounds good, it's really tempting. I don't have to do anything, I can make a lot of money, I can get peace, and I can be rewarded. Qin Mubai smiled, "But I feel left and right, I am seeking skin with the tiger." ”

Qin Mubai thought very clearly in his heart. The so-called thief, the thief's heart is not dead. Just like those guys who sold Toutou Pill K powder on the dance floor in Hall D in the previous life, they deceived those ignorant young people into being fooled, even if they didn't want to give money away for free for the first time, how refreshing and happy it was. Then when others become addicted to drugs, they will be on the thief ship, and they will begin to exploit and coerce, and even force the good to become prostitutes.

Right now, the man in black is using nothing more than this routine. At first, he talked wildly, trying his best to pull him into the water. After he got into the water, the handle was nothing more than pinched in the other party's hand. The so-called barefoot people are not afraid of wearing shoes, they are water ghosts, horizontal and vertical, they are playing with their heads pinned to their waists, and they are always ready to be knifed and lose their heads. Qin Mubai, who was an official, didn't want to play with his life like this, so he had to go against the grain, and under their coercion, he continued to seek benefits for them, and was completely reduced to a tool and a puppet.

This is what is often said, often walking by the river, how can there be no wet shoes; Since your shoes are wet, just take a shower; Once in the water, never go ashore.

This is probably the routine that the water ghosts in the West River Channel have always relied on for a living. For the incumbent officials, coercion and lure people into the water, and then under the indulgence and support of the government and the army, they began to run rampant. Every time an official is replaced, they do the same thing every time. Because he always holds someone else's handle in his hand, he always has no fear. For some who refuse to cooperate, it probably won't end well. Either they were excluded, or they were impeached because of the filthy situation, and there must have been many people who died in the end.

At this time, Qin Mubai was more and more sure that Du Chengyuan in the military government was definitely a fellow water ghost. They are very smart, and they will never take the lead to be the "number one", but a puppet-like commander on their heads, and they will suffer for him. In fact, he is the undisputed overlord in the military government.

On the other hand, in the Assassin Mansion, Wei Huanchen must be in the same situation.

So over the years, the Xiangzhou Assassin History and the Captain of the Xiangzhou Military Government have become puppets and angry bags, and the role of substitutes for the dead ghosts. It's no wonder that the people in these two positions are becoming more and more diligent, but everyone has been tight-lipped and has not leaked any news about water ghosts.

Come to think of it, between the water ghosts in Xiangzhou, the government and the army, there is almost an "industrial chain", and there are many unspoken rules.

……

"Actually, it's us who are the ones who are fighting with the tiger." The man in black took Qin Mubai's words and said, "Looking at the successive Xiangzhou Assassin History and Military Captains, there is nothing more tricky than you and Li Ke. In the past, we even only needed to send a lobbyist to give two cages of gold and silver, and we could solve all the problems, at most, and at most spend some despicable and shameless little tricks that you said to force people to comply. But you can't. You are all people with great backgrounds, and you have some skills in yourself. We don't dare to force you to be our puppets, we are just very humble to honor you. After making money, the majority of it belongs to you, and we only take some small profits to support our families and make a living. Isn't that excessive? ”

"It means that from now on, I, Qin, will only need to sleep in the military mansion on all fours, and I don't have to do anything else, so I can make a fortune, right? Otherwise, I will never have peace, and I may lose my official position, lose my relatives and friends, or even ruin my family? Qin Mubai said.

The man in black nodded solemnly: "To put it bluntly, this is indeed the case. ”

"Then I don't think I've got a choice!" Qin Mubai smiled bitterly.

"General Qin is a very smart man. We are confident that you will make the right choice. The man in black said.

"I need to think about it." Qin Mubai said, "And before I make a decision, I should know whether the princess's mother and daughter, Pang Fei, and Zhao Chong are safe." ”

"Rest assured, they are all very nice. There is also a way to steal, we all follow the rules in everything we do, otherwise it is impossible to survive for so many years. When it's done, you'll see them. Until then, please forgive me for not allowing you to meet them. The man in black said, "Within three days, we will wait for General Qin's good news." When you figure out when you make a decision, tell the flower lady. ”

Qin Mubai squinted at the flower lady standing aside, and the woman smiled and said, "General Qin, why are you so careful, are you still angry with the slave family?" The slave family just saw that you were handsome and wanted to tease you. It's like you men always want to come forward and flirt lightly when they see beautiful women, it's no different. ”

Qin Mubai twisted his brows with a chill in his heart, and said, "Are you just here to find her?" ”

The man in black nodded: "I would like to tell General Qin that your every move is under our watchful eye at all times, please don't play any tricks." Otherwise, it will anger us, and it will be a matter of human life! The ugly words are ahead, please ask General Qin to forgive his sins. We only want to be rich, not to hurt people. ”

"Okay, I got it." Qin Mubai got up, "Three days later, at this time, I will give you an answer." But please also make sure that all the hostages you have taken are safe and sound. Especially the sickly princess and the young princess. If there is a slight slip-up...... At one's own risk! ”

"Rest assured. We know this kind of thing. General Qin only needs to take care of himself. The man in black also got up, nodded slowly, and two cold rays of light shot out of the hollow mask eyehole, casting them on Qin Mubai's body, and he said, "I also ask General Qin to be careful and not to do something that should not be done." Otherwise, you will also bear the consequences. ”

"See you later!"

Qin Mubai shook his robe and walked downstairs.

"Giggles-" The flower lady laughed coquettishly, hit the man in black, rubbed the elbow of the man in black up and down with her plump breasts, and said: "Dead ghost, I was so angry by this little man's coquettishness, you come and go to the fire in me!" ”

"Okay, hahaha!" The man in black laughed deliberately, and grabbed the flower girl's breasts with both hands. The flower lady suddenly moaned loudly.

Qin Mubai, who had just come downstairs, suddenly felt a trembling heart, his whole body was hot, his mouth was dry, and there was an evil fire burning in his lower abdomen, and there was almost only one thought left in his heart, wanting to lie on the flower lady and kill her alive!

"What's going on? What's wrong with me? As soon as Qin Mubai touched his face with both hands, it was already hot as if it was burning!

"It's not good, I was poisoned by an aphrodisiac, and I actually found out!" Qin Mubai looked at the eight glass lamps on the roof vigilantly, and was shocked: By the way, this strange fragrance is poison!

"Giggles!" The flower lady laughed a bunch of waves, stripped down the stairs, covered her breasts with her hands, and hummed coquettishly, "Come on, handsome little man, my sister will definitely love you well!" ”

", you actually poisoned me!" Qin Mubai roared angrily.

"Yo, don't be angry! Could it be that my sister's appearance is really a loss to you? The flower lady leaned down on the stairs and licked her lips, hooking her fingers at Qin Mubai, "No man has ever escaped my palm, you won't be the first." At this moment, you have fallen for my strange poison, and if you don't have a hearty relationship with me, you will become a eunuch-like figure from now on. How about it, you choose, right? ”

I heard the black-clothed man upstairs scolding: "Slut, I told you not to attack General Qin, but you didn't listen." He's our guest! ”

"What's the matter, it's just fun, and it won't hurt him. After all, I'm the one who suffers! The flower lady smiled and said, "Then again, if he doesn't have the bad habit of messing with flowers, how can he be poisoned?" Don't you think we'll be fine? ”

Qin Mubai was stunned: Could it be that when I climbed over the wall and entered, I picked a gardenia to smell it, and then mixed it with the strange fragrance in the lamp oil in this house, and I was poisoned?

"Slut, old witch, Lao Tzu would rather be a eunuch than have a relationship with you! Phew, you eat cucumbers and go! Qin Mubai strode forward after scolding, but found that the door was locked. was furious in his heart, so he kicked it down with all his strength, and the huge and sturdy gate was kicked over by him like this, only scaring the man in black and the flower lady.

"Stinky, you seem to have gone too far!" The man in black scolded.

"How did I know he was so strong? Is there such a man in the world? The flower lady was also a little stunned, and said regretfully, "But after all men have fun with me, there is no one who is not obedient to me." Isn't this one of the strategies you've arranged? ”

"It seems...... We still don't know enough about him. He's no ordinary man! The man in black sighed, "Forget it, fortunately, it's just a small spring medicine, it's not very toxic, and it will solve itself after an hour or two." Why did you scare him just now, if you don't have fun immediately, you will become a eunuch? ”

"Because no man can stand such coercion and temptation." The flower lady stomped her feet in annoyance, "This guy, is it a eunuch?" ”