Liao Zicheng got the news of Zhan Suiyu, saying that he had found news about the children, and asked him to immediately bring Chen Lin, Chen Xiu and others over.

"Childe, everyone has arrived, so let's start searching the mountain."

"Wait." Zhan Sui Yu Dao.

"Wait? Childe, what are we waiting for? ”

There was a soft sound of stepping on a dead branch behind them, and the catchers had been on high alert, and their hands were pressed on the hilt of their knives. Turning around, the figure slowly coming out of the darkness made them all stunned.

Black clouds obscured the moon, and only the silhouette of a beast could be faintly seen. The night breeze gradually rose, the clouds drifted away, and the silver-white moonlight seemed to sift through the thin clouds and fell lightly on the snow-white fur of the fox.

Chen Xiu: "Fox, fox? How are there so many! ”

At a cursory glance, there were probably more than a dozen of them, and they were approaching them in groups. You was about to draw a knife, but Zhan Suiyu stretched out his hand to stop him.

"Childe?"

"It's okay, I borrowed it from someone else." Zhan Suiyu explained.

Find someone with a fox? They knew that there was a rhubarb in the yamen, and it was the first time they had heard of a fox.

Zhan Suiyu stepped forward and knelt down on one knee in front of the white fox led by him, and asked, "Found it?" ”

I saw that the white fox looked up at Zhan Suiyu, and nodded very humanely. The catchers behind him sighed in their hearts: "This fox has become a sperm!" ”

Zhan Suiyu also breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, said "That's fine", stood up and said to the government officials behind him: "Team up in two, follow the fox to find someone." Remember to follow the fox closely and don't go it alone. ”

"Yes."

Zhan Suiyu and Liao Zicheng also followed a fox to find someone.

"The foxes are all going in different directions, but are the lost children also in different places in the mountains? Childe, should they be—" Thinking of the possibility of throwing the corpse, Liao Zicheng's face suddenly sank, and his hand couldn't help but clench into a fist and look at Zhan Suiyu.

Zhan Suiyu put one hand behind his back and said calmly: "Don't worry, everyone should still be alive." ”

Hearing his words, Liao Zicheng breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Then he asked, "Childe, what's going on?" How did you track down the back mountain? ”

It's no wonder that Liao Zicheng is puzzled, after all, when he received the report, because the abducted children were all from similar backgrounds, and most of them were not children of rich and noble families, the yamen first ruled out the possibility of kidnapping for ransom. Therefore, the priority direction of solving cases is human trafficking.

Therefore, they checked the large and small tooth shops in the city, as well as the people who entered and exited the city gates.

In addition, there are almost a dozen abducted children. So many thirteen or fourteen-year-old children also need a place to hide, and considering whether it is convenient to move around, as well as problems such as eating, drinking, and hiding people's eyes and ears, they also carefully investigated the places that might be used as dens. Unfortunately, in the end, nothing came of it.

So the question is, how did Zhan Suiyu think of Houshan? After all, this place is not close to Suzhou City, and it is undoubtedly more difficult to bring a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child who already has a sense of resistance to such a far place.

Zhan Suiyu: "Today, Zhang Qining was also taken away. ”

"What?! Miss Zhang also-"So Zhan Sui Yu followed that person to find here, and it is indeed feasible to do this with Zhan Sui Yu's light skills." "Miss Zhang, is she in the thief's den now?!"

"No, the man found out halfway through the game and threw her down. People have been sent back to the spring breeze. ”

After several big gasps in a row, Liao Zicheng: "The modus operandi is strange, and several cases have been committed in a few days, the style is arrogant, and there is no king's law, and everyone speculates that they are extremely vicious." But now it seems... It doesn't seem to be like that. ”

Although the man tied up the children, he kept them "free-range" in the back mountains. arrested Zhang Qining, but when he released him, he was not afraid of his own exposure, and he did not kill anyone. Neither for money nor for life, is this kidnapper just tied up for fun? There has to be an explanation.

And—

"Childe, most of these children are not from rich families, and there must be people who have gone up the mountain with their families. Since the kidnappers let them go, they won't be so stupid that they won't even be able to escape, right? The kidnappers did not harm anyone's lives, and none of them escaped from the mountain these days? Don't you think it's weird? ”

That's naturally because the ghost hit the wall. How can an ordinary child get out.

"Liao Zhutou believes in the theory of ghosts and gods?" Zhan Sui Yu stopped and turned his back to him, and the fox leading the way in front of him noticed the movement behind him and obediently stopped and turned his head, his slender hanging eyes emitting a pale green light in the silent night, and his eyes looked at them with some concentration. It seems that he is also waiting for Liao Zicheng's next answer.

“... The theory of ghosts and gods. Liao Zicheng remembered what happened when he was in the abolition of the emperor's mausoleum, and when he came back, he really went to the temple to burn a stick of incense. He hesitated a little in his tone and said, "Half-believe... Doubtful. ”

"But—I try not to think that way when I'm investigating. Childe, what do you think, if it's all evil and ghosts are blessed, what else do you want the yamen to do? ”

The corners of Zhan Suiyu's lips couldn't help but hook, "That's right, it's really not appropriate for people in the government to think like this." Liao Zhutou, the aftermath of this incident may be more troublesome, you should be prepared. He grasped the ornament around his waist with his fingers and played with it, "Then again." As a consultant, I'm not all official. ”

The implication of this is that it is better to believe what it is than to believe that it is not.

Zhan Suiyu is the cousin of the prefect, and because he is interested in investigating the case, he stays in Suzhou Mansion as a consultant to help. In addition to the current cases, he is also quite interested in some unsolved cases that have been investigated but have been fruitless. Among the cases recorded in the house, there are many puzzling cases that he has arranged properly.

Every time he thinks of the scene in the Tomb of the Abolished Emperor, he can't help but feel numb on his scalp. Therefore, for this kind of "troublesome" case that Zhan Suiyu wants to intervene in, Liao Zicheng actually wants to stay away.

"Childe, you."

"It's important to save people, let's keep up first."

The fox walked in front, in fact, Zhan Suiyu didn't know what they were facing this time.

These children don't seem to have any value to the demon path in Zhang Qining's mouth, otherwise they wouldn't have "placed" it in the mountains so casually. He set up a barrier around the mountain, and set up a ghost wall inside the mountain, so that the children would not run around, and at the same time, no one outside the mountain would find out.

The usual purpose of abducting children is to demand ransom, seek revenge from the enemy, sell them to dental dealers for profit, and sell them on the black market. If monsters are also included, the possibility of a living sacrifice cannot be ruled out.

Liao Zicheng was right, even if the demon Dao did this, he didn't profit from it. So what was his reason and motivation for doing so? It's really puzzling.

"Childe, there seems to be something ahead!"

The fox stopped, and Liao Zicheng looked out of the obscured branches, only to find a palanquin parked in the center of a small clearing.

The white fox took the lead in the sedan chair and sniffed, lying on the carved platform with his front paws, and then arched the sedan curtain and jumped in.

"The sedan chair of the Flower God Sacrifice..."Zhan Suiyu frowned. It can't be the goddess chosen this time, right?

It's outside the mountain road, surrounded by trees, and there are ghost walls all over the mountain. If it weren't for Shi Niang's fox, they wouldn't care about such a place at all.

Multiple safeguards are not only hidden, but also protected in a certain sense.

The rest of the children are walking around in the mountains, why don't they go anywhere with this one? Scared? There are other reasons.

Liao Zicheng and Zhan Sui Yu walked towards the sedan chair and lifted the sedan curtain.

"Childe, it's a girl."

"The goddess of flowers selected by the flower god sacrifice is, of course, a girl." Zhan Suiyu looked to the side, and his fingertips brushed the lifting rod and twisted it.

Green-fluorescent powder... Phosphor powder? Wrong.

He looked into the car.

The girl is also thirteen or fourteen years old, and because the flower god festival is dressed up beautifully, from head to toe. Beside her are flowers cultivated by the florist for the flower god festival, and she sits in a sedan chair like a lily that has been carefully cared for in a greenhouse.

Holding the white fox in the posture of holding a doll, Shui Ling's apricot eyes looked at him and Liao Zicheng, without panic or even a trace of curiosity.

If that's the case, it's most likely that she didn't run because she judged that there was no danger around her, and it was highly likely that there were someone else around her. Zhan Sui Yu flicked off the powder in his hand and bent down into a sedan chair that could accommodate four or five adults.

The time of the child has passed, and the time of ugliness is approaching. And even the small flowers around her that were used to decorate them did not wilt, and they were still very vibrant.

Zhan Sui Yu gathered the look in his eyes, lowered his body and touched the back of the white fox, and said with a smile: "Don't be afraid, my brothers are all officials in charge of the flower god sacrifice, not bad people." What's your name? ”

The fox rubbed Zhan Suiyu's hand, and the little girl looked up at him when she saw it, and whispered, "Zang Yingying." ”

"Zang? Childe, the surname Zang in Suzhou Mansion is only the one that does the pawnshop business in the south of the city. ”

A young lady from a rich family-

Zhan Suiyu smiled, "Miss Zang, something went wrong with the Flower God Sacrifice, and we will send you back later." He looked at the fox she was holding and continued, "You can play with this little fox for a while." ”

The little girl's eyes lit up.

Liao Zicheng took her hand and brought the person out and asked, "Childe, what should I do now?" ”

"When the child is found, take it back together to ask about the situation and address, and let the family pick it up. Remember to ask Xu Hao to register each household in detail. ”

"Yes."

"That's right, little girl." Zhan Suiyu turned around and asked, "Was there anyone else here just now?" Or a child your age? ”

Zang Yingying looked at him with the fox in her arms, lowered her head and thought about it, and finally shook her head and said, "No." ”

Zhan Suiyu didn't say anything, laughed locally, and ended the conversation directly. Zang Yingying glanced at him inexplicably, the fox in her hand was tightened, she roared uncomfortably, and struggled to break free from her arms on all fours.

It ran to Zhan Suiyu's feet and rubbed it, glanced back at her, and actually bent down and snorted at her. Zang Yingying was suddenly stunned, Liao Zicheng realized it, and stared at the little girl with his spare eyes.

Zhan Suiyu didn't seem to see her gaffe, her hands behind her back, but she sighed in her heart, and then looked down at the fox.

The other party is nervous, but it is not the only possibility to lie. Since the beginning, I have been holding the fox tightly, the fox is a warm-blooded animal, when people are nervous or scared, a warm touch can properly relieve the fear in the heart, thus bringing a sense of security.

Although it is not obvious on the surface, this child is quite sensitive to every move in the outside world, so it is better not to be too excited.

"It should be almost time. Meet up with the others first, and then go back. ”

"Yes."

At that time, with the help of the fox, the children were found. However, after staying in the mountains for a few days, there was a lack of water and food, and most of them were physically exhausted. At the end of the day, the officials finally returned to Suzhou Mansion with their children on their backs.

But the yamen is really not ordinarily lively.

"Where's my daughter! Hand over the people!! You bunch of shit, all shit! ”

Zang Chengji brandished a hammer and yelled at the officials of the yamen, and the two officials came up to forcibly restrain him. No one knows where he got such a crazy energy from his lack of meat on his body. The other party's face was slightly pale, and it seemed that his body was not very good on weekdays, and there was anger between his eyebrows and eyes, which made the original temperament of a scholar disappear on his face.

He was so angry that he looked at the man with wide eyes, and yelling took him too much physical strength, and he was twisted his arm and coughed violently. The official who pressed him was afraid that people would get sick and die at the yamen, and his subordinates did not dare to exert great strength.

Zang Chengji even pounced and kicked, and the officials also received a few punches from him.

"! Where did the madman come from? Let go! ”

"Go crazy again, let you eat jail!"

The two stretched out their hands and pushed the person down the steps, and Zang Chengji fell to the ground, scolding and chattering to fight again.

"Daddy!"

He suddenly stopped moving, and followed the sound to look over.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Zang Yingying trotted to his side and helped the person up.

Zang Chengji looked at the person carefully and calmed down a little after making sure that the person was okay.

"Miss Zang is supposed to stay at the temple for one night and be sent back the next day. Obviously, the yamen still received the news that she was missing, how did Master Zang know? Zhan Suiyu asked.

"Whew!" Zang Chengji said contemptuously: "How can a group of wastes protect my daughter? If I hadn't hired someone to follow secretly, I would have expected you rice buckets to receive the news, phew. I'm whoa, whoa! Yingying, go, go home with Dad. ”

Zang Chengji was about to leave when he got the child on board, and Liao Zicheng and the others were about to stop them, but they were stopped by Zhan Suiyu.

"Let them go. Tell Xu Hao to remember to register the children of the Zang family. ”

"Yes."

Chen Xiu was angry after watching Zang Chengji's neurotic shrew scolding the street-style, "The Zang family's business can reach this point today, it's amazing!" ”

"The head of the Zang family is Zang Jintian, and that is his younger brother Zang Chengji." Chen Lin said lightly on the side.

Spring Breeze Triumphant Tavern.

The backlight of the jade bead the size of the glass bead was pinched between two fingers by Zhang Qining to appreciate, the bead body is round, the texture of the bead is distinct, the clear is like a galaxy, the pattern is like a mountain and the flow of the mountains, the sunlight is inhaled into it, the brilliance is introverted, and the color is excellent.

This jade, if she's not mistaken, should be-

"Boss lady, may I ask, is Zhan Suiyu here?"

A sword-wielding prince came in from outside, his face was anxious but his words were gentle. Shi Niang put down the wine spoon and looked at him with a smile, "It's called the shopkeeper, where is the boss lady who doesn't have a boss." This son, Zhan Sui Yu is a member of the Yamen, how can he go to the tavern to find it? You're in the wrong place. ”

The man said, "I've been to the Yamen, and the official said he came this way." Why, isn't he there? ”

Shi Niang shook her head.

"Childe, who are you and Zhan Suiyu?"

"In the next Ji Ran, I and Lin Zhao are friends who met on the rivers and lakes."

Zhan Sui Yu, the word Lin Zhao.

Although Ji Ran is a chivalrous person, his speech and demeanor are the gentleest. The martial arts road is stable, but the internal strength is profound, the sword is the end of the world, and the heart is good, which can be called a generation of models among the young heroes in the rivers and lakes. People who have interacted with him say that if he retires in the future, such a gentle and simple character can still be a teacher and tell children stories about the rivers and lakes.

Shi Niang said: "The people from Suzhou Mansion said that he came here, and nine times out of ten it was to see Qi Ning coming." You might as well sit down and wait, maybe you two have gone wrong, and he will be there in a moment. ”

"Qi Ning?"

Shi Niang pointed in the direction of the window and said, "Oh." Over there, the one by the window. ”

Ji Ran was slightly surprised in his heart. One... Girl?

"Of course it's a girl. Isn't it a girl who doesn't show Sui Yu and provoke? Shi Niang chuckled when she heard this. Only then did Ji Ran suddenly realize that he had accidentally said what was in his heart just now, and turned his gaze a little embarrassed.

But as soon as he turned around, he happened to see the jade bead in Zhang Qining's hand.

Zhang Qining turned her head when she heard the sound, and saw a person rushing towards her. But before Ji Ran touched her, a young man in white clothes stood in front of her and blocked the other party's hand with one hand.

"Ji Ran, if you have something to say, it's not like you to move your hands and feet."

Zhan Suiyu let go of her hand and said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for so long, and I was embarrassed by the little girl when I first came." I can't say it, not to mention that I'm still the cousin of Suzhou Mansion Yin, and you're here to make trouble for me - am I arrested, or not? ”

"This son, is there something wrong?" Zhang Qining stood up from behind Zhan Suiyu and asked, seeing that Ji Ran had been staring at the thing in her hand since just now, he handed it over and said, "The one I picked up in the back mountain belongs to Gongzi?" ”

Ji Ran came back to his senses, suddenly realized that he had been rude, took the jade bead, and said apologetically: "This is me... A friend of mine wears it with him. After entering Suzhou, we were separated, and we couldn't help but be a little anxious, and I hope the girl will forgive us. ”

"I don't care, your friend's side is tricky. can afford to wear purple beam jade, the origin is not small, and it is possible to seek wealth or vendetta. ”

Ji Ran was stunned with the jade bead in his hand, "Ziliang Jade? ”

Zhang Qining: "What, the son doesn't know?" That's how much I'm talking about. Throughout the ages, except for the piece of Ziliang jade dug up by the founding emperor of the previous dynasty, no one has found the second piece. And that piece was also used to make the jade seal of the former dynasty, and finally disappeared in the world along with the deposed emperor Xiao Chulan of the previous dynasty. ”

"The jade seal of the former dynasty... So what is this piece? Ji Ran's expression was suddenly a little complicated when he held the jade bead, he didn't study these things, and he never knew that the person was wearing such a valuable thing. It's also related to the previous dynasty... He couldn't help but look at Zhan Suiyu.

Zhan Suiyu pressed his shoulder and patted him twice: "Ji Ran, don't be nervous." I know that you, an idle cloud and wild crane, will never rebel. ”

"Don't worry, neither will my friend. As for this Ziliang Jade..."Ji Ran didn't know how to explain it.

"Actually, even if this is Ziliangyu, Childe doesn't have to be too nervous." Zhang Qining smiled. "Although it is related to the previous dynasty, it may not be that the people do not have it."

Ji Ran: "But didn't the girl just say that there is only one piece of jade in the whole world, and it is used as a jade seal?" ”

It is said that after the completion of the famous craftsman who made the jade seal, Xiao Taizu was overjoyed and wanted to reward him. And he was obsessed with jade, as long as he made the remnants of the jade seal, and made it into jade play. After all, it is from the hands of famous artists, and even if the price is expensive, it is understandable to be collected as a treasure. ”

Zhan Suiyu glanced at Zhang Qining and quipped: "Ji Ran, this girl likes to read some messy books when she has nothing to do, and she knows some crooked and unpopular knowledge." She said so, you can rest assured. Your friend is gone, and I will lend you some people from the yamen? ”

Ji Ran: "That's not necessary. I heard that Suzhou Mansion lost its children a few days ago, and the yamen found all the children last night. I want to check it out. ”

"Wait a minute, we'll get all thirteen or fourteen-year-olds. Your friend is so small? ”

"No, she just looks small and not tall. So..."The corners of Ji Ran's mouth involuntarily hooked upward, and even his expression became gentle.

Ji Ran was so nervous just now, and now with this expression, I'm afraid that person is not as simple as a "friend". Zhan Suiyu smiled, "Okay, I'll take you to the yamen, remember to go back and invite me for a drink." ”

And he left the spring breeze proudly. Ji Ran was helpless, "You are a son of a family of rivers and lakes, and you are not bad for money." I haven't seen you for so long, why are you still so picky? ”

The family is your family after all, just like your father is your father after all, can that be confused?

When countless lovesick images are contained on a flower, it is no longer an ordinary peach blossom.

This flower is not the other flower, and the form is also an expression. The girl's family has been preparing a dowry since she was a child, hoping to marry a good man. It is understandable that he prepared the bride price money in advance.

These are not just ordinary marriage contacts, but the lives of two people. Naturally, the sooner you prepare, the better, and the more adequate, the better.

"It's called conspiracy. My money will not be wasted if I go to a place where I can make money and make profits. Zhan Suiyu justified his name and said: "If my wife's family background is difficult in the future, in addition to relying on my father, I also have many advantages such as making money, bearing hardships and standing hard work, being young and promising, etc. ”

"Lin Zhao, you-"

Zhan Suiyu: "I'm serious. ”

Ji Ran: "Is that the girl just now?" The family background is difficult, you can't solve it? ”

"Ji Ran, is there anything in this world that this son can't do?" Zhan Suiyu hooked her lips and made a boo-hush gesture at him.