While disappointed, the mayor still came to Shao Lin with a smile on his face, first bowed to him, and said, "Thank you for this adult's rescue, the little old man is here to thank the adult." As he spoke, he bowed his knees to the ground and prostrate.

Shao Lin stretched out his hand to hold him, his expression was still so indifferent, and he said in a tone without ups and downs: "You don't have to thank me, if you want to thank me, thank my family...... Childe!" As he spoke, he pointed back at Lin Haotian who was standing under the eaves of the opposite house.

The old mayor was secretly surprised, seeing the attitude of the soldiers towards this young man, his status in the army was already extraordinary, so wouldn't his master have a higher rank? After a moment's pause, the old mayor hurriedly said, "I hope that the adults will help the little old man to introduce him." ”

Shao Lin said, "Come with me!" As he spoke, he strode towards Lin Haotian.

The old mayor and the young woman hurried behind.

Before and after Lin Haotian came to Lin Haotian, the old mayor and the young woman knelt on the ground and thanked them for their kindness. Lin Haotian was also very polite, stopped the two of them, and said with a smile: "Jin Chi is a close neighbor, like a family, the old gentleman doesn't have to be polite." ”

Hearing Lin Haotian's words, the old mayor felt a lot of bad feelings in his heart, if Jin Chi is like a family, how can you Jin Guo lead troops to attack in a big way?

Seeing that he didn't think much of his words, Lin Haotian said again: "The reason why the Jin Kingdom sent troops to the Red Kingdom is all due to the fault of mercy, and our Jin army came to crusade on the order of the king, which is also a move to inherit the mandate of heaven and respond to the will of the people." ”

In the world of the jungle, whoever has a hard fist will stand on the side of justice and morality. Regardless of whether he believed Lin Haotian's words or not, the old mayor could only respond again and again, and did not dare to argue with him.

After talking for a while, Lin Haotian looked around and asked, "Sir, is there a restaurant in this town?" ”

The old mayor's eyes lit up and he said, "The restaurants in the town are simple. The food may not be delicious, if a few adults don't dislike it, let's go to the little old man's house to have a home-cooked meal!"

He is a person with rich experience, and through his words and deeds, he is even more sure that the handsome young man in front of him is very human and intends to stammer. I also want to find a talisman for myself in this chaotic world.

Lin Haotian had this intention, but he still said in embarrassment: "Isn't it a little inappropriate to take the liberty of visiting when we meet for the first time!"

"Hey!" the old mayor waved his hand again and again, and said: "The adult saved the little girl, that is, the little old man is the life-saving benefactor, there is nothing inappropriate." ”

"Okay, then beg for mercy. Lin Haotian nodded with a smile.

The old mayor's family background is really good, and the mansion can be regarded as the largest and most magnificent in the town, with a large courtyard and a small courtyard. The main courtyard is connected to the other courtyards, and the large and small houses are added together, and there must be more than a dozen of them, and there are no less than twenty servants in the family.

With the meager fortune of the head of a town, of course, he could not afford to support such a large family, and the old mayor's own industry was second to none within a radius of dozens of miles, not only with large fields, but also with taverns, tea houses, silk villages and other businesses. Even the fishing business on the north shore of Jiankang has a foot in it.

Let Lin Haotian and his party enter the hall and sit down. The old mayor ordered his subordinates to bring tea again, and he said with a smile to Lin Haotian: "The cold house is simple, and the adults have a lot of tolerance." ”

Lin Haotian looked up and smiled, looked around at the antique, elegant and not exaggerated furnishings, and sighed: "If this place is considered simple, then won't our army's barracks become a pigsty?"

The old mayor laughed too. Feeling that although this young man's identity may be unusual, he is peaceful and abnormal, and he also shows an old age that does not match his age, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "That's right." The little old man still doesn't know the honorable surname of Duke Dao'en!"

"In Xiajin, the surname is Lin Asan!" Lin Haotian didn't think about it, and said with a smile.

The old mayor searched every corner of his mind, but he didn't think that there was such a person as Lin Asan.

In fact, he is no stranger to many celebrities in Jinguo, what are the great generals, the commanders of various armies, he can call them one by one, but the name Lin Asan, he really hasn't heard of it, he rolled his eyes, and asked: "General Lin is surnamed Lin, and Engong is also surnamed Lin, should he be ...... with General Lin?"

Lin Haotian laughed again, shook his head and said, "I am quite familiar with General Lin in Xia, but I am not related to each other. ”

"Oh!" the old mayor nodded secretly, hearing him say so casually, he must also be a confidant in front of General Lin.

During the conversation, the servants in the palace brought in the dining tables one by one and carefully placed them in front of everyone, and then the maids rushed in and brought in all kinds of wine and food.

Because Yingjiang Town is next to Jiankang, the fishery is abundant, and its dishes are mostly fish-based.

Without waiting for Lin Haotian to move his chopsticks, Shao Lin stood up silently, walked to Lin Haotian's side, and tasted every plate of dishes on Lin Haotian's table first, which was indeed non-toxic, and then retreated to his seat.

His natural move made the old mayor gasp, and it can be further seen from it that Lin Asan's identity is by no means simple.

As if he hadn't noticed, he said to Lin Haotian with a smile: "If the food in the army is not good, Engong can often come over to sit, other little old men dare not say it, but I promise to let Engong eat and drink enough." ”

Lin Haotian thanked him with a smile, and then he changed his words and said: "The two armies fight, no matter what time it is, it is always the people who suffer. If the war had ended earlier, the people would have been able to get rid of the suffering of the war earlier. ”

This can be regarded as talking about the old mayor's heart, the old mayor himself is a victim of this gold-red war, not only his daughter was almost robbed by the new red soldiers, but even his aunt is missing in the war, life and death are uncertain, and his daughter washes her face with tears every day.

He sighed with empathy and said, "Yes! If we can end this war earlier, we and the other people will no longer have to live in fear all day long." ”

Lin Haotian said: "When the war ends is determined by when Shi Huai falls. After a pause, he added: "If our army can capture Jiankang one day earlier, the war will end one day earlier, and vice versa." What do you say, old man?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" the old mayor nodded.

Lin Haotian said regretfully: "However, the Jiankang Naval Division on the opposite side is very strong, and the defense of Jiankang is also very tight, if our army attacks it, I am afraid it will be difficult to win." But if the war drags on for a long time, millions of our army will be stationed on the north bank of Jiankang, and they will have to eat and drink every day, but I am afraid that it will be the people on the north bank who will suffer the most. ”

The implication is that if the people on the north bank want to be freed as soon as possible, they have to help the Jin Army and the New Red Alliance Army fight Jiankang as soon as possible. Capture Jiankang City.

The old mayor is not an ordinary ordinary ordinary person, how can he not hear Lin Haotian's voice. His heart was shocked, and he hurriedly hung his head, silent.

Seeing this, Lin Haotian smiled indifferently and said: "The old gentleman is the local mayor, and he should be the most familiar with the environment of Jiankang, so he should know the deployment situation on the south bank!"

The old mayor shuddered, and replied cautiously, "Engong doesn't know anything. Jiankang has been closed for a long time, and since the closure of the river, Xiao Lao'er has never been to the south bank, so ...... So I don't know much about the situation on the South Bank. ”

"Really?" Lin Haotian smiled lightly, and without further questioning, he picked up chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish meat, and put it in his mouth. After chewing twice, I couldn't help but praise: "Not bad." What kind of fish is this, and the taste is very delicious. ”

The old mayor glanced down and said busily: "This is Jiankang's specialty red sea bass." ”

"Oh!" Lin Haotian nodded, and then asked with a smile: "The old gentleman said that Jiankang has been closed for a long time?"

"Yes...... Yes. I didn't understand why Lin Haotian asked, and the old town mayor nodded Mu Ran.

"Since the river has been closed for a long time, where does this Jiankang specialty red sea bass come from?" Lin Haotian picked up a piece of fish meat again. After a closer look, he said, "The fish will stink in two days, and this fish is obviously fresh, old man." What do you say?"

Unexpectedly, the other party's mind was so detailed, and this loophole that was not easy to be noticed at all, and even the old mayor himself was not aware of it, was actually seen by him.

The old mayor's face suddenly changed, and he didn't know how to answer.

At this time, the young woman on the side continued: "Engong, these fish are all bought from fishermen, and in order to make a living, even if the river is closed, some fishermen still take the risk of going out of the boat and fishing in the river. ”

This explanation sounds reasonable, if the old mayor answered as easily as his daughter at the beginning, Lin Haotian would not be suspicious, but it was too strange that the old mayor couldn't answer such a simple thing.

Lin Haotian put down his chopsticks, then stood up, looked at the old mayor and said, "Old man, I've eaten enough and said goodbye." As he spoke, he turned and was about to walk out.

The old mayor hurriedly stood up as well, and looked at Lin Haotian's table, he hadn't taken a sip of wine, and he had only eaten two bites of food, how could he be full?

Lin Haotian shook his head slowly and said: "Wine is good wine, and the food is also good food, but it's a pity that the old gentleman hides hostility towards us and hides everything, which makes me feel like sitting on pins and needles, and no matter how delicious the wine and food are, it becomes difficult to swallow." ”

After a pause, he said again: "The old gentleman is a big family in this town, and I don't know how many people covet it, if someone comes to the door to find trouble in the future, resulting in a repeat of today's incident, I am afraid that no one will stand up to help the old gentleman at that time." After speaking, he didn't stop any longer, and strode out.

Shao Lin and the guards also followed.

Lin Haotian's last words were actually a naked threat, and the faces of the old mayor and the young woman changed greatly.

How could the old mayor let Lin Haotian and the others leave like this, feeling that they should be high-level and important members of the Jin Army, and if he offended them, would he be able to live a better life in the future? It is nothing for him to suffer, but he is afraid that his family will also be implicated.

He was so anxious that he was sweating, and chased from the hall to the courtyard of the vestibule, seeing that Lin Haotian and the others were about to go out of the gate, he turned his heart sideways, gritted his teeth, and shouted loudly: "Engong stays, this town is fifty miles to the east, there is a place called back to the inlet, where there is no defense on the other side, and the fishermen are fishing quietly there." ”

These words were more useful than anything else, and Lin Haotian and the four of them suddenly stopped their steps, turned around in unison, and looked at the old mayor in unison.

The latter's face turned red, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down, and his legs trembled suddenly.

Lin Haotian's originally expressionless face, his eyes suddenly bent, the corners of his mouth were raised, revealing a soft smile, he shook his head and walked back to the old mayor, patted him lightly on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Is this really what the old gentleman said?

The old mayor nodded helplessly, and replied: "There is indeed this place! The river channel there happens to be a big bend, the water is turbulent and dangerous, and the ships should not dock on the shore, so it is relatively difficult to deploy defenses. Coupled with the fact that it is far away from the capital, the Jiankang Sailor may give up defending there. ”

"There is such a thing. Lin Haotian's eyes rolled, and he secretly said in his heart: This is a good opportunity! Thinking of this, he asked, "Would the old gentleman take me to see it?"

"Oh......" the old mayor hesitated, and asked in a low voice, "Now?" It takes two or three hours to go back and forth, to say less.

Lin Haotian said solemnly: "It's now, what's the matter, isn't it convenient for the old gentleman?"

"No, no, it's just a long way to go......"

Without waiting for him to finish, Lin Haotian continued: "If the old gentleman doesn't have a carriage at home, I can ask someone to arrange one." ”

Listening to Lin Haotian's meaning, he has to go if he goes, and he has to go if he doesn't go.

The old mayor was helpless. said with a wry smile: "There are still carriages, since you ...... Engong insisted on going, and the little old man might as well obey his fate if he was respectful. ”

Lin Haotian smiled happily, but Shao Lin frowned, they had never heard of a backwater bay, adults went there so rashly, what if it was a trap? What if there was an accident?

Shao Lin reminded in a low voice: "Childe ......"

Lin Haotian understood what he meant, and didn't wait for him to finish. He waved his hand slightly and turned his head sideways. whispered: "It's okay, with the Shenwu we are waiting for, even if there is an accident, what can I do?"

Saying so, Shao Lin was still not at ease, he whispered: "When I will go out." The subordinates sent out a secret signal, prompting the brothers of the demon warriors to follow and protect. ”

"It's fine. Lin Haotian nodded, not saying more.

The old mayor only brought a servant who drove the car and led Lin Haotian and the four of them to Huishuiwan.

Several guards rode around the carriage, while Lin Haotian and Shao Lin did not ride horses. Instead, he sat in the carriage and chatted with the old mayor.

On the way, Lin Haotian said puzzledly: "Our soldiers have done careful inspections of the upstream and downstream of Jiankang, but they have never found a backwater bay. ”

The old mayor said quietly: "Backwater Bay is an inconspicuous small place, and the location is relatively closed, and it is really not easy for outsiders to find it." ”

Lin Haotian can understand this, it is extremely difficult for outsiders to get familiar with the local environment at once, even if their own spies are capable, it is impossible to find all the places upstream and downstream of Jiankang, let alone a place dozens of miles away from their own military camp.

He smiled at the old mayor and said, "If Backwater Bay is really the best place to cross the river, I will definitely reward the old gentleman heavily, even if the old gentleman is allowed to be the lord of a city, it is not impossible!"

The speaker has no intention, but the listener has a heart. The old mayor's heart was secretly moved, and he was even more suspicious of Lin Haotian's identity.

To make a long story short, after walking on the potholed riverside path for more than an hour, the carriage could not move forward.

When you get here, there is no way to go on the shore, and as far as the eye can see, there are strange rocks and rock walls, and you can only walk through the mountains and forests on the shore.

Walking into the woods, Shao Lin and the guards all mentioned twelve points of caution, carefully observing their front and back, left and right, for fear that there was an ambush nearby, but their worries were superfluous, the forest was normal, there was no ambush at all.

There was a path in the woods, and it seemed that there were people who often passed by here, and walked along the path for a while, and when they came to the fork, the old mayor changed direction and walked towards the fork in the road.

Shao Lin caught up and asked, "Old man, how long will it take to arrive?"

"It's almost there, and it's going to go out of the woods along this road. "The old mayor is obviously familiar with the road and the environment.

After following the old mayor for a while, out of the mountains and forests, there was really a crooked waterway in front of him. This is a mountainous terrain, Jiankang just passed between the two mountains, and when you look at it coldly, it looks like a huge knife, cutting a mountain in half from the center.

In addition, there is no sand on both sides of the riverbank, strange rocks are numerous, and it is full of moss, light and slippery, it is difficult to find a place to stand people, just such a place, it is impossible to defend at all, whether it is the north bank or the south bank.

Among the rocks at Lin Haotian's feet, there are still several small rafts, apparently belonging to fishermen, and some fishermen borrowed this place to fish on the river.

Lin Haotian didn't know about water warfare, but he could also see that this was really a unique place to cross the river.

After seeing the backwater bay, Lin Haotian thought that this place was very good, and it could be used for his own smuggling into Jiankang, and he didn't even have to fight a water battle. To fight a war is to avoid one's own shortcomings and give full play to one's own strengths, and if one can cross the river and directly engage in a land war with the enemy without fighting a water war, that would be the best.

On the way back, Lin Haotian said to the old mayor: "The backwater bay introduced by the old gentleman is excellent, in order to express my gratitude, I will arrange some soldiers to guard the old man's mansion, during this time, the old gentleman will try to avoid going out, and the food and use are provided by our army." ”

He wanted to put the old mayor under house arrest temporarily, since he wanted to use the backwater bay as a smuggling place, then the news must be kept secret, and it was still necessary to control the old mayor and his family first.

The old mayor understands people, and naturally knows Lin Haotian's purpose, he just asked: "Isn't this too troublesome for your army?" Hearing Lin Haotian's answer, he didn't say anything more.

After saying goodbye to the old mayor, Lin Haotian immediately asked Shao Lin to send an order to the nearby soldiers to surround the mayor's mansion, only allowed to enter, not to go out, if one person is let go, it will be punished according to military law.

Shao Lin personally sent an order, where did the Jin army dare to slack off, the Jin army generals who were responsible for guarding Yingjiang Town immediately sent a large number of subordinates to surround the old mayor's mansion.

It is said to be protection, but in fact it is house arrest. (To be continued......)