The silence in the courtyard was a little scary, and after a while, a self-deprecating smile flashed on Shi Cheng's expressionless face. He waved his hand at Iron Mask and said, "In that case, let's wait until we can see each other's sincerity in the future, but my gut tells me that day won't be too far away." You go back and rest first. ”

Iron Mask didn't say anything, and went back to the house with his long sword.

Shi Cheng sat on the big stone where he had sat on the iron face, his back against the earthen wall, his eyes staring at the stars in the sky in a daze, and he didn't say anything all night.

The whole night in the village was quiet and nothing happened. When the time for the shift change came, Shi Cheng didn't wake up Wu Neng immediately, he let Wu Neng sleep for an extra hour before entering the house to wake him up.

Wu Neng released five people to protect the hut, and after doing all this, he shrank directly behind the big stone outside the door, and kept watch until dawn in half a sleep.

Early in the morning, the three of them packed their bags and then gathered together to discuss today's itinerary. However, although it was said that the three of them were discussing together, in fact, Shi Cheng and Wu Neng were discussing together, and Tie Mian just sat on the sidelines and listened quietly to the conversation between the two. Shi Cheng had to admit in his heart that as an audience, Iron Mask was still relatively qualified.

After some rambling discussions, all three agreed to continue with the plan set out yesterday. Originally, Wu Neng wanted to see if there were any carriages and other means of transportation in the village, but what made him a little disappointed was that not to mention the carriages, the whole village couldn't even find a wooden cart.

In desperation, Wu Neng whispered a few words, and then followed Shi Cheng and Tie Mian out of the village, the three of them were monks, and their steps were much faster than ordinary people, and the group walked in the northeast direction for about two quarters of an hour, and then walked on the Xieyang Road that made countless passers-by panic.

Shi Cheng stood on the side of the official road, looked at a road monument in front of him, turned to the other two and said, "We have already gone to the Xieyang Road."

Tie Mian squatted down, carefully observed the road in front of him, and said, "I'm afraid this section of the road hasn't been seriously repaired for three or four months.

Wu Neng looked around, his eyes were full of gloom and desolation, in fact, if he hadn't heard of the legend of the ghost village that died in vain, this official road would not seem so serious on the surface. But at this time, Wu Neng felt that there was a dead silence around him, and there seemed to be a demon with a big mouth in front of the road, waiting for passers-by with a cruel smile.

"Let's go," Shi Cheng said, pointing to the side of the road, "If the map is correct, we will walk in this direction for about three hours to reach Yunqiu City." ”

"Shi Cheng, let's walk along the Xieyang Road, will there really be no accidents?" Wu Neng was still uneasy in his heart, "I heard Yu Haiguang say before that nine out of ten people who walk this path can't get out, and I don't know if it's such an exaggeration." ”

"You're always a little timid when you get into trouble, no wonder you haven't been able to find the slightest trace of the Spirit Snake Society in the past four years." Shi Cheng's tone was very relaxed, "Since you choose to follow me on this path, then you should be mentally prepared, what should come is always coming." ”

Wu Neng thought for a moment and nodded. Shi Cheng waved his hand and said, "Let's go, to be honest, I quite hope to fight that vain ghost village here." ”

The three of them kept under their feet, but they were all on guard. However, the road was calm, and the rumored undercurrent of the slanting Yang Dao suddenly changed its face in front of the three of them. If he hadn't seen that road monument, Shi Cheng might have wondered if he had taken the wrong path.

After walking for less than three hours, Shi Cheng and his party arrived at Yunqiu City safe and sound.

Unlike other Western Desert cities that Shi Cheng visited, the city guards at the gate of Yunqiu City conducted meticulous searches and interrogations of passers-by.

Of course, for a big city located in the middle of the Western Desert Country, it is an unusual thing to have such a strict gate inspection outside the city gate, which also reflects the seriousness of the Xieyang Dao case from the side.

"Show me your identification!" One of the leading detachment leaders gestured to the table in front of him with a blank face, and beside him stood an ordinary soldier with a strong bow in his hand.

The three of them honestly showed their documents, because Shi Cheng and his party were all foreigners, so what they showed was not Lu Yin and other things from the Western Desert to prove their identity, but customs clearance documents.

The team leader glanced at Wu Neng's document and threw it back to Wu Neng, and then he took Shi Cheng and the iron-faced document and examined it carefully.

"What's the matter with the mask on your face?" One of the soldiers shouted at Iron Mask and asked, "Take it down and I'll see!" ”

Iron Mask arched his hand and said, "I'm sorry, I'm seriously injured on my face and can't see the wind, I have the relevant proof here, please allow me to take it out and show it to you." ”

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but nodded, motioning for Iron Mask to place his package on the table for him to inspect.

"Inside the mezzanine on the left, inside a brown envelope." Iron Mask reminded lightly.

The soldier quickly dug out the envelope, opened it, and saw that there was a medical certificate inside.

He read softly: "Luojia Medical Center and Dawei Baicao Medical Hall Shannancheng Branch are in the same consultation......"

After reading the full text, the soldier carefully checked the seal on the letter again, and after confirming that it was correct, he returned the letter and the package to Iron Mask, waved his hand, and signaled that he could enter the city.

After entering the city, Shi Chengcai quietly asked Tiemian, "Do you have a wound on your face?" ”

Iron Mask was noncommittal and did not give any answer.

"Do you want Lao Shi to show you?" Wu Neng asked with concern.

"No need, just take your time." Iron Mask replied.

Seeing this, Shi Cheng didn't ask any more, but his brows furrowed slightly.

After the three of them entered the city, before the time reached noon, Shi Cheng and his two companions discussed it a little and decided to report to the official first, and then make a plan. The guards at the gate and the patrol of the government are not in the same place, and the three of them can only go to the yamen in person at the moment.

After Shi Cheng and the others entered the city, looking at the backs of the three of them leaving, a soldier who looked relatively young turned his head and said to a big man beside him: "Captain, this Xieyang Dao eats people without spitting out bones, but I didn't expect to see three big ones today." ”

Another soldier also interjected: "Yes, the people who take the Xieyang Road now, if they don't form a big team with other people, they won't dare to go on the road at all." A distant cousin of mine was short of money a few days ago, in order to save some travel expenses, he took two trips to Xieyang Road with others, and he didn't make a lot of money, but the wine and meat brothers recognized a lot. ”

The squad leader's eyes were also extremely surprised, and he remembered his younger brother who was unfortunately killed on the Xieyang Road, sighed, and said, "It can only be said that they are lucky." ”

A soldier with a spear in his hand said: "Squad Leader, the last time we saw a team of less than ten people coming from the Xieyang Road unharmed was nearly half a year ago, when there was an accident on this road, do you think the three of them will be accomplices of the ghost village." I think at least they are insiders, otherwise where did they get the ability to come all the way and nothing happened? ”

"Lao He, you think too much, right?" A tall and lanky soldier smiled, "Those three people look like Lian Jiazi, maybe the ghosts on the official road can't help them, and I don't know." ”

"Don't think about it, stay at the door." The detachment leader waved his hand, and the soldiers beside him immediately quieted down, he glanced at the direction in which Shi Cheng and the others left, and said, "Listen to their tone, they are coming to the city to report to the officials, maybe they see something on the official road." Are they complicit, let Lord Sun and his gang of black-waisted knives worry about it? We have no evidence, so can we tie them up at the gate without any evidence? ”

And all the soldiers were right, and they went back to their own people, and went on to guard the gate.

Walking on the streets of Yunqiu City, looking at the closed portals and beggars that can be seen everywhere, Wu Neng couldn't help but sigh a little, "Yunqiu City is the largest city in this Qu County, the last time I passed by here, the market in the city could fill this entire street, but I didn't expect that after eight months of not coming, the whole city has withered to this point." ”

Shi Cheng said softly: "The big city is still like this, and those small towns next to Xieyang Road don't know what the situation is now. ”

As they spoke, the three of them had already passed through the entire bazaar, and walked along a stone road for less than a quarter of an hour before they arrived outside the yamen of Yunqiu City.

Shi Cheng walked to the drum, picked up the mallet, and struck it "dong", "dong", "dong". The sound of drums resounded throughout the yamen and outside. When the people passing by saw this formation, they turned their heads and ears, and many people stretched their necks and looked at Shi Cheng and them.

Soon, a gray-clothed official opened the side door and walked towards Shi Cheng and them.

"Who's in front of the drums? What is the matter with the drumming? The officer asked. His tone was not very good, and his face was full of exhaustion.

Shi Cheng took a step forward, arched his hand, and said: "This poor master, in Xia Shi Cheng, the two behind me are companions in Xia, our group of three found an uninhabited village on Xieyang Road, we suspect that the villagers in the village may have been killed, so we specially came here to report the case."

The official was not surprised when he heard such a terrible thing, he glanced at Shi Cheng a few times with some suspicion, and then said to him, "You stand still here, and I will go and report this to Shangguan." ”

After the official left, Wu Neng said to Shi Cheng in a little anxious: "Shi Cheng, why did you come up and report to your home, don't forget that you and I are both registered in the government on the side of Redwood City." What if they arrest us as wanted criminals. ”

Shi Cheng said casually: "You don't have to worry, there are people called Shi Cheng in this world." I didn't let the Redwood City Governors hold it, and they didn't check my papers. As for you, I said it a long time ago, the people over there in Redwood City only know that your name is Wu Tianshi, who knows what your real name is. And the government over there painted you and me the same as the four in the pursuit notice, so you don't have to worry about them recognizing you. ”

"Okay, I'm not worried." Wu Neng said a little angrily.

Shi Cheng comforted again: "Relax, Redwood City is separated from here by an unknown number of miles, and the efficiency of the South Desolate Mansion, unless someone specifically investigates, otherwise, when the wanted warrant over there reaches here, I don't know the Year of the Monkey." Besides, even if someone goes to investigate, and no matter whether the Bai family has the courage not to withdraw the petition, after all, I am a Dan Master, and I am still a member of the Pharmacist Chamber of Commerce, even if there is really something wrong, my means can still protect us from danger in this Western Desert Country. ”

After listening to Shi Cheng's words, Tie Mian raised his head and asked with some surprise, "Are you a Dan Master?" ”

"It's like a fake." Shi Cheng turned sideways slightly, blocking the sight of the melon-eating crowd on the street, and stretched out his hand towards the iron mask, a strange flame beating in his palm.

"I still underestimate you, no wonder the flaming qi blade you emitted when you fought with those giant apes yesterday looked so strange, I didn't expect that there really was a Dan master of Danwu cultivators in this world...... "Tie Mian's eyes became more and more solemn, "Your Danhuo cultivation is very extraordinary, maybe you will soon be able to enter the Dao with Dan and advance to the Grandmaster." ”

"Alchemy is just a hobby of mine," Shi Cheng withdrew the Danhuo, "The path I really want to take is not here. ”

Iron Mask was about to say something, but the side door suddenly opened, interrupting him.

The official who had just gone in to report walked out, his face was a little unkind, and he was followed by six catchers. The official waved his hand, and the six catchers quickly surrounded Shi Cheng and the others.

The official made a gesture of invitation, and said to Shi Cheng: "Three of you, please come in, Lord Sun is invited!" ”