In the dim and dull dungeon, the oil lamp in the hand of the judge of Tiantong City shimmered, and it was gently swayed in the yin wind that blew from nowhere, and it was almost extinguished.

In the weak light, after the curator of the Tiantong City Academy finished asking that sentence, he quietly waited for the judge's reply.

From the time the curator asked the judge for the price, the curator had no hesitation in his heart. Since the dismissal document has been suppressed by Chenghuang and has not been issued, the curator has no worries and worries.

They don't know who they've messed with, and they're still smug about the plan they deceive.

Now, except for the accident. The curator, who was very glad that the dismissal document had been suppressed, the soreness in every joint still reminded him of how much hatred Xiao Shizhu was for him. The cramped and low cell made the curator breed a lot of hatred.

The anger brought by hatred has swallowed up the curator's reason, and there is only one voice left in his heart: I will kill you!

If he doesn't get rid of Xiao Shizhu, a 'nosy' human soul, the curator will always be unable to calm the anger in his chest.

No matter how much money is needed, even if the curator wants to smash the pot and sell iron this time, he will secretly hire a murderer to get rid of Xiao Shizhu.

"It's not too expensive, this amount of silver. Under the lights, the judge of Tiantong City stretched out his left hand to the curator of the school hall and put his five fingers up.

"Five hundred?" asked the curator, who was not sure how many these five prefixes represented, after thinking about it.

"Ten thousand. The judge spat out a word.

The judge said the word loudly, echoing in the silence of the dungeon.

As soon as this word came out, I heard the curator on the other side with an incredible look on his face.

Fifty thousand taels of silver is indeed not a small amount. Unlike those printed in the world, which have been spread to the Netherworld, the so-called Tiandi Bank's banknotes, the dark silver is the hard currency of the Netherworld.

Xiao Shizhu and the Northern Yin Dynasty wanted compensation, but they all wanted silver and gold, but they never wanted paper money.

It's just that the curator soon didn't think the price was too expensive. He immediately nodded in agreement, and there was no longer any hesitation.

Fifty thousand silver is not impossible for him to take. In the school hall over the years, the curator has been secretly fishing for oil and water.

took out 50,000 silver in one go, and the curator could still do it.

As long as Xiao Shizhu can be removed, the curator feels that the money is well spent.

"Fifty thousand is fifty thousand, I am willing to pay this money. Then, the curator gritted his teeth and said fiercely: "But the premise is to get rid of this Su Gongzi, do it cleanly, and let him disappear, then the money is worth it." ”。

It's a little expensive, but if he can make Xiao Shizhu pay the price of blood and let the curator's anger subside, the curator will also feel that it is worth it.

"Okay, if you have money, you can pay it in a few days, those heroes are all doing things first, and then settling the bill, so there is no need to worry, now follow me first." The judge of Tiantong City stepped forward with a lamp: "Until the powerful people finish the matter, your father and son will not be able to show their faces in front of the ghosts for the time being, Lord Chenghuang has prepared a carriage and is waiting at the entrance of the dungeon. When you go out, you will get in the car immediately, and the carriage will take you back to the back door of your house, and now you can hide at home. ”。

The curator called out to his stunned son, and followed the judge in the direction of the dungeon gate.

The curator's son is very arrogant on weekdays, and he never thought that he would be choked up enough by Xiao Shizhu's three times and five by two today, which scared him so much that he had no master, and he still hasn't come to his senses.

followed the curator slowly, but he was also stunned and looked sluggish.

The glimmer of the lights does not completely dispel the darkness in the dungeon.

And the darkness is always a place of danger and sorority, and in this dark dungeon, a sordid deal has been quietly struck.

"Wait until a few days to solve this Su Gongzi, and you can go back to the school hall. Externally, Lord Chenghuang had already sent someone to the school hall to say hello, saying that you were going to Danshui City to have an academic exchange with the school hall over there. The judge walked slowly forward and said to the director of the academy who was following him: "Before that, don't go out and show your face, and it's best not to let that Abe in the academy know, he is a good friend of the king, if you let him know about this, maybe you and I will be finished." ”。

"Abe, he's not at the school today, and he's going out early in the morning. The curator who snorted coldly said: "He wants to be in the school hall, he can't use that Su Gongzi, he has already jumped out to meddle in his affairs." ”。

The unrepentant curator still doesn't think his son has done anything wrong, nor does he think that there is anything wrong with his behavior in protecting his calf.

In the curator's heart, Abe's past meddling was something that annoyed him. And today's events made him even more upset, and he didn't reflect at all, but firmly believed that the fault was Xiao Shizhu and the student named Liuyun.

"Please tell Lord Chenghuang that when you go to contact Haoqiang, tell them to add a head and get rid of the female ghost named Liuyun. The curator, who gritted his teeth, said coldly: "If I can get rid of Liuyun too, I can add money." ”。

The sound of soft footsteps, echoing softly in the silent dungeon, drowned out the subtle sound of the curator not far behind them, quietly and slowly pushing open the cell door.

"No problem. The judge, who had squinted slightly, said this, and suddenly stopped, and stopped moving forward.

The curator behind him nearly crashed into the judge's back.

After the curator was able to stand firm, he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

With that, the curator looked forward, and saw that they were still in the dungeon, not reaching the door, and still in the dark and boundless dungeon, and the suspicion in his heart suddenly increased.

At this moment, the curator and his son snorted in unison. The smell of blood in the air slowly dispersed in the darkness of the dungeon, quickly covering the damp musty smell around them.

A cold light flashed in the chests of the curator and his son, and a sharp tip of a knife pierced through their flesh and stabbed out with splatters of blood.

Blood droplets flew down in front of them, dotting the dungeon floor in the darkness and blooming on the icy ground.

A ghost with a knife quietly appeared behind them, and then stabbed them in the back with a sharp steel knife, penetrating the internal organs, and the tip of the knife stabbed out of their father and son's chest.

"It's nothing, Lord Chenghuang is true to his word, and he will definitely get rid of that student and Su Gongzi for you, but I also need you to accompany the funeral. The judge, who suddenly changed his face, looked indifferent and ruthless under the faint light of the candlelight, the killing intent lingered in his eyes, and said coldly to the curator father and son, who were already bleeding from the corners of his mouth behind him and his chest were all red: "Your curator has known too many things over the years, and it is always a trouble to keep you, so you can go on the road with peace of mind." ”。

"You ......" the curator stared incredulously at the judge's back not far in front of him.

Then he took a step forward, and the ghost behind him suddenly drew his knife, and the curator stumbled and fell to the ground, his body twitching slowly, and the pungent ghost blood gushed out of his nostrils.

The judge still didn't turn around, letting the disgusting, pungent gore slowly dissipate behind him.

Then the judge said coldly to the knife-wielding killers behind him who were still hiding in the darkness and did not see their true faces: "Do the things here cleanly, don't leave any traces." At night, I will go to the back door of the yamen to settle the bill for you. ”。

With that, the judge walked forward without looking back, away from the dark damp dungeon, which was filled with blood......

On the bustling streets of Tiantong City, the charcoal-grilled meat shop is full of fragrance inside and outside.

The store is also bustling with people, and it's always haunting. There aren't many tables, but they're always full.

It seems that this charcoal-grilled pork is very famous in Tiantong City. The ghosts came here just to taste the charcoal-grilled pork with their secret sauce evenly spread.

Some ghosts don't come into the store to sit and taste, call their families or food delivery guys, use warm plates or food boxes, pack the barbecue away, and send it back to their homes.

Xiao Shizhu adopted the idea of human express delivery and takeaway, and has already gradually opened an industry similar to takeaway and express delivery in the counties and cities of the Nine Shadows Kingdom, solving the employment problem of a large number of idlers.

At the same time, it also facilitates the ghost people of the Nine Shadows Country.

Tiantong City is no exception, you can see food delivery guys like takeaway brothers everywhere, hurriedly going in and out of various tea houses, wine shops, noodle shops, and fruit shops. They also eat rice, rice, fish, and curd, and send the food to various places or mansions.

And this charcoal-grilled butcher shop naturally has its own food delivery guys, who are busy delivering fragrant barbecue meat to all parts of the city.

Soon after Xiao Shizhu took Qinglan to sit down, and invited Liuyun to sit down, the shopkeeper brought hot tea and a plate of roasted pork.

Qinglan handed the cleaned chopsticks to Xiao Shizhu, but did not let Xiao Shizhu move the chopsticks in a hurry, but first took a piece of piping hot meat and chewed it a few times before swallowing it, and then regardless of the hot tea, she casually blew the hot air rising from the mouth of the cup and drank it.

The hot Qinglan sucked her mouth again and again, and even Xiao Shizhu, who was not afraid of swords and swords on the battlefield, saw a little imperceptible horror in her eyes.

Then Qinglan, who sat quietly for a while, found that she was in good health before she gave Xiao Shizhu a look and signaled that Xiao Shizhu could move chopsticks.

"Young Master Su, you are not the ordinary kind of ordinary son, right?" Liuyun, who had already eaten a few pieces of fragrant barbecue, looked at Qing Lan, his suspicious gaze moved, fell on Xiao Shizhu's face, and said, "The behavior of this eldest brother just now seems to be trying it for you, he wants to know if there is poison in the food?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liuyun had already turned his eyes and looked at Qinglan, a sharp gaze appeared in his eyes.

secretly guessed in his heart: "If it weren't for the ghosts who are either rich or expensive, they shouldn't be so desperate and afraid of death, right?"

"Oh, do you see that?" Xiao Shizhu thought so in his heart, and couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth.

The keen insight of the female ghost on the other side was enough to surprise Xiao Shizhu and him, the Nine Shadows King, but it was more of appreciation.

The young Liuyun can be so perceptive, and it can be seen that he is also a thoughtful ghost. Coupled with the fact that Liuyun is also an orphan, Xiao Shizhu seems to see his past.

And he hadn't seen such a capable imp in the Nine Shadows Kingdom for a long time. I couldn't help but feel a little excited.

And Qinglan was also surprised, but after being stunned, she hurriedly scratched her head, smiled awkwardly, and deliberately lied: "What are you talking about Liuyun, I'm just hungry." ”。

Xiao Shizhu and their identities are absolutely confidential, and they can't be easily leaked. If you don't hurry up and make up a reason to cover up the past, something big will happen.

Liuyun stared at Qinglan, who was smiling embarrassedly, up and down, and saw that the other party's face was red for a while, and after being white for a while, a suspicious look appeared in his eyes again.

Qinglan pretended to be too similar, and it really looked like she was too hungry to eat, and then she was embarrassed after discovering her gaffe.

This made Liuyun, who was inexperienced and didn't know anything about him, doubt himself, thinking that he had seen it wrong and thought wrong.

I can't help but feel a little embarrassed, the embarrassment of feeling like a villain.

And Xiao Shizhu was reluctant to reveal his identity, so he took the opportunity to say: "This friend of mine is a little greedy, and he can't see good food; when he sees delicious food, he doesn't have a good appearance, and he is indeed hungry, and we all missed the meal in the yamen." Makes you laugh. ”。

Although Liuyun has a keen sense of observation, Qinglan acted well, and Xiao Shizhu was a natural master of lying, so he added explanations in time. His bland, slightly awkward tone, combined with a natural smile, turned a lie into a fact.

And Liuyun is still very young after all, so naturally he can't see any clues, and when Xiao Shizhu's voice landed, he completely believed Xiao Shizhu's 'ghost words'.

"Eat, you're welcome. Xiao Shizhu smiled slightly, picked up the teacup and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

"Young Master Su, you said that you are a ghost of Yuque City, so what are you doing in our Tiantong City?" Liuyun didn't think much about it anymore, and asked while eating meat.

"Do you know that in Tiantong City, there is a scholar named Abe?" Xiao Shizhu did not directly explain his intentions, but asked Liuyun with great interest first.

Hearing this, Liuyun hurriedly swallowed the meat that he chewed slowly in his mouth, nodded again and again, and said anxiously: "I know, of course I know." He is the best teacher in our school, kind, kind and not afraid of trouble. Every time I was bullied by the curator's son, if I was met by him, I would definitely help. And he often taught his classmates to help each other, so except for the curator's son, the other classmates were pretty good to me. ”。

"Today, the curator's son bullied me again, and it was also because Mr. Abe went out early, and the curator's son was so unscrupulous. After a pause, Liuyun said again.

Xiao Shizhu ate delicious charcoal-grilled pork while listening to Liuyun tell the story of Abe.

Indeed, the barbecue that Ruyun recommended to him was very delicious. It has a strong aroma and delicious taste, and the meat is fat but not greasy, and the skin is crispy and tender

The secret sauce is also fragrant, and the smell wafts hundreds of meters away, and the appetite is greatly increased.

After a while, Xiao Shizhu's guards had already walked back. After giving Xiao Shizhu a look and telling him that this area is very safe, he sat down beside Qinglan quietly.

"Master Su, it turns out that you also know our Teacher Abe, it seems that Teacher Abe's reputation has become famous all over the world. Finally, when Liuyun said this, admiration appeared in his eyes, and a look of pride gradually appeared on his face.

"Yes, I don't just know him, I've read what he wrote. Xiao Shizhu, who nodded, said to Liuyun: "Abe has written all the wonders along the Danshui coast in the article. Along the way, the majestic mountains and rivers on both sides of the river, the beautiful plants and trees, the rare scales, and the special birds and beasts are all vivid and lifelike under Abe's pen. And the tone of the pen is light and flexible, and the language is clear and beautiful, which is indeed a good article. ”。

It was the first time she had heard someone say a few words, and she had described her teacher's masterpiece, and she commented very well.

Liuyun simply stopped moving his chopsticks, and stared at Xiao Shizhu with his hands on his cheeks, looking forward to the other party continuingly.

At the same time, I was even more curious, what did Xiao Shizhu say in the end? Why did he still tell Abe?

"So I admired Abe's talent and wanted to hire him, or rather, hire him to teach and lecture on my daughter. Xiao Shizhu, who said this, put down the chopsticks in his hand, picked up the teacup and took another sip of tea.

Although charcoal-grilled pork is delicious, it is easy to get thirsty after eating too much.

"Huh?" Liuyun, who was stunned when he heard this, burst out of surprise in his eyes, and after looking Xiao Shizhu up and down, he exclaimed: "Isn't it, Su Gongzi, you are so young, you already have a daughter?"

Indeed, Xiao Shizhu is not much different from a young soul in terms of appearance, and his skin is also well maintained, and he only shaved the beard that he had grown before leaving the palace, so Liuyun was very surprised.

She felt that a ghost like Xiao Shizhu should not be very old. According to her previous secret guess in her heart, she felt that Xiao Shizhu might be the kind of young man who had just graduated from a certain school palace and was busy starting a business, so she would be a newborn calf who was not afraid of the tiger's righteous help, and did not hesitate to offend the high-ranking school director in this ghost city in Tiantong City.

Suddenly heard that Xiao Shizhu had a daughter, and Liuyun was dumbfounded.

"Young Master Su, take the liberty of asking, how old is your daughter?" After a while, Liuyun, who was a little surprised, asked suspiciously.

"About your age. Xiao Shizhu was not surprised by Liuyun at all, after the guy in the store liked to bring the barbecue a plate, he said casually while eating: "But my daughter is much more naughty than you, and sometimes she is not as sensible as you." And sometimes she can't endure hardship, so I want to hire a famous teacher for her, go to her classes, and let her learn more things. Mr. Abe is so good and capable, of course I am willing to hire him, and he should be able to teach my daughter well. ”。

Speaking of this, Xiao Shizhu remembered his daughter Xiao Fuling's appearance of going to the house to uncover the tiles, and couldn't help but smile.

"Your daughter is really blessed, I envy you. You can go all the way to hire a teacher for her. Seeing Xiao Shizhu talking about his daughter is full of happiness, Liuyun not only believed Xiao Shizhu's words, but also showed a look of envy, and whispered helplessly: "Unlike me, I don't have parents to protect me, and no parents can do anything for me, I am lonely all day long." ”。

As he spoke, his eyes darkened, and his eyes became sad.

Xiao Shizhu, who has always been able to speak well, actually looked at Liuyun and lowered his head, gloomy and speechless for a while, not knowing what to say.

He can understand Liuyun's feelings, but he is also like this in the world. And in the Nine Shadows Kingdom, there are many orphans like Liuyun.

Most of them are not abandoned babies or anything, but because of the perennial war, many families have been separated and fragmented, and then left behind orphans.

But this war cannot be fought, if the ghost kingdoms such as the Northern Yin Dynasty, which oppressed and enslaved their ghosts, are overthrown and defeated, and then rebuild a new world, there will only be more families broken and more orphans living alone.

Judging by Ruyun's age, her parents may have died tragically in a battle in the Nine Shadows Kingdom, or died heroically.

For a while, the air near Xiao Shizhu and them was full of sadness, and several ghosts were silent, not knowing what to talk about.

It was as if their table was separated from the bustle and noise around them, and it was the same as being isolated from the world.

In the end, after a while, Xiao Shizhu opened his mouth to divert the topic and asked Liuyun: "Liuyun, is your teacher Abe very good to your students in the school?"

He naturally knew Abe's character, but he just wanted Liuyun not to be too immersed in sadness.

Liuyun, who slowly came to his senses, nodded slowly and said, "Yes, Teacher Abe is really good, he can be upright and a bowl of water can be leveled." He will not look down on any poor student, nor will he be partial to any of the eugenics. Not only did he do his best in his studies, but he also taught us more things that we couldn't learn in books. ”。

At this point of praise, Liuyun suddenly stopped and pondered.

"But Mr. Ah Pong, he is an official officially hired by the government to teach students and solve their doubts, Su Gongzi, you may really not be able to hire him. After a while, Liuyun looked up at Xiao Shizhu and said urgently: "And according to the position responsibility system of the academy officials and the laws of the government, he can't resign without authorization during the employment period." ”。

It seems that Liuyun still has a slight understanding of the law of the Nine Shadows, at least in Abe's position responsibility system, she knows it clearly.

"How do you know if there are no unexpected gains if you don't try some things?" Xiao Shizhu and Qinglan glanced at each other, smiled at each other, turned their heads back, and said meaningfully to Liuyun: "Abe is constrained by this system, and he can't resign or leave his post at will, yes, but maybe he will promise me." ”。

"Huh?" Liuyun, who was a little puzzled when he heard this, suddenly became puzzled in his heart, and looked at Xiao Shizhu, who was smiling at the corner of his mouth, and slowly frowned.

After a pause, Xiao Shizhu moved a control plate in his hand, so that the guy could put down the charcoal-grilled meat that had been roasted first, and said to Liuyun on the other side: "Originally, my plan was to invite Teacher Abe to give a lecture to my daughter, but now I also want to hire you." Liuyun, are you willing to follow me in the future?".

Liuyun was stunned again, and the chopsticks he lifted stopped in mid-air because he was stunned.

"Hire me?" After Liuyun was stunned for a moment, he said to Xiao Shizhu in a hurry, "But I still haven't finished my studies." Also, I know that your name is Su Gongzi, and I don't know anything else about you. I thank you for helping me desperately when I was in danger, but when you suddenly said that you wanted to hire me, I didn't dare to easily agree and leave with you. ”。

Liuyun seems to have mistakenly believed that Xiao Shizhu was going to hire her to teach.

Xiao Shizhu looked at her panicked appearance, but he didn't make a fuss, Liuyun's reaction and the panic and surprise on his face and eyes seemed to him to be a normal reaction.

So, Xiao Shizhu didn't rush to explain too much, just slowly picked up the teacup, took a sip leisurely, and said to Liuyun without hurrying: "When the time comes, you will know my situation." Then you decide whether to follow me or not. ”。

[Warm plate - its double-layer inner hollow (slightly the same as the manufacture of Kongming bowl), one to two round holes are pierced on the top side of the plate: the water injection hole when pouring hot water. Hot water is injected through the hole to keep the food in the shallow dish warm and achieve the effect of preventing cold. Therefore, it is named: warm plate, also known as warm plate. It is a kind of unique and intelligent eating utensils in Chinese history, and has been praised especially in the official banquets in the north! Its series also include: warm wine pots, warm bowls, warm cups, etc. 】