He still followed Zhang Qingzi, one after the other, leisurely as if walking, flying eaves and walking on the wall.

In fact, in terms of light work, it should be Zhang Qingzi behind him. But all along, he likes to follow her, go like the wind, and be chic.

He liked her, envied her, and every time he saw and approached, he could bring joy and increase the speed of his heartbeat, which was so precious and hard to find in a peaceful life - so he made a mistake that he should never have.

For him, this is no longer love, not desire, not a mess that he has not figured out...... He thought about it many times, struggles, reflections, regrets - it was useless, because it was the simplest and most direct connection, it was a butterfly meeting a flower, a river flowing to the sea, a sword falling into its scabbard.

As long as he sees, hears, and touches, he will produce all kinds of repetitive reactions, these reactions have not faded away after so many years, again and again, just like he is now following Zhang Qingzi to perform light skills, riding the wind under the night sky, his heart is still as calm and relaxed as ever, and there is not very strong, just the right amount of satisfaction, the more so, the more unforgettable.

The more memorable, the more cherished.

Zhang Qingzi asked the wine seller for two pots of snow plums, this kind of Xifeng wine soaked in plums chilled in the snow tastes sour and cold, like a lover's kiss.

He sat with her on the lookout at the West City Gate.

Outside the city are blurred dirt roads and mountains as black as night.

He quietly listened to her talk about the past few days, how to save Jiang Shouhua, and her next plans.

The wind on the lookout was very strong, and there was a whistling sound in bursts of blows. Fortunately, the snow was small and floated in the air, and could only be seen clearly in the moonlight at very close range, and it was dotted one after another, and occasionally it was carried by the wind to the face, and it did not feel cold.

It's just shattered and gone.

He never said if he wanted to help.

She simply said Zimo's plan, as if this matter was irrelevant, had nothing to do with him, and was a private matter between Zimo and her.

This is the rivers and lakes, I am here to fight and bleed, and you are there to raise your goddaughter.

You are not from the rivers and lakes after all, you have a wife and a daughter at home, and the affairs of the rivers and lakes are just a story to tell you, that's all.

Ye Yunsheng had a faint smile on his face, but his heart was very heavy.

He remembered what the other party said that day at Zimo's house: "People in the rivers and lakes may be calm for a few years, but in an instant, the beacons are in flames, and the fierce water is monstrous, which is also what the rivers and lakes should have, and the destiny of heaven is difficult to violate." ”

Ye Yunsheng is no longer in the rivers and lakes, and in the face of what his friends have encountered in the rivers and lakes, he is really more than enough but not enough.

A hand gently stroked his cheek and touched his brow.

Zhang Qingzi saw what he was thinking, smiled and said, "Don't think too much, Zimo and I will be fine, and the Xinyi League will get better and better...... Suddenly, I felt that your withdrawal from the rivers and lakes was not as bad as you thought before. ”

Her smile can stop the wind, it is so beautiful, so warm.

The water waves in her eyes seemed to ripple, because she remembered a long time ago, the man in front of her, carrying a sword and wearing a red robe, the expression on his face was always full of confidence and sunshine, and the posture on his body was always chic and free.

"Still, I like you before. Luckily, I haven't forgotten what you looked like back then. ”

A woman who is loved says she likes it, which should be a happy thing.

But Ye Yunsheng couldn't be happy. He didn't want to admit that he was not as good as before, he didn't want to say that he had failed, he had withdrawn, he had escaped.

They drank the wine, got off the lookout, he sent her back to Fangfu, and then walked home alone and slowly down the street.

In bed, his wife and daughter were in a dream, he kissed Ah Yu's face, then looked at his wife's face in the dark, touched her hair, and kissed her cheek.

............

When Xu Qing returned home, his mother was waiting for him at the dinner table.

My father had always used the excuse that the Transit Division was busy with affairs and would not come back until late at night.

As a son of man, he must not complain about his parents, let alone comment on them.

However, he knew that his father was not busy with affairs, on the contrary, the transfer department was very idle, and his father had been busy eating wine and prostitutes with his friends all these years, especially the evening lamp building and the flower tea shop, in which his father had a separate wing, and there were no less good friends than his wife.

Therefore, if a friend asked him to go, Xu Qing would never agree to go to these two places.

After he had eaten with his mother, he went back to his yard and ordered his men to retreat and shut himself up in the house.

Until late at night, he was still in front of a bronze mirror, facing himself in the mirror, talking.

In fact, Xu Qing, an iron sword scholar, is not a talented swordsman.

This matter was familiar to some of the old men of the Taiyi Sword Sect in Wutai Mountain—his master, Elder Tu, had told many people.

"My apprentice is not suitable for sword training. ”

But no matter what is said, in the end, this master always ends with a sentence.

"But I've taught a lot of people, and none of them can work as hard as he does, not a single one. ”

There are a total of five sets of top swordsmanship of the Taiyi Sword Sect in Wutai Mountain, and Xu Qing only learned the Xunqian Guiyuan Sword Technique, not that he didn't want to learn more, but he couldn't do it. Only this set of swordsmanship, he has practiced it until now, and he feels that he has not practiced it well......

He repeated those words over and over again in the mirror, his mouth was dry, and he drank four pots of tea alone. It wasn't until late at night that he suppressed his voice and began to pay attention to his facial expressions, matching his words. The spirit of this situation was full and continuous, and it was not until the morning that the next man brought hot water, and then he let go, and took up a face towel and covered his face, as if to cover something.

Then he collapsed on the bed, his face still covered with a wet face towel, and fell asleep.

After a morning of sleep, I woke up hungry, ate some, went back to the house, and practiced in front of the mirror.

He seems to have fallen into a demon, and when others see him, they may think that he is insane, otherwise how can he talk nonsense in the mirror alone?

Late that night, he seemed to have almost finished practicing, so he sat in his chair in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking, and his face was expressionless...... After a while, he stood in front of the mirror again, and showed a helpless but necessary smile, which seemed to have an incomparable power to make people believe that what he said was true, that it was what he was saying, that it was what he thought, and that it was not false at all.

The next day, he went out for a walk, drank tea, listened to a play, and came home in the evening and went to bed early.

On the third day, he took the iron sword and went to Fangfu.

Five years ago, Xu Qing went to Fangfu, and discussed with Fang Zimo about a matter of the Transit Division, Fang Zimo sold his face and gave a sum of 2,000 silver to the Transit Division, and later he helped two Xinyi League guys solve a case of drunkenness and trouble, and paid off the compensation to the injured.

The courtyard of Fangfu is deep, maybe it will be empty after today, he walked through the three entrances, and watched Fang Zimo practice his sword alone on the edge of the martial arts training ground.

"Brother Xu, do you want to come and have a discussion?"

He smiled and said, "Still don't." Brother Fang's sword, the younger brother can't take ten moves. ”

Fang Zimo put away his sword and said with a smile, "You're welcome." ”

Welcoming him into the house, Fang Zimo personally ordered tea, Xu Xu Fang, and asked after the tea: "Brother Xu is here, but is there something wrong?"

Xu Qing listened quietly for a moment, knowing that there was no one around, nodded and said: "Brother Fang, Xu is also from the rivers and lakes, so I won't say more, I really came here because of something important...... Dare to ask Brother Fang, did you save a woman recently?"

Fang Zimo asked with a smile: "Brother Xu came to ask for the crime?"

"My uncle has a grudge with Liu's Mansion, this woman has a letter on her, my uncle will give up before he can stop, can Brother Fang raise his noble hand?"

Fang Zimo's smile did not change, but his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Dare to ask Lord Wei what he has to teach you?"

Xu Qing sighed, was silent for a long time, and said expressionlessly: "Lord Wei is going to frame Brother Fang with Qiu County Lieutenant today, saying that Brother Fang and Liu Mansion Erniang killed Liu Mansion and the whole Liu Mansion because of their personal relationship, and it is expected that they will soon arrange to arrest people and come to the door to get people." ”

Fang Zimo sneered and didn't care.

Xu Qing said again: "Brother Zhifang is not afraid of these quick catches, Lord Wei will talk to Lord Cheng Shou and send troops to besiege Fang Mansion." ”

He didn't wait for Fang Zimo's reaction, and said directly: "Xu is a person in the rivers and lakes, standing up to the sky, I can't see such dirty things, if Brother Fang is willing to give me the letter, I can persuade my uncle to stop, and the two parties will shake hands and make peace, and there will be no disputes." But Brother Fang will definitely not abandon the rivers and lakes and morality, Xu really can't bear to see the Fang Mansion suffer, so he came here to tell him, hoping that Brother Fang will focus on the overall situation and get out as soon as possible. ”

Fang Zimo didn't expect him to be like this, and asked in surprise: "Brother Xu, when you send the letter to Kaifeng, your uncle is only afraid of asking for a beheading, doesn't Brother Xu care?"

Xu Qing smiled bitterly: "How is it possible? I also hope that Brother Fang can show mercy, and I hope that my uncle can restrain himself from the precipice, but the world is not satisfactory, there must be a cause and an effect, I can't see my uncle die in Huangquan, let alone see Brother Fang's mansion flowing into a river of blood." So that Brother Fang knows that my uncle has gathered many underworlds to stop Brother Fang...... Among them is Xu, hey, it is a chivalrous and righteous thing, if Brother Fang encounters an accident, he will have to bear the notoriety of hooking up with a widow and destroying people, how can Xu bear it?"

Fang Zimo stood up movingly, saluted Xu Qing, and said, "Brother Xu came to help, Fang Zimo remembered it in his heart, and he will definitely repay it!"

Xu Qing stopped him, his face was full of sadness, and a kind of helpless bitterness permeated his whole body: "Xu Qing is also a deep sin, it was not easy to show mercy to the sword that day, who knew that the Chang'an Sword King was so vicious, and when Yan returned from seriously injuring him, he actually implicated the elder brother! Xu Mou has been in his uncle's mansion for the past few days, listening to their plots, he is really sad from the bottom of his heart, and he is not a human thing to do outside here, I just hope that the spirit of the rivers and lakes will last forever, and Brother Fang can send the letter to Kaifeng safely, if so, at least Xu Qing can ask for peace of mind, worthy of the long sword in his hand!"

Fang Zimo pondered for a moment and said: "Thank you Brother Xu for coming to tell me, otherwise the Fang family will be harmed, even if Fang is lucky to get out, the whole house has suffered a military disaster, and Fang Mou's brother died in the conspiracy, but Fang Mou is told how to deal with himself and how to explain to their families? Brother Xu, without further ado, Fang Mou will go to prepare and dismiss everyone from Chang'an today." ”

Xu Qing kindly asked, "How about Yan's return?" Do you want me to help settle down?"

"That's not necessary, I originally intended to leave for Kaifeng in the next few days, and I have already placed her properly. ”

Xu Qing exhaled and laughed lightly: "That's fine, if Yan returns, what will happen to you, how will I face the people in the rivers and lakes in the future...... and to suffer from the condemnation of conscience day and night. ”

Fang Zimo sent him out of the house, saluted again, turned around to contact the people in the house, and was in a hurry to run away.

Xu Qing came all the way to Wei Xian's mansion and told him what had happened, Wei Xian immediately sent someone to tell the county lieutenant of Qiu, and arranged for the city to go to Fang Mansion to take down Fang Zimo. secretly invited the masters gathered in the house to make a real killing move on the way to Kaifeng.

Only Zhang Qingzi followed Fang Zimo to Kaifeng.

She rode a white horse, walked side by side with Fang Zimo, and said worriedly: "Are you sure that Xu Qing is telling the truth? They are afraid that you will break out of Chang'an City with the Xinyi League, so they will deceive you just to isolate you...... Now we don't have helpers, what if they kill a group of people?"

Fang Zimo smiled, his expression showed a trace of fatigue, he didn't hold a grudge against Ye Yunsheng, and he also didn't resent his wife, but whether it was mental or physical, he felt a deep haggard that couldn't be removed.

"The question is not whether he lied to me, Xu Qing said that, whether it is true or not, I must dissolve the Xinyi Alliance and let the people in the house disperse. I can't take this risk, I can die in the rivers and lakes, and fight hard under the pursuit of officers and soldiers and the underworld, but I can't let my brothers follow this path. If I send the letter to Kaifeng and bring down Wei Xian, then I can still return my innocence, and the Xinyi League can still survive, but if this letter can't reach Kaifeng, do I want everyone to follow me to become important criminals in the court?"

Zhang Qingzi knew Zimo's temperament very well, and he no longer persuaded him, but just sighed: "But this is too risky, you have persisted for so many years, then Wei Xian found an opportunity, I am afraid he will not let you go." ”

Fang Zimo smiled heroically: "I have already inquired about those people under him, Chang'an Sword King, Xu Qing, Xia Yunxian, and Wild Fox, even if you count the old ghost of the flesh and blood butcher knife forest, if you want my life, it is also wishful thinking!"

Zhang Qingzi said: "If Yun Wujing and Chu Kexing are in Chang'an, these local chickens and dogs still dare to bark?"

Fang Zimo said lightly: "They can calculate me together for the sake of profit, but I will not drag my good brothers into the quagmire together because of justice." No matter how much you calculate, you can't escape life and death...... Haruko, it's useless to think too much. ”

............

In the afternoon of this day, Ye Yunsheng took Ah Yu to Zhao's mansion as usual.

Let Zhao Yu pinch the sword trick, he broke up with Ah Yu, and said a few more sword moves.

Perhaps because he was worried that Fang Zimo and Zhang Qingzi would fight with Wei Xian, he also had no intention of practicing swords, so he sat in the martial arts training ground. The sky was cloudless and blue, he looked at it for a moment, and when he was in a trance, a person ran from the side of the corridor, panting and said to him: "Mr. Ye, our master has something to pass on to you." ”

He looked back, and a hint of worry came to him.

I heard the steward of the mansion continue: "Fang Zimo's mansion, just now I called a lot of arresters to find the door, I heard that the defenders outside the city have gathered, there are more than 1,000 people, and they are preparing to enter the city!"

Ye Yunsheng was so shocked that before he could explain, he flew out of the courtyard wall.

He galloped all the way to Fangfu, and the street was already full of hunters, about 100 people, all of whom were holding iron rulers and carrying long knives at their waists. He looked into the open door and saw that there was also a figure walking around quickly. The people outside watched happily, and they were not afraid of things, and all kinds of discussions were chaotic.

He didn't dare to rush in, listened to the crowd for a while, and learned that the Fang Mansion had long been empty, and no one was left. Thinking in his heart, Fang Zimo was afraid that he had already gotten the news and left a long time ago. This time the rivers and lakes are so big, it is not something that Wei Xian can do.

Even so, there are still some lingering worries. He thought about going back to bring his sword, and then went to Dongshi to ask Ah Tan to pick up his daughter, at this time, Ah Tan was still helping him watch the noodle stall - whether he quit the rivers and lakes or not, regardless of the promise to Ah Tan...... He must go out of the city to find Zimo.

Rushed to the front of the house, before he entered, he frowned, there were four people sitting in the courtyard, one of them breathed a long time, and his internal strength was extremely profound, he really couldn't think of anyone in Chang'an City who had such skills.

When he pushed the door, his heart suddenly sank to the bottom.

The square table and bench on the noodle stall were placed in the courtyard, and a pot of steaming noodle soup was placed on the table, and four people were sitting at the table.

Ah Tan seemed to be frightened, and looked at him with a blank face, his eyes full of grievance and panic.

Beside her sat a middle-aged man, a monk, with a scar on his head, a beard, and a fleshy face, like a fierce figure.

This person is the person Ye Yunsheng heard before.

And it was an acquaintance, seven years ago, Dingfeng Bo Sword Society, he was the first to draw with Fang Zimo in the South China Sea Hanging Buddha Nine Difficulties.

He is an authentic descendant of Eastern Zen, and his strength in the disaster is unmatched, and the 9981-style Heavenly King Protector Sword is even more dominant.

Ye Yunsheng stared at the Nine Tribulations, but the Nine Tribulations ate the bowl vigorously without looking at him.

Sitting on the other side is also a monk, who was also in the Dingfeng Bo Sword Meeting, but he has never been on the field to compete in the sword, this person is his junior brother, the appearance is upright, it seems to be honest and wooden, and the law name listens to the sea.

The last person turned out to be Xu Qing, who I met by chance not long ago. At this moment, when he saw Ye Yunsheng coming, he said with a smile: "Brother Ye, don't blame Tang Tu, the Master of the Nine Tribulations just arrived in Chang'an today, and I heard that Lingyun Sword Immortal Fang Zimo's family was in trouble, so I came to you to solve my doubts." ”

Ye Yunsheng tried to calm his mind, came to his wife and sat down, and gently hugged his wife's waist, only to find that her body was trembling slightly.

Xu Qing looked at Ye Yunsheng's face carefully, and showed apologies: "Sister-in-law was invited back by us, don't blame me, it's really for Brother Ye's sake, on this eventful time......"

His words were interrupted by the Nine Tribulations, and the monk's voice was very loud, and his aura was extremely overwhelming.

"Make another bowl of noodles for the Sprinkler family!"

Ah Tan in the crook of his arm trembled even more. Ye Yunsheng stood up, picked up the spoon, and saw that Jiu Yan held it down, and his internal strength swayed, blowing Ah Tan's long hair floating.

Ye Yunsheng endured it, he knew that if he started now, he would die, and Ah Tan would not survive......

He only used fifty percent of his internal force, and his palms did not move at all.

"Let your woman fight!"

He held on for a moment, released the spoon, and sat down.

"Ah Tan, give this master, another bowl of noodles. ”

Ah Tan looked at him, holding back the tears rolling in his eyes and picking up the spoon strongly. Her hands shook so hard that the soup spilled, and everyone at the table turned a blind eye.

Suddenly, Jiu Nan asked her, "Where is the secret room in your home?"

Ah Tan was stunned, and glanced at his man blankly, I don't know why there is a secret room in the house?

Ye Yunsheng didn't say a word, and saw Xu Qing breathe a sigh of relief, and smiled with difficulty.

The atmosphere at the table was strange and oppressive, only the nine difficulties were eating noodles with a snort, and everyone was silent.

Jiu Yan finished eating the noodles and said, "I just saw it in your house, why didn't I see your sword?"

Ye Yunsheng said softly: "The lady doesn't want me to practice swords, so I returned it to my teacher a few years ago." ”

Jiu Yan scratched his scalp and said, "The head of the Shangqing Sect Guanyun Dao withdrew from the rivers and lakes ten years ago, and he still wants to use a sword?"

"The villain also withdrew seven years ago. The useless swordsmanship is still in my heart, if the master needs it......"

His words were immediately interrupted by the Nine Tribulations, and the monk laughed hahaha and scolded: "The dog dares to look down on your grandfather! If it is really Lu Dongbin's swordsmanship, how incompetent should you Ye Yunsheng be to get mixed up like this?"

Ye Yunsheng lowered his head, forcibly endured the hot blood surging in his chest, and hugged his wife, who had been trembling with fear.

Xu Qing stopped saying when he saw the nine difficulties, and said to Ye Yunsheng: "In the sword competition seven years ago, Xu has been thinking about it, and Brother Ye seems to have calculated Xu's last ten sword moves. ”

Ye Yunsheng smiled bitterly and said: "Brother Xu looks at it highly, the villain can't even go through five moves, how can he calculate ten moves?

Jiu Yan sarcastically said contemptuously on the side: "Even if you Ye Yunsheng quit the rivers and lakes, you are still useless in the world! You will sell your noodles and teach you swords, and the women and children in your family will stay honestly!"

For a moment, he wanted to punch out.

Jiu Yan sensed his murderous intent and narrowed his eyes.

He suppressed his impulse and said, "My home is in Chang'an, where else can I go?"

Xu Qing said with a smile: "This is very good, I still want to talk about swordsmanship with Brother Ye, it is rumored that Brother Ye has learned a lot of swordsmanship, I hope to give me some guidance as soon as possible." ”

Ye Yunsheng lowered his eyes and said lightly: "I haven't asked about the affairs of the rivers and lakes for a long time, and what I have learned has long been wasted, I'm afraid I won't be able to live with Brother Xu." ”

Jiu Yan smiled shamefully: "Fang Zimo is such a hero, how can he be a brother with you waste!"

At this time and now, if you can't bear it, you must endure it first, and it is better to spit on yourself than to suffer at home.

Xu Qing followed Jiu Yan and Monk Tinghai, who had not spoken, out of the courtyard gate, he seemed to be a little worried, and turned around and said: "Brother Ye, my uncle arranged for someone to watch you here, if you find out that someone in your family is leaving Chang'an, Xu Mou can't help but say sorry here." ”

"Brother Xu, since even the Nine Tribulations Master has invited Chang'an, why do you still force Fang Zimo away?"

Xu Qing heard the meaning of his words - you are not without good hands, and you still have to come up with such despicable means, how can you compare the last game unfairly?

"Brother Ye, don't blame it, it's really the Master of the Nine Tribulations who came in a hurry, and we didn't know it in advance. ”

Jiu Yan stopped and slowly turned around.

A sea of blood rushed towards Ye Yunsheng.

Even Ah Tan, who was not proficient in martial arts, felt the murderous aura, and the skin on his neck seemed to be gently pierced by a needle.

Xu Qing stopped the nine difficulties and persuaded: "Master, don't use killing intent, after all, he has withdrawn from the rivers and lakes for seven years, he has a family and a daughter, and he must not take the risk of hurting me and other big things!" and then turned to Ye Yunsheng and said: "Brother Ye, think more about the lady and daughter in the family in everything." ”

Ye Yunsheng knew that if Xu Qing hadn't stopped him, he would have died tragically with Ah Tan here today, so he was so grateful that he bent down and made a big salute. It's just that when he straightened up, Jiuyan slapped him violently, and scolded in his mouth: "The Sprinkle family allows you to live, and you don't give the Sprinkle family a salute?"

Ye Yunsheng was beaten and fell to the ground, half of his face was purple and swollen, his mouth was broken, blood was dripping on his clothes, his hair was messy, and he was extremely embarrassed.

Jiuyan didn't look at him anymore and strode away.

Xu Qing showed an apologetic look at him and was about to leave, Ye Yunsheng couldn't help but begg: "Xu Qing, the rivers and lakes are in trouble, is it proper for you to use the government to deal with Fang Zimo?

"My uncle is the lord of Chang'an, and my father is the judge of the transfer department, can Brother Ye answer for me?" Xu Qing was unmoved and turned away.

Ye Yunsheng let out a sigh slowly, and was helped up by Ah Tan. He hugged his wife—and as soon as she held her, she cried, crying loudly.

This cry made him angry even more than the slap just now, but the anger was forcibly suppressed, and another burst of pain and sorrow pierced his heart like a needle.

"Don't be afraid, it's okay. ”

Ah Tan just cried. The courtyard is a mess, and you don't need to look at it, and the house must have been turned into a mess.

He can't take the sword with him and go to Zimo.

He didn't know if Fang Zimo had calculated that the Nine Tribulations would appear in Chang'an City, if not......

On the line of life and death in front, he is not afraid of death, but his wife is also there, and he still can't help but panic and fear.

Now the fear is far from leaving, because he is starting to worry about his brother, about Haruko.

Ah Tan was still crying, and while he was thinking nonsense, he organized shallow and weak words to comfort him. At this moment, he is powerless to his family, and he is even more powerless and helpless about the life and death of his friends.

The appearance of the Nine Tribulations, like a big stone, firmly pressed him down, making him unable to move.

After crying for a long time, Ah Tan fell asleep in his arms. He looked up at the sky, and Ah Yu was still in Zhao Yuanwai's mansion. He carried his wife into the house, put it on the bed, and looked at Atam's bloodless, tearful, and aggrieved sleeping face, he hated it incomparably in his heart, hated the nine tribulations, and hated himself......

But he can't give up anymore, he can't run away anymore, he has a wife, he has a daughter, he has to make everything in the family stable first, so he must persevere—no matter what kind of blow, he must endure, endure, endure again!

He used the internal strength of his whole body, and the bright light was all over his body, and after a long time, there was no trace of injury on his face.

He was going to pick up his daughter, so he patted his face and curled the corners of his mouth.