It is bordered by the Yangtze River in the north and Poyang Lake in the south. In the smoke and rain of the south of the Yangtze River, Wu Chumeng lingers.

Jiangzhou, since ancient times, is a rich land in the south of the Yangtze River, and the prosperous Longxing Mansion across the lake, still retains a strong ancient city charm.

Compared with Suzhou, Hangzhou, Yang, Liu and other places in the south of the Yangtze River, Jiangzhou City has few villains, but it has a rare tranquility and tranquility.

On August 27, Liu Xunyi, Tang Cong, and Pan Yuyin came to the boundary of Jiangzhou.

After a misty drizzle last night, the weather in Jiangzhou this morning was clear, the wind was smooth, and even the air was new.

In Jiangzhou City, Liu Xunyi and the three of them walked on the lively but not crowded street, stepping on the bluestone bricks that were still a little wet and lubricated, breathing the fragrance of the soil after the rain in their mouths and noses, and suddenly felt refreshed and comfortable.

As far as the eye can see, pedestrians in twos and threes, wandering and stopping at the rows of hawker stalls on the roadside, young talents accompany the fair beauty, lingering in the rouge gouache, windmill paper kites, flirting from time to time, dialing the rain and flirting with the clouds, all talented and beautiful, full of vitality, really envious of others.

In the restaurants and tea shops on both sides of the street, another group of older people gather together in groups of three or five, or drinking tea games, or gagging, or commenting on books and humming, or pretending to sleep alone, and it is a comfortable and leisurely appearance of Jiangnan beings.

These ordinary people, although they have no ambitions, have a heart that is at ease with what they encounter and happy in time, and they can live a unique taste of ease and ease in the turbulent and turbulent times.

"Xunyang Jiangtou night send-off, maple leaves and flowers in autumn. Brother Liu, look!"

Suddenly, Pan Yuyin stretched out his hand and pointed to a three-story pavilion not far away, and said with a smile: "That is the famous Xunyang Tower." ”

"It is rumored that there is the world's best wine in Xunyang Building. Tang Cong's eyes lit up, and he said jokingly, "If you come, you will be safe." Master, why don't we go in and have a few drinks?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi overlooked Xunyang Tower from afar, but saw that the pavilion was crowded with people, and the shadow was longing, and there must be a talented man in the south of the Yangtze River who danced and wrote ink in it, and chanted poems against it. This situation made Liu Xunyi feel envious, but when he thought about his situation, he felt sadness coming from it, his chest was blocked, and he was depressed, and he didn't know what year and month he could get relief?

Thinking of this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but smile bitterly, and said: "With a heavy responsibility, how can we be delayed? We should go to the Valley of Despair as soon as possible, ask the Lord of the Valley of Despair everything, and resolve the grievances between the two families, so as not to make mistakes again and again." As for the world's best wine in Xunyang Tower...... Let's try it again next time!"

Having said that, Pan Yuyin and Tang Cong could still detect a hint of loss from Liu Xunyi's tone.

At the mention of Granny Peach Blossom, Pan Yuyin couldn't help but look worried, and hesitated: "Brother Liu, will Uncle Luo embarrass Master?"

"No!" Liu Xunyi replied, "Miss Pan, don't worry, the mansion master just wants to resolve the misunderstanding with the Desperate Valley, and he will never embarrass anyone." ”

After that, Liu Xunyi changed the conversation and asked, "Miss Pan, now that we have stepped into the border of Jiangzhou, we don't know how far away we are from the Valley of Despair...... How far is it?"

"It's not far away! Let's go to Xunyang Wharf now, and we can reach the Valley of Despair before noon. ”

"Wharf?" Tang Cong said in surprise, "We're going to take a boat to the Valley of Despair?

"This 'valley' is not another 'valley'!" Pan Yuyin chuckled, "The Valley of Despair is not a valley, but a river valley. ”

"River Valley?"

"Exactly. Pan Yuyin explained, "Going down the river, every narrow into the bend. Thousands of twists and turns, through the reef and through the forest. The winding path leads to the secluded, and you can see the ruthlessness. The Valley of Despair was originally a paradise, because of the many rivers around it, and the water flow is slow and disorderly, and there are hidden reefs, so it is difficult for outsiders to find. If you go rashly, nine times out of ten you will fall into a thousand ravines and fall into a lost way, and if you encounter unexpected circumstances, you may even have the risk of life and death. ”

"I see. ”

At that time, Granny Peach Blossom lived in seclusion in the Valley of Despair, more and more people came to seek medical advice, and the shipping business was prosperous, so there were many local boatmen and fishermen, who did not hesitate to take risks to try, and over time explored a relatively stable channel for convenience to come and go. Pan Yuyin added, "It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, and later Granny Peach Blossom and Senior Ye both left, and the number of people who went to seek medical treatment decreased, and the shipping business was not as good as before, so the boatmen who were willing to go to the Valley of Despair became fewer and fewer." ”

Liu Xunyi answered thoughtfully: "Not long after, the 'Valley of Despair' of the martial arts heretical sect quietly rose, and ordinary people did not dare to approach it easily. ”

"It's not just that you don't dare to approach? Tang Cong smiled bitterly, "As far as I know, none of the people in the rivers and lakes who trespassed into the Valley of Despair could come back alive." It is rumored that the ruthless valley lord has laid countless hidden weapons in the river, and if there is no disciple in the valley to guide the way, outsiders are afraid that they will not even have a chance to go ashore. Otherwise, how can decent people sit idly by and watch such pagan religions grow bigger and bigger in the hinterland of the Central Plains?"

Liu Xunyi groaned: "Twenty years have passed, even if the boatman who was familiar with the river back then is still there, he will definitely be old." Even if you have the strength to drive the boat, I'm afraid you don't have the guts......"

As for this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but look bitter, and hesitated: "Miss Pan, you ...... Are you familiar with the river?"

"Brother Liu, I don't even know how to drive a boat, as soon as I get on the boat, I feel that there is water on all sides, and the east, west, north and south are confused, how can I be familiar with the river?"

"So...... Aren't we going to run for nothing?" Tang Cong was stunned.

Pan Yuyin smiled slightly, shook his head and said, "There is a pair of Qian brothers on the Xunyang Wharf, and they are the only ones who can enter the Valley of Despair by boat. ”

"Brother Qian?"

"Not bad. Pan Yuyin nodded and said, "The last time Brother Tang took us into the valley, it was also driven by the Qian brothers. On weekdays, the Qian brothers are no different from other boatmen, and only when they meet the disciples of the Valley of Despair will they sail into the valley. As a result, outsiders are unaware of their relationship with the Valley of Despair. ”

"That's very good. Liu Xunyi was overjoyed and said busily, "Let's go to the dock quickly......"

"Brother Liu, slow down. Pan Yuyin hesitated, "Although I know the Qian brothers, I ...... But they may not know me. ”

"What do you mean by that?"

"Brother Tang said that except for the disciples of the Desperate Valley, the Qian brothers don't recognize their six relatives. The last time I took the boat was as a guest, so ......" Pan Yuyin looked embarrassed and slurred, "So they may not be willing to help us this time, if you want to be foolproof, unless you ......"

"Unless what?"

"Unless we can find a disciple from the valley to introduce us...... Ahh

Before the words fell, a short and thin man suddenly rushed out of the street, passing by Pan Yuyin, who was caught off guard. If it weren't for Liu Xunyi's timely help, Pan Yuyin, who was weak, would definitely be hit by that person.

The man walked in a hurry, and his pace was swift. Even if he bumped into someone, he didn't hesitate for half a moment, and in Tang Cong's scolding, he walked away without looking back, and quickly disappeared behind the crowd.

"Miss Pan, are you okay?" Liu Xunyi looked at the man's back suspiciously, and asked without looking back, "Are you hurt?"

Pan Yuyin sighed "bad luck", gently rubbed his left arm with his hand, and just wanted to answer, but his eyes suddenly froze, and then he hurriedly reached out and touched his waist, and his face instantly became ugly.

"Miss Pan, ...... you are"

"Brother Liu, my purse is gone!"

Pan Yuyin tugged on Liu Xunyi's arm in a panic, and her voice trembled slightly, even with a hint of crying: "There is a jade pendant left to me by my grandfather in my purse, and it must have been taken by the person just now......"

"Bastard! When Lao Tzu was a thief, he hadn't been weaned yet! A mere thief dared to break ground on Tai Sui's head. Tang Cong said fiercely, "Miss Pan, don't be impatient, I'll go and get the purse back for you." ”

Before the words fell, Tang Cong had already flashed out. Light as a swallow and like a ghost, it disappeared at the end of the street in the blink of an eye.

"There are good and bad people, and there are good and bad things. Jiangzhou is prosperous and the people are rich, but it is inevitable that thieves will run rampant and harm the township. Liu Xunyi couldn't cry or laugh, so he could only comfort him with good words.

"Catch the thief!"

The crowd shouted and caused a riot in the street.

The people who came and went checked their money bags and purses, and when they saw that it was none of their business, they each breathed a sigh of relief.

There are even more good deeds, rushing out of teahouses and wine shops, and they have to squeeze forward to see the excitement.

When Liu Xunyi and Pan Yuyin followed the lively people and rushed to the front, they saw Tang Cong being surrounded by seven or eight fierce men.

They were armed with sticks and daggers, one by one with raised eyebrows, and their faces were fierce, as if they were resenting Tang Cong for meddling in his affairs.

Among these men, Liu Xunyi recognized at a glance the short and thin man who had just stolen the purse. At this moment, the man was staring at a pair of mouse eyes, looking Tang Cong up and down with malicious intent.

On the other hand, Tang Cong was carrying Pan Yuyin's purse in his hand, raising his eyes and looking around, his face full of disdain.

"In the past, when the uncle was a thief, he always lived alone. Tang Cong sneered, "Now it's really a weasel mouse, and one stubble is better than one stubble." When the thieves have to form gangs, it is really like things to gather and people to divide into groups. ”

The short and thin man shouted: "Nonsense, you dare to do good things to Lao Tzu, you will not be able to eat today!"

Tang Cong snorted and said: "Lao Tzu's stomach is growling with hunger, just a few of you leftovers and rotten vegetables, I'm afraid it won't even be enough to stuff your teeth." ”

"Up!"

The short and thin man shouted, and several men rushed up, and the crowd around them retreated for fear of hurting the innocent.

When two of the thieves passed by Liu Xunyi, they were rewarded by Liu Xunyi with a kick, and the two of them were unstable on their feet and fell into "dog gnawing mud" one after another. Facing down, he slammed heavily on the bluestone bricks, and his face was covered with blood and embarrassment, causing the people around him to laugh.

"He still has helpers......"

Seeing this, a thief hurriedly shouted. It's a pity that before he finished speaking, Tang Cong punched him head-on, which had smashed into his face, and in an instant, his eyebrow bone was broken, the bridge of his nose was shattered, and he fell to the ground, wailing in pain, rolling again and again.

Tang Cong was an enemy, and Liu Xunyi helped a little, and knocked all the thieves to the ground with a snap of his fingers.

"Fuck!" cried the short, thin man, "brothers, the stubble is too hard, disperse the water quickly!"

"Don't think that Lao Tzu can't understand your black words, where to run?"

Tang Cong's eyes were fierce, he flew up, flipped in the air, and landed steadily in front of the short thin man who was about to get into the crowd, and kicked him to the ground with a kick in the abdomen, making his body can't help but curl up into a ball.

Tang Cong first returned the purse to Pan Yuyin, and then slowly squatted beside the short and thin man, picked up the dagger, gently pressed it against his temple, and asked with a smile: "Who can't eat and walk around now?"

The short and thin man trembled with fright, and whimpered in his throat for a long time, but he couldn't even spit out a word.

"Door master, how to deal with this group of thieves?" Tang Cong sneered, "One person cut off one ear, or tattoo the word 'thief' on their face?"

"It's important to get down to business. Liu Xunyi said lightly, "Hand them over to the government." ”

"It's good ......"

"Handed over to the government, don't you know that these thieves and the government are simply in cahoots?"

Suddenly, a cold drink was heard in mid-air. Immediately after, a man in white flew up.

With an exclamation, the man in white swung his sword in the air and swept in all directions, without the slightest hesitation. In an instant, several thieves had been sealed by his sword, but none of them were left.

......