When he got up in the morning, Xia Yan carefully sorted out his clothes, including the piece of peiyu that he hadn't worn for a long time. In any case, today is an important day for him, and he must be neat and rejuvenated.

If he was alone, he didn't have to stay overnight on the way to Huizhou, but the team was long, and many of these big cars needed to stop and rest from time to time.

It's good. Hundreds of government troops accompanied him, and it was impossible for the mountain and forest thieves to make up their minds, although they had brought such a valuable dowry, it was rare that they were still at ease all the way.

He rested with the team casually leaning on a box, and subconsciously stroked the hanging jade on his waist. Most of the time, he didn't care more about the jade itself, but about the concentric knots that hung from it. That day, he argued with Thorn about whether the sword spike should be returned to him, but he accidentally broke up the sword spike, and Thorn simply made it into a simple concentric knot, or with him. He did not hide his pride in his heart, and used it as a tether for jade pendants, at first he hung his own piece of "jade", and later exchanged it with Xia Chen, so he wore the new one.

After the thorn left, he saw the wound of the thing, and put away the jade pendant with the concentric knot, and did not take it out again until this trip. At the same time, he took out the pair of golden wrists that had faded from the thorns, which he hid in his arms. Although he had prepared a lot of gifts, but what he really valued in his heart was this pair of champs, he always felt that his heart could really let go only when he saw her willing to take the pair of tokens again and wear them on his wrist.

At this time, the heart is still hanging in the air, like this piece of falling jade, every step of the way, it has to shake more violently.

In the afternoon, the convoy had arrived in the woods outside Qinglong Valley.

He had the heart to accompany Suzaku to the White Frost Tomb to pay respects, but Suzaku waved his hand and signaled that he could go alone.

"You're waiting for me here. Suzaku said briefly.

He had to agree, wait for Suzaku to leave, and order the convoy to stop on the spot for a while.

For some reason, the sky became overcast, and the already unbright sun became darker and darker. After waiting for the tea, Zhang Ting patted the horse and leaned over: "Lord Junli, I think the team will move first, and King Yi will go first? These things move slowly anyway......"

He thought for a moment and nodded: "You lead them to the direction of the valley first, stop at the place of three miles away from the Qinglong Valley, you don't need to report to the valley, the master and I will come immediately." ”

Zhang Ting saluted him and beckoned the people to go.

The chariot and the chariot passed by itself, but his eyes were cast into the forest.

The usual solemn slaughter in winter is easy to make Suzaku recall the old atmosphere here in the past two years, even if today for Xia Yan's marriage, he is wearing a purple embroidered with red lines, in the eyes of others, it does not look like condolence.

For the hoarfrost that sleeps deep underground, he is probably better recognizable like this.

Before being disfigured by that fire, Suzaku had always preferred bright colors. In the bitter cold "Linyun Cliff" and "Unbearably Cold" - probably only that kind of clothing can make him feel alive - probably this is also a rare little habit left by him after more than ten years of imprisonment.

In front of White Frost's tomb were neatly arranged some fruit offerings, as they were every year, and he knew that it was because Shan Jiquan would always arrive earlier than him. He slowly walked to the familiar tablet step by step, and as in previous years, he lowered his body, placed his incense and candle offerings, and was quiet for a while, before looking up at the figure behind the tomb.

"You've been waiting for me for a long time?"

-------

Xia Chen waited for a long time before waiting for news. The children reported that in addition to Lu Shou and Wang Songbai, there was at least one other person who disappeared last night - Dong Jinhe, who was known as "Dong Shopkeeper". This seems to prove that everything is not aimed at his party, but it also proves more and more that the disappearance of martial arts people is not accidental, and someone must be behind it.

If there is any connection between these three people, except for Lu Shou and Wang Songbai, who Xia Chen was supposed to visit, Dong Jinhe has no friendship with Xia Jiazhuang, and according to Wan Sunset, he didn't know each other before. Although Dong Jinhe has a "Dong shopkeeper" name in the rivers and lakes, he is not a family member, and he is limited to a little fame in the area of Jiankang Mansion.

There are already many Jianghu sects gathered in the city, and various banners can be seen in the residence, obviously all for the "Jiangnan Martial Arts Conference" the day after tomorrow. The story of the three missing people has also been rumored among various sects, but - about "missing" is not as good as "dead" or "wounded", after all, it only mentions a suspense, and there is no empirical evidence, and most outsiders have no deep friendship with these three people, and they only exchange a few words, waiting for "or they will appear at the meeting the day after tomorrow", so that's it.

Shen Fengming went to Lu Mansion again this night, but Lu Shou still had no news. Although he felt that this matter was not as simple as it was, he was not interested in investigating it in other people's land, so he could only come back. A few people found an inn to see Xia Chen, in case of mistakes, thinking in their hearts, when they see Tuoba Gu in the future, they will probably be able to free up and visit more.

It's just that in the early morning of the second day of the lunar month, before Tuoba Gu appeared, what he was waiting for was another shocking news.

On this night, Yin Furong, known as the "Hibiscus Rakshasa", Wei Yanxing, the owner of "Jiangnan Crossing", and Zen Master Hong Cheng, the abbot of Kaishan Temple, all of whom are names in Jiangnan Wulin, followed by Lu Shou, Wang Songbai, and Dong Jinhe, also lost their traces.

If it weren't for the fact that the streets and trails inside and outside Jiankang at this time were all martial arts people, it would not be so easy to spread. Three people disappeared or deceived themselves, but six disappearances, no matter how inappropriate, began to feel appalling. In this way, the inn was noisy and chattering all day long, and finally someone seemed to find some signs and strung together the common points of the six people.

"It is said that those six people, although they are not on the same road," Wan Xiyang returned to the house and said his conclusion, "but they have all spoken before, and they don't seem to be very satisfied with the East Water Alliance." ”

His voice fell, but no one answered. On the eve of the meeting of the Eastern Water League, six people who were not very satisfied with the Eastern Water League disappeared at once, and the blind could see what was going on. It is precisely because I understand it so well that people don't know how to question it.

Xia Chen was silent, and only unfolded the letter that had not been written yesterday. If he thought it was a provocation yesterday, he should really feel happy today. It was clear that Qu Chongsheng had no intention of hiding his purpose in the first place - he had no intention of making any disguises. Tearing off all the veils of vanity before the meeting of the East Water Alliance, and giving everyone such a warning, his meaning is too clear.

Could he be like those six people, a trouble that should have been resolved before the conference? The young owner of Xiajiazhuang, the "No. 1 Village in Jiangnan", if he also disappeared, what a deafening warning it would be to Jiangnan Wulin? But it was precisely this incident that he couldn't figure out—why in the end, he was left with a wordless book in his bosom, and not a blade into his heart—not any lethal means? This letter was more like a reminder than an insult or a provocation. His eyes seemed to be trying to read the blank piece of paper, and he only felt that there should be a few words on it, and that it would be good for him to know what it meant to be able to succeed but not to start.

In the extremely silent atmosphere, the children outside suddenly broke in: "Qinglong Sect!"

The banner of the Blue Dragon Sect can be regarded as a strong wind that splits the turbidity before this conference—not only for Xia Chen and his party. On the eve of the largest martial arts gathering in Jinling City in the past 30 years, Tuoba Gu, the name of "the first master of martial arts today", still suppressed the foam of the rivers and lakes at this time.

The crowd consciously made way for the Green Dragon Sect. Even if Huizhou, where the Qinglong Sect is located, is not very close to this Jiankang, everyone will finally remember in their hearts at this time: the south of the Yangtze River is wide, and Huizhou is also among them. The Blue Dragon Sect came from afar, and if he also supported this Dongshui Alliance Master, then no matter what Qu Chongsheng said tomorrow, there would really be no one to oppose him again. However, there are also people who wonder - there is still the last night before the martial arts conference, I wonder which three people will suffer tonight? If the Blue Dragon Sect does not buy the Dongshui Alliance, what will it be like to see it tomorrow morning?

Xia Chen was overjoyed when he heard the news, and immediately got up, and his disciples had already led people upstairs. Although Xia Chen and his entourage did not deliberately cover it up, they did not attract attention, but the Qinglong Sect even brought the flag, and all the people in the martial arts who lived in this store naturally noticed this. Seeing things clearly, he guessed a few points at the time, but he didn't dare to talk about it at this time, just because there were a lot of people from the Qinglong Sect, and as soon as the door of the house was closed, four sect members stood at the door with cold faces, and the rabble didn't dare to look at it more, so they had to scatter and return to their seats.

As soon as people entered the house, Xia Chen's heart immediately fell. Even if—the man at the head had not taken off his hat of rain, he could tell that it was not his cousin Tuoba Gu at all.

Shen Fengming's eyes changed rapidly, and they were several times darker than Xia Chen. The idea of sending a letter to the Qinglong Sect for help was from him, and Tuoba Gu also made it clear that he would help Jiankang Society-he never thought that it was so possible--he thought-Tuoba Gu had never been there in person, and the so-called "help" would be - he had not obtained it for more than ten years - Cheng Fangyu.

Cheng Fangyue took off the hat, Xia Chen endured his disappointment and saluted him: "Cheng Zuo." Or asked, "Didn't my cousin come?"

Cheng Fangyu returned a salute: "Young owner." Then he said: "The sect leader received a quick letter from the young village master, but unfortunately there is something important in the valley, so the special order Fang Yue came to help." ”

Xia Chen smiled awkwardly, "I'...... I thought my cousin was coming, what he meant in his reply...... Probably...... Probably I misunderstood. ”

Cheng Fangyue didn't answer, his eyes were opposite to those present, and he stayed at Shen Fengming's place for a little longer for two minutes.

Although he has never met Shen Fengming today except for the side on the upper floor of Hongfu, and he does not know what his relationship is with him in the past, but Shen Fengming is bent on taking his life in Dongting, and Shan Jiquan must have told him about it. He didn't move, he only smiled and said: "With a master like Shen Gongzi by the side of the young owner, there is really no need to worry too much. ”