December 21, Tibet.

The cold wind is howling, the snow is falling, the inside and outside of Qiangtang are white, the streets are empty, and every household closes its doors and windows.

The wind and snow swished, like a knife like a sword, and in a moment, the snow had covered the broken plaque on the door of the inn.

The gate was closed, and the snow was knee-high in front of it, so that if an outsider passed by, it would not be obvious that it was an inn.

This is the "Tianshui Inn", which is not only the only inn in Qiangtang City, but also the only place to settle within a radius of 100 miles.

Although it is so rare, Tianshui Inn is still cold in business, and the door is crowded. Especially in the cold winter season, it is difficult to open one for several months.

However, Tianshui Inn seems to have a good fortune this year, just sent off a guest a few days ago, and two more people came to the door today.

In the evening, the cold wind was raging outside, and the snow was falling. In the Tianshui Inn, there was silence and silence.

"Bang, bang. ”

A sudden knock on the door broke the silence of the inn.

"Squeak!"

With the sound of Suosuo's footsteps, the door opened.

At this moment, there was a simple-looking man in a Tibetan robe standing outside the door, holding a tray in both hands, on which were placed a pot of beef, half a bucket of rice, and two pots of barley wine.

The people inside the door were also dressed in Tibetan robes, but there was an extra fur coat outside. Even so, his face was red and shivering. This person has thick eyebrows and big eyes, a straight nose and a wide mouth, and his appearance is very powerful, but his figure is disproportionate to his appearance, and he is very thin.

The two of them didn't say a word of nonsense, the man lifted the tray in his hand forward, and the guest took out a few pieces of broken silver from his waist, threw them on the tray, and then took the wine and food with both hands. The man quickly took the broken silver away, and then turned to leave.

After seeing the man leave, the guest returned to the room with the food and drinks, and closed the door again.

At this moment, in the dimly lit room, there was also a slightly burly man sitting at the table, playing with the hidden knife in his hand repeatedly by the faint candlelight.

The man looked strange, with a sunken forehead, high cheekbones, a large, straight nose, and a mouth tightly tucked into the chin. Although his appearance is not good, his dark eyes with deep eye sockets exude a shrewd color from time to time that is completely different from his stupid appearance.

"Master, we have been in Tibet for seven days, and we can finally have a hot meal tonight. The short, thin man smiled as he placed the tray on the table and poured two glasses of wine.

"In front of us is the Tanggula Mountain, and when you cross it, you will not be far from the city of Rakha. The burly man divided the rice into two bowls, handed one bowl to the short and thin man, exchanged it for a glass of barley wine, and said in a low voice, "Tang Cong, if I remember correctly, the place where Xun Qin arranged to pick us up is this Tianshui Inn." ”

These two people went to Tubo from the Jade Dragon Palace of the Tianshan Mountains to steal the Buddha lotus seeds Liu Xunyi and Tang Cong.

In order to hide people's eyes, before coming here, Xun Qin had specially disguised and changed their appearance for them, which led to these two strange-looking "Tubo warriors" tonight.

"Yes. Tang Cong replied while eating, "Miss Xunqin is really powerful, and her power can extend to the territory of Tubo, hehe...... However, I still don't quite understand why the master of the door wants to leave her, Liao Chuan, and Liao Hai in the Jade Dragon Palace? Why don't you go into Tibet together? Multiple people can also take care of multiple people. ”

"Multiple people, multiple burdens. Liu Xunyi shook his head and said, "You call yourself a 'thief', and 'roadblocks and robberies' rely on the strength of many people, but the fewer people there are, the better." If you bring one more person, you will be exposed to more danger, and once the matter is revealed, you won't even have a chance to escape. ”

"The master of the door is taught. Tang Cong smiled, not daring to refute.

"In addition to that, there is another reason why I left them in the Jade Dragon Palace. Liu Xunyi said, "Spy on Song Yu and Jian Zhong." ”

Tang Cong's eyes rolled and he said curiously: "How do you say this?"

Although Song Yu and Jian Zhong refused to enter Tibet to steal the Buddha's lotus seeds, they never left the Tianshan Mountains, as if they were thieves. Liu Xunyi speculated, "I'm worried that they will take advantage of our trip to Tubo to make a move to draw salaries from the bottom of the kettle and preemptively collude with Ren Wuya." In this way, not only do we have to waste our previous achievements, but we also have to risk life and death in vain to make wedding dresses for others. ”

"That makes sense!" Tang Cong suddenly realized.

"Xun Qin is discerning, resourceful, and has her in the Tianshan Mountains, I believe that Song Yu and Jian Zhong's tricks will not succeed. Liu Xunyi frowned slightly, and said thoughtfully, "I have a feeling that Jin Jianwu will never give up easily, although Song Yu rejected Ren Wuya's conditions, he must still have some kind of conspiracy brewing in secret......"

"What conspiracy?"

"I don't know ......"

"Bang, bang!"

Before Liu Xunyi's words fell, there was a knock on the door again. Before Tang Cong got up, an old laugh came from outside the door: "Li Bai has a hundred poems, and he sleeps in a restaurant in Chang'an City." ”

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi and Tang Cong's faces changed, the two of them looked solemn, looked at each other, and Tang Cong shouted: "The door master, it is the code set by Miss Xunqin." ”

Liu Xunyi hesitated for a moment, got up suddenly, walked quickly to the door, and replied through the door: "The Son of Heaven can't get on the boat, and he claims to be a fairy in wine." ”

"Hehe, Liu Shaoxia, Tang Shaoxia, the old and half a tael of gold, I am waiting for the two of you here on the order of the eldest lady, this is polite. ”

On the left and right of the door, a white-haired old man in a green cloth cotton robe stood outside the door with a smile.

"Your Excellency is half a tael of gold?" Liu Xunyi looked up and down at the old man who was not amazing, and there was a look of suspicion in his eyes.

"It's like a fake. ”

Half a tael of gold smiled, and then stretched out his right hand, holding a few pieces of broken silver in his palm, which was the wine money that Tang Cong gave to his partner just now.

In fact, these silvers have been specially marked by Xun Qin for the joint of Tianshui Inn.

"Please!"

Liu Xunyi let half a tael of gold into the room, and before he could say hello, half a tael of gold took out a letter from his arms, handed it to Liu Xunyi, and explained: "Liu Shaoxia, this is a secret letter sent by the eldest lady yesterday. If you had arrived two days earlier, you would have missed this faith. Hehe......"

"MeMessage?"

Liu Xunyi hesitated, and at the same time opened the letter and read it in a hurry. The expression on his face gradually changed from initial doubt to solemnity.

"Door master, this is ......"

"It's Xun Qin's handwritten letter. Liu Xunyi's sword eyebrows tightened, and he said in a deep voice, "Not long ago, the lord of the mansion sent a book to tell her a piece of news......

"What's the news?" Seeing that Liu Xunyi was about to speak and stopped, Tang Cong couldn't help but feel anxious.

"The things in Shuzhong and Dali all ended in failure. The lord of the mansion strictly ordered us to complete the errand of the Jade Dragon Palace in the Tianshan Mountains. Liu Xunyi said with a complicated expression, "The letter also said that Di Mo led people to ambush in Ailao Mountain and was captured by Longxiang Mountain, and there were 18 disciples with him...... All died tragically. As for the black fan Di Mo, it ......"

"So what?"

"Although I was lucky enough to save a life, I was cut off an arm. ”

"Shhh

Liu Xunyi's words were like a slap in the face, which made Tang Cong's good appetite dissipate instantly, and the whole person became helpless and stunned.

"Actually...... Unexpectedly...... How could there be such a thing?" Tang Cong knotted his tongue and said, "The black fan is so strong in martial arts that it is unbelievable that someone would cut off an arm......

"The rivers and lakes are sinister, don't say an arm, even if it's a life, it's just a loss. Liu Xunyi restrained his thoughts and said, "The three errands of the mansion master are now two of them, if we can't succeed, the Xianwang Mansion will definitely fall into the quagmire and it will be difficult to get out." Therefore, we must retrieve the Buddha Lotus Seed and successfully win over the Jade Dragon Palace. ”

"The master of the door, people are not as good as the sky, and now Deng Baye and Hei Zhifan are ...... It's all done on an errand, you said we were going to the Potala Palace, would it be ......?"

"No!" Without waiting for Tang Cong to be discouraged, Liu Xunyi had already vetoed categorically, "Our trip will be a success!"

In the face of Liu Xunyi and Tang Cong's anxiety, Banliangjin stood aside with a smile like an outsider, listening silently without saying a word.

Seeing this, Tang Cong couldn't help but move his eyes, and said tentatively: "Miss Xun Qin asked you to wait for us, I expect that Zun Jia must have extraordinary skills, I don't know...... Can you help us steal the lotus seeds?"

"Tang Shaoxia looks up to old age. Ban Liang Jin shook his head and smiled, "The eldest lady has long expected that after the two of them steal the Buddha lotus seeds, the whole territory of Tubo will be under martial law, and I am afraid that even a fly will not want to fly out of the plateau alive." As for what Lao Yu can do, all he can do is to arrange for you to leave smoothly after the two of you return to the Tianshui Inn safely. ”

"Your Excellency is capable of such a thing?"

"How dare you? Old and lonely people, what kind of ability to talk about? All this is the arrangement of the eldest lady. Half two gold said humbly, "The old man just did things step by step according to the instructions of the eldest lady." ”

"Your eldest lady ......," Liu Xunyi hesitated and tentatively asked, "who is the sacred, and what is her relationship with the King of Shaoqin?"

"Whether it's me or the eldest lady, in the final analysis, they are all serving the young Qin king. Half two gold said vaguely, "Although the Great Liao is dead, the blood of the royal family is still there, and there is no shortage of children of the Liao State, loyal and brave people. The two of you can rest assured, as long as you can return to the Tianshui Inn alive, the old man dares to use the head of Xiang Shangshang as a guarantee, and you will be sent out of Tibet safely. ”

"Xun Qin really has the ability to strategize and win thousands of miles. Liu Xunyi said with emotion, "We haven't done it yet, she has already arranged a retreat for us." ”

Half two gold reminded: "Although the eldest lady can be relieved of the worries of the two, the power of the young Qin king can only penetrate to the north of Tanggula Mountain, and as for the tantric hinterland south of Tanggula Mountain, it depends on your own ability." ”

"There is labor. Liu Xunyi smiled bitterly, and then bowed his hand to greet.

"Actually, the old man has already received the news from the eldest lady and knows that the two of you will be there soon. Half Liang Jin said with a smile, "A few days ago, there was a young guest with extraordinary equipment in the inn, who was also young, with the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, and the old man almost mistook him for Liu Shaoxia. Hey hey ......"

"Open the door to do business, from the south to the north, all kinds of things. Tang Cong answered, "It's not strange. ”

Hearing this, half a tael of gold just nodded with a smile and didn't talk too much.

"Your Excellency has been in Tibet for many years, and you know the customs and customs here, I don't know if you can mention one or two?" Liu Xunyi changed his words and pleaded, "It is also good for us to take fewer detours in Tubo, which we are not familiar with in this place." ”

"It's easy to say! It's easy to say!" For Liu Xunyi's compliment, half a tael of gold seemed to be quite useful, and he grinned, "Today is the twenty-first day of the lunar month, if you want to run an errand smoothly, I'm afraid you will have to travel faster." ”

"Why?"

"As far as I know, every year on the first day of the first lunar month, the Potala Palace will hold a 'pilgrimage' ceremony, and devout believers from all over Tibet will go to the city of Luo on that day to pay homage to the living Buddha. The Potala Palace is heavily guarded throughout the year and is only open to the public on that day. If you want to enter the Potala Palace, the first day of the first lunar month is undoubtedly the best time. ”

......

(End of chapter)