Outside Chizhou Prefecture, under the Jinkou Ridge, there is a Woshi Town, the town is not big, and most of the villages make a living from copper mining. At the south end of the town, a thatched hut was built on the mountain.

It's June and it's hot.

The old tree was listless, drooping its leaves, and it was so hot for several days that even the old dog at the door of the hut was too lazy to move, lying on the ground and sticking out his tongue.

On this day, a middle-aged man in silk, led by a man, came to the hut. The middle-aged man is in his forties, not tall, and looks a little rich, and he looks like he is from a large family. He came to the hut and looked around, but there was a hint of respect on his face.

Outside the thatched hut, an old man dressed as a farmer is picking up manure to fertilize the vegetable garden, which is planted with cucumbers, beans, and loofahs, all of which are seasonal fruits and vegetables.

The man said to the middle-aged man, "Steward Li, this is the old man who shook Jiangnan Yang with a sword, and he is also one of the three gold medal killers in the Red Star Hall at present, he is not an old man who can easily go out of the mountain, whether you can invite him or not depends on your ability." ”

Red Star Hall, its name is not obvious in the rivers and lakes, but in the underground world, it is famous, and the Dengwen Academy and the flounder organization are known as the three major killer organizations in the rivers and lakes, and unlike the latter two, the dark night organization does not have any official background, and only accepts commercial assassination missions, the general rudder is located in the capital, and it is divided into gold, silver, copper, iron and wood five-level killers. Each killer is graded by the number of kills and the degree of difficulty, and only by killing two people from the Elephant Realm can he become a gold medal killer.

Steward Li looked at the old man, and saw that he was old, but his hand in scooping dung soup did not tremble at all, and the rhythm was very rhythmic.

"Rhubarb, in the past few days, you have grown extremely fast, this spoonful of golden water should be your reward, as long as you can grow to half a catty, I will find another woman to accompany you underground. ”

The guy said, "Senior Yang, are you chatting with Brother Rhubarb again?"

The old man surnamed Yang said, "Yes, people are old, and they have become nostalgic, if he didn't die back then, he is also a gold medal killer now." However, it is better to be dead, buried underneath, and still listen to me talk to him. ”

Only then did Steward Li know that under this cucumber, there was actually a killer from the Red Star Hall, and the level was not low.

The old man said again, "Killer, you can't make a wrong step in this life. If you take one wrong step, you'll be doomed. ”

"I'm here to introduce you to business. ”

The old man said, "This gentleman, please go back, the old man has washed his hands in a golden basin, no longer cares about the affairs of the rivers and lakes, and just wants to plant a vegetable garden and spend his old age in peace." “

Steward Li saw that the old man surnamed Yang was introverted and had no traces of masters, so he knew that his martial arts had reached the realm of great wisdom and foolishness, and arched his hand, "Senior Yang, there is ...... below."

"Stop!" the old man surnamed Yang stopped him, "In our business, we don't need to know your name, not to mention, the old man is not ready to take the job." ”

The man said, "Senior, this noble man is generous, he is ready to pay 500,000 taels to buy a person's life." ”

The old man said, "I, Yang Wei, have been crisscrossing the rivers and lakes for decades, haven't I ever seen silver? Ten years ago, when I was killing Tongxiang in northern Sichuan, I also earned hundreds of thousands of taels. It's only 500,000 taels, and the old man hasn't seen it yet. ”

Steward Li said: "As long as the seniors are willing to make a move, I can increase the price again, one million taels, how about it?"

The old man said: "It's hot, come to the pavilion to talk." ”

He picked a few cucumbers casually, chose one, didn't like it when he washed it, and threw it to Steward Li, who thought of his hand that had just poured dung, and he didn't eat it, and he didn't eat it.

The old man said, "What's the matter, don't eat it, if you don't want to eat it, then don't go, my leeks haven't been fertilized yet." ”

Steward Li knew that the more legendary these people in the rivers and lakes were, the more quirks they had, so he forcibly endured it, and took a bite, the cucumber was crisp, which was not bad.

The old man also picked one up, didn't wipe it, put it in his mouth and held it, took a bite, gurgled a little, spit out a tooth, the blood flowed, he didn't realize it, and swallowed it with blood and cucumbers.

"One and a half million taels!"

Steward Li was annoyed in his heart, killing a person would be 1.5 million taels, which was faster than robbing money, if it weren't for the inconvenience of the masters in the family, with the strength of the dignified Jinling Li family, would it be impossible to ask a killer from the outside?

"The price ......"

The old man said, "You can guess that the person you want to kill is not trivial, but those who can afford a million taels don't care about adding another 500,000 taels, and these 500,000 taels will be used as the cost of the old man's comeback. ”

After that, he said lightly, "Nowadays, there are not many gold medal killers on the rivers and lakes. ”

Steward Li remembered that before his master came, he specially told him that he should not let that person return to Jinling alive at any cost, no matter what the cost, thinking of this, he was ruthless, "Okay, one hundred and fifteen." ”

The old man shook his head and said, "One hundred and fifteen, plus fifty comeback fees, a total of two million taels." ”

"You just ......"

The old man sneered, "Don't bargain, if you talk about it, I'll have to add money again." ”

Steward Li gritted his teeth, "Deal." ”

He took out a few silver tickets from his arms, "This is a deposit of 500,000 taels, and after the matter is completed, I will pay you." ”

The old man glared at him, "Do you want to buy cucumbers?" Red Star's rules, the gold medal killer shoots, pay the full amount, if the mission fails, there is only a dead end, and then you can take back the money." ”

Steward Li originally took two million taels, and originally wanted to spend 500,000 yuan, and the remaining 1.5 million yuan was kept by himself, but the old man asked for a sky-high price, and made up his mind in his heart that after the matter was completed in the future, he would let the masters of the family slaughter this old man first.

He took out a stack of silver tickets from his bosom, handed it to him, and said, "Two million taels, all here." ”

The old man took the silver, counted it carefully twice, and then put it in his arms, and said slowly, "Say, who are you going to kill." ”

"The third young master of the Li family in Jinling, Li Chengcheng!"

The old man said proudly, "The gold lord is so generous, I thought I was going to assassinate which prince, it turned out to be."

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A milky kid. ”

"He's a good martial artist. ”

The old man sneered, "Our Red Star's gold medal killer, if he relied on martial arts to kill people, I'm afraid he would have died dozens of times." ”

"Then how did you kill someone?"

"Walking the rivers and lakes, the most dangerous thing is the human heart. We are gold medal killers, killing with heart. The other party is a human being, and if you are a human being, you have weaknesses, and if you have weaknesses, you can be taken advantage of. How did the king of northern Sichuan in the realm of the Elephant Realm die? I forced him to commit suicide with the lives of his wife, son, and daughter. ”

......

After Steward Li left, the guy said with envy, "Senior Yang, I want to have half of your ability to make money, that's good." “

The old man nibbled on cucumbers and cleaned up his things. "You're still young, and you still have a lot to learn. ”

"You're going to leave now?"

The old man said, "After receiving other people's money, you have to run away quickly." He took out two silver tickets from his arms, "This is 200,000 taels...... "After thinking about it, he took back another one, "This is 100,000 taels, you go to Chuzhou, find the silver killer Niulanshan, tell him Li Tingcheng's appearance, characteristics, and preferences, and say that I introduced him to a job." ”

"Where do I go to find you after that?"

The old man thought for a moment, "Let's go to Yinyang." ”

The old man packed up the gold and silver, and became a killer for a lifetime, and he couldn't imagine that he could make a lot of money before leaving, and he heard that the land over there was cheap, and with this money, when the time came, he would go to Stone Town to buy a house and spend the rest of his life, wouldn't it be happy?

Gold medal killer? Hmph, it's just a false name, where is it like being a free man?

......

Above the Yangtze River.

A cargo ship goes down the river, the captain is three zhang, the upper deck is the cabin, the lower deck is dedicated to pulling goods, there are peppers in Shu, Shu brocade, and of course, there are a lot of smuggled salt goods.

In June, the Yangtze River has entered the flood season, and the water level has become high, unlike the counter-current, the ships that go down the Yangtze River to the east only need two or three shipwrights to take the helm.

On the bow of the boat, two people with a horse and a donkey.

Although the leprosy donkey was king on the road, as soon as he got on the boat, he was so dizzy that he didn't even eat much forage for days, and after a month, he lost a lot of weight.

Xiao Jinyan and Li Chengcheng stood on the bow of the boat, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. They left Yinyang City, drove all the way, rushed to Jingzhou, took a boat in Jingzhou, and went all the way down the Yangtze River, but they didn't encounter any trouble.

The river breeze blew, and there was a chill on the river surface.

The two captains are singing in an unknown tune.

The elder said fairly: "Coptis is bitter, bitter gourd is bitter, where can I get the boatman's bitterness." The wind comes, the rain goes, and in the end you earn mud. ”

The young captain sang along, "Sugar cane is sweet, orange is sweet, where can I be as sweet as the boatman." Yangtze River water, Wuchang fish, Jiangzhong mother-in-law Saifu. ”

When Li Tingcheng heard this little song, it was also very flavorful, and he couldn't help but think of the small tune that Li Jinping had taught him when he took the boat to the west that day, and thought that he would be able to see her soon, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but smile.

The young man said fairly, "The weather of this dog day, when this order is finished, let's also learn from the boy in Jinling City, go to the Qinhuai River to drink a meal of flower wine, and then have a piece of chilled watermelon, and live a fairy life!"

The elder said fairly, "Erha, as far as the wages you earn from this trip, you should honestly save to be a wife, and you still want people to go to the Qinhuai River, do you know that a piece of chilled watermelon is worth the money of your boat!"

In the Ming Dynasty, ice was extremely difficult to preserve, and most of them were built in ice cellars several zhang underground, and the ice was made and stored in winter to isolate the bright air, and it was taken out in summer for the use of court officials and large households. It is said that on dog days, the price of a piece of ice can be the same as the price of two pieces of silver, and ordinary people cannot afford to consume it.

Xiao Jinyan was so hot that he was sweating, and asked Li Tingcheng, "Does the Li family have an ice cellar?"

Li Chengcheng said, "Every year, the Li family takes water from Huishan, the capital of Changzhou, and travels a long distance to Jinling, so in the summer, the ice in the palace is supplied by our Li family." ”

Huishan is located in Wuxi County, Changzhou Prefecture, there is Huiquan famous all over the world, Lu Yu's "Book of Tea" has called Huiquan "the second spring in the world", the spring water is sweet, and the ice is made from this spring water, which is naturally the best product.

Xiao Jinyan was afraid of the heat and said, "When I get to Jinling, you just let me live in the ice cellar." ”

Hearing them discussing Jinling, the boatman asked with a smile, "Two sons, but you want to go to Jinling?"

"Exactly. ”

"Then it's really a good time for you to come!" said the elder fairly, "This year is the big year for the Li family in Jinling to worship their ancestors, and the Li family people who came from all over the country have gathered in Jinling, and it is very lively." ”

Xiao Jinyan deliberately asked, "Is the Li family famous in Jinling?"

The Li family in Jinling has a history of 600 years, and the Li family in Longxi is called the second family of the Li family, and the business is all over the world, and the Li family firm has a branch in the thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, and there are nearly 100 people in the Guangyan clan, not to mention the eight side branches. If you count it, it is not an exaggeration to say that half of the city in the entire Jinling is theirs. ”

The ship was about to arrive in Chizhou, and the captain pointed to the wharf and said, "Have you seen it, more than half of the ships on this wharf are from the Li family in Jinling or attached to the Li family." ”

Li Chengcheng pretended not to hear it.

Xiao Jinyan smacked his tongue in surprise, "So many!"

"Of course. In the past three hundred years, there have been one hundred and eight Jinshi members and students of the Li family in Jinling, and three of them have become prime ministers. ”

The Ming Dynasty did not have a prime minister, but once an official entered the cabinet, he was called a prime minister in the people.

Gong Gong said again, "Li Shaoqing, the son of the second room of Jinling, has already become a member of the Tuntian Division of the Ministry of Industry at a young age, and he is a five-grade official! Everyone says that he is the next prime minister of the Li family in Jinling. ”

Li Tingcheng smiled, "You have quite long ears!"

"We run boats all year round, and we deal with people on the river every day, and our ears are naturally bright." Let me tell you, if he is the eldest son and grandson, the position of the head of the Jinling family will definitely be passed on to him. “

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Xiao Jinyan smiled, "Uncle, how is the third young master of the Li family, Li Chengcheng, in Jinling City?"

The old man said fairly, "That Li Chengcheng, who was also a gentleman in Jinling City back then, later heard that he had broken into the rivers and lakes, but there has been no news of him in the past few years." It is said that he is the most beautiful man in Jinling, who looks fine-skinned and tender, a disciple of a big family, and his hands are not touched by spring water, they are all the same. When the old man was young, he was also known as the most beautiful man. ”

The young man said fairly, "Yes, you are the most beautiful man on our Red Jiao ship." "Chijiao, that's the name of this ship.

The old man laughed and cursed.

The young man was fair, "We don't know how Li Chengcheng is, but now Jinling City is the number one, but Li Changsheng." This kid spends a lot of money on the Qinhuai River, and he is very famous!"

Hearing Li Changsheng's name, Xiao Jinyan couldn't help but think of the kid who was arrogant in Shu and full of admiration for Li Qingcheng.

There was a shout from the bow of the boat from the front, "You two don't talk nonsense, get to the dock, hurry to the shore." ”

The Chijiao arrived at the Chizhou wharf.

The captain disembarked and hired a few porters to pull the cargo ship to the dock, where some people went up and down to transport the goods, and some guests arrived at their destination and disembarked one after another.

There were people in the bow of the ship who were in charge of picking up and dropping off, and there were a few gangs of people who came to the warehouse and looked for someone to carry some sacks wrapped in sackcloth, which was the well salt they had brought from Shuzhong. In the Ming Dynasty, salt was monopolized by the government, but the profits were too large, and the sale of illicit salt was also conceived as a business, and it was mostly monopolized by the underworld. The Chijiao is an old ship, and the gangsters have already bought off the government and transported these illicit salts to the shore under the noses of officers and soldiers.

Xiao Jinyan asked, "Does your family also transport smuggled salt?"

Li Chengcheng said, "I don't do it on the surface." However, some gangs are attached to us and do some secretly, and my father also turns a blind eye to this kind of thing. ”

"What else would you not dare to do?"

Li Chengcheng said, "The ancestor of the Li family in Jinling, as long as it is profitable, even if it is a rebellion, it can be done. For example, twenty years ago......"

Li Chengcheng thought for a while, "Forget it, don't say it." ”

Twenty years ago, Zhu Liye, the king of Yong, launched the Battle of Jingjing, fought all the way from Yongzhou to the capital, and pulled the emperor of the previous dynasty off the horse, which was supported by many local forces. Now the Li family has become the first family in the world, and its power is intertwined in the imperial court, and it is famous in the rivers and lakes, so it is naturally the return of Zhu Liye's support to the Li family in Jinling after he ascended the throne.

After an hour, the cargo was transported, and four more people came up in the cabin. The four peasants were dressed as scythes and hammers in their hands.

The boat continued to move.

Xiao Jinyan and Li Chengcheng glanced at them and didn't care. After a while, the four of them were heard coming to the bow of the boat, crouching in the corner and whispering to discuss.

"You remember clearly, this operation, codenamed decapitation. ”

"What is a decapitation?"

"It's to cut off the head!" "A few of you are Red Star Hall wooden brand killers, just starting out in the industry, you have to earn credit, talk about performance, do this business, first have to give up your life." Have you heard of the gold medal killer Yang Wei?"

"That's the top three killers of our Red Star. ”

"Exactly. How much does he have a single order now? 500,000 taels to start, didn't he start step by step like you back then? This mission was entrusted by the senior of Niulanshan, the silver medal killer in our hall, to Brother Gujinggong, do you know how much effort I spent to take over this task and hand it over to you?"

"Thank you, Brother Zhang, for your support!"

"This order is done, maybe I'm happy to accept the three of you as iron brand killers, you know, I have been in this industry for three years before I got to the iron card. You're luckier than me!"

"Brother Zhang, if this order is completed, you will become a bronze killer. ”

The leader said, "I will lend you good words." Remember, after arriving in Jinling, there will naturally be someone to answer, you will live in the house arranged by that person, you can not go anywhere, after a month, when the Jinling Li family ancestor worship ceremony begins, I want you to mix in, I pointed out that person, you rush up, slaughter him, and then someone will help you escape. ”

"Brother Zhang, who is the person you want to kill?"

"The third son of the Li family in Jinling, Li Chengcheng!"

When the three of them heard this, they were so frightened that their faces turned pale, "People from the Li family in Jinling? ”

The leader said, "You're already on the thief ship, and even if you want to, you can't run away." ”

One person said, "Zhang Tou, it's not that I don't give you face, it's just that I'm afraid that this money will be earned with my life, and I won't have my life to spend it. ”

With that, he turned around and jumped into the river and swam towards the shore.

Seeing this, the other two also jumped into the water and escaped from the Chijiao.

The leader surnamed Zhang looked very embarrassed and scolded, "It's useless!"

It was originally a profitable and unlosing business, but the three cowards, when they heard that the assassin was Li Tingcheng, they were so frightened that they jumped off the boat and ran away, Li Tingcheng is just a two-legged killer with a head and a dignified iron card, such a person kills more than a dozen people a year!

When he was annoyed, he saw Xiao Jinyan and Li Chengcheng looking at him, and he had an idea in his heart, and leaned over and said, "Look at the two brothers, they should be people in the rivers and lakes, right?"

Xiao Jinyan said with a smile, "Run the rivers and lakes and eat together." ”

"How much money can I make in a year?"

"If it's good, one or twenty taels, bad luck, just enough to chew it. ”

The leader surnamed Zhang asked tentatively, "Have you ever killed anyone?"

Xiao Jinyan smiled, "How can you answer this kind of rebellious words face to face?" he leaned over in a low voice and said, "I've killed a lot of people." With that, he held out two fingers.

"Two?" said the leader surnamed Zhang, "Although there are not many, but they are also people who have opened the light, and they have licked the blood from the knife edge, friend, I have a little murder job here, after the deed is completed, each of you will be given forty taels of silver, are you interested?"

(End of chapter)