As the old saying goes, "The world is unpredictable." ”

Things in the world often don't go the way people expect, but are often full of surprises.

For example, this incident was something that the Deadwood Dao people had never expected.

Early in the morning, Kunlun Yu's master and apprentice, Zhong Zhiling, and Sang Qinghong, followed by the deadwood Taoist, led more than 300 Wudang disciples down the mountain, preparing to go to Yueyang Tower to help.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the mountain, a small group of military horses stabbed out of oblique spurs, blocking everyone's way.

"This official is the head of the Huguang Xing Division, Geng Zhong, a thousand households! You must not gather a crowd to go down the mountain privately! Return to the mountain quickly!" A burly officer in his forties jumped out of the crowd and raised his whip and pointed at the Wudang people.

Deadwood said loudly: "Lord Geng, I'll wait for a trip, but I have something important to go to Yueyang Tower, please let me go!"

Geng Zhong said loudly: "You can't go anywhere! This official has a military order: If you don't listen to the dissuasion, you will be punished for the crime of rebellion, and you will be killed!"

"Woo" "Woo" horn suddenly sounded, "rumbling" sound, smoke and dust covered the sun, and the black oppressive brigade of military horses appeared behind Geng Zhong, in an instant in the shape of a fan, the water poured out half surrounded the Wudang people, leaving only the vacancy of the mountain.

Geng Zhong raised his whip violently, and the sound of "Boom" and "Boom" breaking through the air was as dense as torrential rain, fierce as a wild wave, and thousands of feathered arrows flew like locusts and fell on the ground in front of everyone.

Geng Zhong said sharply: "The official counts to three, if he doesn't return, he will be killed on the spot!"

"One!" Deadwood exchanged glances with the Jade Master and nodded.

"Two!" Geng Zhong continued to count loudly, and the people of Wudang hurriedly turned around and retreated along the mountain road in frustration under the gesture of the dead wood.

Geng Zhong didn't continue to count, and crossed his waist majestically, watching everyone go up the mountain.

The head of the jade accompanied the deadwood Taoist to the ebony room, and told the situation under the mountain, and the deadwood finally said: "I thought that their appearance yesterday was just to prevent us from seeking revenge from Shaolin, and they should have withdrawn a long time ago, but I didn't expect ......."

"I'm worried about this!sure enough!" Ebony shook his head, he should have expected it, so he didn't seem very surprised, "It seems that we still have to sum it up!"

Deadwood said: "Senior Brother in charge, today's incident shows that Shangguan Xiong has already conspired with the government to trap us on the mountain!

Ebony said, "Yes." If my expectations are right, I'm afraid Shangguan Xiong has already done it...... Hey, why hasn't there been any news from Yueyang Tower over there!"

Deadwood said: "According to the news that came back last night, there has been no sign of a large-scale transfer in the Chu Xiang League...... Senior brother in charge, I think, it shouldn't be so fast, right?"

Ebony muttered: "It stands to reason that the two places are separated by more than 800 miles, so it shouldn't be so fast...... However, Shangguan Xiong is treacherous and ruthless, I'm really worried that Senior Brother Shang won't be able to deal with it!"

The head of the jade interjected: "Brother Ebony Dao, are you worried that Brother Shang's information is not accurate?"

Ebony glanced at the head of the jade, sighed lightly, and said, "Today, I have been upset, and I always feel that something bad is about to happen...... Hopefully, I'm overthinking!"

For a while, the three veterans fell silent.

Deadwood broke the dullness: "Senior brother in charge, in this situation, how should we go to Yueyang Tower?"

Ebony took a sip of tea, slowly put down the tea bowl, and said, "I'm thinking about it too...... During the day, I can't walk, I can only walk at night...... If there are too many people, the target is too big and easy to be exposed, and if there are fewer people, it will not help......"

Deadwood said: "Is this good: we only select dozens of disciples with the best martial arts." First, the target is not large and not easy to be exposed, and second, it also has strong combat effectiveness. ”

Ebony nodded, "Okay." Let's take sixty of them...... Senior Brother Deadwood, you stay, or I will personally lead you to Yueyang Tower!"

Deadwood hurriedly persuaded: "Senior brother in charge, don't do it! If you are gone for a long time, something really happens to Wudang Mountain, who can handle it?"

The head of the jade family was also busy persuading Ebony not to do this, or to stay on the mountain to preside over the overall situation, but Ebony was really relieved and did not insist.

"That's it, let's go tonight!Senior brother, go and prepare!" the ebony coffin concluded.

At the beginning of the afternoon, Deadwood hurried to the ebony room with a letter in his hand.

"Senior Brother in charge, the secret letter that Yueyang Lou just sent!" said Deadwood as he handed it to Ebony.

Ebony quickly opened the letter, glanced at it, his face changed suddenly, and muttered, "Sure enough, as I expected!"

Deadwood hurriedly leaned over to look at the letter, only to see that it read: "Senior Brother in charge: At noon today, Shangguan Xiong's brigade suddenly assembled and launched an attack. Fortunately, the younger brother was always on guard, and although he lost some fortresses, the casualties were not large. The younger brother is ready to hold on to the reinforcements and finally fight the decisive battle. Please don't worry, brother, brother is here to inform. Brother Xiaotian"

Deadwood said: "It's really a war!" Senior Brother Boss, should we set off immediately?"

"It's not dark, can you walk?" Ebony asked rhetorically, and Deadwood was silent.

"How's the matter with the horses?" asked Ebony.

Deadwood shook his head and said, "During the day, even the birds can't fly over the mountain, so there is no way to prepare horses!"

Ebony's eyes flashed: "How many horses are there outside the king?"

Deadwood said: "The exact number is not clear, but I don't estimate it is enough." ”

"So be it!" said Ebony, "as many horses as you have, go first! ”

Deadwood said, "This is a good method...... I'll take a group of people to go first, and Liuyu will be in charge of them!"

Ebony nodded, "Okay." However, at least one disciple who knows the way should be left behind. ”

Deadwood said: "This is natural." ”

Ebony advised: "Remember: if the enemy is not enough, you must dissuade Senior Brother Shang from fighting to the end, and let him lead everyone to withdraw to Wudang!"

※※※

At the beginning of the morning, the crowd quietly descended from a secluded place in the north.

Cautiously reaching the foot of the mountain, everyone lay in the dark and looked around, but seeing that the surrounding darkness was silent, a Wudang disciple was about to get up, but was pulled by another disciple next to him.

Dongfang Zhen lay quietly in the long grass, and suddenly felt a soft body beside him, with a faint fragrance on the end of his nose, knowing that it was Sang Qinghong, his heart fluttered.

Looking sideways, in the faint light, I saw her starry eyes shining, and her apricot face was a foot away, so she gently leaned her lips to her ear and laughed in a low voice: "Miss Sang, you are really obedient! Before you arrived at Yueyang Tower, you followed me closely!"

"Hmph, do you think this girl is rare?" Sang Qinghong turned her head to look at him, feigning anger: "It's not that you are conceited, you want me to follow you all the time, you can protect me?"

Dongfang Zhen smiled secretly in his heart, he clearly said that after arriving at Yueyang Tower, he let her follow him at all times. But he knows this truth, don't reason with the girls, and don't argue with them, because in the end, he will definitely lose. However, it was a pleasure to have a beautiful woman by his side at all times, so he stopped arguing and smiled at him.

Sang Qinghong pretended not to see it, ignored him with a scowl and turned his head away angrily.

With a "roar", the jade master lightly popped out a small pebble, and "poof" fell into the grass more than ten zhang away in front of him.

"There's movement!" someone shouted softly, and in an instant, the fire flickered, and a small group of officers and soldiers with torches poured out of their hiding places and searched around the place where the stones landed. After a while, the officers and soldiers gradually searched the hiding place.

With a "roar", the jade master popped out a small pebble again, and with a "snap" sound, it hit the trunk of a tree in the mountain forest on the right. This sound is very clear to hear in the quiet night.

"Over there!" someone shouted, and the officers and soldiers rushed over with torches.

When they entered the forest, the dead wood stood up and beckoned, and the crowd immediately rushed forward like raccoons, and in the blink of an eye they ran dozens of feet, and then crouched in the grass again.

The head of the jade gate threw stones and asked for directions, so he ran and tried to do so, but no officers and soldiers appeared again in the future.

Everyone rushed out two miles in one breath and breathed a sigh of relief.

The dead wood led everyone to the south, and it didn't take long to reach Dewangjiazhuang. When Wang Yuanwai learned of the intention of Deadwood's party, he immediately lent all the horses on the village, and as Deadwood estimated, there were not enough horses, only forty-six.

Deadwood took out a bag of silver taels and handed it to the jade master, and said: "Jade master, I will lead the forty-five Wudang disciples first, and you will lead the rest of the people to walk behind, and then buy horses when it is dawn!"

The head of the jade family refused, and wanted to rush to Yueyang Tower to help first, but the dead wood dissuaded: "The head of the jade family, if you also go, if the rest of the people encounter any accidents in the middle of the road, who will preside over the overall situation? No, I don't worry...... Besides, you can buy a horse tomorrow morning, and it's only half a day later than us, what's the matter?"

At that moment, the dead wood led a group of Wudang disciples to go first, and the rest of the people took advantage of the moonlight, walking like flying, and hurried away in the starry night.

The next morning, the head of the jade family arrived at the Gucheng County border in Xiangyang, and everyone finally bought all the horses and galloped in the direction of Yueyang Tower.

Unbeknownst to the Jade Master, he and Dongfang Zhen were already like prey, and the hunters were quietly approaching them.

※※※

After Shaolin and his entourage returned to the Jiangcheng Inn, after discussion, it was decided that the empty phase would lead Lingjue, Lingwu, Lingzhen and Jingling to escort the empty ashes back to the temple, leaving Zhao Yanhao, Kongfu, Kongfu, and Empty Four people to come down, ready to wait for the opportunity to capture Dongfang Zhen.

Miao Yi really discussed with Zhao Yanhao and the four of them in the guest room.

Miao Yizhen said: "Now, Wudang Zishi has been ambushed, and the death of Senior Brother Kongjing cannot prove that he was instructed by Wudang, so our grievances with Wudang will be forgotten for the time being." ”

Zhao Yanhao said: "I think most of the death of my uncle was not at the behest of the head of Wudang Ebony. That Zishi is Dongfang Zhen's good friend, he should have been instigated by Dongfang Zhen, so as to help him kill his uncle together. ”

"That damn Dongfang Zhen! It really deserves a thousand cuts!" The emptiness slammed the coffee table in anger, and the wooden floor trembled.

"Now, that thief is hiding on Wudang Mountain, and his master and everyone in the Wudang Sect are desperately protecting him, so there is no way at all!" Miao Yizhen shook his head and sighed.

"Hmph, I don't believe that he can hide on Wudang Mountain for the rest of his life!

"Yes, Uncle Shi, I have arranged for my subordinates to closely monitor all passes, fortresses, and land and water docks within a radius of 200 miles, once Kunlun and his party appear, they will definitely not be able to escape our eyes!" Miao Yizhen said with certainty.

"After all, this is Wudang's territory!" said Kongyi: "Senior brother, I'm still worried about the safety of Senior Brother Kongxiang. After all, it takes two days to get out of Huguang. ”

"Senior brother, don't worry!" Miao Yizhen smiled: "Senior Brother Void Phase, they are also extraordinary in martial arts, and there must be no problem in self-preservation." Besides, I have transferred the soldiers and horses of the Thousand Households in Junzhou to surround Wudang Mountain, and if Ebony dares to gather people to go down the mountain to chase and kill, he will be punished for the crime of treason!

"Senior brother, how many days can you besiege them?" asked Sora.

"Just three days! That's enough!" Miao Yizhen added: "As far as Senior Brother and my power are concerned, it can only be three days at most. ”

The four of them were overjoyed, and they all thanked Miao Yi for being thoughtful and relieved.

Miao Yizhen muttered: "When the blockade period is over, Kunlun and his party should set off...... However, I suspect that the Wudang faction will send someone to escort them. At that time, we will stare at it first, wait until the people from the Wudang faction go back, and then do it. ”

"This time, we must not let that oriental thief slip away again!" Zhao Yanhao said hatefully: "At that time, if the head of the Yu family has to resist stubbornly and protect the calf with all his might, it is no wonder that I, Zhao Yanhao, will be ruthless!"

Emptiness and said: "Amitabha, Master Zhao, I see that most of the jade masters are still deceived by the Oriental thief, and they don't know the truth. I mean, don't hurt the lives of anyone but the thief. ”

Miao Yizhen smiled and said: "Senior Brother Emptiness has a point! At that time, it is naturally best if you can act without bloodshed and sacrifice! However, you must not be merciful to the wicked, lest the tragedy of the farmer and the snake happen again." ”

The next morning, Miao Yi really accompanied the four of them to breakfast, and suddenly a rider hurriedly reported: "Your Excellency, ......" Speaking of this, he glanced at the four of them, and stopped talking.

"Say, they're not outsiders. Miao Yizhen glared at him.

Nati rode and said: "The brothers over there in Yueyang have sent news that the Chu Xiang League has attacked the Yueyang Tower Gang and retreated one after another, and now, the Yueyang Tower Gang has all retreated to the vicinity of Yueyang Tower, guarding the Yueyang Tower Helm. ”

"What?" said Sora, taken aback. Yesterday, this Tiqi reported to Miao Yizhen that Chu Xiangmeng had attacked Yueyang Tower, and Shaolin and his party were not present, so they didn't know about it.

Kongfu looked at Miao Yizhen and said, "Senior brother, that Shangguan is ambitious, should we go and help that Shang Xiaotian?"

"Senior brother, have you ever forgotten which sect Shang Xiaotian is?" Miao Yizhen sneered.

Of course, I didn't forget this, he was Ebony's junior brother. "It's just that Shangguan Xiong is both good and evil, if he defeats Shang Xiaotian and takes Yueyang Tower, the blessing and misfortune are unpredictable!"

"Hmph, do you think that Shang Xiaotian is some kind of good? Over the years, he has been very close to Fang Xiaotian, and the trade of the important towns along the Yangtze River has been controlled by them. This kind of strength, once it is a disaster, is not the blessing of the community, the blessing of the common people!" Miao Yizhen disagreed.

"It's just ......" "I heard that Shang Xiaotian and Fang Zhiju are both gentle and kind people, so they shouldn't have such wolf ambitions, right?"

"Knowing the face but not the heart!" Miao Yi said with a real face: "These Taoist disciples, how can they be like our Buddhist disciples, who have compassion in their hearts and keep to themselves?...... Besides, their abilities are very great! Have you forgotten, who assisted Emperor Taizu in obtaining the country? If it weren't for the help of Daomen warlocks like Li Shanchang and Liu Ji, how could it have been so smooth!"

Empty and silent.

Zhao Yanhao said: "Uncle Miao, this kind of gang dispute is bound to cause many innocent people to shed blood and sacrifice, why doesn't the imperial court intervene to avoid this kind of tragedy?"

Miao Yizhen sneered: "Yan Hao, among the rivers and lakes, there are countless such gang disputes, can the imperial court manage it? Besides, these gang disputes either have accumulated grievances or conflicts of interests, which is right and wrong, how to know?" Zhao Yanhao nodded.

After a pause, he continued: "Let's take the battle between Chu Xiangmeng and Yueyanglou, the two sides are just a battle for territory expansion and shipping interests, and no one is good...... Therefore, we should not intervene rashly, so as not to accidentally help the abuse!"

When the four of them heard this, their faces were solemn and they nodded without repeatedly. Zhao Yanhao said: "After listening to Uncle Shi's words, my nephew understands a lot of truths! Thank you Uncle Shi for your advice." ”

Miao Yizhen saw that the rider was still standing aside and listening, and did not leave, and asked, "Shao Feng, is there anything else?"

Shao Feng said: "Yes." ”

Miao Yizhen frowned and said, "Why didn't you report earlier?"

Shao Feng said in his heart: "You yourself have been talking about it yourself, do I dare to interject?" but he didn't dare to show a trace of complaint on his face, and said respectfully: "The news from the Qiuyun Dan brothers said that this morning in the area of Jingmen and Gucheng, two groups of people were found respectively, and there were more than forty Taoists in Jingmen, who should be people from the Wudang faction, and they were rushing to Yueyang Tower to support......"

"What?" Miao Yi was really surprised and stood up, "But there are ebony and dead wood?"

"According to Brother Qiu's information, the old man in the lead does not look like an ebony portrait, I think it should be dead wood. Shao Feng's tone was affirmative.

"That's good!" Miao Yizhen sat down slowly and muttered, "I'm worried that Geng Zhong and they won't be able to watch it, and sure enough, ...... Fortunately, there are not many people!" Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered that there was still a group of people, and asked urgently: "Who is there in Gucheng?"

"Most of them are Taoists, there are more than twenty people, judging by the portrait, the leader is the head of Kunlun Jade, and that Dongfang Zhen is also among them!"

"What!" the faces of the four Shaolin people changed color at the same time, and they had to stand up.

"Let's chase it!" Zhao Yanhao said anxiously, and walked away.

"Slow!" Miao Yizhen waved his hand to stop it, and ordered: "Shao Feng, you quickly go and recruit Feng Gang, Gao Jinlou, Yan Chengguang, and Qu Hongtao, and prepare eight fast horses!" Shao Feng agreed to go in a hurry.

"Uncle Shi, it's up to the four of us to chase after us, why bother those big brothers?" Zhao Yanhao said restlessly.

Miao Yizhen smiled and said, "Yan Hao, do you think that my subordinates are not good at martial arts and can't help much, right?"

Zhao Yanhao waved his hand and said, "Where! I'm in a hurry to leave!"

"Don't worry!" Miao Yizhen said confidently: "They are only more than 100 miles away, and we have high-quality Hequ horses, and we will definitely be able to catch up...... My subordinates, although they are not good at martial arts, often walk on the rivers and lakes to run errands, and they are also very familiar with the roads in this area, so they will not take the wrong road when they chase them. In addition, they are very good at inquiring, liaison, eating, lodging and other things along the way. ”

The four of them were very grateful, and thanked them again and again, Miao Yizhen waved his hand and said: "It's all Shaolin's own family!

As he was talking, Shao Feng walked in quickly with four energetic men, and after Miao Yizhen introduced them to Shaolin and his party, he ordered Shao Feng to take a large bag of silver taels and handed it to Qu Hongtao, and instructed: "The care of food and accommodation along the way will be handed over to you!" Qu Hongtao agreed.

Miao Yizhen personally sent everyone out of the inn, watched them turn over and get on their horses, and told him to say in vain: "Senior brother, find the right opportunity to deal with Kunlun and his party! Don't worry about anything else!"

Kong Gang waved his hand and said, "Senior Brother Xie reminds! Kong Gang understands! Senior Brother, please go back!"

The group galloped and headed south.