Although Lin Fengsheng and Mei Ruoxue had no dislike, they couldn't get used to eating such coarse food after all, so they couldn't help but feel a little difficult to swallow, so they barely ate a bowl and then rested their own chopsticks. Zhong Nanshan looked apologetic when he saw this.

Lin Fengsheng knew that it was not easy for the Ma Bang to go to his party, and he was grateful and sympathetic in his heart, so he took out a silver ingot from his bosom and handed it to Zhong Nanshan, saying that it was used as dinner money. Zhong Nanshan's face was slightly gloomy, and he refused to accept anything.

Lin Fengsheng saw that he was so old-fashioned and warm-hearted, if he forcibly gave him money, it would inevitably make people feel a lot of heart, so he had to give up. That night, everyone slept around the fire and their clothes by the river.

In the early morning of the second day, everyone had some breakfast at will, and Zhong Nanshan, the head of the horse pot, led the people and horses to the march, and walked about the land of Lixu, and the terrain gradually increased, only to see a low thatched hut in front, very old, and there was cooking smoke rising above, and it seemed that there were people living here all the year round.

Zhong Nanshan entered the house, and immediately there was a sound of conversation, muttering, Lin Fengsheng couldn't understand a word, thinking it was the local local language. There are many ethnic groups in Weichu, and their language is very different from that of the Han Chinese. After a while, Zhong Nanshan came out and said, "Brothers, you are ready to cross the river. ”

Behind the thatched hut there is a thick old tree, with an arm-thick hemp rope tied to the trunk of the tree, which hangs diagonally to the river and leads to the bank on the other side. There are no rafts for boats.

Originally, the draft of the small boat bamboo raft was very shallow, and it could not carry a large number of mules, horses and goods, and if it was transported separately, it would consume more Chenguang, so it was with the help of the difference in the terrain between the two sides of the strait, and the rope was used as a means of transportation, which the locals called a zipline.

The hemp rope used to make the zipline is soaked in tung oil, which can not only reduce the erosion caused by the wind and sun, but also reduce the hindrance caused by sliding. This river divides the north and south of Weichu Province, so merchants must cross the river if they want to go south, so there are special people operating here.

The caretaker will replace the rope from time to time according to the degree of wear and tear to prevent the rope from becoming dangerously old. Passing caravans or travelers need to pay a certain toll, which is considered to be a reward for the person who guards the zipline, which is also a good livelihood for self-interest and others.

Zhong Nanshan took out a large number of iron hooks with hooks at both ends from the head horse's pack, and as soon as he drove the horse, the man picked up an iron hook and hung the upper hook on the rope, and then grabbed the hook at the lower end with both hands, and the hook slid along the rope to the river. In a matter of moments, they were already on the other side, ready to meet the crowd.

The horses skillfully hooked the goods on the donkeys to the iron hooks, and together they hung the hook at the other end on the hemp rope, and as soon as they let go of the hook, they slid along the hemp rope with the goods to the opposite bank. The reason is the same as that of the man in the past, except that the iron hook used is much thicker.

The same is true for transporting mules and horses, except that a ribbon rope made of cowhide is passed under the armpits of the limbs, then knotted on the back, and then hooked to the knots and hung with a zipline. The mules and horses were accustomed to walking here all year round, so they did not panic excessively, and let their owners hang them on a zipline and send them over in the air.

Although mules and horses are born to swim, they are generally reluctant to go into the water, and if they are wet and carrying heavy loads, they will get sick when they are carrying heavy loads, so they are also transported in this way. For every mule and horse that passed, a man would come and take care of it.

Everyone was familiar with it, and after a while, all the mules, horses and goods were sent over, and Zhong Nanshan was the only one left in the horse gang. Seeing this, Lin Fengsheng and Mei Ruoxue couldn't help but secretly admire the wisdom of the local natives.

Zhong Nanshan looked at the only hook left on the ground, turned around and entered the hut, and after a while, he came out with frowns, and said apologetically: "Two, I'm really sorry, there are not enough hooks to cross the zipline, wait for me to go over and ask someone to swim and send it over." ”

Lin Fengsheng thought for a moment and said, "Senior Zhong, don't bother, my brother and sister have their own way to cross the river." ”

Zhong Nanshan groaned slightly, and said: "This is really sorry for the two, there is a ferry five or six miles up here, why don't you go and ask the boatman there to send you across the river, this early morning swimming is not a thing." ”

Lin Fengsheng smiled: "We don't plan to swim in the water, you go over first, don't worry about the two of us." ”

Zhong Nanshan saw that the two of them were carrying swords, and their bearing was extraordinary, thinking that they were the children of famous families in the martial arts, and they didn't seem to be joking when they heard the tone, so they didn't say more. Picked up the hook on the ground, hung it on the hemp rope and slid it down.

Mei Ruoxue didn't understand what Lin Fengsheng meant, and said suspiciously: "Cousin, how can we get over, can't we fly over, our light skills have not yet reached the realm of Dengping crossing the water." ”

Lin Fengsheng said: "I didn't say that I wanted to cross the water, we use a sword." You just follow me like a gourd. As he spoke, he walked under the hemp rope, put the sword horizontally on the top of the rope, held the hilt and the tail of the scabbard with both hands, turned around and smiled at Mei Ruoxue, and his feet were already sliding towards the opposite shore at a rapid pace.

Mei Ruoxue was only dumbfounded, and said secretly: "Cousin, I can think of any way to do this, maybe this is the so-called art master boldness." As soon as his thoughts were finished, he did the same, and slid across the river to the other side.

Everyone in the Ma Gang was very impressed when they saw the two of them crossing the river, and praised the two of them for their dexterity and skills.

Everyone reorganized their goods, took a short nap, and then got back on the road.

Zhong Nanshan, the head of the horse pot, was very talkative, chatting with Lin Fengsheng all the way. Lin Fengsheng asked, "Senior Zhong, I don't know where your gang is going?"

Zhong Nanshan looked up into the distance and said, "Siam, not to Siam, but to the junction of Jinghao and Siam." ”

Lin Fengsheng nodded and said, "It's a long way to go, right?"

Zhong Nanshan said: "Far away, it will take at least three or five months to go back and forth." Hey, Childe, what are you two brothers and sisters doing in Ailao Mountain, where the mountains are high and the valleys are deep and thieves are entrenched, and there are many poisonous snakes and beasts, it is not a good place to go. ”

Lin Fengsheng smiled and said casually: "I went to visit someone in the mountains, there are some festivals between us, and the two of us are ordered to go and make an end." ”

Zhong Nanshan sighed, and stopped asking. Then he talked about what he had seen and heard and experienced in the decades of driving horses and gangs.

Before I knew it, I had walked out of seven or eight miles, and a mountain that stretched for dozens of miles appeared in front of me, Zhong Nanshan said loudly: "The road ahead is not smooth, everyone should be careful." ”

Everyone agreed in unison, and drew their blades from their packs, with knives, spears, and sticks. Zhong Nanshan also took out a pair of mandarin ducks from the head horse's donkey, pinched them in his hand and wiped the edge of his clothes with the corner of his clothes, and said: "There is a way to rely on your parents at home, rely on friends when you go out, and walk the rivers and lakes to be peaceful. ”

Everyone has heard similar words many times, and they all applauded in unison with hippie smiles.

Zhong Nanshan said to Lin Fengsheng: "Wait a while, your brothers and sisters will follow me, the bandit leader here was once a son of a famous family, and he is very good under his hands." ”

Lin Fengsheng was secretly grateful in his heart, but he and his cousin were both pregnant with superior martial arts, so they didn't pay much attention to it, and said curiously: "Dare to ask the seniors, what sect and sect is the bandit leader an outcast?"

Zhong Nanshan said: "I heard that this person is the apprentice of the old hero of the Zhou Dynasty of the Qingmang Sect in Olu City, and he was forced to be cornered because he offended Futai, so he fell into the grass here in desperation. That was only three or four years ago. ”

Lin Fengsheng had never heard of the Qingmang faction, and as for who the old hero of Zhou was, he naturally had no way of knowing, but when he saw Zhong Nanshan mentioning it, he was respectful, and he must have been a person who was famous from time to time, so the disciples he taught must not be a great traitor, and said: "Since this person is from a famous family, and he has to fall into the grass as a last resort, he must not be a bad nature, and he should not be a person who does not pay attention to the morality of the rivers and lakes." ”

Zhong Nanshan said thoughtfully: "Alas, the world is so chaotic now, no matter how benevolent and righteous you are, you have to have food to eat. ”

sighed and said: "Fortunately, this person never burns and loots, but only robs passing merchants, and as long as he leaves the money to buy the road, he will not easily hurt people's lives, which is very rare." ”

Lin Fengsheng felt a little more respect in his heart when he heard this, and asked, "I don't know who this person's surname is, have your predecessors ever known?"

Zhong Nanshan said: "Zhilu Dao, this person's name is Liu Chengwu, nicknamed Kaishan Knife, I have fought with him. ”

Lin Fengsheng nodded and said, "If we really meet them, it will be easy for the camera to act, the horse gang is so hard, where will there be extra money to worship them." ”

Zhong Nanshan said: "When I first walked this road, I met them once, when I was hot-tempered and had a big fight with Liu Chengwu, the two of us were able to fight a draw, and they both secretly admired each other, so he promised to let me be safe and stable in the past three times." Although we can't say that we know heroes and heroes, he is always benevolent and righteous, and I accept his affection. ”

Mei Ruoxue just listened silently when she changed her normal behavior, and did not interject during the period, and only when she heard this, did she say: "This person is a good man, so let's talk about each other and try not to do anything with them." ”

But in his heart, he thought: "These people's martial arts must be so vulgar, if you use your hands to sword without eyes, with your own and your cousin's martial arts, you will either die or be injured, so it will be a little unacceptable." ”