Novoland: Eagle Flag Chapter 2: Sword II

At the same time, the moon was dark in the Yangquan wine shop on the outskirts of the city.

The oil lamp was dim, casting indistinct figures on the board wall.

The board wall was blackened by oily smoke, and a thin finger could pierce through it. There was a thick layer of grease on the table, and the hands felt as if they were going to stick. The only small lamp made of tung oil was covered in a bamboo cage and hung in the air.

There was a sound of wind outside the board wall, and the wind passed among the treetops with a faint whistling sound. The wind poured in through the cracks of the door, and the lights flickered on and off, erratic and restless.

This is a small shop on the edge of Nanhuai City, close to the forest farm of the wealthy businessman Chu's family, and outside is the endless pine and fir forest. Logging laborers go back to the city every day by the side of the path, so there is such a simple shop. Late at night, there was only the last table of guests left in the shop, no one spoke, and the silence was cold.

"Gold and silver are not a problem, we only need the whereabouts of the sword."

At the side of the long table, the leader broke the silence. He pushed the heavy box to the other side, and the lid popped open, revealing neatly stacked solid gold collars branded with eucalyptus leaves. It was a gold collar made by the Jiang family of the Wanzhou Chamber of Commerce. Some people said that it was more effective than the money made in the imperial capital. It is not the Dayin gold baht that is hidden in the royal treasury, but these full-color gold collars.

The reflection of the gold seemed to dazzle the eyes of the person opposite, she smiled slightly and turned her face sideways, covered her eyebrows with her hand, and pointed to a little emerald which revealed a gorgeous deep blue color under the lamp.

It is amazing to have such a woman in such a small shop. The twilight of the oil lamp was cut by the bamboo cage and cast on her bare skin, reminiscent of those stunning and mottled ancient paintings. The woman was wearing a light purple dress, which was exquisite and luxurious. On her bare shoulders and arms, her complexion was dazzlingly white. Four or five blue crystal bracelets were set together, jingling.

"The whereabouts of buying a sword at such a high price? You really don't regret it?" She covered her mouth and giggled. It was clearly mixed with gold powder, exuding a sense of extravagance.

"You don't need to ask too much about this." The leader on the opposite side frowned, his voice was cold and severe, "Tell me what you know, there is a carriage outside, we will take you out of Nanhuai tonight, take This box of gold. From now on, Nanhuai affairs have nothing to do with you."

On one side of the table is a lonely woman, and on the other side are neatly dressed warriors. Their gold-rimmed cowhide body armor was exquisitely crafted, with long knives around their waists, dark red cloaks of the same color, and high stand-up collars that half covered their faces. Those faces were as thin, with dark brown skin. The warm eyes were reflected in their eyes, and they suddenly became cold and severe. They were all strong men in their twenties, but no one paid attention to the woman's half-naked chest. Their eyes are constantly patrolling the surroundings, like snakes spying on their prey.

This is also someone who should never appear in this small shop.

"Don't worry, my lords, I'll tell you what I know," the woman stroked the gold collar affectionately for a while, "you can see if it's worth the price. But...you have to say what I said, I I still don't know your origins. If you sell this news, even if I leave Nanhuai, I may not be able to escape from the eyes of the lord. I am a helpless woman who offended the dignified emperor. A wanted order from Tingwei Mansion, even if I escape to the horizon, who can guarantee that I won’t be caught? I’m afraid this box of gold was not buried with me, right?”

"If you speak out, we will naturally protect your safety, and we don't want the Lord of Baili to arrest you from thousands of miles away. Can I believe that you will not betray us?" Ling sneered.

"Hehehe," the woman laughed with him.

"Why is it so troublesome? I've heard about it!" The woman stopped smiling suddenly, and the smile on the collar's face disappeared suddenly. When he rolled his eyes, his gaze changed from a prying snake to a vicious one. Poisonous fangs, staring at the woman's bright pupils.

"In the winter of the eighth year of Zhenyi, You Changji went south from Lanzhou, via Moli County, from Feiyunpu through the blockade of Shangyang Pass, and came to Wanzhou. Seven people were ordered to rob and kill him, and You Changji was alone. Because You Changji is the last known leader of the Heavenly Exorcist warriors so far, the Heavenly Exorcists call him the Great Sovereign."

The woman didn't care about the cold gaze on the other side, she rubbed her long temples, and spoke leisurely, as if telling a rap story. But at the beginning of this story, all the warriors held their breath, and their dark eyebrows twitched.

"You Changji's passport was issued by the Northern Kingdom of Jin. His name is Xie Feng, and the administrative office outside the city gate has a record of his entry into the city. It was the ninth day of December. The belongings included a long knife and an epee handle, all of which were recorded on the travel certificate. However, three days later, all the court officers of the imperial capital entered Nanhuai, and that night at the Minglong Posthouse on Ziliang Street, there was a vicious murder Later, when the corpses were collected, there were a total of more than 30 dead people, and there was no You Changji among them. In fact, all the dead were court officers from the imperial capital, but the ministers of the imperial capital did not mention it, and the lord of the next Tang Dynasty did not pursue it. The matter was dismissed Press it down, and there will be no more records left."

"No record?" The collar intervened.

"The administrative office has no record of going out of the city. Whether it was You Changji or Xie Feng, he disappeared in Nanhuai City. No one knows where he went. The sword you are asking about also disappeared with him. "

"Disappeared?"

"Yeah, it's just gone. It's nothing unusual. This is Nanhuai City. There are many people. If there is one less, no one will pay attention."

The woman giggled lightly, and the hairpin with the pearl in the phoenix's head nodded lightly, trembling like a flower on a branch. The woman laughs as she wants, and doesn't care about the people on the other side of the table, as if she is surrounded by her own stage. She is an actress who is happy and sad. The leader's heart suddenly paused, for some reason, this woman was smiling, but he felt a faint sadness.

"What else? You said you know the whereabouts of the sword!" He suppressed a little uneasiness in his heart, and accentuated his tone.

"Sword? The epee that You Changji wears?" The woman still giggled and covered her mouth, "I have also been to the arsenal of Zihuan Palace, but there are at least a thousand swords in it. They are all famous swords, what kind of sword do you want? I am a female officer and I don’t know how to use a sword, so don’t think that I know everything.”

"A bronze-colored epee. The sword is very long and heavy, at least four feet and five inches in length, and weighs no less than thirty catties. There is a cloud-like pattern on the sword. There is absolutely no other sword like it. , as long as you have seen it, it is impossible to admit your mistake."

"Oh, it's that sword. You have to say, I really remember it, yes, I've seen it."

"Really? Where is it?" The collar's eyes lit up with unbearable joy.

The woman gently twisted her skirt, her long eyelashes flickered, and she glanced sideways at her collar: "I've said so much, but you haven't said where you came from."

"You don't need to know this at all!"

"Hmph! You also think our Wanzhou women are too simple," the woman smiled disdainfully, "Don't try to hide your identity like this! You deliberately wore leather armor, but it didn't bring you any pride." Equipped with steel armor, and replaced it with an unsuitable straight-edged knife, and replaced the horse with an unrecognizable night horse. But the adults of the Wind and Tiger Cavalry, you have forgotten one thing..."

After a brief silence, the room was suddenly filled with the sound of low metal humming. The warriors sitting quietly pushed the table at the same time, retreated two feet, and pulled out the sabers around their waists in unison, the sharp light of the sabers caught people's eyes.

"Hahahaha, hahahaha," the woman laughed again, clapping her hands lightly and laughing without looking at them.

The bamboo cage with the oil lamp turned leisurely above her head, and the darkness in the room began to change, strange and strange. The warriors had their knives in their hands, but they couldn't cut them out. They are all battle-tested fighters, but in this strange place of Wanzhou, facing this crazy but beautiful woman, everyone feels as if they are in a dream, and there is something strange in the air Make everything around you seem ethereal and unreal.

The woman suppressed her laughter: "If I didn't know that you are the captains of the Wind and Tiger Cavalry, I would not dare to sell this news. How much gold is the news of the last leader of Tianqi worth? My lords should compare I understand better, I, a woman, can carry this box of gold, and I want to exchange it for the secret of the sky drive, is the asking price too low?"

"Then how much do you want?" The leader asked in a low voice.

"I want an asylum. After you find the sword, you will bring it back to Chun Country. You will be rewarded. I don't care about these. I only hope that you will give me this box of gold at that time, and take me Go back to Chunguo and arrange the rest of my life well. Without the shade of the big tree of Marquis of Xuanchang County, how many people dare to offend Baili Jinghong, the lord of the Tang Dynasty?"

The warriors looked at each other.

"What kind of shelter do you want?" The leader sat back at the table.

"That's right, You Changji did die in Nanhuai City. The sword of Tianquling was also kept as a treasure in Xiatang. I can't get it out if I want to, but it's not easy for Chunguo to want it. Since I If you dare to come, you will stand on the same boat with the adults. This is a close call, and you can only kill yourself if you hide it from each other. Why don't you spread out everything you know on the table and treat each other as partners. I will take the adults to get it That sword, go back to Chun Kingdom together, I want the Marquis of Huangchang County to go to the imperial capital and give me an imperial order."

"Are you going to..." The leader looked at the woman hesitantly, "join us?"

The woman covered her mouth and smiled again: "I'm a woman, I'm not afraid of you tigers and wolves, are you afraid of me? I just hope to leave Xiatang safely, and I don't have to come back here from now on."

She turned the white porcelain wine glass in her hand: "Actually, I have wanted to leave here for a long time, and I want to go back to the north..."

The slight sadness surged again, and her smile gradually faded, becoming as silent as a mural.

The room was silent for a long time, the **** were suppressed by the breeze, and the woman's bright skin became dull. She turned her head to look out the window, and it was as black as a thick ink.

"Okay, it's just an order, I can still talk in front of the Marquis of Xuanchang County," the leader finally nodded, "I also know that it is not easy to get a sword, and it may be a good thing to have you as a companion. We Chunguo Fenghu, never team up with strangers, I made an exception today! But after you listen to me, it will be difficult for you to leave us easily. You have to think clearly!"

"Clearly, this is a business of getting rich or dying, I don't want to make it right, why did I come here?"

"What do you want to know?"

"There is only one thing. You Changji has been dead for fourteen years, and no one has asked him about his whereabouts. And Chunguo is far in the north. How could the Marquis of Xuanchang know about this past?"

The leader was silent for a moment, then nodded: "That's a good question! Since you know about those imperial court officers who robbed and killed You Changji, do you know what happened to them?"

"The end?"

"Let me tell you, the reason why no one has asked about the Cangyun ancient tooth sword in the past fourteen years is because all the Tingwei who returned to the imperial capital alive were thrown into death prison. The ashes were sent to each family. My father was one of the court captains at that time, but he didn't even have time to go to prison, but was executed at the door of my house."

"Why is he different?"

"Because he violated the secret order of Tingwei Mansion, he did not report to Tingwei Mansion immediately after returning to the imperial capital, but returned home once."

"Why?"

"The emperor and the feudal lords have been suppressing and killing the warriors of Tianqi for decades, but it has never happened that hundreds of elites from Tingwei's mansion were dispatched to rob and kill a single person. That time was because the imperial capital got After receiving the exact information, You Changji contacted more than a hundred generals and aristocratic families from various countries, preparing to join forces to kill the king. Therefore, his course of action went from Zhongzhou to Lanzhou and then turned to Wanzhou, constantly contacting people from various countries along the way. Power. No one thought that a small group of rebels like Tianqi could cause such a big storm, but hundreds of powerful generals and patriarchs of aristocratic families cannot be killed at the same time, otherwise the general situation will be chaotic. Therefore, the goal of the imperial capital is to rob and kill You Changji alone. Unfortunately, until the end, for some reason, the court officers did not get the list of traitors attached to You Changji. My father came back from the adventure, just to Leave a message."

"Message?"

"He rushed home like a fugitive, and only had time to say a word. He said that the key to open the bronze door was the sword. Only I heard this sentence, and he hugged me on his chest I said it in my ear, and then an arrow shot in from outside the door and pierced him from behind, and also shot me. People from Tingwei Mansion rushed in and dragged his body away."

The leader fell silent and fiddled with the white porcelain wine glass in front of him.

"A Ting Wei, why did you do such a thing?"

"I know you're going to ask this question," the collar pulled out something from his belt, and slid it to the woman along the table.

It was a bow wrench, wide and heavy. The woman hesitated for a moment, then picked it up and studied it carefully. Under the lamp, the finger cuffs glowed with a blue-gray faint iron light, with ancient and obscure inscriptions around the inside, and a flying eagle with spread wings on the outside.

"Because he's a Heavenly Exorcist," the leader's laughter turned cold, "a Heavenly Exorcist hiding in the Tingwei's Mansion. This stupid person has always wanted to do something for the Heavenly Exorcist, but he didn't No matter what ability, he can't be a hero like You Changji, he has no choice but to sacrifice himself to keep this heavenly secret."

The woman rubbed her fingertips and smiled contemptuously: "Anyone who holds this fingertip should be a warrior of Heaven's Exorcism. The mission of driving?"

"Heaven Drive?" The leader shook his head, "I only know that is my stupid father. For the mission of that group, he made my mother and I wander for the rest of our lives, and made my mother fall from a noble lady to a Washing and cooking for a living keeps me from holding my head up in front of others. How much is this tattered finger cot worth? Make him go crazy like that? But I keep it, and I know it will be worth it someday I am useful. I have come this time because of the secret order written by the Marquis of Xuanchang County. As long as I bring back the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword, I can be named a Viscount. Isn’t it easy to obtain the status you want?”

There was a smile on his lips, he glanced at the woman sideways, stretched out his hand to press her soft hand, and rubbed the round dimples on her knuckles: "Actually, why bother? That's right, if you marry me, you will naturally have the status of imperial order. You lead us to get the sword, and I will protect you forever."

The woman didn't avoid it, she just covered her mouth with her other hand and smiled, but she couldn't hide her white teeth: "Me? I'm old, the general is in his prime, and he wants to marry someone old Is it a woman?"

There was a sudden silence. He looked at the woman carefully again, and was surprised to find that he couldn't tell the woman's age at all. Looking at the appearance, she looked like a beautiful girl in her teens, but looking at her eyes, there were too many things hidden inside. It looked as if it had fallen into a pool of water.

He restrained his growing anxiety: "I've already explained our reason for coming. We are all in the same boat, can you tell us how to get the sword now? However, if you are just lying to us... ..."

"False words?" The woman laughed, "In the entire Nanhuai City, there is probably no one who knows the location of that sword better than me."

She suddenly shook off her collared hand, spread her palm, and there were two fingertips in her palm: "The general showed me your fingertips, the general will look at mine again, and you will know if I am lying or not." Already."

The collar hesitantly picked up two finger cots. Just look at it carefully. It looks like they are completely indistinguishable, as if they were cast from the same furnace of molten iron, and there are signs of erosion on the surface, like ancient objects from many years ago. He looked over and over again, and his eyes suddenly fell on the inscription on the inner ring of the fingertip.

His heart was pounding like a hammer.

He is a descendant of Sky Drive, and he knows that the inner rings of these finger cots are filled with the ancient bronze characters "Iron armor is still there". But the one that the woman handed over was completely different. It was a line of sixteen characters: "The God of Beichen, the Emperor of the Vault of Heaven, it shines brightly without beginning or end."

His voice was hoarse when he read this, and a stream of blood rushed to the top of his head. He couldn't help shouting while holding the fingertip: "Xing... the fingertip of Hoshino Eagle! This is... this is the big The fingertips of the Sovereign!"

"That's right, this is You Changji's finger cot, now you should believe my words? Since I can get this finger cot, I can also take you to get that sword," the woman said. Unchanged, he carelessly stroked his own lock of hair, "But before I take you there, I want you to guess a riddle with me."

"Mystery?"

The woman covered her mouth and giggled: "Yes, my lords, don't you want to know how I found out that you are from the Chun Kingdom, and you are famous wind and tiger cavalry?"

The warriors looked at each other. It was only then that they remembered that they had missed this section. They were all the best scouts in the Wind Tiger Cavalry Army, but it was a shame that they were identified so easily.

The woman ignored their expressions, but got up silently, and walked slowly towards the door. Her back is even and slender, and her skirt is dragging on the dirty ground, but she has the gorgeousness of palace makeup, and the light gauze covers her delicate shoulder blades and slender neck, which makes people feel moved when viewed from a distance.

She suddenly turned her head and smiled: "Because someone told me last night that he wanted to go far away with me, and then told me many things."

The warriors looked at the leader suspiciously.

"Don't you remember him? He has a small mole on his chin and a broken little finger on his left hand."

The warriors all stood up in horror. That was one of their partners. Since this morning, they have never found this partner again. Only ten people are left in the eleven-person team.

The woman's smile is like a mysterious flower slowly blooming: "He is really different from you careless men, until before he died, he told me that I have a scent of Zi Linqiu on my body ..."

A bone-piercing chill suddenly enveloped the people in the hut.

The sound of the long sword coming out of its sheath was like a high string being played, and the warrior with the quickest response drew his sword sideways and kicked on the ground. His movements are like swiping a knife on a fast galloping horse. This is a unique martial art in the Wind Tiger Cavalry Army, which is extremely fast and precise. The woman had no time to dodge under his knife, her luxurious and close-fitting dress restricted her movements. The woman didn't want to dodge, but smiled lightly. An unbelievable thing happened at the moment of her low smile, the warrior's head suddenly fell down, the shrill bright red rushed from the cavity to the roof, and the headless body was waving a sword and passing by the woman until it hit After reaching the opposite wall, he fell powerlessly to the ground.

The woman didn't make a move. At that moment, her hands were still holding the veil on her shoulders, and no one saw the light of the knife, as if an invisible demon weapon swung in the darkness, and chopped off the wind tiger. head of.

"Don't move!" the leader yelled.

He wanted to stop, but it was too late. He felt a pain in his shoulder blade, but it was not severe, like being bitten by a bug. Then the little pain was magnified a thousand times, and a large flower of blood burst out from his shoulder, and the blood stains ran through the entire shoulder. Something had cut into him, but he still couldn't see anything. He couldn't help kneeling down, and even greater pain came from his knees. He wailed and lowered his head, and saw that his legs were broken from both knees, and blood was flowing all over the ground.

His companions were also caught in an invisible net, all those who rushed forward were injured by something, and there was an insurmountable barrier around the woman.

The leader struggled to raise his head, saw the woman smiled again, this time, her smile was icy cold.

The oil lamp suddenly went out.

The darkness is filled with the subtle sound of breaking wind, very thin and extremely sharp, a bit like a buzzing but with a strange shrill sound. Every time there was a wail, and he could feel thick blood splashing on his face. These companions who have followed him for many years have no way to struggle in the dark, they are just lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

He knew that he was going to die, and he regretted it very much. At this moment, he remembered that there were obviously too many unexplainable things about this woman, but the sword made him confused. For too many years he had longed for the day when he could hold the sword, and that desire had turned to greed.

Finally quiet again, a little fire flickered and lit up.

The leader endured the dizziness of blood loss and raised his head, and saw the woman standing by the door far away, holding tinder. She stopped laughing, but she couldn't see the joy of success. She is indifferent like a beautiful painted skin.

There was only a little fire, but the leader could see clearly that the hut was full of silver threads, densely packed like a net, completely separating them from women. Those lines were so subtle that they were imperceptible, yet tough enough to imagine, like interlaced streaks of silvery light, finally passed through the surrounding metal rings, and converged on the emerald ring between the woman's fingers.

"It's...it's Tianluo's Daosi! Who are you?" He shouted with all his strength.

"Yes, it's the spider's silk. You warriors always want to rely on brute force to win, but killing people doesn't require so much strength. A one-inch blade is enough."

"Tianluo's assassin? Why did you do this? Could it be that Tianluo also..."

The woman shook her head: "I am Tianluo's assassin, that happened many years ago. I have long stopped killing people for Tianluo. I want to kill you all because you covet my husband's things."

"Your husband... who is your husband?"

"Who is my husband? Didn't you just see his fingertips?"

"You...you are...you are You Changji's..."

"You said your father was stupid, but have you really thought about why he did that. Some things, even after many years, cannot be desecrated," the woman approached slowly, separated by a distance The ruler and collar face each other.

"Don't...don't kill me..."

"It's too late to repent now, isn't it?"

As if wiping her head, she waved her hand lightly, and the countless silver threads held by the emerald ring tightened instantly, like countless invisible sharp knives slashing across the collar. His whole body burst apart in an instant, turning into a huge coquettish blood flower.

The wind outside the house is still blowing, and the sound of pines is like the sea.