treacherous world

In the area of ​​Qushan County, there is a legend about the belly of Yishui.

In the Yishui River flowing through Mount Qu, there is a monster called Mabel.It is recorded in Shan Hai Jing that the belly of a horse is a monster with a tiger body and a human face, it cries like a baby, and it is ferocious and cannibal.It gets its name because it lives in the water all the year round, and when people cross the river on horseback, it jumps up and bites the horse's belly to kill.

Therefore, people in the Yishui area never cross the river on foot or on horseback. No matter how deep or shallow the water is, they always use boats or bamboo rafts instead.

There are different opinions on the origin of the horse belly.One of the most common sayings is that the soil on the south bank of Yishui is fertile and the villages and towns are rich, so people in the south bank are born strong.The land on the north bank is barren, and the food produced is not enough to satisfy their hunger. Therefore, people in the north bank eat a weed called Fuguzi all the year round to satisfy their hunger.This kind of grass is poisonous, and if you eat too much, it will not grow tall, so most people on the North Shore are short.

It is said that the people in the south of Yishui often bully the people in the north of Yishui... The tall children from the south bank will push the thin children from the north bank into the rushing Yishui, and those who drown unfortunately will turn into horse bellies, Find ways to get revenge.

Therefore, people in the Yishui area never dared to bully the weak when crossing the river by boat, otherwise they would surely die that night.

Now both the north and south banks of Yishui belong to Qushan County, the north bank is the town and the south bank is the farmland, which are integrated with each other, and the southerly bullying the northerner has long since ceased to happen.The legend about Yishui's belly has long been forgotten. Only a few old people still vaguely remember the several incidents of horse belly wounding that once caused panic.

The sixth day of the first lunar month.

Before the residents of Qushan County got out of the New Year celebrations, something happened in the county...

Around the lower reaches of the Yi River, the bodies of three teenagers floated up.The young one was fifteen or sixteen years old, his clothes were torn and his body was purple, he seemed to be a beggar who fell into the river and was drowned.Qushan is located on the main road between the two places in the southwest. There are all kinds of people in the county, and beggars can be seen everywhere.

The local government hastily settled the case by accidentally falling into the water, and the body was parked in the mortuary waiting for relatives to claim it. If no one picks it up in three days, it is estimated that it will be buried in a mass grave.

But that night, only a guard in the yamen screamed.

The county magistrate rushed to take a look... The guard was lying on the ground, his face was sallow and dead.The door of the mortuary where the bodies of the three beggars were placed was open.Everyone walked in with trepidation, and the hairs on their backs stood on end in an instant—the bodies of the three beggars are gone!Only three strings of wet, small footprints were left on the ground.

At dawn, Wu Zuo came to examine the body of the dead guard, and said, "I'm so scared to death, my gallbladder has burst."

The county magistrate felt even more hairy and ordered all those who knew the news to be suppressed and no rumors were allowed.

Originally, I thought that this article would be over if I paid for the dead to watch over my relatives.Unexpectedly, early the next morning, the county magistrate Qikong bled to death in the study, and several other government servants who knew about it, together with the post-mortem assistant, all died of accidents.

As soon as this incident was spread, the whole Qushan County was in a commotion, and some people remembered the past of the horse belly murder.

The prefect of Luozhou at the upper level in Qushan County was also alarmed, and sent arresters overnight to seal the county government office and began a thorough investigation of the case.

Lai Na's catcher is well-known in Jianghu, his surname is Liang, his name is Liang Bao, and he is known as the God of Golden Sword.It's just that almost all the people involved in the case were dead, so he had to send people to martial law throughout the city to search the bodies of the three beggars.

In a flash, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month arrived, and the case still made no progress.

At noon, there were many people standing in line at the gate of the city waiting to be inspected to enter the city. There was a teahouse beside them, where they could drink tea when they were tired.

On the outermost table of the teahouse, sat two girls, less than 20 years old, wearing gray cloth gowns and long skirts, no jewelry, and carrying bulging bags.The two seem to be sisters, they are good looking but their skin is slightly rough, it can be seen that they are not ladies of the family, but wandering the rivers and lakes.

"Sister, why are you so strict?"

"Probably to catch fugitives, let's be careful."

"What are you afraid of, we have no reputation for cheating, kidnapping and stealing."

These two women are both surnamed Yan, one is Sanfeng and the other is Sifeng. They have been in the world since they were young, and they know how to fight. The name is Liang Shang Shuangfeng.

"Hey." Sifeng poked Sanfeng, "Sister, why don't you do something before you go to the city, or you won't be able to stay in the hotel."

"What are you afraid of?" Sanfeng smiled, "Didn't you hear people say that the city is haunted along the way, so we can earn a lot of money this time!"

Sifeng nodded, but caught a glimpse of the distance...someone is coming here.

"Sister!" Sifeng lowered her voice, "That one in blue is so handsome!"

Sanfeng reached out and pinched her ears, "You don't care if someone is handsome, the key is whether he has money!"

"Really!" Sifeng tugged on her sleeve, "Look quickly."

On the official road in the distance, a few people came slowly. The combination of this group of people is quite interesting - one big, two small, a horse, and a... little bear?

The one walking in the front was a black-clothed boy who looked less than ten years old, carrying a black knife about his size.This young man looks clean and handsome, although he still has childishness, but he feels very stable.

The boy didn't ride a horse, but walked slowly, holding the reins of a tall maroon horse with his left hand.

And the man in blue that Sifeng mentioned just now was the one sitting on the horse.

This man looked to be in his early twenties, with a tall and straight figure, with his head slightly lowered, as if he was in a daze.He was wearing an indigo shirt with moon white piping on the cuffs and waist, making him look even more slender.Far away from the card is not very clear about facial features, but it feels very gentle and refined, he should be a scholar.

But the most interesting thing is the little bear walking on the other side of the scholar.It is about the same size as a pony, but fatter, and it walks lazily with its white fur.Sitting on the bear's back was a five or six-year-old doll, with a round face, big eyes, and jet-black hair...extremely cute.

Who are these three?

The boy walking in front is called Xiao Liang, and the one riding on the horse is Zhan Zhao, but the little bear is actually a clawed civet named Shi Shi, and the baby on his back is Xiao Sizi.

A few days ago, Zhan Zhao received a brocade box from his eldest brother Zhan Hao. When he opened it, he was hit by a trick, and his eyes were poisoned and temporarily blinded.

Zhan Hao's message to Zhan Zhao mentioned Qushan County. Zhan Zhao was afraid that something might happen to his elder brother, so he left alone before Gongsun could develop the antidote.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Sizi and Xiao Liang, who were chasing after riding on a rock, intercepted him halfway.

After the fourth son "taught" Zhan Zhaoyitong severely, the two children decided to make him "eyes" and accompany him to Qushan County, leaving marks along the way so that Gongsun and the others could chase him.

"Should be someone with money, right?" Sifeng smiled while holding her chin.

Sanfeng looked at it for a while, "Where did you find out that this scholar is handsome? You can't even see his facial features clearly!"

"You can tell just by looking at your figure." Sifeng said and stood up.

"What are you doing?"

"Business." Sifeng winked at her sister, "By the way, let's see if he's really handsome." After finishing speaking, he walked over.

From a distance, she heard the little doll sitting on the bear talking, "Meow, are you thirsty? There is a tea stand in front."

Sifeng frowned slightly - meow?Or Miu Miu?How could a man have such a name?

"There are a lot of people, it seems that we have to wait for a long time." Xiao Liang saw that there were no seats at the tea stand, so he untied the water bag from the horse, ran to the tea stand to buy water and refreshments, and asked the two of them to wait for a rest .

As soon as Sifeng saw that the opportunity was just right, he swayed over.

"Ouch." When she got to Zhan Zhao's side, she pretended to accidentally fall down and looked up, only to see Zhan Zhao looking down at her.

Eyes paired, Sifeng was startled—the secret thought that luckily he didn't act recklessly.This person is handsome, but she is in the world. It can be seen that this person is not only good at kung fu, but also very strong.

Zhan Zhao asked her, "Are you okay?"

"No." Sifeng got up, stole another glance, and said in his heart, darling, with bright eyes and a straight nose.

While in a trance, a team of officials came ahead, and they were handing out notices from the yamen along the road.

"There are a lot of official posts." The fourth son said to Zhan Zhao.

"Official errand?"

"Yeah! I've come to the front and I'm sending out something."

Sifeng was a little suspicious when he heard it, and subconsciously took another look at Zhan Zhao, and saw that his eyes were looking forward, his eyes were beautiful... but he seemed to be lacking in spirit.Thinking of this, Sifeng's heart skipped a beat... No way? !

At this time, the policeman had already arrived, and handed over a notice, "Hey, take a look, be careful when entering the city, and report to the Yamen if you have any clues, and there will be a big reward!"

Zhan Zhao took the list and handed it to the fourth son beside him, "Fourth son, Nian Nian."

"Oh." The fourth son took the list and began to study it by himself.

Sifeng wanted to laugh, how many words can such a small doll know... I already knew it in my heart, what a pity, such a good-looking person is actually blind.

"Meow meow, the bulletin said that many people died in a murder case in the city, and the bodies of three little beggars were stolen. If you know the clues, go to the Yamen to report to the official. If you catch someone, you will be rewarded with 5000 taels of silver!"

"The little beggar's body is lost?" Zhan Zhao slightly raised his eyebrows, not quite understanding why he wanted to steal the child's body.

At this time, Xiao Liang came back in a hurry, "Brother Zhan, I heard that there was a big case in the city, and the magistrate is dead!"

Sifeng thought to himself, so this scholar's surname is Zhan.

Zhan Zhao asked the police, "Who is so capable that he also killed the county magistrate? The gangster is still the imperial court."

"Heh." Seeing that Zhan Zhao seemed to be someone of some status, the policeman smiled helplessly and shook his head, "It would be easy for a human to do it."

"What?" Xiao Liang was surprised, "You mean the murderer is not a human?"

While talking, a beggar suddenly rushed out from nowhere, and lay down in front of the policeman, "My lord, please do me a favor and leave a way for our beggars to survive."

"Tsk..." The arrester frowned quickly, and said to the yamen servant in the distance, "Oh, here's another one, grab it and take it back."

Zhan Zhao was puzzled, "Why catch beggars?"

"It was ordered by the superior." The policeman said quickly, seeing the beggar hugging his leg, he kicked him annoyedly, "Fuck you, get out of here, don't dirty my pants..."

It's just that the policeman didn't finish his scolding, so he suddenly stopped talking and just stayed where he was.

"Ah!" Sifeng was standing facing him, and exclaimed...Looking at the arrester again, after shaking twice, he fell on his back, bleeding out from his seven orifices, and died.

At this time, someone in the crowd yelled, "The Horse Belly Immortal killed someone!"

The crowd became chaotic in an instant, and everyone broke into the city gate and rushed in, even the officers and soldiers guarding the city did not dare to stop them.

……

At the ferry on the south bank of Heshan County, a ferry boat is slowly leaving, heading for the city of Heshan County in the north.

There weren't too many people on board, and a few hardcover men had ropes tied around their waists, and they seemed to be going to the northern county to do hard work.Several old women with children carried baskets with fresh winter bamboo shoots in them, probably visiting relatives.There are also a few merchants and some wandering characters.

By the wall at the end of the ferry, sat a man in white.

This person wore a white hat with the brim of a hat pulled down very low, a bundle beside him, and a long knife covered in a white cloth sheath in his hand.He seems to be resting with his head bowed. He is slender and sits unobtrusively in the corner.A few peasant women who are good at weaving show looked at him several times.Not for anything else, but his seemingly simple white brocade gown... the material is really high-quality, and the workmanship is also extremely exquisite.This person is either rich or noble, and Qushan County is considered remote, so it is rare to see such a sophisticated young master.

When the boat reached the middle of the river, several boatmen came to the bow and bowed down, and many old women also knelt down.

A gray-haired woman was kneeling beside the man in white.

"Old man."

The old man heard someone calling him, but his voice was clean but somewhat cold. When he raised his eyes, he saw the man in white gently lifting the brim of his hat with the handle of a knife, and asked her in a low voice, "Why do you kneel down?"

The old man's eyes were wide open. She had seen many men in her life, and it was the first time she had seen such an outstanding man.

"Uh..." It took a long time to regain her composure, and the old woman said in a low voice, "In the past few days, it is said that the horse belly fairy has appeared, so you must worship when crossing the river."

The man in white frowned slightly and said nothing.

"Wow……"

At this time, a little doll who was kneeling with his grandmother accidentally fell down and slapped the trouser legs of a big man in front of him with both hands.

The big guy was probably newly bought trousers, and when he saw a muddy handprint on the trouser leg, his eyes widened.

The child rushed into grandma's arms, and was frightened and cried.

The old woman hurriedly made amends, but the big man was not a kind person at first glance, and demanded that they pay ten taels of silver for trousers at the top of his voice.

The old woman had no choice but to apologize to him, but he insisted on asking for money, and the child was so scared that he kept crying.

The man in white glanced there, his amber eyes were a little darker, and his eyes were colder.At this time, I heard the old lady next to me muttering in a low voice, "Damn you, you dare to bully women and children on Yishui, your death is not far away..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly saw the big black man froze, and then fell on his back with a common sound... Bleeding to death from his seven orifices.

Putting on, many local people knelt down and begged the horse belly fairy to appease his anger.Finally, the boatman threw the big man's body into the river, and the boat moved forward again.

After a while, the boat stopped safely at the ferry, and the man in white went ashore and hurried to the city.

The man in white is none other than Bai Yutang.

He had just returned to Xingkong Island, and not long after, Gongsun sent someone to deliver a letter, saying that Zhan Zhao was injured and went to Kushan alone to find his missing elder brother. He did not forget to attach a sentence to the letter——Zhan Zhao could not see So, everyone proposed to ask Bai Yutang for help, but he refused desperately.

Bai Yutang threw away the letter, and arrived at Heshan Mountain two days earlier. In the past few days, he went around the whole city, and the one he heard the most was - the Horse Belly Immortal.

The author has something to say: ==+ This article can be regarded as a companion article of "You Long Sui Yue", but the plot is relatively independent, and it does not matter if you haven't read the previous article, you can read it independently.

For those who have never seen You Long, the relationship between the characters is as follows:

The relationship between Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang at this time: acquaintance, friendship, and others are still in the ambiguity, waiting for the further development of JQ and ambiguity ==+ The fourth son: formerly known as Gongsun Jin, is the adopted son of Gongsun Ce.

Xiao Liang: The childhood sweetheart of the fourth son, Zhao Pu's apprentice.