burn snow

The secret passage is long and remote, the damp ground is overgrown with moss, and there is a strange smell of freshness and corruption in the air.

If it weren't for the fact that there are no natural caves in the upper city, it would be doubtful that this road was born and not dug artificially.

Ji Yunchan said that although it is an artificial secret passage, it has existed longer than her father.

At the beginning of the construction of Shangcheng District, the Ji family was in charge of all the construction work. No one knew the internal and external structure of Shangcheng District better than the Ji family.At the beginning, the control of the four ladders in the east, west, north, and south were all in the hands of the three great families. For their own consideration, the Ji family left a backup, which was the secret road leading to the lower city.

After Ji Shixiong got the map of the ruins of King Beixiao, he slightly modified the secret road and lengthened it to make it go straight to the vicinity of the ruins, so as to avoid walking on the ground, so that he could cross the sea without being noticed.

Long Ying walked in the front, and after Jiang Bairi ended, the three of them proceeded cautiously. After walking for about half an hour, they still haven't seen the exit.

Ji Yunchan was a little tired, but she was ashamed to complain, otherwise it would seem like a drag on the two of them.She cheered up secretly, and followed Longying closely, and finally reached the end of the road, and there was a cliff in front of her.

The night was so deep that it was impossible to see the scene below the cliff clearly.

Jiang Baizhou used the light of the Five Elements Commandment to shine down, but it couldn't reach the end.I saw a square-shaped ladder hanging in mid-air, shaking and guiding them down.

Jiang Baizhou was a little puzzled: "The upper city is built in the air, and every ladder going down falls from the sky and cannot be hidden. Where is this ladder built? How can it not be discovered?"

Long Ying is more familiar with the situation in Buried Star City than he is, so he can understand it at a glance: "There are five load-bearing 'Tianzhu' in the upper city. It is generally believed that the 'Tianzhu' is solid. I guess one of them should be hollow. We It's what's under your feet."

The ladder is built in the load-bearing "Tianzhu" and leads directly to the ground.

Ji's ambition is evident.

The three aristocratic families are afraid that they will fall into the hands of Feiguang Palace sooner or later.

Jiang Baizhou led the way, and the three of them climbed the ladder and descended leisurely on the ladder.

I don't know how long it has been going down, and the ladder landed with a "boom", and there is still a dark secret road ahead, but there is no moss in the secret road, only the dead roots of plants, so that people can tell at a glance that they have arrived in the lower city.

Before the pursuers arrived, Long Ying made a decisive decision, took out a dagger, and cut off the rope of the ladder, so that it could only stop on the ground, no matter how the mechanism was mobilized above, it would not be able to go up.

Seeing this, Ji Yunchan couldn't help asking: "What will we do when we go back?"

"..." Long Ying glanced at her, "You still want to go back the same way?"

Ji Yunchan was a little dazed.

It's not that she doesn't understand Long Ying's words, it's just that she realizes dully that if she escapes like this, it will be difficult for her to go home.Although she doesn't want to go home, if she doesn't go home, what should she do in the future?

Have you been following Jiang Baizhou and Long Ying?

They sure don't want to.

Besides, she was used to being served by others since she was a child, and she couldn't even comb her own hair well...

Seeing that Ji Yunchan was about to cry, Jiang Baizhou gave Long Ying a wink, and the latter said reluctantly, "Are you thinking about the future? Don't worry so much, come to me if you can't survive." , but I’m going to put my ugly words up front.”

Longying's tone was serious, she stared at Ji Yunchan and said: "At this point, your father will definitely kill me to silence me, I can't go back to Feiguang Palace, there is no need to hide it from you anymore - even if your father doesn't kill me, I will Not his loyal subordinate. I am from Wildfire, do you know Wildfire?"

Ji Yunchan nodded: "I've heard of it."

Long Ying said: "Huanghuo's goal is to overthrow Shangcheng District. Standing with us means that you will be an enemy of Feiguang Temple. Do you understand what you are doing? Don't rush to answer me, you should think about it first."

"..."

Ji Yunchan has grown up so much, no one has ever spoken to her in this tone, as if her thoughts are important and her opinions are worthy of attention.

Of course, Long Ying didn't pay much attention to her, but both he and Jiang Baizhou put her in a position where they could talk on an equal footing, and didn't treat her as a child who "should not be involved in adult disputes", nor as a child who "should be treated". Embroidering in the boudoir" woman.

Just ask her how she thinks about which side to choose, as if pulling in a useful ally.

Ji Yunchan didn't know what to do.

She thought about it obediently, but her knowledge was limited, and there were some vague thoughts in her heart that had not yet formed.

"Actually..." Ji Yunchan said frankly, "I don't want to go home, it's just because I'm afraid."

As if she had expected her to say this, Long Ying glanced at her and said in a more serious tone, "Then do you know why wildfire exists? It's because there are too many people who are afraid."

Ji Yunchan was startled.

Long Ying said: "There are so many suffering people in the world, no one wants to live in fear of others all the time. The upper city where you grew up is not a castle in the sky, but a shadow. Eternal life will cover tens of thousands of people in the lower city forever, making them miserable. It’s hard to say, I can’t sleep at night.”

"..."

Ji Yunchan's head lowered, and she suddenly felt as if she was guilty, although she hadn't done anything personally.

She didn't know much about the conditions of the people in the lower urban area, but she had seen "sufferers", such as those girls whose hands and feet were cut off and turned into half-armored men to sell for money.

She fears and hates her father's cruelty, but how can she enjoy the glory and wealth without her father?

Did some of the silver that was exchanged for the girls' health and freedom fall into her hands, and turned into hairpins in her hair, or rouge silk?

Thinking about it this way, the clothes on her body were worth a thousand gold, and she couldn't straighten her waist or lift her head under the weight.

Ji Yunchan sobbed softly and murmured, "I'm never going home again."

While following the two of them, she couldn't help but ask, "But I can't do anything, so I can't help you. Do you need me?"

Jiang Baizhou patted her on the shoulder tenderly: "Xiao Chan, it is thanks to your help that we can come here."

Hearing this, Ji Yunchan was refreshed: "Thank you Brother Zhou, I will definitely not cause you any trouble."

Long Ying looked at her and said nothing, and continued to lead the way.

It took another stick of incense, maybe longer.The dark underground makes people lose their sense of direction and almost lose their ability to perceive time.

Finally, a light spot appeared in front of him.

As they approached, the spot of light gradually expanded, and it was the light from the torches at the exit of the secret passage.

Jiang Baizhou repeated his old trick, making the three of them "invisible" together, and then slowly approached the exit.

They made light footsteps together, and when they were still some distance away from the torch, Jiang Baizhou waved a puff of water mist, and blew out the torch quickly, the guard outside the door was startled: "Who?"

Another guard yawned: "Who is there? It's windy tonight, so don't be surprised."

"Go get the fire and light it again."

"Go find it."

"I'm not going, you are going."

"..."

The two guards were pushing each other, Long Ying shot quickly in the dark, without giving them a chance to react, knocked them unconscious at the same time, and fell to the ground with a "bang".

No one noticed except a startled crow.

The three left the exit smoothly, and there was a dense forest outside.

The night is too dark, the forest is endless, and it is impossible to identify the geographical location.

It seemed to keep it secret and not to attract people. Except for the torches placed at the exit of the secret passage, the rest of the place was pitch black, and they did not see Ji Shixiong's "heavy soldiers".

But what Ji Yunchan said was true, Jiang Baizhou could feel that there were people in the dense forest, many people.

This feeling is creepy and haunted, only the sound of breathing can be heard but no one is seen.

Long Ying was recalling the location of the ruins on the map.

However, the two maps in his hand were both made thousands of years ago. Time has passed, and the terrain near Buixing Town has undergone changes, whether large or small.The property of the five elements marked on the map of this relic outside the city is "soil", which is the center of the five relics.

It is located in the depths of "Jiezeyuan".

"Jiezeyuan" is also an ancient place name. The map shows a hill with a grassy plain under the hill, which is located in the south of the city.

Now there is a dense forest in front of them. It can be seen that the "Jiezeyuan" has disappeared and has become "Jieze Forest".

Whatever it is called, there are many barren forests in all directions of Buried Star City, and the piece of metallurgy outside the south gate of the city is the metallurgical field of Feiguang Temple-Jishumen manufactures a large number of mechanical carriages, ships and even half-armored people every year, and the materials are all in the next generation. Excavated and forged in the city.

It turns out that the purpose of setting up the metallurgical site near here is to hide the old warehouse.

It happened to block the deeper ruins. The three great families usually don't come here, and if any common people trespass by mistake, they will be stopped. No one would want to cross the territory of Feiguang Hall to have a look inside.

What's so good about the deserted woods?

Long Ying thought so at the beginning, so she never went deep into the south of the city.

"Brother Zhou." Long Ying looked around, looked at the guards patrolling in the dark, and said in a low voice, "I can't see anything clearly now, and it's inconvenient to start a fire. It doesn't matter if I startle them, but I don't know how many traps there are in the forest. We should be more cautious."

Jiang Baizhou didn't listen to what he was saying, and he was a little absent-minded: "I seem to... feel something, it's nearby."

"What?" Long Ying and Ji Yunchan asked at the same time.

"I don't know." Jiang Baizhou said, "It's a familiar yet unfamiliar smell, which makes me uncomfortable."

After finishing speaking, he suddenly grabbed Long Ying's waist, and Ji Yunchan with the other, and flew up lightly with the two big living people, until they reached the top of the tree.

Ji Yunchan almost screamed, quickly covered her mouth, and asked in a low voice, "What are we doing?"

"Go in and have a look." The familiar aura nearby made Jiang Baizhou uneasy, and he couldn't wait for the dawn impatiently.

He took Long Ying and Ji Yunchan to fly forward and looked down at the same time - he couldn't see anything, only darkness.

too weird.

Jiang Baizhou's night vision ability is far better than that of ordinary people. Even if he doesn't light a fire or use the Five Elements Ring to shine, he can see clearly.

Even if the details are blurred, the outline of the scene should always be there.

It was okay when they were on the ground, they could touch the trunk and see the shadow of the tree, but when they flew a little higher, everything on the ground seemed to disappear completely in the darkness.

After flying for a certain distance, a hill suddenly appeared in front of him.

Jiang Baizhou put down Long Ying and Ji Yunchan, and the three stood still on a high place.Just as Long Ying was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from below: "Who trespassed?!"

Immediately afterwards, a fire lit up in the dense forest, and countless guards showed up.

"We were discovered?" Ji Yunchan was taken aback.

Jiang Baizhou looked from a distance for a moment, then shook his head: "No, there are other people coming, let's watch first."