Embrace the blade

After crossing the stone bridge, after dozens of steps to the south, a small building stands silently.

Jiang Li slowly opened the door.

After all, he couldn't help but come to confirm it himself.The next day after the incident, he and Qi Zhaoxi were wary of each other. They only heard the news that the Qingshan faction came to investigate once, but they had already obtained Zhaoyue's letter. Ken easily skipped here, but the result was that there were no traces of the fight, nor any clues.

Originally, the disciples of the Qingshan Sect were still guarding outside the building, but now they have all withdrawn, leaving an empty room.

The furnishings in the house are still in the original state, because it has not been a few days, and the dust has not yet accumulated, it seems that the owner hastily left after receiving the letter, and will come back soon.Only the flowers inserted obliquely in the celadon vase withered and withered, exhausted the desolation.

Jiang Li looked around, he saw that there were a lot of things on the bookshelves, the beds were stacked neatly, only half of the words were still hanging on the mahogany desk, the pen was put aside, and the ink in the stone inkstone had already dried out.

Which family's poem Cheng Juxian wrote, Jiang Li didn't recognize it, and was about to pick it up for a closer look, when his fingers touched it suddenly.He pulled the paper aside and tapped on the desk with his fingers, making a loud thud.

This case is actually hollow.

Jiang Li fumbled and pressed down, and there was another soft sound of the inkstone colliding, and when he took it away, he could see a corner of the wood chip slightly tilted.He simply cleared everything on the case, and finally lifted the thin cover, and the black wooden box lay quietly in it. Jiang Li remembered that the sword was taken out of it in the rookie competition.

It seems that Cheng Juxian himself hid the sword inside.

He opened the wooden box, but there was nothing in it, the sword was indeed lost.

Jiang Li frowned even tighter, feeling that he was standing in front of the puddle, only one step away from finding the small stone.

But what is wrong?

He suppressed his thoughts, put the shutter back, and restored the desk objects to their original state based on his memory.

Suddenly, Jiang Li froze.

Small stones rolled to his feet.

Why are pens, inks, papers and inkstones, even trivial sundries such as paperweights placed on the east side, or in other words, placed facing west?

He suddenly raised his head and looked around the room again. The jade wares on the ancient shelf, the thin quilt on the bed, the dead flower branches in the celadon vase, and even the furnishings in the whole room were all facing west, like... just like She is a resentful woman looking westward.

Breathing was slightly stagnant, then Jiang Li rushed out the door and returned to the house he had just left.

Zhaoyue is not here.

He hurriedly looked around, grabbed a nearby servant and asked, "Where is Zhaoyue?"

The servant was taken aback by his expression, and stammered: "She... she went to the side door, probably going out?"

Jiang Li let go of the servants and ran straight out the door.

There is a wide street outside Juyi Village. The more people walk, the more crowded the shops are, and the number of forks gradually increases.Jiang Li looked far and wide, and finally caught a water-red shadow at the corner of the street, and stepped into a shop.

This is a cloth shop, the shopkeeper was trying to calculate his abacus, he was startled by his intrusion, but Jiang Li didn't have time to take care of it, walked through the hall, and stepped on the stairs.

However, his footsteps suddenly slowed down, and his breathing became calmer every time he went up a step, and when he finally met the astonished Zhaoyue upstairs, his expression was as usual.

The upper floor is covered with splendid silk and satin on horizontal poles, like a layer of curtains, the wind blows and the streamer sparkles, reflecting the faces of people.

Zhaoyue's eyes were still a little red and swollen, and she smiled at him blankly: "Why are you here?"

Jiang Li neither answered nor asked why she was here, but said, "I have something to tell you."

There are tables and chairs by the window, and the two of them sat facing each other.

"What are you trying to say?"

Jiang Li looked into her eyes and said, "It's hard to change a person's habits that have been accumulated over the years, especially in urgent situations."

Zhaoyue was even more confused: "I don't understand what you mean."

"I'll tell you from the beginning." Jiang Li's voice became weaker and weaker, just stating, "There is a girl who wants to get that sword, and it is her father who is guarding the sword, so she scouted out the location in advance and found someone else. Come to prove her innocence. That night, she sent her father away with a letter, and knocked out a maidservant who was similar in stature to her in the house. As long as she saw someone under the window, others would naturally think it was her. she."

Zhaoyue's smile disappeared, and there was no expression on her face.

"But she didn't expect that the person in the opposite room was not there that night and could not testify for her."

"She didn't even expect that the Wisdom Sect went to her father's house first, but fortunately, the other party mistook her for her father and returned, and fled in a hurry. Although the house was turned upside down, the sword was still there. She will Take the sword away, so as not to be discovered immediately, and tidy up the messy house."

Jiang Li paused for a moment before continuing: "But she ignored it. Only the rooms she has been to have all the furnishings facing west. According to the clues Shen Zhiyan found, there was a little maidservant in the west courtyard who fell asleep for no reason that night. Yes. When you and I first met, you knew where Cheng Juxian lived."

Zhaoyue didn't say a word, Jiang Li said in a low voice: "During the trial of the three families of the Shanhe League, the person who saw the night patrol was you, or a member of the Prajna Sect?"

After a long silence, Zhaoyue finally said, "It's me."

"The sword was given away that night?"

"Yes."

Jiang Li nodded: "From the beginning to the end, everything is according to the plan?"

"No..." Her voice trembled slightly, "It's just...it just happened to be you."

Jiang Li stopped looking at her: "I thought that the cruel method of killing Cheng Juxian taught by Prajna was to put blame on you. In fact, I should have bumped into Cheng Juxian who was waiting in the forest while escaping, and realized that I was being deceived, Those twelve swords are for venting anger..."

"Enough!" Zhaoyue interrupted him, shaking his head, "Jiang Li, stop talking."

But he acted as if he had never heard of it, and said word by word: "Although you didn't kill him yourself, you still have something to do with him."

"...Yes, I know." Zhaoyue's voice trembled violently, tears slipped down silently, and he repeated through gritted teeth, "Of course I know!"

Jiang Li felt tired for no reason, and suddenly had nothing to say.

There was no need to say anything more, a dagger was quietly pressed against the back of his heart.

The woman's soft laughter sounded at the same time: "Speak well, why are you crying?"

A creamy jade hand lifted the silk and satin, and someone walked out slowly.This is an extremely beautiful woman, her appearance is so pure and beautiful that it adds a bit of beauty, flowing between the corners of her eyes and the tip of her eyebrows.

"Seven Kills, Xiao Lingyu." She lowered her head and smiled, her neck was slender and fair.

In Jianghu, most of the mentions of the Demon Cult refer to the Prajna Cult, but in fact, besides the Prajna Cult, there are many evil ways, and the Seven Killing Gates is one of them.

Zhaoyue hurriedly stood up, wiped away her tears indiscriminately: "Master."

Xiao Lingyu patted Zhaoyue's head affectionately, and said with a smile: "You are really made of water. Didn't I tell you earlier that if you cry too much, you won't be pretty anymore?"

She turned to Jiang Li, smiling even wider: "Your name is Jiang Li? Well, the word 'li' doesn't have a good meaning, just leave." She sighed regretfully, and gently raised her hand, "Then I'll send you on your way. .”

"Master, don't!" Zhaoyue grabbed her arm in horror, "No, Master, don't kill him..."

Xiao Lingyu pressed her hand: "How can he not die?"

"Don't!" Zhaoyue begged, "Master, please let him go, don't kill him!"

Xiao Lingyu turned her eyes to see that Jiang Li was sitting there without saying a word, with a silent expression, as if it was not about her own life or death.She chuckled softly, and said to Xiangyue: "You see, he is not afraid of himself, what are you afraid of?"

Zhaoyue stared closely at Xiao Lingyu's side face, she didn't know whether she couldn't care about it, or she didn't dare to look at Jiang Li, she shook her head desperately, tears couldn't stop falling: "I...I don't want him to die..."

During the interrogation by the three families, he stood beside her and said, "I believe her."

Xiao Lingyu sighed: "Silly girl, he won't appreciate you. You lied to him this time, even if you let him go, he will kill you the next time you see him again."

"Don't kill him." Zhaoyue didn't listen to what she said at all, clutched Xiao Lingyu's arm, knelt down slowly, put her face on her sleeve, and was dizzy with large swaths of water, "Please Now, master, let's go. I hate this place, let's go, I don't want to stay any longer, not for a moment..."

Like a drowning person, she grabbed hold of the driftwood and buried her face in Xiao Lingyu's sleeve, which made Xiao Lingyu have to bend slightly, sobbing at the end, there was only one sentence over and over again: "Let's go."

Xiao Lingyu had no choice but to hold her tear-stained face with both hands, and gently wiped away the tears with her sleeves: "Okay, anyway, I got the Busu sword, so let's go now."

She gave him a wink, and someone behind Jiang Li immediately shouted: "Master, this person must not be let go!"

Xiao Lingyu said softly: "My apprentice has made great achievements this time, so naturally I have to follow her wishes. You don't need to say too much."

After saying that, she helped Zhaoyue up, and she turned and left without hesitation.

Zhaoyue followed step by step, and when she reached the stairs, she finally gathered up some courage and looked up. She wanted to show a smile, but she couldn't, it was not good at all: "...Jiang Li Are we still friends?"

Jiang Li also looked at her without saying a word.

It turns out that silence can kill.

Zhaoyue said in a shy voice: "Mute." She turned her head and went downstairs quickly, eager to escape from here, escape from Dongting, escape from all sad places.

The dagger was withdrawn without a sound, and finally only the sound of his breathing remained.

Jiang Li sat motionless in the same place, when a gust of wind came, the shadow of silk and satin fell on him and rolled up.