Chapter 267 Qingcheng, someone from Chu is back

Chapter 267 Qingcheng, someone from Chu is back

More than a month has passed, and the shock and aftermath caused by the murder of Nan Qinghou Crown Prince in Qingcheng City still lingers.

The news that comes out from time to time still causes a stir and a lot of discussion in the streets.

It's noon this day.

The scorching sun at the end of July on the lunar calendar is the time when autumn tigers in southern China are most ferocious.

The sun is like fire. If you stand under the light for a little longer, your skin will burn and ache.

Therefore, near noon, the hottest time, there are few pedestrians walking on the street.

Even the center of bustling Qingcheng is no exception.

In the prosperous area south of Zhongzhong Street, adjacent to a river passing through the city, the three-story Tongfu Inn, which covers an area of ​​nearly an acre, has ushered in the busiest period of the day.

In the dining area on the first floor, diners were coming in and out, and twenty or thirty tables were full.

At a table in the corner by the window, a beardless man with a sallow face and a sickly look was drinking by himself.

His long hair was spread loose, covering half of his face, making it impossible to see his full face.

When eating, his movements were slow and lukewarm, as if he had no interest in the delicacies and drinks on the table.

From time to time, he would raise his head and look around, feeling lost in thought.

Only when the diners around him were talking about the recent major events in Qingcheng, would he prick up his ears and listen carefully for a while.

For example, someone mentioned that the Su family in Dongcheng was suppressed by Nanqing Hou Wang Yang who returned to the city in the past two or three days, causing them to vomit out some of the forces that had annexed the Cheng family.

As for the inner story, the commentators are also uncertain, and they can't agree on anything.

Some said that Marquis Nanqing was in a fit of rage, and something happened to offend him in the Su family, and he suffered an unreasonable disaster.

Some also say that Nan Qinghou discovered that the Su family had an inexplicable relationship with Chu Tang, the enemy who killed his son. He deliberately took revenge, and the Su family was implicated.

Fortunately, the Su family is also a Six Realm family, and it is indeed not directly related to the death of Nanqinghou's crown prince. Nanqinghou just vented his anger on them, and did not complete the matter or completely break up. .

In addition, some people also said that everyone who is related to Chu Tang in Qingcheng will more or less bear the wrath of Nan Qinghou.

Anyway, Nan Qinghou is lighting fires everywhere in Qingcheng.

According to everyone, Nan Qinghou returned to Qingcheng three days ago.

Before that, he had been looking for traces of his enemy in the northeast of Liangzhou, but unfortunately he had no results and finally returned empty-handed.

"Brother, I heard that Marquis Nanqing still refused to let his son's coffin be buried and kept it in their ancestral hall?" Suddenly, someone among the diners mentioned this matter loudly.

"This matter is nothing new. When he returned to Qingcheng three days ago, someone asked him to bury his son immediately. After all... you know! He has been inactive for more than a month! He was not in Qingcheng before, and there was no way for him to bury his son. As the host, now that he is back, it stands to reason that he should take care of this matter as soon as possible."

"Tsk, tsk, after being suspended for a month...it stinks, right?"

"Ugh! Could you please stop saying this while eating!"

"Sorry, sorry, it was an unintentional mistake. Brother, aren't you just curious?"

"That was Nan Qinghou's idea. He has already spoken. If he doesn't kill his enemy, his son will not be buried!"

"If he can't kill his enemies for the rest of his life, will his son be a lonely ghost forever?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, don't kill us! Nan Qinghou is very angry now and is looking for trouble everywhere. If these words reach his ears, he will have to skin you!"

"I am just a commoner. He has the ability to find the rightful owner! By the way, that Chu Tang is really powerful. The Marquis of Nanqing and the people from Luoshen Valley turned over half of Liangzhou, but he still escaped."

"How else can we say that he is the best in Qinggong in Liangzhou! How dare he kill Nanqinghou Crown Prince without any ability?"

"That's right! This man is extremely brave. There hasn't been such a fierce person in Liangzhou for decades!"

"Haha! Fierce? That's just foolhardy! With his martial arts skills and being a member of the Guijun Yamen, according to common sense, after defeating Xu Lingfeng in Luoshen Valley, he should have been put in high regard by the imperial court, but now he has become a member of the imperial court. A wanted criminal, everyone is calling for beating him! His portrait is posted everywhere in Qingcheng, and government officials and city guards all regard him as the key target of the search. It is said that all counties and counties in Liangzhou also do this, saying that it is a trap It’s no exaggeration to say that a dragnet is waiting for him.”

"With this kind of formation, there really is no place for him in Liangzhou. I'm afraid he has already escaped from Liangzhou."

"Who knows!"

"Let me tell you..."

The discussion among several people gradually shifted from this matter to other interesting things.

There was a clatter, and the fascinated yellow-faced man at the table next to them pushed his stool away and stood up.

I saw him glance at the diners on the first floor, then lower his head and go up the stairs. After a while, he went up to the third floor, came to a guest room, opened the door and walked in.

This is an upper room, elegantly furnished and fully equipped with beds, tables, chairs, and cabinets.

In the room, there is a desk on the window side with the Four Treasures of the Study on it.

The wooden paper window is half-opened and half-covered, standing against the window. Gently push the window door open, and you can see the scene outside.

The third floor is high enough to have a panoramic view of the scenery outside the window: downstairs is a street paved with bluestones, with people walking around from time to time, and occasionally carriages passing by.

Opposite the inn, there is a row of willow trees swaying in the wind.

Outside the willow tree, there is a small river in the city flowing through it. The water surface is calm and the waves are calm. Under the hot sun, there are occasional sparkling lights.

On the other side of the river, there is another scene in the city.

Looking to the northwest, you can vaguely see the outline of Liangzhou Governor's Mansion, and the towering Moon Viewing Tower in the mansion is clearly visible.

In front of the window, the yellow-faced man stared at the Guanyue Tower in the distance for a long time. He was lost in thought. After a long time, he looked back and sighed in an inaudible voice: "Qingcheng, I, Mr. Chu, are back again!"

Who is Mr. Chu?

Chu Tang is right!

It's just that he is covering his face with a human skin mask to cover up his usual handsome appearance, which is comparable to that of a big Qidian reader.

He had worn this human-skin mask for more than ten days and had completely adapted to its tightness.

Moreover, in order to match the sick appearance of the human skin mask, Chu Tang also showed that he was a sickly scholar from time to time.

Nowadays, even if his acquaintances meet him, they can't find any trace of Chu Tang.

And his sigh just now was entirely out of emotion.

Today, it has been a full month since he last left Qingcheng!

"If I remember correctly, it should be thirty-three days ago."

Thirty-three days are enough for a lot of changes to happen in the world.

In these more than thirty days, he, Chu Tang, had grown from a rising young master in the ranks of imperial agents to a wanted criminal who everyone wanted to beat.

At this moment, it had been ten days since he left the mysterious mountain village.

Zhou Ziyu only gave him three days to prepare before sending him out of the mountain village.

It was really a "send" - he was blindfolded and had someone lift him out on a bamboo stand.

Along the way, Chu Tang could not only sense that the mountain road was narrow and difficult to walk, but also heard the sound of boats swaying in the water.

For half a day, he passed through mountain roads, crossed waterways, and then boarded a carriage.

By the time the people asked him to take off the black cloth covering his eyes and be able to see the scene outside, he was already in a county town.

After asking about it, I found out that this is the northernmost county in Liangzhou. Dozens of miles to the north, it enters the boundary of Jingzhou.

From this point of view, people like Zhou Ziyu are active at the junction of Liang and Jing?

Only this kind of area, surrounded by mountains and unattended, is convenient for them to hide.

Unfortunately, there were people coming and going in the county, and there were so many people talking and talking that Chu Tang, who saw the light of day again, could not even tell the direction, let alone find the way back to the small mountain village.

Even the people who sent him to the county seat covered their faces with bamboo hats so that no one could recognize him.

After putting Chu Tang down, they didn't say much and quickly retreated.

Chu Tang didn't have the idea of ​​following them, but after thinking about it, he finally gave up the idea.

Let alone how much manpower and material resources it takes to find the mountain village among the mountains. Even if he finds it, what can he do?

Who can guarantee that that is Zhou Ziyu's home base!

Maybe it's just a transit point.

Or maybe it was just a way for the other party to create doubts and confuse him.

It is better to do less than to do more. Anyway, there will be many opportunities for them to deal with each other in the future.

He just inquired about some conditions in the county and didn't stay too long. Chu Tang found a horse and drove slowly. It took about ten days to return to Qingcheng again.

Wandering on the streets of Qingcheng, he saw his wanted portrait and heard the people in the city talking about him. Chu Tang, who had changed his face, had a different feeling like a bystander.

The pleasure of peeping?

He just checked into Tongfu Inn this morning.

The place of stay was not chosen by him, but Zhou Ziyu's people told him that after entering the city, he would go to this inn to stay in Room Tianzi No. 1 and wait for the opportunity. Someone from them would come to contact him before taking the next step. Intend.

Chu Tang sometimes wondered whether Zhou Ziyu opened the Tongfu Inn.

"They say it's dark under the lights, and the more dangerous the place, the safer it is. This place is right next to the Governor's Mansion. By placing manpower here, we can completely monitor every move of Qingcheng officials."

The street in front of the Governor's Mansion is the most prosperous, and the people who live there are either rich or noble. Most of the yamen or official residences in Qingcheng are concentrated in this area.

There are no people with simple status who come in and out.

Placing ears and eyes nearby is extremely convenient for inquiring about any news.

When it comes to spying on Qingcheng, there is no place more suitable than here!

"Zhou Ziyu...Liang Wang..." Chu Tang smiled bitterly. He had obviously overestimated the strength of their group, but in the end he found that he had underestimated the strength of the other party.

Fifty years of being hidden in the dark has indeed allowed the other party to have enough time and energy to develop enough power.

What Chu Tang is worried about now is that if he got on their pirate ship, would he still have a chance to get off?

Along the way, he had given up the idea of ​​colluding with the other party and traveling around the world, but in the end, the reluctance in his heart drove him all the way west and re-entered Qingcheng.

He is unwilling to hide in the dark like a bed bug or a mouse, and has to hide wherever he goes!

"Nan Qinghou... what should I do with you?" Chu Tang sighed again.

Soon, his mind turned to the agreement with Zhou Ziyu.

"The Chen family siblings..." Chu Tang couldn't help but smile bitterly.

This place is not far from Sima Mansion in Qingcheng, only two miles to the left and right.

Liangzhou Sima, as an in-law of the Chen family, is now providing them with unspeakable protection.

It's not that Chu Tang looks down on Liangzhou Sima. As a third-grade official, he does have considerable power and is considered the number one figure in Qingcheng.

However, in front of the strong martial arts masters who come and go, it is just unnecessary not to conflict with him.

Once a force like Zhou Ziyu wants to attack the Sima Mansion in Liangzhou, the other party will not have much resistance at all, either intentionally or unintentionally.

This is also the reason why Chu Tang is willing to come here - he hopes to quietly help Zhou Ziyu get the painting and solve future problems for the Chen family's children.

"You are just ordinary people. You should live an ordinary life for the rest of your life." Chu Tang said quietly to himself.

He left the window and sat down at the desk in the room.

In addition to the Four Treasures of the Study, there is also a magical weapon lying quietly on the table.

This is a long sword of nearly four feet, inserted in a magnificent scabbard.

The scabbard is made of silver, glowing with silver, and has a few orbs embedded in it, making it sparkle.

"This sword is pretty cool!" This was Chu Tang's impression that never changed after he got the sword.

This sword was a gift from Zhou Ziyu. It belongs to the fifth-grade divine weapon, and its grade is the same as his divine weapon Yitian.

However, just looking at the appearance, this sword is much more noble.

Of course, there is nothing special about this sword. Apart from its better-looking appearance, its style is no different from the common long swords in the world.

This is what he got from his request to Zhou Ziyu.

In order to completely conceal his identity, he could not use the martial arts he had used before during this trip unless necessary.

Therefore, he could only abandon Yitian temporarily.

Before coming, he solemnly handed Yitian to Miss Lin'er for safekeeping, saying that after the mission was completed, he would retrieve his own magic weapon again.

Although the other magic weapons are good, he has become more accustomed to Yitian, and his feelings are much deeper.

After touching the long sword, Chu Tang let go of his hand again and said to it: "The sword is not useful, but success brings fame. I wonder if you can really follow me and become famous all over the world."

He thought of the death sword technique he had obtained from the panel before.

With all his strength, he can use the fifteenth sword that kills people at once, and its power is not far behind the real power of the Seventh Realm.

How can a sword that can kill a strong man in the Seven Realms be ordinary? !

"However, it's best if you don't do anything on this trip, come quietly, and leave quietly." This is Chu Tang's wish.

For this reason, he even suppressed his desire to see some old friends in Qingcheng.

For example, Tao Ying, Su Qingyue, Tang Yue, and even Nan Qinghou...

Along the way, he often had the idea of ​​going to Nanqinghou Mansion to assassinate Wang Yang.

As the saying goes, if he is dead and all is gone, Nanqinghou is gone. Will the court still desperately want him?

However, he was afraid of troubles, so he had to give up the murderous intention in his heart - mainly because he was afraid of the revenge of the Lord of the Luoshen Valley.

The strength of the Wulin Holy Land is not something he can weigh now.

On this trip, the only person he could see in his true identity was probably Chen Suming.

However, as an official lady, Chen Suming was in the Sima Mansion, unable to leave or step outside the second door. Without a valid reason, it would be really difficult to see her without alarming other people.

"You have to plan carefully..." Chu Tang's strongest thought now is that the contact person mentioned by Zhou Ziyu should come to see him quickly. "Miss Lin'er said that after arriving in Qingcheng, there is no need to worry, the contact person will be there for you." I will arrange an opportunity to meet the second lady of the Chen family."

He really couldn't act rashly, lest he bring disaster to the Chen family siblings.

"Alas!" Chu Tang let out a long sigh for no apparent reason.

Half a day passed in his various reveries.

In the evening, he went to the first floor to dine again, and listened to various gossips from the diners.

When night falls, the lanterns are lit.

The lights in Tongfu Inn were bright in twos and threes.

Chu Tang climbed up the wooden stairs and slowly returned to his private room.

After entering the room and lighting the oil lamp on the table, his expression suddenly changed——

On the table, there is a small baggage quietly placed!

"Someone has been in this room!" Chu Tang immediately had such a thought, his face turned red and white, "Zhou Ziyu's people?"

But no matter who it was and what the purpose was, it was really rude to enter his room without his permission and leave things behind without saying a word!

No respect for him at all!

"Even if you don't want to expose your identity, you shouldn't do this!" Chu Tang felt a surge of anger in his heart. He felt that the other party looked down on him and was humiliating him.

"Don't let me know who you are, or I'll beat you until your mother doesn't recognize you!"

After cursing for a while, Chu Tang's eyes fell on the baggage on the table.

With his eyes flashing, he came to the desk, picked up the long sword, returned to the table in the center of the room, and opened the bundle with the long sword.

After the baggage was opened, the true appearance of the thing inside was revealed - a folded piece of kraft paper!

The paper was very hard, so Chu Tang still picked it up with his long sword and spread out the paper.

Above, there are dense lines and words.

Taking a closer look, Chu Tang was stunned: "This is... the layout plan of Sima Mansion in Qingcheng?"

Putting down his sword, he sat down, picked up the paper and read it in detail. He was even more stunned: "This...isn't it too detailed?"

This is indeed the layout of their target Sima Mansion!

How detailed?

He drew out all the layout of the mansion, including the entrances, the number of side rooms, the gardens, the lakes, and where the rockeries were located. They were all listed one by one.

It also uses text to introduce some of the details, such as who lives in the courtyard here, what are the living habits of the people inside, and even what time to get up to relieve themselves at night is clearly marked!

In addition, how the Sima Mansion's defense forces are deployed, how many guards there are, when patrols are conducted, how many shifts, and when shifts are changed, are all clearly written down.

It can be said that as long as you memorize this picture, you can wander around the Sima Mansion with your eyes closed.

"Is this Sima Mansion a sieve? Has it been infiltrated like this?" Chu Tang felt a little unworthy for Liangzhou Sima.

While feeling emotional, he was also frightened: "It has been less than two months since Chen Suming came to Qingcheng to live in Sima Mansion. Did Zhou Ziyu and the others start to explore the details of Sima Mansion after that, or before that? You don’t have any ulterior motives anymore?”

No matter which one it is, it shows Zhou Ziyu's terrifying strength!

"What on earth is this guy doing? Is it really just for the treasure of Prince Liang?" A strange voice echoed in Chu Tang's heart.

Taking a deep breath and shaking his head, Chu Tang gradually corrected his attitude. No matter what the other party planned, it was not something he could control now.

The most urgent task is to get the painting or clues from Chen Suming quietly.

He lay down and searched on the layout map, and finally pointed at a small courtyard to the left of the second entrance of the house: "Chen Suming, here! There are guards patrolling... and maids serving? It's not easy... …”