Rumble!
The sky was overcast and thunder was roaring.
After a while, the light rain began to fall, lingering like silk, hitting the leaves on the roadside, making a constant rustling sound.
Now is the frost season, when all things are finished, the sun sets into the ground, the yin begins to condense, and the weather becomes colder. This is the time of year when the temperature difference between day and night is the largest.
When it rains, the cold air hits the soles of your feet and goes straight up.
"This is so unlucky..."
Sha LiFei stood under the eaves, shivered, then turned around and walked in. He gave a thumbs up and said, "It's still a Daoist master. If it's going to rain today, I'll take us to shelter in advance. It's a pity that we don't have a decent place to stay."
This is an old house on the hillside.
The old house is remote. It is said that it was built by a wealthy businessman many years ago. He planned to make the whole Lineage based here. He never expected that the kiln would be smashed by bandits just after it was built, and it was abandoned.
Although most of the houses have collapsed and the surrounding grass is overgrown, the two main halls left behind are enough to protect everyone from wind and rain.
Inside the house, Wang Dao Xuan burned a bunch of dry mugwort and waved it in every corner, especially the decayed and dark corners, to get rid of bad luck.
The old man in the handlebar position fed the horses, and the four polemen chopped firewood and built the stove. As for Li Yan, he thought other people's cooking was unpalatable and unclean, so he did it himself.
After a few days, everyone has cooperated tacitly and is in good order.
Sha LiFei felt bored, so he found something to say and complained, "The innkeeper is really unscrupulous. After all, he is a fellow in the world, and he won't even let us in."
"Otherwise, I would have had something hot by now..."
After they set off from Xianyang, their journey was smooth.
A few days passed and we arrived at the foot of the Qinling Mountains.
Wang Dao Xuan checked the sky and found that it had been raining for several days. If they continued on their way, they might get wet in the coffin, so they took everyone to find a place to rest.
This place is not far from the road into the mountain. There is an inn a few hundred meters away. Unfortunately, people don't let us in. They just pointed out this place to take shelter from the rain.
The leader of the pole pullers is named Yue BaLa. He rolled down the hillside because he was playful when he was a child. He did not die, but his head was covered with scars.
When he grew up, his head was shaved, his head was covered with scars and his face was fleshy, so he was inevitably nicknamed "Scar". As time went by, no one called him by his real name.
Despite his fierce appearance, he is honest and responsible, and with this fierce look on his face, he became a famous poleman at Xianyang City within a few years.
Hearing Sha LiFei complain, Yue BaLa scratched his head and said with a naive smile, "Xia Daxia, we are sending the Yin people back home. The inn is for the Yang people. Why don't we make trouble for others when we go?"
"We have a rule in our industry. We don't visit randomly, so as not to bring bad luck to others. In the past, we slept in the wilderness and ruined temples, so we are used to it."
The handlebar type Old MengTou comes from Tai Hang Car and Horse Company. He is a veteran in the world. He rolled his eyes and said with a sigh, "Traveling is like this. It is not exposed to the wind and the sun. The only thing I regret about this old man is that I drink from it."
Sha LiFei was amused when he heard this, "Well, you Old MengTou, you are asking for a drink in a roundabout way, right? This old country shop can have any good wine."
"Alas~"
Old MengTou blinked, "You don't understand this."
"The Phoenix Inn and Chang'an stores at the bottom of the mountain are well-known brands. They started from Fengxiang, and the Willow Forest Old Qin Wine they brew is excellent."
"It's mellow and elegant, sweet and refreshing, all the flavors are harmonious, and the tail is clean and long... Tsk, tsk, when it comes to kung fu, I'm not a good old man, but I've traveled all over the country and I know exactly where the wine is the best!"
Sha LiFei swallowed his saliva when he said, "Don't lie to me."
Li Yan, who was chopping vegetables, also thought, "Uncle Sha, since it's a brand name, there is probably a lot of news in the world."
"I can't leave today anyway. I'm going to buy some wine for everyone to keep out the cold. I want to find out some news on the way. I see it's not peaceful on the Qinling Road."
"Hello!"
Sha LiFei I was happy, put on my bamboo hat Straw Cape, and rushed into the rain.
When it comes to work, he likes to be lazy, but running errands and gathering information is his forte.
Wang Dao Xuan had just finished removing the darkness, and lit Three Incense Sticks and inserted it into the small incense burner next to the coffin. Then he smiled and said, "Don't worry, the road we are taking is Qin-Chu Ancient Road, which happens to pass through Zhongnan Mountain."
"Zhongnan Mountain has a forest of Daoist temples, and there are many Daoist masters practicing in seclusion. There are pilgrim groups from Chang'an all year round, so there is basically no danger."
"But it's frost now, and jackals are sacrificial beasts. The wild beasts on the mountain have to spend the winter, and I'm afraid they will come down the mountain to harass..."
Halfway through his words, when he saw Li Yan staring blankly at the door, Wang Dao Xuan frowned and whispered, "Reappeared?"
Li Yan nodded and said nothing.
In his field of vision, in the drizzle outside the door, Cold Altar Wandering Master appeared again, still covered in blood, with long hair hanging down, pointing at the Qinling Mountains with his left hand.
Although Qing YangZi said it was fine, he always felt a little uneasy.
Without him, this traveler's appearance would be too miserable.
What on earth did he go through...
"The phoenix flies and spreads good news, and the guests and friends are all full of words..."
Sha LiFei looked at the couplet on the door of the inn and muttered, "You are a coward. Jianghu Inn is so elegant. Some girl must have opened it!"
This Phoenix Inn is really quite big.
The tall wooden door is attached to couplets, and there are gourd lanterns hanging down on both sides, connected to the earth wall, enclosing the entire inn and the surrounding fields.
Sha LiFei Before he even entered the door, he heard the neighing of mules and horses inside.
After entering the courtyard gate, I saw livestock sheds on both sides of the spacious courtyard to protect them from the rain. Two guys were busy feeding the mules and horses.
When one of the round-faced waiters saw Sha LiFei, he quickly ran over, bowed repeatedly, and said with a wry smile, "Oh, my guest, the team that delivers the ghosts is really not allowed to enter, so please don't embarrass me."
"Look at how scared you are."
Sha LiFei glared, "I'm here to buy some drinks, please let me in, okay?"
"Of course."
The waiter quickly bent down and raised his hand, "Guest officer, please come in."
When the people who opened the shop were greeted and dropped off, there were so many people I had never seen before who were unreasonable and walking sideways. Sha LiFei's attitude couldn't scare him at all.
Sha LiFei was too lazy to bother, and jogged all the way, jumping over muddy puddles, opening the curtain and entering the inn.
In the rivers and lakes, inns are also divided into three, six or nine grades.
The top ones are often opened in prosperous big cities, with more than a dozen courtyards inside and outside, and the guests coming and going are all nobles and wealthy businessmen.
The higher-end ones are similar, but slightly smaller. They are often adjacent to famous brothels and restaurants in the city, or are located near academies and other crowded places.
As for those on these roads, most of them are relatively simple.
This Phoenix Inn is divided into a front hall and a backyard.
The front hall has two floors. The middle is spacious and filled with square tables for guests to drink and eat. There are wooden railings and brick staircases on both sides, leading to the rooms on the second floor.
As for the backyard, there are large shops with a dozen people in a row, and single rooms, depending on how much money you have.
Perhaps due to the autumn rain, there were many people in the inn.
"Waiter, bring me a pot of Old Qin Wine and get some food."
Sha LiFei called out, then found a deserted corner to sit down, took out the book <ShaMen HongNiang Biography> from his arms, pretended to read it, but in fact paid attention to the movements around him.
He is a veteran of Jianghu, and he can quickly see the details of the people coming to the inn.
The group of people on the left are neatly dressed, speak elegantly, and are all vegetarians. There are guards standing behind them. At first glance, they are the incense sticks from Chang'an.
The so-called incense-burning group is a group of people going to famous mountains and rivers to offer incense. On the one hand, they express their sincerity, and on the other hand, they take a look at the scenery along the way.
They usually have little financial resources and work together to hire some guards. After all, some places on the road are not smooth...
Those on the right are obviously the delivery guys from the carriage and horse shop. They drank muddy wine and ate pickled vegetables. They were in high spirits and even sang and punched:
"Oh, soju is originally made from grain water. It softens the arms first and then the legs. Drinking water spoils the road, and the gods can't make enough wine..."
They shouted so loudly that the people in the Chang'an Incense Group next to them looked horrified, but after the guards whispered, they could only endure it and not get angry.
Sha LiFei smiled secretly in his heart.
Although these handlebar styles are vulgar, they are never easy to mess with. They have the backing of a car dealer and may be familiar with bandits on the road.
If there's a dispute, it's better to cover your face and give him a good beating.
If there is someone with evil intentions who secretly kills people, steals goods, and then throws the corpses into the woods to feed wild animals, it is not unheard of.
If he is wanted, the worst he can do is go to another state and continue working.
These Chang'an incense sticks are really untouchable.
As for the rest of the people in the store, most of them are jingle artists, some are full of muscles, performing tricks, and some are drum calligraphers carrying Liuqin three strings, with weathered faces, miserable faces, and a pot of turbid wine to mourn the hardships of the world...
That's what the inn is like.
Ordinary people are busy doing things in the fields, so most of the people on the road are either pulling carts to deliver goods or eating money from the public.
Sha LiFei looked at it for a while and saw that there was no one who was an eyesore. Just as the waiter brought drinks and dishes, he asked in a low voice, "Waiter, let me ask you, is it peaceful on the road recently?"
As he said that, he took out a few copper coins and put them on the table.
"Sir, you have asked the right person."
The waiter put down the drinks and dishes, then picked up the plate. The copper coins on the table had disappeared. He chuckled and said, "This is close to Zhongnan Mountain. Not to mention bandits, even wild beasts in the mountains will eat fast and chant Buddha's name, so they won't hurt anyone."
"Sir, are you going to Shang Prefecture?"
Sha LiFei nodded, "Go to Fengyang."
The waiter looked around and whispered, "You have to be careful when you cross the Zhongnan Mountain boundary. I heard from the driver yesterday that there are wild beasts over there that can hurt people."
"Also, over there at Niubeiliang, there are a lot of good guys in the mountains. Money seems to be tight recently, and they even had a fight with Dingyuan Escort Agency. I heard it was quite a big deal."
"Although you are part of the team that delivers the dead, there is no guarantee that you will be able to take action."
"Oh..."
Sha LiFei frowned slightly, "Thank you."
He had heard of the name Niubeiliang. The terrain was complex, with high mountains and dense forests. It was the only way to Shang Prefecture, and there were quite a few bandits entrenched there.
The government conducted several encirclement and suppression campaigns but failed to clean up the area.
It seems that I need to go back and discuss it with Li Yan.
Thinking of this, Sha LiFei immediately said loudly, "Waiter, take these and give me ten kilograms of wine."
"Hello!"
The waiter looked happy and quickly went to bring the wine jar.
Those poor guys can't afford to drink these Willow Forest Old Qin Wine. A little more is enough. Maybe the shopkeeper will be able to reward him with more when he is happy.
Sha LiFei was a tall man, and he picked up a ten-pound wine jar as if he were playing with it. But just as he was about to leave, another person came in from outside the door.
The person who came was a middle-aged man, wearing a green shirt, a cowhide belt and wristbands, and a long sword at his waist. He had no smile at the corner of his mouth and a frown on his eyebrows.
The key is the shoes under my feet. Although they are covered in mud, they have black boots and thick white soles.
These thick-soled soap boots are official boots, and can only be worn by officials or their children.
He looked around, frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Xiao Er, are there any good private courtyards left?"
The waiter smiled and said, "Sir, the yard has been rented out."
The middle-aged man tossed out a bunch of money and asked, "Who is it?"
The waiter in the shop quickly caught it and said with a naive smile, "Aren't you making things difficult for me? How dare you say..."
Even so, his eyes drifted to the side.
There is the incense stick from Chang'an.
Without saying a word, the middle-aged man came directly to the incense-burning group, cupped his hands and said, "Everyone, excuse me, my husband can't stand the noise. He wants a private courtyard. Can you give it up? I'm willing to pay three times the store fee."
Several people in the incense group were upset by the noise from the handlers and were about to leave. When they heard this, they suddenly became unhappy.
"Your Excellency, are you a little overbearing?"
"It's just that you think we can't afford it?"
There was also a young man in the incense group. When he saw the opponent's official boots, his eyes changed slightly. He quickly stopped everyone and said with a smile, "My lord, my father Zhang Xianqi, is working under the new Governor Li. I didn't know you..."
This is a test and a pass.
If the other party has a good background, just give it up and build a friendship.
If the other party is just an ordinary person from a small yamen, he will retreat in spite of the difficulty.
And if you say it politely, you won't offend anyone.
Upon hearing "New Governor Li", the middle-aged man's expression immediately changed and he said solemnly, "That's all, I won't bother you all."
A trace of disdain flashed in the young pilgrim's eyes, and he glanced at the handlebars again. He felt that being in an inn with these rough guys really tainted his identity.
On the other side, the middle-aged man turned around and asked the waiter, "Is there a quieter place nearby to take shelter from the rain?"
The waiter swallowed and his eyes wandered again.
"You coward, I'll dig out your eyes if I look at you again!"
Sha LiFei cursed directly, and then said, "There are always inconveniences when traveling around the country. There is a house over there, so it's okay if we give up one."
"It's just a team to send off ghosts. If you're not afraid, just come."
After that, he put on his bamboo hat Straw Cape and went out directly.
After leaving the inn's courtyard gate, Sha LiFei immediately saw two carriages parked under the trees on the roadside. The carriages were large and elegant, with cloth curtains tightly closed. There were six knights beside them, all wearing blue shirts and official boots.
He didn't want to cause trouble, so he left with the wine jar in his arms.
The middle-aged man also came out soon after, ran to the first carriage, and respectfully raised his hands. "Sir, there is no private courtyard, it is occupied by a group of Chang'an pilgrims..."
After hearing what he said, an old voice came from the sedan, "Feng Ping, you have been deceived. Although the court has repeatedly issued orders to prohibit it, the children of officials often ask for a note when they go out and go to the inn to rest on the way."
"How often do you see such big talkers in Chang'an?"
"But you did the right thing, we don't need to cause trouble."
The middle-aged man named Feng Ping nodded, "Sir, there is an abandoned house nearby to take shelter from the rain, but there is also a team to escort the deceased."
From inside the carriage, the voice came out again, "I'm just sending the deceased back home. I'm not returning to my roots. There's nothing taboo about it. Let's go."
"Yes, sir!"
The middle-aged man waved his hand, and the team immediately entered the rain curtain.
At this moment, a crack appeared in the wooden window on the second floor of the inn. A man with a stubble on his face touched his chin, stared at the convoy slowly leaving, and said in a deep voice:
"Haizhizi (a high official), Huodian (a rich man), Xing (seven) sharpshooters (a good player), he is the rightful owner."
As he said that, he turned around and looked into the room.
"Third brother, your idea is a bit tough..."