There was a muffled sound of "dang", and a flying knife plunged straight into the door outside the courtyard. A thin note of paper was inserted under the shimmering blade.
The previous two times when someone threw a knife to pass the letter, the grumpy Tuoba Sanniang would chase him out. Now he was too lazy to move and shouted to Thirteenth Son, "Little bald man, go get it, you are the most literate."
Yang Xingjian gets up before dawn every day and goes to Dou Jing's official office to wait. He has already gone out. Thirteenth Son sighed and dragged his heavy steps into the courtyard.
Xu Baozhen said slowly, "I have been searching around day and night for the past few days without any clues. Now there is a rumor on the road that Donkey-Riding Lady deliberately hid it so that Setting Sun Courtyard could use her disappearance as an excuse to cause trouble in Luoyang and change the cage."
A trace of surprise flashed in Tuoba Sanniang's eyes, and then he praised, "If we didn't know the details of Wei Da, this would be a really good strategy."
Qiu Ren said, "At that time, Battle of Jade City, Central Plains martial arts heroes saw her single-handedly, and her arrows were all fired. With her ability, who could believe that a master would be easily 'taken Guanyin'. Such a guess is quite reasonable."
Wei Xun learned from Changqiu Temple that the predecessor Luoyang who first identified the disappearance case as "Ascension to Immortality" Prefect's name is Cui Dongyang. However, after asking Yang Xingjian, I found out that this person was demoted two years ago due to an affair, and later died of illness in office, and then it was 's turn. Dou Jing was transferred from Chang'an to Luoyang. Wei Xun successively sneaked into Mr. Dou's office and his private residence, but found nothing suspicious. Now he has gone searching somewhere.
Thirteenth Son pulled out the throwing knife on the door panel, took the note into the room, frowned to distinguish the ugly and ugly handwriting on it, and read to all the senior brothers and sisters, "Rivers and Lakes The storm is over, and the old grudges are still unresolved. Today I have something important to say, so I would like to invite you to speak. On August 22nd, I respectfully invite Seven Sunset Techniques to visit Golden Wave Pavilion. The signature is Beggar Gang, the group leader, Gao Tai."
Qiu Ren snorted, "This Luoyang martial arts world is really rich. The beggar leader actually invites people to go to the luxurious Restaurant to eat and drink. Shouldn't he let us learn how to use money in the end?"
Luo Toutuo said, "Yique Gate, Mangbei Hall, and Dragon Gate Society also said they would meet at the Golden Wave Pavilion. Maybe whoever loses in the end will pay the bill."
Several people were exhausted both physically and mentally and were lazily chatting and exchanging information. Suddenly they heard a long Buddhist Verse from outside the door. "Amitabha." Then, another high-pitched voice sounded, "Infinite Lord." Then, a polite voice said, "Wisdom, faith, benevolence and righteousness."
Thirteenth Son was so unwilling to move another step that he simply raised his voice and shouted, "You three can come in together, we can still live in this house!"
Then the door opened, and a short monk, a tall and thin Daoist priest, and a young Confucian scholar with a turban and feather fan filed in according to their age and status. The three people stood still in the courtyard, and each took out an invitation from their arms.
The monk clasped his hands together and introduced himself slowly, "I am monk Zhiyuan from White Camel Temple, courtesy of Huijue, Huiyuan, Huiding from the ancestral court E The three elders asked me to meet the seven heroes Setting Sun Courtyard. I hope you will put Rivers and Lakes morality first and put aside your grudges for the time being. See you there at noon tomorrow."
The Daoist's attitude was quite arrogant and he said loudly, "I am Mount Laojun, Master Ziyang School, Miaojing, the headmaster of our sect Master Ziyang, I have heard from fellow Daoist Louguan School master Cave Truth Master is very pleased to visit Luoyang. I sincerely invite you to take the time to visit Golden Wave Pavilion in the south of the city to discuss the Tao and the Dharma. I hope you will give me some advice."
The Confucian scholar crossed his hands and saluted humbly, and said, "I am not talented, but I am Mount Song Academy scribe Zhao Wenbo. My mentor Zhou Zian has long heard that Setting Sun Courtyard famous scholar Chen Shigu is literary and elegant, and has amazing talents. She is extremely beautiful, and she has always longed to make friends through literature, but unfortunately Qi Ren died young and was unable to do so. It is a real regret in her life. Mount Song Academy has always upheld the value of peace. If I can talk Rivers and Lakes with the disciples of the Chen family, it will not be in vain to express my admiration for my mentor and respect for the virtuous and courteous people."
Setting Sun Courtyard Everyone finally managed to be patient and listened to the words of the three people. They already understood in their hearts. These people were no different from the families who just passed the message with flying knives. It was clear that the black and white groups wanted to hold a Hongmen banquet together. It was just that White Camel Temple, Ziyang School and others claimed to be famous and upright, and were unwilling to resort to the methods of roosters and dogs, so they sent their disciples to deliver the news in person.
Thirteenth Son accepted the invitations one by one and brought them into the house, but no one paid any attention to them. Qiu Ren secretly thought that the lame Lao Liu was here and could write a polite reply. Apart from drawing talisman, keeping accounts and opening Prescription, none of them had the ability to write or write. Lao Chen was quite talented in writing, but he refused to teach anyone.
After the three Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist sects sent the invitation, they saw the four people in the room who were as stable as Mount Tai, with domineering faces. Faced with the three major sects Central Plains coming together to come to the house, they didn't even bother to exchange a few words. They couldn't help but feel surprised, so they said goodbye and left.
Xu Baozhen raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a trace of satisfaction. "Master Ziyang is well-informed. As the leader of Louguan School, I came to invite the Daoist Master. He is very knowledgeable about current affairs."
Tuoba Sanniang was not happy, and frowned. "I have established a sect, why don't you treat me like a leader? Don't let me catch the opportunity, otherwise I will flatten his yellow crown."
Qiu Ren said in a weird manner, "Sister, your business should not be public, it would be better to keep it low-key."
Luo Toutuo rubbed the beard on his face and thought about it for a while, and said regretfully, "It's a pity that I have already gotten rid of that good batch of goods, otherwise they would be buried in Restaurant and blow up those idiots in one go."
The four of them chatted for a while and planned to find a place to find food, but they saw Wei Xun quietly drifting in from the door, and his eyes glanced directly at the faces of several fellow disciples.
He didn't close his eyes for several days and nights, looking around frantically. His bun had long been unraveled, and his messy hair was draped over his shoulders. The blood stains on his hands were wet and dry, and they had never been washed. Green Robe is dirty and slovenly. If someone who didn't know him met him, no one would guess that he was once the unruly and unruly Green-Robed Wanderer. Instead, he looked like a down-and-out disciple of Beggar Gang.
When everyone saw him like this, they all thought: This man became famous at a young age, has an extremely conceited Martial Arts, and has always been domineering and hateful. He has never experienced the pain of hatred and despair, and naturally has a good mentality. Only when encountering such trials and tribulations, can we know that there are times when people are powerless and regretful.
The four classmates were silent. Seeing that there was no feedback, Wei Xun said in a hoarse voice, "I have used up the azurite for the wall."
Xu Baozhen groped for a moment from his sleeve, took out a piece of Cinnabar with a talisman and threw it to him. Green-Robed Wanderer went against the norm and made a high-profile murder and painted Lynx graffiti everywhere. Today's receipt of these letters and invitations is the result.
Thirteenth Son handed the thing to Wei Xun. He took it and looked through it hastily.
Tuoba Sanniang asked lazily, "What's wrong? Should you go or not?"
Wei Xun said indifferently, "Of course, we only have five people, and they have more people." After that, he turned around and left again.
Qiu Ren asked curiously, "What does this mean? We are outnumbered and we are outnumbered, but he is quite happy?"
Xu Baozhen said slowly, "Master When did Master become timid because of the large number of people on the other side?"
Everyone recalled the famous Rivers and Lakes battles that Chen Shigu had experienced during his lifetime. He went to each battle alone, one against a hundred, and was invincible. When he went to those battles, it was as if he was deliberately seeking death. However, he always came back from the death gate, but after winning, he felt lonely. This was a major symptom of his madness.
On August 22nd, the owner of the Golden Wave Pavilion put up a wooden sign to thank customers early.
He had received deposits from several gangs in the River Luo area to book the venue. Although he was extremely reluctant to accept the order, he had no choice but to help himself and his arms could not twist his thighs. No matter where he opened the door to welcome guests, he had to cling to the powerful to ensure smooth operation and secretly communicate with others to ensure safety. Both black and white had to be taken care of.
Last night, some random ghost drew a Lynx on the pink wall with a poem written by Yuan Bai. At this time, it was too late to deal with the graffiti, so the owner could only prepare food and wine and wait for the group of Rivers and Lakes to come to the party.
Yique Gate, Mangbei Hall, Dragon Gate Society and other gangs near Luoyang arrived one after another, all with serious expressions. Then came a group of monks, including old monks with white beards, Daoist priests wearing yellow crowns and robes, and several bhikkhunis.
Next came a group of ragged beggars. When Golden Wave Pavilion's shopkeeper saw this, he couldn't bear it anymore and tried to stop them. However, he saw the leading old man hanging a knot from his head. He took out a piece of gold from his tattered clothes and threw it to him as if it was a reward. Then he strutted across the threshold and walked in. The shopkeeper, in turn, was given alms by the beggar, and was stunned for a moment, with a face full of astonishment.
This group of people did not come to have a drink. They didn't care about the food at all, and they didn't need musicians and dancers to serve them. When everyone was almost there, they drove away all the servants and the store Eastern Capital.
Wei Xiangrong, the owner of Yique Gate, has a close friendship with Beggar Gang Tuantou Gao Tai. He crossed his hands and said hello to him, "How is Gao Tuantou?"
Gao Tai returned the favor, looked around, and asked, "River-Crossing Boat why didn't you come?"
Wei Xiangrong said, "Cao Hong's sister Cao Yan was also Guanyin Attendant of Ascension to Immortality. Now that Donkey-Riding Lady is missing, Luoqing Guild almost has the same position as Setting Sun Courtyard. She must be embarrassed to come to the meeting."
He felt a little strange when he saw that the old man's brows were furrowed and he was preoccupied. He didn't have Blackwood Signal Staff in his hand. The whistle stick was a token passed down from generation to generation by the leader of Beggar Gang. Gao Tai never left his side. Today, he might have to fight with his opponent. He didn't bring any weapon. It was really abnormal.
Next Mount Song Academy's leader Zhou Zian arrived. This middle-aged man was dressed as a Confucian scholar and had a gentle and elegant temperament. Compared with the other Rivers and Lakes who were rough and rough, he was completely different. This man usually regarded himself as a scholar. After taking over as the leader of Songyang School, he changed its name to an academy. In addition to teaching disciples Martial Arts, he also forced them to study.
Zhou Zian married his daughter to Wei Xiangrong, the head of Yique Gate's sect. Although they were both heads of the sect, Zhou Zian was Wei Xiangrong's father-in-law. After greeting the two parties, Zhou Zian walked to admire the poems written by celebrities on the wall.
At this time, almost all the black and white martial arts masters from the three sects and nine sects in the River Luo area gathered in the Golden Wave Pavilion. There were more than three hundred people, all of whom were the best of the best. These people may not always have contact with each other, but after all, they were active in the same area and were quite familiar with each other's names. After the leaders of each gang politely exchanged a few words with each other, their eyes fell on Lynx on the pink wall of the County Hall.
The beast was painted in blood red Cinnabar, with sloppy brushstrokes and full of animality. The sharp claws on its front paws all popped out, and the viewer seemed to be able to hear its deep roar, as if it was about to break out of the wall at any time, with a terrifying momentum.
After the person who painted the wall painted Lynx, for some unknown reason, he used Cinnabar to scratch out the sentence "If you don't go to meet me if you love me, I will never see you again" with Cinnabar. When Zhou Zian saw this, he was filled with regret. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "This is a calligraphy treasure written by Yuan Bai himself. It is such a pity that it was ruined."
Among the people present today, in terms of Rivers and Lakes's status, the most respected are the three elders Huijue, Huiyuan, and Huiding of White Camel Temple. These three old monks have white eyebrows and have lived in the ancient temple for a long time and almost never leave the mountain. Many people saw their true faces for the first time today.
The Ziyang School leader Master Ziyang, who is the same generation as the third elder, is a middle-aged Daoist in his fifties. Although he is much younger than the third elder, he has been famous in Rivers and Lakes for a long time. He has established a sect in Mount Laojun near Luoyang, which is very prestigious.
Abbess Duanchen is located at Master's School Lotus Flower School is the branch of the ancestral court in Fragrant Hill. She brought more than a dozen monks and lay disciples to sit together with the three elders. Next is Beggar Gang, the largest sect with the largest number of sects in Rivers and Lakes, and Mount Song Academy, which has strong financial resources. These five sects occupy the most prominent positions in the Golden Wave Pavilion.
The eyes of several monks were focused on the blood-red Lynx with mad eyes on the wall, and they all felt a faint sense of ominousness in their hearts.
The disappearance of Donkey-Riding Lady in Luoyang was like a trigger, which led Setting Sun Courtyard people to go on a killing spree in the city. In order to prevent the further spread of killings, Abbess Duanchen reported to the ancestral court, and she took the lead in organizing several sects and invited Setting Sun Courtyard to strike out and negotiate peace in the Golden Wave Pavilion.
White Camel Temple, Ziyang School, Lotus Flower School and other sects all came empty-handed, but the other Rivers and Lakes high-rollers had swords and weapons stuck in their waists, looking like they were ready. The atmosphere inside the Golden Wave Pavilion was like an arrow on a string, ready to explode.
Master Ziyang looked around, frowned slightly, and said, "Will they really come?"
Abbess Duanchen looked solemn and authentic. "Setting Sun Courtyard's bloodbath of Luoyang is already an open war. They are not afraid of making enemies with Central Plains's martial arts, and they won't be afraid of gatherings for peace talks."
Master Ziyang lowered his voice, speaking as Inner Force, and said to several leaders, "Setting Sun Courtyard is so unscrupulous and lawless. Is it possible that they are relying on the relic left by Chen Shigu, the rumored 'Divine Artifact'?"
Elder Huiding was filled with worry, and the unruly and wild figure from many years ago appeared in his mind, and he sighed, "If that thing really exists, then it should be called 'Calamity'."
In accordance with the previous instructions, the shop owner prepared vegetarian food and tea for the monks alone. The exquisite delicacies that Golden Wave Pavilion was proud of were placed in front of the group's eyes, but no one had the intention to taste them. They just chatted absentmindedly and politely, while the irritable people drank one glass after another in an attempt to relieve their inner tension.
In the blink of an eye, it was already noon, Restaurant Several people with different appearances walked in one after another from the outer land. There was a wandering girl holding a pipa, a tutuo with curly hair and a beard, and a Daoist priest with an elegant and pure temperament...
Unlike other groups of gangs, they did not travel together. They were strangers to each other and did not want to get close to each other. They each found scattered seats in the hall and sat down at will.
This scattered group of Setting Sun Courtyard disciples walked calmly and leisurely into a dangerous place like a dragon's pond and a tiger's den.