黄昏时分,西边的天空洒下一片红霞.两女一男悄悄地从小树林里走了出来.四处张望后,他们骑上马,迅速离去.
洛凝和裴向君跟在后面,叶景棠则用黑色的围巾蒙着脸,走在最前面,怀里抱着那只飞了一天一夜,累得半死不活的小鸟.
正如叶景棠所料,身负重伤,无处可去的关羽嘉,白天在山间沿着直线奔跑了两百多里,已经到了距离建阳城百余里的山野之中,而那里恐怕就是武王所躲藏的地方.
三人虽然可以翻越山脉,但就算长途跋涉到达那里,想要单独擒获国王也未必容易,所以现在必须借助朝廷的力量,发动攻势,趁乱抓住张景林,或者找到雪花花的药方.
自从昨日铁鹤山庄大闹一番之后,不少胆大包天的武者纷纷来到无名山看热闹,一路上,听到不少闲言碎语:
"叶思少少,一招就把关雨嘉给打倒了?"
"我骗你干嘛?我当时就在附近,看得清清楚楚.叶思少少爷中毒没能脱身,反手一拳就把关雨嘉打飞出去十余丈,吓得后面追的那群人都昏了过去,剩下的人我都不敢看..."
"这样一来,叶思少少巅峰状态的时候,岂不是可以单手对抗拳王了?"
"我估计,无论是拳王还是枪王,他都能轻松战胜.如果认真准备一下,说不定还能挑战一下璇玑真人..."
...
叶景棠策马而过,并没有太在意这些胡言乱语,裴向君和洛凝倒是听得津津有味,一路上还议论纷纷:
"凝儿,若是景棠日后能入选八状元,那他该是什么称号呢?"
"按照规则,他打败谁,谁就获得冠军头衔."
"如果他打败两个人呢?"
"二..."
洛凝犹豫了.历史上确实有人连续挑战过好几位武道冠军,但如果用武器挑战拳王,用枪挑战刀王,就绝对不能继承对方的称号.只有在自己的领域战胜对方,才能继承称号.历史上最后一位连续战胜数位武道冠军的人,是冯冠城.
洛宁想了想,想起一个老笑话,说道:
"'冠军'的都排在后面,前三位都是四个字的尊称,比如'镇天宗主''璇玑真人'.叶景棠若是连赢两位,以后就能封'飞天殿主'了..."
"飞天殿主,这话听起来有些奇怪..."
...
叶景棠走在前面,听到这话,有些无语,想放慢马匹插嘴,却瞥见青莲帮的杨关站在远处的路口,手遮眼,来回打量着来往的武者,目光也朝着他的方向望来.
叶景棠示意两个姑娘放慢马速,先行前往.
阳关在路边等候了一天,看到那位有些眼熟的黑袍武者走来,连忙跑了过去,低声说道:
"叶少,我是杨关..."
他说话的时候,偷偷抬眼看了一眼,似乎在确认什么.
叶景棠知道杨关觉得他有些面熟,便直接压低声音说道:
"怎么了?"
见这有些熟悉的凶人语气不善,阳关便低下头,不再四处张望,回答道:
"师尊三奇仙长老让我在此等候,顺便给叶少主传个消息.今早君山台的两位掌门人来到无名山,却并未停留.师尊嘱咐叶少主,让他多加小心."
叶景棠颇为惊讶,问道:
"你知道他们的具体目的地吗?"
"这倒不好说,那两人恐怕比我师尊还要厉害,根本没人能追踪到他们.不过,我师尊怀疑君山台和武王有联系,不然也不会在这个时候跑到铁鹤山庄来,犯了禁忌..."
叶景棠与他交流了几句,记起消息后,便告别了阳关,带着两女飞奔离开了无名山,直到走到荒凉的官道上,才提起此事.
裴向君清楚君山台此人前来的目的,开口说道:
"君山台肯定要来铲除祸患,兖州二王可对付不了你们,以轩辕宏志的性子,说不定还会把轩辕朝叫过来..."
洛凝摇头道:"吴州这么乱,轩辕朝也不会蠢到跑来惹事,最多也就是姚文忠来罢了."
"Compared to Guan Yujia, who is more powerful, Yao Wenzhong?"
"It's hard to say. Neither of them is an ordinary person. If two leaders come, the three of us together might not be able to defeat them."
"We should still focus on finding King Wu first. Let's transfer that troop of soldiers from Baisu Town. Be careful on the way..."
...
——
More than ten official boats were sailing under the moonlight. The treasure ship in the center was brightly lit. Many maidservants and palace maids from the royal mansion who were leaving the capital city for the first time stood on the veranda of the cabin, admiring the magnificent scenery of the confluence of the two rivers at the estuary of the Western Wu River.
There was a terrace on the top floor of the cabin, which was originally for the emperor to enjoy the scenery. At this moment, there were carved soft couches and a painting table on it. Several palace maids were holding lamps beside them, and Hongyu was cutting watermelons nearby.
The plump Empress Dowager was afraid that the ministers of the Six Ministries would find out that she had followed along. She dressed up as a female official, but her demeanor was still very elegant and noble. Standing in front of the painting table, she held up her flowing sleeves with her left hand and a paintbrush in her right hand. She first carefully examined the perilous peaks under the moon by the riverbank, and then picked up the brush and sketched on the paper - two towering big "buns" with black circles painted on them...
Dongfang Liren, dressed in a silver python robe, stood with her hands behind her back by the railing of the terrace, examining the imperial guards on the entire ship. She had the imposing manner of "personally leading an imperial expedition." However, in her mind, she was thinking - Oh no, I still haven't mastered the Overlord Spear well, and my Listening-to-the-Wind Palm isn't that great either. If Ye Jingtang were to meet me, I'm afraid he'd think of me as a stupid princess again... I can't exactly ask the fleet to slow down and move slowly, can I...
Just as Dongfang Liren was lost in these random thoughts, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind:
"What are you painting?"
The voice was so natural that it seemed as if the person had always been behind her, but the ethereal and clear tone made it seem as if the voice had come from the sky.
Because the voice cut in so naturally, Hongyu, who was handling the watermelons, didn't even notice that there was an extra person on the terrace.
The Empress Dowager, who was engrossed in painting, replied unhappily:
"A landscape painting. Doesn't my painting look like one... Eh?!"
As she said this, the Empress Dowager realized something and quickly turned around. She saw that a tall woman had somehow appeared behind her.
The woman was wearing a black-and-white Taoist robe. Her long black hair was tied up with a silver lotus crown, and her face was covered with a veil, revealing only a pair of approachable peach blossom eyes. Her wrist rested on a whisk, and with her air of being detached from the mortal world, she looked like an accomplished Taoist master who had just come down from the mountain.
The Empress Dowager's eyes clearly began to light up, and the paintbrush in her hand fell to the ground. After confirming that it wasn't an illusion, she raised her hand and gave the woman a bear hug:
"You heartless person, you've finally come. Do you know how I've spent this year? Liren wouldn't even let me go out. Every time I went out, it would thunder, rain, and there would be assassins..."
"Okay, okay. I'm here now..."
"Why are you dressed so properly?"
"Wasn't I proper before?"
"Hmm."
"Sigh. There are court officials on the ship. It wouldn't be good if I were dressed too casually and they saw me."
"That's true..."
...
Dongfang Liren watched as the Empress Dowager hugged the woman and wouldn't let go, and she didn't even have a chance to step forward and speak. After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she came up close and cupped her hands in a salute:
"Master, why did you suddenly come here?"
"I just finished my seclusion on the mountain. I originally wanted to go directly to the capital city. On the way, I heard that you had come to Wu Prefecture, so I came to take a look first. I didn't expect the Empress Dowager to be here too."
Seeing that there were no outsiders on the ship, True Person Xuanji threw the whisk and the veil to Hongyu beside her. She came in front of Dongfang Liren and adjusted the lapel of the python robe:
"After a year apart, you've grown even more than before."
To an ordinary person, these words would seem like a senior's greeting, but Dongfang Liren didn't think so. She raised her head and slightly puffed out her chest:
"I've always been like this. Master, it's just that you haven't seen me for a long time."
"Hehe~ It's all thanks to the good foundation I laid for you since you were a child. By the way, after a year apart, have you found the person you like? Is he on the ship?"
Upon hearing this, the corners of the Empress Dowager's lips curled up, and she wanted to help answer.
As a result, Dongfang Liren quickly waved her hand secretly behind her back and said with a composed expression:
"Master, don't be joking. The affairs in the capital city are so busy that I don't even have time to take the Empress Dowager out for relaxation, let alone have the mind to look for the person I like..."
True Person Xuanji saw that Dongfang Liren's reaction was not very natural, so she understood more or less and didn't ask further. Instead, she inquired:
"I heard in the martial arts world that there's a very powerful chief arrestee in the Black Yamen, someone I've never seen before. Is there such a thing?"
Dongfang Liren thought for a while: "There is one. His surname is Ye. He came to the capital city in April. I've just inspected him. He has good character and excellent abilities. I've just let him join the Black Yamen."
True Person Xuanji nodded thoughtfully, but she couldn't tell Dongfang Liren's specific attitude towards Ye Jingtang. Since she couldn't figure it out for the moment, she didn't talk more about this matter. She turned around and put her arm around the Empress Dowager's slender waist and walked towards the room:
"Is there any wine? I finished the wine on the way, and I feel weak all over..."
"Yes. I thought I could meet you in Xiwang Town, so I specially prepared the best Yuchun Shao from Longyin Tower for you..."
"Really? Let's go..."
——
The next day, inside Fulong Cave.
Hundreds of personal guards of the Wu King's Mansion patrolled behind the stone-built city walls. Three figures walked towards the depths of the karst cave together.
Bai Siming, dressed in a scholar's robe, walked at the front with his hands behind his back and said seriously:
"You two have come just in time. If you had been a bit slower, Junshan Terrace might not have a place in the martial arts world in the future. You've already witnessed the miraculous effects of Xuehu San, and the 'Tianlang Pearl' has already been made into a medicine. The person who tested the medicine was none other than Ye Sishao, the young master of Honghua Pavilion..."
Behind Bai Siming were Yao Wenzhong and Xuan Yuan Hongzhi, who were wearing black cloaks.
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi had come this time originally to find out the whereabouts of Ye Jingtang and root out the trouble. But as soon as he got in touch with Bai Siming, he heard the news of these two miraculous medicines.
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi was in charge of the accounting room of Junshan Terrace. He knew better than anyone else the value of Xuehu San. As long as it was managed well, it would be no problem to step on powerful martial arts families like Honghua Pavilion.
And for something like the "Tianlang Pearl," if it was really as Bai Siming said, that it could make people take a big step forward, the consequences would be even more terrifying. First, use Xuehu San to amass wealth, and then use the Tianlang Pearl to create countless masters. With just these two things, one could carve out a territory, establish oneself as a ruler, and dominate a region in remote areas.
Therefore, even though the serious threat was still nearby, Xuan Yuan Hongzhi was lured by these two things. As they walked, he asked:
"雪狐散我亲眼见过,的确是世间绝世珍宝.但助武王出境,险象环生,恐怕要付出惨痛代价.光凭这一点还不够.至于天狼珠...白兄,你确定世上真有这东西?"
白斯明这下倒是有些底气了,淡淡一笑:
"换做以前,我的确会犹豫不决.不过前天晚上,雨嘉在铁鹤山庄宴请群雄的事情,你应该知道吧.红花阁少主被天狼珠击中,三枪一拳,将雨嘉打成了重伤.如果不是这灵药的功效,还能是什么呢?"
轩辕宏志亲眼见过叶思少,对他的实力十分了解,觉得此人说的有道理,微微点头.
"这两味灵药的药方,肯定不会缺买家.现在,平天宗,界云宫,断背崖三家,都在跟本王联系.君山台势力虽大,但毕竟只是泽州的一个县侯,还在大魏腹地.如果没有足够的诚意,本王未必会看上我们..."
姚文忠暗暗皱眉.不过论及君山台在天下格局中的影响力,他与背靠燕王的界云宫,以及自封为王的平天宗,的确存在差距.但他对此只字未提.
三人继续往前走,很快就来到了溶洞深处,穿过了药草山,来到了武王居住的地方.
轩辕弘志和姚文忠上前行礼.为了让二人"眼见为实",白思明走到后方摆放着数十个药炉的平台上取药.远远地,他看到关雨嘉一脸虚弱地在药架前踱来踱去.他疑惑地问道:
"关兄,你还没用大梁珠吗?"
关羽嘉昨天下午才跑回伏龙洞,本来打算直接给自己吃一颗,可是药拿到手里,心里却有些忐忑不安,看到白司明回来,便说道:
"如果叶思少武功大涨,当时就不该放过我,不知道后续情况怎么样,万一他武功大涨之后爆体而亡了怎么办..."
白斯明摇头:"不可能.张先生说了,能保持神智清醒,实力翻倍,就说明药效有效.他要是撑不住,打你第一拳,气脉就断了..."
关雨嘉皱眉道:"那叶思少为什么突然停下来,放开我?"
白司明张了张嘴,他觉得这个问题确实很关键.还没等他想清楚具体原因,外面突然传来一阵急促的脚步声,一名贴身侍卫快步跑了过来,低声说道:
"大人,刚才有急报,数千大军突然朝伏龙洞方向涌来,先锋探子已至三十里外,最多一个时辰左右便可抵达..."
白思明闻言,脸色顿时煞白,正要询问那些官兵是如何发现他们行踪的,旁边的关雨嘉却突然灵光一闪:
"难怪...这叶思少说不定也是朝中之人,故意放虎归山,跟着我找到了伏龙洞,也就是说,这药是没问题的..."
?!
白思明抬手指着关雨嘉,正逢用人之时,自然不能责骂,强压着怒火说道:
"先别吃药,先撤离,现在吃药谁来照顾你?"