The first look back autumn night. When the moon is bright and the dew is thick. In the west of the city near the city gate, there was silence. Although Yangzhou City is a very bustling place, at night, not every corner is as lively as it is during the day. Since the area near the city gate in the west of the city is almost entirely residential, it becomes quiet after nightfall on weekdays. On the quiet long street, there are only Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan. They are all residents of this neighborhood, and they work in Huajin Building during the day. They are all Hua Jinlou's executioners!

Those who kill are not people, but chickens, ducks, as long as they can be used for banquets, they will kill them all. Huajinlou is a restaurant. Flowers close to tall buildings hurt the hearts of customers. Most of the people who have been guests of Huajinlou know that Huajinlou's name is derived from this Du poem, but they seldom feel sad.Because all the decorations in Huajinlou are pleasing to the eye, and the food and drink are the best in Yangzhou. The boss of Hua Jinlou took this name, but it was just to show that he knew poetry. Since the food and wine is the number one in Yangzhou, it goes without saying that Huajinlou's business has always been very good.

So Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan were bloody and busy all day long. Over the past few years, the knives in their hands have become faster and faster, and their courage has become more and more courageous. Although what they killed were not human beings, they were just birds and beasts like chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep. If they were not courageous, they would not kill them quickly. In terms of alcohol capacity, of course they are also bigger than before. One person slaughters chickens and ducks all day long, and is covered in chicken feathers and duck blood. Although his eyes are uncomfortable, his nose is also uncomfortable. This will inevitably affect his appetite.

Much better with some wine. They like to drink, that's why. He is skilled in many crafts, and so is his capacity for alcohol. However, although their drinking capacity is good, if they drink three or four more glasses now, they will probably pass out on the street drunk. Cui Laoliu was already eighty percent drunk, and Jin Xiaosan, although better, was seventy percent drunk. They seldom drank like this, unless it cost them no money at all, as they drank today. Today is the birthday of Hua Jinlou's boss. The boss of Hua Jinlou spends two or three days every year to make his subordinates have a carnival, and his birthday is just one of them.

Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan never easily let go of this good opportunity to drink. If they can't finish drinking, they will take it away. Now they each hold a bottle of wine that has not been finished in their hands, and they are empty, with one hand on each other's shoulder.They were still on the verge of falling, as if they would both fall to the ground at any moment. After turning the corner, it is a much shorter narrow street. There was no one else on the side street. Cui Laoliu glanced left and right, took a drink, and said: Why is there no one on the street tonight except you and me.

Jin Xiaosan said: You forgot when we usually go back, and when is it now? Cui Laoliu reluctantly raised his head to look at the sky, and said: It's really late. Jin Xiaosan said: "That tigress in your house must have been furious with waiting." Cui Laoliu smirked and said: Each other. Jin Xiaosan sighed and said: But since they know that today is the boss's birthday, they should also know that we will definitely drink until we get drunk, even if it is fierce, I believe it will not be so fierce. Cui Laoliu said: It is inevitable to say a few words, this is not the first time we have experienced this, so why worry so much.

Jin Xiaosan sighed, "I'm only worried about the bottle of wine in my hand. If she doesn't see it, I'll return it, otherwise she will pour it into the ditch." Cui Laoliu said: Hearing what you said, I am also worried. He also sighed and said: My wife and your wife have the same temper. Jin Xiaosan said: "It's really bad to pour such good wine into the ditch." Cui Laoliu said: Then, what can you do to remedy it? Jin Xiaosan said: I think the best way is to quickly pour the wine into your stomach. Cui Laoliu said with a bitter face: I'm very drunk now, if I put this bottle of wine in my stomach again, I'm afraid I will pass out drunk on the street after walking a few steps.As he spoke, he made another beer, uh.

Jin Xiaosan said: You think I am not? He looked around and said: But if there are some drinks to eat and drink, I believe I can finish the wine before stepping into the house. Cui Laoliu nodded and said: "And probably can barely support it." Jin Xiaosan said: After entering the door, the faster the better, the ears are so happy. The two looked at each other and laughed, Cui Laoliu's laughter suddenly stopped, and said: But at this time, where can I find something to drink around here? Jin Xiaosan said: I'm having a hard time worrying about this matter.As soon as the voice fell, his eyes lit up, staring at the alley over there.

An old man with a bamboo basket in his hand was coming out of the alley. The streets are not dark. Although the doors of the houses on the left and right are all closed, many still have lights leaking from the windows. What's more, the moon tonight is so round and bright? So as soon as the old man came out of the alley, Jin Xiaosan saw it. However, his eyes were affected by Qi Fen's alcohol, so he couldn't see things clearly. He only knew that the man who came out of the alley was holding a basket and was wearing a very dark suit. He didn't know how old the man was. ?And what a face.

Who is still walking on the street with a basket at this time. Jin Xiaosan laughed as soon as he thought about it, and said: But you and I are finally lucky. Cui Laoliu was startled, and said: Oh? It turned out that he had not noticed the appearance of that old man. Jin Xiaosan stretched his head forward, and said, "Isn't the seller here?" Cui Laoliu hurriedly raised his head to look up, and laughed at the sight, and said: I don't know what he is selling? Jin Xiaosan said: Maybe it's peanuts, maybe it's sugar-fried chestnuts, spiced broad beans, whatever it is, as long as it can be given wine.

While speaking, the old man seemed to have spotted them and walked towards them. Walking is very slow. Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan involuntarily quickened their pace. They quickly walked up to the old man. At the same time, the old man stopped in his tracks. He was indeed wearing a set of black cloth clothes, but his face seemed to be covered with a layer of white powder, without a trace of blood. The same goes for his hands, and even his eyeballs are milky white, as if covered in a layer of white mist. He is wrinkled, his beard and hair are all white, and he is obviously much older. At such an old age, it is undoubtedly very pitiful to still sell things on the street late at night, but after seeing this old man clearly, Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan did not feel any pity. Because the old man's expression is really too happy. His mouth is smiling, his eyes are smiling too, every wrinkle on his face seems to be full of happiness, and his two eyebrows seem to be flying up and down because of happiness. This kind of happiness has almost reached the extreme. It gives people not only a happy feeling, but also a weird feeling. Jin Xiaosan felt the weirdness in this kind of happiness, but it was not strong. Cui Laoliu only felt happy, probably because he was a little more drunk than Jin Xiaosan. He looked at the old man with a smile, and asked, "Old man, are you selling things?" The old Cangtou replied with a smile: Exactly. Cui Laoliu asked again: Stir-fried chestnuts in sugar? The old man shook his head. Cui Laoliu's eyes turned to the bamboo basket in Old Cangtou's hand. Jin Xiaosan had already been staring at the bamboo basket. None of them could see what was in the bamboo basket. The bamboo basket was covered with a white cloth. Cui Laoliu looked up again, and asked again: "Is it spiced broad beans?" The old man shook his head again. Cui Laoliu asked for the third time: So it must be peanuts? The old man still shook his head. Jin Xiaosan couldn't help but interjected and asked: What exactly are you selling? The old Cangtou bared his teeth and said with a smile: Human head! head?Jin Xiaosan was taken aback and took a step back. Cui Laoliu laughed and said: You old man really knows how to make jokes, but it's a pity that now is not the time to make jokes. The old man just laughed. Cui Laoliu received it and said: I guess the head in your basket is a head, but taro. The old man immediately corrected: "It's a human head." Cui Laoliu straightened his chest and said with a smile: You can't frighten us, our courage is already so big that we can overwhelm the sky. Hearing what Cui Laoliu said, Jin Xiaosan couldn't help puffing up his chest. The old man looked at the two with a smile, and said, "Really?" Cui Laoliu puffed up his chest and said: If you don't believe it, just sell it to us. The old man said: Do you really want to buy it? Cui Laoliu said: Of course. The old man said: What are you buying for? Cui Laoliu said: Have a drink. The old Cangtou said: Serving wine with a human head, you are indeed quite courageous. Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan's chests became more firm. The old man continued: It seems that this is the first time in my life that I have met such bold people as you. Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan looked at each other and smiled. Jin Xiaosan looked down again, and said: "It's a pity that although we are very familiar with the price of taro, we have never heard of the price of human head, so you don't have to gossip about the price." The old Cangtou said: "It's rare to meet such a bold person like you. I really admire you so much, so I'll just give it to you for your enjoyment." Cui Laoliu was afraid that he would regret it, so he hurriedly said: "It's a deal." The old man smiled, and offered the bamboo basket with both hands. Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan let go of the hands that were on each other's shoulders, and reached out to take the bamboo basket together. When the old man let go of his hand, Cui Laoliu laughed and said: "Old man, you must have seen us drunk, so you talk like this to scare us." Jin Xiaosan continued: You know we have been drinking a lot, and we are still very sober. Cui Laoliu said again: An old man like you may not be able to kill a chicken if you are asked, let alone kill someone?How can there be a head if you don't kill people? Jin Xiaosan added: Even if you really have the guts to kill someone, how dare you cut off the head and sell it on the street before you can escape? We have figured this out a long time ago. Cui Laoliu said: But we feel sorry for eating up all the things in your basket like this. In fact, we have already eaten too much tonight and can't eat any more. Jin Xiaosan said: So you don't have to worry about losing your money, let's just grab a handful and have enough to drink. The old man listened to what they said, without saying a word, just laughed. Smile happier and weirder. No matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like he's joking. Could it be that there is something wrong with his head, that he is an idiot?or That bamboo basket really contained a human head. Cui Laoliu ignored the old man's expression, smiled at Gu Jinxiaosan, and continued: "Let's see what is in his basket first." Before the words were finished, Jin Xiaosan had already grabbed the white cloth covering the basket. When they looked at each other, both of them were stunned, and their expressions changed drastically in an instant! Sure enough, there was a human head in the bamboo basket! A woman's head! The woman wore a ponytail on her head, and her face was neither thick nor light with makeup. So her complexion is still peachy now. She is very beautiful, with small lips, a high nose, curved eyebrows, and a pair of phoenix eyes. The phoenix eyes are wide open, and the pupils are full of fear. This fear condensed with the eyeballs at the moment of death. She is dead. A man whose head has been cut off cannot, of course, live. A white cloth was also spread on the bottom of the bamboo basket, and the human head was placed on the white cloth. It was cut at the same head, and the cut was very neat. You must have been very careful when you did it, and you must have used a very sharp weapon. The blood that flowed out from the cut almost completely stained the white cloth red. The blood stains were obviously not yet dry, and they were blood, as the name suggests. No doubt the head had been severed not long ago. With such a beauty, who would have the heart to cut off her head? It was this old man who sold the head, so was he also the one who cut off the head? Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan's expressions changed, and they blurted out at the same time, exclaiming: "Head!" The old man laughed loudly and said: "It's a fake one!" Cui Laoliu and Jin Xiaosan's eyes returned to the old man's face. Frightened by the head, Jin Xiaosan's seven-point alcoholism has only three points left, and Cui Laoliu's eight-point alcoholism has at most four points left.Their eyes widened like dove eggs, and they finally saw the old man's face clearly. Dead white face, dead white eyes. Although the old Cangtou looked like a man, he didn't even have half a cent of popularity. His laughter also became terrifying. monster!Jin Xiaosan suddenly let out a strange cry, threw down the white cloth in his left hand and the bottle of wine in his right hand, put his head in his hands, turned around and ran wildly. He couldn't run a few steps and fell to the ground. He rolled on the spot and continued to run for his life while rolling and crawling. Although he walked in a mess, he was still able to move. Cui Laoliu's two legs were limp. Little San, wait for me!He turned around and yelled a few times, wanting to run away with Jin Xiaosan, but his legs were disobedient and he didn't move at all. He suddenly remembered something, and looked down again unconsciously. The head still had a pair of phoenix eyes open, and it seemed to be smiling for a moment. Cui Laoliu let out a yell, and the bamboo basket dropped from his hand, the head rolled to the ground in the basket, and the bottle of wine also shattered on the ground! The wine in the bottle wet the ground of the boss. Cui Laoliu's trousers were also wet, but not from wine. His whole body had collapsed completely, he could no longer stand still, and sat down on the ground. The old Cangtou squatted down immediately, touched Cui Laoliu's cheek with his hand, and said, "Aren't you going to serve the wine with the head, why did you even pour the wine?" His hands were as cold as snow, and his voice became very cold. Cui Laoliu shuddered several times in a row, and after listening to two sentences, he rolled his eyes and passed out. This burst of noise has alarmed the people on the left and right. Someone has opened the window to see. The first window had just been opened, and the old man was no longer on the street. It was as if he had turned into smoke and disappeared into the night mist of the street. Is this person a human or a monster? He didn't take away the bamboo basket, nor did he take away the head. Under the bleak moonlight, the human head was lying on the pale stone slab with strange eyes staring at it. Whose head is it? The night is deeper. The moon is rounder and the fog thicker. Chengdong Avenue is still as bright as daylight, full of lively atmosphere, this street is the flower street of Yangzhou City, especially at the end, almost all of them are brothels. At night, it is strange that such a street is not lively. The back alleys of this street are past their bustling time now. At night, the back alley is also a place where prostitutes and customers gather, and the bustle is sometimes even more lively than the front street. Most of the prostitutes who solicit customers in the back alleys are old and decrepit, or they are born with ugly looks. They are of course much cheaper. Although Yangzhou is a very prosperous place, the number of rich people is still limited after all. Therefore, the business of prostitutes who solicit customers in back alleys has always been good. As soon as night fell, they would come out and wait around the alley. Most of them took the initiative to solicit customers. After the price was negotiated, they would pull them into the house to make a good deed. Usually after the second watch, even if no guests have been found, they will go back to the house and make plans the next day. Unless they are extremely poor and have no business for several days, then even if they wait until dawn, they will have to wait. There are not many such unlucky prostitutes, there are only three in this area. Xiaojiao is one of these three. She was even more unlucky than the other two. Those two have already attracted guests tonight, only she is still wandering in the alley. She was the only one wandering the whole alley. The second watch has already been knocked, so there are still customers at this time? Xiaojiao couldn't help sighing. There is only a sigh. In fact, Xiaojiao is no longer alone, but also very big. She is thirty-nine years old this year. A thirty-nine-year-old prostitute looks at least ten years older than an ordinary woman of the same age. So although she has never concealed her age, many people still think she is lying, but she is not only thirty-nine years old. Young lads certainly wouldn't pay for a hooker who looked old enough to be his own mother. Older people are just as reluctant to spend money on a woman who looks like an old woman. Xiaojiao's misfortune is not difficult to imagine. At her age, it is actually not suitable to be a prostitute anymore. It's not that Xiaojiao doesn't know this. The problem is that apart from being a prostitute and selling her body, she has no second ability to make a living. When it comes to finding a destination, it is even more difficult than going to heaven. So she had to keep going. Whether this is pitiful or shameful, one must first understand all her previous experiences before making a judgment. There is no need to figure out all her previous encounters, and it is the same for all subsequent encounters. The only thing that must be clear is what happened to her tonight. This is the minimum, and this is what the chief arrester of Yangzhou City, Cha Si, meant. Every Zhang Xu in the alley, there is a red lantern hanging on the wall. The whole alley seems to be bathed in blood, but it is also like a bridal chamber under candles. This kind of environment can be said to be terrifying, or it can be said to be beautiful. Xiaojiao wandered in this alley, but no matter what, she was just like a ghost in the blood prison, not like a bride at all. Under the red lantern, her face was still pale, but she didn't look so old from a distance. The two meals are already a problem, how can she have extra money to buy rouge and gouache. Before she could sigh, there was a flash of a figure at the entrance of the alley, and a person walked in suddenly. a man. Xiaojiao caught a glimpse, and her heart jumped immediately. She was really overjoyed that there were still men coming to this place at this time. But she didn't go up to it. Because she knew that there was only this prostitute left in the whole alley, so she didn't have to worry about others coming to steal business from her. Instead, she took two steps back. Farther away from the light, she doesn't look so old. The man who came in seemed to realize that Xiaojiao was the only one in the alley, so he walked straight towards her. Under the light, he could be seen clearly. He was dressed in black satin, and his face was half-covered with a black-headed cloth, only his eyes and nose were exposed. It's not surprising that Xiaojiao is a little bit. Most of the men who entered this alley were concealed, for fear of being seen by acquaintances. She waited until the man in black came in front of her, then stretched out her hand to hold the sleeve of his left hand, and said with a yo, "You enemy, why did you come here now?" The man in black was startled, and said: Oh? Xiaojiao said in a low voice: My name is Xiaojiao, you probably have forgotten. The man in black said: This is the first time I have entered this alley tonight. The voice is very old. It turned out to be an old man. Xiaojiao laughed out of her heart. Is this business still going to fail? She responded with a smile: Is it the first time?Then I must doubly greet you. The man in black said: I'm afraid I can't bear it. Xiaojiao said: "I'll do my best to accommodate you. Come on, I'll take you in." The man in black said: It's still early, I'll walk around and come find you again. He is ready to go. How could Xiaojiao let him go, she grabbed his left sleeve tightly and said: "It's getting late, come here." Then her other hand grabbed the left hand of the man in black, and began to solicit customers. The tentacles are cold. The hands of the man in black seemed to have been frozen. Xiaojiao asked strangely: Why is your hand so cold? The man in black said: It's strange that this hand isn't cold. Xiaojiao couldn't help but startled. The old people's blood is weak, and it is inevitable that their hands and feet will be like this. Xiaojiao finally figured out the truth, and said: "It doesn't matter, it will warm up in a while." She let go of the hand holding the sleeve as she said, and also grabbed the left hand of the man in black, pulling both hands together. The man in black yelled, "Don't force yourself so hard, you might break my hand." Xiaojiao giggled and said, "If it's broken, I'll sleep with your arms in my arms tonight." The man in black said: Then you can pull hard. Xiaojiao responded and pulled harder. With this pull, the left hand of the man in black was actually broken by her shoulder. She pulled the whole arm out of the left sleeve of the man in black. She was not on guard, she couldn't hold back her momentum, and rushed out two steps in a row, almost falling to the ground. She was startled on the spot, her eyes naturally fell on the severed arm in her hand! At a glance, her originally pale face became even paler, and she let out a cry, and passed out. With a bang, her whole body fell to the ground, her hands still holding the severed arm. That severed arm was slender and clean, not like a man's. Undoubtedly, it was a woman's arm. The fracture was very neat, like a knife cut, the muscle had turned dead white, and there was still blood oozing out. Pulling such a woman's arm from a man's body, it's no wonder Xiaojiao was so frightened that she passed out on the spot. The man in black didn't retrieve the severed arm, and when Xiaojiao fell to the ground, his footsteps were raised. The man in black disappeared into the red light like a ghost. Is this person in black a man or a woman? The long night is over. dawn. Xiao Se is bleak, Xiao Lu is bleak. The moon is still in the sky, but the moonlight is as faint as a dream. At this time, there were already pedestrians on the mountain road in the eastern suburbs of the city. Two people. Knight Shen Shengyi, chief arrester of Yangzhou City, Zha Si. Two days ago, they went to Oujiaji outside the city together because of a case, and they just came back now. The case is of course settled. Seeing that Yangzhou City was already in sight, Zha Si couldn't help sighing, looked sideways at Shen Shengyi, and said: I have to travel at night because of my duty, but you, Brother Shen, don't need to suffer with me. Shen Shengyi smiled and said: How can this be called suffering. Cha Sidao: Don't you plan to go back to Acacia Xiaozhu and see Bu Yanfei? Shen Shengyi said: This is my plan. Zha Si said: You can go from Oujiaji. Shen Shengyi said: There must be a big detour to go there, it is better to go west through Yangzhou City. Cha Sidao: I'm afraid you will have to delay for a few days when you enter Yangzhou City. Shen Shengyi said: Not necessarily. Check four ways: the best may not be. He sighed again, and said: You have stayed in Yangzhou for more than ten days, don't you know much about this place? Shen Shengyi said: This place is actually nothing, but there are more crimes. Cha Sidao: There are simply too many. Shen Shengyi said: There are too many rich people in a place, and crimes will inevitably increase. Money is the root of most crimes. Cha Sidao: Let me put it this way, if I want to take a good rest, I have to ask some rich people to move out first. Shen Shengyi said: I believe this is the only way. Zha Sidao: It's a pity that I don't have such power at present. Shen Shengyi said: Fortunately, you have a smart head, so you can still handle it. Zha Si shook his head and said: Even if you really have a smart head, you may not be able to handle it, let alone my head is not smart. Shen Shengyi said: When did you become so humble? Cha Sidao: Where is humility? He paused and continued: Just like the Silver Wolf case recently, if it wasn't for your assistance, I might not have been able to deal with the murderer. Shen Shengyi smiled and said: It's just not necessarily, not necessarily. Cha Six smiled and said: But it is undeniable that you have really helped me a lot during your stay in Yangzhou for more than ten days. Shen Shengyi said: The number of crimes in the past ten days seems to have decreased. Check four ways: not necessarily. Shen Shengyi said: Really? Zha Si nodded and said: So I told you that it is best not to enter the city, you know, within two days after we left the city, another case might have occurred in the city. Shen Shengyi smiled and said: I can ignore it. Cha Sidao: Ordinary cases of course won't attract your interest, most likely they will be weird ones, even if I don't ask you to stay at that time, you will stay to investigate and find out the truth. Shen Shengyi said: I am too curious. Check four ways: at least bigger than me. While talking, the two had come to the intersection of a small road. Zha Si glanced at the small road inadvertently, and suddenly stopped in his tracks. Shen Shengyi noticed it immediately, and said: What's the matter? Zha four eyes focused on the small road: Unexpectedly, there are people walking besides you and me at this time. Shen Shengyi followed Zha Si's gaze, and said: Coincidentally, there are also two people. His voice was very strange. Zha Si was stunned and said: Two people? He squinted his eyes and looked again, his expression suddenly became surprised, he nodded and said: Well, it really is. There were apparently two people on the path. A person in a black robe and a black turban walked forward slowly, while another person was hugging in the hands of the man in black! The man in black turned his back to Shen Shengyi and Zha Si, so they could only see the two legs of the person he was holding. Both legs of that person were hanging down from the right arm of the man in black robe. Both legs are completely naked. The legs were slender and smooth, clearly two women's legs. Zha Si took a closer look, looked even more surprised, and said: This man in black robe is a little weird, let's catch up and have a look. Before he could finish speaking, Shen Shengyi had already stepped forward to catch up. How dare Zha Si be negligent? The man in black was only five feet away from Shen Shengyi. They were fast approaching. The black-robed man continued to walk forward at his original pace as if he didn't realize it. That pace was unusually slow. Shen Shengyi and Zha Si also slowed down and followed six feet behind the man in black. They could see clearly that those were indeed two women's legs. At this time, walking with a naked woman in his arms in the middle of the night, no matter who saw it, he would inevitably become suspicious. Zha Si couldn't help chasing a step forward, and sternly shouted: "Stop!" The man in black stopped in his tracks, didn't say a word, and didn't turn around. Zha Si shouted again: What are you doing? The black-robed man remained silent, and suddenly squatted down, placing the woman he was holding on the ground. The woman's lower body was naked, but her upper body was casually wrapped in a piece of white cloth. The eyes of Shen Shengyi and Zha Si couldn't help falling on that woman. In an instant, they all felt that there seemed to be something missing in that woman, and she always seemed to be unpleasing to the eye. Blood stains on the white cloth. Seeing the blood, Zha Si raised his face and asked, "What happened to that woman?" The black-robed man remained silent, and slowly stood up. Zha Si sneered, and said: Are you a mute? As these words came out, the black-robed man suddenly croaked. Shen Shengyi and Zha Si couldn't help being startled. It didn't sound like a human's call at all, but a bit like a bird's call. what bird Shen Shengyi scolded softly, and said: What is playing tricks? Zha Si followed suit and shouted: Turn around! The man in black croaked again, and turned around slowly. Shen Shengyi and Zha Si were stunned when they saw it! The man in black is not alone! It was a bird's head wrapped in a black cloth. On the bird's head is a high crown that looks like a shark's fin. The bird's eyes are round and big, and the beak is long and pointed, almost a foot long. The entire bird's head was blue-black, shining with a palpitating coldness. The same is true for the body of the bird, with countless feathers and unusually wide wings. He obviously used these wings to hug the woman just now. As it turned around, it swept off the black turban with its wings. At the same time as the turban fell to the ground, the black robe draped over it also slipped off it. All of its actions are exactly like human beings. Zha Si had never seen this kind of bird. Shen Shengyi hadn't seen it either. The strange bird turned around, and the person stood there without moving, staring at Shen Shengyi and Zha Si with a pair of eyes. Those two eyeballs turned out to be milky white. Zha Si took a look at the bird's eyes, and couldn't help feeling chills in his heart. Shen Shengyi was also uncomfortable under the bird's eye. He looked away and looked at the strange bird from head to tail, and his eyes finally stayed on the feet of the strange bird. The feet of that strange bird were as thick as a human being, flashing circles of cold light, and the toes and claws were more than five inches long, as sharp as hooks! Quack, that strange bird suddenly called out again. Although Shen Shengyi and Zha Si were bold, after seeing the appearance of the strange bird clearly, they still shuddered involuntarily when they heard this strange cry. If it's an ordinary person, even if they don't collapse on the ground with fright, they will roll and crawl in fright, and run for their lives. Seeing that it couldn't frighten them, the strange bird seemed to be very surprised. It tilted its head and stared at them sideways. Zha Si immediately said: "This seems to be the cry of a crow." Shen Shengyi looked up and said: But no matter what, it doesn't look like a crow at all. Cha Sidao: What kind of bird do you think it looks like? Shen Shengyi shook his head and said: I have never seen a bird like this. Zha Si looked the strange bird up and down, and suddenly said: I have some doubts, it is not a real bird. Shen Shengyi said: I doubt it too. Zha Sidao: If it's not a real bird, it's probably a human disguise. Shen Shengyi said: If it is true or not, it will be clear when you grab it. Chasi said: "Not bad."One step forward. The strange bird seemed to understand what they said, and immediately turned around and walked forward. It's walking, not jumping. Move like a human. Zha Si was even more sure, and said, "Where are we going!"Jump forward. Shen Shengyi hurriedly shouted: Be careful! As soon as the sound came out, the strange bird suddenly pulled up its body, its wings swished and its body turned violently at the same time. The violently spread wings slapped Zha Si head-on. Zha Si's figure was falling in the air in an instant, and he was considered sensitive. He barely twisted his waist in mid-air, and the left side of his figure fell away. As soon as the wings of that strange bird spread, the area within a ten-foot radius was covered by its wings. Zha Si was not able to get out of the range covered by the wings of the strange bird, he flipped his palms quickly, and faced the bird's wings that were slapped on his head! With two beeps, Zha Si felt his palms were sore as if they had been hit on iron stone. The bird's wings were not shaken away by him, but he was slapped by the bird's wings and fell to the ground. The strength of that strange bird is really not small. Zha Si predicted that the strange bird might not be willing to stop there, and might continue to pounce on him, fell to the ground and quickly rolled out. As he expected, the strange bird really attacked him again, but instead of raising its wings to shoot it down, it spread its wings and swept across. Zha Si's movement was fast enough, and he was still swept by the wingtip of the strange bird on his right thigh. There was a cracking sound, and a stream of blood shot out from Zha Si's thigh. The wingtips of that strange bird were as sharp as a knife, and cut a wound two inches deep and one foot long on Zha Si's thigh. Zha Si snorted and fell to the ground again. He reluctantly rolled on the ground and drew his knife out of its sheath! The strange bird did not attack him again. When it spread its wings and swept across, Shen Shengyi had already pounced on it. Seeing that Zha Si's situation was critical, Shen Shengyi slapped his palms on the wing that swept across Zha Si, but was blocked by the other wing of the strange bird! He clapped both palms on the wing of the bird that was leaning forward. Where the palm falls is like striking gold and iron! He forcibly shook the strange bird away by a foot, and because of this, the bird's wing that swept towards Zha Si only cut a bloody hole, and did not cut off Zha Si's right leg! Shen Shengyi's two palms had already used 60 to 70% of his internal energy, but they were only able to shake the strange bird away by one foot, which was beyond his expectation. He was surprised, the wings of the strange bird retracted and spread, and they swept towards him together. The swishing sound of piercing through the air was like two sharp axes! Shen Shengyi stepped back half a foot and got out of the way. Zha Si yelled, "Use a sword!" As soon as the words came out, Shen Shengyi's sword was out of its sheath, and the man was bullied back! A sharp sword light flew towards the strange bird's eyes. The strange bird actually knew how powerful it was, and turned back with its left wing to protect its head! A series of clank clang clang clang clang clang clangs in an instant! There were thirteen changes in Shen Shengyi's sword strike. The thirteen swords were all pierced on the bird's wings! No damage to the bird wings. Shen Shengyi saw it in his eyes, and was extremely surprised. He swung his sword once, shouted loudly, and stabbed out again. This sword is more than ten times fiercer! The sword and the person flew together, cutting towards the left wing of the strange bird. The strange bird seemed to have sensed the danger. When the sword came back, its feet kicked the ground. When the sword came out, it flew into the air. He flew onto a big tree not far from the road! Shen Shengyi's eyes were clear, and as soon as he straightened his waist, the human sword changed direction, and followed closely behind the strange bird. The strange bird just stopped on the tree, spread its wings again, and flew up. It flew down from the tree with the wind, flew five feet away, and landed on the ground five feet away. That kind of speed is definitely not something that one person can achieve. It just flew down from the tree, and Shen Sheng's Yirenjian had already flown there. The surrounding branches and leaves were immediately smashed down by the sword energy and shattered, as if a rain of leaves had suddenly fallen from the sky. Shen Shengyi stabilized his body on the branch where the strange bird had just stood. He didn't chase him any further, and turned back to Zha Si. Zha Si lay sideways on the ground, with blood gushing from his thighs. He was looking up at Shen Shengyi, his eyeballs were motionless, as if he had been stunned by the scene just now. Seeing Shen Shengyi looking towards him, he immediately raised his voice and said: My injury is not serious, you should run after it and catch it. Shen Shengyi responded, "Do you have any medicine for knife wounds on you?" Only then did Zha Si notice the wound on his thigh, and only then did he realize the pain, grinning his teeth and saying: Yes, I will take care of it myself, hurry up! Shen Shengyi said hello, and shot down from the tree like an arrow. This shot was actually three zhang away. At that time, the strange bird had already jumped onto the second tree and flew away. This time it flew farther, it was actually six zhang away. Seeing this, Shen Shengyi leaped up after landing on the ground, but he didn't climb the tree, but just swept forward on the flat ground. He is a human being, not a bird. It is more laborious and time-consuming to go up and down the tree. Even so, he still couldn't catch up with that strange bird. That strange bird was flying after all. Shen Shengyi was really surprised, he had never seen that kind of strange bird, nor had he seen a bird that flew like this. Could it be that the strange bird was too bulky to fly like this? What kind of bird is this? Although Shen Shengyi is famous for his swordsmanship, his lightness kungfu is actually not ordinary. Friends who are familiar with him know that when his figure is stretched out, it is like an arrow shot from a strong bow. Coupled with his abundant physical strength, even Bu Yanfei, who is unrivaled in the world with his lightness kung fu, will not be able to catch up with him at the end due to lack of physical strength. But he is only one person after all, and what he is chasing now is a bird after all. He can only jump, that strange bird can fly besides jumping. A flight is five or six feet. So even though he tried his best to catch up, after more than a dozen ups and downs, he was still seven or eight feet away from the strange bird. After more than a dozen ups and downs, there were no trees in front of us, the rocks were jagged, and the mountain road became twists and turns. Without the tree, the strange bird cannot fly like that. Shen Shengyi's spirits lifted. Unexpectedly, in this situation, the strange bird suddenly left the mountain road and jumped towards the cliff beside the road. Standing on the edge of the cliff, the strange bird spread its wings and flew down suddenly. 沈勝衣兩個起落追到，往崖下一望，只見那隻怪鳥雙翼不停地拍動，一凝一沉地徐徐飛下。 Shen Shengyi couldn't help being stunned on the spot. 斷崖下煙霧迷離，那隻怪鳥沒多久就消失在迷離煙霧之中。 怪鳥的巢穴是否就在下面？ 山風吹處，煙霧亂飛。 煙霧之中隱約可以看見樹木。 這個斷崖顯然並不怎樣深。 沈勝衣決定追下去。 他手劍並用攀崖而下。 幸好這個斷崖陡峭雖然是陡峭，並不是筆直如削，所以沈勝衣也不覺得怎樣困難。 可是查四如果在上面看見，相信也得捏一把冷汗。 不過一炷香時候，沈勝衣已到了崖底下。 這個斷崖果然並不怎樣深。 斷崖下是一個樹林，那些樹木大都非常粗壯，地上積滿腐爛的樹葉，散發著一種奇怪的氣味。 走在腐葉之上就像是走在毯絨之上。 感覺當然是走在毯絨之上的感覺好。 好得多。 毯絨之上，也不會突然躍出一條毒蛇來。 沈勝衣才走了幾步，颼的一條毒蛇就從腐葉中標出，標向他的小腿。 那條毒蛇的顏色與腐葉幾乎一樣，一顆三角形的蛇頭卻是紫紅奪目。 幸好沈勝衣手急眼快。 那條毒蛇還未標到，已經被沈勝衣的劍斬成了六截！ 沈勝衣的劍旋即急挑。 劍光過處，一顆碧綠色的蛇頭就從一旁樹上落下。 蛇身仍搭在樹幹之上，頭一斷，反而又將樹幹纏緊了。 這條蛇，方才已準備從樹上標向沈勝衣。 若不是沈勝衣眼觀四面，耳聽八方，這條蛇現在已纏在他的身上。 沈勝衣不由得打了兩個寒噤。 他雖然不知道這樹林中到底藏著多少條毒蛇，卻知道絕不止那兩條。 在一個這樣的樹林中一個人找尋一隻那麼兇猛的怪鳥，簡直就是拿自己的生命開玩笑。 沈勝衣不喜歡開這種玩笑。 樹林裡一片幽暗，但前面不遠，卻一片光亮。 沈勝衣舉步向那一片光亮走去。 他走得很小心。 到他走到那一片光亮，樹林中他走過的地方又多了兩條毒蛇的死屍。 走到那片光亮處，也竟就是走出了樹林。 樹林原來並不深。 那一片光亮是一片草地。 草地的周圍種滿了花草。 花開錦繡。 沈勝衣仔細一看，不由又奇怪起來。 那些花草竟然大都是合藥用，五毒辟易的花草。 還有令他更奇怪的東西。 草地的正中，赫然有一幢莊院。 斷崖下其實是一個山谷。 山谷靠崖的一側，是一個毒蛇群集，滿佈危險的樹林，但其他地方，顯然已經過人工修飾，變得安全而美麗！ 花香之外，還有鳥語。 沈勝衣方出樹林，就已經聽到雀鳥叫聲。 種種雀鳥的叫聲，有些悅耳，有些難聽，有些卻是古怪之極的。 可是放目整個山谷，沈勝衣連一隻雀鳥也見不到。 雀鳥聲是從莊院那邊傳來的。 沈勝衣舉步向莊院那邊走去。 山谷的另一面也是一面斷崖。 一道小小的瀑布從斷崖上瀉落，在崖下聚成了一個水池。 水池已滿溢。 多餘的水經由一條石砌成的水道穿過莊院的後牆，再從莊院前門左側的圍牆流出來，流向谷口那邊。 也就在莊院前門左側，停著一輛非常華麗的雙馬大車。 馬繫在旁邊的一棵樹幹上。 車座上並沒有人，附近也沒有。 沈勝衣走過去，在車廂的門戶上敲了幾下。 no response. 他以劍將門推開一看。 車廂之內一樣沒有人。 沈勝衣將門關上，走向莊院的大門。 越接近，雀鳥的叫聲就越響亮。 響亮而嘈雜。 這幢莊院之內難道養滿了雀鳥？ 在莊院之內有一幢這樣的莊院已經出人意料，更令人奇怪的竟是這種莊院的結構。 莊院四面高牆，高牆之上全張著鐵網，那些鐵網全都一直伸展到莊院中的屋脊上。 整幢莊院，一如籠罩在一個大鐵網之下。 加上雀鳥的叫聲，整幢莊院簡直就像是一個大鳥籠。 一起了這個念頭，沈勝衣不由又想起了那隻怪鳥。 莊院之內到底住著些什麼人？ 那隻怪鳥現在是否也就在這幢莊院之內？ 大門緊閉。 沈勝衣手握門環，在大門之上重重地敲了五六下，才停下。 然後他傾耳細聽。 門內只有雀鳥的叫聲。 很久都沒有人應門。 沈勝衣第二次舉起門環敲了。 這一次不久，他聽到了腳步聲。 輕微的腳步聲，一直向門這邊走來。 沈勝衣放開手握的門環。 未幾依呀的一聲，門在內打開，一個人探頭出來。 是一個老人，鬚髮俱白，臉色也很白，白得就像白紙一樣，一絲血色也沒有。 就連他的眼瞳也是乳白色，彷彿籠上了一重白霧。 他一面笑容，每一分每一寸的肌肉，每一條皺紋，都彷彿充滿快樂。 沈勝衣從來沒有見過一個顯得這樣快樂的人。 那種快樂的表情，可以說已到了一個人所能夠顯示的極限。 這個老人何以這樣快樂？ 沈勝衣有些奇怪。 老人穿著一襲白綾寢衣，頭髮濡濕，似乎起來未久，梳洗未已。 他上下打量了沈勝衣一眼，笑問道：什麼事？ 沈勝衣沉吟一下，道：我是追著一隻鳥，追到來這個山谷 老人急問道：一隻什麼鳥？ 沈勝衣道：我也不知道。 The old man said: Oh? 沈勝衣道：那隻鳥很奇怪，我從來都沒有見過。 老人追問道：如何奇怪？ 沈勝衣道：牠與人同樣高矮，羽利似刀，爪銳如鉤，渾身青黑色，閃動著一種令人看見心悸的寒芒。 老人的笑容忽然一斂，道：牠走動的時候是否一躍一飛？ 沈勝衣點頭道：老人家莫非見過那隻怪鳥？ 老人道：不久前見過一次，當時我曾經想將牠抓起來，可是一走近，就給牠一翼掃得打了一個筋斗，幸虧就在我這幢莊院門前，我又已知道厲害，趕緊溜入去，否則只怕已給牠當場撕開，變成了牠的點心。 沈勝衣道：之後怎樣？ 老人道：那隻怪鳥呱呱的怪叫幾聲，飛走了。 沈勝衣道：沒有再見？ 老人道：一直都沒有。 沈勝衣道：那麼老人家可知道那隻怪鳥事實是什麼鳥？ 老人笑臉再展，笑道：幸好你是問我，如果你走去問人，就算不說你眼花，也未必能夠給你一個答案。 沈勝衣道：敢請指教。 老人道：那種鳥乃是鳥中之王，原產於天竺深山大澤之中，最好喜歡就是吃人的肉，所以，當地的土人，都叫牠做死亡鳥。 沈勝衣一驚道：死亡鳥？ 老人道：牠帶給人們的無疑只有死亡。 沈勝衣奇怪道：原產天竺深山大澤中的鳥怎會飛到來這裡？ 老人道：也許是有人從天竺帶回來，不慎給牠走脫，到處亂飛，但亦不無可能，是牠自己離開天竺，飛到中土。 沈勝衣想想道：老人家這樣清楚，對於雀鳥顯然是甚有研究。 老人呵呵大笑道：我自小喜歡雀鳥，一生都是在研究雀鳥，如何不清楚。 沈勝衣一怔，道：尚未請教老人家高姓大名。 老人道：你就叫我極樂先生好了。 沈勝衣道：極樂？ 老人道：極樂也是一種鳥名，你說我這名字是否改得很有意思？ 沈勝衣唯有點頭。 極樂先生笑著接道：我這幢莊院也就叫做極樂莊。 沈勝衣哦了一聲道：莊內似乎養著不少的雀鳥。 極樂先生道：確實數目我早已不清楚了，估計五六千隻總有的。 Shen Shengyi was taken aback. 極樂先生將門再拉開少許，偏側半身道：你只須探頭望一眼，就知道我並沒有說謊。 沈勝衣走前一步，探頭望了一眼。 門外一條石徑，直通廳堂。 石徑兩旁都張著鐵網，下端嵌在地上，上端卻是與罩在莊院上的鐵網相連。 網內種著花草樹木，還有一排排的竹架。 雀鳥叫聲也就是在網內傳出來。 無數的雀鳥棲息在花草樹木竹架之上，到處飛舞的為數也不少。 有些美麗，有些醜怪，驟眼看來，竟好像有好幾百種。 沈勝衣從來沒有見過數目這樣多，種類也這樣多的雀鳥。 那些雀鳥之中他有些一眼就能夠認出來，有些似曾相識，但大部分都完全沒有印象。 他不由怔在那裡。 極樂先生看在眼內，笑道：你是否很奇怪？ 沈勝衣道：奇怪極了。 極樂先生道：這個極樂莊之內，除了廳堂以及我睡覺的地方之外，差不多全都養著雀鳥。 沈勝衣忍不住問道：這麼多雀鳥你養來幹什麼？ 極樂先生道：養來欣賞。 他雙手互搓，得意地笑道：我走遍天下花了差不多二十年的時間，才找到這麼多的雀鳥。 沈勝衣詫聲道：差不多二十年？ 極樂先生道：你一定認為我的腦袋有毛病。 沈勝衣淡笑作答。 極樂先生道：我的腦袋可是一些毛病也沒有，這二十年花得實在值得。 沈勝衣詫異的盯著極樂先生，很想聽聽他的意見。 極樂先生接道：經過二十年的努力，天下的雀鳥，我相信搜集得八八九九，在這個莊院走一趟，幾乎就可以見盡天下雀鳥，對喜歡研究雀鳥的人來說，又是何等偉大的一樣貢獻。 Shen Shengyi didn't make a sound. 極樂先生又說道：當然，在那些完會不喜歡雀鳥的人看來，這種工作非獨沒有意義，而且簡直就是一種浪費。 他忽然嘆息一聲道：不喜歡雀鳥的人，卻是多得很。如果我將這樣的一幢莊院建在鬧市之中的話，就算不被人當做妖怪，也必會被人視作瘋子。 沈勝衣道：所以你寧可將莊院建在這個山谷之中？ 極樂先生道：不錯。 沈勝衣道：要照料這麼多雀鳥，相信並不容易？ 極樂先生道：當然不容易，單就是牠們每一天的食物，就夠你頭痛的了。 沈勝衣道：你好像並沒有僱人幫忙吧。 極樂先生道：本來是有的，後來我發覺他們都只是為了生活而工作，本性一些也不喜歡雀鳥的，很多時乘我不在，老是拿那些鳥來出氣，索性辭掉他們，寧可自己辛苦一點。 沈勝衣道：對於這種心情，不難理解。 極樂先生問道：你莫非也很喜歡鳥？ 沈勝衣道：不是每一種都喜歡。 極樂先生道：每一種雀鳥其實都有牠們可愛之處。 沈勝衣倏地道：是了，極樂先生，可否讓我進去欣賞一下那些雀鳥。 極樂先生道：歡迎之至，可是 他一頓才接下去道：今天不成，改天好不好？ 沈勝衣正想問問原因，極樂先生已對他解釋道：因為今天我有客人，抽身不暇。 沈勝衣不禁起起停在一旁那輛馬車。 極樂先生接道：沒有我在指點，相信你也不會完全清楚所有雀鳥的名稱，與及牠們的特性，看也是白看 話口未完，一個女人的聲音突然在裡頭傳出來道：極樂！ 聲音非常悅耳。 極樂先生聽得呼喚，慌忙轉頭，道：在這裡。 應一聲，他又回向沈勝衣。 那個女人的聲音跟著問道：你去這麼久，到底幹什麼？ 極樂先生道：莊外來了一位喜歡雀鳥的公子。 女人的聲音道：叫他改天再來。 極樂先生道：已叫了他了。 女人的聲音道：那麼還不進來。 極樂先生道：就來了。 那個女人沉默了下去。 極樂先生轉對沈勝衣道：對不起，我可要關門了。 沈勝衣口裡說道：不要緊。一雙眼睛仍然不住往莊內看。 極樂先生好像看出他的心思，道：你是否懷疑那隻死亡鳥是我養的？ 沈勝衣並沒有否認，說道：有些懷疑。 極樂先生道：那種鳥我就算抓住了，也只會鎖起來，絕不會讓牠到處飛。 沈勝衣道：是麼？ 極樂先生道：你既然已見過那隻死亡鳥，是必已知道牠的厲害，如果我讓牠自由走動，莊內的鐵網早已被牠拆掉，我二十年的心血早就完了。 鐵網一拆掉，裡頭的雀鳥怎會不飛出來。 極樂先生怎會冒這個險？ 沈勝衣道：方才我追得牠那麼緊，一急之下，牠說不定會溜進莊內。 極樂先生失笑道：莊院上面的鐵網全部都完整無缺，門戶又一直緊閉，那麼大的鳥，如何能夠溜進來？ 沈勝衣不能不承認極樂先生的說話有道理。 對於這個老人他雖然覺得很可疑，在目前，也實在想不出一個充分的理由闖進去，徹底來一個搜索。 他到底不是官府中人。 這個老人又是一臉笑容，客客氣氣，他就算要兇，也兇不出來。 所以他只好說道：既然如此，我在附近找找看。