Chapter 20 Chapter Twenty

Zhao Guan returned to his room, fed two poisonous snakes, then went to the porter to chat with his companions.It was almost the second watch, and he thought that his mother would be back soon, so he went to wait at the water gate.After a long time, there was no shadow of the boat.It wasn't until the middle of the night that he heard footsteps faintly. He greeted the back door, but saw three people running back quickly, mother and Luoying's faces were pale, Dingxiang was holding Yexiang, and the four of them were covered in blood.Zhao Guan turned pale with shock, and was about to ask, Liu Qiniang and others had already rushed through the door, closed the back door, and ordered: "Ding Xiang, take Ye Xiang into his room."Luoying, hurry up and retrieve the boat.Guan'er, cleaned up the outside of the door.The two agreed together, Luo Ying went out again, and Zhao Guan went to clean the footprints and blood outside the door.

Zhao Guan went back to the Qingfeng Pavilion and came to his mother's room.But Liu Qiniang was still dressed in black, sitting by the bed alone.Ye Xiang was sleeping on the bed, the wound had been bandaged, but her face was like gold paper, and her breathing was short of breath.Zhao Guan looked at Ding Xiang who was standing on the side, and saw that she looked terrified, with tears in her eyes.The three of them were silent in the room, but when they heard that the banquet in the Embroidered Lotus Room downstairs was still going on, Jiao He sang a little song, and the four young masters applauded.Then guessing wine, talking and laughing, it was really lively.

Liu Qiniang was stunned for a while, then she got up and changed her bloody clothes, put on her fine clothes, went downstairs to Xiafeng Pavilion and greeted her with a smile. Zhao Guan asked Ding Xiang: "What's going on?"Ding Xiang shook her head and said: I didn't succeed.That man was very good at martial arts, he chopped Ye Xiang. Zhao Guan asked about the details, and it turned out that Luoying found out that the flower pickers would sneak into the farmer's compound that night, so she pretended to be an old lady and sneaked into the farmer's house.After Liu Qiniang arrived, Luo Ying led the three of them into the dealer's house and ambushed outside the lady's room.By the second watch, that person didn't show up.Nearly three o'clock, I saw a figure jumping over the wall and rushing straight into Miss Zhuang's boudoir.Luoying had already poisoned the window, the man passed through the window, but as if nothing had happened, entered the boudoir, immediately extinguished the poisoned candle that Luoying had placed with one palm, rushed to the bed, drew his sword and slashed at the person on the bed.Liu Qiniang, Luoying, Dingxiang, and Yexiang were shocked when they saw that he had killed him, and they immediately rescued him.Since the man was able to break the poison technique, he naturally knew that there was an ambush there, and the purpose of attacking the young lady was to lure the ambush soldiers.He is not weak in martial arts, with one against four, and he is not afraid of poisonous techniques, he cut Ye Xiang in a short time.Seeing that she was no match, Liu Qiniang hurriedly led her men to withdraw.The man laughed loudly, robbed Miss Zhuang, and jumped out of the dealer's house.Liu Qiniang lingered around the dealer for a while, making sure that the man was not following him, and then returned to the Qingfeng Pavilion.

Zhao Guan had never seen his mother miss, he was both surprised and fearful, and said: When Sister Ying and I went to follow that man, we couldn't see that he was so powerful! At this moment, Liu Qiniang walked back into the house, heard this sentence, and said: A Guan, the thief knew that Luoying was following him, so he deliberately showed weakness to lure the enemy.Zhao Guan looked up at his mother, and saw Luoying and Qingzhu following behind Liu Qiniang, both of them were extremely pale.In the silence, Liu Qiniang changed out of her fine clothes, sat down in front of the dressing table, slowly washed off the makeup on her face, and took off her earrings.Qing Zhu, Luo Ying, Ding Xiang and Zhao Guan stood in the room, looking at her quietly, their hearts were full of heaviness and fear.

After Liu Qiniang finished removing her make-up, she turned around and said: "This person already knows our details, and he will come to take revenge in the near future."Luoying, you will notify all the sisters tomorrow morning, let everyone pack up their belongings, and leave together at midnight tomorrow night.Qingzhu, you set off immediately and report this matter to Uncle Bai in Youwei Valley, Yandang Mountain, and ask the uncle if you can let us stay in Youwei Valley temporarily.Ding Xiang, you immediately go to Beishan to report this matter to Uncle Xiao. Zhao Guan couldn't help asking: Mother, who is the enemy?

Liu Qiniang said: I don't know either.All I know is that he's targeting us.He was able to ward off poison, so he was clearly prepared.Tonight he sees us for what we really are, and he'll have his hands on us soon.Now we can only avoid it first. Zhao Guan recalled that when he followed Luo Ying to track down the thief, he had seen the face of the thief. He was a man less than five feet tall, with a thin body and a pale complexion. , I really don't see the ability to make my mother take refuge in large numbers and escape from Suzhou. Liu Qiniang said again: That's it.You all go back to your room and rest.Yexiang let her sleep here.Luoying, Qingzhu, and Dingxiang all left.When Zhao Guan was about to leave, Liu Qiniang suddenly said: Guan'er, you stay here.Zhao Guan turned back and entered the room.

Liu Qiniang approached the bed, beckoned him to go over, pressed a few times on the wooden lattice at the head of the bed, and a hidden lattice was turned out from the bed.Liu Qiniang said: "Remember this secret box."There are two books inside, one records the essence of my Baihuamen's martial arts, and the other records the secrets of Baihuamen's poison techniques.No matter what happens in the Qingfeng Pavilion, these two books must not fall into the hands of outsiders. Zhao nodded.Liu Qiniang sighed, and said, "Guan'er, I've tried my best to pass on what I know to you these past few years, but I don't have much time after all.You are smart and learn much faster than I used to.Things in the future are hard to predict, just in case, I will make you the successor of Huohetang tonight.As he said that, he took off a chain from his neck, and there were three things strung on the chain, one was the iron seal of hundreds of flowers that Zhao Guan had seen when he was getting started, and the other two were a key and an anthurium flower made of iron.Liu Qiniang pointed to the key and said: This is the key to open my hundred immortal box.You know that box, in which I keep samples of all my poisons and antidotes.This hundred fairy box must also be kept carefully, and it must not fall into the hands of outsiders.Pointing to the iron fire crane again, he said: "This is the token of Fire Crane Hall Master, it was made by Granny Bai Hua and given to me back then.When all the people of Baihuamen in the world see this object, they are like seeing the master of the sect, and they should be sent by you.As he spoke, he hung the chain around Zhao Guan's neck.

Zhao Guan stared blankly at the thing on the chain, and said: Mother, I am young, and the poison and martial arts of several senior sisters are far superior to mine, why do you Liu Qiniang said: "Your senior sisters are all outstanding talents, and Qingzhu and Luoying are rare female heroes."I originally wanted to make Luoying the heir, but she and the second son of the Sheng family in Hangzhou admire each other, and the relationship is already deep. Master Sheng is going to marry her to fill the house, so I don't want to hinder their good deeds.Xiulian is good at everything, but she is indecisive, has no opinions, and is difficult to be the master of the house.

Zhao Guandao: What about Sister Qingzhu?Liu Qiniang said: Qingzhu is smart and capable, so he is the best candidate.But she understands my heart and refuses to take the seat, so she must give it to you.She loves and protects you tightly. Zhao Guan lowered his head, feeling very moved in his heart.He didn't quite understand the significance of taking over the position of Huohe Hall Master, he only felt that Sister Zhu treated him very well. Liu Qiniang turned her head to look at Ye Xiang who was on the bed, and saw that she was still short of breath, her brows were tightly frowned.Liu Qiniang sighed, and wiped the sweat off her forehead with a towel.Zhao Guan asked: "Is Ye Xiang okay?"Liu Qiniang shook her head and said: She is seriously injured and may not be able to go on the road with us tomorrow night.

Zhao Guan listened to his mother's voice choked up, didn't dare to ask any more questions, went back to bed, worried and irritable, and couldn't sleep. At dawn the next day, he heard the noise of people outside the door, his heart shivered, and he hurriedly got out of bed and went out to visit.But I saw a group of people standing in the courtyard, watching something around, my mother and Luoying were among them, but I couldn't see the green bamboo and lilac, I think they were on their way.Zhao Guan went up to look, he couldn't help being startled, but saw a person lying on the ground, his eyes were wide open, bleeding from the corner of his mouth, he was already dead.That man with a blue face and a big nose was the flower picker he had followed.

Zhao Guan looked at Liu Qiniang, and saw her frowning deeply, staring at the corpse with a perplexed look on her face.Luoying shouted: "Come here, move the corpse to the backyard."Several companions should squat down and go to carry the corpse. Liu Qiniang suddenly said: Wait a minute!Kneeling down to take a closer look, he said, "Luoying, this person is poisonous, so he can't move."Luo Ying said in surprise: Yes!I didn't see it.You wrapped your hands in cloth and dragged the corpse away so that you would not touch the man's skin and clothes.The companions agreed and started to move.Just after dragging the corpse away, the girl and servant next to him screamed out, but saw a puddle of purple blood on the bluestone slab under the corpse, and beside the blood were burnt eight big characters with incense: All flowers are gone, and the firecracker is dead. Liu Qiniang couldn't help but change her face.She didn't want to alarm the others, and said, "Which bastard has a quarrel with my restaurant and deliberately came here to play tricks?"I, Liu Qiniang, will definitely not let him go!The commander should bury the corpse, wash the blood on the ground, and then ask everyone to go about their own affairs. After disposing of the corpse, Liu Qiniang called her son, Luoying, and Xiulian into the house, and said, "What do you think?" Luoying said: I thought that someone secretly helped me, I killed this person and sent him to the museum.But looking at the eight characters under the corpse, the enemy obviously already knew our details, and it was the enemy, not the friend, who attacked us.Liu Qiniang nodded and said: "We have been hiding for many years, and it's frightening for our opponent to know that we are members of Baihuamen." Zhao Guan suddenly said: Mother, this man committed suicide.Liu Qiniang wondered: How do you know? Zhao Guandao: The thousand-silk spider venom he uses starts to cover his hands, unless someone can force him to hold a thousand-silk spider in each hand, stand still, wait for the thousand-silk spider silk to wrap around his lower body, and then Climb up to his face and wrap the silk around his face, otherwise the poisonous silk would not be able to spread so densely.The man's face turned purple, it was obvious that the poisonous spider stung his throat and killed him, and he was not wrapped in poisonous silk after death.He was lying on the ground without any signs of struggle, so I deduce that he committed suicide. Liu Qiniang, Luoying, and Xiulian were all surprised by Zhao Guan's careful observation, so they figured this out.Liu Qiniang pondered and said: Why did you commit suicide?Why commit suicide?Ah, I see.The enemy's methods are really powerful!This man is the only enemy we have ever faced face to face, and when he dies, we lose our only clue.The enemy wants us to be completely kept in the dark! When Zhao Guan, Luoying and Xiulian heard this, they all looked at each other in amazement.Liu Qiniang frowned and pondered, and said: Ying'er, Lian'er, we can't leave until night.Sisters should get ready and go on the road as soon as they can.Luoying and Xiulian were ordered to go. Liu Qiniang said again: "Guan'er, I'll write a letter right away, you go to the city to find the couple surnamed Chen, and ask them to pass it on to Hero Hushan Ling."This matter concerns everyone's life and is very important.Zhao Guan took it, and Liu Qiniang said again: "Go and come back quickly."If you still can't find anyone in the evening, you will come back first.Zhao Guan agreed.Liu Qiniang seemed to want to say something more, but she sighed and said: You are very smart and can take care of yourself, so I don't need to ask you more.Go ahead.Zhao Guan nodded, took the letter and rushed out of the door.