SFS Chapter 163 Encountering a Black Shop in the Wild
Chapter 163 Encountering a Black Shop in the Wild
Jiang Nianwei's plan is being carried out step by step. She cannot guarantee that Baili Jingyao has completely trusted her, but at least, for the sake of immortality, he will never do anything to her.
She has gradually become a popular figure around Baili Jingyao.
No matter how favored she is, as Taoist Master Jiang she still looks kind.
With his support, Concubine Yan became more and more favored by Baili Jingyao.
……
Jiang Siyu is on her way to the capital. With the protection of her family, she didn't encounter too many difficulties and obstacles. But now she has to stand on her own and inevitably feels a little overwhelmed.
The group crossed the desolate and remote wild mountains. Under the sky, everything seemed silent, and only their firm footsteps echoed in the emptiness. Finally, at the end of the vastness, a faint light led them to a lonely inn.
There is only this one inn within a radius of dozens of miles, so they cannot be picky.
The door of the inn creaked open, and an old woman with a kind face but traces of age slowly walked out. Her steps were unsteady, "My sir, you have come from afar. It's windy outside. Please come in quickly. I'll pour you some water."
Seeing that it was getting dark and the old woman did not look dangerous, they had no choice but to follow her inside.
The old woman brought a pot of tea and asked with a smile, "What would you like to eat, my guests? I'll have someone prepare it."
Jiang Siyu looked around. It was gloomy here, the candlelight was dim, and it was obvious that not many people came here.
She smiled slightly, and turned her eyes gently to the Red Fire Army soldiers who were traveling with her: "I'll be fine with whatever you want. Brothers, do you have any delicacies you want to taste?"
The soldiers exchanged cautious glances, and finally, one of them spoke calmly, "Then please prepare three pounds of top-quality beef, two golden and crispy roasted chickens, and a few refreshing side dishes."
"Okay, I'll be here soon."
Jiang Siyu was about to pour tea when she was stopped by a soldier named Zhou Lu, who shook his head and signaled her not to drink the tea here.
Although she was confused, she still followed his advice and quietly put down the teapot.
The old woman's son slowly brought a pot of meat over and threw it directly on the table, "This is the beef you asked for!"
With a dull sound of being put down, the contents of the basin suddenly came into view - it was raw beef that had never been cooked and was covered in blood.
Jiang Siyu's eyes flickered slightly. It was the first time she encountered such a strange sight, and her heart was filled with ripples.
Zhou Lu held the weapon at his waist with one hand, without saying a word. His expression remained extremely calm as he waited for unknown changes.
Just when the atmosphere was tense, the old woman's figure appeared again like a ghost, holding a basin in each hand, her steps were light but revealed a chill that could not be ignored.
Now Jiang Siyu could see clearly that there was no roasted chicken inside, but two bloody human hands. Her stomach began to churn.
The old woman raised her lips in a strange arc, revealing a mouthful of black and uneven teeth. "Sir, is this 'dish' to your liking?"
Jiang Siyu finally realized that this was actually a black shop that specialized in robbing passing travelers.
Zhou Lu and several other soldiers stood up at once, drew their weapons, and protected her behind them.
"You are smart enough not to drink the tea here, but so what? You can't escape."
It turned out that there was also a drug in the tea. Most people would drink the tea and be knocked unconscious if they didn't see that the old woman was not on guard.
The old woman sneered and clapped her hands, and several big men came out.
They were all tall and strong, with flesh all over their bodies. The kitchen knives they held tightly in their hands gleamed coldly in the dim light. They approached step by step with an intimidating momentum.
Jiang Siyu quickly glanced over and secretly calculated in his mind that there were more than a dozen people on the other side, while there were only five or six of them. In terms of strength comparison, they were obviously at a disadvantage.
The old woman continued grimly, "Humph, if you had drunk that tea just now, you might have been able to get rid of it. Children, get started, quickly get rid of these pigs, it's a pity that there are no girls, you won't be able to get new wives again."
Zhou Lu went up to fight without hesitation. Even though they were few in number, every one of them was an elite who had been carefully selected and rigorously trained. The mob in front of him was nothing to be afraid of.
Those bandits were obviously still immersed in the blind confidence that they could easily defeat the officers and soldiers in the past, and they had never expected that today's opponent was so extraordinary.
The two sides started fighting. At this time, Jiang Siyu had nowhere to hide, so she could only hide under the table in the corner.
Outside she heard the sound of people fighting. At first she was terrified and didn't dare to open her eyes.
It was not until she heard the sound of fighting approaching that she opened her eyes, and saw a burly man with a ferocious look on his face, holding a cold kitchen knife high in the air, pointing it in her direction.
Oops, she was discovered.
At this critical moment, Zhou Lu, like a cheetah, sensed the danger here keenly. He stretched out his body and rushed into the battle like an arrow, instantly attracting the big man's violent gaze.
The two immediately engaged in a fierce fight, with fists whistling and swords flashing.
Jiang Siyu was about to move quietly when she saw the old woman holding a kitchen knife and slowly walking towards her.
The thin moonlight shone on the old woman's wrinkled face, adding a bit of creepy feeling.
"You look so tender and delicious, let me send you off as soon as possible!"
After saying that, the old woman swung the sharp machete in her hand, which seemed to be incompatible with her age. Although the first blow was deflected due to the trembling of old age, which only caused the table to shake and sawdust to fly, her eyes became more determined, and a hideous smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she pressed forward step by step.
Jiang Siyu knew that hiding like this was not a solution, and she suddenly touched the gun at her waist.
This was what Jing Zhuo gave her for self-defense before she left. Now that she doesn't need it, what are you waiting for?
Without any hesitation, Jiang Siyu quickly and calmly pulled out the pistol, lightly pulled the trigger with her fingertips, and pointed the dark muzzle steadily at the old woman's murderous eyes. The hideous smile on the old woman's face froze.
Jiang Siyu pulled the trigger, but unfortunately the bullet was a blank.
The old woman's mouth curled up in a mocking arc, and her laughter was as harsh as a night owl: "Humph, I thought it was something amazing, but in the end it was just bluffing. You'd better taste my kitchen knife!"
Jiang Siyu's heart suddenly shrank, and the cold and shining blade was reflected in her pupils.
In desperation, she fired again. This time, the old woman's figure suddenly froze, and then she slowly fell down, and a glaring pool of blood quickly gathered under her body.
Her eyes were wide open, filled with reluctance and disbelief.
All the noise around suddenly fell silent, leaving only the deafening echo lingering in my ears for a long time.
"Mother, my mother, you died so tragically. I want to avenge you."
A burly man with red eyes wailed at the top of his lungs, waving the weapon in his hand and pouncing forward like a mad beast.
Jiang Siyu's heartstrings were tense to the extreme, her fingers trembled slightly, but she pulled the trigger resolutely.
This was the first time in her life that she ended two lives. Although she was afraid, facing the murderous intent, she had no choice but to fight violence with violence to protect her own safety.
As another gunshot pierced the sky, everything fell into even deeper silence.
The remaining dozen or so people were subdued one by one with the tacit cooperation of Zhou Lu and others. Some fell in a pool of blood, while others wailed, losing their former arrogance.
Jiang Siyu looked at the bloodstains all over the room, her legs suddenly went limp, and she sat down on the chair.
Zhou Lu wiped the blood off the knife and praised him, "I always thought you were a weak scholar, but I didn't expect you to be quite capable. But what is this weapon in your hand? I have only seen muskets, and this is the first time I have seen a gun like yours."
Jiang Siyu forced a smile and responded, "This is a pistol. My cousin gave it to me for self-defense."
Zhou Lu's eyes lit up: "This is a good thing. If it can be mass-produced, I wonder how much the combat capability of the entire army will be improved."
This weapon is light, powerful, easy to carry and convenient for combat.
The Red Fire Army now has muskets, but unfortunately, there are not enough for each person to have one.
"My cousin is currently researching it, and I believe it will be put into production soon."
Jiang Siyu took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her head. She felt hot all over just now, and now beads of sweat were appearing on her head.
Killing someone really requires tremendous courage.
Zhou Lu seemed to have noticed her uneasiness. "Don't be afraid. We'll deal with these bodies later. We'll live here after we've cleaned up. The upstairs is still clean."
Jiang Siyu was completely frozen. They actually had to stay overnight in the place where someone had been murdered.
"Are we still going to live here?"
"Yes, there might be a storm tonight, at least this place can shelter us from the wind and rain."
Another soldier came out of the kitchen and shouted to Zhou Lu, "Come and take a look at these! These villains deserve to die! It's too easy for them to be killed so easily. They should be tortured one by one by the ten legendary tortures. Only then can I relieve my hatred!"
Jiang Siyu felt an inexplicable fear in her heart, but rather than staying in this place alone, she followed Zhou Lu.
Only after entering the kitchen did I understand what they meant.
The kitchen was a mess, with a sour and stinky smell and many half-processed corpses. It seemed that what the thieves said was right, they really did live on cannibalism.
Jiang Siyu almost vomited. She covered her mouth and dared not say another word.
"It's a pity for these travelers passing by." Zhou Lu sighed.
Zhou Lu gave her the best room upstairs, but Jiang Siyu was not sleepy at all, nor did she dare to fall asleep. The scene of the murder during the day kept playing in her mind over and over again.
She consoled herself: "I am only eliminating harm for the people. I killed evil people and I can live with my conscience."
Her elder sister and brother had always protected her, so she had never done anything that got blood on her hands.
However, as time goes by and storms are coming, she will eventually have to walk alone in this world of ups and downs, facing all challenges and choices.
Jiang Siyu slowly closed her eyes. At that moment, she seemed to be isolated from the world. The hustle and bustle of the outside world disappeared, leaving only a firmness and clarity in her heart.
Jiang Siyu closed her eyes, and soon she heard the sound of the howling wind and heavy rain outside...
When they woke up the next day, they set off with the few surviving thieves. When they arrived at a small town where they rested, they handed them over to the local authorities.
Everyone was extremely hungry and had a big meal in the restaurant.
Before leaving, Jiang Siyu took the initiative to pay the bill. Coincidentally, another group of people were having dinner in the restaurant at that time.
Jiang Siyu turned her head and glanced at the man. He looked familiar. She thought carefully, isn't this the official who invigilated him in Yazhou? Why is he here?
She wondered to herself, why was this person in such a remote place? Was he also ordered to go out on a secret mission that no one knew about? The people following him added a bit of mystery to the atmosphere.
Jiang Siyu was afraid that he would find out, so she quickly adjusted her breathing and tried to appear as if nothing had happened, but Wei Songhan recognized her one step ahead.
When Wei Songhan read her answers, he was filled with admiration, thinking that this person had great talent and was good at writing. He would surely be able to achieve great things in the future. He never thought that he would meet her again in the restaurant.
"If I remember correctly, your name is Han Qiu?"
Hearing this, Jiang Siyu slowed down her pace unconsciously, turned around slowly, and showed just the right amount of surprise and humility on her face, "It turned out that it was Master Wei in person. I was not able to recognize it immediately just now. I am really blind. I hope Master will forgive me."
Wei Songhan waved his hand nonchalantly, "Are you preparing to go to the capital to take the exam?"
"That's right, Lord Wei." She replied respectfully, trying her best not to give the other party any clues.
During the exam, Lord Wei had always been dissatisfied with her, which made Jiang Siyu secretly guess that this person might be aloof and difficult to get close to.
Who would have thought that Wei Songhan asked her to wait here for a while, and then he slowly took out several ancient books from his backpack. His movements were gentle and elegant, completely different from the majestic appearance he had in the examination room that day.
"Take this. It will be of great help to your improvement of knowledge."
Jiang Siyu didn't know what the other party was up to. After hesitating for a moment, she finally declined politely, saying, "Master Wei is so kind to me, and I am really humbled. However, I cannot accept gifts without merit. How can I easily accept such a generous gift from you?"
Wei Songhan simply stuffed the book into her hands and said, "You don't have to return it."
Jiang Siyu could only nod, thank him, and then inquired: "Where are you going, Lord Wei?"
Wei Songhan remembered that since the other party was from Yazhou, he should know the current situation there. "I am going to Yazhou to do something. Before you leave, is everything okay in Yazhou?"
Wei Songhan brought his men to Yazhou, obviously not for any important business, but perhaps just to deal with Li Kun, the local tyrant.