Xu Zhutao and Zhao Yumei got on their horses and headed north. They stayed at Shanyang Hotel for the night.
Three days later, they arrived at Hua County and stayed at a restaurant called Yuebin for one night. They heard from the shopkeeper that this place was very close to Mount Hua, so they decided to go to Mount Hua to see the sights.
Huashan Mountain is the west mountain of the Five Mountains. It is close to Qinling Mountain in the south, overlooking the Yellow River and Wei River in the north, connecting Xiaohan Mountain in the east and Chang 'an Mountain in the west. It has been famous since ancient times. Mount Hua was known as the most dangerous mountain in the world. Mount Hua had five main peaks: east, west, south, north, and middle. After a brief discussion, the two of them decided to visit the highest peak, the south peak, which was also known as Yandang Peak.
The next day, they arrived at the foot of Mount Hua and entered the mountain from the Jade Spring Court. There were few tourists along the way. The forest was lush, the environment was quiet, and there were many strange flowers and plants. The two of them walked and stopped, visiting the Heaven Facing Pool, Black Dragon Pool, Welcome Pine, and other scenic spots. Shen Shi climbed to the top of Huashan Mountain and looked around. He saw thousands of winding peaks crawling under his feet. Heaven and earth were vast, and all directions were one color.
Zhao Yu sighed." The world is so close, the stars are so close, the Yellow River and Wei River are like silk, and the vast plains are like silk. This mountain is really too high, and it's different from the deep beauty of our Wu Mountain.”
Xu Zhutao was also very happy, his worries were gone, and he couldn't help but roar towards the sky.
"Kid, look at that stone wall!" Zhao Yu said, frowning.”
Xu Zhutao looked over and saw a poem carved on the stone wall. The strokes were vigorous and he couldn't help but recite it,"Only the heavens are above, and there are no mountains. The red sun is near, and the white clouds are low. Good poem, good poem. It's too appropriate. Martial Uncle, aren't we walking on floating clouds now?”
The two of them played on the peak for an hour before going down the mountain. When they were about to reach a fork in the road halfway down the mountain, they saw two people walking down another road. In front of him was a young man wearing a white brocade robe and a square scarf. He had fair skin and exquisite facial features. A high-grade sword hung at his waist. The other was a middle-aged man in a tight suit. He had a dignified appearance, a dark face, a full beard, and a short knife in his hand.
The four of them met at the fork in the road. Xu Zhutao cupped his fists and said,"Are the two of you also going down the mountain?"
"That's right, we just came back from the Heaven Facing Pool."”
"We went to the Yangtian Pool when we went up the mountain. Since we're both going down the mountain, please go ahead."”
The two of them did not stand on ceremony and took the lead to walk down the mountain.
"Both of you carry swords. Are you martial artists?" asked the young master in embroidered clothes.”
"Yes, I'm Xu Zhutao, and this is my cousin." I've just come out of Jianghu and haven't gained a reputation yet. We came from Huguang and Jingzhou as bodyguards. After the incident, we came to Huashan for a tour.”
The young man in embroidered clothes seemed to be very interested because he came from Huguang. He turned around and looked at him again."What a coincidence, we are also from Huguang. May I know which bodyguard agency you are working for?”
"The Wuwei Escort Agency in Jingzhou. This escort, sigh, it's really hard to explain in a few words."”
"There's still a long way to go. Why don't you tell me in detail, Young Master Xu?"”
Xu Zhutao told him about his experience on the way to Qingyang Prefecture with Peng Zhengyi's bodyguards.
The young man in embroidered clothes listened and said,"What a good trick. It's just that the reputation of Wuwei Bodyguard Agency will probably plummet in the future."”
Xu Zhutao had not mentioned Wu Zhaoyun's nickname when he was narrating the story, but now he was surprised to hear this young man in embroidered clothes say it.
"Are the two of you also from the martial arts world?" Xu Zhutao asked.”
"No, my family is just a scholarly family in Huguang."”
"But Young Master actually knows Wu Zhaoyun's title in Jianghu. I can see that both of you are also people with martial arts."”
" We're really not from the martial arts world," the young man in embroidered clothes said." We've learned some martial arts to defend ourselves. I once learned martial arts from a martial arts practitioner for a few years. As for Wu Zhaoyun's nickname, I heard it from the guards at home. " I've also heard of the Chizhou Twin Dragons. I heard that they're both very arrogant and despotic. They don't put many famous experts in the martial arts world in their eyes. If Young Master could defeat Black Dragon, his martial arts must be very powerful.”
"This is my first time in Jianghu," Xu Zhutao said."I've only met Black Dragon. I'm not worthy of the word 'high'."”
"The road to becoming a bodyguard is very dangerous. How did Young Master Xu think of becoming a bodyguard?"”
"Well…I'm short of money, so I want to earn some money."”
The young master in embroidered clothes laughed out loud and said,"Wonderful!" Brother Xu is really a wonderful person. If you want to have a good background, Brother Xu might as well consider taking the martial arts examination. You can become a general in the future. Isn't it better than being a bodyguard? Since Brother Xu was able to defeat that Black Dragon, it shouldn't be difficult for him to pass the imperial examinations.”
Xu Zhutao said," I've just come out of Jianghu. I won't consider taking the martial arts examination for the time being. However, if I get tired in Jianghu one day, I might take the martial arts examination."”
The two of them talked as they walked. They were quite congenial. Along the way, Zhao Yumei and the middle-aged man did not say a word.
When they came down from the mountain, it was already 10 o'clock. Outside Jade Spring Court, Xu Zhutao was about to bid farewell to the young master in embroidered clothes when he saw a luxurious carriage slowly approaching. It was driven by a big man, and three big men followed beside it.
The young man turned around and cupped his fists at Xu Zhutao and Zhao Yumei."I'm Hu Guang An Lu Zhu Xuan. We'll be taking our leave now.”
Xu Zhutao also cupped his hands and said goodbye.
When the carriage driver and the burly man who accompanied him saw the young master in embroidered clothes, they hurriedly knelt down on one knee. The young master in embroidered clothes slowly walked into the carriage and opened the curtain. The four burly men walked to the four corners of the carriage, and then the burly man who followed the young master down the mountain jumped up to drive the carriage.
"He must be the son of some eunuch," Xu Zhutao murmured.”
Zhao Yu suddenly grabbed Xu Zhutao's ear and said,"Hmph, what Young Master! Didn't I teach you to speak only three points when you meet people?”
At this moment, Xu Zhutao certainly did not know that this young master named Zhu Xuan would change his life in the future. Moreover, Zhu Xuan would become a princess in the future, and Zhu Xuan's younger brother would ascend the throne. Who knew what would happen in the future?
The two of them rode back to Yuebin Restaurant, and the waiter came over to lead the horse to the stable.
After entering the lobby, Xu Zhutao saw that there were a few guests sitting there. He ordered some food and wine, and saw Zhao Yumei go to the kitchen to take a look before coming back to sit down.
"Uncle-Master, are you delusional?" Xu Zhutao whispered. Didn't you kill Wang Guanzhong of the Evil Duo of the South Sea? Are there so many people in Jianghu thinking about how to harm people every day?”
"Shut up!" Zhao Yu said angrily. You can't be careless when you're outside. Jianghu is full of dangers. Look at you, weren't you tricked by Wu Zhaoyun this time? If it weren't for the little demoness who sent people that day, would it have been so easy to clean up? Be smarter in the future!"
Xu Zhutao saw that his martial uncle was really angry and nodded repeatedly.
Suddenly, he heard a slightly hoarse voice say,""Brother Xu, you're here too. I didn't expect us to meet so soon, haha!”He turned around and saw Zhu Xuan walking into the shop with his coachman.
Xu Zhutao stood up happily and cupped his hands."It's really a rare encounter in life. Young Master Zhu, please come and sit here!”
"Good," Zhu Xuan said,"I ought to drink with Brother Xu."”
Xu Zhutao invited the two of them to sit down and called the waiter to add more bowls and chopsticks. He also asked Zhu Xuan to order some food and wine and said,"The two of you must be hungry after coming down from the mountain. Please eat.”
The coachman first tasted every dish on the table and drank a glass of wine. Only then did Zhu Xuan start eating.
This time, Xu Zhutao carefully examined Zhu Xuan and realized that her facial features were really exquisite, and her skin was fair and delicate. The few of them ate for a while. Xu Zhutao poured wine into the glass and asked Zhu Xuan,"Young Master Zhu, don't you have four other guards? Why aren't they here to eat?”
"We'll just eat our own food. Don't worry about them." Zhu Xuan smiled. Brother Xu, come, let's drink first!" The two of them clinked their glasses and drank.
Xu Zhutao poured himself another cup and said to the coachman,"I'm Xu Zhutao. I haven't asked for your name, so I'll drink a cup as punishment.”He raised his head and drank another cup.
"Brother Xu, he's a bodyguard just like you. His name is Zhang Hongwu."”
Xu Zhutao then toasted Zhang Hongwu. The dishes were served. Zhu Xuan waited for Zhang Hongwu to finish everything before she started eating. After eating for a while, Zhu Xuan saw that Zhao Yumei was not drinking. She looked at her for a while and smiled at Xu Zhutao."Your cousin sister is beautiful, and to be able to have such a beauty as her companion, Brother Xu is really lucky.”
Zhao Yu frowned and said,"Hmph, he's so lucky to be favored by Master Zhu!"”
"My cousin doesn't have many harsh words. Please don't blame her, Young Master Zhu," Xu Zhutao said awkwardly.”
After the meal, the few of them returned to their rooms to rest.
Early the next morning, Xu Zhutao saw the noisy lobby downstairs as soon as he got up and walked out of his room. He saw two bailiffs blocking the entrance of the restaurant and more than ten bailiffs interrogating the diners in the lobby.
Suddenly, a constable who seemed to be the leader shouted,""Those without travel passes, bring them back to the yamen for questioning. Also, call everyone in the guest room up for questioning!”
Xu Zhutao quickly knocked on Zhao Yumei's door. After a while, she opened the door."What's wrong?"
"There are constables here to investigate the case. Those without travel passes will be taken back to the yamen. What should we do?" Xu Zhutao said.”
Zhao Yu frowned." Don't panic," he said." Bringing him back to the yamen is just for questioning. We didn't commit any crime. What are you afraid of?"”
At this moment, the leading constable had already arrived in front of them. He asked,"Where did you two come from? Did you leave this restaurant last night?”
" We came from Huguang and Jingzhou," Xu Zhutao said." Last night, we drank until 11:00 and never left the restaurant. The waiter can testify."”
"Where's the travel pass?" the constable asked. Take it out!"
Xu Zhutao didn't know what to do. Could he really go back to the yamen with them? Just as he was hesitating, two constables came over and wanted to take them away.
"Wait!" Zhu Xuan suddenly walked over and said to the constable,""Constable, please speak privately.”
The constable saw that he was an elegant and handsome young master. He had been handling cases for many years and had seen all kinds of people. After a moment of hesitation, he followed Zhu Xuan to the other end of the corridor.
Xu Zhutao saw the two of them whispering for a while, but he didn't know what they were talking about.
After a while, the constable came back and said to his two subordinates,""There's no problem with these two.”
"Chief Wang, what happened here?" Zhu Xuan asked.”
Chief Arrester Wang said," There is a daughter of the He family in the east of the city named He Yufu who has gone missing. The owner of the family is called He Kangbai. People in the Jianghu call her the White Rainbow Swordsman. Her daughter is known as the Jade Maiden of Mount Hua. He Kangbai has a good relationship with the magistrate. The magistrate wants us to solve the case as soon as possible." It was said that Miss He was extremely beautiful, so He Kangbai suspected that it was the doing of a rapist in the Jianghu. I'll go back to my work first. Don't wander around if you have nothing to do. Hua County will not be peaceful after this commotion. Young…Young Master Zhu, you must be careful.”After saying that, he bowed to Zhu Xuan and led the two constables away.
Chief Arrester Wang's name was Wang Dingyuan. Over the years, he had solved many cases, big and small. Because he was willing to help others, he was deeply loved by the local people and won the hearts of the people. In Hua County, the people called him the Godly Arrester of Hua State.
Zhu Xuan invited Xu Zhutao and Zhao Yumei to have breakfast together. During the meal, they talked about the White Rainbow Swordsman and the Huashan Jade Girl. Xu Zhutao had never heard of these two Jianghu people, so he asked Zhao Yumei,"Has cousin heard of these two people?”
Zhao Yu frowned." I heard that the White Rainbow Swordsman, He Kangbai, once found a zither in a cave deep in the mountains. It was called the Thunder Zither." His wife was born into a family of officials and was well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The jade girl of Huashan had learned the art of the zither from her mother since she was young. It was said that when she played the thunder zither, she could hurt the enemy with the sound of the zither. This is all I know."
"Brother Xu, why don't we go to the He family and pay a visit to He Kangbai?" Zhu Xuan said.”She seemed to be very interested in this case.
Xu Zhutao looked at Zhao Yu and said,"If there's nothing else, then go."
When the three of them arrived at the He family's house, they knocked on the door. A person who looked like a butler came out and opened the door. Seeing that it was a stranger, he asked the three of them for their names. The three of them told the truth and said that they wanted to see He Kangbai. That person went in for a while before coming out and saying,""My master said that he won't meet strangers.”He closed the door with a bang, looking very arrogant.
"Go and tell your master that we have clues about your young miss." Zhu Xuan shouted.”
The three of them stood outside the door for a long time before the person came back and opened the door, saying that the old master had invited them.
Entering the street gate, they saw a middle-aged man waiting in the outer courtyard. He was gentle and elegant, and the three of them knew that this was the White Rainbow Swordsman, He Kangbai. Zhu Xuan clasped her fists and said,"I am Zhu Xuan of Huguang. Greetings, Hero He.”"This is my friend Xu Zhutao and Lady Zhao."”He Kangbai cupped his fists in return. When he saw Zhao Yu, his eyes lit up as he said,"Are you the one who said that you have clues about my daughter?”
"Not yet, but as long as Hero He agrees, I'll wait until your daughter's boudoir to take a look. I'm not afraid that there won't be any clues."”
He Kangbai saw that although the three of them had lied to get into the house, he did not care and said,"Let's go in and talk."
After entering the inner courtyard, He Kangbai brought the three of them to the main room. Inside sat a beautiful woman in her thirties with a sad expression on her face.
"Why are you three here?" He Kangbai asked.”
"Of course, it's for Sect Master He to find your daughter." May I ask if your daughter has a maidservant to wait on her?”
He Kangbai saw Zhu Xuan's vow and did not suspect anything. He called out to the woman,"Yun 'er, go and call Xiaolan over.”The woman then went to the third courtyard.
"Hero He, do you and your wife have any enemies?" Zhu Xuan asked again. Or have you offended someone in the past?" He Kangbai thought about it for a while and replied,"No, I haven't."
At this moment, Madam He returned with a beautiful maidservant who was about sixteen or seventeen years old.
"Has there been a theft in your residence?" asked Zhu Xuan. After your daughter went missing, did anyone enter her boudoir?”
He Kangbai didn't answer, but Mrs. He answered,"My residence wasn't robbed, but my daughter's zither is missing. Every time my daughter finishes playing the zither, she takes it back to her room. After my daughter went missing, Xiaolan and I went into her room, but my husband decided to report it to the police and told us not to touch anything in the room. Chief Arrester Wang also went in to take a look this morning.”
"I heard that your daughter can hurt people with the sound of the thunder zither. Who has she hurt with the thunder zither?" Zhu Xuan asked again. Or did she have a grudge with someone? Also, did she have any close relationships with any men? Or perhaps she had a man she liked?”Zhu Xuan looked deeply at Mrs. He after she finished speaking. She probably knew that women liked to tell their mothers about the person they liked.
Mrs. He thought for a moment and said," Well…my daughter sometimes goes to the suburbs to paint. She only goes out on the streets when she needs to buy something. She goes out with Xiaolan." My daughter had once injured a group of local ruffians with her zither music, and her martial arts skills were not weak. She had never dated a man, nor did she have a man she liked.”Then he turned to Xiao Lan and asked,"Xiao Lan, have you and Miss offended anyone on the streets?"”
Lan said timidly,"" No, oh, yes, but it wasn't Miss who offended others, it was others who offended Miss. Once, when Miss and I were shopping for rouge, we met a man in white clothes. He said he was some white dragon from Chizhou with the surname Zhong. He asked Miss's name and where her home was. Miss didn't say anything, so he stopped Miss and didn't let her go. Miss got angry and fought with her. Miss couldn't defeat that man, so he grabbed Miss's wrists and wanted to molest Miss. Two beautiful sisters happened to pass by and beat that man away.”
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。