ask willow

"How, did he say it?" Xie Miao put down the teacup, looked down at the jailer kneeling stiffly at his feet, his tone was flat.

"Return to the leader... no." The jailer lowered his head and replied tremblingly.

"Oh?" Xie Mian raised his hand and lightly pressed the long and narrow wound on his chest, raised his eyebrows, "I gave you two hours, you can use whatever method you want, but you still can't ask?"

"Yes... his subordinates used all kinds of torture, but he didn't make a sound."

"Trash." Xie Miao scolded in a low voice, got up and said, "Take me to have a look."

He was led by the jailer into the dark prison of the Mingsha Cult, and he saw that the young man was bound to the wooden frame with both wrists chained and his body was covered with scars from torture. The blood soaked his clothes and fell drop by drop on the ground. Made a slight noise.

Various instruments of torture were scattered on the ground beside him, such as whips, irons, and long needles... and the man had obviously passed out from torture, and he didn't even respond to anyone approaching him.

Xie Man frowned slightly, and raised his hand to signal, the jailer immediately brought a small bucket of salt water and poured it on the young man.

The wound was stained with salt water, severe pain invaded the body immediately, the muscles twitched and tensed uncontrollably, Liu Zhongyi moved, but still didn't make any sound, just raised his head, saw that it was Xie Lu, and closed his eyes again.

When he fell down, he expected only two results, one was to loosen the iron chain and fall down the cliff, the other was to be captured by this man, he didn't intend to fall into this man's hands.However, the moment the iron chain was released, Xie Miao reached out and grabbed him, and said coldly: "If you die like this, have you ever thought about what will happen to Zhong Qing?!"

Of course I thought about it.

It's just that he didn't intend to die, he just wanted to fight for a chance and escape alive.

Unexpectedly, Xie Miao actually tried to save him.

The pulse gate was restrained and he couldn't use his strength, so he could only let the man lead him up the cliff along the iron chain and bring him back to the main altar of Mingsha Sect.

But it is certain, maybe it is Gu Nianliu Zhongqing, Xie Miao has no murderous intentions towards him.

Xie Mu looked at him for a while, motioned for the jailer to back down, and then said: "Liu Zhongyi, tell me your original route, and I will let you go, how about it?"

Liu Zhongyi opened his eyes, but didn't look at him, didn't answer, just looked away, his eyes were indifferent.

Xie Miao was not angry when he saw this, but suddenly remembered something, turned behind him, and said: "In this world, love only values ​​you. I still can't figure it out. He clearly told me that you are not related by blood, but why he treats you so favorably?" Heart."

Liu Zhongyi seemed startled by his words, struggled a bit, and murmured: "What did you say..."

Xie Mu curled the corners of his lips, and whispered behind his ear: "He said, you are not biological brothers."

Liu Zhongyi clasped the torture frame tightly with both hands, and reprimanded in a slightly trembling voice: "You are talking nonsense!"

"Zhongqing never likes to tell the truth to me, but now I can see if he lied to me this time." Xie Mu said, tearing the shirt behind him, and saw the smooth skin on the back shoulder , except for the bloodstains from the torture rack at this time, there were no other traces, so he couldn't help raising his eyebrows and said: "It seems that he really didn't lie to me this time."

Liu Zhongyi turned his face sideways, as if he wanted to see his expression: "How can you be sure..."

"Didn't you investigate the matter of Mingsha Sect very clearly? The reason why I hate Zhong is because he is Yun Zhengyao's son!" Xie Miao said coldly: "The Yun family has tattoos on their back shoulders. I think you should have seen it too. So, you should understand, right?"

Liu Zhongyi bit her lip and said nothing.

Seeing this, Xie Miao smiled leisurely, walked back in front of him, and said: "You have no responsibility to protect him, tell me, I will definitely let you go as promised."

Liu Zhongyi turned his face away and said in a low voice: "No..."

Xie Miao took a deep breath, picked up a whip from the wall, raised his chin, and asked, "Is it worth it?"

Liu Zhongyi looked at him in a daze, and after a while, still pursed her lips stubbornly.

Xie Miao snorted softly, raised his hand and lashed at him with a whip.The force was different from that of the prison guards, it was very strong, it tore the clothes on the body, and the skin immediately became red, swollen and bleeding.With the shattered clothes, something fell on the ground, it was not very eye-catching, but Xie Mu leaned over and picked it up——

It was an exquisitely carved wooden rabbit, the size of a thumb, tied with a red thread. It was obviously carefully preserved, but now it was stained with a little blood.

Liu Zhongyi stared at that thing in a daze, wanted to say something, but finally didn't speak.

Xie Miao saw Wen Yan buying this thing on the Spring Festival. Now that he saw it, he naturally knew what was going on, and said with a light smile, "You must have a very deep affection for Master Wen, but I don't know how he treats you. ?”

Liu Zhongyi lowered his eyes slightly and did not answer.

Xie Mo said clearly: "Speaking of which, unfortunately, I know a little bit about your affairs, I have also read the letter written by Zhong Qing, Liu Zhongyi, why are you bothering, in the end you are just making wedding dresses for others. "

Liu Zhongyi bit her lower lip and said, "He treats me very well..."

"Really?" Xie Miao chuckled: "What he likes is Zhongqing. To you, it's just a little pastime when you're bored. After Zhongqing returns to him, will he still feel pity for you as a substitute?"

Liu Zhongyi shook his head and said softly: "He is not such a person."

He has been acting to Xie Mang, but this sentence is the only one that is true.Wen Yan really wouldn't regard him as a substitute, everything between them was just a deliberate play, as false as a mirror.It is undeniable that he did feel a little warmth under that person's deliberate gentleness, so he couldn't stop yearning for it.Even though I know...it's all fake, and it will never, ever become true.

He really wanted that person's gentle treatment, but he was not as jealous as Xie Miao implied. After all, he no longer expected that false show to come true. Even warmth and joy are shrouded in the shadow of hopelessness.

It's like knowing that it's a dream, and it seems to be in it, but in fact, it's out of it.Even though he secretly hoped that the dream would last longer, he didn't expect the dream to come true.

Xie Miao didn't miss the loneliness in his expression, and continued without relaxing: "If he really loves you, why did he leave with love, but can't he care about life and death for you?"

"..."

"Tell me, where did they go? After I bring back Zhongqing, won't Master Wen come back to you? As long as you tell me, I can guarantee that I won't hurt Zhongqing and let you and Wen Yan go." Leave Yunchuan."

Liu Zhongyi seemed to be still hesitating, hesitating for a long time before saying: "...Really?"

Xie Mu curled the corners of his lips, "Of course it's true."

"..."

"Even if you don't speak, they may not be able to escape my Mingsha Sect's eyeliner. Then there will be no conditions to speak. You might as well think about it."

"I……"

Seeing that he was already hesitating and struggling, Xie Miao stopped talking and waited at the side.

After a while, Liu Zhongyi seemed to have made up his mind, and said, "The hidden path next to Qingning City goes north."

Xie Miao gave a light laugh, started to untie the iron chain on his body, handed the little wooden rabbit to his hand, and said: "When I find him back, I will let you go immediately." After saying that, he turned and stepped out. In the dark prison, he ordered the jailer to lock the door and left.

Holding that thing, Liu Zhongyi slowly leaned against the torture frame, showing a faint smile.

The morning light is just right, the breeze is blowing, and the flowers are falling.

He withdrew his fingers from the strings, and the young man sitting beside him came back to his senses and said, "Master, I haven't heard you play the piano for a long time."

Wen Yan looked up at him, thoughtfully: "It's been a long time?"

"Well," Liu Zhongyi nodded, "five years."

As if thinking of something, Wen Yan said: "I didn't play well at first, but I just know a little bit."

Liu Zhongyi thought for a while and said, "It's not bad."

Wen Yan didn't speak, but looked at him quietly with a little smile in his eyes.

Liu Zhongyi was leaning against the flowers and trees in the courtyard, with a rare and relaxed posture. Being watched by his gentle eyes like water, he couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed, lowered his eyes, and opened his mouth to break the silence: "What was that song just now?"

""Shejiang", "Wen Yan replied: "It is a tune composed for a poem, and the name is taken from two characters in the poem."

Liu Zhongyi nodded, and said in a low voice, "It sounds...very sad."

"'Concentric and separated, sad to end old'," Wen Yan said softly, "It was not a poem of joy in the first place."

Liu Zhongyi read along with him in a low voice, and after a while, said: "That's true. Does the owner have something on his mind?"

Wen Yan was startled, then smiled lightly: "No."

Liu Zhongyi nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The warm wind blew across the courtyard, blowing down pieces of fallen flowers in late spring. The young man lowered his eyes slightly, his face was quiet and indifferent, his hair was stained with a few fallen petals, Wen Yan raised his hand to help him pick them off, and he raised his eyes and smiled, The smile was light and shallow, not to mention how dazzling it was, but it made his heart skip a beat.

It seems that the world is quiet and gentle in an instant, making it convenient for people.

……

It was still night when Wen Yan woke up, and the wooden boat was rocking in the water. He didn't want to sleep at first, and sat on the stern of the boat to watch out for the movement around him, but he didn't see any movement until midnight. The river water under the night was gentle and cold. Resting, I was really too tired, so I fell asleep dimly.

He never imagined that in his dream he would recall the trifles of their time at Muyueya a few days ago. If he hadn't accidentally found the qin that was placed in the courtyard by someone, he would have almost forgotten that he had learned some of them piecemeal. .Nature is not very proficient, it's just something to pass the time when you have nothing to do.When I met that day, I suddenly remembered that in the past, the young man who was placed here because he fell in love with the task and went out, once fell asleep lying on the stone table with his arms pillowed on the stone table listening to the sound of the piano.

At that time, the years were quiet and good, but no one noticed.

Wen Yan withdrew his thoughts and stood up. At some point in the night, it began to rain continuously, and his clothes were covered with cold moisture.He bent down into the cabin, Liu Zhongqing was lying on the bamboo couch, and hadn't woken up since the last coma.

Wen Yan checked his pulse, and it was still exactly the same as last time. Later, when he inspected carefully, he vaguely felt that there was an aura in Liu Zhongqing's body that did not belong to him, but it was not harmful to his body. Like him.

This person always seemed to be carrying a mystery. If it was said that he was really imprisoned by Xie Miao for five years but had no power to fight back, he would not believe it. The aura in his body at this moment confirmed this conjecture, but How exactly, we can only ask after he wakes up.

But even so, the red thread Gu is still difficult to deal with. At that time, Jian Moyan told him the prescription to suppress the onset of the red thread, and he had prepared it for the man to swallow. However, it only took ten days, and the attack would be even worse after that sharp.

But... ten days is probably enough.

Wen Yan withdrew his pulse-diagnosing hand and slowly clenched it.

He promised Liu Zhongyi that he would make Zhong Qing safe and sound, and he would do it no matter what, even if... there was a price to pay.

Everything was proceeding according to the plan they had set at the beginning. The only difference was that he hardly dared to guess how that person was doing now, so he could only ask himself to move forward numbly, according to what Liu Zhongyi expected...

Wen Yan sighed and left the cabin.

Lifting the bamboo curtain, I saw the flickering dim candle at the bow of the boat flickering in the rainy night, and the boatman put on a coir raincoat and supported the bamboo pole in the night rain.

Between Yunchuan and the towns along the Linhe River in Shaozhou, there are many boatmen who take the ferry every two or three days to earn some money to support their families.There are more than five boats from Qingning City to Shaozhou every day, so as long as there are no obvious signs, it is not easy to attract attention.

Seeing him coming out, the boatman said, "Dawn should be here soon."

"En." Wen Yan nodded, looking at the dark river surface in the starless and moonless night through the rain curtain, and remained silent for a long time.

"Liu Zhongyi, how dare you lie to me!"

The lower jaw was clenched and lifted, the pain made her conscious. Liu Zhongyi opened his eyes and looked at the angry man in front of him, and said lightly, "How do you know that I lied to you?"

Xie Miao snorted coldly: "That path is completely deserted."

Liu Zhongyi didn't change his face, and said very calmly: "How do you know that the owner of the villa suddenly changed his route, or that you didn't catch up with them at all?"

Seeing this, Xie Miao calmed down, let him go, and said, "Don't think that if I was fooled once, I would easily fall for the second time. If I leave in a hurry, there will be no time to erase the marks left on the ground."

Liu Zhongyi leaned against the corner of the wall, looked at his annoyed expression, smiled a little peacefully, and said, "I didn't expect the leader to believe me so easily."

"You...!" Xie Mu clenched his fists, but didn't move, just gritted his teeth and said, "I really want to kill you!"

If it was normal, he would not trust others so easily, but probably because Liu Zhongqing pampered Zhong Yi like a child, he was gradually affected, and he always felt that that person was being protected all the time. A fully grown teenager.Moreover, Liu Zhongyi has always shown a quiet and even a little obedient appearance, coupled with that innocent and harmless face, it is easy for people to lose their guard.It was just like this that he felt that such a person should be easy to be induced, so he would say those words to him to stimulate his emotions, but he didn't want to, and fell into his trap instead.

Liu Zhongyi didn't know what he was thinking, but said flatly: "If you want to kill, I have no power to fight back now."

"You know I can't!" Xie Miao turned around, and slammed his palm on the torture frame next to him, smashing the wood to pieces.

"I know what you are for," Liu Zhongyi said coldly, "But even if you don't kill me, brother will still not forgive you. You can kill him because he is your enemy, but you can't humiliate him like this. "

Xie Mu turned his back to him, for a moment, said: "I can't do it."

"If you treat him like this, in his heart, you will be hacked into pieces, far more than killing him—"

"Shut up!" Xie Mu suddenly interrupted him, angrily said: "Are you trying to provoke me to kill you?"

"That's not the case," Liu Zhongyi sneered a little: "I'm just relying on the fact that the leader can't kill me, so I'm telling the truth. In fact, you know this clearly in your heart, but you just dare not admit it. Using such an excuse to wantonly hurt brother, Even if he really liked you back then, he couldn't bear this kind of torture."

Xie Man was silent for a long time after hearing the words, but finally did not answer, but said: "Liu Zhongyi, I really misjudged you. Even if you don't care whether Zhong Qing is related to you by blood, don't you, don't you care that the person you love still loves someone else? "

Liu Zhongyi turned his face slightly, looked at the wall, and actually gave a low laugh, and said, "I don't have the relationship with the owner of the villa as you think. From the beginning, it was just to gain your temporary trust."

Xie Miao was startled, thinking of the little wooden carving that was treasured and put away, said: "But you really like him."

"..." Liu Zhongyi was silent for a while, then said, "So what."

Xie Man turned around and looked at him: "You like him, but don't you want him?"

Liu Zhongyi said in a low voice: "I think, it's just that feelings can't be forced."

This sentence was just for Xie Miao to listen to, and now he doesn't think about it anymore.

Since it is doomed not to get it, what good is it to think about it.He has learned how to give up in five years, but it still takes time to forget, that's all.

Liu Zhongyi looked up at him: "Master, since you can't get it, why don't you let him go?"

Xie Mo looked at him for a moment, then raised the corners of his lips, and said, "It's not bad to be hated by him, this is where we should be. Liu Zhongqing's revenge... I'm looking forward to it."

Liu Zhongyi frowned, knowing it would be useless to talk, so he stopped talking.

Xie Miao turned around and left the prison, just outside, he saw a man in gray waiting there, when the man saw him coming out, he quickly knelt down on one knee and saluted, saying: "Li Yan has seen the leader."

Xie Miao sneered and said, "He's here?"

Conglomerate replied respectfully: "Yes, Guardian Zuo is already waiting in the hall."

"Okay, let's go over here."

"Yes."

It was pitch black in front of my eyes, my body seemed to be scorched by fire for a while, pierced by ice for a while, my consciousness seemed to be clear, but I couldn't wake up, until I heard a hazy sound in the dead silence, like raindrops falling from the eaves Beat on the steps.

The sound gradually became clear, and Liu Zhongqing opened his eyes with great effort, and finally broke free from his drowsiness. In front of him was a place he had never seen before. It seemed that it was night, and the faint candlelight was reflected on the bed curtain, shaking silently.There was the sound of rain coming from outside the window, and everything seemed peaceful and quiet.

He moved and barely sat up from the bed. He had been in a coma for an unknown amount of time, and almost lost all his strength.

"woke up?"

Before the words were finished, the bed curtain was rolled up. The hand was very beautiful, with long and slender fingers, as warm as jade.

Liu Zhongqing breathed a sigh of relief, "A Yan."

Wen Yan sat down beside the couch, handed a bamboo cup to him, and said, "It's been a long time since you called me that."

Ever since he broke his heart, the two of them could not be as unscrupulous as before, and Liu Zhongqing's address for him gradually changed from "A Yan" to "Young Villa Master". feeling.

"You still think it's better for me to call you the owner?" Liu Zhongqing teased, took the bamboo cup, saw that it contained medicine, and drank it without asking, "Where is Xiaoyi?"

Wen Yan didn't speak, but just looked at him with unconcealable worry in his eyes.

Seeing this, Liu Zhongqing became flustered and at a loss what to do. She took a deep breath, clenched the cup tightly with her fingers, and said, "What happened, don't hide it from me."

That voice was like a taut and trembling string, ready to snap at any moment.

Wen Yan closed his eyes slightly, and told what happened after that one by one. He just described it as simply as possible, and couldn't even say a word of comfort.

Liu Zhongqing's body trembled uncontrollably, she wanted to say something, but she couldn't make a sound.

Wen Yan took the bamboo cup out of his hand, so as not to break it and hurt him, Liu Zhongqing grabbed his wrist, held it vigorously uncontrollably, and asked: "... how could you leave him alone? !"

Wen Yan, however, let him pinch his wrist so painfully, without struggling, he said slowly: "Because, he must let you leave safely, and I promised him."

Liu Zhongqing only felt the blood in her heart churn, and holding on to the edge of the bed, she forcefully spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wen Yan took a clean cloth and wiped away the blood from his lips, and said, "I know you can understand... If you can't live as well as he wished, how can you be worthy of him."

Liu Zhongqing closed her eyes and remained motionless, wondering if she had listened.

Wen Yan didn't say anything more, and there was a dead silence in the room, only the faint sound of rain outside the window, pattering with the sadness of falling flowers in late spring.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Zhongqing raised her eyes to look at him, and said, "I know he must have lied to me about something, and I want you to tell the truth."

In fact, Wen Yan almost guessed what he was going to ask, but still said: "You tell me."

Liu Zhongqing said: "Did you not see the true meaning of that letter at first?"

Wen Yan nodded: "Yes."

"Then these five years..."

Wen Yan said slowly: "He did lie. I didn't treat him well. Everything I did in Mingsha Sect was to create illusions. I misunderstood him, and I didn't do what you entrusted to me."

"You—" Hearing his confession every sentence, Liu Zhongqing felt his heart being stabbed by a blunt knife, almost suffocating in pain.

"I didn't have to say it, but I didn't want to hide it from you. After all, you and Zhong Yi are the closest. I don't want to keep hiding the truth and pretend nothing happened, because I want to be with him."

Liu Zhongqing was startled when she heard the words: "...what did you say?"

"It's not that I didn't save him because I didn't care. I just had to do for him what he wanted to do the most." Wen Yan paused, raised his hand to hold his chest, and said in a low voice, "After all, I'm sure own mind"

Liu Zhongqing noticed that his complexion was very pale, even cold sweat was gradually oozing from his forehead, so he couldn't help frowning: "Why?"

However, Wen Yan slightly bent the corner of his lips, and stretched out his other hand, only to see that there was a red mark on the ring finger, which was slowly oozing blood at this time, which looked a little scary.

"Red line..." Liu Zhongqing recognized it at a glance, and suddenly raised her hand, only to see that the original red marks on her fingers had disappeared: "Why..."

"It was I who promised him to remove the poison from your body." Wen Yan said: "Only if I live up to him, can I proceed to the next thing."

Liu Zhongqing looked at him and didn't know what to say for a moment.He naturally knew what it was like to have a red thread attack. He was watching from the sidelines at this moment, but he couldn't do anything to relieve him a little bit of pain.

After going through it for a while, the pain was still there, but it wasn't that difficult anymore. Wen Yan took a deep breath, but saw Liu Zhongqing staring at him for a while, and said: "I will do that with you."

"what?"

"I want to kill Xie Man and destroy the Mingsha Sect." Liu Zhongqing raised her eyes, calmed down, and the cold edge was restored in her eyes, "I have waited for five years, and finally I have this opportunity, A Yan, I want to you help me!"

Wen Yan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled for a while, and said in a low voice, "As expected of love."

Liu Zhongqing snorted softly, and raised the corners of her lips: "Although Xie Miao is strong in martial arts, he is not solid in martial arts. When he was young, his master used Gu poison to transform his body so that he could become a sharp sword of revenge when he grows up. , In this way, although the martial arts has advanced rapidly, there is a fatal weakness—" He narrowed his eyes slightly, and said: "Once the Gu that fuses with his body is broken, everything will fall apart!"

Wen Yan pondered: "I'm afraid it's not easy to know such a secret."

"Don't worry, I've already got the news about that kind of Gu poison. The embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in an ant's nest. Although Mingsha Sect seems to be single-minded, it still has some flaws." Liu Zhongqing raised her eyebrows: "I will put The ingredients of Gu poison are given to you, and you must be able to find a way to break it."

Wen Yan nodded, "You can try it, by the way, how did you get that breath in your body?"

"'Transferring flowers and grafting trees, turning dead trees into spring', have you heard of this kind of exercise?"

"Never."

"If you practice this method, once you have practiced martial arts to a certain level, it will be abolished by itself, and then start again with external force, you can break through the original shackles and practice to a higher level." Liu Zhongqing clenched his fists and said: "Knowing this kind of kung fu After the Fa, I have been looking for opportunities. That day on the iron chain bridge, I received Xie Miao's palms, and then exercised my mind. He could have killed me, but he was merciful, if he dies at my hands in the future, it will be his own fault."

Wen Yan looked at his cold eyebrows and said, "Are you really ruthless?"

"Naturally," Liu Zhongqing said with a sneer, "I, Liu Zhongqing, have neither chivalry nor tenderness, nor will I act like a hero. I am short-tempered and love my sons and daughters. I only believe in retaliation. I will not lose to him."

"Except for the poisoning, what else should I do?"

"Where are we now?"

"Billing sect."

"This is indeed an excellent hiding place," Liu Zhongqing thought for a while, and said, "Let's release the news first, saying that you can trade me for Xiaoyi to come back, and you must ensure his safety. The location is set in Zhongzhou, and it must not be in Yunchuan."

Wen Yan couldn't help hesitating: "You..."

"If you don't enter the tiger's lair, how can you catch tiger cubs." Liu Zhongqing's eyes were as bright as a knife's edge, full of murderous intent, "I want him to be proud first, and then he will never recover!" After a slight pause, he smiled suddenly, and that delicate face was instantly radiant. Peaches, as cold as ice—

"Ayan, do you still remember the 'rebirth'?"