The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear - Chapter 12
Upon seeing the attire of the assailants, the disheveled boy was terrified. Just as he was panicking, Zhang Buchi in front of the tower also engaged in combat with them.
The boy had been involved in petty theft for many years and was quite resourceful in dealing with emergencies. Although he was terrified by the sight of Wang Buhe's miserable state, he was not completely at a loss. Seeing that the murderer's attention was on Zhang Buhe, he immediately pulled out firewood from the fire and set the straw pile in the tower on fire.
Although it had rained during the day, the tower was not wet. The rotten straw, which had been there for countless years, was completely dry. Once lit, it immediately caught fire, which then ignited the scattered broken tables and desks. The fire grew larger and larger, and in the blink of an eye, the doors and windows of Yanhe Tower were sealed off by the fire. The fire spread from the first floor to the second floor, and then to the third floor. In no time, all seven floors of Yanhe Tower were ablaze.
Thick smoke billowed out, choking the boy and making his eyes water. He crawled a few steps on the ground, coughing, "Cough cough, Hua Hua!"
"Hmph!" A wet object gently touched his shoulder.
"Follow me, don't run around, or you'll turn into a roast suckling pig!" The boy quickly climbed to the back of the spiral staircase at the corner of the tower, rummaged around on the ground for a bit, found what he needed, pressed it down hard, and then heard the sound of hinges rubbing together.
Amidst the thick smoke and flames, a dark tunnel could be faintly seen.
Seeing "Hua Hua" disappear into the tunnel, the boy jumped down as well. He groped around on the cave wall for a while, and then, for some unknown reason, the opening above his head creaked shut.
Don't assume that the boy is lucky and that God is protecting his life, so that a cave is arranged for him at the crucial moment. In fact, it's just an underground palace.
Generally, when temples and pagodas are built, underground palaces are constructed beneath them to store precious items such as reliquary reliquary. Yanhe Pagoda is no exception.
Since arriving in Qingyang City, the boy had made Yanhe Pagoda his temporary residence. He spent his days wandering around causing trouble, and when he got bored at night, he would rummage through the pagoda. On the third day, he discovered the mechanism to enter the underground palace.
I was so excited at the time, thinking there was some treasure, so I immediately climbed down to see.
To my surprise, the cramped basement below was completely empty, except for a musty smell. Disappointed, I couldn't help but curse the monks of Yanhe Temple for being poor but extravagant!
Unexpectedly, it was the underground palace built by these poor monks that saved his and "Huahua's" lives.
The cave was dark, and there was a musty smell in the air, which was very unpleasant, but compared to the smoky and fiery atmosphere of the tower, it was like paradise.
Following the passage, the boy led "Huahua" through the dilapidated basement and walked straight back.
This tunnel is only a few dozen feet long, and its exit is a pond.
The pond is not very big. It may have been the lotus viewing pond of Yanhe Temple in the past. There was also a rockery made of Taihu stones in the middle. However, it has been in disrepair for many years and has collapsed in many places. The stone blocking the entrance of the cave is leaning to one side, revealing a large gap that is covered with wormwood.
The boy hid in the cave, and apart from the crackling of the flames, he couldn't hear any other unusual sounds. He endured it for a long time, but finally couldn't resist any longer. He lay down at the cave entrance, slightly parted the weeds, and peered out with his eyes wide open.
At first glance, he saw a man in black lying face down in a distorted position on a low tree by the pond, his lifeless eyes staring coldly at him without blinking.
The boy quickly pulled his head back, his heart pounding in fear. Only one thought crossed his mind: "He saw me! There's no escaping this time!" He shuddered as he recalled the brutality of the people he had witnessed before.
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Part One: The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Chapter Four (3)
After waiting for a long time without feeling anyone coming to kill him, he couldn't help but peek out again. He found that the man in black was still in that awkward posture, staring at him. He was both frightened and puzzled. He stared back at him for a while before realizing that the man was already dead.
The boy breathed a long sigh of relief, but couldn't help wondering: Had he "started a fire" that drove the murderer to commit suicide?
He knew it was impossible, and he didn't know where the other murderers were, so he lay down at the entrance of the hole, held his breath, stretched his neck, and peered out.
A thin sword was gently pressed against the soft spot on his throat.
The gleaming blade, the bone-chilling cold.
The boy was so frightened that his hair stood on end, and his body went limp as he was about to sit down. The sword moved forward slightly, and he immediately lay on the ground, too afraid to move.
A pair of feet were placed on a Taihu stone not far from his face.
Those feet were clad in plain-colored boots with subtle dark patterns on the surface. The soles of the boots were slightly covered with green moss, but they didn't feel unclean; instead, they felt natural and elegant.
The boy's vocabulary was limited, and after pondering for a long time, he couldn't think of any other words to describe it besides "pretty good-looking." He wanted to look up and see who owned the boots, but he didn't dare, afraid that if he moved, he would be hit in the throat.
He found it a bit strange; how could he still be thinking about this at such a critical moment? Was he scared out of his wits?
The sword tilted slightly upwards, forcing him to look up. What came into view was an exquisite white outfit.
This is a handsome and upright young man, standing high on a Taihu rock, leisurely and composed, yet possessing an imposing and intimidating aura.
Against the backdrop of towering flames and gleaming white clothes and blue boots, that snow-white attire shone like the blazing sun.
Snow and sun, two such contradictory things, coexist so harmoniously in this young man...
Damn! Who is this guy? Is he with those men in black? The boy was a little confused and couldn't help but rub his eyes, trying to see more clearly.
The sword lightly tapped the boy's chin again. Helpless, the boy had no choice but to raise both hands high in a gesture of surrender, and then slowly crawled out of the cave.
The man in white recognized him and frowned slightly: "It's you!"
"It wasn't me!"
Although the boy's legs were trembling, he still reflexively denied it—it was a habit of his. Anyway, he hadn't done anything good, so if someone came to his door, it was definitely to cause trouble. So he didn't even think about it and just denied it!
The person in white was Feng Xuese.
The boy peered around, the sound of him rustling the grass almost inaudible amidst the crackling of the burning wood, but Feng Xuese still managed to pick it up. And so, in the blink of an eye, this boy who thought he was well hidden was in his hands.
During the day at Peach Blossom Ferry, he and Fang Jianwu were forced to abandon their boat and flee, which was extremely humiliating. This rogue left a deep impression on him, so he recognized him at first sight.
This explains why the "No Food, No Drink" brothers sacrificed themselves in this desolate wilderness.
It must be like this—Brother "No Eat, No Drink" received orders from above and complaints from the people to deal with this insidious rogue. Because the guy seemed to have some martial arts skills, "No Eat, No Drink" couldn't figure out his abilities, so he took matters into his own hands. Then, he encountered those assassins and was defeated and killed.
Feng Xuese asked coldly, "You saw everything that happened here?"
"I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything! I really didn't see anything!" The boy used three negative sentences in a row. What a joke! Did he think he was some kind of slacker? How many people in this world have been killed for no reason after seeing things they shouldn't have?
His eyes were shifty and darting around; anyone could tell at a glance that he was no good and was definitely a cunning scoundrel.
Feng Xuese already had a bad impression of this rascal because of the incident at Peach Blossom Ferry, and now, seeing those darting eyes, she felt even more disgusted.