Arrange the Eight Characters

The mountain and sea opposite him lost their temper, their lips drooping as they awaited Gao Junxiao's judgment. Gao Junxiao, in fact, had no intention of doing anything to him.

The real enemy, Liu Shengqi, is already dead, so there is no need for Mr. Hai to exist. From now on, only Sergeant Lei Shanhai will remain.

My thoughts returned to the foot of Mangshan Mountain. Mangshan Mountain was known for being easy to defend and difficult to attack. There were many forks in the mountain. Even if the bandit suppression team used all the artillery vehicles and three basic loads of ammunition to level Mangshan Mountain, it would not prevent Liu Shengqi from escaping.

What finally convinced Gao Junxiao to venture deep into Tiger's Den was the encounter with the mute slave, a seemingly honest man who delivered a message for the third leader, Lei Shanhai.

What should have been a perfectly ordinary matter became suspicious to Gao Junxiao, who sent someone to follow the mute servant who was delivering the intelligence.

Shan Hai had only been sent back to lie low for a few months, and even though he had already risen to the position of third leader based on his own abilities, what a coincidence that there happened to be a mute in the mountain stronghold who was so loyal to Shan Hai that he could send intelligence to the bandit suppression team.

Unless Shan Hai started planning a long time ago!

The soldiers who were tracking the mute slave discovered that after delivering the intelligence, he did not immediately return to the mountain stronghold, but went to a secluded place. There was nothing there except a natural lake in a cave. The mute man fetched water before returning to the stronghold.

The soldiers fetched water from the burrow for the rabbits to eat, and the rabbits were still lively and energetic. Why bother bringing back non-toxic water? Gao Junxiao found it strange at the time, but he had no clue why.

So, Gao Junxiao, who had been unable to break through for a long time, decided to take a gamble. The ability that Shan Hai used to travel the world made it hard for Gao Junxiao not to suspect that he was related to Mr. Hai.

Hmph, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Gao Junxiao handed over the main force to Commander Qin, while he spun off a mobile squad, disguised himself, and infiltrated the bandit's lair.

When Gao Junxiao saw Liu Shengqi again, the bastard's eyes were blind but there were no external injuries, which was very strange. Gao Junxiao knew that the vitality of that kind of rotten person was not ordinary. The probability that he had been poisoned was even greater.

At the mountain worship ceremony, Gao Junxiao met the bandit's wife for the first time and felt that she was not simple. She stayed by Liu Shengqi's side and did not show the slightest fear. She seemed to be able to handle the infighting among the wives and concubines with ease and had the demeanor of a mistress of the house.

Even Liu Shenqi's top henchmen treated her with great respect, calling her "Sister-in-law," a treatment that none of Liu Shenqi's other women had received.

She was completely different from the gloomy and miserable wife that Gao Junxiao had imagined!

Considering the description his child once gave: Shan Hai was most likely born into a well-off or even wealthy family and received his early education in a private school. He had an older sister, not his senior sister from the mountain. When she was about 6-10 years old, her family suffered a sudden change, and she was adopted by his master and became a traveling performer. Later, in order to save her senior sister, she went undercover in a bandit's den.

Having witnessed Shan Hai's various ambiguous behaviors towards his wife, Gao Junxiao completely believed He Qingcheng's deduction: the senior sister who was using a substitute was not the same person as Lei Huozi's daughter.

So their team consisted of at least three people: the mute slave, the bandit's wife, and Shan Hai himself. He just hadn't expected the mute slave to play such a significant role. The water in the cave must have been the raw material for his poison-making.

Previously, Lei Huozi might have helped, but now it's just the three young people. They've almost completely destroyed Mangshan's impregnable defenses. Gao Junxiao felt that if he kicked it again, Mangshan would definitely collapse.

Of course, Gao Junxiao still remembered his original intention: to find clues about Mr. Hai. After going up the mountain, he joined the Shan Hai banner as a seeker, so his frequent visits to Shan Hai's house did not attract anyone's attention.

Shan Hai's house was as messy as he was. His wrinkled, dirty clothes were either draped over a stool or sprawled on the bed. The empty wine jugs were overturned and scattered everywhere. If you touched them with your toe, a whole swarm of cockroaches would crawl out of the bottle opening and scatter in all directions.

There wasn't even room to put your feet down. Gao Junxiao frowned and cursed under his breath. From now on, when tidying up the house, Shan Hai would definitely be the focus of his inspection.

Enduring the sour smell in the room, Gao Junxiao searched everywhere where things might be hidden, but found nothing. He suspected that the brat might have moved rooms after becoming the third leader. Or perhaps the items were small and could be carried by Shan Hai.

However, Gao Junxiao had already seen all of Shan Hai's personal belongings in Qiandeng Town, and there were no items that did not match his status. He had not carried them with him before, and he probably wouldn't carry them now either.

At this moment, Gao Junxiao realized a blind spot. He looked up and saw two main beams in the room. After careful examination, he found that one of the beams was particularly clean, practically spotless.

Among a bunch of black cats, there was a white cat mixed in; something was clearly wrong! Gao Junxiao climbed the wooden pillar, and with a push of his feet, he leaped onto the roof beam like a nimble monkey.

On the wooden beam lay a silk package. Inside, when opened, lay a lock of hair tied tightly with red thread, and a copy of the Analects, its edges charred black, only two-thirds of it remaining. It was a finely printed copy from the Shanghai Changwen Bookstore, the second edition of the third year of the Republic of China.

Haha, while the beautiful hair could be attributed to a thoughtful lover of Shan Hai, the Analects has nothing to do with Shan Hai's unrestrained style. A lover wouldn't give him such a literary thing, and Lei Huozi, who is semi-illiterate, certainly wouldn't give it to him. Moreover, if it were really for a child to learn to read, the parents wouldn't buy a tattered copy.

It wasn't a gift from a rascal's lover; it could only be something from family, a heirloom of the parents, or something belonging to that mysterious older sister. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been carefully placed inside a silk fabric.

If someone could afford a hardcover book in the early years of the Republic of China, their family must have been a large landowner. The damaged copy might be related to a fire. Go back and check if there were any wealthy families near Xuzhou that caught fire and were wiped out.

Having made up his mind, and wanting to avoid alerting the enemy, Gao Junxiao rewrapped the items and left the house. He figured he could slowly dig into Shan Hai's secrets after killing Liu Shengqi.

Soon, Gao Junxiao's decisive moment arrived. The flames roared and crackled in the stone platform all night long, and the red-hot iron pot still emitted the aroma of meat. The drunken bandits grinned and snarled, their smiles as ferocious as demons even in their sleep.

Bang! A lot of rubble fell, making the bandits, who were already drunk the night before, even more confused.

Immediately following, thunderous explosions came from all directions. Liu Shengqi, who was in the chief seat, was startled awake. Gao Junxiao, who had been feigning sleep, also looked at the chief seat with feigned panic, and sneered inwardly: The general offensive has begun.

As more rubble fell, the bandits' shadowy figures mingled together, and the sounds of fighting, screams, and shouts all conveyed the same message: the bandit suppression team was attacking!

Rat-a-tat-tat—the crisp sound of machine gun fire grew closer and closer. The bandits scattered in panic, and in their terror, the iron pot was overturned. Many people slipped on the oily soup and fell, scalded by the hot soup, screaming and crying out. For a moment, they couldn't even tell which meat smelled like it.

"Everyone, hurry to the Lion's Den, there are horses there!" one of the bandits roared.

"Quick, quick, let's go to the Lion's Den!" Liu Shengqi waved his hand, and the bandits surged towards the Lion's Den. Gao Junxiao deliberately lagged behind the crowd because...

Bang! Bang! Dozens of grenades were thrown from the hole, and the bandits who didn't have time to turn around were instantly torn to pieces, with blood and flesh mixed with black shrapnel flying everywhere.

Those bandits who were lucky enough to survive the bombing dared not advance any further. Using the strange rocks as cover, they engaged in a fierce battle with the bandit suppression team. Gao Junxiao seized the opportunity to fire sniper shots from behind the bandits, knocking down those stakes and saving many of his brothers.

Amidst the smoke of battle, Shan Hai suddenly appeared and pulled Liu Shengqi behind a pine tree. After exchanging words for a while, Liu Shengqi put his arm around Shan Hai's shoulder and retreated towards a hidden cave.

Huh? This wasn't part of their script. Gao Junxiao, still uneasy, crept behind them, passing through numerous caves. The sounds of fighting grew fainter and fainter until finally he saw the light of the exit.

In the light, the mute slave was holding a child, while the bandit's wife held a tortoise shell box and carried a small bundle of valuables, looking like the whole family was fleeing.

"Dad!" the child's grandmother called out, her pronunciation still somewhat unfluent.

Upon hearing the shouts, a rare gentle smile appeared on Liu Shengqi's tanned face as he was about to follow the sound to hug the child.

Bang—the pale gravel was stained with blood. Liu Shengqi clutched his groin in disbelief, his groans filled with despair.

Upon hearing that sound, Gao Junxiao felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced at the smoking gun and casually tucked it back into his belt, thinking to himself that he should never offend a woman again; she was too terrifying.

As if Liu Shengqi didn't exist, Shan Hai at the cave entrance walked straight to the mute slave, picked up the child, and affectionately patted the child's head: "Son, let's go down the mountain today."

"Mmm!" The child, unaware of what had happened, danced with joy.

Before Liu Shengqi could even utter a sound, the mute slave swiftly severed Liu Shengqi's tendons, leaving him crippled and spitting blood as he trembled uncontrollably.

"You bastard, you...you two...you two adulterers. I should have found out sooner!" Liu Shengqi's eyes were bloodshot and his eyes were blazing with rage. Shan Hai, holding the child, spat at him, then returned to the cave, too lazy to even glance at him again.

"You stupid pig, you're riddled with filth, that thing of yours is long gone, how could you possibly have children?" The bandit queen walked towards Liu Shengqi with a forced smile, forcefully stomping on the wound on his genitals and grinding it repeatedly. "You're only fit to be childless and without descendants!"

Liu Shengqi was in so much pain that his veins bulged. The bandit's wife smiled and took out a dagger, repeatedly making small cuts on Liu Shengqi's neck, but not actually killing him. "Let me tell you a secret. I'm not a respectable woman either. I come from the Chunxiang Courtyard. I'm a wicked ghost who comes here to take your life."

*Thud!* The sound of a sharp blade piercing leather. The mountain bandit's wife and the mute slave stabbed again and again, not caring that blood splattered on them. Even when Liu Shengqi's face was completely stabbed, they still wouldn't let go. Perhaps each stab represented a loved one who had died tragically.

Hiding in the shadows, Gao Junxiao stepped forward and patted Shan Hai on the shoulder: "That's enough. Give the child to them. We haven't finished wiping out the bandits yet. We can't let a single bandit escape."

Shan Hai was taken aback. Upon seeing Gao Junxiao, he held the child in one arm and saluted: "Commander Gao, please wait a moment. Shan Hai will return to the unit immediately."

With a few gunshots, Shan Hai finished off Liu Shengqi and returned to report: "Reporting to Inspector Gao, the bandit leader Liu Shengqi has been killed and confirmed dead."

Ring ring! The phone call interrupted Gao Junxiao's reverie. It was his father calling to inform him that the train tickets for his return home the day after tomorrow had been booked, and he would soon be returning to his long-missed home with his fiancée and father.

After hanging up the phone, Gao Junxiao suddenly thought of how to punish Shan Hai, and then asked himself a question that had always puzzled him: how exactly could that brat control an entire ship or train to carry out a robbery?

At this moment, Shan Hai spoke frankly. In fact, it was just like performing a large-scale magic trick. He went to the venue in advance to scout out the location and confirm the size of the props that needed to transform the ship, such as black cloth, mirrors, etc. Then he sprinkled some hallucinogenic herbs into the ventilation vents. Anyone who smelled them would fall into the false world created by the spellcaster.

The formula for that medicine was a closely guarded secret of Master Lei, and one of the secrets to his unparalleled mastery of Lei family arts. Shan Hai swore that inhaling small amounts would be harmless to the human body. Coupled with his high talent and solid basic skills, to outsiders it was as if the ship had vanished into thin air.

As for the transportation, he used his former bandit gang to help him transport the stolen goods. The bandits only knew that he was doing a private job, and no one exposed him after he received the benefits.

Of course, once he had enough funds, Shan Hai eliminated the earliest group of bandits and only allowed his trusted confidants to transport the goods.

"Then why are you still complaining about being poor? What happened to the ill-gotten gains you made before?" Gao Junxiao asked in a serious tone.

"Master said ill-gotten gains shouldn't be kept, so I had Brother Tian Qi take most of it for disaster relief. Xiuxiu also has to keep things in order in the village, otherwise I can't even afford a small yellow croaker," Shan Hai said aggrievedly. "The doctor said my son might also be infected and needs to be tested. The foreign doctor's consultation fee is 30 silver dollars, plus all sorts of tests. My bonus has all gone into it, and it's still not enough."

"Hey, with such extraordinary abilities, why don't you go perform magic tricks on the grand stage? There are plenty of rich people there," Gao Junxiao mocked.

"I want to too, but I'm exhausted from training every day, how can I have the energy to run out?" Shan Hai said with a bitter face.

"Is it my fault?" Gao Junxiao said with an unfriendly expression. "Shan Hai, you're short of money, aren't you? I think your revenge story is pretty good. I'm planning to tell my wife about it and use it as material for her novel. Who knows, it might even make some money. And I'll tell her that the prototype is you."

"Huh? No way. That girl will look down on me, I can't bear the embarrassment." Shan Hai shook his head like a rattle drum, looking as if he had been struck by lightning.

"If you're a man, you have to be responsible for what you do. Don't worry, I'll repeat what I said truthfully and I won't embellish it," Gao Junxiao assured him.

"No, Inspector Gao, please, I beg you, lend me this one last time." Shan Hai was so anxious he was about to cry. "Or you could just send me to jail. A man's pride is more valuable than gold."

"Do you even have the right to choose?" Gao Junxiao retorted. "Besides, if I don't tell my wife, where am I supposed to borrow money for your medical expenses? You're so clever."

Shan Hai scratched his head and suddenly realized: "Oh, Inspector Gao, you've given all your possessions to the girl before you're even married. You're too honest."

"You're not even married yet, but you already have a son, right?" Gao Junxiao immediately retorted. Does the order matter? You have to have one sooner or later.

Shan Hai smacked his lips: "Alright, whatever makes you happy. I'll also trouble you to take care of Xiu Xiu's medical expenses. Once she's cured, I'll have to buy her a grand sedan chair carried by eight men."

"I'm warning you one last time. If you still want to work for me, you'll have to follow my rules. For example, you have to call He Qingcheng 'sister-in-law' from now on." Gao Junxiao saw Shan Hai nod, then changed the subject and asked about his sister. Afraid that his words might be ambiguous, he added, "My older sister."

Shan Hai honestly replied, "Brother Tian Qi took me back to his hometown. Brother Tian Qi said that this disease can be cured, but it will take a long time. He is willing to spend his whole life treating my sister."

"Well, from now on you'll be a man with a family to support. Work hard, the reward will be plentiful. Go back to training." Gao Junxiao stood up again.

Shan Hai followed him and said, "Oh, Inspector Gao, I heard that you and Xiao Niu, no, sister-in-law are getting married soon. I don't have money to buy a gift. How about I help you get a marriage compatibility analysis? Give me your birth dates and times, and I can make sure you two love each other for a lifetime."

"Go away, go away. Don't promote feudal superstitions at such a young age. I don't believe in this, and my wife doesn't believe in it either," Gao Junxiao said disdainfully.

"Don't disbelieve me, Chinese culture is profound and extensive. How about I give you a divination? I've really studied it, and it can help you avoid good or bad fortune in critical moments." Shan Hai then circled around to the other side of Gao Junxiao.

“I’m telling you, with all that energy and spirit, can you train properly? Stop thinking about these nonsense all the time. My grandma has a broken palm, but my grandpa is almost eighty and in great health. It’s all feudal dross. If you pay attention to it, you’ll lose.” Gao Junxiao earnestly advised.

"Perhaps the old man has a strong constitution and has managed to keep it under control. We should err on the side of caution and believe it's true," Shan Hai persisted.

"What if, according to the physiognomy book, my wife and I are incompatible according to our birth charts? Do we have to cancel the engagement?" Gao Junxiao suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Theoretically, that’s how it is.” Shan Hai quickly covered his head to add, “But it can all be broken. As long as half of the eight characters can be matched, the rest can be broken by external objects.”

"Hehe, let me tell you, I was born in the Year of the Rat and she was born in the Year of the Sheep. According to the old saying, rats and sheep don't last. My wife and I are not compatible. But times have changed. Our values ​​are aligned, and we are determined to get married. Let feudal dregs go to hell!" Gao Junxiao declared domineeringly.

People should cherish the relationship they have. Mutual understanding, respect, and tolerance are essential for a peaceful and happy life together. A marriage is something that couples must maintain themselves.

"This, this is a mutual punishment, it only takes up two characters in the eight characters, it can be resolved, and you can get married after it is resolved." Shan Hai said with a forced smile, "Why don't you get married a year later? Little girl, ah, I mean, sister-in-law is already in her birth year and is already in conflict with Tai Sui. Being in conflict with Tai Sui and having mutual punishment, you will be doubly unlucky."

"According to your theory, wouldn't it be a good thing to clash with the bad luck, turning a terrible misfortune into a great blessing?" Gao Junxiao said nonchalantly.

"Um... I think there's such a saying. If the time is chosen well, one happy event can ward off three disasters. I'll go back and look it up in the book." Shan Hai was a little confused.

"Alright, stop showing off your half-baked knowledge and get back to training." Gao Junxiao kicked Shan Hai's butt hard. "If you keep promoting feudal superstition, I'll beat you up."

Although Gao Junxiao didn't care, Shan Hai took it as his top priority to calculate the birth dates of Gao Junxiao and Gao Junxiao. After persistently trying to get close to the young lady at the phone counter, he finally got Lu's food order record. He also shamelessly pestered Lu Xian for a long time and finally got the two's birth dates.

As the saying goes, it takes a hundred years of cultivation to share a boat ride and a thousand years to share a pillow. But the first thing Shan Hai calculated from the six characters in the Eight Characters was that the birth years of Jia and Yi are in conflict and harm, which is unfavorable!

Unfortunately, their zodiac signs don't match. The next line is: "The month pillar is a 'shoulder' relationship, the wife is prosperous and wealthy, the husband listens to his wife, and the wife cannot tolerate concubines." The "mountain and sea" combination is already clear; it's a neutral term. Continuing, the husband and wife need to have a significant difference in physique; otherwise, the wife will suffer illness or misfortune.

Oh no, my sister-in-law is one of the tallest people in the world. When she wears high heels, Director Gao doesn't have any obvious physical advantage anymore.

Shan Hai was sweating profusely with anxiety. He searched through several books on physiognomy, but they all said that if a man encountered this horoscope, he would bring misfortune to his wife, or if a woman encountered it, she would bring misfortune to her husband. There wasn't a single good word about either of them.

There are two more words I don't know. A person's fortune is where they finally rest. In addition, we also have to look at luck and the year. My sister-in-law has always had good luck.

There should still be a chance. He had done Gao Junxiao a favor and was determined to help them find a solution.

Time flew by, and the day arrived for Gao Junxiao to take his family back home. On the train platform, Shan Hai ran all the way and finally found the four members of the Gao family who were about to board the train.

Gao Junxiao had his servants accompany his father to the carriage first. Shan Hai expressed his farewell feelings and, in front of Gao Junxiao, gave Qingcheng a red brocade pouch obtained from Longhua Temple, which contained a peace charm blessed by the abbot.

After thanking him, Qingcheng ignored Gao Junxiao's dark expression and happily accepted the amulet. When she learned that Shanhai had brought his son to Shanghai for the New Year, she even gave Shanhai's son a big red envelope for the New Year on the spot.

Once in the car, Gao Junxiao said awkwardly and sarcastically, "Aren't you a materialist? Don't you believe in ghosts and gods?"

"It's just a token of their affection. If you like it, I'll get you one when we get to Beiping," Qingcheng comforted the man, pinching his cheek.

"Hmph, if your heart isn't sincere, which Bodhisattva will protect me?" Gao Junxiao muttered, turning to look out the window.

“Then for your sake, I can believe that the Bodhisattva will protect you. If she is truly effective, she should be able to see my sincerity in wanting to protect you, and she will definitely be moved.” Qingcheng leaned closer to Gao Junxiao and rested her head against his.

Holding her hand tightly, Gao Junxiao kissed her forehead: "Sweetie, I don't know if the Bodhisattva received your sincerity, but I did."

"Now that you've received it, you should at least give something in return." Qingcheng smiled and stretched out her hand, but Gao Junxiao patted it down. The little girl wasn't about to be taken advantage of.

"What do you want?" Gao Junxiao looked at his fiancée with a smile in his eyes. He would buy her anything he could afford.

"Red envelopes! They stopped giving me New Year's money after I started working. They definitely won't give me any more when I get married." Qingcheng's aggrieved little face melted Gao Junxiao's heart.

"That's it!" Gao Junxiao smiled and patted the top of her head. "Come to my house. I'll pay for the outing, and you can keep the ining. I guarantee you'll be showered with New Year's money."

"Okay, okay, what about later?" Qingcheng's smug eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

"If they won't give you one, I will." Gao Junxiao said, swaying his head as he hugged Qingcheng. "Giving red envelopes is all about good luck. If we give them every year, every year will bring good fortune. How can our family not prosper!"

The train slowly started moving, heading towards the frozen north amidst the surging crowd.