World Shock 77. Southern Xinjiang Border

Southern Xinjiang has been a barbarian land since ancient times, and its customs and folkways are very different from those of the Central Plains. There are many poisonous insects and poisonous grasses, raptors and beasts in its territory, and the people are martial and fierce. Most people in the Central Plains avoid it as much as possible. Thousands of years ago, Southern Xinjiang and the Central Plains were one, and it was called Kuizhou in ancient times. In the late years of the previous dynasty, the Nanzhao royal family rose and established the Nanzhao Kingdom. Later, Taizu established the Great Chu and fought in the south and the north all his life. When Taizong took action, Nanzhao had been established for more than a hundred years and had a solid foundation. After decades of war, the Central Plains also urgently needed to rest and recuperate. From then on, Southern Xinjiang officially became independent from the territory of the Great Chu.

Broken Snow Pass is located on the border between Southern Xinjiang and Yongzhou of Da Chu. Although the two countries are at war from time to time, the people on the border still have exchanges and trade. In the small town of Yonglin, thirty miles behind Broken Snow Pass, people from Southern Xinjiang dressed in strange clothes can be seen coming and going from time to time. Yonglin City is not big, because the capital of Yongzhou, which is close to the border, is also two hundred miles away, so it does not look prosperous. Except for the people who are obviously dressed in foreign clothes mixed in the crowd, this place is just like an ordinary small town. Ye Li stood on the not-so-wide street, watching the people coming and going with a calm expression and smiled faintly in her heart. In such an era, it is indeed very rare to live in such a small border town with such peace and tranquility. Or it should be said that the ability of ordinary people to adapt to life and environment is always beyond people's expectations.

An San stood beside Ye Li holding a sword, looking at his master standing at the door of the inn with a strange look on his face instead of going in. "Sir, there don't seem to be many inns in Yonglin City. This one is already the best."

Ye Li glanced at him, shook her head and smiled, "Go in. I don't think the inn is bad." After that, she stepped into the inn that looked a bit simple. An San raised his sword eyebrows. He also felt that the princess would not think the environment was too bad. After all, sometimes they could not find the next town and sometimes they had to sleep in the wilderness. Moreover, when they were in the capital, there were some places under the Black Cloud Peak where even the secret guards did not want to set foot. But the princess went in without blinking.

Entering the inn, compared to the magnificently decorated inns in Chujing and Guangling City, this small inn is not even a third-rate one. But it is indeed the best inn in Yonglin City. There are only seven or eight tables in the lobby, and three of them are already occupied. An old shopkeeper is lowering his head to count at the counter. Although Ye Li is wearing a simple cloth dress, her age, appearance and temperament, as well as An San who is holding a sword and looking extraordinary behind her, have already attracted everyone's attention. It is not a good time to travel or do business, so the inn seems a bit cold. Ye Li walked to the counter and knocked twice. The old shopkeeper raised his head tremblingly and looked at Ye Li and the others for a long time before asking, "Young Master, are you staying at the hotel?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "Why don't we stay at the hotel and come over for tea?"

The old shopkeeper smiled and said, "Sir, what's your name? How many rooms do you want?"

"Chu, two upper rooms."

The old shopkeeper called the waiter to take the two people to the room upstairs. After sending the waiter away, An San skillfully checked the entire private room. This kind of private room in a small inn, even if it is an upper room, would not be very spacious and luxurious. It is just a bed, a wardrobe, and a screen separating the table and chairs outside. An San stood by the door and watched Ye Li put his things in place nimbly, frowned and asked: "Sir, when are we going to Southern Xinjiang?" Ye Li put away the gifts, came out from behind the screen, pointed to a chair on the side and motioned An San to sit down, and smiled: "This kind of thing can't be rushed. I think... we need a guide."

For those who were entering the southern Xinjiang area for the first time, it was simply playing with one's life to go there without doing enough homework. And Ye Li was not fond of taking risks unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Guide?" An San was puzzled.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Southern Xinjiang is too mysterious for us in the Middle Earth. It's not easy for us to travel there without knowing the place. It's a good idea to find a local in Southern Xinjiang or a Da Chu person who is familiar with Southern Xinjiang to lead the way."

An San frowned and said, "But...bringing an outsider with us might hinder us."

Ye Li held a folding fan and tapped the table carelessly, saying, "So we have to wait. I have asked someone to find a guide. Unfortunately, he seems to be two days later than us." Seeing An San's puzzled eyes, Ye Li smiled and said nothing. She signaled An San to go back to his room to rest. An San knew his master's temper very well. If she didn't want to talk, he would not be able to get the answer even if he racked his brains. He had no choice but to get up and go back to his room with a depressed look on his face.

Watching An San leave with a smile, Ye Li took out the files sent by Tianyi Pavilion from her luggage and continued to read. After getting the benefits, Han Mingqing's work was still very reliable. She received a large amount of information about Southern Xinjiang from Tianyi Pavilion almost every few days on the way to the south. Ye Li has become accustomed to reading all of them and memorizing them in her mind as soon as she receives them, and then destroying them. The one in her hand now should be the last one before entering Southern Xinjiang. Along the way, she gradually formed an impression of the situation and general situation in Southern Xinjiang in her mind, but how true it is still to be verified after entering Southern Xinjiang. After reading the thick files in his hand at a glance, Ye Li calmly burned the files filled with handwriting.

In the morning, Ye Li got up early as usual and went downstairs. There were already two tables of people in the lobby downstairs, and An San was sitting at one of the tables, leaning against the wall. When An San saw Ye Li coming down, he quickly stood up and said, "Young Master."

Ye Li nodded and smiled: "So early?"

An San remained silent. Normally, if there were others with him, he wouldn't have to leave so early, but now he was the only one following him. Although he knew that the young master was not without the ability to protect himself, he still couldn't help but worry. Ye Li knew what he was thinking, and smiled helplessly, "Don't be so nervous. If you keep doing this, I'm afraid you will be exhausted before we enter Southern Xinjiang. Does it put a lot of pressure on you to follow me?"

An San shook his head, "No, thank you for your trust, sir." It's just that he grew up with the others. He is only a little older than An Si, but his temperament is not as stable as An Si. So he usually listens to the opinions of An Yi and An Er. Now that he is alone, it is inevitable that he is a little uncomfortable. Ye Li nodded with a smile, sat down, and called the waiter to order breakfast.

"My two lords, are you also planning to go to Southern Xinjiang?" Ye Li was inviting An San to have breakfast when a man at the opposite table stood up and came over to ask.

Hearing this, Ye Li put down the chopsticks in her hand and looked up at the person who came. He was tall and strong, with an ordinary appearance. Although he tried his best to show kindness to the two people, the murderous look between his eyebrows was difficult to hide. An San reached out and grasped the sword on the table. Ye Li raised his hand to press the sword and patted it inadvertently. An San frowned and looked at the man before retracting his hand and lowering his head to continue eating.

The visitor saw the two's actions clearly, and smiled without thinking: "Don't be nervous, brother. We are also going to Southern Xinjiang, so we want to ask you if you want to go together." The man pointed to the three people at the opposite table and smiled. Ye Li glanced over there, and saw an old man in his fifties or sixties, who was mostly a wealthy businessman. He was wearing gorgeous and expensive clothes, and had a jade ring on his finger, and a golden abacus in his hand. It was almost written that I am rich and come to rob me. Next to him was a middle-aged man who looked like a butler and a sickly young scholar. This combination is definitely eye-catching. At first, Ye Li was a little worried that she and An San would attract too much attention. After seeing these people, she realized that she was too embarrassed. Well, few of those who have the courage to go to the hinterland of southern Xinjiang are useless.

Ye Li looked at An San and said with a smile, "I'm afraid we will cause trouble for you guys."

The man smiled and said, "How could that be? I think this brother is quite skilled. I've been to the southern border several times. They do a lot of evil things. If there are more of us, we can look after each other, right?" The man looked at An San and then turned his gaze back to Ye Li. It was obvious that Ye Li was the one who could make the decision, but he couldn't tell the depth of the young man in front of him. He could only secretly guess whether it was some ignorant young master who ran out to play with his guards.

"We are planning to go to the capital of Nanzhao. There shouldn't be any danger along the way. How many of you are there?" Ye Li narrowed her eyes and smiled, her smile innocent and kind.

The man laughed loudly and said, "We are also going to the capital of Nanzhao. Originally, the road to the capital of Nanzhao was relatively peaceful, but it has been a little mysterious since last year. Our old man is going to Nanzhao to do some medicinal materials business. If you don't mind, why don't we go together?" The wealthy businessman sitting opposite glanced at Ye Li arrogantly, but the young man with a sick face nodded at the two of them with a smile.

Ye Li lowered her eyebrows and smiled, declining politely, "I just heard that Nanzhao has unique scenery, so I plan to go there to travel and broaden my horizons. Therefore, I have found a guide in advance, but he will arrive two days later. I won't delay your trip." Seeing Ye Li's refusal, the man didn't force it, but smiled and said, "In that case, I'm sorry to bother you, sir. Why don't we meet again in the capital of Nanzhao." Ye Li nodded slightly and watched the man return to the seat opposite. The rich businessman on the opposite side faintly heard the man's words of blaming him for being nosy and disdainful of Ye Li and the others, but Ye Li didn't care and smiled lightly and lowered her head to eat breakfast.

After the guests at that table left, An San raised his head and said, "Young Master, be careful of those people."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows and asked, "Do you know them?"

An San nodded and shook his head, saying, "I know that sick scholar."

"?" Ye Li looked at An San, somewhat curious as to how he knew such a sick scholar when he had almost never left the capital. "It seems that the identity of that sick scholar is not simple?" An San nodded and said, "His nickname is the Sick Scholar, and no one knows his real name. Including Tianyi Pavilion." Ye Li lowered his head and thought about the scholar with a sick face he had just seen. He didn't look like a top master and there was nothing special about him. How did An San know his identity? An San said, "He is the third leader of the Prince Yan's Pavilion in Xiling Kingdom. In the past few years, almost all assassin organizations have taken on the task of assassinating the prince, including Prince Yan. Many of our secret guards died at his hands. However, he was also hit by the prince and his heart was damaged, and the original fake illness became a real illness. Did you notice his right hand just now? The sick scholar is good at poison. The color of his left hand nails is different from that of ordinary people. Others just think that he is sick. In fact, it was like this long before he was injured by the prince. That hand was caused by his long-term poison practice, which is extremely poisonous."

Ye Li lowered her head and thought back. Sure enough, she remembered that the scholar's left hand, which was hidden in his sleeve, was slightly exposed when he stood up. It seemed to be dark red. "Turning his own hand into poison? Isn't he afraid of poisoning himself to death?" Ye Li was puzzled and felt that this practice was meaningless. In a sense, a body that is immune to all poisons does not exist. It can only be said that some bodies are resistant to most poisons for some reason. If a person with poison in his body can live safely, then Shen Yang would not have to spend so much effort to treat Mo Xiuyao.

After breakfast, Ye Li went out for a walk in Yonglin City, and learned about the situation in Southern Xinjiang and Suixue Pass. When he came back in the evening, he saw the four people still sitting in the same place eating dinner. It was obvious that they did not leave today. The sick scholar still nodded to Ye Li and the others in a friendly manner. Ye Li nodded with a smile and prepared to go upstairs.

"Hey? When did Yonglin City have such a fair and tender young man?" Before Ye Li stepped onto the stairs, a voice full of obscenity came from the corner behind her. Ye Li turned slightly and saw a skinny young man dressed in southern Xinjiang staring at her. His eyes were wanton and full of lust, and even his mouse-like eyes were full of evil. She couldn't help but frown. In her past and present lives, including those gangsters, drug lords and terrorists she faced, she had never seen a person who was so aesthetically pleasing.

An San turned his head suddenly and stared at the young man with a cold expression. He had a warning look with murderous intent. If this bastard dared to say another word, he would make him a dead soul under the sword. How could the princess of Dingguo Palace be desecrated by such a scoundrel?

The young man obviously took An San's warning as a provocation, and became more and more proud. His dim and obscene eyes lingered on Ye Li, and at the same time he did not forget to smile arrogantly at An San: "What are you looking at? Am I wrong? This boy has a pretty face. The men in you Central Plains look like women, and this boy looks more like a woman than a woman." To be honest, Ye Li's dress was definitely very successful. Even though she looked prettier than most women, no one would suspect that she was a woman because of her age and her posture and demeanor. Therefore, An San naturally would not waste his breath to say anything more to the obscene man. He directly drew his sword -

The long sword came out of the sheath with a whoosh and flew straight towards the wretched man.

The opponent obviously didn't expect An San to attack without even saying hello. The wretched man was stunned for a moment and was about to be stabbed with a hole. The person next to him quickly pulled him away and waved a thin long object towards An San. An San snorted coldly and made a sword flower with the long sword in his hand. With two swish sounds, the object broke into three pieces and fell to the ground. Everyone looked at it and found that it was a poisonous snake. Although they didn't know what kind it was, just looking at the colorful pattern, they knew it was definitely a poisonous snake with a strong poison.

An San raised his eyebrows in disdain. Since they were going to Southern Xinjiang, how could they not know in advance some of the tricks that people in Southern Xinjiang usually use.

The faces of the southern Xinjiang people changed, and only the wretched man was still shouting, "You are so brave! Do you know who I am?"

An San curled his lips and sneered, "How dare you be so arrogant in Da Chu? You can't be the prince of Nanzhao. Sir, remember that the king of Nanzhao only has two daughters, right?" The man wanted to say something, but was frightened by the long sword raised in An San's hand and had to swallow it back. With a look of holding his breath, he took several steps back and pushed into the middle of the people accompanying him before shouting, "Kill this kid for me!"

The people around him were obviously in a difficult situation, and they were mumbling something to the man. Ye Li stood at the entrance of the stairs, lowered her eyes and listened. It sounded like the language of a minority in the Yungui region in her previous life. Because Ye Li had been active in the Yungui region for many years, she was familiar with the languages ​​of the minority groups in this region. The followers were obviously persuading their master that it was not appropriate to kill people in broad daylight since they were standing on the land of Da Chu, but the wretched man was obviously unwilling to listen and insisted on killing An San and taking Ye Li away. After a period of ineffective communication, the people from Southern Xinjiang looked at each other helplessly and surrounded An San and Ye Li.

When the people in the hall saw that a fight was about to break out, they all scattered like birds and beasts, and even the sick scholar's table was left with only him and the middle-aged man. The old shopkeeper had already been so scared that he hid behind the counter and dared not come out. Ye Li frowned and said, "Throw them out, don't ruin other people's things." An San happily replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Who is so bold as to make our Master Jun Wei angry?"

Just as An San was about to make a move, a lazy and slick voice sounded from upstairs. Ye Li looked up and saw a handsome man leaning against the railing on the upstairs, wearing a loose dark red robe and showing off his charm in every move. Monster! Glancing at the wretched man next to him who was staring at her with his mouth wide open and drooling, Ye Li looked at the romantic gentleman who was smiling at her seductively with a headache, "Brother Han, why are you here?"

Han Mingxi flipped back lightly on the railing, landed lightly on the stairs and smiled, "Well... I've been thinking about it and I'm still worried about letting Jun Wei go to such a dangerous place in Southern Xinjiang alone. Jun Wei also needs a guide, right? I'll recommend myself." Ye Li couldn't help but rolled her eyes at him, "Brother Han, do you know the way to Nanzhao?"

"You look down on me." Han Mingxi looked at Ye Li with resentment and said, "I have been to Nanzhao at least seven or eight times, and I won't go wrong even if I close my eyes. What's more, I can protect Jun Wei by following you. Look, you only took one person out and met a lecher before you even stepped out of Da Chu." Ye Li gritted his teeth, "Brother Han, I am a man!" Han Mingxi raised his eyebrows in surprise, covered his lips with a folding fan and laughed, "Jun Wei is young and ignorant, who said that men will not meet lechers? That idiot over there, don't you think so?"

The silly and wretched young man over there had already been nodding his head vigorously with his mouth drooling. Ye Li looked at him with disgust and turned away to glare at Han Mingxi with hatred. She thought this guy just liked to pick flowers, but it turned out that he was attracted to both men and women.

"Jun Wei, don't get me wrong. Even if I'm bisexual, I don't like this kind of stuff. At least... I want a handsome man like Jun Wei." Han Mingxi blinked at Ye Li and wanted to reach out and pinch Ye Li's face. Ye Li would not let him succeed. The folding fan in her hand slammed against his wrist. Han Mingxi's face fell immediately.

Han Mingxi walked down the stairs slowly, glancing at the southern Xinjiang people with his eyes, "Do you want to go by yourselves or do you want me to invite you?" The wretched man stepped forward and said with a smirk, "Is this young master going to southern Xinjiang too? I am the young patriarch of the Luoyi tribe. How about I lead the way for you?" He imitated the elegant way of the Central Plains people, but his squinting eyes, his skinny body, and his self-righteous smile were really creepy. Ye Li twitched her lips and lamented Han Mingxi's luck with women, and pulled An San to her side. Since someone wanted to take the lead, why should they do it themselves?

Han Mingxi's peach blossom eyes twitched, and he spat out a word with a blank expression on his face, "Get lost!"

He is a playboy, but he is not unisex. Even if he is unisex, he is still picky, okay?

The wretched young man who claimed to be the young patriarch of the Luoyi tribe felt that he was hurt. His original surprise and sympathy for women instantly turned into anger, "Kill these two guys for me and take him back!" Ye Li was shocked. Just now, he wanted to kill An San and take her back. Now that Han Mingxi, this monster, appeared, he was going to kill her and take Han Mingxi back? What kind of thing is this? Han Mingxi sneered, "Get out of here immediately! Or do you want General Murong to come and escort you out personally?"

After these words came out, the wretched young man finally showed some hesitation in his eyes. After being persuaded by the people around him, he snorted and ran out with a cruel word.

The lobby was quiet. Seeing that there was no fight, the old shopkeeper carefully stood up from the counter and carefully compensated the only remaining table of guests. Ye Li walked upstairs, whispering to An San to give the shopkeeper more money as compensation when settling the bill. Han Mingxi followed behind and listened to Ye Li's words, laughing: "Jun Wei is just soft-hearted. The old shopkeeper has run an inn in Yonglin for decades and has encountered all kinds of things. Do you think he was really scared?" Ye Li glanced at him and said lightly: "It is a fact that his customers were driven away because of our affairs. It has nothing to do with whether he was scared or not. And... Brother Han, this is my room."

Han Mingxi smiled and said, "Jun Wei, won't you invite me in for a cup of tea?"

"You wanted to drink tea, but you didn't drink it in the lobby just now?"

Han Mingxi pouted in disdain and said, "Drinking tea in a place like that doesn't suit my noble taste. Besides... I don't want someone to secretly poison me halfway through drinking. Jun Wei is lucky. He just met the sick scholar who is feared by everyone in the martial arts world when he went out." Ye Li raised an eyebrow, opened the door to let him in, and asked, "Do you know the sick scholar? What is he doing in Southern Xinjiang now?"

Han Mingxi shrugged his shoulders, leaned back in his chair leisurely, rested his head on his hands, and smiled at Ye Li, saying, "Who knows? He was almost killed by Prince Ding a few years ago. It was the head of Prince Yan's Pavilion who personally stepped in to save his life. He hasn't been out for several years, and now he suddenly appears in Southern Xinjiang... Hehe, every time that guy appears, there is grief and bloodshed everywhere. Jun Wei, don't be fooled by him. It's better to stay away from him." Ye Li nodded nonchalantly, his mind already turned to other places, "I don't know him, so I naturally won't provoke him. But Brother Han doesn't have to stay in Qingfeng Mingyue Tower anymore, so why do you have time to come to Southern Xinjiang?"

Han Mingxi sneered, "Qingfeng Mingyue Tower doesn't need me to stay there. It's more reassuring for me to come and look after Jun Wei. After all... Jun Wei's Xunya Pavilion is the only property that belongs to me. If anything happens to Jun Wei, I will suffer a great loss." He said seriously, but his seductive eyes showed a playful look.

Ye Li looked at him calmly, "I have something to do in Southern Xinjiang, so it's not convenient for me to take Brother Han with me."

"It's okay, you don't need to bring me. I can just follow Jun Wei. Jun Wei will risk everything, but I will never go through fire and water. What do you think?" Han Mingxi smiled brightly. "I am very useful. Doesn't Jun Wei want to use the information from Tianyi Pavilion? As long as I am by his side, he can get any information from Tianyi Pavilion anytime and anywhere. It is much more convenient than Jun Wei waiting for the information to be delivered to him."

Ye Li looked at him silently for a long while before saying, "I'm just afraid that Master Mingyue will find out that I brought his brother into danger, and he will kill me by accident."

When his brother was mentioned, Han Mingxi's good mood suddenly became much more gloomy. He snorted coldly and said, "Don't tell me to defend him. How can he remember that he has a brother like me? Sooner or later, he will die... Humph! Then I will go to collect his body." Ye Li's heart moved. Although he had calculated Han Mingyue and escaped from him last time, Ye Li had a kind of innate vigilance against him. However, he did not have this feeling at all for Han Mingxi, who looked very similar to him. Maybe it was because Han Mingyue had the ability to build Qingfeng Mingyue Tower and Tianyi Pavilion by himself, maybe it was because of the unclear grievances between him and Mo Xiuyao, or maybe it was because he was the first person who could threaten him.

Looking at Han Mingxi who was still angry, Ye Li said calmly: "Since you are worried, just go and take a look. Brother Han, why do you have to follow me everywhere? Not to mention the danger, if something happens to Master Mingyue, wouldn't it make Brother Han regret it?" Han Mingxi was stunned, and soon laughed, "What can happen to him? There are not many people in this world who can touch him. And he doesn't want my help. In his eyes, I will only cause trouble." Ye Li propped up her chin and looked at him with a smile, "I thought Brother Han and Master Mingyue had a good relationship?"

Han Mingxi snorted and said, "Anyway, I will go to Southern Xinjiang with you. Even if you don't let me, I will go with you. As for my elder brother, you don't need to worry about him. He won't be back in a short time, and Qingfeng Mingyue Tower will not collapse." Ye Li shrugged nonchalantly. Talking too much would easily arouse his suspicion. Since they were going to be together for such a long time, she would always find out where Han Mingyue went. She didn't forget that Han Mingyue almost ruined her reputation for a woman who had a relationship with Mo Xiuyao. Who said that she couldn't bear a grudge after paying compensation and apologizing? It's just that she didn't need to rush to take revenge. As for using Han Mingxi... Ye Li glanced at the man who was smiling very coquettishly. Who made him Han Mingyue's brother and why did he have to bump into him?

Seeing that Ye Li no longer objected, Han Mingxi was very happy. He happily planned their itinerary, "Jun Wei, I have been to Nanjiang several times. We can go to Cangshan first, and then walk west along the Qingming River. We can go to see the phoenix flowers and the lantern festival in Nanjiang, and then go to the capital of Nanzhao. What do you think?"

Ye Li looked at him coldly, "I thought Brother Han knew that we were in a hurry. According to your schedule, can we reach the capital of Nanzhao by the end of May?" Han Mingxi suddenly wilted, and said gloomily, "In that case, let's go to the capital of Nanzhao first, and then we can go to the lantern festival after Jun Wei finishes his business."

Looking at the pitiful Han Mingxi, Ye Li felt the veins on his forehead jumping with special joy. He drove him out unhappily. An San stood aside and looked at Ye Li with a worried look on his face. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and said, "What do you want to say?"

An San frowned and said, "Young Master, Young Master Han..." They didn't know Han Mingxi, but they had known Han Mingyue as a secret guard who might become a prince or princess. He was a very difficult person to deal with, and since Han Mingxi was Han Mingyue's brother, he was probably not a good person. More importantly... Han Mingxi's reputation was not very good. If the princess stayed with him for a long time... Thinking about the consequences, An San couldn't help but shudder.

Ye Li said helplessly: "Bringing Han Mingxi with you has both advantages and disadvantages, but since he has already followed us, it may not be easy for us to get rid of him." Tianyi Pavilion's intelligence network is all over the world, and more importantly, there is a kind of person who will not leave and will retreat. The more you want to get rid of him, the more interested he will be in pestering you. Han Mingxi is obviously such a boring person.

Waving his hand, Ye Li said, "Don't worry, don't think about anything else for now. Let's go to Southern Xinjiang and find Big Brother first. An Er should have found Big Brother by now, right?"

An San nodded and said, "An Er is very good at finding people. He walked faster than us and should have found Master Xu."

Ye Li nodded and said, "Then take Han Mingxi with you. After entering Southern Xinjiang, pay attention to the clues left by An Er. Let's go and meet up with Big Brother first."

"yes."