Chapter 47 After leaving, I never want to...
Under the bright moonlight, the ink was clearly visible, and the characters were crooked and twisted, unlike what someone who frequently used a pen would have written.
Upon understanding the meaning of the characters, the girl's fingers holding the paper trembled slightly, her delicate and pretty eyebrows furrowed little by little, and she raised her gaze to look around again.
Bie Zhi clutched the paper tightly, her clear eyes filled with doubt.
By the bright moonlight, she examined the arrowhead. The shape of the arrowhead was very common, and she had never seen it before. She glanced down at the paper, then back at the arrowhead, and then at the hole left on the treetop after being hit by the arrow.
The archer's skill was exceptional; the arrow pierced the treetop at just the right moment, ensuring that the paper wouldn't be embedded in the tree and rendered useless upon extraction, nor would it fall to the ground the instant it hit the treetop, leaving no trace.
Such archery skills require years of accumulated experience.
Bie Zhi frowned and looked down at the ink-black handwriting again.
It wasn't so much a warning as it was an urgent urging, a prompting to leave the place of trouble as soon as possible. Biezhi stared at the empty street, didn't linger, and quickly left.
The visitor's intentions were unclear. She wasn't sure whether the seemingly urgent urging had been followed by a trap set up outside the capital to await her arrival.
The only certainty was that he was being watched.
Outside her master's courtyard, Biezhi found the coachman who had seen her off earlier. He stood beside her master, and the two were talking about something, their expressions slightly serious.
Seeing his disciple's steps slowing down out of the corner of his eye, Ling Feng swallowed the words that were already on the tip of his tongue and patted the coachman's shoulder: "Could you please help me take her back to the manor?"
Upon hearing this, Biezhi stepped forward: "Master, I—" She paused, looking at the doubt in her master's expression, and suddenly remembered the scene when she was very young, when her master led her back to Xianyun Tower, and would bend down to explain at every place they passed, introducing her to the passing senior brothers and sisters.
While danger lurks outside Xianyun Tower, it is a safe haven for everyone inside.
After staring at each other for a while, Biezhi shook her head. Facing her master's increasingly suspicious expression, she glanced at the coachman and then deliberately lowered her voice: "I just want to know if the hot spring resort is trustworthy. What if I fall asleep at night and get arrested?"
Ling Feng paused for a moment, then chuckled.
His gaze swept over his disciple, who was acting so seriously, and he couldn't help but tap her forehead: "What are you thinking about? How can I feel at ease leaving you there if it's not safe?"
Biezhi hissed in pain, rubbing her forehead and muttering, "Of course I trust my master."
"Just stay there peacefully." Ling Feng pondered for a moment, then added, "That's one of Master's residences, and no one in the martial world will dare to disturb him."
"The master's residence..." Biezhi said with a slight upturn in her voice, tinged with a hint of disdain, "He doesn't live there either, does he?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Feng burst out laughing.
He laughed for a while before answering, "The master is away from the capital on business and won't be back for ten days or half a month."
They won't be back for ten days or half a month?
A sudden inspiration struck her, and Biezhi's eyebrows twitched slightly.
It's good that the master isn't in the capital; it's a good time to escape. He won't be arrested and brought back immediately. By the time he realizes he's already gone, it will probably be more than half a month later.
Biezhi recalled a long time ago when a senior sister mentioned that someone in the sect had escaped from Xianyun Tower before the contract period was over because they couldn't stand the fighting and killing. They were then arrested and brought back by their master's orders. She shivered in the middle of summer.
I heard that the senior brother who escaped was caught and imprisoned in the Dark Pavilion, a small, dark room, and eventually went mad.
Biezhi, who cherished her life very much, swallowed hard.
Otherwise, I'll just wait until the contract expires before leaving.
After bidding farewell to her master, Biezhi casually picked two twigs of Chinese toon that her master had planted. Before her master could react, she quickly stepped into the carriage and urged the driver to hurry up.
The wheels had just rolled over the rut when Ling Feng's barely audible shouts echoed through the sky, startling the birds that were resting on the treetops.
A carriage slowly drove along the quiet street. Inside, Biezhi sat, plucking a petal and whispering, "Leave early, leave when the contract expires, leave early, leave when the contract expires..."
"You can leave when the contract expires." Biezhi plucked the second-to-last petal, looked at the last remaining petal of the mountain camellia on the branch, and casually tossed it aside. "It doesn't count."
She picked up another ailanthus and began to count.
"Leave early." After counting to this point, Biezhi looked at the two remaining pale yellow ailanthus petals in her hand. She frowned, plucked one of the petals, and abruptly turned the corner, repeating the words she had just uttered: "Leave early."
Then, looking at the last remaining petal on the flower branch, she smiled and said, "Even fate has decreed that I should leave when my contract expires."
In an instant, the other branch felt refreshed and invigorated.
And who can say that fate obtained through coercion isn't fate itself?
She lifted the curtains of the carriage window and gazed at the brightly lit streets in the distance, wondering how many years it would be before she saw the capital city of Shengjing at night again.
As she gazed at him, Jing Qing's figure suddenly flashed past her eyes. He was walking hurriedly, followed by several people who did not seem to be her fellow disciples from Xianyun Tower. Bie Zhi frowned, her gaze fixed on their figures until they disappeared around the street corner.
"Following Your Highness's deduction, we investigated and found that Jing Qing is indeed connected to the people of Xilan Kingdom." Xiang Lin stood solemnly beneath the high hall, gazing at the man on the imperial throne. The lamplight cast shadows on his face, obscuring his expression. "He was born in a small village on the border of our dynasty. He was born from the illicit affair of a married couple. According to the villagers, he was abandoned overnight in a village within Xilan Kingdom after his birth and adopted by a young couple."
Fu Huaiqing tapped the folded document with his knuckles, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
The young couple did not favor one over the other, treating him like their own child and raising him well until he was seven years old. When he was seven, the Western Lan Kingdom was conscripting soldiers and searching for adult men everywhere. The small village located on the border became the first place to be conscripted. Moreover, in order to send people to the battlefield as soon as possible, Helan Daisong's direct subordinates personally led the team.
Helan Daisong's subordinates didn't take a liking to anyone else, but instead took a liking to Jing Qing, who was only seven years old at the time. Seeing that he had the face of a commoner from the Li Dynasty, they immediately imprisoned all the hundreds of villagers and brought them back to their camp, threatening them with the lives of the hundreds of villagers to make them work for them.
Less than six months later, Jing Qing, who was still young at the time, was assigned to the Li Dynasty.
Everything was going perfectly. Jing Qing had only been wandering for three months when he met Ling Feng, who was out looking for promising young talents, and he naturally joined Xianyun Tower.
After a long silence, Xiang Lin said, "Rather than calling him a traitor, it's more accurate to call him a spy."
Fu Huaiqing narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled softly.
A clear, indifferent laugh suddenly reached his ears, causing beads of sweat to break out on his forehead. The sweat trickled down his cheekbones, wetting the dry ground.
He couldn't tell whether the smile was directed at others or at himself, who hadn't yet taken action.
Xiang Lin's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground.
Since ancient times, Yingyuan Hall has been able to kill any spies it discovers, but since this matter involves Xianyun Tower, Xiang Lin and the others dare not act rashly.
I've heard that the master of Xianyun Tower is very protective of his own. Although his subordinates are all afraid of him, they also know that if anyone comes to cause trouble, regardless of right or wrong, he will definitely side with Xianyun Tower when facing outsiders. Not long ago, someone posted a bounty in Hezhou, and many martial arts figures answered the call, but in the end, none of them returned.
Xiang Lin only heard later that the master of Xianyun Tower had ordered everyone in the tower to go on a killing spree long ago, killing until no one dared to take up the challenge anymore. People in the martial arts world who had something to say suddenly became quiet and dared not confront Xianyun Tower anymore.
“Jing Qing belongs to Xianyun Tower.” Xiang Lin took out a new memorial and handed it to Jiang Yue, who then delivered it to the silent Prince Su in the high hall. He lowered his head slightly and asked uncertainly, “If we are to take action against him, should we first inform Xianyun Tower?”
Fu Huaiqing raised his eyes and stared at Xiang Lin. The memorial presented was handed to him by Jiang Yue, but he did not take it. After a short while, Jiang Yue understood and silently took back the memorial and put it into his sleeve.
Under the seemingly casual gaze of Prince Su, Xiang Lin, whose back was covered in cold sweat that soaked his clothes, breathed a sigh of relief after receiving no answer for a long time, and spoke again: "I have heard that Jing Qing has someone he loves, and that person is his junior sister who is from the same sect as him."
Jiang Yue: "..."
He secretly glanced at his master's expression.
Seriously, they always bring up the very thing they don't want to talk about.
Xiang Lin was unsure whether His Highness Prince Su would be willing to communicate with the Master of Xianyun Tower in advance. After all, he was the ruler and the Master of Xianyun Tower was the commoner. It was only natural for the commoner to obey the ruler's orders. However, Xiang Lin still wanted to have a backup plan for him to choose from: "If possible, we can also use his junior sister to lure him into taking the bait."
Jiang Yue often felt that there were many experts in Yingyuan Hall, and the reason why Xiang Lin was able to catch the prince's eye was mostly because his way of doing things was similar to his master's. For example, the prince's decision to bring up Jing Qing through another branch was made two years ago.
The prince did indeed carry it out, but he did so by personally participating in the scheme.
A year ago, Jing Qing first showed signs of trouble when he was on a mission and tried to pass on a message from the Ministry of War to Helan Daisong through other channels. If it hadn't been intercepted in time, it would have almost caused a disaster. The prince had already ordered his secret guards to shoot him on his way back to the capital, but after visiting Wuweipu, he canceled the order.
They couldn't figure out why, and only at the beginning of this year did they learn that there were other big fish behind Jing Qing.
"You don't need to worry about this."
A man's indifferent voice slowly broke the silence of the palace. Xiang Lin's back stiffened. Not understanding the Prince Su's intention, he secretly lifted his eyelids to look at Jiang Yue, then lowered them again: "Yes."
Fu Huaiqing tossed the memorial back to him, saying, "You will personally lead men to Suzhou and Hezhou to assist Qin Xiao in investigating the massacre of families in Suzhou and Hezhou. If there are any unusual developments, you will be responsible for reporting back to the capital."
He accepted the order from Lin Han, stood up, took a few steps back, pushed open the door, and left.
As soon as he withdrew, Fu Huaiqing also stood up and ordered, "Send the court officials to enter the palace."
Jiang Yue was taken aback when he opened the folded document. Qun Xiao was the secret guard who disguised the prince. He glanced at the night outside the window. It was already late 7 PM, and there was still a quarter of an hour until 9 PM. He thought for a moment and reminded her, "Miss Biezhi should have already returned to the hot spring resort."
The palace is quite far from the hot spring resort; even at a fast horse, it would take half an hour.
Fu Huaiqing glanced at him indifferently.
Jiang Yue immediately stood up straight. "I'll go right away."
He glanced at Xiang Lin, who had just stepped out of the threshold of Chengtian Palace, and gave a wink to the guards outside, silently uttering Qun Xiao's name. The guards immediately obeyed.
As the door behind him closed, Xiang Lin breathed a long sigh of relief. Before he even stepped out of the Chengtian Palace courtyard, he saw Cheng Jin approaching with brisk steps, looking flustered. Cheng Jin didn't even have time to greet him, nodding in acknowledgment and hurrying inside.
Cheng Jin knocked on the door and only pushed it open to enter after receiving permission.
He strode to the imperial desk, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness, Lord Qin has led men to pry open the coffin."
Fu Huaiqing stopped in his tracks, his eyes devoid of warmth.
Having followed the prince closely, Jiang Yue had witnessed many trials and tribulations and was quite worldly-wise. Yet, he suddenly showed a look of astonishment and subconsciously looked at the prince.
A storm is brewing.
After Biezhi's incident, in order to avoid attracting attention, the entire Qin family believed that she had really died. Jiang Yue was also ordered to go and inform Qin Peibai that he should make a big fuss about the funeral of the second daughter of the Qin family. Firstly, to inform the mastermind behind the scenes that his purpose had been achieved, and secondly, the Qin family could also use this incident to make a cenotaph for the child who died in his early years.
In reality, the coffin contained baby clothes and utensils, and to prevent the coffin bearers from becoming suspicious, stones were specially placed inside.
The funeral lasted for seven days. During those seven days, Qin Peibai only told outsiders that the person in the coffin was Biezhi, and he told Qin Xiao the same thing.
Fu Huaiqing's expression darkened slightly, and he remained silent for a long time.
He strode out of Chengtian Palace.
Cheng Jin took a breath, exchanged a glance with Jiang Yue, and then hurriedly followed the prince's steps.
Jiang Yue whispered, "Where is the other branch?"
"On the way back to the hot spring resort," Cheng Jin said.
"Just got back?" Jiang Yue frowned. She had left before sunset, so why hadn't she returned to the manor yet? "Your Highness, please go there now."
Cheng Jin nodded and counted the time: "By the time Your Highness arrives, Biezhi will have already returned to the manor."
The carriage tracks rolled along the forest path toward the city gate, the quiet, boundless streets filled with the sound of the wheels rolling. The carriage was filled with fallen mountain camellia petals, their faint fragrance lingering in the air.
Biezhi stared silently at the paper in her hand, her gaze fixed.
The moment Jing Qing disappeared from sight, she suddenly realized that if it came to archery skills, if her fellow disciples in Youxu Pavilion were second, no one in the martial arts world would dare to claim to be first, and the only ones who would worry about her safety were probably them.
She had been thinking that she might be ambushed after leaving the city, which was why she hadn't suspected Youxu Pavilion. Now, everything made sense.
If it really is them, then the purpose of this note is correct.
But……
If it was done by Youxu Pavilion, my master would have told me. If it was done by someone in Youxu Pavilion, how would he know that I was in danger?
Moreover, Biezhi wasn't entirely sure whether that person was actually her senior brother.
She took a breath, folded the paper and put it away, her gaze fixed on the curtains fluttering in the wind. In the fleeting moment of sharp light, Biezhi quickly dodged half an inch back, avoiding the sword blade that pierced into the carriage through the window.
The light and shadow reflected by the sword blade flashed across the girl's eyes. She nimbly reached out and grabbed the man's wrist as the blade entered the bag, easily breaking his wrist bone, and picked up the longsword that had fallen into the carriage.
The driver's voice came from beside me: "Miss, sit tight!"
Biezhi immediately braced the carriage, and in less than half a moment the carriage sped along both sides of the official road. The whistling wind made it impossible for Biezhi to discern the footsteps outside for a moment.
She held her breath and counted each footstep.
As he counted, he realized that a fight had broken out outside, and there were only about five people rushing towards him, and he couldn't tell who was friend or foe.
Suddenly, a muffled groan reached my ears.
Biezhi immediately lifted the curtain and saw the coachman clutching his chest with one hand and holding the reins with the other. She stepped forward to support him, and the moment her palm touched his back, a sharp sensation ran through her palm. She looked down in surprise and realized that an arrow had pierced his chest.
She didn't care about anything else. She frowned and helped the coachman into the carriage. She took out the hemostatic medicine that she always carried with her and applied it to his wound. Then she fed him a life-saving pill. She quickly stepped out of the tent, took the reins, and stopped the horses that were running wildly.
Biezhi drove the carriage into the woods, then forced the horse to stop, glanced back at the driver lying in the carriage, and without hesitation headed southwest.
Sure enough, the dark figures behind him rushed towards him simultaneously.
They were indeed after me.
Bie Zhi frowned, held her breath to dodge the arrows that were shot at her from time to time. Out of the corner of her eye, she followed the direction from which the arrows came and finally locked onto the treetop thirty feet away. She turned slightly and used the momentum to run over and fly to the treetop. The small knife in her sleeve slid out and swiftly swept across the man's neck.
In an instant, the man fell from the treetop.
The arrows piercing through the clouds and mist did not stop, and even showed signs of intensifying.
Watching the guards dodge arrows while battling the shadowy figure, Biezhi's gaze locked onto a particular arrow. She ran towards the direction from which it had come and took down another person.
The dark figure behind them was still following.
Biezhi didn't care about them. Having experienced it herself, she knew that rather than dealing with them, she needed to deal with the archers hiding in the shadows.
The arrowheads were poisoned last time, so there's no chance they'll be poisoned this time too.
What she hadn't expected was that there were at least ten archers coming this time. She took down ten of them, but the rain of arrows continued without stopping, as if for every one of them who fell, the others would take their place.
Biezhi frowned, unable to recall when or who he had offended. To be so determined to kill him, they had mobilized so many archers and assassins. Clearly, they had failed to kill him last time and were determined to succeed this time.
While she was pondering, she calmly dealt with the archer hiding at the highest point. Standing on the high ground, she suddenly noticed a tall figure hidden in the shadows. There were others standing behind him. As one archer fell, others would take his place.
She frowned, unable to understand.
Why wait until you take down one before ordering the next one to finish them off, when you could have attacked together?
To catch the thief, you must first catch the king.
She jumped down from the treetop and ran quickly towards the man.
She stealthily walked along the bushes, and her body stiffened violently when she saw the man's figure.
The man's back view seemed to resemble his senior brother's.
Biezhi immediately remembered the note in her bosom, her almond-shaped eyes widening as she stared at him in disbelief.
If he really is a senior brother, then it really makes sense.
But why would he kill himself?!
Was the order he carried out meant to take his own life?
Or is it an order from the master?
Regardless of the specific point, it demonstrates that it was approved by the master.
Why?
Before she could think too much, Biezhi drew her sword without hesitation and thrust it at the man standing in front of the crowd, tearing off his mask as she approached.
As their eyes met, the surprise in her eyes gradually turned into silence.
It really was him.
The sword blade that had been lifting the mask stabbed at Jing Qing again. Jing Qing's darkened eyes instantly sharpened. He swung his sword to block the sharp sword energy, glanced at his subordinates who were about to rush over and gestured for them to stop with their other hand hanging down. He and she then became entangled.
Bie Zhi pressed closer and closer, forcing Jing Qing to retreat repeatedly.
Seeing the anger in her junior sister's eyes, Jing Qing saw no hesitation in the thrusting sword; she was clearly furious and didn't want to hear any explanation from him.
That's perfect, he didn't know how to explain it either.
Their positions are fundamentally different, so where does the consensus come from?
Biezhi noticed his retreat, and her almond-shaped eyes, which usually held a clear smile, turned even colder. She pressed forward again: "What is Senior Brother doing? Are you pitying me?"
Jing Qing blocked her anger with his sword, and instead of answering, asked, "Why don't you leave?"
"My senior brother has brought so many people to take my life, where can I go?" Bie Zhi quickly swung her free hand, taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration to strike his chest with her fist. "What if I leave the city and my senior brother is waiting for me outside with his men?"
Jing Qing groaned as she was punched, staggering back several steps until her back hit the treetops, stopping her retreat.
Biezhi was truly furious; her mind was a jumbled mess, impossible to unravel.
She looked at her senior brother, whose expression was pained, and clenched her fists. Her voice, hoarse and low, was filled with suppressed anger as she asked, "So, the person who attacked me seven days ago was also one of your men?"
Biezhi wanted an answer.
But she received no reply for a long time.
Suddenly, Biezhi no longer needed his answer. She instantly understood, her large almond-shaped eyes turning red: "Biezhi doesn't know where she offended Senior Brother, that Senior Brother would take my life like this."
She thought they were family.
He is the closest person to me in this world besides my master.
Right now, the person she considers closest to her is holding a sword and leading a group of men, ready to kill her.
Biezhi gave a self-deprecating laugh.
In the end, I was just being delusional.
She took a deep breath and said, "If Senior Brother wants my life, I will gladly oblige." She glanced back at the entangled shadows behind her, "They have nothing to do with me. If Senior Brother takes their lives, I'm afraid you won't live past tonight."
Biezhi had already guessed that the person following behind her was a guard from the Prince's mansion.
Jing Qing pursed her lips: "Whether I survive tonight or not is none of your concern, Junior Sister."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi remained silent.
Caught off guard by the dark figure following behind, and having already discerned the deeper meaning in Jing Qing's eyes, Bie Zhi suddenly raised her hand and grabbed his neck. Turning her foot, she deftly raised her sword and pressed it against his neck, saying to them, "Stop right there! Or I'll take his life!"
The four or five dark figures rushing towards them immediately stopped in their tracks, exchanged glances, and dared not move.
"Your life is quite useful." Bie Zhi's tone was tinged with sarcasm. She glanced at the silent Jing Qing, took a few steps back with him, and four or five men followed. She pressed the blade against Jing Qing's neck half an inch deeper, and blood instantly seeped out.
Her voice turned cold: "Step back."
The men frowned, threw away their weapons, and retreated step by step.
As they retreated, Biezhi also pulled Jingqing back, slowly disappearing from their sight.
Once Pu Yi was out of sight, she loosened her grip on the sword and, before Jing Qing could react, grabbed his neck and shoved him hard against the wall.
A sharp pain shot through her, and Jing Qing groaned, but her eyes held a smile: "As expected, you're quite capable."
"You're about to die, so shut up." Biezhi tightened her grip on his neck and frowned, saying, "Don't think that giving me a look can make up for your mistake."
Jing Qing coughed several times in succession, the veins in his neck bulging. "Of course I don't think so."
A hint of unease flashed in Bie Zhi's eyes, but she couldn't afford to be soft-hearted at the moment. If she couldn't get the truth out of him, she feared there would be many more days like this in the future: "Who sent you, and why did you want to take my life?"
"Knowing too much is not good for you," Jing Qing said.
"We're being hunted down, what could be worse?" Biezhi's gaze lingered for a moment on the blood flowing from her palm before turning to him: "Is it that you don't want to talk about it, or that you can't talk about it?"
Jing Qing remained silent, but gripped her wrist tightly in his palm.
Biezhi immediately raised the palm holding the sword, using the hilt to press down with the force of the palm: "If you don't tell me, I'll guess."
She was completely baffled.
Who exactly is trying to take his life, and why would his senior brother obey him?
“Is this a new task you’ve taken on?” Biezhi’s gaze remained fixed on the man’s deep eyes, which did not waver at all. “It seems not.”
"Or did your master order you to come?" she asked again.
Jing Qing caught a glimpse of the person behind her out of the corner of her eye and frowned: "You—"
“It seems to be him.” Biezhi made a quick and decisive judgment. Apart from her master, no one else could drive her senior brother to do anything else, unless he betrayed Xianyun Tower and threw himself into someone else’s arms. However, the probability of that was extremely small. She tugged at the corner of her mouth: “How much silver did he give you that made you disregard our brotherhood and sisterhood?”
"Get out of here!" Jing Qing ordered in a low voice. He endured the pain and pulled out a hidden weapon, waving it discreetly at the newcomer. He said, "Don't come back, and don't go northwest."
Bie Zhi stared intently, then turned to look at the dark figure that had suddenly fallen behind him, and released his grip on the neck.
"Remember, the farther the better," Jing Qing added, his gaze sweeping over the girl's face. It was this face that had led to all this trouble.
He took out the silver notes he had prepared beforehand, placed them in her palm, and solemnly instructed her: "Disguise yourself immediately after leaving the capital. Remember not to show your true face in the world. After you leave, never come back for the rest of your life."
Biezhi frowned, staring intently at her senior brother, whose expression was more anxious than usual. She closed her eyes and sighed, "I understand." She took a few steps, then turned back, took out the hemostatic medicine from her bosom, and threw it to him, saying, "Between you and me, we will never meet again in this life."
She hurried along, passing through the jungle and disappearing into the forest.
In the instant the two sides were entangled in the fight, the shadow guard who was following them had already rushed back. When he arrived at the palace gates at full speed, he learned that the prince had left the palace a quarter of an hour earlier. The shadow guard did not know where to go for a moment. Fortunately, he had only taken a few steps when he encountered Xiang Lin, who was leading people to rush out of the city, and stopped him.
The two had worked together several times before, so Xiang Lin recognized him. Seeing that he was very anxious, he said, "When I left, I happened to hear the prince say that he was going to the hot spring resort. Although I don't know which resort it is, you can split up and search for it."
Upon hearing this, the shadow guard breathed a sigh of relief.
They did indeed split into several groups; one of them returned to the Prince's Palace to provide reinforcements, while another was already on his way to the hot spring resort.
When the other shadow guard arrived at the manor, the prince had not yet arrived.
He summoned the head of the guards in the manor, took out his token, and ordered him to send men to the city for reinforcements. He was to hold out until the prince arrived. Before he could finish speaking, the sound of horses' hooves rang out all around.
The guard rushed forward, not even bothering to bow, and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Miss Biezhi is in trouble."
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