Sunken Book
"Is it right? That token?"
Hearing the sound at the door, the commander who was checking the documents and printed papers looked up and was stunned when he saw the person coming.
"Xi Changshi?"
Xuan Gui turned his head and was also stunned when he saw Xi Zhen coming here with double blades.
Xizhen nodded with a smile, her voice low and soft.
"I'm traveling with him, and I came to see what's going on."
The red seal left by the document in his hand was different from the pattern on record. There was a reason for this. After checking the mailbox, he only let the crow deliver the message.
Knowing Xizhen's identity, Tongzhi didn't say more, but he was cautious about the red seal. He stamped the seal, left his name, and then released Xuangui.
The person who appears most often in the capital is Mo Qing. It is normal to be suspicious when Xuan Gui rarely appears.
Xuan Gui was forcibly detained for a day and a half, with an expressionless face. After paying his respects, he left with Tong Xizhen.
As the two men walked away and disappeared, the Tongzhi immediately called in the guards who had been guarding outside the house.
"Send it to the commander."
The guard nodded in response, took the letter, and quickly went down to the basement outside the house, which was closest to the commander.
—
After I walked out of the house, it was getting dark. Although we were close to the market, there were very few people on the road.
The control has been strict these days, and the people of Wu Mi look sick. It is not as lively and exciting as the previous parade of the goddess.
The city, which was usually surrounded by people and used to announce orders to everyone, was now deserted and dilapidated with scattered papers on the bulletin board that had been blocked for just a few days.
The dirt was mixed with dust, and the pages were blown by the wind, scattered on the ground and turned over.
"What did he ask you just now?"
Looking around, Xizhen kept his hand on the handle and never let it go.
The double blades exuded an icy coolness that was blindingly bright.
"No."
Xuan Gui replied briefly, looking away from the light, and then added another sentence.
"He said he'll wait for you to arrive, and then you can leave."
Xizhen looked surprised for a moment, with a trace of light passing through his eyes. Then he smiled softly, with a cold look in his eyes.
"Let's say goodbye here and leave as usual tomorrow morning."
The sky was empty and the light was dim, with only a few lights on in the city.
They said goodbye at the intersection.
—
"It's really not easy to get the news from Yu He."
The meeting place was not far from the dormitory. It was an empty room that Tao Yu asked his master for.
Surrounded by green shadows, heavy black shadows blocked the sky, and in the bleakness, there was a faint sound of piano lingering.
Several people sat in a circle, their shadows reflected on the long, clean, and simple wooden board.
The temperature gradually dropped, the fire in the charcoal brazier in the room crackled, and the faint warmth gathered on the sleeves that fit the skin.
The paper folded into three pieces was placed on the evenly colored nanmu table. Qin Lan turned the feather mixed in the letter in his hand and put it back.
The information channel of Cang County is currently blocked by the personal army commander Yu He. Yu He has a simple temper and it is difficult to predict the outcome. If there is no reason to convince him, it is generally difficult for him to let it go.
The letter was sent by Xiao Yingzhu's crow, but the content inside was the task report entrusted to Yan by Qin Lan.
This message delivery experience was really full of twists and turns.
Tao Yu listened lazily, then turned around and moved closer to Jiang Nian.
"We've almost finished our discussion. Miss, how about going with me to take a stroll around the sect?"
Still immersed in the information that Meng Jian had disappeared, Jiang Nian suddenly raised her head and heard what Tao Yu said to her.
The meeting was almost over, and there was no need for her to stay here any longer. There were also things she wanted to explore within the sect, so Jiang Nian did not refuse. She said goodbye to Xiao Yingzhu and Qin Lan and walked out of the room.
—
It was almost late at night, and only at this hour did the sky in the sect become completely dark.
Along the way were bamboo forests planted by Senior Sister Tao Yu. The faint sound of the piano heard inside the house could no longer be heard outside.
After leaving the tight atmosphere of the meeting, Jiang Nianben's depressed mood eased a lot.
There seemed to be a bright light outside the bamboo forest. Tao Yu asked her to choose a path. It was dark everywhere except that path. Jiang Nian naturally chose that path and felt a little excited and expectant.
There was an array set up in the bamboo forest. After Tao Yu brought her out of the bamboo forest, she saw several elegant and complex attics on the opposite bank, all brightly lit. The bright light was the reflection of tens of thousands of lamps.
"What did the girl think of the message just now?"
The waterfall is loud and clear, rushing down into the depths of ten thousand feet. There is a misty white fog below, and the blazing water is still bright in the dark.
Jiang Nian only heard Tao Yu's fragmentary words, raised his hand to tidy up the messy hair beside his ear, and turned his head back.
"What?"
Tao Yu smiled. She walked forward a few steps, moved closer, and asked in Jiang Nian's ear.
"Meng Jian is missing, and Qin Lan and Xiao Yingzhu are gone, but why don't you think about returning to Pingzhou?"
Aren't you worried that Meng Jian will escape pursuit just to lure the tiger away from the mountain?
The evening meeting did not involve much important information, so Tao Yu simply stayed to listen. However, the three people talked so quickly that she couldn't react.
"Pingzhou?"
Jiang Nian knew what Tao Yu meant and shook his head.
"Every profession has its own expertise. I don't really know much about political schemes; I only have a superficial understanding."
"but--"
Jiang Nian looked at the bamboo forest behind Tao Yu. Behind the bamboo forest was the long courtyard room where they had just talked.
The dark shadows were so heavily colored that she couldn't make out the dim light in the room at all from here, but distance couldn't break the connection. She looked at that place and smiled knowingly.
"If you venture too deep, everything will be dark and gloomy whether you look up or down. It is better to obey orders and act accordingly."
Tiandan's words were light and fragile. Tao Yu was stunned for a moment, but he understood everything.
As if meeting Jiang Nian for the first time, Tao Yu looked at her again with another layer of vague meaning.
Jiang Nian's facial features are soft and gentle, and she also has a bit of purity. If people don't sense rejection or retreat from her, most people who see such a well-behaved, beautiful and tolerant girl will want to get close to her, want to listen to her quietly, understand her momentary opinions, and treat her as a gentle and beautiful girl next door.
Especially deceptive.
If she hadn't answered naturally, Tao Yu would have thought that this was a statement she had prepared in advance to please others.
Tao Yu had seen all kinds of thoughts of the people living down the mountain in the sect since she was a child, and she was very sensitive to emotions. She did not sense any deception in Jiang Nian's words.
It turns out Xiao Yingzhu likes this style.
It really is like opening your third eye.
Tao Yu's thoughts were distracted by gossip for a moment, and then he came back to his senses and followed Jiang Nian's words and asked, "Isn't the girl afraid?"
In Cang County, a place full of good and bad people, if you just look at Jiang Nian, a weak and powerless girl, anyone would think that she would retreat instead of moving forward.
What's more, Jiang Nian has already penetrated so deeply that he must be aware of the depth of the water.
Xiao Yingzhu had asked her this question before, and now Tao Yu asked a similar one. After so much time, Jiang Nian's answer remained unchanged.
"Besides Xiao Yingzhu's place... Cang Jun still has the items I need."
When considering the future development of the pharmacy, minerals are indispensable.
The minerals were also related to Huandu's internal security. Right now, she could only do her best to find out more about the plant related to the minerals. At this juncture, she would definitely not be the one who would retreat.
The sound of the waterfall was too loud, and Tao Yu nodded to show that he agreed with her point of view.
Jiang Nian's image in her mind has changed.
I thought she was a smart girl and would get along well with Xiao Yingzhu.
But now it seems that what she saw was just a corner of the picture.
It was fate that she could meet Jiang Nianxin when she was just planning to take a walk to kill time. Tao Yu thought about it and then took her to the library on the first floor inside the sect.
—
The library was located on the other side of the bamboo forest. The carved wooden door left a clear path. Jiang Nian stood in front of the library door and turned around to see a scene that looked like a painting.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, a brilliant, round hue that cast a soft, hazy hue across the wooden bridge. A waterfall surged ahead, and white mist drifted like clouds below. In the distance, the bamboo forest shone with a delicate, blazing light, blending with the moon's dark side like a thick, inky black.
She was stunned for a moment until she heard an ancient creaking sound from the front. Then Jiang Nian turned around and followed Tao Yu inside.
The library here doesn't seem to be restricted to the public, but not many people come here, so the dust inside is old and heavy, and every breath brings the dust in the air into your nose.
The attic is not big, and there is a staircase leading upwards on the side. It is not ventilated all year round, and it is damp, cold and shady inside. Fortunately, it is clean, and it was well protected in the past. Apart from dust, there are almost no insects, and even the wood of the bookshelf is not damaged.
Tao Yu dug out an old lantern from a corner, brought it outside, and lit it with the fire starter he brought with him today.
The flickering bright light suddenly illuminated the entire room, and the surrounding furnishings became clear at a glance.
After staying in the dim light for a long time, Jiang Nian raised his hand to cover his eyes slightly, lowered his eyes to avoid the light for a moment, and then raised his head again.
There are bookshelves on all four walls of the library, and there are also bookshelves surrounding the stairs going up. However, in order to make it easier to take and put things away, only the side facing the stairs is built.
Tao Yu looked up and looked around for a while, as if he saw what he wanted, and raised his hand to wave to Jiang Nian.
"The library hasn't been open for a while, but don't worry about the stairs. They're still very solid. They were specially made back then."
I know Jiang Nian is not a weak woman, but looking at her petite and delicate appearance, I feel that she will break if I am not careful.
Tao Yu was afraid that if she brought Jiang Nian out safely and then came back injured, Xiao Yingzhu would remember it, so after saying that, she went downstairs again to help Jiang Nian.
However, Jiang Nian himself was not a delicate person. After a while, seeing that Jiang Nian could even climb the stairs more nimbly than himself, he stopped holding his hand.
—
The book Tao Yu was looking for was in an inconspicuous corner in the middle of the library floor. It didn't even have a cover. The surface was clean and old, without a single word on it.
Holding this not-so-thick book, Tao Yu stood sideways on the stairs, flicked the dust aside, and handed it to Jiang Nian.
"This book is an antique. It was written by the Sect Master. If Miss Jiang is interested, you can read it when necessary. I think it is quite interesting."
Jiang Nian reached out to take the book, and when he held it in front of him, he found that it was not without a book cover, but there was a shell cover on the outside of the book that was similar to a protective cover.
She propped up the book, but it still felt a little heavy.
The staircase was small, and Jiang Nian was standing one step lower than Tao Yu. After looking at the book in her hand, she couldn't make out anything interesting. She raised her head and looked at Tao Yu curiously:
"What is this book about...?"
Is it the history of the sect's founding by the sect leader?
Or the sect's historical deeds? Or the sect's five rules?
As long as it's information about the sect, she can get it!
The thirst for knowledge in Jiang Nian's eyes was so real and sparkling, as if he was pinning his hopes on something, or as if he was just curious.
Tao Yu wanted to keep it a secret, but seeing Jiang Nian's expression, she had to relent and reveal a little:
"It's not a book about sect magic or anything like that. It's more like a book for fun and to answer questions. Miss Jiang, take it home and you'll know."
After she stopped talking, she turned her head and looked at Jiang Nian's face, which was still somewhat questioning. After a pause, she remembered the gentle expression on Jiang Nian's face when he mentioned Xiao Yingzhu just now, and suddenly smiled and said:
“Maybe there will be some new developments.”
For some reason, Tao Yu suddenly looked like he was watching a show.
Jiang Nian paused in thought.
"?"
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