The Record of Swordsmen in the Late Sui and Early Tang Dynasties

Chapter 80

The two of them rode forward while admiring the mountain scenery on both sides of the road. At this time, the sun was about to cover the mountains, and a sunset glow floated in the western sky, illuminating the earth red.

Tieniu looked at the afterglow sky and said to Duan Wuji: "Brother, let's go, it's going to be dark soon, let's find a small hotel to stay in front.

If it's dark and we can't even find a small shop, then we will be miserable. Although it's not very cold now, it's not a big deal to live in the wild at night, right?
Besides, what shall we have for dinner that night? "

Duan Wuji listened and nodded.

"Well, you're right, but, look at this barren mountain, it's hard to find a place to stay!

Let's go, let's go wherever we go, fortunately, there is no unparalleled road, where can we do anything to us? "

The two hurried along the rugged and winding mountain road while searching for a place to stay. Until the red sun fell to the west, the two of them did not find a hotel.

Tieniu was really anxious when he saw it.

"I said, brother, do we have to live in this wilderness tonight? Oh, there's something wrong with it."

Duan Wuji thought for a while and said: "Why don't we find a farmhouse to live in first, anyway, it's all money, and a place to live is better than a place not to live."

Niu Tie thought for a while and said: "Well, it's fine, then let's find a farmer's house to live in first, and before we leave, why don't we give them two more silvers? Anyway, we have silver on us, and I guess we won't be able to spend it no matter what. Finished."

After finishing speaking, the two continued to stroke Hei'er's horse and rode forward, and walked another ten miles or so. Duan Wuji pointed to a small mountain depression in the west with his sharp eyes.

"Brother, look, there is a faint light over there. Guess there must be someone there, let's go, let's go and flee, there is really nothing we can do if it is too late."

Tie Niu looked along Duan Wuji's finger, didn't he, and sure enough, he found a little flickering light in the western mountain depression.

Tieniu was very happy to see him.

"Brother, since there are residents, what are we waiting for? Let's go, the light is estimated to be two or three miles away, let's go quickly, in case someone turns off the light, we will be in trouble."

The two turned their horses and headed straight to the place with lights and rushed over.

When I got closer and took a closer look, there was indeed a small mountain village at the bottom of this or that hillside, with a dozen or so families scattered here and there.

The house on the east side was indeed lit, and Tie Niu hurriedly jumped off his horse when he saw it.

"Brother, watch the horses wait here, I'll knock on the door."

Tie Niu threw the horse to Duan Wuji, and ran towards the house in three steps at a time. When he came to the door, Tie Niu slapped the door knocker and shouted loudly: "Is anyone there, please open the door."

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The iron ox knocked a dozen times before someone answered.

"Who is it? Is there anything wrong with knocking on the door so late?"

An old voice asked: "We are passing by, and we have not found the hotel in this barren mountain. I want to stay at your house for a night. Old man, open the door, it's convenient."

Not long after, the door opened with a "squeak".

An old man appeared at the gate.

"Young man, how many people are there in total? There are too many people and my house can't fit in. My house is small and I don't have so many rooms."

Tie Niu laughed and said, "There are only two of us. There are not many people. Old man, you can do something convenient. We don't want to live in vain. Can we give you the shop money tomorrow?"

"Oh, what kind of money do you want from your store? It's not easy to go out, so come in."

Tieniu was very happy when he heard that.

"Old man, wait a moment, I have a brother waiting beside me! I'll call him."

"Well, young man, hurry up! It's not okay to keep the door open for a long time at night. Once a beast sees the light breaking in, can we still live?"

Tie Niu listened and nodded.

"Old man, don't slow down, he is only a dozen feet away from here."

After finishing speaking, Tie Niu hurried a few steps, came to Duan Wuji and said with a smile: "Brother, let's go, I agreed, and I am waiting at the door."

The two led the horses and walked straight to the gate of this family. They entered the yard and saw that the yard was really not big, only a small yard of more than half an acre, and there were a few trees planted in the yard.

There is a thatched house with five or six rooms on the north side of the returning family, and there is a dim lamp in the room.

Duan Wuji and Tie Niu tied the horses to the trees respectively, and they followed the old man into the house.

When they got to the house, the two of them got a clear view of the face. They saw that the old man was over 60 years old, with gray beard and hair.

The old man was wearing a khaki trousers coat and a pair of hemp shoes on his feet.

The old man looked at Duan Wuji and said, "Young man, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

The two nodded awkwardly.

"Well, who said no! We patronized and rushed, but we never caught up with the meal. Old man, do you have anything to eat here? Can you sell us some?"

The old man nodded.

"Yes, yes, yes. There are still eight or nine steamed buns in my pot, and there are sauerkraut pickled by the old man in the big bowl. You can make do with it.

We really don't have anything else at home. "

As he spoke, the old man brought the steamed buns and sauerkraut to the small table.

The two of them were already hungry, and now they didn't care about being polite anymore. They picked up the steamed buns and ate the sauerkraut.

The old man looked at the two wolfing down the food and said with a smile: "Young people, eat slowly, don't worry, you are afraid that you have not eaten for three days!"

Duan Wuji said while stuffing something into his mouth: "How can it be? We are still full at noon, who said we didn't eat!."

"Huh? You've become so hungry all of a sudden? It's unbelievable!"

"Hey, what's so incredible about this? Young people digest well and get hungry quickly."

"Well, what you said makes sense, young man, where are you going?"

Tie Niu laughed and said, "We're going to the capital for a few days, to see the prosperity of the capital, and gain some insight by the way."

The time is not too long, the two of them finished eating these buns, and at most they were more than half full.

The two put down their chopsticks, Duan Wuji looked at the old man and said: "Old man, do you have fodder in your family? If you have, can you sell some to us?"

The old man nodded.

"The house on the west side of mine used to be a barn, and there was still some fodder in it. The animal is gone, and it's useless to ask for these things. You can feed them whatever you want later, alas! You won't be paid for anything."

Duan Wuji and Tieniu were overjoyed when they heard this.

"Then thank you, old man, have you sold your livestock? What kind of livestock are you raising? Is it a horse or a cow?"

The old man shook his head painfully.

"Hey, you think too highly of me. How can a family like mine afford a big animal? I have a little donkey, which was eaten a few days ago. Alas, I am so unlucky."

"Eat it? By whom?"

Duan Wuji asked in surprise.

"Who was eaten? Who else could be eaten? It was eaten by the tiger in the mountain. How could other animals eat it!"

As he spoke, the old man wept sadly.

When Tieniu saw this, he quickly persuaded him.

"Old man, don't be sad, can't we just buy another one later?"

"Hey, buy one? It's easy to say, I don't even have that kind of money, I'll be fine if I want that!"

Duan Wuji asked in surprise: "Old man, are there really tigers in our mountains? That thing is really dangerous!"

The old man smiled wryly after hearing this: "Well, we have never heard of such a beast in our area before, and we don't know where it came from, and the **** thing is not going away, it's only in our place. Activities within the range of ten or twenty miles can harm our people.

Just recently, dozens of livestock and domestic animals have been eaten. Alas, there is no way to control it, this animal. "

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "Fortunately, no one was hurt, this is also a blessing in misfortune!"

"Who said it didn't hurt people? As far as I've heard, this tiger has eaten a dozen people. I don't know what happened to this evil animal. Recently, this evil animal doesn't eat livestock very much. Give it back to your mother." Specialized in cannibalism.

We were so frightened that the people in our ten miles and eight villages did not dare to go out during the day, for fear of being eaten by the tiger. "

"Then you won't report to the police?"

The old man laughed and said, "Why don't we report to the officials? But the county magistrate has no choice!

There are only about [-] arresters in the county government office. Think about it, that fierce tiger comes out at night and runs so fast, how can it be so easy to catch it?

No, these fierce tigers have eaten more and more people recently, and the magistrate of the county can't sit still in the yamen now, and he brings these twenty-odd arresters around to arrest them every day.

However, there is no effect. This thing eats people everywhere, running around from east to west, which makes the county magistrate very busy.

No, the magistrate of the county recently mobilized the hunters in the mountains to go out together to catch them together. The magistrate of the county recently issued a notice that whoever kills the tiger will be rewarded with fifty silver for the pattern and exempted from taxes for three years, isn't that right? , Now hundreds of hunters in this mountain alone have been mobilized, alas, I still haven't caught them yet. "

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "Hey, it's dangerous, why grab it?"

"Oh, young man, don't you know that 50 taels of silver is not a small sum! Once you kill the tiger, won't you pay it all at once?
To be honest, my son has joined the Tiger Hunting Team now, and he leaves early and returns late every day. I am worried about him, otherwise I would have turned off the lights and gone to sleep.

Alas, this son is doing such a dangerous job outside, how can I sleep as a father. "

After hearing this, Tieniu said to Duan Wuji: "Brother, catching tigers is very interesting. If we don't catch up tomorrow, we will catch them for two days, just for fun."

Duan Wuji laughed out loud.

"Well, that's exactly what I mean, but I'm not ashamed to tell you yet. Since my brother also wants to catch this tiger, let's stay here for two days.

Hey, Brother Tieniu, let's lead the horse and feed the horse first, otherwise how will the horse be used tomorrow! "

The two came to the yard, led the two horses into the barn, fetched water to drink the horses, and then got a trough of fodder to feed them.

Then the two entered the house.

Tie Niu said with a smile: "Grandpa, which room do we rest in? Today we have traveled all day, and we are tired, so it is time to rest."

After hearing this, the old man pointed to the east room.

"Well, you can rest in this room tonight. There is no one in this room, so you can also rest earlier."

When the two entered the room, Duan Wuji whispered, "Brother, go to bed first, I'll practice for a while."

Tieniu whispered: "Then we can practice together, and we will sleep together later."

After hearing this, Duan Wuji whispered: "How can that be done? Brother Tieniu, who knows if what the old man said just now is true? If we slept together, wouldn't it be dangerous if something happened?
If you don't sleep, then I will sleep first. "

Tie Niu laughed when he heard this.

"Brother, you really have so many eyes! It's okay, brother, I understand, okay, brother, can't I go to bed first?
Don't worry, I'll be on duty in the second half of the night, and I'm sure there won't be any danger for the two of us. "

Duan Wuji smiled lightly.

"It's fine if you understand what I mean. We can't guard against this person who is away from home. If we are not careful, we will become that unjust ghost."

Tieniu fell asleep when he heard this, and after a while, he let out a sound of sound sleep.

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(End of this chapter)