Chapter 40 Is there any hero in this city?

The trade route was opened up, and the plan to break through the Liao Dynasty was carried out smoothly. Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu, Lu Fang and Deng Fei were left behind to temporarily stay in Yinmachuan to solve some minor troubles on the trade route.

Cao Jie decided to return to Yuncheng to plan his next move.

For example, saving Madam Lin and recruiting Master Lu...

But before leaving Liao, he wanted to recruit a hero under his command.

Jizhou City of the Liao Dynasty, which is Tianjin Wei in later generations!
Cao Jie, Ruan Xiaoqi, Cao Zheng, Meng Kang and his party arrived at the city gate, only to see that the city wall still had a strong Han flavor. On the four corners of the city tower, there was still a peculiarly shaped statue of Chaofeng lying on the eaves. The bells dancing in the wind were already rusted, but the sound was still crisp.

I wonder which skilled craftsman from the Han Dynasty was the one who cast the wind chime.

This place was originally the Youzhou territory of the Han Dynasty, but a gift from the child emperor Shi Jingtang separated this rich land from the Chinese people forever.

Cao Jie was just sighing with emotion. They were all strangers and each of them was carrying a lot of goods, which immediately attracted the attention of the Liao soldiers at the city gate.

"Hey, who are you? What are you doing in Jizhou City? Come over here and have a good talk."

Seven or eight soldiers surrounded them, all with ferocious faces and greedy expressions. The leader was tall and strong, with legs as thick as an ordinary man's waist. It was obvious that he had great leg skills.

"Who are you? How dare you block our way?"

Cao Zheng raised his foot to block in front of Cao Jie, holding a skinning knife in his sleeve, his eyes fixed on the neck of the leading soldier, as if he was ready to cut his artery if they disagreed.

"Me? It's Zhang Bao, the 'Kick the Sheep to Death'! You guys can ask around to see if Jizhou City is in chaos or not. I have the final say."

"It's an entrance fee, right? Captain, please give me some convenience."

Meng Kang knew the rules of the Liao Kingdom. In order to avoid trouble, he immediately stepped forward, took out a dime from his bag, and handed it over with a smile.

Seeing that he was particularly fair-skinned, Zhang Bao, the "Kicking Sheep Killer", immediately laughed a few times, touched the back of his hand, and laughed wildly:

"This amount of silver is not enough. Without a hundred or so strings of cash, they can't enter the city. But, you... I can take extra care of them."

Seeing the face of Zhang Bao, the "Kicking the Sheep to Death", Meng Kang's heart sank. He hated troublemakers the most in his life. Back then, it was because of his good-looking appearance that he was harassed by the inspector, so he killed the official and became a wanderer.

"roll!"

What the hell, you dare to rob my grandfather!
Cao Jie was filled with rage and was ready to commit evil. His strength was steadily improving towards the level of mastering the art of refining his essence. With a Jade Ring Step, he circled in front of Zhang Bao and kicked him between his legs at the perfect moment.

With a cry of "Ah", the sheep rolled on the ground holding its testicles, howling in pain.

"Erlang's leg skills are very good, and he has already reached 60% of Wu Song's level." Ruan Xiaoqi gave him a thumbs up and praised him.

With a "clang" sound, the other soldiers were stunned for a few seconds before they reacted and all drew out the ring-handled swords at their waists.

"Look carefully, what is this! Do you want to rebel?"

Cao Jie showed a copper waist badge with Khitan characters written on it, which he did not recognize.

But when these soldiers saw the badge, they immediately put away their swords, and with a flattering look on their faces, they nodded and said, "Sir, the flood has washed away the Dragon King Temple. Please forgive us for our crime."

"roll!"

"Yes, yes, let's go now..."

If the rights are not used, they will become invalid upon expiration.

In my hometown, I am timid and cautious, but abroad, I strike hard and act like a spoiled brat.

When Meng Kang saw that his elder brother personally stood up for him, he was deeply grateful and his loyalty increased greatly.

After sending the little devil away, Cao Jie pointed at Jizhou City and asked:

"Brother Meng Kang, are there any heroes in this city?"

Meng Kang had been in Yinmachuan for many years, so he naturally knew the customs and people of various places in Youzhou. He answered immediately:
"Brother, if we talk about heroes, there is a man in this city who is the jailer of the two courts and also the executioner of the city. He is considered a hero. He is from Henan Prefecture, has great martial arts skills, and has a slightly yellow face. People call him Bing Guansuo."

It is said that Guan Suo is the third son of Guan Erye, but that is not true.

The Southwestern Yi people called "Ye" "Suo", and "Guan Suo" actually means "Guan Ye".

As for the word "disease", on the surface it refers to a sallow complexion, but in fact it means that this "Guan Suo" seems to be sick and his complexion has changed.

Guan Ye's face changed, as if he wanted to kill someone.

Yang Xiong is certainly capable, but he is living a good life and is on good terms with the Jizhou prefect, so it is not easy to get him to go up the mountain. Cao Jie pondered for a moment and asked, "It is not easy to approach people in the Liao government. Are there any other heroes?"

Meng Kang pondered for a moment and shook his head slightly.

Cao Jie reminded him, "I heard that there is a hero in Jiugong County, Jizhou. He has been fond of spear and stick since he was young. He worshipped Luo Zhenren of Zixu Temple in Erxian Mountain as his teacher. His Taoist name is Master Yiqing. He has learned a lot of Taoist skills and can call the wind and rain, ride the mist and clouds. He is called Ruyunlong."

Meng Kang smiled bitterly: "I can't get in touch with such a person who is pregnant with gods. If you want to get to know Ruyunlong, you can start with the Khitan nobleman and go to the Erxian Mountain to have a look."

"Forget it. I heard that Naro-sama has cultivated a baby and mastered the Heavenly Gang Five Thunders. I am a small figure who has only achieved a small level of spiritual cultivation. I dare not visit him. Let's go into the city and stay here tonight."

Walking along the way in Jizhou City, Cao Jie kept looking at the civilians on the roadside, hoping to meet them by chance.

That Shi Xiu must be in Jizhou City at this moment.

This man was originally from Jiankang Prefecture, Jinling. He loved to fight for justice and was known as "Desperate Sanlang" in the underworld. Later, he followed his uncle to the north to resell sheep and horses. Unfortunately, his uncle died of illness and the business suffered losses. He then drifted to Jizhou and made a living by collecting firewood.

There is a poem saying:

The dragon spring in the box is trying to come out, just because there are unfair people in the world.

A bystander can distinguish right from wrong, but how can one know who is close and who is distant when helping others?

He is like a tiger in the mountains, and his temper is like fuel on fire. He is bold and resourceful, and he helps people everywhere.

He relied on only a stick and two fists. His reputation spread all over the country, and he was a desperate man, Shi Xiu.

Jizhou City is a big city with restaurants, teahouses, inns, pawnshops and gambling houses. It is very bustling.

Some merchants and peddlers come here to seek business, some scholars travel far to the border, some people from the martial arts world call their friends to visit here, some people tell stories here, and some women engage in shady flesh trade.

After renting a two-story courtyard in a large inn, Cao Jie called Cao Zheng and said, "Brother Cao Zheng, please go find someone."

"Brother, what's the trouble? Just tell me."

"This man's name is Shi Xiu. He is a desperate man. He should be making a living by collecting firewood in Jizhou City. Spend some money, arrange some people, and find him as soon as possible."

"Desperate Shi Xiu, the woodcutter, I understand."

Cao Zheng received the order and went to look for the person.

Finding someone in such a big city is both easy and difficult.

Cao Jie was determined to get Shi Xiu.

This man is not only a good fighter, but also extremely loyal. What's more rare is that he is extremely talented in gathering information and is a mature special operations operator behind enemy lines.

At this moment, among the bustling crowd in Jizhou City, there was a woodcutter. He was tall and had well-proportioned limbs. His skin was tanned because he walked outdoors all year round.

Under his thick eyebrows were a pair of tiger eyes, piercing and sharp. His exposed arms were muscular, full of masculine power.

Such appearance is very attractive to young ladies, but his shabby clothes and dishevelled appearance make people stay away from him.

He carried two loads of firewood weighing more than a thousand pounds on his shoulders, going from house to house, selling the firewood he had worked so hard to cut. As he walked, he sighed, "It's hard to live, it's hard to survive, it's hard to live. When will this day end?"

Only after a hard day's work, when I return to my residence, do I occasionally remember my time away from home and the past events in Jinling come to my mind.

That night, just as he lay down in the shabby house, a slovenly boy who looked like a beggar knocked on the rotten wooden door in a hurry.

"Who?"

"Brother Shi San, it's me. A high-ranking official has heard of your great name and wants to invite you for a drink. If you go over, you can get five strings of cash!"

Shi Xiu was shocked, thinking that the news of the murder in Nanjing had been reported and that some officials were planning to arrest him.

But just as he was about to run away, he stopped again.

"This is the Liao Kingdom, not the Song Dynasty. Why should I run away?"

"Could it be that the person who invited me is a hero from the south who has heard of my name..."

"It's okay to meet him. If he wants to harm me, I can just kill him and make him my scapegoat."

(End of this chapter)