Additional updates, 55)

Jiang Wang looked at Lei Zhanqian seriously.

At this moment, he was standing there, hunched over, with his hair disheveled, and the expression on his face was very bitter.

"Do you really know about Lin Youxie?" Jiang Wang asked.

"Recently, several groups of people have come to Lushuang County. Those green-branded arresters have screened them several times inside and out. Of course I won't know everything." Lei Zhanqian explained: "I saw Mrs. Bowang Hou today. , I knew that the two princes must have come here because of Lin’s arrest..."

He said very helplessly: "But I really don't know what happened to Capt. Lin and where he is."

"Brother Lei, you are a smart man." Chong Xuansheng said slowly: "But I really don't understand what you said. You might as well sit down and explain slowly."

Lei Zhanqian sat down again and said cautiously: "I met Mrs. Bowanghou on May 1st. Later, I heard that Mr. Lin also disappeared on that day, and it was in that forest... plus The Inspection Office of Shangdu City has been checking for so many days but still has no results. I think Marquis Wu'an will definitely come to visit."

Zhong Xuansheng didn't speak, only told him with his eyes to continue.

Lei Zhanqian said: "The old forest where Mrs. Bowang Hou went was called the Savage Forest. Very few people in Lushuang would go there. However, the Savage Forest is the main producing area of ​​autumn blue mushrooms, so our Lei family sends people there every year. A few times... Oh, autumn blue mushroom is one of the raw materials for brewing Luming wine."

"Lu Ming wine is very precious, so the autumn blue mushrooms are also valuable..." Chong Xuan Sheng asked: "But it shouldn't be your turn to pick it yourself?"

"Of course, I never ask about these things before." Lei Zhanqian said: "The main reason is that during that time, spies appeared in the savage forest, and several teams of mushroom pickers from our Lei family disappeared in the mountains and forests... "

He said with some bitterness: "To be honest, since the Eleventh Prince's accident, most of the Lei family's offerings have been lost. Luming wine is the only business that our Lei family can still control, and now it is almost the mainstay of the family... I had no choice but to go there myself."

"I was also surprised when I met Mrs. Bowang Hou in the savage forest that day. But I thought there would be no interaction, so I left without saying anything."

Qi Zhi's "Stories of Strange Beasts" says: "There is an evil giant in the Fountain of Youth, named Xianzhao. It has an eight-armed ape face, a black body with long hair, and three webbed toes. When angry, it laughs like a human voice, swallows the sun and eats bones. And Ming. When people see it, they feel like dying.

The Fountain of Youth is a mythical place, not to mention that this beast is a very ferocious beast that has been clearly recorded.

After hearing this, Chongxuan Sheng just said: "Speaking of which, I don't know why your Lushuang County Savage Forest is called the Savage Forest? Are there any savages hiding in it today?"

Lei Zhanqian replied solemnly: "A long time ago, this was a place of miasma and insect vectors were rampant. There were indeed some people who, in order to escape the war, hid in the old forests and multiplied for several generations, almost like savages. How many times did Daqi go through it? The conquests formed today's territory, which also includes this place. When the emperor came to the throne, he had a special item of "governing the evil land" in the internal affairs. Lou... The seven thieves once eliminated the miasma here and used great magic power to destroy the evil in the world. There is no harm in making this old forest what it is today. But the name Savage Forest has been passed down."

The so-called "seven thieves" often refer to Duke Loulan in Qi State.

When the Emperor of Qi personally attacked Duke Loulan, he listed seven crimes and denounced him as a thief of seven evils.

Later, when people mentioned Loulan Gong, they rarely said it directly and always referred to him by this name.

After hearing this, Chong Xuan Sheng added: "Exotic beasts like the Nian are very rare. I have only seen them in books. I didn't expect them to appear in the Savage Forest."

"What the Marquis said is true. I am also very confused about it, but when I think about the wild man Lin Guangshen, no one except the Seven Thieves has really understood it. It is a bit strange, but it is not impossible..." Lei Zhanqian said: "Then I have killed Tou Xian. Because it is rare, I have brought the body back with me. It is still being kept in the basement. Would Prince Bowang want to take a look?"

This is probably just a polite comment.

But Zhong Xuansheng stood up directly: "Then it will be hard work."

Lei Zhanqian was startled for a moment and then said: "Guys, please come with me."

The group of people then followed Lei Zhanqian around.

As the leading wealthy family in Lushuang County, the Lei family's ancestral home occupies a very large area, and is located near mountains and rivers with unique scenery.

The "basement" mentioned by Lei Zhanqian was built under a pond surrounded by green lotus leaves, and the entrance was in the rugged rockery next to the pond.

"Because of the wine storage, our Lei family has built many basements. This basement was handed down from our ancestors and now belongs to me alone. It stores some wines of special vintages, as well as many of my personal collections, including The body of the demon..." Walking in the corridor, Lei Zhanqian led the way and explained: "The temperature underground is very low, and it is deliberately controlled by a magic circle..."

Every three feet or so on the dome of the basement, there is a bright pearl embedded in it. The light is not very bright, making the entire basement in a constant state similar to dusk.

This is probably Lei's method of storing wine.

The two sides of the basement are polished very smooth, but on the wall two feet above the ground, there are rectangular, clean and refreshing stone caves, which are not too deep and are spaced at a certain distance, like hanging paintings. Get out of the way.

And a jar of old wine is placed among them.

At first glance, it looks like a shrine.

The appearance of these wine jars is also very smooth, almost like a bronze mirror, which can reflect people's shadows. It is obvious that they have been cleaned by special personnel.

Walking in this old basement, looking at the urns of wine enshrined like statues of gods, it is almost like watching the history of the Lushuanglei family from another angle.

How a small workshop that was the first to engage in winemaking grew up step by step and became a large imperial family. In the end, the daughter of the clan married into the palace, the concubine gave birth to a prince, and the descendant of the Qi emperor with Lei's blood was once sitting on the throne...

This family has the hope to grow into the top sect of the empire and be as prosperous as the country!

Later, Concubine Lei died, and the gate of Changsheng Palace was locked.

Lei's business went from prosperity to decline overnight, just like the basement where old wine was stored, slowly getting chilly.

To observe the Lei clan is also to observe the Qi state.

A wealthy family like the Lei family is one of the foundations of today's powerful empire.

The common people of yesterday are the famous families of yesterday.

Who is the Lei family of today, and who will it be tomorrow?

Even though Fourteen became Mrs. Bowang Hou and took off her heavy armor, she still didn't speak much in front of outsiders.

After Jiang Wang entered the basement, he rarely spoke and left all questions to Chong Xuan Sheng. Because Chong Xuan Sheng would definitely ask more critical and targeted questions. He just used his pair of eyes and his pair of

Ears, observe carefully.

In a specially carved stone room.

They saw the evil spirits.

The body of this miserable beast was spread out and nailed to a cross stake.

He is more than ten feet tall and has strong muscles and bones. His whole body is dark, except for the fangs protruding from his mouth. The left fang is half broken, and only the right one is still intact.

The hair outside the body is scorched and frizzy, making it very unsightly.

There are also many uncovered wounds, which are hideous and ugly.

But it is very clean, without any dirt, and its internal organs have been hollowed out. There is not even a little bit of peculiar smell all over the body. It has obviously been specially processed and can be stored for a long time.

"This bastard doesn't look weak," Chong Xuansheng said, sizing it up.

"According to the records in "The Chronicles of Strange Beasts", it should not have matured in the Qi Dynasty, so it has not reached a very strong state. Now it is only equivalent to the combat power of a monk in the Neifu Realm." Lei Zhan explained: "I think so.

I can still handle it.”

"With this sleepy sprite here, will there be another nest?" Chong Xuansheng asked.

"I don't know about that," Lei Zhanqian said, "but the book says it likes to be alone."

Chongxuan Sheng said: "Since it is an immature little beast, there should be a female beast nearby..."

"There is no record of this in the Chronicle of Strange Beasts." Lei Zhanqian was obviously confused by the question: "How old was Xianji when he started walking alone, does Bowang Hou know?"

Chongxuan Sheng only said: "My knowledge all comes from "The Chronicles of Strange Beasts". This is the first time I have seen this deity."

During the conversation between Chong Xuansheng and Lei Zhanqian, Jiang Wang had already begun to observe silently.

The autopsy techniques learned from that unknown book can be put to some use today.

He focused on observing the wounds of the beast, and also analyzed its hair and flesh quality.

Although he was not very good at learning the professional techniques passed down from the Lin family and applied them for the first time, he also learned some useful information.

For example, the specific time of death of this beast was indeed three months ago, which is consistent with Lei Zhanqian's statement.

It did indeed die from Refa.

The strength of Lei Zhanqian reflected in this corpse can actually show that Lei Zhanqian has improved a lot during this period. Although his spirit has declined a bit, his cultivation has not declined.

Especially that touch of determination in Xian's heart...

"Brother Lei, we have fought many times." Jiang Wang suddenly said, "You seem to always face the enemy with bare hands, but are you good at any weapons?"

"I can't say I'm good at it." Lei Zhanqian's eyes dimmed and he replied in a low voice: "Your Highness taught me a set of sword skills before. I didn't like it very much and didn't study it very much. I picked it up after he left.

…”

Jiang Wang sighed softly and said no more.

"I've only seen it in books, and I can only imagine it in my mind." Chong Xuansheng still looked at the misty figure in front of him, and exclaimed: "Brother Lei has given me a lot of experience today. It's a worthwhile trip. "

Lei Zhanqian quickly calmed down and complimented him: "If the two princes can look at it, it means it didn't show up in vain, and it's not in vain for me to enter the savage forest and fight with it."

Chong Xuan Sheng smiled, looked around again, and praised: "This basement is really well built, with unique craftsmanship. As the saying goes, 'You can see a leopard in a tube.' Looking at it from this point of view, it's no wonder that Lushuang's fine wine is famous all over the world." famous."

"How fortunate it is to receive such praise from the Marquis?" Lei Zhanqian always maintained a humble attitude: "I will choose two jars of the best wine here and deliver it to the two Marquises in person... I only want two Don’t despise me.”

"You don't have to be so polite!" Chong Xuansheng had a smile on his face and patted his shoulder affectionately: "It seems that I am greedy for your wine."

Lei Zhanqian said in a slow voice: "No matter how good the wine is, it still needs a person with taste. Otherwise, wouldn't it be heartbreaking if a cow chews peonies? I, the Lei family, make a living by brewing wine. I brew it for three years and cellar it for ten years. I sell it with money. Those who have money should give it to those who know the taste."

"What a 'Sell to the rich, give to those who know the taste!' There is no other word for wine in the world like this!" Chong Xuan Sheng was full of praise: "Brother Lei can say this, the eleventh prince should have no worries That’s it!”

This is nothing more than selling it to the rich at a high price and giving it to those in power at no price, with just a slight embellishment. It is not unusual when you peel it off inside, and there is no good advice. But if you don’t have a true insight into the world, , I would never say such a thing.

At least the former Lei Zhanqian could not have such an understanding.

"In the past, outside the secret realm of Tianfu, talented people gathered together. I also knew it and had discussions with the guests of the Changsheng Palace. At that time, one of the two was a young guest from afar, and the other was a noble son with no power. Lei Zhanqian had no discernment and did not recognize the uncut jade. .Only His Highness said that the fat young master Chongxuan usually does not show off his appearance, but when he takes the stage now, he must have a graceful appearance, and when he invites guests from far away, he is definitely not a commoner..."

Lei Zhanqian said with emotion: "But who could have known that today we are all princes?"

He added: "I should follow the example of these two princes."

"I'm serious, Brother Lei." Chong Xuansheng patted him, and then said: "Okay, okay. I've seen the wine storage and I've seen the phoenix, let's go up."
To be continued...