After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Inside the dimly lit mountain cave, where only a single lamp could be seen.

A series of teeth-grinding "hissing" sounds rang out.

Gongsun Heng was originally tearful and crying loudly, her nose was even red from crying.

Through her tear-filled, hazy eyes, she suddenly saw her master fall headfirst into the wooden fence and bite at it with his teeth. She couldn't help but wipe away her tears, her eyes wide with surprise.

The sound the other person made tickled her all over. She glanced at her master's serious expression as he chewed on the wood and couldn't help but burst into laughter through her tears.

After chuckling, he straightened his face, sniffed a few times to suppress his laughter, and said:

"Master, are you crazy? If you want to escape, you can lie down and kick the fence open."

She twisted her body, sat on the ground, raised her feet as if to kick a door, but quickly withdrew them, sighing:

"But that didn't work either. I tried it, and the wooden fence is too hard. I can't kick it open."

Ning Nan ignored her.

After biting for a while, my gums were bleeding, and I finally managed to tear off a piece of wood shavings less than half an inch long.

Ning Nan spat for a while, then gestured towards the female disciple with his lip and said angrily, "What are you crying about... Hurry up and get water for your master."

Gongsun nodded and reached for the bamboo jar next to him, while Ning Nan shifted his position, leaning against the wooden fence where he had been before, and picked up the wood shavings with his hand.

Another shift of the butt.

It is backed by the cold walls of a cave.

He inserted the wood shavings into the handcuff lock and began to fiddle with the lock cylinder.

The female disciple poured the bamboo jar into his mouth.

He took a sip of water, then spat it out with a "pfft" and rinsed his mouth.

After being ordered around like this, Gongsun Heng still felt guilty, but she stopped making a fuss.

Sitting blankly to the side, legs tucked into her arms, she felt cold all over and her heart was filled with sorrow. She didn't know what would happen to her master, nor did she know what would happen to her.

"Squeak~"

As a harsh, hoarse sound of a door opening rang out, a few rays of dim yellow light shone in.

Ning and Nan were both taken aback.

Someone's here.

A few light footsteps approached.

Ning Nan looked up.

The leader was a man in black, followed by three others.

One had a fierce expression, another had a face full of scars, and the third was rather thin, but had a butcher's knife stuck in his waist.

The leader, dressed in black, was thin and wore a kitchen god mask.

He squatted down, seemingly examining him closely.

Ning Nan frowned. He thought he would see Feng Yu, but he didn't see the scholar.

The man in black wearing the Kitchen God mask had a scrutinizing, curious, and somewhat mocking and disdainful look in his eyes, while Ning Nan stared at him calmly.

"Greetings, Young Master Ning." The Kitchen God's voice was old and hoarse.

Ning Nan, with his back against the uneven cave wall, smiled and asked, "And you are, sir?"

The Kitchen God shook his head: "Who I am is not important. I had no chance to meet you before, young master. It is my great fortune to meet you today."

Ning Nan smiled and said, "You're too kind. If you want me to be your guest, you can just say so. How could I dare not accept your invitation? There's really no need for you to go to such lengths."

The Kitchen God smiled and said, "If we hadn't gone to such great lengths, we probably wouldn't have been able to invite Young Master Ning."

talking.

He then laughed and said, "Young Master Ning's methods are quite good. He actually released Zhang Zhuzi and the others yesterday. It's a pity that the young master's heart is not sincere. He sent so many tails to stalk him."

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Kitchen God laughed and said, "Zhang Zhuzi is no ordinary spy. He noticed something was wrong after walking a few miles. When he passed by some of our people, he left a few words and some things for us, such as... handcuffs on your hands. These are really good things. They are much faster than tying you up with ropes."

Ning Nan chuckled, "That's great."

The Kitchen God then said, "Zhang Zhuzi and your men are going in circles. We've set up an ambush in one place. Young Master Ning, why don't you guess where we're lying in ambush?"

Ning Nan glanced at the Kitchen God's mask and, without hesitation, laughed, "Ten Mile Gorge?"

The pair of black pupils behind the Kitchen God's mask suddenly contracted.

"Oh,"

Ning Nan smiled.

"Shili Gorge is a bit far, how about Xiaobai River, or Tang Sizhuang?"

Shili Gorge was where he ambushed Xiao Chun.

Xiaobaihe and Tangsizhuang are located between Shilixia and the capital city, and there is nothing particularly special about these two places.

What they have in common is that each has an official road leading north, at the end of which is a ferry crossing for crossing the river. The opposite side of the ferry crossing is not within the territory of the two northern cities, but rather the Northern Dynasty.

However, the river at those two ferry crossings is not very narrow, and the current is quite rapid. The Northern Dynasty could not cross the river in large numbers. Even merchant ships nowadays often do not pass through those two places, so they are almost abandoned. The court only set up sentry posts at those two places, without deploying heavy troops.

Upon hearing this, the Kitchen God remained silent.

The three men behind him looked somewhat surprised, and the vicious-looking man in the lead, wielding a black wooden stick, grinned maliciously:

"That Ning Huo thief! No wonder he was able to kill our sect leader!"

"Oh?...You're one of Xiao Chun's people?"

"Exactly!" the vicious man said with a sneer.

Ning Nan said, "No wonder he looks so stupid."

"What did you say?!" In an instant, the three people standing behind the Kitchen God were furious and rushed forward.

The Kitchen God raised his hand, stopping the three people behind him.

Ning Nan glanced at the three of them and smiled slightly. This smile only fueled their anger.

Ning Nan appeared relaxed, but inwardly she felt a chill. She had spent the entire day yesterday writing and drawing, her mind conjuring up all sorts of possibilities.

When the other party asked about Zhang Zhuzi, he took the opportunity to make a vague guess based on some possibilities. A sentence that the vicious man blurted out confirmed some things for him.

The Kitchen God didn't say anything more. He glanced at Ning Nan and said:

"Young Master Ning, you've guessed wrong."

That's all.

He stood up.

"Young master, please do not be in a hurry. I will go ahead first. In an hour, someone will bring you here to see the person you wish to see."

The Kitchen God strode away.

"snort!"

The three men glanced at him and then left.

Only a single lamp remained in the room.

call……

Ning Nan broke out in a cold sweat and sighed.

He tried to pry open the keyhole for a long time with wood chips behind his back, but still couldn't.

He could only try again, using his fingers to carefully peel off the splinters from the wood chips.

My fingertips are a little sore, probably because some splinters have gotten stuck in my flesh.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea has passed.

The door slowly opened again.

Ning Nan glanced at it and realized it was the vicious man under Xiao Chun's command.

The vicious man grinned maliciously.

The door slammed shut.

He strode over, carrying a black wooden stick in his hand.

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes.

"Bang!"

The man pulled out a key and kicked the wooden fence hard.

Gongsun Heng shrank back in fright.

"Ning Baixuan, you killed our Sect Master Xiao. Although the Right Protector and Scholar Feng said you are of great use and we cannot take your life for the time being, however..."

The vicious man glared and said:

"My Beikan Water Altar has suffered so many casualties this time. I, Yu Dayong, will break one of your legs first, collect some interest, and then no one can say anything against my altar!"

Ning Nan leaned against the cave wall, bent his legs, and prepared to exert force.

"What are you doing!"

At this moment, the female disciple who had just been scared like a rabbit suddenly stood in front of him, and Ning Nan was taken aback.

The vicious burly man, Yu Dayong, squatted down, sized up Gongsun Heng, and grinned maliciously.

"Feng Yu said he couldn't do anything to you, but I really want to try. I'll do whatever I want to you right here and now, and what can he do about it!"