The plum blossoms in the yard were in full bloom, fell all over the ground, and spread on the remaining snow that would not have time to melt away. At first glance, it is hard to tell which is snow and which is plum. When the wind blows, there is a leisurely fragrance.

Full of circulation in the courtyard.

Under the dusk curtain, the moon rises above the eaves, the light is as cool as water.

At the end of the small courtyard, there is a corner door half covered by plum blossoms. It looks a little older. When you open the small door and go through, the inside is completely different. There are two strong men standing at the door. They are wearing armor and holding knives. The porch is narrow and cramped.

Bricks paved with large bluestones lead to a dark prison cell, and a long and deep aura of murder blows in the face.

The fragrance of the flowers seemed to be blocked to the other side of the courtyard, unable to get through at all.

There were also several guards standing there, with swords on their bodies. They stood like wooden men. There was a large iron bar at the door as thick as an adult man's arm.

Passing through the dark and narrow passage in the cell, walking inside, there are three large stone gates controlled by mechanisms. There are people guarding each door. After passing these three stone gates and going in, there is no life in the world.

They all seemed to have disappeared, as if that long and narrow road was the Road of Wounded Souls in the Underworld, with a few lights flickering endlessly, like will-o'-the-wisps.

In the innermost cell, a man's voice whispered something, and then there was silence for a moment, as if another person sighed, lightly and effortlessly.

Suddenly, a scream suddenly cut through the darkness in the cell, and even the firelight was extinguished. The scream was so shrill, like a dying animal, that it only made people feel an indescribable chill in their hearts.

One of the two guards with his back to the cell at the door looked like a newcomer, with a youthful look on his face. Hearing the movement suddenly, he couldn't help but shudder and glanced at himself secretly.

My companion found that the other party seemed to be deaf and stood as straight as a rock. He immediately calmed down and lowered his eyes.

But the screams were too high-pitched and long-lasting. The man screamed loudly, his voice became hoarse, and he continued to scream. Finally, he lost his breath, and the sharp screams turned into whimpering moans, which became more and more miserable.

The new guard felt goosebumps jumping out of his body.

After about a stick of incense, the man's voice disappeared. Not long after, two people dragged out a middle-aged man who didn't know whether he was dead or alive. The man was shirtless and his head was tilted to one side.

His hair was wet with sweat, his lips and tongue were bitten to pieces, and blood foam came out from the corners of his mouth. There were no injuries on his body, except that a dark red nail was driven into each of the seven large points on his chest and abdomen.

As if connected into a strange and terrifying totem, the young guard's eyes couldn't help but follow the middle-aged man until they disappeared at the other end of the stone gate.

At this time, a person said quietly behind him: "Have you ever regretted seeing this?"

The young guard trembled in fright and turned around suddenly. He saw a man in a royal blue robe standing silently behind him at some point. His companion on one side was already kneeling on the ground. The young man reacted.

Busy also knelt down and said: "Master of the village."

The man in the robe seemed to be in his mid-twenties, and he looked gentle, like a scribe, but his face was covered with a sick look, his eyebrows had deep and clear outlines, and his eyes were very bright, always slightly drooped, shouting.

Those extremely long and extremely thick eyelashes cover half of them. When they are raised occasionally, they are filled with an indescribable coldness. Every time they look at them, their hearts feel chilled. The bridge of their nose is pretty and straight, but their lips are very thin, which makes the handsome face look so beautiful.

It adds a sense of unkindness and unrighteousness out of thin air.

Hearing the boy's name, the man couldn't help but look at him one more time, chuckled, and said, "You're new here, right?"

The young man lowered his head: "Yes."

The man raised his hand and patted him twice on the shoulder: "Then remember, you can't call me the owner of the village in the future. I'm no longer the owner of the village. You should call me Lord Zhou next time."

The young man raised his head and glanced at him quickly, then lowered his head respectfully: "Yes, Mr. Zhou."

The man nodded, waved his hands and said, "You two go ahead, I'll be alone for a while."

The two guards responded and went out side by side. The young guard couldn't help but look back and saw the man in blue robe quietly leaning on the door frame, his eyes seemed to be staring at something in the void, and it seemed like something.

Even though he couldn't see it, the young man somehow felt as if he was going somewhere far away.

The first iron gate fell, and the silent old guard suddenly said in a low voice: "Look at the gentleman, he looks like a gentle and gentle scholar. You can imagine that it was his hands that nailed Lao Bi's nails."

Did you get the 'seven orifices and three autumn nails'?"

The young man was startled, and turned his head to look at his older companion. The old guard's temples were all white, and he sighed: "There are many things you don't understand. Our 'Skylight' basically has no entrance but no exit."

, if you want to get out, you have to die and be disabled."

In the fourth year of Rongjia Period in the Daqing Dynasty, the name of "Skylight" could scare the entire government and the public.

"Skylight" is an organization composed of spies and killers, directly loyal to the emperor. No one knows how many there are, and no one knows where they are hiding - but no one doubts that their tentacles can reach the ends of the earth.

Go. It was established by Emperor Rongjia He Lianyi when he was still the heir apparent. Up to now, the entrance and exit are strict and the rules are strict.

The first leader of "Skylight" - the man in sapphire robes, was the former "Master of the Four Seasons" and now Lord Zhou, Zhou Zishu.

From palace secrets to traffickers and lackeys, there seems to be no secrets in the "Skylight", so there is a rule that no living person with a mouth that can talk is allowed to leave the skylight, come in and go out, unless they are dead.

, or he invited himself to the "Seven Apertures and Three Autumn Nails".

The so-called "Seven Orifices and Three Autumn Nails" is to seal seven poisonous nails in the seven most important acupoints in the chest and abdomen with internal force. If the seven meridians and eight meridians are stagnant, the martial arts will be useless, the mouth will not be able to speak, and the limbs will not be able to move.

The body looks like a useless person. After three years of poisoning, it has penetrated the five internal organs and caused death.

Although he lived in secret for three years, life was worse than death.

But even so, there are still people from time to time who would rather be a living dead than leave the skylight.

Three years of living in poverty is the greatest favor given by the emperor.

Let's say that Zhou Zishu Ping retreated, returned to the small cell alone, closed the door, put his hands behind his back, walked slowly and thoughtfully for a week, then stopped, took out the seven orifices and three autumn nails from the corner

Open the small box. This horrible little thing actually exudes a smell like the cold fragrance of fallen plums. Zhou Zishu took a deep breath, and then reached out to untie his robe.

On the surface, he appeared to be tall and well-proportioned. However, after unbuttoning his clothes, his body was revealed to be as shriveled as if it had been drained dry by something. There were actually six Qiqiao Sanqiu inserted between the skinny chest and abdomen.

The nails, I don’t know when they were nailed, have almost grown into the flesh.

Zhou Zishu looked down at his body, smiled to himself, picked up a knife from the side, gritted his teeth, and reopened the closing flesh near each nail. He cut the knife very quickly and steadily.

, as if the flesh was not his own, and without much effort, the entire chest was stained with blood, and it looked like the nails that had been driven in long ago looked like they had just been driven in.

Then, as if some level had been activated, he groaned, and then he leaned softly against the corner and slid down slowly. His body was trembling, and the only trace of blood on his lips had faded away.

There was a "gurgle" sound from the bite, and he suddenly twitched. His eyes opened slightly, then slowly closed, and his head tilted to one side.

His face was green and white, and he was covered in blood, as if he had turned into a corpse.

It wasn't until the dawn of the second day that the man huddled in a corner of the cell twitched slightly, and then slowly opened his eyes. When he tried to get up for the first time, his legs went weak and he almost fell back.

After the second time, he reluctantly stood up, took out a piece of silk, dipped it in water, carefully wiped off most of the blood on his chest, closed his shirt again, picked up a Qiqiao Sanqiu nail, and put it in his arms.

He took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked out.

Striding out of the cell and back to the small yard with cold plums and white snow, Zhou Zishu felt a refreshing fragrance coming to his face, as if it easily washed away the bloody smell all over his body. He stood under a tree

After standing under the plum blossom tree for a long time, I leaned over and sniffed it gently, with a smile on my face unconsciously.

He sighed lightly again and said in a low voice: "Here comes someone."

A man in black emerged like a shadow and bowed down to wait for him to speak. Zhou Zishu took out a dark token and threw it to him, saying: "Go and ask Butler Duan to come and ask him to meet with me today."

The man in black took the token and disappeared without anyone noticing, as if he had never been there.

Duan Pengju, the chief steward, was single-handedly promoted by Zhou Zishu after he took control of the skylight. He was only responsible for his deployment. This man has ability and ambition, and he never hesitates to show his ambition.

Zhou Zishu sometimes looked at him as he looked at himself a few years ago. After a while, Duan Pengju came with the token. He was still a little confused. After all, this was a group of shady people. On weekdays,

Except for Zhou Zishu, others did not have many opportunities to meet the saint.

Zhou Zishu didn't say much, and only left him to have a breakfast. He estimated that the emperor was almost going to attend the morning court, so he ordered: "Let's go."

Then he went to the palace. Although Duan Pengju didn't know what he meant, he didn't ask much and just followed him silently.

The two of them arrived at the upper study one after another. Emperor Rongjia He Lianyi was already there. As soon as he heard that they were coming, he immediately called the two of them in. After Zhou Zishu and Duan Peng held a grand ceremony,

Zhou Zishu took out a roll of bamboo from his sleeve and presented it to Helianyi: "Your Majesty, this is what you ordered last time."

He Lianyi took it, but was not in a hurry to look at it. Instead, he looked at Zhou Zishu and couldn't help but frown and said: "Your face is getting worse and worse. I'll call the imperial doctor to take a look at you. There must be hidden injuries on your body. Qian

Don't look down upon me, don't rely on your youth and take it lightly."

Zhou Zishu smiled slightly, without nodding, and just said: "Your Majesty is worried."

He Lianyi glanced at Duan Pengju again. He was stunned for a moment, and then asked: "Why is Pengju here today? I haven't seen you in a while, and you look very energetic."

Duan Pengju narrowed his small eyes and said with a smile: "It's hard for the emperor to remember this old slave when he has so many things to do."

He Lianyi smiled, vaguely feeling that Zhou Zishu seemed to have something to say, so he opened the bamboo tube he brought with him, took out a small paper roll from it, read it at a glance, with a smile on his face, and raised his head

He said to Zhou Zishu: "This is a beautiful thing. How do you want me to reward you, Zishu?"

——Here comes.

Zhou Zishu suddenly lifted up his clothes and knelt on the ground. Duan Pengju didn't know why, so he had to kneel down.

Helian Yi frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"

Zhou Zishu said softly as if he was out of energy: "I only ask for a favor from the emperor."

He Lianyi smiled and said: "Get up and speak. You have been born and died for me in Daqing all these years. Apart from this country, what do you want that I can't agree to? Tell me."

Zhou Zishu straightened up, but was still kneeling, and then silently untied the skirt of his robe. As soon as the thick and airtight robe was untied, a bloody smell immediately hit his face.

The body was bleeding again due to the jolting of the carriage and horse.

He Lianyi stood up suddenly: "Zishu!"

Duan Pengju was so frightened that he became silent.

Zhou Zishu opened his palm again, and on his slender palm lay the last Qiqiao Sanqiu nail, and said: "Your Majesty, I have punched six of them myself. If the seventh one is also punched in, I am afraid that the palace and the Emperor will not be able to survive."

I say farewell, please ask the emperor for a favor and ask Pengju to help me fulfill my wish."
To be continued...