【1106】立长

夜幕降临后,这片茂密的树冠下，草木繁盛的森林里，更是黑暗了。
黑暗蔓延到各处各角落，伸手不见五指。
不过，江魈的双眼却没有被黑暗阻挡。
He could clearly see that the envoy across from him displayed a frightened expression and dared not take another deep breath.
Jiang Xiao remembered the decree from the Emperor of the Underworld, so he decided to stop there and did not continue his furious outburst towards the envoy. Translation:
After calming down, he said cautiously, "
语气恢复了平缓，但也没有打算多说什么。
"Yes." He made a gesture of courtesy, showing a significant change in attitude as he had lost his previous arrogance.
After Jiang Xiao finished speaking, he had no intention of further small talk and immediately had his subordinates show the guest out.
来使也很识趣，跟着江魈的手下转身离开。
可他还没有走出去几步，身后的江魈又忽然叫住了他。
“来使！”江魈紧盯着诧愕间转身过来，面对自己的来使。
顿了顿声，江魈继续紧盯着对方，沉声质问道：“来使，你从哪里来的?”。
这一问，不止是来使诧愕倍增，就连一旁几个江魈的部下将领，也是听得一愣，满头雾水。
However, Jiang Xi knew that his words were not without reason. From the very beginning, he had been able to detect the scent of other ghosts on Momo's body, and the scent was singular.
如果是远道而来的，必定路过城乡等地，那他身上的气味应该很杂，不会如此单一才对。
而且要不是来使一上来，就没有给他江魈好脸色看，江魈又因此大发雷霆，早就该对来使提出此问了。
来使看着警惕毕现的江魈，脸上继续保持着诧愕的神色，道：“从驿站啊。”。
来使提到的驿站并不是真的驿站，是一些青丘狐国设立在东瀛洲各处，一些供密探特使专门使用的落脚点。
一般这种地方，只有青丘狐国的密探和一些特使知道，相对还是比较隐秘的。
这种地方待过，身上没有太杂的气味，倒是也合情合理。
“你身上怎么会有其他鬼的味道，而且还很浓重。”江魈不再绕弯子，直截了当的问到。只不过，他也给来使挖了个坑。
He didn't say anything about it, but the person who came had a singular smell.
"Who were you recently staying with, some ghost?"
Jiang Xiu was not excessively nervous, but he had heard rumors long ago that the ghost detectives from the Nine Ghost Nation were omnipresent and highly skilled. There were even rumors that the Six Seas and Ten Continents were completely infiltrated by the ghost detectives of the Nine Ghost Nation.
既然来使身上沾有其他鬼的气味，又不是江魈熟悉的鬼气，而且那气味过于单一，还是警惕一些的好。
来使一听这话，恍然大悟。原来是江魈嗅到了他身上的其他鬼气，断定他之前才和陌生的其他鬼接触过，正在怀疑他的身份。
"An hour ago, I met the special envoy of the Youjun Army from the Suanxi Mountain at the inn, and we even traveled together for a while before parting ways." The envoy relayed the encounter with another envoy to Jiang Yao, saying, "We only separated about half an hour ago."
A gust of cold wind blew by, causing the vegetation in the forest to sway continuously. The forest now felt cooler than before, with even a hint of chill rising with the wind.
The rustling sound could be heard in bursts.
The atmosphere around Jiang Xiao did not ease up as a result and remained filled with tension.
几个部将已经把来使围住，手摁在腰间的剑柄上，准备随时利剑出鞘，劈了这来使。
The premise is, as long as this envoy is fake.
"Is the envoy who contacted General Youjun from the Union actually a Qingqiu fox spirit?" Jiang Xiao asked this question, taking a step forward and placing his hand on the hilt of his long sword at his waist. Note: The translation contains the translated content and the original content.
Looking at him approaching himself and the others under Jiang Xiu's command who were eager to move, although I am a little nervous, I quickly replied truthfully, "We are not Qingqiu fox demons. For the convenience of our operations and to avoid being detected and suspected by the enemy, most of us are human spirits."
After hearing his words, Jiang Xiu loosened his grip on the hilt of the sword and let out a breath.
The other party not only wasn't lying, but the scent on him, although unfamiliar to Jiang Xiu, was definitely not the ghostly aura of the Qingqiu fox demons. So, the other party indeed didn't hide anything, and Jiang Xiu had also examined the token, which was unquestionably genuine; naturally, he relaxed his vigilance.
他挥挥手，示意手下们放来使离开后，对来使冷冷地说了一句：“得罪了。”。
来使也松了一口气，看刚才那架势，只要他一句话没说对，能瞬间在刀光剑影中四分五裂。
He suddenly had a feeling of escaping death. This strange feeling, instead, made his heartbeat accelerate.
"Send the messenger away." Jiang Xiu ordered, and the messenger left this place with the messenger soldiers.
接着，他的手下也递来了面饼，江魈接过就大口大口的啃了起来。
但是他始终有种感觉，来使身上的陌生鬼气他过去似乎在什么时候嗅过。只是时间太久了，他记忆模糊，早已想不起来是什么时候嗅到过这种陌生又认识的鬼气了？
甚至都想不起来，那是一股什么鬼气了？
两个面饼下肚，江魈也吃饱了。他的手下及时的递过来水壶。
这些面饼干得很，吃完不喝口水，那满嘴难受。甚至嗓子眼，也会觉得噎得慌。
With two mouthfuls of clear water down his belly, Jiang Yao finally felt at ease. He took a deep breath, and a wisp of ghostly aura escaped with his breath.
Jiang Yao took another sip, but as soon as he swallowed the water, he immediately furrowed his brows and shouted, "Oh no!". Please note that the translation might not be entirely accurate and may have different interpretations depending on the context.
Jiang Xiu, who had drunk a gulp of clear water, recalled that the scent emanating from the envoy was that of a mushroom person. For the Northern Yin Dynasty, such a ghostly creature was not used for delivering messages but rather a rare medicinal ingredient.
Although it is considered a rare item for Jiang Xiao, it is not something he can usually have. It was actually hundreds of years ago when he merited a military achievement, and the imperial court rewarded him with a meal.
So this scent is both familiar and unfamiliar to him.
这再细细一琢磨，江魈有点后脊发凉。一个青丘狐国的鬼探，级别之低，也无官品官阶，怎么也不像是能吃到菌人补品的。
And as early as his time in the Northern lands, Jiang Xiao had some knowledge of it, having heard that the Nine Ghosts Nation treated the various spirits well and never used fungi people as dietary supplements. What could they have done?
The other several generals looked at Jiang Xiao, who was lost in thought, with bewilderment.
可江魈想到的是，不管如何，那个来使身上既然有菌人的气味，说明他很有可能就是九幽国的鬼探假扮的。
This sudden thought made Jiang Xiu's hair stand on end.
如果他的猜想是对的，那他的行踪九幽国只怕知道了。
不过，江魈天真的认为，现在的位置，九幽国尚不可知。他还有机会，可以亡羊补牢。
So Jiang Shen no longer hesitated and immediately ordered the generals around him, who were still unaware of what had happened, saying, "Send out three squads that are skilled in tracking and catch up to that envoy. Kill him!"
Although the other ghosts were still confused, they still followed the instructions.
However, after some thought, Jiang Xiao felt that this was not safe enough. So, he turned to his subordinates and asked, "If we continue forward, how long will it take to reach Dushuo Mountain?"
"If we continue walking in the mountains and forests..."
Several generals looked at each other, and one of the ghosts replied uncertainly, "About two days?"
"Depart immediately and continue moving forward." As soon as the words fell, Jiang Xiu immediately changed his mind!
他所想是既然可能暴露了行踪，那就不能再耽搁了。得立刻行动，才能打度朔山一个措手不及了。
这样，也可以让度朔山没有调整和求援的时间。
The generals didn't ask too much and immediately passed on the orders.
After a while, Jiang Xiao's orders spread throughout the entire army. The ghost soldiers, who had just caught their breath, got up again and continued to move quickly with Jiang Xiao, heading straight for Du Shuo Mountain in the dark of night.
At the same time, the so-called special envoy from the Fox Kingdom of Qingqiu, who had recently met with Jiang Yao, sprinted away for about five or six miles until he found a small stone cave hidden by bushes and dense grass in the vast forest. After taking a quick look around to make sure there was no one following him, he immediately slipped into the cave.
一丈来深的石洞里，一个面带焦虑的菌人，一见到来使窜了进来，立刻站起身来，急切的问到：“怎么样？”。
果不其然，这来使并不是真的特使。他的真实身份，是九幽国的玄教鬼探。
However, the token on his body is real, to be precise, it is the soul of the imposter envoy that was stolen; and he has been hiding in the Qingqiu Fox Country for years.
Xiao Shizhu had no intention of awakening them in the first place; if the Qingqiu Fox Kingdom and the Jiuyou Kingdom could maintain their friendly relationship and avoid starting this unnecessary war, Xiao Shizhu would surely let these ghost explorers continue to slumber.
Now that the war has begun, Xiao Shizhu can only awaken these dormant ghost spies one by one. They need to obtain intelligence for the victory in the war.
"You personally have to bring this map back to Du Shuo Mountain." Not caring about catching his breath, Xiao Shizhu took out a small map from his pocket and quickly unfolded it. He swiftly located the current location of Jiang Xiu and his group on the map and marked it with the charcoal pencil he carried with him.
Then quickly roll up the map and help Mushroom Man carry it on his back.
Mushroom Man is still a bit confused; as the liaison officer, it's best not to be too far apart from each other.
This is also to facilitate communication.
"There are pursuers." The man with a soul looked at the perplexing fungal creature, his ears twitching as he heard faint rustling sounds from a few miles away.
Those were the sounds of ghosts walking beneath the tall trees, stepping on the fallen leaves and traversing through dense vegetation.
这人魂耳力惊人，数里之外的动静都能听得一清二楚。
而且，从江魈问他身上有他鬼气味的那一刻开始，他就预料到了，可能会暴露。
“告诉大帅，我暴露了，但我绝不会做俘虏的。还有，敌人可能会取消休息继续疾行，抓紧时间抵进度朔山，我们大军休整期可能要缩短了。”紧接着他毫不犹豫的说出了这些话后，嘴角微微上扬，对顿觉不妙，渐渐地面露悲容的菌人。
这个人魂已经做好了赴死的准备，心中只有坦然，全无畏惧。
甚至倍感荣耀。
能为九幽国的鬼民们去死，对于他们玄教教徒来说，确实是一种至高无上的荣耀。
It's not someone forcing them, but their heartfelt choice. They have been like this ever since they joined the Xuan Sect.
"Quick, leave!" This person's spirit didn't even give the fungus person a chance to say goodbye, urgently saying, "You are still useful to the Ghost Nation, to the Ghost People. I will hold back these pursuers and prevent them from discovering you."
说话间，他已经拿起了石洞角落里的那些石榴雷，挂到了自己的腰间。
那个菌人转身背对着他，抬手一拭眼角，嗯了一声后，带着情报地图，钻入了地下，一眨眼就消失在了人魂的面前。
人魂没有去管菌人，又拿起了角落里的火铳和子铳带，开始给手中火铳上弹药。
窸窸窣窣的声音，越来越近了。
江魈派出的那几十个鬼，寻着这来使的气味和没来得及消除的足印，慢慢地逼近了那个石洞。
这几十个鬼，在是洞外小心翼翼的环成一个半圆后靠近石洞，最前面的几个鬼兵手中长刀，已经毫不犹豫的朝着杂草后的石洞捅了过去。
A thin thread, cut by the sharp edge of a knife as the grass leaf breaks.
下一秒后，一声有如奔雷的轰然巨响，带着一道烈焰，从山洞洞口喷薄而出。
最前面的几个鬼兵，还没有反应过来，就被迎面而来的热浪炎风，掀翻在地，同时身前全是烈焰，火舌凶猛的舔舐着他们的皮肉铠甲。
后面的鬼们，也被炎风热浪掀起的力量，推得登时倒飞出一两丈后，再狠狠地砸在了地上。
火光冲天，照亮四方。
石洞口惨叫声接二连三的响起，四周杂草瞬间也被点燃。
还没反应过来，从地上爬起来的恶鬼鬼兵，愣愣的看着被烈焰覆盖全身的几个战友，在上痛苦的滚来滚去。
由于四周也是遍地烈焰，所以这几个鬼身上的火焰不但没有因为滚动扑灭，反而越滚身上火焰越多。
Several weak spots on the armor gradually turn red under the scorching flames.
This is a mechanism set by the ghost scouts of the Nine Ghost Kingdom. He must hold back all these pursuers.
At this moment, the Soul Ghost Probe stands firmly on a thick branch of a towering tree, not far from the entrance of the cave. Several zhangs off the ground, it overlooks the ghost soldiers writhing in agony and wailing in the flames, showing no mercy. Translated:
他很快就举起了手中火铳，瞄准了其中一个被爆炸震飞的鬼兵，毫不犹豫的瞄准，扣动扳机。
‘砰’的一声，火铳中一枚通红的子铳尖啸着疾射而出。
下一秒后，血溅飞舞。
被鬼探火铳瞄准的那个鬼兵，眉心处开了个一个血窟窿。
皮肉外翻的窟窿，在他那张满脸诧异定格的脸上，很是显眼。
On the trunk of the Nine Youguo Ghost Detective, a trace of dark red blood also flowed from the corner of his mouth.