马车碾过青石板的声响里,叶凡的指节在青玉匣上掐出青白痕迹。他垂眸盯着膝头的血字纸条,墨迹未干的腥气混着车外飘来的桂花香,直往鼻腔里钻——西郊破庙,星陨草换人。
“李伯,”他掀开车帘,晚风掀起额前碎发,“绕到后街,去西市茶棚。”
“小少爷?”李伯回头,老脸上的笑纹全绷成了线,“不回府?”
“回府打草惊蛇。”叶凡的拇指摩挲着玉匣边缘,内天地里那汪清泉正翻涌成漩涡。前世被斩道果时,他最器重的亲卫也是这般被劫作人质。“雪儿昨日在院门口编草蚂蚱,谁能靠近她?”他低声道,“绑匪能避开门房,说明熟悉叶家布局。”
李伯的马鞭骤然收紧,枣红马打了个响鼻。老人突然甩鞭抽向街角的槐树,几片枯叶簌簌落下,露出树后缩成一团的灰衣人:“龟孙子,敢在叶家马车前盯梢!”
灰衣人抱着头滚出来,露出半张青肿的脸——正是城主府的三等家丁。
叶凡蹲下身,指尖按在那人腕间:“谁让你来的?”
“赵...赵公子...”那人疼得涕泪横流,“赵公子说叶家那小崽子抢了他的丹师面子,要给他点教训...”
李伯的老拳已经攥得咔咔响,被叶凡按住手腕。少年的掌心烫得惊人,眼尾却冷得像淬了冰:“李伯,去查查今日辰时三刻,谁在药庐外徘徊。”他把灰衣人踹进路边阴沟,“再让厨房煮碗醒酒汤送回城主府——就说叶某谢赵公子的‘问候’。”
回到叶家时,月亮刚爬上东墙。叶凡站在院门口,看着门房老周正和两个护院扯皮,脚边放着半筐刚摘的葡萄——那是雪儿最爱吃的。他喉结动了动,转身进了演武场。
“阿大,阿二。”他拍了拍廊下两个黑衣人的肩,“换身乞丐衣裳,去西郊破庙十里内探路。”又摸出三枚淬了麻药的透骨钉,“见着陷阱记号就做标记,别打草惊蛇。”
内天地里的清泉突然泛起涟漪,叶凡闭眼——是阿大传回的消息:破庙后墙有个狗洞,洞边有新鲜的泥印,像是被人拖行过。
他捏碎怀里的星陨草玉匣,草叶的清苦味在掌心蔓延,转身对李伯道:“备马,带五坛女儿红。”
“小少爷?”李伯瞪眼。
“绑匪要星陨草。”叶凡将碎玉片塞进袖中,“可他们不知道,真正的星陨草在我内天地里。”他掀起衣摆,露出腰间挂着的九霄环佩,“等会你带着空匣子去破庙前门,我从后墙进。”
子时三刻,西郊破庙的断墙上落着半轮残月。李伯的咳嗽声在前殿响起:“绑爷,星陨草带来了——”话音未落,庙门“吱呀”一声被踹开,五个持刀的汉子从梁上跃下,刀尖直抵李伯咽喉。
后墙狗洞里,叶凡的呼吸轻得像片羽毛。他能清晰听见前殿的对话:“老东西,玉匣呢?” “在这儿!”李伯的声音带着颤,“可我家小少爷说了,得先见人...”
“见你奶奶的腿!”刀柄砸在李伯背上,老人闷哼着栽倒。
叶凡的指甲几乎掐进掌心——他听见了,东偏殿的稻草堆里,有细细的抽噎声。那是雪儿的声音,带着浓重的鼻音:“哥哥...我怕...”
他贴着墙根挪到东偏殿窗下,内天地的感知如蛛网般铺开——窗台上有三枚铜铃,线绳系着门闩;墙角有个火盆,里面埋着未燃尽的爆竹引信;最重要的是,梁上悬着的麻袋里,蜷缩着个小小的身影。
“砰!”前殿传来瓷器碎裂声,是李伯摔了酒坛。那是约定的信号。
叶凡脚尖点地跃上窗台,铜铃刚要作响,他的指尖已按在铃舌上。内天地里的清泉突然涨高三寸,他的视力在瞬间变得清晰——梁上麻袋的绳结是活扣,墙角火盆的引信还剩半寸。
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