清晨的第一缕阳光爬上万花楼飞檐时，叶凡的指尖还凝着方才接住的晨露。水痕在他掌心洇开，像极了昨夜市场里小红沾着泥的山楂——那丫头塞给他的果子还在衣襟里，带着几分未消的凉意。
“叶公子。”楼下传来老鸨的吆喝，“李掌柜的茶担都搁门口了，说您昨儿应了要去他那儿吃早茶。”
叶凡垂眸理了理袖口，腰间九霄环佩轻轻一震。内天地里蛰伏的元气如游龙摆尾，在他经脉里滚过一道热流。他望着窗外那几个玄色劲装的身影消失在驿站方向，喉结动了动——赵府的人来得比预想中更快，孙掌柜不过是枚棋子，真正的麻烦还在后面。
老李的茶馆离万花楼不过半条街，青石板路上还凝着夜露。推开门时，蒸腾的茶香混着新炸的油糍香扑了满面。老李正踮脚擦着“客似云来”的木匾，见他进来，手一抖差点摔了抹布：“哎呦我的小祖宗，您可算来了！”他三步并作两步绕到柜台后，掀开竹帘露出个黑陶罐子，“昨儿后半夜有个跑货的马夫来歇脚，说瞧见孙胖子的人往城西乱葬岗方向运东西——那林子后头有个废弃的山神庙，十有八九是他的老巢。”
老李的手指在柜台敲得咚咚响，茶盏里的茉莉尖儿被震得上下浮沉：“我还听那马夫说，孙胖子左胳膊肘儿上插着半截铁尺，走路直打摆子，估摸着您昨儿那下没轻饶他。”
叶凡的指节在桌沿轻轻叩了两下。前世他见过太多这样的阴诡算计，明面上是商战倾轧，实则是赵府在试探叶家的底线。他抬眼时目光如淬了冰的刃：“刘二呢？”
“在门口守着呐！”话音未落，门帘一挑，刘二裹着股冷风挤进来。他腰间还挂着市场管理员的铜牌，帽檐下的额角有道没擦净的血渍——是昨夜替叶凡挡酒坛时磕的。“叶公子，我备了两匹快马，就拴在巷子里。”
城西的密林比想象中更阴湿。刘二攥着缰绳的手直冒汗，马蹄踩过腐叶的声响在空谷里荡出回音：“叶公子，这林子我打小就熟，十年前山神庙闹过狼灾，后来就荒了......”他突然噤声，因为瞥见前头的树杈上垂着根细若发丝的牛筋绳——那是防夜行人的绊马索。
叶凡的呼吸突然放轻。天人合一的天赋在体内流转，内天地里的元气如活物般钻过他的七窍。他能清晰感知到三步外的地底下埋着铁蒺藜，五步后的树洞里卡着涂了麻药的弩箭。“往左偏半尺。”他低喝一声，手臂横过来护住刘二的腰。
两人的马擦着那根牛筋绳错开时，林子里传来“咔”的轻响，一支弩箭“咻”地钉进方才刘二坐骑的位置。刘二的后颈瞬间浸出冷汗。他望着那支还在颤动的弩箭，喉结动了动：“叶公子，您......”
“嘘。”叶凡的指尖按在唇上。山神庙的青瓦顶已经透过树影露了出来，墙根下堆着半人高的柴火，两个裹着粗布的汉子正蹲在那儿摸火折子。他拽着刘二猫腰钻进灌木丛，透过破窗纸的窟窿，正看见孙掌柜歪在供桌上。
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