马蹄铁叩在青石板上的脆响惊散了晨雾,叶凡单手攥着缰绳,另一只手按在腰间的九霄环佩上。环佩贴着肌肤发烫,飞檐铜铃的虚影在他意识里若隐若现——那是方才在山谷中,环佩吸收他紧张情绪后留下的余韵。
“叶小公子!”城门口的守卫老远就拱了拱手,青岚城谁不知道叶家大房嫡子虽才十六岁,却早把家族商队打理得井井有条。叶凡点头回礼,目光扫过城墙根下几个缩着脖子的身影——他们腰间的刀把露了半截,布料下鼓囊囊的,是淬过毒的短刃。
“看来林飞那老匹夫动作挺快。”叶凡嘴角扯出冷笑,双腿一夹马腹,黑马吃痛窜进巷子。他早让刘二先一步回叶家报信,此刻要见的,是城南“万宝阁”的钱老板。
万宝阁的木门刚卸下半扇,钱老板正蹲在门槛边擦算盘,铜珠子被他擦得发亮。听见马蹄声,他抬头眯眼,算盘往怀里一收:“我的小祖宗,您可算来了!昨儿夜里有三拨人来问您行踪,我这茶盏都被敲碎两个。”
叶凡翻身下马,缰绳甩给门口的伙计,跟着钱老板进了后堂。红木茶几上摆着新沏的碧螺春,水汽里浮着若有若无的龙涎香——这是钱老板谈正事的暗号。“钱叔,我需要青岚城近十年所有符文交易的记录。”叶凡直入主题,“尤其是刻着‘星纹’、‘云篆’样式的。”
钱老板的手顿在茶壶上,壶嘴的水溅湿了袖口:“您这是要查...祖祠的东西?”他压低声音,目光扫过后堂的青砖缝——那里埋着他花大价钱请来的隔音阵。
十年前叶凡刚觉醒记忆时,曾帮他解过黑风寨的围,从此两人便有了默契:叶家需要消息网,万宝阁需要叶家商队的渠道。“九霄环佩的激活符文,在叶家祖祠。”叶凡摸出环佩搁在桌上,玉面楼阁的虚影立刻在茶盏里投下影子,“前世叶家遭难,正是因为有人想抢这东西。”他指腹摩挲着环佩边缘,前世血洗祖祠的场景在脑海里闪过——十八那天,他跪在满地残骸中,环佩突然在祖牌后发出凤鸣。
钱老板的喉结动了动,伸手碰了碰环佩又缩回。他从怀里掏出个漆盒,打开是叠泛黄的账册:“三年前有个穿灰布衫的老头来卖过符文玉牌,说是从乱葬岗挖的。我当时觉得晦气没收,不过记了账。”他翻到最后一页,手指点在“戊申年冬月,阿蛮,符文玉牌三枚,索价百两”的条目上,“这老头最近又在西市摆摊,专卖些稀奇古怪的玩意儿。”
“有劳钱叔。”叶凡将账册收进环佩,内天地的云层轻轻翻涌——这是他用天赋确认账册没有被动过手脚。钱老板搓了搓手:“您要的消息我明儿夜里前准送到,不过...”他瞥了眼窗外,“方才我让伙计在城门口撒了谎,说您去了北镇,但那些杀手不是傻子,最多拖到晌午。”
“够了。”叶凡起身,环佩在腰间轻颤,“我先去老李那儿坐坐。”
老李的茶馆在街角,竹帘被风掀起半角,能看见他正踮脚擦“客似云来”的匾额。听见脚步声,他扭头就笑:“叶公子可算来了!今儿早上刚到的蒙顶甘露,我给您留了最好的。”
叶凡刚坐下,老李就凑过来压低声音:“昨儿夜里西市的王屠户说,看见有穿黑斗篷的人往乱葬岗搬箱子,说是‘带纹路的石头’。还有张记布庄的闺女说,她绣楼底下的地窖被挖了,就丢了块祖传的玉牌——您说这事儿邪不邪?”他擦桌子的手顿住,“莫不是和您找的符文有关?”
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