湧泉客棧二樓的走廊盡頭，「潮」字門牌被海風吹得微微晃動，銅製門環上還掛著幾縷乾枯的赤草繩。
掌櫃吳伯佝僂著背，提著一盞油燈，燈芯燃燒時發出細微的「滋滋」聲，偶爾迸出幾點油星。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRakrdeQ5YY
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「兩位，實在抱歉，」吳伯推開雕花木門，屋內陳設簡單，兩張羅漢榻相對而置，中間隔著一張矮几，「近來黑潮市商旅繁多，只剩這間房了。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDV5grahxur
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江小由站在門口沒動，手指無意識地摩挲著腰間抓周龜甲的紋路。她皺眉打量著房內：「就兩張榻？」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXRK723Xqy
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吳伯呵呵一笑，臉上的皺紋擠成一團：「你倆未來要行走江湖，怎可拘這小節？再說了，」他指了指榻間的空隙，「這距離，怕是比小船上的艙位還寬敞些。」江小由聽後面紅如棗。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjUKiGBYNv
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林戴志站在江小由身後，耳根也微紅。他輕咳一聲：「要不...我去馬廄將就一晚？」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLTdnNSNev
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8PpxJZ1GC
「馬廄？」江小由翻了個白眼，「你是嫌自己身上的味道不夠重嗎？」她大步走進房內，徑直坐到西側的榻上，龜甲在她指尖轉了個圈，「吳伯，這房我們要了。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqcvvaKWt3
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吳伯笑眯眯地點頭，將燈放在矮几上：「子時漲潮，熱水會送到。若需要宵夜，樓下有剛撈上來的牡蠣。」他退到門邊，又補充道，「對了，夜裡風大，記得關窗。上月有個商賈沒關緊窗，早上醒來發現枕邊多了隻海鳥。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNKLu84rb2
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門關上後，屋內陷入短暫的沉默。江小由盯著地上的青磚發呆，林戴志則呆呆地站在門邊。
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海風從窗縫鑽入，吹得燈火搖曳。江小由從包袱裡掏出一包粗鹽，沿著兩張榻之間撒出一條歪歪扭扭的線。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5I4d6mM0de
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「這是...？」林戴志疑惑道。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLMA5jghA5
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「界線。」江小由頭也不抬，「越界者死。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHR5rYmsjg
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EtaK6qQ1r
林戴志張了張嘴，最終還是沒說什麼，默默走到東側榻邊坐下。他脫下外袍時，一枚銅錢從口袋滾落，在地板上轉了幾圈，最後停在鹽線邊緣。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2d6U5Lm5a
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江小由瞥了一眼：「還不撿？」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZQudeKNit
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwCFf1lYNm
「啊，是...」林戴志慌忙去撿，手指不小心碰散了幾粒鹽。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XdDDjG3bb
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「真是蠢魚。」江小由嘟囔著，從袖中掏出一把新的鹽，仔細補齊了缺口。月光透過窗紙，把她的影子投在牆上。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0xrDSKXUR
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林戴志和衣躺下，藤編的榻面發出「吱呀」聲響。他試圖找個舒服的姿勢，卻不小心壓斷了一根藤條。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU03mVvHrhK
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKpD3IZgIZ
「你能不能安靜點？」江小由猛地坐起身，龜甲被撞跌在地上，發出輕微的碰撞聲。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEvoKYePHX
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「對、對不住...」林戴志僵住不動，連呼吸都放輕了。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sEstfuGwT
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江小由拾起龜甲，盯著他看了半晌，突然嘆了口氣：「算了。」她重新躺下，背對著林戴志，「明天還要去找吳伯問詳細，睡吧。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7gIEk74FK
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0K4JLkIkIt
屋外傳來更夫敲梆子的聲音，潮水拍打岸邊的聲響隱約可聞。林戴志望著房梁，輕聲道：「小由...」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTkakrSfTG
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「閉嘴，睡覺。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHjPDmmZlr
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「我是想說...」林戴志猶豫了一下，「你的龜甲...好像裂了道縫。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH52Vcd5FL7
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBju5WPofI
江小由立刻摸向腰間，仔細檢查後發現只是光影造成的錯覺。她鬆了口氣，隨即惱怒地抓起藤枕砸向對面：「胡說八道！」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImhtJHPqST
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藤枕準確命中林戴志的臉，揚起一陣細小的灰塵。
黑暗中，兩人都沒看見對方微微揚起的嘴角。
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翌日清晨，湧泉客棧的天井裡積著昨夜的雨水，門前的青石板縫隙間鑽出幾叢野蕨。
一個筋肉虯結、黝黑如礁的老漢蹲在灶台前撥弄炭火，鐵架上烤鰻魚的油脂滴落時，激起一陣帶著焦香的青煙。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNxkLHigT8
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他將烤得酥脆金黃的鰻魚擱上木臺後便離開，而臺面的茶湯卻映出三張神色各異的臉。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8Q9DdPjCV
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「貢珠樓頂層供著一塊紅玉天后碧，」老吳用筷子在桌面劃出樓閣輪廓，「半個巴掌大的血髓玉，夜裡能照出三丈內的人影。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3TjMDPATQ
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江小由舀起一勺黍米粥：「不就是塊值錢的石頭？」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXPeNfgnZP
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPaclseWZc
「就是塊值錢的石頭，」他咧嘴一笑，露出參差不齊的黃牙：「值的錢可連整條南港村的人頭也買下。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTBKZqTShm
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW66KGiE6ax
茶湯中忽然晃過林戴志慘白的臉，他想起那夜巨鯊幫火把下，東灘一個個赤紅的人頭。他握著瓷勺的手一顫，魚粥在桌面洇出個不規則的圓。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzPAqoOAF6
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「怕啥？」江小由的龜甲在指間轉了個圈，「當初捅洪浪的膽子呢？」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZHT4EOJaN
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吳伯突然起身推開窗欞。晨霧中，遠處貢珠樓的鎏金尖頂刺破雲層，檐角銅鈴隨風搖出細碎金光。樓下市集的早點攤正支起油布棚，裹著頭巾的婦人將成串的臘魚掛上竹竿，空氣裡瀰漫著豆漿與醃菜的氣味。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZknF82kC9J
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「據聞此石頭上月被怒濤眾南海分舵主趙山紅所奪。正好兩天前趙山紅帶著精銳去紅螺嶕收月錢，一來一往，也要三、四天。」他在窗框某處一按，暗格彈出兩套粗布短打，「這是貢珠樓雜役的工服，腰牌是老夫用鯊魚骨仿的。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl06u8h2efl
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林戴志摩挲著衣物上陳年的醬漬：「我們扮成洗玉匠去偷？」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi11AayGOx8
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「差不多，是搬運工。」吳伯又咧嘴露出黃黑的牙，「趙山紅吞了巨鯊幫的地盤，正招壯丁蓋新賭坊。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRZidokHVA
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江小由突然將手拍在桌上。「老鬼，這不是要我們去賣命？」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoUVQTmub9
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「小由此話差了，」吳伯慢悠悠斟茶，「老夫是生意人，咱們做的是交易。」他從袖中抖出張泛黃的路引，「只要取回紅玉，往杭州的官船，觀月社的門路，老夫全包。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsWd7EGeKt
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林戴志與江小由同時抬頭，兩人獨自前往西湖實在並非易事。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOto8RXOVDE
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「如何？」吳伯將路引湊近炭盆，「當然你們也可以自己去。不過聽說西湖邊的醉仙樓，一道醋魚已能賣出南海明珠的價...」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIhBQ50j8J
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江小由怔怔盯著路引上「臨安府」三個硃砂戳印，灶膛裡半焦的木炭「嗶啵」爆開，濺起的星火險些燎著裙角。林戴志悶聲套上粗麻短褐，布料摩擦背脊舊疤的窸窣聲，與那夜焚燒的漁網聲重疊。110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpLE1Zn2tH
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「午時二刻，」吳伯將鯊齒令牌塞進他領口，枯指在城防圖上叩出油漬，「憑腰牌可經西門入寨，守衛換哨有半盞茶光景。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7ViELR3Tj
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「老猢猻，」江小由一腳踢散灶灰，「你就對我們這麼有信心？你若敢耍花樣…」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg99KFu9y27
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吳伯渾濁的眼珠映著炭火：「丫頭，老夫做生意，算盤上的珠子，可不是誰都撥得動的。」頓了頓又道：「若失手，就說是巨鯊幫來報仇的。別連累老夫，否則…」他意味深長地看了眼窗外，「南港村也別想好過。」110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyQ4e9Lr0v
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一旁的林戴志正反覆擦拭短刀。刃面映出他緊抿的唇線，舊傷在麻布下隱隱抽痛，而那夜巨鯊幫的火光，彷彿正在鐵刃上重燃。
