Among the nine states in Daliang, Bailu Prefecture is considered to be the most scholarly, not only because this Bailu Prefecture has the Bailu Xie family, a family of scholars with hundreds of years of tradition, but also because during the more than 200 years since the founding of Daliang, almost all the imperial examinations held by the imperial court every year
The shadow of the scholars in Bailu, the accumulation of scholars year after year in the past two hundred years, has made the entire Liang Dynasty have the saying that half of the scholars in the world are Bailu, but even in this big state where there are scholars everywhere
, the world is still not peaceful. Every year, almost 20% of the scholars who want to rush to the divine capital to participate in the imperial examination die in the wilderness and become the blood food in the mouths of those monsters.
Qingshui County is located in the northeast of Bailu Prefecture. It is relatively peaceful. This is mainly because there is a Fangwai monk sect not far from this county. It is also called Qingshui Mountain. It is a Taoist sect. Although Qingshui Mountain is said to be a Taoist sect.
The same lineage, but in fact, it has nothing to do with Chixin Guan or Wantian Palace. He is a wild man. Most of the monks on the mountain do not practice the orthodox Taoism. They are miscellaneous. It can be regarded as those who gather in the mountains and wilds.
I even heard that the mountain master of Qingshui Mountain, Tianyi Zhenren, is still practicing evil methods. However, these are just rumors and no one has ever confirmed them. In addition, the monks of Qingshui Mountain have never provoked those monks from major sects. Therefore,
They were in peace with each other and no one paid any attention to them.
At dusk, a middle-aged man slowly walked past the city gate, holding a little girl in one hand. The guards guarding the city gate turned a blind eye. Although they were eating royal food, they also knew very well that in this county,
The person who really speaks is the owner of Qingshui Mountain, not the county guard, nor the guardian envoy. As for the so-called Daliang Law, is it of any use here? Although this middle-aged man looks unfamiliar, he is so bright.
With his blue robe and the word "Qingshui" embroidered with gold thread on the hem, they would not ask more questions. As for how the little girl was caught by that person and what he would do after he was caught, they all had nothing to do with it.
They have nothing to do with it.
The middle-aged man walked into the county town and headed straight for a shop.
Besides Qingshui Mountain in Qingshui County, and with the operation of Qingshui Mountain over the years, there have been many casual cultivators in the city. Monks from other surrounding sects have opened shops here to welcome guests. Many things needed for cultivation can be purchased here.
.
Before arriving at the shop, the middle-aged man got straight to the point and threw out a bag of heavenly money, "I want a good medicine cauldron."
The owner of the shop was a thin middle-aged man with a goatee. He took the money bag with quick eyes and quick hands. He glanced at the unconscious little girl in the middle-aged man's hand, and then said with a smile: "Fellow Daoist Ge, we found it again."
A good medicinal fruit?"
The middle-aged monk smiled slightly and said, "I'm pretty lucky. I was traveling down the mountain and I didn't go very far when I bumped into him."
The shop owner called the waiter to get the medicinal cauldron and said with a smile, "Daoist Brother Ge is highly valued by Master Tianyi. I think that after taking this medicinal fruit, my realm will make great progress."
The middle-aged monk didn't say anything. He just took the medicine cauldron, put it in his arms, turned around and headed towards the center of the city. Over there, there was a Qingshui Pavilion built by Qingshui Mountain monks. It was regarded as a place for Qingshui Mountain monks to stay when they went up and down the mountain.
, the middle-aged monk's realm has long been loosened. This trip down the mountain was originally looking for opportunities, but he didn't expect that he was so lucky. Before he went far, he already encountered a top-grade medicinal fruit.
Arriving in front of the majestic Qingshui Pavilion, the monk in front of the door quickly recognized the person's identity, and soon smiled attentively and said: "Senior Brother Ge, didn't you just leave for a few days, why are you back?"
The middle-aged monk said nothing, but stretched out his hand to raise the little girl in his hand.
The monk was startled. After looking at the little girl for a few times, he said with envy: "Brother Ge, you are really lucky. This medicine is really good."
The middle-aged monk smiled and felt quite pleased with himself.
"Senior Brother Ge will take a big step forward if he obtains this spiritual fruit. In the sect competition at the end of autumn, Senior Brother Ge will probably come out on top."
The monk smiled and spoke, and the free flatterer naturally patted him diligently.
The middle-aged monk waved his hand and said with a smile: "You have a good life and practice, and you have a lot to do."
After saying this, before the monk could speak, the middle-aged monk had already stepped into Qingshui Pavilion, walked towards the second floor, opened the door of a room at will, walked in, and then let go of his hand.
The little girl carrying it.
The layout of the room is also very strange. There is a pool in the center of the room. In the pool, there are two feldspars crossing each other. In the center of the intersection of the feldspars, there is a large cauldron.
The middle-aged monk put away the big cauldron, placed the medicine cauldron he bought before on it, then took out a lot of elixirs and threw them into the medicine cauldron, and then threw in a few cyan talismans.
In the pool, something strange happened. The pool boiled for no reason. The middle-aged monk then picked up the little girl again and walked along the feldspar to the medicine cauldron. He traced his fingers on the little girl's wrist.
A bloody mouth appeared.
The little girl was in pain, and she finally woke up, but she couldn't move her body at all, and even when she opened her mouth, she couldn't speak.
The middle-aged monk glanced at her, threw it directly into the medicine cauldron, and then said to himself: "Meeting me is your blessing. You don't have to think too much, just accept it."
After throwing the little girl into the medicine cauldron, the middle-aged monk sat down beside him and began to close his eyes and meditate.
…
…
Chen Chao pursued the figure of the monk for several days, going in and out of the mountains and forests several times, and finally learned accurately that the monk was very likely to appear in the Qingshui County City. Then he rushed to the Qingshui County City without stopping, and waited until he arrived in the county.
It was already dark in front of the city gate, but the guards had no intention of closing the city gate. According to Daliang law, there should be a curfew now, but for some reason, this was not the case in this county. When the guards saw Chen Chao coming towards the city gate, they also
No reason, just looking at the thousands of lights in the city out of boredom.
Chen Chao, who entered the city without any hindrance. After entering the city, he felt the aura disperse, but he was a little surprised. In this county, there were more than a few auras of different strengths and weaknesses. This showed that the monks in the city
There were more than a few people, which surprised Chen Chao, because judging from other places, it was extremely abnormal for a small county to have so many monks.
This time he was going to Huanglong Prefecture to go to Jianqi Mountain to recast the sword, so he knew about the situation in Huanglong Prefecture in advance, but he didn't know much about the adjacent Bailu Prefecture. After a little hesitation, Chen Chao did not
He went to the governor's office and slowly walked into a study.
The study was not big and could only accommodate a few bookshelves. When Chen Chao stepped into it, the shop owner who was behind a table stood up with a smile, looked at the young man in black shirt with a knife, and asked with a smile: "
What books does the guest want to buy?”
Chen Chao did not flip through the books on the bookshelf, but asked casually: "Are the books in here some articles by saints, or are they something else?"
The shop owner said: "More than that, there are some insights from the spiritual world and some stories about strange things."
Chen Chao nodded and suddenly smiled: "It's my first time to visit Bailu Prefecture and I don't know much about the place. Is there any book similar to this introduction?"
After the shop owner nodded, he walked to a bookshelf and pulled out a thin book and handed it to Chen Chao. Chen Chao lowered his head and saw that there happened to be the words "White Deer Experience" on the cover.
After Chen Chao asked about the price, he simply paid the money. After putting away the book of White Deer, he asked: "Are there many monks in the city?"
The shop owner had just concluded a business, so he was naturally in a good mood. Faced with the inquiry from this obviously foreign customer, he said a few words, "There is a Qingshui Mountain outside this county. The owner of the mountain, Tianyi Zhenren, is several hundred miles away."
The most powerful person, as for this county, it is their private property of Qingshui Mountain. There are many disciples of Qingshui Mountain in the city, as well as some monks from other sects and some wild cultivators. They all open shops here to welcome guests. Naturally, there are many monks, but they are just guests.
As a foreigner, you should be careful in the city and don't provoke the monks from Qingshui Mountain, otherwise you may get into trouble."
Chen Chao nodded, but then asked: "Qingshui Mountain sounds like a sect other than Buddhism?"
The shop owner laughed and said: "That customer is wrong. Qingshui Mountain is part of the Taoist sect, but it is a mixed bag of good and bad. If we really want to talk about the relationship with the Taoist sect, it has no origin. It is more like a platform built with miscellaneous things. Theirs
The method of practice cannot be said to be orthodox to the Taoist sect, and it goes...if Chixinguan really knew that Qingshui Mountain was said to be part of the Taoist sect, they might even frown."
The shop owner said most of it, but in the end he seemed to remember something and closed his mouth again.
Chen Chao was thoughtful and knew that there were some secrets that the shop owner would not easily tell to a guy he had never met before.
Chen Chao smiled and said, "Sir, you seem to be a scholar?"
The shop owner raised his eyes and laughed at himself: "What kind of scholar? He is just a down-and-out scholar."
Chen Chao asked: "Have you ever gone to an academy to study, sir? I just left the capital of God, and I did see that academy before I left."
Hearing the word academy, the shop owner became somewhat interested, but he quickly shook his head and said, "I have never been to the capital of God, and I have never seen an academy."
Chen Chao smiled again and said: "I heard that the Xie family of Bailu gave birth to an amazing girl, and now she has been accepted as a closed disciple by the dean in the capital of God."
The shop owner nodded and said: "The Bailu Xie family is the best scholar family in Bailu Prefecture. It is really not surprising to have such an amazing descendant. However, the dean immediately accepted him as a closed disciple and won the first prize in the Wanliu Society.
, This is rare, and having this girl in Bailu Prefecture can be regarded as adding luster to the entire Bailu Prefecture."
Chen Chao said: "I have seen this talented woman of the Xie family from a distance."
The shop owner quickly asked: "How?"
"Amazing."
The shop owner laughed and said, "It's natural for a young man of your age to admire that girl."
Chen Chao also nodded in agreement: "When I came to Bailu Prefecture this time, I also wanted to take a look at the Xie family's gate from a distance and see what kind of place could produce such a strange woman."
The shop owner smiled but didn't say much.
Seeing that he was getting acquainted with the shop owner, Chen Chao asked: "May I ask, sir, if you saw a man bringing a mother and daughter into the city today?"
The reason why he chose this study was naturally because Chen Chao took a fancy to the location of this study, which was not far from the city gate and could clearly see the tourists entering and exiting the city gate.
The shop owner was startled, then smiled and said: "You want to say whether the monk entering the city will bring a boy or girl with him? There are many, but he only brought a mother and daughter. I really didn't see it.
been."
Chen Chao frowned and asked bluntly: "What's the point of bringing a boy and a girl?"
The shop owner glanced at Chen Chao and was speechless.
There are some things that are hard to say and dare not say.
Chen Chao did not hesitate and took out his money bag. It was full of demon beads that he had accumulated from killing demons in the mountains and forests these days. There was a lot of them.
The shop owner looked at Chen Chao and suddenly asked, "Has a relative of our guest been in trouble?"
Chen Chao nodded and said: "There is a distant relative, a mother and daughter, who got separated from me. I later learned that they were kidnapped by someone, and that person should be in the city."
The shop owner looked around and then sighed: "The relative of the guest must be the monk who met Qingshui Mountain."
Chen Chao looked puzzled.
The owner of the shop lowered his voice and said: "The monks in Qingshui Mountain practice a method that is not orthodox, but a special method. They use some boys and girls who are in line with their practice to refine the medicinal fruit. After taking it, the realm will increase, and the state will be normal."
Because of this, the people of Qingshui County no longer dare to have children."
Chen Chao frowned and said, "Isn't this an evil way?"
"Who says it's not?" the shop owner whispered: "But who will take care of it? The imperial court? Even if the emperor is far away, even if His Majesty in the capital of the gods knows about this matter, can he personally handle the matters here? As for these
Whether it is the local guardian envoy or the monks from Tianyuyuan, how dare you provoke these foreign monks even if they have trouble dealing with monsters?"
There was some helplessness in his voice.
Chen Chao nodded, and he naturally understood that although the Daliang Dynasty was prospering in national power, it would still be a bit deceptive to say that every part of the Daliang territory was in peace and prosperity.
"As for the guests' relatives, I'm afraid that the mother and daughter have probably been poisoned, and as for the little girl, I'm afraid that she has now become a medicinal fruit."
The shop owner rubbed his brows. He didn't know how many of these things he saw every day, but besides watching, what else could he do.
Chen Chao asked: "Sir, do you know where they will end up? Or have they already arrived at Qingshui Mountain at this moment?"
The shop owner thought for a while and said with some uncertainty: "I don't think so. Most of the monks from Qingshui Mountain will stay in Qingshui Pavilion in the city. As for if they go back to the mountain, the guests should not think about traveling to the mountain. Master Tianyi in the mountain,
But he is truly a monk from the other side."
Chen Chao nodded, asked for the direction of Qingshui Pavilion, and then left.
The shop owner quickly said: "Guest, if that relative is nothing... I advise the guest not to be reckless..."
Chen Chao said nothing, just turned around and walked out of the study.
Then he walked a few steps and came to the shop selling medicine cauldrons. The owner of the shop was a thin man with a goatee. When he saw Chen Chao, he smiled and was about to speak when Chen Chao threw out another bag of monsters.
Zhu, straight to the point asked: "Have you ever seen a man with a little girl wearing braids?"
The middle-aged man glanced at the bag full of demon beads and was hesitating whether to speak.
Chen Chao stared at him with murderous intent in his eyes.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man immediately said cautiously: "Fellow Taoist, are you talking about Ge Ming? He brought a little girl here today to buy a medicine cauldron. It should be in... Qingshui Pavilion."
Chen Chao glanced at the middle-aged man and said expressionlessly: "If you lie to me, I will cut off your head when I come back."
He was not sure what level of monk the young man with the knife in front of him was, but the murderous intent really made him sweat. The middle-aged man quickly shook his head and said: "I will never deceive fellow Taoists."
"You better be."
Chen Chao left these words and turned to leave.
…
…
Half an hour later, Ge Ming opened his eyes, stood up and came to the medicine cauldron. He leaned over and looked at it. At this moment, there was fragrance wafting out of the medicine cauldron in front of him. Many elixirs had melted at this moment, and there were already things in the medicine cauldron.
A shallow layer of medicinal soup, as for the little girl in the medicinal cauldron, her face was pale and she was dying.
Ge Ming nodded, somewhat satisfied. Even the effect of this medicinal fruit was better than he expected.
It's just that refining the medicinal fruit is a water-milling process, and it will take about half an hour to basically take shape.
He was not in a hurry, it was only half an hour. Compared with his years of hard training, this half hour was actually very short. How could he not wait?
Just a moment later, there were some noisy sounds outside the door, which made Ge Ming a little dissatisfied. What on earth were these fellow disciples doing?
…
…
At this moment, on the first floor of Qingshui Pavilion, there are more than a dozen monks on duty, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The initial reason was simple. A young man in black shirt broke into the door regardless. The Qingshui Mountain monk wanted to stop him, but in just a moment, two senior brothers were punched through the body and died.
I can't die anymore.
As local snakes in Qingshui County, where have they ever encountered such a thing?
So several monks quickly joined forces and rushed forward, but the final result was simple. The young man in black shirt with the knife did not draw the sword. Several monks also received a punch one by one, and their life was lost in an instant.
"You are so bold. Do you know where this is? You don't want to live anymore?"
The Qingshui Mountain monks yelled loudly, but they all looked a bit harsh and timid.
It was really because this young man in black shirt who killed people at the slightest objection was such a surprise to them.
Moreover, he killed one person with one punch several times. This level was not that of an ordinary monk.
But now, this young man in black shirt kicked away a corpse at his feet, held the knife with one hand, then looked at the monks from Qingshui Mountain present, and said word by word: "I'll ask you one last time, Ge Ming.
