The slender shadow, which was almost a foot long, was thrown into the air along with the gushing water, and then twisted its body and fell towards the surface of the fish pond.
Zhao Mo saw the power of the technique at a glance and guessed that the long monster was trying to escape through the water. He pointed the Qingxuan pen downwards and pointed the water into steel. The monster hit the copper wall head-on and twisted left and right on the water.
"Eel?" Zhao Shu was stunned for a moment. The monster looked like a snake and insect, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an unusually large eel, with a yellow belly and black back, and a slippery body.
The moment Zhao Mi hesitated, the big eel fled quickly, jumped up, twisted and jumped on the shore, avoiding Zhao Mi and Lu Wangji, and headed towards the other soldiers.
Even though the eel was not in the water, it was still very fast and rushed into the crowd in almost the blink of an eye. Most of the soldiers had never seen such a monster before. They were panicked at first and stabbed and slashed with their swords, but they could not hurt the monster at all.
"Don't mess around!" Zhao Shu yelled to stop everyone. Next to him, Lu Wangji plucked the strings of the piano and pulled the Qi machine. A formation covered the surrounding area to prevent the evil spirit from escaping.
"Don't panic! Get in formation!" Zhang Liwei shouted loudly, and he led several soldiers to set up the chaotic formation, raised their spears and shields, and soon exposed the big eel.
"Well done!" Zhao Miao praised, raised his hand to gently stroke the black and yellow ribbon around his waist, and recited the mantra:
"Xuanwu patrols the emptiness, the goblin examines the shape, travels around the nine places, and takes charge of the hundreds of spirits!"
Different from the previous talisman officials who wore white ribbons with red inscriptions and summoned fire crows to attack, the black inscriptions and yellow ribbons of Huaiying Hall Sanqing were used to attract the water spirit Xuanwu, which could not only protect the monks and resist external calamities, but also borrow the symbol of Xuanwu
Suppress the spirits and ban the evil spirits.
Following the outline of the Qingxuan pen, the body of the big eel suddenly stiffened, as if it was tightly clamped by a huge force and could not move.
"You guys are really good at running, right?" Zhao Shu approached with a smile, raised his hand and added a restraining talisman.
"Immortal, have mercy on me! Immortal, have mercy on me!" The big eel opened and closed its mouth, uttering human words and spitting out a bunch of foam. Its voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and it was difficult to tell whether it was a male or a female.
"Oh, you can still talk?" Zhao Shu poked the other person with a Qingxuan pen, and a trace of fire lightly burned on the surface of the big eel, making it scream in fright:
"Don't kill me! The little demon is willing to serve the immortal forever from now on!"
"Why do you still saddle me up like this? There are people walking dogs, there are people walking birds, how can there be people walking eels?" As soon as Zhao Shu said this, all the soldiers who came to watch also laughed.
"Duh!" Zhao Miao scolded lightly and said seriously: "Don't play tricks on me and say, who are you and where do you come from?"
"The little demon has no horns and came from the Red Flower Pond." The big eel said with awe in his tone: "Decades ago, there was an immortal who practiced Qi and cultivated by the pond, swallowing the essence of the sun and the moon. Occasionally, the little demon was contaminated with some immortal energy.
, hence psychic awareness.”
"Honghuatan?" Zhao Shui had never heard of the place name here.
Zhang Liwei approached and reminded in a low voice: "It is said that it is a deep pool located in the mountains outside the pass. The nearby mountains and fields are full of red flowers."
Zhao Shu glanced at Zhang Liwei thoughtfully, and then said to the big eel: "Yuan Wujiao, right? The name has some meaning, what? Are you still looking forward to growing horns on your head and turning into a dragon and flying into the sky?"
Although Yuan Wujiao's expression was invisible, there was a hint of embarrassment in his tone: "Chief Immortal, aren't we water tribe monsters just looking forward to turning into dragons in the future?"
"What a beautiful idea!" Zhao Shu sneered: "Let me ask you again, if you don't stay in Honghuatan to practice, why did you come to Jianjiaguan? Did Jiuli Kingdom send you to act as a sentinel?"
Yuan Wujiao watched the pen swiping back and forth on his body, trembling with fear: "There is absolutely no such thing! Immortal Chang Mingjian!"
"Mingjian? That's right." Zhao Shu seemed to remember something, rummaged through his bamboo basket, and muttered at the same time: "Huh? Where's my soul torture talisman? You didn't forget to bring it, right?"
The soldiers around looked at Zhao Mi's movements and saw that Marquis Zhenming, who seemed to be aloof and aloof, behaved like an ordinary person, and the soldiers couldn't help but feel close to him.
"Forget it, I can't find it, let's draw one now." Zhao Shu took out a cinnabar ink cartridge, replaced it with the thinnest Qingxuan pen, dipped it in some cinnabar ink, blew out a ray of true energy, and used tofu
With a delicate technique like carving, a spell was written on the back of Yuan Wujiao's head.
"This is the soul torture talisman." After writing the talisman, Zhao Shu said: "I am afraid that you, a mountain monster, are short-sighted, so I will kindly explain a few words to you. After receiving this talisman, whatever I ask, you must answer truthfully.
, if there is any concealment, your soul will immediately move, and if I activate the spell just a little bit, your soul will be trapped in a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, and the pain will be unbearable, like this."
Zhao Miao twirled his fingers, and Yuan Wujiao suddenly felt pain. He cried out and begged for mercy: "Immortal, please forgive me! Every word of mine is true and I have nothing to hide! Spare my life——"
"I hope so." Zhao Shu removed the spell and asked again: "Did Jiuli Kingdom send you to spy on the military situation?"
"No! The little demon swears on his life, absolutely not!" Yuan Wujiao replied quickly.
Zhao Shu was noncommittal, but he did not sense any movement in the other party's soul, so he asked again: "Then what are you doing here?"
"The gang of witches from Jiuli Kingdom are around the Red Flower Pond, and I don't know what they are messing with." Yuan Wujiao was afraid that Zhao Shu would not believe it, so he explained: "The little demon with such a superficial cultivation might be beaten by Jiuli.
The witch Zhu of the country captured him and made him a demon attendant, so he had to escape through water veins."
This was considered true, but Zhao Shu was secretly shocked when he heard this. He turned to Zhang Liwei and said, "How far is it from Honghuatan to Jianjia Pass?"
Zhang Liwei thought about it and said: "It's about three to four hundred miles, but the mountain roads in the Honghuatan area are difficult to travel, so the army shouldn't be able to move fast."
Zhao Shu frowned and pondered, and continued to press Yuan Wujiao: "How many people did Jiuli Kingdom send to Honghuatan? Have you ever seen their faces clearly?"
"How can the little demon dare to get closer and take a closer look?" Yuan Wujiao replied helplessly: "Those Wu Zhus all look the same. They are wearing big robes and have large black lines on their faces. There are probably twenty or thirty of them."
Zhao Shu pondered, and the witches of Jiuli Kingdom had the custom of tattooing their faces. It was said that different patterns corresponded to the gods believed in by their respective tribes, and the more complicated and gorgeous the tattoos were, the higher their status was.
If the Jiuli Kingdom really sends twenty or thirty shamans, it must be a major arrangement.
As for a little demon like Yuan Wujiao, although he can speak human words, he has not yet developed a human form. It is common for him to be afraid of the world's masters and strangers. It is not surprising that he abandons his cave directly out of fear.
"Let me ask you again." Zhao Shu said seriously: "Honghuatan is hundreds of miles away from Jianjia Pass. How did you get here?"
"The underground water veins are complicated, and the little demon walks around randomly." Sensing Zhao Shu's sharp gaze, Yuan Wujiao hurriedly added: "But the little demon noticed that the water veins and the earth veins intersected, and wanted to find a suitable place to settle down, so he followed
I followed the Qi of the earth's veins and swam all the way. I never thought of coming to this important defensive area and offending the immortal."
"You lied." Zhao Shu smiled delicately, raised his hand and twirled his fingers: "You clearly know that the outlet of the water is near Jianjia Pass. You didn't come here blindly."
Yuan Wujiao was so frightened that his bones softened: "The little demon is greedy for the prosperity of the world, and wants to get involved in more human beings so that he can change his human form as soon as possible. I was confused and concealed something, and the little demon dare not do it again!"
Zhao Miao's expression was subtle. He raised his head and looked at the soldiers around him. Some of them couldn't help but smile.
"What do you think we should do with this big eel?" Zhao Miao asked with a smile.
"How about eating such a big eel? Pour it with a bowl of thick sauce and stew it until the skin and meat are soft and tender, just right for eating!" Immediately, a soldier wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth.
"Nonsense! This is a monster. Do you dare to eat its meat? Aren't you afraid of getting upset?"
"Zhao Changshi has his own magic method. Those of us who are ignorant should stop talking nonsense."
Listening to what the soldiers said to each other, Zhao Shu smiled and shook his head, looked at Yuan Wujiao and said, "Look, everyone said they were going to stew you."
"Immortal, please don't-!!" Yuan Wujiao made a cry like a baby's cry, sharp and unpleasant: "The little demon is willing to serve the immortal, without asking for anything in return, just to spare the little demon's life!"
Zhao Miao smiled and said nothing, ignored Yuan Wujiao, got up and arranged the soldiers to start setting up the mandala, then quickly wrote a statement and gave it to Zhang Yanshou and said: "Send it to General Wei at once. It contains information about
Please make preparations for the news about Honghuatan."
Zhang Yanshou was ordered to leave. Zhao Shu looked at the soldiers building an earthen platform. Lu Wangji strolled by and looked down at Yuan Wujiao.
"Fellow Taoist, I have something to say, but maybe you don't like to hear it." Zhao Shu took advantage of this free time, lowered his voice and said to Lu Wangji: "Fellow Taoist, my action was too hasty just now. I was not prepared properly, and the soldiers did not line up.
Formation. Fortunately, this demon's cultivation is shallow and it has not caused a big disaster. If a big demon suddenly appeared, it would probably be an intractable and bloody battle."
Lu Wangji was silent for a while: "I was negligent."
Zhao Shu didn't blame her too much. Lu Wangji was such a straightforward character. She didn't have many twists and tricks at all. When she sensed the monster lurking, she immediately played the piano and performed the spell without even discussing it with Zhao Shu.
For some reason, Zhao Shu suddenly thought of Luo Xixian. Although the two were very different from each other, there were some similarities in their unthinking words and deeds.
Luo Xixian's swordsmanship requires bravery and diligence, and he doesn't want to look back. Lu Wangji is aloof and doesn't bother to care about other people's faces. To outsiders, every move he makes seems a bit willful.
Just as Liang Tao said, Zhao Shui actually envied the character, words and deeds of a cultivator like Lu Wangji.
This seemingly unrestrained and detached temperament is not a pretense, but a result of long-term cultivation and concentrating on one's own heart. People who cultivate immortality value themselves and forget about reputation, honor and disgrace. Naturally, they will not pay attention to the opinions of others.
.
But this is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires long-term inner tranquility and self-cultivation. If you have been involved in the world of society too deeply for too long, you are stained with worldly labor, and you are involved in countless interest entanglements, it will be difficult to achieve aloofness.
But Zhao Shu also vaguely felt that perhaps it was this "transcendence" that made most immortal cultivators in the world have no care for the common people.
If they were just some Qishan Qing cultivators who had no involvement in the secular world, there would be nothing to worry about. However, since the end of Tianxia, the cultivators of immortality have gone out into the world to kill people on a large scale, and the Huaxu Kingdom has figures like Liang Tao as examples. Ordinary monks cannot learn from that.
When you reach a transcendental state, you will develop a desire for selfishness and greed.
Zhao Shu really admires monks like Lu Wangji, but he also feels that such a person cannot be entrusted with important responsibilities. She acts regardless of others and acts as she pleases. She had an epiphany overnight at Bihu Manor and directly played the zither to break the courtyard wall.
The first clues have already been seen.
Just now, he just forced the water to force out the monster without saying anything. He really didn't like Zhao Shu's habit of being prepared for everything.
Zhao Shu was actually reflecting on whether he was being too harsh? Lu Wangji was aloof and detached, so why should he care about things?
"Marquis Zhenming, you think too much and waste your mind." Lu Wangji seemed to have seen through Zhao Shu.
"I think so too." Zhao Shu smiled bitterly and nodded: "Maybe I am just this kind of person, looking for trouble."
The altar in the distance was roughly arranged. Zhao Shu asked the soldiers to retreat to the distance, burned talisman to mark the boundary, concentrated on his thoughts, and said to the big eel lying in the mud pool in front of the altar:
"You are a demon with no horns. Today, Zhao Shu from the Huaiying Palace came to the altar. I should have killed you and fractalized your head. I am sorry that you have not been infected with evil and evil, and have not acted evilly. I will not punish you for the time being. But you are a monster in the mountains."
, If you are not restrained by education, you may indulge in indulgence in the future and cause harm to others and yourself, so you must tell the alliance to heaven and earth, swear by your heart, accept my order, and follow the path of clearing the covenant!"
Yuan Wujiao noticed that the restraints on his body were slightly relieved, which was clearly an opportunity left by Zhao Shui. He shrank into the quagmire, stretched out his head and nodded a few times. He couldn't hide his excitement and replied: "The little demon is willing to join the alliance and follow the path!"
"
"That being the case, I will accept the talisman seal of my destiny." Zhao Shu held up his pen to write an empty book and drew his breath to make a talisman. A curved ancient seal script was formed in mid-air, slowly glowed, and then it was sealed towards Yuan Wujiao's head.
The seal of the ancient seal script fell off, Yuan Wujiao's body shook violently, and a spiritual light spread from the top of his head. A big eel curled up in the mire seemed to have been reborn. The mud and dirty water on the surface no longer adhered to it, and it was smooth and clean.
See the quality of jade.
"Thank you, Immortal, for the talisman!" Yuan Wujiao was overjoyed. He didn't expect that he would be spotted by Zhao Shu immediately after walking past the door of death.
Even though I have long heard that immortal cultivators also have the ability to drive monsters, I never thought of it as a means of enlightenment to make myself rejuvenated from the inside out.
"I have accepted you as one of the officials and soldiers of Lutan. From now on, you must act according to the law." Zhao Shu raised the token with a serious expression.
This is Zhao Shu's first attempt. In the past, he inspired a group of dead souls, mountain spirits and water monsters to serve as soldiers of the altar. He mainly relied on rituals and rituals to perform rituals. But to subdue monsters with flesh and blood, he had to lower the talisman seal.
Guide it to practice and improve in the future.
"Little demon, you obey!" Yuan Wujiao spun around and seemed to have completely forgotten what he had just asked.
"Little demon, you don't need to be called an immortal." Zhao Shu said: "There is indeed something that needs to be done by you personally."
"Disciple must try his best!" Yuan Wujiao was eager to give it a try.
"Now I have been ordered to survey the mountains and rivers. You once swam among them, so you led a team of soldiers to find out for me the pattern of the ground veins and the trend of the qi in and around Jianjia Pass." Zhao Miao said with an order: "This matter is very relevant.
If there are other ghosts and ghosts lurking in the earth's veins, you must report them immediately and do not act rashly. Do you understand?"
"Disciple understand!" Yuan Wujiao was in high spirits. He saw Zhao Shui raising his pen towards the gushing fish pond. The water flow slowed down greatly. Yuan Wujiao jumped into the fish pond and led the way.