When Zhao Shu rushed back to Chengyang County, people outside the Dai family courtyard were crowded with people watching. The government officials were loading corpses one after another into donkey carts, including Master Dai. His fat belly had been torn, and his death was horrific.
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"What happened to the Dai family?" Zhao Shu found the county clerk who was guarding outside the courtyard.
"Zhao Fuli? You are back! How are things going in Lishan?" The scribe seemed to have just finished vomiting, his face was blue, and he was wiping the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief.
Zhao Shu suppressed his impatience and said: "The evil spirits have been killed, Wang Miaoshou died, and several patrolmen died in the line of duty. I learned about the whereabouts of the young master of the Dai family, so I rushed back to the city in advance... Was there a murder in the Dai family?"
"It was more than just a murder." The scribe stood up and shook his head: "Almost all the main people in charge of affairs in the Dai family were killed. Only a few servants escaped. I heard them say that this was all done by the young master of the Dai family.
"
"Where is the young master of the Dai family? Where is he now?" Zhao Shu asked.
"In the yard, but..."
The clerk stopped talking, and Zhao Shui turned around and walked into the Dai family courtyard. As far as he could see, there was blood dripping and splashing everywhere, and the scene was very tragic.
Zhao Shui quickly found the young master of the Dai family. It was a corpse lying beside the flower bed. He was naked, half human and half wolf in appearance, with unimaginable distortions in his limbs and torso, and green-black beasts growing out of his hands, feet, chest and back.
The hair and nails are long and have a few pieces of flesh hanging on them.
Zhao Shu inspected carefully and found that the young master of the Dai family was more demon-transformed than yesterday, but he did not have any wounds on his body. He did not die from external force, but his internal organs were messed up.
"Zhao Fuli." An old man came to the side and said, "The county magistrate said that there was a murderous murder in the Dai family, and we must come up with a suitable excuse to deal with it."
"What's the appropriate reason?" Zhao Miao was puzzled: "The evil is causing trouble, bewitching the young master of the Dai family, and driving him to murder the whole family. Isn't it very clear what the ins and outs are?"
The old man whispered: "Evils commit crimes and wealthy gentry destroy their families. If this kind of thing is brought to the official level, the county magistrate may be considered derelict in his duties, causing evil spirits and disasters, which will harm his future prospects."
Zhao Shu finally understood something. He wanted to laugh but couldn't: "Your Excellency, the county magistrate, don't you want me to connect the Dai family's destruction with evil spirits?"
The old man bowed his head: "After the autopsy, we need to record the cause of death. Currently, it has been determined that the servant at home had committed adultery with his concubine. After being discovered by Mr. Dai, a fight broke out in the hospital."
"What you write in the case book is your business." Zhao Shu pointed at the body of the young master of the Dai family: "How should I deal with this?"
"The county magistrate ordered me to tell Official Zhao Fu that the corpse must be destroyed on the spot." The old man's tone did not change significantly: "When the matter is settled properly, the county magistrate will ask Official Zhao to come to the government office to meet."
There was no sadness or joy on Zhao Shu's face, and he asked: "You have participated in similar things in the past, right?"
"The villain is just following orders. Please don't embarrass us, Mr. Zhao Fu." The old man replied.
Zhao Miao simply took out the talisman paper from the bamboo basket, wrote a corpse transformation talisman directly in front of the old man, and pasted it on the body of the young master of the Dai family. Then he recited the incantation in a low voice and pointed the Qingxuan pen at a distance.
Moving, the half-human, half-wolf corpse began to decay and turn into ashes at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Looking at the pile of ashes on the ground, Zhao Shu asked: "Are you satisfied now?"
"Zhao Fu has a bright future, please don't argue with despicable people like me." The old man bowed his head.
Zhao Shu was really too lazy to care. He watched several government servants carrying buckets and brooms, and began to sweep and clean. They all looked like they were used to it. But there were also people whispering -
"The Dai family is really in trouble this time. I don't know what kind of evil has been provoked?"
"Shhh! Don't be so loud. The magistrate said that this time the Dai family's slaves will fight to kill the master."
"Of course the county magistrate said so. The Dai family has accumulated tens of thousands of dollars and now has no owner. He will definitely take the opportunity to make a fortune."
"Just shut up and do your work. Isn't it troublesome enough?"
…
"Li Zhao Fu, this is my reply to the Huaiying Hall."
In the inner hall of the county government office, the county magistrate handed a letter to Zhao Shu. His face glowed with joy: "This time you have eliminated the demon in Lishan, and you have eliminated a harm to Chengyang County."
Zhao Shu briefly glanced at it, and what he said in the letter was nothing more than how Zhao Fu, the official, went deep into Lishan to investigate alone, and how he did not avoid danger and killed the evil spirits himself.
The local officials and people trusted and admired him so much that they praised him so much that it was almost impossible to build a memorial tablet for Zhao Shui.
"Thank you, Lord County Magistrate." Zhao Shu returned the courtesy and said with a smile.
The county magistrate stamped the official seal on the letter, dropped the wax seal, and then pushed an oil paper package to the table: "This is a small tribute from the county."
Zhao Shu opened the oil paper and took a look. Inside were neatly arranged Tianxia silver cakes.
"This respect seems too heavy." Zhao Shu estimated that the pile of silver cakes was roughly 200 taels. The actual weight alone was indeed very heavy. The annual salary of the Chengyang County magistrate may not be 200 taels.
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"I can't help it. As soon as the Dai family murder happened, some restless servants sneaked into the cellar to steal. Fortunately, I arrived in time and saved this batch of wealth." The county magistrate picked up the teacup and blew away the heat with a satisfied expression.
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Of course, Zhao Shu knew that this was a hush money, and the affairs of the Dai family should not be made known to everyone. In the final analysis, Zhao Shu, as a talisman, could not be said to be a complete success in dealing with evil spirits. If Chengyang County
If the order truthfully informs the Huaiying Pavilion of the situation, then Zhao Shui's attempt to obtain the first recommendation letter will be in vain.
After accepting his respect, the county magistrate seemed to relax and said: "Zhao Fu has been tired for a long day. I will send you to the post to rest."
Zhao Shu hesitated to speak, but still stood up and said goodbye.
…
Early the next morning, Zhao Shu came to the General Temple in the suburbs outside the city again and saw the tomb where the temple guard Wang was buried. On the wooden sign was crookedly written "The tomb of Wang Ji, the centurion of the Tianlu Army of the Huaxu Kingdom".
"Are you Zhao Fuli?"
Zhao Shu turned around and saw seven or eight elderly people. They were either missing arms or legs, or had burns on their faces and looked ugly. They must have been veterans of the Tianlu Army and fellow brothers of Wang Miao Shou.
Seeing Zhao Shu nodding in recognition, an old man asked: "How did Wang Tou'er die?"
"He... restrained the monsters for me, but unfortunately he was injured by the spell." Zhao Shu chose to conceal the truth.
Several old people showed a hint of relief. They neither pursued the matter to the end nor wallowed, and accepted Wang Miaoshou's death very calmly.
How much perseverance does one have to hone in order to be so calm and numb?
"I brought something." Zhao Shu put down the bamboo basket and took out an oil paper bag from it: "Here are two hundred taels of silver cake. Yes, it is the pension money given to Wang Miaoshou from Chengyang County."
This group of old people didn't look open at all when they saw the money, and no one even took the initiative to take the money. After a long silence, an old man asked: "Li Zhao Fu, this rule is not right. If it is a pension issued by the government, it should be from the county.
The Yamen called us over, verified our identities, signed and stamped our names, and then handed us the silver pension."
Zhao Shu was stunned for a moment, and the old man showed an ugly smile: "Is this Zhao Fu's money? Put it away quickly, it's not good for bad guys to see it."
"This is the guardian of the king's temple, and you deserve it." Zhao Shu said.
The old man shook his head: "Li Zhao Fu, these two hundred taels of silver cakes of yours will only harm us. There are many gangsters outside the city. Let alone the silver cakes, even a few copper coins will be snatched away by them."
Zhao Shu asked: "Then do you need anything else?"
The old man was a little tough: "I don't know what Mr. Wang told you before he died, but the Tianlu Army is not a wretch and does not need charity from others."
Zhao Shu could not persuade the other party, but silently put away the silver cake.
"We appreciate Official Zhao Fu's kindness." The old man said, "We have inconvenient legs and feet, so we cannot send him far away."
Zhao Shu picked up the bamboo basket and set off again. When he walked a certain distance, he couldn't help but look back. In the desolate countryside, the tombs were undulating and overgrown with weeds. Several old people were standing in front of the tombs, their backs firm, like a military formation.
…
It was already ten days after Zhao Shu returned to the Huaiying Pavilion. At this moment, he was standing in the Baopu Pavilion on the mountain behind the pavilion. In front of him was an old man with gray beard and hair sitting on a futon, with a purple ribbon with golden inscriptions tied around his waist.
Staring at the letter in his hand.
The old man was Zhang Duanjing, the head of the Huaiying Hall, and also Zhao Shu's teacher.
"The Dai family sent a letter asking for help, but it was Chengyang County Magistrate who replied." Zhang Duanjing shook the letter in his hand: "Zhao Shu, don't you think there is something weird in this?"
Zhao Shu lowered his eyes and said nothing. He knew Zhang Duanjing's ability very well. The old man's expression was slightly serious: "Although I haven't left Huaiying Hall, I can still know the situation in Chengyang County. The local evil spirit drives the young master of the Dai family.
, attack and kill everyone in the Dai family, right?"
"Yes." Zhao Shu did not hide anything: "The situation is more complicated than I originally thought. It is not a simple case of possession by spirits."
"I originally planned to let Luo Xixian go, but you took the initiative to fight for it. I know very well what your intentions are." Zhang Duanjing said: "But based on this incident alone, you should understand that now that you want to go to Chongxuan Hall,
I'm afraid I won't be able to gain a foothold at all. Not only do I need to improve my skills, but I also have deficiencies in understanding things and people."
"Students understand."
Obviously, the recommendation letter to Chongxuan Hall cannot be counted on.
"Reflect on yourself carefully. If you have to go out for business recently, you should not participate in it." Zhang Duanjing said.
Zhao Shu had no choice but to accept the result, and finally said: "There is one more thing that the teacher needs to know. I found that the demon transformation of the young master of the Dai family is a bit unusual. He was not killed by others, but the inner demon power tore his internal organs, making it difficult to do anything for him.
Continuing. Such a powerful demonic power is actually lodged in a wolf hair, which is not something that the Lishan demonic vine can do."
"The current situation is uneasy and evil spirits are stirring up. It's not surprising." Zhang Duanjing waved his hand and said, "I have my own thoughts on this matter. Please step back."
Leaving the back mountain with heavy steps and returning to his dormitory, Zhao Shu lay on the bed with some frustration.
"What Zhang Duanjing said is not bad at all."
The spirit flute appeared, sitting on the side in the air, untainted by the dust, and said in a cold tone: "Now you, whether it is refining qi to preserve the spirit or your skills in magic, are too shallow. Even if you rely on a recommendation letter to enter Chongxuan in vain,
Even if you go to the museum, you may not be able to find the True Essence Lock."
"Do you think I acted too hastily?" Zhao Shu asked.
"Indeed." Lingxiao said bluntly: "You have a high level of understanding in the art of magic, and you are also very resourceful, but things often go wrong here. Without the foundation and solid foundation of refining qi and preserving the spirit, it is difficult to see
A profound and wonderful method. But you are just too tactful. Whenever you encounter difficulties, your first thought is not to overcome them, but to think of strategies to resolve them, or even try to avoid them."
"Isn't this wrong?" Zhao Shu sat up and asked.
"There is no right or wrong in this book. If you are a person like Chengyang County Magistrate, this kind of scheming and ingenuity may help you to advance in your official career." Lingxiao lowered his eyes and said: "But the matter of cultivation cannot come.
It's not a bit opportunistic. Today, the world is thin and pure. If you want to succeed in cultivation, you should be more determined and meditative.
Zhang Duanjing is indeed proficient in teaching and preaching, and he knows that your character still needs to be tempered. There are some things that you won’t listen to if you don’t experience them yourself, even if you tell them a thousand times. Only by experiencing losses can you realize your own shortcomings and then take the path to immortality.”
Zhao Shu curled his lips and said: "At least I earned several hundred taels of silver during this trip. I also killed the demon vine with my own hands, and I also honed my skills in actual combat. How can I be considered a loss?"
"Look, that smooth and pretentious mentality has surfaced again." Lingxiao seemed to have expected it, and said with a calm smile: "Why use your words? Even if you kill Yaodeng and Wang Miaoshou, you are still not convinced.
You know the success and failure better than others."
"Actually, when I learned that the Dai family was wiped out, I knew that I had done something wrong this time." Zhao Shu sighed and said, "You said that only by understanding your own shortcomings can you take the path to immortality. What do you mean?"
Lingxiao looked at Zhao Xiao and said: "The path to cultivating immortality is not to fight against others, but to work hard on your own body and mind. The so-called quietness is clear, the movement is raw, peel off the worldly thoughts, abandon the worldly thoughts, and the calmness of the heart will make the Qi pure.
Mysterious, it leads directly to the Immortal Avenue that will last for a long time. If you can grasp one or two, the effect will be more significant than the Qi Refining Platform made of heavenly materials and earthly treasures."
Zhao Shu half understood what he said: "Are you teaching me how to cultivate immortality?"
Lingxiao flicked her skirt: "It's just to point out the secret. As long as you continue to practice the breathing technique taught by Zhang Duanjing, there will be no hindrance. However, you must let distracting thoughts settle down and clarify your mind during the breathing period, so that you can figure out the movement and stillness.
machine."
Zhao Shu asked: "What do you mean, as long as the body and mind are calm, there is no need to deliberately breathe out the clear air?"
"It would be better if there was plenty of fresh air." Lingxiao said: "People in ancient times did not pay too much attention to the cultivation of immortality. They just mastered the secret of tranquility intentionally or unintentionally. If there are abundant utensils and utensils, the ancient times cannot be compared with today.
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Since there is no pure Qi from the cave to complement you, we should work more on the tranquility of body and mind. There is no shortcut to immortality. If you have an impetuous mind, even if you are in the cave, you will still be a filthy mortal."
If it were Zhao Shu before, he would probably think that Lingxiao's words were just empty talk, but today it is rare for him to re-examine himself.
Zhao Shu suddenly understood that cultivating immortality and immortality is not about seeking for others, but about focusing on yourself. Does having that letter of recommendation hinder your cultivation?
"It's useless to think too much. If you want peace and quiet, just be in the present moment." Lingxiao's figure disappeared, and the lingering voice lingered in his ears: "Since there is nothing to do, then seize every moment, walk, sit and lie down, and never leave the peace."