"You must have noticed that the old man retired from the Imperial Guards Department due to injury when he was nearly forty years old.
A hundred years later, the old man in the family settled down in this rock city. Fortunately, thanks to the blessing of our ancestors, our Sha family gave birth to three sons in a row.
I have been fighting for most of my life. At that time, I only believed in one truth: "A good man joins the army."
Result, result...
The eldest son, Chengwu, died at the hands of the Jin people in the late emperor's dynasty, followed by the second son, Chengzhi, who died in a tide of strange things. The youngest, the third son, is even more ridiculous. The Qiuye Station disappeared for no reason.
The old woman couldn't bear this blow, and she blamed me for being too stubborn, and she died in depression.
My daughter-in-law couldn't bear the loneliness and was nowhere to be found, but the old man didn't blame her. At least she left the only bloodline to my family, Cheng'an.
When I was young, I beheaded Jin people and killed ferocious beasts, and I boasted of beheading people and draining their blood. But when my son was gone, I suddenly felt that the world was pitch black, and even the sky was gray.
As Qi Xi grows up day by day, I feel that no matter how dark the place is, there will be light.
Even though my life is worse than that of a dog, I am not afraid of Xiao Luo's jokes. The first sentence I taught Qi Xi was actually 'When you are in darkness, your heart is toward the light'!"
Xu Luo's brain exploded, and he murmured like a demon.
"When you are in darkness, your heart is toward the light..."
While he kept murmuring, the strange rune in his heart that had never been formed gradually curled up into a cocoon shape.
At this moment, it was like an enlightenment, it was a matter of course, and the enlightened mind and supernatural powers were actually introduced!
Lao Sha didn't notice Xu Luo's strange behavior. He was still immersed in memories of the past. His red eyes were slightly watery. He quickly lowered his head and pretended to add some firewood, and hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Over the years, the old man has led a group of old brothers in the army to set up a small business, and they can barely make ends meet. But you say, am I worthy of Dayan, worthy of His Majesty, and worthy of Panshi City?
"
The joy that had just appeared in Xu Luo's heart suddenly dissipated. His face became solemn and he stood up and saluted before saying categorically: "Of course it's worthy!"
As if Lao Sha didn't see him salute, Lao Sha burst into tears and kept repeating these words.
"It's worth it, it's worth it..."
After a long while, he came back to his senses and raised his sleeves to wipe it casually a few times. Seeing that Xu Luo was still bent over, Lao Sha tremblingly stretched out his hand and pulled him to sit down.
"The old man has seen people all his life and rarely makes mistakes. Xiao Luo, you may not be a good person, but at least you have a bottom line!
I have been waiting all my life for such a person to appear. If you think you owe me a favor, the old man will ask you for something. I wonder if you should or should not?"
Xu Luo's face became cautious, and he raised his hand to signal him to go ahead.
Lao Sha looked at the red bonfire in front of him, his eyes confused, as if he was thinking about something, Xu Luo didn't rush him, he just waited quietly.
After a long time, Lao Sha suddenly made a sound.
"I originally thought that all three of my sons fought bloody battles for my Dayan and buried their bones on the battlefield. If this were the case, even if all of my Sha family died, it would be a matter of honor for our ancestors.
I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it...
The youngest, Chengan, was accused of being a deserter, and there was no trace of him.
Although the old man has no great ability in this life, I know that a son is like a father, and I know my family’s heritage best. Chengan joined the army with the expectation of avenging his eldest brother and his second brother. How could he defect to Dayan?
Besides, where can he escape in Qiuye Station, which is surrounded by Anmo Mountain like an iron barrel?"
Is it Qiuye Station again?
Hearing this, Xu Luo frowned slightly, and his mind subconsciously recalled the scenes of the massacre of Changsheng Village in Scholar Qi's vision.
"Then in what year did Brother Cheng'an disappear? Lao Sha, you have been doing business in this way for so many years, and you haven't found out any information at all?"
Lao Sha smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"Xiao Luo, you are new to Panshi City, and you don't know much about the situation here yet.
If it were in other places, there might be mutual restraint between the government and your Exorcism Department, but in this Rock City, as long as the Military Control Department doesn't want you to know things, it's useless no matter how hard you try.
Didn't you wonder before that the old man knew everything about this journey?
That's because, since Cheng'an disappeared in Qiuye Station eight years ago, I have used my business skills to inquire about information everywhere, and I have never given up.
But as we get older, those old brothers and I can hardly stand it any longer!
I was afraid that this small caravan would be disbanded when I returned to Panshi City this time, so I wanted to ask Xiao Luo to help me find Cheng'an if there was a chance.
Even if his body is found, my son will never be accused of deserting..."
When he said this, the tears in Lao Sha's eyes finally couldn't bear it anymore and flowed down his cheeks.
He opened and closed his lips several times, but he couldn't say even a single word...
Xu Luo saw him sobbing silently and didn't try to comfort him. It was an insult to an old soldier.
These words, emotions, and tears had just been hidden in his heart for too long, and they burst out so violently that Lao Sha couldn't accept it. It would be a good thing to let him vent.
After a long while, Xu Luo suddenly picked up the wine jar in his hand, bowed it to Lao Shaxu, and drank it in big gulps.
Lao Sha was stunned for a moment, and then he seemed to understand something. A look of gratitude appeared in his eyes, and he wiped two handfuls of it on his face with his rough palms. He also picked up the wine bowl and poured it into his throat.
It was obviously just inferior water and wine, but the two of them drank inexplicably happily. In the end, one old and one young fell drunk by the bonfire...
Panshi City occupies a vast area and can be said to be a military town through and through.
All the people living here have a distant or close relationship with the Imperial Military Department. Even their basic necessities, food, housing, and transportation all serve the nearly 100,000 soldiers who are stationed here all year round.
The tall city wall is like a steep cliff, standing at the west exit of Jingchong Canyon.
Here there are strange and ferocious beasts, and the three forces of Da Jin and Da Yan are intertwined, but it is also the most convenient pass for business between Da Jin and Da Yan.
The strange and ferocious beasts expelled by humans, the deserters arrested by the imperial court, the evil practitioners, the homeless ruffians from all over the two countries who can no longer survive...
Panshi City can truly be called a mixed bag of fish and dragons, with all kinds of monsters and monsters present, so the situation is complex, dangerous and inexplicably dangerous.
The Royal Military Division has a complete Sao Feng Cavalry headquarters stationed here, numbering approximately 20,000.
Don't think it's too small, this is a serious elite troop with everyone wearing talisman armor, dragon scale horses under them, carrying talismans and equipment, and if you add in the auxiliary troops and reserves behind them, as well as the garrison troops from each city, the number
At least more than 100,000.
Such a huge force is in the hands of the Panshi City General Mansion, and the following is roughly divided into three camps: left, right and center.
The two battalions on the left and right rotate all year round in the deep mountains and old forests of Anmo Mountain, which is also the place bordering Dajin. The middle camp is mainly used as a backup to support the rear, including protecting the safety of Panshi City.
Xu Luo looked at the tall city wall in front of him that blocked all sight and perception, and felt inexplicably relieved.
This journey along the way has been truly thrilling, with close calls from death to life. No wonder all the colleagues from the Exorcism Department became pale when they heard that they were coming to Rock City.
Before entering the city, Panshi City gave Xu Luo a warning. This was the first time he encountered a city wall that even his spiritual consciousness could not penetrate.
The scenery of this important frontier town that has been battled all year round is indeed very different from that of the interior.
I don't know if it was an illusion, but when he entered the city, Xu Luo felt for some reason that as an exorcist, he was not as valued as Lao Sha.
Those heavily armed soldiers were almost as vigilant about Xu Luo as if they were guarding against thieves. If it weren't for the green ox cart that was a companion at first sight, they would have wanted to dismantle the cart and take a closer look.
He looked at the Ping An caravan that had already passed the city gate and was still waiting for him.
Xu Luo quietly waved his hand to Lao Sha and told him to leave first. He would wait until he had settled in and then visit him when he had time.
Watching Lao Sha and others leave, the smile on Xu Luo's face quickly faded. He looked at the soldiers who were showing a lazy attitude, as if they were checking the recruitment documents word for word, and suddenly he became angry.
Although everyone knows that in Panshi City, the Exorcism Department is just a plaque hanging there, it can only be used for viewing, but it is useless!
But Xu Luo never expected that a mere city gate soldier would dare to neglect a Tongmai Realm exorcist like this!
"Brother, is there something wrong with my paperwork?"
Xu Luo had a gentle look on his face, and even had a somewhat flattering look in the corners of his eyes.
This gesture made the soldier feel as if he had eaten ginseng fruit, feeling extremely comfortable from the inside out.
Exorcist, practitioner?
So what, when you come to this rock city, you have to lie down if it is a dragon or a tiger. Today I will teach you, the new kid, a good boy!
"Well, well...there is indeed a small problem. You wait in the room next to me. I have to take a closer look!"
The soldier held the upside-down document and pretended to look at it. It was obvious that this guy couldn't read a word of Chinese characters.
Next to him, a soldier who looked like a junior high school student was seriously inspecting other people entering the city.
The house he was talking about was a simple wooden house built under the wall. It should be the place where these soldiers rested while changing their posts.
Xu Luo parked the green ox cart outside the door, opened the door and walked in.
A young captain wearing close-fitting soft armor and a large cloak was sitting behind the desk. Seeing Xu Luo come in, there was no surprise on his handsome face, and he stretched out his hand to greet him.
"Xu Lieutenant, please sit down for a while. There are many chores in the army. Please forgive me!"
Xu Luo's expression did not change at all. He sat calmly on the chair next to him and carefully placed his crutches.
The young captain spoke for a moment, but after nearly an hour he raised his head again and looked at Xu Luo, who was as motionless as a statue, his eyes full of curiosity.
"You cultivators, all of you are so patient?"
Xu Luo straightened his waist and rubbed his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I've been traveling day and night these days, and I couldn't help but fall asleep as soon as I got back to a safe place. What did this gentleman just say?"
The captain was not angry at all, his expression turned into a smile, and he repeated what he had just said.
Xu Luo then chuckled and said: "It's okay, then who do you want to see?
For example, if you see big figures such as Si Zheng and Da Siming, you will naturally not dare to do so. If you see His Majesty the Emperor, you will be in high spirits, after all, you are just making a living under his old man!"
The smile on the young captain's face froze, and finally he showed a cautious look.
"That's natural. After all, the emperor's grace is so great that you and I should respect it..."
Before he finished speaking, Xu Luo interrupted him.
"But I didn't see it in Panshi City. Everyone only knows about the Military Control Department and not the others. Anyone who has some connection with the Military Control Department can casually humiliate my Exorcist Department, right?"
"Master Xu, you can eat randomly, but you can't talk nonsense!"
This crime was really serious, and the young captain couldn't sit still, so he stood up violently.
The armor is bright and shiny, and the figure is slender. He is truly a talented person!