Zhang Baihu knew that the Qingluan Guard Baihu Station was not monolithic, and it was destined that the news would leak out, so he tried to be "quick" and try to act first before his opponent reacted.
However, when they arrived at the salt merchant's manor outside the city, it was still a step too late. The place was already deserted, leaving only an empty manor.
Although Zhang Baihu couldn't hide his disappointment, he couldn't say he was angry or impatient. After he got the news, before he went to see Xu Kou and Qi Xuansu, he had already sent his confidants to keep an eye on the place. He didn't see a large group of people leaving the manor.
It means there is another channel, and it is most likely an authentic one.
As for the transmission of formations, it is not impossible. The key is that the cost of temporary formations is too high. Just like the mother-and-son talisman, it will not be used unless it is very urgent. This kind of county-level stronghold will not build permanent structures that require constant maintenance.
Fixed formation, because maintaining the formation not only costs money, but also consumes manpower. In order to maintain the formation that is like spring all year round, Yujing spends more than 1 million Taiping money every year, of which at least 300,000 Taiping money is manpower.
Expenses. This is still a Taoist sect, and there is no shortage of alchemists and qi refiners. If it were replaced by another organization, the cost would only be greater.
Zhang Baihu ordered his subordinates to search around the manor.
Searching homes is one of Qingluan Guard's housekeeping skills, and the key is to find hidden property. Therefore, for Qingluan Guard, finding secret rooms, mechanisms, secret compartments, cellars, and tunnels is also a specialty.
Soon, Qingluan Guard's search yielded results. There was indeed a tunnel here, but the entrance could not be found. Now that time was tight and there was a lack of equipment and gunpowder, there was no way to dig directly.
Xu Kou was also a member of the Qingluan Guard, so he did not stand idly by and was also searching around for the entrance to the secret passage.
Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu followed Xu Kou, watching him look around, knocking and listening.
After a while, Xu Kou located a location. It was a well located in the back house. It was not a dry well. There was still well water in it. It was slightly turbid and I don't know how deep it was.
Zhang Baihu also brought people here.
Liu Hu lay on the edge of the well and looked down, curiously asking: "Why is there a tunnel here? Aren't they afraid of the well water pouring back in?"
Xu Kou explained: "The entrance may not be at the bottom of the well, but may be on the wall of the well. The well water is parallel to the entrance instead of up and down. In this way, there will be no risk of backflow."
Zhang Baihu nodded when he heard this and said, "What Master Xu said makes sense."
Xu Kou said: "I'll go down and take a look first."
After saying that, Xu Kou jumped directly into the well, causing a splash of water and immediately disappeared.
But he is a returning martial artist, so others are not worried.
After a moment, Xu Kou's upper body emerged from the water and said, "There is indeed a portal here."
Qi Xuansu said: "I'll come down right away."
Xu Kou dived into the water again. Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment, but took Liu Hu, who was a little eager to try, into the well together.
The two people descended slowly along the well rope. After about three feet of diving, they saw a half-open door on the well wall. Qi Xuansu entered it first, followed closely by Liu Hu.
There were steps going up behind the door, and the water gradually became shallower. After walking a dozen steps, the water was already out of the water. After getting out of the water, the surroundings were silent and pitch black. Suddenly, a firelight lit up, and Xu Kou was standing not far away.
Xu Kou had already dried his clothes with hot blood, lit the fire stick he carried with him, and said, "Be careful, there may be some trap here."
Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu also followed the same example and used their true energy to steam dry their clothes. As for the fire guns and projectiles, they were both waterproof, so there was no need to worry. Qi Xuansu casually handed the "Dragon Hand Gun" to Liu Hu and asked her to hold it for self-defense.
, he pulled out the only remaining single sword, injected it with true energy, and the sword ignited flames, which could replace the torch.
This secret passage is quite wide, enough for two people to walk side by side without being crowded, so Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou walked side by side in front, with Liu Hu following behind them.
After walking for a while, we were already outside the scope of the manor.
However, this corridor was extremely long and still had no end. The three of them had no choice but to continue moving forward. After walking for several miles, they suddenly saw two closed stone gates.
You must know that this tunnel goes straight forward, there is no need to detour, and it is not too short if it is placed on the ground. The location of these two stone gates is already very close to the county seat.
Xu Kou said: "Brother Wei, do you remember that we passed by a City God's Temple when we left the city?"
"Remember." Qi Xuansu nodded, "Based on the distance and direction, we should be near the City God's Temple now."
Xu Kou stepped forward, reached out and pushed on the stone door, but there was no push.
Xu Kou's face changed slightly and he exerted his strength again. He was a martial artist in the stage of returning to his true form. In addition to his strong Qi and blood, his strength was also amazing. The veins on the back of Xu Kou's hands were already popping up, but the stone door only trembled slightly and made a roar.
There is a sound, but the door does not open.
Seeing this, Qi Xuansu also came to help.
With the combined efforts of two returning warriors, the stone gate finally opened with a bang.
In fact, there must be a mechanism to open this stone gate, but Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou didn't have time to find the mechanism, so they just used force to defeat the mechanism.
Behind the stone gate is an upward staircase. Follow the stairs all the way up, and finally come to a dead end. It is a dead end, not a dead end in the ordinary sense, but all the way up. As a result, the steps continue to the dome above, and finally you stand on the steps.
I can no longer straighten my waist.
Obviously, there should be a portal that can be opened here, because they are in the tunnel at this time, so the portal should be located above the ground.
Xu Kou started to explore around by the light of the fire. All the mechanisms in the world were similar. After a while, he heard Xu Kou say: "Yes."
Then the sound of a mechanism was heard, and the dome above slowly opened and turned into an exit.
Xu Kou walked out first, followed closely by Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu. The three of them came to a side hall, but saw that the door was closed and it was slightly dark.
Qi Xuansu looked around: "This should be the City God's Temple."
At this moment, footsteps were heard outside the door. It seemed that the sound of the mechanism opening alerted the guards here.
Immediately afterwards, the door was kicked open from the outside, and a sword shadow struck straight down like a long bolt of lightning in the air.
Qi Xuansu came forward with a sword.
I saw two figures disappearing as soon as they met.
Then Qi Xuansu landed gracefully, without any damage. The other person held a long sword, his eyes were straight, and a "Seven Phoenix Feather" was nailed in his throat. There was a clicking sound in his throat, and a wisp of blood circled the skirt of his clothes and dripped in front of his feet.
Death in one move.
Qi Xuansu did not stop and continued to kill. The fire in his hand flashed on and off in a strange and unpredictable manner. Wherever he passed, someone would fall to the ground and die.
Seeing that no one was Qi Xuansu's enemy, suddenly the wind blew up and a spear came towards him. Qi Xuansu felt something was wrong and swung his sword to strike. Unexpectedly, the spear was so powerful that he could not resist it. Qi Xuansu struck with the sword.
Unable to split the incoming spear, he had no choice but to duck and take a closer look. He saw that the person coming was tall, with a ferocious face, and the head of the spear in his hand was like an awl.
Qi Xuansu did not fight with this person. Instead, he wielded the "Dayan Spirit Sword" and slashed seven people in a row, killing seven people. The others were frightened, and suddenly shouted, they all retreated, forming a circular formation, and Qi Xuansu was killed.
Surrounded, but did not dare to step forward rashly.
At this moment, Xu Kou also came out to kill him. He did not use weapons, but only used his fists and kicks to hurt people. This was also a common method used by martial artists to fight enemies. Fists are the best weapons, but when Xu Kou used his green
Luan Wei's unique martial arts "Big Green Dragon Hand" has five fingers like hooks, and blood energy is generated on the palms of the fingers, whistling into the wind, which is no less than the sharp sword energy.
Xu Kou pointed and grabbed, held and pointed, and in a moment he had changed more than ten kinds of moves. While using the "Big Green Dragon Hand", he also used the "Big White Tiger Hand", "Big Suzaku Hand", "Big Vermillion Bird Hand" and "Big Green Dragon Hand".
"Xuanwu Hand", the four hands combined into one are the complete "Big Four Elephant Hands" of Qingluan Guard.
Naturally, none of these people are Xu Kou's opponents.
At this moment, an alchemist heard the sound and came, stood on the top of the wall, took out a small cloth bag from his waist, opened the bag and shook it gently, several small figures carved from willow wood fell on it.
On the ground, willow trees belong to Yin, so there is a faint Yin energy lingering on these little people, and each little person is engraved with fine talismans. After landing on the ground, they instantly become the size of ordinary people, and then form a formation like an army and move towards many people.
Kou rushed in.
These wooden figures seem to be puppets, but in fact they can also be regarded as a talisman. It is precisely "a little aura is a talisman, and the world wastes Zhu and Mo". They are extremely tough and difficult to break.
If an ordinary person encounters such a formation, even if these wooden men are not flexible enough, they will still have to scramble. However, Xu Kou is a martial artist, but he can naturally restrain the alchemists' talismans and spells, so Xu Kou is not afraid at all and directly welcomes them.