"Celestial Master Mansion escaped..."
Li Yan frowned slightly, "From Demon Suppression Well?"
Dragon Tiger Mountain's "Demon Suppression Well" is famous among Daoists.
It is said that the ancestor Celestial Master Zhang Daoling surrendered "Eight Ghost Commanders" and "Six Great Demon Kings" in Qingcheng Mountain and sealed them in a special well.
The fourth generation Celestial Master Zhang Sheng moved back to Dragon Tiger Mountain and formally built the demon-suppressing well in the Shangqing Palace Demon Subduing Hall as a place to permanently suppress demons.
At the beginning of the story of <Water Margin>, Lieutenant Hong opened Demon Subduing Hall and dug the demon-suppressing well, that is, this well.
Of course, Li Yan knows that some things have been exaggerated.
For example, Six Great Demon Kings is actually "Six Palaces Demon Kings" and is suppressed under Luo Feng Mountain.
If he has profound spiritual practice in the future, he will be able to learn the method of summoning.
But it is true that many evil spirits have been suppressed in it throughout the dynasties, and they are all very difficult to deal with.
Therefore, Celestial Master in the past dynasties have to visit Demon Subduing Hall in person to add seals and strengthen the wellhead talisman seals every year during the first Yuan, Zhongyuan, and Lower Yuan Festival The seal is called "Three Yuan Reinforcement", and every year of Jiazi, "Demon Suppression Ceremony" is held to <Scripture of Salvation> save the remaining spirits in the well.
Every time Celestial Master is passed down to another generation, a seal must be added and the lock core must be cast with copper liquid.
It can be said that once you are suppressed inside, you will never be able to recover.
Thinking of this, Li Yan quickly asked what happened.
Luo MingZi didn't hide anything, and said in a deep voice, "This matter is all my fault to Mr. Kong, he was the one who found the reason after peeling off the cocoon."
"Based on your information and Kong Hui's confession at that time, Mr. Kong found a book <Da Zhong Xiangfu Bianliang Anecdote Record> from the Enforcement Hall's discarded archives and books, which records various mysterious Xuanmen cases during the Song Dynasty..."
"Because the righteousness was not strong at that time, Great Song Ghost Sect confused Imperial Court and made many unjust cases. It was difficult to distinguish the true from the false. In addition, a fire destroyed a lot of information, which had little reference value, so it was placed deep in the warehouse and no one read it..."
"The case is called 'Yizhou Jiaozi Office Paper Demon'. In the third year of Tianxi, Yizhou Jiaozi Office, a treasury official died violently due to greed for money. He did not burn Wan Guan Jiaozi to redeem the votes before his death. The people's resentment against the depreciation of Jiaozi and the soaring prices were attached to the cinnabar seal, and a "faceless humanoid" was formed in the middle of the night. He specializes in devouring the spirit of copper coins. Whenever someone encounters him, he calls him "Chinese Angelica is the only treasure in the world." When Hong Mai heard about this, he adapted it and wrote it into <Yijian Zhi> to warn future generations..."
"Due to a civil unrest in the local area, the imperial court sent a royal warlock to investigate and suppress it. I don't know what happened during the period. The royal family was possessed by this Demonic Beast. After returning, he controlled the royal family and caused the 'Bianjing Money Disaster'. He also conspired with the ghost sect to cause Jingkang Humiliation..."
"Later, the Daoist sect was unified, and Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect was first formed, which helped the great prosperity and destruction of the Song Dynasty, and the demon god was also suppressed..."
As he spoke, he glanced at everyone, "The possessed royal family's name is Zhao Huailiang, and his Daoist name is Qingxu!"
"It seems that this is the person!"
Wang Dao Xuan frowned and stroked his beard and said, "Dragon Tiger Mountain is an important place of Xuanmen. Demon Suppression Well Ordinary people are not allowed to approach it. How could it be released?"
Luo MingZi said in a deep voice, "This matter was caused by the remnants of Former Dynasty Da Xing. They were unwilling to lose the country and the royal family fled in all directions. They did a lot of tricks. One of them was in Dragon Tiger Mountain was practicing, he was the one who released this thing. Dragon Tiger Mountain There is a Zhang Ruochen Daoist priest who serves as National Teacher in the imperial court. I asked him to confirm it."
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "This kind of disaster escaped, but they didn't trace it?"
Luo MingZi was silent for a moment and then said, "At that time, the dynasty changed and everything was in chaos. Maybe I forgot about it."
Obviously, he didn't believe what he said.
The people present, all old Jianghu, winked at each other.
North Kong and South Zhang, Dragon Tiger Mountain Millennium Aristocratic Clan, its status in Daoism goes without saying.
Even if the good and the bad are mixed, and the tide ebbs and flows, every imperial court must enshrine it.
Other families are competing for the position of National Teacher. They just need to figure out who to send.
Although Luo MingZi is now valued by the emperor and is responsible for tracing the Jianmu Organization and can mobilize a lot of power, in front of Dragon Tiger Mountain, his words have little weight. Looking at this look, he is obviously holding back...
Li Yan understood in his heart and patted his shoulder, "Brother Luo don't interfere in Dragon Tiger Mountain's matter. Now that Zhao Qingxu has been found, are there any clues to his whereabouts?"
"This is what makes me angry!"
When Luo MingZi heard this, his face immediately turned gloomy, "Zhao Qingxu sneaked into the capital, established Pan Peach Gathering, and arranged the nodes to corrode the dragon veins. All of these are inseparable from the help of others. We have found many clues, but they have all been cut off. Even Feng Guo General Xiao Huainan committed suicide in prison the day before yesterday, and his family is missing."
Li Yan said thoughtfully, "It seems that he still has people in the capital. Could the barbarian who leaked the information about the artifact be his subordinate?"
"It's hard to say."
Luo MingZi looked out the window and whispered, "Because of the Jinmen port incident a while ago, the imperial court ordered a strict investigation of foreign businessmen. Many of them have gone into hiding, and no clues have been found yet..."
Before he finished speaking, Sha LiFei was speechless and said, "Daoist Luo, now Commandery Commandant Office and Enforcement Hall are at your disposal. Dragon Tiger Mountain is untouchable. Is it possible that you can't even catch a few barbarians?"
Luo MingZi frowned and said helplessly, "Brother Sha, how can this be so easy!"
"Jinmen After the chaos, the imperial court ordered a strict investigation of merchants from foreign vassals. These people are very smart and have smelled the smell for a long time. They hide what should be hidden and hide what should be hidden. In such a huge capital, trying to find a few barbarians who are willing to hide is like finding a needle in a haystack!"
As he said that, he looked at the crowd and said, "Do you know how many feudal merchants there are in the capital?"
"How much?"
"There are some from Xifan and Nanyang, at least 50,000 of them!"
"So many?" Everyone was surprised.
"Yes, after the opening of the sea, there were more people. They were spread all over the six streets and nine roads. Some of them lived seriously in inns and guild halls, and some rented scattered houses in the city. Some of them had even taken root long ago, married Chinese women, had children, and hid in the streets. Now they deliberately keep a low profile to avoid the limelight, and their traces are even harder to find."
"What's even more terrible is that these people are deeply involved behind the scenes. The local gangs, the Cao Gang shipping gang, the Fujian, Zhejiang and Guangdong Chamber of Commerce that do maritime business... who hasn't benefited from these feudal merchants?"
"Those publicity posts can spread all over the Xizhi Gate vegetable market overnight. Without these local snakes behind them to help cover up their whereabouts and pass on the news, how could a few strangers be able to do it so quickly and covertly?"
"No matter how many people Commandery Commandant Office and Enforcement Hall have, they still have to dig their way through this muddy water inch by inch. There are not so many quick ways to cut through the mess! Now it's just a matter of patience to see who reveals the truth first, or if we are lucky enough to catch the tail of those who spread the word."
"These feudal merchants... are very slick!"
Hearing this, Li Yan also frowned.
There are indeed a lot of people. If it is really Zhao Qingxu, they must have taken precautions in the middle. I am afraid this line is not so easy to draw.
"So be it."
Thinking of this, Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Brother Luo continue to search, I will go to the Qiankun Academy tomorrow. No matter what tricks Zhao Qingxu plays, the target is the academy's artifact, and it will inevitably show its flaws."
"That's fine, you must be careful."
It was already midnight when I left Mystic Sacrificial Official.
Everyone was tired from the journey and went to sleep directly after returning to Rouyuan Posthouse.
The next day, before dawn, Li Yan woke up.
Hearing rustling outside the window, I opened the window and saw that it had been raining continuously all night.
As usual, he first played the Red Fist top ten games in the room.
Buzz buzz!
Different from last year, now he has entered Pellet Strength, and his body actually makes a roaring sound while practicing.
That was the sound of Martial Power's blood running wildly.
Pellet Strength veteran boxers who have been here for decades would not dare to do this. If anything goes wrong, the meridians will be damaged.
But Li Yan has no scruples, as if walking on a tightrope.
His support is naturally Great Luo Dharma Body in his body.
Click!
Just when he was frantically testing the bottom line, another crack appeared on Great Luo Dharma Body.
Li Yan frowned slightly and quickly stopped breathing.
Today's Great Luo Dharma Body is in dilapidated condition, and we don't dare to mess around as usual.
But having said that, Zhao the Donkey went to the Qiankun Academy and should have come back long ago, but when he returned to Rouyuan Posthouse last night, he saw no one.
Feng FeiYan was very anxious. Even though the college sent a message saying that Zhao the Donkey was fine, he couldn't sleep at night.
Could it be that something unexpected happened over there...
After simply tidying up and having breakfast, Li Yan took Sha LiFei out.
This time I went to the academy mainly to check out the situation.
They have a lot of luggage, many of which are valuables, so they can only leave Wang Dao Xuan and Lu San to take care of them.
The drizzle is like a drizzle, and the chill penetrates my skin.
The horses' hooves broke through the Official Road mud, and Li Yan and Sha LiFei rode in tandem, galloping towards the eastern suburbs.
Rain dripped down the edge of the hat, blurring the vision into a gray curtain.
As soon as we approached the hilly areas of the eastern suburbs, the atmosphere suddenly changed.
At the bifurcation of Official Road in front, three temporary wooden gates were newly added, with horses and horses arranged densely, and the spikes shone coldly in the rain.
The elite soldiers of the guard station stood solemnly in the rain, their armors covered with a thin film of water, and their eyes scanned the surroundings like hawks.
This is Official Road, but on the muddy road, there are no traces of idle cars and horses.
"Stop the car! This important area in the eastern suburbs, no one is allowed to enter!"
The captain snorted coldly, and all the men around him bent their bows and drew arrows.
Sha LiFei grinned and cursed, "Grandma, are you treating this place as a Forbidden City defense?"
"Cut the nonsense!"
Li Yan whispered, then tightened the reins, reached into his arms and took out something.
It was a token with an ebony base, inlaid with gilt Cloud Pattern on the four corners, and the words "Thorough Research" clearly engraved in the center.
There is also a line of small words below. "Based on this survey, the eastern suburbs will be unobstructed."
This is the pass order that Luo MingZi helped apply for.
In the eastern suburbs of the capital, there are not only Qiankun Academy, but also Divine Mechanism Camp, so two guard stations are permanently stationed and blocked.
The lieutenant checked the authenticity of the token, and carefully checked the document seal and Li Yan's face. Only then did the iron-like coldness on his face fade. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Let's go! I'm going to the academy with Divine Mechanism Camp. There will be a patrol post for five miles, and don't go near the restricted area!"
The wooden fence suddenly moved away, and Li Yan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much."
The two rode their horses and continued forward, climbing to the top of the hill, their eyes suddenly opened up.
Under the drizzle, two huge building complexes in the distance looked at each other across the undulating ridges, like giant beasts dormant in the rain and fog.
The building complex on the east side is built against a steep cliff. The bluestone wall several feet high is as thick as an iron gate. The wall is as cold and straight as a knife and an axe, with no decoration. There is a jagged parapet on the top of the wall, and the outline of the gun emplacement and the observation tower can be vaguely seen.
You can vaguely see the huge iron door tightly closed, with a plaque hanging above it, and the words "A Powerful Place of Divine Power" like a sword unsheathed.
What is even more surprising is that several surprisingly thick dark cast iron chimneys pierced the rain curtain, standing proudly and emitting thick smoke.
Boom! Boom!
Sounds as heavy as muffled thunder came intermittently from the high walls, and could be heard from such a distance.
"Good guy, is that a blacksmith's furnace?"
Sha LiFei was surprised, with a look of disbelief on his face.
Li Yan also frowned slightly, thoughtfully.
Divine Mechanism Camp is responsible for the forging of the Great Xuan Dynasty court firearms. Because there are coal mines in the eastern suburbs and gunpowder is dangerous, they are placed here.
Looking at this, could it be that there is already a factory?
Although it feels impossible, there is Mo Sect in this world, and maybe he can come up with something powerful...
Looking across the mountain to the right is Qiankun Academy.
This academy is also spread out against the mountain, and its scale is staggering.
Looking from a distance, it looks a bit like Imperial College, but it is much enlarged and magnificent.
A striking central axis runs through the layout.
Huge palaces with double eaves, verandahs and roof tops are lined up in rows. The glazed tiles lose their luster under the dark sky, but they look more solemn.
The thick red lacquer door pillars are extremely thick and thick, and the huge white stone pillars are upwards in layers.
Looking from a distance, there are some strange-shaped buildings scattered on the sides and rear of the main building complex:
There is a polygonal stone tower that is as square and solid as a fortress, with a huge copper pipe built above it, which looks like a telescope...
There are a series of workshops with arched windows and long windows, and smoke pipes on the roof are crisscrossed. Although they are not as thick and scary as Divine Mechanism Camp, they are numerous in number...
The entire academy was shrouded in the rain, looking extremely quiet, dignified and solemn.
"It seems that the imperial court is really attentive..."
Li Yan couldn't help but whisper softly when he saw this.
He had heard Yan Jiuling say that the academy's funds were allocated again and again, and even the national treasury was allocated.
In order to complete the work in time, craftsmen and tens of thousands of people from all over the country were recruited, which cost a lot of money and many courtiers complained about it.
If the treasury had not been filled after the opening of the sea, it would not have been possible to build it.
The two reined in their horses and stopped at the top of the mountain, their eyes moving between the two mountains.
Divine Mechanism Camp and Qiankun Academy look across the valley from a distance, seeming to be in confrontation, but at the same time they are dependent on each other in the Unseen.
Sha LiFei smacked his teeth, shook his head and said, "These two places, I feel, will not be fuel-efficient in the future!"
"That's natural."
Li Yan murmured, "A fatal thing, a revolution, Human Path I am afraid that change will start from now on, let's go!"
After that, he took Sha LiFei on horseback and followed the mountain road to the Qiankun Academy.
Arriving at the entrance, the academy gate is even more grand. It has two darkened cast iron doors and is engraved with huge hexagrams of "Qian" and "Kun".
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and his expression became solemn.
The feng shui of this academy has obviously been arranged by an expert, and it has been circulated like Celestial Fiend Qi. It actually feels like Blessed Grotto-Heavens.
There were six sergeants guarding the door. When he saw them, his eyes immediately became full of scrutiny.
Before Li Yan could step forward, the corner door on the side of the door opened with a creak.
But four stewards were seen staggering out carrying a huge rattan basket filled with colorful and strange ores.
Followed by Old Taoist, with a white beard and a fluttering white beard. The front of Gebu's robe was tied around his waist. The cuffs were stained with cinnabar and charcoal ash. He shouted anxiously:
"Be careful! Don't shake..."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly felt something in his heart and raised his head, saying with great joy, "Li Shi, you are finally here!"
Li Yan also had a smile on his face, "Senior, you're fine."
The old Daoist was Wang Jingxiu, an alchemy Daoist from Wudang Mountain, who was also employed as a teacher in the academy.
Without waiting for Li Yan to ask any more questions, Wang Jingxiu strode over, pulled his sleeves and walked inside, saying with excitement on his face:
"I'm here just in time. Let me introduce you to a few people. Our academy is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers..."