"Return to Dharma Master, there is no news."
Hearing the harsh Mandarin coming from the shadows, the short man quickly responded in Mandarin.
As if he was afraid that the other party would be angry, he added hurriedly, "'Pan Peach Gathering' was destroyed a few days ago, and then Immortal Kong Hui died, Prince Yan's Mansion's manager was silenced, and even Luo Gongsheng was beheaded at the Meridian Gate yesterday... All Zhao Qingxu's lines in the capital have been cut off!"
"The situation in the city is now in chaos, and I am incompetent. I really can't detect it..."
Snap!
Before he finished speaking, Inoue's head was violently hit to the side.
As if he received a heavy slap out of thin air, a clear handprint appeared on his face.
The strange thing is that the palm print clearly has six fingers, and with the appearance of the hand print, frost instantly condenses on the skin.
Inoue felt his head was buzzing, stars were popping up in his eyes, his throat was sweet, and he couldn't help vomiting out a mouthful of blood foam with a "wow" sound, but he didn't dare to delay at all. He endured the severe pain, grabbed the ground with his head, and kowtowed with a "bang bang" sound, not daring to say any more excuses.
Just listen to the footsteps approaching from far away in the darkness.
A figure slowly walked out.
The person who came here was about thirty or forty years old, with a thin body and sharp features that exuded a sinister look. The most eye-catching thing was that half of his face seemed to have been severely burned by fire and was covered with hideous scars.
This person has two peculiar Japanese Sword slung across his waist:
A scabbard is exquisite and gorgeous, inlaid with anemone patterns.
The other handle was rusty, exuding an air of ancient vicissitudes, and was wrapped tightly in layers of white cloth stained with blood runes, with straw ropes tightly wrapped around the outside, as if it were some kind of powerful seal.
"Inoue..."
The visitor's voice was cold, and his eyes were like knives scraping at Inoue, "I heard that you were born in Kōka and were chosen to sneak into Divine Land because of your talent and agility. It seems that over the years, your sharp blade has been blunted by the splendor and prosperity of the capital, right? Or is it that your bones have also been... softened in this gentle countryside?"
"Excuse me, my lord!"
The dwarf man was covered in chaff, and fear prevented him from saying any unnecessary words.
As the visitor said, he was a spy from Japan who infiltrated Divine Land. After secretly entering the capital with a caravan, he spent several years changing his identity. He spoke and behaved just like the common people in the capital, and even married a wife.
Once something is changed, it's hard to go back.
On weekdays, he pretends to be a fool, and all he sells is lip service. He habitually shirks his responsibilities, but forgets the identity of the person in front of him.
The person in front of me is named "Tamayori Hime Kantsuki".
Although his name is weird, his status is not low. He is Onmyoji, a branch of the Abe Clan, a Daoist from generation to generation, and a core member of the Japanese "Hundred Ghosts Seat".
It is said that he was sacrificed to the evil god "Tamayori Hime" when he was a child. His body and soul were eroded by freezing rain and frost, and the right half of his body was deformed by ice. His right hand turned into a six-finger crampon, and he learned the evil secret technique "Frost Descent Child" to control the child's soul.
The ancient sword "Moon Coffin" on the waist seals the Tamayori Hime demon soul, which is extremely terrifying.
Moreover, the opponent is also a famous swordsman in Japan.
This kind of person is not qualified to kneel down and lick his toes.
Tamayori Hime Kantsuki snorted coldly, his fierce light dimming slightly.
Zhao Qingxu With this line cut off, many places really have to rely on this spy who has been rooted in the capital for many years.
Thinking of this, the stern look on his face softened a little, and he stepped forward to give me a hand, and said in a cold tone, "Thank you for your hard work. That slap... is to remind you not to forget who you are. Get up."
"Thank... Thank you, sir! Inoue... I will never forget my identity!"
The spy felt like he was being pardoned, but he still didn't dare to stand up straight, and only put his head on the cold ground tremblingly.
Tamayori Hime Kantsuki glanced at the crowd with sinister eyes and lowered his voice. "Zhao Qingxu, Zhao Changsheng... Huh, these Divine Land monsters are really unreliable! His Highness has already asserted that it is their business to mess with Divine Land, so we can just watch indifferently."
"My intention in coming here this time is just to investigate the reality of Divine Land on behalf of His Highness, to see what their so-called 'chaos' really looks like, and by the way, to get a feel for the war on the Korean Peninsula and Daxuan's attitude..."
He paused, with a cruel and greedy curve at the corner of his mouth, "That's all, since Zhao Qingxu is already a dead game, there is no use in arguing about it anymore. Our goal... now is only one!"
"How to make the 'artifact' in the Qiankun Academy!"
When the spy heard this, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly responded, "Sir, this matter... there is a chance!"
"Oh?" Tamayori Hime Kantsuki raised his eyebrows.
Inoue quickly explained, "Looking at the direction of the Great Xuan Dynasty court, this 'artifact' is by no means a thing hidden deep in the palace. It is widely promoted! At present, the major chambers of commerce and various forces in Divine Land are sharpening their heads and doing their best to stuff money into the academy and send their children, in order to get a piece of the pie and get a glimpse of the magic!"
"Even Oirat and the Nanyang mission..."
He emphasized his tone, "I am also secretly spending money and buying joints, trying to get this pattern back!"
"Just keep an eye on these people until they actually get the drawings..."
Inoue looked fiercely and made a neat knife gesture.
"Okay!"
Tamayori Hime Kantsuki's eyes flashed, and for the first time a look of satisfaction appeared on his face, "Let's do it."
After receiving the order, the spy did not dare to stay any longer. He bowed his head and almost walked backwards into the dark tunnel when he entered.
Soon, the cave became quiet again.
"Dharma Master."
A swordsman with a beard and a beard raised his hand and said, "He lives in the capital all year round. I'm afraid I can't trust him."
"It doesn't matter."
Tamayori Hime Kantsuki said with a calm expression, "I have placed a divine curse on him just now, so I can kill him at any time."
As he spoke, he looked at the top of the cave and couldn't help but sigh, "Divine Land is truly a natural treasure. The entire capital is wrapped in formations. We cannot use spells at will, otherwise we will not be able to escape with our wings."
"Get the drawings and leave immediately. Don't be troublesome..."
"Dad, what's wrong with your face?!"
As soon as the spy returned home, covering half of his face that was stinging and swollen, he was caught by a sharp-eyed child.
"No... it's okay," Inoue put on a smile that was uglier than crying, and hugged the child, "Dad... accidentally fell."
He looked over the child's head and towards the thin back of his wife who was busy in the small kitchen. His eyes struggled and flickered violently... In the end, all the complex emotions were completely swallowed up by a cold determination, leaving only naked indifference.
After haphazardly bandaging the six-finger palm print with strange frost on his face, the spy changed his clothes and walked into the noisy teahouse South City as usual.
"Hey, You Er? What's wrong with your face?" a familiar fan joked.
"Hey! Don't mention it," the spy rubbed his cheek and responded vaguely, "Fenghuo has a toothache, it hurts terribly!"
He waved his hand and skillfully blended into the noise around him.
It seemed like a casual chat, but in fact, every word was about the "artifact" that had the whole town talking.
If it were normal, the secret might be exposed.
But now, the whole capital is discussing this matter, and it won't attract more attention if you ask more questions.
Soon, I got a lot of news.
"The kiln workers around the capital heard the news and said that the 'iron monster' could do the job of a hundred or ten laborers! Many people gathered together and muttered, for fear of ruining their ancestral jobs..."
"There is also a rumor in the teahouse that a strange red light appeared at the entrance of the academy and the cold air froze. It must be a 'demon weapon that absorbs people's yang energy'!"
"Imperial Court was so noisy this morning. The old censor shouted that he wanted to 'abolish the demonic weapons and restore the sea ban'! Guess what happened? He was stripped of his official robe on the spot!"
"... On the black market, the reward for the 'artifact' blueprint is already frighteningly high!"
Listening to these collected rumors that are either true or false, worried or fearful, even Inoue, who has been lurking for many years, can't help but feel confused at this moment.
He personally felt that this huge capital city was violently agitated and boiling from the inside out because of the creation called the "artifact", like a huge ignited powder keg.
As a secret agent who has gone deep into Japan, he naturally knows the heavy pressure that "Tamayori Hime Kantsuki" will bear during this trip.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi After unifying Japan, the sword pointed at Goryeo. The battles of Wenlu and Qingchang had left Korea in danger.
Great Xuan Dynasty was busy with everything and had a normal relationship with Goryeo, so he ignored the other party's request for help.
The situation looks good, but there are also hidden worries within Japan.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi originally designated his nephew and adopted son Toyotomi Hidetsugu as his heir.
But just this year, another son was born, named Toyotomi Hideyori.
Toyotomi Hidetsugu became a stumbling block, but "Council of Five Elders" stood on Xiuji's side.
Everyone knows that a storm is brewing at Kyoto.
If it is not handled well, war may start again.
Tamayori Hime Kantsuki is a retainer of Toyotomi Hidetsugu's lineage.
If the drawings can be retrieved this time, there is still hope of inheritance...
Thinking of this, the spy stood up quietly and quietly left the teahouse amidst the noisy discussion in the hall. Like a drop of water blending into a stream, he headed towards the south of the city where there was a greater mix of fish and dragons and was easier to hide his tracks.
This was the last hiding place of those Foreign Lands merchants when the imperial court issued strict orders to investigate and arrest feudal merchants.
Being familiar with Three Religions and Nine Schools and black and white, You Er's sharp eyes quickly captured a lot of information:
The Persia businessman, wrapped in a turban, pretended to be picky about the colors in front of the counter of the porcelain shop, while his slender fingers were dipped in the tea in the cup, and he quickly traced the map of the academy in an inconspicuous corner...
A man dressed in Oirat servant uniform was loudly buying meat in front of a noisy butcher shop. While the stall owner was chopping bones, he quickly bit the ear with a local gangster who seemed to be helping him. He promised a crazy-high price reward...
Just as the Japanese spies thought, the capital city was already undercurrent.
Above Imperial Court, Emperor Xiao Qixuan took away the official uniforms of several veteran ministers, and when he went to court, he left in his roaring dragon chariot with billowing black smoke, which completely set the tone for this matter.
There are no "monster weapons", only auspicious "artifacts".
Fortunately for Open Sea Faction, their interests are overseas. They were originally supporters of the Qiankun Academy. Now that they know that the "artifact" can drive large ships to sail long distances, they are even more supportive.
Everyone knows what this means.
The most unlucky one is Native Faction.
Jin Prefecture Merchant Guild has already made rumors that Chidao will be built to relieve the imperial court.
It may seem like a disadvantage, but the inns, restaurants and restaurants along the way will be exclusively run by them.
What's more important is that wherever the Chidao is built and wherever it passes, there can be a lot of fuss in the middle.
No one noticed that many Five Paths General temples would be built at the same time.
Jin Prefecture Merchant Guild is engaged in the ticket number business, and it is connected to the world. Needless to say, its strength is strong.
Driven by it, many businessmen are moving closer to the academy.
And many of these people are Native Faction.
This force, which was originally in tit-for-tat opposition to Open Sea Faction, has shown signs of splitting...
Amidst all the chaos, Li Yan and the others ushered in a rare moment of peace.
The academy held its opening ceremony, but the number of students had not yet been fully enrolled. In addition, Steam Engine had been secretly transported away, making it difficult for outsiders to enter. The entire academy was quiet.
Li Yan and others also took this opportunity to get busy.
"This arm guard is quite exquisite..."
Inside the Hundred Crafts Pavilion, a middle-aged woman is carefully examining the arm guard "Qian Nian".
"It's Chengdu Lo Family's craftsmanship."
The woman looked calm and said, "The idea of using longitude and latitude lines to weave the sky and the earth is a good idea, but the technique is still a bit lacking."
The words were spoken rudely, but no one present refuted it.
The reason is very simple. This person is the famous "Wan Baiqiao".
When he was young, he became Suzhou Weaving Bureau's flower picker and heir of Yun Brocade. Even the Dragon Robe worn by the emperor had to be made by this "Wan Baiqiao" himself to feel at ease.
"Is there a solution?" Li Yan asked quickly.
"Wan Baiqiao" pondered for a moment and did not respond directly. Instead, he said, "I heard that Young Hero Li is good at thunder magic?"
"Understand a little bit."
Li Yan said modestly.
Wan Baiqiao is right. Not only does he know the methods of Yang Thunder and Yin Thunder, but Severing Dust Blade in his hand can also be activated with lightning methods. He also has the most powerful move "Thunder God Transformation", which can increase his combat power in this life.
"Young Hero Li is joking."
"Wan Baiqiao" just said a polite word, then said with a serious face, "I have a way with this arm guard."
"I have created the 'Kesi Thunder Pattern' method, which can weave gold threads into this arm guard. Not only can this magical weapon be improved, but it can also increase its power when you use thunder."
"Just follow the senior's opinion."
Li Yan nodded and took out the five-sided chess piece from his arms.
This is the loot left behind by the five parties who strangled Ghost Emperor Wang Xuanmo.
Yin Talisman Sect is the treasure of Zhenjiao, and its refiner is the famous Zhang Jiao.
The origin of this item is not trivial. It was refined by Zhang Jiao back then and fell into the hands of the Yin Talisman Sect.
Li Yan has seen the power of this flag and will use it as the carrier of <Five Directions Fengdu Banner>.
"This thing is actually in your hands?"
"Wan Baiqiao"'s eyes lit up and he said, "Those who refine this treasure are all masters. The old body can barely repair it, but you need to find Tao Fengchun to repair the flagpole...
Wang Dao Xuan and Long Yan'er, ask Ge Pusheng at Hundred Herbs Garden.
One of them is a Daoist priest and the other is a witch.
Being able to fully observe masters refining alchemy is also a great opportunity for them.
But what attracted the two of them even more was the many strange and unnamed flowers and plants around them.
Lu San Needless to say, when I came to the academy, I still had the same moral character. Once I closed the small door, I became a world of my own. I stayed in my room all day and was too lazy to interact with outsiders.
The busiest one is undoubtedly Sha LiFei.
"Using your hard work to nourish your gun, biting the tip of your tongue every day at Yin time and spraying the blood on the Talisman Wheel, is equivalent to practicing the 'Blood Refining' of swordsmanship..."
Master craftsmen Zhao the Craftsman and Zhou Bai Xiao simultaneously looked at the mark Sha LiFei on <Meishan Firearms Compendium>, their tone changed from disdain to surprise, "Did you come up with this?"
"That's natural." Sha LiFei also looked proud.
"It's a little difficult."
Zhao the Craftsman said directly, "Things can be made, but whether you can succeed depends on yourself. At least I have never heard of practicing using a gun as a flying sword."
"If it really happens, you may become an ancestor of the same line..."