"Mount Tai is haunted?!"
Wang Dao Xuan stroked his beard and said with a dumb smile, "How is it possible? This news is too outrageous. Where is Mount Tai? Five Sacred Mountains, Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak's territory!"
"The center of Xuanmen is haunted? This is the greatest absurdity in the world! If there really was something causing trouble, the Yin soldiers and gods under Mount Tai Prefect would have torn it apart long ago."
Fatty Lin also interjected. "Yes, Brother Sha, did you listen to some idle talk in some teahouse? Rumors are flying all over the sky these days. We just experienced those bad things at Jinan Prefecture, so we can't make a fool of ourselves."
Only Li Yan frowned slightly, thoughtfully.
His trip was originally for the "change of position of Mount Tai Prefect".
Could it be because of this?
Sha LiFei Seeing that everyone didn't believe it, he stamped his feet anxiously and shouted, "Hey, this is not made up! People can spread rumors, but if those who listen to rumors talk nonsense, their signs will be smashed within two days."
He cleared his throat, took out a crumpled piece of paper from his arms, and began to explain in detail, "First of all, the rumors of hauntings do not come out of thin air."
"Since last month, at three o'clock every night, 'whimpering ghost cries' have been heard near Dai Temple. The sound is as shrill as a knife scraping iron. What's even more sinister is that some people have seen human-shaped 'will-o'-wisps' floating randomly in the ruins of Bixia Temple."
Sha LiFei paused, looked at Wang Dao Xuan's face solemnly, and continued, "The second case is a disappearance case. The students of 'Mount Tai Academy' in the city sold the news, and several Old Taoist gentlemen of Mount Tai Shangqing Palace suddenly disappeared."
"There is a Daoist priest named Zhang Mingzhen who usually guards the incense of Jade Emperor Peak. Three days ago, he disappeared out of thin air during the night watch. His fellow priest found his Peach Wood Sword on the stone steps, broken in two and stained with black blood!"
"The last one was a local police officer who told the truth while drunk. Yesterday, Commandery Commandant Office people were patrolling Mount Tai on horseback at night, and they encountered a group of 'paper figures carrying sedans'. The paper figures with red cheeks and black eyes were carrying a sedan with a black roof. The curtain of the sedan opened a corner, revealing a pale face."
"They wanted to chase, but they were swept away by a burst of Yin Wind. With so many weird things happening together, the government even deployed troops to seal the mountain, clearly to suppress evil spirits!"
Seeing Sha LiFei's serious face, the others also looked at each other.
At this moment, Li Yan Yan finally spoke, "This may be true, I can't say, but Mount Tai something big did happen."
After saying that, he pointed to the sky.
Wang Dao Xuan, Sha LiFei and others suddenly understood.
This is the meaning of Heavenly Secret which cannot be leaked.
Fatty Lin and Kuai Dayou had puzzled faces.
Sha LiFei glanced at Li Yan, and seeing no objection, he smiled mysteriously and said, "We are all our own people, and I won't hide anything from you. Yan XiaoGe is not only Living Underworld Messenger, but also has the identity of a heavenly official, so you know..."
"Heaven official?"
All three of them looked confused.
Living Underworld Messenger Not many people know about it, let alone Tianguan.
Even among Daoists, only a few people understand it.
Sha LiFei briefly told the story, and the three of them immediately guessed why Li Yan couldn't say more about this matter.
"Tsk tsk, there are indeed a lot of secrets in this world."
Kuai Dayou chuckled, his eyes full of interest.
He tried to join Twelve Yuan Chen, firstly because of Li Yan's reputation and the wonderful encounters on the road, and secondly because he wanted to keep company with Kong Shangzhao, whom he liked.
To put it bluntly, I'm just joining in the fun.
But along the way, I felt more and more that Li Yan and his team were hiding deep.
Wang Dao Xuan's face also became solemn, and he said thoughtfully, "It seems that there is indeed a problem with this matter. Mount Tai is the place where yin and yang meet. If yin and yang are out of balance due to certain things, it is normal for ghosts to take advantage of it."
As he said that, he looked at Li Yan, "Yan XiaoGe, what do you think we are going to check?"
Li Yan said in a deep voice, "The situation is unclear, and I have no clue yet."
"Currently, the officers and soldiers have sealed off the mountain. Tonight the Daoist priest and I will use escape techniques to investigate. Old Sha You guys continue to inquire about the news. It is not yet clear what the situation is at Mount Tai. It is best to be careful."
At night, Tai'an City is still lively.
This is Mount Tai, the place where emperors enshrine Zen. It has been very popular since ancient times. Many people even formed incense groups and came from all over Divine Land.
These incense-burning groups went back and forth for several months. When the government suddenly closed the mountain, they were naturally unwilling to leave just now, so they all stayed in the city.
The inn was full, and the teahouses and restaurants were brightly lit.
As you get closer to Mount Tai, the hustle and bustle of the city disappears.
The night was as thick as ink, the mountain wind carried the smell of moist earth, the shadows of the woods were whirling, the huge silhouette of Mount Tai was dormant in the darkness, and an indescribable sense of depression came over my face.
On the Official Road leading to the mountain gate, there were long lines of torches, and the sound of armor clashing and shouting was extremely harsh in the quiet night.
Teams of officers and soldiers armed with guns and knives guarded all entrances and side roads.
Their expressions were Solemn and Killing Intent, and they even carried a large number of firearms. Their eyes scanned the mountains and forests under the night vigilantly, as if enemies would jump out of the darkness at any time.
After passing through this outer blockade composed of government soldiers and horses, and approaching the beginning of the winding road, the atmosphere suddenly changed.
The air is filled with sandalwood, the faint burnt smell of burned talismans, and a vague, mixed Spiritual Energy smell.
At several key nodes, monks patrolled in twos and threes.
Although they are Daoists, they dress differently.
Those with high crowns and Cloud Pattern embroidered on the corners of their sleeves are disciples of the Shangqing Palace.
A female cultivator with hairpins and elegant clothes, from the Bixia Yuanjun Mansion.
Those dressed in black and powerful clothing, with Law Sword on their backs, and eyes as bright as lightning, are Mount Tai Thunder Institute's law enforcement disciples.
In addition, there are also monks of the Jade Emperor Temple series who are wearing bright yellow robes, facing the Tianhuang in their left hand, and holding Law Sword in their right hand.
This is the characteristic of Mount Tai Orthodoxy.
Mount Tai Eighteen plates, from the bottom of the mountain to the mountain, there are countless temples and temples, plus the Buddhist temples and sects with a radius of hundreds of miles around, the number of people is really quite large.
Like Emei, it is more like a sectarian alliance.
There are big ones and small ones, there are Buddhas and Daoists, and their positions are all different.
But at this moment, these low-level monks who usually have sectarian opinions and even disputes are forcibly bound by invisible pressure and orders.
They are neither close nor far from each other, and are mostly silent.
Even when talking, his voice was kept extremely low, and every word was filled with caution.
"It's already the seventh day, and the elders haven't moved yet?"
A Shangqing Palace middle-aged Daoist priest was worried and looked up at the winding road swallowed by darkness and clouds.
A female disciple from the Bixia Yuanjun Temple next to her spoke softly, with a hint of complaint. "Who knows, we are only asked to guard the ground below and never leave. They also said that the mountain is sealed off from all outside exploration. But in this mountain..."
She paused and looked into the darkness, "I always felt like something was watching."
"Silence!"
A Leiyuan disciple scanned the surroundings vigilantly and scolded in a low voice, "Just keep your duty. Since the elders are discussing in Jade Emperor Peak, they must have a point. I see that Spiritual Qi in the mountain is indeed disordered and abnormal, and it is feared that a big disaster will occur, which is unusual."
"Disaster?"
The Jade Emperor Temple monk snorted, with a rough voice, "I'm afraid something bad would have happened a long time ago. The night patrol disciple a few days ago... Zhang Mingzhen, what a good Root Bone, it's gone as soon as he quits! Even the Five Thunder Tokens he was protecting was broken!"
"We Jade Emperor Temple are near the water. I can feel that Earth Qi's pulse was twitching like a cramp that day. It's not as simple as an ordinary evil spirit causing trouble!"
"Because it is not simple, the elders need to gather together to discuss. Maybe... they are setting up some amazing magic circle." Shangqing Palace Daoist priest tried to comfort.
"Array?" The disciple of Leiyuan sneered, his voice lowered, with a hint of indescribable subtlety, "If it is really an upright and upright mountain-protecting array, is it necessary to avoid even the eyes and ears of our fellow disciples?"
"Only the descendants of those old guys guarding the top door? I always feel..." He didn't say any more, but doubts slipped into the minds of everyone present.
Upon hearing this, the monks from all sects fell into a brief silence.
"It's changing of the guard, stop chewing your tongue!" came a steady voice, coming from another team.
The previous people exchanged worried looks with each other, stopped talking, merged silently into the darkness, and retreated to the tent in the forest behind.
Just as these groups of monks were handing over, under the Qiu Jin ancient pine trees in the distance, a turbid water stain that was almost integrated with the wet rocks squirmed silently.
Passing through the monks' defense line, the figures of Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan slowly emerged.
Their whole bodies were wrapped in a thin layer of constantly flowing Xuan Shui Gangsha, which perfectly isolated their own breath.
<North Emperor Black Water Escape> is invisible, Wang Dao Xuan uses "Five Directions Fengdu Banner" to cast <Five Ghosts Transportation Technique>, and cooperates tacitly to easily break through the defense line.
But the two of them looked at each other and saw solemnity in each other's eyes.
The few words spoken by the guards just now contained important information:
Mount Tai abnormality has continued to worsen for seven days.
The world in the mountain Spiritual Qi is in chaos, and the high-level sect members are meeting secretly. These lower-level monks are strictly isolated from the outside, and only a handful of close disciples are allowed to guard the door.
"Jade Emperor Peak..." Li Yan's eyes penetrated the night and cast towards the mountain top shrouded in darkness and hazy clouds above the winding road, frowning slightly.
"What an awesome array."
Wang Dao Xuan also felt something, and said in a deep voice, "As expected of the Lord of the Five Sacred Mountains, if we go any further, Divine Ability will probably be suppressed, and his spell will also alarm others."
Li Yan's eyes were firm, "I have to go up and take a look. I'll use the Light Body Technique."
"Don't worry."
Wang Dao Xuan quickly stopped him and took out a tortoise shell compass from his arms.
This Mystic Turtle Shell compass was obtained from the Dragon Palace Water Mansion in Shuzhong. It can ignore Killing Intent interference and is a priceless treasure for the Earth Master.
After he took it out, he saw that the pointer on it was always pointing towards the top of the mountain.
He took out an ordinary compass from his pocket, and the pointer was spinning rapidly.
"Fortunately, it works."
Wang Dao Xuan handed over the compass, "There is a large formation guarding the mountain. Divine Ability is suppressed and the spell cannot be used. This thing can help you go up the mountain."
"Okay, the Daoist priest is waiting here."
"Be careful."
Watching Li Yan holding the compass and disappearing into the darkness, Wang Dao Xuan looked worried.
But he knew that Li Yan's persistence was definitely not a trivial matter...
On the other side, in Tai'an City.
Except for the conspicuous Wu Ba and Long Yan'er, Sha LiFei and others followed Li Yan's arrangement, divided into two groups, and blended into the city to inquire for information.
At this moment, the city was bustling with people, stranded pilgrims, traders who came after hearing the news, and patrolling soldiers mixed together. There was tension hidden in the bustle.
This kind of noise has become the best cover.
Sha LiFei is paired with Fatty Lin and Kong Shangzhao.
This is the best choice. Kong Shangzhao comes from the Mingde Academy. Although it is not as good as Li Yan and Lu San, it is not weak in skill and practice, and Fatty Lin is full of treasures.
Lu San and Kuai Dayou, who are more powerful, walk together.
This is also a test. The three of them are separated to see if they can act together. If they act recklessly, they will not be able to stop them no matter how strong they are.
Sha LiFei is experienced in the world of martial arts. He took the other two people and shuttled between markets and inns, trying to capture useful information from chats in wine shops and street discussions.
Unfortunately, there are different opinions on the closure of the mountain.
After searching again and again, I could only get some fragments of hearsay.
At the same time, in a relatively quiet alley in the northwest corner of the city, Lu San and Kuai Dayou were sitting by the window of a small wine shop.
Lu San doesn't like hustle and bustle by nature, so he looks for such corners with few people.
Kuai Dayou has figured out the nature of Lu San and knows that persuasion is useless, so he simply shuts up and talks about some secret techniques and structures.
He has prepared an organ altar for Wang Dao Xuan.
If Lu San can also get one and place a spiritual pet, then adding Twelve Yuan Chen will probably not have any obstacles.
Lu San is also very interested and asked again and again.
The two talked for a long time, and it was late at night before they knew it. Just when they were about to leave, the store door opened with a creak.
A dusty figure with a slightly tired look walked in.
This man has a lean figure, wears whitewashed soap-colored clothes, and carries an inconspicuous old leather bag around his waist. His steps are steady and unnoticeable.
After sitting down, he glanced around the store cautiously before asking the waiter for a bowl of some noodles.
Lu San frowned slightly, they had seen this person before.
It is Jinan Prefecture Yanei, the "god catches" Bai Lao Jiu.
I saw the "Magic Catcher" Bai Lao Jiu finishing the noodles in a hurry, taking out a square piece of paper from his arms, dipped his finger in some water, and quickly smeared it on the table a few times, as if he was recording or calculating some trajectory.
His brows were furrowed, his eyes were solemn, and he looked out the window warily from time to time.
When he saw the two Lu San, his eyes suddenly lit up and he trotted over quickly. He held his hands respectfully and said, "Bai Lao Jiu has met these two heroes."
Lu San didn't want to answer, but Kuai Dayou asked with great interest, "Isn't this Senior Bai, the God of Jinan? Why are you here in Tai'an City?"
Bai Lao Jiu's voice was obviously a little nervous, and he whispered, "To tell you the truth, I am also very busy, and I have been ordered by the governor to track down the murderer of Yansheng Duke."
"Any clues?" Kuai Dayou asked.
"Sure!"
Bai Lao Jiu didn't talk nonsense and said, "Grandmaster Lu personally wrote to ask, and Lao Mountain heard the news, and it turned out to be one of their monks."
"This Human Path number Xuan Wei is from Li Family Village. He practiced in seclusion at Lao Mountain and only came out recently. I used this to collect information and found that this person is probably in Tai'an."
"Yo~"
Kuai Dayou sneered, "This alone can confirm it."
Bai Lao Jiu was silent for a moment and said in a deep voice:
"We found clues that the woman who was forced to death by Kong family was his daughter, and the Attendant who was captured in Kong Zhenlin's house..."
"Also from Li Family Village!"