The morning fog is slightly cold, and the water waves lap against the rocks by the river.
On the crackling bonfire, Lu San was smoking a few fish with branches stuck in them. From time to time, he sprinkled the spices and Salt Ba he brought with him, and soon the fragrance spread.
He handed it to Wang Dao Xuan, took the warm wine from the Daoist's hand, and had breakfast while chatting.
As for Wu Ba, who has a bigger appetite, he gnawed on half a wild boar roasted last night. His mouth was full of oil and his clothes were stained without caring.
The three of them all looked a little embarrassed, and they smelled bad.
There was no way they could do it. Ever since they left Yangzhou Pier and started following the clues, they hadn't had a good night's sleep. They were exploring, chasing, and fighting enemies with unknown origins, and they didn't have much time to wash up.
But what was even more unlucky were the people opposite them.
Wearing black clothes, some have long hair and beards, or some have fleshy faces, all of them look fierce, but they all have gray heads and dirty faces, and are tied up with straw ropes and unable to move.
The pebbles beneath them made them feel uncomfortable. The river breeze numbed their limbs all night long, and smelling the alluring fragrance made their minds a little confused.
"Heroes, can you... give me someone who stutters?"
One of them finally couldn't help but ask.
"Easy to say."
Wang Dao Xuan smiled slightly and dangled the grilled fish in front of a few people, making their mouths water. Then he said, "Whoever strikes first will eat first."
Several people looked at each other and remained silent.
Wang Dao Xuan didn't care, shook his head and sighed, "What a pity, I can't enjoy this fragrant fish meat. Yellow Springs Road I will be a starving ghost on earth, and I won't be able to live in the netherworld."
These people gritted their teeth and simply closed their eyes, pretending not to hear.
"Daoist priest, don't worry."
Lu San, who was standing next to him, said coldly, "Yan XiaoGe and the others are coming later. If Long Jie takes action, no one can survive!"
While talking, there was movement on the canal in the distance.
But I saw the treasure ship Lin Family breaking through the morning fog and approaching slowly.
As soon as they docked, Li Yan, Sha LiFei and Long Yan'er quickly disembarked and met Wang Dao Xuan and others.
Looking at the prisoners caught on the ground, Li Yan's eyes flashed coldly:
"That's them?"
He received the secret message from the falcon, and Wang Dao Xuan and others followed the clues. Unfortunately, they were a step too late. Yangzhou Cauldron had been taken away, and the demon rebelled in Taihu Lake.
The only gain is to catch a few scum of the world.
"That's right."
Wang Dao Xuan patted the dust on his body, shook his head and said, "Pintao used paper cranes to track and grab the opponent's tail. It's a pity that these people used firearms to obstruct him and missed the point."
"Okay, let's get on the boat first."
Li Yan called everyone on board and headed straight down the river towards Jinling.
After the Wang Dao Xuan three simply washed up, they gathered at the bottom of the cabin again.
Looking at these guys who were pretending to be dead with their eyes closed, Li Yan was too lazy to talk nonsense. He looked directly at Long Yan'er and nodded slightly.
swish swish...
Long Yan'er raised his hand and released dense Sesame Gu.
These Gu worms look small, like black sesame seeds, and you can't even see the legs, feet, mouth, and eyes, but they are very fierce and can penetrate into people's skin.
Regardless of the itching or pain, it is very unbearable.
"Ah--!"
Soon, shrill screams echoed through the cabin.
These people can be considered tough guys, but even a tough guy can't stand this Sesame Gu. In less than half a stick of incense, his nose was full of tears and he revealed the true story.
It turns out that these guys are all good players in Jiangnan Greenwood Path. They are notorious local murderers. They were chased by the government and had no choice but to join "Cocoon Clothes Cult" after being recommended by someone.
This "Cocoon Clothes Cult" was established by Lady Lei Yin.
Speaking of which, its teachings are also related to the sericulture industry.
Because silkworms broke out of cocoons and turned into butterflies, the ancients believed that silkworms could reach the sky. Wearing silk clothes made of silkworms could soar to the sky like silkworms.
Therefore, the word "Silkworm" consists of two parts: "Heaven" and "Insect".
The so-called "cocoon clothing" means a mortal body, and its teaching is to cultivate the inner, Attendant spirit, and when you die, you can shed your mortal body and become an immortal, avoiding the suffering of reincarnation.
This Lady Lei Yin claims to be the reincarnation of Leizu, the wife of ancient Yellow Emperor. Taking advantage of the devout faith of the silkworm farmers in "Silkworm Flower Goddess", they use black magic to create various miracles or spread epidemic diseases to lure the mulberry farmers and silkworm farmers into religion.
For important people, use "Silkworm Zombie Curse" to control them.
They develop secretly, have a strict hierarchy, use "cocoons" to distinguish status, grow secretly, hold meetings frequently, and use sorcery to punish leakers.
Lei Yin, with the help of Ghost Opera Troupe, conquered various underworld masters.
Therefore, in a short period of time, the organization has quietly grown...
Li Yan frowned, "How did you take away Yangzhou Cauldron?"
This is his biggest doubt.
No matter in Chengdu or Luoyang, when the tripod came out, the earth would shake and the mountains would shake, but this time it was silent, which really made him feel uneasy.
After hearing this, the prisoners all closed their mouths, with fear mixed with admiration in their eyes.
"Say it quickly!"
Li Yan shouted loudly, and Long Yan'er urged Sesame Gu again.
Finally, someone couldn't bear it anymore and told a shocking secret:
"Lady Lei Yin asked us to dig up a barren grave and open the coffin in a dream. There was a newborn child inside, like a monster, eating his mother's placenta..."
"This monster was brought back, and several waves of monks, Daoist priests, and divine men came and went. I don't know what tricks were used. The child ate and grew like crazy all day long. In less than half a year, it was as big as an adult man, and it also started to eat people..."
"He can also spin silk and make cocoons. We found a cave in the mountain and put it into the underground river with a hemp rope. It didn't take long to catch a large cocoon and load it on a boat to Taihu Lake..."
Listening to his story, everyone felt it was unbelievable.
This kind of thing is rare even among those Strange Tales legends.
Wang Dao Xuan stroked his beard thoughtfully and said, "How did you convince Zhou Yinyao?"
"Who is Zhou Yinyao?" The man looked confused.
Wang Dao Xuan said, "He has a nickname, 'Green Frost Boiled Stone Old Man'!"
"Zhou Yinyao" was the first information they got. He was a legendary immortal, recorded in <"Taiping Guangji"> and "Xianzhuan Supplements". He was good at Grand Yin Body Refining Art and had faked death and reborn several times. Li Yan was suspected to be Earth Immortal Netherworld Criminal.
"It's that old man..."
The man nodded quickly, "The old man ignored us at first, but before going out, the empress gave us a letter. After reading it to the old man, his expression changed immediately, and he told us the location and left in a hurry."
"What was written in the letter?"
"The empress said she had put a curse on it, so no one dared to look at it."
"Did she ever say what she wanted to use Yangzhou Cauldron for?"
"The empress said that with this cauldron, the imperial court will not dare to act rashly, otherwise it will detonate the ground in Jinling and even the entire lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the river will flow back, causing countless deaths and injuries..."
"Son of a bitch!"
"Wrongful behavior!"
Everyone heard this, and their expressions suddenly changed.
Although I knew that Jianmu Demon Man were all cruel, I didn't expect that Lei Yin was so heartless and crazy that he threatened the lives of millions of people.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the cabin was oppressive and dead.
"Knock him out first!"
Li Yan snorted coldly, turned around and came to the deck.
"Oh, this is difficult to handle."
Sha LiFei also walked out, scratching his bald head and looking sad.
"Let's talk about it first when we get to Jinling."
Li Yan looked solemnly and looked into the distance.
But on the water of the canal, a navy warship was slowly moving forward...
In this depressing atmosphere, the treasure ship sped up.
The closer you get to Jinling City, the more Solemn and Killing Intent the scene on the canal becomes.
Along the way, more and more naval warships were urgently mobilized by the imperial court. Police flags were flying throughout the canal, and the cannons were heavily guarded. Every time they reached a key river channel, they would set up blockades to intercept them.
All commercial and passenger ships will be strictly inspected.
They have the token Qiankun Academy, so the journey is naturally smooth.
The treasure ship sailed through Longjiang Pass, and the river suddenly converged.
But seeing the shadow of the ancient city spreading on the water in the distance, Li Yan and others standing on the bow of the boat could already feel the Solemn and Killing Intent atmosphere permeating this ancient capital of six dynasties.
The bow of the ship hurriedly stepped forward, pointed to the stone city in the distance to the west, and said, "Masters, this is the outer gate of Jinling, Guanyin Gate."
As he spoke, he muttered with some worry, "Young master, I don't know what's going on..."
Everyone looked up and saw that on the hills to the left of the river, the city walls made of rammed loess were winding like dragons, with beacons facing each other. There were banners flying above them and many artillery had been deployed.
There are still two miles away from the water gate, and there is another sentinel boat intercepting the river.
Two Banner Officer officers approached in an eight-oared speedboat. The bow of the boat also had a blunderbuss, and the black hole of the blunderbuss was pointed directly at the treasure ship. They were forced to stop and board the ship for inspection.
After checking the road citation documents, the leader, the young Banner Officer, had sharp eyes like an eagle and said in a deep voice, "Since you are all sorcerers, you should go to City God Temple to register immediately after entering the city. If there is any concealment, you will be punished by military law!"
After that, he ordered his men to write down their names.
Li Yan and others looked at each other and said nothing.
It seems that the rules in Jinling City are very strict.
After entering the Guanyin Gate, the boat turned into the moat. But between the two walls of the outer city and the capital, there was actually a different world.
Makeshift barracks are densely scattered along the river, military uniforms are hanging out to dry like clouds, and the air is mixed with the smell of sweat, rust and tung oil.
Dozens of craftsmen are painting the newly built warships with tung oil, which smells fishy and sweet.
Li Yan With the tip of his ear, he heard an old craftsman who was on strike sighing in a low voice to his companion, "Last month the Japanese pirates raided Zhenjiang, and the sky here turned red with the light of the fire! It's only a hundred miles away by water, who knows if those gangs of killers will come along the river?"
"Yeah, damn the Japanese pirates, and those rioters..."
"With so many soldiers and horses, why doesn't the court take action?"
"How can we know about major military aircraft matters..."
Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan glanced at each other and had some guesses in their minds. It is estimated that the court already knew that Lei Yin owned Yangzhou Cauldron.
When we arrived at Sanshan Gate, the river defense was even tighter.
But among the thirteen gates in the capital city of Jinling, this gate is the only one that leads to water and land.
The bow of the boat inquired about the information from the nearby bow of Cao Gang, and then came back and whispered to Li Yan and others, "Gentlemen, the wind in the city is very tight now. After entering the city, please remember three things--don't ask about the location of the camp, don't talk about the number of soldiers, and don't check the official documents. I just cut off the heads of several Japanese spies last month and hung them in Yifeng Gate..."
He knew the identities of Li Yan and others, but he was still a little worried.
As soon as we entered the Sanshan Gate, we were greeted by the smell of sweat, iron tools and tung oil, carrying a strict military aura.
The city gate corridor is five feet deep, and the sound of footsteps collides and echoes on the top of the gate, making it even more depressing.
Accompanied by a loud "crunching" sound, the Thousand-Jin Sluice chain twisted, and the huge gate began to slowly fall, causing a commotion among the people waiting outside.
The sergeant on the side shouted, "Shen Hour hasn't arrived yet, why did he stop at the gate?"
The captain who ran over responded sternly, "Urgent order from the Privy Council! Starting today, the city will be closed an hour earlier! In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken!"
Everyone's hearts sank and they hurried into the city before the gate fell.
Turning to Sanshan Street, the scene is jaw-dropping.
Most of the prosperous silk and satin shops and framed painting shops in the past have closed down, but many Blacksmith Shop have been temporarily requisitioned. Bowsmiths are straightening arrow shafts in the street, wood chips are flying, iron shop furnaces are blazing, and the sound of hammering is endless.
"The soldiers are soaring to the sky, and the evil clouds are overwhelming the city..."
Wang Dao Xuan twisted his beard and sighed, "The disaster in Jinling is probably not small."
Rumble!
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves in the east sounded like thunder.
While the dust was flying, more than two hundred elite cavalry galloped out from the direction of Dakongfang.
The leader, Banner Officer, held up a black flag and wrote four dazzling characters - "Southern Military Affairs Bureau"!
The iron hoofs stepped on the wet bluestone street, splashing up the rain accumulated the day before. The cold armor of the cavalry was reflected in the water, and the people and merchants panicked and fled like a tide.
"Let's go, go to City God Temple first."
Li Yan didn't want to cause trouble, so he led everyone to Jinling City God Temple.
The location of City God Temple was not far away. They passed through the streets lined with soldiers and armor and saw the City God Temple gate with blue bricks and black tiles.
Jinling was the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, and the City God's Temple is naturally extraordinary.
The plaque on the stone square in front of the temple was newly painted with gold paint and read "Supervise Youming". Rumor has it that it was written by the emperor of the Daxuan Dynasty.
Squatting under the square are two stone swans with eyes like copper bells, and they are actually wearing dozens of old and new brocade robes.
This is a local custom in Jinling. People put the clothes of sick children on the mythical beasts. It is said that it can dispel diseases and exorcise evil spirits.
The plaque on the gate reads "He He Ming Ming", and the couplets are even more impressive:
"To subdue the southern state, unify the Jiang, Han and Huaihe rivers and bring prosperity to the people.
Supervise the world, go through spring, autumn, winter and summer to reveal the truth."
But what surprised them was that City God Temple was a little deserted at the moment.
Not long after I asked the Daoist boy at the door to hand over the post, I saw a Old Taoist wearing a crane cloak and a jade crown walking towards me. He smiled as he walked and said, "I am a poor Daoist, Zhang Jingqing, I wish you the best for Jinling City God Temple. I have heard of Twelve Yuan Chen's reputation. I am so happy."
This Old Taoist was extremely polite. Although Li Yan and others were surprised, they didn't ask much. After entering the temple to register, they said, "We have companions here. They came to Jinling with Qianhuda Anbang for trial. Can anyone know the whereabouts of True Person."
He just asked casually, but Miao Zhu's smile suddenly froze.
He frowned and whispered, "I have heard about this, but I don't know that they are also Twelve Yuan Chen people. Three days ago, all twenty-seven masters and servants of Lin trading company were imprisoned!"
Seeing Li Yan's pupils shrinking suddenly, he sighed and shook his head and said, "Tian Chiliarch died suddenly during the escort. On the day Lin Dong's family arrived in Jinling, they went straight to the Southern Military Affairs Bureau to complain and denounced Vice Minister Zhou for colluding with the Maitreya Sect to intercept and kill the officers and soldiers, and were then imprisoned."
"That's unreasonable!"
Sha LiFei stared, "Fatty Lin cooperated with Commandery Commandant Office to investigate the case, why do they put people in jail?"
Li Yan also looked gloomy. He did not expect that Tian Chiliarch was actually dead.
In the past, he and Jianmu were alone in the south of the Yangtze River and survived. However, he came here under the orders of the capital and died on the way.
The catastrophe is approaching, what the hell is this Jinling City doing...