On the stone bridge.
Seeing Ji Ping'an shaking out the red flames, emotions of surprise, surprise, and consternation clearly appeared on Ye Hongling's beautiful face.
As a martial artist sitting in a well, although her methods are not as fancy as other inheritances, she can still release her spiritual consciousness and be sensitive to the aura of spells.
"It's you!"
Her tone was complicated, her hand holding the knife was strong, and her expression became solemn.
A strange emotion arose in her heart: just now, she had wondered whether the mysterious master would appear again.
In the blink of an eye, it came true.
Ji Ping'an said "Hey", raised his hand to snuff out the talisman, and said, "Shou Ye has a good eye."
Therefore, this person was indeed a martial artist, and the spells he performed only used talismans and other magical weapons... Ye Hongling was not surprised. After a brief shock, he quickly suppressed his emotions and said calmly:
"The chief of this department was about to capture you, but unexpectedly you were sent to your doorstep."
Ji Ping'an smiled and said, "Then why don't you do it?"
Ye Hongling raised her sword eyebrows and said:
"No one has dared to challenge me for a long time. Tell me, you...or what do the forces behind you want?"
Ji Pingan glanced at her unexpectedly, his eyes became more and more approving, and he said straight to the point:
"It's inconvenient to say my identity, but there is no conflict with the imperial court on certain matters. For example, the Four Holy Religions, and others."
"Something else?"
"As far as I know, there have been a lot of cases involving curse killings in the city recently," Ji Ping'an said leisurely.
Ye Hongling's eyes suddenly narrowed, and her heart skipped a beat:
The other party is indeed not simple. You must know that she personally suppressed the information about this case. Although it is not top secret, it is not easy to find out.
In particular, the words "curse to kill" spoken by the other party made ripples in her heart.
"What do you know?!" The female martial artist leaned forward unconsciously and sounded anxious.
Although he is still quite smart, he still doesn’t have enough energy to nourish his energy... Ji Ping’an commented secretly and said with a smile:
"I am a person who values equal exchange."
"What do you want?" Ye Hongling frowned.
Ji Pingan said calmly:
"I am somewhat interested in the things involved behind this case. Therefore, I intend to cooperate with the Demon Slayer Division to investigate the case together."
He didn't beat around the bush.
Old man Tianji said it very clearly. With Tianji Pavilion's ability, we could only find out part of the situation, and the details of the file were only in the hands of this woman.
Ji Ping'an wanted to follow this clue to investigate and solve the disappearance of the Pei family leader, so he had no choice but to contact him.
Of course, sneaking in to read the dossier is also an option, but first of all... there are formations in the Demon Slayer Division, and with Ye Hongling's force, it is more difficult.
Secondly, the city of Yuhang was in turmoil, and Ji Ping'an also had the idea of establishing contact with the imperial court.
"Cooperation?" Ye Hongling was surprised and sneered:
"The leader of our department is a military general of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could he have sex with a young man like you who hides his head and shows his tail?"
No... can the word "sexuality" be used like this... Ji Ping'an said:
"Now that Kyushu is in turmoil and the era of great strife has arrived, Chief Yesi should adapt to the situation."
Ye Hongling's eyes flashed and she said coldly: "The evil words are misleading the public."
Ji Ping'an sighed:
"There is no need to test me like this. Well, to show my sincerity, I can reveal a little bit of information. The five major sects have all been mobilized, and the headmaster of the Taoist sect has personally issued a decree. In the near future, powerful foreigners will be sent to travel everywhere, and the four holy sects will The appearance is just a precursor to certain events. I think the imperial court has taken some action first...for example, secretly told you what to do, and...to keep a distance from the Taoist sect and the academy?"
Ye Hongling raised her sword eyebrows and lost her voice:
"What on earth do you know?!"
At this moment, it was as if her secret had been revealed and she could no longer maintain her composure.
You should know that the decree issued by the court was top secret. She did not tell anyone, only the prefect and a few other people knew about it.
But this mysterious person said it casually, and his words even touched on the behemoths of the five major sects. It was obvious that the information possessed by the other party far exceeded hers.
Ji Ping'an smiled and said nothing, thinking that this girl was too young after all and could not hold her breath. If I told you about the situation of the reborn person, wouldn't I be frightened and lose my composure?
Ye Hongling pursed her lips and suddenly said:
"Do you really think that I, the Chief of Staff, can't make you speak?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the female martial artist suddenly bent her knees slightly, her boots shook away a circle of dust, and her whole body shot out like a cannonball, arriving in front of Ji Ping'an in the blink of an eye.
The sword was not drawn, but the left fist was thrust out brazenly.
However, despite this, a warrior sitting in the well took action, still with a shocking sound. As soon as his fist came, there was a series of sonic booms like the roar of motors.
Ji Ping'an laughed loudly and punched out the same punch without any surprise.
Fists collide.
"Boom!"
A heavy sound sounded like a bell.
With the two fistfights as the center, the river under the bridge collapsed into water columns, from high to low. The violent force counterattacked.
Ye Hongling kicked her boots on the ground and took a dozen steps back, perfectly dissipating the force of the shock.
Among the storytellers in the restaurant, in order to exaggerate the strength, when describing the fist fight between masters, they will often use the number of steps back to judge the level of force.
But only a true martial artist would know the absurdity of this statement.
The stronger the martial arts, the more emphasis is placed on offloading force, and they will use footwork and posture to eliminate the force of the counter-shock. And if you stand still and don't take a step back, it is equivalent to using your body to resist the impact.
Unless he steps into the realm of observing the sky and transforms his body, even a monk sitting in a well will suffer internal injuries.
However, what shocked Ye Hongling was that the person in front of her actually didn't take a step back.
Compared to her "embarrassed" appearance, she just stood there, with her left hand even behind her back, looking like a master, and the smile on her face did not change at all.
A strong person in the Observation of Heaven Realm? !
This terrifying thought popped up and was immediately cut off by her. That was too ridiculous.
But how should we explain that the other party was not affected at all and could bear his punch purely with his body?
And... when they were fist-fighting just now, she clearly felt that the opponent's fist was extremely hard, different from the Gang Qi body protection, and more like a body-tempering masterpiece.
Although Ye Hongling's knowledge is not short-sighted, it is still relative. Of course, she could not think of the "organ technique" that was lost in ancient times.
What's more, he didn't expect that the person in front of him was just a lump of iron. Of course, he had no fear of repercussions.
As for human-shaped magic weapons, although they are not uncommon, they are all mechanical and very different from the living people in front of them.
For a moment, the number one female martial artist in the south of the Yangtze River actually felt the hairs on her hair stand on end, and there was a hint of awe in her eyes. She felt that her previous judgment was wrong.
This person's true strength is by no means broken.
But when did such a tyrannical warrior appear in Kyushu? Ye Hongling couldn't understand.
"Ha," Ji Ping'an looked at the confused female chief executive, smiled faintly, and lowered his right fist without any fuss, as if the blow just now was in vain:
"Now, can we continue talking?"
Ye Hongling was silent.
After a long time, she took a deep breath, stared at him fearfully, and said:
"how to cooperate?"
"Please tell me the details of the curse murder case file first." Ji Ping'an added, "It needs all the details, not the outline. This is about whether the case can be solved. Don't make any mistakes."
Ye Hongling hesitated for a moment, thinking that it was not top-secret information, and then said:
"Okay, the situation is like this..."
With her cultivation, she can already achieve a certain degree of photographic memory, let alone a file that she has studied for a long time.
It can be repeated verbatim.
The case was briefly summarized and not complicated. The general idea was that the Yamen police officers received reports one after another of people dying suddenly and mysteriously, but they didn't pay much attention at first.
After all, in Yuhang City, a lot of people would not die one day... But as a large number of people appeared in a short period of time, and the death methods were the same, they finally attracted attention and submitted it to the Demon Slayer Department.
After Ye Hongling and others investigated, they found that more than 30 people died in just ten days.
"The identities of the deceased are different, but they have almost no interaction with each other. They are all men, women, old and young. The time of death is almost all at night, and most of them die suddenly in their sleep. They are found by their family members the next day. Some people are not asleep and are doing other things. He fell down suddenly and there was no movement."
"The medical clinic and the doctor have looked at it and found nothing. They only said that they had a sudden heart attack."
"We have also investigated his recent experiences and visited the surrounding areas, but we have not found any traces related to him as a practitioner."
Ye Hongling looked obviously depressed when she talked about the case.
After Ji Ping'an heard this, he said, "It does look like a 'curse to kill' method."
Ye Hongling shook her head and said:
"I also suspected that someone was using strange spells, but I checked the yamen archives. All the known spells involving 'cursed killing' will leave traces and obtain the hair of the person who was cursed to kill, and Factors such as birth date and horoscope, but these people don’t have it.”
Ji Ping'an's heart moved and he suddenly said:
"Do you still remember the deceased's birthday?"
Ye Hongling recalled it and read it one by one.
At the end, Ji Pingan was silent for a moment and sighed:
"I know what method the other party used."
The female martial artist was stunned. She didn't expect that the other party would have the answer after only listening to the dossier once, and asked subconsciously:
"What?"
"The spell of space separation... can also be understood as a kind of curse, which has been lost for hundreds of years. Back then, when the human and demon clans were fighting, there was a person in the human Taoist alliance who was good at this, and he was a Sanren. The technique stood out in the demon-slaying event... However, this technique is evil and can not be tolerated by the right way. If I had not been in power during the war in the past, I would not have..."
Memories appeared in Ji Ping'an's eyes.
But halfway through, he seemed to touch some unpleasant memories, so he stopped and said:
"It's all a matter of old sesame and rotten millet. I didn't expect that the spell that had been lost for so long would come back..."
When Ji Pingan said the word "come back", his tone was a little complicated, and his mood even changed slightly.
However, Ye Hongling was in shock and did not notice.
Six to seven hundred years...a spell from the Dao Alliance era?
Rao is well-informed and is considered a big shot in Jiangnan. But Ye Hongling could not help but lose consciousness at this moment, shocked by the secrets of this ancient era.
Then, he looked at the person in front of him with more surprise and awe, feeling that this person was unfathomable.
Not only is he aware of the high-level trends in Kyushu, he is also very familiar with these ancient secrets and speaks them out casually.
Or, there is a powerful force behind the other party.
Or, he is an expert himself and deliberately lowered his level so as not to alarm Mr. Qi in Xishan and attract attention.
No matter which possibility, the leader of the Demon Slaying Division is quite afraid.
"Then this space-distance spell is completely flawless?" she asked.
Ji Ping'an finished his recollection, smiled in a deep voice, and said:
"You asked the right person. Regarding this technique, in the entire Jiuzhou, there are only ten people who know its heel and foot, which happens to include me."
Well...those reborn ones don't count.
"The space-distance spell does not require a medium. The only requirement is that the caster must clearly remember the appearance of the target, and when casting the spell, he must be within a certain range of the target... Well, this distance has more to do with cultivation. Da, if you are in the Heaven-Observing Realm, you can curse and kill him in a place across the country."
Ye Hongling opened her mouth and said:
"That's it? Doesn't that mean we still can't find it?"
Ji Ping'an shook his head and said, "If you know this, it won't be difficult anymore."
He explained:
"First, according to your statement, dozens of people died in ten days. In other words, several people were killed by the curse every night, and everyone's address was different and quite scattered. Also consider the caster His cultivation level will not be too high...
Oh, at least you won't sit in a well, otherwise the efficiency will not be so full, and you won't be nourishing your energy, so you won't be able to kill so fast... And in the Pojiu Realm, the casting distance is limited.
In other words, as long as you divide the deceased into several groups according to the date of death, mark the location of their death on the map, and draw a circle, then the caster must be within this range, and is likely to be close to the center. "
"Secondly, the details of the appearance must be clearly remembered. Therefore, the murderer must have seen the deceased from a distance one or two days before the curse, or even on the same day. As long as the 'movement track' of each deceased before his death can be found, outline it on the map , look for intersection points, and then you can further narrow down the location of the operator."
"Third, casting a killing curse requires a quiet environment and it is night, so this person must have a long-term stay and must go out during the day."
"Fourth..."
Ji Ping'an casually conducted an analysis based on the files and the characteristics of the curse-killing technique.
Ye Hongling was at a loss at first, but as he gave more and more points, the anxious female chief's eyes became brighter and she said:
"According to what you said, I can already locate the approximate area where he is located. Next, I just need to send people to search and question the neighbors to force him to show up!"
Ji Ping'an smiled: "It's not too stupid."
Ye Hongling, who was in excitement, ignored the teasing. She was so excited that she wanted to return to the Yamen immediately and find a map to practice.
But she immediately calmed down, took a deep breath, forced herself to regain her seriousness, and stared at the other person:
"You provided these, what do you want?"
She did not forget that the other party was talking about "cooperation" and must ask for something.
Ji Ping'an looked at her up and down several times, until the female warrior's face turned unkind, then he chuckled and said:
"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll come back to you when I need it."
After saying that, he took up his Qinggong and disappeared into the night.
The female warrior holding the hilt of the knife hesitated, but ultimately did not pursue him. The opponent was too mysterious, which made her instinctively afraid.
At this time, the commotion caused by the fight between the two finally attracted the attention of the inspection team. Ye Hongling shook her head, flew away, and returned to the Yamen.
Only a group of small patrols were left, looking at the empty stone bridge in confusion.
…
…
A quiet retreat, in the bedroom.
The moonlight shone on the floor, and the room was quiet. Only Jiang Jiang "sat" on the table boredly, looking at the window and distracted.
Suddenly, Ji Pingan, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, opened his eyes and withdrew his consciousness from the puppet.
Jiang Jiang asked curiously: "Where is the agency man?"
"It sank into the river."
Ji Ping'an pinched his brows, and in order to prevent being followed and revealing his true position, he sank the puppet to the bottom of the Qinhuai River.
It just so happened that the fist fight with Ye Hongling consumed a lot of spiritual energy, and it also took a certain amount of time for it to absorb and replenish it on its own.
He gained a lot from this trip, although it seemed that he was paying one-sidedly.
But in fact, he got the information for nothing, and even made a plan, using the Demon Slayer Division as a pawn.
"The Spell Killing Technique...could it be that people from the Liyang era were also reborn..."
"No matter whether the caster is that person or his successor, he is definitely not a stupid character. Even if he takes the risk of frequent curse killings in order to quickly recover his strength, he will never be unprepared."
Ji Ping'an thought secretly.
The advice he gave Ye Hongling was not false, but he didn't think that the Demon Slayer Division could find the caster so smoothly.
However, it is indeed possible to try to use the power of the court to further muddy the water.
"Who are you trying to trick again?" Jiang Jiang floated over at some point and looked down at him quietly.
Ji Ping'an couldn't laugh or cry: "Am I such a sinister image in your heart?"
Jiang Jiang thought about it seriously, then softened his dull face: "Yes."
"..."
Ji Ping'an was unhappy. He always felt that he was a strong man who followed the king's path, but he was always slandered as an old yinbi by some young people.
"Aren't you going to practice tonight?" Jiang Jiang asked curiously as he watched him start to take off his clothes and get on the bed.
Ji Pingan, who had consumed a lot of soul because of controlling the puppet, lay down:
"Snoring..."
Jiang Jiang:? ?
…
…
A night of silence.
At dawn the next day, Yu Yu, who was severely hit, left without saying a word and re-entered Yuhang City, vowing to get breaking news and wash away his shame.
Mu Yaoyao followed Ji Pingan's instructions, suspended the investigation, and slept in with peace of mind.
Ji Ping'an called Huang He to sit in the shop for him. He took Jiang Jiang out and left Laoliu Street.
When passing through Mud Bottle Alley, he caught a glimpse of a group of little kids gathering together in the distance, imitating the formation of soldiers in a battle formation. Hehehehaha, he couldn't help but laugh. He shook his head and left, thinking that he was quite childlike...
After walking all the way through the streets and alleys, they arrived at an urban area. Ji Ping'an jumped up and hid on the top of a higher pavilion, crossing his legs and waiting.
Jiang Jiang asked curiously:
"Where are you? What are you doing? When you went out, didn't you say you were looking for the person who was cursed to kill?"
Ji Ping'an raised his eyelids and glanced at her, and said helplessly:
"I'm just a star official, not a god. How can I find someone in such a big city by myself? I can just wait."
Jiang Jiang thought for a while and said:
"Are you sure that that person is operating in this area? But you don't want to test it yourself, but you want people from the court to be pawns?"
Ji Ping'an was very surprised. Miss Qi Ling had moved around the world more and her IQ had become higher.
This was indeed his plan. After coming back last night, he used astrology to deduce the birth dates of dozens of deceased people and roughly targeted this area:
"I bet the caster has left here. Or at least he won't appear here during the day. And as long as the people from the Demon Slayer Division are not stupid, they will definitely be able to lock this area tonight at the latest."
Jiang Jiang asked curiously: "But if that person is not here, then what's the point of waiting?"
Ji Ping'an smiled:
"You are not a human being, so you do not have a thorough understanding of human psychology. There is a phenomenon in psychology. After a period of time after the murder, the murderer will often return to the vicinity of the crime scene to conduct observations to confirm whether he has been discovered... It is the same here. If the caster is still here, we can just wait. If he is not there during the day and comes back at night to notice abnormalities, the difference will be revealed.
And if you have already left, it is very likely that you will personally or send someone to appear in the nearby area to observe the movements here and confirm whether your behavior has been discovered by the government, so as to decide whether to continue the curse or stop..."
Jiang Jiang suddenly realized:
"So, you are putting people in the court on the bright side to lure the hidden targets to the surface, while you act as a fisherman and overlook the overall situation in the darkness."
"Smart!" Ji Ping'an praised, and then said:
"But this is just an ideal situation, and there may not be any results. It's just a try."
Throughout the next day, Ji Ping'an hid here and waited quietly.
Finally, as evening approached, some disguised demon slayers began to quietly mingle among the crowd, approaching a house from all directions.
Ji Ping'an decisively asked Jiang Jiang to help him become invisible.
When the last ray of afterglow fell, the crowds in this street gradually became sparse, and Ye Hongling finally appeared, swooping silently like a wild goose into the courtyard, his consciousness swept over him, and his face darkened.
Then he dodged and opened the door. His eyes swept over the neatly cleaned and empty house. He raised his hand and picked up a half-burned one from a pile of black ashes in the house, tied with a red string and covered with yellow paper. Scarecrow of a symbol.
"It's too late!" Ye Hongling's face turned ugly.
at the same time.
On the second floor of a small restaurant in the distance, a young man who had been sitting here all day glanced out the window. Officials gathered at the entrance of an alley in the distance walked out, and his eyes moved.
"Check out." He threw out a piece of broken silver, stretched himself under the waiter's eager eyes, and walked downstairs.
I got on the carriage waiting below, and then the wheels rolled and moved towards the distance.
But they didn't realize that two translucent "ghosts" had fallen silently from a certain building and landed behind the carriage.
Jiang Jiang was quite excited, and became more and more familiar with following, until the carriage passed through the streets and alleys, and finally headed towards the east section of the Qinhuai River, where a bustling and gorgeous lights could be seen from a distance.
Then he said word by word: "Cooperate."
"Yes." Ji Ping'an held the Mountain God Staff and was walking vigorously. Suddenly, he didn't hear clearly. He thought Miss Qi Ling was talking about the next action and said:
"You will cooperate with me later and follow to see the situation."
Jiang Jiang glanced at him, then raised his right hand and pointed to the Qinhuai River in front of him, where there was a burst of fireworks with silk and bamboo orchestral music. It was also a famous romantic place in Jiangnan, and emphasized:
"Cooperate."
"..." Ji Ping'an's mouth twitched, finally remembering what he had said to her.
Just as he was thinking about how to explain, the carriage in front suddenly stopped at the shore. The young man jumped onto a boat and headed towards the painting boat on the river.
…
Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of chapter)
