As soon as Ji Ping'an came out, his eyes swept across the group of people in the hall, with a smile on his face:
"It's done."
He didn't explain much, and no one asked questions for a while. Luan Yu blinked her eyes and wanted to speak, but she only heard the white-bearded and white-haired old prisoner sitting beside him slowly say:
"I will have a few words with my disciple alone. Please wait a moment."
After saying that, the old star official waved his sleeves gently, and suddenly, starlight appeared on the two of them, and they disappeared without a trace.
…
When Ji Ping'an opened his eyes again, he found that he had appeared in a study room in the back office.
The door was closed, and behind a table in front of him, Qin Tianjian was standing with his hands behind his back, a rather proud smile on his face.
It was as if, after visiting "Yijingzhai" that day and being manipulated by Ji Ping'an, today he finally found an opportunity to show his strength and pomp.
All he needs to do is write the words "Am I strong or not" on his face?
Childish... Ji Pingan sighed inwardly and began to reflect that he might not be very good at educating his "disciples".
"Sit down, no one here can hear the conversation between you and me." Jian Zheng walked slowly, and Shi Shiran took a seat.
Ji Ping'an also sat down calmly. In front of outsiders, he would show more respect for his master, but in private he would not pretend... Anyway, it can be explained that he is a close disciple of the national master, and everyone is of the same generation.
The old supervisor didn't care and frowned slightly:
"What happened today?"
This is getting to the point.
Ji Ping'an glanced at him: "Didn't you figure it out?"
The supervisor blew his beard and stared:
"I just noticed that there was a fluctuation in your fate, so I went to the prison on a whim. I was surprised that you caused some trouble not long after we separated. Do you really think that the Star Officer can understand everything?
Especially when it comes to generals, in the Zhou court, all officials and generals with high enough rank in the court enjoy the protection of national destiny, which is difficult to predict... What's more, it also involves people who have come back from the dead. "
This statement is true.
Ji Ping'an was once the strongest star officer, how could he not know how difficult it was?
The higher your cultivation level, the easier it will be to divine some low-level things.
But there are still too many things in this world that are difficult to see through.
At least... not in the sky-viewing realm.
"The matter is not complicated. The story begins with Xishan Academy..."
Ji Ping'an did not hide it. After Jiang Zheng left, he was invited by Ye Hongling to go to Xishan and get involved in the case. He also met Qi Nian and told him about the incident.
"No wonder," Jian Zheng sighed, stroking his beard:
"I noticed at that time that the girl was looking for you and might be involved in something, but she is a well-wielding warrior after all, so she really couldn't see clearly."
So you sold me as a teacher... No wonder you came here when something happened to me... What a "whim", you must have been paying attention... Ji Ping'an complained in his heart.
With a calm expression on his face, he recounted the story of his subsequent arrest.
"When I saw those soldiers coming, I guessed that the case in Xishan might be involved, so I simply left with them to see if I could follow the clues and find the missing Xie Wensheng," Ji Ping'an said:
"I didn't expect that I would be the first person to be interrogated by the lieutenant."
Jian Zheng said curiously:
"He used a soul-searching technique on you?"
Ji Ping'an said "yes" and said:
"His cultivation level is not inferior to mine, but Xingguan majors in the soul, not to mention that the national master also set up some insurance for my soul in the past, so I simply used the trick... Soul-searching talismans are two-way. Whoever can take the initiative can plunder memories from the other side."
The old supervisor nodded and accepted this explanation.
As the eldest disciple of the Imperial Master, he knew very well that with the character of the Imperial Master, it was a normal operation to spend money on his close disciples before death to protect their souls from being harmed.
"So, he originally wanted to search for your soul, but in the end, he was searched for your soul instead." Jian Zheng said, "What did you see?"
Ji Pingan said:
"He is indeed leading a team to secretly search for those suspected of being 'resurrected from the dead'.
This order was issued by the God General of the Dadong Army Mansion, and several teams were sent out in total. He led the more core one, which went straight to Yuhang. Last night, he first closed the net and arrested Xie Wensheng, but failed. Before he could interrogate, he bumped into me. "
Jian Zheng nodded and his expression became serious:
"So, it is indeed the imperial court that has come to an end."
The divine generals of the Great Zhou Dynasty all obeyed the emperor's orders. Therefore, this matter was most likely an order issued by Emperor Yuan Qing and carried out by the major military offices. Dadong Divine General was only one of the executors.
Strictly speaking, this incident is not surprising. Anyone sitting on the throne would order an arrest if they learned that someone who had been resurrected from the dead appeared.
In fact, the movements are already a little slow.
"But there are two problems. One is that it is kept secret. Normally, even if you want to find a reborn person, the major government offices should be the most suitable. But both the prefect of Yuhang and Ye Hongling were kept in the dark."
Ji Pingan said:
"Secondly, the order Sun Xianzu received was not clearly stated, but the message conveyed was that he was responsible for arresting and interrogating people, regardless of life or death. Even if necessary, he would rather kill the arrested person than fall behind. in the hands of other forces."
Jian Zheng's expression changed slightly: "How could this be so?"
He also immediately realized the problem:
It's normal to search for reborn people, and it's normal to compete with other forces, but anyone can be killed regardless of life or identity, so this attitude is worth pondering.
It would be fine if the person caught was a past enemy, but what if it was the masters of the five major sects?
What if they were the great generals of the Great Zhou dynasties?
What if...the God-Emperors are already dead?
Ji Pingan said:
"Sun Xianzu does not know much about the inside story. But judging from this order, Emperor Yuan Qing does not seem to have any intention of recruiting reborn people under his command."
This sentence is quite euphemistic.
But if you look at the logic carefully, it’s not surprising:
The reason why the five major sects chose to "gather in", including demonic sects such as the Four Holy Sects, was also trying to find ways to recruit people into the group.
The purpose is very clear:
In the near future, Kyushu may undergo great changes. As peerless geniuses with no training bottlenecks, these reborns can greatly increase their own strength.
In short, in the short term, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
On the contrary, the Zhou court was on the contrary. Who could Emperor Yuan Qing recruit?
There is no need to count on the masters of the five major sects. Even masters like Jusha Sanren who lived before the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty would not be willing to surrender to a later dynasty...
The divine generals of the past dynasties were more loyal to the emperors to whom they belonged.
But if the emperors of the past dynasties are recalled... you must know that the imperial court's practice method is different from that of the sect, and it relies on "national luck".
In other words, Emperor Yuan Qing originally enjoyed the country's destiny alone.
If a bunch of ancestors are brought back and a group of emperors divide the country's destiny... it will lead to a decline in the power of the imperial court. This does not even mention the absolutely sensitive issue of "power".
Simply put: the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits.
Therefore, from the perspective of Emperor Yuan Qing, he wished to nip all threats in the cradle. No matter which force they were reborn from, it would be best to kill them all.
Otherwise, whether the ancestors return or the five major sects increase in strength, they will be a huge threat to the imperial power.
"Our current God Emperor is also a ruthless person." Jian Zheng sighed softly.
Ji Ping'an was not surprised:
"Emperors from ancient to modern times are no exception."
Jian Zheng shook his head and asked instead:
"So, you went to see that Xie Wensheng later?"
Ji Ping'an nodded and said:
"He calls himself a disciple of Xiaoyao Sect, but he refuses to say which generation he is from."
Xiaoyao Sect... The old prisoner made a serious sound, thinking of this sect that was famous for its "slumber" and "showing off", and he suddenly looked clear.
Obviously, the practitioners of this lineage are "famous" and their style of conduct makes even the supervisors shake their heads and feel that it is worthless.
Ji Ping'an said: "I told him that he can live in Yin Yang Academy in the future."
Is this poaching someone into the Qintianjian camp?
Jian Zheng glanced at him in surprise, thought for a moment, and said:
"good."
Although it is a trashy product, he is a reborn person after all, so grab it first to see if it is useful or not.
As for the Ministry of War... with his position as a supervisor, unless Emperor Yuan Qing personally issued an order to ask for someone, General Dadong would just pretend not to see it.
At the current stage of "robbing people" among major forces, Emperor Yuan Qing would not break out into conflict with Qin Tian Jian for an unclear target.
Otherwise, there would be no need for the court to "act secretly."
Ji Ping'an thought for a while and said:
"In addition, Xie Wensheng also provided information that may involve the Four Holy Religions, but it still needs investigation and cannot be confirmed."
Jian Zheng's eyes suddenly lit up, he looked at him for a while, then smiled and said:
"Just tell me when this matter comes to an end."
Ji Pingan said curiously:
"Aren't you going to investigate it yourself?"
Jian Zheng laughed and said:
"This is your training mission, how can the teacher overstep his authority?"
Although your idiom is not appropriate, it is not bad... Ji Ping'an thought to himself, not surprised by the eldest disciple's reaction.
If anyone in this world knows Jian Zheng best, it is obviously him.
This is also the reason why Ji Ping'an did not choose to conceal the information. On the one hand, he was reassured of the eldest disciple's character.
In addition, he has realized that at the moment when all the major forces are entering the situation, it is indeed difficult to compete with him alone.
Ji Ping'an was thinking about how to enhance Qin Tianjian's strength as much as possible.
Outsiders are still worried, fearing that the "Great Zhou Imperial Master" will be resurrected and return to Qintian Prison, but they don't know that the real Imperial Master has returned long ago and has begun to use the identity of "Ji Ping'an" to make plans.
…
The two immediately agreed on the details, including ideas for arrangements for the funeral.
Ji Ping'an was not opposed to losing his vest on a limited basis, but in order to avoid trouble, he still had to hide his identity.
Therefore, when the two returned to the hall, Jian Zheng came forward and asked everyone present to keep Ji Ping'an's secret.
To be on the safe side, a spell was secretly cast. Once someone had the idea of informing someone, the supervisor would be aware of it.
As for Sun Xianzu, Ji Pingan didn't do anything after thinking about it.
On the one hand, after all, the other party is a military attache of high rank, and Qin Tianjian is not prepared to break up with the imperial court. It is good that both of them are well aware of this matter.
Focus on a tacit understanding.
However, according to the medical officer, the martial artist, who was already weak in spirit, was bitten by the soul-searching book and would not be able to recover in a short time.
When the Pei mother and daughter realized the depth of the water, they immediately gave up their intention to continue exploring:
This kind of secret involves several behemoths. With the strength of the Pei family, ignorance is bliss.
Seeing that there was no benefit to be gained, Luan Yu was greatly disappointed and turned around and left.
Only Qiu Shan, holding the jar of wine, finally found the opportunity to serve it.
"Master said, thank you sir for your help."
Ji Ping'an raised his eyebrows and understood what Qi Nian's words really meant:
He had seen the note.
Then he smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Qi, for me."
Immediately, he handed the wine jar to Huang He and ordered him to take the two girls back to Laoliu Street to appease the people and spread rumors about the province.
"Sir, what about you? Aren't you going back?" Huang He asked curiously.
Ji Ping'an casually found an excuse:
"Jian Zheng and I still have something to discuss. We'll come back later."
Yu Yu looked suspicious, instinctively feeling that something was wrong, but he was also afraid of the old prison guard, so he immediately hesitated and left unwillingly.
By the time everyone left the government office, it was already dark.
Not only that, there were even clouds piled up in the sky, and then light rain fell.
…
…
Summer days, children's faces.
Jiangnan is a rainy place, and the city has been sweltering for several days. This refreshing light rain accompanied by the breeze, passing through the streets and alleys, made the heat disappear.
After darkness covered the city, the streets became dark.
When Ji Ping'an held an oil-paper umbrella, he walked to a street called "Hongfu" in the city.
From a distance, you can see that only half of the shops on both sides of the street are open, but the lanterns under the eaves are lit.
The light shines on the damp bluestone floor tiles like a mirror.
"clatter."
Ji Ping'an's cloth shoes stepped on the puddle, causing a splash of water.
However, if you look closely, you will be surprised to find that the soles of his shoes and the hem of his robe are not wet at all and are extremely dry.
"Hongfu Alley, Black Gold Pawn Shop."
Ji Ping'an stood at the street corner, his clean eyes reflecting countless raindrops.
When he raised his head, he could see endless bright silver raindrops falling vertically from the dark sky, like countless silver needles.
The address Xie Wensheng told him is right here.
It was less than a full day before he was captured.
Ji Ping'an was not sure whether the intelligence network of the Four Holy Sects was developed to that extent, but he still came here without delay.
"Hongfu Alley, I haven't been here for many years."
Ji Ping'an thought to himself as he walked along the cold streets.
It wasn't raining heavily, but this area was already remote, so there weren't many people in sight.
The Hongfu Alley in front of him was not much different from what he remembered, but the shops had changed a lot. But when Ji Pingan walked from the street to the end of the street, he didn't see the plaque of "Black Gold Pawn Shop".
"Could it be that the address is fake?" Ji Ping'an frowned.
But what is the purpose of the fake address?
ambush? Booby trap?
But neither the astrological feedback nor his Qi induction detected the danger.
"Could it be..."
Ji Ping'an's heart suddenly moved, and he thought of a certain possibility. He raised his hand and pinched the center of his eyebrows, summoning the spiritual essence to flow into his pupils.
He walked along the street again, and this time, when he reached the middle of the street, he stopped.
His eyes fell on a wall between the two shops.
Originally, this was just a masonry wall, but at this moment, it twisted and squirmed and became translucent, revealing an old shop. The door of the shop was half open, and a lantern hung on the top, reflecting a dilapidated plaque with the words: It’s the words “Black Gold Pawn Shop”.
"It is indeed here."
The corners of Ji Ping'an's mouth curled up slightly.
This kind of blinding method is a simple formation. The purpose is often not to hide oneself, but to screen the crowd.
If mortals can't see through it, they won't be able to enter the store.
Therefore, this is a "pawn shop" specially opened for practitioners.
Ji Ping'an stepped through the wall and pushed open the half-open carved wooden door. What he saw was a shop filled with all kinds of sundries. It looked more like a "hardware store" than a pawn shop.
There are two rows of shelves in the store, on which are placed various strange objects, including swords, porcelain, jade, bottles, jars, and even alchemy furnaces.
There are also talismans and books packed in boxes, the whole hodgepodge.
Ji Ping'an could vaguely sense the breath coming from these things, and realized that they were more or less related to practice.
Most of them are magical artifacts, some are elixirs, materials and other items, and there are also some ancient relics whose origins are unclear.
Although most of them are rubbish, for ordinary practitioners, they are probably already enviable and crazy wealth... Ji Ping'an commented in his heart.
While putting away the oil-paper umbrella, he raised his eyes and looked behind the brown counter.
Behind the counter, sat a woman dressed in a rather "fashionable" style.
She is slender and about thirty years old. However, she is not wearing the common skirt worn by women. Instead, she is wearing a dark green... cheongsam.
Yes, cheongsam!
Although the style is a little weird, it is indeed the style of a cheongsam, and even the hair is tied up in a hairstyle that is different from that of the current era.
At this moment, he was half lying lazily on a rocking chair, holding a "smoking bag" in his hand and smoking gently. However, the head of the pipe was not burning tobacco, but a golden mushroom that was mostly burned.
If it weren't for the strange painting style of the mushroom, Ji Ping'an looked at it suddenly and thought he was not in the world of immortals, but in a Republic of China drama.
The person in front of me was not a nun running a pawn shop, but a rich lady.
Ji Ping'an's eyes suddenly became strange, and the image of Jiang Jiang appeared in his mind...
Whether it is a wizard uniform or a cheongsam, they are the "legacy" he has left to this world.
Well, there is no popularized one.
"This Taoist friend meets me. Is he pawning or buying a treasure?"
At this time, Jiang Xiaotang took a deep breath from his pipe, then exhaled a piece of pale golden "smoke". On his round and smooth face, a pair of blurred eyes looked over calmly.
Full of temperament.
Ji Ping looked at her quietly for a few seconds and said:
"Are you the shopkeeper?"
"It's a young child," Jiang Xiaotang snorted softly in his nose, raised his eyelids, and had a strong aura, as if he were a big boss looking down at the rookie:
"You know my place, but you don't know my name. You couldn't have just walked in by accident."
Ji Ping'an's eyes became more and more strange, thinking to himself, how many years had it been since he had been looked at by someone like this?
Seeing that he didn't speak, Jiang Xiaotang smiled, introduced himself, and said:
"Monks in the martial arts world need to share their needs with each other, so the existence of a shop like mine is there. If someone sells something to me, whether it's a treasure taken from a murderer or stolen from somewhere, I don't care about the origin, as long as someone sells something to me, Any price is appropriate.
Similarly, if someone needs something, they can buy it from me... Of course, if anyone feels that they have strong cultivation or have a strong background and want to rob, they can also give it a try. But I, Jiang Xiaotang, have never lost in these years. "
His tone was full of confidence.
Ji Ping'an is no stranger to this kind of shops in the world, and even major sects, including the Demon Slayer Division, are also aware of them.
But on the one hand, the items involved in this kind of shop are generally not of a particularly high level.
In addition, those who can afford to open this shop are definitely not low in the world in terms of cultivation and background.
Therefore, generally speaking, rivers, lakes, temples, and major forces such as the five major sects are in harmony with each other.
"Jiang...are you related to the Wulin Jiang clan?"
Ji Ping'an is not familiar with the name Jiang Xiaotang, but is sensitive to the surname:
"What does Jiang Chunqiu have to do with you?"
Jiang Xiaotang narrowed his eyes and seemed a little unhappy, but still said calmly:
"That's my grandfather."
She had reason to be unhappy.
A rookie in the world of martial arts actually called her grandfather by his first name. This was disrespectful even in the world of fierce and fierce martial arts.
After all, Jiang Chunqiu is the leader of a generation of martial arts masters, and is recognized as the strongest martial artist in the world after the leader of the Four Saints back then.
He is also a figure who has suppressed a world for many years, and even had an encounter with the first generation of God Emperor.
And the current leader of the martial arts alliance is also a descendant of the Jiang family.
To be more precise, he was Jiang Xiaotang's brother. This was one of the reasons why she dared to open a pawn shop in Yuhang, a major city in the south of the Yangtze River.
No one in the world would be willing to provoke the sister of the martial arts leader for some property.
Hmm... Xiao Jiang's granddaughter... That reckless man could actually give birth to such an outstanding offspring. It can only be said that genetic improvement is really powerful... Ji Ping'an was surprised.
Then there was some nostalgia.
Unexpectedly, that little follower back then would become a big shot respected by everyone in the world.
I don’t know if he will come back after this rebirth. Forget it, he will be an annoyance when he comes back.
Shaking his head, Ji Pingan recovered his thoughts and said:
"My name is Xie Wensheng, and I'm here to pick up something."
The letter said that as long as Xie Wensheng comes here, he can report his family name.
"Xie Wensheng..." As an excellent businessman, Jiang Xiaotang quickly put aside that little unhappiness, recalled it, and said:
"I remembered that someone did come to my place a few days ago and entrusted me with a letter, saying that if someone named Xie Wensheng came, I would give it to him."
It's Xin again... Are you so cautious... Ji Ping'an was speechless.
Realizing that in order to prevent being tracked, the Four Holy Sects had really taken great pains to set up layers of relays.
However, Jiang Xiaotang's next sentence was:
"But according to the rules, if you want to get the letter, you must pay five hundred taels of gold, or items of equivalent value. Oh, I don't do charity here. Everything has a price. If the other party doesn't pay for the entrustment, you are the only one who can do it. Paid.”
Cash on delivery... These four words came to Ji Pingan's mind, thinking that the Four Saints' leader was too stingy.
For a moment, he even suspected that this was a trap, just to trap Xie Wensheng's things.
Or Jiang Xiaotang made a temporary offer.
As if he could see what he was thinking, Jiang Xiaotang said calmly:
"I'm in the business of a long-term business, so I don't want to waste that little money. Otherwise, you go ahead and go to the Jianghu to find out if the price here is the same. I'm honest with you."
After saying that, she seemed to think that this stupid young man couldn't bring it or didn't bring enough money. She turned away and continued to smoke her mushroom pipe.
However, the next second, I saw the young man in front of me thought for a while, suddenly smiled brightly, raised his finger and pointed at the pile of messy goods on the shelf, and said:
"Then I want to buy something. Can I have a pick?"
…
Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of chapter)
