"you know me?!"
In the pavilion with peeling paint, the curtains fluttered in the wind, and the sound appeared suddenly, and the source could not be found.
The deserted underground palace, mottled pavilions, and invisible human voices give it a rather supernatural atmosphere.
However, Ji Ping'an didn't care at all. He stroked the guzheng with one hand and sighed softly:
"You didn't recognize me after all."
He suddenly sat down gently, plucked the strings casually, and tried to play, but strangely, no sound came out.
"..." The person hiding in the dark seemed a little confused, and was soon "offended" by Ji Ping'an's behavior of playing the piano, and a dark wind suddenly blew up in the pavilion.
The curtains fluttered.
Ji Ping'an raised his head and saw a man in a yellow dress flying from the curtain, holding a long sword and moving very fast.
The cloth was torn in an instant, and before he could react, the tip of the ancient sword was pierced into his heart, causing blood to flow and severe pain to hit him.
But Ji Ping'an still looked calm and said:
"Stop making trouble."
The blurry figure in the yellow dress suddenly turned into a ferocious ghost, and a claw pierced his chest, causing blood and flesh to fly everywhere. However, Ji Ping'an still looked calm:
"These are of no use to me."
The "Sword Attendant" who was hiding in the dark was silent for a moment, as if he was finally sure that this stranger had indeed seen through the illusion.
Dismissing the hallucination with a bit of frustration, Ji Pingan's eyes blurred and he found that his body was intact and he was still sitting at the low table with the guzheng.
And from the curtain, the round-faced woman in a yellow skirt who had been "seduced" and then "assassinated" floated out and stopped about three meters away from him, with a look of vigilance and coldness on her slightly unreal face:
"Who...are you?"
Ji Ping'an looked at her with memories in his eyes. He didn't answer, but told a story:
"In the past, before the fight between the human and demon clans, there was a sect that inherited Taoism in the Central Plains, called the 'Shoushan Sword Sect'. This sect was not too strong, but unexpectedly, in that generation, it actually cultivated two amazing talents. Yan's disciples, the two are brothers in the same sect, and the master gave them Taoist titles respectively, the former is named 'Xing Zhi', and the latter is named 'Li Yang'."
After a pause, he continued:
"Later, Master Liyang bid farewell to Shou Mountain and went to the world of mortals, while Master Xingzhi stayed in the sect and inherited the position of leader. One day, the Taoist League issued a wanted order, claiming that Liyang had collaborated with the enemy and rebelled against the clan. Master Xingzhi heard this , went down the mountain to pursue the case, in the name of cleaning up the door, but in fact I didn’t believe it, I just wanted to ask clearly.”
The woman in the yellow skirt was startled, and then the murderous intent on her face faded for a few minutes, and the past appeared in her eyes.
It seems that the words of the person in front of me have awakened ancient memories.
Ji Pingan continued:
"... Many years have passed since this pursuit, and Master Xingzhi also delayed his cultivation path. However, as a senior brother, he is powerful. Finally, during a hunting, he met Li Yang alone. From then on Learned the truth from the mouth of the reporter.
The evidence Li Yang presented was not strong enough, and he was even ready to be 'cleaned out'. Li Yang, who was seriously injured at that time, had almost no ability to fight back, especially when the opponent was his fellow disciple who knew all of his sword techniques, techniques, and their pros and cons.
At that time, Master Xingzhi's sword was hanging half an inch between his eyebrows. It was one of his rare desperate situations, but in the end, Master Xingzhi believed it. "
Ji Pingan's eyes recalled:
"Master Xingzhi sheathed his sword and tried to help Li Yang clarify. However, at that time, because he had been hunted for too long, Li Yang's hands were already stained with the blood of many righteous monks... and there was no way to turn back, not to mention the Xihai Sword Sect. The power was so huge that the 'Shou Mountain' at that time could not compete with it, so..."
The woman in the yellow dress suddenly answered:
"So, Xingzhi Zhenren disguised himself as Li Yang and lured away the pursuers. Because the two skills came from the same source, they could barely deceive outsiders. For this reason, Xingzhi was injured and escaped. At the same time, he was also desperate for the turmoil in the world and returned to the original place. Mountain.
Unfortunately, in the context of the competition between the two clans, he was unable to survive alone, and was ultimately unable to continue the Shoushan Sect. Frustrated, he disappeared from the sight of the spiritual world, followed the guidance of the great road, and came to the The ruins of Qixia Town were built, and a cave was built here for practice. "
Ji Pingan raised his eyes to look at her and said:
"But this is not his burial place."
The woman in the yellow dress looked sad and said:
"Master Xingzhi injured his Daoji and was unable to break through. He left Qixia Town at the last moment of his life and disappeared without a trace. He only extracted the spirit of the weapon from the 'Sword of the Head of the Shoushan Mountain' and put it into a guzheng instrument for warming. , causing it to fall asleep.”
Ji Pingan said:
"That sword spirit, or according to the 'Shoushan Sect', is called the 'Sword Attendant', and its name is Huang Ying."
The cold look and vigilance on the face of the woman in the yellow skirt remained as she stared at him:
"I am Huang Ying, so who are you? Why do you know this secret?"
Ji Ping'an looked at her calmly, raised his hand, pulled out his sword with a "clunk" sound, and swiped it lightly.
Suddenly, the air became hot, as if an illusory sun was rising, and wisps of flames gathered and puffed out, spreading along the blade and outside the building.
The sword servant's round and beautiful face clearly showed a dull and shocked look, and she lost her voice:
"Lihuo Sword Jue...you are...you are..."
Ji Ping'an sheathed his sword and his temperament suddenly changed, becoming cold and majestic:
"You should remember my breath."
"Zhenren Liyang!"
Huang Ying was stunned and blurted out the name.
At this moment, the frost-like coldness on the face of the sword servant who had lost his master melted away, and crystal tears shone in his round eyes. He tried his best to use illusions to scare away foreign enemies and protect himself.
She had been abandoned for too long and had been lonely for too long. She once thought that the outside world had passed away and she would never see her familiar friends again.
But he didn't expect that one day he would see the disciples of the "Shoushan Sect" again.
"It's me." Ji Ping'an said, looking at the excited swordsman and saying:
"I'm glad you're still here."
Huang Ying said excitedly:
"How did you come here? Are you like this? Is it some kind of transformation method? I can't see it. I clearly remember that there were rumors that you were not dead? Could it be that you faked your death to escape? How long has it been since the outside world? , is the war between the two clans over now?"
At this moment, seeing the familiar swordsman, his cold appearance faded away, and he became as excited as a young girl.
She had been sleeping for too long, and when she opened her eyes, she was in the underground palace, completely unaware of the outside world.
Ji Ping'an was silent for a moment. He actually concealed some information.
In fact, after he became the "Grand Master of the Zhou Dynasty" and ruled the world, he tried to find the last burial place of his senior brother. As a result, he traced all the way back to Qixia Town and discovered this underground palace.
I also found this guzheng.
Just because too many years have passed, and the spiritual essence of heaven and earth has entered a period of decline, and has not been nourished by anyone for a long time, the sword servant has completely fallen into a deep sleep, and is even about to disappear.
Unable to respond to the call of the imperial master, the imperial master of Zhou Dynasty saw this and had no choice but to use the "Shenzang" realm to nourish Huang Yingwen's sword body.
He placed a seal and tried to use time to slowly help him recover.
Originally, according to his calculations, it would take longer for the Sword Attendant to wake up, but because the stars returned to their positions and the world revived, the process accelerated.
Huang Ying did not know about this experience. Her memory stayed in being abandoned in the underground palace, waiting hard for the return of "Master Xingzhi", and finally fell into a weak sleep.
"Things are more complicated, so you may have to be mentally prepared."
Ji Ping'an was silent for a moment, but decided to tell the truth:
"If my calculations are correct, in this era, nearly five hundred years have passed since you fell asleep in the past."
The sword servant was stunned, the excitement on his face solidified, and then he whispered "Oh":
"It's been five hundred years..."
Apparently, although she didn't know the details, she still had a sense of the passage of time.
Then, Ji Ping'an briefly talked about the general changes in Kyushu over the past few hundred years, and briefly explained the return of the stars.
Many details have not been revealed, but it is enough for Huang Ying to figure out the situation.
"The Imperial Court of the Great Zhou Dynasty... the spiritual essence is revived... the dead are back..." Huang Ying's expression was dull. For her, she was hit by a large amount of information in a short period of time, which was a bit difficult to digest.
"So, you also came back from the dead and looked like this?" she asked.
No, my rebirth is different from others... Ji Ping'an murmured in his heart, while on the surface he nodded lightly and said:
"One of the purposes of my coming here this time is to confirm whether you have woken up and take you away."
"Leave? Where to go?" Huang Ying was a little timid.
As the Swordsman of Shoushan Mountain, she has a strong character, but after all, she has been isolated from the world for too long, and she is inevitably afraid and confused about the outside world.
Ji Pingan said seriously:
"Follow me first, and at the same time look for the whereabouts of senior brother."
Huang Ying's eyes lit up:
"You mean... Xingzhi Zhenren might also..."
Ji Pingan nodded and said:
"I'm not sure, but since people of our time have been reborn, it's very possible that our senior brother has come back, but Kyushu is too big and has a huge population. Under the current situation, even if he returns, he will be hidden and difficult to find. As the Sword Spirit of Shoushan Mountain, you have followed your senior brother for many years. Although hundreds of years have passed, your 'induction' may still be there."
This was indeed his idea.
After determining the purpose of finding the reborn, he was thinking about how to find his old friends without revealing his identity.
In the past, Master Xingzhi's talent was no weaker than his, and was even slightly stronger. However, due to fate, he was unable to reach the top.
Moreover, the two of them came from the same school, and their relationship has been tested. If they can get it back, they will definitely be trustworthy and powerful helpers.
Huang Ying's heart surged and she nodded immediately:
"Okay! I'll leave with you! I've had enough of this miserable place!"
The woman in the yellow dress rolled up her sleeves and took the initiative to pick up the guzheng she was committed to, looking impatient.
Ji Ping'an stopped her and said:
"You can't just walk out like this. I have a space magic weapon here. You can enter it... It just so happens that there is also someone inside who doesn't know much about the outside world. You can still be a companion."
He was referring to Jiang Jiang in the Taoist Scriptures.
Wearing a yellow skirt and a round face, the swordsman said "Oh" and didn't mind.
Ji Ping'an was about to take out the Taoist scriptures, but suddenly remembered something and asked:
"By the way, I almost forgot. Do you know why senior brother came to Qixia Town back then, and why he left you behind in the end?"
Huang Ying nodded and said seriously:
"I know. He followed Tao Zun's traces."
"What?" Ji Ping'an was startled, not expecting the answer.
Huang Ying looked serious:
"In the past, Master Xingzhi accidentally got a clue involving the inheritance of Tao Zun and traced it back here. It happened that the town was destroyed by the demon clan at that time. He groped among the ruins for a long time and found a strange place.
That is to say, Qixia Town's strong spiritual essence at that time seemed to have little to do with the trend of the mountains and rivers, but because of the existence of a space underground. "
Ji Ping'an's expression changed slightly:
"You mean, this underground palace was not built by senior brother?"
"To be precise, it's expansion." Huang Ying said:
"There was this underground palace originally, but it was not this big. When we came here, we found some broken futons and bamboo slips. Most of them were rotten. Only one golden bamboo slip was well preserved, with several strange symbols carved on it. It seems that it is this thing that attracts the spirit element, but the strange thing is that when we try to copy it, there is nothing special about it."
Ji Ping'an asked: "Golden Bamboo Slips? Where are they?"
Huang Ying said:
"Xingzhi took him away. He had been meditating for a long time, but he had gained nothing. At the end of his life, he only said that he had some guesses and wanted to verify them, but he didn't know what the results would be.
He said that the secret of the 'Red Earth Immortal' might be hidden on the bamboo slips and that this trip would be very dangerous, so he left me behind and left with only my sword and the bamboo slips, but I never came back. "
Hongchenxian... Taoist Master... Ji Ping'an's heart sank.
He thought again of the fragmented information he obtained from divination of "star fragments" not long ago.
So, did Senior Brother actually find some clues before the stars returned?
So, in the long history, how many people like my senior brother have traced the traces of ancient saints and gained something?
At this moment, Ji Pingan felt his "ignorance" again.
"Do you still remember the symbols on the golden bamboo slips?" Ji Ping'an pondered for a moment and asked.
Huang Ying nodded happily: "I'll draw it for you."
If it were the others, she would never let him watch, but there was no need to hide the only successor of Shoushan Sword Sect.
The woman in the yellow skirt held the guzheng and drew it in the air with her free hand. The lantern in the ancient building swayed, and sparks were pulled over to piece it together into several strange symbols.
Ji Ping'an looked closely and found some twisted lines. He didn't think anything of it at first, but gradually his expression became serious.
Because he found that these lines were quite similar to the patterns on the "Star Fragments".
With his heart moving, Ji Ping'an followed the method he had summed up, stacking the lines together in his mind, and correcting them with a star map. After a while, he opened his eyes and frowned:
"wrong……"
"What?" Huang Ying asked in confusion.
"It's nothing," Ji Ping'an shook his head. He tried to deconstruct it the same way as the star fragments, but failed. "I can't understand it either."
"Oh," Huang Ying was not surprised. She had been thinking about it for a hundred years and still had no clue. She didn't think Li Yang could understand it at a glance:
"Let's get out quickly."
Ji Ping'an nodded and carefully told Huang Ying not to reveal his identity to Jiang Jiang, and then included the guzheng in the Taoist scriptures.
At the moment when the guzheng was put away, the surrounding space was distorted and broken.
Ji Ping'an's eyes blurred, as if clouds were flying in the mist. When the scenery became clear again, he had reappeared in the courtyard of the back courtyard of the "Old Alliance Leader's Former Residence".
In front of me, a half-dry towering tree held up the canopy, a stone turtle spit out gurgling water in the pond, and the sun rose into the sky. Before I knew it, a long time passed.
"ah--"
"what happened?"
"I `m coming out!"
Around them, a large group of Jianghu people were also teleported out by the formation, and they were screaming in surprise. Many of them were holding weapons and looking frightened.
Obviously, during this period of time, others other than Ji Ping'an were not able to escape from the illusion and suffered some frights.
Even Jiang Huai, the leader of the alliance who was well-trained, was no exception.
After all, the seals in the underground palace were placed by Ji Ping'an with his peak "divine possession" level. Even though times have changed, there is still no problem in temporarily trapping a few well-wielding warriors.
"We were thrown out!"
Jiang Huai's face was ugly, and he still held a knife in his hand. He turned to look at the stone wall and found that the entrance of the cave had collapsed and was blocked by rubble.
He went to look for Ji Ping'an again, and when he saw the latter's figure, he couldn't help but asked in a deep voice:
"Master Li, what's going on?!"
The rest of the Jianghu people all looked over, and even Yu Yu looked suspicious, thinking it was him.
Ji Pingan was thinking about how to answer, but at this moment, something unexpected happened!
I saw a Jiang family disciple running towards me outside the courtyard, his face extremely ugly, and he shouted from a distance:
"Leader, no... it's not good! The leader of the Tianzhan Sect... is dead!"
…
Correct typos first and then correct them. Make sure there are fewer typos and I will fix them tomorrow (set a flag...
(End of chapter)
