Lanmo City was not peaceful last night.
Although the city is protected by the Willow Fairy, where are there so few rats in this world?
For some reason, the rats in every house went crazy last night, jumping up and down, making jingling noises, and then ran outside the city, waking up countless sleeping people.
People only dare to check secretly.
Some mice ran all the way out of the city without knowing where they were going. Some mice stopped halfway and were at a loss on the street. When they realized what they were doing, they hid in nearby wall holes on the street corners.
Someone who lived on a high ground opened the window to look secretly, and saw a raging fire flowing like water on a mountain outside the city.
Some people who lived close to the temple in the city were awakened by the movement of rats. They opened the windows to check secretly. They also saw the gods walking at night and the thunder god coming to the world. They didn't know what they were doing.
There was a moment of panic in the city.
The next morning, everyone went out to chat, and they talked about everything.
Some people say that the rat fairy outside the city is angry, and Lanmo County will suffer disaster. Some people say that the gods will appear and eliminate demons from the lower world, and Lanmo County will be in peace.
It wasn't until the afternoon that I heard someone say that a Taoist priest went out with a knight and a little girl before dark last night. The little girl had the ability to blow a lamp to light a fire, and the Taoist priest was also very generous. The group stayed out all night. I don’t know where I went, but I was safe and sound. I didn’t enter the city again until early in the morning.
That night, the temple prayed that I saw God in my dream, saying that the rat demon had been eliminated.
The person who got rid of the rats was a young Taoist priest.
Lan Mo suddenly became excited, talking a lot about the Jinhua Empress that Temple Zhu dreamed about, the rat demon that was eliminated, and that Taoist.
Some people said that they had seen that Taoist man that day. He had an extraordinary demeanor and did not look like a mortal at all. Some people say that the young Taoist asked him about the rat demon outside the city that day, and he answered carefully. Maybe the immortal has his own merits besides the rat demon. Some people said that the Taoist went into the city early the next morning and did nothing else. He just ate a bowl of noodles at his own noodle stall and bought some scones across the street, and then left the city again. He did not see what the defenders said. The little girl only saw a calico cat, and the Taoist shared the meat with the cat.
Rumors gradually spread from inside the city to outside the city.
It can be described as "crazy".
It has not only spread to the ears of old farmers who are farming, but also to the ears of bodyguards who travel around the world. It has spread to thousands of households. They all talk about it with great enthusiasm and are overjoyed. Every household is like celebrating the New Year.
The Taoist has already left this place.
…
The little girl was riding on the horse, turning her head and staring seriously at the Taoist priest beside her: "What was that last night?"
"what is what?"
The Taoist stopped by the roadside to pick cherries next to the cottage.
"Burn the rat to death."
"The method of fire."
"Did you learn the fire technique from Empress Sanhua?"
"Not even close."
"Do not believe."
"When did I deceive Empress Sanhua again?"
"..."
The little girl on the horse turned to stare at him with a strange look in her eyes. She seemed to be suspicious, but she felt that she should not be suspicious. After a long time, she said, "How long does it take for the Sanhua Empress to learn to be so good?"
"That's impossible to say."
"Tell me something."
"It depends on the opportunity."
"Look."
"Maybe decades, maybe hundreds of years." Song You said while picking cherries, "Maybe hundreds of years."
"..."
The little girl just asked the horse to come over, stretched out her little hands, and picked the cherries on the branches, picking the red ones, and put them into the small pot in the Taoist's hand.
"well……"
Song You couldn't help but sigh.
This is at the foot of Chongbie Mountain in Linxun County.
This village, this early cherry tree that bears perfect fruit, really reminds him of the mountain village in Xuzhou, with the peach, plum and pear blossoms blooming in front and behind the houses in the mountain village. It also reminds him of the group of cherry thieves in Nanhua County. The urchins and the old man guarding the cherries - why was there no one living in the village in front of us? Is it possible that no one has guarded this cherry plant? No one has ever cared about it or counted on it?
But now only the sparrows come to enjoy themselves with him.
"well……"
The little girl imitated his tone and sighed, but her voice was soft and thin, with a milky sound.
I just don’t know what the cat is worried about anymore.
"Da da da……"
Just listen to the sound of horse hooves in the distance.
A black horse with shiny hair, and a swordsman in black on the horse, carrying a sword on his back, and something else on the horse.
"Xu..."
The horse neighed and stopped.
"gentlemen."
The swordsman quickly turned over and dismounted, leaving the object hanging on the horse. It was a strange head: "Shu has found out clearly that the person causing trouble on Chongbie Mountain is a mountain demon, and Shu has killed it easily!"
"Thanks for your hard work."
The Taoist said while picking cherries.
But the little girl riding on the horse next to her turned her head, her eyes bright and full of curiosity:
"How did you kill him?"
"This mountain monster is only better than other mountain monsters in its ability to transform and bewitch. But in fact, it is not much different from other mountain monsters in other places." The swordsman said casually, "Mostly no one has passed here for a long time. This mountain The demon is probably used to eating people and is unbearably hungry and thirsty. Before Shu went to find it, it had already found Shu first, transformed into the appearance of a passerby, and exhaled to confuse Shu's mind, trying to deceive Shu."
"and after?"
The swordsman just smiled slightly.
What happens next?
If you are determined and neither greedy nor arrogant, how can you be easily deceived? What's more, the sword in his hand has killed countless demons and ghosts. He will react when he sees a demon. He will look at it coldly, turn his head and spit, and the sword will be unsheathed.
But it’s inconvenient to take it out and blow it.
At this time, Song You had also finished picking cherries. He glanced at the bloody head and said, "Let's continue walking. Pass by Linxun County and inform the local people that the monster in Chongbie Mountain has been eliminated."
"yes."
The group of people then continued to move forward.
But this trip is not like before——
In the past, Song You traveled through Yizhou, Xuzhou and Pingzhou, which was considered a detailed journey. One state only lasted a few months. He may have visited every county, but he was far from being able to say that he had visited every county. Later, Jingzhou and Angzhou traveled more roughly than Xuzhou and Pingzhou. They only went to places with beautiful mountains and rivers and unique folk customs, visited sages and gods, and visited particularly prosperous and poor places. It was inevitable to skip some.
No one can measure every inch of the world in twenty years.
However, when traveling to Hezhou now, we don't go all the way north. Instead, we start from Zhijiang and Lanmo and walk through every county in Hezhou.
Eating cherries in February and March makes one’s teeth sore.
Later, elm coins, locust flowers in April, voles, hares, pheasant eggs, and even other larger wild animals on the mountain roads were all the food that the group often satiated.
The demon elimination by the gods of the Heavenly Palace and the Doube is not exhaustive. Most of their efforts were spent on fighting against several big demon kings. It is inevitable that some omissions were made regarding the rear. It’s just that many of these demons who cannot be called demon kings can actually be regarded as big demons in the south. Most of these demons in troubled times come from the troubled times. They come and go quickly. Once they get the Tao, they will inevitably cause chaos. They are far inferior to the demons in the south. quiet. Many demons, regardless of their level of moral conduct or ability, have brought more or less harm to the people.
The Taoist was very patient and cut them off one by one.
Before you know it, Hezhou is full of legends.
Legend has it that there was a young Taoist priest who brought a short and thin bay-red horse with him and a swordsman as his protector. Some said that he also brought a calico cat with him, some said he didn't. Some say that the swordsman is Thunder Sword Shu Yifan, others say that he is just a villain who was once inspired by Taoist priests.
It is said that wherever the Taoist goes, he will get rid of all the demons and villains causing trouble.
It is said that the swordsman has great swordsmanship. When the long sword is unsheathed, the light of the sword is like thunder, and he has the ability to kill demons and ghosts. If he encounters demons and ghosts with low moral standards, the swordsman can get rid of them, as if he is just honing his sword skills.
For those with higher Taoist practices, Taoists will take charge.
No matter how powerful he is as a demon, there is no way he can escape.
It is said that even the bay-red horse is very understanding of human nature. It can find springs in barren mountains and travel on starry nights without reins, but it always follows the Taoist.
Even the calico cat seems unusual...
The further north you go, the fewer mountains and forests there are and the flatter the terrain becomes.
In the midsummer of May and June, the water and grass are abundant, and more and more wild fruits and vegetables can be eaten on the road, which is also the fun part of the journey.
The swordsman obtained a bow and arrow from a county magistrate, and if the place he passed was not barren, he would often hunt some game. Empress Sanhua often brought some things from the grass forest and fed them to the Taoists and swordsmen.
At this time, the chill has subsided, but it is not as hot as in the south. It is actually the most comfortable time here.
The five counties and thirty-nine counties in Hezhou are actually larger than the six counties and forty-eight counties in Pingzhou.
Counties are divided into big and small, rich and poor, and there are also differences between stability and chaos.
There are not many monsters in some counties, or they are all small monsters. It only takes two or three days for a group of people to walk through them. With rest and wandering around, it only takes a few days.
In some counties, if there are demons everywhere, or if the Taoism is high, or it is troublesome to get rid of, it will take more time, ranging from ten days to half a month.
It's been a long journey.
From early spring to midsummer, and from midsummer to late autumn, we traveled across mountains and rivers, no matter how sunny or windy. Seeing the suffering of the people, the dangerous monsters, the chivalrous people, and seeing the Thunder God slaying the monsters on the night, there are corrupt officials who only get worse in the troubled times of monsters, and there are also wise men who try their best to hold up a sky for the people under their rule even if the world is in chaos.
The insights gained through practice are really hard to describe.
And the number of demons that have been killed is unknown.
In winter, Hezhou is a bit colder than in the south. When the north wind blows, it is bone-chilling.
The group of people all put on thicker clothes, even the calico cat. Sometimes the Taoist would put on a small dress made by himself. It was made of gray and black cloth and had a hood. It looked like a hermit tall cat.
However, Mao'er didn't know how long this journey was at this time. She only knew that she would follow the Taoist priest, and it would be the same everywhere.
The cat didn't know how harsh the cold wind in the north was. Anyway, she had long been used to the wind and rain, and she had fur to protect herself from the cold. The wind was really making her uncomfortable, so she jumped on the back of her horse and huddled into her saddlebags, and the wind and rain outside stopped. It has nothing to do with me anymore, and I can still sleep peacefully. Anyway, the Taoist priest will wake me up when I get to the place, which gives me a full sense of security.
Maybe we will all know in the future, and that will be in the future.
At this time, she just curled up in the quilt and fell asleep.
The horse swayed as it walked, and the robe swayed slightly, like a cradle, shaking her many dreams.
I dreamed of opening my mouth and spitting fire to drive away evil spirits.
I dreamed that my Taoist priest was waving from the top of the mountain, and suddenly thousands of thunderbolts came to the world, lighting up the heaven and earth, and destroying the demons all over the mountain.
I suddenly dreamed of a messy small town. A large group of people who looked like they were about to starve to death were carrying grass and fruits to eat, and I wanted to give them to them with thousands of thanks.
I suddenly dreamed that they were chasing monsters on a rainy night, their whole bodies were soaked, and the patter of horse hooves could be heard again.
I dreamed that I was walking on a mountain with two people and two horses. In front of the horses, I looked so small. From a distance, I looked like I was walking in the sky. I dreamed of a group of people walking by the lake. In the quiet dusk, I couldn't tell whether the two people, the horse, and the cat were walking on the road or in the lake. Then she dreamed that her horse was lying down at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, and she was also lying down. The Taoist priest was sitting next to him, stroking the hair on her body with his hands. It was so comfortable that she almost fell asleep.
In the dream, the sun rises and sets, spring passes and autumn comes, the wind is cloudy and the snow is clear.
It is difficult to tell the truth from the false.
All in all, a big mess.
When she woke up in a daze, she rubbed her eyes with her little white-gloved paws, got out of the quilt, looked up at the cold wind, and saw that a city had appeared in the distance.
Mao'er turned his head and looked at his Taoist priest:
"Are we there yet?"
"Soon."
"Where is this?"
"Jingyu County."
Jingyu County, Pujun, is the seat of Hezhou.
“Jingyu County~”
The cat whispered the Taoist priest's words, staring ahead with a pair of amber eyes, trying to remember it so that the next time he dreams of it, he will know where it is.
Horse bells tinkled.
At dusk, a group of people walked to the city gate.
After all, the Hezhou government office was heavily guarded, and there were temples and palaces. It was relatively peaceful, and there were people coming and going at the city gate, but it was not as lively and prosperous as Yidupingdu.
Two soldiers were guarding the city gate, checking people coming and going. In addition, there was a middle-aged man with a mustache who held a bench and sat still with his hands in his sleeves.
It seems like it's waiting for something.
He glanced up intermittently and saw Song You and his group approaching. The middle-aged man immediately stood up. After a few more glances, he trotted up to greet them.
"Mr. Song!"
The middle-aged man with a mustache shouted as he ran. When he stopped in front of Song You, he already bowed and saluted: "I've seen you sir, I've been waiting for you!"
"This is..."
"My county governor can wait for a long time."
"oh……"
Song You nodded, not too surprised.
In the past half year, I have been walking around Hezhou, slaying demons. Sometimes I don’t have to deal with the officials in the city, but sometimes I can’t avoid contact. In addition, I meet the villagers, rich people, people in the world, and even some experts who also have the ability to exorcise the local evil spirits. , the more people he met, the more his reputation spread. Occasionally, officials would count the time and greet him at the city gate.
Some want to get to know the masters.
In some cases, the demons caused chaos under their rule, and the people suffered terribly. The officials were impatient and wanted to get rid of the demons as soon as possible.
Anyway, everyone has different thoughts.
It's just that I heard that the county officials in Pu County are very capable, and their governance is relatively peaceful. It's quite easy along the way. I think that the governance should be more peaceful.
Secondly, when Song You looked at this middle-aged man, he somehow felt familiar.
After the middle-aged man saluted, he followed him into the city. As he walked, he said, "I haven't seen you for a long time. My county guard was thinking about your gentleman's style and thought that he might be here. A few days ago, I sent a little man to greet you here, and I'm waiting for you sir."
"Um?"
This made Song You confused and turned to look at him:
"The county governor has seen you before?"
"Of course I've seen it before."
"I wonder what the county governor's name is?"
"I don't dare to call you noble in front of my husband. My surname is Liu."
"Liu..."
"The surname is Liu, the given name is Gao, and the courtesy name is Changfeng."
The middle-aged man said with a smile: "I used to be the magistrate of Yidu County. Although I didn't see my husband very much, when my husband left Yidu, my county governor came to see him off."
"ah……"
I was surprised to see you for the first time when I asked my surname. I recalled my old appearance by calling my name.
Song You couldn't help but be in a trance for a moment.
(End of chapter)
