Different from the mountain trails between Shanxi and Qingfeng, the road leading to the imperial city is an official road, wide enough for three carriages to drive side by side. The terrain is flat along the way, and there is always an endless stream of caravans and passers-by.
Although the imperial city occupies the title "emperor", it is not the place where the emperor is located. However, it briefly served as the capital a hundred years ago. After the capital was moved to the holy capital, many powerful people in the city remained. Due to the geographical environment, It is a prosperous and prosperous capital city.
Qingfeng Town is not far from the Imperial City. It is a three-day journey. As it gets closer and closer to the Imperial City, the caravans on the official road begin to take detours and take small roads, intending to bypass the Imperial City. Businessmen pay the most attention to safety issues on the road. Now that the Imperial City is different from the past, it is normal to avoid it.
But the most unusual thing is the passers-by coming from the direction of the imperial city. They are all carrying their families and a few pieces of luggage. They look like they are running away in a panic. These people still have some wealth and there are other houses in the countryside where they can go to take refuge. The situation of ordinary people in those cities can be imagined, and the situation in the imperial city is worse than imagined.
Shen Xichen knew that he could not delay any longer, so he untied the cart and pushed it to the official road, jumped on his horse, and galloped away to the imperial city with a whip.
When they arrived at the east gate of the imperial city, they saw all the guards in the city with sad faces, but they did not dare to leave their posts without permission due to their status. When they saw Shen Xichen dressed up, he kindly stopped him and warned him: "Taoist priest, don't go in." , the situation in the city is complicated now, everyone who should run has run away, dozens of groups of cultivators have been trapped inside, the imperial city is about to fall..." Seeing the guard about to sit down on the ground after finishing speaking, The spiritual force supported him, and he looked up helplessly at the young man in white on the horse, murmuring, "Immortal, it's an immortal, we can be saved, the people of the imperial city can be saved!" The guards standing in twos and twos saw it. At this scene, everyone knelt down and worshiped, as if they saw hope.
Shen Xichen didn't say anything or stop their behavior. Instead, he got off his horse and walked into the city holding the reins.
People are most helpless when they are desperate, but giving them a little hope is enough.
After entering the city, the situation was indeed very bad. Such a large town, which was once so prosperous, fell into depression in just a few days. The doors of every house were closed, and it was so quiet that only the sound of the wind was left.
"To turn such a big town into what it is now..." Ayu didn't dare to say anymore. The things he saw on the road, the despair of the guards, and the desolation of the town all told how this evil spirit was. Unlike the tiger demon he met last time, Ayu felt personally afraid this time.
"This evil spirit shouldn't have been so powerful originally. It was the dozens of groups of ascetics who may have lacked their own strength and gave themselves up to become the monster's rations. It took the spiritual power of so many people to develop to this point." It seemed that Seeing Ayu's nervousness, Shen Xichen gently shook her hand, hoping to give her some comfort.
"The evil aura is now in the west of the city. The area is too large. It would be too time-consuming to search every house with spiritual sense. We must first understand what happened specifically."
After saying that, Shen Xichen walked to a closed shop at the corner of the street, looking for someone to ask. As soon as he knocked on the door, the people inside looked frightened and yelled at the people outside the door to leave quickly and stop evil spirits. However, they refused to open the door no matter how they explained. This was the case for several houses in a row. People in the whole city were like frightened birds. Shen Xichen could only give up his plan and go to the west of the city to try his luck.
"Little brother, we meet again"
Shen Xichen was the only one on the street. These words were obviously directed at him, and he turned around to look at him.
Dressed in black, with a long halberd slung behind his back, Ayu recognized him as the man who was saved by Shen Xichen in the battle with the tiger demon. At that time, he was almost out of breath from his injuries, but now it seems that he has recovered.
The man looked at Shen Xichen and turned around and continued: "You must be Taoist Xichen from Qingfeng Mountain. You have Qingfeng Mountain's coat and such profound spiritual power. I asked someone to find out about the Taoist's reputation in the monastic world. I'm really ashamed." , I have been hiding from the world for a long time, and I don’t know the Taoist priest. Please forgive me."
Shen Xichen didn't answer, and looked at him with caution. Did he go to inquire specifically? The lowered arm secretly blocked the jade pendant. He recognized it at a glance. Although he had helped him solve the problem, Shen Xichen never believed in him. He didn't go down the mountain for half a year and met him as soon as he came out. If he was also there because of the changes in the imperial city, Come on, that's such a coincidence.
The man in black didn't care whether Shen Xichen's eyes were kind or not, he suppressed a smile and said: "Taoist Master, I've been so honest, and you are still so wary of me, then I won't pretend anymore, eh, girl Yu Perry, I I know your existence, don’t worry, I am not interested in your affairs either. Everyone should come to the Imperial City for the same thing. The most important thing now is the evil spirit. I hope you understand. Whether you are willing or not, we We are all fellow travelers on the same bridge. The magistrate of the Imperial City has not left the city yet. He must know the situation, but I can’t guarantee it if it is later. I’m nearing the evening. I hope you won’t forget my name this time. Oh." After saying that, he returned to his previous friendly smile, turned around and headed towards the county government office.
"I'm sorry, I was too reckless last time. He might not have been able to find me if I didn't say anything. I was wrong." Ayu knew that she seemed to have caused a little trouble, and her voice was low.
"You think too much. With your current strength, people may not think highly of you, but he is right. Now we have the same purpose. Let's solve the matter in the imperial city first. Now that he knows your existence, no one else can There’s no need to hide the place, don’t worry, I’m here.” After saying that, he placed the horse in a nearby stable and hurried towards Konmu who was walking away.
Although Shen Xichen said this to comfort her, this attitude was really his style, arrogant and proud, but this time, Ayu had no dissatisfaction.
The vermilion door of the Imperial City Government Office was closed tightly, and the stone lions on both sides looked terrifyingly solemn in such a scene.
Jin Mu waved his hand forward, and his spiritual power split the door open. He walked through the gap indifferently and walked straight to the backyard. Shen Xichen followed closely behind. At this moment, the backyard of the Yamen was busy, and everyone was trotting. Moving things out, the county magistrate wearing an official hat ran out with a box of red clay and a official seal covering his head. At this time, he was still wearing an official uniform and official hat and was moving here and there. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether he was moving or in. Escape.
Shen Xichen grabbed the county magistrate's official uniform and pushed it back on a chair. The magistrate was about to get angry when he raised his face and saw the two figures, black and white, with an imposing manner. Not daring to move for a moment, he groaned and begged: "Two Taoist priests, let me go. This city cannot stay any longer. Many people have died before and after. If I don't leave, I will be buried with the Tong family."
Jin Mu, who was dressed in black, bent down with a smile and asked, "What is going on with the Tong family that your lord is talking about? Please tell me everything that has happened in the imperial city for so many days. Since we When we come, we will surely eliminate the evil spirits and restore peace to the imperial city."
"All the Taoist priests said this, but in the end, they all died. The Imperial City will not talk about you now. Even the immortals can't save you!!" The magistrate's fat body just shrank on the chair and trembled in despair.
Shen Xi was impatient and was about to speak when he saw Jin Mu holding the halberd from his back and pointing it at the magistrate's throat. The smile on his face looked so friendly.
Then the county magistrate recounted what had happened. Because of fear, he was stumbling and his logic was not smooth. However, after listening to it, Shen Xichen sorted out the general situation of the matter and immediately rushed to Tong's house with Jin Mu. But Ayu's head was spinning when she heard it, and she was asking questions in Shen Xichen's ear, so he simply told her directly.
Ten days ago, the Imperial City was not what it is now. The one who was in trouble was the Tong family located in the west of the city. The Tong family was also a well-established family in the Imperial City. Their ancestors once served as servants for the emperor. Although no one in this generation is in office, In the Imperial City, the Tong family is somewhat arrogant. The Tong family has given birth to five children. Except for the eldest son and the youngest son, the others are all daughters. The eldest son has already been married, and now he has a son and a daughter.
The person who had the accident was the most favored youngest son of the Tong family. He was the fourth in the family and was seventeen years old. That was the day when the fourth son of Tong married the Li family, who was also a noble. The scene was not to mention how luxurious it was. The three-mile long street was full of hangings. Festive red lanterns, and servants scattering copper coins along the way to the wedding, brought Miss Li home in such a lively manner. Unexpectedly, during the wedding night, the bride screamed and fainted, unconscious. When everyone arrived, they saw Young Master Tong lying on the ground with his body stiff, his face turned blue, and his whole cheeks were sunken, as if the flesh on his body had shrunk in an instant, and he was as shriveled as a mummy, but he was still like this. Didn't stop breathing. When the Li family heard that they took their daughter back home overnight, the Tong family also sent away their guests overnight and closed the door tightly. The next day, all the famous doctors in the city came to the Tong family's door. They shook their heads when they saw the sick bodies, and everyone did it. Now that it's like this, it's not like he's sick, he's clearly possessed by evil spirits. When he left Tong's house, he seemed to be running away. It wasn't until evening that bad news came from Tong's house.
In front of everyone, the eldest son of the Tong family, his whole face and body shrank and collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye. He pointed forward with his eyes full of fear. Everyone else present was so frightened by this terrifying scene that they collapsed to the ground. From that day on, someone from the Tong family would fall down every day. Everyone had the same symptoms. In just three days, the red lanterns at the door had not been removed in time. All the men in the family were already half dead, including the young boy who escaped from the Tong family. Said, crazy, the Tong family has gone crazy. From then on, no matter day or night, the wailing of the female members of the Tong family could be heard from all over the place. It was very scary. The people sent by the government to see the situation came back alive, but when they came back, their faces turned pale, and they all asked about the situation. Kneeling down and vomiting, the Tong family was now like hell. Slowly, the Tong family fell into a dead silence. The entire imperial city was shrouded in a layer of haze. The dignitaries in the city also began to flee. The government had no choice but to report to the emperor and pay a heavy sum of money. Recruiting talented people with different skills will lead to predictable results: those who go in never come out.
Up to now, except for Tong San and Tong Si, who married outside the imperial city, no one knows whether they are alive or dead.
After hearing this, Ayu felt terrible. Then she thought that only the Tong family and the ascetics were in trouble. The evil spirit did not seem to take the initiative to harm other people in the city. Everyone was just frightened. What on earth did the Tong family do? What will happen to them? This great calamity.
