The beast's head spits out lingering green smoke, and the aroma of Rui Nao and white sandalwood is as dense as the humid water vapor at the beginning of spring. A slightly rich hand slowly holds up the glass tea cup, and the gold cuff at the wrist is caught in the sunset that is suddenly thrown in. The light flashed away.
"Master——" Yunhua Yuanjun gently closed the door of the palace, turned around and blessed the woman in gorgeous clothes sitting on the seat slightly.
Jinmu Yuanjun cut the tea lid and said, "You are three quarters of an hour late today, which is really rare."
"Disciple," Yunhua Yuanjun lowered his head, "I just received a report from the city lord of Shuangyue City in the north who was suddenly critically ill and reported to Kunlun, so I had to delay it for a while and a half."
"That's really strange. Why are two of them critically ill?" Golden Mother took a leisurely sip of tea, "This matter is not small at all, but it is not big at all. In that barren land in the north, It's not Kunlun's turn to worry about the life and death of the city lord. If he really can't be saved, it would be his grace to inform the Secretary Litang to draw up a succession title for his heir in advance."
The northern border is connected to the desolate Youzhou. It has been an area with a sparse presence in terms of resources and strategy for many years. It is no wonder that Golden Mother does not care about it.
"Master has learned that the disciples have already taken care of everything." Yunhua Yuanjun lowered his head.
"Looking at you, it seems like I am blaming you." Jinmu Yuanjun glanced at her and suddenly smiled, "Since you always lead Si Ji Tang and are one of the seven elders, naturally half The general affairs of Junzhou are all on your shoulders, which is a blessing for an old man like me who is hiding from leisure, but it makes you tired all day long."
"Master's words are serious, this is all the disciple's responsibility." Yunhua Yuanjun also smiled and slowly loosened his hand holding the skirt material.
"Why are you so polite? Aren't you tired of standing? Why don't you come over here and sit down?"
"Yes." She smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt that she had just scratched out without leaving any trace, walked over with a calm face, and sat down on the seat below Jinmu Yuanjun.
"You might as well talk and listen," Jinmu Yuanjun put down the glass cup in his hand, "What kind of troubles have been happening outside Kunlun recently?"
Yunhua Yuanjun smiled and said: "Most of them are just like before, they are just a bunch of trivial matters, and the ones worth hearing about are just those old ones - in the Guandong Peninsula, there have been a lot of small actions by Tianminghui recently. , this time Taizhen sent five more Transformation Stages and thirty Nascent Soul Stages to serve as a deterrent. In addition, on the Haixi side, Qiong Sang and Heng Wu were still facing off. Xiaoxiang insisted on strengthening the wall and clearing the field, and used defense instead of attack. However, they have gradually shown signs of fatigue... I heard that Heng Wu is now making inquiries privately, trying to contact the group of people who fled the construction hall back then."
"We have been searching for so many years, but there is no clue at all. Did he think it was so easy because he did it on the spur of the moment?"
"This... I can't say for sure," Yunhua Yuanjun hesitated, "After all, Xiaoxiang was always trying to protect them back then. Hengwu had openly expressed his support for Xiaoxiang for so many years. Then the former construction hall Chuan Qiong, the leader of the hall, has always been a willful person. For so many years... I am afraid he hates us very much. If he takes the initiative to show up and help them, with the things that the construction hall took away back then, I am afraid that Heng Wu will be able to stand up Raise the flag of rebellion!"
Jinmu Yuanjun knocked on the chair, "Then in your opinion, what should we do?"
Yunhua Yuanjun said calmly, "I also hope that all this is just my worries, but just in case, we can't put all our hopes on the Asura clan. In order to prevent a fire in the backyard, we also need to The best thing is to send manpower to keep an eye on them. If Heng Wu really and Chuan Qiong get involved, we can follow the clues and get rid of these years of trouble in one fell swoop."
"In order to prevent a fire in the backyard..." Jinmu nodded slowly, "But the Zhengshitang has tilted its focus to Haixi and Kanto. If those sects and aristocratic families catch fire, what should we do?"
Yunhua Yuanjun tightened his grip on the hem of his skirt again.
"Didn't that Ziguang girl just catch a series of disciple selection frauds in the Southern Jin Dynasty? What happened to her is another matter, and how you concluded that case, I turned a blind eye. But underneath. Those people were too presumptuous. Back then, they fought against Hengwu Qianyuan and the others, and the contingency gave them some breathing space. Now they are too lively, such as the audacious Yuhua Sect back then—"
"That is a collusion between the old Tianshan Snow Party and the essence is restoration..."
Jinmu Yuanjun sneered, "Is there any difference between those sect families and Tianshan Xue? They are all remnants of the previous dynasty. From another perspective, Tianshan Xue was dragged down by them. In essence, they are all the same. The pile of blood-sucking things is just a sign of being 'weak and helpless' under the threat of Emperor Xuan's iron hooves and light armor."
"Of course...of course, we are always wary of these local forces. I ordered the purge of all Kunlun branches last month. Those sects and aristocratic families have long since ceased to exist, and there are no big internal worries..."
Jinmu Yuanjun didn't seem to pay attention to her excuse. Yunhua Yuanjun waited for her to finish a cup of herbal tea before hearing her last words slowly -
"I hope so."
Yunhua Yuanjun exhaled calmly, smiled again and changed the topic intentionally or unintentionally, "But when it comes to Ziguang... I just remembered that Ziguang sent me a message to say goodbye yesterday. It was you who agreed to let me say goodbye." Will Ziguang return to Zhuzhou?"
"Well," Jinmu Yuanjun said nonchalantly, "I'm not a prisoner. It's only natural that I want to go home. Why don't we agree to let him go?"
"But how will the Asura clan explain..."
"The Asura clan is Junzhou's enemy, what should we explain to them?" Jinmu Yuanjun pretended to be puzzled.
Yunhua Yuanjun was speechless for a moment, "...disciple..."
Jinmu Yuanjun leaned back and said, "If she wants to leave, just leave. But from the moment she steps out of Kunlun, Kunlun has no obligation to protect her. In this chaos of war, she looks so sick again." , it’s not surprising that there was an accident on the way. Especially when we reach the borderline between the two continents, Kunlun is beyond our reach——"
Yun Hua looked astonished and said, "Best regards, Master!"
"Let them deal with their internal conflicts by themselves. The more involved this kind of entanglement is, the more they must know how to clean themselves up." Jinmu Yuanjun said meaningfully, "Of course, Kunlun's disciples will travel far, and a A grand farewell is essential, and we want everyone to know that she is leaving Kunlun. When does she plan to leave?"
"Three days later."
Jinmu Yuanjun held her chin on one side, and her long fingernails inlaid with gold and jade covered less than half of her face. Her deep eyes came out from between her fingers, "Zhongshan, was that a good day to say goodbye?"
Zhongshan Zhenjun, who had been sitting opposite Yunhua, opened his eyes as if he had finally woken up, "Three days later, the wind and rain will be like darkness, so it is forbidden to move or travel far."
————
Rong Tong pushed open the exquisite wooden window covered with gold paint. The clouds outside were gloomy and heavy, and cool raindrops fell on the window.
"It is said that the spring rain in Kunlun is continuous. Once it starts, it will never end. It is indeed true."
"The almanac says it's not advisable to go out today." An oil-paper umbrella floated into view outside the window, and the face holding Qin appeared under the umbrella.
"Bu Feng has a joke called 'Ten hexagrams, nine mistakes, and one hexagram that cannot be revealed.' This group of people compiled the almanac of the cultivation world. If you take it seriously, you will lose." Rong Tong rested her chin on the window lattice, she The space she was in was shaking, so her head also seemed to be shaking, as if she was shaking her head indifferently.
"It seems that you are very optimistic about the future, Miss."
"No," she looked a little listless, "it's just that the almanac can't help me find a day when I don't have any ideas. Unlucky is constant, and there is no survivor bias, so I have to lie down passively——"
"Then I'm afraid you need to cheer up." Baoqin pressed the window, "The gate to Kunlun is in front of us."
Rong Tong then stretched out his arms and looked out. There seemed to be a patch of sparkling gold in front of him that was different from the dim view before and after. When the thin sunlight passed through that area, it seemed that it encountered the refraction of some unusual material. From high in the sky, The flow flows to the earth, surrounding Kunlun like a huge curtain. On weekdays, you can't even feel its presence at all. Only when you get closer can you see its luster that warns entry and exit.
She could feel that the turbulence in the small space she was in was weakening, which only meant that the speed of advancement was beginning to slow down.
The seal in front of him was slowly pushed away from the outside world, and the cold wind swept in with the raindrops.
Bao Qin reached out and said, "Miss, you'd better come out and say a few words."
Rong Tong was helplessly pushed out by Bao Qin, and the carved golden door behind him slowly closed. This turned out to be a small and exquisite sedan chair, steadily stopping in mid-air. It was decorated with turquoise and amber. , so delicate that it looks like it is used to hide a beauty in a golden house. One hundred and fifty years ago, Ziguang rode it from Zhuzhou to Kunlun. Her mother clan, which regarded her as a treasure, sent three masters to protect her. However, something happened in Haixi, and the two of them followed Ziguang. Now only The old man Baoqin is still guarding it.
She stepped on Baoqin's flying sword, and Baoqin steadily turned around with the flying sword behind her. Behind the Kunlun Realm Gate, the flags were fluttering and the canopy covered the sun. The fellow disciples who came to "send off" were arranged according to their order. Starting from them You can't see the end of it at a glance. If the shengxiao orchestra hadn't been playing ritual music, it would have been possible to say that it was an attack by the whole army of monks.
The send-off arranged for her was almost as good as a national gift for a head of state. It seemed that no matter how you looked at it, Kunlun treated her, the eldest lady from Zhuzhou, to perfection and could not find a single fault.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Yuan, and all of you for seeing me off. I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to you——"
She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and bowed down in a delicate and delicate manner. There was no fault in her etiquette.
Yunhua Yuanjun personally took her hand and led her up, "You are weak now, so you don't need to be so polite."
"Thank you Yuanjun for your love."
"You are my child. I have seen him grow up since he was a child. He is smart, beautiful, and spiritual. Things have gone well with me during these days in Si Ji Tang. We are suddenly going to be apart. I am still It’s really hard to let go.”
Rong Tong just lowered his head, "It's all thanks to Mr. Yuan's teachings. It's the juniors who should be grateful to you."
"In short, no matter how far you go, Kunlun will always be your disciple, and Zhengshitang will always be your backing." Yunhua Yuanjun gently patted her shoulder, which was so thin that it was out of shape, "I'll wait for you then. When you come back, we will hold another reception and cleansing banquet for you on the island in the middle of the lake."
return? But looking at this posture, it is clearly a farewell.
Of course, Elder Kunlun took time out of his busy schedule to come here, and his time must be precious. After just a few words, the direct disciples around her hurriedly came to deliver important government affairs. One said "It has begun" and the other said "Oh?", as if playing a charade. Then, Yunhua Yuanjun said with regret: "I really want to talk to you again, but you see, in such a position, you often can't help yourself..."
"This junior is scared."
She put on her weak smile, lowered her eyebrows in the rain, bowed and saluted, "Best farewell to Mr. Yuan——"
——————
Blood filled the air in the low temperature and humidity. This was the first spring rain of the year in the north. On the criss-crossing muddy roads, faint shadows cast by sword energy occasionally appeared when they broke through the rain curtain. The sword-wielding monks hovered in the low sky, like vultures looking for prey.
"Have all those residents been arrested?"
"Almost, the cell is overcrowded now, and another batch was executed yesterday."
"Still unable to reveal the whereabouts of the beads from their mouths?"
"From my perspective, fellow Taoists are wasting their efforts. How can the most important secrets of Shuangyue City be known to ordinary people?"
"Everyone knows the truth, but it's just that they are difficult to control. After a few greetings to the Mingmen, one by one, they will be covered in scales and armor and show their fierce looks. Pindao used to be just a legend, but he didn't expect that the whole city is full of people. monster!"
"That further proves that the information is correct. Now that everyone is tied to a ship, we must take this risk no matter what!"
"Now only the wife and daughter of the sickly city lord are missing. I'm afraid they know something..."
"I'm afraid the beads are in the hands of both of them! Especially his daughter, three Nascent Soul stages surrounded her and she was in the early stage of the Golden Core, and they actually allowed her to escape! There is definitely something wrong with this little girl!"
"That female nun named Mengmeng? Oh, she's not a little girl anymore!"
"Oh? By the way... I remember Brother Feng, your clan brother seems to have had a marriage contract with Shuangyue City, but do you know the inside story?"
"I've only heard a little bit about it," the monk known as "Brother Feng" said meaningfully: "But those speculations are no longer necessary now. After all, we will all know the truth soon, right? There are many directions in Shuangyue City. They are all covered with barriers, and she cannot escape with her wings, and sooner or later we will catch her again!"
The others laughed loudly, "It's pity that brother of yours is going to have no wife!"
"Women are like clothes. If this one is gone, there will be something more beautiful. This is the truth that men are born with."
They laughed again. The executioners who had bloodbathed Shuangyue City were as comfortable as fair-weather friends having fist fights on the table. Thick smoke was billowing below them, and even the heavy rain could not completely extinguish the fire that burned the city last night.
They didn't realize that among the ruins of the cold and dilapidated streets, there was a pair of green eyes that had deeply imprinted the appearance of each of them on their minds.
"Zhu, Zhang, Gu, Lu in the southeast, Wei, Pei, Liu, Xue, Yang, Du in Guanzhong, Wang, Cui, Lu, Li, Zheng in Shandong, Changsun, Yuwen and Murong in Daibei, and... ...Chishui Feng clan, almost everyone in the thirty-sixth family is a murderer."
"I still have the last communication talisman in my hand, but the Kunlun Northern Branch is still indifferent so far... I have seen the Southern Jin Branch colluding with the aristocratic family. If even the inner sect of Kunlun..."
Mengmeng fumbled for a wooden board at hand and blocked the only gap that could be revealed. In the darkness, she firmly held the hand of the person behind her——
"Aniang... maybe we can't trust anyone anymore!"
A soft female voice from behind responded to her, "Yeah."
Mengmeng was silent for a moment and said, "Mom, it doesn't matter. Everything is not dead yet. When I recover completely this time, I will transform and return to the city lord's mansion again. Dad should not be dead yet. As long as he can wake up, everything will turn around!"
"Um."
There was another long silence, perhaps thanks to the darkness and the sound of rain. She thought that her unstoppable tears and disordered breathing might be able to continue to be concealed.
"Aniang..." She worked hard for a long time before she swallowed back her strong nasal voice again. When she looked back, she had already put on a smile, "It's safe here for now. If you are tired, you can sleep first..."
The cold blade was pressed against her neck, and she saw her aunt's golden-red pupils, which looked like two clusters of burning flames in the darkness.
"Ah... mother?" She was confused at first, but suddenly understood. With the light in the opposite pupil, she stiffly looked down at the skin under her ragged clothes.
She saw the dense green scales spread out, fastening layer by layer like a chain. The joints of the hand she was holding her mother in were bent, and the nails sharply penetrated her flesh and blood. inside.
"My child, you can no longer be alienated. Twin Moon City will not give any monster a chance to be born." The mother pointed the knife at her biological daughter and said sadly.
Mengmeng was startled, and she slowly let go of her hand that had turned into a claw. With a slash of her sharp fingertips, she tore off the hem of her clothes, and crudely and carefully bandaged the wound on her mother's hand. Mother Meng made no further move. In fact, even the knife she held on her daughter's neck was trembling uncontrollably.
"I understand. There have been no monsters in Shuangyue City for generations. This is the ancestral teaching... Auntie, please take care of yourself."
The knife clattered to the ground, and her aunt's scaly face twisted, "Why, why, why... This is my daughter, it's not you who should be damned! In such a world, even the entire Kyushu Everyone dies cleanly, and it’s not you who deserves death!”
"Aunt..."
A pair of cold hands suddenly touched her face, and she watched helplessly as black blood oozed from the golden-red eyes opposite her. The scales fell off wherever it flowed, leaving bloody and fleshy scars. Grandma's voice started to become hoarse, "Listen, kid, just go forward, tear up everyone who stands in your way, and get everything you want! Just go forward -"
The light in her eyes suddenly went out, her hands hung down weakly, and she fell straight into her daughter's arms like a long-frozen corpse.
She hugged her mother in a daze, her alienated paws were covered with black blood, her mother's back was soaked with blood, and there was a huge hole in the back of her heart, and her inner cavity was empty. The heart had been taken out a long time ago, and even the monster's terrifying healing power could not save it. In this sense, they are indeed monsters.
The blood was still flowing continuously, eroding the scales on Mengmeng's claws, but soon the scales grew again, and the wounds all over her body were also healing at a high speed, and soon the scales covered her face, in the darkness , a pair of more dazzling golden-red eyes lit up.
——————
…
"I have been with you for hundreds of years, and I know that you have a pure spirit, clear hair, calm demeanor and a leisurely body. You are very talented and thoughtful on the road. Now I am parting from you. I don't know when I will see you again. I am very sad. I only wish you a safe journey... "
One of the Seven Elders of Kunlun personally set an example, and then representatives from each peak came forward to say goodbye. The lineup was naturally quite decent, but they seemed to have no regard for the health of the patient who was about to have to travel hard. And the various representatives who were caught out of their busy schedules to go through the process were not too careless, and even a few farewell words could come up with many similarities.
For example, this real person in the transformation stage who represents Jianfeng is now reading the greetings from the previous Bufeng representative with a very high duplication check rate. But the most important thing in life is to be content. As a Jianfeng who opposes her and political correctness, Rong Tong only hopes that they can stop embarrassing her tirelessly at the stall where they will soon die. It was rare for everyone to reach a spiritual agreement, and the speed with which they left in a hurry effectively alleviated each other's scalp numbness.
"The next person is the representative of Kunlun Xusi Jitang——"
Si Jitang and Rong Tong had a close relationship in the past, so this time all the members came together. She looked from a distance and saw that the leader was Song Chenping, with He Qingqiu next to him. Among the direct descendants she personally selected before going to Nan Jinli, there was only one Cheng Qiubai, but he only followed the two of them from a distance. Most of the others were unfamiliar or completely unfamiliar faces.
After Rong Tong "retired from illness", Si Ji Tang's right minister, who had been in seclusion all year round, "happened" to come out of seclusion and naturally took over all her work. Song Chenping was appointed by him as the new Tusi Langguan. At the same time, he also gave him a great responsibility to "assist" in government affairs for him. He Qingqiu also served as Yuanwailang. As for the three people she had personally promoted, they either stayed put like Qiubai, or they were all transferred out of the Siji Hall. The gesture of excluding dissidents could not be more obvious.
Rong Tong has often felt guilty these days. This may be the group of people she feels most sorry for in the cultivation world. They chose to place bets in front of her for their future, but they never thought that it was not a profitable business. For this, she could only try her best to remedy this with the little bit of falsehood that the political hall had not yet exhausted on her——
Li Jingxun had just enough talent, but her temperament was too innocent and unsuitable for overt and covert fighting. She found a job in the auditorium to be in charge of etiquette documents. Cheng Qiubai was just the opposite. In order to bring him up, Rong Tong gave him a holy Qi-gathering pill out of his own pocket; under her recommendation, Yuan Wai Lang, a member of the Construction Hall, entered the Light Armor Division - the research and development and manufacturing department of Kunlun's monopoly weapons. The strength required It is indeed very high, but at the same time, there are minimal factional conflicts. As long as he can grasp it, few people will be able to touch him in the future; everyone else has obtained the qualifications to enter the secret realms of Junzhou, which not only gives them resources, but also allows them to Temporarily leaving the sight of being tit-for-tat for taking sides...
Only Feng Qing is the one who has the biggest headache for Rong Tong. He has the highest talent and good character. Even though Rong Tong may diligently complete whatever Rong Tong assigns him to do, he is actually an extremely independent person. No one can decide for him what is right. The best way out for him. In the end, Rong Tong asked for a transfer letter for him, with which he could be transferred to any department. She hoped that from now on, he would be able to leap like a fish and fly like a bird.
It was really difficult to contact them now. She didn't know their current situation, let alone which department Feng Qing was transferred to in the end.
Song Chenping's flying sword slowly lowered to the same height as Rong Tong. He bowed his hand to her in a formal manner. The patches on his tuxedo that symbolized official rank flashed past, but it was enough for Rong Tong to see clearly the clouds and dragons above. Decorations of cranes and flying phoenixes.
It seems that he has been appointed as a representative to practice with her former boss. This position is too shabby. As a former colleague, the right servant chose not to show up. I am afraid that he still uses this to establish his authority within the company. This desire for power is really harmonious. Zhengshitang has the same origin.
"Fellow Taoist Ziguang, may you have immeasurable life and blessings——" When he spoke, he had already straightened up.
Very good. The last time we met, I was still an "adult", but this time I became a "fellow Taoist". It seems that this person is really dissatisfied.
Rong Tong is now a sick and disabled person on the surface, but on the inside, her sensitivity has reached a new level. She has long sensed the faint signs that Song Chenping is about to break through, but within half a year, the coincidence is too much, and Cheng Qiubai is still the same now. In a state of stagnant water... She glanced at He Qingqiu next to him, who had a downcast look and was close to Song Chenping under his wide sleeves. Then she glanced at Cheng Qiubai at the end of the team from a distance, and could only sigh that she couldn't help him up. Can't help me...
"Okay, I got it," Rong Tong didn't even bother to give his former subordinate a business smile, and just said perfunctorily, "You can quit-"
Song Chenping stood still, as if he didn't understand what he was saying.
Yo? Hurt your self-esteem? Are you still stubborn?
Suddenly she realized something was wrong, and the expression on Song Chenping's face was a little stiff——
He Qingqiu, who had been silent next to him, had his back to the high-level monks in Kunlun. Facing her, he gently raised his sleeves. She clearly saw a dagger tempered with toxin of Lingyu poison pressing against Song Chenping's veins. superior.
"Sir, I know it's too ignorant to ask you for help now..." She spoke, with He Qingqiu's face in his face, but it was clearly Li Jingxun's voice.
"...but I really don't know what to do," Li Jingxun cried with uncontrollable panic, "Brother Feng defected on his way to Guandong at his own invitation, and is now on the Kunlun wanted list..."
Rong Tong couldn't care about anything else, he was instinctively shocked, "Why is he?"
Li Jingxun choked, "...It seems, something happened in Shuangyue City——"
.
