The treasure ship arrived at the outskirts of Jianping County after traveling for half a day. The group landed outside the city to clean up. Hao Lianfeng specially stuffed a jade plaque into You Ziji's arms and said: "It will take some time before the masters and uncles can make a suitable identity plaque for you. This one is lent to you. You must remember that Xuan Mingdao's identity plate is also a magic weapon, so don't inject true energy to destroy it."
Hao Lianfeng and several disciples warned: "The various forces in the city are not only the Ji family, but also the forces of the Luoyanmen and the Shanzong. The Luoyanmen branch, the Mojiang Cao Gang, and the two caravans are one of their pillar industries. , there must be experts stationed here. The Shan Sect has been rooted in Jianping County for more than a hundred years, and the sect’s elixir and talisman business has always been traded in this city, so there are also representatives here. Please remember not to mess around, otherwise you will cause trouble. Several families It doesn’t look good on my face, and it’s a joke to others.”
Then the group of people blended into the group entering the city like ordinary people, not wanting to be discovered by other forces.
I thought I could enter the city normally, but I didn't expect the flow of people to be huge, and Baoshan's backpack was very conspicuous. If I wanted to avoid trouble, it would be difficult to use any means, so I could only move forward at a slow pace with the team.
Hao Lianfeng felt that the scene at this time revealed something unusual. He grabbed his father-in-law who was pushing the cart next to him and asked, "Brother, why are there so many people at the gate of the city?"
The old man was also worried about waiting, and he was happy to have someone to chat with him. He saw that Hao Lianfeng had a very good temperament. Even the masters and wives who were pampered in the courtyard did not necessarily have such a neat spirit. If it weren't for the fragrance of rice cakes on his body, he would still be in trouble. I thought he was an immortal.
"Is this your first time coming to Jianping?"
Hao Lianfeng waved his hands repeatedly, "Brother, I'm sorry. I'm not a master. I just do some craft work and made some things with my apprentices to sell here. It's not the first time. I've been here a few years ago. At that time Although the city is also lively, it is not to this extent."
"For craftsmanship, you must be an old master. The old master must not have heard that Jijia, the largest merchant in our city, will take advantage of Mr. Ji's 80th birthday to wholesale all the goods in his backlog to us traders at a good price. Lian, this is a great blessing. Master Hao is just in time, why not come together and try to buy some goods, so as to save some money for coffin boards."
Hao Lianfeng thought to himself: "I don't know who came up with the poisonous plan. After throwing away the ordinary goods, even if Ji Zibai showed up to object on the day of his birthday banquet, there would be no chips in his hand."
Seeing that Hao Lianfeng didn't respond, the old man thought that he was still hesitating, so he added more words: "Master Hao, are you afraid of being cheated? But this is too much worry. I heard that the Chief of Staff of the Governor's Mansion is also here. I have the opportunity to celebrate my birthday by hosting this grand business event. With Heaven as my guarantee, there is nothing to worry about. It is a great blessing for the common people like me."
Hao Lianfeng was startled and asked in surprise: "Is Chang Shi here too?"
The old man didn't seem to notice the disrespect in Hao Lianfeng's address, or maybe he just thought he was surprised.
"I, old man, can I still lie to you? Chang Shi entered the city yesterday and issued a notice that day."
Hao Lianfeng was shocked in his heart, "Chang Shi stepped down immediately. Does the Governor's Office need to do it so obviously and in such a hurry?"
He still didn't know what was hidden in it, but Zhongzhou Tianfu would definitely take action to suppress this trend anyway, and it would be up to him to see how the Governor's Mansion responded.
"I'm very moved by what I said. Unfortunately, I don't have any money left. I'd better wait until all the gadgets in my hands are sold."
"The old master is right. Doing business still requires some capital."
The old man turned around and saw Bao Shan carrying a big package behind Hao Lianfeng. Seeing that the old man looked honest and honest, he smiled as a greeting. Unexpectedly, the old man exclaimed, "Oh my god! Could it be that Master Shan was reincarnated?" of."
This attracted everyone's attention. After seeing clearly, although they all secretly scolded the old man for talking nonsense, they also secretly praised Bao Shan for being so big.
After entering the city, Ji Wenyi said: "There is an inn ahead, let's go there and order some food. There is no need to stay here. I will go home first and pick you up when I want to have a meal." .”
But Hao Lianfeng already knew many emergencies, and he didn't want to do this, so he suddenly changed his mind, "Let's not go to the inn, and go directly to the Shanzong's territory to stay."
Ji Wenyi didn't know why, "Uncle, maybe he's afraid of running out of money. He can just put it in my family's account."
"Haha, we finally came to Jianping once. How can we not meet old friends? Don't think too much and go home first. But remember not to expose our arrival and whereabouts today. I will take advantage of this time to reveal our arrival and whereabouts. Find out more here and make preparations in advance before going to the Ji family. Just wait until you go to Shan Zong to find us tomorrow."
Ji Wenyi saw that Hao Lianfeng had other ideas, so he stopped insisting and went home first.
Hao Lianfeng took his disciples, asked the passers-by about the location of Shan Zong, and rushed over together.
But seeing the constant stream of pedestrians passing by, and the shops doing brisk business, it is indeed the commercial center of Longzhou, and it seems to be even more prosperous than the state capital, Jianzhou City.
The Shanzong's manor is in a secluded place, not far from the busy city. The fact that it occupies such a large area for Qing Dynasty shows that the Shanzong's economic strength is also very strong.
When everyone was about to knock on the door, they saw two little Taoist priests running out of the door. They saw that the little Taoist priests were only twelve or thirteen years old, and they chased and laughed all the way.
"Quan Zhang, you have to run out to play again, and you haven't finished your homework yet."
"It's not boring to sit in the room all the time. There are a lot of fun places just around the corner. Our seniors chose this place just to let us combine work and rest."
"You're talking nonsense again. It's obvious that the senior chose this place because he wanted to train his disciples not to be disturbed by external objects."
"Quansheng, you are preaching again. You are becoming more and more like an old scholar in a private school, talking endlessly."
The two of them were jumping around, chasing each other, and suddenly saw a group of pedestrians in front of the door, dressed in different costumes, old and young, tall and short, a very strange combination.
Fortunately, the two young Taoist priests restrained themselves after remembering that their elders taught them to pay attention to their own image outside the home. But seeing that this group of five people seemed to be about to enter the door, they found themselves in front of the door. I guess they didn't know that this was the Shanzong's manor, so they asked curiously: "Do the donors come to see my master for anything?"
When the young Taoist asked questions, Hao Lianfeng would not take the initiative to answer since he had his disciples by his side. Bao Shan replied: "We are looking for the seniors of the Shan Sect. Whoever has the highest status here will be the one we look for."
"Then we are looking for our elders."
The little Taoist priest named Quan Sheng who asked the question felt that the auras of the people in front of him were unpredictable, so he was a little cautious and did not dare to speak too much. Quan Zhang, his friend next to him, was obviously not polite, "Where are you from and what do you want from my master?"
Seeing that the little Taoist priest's tone was not kind, Yao Yi became interested and stepped forward and said, "We are here to play in the gym. Do you dare to accept it, master?"
Quan Zhang snorted coldly, "Do you think our place is a martial arts gym? If you want to join the gym, you can kick it without even looking at your appearance. You look like the sick-looking guy next to you. Don't die here." .”
Yao Yi's face turned cold. She couldn't pretend she didn't hear those bad words about Zhang Xingwen. Until she looked at Zhang Xingwen's face and burst into laughter.
It turns out that Zhang Xingwen often reverses day and night, and often uses magic to observe the starry sky, which consumes a lot of energy. He has not closed his eyes until this time last night, and his energy is already low. His two panda eyes have already hung up, and he really looks like a sick man.
"And you are a crazy girl who doesn't know where you came from. You keep giggling. Don't infect your stupidity to my fellow disciples of Shan Sect."
"Quan Zhang..." Seeing that his companion was getting more and more outrageous, Quan Sheng quickly stepped forward to stop him so as not to offend him.
It's a pity that his malice has been completely transmitted to several people. Hao Lianfeng turned his head to one side and looked at the scenery. Bao Shan stopped talking. Zhang Xingwen and Yao Yi, who had endured the malice, stopped being polite and stepped forward to teach him a lesson.
Zhang Xingwen used a little trick to apply the clairvoyance spell he had always used to observe stars to Quan Zhang. Things a hundred meters away were clearly visible in his eyes, except for those close to him, and he couldn't see clearly what was under his feet.
"Quan Sheng, come and help me. I seem to be under their spell. I can't see what's in front of me."
The whole chapter was in panic, coupled with the fact that he did not practice hard on weekdays, and his physical skills were really poor. Under the completely different situation what he saw and felt, his legs were weak and his feet were slippery, unable to maintain balance, and he couldn't even stand up by himself. He was supported by his whole life.
Quan Sheng hurriedly apologized to several people, "Senior and several senior brothers and sisters, my junior brother spoke freely. After accepting the punishment, I already know that I was wrong. Please be more generous and remove the illusion."
Yao Yi smiled and said: "You don't even know what kind of spell you have been hit by. With your strength, you are not afraid of embarrassing your master."
Unexpectedly, a Taoist priest behind the sect heard the commotion and came over. Hearing that Yao Yi was making fun of his fellow disciples, he was not happy. One of the young disciples cursed: "You are such a sharp-tongued girl. How dare you come to the gate of our Shanzong to act wild? I want to make you look good."
After saying that, the Taoist struck out with his palm, holding the talisman in his palm. There was a flash of lightning inside, indicating that the power had reached the Xuan realm. Zhang Xingwen Lingran was not afraid, he stepped forward to receive a move, and a stream of shuttle flew out, shattering the thunder talisman. He also said: "If you are very sharp in talking about yin and yang, your junior brother is the master."
The two of them were evenly matched in one move. The young Taoist priest was obviously a little dissatisfied and shouted: "It's a good magic weapon. I will let you see my magic weapon."
Having said that, he drew his sword and took action. Zhang Xingwen Lingran was not afraid to raise his hand and fight with the opponent.
Yao Yi was still fanning the flames at the side, "I said that the Shan Sect's junior disciple is not good enough. It turns out that the senior disciple is not good either. He can't even tell what moves the opponent is using. Open your eyes and see where my junior brother is using the magic weapon." ”
Hao Lianfeng and Bao Shan had no intention of stopping them. They were just having a small fight at the moment. No outsiders could see this, so it was nothing. If there were elders who took action, they would be needed to enter.
Quan Sheng saw the young Taoist priest and Zhang Xingwen going head-to-head. Both of them were obviously powerful in the Xuan realm. The other party was clearly only sixteen or seventeen years old and was by no means ordinary.
"Senior brother Quan Ming, the other party is not mediocre. We should report it to our uncle before making a judgment."
At this time, the young Taoist priest also realized his full name. The girl was still this person's senior sister, so she couldn't be much different. There were two people behind her, and their auras were unfathomable, and they were probably even more powerful. He put away his long sword and said to You Ziji and the others: "Although I don't know your purpose, Shan Zong is not afraid of you. Let's speak openly. If you have the guts, come with me to see Master and Uncle and tell us face to face." clear."
Bao Shan finally reacted at this time, "I can't ask for it."
A group of people walked into the manor surrounded by Taoist priests from the Shan Sect. The battle seemed to treat Xuan Mingdao and his party as life and death enemies. Yao Yi felt a little uneasy. She walked to Hao Lianfeng and asked, "Uncle, did we cause trouble just now?"
Hao Lianfeng comforted her and said: "It's okay, just treat it as a warning to Shan Zong so that we won't take us seriously."
This is indeed what Hao Lianfeng is thinking at the moment. He wants to solve the problem of Shan Zong as quickly as possible to determine whether he will still regard himself as a member of the Seven Sects and continue the policy of checking and balancing the Governor's Palace formulated by Zhongzhou Tianfu.
Soon, two older Taoist priests were led over by their disciples.
Shan Sect, as the most prosperous sect among the seven sects, is more powerful than Tianyu Guan, who has been a little lonely in recent years. It also sends monks to the county and city. At that time, Tianyu Guan only had one Tianxuan Taoist who was stuck in the Xuan Realm. There are two Moon Watching Realm monks stationed in Zong.
Hao Lianfeng hadn't gone out for several years, and he didn't often go out with Shan Zong, so he didn't know the two of them. In addition, he is the highest-level person present, so it is easy to hide his cultivation level.
Therefore, as soon as the two Taoists arrived at the scene, they were attracted by Bao Shan at first sight. From the perception, Bao Shan's cultivation level was similar to that of the two of them, only slightly weaker.
One of the Taoist priests greeted him: "Where is this strong man from? Since he is an expert in the moon-watching realm, why should he be in trouble with my disciples? I wonder what he has to do with us?"
As soon as he said this, all the Taoist priests were shocked on the spot. The two brothers Quan Zhang and Quan Ming, who had made a move before, were so frightened that they broke into cold sweats. They were secretly glad that the other party had unusual knowledge, otherwise they would have died long ago.
Bao Shan said: "Disciple Bao Shan has met these two seniors."
The Taoist priest waved his hands and said, "You're welcome, strong man. The most accomplished in the world come first. Your cultivation level is almost the same as mine, so why bother calling yourself a junior?"
Another Taoist priest said: "My Taoist name is Dejing. This is my senior brother's virtue. If you are not used to calling us by our names directly, you can."
Bao Shan bowed and said respectfully: "I don't dare, I am a disciple of Xuan Ming Dao, so I should call you two uncles based on their seniority."
At this time, not only the disciples were surprised, but the two old Taoist priests were also a little surprised, "What? My nephew is actually a disciple of Xuanming Dao. I don't know who he is. Is there something important to discuss here?"
Bao Shan still said respectfully: "My master is Hao Lianfeng, the master of weapon refining, and he is right next to me."
It was only then that everyone in the Shan Sect focused their attention on the little old man behind Bao Shan. If Bao Shan hadn't revealed his identity, no one would have thought that this old guy was also an expert at the Moon Watching Realm.
At this moment, Depin Dejing no longer dared to show any slightness, and hurriedly ran to Hao Lianfeng and bowed: "I have met Senior Brother Hao, and your name is well known to us."
Hao Lianfeng's face was also full of smiles, "The two junior brothers are so complimentary. They are all based on false reputations."
They all put aside the unhappiness of the disciples just now and marched to the hall.
Depin has the highest status here. He has many questions in his mind at this moment, so he said: "What is the purpose of Senior Brother Hao coming here at this time? It can't be a matter of business cooperation with the Ji family. I heard that Mr. Ji and several senior brothers Xuan Mingdao It’s a good personal relationship.”
Hao Lianfeng did not deny it, "It is true that I came here for my friend's birthday party. Although Ji Zibai didn't send an invitation to me, I remembered his birthday, so naturally I wanted to come over."
Depin said: "Senior brother Hao doesn't know. Mr. Ji has been in seclusion for a long time. Now the person in charge of the Ji family is Ji Longwei. How could he give an invitation to Xuan Mingdao?"
Hao Lianfeng said: "So, your business cooperation has not been known to Mr. Ji?"
Depin said: "Senior brother, we are just joking. We naturally discuss business with the person in charge of the Ji family."
Hao Lianfeng looked serious, "I heard that after the Shan Sect cooperated with the Jijia Chamber of Commerce, the Jijia completely transferred to the spiritual world and concentrated on the business of monks, and stopped doing all the business of mortals in the past?"
"It's true." Depin didn't hide anything, but seeing Hao Lianfeng's expression seemed a little unhappy, "It's normal for the Ji family to do this. People go to higher places. If they want to make a lot of money, they naturally have to make choices."
Hao Lianfeng said: "If I have nothing to do with the Ji family, it doesn't matter to me what they do. But Ji Zibai and I are good friends in the past, and I will never let him go astray."
Tokui, who had never spoken before, felt a little unhappy when he heard Hao Lianfeng's words. What does it mean to go astray? Isn't it bad to do business with Shan Zong? He said: "Senior Brother Hao, I disagree with this statement. He is mainly engaged in monk business and exchanging a small amount of resources for more benefits. How can he be wrong?"
Hao Lianfeng said: "It doesn't matter who does or doesn't do what kind of business. The Ji family doesn't do ordinary people's business, so naturally others will do it. But how can Ji Zibai's reputation accumulated over the past few decades be used in the business?" Someone made a decision without his knowledge, which ruined his reputation as Jiujiang's invincible. Look at the vendors outside who are rushing to buy. The goods are circulated on such a large scale. Without the Ji family's inventory, the prices will only drop in the end. When there is a problem, who will solve it? Who will bear the blame?"
Depin thought for a moment and said: "Senior Brother Hao is indeed true to what he said, but if the current head of the Ji family insists on doing so, it is not something that our Shanzong can change."
Hao Lianfeng narrowed his eyes and said: "Then who can change? In Jianping County, apart from the Shan Sect, only the Ji family is the most powerful. It can't be the Luoyan Clan's gang. They rely on mortal business to make a living, so how can they destroy it? He won his own job."
Depin and Dejing looked at each other, and during the exchange of glances, they seemed to understand Hao Lianfeng's true intention of coming here, and said: "Of course he is from the Governor's Mansion."
"So the Shanzong is cooperating with the Governor's Office?"
"Is Senior Brother Hao expressing his own views, or can he represent Xuan Mingdao's meaning?"
Hao Lianfeng leaned on the chair and said calmly: "Since I am here, I can naturally represent the meaning of Xuan Mingdao."
Depin and Dejing seemed to be relieved and said: "The sect leader originally thought that he would take it for a while and solve it himself, but he didn't expect that Xuan Mingdao also discovered something strange here. Now that Senior Brother Hao is here, we must have a chance. It’s a bit bigger.”
These words made Hao Lianfeng a little confused, so he asked: "Shan Zong is in trouble?"
"Indeed." Depin said with a sad face: "I don't know when, the Ji family almost lost the ability to control their various industries, and moved closer and closer to the Governor's Mansion. This completely goes against Mr. Ji's always equal treatment of local policies. We have long since I discovered something strange, and after investigation, I found that the Ji family was divided into three factions, among which the eldest young master of the Ji family was the strongest, just because he accepted the help of the Governor's Mansion."
Hao Lianfeng couldn't help but express the question that was deep in his heart: "But isn't the Governor's Mansion afraid that Zhongzhou Tianfu will punish them?"
"Of course they are afraid. If they can find an ally, the best option is Xuan Mingdao, but they themselves know that they will not succeed, and they may be exposed. The Luoyan Clan is a mixed bag, and it is even less likely to be an option. So they can only Another way, with a legitimate reason, is to capture the sect monks, the administrative power of the Governor's Office, the military power, and the financial power of the Chamber of Commerce. That is to have a common enemy."
Hao Lianfeng said: "Enemies? Now that the world has been at peace for a long time, he has trouble fighting the evil god. Where can he find enemies?"
"If you don't have one, make one."
"What? Then you are still helping the evildoers."
Depin said: "What our sect master means is that if we don't take the initiative to bring out the hidden danger, it will be a disaster sooner or later. It's better to get involved in person. If we can know their plan, maybe we can stop them."
Hao Lianfeng said: "I didn't expect the matter to be so complicated, so is this the reason why the governor-general's chief minister came here?"
"We don't know that either. It stands to reason that the further away you are, the less suspicious you will be. Maybe there is something that requires him to come forward."
Hao Lianfeng said: "Do you know who the enemy created by the Governor's Mansion is, and when will this enemy be revealed?"
Depin said with great regret: "We don't know this either. After all, the Governor's Mansion hasn't given us a plan for the next step."
Hao Lianfeng secretly calculated the strength of the Shan Sect. Since the head of the Shan Sect was sure to solve the crisis on his own, if he and Bao Shan were added to solve the crisis, it should be said to be a 100% certainty. However, to be on the safe side, he still had to pass the news back to Xuan Sect. Mingdao.
"Two junior brothers, there is an inconspicuous inn here. My disciples and I went to stay there to avoid being discovered and affecting the plan."
Depin said: "Why is that? It's okay to stay here again. How do the people in the Governor's Mansion know what Senior Brother Hao looks like?"
Tokui also echoed: "When the senior brothers and nephews put on the Taoist robes of our Shanzong, how can outsiders doubt it."
Hao Lianfeng also thinks this method is good. If something unexpected happens, communication with each other will be faster. "Then I will bring a few disciples to make trouble. I also have a disciple at Ji's house. I will go and explain to him tonight. Can the two junior brothers have the blueprint of the city so as not to get lost."
