After Gu Xu finished writing the letter, he handed it to the government servant next to him, preparing to send it to Shen Qiu through the channels of the Exorcism Department.
Then, he left the intelligence department and turned towards the exorcism department's warehouse.
Now he has thousands of meritorious deeds to his name, enough to exchange for a "sky-breaking bead", which allows him to tear through the void and rush to Lin'an City as soon as possible.
But as soon as he went out, Shangguan Jin stopped him.
"Do you need me to send you there?" She smiled slightly, and the slender and sharp "Tian Yue Sword" appeared out of thin air in her hand, shining with a light blue cold light, "I can help you save some merit."
"Thank you," Gu Xu said politely, "but I won't bother you anymore. I'm sorry for wasting so much of your time today."
Shangguan Jin seemed a little dissatisfied with his attitude.
"We are all colleagues under the same roof, why are we saying such things?" She glanced at him, frowned slightly, and pretended to be angry, "And I think you will definitely need me when you go to Lin'an this time. A place to help.”
As she spoke, she took out a document from her sleeve and handed it to Gu Xu's hand.
"This is the investigation document from the Exorcist Department," she introduced. "Fellow Daoist Gu, you should know that when performing tasks, monks from the Exorcist Department sometimes need to enter private residences, sect gates, or other government offices. These places are usually off-limits to outsiders.
"However, if you hold this document in your hand, you are equivalent to representing the court and conducting case investigation in the name of the Exorcism Department. Anyone who blocks you from the door is working against the court."
Of course Gu Xu could hear what she meant.
On this trip, he went to Lin'an to find someone in the He family's mansion. If he didn't have a justifiable reason, there was a high probability that he would be turned away.
Shangguan Jin's investigation document can obviously give him an official name.
"You are so considerate." Gu Xu sincerely thanked him.
"Thank you for the compliment." Shangguan Jin imitated his previous tone and said with the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
At this time, Gu Xu also noticed that this document not only had the official seal of the Exorcism Department, but also the autograph of Luo Sishou.
"Has the Chief of Staff also paid attention to this matter?" he asked.
"Actually, this is my imitation signature," Shangguan Jin smiled. Seeing Gu Xu's expression change slightly, she added, "To be precise, the signatures on all the investigation documents in the Exorcism Department are I wrote it. The chief minister is worried about state affairs and takes care of everything. It is up to us to take care of such small things for him."
"No one recognizes it?"
"As long as Luo Sishou himself doesn't raise any objection, even if others recognize it, so what?"
Gu Xu nodded.
Since Luo Sishou rarely appeared in public to express his opinions, personal followers like Shangguan Jin were often regarded as Luo Sishou's spokesperson. People often speculate on Luo Sishou's thoughts through her every move.
"But I still plan to go to the warehouse to exchange for an 'Air-Breaking Bead'," he said. "There is a thousand miles distance between Lin'an City and Luojing. Compared with flying with a sword, using the 'Air-Breaking Bead' can at least save a lot of money." An hour's time - this time is crucial to rescue a tortured and unconscious mortal.
"Fellow Daoist Shangguan, you have given me a lot of help today, and I am very grateful. I have to complete the rest by myself."
After he finished speaking, he took the investigation document Shangguan Jin gave him and hurriedly walked towards the end of the corridor.
Shangguan Jin stood there, silently watching his leaving figure.
After a moment, she shook her head with a chuckle and took out a few transparent and shiny beads from her pocket.
It is the "empty-breaking bead".
She hesitated for a while, considering whether to crush a bead and go to Lin'an City together - Shen Qiu's mother was a mortal. If she was seriously injured and her life was in danger, as a skilled doctor, she should be able to save her life with a high probability. .
But thinking that Gu Xu always rejected her, she gave up this plan and took back all the "empty-breaking beads".
She told herself that after all, this was a private matter between Gu Xu and his client, and with his ability, he should be able to handle it easily.
Shangguan Jin has always regarded himself as an egoist.
All along, she may give some help to others, but she will always weigh the pros and cons and will never do anything without asking for anything in return.
Today can be said to be an accident.
"Maybe I should ask for some reward from him." She thought silently.
So, she took out the "Magic Token", and with a thought, she sent a message to Gu Xu:
[Linghu: Fellow Daoist Gu, if you encounter trouble that cannot be solved in Lin'an, be sure to send me a message and I will send you reinforcements. 】
After a while, she received a reply from Gu Xu:
[Suzaku: Thank you, I will. 】
"This man is so polite."
She commented while continuing to send messages:
[Linghu: By the way, if it’s convenient for you, can you bring me a box of rouge from Lin’an Makeup Shop when you come back? I heard others say that the rouge in that shop is of particularly good quality and is very popular among women from the south of the Yangtze River. 】
Looking back at this, Xu responded very readily:
[Suzaku: OK. 】
His answer was succinct.
Shangguan Jin could feel a hint of relief from it.
"It seems that he is also a person who doesn't like to owe others favors!" She smiled and commented silently in her heart.
…………
It's February, and spring has begun to show in Lin'an City.
Gu Xu traveled through the void and came to the door of the He family's mansion. He saw lush green trees in the yard. Even through the high walls, he could smell the fragrance of the vegetation.
Since the doors of these aristocratic mansions were only open to extremely noble guests, Gu Xu came to the relatively low side door and showed the investigation document Shangguan Jin gave him in front of the guards outside the door.
"I, Gu Xu, the head of the Exorcism Department," he introduced himself, "recently received news claiming that there are suspected signs of ghost activities in your mansion. For the safety of your mansion's personnel, I must enter the mansion to conduct an investigation. , I hope you can actively cooperate.”
"Ghost?"
Hearing Gu Xu's words, the guards at the He family's mansion all had strange expressions on their faces. They are all mortals. They usually stand guard outside the He Mansion, mostly for appearance. Ghosts are undoubtedly very scary existences to them.
But at the same time, they also felt something different - there were ghosts in the house, but why were the practitioners of the He family not aware of it?
But with Gu Xu's document in hand, it had both the seal of the Exorcist Division and the signature of Chief Luo, so they didn't dare not believe it.
"I'm going to report it to the head of the family." A guard said nervously, then turned and hurried into the courtyard.
After a while, an old man with gray hair and a slightly stout figure came to Gu Xu, accompanied by several servants.
This person is none other than He Zhaosong, the head of the He family.
He was wearing a silk tapestry coat, a mink fur coat, and suede boots. The various accessories on his body were magic weapons exuding the aura of true energy. He looked graceful and noble, unabashedly showing off his wealth. .
"As expected of the latest upstart in the Jiangnan region." Gu Xu commented silently in his mind.
Since Mrs. Shen He Ru and the people around her believed that the confidentiality work was very complete, it was impossible for others to know that the maid named Ningxiu was quietly brought to the He Mansion. It was also unexpected that Gu Xu would leave Luojing because of a mortal maid. Traveled thousands of miles to come to La'an City.
Therefore, no one present doubted the motive of Gu Xu's visit, and they all felt that he should be here to do the exorcism department's mission.
After some polite greetings, Gu Xu took out a copper coin from his pocket and began to do divination.
He silently recited the names of "Tai Shang Haotian" and "Emperor Zi Wei", while asking about the traces of ghosts, what he was asking in his heart was the location of Ningxiu.
It can be said that "the heart and the mouth are different".
Then he gently tossed the copper coin.
When it fell to the ground with a clang, the word "sky" in "Tianxing Tongbao" pointed to the northwest.
"The ghost is over there." He stretched out his hand and pointed toward the northwest.
He Zhaosong raised his eyebrows and looked slightly surprised.
He is nearly seventy years old, and he has seen other monks search for ghosts in various ways before - some set up formations, some used magic weapons, some closed their eyes and recited mantras to sense the flow of Yin Qi...
But it was the first time that Gu Xu could confidently determine the location of a ghost just by tossing a coin.
"No wonder I often hear people say that this young man named 'Gu Xu' is very popular in Luo Jing City, and many well-known geniuses are no match for him," He Zhaosong thought to himself secretly, "He really has some real abilities."
Next, Gu Xu, led by He Zhaosong, walked through large and small courtyards and winding corridors towards the northwest of the He family's mansion.
On the way, he would occasionally stop, either to sense the surrounding atmosphere with a spiritual power far beyond that of a monk at the same level, or to throw up an old copper coin again to confirm the direction.
Soon, he arrived at the northernmost courtyard of the He family's mansion.
This courtyard is small and empty, with only a few trees with sparse branches and leaves rustling in the wind, making it look particularly deserted.
Gu Xu walked in first.
He Zhaosong stood behind, looking at his back, frowning, always feeling that Gu Xu might have discovered something.
But after thinking about it, he felt that how could a Luo Jing genius like Gu Xu care about a small mortal maid - just like how a person walking on the road could care about the ants at his feet.
So He Zhaosong drove the doubts out of his mind again and stopped thinking about this issue.
However, at this moment, Gu Xu suddenly pointed to a dry well in the courtyard and said, "I think there may be something wrong with that well."
This well is a dry well.
It is located next to a dead tree, and the well's mouth is covered with wooden boards.
Hearing this, He Zhaosong's heart tightened, and he said without thinking: "Master Gu, are you sure where it is? What if the ghost has a way to deceive his perception?"
Gu Xu chuckled and responded: "Wouldn't you know it if you see it with your own eyes?"
As he spoke, he thought in his mind, used his true energy, and removed the wooden board covering the well mouth out of thin air - he noticed that there were several small holes in the wooden board, which seemed to be used for ventilation.
Then he walked to the well, looked down, and saw a figure.
Due to the dim light in the well, he couldn't see the man's face clearly.
But with his spiritual perception ability, he could feel that the man's life breath was extremely weak.
"There is indeed something strange inside." He said in a playful tone.
Before He Zhaosong and his servants could react, Gu Xu used the "Meteor Walking on the Moon" movement technique and jumped into the dry well like a ghost.
And in the palm of his hand, a bright fire burst out, making the dark bottom of the well become bright.
Then he saw an elderly woman in ragged clothes lying unconscious on a pile of dry thatch. Her body was covered in bruises and blood. Next to her, there was a barrel of wine grains that was usually used to feed pigs.
This is undoubtedly a shocking picture.
Gu Xu couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
He couldn't imagine how cold-hearted Mrs. Shen was to imprison a mortal woman in a dry well and do such a cruel thing.
And the He family also condoned her doing such things, and even helped her do evil.
"Perhaps in the eyes of this group of people with both power and cultivation, mortal servants like Ningxiu are just like livestock." Gu Xu thought silently.
In this world, monks and dignitaries undoubtedly have the power of life and death over mortals. Although the Daqi law restricts it, it is still impossible to fundamentally eliminate cruelty.
He sighed softly, and with a thought, he took out a few talismans from "Xianyunju" to heal Ningxiu's injuries.
Gu Xu only had a general understanding of medical skills, but was not proficient in it.
These talismans of his only had the simple effect of stopping bleeding and restoring energy, but they could not completely help Ningxiu heal her injuries.
At the same time, he did not forget to shout to the outside of the well: "He Zhaosong, you are so brave, you dare to hide the prisoners of the imperial court in your own courtyard! Do you know that you are openly contemptuous of the imperial court of Qi?" The majesty of it!"
Ningxiu's crime of theft itself was fabricated.
But now, Gu Xu is blaming He Zhaosong for this matter, which is undoubtedly very ironic.
He Zhaosong was silent for a few seconds, frowned and responded: "Master Gu, aren't you here to search for traces of ghosts? This matter should not be under the control of your exorcism department, right?"
Gu Xu smiled and made up nonsense: "This woman is related to a case I am investigating. I originally planned to ask the government for her, but I didn't expect that she was kidnapped by you and imprisoned under this well. .”
He Zhaosong said lightly: "How should I believe what you say?"
Gu Xu once again picked up the investigation document given to him by Shangguan Jin, waved it in front of He Zhaosong's eyes, and said: "The Exorcist Department has given me full responsibility for investigating this case. I have no obligation to explain to irrelevant people like you."
He Zhaosong sighed and stopped talking for a while.
He knew that he could no longer hide what he had done by indulging his daughter.
At this time, Ningxiu beside Gu Xu suddenly woke up.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw the bright entrance of the well and an extremely handsome young man beside her.
"Are you..." she asked in a weak voice.
"My name is Gu Xu, and I am Shen Qiu's friend." Gu Xu smiled and said softly.
After hearing about "Shen Qiu"'s son, Ningxiu seemed to suddenly gain strength. Ignoring the pain of the wound, she stood up suddenly, sat upright on the thatch pile, stared at Gu Xu and said, "Where is Shen Qiu? Is he okay?"
"He is safe. If nothing else happens, you should be able to see each other soon," he said, taking out a spare robe from "Xianyunju" and handing it to Ningxiu, "The weather is very cold. These are my clothes, they may be a little bigger, so you can make do with them."
Ningxiu looked at the robe that appeared in Gu Xu's hands out of thin air, and was stunned for a moment, with a somewhat frightened expression on her face: "You... are you also a master cultivator?"
"I am a cultivator like Shen Qiu," Gu Xu said with a kind smile, "It's just that I'm not good at studying, and my current cultivation level is still one level below him."
Gu Xu's words obviously narrowed the distance between the two and made Ningxiu less nervous.
Later, Gu Xu took out another "Fengxing Talisman" and handed it to Ningxiu's hand.
"Put this piece of paper on your body," he said, "I will take you out of this well and find Shen Qiu."
"But...but will they agree?" Ningxiu pointed to the wellhead. The "they" she said obviously refers to Mrs. Shen and the He family who imprisoned her in a dry well and caused a deep psychological shadow on her.
"They don't need to agree." Gu Xu chuckled, with confidence in his eyes.
Ningxiu stopped talking.
She followed Gu Xu's instructions, put on her robe, and attached the "Wind Talisman" to her body.
Then Gu Xu supported her with one arm and used his body skills. The two of them flew into the air as lightly as swallows, flew out of the well mouth, and then landed steadily on the ground outside.
At this time, He Zhaosong's face was very gloomy, and he was obviously in an extremely unhappy mood.
But this matter was the fault of the He family after all, and Gu Xu had the support of the exorcist department behind him, so he couldn't do anything. He could only watch silently as Gu Xu supported Ningxiu and walked step by step towards the door of the He family.
I don't know how much time passed, but He Zhaosong took a deep breath and slowly said: "The proud man of heaven, who is the center of attention in Luo Jing City, is actually willing to personally support a dirty and humble maid. This is really an unbelievable thing. "
A servant hesitated for a moment and said respectfully: "Sir, as far as I know, this Lord Gu is from a commoner family. His parents have neither cultivation nor official status."
"No wonder." He Zhaosong smiled.
At this time, his mood was very complicated. He knew that after today's incident, the He family and this Da Qi Tianjiao were on opposite sides, and there would be almost no chance of getting together in the future.
"Go and send a message to my daughter," he ordered the servant beside him, "I have something to talk to her about."
…………
Outside the He family's mansion, Gu Xu met Shen Qiu.
After receiving the letter from Gu Xu through the channel of the Exorcism Department, Shen Qiu immediately took control of his natal creature and rushed from Jinling to Lin'an City.
He was extremely worried about his mother's safety.
He really wanted to enter the He family mansion and find where his mother was.
But the He family's guards blocked him from the door, and no matter what he said, he was not allowed to enter.
Just when Shen Qiu took out a few talismans from his pocket and was about to use force to break into the He family mansion, the figures of Gu Xu and Ningxiu suddenly appeared in his field of vision.
"Mom!" He couldn't help shouting when he looked at his mother's staggering steps, her blood-stained face, and her obviously ill-fitting blue robe.
Hot tears instantly filled his eyes.
When Gu Xu and Ningxiu crossed the threshold and walked out of the door, he immediately rushed forward with three steps in two and then fell on his knees in front of his mother with a "plop".
"Mom, my child is unfilial and didn't take good care of you..." His voice was filled with tears. The emotions held in his chest were released at this moment.
Shen Qiu believed that his mother was obviously tortured like this because of him.
So he felt guilty.
His head hit the ground repeatedly, but he felt no pain at all.
"A Zhuang, mother is okay, mother is fine, don't do this..." Ningxiu looked at her son, feeling a little dazed and a little distressed.
It had only been a few months since the two last met. But at this moment, they felt as if they were in another world.
As for "Azhuang", it was the nickname given to her son by Ningxiu.
Perhaps because Ningxiu was often beaten, scolded and punished during her pregnancy, Shen Qiu has been frail and sickly since he was born. She hoped that her son would become strong and not die prematurely.
Shen Qiu did not die young, but he did not become stronger either.
But in the indifferent treatment of the world, a strong heart gradually grew.
"This time, thanks to your friend, Mr. Gu," Ningxiu pointed to Gu Xu beside her, "it was him who rescued your mother from that dry well. You have to give him Please keep his kindness firmly in your heart, and if you have the opportunity in the future, you must repay him."
Hearing this, Shen Qiu felt guilty again, just because he was so excited to see his mother that he ignored the narrator's benefactor for a moment.
He knew that today Gu Xu not only told the news about his mother, but also traveled thousands of miles from Luojing to Lin'an City in person to rescue his mother from the He family's mansion.
In this world, there are probably very few other owners who can help their customers to this extent.
If it hadn't been for Gu Xu, Shen Qiu might have thought that his mother had been sent to the northern border with the corvee team, and then, in anxiety, he searched all over the country like a headless fly - by then, his mother would have been congratulated. He was tortured in the dry well of his family until he became inhuman.
So he prostrated himself on the ground again and said from the bottom of his heart: "Master Gu's kindness today will never be forgotten by Shen Qiu. From now on, I hope that Master Gu will obey you. If Master Gu orders you, Shen Qiu will go through fire and water without hesitation."
If we say that before this, the reason why Shen Qiu chose to go to Gu Xu's house was because he had a speculative mentality and felt that Gu Xu was talented and deeply appreciated by the saint. Good to enjoy the coolness.
So now, he is sincerely convinced of Gu Xu, respects his character, and feels that he is a person truly worthy of his service.
"Brother Shen, you don't have to be like this," Gu Xu immediately stretched out his hand to help him up, "You and I are not only guests and hosts, but also friends. As friends, we should share blessings and share hardships. What you did in Shouchangfang before , I haven’t had time to thank you properly yet.”
"That's different," Shen Qiu said stubbornly, "Those things in Shouchangfang were my duty, and I used money to do things. But what you did today was out of love. But now I leave the family , except for my skills, I have nothing, and I really can’t give you anything to repay your kindness——"
"——When I came to An'an, I never thought of asking you for anything in return."
"So that's what I admire about you."
Gu Xu coughed dryly, feeling a little embarrassed by his praise.
Then he glanced at Ningxiu beside him and felt that the top priority was to help her heal her injury as soon as possible.
"Brother Shen, do you know there are good doctors in Lin'an City?" he asked.
Gu Xu came in a hurry and wanted to save merit, so he only exchanged one Sky Breaking Bead and used it on the way here.
Given Ningxiu's current physical condition, it was obviously unrealistic to send her to the capital by flying with a sword.
So they could only find a doctor on the spot to treat her injuries.
"In my impression, there seems to be a doctor named Qin on the edge of Xiling Lake, who opened a relatively famous medical clinic..." Shen Qiu scratched his head and said uncertainly.
At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in Gu Xu's ears: "I heard that you are looking for a doctor?"
Gu Xu turned around following the sound and found that Shangguan Jin had appeared in the shade of a nearby tree at some point, looking at him with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist Shangguan, why are you here too?"
"Don't you welcome me here? Then I will go back."
"Of course not," Gu Xu paused and explained, "You sent a message in the 'Shenji Token' asking me to bring you a box of rouge from the makeup shop. I thought you wouldn't come to An'an in person. .”
"I'm afraid you can't tell the type of rouge and buy the wrong one," Shangguan Jin covered his face and chuckled, "Pomegranate Jiao, Da Hongchun, Xiao Hongchun, Wan Jinhong, Tiangong Qiao, Luoer Hao... can you How many do you recognize?"
"I can't recognize any of them." Gu Xu said frankly.
In his previous life on Earth, he was a straight man who couldn't tell the difference between lipstick colors; in this life, although he was well-read, he still knew nothing about women's cosmetics.
Seeing his honest look, Shangguan Jin found it interesting.
At the same time, Shangguan Jin noticed that Gu Xu was supporting a trembling old woman with Shen Qiu. Although her face was scarred and there were dust and blood on her body, she looked like a woman who had been on the road all year round. A beggar was begging for food; but Gu Xu didn't dislike it at all. Instead, he took the initiative to let the woman lean on him and pay attention to her physical condition with a solemn expression.
"Let's go back to Luojing first!" Shangguan Jin took out a few "empty-breaking beads" from his sleeves and said, "As the best doctor in the exorcism department headquarters, I will do my best to handle this matter."
"Aren't you here to buy rouge?" Gu Xu glanced at her in surprise.
"I won't buy it," she said. "I still have a lot of them in my house. It's a waste to buy them now and pile them up. It's better to buy them again in June, and by the way, I can go to Xiling Lake to see the lotus flowers."
Gu Xu shook his head gently, feeling that a woman's mind was really complicated and unpredictable.
ps: A 7,000-word chapter.
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