The government's granary was built in the east corner of the city. After the news of the internal guards arrived, all the elite soldiers that could be mobilized nearby were on alert.
People with outstanding martial arts skills in the government offices and the army were stationed inside and outside the granary.
Most of these people are wearing light armor, but one of them, who is regarded as the backbone by everyone, is wearing the robe of a civil servant. He has high cheekbones, a long gray beard, a sword on the left side of his waist, and a dart on the other side. bag.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise about two or three miles away, followed immediately by a sentence that made everyone change their minds.
"Shao Lingxiao is here, who dares to look for him?"
When the sound reached here, it was no longer very loud, but the echo that came from high and far away vaguely spread to the streets, alleys, and houses, lingering around the blue bricks and eaves.
It seems that this sentence has an irresistible and inescapable magic power.
Anyone who heard this voice near the granary noticed that the zhenqi in their bodies was restless. It seemed that it was suddenly resonating with the rhythm of the words and deviating from the original route of the inner breath.
The higher the skill, the clearer this feeling will be.
"Shao Lingxiao"!
This name is familiar to everyone present. The name of the leader of the Demon Cult has been mentioned constantly in the streets and alleys for ten years.
small book booth
The story of the five great masters killing the leader of the demon sect has been told and performed countless times, and it has aroused the yearning for those peerless masters and magical mysteries among many young people and passionate charlatans.
If they had heard this name not long ago, some people might have thought it was just the same name. However, when they just received the news that the Demon Cult has returned and demons are killing and plundering everywhere, and suddenly heard someone announcing their name like this, I am afraid no one would dare. Doubt whether his identity is true or false.
And after the loud sound of the air waves and the disturbing demonic sound, there was a thunderbolt from the blue.
It was a loud explosion that was both explosive and dull. Such a sound could only be heard under the dull and thick dark clouds that suppressed thousands of hectares of wind and rain. .
Unlike the previous magic sound, which the more masters experienced, the deeper they experienced it, this loud noise brought the same experience to everyone regardless of their superiority or inferiority.
The guards in the granary, and even the streets outside the granary, teahouses, restaurants, mansions and houses, old and young, all heard this sound within a radius of several miles.
One after another, each one was duller than the other. Many people seemed to have smelled the smell of dark clouds, wind, rain, thunder and lightning in such sounds, and felt a little coolness and humidity, and raised their heads involuntarily.
But the sun is still blazing in the sky, and the sunlight is spreading over everything, making the black tiles on the eaves a little lighter, turning the blue bricks gray, and making the hairpins with coiled hair slightly shiny.
"This isn't thunder!"
The government soldiers guarding outside the granary came back and exchanged views with each other.
"Could it be... the sound of drums?"
"A master is playing drums? What does Shao Lingxiao want to do?"
Everyone was very worried, they pressed their weapons tightly and looked at the direction where the sound came from just now.
The dull loud noise became more and more muffled. It originally sounded like it was exploding and shocking again and again, but later it seemed that there was only the aftertaste of vibration hidden deep in the heavy clouds and mist.
Suddenly there was another shock, and the loud noise was mixed with the sweet and clear sound of countless broken jade and silver plates hitting each other. The tinkling sounds were innumerable, noisy and rainy.
Everyone's ears were telling them that they were experiencing a heavy rain in the city. Far and near, the different sounds sprinkled on the streets, houses, leaves, earthen pots, and water tanks were all brought by the heavy rain. experience.
The smoke stirred up by the rain was hazy, surrounding everything outside the house. What could be seen clearly were only relatives and friends in the same room.
But their eyes couldn't see any raindrops, and when they stretched out their hands, they couldn't catch even a drop of raindrops like jade beads, only the high, bright sun.
Many people found it difficult to accept such a gap, and even simply closed their eyes and found a place nearby to sit down, leaning against the wall. Pedestrians stopped for it.
They couldn't help but choose to forget the sunshine, welcome the rain, embrace the sound of rain, put down those chores that maybe don't need to be too anxious for a long time, and enjoy the baptism of this "rain".
The officials and soldiers in the granary have their responsibilities, so naturally they cannot make such a choice with peace of mind.
The more wonderful the experience brought by the sound of rain, the more alert they became, resisting the sound with strong hostility. The young generals and soldiers up and down became more and more nervous.
Finally, a figure flew towards them in the direction they were looking at.
Many people subconsciously drew their bow strings and leveled their spear points. Fortunately, the long-bearded civil servant raised his hand in time to stop them: "Wait a minute."
The person who came was a friend, not an enemy. The face wearing an eyepatch with only one eye wide open was a look familiar to many people.
"uncle!!"
The one-eyed man came closer. His Qinggong movement was too hasty and he stumbled. He rushed to the long-bearded civil servant like he was rolling and crawling, and grabbed his sleeve.
"The devil, the leader of the devil's sect is here, and a pipa player is stopping him, and he has made a bet..."
The words were spoken in a hurry and in a messy manner, but the one-eyed man repeated a few key points incoherently, making others understand what he meant.
The people around had different expressions, and some people said with doubt, "Is he really the leader of the Demon Cult?"
"Shortly after he left Laojun Mountain, he drove hundreds of demons to cause trouble. From the news we heard, he caused at least a dozen major riots in the city. The villages and caravans that the demons passed through, The tragedies encountered are not fully described in the news about the internal guards, but they can be imagined."
"Why did you make such a bet instead of taking action directly after arriving at our place?"
In the minds of many people in the Tang Dynasty, the image of Shao Lingxiao was like the hell ghosts and gods on temple murals, powerful, terrifying, ferocious, and surrounded by thousands of evil spirits.
The bet recounted by the one-eyed man made the leader of ghosts and gods who came to reality from the story seem a little different from everyone's subconscious impression, and seemed a little more human.
It would be fine if that person was so vicious that he just walked over with blood all over the ground, but the way he looked now made people uncomfortable.
Some people also thought: "The handsome musician holding the pipa in his hand should be one of the three masters of Chang'an, 'Wan Lai Qian Sheng'. It sounds like he can stand up to Shao Lingxiao?"
"We still have to go and see for ourselves to find out what's going on."
The long-bearded civil servant pulled back his sleeves, gave orders, and said, "I'll go over there first, and you guys will go separately to invite people. Nephew, you go find the inner guard and spread the news! Quick!"
People in the government office originally believed that those demons were completely incapable of controlling their actions, and the trajectories of their actions were unpredictable. It might not be the right approach to gather all the useful combat power in one or two places.
The martial arts sects and masters of martial arts all over the world can actually be regarded as natural warnings. It is best to let them stay where they are accustomed.
But now the situation is completely different. Facing the leader of the Demon Cult, the manpower is too small. It is always good to invite more help.
only……
The long-bearded civil servant had some unspeakable worries in his heart: The demons were behaving wildly and were ferocious and untamable. They were willing to resist, but they had no choice but not to resist. But if they were replaced by such a demon sect leader who never took the initiative to look for them, what would those people choose?
On the way to see Shao Lingxiao, Changxu Wenguan was just imagining the choices of those people.
The man surnamed Li, who had been drinking with the one-eyed man before, had already seen with his own eyes the choices some people made.
This person named Li, whose full name is Li Feihu, is also quite famous in the world. Although he is still a short distance away from the realm of first-class masters, his Qinggong is said to have surpassed several first-class martial artists.
After all, the one-eyed man had connections in the government, and Li Feihu had a wider network of contacts in the world, so he could know some things that even the local government didn't know.
For example, Mr. Shi Qingshi, an old man from Guanzhong Green Forest, held a thank-you banquet for his grandson at Shan's Restaurant in the north of the city this morning.
Li Feihu got bored staying there, so he ran out of the banquet before meeting the one-eyed man to have a drink with him. At this time, everyone at Shan's Restaurant should not have dispersed yet.
Sure enough, when he got there, at least 40% of the seats were still filled with guests, chatting sporadically.
Li Feihu walked all the way in and arrived at the hall where Shi Qing was.
"Everyone!" He clasped his fists in his arms, laughed loudly, and said, "Li is so lucky today, so lucky!!"
His mouth was dry, and he saw nearly twenty wine bottles staggered on an empty table next to him. Some of the wine bottles had their lids off, but there was still wine in them, so he picked them up and took a couple of sips.
The people sitting in this hall are very different from those outside. They are all well-known and first-class figures in the world. They have the right path, but some have a solitary reputation and are difficult to figure out.
The two heroes of Gusu, Murong Xiao and Murong Gu, Qingping Tieguai and Jin Qianchuan, the hero of Hanshan should laugh at me and so on.
Shi Qing was a little old man with a stooped back and a wrinkled face. When he saw Li Feihu barging in at this time, he was not annoyed and said with a smile: "Slow down, slow down, our Green Forest Restaurant doesn't have any other ones, but we just have enough drinks." Duo, I wonder what kind of blessings Brother Li encountered today, why are you so happy?"
"The luck of three lives and seven lifetimes may have been used up in these two events today. First, I had the honor to attend Mr. Shi's banquet here in the morning and meet all the great figures in the martial arts. And then..."
Li Feihu put down the wine bottle, "Just now, I met the leader of the Demon Cult, Shao Lingxiao, and heard about a bet."
"Shao! Ling, Xiao?"
Jin Qianchuan was looking at Li Feihu with a smile. When he heard this, he exclaimed one word in surprise. After a pause, he lowered his voice and spoke out the next two words. His eyes remained motionless as he glanced at the others.
The smiles on the faces of others also froze and disappeared, and the entire hall fell into a dead silence.
Li Feihu grinned and explained what happened before in a few words.
Jin Qianchuan frowned, his eyes moved unconsciously, and said: "Shao Lingxiao is already here, but this is a good thing, but I have to thank Brother Li for telling me."
He stood up and clasped his fists at everyone, "Since he is here, I will go back and pack my bags and go around the city to the east. I think I can completely avoid this storm."
Ying Xiao, I was stunned and said: "Brother Jin, Shao Lingxiao's bet is obviously provoking the entire Guanzhong martial arts world. Even if we don't challenge him, we still have to go there and have a look. Otherwise, wouldn't we be short of ambition?"
"Hey, you don't know. I also went to the southwest ten years ago. At that time, the war was about to end. I was just curious about what good things the Demon Sect had collected in the southwest for more than two hundred years. In the end, I saw a few The traces left behind by the Grand Master’s base station.”
Jin Qianchuan shuddered when he said this, "People who see those ruins later will not understand how terrifying those destructive traces were when they were first imprinted on the mountains and fields."
"Master Ying, Mr. Shi, I kindly advise you that if the demon sect comes back to the world, there will naturally be Laojun Mountain, Shaolin Temple, and people from the court to worry about. We don't have to be too eager to get involved. They are fighting to kill each other. , the outcome is uncertain, so why should we risk our lives?"
What he said was truly sincere, with a sincere look on his face. After he finished speaking, he cupped his hands and turned around to leave.
Everyone in the hall, no matter what they originally thought in their hearts, did not speak rashly at this time.
Shi Qing called the waiter, pointed to the table with the most wine bottles, and asked, "Where did that guest go after he left the house just now?"
"Going west."
"The one in the west must be eating sour plum preserves. He always thinks that stuff can relieve hangovers."
Shi Qing murmured twice and said, "Fellow martial arts comrades, I will only hold this banquet here. Those who are willing to stay can stay for a long time. I will cover all expenses for food and drinks. If there is something urgent, you don't have to come and say goodbye one by one. Jianghu Children are welcome regardless of trivial matters."
After he said this, he stood up, made an excuse, and hurried out, "I should go see how the boy is sober."
Li Feihu just watched from one side and hesitated to speak.
He had originally made up his mind that when the news came out, whether he would go or not would all depend on what these people thought. He had better not talk too much to avoid causing trouble in the future.
But he couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. This old man Shi was the hero he always respected the most. He had been a hero all his life, but he didn't expect that he would still be short of breath in old age.
Just like what Ying Xiao said, even if he doesn't participate in this bet, if the leader of the Demon Cult has such courage and courage to show up here, don't people from the Guanzhong Wulin dare to watch the fun?
Li Feihu didn't want to see what the people in the hall were doing anymore. He laughed, picked up half a bottle of remaining wine and hurried back.
The leader of the Demon Cult knocked his wine glass with his chopsticks and knocked him away. Li Feihu thought that he would never join this bet, so he went back to see how many masters were willing to go. Stay away and find someone. A high position can be used as a conversation piece in the future to show off one's experience in the world.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was a good idea. He did not run away directly, which showed that he had courage. Not wanting to stand opposite the leader of the Demon Cult shows that he is self-aware. Being shaken away, I didn't think about how to retaliate, which shows that I am open-minded and cheerful, and don't care about the little dust on my clothes.
As a member of the martial arts community in Guanzhong, and as a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, we must be so generous, generous, and wise.
By the time he was halfway there, he had drunk a little too much and his eyes were dazzled. He somehow misjudged the way back, wandered in the wrong direction, and started running again.
Like a winged fox.
The fox is cunning, the fox is cowardly, the fox... is also a beast!
The sound of the pipa can still be faintly heard in the city. The sound like the heavy rain is now becoming sparse and the unused music will last for who knows how long. Maybe it will stop in a moment.
Li Feihu was still running. He found one house after another, and even ran out of the city. He never knew that his Qinggong could reach this level in his life.
He has already notified three sects with top-notch masters and two martial arts families, and then continues.
Guanzhong, Guanzhong, Qianli Golden City, 70% of the world's top masters are gathered here, and there must be more around the city than in the wilderness.
What's more, this city is the first place to arrive after crossing the river every year to carry grain. This is the gateway to the east of Kanto.
Li Feihu left quickly enough, but he was only one person, and the news from the inner guards was spread in all directions like fireworks exploding, far wider than what he could reach.
The song that I don’t use is longer than expected.
But people who are familiar with music can hear that it is indeed a complete piece of music. He is not deliberately delaying it. What he chose is the famous "Fengxi Music" that was played in Chang'an City with thousands of sounds. , a piece that can be played for nearly three hours.
Back in Chang'an City, he played his pipa at dusk and brought people into a dream. That night, thousands of people in the East City had the same dream.
The wind blows the wild grass low, the rain pours, the wild horses pass by, the sky clears after the rain, the general leaves the fortress, and the flag rolls in the wind.
That is not simply martial arts, or the magical power of magic weapons, but also the power of music.
When he played one-sixth of his song, Changxu Wenguan, Gusu Shuangxia, and Hanshan Heroes all arrived one after another. There were also many people with less than first-class martial arts skills who were watching from a distance.
At first it was just a sparse forest, then a thin wall of people, and then a thicker crowd.
When one-third of the song was played, if one looked a hundred feet away, no matter which direction, a crowd as dense as a dark cloud had already gathered.
There are already more people standing within a hundred feet.
For example, Shi Qing was thought by Li Feihu to have found an excuse to leave casually.
The old man also held a young man with a flushed face and a drunken face.
By the time two-thirds of the song was played, there were already nearly thirty people who dared to stand within a hundred feet.
Shao Lingxiao sat there, tasting the wine and mushrooms very slowly, and at this time he poured out the last drop of wine in the pot.
"As expected of Guanzhong. I am already impressed by the number of masters. I am even more pleased that you all dare to come."
Shi Qing's voice was old and gentle, and he smiled weakly and said: "A bet between barbarians in the mountains, do the warriors of the Tang Dynasty still fear it?"
Shao Lingxiao looked at him and said: "It seems that the Li Tang Dynasty is really popular. It makes you defend it so actively and make the Tang Dynasty proud."
The drunken young man suddenly said: "The Tang Dynasty was created by Li Shimin, but it is no longer just the Tang Dynasty of his Li family."
"Master Lingxiao, if you still have an impression, then whether it was in the Southwest or the Western Regions ten years ago, people from all places that did not belong to the Tang Dynasty and claimed to be from the Tang Dynasty always thought that we were part of the prosperous age."
"This is our Tang Dynasty."
As a person who does not belong to the Tang Dynasty, you dare to assassinate the emperor. At that time, there were thirty-six ways to rebel against the king, and there were seventy-two places in the rivers and lakes. The one who became the emperor was just the luckiest among them.
However, you still dare to challenge the center of the Tang Dynasty and the most bloody people in this central place.
Why don't we dare to come?
Shi Qinghe Xi
