The main peak of Cangshan Mountain has a relatively flat terrain on the south side of the mountain.
The eight hundred elite soldiers led by Shi Wengong patrolled the Cangshan mines on weekdays. Those who were not on duty rested in the military camp halfway up the mountain in the south.
When the strong wind blows, the flags are flying, and the tents are set up firmly, shaped like a half moon, surrounding the mountainside.
Shi Wengong set up a long table and put cushions in the open space in front of the main tent. While chatting and laughing with the old man of the Zeng family, he watched his elite soldiers shoot arrows for fun.
Whoosh!
Several big birds passed by in the sky, and an elite soldier put five arrow feathers on his string. He suddenly thought of not shooting at the target, but pointed his bow towards the sky.
When the bow string sounded, all five arrows hit the target, and several birds fell down one after another, which attracted cheers from the surrounding onlookers. Immediately, some people left their seats and went to pick up the birds that had been hit by the arrows.
The scenery of Cangshan Mountain has been disturbed by several mines. The animals in the mountains and forests have almost fled, and few birds will bump into this direction without a good eye.
It is already quite rare to be able to shoot a big bird. When the person who picked up the prey came back, he saw that the five arrows were shot from the mouths of the five big birds without damaging the feathers, and the cheers were even greater.
Shi Wengong also smiled and said: "Okay! I will reward you with thirty taels of silver. I will pick it up later and reward you with a glass of wine."
He took a glass, tilted the wine bottle on his table, and poured a full glass.
When the archer heard that there was money, he already thanked him. When he heard that there was such a reward of wine, he was so happy that he couldn't believe it.
This wine was extraordinary. He carefully took the glass with both hands, put it to his lips, sipped the liquid, turned into a thin hot line and drank it into his stomach. Suddenly, his whole body's muscles and bones were buzzing, and big puffs of steam were forming in his hair. of white smoke.
Shi Wengong took a closer look at this man and saw that he had red hair and a yellow beard, and was thin and thick-boned. He looked as rough and evil as a wolf. He couldn't help but smile and said: "What's your name? Are you new to our army?" "
The man had a glass of wine, his face was filled with purple light, and he was closing his mouth tightly, unwilling to open his mouth to reveal the vitality in the wine. However, Shi Wengong asked questions, but he did not dare not to answer, and there was a look of struggle on his face.
Next to him, Mrs. Zeng had already spoken first: "This man is Duan Jingzhu, who is known as a golden retriever in the world. He used to steal horses for a living in the north. He came to my house to offer horses half a month ago. I mentioned it to you before. "
Shi Wengong suddenly realized: "It turns out it's him. He is really good at martial arts. Recently, some people have died in the mine, and there are no more laborers in the nearby villages. I think you have some courage. Get a warrant from me and go to Yizhou City. Go and recruit some people, can we get it done?"
Duan Jingzhu swallowed the last hot breath in his throat and said with joy, "I will never let the general down. I wonder how many people there are?"
Shi Wengong said: "The more mines there are, the better. However, most of those who can live in the city have some connections and cannot move too much. You can call in 500 people first. How many people do you want to accompany us?"
Duan Jingzhu thought for a while and said, "Ten people."
Mr. Zeng next to him laughed twice more: "I will test you for the general. You are going to bring 500 people to the mine. How many people should you gather when you are in the city?"
Duan Jingzhu responded fluently: "You need to gather 800 people at least. The mine has a good reputation, and no one is willing to come voluntarily, let alone civilians. Ninety miles away from the city, there are many remote wilderness areas. There must be someone who wants to come." escape."
"Only some can escape. If the villain kills more to establish his power, if he rushes in a hurry, there will inevitably be some who stumble and fall to death or get injured, or who will be disabled after a few whips without being beaten. If you want to ensure that five hundred people can work when you go to the mine, the villain must gather at least eight hundred people in the city."
Shi Wengong and Mr. Zeng looked at each other and praised: "He is a man who can do things. But you don't have to rush too much. It is getting harder and harder to find miners now. If this continues, the elderly, weak, sick and disabled in the area will really have to be recruited. It’s not easy to do the work. It’ll be great if we can bring the person within three days.”
Duan Jingzhu accepted the order again, thanked him, and retreated.
Mr. Zeng said: "I heard that not far from Yizhou, there is a Liangshan water park with a radius of 800 miles. It is vast, with waves reaching the sky, and thick reeds. There are some tax evaders in nearby Yizhou, Lingzhou and even Qingzhou. The unscrupulous people will not hesitate to travel long distances to hide there. If there are really no miners nearby, the general may have to set out for a trip there."
Shi Wengong smiled and said: "Shuibo Liangshan is a beautiful place. Ten years ago, many water thieves and bandits occupied it. Later, Emperor Tianming somehow found out about the reputation of the place and issued an imperial edict himself. I sent Lu Junyi from Hebei Province and a man named Song Jiang to lead the troops to wipe out all the bandits there. The people hiding there now are just some useless people, I already knew that."
He deliberately kept such a place, and even communicated with the officials of various states, and did not block the main roads around Shui Bo Liang Mountain, just to deliberately give the young men a chance to escape and hide in the eight hundred miles of water.
In Shi Wengong's mind, this is like raising pigs and sheep. Selling them on weekdays is not a skill. Waiting until the good season, when the meat on the market is scarce, and then slaughtering them, you can naturally sell them at a high price.
After waiting a few more months, when the mines in various states were really out of manpower and wrote to Bianliang to complain, he led his troops to burn and kill them, kidnapped all the young men and escorted them to various mines. Work, in this way, when he talks about it in the court, he will have made two major contributions to exterminating the water thieves and replenishing the manpower in the mine.
With a roll of his eyes, the old man of the Zeng family guessed Shi Wengong's intention. With obvious admiration on his face, he raised his glass to toast him and uttered some complimentary words.
The old man of the Zeng family was named Zeng Nong. When he was young, he was very bold. He traveled to the land of Yanyun, went deep into the white mountains and black waters, collected and planted some ginseng, and came to the Central Plains to sell it. Over time, he accumulated tens of thousands of wealth. Because of his age, As he grew older, he settled in the Central Plains, married and had children, recruited local warriors, and built up a large force.
Shi Wengong was originally only well-known in the world, but was invited by Zeng Nong to teach martial arts to the five sons of the Zeng family.
Later, Emperor Tianming vigorously promoted magic methods in the army, opened countless mines, and the government posted a recruitment list and invited Shi Wengong to serve as an official in the state capital. Shi Wengong in turn supported the Zeng family.
The government and the squire were colluding. In Zeng Nong's opinion, this mining business was much more grand than when he was buying and selling ginseng, and he could make hundreds of times more money.
You know, since Shi Wengong became a general, his martial arts became more and more sophisticated, and he was highly regarded by the court. Many mines between Yizhou and Lingzhou were actually within his jurisdiction. However, this Cangshan Mine can produce Purple Qi Divine Sand, so he will be stationed here most of the time.
When the minerals produced in various places were handed over, the amount was falsely reported. The amount was small, and warehouse after warehouse of goods could easily be intercepted and resold by the Zeng family in exchange for large sums of money. Some of them were simply Keep it for Shi Wengong and the Zeng family to use when they practice.
The pot of fine wine on Shi Wengong's table at this moment, the wine poured out is purple in color, fragrant and viscous, and steaming. It is smelted with purple divine sand. The divine sand contained in it is extremely pure and pure. It is better than being sent directly to Bianliang. The price of solid sacred sand is several times more expensive, and it is priceless but not marketable.
If it weren't for colluding with the Zeng family to make money, even Shi Wengong's salary and status would not be enough to enjoy such good things every day.
"General." After having a full drink, Mr. Zeng stopped and said, "Things involving the miners and Liangshan are not urgent at the moment. It's just that there has been some little trouble in the Cangshan Mine recently."
Shi Wengong understood: "It must be Ren Sen."
Mr. Zeng nodded and said: "Yes, he has also noticed our secret business. He came to the door a few days ago. He first put on a selfless look and threatened me severely. After a few words of persuasion from me, he showed his face. Really, I just want to get a piece of the pie."
Shi Wengong said: "I asked you why you left in person today and came to me for a drink. It turned out to be for this matter. I had known for a long time that he would get involved sooner or later. He has an old acquaintance with Chen Xizhen in Bianliang City. In the official family He can speak well in front of everyone, so having him join in is actually a good thing."
Mr. Zeng said with a sad face: "I'm afraid that he will open his mouth. I have seen many of these Taoists. On the surface, they appear to have clear breeze and bright moon, and their sleeves are dust-free. In fact, they are more greedy for pleasure than anyone else. I heard that the cultivation of immortality is valuable. Pure, the need for minerals is actually far less than that of the martial arts, but Rensen, in addition to enjoying wine and sex, is also a ruthless character when it comes to gathering minerals."
Shi Wengong sneered and said: "You don't know something. The most important thing in the immortal way is purity. But once you become an official in the dynasty, you will be contaminated with the luck of the dynasty. It is the most complicated thing in the world. If a person in the immortal way is stained with this kind of thing, he or she will lose it." Treat it as a fate, train yourself hard, and turn it into an opportunity for advancement. Or you can only let it go, turn your cultivation into miscellaneous energy, and fall into the path of military training."
"Many Taoists think very highly of themselves. When they first became Taoist officials, they probably had the former idea. However, Lin Lingsu, who proposed the Taoist official system in front of the Dao Lord Emperor, could not hold on for a few years and was dismissed. The foundation has been polluted, so I have to cut off part of my cultivation and withdraw from the court."
"People like Ren Sen have no chance of retreating. Even if they are willing, the officials won't allow it. Then the only option is to take the latter path."
Mr. Zeng sighed and said worriedly: "So that's the case, then he must be taking more."
Shi Wengong said: "Don't worry, let me talk to him about this matter. He thinks he is very powerful in magic. When I take the Fangtian Painted Halberd in my hand and weigh his ability, he will naturally know how to advance or retreat."
Mr. Zeng smiled broadly and finally let go of his worries and said, "Okay, let's wait until we hold another banquet in the evening and invite him over."
Shi Wengong was about to nod when his expression suddenly changed, and he left the tent in a flash and looked at a valley in the distance.
The soldiers around him didn't know what was going on. They gathered around him and looked around, but they couldn't see clearly.
Only Shi Wengong could see clearly that the valley was originally the place where the Purple Qi God Sand Furnace was placed.
The furnace was three feet high, with blazing fire under it and black smoke in the sky. Eight Taoist priests sat cross-legged around it, constantly cultivating the cinnabar and red crystal in the furnace and watching over the heat.
Sixteen more people were sitting cross-legged on the outside, waiting for rotation.
Every thirty-six hours, when the firepower weakens, they will open the furnace cover, take out the sacred sand, and then transport new cinnabar and red crystal and pour it into the furnace.
It was clear that it was not time to turn on the furnace, but the furnace lid was opened once, and twenty-four Taoist priests worked together with their magic power, seeming to have put something big and evil into the furnace.
Shi Wengong could see the expressions of shock still remaining on the faces of those Taoist priests.
Ren Sen, the leader, also looked solemn.
They no longer relied on ordinary firewood under the stove to light the flame, but took off the gourds from their waists and spread out evenly according to the direction of the Qimen formation.
Clothes were flying, and the Taoist priests lay down on the slopes on all sides of the valley, their necks slightly raised. Their slender necks and faces had the whiteness of a pampered person.
They lay on their stomachs, with their faces facing the stove in the middle of the valley, and blew out a long stream of vitality into the open mouth of the gourd.
The purple-red fire spread down the slope, covering the entire valley surface in flames.
The raging sea of fire is just for the sacred sand furnace in the center of the refining valley, just to trap and kill the thing in the furnace.
The three-foot-high sacred sand furnace seemed unable to withstand such firepower and began to melt.
Shi Wengong's ears and eyes were so sharp that he could even hear the sound of the semi-finished cinnabar and red crystals in the furnace completely melting into liquid and boiling.
But the rippling high temperature still cannot shake the thing in the center of the furnace. What's even more frightening is that the thing trapped inside the furnace seems to be still emitting a higher temperature than outside the furnace.
That thing... is a human form! !
Shi Wengong was suddenly startled and shouted: "Bring me my halberd!"
The main tent of the military camp was torn into pieces, and a square-shaped painted halberd flew out of it. Shi Wengong jumped into the air, caught the painted halberd, shook it, and flew away.
In the valley, the furnace body was burned to create large holes. The bright red crystal and cinnabar melt flowed outwards, and the purple-red fire on the ground burned even more intensely.
But these flames can no longer prevent the person in the furnace from revealing his true face.
Guan Luoyang sighed quietly: "You are too unfriendly. I just came to ask you for directions."
"In that case, please get on your way."
He raised his foot and stomped, and the furnace body collapsed completely, and the purple-red flames rolled back around.
The Taoist priests were so frightened that they had no time to dodge, and their bodies were more or less stained with fire. Even if they ran away quickly, they screamed and turned into firemen, and soon fell to the ground without making a sound.
Ren Sen, the supreme master of Baoxu, was so frightened that he shook his sleeves and shot out twelve night-light pearls in succession: "How dare you, monster, kill one of my disciples?!"
His shouts were loud and his anger was as thunderous, but as soon as he knocked out the Night Pearl, a cloud of mist rose up from under his feet, holding his body up into the air at lightning speed, and fled in the direction of Shi Wengong's military camp in the distance.
Twelve luminous pearls danced in the sky in the valley, coming and going like white lightning. Wherever they passed, the rocks turned into powder silently, revealing deep and long holes.
Guan Luoyang's figure flashed several times, calmly passing through the flying trajectories of the twelve luminous pearls, and volleyed towards Ren Sen with one hand.
The clouds and mist suddenly dissipated under Ren Sen's feet, and he felt as if a huge weight had suddenly been placed on his body, and he fell straight down. He hurriedly clasped his fingers, and a puff of smoke exploded from his body, changing its position with a huge boulder on the cliff two miles away.
Guan Luoyang chased him into the air, and saw that the person he was about to touch turned into a stone. His breath condensed slightly in his mouth and nose, and he struck out with his palm.
Ren Sen, who had just appeared between the cliffs, heard a huge roar behind him that resounded throughout the valley. Before he could raise the next burst of mana and recall the twelve night-light pearls, he felt numb all over.
The shattered stone fragments hit him like a wild dragon, cracking the cliff walls and cracking many gaps, raising a large cloud of dust.
When the dust dispersed slightly, Ren Sen's body was deeply embedded in the rock wall of the cliff. From the back of his head, many hairs were broken by stone chips and fell scattered.
Shi Wengong flew several miles before he arrived and stood on the cliff. He was already a step too late.
The night pearls flying in the air lost their magic support and fell to the ground one after another. Gululu rolled to Shi Wengong's feet. As soon as they touched his military boots, there was a bang and they were blown to pieces by his protective energy.
Shi Wengong mentioned the demonic power that intimidated everyone in the world. Black smoke spewed out from his seven orifices. When his teeth collided, sparks popped out. His voice was extremely deep and majestic, and he asked: "Your Excellency, who is it?"
"Looking at your appearance, you should be the person I'm looking for."
Guan Luoyang put his right hand behind his back and said, "Shi Wengong, right? I'm here to borrow something from you."
Shi Wengong: "Hey, what can I borrow?"
Guan Luoyang said: "I will prepare to rebel after a while, and I will first borrow your heads to make a name for myself."
