Under the moon, two figures slowly walked down the mountain and disappeared without a trace.
Three days later, Xiushan Taoist Temple.
The disciples all over the mountain got up early and stood on both sides of the mountain road with solemn expressions.
In the middle of the mountain road, a young man wearing a big red robe walked slowly.
His realm is not high, but when facing the powerful monks all over the mountain in the temple, and even the elders sitting on the top of Yunwu Peak, he has no stage fright at all, and even has a warm smile on his face.
Among the stars, he was in the middle of the mountain square.
A distinguished Taoist temple deacon came close to him and whispered to him.
When the disciples around him saw this, they started talking out of curiosity.
"Is this a disciple of Xantian Mansion? It doesn't look like there's anything special about it."
"Yes, he looks about the same age as us. I am at the Golden Bone Realm, and he is at the Lower Qi Condensation Realm. There is only a small gap between them. Doesn't this mean that I will have the opportunity to enter Xantian Mansion in the future?"
"Haha, you have forgotten what the master said. Realm is not the only criterion. The monks in Xantian Mansion are all geniuses selected from hundreds of miles away. All of them have the ability to fight across borders."
"It is said that this Chen Ji once hunted and killed an injured third-stage demon on his own during a mission."
"Hey, at the third stage, even the master can't beat him!"
"That's not the case. You also said that it was an injured third-stage demon. But it's already terrifying to be able to do this. Ordinary monks don't even have the ability to fight beyond a lower realm..."
Chen Ji listened to the whispers of the disciples around him with a smile on his face, and couldn't help but feel proud in his heart.
The master of this mountain Taoist temple with the highest cultivation level is said to have reached the threshold of the fourth realm.
With such strength, in their Xantian Mansion, he could not even compare to a deputy governor. At most, he would be a deacon, and he would have to be of a lower status.
Not to mention, the disciples here.
The difference between cloud and mud.
Out of the clouds and mist on the top of the mountain, an old man walking on crutches walked out with a solemn expression and asked loudly:
"I dare to ask this young master of Xantian Mansion, why are you here today, but for the recent wanted order?"
When Chen Ji heard this, he smiled slightly, took out a red scroll from his sleeve, opened it and saw a portrait of a young man on it.
In the side peak, there was a middle-aged Taoist with white eyebrows and white eyebrows holding a fly whisk. When he saw this portrait, his pupils suddenly condensed.
"This is the wanted list personally issued by the Governor of Xantian Mansion."
"The sinner Ji Ning, on March 3rd of the Xinchou year in Baiyu Town, lost money due to gambling. With evil intentions, he killed Jiang Chuan, the owner of the gambling house, and robbed two valuable treasures."
"Subsequently, he used extremely vicious means to injure many gambling house guards and court officials, and finally fled into Xiushan without a trace. The local county magistrate led the army and called on civilian teams to search day and night for more than ten days, but could not find him. "
"To this day."
Chen Ji had a graceful demeanor and asked with a smile on his face the elders among the surrounding peaks:
"Can you please provide me with any information about the thief?"
As soon as these words came out, there was no movement in the mountains.
All the Taoist people's eyes were focused on a middle-aged man with white eyebrows and white hair.
The master of Yunhai Peak, the elder of the inner sect of the Taoist temple, and the peak powerhouse in the alchemy stage.
Xu Shi.
He is also Ji Ning’s master.
"Although Ning'er and I have been estranged in recent years, I understand his character. He practices boxing and martial arts all day long, and works hard with his disciples. There has never been a break. There is no way he will be involved in gambling. Bad habits.”
"Xuntian Mansion is a force sent by the imperial court to maintain stability on the border. It has the most credibility. But this time, I cannot believe your investigation results."
As soon as these words came out, there was silence in the mountains.
Chen Ji stood there with a slight smile on his face and was not in a hurry to refute.
Because he knew there would be someone who would refute it for him.
"Master Xu Feng, if you don't believe the payment of documents personally issued by the Governor of Xuntian Mansion, what else can you believe?"
Between the peaks, another old woman appeared with a serious expression.
When many Taoist disciples saw this man speaking, their expressions were not surprised.
This person's surname was Lu, and he was also a highly respected elder in the temple. He often competed for resources with Yunhaifeng, where Xu Shi was located, and was very difficult to deal with.
"Everyone will make mistakes. This is what Emperor Xia said." Xu Shi's voice was calm, faintly transmitted between the peaks:
"If Ning'er really makes such a mistake, I will never condone it, but is it unfair for the Xuntian Mansion to launch a wanted arrest without providing any solid evidence?"
When the old woman surnamed Lu heard this, she snorted and said mockingly:
"They even drew a portrait of your good-for-nothing disciple. How many people in Baiyu Town saw him escape from the Taoist temple with their own eyes. He also lost his belongings. There are both witnesses and physical evidence. What are you still quibbling about?"
"I have never denied that he did it."
"But what I question is why he did that. As far as I know, Ning'er has no bad habit of gambling, and he should have enough money. Moreover, he has not been down the mountain for many years. Now he goes to the gambling house to cause trouble. I ran away after everything turned upside down, and there is still no news at all. Don’t you think it’s strange?”
Xu Shi looked seriously, looked at the disciples among the peaks, and said:
"What kind of character Ji Ning is, even if you don't want to see him, you should know or hear about his efforts."
"I suspect that there must be something fishy about this matter. It's not as simple as killing people and taking money. I hope the Xuantian Mansion will find out the truth and don't unjustly accuse good people."
Hearing this, many disciples in the field had expressions of approval on their faces.
Obviously, although many of them had objections to Ji Ning's identity as an outer disciple and ridiculed him as a waste, no one questioned the boy's hard work. He had been chopping wood and carrying water for several years, and he could do any chores with ease. And he can also find time to practice boxing.
How could such a kind-hearted, hard-working child suddenly go gambling and killing people at the foot of the mountain?
However, the old woman named Lu sneered and spoke again:
"What you said is all nonsense!
"Xu Shi, don't pretend that you know the fugitive very well. No one in this Taoist temple knows that you have been alienated from your precious disciple since he was inexplicably unable to use his spiritual energy."
"That poor child had no one to take care of him even when he was sick. One winter night, he fell down on the road with a high fever and almost died from the cold. You didn't care about him. Now, how can you have the face to say that you understand him and praise that child's character?"
"In my opinion, it was precisely because of having a master as ruthless and unrighteous as you that Ji Ning developed a deformed mentality, which ultimately led to such a catastrophe!"
"Xu Shi, you should also take responsibility for this!"
"Don't go too far!"
There was a trace of anger on the man's face, and he stood up suddenly from the cloud. In an instant, the pressure around him suddenly fell, and the spiritual energy of the world surged crazily, as if he would launch an attack at any time.
When the old woman saw this, she was not afraid at all and still said mockingly:
"Why, in front of the disciples of Elder Quanguan, do you still want to take action?"
"I admit that I am no match for you. How powerful you are, Elder Xu. When you were young, you dared to compete with the elders of Nine Heavens Immortal Palace for your wife. You went to their door to sign a life and death certificate. However, you lost later but refused to admit it. Peipianpidian. Come back and show off to our little place."
Listening to the words from the old woman's mouth, Xu Shi was extremely angry for a moment, because he knew that things were not what the other party said at all. There were other hidden secrets about what happened back then, and the old woman also knew the hidden secrets, but she still said this, obviously because of her To disgust him on purpose.
"Lu Yi, I'll kill you!"
Just when Xu Shi couldn't help but raise his hand to take action, and the gravel on the cliff shook, under the highest seat on the main peak, an old man with a white beard who had always kept silent but was extremely majestic finally spoke and raised his hand. Then he asked him to go back.
"Xu Shi, don't forget the vow you once made."
"No force is allowed inside the Taoist temple. Do you want your disciples to be harmed by you too?"
The man's expression changed, he lowered his head and was silent for a moment, then he reluctantly exhaled a breath, cupped his hands and said:
"What the Supreme Elder taught me is that I was impulsive."
"But I still have doubts about Ning'er's matter, and I would like to ask all the elders to investigate carefully in the Xuntian Mansion!"
"The investigation must be carried out. The key is to find where the person is first."
At this moment, Chen Ji, who had been watching the show silently, finally spoke and said with a smile:
"Regardless of why he went to the gambling house and why he killed the owner Jiang Chuan, it is absolutely true that he took the things. We once followed his escape route and sensed some of those things. The aura, but I can’t find it after entering the mountain.”
"Master Xu, if you also want to prove his innocence and investigate the truth of the matter, please cooperate and tell us where your disciple is hiding now."
Xu Shibai's eyebrows mingled together, and he frowned and said:
"What do you mean, sir? How do I know where he is?"
The old woman surnamed Lu stood on the other side, winking and taunting:
"Master Xu Feng, I thought you had tempered your temper, but you are still so bold, daring to secretly hide the fugitives that the Xuntian Mansion wants to arrest."
"I told you I didn't!" Xu Shi glared at the old woman fiercely, and then said angrily to the audience:
"Ji Ning and I haven't spoken a word to each other for two full years. I don't know where he is!"
"Master Xu Feng is cruel." Chen Ji smiled slightly and continued, "But you don't know. I think there is someone who should know."
"who?"
"I heard that he has a senior brother with whom he has a very good relationship. He is always inseparable."
As he spoke, Chen Ji set his sights on Disciple Peak and said with a smile:
"Who is Li Hu? Come forward."
Among the countless handyman disciples among the peaks, a tall, handsome young man wearing burlap clothes walked out. His arms were bandaged and he was panting. He had obviously just arrived from somewhere else after receiving the news.
"I am Li Hu."
The young man looked at the eye-catching red robe in the center, looking a little nervous, and asked with a pale face: "Excuse me, sir, what do you want from me?"
Chen Ji narrowed his eyes at him and said:
"Ji Ning is your junior brother?"
Li Hu nodded and said seriously: "Yes, although Junior Brother Ji Ning is an outer disciple, he does the same work as us handyman disciples all day long, so he calls me Senior Brother."
"I'm asking you, please tell me later." Chen Ji looked at him coldly, and then asked: "They say you have a very good relationship with Ji Ning. He only has you as a friend in this Taoist temple. Do you know where he is now? ?”
"I don't know."
Li Hu answered quickly and shook his head.
"That morning, I went out very early to cut firewood, help the teachers in the temple to light the fire and cook, and then scrubbed the floor of the Sutra Pavilion. I didn't return to the mountain until sunset, and by then my junior brother had disappeared. "
