Infinite Brilliant Scroll

Chapter 216 Come to Borrow Something

The main peak of Cangshan Mountain, the south side of the mountain is relatively flat.

The [-] elite soldiers led by Shi Wengong usually patrol the Cangshan mines in shifts, and those who are not on duty rest in the barracks halfway up the south side of the mountain.

When the strong wind blows, the banners are fluttering, and the camps are firmly set up, shaped like half moons, surrounding the mountainside.

Shi Wengong set up a long table and put cushions in the open space in front of the main tent, chatting and laughing with the old man of the Zeng family, while watching the elite soldiers shoot arrows for fun.

Whoosh!
A few big birds in the sky passed by, and an elite soldier set up five arrow feathers on his strings, and suddenly he had a thought, instead of shooting at the target, he pointed his bow to the sky.

At the sound of the bowstring, all five arrows hit, and several birds fell one after another, which attracted the applause of the surrounding onlookers. Immediately, some people left their seats to pick up the birds hit by the arrows.

The scenery of Cangshan Mountain was polluted by several mines, and the beasts in the mountains and forests were almost scattered, and few birds would bump into this side without looking long.

It is quite rare to be able to hit a big bird. When the person who picked up the prey came back, he saw that all five arrows were shot from the mouths of five big birds, and the feathers were not damaged. The applause was even worse.

Shi Wengong also smiled and said: "Okay! I will reward you with 30 taels of silver. I will pick it up later, and I will reward you with a glass of fine wine."

He took a glass, tilted the jug on his table, and poured a full glass.

The archer had already thanked him when he heard that there was money, and when he heard that there was such a reward of fine wine, he was overjoyed and couldn't believe it.

This wine is extraordinary, he took the glass carefully with both hands, put his lips together, sipped the wine, and drank it into his belly as a thin hot thread, his muscles and bones all screamed, and his hair was steamed white smoke.

Shi Wengong took a closer look at this man, saw that he had red hair and yellow beard, was thin and thick, and looked as rough and vicious as a wolf, he couldn't help laughing and said: "What's your name, are you new to our army? "

The man had a glass of wine, his face was full of purple light, his mouth was tightly closed, he was reluctant to open his mouth to reveal the vitality in the wine, but Shi Wengong asked questions, but he dared not answer, his face couldn't help showing a little struggle.

The old master Zeng who was next to him was the first to speak: "This man is Duan Jingzhu, who has the title of a golden retriever in Jianghu. He used to steal horses for a living in the north. He came to my house half a month ago to donate horses. I mentioned it to you. "

Shi Wengong suddenly realized: "It turned out to be him, and he is really good at martial arts. Recently, some people died in the mine, and there is no labor to recruit in the nearby villages. I think you have some courage. Take my warrant and go to Yizhou City Go and search for some people, can it be done?"

Duan Jingzhu swallowed the last ray of hot breath in his throat, overjoyed, he said: "Never dare to disappoint the general, how many people are there in total?"

Shi Wengong said: "Of course, the more mines the better, but those who can live in the city mostly have something to do with it. There are too many people who are not easy to move. You can first send 500 people. How many people do you want to go with?"

Duan Jingzhu thought for a while and said, "Ten people."

The old master Zeng laughed again: "I will test you for the general. You want to bring 500 people to the mine. How many people should you call when you are in the city?"

Duan Jingzhu answered eloquently: "At least 800 people should be summoned. The mine is famous, and there are no rogues, and no one is willing to come here, let alone the common people, who come here ninety miles from the city, and there are many remote wildernesses. There must be some people who want to escape .”

"It's only a part that can escape. If the villain kills some Liwei, if he is in a hurry, some people will stumble and fall to death, get injured, or they will be disabled after a few whips if they don't eat. If you want to ensure that 500 people can go to work when you go to the mine, the villain must gather at least 800 people in the city."

Shi Wengong and Mrs. Zeng looked at each other, and said approvingly: "He is capable of doing things. But you don't have to hurry too much. Nowadays, it is getting harder and harder to find miners. If this continues, the old, weak, sick and disabled will really have to be recruited. It’s not easy to do the work. It’s good to bring people within three days.”

Duan Jingzhu bowed his hand to accept the order again, thanked him, and retreated.

Mrs. Zeng said: "I heard that not far from Yizhou, there is a Liangshan River Pond with a radius of [-] miles. The mist is vast, the water is rippling, and the reeds are thick. There are some tax evaders in nearby Yizhou, Lingzhou and even Qingzhou. I don’t hesitate to travel long distances to hide there. If there are really no miners nearby, the general may have to go there for a while.”

Shi Wengong smiled and said: "Shuibo Liangshan is a place of great shape. Ten years ago, there were many water thieves and bandits occupying it one after another. Later, Emperor Tianming knew the reputation there and personally issued an imperial edict. Send Lu Junyi from Hebei Province, and someone named Song Jiang, to lead people to exterminate all the bandits there, and now the ones hiding there are nothing but worthless things, I already knew."

He deliberately reserved such a place, and even communicated with the governments of various states, and did not block the main roads around Liangshan Shuibo.

In Shi Wengong's mind, this is like raising pigs and sheep. It is not a skill to sell them on weekdays. They will be slaughtered in good seasons when the meat is scarce in the market. Naturally, they can be sold at a high price.

Wait a few more months, when the mines in various states are really out of manpower, and when he writes to Bianliang to complain, he will lead his troops there to burn and kill all the young and strong, and escort them to various mines. Workmanship, in this way, when he talked about it at the court, he made two major contributions to eradicating water thieves and replenishing the mine's manpower.

When the old master of Zeng's family rolled his eyes, he guessed Shi Wengong's intentions very well, with obvious admiration on his face, he raised his glass to toast him, and said some flattering words.

The old man of the Zeng family was named Zeng Nong. When he was young, he was daring. He traveled to the land of Yanyun, went deep into the white mountains and black waters, collected and planted some ginseng, and sold it in the Central Plains. Over time, he accumulated tens of thousands of wealth. As they grew older, they settled down in the Central Plains, married wives and had children, recruited brave men from the countryside, and managed a large force.

Originally, Shi Wengong was only famous among the grasslands, but he was invited by Zeng Nong to teach martial arts to the five sons of the Zeng family.

Later, the Emperor Tianming promoted magic methods in the army and opened countless mines. The government posted a recruitment list and invited Shi Wengong to be an official in the state capital. Shi Wengong turned his head to support the Zeng family.

The government and the country gentry are colluding. From Zeng Nong's point of view, this mine business is really much bigger than when he was buying and selling ginseng back then, and it is more than a thousand times more profitable.

You know, since Shi Wengong became a general, he has become more and more skilled in martial arts, and he is highly valued by the court. Many mines between Yizhou and Lingzhou are actually under his jurisdiction. But the Cangshan mine can produce purple qi god sand, so he will be stationed here most of the time.

When the minerals produced in various places were handed over, they falsely reported a few cents. If the amount was small, they could easily intercept warehouses and warehouses of goods, and resell them in the hands of the Zeng family in exchange for large sums of money. Keep it for Shi Wengong and Zeng's family to use when they practice.

At this moment, the jug of fine wine on Shi Wengong's table is purple red in color, sticky in fragrance and steaming hot. It is smelted with purple spirit sand. The price of the imported solid sand is several times more expensive, and there is no market for it.

If it wasn't for colluding with the Zeng family to make money, even with Shi Wengong's salary status, it would not be enough to enjoy such good things every day.

"General." Grandpa Zeng stopped after drinking a glass, and said, "The matter of the miners and Liangshan is not in a hurry, but in this Cangshan mine, there have been some minor troubles recently."

Shi Wengong understood: "It's that Ren Sen."

Old Master Zeng nodded and said: "That's right, he has also noticed our secret business. He came to the door a few days ago, first put on a stern and selfless appearance, and threatened me with stern words, but after I persuaded him a few words, he revealed With the true colors, I really want to share a piece of the pie."

Shi Wengong said: "I said why did you come to drink with me yourself today? It turned out to be for this matter. I knew that he would get involved sooner or later. He had an old friend with Chen Xizhen in Bianliang City. He was in the official family. He can talk in front of everyone, and it is actually a good thing to have him involved."

Old Master Zeng said with a sad face, "I'm afraid that he will open his mouth like a lion. I have seen many of these Taoists. On the surface, they are clean and bright, and their sleeves are clean. In fact, they are more greedy for pleasure than anyone else. I heard that the cultivation of immortality is the Purity, the demand for minerals is far less than that of the military art, but Ren Sen, in addition to enjoying the wine and sex, is also a ruthless character when gathering minerals."

Shi Wengong sneered and said: "You don't know that the immortal way is pure, but once you enter the court and become an official, you will be contaminated with the luck of the dynasty. Take it as a doom, hone yourself hard, and turn it into an opportunity to improve. Or you can only let it go, turn your whole body into miscellaneous energy, and fall into the path of military practice."

"Many Taoists think highly of themselves. When they were Taoist officials, they probably had the former idea. However, Lin Lingsu, who proposed the Taoist official system in front of the Taoist emperor, couldn't last 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 don't even think about retiring. Even if they are willing, the officials will not allow it. Then there is only one way to go."

Old Master Zeng sighed, worried: "So that's the case, then he must have taken more."

Shi Wengong said: "You don't have to worry, let me talk to him about this matter, he thinks he is very powerful in spells, and when I measure his ability with Fang Tian's painting halberd in my hand, he will naturally know how to advance and retreat."

Old Master Zeng smiled, and finally let go of his worries, and said: "Alright, let's have another banquet in the evening and invite him over."

Shi Wengong was about to nod his head, but suddenly his expression changed, and he left the tent in a flash, looking at a valley in the distance.

The soldiers around him didn't know why, so they gathered around him and looked there, but they couldn't see clearly.

Only Shi Wengong could see clearly that the Ziqishen sand furnace was originally placed in the valley.

The stove was three feet high, the flames under the stove were blazing, and the sky was black with smoke. Eight Taoist priests sat cross-legged around them, constantly exercising the cinnabar and red crystals in the stove, and watching over the fire.

Sixteen more people sat cross-legged on the periphery, waiting for a rotation.

Every 36 hours, when the firepower is getting weaker, they will open the furnace cover once, take out the god sand, and then transport new cinnabar and red crystals to the furnace and pour them into the furnace.

Just now it was clear that it was not time to turn on the furnace, but the furnace lid was opened once, and 24 Taoist priests worked together to operate their mana, as if they had put something very vicious into the furnace.

Shi Wengong could see that the faces of those Taoist priests were still in shock.

Ren Sen, who was the leader, also had a solemn face.

They no longer relied on the ordinary firewood under the stove to light the flames, but took off the gourds around their waists one after another, and spread them out evenly according to the direction of the Qimen formation.

Clothes fluttered, the Taoist priests lay down on the slopes around the valley, their necks raised slightly, 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 blowing out a long stream of vitality into the open gourd mouth.

The purple-red flame spread down the slope, covering the entire surface of the valley in flames.

The raging sea of ​​flames was only for the god sand furnace in the center of the refining valley, and only for trapping and killing the thing in the furnace.

The three-foot-high god sand furnace seemed unable to withstand such firepower and began to melt.

Shi Wengong's eyes and ears 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 can't shake the thing in the center of the furnace. What's more frightening is that the thing trapped inside the furnace seems to be emitting a higher temperature than the outside of the furnace.

That thing... is a human form! !

Shi Wengong was startled suddenly, and shouted: "Take my halberd!"

The main tent of the barracks was torn apart, and a Fangtian painted halberd flew out of it. Shi Wengong jumped into the air, caught the painted halberd and shook it, and flew away.

In the valley, the furnace body was burned to create large holes, and the bright red crystal and cinnabar melt flowed outwards, and the purple-red fire on the ground burned more intensely.

But these flames have no way to prevent the people in the furnace from revealing their true faces.

Guan Luoyang sighed quietly: "You are too unfriendly, I just came to ask you the way."

"In that case, please go on your way."

He stomped his foot, and the furnace body completely collapsed, and the purple-red flame seemed to roll back around.

Those Taoist priests were terrified, they had no time to dodge, their bodies were more or less stained with flames, even if they fled quickly, they screamed and turned into burning men, and soon fell to the ground without making a sound.

Baoxu Wushang real person Ren Sen was frightened and furious, shaking his sleeves and shot out twelve night pearls in a row: "An evildoer dare to kill my disciple?!"

He yelled loudly and was furious like thunder, but as soon as he shot Ye Mingzhu out, a cloud of mist rose from under his feet, supported his body and flew up into the air at high speed, and fled towards the direction of Shi Wengong's military camp in the distance.

Twelve night pearls are flying in the sky in the valley, coming and going like white lightning. Wherever they pass, the mountains and rocks are silently turned into dust, revealing deep and long holes.

Guan Luoyang's figure flickered several times, calmly passed between the flying tracks of the twelve night pearls, and grabbed Ren Sen in the air with one hand.

The cloud and mist immediately disintegrated under Ren Sen's feet, and he felt as if a heavy burden was suddenly placed on his body, and he fell straight down. He hurriedly pinched his fingers, and a puff of smoke exploded from his body, and he changed direction with a huge boulder between the cliffs two miles away.

Guan Luoyang chased him into the air, seeing the person he was about to touch turn into a stone, his breath congealed slightly, and he swung his palm out.

Ren Sen, who had just appeared between the cliffs, only heard a huge roar resounding through the valley behind him, and before he had time to summon the next burst of magic power to recall the twelve night pearls, he felt numb all over.

The shattered stone chips slammed into him like a mad dragon, cracking many gaps in the cliff wall and kicking up a large cloud of dust.

When the dust dissipated slightly, Ren Sen's body was deeply embedded in the rocky cliff, with the back of his head facing outwards, and many strands of hair were crushed by the stone chips and scattered down.

Shi Wengong flew for several kilometers, and then he rushed to stand on the cliff, which was already a step too late.

The Ye Mingzhu flying in the air lost their mana support and fell to the ground one after another. Gululu rolled to Shi Wengong's feet. As soon as it touched his military boots, they hit him and were blown to pieces by his body protection.

Shi Wengong mentioned the power of magic to intimidate the world, the seven orifices spewed out black smoke, sparks popped out when the teeth collided, and asked in a deep voice, "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, I'm here to borrow something from you."

Shi Wengong: "Oh, borrow what?"

Guan Luoyang said: "I'm going to rebel after a while, and I'll use your heads to make my name first."

(End of this chapter)