Judge of the Lamp

Chapter 83 Midnight Kills the Thief

After sleeping until dusk, Xu Zhiqiong ate something, dressed neatly, and went to the Onmyoji Division.

When Wu Xu came here before, the gatekeeper's attitude was very arrogant, which made Xu Zhiqiong very disgusted.

Today Xu Zhiqiong came by himself, but the gatekeeper didn't let him in.

"Wait at the door, I'll pass it on."

crazy what?
If it weren't for your family's useless divination, would I still need to make this trip?
Not long after, the janitor came back, and with drooping dead fish eyes, he said to Xu Zhiqiong, "Tai Bu is welcome."

Tai Bu was still at the original place, saw Xu Zhiqiong, and asked, "Have you practiced the "Hua Gu Juan?"

When the words came to his lips, Xu Zhiqiong swallowed back, why didn't this old guy play his cards according to the routine?

I'm here to send you a letter, why did you ask me the question first?

Moreover, the trap of this question is very deep, Xu Zhiqiong clasped his fists and said: "The "Huagu Volume" is kept by Qianhu, and the younger generation has not seen it yet."

"He will take care of it?" Tai Bu shook his head, he didn't know whether it was disbelief or disdain, "and remind Wu Qianhu to practice more."

Xu Zhiqiong said: "The big battle is approaching, but I'm afraid it will be too late for practice now."

"The war is approaching? What news have you got?"

Xu Zhiqiong recounted the matter, and Tai Bu nodded after hearing the words, agreeing with Wu Xu's deduction.

"Since it is scheduled for the seventh day of April, things will be easier to handle."

The closer the day was, the more accurate Taibu's calculation was. After about half an hour of calculation, Taibu wrote a letter and handed it to Xu Zhiqiong.

The letter was not sealed, so Tai Bu said to Xu Zhiqiong: "Just take a look, if there is anything you don't understand, just ask me."

This is too trustworthy for me.

Xu Zhiqiong read it from beginning to end, and planned the time, place and number of people in the ambush.

After a rough calculation, Tai Bu asked Wu Xu to summon fifty lantern bearers.

"As long as there are fifty people, will it be too few?"

"Fifty people are enough, and I will also send twenty onmyojis to assist in the battle."

"Will Tai Bu fight in person?"

Tai Bu shook his head: "If I leave the Onmyoji Division, I will definitely attract suspicion. The people I choose are all elites. Besides, I also found a helper for you. When you are about to fight, he is more useful than the old man." , tell Qianhu not to worry."

"What helper is more useful than Taibu?"

"Don't ask too much, you'll know when the time comes."

Xu Zhiqiong put away the letter, left the Onmyoji Division, and walked to the door, but met an acquaintance.

"Brother Tong, why are you here?"

Tong Qingqiu originally wanted to avoid Xu Zhiqiong, but when he saw Xu Zhiqiong approaching, he smiled wryly and said, "You can't come if you don't come."

"Tell me if you have any difficulties, and we brothers will find a solution together."

"I can't think about it, brother, I can't escape this time." Tong Qingqiu sighed and entered the Onmyoji Division.

……

"Tong Warlock, you are really hard to hire." Tai Bu looked at Tong Qingqiu with a mocking face.

Tong Qingqiu nodded and said: "It's because I don't know how to praise, and I have repeatedly failed Tai Bu's kindness."

"Why are you willing to come here tonight?"

This old man is too bad, don't you know why I came here?
"Tong doesn't have many ways to make a living, but he has offended many people. If he can't find the yin and yang method, this way of life will be cut off."

Tai Bu looked upright, and reprimanded: "Yin-Yang cultivators, the way of life is in the Yin-Yang Division, you are selling along the street between the marketplaces, my art, how can you allow you to be so profane?"

What have I blasphemed?Is it wrong to be self-reliant?

It's useless to talk too much, life is in Taibu's hands.

Tong Qingqiu saluted and said: "In the future, I would like to listen to Taibu's orders."

Tai Bu nodded: "You move to Yin Yang Division first, what does it look like to live in that smoky place?"

Here comes the trouble.

Tong Qingqiu saluted again: "Please come along with Rong Zhuojing."

Tai Bu's face sank: "Your wife is not of my race, how can I tolerate her?"

Tong Qingqiu took a deep breath, straightened her waist and said: "If you can't tolerate her, you can't tolerate me either!"

Tai Bu sneered: "You still dare to threaten me?"

"Tong doesn't dare, he just asks Tai Bu to be magnanimous."

Tai Bu lowered his eyes, looked at Tong Qingqiu and said: "I am only lenient to my disciples."

Tai Bu wants to take Tong Qingqiu under his sect, but Tong Qingqiu has his own teacher.

Tong Qingqiu naturally didn't want to betray Shimen, but now he has no right to bargain.

"Tong is willing to listen to Taibu's orders."

Tai Bu frowned and said, "What did you call me?"

Tong Qingqiu gritted her teeth and saluted again: "Tong is willing to listen to Master's orders."

……

On the third day of April, Wu Xu received news that someone had entered the Longjiao Ghost Market at night, and Liang Yuming began to explore the way.

On the fourth day of April, Jiang Feili received news that three maids were missing from Prince Huai's mansion.

On the fifth day of April, Wu Xu received news that six fourth-rank cultivators had entered the capital and lived in the Lu'an Inn in the east of the city. One of them could speak, and the other five were dumb.

Are they really dumb?
Of course not, they are afraid of revealing their foreign accents.

On the sixth day of April, Xu Zhiqiong patrolled the night as usual, and when he lit the third vigil lamp, he put away a letter box from the wick.

The letter came from Anzi at the city gate. At dusk, more than [-] cloth-carrying carriages entered the city, but the city gate soldiers did not search them.

A large-scale convoy entering the city like this should be searched, but Daxuan's gate control was loosened, and the search was avoided by giving the city gate soldiers some change.

These cloth merchants are now living in the houses in Beiyuan. Needless to say, there are women imprisoned outside the city in the carriage, and now they have entered the city.

When it was less than midnight, the night patrol was over, and Yang Wu was going to find Xu Zhiqiong some words, and report to Junior Sister Han.

"Zhiqiong, I heard that the bureaucracy has been making a lot of noise these two days. Sir Qianhu has not been punished, has he?"

"Punishment?" Xu Zhiqiong smiled wryly, "Master Qianhu is about to be demoted."

"Demotion?" Yang Wu said in surprise, "Isn't that the case, no woman has been lost in recent days."

"So what? Who made us offend the officials? I don't know if this matter will implicate us."

"What does this have to do with us? We didn't hit Sun Jideng."

"That's all, don't ask any more questions." Xu Zhiqiong waved his hands and said, "Come and sit with me on the Goulan."

Yang Wu shook his head: "I won't go, I'd better walk around."

Let's go, and send good news to Shizi again.

This is probably his last good news.

……

In the afternoon on the seventh day of April, Liang Yuming sent off Han Di on the boat.

Knowing that Wu Xu will be demoted, Hao Quan laughed and said, "I'm afraid Wu Xu will wipe his tears in the Mingdeng Pavilion tonight, and in two days, I'm afraid he won't even be able to enter the Mingdeng Pavilion."

Liang Yuming waved his folding fan, admiring the scenery of Wang'an River: "Is there no movement in the Ghost City?"

"Anzi squatted in the ghost market for four full days, checked every house, and found nothing."

"How are the six envoys?"

"It's calm and calm. I really admire them. They pretend to be dumb. Even I can't tell the difference."

Liang Yuming closed the folding fan, and said: "No mistakes can be made anywhere, and you must ask people to keep an eye on them!"

"Don't worry, son."

……

At night, Yang Wu yawned and prepared to watch the night, but he didn't see Xu Zhiqiong and Chu He.

"Wang Qingdeng, where did the two of them go?"

Wang Zhennan raised the lantern: "The two of them are taking leave tonight, so just follow me."

Yang Wu shrugged his eyebrows: "What's the matter, why don't you just ask for leave?"

Wang Zhennan smiled: "Don't ask too many questions, just follow along, don't think about seeing your little junior sister tonight, just watch the night with me honestly."

……

In Tsing Yi Pavilion, Jiang Shaoshi has an order that all Tsing Yis are not allowed to leave the attic after they have been paid off.

Han Di asked Yu Chilan: "Sister, what's going on tonight? Why don't you let us go?"

Yu Chilan shook her head: "I don't know the reason, just wait for Shao Shi's orders."

Han Di got up and said, "I want to go to the toilet."

Yu Chilan got up together: "I just drank some more tea, I'll go with you."

Han Di bit her lip, not daring to act rashly again.

This is Jiang Feili's order to Yu Chilan, anyone, no matter what they do, must be accompanied by someone.

……

In the Yamen in charge of the lamp, the green lantern man Xiao Songting came out from the Mingdeng Pavilion, just in time to meet the red lantern man Yi Xulou.

Yi Xulou smiled and said, "Songting, is Qianhu here?"

Xiao Songting shook his head and said, "Qianhu is not here."

"Qianhu is not here, how dare you enter the Mingdeng Pavilion?"

Xiao Songting laughed dryly: "I also went in, and only then did I know that Qianhu was not there."

"You're getting more and more unruly. I've prepared some food and drink. Let's have a drink with me."

Xiao Songting clasped his hands and said: "This subordinate has other important tasks, so I will have a drink with Deputy Qianhu some other day."

Yi Xulou sighed, "I'm old, and I don't think you will take me seriously anymore."

Xiao Songting was startled: "What does Deputy Qianhu mean by that?"

Yi Xulou withdrew his smile: "Accompany me for a drink tonight. I will discuss it with Haosheng Qianhu. Maybe I can save your life. If you are going to leave the Yamen, don't blame me for being ruthless."

……

At midnight, Longjiao Ghost City was silent.

Although the bazaar was sealed off, there were no guards guarding it, only roadblocks were set up at the intersections on both sides.

Roadblocks are enough. Ordinary people will not take the risk of beheading to come to such a desolate place in the middle of the night.

There is a two-storey shop in the middle of the market. It was originally a well-known large silk and satin shop. Two onmyojis set up a magic circle on the second floor.

They are not onmyojis from the Onmyoji Department, they are Liang Yuming's subordinates, two seventh-rank cultivators.

The magic weapon is ready-made, and the location of the magic circle is marked in advance. The two onmyojis are brothers, and they cooperate quite tacitly. In less than a cup of tea, the magic circle is set up, and an onmyoji lifts up the clay pot. Sprinkle a piece of quicksilver in the center of the circle,
Mercury swirled and flowed in the center of the circle, forming a vortex, and several women emerged from the vortex.

A woman struggled to get up from the whirlpool, trying to escape for her life. Just as she reached the edge of the magic circle, her body was limp on the ground like mud, unable to move. Tears were streaming down her face, but she couldn't even cry.

This is a teleportation circle, which can teleport living people several miles away. Even Tong Qingqiu of the sixth rank does not have such means.

Such a powerful magic circle was naturally not made by these two seventh-ranks, but by their master, a fifth-rank onmyoji.

He prepared more than a dozen sets of magic circles in advance and handed them over to his disciples.

This five-rank onmyoji is currently in charge of the lamp yamen, drinking with Yi Xulou.

……

In Beiyuan's private house, there were also two onmyojis, and they also brought ready-made magic circles.

More than [-] women were thrown into the yin-yang magic circle by them, trapped in mercury, and disappeared.

A mouse ran out of the house and returned to Xu Zhiqiong's side.

Xu Zhiqiong lit the Twin Candles, and then ran towards Longjiao Ghost City.

They used the yin and yang magic circle?

Did they use the magic circle to give away?

It was a miscalculation!
Xu Zhiqiong's task was to stay in Beiyuan and monitor the cloth merchants. He thought that the cloth merchants would take the woman to Longjiao Ghost Market in a carriage.

As soon as they leave, it proves that Liang Yuming has started to act, and Xu Zhiqiong uses twin candles to send the news to Wu Xu, and the task is considered completed.

It's a pity that Xu Zhiqiong was wrong. Neither he nor Wu Xu thought that the other party had a high-grade yin-yang practitioner, let alone that they would use the yin-yang magic circle to transport women.

The women who were imprisoned in various places were sent to Longjiao Ghost City by the Yin-Yang Formation. Wu Xu saw that the candle was lit, and was still waiting for the carriage to appear.

As Xu Zhiqiong ran, he blew out the candle and lit it again.

Wu Xu looked at the flickering candlelight, not understanding what Xu Zhiqiong meant.

Master Qianhu, can you understand what I mean?

If I can't make it in time, you have to do it in advance!

……

In the silk and satin village, two hundred women were transported from various magic circles, tied up firmly, and densely piled up on the second floor.

Fifty servants came out of the magic circle, fetched clean water, and washed and stripped the women.

Six fourth-rank cultivators walked out of the magic circle one after another, three fourth-rank Gu sects carried a huge cauldron and placed it in the center of the first floor, and two other fourth-rank Gu sects piled medicinal materials into the cauldron.

The remaining fourth-rank Suzaku aroused raging flames and burned them under the tripod.

Liang Yuming walked out of the magic circle at last, quietly looking at the women all over the floor and the giant cauldron in the flames, with a smile on his lips.

He is a calm person, but he can't hide his joy at this moment.

This giant cauldron can turn two hundred women into oil within an hour.

The oil is mixed with the air of an emperor, put the egg of the velvet mixed with Liang Yuming's blood into the oil, and tonight it will be done.

At that time, the giant cauldron was transferred outside the city, and three days later, the eggs hatched and swallowed the Gu worms into the body, and Liang Yuming became the host of Xiaorong.

With Xiaorong, Liang Yuming can be promoted to the fourth rank within half a year.

A fourth-rank cultivator has a lifespan of more than three hundred years, and is only one step away from a third-rank cultivator. Even a second-rank star official is no longer unreasonable.

After a year of planning, it finally came to this day.

Looking up at the night sky, I will be among the stars.

Of course, this is not without cost.

In order to get this velvet worm egg, Liang Yuming promised the elders of the Gu Sect to help the Gu Sect cultivate [-] Gu worms in the territory of Daxuan before this time next year.

Gu worms need to be cultivated by living people, [-] Gu worms means [-] living people, and this egg is worth [-] lives.

Is it worth it?
worth!

What does it mean to be born into the royal family?
The royal family is the master of the world, and the lives of the common people in the world belong to the royal family, just like the weeds in front of the gate, they can be picked and cut at will.

Daxuan's country is so vast, with my fourth-rank cultivation and being the heir of the royal family, how difficult is it to collect [-] lives?

What is the point of sacrificing [-] worthless people for my great achievements?

Liang Yuming turned his head to look at the women on the ground, only to think that they were inferior to nothing.

The huge cauldron was burning hot, and fifty eunuchs each carried a woman, waiting for Liang Yuming's order to refine the oil.

At the same time, Xu Zhiqiong rushed to Wu Xu's side, breathing out three words: "There is a magic circle!"

Wu Xu finally understood what he meant, took out the lantern from behind, shook it vigorously, and a firework flew into the air without sound.

Seeing the flames, fifty lantern bearers and twenty onmyojis quietly entered Longjiao Ghost Market from the intersections on both sides.

On the third day of April, when he learned that Liang Yuming had sent people to explore the way, Wu Xu expected that Liang Yuming would send people to stay behind in the ghost market.

Therefore, Wu Xu chose to lie in ambush outside the ghost market, surround and kill Liang Yuming from both sides of the street.

Xu Zhiqiong followed Wu Xu into the ghost market, and a familiar figure appeared beside him.

Brother Tong, he's here too.

Tong Qingqiu blinked at Xu Zhiqiong, then stopped suddenly.

He smelled strange.

Xu Zhiqiong just reminded that there was a magic circle, and he heard it too.

Tong Qingqiu stretched out his hand, causing the Onmyoji to stop.

He made a cross gesture, and all the onmyoji took out their magic weapons and began to break the formation.

……

When the time came, Liang Yuming ordered the woman to be thrown into the tripod.

The woman struggled with the last bit of strength, and the servant's shoulders squirmed, but it was of no avail.

Just as the servant was about to make a move, he suddenly heard the Gu cultivator shout: "Wait a minute, there are people on the street!"

Hao Quan said, "I'll go out and have a look."

Liang Yuming grabbed Hao Quan: "Don't look at it, retreat from the magic circle."

He believed the Gu cultivator's judgment, turned around and went straight to the magic circle, only to find that the mercury on the ground had disappeared.

Liang Yuming looked at the two onmyojis and asked, "Why?"

Onmyoji looked terrified: "The magic circle has been broken!"

Before he could finish speaking, the roof exploded, and a red light fell in front of Liang Yuming's eyes.

On the roof, Wu Xu let out a smirk: "Dog thief, are you guilty?"

(End of this chapter)