Kunlun one millet

Chapter 23

"My lord, go back to the government office and have a look!"

Wang Juncheng had just negotiated with the local rich gentry for a round. When he went out to see the sunset glowing in the sky, he was about to stretch himself when a clerk hurried over: "That Zhao Fu official almost burned down the government office!"

"Ah?" Wang Juncheng was taken aback, but when he heard that it was Zhao Mi, he felt less flustered: "What's going on?"

"Zhao Fuli was worried that monsters would sneak into the county mansion, and before you came back, he broke into the government office with a bunch of things on his shoulders."

"Monster?!" Wang Juncheng called out.

The scribe said, "Your Excellency, you don't know? The news has spread throughout the city in a long time."

"Speak quickly!"

After some urging by Wang Juncheng, he learned from the clerk that when Zhao Shu opened the altar to practice the Dharma in the school grounds in the morning, a monster suddenly appeared, intending to harass the altar.Fortunately, Zhao Fuli responded in a timely manner, and he summoned a fierce tiger to repel the monster, and the refining of the spell was not hindered.

The soldiers who were selected to guard the altar also saw it clearly. The monster that attacked was a big fox more than ten feet long. It is said that they were almost fascinated by the magic. Fortunately, they were woken up by Zhao Fuli in time, so they did not break down. event.

Wang Juncheng didn't know about the monster, so he hurried back to the county government office. Before he entered, he saw clouds of smoke rising, making people mistakenly think that the house was flooded, and there were people gathered around to watch.

"Let the yamen servants drive away the idlers!" Wang Juncheng waved his hands and ordered: "Is it that they can see what the immortal chief does?"

When Wang Juncheng found Zhao Mi, he saw that he was holding a copper hanging ball incense burner like a lantern. The spices in it seemed to be burning violently, and a lot of smoke rushed out. Zhao Mi was circling the courtyard wall intently. Chanting in the corridor:

"...The three corpses are destroyed, and the five treasures are circulated. The four limbs of the three fields are kept in the center. Goblins and ghosts, all evils will not do anything. The real officials are quiet, and evil dreams do not invade..."

And there were two monks following Zhao Mi, one of them rang the Dharma bell, the other held up the banner, and they also chanted mantras.

Wang Juncheng was stunned in place, and the battle almost made him think that Zhao Mi and his group were going to attend his funeral.

"Zhao Fuli, you are..."

Wang Juncheng asked carefully, and saw Zhao Mi took out a willow branch and lashed him several times.

"Well, you're fine, don't worry." Zhao Mi responded, and then continued to chant mantras and burn incense.

Wang Juncheng was bewildered, so he had to wait for Zhao Mi to go around every corner inside and outside the government office, and asked while he was packing his things:
"Zhao Fuli, I heard that you met a monster in the school grounds? Were you exorcising evil spirits just now?"

"Almost." Zhao Mi said, "I have set up restrictions in the yamen office, so idle spirits and monsters cannot sneak into the county mansion."

Wang Juncheng didn't understand, so he said, "Why are there demons haunting Yanze City? I also ask Zhao Fuli to help me solve the puzzle."

Now the banditry in Xingluo County is enough to make Wang Juncheng's head burnt out. Just for the money and food of the imperial army in the local area, Wang Juncheng has to borrow tax-free taxes from the local wealthy gentry in advance.

But the premise of all this is that Yanze City has not been affected by banditry. If something ominous happens in the city, the tense situation will immediately become uncontrollable.

"We can't be sure right now." Zhao Mi asked: "By the way, I remember that there were magician monks dispatched by the imperial court in Xingluo County. The rules of the document. I want to consult the volume of documents in this regard."

"Yes, come with me." Wang Juncheng did not dare to neglect, took Zhao Mi to a separate warehouse, and pointed out where the files were.

"That's all?" Zhao Mi looked at the two volumes on the empty bookcase.

Wang Juncheng had a weird expression: "Isn't this a sign that evil and ominous things in this county were rare in the past?"

Zhao Mi asked lightly: "The monks who were stationed here in the past probably didn't go out of the city very much, did they?"

Wang Juncheng could only nod with a wry smile.

Since the Five Kingdoms War, ghosts and monsters have emerged in endlessly in various parts of Kunlun Continent. There are ghosts and monsters looming in the densely populated city outlines, remote and poor villages, and even desolate mountains and forests.

In fact, spirits and monsters sometimes happen even in remote areas, but most of those miscellaneous spirits with shallow intelligence can't make trouble, and rural temples and quack warlocks can handle it well.The evil things that can enter the eyes of monks in the museum are usually caused by disasters, which can be called ominous disasters.

If the Guanxi monks stationed in the local counties really deal with the ominous monsters carefully, they don't have to fight with powerful monsters.If there is a record book for every processing, the file in this regard should be as thick as possible.

But as the chief executive of a land, he is actually not happy to see too many ominous disasters on his own land, which will damage his career prospects.For these monks stationed by the imperial court, the local governor hopes that they can discover local auspicious treasures, so that they can be presented to the imperial court to show that the emperor is righteous and the officials are meritorious.

While flipping through the files, Zhao Mi asked, "The last monk who was stationed in Xingluo County also died in the attack of bandits?"

"Yes." Wang Juncheng had a rare moment of free time, so he found an armchair and sat down: "It was evening at that time, and the governor was having a banquet, and Chu Sanqing was among them."

"Banquet? What is the banquet for?"

Wang Juncheng's expression was a little uncomfortable: "Master Fang's new concubine is Master Fang's youngest daughter."

"Master Fang?" Zhao Mi changed his mind: "The house where our Huaiying Pavilion is located belongs to Master Fang's family?"

"Yes."

"Your Majesty the Sheriff is really in a good mood." Zhao Mi turned to ask, "But I don't know what kind of thieves and robbers were able to attack and kill the Sheriff at the banquet, and at the same time killed a Sanqing monk?"

"The visitor covered his face and wrapped his head, and no one could recognize him." Wang Juncheng's face was gloomy, recalling the scene at that time: "At that time, there were guards outside the hall, but no one found the killer, because the man jumped out from the second floor. From top to bottom, the knife hit the back of the neck, and the county guard was decapitated on the spot."

"Master." Zhao Mi said.

Wang Juncheng rubbed his eyebrows and forehead: "As soon as the governor died, the banquet immediately became chaotic, and people ran around. Chu Sanqing wanted to perform a spell, but the killer was faster, and he ended his life with a single blow."

"Where was Lord Wang at that time?" Zhao Mi asked.

"I'm also at the banquet." Wang Juncheng shrugged, unable to hide his tiredness: "But Zhao Fuli also understands that a deputy like me should not be high-profile on any occasion. I'm not even at the same table with the county guard. There's no point in wasting energy on me."

Zhao Mi was silent for a while when he heard the words, although he didn't say anything, but Luo Xixian has been a little estranged from him recently, he is not unaware of it.This time he heard Wang Juncheng's words, and he came to his senses. Could it be that his deputy was too high-profile and stole Luo Xixian's limelight?
"Lord Wang, you are now the chief of Xingluo County." Zhao Mi asked, "Aren't you worried that the bandits will assassinate alone again? I think the county government office is not very prepared."

"I see it away." Wang Juncheng sighed and said: "After the banditry in Xingluo County is settled, even if the court does not punish or demote me, I will submit my resignation."

Zhao Mi said: "Master Wang is in the prime of his life. Although I don't know how to write a book, I can understand that the current situation in Xingluo County is maintained by Mr. Wang. Now the imperial army has arrived, and the banditry is on the rise. It can be calmed down, why is it so depressed?"

Wang Juncheng glanced at Zhao Mi, showing the shrewd expression of the old official: "Zhao Fuli, I can still understand. The real purpose of the imperial court to send your houses to Xingluo County this time is not to suppress the bandits. You, the demon, want to take this opportunity to balance the various houses, especially to suppress the Chongxuan Hall, which gathers aristocratic officials. Isn’t that right?”

Zhao Mi turned his gaze back to the dossier, but did not answer.Wang Juncheng took him as his acquiescence, and continued: "In the final analysis, the banditry in Xingluo County is not a big deal. If the court really worked hard, it would have been settled ten times or eight times. In the end, it is precisely because the situation is not urgent and it is convenient Only when the officials and nobles work together, will it be put on the table, and you will be transferred to each of your restaurants.

Oh, I haven't said that yet.The Chu Sanqing who was stationed here at the beginning was a monk of Chongxuanguan, and he was from a wealthy family like the Yuepu Chu family.As soon as he died, the Chongxuan Hall arranged for people to come to Xingluo County, which was very common.If the contribution of suppressing banditry is added, Chongxuanguan will be able to firmly control Xingluo County from now on, and the imperial court will not let this kind of thing go.

So this kind of thing that is not difficult to do, can be done or not, and can be done in the limelight and get a good name, cannot be monopolized by the Chongxuanguan family. "

Zhao Mi said blankly: "There are so many things to pay attention to."

"I just understand this, that's why I plan to resign." Wang Juncheng said: "I don't understand, why can't you suppress the bandits well? Why do you want to drum up these meaningless calculations? If the situation is corrupted beyond salvation, Only if you are willing to make some moves, even such things as dispatching troops and horses will be greatly discounted!"

The more Wang Juncheng spoke, the more angry he became, Zhao Mi interrupted: "My lord, be careful with your words."

"I've lost my composure." Wang Juncheng's face froze, and then he sighed heavily, his body lying in an armchair like a puddle of soft mud.

"There is no mention in the dossier that there is a fox demon in the local area." Zhao Mi finished scanning, "It is not an ordinary monster that can offend the altar. It didn't make trouble in the past, but it happened when I practiced the law..."

Wang Juncheng asked: "Could it be that the local evil spirits are worried that the imperial army will attack the door, so they plan to attack in advance?"

"It's possible." Zhao Mi immediately shook his head again: "But the timing is too accurate. I shouldn't be disturbed when I go up to the altar to practice the law. The fox demon chose to do it at this time. It seems that he is proficient in magic skills. Monster."

Wang Juncheng frowned and pondered, Zhao Mi saw him like this, so he asked, "Master, do you have another opinion?"

"I don't know anything about spells or evil spirits." Wang Juncheng said, "But if you let me guess... no, forget it."

"There are only you and me here. If you have something to say, you can speak it directly. No word will be heard." Zhao Mi pasted a door-closing amulet on the door of the warehouse.

Wang Juncheng's eyes shifted and dodged: "This... In my opinion, it is not outsiders who can do the most bad things, most of the time it is our own people."

Zhao Mi's face changed slightly, and he was about to ask more questions, but Wang Juncheng quickly waved his hands: "Zhao Fuli, don't ask any more questions, this official just fell asleep, talking in sleep, don't pay attention to it."

……

"Do you think that fox demon was driven by the monks of Guanxi?"

After leaving the county government office, Zhao Mi talked to Ling Xiao about it.

"It's not impossible." Ling Xiao said, "It's just that I think that fox demon is a bit unusual."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's just a subtle premonition, and I can't see it clearly now." Lingxiao explained: "In ancient times, the fairy family had a custom of taming all kinds of auspicious beasts and spirit birds. , good at howling tigers and leopards. As for the foxes that can be called Xianrui, the sky fox should be the leader."

"You don't mean to say, what kind of ancient sky fox is that fox demon?" Zhao Mi's forehead was sweating.

Lingxiao didn't hide it: "I just have a subtle feeling, so I'm not sure. Besides, Tianhu is not an ordinary fox demon, but a natural beast. Apart from granting immortal talismans, most of them are ministers and ministers of the immortal family. Unlike ordinary The fox monsters use their voices and colors to seduce people, and they are greedy for brains and blood."

"Xianlu..." Zhao Mi murmured: "By the way, did you have the saying of immortal blood in those days? It means that a certain ancestor was once an immortal family, and the descendants of later generations were born with different bloodlines and bones than ordinary people. The talisman is taught, and there are generals from the immortal family to protect it."

"There is no such particularity, it was created by later generations." Lingxiao asked: "Do you doubt that Liang Shuo in Chongxuan Pavilion?"

"Being reminded by Wang Juncheng, they are the ones who want to hold Huaiying Pavilion back the most." Zhao Mi was a little helpless: "In fact, I also admire Wang Juncheng. It’s easy to take power once, but it’s still such a critical moment, you don’t get much benefit, and you will be charged with various crimes at any time. Be cautious and walk on thin ice.”

"I remember that you were still suspicious of the officials here."

Zhao Mi curled his lips: "I must be skeptical. Bandits easily killed the magistrate, so Wang Juncheng took power temporarily, but the imperial court did not send an official sheriff to take office for a long time. It is very strange no matter how you look at it."

"This person's words and deeds just now do not seem to be fake." Ling Xiao reminded.

Zhao Mi agreed: "I think so too. And what he said is also reasonable. The real intention of the imperial court is not to suppress bandits and monsters. How could the Chongxuan Hall not understand this meaning? It is precisely for this reason that they sent the fox demon to It is not unreasonable to try to overthrow my altar."

"If that's the case, such thoughts can be called despicable." Ling Xiao sneered and said, "This generation is vainly called the blood of the immortal family. Spend all your energy on it. The so-called falsification is nothing more than that."

"Despicable?" Zhao Mi was a little helpless: "To be honest, if I were Liang Shuo, I might do it even more ruthlessly. To protect my own status and power, outsiders are blameless. In my opinion, this kind of trick is simply not enough Gao Ming. If it's really the fox demon sent by Liang Shuo, it's a bit too...how should I put it? I've been guessed right?"

"If you were Liang Shuo, what would you do?" Ling Xiao asked.

"Don't talk about anything else, I must rely on my family background and the power of the court to bring the [-] soldiers first!" Zhao Mi couldn't help laughing: "Then relying on the momentum, go directly to the army and take down the territory occupied by the bandits. , don’t let other museums have a chance to compete for success!”

Ling Xiao sighed: "This is all about getting things done, so you are destined not to be the kind of person Liang Shuo is."

(End of this chapter)