No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 695: The Nemesis of Blood Bronze [Ask for a monthly ticket in the middle of the month! ]

The secluded bamboo house where Ouyang Rong lived was indeed very close to the courtyard where Rong Zhen lived.

Turn left when you go out and walk west for about ten steps to arrive.

Ouyang Rong packed up his new residence in the morning as he would have to spend the next ten days there. As the sun rose to the zenith, he went out and headed to the old musician's yard to eat as he was used to.

In fact, no one informed him to eat. After Rong Zhen sent him here and settled him down, he didn't show up for the whole morning, as if he was busy and left him to fend for himself.

Ouyang Rong went there happily only after he saw the smoke rising from the old musician's yard. Nowadays, eating for free is a science.

The old musician's yard is located in the middle of the bamboo forest. He probably cooks for himself when he has nothing to do on weekdays.

When the old musician saw Ouyang Rong coming into the courtyard to wash his hands like a family member, walking into the kitchen to help pass the bowls and wash the vegetables, and blending in naturally, he was stunned for three full breaths.

Ouyang Rong reminded: "What are you looking at, old senior? You are almost losing your skills."

The old musician laughed: "You kid."

But I didn't chase him away, I just lent him a hand.

Otherwise, why did the old musician say that Ouyang Rong was spiritual and insightful?

A lunch has just been prepared.

Rong Zhen, Nanny Song and Yi Qianqiu arrived just in time.

The three girls were busy all morning, so they washed their hands and went straight to the table to eat.

Rong Zhen curled his lips: "You're here, I was going to call you."

Ouyang Rong served the dishes with a smile.

Seeing Ouyang Rong, Nanny Song was not surprised at all. She just checked whether he was wearing the Buddhist beads given by His Majesty, and then greeted him.

Yi Qianqiu asked Ouyang Rong a few questions about Yuan Huaimin, and then stopped talking.

The three girls were not talkative. The old musician seemed to be thinking about something. He chewed slowly with a dreamy look on his face.

Only Ouyang Rong enjoyed it very much.

They finished their lunch in silence.

After dinner, Rong Zhen went out first and called out Ouyang Rong, who was about to put on an apron and wash the dishes.

Go for a walk together.

This can be seen from the reactions of Nanny Song, the old musician, Yi Qianqiu and others.

They were not aware that Ouyang Rong had protected the embroiderer and secretly kept the Yue girl.

Rong Zhen really didn't say anything.

On the path in the bamboo forest, Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

At this time, Rong Zhen, who was walking in front, spoke:
"Piano lessons in the afternoon."

"it is good."

Ouyang Rong agreed.

Rong Zhen asked: "What are you looking back at?"

"Does Mr. Yu usually live here?"

"Correct."

"Why do I see him cutting bamboo to do carpentry?"

"After the imperial edict from His Majesty arrived some time ago, the old man did just that. He buried his head in making a zither. He said it was a one-stringed zither that his carpenter father gave him when he was a child."

"No wonder you were a little absent-minded while eating. It's easy for people to reminisce when they get old. By the way, what was the imperial edict? What did it say?"

Rong Zhen glanced at Ouyang Rong, then looked straight ahead and continued moving forward.

Without going into details, she just reminded:
"Just do your best to teach me the essence of that music. It doesn't matter if you don't teach me before the Buddha lands. There's no need to force me. Do you remember that?"

"Okay." Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "Why are you not in a hurry?"

Rong Zhen narrowed his eyes: "The old senior is still here."

Ouyang Rong thought about it and said jokingly and tentatively: "He has the backing, right?"

Rong Zhen said softly: "There is no other way, we have to make sure everything is safe."

Ouyang Rong nodded:
"No wonder the old gentleman looked so resentful when I saw him just now. I remember you mentioned that you wanted to let him return home in glory after teaching the pipa and attending the Pipa Contest in Xunyang Tower. It turns out that he is working overtime now."

Rong Zhen said softly:

"Overtime? What do you mean? Extending the work? But it's only a few days away. Just bear with it and it will be over."

At this point, she turned her head and her eyes fell on Ouyang Rong's face. She stared at him absentmindedly for a while and repeated:
"Hold on a little longer."

This sentence should be said to Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong did not evade the question and asked directly, "What do you mean by 'aoao'?" He then said with a smile, "You are not referring to the gift you are going to give me, are you?"

Rong Zhen shook his head:

"That's not it. It's not just you, it's all of us. Let's wait and see if they dare to come before the big Buddha falls to the ground. If they come, they will die. If they don't come, they will die too."

Ouyang Rong kept smiling.

……

For three consecutive afternoons, Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen gathered in her courtyard on time to learn the piano.

The two of them became more and more proficient in playing the piano piece, and there was even a faint atmosphere of harmonious harmony.

No wonder there is a saying of "high mountains and flowing water". If a man and a woman are devoted to and proficient in this kind of musical art, it will indeed give people a sense of tacit understanding and harmony.

However, unlike Rong Zhen who did not urge anyone and seemed to be enjoying the quietness silently, Ouyang Rong had been paying attention to Rong Zhen's progress in understanding. She was slow to grasp the essence, which gave Ouyang Rong a headache.

He began to hope that he could trigger good fortune and make the lady understand immediately.

Spend more if you want to do more good deeds, and pay off your debts first.

Unfortunately, it cannot be triggered.

In addition to learning the piano, Ouyang Rong spent the rest of his time at the Xunyang Grottoes construction site, supervising the final progress.

That day, Rong Zhen asked Ouyang Rong how long it would take for the giant Buddha to land. The date Ouyang Rong gave was actually more than ten days, which was in accordance with the original plan.

But in the past few days, Ouyang Rong estimated that under the illusion formation cast by the Sitianjian, everyone was working overtime and in full swing, and the time would be advanced by several days.

About seven or eight days.

Four days have passed since the Shuangfeng Peak was blocked and Ouyang Rong entered it.

That day is just around the corner.

The countdown has begun.

Rong Zhen, Nanny Song, Yi Qianqiu and the others all looked visibly solemn and tense.

There was even one afternoon when Rong Zhen didn't come at all, as if he was busy with some important defense matters... This was very rare for the lady who attached great importance to time.

Ouyang Rong saw all these signs, but he remained the same as always, running back and forth between the secluded bamboo house and the construction site, looking quite leisurely.

Every day during lunch, Rong Zhen and her daughters would ask Ouyang Rong about the specific completion date and confirm it again and again.

And every time Ouyang Rong calmly and accurately reported a number, most of them looked relieved, but not relaxed at all.

At least not as relaxed as Ouyang Rong looked.

He is calm and composed, goes to bed early and gets up early, and eats on time.

After all, nominally, the defense of the Xunyang Grottoes was not his responsibility. He was just a civil servant who was only responsible for completing the statues. The Luoyang court did not expect him to fight and kill at all.

The task of deploying defenses fell entirely on the Sitianjian, the White Tiger Guards, and the Black Tortoise Guards.

Ouyang Rong was happy to have some free time.

However, his observation did not stop, and he did not turn a deaf ear to what was happening outside like the old musician.

For example, the tarpaulin that had been covering the golden Buddha head has begun to be removed.

Ouyang Rong saw it, but didn't ask in front of Rong Zhen.

Anyway, ever since he knew that Ouyang Rong was hiding the embroiderer, Rong Zhen rarely mentioned the details of the deployment to him, on the grounds that it had failed the confidentiality investigation.

Ouyang Rong also knew his limits and didn't ask too many questions, and the two of them maintained a tacit understanding.

In fact, Ouyang Rong was already satisfied with the fact that Rong Zhen did not mention the matter of the embroiderer to Nanny Song, Yi Qianqiu and others, and did not report it to the court immediately.

And I understand and appreciate Rong Zhen's approach.

From the perspective of the Chief of the Imperial Observatory and the Empress's envoy, they really shouldn't tell him the details of the deployment of this "person who made a small mistake", just in case.

Ms. Rong was already very particular. In addition, there was another sign in the past few days that caught Ouyang Rong's attention.

In the past few days, the white fog near Xunyang Grottoes has become thicker and thicker and has not dissipated.

There was even a whole day when the sun couldn't get in and it was all white.

At first, Ouyang Rong thought it was just a side effect of the illusion formation.

Later, it was discovered that the white fog made the entire Xunyang Grottoes damp, and the bedding and other items in the bamboo house were all wet.

This day.

Wang Caozhi returned from outside.

He immediately came to Ouyang Rong to report.

"You mean, Master Shandao was ill and didn't come, so they only sent a deputy abbot to lead the final installation of the Buddha statue?"

"Yes."

Wang Caozhi smiled bitterly and said:

"I didn't see the master, it was his disciple who brought the message. It seems that he is seriously ill."

This was the task assigned to him by Ouyang Rong, to go to the Donglin Temple in Longcheng to pick up Master Shandao and others to preside over the installation.

This is the last procedure before the Buddha is completed.

The so-called "installing internal organs" is a very important ritual in the Buddhist and Taoist statue making process. After a new Buddha statue is completed, it needs to be equipped with symbolic internal organs and spirit consciousness, which means giving it vitality...

Of course, this ceremony is indispensable for the landing of the Donglin Buddha.

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but frown. It was perhaps too coincidental that Master Shandao had this illness.

Rong Zhen came over at this time and asked:

"what happened?"

Wang Caozhi repeated it.

Rong Zhen listened quietly and shook his head;
"It's okay. If the Great Monk Dahui didn't come, then he didn't come. Just pretend to be dirty as usual. It's fine as long as it doesn't delay the progress."

Ouyang Rong nodded and ordered:

"Take the monks over there and finish packing the clothes today."

"Yes!"

Wang Caozhi clasped his fists and left, and the one who was promoted went to ask the monk to pretend to be dirty.

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen followed.

The dressing ceremony is held at the foot of the Buddha.

The grotto is a huge open space recessed into the mountain.

The surrounding area has been treated to prevent moisture from entering, so rainwater cannot get in.

The deputy abbot of Donglin Temple is also a white-haired old monk, who led a group of monks in holding a chanting ceremony.

Soon, some incomprehensible dirty rituals ended with Buddhist music.

But before leaving, Ouyang Rong discovered something and couldn't help but look back at the cave.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but the white fog outside can’t enter the cave.

There was no feeling of dampness inside the cave, and it was even a little warm.

Ouyang Rong turned around and glanced at Rong Zhen, Yi Qianqiu, Nanny Song and others who had hurried over.

He noticed that the three women were watching the ceremony seriously.

Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze calmly.

Before leaving, he glanced from afar at the place where the golden Buddha head was stored not far away.

If I remember correctly, since the golden Buddha head was delivered, it has been treated with the highest level of moisture-proofing.

If the white fog is part of the defense.

So, is the dryness and lack of white fog inside the Xunyang Grottoes intentional or an accident?

……

night.

Ouyang Rong returned to the secluded bamboo house carrying a jar of pickled radish.

The decoration of the Donglin Buddha was successfully completed before dusk.

This can be regarded as the last ceremony before the Buddha falls to the ground. Next, we have to wait for the golden Buddha head to return to its place.

The task of the statue-making team led by Ouyang Rong, Wang Caozhi and others was completed, and the headless Buddha was officially handed over to the team led by Rong Zhen, Nanny Song, Yi Qianqiu and others, who were just waiting for them to take the final step.

The jar of pickled radish in my hand was given by Master Shandao and was handed over by the deputy abbot of Donglin Temple who came to direct the packing of pickled radish.

The bamboo forest was filled with fog. In the small courtyard outside the secluded bamboo house, Wang Caozhi stood with his hands hanging down, waiting quietly.

Ouyang Rong entered the courtyard, and Wang Caozhi respectfully handed him a small bundle, then turned and left without saying a word.

Ouyang Rong weighed the bundle, opened it and saw that it was a small bamboo tube.

There was liquid sloshing around inside, I opened the lid and took a look, it was green liquid.

Burning Sky Dragon Oil.

This was previously seized from the Liu family in Longcheng. There was still a large amount of it. Before Ouyang Rong left Longcheng, he specifically instructed Magistrate Diao to store it secretly.

This time, Wang Caozhi, who went to Longcheng, brought back a batch of goods under his instructions... They were mixed in with the dirty supplies and transported in.

It can be considered as an additional means of self-protection.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

With the endorsement of Donglin Temple, the dirty things were special and not surprising at all, and did not arouse suspicion from the Imperial Observatory and the White Tiger Guards.

Ouyang Rong temporarily put away the Burning Sky Dragon Oil.

The Taoist sect of alchemists to which the Jade Cup Fairy belongs is very good at using this item. Ouyang Rong had never used it before because he was afraid of being recognized by the Wei family.

However, he changed his mind and realized that the owner of the Butterfly Flower who had been misled by Wei Shaoxuan when he asked him to investigate the case might be Liu Zilin, the missing third son of the Liu family in Longcheng. In this case, it would not be surprising even if the owner of the Butterfly Flower used this thing.

Ouyang Rong entered the room and lit the lamp. He suddenly took out a package and pulled out a blood-stained bronze dagger from it.

This was originally seized from Master Yizhi.

He lowered his head to look at this special Yunmeng Order, turned around and walked out of the door into the courtyard.

At night, the thick fog, which seemed to come from the Xunyang River, still shrouded the bamboo forest.

As night fell, the sky and the earth were covered in gray.

Ouyang Rong held the lamp in one hand and stretched out the other hand with a bronze dagger lying in the palm of his hand.

With the help of the light, he lowered his head and looked carefully.

Gradually, Ouyang Rong discovered that the dark red blood spot on the bronze dagger had faded a lot... Not really faded, but a layer of green rust appeared in the white mist, covering up the original blood spot.

Like damp and rusty.

Ouyang Rong closed his eyes as if in spiritual enlightenment, and began to try to infuse Dantian spiritual energy into it with his palms, just like he had tried many times in the past.

But after a while, his face froze.

As if he didn't believe it, he tried it again, and his face remained stunned...

After trying several times, Ouyang Rong's expression gradually became serious.

The speed at which spiritual energy was injected into the blood bronze slowed down, as if it were a turtle's pace.

The lamp in his hand went out silently, and in the darkness, Ouyang Rong's brows gradually frowned.

Could it be that this white mist is specifically designed to counter Blood Bronze?
Sure enough, the Sitianjian knew a lot about Blood Bronze and had a targeted strategy.

Combined with Rong Zhen's previous calm and strategic performance, they had already thought of a response strategy early on.

In the cold wind, Ouyang Rong stood in the empty courtyard. He could not help but turn his head and look towards Rong Zhen's bamboo house not far away, muttering to himself:

"Is this also part of the defense? No wonder they want to make sure they never come back..."

----

(PS: It’s the middle of the month, please give me a refresh of the guaranteed monthly ticket! or2)

(End of this chapter)