I want to embrace the moon for nine days

Suzhou City is the main camp of the Jianghuai Army.

The residence of Su Yan, the Grand Commander of Jianghuai, is located in the southwest corner of Suzhou City, a place surrounded by mountains and rivers with beautiful scenery.

This place has a pleasant climate and is surrounded by green trees all year round. Flowers are in full bloom in all colors and are extremely beautiful. However, it has recently been tainted with a bleak and sad atmosphere.

In the whole residence of the Grand Commander, there were more than 1,800 servants and guards, all of whom had hemp ropes tied around their waists and a circle of white cloth tied around their sleeves to show mourning.

At the beginning, Feng Kun could not find any trace of the murderer in Jinling City, so he did not stay for long. He directly sewed up the head and body of Prince Cao Ying, took the remaining manpower, and rushed to the Jianghuai Grand Marshal's Mansion to look for the King of Jinling.

The Prince of Jinling was naturally heartbroken when his young son died.

Su Yan, Cao Ying's brother-in-law, was also filled with sorrow. He set up a mourning hall in his own Grand Commander's Mansion and held a grand funeral.

After seven days of rest, Cao Ying was given a grand funeral. However, Su Yan still instructed the people in the mansion to wear mourning clothes, and they could only return to their normal attire three months later.

"The death of the prince of the royal palace is definitely not a matter that only affects Jianghuai. The Ministry of Justice of the imperial court also needs to issue an official document. The arrest warrant has been sent to various places, but as of now, there is no news."

Su Yan was a handsome middle-aged man with snow-white hair and a slender figure. He was not wearing official uniform, but only a long silk gown. He sat in a general's chair and read letters.

"That evil thief was so mad and audacious that he openly attacked the palace in broad daylight, killing people and looting. But after all, his cultivation was not bad, and he was able to kill the Flying Sword Immortal Zhu Liang."

"People like this often disappear into thin air, making them really hard to track down."

Jinling King Cao Hong was a dignified old man with gray hair, a golden crown and a dragon robe. He sat aside with a look of sorrow and anger on his face, and remained silent.

“In fact, there are some clues.”

Feng Kun said, "That person used the corpse of the son of Jinling Deputy General Niu Guocheng to show up and practice martial arts in Toudao Ridge. He also attacked the palace and seized the medicinal materials. It must be because his real body was destroyed."

"There are not many secret techniques for resurrecting a dead body in the world, and even fewer people who have the ability to practice it. And you must find a person with a matching birth date within seven days after the real body dies, and attach yourself to a fresh corpse."

"As long as we count back seven days from the date of Niu Guocheng's death, and find out which immortal master in the world was defeated and died during those seven days, we can probably figure out his identity."

Cao Hong nodded.

"Mr. Feng Kun's idea is good, but apart from tracking down the murderer, I'm afraid we have some urgent matters to deal with right now."

Su Yan handed a letter to his father-in-law and said, "The court sent Bao Zheng as an imperial envoy to inspect various places in the southeast. He will come to the Jinling Palace to express condolences for the loss of his son and help track down the murderer."

Feng Kun's expression changed slightly when he heard this.

Although Bao Zheng is quite good at solving cases, how many clues can he find when he arrives later about a murderer who disappeared after attacking the Jinling Palace?

He was coming to Nanjing with the responsibility of being the governor of the southeast, and it was obvious that he had other intentions.

"Although Niu Guocheng has been dealt with, the court has apparently still received some rumors."

Su Yan picked up the wine pot on the table, poured himself a glass of warm wine, took a few sips, and whispered, "Bao Zheng came back from his mission to Liao Kingdom, and not long after, he was sent out to inspect various places again. He is really diligent!"

Feng Kun's eyes flashed with ferocity: "I have heard of the reputation of this Bao Heizi for a long time, but I understand that he is a civil official and has to handle government affairs. How much cultivation can he have?"

"Since he has to inspect the southeast first, why not find a place to kill him before he comes to Jianghuai, leaving it as a big case for the local area."

Cao Hong held the letter and said thoughtfully, "Not appropriate. I have seen Heizi before. He is indeed a talent. He also has Zhan Zhao and Gongsun Ce who has many tricks."

"Even if the three of us take action ourselves, there's no guarantee that he won't get away with it. By then, we'd be the ones to incriminate ourselves, pushing things to an extreme in advance."

Feng Kun had never met Bao Zheng, but he believed in Cao Hong's judgment, so he gradually gave up the idea.

"Ugh!"

Feng Kun sighed bitterly, "Zhu Liang died at such a bad time."

Su Yan said: "With our current strength, if we really want to start a rebellion, we don't have to be afraid of the Song court. The only thing we have to worry about is the Emei Sect."

Among the five major sects in the world, the Emei sect is the closest to the royal family of the Song Dynasty.

Back then, Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, had a mixed bag of people under his command, including many evil people from evil sects. People like Li Chugeng and Wang Yansheng, who were known as famous generals, always loved to eat the hearts and ears of captives.

Wang Jixun, the king's brother-in-law at the time, even ate human flesh as a meal.

When the emperor's younger brother Zhao Guangyi visited Emei Mountain, he used these things as an excuse. Soon after, there were candlelight and axe sounds, and Zhao Kuangyin suddenly became enlightened, with light coming out of his crown, and went to see the Buddha.

Those ogres were also executed by Zhao Guangyi.

Later, Emperor Taizong, Emperor Zhenzong, Empress Dowager Liu, and the current emperor all treated Emei Temple with great courtesy and often conferred rewards on it.

The old headmaster of this generation of the Emei Sect, who saved all living beings, was a master who had entered the Three Disasters Realm very early on and even dared to call himself the "Head of the Eighty-one Sects."

Although it is just an honorary title, it shows how powerful it is.

The reason why Cao Hong and Su Yan did not rebel was that they were most concerned about the existence of the Emei Sect.

"This king has long been looking for a force that can fight against Emei. Over the years, I have sent many generous gifts to various parties to make arrangements. The one that I have managed best is the relationship with Kunlun Sect."

"The acting headmaster of Kunlun, the third-generation monk Reclining Buddha, has had many correspondences with this king, and we can talk a lot, but their real headmaster, Kunlun Dharma King Helian Peng, has been in seclusion all year round."

Cao Hong said, "The Dharma King of Kunlun is the one who can truly fight against Pu Qunsheng. If this relationship is not established, Kunlun cannot be truly relied upon."

Su Yan's expression slightly changed, and he said: "The black monk in Toudao Ridge must be the disciple of the reclining Buddha monk. Why not use this as an excuse to invite the people from Kunlun over first."

Feng Kun also picked up a glass of wine from the table, tasted it, and smiled: "Yes, as long as the reclining Buddha monk comes, will the entire Kunlun sect be able to stay out of it in the future?"

Cao Hong nodded, took out paper and pen, wrote a letter, and then did not ask anyone to deliver the letter. He just made a hand gesture and drew a line in the air.

A dark crack suddenly appeared in the air.

One can vaguely see that in the depths of the crack there is rolling haze and dots of green fire floating, stretching endlessly. This is the vast and boundless scenery of the underworld.

Cao Hong took out a thumb-sized jade statue from his sleeve and threw it into the crack in the underworld.

The jade statue grew in the wind and turned into a gigantic falcon. Its head and neck were just white bones, but below the neck it was covered with thick emerald green feathers.

When the falcon opened its mouth, a stream of green fire could be seen surging upward along the bones of its neck and then bursting out of its mouth, making a strange sound like the neighing of a horse or a camel, or like an old man yelling at the top of his lungs.

This ghost-headed messenger was created by collecting the resentment of the old creatures in the underworld, refining and unifying it over a long period of time, and sealing it into a statue.

Using this magical tool to send messages and fly in the underworld is much faster than moving around in the world of the living.

After Cao Hong sent the letter, he received a reply in the evening.

The three were still discussing matters in the study room. Cao Hong pinched his fingers once again and tore open the crack in the underworld. Then he saw a piece of golden letter paper being brought back by a ghost-headed messenger.

Feng Kun asked: "How?"

"The Reclining Buddha agreed, but said it would take some time."

Cao Hong frowned, "The letter said that the Flower Goddess Princess of Xixia was abducted by a Song man named Ouyang Chun, who is also the Flower Goddess of Kunlun and the direct disciple of the Dharma King."

"While Helian Peng was in seclusion, he sent messages several times to inquire about the progress of the matter. He wanted to cut Ouyang Chun into pieces and the Flower Goddess wanted to see him alive or dead."

"Now Kunlun Sect and Xixia have sent a large number of people to Song territory to search for these two people, so I can't spare time for the time being."

Su Yan heard this and asked in a strange tone: "Ouyang Chun?"

"Could it be Ouyang Chun, the so-called Northern Hero?"

Feng Kun also asked, and said thoughtfully, "This person often travels in the north. It is not surprising if he has been to Western Xia. Moreover, he was able to kidnap a princess and escape from Western Xia. There should be no other person in the world named Ouyang Chun who has such ability."

Su Yan gently knocked the wine glass on the table and said in a loud voice: "God is really helping me!"

Feng Kun turned his gaze and asked, "Why does the Grand Commander say that?"

"You don't know that although Ouyang Chun is known as the Northern Hero, he is actually from the south of the Yangtze River."

Su Yan laughed. "When I was young, I had some friendship with him. I secretly checked his background and found out about his ancestral graves and old residences. He went to the north to make a living in order to conceal his origins. He felt that he could be freer when he was far away from his homeland."

"For such a nostalgic man, who is still single at his old age, who finally kidnapped a princess, how could he not go back to his ancestral grave and pay secret respects?" Su Yan said in a deep voice, "If we manage to capture this man, it would be like doing a big favor to Kunlun."

"I will immediately send out my three thousand ear-reporting gods to lurk near the ancestral tomb of Ouyang Chun's family and conduct a secret investigation. We will not miss any clues!"

Su Yan stood up immediately, bowed to his father-in-law, and walked out of the study to arrange things.

After Feng Kun left, he said something inexplicably: "The Grand Commander understands the pain of the prince losing his son, and has become more friendly to the prince recently."

Prince Jinling did not say much, and his eyes seemed to still be looking at the golden letter paper.

But he sighed inwardly.

Ying'er, you died a worthy death.

In order to win over Su Yan, King Jinling married his own daughter to him.

But as long as Cao Ying is alive, this prince is good enough and it is very likely that he can achieve the realm of a land-walking immortal.

Even if Su Yan succeeded in cooperating with King Jinling, he would still be just a royal consort.

Now that Cao Ying is dead and Prince of Jinling has no other outstanding legitimate son, the cooperation between the two has become even more seamless.

There is nothing more loving than a father and a filial son like this.

………………

The sun and the moon rotate, and the sky is full of stars.

On the Jianghuai waterway, a small black-sailed boat was floating downstream.

There was no boatman at the helm, only a long sword with a scabbard placed horizontally on the bow. The scabbard seemed to be made of green shark skin, the handle was simple, and the thin rope showed many signs of wear.

There were two figures sitting in the cabin. One was wearing plain clothes and a straw hairpin, with a pretty face. She was not stunning at first glance, but the more you looked at her, the more charming she became.

The other person was a middle-aged man with black hair tied with a wooden hairpin and a strong body. Judging from his facial features and skin, he did not look old at all, especially his eyes, which were exceptionally clear and full of vitality, but he had a purple beard.

At first glance, this man looks like he is already in his forties.

Between the two of them was a chessboard with nineteen lines carved in a very standard pattern.

But the chess pieces used by both of them were polished from river pebbles, and it was impossible to tell which was black and which was white. When making their moves, it seemed that they relied entirely on their memory to distinguish between friend and foe.

"You lost again!"

The woman suddenly smiled and said, "It seems that the ancestors of your Ouyang family still prefer me, the new daughter-in-law."

The man smiled and said, "It's obvious that my lady is an excellent chess player."

"That's right. My chess skills were taught by my master when I was young. In the past few years, when I wasn't practicing, I played chess with my sisters. I made great progress. In the Flower God Temple, my chess skills are probably the best."

The woman's hand that was picking up the chess piece slowed down when she said this, and her bright eyes dimmed slightly. "What a pity! If everything could stay as it was when I was a kid, I would rather not have any improvement in my chess skills."

The man sighed, "Ouyang Chun, oh Ouyang Chun, you are such a despicable and shameless person!"

Princess Flower God raised her eyes and said, "I followed you on my own. You didn't kidnap me."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Ouyang Chun held the princess's hand and said, "But I know that you have been suffering a lot since you grew up. Just now, when you prayed to stay young forever, my thoughts were the opposite of yours."

"You have grown to this age, and Ouyang Chun is lucky enough to meet you."

Princess Flower God could not help but smile: "You really are a playboy and shameless when you speak like this."

"Hahahaha!"

Ouyang Chun smiled and stood up. "The stars are shining brightly, and the river is clear. Why not go out and enjoy the river view and clear away those tedious thoughts?"

The two walked to the bow together and saw the vast sea of ​​smoke in front of them, reflecting the entire starry sky.

Thousands of bright stars seem to be within reach, which is truly refreshing.

There are several small islands in the distance, dotted among the misty sky and stars.

"That's Hongze Lake."

Ouyang Chun pointed ahead and said, "I've talked to you before. During the Wu Zhou period, the former residence of Senior Tang Ao was on a small island in Hongze Lake."

The Flower Goddess Princess nodded slightly, her eyes roaming over the small islands.

According to legend, in order to bring his beloved daughter back to life, Tang Ao traveled to many countries, collecting fragrant flowers and woods from all over the world, researching prescriptions and strange methods, nourishing souls, and nourishing thoughts.

Some people say that he ultimately failed to achieve anything and died in depression on this small island in Hongze Lake.

Others said that after he stayed in Hongze Lake for some years, he set out again and finally got his wish. After his daughter was resurrected, she took flowers as her body and fed on flower dew. She could command the flowers to bloom and wither, and was called the Fairy of Flowers.

Perhaps, this is just a good wish from the many people who had received his kindness in the past.

However, when the Flower Goddess Princess was chatting with Ouyang Chun and heard about these stories, she was very convinced and thought that the Fairy of Flowers could definitely be resurrected.

After the two escaped from Western Xia, Ouyang Chun took her back to Jiangnan to worship their ancestral tomb. Princess Flower Goddess thought of the past and wanted to visit Tang Ao's former residence.

“It smells like dried flowers.”

The Flower Goddess stood facing the wind, her eyes fixed on a small island, sniffing lightly and distinguishing carefully.

"The snow mountain Panax notoginseng flower, the Western Regions Datura, the Lilliputian red peony, the Aribus desert sesame... they all seem to be flowers that can be used as medicine."

Ouyang Chun seemed to be thinking deeply: "Is there anyone refining medicine on the island? It would be inappropriate for us to visit them at this time."

In the valley of the island.

Su Hanshan sat cross-legged, his skin rising and falling slightly, as if countless bright red bugs were crawling under his skin.

He has been successful in luring demons over the past few days and has entered the late stage of "collecting the great medicine". The ten layers of inert energy of the martial arts golden elixir can already be mobilized.

However, the inventory of the Jinling Palace was indeed rich, so Su Hanshan planned to seize the momentum in the next few days and continue to practice intensively so that his body could enter the demon-subduing realm.

At that time, "Sky Eye Blue Dragon" can also play some effect by involving the vitality of the Xuantai level. The interweaving operation of the light and dark levels will make it more useful.

However, even if he reached the Golden Core realm to comprehend the martial arts of subduing demons and control this body.

The journey from collecting elixir to the realm of subduing demons is particularly treacherous and difficult.

It was a process of refining all the power of the invisible demon in the body into real supernatural power.

The numerous demons cause the physical sensation to change constantly, with endless temptations both real and fake.

Ordinary people would need ten to eight years to slowly progress through this stage, but because Su Hanshan practiced too fast, the temptations of ten to eight years were concentrated in just a few days.

He suppressed all those tormenting illusions that seemed real and illusory, and could not be expressed in words, and patiently discerned them.

During these days, Zhihua could sometimes feel the disturbance of demonic energy just by watching from the side.

He also guessed that this senior was probably a resurrected ghost.

But even if it is a person who has resurrected from a dead body, the progress of refining his true body with such courageous, diligent and decisive efforts is truly frightening.

"Ok?"

Su Hanshan's mind moved, and the golden elixir traveled among his five internal organs, swallowing and spitting out three times in a row, forcibly calming down the abnormality in his body, and opened his eyes to look outside the valley.

"There is a swordsman with good skills who has arrived near this island."

(End of this chapter)