Longevity begins with slaying demons and eliminating demons

Chapter 146 Qingluan Snow Maiden and the Prince

"Qingluan..."

Gu Xu still has an impression of this code name.

He remembered that "Qingluan" was also a talisman master, who was once defeated by him in the "Land of Discourse on Dao", and now ranks No. 4 on the ranking list of second-level monks.

To be honest, looking at the young talents of the entire Daqi Dynasty, "Qingluan" can be regarded as the best among them-she has accurately mastered dozens of different types of talisman seals, and can draw complex runes in books. An exact replica is enough to help her cope with most situations encountered in combat.

It's a pity that she bumped into Gu Xu in "The Realm of Discourse on Dao", and was defeated by Gu Xu in almost the same way.

This undoubtedly hit her self-confidence deeply, and her heart was full of frustration.

Seeing that Gu Xu didn't respond immediately, "Qingluan" continued to send messages with the "Shenji Token"——

【Qingluan: Of course, I won't ask fellow daoists for help for no reason.I know some latest information about the ruins of Laoshan Mountain and the Snow Girl of Yishan Mountain, and I can share it with my fellow Taoists. 】

[Suzaku: No problem.I live in the first room on the left side of the stairs on the second floor of Tongfu Inn.If it is convenient for you now, you can come to me directly. 】

Because of the crisis that Yishui County is about to face, and in order to make more preparations for the next trip to Laoshan.

Gu Xu really wants to know the information in the hands of "Qingluan".

At the same time, Gu Xu also began to feel a little curious about the identity of "Qingluan".

…………

Boom boom boom!
A few minutes later, Gu Xu heard a knock on the door.

"Fellow Daoist 'Suzaku', I'm 'Qingluan'!" A girl's voice came from outside the door, sounding somewhat reserved.

"Come in, Fellow Daoist Qingluan!" Gu Xu said lightly.

At the same time, he waved his hand, and the door lock of the room opened automatically.

Then, a young girl walked in cautiously from the door.

She is slightly plump, with a round face, a pair of small eyes and faint freckles, and she wears the black robe of the exorcist.

Perhaps for the convenience of doing things, she tied the wide sleeves of the robe with a rope.

She also does not wear hairpins on her head, but simply wraps her hair with a headscarf like a man.

It can be seen that this "Qingluan" is a girl who is obsessed with cultivation and doesn't like to dress up.

Gu Xu was observing "Qingluan", and "Qingluan" was also looking at Gu Xu.

Although in the concept of "Qingluan", she has always believed that "men in the world are superficial and boring creatures" and "pursuing the profound and unpredictable knowledge of talismans is the true meaning of life".

But when she saw clearly the appearance of the boy in the room, she was unavoidably stunned for a moment, and her footsteps stopped in place involuntarily.

"Qingluan" once thought that verses like "A gentleman is unparalleled in the world" and "Bright as a jade tree before the wind" are all exaggerated.

All living beings in the world grew up eating whole grains amidst the fireworks in the world.

How could there be such a handsome man?

However, at this moment, she had to admit that there was nothing exaggerated in these verses, it was just that she had not experienced enough before.

"I...I am Du Jingjing, the secretary of the Exorcist Department of Qingzhou Prefecture," she slightly nodded, and introduced herself to Gu Xu, "My teacher is Tao Qian, a guest of Qingzhou Prefecture. Dare I ask you Zun's name?"

"Dian Bo" is an official title of eight ranks, belonging to civilian officials, responsible for managing the official documents and files in the Yamen of the Exorcist Department.

"I experienced Gu Xu in the Exorcist Department of Xiayishui County." Gu Xu also introduced with a smile.

"Gu Xu, Yishui County..."

"Green Luan" Du Jingjing remembers that she once heard the name from her teacher Tao Qian.

At that time, the teacher's expression was full of admiration and envy, and she repeatedly sighed, "The younger generation is awesome, the younger generation is awesome", which deeply impressed Du Jingjing.

"It turns out that Fellow Daoist is the successor of 'Jinghong Pen', Gu Jingli!" She opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "I've known you for a long time!"

"Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it," Gu Xu smiled and shook his head, "You Daoist Du praised me too much."

"Gu Daoyou, I was very impressed by your talisman attainments in the previous battle in the 'Land of Lun Dao'," I heard Du Jingjing continue, "Even if it is my teacher, it is impossible to draw such a powerful Talisman seal.

"So, I'm curious, do you have any unknown skills in the process of drawing symbols?"

"Qingluan" Du Jingjing is after all a person who loves Talisman and Taoism and is obsessed with learning.

Gu Xu's handsome and refined appearance only made her dazed for a few seconds.

After a brief greeting, she couldn't wait to ask her questions directly.

And with her outspoken character, she usually asks whatever comes to mind, and never thinks about whether her words are euphemistic or whether she will offend the other party.

"Fellow Daoist Du, if I'm not mistaken, all your talisman seals are drawn exactly like those in the books, right?" Gu Xu asked with a slight smile.

Hearing what he said, Du Jingjing nodded, and replied: "That's right. The teacher has always taught me that drawing symbols is a very rigorous matter, and there must be no mistakes - as long as you make a wrong stroke, all previous efforts may be wasted. into a useless piece of paper.

"As for improving talisman seals, that's something only masters of talisman can do. The teacher said, beginners like me, don't think about this aspect."

Speaking of this, she paused for a while, and then continued: "Of course, Gu Daoyou is not an ordinary person. Just pretend that I didn't say this."

Gu Xu didn't answer immediately.

Because he knew that the reason why he was able to improve the talismans was more due to his extraordinary talent and understanding.

This makes him often able to see the essence through the phenomenon, and find a better solution by intuition.

But for other people, especially for novices like "Qingluan" Du Jingjing, it may be the most correct choice to follow the gourd.

It's like learning calligraphy or painting, you have to start from copying - blindly innovating, looking for the so-called "own style", but the gains outweigh the losses.

At present, most of the talisman masters in the Great Qi Dynasty can only be regarded as "porters of runes".

He thought for a while and said, "Your teacher is right."

Du Jingjing was stunned for two seconds.

Are geniuses nowadays not humble at all?
I heard Gu Xu continue to say: "For beginners, meticulous imitation is indeed the best way to learn.

"But Fellow Daoist Du should also understand that whether it is a talisman or a spell, it is only a means to achieve the goal after all.

"When drawing a talisman, you may wish to think more about 'why this talisman is drawn like this' and 'is there a better way to realize it'... This may be of great help in exploring your own 'Tao' in the future.

"As for the talisman seals I drew, they are all slightly improved on the original basis... It can be regarded as my own little exploration of the essence of talisman dao!"

Shouldn't something like "Tao" be something that should only be considered when becoming a saint?

Although the talent in front of this young man far exceeds that of ordinary people, he is only a second-level monk in the final analysis. Why did he start to think about "his own way"?

Is he thinking too long-term, or am I too short-sighted?
"Green Luan" Du Jingjing was stunned again.

After Gu Xu finished speaking, he took out a "Ghost Killing Talisman" from his pocket and handed it to Du Jingjing.

"This is my improved 'Taishang Arctic Town Devil Killing Talisman', which can be used to deal with ghosts of the 'Wandering Soul' and 'Wild Ghost' levels. It is slightly more powerful than the original version," he continued, " Maybe it has a little reference value for you."

What Gu Xu gave Du Jingjing was only the second-generation "Ghost Killing Talisman".

Although he had already developed the fifth generation "Ghost Killing Talisman".

But he was afraid that the talisman was too complicated for the other party to figure it out.

"Gu Daoyou, thank you so much!" "Green Luan" Du Jingjing took the "Ghost Killing Talisman" and thanked him sincerely.

After all, Du Jingjing is also a genius who can be selected for the reserve team of "Shenji Battalion".

She only glanced at the "ghost-killing talisman" drawn by Gu Xu, and felt that it was not the same as the one in the book—in those subtle changes, there are infinite mysteries hidden, which are worth a lot of time for her to learn in the future and explore.

"You're welcome," Gu Xu smiled lightly, and continued, "Now, can you tell me the information you know about the 'Yishan Snow Girl' and the Laoshan ruins?"

Du Jingjing cleared her throat and replied, "My teacher once told me two important pieces of information.

"First, ever since the villages near Laoshan were massacred mysteriously in the first year of Tianxing, there has been a kind of ghost named 'tapi (mu) (hui)' there. They wear tattered clothes and have tiger claws. Talon-"

"—and also suck human brains? And like to attack lonely passers-by?" Gu Xu chuckled and interrupted her.

"Fellow Daoist, do you also know?" "Qingluan" Du Jingjing was stunned for a moment.

"Although such ghosts are somewhat rare, they are still recorded in some books," Gu Xu replied, "but it is not particularly difficult to deal with them. You only need to prepare a large hot rock in advance to knock them down." kill."

Du Jingjing stood where she was, looked at the handsome young man in front of her, and was silent for a long time.

She was originally here to share some information with the other party.

How did it become that the other party gave him common knowledge about science and ghosts?

Also, how can there be such a person in this world?

Not only is he handsome and talented, but he also knows so much knowledge?
Du Jingjing's self-confidence was hit hard again.

You must know that in the Exorcism Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, she is also a highly anticipated genius, standing out from the crowd among her peers—otherwise, Tao Qian, a guest in the yamen, would not have been able to name her and accept her as an apprentice.

It's a pity that after entering the reserve of the "Divine Machine Battalion", she deeply realized that there may also be a gap like a natural moat between geniuses.

"What about the second news?" At this time, Gu Xu smiled and broke the short silence, "The one about the 'Snow Girl of Yishan'?"

In fact, Gu Xu is more concerned about this news than the "tapir" next to the Laoshan ruins.

Because Chen Jisheng once told him that the evil spirit in the Yishan area is spreading outward, and it is likely to spread to Yishui County in a month.

As for Chen Jisheng, Shi Xiaohan, and some officials and handymen who stayed on duty during the Chinese New Year, they are still staying within the scope of Yishui County.

The recent movement of "Snow Girl" is undoubtedly related to their lives.

"Oh, the second news." Upon hearing his words, "Qingluan" Du Jingjing finally came to her senses and said with an embarrassed smile, "'Yishan Snow Girl' may now have the strength of a saint.

"Moreover, within the scope of Mount Yi, a mysterious black altar has appeared, which is likely to be the source of the recent evil spirit."

"Why do you know this?" Gu Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, grasping the crux of the problem.

Logically speaking, with Du Jingjing's identity and cultivation, it should be difficult to get access to the information directly related to "Yishan Snow Girl".

"Sorry, Fellow Daoist Gu, I can't tell you the source of the news at the moment." "Qingluan" Du Jingjing shook her head and refused to answer his question.

Saint-level cultivation...

The mysterious black altar...

Gu Xu fell into deep thought.

He knew that since Lu Shiyao's remnant soul returned to his body, the strength of "Snow Girl" has been greatly improved-it is not beyond his expectation that he now has the strength of a saint.

It's just that he didn't understand what the function of the black altar was.

Could it be that ghosts need to use the altar to hold some kind of special ceremony to advance?

But why is there no relevant information mentioned in all the books he has read?

As for Du Jingjing's sources...

Gu Xu suddenly remembered that not long ago, when He Yiqun, the younger brother of Daqi Guoshi, came to his home and gave him "Seven Styles of Burning Heaven", he once said a word to him——

"A junior tried to deal with Xuenv in vain, but because of the sudden increase in Xuenv's strength, she was seriously injured and trapped on Mount Yi."

Could the source of this information be the daring "junior" in He Yiqun's words?
Gu Xu is temporarily unknown.

…………

After a brief conversation, "Green Luan" Du Jingjing took Gu Xu's "Ghost Killing Talisman" and left the room.

In fact, Gu Xu's guess is not wrong.

The news about "Snow Girl" was indeed told to her teacher Tao Qian by the "younger" who was trapped on Yishan Mountain - Xiao Shangyuan, the eldest son of the Daqi Dynasty.

Xiao Shangyuan, the eldest son of the emperor, once concealed his identity, and took the royal family's enshrined Fan Cheng, and quietly climbed to Mount Yi to deal with "Snow Girl".

However, they didn't expect that the sudden increase in Xue Nu's strength caused them to stumble.

If He Yiqun hadn't rushed to Mount Yi in time with the magical power of "shrinking the ground into an inch" and rescued the two of them, they might have lost their lives on Mount Yi.

For a period of time after being rescued, the eldest son of the emperor, Xiao Shangyuan, was recuperating in the Yamen of the Exorcist Department of Qingzhou Prefecture.

During this period, Xiao Shangyuan tried to recruit Tao Qian, Du Jingjing's teacher, with extremely favorable conditions.

Tao Qian has always been self-aware—he knew that his talisman attainments were mediocre in the entire Daqi Dynasty, and there were too many talisman masters who were younger and better than him. The prince wants to recruit himself by name.

In addition, Tao Qian is getting older, and his personality is gradually becoming content with the status quo. He has long lost the hard work he had when he was young-as long as he can stay in Qingzhou Mansion for the rest of his life and teach his apprentices well, he will be satisfied I don't want to participate in such a high-risk matter as the prince seizing the heir.

He wanted to reject the emperor's eldest son's solicitation without hesitation.

It's a pity that the other party gave too much.

Therefore, although Tao Qian still had many doubts and worries in his heart, he still agreed to cooperate with the eldest son of the emperor to help him compete for the "Tai'a Sword".

It was at that time that Xiao Shangyuan told Tao Qian about the recent changes on Yishan Mountain.

Tao Qian told his apprentice Du Jingjing the news.

…………

For the next time, Gu Xu stayed quietly in his room, practicing with his eyes closed.

He had three meals a day delivered directly to his door by the boys of Tongfu Inn.

Whether it is the sanctification of Xuenv, or the mysterious black altar, it is temporarily difficult for him to deal with it at his level.

The only thing he can do now is to practice hard and become stronger.

Other than that, one can only pray that the saints of the Great Qi Dynasty are prepared for this.

Two days later.

The three bottles of "Eternal Brightness Pill" were exhausted.

Gu Xu successfully broke through to the realm of "The Seventh Song of the Underworld".

…………

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, everyone was preparing to set off for Laoshan.

According to Qianhu Shilei's request, they gathered early in the morning at the Exorcist Yamen of Laizhou Prefecture.

This is the first collective meeting of the reserve members of the "Shenji Battalion" in reality.

Before dawn, "Bi Fang" Chu Wei was the first to arrive at the Yamen lobby.

Afterwards, he stood at the door of the lobby all the time, staring intently at the young monks from the "Shenji Camp" who arrived one after another.

As long as a female monk passed by him, he would step forward and ask the other party's code name.

In recent days, he had sent countless messages to "Girl Qilin" with the "Shenji Token", but "Qilin" didn't respond to him.

This made Chu Wei unconsciously wonder if he might have said something wrong that annoyed the other party.

So he wanted to take advantage of this day to apologize to "Girl Qilin" in person.

However, until Shi Lei announced that "everyone has arrived", Chu Wei still failed to find the "Kirin girl".

At this time, he couldn't help asking the people around him: "Did 'Girl Qilin' quit temporarily? Why didn't she come here today according to Master Qianhu's instructions?"

Hearing his words, "Candle Dragon" Chen Yanping coughed dryly, and his expression became a little weird.

He was clearly trying to hold back a laugh.

The fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen next to him walked up to him with a serious face and said, "Why do you care so much about 'Girl Qilin'? Do you have unreasonable thoughts about her?"

"I...I don't have any unreasonable thoughts about her...I just want to..." Hearing what he said, Chu Wei suddenly hesitated and couldn't answer.

"If I'm not mistaken, you met her in the 'Land of Discourse'?" Xiao Shangzhen took a step forward, her tone becoming more and more aggressive.

"Well... that's right..." Chu Wei lowered his head.

He himself is a humble man.

When being questioned by the domineering fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen, he was so humble that he couldn't lift his head.

"Then you should have guessed that her status is very noble, and people like you can't afford it." Xiao Shangzhen raised her chin and continued with a haughty attitude.

At this moment, Xiao Shangzhen has already figured it out—in order not to reveal his identity, and to prevent himself from becoming a laughing stock in the eyes of everyone, he must act first and eliminate all hidden dangers in advance.

PS: A 5200-character chapter will be given to everyone on the Qixi Festival, please ask for a monthly ticket! (Sorry I went to the hospital during the day today, the update is a bit late)
…………

Notes:

(1) "It is as bright as a jade tree before the wind." - Tang Du Fu "Song of the Eight Immortals in Drinking"

(2) "There is a man in the Western Wilderness, who is as long as a man, wears a hundred-knotted clothes, and has tiger claws. He is called a tapir. He waits on others and walks alone, and eats people's brains. Or his tongue sticks out for more than ten feet, and people hear the sound first. Burning a big stone to cast his tongue will kill him if he loses his breath. Otherwise, he will eat people's brains.” ——Han Dongfang Shuo's "Shenyijing Xihuangjing"

(End of this chapter)