Longevity begins with slaying demons and eliminating demons

Chapter 160 Success and Defeat

Qingzhou Mansion, Exorcism Division Yamen.

Guest Qing Tao Qian was still drawing talismans alone in a secluded room as usual.

According to the agreement reached between him and the Exorcist Department of Qingzhou Prefecture, he needs to hand in at least one hundred different types of talismans every month in order to receive all the rewards.

In addition, after he became a follower of the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan, he also needed to complete the task of drawing talismans assigned to him by His Highness the eldest prince on time.

For Tao Qian, drawing symbols is a delicate task.

He must strictly follow the steps of purifying the mind, chanting mantras, and praying, and meticulously engrave each rune on the talisman paper; if there is a slight mistake, all previous efforts may be wasted.

So Tao Qian hated being disturbed in the process of drawing talismans.

"Boom boom boom"!
At this moment, he suddenly heard a hasty knock on the door.

"I've told you countless times, don't interfere with my talisman drawing!" He put down the pen in his hand and said irritably.

However, when Tao Qian opened the door and saw clearly the appearance of the person outside the door, he instantly suppressed the anger in his heart, and his attitude took a 180-degree turn.

"I've met Mr. Fan!" Tao Qian clasped his fists and saluted respectfully.

The person who came was none other than Fan Cheng, the enshrinement of the royal family of the Great Qi Dynasty.

Tao Qian knew that this Mr. Fan was the number one confidant of the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan - during the time when the eldest prince was recuperating from his injuries, Fan Cheng had been working on behalf of the eldest prince.

Fan Cheng glanced at him lightly, and said expressionlessly, "Your student Du Jingjing unfortunately died in the Laoshan ruins."

Tao Qian immediately stayed where he was.

As Du Jingjing's teacher, he naturally knew that Du Jingjing went to the Laoshan ruins not to fight for the inheritance of the immortals, but to complete the task entrusted to her by the eldest prince - to assassinate the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen.

There is undoubtedly uncertainty in the task of assassinating members of the royal family.

But even though Tao Qian was mentally prepared, when he heard the news, he still felt a little caught off guard.

After hesitating for a while, Tao Qian lowered his head and asked cautiously, "Then Du Jingjing...was her mission successful?"

"The Fourth Prince was lucky enough to save his life. It's just that he was poisoned by the 'Birth Devouring Pill', so there is a high probability that his cultivation will be lost." Fan Cheng said in a calm tone.

Tao Qian remained silent.

He knew that Du Jingjing's mission could be considered a success or a failure.

The failure was because the fourth prince was still alive.

The reason for the success is that after the fourth prince lost his cultivation, there was almost no possibility of competing for the "Tai-A Sword" - the first prince lost a competitor with amazing potential.

After a long time, Fan Cheng spoke again, breaking the silence in the room.

"This 'Feng Xing Talisman' was actually not drawn by you, right?"

As he spoke, he handed a talisman to Tao Qian, without any emotion in his eyes.

Tao Qian paused for a moment.

He stretched out a trembling hand, and slowly took the talisman paper, only to feel a chill in his heart, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

…………

This "Fengxing Talisman" was indeed not painted by Tao Qian.

More than two months ago, Gu Xu went to Qingzhou Mansion to solve the case of Lu's haunted house.

On the way, when Gu Xu was flying with Chu Fengge Yujian, in order to maintain his body balance, he stuck a "Feng Xing Talisman" on his body.

After arriving at the destination, Gu Xu casually threw this talisman into the trash basket.

Then it was picked up by the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan.

Fan Cheng once spoke highly of this "Fengxing Talisman", thinking that it has smooth lines, skillful brushwork, and stronger power than ordinary "Fengxing Talisman", so he thought it came from the hands of a master.

Since Tao Qian was the only talisman master in the Exorcism Department of Qingzhou Prefecture, Xiao Shangyuan guessed at the time that this "Fengxing Talisman" was drawn by Tao Qian.

Therefore, after returning from Yishan, Xiao Shangyuan offered extremely generous conditions, hoping to attract Tao Qian to become his follower.

An excellent talisman master will undoubtedly become a powerful help for him to compete for the "Tai'a Sword" in the future.

Tao Qian wanted to refuse.

Because he knows his own weight - with his current ability, he can't draw this unique "Feng Xing Talisman".

However, Xiao Shangyuan gave too many benefits.

It even includes the copy of the Daqi Guoshi's notebook, which is something that all the talisman masters in the world dream of.

Faced with such a temptation, Tao Qian was stunned, and driven by greed, he lied that the "Feng Xing Talisman" was indeed drawn by himself, and agreed to the request of the eldest prince in a daze.

He regretted it afterwards.

The lies at the beginning made his daily life trembling and walking on thin ice.

Every talisman he draws has to be performed at a super level, so that he can fool around in front of the eldest prince.

In addition, he also spent sleepless nights studying the notes of Da Qi Guoshi, only hoping to improve his level of talisman as soon as possible, so that his talisman and seal skills can reach the level of that "Feng Xing Talisman".

After all, only by making the lie a reality can he be freed from this painful life of sleeping and eating.

However, at this moment, his lie was exposed.

He committed the crime of deceiving His Royal Highness.

He couldn't imagine what kind of situation he would face next.

Before Tao Qian came back to his senses, Fan Cheng continued to say: "Tao Qian, in fact, Your Highness has seen through your lies a long time ago.

"Your talisman level is far from that of the monk who drew the 'Feng Xing Talisman'-like a scholar who can only read books, deliberately imitating the master's articles, and he is full of rhetoric between the lines, but lacks any A unique natural charm.

“Such a gap can be seen by anyone with a discerning eye.

"Your Highness is a person who cherishes talents, but he hates being deceived the most in his life.

"Because of this, he will send your students to perform a narrow-death mission. He hopes that both of you, teachers and students, will give full play to your remaining value before you die."

"It turns out that this is His Highness's punishment for me!" Hearing this, Tao Qian leaned his back against the door of the room, feeling his legs were limp and unable to support himself anymore, so he slowly fell to the ground with a face like Ashes.

Tao Qian knew that it was the momentary greed that harmed both Du Jingjing and himself.

Du Jingjing is really a silly girl.

Many years ago, her parents died and she was homeless.

Tao Qian took a fancy to her talent in talisman, so he took her in and did odd jobs for him, doing a lot of dirty work.

He regarded Du Jingjing as free labor.

But Du Jingjing regards him as a reborn parent and obeys him.

Now, in order to repay her kindness, she lost her young life.

Thinking of this, Tao Qian couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"Tao Qian, you should know what you should do now, right?" At this moment, Fan Cheng said indifferently again.

"I...I know." Tao Qian lowered his head, his face was as white as paper.

"It's good to know."

Fan Cheng smiled, then turned around and left the room, and quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Tao Qian sat on the cold ground, looking at the "Feng Xing Talisman" in his hand - the lines of this Talisman were complex, smooth and integrated, and the natural implication in it was a realm that he could never reach in his life.

"Never touch something that doesn't belong to you."

Tao Qian gave a bleak smile, and then with a thought, he cut off his meridians.

His face was blue and purple, surrounded by black air, and he soon lost his breath.

In this way, the teacher and the student bid farewell to this world in the same way.

…………

Rocky City.

That night, according to Princess Zhaoning's order, Bingbi eunuch Cao Tong sent the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen to Princess Zhaoning's mansion near Luoshui.

It was dead of night.

The warm yellow light shines through the carved window lattice, casting mottled light and shadow in the courtyard.

The bitter cold wind whizzed past, and the bare branches were blown totter.

Xiao Shangzhen's face was pale, and she kept hiding behind Cao Tong, not daring to go forward to meet her sister.

In the end, it was Cao Tong who coaxed and persuaded him to walk into the gate of the Princess Mansion.

Princess Zhaoning still sat quietly behind the desk as usual, flipping through a thick stack of documents.

The skin is like curd fat, the face is like peach petals; the lips are not smudged but red, and the eyebrows are not painted but emerald.

And the simple and elegant men's clothing on her made her a bit more heroic in addition to being charming.

Under the orange oil lamp, her eyes were as still as still water, without any emotional fluctuations.

Xiao Shangzhen took a deep breath and sat on a chair opposite Princess Zhaoning.

He lowered his head and remained silent.

He used to think that his sister would be angry and scold him like before.

On the way home, he also conceived thousands of coping rhetoric in his mind, such as "the enemy is too insidious, I can't defend against it", such as "sorry sister, I let you down", such as "I am not fighting for you at all." The material of 'Tai-A Sword'"...

But now, Princess Zhaoning's calm expression made him a little at a loss.

I don't know how long it has passed, Princess Zhaoning sighed softly, and said slowly: "I'm sorry."

Xiao Shangzhen raised her head, thinking she had heard wrong.

"Sorry," Princess Zhaoning repeated what she just said, "Maybe I shouldn't have such expectations of you.

"This path may not be suitable for you."

Xiao Shangzhen's mind suddenly went blank.

The thousands of words I had prepared before were all choked in my throat, and I couldn't say a single word.

"Then...then what should I do now?" He faltered for a long time before finally hesitating and asking.

"Eunuch Cao is waiting for you at the door. Later, he will take you to the headquarters of the Exorcism Department and ask the head of the Department to detoxify you." The princess replied.

"Well...and then?" Xiao Shangzhen asked again.

"Then," Princess Zhaoning raised the corners of her mouth, showing a faint smile, "From tomorrow onwards, you can go to the backyard and play spinning tops with Xiao Liang, Ah Chou, and Lai Fu!"

Her smile is gentle and warm.

Like the traces of clouds, the soft waves of waves, and like a ray of sunlight drifting past the corner of her mouth.

In Xiao Shangzhen's impression, her sister has always been strict and harsh, and she has never shown such an amiable expression in front of him.

"You...you're not joking, are you?"

"I'm serious." Princess Zhaoning restrained her smile and said every word, "Xiao Shangzhen, I owe you a carefree childhood. Now, it's time to repay it to you."

Speaking of this, she paused for a moment, then changed the topic and asked: "By the way, there is one more question - do you know who succeeded in obtaining the immortal inheritance on Mount Lao in the end?"

Xiao Shangzhen replied without thinking: "Gu Xu from Yishui County, the one with the code name 'Suzaku'."

"Gu Xu..." Princess Zhaoning said the name silently in her heart.

She just felt that the frequency of this name appearing in her ears recently seems to be a bit high.

…………

A few minutes later, Xiao Shangzhen followed Bingbi Eunuch Cao Tong to the headquarters of the Exorcist Division.

Only Princess Zhaoning was left in the house.

She lowered her head and continued to read the thick stack of notes on the table.

In her pair of bright phoenix eyes, there was finally a hint of tiredness indistinctly showing.

At this time, a maid hurriedly came to her, bowed her knees and said: "Your Highness, the empress wants to see you. The empress has important matters to discuss with you."

"Now?"

"Yes, now." The maid replied respectfully.

Princess Zhaoning glanced at the deep night outside, and couldn't help wondering how the queen mother would deal with this matter.

"Prepare the sedan chair for me!" She ordered lightly.

At the same time, she put on a cotton coat, a cloak, a cotton hat, gloves, and a scarf, and went out fully armed.

As a mortal without cultivation talent, she cannot use her real energy to resist the severe winter cold like a monk.

So after leaving the warm pavilion of the princess mansion, she had to wrap herself tightly, like a chubby rice dumpling.

It's just that the exposed skin is fairer and smoother than the glutinous rice wrapped in rice dumplings, and it seems to be broken by blows in the cold wind.

Soon, she sat on the green-mantle sedan chair carried by two people, and walked along the wide and flat "Sky Street" towards the Daqi Imperial Palace - "Zichen Palace".

Looking from a distance, the golden glazed tiles of Zichen Palace reflect the moonlight like water, shining with a cool luster.

The sedan chair entered the gate of the palace from the west side door. Under the guidance of a group of servants, it bypassed the emperor's palace "Qianyang Palace" and stopped in front of the queen's palace "Kunyuan Palace".

Kunyuan Hall faces south from the north, with yellow glazed tiles and double eaves on the roof. It is located on a single-story Xumizuo made of white marble. The railing has three steps on the front and one step on the left and right. There are four gilt bronze incense burners on the stage.

It can be described as resplendent and solemn.

Princess Zhaoning met Chen Anzhi, the current empress of the Daqi Dynasty and her mother, in the West Nuan Pavilion of Kunyuan Hall.

At this time, the queen was sitting on the kang, dressed in casual clothes, without a crown, wearing a white short jacket with a straight collar and a large placket on the upper body, a bijia with a square collar and double-breasted skirt, and a red pleated skirt with flowers sprinkled on the lower body.

Compared with the gentle and humble girl in the murals of Lu's haunted house, Chen Anzhi at this moment looks graceful, dignified and compelling, shining brightly like a blooming peony.

Over the years, the people of Qi have always had a very high opinion of this empress, thinking that she is virtuous, virtuous, law-abiding, does not fight for power and profit, does not interfere in government affairs, is generous and tolerant, and is friendly to concubines.

But Princess Zhaoning knew that her mother, the empress, was actually very thoughtful and resourceful.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to secure her position as the harem lord surrounded by wolves after the former queen died of illness.

"I've seen my mother." Princess Zhaoning bowed her head and bowed to her mother.

"Sit down, Wanjun," the queen drove away the servants in the room, pointed to the chair opposite, and said calmly, "I already know what happened to Xiao Shangzhen. I believe that with your wisdom, you should be able to guess." Get the identity of the black hand behind the scenes."

Princess Zhaoning straightened her dress and sat down on the chair slowly: "What's the queen mother's plan for this?"

"Xiao Shangzhen's loss of cultivation base can be said to be a serious injury to us——even in the next many years, we will be overwhelmed by Xiao Shangzhen's brothers," only to hear the queen say slowly, "However, our top priority is not It’s not to seek revenge from the murderer, but to consolidate everything we have, so that those young people who see our decline and think that we are a piece of fat want to pounce on us and take a bite.”

Speaking of this, Empress Chen Anzhi paused for a while, took a sip of hot tea, and continued: "First of all, your uncle Chen Shandao, as the head of the Chen family, will send his daughter Chen Yayan to you during the spring draft this year. Into the palace."

Princess Zhaoning was not surprised by what her mother said.

In the Daqi Dynasty, there has always been a relationship between the former dynasty and the harem.

The struggle between the concubines and concubines in the harem is essentially a competition for the interests of the families behind them.

After Chen Yayan entered the palace, she would undoubtedly be able to help the queen and help consolidate the power of the Chen family in the palace.

But the problem is that, as far as Princess Zhaoning knows, her father has been obsessed with cultivation recently, and has not been close to women for several years.

Even if ten girls from the Chen family were sent to the palace, it would be difficult to give birth to a new heir.

"Does the queen mother have any other arrangements?" Princess Zhaoning pondered for a moment, then asked.

"A solitary tree is easy to be cut in half, but intertwined vines are difficult to completely eradicate," the queen said in a tone without emotional fluctuations, "as long as we have formed deep enough bonds with other powerful families Therefore, even if we temporarily lose power, others will not dare to act rashly."

"Then what should we do?"

"Through marriage. Starting with you."

"Me?" Princess Zhaoning was stunned for a few seconds.

Her mother's words caught her off guard.

Ever since she took charge of Daqi's secular government, she never imagined that she would have such a day.

"No...no, I don't want to get married," Princess Zhaoning shook her head again and again, "I still need to stay here to assist the emperor in dealing with secular government affairs."

"Xiao Wanjun," the queen called out her full name seriously, "you have already passed the age of Jiji, and you are a big girl waiting to be married, can't you stay in this palace for the rest of your life?

"Also, do you think that your father trusts you, values ​​you, and wants to give you important tasks by letting you help him with government affairs?

"Actually, he just wanted to find a handy tool.

"You don't have the talent for cultivation, so you don't pose any threat to him. Your current power and status are all just rootless duckweed. When one day he gets tired of you, or when the new emperor ascends the throne, he just needs to say a word. All the power in your hands can be easily taken back."

"But I don't want to marry any man now—" She lowered her head, looked at the men's clothes on her, and wanted to argue.

"—You must get married," the queen's eyes suddenly became sharp, as if she was about to nail the princess firmly to the chair, "Zhao Kuan from the Zhao family in Youzhou, Shen Hua from the Shen family in Jinling, Liang Hongyun from Penglai Island, Su Xiao from Jiange is the one you can choose."

"But Liang Hongyun is a fat man who likes to go to the Jiaofang Division, and Su Xiao is a sword idiot who only has swords in his mind—"

"—Then choose one of the remaining two, and then I will ask the emperor for instructions," the queen said in a cold tone, "after you get married, every time you have a child, our position will be more stable. As long as Let your blood flow in the heirs of the Zhao family or the Shen family, so no matter who the future emperor is, he will not dare to touch you easily."

Princess Zhaoning did not answer immediately.

What the queen mother said was indeed reasonable.

A princess like her who has no talent for cultivation is often regarded as a marriage partner of the royal family, used to win over powerful families or trusted officials.

Because she has seen the unhappy lives of many concubines and wealthy ladies, Princess Zhaoning has always been full of fear of such a fate.

She yearns for freedom and the right to choose.

Even if you are married, you have to choose someone who is pleasing to your eyes.

Rather than obeying the orders of parents, marrying a man who has never met, and becoming a reproductive tool for a certain family to pass on the blood.

So, she read all the practice books in the palace, hoping to find a way to change her own aptitude and let herself embark on the path of practice.

But she got nothing.

He just accidentally became an expert in practice theory.

After that, she put on men's clothing, began to read classics and history books, and studied the way of governing the country; the stereotyped articles she wrote were no less than most of the scholars of the Daqi Dynasty.

In addition, she often went to the Imperial College, Hanlin Academy, Longmen Academy, and the headquarters of the Exorcism Division to discuss academic and political issues with officials such as Siye, Doctors, and Bachelors. The officials were full of praise for her talent.

She wants to prove that besides marriage and having children, she has other value.

Even a few years ago, she secretly put on a set of student uniforms, put on an ugly make-up, and tried to sneak into Luojing's urban and rural examination halls, hoping to gain fame in the examination.

It's a pity that because of her stunning beauty that cannot be concealed by makeup, and her curvy and graceful figure, she was recognized as soon as she arrived at the entrance of the examination room, and finally had to give up this ridiculous plan.

But her move also caught the emperor's attention.

After seeing his daughter's amazing talents, Emperor Daqi took the opportunity to leave the secular government affairs to her, and went to retreat to cultivate immortality.

From that moment on, Princess Zhaoning felt the joy brought by power, thinking that she had escaped her original destiny.

But today, the queen's words seemed to wake her up from a dream with a slap in the face.

She deeply felt that in this world of extraordinary power, all powers that did not match her own strength were just rootless duckweed.

Just like the mortal officials of the cabinet and the Six Ministries, they seem to be high-ranking and powerful, but in fact they are only the executors of the emperor's will. They are responsible for maintaining the normal operation of state institutions, but they do not have any decision-making power.

If one day the emperor doesn't like them, he can demote them to common people with just one sentence, and even take their heads.

Before, she kept urging the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen to practice, so why was it not because of the anxiety deep in her heart?
Asking herself, she actually doesn't care whether her brother is successful or not.

The phrase "it's all for your own good" is just a self-deceiving lie.

It's just that she will have to rely on her younger brother in the future to maintain her current status, power, and freedom.

She doesn't want to lose it all.

But now...

"Please allow me to think about it for a few more days." Princess Zhaoning wrapped her cloak tightly around her body and said expressionlessly.

"Yes," the queen said calmly, "but you are no longer a child. As Daqi's princess, I hope you can remember your responsibilities."

Princess Zhaoning nodded, stood up from her seat, and then left the Kunyuan Hall with Danying carvings.

At the same time, she couldn't help sighing silently: the queen mother is really a ruthless person - she can not fluctuate at all after her son's cultivation is abolished; she can also talk to her daughter about life events such as marriage like buying and selling commodities.

Perhaps, it is precisely because she is ruthless enough that she can sit firmly in the Kunyuan Hall for a long time and keep the harem in order!

Princess Zhaoning was thinking as she walked down the white marble staircase.

Then, she boarded the green-mantle sedan chair and set off to return to the Princess Mansion.

Along the way, she clenched her fist with her right hand, and her nails dug deep into the flesh.

It was midnight now, but she didn't feel sleepy at all.

She benefited a lot from coming to the palace today.

She understands that in Game of Thrones, there are two roles: pawns and chess players.

Now she is too weak and can only be a chess piece in the hands of others.

She must become strong enough to become a chess player, have real freedom, and even control the fate of others.

This is the prerogative of a chess player.

Although she still doesn't know how to become stronger.

But she believes that with her intelligence, as long as she tries to find it, there will always be a suitable method.

"In a few days, I'll go find the national teacher and the head of Luo Si, and take the initiative to help them do some work in compiling classics and documents as before," she thought silently, "Under the current situation, we must follow the Saints are on good terms."

…………

Laizhou Prefecture, Tongfu Inn.

That night, "Candle Dragon" Chen Yanping stayed in his room, silently writing letters to his father.

He first briefly described what he saw and heard on Mount Lao, including the winding mountain road that symbolized cause and effect, the tests set by the Kongxuan Sanren, and the assassination of the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen.

In addition, he also introduced the companions of the "Shenji Battalion" reserve team, and briefly analyzed each person's identity, background, cultivation level, and moves they are good at.

This letter has an important reference value for the Xiangyang Chen family to choose investment or cooperation partners in the future.

I saw him write in the letter:

"...'Bifang' Chu Wei, a detective from the Exorcist Department of Le'an County, a second-level monk, good at fire spells, with an upper-middle talent, but he is at the bottom of the 'Shenji Battalion' reserve team, and has no recruiting value...

"...'Qingluan' Du Jingjing, a native of Qingzhou Prefecture, a monk in the second realm, studied under Tao Qian, the exorcist minister of Qingzhou Prefecture, and was good at the art of talisman seals. For a prince...

"...'White Tiger' Su Xiao, a cultivator of the fourth realm, a closed disciple of the master of the Jiange Pavilion, only has the sword in his mind, and has voluntarily given up the opportunity to obtain the inheritance of the immortal. He is a cultivating madman who is difficult to communicate...

"...'Linghu' Shangguan Jin, a monk of the fourth realm, doctor of the Exorcist Division, and close confidant of the head of Luosi, has a deep mind, unpredictable methods, is good at using swords, and knows a lot about poisons. He is an unpredictable person. Woman. You must be extremely careful when cooperating with her in the future. In addition, she seems to be more interested in Gu Xu recently...

"...'Suzaku' Gu Xu, a second-level cultivator, experienced in the Exorcism Division of Yishui County, and the new owner of the 'Jinghong Brush'. Among us, only he successfully climbed to the top of the mountain and obtained the title of Kongxuan Sanren. inherited.

"This person's talent and temperament are far beyond ordinary people, and he has mastered an extremely exquisite technique of talismans. The 'Taishang Arctic Town Demon Killing Talisman' he painted is many times stronger than the ordinary 'Ghost Killing Talisman' , enough to instantly kill the ghost 'tair' under Laoshan Mountain.

"Recently, he has gotten closer to Shi Lei, a thousand households in Laizhou Prefecture. It seems that he has an affair with Shi Lei's daughter, Shi Xiaohan. In my opinion, even if a young monk with great potential like him cannot become Chen's in-laws , and should also have a good relationship with him. In my opinion, there may be the possibility of becoming a saint in him.

"It's just that according to my observation, he's not interested in anything other than cultivation. It might not be as easy as we imagined to recruit him..."

…………

Tonight, Shangguan Jin was not in a hurry to return to the capital.

She also stayed in the room of "Tongfu Inn", resting quietly.

At this moment, she was wearing an unlined garment, standing in front of a bronze mirror, silently observing herself in the mirror image.

Relying on the supernatural power of "Heaven's Fortune", all her physical characteristics - including height, weight, proportions of facial features, bust, waist, and even arm and leg circumference... are presented in the form of data in front of her eyes.

For a woman like her who pays attention to appearance, "Sky Fortune" is undoubtedly a very practical skill.

With the help of "Tian Suan", she can perceive the changes in her body in time, and can also use makeup to make her facial features and face contours more perfect.

Otherwise, why can she always appear in front of everyone with a pure and refined image of beauty?

"Oh, I lost weight again..."

After a while, she shook her head with a bitter smile on her face.

The food conditions in Laizhou Prefecture are far inferior to those in Luojing City, and the trip to Laoshan was extremely exhausting, so it is reasonable to lose weight.

It's just that she really can't understand why she always gains fat face first when she becomes fat, and loses breasts first when she becomes thin.

This bothered her deeply.

At this time, she would be full of envy for Princess Zhaoning, who has a bumpy figure, fat where it should be fat, and thin where it should be thin.

Afterwards, she sat by the bed and took out a picture book from the pocket of her coat.

The contents are all drawn by her own handwriting.

As a person who loves beauty, she likes to quietly record all the beautiful things she sees in this picture album - there are landscapes, flowers and birds, and figures.

And the supernatural power of "Heaven's Calculation" enables her to possess painting skills far beyond ordinary people, and can reproduce what she sees almost exactly.

Even the court painters of the Great Qi Dynasty would feel ashamed after seeing her paintings.

The first page of this album is a picture of the spring scenery of the Luohe River.The surface of the river is calm, the sky is shining up and down, and there is a vast expanse of green.

The second page is a group of kittens she saw on the streets of Luojing City.

The third page is a portrait of Princess Zhaoning.The princess in the painting is leaning against the white marble railing of the palace and looking into the distance, showing a beautiful side face and a seductive body curve - Shangguan Jin often wonders if he can be as beautiful as the princess, will he become more beautiful than he is now? Be more popular?
The fourth page is a beautiful female ghost she saw while doing the task.

The fifth page is the back view of Luo Sishou playing the guqin under the vast starry sky.

……

Page 80 of No.[-] is a picture of the sunrise in the East China Sea that she drew on the way back from Mount Lao.

At this moment, she suddenly had the urge to paint again.

So she came to the desk, prepared pen and ink, and began to draw pictures carefully one stroke at a time.

Group after group of data came to her mind.

One after another, precise lines appeared on the blank pages of the album.

An hour later, a boy's figure appeared on the paper.

Standing on the top of the mountains, he overlooks the earth with the attitude of a king, facing the waves of the sea, with his back to Yuyu Qionglou, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

Although this painting is only black and white, it truly shows the young man's self-confidence and calm temperament.

Unlike other painters, Shangguan Jin doesn't understand such things as "artistic conception", "spiritual charm" and "emotion".

However, she believes that as long as her paintings are realistic enough, capturing the most perfect moment can also become art.

She smiled and put the album in her pocket.

…………

Gu Xu also lit candles and wrote letters in the room of "Tongfu Inn".

The first letter was addressed to Chen Jisheng.

In the letter, he briefly described what he saw and heard during his trip to Laoshan—of course, he skipped Kongxuan Sanren's notes and warnings, and also briefly mentioned the assassination of the fourth prince.

In addition, he also asked Chen Jisheng about the recent situation in Yishui County.

Because Chen Jisheng once told him that the evil spirit generated within Yishan is spreading outward and will soon reach Yishui County.

This made Gu Xu very worried about the safety of Chen Jisheng and his colleagues from the Yishui Exorcist Department.

The second letter was written to Shi Xiaohan.

In this letter, he briefly described the difficulties and obstacles he encountered, and wrote more about the interesting things he encountered during the journey.

He knew that Shi Xiaohan would like to read what he had seen and heard.

For example, His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince pretending to be a female voice was unfortunately exposed, such as the scene where everyone in the "Shenji Camp" showed their magical powers against the "taper", such as the envious and jealous expressions of everyone after he climbed to the top of the mountain.

He could even imagine how the girl's mouth turned up when she read the letter, revealing her small canine teeth.

Then, he spent a lot of words praising Shi Lei, calling him a powerful monk, a competent official, and an enviable father.

Although Shi Xiaohan said "my father is too annoying and nagging" all day long.

But she did not allow others to speak ill of her father.

She also feels genuinely happy when others praise her father.

In the end, Gu Xu asked about Shi Xiaohan's situation in the letter.

He really wanted to know what kind of magical power she would awaken in the process of crossing the "Naihe Bridge".

After Gu Xu finished writing these two letters, he put them in an envelope and prepared to go to the Yamen to post them tomorrow.

As for himself, he plans to stay in Laizhou Mansion for a while to study Kongxuan Sanren's "Puppet" spell.

After all, Chen Jisheng is busy with work these days, so it is impossible to come here to pick him up.

Besides, before leaving, Chen Jisheng also told him not to come back because Yishui was dangerous.

However, after he finished writing these letters, he suddenly felt a feeling of returning home.

PS: Ask for a monthly pass! (I originally wanted to write [-] characters, but my hand speed is not fast enough, huh QAQ)

　Thanks to Xuan Ye Falling Wu, book friend 20190721094628047 for the 100 reward!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)