Longevity begins with slaying demons and eliminating demons

After a while, Princess Zhaoning came to the attic of the mansion.

She was sitting on an official hat chair, wearing a spotless men's long gown, with her hair tied up in a high bun.Although her face was tired and her eyes were slightly bloodshot, her waist was straight.

On the floor in front of her, there were intricate formation patterns carved.

Accompanied by a flash of golden light, several translucent figures formed by the convergence of light emerged above the formation, all wearing black gauze hats and Qiyao suits.

"See Your Highness the Princess!" All these figures bowed their hands to Princess Zhaoning.

Seeing that all the people she was looking for had arrived, Princess Zhaoning got straight to the point and said: "The traitor Gu Xu has already exposed his whereabouts near Jinyang Mansion. You guys are the people with the highest cultivation in Hedong Province. You need to immediately put down what you are doing and carry out the task of arresting Gu Xu."

Several officials of the Exorcist Department nodded and said that everything was strictly in accordance with the instructions of Her Highness the Princess.

They had heard long ago that Gu Xu was a criminal who had been arrested by His Majesty the Emperor who had lived in the palace for a long time. Any official who dared to slack off on this matter would face the Emperor's wrath.

Princess Zhaoning stood up and walked to the wall.

A large, slightly yellowed map was taped to the wall.

She stretched out her slender fingers and pointed on the map: "Pu Qianhu, Shen Qianhu, you two immediately lead people to go to Tianmen Pass, Shiling Pass and Chitang Pass, organize local monks, and intercept fugitives." Gu Xu."

Tianmen Pass, Shiling Pass and Chitang Pass are known as the "Three Passes of Jinyang". The terrain is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Be the throat of Heshuo".

If Gu Xu wanted to leave the territory of Daqi, whether he went to Youzhou to join Zhao Changying, or fled to the territory of the barbarians in the northwest, he would definitely pass through the "Three Passes of Jinyang" without detours.

However, the Daqi Dynasty paid more attention to the "Three Passes of Jinyang" than the Great Chu—not only reinforced the fortress, but also sent many practitioners to the pass, and set up the "Forbidden Air Formation" The multiple defensive formations.

In other words, monks cannot fly across the "Three Passes of Jinyang", they can only pass by land, and they must also hold a pass issued by the imperial court - "Lu Yin".

After hearing Princess Zhaoning's order, the two whose names were read nodded in agreement.

"Shang Qianhu, hurry to Shouyang County as soon as possible, lead people to set up an ambush, arrange the formation to block the space in advance, and check the 'road guide' of every passerby," Princess Zhaoning then ordered, "If Gu Xu did not go to the 'Three Passes of Jinyang', but chose to take a long detour to the east, so he will definitely pass by near Shouyang.

"Que Qianhu, go to Maling Pass in the south of Jinyang, and lead the practitioners under your command to block all the 24 passes under your jurisdiction. Similarly, set up formations to check the identity of every passerby.

"Gu Xu has always been scheming, and he may not play his cards according to common sense and choose to escape to the south. We must be prepared in advance."

"Yes, Your Highness." Liaozhou Prefecture Qianhu Que Juchang and Fenzhou Prefecture Qianhu Shangwei clasped their fists.

Finally, Princess Zhaoning's eyes fell on the only female official, Zhu Qiuyi, the commander-in-chief of Hedong Province.

This woman with a plain face and a quiet temperament is a powerful monk whose strength is close to the peak of the sixth realm.She masters a supernatural power called "Chasing the Wind" and a magic weapon called "Reminiscence". She has solved many major cases and frightened many criminals and ghosts.

"Mr. Zhu, your cultivation level is the highest among all the people present," Princess Zhaoning ordered. "According to the news, the last place where Gu Xu showed his face was the Mengshan Mountain in the west of Jinyang City. I need you to do my best to protect you." Get there quickly, use your magical powers and magic weapons to find as many clues as possible, and trace Gu Xu's escape path.

"If other people discover Gu Xu's whereabouts, you also need to deal with him."

"Your Highness, I have heard that Gu Xu possesses a spell that can travel through space," Zhu Qiuyi, the general soldier of Hedong, lowered his head and said in a calm voice, "With my supernatural powers, I may not be able to catch up with you." on him."

"No, you can catch up," Princess Zhaoning smiled faintly and shook her head, "Gu Xu's magic can travel about a hundred miles in an instant, allowing him to reach Qingyao Mountain from Luojing City in the blink of an eye.

"However, several days have passed since Luojing City was destroyed, and Gu Xu still stays within the territory of Daqi, and has not traveled too far.

"This proves that it is impossible for Gu Xu to travel through space indefinitely. Casting such a spell consumes a lot of his real energy."

Zhu Qiuyi nodded, thoughtfully: "Then I'll try."

"By the way, when performing tasks, you all remember to bring the Jade Talisman of Communication and the 'Empty Breaking Orb' with you," Princess Zhaoning paused for a moment, and then said, "If the situation changes, report it to me immediately, my palace Will do another assignment.

"All consumable magic weapons and formation materials you used during the mission, including the 'Empty Breaking Orb', can be reimbursed to the imperial court."

After receiving the order, the figures of several officials quickly disappeared into the room.

Princess Zhaoning still stood where she was, looking at the map on the wall, a little dazed.

She has blocked all possible exits from all directions from east to west, north and south, making Gu Xu a shackle.

"Now, where else can you escape to?" She moved her fingertips lightly on the map, and said silently in her heart.

…………

Holding the astrolabe in his hand, Gu Xu walked quickly in the deep mountains like a ghost.

Since Sima Chang discovered his whereabouts, he started running without hesitation, without stopping for a moment.

He didn't dare to fly to the conspicuous high altitude, only dared to skim silently at the low altitude under the shade of trees.

He continued to fly for more than ten miles, and after leaving the Jinyang jurisdiction, he just landed on the ground and stopped for a while.

At this moment, his primordial energy has recovered, enough to build a space channel again.

"Where should I escape to?"

While thinking, he took out the copper coins in his pocket, planning to find a safe route through divination.

At this moment, when he whispered the names of "Taishang Haotian" and "Emperor Ziwei" in a low voice like before, he only felt it was quite ironic.

They are clearly a pair of sworn enemies.

But they appear in pairs on the altar, in various mantras and prayers.

Gu Xu also finally understood why his divination results were never wrong.

Because other people's prayer objects are gods, and his prayer object is himself, there is no possibility of being disturbed.

"Is Tianmenguan safe?"

"Is Chitang Pass safe?"

"Is Maling Pass safe?"

"Is Huangyuling safe?"

"Is Jingxing safe?"

"..."

After asking more than ten consecutive questions, a relatively safe path finally emerged in Gu Xu's mind - go southeast first, bypass Shouyang County, go straight to Douquanling, then turn northeast, avoiding the 24th pass of Maling , From Jingxing, he left Hedong Province and went to Youzhou.

Although it took a long way around, it just happened to avoid the heavy defense line set up by Princess Zhaoning.

It can be regarded as finding a narrow gap in the net of heaven and earth.

He took a deep breath, his eyes turned a deep indigo blue, and the "astrolabe" also glowed with silvery white light.

Soon, there were black ripples in the air, and a space channel quickly formed in front of him.

He wiped the sweat from his temples and stepped into it.

The surrounding scenery instantly turned into blurred blocks of color, as if falling into a rotating kaleidoscope.

…………

After receiving the order from Princess Zhaoning, Zhu Qiuyi, the commander-in-chief of Hedong, immediately crushed an "empty-breaking bead" and came to Mengshan from his mansion in an instant.

She took out a small white porcelain bottle from her sleeve, placed it on the ground, and then silently recited the mantra.

Soon, a faint colored smoke rose from the bottle.

The smoke drifted into the air, outlining a three-dimensional and dynamic picture.

This small white porcelain bottle is called "Reminiscence". As the name suggests, it is a magic weapon that can go back to the past.

It can reproduce what happened within six hours in the form of smoke.

With the help of "Reminiscence", Zhu Qiuyi saw the "reggae" with its teeth and claws showing its fierceness, the little official Sima Chang who was covered in bruises, the majestic golden-red sea of ​​flames, and Gu Xu and his body blown to the ground by the wind. mask.

Her mood suddenly became complicated.

She didn't expect that a fugitive who was wanted by the whole country would reveal his whereabouts because of his rescue.

But she was on a mission and didn't think too much about it.

Soon, Gu Xu in the smoke image picked up the mask, put it on again, and then rushed towards the depths of the dense forest.

Zhu Qiuyi immediately picked up the small porcelain bottle, flew into the air, and chased after Gu Xu's image.

After flying for more than ten miles, Gu Xu's image finally stopped.

He stopped at the spot for a while, tossed a coin for a while, and then built a space passage, walked in, and disappeared.

Zhu Qiuyi sighed softly, and put away "Reminiscence".

"Reminiscence" can only look back at what happened at the same place, but it cannot know the destination of Gu Xu's space shuttle, let alone tell her Gu Xu's subsequent escape route.

"Your Highness," she took out the 'Messaging Jade Talisman' and sent a message to Princess Zhaoning, "I followed Gu Xu's footsteps all the way from Mengshan to Fangshan. He built a space channel in Fangshan. 'Limited strength. I have no way of knowing where he went afterwards."

After a while, Princess Zhaoning responded, "I know."

…………

"Report Your Highness, there is no suspicious person passing by near Tianmen Pass."

"Your Highness, I haven't found any trace of Gu Xu in Shouyang area yet."

"Your Highness, there is nothing abnormal around Maling Pass."

"..."

Princess Zhaoning held the messenger jade talisman tightly in her hand, listening to the ministers' reports, she frowned more and more.

She suddenly felt that Gu Xu was like a fish in the deep sea, which surfaced in Jinyang City, spit out a few bubbles, then dived into the bottom of the sea again, and never heard from him again.

In order to catch this fish, she cast an overwhelming net, but this fish is very likely to slip away quietly through the gaps in the fishing net when she is not paying attention.

She rubbed her dry eyes, and couldn't help feeling secretly that in the vast territory of Daqi, catching a fugitive who can hide his identity, hide his whereabouts, and travel through space is no less difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.

Seeing the pale fish belly appearing in the eastern sky, she pondered for a moment, and then said to the maid guarding the door: "Can you invite Mr. Mu here for me?"

The "Mr. Mu" in the mouth of Princess Zhaoning, whose full name is "Mu Yunkai", is an enshrined member of the Daqi royal family. He has the sixth realm and is proficient in divination.

Perhaps it is because the number of monks who understand divination is rare, this person is often proud of his talents, his eyes are high above the top, and he always puts on airs in front of members of the royal family, especially in front of Princess Zhaoning who has no cultivation qualifications.

Princess Zhaoning is too lazy to ask him to do things on weekdays.

After all, in the Exorcism Department there is a saint who claims to be "knowing everything in the world".

But now, Luo Chuan, the head of the Exorcist Department, was seriously injured and bedridden, so naturally he couldn't help her find Gu Xu's whereabouts.

She had no choice but to settle for the next best thing.

A moment later, a bloated, gray-haired old man in a brocade robe, leaning on a gold-plated crutch, came before her under the guidance of a maid.

As he walked, the end of the crutch kept hitting the ground, making a harsh sound.

"I have seen Your Highness."

After seeing Princess Zhaoning, he didn't bow down to salute, but simply nodded his head.

Princess Zhaoning was too lazy to bother with him on these trivial matters.

She asked the maid to bring a chair, and said politely, "Mr. Mu, please sit down."

Unlike other officials, Mu Yunkai would hypocritically decline.

He sat down on the chair, raised his legs, and then directly ordered the princess's maid to pour him a glass of water.

"Mr. Mu, there is one thing that needs your help—"

"—Is it about the fugitive Gu Xu?" Before Princess Zhaoning finished speaking, Mu Yunkai laughed and interrupted her, "A mere fourth-level cultivator messed up a huge imperial court. It’s really interesting to be overwhelmed.”

"Mr. Mu, now is not the time to joke." Princess Zhaoning restrained her smile and said in a solemn tone, "tonight, the traitor Gu Xu appeared in Mengshan near Jinyang Mansion. After his whereabouts were exposed, he came from Mengshan Shan fled to Fangshan, then built a space channel, and went to an unknown place.

"We need to use your divination skills to find the place where Gu Xu fled as soon as possible."

Seeing that the princess became serious, Mu Yunkai also sat up straight and said, "Divination, I can do it. But I need as much information about Gu Xu as possible."

Princess Zhaoning took a stack of files from the nearby bookshelf, put them in front of Mu Yunkai, and said, "Are these enough?"

Mu Yunkai looked down, and replied: "Not enough. These are just his resumes when he was an official in the court, and they are the tip of the iceberg of his whole person. It is absolutely impossible to get a correct result of divination with these things alone.

"I also need to know his birth date, his personality and hobbies in private, his way of dealing with people... If I can find his personal belongings, that would be even better."

"But in my impression, Luo Sishou never needed these things in divination." Princess Zhaoning frowned slightly, feeling a little confused.

"Because my divination and his divination are two different systems," Mu Yun said with a smile, "His divination relies on the stars in the sky, and uses the trajectories of the stars to calculate the rise and fall of the world.

"And my divination relies on 'fate' itself. With enough information, I can get a glimpse of a person's future by clearing the fog on the long river of fate.

"Your Highness, it seems that you are still a little ignorant."

Princess Zhaoning didn't pay attention to his ironic joke.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, and began to recall all the details of getting along with Gu Xu before, thinking about what kind of person he is in private.

Then she discovered that she had very little experience with Gu Xu in private.

She only remembered that on the night of the Lantern Festival, she disguised herself as a man, and was with Gu Xu by the Luoshui River, evaluating the performance of the monks on the ring.

At that time, Gu Xu had a beautiful demeanor and high spirits, his deep eyes reflected the lights of the Lantern Festival, and he also exuded a confident look.

But more often, the distance between the two is very far.

She learned about what kind of person he was through the official documents of the court, through the archives, and through looking at each other from a distance in public places.

But to this day, especially after he changed from Da Qi Tianjiao to imperial convict, the image of him in her mind has become more and more vague and mysterious.

Princess Zhaoning was silent for a moment, then raised her head and said to Mu Yunkai: "Perhaps, we have to go to the mansion of Qianhu Shilei in Laizhou Prefecture.

"His daughter should be the person who knows Gu Xu best in the entire capital."