Du Yuejiao pulled Shi Hao away and said, "My uncle is like this. He usually doesn't take care of specific affairs in Mingkun Courtyard. Basically, all his time is spent on casting treasures, refining pills, and various strange experiments.
"I heard that my uncle originally had the opportunity to be promoted to the head of the Xianmen, but because he couldn't get along with other people in the Xianmen, he asked to be transferred to this branch."
She took Shi Hao to an empty room, explained to him the dining times in the temple, etc., then left and returned to the courtyard where she lived.
Shi Hao had nothing to do, so he cleaned up the room which had obviously been uninhabited for a long time, then lay on the hard wooden bed and practiced his skills.
Suddenly, I heard steady footsteps outside, and not long after, a man said, "Brother!"
"Haha!" Lan Ke Taoist's voice also rang out, "Junior Brother Song Cui hurried over, has something important happened again?"
The man said, "I heard that Senior Brother accepted an outer disciple without permission and let him live in Mingkun Temple?"
Lan Ke Taoist said: "Yes, it is true."
The man said dissatisfiedly: "Brother, you did not report to the Immortal Sect and accepted disciples without authorization. This is a taboo in the Immortal Sect. What's more, I am the master of this temple. Brother, you brought an outer disciple to this temple without telling me?"
Taoist Lan Ke laughed and said, "It's just that I accidentally found this internal energy and sword manual, and I happened to run into this kid. I saw that he has a lot of talent, so I gave it to him to practice on his own. If you think it's inappropriate for me to let him live here, that's fine. I will take him away now. I won't come back for two or three years."
The man paused for a moment and said angrily: "Brother, what do you mean by this? You are leaving at this time and leaving such a mess behind..."
Lan Ke said, "You also know that it was a mess, right? I was just an experimenter. It was you who wanted to take credit and didn't report it to the Immortal Sect. No one was watching over those things, and it was you who let the female thief steal such important information. I didn't say anything to you. Now that the matter has been exposed, I will share the responsibility with you.
"As a result, I found a successor outside and brought him to live in this temple for a few days. Junior brother... No, Master! You won't allow me to do this, right?"
The man paused, and his voice sounded a bit suppressed: "Since he is the successor accepted by Senior Brother, I can't say anything. It's just that Senior Brother just came back, and suddenly there is an extra disciple. Junior Brother is also the master of the temple, so I have to ask about it.
"But since he is my senior brother's successor, I will register him and report to the Immortal Sect so that he can officially join our sect."
Lan Ke Taoist said: "Okay! Okay! Then I'll trouble you, Master!"
The steady footsteps soon faded away.
Shi Hao stood up and went outside, where he saw Taoist Lan Ke holding a large winnowing basket and putting a bunch of herbs in it, shaking it.
Shi Hao said: "Sorry for the trouble, senior!"
Taoist Lan Ke laughed and said, "No trouble! No trouble! Yue Jiao is a proud and arrogant child. I am afraid that she does not understand the darkness outside and will suffer a lot in the future. Now that you are taking care of her, I feel more at ease. This is why I have to trouble you!"
Shi Hao said: "Senior, you are too polite! By the way, I heard from Yue Jiao that you are good at alchemy and treasure casting. I am not talented enough, can I follow you here and learn this art?"
Taoist Lan Ke put down the dustpan, stroked his short beard and said with a smile: "If you are willing to learn, that would be great. Come, come, start with the basics!" He handed the dustpan to him, taught him how to use it, and then went about his own business.
Shi Hao felt like a servant delivered to his doorstep!
Of course, it is still necessary for Shi Hao to learn the art of alchemy.
Although Fairy Shengxuan gave him the recipe for the seventh-grade elixir, it would be troublesome if he himself did not know how to make the elixir and had to ask others for help.
Here, he helped Lan Ke Taoist for a long time, and asked a lot of questions. Although Lan Ke Taoist ordered him around without any pity, he also answered all the questions and even explained them in great detail without hiding anything.
When it was almost evening, a little Taoist boy suddenly came up and said, "Is this the new Brother Shihao? A distinguished guest has arrived in the temple. Please go to Weixiang Pavilion."
Shi Hao thought to himself: "Distinguished guest?"
After asking the little Taoist boy about the location of Weixiang Pavilion, Shi Hao left here and walked towards Weixiang Pavilion.
When I came in the morning, many Taoists were doing morning lessons and I didn't see many people. But now, looking along the way, I see quite a few Taoists coming and going.
Chongxianmen is known as the most authentic Taoist sect in the world. Even though it is just a remote Taoist temple, it is magnificently built and covers a large area. Looking inside, there are even more scattered buildings and pavilions everywhere.
There was another square where many young men, wearing light green clothes, were practicing swords under the guidance of a Taoist. Those who had gathered together and were given martial arts were not the direct descendants of the many real people and scattered people in Chongxian Sect, and their status was far inferior to that of the inner sect direct descendants like Du Yuejiao.
What they practiced was not the authentic Taoist inner alchemy method, but other martial arts collected by the Chongxian Sect. Most of them could only achieve the ninth level in their lifetime. Occasionally, some of them could advance to the eighth level, which was already very difficult.
But on the other hand, a large number of ninth-grade warriors gathered together, which was actually a force that could not be ignored. Although these warriors were not the backbone, they were also the cornerstone of Chongxianmen becoming the largest sect in the martial arts world.
For many children from poor families, being able to become a small stone among these "foundation stones" means they have already transcended their original class.
All the way to Weixiang Pavilion, here is the white flowers and auspicious grass, birds singing and flowers fragrant. A pavilion, exquisite and elegant, in front of the pavilion door there is a pair of incense burners, the fragrance is lingering. Standing outside the door, I heard the voice of a girl talking inside.
"Master, you're here!" Du Yuejiao was the first to see him. "Please come in."
Shi Hao stepped in, and in addition to Du Yuejiao, he also saw Yue Ketai's daughter Yueyaer, and County Lady Litong.
Yueyaer wore a beautiful flower crown and a flowery dress, and she was dressed like a flower. She was the smallest of the three girls, and this kind of dress made her look even more charming and tender.
Princess Litong was wearing a blue and red double-breasted skirt with golden butterflies, which made her look much more gentle.
Du Yuejiao was still wearing the "Taoist robe" that looked like a robe but was actually a skirt, but it was willow green in color, with a yin-yang fish embroidered on the back, representing the Taoists, and dotted with many light pink petals and cloud patterns.
Although the colors are bright, you can tell at a glance that this style is not from this worldly world. It has a fairy-like air.
"Brother Shi, please sit down!" Du Yuejiao stood up and said softly.
Princess Litong and Yueyaer looked at Du Yuejiao together, with a strange look in their eyes as if asking "Who is this person? Why do I suddenly not recognize him?"
Shi Hao wondered in his heart, what should Du Yuejiao be like in their eyes
Shi Hao sat down. Du Yuejiao looked at him and said, "Sister Yueyaer heard about the case this morning, so she rushed over to find out what happened. I just told her the truth!"
Yueyaer put her hands on her hips and said bitterly, "So, even those guys from the Six Gates were involved in this child trafficking case? No wonder they couldn't find out anything. If I didn't know about this, I would have waited another year in Jin County and probably wouldn't have found anything."
Litong County Lady said softly: "If we can't wait for the result, I'm afraid it's still good. It's more likely that, just like today, they will just arrest some people, torture them into confessing, and then close the case.
"Having said that, I can understand those people in the Six Gates. They have always been corrupt and perfunctory in their work, but it is still hard to imagine that they are personally involved in this kind of human trafficking case."
Shi Hao shook his head: "This case is definitely not that simple!"
Chapter 25 Samadhi Fire
Yueyaer tilted her face and placed her hands together on the rosewood round table: "It's not that simple?"
Shi Hao said in a deep voice: "What the Six Gates did was nothing more than seeking wealth, power, and fame. If they did something like this, they naturally couldn't expect a good reputation. Moreover, if this matter was exposed, the imperial court would have to ask about it no matter what.
"So, the biggest reason for these people is to seek wealth. But what kind of benefit would make the Six Gates personally participate in such a thing?"
The three women looked at each other.
Yueyaer nodded and said, "That's the style of those people. When others pay them, they turn a blind eye. This kind of thing is bound to happen.
"But like now, it's like sending people directly to patrol those evil thieves who kidnap children, and help them quickly solve the hidden dangers. The price is not low."
Shi Hao said: "More importantly, those children were sent to the northwest. It would be fine to send them to the prosperous cities in the south. But why were they sent to the northwest?"
Princess Litong also wondered, "Yes, in Jin County, if you go northwest, you will reach the Gobi Desert."
Yueya grabbed her hair and said, "This is difficult. I just brought people here to supervise the case. I never thought that the Six Gates would get involved in this kind of thing. At most, I thought that these people in the government office were lazy and not doing their jobs. I came here to supervise and put some pressure on them. They have to work anyway.
"I didn't expect these people to go this far. If I don't rely on the Six Gates, I don't have anyone I can trust in Jin County. Even if I draw some county soldiers from the county government, I don't think it's safe."
Litong County Lady said: "The personal soldiers in the mansion are independent and have never had anything to do with the Six Gates. It's just that..."
Shi Hao shook his head and said, "If we let those personal soldiers investigate this kind of case, I'm afraid they will just be fooled around by these people from the Six Gates.
"If possible, I hope Miss Yue will pretend to know nothing about the inside story for the time being, and just continue to supervise the Six Gates in handling the case openly, and don't do anything else. I am from Jin County, and I have some connections in Jin County. I may be able to investigate secretly with all my strength. When it is necessary, I will ask Miss Yue to mobilize troops in time and give a full-scale attack."
Yueyaer nodded straightforwardly: "Okay, let's do it this way!"
Du Yuejiao looked at Litong County Master again and said, "Junior sister, have you found out the origins of those people who attacked you on Hongshan last time?"
Princess Litong shook her head. "These people are quite secretive, and we still don't know their specific backgrounds. But I heard from my father yesterday that during this period, there have been more and more attacks on the court and the royal family in various provinces. It seems that there is a secret organization that is connecting the forces that were originally scattered and resisted the court. If this continues, I'm afraid it will become more and more chaotic in the future."
I couldn't help but look at Shi Hao again: "Fortunately, last time, Master Shi saved my life..."
Du Yuejiao suddenly said, "Let's not talk about the past anymore. Come on, everyone, have some tea."
Princess Litong choked in the middle of her sentence.
Yueyaer looked at Du Yuejiao, whose face suddenly tensed up, and burst out laughing.
After sitting for a while, seeing that the city gate would be closed if they didn't return, Princess Litong and Yueyaer said goodbye and left.
Shi Hao followed Du Yuejiao and sent them outside. Outside, there was a luxurious carriage, escorted by a team of cavalry, and 18 strange beasts with bird heads, horse bodies, and wings. These were extremely rare heroes.
Princess Li Tong and Yueyaer got on the carriage, and the Eighteen Flying Riders of Chasing Thunder rode on Ying Zhao and actually flew in the air to protect them.
After they left, Shi Hao and Du Yuejiao chatted for a while before returning to their respective courtyards.
That night, Shi Hao continued to practice.
After these days of practice, both the Xuanmei Gong and Xianbing Jue's skills have been continuously improving.
He was even confident that he could cultivate both of these skills to perfection before the full moon night arrived.
As such, he must make a plan as soon as possible regarding the materials needed for the seventh-grade immortal recipe and the one hundred living souls needed for the seventh-grade magic source ritual, and it would be best if he could advance to the seventh grade before this full moon night.
After he entered Chongxianmen, the difficulty of obtaining the three main medicinal ingredients needed for the seventh-grade immortal recipe was greatly reduced.
But one hundred living souls, this is not an easy task. The so-called living souls are the souls of one hundred people who have died within an hour, and have not yet dissipated.
This means that he must kill a hundred people.
Although there are signs that chaos is about to break out in this era, and there are more and more refugees fleeing from the Central Plains, there is no way he would attack those innocent people.
On the morning of the next day, he helped Taoist Lan Ke do many chores. At noon, Du Yuejiao invited him to have lunch at her Weixiang Pavilion.
Although there is a cafeteria in the temple, it is natural for a direct disciple like Du Yuejiao to cook his own meals.
After the meal, at noon, Shi Hao found an excuse and asked Du Yuejiao to take him for a walk in Mingkun Courtyard.
Du Yuejiao did not refuse, and took him around the Mingkun Temple, explaining things to him along the way.
When they arrived at a palace in the back, Shi Hao saw that the doors and windows of the palace were closed and there were many people stationed around. This place was far away from the main palace, and there were not many people around.
Shi Hao asked: "What is that place?"
Du Yuejiao said softly, "That's the Gold Assay Hall. Uncle always has some fantastic ideas, and he used to conduct experiments in this Gold Assay Hall. There are many unique alchemy and alchemy techniques in the Immortal Sect, and they are all completed here."
Shi Hao said: "I see, no wonder there are so many people guarding it."
Du Yuejiao shook his head and said, "That's not the case! Uncle used to be here, doing his own thing, and no one disturbed him. It's just that the latest experiment is too important, and now the entire Assay Hall has been sealed, waiting for the Immortal Sect and the court to send people to take over."
Shi Hao said, "Is that so?" He was worried that Du Yuejiao would become suspicious, so he did not continue to ask, but turned around and left with her.
But he knew in his heart that he was one step closer to the information he wanted.
—
In the afternoon, Du Yuejiao went to do her homework, while Shi Hao left Mingkun Temple and went into the city alone.
After arriving in the city, he walked around for a long time and made sure that no one was following him. Then he used the Evil Shadow Disguise Technique to change his appearance. Then he came to the remote house and met Mr. Qiu and Lu Tong.
Sitting down in the hall, Lu Tong said, "Brother Hao, do you have any clues about the Conferred God Experiment?"
Shi Hao shook his head and said, "There are no more clues yet, but there has been some progress. Give me some more time and I should be able to gain something.
“But what is certain is that the information you received earlier is true. Mingkun Temple and Yue Ketai are indeed conducting some kind of experiment.
"At the beginning of this experiment, it seems that because of the selfishness of the master of Mingkun Temple, Taoist Songcui, it was not reported to Chongxianmen and the court. Until now, it can no longer be concealed and the matter has begun to get out of hand. The main person conducting the experiment should be Taoist Lan Ke, one of the Twelve Quanzhen, and the venue was the Test Gold Hall behind Mingkun Temple.
"Now the entire Trial Hall has been sealed off, waiting for the Chongxian Sect's top brass and the imperial court to take over."
Old Taoist Qiu said: "This Lan Ke Taoist, according to our investigation, although he is one of the Twelve Quanzhen, he is devoted to the art of casting treasures and refining elixirs, obsessed with various researches, and often has strange ideas. With his status, he should at least be a master in a branch, and even have the opportunity to climb higher, but because he is not involved in worldly affairs, he was relegated to such a place and became an idler.
"If it was him, it wouldn't be surprising if he came up with this 'Experiment of Conferring Gods' that is said to be able to influence the overall situation of the martial arts world."
Shi Hao said expressionlessly: "Just give me some more time for this matter. But there is another important matter that I would like your help with."
Old Master Qiu said: "Just give your orders, Mr. Hao. As long as we can do it, we will definitely do our best."
Shi Hao then told some of the truth behind the child's disappearance case. Of course, he was vague about how he obtained the information so that An Lei would not guess his true identity.
Even though these people were righteous men who were fighting against the Barbarian Court, he did not intend to expose himself in front of them. After all, one must be on guard against others.
Lu Tong said fiercely: "I knew that those barbarian court lackeys and scums of the Jianghu in the Six Gates were not good people, but I didn't expect them to be so bad."
Old Master Qiu said: "In this case, the local Six Gates must have been involved in the kidnapping of those children. However, it should not be them who actually kidnapped the children. In addition to the Six Gates, there must be other gangs involved.
"It's just that the Six Gates didn't follow past practice of turning a blind eye after taking the money, but instead got deeply involved. The interests behind this must be huge, so huge that the local scum of the Six Gates simply can't refuse. Or... are there other powerful and wealthy families involved behind this?"
Shi Hao said: "I need to know who the gang that is cooperating with the Six Gates is."
Old Qiu nodded and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Hao, we have been investigating this matter, but we have not had many clues. In fact, we have been wondering about this for a long time. Cases like this are mostly done by small gangs of the lowest class. With our intelligence, there is no reason why we can't find out.
"I never thought that the Six Gates would help cover up the evidence. Now that we know that the Six Gates are involved and that the children were sent to the northwest, we will be able to unravel the mystery. At the very least, we need to find out which gang is behind this."
Shi Hao said in a deep voice: "It would be great if we could rescue those children."
Lu Tong looked at the young man with a slightly hooked nose and whispered, "Brother Hao is really a chivalrous man. Don't worry, we will definitely do our best in this regard."
After saying goodbye to them, Shi Hao changed back to his original form on the way back to the Taoist temple.
At this moment, he was nominally a disciple of Taoist Lan Ke, who was one of the Twelve Quanzhen of Chongxian Sect. Although he was not the abbot of Mingkun Temple, even the abbot had to call him "senior brother".
At this time, the temple master had already registered him in the book and reported him to the immortal sect. In this way, he was considered a "direct descendant" like Du Yuejiao. Most of the people guarding the mountain gate were outer disciples who practiced martial arts and did odd jobs at the same time, so they would not ask about his comings and goings.