State of Chu, Yujiawan County.
Yujiawan is located in the northeast of Tao County, a little upstream of Xiajiang River, sandwiched among mountains.
Looking out from a high place, there are few flat lands in the whole county, and ten mu of land is enough to form a town. Local people may have to climb dozens of steps to borrow a green onion from a neighbor's house. The winding mountain roads are as thin as a line and connect all directions. Most of the people would dig out a few open spaces in front of and behind the house, and plant some rations at every turn. Their livelihood mainly depends on two mines: the iron mine is to the west of Yujiawan, and there is a large circle of gold melting factories in Yi mine. All the moon gold comes from this place; to the north there is a large green mine, which has been opened into terraced fields and produces a large amount of elixir every year.
In addition to robbery and kidnapping and sorcery, there are not many lucrative businesses in the world than gold melting factories and green mine fields. Yujiawan is such a smoky treasure land.
On the southwest corner of Yujiawan, there is a hill a little higher than the other hills, called "Shouxing Peak". I don't know who gave it a wicked name, which seems to imply something—this mountain is bald.
Probably because of a problem with feng shui, this Shouxing Peak is always struck by lightning for nothing, and there is a fire every now and then, and the halfway up the mountainside is full of potholes. There is also a ruined temple on the top, only the scorched ruins are left, and the broken flags hanging at the door are black, and there is a "woo-woo" sound when the wind blows. The nearby villagers will avoid this place, especially at night, saying that the ruined temple is haunted by ghosts.
At this time, the setting sun had already sunk into the mountains, and the evening wind was a bit chilly. A young man carrying a large wooden box walked up the stone steps covered with weeds alone.
The young man took off the leaky bamboo hat, looked up at the plaque on the ruined temple, and drew a few strokes in mid-air with his bare hands. The aura stirred at the man's fingertips, and a spell without a carrier took shape, and flew out neatly. There was only a "crash", and the ruined temple in front of him was like a moon in the water. It was smashed into pieces by the spell, and the scorched courtyard wall Go, and a small building with a Western Chu style is revealed.
At the entrance of the small building stood a pair of half-dwarf dwarfs about three feet tall. I don't know if they were real twins or they were carved into the same shape the day after tomorrow. Called: "The guest officer is here, please come inside the guest officer."
This is actually a post station for monks, quite arrogant - many upstarts in Xichu will use pills and spirit stones for decades to fill their spiritual apertures, those people do not practice, and opening their spiritual apertures is purely to prolong life Zhu Yan, Fu Faming is ignorant, more than ordinary, there is a blindfold wrapped outside the small building, you have to be able to break it open to get a glimpse of the true face, making it clear that such fake monks are not welcome.
"Ban I want to reward Lingshi." The young man—Wei Cheng rang Xi Ping's voice next to his ear, "You can give some as well."
Wei Chengxiang already felt that it was a waste of spirit stones when he entered the door and drew a talisman: "If you don't give it, the people here are not right."
Xi Ping smiled and said, "Aren't you afraid that they will add food to your diet?"
Wei Cheng lowered his head, pretending he didn't see the expression on the half-occupied face: "I don't have any money, and I won't give the medicine even if I die."
The iron rooster went in and sat down in a dark corner, and put the large wooden box with the silver plate beside him. It was bulky and took up space, and soon attracted the attention of others. She didn't care, and asked Xi Ping to help her read through the menu in Chu language that she didn't quite understand, memorized a lot of words, and ordered the cheapest set of noodles.
In the inn that specially entertains monks, spiritual herbs are usually added to the diet, and there are no cheap ones, just to satisfy the hunger. Banou, who didn't get the reward, saw that he was poor, so he rolled his eyes and said, "Give me the money first, this shop only accepts Lingshi."
"Half money, fourth-class green mine." Wei Cheng slammed the unfamiliar Chu Wen on the menu, frowned and complained, "Why don't you grab it?"
So in full view of everyone, she took out a small scale used in pharmacies, picked out some scraps from a piece of inferior green ore the size of a fingernail, weighed it, exactly half a dollar, and carefully packed it into a paper bag. Li handed it to the half-marion: "Here."
Half even: "..."
Xi Ping: "..."
In terms of being stingy, Pang Wenchang had to bow down.
Ban Ou came back to his senses, snatched the paper bag, and left cursing.
"Boss Wei," Xi Ping sighed, "you are also a way of eating sapphire."
"You were young and ignorant, and you didn't point me out. If I knew the price of sapphire back then, I wouldn't have used it if it rotted into a melon." Wei Chengxiang was still in pain, "Senior, the person you are dating is not good, it has to be so expensive where?"
If she was herself, a bag of naan would be enough for Dongheng to eat, and the price of this meal could buy a carload of noodles!
"The place the other party ordered is a noble man, he is very cautious, and he does not show his face when he is not on his own territory." Xi Ping said slowly, "The remnants of the Zhao family are on the shore of Yujia Bay, and we have to rely on them to sneak into Dongheng." , happened to be on the way."
Wei Chengxiang then asked, "Who?"
Xi Ping: "Have you heard of 'Bug Master'?"
Hearing this, Wei Cheng subconsciously raised his head to glance at the half-dwarf who was busy in the small shop.
Traveling all over the world, she certainly knows what a "worm master" is - that is a special way of refining weapons, and the materials used are not spirit beasts and spirit stones, but living things.
When evil spirits steal the sky in one place for a long time, it will affect the surrounding mortals, especially pregnant women and children. Newborns are often deformed, and young children will also suffer from strange diseases. If they are left alone, they will die soon. Then there is a way to make these half-dead children into half-dolls, and the half-dolls that are well-made even carry cultivation bases and supernatural powers when they are born.
Because this kind of half puppet is also called "bollworm half puppet", this kind of craftsman is called "worm master".
There are a lot of things in the worm master's profession to make living people refine weapons and harm their yin virtues. The first thing is that they can't intentionally harm people, but can only use "yangjian ghosts", that is, people who are infected by evil spirits and must die. On the one hand, the worm master brought the mortals back to the human world, living and dying flesh and bones, on the other hand, these half-dolls can only live by eating spirit stones, and are often treated as expensive slaves, life is worse than death, just like Xi Yue when she was a child . So it's hard to say whether the worm masters are doing good or bad things. Anyway, they always hang out with all kinds of evil spirits, and they are all the same in the eyes of decent families.
Wei Chengxiang's heart tightened, thinking of the full moon scab she found on the Tao County child: "What?"
"After you said it last time, I took a look around and found a lot of insect masters coming from Tao County," Xi Ping said, "The fact that the Yinyue Wheel passed by without a blade of grass reminded me of when I was stealing the sky. I suspect that they are all here to find 'materials'."
Wei Chengxiang: "But isn't 'Stealing the Sky' intended to have a long-term impact?"
The spiritual energy in the mortal world is inherently thin and uneven, even if the silver moon wheel drains the entire Tao County dry in one breath, and the sky is not covered, the wind will soon blow the spiritual energy from other places, except for the fragile seedlings in the field dying. Resurrection, mortals should not be so easily influenced.
"I don't know... it's coming, you ask him."
After Xi Ping finished speaking, Wei Chengxiang smelled a faint scent of rosin, and then a blur appeared in front of her eyes, and a person seemed to appear out of thin air, and landed opposite her.
This person was wearing gloves, and he was wearing a brocade robe that didn't fit in with the surroundings. People are tall, with stretched skeletons, and all the facial features are meticulously crafted, but when they are put together, they don't know why...it doesn't look good.
It's unsightly, and it's kind of creepy after staring at it for a long time.
Ban Ou, who was going to serve Wei Chengxiang's food, almost knelt down when he saw the person coming, turned around and ran away, not daring to serve the food with added ingredients.
The visitor smiled at Wei Cheng, his facial features seemed to be separated, only his mouth moved when he laughed. His eyes were fixed, and his voice was indistinguishable: "It's a pleasure to meet you, girl. Say hello to His Highness the Snake King and the 'Tai Sui Xing Jun' behind you for me."
Wei Cheng raised his eyebrows—it's been a long time since anyone revealed her identity.
"Okay," Xi Ping said, "You also send my regards to Mr. 'Heartless' behind this puppet."
Wei Chengxiang was taken aback, and secretly asked him, "Is this a dummy? Is he the most mysterious Bu Zhishou in the Chu Kingdom?"
"Calm down," Xi Ping said, "He came to the wild fox village to shop for things, and he still has to pay protection fees to the Snake King Immortal Palace."
Wei Chengxiang: "..."
She guessed that Dawan's official forces had infiltrated the Snake King Immortal Palace, and seemed to have a close relationship with this senior Tai Sui, so she nodded coldly at the puppet and said a few polite words.
The puppet then said: "I know what you want to ask—yes, we are all here for the 'Ghosts of the Underworld' left by the silver moon wheel."
Wei Cheng's eyes twitched.
The puppet said: "The silver moon wheel is full of hostility, and the place it sweeps will turn into a 'moon shadow'. At least within half a year, the surrounding aura will not pass. By then, all dolls under three years old will have to become 'dolls'." ' is."
Wei Chengxiang blurted out: "Three Mountains of Dongheng..."
Just leave it alone
"Don't talk stupid," Xi Ping interrupted her on the altar. "During the famine, the cubs died a lot. It's not new for them to eat when they are in bad years, or to be buried alive by their parents when there is a epidemic. What is this? You tell Bu Zhichou that in the future, when he comes to the night banquet of the Immortal Palace, no matter what he buys or sells, he will be given half of the commission, and ask him what to do."
When the puppet heard about it, two creepy bumps appeared on its face. As if it had been prepared, he took out a roll of fragrant silk from his sleeve: "I said earlier that evil spirits may not be as hard-hearted as their parents—here, Gathering Spirit Formation."
Just as Wei Chengxiang was about to reach out to pick it up, the puppet held it down again: "But let me remind you, it's not worth it."
Wei Chengxiang smirked at him, pulled the silk silk over and unfolded it, and saw a magic circle drawn in detail on the silk, and the other party thoughtfully pasted the map of Tao County on it as if he was afraid that she would not understand clearly.
She only glanced briefly, and her heart sank: the number of spirits needed here is astronomical.
"The spirit-gathering formation also takes time, and the formation will be completed before the Mid-Autumn Festival at the latest." The puppet said softly, "Oh, it's the end of July, and it may be too late to transport the spirit stones from Sanyue Xianshan— In any case, my idea is out, and the conditions prescribed will not be taken back.”
"You..." Wei Cheng raised his head, but the seat opposite was empty, and the doll disappeared.
At this time, the dwarf Banou honestly brought up the food, a large bowl like a basin, with a plate of beef tendon meat, half a catty of ham, some side dishes, and a pot of top-quality Huadiao.
Wei Chengxiang lost his appetite, and the two were silent for a while.
At this moment, a monk not far away whispered: "... It is said that there is a branch of the Zhao family in Dawan who lives in Yujiawan.
"Such a grand occasion?"
"Xuanyin is one of the four surnames. Wherever you go, you have your own secret realm. Good guys, only the Zhao family can go in. No one can find it if you drill in. The Zhao family showed up in Yujiawan because they wanted to make friends. Who is such a big piece of fat?" If you don’t want to eat, how many good things do you have to have from a famous family that has been accumulated for thousands of years?”
Wei Chengxiang took a deep breath, forced himself to eat, and started to eat. As if to divert her attention, she followed the voice of others and asked Xi Ping, "What is the Yu family? Sanyue's surname?"
"Except for the Xiang family, there is no so-called 'big surname' in Chu," Xi Ping said. "This refers to the local tyrants."
Chu and Wan are neighboring countries. Although they are only separated by a river, the geography of mountains and rivers is quite different.
Except for Jingzhou connecting Xuanyin Mountains, Hongyin and Shuozhou in the north each have a little mountainous area, the rest of the country is mostly plains. There are a total of nine state capitals in China, and there are counties under the state. A canal runs through the north and south, and the transportation is developed. When a wind blows in one place, it can blow across the whole country in a few days. Some forces—such as the Department of Water Transport in those days, were spread along the canal water system, and some were connected with officials and businessmen across states.
On the other side of the Xiajiang River, the folk customs of Chu are quite closed.
There are many mountains and hills here. In the past, there were no steam engines to open mountains and roads. The two places separated by a mountain could only take several days to get there, and it was inconvenient to communicate with each other. Therefore, the state of Chu has not set up a large state capital since ancient times, but only divided it into different counties according to the mountain situation. Communications between different counties often have to cross mountains and ridges, there are many obstacles, and local snakes are very powerful.
On the upper hand, the Xiang family of Western Chu controlled the three mountains of Dongheng, and they were sacred in the sky, and Chengyun was the emperor, and there were local emperors in various places.
The emperor of Yujiawan is the Yu family of the local rich family, occupying this precious land, rich and powerful, the patriarch is a half-immortal who secretly entered the Taoist sect... the kind who doesn't practice, but it doesn't prevent people from transforming into a spiritual cicada from Xuanyin Mountain There are ostentations—in Yujiawan County, there are several ancestral halls dedicated to the patriarchs and elders. The head of the patriarch at the gate of the melting furnace is more than ten feet tall, and those who don't know it think that he is the one who created the imitation gold technique. It is said that the patriarch also had a granddaughter who married to Dongheng as a concubine and gave birth to a son who was said to be very promising, and entered the "West Block" of the three main peaks of the three mountains "East, Middle and West".
Xi Ping added: "The bones of Xiang Zhao, whose bones are not in place, seem to be from Xifeng."
"Understood, the future is boundless." Wei Cheng said loudly, and then sighed, "Why doesn't Tao County have such a rich and overbearing local snake?"
If there is, maybe you can find a way to rob nearby.
Xi Ping's heart moved: Tao County is poor and remote, the next door is not right, there are also a group of rich and powerful Xuanyin people coming next door.
At this time, in the Snake King Immortal Palace, the "Snake King" was replaced by Lao Tian, and Xu Rucheng was ordered to sneak into the secret place where the Zhao family was hiding with another group of Lu Wu.
Today, the patriarch of Yujiawan invited the patriarch of the Zhao clan to a banquet, and the patriarch brought a few demigods from Tianji Pavilion to the banquet. Xu Rucheng took advantage of their absence and quickly cast invisible eavesdropping spells everywhere.
Unexpectedly, the Zhao family came back earlier than he expected.
The eldest daughter of the Zhao family, Zhao Yandan, barely used her five senses to put her face on her face. When she returned to the Zhao family's secret place where they temporarily lived, before she could stand still, her temper exploded: "Father, what do they mean?"
Zhao Xidan is the daughter of the patriarch of the Zhao family in Yuzhou. The Zhao family in Yuzhou is separated from the main family by hundreds of thousands of miles. The idea of Xuanyin Mountain general election. In the general election six years ago, as usual, the clan simply filled in the names of a few school-age children and reported, among them was Zhao Xidan.
Return to report, no one took it seriously, who knew that General Zhi personally presided over the general election, no one knew what criteria the sword god used to select people, anyway, when the recruitment post was sent to Yuzhou , the whole family was just as dumbfounded as the Yongning Hou Mansion back then.
Zhao Xidan's family background, appearance, aptitude... and even luck are all outstanding. She was one of the first few disciples who opened their spiritual apertures in Qianxiu Temple, and she was directly listed on the list of Tianji Pavilion. .
There are quite a few of the Zhao family in the Yuzhou branch, and the deputy Dutong is a senior from the master Jinping's family. Such a little girl suddenly came, and it goes without saying that she is favored by thousands of people. She picks the best things first, never letting her touch the dirty work.
She once thought that she was the proud daughter of heaven who was unique in ten thousand.
Unexpectedly, the world is so impermanent, the ancestors of the Zhao family fell down, and the former "big surname fairy clan" was beaten by everyone, and became a mouse crossing the street. guest.
How rude the Chu people are, a frog in a well in a mere county town actually told her parents face to face that she should marry their Yu family's inner sect grandson who didn't know whether he was round or flat!
"Whatever, they deserve..."
Patriarch Zhao interrupted her with a wave of his hand: "No matter what the origin of the mother's family is, it is also the grandson of the Great Chu Emperor. Our family is just a side branch of a border land. In terms of family status, we are still relatively high. Besides, Your Highness is the main peak of the Three Mountains. Inner disciples..."
"Ha!" Zhao Xiaodan sneered, "An inner sect disciple who has been in Xianshan for eight years and can't open his spiritual aperture?"
There is this ridicule because the inner sect of the immortal gate is unattainable—except for the three mountains of Dongheng.
Xuanyin Mountain recruits disciples once every ten years, no matter who the disciples are, Qianxiu Temple only allows them to stay for 360 days. During this period, if you can't open your spiritual aperture, you have to go back and forth, and there will be no next time. Regardless of whether you are a county king or a princess, you have to wait until midnight when you come.
There is no so-called "general election" in Sanyue, and the acceptance of disciples depends on "fate"-that is, to see the door. After the disciples have gone, they have to pay to support their masters. For example, the disciples of Xifeng who are "Zhonglingyuxiu" don't pay any money after they have established the foundation. The disciples below Foundation Establishment are divided into four grades according to their aptitude. Each person in the first grade needs three taels of Bai Ling every month. Every time they go down to a higher level, the bundle repair will be doubled, and the more useless the more money they will pay.
As long as you can afford the money, you can stay in Xianshan until the end of your life.
The grandson and nephew of the Yu family is a "C", and he has to pay nearly one hundred and fifty taels of Bailing to Sanyue every year-what is this concept? Converted into gold and silver at the market price, the fiscal and tax revenue of the entire county of Tao County next door may be just that-after paying for eight years, the green young man entered, and now he has a beard, and he is still a mortal, what a determination.
Patriarch Zhao paused, and said tactfully: "After all, we are foreigners. If we want to take root in Sanyue, marrying the Xiang family is the best choice."
Zhao Haodan heard what his father meant, and stared at him in disbelief for a long while: "So you agree?"