The setting sun was red, covering the roads and city gates, and the air was filled with the noise of people.
Passersby, near and far, seemed to be unable to see the old man in the middle of the official road. They still chatted and laughed while accepting the inspection of the soldiers at the city gate and walked into the city.
The old Taoist nodded and stroked his beard, then stretched out his hand. The magic sword behind him came out of the sheath with a "clang" sound, fell into his hand, and hung it diagonally to the side of his leg.
The hem of the old Taoist's robe fluttered and his voice was gentle and powerful.
"Purple Star Demon Daoist, I recognize you, please show your true identity!"
On the opposite side, the old donkey tilted his neck to look behind him. The Toad Taoist hanging under the bookshelf was shaking his body. He used all four webbed feet to struggle to break free from the rope around his waist, fell to the ground, and climbed up with a bow made of bandages on his head.
"That woman... I can recognize her even when she's wrapped up like this?"
His eyes rolled around in his sockets, he brushed off the dust on his body, and as he padded forward, a shadow obscured his vision. Lu Liangsheng, who was in front of the donkey head, had his back to him, and turned his head to whisper:
"Master, let me handle it."
"Liangsheng, you go back..."
Without waiting for the Toad Taoist to speak, Lu Liangsheng turned around and bowed to the old Taoist. As long as they didn't fight as soon as they met, there should always be room for turning around.
"Lu Liangsheng from Qixia Mountain, nice to meet you, Taoist priest."
On the opposite side, the old Taoist priest stroked his beard, nodded slightly and looked at the scholar, raised his sword-holding hand, and returned the salute. Feeling the other party's realm, he could not help but nodded, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"This Daoist Fellow Lu has such a high level of cultivation at such a young age. He is a natural talent. I wonder which master he is from and why he associates with monsters."
"Thank you for the compliment, Taoist Priest."
Lu Liangsheng lowered his hand and saw that the other party also lowered his magic sword. He waved his robe and cast an invisibility and soundproofing spell, covering the area within a dozen feet.
“… I have no sect or school, but I was lucky enough to be able to practice. The Taoist Purple Star mentioned by the Taoist priest is my master, and the black man next to him is my friend.”
The old Taoist priest glanced at the black-haired man. There was a strong demonic aura around him. Ordinary people couldn't see it, so how could he not see it
"Another demon, a wild boar transformed into a demon."
Zhu Ganglie revealed his true form, his two big ears flapped, he glared with his big eyes, pointed at himself, looking quite innocent.
"What do you have to say? What does it have to do with me, Old Pig?"
He flicked his sleeves and walked aside: "You guys fight your own battles, why bother with me, really."
"Master!"
At this time, Lu Liangsheng asked Zhu Ganglie not to say anything for the time being, for fear of causing more trouble. He looked at the old man sincerely and bowed before speaking.
"Is there any misunderstanding between my master and the Taoist priest?"
The Toad Taoist standing among the shadows of the people heard this and became a little anxious. He ran over and pulled his apprentice's trouser legs, pulling them hard twice, and lowered his voice and said:
"Liangsheng, stop talking, let me do it."
After the words fell, the old Taoist priest over there snorted heavily, "Misunderstanding?!" He shook the tip of his sword, took a few steps slowly towards this side, his robe fluttering in the wind.
"Hundreds of lives were lost in Luohe Town back then. You asked Zixing Yaodao if it was a misunderstanding? I think you, a scholar, have been deceived by him. I don't blame you. Please move away."
Hundreds of lives
Lu Liangsheng's face froze, and he subconsciously turned his head to look at his master who was hidden by his shadow. He could hear the old Taoist priest's voice speaking over there.
"The Purple Star demon is hard to tame. A poisonous fog killed hundreds of people in Luohe Town, turning them into blood plasma with no remains left! You think he is your master, but does he think you are his disciple? I'm afraid he wants to eat you when he accepts you!"
The old Taoist's footsteps fell one by one, his voice sonorous and powerful.
"… He broke through many mountains and ate countless people on the way. Many righteous people who slayed demons and eliminated evil spirits died at the hands of your master. Judging from your expression, you don't know about this, right? After this demon was injured by Master Zhenhai, a high monk from the Wanfo Temple, he disappeared without a trace. When we meet again today, how can we let him continue to live!!"
The following words seemed to have great weight in every word, hitting the scholar's heart. He turned his eyes away, looking at the short figure, and spoke with difficulty.
"Master... is what he said true?"
The Toad Taoist slapped his disciple on the face with his webbed feet, then drooped to the side, lowered his head and did not dare to look at his disciple.
"It's true. It's all true. I have killed many people... I have eaten many people..."
The apprentice knew that he was a demon, but he tried his best to hide what he had done. After all, with his personality, he might... However, now, everything has been exposed.
there is none left.
The short body with two webbed feet trembled slightly, and the bandages slid down around the webbed feet layer by layer. The toad's face slowly raised and looked at the old Taoist priest over there, and red spots appeared in the toad's eyes.
"Stinky Taoist..."
The toad's mouth split open, revealing its fine and sharp teeth, and it roared: "—Are you satisfied!!!"
It was like the voices of countless people roaring out one after another, stirring up a strong wind that blew away the scattered bandages, and purple evil spirit broke through the surface of the body and spread.
"Monster, how dare you—"
The magic light suddenly became bright, and the old Taoist priest stroked his long beard violently. He shouted loudly, raised the magic sword in his hand, a ball of fire ignited on the tip of the sword, and pushed the hilt with his palm and pushed it forward.
"Buzz!"
The sword broke through the air, the flames fell down, and a fire dragon was dragged along the magic sword and swam in the air, making a loud roar and rushing straight towards the Purple Star Demon Dao opposite.
"Slay the demons and eliminate the evil!"
The old Taoist priest's beard was standing up angrily, and he swung his arm down: "Behead!"
The moment the decree fell, what appeared in Toad Taoist's eyes was a "fire dragon" flying straight towards him, opening its long snout and roaring, and then it enlarged in his sight.
boom-
Bang!
The purple smoke was shaken and dispersed, and the fierce air wave blew on his toad face, making it impossible for him to open his eyes. He only felt as if something was moving forward and brushing past his head, and the ground was full of "cracking" sounds.
The sound of wind and the waves of fire subsided. The Toad Taoist put down his flippers and opened his eyes. There was no figure of his disciple in front of him. There were only two deep ravines on the ground running from both sides of him to the back.
Those were two grooves plowed out by footprints.
"Liang Sheng..."
Behind him, the scholar was half-bending his body, holding the Yuelong Sword across his chest. Hot smoke was rising and swirling all over his body, and there were black marks of flames on many parts of his robes.
"Liang Sheng!!"
The Toad Taoist restrained the purple smoke evil aura, ran over, looked up at his disciple, and waved his webbed feet in confusion.
"How are you? Why are you blocking the sword for my master? I can block it-"
The old Taoist priest in the distance reached out to retract his magic sword, looked at the scholar whose body was almost hunched, and pursed his lips.
"You... junior... really want to protect this monster!?"
Whoosh…
Whoosh whoosh…
Lu Liangsheng tightly grasped the Yuelong Sword, gasping for breath. He hastily unblocked the opponent's sword, which made him feel uncomfortable. He clenched his teeth, slowly straightened up, and glanced at the Toad Taoist in front of him. He didn't know whether he was laughing or some other emotion came to his mind.
The sound came out from between teeth.
“…Once a teacher, always a father.”
The old Taoist nodded without any expression.
"good."
In the sky above, in the residual red light, more and more Dharma lights are flying. In the woods at the foot of the mountain, a group of Taoists are flying lightly, adhering to the purpose of slaying demons and eliminating monsters in their hearts, and they are running towards this direction madly, and they have arrived in the blink of an eye.
…
The city standing in the sunset is as prosperous as it used to be. Birds flying across the setting sun land on the eaves of the imperial city. Yang Su, who was talking to his cousin, the current emperor Yang Jian, suddenly stopped, raised his head to look at the flash of Dharma light in the sky, and squinted his eyes.
"What are you looking at?"
Yang Jian looked up curiously, but there was nothing there except a few clouds mixed in with the last rays of the setting sun.
"It's the ascetics... a lot of them."
On the side, Yang Su saw the aura of so many cultivators appear in Chang'an for the first time. He did not dare to be careless. He immediately said goodbye to his brother, quickly returned to the mansion, and ran out of the city.
On the other side, the emperor felt more and more that something was wrong. He pondered for a moment, looked in the direction his cousin left, and called the guards.
"Gather the soldiers of the Imperial City and Han Qinhu's soldiers outside the city, and follow me out of the city!"
The order was given and carried to all directions by the horses that carried the message. Groups of imperial guards gathered and rushed to the long street. At the same time, in the mansion in the city with the word "Yuwen" written on it, Yuwen Tuo, who also felt the ominous aura, opened the door, jumped onto the roof, looked towards the south of the city, and after a while, regardless of the ban, rushed over there.
The setting sun cast its last rays and the clouds rose again.