Although he said he would continue exploring the secret of the Blood Evil in the afternoon, Zhao Changhe did not go to Jingxin Temple to see Lu Shaoxiong, nor did he go to the new third son of the Gu family. Instead, he went to Huqiu Sword Pond again.
Sisi found it hard to understand Zhao Changhe's behavior as he walked around the pond and observed the situation.
Anyone who analyzes this situation will think that the Tiger Hill Sword Pond is a misunderstanding. The real source of the evil spirit must be outside. Both the Lu and Gu families have been infected. We should look for the place where they have been together.
For example, Tang Buqi was currently following the Gusu Demon Suppression Division to do this matter, and Sisi felt that this was something that Young Master Tang had done in a rare and reliable way.
But Zhao Changhe, who always gave people a very reliable impression, seemed to have nothing to do at this time. He kept wandering around the misunderstanding of Huqiu Sword Pond. After half an afternoon, he still didn't find anything, and he was still smiling.
People who don’t know might think that this is just a special outing for the maidservants.
Although the surrounding scenery is indeed beautiful and the pool is cool and comfortable, Sisi is a hard-working Sisi. She didn't give up so much just to be comfortable...
"Master." Seeing Zhao Changhe hiding under the shade of the tree and looking at ants, Sisi finally couldn't stand it anymore: "Master, should we go and investigate the case like Young Master Tang and the others?"
"Eh? Since they are all investigating the same places that the young masters of the Lu and Gu families have been to, why should I investigate the same thing as well?"
Sisi opened her mouth but was speechless. After a while, she said, "You are not looking at ants here."
"Don't underestimate ants. They are more sensitive to danger than humans."
Sisi rolled her eyes speechlessly.
This may be true for ordinary people, but you have already broken through the fifth level of the Xuanguan, and swinging a 40-50 kg knife with one hand is like a piece of cake. You are really not an ordinary person. Your five senses should have been sharper than any animal in nature. What's the point of watching ants? You might as well close your eyes and sense it yourself.
"Don't you think it's meaningless?" Zhao Changhe said with a smile: "But have you discovered..."
As he spoke, he threw a piece of dessert left over from lunch.
Some ants quickly climbed up.
“… Have you noticed that there are so few ants here?”
Sisi was stunned: "Could it be that the evil spirit is really here? Then why doesn't anyone feel it at all?"
"If the evil spirit caused the ants to disappear, then they would be extinct and there would be no more of them." Zhao Changhe said, "According to our common sense, what does it generally mean if we see ants moving?"
Sisi said, "It means it's going to rain heavily, and it might flood the anthill."
"But there is no sign of rain in recent days, and these ants must have moved away a long time ago, leaving only such a small number... Can we assume that they felt that something else was going to flood the ant nest, so they migrated early?"
Sisi's eyes changed.
Although it may not be very reliable to deduce these thoughts based on the fact that there are fewer ants, at this time any small thing could really be a clue. Assuming that this inference is correct, even if it cannot prove that there is evil spirit in the sword pond, it can also mean that there will be changes, such as the water in the pond is about to overflow.
"Master... did you really guess this from observing ants?"
"Well, actually, I think something has changed in the Sword Pond, so I came here to see if there is anything that can support my guess. Can these ants barely be counted as one of them?"
"… I guess the evidence is not that strong."
"However, I am not a government official closing a case, so I do not need any hard evidence. I just need to verify some of my suspicions."
"So what do you suspect?"
"Well... let's put it this way. Whether there is such a treasure of evil spirit in Gusu has always been an unknown. The madness of Mr. Lu cannot prove that such a thing exists. I can also go crazy, but what can I prove? Therefore, finding the source of the evil spirit is a secondary matter."
Sisi's eyes widened in surprise: "What's the main thing?"
"The main thing is that because the Maitreya sect in Yangzhou has been destroyed, it will inevitably lead to some kind of action by the sect leader Maitreya. In the environment of Maitreya sects all over Jiangnan, only Gusu is like a pure land. If I were Maitreya, this action would most likely target Gusu first. It just so happens that he was also looking for the evil treasure before, and now the clue is in Gusu, so his eyes will naturally fall here. Combining the two things, whether Maitreya himself comes to Gusu or not, the action against Gusu must have begun, and the first to bear the brunt must be the Tang family."
Zhao Changhe said leisurely: "So there may not be evil spirits, but there must be changes in the Tang family, and this is the main thing. And what role does this suspected evil spirit play in it and what is the impact on this matter, are what I focus on analyzing, and perhaps it will help to break this situation. If you really look for the source of the evil spirit, you will be led by the nose. Maybe it doesn't exist at all, and you will be looking for nothing..."
Sisi: “…”
Everyone has a different starting point. No wonder she always felt that Zhao Changhe's attitude was weird. He didn't look like someone who was eager to find treasures, but rather like someone who was solving a case. She thought it was normal, after all, solving a case was to find clues to treasures, but in reality it was not the case at all.
What she didn't know was that the reason why Zhao Changhe was willing to take her along in this matter was because he knew that she was not in the same group as Maitreya, and he might be able to help her. As for her goal, if it was the evil treasure, it might conflict with him, which was really the least important thing.
Sisi thought blankly for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Master, I heard that you have cultivated the Blood Evil Art and now it is the fifth level. The subsequent practice is limited by the limited Qi and blood in the human body, so it may be difficult to make further progress. Is it true?"
"It's not that exaggerated. Simply absorbing energy is not enough. It is true that one needs to nourish the evil spirit. But nourishing the evil spirit does not necessarily require any treasures. Killing people can also do it. Isn't that what the Blood God Cult relies on? Where do they get so many treasures?"
"... In other words, if there is a treasure that can raise evil spirits, you would be eager for it?"
"right."
"Then why are you still so calm, as if the thing you desire does not exist?"
Zhao Changhe thought about it and laughed: "Treasures are important, but loyalty is more important."
"Loyalty?" Sisi asked curiously, "Because you are friends with Young Master Tang?"
"Yes." Zhao Changhe looked at the sky and saw that the sun was setting, so he turned and went down the mountain: "When we were drinking last night, wasn't Tang Buqi already my friend?"
Sisi followed him and muttered, "Men are really strange. They just drink a lot of wine."
"Didn't I send you to me?"
"… "
Zhao Changhe laughed: "There is another point..."
Sisi immediately asked, "Could it be Tang Wanzhuang? Is the master really related to her?"
"What are you thinking? She didn't even give me a glance. Does she really think I'm a bootlicker?" Zhao Changhe said leisurely, "It's because I don't want this beautiful Gusu to become the empty hometown of Maitreya... We have learned martial arts, so there are always things we should do."
"Isn't it for the purpose of learning martial arts to make your life better?"
"Did you see the afterglow of the setting sun?"
"ah?"
"That afterglow is not only Yue Hongling, but also me, Zhao Changhe."
… …
After leaving Huqiu Sword Pond, I just returned to the guest house to have some dinner when a figure flashed by and Ji Chengkong appeared outside the door: "The guards of the Tang family are much less than those of the Lu family. It's like going to the toilet when they come in. I thought the Tang family was so capable."
Zhao Changhe asked, "The Lu family is on high alert?"
"Yes, they were so strict that I thought I was in the Demon Suppression Division. Fortunately, although they were strict, their level was too low, so I still found out." Ji Chengkong acted like we were very familiar with each other and sat down at the table by himself: "Do you have any wine? I've been lurking for most of the day and I'm dying of thirst."
Sisi lowered her head and poured him a cup of tea.
Ji Chengkong glanced at her again. This person's figure and physique did resemble the person he was looking for. Although he didn't recognize her face, she was an expert in disguise... However, people with similar figures are everywhere. Yue Hongling also looks a bit like her. Using this as an excuse to check the disguise would definitely offend Zhao Changhe to death. There was no need for that...
He didn't get too hung up on it and said directly, "According to my investigation, the Lu family has a forbidden area that is a hundred times stricter than the so-called Sword Pond forbidden area of the Tang family. And it cannot be passed by tokens and passwords. Only direct descendants of the Lu family can enter in person. It's really strange. A small, broken family has made itself more mysterious than anything else."
Zhao Changhe smiled and said, "With a ninth-level master in our family, we are already considered a person who can peek into the secret treasures. We are not a small, poor family."
"Those who are not on the Human List are all garbage." Ji Chengkong pointed at his nose and said, "I am also at the sixth level of Xuanguan, and you were only at the fourth level. I couldn't even dodge your punch. So the gap between someone like me who is not on the Hidden Dragon List and you guys on the Hidden Dragon List is obvious."
"Brother Ji's ability is not in fighting. As you said, when stealing things, you use a dagger or even a poison needle. I dare not say whether I will fall into Brother Ji's hands."
Ji Chengkong was quite pleased: "That's right, everyone has their own strengths. Anyway, I didn't find anything useful during this exploration, and it wasn't fun at all. Your deposit is enough, and I don't have the face to ask for anything else. So I'll take my leave now."
"Hey, Brother Ji, wait a minute." Zhao Changhe chased after him: "I have something to ask you..."
Sisi tensed up instantly.
(End of this chapter)