Chapter 383 "Father, Zhao Duan has brought people to knock on the door!" (2-in-1)
In the empty mountain forest, only large pieces of fallen leaves were left floating down.
Zhao Duan was silent, regretting that in order to maintain his composure, he did not ask about the return route in advance, but now that the people had left, he could only walk back by himself.
"It seems that the location I teleported to is not too far away."
Zhao Duan, with his extraordinary hearing, could vaguely pick up the sound of running water.
"I don't know what the situation is like at the Yansuo Lake now... Well, after I was taken away, Duan Shuishui and Qi Yuchun lost their target and would inevitably evacuate. Therefore, Lao Hai and the others should not be in trouble. I'm afraid they are looking for me right now. Where to go... Gee, who would have thought that a spy could be planted here? "
"Well, after returning to Beijing, I can report to Zhenbao and see what arrangements will be made next, if the princess can really lurk. , stabbing King Jing in the back at a critical moment may have a miraculous effect."
"Oh, I wonder what King Jing will think when he learns that the assassination failed."
Many thoughts passed through his mind. An followed the sound of water as he shuttled through the forest. In the process, he took out the elixir, kneaded it, applied it to the wound on his shoulder, and briefly bandaged it.
After a while, he rushed out of the forest, his eyes suddenly opened up, and the cold wind blew in his face, blowing his hair back.
Ahead was a lake hundreds of miles in diameter.
Yansuo Lake!
He saw at a glance the huge, landmark "Earth God Statue" in the distance.
"Hiss... Am I being teleported directly to the lower reaches of Yansuo Lake? Hey, the fighting has really stopped."
Zhao Duan put his hand on his eyebrows. "Pergola", looking into the distance, the fighting in the world can no longer be seen.
I could vaguely see my boat on the river approaching the shore. As for the more specific details, it was too far away to see clearly.
"I won't need to swim back...the area around here is desolate, not even a human figure." Zhao Duan's mouth twitched, and he had a headache on how to return.
Suddenly, his heart moved, and he remembered his other goal for this trip to Huting.
Look for the ancient artifact hidden at the bottom of Yansuo Lake: the Black Turtle Seal!
In the past few days, because there were too many people paying attention to him in Huting, he never found an opportunity to hunt for treasures, but now was a good opportunity.
"But, Pei Niannu only said that the treasure is at the bottom of the lake, but where exactly is it? In such a big place... I can't sneak in and explore a little bit..."
Zhao Duan frowned, Suddenly he remembered his experience in the capital, searching for the "secret passage".
With a thought in his heart, he spread out his palms and condensed the white jade "leaf" in his palms!
"If this thing is really a key, then it might be connected to the 'lock'..." Zhao Duan murmured.
At the moment, he slowly transferred his energy into the white jade leaves, calmed down, and tried his best to detect with the perception of the middle grade of Shenzhang.
Whoosh...
The mountain breeze blows across the water, causing ripples in the lake.
Zhao Duan sensed it again and again, and gradually realized something was wrong. He adjusted his direction and walked along the lakeside. Gradually, the resonance-like ray inside Luoshan Jade was extremely weak and difficult to detect. The pulse becomes clearer and clearer.
"There is a door!"
Zhao Duan's eyes lit up, and he was not in a hurry to return, so he just grabbed the feeling and walked little by little.
After about half an hour, he finally stopped at a lake paved with rocks and covered with weeds.
“It’s the richest here!”
Zhao Duan was about to take off his clothes and dive into the lake to explore. Suddenly, the Luoshan Jade in his hand gave off a rich light and slowly floated. The lake in front of him also rippled.
"Crash..."
Then, in his surprised eyes, the lake in front seemed to be separated by invisible forces, and a waterless line slowly formed in front of him. , the passage diagonally downward!
So magical... Zhao Duan suppressed his surprise, stepped on the mud at the bottom of the lake, and walked forward step by step. Luo Shanyu was also slowly pulled downwards by some gentle force.
It was like being in an aquarium in a previous life, walking along the corridor with glass walls on both sides.
Zhao Duan could even see fish swimming in the water.
Finally, he reached the bottom of the lake, and a mountain col buried at the bottom of the lake appeared in front of him. On the surface covered with moss, a shield-like circular pattern could be vaguely engraved.
Zhao Duan estimated the location and found that this place happened to be on the "line" where the Earth God statue was looking.
"Is it a coincidence? Or..."
While thinking, the leaf-shaped Luoshan Jade floated straight and pressed itself against the gap in the center of the stone pattern.
Then, the mountain col shook slightly, and with a heavy "zaza" sound, the stone door in front of him opened on its own, revealing a downward staircase.
Zhao Duan took out the torch he had stored in the scroll, lit it with flint, and walked down.
This is a small cave with an unobstructed view. It is about the size of a large house, with simple stone tables, chairs and beds.
They were all covered in dust and no one had been there for a long time.
On the walls of the cave, there are paintings of gods, with vaguely visible turtles and snakes, as well as the familiar statues of gods that are the embodiment of the "Dao of Heaven" of the Taoist sect.
At this moment, with the influx of fresh air, the mural quickly dimmed, as if the frozen time was accelerated.
"...Is this some kind of cultivation cave? Don't tell me it's a cemetery..."
Zhao Duan carefully looked around and made sure there was no danger and there was nothing in the cave. Skeletons.
It's just a simple cave.
The owner seemed to have tidied up before leaving and everything was in order.
A tattered futon on the ground, neatly placed with a whisk.
Zhao Duan touched it with his boot. In an instant, the whisk disintegrated into broken dust, and the surface of the futon also cracked.
“……”
He turned around and finally walked to a low stone pillar in the center of the cave.
There was a box placed on it. Zhao Duan carefully controlled the Golden Crow Flying Knife and opened it. When he saw nothing unusual, he walked over and was surprised to find two objects placed in the box.
A jade slip and something similar to a seal.
“Is this the mysterious turtle seal that Old Xu searched hard for six hundred years ago but failed to get?”
Zhao Duan suppressed his excitement and picked it up first. After opening the jade slip, there were more than a hundred characters engraved on it.
It was left by the owner of the cave.
It turns out that the owner of this place is called "Xiaoyao Sanren". He claims to have been practicing for two hundred years and occasionally obtained the Black Turtle Seal. He doesn't like to compete for fame and wealth, and only wants to be free in the world, so he wanders around.
When I came here in my later years, I was delighted to see that the landscape was in good shape, so I settled down and carved a statue of the earth god. I used the earth image of the "earth god" to neutralize the strong water image here. ', and dug this cave that collects the spiritual energy of the earth's veins.
Due to his short lifespan, he simply placed the magic weapon Black Turtle Seal, which was fought over by the Jianghu people, here to be conceived and raised.
I took the Luoshan Jade as a "key" with me when I went out, preparing to find someone who was destined to give it to me.
I hope that future generations of successors will inherit this treasure and refrain from committing such sins as murder.
There were not many words. Zhao Duan read it quickly and his expression became strange.
"So, is the legend of Yansuo Lake true? It was this Xiaoyao Sanren who excavated the statue of the gods back then? The purpose was to improve Feng Shui? To conceive a magic weapon?"
"He entered the rivers and lakes for the last time , it seems that he died outside, and the key somehow ended up in the hands of Master Zhuo... But the Imperial Master obviously doesn't know the origin of this thing..."
Zhao Duan was a little sad, Putting the jade slip away, he finally picked up the ancient artifact that had caused a bloody storm.
It is a square seal, dark green all over, not big, and can fit in the palm of your hand.
The "seal button" above the seal is in the shape of a divine turtle, simple and exquisite, with the four characters "Turtle Water God" at the bottom.
On the surface, it belongs to the path of "Water God".
Zhao Duan was cautious and tried to use Wufu Qi to cross over, but encountered a backlash. At the same time, a cool "information" entered his sea of consciousness.
Almost instantly, he grasped the authority and ability of this ancient artifact.
The Black Turtle Seal holds the power of the water god's line of magic.
With this seal, one can control water flow and master a series of water-bending techniques.
In addition, there is a mustard space in the seal, which can swallow water to store and release it.
It also has the ability to affect the weather of an area, making it rain or clear... Of course, the size of the area that affects the weather depends on the level of cultivation of the caster.
Finally, what Zhao Duan cares about most is that this artifact can absorb the spiritual power of heaven and earth on its own and condense mana.
That is to say, martial arts can also be used, but if the internal mana is exhausted, it will take time to slowly replenish it.
Not surprisingly, Lao Xu was searching hard at the beginning, and it must be something that warriors can use. What's more, after the "Martial God" path is promoted to the divine chapter, to a certain extent, Qi machine can be used to replace mana.
For example, the "Spirit Flame Burning Heart" mastered by Zhao Duan is an example.
"This thing can cast almost all the spells of the 'Water God' series? There is no upper limit? Doesn't that mean that if I am a warlock and major in Vulcan, as long as I have this weapon? , is it equivalent to a fellow cultivator of water and fire? "
"I am a warrior in the divine chapter realm now, and it is equivalent to a water god warlock in the divine chapter realm? When I step into the world, will I be a worldly realm warlock? "
"And it is self-charging, which means that for me, it is equivalent to carrying a warlock of the same level with me... Well, it's a rechargeable version..."
"It's a bit buggy... …No wonder Old Xu never forgot it.”
Zhao Duan clicked his tongue in surprise.
According to what he said, if you master the Black Turtle Seal, you can become a character similar to the "Lord of Mizusawa".
"Since you have been entrusted by your seniors, I will not be polite. As the saying goes, those who are virtuous will take possession of treasures..." Zhao Duan coughed and said with some guilt: "Am I considered virtuous?"
After putting the Black Turtle Seal in his bag, Zhao Duan looked around again and found that there was really nothing in the cave, so he returned the same way.
Whoosh...
On the shore, Zhao Duan raised his right hand, and the dark green seal on his palm slowly turned. With a thought in his mind, the separated lake in front of him healed.
He stepped onto the lake, as if he were walking on flat ground. Without him walking, the waves dragged him quickly towards the distance.
“Senior Pei is honest and true, and he has one more trump card.”
Zhao Duan was in a good mood. Today's assassination not only brought in a human-level spy, but also obtained a magic weapon. This trip was worthwhile.
“Next, the market will open tomorrow, and the matter in Huting will come to an end.”
……
……
< br>Yansuo Lakeside.
The crowd of onlookers had dispersed like birds and beasts.
A building boat with its second floor damaged was heading towards the shore.
On the deck of the ship, Xu Junling and his maid Lv Shui stood together with a group of soaked officials. Their faces were ugly, and the atmosphere was depressed and tense.
Several masters of the World Realm were not present. Hou Renmeng and Shen Juan were both injured, but the injuries were not serious, but they were very anxious now.
"Quick! Dock to the shore quickly!"
Hou Ren fiercely waved his scabbard, and the crowding deck railings banged. The surviving boatmen remained silent, and kept their heads down and drove the boat as fast as possible.
I was afraid of offending this official.
After Zhao Duan was abducted by the princess, the fighting on the lake came to an end. Duan Shuihui and Qi Yuchun escaped, while Eunuch Hai and the other three went separately to look for Zhao Duan.
A group of officials did not have such means, so they could only rush to land anxiously, hoping to contact Feng Ju and other officials in the city as soon as possible to mobilize officers and soldiers to search.
Or...
Why not simply surround Prince Jing's residence? To ask for someone?
This thought appeared in the hearts of a group of Jinyi in Lihuatang. As they looked at each other, they had the urge to lock people up forcibly.
"Princess..."
The maid Lv Shui caught a glimpse of the fierceness in the prickly eyes of these people in Lihuatang, and was startled. She moved closer to Xu Junling and whispered Say:
“What next?”
Xu Junling was also troubled. Even though she was known for her intelligence, she lacked the training of blood and fire.
Lack of clear understanding of the cruelty of political struggle, I did not expect that the other party would actually use extreme means to arrange this round of assassinations.
Now that Zhao Duan has been snatched away by a strong man, the situation is already very doomed. How will the King of Huai'an gain a foothold next?
Thinking of the trouble that might follow, her face turned pale, she clenched her fingers, and her palms were wet with sweat.
“We…”
As soon as she said these two words, she suddenly heard the sound of water splashing behind her. She turned around and looked back, her eyes widening suddenly!
Looking as if he had seen a ghost!
At the end of the building, where no one was paying attention, Zhao Duan, who was soaked from the water, jumped up from the water, landed on the deck, and raised a weak face towards her. Showing a bright smile:
"Princess, what's wrong, don't you welcome me back?"
The rest of the people on the deck also turned their heads, and then they all showed shocked looks.
"Sir... Your Majesty?!" A group of prickly people in Lihuatang shouted in disbelief.
Zhao Duan squeezed the water from his body with a smile and said:
"Why don't you go to the cabin to find dry clothes for me?" A group of Jinyi's eyes were wet with excitement, and they all shouted After repeatedly checking around him, everyone smiled and asked questions.
Xu Junling also walked over with a confused look on his face: "You... are not dead?!"
Zhao Duan smiled arrogantly and said lightly:
"Some people are a little naive if they want my life. Haha, does the princess think that I have no life-saving cards when I come to Huting?" "
He casually mentioned the details without going into detail. As for the wet look on his body, he was naturally pretending to do so.
It’s not good to be arrogant and show off the black turtle prints.
The trump card... Yes, it is not surprising that he has a life-saving trump card. So, did the surprise warlock miss? Did he just escape from diving? Or maybe it was teleported back to the bottom of the water...
The princess, who was good at thinking, quickly rationalized it, and a smile appeared on her dull little face, as if she was crying and laughing:
"You don't know, I was just scared to death..."
Zhao Duan haha With a smile, he asked: "Where are the others?"
Shen Juan quickly explained what happened, and finally said:
"The Duanshui River ran very fast. As soon as you disappeared, he He escaped. As for Qi Yuchun, he also wanted to leave, but Ji Yue stopped him and was severely injured by Eunuch Hai who caught up with him. The commander is here to be killed, but... even if he is not dead, he is almost there.”
Zhao Duan was a little disappointed, but he also knew that nothing was perfect, so he said seriously:
"Where are the soldiers on the ship? How many were killed or injured in the water battle?"
Hou Renmeng held the hand from the cabin He came out with dry clothes and whispered:
"Our people are fine, only five were injured. Three of the brothers from the Forbidden Army died, and six or seven were seriously injured."
Zhao Du An was silent for a moment and said:
"Retrieve the bodies and give me a list of the injured. When I return to Beijing, I will personally ask for merit and compensation for them."
"Yes."
"By the way, stay. A few people, bring back the corpses of the assassins and the corpses of the archers hidden in the statue of the earth god. I am of use."
"Yes"
"Eunuch Hai and the others don't have to look for it. , I will come back later. As for now..."
Zhao Duan squinted his eyes, looked at the lake pavilion ahead with his hands behind his hands, and said:
"Follow me back to the city!"
……
……
On the mountain road.
The cold wind was blowing, and birds flew from the direction of the lake pavilion, making an unpleasant squawking sound.
In the carriage, the Little Heavenly Master sensed the sudden cessation of fighting in the distance, and a look of suspicion appeared on his fierce face.
He pinched his fingers and quickly communicated with the gods' "way of heaven" to make calculations.
The deduction of heavenly law is extremely difficult to predict what will happen in the future, but it is much simpler and easier to predict what has happened in the past.
"Huh? Are you alive? Surviving from a desperate situation, there is a hint of disaster in the past and good luck. Does this young man have any backup plan?"
The little Heavenly Master looked at the hexagram and was slightly surprised. He smiled and looked at the burly old monk sitting cross-legged opposite, and said with a smile:
"It seems that you have made a miscalculation in this round."
Nagarjuna's expression was indifferent, not disappointed, and said calmly:
"Amitabha, God has the virtue of a good life, how can I be a person who likes to kill? Besides, I have already said it several times. This time, it wasn’t to take his life, so what’s the miscalculation?”
“Humph, it’s all your mouth anyway,” the little Heavenly Master said disdainfully.
Nagarjuna Bodhisattva patted his buttocks and stood up, restrained his condensed and invisible appearance, and said:
"Now that the dust has settled, I will leave now."
"Where are you going? "
"People from the Western Regions are here. As a Bodhisattva from Shenlong Temple, I come from Danggui Temple."
"Haha, aren't you afraid that the empress will cause trouble for you?"
Nagarjuna Bodhisattva said confidently: "The poor monk has never set foot in Yansuo Lake today, what trouble does your majesty bring with me?"
"..." The little heavenly master raised his head and sighed, "In terms of thick skin, the great monk has no shame. On the right. "
He put away the Crimson Tide Sword on his knees, patted the pure white horse's neck, and turned around.
"Where are you going, little Tianshi?"
"Oh, Pindao will personally take you back to Beijing to prevent you from getting lost along the way and turning back."
Nagarjuna Bodhisattva: "..."
...
Huting City, Dafeng Tower.
The highest one serves as the sixth floor of the observation deck.
Huai'an King Xu An, who is rich in stature and businessman's temperament, has a solemn expression, his brows are pacing anxiously, and he frequently looks in the direction of Yansuo Lake outside the city.
Beside him was a broken lens barrel.
Behind him, a servant of the royal palace remained silent.
The King of Huai'an only learned that his daughter was invited to go out of the city today after the princess left the city.
The first reaction of this shrewd and sophisticated fox was to feel uneasy.
The servants hurriedly went to retrieve the young lady, and returned to Dafeng Tower again, sealing off the sixth floor and overlooking the outside of the city.
As a result, he witnessed the fighting in the world.
The King of Huai'an almost fainted. While urging his son Xu Qian to take the master guards out of the city, he waited anxiously.
Unfortunately, due to the cover of the exploding lake waves and the distance problem, he quickly lost the whereabouts of his daughter, not to mention her life and death.
"My lord, please be patient. The princess is a rich woman, and the assassins dare not hurt her." Behind him, the old servant of the palace comforted her.
Pang Wang of Huai'an no longer had a calm expression on his face, and said anxiously:
"In a fight, who can say that there won't be accidental injuries? Besides, how insidious is Zhao Duan? I'm afraid he will bring Junling to protect himself..."
As he said that, he patted him with his fat hand bitterly. When he got off the railing, there was a little regret in his eyes:
"Xu Wen..."
He felt a little regretful that he had pushed the two sides too tightly. Once Zhao Duan was really dead, from that capital The niece's anger will inevitably be poured out on him.
Suddenly, on the street below Dafeng, someone galloped toward him on horseback, and it turned out to be the crown prince Xu Qian.
The King of Huai'an was heartbroken and hurriedly led people downstairs to greet him. The father and son met downstairs. The first thing King Huai'an said was:
"Can your sister still..."
Xu Qian turned over He dismounted, panting, and shook his head when he heard this.
The king of Huai'an shook his body as if he was struck by lightning. He was so frightened that the servants behind him hurriedly helped him:
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
Immediately, Xu Qian was seen supporting his knees with both hands, standing up slowly, waving his hands and saying:
"No...no one is fine, no injuries..."
"...Can you speak? Can you die if you breathe hard?" King Huai'an widened his eyes and kicked him.
Xu Qianling dodged with an aggrieved look on his face: "I lost my temper..."
The King of Huai'an let out a long breath: "It's good that Junling is fine, what about Zhao Duan?"
Xu Qian said: "He was kidnapped by a mysterious warlock."
King Huai'an's heart skipped a beat, and he paced in place with a serious look on his face:
"Oops, oops. ...This person is dead, and the imperial court's opening of the market is going to be ruined. It's okay. The key is His Majesty's side, and..."
"No...the person is not dead," Xu Qian blinked. Eyes, clear and innocent:
"He was indeed kidnapped, but later he ran back for some reason and suffered a skin injury. He will be later and has already entered the city."
King Huai'an: "..."
"Father?"
"Shut up, my father is thinking!"
...
Another one In the house.
Under the dark eaves, Prince Jing sat in a bamboo chair, his elegant and noble face filled with the triumph of a victor.
Zhao Duan's death would indeed cause trouble, but by the time the news came back to the capital, he had already returned to the base camp to build the Tao.
Besides, none of the people involved in this assassination had a direct relationship with Prince Jing’s Mansion.
The princess did not reveal her identity.
After Duanshui left his disciples, he was not even considered a member of Emperor Wu City. It would be difficult for the empress to find someone to take revenge on. Maybe she would find someone to take revenge on, Shenlong Temple?
Add another crime to the abbot Xuanyin in the capital?
Prince Jing was happy to see this come to fruition. There were many factions within Shenlong Temple, and their thoughts were very mixed. This was a point that could be exploited. This time, he was just trying to make a big move.
The sound of footsteps approaching quickly.
With his eyes closed, Prince Jing could tell the identity of the person just by looking at his footsteps.
"The results are out? Is Zhao Duan completely dead?"
Xu Jinglong rushed into the mansion. Faced with his father's indifferent inquiry, the wealthy prince was suddenly speechless.
"What? Are you mute?" Prince Jing's tone was displeased.
Xu Jinglong finally swallowed his foam and said in a hoarse voice:
"I... tell my father, that Zhao Duan... is not... not dead."
"What?!"
Prince Jing opened his eyelids and stared at the prince in front of him in disbelief. He stood up suddenly and stared at him:
"What's going on? How come he's not dead?!"
< br>Xu Jinglong was frightened by his father's selective gaze and took two steps back. He looked panicked and waved his hands to explain:
"I don't know, I just followed your order and went out to wait for the result. Then I saw that, Zhao Duan led a group of men into the city in a grand manner, as if... deliberately telling everyone that he was safe and sound..."
"Bang! "
In Prince Jing's hand, the safe and sound card was instantly crushed! The cracks collapsed and deep cracks appeared!
Prince Jing looked ugly and was about to say something when suddenly there was a loud sound of heavy objects falling in the backyard.
He suddenly turned around, abandoned the prince, walked through the house and entered the backyard, only to see a blood-stained green suit falling to the ground.
The seriously injured Lu Yan'er reluctantly stood up and threw a half-broken long sword on the ground. She leaned on the flower bed and gasped, the silver mask on her face almost cracked.
"What are you..." Prince Jing's heart skipped a beat.
Lu Yan'er shook her head without explaining, closed her eyes and adjusted her breathing.
"Father...ah, aunt..."
Behind him, the crown prince Xu Jinglong followed cautiously and saw this scene.
Prince Jing clenched his fists, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said without looking back:
"Go get your aunt's wound medicine. Go quickly!"
< br>
"Oh...yes..." Xu Jinglong ran away in a hurry.
Prince Jing panted for a while, then slowly exhaled to calm his agitated mind.
He turned around and walked out of the backyard without talking to Lu Yan'er, closed the door, and summoned the prince's confidants:
"Go immediately and find the agents from the other six families. This prince We need to discuss something!”
“Yes...”
"Here comes..."
For a time, King Jing issued several orders in succession, and the temporary residence was as serious as a military camp.
"Father..."
Suddenly, Xu Jinglong left and came back again, his expression mixed with shock and anger.
"What happened again? Didn't I ask you to get medicine?" Prince Jing couldn't control his temper and said angrily.
Xu Jinglong trembled and said bravely:
"Father, Zhao Duan came to our door! The leader was just outside the hospital, and he also... dumped several corpses at our door!"< br>
Prince Jing’s expression suddenly changed.
Then, the father and son heard Zhao's loud voice coming from outside the courtyard:
"Prince Jing, come out and meet me!"
——
ps: I want to order both at once, so I will release a two-in-one chapter these days. This chapter has 6,800 words.
(End of this chapter)