Chapter 293 Walking on the edge of the cliff

Chapter 293 Walking on the edge of the cliff

After Gu Xu and Shangguan Jin returned to the Exorcism Department in a carriage, they immediately went to the observatory and truthfully reported what they saw and heard during this mission to Chief Luo. .

After hearing the news that "there is a waiter who looks exactly like a former member of the 'Shenji Camp'," Luo Chuan couldn't help but frown.

"This sounds a little weird," he said, "You two go deal with other things first. I will go to the palace later to ask about the recent situation of the 'Dragon Formation'."

Gu Xu and Shangguan Jin nodded.

Seeing that Chief Luo personally took over the case, they did not delay on the matter.

After leaving the observatory, neither of them spoke, but they went to the library of the Exorcist Department together with a tacit understanding to read the information about the previous generation's "Shenji Camp".

After a brief silence, Shangguan Jin pointed to a few lines on the information and said to Gu Xu beside him: "Because the first generation of 'Shenji Battalion' members had to go out frequently to deal with dangerous ghosts, they They all once left a 'soul lamp' in the yamen - if the 'soul lamp' goes out, it means that they have unfortunately died

"The 'soul lamp' left by senior Wu Danggui and his comrades. ', were all extinguished in the battle against Qiongqi, but no one could find their bones. "

Hearing her words, Gu Xu couldn't help but think of the "Snow Girl" and "Han Ba" in Qingzhou Prefecture - he secretly guessed whether the group of monks who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in the eighth year of Tianxing's reign were passed by A method similar to the "Zhao Ming Forbidden Technique" to bring back the dead in another life form?

"The 'Shenji Battalion' back then was definitely full of talents. Bao Xun, the master of formations, Zhuang Xingchen, the master of stick techniques, Mao Chichang, the famous 'poison doctor', and Su Ying'e, the Gu master from southern Xinjiang... were all among them. members. Their leader was the famous swordsman Su Hao, who had reached the sixth realm when he was under forty," Shangguan Jin continued, "But none of them could survive that mission safely. Return."

At this point, she sighed softly, took out the "Magic Token" from her pocket, and held it in her hand.

The golden sunlight shines through the window lattice into the library.

With the light, Gu Xu could clearly see the nine-tailed fox carved on the surface of the token, and also noticed a hint of sadness between Shangguan Jin's brows.

"Tell the truth, Fellow Daoist Gu," Shangguan Jin turned his head and showed a complicated smile to Gu Xu, "Ever since the Chief of Staff handed me this token, I feel both pride and fear. .

"I know that having the qualification to join the 'Shenji Camp' is the recognition of my qualifications and strength by the chief minister and the court. It is an enviable honor.

"I really want to seize this opportunity. This is a chance to climb a little higher to see the scenery from a higher place.

“However, as the ‘Long Night’ is coming, the ghosts and ghosts our generation of ‘Shenji Battalion’ will encounter will only be more powerful than the previous generation.

“Sometimes I really Afraid, what if we never come back during a certain mission..."

Her voice became softer and softer, becoming as thin as a mosquito fly, and soon it was like a wisp of smoke, completely Disappeared in the library, never to be heard again

Gu Xu looked at her elegant and graceful face, looked at her eyes that had become hazy due to loss of focus, and felt that she was a little strange today.

The impression Shangguan Jin left on Gu Xu was that he was always smart, capable and well-rounded. She seems to get along with everyone and handle everything with ease.

Unexpectedly, deep in her heart, there is still a fragile side and a fear of the future.

He pondered for a moment and said softly: "Actually, in my opinion, the long night is a doomed fate in this world. Whether we join the 'Shenji Camp' or hide in a corner, we will all encounter terrible things.

"In the 'Shenji Camp', although we often need to take the lead, from another perspective, we also have more opportunities to become stronger than outside. . ”

After hearing his words, Shangguan Jin covered his mouth and chuckled.

She took a serious look at Gu Xu, and the worry on her face instantly disappeared without a trace, and returned to the calm and elegant look of before.

"Gu Daoyou, you are the youngest among us," she teased, "but in the face of various crises, you are calmer than everyone else. Sometimes, I wonder if you are Really only eighteen years old."

Gu Xu smiled and did not respond.

As a time traveler, his mental age is originally more than eighteen years old.

Besides, since he came to this world, he has been living in the shadow of death and has been striving hard for the goal of living a long life. Because of this, he has become calm and unable to make big emotional waves.

Next, Shangguan Jin asked Gu Xu about his future arrangements.

Gu Xu replied without hesitation, "Go home and practice".

However, he thought that "Shuchangfang" had just opened and it must have been busy recently, so he needed to pay more attention to it, so he added: "Stop by my elixir workshop and have a look."< br>
Hearing the words "Elixir Workshop", Shangguan Jin became curious and said with a smile: "I have long heard that Fellow Daoist Gu built a new elixir workshop in Luojing, but because of the recent I am busy with work and have never had the chance to support you. I have some free time today. Can you take me to see you? ”

Gu Xu thought about it and felt that it would be difficult to operate a shop and workshop in a place like the capital without some background. As a native of Luojing, Shangguan Jin has a wide network of contacts. There may be places where she needs help in the future.

"No problem." He nodded and agreed.

…………

When Gu Xu came to "Shuchangfang" again, the steward Yang Shuo immediately dropped his work and went out to greet him enthusiastically.

In the past, Manager Yang had been working for the Shi family in Qingzhou Prefecture, and his understanding of Gu Xu was roughly "a young handsome man with amazing talents."

Now that he came to the capital, seeing the bustling streets of "Shuchangfang" and hearing all kinds of exaggerated rumors, he found that he had obviously underestimated this young man's talent and influence.

So on the one hand, he silently sighed, "Miss Shi has really good taste," and on the other hand, his attitude towards Gu Xu became more and more polite.

"Master Gu, earlier today, our workshop has signed an order with Dongping Hou, Yongcheng Bo, and the A Zi Battalion of the Capital Guard," Manager Yang said with a smile. Walking forward, he couldn't help but use a tone of asking for credit, and said to Gu Xu, "They have paid the deposit and will come here to pick up the goods in a few days."

Gu Xu nodded, sighing again in his heart Due to the speed of development of this workshop, even before it has recruited all the people, it has already entered the sight of Luo Jing's powerful people.

Shen Qiu’s ability to run the industry was indeed something he didn’t just blow off.

Thinking of Shen Qiu, Gu Xu casually asked Manager Yang: "Is Master Shen busy in there now?"

"Master Shen is not in the workshop," Manager Yang shook his head and replied, "He He said that he had an important matter at home and had to go back to Jinling to deal with it. He should be able to get back within two days. "

Gu Xu was not too surprised by this.

After all, as a son of a powerful family, Shen Qiu said that he wanted to leave the family, but he must have an unbreakable connection with the family, and he would definitely encounter a lot of messy and troublesome things.

Besides, Shen Qiu is a guest, not a servant, so he has a high degree of freedom.

Occasionally leaving the workshop for two days is normal.

Subsequently, Manager Yang brought a young man in his twenties to Gu Xu.

This man is of medium height, with a thin build, a pointed chin, and slanted eyes. He is wearing a cyan gown similar to Gu Xu's style.

"His name is Zhong Jun, and he is the alchemy apprentice our workshop just recruited today." Manager Yang introduced.

From Manager Yang, Gu Xu learned that this young man named Zhong Jun was a casual cultivator from nearby Xin'an County. He came to the capital three years ago and worked in many elixir stores in order to make a living. between workshops.

Since Gu Xu was in the limelight recently and "Shuchangfang" had just been built, Zhong Jun regarded it as a God-given opportunity and left his previous employer behind without hesitation to come here.

“I have admired Mr. Gu’s reputation for a long time,” Zhong Jun said with a smile on his face. “Being able to work under Mr. Gu is a blessing that will take me several lifetimes to earn.”

He kept talking flattering words, and at the same time he didn't forget to run into the room and pour Gu Xu a cup of hot tea.

Gu Xu had a calm expression on his face, but deep down in his heart he couldn't help but secretly comment: This person's ability to compliment others is too big compared to Guan Jin.

Shangguan Jin praises people very naturally and meticulously. He can always praise others and make them feel like a spring breeze.

But this Zhong Jun's words were a bit pretentious and exaggerated.

Even with Gu Xu's psychological quality, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

“Do a good job!”

In the end, Gu Xu didn’t know what to say, so he reached out and patted Zhong Jun on the shoulder, giving a simple sentence of encouragement.

Then, Gu Xu also introduced Shangguan Jin, who came with him, to everyone in the workshop.

I heard that Shangguan Jin was a trusted assistant and indispensable right-hand man to the head of the Exorcism Department. Everyone present had a look of surprise and awe on their faces.

After all, Luo Sishou, as a mysterious and powerful saint, rarely appears in public.

So cronies like Shangguan Jin and Chu Fengge are often regarded as the spokespersons of Luo Sishou - every word they say makes people can't help but guess whether they are the Sishou. The will that the adults want to convey.

But today, Shangguan Jin showed no pretensions, with an approachable smile on his face, and greeted everyone present cordially.

In addition, she also took out a large and exquisite three-legged alchemy tripod from the storage magic weapon she carried with her, with the outer wall carved with cranes, pine and cypress patterns.

"This is a small gift from me," she said with a smile. "I hope Shouchangfang will prosper and everything will go well in the future."

Manager Yang thanked him repeatedly.

Things like alchemy furnaces and alchemy cauldrons are indeed supplies that "Shuchangfang" needs very much at the moment.

The "Three-legged Alchemy Cauldron" has the meaning of prosperity and prominence, and the cranes and pines and cypresses on it symbolize longevity, which can be regarded as a just right wish.

It’s just that Gu Xu felt a little strange about this.

He thought that Shangguan Jin came to Shouchangfang with him today on a temporary basis. Unexpectedly, she prepared the gift in advance and kept it with her -

She had planned it in advance!

This woman’s thoughts are truly unfathomable.

As for the new alchemy apprentice Zhong Jun, his face became even more happy after seeing Shangguan Jin.

He came from a poor background and had no background. He had been wandering in the capital for a long time, but he had never become famous.

The reason why he left his original employer and came to "Shuchangfang" was because he had speculative thoughts and wanted to rely on Gu Xu, a rising star, to find a good job for himself. future.

Because of this, when he first met Gu Xu, he was eager to be attentive, hoping to be remembered by Gu Xu.

But he didn’t expect that besides Gu Xu, he would have the opportunity to meet another big shot in the Daqi Exorcism Department today!

This was an unexpected surprise for him!

So he rushed into the room again and brought Shangguan Jin a cup of tea. Compliments poured out of his mouth like a tide, and he praised Shangguan Jin from head to toe, from appearance to character, When it comes to cultivation and ability to do things, be as exaggerated as you want.

Shangguan Jin stood there and looked at him with a half-smile.

Seeing this scene, Gu Xu silently complained in his heart: Young man, do you know that you are playing tricks on your class?

I have to say that Zhong Jun's performance today reminded him of some young people who had just entered the workplace in his previous life - they couldn't wait to be liked by their boss, but because of some inappropriate words and behaviors, they were In the end it was self-defeating.

…………

At this moment, a gorgeous-looking box carriage came from the end of the street and stopped outside the door of "Shuchangfang".

An old man with a long beard dressed in fine clothes stepped out of the carriage with the help of a waiter.

The old man first raised his head and glanced at the plaque with the words "Shuchangfang" written on it. Then with a kind smile on his face, he walked straight towards the small building.

Since Gu Xu had never seen this old man before, he asked Manager Yang beside him: "Who is he?"

Manager Yang's eyes were solemn and he did not answer immediately.

He took out a piece of paper with more than ten names written on it from his pocket, read it several times, and frowned more and more.

After a while, he said to Gu Xu apologetically: "I'm very sorry, Mr. Gu, I just came to the capital not long ago and I don't know this guest."

Gu Xu looked at the note. He wrote in familiar handwriting and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Who wrote this note in your hand?"

"It was left by Mr. Shen when he left," Manager Yang replied, "He said, These people are all his clients, and they may have come to visit you in the past few days. But, Mr. Gu, please forgive me, I really can’t recognize which one of them this old man is..."

Gu Xu said nothing.

The Daqi Dynasty always paid attention to etiquette.

Failing to recognize the identity of the guests may sound trivial, but it also means disrespect for the host and the guests, which is extremely detrimental to the future relationship between the two parties.

However, just as Gu Xu was thinking hard about how to solve this problem, Shangguan Jin suddenly came to his ear and whispered to him: "This old man is the leader of the Wynn Chamber of Commerce." , whose full name is Ye Wuwei. One of his cousins ​​​​is a concubine of the Chen family in Xiangyang, and a large part of the funds for his chamber of commerce come from the Chen family in Xiangyang. Not long ago, his son just joined the Fufa Chamber of Commerce. My younger sister is engaged..."

While she was speaking, Gu Xu could clearly smell the calming and refreshing fragrance from the sachet around her waist.

He immediately remembered that Shen Qiu had also mentioned in front of him that Ye Huishou was the creditor of "Shuchangfang". He not only lent "Shuchangfang" a thousand taels of silver, but also waived Most of the interest.

But in the past, he always sent his housekeeper to deal with him, so no one in "Shouchangfang" recognized his identity.

"It would be too embarrassing if I couldn't recognize this funder's father today."

Gu Xu thought silently, thanked Shangguan Jin softly, then stepped forward with a smile and said The old man with a long beard said: "Ye Huishou came to visit me today, which really makes this small workshop of mine flourish."

Ye Huishou cupped his hands and smiled and said: "I have long heard that Mr. Gu is a gift from heaven. A proud and heroic young man, he truly lives up to his reputation when we meet him today."

"..."

The conversation between the two took place in the midst of business exchanges.

Gu Xu's image and conversation left an excellent impression on Ye Huishou.

Ye Huishou was in a happy mood, and with a wave of his hand, he placed an order worth hundreds of taels of silver on the spot - the Wynn Chamber of Commerce itself was not short of elixirs, and he placed this order obviously out of favor. , just to cheer up Gu Xu.

At the same time, he also mentioned that he has a daughter who is one year older than Gu Xu - if Gu Xu is not married, he might as well consider it.

Of course, Gu Xu decisively refused, and at the same time politely stated that he had already fallen in love with the person.

Ye Huishou felt very sorry.

However, Manager Yang next to him quietly breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself: This future uncle is really a hot commodity in the capital - if Miss Shi hadn’t known him early enough, I’m afraid it would have been a long time ago. It was snatched away by others.

…………

After Ye Huishou, several more distinguished guests came to "Shuchangfang".

They were all people Shen Qiu had contacted before, and Gu Xu didn’t know any of them.

Fortunately, Shangguan Jin followed him and told him the identities of these guests in time, saving Gu Xu from embarrassment.

These customers showed a very friendly attitude towards Gu Xu and did not hesitate to place orders. Seeing that Gu Xu was not married, they enthusiastically introduced partners to him.

But Gu Xu refused.

Manager Yang next to him looked very nervous.

He felt that it was necessary to write a letter to Master Qianhu Shi of Laizhou Prefecture, describing Gu Xu's popularity in the capital, and urging Master Shi to quickly make an engagement for his daughter to avoid long nights and dreams.

Although Gu Xu and Shi Xiaohan have a deep friendship, he is still a young man with a strong spirit. If a certain family wants to recruit Gu Xu as a son-in-law, marry him a beautiful and noble daughter, and provide him with a way to rise to the top in one step. However, Manager Yang couldn't guarantee that Gu Xu could resist this temptation.

…………

After all the guests had left, Gu Xu stood on the steps outside "Shuchangfang", looking at the people coming and going on the street, and felt a long Breathe a sigh of relief.

He must admit that the recent extremely high reputation, the support of many monks, and the attitude of guests rushing to show their kindness to him have really given him a feeling of ecstasy.

His current situation can be called "proud in the spring breeze".

In the entire history of the Daqi Dynasty, almost no one could achieve what he has achieved today at the same age.

But Gu Xu did not dare to relax.

Because his goal is still far away.

As long as one day he fails to become a saint, he will feel a sword hanging over his head, making him uneasy.

In addition, he also hides secrets such as the "Ziwei Fate", the white-haired boy, and the "Huilu Rune". He also learned about Emperor Tianxing's story behind the Lu family's murderous house case. Hidden secrets - these secrets will undoubtedly put him on the opposite side of the emperor.

If one day, the emperor discovers his secret, will his glory at this time be shattered in an instant like a flower in the mirror and a moon in the water?

Gu Xu didn’t think about it anymore.

He only felt as if he was walking on the edge of a cliff, and he had to be careful every step he took.

At this moment, Manager Yang came to him and reported to him today's income from "Shuchangfang".

Gu Xu listened silently.

Suddenly, he realized an important issue——

Shen Qiu has always been a very thoughtful person.

Since signing the cooperation agreement with Gu Xu, he has handled things in an orderly and flawless manner, and has never let Gu Xu worry about things in the workshop.

When dealing with powerful people, he can figure out everyone's thoughts and give them the most appropriate gifts.

According to his personality, if he were to leave Beijing for business, he should find the portrait and information of each customer in advance to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to recognize the customer's identity.

However, today, Shen Qiu threw down a note and left in a hurry - his handover work was completely unsatisfactory, so much so that Manager Yang looked at a loss when facing the guests.

This is completely inconsistent with Shen Qiu’s past style of doing things!

Gu Xu frowned.

He guessed that Shen Qiu might have encountered real trouble when he left Beijing and returned to Jinling City.

PS: 5700-word chapter, please vote for me!

Thanks to Xiaoyu 1115 for the 4500 reward and to Gu Xu for the 100 reward. Thanks to Love Eat Watermelon Juice i for the 2600 reward. Thanks to Da Ju for the 1666 reward. Thanks to Qingqing Suixin, Wu Feng, and Wu Feng for the 1500 reward. , Thank you to Mr. Li Mu for the 500 reward, thank book friend 20210624190028897 for the 500 reward to Lu Shiyao, thank the great scientist Chen Tianqi for the 100 reward to Shangguan Jin, thank thousands of black and white, book friend 20181114134753027, book friend 20210712233209213 for the 100 Reward!

(End of this chapter)