Chapter 296 Rescue
After Gu Xu finished writing the letter, he handed it to the government servant next to him, preparing to send it to Shen Qiu through the channels of the Exorcism Department.
Then he left the intelligence department and turned towards the warehouse of the Exorcism Department.
Now he has thousands of meritorious deeds to his name, enough to exchange for a "sky-breaking bead", which allows him to tear through the void and rush to Lin'an City as soon as possible.
But as soon as he went out, Shangguan Jin stopped him.
"Do you need me to send you there?" She smiled slightly, and the slender and sharp "Tian Yue Sword" appeared out of thin air in her hand, flashing with a light blue cold light, "I can help you save some merit."
< br>"Thank you," Gu Xu said politely, "but I'd better not trouble you. I'm sorry for wasting so much of your time today."
Shangguan Jin seemed a little unhappy with his attitude. So satisfied.
“We are all colleagues under the same roof, why do we say such different things?” She glanced at him, frowned slightly, and pretended to be angry, “And I think that when you go to Lin’an this time, , there will definitely be something that needs my help."
As she spoke, she took out a document from her sleeve and handed it to Gu Xu's hand.
"This is the investigation document from the Exorcist Department," she introduced. "Fellow Daoist Gu, you should know that when performing tasks, monks from the Exorcist Department sometimes need to enter private residences, sect gates, or other government offices. Under normal circumstances, outsiders are prohibited from entering these places.
“However, if you hold this document, you are equivalent to representing the court and conducting case investigations in the name of the Exorcism Department. Anyone who blocks you from the door is working against the imperial court. ”
Of course Gu Xu could hear the implication of her words.
He went to Lin'an He family's mansion to find someone. If he didn't have a justifiable reason, there was a high probability that he would be rejected by the other party. Outside the door.
Shangguan Jin's investigation document can obviously give him an official name.
"You are so considerate." Gu Xu sincerely thanked him.
"Thank you for the compliment." Shangguan Jin imitated his previous tone and said with the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
At this time, Gu Xu also noticed that this document not only had the official seal of the Exorcism Department, but also the autograph of Luo Sishou.
"Has the Chief of Staff also paid attention to this matter?" he asked.
“Actually, this is my imitation signature,” Shangguan Jin smiled. Seeing Gu Xu’s expression change slightly, she added, “To be precise, all the investigation documents in the Exorcism Department The signatures are all written by me. The chief minister is concerned about state affairs and takes care of all kinds of things, so we take care of them for him.”
"No one recognizes it?"
"As long as Luo Sishou himself doesn't raise any objection, even if others recognize it, so what?"
Gu Xu nodded.
Since Luo Sishou rarely appears in public to express his opinions, personal followers like Shangguan Jin are often regarded as Luo Sishou's spokesperson. People often speculate on Luo Sishou's thoughts through her every move.
“But I still plan to go to the warehouse to exchange for a ‘Breaking Sky Pearl’,” he said. “There is a distance of thousands of miles between Lin’an City and Luojing. Compared with flying with a sword, using the ‘Breaking Sky Pearl’ Pearl' can save at least several hours - this time is crucial to rescue a tortured and unconscious mortal
"Fellow Taoist Shangguan, you have given me a lot of help today, and I am very grateful. I have to complete the rest by myself."
After saying this, he took the Shangguan Jin and gave it to him. His investigative documents were hurried towards the end of the corridor.
Shangguan Jin stood there, silently watching his leaving figure.
After a moment, she shook her head with a chuckle and took out a few transparent and shiny beads from her pocket.
It is the "empty-breaking bead".
She hesitated for a while, considering whether to crush a bead and go to Lin'an City together - Shen Qiu's mother was a mortal. If she was seriously injured and her life was in danger, as a skilled doctor, she should be able to save her life with a high probability. .
But thinking that Gu Xu always rejected her, she gave up this plan and took back all the "empty-breaking beads".
She told herself that after all, this was a private matter between Gu Xu and his disciples, and with his ability, he should be able to handle it easily.
Shangguan Jin has always regarded himself as an egoist.
She may have always given some help to others, but she would always weigh the pros and cons and would never do anything without asking for anything in return.
Today can be said to be an accident.
"Maybe I should ask him for some reward." She thought silently.
So, she took out the "Magic Token", and with a thought, she sent a message to Gu Xu:
[Linghu: Fellow Daoist Gu, if you encounter trouble that cannot be solved in Lin'an , be sure to send me a message and I will send you reinforcements. 】
After a while, she received a reply from Gu Xu:
[Suzaku: Thank you, I will. 】
“This person is really polite when he talks.”
While commenting, she continued to send messages:
[Linghu: By the way, if it’s convenient for you, Can you bring me a box of rouge from Lin'an Makeup Shop when you come back? I heard others say that the rouge in that shop is of particularly good quality and is very popular among women from the south of the Yangtze River. 】
Looking back at this, Xu responded very readily:
[Suzaku: OK. 】
His answer was very concise.
Shangguan Jin could feel a hint of relief from it.
"It seems that he is also a person who doesn't like to owe others favors!" She smiled and commented silently in her heart.
…………
It's February, and spring has begun to show in Lin'an City.
Gu Xu traveled through the void and came to the door of the He family's mansion. He saw lush green trees in the yard. Even through the high walls, he could smell the fragrance of the vegetation.
Since the doors of these aristocratic mansions are only open to extremely noble guests, Gu Xu went to the relatively low side door and showed the investigation document Shangguan Jin gave him in front of the guards outside the door.
“I, Gu Xu, the head of the Exorcism Department,” he introduced himself, “recently received news claiming that there are suspected signs of ghost activities in your mansion. For the safety of your mansion’s personnel, I must We have to enter the house and conduct an investigation. I hope you can actively cooperate.”
“Ghost?”
Hearing Gu Xu's words, the guards at the He family's mansion all had strange expressions on their faces. They are all mortals. They usually stand guard outside the He Mansion, mostly for appearance. Ghosts are undoubtedly very scary existences to them.
But at the same time, they also felt something different - there were ghosts in the house, but why were the practitioners of the He family not aware of it?
But Gu Xu had the document in his hand, which had both the seal of the Exorcist Division and the signature of Luo Division, and they didn’t dare to believe it.
"I'm going to report it to the head of the family." A guard said nervously, then turned around and hurried into the courtyard.
A moment later, an old man with gray hair and a slightly stout figure, accompanied by several servants, came to Gu Xu.
This person is none other than He Zhaosong, the head of the He family.
He was wearing a tapestry coat, a mink fur coat, and suede boots. The various accessories on his body were magic weapons that exuded the aura of true energy. He looked graceful and noble without any disguise. The land demonstrates one's wealth.
"As expected of the newly rising upstart in the Jiangnan region." Gu Xu commented silently in his mind.
Since Mrs. Shen He Ru, along with the people around her, believed that the confidentiality work was very complete, it was impossible for others to know that the maid named Ningxiu was quietly brought to the He Mansion, and they never expected that Gu Xu would A mortal maid came to Lin'an City all the way from Luojing.
Therefore, no one present doubted the motive of Gu Xu's visit, and they all felt that he should be here to do the exorcism department's mission.
After some polite greetings, Gu Xu took out a copper coin from his pocket and began to do divination.
He silently recited the names of "Tai Shang Haotian" and "Emperor Zi Wei", asking about the traces of ghosts, but what he asked in his heart was the location of Ningxiu.
It can be said that "the heart and the mouth are different".
Then he gently tossed the copper coin.
When it fell to the ground with a clang, the word "天" in "天行通宝" pointed to the northwest.
"The ghost is over there." He stretched out his hand and pointed toward the northwest.
He Zhaosong raised his eyebrows and looked slightly surprised.
He is nearly seventy years old, and he has seen other monks search for ghosts in various ways before - some set up formations, some used magic weapons, some closed their eyes and recited incantations to sense the flow of Yin Qi...
But it was the first time that Gu Xu could confidently determine the location of a ghost just by tossing a coin.
"No wonder I often hear others say that this young man named 'Gu Xu' is very popular in Luo Jing City, and many famous geniuses are no match for him," He Zhaosong thought secretly, "He really has What a real talent.”
Next, Gu Xu, led by He Zhaosong, walked through large and small courtyards and winding corridors towards the northwest of the He family's mansion.
On the way, he would occasionally stop, either to sense the surrounding atmosphere with the power of spiritual consciousness far beyond that of a monk at the same level, or to throw up an old copper coin again to confirm the direction.
Soon, he came to the northernmost courtyard of the He family's mansion.
This courtyard is small and empty, with only a few trees with sparse branches and leaves rustling in the wind, making it look particularly deserted.
Gu Xu walked in first.
He Zhaosong stood behind, looking at his back, frowning, always feeling that Gu Xu might have discovered something.
But he thought about it and felt that how could a Luo Jing genius like Gu Xu care about a little mortal maid - just like a person walking on the road, how could he care about the person at his feet? Ants.
So He Zhaosong drove the doubts out of his mind again and stopped thinking about this issue.
However, at this moment, Gu Xu suddenly pointed to a dry well in the courtyard and said, "I think there may be something wrong with that well."
This well is a dry well.
It is located next to a dead tree, and the mouth of the well is covered with wooden boards.
Hearing this, He Zhaosong's heart tightened, and he said without hesitation: "Master Gu, are you sure where it is? What if the ghost has a way to deceive his perception?"
Gu Xuqing He laughed and responded: "Wouldn't you know it if you saw it with your own eyes?"
As he spoke, with a thought in his mind, he used his true energy to remove the wooden board covering the wellhead out of thin air—— He noticed that there were several small holes in the wooden board, which seemed to be used for ventilation.
Then he walked to the well, looked down, and sure enough he saw a figure.
Due to the dim light in the well, he couldn't see the man's face clearly.
But with his spiritual perception ability, he could feel that the man's life breath was extremely weak.
“There is indeed something strange inside.” He said in a playful tone.
Before He Zhaosong and his servant could react, Gu Xu used the "Meteor Walking on the Moon" movement technique and jumped into the dry well like a ghost.
And in the palm of his hand, a bright fire burst out, making the dark bottom of the well become bright.
Then he saw an elderly woman in ragged clothes lying unconscious on a pile of dry thatch. Her body was covered in bruises and blood. Next to her, there was a barrel of distiller's grains that was usually used to feed pigs.
This is undoubtedly a shocking picture.
Gu Xu couldn't help but squint his eyes.
He couldn't imagine how cold-hearted Mrs. Shen was to imprison a mortal woman in a dry well and do such a cruel thing. And the He family also condoned her doing such things, and even helped her do evil.
"Perhaps in the eyes of this group of people with both power and cultivation, mortal servants like Ningxiu are just like livestock." Gu Xu thought silently.
In this world, monks and dignitaries undoubtedly have the power of life and death over mortals. Although the laws of Daqi impose restrictions on it, it is still impossible to fundamentally eliminate cruelty.
He sighed softly, and with a thought, he took out a few talismans from "Xianyunju" to heal Ningxiu's injuries.
Gu Xu only has a general understanding of medical skills, but is not proficient in it.
These talismans of his only had the simple effect of stopping bleeding and restoring energy, but they could not completely help Ningxiu heal her injuries.
At the same time, he did not forget to shout to the outside of the well: "He Zhaosong, you are so brave, you dare to hide the prisoners of the imperial court in your own courtyard! Do you know that you are openly contemptuous of the imperial court of Qi?" The majesty of Ningxiu’s crime of theft is itself fabricated.
But now, Gu Xu is blaming He Zhaosong for this matter, which is undoubtedly very ironic.
He Zhaosong was silent for a few seconds, frowned and responded: "Master Gu, aren't you here to search for traces of ghosts? This matter should not be under the control of your exorcism department, right?"
Gu Xu smiled and made up nonsense: "This woman is related to a case I am investigating. I originally planned to ask the government for her, but I didn't expect that she was kidnapped by you and imprisoned in this well. Bottom.”
He Zhaosong said lightly: "How should I believe what you said?"
Gu Xu once again picked up the investigation document Shangguan Jin gave him, waved it in front of He Zhaosong's eyes, and said: "The Exorcism Department gave me full authority Responsible for investigating this case. I have no obligation to explain to irrelevant people like you."
He Zhaosong sighed and stopped talking for a while.
He knew that he could no longer hide what he had allowed his daughter to do.
At this time, Ningxiu beside Gu Xu suddenly woke up.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw the bright entrance of the well and an extremely handsome young man beside her.
"Are you..." she asked in a weak voice.
“My name is Gu Xu, and I am Shen Qiu’s friend.” Gu Xu smiled and said softly.
Hearing "Shen Qiu's" son, Ningxiu seemed to suddenly gain strength. Ignoring the pain of the wound, she stood up suddenly, sat upright on the thatch pile, stared at Gu Xu and said, "Where is Shen Qiu? Is he okay?"
"He is safe. If If nothing else, you should be able to meet each other soon," he said as he took out a spare robe from "Xianyunju" and handed it to Ningxiu, "It's very cold here. It might be a little bigger, so just use it.”
Ningxiu looked at the robe that appeared in Gu Xu's hands out of thin air, and was stunned for a moment, her face a little frightened: "You... are you also a practitioner?"
"I am a practitioner like Shen Qiu. ," Gu Xu smiled kindly, "It's just that I'm not good at studying, and my current cultivation level is still one level lower than him."
Gu Xu's words obviously brought the two of them closer, and also made Ningxiu. Become less nervous.
Then, Gu Xu took out another "Fengxing Talisman" and handed it to Ningxiu's hand.
"Put this paper on your body," he said, "I will take you out of this well and find Shen Qiu."
"But...but will they agree?" Ningxiu pointed to the wellhead. The "they" she said obviously refers to Mrs. Shen and the He family who imprisoned her in a dry well and caused a deep psychological shadow on her.
“They don’t need to agree.” Gu Xu chuckled, with confidence in his eyes.
Ningxiu stopped talking.
According to Gu Xu's instructions, she put on her robe and attached the "Wind Talisman" to her body.
Then Gu Xu supported her with one arm and used his body skills. The two of them flew into the air as lightly as swallows, flew out of the well mouth, and then landed steadily on the ground outside.
At this time, He Zhaosong's face was very gloomy, and he was obviously in an extremely unhappy mood.
But this matter is the fault of the He family after all, and Gu Xu has the support of the exorcist department behind him, so he can't do anything. He can only watch silently as Gu Xu supports Ningxiu and faces the He family. Walking towards the door step by step.
I don’t know how much time has passed, He Zhaosong took a deep breath and slowly said: "The proud man of heaven who is the center of attention in Luojing City is actually willing to personally support a dirty and humble maid. This is really an amazing thing. Something I can’t believe.”
A servant hesitated for a moment and said respectfully: “Sir, as far as I know, this Master Gu is from a commoner’s background, and his parents have neither cultivation nor official status.”
“No wonder.” He Zhaosong smiled.
At this time, his mood was very complicated. He knew that after today's incident, the He family and this Da Qi Tianjiao were on opposite sides, and there would be almost no chance of getting together in the future.
"Go and send a message to my daughter," he told the servant beside him, "I have something to talk to her about."
…………
Outside the He family mansion, Gu Xu met Shen Qiu.
After receiving the letter from Gu Xu through the channel of the Exorcist Department, Shen Qiu immediately took control of his natal creature and rushed from Jinling to Lin'an City.
He was extremely worried about his mother's safety.
He really wanted to enter the He family mansion to find where his mother was.
But the guards of the He family blocked him from the door, and no matter what he said, he was not allowed to enter.
Just when Shen Qiu took out a few talismans from his pocket and prepared to force his way into the He family mansion by force, the figures of Gu Xu and Ningxiu suddenly appeared in his field of vision.
"Mom!" He couldn't help shouting when he looked at his mother's staggering steps, her blood-stained face, and the obviously ill-fitting blue robe.
Hot tears instantly filled his eyes.
When Gu Xu and Ningxiu crossed the threshold and walked out of the door, he immediately rushed forward with three steps in two and then fell on his knees in front of his mother with a "plop".
"Mom, the child is unfilial and did not take good care of you..." His voice was filled with tears. The emotions held in his chest were released at this moment.
Shen Qiu believed that his mother was obviously tortured like this because of him.
So he felt guilty.
His head hit the ground repeatedly, but he didn't feel any pain at all.
"Azhuang, mom is okay, mom is fine, don't do this..." Ningxiu looked at her son, feeling a little dazed and a little distressed.
Only a few months have passed since the two last met. But at this moment, they felt as if they were in another world.
As for "Azhuang", it was the nickname given to her son by Ningxiu.
Perhaps because Ningxiu was often beaten, scolded and punished during her pregnancy, Shen Qiu has been frail and sickly since he was born. She hoped that her son would become strong and not die prematurely.
Shen Qiu did not die young, but he did not become stronger either.
But in the indifference of the world, a strong heart gradually grew.
“This time, thanks to your friend, Mr. Gu,” Ningxiu pointed to Gu Xu beside her, “it was him who rescued your mother from that dry well. Yes. You must keep his kindness in your heart, and if you have the opportunity in the future, you must repay him."
Hearing this, Shen Qiu felt guilty again, just because. He was so excited to see his mother that he ignored the narrator's benefactor for a moment.
He knew that today Gu Xu not only told the news about his mother, but also traveled thousands of miles from Luojing to Lin'an City in person to rescue his mother from the He family's mansion.
In this world, there are probably very few other owners who can help their customers to this extent.
If it hadn't been for Gu Xu, Shen Qiu might have thought that his mother had been sent to the northern border with the corvee team. Then, in anxiety, he searched all over the country like a headless fly - until then, My mother was probably tortured in the dry well of the He family until she was reduced to human form.
So he prostrated himself on the ground again and said from the bottom of his heart: "Master Gu's kindness today will be forever unforgettable by Shen Qiu. From now on, I hope that Master Gu will obey you. If Master Gu orders you, Shen Qiu will go through fire and water without hesitation." "
If we say that before this, the reason why Shen Qiu chose to go to Gu Xu's house was because he had a speculative mentality and felt that Gu Xu had outstanding talent and was highly appreciated by the saint, so he embraced him as soon as possible. My thighs will be better suited to the shade under a big tree in the future.
Now, he is sincerely convinced of Gu Xu, respects his character, and feels that he is a person truly worthy of his service.
"Brother Shen, you don't have to be like this," Gu Xu immediately stretched out his hand to help him up, "You and I are not only guests and hosts, but also friends. As friends, we should share blessings and share hardships. What you did in Shouchangfang before , I haven't had time to thank you properly."
"That's different," Shen Qiu said stubbornly, "Those things in Shouchangfang are my duty, but yours today. What I did was out of love. But now that I have left my family, I have nothing but my skills. I really can’t give you anything to repay your kindness——"
"——It’s in my heart. When I came to Lin'an, I didn't think about asking for anything in return."
"So this is what I appreciate about you."
Gu Xu coughed dryly, feeling a little displeased by his praise. Good riddance.
Then he glanced at Ningxiu beside him and felt that the top priority was to help her heal her injury as soon as possible.
"Brother Shen, do you know there are good doctors in Lin'an City?" he asked.
Gu Xu came in a hurry and wanted to save merit, so he only exchanged one Sky Breaking Bead and used it on the way here.
Given Ningxiu's current physical condition, it is obviously unrealistic to send her to the capital by flying with a sword.
So they could only find a doctor on the spot to treat her injuries.
"In my impression, there seems to be a doctor named Qin on the edge of Xiling Lake, who opened a relatively famous medical clinic..." Shen Qiu scratched his head and said uncertainly.
At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in Gu Xu's ears: "I heard that you are looking for a doctor?"
Gu Xu turned around following the voice and found Shangguan Jin. At some point, he appeared in the shade of a nearby tree, looking at him with a smile.
“Fellow Taoist Shangguan, why are you here too?”
“Don’t you welcome me? Then I will go back.”
"Of course not," Gu Xu paused and explained, "You sent a message in the 'Shenji Token' asking me to bring you a box of rouge from the makeup shop. I thought you wouldn't come to An'an in person. "
"I'm afraid you can't tell the types of rouge and buy the wrong one," Shangguan Jin smiled softly, "Pomegranate Jiao, Da Hongchun, Xiao Hongchun, Wan Jinhong, Tiangong Qiao. , Luo'er is stunned... How many can you recognize?"
"I can't recognize any of them," Gu Xu said frankly.
In his last life on Earth, he was a straight man who couldn't tell the difference between lipstick shades; in this life, although he is well-read, he still knows nothing about women's cosmetics.
Seeing his honest look, Shangguan Jin found it interesting.
At the same time, Shangguan Jin noticed that Gu Xu was supporting a trembling old woman with Shen Qiu. Although her face was scarred and there were dust and blood on her body, she looked like a woman who had been on the road all year round. He was a beggar begging for food; but Gu Xu didn't dislike it at all. Instead, he took the initiative to let the woman lean on him and pay attention to her physical condition with a solemn expression.
"Let's go back to Luojing first!" Shangguan Jin took out a few "empty-breaking beads" from his sleeves and said, "As the best doctor in the exorcism department headquarters, this matter, I will do my job.”
“Aren’t you here to buy rouge?” Gu Xu glanced at her in surprise.
“I won’t buy it,” she said. “I still have a lot of them in my house. It’s a waste to buy them now and pile them up. It’s better to buy them again in June, and by the way, I can go to Xiling Lake to see the lotus flowers. "
Gu Xu shook his head gently, feeling that the woman's thoughts were really confusing and unpredictable.
PS: A 7,000-word chapter.
(End of this chapter)