(Thanks to readers "Heathers" and "Eagle Walking in the Wind" for their tips.) ）

Yecheng Assassin Shi sent three officials to check the "monster" of Siguo Valley.

The three of them were very polite, and they gave up their hands when they saw people, but they refused to report their official positions and names, and no one in the valley stopped them, allowing them to look around.

The three of them walked around the valley, stopping from time to time to whisper conversations, writing a few strokes on paper, and taking their leave after nearly two hours, still polite.

Chang Yanzhi asked them, "Found the monster?" ”

One person smiled and said: "We are just a few little scribes, just record what we see and hear truthfully, don't say that there are no monsters in this valley, even if there are, we don't dare to catch them, we won't catch them." ”

Just one day apart, the people who dare to catch demons and know how to catch demons came.

An old Taoist with four young disciples, escorted by a team of officers and soldiers to Siguo Valley, first set up an altar at the mouth of the valley, burn talismans to invite God, the old Taoist held a sword and a magic bell, the mouth recited words, the disciples beat the gong and chime, the momentum is quite huge.

More than a dozen officers and soldiers watched from a distance, and it didn't take long for some people to come one after another to see the excitement, most of them scholars from the city, standing behind the officers and soldiers, shaking their heads one after another.

"What are they doing here?" A scholar asked.

The leader of the officers and soldiers stopped the scholars, did not allow them to come forward, and replied: "You can't see this? Exorcise evil spirits and chase away demons. ”

"The earth is strange, the upper is to be vigilant, and the lower is to clean up the common people. Thinking about the lush grass of the valley demons, Lord Thorn Shi either bowed down to introspection, or punished the source of the demon, why did he do this thing of pretending to be a god and a ghost? I'll wait ......"

The officer did not like to listen to such words, and ordered the officers and soldiers to drive the onlookers away, "Tell the outpost over there, don't let everyone go, watch it strictly." ”

Lao Dao didn't care about the doubts of the scholars, he danced with his own hands, and the mantra was suppressed and frustrated, and suddenly shouted, and rushed into the valley first, followed by two disciples, and the other two guarded the side of the altar, and said to the officers and soldiers: "Master has gone to catch demons, please retreat a little bit, so as not to be hurt by the demonic spirit." ”

When the officers and men withdrew from Rich, they could see the outpost, and if the monster broke out, there would be no way to escape.

Lao Dao rushed into the valley, striding into the meteor, still chanting words in his mouth, occasionally stopped, stretched out his hand, and the disciple who followed behind him immediately stepped forward and wore a yellow paper talisman on the grass.

In the courtyard, more than a dozen people stopped to watch, and the old way ignored them, passing through the middle, only stopping in front of the old servant.

The old servant was stuffed with a piece of paper in the collar, half of which was exposed, he was so frightened that his face was colorless, and he stood still, and Chang Yanzhi and the others were also bluffed, looking at each other, not daring to move, and not daring to ask.

Lao Dao glanced at room by room, did not enter the door, only stopped at the door for a while, two disciples cooperated, one brushed the batter, the other sticker, the technique was skillful, the footsteps almost did not stop, and he was able to keep up with the master closely.

Xu Ji has two rooms, one is a bedroom, and the other is originally Fan Guan's residence, and the two are adjacent.

Lao Dao stayed at the door of Fan's closed residence for a little longer, put away the magic bell, flipped his five fingers, pinched the good luck, the two disciples checked the master's expression, kept sticking notes on the door and wall, more than thirty later, Lao Dao was finally satisfied, and walked to the next room.

The two disciples had already been proficient in brushing the door and pasting talismans, and even if they encountered such a change as the door suddenly opening and someone coming out, they didn't have time to stop, until the paper talisman was pasted on the door of the other party's head, and they realized that something was wrong and stopped immediately.

The person who was labeled screamed, and the old man who was walking in front hurriedly turned back, hesitated for a moment, and said to the man: "Don't move!" ”

Colorful held back her screams, really motionless, she could only look to both sides with her peripheral vision, and saw two little Taoist priests, but couldn't see the old Taoist opposite.

"You have a demonic aura in you." Lao Dao would never admit that this was a mistake.

"I—I'm not a monster." Colorful trembled, under the influence of the county lord, she is usually arrogant to outsiders, but at this time she has no temper at all.

"You're not a youkai, but you've been in contact with youkai."

"Huh? I didn't, I didn't see anything strange. ”

"Not at all?"

"Uh......" Colorful lived in the palace for a long time, and suddenly came to the remote Siguo Valley, to say that no strange thing has happened, it is a lie, "One night, I saw a dark shadow passing by the window, and I couldn't see ...... in a blink of an eye"

"This is it." Lao Dao said with certainty.

"What kind of youkai is that? What am I going to do? ”

Lao Dao read a few words vaguely, danced the sword with his right hand, and took off the paper talisman with his left hand, "Okay." ”

Colorful let out a long breath, "The demonic spirit is gone?" ”

"Well, you don't have much contact, I came in time, and I can still save your life."

"Thank you Dao Ye for saving your life." Colorful going out was originally going to quarrel, but in a blink of an eye, it turned into thanks.

"But the root of the curse has not been removed, and the monsters are still hiding in the valley. Go back to the house, and don't come out until I'm done." ”

Colorful hurriedly retreated into the house and closed the door gently.

Lao Dao glared at the two disciples and reminded them to be careful, and the two blushed and put a talisman on the door.

After all the rooms were passed, Lao Dao led his disciples deep into the valley and went to the place where the demonic energy was the heaviest, the tomb of Fan Guan.

Xu Ji is weeding here.

Zhang Shiqing didn't like this place at first, he lived for a long time, and he was afraid to go away, so he often followed, sat on the tombstone, read the military newspaper while chatting, and many times asked and answered himself, if he accidentally answered wrong, he would blame Xu Ji.

"You're not right, how can someone as smart as Huan Yan be helpless? Ning Baoguan is just a reckless man, who happened to deceive the emperor's trust, and he didn't need Yecheng to send troops, just call the county soldiers in Jiangdong to sweep him away. Even the excuses are ready-made, just say that he hijacked the Son of Heaven and established a puppet dynasty......"

Lao Dao just came, he didn't recognize the county lord of Fangde, but he could guess it, stopped far away, and said loudly: "I don't know that the county lord is here, the poor road collides, and Wanwang Haihan." ”

Zhang Shiqing followed Xu Ji here early in the morning, he didn't know what had happened outside, stood up, and said blankly: "Who are you?" ”

"Poor Dao is a Taoist priest riding a bull on Laojun Mountain, with a cheap name Moyun, and he came to get rid of the demon on the order of Lord Shi."

"Demon slayer? What kind of demon is excepted? ”

"I think about the frequent appearance of demons in the valley......"

Zhang Shiqing was puzzled, "I've lived here for a long time, and I've never seen a monster." ”

"The demon grass here is luxuriant, there are often snakes and foxes haunting, and some people have come to this valley, dizzy, and they are bedridden for several days after returning home."

Zhang Shiqing was even more confused, and turned his head to look at Xu Ji.

Xu Ji said with a smile: "Please let go of Daoist Moyun to get rid of the demon, let's change the place." ”

Zhang Shiqing whispered: "Really go?" ”

"Well, there is a road that needs to be repaired by the back mountain stream."

Xu Ji walked towards the back mountain, Zhang Shiqing hesitated for a moment, followed with a step, and turned around after a few steps, and saw three Taoist priests circling around the tomb, yellow paper talismans flying around in the wind.

"If Mr. Fan is alive, he will definitely not allow Taoist priests to enter the mountains to do wrong." Zhang Shiqing caught up with Xu Ji and said with some dissatisfaction.

"Haha, this is not nonsense, Moyun Dao Chief is also entrusted by people and loyal to people."

"Entrusted by the history of assassination? Well, things are a bit weird, although Zhou Guan is a magistrate of Yecheng, but he has already been cleaned up by Huan Yan, and he never dares to act without permission, it is quite unusual to send someone to check the valley the day before yesterday, and today he asked the Taoist priest to come over to get rid of the demon - is this Huan Yan's idea? ”

"I guess I have her approval."

Zhang Shiqing thought for a long time, and after turning over the ridge, she said: "Huan Yan is helping you, I hope that after the Taoist priest gets rid of the demon, those scholars will not talk nonsense, so you don't stop it, let them post charms everywhere, right?" ”

Xu Ji smiled: "You can be the second Huanyan County Lord." ”

"Hey, I don't want to be her, I'm figuring out people's hearts all the time, fighting with outsiders, and fighting with my own people, it's not fun at all, I prefer the old joy, and now she doesn't even drink." After walking for a while, she said again: "And one happy face is enough, she can't tolerate a second person of the same kind." ”

Xu Ji looked at Zhang Shiqing, his face slightly surprised.

"What, what did I say wrong?"

Xu Ji shook his head, "I'm just...... It's surprising that you can say such a thing. ”

"Are you laughing at me for not daring to challenge Huanyan, or do you mean that I am self-aware?"

"I'm complimenting you for having a clear heart."

"I just want to be happy, not transparent. So I don't want to read these military reports anymore, it's boring, guess and guess, it's better to ask you directly. I'm going to do something else to add some fun to this valley. ”

"Do you have an idea?"

"I've got everything ready, and I'll be able to deliver it the day after tomorrow, I won't say it now, and you'll understand when the time comes." Zhang Shiqing smiled, "Can you guess what it is?" ”

"I can't guess that kind of thing."

Zhang Shiqing was even more proud, "You also have to participate, and you are not allowed to refuse." ”

"As for me, I need to know what it is."

"Not necessarily. If you say set fire, you will set fire, if you say weeding, you will weed, you say read the military newspaper and read the military newspaper, and after living in the valley, listen to you as much as you want, and listen to me once. ”

"Okay." Xu Ji should inherit it.

There is a clearing by the stream, the people in the valley often carry water here, step out of a slope, wet and slippery after the rain, it is very easy to fall, Xu Ji takes off his shoes, selects a suitable stone from the bottom of the stream to pad on the road, cancels the slope, and creates a small platform.

Zhang Shiqing won't help, she also takes off her shoes, wades barefoot in the water, chases small fish and shrimp, and rummages for strange stones, not to pave the way, but to collect - at home, she has many strange collections that she has collected on a whim, so many that she has no time to clean up, and occasionally sees it, and can't even remember why she liked it in the first place.

Xu Ji paved the road, feeling quite tired, and looked at Zhang Shiqing, who was still full of energy, with a smile on his face.

"Can I go back?" Zhang Shiqing asked loudly.

"Hmm."

The two sat side by side on a large rock by the stream, drying the soles of their feet.

"After the Taoist priest excludes the demon, no one will come to make trouble, right?" Zhang Shiqing remembered this again.

"It's hard to say."

"Do you want to 'wait'?" Zhang Shiqing had already guessed the answer, and sighed lightly, "You have to wait for everything, wait for the missed opportunity, and see what you do." ”

"The timing is rare, and it's even harder to find the right moment."

"You just don't have faith." Zhang Shiqing put on his shoes, ran in front, and quickly turned over the ridge and disappeared.

Xu Ji climbed to the top and vaguely heard Zhang Shiqing's singing.

In the valley, the Taoist priests had left, the paper talisman was still there, and the old servant was able to move, but he still didn't dare to take the yellow paper on his chest.

A large group of servants stood guard in the courtyard, and when they saw the lord of Fangde from afar, they immediately rushed up.

Xu Ji stopped in the distance and watched.

Soon after, Zhang Shiqing squeezed out of the crowd and ran over and said: "My father wants to take me back to the house, saying that no matter how late it is, I will go back, I heard that there is a distinguished guest in the house." Can you guess the father's intentions? ”

Xu Ji could guess it, but he didn't want to explain, and shook his head, "What game are you ready for?" ”

Zhang Shiqing said with a smile: "When the things are delivered, you will know, you practice first, and when I come back, you don't lose too badly." ”