The sun is just right in spring, and the rainy season has not yet arrived, so every household is rushing to take out the old bedding and old cotton clothes at home to dry them and get rid of the cold and musty smell accumulated in a winter.

A few boat girls made an appointment, and while the weather was fine, they wanted to go to the river to wash their clothes.

Yesterday, the chief of the Suzhou city went door-to-door to distribute realgar powder, told it to be sprinkled on the riverside outside the house, and also told people with daughters at home not to approach the riverbank unless necessary in the near future. Although I didn't say why, the story of the snake demon in the painting boat had already spread in the city.

It was the girls who agreed to do laundry together by the river and take care of each other.

"The serpent was as long as four or five grown men combined, and had a body as thick as a bucket. Got out of a beautiful woman's skin and flew into the air, which was terrifying. ”

"I don't believe it. We grew up by the river, how have we ever seen such a big snake? But crocodiles, water turtles, and herring fish can grow to the size of a person, and they have to be washed ashore in the summer when there is a lot of water, so that we can take a look. ”

"You're right, the snake is so long that it's hard to see. I've heard that the big turtles and big kings in the river are all specialized in eating water snakes. I heard the old man say that snakes are the most spiritual. When it grows to the thickness of an arm and the length of a person, he will climb to the deep mountains to cultivate into a Jiao. ”

However, Zhang Jiashaodong, who is in a street restaurant, heard that he saw the big snake with his own eyes on the Qingyin painting boat yesterday. I looked at him gesturing, a snake more than ten feet long, obedient, his body can wrap around the painting boat. Also, I heard that the wealthy dealer in the city, his son-in-law was also killed by the snake demon, and his body was swallowed, leaving a human head ......"

"Don't talk about it, the more you talk about it, the more scary it becomes."

Everyone chatted together, and the time passed quickly, and it was almost noon when the girls were going home to cook.

Xiao Cui walked a few steps with her sisters, touched her head, and found that the pomegranate hairpin she had just bought yesterday was missing! It was bought by her sympathy for Lang Lang to go shopping together, and she cherished it very much. I thought about washing clothes by the river, and when I looked in the mirror at the river, the hairpin was still on my head.

The little sister who was walking in front of her saw her stop, and also stopped and said, "What's wrong?" ”

"My hairpin is gone, I'll go back and look for it."

"Hey! Wait, the chief said, so we can't go to the river alone. ”

The little sister persuaded her, and Xiao Cui had already dropped the barrel and ran out for a few feet. She turned back to her little sister and smiled, "It's okay, I'll go back when I go!" ”

The little sister couldn't catch up with her, so she could only be left to look at the barrel and the clothes in the barrel.

After a while, I saw Xiaocui walking over wet and drenched.

"Why have you been around for so long?" The little sister complained.

Xiaocui said: "I accidentally fell into the water, and I ended up in such an embarrassment." ”

The little sister asked her, "Have you found your hairpin?" ”

Xiao Cui was stunned and said, "Ah...... I didn't find it, and I fell into the water and got wet. It's unlucky. ”

"Alas, let's go! It's okay, let Qiao Lang buy another better-looking one for you tomorrow. You've got your bucket. The little sister reminded Xiao Cui to follow her.

Only then did Xiao Cui react, and turned around to get the barrel containing the clothes.

Poor hairpin, inlaid with pomegranate shape, left alone among the rubble by the river, a wave hit, and was swept into the river and sank, never to be seen again.

The poison in Ji Cunyan's words is not deep, and there is a Gu King who treats her for poison, and on the second night, she is already alive.

Kitsune Fluttershy tells her to finish her medicine. Ji Cunyan pouted and said, "This medicine is bitter when you look at it...... I'm all fine, so I don't need to drink any more medicine, right? ”

Fluttershy said, "But Little Zhang told you that the medicine he prescribed for you should be boiled into one bowl of two bowls of water, and all of them should be drunk, and the residue will not be left, so that the snake venom can be removed." Although the Gu King has cured poison for you, but the Gu King is also poison after all, how can he absorb the poison so thoroughly? ”

Ji Cunyan was still reluctant to drink the medicine, she thought for a while and asked, "This medicine Zhang Ji prescribed?" ”

Fluttershy nodded, "Little Master Zhang doesn't say anything, but he cares about your injuries. I was told several times last night before leaving. ”

Ji Cunyan lowered his head, glanced at the bowl of medicinal soup, and then patted his collar.

The Gu King slowly slipped out of her collar.

Ji Cunyan said: "Good friend, this medicine was prescribed by your father, I don't know if he poisoned me, otherwise you will try the poison for me?" ”

As soon as the Gu King heard this, he immediately turned his head and pointed his butt against the bowl of medicine, and the meaning of refusal was very clear.

Ji Cunyan said: "Look! You see! A medicine that Gu Kings don't take! It must not be a good thing! ”

Fluttershy hides her mouth and smiles.

At this moment, Zhang Ji happened to come over, and when he heard Ji Cunyan say this, he frowned and said, "It's a good thing that it knows a fart!" Do you know how expensive this medicine is? Do you know what a medicine primer is? …… Uh, forget it, it's better that you don't know the medicine primer. ”

Who knew that Ji Cunyan was very clever, raised his eyebrows, and said, "What is the medicine primer?" You see that you look like a thief, this medicine primer must not be an evil sect, or a very disgusting thing. ”

"Where you shouldn't be smart, you're really smart."

"Phew! My aunt and grandmother are always smart and icy. ”

When Lei Qi came in from outside, Ji Cunyan was tricked into pouring the bowl of medicine by Zhang Ji and Fluttershy. Seeing his own senior brother come back, Ji Cunyan was so aggrieved that tears came out.

However, Lei Qi didn't have time to listen to Ji Cunyan's complaint, so he only said to Zhang Ji: "I have already arranged it with Jin Zhutou outside." ”

Zhang Ji nodded, looked up at the half-hung bright moon above his head, and said, "The moon is dark and the wind is high at night, when a hundred ghosts walk at night." ”

Ji Cunyan looked at Lei Qi, then at Zhang Ji, and asked, "Is there any action tonight?" ”

Lei Qi nodded and said, "According to my analysis with Xiao Zhang Tianshi, whether it is the male snake or this female snake, every time you commit a crime and kill someone, it is at night. ”

Ji Cunyan tilted his head and thought for a while: "Those girls were all found floating by the river the next morning, and the young master of the Zhuang family died in the bed of the top brand of the Qingyin Pavilion at night, as for the prince of Dingnan...... According to Zhang Ji, he should have died with a romantic debt. That's right. ”

Lei Qi said: "Now the story of the snake demon killing people is spreading in Suzhou City, since yesterday, the painting boat has been closed to dock, and there is a strict curfew in the city. This snake was injured by the male yellow sword by seven inches, one is absolutely not brave to make waves during the day, and the other is that the city is heavily guarded at night, if it wants to start, I am afraid that it will not be so easy. But...... If she wanted to recover from her injuries as soon as possible, she would have to find another man to cultivate the Inner Dan and absorb the essence of the living. At night, there is one kind of person who is very dangerous. ”

Fluttershy is a little confused, only frowning slightly.

However, Ji Cunyan was really smart, and clapped his hands and said, "Ah! Hit more! ”

Lei Qi nodded, "That's right." I have already instructed Jin to catch the head of the watch, and replace all the people who fight at night with the fast catchers in the house, a group of ten people, one person pretending to be the one who fights the watch, and nine people secretly protecting. As soon as he saw a woman wandering outside at night, he immediately notified us with a whistle. ”

Ji Cunyan said: "Then without further ado, let's hurry up!" ”

Zhang Ji looked at her and said, "We? ”

"Hmm!"

"What are you making a fuss about? You can't beat the snake, it's still its defeat. ”

Ji Cunyan glared at him and said, "You are right, I can't beat that snake." But I can beat you! ”

Jin Zhutou smiled: "It seems that Miss Xiao Ji is no longer a big deal. ”

At this moment, a man dressed in coarse cloth clothes and dressed as a civilian by the catcher stumbled into the courtyard of the post station.

When the people saw him like this, they knew that something urgent was happening. They all put away their jokes and became nervous.

"What happened?" Jin Zhutou asked him.

"City ...... A fisherman's family in the south of the city...... Something went wrong. He gasped and finished his sentence.

That's Cui's home.

At this time, the house was lit up by torches and candles, and the wide open wooden door spewed out a smell of blood. provoked Ji Cunyan to frown.

"There are four people in a family, and three are gone." "A couple with a ten-year-old boy. ”

"A family of four." Lei Qi repeated.

"Yes. There is also a girl at home, named Xiaocui. Baochang, you come on! ”

"Yes, yes, yes." The chief stepped forward, saluted Lei Qi, and said tremblingly: "The little cui girl of the Zhang family is a great beauty in our ten miles and eight towns here." We inspected Zhang's house at night and found that the door was wide open, and no one answered when we knocked on the door, so we came in to see who wanted to ...... Hey, it's miserable. ”

A family of three, the parents died in the hall, and the son died in the inner room, all with their eyes wide open, and there was still a look of horror on their faces, and their bodies were twisted into a posture that they could not pose when they were alive no matter what, as if they were pinched and squeezed by an invisible hand, which was very terrifying.

These yamen were quick to catch, and the neighborhood chiefs also showed frightened looks, and in the flickering candle flames, everyone's faces were cloudy.

However, Zhang Ji was alert, and quickly jumped out of the tragic situation of this family, and asked: "This little cui girl, can she be a good match, or have a good match?" ”

The chief looked at the neighborhood, and then said, "There is a lover, named Qiao Lang." ”

Zhang Ji hurriedly asked, "Where does Qiao Lang's family live?" ”

Bao Chang said: "Qiao Lang works in a dyeing factory, and he eats and lives in the owner's house. It's just two miles to the east. ”

Zhang Ji said to the chief of the body: "I'm sorry for you to lead the way, we have to hurry up and find this Qiao Lang." ”

The woman is useless to the snake demon, but she can only be provided with a beautiful painting skin. What this snake demon wants is for a man to collect yang and replenish yin and cultivate Neidan. Yes, Xiaocui's family killed it simply, and Qiao Lang was her target.

The night was getting thicker, but the bloody breath in the wind lingered, and he followed everyone closely, accompanying him all the way.

When he arrived at the gate of the dyeing workshop, the chief of the security guard stepped forward and raised his hand to knock on the door, but before his hand touched the door panel, the door "creaked" open.

Lei Qi hurriedly pulled the chief guard behind him to protect him, for fear that a giant snake would come out of the crack in the door.

But the hall of the dyeing workshop is brightly lit, empty, quiet, and even more weird.

Lei Qi frowned, and Zhang Ji followed behind him. Both of them stood still in front of the hall door, but neither entered.

Jin Zhutou said: "Are we late?" ”

Zhang Ji said: "We shouldn't be late, this is someone who is earlier than us." ”

"What do you mean by that?"

"The floor and roof beams of this hall, the window lattice screens, are all written with dark character spells, so that the monsters can go and never return." Lei Qi Dao.

"But Xiao Zhang Tianshi has obviously been with us all the time, ah, could it be Master Jian of Qin Tianjian?" Only then did Jin Zhutou react and sighed, "This Lord Jian is so capable!" Not only did they get ahead of us, but they also set up all the magic circles. We...... Don't go in and help? ”

Lei Qi said: "Entering rashly can only destroy Lord Jian's magic circle, this is not the entrance, we can only bring out the magic circle to live the door." ”

For the first time, Zhang Ji took out a compass from the cloth bag around his waist. This compass is small and exquisite, only half the size of Zhang Ji's palm, the disk body is wooden and deep, there is a sense of time that gathers the aura of heaven and earth, the small silver pointer on the compass, swinging sharply from side to side, it seems that the magic circle here is very powerful.

Zhang Ji said: "Master Lei, you walk fifteen steps east and climb over the wall. I'm answering from the west. ”

Lei Qi nodded, turned around and walked east as instructed.

Ji Cunyan wanted to follow Lei Qi over, but was stopped by Zhang Ji. He said to Ji Cun: "You follow me." ”

At this time, Zhang Ji's expression was solemn, and Ji Cunyan followed him.

Who knew that after the two came to the west wall of the dyeing workshop, Zhang Ji said to Ji Cunyan: "How are you doing light work?" ”

Ji Cunyan said: "Of course it's better than you." My third brother said that I couldn't beat people, and I had to learn the ability to escape first. In the entire Xuanjing Hall, no one can outrun me. ”

Zhang Ji breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then you send me over the wall, isn't it a problem?" ”

Ji Cunyan sneered.

Lei Qi climbed over the high wall in the east and entered the room and came to the dyeing workshop behind the hall. Horses of colourful cloth are hanging here, ready to be put on the shelves when they are dry. The breeze blows, and the cloth lifts the corner view with the wind, making the whole backyard even more confusing.

Lei Qi held the Longquan sword in his hand, and used the scabbard to pick up the goose yellow silk cloth that stood in front of him, and saw Jian Shaolin also holding the sword and standing next to a well.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, Jian Shaolin looked back, but he didn't seem surprised by Lei Qi's arrival. Just said lightly: "You came later than I expected." ”

Lei Qi also got straight to the point with him and asked, "Did you catch that snake demon?" ”

"Of course not! The four corners of this formation are complete, and there is no trace of breaking in. It can be seen that he is also in the air? Zhang Ji rushed to speak at the root of the west wall. There was still Ji Cunyan standing next to him, who couldn't help laughing.

Jian Shaolin looked at Ji Cunyan very unexpectedly. This girl was very poisoned yesterday, and I thought that her life was not guaranteed, but when I saw it today, she seemed to be fine.

Zhang Ji walked to Jian Shaolin's side and looked down at the well: "This is the door you left behind?" ”

Jian Shaolin said: "If the snake demon approved the girl's skin, ate Qiao Lang, and was sealed in all directions, it could only abandon this human skin and escape from the well." It's a pity...... You led people to make such a big battle, how could the snake demon be fooled? ”

"You're saying we're scared?" Ji Cunyan followed over and also looked at the well, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and he couldn't see anything clearly under the wellhead of the black hole, "What about Qiao Lang?" ”

"Don't worry, he's safe."

"How did Master Jane get one step ahead of us?" Lei Qi asked, "This formation is well distributed, which shows that the person who arranged the formation is quite calm, you must have been here for some time, right?" ”

Jian Shaolin said lightly: "From the light." ”

"You mean, when all the houses in the city lit candles and lit fires to cook, there was no one in Xiaocui's house, and it was a black hole. So you notice something is wrong? Ji Cunyan added.

Jian Shaolin nodded.

"That's a good idea. But how do you know that someone lives in his house? Maybe the whole family went to relatives, or maybe it was an empty house? ”

"There are still clothes and bedding drying in front of his house, and he doesn't look like no one. I pushed the door open and found three bodies. ”

"Why didn't you report to the police?" Lei Qi asked.

Jian Shaolin turned to look at him and said, "I'm the official." ”

What he said was not unreasonable, so that Lei Qi had nothing to refute for a while.

"It's a pity...... The snake didn't come to Qiao Lang either. Ji Cun said, "But can you really subdue that snake demon demon with this demon array?" I think that female snake demon has a lot of mana, but it is much more difficult to deal with than the male snake without Nedan. ”

Jian Shaolin said: "If you don't fight, how do you know that you can't fight?" ”

"But what are we going to do now? Do you want to wait here? You also said that we have already scared the snake, dozens of torches surrounded the cloth dyeing workshop, no matter how stupid that snake is, it will not come in and kill people without defense, right? Ji Cun said.

Lei Qi said: "After so long, the snake demon hasn't come yet, I don't think its target may be Xiao Cui's lover." Anyway, for a snake demon, cultivating Neidan, just a man is enough, so why jump into our calculations? ”

Everyone was discussing, and suddenly Zhang Ji frowned slightly, and took out the compass from the cloth bag on his waist again. I saw that the silver needle on the compass turned violently, out of order, and finally pointed to the southeast, and then it did not move.

"Huh? Is that the snake coming? Ji Cunyan asked him.

Zhang Ji said: "No. But there was a sudden gap in the circle I had set up in the Suzhou government. Dare us to wait for the rabbit here, but it went to the Suzhou Mansion. ”

When everyone rushed back to the Suzhou Mansion, they saw the two officials who stayed at the door lying on the street, long out of breath.

Jian Shaolin didn't even look at the two of them, and ran towards the mansion. Instead, Lei Qi squatted down and sniffed the two of them, and touched the pulse of their necks, and then shook his head at Jin Zhutou, who came together.

The door of the firewood room where the blue-scaled male python was placed was in a mess, and the grass and trees were crushed by some huge things, and even the beams and pillars outside the door of the firewood room were broken. Fortunately, the house was built solidly and did not collapse immediately. Zhang Ji's enchantment inside and outside the house was very powerful, Rao is snake demon tried all his methods and means, but he couldn't break the door and enter, and the body of the dry and stinky green scale male python was still curled up in the house. It seems that it is not as good as it is to break in, and it is annoyed and angry, so it wants to collapse the house as well. I don't know whether the two officials at the door were killed before or after.

"It turns out that it's not going to find Qiao Lang, but to find its own lover." Ji Cunyan said with emotion.

Jin Zhutou lost two of his subordinates, and he was grieved in his heart, and said indignantly: "It's just a beast, what kind of love for the public and mother!" ”

"If it weren't for the fact that this snake demon was once stabbed seven inches by Lord Jian with a male yellow sword, and there was an injury on his body, I am afraid that this seal would not have been able to stop it." Zhang Ji said.

Jian Shaolin didn't respond to him, just looked at the firewood room thoughtfully.

Ji Cunyan also looked at the firewood room and was stunned for a while, before saying, "It's not okay to go on like this!" We're always led by the nose by that snake. Can't catch up with it yet. Seeing that the sky is about to dawn, I don't know who will suffer from its fangs tomorrow night. Zhang Ji, can't a good friend help? ”

Zhang Ji looked at Ji Cunyan's collar with great disgust, the Gu King didn't know if he was afraid of Jian Shaolin or if he was afraid of being caught, anyway, he just couldn't pretend to be dead. "What do you expect from it? Its wings are not as long as my thumb, and it can't fly much faster than a tortoise. Dingtian will help you take a drug, and you have to digest it for half a day. ”

Who knew that the Gu King didn't even pay attention to this radical method, and still hid in Ji Cunyan's clothes and pretended to be dead.

Ji Cunyan said: "Think about it, this snake is not without flaws. Her husband had lost Nedan, and she had to find a helper to trick her to the river. I think she is the same. Unless it transforms, it doesn't dare to stay out of the water for longer, otherwise it won't use Xiaocui's human skin to go ashore before it dares to go to the yamen to find trouble. ”

When Jian Shaolin heard this, he turned around and looked at Ji Cunyan and said, "Your words are not unreasonable. ”

"But since the basilisk himself knows about it, how can we trick it ashore?" Lei Qi Dao.

Zhang Ji yawned.

At this time, there was a rooster crowing in the distant cottage, and the sky was about to dawn.