When Zhao Huang rushed back to Chengyang County, the courtyard of the Dai family was crowded with onlookers, and the officials were carrying the corpses onto the donkey cart, including Master Dai, whose fat belly had been torn and his death was horrific.

"What happened to the Dai family?" Zhao Xiao found the county clerk who was guarding outside the courtyard.

"Zhao Fu? You're back! How's things going on over there? The scribe looked as if he had just vomited, his face turned blue, and he wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief.

Zhao Xiao pressed the impatience in his heart: "The demon has been ambushed, Wang Miaoshou has sacrificed, and several patrols have died in their duties." I learned of the traces of the young master of the Dai family, so I rushed back to the city in advance...... Is there a bloody case in the Dai family? ”

"It's not just bloodshed." The scribe shook his head with his hands in his hands: "The main people who can manage affairs in the Dai family have almost all been killed. Only a few servants escaped, and I heard them say that this was all done by the young master of the Dai family. ”

"What about the young master of the Dai family? Where is he now? Zhao Xiao asked.

"In the yard, but ......"

The scribe stopped talking, and Zhao Xiao turned his head directly and walked into the Dai family compound. As far as the eye could see, there were dripping blood everywhere, and the scene was very tragic.

Zhao Xiao quickly found the young master of the Dai family, it was a corpse lying on the edge of the flower bed, unclothed, half-human and half-wolf, with unimaginable distortions in the limbs and torsos, blue-black animal hair growing on the hands, feet, chest and back, long nails, and a few pieces of flesh hanging on it.

Zhao Xiao carefully inspected and found that the degree of demonic transformation of the young master of the Dai family was deeper than yesterday, but he did not have any wounds on his body, and he did not die from external forces, but his internal organs were stirred up.

"Zhao Fu." An old man came over on the side: "The county magistrate said that there was a murder case in the Dai family, and he had to come up with a proper reason to deal with it." ”

"Right?" Zhao Xiao was puzzled: "Isn't it very clear that the demons are doing evil, bewitching the young master of the Dai family, and driving him to murder his own family?" ”

The old man whispered: "If this kind of thing is stabbed in the face of the official, the county magistrate will probably be considered derelict and incompetent, which will lead to demons and disasters, which will damage the future future." ”

Zhao Xiao understood a little, and wanted to laugh but couldn't: "The county magistrate doesn't want me to associate the destruction of the Dai family with the evil deeds?" ”

The old man bowed his head: "After seeing the corpse, the cause of death needs to be recorded, and it has been determined that the servant in the family committed adultery with the concubine, and after being discovered by Master Dai, it caused a fight in the hospital." ”

"How to write the case book, that's your business." Zhao Xiao pointed to the corpse of the young master of the Dai family: "How should this be disposed of?" ”

"The county order ordered the villain to tell Zhao Fuzhi that this corpse should be destroyed on the spot." The old man's tone did not fluctuate significantly: "When the matter is properly handled, the county magistrate will ask Zhao Fuyi to move to the government office for a meeting." ”

Zhao Xiao didn't see sadness or joy on his face, and asked, "You haven't been involved in similar things in the past, right?" ”

"The villain is just acting on orders, and I ask Zhao Fuzhi not to embarrass me." The old man replied.

Zhao Xiao also took out the talisman paper from the bamboo basket, and in front of the old man, he directly wrote a corpse talisman and pasted it on the corpse of the young master of the Dai family. Then chanted the incantation in a low voice, and the Qing Xuan pen pointed at the finger, and the corpse of the half-human and half-wolf decayed and turned gray at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Looking at the ashes on the ground, Zhao Xiao asked, "Are you satisfied now?" ”

"Zhao Fuyi has a great future, please don't worry about despicable villains like me." The old man bowed his head.

Zhao Xiao was really too lazy to care, he watched several officials carrying buckets and brooms, and began to sprinkle and clean up, all of which looked commonplace. But there are also people whispering -

"The Dai family really suffered this time, and I don't know which way of demon it provoked?"

"Shhhh Don't be so loud. The county magistrate said that the Dai family is a slave fighting and killing the master this time. ”

"Of course the county magistrate said so, the tens of thousands of family fortunes saved by the Dai family, now that there is no owner, he will definitely take the opportunity to make a fortune."

"You just shut up and work, isn't it too much trouble?"

……

"Zhao Fu, this is the official's reply to the Huaiying Pavilion."

In the inner hall of the county government, the county magistrate handed a letter to Zhao Xiao, and his face was full of joy and red: "This time you have eliminated the Lishan demon, and you can be regarded as removing a harm for Chengyang County." ”

Zhao Huang glanced at it briefly, and what he said in the letter was nothing more than how he, a Zhao Fu official, dared to go deep into Lishan to investigate, how he did not avoid danger and personally kill demons and evils, and how shrewd and capable he was in the process, and how he was trusted and admired by local officials and people.

"Thank you, Lord Prefectural." Zhao Xiao smiled politely.

The county decree stamped the letter with an official seal, dripping wax sealed, and then pushed an oiled paper bag on the table: "This is a small tribute to the county." ”

Zhao Xiao lifted the oil paper and took a look, and inside was a neatly arranged Tianxia silver cake.

"It seems like a bit too much of a tribute." Zhao Xiao estimated that this pile of silver cakes was roughly calculated to be two hundred taels, and the actual weight alone was indeed very heavy, and Chengyang County may not have two hundred taels a year.

"No way, as soon as the murder of the Dai family happened, a restless minion slipped into the cellar to steal. Fortunately, the official arrived in time to save this batch of wealth. The prefectural commander picked up the teacup and blew away the heat with a pleasant face.

Of course, Zhao Xiao knows that this is a hush money, and the affairs of the Dai family should not be known to everyone. In the final analysis, Zhao Xiao, as a talisman, cannot be said to be a complete success in dealing with evil spirits. If the Chengyang County Order truthfully informed the Huaiying Pavilion of the situation, then Zhao Xiao's matter of obtaining the first recommendation letter would be in vain.

Accepting the respect, the county order also seemed to be relieved: "Zhao Fu is tired for a day, I will let you go to the post house to rest." ”

Zhao Xiao wanted to speak and stopped, but he still got up and said goodbye.

……

In the early morning of the next day, Zhao Xiao came to the General Temple in the suburbs outside the city again, and saw the mound where the king was buried in the temple, and the wooden plaque reads crookedly "The Tomb of Wang Ji, the centurion of the Tianlu Army of Huaxu Kingdom".

"Are you Zhao Fu?"

Zhao Xiao turned around and saw seven or eight elderly people, who were either missing arms and legs, or had burns on their faces and were ugly, thinking that they were the old soldiers of the Tianlu Army back then, and they were also the comrades of Wang Miaoshou.

Seeing Zhao Huang nodding in acknowledgement, an old man asked, "How did Wang Tou'er die?" ”

He ...... Restrained the monster for me, but unfortunately was injured by a spell. Zhao chose to hide the truth.

Several old men showed a hint of relief, they neither asked questions to the end, nor did they roll around, and accepted Wang Miaoshou's death very calmly.

How much stoic heart does it have to be sharpened to be so calm and numb?

"I brought something with me." Zhao Xiao put down the bamboo basket and took out an oiled paper bag from it: "There are two hundred taels of silver cakes here, yes, it is the pension silver given by Chengyang County to Wang Miaoshou." ”

This group of old people didn't have the slightest look of seeing the money, and no one even took the initiative to reach out and take the money. After a long silence, an old man asked, "Zhao Fu, this rule is not quite right." If it is a pension issued by the government, it should be the county government that calls us over, signs and draws it after verifying our identity, and then sends the pension money down. ”

Zhao Huang was stunned, and the old man showed an ugly smile: "This is Zhao Fu's money, right?" It's not good to put it away quickly and let the bad guys see it. ”

"This is the king's temple guard, and you deserve it." Zhao Xiao said.

The old man shook his head: "Zhao Fu, your two hundred taels of silver cakes will only harm us." There are a lot of gangsters outside the city, not to mention silver cakes, even if there are a few copper plates, they will grab a fine light. ”

Zhao Xiao asked, "Then what else do you need?" ”

The old man was a little stiff: "I don't know what Wang Tou'er told you before he died, but Tianlu Army is not a poor worm, and he doesn't need charity from others." ”

Zhao Xiao couldn't persuade the other party, but silently put away the silver cake.

"Zhao Fu's kindness, we understand it." The old man said: "We have inconvenient legs and feet, so we will not send them far." ”

Zhao Xiao picked up the bamboo basket and set off again, and when he walked out of a distance, he couldn't help but look back. In the desolate countryside, the grave mounds are undulating and overgrown with weeds, and several old men stand in front of the tomb, their backs firm, like a military formation.

……

Zhao Xiao returned to Huaiying Pavilion, and it was already ten days later. At this moment, he was standing in the hugging pavilion on the mountain behind the pavilion, and in front of him was an old man with gray hair sitting on a futon, with a golden purple ribbon tied around his waist, and his eyes were staring at the letter in his hand.

The old man is Zhang Duanjing, the first seat of Huaiying Pavilion, and he is also Zhao Xiao's teacher.

"The Dai family sent a letter asking for help, but it was Chengyang County's order to reply." Zhang Duanjing shook the letter paper in his hand: "Zhao Xiao, don't you think there is something strange in this?" ”

Zhao Xiao lowered his head and didn't say a word, he knew Zhang Duanjing's ability very well. The old man's expression was slightly serious: "Although I haven't left the Huaiying Pavilion, I can also know the situation in Chengyang County." The local demon drove the young master of the Dai family to attack and kill the Dai family, right? ”

"Yes." Zhao Xiao didn't hide it: "The situation is more complicated than I originally thought, and it is not a simple spirit possession." ”

"I originally planned to let Luo Xixian go, but you took the initiative to fight for it, I know very well what you have in mind." Zhang Duanjing said: "But with this matter alone, you should understand that if you want to go to Chongxuan Pavilion now, I'm afraid you won't be able to gain a foothold at all." Not only is it necessary to refine the cultivation of magic, but there is also a lack of knowledge of people. ”

"Students understand."

Obviously, the recommendation to go to the Chongxuan Pavilion cannot be counted on.

"Reflect on it, if you have any outings recently, you should not participate." Zhang Duanjing said.

Zhao Xiao reluctantly accepted this result, and finally said: "There is one more thing that the teacher needs to know. I found that the demonic transformation of the young master of the Dai family was a little unusual, he was not killed by others, but the inner demonic power tore through his internal organs, and it was difficult to continue. Such a powerful demon power is actually lodged in a wolf's hair, which is not like what the Lishan Demon Vine can do. ”

"It's not surprising that the times are uneasy and demons are stirring." Zhang Duanjing waved his hand: "I have my own plans for this matter, you can step down." ”

Leaving the back mountain with heavy steps, and returning to his dormitory, Zhao Xiao lay on the bed with some frustration.

"What Zhang Duanjing said is not bad."

Lingxiao appeared in the form, sat in the air on the side, unstained with dust, and said in a cold tone: "Today, you are too shallow, whether it is refining qi and storing spirit or attaining magic skills. Even if you rely on the recommendation book to enter the Chongxuan Pavilion in a false name, you may not be able to find the true yuan lock. ”

"You think I'm in a hurry?" Zhao Xiao asked.

"Indeed." Ling Xiao said bluntly: "You have a high level of understanding in the way of magic, and you have a lot of ingenuity, but things are often bad here. If there is no skill of refining qi and preserving the spirit, it is difficult to get a glimpse of the profound and wonderful method. And you are just too tactful, but whenever you encounter difficulties, the first thing you think about is not to overcome, but to think about strategies to resolve them, or even try to avoid them. ”

"Isn't that right?" Zhao Xiao sat up and asked.

"There is no right or wrong in this book, if you are the kind of person in Chengyang County, this kind of scheming and ingenuity may be able to help you rise in your career." Ling Xiao lowered his eyes and said, "But when it comes to cultivation, you can't be opportunistic. Nowadays, the pure qi in the world is thin, and if you want to succeed in cultivation, you should be more determined to meditate.

Zhang Duanjing is indeed proficient in teaching and preaching, and knows that your heart still needs to be sharpened. There are some things that you can't listen to if you don't experience them once, and you can't listen to them a thousand times. Only by suffering losses can we realize our own shortcomings and go on the road to immortality. ”

Zhao Xiao pouted and said: "I earned a few hundred taels of silver this time, and the demon vine was also killed by me with my own hands, and I also honed my spells in actual combat, where did I suffer a loss?" ”

"You see, that sleek and pretentious mind has resurfaced." As if he had expected it, Ling Xiao smiled indifferently: "Why bother with the benefit of your tongue? Even if you kill the demon vine and Wang Miaoshou, you are still not convinced. You know better than others about the successes and failures. ”

"In fact, when I learned that the Dai family was destroyed, I knew that I had messed up this time." Zhao Xiao sighed and said, "You said that you can only go to the Immortal Road by realizing your own shortcomings, what does this mean?" ”

Ling Xiao looked at Zhao Xiao and said, "The way of cultivating immortals is not to oppose others, but to work hard in your own body and mind. The so-called quiet Xu Qing, moving Xu Sheng, stripped away vulgar thoughts, abandoned dust thoughts, and the mind is quiet. This is mysterious, and it goes straight to the immortal avenue of eternal life. If you can grasp one or two, the effect is more significant than the gas refining pedestal built by the treasure of heaven and earth. ”

Zhao Xiao didn't understand what he heard: "Are you teaching me the method of cultivating immortals?" ”

Lingxiao flicked the skirt lightly: "It's nothing more than a trick." Zhang Duanjing's breathing technique, you can continue to cultivate, and there is no hindrance. But it is necessary to let the distracting thoughts settle down and clarify the mind in the breathing room, so as to figure out the opportunity for movement. ”

Zhao Xiao asked: "Listen to what you mean, as long as the body and mind are quiet, there is no need to deliberately exhale pure qi?" ”

"If there is abundant and fresh air, it is naturally better." Ling Xiao said: "The ancients cultivated immortals, but they didn't have too much complicated attention, but they just grasped the trick of tranquility intentionally or unintentionally. If the comparator is abundant, it cannot be compared with today.

Since there is no complement of the cave and the clear qi now, then we should work the physical and mental tranquility. There is no shortcut to immortal immortality, if you are impetuous, even if you are in the cave sky, you are just a dirty mortal. ”

In other words, if it was Zhao Huang before, it was estimated that Lingxiao's words were all empty words, but today it is rare to re-examine himself.

Zhao Xiao suddenly understood that cultivating immortal immortality was not for others, but to focus on himself. Is there a letter of recommendation, does it hinder cultivation?

"It's useless to think too much, and if you want to be quiet, it's right now." Lingxiao's figure disappeared, and the aftermath lingered: "Since there is nothing to do, then grasp every moment, walk, sit and lie down, and never leave the quiet." ”