It was the beginning of spring, Xingluo County was located in the north, and the river had not yet completely thawed, but from the county government office to the camp in the west of the city, everyone was busy, in order to drive out the thieves along the townships near Neihai County before the spring sowing.

In the final analysis, if people want to eat, they have to work hard to eat, and if the bandits spread all over Xingluo County and miss the spring sowing, then the harvest in Xingluo County will be greatly reduced in the coming year. Even if you can rely on the imperial court and neighboring counties to allocate food, who can guarantee long-term security? Perhaps more people will turn to thieves for a bite to eat.

If a greater famine breaks out as a result, it will be followed by civil unrest that will be difficult to contain. At that time, the banditry will only get worse and worse, and Xingluo County will be completely eroded and hopeless.

After the battle of Sanniukeng and the raid on Yanze City by thieves, General Wei steadily advanced, ensured the stability of the existing six counties, and encircled and suppressed a small group of thieves twice, and did not pursue a big victory.

And since the Starfall County thieves survived the winter, all kinds of looting operations seem to have slowed down a lot. According to General Wei's analysis, it is hoped that the counties and townships have been plundered, and after a whole winter of fighting, the thieves will also have to be repaired.

At the same time, the news of the 20,000 bandit army eating empty salaries spread all over the government and the opposition, setting off a fierce storm, and all the people in Dongsheng Capital discussed, and all kinds of rumors poured out - some said that there was a bear country eyeing the tiger, and the imperial court had heavy troops to guard against foreign enemies; It is said that in order to build gardens, the powerful people of the family are greedy for military salaries; It is also said that Huaxu has no available soldiers, just like a broken house, just one kick will collapse the clouds.

As the butterfly that fanned the storm, Zhao Xiao did not have the consciousness of the initiator, or he never felt that he really had much influence, when did the nobles in the court not fight back and forth? The situation has long been-for-tat, and even without Zhao Xiao, this storm is destined to be inevitable.

Zhao Xiao has been much more restrained these days, and he goes to the school every few days to set up an altar to refine armor and spells, and the soldiers are accustomed to it, and no one is watching anymore. He also often went in and out of the county government prison, trying to find out more information from the monks of Chiyundu, and at the same time sent a batch of town house spirit talismans to Wang Juncheng, which were used to distribute them to the rich gentry and important places in the city to prevent evil spirits. Every day when I returned to the small courtyard in the east of the city, I either lit the magic with Shi Huoguang and others, refined Dansan, or concentrated on cultivation in the room.

As for the fox demon maid beside Liang Shuo, Zhao Xiao did not plan to stab the news to passers-by for the time being, except for taking more precautions.

Luo Xixian's previous scolding was very ugly, but Zhao Xiao also had a plan in his heart. This Liang Gongzi originally sent his fox demon to disturb the altar, which had already made Zhao Huang wary of him, but except for himself, no one could help prove the origin of the fox demon. If it is hastily exposed, it may not be able to seriously damage the reputation of Chongxuanguan.

Zhao Xiao really doesn't have a good impression of those children of the family in Chongxuan Pavilion, but he doesn't show it like Luo Xixian, and even his teacher Zhang Duanjing has never torn his face and fought with Chongxuan Pavilion. If you rely on your enthusiasm and shout and kill without strategy, you may not be able to shake the status of Chongxuan Pavilion.

However, after the Jiutian Cloud Platform of the Chongxuan Pavilion was placed in the Tiegong Ancestral Hall, he lived his life behind closed doors as always, and did not continue to advance.

Ling Xiao had foreseen this, and she even expected that the Liang family's disciples would not be able to give full play to the full benefits of the Nine Heavens Cloud Terrace. The magic weapon of the immortal family does like to clear and dislike turbidity, but it is not so bad that it will lose its magic if it is contaminated with a little dust and filth.

"So, it doesn't seem like much of a problem?" Zhao Xiao just went out to run errands, holding a box of prescription medicine, and happened to pass by the Tiegong Temple, secretly launched the Ying Xuan Zhaojing technique, while listening to Ling Xiao's narration:

"You don't understand, the magic weapon of the immortal family is not those armor talismans that you opened the altar and ignited, and after casting, the aura dissipates and needs to be re-refined. The magic weapon of the immortal family is often self-contained, and the weather is complete, just as mortals are born knowing how to breathe and eat, and the magic weapon of the immortal family itself can breathe out clear qi and attract three lights, even if the spirit of the qi is dissipated, it can also recover on its own. ”

Zhao Xiao asked, "Since this is the case, there is nothing wrong with finding the earthly blessed land conservation magic weapon that has been accumulated by the pure qi. ”

"Not necessarily." Ling Xiao reminded: "The blessed land is also divided into natures, and the Nine Heavens Cloud Terrace is more suitable for placing on the top of a towering mountain to catch the clouds and gather the wind, rather than trying to hook up the relics of the mountain gods and earth. ”

Zhao Huang had already walked away, and at the end of his life, he glanced at the Tiegong Ancestral Hall: "I also think it's strange, the Fa Gong Immortal will not be the same thing as the mountain god and the earth, right?" ”

"If the immortal drives the Dharma Jar general, if he can live in the cave for a long time, it will naturally be formed by the condensation of the immortal spirit." Ling Xiao said: "The mountain gods and the earth are different, even the true spirits of the mountains formed by pure qi, after experiencing the earthly blood food offerings, they are also contaminated with earthly filth, unless they go through the refining of the immortals, it is difficult to reach the cave sky." Even those who have lived in the world for a long time and are greedy for blood and food will turn from clear and turbid, from the gods of the mountains and rivers on the sheltered side to the gods of unrighteousness and evil. ”

Zhao Xiao nodded secretly: "I've heard of this, Kunlun Continent has always had many such mountain gods and river gods, forcing the people to worship, gathering a party of spirits and demons, and proclaiming himself the name of the emperor general." However, the Tianxia Dynasty vigorously eradicated a number of obscene evil gods, and also enshrined a number of ritual gods, and the Tiegong Temple was one of them. ”

During this period, Zhao Xiao went in and out of the county government office, and spent some effort to read the local chronicles of the Tianxia Dynasty that have survived to this day, and learned that the Tiegong Temple was enshrined in a relatively special mountain god.

Panlong Mountain is towering and vast, with abundant hardware deposits, and one of the iron ore veins coincidentally gave birth to an iron and stone spirit. After the iron-stone spirit became aware of people, he did not make any trouble, but occasionally showed the way to the woodcutter who was lost in the mountains, and gradually became famous.

Later, the Tianxia Dynasty swept away the obscenity of Xingluo County, and several demons hid in Panlong Mountain, bumped into the iron and stone spirits, and were planning to take away their pure gold qi and refine it into a magic weapon. Unexpectedly, this iron-stone spirit monster was unscathed by more than one enemy, and also slaughtered that group of demons.

This matter was learned by the monks of the Tianxia Dynasty, and after reporting to the emperor, they issued an order to canonize this iron and stone spirit as the "Iron Gong", guard Panlong Mountain, and be eaten by incense and blood forever.

And after this Tie Gong was enshrined as a mountain god, as in the past, he was pure and simple, and even pointed out many shallow veins that have not yet been discovered for the world, which made Xingluo County once become the most abundant place for gold, silver, copper and iron in the Tianxia Dynasty, and Tie Gong even had the common name of "Iron God of Wealth" in the folk market.

It can be said that Tie Gong, the mountain god who has been enshrined in the essence of hardware, is very different from the Qing Ling general in the immortal family's magic urn, and the two are very different, and Zhao Xiao still can't figure out the true intention of Liang Shuo's move.

Back in the small courtyard in the east of the city, Zhao Xiao handed the wooden box in his arms to Shi Huoguang: "This is the five stacks of Yingzhisan of the Yunzhu Pavilion, is the well water ready?" ”

The so-called well water is the first bucket of water drawn from the well at sunrise in the early morning. Because the vitality between heaven and earth is activated at sunrise, the water of Jinghua contains subtle qi, which is also quite beneficial for the preparation of Dansan bait.

Shi Huoguang gestured to a large vat behind him, Zhao Xiao nodded, refreshed his body and mind for a moment, raised his eyes to look at the sun in the eastern sky, and pointed to the empty book, his lips opened and closed slightly, and recited the mantra:

"The water of Taiyi shines to the gods, and cleanses the five treasures into the cyst. All diseases are healed and evil ghosts die, and the body of heaven and earth is light and strong......"

After reciting the mantra seven times and clasping his teeth forty-nine times, he finally condensed into a stream of yang and true qi in his mouth, and blew it into the water along the sword finger talisman.

At this time, the stone fire also poured the five stacks of Yingzhi that had been slightly crushed into powder into the jar, Zhao Huang pointed to the void, the water in the jar swirled and stirred, and a hazy five-colored phosgene emerged.

Zhao Xiao scooped a scoop of water and drank it, and nodded: "Yes, relieve the labor of muscles and bones, cure cold and heat miscellaneous diseases, and with these five stacks of Yingzhi San, you can also force out the nine insects in the body and the filth in the abdomen, quickly put it into the bamboo tube, and the county government official is about to come to the door." ”

Recently, in Yanze City, because of the change of yin and yang, cold and heat between heaven and earth, the number of sick people has increased a lot, and it is not a major epidemic, but there are rumors that it is the demons in Panlong Mountain that have spread the epidemic gas into Yanze City, even if the county government takes the rumor-mongers in time, it cannot curb the spread of rumors.

Nowadays, there is a shortage of Chinese medicine practitioners in Yanze City, so Wang Juncheng came forward to ask the various pavilions to help, or Shi Dan medicine and water, or open the altar to pray, in short, to stabilize the hearts of the people and the army.

Although the spells taught by the pavilion are not fixed, they also have their own expertise. The Zhenzhen Hall is proficient in the mandala rituals, so in the past few days, he often holds flags around the city, blows and blows, sings and recites, and is not lively.

As for the Yunzhu Pavilion, which focuses on Danding consumption, Wang Juncheng originally hoped that they would take out some pills, even if it was to put on a scene, but they were secretive. It was Zhao Xiao who personally came forward and took a string of pearls containing light to exchange this box of five stacks of Yingzhi powder to prepare spell water.

Zhao Xiao watched the officials hurriedly leave the courtyard with bamboo tubes, and looked at the seal that Shi Huoguang took out: "This is the magic seal you sacrificed?" I've seen you tinkering with this all these days. ”

"Jincheng Forever Seal." Shi Huoguang held a brass-colored, turtle button Zhuwen seal, and there was an aura similar to the golden armor technique circulating in it, but it was more rigorous: "I saw that you were going to sacrifice and refine the golden armor talisman every few days, and those armor pieces had to be re-refined after each launch, which was too troublesome, so I made this magic seal." ”

Zhao Xiao played with the seal: "I'll take a look...... Could it be that as long as the spell is activated, everyone nearby can be blessed with the Golden Armor Technique at the same time? ”

Shi Huoguang nodded and said: "Not only that, but this magic seal can also help you to attract the Qi of Taibai Gengjin, and you don't need to set up an additional altar when refining the armor, so as not to disturb the demons again." ”

Zhao Xiao smiled: "Don't worry, that fox demon was injured by me, I'm afraid I won't dare to show up easily these days." ”

Shi Huoguang didn't know the details of the fox demon's origin, so he couldn't help but worry: "Don't let up, I recently found someone snooping near the small courtyard." A few days ago, many villagers poured into Yanzawa City, and maybe there were demons mixed in it. ”

Zhao Xiao accepted the seal: "I know that the thieves have not made any big moves recently, and I am also guarding against them from making trouble in Yanze City." The one who spread the rumors of the epidemic was the same thief and the gangster, so I will go to the prison for interrogation now. ”

Shi Huoguang's face was strange: "This kind of thing can be done by the county government official Cao, why do you want to do it?" ”

"I'm by the way." Zhao Xiao picked up the bamboo basket on his back: "Sang Huazi, who was caught outside the Sanniu Pit before, has been a little unsupportable in the past two days, I want to try to ask him about the confidential information of Chiyundu." ”

……

When Zhao Xiao came to the county government office, he learned that Wang Juncheng had gone to the north of the city to bid farewell to General Wei. The current situation has pushed the bandits as far away as possible, and General Wei can't sit idle in Yanze City all the time.

The officials of the county government basically knew Zhao Huang, and led him directly to the prison, where a middle-aged secretary was waiting in the torture room, and Zhao Huang found that he was a new face and asked, "Are you new here?" ”

The middle-aged clerk bowed and said: "Xiaosheng's surname is Chen, a native of Baichao County, Xingluo County, who was recruited by the county government and came to assist in clerical chores. ”

The official next to him said: "Zhao Fu, our county government really can't draw more manpower, and they are so busy that they hit the back of their heels on the back of their heads. These days, the official army has recaptured several market towns, and has also asked Lord Wang for a loan, so we have no choice but to recruit some literate and hyphenated people from neighboring counties and townships to help. Please also ask Zhao Fuzhi not to be surprised. ”

"It's fine." Zhao Xiao looked at Chen Shuban: "I will interrogate the prisoner later, you will be responsible for recording, and you don't need to panic when you see any movement." ”

"Xiaosheng remembered." Chen Shuban's voice was warm, and he sat in the corner obediently and picked up the pen and paper.

"Sneak that rumor-monger up." Zhao Xiao instructed the officials, and at the same time stuffed the white silk of Zhu Wen around his waist into the bamboo basket, and then took out the bottles and cans, and after fiddling with them, the prisoner was also escorted to the torture room.

"If you want to kill, you will be killed!" Before Zhao Xiao could speak, the prisoner was tied to the torture rack and scolded: "Your grandfather and I have lived enough in this life!" I'm not afraid of you dogs! ”

Zhao Xiao held a clay bowl, shook his head and sighed lightly, and raised his hand to slap the face, which echoed in the torture room.

Even if Zhao Xiao looks weaker than a swordsman like Luo Xixian, no matter how he says it, he is also a person who has achieved cultivation, his limbs and muscles are nourished by true qi, and he is stronger and more powerful than ordinary people.

The prisoner was stunned, Zhao Xiao directly forcibly poured the ink-like medicinal juice in the bowl, and the prisoner was pressed by Zhao Huang on the lower jaw and neck, forcibly swallowed the medicinal juice, and then connected his upper and lower chins.

"Y-What did you drink for Lao Tzu?!" The prisoner asked with a pale face.

"Gu worms." Zhao Xiao said expressionlessly: "You don't have to ask, and I don't bother to explain more to you." Now I'll give you a chance, let's say, who sent you to Shiozawa City to spread rumors? ”

The prisoner spat out: "Phew! What rumors? It's the evil that is spreading the plague in the city! You noble monks don't deal with demons, but you come to torture me, a commoner! ”

Zhao Xiao squinted his eyes and said, "I didn't say I was a monk. ”

The prisoner was stunned for a moment, and Zhao Xiao said: "Don't hang the ribbon, you know my identity, and you must also understand that I have the means to make you speak." ”

After Zhao Xiao finished speaking, he flicked his fingers, and the prisoner's chest and abdomen swelled and fluctuated, his face changed several times, his muscles were bulging, and he immediately let out a terrible howl.

"You know what a Gu worm is now, right?" Zhao Xiao's expression was cold: "Don't worry, you can't die, it's just a little painful." If you can answer obediently, I can make you less tormented. ”