The mountain looked not far away, but it took the three of them half a day to actually come to the foot of the mountain.

The three of them came along a winding mountain road, but they saw that the surrounding forests were verdant, and the grass was colorful and beautiful. The sound of the stream not far away, the chirping of birds in the jungle, is endless. The breeze blows, with the intoxicating fragrance of flowers, which makes people feel refreshed and relaxed, as if they are in a fairyland.

For a newcomer like Xiao Jin, it is hard to imagine that there will be such a place in this kind of wild place that is not like Jiangnan, but better than Jiangnan.

They found a shady place in the mountains, fed the horses, rested for a while, and after noon, they continued on their way.

The three of them turned a few mountain bends, and when they walked in the northwest direction for a short time, the terrain in the mountain gradually flattened, and a bamboo forest appeared in front of them.

Walking along the forest path through the bamboo forest, a small village appeared in front of it, and the village was very small, with only a dozen families. Patches of peach forests are hidden in it, and it is Peach Blossom Village.

Back then, Ruofeng took the opportunity to go to Peach Blossom Village with Ruoyue to invite Granny Wei and Granny Tang to come and search for the female guest, so that he was able to hide the stolen book "Lotus Illusion" under a mountain rock, so that he could pass the test in confusion.

Bypassing Peach Blossom Village, about three or four miles to the northeast is the Water Lotus Temple.

What is surprising is that the three of them did not go far from Peach Blossom Village, but they found that there were iron fences in front of them blocking the way, and not far away, groups of alien soldiers with guns and knives walked back and forth, strictly guarded.

When the three of them saw that the road was blocked, they did not dare to act rashly, so they immediately turned their horses' heads and turned back.

At this time, it was getting late again, and everyone decided to find a family in the village to borrow a place to live, so that they could find out more.

Everyone came to an inconspicuous farmhouse on the side of the road, knocked on the courtyard door a few times, and the gate opened, and an old woman with gray hair and ruddy complexion stood at the door.

Mu Tu greeted the old woman in Western Xinjiang, and the old woman glanced at the three of them, shook her head, and seemed to refuse Mu Tu's request, and wanted to close the door.

Wen Yinan knew that although this Peach Blossom Village was located in the western Xinjiang, most of the people in the village were from Middle-earth, and when he thought about it, he greeted him in Middle-earth:

"Hello, old woman, the three of us are passing by here, it's getting late, and there is nowhere to spend the night, do you think we can spend the night here?"

The old woman looked Wen Yinan up and down and asked, "Where did the guest officer come from?" ”

"North Middle-earth." Wen Yinan said truthfully.

The old woman looked at the other two people suspiciously.

Wen Yinan hurriedly said: "Old woman, please rest assured, we are all together." ”

"Yes, yes, it's all my own." Xiao Jin and Mu Tu are on the same path.

The old woman nodded, and finally there was a hint of relaxation in her vigilant eyes, so she opened the courtyard door, and the three of them led the horses into the courtyard.

The courtyard is not large, but the houses are very similar to the cottages in North Middle-earth.

The old woman led the three of them to the guest room and sat down, enthusiastically brought hot water to make tea for everyone, and beckoned the three of them to wash.

Wen Yinan thanked her mother-in-law, washed her face with warm water, and talked to her mother-in-law while wiping her face with a towel:

"Old woman, are you the only one in the house?"

"Yes, my wife died early, I have a daughter, I have already gone out to get married, and now there is only one left." The old woman smiled and said.

"Old woman, may I ask you, do you know why the road is blocked by the Water Lotus Temple?" Wen Yinan asked.

"Little guest officer, seeing that you are not from the Taoist temple, why do you ask this?" The old woman did not answer, but asked rhetorically.

"Ah, I am a lay disciple in this view, I haven't been back for a long time, and I came from afar today to make a special visit." Wen Yinan replied.

The old woman shook her head and said, "Little guest officer, I think you better forget it, don't go to this water lotus temple!" ”

"Why is that?" Wen Yinan hurriedly asked.

"Alas! One is that the roads there have been blocked and it is impossible to cross. Second, you just went, but I'm afraid you won't be able to see that temple! The old woman sighed.

Wen Yinan, Xiao Jin and Mu Tu were all shocked when they heard this.

"Why did the old woman say that?" Xiao Jin couldn't help but interject and asked.

"A few days ago, at night, the Taoist temple started a fire for some reason, and it happened that the night was windy, so one after another, the whole Taoist temple burned. The fire and smoke could be seen in my village. Someone in the village wanted to go to the rescue, but they turned back halfway, saying that somehow, the road was blocked by the people of Western Xinjiang, and they only watched the fire burn all night, and half of the northeast sky was red. The old woman recalled, still seeming to have lingering palpitations.

"How so? Do you know what the Taoist priest is like? Wen Yinan was in a hurry.

"So what? Burn it, burn it, and run away. Anyway, now this water lotus temple is already a piece of rubble, and there is no one left. But speaking of which, the fire does burn a little strangely. The old woman sighed again.

Xiao Jin knew that Wen Yinan had grown up since he was a small person in the Water Lotus Guannei, and he had a deep relationship with the Taoists in the Guannei, and now when he heard about this, he must be anxious, so he hurriedly persuaded him to calm down, mourn and change, and listen to the old woman to say the following.

Wen Yinan held back the pain in her heart, and listened to the old woman continue: "Later, there were all kinds of rumors, some said that this fire was burned by people from Western Xinjiang, what kind of book is it for, what kind of lotus is it called?" ”

"Lotus illusion?" Mutu blurted out.

"yes, it seems like that." The old woman said.

Wen Yinan was secretly sad in his heart: "Could it be that the book caused trouble again, I knew it was like this, why bother in the first place." It's just that I don't know that the lives of the Daoists can be saved? ”

It is also said that a few days before the fire, there was a Taoist priest who led a team of people and horses to carry a Nanmu coffin to the Water Lotus Temple, and wanted to bury the people in the coffin in the Taoist Temple cemetery, but for some reason, the Water Lotus Temple Taoist people quarreled with those people, and they almost fought a lot. Later, the gate of the Water Lotus View Mountain was closed, and those people ate a closed door, so they carried the coffin and retreated, not knowing where to go. ”

Wen Yinan and Xiao Jin glanced at each other, and speculated in their hearts: "Who is in this Nanmu coffin?" Where did the Taoist priest and that team of men come from? ”

"I heard that the Taoist priest who came there will use some spells, call the wind and rain, and make the thunder gong come down and hurt people, which is very powerful. Others said that the Taoist priest was also for the lotus...... The lotus illusion came, and then it was boring, and in a fit of anger, he made the thunder fire burn the water lotus view. The old woman said.

"Did the old woman hear the name of the Taoist priest?" Xiao Jin asked.

"I've heard of it, what is the moon, windy, look at my memory." The old woman shook her head.

"Wakatsuki!" Wen Yinan's eyes were split, and he said hatefully.

In the middle of the night, a dark shadow hunched along a secret path that no one knew, a mountain path that could not be called a road, with intertwined trees and thorns.

The black shadow sneaked to the bottom of a high cliff, grabbed the branches of the vines hanging from the cliff wall, and climbed up with all his might, from here he avoided the eyes of the guards and infiltrated the Water Lotus Temple.

This black figure is Wen Yinan.

It's a pity that the familiar water lotus temple of the past is gone, replaced by patches of scorched earth and piles of rubble and ruins.

Wen Yinan saw this scene, his eyes were full of tears, and he leaned down in grief. I think that back then, when General Jade of the Old Dynasty was guarding the western frontier, he managed the army in a good way and fought bravely.

Relying on the Yu Shi general's prestige, for hundreds of years, all the different tribes in Western Xinjiang have submitted to the capital of Middle-earth during the rule of the old imperial dynasty, and they have also settled down, and the people of Western Xinjiang and Middle-earth have been in peace and harmony. Now that the dynasty has changed, most of the tribes in the western Xinjiang do not recognize the change of power in the Middle Earth, and they are even more eyeing the western territory of the dynasty and are ready to move.

Now it is the Dabu tribe that takes the lead in attacking, and it is suspected that it is a joint alliance with the remnants of Zhao Jiangxiang, the king of the northern county of the imperial dynasty, to invade the western frontier and reach Yuyang Pass.

However, it was said that Fang Shuyun heard Xiao Jin's report, and Long Yan said angrily: "If Dabu is not removed, I am afraid that other tribes will follow suit, and it will be difficult to get rid of it." ”

Then he ordered to mobilize more than 100,000 troops in the capital and Xizhou, and drove the expedition in person.

Xu Wenjun, Xiao Jin, Wen Yinan, Mu Tu and others accompanied him, and Fang Shuyun's old department, Pan Wencai, the king of Liaozhou, and Yang Bingzhang, the king of Haizhou, also dispatched elite soldiers to go out with the army and set up troops to attack the remnants of Dabu and Zhao Jiangxiang.

Before Wen Yinan set out on the expedition, he returned to Xiaoshi Village to say goodbye to his wife, and his beloved wife Lu Shiyao handed him the lotus sword and gave him "Jiangchengzi. The word "Heavy Operation" is sung all over the world. The words say:

The long bridge is picturesque, and the water is like smoke

Between the clouds

Not returned

Elsewhere in the world

Looking at Chanjuan alone

The so-called Yiren Shimizuan

The heart is tired

Dreams are still involved

After the rain, he relied on it

Wildflower remnants

Wisteria Lian

Holding a long ge

Wearing the old shirt

There is nowhere to ask in the long yellow sand

Spring does not pass Yuyang Pass

The army of the Western Expedition passed through the Longxi Mountains, and there were already reports from the Malays, because of the volcanic eruption some time ago, the Longxi Mountains have become a place of ruins, and the Zhao Jiangxiang team that was once entrenched here has disappeared.

It seems that Zhao Jiangxiang's army has already left Longxi and entered Western Xinjiang, and it is inferred that Zhao Jiangxiang is undoubtedly behind the attack on Western Xinjiang Jiedu at that time.

From this point of view, if Zhao Jiangxiang is not eradicated this time, it will inevitably become a big trouble in the future.

However, it is said that the dynasty marched westward and entered the territory of western Xinjiang in a few days, and was warmly welcomed by the people along the way.

After marching for a few more days, they arrived at Yuyang Pass, the place where Meng'an was confront------ed by the former Western Xinjiang Jiedu.

But when he saw the opponent's formation, the flag was waving, and the swords and guns were like a forest. In the middle of a black and white falcon battle flag, stands a black horse, immediately a person, brown beard and red hair, eagle eyes and lion mouth, fierce face, tall and large, it is the enemy leader Dabu.

Another battle flag is a yellow-colored tiger roaring flag, Fang Shuyun recognized it at a glance, it was the flag of the old dynasty, and there was a person sitting on its chariot, with a purple robe and purple shirt, willow eyebrows, red phoenix eyes, a face like a full moon, and three strands of long hair fluttering on his chest, it was Zhao Jiangxiang, the king of Beijun. The person next to him riding a red green horse, with a golden helmet and golden armor, and a spear in his hand, was Guo Yongda, the commander of the Haizhou Department.

Fang Shuyun drove the chariot forward and shouted to the commander of the enemy formation on the opposite side: "Dabu! You brazenly raised troops, invaded my frontier, and disturbed my border people, it is really reckless, quickly retreat the army, spare you from death, if not, the army has been killed, and it will be too late to regret it. ”