"Along this street, there is the Jiazi Palace, which is the secret vault of the imperial city, the history and top secrets of the Zhao Kingdom, and many old antiques, are stored there, but the guards in the hall are extremely tight, and it is difficult for birds to approach. Zhao Shisong pointed to a large seemingly ordinary house and slowly introduced.

Ning Chang followed the line of sight he pointed, the deep gate mansion, the stone lion lanterns, and the guards came and went, in an orderly manner, and it seemed that they had not been affected by the recent turmoil in the imperial city.

Beside him, Ning Xiaoling rubbed her eyes, still a little sleepy-eyed, just after she was woken up by her senior brother, she was pulled out in a daze before she could ask what happened.

Ning Chang retracted his gaze: "What a big sword intent and killing intent." ”

Zhao Shisong's fist in his sleeve tightened, and he immediately smiled: "Zhao has been founding the country for more than a hundred years, and there are naturally many killing weapons hidden in the Jiazi Palace. ”

Ning Chang glanced at the girl beside him and said, "Senior sister, can you feel anything?"

Ning Xiaoling glanced at the deep palace compound, frowned and shook his head.

Zhao Shisong looked at the delicate and cute little girl and said, "I heard that this little sister was also attacked last night?"

Ning Chang nodded and said, "It's also her person." ”

Ning Xiaoling recalled the scene last night, and said with palpitations: "Fortunately, even if Senior Brother arrived, he pulled me." ”

Zhao Shisong said with emotion: "Actually, Zhao has always wondered why the little Taoist has to follow Ning Baoshui's side for such cultivation, what are you trying to do?"

Ning Changjiu didn't want to answer this question, but smiled: "Even if I was late last night, my junior sister wouldn't die, this little girl is amazing." ”

Ning Xiaoling was stunned, she lowered her head slightly, her expression was extremely indifferent at that moment, and there seemed to be wind and snow at the bottom of her eyes, and she was calm for a moment.

She raised her head and said, "What did senior brother say about laughing?"

Ning Changai rubbed her head and smiled faintly.

Zhao Shisong looked at the pair of senior brothers and sisters, and felt more and more unpredictable.

The three of them were getting farther and farther away from the Jiazi Temple.

Zhao Shisong has a noble status, and everyone always salutes and greets him when they see him along the way.

Ning Chang stopped and quietly looked at the awakening ancient city.

Out of the arch under the walls of the palace, a short distance away, you can see a big lake, the center of the lake is foggy, the red leaves on the lakeside are stacked, there are palace maids by the lake throwing fish food, and the lake surface ripples in all directions.

Zhao Shisong said with a smile: "This is Qifeng Lake, not artificially excavated, Zhao was originally built between the mountains and mountains, which is not easy." ”

Ning Chang looked back, the solemn and glorious imperial palace was built against the mountain, and the pattern of the imperial city was much flatter, outside the continuous palace, the city was connected, the line of sight was further expanded, and the village fortresses were also distributed.

Zhao Shisong recalled something and let out a long sigh: "Originally, in the past, Zhao State also occupied a lot of fertile land in the south, but more than ten years ago, many of them were ceded to Rongguo, in exchange for a moment of peace...... It's a pity that it was also ruined later because of His Royal Highness Xiang'er. ”

Ning Changjiu pointed to the south of the Great Lake and asked, "Along this road, it is the National Teacher's Mansion, right?"

Zhao Shisong nodded and said: "Well, two years ago, the national teacher was still full of black hair and spirits, but now the national fortune is withering, and the national teacher inherits the national fortune, and it is also an old state that is dying." ”

Ning Changjiu asked: "The national teacher inherits the national fortune, so what is the witch master?"

Zhao Shisong said: "The main thing that the witch master does is to annotate the ancient and arcane classics, inherit the Taoism, and defend the city. The authority of the witch lord over the imperial city is second only to His Majesty, so if the imperial city is destroyed, the witch lord will also be counterattacked. ”

Ning Chang was a little puzzled: "The national teacher inherits the fortune of a country, and the witch master inherits the fortune of a city?"

Zhao Shisong said: "That's right. ”

Ning Xiaoling listened to it on the side and whispered, "That sounds like the National Teacher is much more powerful." ”

Zhao Shisong smiled bitterly and did not answer.

Ning Changjiu knew what he was still hiding, but after all, the matter involved Zhao Guo's top secret, so he didn't ask.

The three of them walked along the lake, Ning Chang looked at the red leaves floating all over the ground, and wondered: "It is recorded in the book that Blood Feather Jun is a half-step demon bird of the Purple Court, and his personality is very high, why did he appear in the Imperial City of Zhao Kingdom?"

Zhao Shisong said: "The city of Zhao opened up a lot of original wild places, maybe it was originally the territory of the Blood Feather Monarch, and it was occupied for no reason, which will naturally attract anger. ”

Ning Changjiu asked, "That Blood Feather Monarch has been killed?"

Zhao Shisong said: "It's just an expulsion, and the witch master was also seriously injured for this." ”

Between the two of them asked and answered, they walked a long distance, the fog of the lake was like a veil, and the light of the morning sun behind them came through, and a bunch of them were like sharp swords, slowly removing the cold mist. On the other side of the lakeshore, swordsmen walked back and forth, and behind their intertwined figures were large crumbling ruins.

"Qianyu Palace?" Ning Chang asked.

Ning Xiaoling stood on tiptoe and looked over, his eyes passed through the corridor between the high walls, and he could only vaguely see the corner of the collapse of the magnificent hall, even after a long time, the cracked bricks and tiles along the way were full of wet killing intent.

Zhao Shisong clenched his fist in front of him and behind him with the other, his eyes were full of sighs, the temple that was once regarded as a holy place was now after a monstrous fire, and it has never been a phoenix.

"It's a pity that I've never seen Niangniang, and Niangniang's celestial posture can only be glimpsed from His Royal Highness Xiang'er. ”

Ning Changchang hugged his fists and said, "Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for solving your doubts all the way." ”

Zhao Shisong waved his hand: "Compared with the grace of the Taoist leader's life-saving, it is nothing." ”

Ning Chang said: "Next, I want to take a walk with my junior sister and have a look, it's not in the way, right?"

Zhao Shisong said: "Naturally, it's just that the secret vault lands I mentioned just now, the trail chief must not trespass." ”

Ning Chang said: "I have a sense of proportion, and those places are naturally avoided. ”

Zhao Shisong's expression was suddenly a little embarrassed: "The prince's mansion ...... And that Tang Yu, I'm ......"

Ning Chang said: "According to the agreement, don't meddle in this matter anymore, Zhao Xiang'er should have no time to take care of you." ”

After saying goodbye to Zhao Shisong, Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling walked slowly by the lake, with the ancient palace in the distance, the damp fallen leaves in the distance, the golden light on the horizon, and the fog on the lake gradually dispersed, glowing with sporadic gold.

Ning Xiaoling stepped on the fallen leaves, clasped her arms with both hands, clenched the slightly thin skirt, her immature cheeks were slightly red, she glanced in the direction of the Qianyu Hall again, her brows frowned slightly, and she didn't know what to think.

"Senior brother...... her gaze moved along the high walls of the imperial city, and said leisurely: "What realm are you at the moment?"

Ning Chang glanced at her suspiciously, then shook his head with a smile: "The realm is just people's imagination, just like a glass of water, when the cup is empty, it is empty, and when you pour some water, there is water, and when the water is poured out, it is full...... In the process of pouring water, people carved a lot of scales on it as marks for the sake of recording, and as milestones, I don't think it makes sense. ”

"Why?" Ning Xiaoling was a little unconvinced.

Ning Chang said: "Because the water is in the cup after all, only when the water jumps out of the cup and starts to look for a bigger container, that node is the node of the realm in the real sense......"

Ning Xiaoling sighed and said with a wry smile: "But Senior Brother, have you ever thought that most cultivators in the world will never be able to see the edge of the cup in their lives. ”

Ning Jiu stopped, thought for a while, and said, "Well, for most people, even cultivation is just a castle in the air, but junior sister, you are different, since you can form an innate spirit, you are already above ten thousand people." ”

Speaking of these, Ning Chang remembered his current body, his heart was slightly darkened, and he wondered where he could go now?

Ning Xiaoling also remembered her mouse-sized severe-tailed fox, and puffed out her cheeks very unconfidently, she raised her head and glanced at Ning Changchang, and said curiously: "Senior brother does he have an innate spirit?"

Ning hesitated for a long time before slowly spitting out a syllable: "Yes." ”

Ning Xiaoling's body was shocked, and she almost blurted out: "What is it?"

Ning Chang looked at her calmly: "My innate spirit is gone. ”

Ning Xiaoling was a little dumbfounded for a while.

Once the innate spirit appears, it will be connected to the sea of qi, and if the innate spirit is forcibly removed, then the sea of qi will also be shattered and become a waste......

What did he go through that night? Who was the person standing in front of him at this moment?

Ning Xiaoling was frightened for a while, the fear in her heart had been suppressed for a long time, and at this moment, it was like a needle that had crushed over her skin, making her physically and mentally chilled.

She asked casually, "How can the innate spirit be gone, senior brother has remembered it, right?"

Ning Changchang shook his head lightly and did not answer.

In that distant and almost false memory, the last scene he remembered was a sword light piercing into his heart, and beyond the most extreme sword light was the most indifferent and beautiful face.

He didn't know her name, but he knew that it was his master.

In his vague memory, he vaguely saw that his innate spirit was pulled out by her and cut off with a sword.

She seemed to say something to herself, and it seemed important, but he couldn't remember it.

The memory of that life came to an abrupt end, and until he woke up in this body, he only vaguely remembered that he was trapped in a desolate place like a graveyard.

He didn't think about that anymore, and looked at the tower of Zhao State, the rising light reflected the antiquity of the city, looking like a trapped beast in the twilight years.

"Do you like this city?" Ning Changjiu suddenly asked.

Ning Xiaoling sat down on the shore of the lake, her petite and beautiful shadow was reflected in the water, and she said lightly:

"I've only been here for a few days, where can I talk about liking and hating?"

Ning Chang said: "In the past hundred years, Zhao Guo has had a very difficult time. ”

Ning Xiaoling nodded and said, "The two hungry wolves of Rongguo and Jinguo are always staring, even if they cut a lot of their own meat, where can they feed them?"

Ning Changchang smiled: "Then do you know a hundred years ago, why Zhao Guo was able to open up a piece of his own land between them?"

Ning Xiaoling said: "I wasn't born at that time, how do I know?"

Ning Changchang smiled: "Because there are immortals to help." ”

Ning Xiaoling also smiled: "Senior brother also believes in those legends?"

Ning Chang said: "I once read some classics of human dynasties, and at that time I thought it was legends, living in the palace these days, I vaguely felt that those legends might be true." ”

Ning Xiaoling shook her legs lightly and said, "What did Senior Brother say? What kind of legend?"

Ning Changjiu also sat down beside her: "That is the real foundation of the Zhao Kingdom, the junior sister is too young, it may sound a little bluffing at the moment." ”

Ning Xiaoling blinked: "It's okay, senior brother will tell me about it?"

......

......

There were many strange birds gathered in the sky above the National Teacher's Mansion, some of them stayed on the roof, and some of them fluttered their wings and swirled in the sky, but they seemed to be afraid of disturbing the girl in the mansion, so they were silent.

The legend about the bird ghost caused a huge panic in the palace, and the attack on Zhao Shisong last night also spread in a small area, but Zhao Shisong's own words were very vague, only saying that it was a powerful ghost asking for his life, thanks to the timely rescue of the small Taoist chief in the house, and the appearance and words of the witch lord that day locked the identity of the bird ghost on the demon bird Blood Feather Jun who caused trouble in the imperial city many years ago.

Many old people who had experienced the Blood Feather Monarch's rebellion still had lingering palpitations, looking forward to the Witch Lord's attack again and completely killing the demon bird.

And those who know more about the inside story don't believe Blood Feather Jun's statement, and what they are most afraid of is the girl who is now temporarily living in the National Teacher's Mansion.

She now holds the authority of the Great Array of the National Teacher's Mansion, and it is related to the name of the National Teacher, so they are naturally not easy to act.

But Zhao Xiang'er will leave the house one day, so in private, many people have already contacted Jin Guo and are in full swing to prepare. At the moment when the mother was besieged, everything was irreversible, and she could only do it without stopping, and kill her together with this highness.

The girl is still in the house, but the killer is already on the way.

And for those, the girls in the National Teacher's Mansion turned a blind eye and a deaf ear.

Early in the morning, after Zhao Xiang'er woke up, she took a shower and changed her clothes, changed into a long black silk dress, and her long ink-dyed hair was wet on her shoulders, like a cloud containing rain.

The crooked corridor is entwined with ancient vines, and on one side of the corridor, there is an old well with mossy and yellow.

"This well is connected to the underground spring of Qifeng Lake, it is very luscious, if you want to make tea, the old man will make a pot for you. ”

At the entrance of the corridor, the national teacher stood on crutches, his spirit became more and more sluggish, and his tone became slower and slower.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the well and said, "The well water does not interfere with the lake water, Mr. does not have to cover it, in fact, I know it." ”

The old man's body shook, and his hand on crutches involuntarily exerted force, even if his spiritual power was sealed at the moment, cracks still appeared on the floor tiles under the tip of the staff.

Zhao Xiang'er smiled: "There is a well like this, there is one in the Qianyu Palace, there is one in the Immortal Forest, and there is also one in the palace. When I was very young, I heard the sound of ghosts screaming in the well, and I went down to see it. ”

The old man stared at her: "So you know everything?"

Zhao Xiang'er said: "Now that the Qianyu Palace has been destroyed, the well leading to the depths of the underground palace has also been sealed, and I can't go to the palace and the immortal forest now, so I came to the National Teacher's Mansion." ”

The old man smiled self-deprecatingly: "The old man thought that my body of wind and candle could still make His Highness pay a little attention, but now that I think about it, I am arrogant." ”

Zhao Xiang'er shook her head: "Teachers don't have to be humble. ”

The old man sighed, and the guess in his heart came to fruition, and he said in a deep tone: "Do you know what kind of monster is under the underground palace?"

Zhao Xiang'er said: "I have seen him through the fence of the stove, he is a very strong old monster, and all the killers I have seen in my life are not half as strong as it." ”

The old man lamented: "Then don't you understand that the meaning of the existence of the Zhao Kingdom is only for it? If it escapes from the underground palace, then the entire Zhao Kingdom will cease to exist!"

Zhao Xiang'er looked at him calmly and slowly talked about that period of history: " My mother once told me that five hundred years ago, dozens of demons sprung up between heaven and earth, except for the twelve lords of the hidden country, there are very few existences in the world that can really kill them, and the lord of the hidden country is limited by the laws of heaven and earth, and cannot directly interfere in the world, so they ordered the messenger to go to the world, and use the luck of the city and the country in the world to suppress the big demon, and many of the wild places that killed them have no land, so the messenger helped people to open up territory there to establish a city, that is the legendary immortal casting country. ”

"In the past 500 years, many countries have risen one after another, and the foundation of their country is to suppress these evil spirits that have caused chaos in the world. ”

"And a hundred years ago, there was a big demon escaped, the immortals killed thousands of miles, and finally smashed its body at the foot of Da Tai Mountain, and then the immortals set up the imperial city with Da Tai Mountain, and town the country with four treasures, and 'Zhao' was born. ”

Zhao Xiang'er said as she walked towards the well, her dark skirt fluttering in the autumn wind, like a cut of night.

The old man's expression gradually changed from fierce to lonely, and he said astringently: "Even so, you still want to enter the well? Do you know how powerful it is, and it is only a matter of a snap of your fingers that it kills you." ”

Zhao Xiang'er said: "Then you won't know, what is it encroaching on? Where did the ground movement, floods, plagues, and many natural and man-made disasters of Zhao come from, and the national fortune inherited by Mr. Zhao will not be unknown, right?"

The old man Xiao Suo said: "So what? No matter how difficult these disasters are, they can't shake the foundation of Zhao State, since this is the foundation of Zhao State, it is naturally the fate that Zhao should bear!"

The fallen leaves on the side of the ancient well are piled up, like red and yellow ink, like rusty swords.

After the autumn rains, the well water rose a lot, and her beautiful face swayed in the water, dyed with the beauty of the well water.

She looked at herself reflected in the water and said, "I want to try to kill it." ”

The old man looked at her and almost begged, "Xiang'er...... Stop, it's too late to stop now, those people outside who want to kill you, I'm desperate to stop you for you, I just beg you to ......"

Zhao Xiang'er interrupted him: "I will return Zhao Guo to a clear world." ”

With that, she lifted the placket of her skirt, held the ancient umbrella, and jumped into the well.

The sound of water in his ears was like thunder, and the old man lifted up violently in one breath, the crutches in his hand were not held steady, and he fell to the ground with a click, he pressed his chest, and sat down down.

After a while, suddenly an attendant rushed from the pavilion, he prostrate on the ground, and his voice was extremely flustered: "National teacher...... Master Guoshi, no, the national seal...... It's gone!"

The old man was stunned for a long time, he trembled and picked up the crutch, threw it towards the ancient well, hid his face and said sadly:

"Crazy...... Crazy, all crazy......"

......

The water of Qifeng Lake was undulating and sparkling, and when the bell in the imperial city rang in the distance, Ning Changjiu finished telling the legend about Zhao State.

Ning Xiaoling stared at him seriously, his mind pulled back a little, and asked curiously, "Our feet...... Really crush the big monster?"

Ning Chang said: "Maybe it's true, maybe the story is just a story." ”

Ning Xiaoling said worriedly: "Then if one day it escapes from the underground, what will it do?"

Ning Chang looked up at the sky, "Then I have to take you to escape." ”

Ning Xiaoling looked at him with watery eyes: "Then you must not leave me at that time." ”

Not far away, on the official road, two columns of officials knelt on the road, and at this moment the city gate was wide open, and the light shone through the high brick wall.

On the arch bridge in the distance, Ning Changjiu saw Song Fang's figure again.

Behind him, a small blue and white sedan chair was not carried, but it was suspended out of thin air, undulating evenly, as if the air around him was a lake, gently dragging the flat boat.

At this moment, the world is bright, the blue and white sedan chair hangs the curtain, the eyes follow the sun, and you can vaguely see that there is a figure in the sedan chair, looking at the flowers through the fog, like an immortal from outside the world.

Ning was unmoved for a long time.

Ning Xiaoling looked at it in a daze, and had forgotten her words.