In recent days, all the disciples on Xuanji Mountain and the eight guests of the Northern Yunnan League who came to visit could feel the abnormality of Xuanjizi.

Xuanjizi first arranged for people to go down the mountain to buy worldly pleasure supplies, most of which were still used by ladies, and personally led people to decorate an idle small building very close to him, and asked all the buildings in Xuanji Mountain to be thoroughly cleaned and decorated with lights.

All disciples, monks, and servants were required to wash their faces and feet with hot water every day, to change their clothes every day, and to check every day that everyone had washed their faces and had their nails trimmed.

These strange behaviors tortured all the people up and down Xuanji Mountain to death and complained.

This situation has lasted for seven days, and even the guests of the Qingfeng Venerable are a little unbearable, but fortunately they are ready to leave, and in the past seven days, they have taken a general look at the operation mode of Xuanji Mountain, and made detailed records, and are ready to go back and choose a few strategies that are suitable for their sect to try first.

On the eighth day, when Xuanjizi came to check everyone's health again, Sikong Ba couldn't stand it anymore, and the first one took his daughter to leave, and the other three factions quickly ran away, they didn't want to be tortured by Xuanjizi anymore.

In the mournful eyes of the disciples of the Xuanji Sect, the guests of the Northern Yunnan League, who had no morality at all, ran away, leaving them alone to continue to suffer.

Fortunately, in the afternoon of the same day, Xuanji Zi summoned all the second and third generations of disciples to announce that it was expected that on February 2, a distinguished guest would come to Xuanji Mountain, so he asked everyone to clean up Xuanji Mountain as magnificently as possible, and the more energetic the people, the better.

Oh, it turned out that there was a distinguished guest visiting! Now everyone knows why Xuanjizi tossed, and the hanging heart finally let go of most of it, as long as there is a reason, I am not afraid of Xuanjizi tossing.

As long as there is hope, everyone can still bear it, Tie Yumo tentatively asked what kind of guest it is? Immediately Xuanjizi was severely criticized, saying that no matter what kind of guest it is, the Xuanji faction must have rules, and from tomorrow onwards, a stricter health inspection system will be implemented.

In the wail of the disciples of the Xuanji faction, Xuanjizi walked away, it seemed that he was not going to spare his hands on the disciples this time.

The second and third disciples looked at each other, not knowing what was wrong, everyone looked at Tianhuo, Tianhuo hurriedly spread his hands and said, "I really don't know the reason this time, Master has never mentioned that someone has visited before, but I secretly saw that Master now has to make three trigrams every day, and after divination, he will laugh, it sounds very infiltrating." ”

Su Xing touched his chin and said, "It seems that this mysterious guest didn't come to visit after making an appointment with Master, so Master needs to calculate the distance between him and Xuanji Mountain every day, and he is definitely an uninvited guest."

However, looking at the master's attention, and the fact that he does not look like a great enemy, it is estimated that most of the other party is a friend rather than an enemy, and then looking at Master's recent gaffe performance, according to my estimate, most of the guests who came to visit were women!"

"Really, Second Senior Brother, will you give us an analysis?"

"Yes, Second Senior Brother, I have never heard that Master has any confidantes, this is definitely shocking news!"

Su Xing smiled, he felt that he was very close to the truth, and he really wanted to see how the master should face this confidant.

At this moment, Xuan Jizi's voice floated faintly: "Do you all have nothing to do? What are you studying together? Second brother, come to my house!"

Su Xing's face instantly turned pale, and he looked at the junior disciples pitifully, hoping that someone could accompany him to the master's place.

Tianhuo suddenly got up and said, "Senior brothers, I suddenly thought of a brilliant idea that can increase the profit of the Xuanji Chamber of Commerce by three percent this year, if not, I have to go back and record it quickly, and leave first." ”

Tianhuo ran away after speaking.

Lu Qiming hurriedly got up and said, "Yes, yes, there is not much food on the mountain, I have to go down the mountain to buy it today, it's all at this point, I can't delay it any longer." ”

Zhou Yong and Xia Yi also got up and said, "Sixth Senior Brother, we just have something to go down the mountain to buy, let's go down the mountain together." ”

Before Su Xing could speak, the other juniors and disciples all found some excuses and slipped away, only Tie Yumo remained in place and did not leave.

Su Xing was moved enthusiastically: "I didn't expect that only the senior brother would accompany me to the end, I was so moved!"

Tie Yumo got up, walked to Su Xing's side, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Second junior brother, take care! Senior brother supports you spiritually." ”

After speaking, Tie Yumo also left.

Su Xing stretched out his hand and grabbed two handfuls of Tie Yumo's distant figure, as if he wanted to leave Tie Yumo behind, but Tie Yumo's firm footsteps were not disturbed by him.

"Hmm, why haven't you come yet? Second brother, are you ready to disobey the master's orders?"

"Eh, Master, I just told my senior brothers and junior brothers about something, and it's just over, and it's here!"

......

February 2nd, also known as "Spring Ploughing Festival", "Agricultural Festival", "Spring Dragon Festival", legend is the day when the dragon raises its head, symbolizing the return of spring to the earth, Vientiane renewal, is one of the traditional folk festivals of the Chinese nationality.

In this festival, the folk will organize a variety of ceremonies to worship the dragon and pray for rain, so that God will bless this year's bumper harvest, and the Tang Kingdom also has customs such as eating pig's head meat and trimming hair on this day.

February 2 is also the spring opening day of Dunhuang City, because Dunhuang City is located in the bitter cold land in the northwest, the cold winter ice for a long time, February 2, Jingxiang, Bashu land has begun spring sowing, and Dunhuang City is still a northern country of ice and snow.

After February 2, the weather in Dunhuang City warmed up, and the ice and snow gradually melted, at this time, the city gate was opened, so that farmers could prepare for farming, and merchants could prepare for a long journey, which was a very symbolic day.

However, according to past experience, there will not be too many people out of the city on this day, because although the earth is warmer, it is still far from the time when spring returns to the earth, and the peasants can't do anything out of the city, and the merchants are blocked by the wind and snow, and it is very difficult to travel, and it will take at least a month to travel normally.

On February 2, it will be connected to the north and south, and on February 3, it will run through the east and west.

On February 2, the north gate and the south gate will be opened first, which is convenient for business travel from the south to the north, while the east and west doors will be opened on February 3, so as to avoid opening the four doors at the same time, and some hidden dangers and dangers will be avoided.

Every year today, the south gate of Dunhuang City will be much more lively than the north gate, there are a lot of merchants who are not afraid of the road and believe in it, they need to rush to Suzhou Road and Ganzhou Road as soon as possible, organize the transfer of local goods, and return to Dunhuang City in time.

Because of the lockdown of 100 days, there is a shortage of materials in Dunhuang, and whoever can transport the goods urgently needed in the city back to the city in the first time can earn the first pot of gold this year.

And the depression at the north gate of Dunhuang City is still there, and there is not a carriage waiting to leave the city here.

Early in the morning, Li Ming, the commander of the personal guard battalion of the city lord's mansion, personally led 100 officers and soldiers of the personal guard battalion to the north gate of the outer city, and they also brought in 500 prisoners who had been held in the war last year because their identities were unknown.

Today, after these people have served hard labor, if there is no conclusive evidence to prove that they are undercover spies or traitors of the barbarians, the government will file them with a record, apply for temporary household registration, and release them.

This is undoubtedly a great good thing for these unidentified people, after all, through this matter, they can also obtain the temporary household registration of the Tang Kingdom, and they no longer have to worry about being captured as savages and slaves.

Li Ming was very quick in his work, he said a brief hello to Hu Qi, the official of the Beicheng City Gate today, and ordered 500 prisoners to start carrying the stones, sacks and other things that blocked the corridor.

The prisoners were careful when carrying stones and sacks, because the adults had explained that they would continue to be used when the city was closed at the end of the year, and if they were damaged at will, they would be held responsible.

Although these prisoners were imprisoned for a winter, the prison in Dunhuang City was not very dark, although the food was coarse, but they were not detained in terms of quantity, let alone their hungry skin and bones, and in the morning they were fed a full meal, and they could cope with the heavy physical work of carrying at this time.

Five hundred people is not a small number, and it only took more than an hour to clear the 312 zhang long corridor, so that the passage connecting the outer city to the outside of the city was opened.

The city gate guards under Hu Qi, the city gate official, filled the oil lamps on the cave walls on both sides of the corridor every ten zhang with lamp oil, and then lit them to make the corridor brighter.

Li Ming and Hu Qi walked to the inside of the North City Gate where the big lock and latch had fallen, and each took out a palm-length brass key, inserted it into the big lock of the city gate and rotated it at the same time.

With a "click", the big lock weighing one hundred and eight pounds on the gate of the north city was successfully opened, and several city gate guards quickly came up, shouting the trumpet to move three door latches thicker than adult thighs from the upper, middle and lower three blocks of the city gate, and placed them on both sides of the road.

Hu Qi opened his voice and shouted: "February 2nd, Kaicheng~~~!"

A huge echo echoed through the corridor, and a moment later, only the shrill grinding of winch, chains, and pivots was heard, and the gate of the North City was divided into two and slowly opened backwards.

Li Ming and Hu Qi took a few steps back with their men, leaving a place for the city gate to open.

The gates opened slowly, and the winches and chains seemed to be rusted to death, and it took a cup of tea for the gates to be fully opened.

Hu Qi did not rush out with the city gate guards and tax collectors to set up cards, but looked at Li Ming.

Li Ming shouted violently in the Yongdao: "All the officers and soldiers of the pro-guard battalion and the prisoners exit the Yongdao, otherwise they will be killed!"

I only heard a panic sound coming from the corridor, and then the sound of hurried footsteps went farther and farther, and soon after, someone shouted loudly on the other side of the corridor: "Report to Commander Li, all the idle people have withdrawn from the corridor!"

Li Ming shouted in a deep voice: "The Xuanjia Army is in position!"

I only heard a sound on the wall on the side of the corridor, and a door one zhang high and eight feet wide miraculously appeared on the side wall of the corridor, and a heavy footstep came from behind the door.

Hu Qi only felt that his pupils began to contract, he had seen this kind of scene for fourteen years, but every time the Xuanjia Army entered the Yongdao directly from the military city through the secret passage, he would feel short of breath and extremely nervous.

These walking killing machines don't know how many people they have killed, and the evil aura on their bodies is so heavy that it always chokes him to breathe.

I saw a hundred heavily armored soldiers dressed in black armor and black masks coming out of the secret passage, their bodies were covered with heavy armor except for their eyes, and each of them was carrying a sharp axe and hammer in their hands, each of which was more than thirty catties.

These heavily armored men are like the Grim Reaper in the night, the steel boots rub against the ground and make a harsh sound, but the whole person seems to be completely integrated into the darkness, they breathe long and steady, and they are wearing a full set of equipment of more than one hundred and twenty pounds, as if they are nothing.

This is the real guarding force of the Dunhuang City Gate - the Xuanjia Army, if the enemy wants to take advantage of the chaos to attack the city gate during the day, it will be chopped into meat sauce by these hundred armor soldiers in an instant.

No matter how sharp and tenacious the enemy's attack is, as long as it passes through the Yongdao, it will be blocked by the Great Wall of flesh and blood of the Xuanjia Army, which takes a lot of energy and a lot of time, and the Tang Army officers and soldiers in the rear have enough time to adapt and counterattack, these are the elite and real dead soldiers of the border army.

A hundred Xuanjia soldiers walked to the recesses on both sides of the corridor not far behind the city gate, sat on the iron chairs that had been prepared before, and the city gate guards stepped forward to pull up a black veil.

After Li Ming saw the Xuanjia Army enter the battle position, he gave them a standard Tang Army military salute, then turned his head to Hu Qi and said, "The opening ceremony of the city has been completed, and the future defense of the city gate will be handed over to you!" 8)