Chapter 234: Meeting the Second Rank Patriarch of the Imperial Palace.

Zeng Anmin's gaze moved over Master Xu.

There was a look of suspicion on his face.

"What's wrong?"

Master Xu raised his eyebrows and asked Zeng Anmin indifferently.

"The Illusion Array Test is behind, and Zhu Wanjun's death is ahead."

Zeng Anmin frowned, staring at Master Xu Tianshi and said:

"How did he tamper with the activation of the illusion array?"

Xu Tianshi's eyes became deep.

Zeng Anmin’s question hit the nail on the head.

He looked into the distance, and there was a hint of coldness in his voice:

"Zhu Wanjun and Li Jian have been conspiring together for a long time. They started planning as early as when you conquered Mount Baideng and returned to the capital in triumph."

"I don't know where he got the evil spirit from to attack you and your son."

"Qin Shoucheng's gathering post is also his target."

Zeng Anmin slowly raised his head.

A hint of understanding flashed across his eyes, and he said thoughtfully:

"That is, when I first met him."

"Did he lose the three-colored spirit stone to me on purpose?"

"Is the purpose to plant a strange aura in me?"

The red strange energy had spread from the golden scepter to the golden abacus in his sea of ​​consciousness.

If he doesn't control it, it won't be long before his Confucian and Taoist cultivation is wasted.

"Well, it's just that he never thought that in addition to being a fifth-rank Confucian cultivator, you also have the combat power of a fifth-rank warrior."

Xu Tianshi's eyes were filled with curiosity. He looked at Zeng Anmin and said:

"That night when I planted the formation on you, I also wanted to explore the mysteries of your body."

"But his consciousness was blocked by a tremendous force."

"I wonder what magical power you have within you...how you can cultivate both Confucianism and martial arts, and yet you haven't exploded and died yet."

Well.

Zeng Anmin seemed to be thinking about something.

The exploration of spiritual consciousness... Strictly speaking, it should also be considered a mental attack, right?

He laughed dryly and said, "There's no need to tell you this, right?"

"hehe."

Xu Tianshi chuckled and said, "Every blessing in the world has its own owner. If you don't want to ask me, I won't force you."

"Xu Mingxin told me the other day that Guiqi is a magical power of the Taoist sect. Could it be that Zhu Wanjun has something to do with the Taoist sect?"

Zeng Anmin frowned and murmured solemnly.

"I don't know about this."

When talking about Taoism, Master Xu Tianshi's face showed a hint of complexity.

The corner of Zeng Anmin's mouth twitched.

The old man knows everything.

How come you don’t know anything?

"Master Xu just said that the person who tampered with the illusion array was Zhu Wanjun's man?"

Dad was silent for a moment before speaking.

He stared at Master Xu with an expressionless face:

"Did you find out who it was?"

Xu Tianshi nodded: "I found it. He has been imprisoned in the dungeon of my Xuanzhen Division. Do you want to go and take a look?"

"Need not."

Dad snorted coldly:

"Just don't let this kind of thing happen again."

Having said that, he took Zeng Anmin and was about to leave.

Zeng Anmin gently struggled against his father's arm.

He slowly raised his head and looked towards Master Xu Tianshi, and asked:

"Master Tianshi, do you know where the legendary Heavenly Lotus Spiritual Root is?"

Master Xu Tianshi frowned slowly, looking thoughtful.

After a while, he said:

"The Heavenly Lotus... It is said to grow in the south, but I don't know its exact location."

…

Zeng Anmin took a deep breath, endured the twitching corners of his mouth, turned his head to look at his father and said:

"Let's go."

How come you don’t know anything?

He was a little upset.

"Walk!"

Dad also glanced at Master Xu, then took Zeng Anmin and walked out.

But the two of them haven't taken a step yet.

Then an extremely sharp whistling sound was heard.

A figure descended from the sky and landed above the Xuanzhen Division.

Zeng Anmin and his son were both stunned.

"A guest has arrived."

Master Xu Tianshi looked at the figure and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

The figure was about six feet tall, with a calm expression.

He looks no different from an ordinary old farmer.

However, when he saw him, Zeng Anmin's body shook violently.

Why is he here?!

Zeng Anmin didn't know this person.

But he recognized the sword at the man's waist.

And I just saw it!

It was the dagger that scared the man in the bamboo hat away!!

A second-rank ancestor in the imperial city?

Zeng Anmin and Zeng Shilin looked at each other.

They all narrowed their eyes slightly.

"Meet Master Xu."

After seeing Master Xu Tianshi, the second-rank ancestor showed a look of respect on his face and saluted Master Xu Tianshi.

"No need to be so polite." Xu Tianshi chuckled, swept the whisk in his hand and placed it on his arm, then looked at the second-grade ancestor and asked:

"Wang Dong, why are you here with me instead of staying in the deep palace?"

It turns out that the real name of this second-grade ancestor is Wang Dong.

Zeng Anmin remembered this name deeply in his heart.

A hint of coldness slowly appeared on Wang Dong's face. He slowly raised his head and looked towards the south:

"This king has been away from the world for a long time, which has led some people to think that there is no one in my Great Saint Dynasty."

"You dare to bully me in Beijing."

Xu Tianshi raised his eyebrows slightly: "Are you going to seek revenge?"

"Just going to see an old friend." Wang Dong's face was expressionless, and his eyes were not sharp.

"The cold sheath in my hand tells me that the man in the bamboo hat who came that day is very similar to the man in the south."

But as his voice rang out, the whole yard seemed to be plunged into a world of ice and snow.

Zeng Anmin and Zeng Shilin both shuddered.

"Tsk." Master Xu glanced at Wang Dong, then smiled dumbly:

"Then you better be careful. As long as you stay within the Holy Dynasty, I can still protect you. But if you do, the smell on you will be unbearable."

Wang Dong nodded calmly: "I have my own plans."

"But for the safety of the younger generations in the palace, I'll have to trouble you, Master Tian, ​​to worry about it during this period."

Xu Tianshi spread his hands and said, "Do I have a choice?"

"Thank you."

After hearing this, Wang Dong nodded and walked out.

After passing by Zeng Anmin and Zeng Shilin, he glanced at them lightly.

Zeng Anmin looked at him.

My body shook.

In just a moment, he seemed to see the sea of ​​stars in Wang Dong's eyes...

"Meet the ancestor."

Zeng Anmin bowed to Wang Dong.

"No need to be so polite." Wang Dong stopped and turned to look at Zeng Anmin.

Zeng Anmin laughed dryly.

"You are not bad, I saw you break the formation during the imperial examination that day."

He casually reached out and patted Zeng Anmin on the shoulder.

"You are too kind, ancestor. It was just luck."

Zeng Anmin grinned.

"You Confucian cultivators never speak clearly."

Wang Dong glanced at Zeng Anmin and Zeng Shilin with disdain.

Then his body slowly rose into the air.

“Chiu!”

After a sound, the person disappeared into the sky.

Looking at his figure.

Zeng Anmin felt a little hot in his heart.

One day.

I can also be looked up to like this!

"Okay, let's go."

Zeng Shilin patted Zeng Anmin on the shoulder.

Zeng Anmin came back to his senses, nodded, and followed Zeng Shilin forward.

Soon, the two of them arrived outside the Xuanzhensi.

"What do you mean, Dad?"

After leaving the Tianshi Mansion.

Zeng Anmin looked up at Zeng Shilin and asked.

Zeng Shilin narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the Tianshi Mansion.

A hint of deep fear flashed in his eyes.

Then he said expressionlessly, "Let's talk about it when we get home."

…………

In the Shangshu's study.

Zeng Anmin sat opposite Zeng Shilin with a serious expression.

He was playing with a jade pendant he had picked up from the table.

"Master Xu didn't tell my father the truth today."

Zeng Shilin slowly raised his head and looked in the direction of Xuanzhensi.

"What truth?"

Zeng Anmin was stunned for a moment, looked at Zeng Shilin in confusion and asked.

"He knew that his disciple was colluding with Duke Ning."

There was a hint of gloom in Dad's voice:

"But he just let it go. There must be a conspiracy behind this."

Zeng Anmin glanced at his father:

"Can you and I, father and son, control what Master Xu is planning?"

…

Zeng Shilin's expression froze for a moment.

He sighed: "That's right, I am just worrying about nothing."

After he finished speaking, he looked up at Zeng Anmin and said:

"Since you have passed the illusion array, you are now a juren."

"Then... the imperial edict should be arriving soon."

"What correspondence course?" Zeng Anmin was stunned.

"If you pass the imperial examination, you can be sent abroad as an official." The old man glanced at him and said:

"If you still want to take the imperial examination or the palace examination, then don't bother with it."

"Of course I have to continue taking the test." Zeng Anmin answered without even thinking:

"What good official position can a mere Juren be given?"

"hehe."

After hearing Zeng Anmin's words, the old man smiled with relief: "If you have the demeanor of your father and I back then, then you can wait for next year's spring exam. It won't be long anyway."

"and you."

Zeng Anmin smiled proudly:

"At least it has to be higher than your rank in the exam that year!"

"Tsk." Dad really didn't argue with Zeng Anmin on this matter. He glanced at Zeng Anmin and said:

"If I had your ability back then, I wouldn't have only finished second."

"My father's ambition is not to take the imperial examination. Haven't you heard that the top scholar back then didn't even hold the position you hold now?"

When this was mentioned, Dad's face froze slightly.

He waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. I have something else to do and need to go back to the government office."

As he said this, Dad started walking.

Looking at dad's back.

Zeng Anmin touched his chin gently.

…………

Sea of ​​consciousness space.

Zeng Anmin raised his head with a serious look.

He looked at his own Confucian and Taoist image.

Although he has not yet been promoted to the fourth level of enlightenment.

But there was also a vague desire to make an urgent breakthrough.

only……

"If this strange aura is not eliminated, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Zeng Anmin looked at the six Confucian artifacts in front of him with deep eyes.

Each Confucian artifact emits a unique golden light.

At this time, the golden scepter had completely dimmed and was wrapped in a red strange aura.

A corner of the abacus next to the golden scepter has been stained with red.

"It's only been a few days..."

Zeng Anmin looked at the red aura on the abacus, and a hint of gloom flashed in the depths of his eyes.

At most, it took less than half a month.

The red strange aura has enveloped the golden scepter, and the abacus cannot be used.

"Three months at most. If there's no way to delay it, or if it's eliminated..."

He squinted his eyes.

Now that I know how to deal with the strange energy.

That must be resolved immediately.

Anyway, the autumn examination is over now.

Nothing urgent at the moment.

This is the most urgent matter.

Zeng Anmin took a deep breath.

After exiting the sea of ​​consciousness, he slowly opened his eyes.

At this time, he was in the bedroom of the Imperial College.

"As the chief clerk, I feel like an idler."

Zeng Anmin smiled helplessly.

The chief clerk of the Imperial College really doesn't have much to do.

He stretched, then stood up and walked forward.

…

Taoism

Complete Record of Spiritual Roots

…

Zeng Anmin spent two whole days immersed in the secret archives of the Imperial College.

No clues about the Lotus of Heaven were found.

There is no clue of any Taoism either.

Those records also contained things he had no use for.

"What should we do now?"

Two days later.

Zeng Anmin's eyes were a little dry and red.

He has been coming to the Imperial College's secret document library more frequently these past two days than the library keeper.

But there was still no gain.

"well."

He sighed.

Then he stood up and walked slowly outside.

"If it really doesn't work, why not give up literature and cultivate martial arts?"

Zeng Anmin touched his chin.

He felt a little angry.

"Zhu Wanjun..."

Even if this kid is dead.

Zeng Anmin still couldn't help but pull it out and grind it to ashes.

"Brother Quan Fu!"

A sudden voice sounded.

As Zeng Anmin stepped out of the secret document library, he saw a figure in white walking towards him excitedly.

"Brother Bai?"

Zeng Anmin was stunned for a moment: "Why did you come to see me?"

A few days ago, the assassination attempt on Emperor Jianhong by the man in the bamboo hat caused a lot of controversy.

Logically speaking, Bai Ziqing should be tracking down the assassin's whereabouts...

Bai Ziqing couldn't suppress the joy on his face.

If it weren't for his face being able to hold it in place, the corners of his mouth would have probably been raised to the sky.

“Good news!!”

"What good news?"

Zeng Anmin was stunned.

He didn't understand what good news Bai Ziqing could share with him...

"Let's not talk about that for now."

Bai Ziqing looked at Zeng Anmin with burning eyes: "Brother Quan Fu, do you know what I have been doing recently?"

"Investigate the case." Zeng Anmin rolled his eyes. "The story of the man in the bamboo hat is almost spreading to Jiang Country."

"As a brother, I advise you to focus on investigating the case."

…

Zeng Anmin's words made Bai Ziqing look bitter.

The corners of his mouth twitched.

"I just didn't have any clues, so I thought I'd come and sit with you."

Bai Ziqing's face immediately turned depressed:

"That man in the bamboo hat is like a master who appeared out of nowhere."

"Single-handedly fighting against two third-rank masters in the capital."

Having said that, there was a dull look in his eyes.

"The Imperial City Bureau, the Ministry of Justice, and the Dali Temple...the three departments have been working together to investigate for so many days."

"We still haven't locked down the assassin's true identity."

"You said he was a third-rank master, right? He could easily beat two third-rank masters into a panic."

"But you said he was a second-rank, yet he was frightened away by a sword strike from the old ancestor in the palace..."

"He also possesses the characteristics of a third-rank master, and also the characteristics of a second-rank master."

Bai Ziqing's face was filled with frustration when he said this:

"I can't find out anyway."

"Then why did you come over to congratulate me? What good news do you have?"

Zeng Anmin sneered.

Then his expression hardened slightly.

He suddenly became serious, looked at Bai Ziqing with a vigilant expression and said:

"Don't come to me with this case, I have my own things to do!"

Bai Ziqing grinned: "This is the happy event I was talking about!"

(End of this chapter)