Chapter Seventy-Three
Yun Rufeng's sudden appearance here doesn't seem to be as he claimed, that he specifically came to find Pei Jiangping to go to the upper peak together.
His relationship with Pei Jiangping was not good, a fact known to both of the protectors.
Pei Jiangping looked at Yun Rufeng and Li Zhi talking with suspicion and interrupted, "Do you two know each other?"
Li Zhi turned around and took the initiative to explain to Pei Jiangping, "I had met Protector Yun once before, but I wouldn't say we knew each other. However..."
He smiled sincerely and bowed to Yun Rufeng, saying, "Now we can truly say we know each other."
Yun Rufeng smiled, but his eyes were full of scrutiny. Seeing Li Zhi's behavior, he raised an eyebrow and said softly, "Indeed, we should have more contact in the future."
Pei Jiangping listened to their conversation from the side, feeling puzzled. Yun Rufeng had always been arrogant and considered himself Rong Qi's personal disciple. He was used to being alone in the Yiren Temple and didn't seem to have any friends. Now, he actually condescended to talk to a newly initiated Celestial Master.
Pei Jiangping found it increasingly strange, so he stood up and walked between the two of them, saying curtly to Yun Rufeng, "Alright, you can talk about it another day. Let's go."
Having said that, Pei Jiangping was no longer afraid of the sudden downpour. He walked ahead with his head held high, then turned around to signal to Yun Rufeng.
Yun Rufeng did not leave immediately, but smiled at Li Zhi and said softly, "See you later."
Only after seeing Li Zhi nod solemnly did he turn and leave, humming a little tune, amidst Pei Jiangping's impatient urging.
As Li Zhi watched the two protectors depart, a multitude of thoughts raced through his mind.
After thinking for a while, he sighed softly, tidied up the messy files on the table, crossed his hands, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
The sound of rain outside gradually subsided, and finally stopped as darkness fell.
As if the rain had finally stopped, a commotion arose outside. Colleagues packed up their things and headed out of the yamen.
Only one person walked in against the flow of the crowd.
Li Zhi heard his footsteps, opened his eyes, and looked outside.
Yun Rufeng leaned against the door, fiddling with the tassel on his sword with one hand, and sneered at Li Zhi, "You scholar, you've got some nerve, actually daring to sit here and wait for me."
Li Zhi curled the corners of his lips and said meaningfully, "In terms of boldness, I am no match for Protector Yun."
Yun Rufeng straightened up, a sinister smile on his face, and said, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"
“You are the protector, I am the celestial master.” Li Zhi did not dodge or evade, but stood up and walked towards Yun Rufeng. “We are about the same age, I can only admire from afar.”
Li Zhi's words made Yun Rufeng raise his eyebrows again, and he said with a smile, "Oh? I see that Protector Pei values you quite a bit?"
A hint of disgust flashed across Li Zhi's face. Seemingly to hide his emotions, he lowered his eyes and said, "It's all just empty talk."
Upon hearing this, Yun Rufeng burst into laughter, laughing for a long time before finally stopping.
He wiped away the tears of laughter and sighed, "Alright, there's no need for this fake goodwill. You're a sensible person, knowing that some things are useless to say, so I'll spare your life for now."
Li Zhi looked relieved, respectfully cupped his hands towards Yun Rufeng, and said softly, "Thank you, Protector Yun."
Yun Rufeng chuckled and disappeared from the doorway as he had come.
After he left, Li Zhi composed himself. A while later, he carried a pile of files out the door and turned to close it.
When Li Zhi returned home, Yun Rufeng was still on his way to Pagoda Mountain.
He should have come earlier instead of wasting his time on Li Zhi. It was only because this scholar Li had caught his attention that he made the extra trip.
By the time Yun Rufeng finally arrived at Rong Qi's private residence on Pagoda Mountain, it was already dark.
He knocked on the front door of the Rong residence and stood outside cautiously for a while.
There was no sound coming from inside, but the gate creaked open. Yun Rufeng looked at the empty front yard, pondered for a moment, and then stepped inside.
As the Imperial Advisor, Rong Qi lived alone in a small courtyard in the mountains, which could be described as frugal. Apart from a few strange formations, there wasn't even a blade of grass in the courtyard, and it was as clean as if no one lived there.
Yun Rufeng walked familiarly to Rong Qi's study in the backyard and whispered through the door, "My lord, the Anmin Festival is in six days..."
After Yun Rufeng finished speaking, he waited a while and heard Rong Qi's voice coming from the study. He sighed, "There are still six days left, I can still rest."
Rong Qi did not open the door, so Yun Rufeng outside could not see what he looked like at this moment.
The study was in complete disarray. Rong Qi sat cross-legged in the strange magic circle he had drawn, his long hair and eyes constantly shifting between black and gray.
The power within him was incredibly chaotic, sometimes violently wreaking havoc, and sometimes silent like a mortal.
Rong Qi carefully restrained himself and kept everything locked in the study.
Unaware of the situation outside the study, Yun Rufeng asked again, "My lord, is there anything you require?"
Rong Qi pondered for a moment and asked, "Is the cat demon from the Chen family still around?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Rufeng paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "His whereabouts are unknown."
Rong Qi responded with an "oh," then asked in confusion, "Why?"
Standing in the chilly mountains, on an autumn night after a recent rain, Yun Rufeng broke out in a light sweat. After a moment of thought, he slowly recounted the events of Xiandu Prefecture, adding and subtracting details.
After listening, Rong Qi sighed softly.
The current situation is causing him great distress.
His foolish subordinates destroyed his ranch, the failed magic array threw his internal energy into disarray, and the pure elemental cat demon he had raised disappeared without a trace.
Rong Qi smiled bitterly, suspecting that someone was deliberately causing trouble while he stayed at home.
"Who could it be?" Rong Qi murmured.
He closed his eyes and carefully recalled the magic circle and the last demon he had obtained.
It is a white fox.
At that time, he was killing a half-demon who had unexpectedly lived for more than twenty years due to his negligence. The half-demon was somewhat strange, and the demonic power contained in its body far exceeded Rong Qi's imagination. Caught off guard, Rong Qi was accidentally injured.
Therefore, the inspection of the prey was neglected.
The problem must lie here: Is the White Fox already in the capital?
Rong Qi blinked, then thought of another question.
Did that fox demon return, just like him?
Thinking of this, Rong Qi said to Yun Rufeng, "Go and investigate whether there is a fox demon active in the capital, a white fox."
Standing outside the study, Yun Rufeng nodded slightly and said respectfully, "Yes."
Rong Qi inside then said, "Ah, if there are any strange people or strange things happening in the sect, tell me about them too."
"My lord, what could be considered a strange thing?" Yun Rufeng asked hesitantly.
"Things that defy common sense, people that defy common sense."
After saying this, Rong Qi stopped talking. Yun Rufeng waited quietly for a while until there was no more movement in the study before leaving the way he came.
As soon as Yun Rufeng walked out of the Rong residence, the door behind him seemed to have eyes and creaked shut again.
He stood at the doorway, muttering to himself, "Who's keeping order in the capital now? Things that defy reason, people that defy reason..."
The following day, there were still five days until the Anmin Festival.
In the millet garden, Granny Mouse, Mountain Lord, Treasure Pearl, and Hui got up early and were sitting around the table eating breakfast when the big rat guarding the door suddenly knocked on the door and waved to Granny Mouse.
Seeing this, Granny Mouse smiled and said to Lord Mountain, "Lord Mountain, I have some things to take care of here. Please enjoy your meal."
After saying that, she winked at the two younger ones, telling them to keep a close eye on the mountain tiger, and then she hurriedly got off the table and went to the door to whisper to the big rat.
Shan Jun chuckled as he watched Granny Rat's retreating figure. He then turned to Bao Zhu and whispered, "This Miss Rat is quite a formidable demon now. I remember she used to cry all day long, either because of this man or that male demon."
The mountain lord is senile; he thinks he's lowering his voice, but he's actually shouting loudly.
Baozhu stole a glance at Granny Mouse's back and saw her ears twitch. She chuckled to herself and echoed the Mountain Lord, "So that's how it is. You wouldn't have guessed that."
Hui, who was standing to the side, also found it very amusing. He held his small bowl, his little mouth covered in oil, and stared at Shan Jun with a silly grin.
The mountain king reached out and ruffled his hair, saying loudly, "You little rascal, you're good-looking, but you'll probably have many love troubles in the future. Just remember not to be like Miss Rat, crying over women every day."
"Lord Mountain Lord, please don't speak ill of me in front of the younger generation." Granny Mouse finished her business with the big rat, then turned and walked up to the Lord Mountain Lord. "Look carefully, I'm getting old, I can't call you Miss Mouse anymore."
The mountain king squinted and looked closely at Granny Mouse's face, and said in surprise, "You have aged a lot, but I am so much older than you, I can't call you Granny Mouse too."
Grandma Mouse grunted and scratched her head.
"Alright then, I'll call you Rat Rat!" Mountain Lord suddenly put down his bowl and clapped his hands.
After Shan Jun finished speaking, Bao Zhu and Hui almost burst out laughing, burying their heads and stuffing food into their mouths.
Grandma Mouse was both amused and exasperated, and coaxed, "Alright, then call it that."
After saying that, she sat down, took a few bites from her bowl, and suddenly stopped eating, staring at Baozhu and saying, "The Yiren Temple is asking me questions, asking if there are any fox demons active in the capital recently."
Granny Mouse asked in confusion, "I only remembered after I sat down that you are the only fox demon to have appeared in the city recently. Pearl, are you a white fox?"
Baozhu was startled, and a chill suddenly ran through her.
In the Temple of Strange People, who is looking for her? Who would want to find a white fox?
"Have you gotten into some trouble in town lately?"
Grandma Mouse was still talking, but Baozhu was so confused that she couldn't hear a word she was saying.
Normally, she wouldn't be so sensitive, but it just so happens that at such a crucial moment, someone wants to find a white fox.
Baozhu took a deep breath, secretly glad that mortals looked down on monsters. She never expected that the monsters would actually have brains and join forces to plot something, which is why she learned about this matter immediately and had more time to react.
She smiled and pleaded with Granny Mouse, "Granny, if the Temple of Strange People doesn't ask you to capture a white fox demon to meet them, could you please cover for me for a few days? I swear, I haven't done anything wrong lately."
Grandma Mouse looked at Baozhu suspiciously and asked, "Have you encountered any trouble? If so, you should tell us so we can figure out a solution together."
Baozhu shook her head and said, "The biggest trouble recently is what will happen in five days."
"Alas, where do you think the emperor will arrange to make this oath with us?"
"I don't know yet. He only said the day before the festival. We haven't agreed on where to meet."
Just as Granny Mouse was about to speak, a snoring sound suddenly came from the table.
The two monsters turned around and saw that the mountain king was still holding the bowl in his hands, but he had already leaned back in his chair and fallen asleep with his face tilted back.
In a flurry of activity, everyone managed to get the mountain king back to his guest room.
Hui volunteered to stay and keep her company. Granny Rat had to go to the study to handle some matters. Baozhu thought for a moment, since someone was already looking for her, Li Zhi might be in danger in the city.
She quickly took out a paper crane, wrote down the matter in a letter, and sent it to Li Zhi, who was in the city, reminding him to be careful.
When the paper crane flew into Li Zhi's hand, he was sitting in his study thinking about something. He had been somewhat hesitant, but Baozhu's letter made him make up his mind.
Li Zhi got up, left the study, and went to the yamen to go on duty as usual.
According to the original plan, he should have taken leave and stayed at home, but after Yun Rufeng saw him, Li Zhi canceled the plan.
On the way, he met Zhang He, who had come specifically to find him.
Zhang He stood awkwardly against the road Li Zhi was sure to pass. When he saw Li Zhi approaching, he smiled and said, "I was wondering if you guys had abandoned me. Why haven't you come to find me in so long?"
Li Zhi was taken aback and asked, "Master Pei hasn't contacted you?"
Zhang He complained, "We were on a mission together yesterday, and she kept subtly suggesting that I find a colleague to be transferred to a more remote place on the day of the festival, but she wouldn't tell me why."
Li Zhi understood that Pei Xuanji hadn't told Zhang He about it because she didn't want to drag him into it.
He recalled that in his previous life, Zhang He was seriously injured and his fate was unknown. He felt that perhaps keeping him away from this matter was the best way.
Seeing that he remained silent, Zhang He's smile slowly faded. He straightened up and sighed with regret, "Originally, I always thought you were all still young, and that since I was older and had been in the business longer, it would be better for me to be ahead in everything. I never expected that in such a short time, you would all be able to stand on your own."
He looked up at the sky and murmured, "Time flies by too fast."
“Brother Zhang, we’ve been through thick and thin together, I consider you my own brother.” Li Zhi sighed inwardly, “But now it concerns the secrets of Master Pei’s family, and it also involves my life and Baozhu’s life, so it’s extremely dangerous.”
Li Zhi stepped forward, patted Zhang He on the shoulder, and whispered, "If this matter fails, at least you will know the truth."
Zhang He sighed and said, "Although I don't know these secrets, why don't you think about it? We went through all of this together. Even if I didn't participate, if you hadn't succeeded, do you think others would have let me off the hook?"
Zhang He's words made perfect sense. He had been a Celestial Master for over twenty years, and there were some things that were really hard to hide from him.
Li Zhi closed his eyes, trying to dispel the image of Zhang He stained with blood from his mind. He pulled Zhang He aside and whispered, "You're right. This matter requires a reliable person. I really don't know which Celestial Master in the city is more reliable than you."
Li Zhi used several talismans in succession until he was sure the conversation was absolutely safe, and then quickly recounted what had happened.
Zhang He frowned more and more as he listened, biting his nails as he said, "For the last leg of the journey, it would be best if the three of us joined the patrol."
Li Zhi sighed inwardly and said to Zhang He, "This matter was ultimately because Master Pei wanted to protect you. Talk to her properly when you get back, and don't get angry."
Zhang He exclaimed in surprise, "I can get angry with Xiao Pei? It would be good enough if she didn't get angry with me."
Zhang He had indeed always taken care of Pei Xuanji. If the reborn Li Zhi hadn't joined this pair midway, he would have continued to protect Pei Xuanji until the very last moment of his life.
Li Zhi smiled and said, "Brother Zhang, you are indeed the most loyal and righteous person I have ever met."
Upon hearing this, Zhang He was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "These words are both unlucky and nauseating. You should take them back immediately."
The two exchanged a few more words before parting ways.
Because of the delay, when Li Zhi arrived at the yamen, Pei Jiangping had already arrived before him and was grumbling as he packed his things, preparing to leave.
Upon seeing Li Zhi enter, she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "I really don't want to go today. Shaoqing is so long-winded, repeating the same thing over and over again. I see that other protectors have substitutes, so you can go in my place!"
Li Zhi nodded and smiled, "Then I'll go."
Pei Jiangping was a little taken aback by his quick agreement and said awkwardly, "If you really don't want to go, then don't go. Don't say I'm bullying you because of my status."
Li Zhi smiled, stepped forward to take the things from Protector Pei's hands, and turned to walk outside.
Pei Jiangping chased after him and shouted, "You know where it is, right?"
Li Zhi nodded to the side and left without saying a word.
Even after Li Zhi had walked away, Pei Jiangping was still in a daze. She frowned and sat back down in her chair, a strange feeling rising in her heart.
Li Zhi seemed to have changed, and she had a feeling that it was related to Yun Rufeng.
Li Zhi attended the meeting in place of Pei Jiangping, and as expected, he ran into Yun Rufeng at the meeting.
Yun Rufeng is used to going his own way and has never been heard of having any deputy. It seems that he is determined to do it himself this time.
The celestial masters exchanged pleasantries and sat down in twos and threes, listening silently as the Junior Minister repeatedly emphasized the arrangements and precautions for the day of the ceremony.
Yun Rufeng sat diagonally behind Li Zhi.
After the Junior Minister spoke for about half an hour, Yun Rufeng sat up straight, moved closer to Li Zhi, and asked casually, "Which year were you a scholar?"
Li Zhi whispered, "The year of Gengchou."
Yun Rufeng raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise, "You were a scholar at the age of twelve, yet you gave up the imperial examinations to become a Taoist master with a bunch of roughnecks?"
"Everyone has their own ambitions. Since I have talent, why can't I become a master?"
Yun Rufeng chuckled, leaned back, and laughed with great interest.
While the Junior Minister was still speaking in a difficult and obscure way, Yun Rufeng's thoughts had already flown to some unknown place.
Therefore, Li Zhi, who had his back to him, wore a strange expression, which he naturally did not know.
That evening, Li Zhi sat alone in his study, pondering for a long time before finally picking up his pen and writing something. He continued writing until he heard the night watchman's voice outside, at which point he stopped.
The hour of midnight has passed, and it is now a new day. There are still four days until the Anmin Festival.
After tidying up, Li Zhi went to bed.
He lay stiffly on the bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time, thinking to himself that he should be sleeping with Baozhu on nights like this. If the plan hadn't gone through, they could have spent a few more nights together.
The fourth to last day began when Baozhu, who was in the millet garden, received a letter from Sun San.
Granny Rat sat with her, looking down at the letter that Pei Xuanji had handed over.
Sun San's letter contained only eight words: "Meet me at midnight the day after tomorrow in the Golden Palace."
Baozhu and Granny Rat watched it several times, and both the big and small demons found it somewhat unbelievable.
Baozhu scratched her head and said, "What does the Emperor mean by this? Are we going to the palace in the middle of the night?"
Granny Rat remained silent for a long while before pursing her lips and saying, "What else could it be? It's just a test for us. Think about it, if we demons can't even get into his palace, why would he bother making this deal with us?"
Baozhu suddenly realized, "The emperor must have made the promise to me on a whim while he was out, and only remembered it after he got back. If we demons didn't have any ability, why would he have bothered to make a vow to us?"
Now, breaking into the palace at midnight is something I have no choice but to do.
“If we don’t want to go, the emperor will think that we don’t actually have the ability.” Baozhu sighed, “I thought I had become smarter recently. This mortal emperor is not much older than me, so why is he so cunning?”
Granny Rat sneered and glanced at Baozhu, saying, "Mortal, putting everything else aside, I've heard about your lover, tsk tsk tsk."
Baozhu asked in surprise, "Grandma, you must be mistaken. My Li Zhi is the most innocent and guileless mortal."
Grandma Mouse didn't want to waste her breath arguing with her, so she rolled her eyes, leaned back in her chair, and ignored her.
Baozhu laughed heartily and then wrapped her arms around Granny Mouse's neck, acting silly for a while. Finally, she managed to make Granny Mouse's lips curl into a smile. Then, the big rat stood smiling in front of the open door and said, "Granny, a distinguished guest has arrived."
Granny Mouse was overjoyed. She stood up, supporting herself on Baozhu's shoulders, and said with a smile, "Quickly, welcome him in."
The two mice were speaking in riddles, and Baozhu, completely bewildered, took Granny Mouse's hand and walked with her toward the millet garden gate.
The two demons walked quickly to the gate, where they saw a tall, strong man standing there, looking travel-worn. He wore an inconspicuous cloak and turned to them with a smile, saying, "Gentlemen, it's been a long time."
Baozhu gasped, then exclaimed in delight, "King Golden Scales!"
Seeing her surprised expression, Jin Lin laughed loudly, "What, you little monster? Did you think that I, Jin Lin, would hide in the Lanjiang River like a turtle and pretend I didn't know anything about such a big matter?"
Granny Mouse listened to them with a smile, then happily went to greet them, patted Golden Scale's arm and exclaimed, "Good lad, it's been so many years since I've seen you, you're getting more and more energetic!"
As he spoke, he pulled Jinlin into the house.
Jin Lin let Granny Rat do as she pleased, knowing that she must be worried about her daughter. She also told Granny Bai about her recent situation: "She is now playing well with one of my little demons. I often have the little demons under my command take her out to interact with people. When I left, she looked more energetic."
As he spoke, Baozhu noticed a hint of fatigue on his face.
The fastest boat from Hongyang County to the capital would take four or five days and nights to reach the capital. Jin Lin, however, took no more than a day and a half from receiving Granny Rat's letter to arriving in the capital. He truly traveled a thousand miles a day, riding at top speed.
Baozhu was filled with mixed emotions. She felt that she was now only slightly inferior to Granny Rat, but when she saw Jinlin again, she felt the same way she did when she first came down the mountain and saw the great demon.
Granny Mouse exchanged a few words with Golden Scale and noticed his fatigue, so she urged Golden Scale to follow the big rat to the guest room to rest.
Jinlin, however, was in no hurry to rest and asked, "Grandma, when shall we...?"
Granny Mouse stopped laughing and said seriously, "The day after tomorrow at midnight, in the Golden Palace."
Jin Lin was taken aback upon hearing this, then burst into laughter, his voice trembling as he said, "Not bad, not bad, this isn't the place, it's really lacking, hahahaha."
Having said that, he unfastened his cloak, revealing a suit of gleaming golden scale armor underneath, and with his hands on his hips, he spun around in a triumphant manner.
Granny Rat was used to Jinlin's erratic behavior, but Baozhu was stunned, her image of Jinlin as a tall and mighty figure shattered.
She was still in a daze until Jinlin strode towards the backyard.
“The last time I saw King Golden Scales, he looked more like a mortal than a mortal,” Baozhu said hesitantly to Granny Rat.
Granny Rat didn't take it seriously and waved her hand, saying, "She's a monster after all. It's one thing to put on an act outside, but why bother in front of her own people?"
Baozhu nodded hesitantly.
Now that the golden carp has traveled thousands of miles to the capital, even if others cannot know, they should still have a proper celebration in the millet garden.
When Jinlin finally rested enough in the evening, Granny Mouse solemnly set up a table in the main courtyard. The four monsters who were about to do something big and little Hui sat around the round table, opened a jar of Granny Mouse's treasured wine, and raised their glasses together, saying, "This matter will definitely be accomplished!"
The four monsters were all a little drunk after the meal.
Baozhu ate only a few bites of food, her face flushed and her head spinning. The lingering sound of Jinlin's loud laughter filled her ears.
Grandma Rat, drunk, embraced Hui and recounted her past romantic experiences, repeatedly admonishing the little demon that while it was fine to talk about love, he shouldn't follow Bai Yutuan's example, as it would hurt both himself and others.
The mountain king, holding a wine cup and grinning, sat upright and fell asleep.
Jin Lin, drunk and in a fit of rage, said he wanted to give everyone a commendation. He climbed onto the round table, tilted his head back, and drank a whole jar of wine in one gulp, laughing wildly, "In a few days, it will be a new beginning for our compatriots!"
Baozhu slammed her hand on the table and loudly echoed him, "A new beginning!"
With only one straight man, Jin Lin still felt it wasn't enough, so he stomped his foot on the table and said, "No, how come there's only one fellow countryman responding!"
This carp spirit is truly inconsistent with his appearance; he's always causing trouble, even getting Granny Mouse and Hui to raise their hands and shout along with him.
The monsters couldn't resist him, so they had no choice but to follow Jinlin and shout slogans until they were drenched in sweat and their voices were hoarse before Jinlin finally let them go.
As the night deepened, Jin Lin cleared his throat and delivered a concluding speech, but no one responded anymore.
He jumped off the table and looked around. The whole room was littered with people lying around, and he was the only conscious monster left.
Jin Lin stood alone in the room, picked up a wine cup from the table, raised it to the bright moon outside, and said, "To freedom."
The north wind outside rattled the windows, and it seemed as if the moon was echoing the golden scales from afar.
After a night of revelry, the monsters of the millet garden realized that there were only three days left until the festival.
The birdsong had just begun when Li Zhi opened his eyes. He had something on his mind and couldn't sleep soundly.
As the day of the festival drew closer, Li Zhi felt that there were still some oversights in their arrangements. He lay in bed, going over the schedule for that day.
This year, Sun San will personally lead the team forward. They will start from the east gate of the capital, enter the city, head north first, then west, and finally exit the city from the south gate, heading to the Imperial Temple not far south of the capital.
A large number of Taoist priests were stationed in the capital to maintain order and prevent villains from taking advantage of the crowds.
After exiting the South Gate, the number of Celestial Masters decreased sharply. Li Zhi learned at the meeting yesterday that, apart from Yun Rufeng, no other experts had been arranged to escort them on this section of the road.
Pei Xuanji and Zhang He also managed to switch to this route yesterday.
To reach the Imperial Temple from the South Gate, one must pass through a grove of trees. Although the grove is not dense, it is the most convenient place to make a move along the way. Several powerful demons will lie in ambush here, waiting for Rong Qi to reach the designated location.
Because Rong Qi was a master of talismans and formations in this era, they did not set up any formations in the forest beforehand, so as not to alert the enemy.
This battle relied entirely on the extremely powerful strength of the great demons, who intended to kill Rong Qi in one blow and leave him no chance to fight back.
The more Li Zhi reviewed the plan, the more he realized how many oversights it contained. However, given the tight timeframe, it was already a remarkable achievement that he could barely muster the manpower to execute it.
The longer the night lasts, the more things can go wrong. The reason Rong Qi has been in seclusion for so long must be because something is wrong. This is the best opportunity to strike while the iron is hot.
However, the plan could be adjusted to be even better.
Li Zhi got up, dressed neatly, sat down in his study, and wrote a letter to Baozhu outside the city.
After writing the letter, he went to work as usual, just like the previous two days.
But this day was different. Around noon, Li Zhi somehow angered Pei Jiangping, who cursed him in front of many people and told Li Zhi to pack his things and get out immediately.
After arguing with Pei Jiangping for a few minutes without reaching a conclusion, Li Zhi turned around in anger and left the yamen empty-handed.
And coincidentally, not far from the yamen, he bumped into Yun Rufeng, who was traveling in the capital with Yeyan.
Seeing that he looked unwell, Yun Rufeng smiled and asked, "What's wrong, Scholar Li?"
Li Zhi awkwardly bowed to Yun Rufeng, offered no explanation, and hurriedly left.
Nightshade, standing beside Yun Rufeng, asked doubtfully, "I know him. He shouldn't be here."
Yun Rufeng laughed and said, "You find it strange too, don't you?"
"Aren't you afraid that keeping him around will lead to him spreading rumors about what happened in Gejiabao?"
“It’s alright. Words are no proof. Who would believe him if he said it?” Yun Rufeng looked at the yamen with eager anticipation as people came and went. “Besides, there haven’t been any new faces around the lord for a long time, except for you and me.”
Nightmare snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "One or two close confidants are enough."
Yun Rufeng chuckled, lowering her eyes to conceal her many thoughts.
After Li Zhi arrived home, he sat in his study with his eyes closed and waited for a long time until it got dark before the door of the official residence was knocked on.
A lazy and annoying young man stood at the door with a grin and said, "Scholar Li, it's me."
Li Zhi, with his hands clenched into fists, slowly opened his eyes.
Before he could make a move, Yun Rufeng suddenly appeared behind Li Zhi and grabbed his arm.
"I need to talk to you about something," Yun Rufeng said softly, a strange glint in his eyes.
Black mist surged from his body, gradually engulfing the two people in the room.
When the black mist dissipated, the study was completely empty, without a single person in sight.
Li Zhi in the city is in danger, but Baozhu in the millet garden is completely unaware, as she and three monsters are preparing to break into the palace at night.
Granny Rat, a local bigwig in the capital, was drawing a diagram while explaining to the other three monsters: "To get to the Golden Palace, you must first climb over the palace wall. This palace wall has a magic array that has been reinforced layer by layer by the Celestial Masters of past dynasties, making it extremely difficult to solve."
Jin Lin said, "I am skilled in formations, I will handle this."
Grandma Mouse hummed in agreement and continued drawing as she spoke: "After crossing one palace wall, there is a large open space, and then another wall. After crossing this wall, you can see the Golden Palace. However, every now and then, a Celestial Master will patrol in front of the Golden Palace."
The mountain lord chuckled and said, "Under my illusion magic, no matter what kind of celestial master he is, he won't be able to find us."
The four monsters whispered among themselves for a long time, and after it got completely dark, more than an hour later, they finally set off from the millet garden.
Grandma Mouse led them around in a circle, and they went straight into the city through a hole in the ground.
Baozhu crawled out of the burrow and looked up to find that they were already standing on the vegetable market street in the south of the city. She exclaimed in surprise, "Grandma Rat, so you've always had your own way in and out of the city."
“Snakes have their paths, rats have theirs. I’ve lived longer than the ancestors of the Sun family’s royal family, so it’s normal for me to have my own ways of doing things,” said Granny Rat.
After saying this, Granny Rat led the monsters through the streets and alleys without disturbing a single dog or cat, until they arrived outside the palace.
The four monsters looked up at the palace walls, where intricate and enormous magic arrays were carved.
The mountain lord acted first, waving his hand to use illusion magic to conceal their figures, and then the three monsters turned to look at the golden scales together.
With golden light shining in his eyes, Jin Lin walked straight to the foot of the palace wall, extended three fingers, and waved them from top to bottom.
As he moved, the palace walls rippled like water, and the complex magic array containing powerful energy was deconstructed by the golden scales.
Jin Lin frowned and kept sliding his fingers across the magic circle. The magic circle obediently followed his command and changed into various shapes.
Even in the chilly night, beads of sweat kept dripping from Jinlin's face.
Baozhu held her breath and observed everything before her, unable to resist reaching out and gripping Granny Mouse's arm tightly.
The two elderly demons remained calm, with the Mountain Lord even lazily smiling at Baozhu and saying, "It's alright, just wait patiently a little longer."
Only when the monsters heard a "pop" sound and the city wall, which had rippled like water, returned to its original state did Jinlin breathe a sigh of relief and gasp, "It's done."
The mountain king, resting his head on the pearl's shoulder, praised, "Not bad."
Granny Mouse patted Golden Scale on the shoulder, then took the lead and scurried up the palace wall. She carefully peered over the wall for a while, then turned back to give her companions a safe signal before jumping off the wall.
The four monsters followed the same method and arrived at the palace.
Before them lay an open space with no cover, and beyond that was another palace wall. People could be seen walking on the wall. Even if an ordinary assassin managed to scale the wall, he would not be able to pass through this place under the watchful eyes of the guards.
Luckily, they were monsters.
The mountain lord casually used a magic spell, and the figures of several monsters vanished.
Grandma Rat led the way, followed by Golden Scales, with Treasure Pearl carrying Mountain Lord in the middle. In front of the guards on all sides of the city walls, they swaggered across the open space and climbed over the second palace wall.
The guards on duty on the palace wall felt a strange wind blow by, and then their vision blurred as if something floated by one after another. But when they looked again, they saw nothing at all.
The guards walked suspiciously to the wall and looked down at the ground, but still found nothing.
They could only light torches and flicker them to signal the Celestial Masters who were patrolling in front of the Golden Palace.
Granny Mouse turned around and saw the guards' actions. She said to the Mountain Lord with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "Your Majesty the Mountain Lord is too naughty."
The mountain king didn't care at all, and leaned on Baozhu's shoulder, laughing and saying, "Oh, look how boring they are walking around like this, let's tease them a bit."
Although he said that, Lu Shanjun did not misbehave for the rest of the journey. He dutifully cast his spell, leading the four demons from in front of the patrolling celestial masters to the front of the Golden Palace.
The main gate of the Golden Palace was not closed tightly, but left a crack. Through this crack, Baozhu could vaguely see candlelight flickering inside.
The four monsters exchanged a glance, and the fish pierced through the gap without making a sound.
Inside the Golden Palace, Sun San, dressed in ordinary clothes, sat expressionlessly on the high dragon throne. On either side of him, candles as thick as a child's arm were lit, and the candlelight reflected on Sun San's face, casting several shadows on his face, making him look particularly gloomy.
Even when four monsters suddenly appeared in front of him, Sun San only slightly twitched his eyebrows.
He looked more haggard and like a sculpture than he had on the day he met Baozhu.
"You've arrived," Sun San muttered, slowly raising his eyes to look at them.
The mountain king, perched on the pearl's back, pointed at him with displeasure and said, "If we're cooperating, why are you sitting on it all by yourself?"
"Lord Mountain Lord is right." Jin Lin's face also darkened. "You are an emperor of the mortal realm, why are you so arrogant towards demons?"
Sun San chuckled lightly and said softly, "I'm sorry, I'm used to putting on airs in front of others, so please excuse me."
As he spoke, he slowly stood up, supporting himself on the dragon throne, and walked down from it step by step.
When they reached the monsters, Sun San, the statue, had already covered his face with a mask, making him look like a normal person.
"May I ask how you all are addressed? My name is Sun Ang, you can just call me Sun San," Sun San said with a polite smile.
Shan Jun looked at Sun San with great interest and laughed, "This seems like a cooperative attitude."
So, starting with the Mountain Lord, the four monsters took turns introducing themselves to Sun San.
Now that the four demons had arrived at the Golden Palace unharmed, Sun San had no more pretense. He explained the plans for the festival day to the demons and then asked, "What are your requests?"
Several monsters looked at the precious pearl.
They had agreed before setting off that Baozhu would make this request to the emperor.
Baozhu smiled and looked into Sun San's eyes, saying, "Our demands are very simple: let the demons enjoy the same rights as mortals. What you can do, we can do too. You must not kill, drive away, or discriminate against any of our compatriots without cause because of their identity."
Sun San pondered for a moment, then emphasized, "But monsters are long-lived and powerful. If a monster were to harm people..."
Baozhu said, "Then let's capture him and have him tried by both mortals and demons. If he is truly guilty, he will not be allowed to escape punishment. Similarly, if a mortal harms a demon without cause, he will also be punished."
“If that’s the case, then it’s fair,” Sun San said casually.
He had clearly thought this through many times before. Most mortals thought that monsters lacked wisdom, and even Sun San, despite his best efforts, couldn't understand how monsters could walk openly in the world. He wanted to hear Baozhu's words, which was just a test of the monsters' bottom line.
“However, the matter of the oath requires a powerful Celestial Master…” Sun San probed.
Upon hearing this, the mountain lord chuckled and said, "Kid, don't try to trick me. The skills of the celestial masters are a bit difficult for demons, but it's not like they can't learn them all."
Sun San was almost thirty years old, and to be called a child by a great demon was a novel experience for him. He smiled and gestured to the mountain lord to invite him.
Shan Jun dismounted from Bao Zhu's back and steadied himself by holding onto Bao Zhu's arm.
She smiled at everyone in the Golden Palace, and in the blink of an eye, she transformed into a male Celestial Master. Celestial Master Mountain Lord looked dignified and imposing, showing no signs of aging.
It was just a mouth, and it was still the mountain king's female voice. She explained, "Don't blame me for acting weird. I'm getting old. If I hadn't become like this, I would have forgotten how to use it."
The three monsters weren't surprised, but Sun San was clearly astonished. He kept it in check, though only a slight raise of his eyebrows betrayed his true feelings.
The Celestial Master Mountain Lord held one hand upright in front of his chest, while the other hand kept drawing something in the air. His Celestial Master uniform from the previous dynasty moved without wind, and a faint light gradually emanated from his eyes.
The people in the Golden Palace felt as if a huge, invisible hand was holding them all in its palm.
They drew closer and closer, until their arms touched, and a drop of blood flew from between their brows into the mountain king's hand.
The mountain king clenched his fist and said softly, "Now that you have reached an agreement, if the oath takes effect, it will be permanently bound to you unless the person who made the promise disappears from the world."
"The four demons are willing to risk their lives to kill Rong Qi. Emperor Sun Ang promises that under the protection of the Sun royal family, the demons will have the same rights as mortals and be subject to the same constraints."
Do you agree?
Everyone answered, "Agreed."
The mountain king asked, "If you break your oath, what punishment will you receive?"
The men then said, "It's nothing more than death."
An immense power erupted from the mountain queen, extinguishing the candles lit in the golden palace and causing everything before her to sway violently.
Monsters and mortals can only stand firm by supporting each other.
Until everything ended and the power returned to the mountain king, they all felt that an additional shackle had been placed on their hearts.
The mountain queen looked at the younger generation before her and smiled. She said, "From now on, we can only work together."
Four monsters and a mortal stared at each other in bewilderment.
After a long silence, Sun Sanfang finally spoke, "Tomorrow, everything will be settled."
We'll wait until tomorrow.
The four monsters returned the way they came, without disturbing anyone.
Running through the deserted streets, Baozhu looked up at the moon in the sky.
The moon is bright, and it will be a good day after dawn, but I wonder what it will be like during the festival tomorrow.
She missed Li Zhi terribly at this moment, but it was not appropriate for her to go to him at this crucial juncture.
But it doesn't matter. Baozhu believes that Li Zhi must also miss her just the same way. Once everything is over, they will never be separated again.
Under the same moonlight, Li Zhi was being held captive in some place by Yun Rufeng.
After bringing him here, Yun Rufeng seemed to have received a summons from someone. Before she could say anything to Li Zhi, she hurriedly left.
Li Zhi was left alone here in this place, which could be called a prison, with a small window that allowed him to see the moon in the sky.
He kept looking at the moon.
It wasn't until late at night, when he heard soft noises outside, that Li Zhi turned around.
He saw Yun Rufeng walk in with an extremely unpleasant expression.
Li Zhi smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
Yun Rufeng remained silent. His mood was completely different from that of the evening. Despite being an extremely arrogant person, Li Zhi could see fear on his face.
Something must have happened, and it's related to Rong Qi.
Yun Rufeng walked to the front of the cell, stared at Li Zhi's face without moving for a moment, and asked a very strange question: "Why did you become a Celestial Master?"
"I already answered you before."
“No, that’s fake.” Yun Rufeng’s eyes looked very light in the moonlight, which made him look a bit eerie. He asked Li Zhi anxiously, “Something must be wrong. You have to tell me the truth.”
After saying that, he took a deep breath, and his complexion barely returned to normal.
Li Zhi, still smiling, replied, "I want to become a Celestial Master because I have talent."
“No.” Yun Rufeng’s expression changed, looking extremely distorted. “If that were the case, the Lord wouldn’t have asked me to investigate.”
"I don't know what you're talking about," Li Zhi said, shrugging.
Black mist instantly filled the prison, forcing Li Zhi to retreat to a corner.
He covered his mouth and nose with his hand and looked up at the window again.
From Li Zhi's perspective, the moon was no longer visible; the night was about to end, and Yun Rufeng had already descended into madness.
However, being tainted by the black mist caused Li Zhi to gradually lose his power.
Yun Rufeng stood in front of Li Zhi, grabbed his collar, and murmured, "If you don't tell me, how can I understand what's wrong with our lord..."
Li Zhi coughed twice and said with difficulty, "What exactly do you want to hear me say?"
"you……"
Yun Rufeng's mind was filled with the words Rong Qi had said to him when he finally ended his seclusion that day. He repeatedly recalled the expression on Rong Qi's face when he asked him what year it was, and asked suspiciously, "You must know him."
However, he was unsure whether they had met in the past, present, or future.
Rong Qi was still recovering from his serious injuries, and his health showed no improvement for a long time. Yun Rufeng had been searching for a suitable demon in and around the city recently, including the white fox that Rong Qi had mentioned. However, for some reason, he had not found any clues about the white fox from the informant at the Yiren Temple, and it seemed that no white fox demon had ever appeared in the capital.
This made Yun Rufeng feel somewhat frustrated, perhaps because the Celestial Masters had become much more lenient recently, which meant that the monsters in the city were less likely to be disciplined.
As he was contemplating whether he needed to resort to special measures, he repeatedly encountered Li Zhi in the city.
Li Zhi, this scholar, could clearly have had a bright future, yet he inexplicably stumbled into the Yiren Temple, a place considered unorthodox by worldly people. It was truly strange.
In addition, Yun Rufeng investigated Li Zhi's resume and found that the first eighteen years of his life were unremarkable, but since he left his hometown, he has been involved in strange events, almost all of which are related to Rong Qi.
Upon closer reflection, Yun Rufeng found it even stranger.
Since that's the case, and time is of the essence, if he can't find the White Fox, finding the strange person Rong Qi mentioned would at least be an explanation.
However, Yun Rufeng was cautious. He did not immediately send Li Zhi to Rong Qi, but wanted to find out what had happened to Rong Qi and how Li Zhi had become involved with him.
This matter seemed to make more sense after Yun Rufeng had just witnessed Rong Qi devour Nightmare in order to heal his injuries.
“You should have died like an ant, but I let you live until now. Shouldn’t you be grateful to me?” Yun Rufeng’s face twitched uncontrollably as she reached out and grabbed Li Zhi by the throat.
As the first ray of sunlight shone into the narrow cell, Li Zhi struggled to reach out and grab Yun Rufeng's wrist, trying to break free from his grasp.
Yun Rufeng slowly released his grip and said softly, "If you still don't talk, then this is the only way."
Li Zhi clutched his neck, panting, "Protector Yun, I don't know what you want me to say. I'm just an ordinary Celestial Master..."
Before Li Zhi could finish speaking, he suddenly groaned, clutched his chest, and collapsed to the ground.
Yun Rufeng stood up and looked down at him.
"I only regret that I don't have the kind of soul-searching spells in the plays that have allowed you to survive until now. Think about it and understand."
He was clearly a handsome young man, but his face kept twitching strangely. Yun Rufeng glanced at the sun, determined the time, and left the prison without looking back.
Li Zhi had been a scholar for over a decade, and no one could have predicted that he would be such a tough nut to crack.
He didn't cause any trouble all day, until the sun was about to set.
Yun Rufeng returned from outside in a huff, downed the cold tea on the table in one gulp, and then strolled to the underground cell.
He saw Li Zhi huddled motionless in the corner, as if he were dead.
Yun Rufeng clicked his tongue and said angrily, "You've only been a Celestial Master for a few months, and your skills aren't very refined. But you've already learned to be tough as nails."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi, who was in the corner, suddenly chuckled and looked up at the sky.
Then, facing Yun Rufeng, he slowly extended a finger and mumbled, "Wait a little longer."
Yun Rufeng tilted his head and asked suspiciously, "Wait for what?"
"Wait for me." A slightly hoarse female voice sounded from behind Yun Rufeng.
At the same time, the sound of a heavy sword cutting through the air also rang out.
In a flash, Yun Rufeng drew his sword with lightning speed, barely managing to block Pei Jiangping's sword that was thrusting towards his heart, allowing the blade to glide across his left upper arm.
Immediately afterwards, Pei Xuanji appeared out of nowhere, drawing her sword and blocking Yun Rufeng's path.
Yun Rufeng glanced at the bladeless sword in Pei Xuanji's hand and sneered, "Now even the worst fish and shrimp can use Ruan Tianzheng's sword."
Despite uttering harsh words, Yun Rufeng was already caught in the crossfire between the Pei family aunt and niece.
He wanted to turn around and face Pei Xuanji, but Pei Jiangping was behind him. In addition, his left arm had been injured at the beginning of the fight. For a time, even Yun Rufeng, who always thought highly of himself, felt very strained.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhang He hurriedly unlocked the prison cell and carried Li Zhi, who could only sit upright by leaning against the wall, out.
Zhang He carefully carried him away from the center of the fight, letting him lean against a stone bench in the pavilion in the courtyard. While wiping Li Zhi's face with a handkerchief, he sighed, "Why did you do this?"
Li Zhi smiled.
He was just gambling.
One bet revealed Rong Qi's cold and indifferent nature; Yun Rufeng was not of the same mind as him.
Secondly, having discovered his own conspicuous clue, Yun Rufeng, arrogant and conceited, looked down on monsters from the bottom of his heart and would naturally let go of the search for the treasure.
In the third bet, Pei Jiangping and Pei Xuanji were equally stubborn and meticulous. She had always suspected that Yun Rufeng had a problem. Since Li Zhi was willing to take the risk and set a trap to lure Yun Rufeng into taking the bait, she would definitely make a move.
Li Zhi won the bet.
He clutched his still-throbbing chest, his face pale, and laughed, "If Yun Rufeng doesn't show up tomorrow, Rong Qi will lose his right-hand man."
Baozhu and the others can also save some trouble.
Zhang He sighed and shook his head, saying, "Even so, it's too risky for you to drag this out until now."
Li Zhi murmured, "I was worried that Yun Rufeng's disappearance might alert Rong Qi, but it seems there's no need to now."
Why?
“Something must have happened between Rong Qi and Yun Rufeng last night…” Li Zhi looked at the dungeon where loud noises were coming from time to time, “It must have frightened Yun Rufeng. I think even if he doesn’t come out tomorrow, Rong Qi will find a reason on his own.”
Just as Zhang He was about to say something, he suddenly heard a horrifying scream coming from the dungeon. He frowned, immediately drew his sword, and rushed to the dungeon.
However, Zhang He stopped halfway through his journey.
Pei Xuanji led the way, followed by Pei Jiangping, who was covered in blood, carrying Yun Rufeng, who had lost an arm, as they walked through the blood-soaked ground into the courtyard.
Li Zhi, reclining in the pavilion, looked at them and asked, "Protector Pei, what do you intend to do with him?"
Pei Jiangping wiped his face and said coldly, "Just pretend you don't know anything. I'm going to lock him up in my place and interrogate him slowly."
Li Zhi smiled and agreed, "To prevent a recurrence of the Ji Ren incident, this is naturally the best course of action."
Thus, the final step proceeded as Li Zhi had planned.
After saying this, Li Zhi felt a wave of dizziness.
Before losing consciousness, he murmured to himself.
Baozhu, everything for tomorrow is in your hands.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on everyone in the small courtyard on the outskirts of Beijing. Zhang He stepped forward and carried Li Zhi on his back, thinking to himself, "This is the last day."
After this day, the day of the Anmin Festival arrived.
It was still dark, and the stars were in the sky, but a large number of people had already gathered outside the east gate of the capital.
Following the formation they had practiced for a long time, everyone quickly found their positions and waited silently and nervously.
As dawn broke, the East Gate opened, and Sun San, dressed in full formal attire, rode out of the city in a carriage. Guided by his attendants, he mounted the most ornately decorated horse at the head of the procession.
Not long after, the Imperial Advisor Rong Qi, who had not appeared in public for a long time, walked to his carriage dressed in a magnificent and elaborate robe.
Although no one in the group made a sound, from the moment Rongqi appeared, everyone's eyes quietly turned to him.
Rong Qi's jet-black hair was tied up in a dazzling jeweled crown, revealing his face without any concealment. Facing everyone's gaze, Rong Qi stepped onto the carriage with a smile.
Sun San was at the very front of the line, raising his hand to salute Rong Qi from afar.
Rong Qi nodded to Sun San.
The ordinary people who could participate in the Anmin Festival were either rich or noble, but even so, they still attended several rehearsals in advance, and even Sun San was no exception.
Rong Qi, however, had disappeared from the city for several months, and his first appearance was on the day of the festival.
But he was the Imperial Advisor Rong Qi, and no one harbored any resentment; it seemed that they tacitly accepted that this was his privilege.
As the sun rose above the horizon, the guards at the front blew their horns in unison.
Sun San, who was at the head of the group, raised his right hand and gestured forward, and the huge procession began to march in an orderly fashion toward the city.
They entered the capital city through the east gate, amidst the thunderous cheers of the people.
The soldiers could restrain people's bodies, but they could not restrain their enthusiasm. This was a once-in-two-years golden age. In the capital, almost everyone, regardless of age or gender, took to the streets and waited behind the lines formed by the soldiers.
Once they spotted the procession, they cheered and threw flowers, handkerchiefs, and other gifts at the marching group.
However, neither the solemn and dignified Sun San and his guards, nor the leisurely nobles dressed in high spirits behind them, received as many gifts as Rong Qi, who sat high in the carriage in the middle of the procession.
With such a face, it's no wonder that men, women, and children in the capital are all captivated by him.
Flowers and handkerchiefs fell from mid-air, his carriage trampling over countless fragrances, yet Rong Qi maintained a smile, occasionally gesturing to his left and right.
Upon seeing Rong Qi's smiling face, the people gasped in surprise. They firmly believed that this was the Grand Preceptor's blessing, which would protect them and bring them good fortune throughout the year.
The procession made its way forward with difficulty amidst the revelry. Before noon, they circled the palace once and then headed towards the south gate.
After a morning without food or drink, the people in the group began to tire. So they headed to the last street in the south gate, where Rong Qi, in front of the huge crowd, waved his hand and cast a spell.
After a refreshing coolness, everyone present felt invigorated.
The people gasped in excitement, almost wanting to kneel down and worship Rong Qi.
They did eventually kneel on the ground, but they shouted "Long live!" with some resentment.
After leaving the South Gate, the roar of the mountains and the tsunami seemed to still echo in everyone's ears until they reached the outskirts of Beijing, at which point their hearing returned to normal.
At this time, the outskirts of Beijing had been cleared by soldiers, and there was not a single person to be seen.
Upon arriving here, Rong Qi's ramrod straight back finally relaxed a little.
His injuries have not fully healed yet. Even after he devoured Nightmare yesterday, it only barely suppressed the rampant demonic power within his body.
This is temporary. Whenever his internal power becomes unstable, he has to devour a large amount of power to suppress the chaos. However, Rong Qi has been having a lot of bad luck lately, and things are not going well. For the time being, he can only rely on eating his loyal subordinates to barely alleviate the situation.
Thinking of this, Rong Qi slightly curled the corners of his mouth. He was called a loyal subordinate, but in the end, he still ran away after witnessing his master eat his colleague.
Now, having lost both his left and right arms overnight, Rong Qi was unusually troubled. He looked aimlessly at the vast expanse of green before him, pondering whether he should change his behavior and recruit more affectionate children...
Thinking of this, Rong Qi's eyelids suddenly twitched.
A child.
Where is that child who was left behind due to Rong Qi's negligence, the child who caused everything to start all over again?
Rong Qi frowned, feeling somewhat regretful.
If I had known, I wouldn't have devoured Nightmare in front of Yun Rufeng. Now I have to recruit suitable subordinates, and I have to do all sorts of things myself, which is really troublesome.
The imperial temple was not far ahead. The procession had to pass through a grove of trees, so the pace naturally slowed down. As a result, guards and Taoist priests patrolled back and forth from time to time.
Rong Qi glanced casually at the Taoist priest walking by and suddenly felt that the woman looked somewhat familiar.
Women were rare among the Celestial Masters, and Rong Qi quickly remembered that it was Pei Xuanji in her youth.
He casually glanced in another direction.
The Heavenly Master Rong Qi, who was patrolling the area, also felt that the person looked familiar. He did not know the person's name, but judging from his appearance, he seemed to be Pei Xuanji and Jiao Buli Meng's partner.
Rong Qi's heart skipped a beat; he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Why Pei Xuanji? This woman who has clung to him her whole life, have they crossed paths at this point in time?
The coachman was driving the carriage when he suddenly heard Rong Qi's voice from behind.
"Stop."
Rong Qi said coldly.
The driver was taken aback and turned around, wanting to explain something to Rong Qi.
Rong Qi stretched out one hand and gently flicked it forward.
The power in his hand froze in mid-air. The next instant, everything in front of Rong Qi disappeared. He fell off the carriage and landed in a large river.
The river glistens, its source wide and peaceful, its course rapid and turbulent.
Rong Qi stood alone in the middle of the river, surrounded by towering mountains and flowing water.
He sighed, trying to see through the illusion, when suddenly a huge fish mouth appeared beneath his feet, leaping up and attempting to swallow him whole.
Rong Qi barely dodged it, but then a rat flew down from the empty sky, its limbs flailing wildly, trying to gouge out his eyes.
Rong Qi clicked his tongue impatiently, dodged the attack, and then flicked his finger, sending the rat flying far away.
The one who ambushed him was a monster.
Rong Qi couldn't believe that these brainless fools could have such wisdom. He floated in the water, constantly battling with the fish in the water and the rats in the air, looking for a flaw in the illusion.
After exchanging blows for dozens of rounds, Rong Qi still couldn't figure out how to break through this illusion; the person who set it up was stronger than he had imagined.
He kept thinking about who was in charge of all of this.
Rong Qi can be called an enemy.
Nguyen Thien Chinh is dead, and his descendants have suffered misfortune generation after generation. There will never be another Nguyen Thien Chinh.
As for the rest of the people who died because of him, Rong Qi couldn't even remember their names.
It couldn't possibly be Sun San, could it? That brute, even risking his life under the constraints of the oath, couldn't completely kill me.
The consequence of this distraction was that Rong Qi, whose internal injuries had not yet healed, was bitten on the right foot by a huge, golden carp in the water. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the aerial rat attacked from both sides, its sharp front claws tearing open Rong Qi's flesh.
Blood spilled into the river, and bubbles surged continuously. Rong Qi muttered to himself, "This is bad."
Sure enough, a man dressed in the uniform of a former dynasty's Celestial Master rose from the bubbles, holding a blunt sword and pointing it at Rong Qi.
The sword in the man's hand was heavy and blunt, and looked unremarkable, but Rong Qi recognized it at a glance.
“Ruan Tianzheng…” Rong Qi murmured.
This Taoist priest did not resemble Ruan Tianzheng in appearance, but his every move was very similar to the Ruan Tianzheng in Rong Qi's memory.
Rong Qi grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed, and the man opposite him also became serious. He scolded, "You brat, since you've learned my moves, why have you turned into this inhuman, neither-human-nor-demon creature!"
Neither human nor demon, neither human nor demon.
These eight words made Rong Qi's eyelids twitch and his face darken.
But now he was facing an unprecedentedly dangerous situation, leaving him no room for distraction.
This strange man, along with a fish and a rat, utterly defeated Rong Qi, who was only at half his peak strength, leaving him unable to lift his head. Rong Qi's face was icy cold as he sneered, "That's enough."
After saying that, his hair and eyes slowly turned light gray, and his exposed skin was gradually covered by feathers. He exuded a soaring demonic aura, and a white feather appeared beside him, flying towards the man at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
The man neither dodged nor flinched, but laughed as he flew from a distance toward Rong Qi.
In mid-air, the man's figure disappeared, and a giant, striped tiger appeared before Rong Qi.
The giant tiger, carrying towering waves, attacked Rong Qi with the force of thunder.
The tiger is the king of all beasts. When the thousand-year-old tiger demon unleashed its power without restraint, it could make all the other demons bow down and be unable to move in fear of its might.
Since Rong Qi is now a demon, he is naturally the same.
A primal instinct he deeply loathed surged within him; the bird demon's fangs were rendered speechless before the thousand-year-old tiger demon, leaving him no choice but to accept the attack without dodging or evading.
This is a trap; these three monsters meticulously planned this very moment.
But Rong Qi found out too late.
As the illusion dissipated, the demonized Rong Qi stood on the carriage in full view of everyone. To everyone's astonishment, the giant tiger opened its mouth and bit her.
Blood spilled from the giant tiger's mouth, and Rong Qi, who should have been torn in two, disappeared from the carriage.
Hysterical screams echoed from all directions.
The old protector, whose hair and beard were white, rushed over from afar with a mixture of surprise and doubt, having been temporarily transferred here. He drew his sword and pointed it at the tiger demon.
Following the old protector's actions, the Celestial Masters surrounded Rongqi's carriage.
The leading old protector did not immediately make a move, but instead asked the tiger demon in a trembling voice, "Great demon, was the one you just fought the Imperial Preceptor Rong Qi?"
The mountain lord pretended to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and hesitated, saying, "What Imperial Advisor Rong Qi? He is clearly a bird demon. I have some grudges with him. Why are you helping him? I don't want to involve you."
The mountain king's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it carried throughout the entire group. This time, apart from the old protector, everyone was whispering and talking amongst themselves.
Sun San stared blankly at the mountain lord from afar, listening to the shocked exclamations of the guards around him.
"Did you just see that? Rong Qi, he's actually a bird demon!"
"The Imperial Advisor Rong Qi is actually a demon!"
Despite being bitten by the mountain tiger, Rong Qi did not die; the carriage was filled with blood, but no corpse.
The demon seems to have disappeared from the forest.
Meanwhile, on Pagoda Mountain, within Rong Qi's private residence, waves of energy surged forth.
Baozhu, who had been lying in wait here for a long time, raised her head and looked at the house in front of her.
Li Zhi was right.
On the day the four monsters broke into the Golden Palace at night, Baozhu received a letter from Li Zhi during the day.
The letter stated that since Rong Qi had a life-saving formation that brought him back to more than twenty years ago after his death in the previous life, Rong Qi might also have a life-saving method like Ji Ren now. If Rong Qi did not die after the monsters attacked him, he would definitely return to Pagoda Mountain.
After receiving the letter, Baozhu discussed it with the three great demons.
Finally, the monsters unanimously decided that on the day of the Anmin Festival, Baozhu would not participate in the ambush, but instead go to Pagoda Mountain, find Rongqi's private residence, and cut off his last escape route.
If Rong Qi used this magic array, it means he was already seriously injured and at his most vulnerable moment. Even if there was only one demon, Baozhu, he could still take his life.
So that night, Baozhu carefully recalled the last day of her previous life and searched bitterly in Pagoda Mountain for a long time before finally finding a place that was different from others.
Although this place looks no different from other places in the mountains from the outside, upon closer inspection, one can always feel that there is a lot of power flowing regularly within it.
Baozhu concluded that this was Rongqi's private residence, and she hid in the nearby woods, waiting quietly.
They waited until the afternoon before Baozhu finally saw them.
She smiled.
The mountain lord, the golden scales, and the old lady rat—they succeeded.
Just as Baozhu had guessed.
At this moment, Rong Qi was clutching a gaping hole in his abdomen, from which blood was gushing out and his internal organs were visible, and he was breathing heavily with difficulty.
He was driven to the brink of despair by three demons, and in front of the powerful and noble people and the Taoist masters in the capital, he revealed his demonic form.
Rong Qi sighed. He felt that this time, he would probably have to lie low for quite some time before he could reappear in a completely different guise.
His surname was Ge before, then Ruan, and now Rong.
Rong Qi pondered wildly, wondering what identity he should adopt next.
The excruciating pain from the wound interrupted his deep thoughts. Rong Qi looked down and saw tender flesh constantly growing out of the wound, only to be corroded by the demonic energy left in his body by the tiger demon. Blood and flesh mixed together and flowed freely in the study. Before long, there was no clean place left to step on the ground.
Soaked in Rong Qi's blood, the layers of magic circles carved on the ground lit up, the flickering light illuminating his pale face, which was pale from blood loss.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have used blood to trigger it..." Rong Qi smiled bitterly, reaching out to draw a talisman on the ground, trying to wipe away the blood.
At that moment, Rong Qi seemed to hear footsteps coming from the front yard.
He paused, then sat up straight with a blank expression.
The footsteps were neither too light nor too heavy, and the owner of the footsteps seemed to be deliberately letting him hear them as he slowly walked towards Rong Qi's study.
Who is this visitor?
To be able to find this place, and to be permitted by the magic circle...
Is it Yunrufeng?
Rong Qi was somewhat troubled. This child was not like the stubborn Nightmare; he had many of his own little schemes.
Perhaps he shouldn't have chosen to devour Nightmare because of Yun Rufeng's status as a protector.
The footsteps stopped in front of the study. There was a restriction there, which even Yun Rufeng could not pass through.
Rong Qi leaned against the wall and said calmly, "Whatever it is, just say it at the door."
The person outside did not make a sound.
Then, with a creak, the study door was opened from the outside.
Rong Qi's pupils contracted, and a hint of panic finally appeared on his face. He looked up in disbelief and saw a woman he didn't recognize standing at the door of the study.
The woman smiled at him and said happily, "I owe my journey here to you. Now that we've met, let me thank you first."
Rong Qi said blankly, "I don't think I know you."
The woman swaggered into the study and sat on the only desk that wasn't stained with blood. She made a face at Rong Qi and said, "But I know you. In my past life, I died at your hands."
Upon hearing this, Rong Qi stared at her in a daze, unable to utter a word for a long time.
"Let me introduce myself. I am the fox demon Baozhu, the monster who is going to send you to your death."
Baozhu walked up to Rong Qi with a grin, first looking him up and down at his extremely ugly expression, then looking at the huge wound on his abdomen with pride, and clapped her hands and said, "The tiger demon that injured you like this is called Shan Jun."
"You also met a carp spirit and a rat demon, namely Jinlin and Granny Rat."
At this point, Baozhu's face suddenly darkened. She turned around, letting Rong Qi see the little half-demon clinging to her back.
She said in a chilling tone, "I was able to enter this room thanks to this child. You must especially remember his name. His name is Hui, and he is a half-demon."
Baozhu spoke each word with gritted teeth.
Hui had a fresh wound on his finger. He lay silently on Baozhu's back, looking down at the ragged man in front of him.
After a while, he pouted, leaned back on Baozhu's shoulder, and said disdainfully, "So ugly."
"Did you hear that? If that's the case, then you might as well die," Baozhu said slowly.
Rong Qi looked at the two monsters in front of him and suddenly laughed.
He said quietly, "You took advantage of my oversight so thoroughly. It turns out that not all of you monsters are fools."
Even on the verge of death, he remained so arrogant. Baozhu touched her nose, leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Do you know, after I had you reveal your demon form to mortals, I told the Mountain Lord to tell the mortals that what happened between her and you was nothing more than a feud between demons."
Baozhu became more and more excited as she spoke, and laughed, "Guess why we're doing this? You haven't asked a single question since I came in. Now you're allowed to ask one."
Rong Qi chuckled and said, "Now that things have come to this, what else is there for me to ask?"
Baozhu pursed her lips listlessly and sighed, "But I still want to tell you that we made a vow with Sun San to let monsters appear openly in front of people. Tell me, what could be a better start than the great national advisor Rong Qi being a monster?"
Rong Qi's expression gradually darkened.
Baozhu was even happier to see this and continued, "We won't smear you. The more radiant you are, the better it is for us."
Hui poked her head out from Baozhu's shoulder and chimed in, "The great Imperial Preceptor Rong Qi is not a mortal, but a monster."
Rong Qi trembled all over. He was about to say something when Baozhu reached out and covered his mouth, saying in a deep voice, "You wouldn't speak when I asked you to, and now I don't want to hear you speak anymore."
With that, she exerted force with both hands, and with a cracking sound, Rong Qi's neck was broken in Baozhu's hands.
Then Baozhu stood up and looked down at Rongqi, whose eyes had lost focus.
“It seems too easy,” she murmured.
After saying that, Baozhu stretched out a hand and placed it on Rongqi's head.
Rong Qi suppressed 100,000 ghosts under the Temple of the Goddess. Over the years, he absorbed resentment, which also tainted his soul with some ghostly energy.
The pearl easily extracted his soul, which was destined to return, from his body.
Then, with a gentle pinch, the half-demon Rong Qi was utterly destroyed, with no chance of survival.
After doing all this, Baozhu carried Hui on her back and slowly walked down Pagoda Mountain.
Today, the weather was sunny and the autumn air was crisp. The people who had watched the Anmin Festival in the city were still enjoying themselves and came to the foot of Baota Mountain to go on an outing with their friends.
Everywhere was filled with laughter and joy, which was truly delightful to see.
Hui, who was on Baozhu's back, looked around for a while and whispered to her, "Put me down here. I miss my mother."
Baozhu agreed, parted ways with Hui at the foot of the mountain, and embarked on her journey back to the city alone.
She walked for a long time, through fields, through city gates, and through bustling streets.
Baozhu returned home. Standing at the door, she smelled the aroma of food wafting from inside.
It was already evening, and the weary birds should be returning to their nests.
She pushed open the door.
Hearing the noise, Li Zhi, who was busy in the kitchen, quickly wiped his hands clean and came out to greet her.
Li Zhi's face was still somewhat pale.
He looked at Baozhu gently and smiled, "Hurry up and wash your hands, it's time to eat."
Tears welled up in Baozhu's eyes. She nodded, lowered her head to wipe away her tears, and said in a trembling voice, "Okay."
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