Chapter 152 The Storm is Coming! [Two in One]
"The little shepherd boy's name is Ma Liang, and he is about eleven or twelve years old."
"Maybe because he grew up alone, he is more mature. But it is a bit strange that he was able to escape for so many days under the tight control of the government office and Chaotianque."
"The last place he was seen was Xuling County. The government quickly sealed off the entire county, allowing only entry but no exit. We have been investigating for three full days, but still haven't found any trace of him."
When Li Chu followed Chen Huaji to Xuling County, it was almost dusk. Chen Huaji was standing on a high slope outside the county town and telling him about the current situation.
"Many of the ghosts and monsters he drew the other day are now hiding in this county. They may cause trouble at any time. Chaotianque is doing its best to investigate. If they are found, they will be killed without mercy."
"It's just that... those ghosts seem to have gotten out of his control."
Li Chu listened quietly, thoughtfully.
After a while, he asked, "Where did the shepherd boy live originally?"
"Banshan Village in Xuling County." Chen Huaji was a little surprised. "Why?"
"I want to go and take a look." Li Chu said.
"Oh, okay."
Anyway, Banshan Village was not far away, and the two of them walked very fast, so they arrived there in no time.
Arriving at the place where Ma Liang once lived, a small thatched house that was almost collapsed, it was clear that his past life was not good.
But on the walls and the ground inside and outside the hut, there are many traces of charcoal or tree branches, which are quite exquisite. It is true that he is a shepherd boy who likes painting.
Next to the thatched hut was a row of cattle pens, which were also empty at this time.
Li Chu asked, "Where are the cows he used to raise?"
Chen Huaji thought for a moment and said, "Maybe the owner took them away? After all, the cows he raised belonged to the landlord... No, it seems that on the day he disappeared, he opened the cowshed and let the cows run away on their own. I can't remember clearly..."
He scratched his head. After all, ordinary people wouldn't pay much attention to this.
The reason why Li Chu asked was because his master had quietly reminded him before he left.
A shepherd boy was led by an old cow into a mysterious cave in the wind and rain, and got a magic pen.
In this story, everyone's eyes are on the shepherd boy and the paintbrush.
Yu Qian'an reminded him instead that if he had the chance, he should find the old cow.
Maybe it's even more precious than the magic pen.
If you think about it carefully, if the cave was so easy to enter, the shepherd boy would not have had a chance to get the paintbrush long ago.
The cow that could enter there was indeed somewhat magical.
Unfortunately it's gone.
There was another wall in the thatched cottage, which was strangely blank at this time, but it still retained the smell of cheap ink. When one scanned it with one's mind, one could still feel a sinister aura.
Chen Huaji explained that when Ma Liang's master heard that he had such a magic brush, he wanted to seize it. Ma Liang then drew some ghosts on the wall and let them deal with the landlord.
Unexpectedly, as soon as those ghosts were born, they seemed to be out of his control and directly slaughtered the landlord's family, and also implicated several nearby families.
Those ghosts seem to be able to become stronger by sucking blood, and are very dangerous.
As they were talking, the two had already returned to Xuling County.
In the night, the small county town is very quiet.
The government has already notified us that there have been ghosts and monsters haunting the city recently. If you have nothing to do, don't go out. Close your doors and windows at night and be alert.
As a result, people in the city were in panic, and not many people dared to go out on the streets even during the day.
Li Chu opened his mind and instantly covered the entire county. He could sense dozens of ghosts scattered around... but Ma Liang's existence was no different from that of an ordinary person, so he couldn't find him.
Opening his eyes, he shook his head at Chen Huaji.
"No way?" Chen Huaji was a little disappointed. "I don't know where this kid is hiding. The government has sent out many people and searched the entire city door to door, but he can't be found."
Li Chu calmly analyzed: "There are two assumptions we can make now. One is that he has left Xuling County through some unknown method."
"That's impossible." Chen Huaji said, but after a pause, he became a little unsure, "It's probably impossible... unless he can turn into a fly..."
"We can't handle that case either, so we can only stick to the second hypothesis," Li Chu continued.
"He is in Xuling County."
"If we can't find him, there are several possibilities. For example, he has changed his appearance in some way... He has some special way to hide... He is hiding in a place where no one can find him..."
"If I think about it this way, there are too many uncertainties, and I have no idea where to start. Unless... I can find a certain condition."
"What definite conditions?" Chen Huaji still looked confused.
Li Chu sighed secretly. It seemed that he had never met a teammate with high IQ...
"This condition must be something he needs, such as food and water, but these things are necessary for everyone, so it's not easy to distinguish them. If we want to find him, we need a condition that he needs but is not necessary for ordinary people as a basis..."
Chen Huaji was stunned by what he heard.
Li Chu pondered and said, "Ink. He uses the magic brush to paint, so he also needs ink."
"Oh——" Chen Huaji suddenly realized.
"Xuling is not a big county, and there are not many scholars in the whole city. The group of people who buy books and ink is relatively fixed. Go to the stationery store to check for strangers who have bought ink recently, and you may get something." Li Chu finally gave a direct conclusion.
"Yes!" Chen Huaji punched his left hand with his right fist and laughed, "It sounds very ordinary and simple when you say it, but it seems very difficult when you think about it yourself."
Li Chu said: "It's not difficult, you just don't do enough exercises. As long as you practice hard, you can master the ideas of solving problems."
"Qinlian... Qinglian? Liu Qinglian?" Chen Huaji was stunned. "Are you talking about Miss Liu?"
Li Chu shook his head helplessly.
Licking poison attacks the heart.
There's no hope.
…
but.
Li Chu didn't think he would be the first to think of this.
There are so many talented people in Chaotianque, someone must have taken action first. If all the disciples had the same intelligence level as Chen Huaji, then the twelve sects of Chaotianque should have abdicated long ago.
Maybe the results will come out tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
The top priority tonight is to eliminate the ghosts lurking in the city.
Just as the two were about to set off, they heard a blast of arrows from the north of the city, shaking the sky!
Chen Huaji's expression changed. "It was my arrow that pierced the sky. Someone is in danger!"
"One arrow pierces the clouds, and thousands of troops rush to meet us!"
Without bothering to complain about this cliché slogan, Li Chu rushed over with Chen Huaji.
As fast as lightning.
Because he could see that five ghosts gathered in that direction!
And the aura of a cultivator was surrounded by them.
boom--
A courtyard wall was broken down with a loud bang.
A man from Chaotianque sect rushed out on a flying sword, with hundreds of silver lights flashing on his side to protect him.
Hundred Swords Technique!
These sword beams were all solid and real, flying up and down around him.
But there were several incredibly fast shadows around, whizzing around and suddenly rushing over. Several flying swords pierced through them, but the black shadow didn't care.
"roar--"
Seven or eight flying swords pierced through the black shadow, and it only let out a sharp roar. There were holes in its body, but there was no blood, only a few drops of black ink.
Looking at its shape, it looks like a giant bat with a wingspan of more than ten feet!
The bat approached the cultivator's body and stretched out a pair of sharp claws like iron hooks, trying to grab his shoulders.
The disciple of Chaotianque raised his two fingers and put them together, then shouted: "Shh!"
boom--
A blazing flame shot out from his hand, blasting the bat ghost several feet away.
But at the same time, several other ghosts that looked like jackals, tigers and leopards, each with long wings, broke through the sword formation and pounced over!
The disciples of Chaotianque complained bitterly.
He had only spotted the silhouette of a ghost today, and being greedy for merit, he did not call his fellow disciples immediately, but chased after it alone.
Unexpectedly, there were five ghosts hiding in that yard!
Moreover, each one is much stronger than the ones encountered before. The strength of these ghosts is clearly increasing!
He fired whistling arrows and broke through the encirclement. Although his speed was very fast, he didn't know whether he could hold on until his fellow disciples came to support him.
Life and death are just a matter of seconds!
He knew that as long as he could move in the alleys and courtyards for a while, relying on the cover of the terrain and avoiding these things, his chances of survival would be very high.
However, behind the courtyard wall that he had just broken through, he heard a child crying!
Oops.
Once the people are implicated, I will die without hesitation!
Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth, resolutely turned the tip of his sword, and rushed towards the spacious long street on the other side.
call out--
However, the more open you are, the harder it is to get rid of those things!
"roar--"
A flying tiger descended from the sky and pounced on its prey viciously, with black air swirling between its claws.
He ducked down instantly and managed to dodge, but he was not prepared and was carried away by the black energy, and instantly lost a piece of flesh!
laugh--
Blood splattered!
Perhaps stimulated by the smell of blood, several ghosts around also roared!
The bat ghost also came back as if it had never been injured.
The sword technique of the Chaotianque disciple was unstable, and he fell off the sword with a plop. Hundreds of sword lights shuttled back and forth, blocking his body. But that was all they could do. No matter how much sword energy they had, it was not enough to kill these ghosts.
Damn it.
He cursed in his heart, these things...how come they are immortal?
The next second this thought appeared in his mind.
Li Chu and Chen Huaji appeared on the street.
Li Chu looked at the injured cultivator under the claws and was about to draw his sword...
Suddenly, a loud cry was heard in the air -
Attracting the attention of everyone...and ghosts.
I saw a huge night owl flash by, as if it was crossing a dark cloud under the moon.
Immediately, a black shadow fell from the back of the Night Owl.
Pure black clothes, pure black sword!
Sharp sword, sharp eyes!
Tsk! Tsk!
At the moment when this figure broke through the wind and fell, the two ghosts closest to the injured person... were instantly split in half.
It was so fast that I couldn't see it at all.
What kind of movement was it that split them apart?
There were only a series of bang sounds, and two balls of ink scattered in the air.
"roar--"
The other three ghosts roared uneasily and retreated together.
fear.
The figure stood up straight.
He was wearing a black cape, fluttering in the wind, his figure like a dragon. In his left hand was a black knife, brighter than ink, and in his right hand was a bright white sword, brighter than snow.
The man who came was holding a knife and a sword, and he was like an army of thousands!
"Commander Zhan..." the injured man said excitedly.
"Commander Zhan!" Chen Huaji on the street also smiled.
The cultivators who had gathered from all directions shouted in unison: "The Black-robed Guards of Chaotianque Sect respectfully welcome Commander Zhan!"
It seemed that after a short one-second confrontation, the three ghosts finally gave in. They turned around together and fled madly!
But... can I walk?
boom--
It seemed as if two dragons were flying across the long street, causing a huge sound of wind and clouds.
The next moment, Zhan Liuming leaped up and landed lightly on the back of Night Owl, standing with his head held high, his eyes gleaming with lightning.
The night owl let out a long cry and spread its wings to fly towards the moon.
A moment later, a pair of swords came back from the other end of the long street and returned to his palm.
And those three ghosts were reduced to ashes at some point.
Li Chu looked up at the night owl flying away.
Is this Zhan Liuming, the most popular figure in Hangzhou?
It’s really cool.
He didn't even bother to look at the injured fellow disciple lying on the ground...he had already fainted.
…
A slightly noisy night passed.
It's dawn.
There was a knock on the door in a small house in Xuling County.
A middle-aged man in a blue shirt went out to open the door. He staggered, was skinny, and had gray hair on his temples, as if he had suffered half his life.
When the door opened, a woman in a gorgeous red dress walked in.
The woman was in her prime, with skin as white as snow and eyes as bright as crystal. She was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting.
Standing next to this middle-aged man, he felt quite out of place.
But when she saw the middle-aged man, she immediately took his hand and called him, "Master."
"Hey, Moxian."
The middle-aged man closed the door carefully, turned around, and said with a wry smile: "I said, you can just call me Ma Liang, don't call me master anymore."
The woman named Mo Xian looked at his haggard appearance and said, "It is all thanks to you that I was able to come to the world of the living. If I don't call you master, do you want me to call you father?"
"Is it okay?" The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, as if he thought of something happy.
He was answered with a soft, "Pfft."
The middle-aged man walked into the house with a wry smile and asked, "Did you buy the ink?"
"Yeah." Mo Xian nodded.
The middle-aged man then smiled sincerely, "Let me draw a bracelet for you. I saw many girls wearing them on the street that day, so you should have one too."
"Owner!"
Mo Xian grabbed his hand, tears in his eyes: "You can't use that magic pen anymore."
The middle-aged man touched his hair and said, "It's already like this, so it doesn't matter if I get a little bit older. The older I get, the harder it will be to be discovered."
Mo Xian sobbed, "Yes, how much of my life can be consumed by a bracelet? The master should never... should never, should not use that magic pen to create a living being..."
"Now, every day that I and those ghosts live, that life span will be counted on you..."
As she spoke, she pulled out a sharp knife from her bosom.
"I have made up my mind. I will make my own decision today to lighten the burden on my master."
Seeing this, the middle-aged man was not flustered, but just smiled slightly.
He closed his eyes slightly. "Even if you are dead, I will just draw you again. I will remember every stroke of yours, and I will make sure it is exactly the same."
Mo Xian said: "Why are you doing this?"
"As for me..." the middle-aged man smiled and said, "I was a hopeless shepherd boy a while ago. I liked to paint, but I couldn't afford to buy brushes and ink. I didn't dare to approach any girl I liked. Maybe I was supposed to be like this... I couldn't afford to marry... I couldn't touch a brush..."
"Thanks to this magic pen, I have witnessed the most magical things in the world. So far, the one I am most satisfied with drawing is you."
He looked at the woman in front of him lovingly.
"Mo Xian, you made me understand what love is."
The woman blushed and spat.
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment.
Immediately, he chuckled and shook his head, then added: "Now, I just hope that Chaotianque can quickly eliminate those ghosts and monsters and lift the blockade of this county. Then we can find a place to hide our identities and stay together for the rest of our lives. Even if I have to live a few fewer years, it's worth it."
Mo Xian seemed to be looking forward to such a scene and was deeply moved.
For a moment, there was deep love.
…
In a shadow invisible to the naked eye.
Two ghosts squatted on the ground, holding their heads with their wings, and trembling.
With the cleansing of Chaotianque last night, all the ghosts and monsters in Xuling County were swept away.
Even many evil spirits that originally existed in the county were implicated.
There are still two fish that have escaped the net here, which is really strange.
In front of the two ghosts, there were two strange figures standing.
The two men were both wearing old robes, the white had faded to look like gray, and the blue had faded to look like green. They both had strange bronze masks on their faces, one crying, the other laughing. The edges of the masks were invisible, as if they were embedded in their faces.
"I know you can sense the location of the owner of the magic pen." The crying-faced man said in a strange voice.
“You have to rely on him to survive, but you’re afraid that he will find a way to get rid of you, so you’ve been hiding from him.” The smiling man also continued in a strange voice.
"Take us to find him. I have a way to get the magic pen and keep you alive." said the crying man.
"Don't doubt it, we won't lie to you. Because we come from..." The smiling man said proudly: "The Yi Yao Sect!"
The strange demon sect? !
The two ghosts showed extremely horrified expressions!
immediately.
The two of them looked at each other, their eyes communicating wildly.
What is the Yiyaomen?
I don’t know?
I don’t know either?
Damn, how come you don’t know anything?
I was born only a few days ago? You know nothing!
You were born a fucking moment earlier than me!
Then what are you shocked about?
I was shocked because I saw you were shocked.
I was shocked because you saw me being shocked.
I was shocked because I saw you looking at me and you were shocked.
I look at you, I look at you...
Looking at the two ghosts nesting in silence, the crying man seemed a little impatient.
He raised his hand and pointed.
Bang——
I didn't see clearly what happened, and the ghost on the left suddenly exploded!
The ghost on the right was splashed with ink!
shock!
The ghost on the right looked at the two masked men tremblingly.
The smiling man asked, "Can you take us to find the owner of the magic pen now?"
The goblin immediately nodded frantically, like a ghost.
…
South of Jiangnan.
On the shore of the South China Sea.
A place with beautiful mountains and clear water.
On one side of the ancient mountain with the sound of the spring, close to the sea cliff, there is a huge nest! Judging from the size, even the largest bird in the world can live in it.
If it were in an accessible place, this giant nest would surely attract thousands of tourists.
Only in this secluded place can one feel so peaceful and quiet.
When I arrived at this giant nest, the first thing I saw was a Taoist temple.
That’s right, there is actually a Taoist temple here.
A plaque with the words "Sangshu Temple" hangs at the entrance of the Taoist temple.
There was indeed a big mulberry tree in the temple. I don’t know why it could grow on this rootless cliff.
A black-faced Taoist priest was sitting cross-legged under the tree.
With a dark square face, he doesn't look like a Taoist priest, but rather an old farmer who has worked in the fields for many years.
He was breathing quietly.
With each breath, two air dragons circled in from the sea.
Hundreds of birds follow.
It seemed like just a moment, and seven days had passed.
This peaceful scene seemed as if even the changing weather conditions could not break it.
Until this day.
There was a knock on the door.
The black-faced Taoist priest was slightly displeased, and he dispersed the two air dragons and shouted, "Who is it?"
A young man's gentle and respectful voice was heard outside the door.
"Junior Huo Zhuge, come to pay your respects!"
The foreshadowing from multiple perspectives is combined. Others may need five chapters to foreshadow the climax, but I only need one chapter to foreshadow the climax... I learned from Kato Toru.
(End of this chapter)
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