Chapter 50 Three-in-one [including thanks 220,000, 225,000...
The act of Akabane City Lord kneeling in thanks was truly earth-shattering, and instantly blew everyone's mind.
Yan Luoyue reacted very quickly and was caught on her knees.
Fortunately, Yan Luoyue had accumulated a wealth of experience in scamming people in her first year of life, so she could tell clearly what kind of movement was a sign of impending collapse.
But although Rao escaped quickly, Yan Luoyue still felt a lingering fear in her heart.
For the first time, she experienced from the perspective of the person involved what it felt like to be suddenly outshined by someone else.
No wonder Sang Ji still couldn't forget the fraud incident three or four years later.
The Lord of Chiyu City had only made himself half a head shorter than Yan Luoyue in public, and his expression under the tent was slightly changed in shock.
At that time, Yan Luoyue, surrounded by her classmates, actually knocked herself down - she lay flat on the ground.
"… City Lord, please get up."
Under the black robe, the monk's figure seemed a little stiff.
After Meng Zhun personally removed the hostile atmosphere, the weapon refiner's attitude was no longer as harsh as it was at the beginning.
Zhen Zhuoer let Master Yan face the current situation alone.
She stepped forward and, together with Master Yan, pulled the Lord of Chiyu City up from the ground.
During this period, other people were also free.
Zhen Zhuoer and Meng Zhun's men tactfully turned their heads away and didn't look at the Chiyu City Lord's begging look.
Together they captured the monk who was crying out for justice in the net, tied him up on the spot and held him aside.
As for the two brothers from the Crane tribe who were invited to the scene to take notes, they flipped through the notebooks to find the remaining traces of snowflakes, and revised the draft after adding to and making corrections.
The situation calmed down a little, and both sides dismissed their men and invited the two historian brothers to go down and chat with the specialist.
The Lord of Akabane City sat back in the armchair, and apart from his red eyes there was nothing unusual about him.
The middle-aged man sighed and told Yan Luoyue and Zhen Zhuoer the inside story.
"I am ashamed to be the lord of the city. Before this Thousand Faces Demonic Disaster spread, I actually discovered anything unusual..."
Some time has passed since the incident happened.
When Meng Zhun mentioned the incident, although his expression still contained hidden pain and sadness, he still tried his best to use a calm tone to explain the whole story clearly.
If you look at it from Meng Zhun's perspective, this is probably a tragic news documentary.
Yan Zhuoer listened attentively throughout the whole process, nodding her head from time to time, as if she was taking it as a warning. She probably regarded this story as her own awakening fable.
As for Yan Luoyue...
Damn, to Yan Luoyue, this story is simply a horror story.
The story begins with the seal of the demon clan.
Yunning Daze is geographically located and spatially adjacent to the Demon Realm.
After the passage connecting the human world and the demon world was blocked, there were still some "dog holes" left around it that were dug by both sides in the past. These "dog holes" were found and patched one by one, and they are what everyone calls the Demon Seal.
There is also such a demon seal near Akabane Castle.
Every once in a while, the demon world vibrates and some demons leak out of the seal. This phenomenon is called a demon disaster.
The local forces will organize manpower, recruit monks, and send people to destroy the monsters and eliminate all demons.
This has been the practice for hundreds of years, and Akabane Castle is no exception.
Meng Jun clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "Two months ago, a small demonic disaster broke out in the nearby demon seal. I sent people to suppress it as usual, and the subsequent reports were also very smooth..."
The scale of this demonic disaster was not that large, with only some inferior monsters like the Mud Drill and the Green-maned Demon running out. Even the monks who had just started to practice Qi cultivation could not try to deal with them.
The monks who were sent to fight the demons returned with a full load.
According to local custom, they packed up weak monsters like the Mud Drill and the Old Phlegm Suck and loaded them onto trucks, preparing to transport them back to the city to kill them immediately, so that the materials they extracted would be more effective.
The city held a ceremony as usual to welcome these brave monks.
Happy smiling faces crowded on the streets, and some people threw sachets, flowers and ribbons to the triumphant monks returning from their journey.
Amid the sounds of drums, laughter, and wheels, someone noticed that the weak monsters in the iron cage, seemingly dying, were staring greedily at the happy faces.
There was a strong sense of assessment in those eyes, as if they remembered every face that passed by.
That night, someone from the Monster Department reported that four of the imprisoned Mud Drills were missing.
The person involved found it unbelievable.
He couldn't understand how a monster that had burrowed into such a mess in the mud could have escaped right under the guards' noses.
Even if they are good at drilling mud, can they turn themselves into mud and drill out fine iron fences?
The person in charge wanted to minimize the impact of the incident on himself, so he did not report the matter to his superiors immediately. Instead, he and several subordinates searched for the traces of these burrowers separately.
An hour later, the men came back.
The cloth on his chest was still stained with fresh, wet blood, but it didn't matter.
Because in his hands, he was holding several pieces of demon skin that were covered in mud.
The subordinate said with a smile: "These guys wanted to fight, but they ran away so quickly. I took one out and killed them - Boss, you said before that we must capture them alive."
The person in charge heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his men recover the monsters overnight.
He didn't care about the fact that his men killed the monster.
Feeling thankful, the person in charge naturally wanted to laugh at his subordinate, wondering why he had changed his accent and insisted on saying "刀" instead of "兜".
The person in charge waved his hand and said, "Just kill him. We can mix him in with other skins and sell him tomorrow morning. The quality should still be fresh. Even if the weapon craftsmen find out, they won't come to pick a fight with us just to get away with it..."
Seeing that the person in charge wanted to take over the demon skin stuck in the mud, his subordinates suddenly retracted their hands.
"Well, it's their business. Let's not take the risk. Boss, I'll pay for it out of my own pocket."
This subordinate is really sensible, not at all like the stingy person he used to be.
The person in charge suddenly felt that this person was truly worthy of respect.
So the person in charge took the purse and walked into the dark night, chatting and laughing with his men.
That night was Christmas Eve.
There were any reports of dead monks and servants, as well as any rumors of monsters escaping.
Only his subordinate's arm was cut.
Fortunately, a kind passerby who looked like his subordinate happened to come and helped him stabilize the situation.
In order to repay the other party's kindness, the subordinates and the person in charge had a midnight snack together.
Ahhh, ahhh, slurp, slurp, smack.
Having learned from the previous lesson, the person in charge sent out a message to call other subordinates to knock one by one, with two subordinates whom he trusted standing behind him.
This included the guy who suddenly came to his senses the night before.
Does anyone know what the person in charge told his subordinates?
Others could only see that everyone was satisfied with the content of the conversation in the end.
A few days passed, and the large iron cages that contained low-level monsters gradually became empty.
There was once a low-level guard who, for some unknown reason, reported to his superior that "someone was secretly trading in monsters without killing them before selling them, which was not in line with the principle of complete monster extermination."
Before this news could be passed on to higher-level superiors, it was withheld by the low-level guard's direct superior.
After a cup of tea, a monk in the office, who usually got along well with the guard, went to chat with him.
For some reason, this monk had a bulge around his waist.
It was as if autumn had just arrived and he was wearing a pair of cotton pants under his robe. It was also as if someone had played a prank and stuffed a large, soft, flexible, and self-deformable tail under his clothes.
After another cup of tea, the two of them came back, smiling and arm in arm.
The monk's robes smoothed out.
The guard sucked his fingertips with an unsatisfied look and cancelled the news he had reported earlier.
Then, some young people started to investigate the matter of "someone is reselling monsters, and low-level monsters in cages are disappearing every day."
Among these, some superiors, masters, and celebrities in the city often receive invitations from the Monster Bureau and come to meet them.
After visiting, these people often leave very satisfied, obviously having received very thoughtful hospitality.
——How can others see the satisfaction of these big shots?
Do you see that they have a strange smile on their faces, and often they have a beautiful woman in their arms who refuses to show her face but still has long black hair?
Hearing this, Yan Luoyue, who was still keeping his word, would definitely touch his back to soothe the drooping hairs on his back.
The black-robed weaponsmith shook his head with emotion and sighed hoarsely:
"Since the Thousand-Faced Demon can transform into a human, it can also transform into other appearances... Until now, no one noticed this. We are the ones who are missing the point."
If humans were the only thing on the Thousand-Faced Demon's menu, it shouldn't be able to survive in the demon world.
In addition to humans, other monsters are definitely also hunted by the Thousand-Faced Demon.
In other words, the Thousand-Faced Demon can not only change into a human face, but also into the shape of other monsters.
"Yes." The Lord of Akabane City echoed in a low voice.
City Lord Meng Zhun was in a very depressed mood. He closed his eyes and continued to talk about the rest of the story.
The son should have lived in this blissful and ignorant way until the day when he could no longer hide it.
But one day, Meng Jun, the city lord, suddenly discovered that his loyal old servant could not remember things.
This old servant was loyal to their family. He had served Meng Zhun's father and raised Meng Zhun, and was always respected by Meng Zhun.
At first, Meng Jun invited the old man to recuperate only because the old man was old and had made breakthroughs in his cultivation for a long time, and he was about to die.
Who knew that this recuperation would go wrong.
After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, an equally loyal subordinate secretly informed Meng Zhun that he had seen with his own eyes that the old servant was secretly communicating with another powerful faction in the city.
The old servant had been loyal to the Meng family for a hundred years. This denunciation came out of nowhere and seemed too much like a frame-up from a rival.
Meng Jun felt amused, waved his men away, and kept the matter to himself.
But soon, Meng Zhun saw it again with his own eyes.
Meng Zhun laughed bitterly at himself and said, "I have a bad habit of walking around at night. Because of this habit, I have seen many things I shouldn't have seen."
Like something like stealing chickens and touching dogs, something against etiquette, something that is sneaky and dishonest...
But this time, this habit, which could not be considered a good habit, saved Meng Jun's life.
In anger, Meng Zhun took action on the spot. He first detained the old servant and the monk who had contact with him separately, and then interrogated the monk alone, trying to find out the ins and outs of the old servant's betrayal.
During the interrogation, Meng Zhun noticed something was wrong: the monk was hesitating and his words were incoherent, as if he was trying to put a donkey's lips on a horse's mouth.
Before Meng Jun could come to an end of the interrogation, a monk came to the prison to try to rescue this enemy monk.
Meng Jun naturally accepted this kind of scene where the Calabash Brothers saved their grandfather and everyone was ready to die.
The number of detained monks increased by one, so the previous one was worthless. Meng Zhun killed one of them in front of the other party to scare the monkeys, and ordered the guards to drag him out.
In situations like this, the body would either be returned intact to the owner of the house, or loaded onto a wheelbarrow and taken to a random burial site.
After receiving Meng Jun's order, the guards didn't know what to do with the corpse, so they temporarily covered it with a straw mat and dragged it to the corner of the yard.
This was an unintentional act, but it revealed a shocking secret - two hours later, a strong wind blew away the straw mat, revealing the true appearance of the corpse to the world.
It turns out that this "enemy monk" is actually a Thousand-Faced Demon!
The guards were so frightened that they rolled and crawled, and hurriedly reported the news to Meng Zhunhui.
The long night has not yet passed.
Meng Zhun lit a lamp and stood up, then slapped to death the monk sent by the enemy to rob the prison.
Under the dim candlelight, he stared at the other person's body for half an hour without blinking.
When the first glimmer of light appeared in the sky, the corpse that had been guarded under Meng Jun's nose and could never be replaced by anyone gradually turned into the appearance of the Thousand-Faced Demon.
“…”
When things get to the point, the truth comes out.
Why would a loyal old servant establish a connection with the "enemy"? There is only one answer left.
Even though the incident happened almost half a month ago, when Meng Zhun mentioned it, his face still looked like a freshly painted lime wall, pale with a hint of lifeless indigo.
Zhen Zhuoer put herself in his shoes and understood: "The Thousand-Faced Demon... Unless a high-level cultivator uses his divine sense to investigate, his true identity cannot be revealed without his death."
Meng Zhun stared blankly at his fingers and smiled bitterly.
"Uncle Qing kept begging me. He told me stories about my childhood, and brought back memories to shake my heart. He—he—"
They have been together day and night for more than a hundred years, and the time that Uncle Qing has been with Meng Zhun is even longer than the time Meng Zhun has spent with his biological parents.
Although in name only, there is still a distinction between master and servant between the two parties.
But in real life, Meng Junzhi regarded Uncle Qing as an elder and relative he respected.
Uncle Qing’s children and grandchildren are like Meng Zhun’s brothers and nephews.
Even though Meng Jun knew for sure that if the real Uncle Qing was here, he would not talk so much and try to beg for his life.
But if you are not a heart of stone, how could you not be moved by what you see and hear?
——What about Wan? What about the old man’s confusion and his growing fear of death?
——Maybe Uncle Qing was just seduced into doing something bad, but he was not replaced.
——The most important point is that according to previous records, the Thousand-Faced Demon could only imitate the body shape and appearance of others, but could not capture their memories and thoughts.
The uncle Qing in front of him remembered every detail of his upbringing to heart, and answered Meng Zhun's questions fluently.
How is it possible that this old man, crying while holding his calf, was replaced by the Thousand-Faced Demon?
No one knows what happened in the city lord's study that day.
But Meng Jun finally chopped off the knife.
At the moment he swung the sword, it was unclear whether he killed the Thousand-Faced Demon, Uncle Qing, or some other demon.
Even though the old man's withered corpse on the ground immediately transformed into the form of the Thousand-Faced Demon, Meng Jun was too embarrassed to think that he was avenging Uncle Qing.
Because from the moment he decided to swing the knife, the real Uncle Qing and the child Xiao Zhun were both cut into two pieces by the sharp edge of the knife.
Only the Lord of Chiyu City, Meng Jun, was left standing beside the corpse with a stiff back, waiting for the verdict from fate.
All the warm memories of childhood have solidified into thorns that tear at the flesh and blood, causing excruciating pain at the mere touch.
Meng Zhun said dryly: "That corpse... is the Thousand-Faced Demon."
The Lord of Akabane City obviously had a knot in his heart, and he described the process of his struggle too clearly.
But others can associate various painful entanglements on their own without being reminded.
Under the black robe, the weapon refiner's expression changed horribly: "City Lord Meng, can your Thousand-Faced Demon actually read the memory of its prey?"
"As far as I know, only some Thousand-Faced Demons can do this, and even if they read the memory, they cannot read the entire life of their prey."
At this point, Meng Zhun, an eight-foot-tall man, almost choked when he opened his mouth.
"They can only eat the deepest and most important memories of the original owner..."
Just like the thousand-faced demon who pretended to be Uncle Qing.
It couldn't use the recent official business to protect itself, but it could throw out old memories and pierce Meng Jun's heart into a bloody mess.
Because, the memories of raising little Meng Jun and watching him grow from a little boy into a tall and handsome young man are also memories that Uncle Qing cherishes.
If the Thousand-Faced Demon can only change its appearance, as long as everyone is careful to guard against it, Jiati will always be able to catch the opponent's tail.
But what if the other party takes out the memories of your loved ones and asks you whether to trust him or send him to death?
I have to say, this kind of monster is too cruel and cunning.
When they become someone's closest relative, they are actually taking advantage of that person's soft spot.
If their true colors are to be exposed, the death of their "relatives" is necessary to prove it.
When the time comes, how many people can make such a decision? Who can be so decisive in sending their relatives and friends to death?
What's even more terrifying is that once this kind of atmosphere spreads, will someone use "this is a demon with a thousand faces" as an excuse to openly exclude dissidents, and even if they kill people in the street, onlookers will not dare to intervene? !
Meng Zhun said in a daze: "I immediately realized the seriousness of this matter and sent my subordinates to investigate."
He also contacted the big families in the city, asking them to put aside their past grudges and overcome the difficulties together.
After discussion, everyone decided not to make the matter public for the time being, and to try to resolve it within their own control and at the lowest cost.
After all, this Thousand-Faced Demon that can read memories is different from the past. Once the news is announced, it will inevitably cause panic among the people. Under suspicion, I don't know how much human tragedy will be added.
I hope there are more evil people who take this opportunity to cause trouble in the city...
It doesn't take much calculation to foresee that the whole city will fall into chaos.
But what happened next was a fantasy that was so absurd that it reached the extreme level.
Meng Zhun received an endless stream of visitors in his study for two days.
The next night, his bad habit came back and he quietly went out to wander around the street.
His stroll is roughly equivalent to a leader going incognito to the grassroots level.
Then Meng Jun was shocked to realize that his order might even have been passed outside the City Lord's Mansion.
This shows that among his trusted subordinates, there are already countless Thousand-Faced Demons!
Since these thousand-faced demons were able to infiltrate the City Lord’s Mansion, they can naturally infiltrate other big families in the city!
Hearing this, even someone as calm and composed as Zhen Zhuoer shuddered actually.
Although Yan Luoyue didn't feel the same way as the other two, she couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine.
"hiss……"
In her opinion, the invasion of the Thousand-Faced Demon is a bit similar to "Werewolf".
When Werewolf was just a board game, everyone could have a good time, give out money, and solicit votes.
But what happens when it becomes a reality and actually threatens everyone's life?
Darkness came, day came, a werewolf was elected sheriff, and there were witches and prophet in the bureau.
Thousands of civilians died last night. Please be careful, because these civilians turned into werewolves.
The black-robed weapon refiner asked, "Among the big clans in the city, has anyone cleared out all the clan members?"
Once the clan is cleaned up, we can free up our hands to maintain order in the city. We can always get things done, right?
Meng Zhun sneered.
When the matter was mentioned, the anger and majesty of the lord of the city reappeared in the man's originally haggard and sunken eye sockets.
"The You tribe is indeed lucky. Among their elders, there is a Thousand-Faced Demon."
Then this group of people packed up their supplies overnight and closed the clan door.
Led by the clan leader himself, the elders and the more capable monks in the clan ran away cleanly and efficiently!
Perhaps he felt guilty about what he did, so the clan leader left a sealed letter for Meng Zhun.
The gist of it is: Now the city has been severely infiltrated from top to bottom, and you, the City Lord, already know what the City Lord's Mansion has become.
As the saying goes, he who knows current affairs is a hero. You might as well pack up and take your family away - of course, this is not running away, but seeking help.
It's so shameless and disgraceful.
Meng Zhun just kept repeating these words and felt that he had dirty his mouth.
These people's escape soon gave rise to many rumors.
Combined with the bloody remains that occasionally appeared in the gutter a few days ago...
All kinds of exaggerated rumors were spreading, and fear was like a veil that quickly covered the hearts of everyone in the city.
When the city is in danger, Meng Zhun certainly won't run away.
As the lord of the city, he not only cannot run away, but also swears to show his attitude of living and dying together with Akabane City.
Meng Jun sat in his study all night.
The next morning, when he came out of the study, even his originally dark temples had turned slightly gray.
At this point, Meng Jun ignored the opposition from other clan leaders and decisively announced the news that the Thousand-Faced Demon had infiltrated the city to the entire city.
At the same time, Meng Zhun also issued three new orders.
In addition, there is a curfew in the city, and no one is allowed to leave the house at night. The four gates are locked, and no one is allowed to enter or leave Akabane Castle without the city lord's order.
In addition, five neighboring households were organized into groups, and each group of people lived together. There was no daily sitting, sleeping, or night guard in the toilet, and it was guaranteed that at least four people went to the same place.
Third, if you find any clues, report them immediately. No private fights are allowed in the city. If someone starts a fight because they suspect that someone else is the Thousand-Faced Demon, the whole group will be guilty.
In addition, Meng Zhun did three things.
First, Meng Zhun donated half of his family property to solve the problem.
First, Meng Zhun asked all the citizens in the city to supervise. Before this matter was resolved, his wife, children, and elders in the Meng family would not even step out of the Meng Mansion, let alone escape from the city with their loved ones.
The third thing was that Meng Zhun personally went to the surrounding medium-sized sects to seek external assistance.
He spared no expense to invite a group of elite disciples from various sects to patrol the city, enforce the law and maintain order.
These disciples are suspected of being the incarnations of the Thousand-Faced Demon, and they are the best law enforcers without having to get involved in the complicated interests in the city.
Thanks to Meng Zhun's efforts, the originally chaotic order in the city was temporarily restored.
Taking this opportunity, Meng Zhun found out the origin of the Thousand Faces Demon disaster.
After all, bans and aid are not long-term solutions. Meng Zhunshi must find a way to solve the problem at its source.
Logically speaking, the fastest way is to get help from a divine monk.
A cultivator who has reached the state of spiritual transformation only needs to enter the city gate and release his spiritual sense to scan the city, and he will be able to clearly distinguish who is the Thousand-Faced Demon and who is an ordinary cultivator.
But in small border towns like Ruyi City and Chiyu City, even the city lords are only at the Jindan level.
Let’s not talk about whether the Divine Transformation cultivator is willing to help.
It would take who knows how long it would take for them to pass the message through their connections and finally get it to the ears of a spirit-transforming cultivator.
It was difficult to invite a Divine Transformation cultivator, so Meng Jun changed his idea.
He wanted to ask a weapon maker he knew to forge a magical weapon that could identify the Thousand-Faced Demon.
Meng Zhun is an instrument refiner himself and has a wide network of contacts in this area, and can also ask for help from several masters.
But Akabane Castle was in a critical situation, and Meng Zhun was pressing very hard. In addition, the matter was of great importance, and the life of the city depended on it.
So after hearing Meng Jun's request, several masters were frightened and dared not take action!
They are well-known figures in the industry, with countless disciples and followers, and are full of honor.
This matter in Akabane Castle is really difficult to deal with.
This is not a question of money; the master craftsmen have no shortage of money.
Wan accepted the order, but was unable to make a magic weapon that could identify the Thousand Faces Demon, causing harm to the entire city. Didn't they get into trouble with good intentions?
Although it is said that if a person does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth, but experiencing all this personally really makes the exhausted Meng Zhun feel cold.
An old friend of Meng Zhun quietly reminded him that the Hundred Refinements Conference would be held soon. Why not put his demands on the conference and offer a bounty?
Meng Zhun smiled bitterly after hearing this.
The Hundred Refinements Conference will not begin until two months later.
But the order in the city is largely maintained by everyone's trust in him.
Every time the city ban was enforced, the mood in the city became restless.
After only half a month of closure, rumors spread in the city that "City Lord Meng Zhun has been captured by a giant monster, and he's planning to sacrifice all of us in the city..."
If another two months passed, Meng Jun couldn't imagine what the city would become.
Meng Zhun closed his eyes and leaned back in the armchair.
Although he was in his prime, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes showed traces of aging.
"Then, another friend told me that there was a weapon refining master in Ruyi City. It is said that this master Yan is a rare genius in the world. Not only is his school of thought prominent, but his affairs are also extremely mysterious. Apart from fellow Daoist Zhen from Ruyi City, he has no personal connections with the outside world."
Meng Zhun didn't need to explain the rest, Yan Luoyue and Zhen Zhuoer also understood.
Having learned from his previous lesson, Meng Jun no longer dared to ask the master to refine a magical instrument, for fear of blocking this last avenue.
He could only pray in his heart that what he could not obtain with reason or money, he could perhaps obtain with anger and provocation.
Suo Mengjun used a very clumsy method of provoking others.
Meng Zhun first angered the acting city lord Zhen Zhuoer, and then offered a large sum of money as a stake, under the pretext of a "weapon refining competition", hoping to lure Master Yan, or his trustworthy master, into the fight.
This competition between the two cities was originally just a cover.
Meng Zhun actually came to seek help, not to make enemies, so of course he would not make the matter public.
This is why Yan Luoyue never heard any related news in the city.
Although the weapon refining competition is divided into three rounds, for Meng Zhun, only the first round is interesting.
If Yan Luoyue fails to refine a magical weapon that can identify the Thousand-Faced Demon, Meng Jun is also willing to compete in the remaining two games.
He would probably do the same as he is doing now, explaining the situation in the city, apologizing and admitting defeat.
As for the cultivator who was caught by Yan Luoyue on the spot...
Meng Zhunming laughed: "These men were carefully selected by me to be my trusted confidants, but in the end, the Thousand-Faced Demon sneaked in among them."
"In fact, we felt something was wrong with Xiao Lu while we were on the run. Master Xie Yan must have used superb skills to catch this monster."
Although Meng Zhun was smiling and expressing his gratitude respectfully, looking at that gloomy and tired face, Yan Luoyue couldn't even utter a word of courtesy.
The black-robed weapon master let out a long sigh.
"City Lord Meng is great. He was able to turn the tide at the critical moment. I deeply admire him."
"Before sunset today, I will refine a hundred pieces of searching nets for the city lord. This magical weapon can only be used within two meters. I am sorry for my contribution."
Before he finished speaking, Meng Zhun's eyes flushed, he swayed and bowed again.
"Master Yan has truly reborn our Chiyu City and the people around it!"
After being supported by Zhen Zhuoer and the black-robed weapon refiner, Meng Zhun bowed deeply, with his robe sleeves hanging to the ground, and he did not straighten up for a long time.
Today, Meng Zhunren's waist bent.
Tomorrow, Akabane Castle will regain its vitality.
—————————
This best-of-three weapon refining competition ended just after the last round because Meng Zhun threw in the towel and admitted defeat.
As for the stakes he placed before the game, Meng Zhun was willing to accept defeat and not mention it again.
He was willing to use them as a price to ask the Master of Speech and Zhen Zhuoer for help.
Meng Zhun said frankly: "Spiritual stones, land deeds, and materials and magic weapons can be accumulated over time. But my responsibility as the city lord and the trust you have placed in me cannot be measured with money."
"Well said, City Lord Meng is absolutely right." Zhen Zhuoer said with a smile, "So, Fellow Daoist Meng, the kindness of Master Yan and I also does not need to be purchased with spirit stones."
At this moment, Akabane Castle is in crisis.
Zhen Zhuoer and Meng Zhun are old friends and admire his heroism. How could she take advantage of someone's misfortune and do such a thing?
Where there is sincerity, even metal and stone can be opened.
Meng Zhun's innocent heart had already paid the price for him to Zhen Zhuoer and Yan Luoyue.
…
Zhen Zhuoer was rich and generous, so she prepared ten times more things according to the list that Yan Bixin sent her yesterday.
The willows planted unintentionally grew into shades, which just made it easier to find the trap.
After taking inventory of the materials currently on hand, Yan Luoyue sent another message to Yin Wangyou, asking Zhen Zhuoer to send someone to pick her up.
Among the materials for refining the Searching Net, other items are easy to deal with, but the "Thousand-Faced Devil's Meridians" is the indispensable finishing touch to the entire magical weapon.
The thousand-faced magic meridians that Yan Luoyue brought with her now were far from enough for her to refine the hundred nets.
Therefore, please ask Yin Wangyou to come quickly and peel off her meridians on the spot and provide materials.
…
In order to allow City Lord Meng to leave with a sufficient number of nets, Zhen Zhuoer immediately issued an order.
In a hurry, some were collecting materials, some were going to pick up people, some were killing the Thousand-Faced Demon that they had just captured with a knife, and some were preparing to collect materials on the spot later... everyone was working in a row.
Yan Luoyue also specially invited City Lord Meng Zhun to her side.
The shadow cast by the cloak obscured the young face of the weapon maker.
But when Meng Zhun heard the hoarse voice of the instrument maker, it was as if he was listening to the music of heaven.
He only heard Yan Bixin say: "I have five insights into refining this net. If City Lord Meng is interested, you can listen to my explanation."
In this way, if the number of nets is not enough, Meng Jun can make them himself after returning to Chiyu City.
What, such a precious and exclusive method, is Master Yan willing to teach it in person?
When Meng Zhun heard this, he was shocked.
He is usually aloof, has a wide range of friends, and calls himself a hero.
However, recently, Meng Zhun has experienced the fickleness of human nature. But when he feels he has nowhere else to turn, he is helped by Yan Bixin and Zhen Zhuoer.
This black-robed weaponsmith, who is rumored to have a strange temper and is not good at socializing with outsiders, actually has a kind heart that is hard to match by others.
Meng Zhun sighed in his heart: What kind of hero am I?
A true hero stands between heaven and earth. He does not care about fame or money, and when he encounters a disaster in the world, he is willing to share his unique skills with others. He is just like a master!
Meng Zhun swore to the heavens on the spot and made a vow to his inner demons.
He was told that after the master taught him the method, he would never reveal it to others and would only use it to break the siege of Akabane Castle, and would never use this ability to do anything to gain profit or compete for novelty.
The young man in the black robe was silent for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice: "It's just a little trick. The city lord is too kind."
Yan Luoyue thought, it was indeed just a little trick.
Her idea of refining the snare net came from a skill book called "Eighteen Methods of Advanced Weapon Refining - Have You Learned It?"
The book is sold in the game mall of "Return of All Worlds" and the price is only one hundred middle-grade spirit stones.
I have only saved enough money. Not to mention being a weapon refiner, even a swordsman who wants to buy a sword case for his favorite sword will have no problem.
As for why this medium-to-high level method was learned by even a weapon refiner of the Chiyu City Lord’s level in the world of immortal cultivation…
Don’t talk about Luoyue, even Luoyue doesn’t know!
This scene seemed ordinary and even had some warmth of mutual help among fellow weapon refiners, but in Zhen Zhuoer's eyes, it caused a frenzy.
Zhen Zhuoer thought to herself: Although Master Yan acted as if it was a piece of cake, City Lord Meng was so grateful that it was obvious that this method must be of great use.
If it is a secret skill of the master, it cannot be taught to outsiders without permission.
Could it be... that this is a technique invented by Master Yan himself?
If you are young, you can take your own pulse...
In a place where no one could see, Zhen Zhuoer took a deep breath quietly.
She suddenly realized that she seemed to have underestimated Master Yan's abilities in their past interactions.
…
Yan Luoyue kept talking, and set up hundreds of nets to track him down.
Fortunately, she has now reached a certain level and laid a solid foundation, with an even more abundant source of spiritual energy to support her.
Otherwise, if it were a high-intensity training, Yan Luoyue might not be able to endure it.
As the sun was setting, she packed the hundreds of nets into a box and gave it to the grateful Lord Akabane.
Also brought along by the Lord of Chiyu City was the young girl Yin Wangyou.
After she cut the first Thousand Faces Demon corpse, she became addicted.
Hearing that Chiyu City is currently suffering from the Thousand Faces Demon disaster, Yin Wangyou plans to go there with Meng Jun to continue his research on the Thousand Faces Demon.
Under the admiring gazes of others, the noble, lonely and cold black-robed weapon refiner stood with his hands behind his back.
The thin figure of the weapon refiner was like a blade, cutting straight through the boundary between dusk and night.
The crimson glow of the sunset shone on the young man's back. Under the shadow of his awning, the weaponsmith raised his chin slightly and looked proudly at the approaching dusk.
Viewed from a certain angle, the weapon refiner and the Lord of Akabane City were like two stabilizing needles, blocking the night.
Meng Jun stared at the shadow of Master Yan, his heart filled with gratitude that was difficult to express in words.
Only when the sea is surging can a hero's true character be revealed. Only when the truth comes out can a gentleman's character be seen.
Meng Zhun held onto Master Yan's sleeve, reluctant to leave.
"Master Yan is a man of high moral character. He gave me instruments and taught me the Dharma, but he refused to accept my reward. This really makes me feel ashamed."
Yan Bixin, like a pure-blooded persecution maniac, pulled his sleeves back from Meng Jun's hands and said in a high and cold voice:
"You are welcome, Lord Meng. You are a good Lord."
——What a joke, there is no way she can take this money.
Under the cover of the tent, Yan Luoyue secretly pursed her lips.
In her previous life, her sponsorship of the search for Luo Wang was equivalent to donating relief supplies to the disaster area.
Not only did Meng Jun refuse to take her money, he even wanted to give her change.
Yan Luoyue would feel guilty if he took any of his spiritual beads.
Meng Zhun shook his head and said in shame: "I can only mend the fence after the sheep have been lost, and I can't be called a good city lord. But Master, you are a true hero who cares about the world."
"In a little while, the Hundred Refinements Conference will be held. The master will pass by my Akabane City. Please come and see him."
After saying that, Meng Zhun stuffed another box into Yan Luoyue's arms.
"I know, using a spiritual stone deed to thank you is really too vulgar. Fortunately, I am also a weapon refiner, otherwise I really don't know how to thank you."
"This thing... I think in the whole world, only your sentiments are worthy of being its owner."
In the end, Meng Zhun didn't even give Yan Bixin a chance to refuse.
He turned around and boarded his magic weapon for transportation - a large black iron flying ball.
At the birthday party three years ago, Meng Zhun used this big ball to knock a hole in Zhen Zhuoer's roof. Fortunately, Zhen Zhuoer continued to pursue the matter.
Meng Zhun brought his men with him, carrying the rising hope of the whole city around his waist.
He drove the big round ball, and the wheels rolled into the sunset on the horizon.
As he watched the Lord of Chiyu City go away, Yan Luoyue heard the rustling sound of recording coming from behind.
She turned around and saw the older brother of the Crane clan, concentrating on recording something.
Although at the critical moment, the two brothers were gently asked to leave the room by Zhen Zhuoer, they were able to hear the full version of Meng Zhun's self-narration.
But in order to clear up the misunderstanding, others still revealed to them the whole story of Akabane Castle.
Now, my elder brother Ling Shuying is concentrating on writing on a bamboo scroll.
He wrote hastily with his wrist suspended, the words under his pen were like silver hooks and iron paintings. When Yan Luoyue looked over, he happened to see Ling Shuying writing the last sentence of the poem.
The ink marks are clearly visible on the history.
——Because you have enlightened my sincere heart, I feel less worried. *