Chapter 205: Talented and Righteous Woman, Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain
When Taoist Priest Luo and the others arrived, they heard the county magistrate say with tears in his eyes, "Wan'er, Wan'er, I taught you so well. How could you do such a dangerous thing?"
Wan'er offered words of comfort, "Father has always stood up for the people. Since taking office, he's earned a reputation for virtue. A father like his daughter is a father like his daughter. Human life is at stake. How could I sit idly by? Furthermore, that demon preys on women. Even if I don't intervene, can I be spared?"
The county magistrate said, "With the protection of spirits and gods in the official residence, how could we not be spared?"
Wan'er laughed and said, "Father, father, you want me to be a bird in a cage. I can hide for a while, but can I hide forever? You have always taught me the way of the sage, but why are you so concerned about me now that you've messed me up?"
The county magistrate said, "I already regret this. I only hope you're safe, not that you become some virtuous and talented woman."
Wan'er took his arm and said, "Father, you care about me, but you also have to trust Taoist Luo and the others. Taoist Luo's skills are profound, and the immortal from the north has always been effective. The City God protects this area and has great magical powers. There are also the Taoist masters in the Big Buddha Temple and Longrui Palace. My daughter is safe."
Taoist Luo and others were standing outside the door when they saw Miss Wan'er winking at them.
The county magistrate finally calmed down and bowed deeply to them, saying, "Wan'er's safety is now in your hands. This is my only daughter, so please protect her."
Taoist Master Luo said solemnly, "Miss Wan'er is so righteous. As long as I am alive, I will not let Miss Wan'er get hurt."
The official residence is guarded by gods, so the demons won't come.
So the talented girl Wan'er prepared to go out to Lanzhu to enjoy the scenery and stay overnight in the inn in Lanzhu.
When she traveled, she acted like a lady from a wealthy family, and was escorted by carriages, horses, and soldiers, saying that she was going to see the scenery and write poetry.
Many wealthy young men from Shanyin, unaware of the situation, followed suit. Some admired her talent, some admired her beauty, and many hoped to have a chance encounter with the county magistrate's daughter. If they could catch her eye, they would be able to establish a relationship with the magistrate.
After a while, it turned out that Shanyin Academy was going to hold a poetry gathering in Lanzhu, and many talented people came.
Wan'er couldn't drive them away, but with so many people involved, it would be even more dangerous.
The monks and Taoist priests who were accompanying them had already rushed to the Lanzhu Inn to make preparations. When they saw such a scene, they all felt it was difficult for a moment.
Miss Wan'er said, "If they want to hold a poetry gathering, then let them have it. There's no danger during the day. I'll go and calm them down first. When we return to the inn tonight, I'll leave it to you all."
Taoist Master Luo and a group of monks and Taoists had already secretly laid a tight net, waiting for the demon to come and capture it in one fell swoop.
Taoist Luo handed a sachet to Wan'er and said, "Young lady, wear this. If you are in danger, it will save your life."
As she was speaking, students from the academy came to invite her to a poetry reading.
At dusk, Miss Wan'er came back early.
Unfortunately, nothing happened that night, and no demons came here. The county magistrate also sent someone to announce that no murder had occurred last night.
Taoist Luo said: "Don't take it lightly. The demon is not in the city. It may be hiding nearby."
Wan'er still went to the poetry gathering, admired the beautiful scenery of Lanzhu, and won some poems. It was a pity that those rich young men were too thoughtful, or they had some knowledge, but in Wan'er's eyes, they should be kept at a distance.
On the contrary, there were a few poor scholars whose poems and essays were elegant and beautiful, which made Wan'er happy. It can be seen that knowledge has nothing to do with wealth.
I returned to the guesthouse at dusk and had another peaceful night.
Everyone gradually understood that the demon must have sensed an ambush and was afraid to show up. Otherwise, it would be impossible for it to not commit crimes in the city or appear in Lanzhu for two consecutive days.
Everyone knew that waiting like this would lead to no results, but no one dared to speak up.
Taoist Luo hesitated to speak, but Wan'er saw clearly what was going on and said, "If you have a plan, just speak up. Since I'm here, I'm prepared to take the risk. Even if something unexpected happens, it's not your fault."
Several masters in the field blushed for a moment. They had such great abilities, but they were still no match for the little girl's decisiveness.
Taoist Priest Luo said solemnly, "To catch this demon, we must resort to risky tactics."
Wan'er was in no hurry to leave the poetry gathering that day. She admired the beautiful sunset and did not rush back to her own courtyard. Instead, she went back to the inn with the students from Shanyin Academy for dinner. Listening to their lively discussions, they were like peacocks spreading their feathers.
It was a bitterly cold winter day, and a cold wind suddenly blew into the lobby, causing the candlelight to quickly dim.
At this time, one of Wan'er's guards came over and said, "Miss, Taoist Luo asks you to go back."
Wan'er said goodbye to the students and headed for the backyard with her maids and servants. As they passed through the front hall and reached the corridor, the lights suddenly went out.
In the darkness, a hand reached out to Wan'er, but before it got close, a cold laugh came from her, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."
A red light flew out of Wan'er's sachet and transformed into a charming and graceful woman. With a flick of her finger, a flying flame fell on the guard behind Wan'er.
The guard suddenly turned into a puff of black smoke and disappeared along the porch.
"Where are you going!" The woman turned into a red light and chased after the black smoke.
Wan'er was still in shock, but when she saw Taoist Luo and others rushing over from the backyard, both sides breathed a sigh of relief.
Taoist Priest Luo said, "Don't be afraid, Miss Wan'er. That's the Great Immortal Beilai catching monsters. Which direction are they going?"
Wan'er pointed out the direction for them, and they all followed it to prevent the demon from escaping.
Wan'er's heartbeat hadn't yet subsided as she led her maid towards the backyard, saying, "I was so scared! I thought we were going to be kidnapped by a demon."
She had taken just one step when she had to stop because someone was pulling her coat from behind, preventing her from moving forward.
Wan'er's heart began to beat wildly. She looked back and saw that her maid had a cold expression, which was different from before.
Wan'er forced a smile and said, "Let's go, why did you stop?"
The maid smiled and turned into a black shadow, like a black cloth rolling towards Wan'er.
Wan'er closed her eyes and screamed, only to feel as if a ball of mist was falling on her body. She felt no pain and was not injured.
She quietly opened her eyes and saw a white smoke surrounding her, isolating the black shadow outside.
A clear male voice rang out beside her: "It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. Girl, you're scared."
Wan'er was startled and took a step back. She saw a young man in a red cloak standing in the white smoke. His handsome appearance made her mind waver, and her heart beat even faster than when she was in the critical moment just now.
A bright moon seemed to rise behind Gong Mengbi, shining on the black shadow, and the black shadow suddenly shrank, dived into the darkness, and disappeared.
Wan'er said quickly, "Don't let it escape! This demon has killed so many people."
When Gong Mengbi looked again, the black shadow had disappeared.
He laughed and said, "No hurry, I'll go look for it later. Have you seen anyone from Luo's Taoist Temple?"
Wan'er said, "They went to chase another black shadow."
Gong Mengbi said, "Then I'll wait for them here. What's your name, young lady?"
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