Chapter 459 Cursing Zhao Duan (5k)
Cut off the water flow? That guy? Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, but surprisingly, he didn't feel too much surprise in his heart.
In his opinion, the Empress's Fengshan ceremony was imminent, and Prince Jing, as the biggest troublemaker among the "Eight Princes", would definitely take action.
Trying to use various methods to obstruct the Fengshan Ceremony, in this context, it was only logical to call over "Duan Shuiliu", the "big brother" of Qingshan who had obviously defected to Prince Jing's Mansion when he was in Huting.
"But where do those sorcerers come from? Could it be... they are from the Magic God Sect?" Zhao Duan's heart moved.
He still clearly remembered that when he was in the capital, he captured a sorcerer who was a "secret spy of Prince Jing's Mansion" when he was eliminating the Zhang brothers.
His identity is that he is a priest who defected from Tianshi Mansion and is suspected to have joined the underworld organization "Fashen Sect".
Later, on his way back to Beijing from Taicang Prefecture where he had handled a case, he was sniped by the Fashen Sect.
"What is Prince Jing's plan? You don't think you can disrupt the Fengshan ceremony with such a small number of people, do you? That's wishful thinking."
Zhao Duan pondered in his heart, but did not dare to be careless at all. He nodded seriously to Prajna Bodhisattva:
"I see."
The female Bodhisattva who was greedy for his body couldn't help but remind him:
"The more critical the moment, the more cautious we must be. If the Shen family is pushed into a corner by you, there's no guarantee they'll do something."
Zhao Duan looked at her unexpectedly and said with a confident smile:
"Don't worry, I know what's going on. Under the current circumstances, unless they can assassinate me, I'm hiding in the Governor's Office. With a large group of you in the Secular Realm protecting me, who can kill me?"
After saying this, he turned and left, leaving Prajna Bodhisattva sighing softly and no longer looking at the "Jingguan" made of human heads in the courtyard.
…
same day.
The drizzle lasted for most of the day and only stopped when it was almost evening.
Zhao Duan handled his official duties as usual, discussed the next plan with Governor Ning, and also supervised the preparations for the Fengshan ceremony.
——Even though the imperial court and the Shen family were fighting like this, the preparations for the Fengshan ceremony were not affected.
Not surprisingly. Neither the Shen family nor the Prince Jing's Mansion wanted to be punished by the incoming Empress for this.
Until dark, Zhao Duan had no appetite for dinner. He felt physically tired and mentally weak.
"Your Excellency must have been overworked in recent days and has spent too much energy. Go and have a rest early. I will take care of the remaining matters." Governor Ning advised him when he saw him yawning repeatedly.
Zhao Duan thought about it and didn't try to be strong. He got up and went back to the bedroom, feeling extremely sleepy.
He fell asleep on the bed without taking off his clothes.
In his sleep, Zhao Duan felt extremely cold. He subconsciously pulled the quilt to cover himself, but he still felt cold.
The skin turned red and hot, and then the blood color faded little by little, and the complexion deteriorated visibly.
…
…
Prince Jing's Mansion.
Holding a lantern in both hands, Xu Jinglong accompanied his father, King Xu Wen, up the wooden stairs and into an attic in the dim candlelight at night.
Pushing open the door, I saw this empty attic where few people visited. The doors and windows were closed and it was dark.
Only a ball of warm light in the center dispels a small piece of darkness.
Prince Xu Jinglong was curious and saw an old man in a gray robe sitting cross-legged in the attic.
The old man was frail, with a pale beard and was extremely thin, and the robe he wore seemed too big.
There was a mourning stick on the ground behind him, and a very delicate, wooden coffin was hung around his waist.
On the floor beside him, a strange magic circle was drawn with the blood of some unknown beast.
On each corner of the magic circle, there is a bowl with a blood-red candle in it, burning quietly.
In front of the old warlock, in addition to three bowls of blood, there was also a pure white "scarecrow" standing fixed on the ground.
On the front and back of the scarecrow are talismans with a green background and golden lines.
At this moment, the old man was inserting a silver needle into the pure white scarecrow's head, on which a strand of black hair was wrapped.
Seeing Prince Jing and his son arrive, he didn't stand up, but bowed and said with a smile: "Greetings, Your Majesty, and the Crown Prince."
Prince Jing asked, "How is it?"
The old sorcerer smiled and said:
"The spell is complete. With this hair as the medium and the appropriate distance, I have used the blood of a hundred people, bestowed by the prince, to provoke the 'Sad God' and cast the curse.
Tonight, the "death star" will appear above Zhao Duan's head!
Oh, if he were to enter the human world, he might still be in trouble. But since he is still in the Divine Realm and a warrior, there is no possibility of failure."
Prince Jing was delighted when he heard this:
"My hard work paid off. I ordered my spies to accumulate the necessary materials for the spell for several months, and finally, they have gathered enough."
Although people of this era believed that "the hair and skin on your body are given by your parents", they also cut hair. Therefore, Zhao Duan's hair was not too difficult to obtain.
The real difficulty is to find other conditions that are sufficient to curse and kill a top-grade divine figure.
Xu Jinglong was greatly surprised: "Sangshen... Could it be that this is a sorcerer from the White Clothes Sect?"
In the martial arts world, the largest organization that worships the "God of Death" is the "White Clothes Sect", which is closely related to the Underworld Cult that worships the "God of Death".
The magic spells controlled by the "Sangshen" are mostly related to curses and can interfere with people's fortunes.
Xu Jinglong was a little confused. Weren't the sorcerers he had secretly summoned recently from the Fashen Sect? Where did the guy from the White Clothes Sect come from?
Prince Jing glanced at the Crown Prince and explained his doubts calmly:
"This is a loan from Prince Mu's Palace."
Sent by Prince Mu's Mansion? Yes, the White Clothes Sect, this gang of unlucky people, is indeed quite active in Yunfu Road... Xu Jinglong thought of many things in an instant, his eyes lit up, and he said:
"Did Father make arrangements long ago? He knew that Zhao Duan was surrounded by many experts and would be difficult to kill by force, so he planned to use a curse to kill him?"
Prince Jing smiled faintly, his face appearing and disappearing in the shadows:
"Hmph, even if the old woman from the Shen family doesn't show up, I'm ready to curse her to death. Tonight is the most devastating night in the past few dozen days, and with all the preparations... I don't believe that kid won't die!"
Xu Jinglong said excitedly:
"I thought my father would tolerate him temporarily. It turns out that there were arrangements long ago. However... if he really died now, when Xu Zhenguan arrived, would he..."
After his excitement, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince frowned and felt a little nervous.
Prince Jing, however, looked indifferent:
"Our Majesty knows the importance of things. She will not cause any trouble before the Fengshan Ceremony. As for after the Fengshan Ceremony..."
The prince waited for a long time but didn't hear the second half, and his heart began to beat fast. Even with his status, he didn't know about his father's recent arrangements and plans.
He only knew that since the beginning of the year, his father had been frequently communicating with the six princes other than the "Prince of Huai'an", as if they were plotting something big.
Xu Jinglong had some vague guesses, but he didn't dare to be sure, nor did he dare to ask.
Prince Jing had no intention of explaining. He stopped talking and looked at the old sorcerer from the White Clothes Sect: "How long will it take for Zhao Duan to die?"
The old sorcerer pondered for a moment and said:
"If everything goes well, he will die tonight. If not, he will become seriously ill and die within five days at the latest."
Prince Jing turned and left:
"He has Prajna Bodhisattva beside him. If that's the case, why not wait another five days?"
…
…
The next morning, the sky was still overcast.
Early in the morning, a scream attracted the attention of many people in the yamen.
When the Grand Canal Governor Ning Zechen heard the news and rushed to Zhao Duan's bedroom, he found that the room was already crowded with people from the Pear Blossom Hall and the Martial Arts Hall.
The room was also crowded!
Eunuch Hai, Tang Jinzhong and other imperial masters;
Lang Shiba, Ji Yue and other personal bodyguards, as well as Qian Kerou and other close confidants, filled the small room.
"How is Envoy Zhao?! I heard from Advisor Wen that he is ill?!" Governor Ning looked anxious and shouted as he entered the room.
He pushed through the crowd and came to the window. What caught his eye was Zhao Duan lying unconscious on the bed.
He had a gray complexion and was lying on his back with his upper body clothes undone, exposing his chest.
His lips were blue and purple, his face was pale, he was unconscious, and his body was shivering from the cold.
At this moment, Prajna Bodhisattva was sitting beside the bed, with a faint Buddha light shining through his translucent eyes. He stared intently at Zhao Duan's chest, where a black and purple meridian was slowly spreading to his heart.
"Envoy?!" Governor Ning was struck by lightning, his body almost staggering, his mind exploding, and he muttered:
"How could he be so ill? How could this happen?"
The divine chapter is of the highest quality. It is not immune to cold or heat, but it is pretty close.
Overnight, he became seriously ill, which was beyond the imagination of this second-rank official.
Eunuch Hai stood beside the bed with a solemn expression, explaining:
"He didn't show up on time this morning. My subordinates knocked on the door and found him already like this. I only arrived a little earlier than you."
As he spoke, the light in Prajna Bodhisattva's "wisdom eyes" faded and his expression took on a strange look.
"Buddha, how is my master? Why did he become like this suddenly?" The secretary Qian Kerou asked anxiously, and close confidants such as Chen Juan and Hou Renmeng were also extremely worried.
Prajna Bodhisattva looked around at the faces and said:
"Master Zhao isn't ill; he's been cursed. If I'm not mistaken, last night Master Zhao's fate star was dark, and his fate was in turmoil. His fortune has plummeted to its lowest point in recent times... I suspect a sorcerer who believes in the god of death cast a curse on him."
Lost God? Cursed to kill?
"The evil sorcerer from the White Clothes Sect?"
Lang Shiba, who was standing aside, frowned. "Was it the Shen family? Or was it done by Prince Jing's Mansion?"
Governor Ning was suddenly awakened and murmured:
"Prince Jing's Mansion! It must be Prince Jing's Mansion! There were visitors outside the palace yesterday... The Shen family is desperate, I'm afraid both sides have joined forces... If it's a curse, we can find the evil sorcerer and perhaps it can be solved. I will take my men to Prince Jing's Mansion and arrest them!"
After saying this, the furious governor turned around and was about to leave with murderous intent, but he heard Prajna Bodhisattva say softly:
"Governor, please stay. Let's not even talk about whether you can break into the palace and find the caster, or whether the caster is hiding in the palace. The curse has already been cast, and it can't be broken by simply killing the caster."
Governor Ning stopped and turned back dejectedly: "What should we do?"
Suddenly, his eyes lit up:
"If the Bodhisattva could have saved me that day, he would have been able to rescue Envoy Zhao!"
For a moment, everyone, including Eunuch Hai, turned their expectant eyes to Prajna Bodhisattva.
For a moment, the nun felt like she was surrounded by a pack of wolves, as if she would be hacked to death right here if she said even a single word of "no"—
Well, considering Zhao Duan’s identity and the military strength of Eunuch Hai and others, this possibility is very high.
Under the threat of life and death, the old nun's mouth twitched and said:
"Rest assured, everyone. I will certainly do my best to rescue you. However... the situation is not as bad as you might think. In fact, even without me, Lord Zhao can still hold on until His Majesty arrives."
Seeing everyone's confusion, the female Bodhisattva raised her finger and gently pointed at Zhao Duan's eyebrows.
Light bloomed from his fingertips, and then, in full view of everyone, a green lotus mark suddenly appeared between Zhao Duan's eyebrows.
The mark seemed alive, rooted in his sea of consciousness, swaying gently, releasing circles of warm and constant Buddha light.
The Buddha's light was like water, spreading layer by layer and washing over his body.
"Sir Zhao was debating in the capital in the past. The Buddhist principles he expounded attracted the arrival of the 'Buddha'. Sir Zhao received the Buddha's blessing, and a blue lotus was planted in his sea of consciousness. His soul was protected by the Buddha's light. No matter what injuries he suffered, the blue lotus could bring him back to life, and he recovered faster than an ordinary person..."
Prajna patiently explained:
"It is precisely because of this Azure Lotus that Lord Zhao now appears to be terminally ill, but his life is not in danger. The Death Star is no longer at its peak, and the power of the curse is slowly fading. As long as someone activates the Azure Lotus's magical power, the curse can be dispelled and he can return to normal."
Eunuch Hai stared at her and said calmly:
"In that case, please ask the Bodhisattva for help. We can help the Bodhisattva by watching from the sidelines."
Implications:
We are here to watch you through your treatment. If you dare to play tricks, like having an affair while you are being treated, you will have to bear the consequences.
Prajna Bodhisattva smiled stiffly: "Just offer it and watch."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and took out the Jade Purity Bottle. Just like the day when she saved Governor Ning, the face of the "Medicine Master" Buddha lit up on the bottle, and sweet rain emerged from the bottle and condensed into a human form, which then entered Zhao Duan's mouth.
After a moment, the blue lotus between Zhao Duan's eyebrows shone brightly, and the blue lotus, blessed by the same Buddhist magic power, bloomed.
It seemed as if a third "eye" had grown between Zhao Duan's eyebrows, and Buddha's light gushed out, condensing into a blue lotus about an inch above his head, slowly rotating.
With every rotation, Buddha's light sprinkled on his body, almost visible to the naked eye. His grayish-white skin gradually became rosy, the black and purple meridians on his heart faded, and the bluish-purple color on Zhao Duan's face faded away.
After the lotus slowly disappeared and the strange vision dissipated, Zhao Duan slowly opened his eyes and saw the faces surrounding the bed. He was momentarily bewildered: "What are you doing..."
Then he caught a glimpse of the female Bodhisattva sitting on the bed, her buttocks touching his thigh intentionally or unintentionally, and he suddenly woke up!
He sat up suddenly: "Buddha, please respect yourself!"
Prajna: “…”
Eunuch Hai: “…”
Everyone looked strange, and the tense atmosphere in the room eased.
Only Governor Ning didn't care at all. He was overjoyed and stepped forward to push the beautiful nun aside. He grabbed Zhao Duan's hands with both hands and said with a smile:
"My Lord, you scared me to death!"
Zhao Duan frowned, feeling dizzy and drowsy, and said, "My body..."
"Curse." Eunuch Hai gathered his sleeves with his hands and narrated the whole incident briefly.
The White Clothes Sect's killing curse? Lost spirit?
Zhao Duan sat back on the bed, tapped his temples, and said self-deprecatingly:
"It seems that I still don't understand their assassination methods well enough."
Well... I don't blame myself. This is a world where magic exists. Fortunately, I have Qinglian to protect me, and I carry Prajna with me as a "doctor".
"How am I doing?" he asked.
Prajna Bodhisattva said with resentment:
"It's all fine now that you've woken up. You can activate your Qi Sea and infuse it with the Azure Lotus to cleanse the power of the spell. It will be completely cleansed in a day at most."
Zhao Duan suddenly asked, "Will the person who cast the spell know that I'm healed?"
Prajna thought for a moment and said:
"It shouldn't be possible. Even a sorcerer at the worldly level would find it difficult to know. However, if it is at the celestial level, I believe they would be able to know."
That means I don’t know... Zhao Duan nodded with satisfaction.
Governor Ning's mind moved: "What do you think, envoy?"
Zhao Duan looked around the room, smiled and said:
"I suddenly remembered that Prince Jing's Mansion has been secretly accepting many mysterious sorcerers into Jianning Mansion recently. This sorcerer must be among them. It's rude not to reciprocate. Since some people want to see me die so badly, I might as well die in front of them."
Without waiting for anyone's reaction, Zhao Duan calmly ordered:
"Keep the news of my awakening secret from outside this room. Tell everyone that I'm terminally ill and unconscious, relying entirely on Prajna Bodhisattva using the power of the 'Medicine Master' deity to keep me alive and toil away."
"Governor Ning, take Lang Shiba and Ji Yue with you to Prince Jing's mansion and act as if you're going to bring an army to question them, but don't actually start a fight.
After you return, continue to suppress the Shen family. Don't stop, and show your determination and momentum to destroy the Shen family in front of all the officials in Jianning Prefecture...
Oh, if I die, you won't be able to explain to His Majesty. So, the more crazy you are at this moment, the more the outside world will believe that I am really going to die... and the Jingwang Mansion and the Shen family will be more inclined to a defensive strategy..."
"Eunuch Hai, I have to ask you to go a little further, avoid the eyes and ears of those who are watching, and contact someone... She will help us find the location of those sorcerers..."
Zhao Duan sat on his sickbed and calmly issued orders one after another.
Everyone was surprised. They didn't expect his counterattack to be so quick.
"My lord, are you planning to use your serious illness to distract the enemy and make them relax their vigilance, so that we can secretly find out the whereabouts of that group of sorcerers and wipe them out?" Governor Ning looked at him almost in amazement.
Suddenly I began to understand why Zhao Duan was able to achieve such great achievements repeatedly.
This kind of scheming and the ability to turn passivity into initiative is something that ordinary people cannot achieve.
Zhao Duan smiled, his eyes showing emotionless coldness:
"If you want to kill me, you should be prepared to learn a painful lesson. Do you really think my reputation for vindictiveness is false?"
…
…
On that day, the news that Zhao Duan suddenly fell seriously ill and was on his deathbed spread throughout Jianning Prefecture like a whirlwind.
Countless dignitaries came to visit, but most of them were stopped outside. Only a very few were allowed to visit. After coming out, they all shook their heads, confirming that Envoy Zhao had a deathly look on his face and seemed to be dying.
Ning Zechen also led his men to break into Prince Jing's mansion, but as expected, they found nothing.
This local official displayed the superb acting skills of a veteran official.
At that moment, everyone realized that a storm was about to come. Once His Majesty's dragon boat arrived at Jianning Prefecture, there would be a huge earthquake like the sky falling and the earth collapsing.
But no one noticed that the gold medal shadow guard "Wen Liang" stationed in the city also secretly sent the news of Zhao Duan's serious illness to the north by the bird "Qingshan Falcon" used for emergency communication.
…
On the canal, huge dragon boats cut through the waves.
Drive towards Jiancheng Road.
The dragon boat is protected by a "guard navy fleet" around it.
On the wide deck, Xu Zhenguan walked out of the cabin and looked up at the gray sky.
In the clouds, an eagle-like bird named Qingshan Falcon flapped its wings, broke through the clouds, and fell towards the deck like an arrow, and was caught in the empress's slender white hands.
Xu Zhenguan took out an urgent message from the copper tube tied to the falcon's leg and slowly unfolded it.
The words on the letter caught my eye:
"Zhao Duan, dying!"
…
Change the layout first and then modify it
(End of this chapter)
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