Chapter 658 Two Women Competing for Favor
The banyan tree's omen gave rise to a sense of urgency in everyone's hearts, and Zhao Duan and the old Taoist priest quickly finalized the corresponding arrangements for the next action.
The next day, early morning.
Inside the Zhao Mansion, Zhao Duan pushed open the door of his bedroom and walked along the corridor to the dining room. The women of the family were already waiting at the table.
The breakfast was very sumptuous, but Zhao Duan seemed a little absent-minded.
Eugene Hua held the rice bowl and ate in small mouthfuls. The beautiful woman's bright eyes looked at her stepson from time to time, as if she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.
Zhao Pan'er was speechless after watching this scene. The girl was the first to break the silence:
"Brother, Mom has something to ask you."
"Hmm?" Zhao Duan raised his head and looked at his stepmother, asking curiously, "What's the matter?"
Eugene glared at her daughter in a reproachful manner, then waved her hands sheepishly, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"Nothing, nothing, it's just..."
She seemed to be full of gossip:
"I heard from Madam Dong that the Southwestern Yao people were repelled by Dalang?!"
Zhao Pan also put down his bowl and chopsticks, pricked up his ears, and his eyes were bright, almost assuming the posture of holding his chin to listen to the story:
"Brother, tell me about it."
Zhao Duan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, thinking that he had thought it was a big deal.
After he informed Grand Tutor Dong of the outcome of the border war yesterday, it was obvious that the news had spread.
Eugene Hua only heard this gossip yesterday evening. As a mistress, she pays close attention to any "achievements" of her son.
Unfortunately, Zhao Duan returned home very late last night, so he had to wait until early morning to ask.
After Zhao Duan picked and chose the parts he could tell and told them to the two girls, they were so excited that they didn't even want to eat. They got up in a hurry and went to find the women they knew to brag about it.
As for the worry about Dalang's safety, after learning that Zhang Yanyi was there to protect him, the mother and daughter felt relieved.
Zhao Duan watched the two women in the house leave with their waists swaying, and laughed silently. Then he restrained his smile and a heavy look appeared in his eyes.
A huge crisis is imminent, but in the entire capital, only a few people sense the approaching danger.
"For mortals, how can ignorance not be a kind of happiness?" Zhao Duan whispered softly.
He got up, changed into casual clothes, walked out of the house, thought for a while, and went to Lihua Hall first.
…
Inside the Tianshi Mansion.
Under the half-withered banyan tree.
When Zhao Duan arrived, Zhang Yan had already been waiting there, and several disciples were standing beside the old Taoist priest.
Behind Zhao Duan, on his left and right, followed Tuoba Weizhi and Ji Yue respectively.
"Are we going together this time?" Zhao Duan looked at several priests and expressed his doubts.
Zhang Yanyi shook his head and said:
"This time, only I and Jin Jian will go with you. Yuxiu and Han Zhao will set off to Xiping Road to support the battlefield."
The nun stepped forward, a small bundle on her back, and said goodbye:
"With our Master already there, it would be useless for me and my junior brother to go. Now that the situation has worsened, it would be better for us to rush to Xiping, where we might be able to play a greater role."
Han Zhao smiled and scratched his head with a bit of regret:
"I would like to go with you, but Master doesn't agree."
Zhao Duan nodded. It was obvious that the changes in the banyan tree also put a sharp increase in the pressure on the priests. He thought about it, raised his hand and grabbed it, and seven flying swords appeared in his palm.
He stacked them together, handed them to Yuxiu, and said seriously:
"Although you specialize in a flying sword, it would be a waste for me to keep these on myself, so I will give them to the priest. They may be of some help on the battlefield."
These seven flying swords were captured when he fought with Taoist masters from Kuangfu Society in Binhai Road.
Yuxiu didn't refuse and took it with both hands: "Thank you."
Zhao Duan flipped his hand again, and a large bow appeared in his palm. It was the Taibu Bow. He handed this magical weapon to Han Zhao and said with a smile:
"I see that Brother Han is also practicing Fengbo, and is good at Qinggong, controlling the wind, and flying. This bow and arrow has also been covered in dust in my hands, so I will give it to Brother Han today."
I have one too? Han Zhao was stunned for a moment, surprised by Zhao Duan's generosity. After learning about the power of this bow, his eyes suddenly lit up.
This thing suits him perfectly. Using Fengbo's magic and Fu's arrows to reap lives is a match made in heaven.
Han Zhao was not a hypocritical person, so he immediately took it and said solemnly:
"I have no way to repay you, except to kill a few more bald donkeys on the battlefield of Xiping."
Zhao Duan laughed.
At this time, Gongshu Tianyuan could no longer hold back and could not help complaining:
"Master, what about me? Going to the East China Sea or to the battlefield? I can do either!"
Zhang Yanyi hit him mercilessly: "You stay at home and don't go anywhere."
Gongshu Tianyuan felt as if he had lost his parents, while Jin Jian was yawning and laughing beside him, saying, "I would rather die than let my fellow Taoist die."
Then the young priestess stared at Zhao Duan, like a puppy waiting to be fed:
"Where's... mine?"
Zhao Duan said speechlessly: "You are not going to the battlefield, what gift do you want? I don't have any."
The smile on Jin Jian's mouth disappeared... Gongshu Tianyuan laughed loudly.
"Okay, it's getting late, let's go."
Zhang Yan held his forehead and interrupted the disciples' jokes.
With a wave of his hand, a burst of green light gushed out from his sleeves, engulfing the people who were rushing to the East China Sea.
…
Outside the main hall of the Taimiao.
The green light surged, spitting out the team members one by one.
Zhang Yanyi and his disciple Jin Jian became familiar with each other after the first encounter, and their expressions became natural.
But Tuoba Weizhi and Ji Yue were here for the first time, and both women looked around curiously.
Zhao Duan pinched his fingers and opened the secret passage, and the group walked along the stairs into the secret room underground.
On the way.
Zhao Duan turned his head to look at Jiyue, who was following closely behind him with a timid and socially anxious look, and smiled gently:
"Are you ready?"
A female ghost in red with black hair and a shawl... The sorceress clenched her hands together, showing her inner uneasiness. She nodded vigorously after hearing the words, and her pure white eyes revealed a hint of expectation and uneasiness.
go home……
What a distant word.
Yesterday, after Zhao Duan left the Tianshi Mansion, he found Ji Yue and explained to her the next steps.
He didn't explain it in detail, just that he was going to the East China Sea to look for something and needed to bring Ji Yue, a "local", with him.
Ji Yue tossed and turned, lying in the well of the imperial yamen, looking at the moon, and could not sleep all night.
In the past few years, she has almost given up the idea of going home.
After learning the details, Zhao Duan roughly figured out the reason why Ji Yue came to Yu State.
According to the records in the files, the Yu State fleet went out to sea one day and collided with Ji Yue, who was being chased by people from Qiandao in the East China Sea. Then the two sides encountered each other unexpectedly and a chaotic battle broke out.
The officers and soldiers of the Yu State repelled the pursuers and captured Ji Yue as a "prisoner". Because Ji Yue killed many officers and soldiers, he was later imprisoned in Houhu Lake and served as a "door god".
But at that time, Zhao Duan didn't know the deeper background information.
For example, why was Ji Yue being hunted? Her background, etc.
It wasn't until he was about to go to the Thousand Islands in the East China Sea that he learned about this. It was a tragic story.
The so-called Thousand Islands of the East China Sea is the general name for a group of scattered archipelagos outside the borders of the Yu State, which are occupied by some unruly foreign people.
Tracing back to the past, it was related to the fact that many years ago, inland sorcerers were keen on occupying islands in the sea and building caves.
In order to build the cave, they had to capture some mortals to do odd jobs and provide for them, and thus the first batch of indigenous people came into being.
Because of the abundant marine resources and the small population of the Thousand Islands, the warlock content is extremely high.
And the vast majority of them are believers of water gods and sea gods.
The god who rules over the thousands of islands in the East China Sea is none other than the "Sea God", whose status is similar to that of Laba, and he is also not included in the list of ordained gods in the country of Yu.
Every year, the ocean experiences frequent tsunamis, typhoons, and other severe weather phenomena...
To Zhao Duan, a science student, it was just normal climate change, the influence of atmospheric circulation, and so on...
But in this world, things become interesting because of the existence of the sea god.
According to Ji Yue, when the ocean is raging, the sea god will enter a state of anger and indiscriminately attack any life on the sea.
This disrupts local order.
For this reason, the residents of the Thousand Islands have followed a tradition of worshiping the sea god for thousands of years.
Right now:
Beautiful virgins of a certain age were selected by drawing lots and offered as concubines to the sea god.
And that year, Ji Yue was chosen as a sacrifice.
This was a calamity for her, but Ji Yue was already a cultivator at that time. To avoid being used as a sacrifice, she resolutely fled. During the escape, she advanced while fighting with the pursuers...
Then, the story goes that he encountered the fleet of the State of Yu going out to sea to collect resources and was captured.
"Don't worry, we are only going to retrieve something that originally belonged to the Yu Kingdom. We will not disturb your hometown."
Zhao Duan thought about it and made her a promise.
Unexpectedly, Jiyue raised his head and said in a serious tone:
"Ever since they forced me to be a sacrifice and killed my parents who protected me, I have no home."
Zhao Duan was stunned.
For no reason, he suddenly understood why Ji Yue was a little socially anxious... A girl who was abandoned by her hometown, lost both her parents, and had no home. She was captured as a prey and taken to a strange dynasty... and imprisoned at the bottom of a cold lake... Social anxiety was just her way of protecting herself.
Come to think of it...am I not the same as her?
A stranger who came to the State of Yu from the familiar Earth?
Zhao Duan suddenly raised his hand, rubbed Jiyue's wet long hair, which was the same style as Sadako's, and said with a smile:
"In that case, my lord, I'll take the opportunity to vent your anger while I'm out at sea. Haha, those who dare to bully me must be tired of living!"
Ji Yue was stunned, with light flashing in her white pupils.
At this time, the group walked to the deepest secret room, and three doors lined up side by side appeared in front of them again.
The golden gate in the center was heavy and mysterious, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
Tuoba Weizhi's slightly dark face revealed a look of confusion, and a vague little man appeared between his eyebrows, and his soul seemed to be about to break out of his body.
On the golden gate, there was a corresponding faint glow surrounding one of the grooves.
"It seems that she is indeed one of the keys." The old Taoist nodded, with a strange look in his narrow eyes.
Zhao Duan also felt relieved and stopped Tuoba Weizhi who was being led towards the Golden Gate:
"Now is not the time."
The little figure between Tuoba Weizhi's eyebrows sank back into her body. Her dark eyes regained their rationality. She nodded and took a step back.
"I will obey my master."
Ji Yue glanced at her and thought, is this really that flamboyant? This new subordinate of his master is so fawning?
A faint sense of crisis arose in the little socially anxious girl's heart... Humph, vixen.
"Okay, Master Zhang, let's begin."
Zhao Duan coughed and looked at Zhang Yanyi seriously.
The latter nodded and walked towards the azure gate on the right.
…
…
In the early morning, a thin mist covered the East China Sea.
The gorgeous morning glow pierced through the mist, separating the sea of sky from the horizon.
Above the blue sky, seabirds fly leisurely, soaring freely over the deep blue, boundless ocean.
Suddenly, a few feet above the sea, the air suddenly vibrated and ripples appeared.
A deep blue door appeared out of thin air, and the door seemed to be formed by sea water. The next moment, several figures broke out of the water one by one!
"Fuck!"
The moment Zhao Duan stepped out of the door, he missed a step and staggered down.
As a warrior, he could float in the air for a short time during fighting, but he had to rely on the force. The vast ocean was totally unsuitable for him to perform.
"Owner!"
"My Lord, be careful!"
Tuoba Weizhi and Ji Yue grabbed one of Zhao Duan's arms, one on the left and one on the right, without any order.
Ji Yue pressed his free palm downwards, and the sea surface rumbled up and froze into a layer of ice, supporting the falling master and servant.
Just as Zhao Duan stood firm, a petite figure fell down from above his head with a "Ah!" and almost rode on his neck, but Zhao Duan nimbly dodged it.
Jin Jian fell to the ice with a thud, and his glasses almost flew off his nose.
The young priestess hurriedly got up, held her glasses with one hand, and pulled out her staff to support her body... She was in a panic.
The old Taoist priest was the last one to walk out of the door.
Zhang Yanyi put his hands behind his back, his black priest robe fluttering slightly in the wind. The old man strolled leisurely in the garden, smiling, and fell lightly, forming a sharp contrast with the embarrassed people.
"Haha, well, it's really on the sea." Zhang Yan exclaimed in amazement.
Old Zhang, you are showing off again, is that fun... Zhao Duan complained in his heart.
Looking up, what you see is the endless sea. Compared with the land, your vision is greatly extended.
I could only vaguely see a few black spots in the distance, but I wasn't sure whether they were islands or reefs, and I didn't see any ships.
"No...where did we fall?"
Zhao Duan had a headache. He took out a sea chart from his arms and unfolded it.
On the map, the archipelago is roughly arranged in an irregular "ring" shape, like a period drawn on the sea.
The core waters in the center of the ring, surrounded by the islands, are called the "Sea of Silence" and have a more popular nickname:
"Eye of the East China Sea".
It is said that it is the residence of the sea god and a forbidden area on the sea.
At this moment, Zhao Duan missed the compass in Yuxiu infinitely.
"We are on the north side of the archipelago,"
Ji Yue spoke softly. The sorceress looked out at the southern sea. The salty wind blew her black hair away from her face, revealing her pale face. She murmured:
"I can sense that the Sea God is over there."
After a pause, she turned to face everyone and explained:
"Only outsiders need charts and compasses at sea. We who live on the sea have always relied on the sea gods to determine our directions."
Probably similar to judging north and south by the position of the sun?
Zhao Duan praised:
"Okay! Then you will be my compass."
Ji Yue's eyes smiled into crescents, and she looked at Tuoba Wei with pride.
The witch's cold face revealed a hint of bewilderment, and she wanted to ask: What are you looking at...
"But how do we get on our way?" Zhao Duan looked at the old Taoist priest.
Zhang Yanyi said unhappily:
"Don't even think about asking me to fly with you. The closer we get to the Sea God, the more my magic power will be suppressed. How can I waste it on the journey?"
After saying this, the old man gently stroked his beard and changed the subject:
"However, I naturally anticipated this."
He flicked his wide sleeves, and Zhao Duan saw only an exquisite wooden sailboat model flying out of his sleeves. It expanded and enlarged in a breath, and in the blink of an eye it became a sloop large enough to accommodate ten people.
The ship crashed into the sea with a bang.
After a few bumps, it stabilized on its own.
The sails on the boat adjusted themselves as if they had life, as if operated by a ghost.
(End of this chapter)
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