Dark clouds cover the sky, and a lonely harbor is located at the end of the vast land.
Xue Baijin was wearing a cloak, with two iron maces hanging on his waist. He stood on the rocks where the waves were beating, looking at the endless sea in the east. After searching for more than a month, his originally determined eyes had become confused and desolate.
After returning from Beiliang, Xue Baijin left Jingjie City with Yunli without staying long, and began to search the world for the whereabouts of the last three Minglong Pictures.
Most of the first six Minglong pictures were from the Southern Dynasties. Xue Baijin was also very familiar with the Jianghu of the Southern Dynasties. He felt that the possibility of the last three pictures being hidden in the Wei Dynasty was very small, so he left the customs directly and came to Beiliang. In this month, he traveled all over Yanbei Road.
All the sects ran all the way to the Tianmu Road in the east, but unfortunately found nothing.
The last three pictures seemed to be just like the rumors. Not only were the pictures missing, but even the clues were wiped out by a mysterious force between heaven and earth. It was not even possible to find out who had succeeded in them in history.
The clues disappeared so completely that Xue Baijin even suspected that there were no last three pictures in the world. The so-called rumors of the nine pictures were just idle rumors, but Ye Jingtang clearly deduced it, and it was clearly recorded in the history books - Wu Taizu learned the way to ride a dragon.
Go away and leave behind nine immortal pictures to bless future generations.
In history, all those who have deduced the Minglong Diagram on their own have died without exception. It is just a matter of time. Even if the Night Terror Hall is extremely talented, it may not be able to escape this taboo.
Xue Baijin promised to help find the last three pictures, but now he was faced with the dilemma of finding a needle in the vast sea. After a long silence, Ruoyouruowu let out a sigh:
"well……"
In comparison, Yunli is much more lively.
The current location of the master and apprentice is the "Haijiao Port" in the easternmost part of Tianmen Road.
Haijiao Port and Guancheng in Tiannan, the permafrost lake in Beihuang, and Tianya Peak where the ancestors of the Qinchi tribe took root are all called the "four poles of mountains and rivers".
These four places are not the end of the world, but beyond that there are either high mountains and deserts or endless sea water, which is impossible to cross. For this reason, these four places have become the end points for mortals to set foot on, and they have also become the starting points for people to travel through the mountains and rivers.
A place that must be visited in this life.
Haijiao Port is located in the easternmost part of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Its name is only the official scientific name. There is no port in it. There is only a small fishing village that travelers often visit. Because of its long and narrow terrain, it is surrounded by seawater on three sides and extends nearly four miles to the East China Sea. Jianghu people
This place is generally called the 'Whip of the Earth'.
The local fishermen even built a temple at the end of the promontory, which worships an indescribable god called "Yang Guan", who is said to be very spiritual.
Although it is separated from the nearest city by hundreds of miles of mountains and rivers, due to its special geographical location, there are many people from all walks of life who come here to check in. Although Yangguan Temple is not big, it is quite popular.
At this time, in front of the earthen temple made of stone, dozens of Jianghu people were queuing up outside, waiting to go in to offer incense and pray for blessings.
There is a fishing village near the Tu Temple. Because people come here every day, fishermen rarely go out to sea to fish, so they opened tea shops and restaurants in the village and started a tourism business.
Zhe Yunli was dressed in a common attire of Beiliang chivalrous women, with a bamboo hat on her head and a five-foot-long knife on her shoulder. She stood on tiptoes and looked at the long stone fished out of the sea in the temple. She couldn't help but feel secretly in her heart.
I sighed - Mr. Jiao is such a big man, it's a pity that Cousin Jing is not here...
There are many chivalrous ladies from the world who come to Haijiao Port to leave their footprints, but those who dare to go to Yangguan Temple to offer incense must be mostly men. It is obviously not appropriate for Zhe Yunli, a half-grown girl, to go to pay homage to Daqueque.
, at this time, he was just standing next to a tea shop, listening to the chatter of people in the world:
"Tian Wuliang is also lucky. It is said that he really grabbed the Snow Lake Flower in Tianlang Lake. Now he has not only returned to the top, but also made a step forward..."
"Yin Shicheng killed Leigong Island as a pirate in order to submit a certificate to the imperial court. Tian Wuliang came back. If he doesn't take revenge, how can he be worthy of those two thousand brothers..."
"No wonder there are people from Juntian Mansion everywhere outside. I'm afraid the world is going to change..."
…
Zhe Yunli heard about Tian Wuliang from Ye Jingtang, and then curiously interjected:
"I heard that after Tian Wuliang fell into the water, he drifted to an overseas fairy island and was rescued by gods before he saved his life. Is this true?"
Several wanderers who were talking looked back when they heard the sound. One of the old men found that it was a half-grown girl who interrupted, and his attitude was quite friendly:
"Where did this little heroine get this news? I have never heard of this statement."
After Tian Wuliang fell into the water and was rescued, he was afraid of being driven out by Yin Shicheng and also afraid of getting angry. In fact, only Ye Jingtang and others knew the news about his adventures overseas in the past years.
Zhe Yunli saw that several people didn't know anything about it, so he made it up casually:
"I heard what people outside said. Is there really a fairy island outside this sea?"
The old man touched his beard and gestured to the endless sea outside:
"There should be. All the nearby fishermen know such legends. The First Emperor even sent people out to sea to search for them, but they just couldn't find them.
"These things are the adventures of people in the world of martial arts. They can be encountered but cannot be sought. Just like it is often said in the world of martial arts that after someone falls off a cliff, he meets an expert from outside the world and a magical secret book. But in fact, those who jump off the cliff can only meet others.
When it comes to the Lord of Hell, nothing can be done by force."
"Oh." Zhe Yunli nodded thoughtfully.
The old man thought for a while and then said: "Those who can find the fairy island are all outstanding people favored by heaven. You said that Tian Wuliang fell into the water and accidentally floated to the fairy island and was rescued. It is probably really possible. Back then, Yin Shicheng and the people from the government were on Leigong Island.
After being stuck at the beach for half a month, Tian Wuliang was seriously injured and it would be impossible for him to survive even if he floated to a deserted island. The only way to survive is to be rescued at sea..."
Zhe Yunli sat down at the tea stall, holding his face in his hands:
"Other than Tian Wuliang, has anyone else in the world had such an adventure?"
The old man stroked his beard and thought for a while, obviously he had never heard of it.
A ranger in his thirties next to him recalled a little and said mysteriously:
"I'm from Ya'an Prefecture, not far from Shuofeng City. I heard from people in my hometown that the owner of Shuofeng City was a fisherman. Later, I don't know why, he developed a unique martial arts, and directly knocked down Mu Yunsheng, and took the throne.
The speed is so incredible that only the Night Demon of the Southern Dynasties can match it..."
The old man had not heard this story yet, so he came closer and said:
"What do you mean?"
You Xiaer spread his hands and said: "It took more than a year for the Night Demon to go from patrolling to being a martial arts sage. I said he did it through hard work. Do you believe it?"
Everyone in the tea shop definitely didn't believe it, even Zhe Yunli shook his head.
After all, Cousin Jing's talent and understanding are the best in the north and south, and he can be ranked as a martial saint with hard training. But without the blessings of adventures such as Tianlang Pearl and Minglong Diagram, he is currently ranked as the swordsman at most. He cannot be like the Sky Monkey.
Jump directly to Wu Sheng.
Zhe Yunli thought about it for a while and felt that what this person said made sense, so he asked:
"What do you mean, heroes, there are also such adventures near Beiyun?"
The Ranger nodded and said, "Isn't this obvious? The Great Night Demon is in charge, and his resume is well documented. From the time when he first became famous for killing the Wingless Owl, to the battle against Zhongsun Sheng in Bishui Forest a few days ago, he has been tricked step by step.
, we all understand how we came up.
"Not so in Beiyunbian. The first time he showed his face was in Shuofeng City. He became famous all over the world in one battle and forcibly defeated the old King Zuo Xian. If there wasn't some incredible adventure behind this, I wouldn't believe it even if he killed me. But isn't it?
It has something to do with overseas fairy islands, I’m not sure..."
Zhe Yunli was aroused by this incident and listened carefully.
While everyone was talking nonsense, Xue Baijin came to the back silently, raised his hand and patted Yunli on the shoulder:
"gone."
Only then did Zhe Yunli come back to his senses. He stood up and said goodbye to a few Jianghu Rangers before walking out:
"Master, where should we go next?"
"Shuofeng City."
"ah?"
Zhe Yunli was stunned for a moment, then looked around and whispered:
"Going to kill people and steal treasures?"
Xue Baijin Xunmimi had no direction, and this must be what she meant at the moment. However, as the leader of Pingtian, she naturally could not teach her disciples badly, so she said seriously:
"It's a chivalrous act! Let's go and see if Beiyunbian has done anything bad."
Zhe Yunli was very enthusiastic about this matter and quickly wanted to get the horses and set off, but after thinking about it, he looked back at Xiangyanguan Temple:
"I'll probably only visit this place once in my life. Should we go in and burn incense?"
"..."
It was actually the first time for Xue Baijin to go to the East Pole. Logically speaking, he should put up incense sticks, but after taking a look at the big bird enshrined in the temple, he still felt that he would be laughed to death by the heroes, so he explained:
"Women belong to Yin, so it is not appropriate to enter the temple of a Yang official."
"oh……"
Zhe Yunli put the knife on his shoulder and looked back
"It would be great if Cousin Jing was here. He must go in and pay homage to such a big statue..."
Xue Baijin shook his head secretly, thought for a moment, and then asked:
"You've been away for so long, don't you miss Night Terror Hall?"
"I definitely want to. There are also Master Niang and Yao Ji. Master, do you want to do that?"
Xue Baijin was stunned by this question. After all, she was indeed worried about Ye Jingtang's physical condition. However, she did not tell Yunli about Ye Jingtang's deduction of the Minglong Picture, thinking that Yunli might have misunderstood, so she casually said:
"I miss you, Master. Let's go quickly. If we find a good treasure in Shuofeng City, we can just take it back and visit it."
"Okay~"
…
——
Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...
The blazing sun baked the endless wasteland into a scorched yellow color, and there were no pedestrians on the streets in the black city. They were all sheltering from the scorching sun in their pavilions.
A cavalry team of seven people filed in through the city gate.
Li Si, the minister walking in front, was dressed as an ordinary merchant, with a defensive sword hanging on his waist. He kept an eye on the street movements from time to time as he walked, obviously wary of thieves who might appear at any time.
From Li Si's point of view, going to the desert alone to negotiate with the Shatuo tribe and letting Huang Liansheng enter the pass with his troops was obviously a crucial but extremely dangerous move.
After all, both the Northern and Southern Dynasties planted spies for each other. It was impossible to completely hide the contact between Beiliang and Damo. If the Southern Dynasty knew the news, they would definitely block it and kill his lobbying envoy. This is in line with the Southern Dynasty's behavior.
Benefit.
And in order for Huang Liansheng to contain Ye Jingtang, he also took the magic elixir that the imperial court had painstakingly refined. This thing was a hot potato, and one of his own people might have evil intentions to kill people and steal goods.
For this reason, this elixir can only be taken by Hua Junchen - Hua Junchen has already taken it, and taking it again will have little effect. He has no motive for taking it for himself, and there are hundreds of members of the Hua family as guarantees.
However, Hua Junchen Reinsurance is only a downstream Wu Kui. If he bumps into the powerful Wu Kui Wu Sheng on the road, there is still no chance of survival.
For this reason, even though Li Si brought Hua Junchen, Xu Tianying, and four famous celebrities recruited by the imperial court to form a luxurious escort team, he still felt unsure at this time.
Compared with Li Si, Hua Junchen and Xu Tianying, who were walking on both sides, felt more relaxed.
After all, both of them knew in their hearts that the forces in Beiliang would definitely not touch Li Si. After all, people without the ability could not snatch him away. Those with the ability could just ask the court for it without committing the crime of intercepting and killing foreign envoys or committing treason.
A great sin.
Not to mention the Southern Dynasty, Hua Junchen was given the elixir and had to offer his loyalty to the Northern Liang Dynasty. He was entrusted with important tasks on this trip. However, if the elixir issued a military order or something happened to Li Si, then Hua Junchen would definitely not be able to go back alive.
Judging from Ye Jing Tang's behavior, he wouldn't take it from his father-in-law if he wanted to.
Knowing that neither the Southern nor the Northern Dynasties had any motive to kill people and gain goods, Hua Junchen and Xu Tianying naturally felt less pressure. After arriving at the garrison gate, they got off their horses and accompanied Li Si to the gate.
Butler Li Xian and Monk Jingkong, who were waiting for news, were already at the door.
Upon seeing this, Li Xian stepped forward to greet him, raised his hand and said:
"Shilang Li, hurry up and invite me. The banquet has been prepared at the house..."
Li Si did not follow the instructions and entered. He bowed his hands in front of the door and said:
"This important military matter cannot be delayed. How are the horses prepared for summons this morning?"
"Already in place, they are all excellent horses produced by the Wuma Department..."
"That's good. The imperial court has made arrangements and ordered me to visit the leader of the Shatuo Tribe as a foreign envoy. Master Jingkong, please quickly pack your things and set off. We will talk about the rest of the way."
Monk Jingkong came here to talk about things, but he had no intention of eating or drinking here. Seeing Li Si's attitude, he obviously agreed to the request of the Shatuo tribe. There would be no delay, so he quickly ordered his subordinates to get ready and set off.
Li Si didn't even take a sip of water. He waited outside the door for a moment. When he saw a dozen Shatuo ministers coming out, he got on his new horse and headed out of the city.
Monk Jingkong and others also put on the horses that had been delivered and galloped out with Li Si, communicating about assistance along the way.
Li Si and the people accompanying him had never been to Shatuo tribe. They only knew that they could get there from Huangming Mountain. When they saw Monk Jingkong leaving the city, they ran south to prepare to cross the river. They were a little confused:
"To go to Shatuo tribe, we need to go south?"
Monk Jingkong raised his hand to gesture to the sun in the sky:
"With this weather, it's too risky to go back to where we were. The one I'm waiting for is Wangheya in Liangzhou, where supplies are convenient..."
"?"
When Li Si heard that he wanted to borrow a road from the Southern Dynasty, he was naturally anxious:
"The risk is not high if we go from the southern part of the country?"
"If you take the road to Liangzhou, you will at most be fighting against others. We have the strength to fight. But if you don't go back, you will be fighting against the sky, and the risk is immeasurable. There is chaos in Liangzhou, and there are not many informants in the Southern Dynasty. Let's pretend
If you become a horse bandit, as long as you avoid villages and towns, no one will notice..."
Li Si didn't believe this nonsense and was even a little suspicious. Jiang Zahu suddenly appeared in the Xihai Protector's Mansion. It was these desert barbarians who carelessly crossed the Hongshan Gang's territory and lured him here.
Of course, this statement is a bit far-fetched. In order not to hurt his temper, Li Si did not say it explicitly, but simply said:
"With so many masters accompanying them, it is extremely risky to cross or not return to where they came from. How can the soldiers and horses of the Shatuo tribe come to the West Sea? Is it possible that they also borrowed a way from the Southern Dynasty?"
Monk Jingkong said to this: "Since the leader of my family is in contact with Daliang, he naturally has a way to transport troops. In recent years, the Shatuo tribe has been exploring the desert and found a road with water supply along the way. I don't know about the 'Heavenly Soldiers Attacking Li'"
Have you ever heard of the allusion, Shilang Li?"
Li Si was the minister of the Ministry of Rites, so he was very familiar with the history of various countries. This "Heavenly Soldiers Attacking Li" can be regarded as an ancient legend.
Before the great changes in the mountains and rivers, the Central Plains was in the area of the current Western Sea, and the 'First Emperor' started from the west of Huangming Mountain.
Because the Duolan Valley was the "Capture of the South Pass" in ancient times, the First Emperor could not conquer it, so he went around to the north of Huangming Mountain. It is said that he used the caves and canyons to cross the mountains and reached the north of the current Wuma tribe, where he was destroyed.
A small country named "Li" unified the world.
Since the great changes in the mountains and rivers, and the various tribes in the West Sea turned into deserts and Gobi deserts, it is difficult to find even the cities of the past in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Naturally, no one knows about such remote places.
Li Si heard what Monk Jingkong said and said unexpectedly:
"Have you found the military path?"
Monk Jingkong said to this: "This is the foundation of our Shatuo tribe. If we can go there, the tigers and wolves of the West Sea can come over. So only the leader knows the exact route. I hope Li Shilang will forgive me."
Hua Junchen had been listening and couldn't help but interject when he saw this:
"Even you despise that place in the desert and want to run to the tribes in the West Sea. How can they think of fighting there?"
Monk Jingkong explained this: "When the tribes of the West Sea know that we want to take root in the West Sea, they will definitely attack us first. To put it bluntly, if there are hidden stakes from the Southern Dynasty or the tribes of the West Sea around Li Shilang,
I took you along that military road, and I'm afraid the West Sea Rangers will kill the Shatuo tribe's lair the next day..."
Li Si had no intention of listening to these nonsense, he waved his hand and said:
"Don't worry, Master Jingkong. The people I am bringing are all die-hard loyalists of the imperial court. I have not inquired about your army's military methods. However, it is definitely not possible for us to go to Liangzhou. Although there are supplies through Liangzhou, the distance is too far and it will delay the time.
.The military orders are like a mountain. Even if half of the people Li brought with him today are dead, they can still reach the Shatuo tribe as quickly as possible."
Monk Jingkong really felt that it was too difficult to go back, so he wanted to go back to Liangzhou. Seeing that the envoy of Daliang was so insistent, he didn't say anything more and turned his horse's head:
"Then let's listen to Li Shilang's arrangements. Should we go back to where we came from..."
"drive--"
Amid the conversation, the cavalry galloped away to the west...
——
At the same time, in the black cluster city.
When Ye Jingtang went to the Western Sea Protectorate, he left Jiang Laojiu and others in Heicucheng, watching the movements of the Shatuo tribe's envoys.
After receiving the news that Li Si was about to go on an envoy to the Shatuo Department, Ye Jingtang naturally did not go looking for Li Si. After a night's rest, he flew directly back to Heicu City and waited near the Yamen.
And the fact was as he expected. As soon as he arrived in Black Cu City, before he finished his meal, he saw Uncle Hua galloping through the street on horseback, and then quickly led Monk Jingkong and others out of the city.
Because he could easily be noticed if he followed too close, Ye Jingtang was not in a hurry to set off. He just let Niao Niao follow him first while he bought some daily necessities in the city.
Ye Jingtang led the horse and followed Aunt Fan on the small streets in the city, selecting various dry foods and comforting her:
"Don't worry, Uncle Hua is just a guard. I will follow behind. There will definitely be no danger."
Hua Qingzhi had difficulty walking and did not bring a wheelchair, so she sat on a horse. Because she could not ride a horse, she was hugged by Master Xuanji.
Hua Qingzhi was really worried when she saw her father passing by on the street just now, but she relaxed after hearing Ye Jingtang's words and asked:
"Are we going to the desert next? I'm familiar with history books and know a little bit about the situation there, but I don't know if it will hinder the young master."
Night Terror is a mighty martial arts saint, but Shui'er is still a semi-saint. If he can't even carry the two girls, he won't take anyone out with him again. He said:
"It's okay to take them with you, but judging from the direction Uncle Hua and the others are heading, they are planning to never return to their original ways. This weather can kill people in the desert. You probably won't be able to survive it. Why don't you stay here with Fairy Lu and wait for me to finish it?"
Things come back?"
Master Xuanji said to this: "Do you know how to go back to the original place?"
Ye Jingtang and Qing He had been to the Yuan of No Return once before, but they only ran a little inside. Qing He even stabbed him on the roof and fell off, but he didn't go deep. He laughed and said:
"I don't know, but just follow Li Si and the others."
"The people from the Shatuo tribe came from Liangzhou, which means they are not sure. If they encounter a sandstorm, they will still get lost. What will you do then?"
Ye Jingtang thought about it, and Fan Qinghe turned around and asked: Then he asked:
"Do you know how to get there?"
There was a hint of pride in Xuanji's eyes: "Back then, I went deep into the desert for three thousand miles and didn't come back until I came to a place where no poplar trees grew. It's nothing if I don't return to my original state."
Then he looked at Hua Qingzhi:
"Night Terror Hall is just afraid that you can't stand the desert weather. I know where there is water. It's just a little warmer, so it's no big deal."
Although Hua Qingzhi has been prosperous since she was a child, she is not so squeamish that she can't bear any heat, so she nodded lightly.
Luzhu followed beside him, helping to hold the purchased items. He thought about it and said curiously:
"Fairy Lu, I heard that the desert is full of sand and you can't find the direction. How did you find water in the desert before?"
Fan Qinghe remembered the jokes in the boudoir and casually continued:
"She is the reincarnation of the Water Goddess, and she can squirt by herself."
"ha?"
"puff……"
Ye Jingtang sneered when he heard this, but was immediately kicked gently by Shui'er and quickly regained his stern and extraordinary expression.
Master Xuanji's face turned a rare shade of red. She felt that He He was a bit skinny, but she did not teach Qing He how to behave on the spot. She just said:
"I am naturally sensitive. Just like a camel, I can feel where there is heavy moisture."