Since Liang Yan integrated the three armies, the Bamboo Army gradually began to get on the right track.
The "Three Talents and Nine Absolute Formations" jointly performed by him and Fan Jin was an improvement on the ancient formation of Tianji Pavilion. This formation is unpredictable and powerful, and is really a weapon for battlefield fighting.
Under the command of Liang Yan, the Bamboo Army practiced this formation almost every day. So far, the three battalions have cooperated very well.
The entire bamboo army is integrated into one, and the three battalions are indistinguishable from each other. With the blessing of the formation, their combat power has been qualitatively improved.
In addition, Liang Yan also appointed many generals, including casual cultivators who came to join him, allowing them to perform their duties and give full play to their strengths, and the overall trend was flourishing.
On the other side, Xuanxin Palace was also secretly holding a meeting.
The matter that Li Yile led his team to infiltrate into Beiming to investigate was a secret that only the ten people in Xuanxin Palace knew, and the news he sent back was also only known by people in Xuanxin Palace.
"It has been three months since Junior Brother Yile sneaked into the Beiming Territory. During this period, there were a total of four transmissions. Judging from the content, the progress was quite smooth. However, as we went to the rear, the enemy's cultivation level became higher, and the speed of advancement was affected.
Liu Changshou said during a certain meeting.
"It doesn't matter." Venerable Great Ku said slowly: "The first priority is to prevent your identity from being exposed. Other things can be taken care of slowly."
"Judging from these four transmissions, there is indeed an abnormality in Beiming's rear. Not only has the territory of the garrison shrunk, but there have also been a lot fewer poisonous people being transported, especially the purple poisonous people. Fellow Daoist Yi Le has almost never encountered them on the road.
"When Wu Ci said this, he glanced at everyone and said in a deep voice: "Does this verify Fellow Daoist Liang's previous guess? There is chaos within the Beiming Army. I am afraid that something unexpected has happened that we don't know about. This is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
good chance."
As soon as this statement came out, Ji Sheng Demon Lord was the first to object and said coldly: "It would be too arbitrary to draw a conclusion now! The two armies are fighting, and it is true and false. It would be child's play to make a decision just because of a little clue?"
Gui Wujiu also said: "It is true that we should not act too hastily. Fellow Taoist Yi Le has now penetrated deep into the enemy camp. We can wait until he finds out the truth before we make a decision."
After hearing this, Liu Changshou frowned and said: "The battle situation is unpredictable and opportunities are fleeting! If the Beiming Army stabilizes the rear because of our delay, then we will never have a chance again. What's more, Junior Brother Yile is in danger.
, the longer time passes, the more dangerous he will be."
"Then don't attack rashly. The foundation of Nanxuan is here, so we must not fight an uncertain battle. As for fellow Taoist Yile, I believe he has his own destiny."
"you!"
Liu Changshou glared angrily, looking extremely dissatisfied.
During this discussion, the nine members of Xuanxin Hall were divided into two groups, each holding its own opinions. In the end, they broke up unhappy and did not reach a unified opinion.
As for Liang Yan, he didn't say a word from beginning to end, he was just quietly observing the other nine people.
"The time is not yet ripe."
This is Liang Yan's own judgment.
The information sent back by Li Yile was too vague. It was obvious that they had not yet reached the core area, so it was too early to draw conclusions now.
However, after this meeting, Liang Yan paid more attention to the training of the army.
Hong Yun, Chu Hua and other masters from Yuzhu Mountain were all sent by him to train troops. At this critical moment, the girls did not hide their secrets and taught some excellent spells to further enhance the combat power of the Bamboo Army.
But time flies by, and in the blink of an eye, less than half a year has passed since Liang Yan arrived in Nanxuan.
I remember that when he first arrived in Nanxuan, the autumn wind was rustling and the fallen leaves were falling. But now it is spring and the flowers are blooming, and it is March.
On that day, the sun was shining brightly on the martial arts field. Liang Yan was watching the drill of the three armies when he suddenly heard someone coming to report.
"I forgot to return to the city, so I returned to Master Wuqi to ask for an audience."
"Um?"
Liang Yan was slightly surprised when he heard this name.
In fact, he has a pretty good relationship with Gui Wujiu. When he first arrived in Nanxuan, this person helped him to rescue him. However, later on, Gui Wujiu and Liang Yan did not get along at Xuanxin Palace, which led to the bad relationship between Yuzhu Mountain and Wanggui City.
generally.
Since then, Liang Yan has been busy running the army and seldom moves out, so he has lost contact with Gui Wuqi. He did not expect that this person would come to visit him in person.
After pondering for a moment, he slowly said: "Take Mr. Wuqi to Yayuan, I will be there later."
"yes!"
The monks under his command followed the order and left.
Liang Yan watched the military training for a while, briefly explained to Wang Chonghua, Fan Jin and others, then left the martial arts field and went to Yayuan.
Yayuan is a place specially used by the Bamboo Army to receive guests. It is elegantly decorated, with colorful flowers and shaded by bamboo trees, making it feel like a paradise.
Liang Yan was extremely fast, and he had already arrived at the gate of Yayuan in just a moment.
Walking into the garden, there was a familiar figure sitting under the peach tree, drinking tea, with a happy and unrestrained expression.
"What a rare visitor! What kind of wind is blowing today? Why did you invite the young master here?" Liang Yan laughed.
Hearing his laughter, the figure under the peach tree turned around.
"Brother Liang, your status is different now. You are a member of Xuanxin Palace and the commander-in-chief of an army. It's hard to even meet you!" Gui Wuqi said with a half-smile.
"Where is it! Mr. Wuqi wants to see me, won't he meet me immediately?"
The two of them greeted each other politely and sat down at the stone table in front of the peach tree.
Liang Yan took out the fine wine from his collection and drank with Gui Wuqi under the peach tree. After drinking for three times, he asked: "I wonder what happened to Mr. Wuqi's sudden visit?"
Gui Wuqi smiled and said, "What's the matter? I can't come to see my friends if nothing happens?"
"Young Master is joking. Now the situation is becoming increasingly serious. All the gentlemen are actively preparing for war. As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Liang has a lot of military affairs and really has no intention of taking a break."
Liang Yan shook his head and drank a glass of spiritual wine.
After hearing this, Gui Wuqi's face became solemn and he cupped his hands and said, "I was the one who was abrupt. In fact, I am not an idle person. I came here today because I really don't understand something and I want to ask Liang Shuai for help."
"Oh? What is going on? Fellow Taoist, please tell me in detail."
"That's it," Gui Wuqi said slowly: "When I checked the military camp as usual recently, I discovered a strange thing. Two monks had not participated in training for a long time. They were even absent from the small training every ten days, so I felt...
It was strange, so I went to the cave where they were to find out what was going on, but I didn’t expect that these two people actually died in their own cave.”
"Is there such a thing?" Liang Yan raised his eyebrows, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Nanxuan's army prohibits private fights and vendettas. No matter what previous festivals there are, as long as you join Nanxuan, you are considered a comrade. You can no longer provoke each other to cause trouble, otherwise you will be dealt with according to military regulations.
It is said that the punishment for private fighting is extremely severe. If someone is seriously injured, the culprit can be beheaded. Therefore, since the establishment of Nanxuan, no other army dares to fight privately except for places like the Evil Ghost Camp where no one cares.
It is precisely because of such harsh criminal laws that the Nanxuan army is able to maintain the status quo. If it is left to its own devices, each sect has its own grievances before, so there is no need for Beiming to attack, and they can become one themselves first.
"The iron law of Nanxuan is that no private fights are allowed. How come anyone dares to commit crimes against others?" Liang Yan frowned.
Unexpectedly, Gui Wuqi shook his head and said: "Liang Shuai guessed wrong. These two people did not die in a private vendetta, but went crazy."
"Obsessed?"
Liang Yan glanced at Gui Wuqi, and his face gradually became cold, "Master Wuqi, are you kidding me? There are tens of millions of monks in Nanxuan, and there are hundreds of schools of thought, each with its own cultivation method. During this period, one or two went wrong.
It’s such a big deal to be possessed by a demon, but you still have to come all the way to tell me about it?”
"Don't worry, Liang Shuai."
Seeing that he was a little displeased, Gui Wuqi hurriedly said: "If only one or two monks went crazy, I certainly wouldn't alarm Liang Shuai. However, after my investigation, I found that there were also people who went crazy in other military camps of the Wuchen Army.
As for the monks who died suddenly, and the time of death of these monks was very recent, I think there must be a demon when things go wrong, so it’s unlikely that so many people would become possessed at the same time, right?"
The Wuchen Army is an army that forgets to return to the city, and its commander is without blame.
After listening to Gui Wuqi's explanation, Liang Yan's face gradually softened, revealing a hint of contemplation.
After a while, he asked: "How many monks are there in the Wuchen Army who are possessed by such evil spirits?"
"There are seven people in total."
"Seven people."
This number cannot be said to be too much or too small. If it is just a coincidence, it would be somewhat unjustifiable.
After thinking for a while, Liang Yan asked again: "What are the cultivation levels of these seven people?"
Gui Wuqi replied: "They are all low-level monks, three of them are at the Juyuan Stage, and the remaining four are at the Foundation Establishment Stage."
"Have they ever behaved abnormally before? For example, they could not come out of seclusion, or they had performed missions outside?"
"No." Gui Wuqi shook his head and said: "I have also considered this. I investigated before coming here. Except for a monk named 'Nan Wang' who once went out to perform a mission, the other monks have never left the military camp and have not been there for a long time.
The closure of time.”
"Then where is he going to perform his mission?"
"The 'Hengyang Pass' behind Nanxuan is to get some special ingredients to supply the spirit beasts. The journey is not long, and there are no twists and turns."
After hearing Gui Wuqi's answer, Liang Yan's eyes became more confused.
He stood up and paced back and forth in the courtyard. After a while, he suddenly asked: "Master Wuqi, this is the internal military affairs of your Wuchen Army. Why don't you go to your uncle and come to me to discuss it instead?"
Gui Wuqi sighed and said, "Shuai Liang doesn't know something. My uncle and I are not on good terms. The last time I spoke for you, I had a quarrel with him, which made him have a deeper grudge against me. During this time, I have been treating him badly."
I ignored him. I had reported this matter to him a long time ago, but he didn't respond at all. I don't know whether he didn't read the memorial at all, or whether he thought such a trivial matter was insignificant. In desperation, I had no choice but to come to Liang
Shuai discussed it."
After hearing this, Liang Yan chuckled and said, "So that's it. I'm grateful to Mr. Wuji for speaking up for me."
"Where, where! Liang Shuai has incredible supernatural powers. He entered Xuanxin Palace by his own strength. It has nothing to do with me."
Gui Wuqi was polite and said: "Let's get down to business, whether this matter is big or small, it may not be important in my uncle's opinion, but my temperament is to find out everything. Where are these seven people?
I have visited all the caves and found nothing suspicious. I am afraid that I am not good enough and will be deceived, so I came to ask Liang Shuai to come forward."
"Young Master Wu Qi looks up to me too much. In the final analysis, I am just an ordinary person who has overcome five difficulties. How can I have any extraordinary means? However, since Mr. Wu Qi comes to visit in person, Liang cannot offend him.
Just go with you."
Gui Wuqi was overjoyed after hearing this. He grabbed Liang Yan's arm and said, "With Commander Liang stepping in, this matter will surely come to light. Now I will take you to the caves of these seven people to check them one by one."
After saying that, he pulled Liang Yan, turned into a ray of light and galloped away, leaving the Bamboo Army camp in a blink of an eye.
But it was said that the two of them traveled at a fast pace and soon arrived at the territory of the Wuchen Army.
The Wuchen Army is stationed on the Qiongxia Mountains in the north of Nanxuan. This mountain range is endless, with blue waves and smoke, like an ancient wild land. The depths are shrouded in smoke, but it is the secret formation of Wanggui City.
Dust array.
"What a place where spiritual veins gather."
Liang Yan sighed secretly.
This place is full of spiritual energy. In comparison, the territory of the Bamboo Army is much shabby. There is nothing we can do about it. After all, Yuzhu Mountain is the last to come to the alliance. Of course, the blessed land of Dongtian, which is full of spiritual energy, has been chosen long ago.
Gui Wuqi didn't think too much and took him to the mountainside of a remote mountain.
Liang Yan looked up and saw a cave entrance on the hillside. There was a plaque hanging outside, which read: "Chisha Cave" in three big characters.
"This must be the cave of one of them."
The Qiongxia Mountains cover an extremely large area, and even the monks in the foundation-building stage have their own private caves. There are so many caves like this, and they all have their own names, so it's not surprising.
Liang Yan followed Gui Wuqi into the cave. Looking around, he saw that the furnishings inside were extremely simple. Apart from a small spiritual field, there was only a futon, a calligraphy and painting and an ice bed.
A middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance was sitting cross-legged on the futon. He seemed to be meditating, but in fact he had died long ago and there was no breath in his body.
"That's what happened when I found him. Then I ordered the cave to be sealed off. No one is allowed to enter this place until the reason is found out, so no one has touched any plant or tree here." Gui Wuqi said slowly.
.
"good."
Liang Yan nodded slightly, came to the dead body, and examined it carefully for a long time with his spiritual consciousness.
"This man's meridians are disordered and his spiritual power is flowing backwards. He really seems to be possessed by a maniac. Moreover, there is no injury anywhere on his body, and there is no strange residue in his body. It doesn't look like he has been assassinated."
Liang Yan muttered to himself, then frowned and said, "However, even if he goes crazy, he will struggle painfully before death. Why did he die so peacefully?"
"That's right! Liang Shuai really has a keen eye. This is also a doubt in my heart. This person walked too peacefully, as if he was asleep. This is really suspicious."
Liang Yan nodded, looked around, and carefully checked every corner of the cave with his spiritual consciousness. He found that there were no signs of fighting, and there were no traces of the spells of high-level monks.
