Everyone else returned to their rooms. In the middle of the night, Hongjun heard someone lightly knock on the door. Li Jinglong put on his clothes and quietly went out. Not long after, Hongjun sleepily went out to take a look. Through the half-closed door, he saw Li Jinglong and Li Bai drinking together. Li Guinian had also come to visit.
Hongjun drowsily went back to sleep. When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next day, and the sun was shining down. There were still two days until Yang Guifei's birthday. Li Jinglong spread out the map of Xingqing Palace's banquet area from Mingguang Gate to Tongyang Gate. When the time came, Yang Yuhuan would leave in a carriage and receive the people's pilgrimage with Li Longji. At the same time, the city's security measures couldn't be more strict.
In order to prevent assassinations, the six armies had set up an impenetrable defense. The roofs, second floors, towers, and other places were all set up by archers, including the Lanling Amber.
Tonight, the Shenwu Army would come to take over the wine shop, and Li Jinglong would also be evacuated. After all, he was still wanted.
After touring Chang 'an, the Emperor and Imperial Concubine would return to Xingqing Palace and hold a banquet in front of Tongyang Gate, inviting all the officials and foreign envoys. The grand ceremony would last for a full three days and three nights. The officials and envoys would toast one by one, and the central stage would perform a hundred plays, feather dances, war dances, and so on.
"When the time comes, everyone will split into three groups." Li Jinglong marked the map one by one under the sunlight on the second floor of the wine shop. He explained, "One group will go and seize An Lushan's ring. Another group will guard the side of the stage and break through Tianma's camouflage. The third group will go and deal with Mo Rigen."
As he spoke, Li Jinglong distributed the guard's token to everyone. Lu Xu held the token and remained silent. Li Jinglong patted him on the shoulder, indicating that he did not need to worry. Then he said, "When the time comes, Taibai Xiong and Li Guinian, the two external aids, will also act with us."
Hongjun felt warm under the sun. She recalled the discussion between Li Jinglong and the two of them last night. If there were no accidents, then today would be the most luxurious lineup since the establishment of the Exorcism Division … They actually had foreign aid, Li Bai, to cooperate with them! In order to take care of him, Li Jinglong even put him in the same group as Li Bai and Li Guinian!
"That's because they rarely go out to fight." Lu Xu expressionlessly explained to Hongjun, "This group is the safest. Backup is also very important. Promise me that you'll be safe, okay?"
"You're really something." Hongjun bluntly retorted, "You think you're so great just because there's someone protecting you?"
Lu Xu suddenly laughed. He hooked his arm around Hongjun's shoulder and beat him up. Hongjun wrestled with him, wanting to twist him to the ground. The two of them rolled back and forth. Although Lu Xu was fast, his strength was not as good as Hongjun's. After a few hits, he begged for mercy, "I don't want to play anymore!"
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves could be heard on the street outside the wine shop. Li Jinglong went to the railing and looked over. He saw a person dressed in luxurious clothes, leading five horses over. They were the fast horses that Yang Guozhong had specially sent over.
Trandol led the horses to the backyard. Li Jinglong leaned against the railing and looked over. He whistled at Lu Xu and Hongjun, indicating for them to look. Lu Xu leaned against the railing and looked across the street. He saw a warrior wearing a cloth robe flash and quickly disappear from his sight.
"It's Mo Rigen!" Hongjun wanted to go downstairs but was stopped by Li Jinglong and Lu Xu at the same time.
"Everyone, come over!" Li Jinglong ordered everyone.
Li Guinian also came. They walked up the stairs of the wine shop and the members of the Exorcism Division gathered together.
Li Jinglong said seriously, "This is the plan. Is everyone clear?"
Qiu Yongsi, Atay, Ashina Chong, Lu Xu, Hongjun, Li Guinian, and Li Bai. Everyone nodded. The Carp Demon sat to the side, while Trandol was responsible for staying in the wine shop to provide support.
Li Jinglong was silent for a long time. Then, he said, "And the one who isn't here … … Eliminating the demons is done. This time, it has been hard on everyone."
Li Bai smiled and said, "It's my duty to help you."
Li Guinian said, "Marquis Yadan helped us. We can't thank you enough. Everyone, don't treat us as outsiders."
Li Jinglong said, "Let's disperse now. This battle will be completed tomorrow. After this battle, everyone can have a good gathering! "
Everyone echoed. Li Guinian smiled and said, "This is a good rule. Shall I play a song for everyone?"
Li Guinian played the zither. Everyone listened carefully. Hongjun's thoughts unconsciously drifted away. He thought of the demon seed in his body and the agreement with Li Jinglong … … When he looked at Li Jinglong again, he found that Li Jinglong was also looking at him with a smile in his eyes.
"Brother Gui Nian plays the zither." Li Bai said, "I don't have anything to boost morale. Why don't I give you a poem? Bring me a pen!"
Hongjun was shocked. He hurriedly prepared a pen and paper for Li Bai to write a poem. Li Bai drank enough wine and said cheerfully, "Save it. I still have to write a birthday song in the future … …"
"Brother Tai Bai wrote it casually. It must be a masterpiece!" Li Guinian laughed.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
On the roof of the second floor of Lanling Amber, Mo Rigen, who was wearing a cloth robe and carrying a quiver of arrows, squatted quietly. His eyes were filled with confusion as he looked into the distance.
In the afternoon, everyone dispersed. Li Jinglong brought Hongjun to Feng Changqing's house. Although it was Hongjun's first time here, he recognized Feng Changqing. At present, the whole city was still looking for Li Jinglong. He really had nowhere to go. This was the only place he could stay for the night.
Feng Changqing didn't blame Li Jinglong, nor did he ask much. He only glanced at him coldly and said, "You're back?"
Li Jinglong nodded. Feng Changqing ordered dinner to be prepared. He asked again, "Do you know what you're doing?"
Li Jinglong replied, "I know."
Feng Changqing didn't say anything else. After dinner, Li Jinglong asked about the details of the birthday banquet. Feng Changqing knew everything and answered all of his questions. At night, Li Jinglong lay on the bed, using his arm as a pillow to think. Hongjun sat beside him and looked at him.
"What's wrong?" Li Jinglong's expression changed and asked.
Hongjun always felt that he and Li Jinglong were becoming more and more like a couple. He smiled and shook his head, "Nothing."
Li Jinglong patted the space beside him, indicating for Hongjun to come over. Hongjun moved closer to him and lowered his head to look at him.
Li Jinglong said seriously, "Tomorrow, we'll get rid of An Lushan and expel the demonic energy from his body … Then we'll deal with Yang Guozhong."
"What if we can't expel it?" Hongjun asked.
"You're worried that we can't expel it?" Li Jinglong thought for a moment and said, "I'm not worried about this. An Lushan's demonic heart seed is formed by Yang Guozhong's soul. As long as we snatch An Lushan's magic treasure and purify it with the Mind's Lantern and the Sword of Wisdom, we can expel the demonic energy … Yang Guozhong will also take back his soul. What I'm worried about is that there might be a mutiny. However, we can only leave this to Yang Guozhong and General Geshu Han."
Hongjun suddenly said, "You're not afraid that I'll do what I did last time …"
"You can't do it." Li Jinglong said with a smile. He lightly tapped Hongjun's chest with his index and middle fingers and said, "Your demonic seed has been sealed by me. I'm your fated nemesis."
"Who told you that?" Hongjun said, "That night, what else did you say to Kun Shen?"
The corners of Li Jinglong's mouth curled up slightly. He looked at Hongjun in a daze. After a long time, he said, "He told me that everything will be fine."
Hongjun muttered to himself and did not say anything. However, his expression was much more relieved. Li Jinglong said, "He told me how to use the Mind's Lantern to expel the darkness in the world. The Immovable Wisdom King used the Six Artifacts to kill demons and devils. It was a strong force. The Burning Lamp Daoist used the Mind's Lantern to break the demonic energy. It was a soft force."
Hongjun vaguely sensed something and said, "Thinking about it, it's a coincidence that the Mind's Lantern and the Sword of Wisdom are both on you."
"That's right." Li Jinglong said, "If I only had the Sword of Wisdom and other artifacts, perhaps there would be a day when the two of us meet on the battlefield. If I don't kill you, then you kill me. It's precisely because of this that Kun Shen borrowed your hand to give me the Mind's Lantern … "
Hongjun's heart instantly trembled. Whether it was Kun Shen's dream, his childhood memories, or Di Renjie's prediction, none of them mentioned the Mind's Lantern! At this moment, he finally knew where Li Jinglong's confidence came from. The Mind's Lantern was the one that affected the future. It was the only variable!
"Kun Shen said that this is the light that illuminates the night." Li Jinglong raised his left hand. A warm white light condensed in his hand and illuminated the room.
Suddenly, there was a sound from next door. Li Jinglong and Hongjun turned their heads at the same time. There was the sound of a door being pushed open. When the door was pushed open, Li Jinglong instantly jumped up. He broke through the door at almost the same time as Hongjun and rushed into the courtyard. They only saw a figure that was incomparably fast and disappeared from the roof. Hongjun tacitly turned around and entered the room. He was afraid that the other party still had a backup plan. However, Li Jinglong rushed to the roof and chased after them.
Under the dim moonlight, Li Jinglong roared, "Stop!"
Mo Rigen carried a burlap sack and leaped. Li Jinglong was barefooted. Both of their speed was limited. Immediately after, Mo Rigen stepped onto the edge of the roof. With a leap, he carried the burlap sack to an even higher place. Immediately after, there was a whistle. Nailhead arrows shot out rapidly and shattered the roof tiles with a few swish.
When Li Jinglong caught up, the tiles had already fallen to the ground. The opposite side was at least three feet away. No matter how hard he tried, he could not jump over.
He stood quietly at the edge of the roof and stared at the burlap sack behind Mo Rigen.
Mo Rigen slowly turned around and looked at Li Jinglong.
"Give the person back." Li Jinglong said, "Let's fight. I know that you already have the heart to compete with me, right?"
Mo Rigen said in a low voice, "I'm not your opponent. I won't fight."
Li Jinglong: "…"
"Tianma Daren also doesn't want to fight with you." Mo Rigen patted the burlap sack in his hand and said, "I just don't know if a person who prides himself on being righteous will also go crazy when he experiences the pain of losing a loved one."
Li Jinglong could not help but tremble. He could roughly guess who Mo Rigen had taken away.
"Don't act blindly without thinking." Mo Rigen made a 'hush' gesture and said, "Tomorrow at noon, the residence will be waiting for you. Remember to come and exchange for the person. Whether or not you have the life to take him away will depend on your luck."
When he finished speaking, Mo Rigen turned around and flew away. In an instant, Li Jinglong let out a fierce roar. His voice broke through the night sky. He ran wildly and leapt towards the opposite side.
He used all his strength to fiercely hit the edge of the opposite house. However, when his foot stepped on the broken tiles, he was instantly drenched in blood. In the end, he missed by half an inch. Along with countless flying stones, he fell with a crash and fell onto the handcart behind the guesthouse. He closed his eyes in pain.
In the early morning, Hongjun wrapped a bandage around Li Jinglong's foot. Lu Xu frowned deeply and looked at him worriedly.
"The situation has changed." Li Jinglong said, "I must go to the Wei Manor in Anxi to find my cousin."
In last night's chaos, Hongjun never expected that An Lushan's third goal would be to take Feng Changqing hostage. Li Jinglong had calculated everything, but this was the only thing he had missed. If Lu Xu could still enter Mo Rigen's dream, he might be able to catch a glimpse of this important information.
"I'll go take care of him." Lu Xu said.
"You can't exorcise the demon." Li Jinglong frowned.
"What if I go with Lu Xu?" Hongjun said, "Let's capture him first."
Lu Xu raised his hand and said, "No need, I have my own way."
Without Li Jinglong's Mind Lantern, Hongjun was afraid that Lu Xu and Mo Rigen would be injured as soon as they met. However, after that night, Lu Xu was actually fearless.
"I can also seal the demonic energy in his body." Lu Xu said, "Just like how you sealed Hongjun's inner demon, right?"
Li Jinglong suddenly raised his head. Lu Xu finally said, "Leave it to me. The plan will continue as before. Those who should save him will save him, and those who should stay on guard will stay on guard."
Hongjun was suddenly enlightened. He smiled and said, "Right!"
Lu Xu left without looking back. Hongjun looked at Li Jinglong. Li Jinglong thought for a moment, then finally nodded lightly.
"The plan will continue as before." Li Jinglong said.
On this day, Chang 'an was filled with a sea of people. Nearly a million people, plus many tourists from Guanzhong, Luoyang, and even Bashu were all squeezed into the capital of the Tang Dynasty. The thousand-year-old Haojing was suddenly overcrowded. Pictures of a hundred beasts with the homophonic sound of 'hundred longevity' were hung in front and behind the buildings, in the streets and alleys. The characters "longevity" and "fortune" were everywhere. Along the streets, gongs and drums were played. Some were throwing money, while others were cooking. Thousands of food stalls were opened on the two streets of Chang 'an's Vermillion Bird Avenue.
Hongjun was almost squeezed to the point that he couldn't walk away. Covered in sweat, he met up with Li Bai and Li Guinian in front of the Great Ci 'en Temple. Even the Ci' en Temple was unprecedentedly grand. The sound of chanting and praying reached the sky.
"We finally found it." Hongjun said, "Something happened this morning, so we couldn't get a seat …"
Later, Li Longji would bring Yang Yuhuan to the Great Ci 'en Temple to receive the people's congratulations. However, the place near the Emperor's seat outside the temple was already surrounded by three layers inside and three layers outside. There was no place to stand.
"Don't worry." Li Guinian smiled and said, "Our Brother Taibai has a special seat. We can just follow him."
Li Bai was still hungover. He grunted a few times, then looked around and said, "What? Oh, yes, let's go see the Abbot … "
Li Bai first pushed the guards aside and shouted inside. The monk in the Ci 'en Temple recognized Li Bai. After a moment of shock, he quickly let him in and said, "Why is Lord Taibai strolling around here at this time? Not going to the palace? Also, Master Li Guinian, please come this way. "
Hongjun was afraid that the soldiers of the six armies would cause trouble, but Li Bai and Li Guinian's faces were more useful than anything else. In a flash, they entered the Great Ci 'en Temple. He held a folding fan in his hand and covered most of his face. Then, he pulled Li Bai's sleeve and entered the temple. The Abbot was very busy. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to receive the guests properly, so he didn't have time to take care of them. Not long after, a young novice monk led the three of them to the third floor. They happened to have a panoramic view of the Sutra Pavilion.
The Carp Demon jumped down and said, "I've been here before!"
In the past, when Master Xuan Zang came to preach, the Carp Demon was under the altar. Hongjun and it leaned against the window lattice and looked down curiously.
"What are we going to do?" Li Guinian asked.
"Deal with the demon." Hongjun said, "Protect the Imperial Concubine and His Majesty."
"Oh?" Li Bai said, "What demon?"
The Carp Demon said frantically, "I told you so many plans that day, but you didn't listen to a single word!"
Li Bai's mind was always wandering. He said, "I'm drunk. Bring me wine. Bring me wine."
"You can't drink in the Great Ci 'en Temple!" the Carp Demon said again.
Hongjun shouted angrily, "How can you talk to Brother Taibai like that?" He hurriedly said softly, "Brother Taibai, I'm really sorry. It seems that you can't drink in the Great Ci 'en Temple …"
"It's okay, it's okay." Li Bai said, "Don't drink in the Hall of Great Strength. I can drink."
Hongjun could only give him the wine and said, "Then I'll explain it to you one more time?"
"There's no need." Li Bai waved his hand and said, "Just call me when it's time to act. I'll hit wherever you point."