Hongjun nodded. The two of them remained silent, waiting for the talismans to dry. Qiu Yongsi glanced at him and smiled. "Do you think these nine talismans will dry by tomorrow morning?"
"They're almost done now," Hongjun said. "There's no need to wait until tomorrow morning."
"I hope they won't dry in a hundred years," Qiu Yongsi suddenly said. "Unfortunately, they won't dry."
Hongjun: "???"
The two of them waited for a while. Hongjun yawned, feeling a little sleepy. He forced himself to stay awake and was about to tell Qiu Yongsi that he wanted to go back to his room to sleep when Qiu Yongsi suddenly said, "Don't say anything, Hongjun. That's all."
Hongjun: "?"
A gust of wind blew, causing the talismans on the table to flutter gently. Qiu Yongsi looked at Hongjun and smiled. "Are you sleepy?"
Hongjun's eyelids felt a little heavy. "Yes," Qiu Yongsi said. "Let's go," he said.
As he spoke, he put away the talismans and stood up. Hongjun didn't understand, but he stood up and helped him carry the glass bottle. Qiu Yongsi said again, "Wait for me."
Qiu Yongsi went to pack up his things. When he came out again, he had changed into a brilliant set of armor. He wore a dragon helmet on his head, a sun, moon, and stars brocade armor on his body, a cloud ribbon on his waist, and cloud-patterned war boots on his feet. On the sides of his boots, shoulder armor, and helmet, there were also flying cloud-like wings.
"Are you going to the tower now?" Hongjun asked. "Why don't you wait until tomorrow?"
Qiu Yongsi seemed a little sad. "Let's finish today's business today."
Hongjun felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He looked at Qiu Yongsi and felt that he seemed to have changed into a different person. He was even more majestic than Li Longji.
It was true that clothes made the man, and gold made the Buddha. Vaguely, he resembled the mighty and dignified Zoroastrianism War God that Ashina Chong had summoned during the Divine Bestowal. It was also like the heroic spirit of the leader of the Heavenly Generals described in the storybooks.
"Don't I look like an opera singer?" Qiu Yongsi was obviously not used to wearing armor. "This helmet is too heavy."
"It's so beautiful!" Hong Jun praised sincerely. "You should paint yourself."
"Hmm?" Qiu Yongsi said, "To be a door god? Let's go. "
With a smile, he put his arm around Hongjun's shoulder and walked around the backyard. There was a small path that led to the circular platform in front of the nine-story tower.
"Do you remember that day when we played the zither and sang in the Exorcism Division?" Qiu Yongsi laughed as he walked.
"I remember." Hongjun had a particularly deep memory of that day. Everyone was playing and singing when the door suddenly fell open, revealing Li Jinglong and Feng Changqing with twisted expressions. After that, everyone often mentioned that day and felt that it was simply the happiest day of their lives.
"And Liu Ying Chun Xiao." Qiu Yongsi said as he walked, "Thanks to Chief Shi's blessing …"
In the tea room, Li Jinglong tried hard to recall all these illogical things. He said, "Isn't Li Bai Yongsi's cousin?!"
"He's a relative of the Li family." Qiu Qiu said again, "He's very far away, so everyone just calls him by his seniority."
Li Jinglong said, "Why are you … telling me all this?"
Qiu Qiu said, "I want to know if Yaoji said anything before she died in this life. My lifespan is almost up. If I enter the tower again, I won't be able to hold on for long. I just want to see her one last time before I die. Even if it's just once, it's good enough. "
Li Jinglong said, "I don't know … Hongjun has never mentioned his mother, I …"
Li Jinglong stood up, his expression somewhat absent-minded. When he turned back to look at Qiu Qiu, his brows were deeply furrowed. He originally wanted to ask Venerable Xianglong about the whereabouts of the Acala Dharma Artifact, but now he had forgotten about it.
"It's none of your business." Qiu Qiu laughed, "What are you so shocked about?"
Li Jinglong thought that was right. Although Hongjun and Qiu Yongsi had this layer of connection, they couldn't be considered brothers. After all, Yaoji in the previous life and Yaoji in this life both fell in love with different people. Could they be lumped together? Obviously not, otherwise how many people in this world could be relatives?
But he always felt that it was strange. This matter could obviously only be listened to as an irrelevant anecdote, but he couldn't completely treat it as an anecdote.
"Yongsi … So it's like this." Li Jinglong finally said, "He didn't have an easy life either."
"He grew up in the pagoda." Qiu Qiu said, "I've never told him about the Yang Family, so please keep it a secret. He's a very good child, very sensible since he was young. He accepted everything I told him and never objected … The old man is about to die. After I die, I'm afraid he'll be really lonely … After all, he didn't have many friends since he was young. "
Li Jinglong saw that Qiu Yongsi was proficient in tea, calligraphy, and chess. He thought that since he was born into a rich family, and his family was also an exorcist family, he must have friends in his hometown. He didn't expect that it was poles apart from his imagination.
"He often writes to me." Qiu Qiu said again, "He likes you very much, but this child has been smiling since he was young. He doesn't like to talk about feelings with others, especially brothers. If he talks too much, his face will blush. In these days, please accompany him more. After all, he's about to enter the pagoda. "
"What do you mean?" Li Jinglong said.
"The world changes." Qiu Qiu said meaningfully, "Venerable Xianglong only has this pagoda in his life."
"The hot spring that day was really good …"
"The summer was too hot. Jinglong promised to take us there again in winter."
There was no door on the Dragon Subduing Pagoda. When they reached here, Hongjun and Qiu Yongsi could only stand on the platform and look at the pagoda from afar. The bottom of the pagoda was actually floating in the air, and there was a faint five-colored light below.
Qiu Yongsi felt that the helmet was cumbersome, so he took it off and held it. His long hair was tied up, as if he had changed from a scholar to a great general who was about to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy at any time.
He faced Hongjun, took the glass bottle, and said with a smile, "When I first saw you, I had a strange premonition."
Hongjun looked at Qiu Yongsi and said, "I also feel that I know you from somewhere, but I can't tell."
Hongjun remembered the feeling when he first investigated the fox demon case with Qiu Yongsi. Qiu Yongsi gave him a familiar feeling, as if he was a reliable big brother.
"I think so." Qiu Yongsi said, "If one day I'm standing here, then the person who will accompany me on this final journey might be you. Now it seems that it really is you. "
"Wait." Hongjun felt that something was wrong and said, "What do you mean? Brother Yongsi, what are you going to do? "
Qiu Yongsi turned to look at the Dragon Subduing Pagoda, then looked at Hongjun and said, "Repairing the Time Barrier in the pagoda requires me to exert all my strength. It will take a full two hundred days to complete the entire process."
Hongjun: "…"
"The time in the pagoda." Qiu Yongsi said, "This time is the time when the seal gradually loses its effect after Xie Yu escapes from the pagoda. I have to reverse it and stop the entire array, which means …"
"You're going to stay in there for two hundred years?!" Hongjun said in disbelief.
Qiu Yongsi nodded.
"No, no." Hongjun hurriedly said, "Why didn't you discuss this matter with everyone first?"
Qiu Yongsi said, "I've also thought of saying goodbye to everyone tomorrow morning. After all, we've been together for so long. Everyone in the Exorcism Division is like family to me. But thinking about it, such a parting would only add to the sadness. Why don't we … "
He was a little sad, but he smiled at Hongjun.
"Xie Yu hasn't been caught yet!" Hongjun said, "Tianma hasn't been solved either! How can you go in like this? Can't you wait a little longer? "
"The time in the pagoda will only get faster and faster." Qiu Yongsi said, "One more day of delay means one more day of uncertainty. The Elder Historian will get rid of Xie Yu for me. It's no longer important whether or not he'll be brought to justice. "
Hongjun never expected that the end of this journey would be a farewell to Qiu Yongsi!
"I …" Hongjun said subconsciously, "I'll call the Elder Historian. You can't do this! Yongsi! "
Qiu Yongsi only looked at Hongjun quietly and stretched out his arm, gesturing to him.
Hongjun walked towards Qiu Yongsi in a daze. Qiu Yongsi hugged him tightly through the armor.
"Take good care of yourself." Qiu Yongsi said in a low voice, "Tell everyone that I'm leaving. Don't miss me too much. Atay didn't need to return the money he borrowed from me when he went to Pingkang Li. Remember not to say it in front of Trandol."
Hongjun hugged Qiu Yongsi's waist and leaned his head against his breastplate. He was overwhelmed with emotions and was speechless. He couldn't accept all of this for a long time. It was as if he was in a dream.
Qiu Yongsi opened his right hand and the brush in his hand spun. The tip of the brush gently sprinkled tens of thousands of stars, covering the entire circular platform. The platform instantly turned into a huge teleportation array and began to slowly rotate.
Then, he pressed Hongjun's shoulder with his left hand and forcefully pulled him away from himself. He exerted strength in his hand and pushed him off the platform.
However, at this moment, Hongjun suddenly saw a black aura permeating the forest not far behind Qiu Yongsi.
What was that? Hongjun thought.
"I'm leaving." Qiu Yongsi said, "Hongjun, goodbye."
"Wait …" Hongjun saw that the black aura was getting thicker and thicker. For a moment, he didn't know what was going on. It obviously shouldn't appear here. However, in a few short moments, Hongjun shouted angrily.
"Li — Jing — Long —!"
Hongjun shouted. Qiu Yongsi hurriedly said, "Don't shout!"
Then, the black aura suddenly burst out and rushed toward Qiu Yongsi. A rolling flood dragon appeared in the black aura and roared as it rushed toward the two of them!
Qiu Yongsi felt that something was wrong. He turned around and his eyes reflected the black aura permeating the forest under the moonlight. The black aura condensed into a sharp arrow and shot into the teleportation array. It hit the glazed bottle in Qiu Yongsi's hand.
"Ding!" The glazed bottle flew out of Qiu Yongsi's hand in an arc and fell outside the teleportation array!
The teleportation array spun faster and faster. In the black aura, the nine-tailed demon fox, flying mastiffs, snow women, and other combined forms appeared. They flew out from Hei Jiao and rushed to snatch the glazed bottle!
However, Hong Jun was even faster. He leaped into the air and rushed into the formation first. He stepped on Qiu Yongsi's shoulder and flipped his body. He kicked out with his other leg in the air and did a somersault in the air, hooking the glass bottle back to him. Qiu Yongsi suddenly pulled out a paintbrush from his waist and waved it in the air. He grabbed Hongjun with his other hand and shouted, "Get out!"
Hongjun's finger just happened to reach out half an inch and touched the glazed bottle. He hooked his finger and grabbed it firmly in his hand.
Blue light covered the sky and the earth. On the circular platform, the dazzling flames exploded and rushed into the sky! The two of them were drowned in the blue flames.
Xie Yu crashed into the ring of flames but was instantly blocked by the teleportation array. He roared and was bounced into the distance.
Li Jinglong passed through the corridor. Suddenly, his heart beat violently. This was unprecedented. His first instinct was that Hongjun's violent mood swings affected him.
"Hongjun?"
Before he finished speaking, there was a tremor in the distance.
The members of the Exorcism Division had just fallen asleep. Now, they all woke up and saw a pillar of light rushing into the sky. Li Jinglong subconsciously asked, "Where's Hongjun?"
Everyone was here except for Hong Jun. Li Jinglong had an ominous premonition at this moment. When the blue light formed a pillar of light, a black dragon flew up from the periphery with a mournful cry. It fiercely slammed into the blue light but to no avail. It then turned around and rushed to the top of the Dragon Subduing Pagoda.
"Xie Yu?!" Qiu Qiu arrived at the corridor in the backyard and roared, "It's that bastard!"
Li Jinglong immediately drew his wisdom sword and ran to the back of the mountain.
On the land of Heluo, the sun rose. The caravan washed up by the stream. The worker carried the cage containing the Carp Demon and soaked it in the water. The Carp Demon was still in a daze. After being soaked in the water for half a day, it was lifted up again and laid motionless in the cage.
"Isn't this thing a juggler?"
"Come on, it's just a carp. Do you want it to spit fire or something?"
"At least jump in a circle! The boss spent a lot of money to buy it! "
"Forget it." The boss of the caravan came and said, "Bring it into Fan Yang today. If we can't sell it, we'll set it free."
When the Carp Demon heard the word "set it free", its gills moved and its eyes turned back slightly to look at everyone. When the boss approached it, the Carp Demon's eyes immediately returned to a dazed state.
"What do you think this carp is thinking all day long?"
"What else can a fish think other than earthworms?" A waiter caught an earthworm to feed it, but the carp monster refused to eat it, as if it was on a hunger strike. Its mouth moved, and the waiter picked up a chopstick, put the earthworm into its mouth, and poked it inside. Then, he didn't care anymore and went on his way.
The earthworm escaped from the fish's mouth and wriggled out. The Carp Demon was really hungry. When everyone was not paying attention, it quickly grabbed the earthworm and stuffed it into its mouth.
The caravan entered Fan Yang City early in the morning. Compared to when the boss of the caravan came a year ago, this city was filled with a tense atmosphere. First, the guards at the city gate repeatedly checked and confirmed everyone's identity before letting them in. The city was filled with iron workshops and sparks from iron smelting. Thick smoke billowed into the air like dark clouds.
There were more iron products in the market, and the whole of Fanyang was filled with flying ashes and sparks. It was like a burning ancient city, and the pedestrians coming and going had bitter expressions. Their faces were gray and dark, and the streets were full of patrolling guards.
The caravan waited in the market for a long time, but they couldn't sell anything or buy anything back. They had originally planned to use this place as their last stop, but all their goods were strictly controlled.
"Look, hey —" The boss of the caravan said blankly, "There's a demon here!"
In the end, they couldn't do business, so they rented a stall. After some discussion, they could only sell demons.
The Carp Demon didn't look good along the way, so it couldn't be sold in Luoyang and other places. After standing there for a long time, the boss of the caravan could only admit that he was unlucky. Just as he was about to open the cage door and let the Carp Demon go, he felt unwilling. Not only did he lose money, but the two golden pheasants also flew away thanks to it.
The boss cursed and kicked the cage door. Suddenly, there was the sound of horse hooves. A woman's voice behind him asked, "Eh? Demon? "
The boss turned around and saw a female general wearing armor. Her clothes were embroidered with the insignia of An Lushan's army. He hurriedly bowed and explained the Carp Demon's origins. The female general didn't have any guards with her, so she only glanced at the boss.
"How much is this fish?" The female general asked.
The boss hurriedly smiled apologetically and raised four fingers, saying, "I bought it in Chen Cang. I spent a lot of money to buy this monster."
The female general glanced at the Carp Demon and whistled. The soldiers on the street came over.
"Take four hundred taels." The female general said.
The boss was instantly frightened, but he was well-trained and immediately calmed down.
The Carp Demon turned its head and looked at the female general with one eye. The female general didn't wait to pay. She stretched out her hand and signaled to the boss. The boss hurriedly handed the cage over. The Carp Demon was tied to the side of the horse's saddle and rolled around in the cage as it was taken away.
She won't eat me, right? The Carp Demon's first thought was, what will happen to me? But according to common sense, no one would spend four hundred taels to buy steamed or braised carp. As long as it wasn't killed, it would be released from the cage from time to time and it would be able to escape.
It roughly remembered the path along the way. Even if it couldn't remember, it could go upstream along the Yellow River and enter the Jing River. It would be able to enter the Chang 'an. But what was the use of entering the Chang 'an? The Exorcism Division didn't want it anymore. Hongjun listened to it for a long time inside, but he didn't come out to open the door.
Thinking that it would be homeless from now on, its entire life as a fish was about to fall into despair.
The cage was thrown to the ground. The Carp Demon didn't even notice where it had entered. It looked like a general's residence. It entered the female general's room.
The female general turned around, took off her armor, and looked at herself in the mirror.
"Can you speak?" The female general asked.
There was no one in the room. These words were naturally meant for the Carp Demon. The Carp Demon grabbed the bars of the cage and didn't speak for a long time.
"You look quite stupid." The female general laughed again. "You haven't cultivated a human form yet, right?"
As she spoke, the female general took off her inner clothes, revealing her beautiful ivory body. She casually said, "Why were you captured instead of cultivating?"
The carp monster stared at the female general. The female general had stripped naked. She bent down and touched her ankle. Following that, she tore off the skin and flesh from her ankle. Following that, she tore off the skin from her foot to her head. She tore off the skin from her foot to her head, revealing her bloody flesh.
The Carp Demon was instantly frightened out of its wits.
It shouted, "Demon — Monster — Ah —!!!"