Luoyang, Exorcism Department, early morning.
After a night of drinking, Mo Rigen and Atay leaned against each other in the hall, waiting for their hangovers to pass.
Trandol came over and tidied up the messy cups and plates on the table. There were also quite a few wine cups that were upside down. He stacked a few tall bowls and arranged them in the shape of the Big Dipper. He was probably trying to reconstruct the array in Luoyang.
"Do you still want this sand table?" Trandol said. "If you don't want it, I'll take it."
The two woke up at the same time. Mo Rigen had a headache from drinking. He stood up shakily and said, "I'm going to work now."
Atay grunted. Last night, the two drank until their faces were red and their necks were thick. After arguing for half a day, they finally reached a consensus. Whether or not Li Jinglong was here, the array still needed to be set up. When they left Chang 'an and went to Hangzhou, Li Jinglong took out the Exorcism Department's handwritten letter and explained the layout in detail to everyone.
Although the Seven Imperial Palaces of Tiandu were built by Wu Zetian in the past, Di Renjie had also buried an array under the Seven Imperial Palaces to resist Tianma in the future when Tianma might come back to life. However, this array had never been tested and had never been used. Everyone was extremely doubtful.
But at least it was better than nothing … Mo Rigen's head was heavy and his feet were light. His hangover still hadn't subsided. Outside the Exorcism Department, Lu Xu leaned against the outer red wall and waited absentmindedly.
"Where are you going?" Lu Xu asked.
"I have something to do. You go back and rest. I'll go." In the past year and a half, Mo Rigen had brought Lu Xu everywhere and finally arrived in Luoyang. Now that Lu Xu could live a peaceful life, he didn't want to trouble him anymore.
Lu Xu mocked, "Look at you. You can't even walk steadily. Let's go."
Lu Xu handed him a bamboo tube of water. Mo Rigen raised his head and drank the water in the alley, splashing the rest on his face. In the dead of winter, the streets of Luoyang were cold and cheerless. There was not the slightest bit of the warmth and bustle of winter.
The two of them walked, one in front and one behind. Along the way, they did not speak. When they reached the outside of the Ming Hall, this place was originally heavily guarded, but as soon as the Imperial Court's Supervisory Envoy arrived, the Tang Army was transferred away in large numbers to guard Hulao Pass in Xingyang. The four gates of the city were tightly shut, the supervisor was wantonly recruiting soldiers, the common people and the soldiers were all gathered at the market entrance, unexpectedly no one came to manage this place.
Mo Rigen and Lu Xu easily entered the Ming Hall. Mo Rigen unfolded the topographic map and studied it for a moment before saying, "Let's go down."
The two of them walked along the backyard of the Ming Hall to the kitchen. There was a cellar in the kitchen. Mo Rigen lit a lamp and searched the cellar for a long time before hanging it up.
"It should be … here." Mo Rigen said. Then he used his shoulder to support it. Lu Xu helped by the side and forcefully pushed open a secret door. The passageway had been built for nearly a hundred years. As soon as it was pushed open, rats rushed out, blotting out the sky and covering the earth.
Lu Xu immediately shouted and jumped onto Mo Rigen's body. Mo Rigen hurriedly reached out and hugged him horizontally.
Mo Rigen: "…"
Lu Xu: "…"
When the rats had all scattered, Mo Rigen said, "Are you afraid of rats?"
Lu Xu's face flushed red. He said, "When I was a soldier in Liangzhou, I was scared by my fellow soldiers."
Lu Xu used to be a fool. When he was a scout, he slept on a large bunk. One of his fellow soldiers used to tease him for fun. When he was sleeping with his mouth open, he would pick up a rat by its tail and put a live rat into his mouth. Since then, Lu Xu had a psychological trauma towards rats.
"Did you eat it afterwards?" Mo Rigen asked.
"Stop talking!" Lu Xu said angrily. "I'm going to get angry."
Mo Rigen only thought it was funny. He carelessly touched Lu Xu's face. Lu Xu kicked him angrily. Let him walk in front and stop talking nonsense.
"Can we win this battle?" Lu Xu asked in the light and Mo Rigen's shadow.
"Looks like we can't win," Mo Rigen said. "We have to fight even if we can't win."
"I'm talking about us," Lu Xu said casually.
"I'm talking about us too." Mo Rigen said carelessly. "But you run fast, so it's okay."
When Lu Xu heard this, he immediately became angry and said, "Who do you think I am?"
Mo Rigen said, "Atay and I discussed it last night. After An Lushan enters the city, we should all give it our all. If we really can't do it, we'll all run. Trandol is pregnant. You have to run with her. "
Lu Xu asked, "How many months?"
Mo Rigen turned around and looked at Lu Xu meaningfully. He gestured three fingers.
Lu Xu was silent for a moment. "Is it very dangerous this time?"
"Of course." Mo Rigen said, "An Lushan is determined to win. It's not like the last time we were in the Chang 'an … It's funny. The Tang Dynasty killed my mother. Now I have to help them defend their country."
Lu Xu said, "I thought you had already gotten over it."
In fact, ever since he came back from his undercover mission, Mo Rigen had become a little evil. Although he still smiled like the hotheaded Mo Rigen from the Exorcism Division, in front of Lu Xu, he often showed his wolf-like nature. His strength was different from Li Jinglong's. Li Jinglong was like a mountain of self-confidence, while Mo Rigen was full of aggressive arrogance.
Mo Rigen rubbed his head and sniffed at a fork in the road. "Thanks to you, I've gotten over it."
"Atay and Trandol haven't gotten married yet," Lu Xu said.
Mo Rigen said, "They'll get married soon, right? I wanted to wait for Elder Shi to come out of the tower, but it seems like I can't wait. "
"Well, getting married is good," Lu Xu said again.
"Getting married." Mo Rigen seemed to have thought of something, but didn't say much.
They walked down a deeper passage. After walking for about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, they arrived at a hall that emitted a blue light. Lu Xu cried out in surprise. This was the place where the ley lines converged. It was Mo Rigen's first time seeing it, but he had heard from Li Jinglong that when he came to Luoyang to kill demons, he had arrived at the deepest part of an abandoned mine.
The divine continent had two ley lines, Heaven and Earth. All living things had spirits. After death, they would either return to the Heavens or return to the Earth. They would circulate and flow endlessly. Where the ley lines intersected, there would be forks. Occasionally, the surging energy would splash out and lead to the surface. This branch road would be hidden deep under various mines and valleys.
There was a common folk legend that when miners dug through the ground while mining, they would see some kind of demon or ghost. This was an illusion produced by the ley lines. And the more turbulent the ley line's spring of energy was, the more majestic and prosperous the mountains, trees, and rivers would be. Geomancers also often called the places where the ley lines flowed and were active "ley lines".
Di Renjie had researched this legend in detail. Luoyang's mountains were scattered and echoed. It was the place where the ley lines converged. Since the time of the Emperor of Zhou, it was designated as the center of the divine continent and was called "Luo Yi". The ley line's energy must be very prosperous. As expected, when building the Seven Imperial Buildings of Heaven Capital, they found the ley line's exit after digging the foundation.
The place where the Ming Hall was located was the largest ley line's exit. The ground of this hall was crisscrossed with intersecting trenches. It was the Magic Removal Array that Di Renjie created with the ley line's energy. Mo Rigen stepped forward, stretched out two fingers, and uncovered the talisman.
"Buzz." With a clear sound, the ley line's spring water flowed into the array. The array immediately lit up and the two retreated a little.
"How does this array work?" Lu Xu asked curiously.
"Use it to guide it," Mo Rigen answered.
This was only one of Di Renjie's initial ideas. There was abundant ley line energy under the Seven Imperial Buildings of Heaven Capital. After all of it was unlocked, the ley line's energy flow would rush to the surface. An exorcist could guide this energy and instantly increase his own cultivation by ten times, a hundred times, or even a thousand times. He could directly bombard Tianma with pure magic energy.
"Who's guiding it?" Lu Xu asked.
Mo Rigen spread out his hands, his face full of confusion.
Lu Xu said, "This is too childish!"
Mo Rigen shrugged helplessly and put away the talisman, indicating that they should leave. Lu Xu was unwilling to let it go, saying, "You can destroy Tianma by guiding the ley line's energy? Then what are you and Hongjun working so hard to do? "
Mo Rigen said, "We don't even know if it can be used. You ask me, but who am I to ask? Even the Elder doesn't know what to do. He's just trying. "
"Then who is controlling this formation?" A strong sense of unease welled up in Lu Xu's heart. When they returned to the main hall of the Ming Hall, a group of Tang soldiers suddenly appeared and surrounded them.
"Who's there?!" the Tang soldiers shouted.
A general said angrily, "Where did you come from? Trespassing! Arrest them all! "
Mo Rigen raised his hand and the Exorcist Division token appeared in his hand. He clearly didn't want to say much and only said coldly, "Get lost."
Lu Xu thought to himself, Why are you pretending to be cold and heartless? He said on his behalf, "The Tang Dynasty's Exorcist Division is on official business. Unrelated people, please leave."
The general sneered, "What's the Tang Dynasty's Exorcist Division?! I think it's a spy! Come with me! "
As soon as he said this, Mo Rigen became angry. Seeing the Tang soldiers rush forward, Lu Xu just took a step back, knowing that Mo Rigen would take care of it. Sure enough, Mo Rigen just turned around and turned into a whirlwind. The Tang soldiers didn't even have time to see his movements before they were thrown to the ground. The general's vision blurred and his throat was locked by strong fingers. His feet left the ground and he was lifted up.
Lu Xu couldn't bear to watch. Mo Rigen raised his hand and lifted the general in the air with his right hand. His left hand pulled out a short knife and drew on the general's armor.
The general suddenly showed a frightened expression. Lu Xu said, "Alright! Don't go too far! "
Mo Rigen threw the general to the ground. The general immediately said, "Spare me! Sir, spare me! I have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai … "
Lu Xu, "…"
"What's your name?" Mo Rigen said indifferently.
The general knelt on the ground. He had a handsome appearance and only begged, "This lowly one, Bi Sichen, is here on His Majesty's orders to help guard Luoyang. I really didn't know that Sir was here on official business. If I have offended you, please don't take offense …"
Lu Xu only wanted to curse in his heart. This damn Emperor sent this kind of person to guard Luoyang?
"I've heard about you." Mo Rigen's eyes were filled with sympathy. "You're recruiting soldiers, right?"
Bi Sichen lifted his feet and stood up, trembling with fear. Hearing this, he hurriedly nodded, "Yes, yes …"
Mo Rigen, "Did I say you could stand up? Kneel properly! "
Bi Sichen hurriedly knelt again. Lu Xu wondered what rank this person was. Since he was here on Li Longji's orders, he must be an imperial envoy. An imperial envoy represented the Emperor. It was simply disgraceful to make him kneel like this. If he went back and harbored resentment, he might cause trouble for the Exorcism Division.
Mo Rigen picked his ear and said casually, "Out of the seven, there are only six left. Withdraw all the guards."
"Yes, yes, yes." Bi Sichen hurriedly said.
"If you dare to surrender." Mo Rigen stared at Bi Sichen and said meaningfully, "Even if you escape to the ends of the earth, I will still take your worthless life."
Bi Sichen hurriedly said, "If the city lives, we live. If the city dies, we die!"
Mo Rigen directly walked past Bi Sichen. Lu Xu followed behind and turned to look at Bi Sichen, who was still kneeling on the ground.
"Will this guy have no problem guarding the city?" Lu Xu asked. "Why do I feel that it's a bit dangerous? You shouldn't have offended him."
Mo Rigen replied, "I'm not Li Jinglong. I treat this group of officials politely. I'm not interested in looking at their faces."
Lu Xu was simply speechless. He could only hope that Feng Changqing would come quickly. An Lushan had rebelled, and Guanzhong and other places had already accelerated the recruitment of soldiers and reinforcements. At this moment, whoever arrived at Luoyang first might have control of this thousand-year-old ancient capital.
Mo Rigen and Lu Xu were in charge of the four Heavenly Imperial Palaces in the city, while Atay was in charge of the other three. The array at the foot of Longmen Mountain was the furthest away. It was actually the place where Li Jinglong had slain the demon in the past. The earth vein's exit had already been destroyed, but there was actually another layer below the ground where Kun Shen had escaped.
Mo Rigen and Lu Xu both had excellent lightness skills. They carried ropes in this abyss of ruins and jumped along the way. Mo Rigen transformed into a Grey Wolf, pushing away rocks and decaying pillars. Fortunately, the array was not yet destroyed. After collecting the talismans, everyone busied themselves for an entire day. Finally, they met at the Heavenly Pagoda Square outside the Exorcism Division.
Atay held three talismans and handed them to Mo Rigen.
"Each talisman corresponds to one array," Atay said.
Mo Rigen replied, "Yes."
He put them away without even looking at them. Lu Xu vaguely guessed that since the array had been restored, it must have something to do with these old talismans when it was activated. And Mo Rigen and Atay had clearly discussed it beforehand. There were still many inside stories that they had not told him.
Ever since they left Youzhou a year ago, Mo Rigen had become much less talkative. After setting up the array in Luoyang, the only thing everyone could do was to wait for the army to attack.