Li Jinglong explained the whole process to everyone, including how he failed to be recognized by the Acalanatha. Everyone listened without a word, their faces solemn.
"But we have Hongjun." Li Jinglong gestured for Hongjun to demonstrate. Hongjun pulled the Demon Binding Rope. Everyone was shocked. They didn't expect that Hongjun would be recognized by the Acalanatha!
"This …" Ashina Chong looked like he had heard a whimsical joke.
Hongjun suddenly felt playful and commanded the Demon Binding Rope to expand and contract. Atay immediately picked up the guqin and began to sing.
"I'm a snake charmer who travels everywhere … Only this is by my side …"
Hongjun controlled the Demon Binding Rope in the air and twisted it left and right.
Everyone: "Don't. Play. Anymore!"
"In other words," Mo Rigen realized, "if we find all the artifacts, you'll be the Acalanatha?"
Hongjun was at a loss and finally nodded reluctantly. This was the truth. Although he still felt stifled, he could only accept it.
"This makes things easier." Atay stepped forward and lined up the symbols left behind on the Tang Dynasty map. He said, "These days, we've been thinking about how to find the artifacts. Everyone, take a look."
Hongjun and Li Jinglong found another symbol in the abyss of the Dragon-Sealing Pagoda, which was a "door". Thus, all the locations where the artifacts were hidden were finally gathered. Lake, Door, Eye, Slope, Moon, and River. The six areas were very clear. The lake was the Sword of Wisdom, and the door was the Demon Binding Rope.
"As for the rest …" Lu Xu frowned. "We still have no clue."
"At least we have the characteristics of the area." Li Jinglong had been staring at the Tang Dynasty map. He said, "Can you confirm that it's the intersection of the ley lines?"
Atay nodded and said, "In the Poyang Lake waterway, it was precisely because they found the earth vein that they stopped digging. Di Renjie even recorded this in his handwritten letter back then."
The veins of heaven and earth were the channels for the circulation of energy in the world. After death, the three souls would enter the cycle of reincarnation and the seven spirits would dissipate, going back and forth between the veins of heaven and earth. Sometimes, there would be a chisel in the mortal world that pierced through the veins of heaven and earth, and the torrent of souls would rush over. People would mistakenly think that the chisel had pierced through the exit of the netherworld, and would be frightened out of their wits.
"So that's how it is." Li Jinglong finally understood after listening to the deduction, but his eyes never left the map for a moment.
"Di Renjie knew very little about this back then." Atay said, "This is what I learned from Hongjun and combined with what I saw of the ley lines, I guessed it."
"Then things like the Dragon Subduing Pagoda and the Poyang Lake Waterway are all big exits of the Earth Vein." Li Jinglong muttered, "Di Gong realized this back then, so he took the flow of the ley lines and built the Seven Watchtowers of Luoyang."
"So there must be a naturally formed exit." Mo Rigen said, "It's suppressed by a magic tool, maybe it's to suppress the souls in the ley lines, or …"
The Carp Demon interrupted, "So that's how the 'immobility' in the Acala Wisdom King came to be?"
"This explanation is quite strange." Lu Xu said expressionlessly, "'Immobility' refers to a firm and compassionate heart."
Li Jinglong stared at the map and said, "Mountains, rivers, and the exit of the ley lines, what common characteristics do they have?"
Everyone waited for Li Jinglong to speak, but Li Jinglong's brows were deeply furrowed, as if after losing the heart lantern, he had also become stupid. The hall was completely silent. After a long silence, Li Jinglong said in astonishment, "Everyone, think about it, we can't just rely on me."
The rest of the people immediately began to discuss.
Hongjun suddenly felt a bit sad and asked, "Why don't we ask the demons?"
"I suggest we ask a dead person." Lu Xu said, "Can we summon souls?"
Mo Rigen said, "That's right! The dead know better than the living. "
"Where do we go to summon souls?" Ashina Chong asked.
"Have you forgotten?" Hongjun immediately understood Lu Xu's meaning and said, "Back then, Liu Fei …"
Everyone instantly fell silent.
Hongjun had a deep impression of Liu Fei's sacrifice of all things in the world to summon souls. The Ghost King might also understand the mysteries of the world.
Li Jinglong's eyes were filled with praise and said, "Hongjun is getting smarter and smarter."
"Let's send a letter to him." Mo Rigen said.
The journey from Tongguan to Yadan was long. Everyone thought for a moment and decided that it was impossible to let mortals go. Low-level demons might not even be able to see the Ghost King, so they could only let Chao Yun personally make the trip. Chao Yun was very willing. After all, a great demon like the Ghost King was not someone who could easily talk to. It could be considered an honor for the demon race.
Thus, everyone dispersed. Their only hope was that An Lushan would not attack Tongguan so quickly and leave them enough time. Hongjun picked up a brush and wrote a letter. Li Jinglong dictated it to him and asked Chao Yun to deliver it when the time came.
"I can't even pick up a brush." Li Jinglong said.
Hongjun casually replied as he wrote, "You're gradually recovering. Before, you were out of breath after sitting for a while, but now you can sit for several hours."
"Your medicine is good." Li Jinglong replied, "Can I give you a kiss?"
It was also snowing in Tongxian. The brazier in the hall burned brightly and was very warm. Hongjun's face was slightly red as he wrote a letter with Li Jinglong. Hongjun turned his head and kissed Li Jinglong.
"Have I become stupid?" Li Jinglong said uneasily.
Li Jinglong was very sensitive. At that moment, he felt the expectations of his subordinates. Even Hongjun was the same. They were waiting for him to say something important, but he did not. He was different from the past when he said, "Leave it to me, I have an idea." Now, he was saying, "Everyone should think about it, we can't all rely on me."
Hongjun felt a little sad, but casually replied with a smile, "Actually, you already thought of it, but you didn't say it, right?"
Hongjun's words were just to comfort him, but Li Jinglong sighed and said, "I'm always so unlucky. I don't even believe in myself anymore."
Hongjun sealed the brazier and suddenly noticed something. He looked suspiciously at Li Jinglong and asked, "What idea did you think of?"
The two of them looked at each other quietly. Li Jinglong said again, "Forget it."
Hongjun took the letter and went out. After a while, he called the exorcists in. Everyone looked at each other.
"You …" Li Jinglong said unnaturally.
"Say it." Hongjun knelt at the side.
Everyone was confused. Mo Rigen frowned suspiciously and said, "Chief, what do you think?"
Li Jinglong was helpless and could only say, "Okay, I … I remember, about the ley lines … the letter has been sent out?"
Hongjun nodded. Li Jinglong pondered for a moment and then said, "The Han people once had a saying, it's unique to geomancy. It's called the 'ley lines'."
Everyone suddenly understood. Atay said, "Wait, I'll go get the map of Poyang Lake. You guys take a look."
Everyone gathered together and looked at it carefully.
"Let's look at the Subduing Dragon Pagoda first." Li Jinglong said, "If only Yongsi was here … he must be more familiar with it than me."
"Tell us, tell us!" Everyone urged.
Li Jinglong gestured with his hand, "The Qiantang River and Yuhang are in the shape of a coiling dragon. The Subduing Dragon Pagoda is a dragon pearl in the shape of the dragon."
"That's right — —" Everyone said exaggeratedly in unison.
Li Jinglong, "…"
Hongjun hurriedly signaled with his eyes to not overdo it. Everyone tacitly understood and nodded.
"Poyang Lake." Atay took out the map of Taihu Lake and stacked it on top of it. He used charcoal to outline the mountain range northwest of Poyang Lake and said, "Northwest of Poyang Lake is the Maoshan Mountain Range. The waterway is … here. Chief Inspector, your guess is right. "
The ley lines were full of mysteries and unknowns to the people of China. The exorcists never thought that what they were involved in was one of the most profound secrets since the beginning of the world.
"It's hard to say about the rest of the places." Li Jinglong said, "Just now, I've been looking for the possible ley lines on the map … I think, maybe here …"
Hongjun knew that Li Jinglong had indeed thought of it, but he didn't want to say more. Immediately, Li Jinglong drew the possible ley lines in several areas. The first place was Luoyang Longmen Mountain and Luoshui.
"No." Mo Rigen said, "We've been to every ley line."
"Yes." Li Jinglong nodded and said, "Maybe … it's not the real ley line. What about here?"
The next area was the Goddess Peak in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Li Jinglong said, "If we rotate the ley lines of Poyang Lake and Qiantang Lake, it'll match the terrain here."
"It's possible." Hongjun said, "What else?"
"Here." Li Jinglong turned the translucent rice paper map around and stacked it on Mount Li. He said, "The fourth, maybe the third."
"Let's count it as the fifth. And here."
The fifth area was the north. It was a large area of mountains and forests.
Mo Rigen was speechless.
"What?" Li Jinglong asked, "You've been there before?"
"This is my home." Mo Rigen said, "It's in the mountain I went to when I was young."
"That's great." Li Jinglong said, "I'll leave it to you. Take Hongjun there."
"Wait!" Hongjun said, "You're not going?"
Li Jinglong did not answer and said, "Finally, here."
Li Jinglong turned the map again and stuck it on Qinghai, the first bay of the Yellow River.
"The six ley lines." Li Jinglong said.
Everyone was silent. Lu Xu said, "Isn't there a place that doesn't count?"
"I still think that Luoyang once had one." Li Jinglong said, "Think about it. The Eastern Capital Luoyang and the Western Capital Chang 'an should correspond."
"But we've looked for it." Mo Rigen said, "There really isn't one in the mine at the foot of Longmen Mountain."
"There's another possibility." Li Jinglong said in a low voice, "It's been taken away in advance."
Everyone was suddenly enlightened. Hongjun thought that Li Jinglong was still very smart. However, there were too many guesses about the location of the Six Artifacts. It was no wonder that he no longer believed in his luck.
Hongjun was about to ask again when Li Jinglong said, "As long as An Lushan doesn't attack for the time being, we can buy enough time to find the artifacts and launch a decisive battle with him at Tong Pass."
This was already their third decisive battle. If they failed this time … Li Jinglong simply had no face to continue being the chief of the Exorcism Division, but he also had no way to resign.
"Let's leave it to the heavens." Ashina Chong said, "If the heavens want us dead, what can we do?"
Everyone agreed that they had to keep it a secret. Otherwise, if An Lushan found out, there would definitely be more complications. This time, Hongjun had a vague premonition that they might really succeed in the end. After all, Kun Shen and Liu Fei had both said that the only way to destroy Tianma was to gather the Six Artifacts of Immovable Wisdom King.
Compared to fumbling in the fog before, hope had become very close. At least they knew what to do.
"I want to talk to Hongjun." Li Jinglong said to everyone.
Everyone knew that Li Jinglong wanted to persuade Hongjun to leave as soon as possible and leave him to find the artifacts, so they all tactfully left for the time being. Mo Rigen said, "I'll go back and pack my things first."
"Okay." Hongjun said sadly.
He knew that this matter was imperative. When he looked at Li Jinglong, his eyes were full of complex emotions. After all, he knew that when he found the Six Artifacts, it would be the day of his death. He only wanted to spend more time with Li Jinglong before that day came, even if it was just one more day.
However, Li Jinglong's current condition was no longer able to accompany him on a long journey.
"Help me up." Li Jinglong said to Hongjun with a smile.
Hongjun stepped forward and supported Li Jinglong. Li Jinglong said again, "You have to make me a walking stick. You … sometimes you don't even need to be persuaded and you'll accept it yourself. "
Hong Jun had indeed thought it through, but it brought him even more reluctance and unwillingness.
"You've grown up." Li Jinglong said and walked out with difficulty with Hongjun's help. He said again, "Growing up means knowing how to do many things that you don't want to do."
"I'm willing." Hongjun said stubbornly, "As long as you can be well, everyone can be well. Why wouldn't you be willing?"
Li Jinglong wanted to say, "Hongjun, I'm not good enough for you." However, he still held back. He knew that Hongjun really wanted him to accompany him, but first, he couldn't move freely. Second, at this juncture, he couldn't leave Tong Guan.
"When you come back, I'll be able to walk." Li Jinglong said, "Look, I can walk much better now. Next time, I can accompany you. Although I can't help, at least I won't be a burden to you. "
Hongjun made a sound of agreement. At this time, someone suddenly asked, "Is Marquis Yadan here?"
It was Feng Changqing who sent someone to invite him. When the soldier saw Li Jinglong holding on, he knew that he was injured and hurriedly said, "This little one will drive a carriage over."
"It's not a problem." Li Jinglong said, "Do you have crutches? Bring me a pair. "
The army always had crutches for the injured. When the soldier heard this, he found one. Li Jinglong insisted on walking by himself. Hongjun could only support him and let him support the crutches under his armpit.
"Use bandages to tie my fingers." Li Jinglong said to Hongjun.
Hongjun did as he was told. Li Jinglong supported himself on the crutches and got into the carriage. Hongjun followed and arrived outside Duwei Manor in Tongguan. At this time, the sky was already completely dark. At night, Tongguan County was still noisy. Feng Changqing had just finished eating and also limped out with his crutches.
The two cousins looked at each other in dismay. Both of them were leaning on crutches.
Feng Changqing: "…"
Li Jinglong said helplessly, "It's like this."
"I heard about it." Feng Changqing said to Hongjun, "It's all thanks to you taking care of Jinglong."
"You should walk around." Li Jinglong said to Hongjun.
Hongjun nodded and entered Duwei Manor. The two brothers limped into the garden. Feng Changqing said, "Are you in the way?"
"I'm practicing." Li Jinglong replied, "My meridians are crippled. I can't go back to how I was before."
Feng Changqing sighed deeply. He didn't expect that his cousin, who was always proud of his martial arts skills and was famous throughout Chang 'an, would fall into such a situation.
"It's time to start a family." Feng Changqing said, "Keep your heart in check."
"In this lifetime, I will only be with Hongjun." Li Jinglong said, "Even if I die, burn to ashes, and a gust of wind comes, I will go with him."
Feng Changqing said, "If the two of you can know each other and live and die together, it will be a beautiful story. To be honest, many people in Chang 'an officialdom are envious of the two of you. Even His Highness the Crown Prince has mentioned it before … "
Li Jinglong knew that Li Heng was born in the military, so he must have seen many soldiers in the military admiring each other. He saw through the relationship between the two at a glance.
"… But you have to think carefully." Feng Changqing said, "Husband and wife are birds in the same forest. When disaster strikes, they fly away separately. Even if you are a parent, there is no filial son in front of your sickbed. People, ah, can't stand the accumulation of torment over time … "
"You called me over." Li Jinglong replied, "You didn't want to talk about this, right?"
"Fine." Feng Changqing knew that Li Jinglong's stubborn temper was rising again, so he changed his words, "In any case, you are a marquis. Live well."
Feng Changqing was only worried about Li Jinglong, but when he thought about how his younger cousin had already been conferred the title of Marquis, even if he lost all his martial prowess and became a civil official, he would still be able to coax that youth. Every time Li Jinglong thought about his future with Hongjun, he couldn't help but think of his childhood. This past was so heavy that he almost couldn't breathe. He wanted to say it all, even if he knelt in front of Hongjun and begged for his forgiveness. But no matter what, he couldn't open his mouth.
He was afraid and remorseful. He believed that after Hongjun learned the truth, he wouldn't abandon him. However, this truth was like a knife that was always in front of them. As a result, he was extremely fed up with talking about his future with anyone. It was as if everyone's gaze and evaluation were constantly reminding him of the crimes he had committed.
Only when he was alone with Hongjun did he feel that he could breathe a little. He only hoped that there was a paradise in the world where they could accompany each other and never mention the past, as if it had never happened. However, he knew in his heart that this guilt could never be eliminated. Concealing all of this was unfair to Hong Jun.
"Can we win this battle at Tong Pass?" Li Jinglong asked.
"To be honest, we can't win." Feng Changqing replied, "But if I tell you that we can't win, you won't fight?"
Li Jinglong: "…"