Chapter 49

In the dark night, Grey Wolf carried Lu Xu and stopped on a small hillside in the northern part of Mount Qilian, looking down at the village below. To the north of the village, the sound of horse hooves was neat and tidy, like the beat of a drum. Every time they stepped on the ground, there would be a muffled sound.

Grey Wolf let out a muffled sound, and Lu Xu opened his eyes wide, trembling uncontrollably. Grey Wolf roared, but the pack of wolves was full of fear and retreated one after another.

Grey Wolf turned his head and angrily stared at the pack of wolves. He took the lead and rushed down the hillside. The pack of wolves arched their backs and their hair stood on end. Finally, they were forced by Grey Wolf's power and rushed down like a swarm of bees!

The black mass of ghouls surged like a tide and swallowed the entire village in an instant. At this moment, the alarm bells in the village rang. Panicked shouts and children cried. It was chaos!

There were more than ten thousand horsemen charging the ghouls. Grey Wolf turned sideways and threw Lu Xu off. He roared, "Lu Xu! Take the people and find a place to hide! "

In the blink of an eye, Grey Wolf grew bigger again and rushed into the village from the south. He roared, "Run!"

A giant wolf bathed in moonlight rushed in. The villagers came back to their senses when they heard Grey Wolf's roar. They no longer cared about their belongings and fled outside. Grey Wolf stepped on roofs, and the buildings he stepped on collapsed. He rushed along the street and crashed into the horsemen formation with a long howl! The horsemen were all trampled into a complete mess.

The charging ghouls raised their spears and rushed towards Grey Wolf in uniform movements. Just as the Grey Wolf was about to hit the formation of spears —

The Grey Wolf leaped into the air, flipped sideways, and transformed into the masked Mo Rigen. At that moment, Mo Rigen was like a white falcon that streaked across the sky. He stepped on the spear that was swinging at him with one foot, drew his bow with his left hand, and shot Nailhead Seven Arrows with his right hand.

"Whoosh whoosh!" Seven arrows flew out one after another, flying all over the battlefield. When Mo Rigen fell to the ground, he instantly transformed into a Grey Wolf and charged straight into the battle formation!

The Nailhead Seven Arrows flew across the battlefield with the light of magic, shooting down the helmets of the ghouls. Every arrow that flew towards the enemy hit the face inside the helmet, completely piercing through the head of the ghouls. However, the ghouls were like mountains and seas. After being stepped on by the Grey Wolf, they struggled to get up and pounced on its legs.

The Grey Wolf turned around and transformed into Mo Rigen. Before Mo Rigen landed on the ground, he waved his hand in the air. "Whoosh!" The Nailhead Seven Arrows all flew back, bringing with them countless helmets along the way. The ghouls rushed dauntlessly towards Mo Rigen. Mo Rigen turned his hands and shouted an incantation!

The Nailhead Seven Arrows all returned to his body and began to spin wildly. Mo Rigen threw his hands out again and shouted, "Go!"

The seven arrows set off a storm-like wave of magic power, shooting in all directions with a loud bang, blasting the ghouls that were rushing towards them.

There were too many of them … Mo Rigen rushed left and right, roaring angrily, "What the hell are you? Where did you come from! "

The ghouls rushed dauntlessly towards him, pouncing on him. Mo Rigen was immediately pressed to the ground, and even more ghouls rushed in densely, piling up into a mountain range. Suddenly, the Grey Wolf roared again and rose from the ground, sending the small mountain of ghouls flying.

Arrows flew everywhere, and the Grey Wolf rushed in all directions. Suddenly, a shout came from afar.

"Daybreak Star!"

The Grey Wolf suddenly turned his head and saw that Lu Xu was actually holding a shovel, leading the wolf pack to resist the invasion of the ghouls with great difficulty.

The Grey Wolf was speechless.

The Grey Wolf immediately transformed into Mo Rigen and returned to the village. He leaped onto a high ground and saw that Lu Xu's movements were extremely fast. With a dagger at his waist and a shovel in both hands, he came and went like the wind. The ghouls that rushed towards him were all smacked by his shovel, sending their heads flying in an arc and landing on the ground.

The villagers had already retreated to the mountainside. Mo Rigen pressed his fingers to his lips, whistled, and transformed into the Grey Wolf, rushing down.

At this moment, Lu Xu was seen waving his shovel vigorously. Smacking left, smacking right, cutting forward, sweeping, chopping horizontally, flicking … Sometimes he feinted and rushed five steps away with a "swoosh" sound. Sometimes he would dive under a ghoul's crotch, turn around, and twist …

Mo Rigen was speechless.

"Go!" He jumped down and roared, "Stop fighting! Come back! "

Lu Xu rushed towards the Grey Wolf, but turned around and jumped to the other side of the Grey Wolf. He let out a battle cry, held the shovel with both hands, and fiercely stabbed down, nailing the ghoul that was attacking the Grey Wolf to the ground!

The Grey Wolf turned around, and Lu Xu leaped onto its back. The ghouls had already filled the entire village. Like a swarm of locusts, the village continued to collapse under the onslaught of the black tide. Finally, a loud noise was heard.

The Grey Wolf stood on the hillside and looked back. He saw the villagers' faces full of fear and trembling. They stared at the giant wolf, then looked up at the young scout on the wolf's back.

"Wolf God!" someone shouted.

"Dawn Star!"

The villagers all knelt on the ground.

"Follow the road south of Mount Qilian." The Grey Wolf whispered, "There's a small village in the south. Let's avoid the cold there first, then find a way south and ask for help from the nearest county. Go quickly!"

The villagers retreated one after another. The Grey Wolf's throat made a rumbling sound, and the wolves all bowed down and dispersed.

Lu Xu panted, his hand still holding the shovel, trembling uncontrollably.

"Your martial arts aren't bad." The Grey Wolf lowered its head slightly. Its eyes emitted a green light, like two gems embedded in the darkness. It watched the movements at the foot of the mountain. The ghouls' target seemed to only be this village. After the villagers fled up the mountain, they stopped chasing them. After filling up the village, the ghouls slowly retreated, like a colony of ants gathering on the plains, majestically beginning to retreat.

"Chase?" The Grey Wolf raised its chin slightly and looked up at Lu Xu.

Lu Xu carried the shovel on his back, then bent down and hugged the Grey Wolf's neck tightly. The Grey Wolf then jumped off the snowy ground and followed the ghoul army northwest.

Inside Liangzhou City.

At night, the entire city cooled down. Every family closed their doors and lit charcoal stoves to keep warm.

Qin Liang said to his wife, "We have an important guest today. Add a few more dishes and kill the chicken. Also, bring some wine. "

Hongjun untied his bundle and was about to ask if he could make a few meatballs for the Carp Demon to eat when Mrs. Qin saw this and laughed, "Aiya! You're so polite! You even brought some food! "

"Just in time to fry it …"

"This isn't a dish." Hongjun hurriedly said.

"I'm not a dish." The Carp Demon explained to Mrs. Qin, "Just give me some meat. I don't eat much. If you don't have any, steamed buns and dumplings are fine too."

Mrs. Qin screamed and almost fainted. Li Jinglong hurriedly explained again, and Mrs. Qin reluctantly accepted that the carp could speak, as well as the origin of the Exorcism Division.

Qin Liang hurriedly sent her to cook. The barbarian woman came in again, curiously sizing up the Carp Demon, and set up the table.

"This is my daughter, Ji Yanran." Qin Liang introduced her to the two, "My only daughter."

Li Jinglong and Hongjun greeted her. Hongjun was very surprised and asked, "Is your wife from Huihe?"

Li Jinglong hurriedly said, "You have to call her Madam."

Qin Liang happily said, "I met her mother seventeen years ago under the Yangguan Pass, and we got married according to our Han customs."

Qin Liang chatted with Li Jinglong for a while. He was originally from Longxi, and when he was young, his family arranged for him to be under the command of the Jiangdu Deputy Commissioner in Hexi, handling documents. After the Deputy Commissioner retired, Qin Liang moved to Shazhou. Now, Geshu Han was in charge of Liangzhou, and he was given the title of Liang Guo Duke. Because Qin Liang was an upright official and never embezzled military funds, he was recalled to be the Provincial Governor of Liangzhou.

However, Liangzhou was close to the northwest border, and there was a Jiangdu Governor overseeing it. No matter how big the world was, Geshu Han was the most powerful. He had the final say in everything, and the financial and military power were all in the hands of the old general. Qin Liang was only responsible for drafting documents, farming, running schools, and mediating military and civilian disputes. In the end, he didn't have much power, and his life was very honest.

Not long after, Madam Qin came in and laid out the dishes. In order to entertain the guests, she had killed a chicken. Li Jinglong felt very apologetic, but Ji Yanran took off a drumstick and let Li Jinglong eat it first. Li Jinglong then let Hongjun have it. Ji Yanran glanced at it, but didn't say anything.

Qin Liang opened a bottle of wine and said to Li Jinglong, "Although I believe that there are ghosts and gods in the world, in the end, I still feel that demons are very far away from us. Seeing you guys bring this demon, I think the Exorcism Division still has some ability."

Hongjun almost spat out the soup. He thought, how can a Carp Demon prove that the Exorcism Division has some ability?

Li Jinglong raised his cup and said, "It's just a matter of being loyal to the emperor." After saying this, he and Qin Liang toasted each other.

Hongjun asked, "Why don't we bring Zhao Zilong tomorrow and let General Geshu Han take a look?"

The Carp Demon was using chopsticks to pick up a meatball and stuffing it into its mouth. When it heard this, it was alarmed and said, "What if he chop off my fish head and give it to Senior Official?"

Li Jinglong put down his cup and said, "I'm guessing that General Geshu Han isn't being stubborn because of old age, but because of his position."

The hall was silent for a moment. Qin Liang sighed heavily and replied, "That's right. That's why I have a request in front of Senior Official Li."

Hongjun, "?"

Li Jinglong turned his head to look at Hongjun and said, "Do you still remember what the Crown Prince said to us before we left?"

Hongjun couldn't help but recall what the Crown Prince said. Li Heng really did hope that Li Jinglong would investigate this matter thoroughly and smoothly resolve it without affecting his relationship with Huihe. He also hoped that they wouldn't start a war … Ah?!

Hongjun noticed that Qin Liang's wife and daughter were both Huihe people.

Qin Liang said to Li Jinglong, "I feel that the war with Huihe was more or less instigated by Prime Minister Yang. General Geshu Han and An Lushan and Shi Siming have always been incompatible like fire and water …"

"Father." Ji Yanran said unhappily.

Qin Liang waved his hand, indicating that it was fine.

Li Jinglong frowned and said, "Old General Geshu Han must be on good terms with the Imperial Court's Right Minister, Yang Guozhong."

Qin Liang replied, "Of course, I believe that Prime Minister Yang also has the intention of roping him in. The Tufan and Huihe tribes often send envoys to visit the Hexi Provincial Governor's office …"

Li Jinglong grunted and said with a deep frown, "That's why Prime Minister Yang convinced Old General Geshu Han to rope in Tufan and treat Huihe as an enemy … It's really difficult."

"That's right." Qin Liang said again, "Because the Crown Prince was a good friend of Gele Khan when he was leading the troops outside. Your cousin was conferred the title of General. Last year, he conquered the Great Balu Kingdom with the help of Gele Khan. I thought that in these few years, the relationship between the Imperial Court and Huihe would enter a period of peace, but I didn't expect that, sigh … "

Hongjun was confused by the two and said, "I don't understand. Yang Guozhong convinced brother … that whatever old general. He doesn't want to be too close to Huihe, so he wants to blame the massacre at the border on the Huihe people."

"Yes." Li Jinglong replied, "That's exactly the case."

Hongjun frowned and said, "But how does he know who massacred the border? Do you think he knows about the ghouls? "

Hearing this, Li Jinglong immediately felt his hair stand on end. If Yang Guozhong knew about this, it would be too terrifying.

Qin Liang replied, "He's just the Right Minister. Why would he care about the lives of the soldiers and civilians at the border? Since the city has been massacred, it doesn't matter if it's the Turks, Huihe, Tufan, or even the ghost soldiers. To him, it doesn't make a difference. What he wants is just an excuse to write to His Majesty and start a war with Huihe. "

"In this way," Li Jinglong said, "I'm afraid that many people in Liangzhou City will have a hard time."

"All the Huihe people will be expelled." Qin Liang sighed, "So … Elder Li, the task is heavy. General Geshu Han has a strong first impression. He won't believe you. Even if he believes you, he has his concerns."

Li Jinglong said in a deep voice, "He's too arrogant. In my opinion, the ghouls' disaster has far exceeded the severity of Yang Guozhong's scheme. Although we still don't know why it happened, we can be sure that if we don't find out as soon as possible, I'm afraid …"

Li Jinglong stared into Qin Liang's eyes and said word by word, "Once the disaster comes, everyone, including General Geshu Han himself, will be involved and consigned to eternal damnation."

In the dark night, on the plains in the middle of Hexi, the black mass of the army advanced at full speed. Grey Wolf, carrying Lu Xu, began to pant.

"I'm too tired." Grey Wolf panted and said, "I need to rest for a while."

Lu Xu said, "Blood."

"Is it bleeding?" Grey Wolf turned around to look for a shelter from the wind. After sniffing a few times, he found a side of the mountain wall.

Lu Xu reached out and touched Grey Wolf's back. His hand was full of blood, and he immediately became nervous.

"It's okay." Grey Wolf dug a hole in the snow on the mountain wall with its claws. It happened to be a cave inside. Lu Xu hurriedly jumped down. Grey Wolf bent down and went in, transforming into a human.

Mo Rigen supported himself with one hand on the cave wall and panted. It took him a long time to recover.

After a while, a bonfire rose in the cave. Mo Rigen took off his shirt, revealing his strong back muscles. His shoulders and back were full of masculine strength and beauty because he had been using a bow for a long time. He chewed on the dry food. He was so thirsty that he ate a lot of snow in one breath.

His back was cut several times, but because he was in Grey Wolf form, the wounds were not deep after transforming into a human.

Lu Xu chewed the herbs, spat them out, and evenly applied them on his back.

Lu Xu applied the rest of the herbs under Mo Rigen's ribs.

"Sleep for a while." Mo Rigen said to Lu Xu. "There's still time."

Lu Xu yawned. This day had been a huge blow to his mind and body. Exhausted, he curled up in the cave and slept. However, the winter nights were getting colder and colder. Lu Xu couldn't stop shivering when he slept. After a while, Mo Rigen transformed into a huge Grey Wolf. He used his claws to scoop Lu Xu up and held him in his arms. Facing the bonfire, one man and one wolf slept together.

The cold wind howled in the middle of the night. There was only one guest room in Qin Liang's house. Hongjun lay down first. Li Jinglong was still writing a letter at the table and lighting the oil lamp.

Li Jinglong copied Lu Ji's calligraphy when he was young. His handwriting was so beautiful that even Qiu Yongsi, a disciple who studied calligraphy, couldn't compare. Hongjun covered himself with the quilt. He couldn't help but look up and ask, "Who are you writing to?"

"To His Highness the Crown Prince. If you're tired, you can sleep first. "Li Jinglong urged," Don't look. "

Hongjun was a bit cold. Previously, when he was at the peak of Taihang Mountain, Chong Ming was there. He asked, "Is it especially cold this year or is it like this every year?"

"It's like this every year." Li Jinglong glanced at Hongjun and said, "Warm your bed well."

Hongjun wrapped himself up tightly. His head peeked out from under the quilt like a spring roll.

Hongjun, "?"

When Li Jinglong was halfway through writing, he hesitated and found it hard to continue. If he repeated what Qin Liang said, he was afraid that if he reported it, it would cause animosity between the Crown Prince and Geshu Han. If he did not write it, he would be suspected of lying.

"Don't write." Hongjun had been running around for days and was tired to death. He said, "Go to sleep. You haven't recovered from the cold."

Li Jinglong's mind was a mess. After thinking for a while, he finally tore up the letter. He untied his outer robe and got into bed. The wind was strong outside, almost blowing the roof away. However, the bed in the bedroom was extremely warm.

"Why is it that when we go out, there's only one room no matter where we go?" Hongjun said.

"Oh, I don't dislike you, but you dislike me." Li Jinglong sized up Hongjun. Hongjun hurriedly said no. In fact, Li Jinglong's whole body was warm. The light in his chest made him feel very comfortable.

"I'm just curious." Hongjun said in a daze.

"Chang 'an is just as cold at this time." Li Jinglong said casually. The two chatted for a while. Hongjun didn't know what he was talking about. Compared to the abandoned barracks last night, Qin Liang's house was as comfortable as a palace. He couldn't remember what he said in a daze. Li Jinglong freed his arm for him to rest on. Hongjun then leaned against his chest and fell asleep.

The night was long. In the endless darkness, Hongjun didn't know how long he slept. Suddenly, he had a strange dream. In that dream, there was a person burning under a black fire.

"Save me … save me …" A man's voice said.

Hongjun wanted to speak. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

In an instant, countless memories flashed through his mind. Outside the Exorcism Department, there was a golden armored warrior holding a shining sword. His parents were kneeling in front of the warrior.

"I only have this one child …"

When it flashed again, Hongjun seemed to have become a different person. He had grown a lot taller. He stood in the courtyard with flowers blooming in spring. He turned his head to look at the corridor. A beautiful woman wearing a Han dress walked through the corridor in the spring breeze. She turned her head to look at him.

In an instant, the black fire engulfed his whole body. Hongjun panicked and couldn't help but retreat.

"Elder Shi — —!" Hongjun suddenly opened his eyes and sat up.

The wind was still blowing outside. The sky was dark. The night had passed, but Li Jinglong was nowhere to be found. Feng Yu was on the table, and he left a note.

[Early in the morning, I received news that Wu Mountain was suddenly attacked by zombies. I went with Qin Ji to investigate the situation.]

Hongjun grabbed Feng Yu and put it in his arms. He put on his clothes and went out like a gust of wind.