Chapter 57

"Deer!" Lu Xu said immediately.

Everyone immediately looked at Lu Xu. Mo Rigen remembered that when he met Lu Xu, he had heard him mention "deer". However, Lu Xu's surname was Lu. Even after talking for a long time, Mo Rigen still didn't know if he was repeating his surname or if he had really seen the White Deer with his own eyes.

"Deer." Liu Fei nodded and said, "The Nine-Colored Deer is in Mogao Cave once every ten years. When the Ghoul Army patrols outside the Great Wall, their destination is to worship in front of the middle hall of Mogao Cave."

"What kind of dreams do you usually have?" Hongjun asked curiously.

Hongjun suddenly asked such an irrelevant question, but Li Jinglong didn't interrupt him. Mo Rigen was thinking silently. After a while, Lu Xu put down his bowl. He was also full. Mo Rigen moved the pot out and replaced it with a kettle and tea cake. Li Jinglong set up a short table and made tea for everyone.

"We have all kinds of dreams," Liu Fei said leisurely. "Most of them are things that happened before our deaths. The ghouls who died in battle are the dead, but they don't enter the cycle of reincarnation. The only thing that can make them sleep peacefully is their past … "

"Who are the two messengers?" Li Jinglong asked again.

"One is the God of Plagues," Liu Fei answered. "The other seems to be called Mysterious Fairy. I don't know what kind of demon she is. But I don't understand what kind of ability they have to make me fall into a dream and not be able to escape for a year. "

Mo Rigen murmured, "Nine-Colored Deer … Nine-Colored Deer …"

"You have the reincarnation power of the Wolf God, right?" Liu Fei glanced at Mo Rigen and asked.

Mo Rigen said, "Yes, what I'm looking for is the White Deer! This White Deer might have a relationship with the Nine-Colored Deer … "

"The White Deer you're looking for," Liu Fei replied, "should be the Nine-Colored Deer God."

Mo Rigen's eyes widened. Liu Fei answered, "Although the Deer God has nine colors, those nine colors are just the nine strands of hair on its body. Other than these nine strands of hair, its entire body is snow-white."

Li Jinglong said to Mo Rigen, "It's close at hand. Don't panic, Mo Rigen."

Mo Rigen knew that this was a serious matter. Although he was very anxious, he could only suppress his thoughts.

Li Jinglong added, "If the Demon King can make you fall into a dream, he might have already controlled the Nine-Colored Deer."

"Not bad." Liu Fei put down the wine and took the tea from Hongjun. "If that's really the case, then we're in big trouble. Now that I think about it, their first plan failed to lure us, so they forced us into a dream and wantonly massacred West of the River. Wherever they went, they took lives and summoned the Battle Ghouls to fight with me."

"As for Tianma …" Hongjun recalled what Chong Ming and Qing Xiong had said when they left Dazzling Gold Palace.

The Carp Demon said, "Tianma's resurrection is near. If the Demon King has the Battle Ghouls in his hands, no one will be able to defeat him."

"Tianma's resurrection is just a legend." Liu Fei said without thinking. "A thousand years is a cycle. The last time it was resurrected, even I didn't make it. My King should know this, but at the very most, isn't it only 900 years? It shouldn't be a hundred years ahead of time. "

After drinking the tea, the people sent by Ge Shu Han finally arrived. However, Li Jinglong refused to meet them, saying that everything could be discussed tomorrow. After all, they hadn't finished discussing their own problems.

"If that's the case, then I won't disturb you any further." Li Jinglong said, "Great General, please stay here for the night. We'll discuss it tomorrow."

Liu Fei knew that the exorcists had something to discuss, so he gladly agreed. The Battle Ghouls didn't like to be exposed to sunlight, and Li Jinglong didn't want to alarm anyone in the residence. He let Mo Rigen sleep in his room while he, Hongjun, Mo Rigen, and Lu Xu slept in the two previous rooms.

Everyone was exhausted, especially Li Jinglong and Hongjun. They couldn't help but discuss. Mo Rigen let Lu Xu sleep in the bed while he lay outside. "Now that there's news, I have to go there as soon as possible."

Li Jinglong replied, "Mo Rigen, the Nine-Colored Deer won't run away. This matter is complicated, so we have to think of a foolproof plan before we go. This time, we made too many mistakes on our trip to West River. We relied entirely on luck along the way … "

In fact, this was indeed the case. If one of the two teams wasn't present, Liangzhou City would be in trouble. It would become the territory of the Demon King in an instant.

"That's why this matter is so important." Mo Rigen continued, "Liu Fei's words are very obvious. The Demon King used the White Deer to control the Battle Ghouls and formed his army to prepare for Tianma's resurrection. If we don't find the Nine-Colored Deer as soon as possible … "

"Are you a match for Liu Fei's superior?" Li Jinglong asked.

Lu Xu was already lying down facing the wall. Hongjun was extremely sleepy and shouted, "Can't you guys let me sleep? Can't you talk about it tomorrow?"

Li Jinglong and Mo Rigen could only stop talking and lie down to sleep.

The next day, when Hongjun opened his eyes, he saw that no one was in the room. When he came out to wash up, the Carp Demon told him that Mo Rigen and Li Jinglong were in a meeting with Geshu Han to discuss Ya Dan.

"Say, I saved so many people yesterday. Why didn't I accumulate enough merit to become a dragon?" the Carp Demon said. "I can do it as a human too."

Hongjun didn't know either. Logically speaking, the Carp Demon should have accumulated quite a bit of merit for contributing to the Exorcism Division. Why didn't it have any reaction at all?

Hongjun replied, "Maybe it's because you didn't do it yourself."

The Carp Demon was depressed again. How could it have the ability to save people by itself? Hongjun comforted it with a few words and promised that as long as there was a chance to contribute in the future, he would let it do it.

While they were talking, Li Jinglong and Mo Rigen rushed over from the corridor after their meeting. Li Jinglong asked Mo Rigen, "How should we settle that child?"

Mo Rigen glanced at Hongjun. Hongjun stood in the courtyard and listened. It turned out that during the meeting with Geshu Han, Li Jinglong had specially found the guard who had offended them that day and treated Lu Xu like a fool. Only then did he know that Lu Xu hadn't been scared silly. Instead, he had been a fool since birth. It was just that after seeing the corpses and ghosts slaughtering the city, he had become a little crazy.

Lu Xu's father was from Shiwei, and his mother was from Huihe. He didn't know anything from a young age. The only skill he had was that he could run very fast. Thus, his father brought him to Yumen Pass with the intention of finding him a job. At the age of twelve, he was taken in by the guard of Yumen Pass, Liu Ni Mu. When he grew up, he became a scout and was in charge of sending messages between the troops.

As a result, Lu Xu always ran here and there, and his speed became even faster. Later on, he learned some self-defense martial arts and followed Liu Ni Mu back to the pass. Coincidentally, he encountered this disaster.

"Lu Xu only remembered his own surname when he was young," Li Jinglong said. "The one he kept repeating was' Lu '. You misunderstood. "

Mo Rigen helplessly shook his head and smiled bitterly. At this time, Lu Xu came over from the garden and looked at the three of them with a puzzled expression.

Hongjun quite liked Lu Xu, so he waved at him and said, "Lu Xu, come, I'll take you to eat something delicious."

Lu Xu first looked at Li Jinglong, then at Mo Rigen.

"What do you plan to do?" Li Jinglong said to Mo Rigen.

Mo Rigen muttered to himself for a moment, then finally said, "Forget it, I'll listen to Chief."

Mo Rigen looked up at Li Jinglong. Li Jinglong nodded cheerfully and patted him on the shoulder. Hongjun asked in surprise, "What are you guys talking about?"

"I'll take you to eat something delicious," Li Jinglong said to Hongjun, then pulled him away.

"Lu Xu." Mo Rigen smiled and waved at him, saying, "Come."

Lu Xu looked at the departing Hongjun, then at Mo Rigen, saying, "Dawnstar."

Mo Rigen jumped up and squatted on the railing in front of the porch. Lu Xu smiled and sat down beside him.

"I've troubled you these days." Mo Rigen freed an arm and put it around Lu Xu's shoulder. He looked at the bright sunlight in the courtyard and said, "Chief told me that you took care of me when I was sick."

"Hongjun," Lu Xu replied.

Mo Rigen smiled and waved his hand, seeming a little embarrassed. He said, "Hongjun should treat me. We used to go through fire and water together, so we're all brothers." As he spoke, he lowered his head and scratched the back of his head with one hand, like a wolf in deep thought.

Lu Xu's expression darkened when he heard this. He turned to look at Mo Rigen.

"We're exorcists." Mo Rigen said, "We're from Chang 'an. In the past, people outside the Great Wall used to call me Dawnstar. After I left home, I always wanted to be a hero, so I started fooling around."

Lu Xu looked Mo Rigen up and down. Mo Rigen had changed into a dark blue martial arts robe, wrapped in a mink jacket, and wore a hat, which made him look even more handsome and tall. Lu Xu reached his hand into his jacket and felt the fabric of the robe.

"Hongjun," Lu Xu said again.

"Yes." Mo Rigen nodded. "They're wearing the same robes today. It's our Exorcism Division's official robes."

Li Jinglong and Hongjun were both wearing the Exorcism Division's official robes. After leaving the general's residence, the two first went to the barracks to check on the soldiers. When they saw that all the soldiers had recovered, they went to Qin Liang's residence. Qin Xuan and her mother thanked them profusely and invited them to stay for dinner. Hongjun hurriedly thanked them and followed Li Jinglong to a restaurant in Liangzhou City.

The restaurant was famous for its northwestern cuisine, and they even had roasted whole lamb, which was rarely eaten. Li Jinglong ordered the dishes and said, "We can finally have a good rest."

"What about the rest? What should we do? " Hongjun began to worry. The problem of the Ghoul Army had not been solved yet, and it vaguely involved a problem that Chong Ming and Qing Xiong had mentioned a long time ago — Tianma's resurrection.

Li Jinglong knew that Hongjun had a good impression of the demon race. From the Fox Demon Case until now, most of the time, he had a strange feeling of closeness whenever he saw a demon. Perhaps it was because they were related by blood, but it could not be forced.

"I talked to Liu Fei this morning." Li Jinglong answered. "I told him to go back and scout for information, and to contact us at any time. Otherwise, once we fight, the Ghoul Army will have thousands of soldiers and horses. We won't be a match for them no matter what. "

"You want to wait for help?"

"That's right. When Yongsi and Atay arrive, we'll cooperate and advance and retreat together. When Liu Fei finds his immediate superior, the real Ghost King, we'll attack together and let Mo Rigen wake him up. Finally, we'll deal with Zhang Hao's incarnation of the God of Plagues and the other demon that hasn't shown up yet. "

"In addition, I've also asked Old General Geshu Han to strengthen the defenses of all the big cities west of the river, and to evacuate the villagers into the cities."

When Hongjun heard this, he knew that Li Jinglong had already made the arrangements, so he did not worry anymore. Li Jinglong said again, "Let's deal with the real Ghost King first, then we can accompany Mo Rigen to find the Nine-Colored Deer."

Hongjun grunted and said, "Is Lu Xu coming with us?"

"Nope." Li Jinglong replied, "It's too dangerous to be an exorcist. That child doesn't have any magic treasures, but he can run faster. In the past, I couldn't do anything about it. Hongjun, if you're really doing this for his own good, you have to be careful not to let him get involved."

In the General's Mansion, Mo Rigen and Lu Xu bathed in the sunlight. Mo Rigen reached out and patted his head, saying, "Thank you for accompanying me on this journey, Lu Xu."

Lu Xu lowered his head, as if thinking about something.

Mo Rigen said again, "After this, I have to go to the Mogao Caves to find the Nine-Colored Deer. It's very dangerous there, so you can't follow me."

Lu Xu suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with surprise. He frowned, stood up, and quietly looked at Mo Rigen.

"The Chief Inspector and General Geshu Han have already discussed it," Mo Rigen explained, "You'll stay in the army as a scout … Lu Xu?"

Lu Xu turned around and left.

Mo Rigen realized that Lu Xu probably didn't want to leave him, so he quickly chased after Lu Xu and said seriously, "You don't have any magic power. You're just a mortal, you can't …"

Lu Xu quickened his pace, and Mo Rigen hurriedly chased after him, saying, "Lu Xu!"

Lu Xu turned around, a hint of anger in his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

At that moment, Mo Rigen suddenly felt a bit sorry for him. From Jiayu Pass to Liangzhou City, the two of them had accompanied each other all the way. It would be a lie to say that they didn't have feelings for each other.

"Big brother will come back to see you. Be good." Mo Rigen said with a bit of loneliness.

Lu Xu turned around and ran away.

Mo Rigen sighed, feeling very disappointed.

Hongjun and Li Jinglong led their horses back to the residence slowly. Li Jinglong said, "There's less than half a month until the new year. I don't know if Atay and Yongsi will be able to make it in time. Luckily, Mo Rigen is here. It's a small reunion."

Li Jinglong arrived at the relay station in the city and sent a letter to Atay and Qiu Yongsi, informing them of the situation here. He also sent news of the Demon King, Tianma, and the others, asking them to come as soon as possible.

Hongjun also wanted to send a letter to Qing Xiong, but he didn't know where to send it. Next time, if there was a chance, no matter what, he had to ask Qing Xiong to leave a way for him to send a letter.

In the afternoon, Li Jinglong returned to the general's residence to discuss the defense arrangements with Geshu Han. He said to Hongjun, "I've been tired for a long time. After a few days, I'll take you out to play. What do you want to play?"

Hongjun was happy to hear these words that he hadn't heard in a long time. He knew that Li Jinglong would always take a break after a big battle and take him out to play. Even if it was just the two of them, it wouldn't change.

"I haven't thought about it yet." Hongjun felt that Liangzhou was covered in ice and snow, but there were brothels in the city. But he didn't know why, but he didn't have much interest in brothels.

"Then you should think about it carefully." Li Jinglong said, "If there's no urgent military situation in the next few days, you can take a break. Just don't leave Liangzhou City."

Hong Jun knew that although he and Mo Rigen were on vacation, looking at Li Jinglong's appearance, perhaps he was the only one who would be busy. However, he had never learned how to arrange troops, lay out battle formations, and so on, so he would not be able to help. Thereupon he replied, "I'll wait for you."

Li Jinglong went to Geshu Han's place. Hongjun walked through the courtyard to return to his room. Suddenly, Mo Rigen's voice came from the top of the corridor, "Hongjun."

Hongjun leaped up. When the sun came out, the snow melted all over the city. Even the water on the roofs had dried up. The winter sun shone down on people, making them feel warm. The people in the general's residence were taking advantage of the sunny day to dry their blankets. Mo Rigen had unknowingly taken out a few blankets from his room and laid them on the glazed tiles to dry. He bit on a straw stalk and stood on tiptoe, lost in thought.

Mo Rigen patted the spot next to him, telling Hongjun to lie down.

Hongjun asked, "Where's Lu Xu?"

Mo Rigen picked up the straw stalk and said with a smile, "Don't tell me you've fallen for that guy?"

Hongjun said, "That's not true!"

Mo Rigen said, "Don't you always like those little foxes and whatnot?"

Hongjun replied, "I'm leaving."

"Stay and chat with me." Mo Rigen said, "We haven't seen each other for so long. Don't you miss me?"

Hongjun looked at Mo Rigen's expression and felt a little melancholy. Suddenly, he thought of what Li Jinglong had said. Could it be that Mo Rigen had sent Lu Xu away? After all, they had fought side by side before. There was a friendship between them. Hongjun felt a little disappointed.

"How long has it been?" Hongjun laughed. "A month at most." He then lay down beside Mo Rigen.

"Dawnstar, Hongjun, Dawnstar, Hongjun …" Mo Rigen narrowed his eyes and looked at the warm winter sun. He said, "That guy can't remember your name."

Hongjun thought about how Lu Xu only knew how to call him by his name after tossing and turning. He suddenly asked, "What's Celebrity Li?"

Mo Rigen's handsome face suddenly turned a little red. He replied, "It's a nickname. Don't ask too much."

Hongjun also looked at the sun. The winter sun made him feel warm. The quilt under him was soft and warm. It reminded him of when he was young and lying on Chong Ming's body.

"Mo Rigen," Hongjun said.

"Call me brother," Mo Rigen said seriously.

Hongjun couldn't be bothered with him. He asked, "Have you ever thought about what you'll be like in the future?"

Mo Rigen said, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

In the Exorcism Division, apart from Li Jinglong, Hongjun felt the closest to Mo Rigen. That day, when he was sleeping in the dilapidated Exorcism Division, the second person to report to him and get to know him was Mo Rigen. At the same time, he was also his first true friend in the human world.