Atay and Hongjun came out from behind the screen and saw Li Guinian sitting under the ginkgo tree in the middle of the Golden Flower Garden. Li Guinian casually said, "I'm composing a song for the Imperial Concubine's birthday. What a coincidence."
Hongjun suddenly felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. Atay's body emitted a strange aura. He took half a step forward and blocked Hongjun. Usually, Atay would only be so serious in battle.
"Do you need help?" Atay smiled faintly.
Li Guinian said cheerfully, "If there's a chance to ask for advice, that would be great. But seeing the two of you enter the palace in the middle of the night, there must be something important. Are you here for Marquis Yadan?"
Atay replied, "Yes."
Li Guinian said, "Let me take you to Marquis Yadan and Prince Tegra. How about we have a chat?" Without waiting for an answer, he straightened up and carried the pipa on his back. He made a "please" gesture and walked in front.
Hongjun couldn't help but recall Li Guinian and Atay. When did they know each other? That's not right. The only time they met was at the Spring Dawn in Pingkang.
"The temporary prison in the palace is not a dungeon." Li Guinian led the two of them around the side hall of Xingqing Palace and through a secluded garden. He turned back and said to Atay, "Last time you suddenly left. Did you find the person?"
Atay raised his eyebrows and smiled, "As expected, you found out, Master Li Guinian."
Li Guinian smiled again, "I don't deserve the title 'Master'. That day, you mistook me for someone else and followed me all the way. I wanted to help, but since I'm the successor of the Saintess of Xilin and have the help of my brothers, it shouldn't be difficult. "
From this short conversation, Hong Jun instantly deduced a huge amount of information. He was not as ignorant as he was when he first came to Chang 'an. He immediately wondered if Li Guinian was the real Xie Yu.
"Who are you?!" Hongjun said sternly, "Li Guinian, are you a human or a demon?"
"What are you thinking?" Atay didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He patted the back of Hongjun's head with his fan.
Li laughed. Atay said, "But I did suspect you, Li Guinian. That night when I heard your zither, I felt that something was wrong. On the day when the elder and our brothers were trapped by the fox demon's disappearance, I also had an idea. Maybe I could find some clues by following you … "
Hongjun, "!!!!"
That day night. That day.... was Atay was was was was actually following Li ''. Li was... was.... Was.. was was.
Li Guinian said leisurely, "I'm very sorry about the twists and turns. I had no choice but to … Here we are."
The two walked through the garden and came to a secluded place. It was the courtyard where the suspects from Xingqing Palace were locked up. The Long Wu Army soldiers were guarding outside.
After they stopped, no one made a move. Atay looked at Li Guinian. Li Guinian understood what he meant. He held his pipa and pondered for a long time. Then, he gently plucked a few strings. Then, he played countless notes smoothly. Wherever the music reached, the guards outside the courtyard collapsed.
Hongjun said, "This is …"
The technique was exactly the same as Atay's!
Immediately, Atay smiled and said, "I think Great Master must be the Big Brother that I have never met before. Am I right?"
Atay raised his right hand in front of his left chest and made the "Holy Flame Flying" gesture. He saluted Li Guinian. Li Guinian returned the salute with the same gesture. Then, he said to Hongjun, "Go quickly. Marquis Yadan is inside."
Li Jinglong sat in the corner and thought. Hongjun's voice came from outside the room. "Jinglong!"
Li Jinglong suddenly stood up and went to the iron window. He saw Hongjun face to face. Li Jinglong said angrily, "Why are you here? Did they send you here? "
"I wanted to do it myself …" Hongjun turned to look for the lock. With a clear sound, the flying knife cut open the lock effortlessly. Li Jinglong was about to stop him, but the anxious Hongjun pushed the door open. The iron door hit his forehead and made a loud noise.
Li Jinglong was speechless.
Li Jinglong felt the world spinning. Hongjun was scared and quickly apologized. Li Jinglong waved his hand and said, "It's okay. I haven't been so unlucky in a long time …"
"It's swollen. Let me rub it for you." Hongjun said, "Fortunately, your nose bridge is not injured."
Li Jinglong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He hugged Hongjun and sighed.
"Let's go!" Hongjun said.
"We can't go." Li Jinglong came back to his senses and asked, "You came here by yourself? Were you discovered? "
Hongjun told Li Jinglong everything that happened on the way here. Li Jinglong's eyes were full of shock. He muttered, "I didn't expect Li Guinian to be a kindred spirit … Why did he reveal his identity? I'm afraid things can't be settled."
"For ten years, I've been waiting for something." Li Guinian said seriously to Atay. "I think you came to the Central Plains this time to find it."
Atay frowned. "That's just a legend. A legend that even Master can't confirm."
Li Guinian and Atay stood quietly on the drill ground. The moonlight shone on their faces. Atay sighed. "I gave up long ago. Why are you looking for it? Eldest Senior Brother, you're really patient. You've been in Chang 'an for so many years. "
Li Guinian said, "Years ago, when the Saintess of Xilin traveled the Central Plains, I was the only one among the three Li brothers who had the honor of learning from her. I'm not even a disciple in name. Prince Tegra, please don't call me that. "
"The mission of finding the Divine Fire was also entrusted to you by her?" Atay asked again.
Li Guinian nodded and didn't say anything else. He waited for Atay to ask more questions.
Atay said, "The Divine Fire will never be extinguished. It burns away all filth and illuminates the darkness …"
"… The one who obtains the Divine Fire will obtain the power of the Oracle Zoroaster. The people of the Church of Light, the Sons of Flames, see the Divine Fire as Mani, Zoroaster, and Ahura Mazda. They will follow him and do good, slay evil, and live forever in the paradise of the Gods of Light." Li Guinian said slowly. "If you want to restore your country and find the Divine Fire, I'm sure you'll be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"Something that even Mani couldn't find," Atay said, shaking his head. "It's impossible to find. I even doubt if it ever existed."
"It existed," Li Guinian said seriously. "Teacher Saintess came to the Central Plains in order to investigate this matter. Legend has it that a group of Lite people took the Divine Fire away from the Western Regions nearly a thousand years ago. It wasn't until a few decades ago that Xie Yu took over the Chang 'an and became the hidden king of the Central Plains that I felt that this matter had something to do with the Divine Fire. "
Atay was suddenly shocked. He said in a low voice, "It's in Xie Yu's hands?"
"No," Li Guinian said. "But its relationship with Tianma is no small matter. How far have you investigated it?"
At this moment, the flow of the air around them seemed to have undergone some strange changes. Black smoke surged towards them from all directions. Li Guinian and Atay turned their heads at the same time. Li Guinian instantly took out a cloak, and a burst of smoke erupted from the ground. It wrapped around himself and Atay and disappeared without a trace.
"Listen to me," Li Jinglong said seriously to Hongjun in the courtyard. "I can't leave this place right now."
Hongjun let out a long breath. Li Jinglong helplessly reached out to hold his hand, but Hongjun shook his hand away.
"What's wrong with you now?" Li Jinglong looked at Hongjun and said seriously. "Why are you always angry?"
"It's nothing," Hongjun said. "Then you can continue to stay here. I'm leaving."
Li Jinglong laughed. He knew that people who said they were leaving didn't really want to leave. He took his hand and said, "Hongjun, don't worry. Nothing will happen."
Hongjun turned his head and said seriously, "Then tell me, what can I do?"
Hong Jun's brows were deeply furrowed, there was anger and anxiety between his brows as he said, "I don't know what to do at all. Yes, I admit, I'm not smart. You guys never tell me anything. It's to protect me so that I won't worry, but I'm also worried about you! Worried about everyone! "
Li Jinglong was stunned. This wasn't the first time he heard Hongjun complain like this. But this time, he felt that Hongjun's emotions were very strong, especially after the two of them spoke openly.
"I don't want to always be so unclear!" Hongjun said sadly. "Forget it, I think I might not be suitable … not suitable to be an exorcist. I'm really too stupid."
"Tianma plans to get rid of Xie Yu," Li Jinglong suddenly said. "Xie Yu wants to use us to get rid of Tianma. It's that simple. "
Hongjun, "…"
"That's right." A voice came from outside the courtyard. "Why can't you understand such a simple thing?"
Hongjun immediately turned his head. That voice belonged to Yang Guozhong!
Li Jinglong finally waited for the moment when the two sides laid their cards on the table. He said in a deep voice, "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
"Likewise." Outside the room, Yang Guozhong used an unknown spell. In an instant, all the bricks and tiles in the courtyard collapsed together and hung in mid-air. Then, they flew in all directions and formed a sealed wall that stood on the ground.
"Your companions are in my residence," Yang Guozhong said, "There are some things that I think it's more appropriate to say to you directly."
Yang Guozhong's body flashed with light. Hongjun immediately gathered his flying daggers and did not dare to act rashly. However, Yang Guozhong only raised his hand and shot out a black flame that surrounded Hongjun's body. Hongjun tried his best to resist with the Rainbow Divine Light. Li Jinglong roared angrily, "Enough!"
Li Jinglong raised his hand and white light exploded, blocking Yang Guozhong. Yang Guozhong flicked his sleeves and pushed away the energy. The two of them immediately fell into a corner under the wall. Hongjun only felt a dull pain in his chest. Yang Guozhong took a step forward, his eyes emitting black flames. He said slowly, "Do you really think that you have the strength to fight against the Demon King after killing Wu Qiyu?"
Li Jinglong coughed incessantly, but still persisted in blocking in front of Hongjun. Hongjun gathered his mana and prepared to suddenly attack when Yang Guozhong approached again. However, Li Jinglong slowly stretched out his hand and pressed it on the back of Hongjun's dagger.
"A group of very ambitious youths." Yang Guozhong acted out of character. With the majesty of a sovereign descending upon the world, it was as if another soul had taken over that body in that instant.
"It's a pity that your strength is still too weak."
Li Jinglong knew that Yang Guozhong's sudden attack was only to reveal his strength and avoid unnecessary resistance. Just now, he did not know how much of his mana he used. The direct impact of his demonic power caused his internal organs to churn and he almost spat out blood.
Hongjun was used to seeing high level demons like Chong Ming and Qing Xiong. He was not intimidated by Yang Guozhong, but he understood that this guy was able to defeat Chong Ming and force the Phoenix and the Bird Clan to Taihang Mountains. His strength was at least on par with Chong Ming. Currently, he was almost unable to defeat him and could only use his wits.
Li Jinglong said, "Although my Mind's Lantern is unable to directly shake your demonic power, it is absolutely impossible for you to break the restriction and take away Hongjun's Tianma seed."
"Your Mind's Lantern?" Yang Guozhong's words were not without mockery. He said, "No matter how much I calculated, I would never have thought that this Mind's Lantern would end up in your hands."
"With your abilities, you could have killed me in advance." Li Jinglong said in a low voice. "Why didn't you do it?"
Yang Guozhong snorted coldly and looked at Hongjun as if deep in thought. In just a few short sentences, Li Jinglong guessed that Yang Guozhong seemed to have some misgivings about something. What was he misgivings about? Hongjun had once told him that it was Qing Xiong's instructions to bring the Mind's Lantern down the mountain. Qing Xiong told him that the Mind's Lantern was obtained from the North Sea's Kun Shen, or Yuan Kun. And Kun Shen had a special ability, which was …
Sure enough, Yang Guozhong looked into Hongjun's eyes and said in a low voice, "When Yuan Kun handed the Mind's Lantern to you, what did he say to you?"
Hongjun did not answer. He did not know how to lie, nor did he figure out the twists and turns during this period. He was only guarding against Yang Guozhong at any time and was prepared to protect Li Jinglong.
"You are my father's enemy." Hongjun said in a low voice, "I will not answer any of your questions."
"Not only am I not Kong Xuan's enemy." When Yang Guozhong heard Hongjun's words, he originally thought that he was talking about Kong Xuan. He did not expect that he was talking about Chong Ming. He misunderstood and said, "Instead, we are … friends."
"You're lying!" Hongjun roared angrily.
Yang Guozhong laughed and turned around to pace. His posture was even more majestic than Li Longji's. With his back to the two, he looked at the bright moon in the sky and murmured, "When you were very young, I saw you, Hongjun."
Hongjun, "…"
Li Jinglong took advantage of this moment and gestured to Hongjun, indicating that he would handle it. Hongjun frowned deeply. He looked at Yang Guozhong and then looked at Li Jinglong. His eyes were filled with indescribable anxiety. Li Jinglong put his hand on the back of Hongjun's hand and patted it lightly.
"… When I was just born." Yang Guozhong turned around again and looked at Hongjun seriously. He said, "When I was still an infant, one year old, two years old, two and a half years old, three years old …"
"You're the one who made us move all the time?" Hongjun frowned.
"I came to see you every year, until you met Li Jinglong." Yang Guozhong pondered for a moment and then said.
"What?"
This time, it was Li Jinglong's turn to be startled. In his memory, this part was completely blank.
"You know …" Hongjun said with a trembling voice, "Xie Yu, tell me, what happened?"
Yang Guozhong said, "This secret can only be shared between the two of us. Let's arrange a time to talk about it when we have time. You should know that I have no ill intentions towards you. "
"As if!" Hongjun vented all his grief and anger at this moment and roared, "If it weren't for you, my parents wouldn't have to move all over the place! They wouldn't have died! "
"They would have died." Yang Guozhong looked into Hongjun's eyes and said slowly, "It wasn't because of me. I'm sure you already know the reason."
Yang Guozhong still hadn't told him about the past, which made Li Jinglong start to feel suspicious. After all, Hongjun's past and memories were the missing link of all the conditions he thought he had grasped. This might lead to an extremely tragic variable in the end.
Yang Guozhong glanced at Li Jinglong and said with a smile, "Anyway, Marquis Yadan has already placed a restriction on your magic seed. It's not like 'love', 'affection', or something boring like that. I can't get it, and you can't get rid of it. Neither of us can take advantage of it. Why don't we make a deal? "
Li Jinglong finally heard this sentence and immediately pulled himself out of the tangled thoughts. It wouldn't be too late to slowly investigate what Yang Guozhong said in the future. How to deal with it now was the most important thing.