Chapter 288

Ling Shi Wu came again, bringing two small officials.

The "strange people and talented individuals" raised by the Gathering Immortals Mansion, after accepting the entrustment of the Ministry of Rites and going out to catch small demons and ghosts, should all bring evidence or witnesses and personally return to the official office of the Gathering Immortals Mansion to report and receive rewards. However, since Lin Jue arrived in the capital, Ling Shi Wu had always come to find him personally.

At this moment, Ling Shi Wu was also respectful, first looking at the crabapple and saying with a smile: "I haven't seen you for a few days, the crabapple in the Daoist's courtyard is blooming more and more beautifully!"

Lin Jue and Luo Gong looked at each other and responded casually: "Beautiful? I think it's elegant and refined."

"Hmm? To tell you the truth, the subordinate also thinks so; beauty is the texture of the crabapple, and elegance is the color of the crabapple. This sentence of yours, 'elegant and refined,' is the spirit and charm of the crabapple!"

"Ling Shi Wu is a busy person, I suppose you are here to ask about the demon harming people?"

"Haha, there is also the meaning of coming to see the Daoist and getting some immortal energy," Ling Shi Wu said flatteringly, then got to the point, "Did the Daoist just return from outside the city? Did you go to Fengshan and see the 'evil god' on the mountain? You weren't hurt, were you?"

Lin Jue was indeed knocked by an arrowhead and had a little skin injury, and that Daoist robe was also broken; compared to the two, he felt more heartache for this Daoist robe he had worn for many years.

However, he had already taken a bath and changed his Daoist robe, so the injury couldn't be seen from the surface.

Lin Jue didn't know if this matter had anything to do with the Star Gazing Palace, so naturally, he wouldn't say that he and Third Shixiong Hua had fought, and both sides were injured, so as not to be heard by the Daoists of the Star Gazing Palace and secretly rejoice—even if this little injury was really not worth mentioning, the secret joy it brought might only be a tiny bit.

"We did just return from Fengshan outside the city and saw the 'evil god' you mentioned," Lin Jue said. "However, we feel that this matter might not be his doing."

"Oh? How so?"

"Still waiting to investigate," Lin Jue said. "Ling Shi, leave this matter to us."

"If the Daoist takes action, there will definitely be success!"

"Just do my best."

"The Daoist is too modest."

"We also just returned to the capital not long ago. Look, I let you run for nothing, and we haven't found and eliminated the demon harming people, and we haven't even boiled tea," Lin Jue said, pausing, "But it's quite a coincidence; last time we just returned to the capital, Ling Shi Wu came to the door the next day, and this time it's even faster; we arrived in the morning, and Ling Shi Wu came to the door in the afternoon."

"This..." Ling Shi Wu was startled and said weakly, "Did the subordinate disturb the Daoist's rest?"

"Hmm? Ling Shi, you misunderstood! Absolutely no such intention! We people outside the world don't have so many twists and turns as people in the capital! If I feel Ling Shi Wu comes too frequently, I'll just say it directly."

"It's the subordinate who thought too much."

Ling Shi Wu thought about it and felt that what Lin Jue said made sense; it was like that Pan Gong, or several other Daoists and experts who were eliminating demons in the northwest and northeast, who would directly tell him not to find them casually when they didn't want to see him.

He thought this one was the same.

"Just felt it was a coincidence," Lin Jue said with a smile. "My guardian just joked with me, asking if Ling Shi Wu is not an official of the Ministry of Rites, but of some other agency, and arranged for people to watch at the city gate? Hahaha!"

"How could that be? Where would our Ministry of Rites have such power? The subordinate is just a sesame official responsible for serving the strange people and high experts of the Gathering Immortals Mansion," Ling Shi Wu said with a bitter smile, not suspecting anything.

Luo Gong sat beside him, sizing him up with slanted eyes.

"Then how did Ling Shi Wu know we returned to the capital? Is it just fate?" Lin Jue asked again.

"If you say it's fate, it's fate. Last time it was because of the demon harming people; the subordinate really couldn't find any high experts willing to go investigate and eliminate demons in the Gathering Immortals Mansion, so I went to the Star Gazing Palace to ask the Daoist to ask the gods. The Daoist of the Star Gazing Palace told the subordinate that Daoist Lin had returned and asked the subordinate to come find Daoist Lin for help, so the subordinate came."

Ling Shi Wu frowned as he spoke, feeling something strange, but continued:

"Today, the subordinate was walking on the street and happened to meet a Daoist I know from the Star Gazing Palace, who said he saw the Daoist and the guardian return, probably because the Star Gazing Palace and the Daoist's residence are only separated by the official office of the Gathering Immortals Mansion. Otherwise, how would the subordinate know the Daoist returned."

"So that's how it is," Lin Jue said. "It can be considered fate."

"Fate, fate."

"By the way, have you found the constables I asked Ling Shi Wu to find?"

"Found a few," Ling Shi Wu looked at him, then at Luo Gong beside him, "Should I call them over?"

"Call them over in the afternoon," Luo Gong said.

"Good!"

"If Ling Shi Wu has nothing else, please go back," Lin Jue said. "If we find out the truth, we will naturally go find Ling Shi Wu."

"Then the subordinate will say goodbye."

Ling Shi Wu bowed, waved to the person behind him, and another small official brought up a tray: "Thank you for running to Fengshan, this is the tea money added by the Ministry of Rites for the Daoist."

"Hmm? Money even if the demon isn't eliminated?"

"What kind of status is the Daoist? Such an expert is naturally unusual. Since you went to move around, you are naturally tired, and since you are tired, you should drink some tea."

"Hehe..."

Sure enough, money in the capital is easy to earn.

Lin Jue thought to himself, but waved his hand: "No merit, no reward; wait until the truth is found and the demon is eliminated!"

"Respect the Daoist's intention."

Ling Shi Wu had respect in his eyes and didn't push too much.

Turning to leave the residence, he couldn't help but speed up his pace, and until he walked out of the residence, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He had a strange feeling—

There seems to be something between the Star Gazing Palace and this Daoist? I don't know if it's good or bad.

At the same time, cold sweat couldn't help but break out on his body.

I'm just a sesame official, I shouldn't have gotten involved in the affairs of these immortal experts, right?

The two sat opposite each other in the courtyard, the Xiao Xiao Shimei squatting by the stove, blowing at the stove, boiling tea.

"This person should have no problem," Luo Seng said, his voice as steady as ever, "However, he is very clever and should have heard something."

"Am I still too straightforward?"

"Not as straightforward as it could be!"

"Makes sense."

Lin Jue nodded.

However, for this kind of thing, it is indeed very difficult to find evidence that can be called evidence, and it is impossible to go and argue with them openly.

However, for this kind of thing, there is no need for any evidence, and it is not going to the yamen to fight a lawsuit. As long as the facts are indeed so, both sides know it well, and pulling other things is meaningless.

And the existence of the Star Gazing Palace belongs to the category of having no real ability; Lin Jue's twelve bean soldiers might not be able to deal with them, but they are Daoists who worship the Heavenly Lord god system, and as long as the Heavenly Lord does not fall or they have not been abandoned by the Heavenly Lord, it is very difficult for anyone to do anything to them.

Let alone Daoists, even immortals might not be able to.

After all, just the four Dharma-protecting True Lords under the Heavenly Lord: Protector Husheng Husheng Zhenjun, Preserver Husheng Husheng Zhenjun, Blessing Many Yaoguai Husheng Husheng Zhenjun, and Saving Many Yaoguai Husheng Husheng Zhenjun, are already four True Lords, and they have attained the Dao through martial arts and have been successful for many years; most immortals and Daoists should not be able to fight them.

That's fine, very fair—

Lin Jue is not good at using spells to deal with them directly, and they cannot invite deities to deal with Lin Jue without any reason, so they can only think of other ways.

Lin Jue noted it down anyway.

Waiting quietly for the next opportunity.

However, investigating the case is the priority right now.

Luo Gong quickly went out with his sword.

Lin Jue spread a piece of paper on the stone table, took out a pen, carefully ground the ink, placed it aside, and took out the spirit-writing talisman given to him by "Refuting Third Shixiong":

"Many Yaoguai-writing immortal, please come.

"Many Yaoguai-writing immortal senior, please come.

"Many Yaoguai-writing immortal..."

He shouted a few times, but there was no movement.

Lin Jue waited patiently.

He actually waited as long as he did in the Western Regions before he vaguely heard a sound in his ear:

"What is it?"

The voice was much clearer than in the Western Regions.

"Why did it take Third Shixiong so long?"

"What other reason could there be? Truly dull! Naturally, there are too many roads in the capital, the aura is too mixed, and it's foul, making it hard to find the way."

As soon as the voice rang in his ear, it was the familiar taste.

"So that's how it is; I thought Third Shixiong had other things to do and I disturbed Third Shixiong."

Lin Jue showed a smile, hearing this voice coming from under Fuqiu Peak, and actually felt a bit warm, then said:

"It's like this, we encountered a strange thing in the capital; recently, many women in the capital have been drained of all their fat and essence and died. The fat might be to confuse the public, and this kind of thing has been going on for many years, it is said. Third Shixiong is knowledgeable, so I want to ask Third Shixiong what women's essence can be used for. Especially in a place like the capital, over a long period of time."

"Having cultivated for so many years, your vision still hasn't grown! Essence has many uses, but if it's only women's essence, it's probably two kinds: harvesting yin to supplement yang, and using yin to supplement yin."

"Harvesting yin to supplement yang? Using yin to supplement yin?"

"If it's in a place like the capital..."

"What does Third Shixiong think?"

After Lin Jue finished asking, he listened patiently.

But there was no movement in his ear.

If it weren't for the breeze circling in the courtyard, he would even feel that "Refuting Third Shixiong" had already left.

He didn't know if Refuting Third Shixiong was piecing together a spirit-writing poem, or searching his memory, thinking hard about a solution, but in any case, after a long time, the pen on the table stood up, swaying, flew to the paper, and sprinkled a string of ink dots.

The pen pointed down and pressed on the paper.

Then, without anyone moving it, it wrote a line of words.

The Xiao Xiao Shimei happened to finish boiling the tea, brought a cup over, placed it by her Third Third Shixiong's hand, looked curiously at the pen moving like a dragon and snake on the paper, and couldn't help but read it out:

"The old immortal opens the furnace in Chang'an, first taking river water then taking mountains. A few parts of smoke and jade color, half human and half elixir."

As soon as she finished reading, with a "pa" sound, the pen fell.

"Hmm?"

The Xiao Xiao Shimei was stunned for a moment, pointed her finger, and said strangely: "Isn't this a poem written by Master's spirit-writing immortal friend?"

"Yes."

Lin Jue also felt it was familiar.

"Third Third Shixiong! Your spirit-writing immortal is copying other people's poems!"

"He hasn't left yet."

Deng, deng, deng! The Xiao Xiao Shimei was shocked and took several steps back.

"That's not right! You Xiao Xiao Shimei, don't you know the principle of quoting and borrowing? My using that old thing's original poem is his blessing, and naturally has my true meaning! You all understand it yourselves; if you can understand it, it's your blessing, if you can't, then forget it!"

A breeze blew through the crabapple, and the cinnabar beads and flowers swayed.

"Refuting Third Shixiong" had already left.

The Xiao Xiao Shimei looked serious, as if the words just now weren't said by her; after a while, she asked: "Did he leave, Third Third Shixiong?"

"He left."

"What did he say? Did he scold me?"

"He said you have no culture."

"What is no culture?"

"This is no culture," Lin Jue said with a smile, "But you helped me, tricking him into giving one more hint."

"Oh..."

Then Lin Jue picked up the paper and thought seriously.

At the same time, the martial artist wearing a bamboo hat walked on the street with his sword, followed by several constables who didn't know the reason, also wearing swords.

The martial artist's steps were fast, hurried, but orderly.

Sometimes he went to check the bodies of those women and asked the coroner, sometimes he went to find the friends and relatives of those women and talked with them, sometimes he stopped on the street with a thoughtful look, sometimes he dismissed the constables and walked alone into the unknown underground places of Changjing, amidst the tea, smoke, and wine, he took off his bamboo hat, and the messy Jianghu heroes inside were startled and bowed one after another.

Both had their own strengths, each using their own methods.