Time passes minute by minute.
Black clouds piled up like mountains, making the sky gloomy.
Gu Xu raised the pen, hung it from his wrist, dipped it in ink, and then slowly dropped the tip of the pen on the white paper.
The ink is slightly smudged, like mud spots on the snow.
The moment he put pen to paper, a bright bolt of lightning pierced the sky, accompanied by howling wind and deafening thunder, arriving at Longmen Academy from the distant horizon.
The cold light is like frost and penetrates the window.
The vast "Siqi Hall" seemed to be instantly penetrated by countless sword lights and torn into pieces of alternating light and dark; ghostly lights and shadows also flashed on the white paper in front of Gu Xu.
But his expression did not change, his eyes were like a winter lake, and he seemed completely unaware of everything happening around him.
When a stroke falls, it looks like a wild horse that has escaped from the reins, soaring into the sky, and then disappearing away; it is also like a dragon entering the sea, carrying hundreds of waves and thousands of snow piles.
It has both thunderous momentum and divine indulgence.
Mo Li stood nearby, stunned for a moment.
The pen and ink on this paper were like the rapid whirlpool in the river, making his consciousness sink into it and unable to extricate himself.
After a long while, he finally came back to his senses.
At this time, Mo Li suddenly realized that Gu Xu was not drawing symbols, but writing.
On the white paper in front of him, there was written the word "fire" with vigorous and majestic strokes.
"Isn't it a battle of Talisman and Dao today?" Mo Li frowned slightly, feeling a little strange in his heart, "Why did this person start writing calligraphy?"
But , for some reason, when Mo Li's eyes fell on the big word "fire", he felt a vague warmth, just like standing by the stove to keep warm in the snowy winter.
"Dong, dong, dong..."
At this moment, the bell of Longmen Academy rang again, announcing the end of the assessment.
Gu Xu put down his brush, stretched, and slowly stood up from his seat.
The rain outside the window gradually became lighter.
The rainwater slid down from the dark gray eaves and fell to the ground; from a distance, it looked like a gorgeous bead curtain.
Gu Xu smiled slightly at Mo Li beside him, picked up the works on the table, and walked out of the house first.
Mo Li was stunned for a few seconds and hurriedly followed.
…………
The Imperial Master put down the tea cup in his hand, stood up and left the pavilion.
He walked slowly into the rain, but there was no trace of rain on his body.
Then he straightened his clothes and sat down on a strange rock in the yard.
Because of his restrained aura and rough and dark skin, at first glance, he looked like an old farmer sitting on the edge of the field to rest after hard work.
"Tell me your thoughts," the national master said kindly, while waving to several talisman masters, "Zhao Xinran, you come first."
Zhao Xinran took a step forward.
"The talisman I designed is called 'Beacon Fire'," she took the talisman she drew from the imperial master and explained to everyone present, "its function is just like the talisman on the frontier battlefield. Like a beacon, it can send messages and warn people.
“As we all know, it is impossible for mortals to defeat ghosts with their own strength. Faced with danger, they can only turn to practitioners for help.
"Two of these talismans form a pair.
"As long as the distance does not exceed three hundred miles, if one of them is torn off, the other one will also burn. , and show the corresponding position in the flame.
"In this way, we only need to hand one of them into the hands of a mortal and put the other in the exorcism department. When a mortal sees a ghost, he only needs to tear off the one in his hand. The monks from the Exorcism Department will be informed of the situation in time and rush to the rescue."
The Imperial Master listened to her words carefully, and the expression on his face did not change at all.
After Zhao Xinran finished speaking, the imperial master raised his head and asked her: "Do you think the 'Fenghuo' talisman and seal you designed is irreplaceable compared to the art of divine deduction?" "
Zhao Xinran replied without thinking: "There are not many monks in the Daqi Dynasty who are good at celestial deduction. After the long night falls, it may be difficult to grasp the situation in various parts of the country in time; and Many times, Tianji Technique can only estimate a vague range, but cannot obtain accurate location information, and may even be interfered by powerful ghosts. But my 'Fenghuo' talisman does not have such a problem."< /p>
"But in the Daqi Dynasty, the number of Talisman Masters is actually almost the same as the number of monks who are good at Celestial Magic." The Imperial Master smiled and responded, "If you want the whole country to have one The 'Fenghuo' talisman is almost impossible."
Zhao Xinran was silent for a while and said: "This talisman is not complicated as long as you can draw the 'Tai Shang Arctic Demon Killer'. Any talisman master of Ghost Talisman can easily draw it in a short time."
However, her tone sounded a little unsure at this time, and she was no longer as confident as she was at first. Full.
The Imperial Master sighed lightly.
“I’m not deliberately finding fault,” he said. “This idea of yours is indeed very good and has exceeded my expectations. It should be able to play a great role in the long night.
“I just hate my own powerlessness. The Daqi Dynasty has a vast land and a large population. Despite our strength, it is difficult to protect everyone. "
After hearing the words of the Imperial Master, everyone bowed their heads and remained silent.
They all know that even today, the existence of the "Tianlong Formation" can ensure that the residents of Luojing live and work in peace and contentment. , the monks of the Exorcism Department protect the lives of people in many towns... But deep in some remote and remote mountains, or in areas occupied by powerful ghosts like "Mang Mountain", there is still a steady stream of people. Some people have become food for ghosts.
Perhaps in the eyes of many people, those victims are just cold and distant numbers.
But the National Preceptor is always worried about it.
He knew that behind those numbers were living lives and broken families.
After a brief silence, the Imperial Master looked at Mo Li next to him and said, "Tell me about the talisman seals you drew."
Mo Li hesitated for two seconds. , also took a step forward.
After hearing the conversation between the Imperial Master and Zhao Xinran just now, his mood had already turned cold. Because he knew that the talisman seal he drew had violated the original intention of the national master's design of this question.
However, he still bit the bullet and showed his work in front of the imperial master. At the same time, he described: "The talisman I drew is called the 'Evil Ghost Entering the House to Disturb the Talisman'." ', it is improved from the 'Zhenxinzhai Sneaky Talisman', and it can be used just by sticking it in a private house. Compared with the original talisman, it can not only deal with 'wild ghost' level ghosts, but also Also..."
"Your talisman looks very complicated and very powerful," the national master interrupted him and said, "It must be difficult to draw, right?"
p>Mo Li took a deep breath and nodded.
"How many of the students in Longmen Academy do you think are capable of drawing it?" the national teacher then asked.
Mo Li thought for a while and replied: "Probably... no more than ten!"
Hearing these words from the Imperial Master, Mo Li immediately understood what he was doing. The problem with the "Warning Talisman of Evil Ghosts Entering the House" is that due to the cost of drawing it, it is impossible to be widely used across the country.
"You have to understand that the most important thing when we study Fu Dao is to be pragmatic," the national master looked at Mo Li and said earnestly, "The fundamental purpose is to kill demons and eliminate harm for the people. ——If you can't do this, no matter how complicated the seal script is to learn, no matter how many techniques you know, it won't make any sense.
"I personally suggest that you put down the books in your hands temporarily and spend more time. Go for a walk outside the capital, maybe you can gain some new insights. "
"Thank you, Master Imperial Master, for your guidance! "Mo Li nodded seriously and bowed to the Imperial Master. At the same time, he also understood that he was no longer destined for the position of teaching in the academy today.
He had already begun to think about what he should do later. Explain the situation to his cousin.
Next, the national master turned his attention to Shen Qiu next to him.
"I haven't thought of a name for this talisman yet," he said before waiting. After the Imperial Master ordered, Shen Qiu stepped forward and introduced, "Its function is very simple, and the painting method is not complicated. As long as you stick it on your body, it can glow with light and drive away ghosts at the level of 'wandering souls'. At the same time, it can It can make people run five times faster in a short period of time - I think it should be able to help some people who encounter ghosts escape to a safe place. ”
“There are many ghosts and ghosts during the long night, and it is really unrealistic to eliminate them.," the Imperial Master said calmly, "'Escape' is sometimes the best strategy. "
This sounds like a positive comment, but the Imperial Master's face is very calm and does not show too many surprises.
Shen Qiu also guessed the Imperial Master's Thoughts——
When the long night falls, many cities that can currently be safe will no longer be safe... By then, even if the people have this talisman on their bodies, they will be able to escape. Where?
For this, Shen Qiu couldn't think of a better solution.
He just felt that in front of Chang Ye, one person's power was too small. It is difficult to change the overall situation.
Finally, the Imperial Master looked at Gu Xu, who had been standing quietly beside him.
"Gu Xiaoyou, the talisman you drew seems to be the same as the common one. The talisman seals are different! "The Imperial Master glanced at the strong and straight character "Fire" on the white paper, and commented with a smile, "Can you tell me what's unique about it? "
Gu Xu replied calmly: "The special thing about it is that any monk, not necessarily a Talisman Master, can draw it by silently reciting a specific mantra. ”
…………
It was quiet.
No one spoke.
So much so that the sound of wind and rain all around, It sounded a bit harsh.
Shen Qiu opened his eyes, Mo Li scratched his head, and Zhao Xinran frowned slightly.
Anything. A talisman that can be drawn by a monk.
A talisman that can be drawn by just chanting a spell.
This is completely beyond the comprehension of ordinary people - the more experienced it is. The rich Talisman master couldn't believe this.
The national master was silent for a while, and then said to Gu Xu: "Can you say it again? ”
Gu Xu nodded and followed the instructions.
At the same time, he also added: The function of this talisman is very simple, it is to use fire to burn ghosts. Its power depends on the infusion of real The strength of the element - the talisman drawn by the monks in the first realm can kill "wandering souls"; the talisman drawn by the monks in the fourth realm can be used to kill "evil spirits"; the "talisman" drawn by the monks in the seventh realm... okay , the saint's true energy is too strong to fit in this talisman.
"I call it the 'Fire Character'. "Finally, Gu Xu said with a smile.
"Do you mind if we try it? "The Imperial Preceptor asked.
He knew very well that if what Gu Xu said was true, then this "Fire Character" would have extremely important strategic significance in the "Long Night".< /p>
"Of course. "Gu Xu replied readily.
After hearing his answer, the Imperial Master waved and summoned an ordinary academy student who was watching not far away.
This The student was a second-level monk, short and strong, with a loyal and honest face.
When the national master called him, he was stunned for two seconds, and then came to the crowd in fear.In front of the Talisman Masters.
"What's your name?"
"Liu...Liu Jinbiao."
"What do you study?"
" I...I use a gun, Master National Master."
"Do you understand the talisman?"
"I don't understand."
"That's good. , come and try to draw a talisman."
The student who called himself "Liu Jinbiao" was stunned for a moment, at a loss.
Then, the Imperial Master conjured paper and pen out of thin air, and Gu Xu told him the incantation of the "Fire Character". Liu Jinbiao took a deep breath, while silently reciting the incantation in his heart. The word "fire" was written on the paper.
Perhaps because he was too nervous, the strokes of the character he wrote looked particularly stiff. Put together with the character Gu Xu, they looked like they were in the sky and on the ground.
However, while he was reciting the incantation, he felt a stream of true energy in his body flow along his arm to the tip of the pen, and then poured into the talisman paper.
This shocked him deeply.
For a moment, he even thought that he was dreaming, that he had mastered the art of talisman and seal script without any teacher.
After he finished painting, the national master took the two "fire characters" and gently threw them into the air.
The two talismans turned into two orange-red firelights, like fireworks on Lantern Festival night, illuminating the dark sky and making the endless rain curtain shine with bright brilliance.
After a while, the fire gradually disappeared.
The whole world has lost its color and turned back into a gray ink painting.
But the state master's mood could not be calm for a long time.
Today, Gu Xu gave him too many surprises.
If the previous "Bagua Logic Circuit Diagram" allowed him to see a new way of drawing symbols, then this "Fire Symbol" allowed him to see countless possibilities in the future.
Zhao Xinran’s heart was also filled with ups and downs.
She is from Youzhou and grew up listening to the legend of the "God of Fire" since she was a child.
In the stories of the elders, the human race in the wilderness has been living in darkness and has been invaded by ghosts and monsters for a long time. It was not until the "God of Fire" took fire and handed it into their hands that the human race saw the light of day for the first time. bright.
It is precisely because of Youzhou people’s belief in the “God of Fire” and the recent prophecies such as “Fire dominates when the sun rises” and “Fire burns palaces and wolves howl on the frontier” that the Yan Kingdom Gong Zhao Changying showed uneasiness.
At this moment, when she saw two "fire characters" burning in the rain, she inexplicably thought of the "fire" in the ancient legend of Youzhou.
Somewhere, she felt that this talisman was like a spark.
From this point on, the entire pattern of Talisman and the relationship between humans and ghosts will change.
PS: I was wrong. Kawen is still very stuck. I have been sitting at the desk for eight hours before finishing this chapter. I will outline the follow-up in a few days.Once it’s finished, I’ll find time to add a chapter (plus monthly tickets and extra updates, there are a total of 3 chapters owed).