Chapter 100

"Just half a month ago," the Monkey King replied. The monkey demon named Old Fifth answered, "His Majesty is gathering the demons in preparation for war with the Skyfiends."

Hongjun was speechless.

Hongjun never expected that so many things would happen in a place he didn't know about. It turned out that before the incident at the Chang 'an Imperial Mausoleum, Li Jinglong had sent Qiu Yongsi to Luoyang. Qiu Yongsi was investigating the case of demons eating children's brains in Luoyang. He followed the clues and caught a monster.

The monster had cultivated for more than three hundred years and was extremely difficult to deal with. When Qiu Yongsi was fighting with it, Qing Xiong suddenly appeared and beat the monster back to its original form. When the monster came to Luoyang, it had caught a little monkey as a slave. It was the one called Monkey King in front of him.

After Qing Xiong and Qiu Yongsi interrogated the monster together, they learned the information. They told him that they would gather the demons who didn't listen to Xie Yu and Tianma and prepare to assist Li Jinglong in the battle against Xie Yu soon. Hence, they hurriedly left Luoyang.

Li Jinglong deliberately left the Sand Snake Demon in Longxi. After everyone finished their trip to Dunhuang, Li Jinglong left Hongjun in the bathhouse when he brought him back to the city. He went to resolve the matter himself and released the Sand Snake Demon. He ordered him to rush to the Chang 'an and send a flaw to Xie Yu.

Hongjun was confused and asked, "What flaw?"

"Tell Xie Yu that the demonic seed in his body will be out of control at any time." Li Jinglong said, "Force him to act as soon as possible and find trouble with you. Take back the demonic aura that he painstakingly absorbed and was taken away by you."

"But you …" Hongjun was about to ask when Li Jinglong gave him a look. Hongjun finally understood. At that time, Li Jinglong had thought of using the Mind Lamp to seal the demonic seed in his body. However, he purposely revealed to Xie Yu that he had no control over it.

That was why Xie Yu had taken the risk to steal the Devil Qi from Hongjun in the Zhao Mausoleum. However, Hongjun clearly counterattacked, and Xie Yu exposed her whereabouts. Li Jinglong deduced her whereabouts and finally caught Yang Guozhong, the big fish.

Looking back, how did Li Jinglong have the confidence to seal the Devil Qi in his body? Perhaps it was because of that night in Dunhuang, when the Ghost King talked about the "seven emotions and six desires", he couldn't seal Lu Xu, but he could seal Hongjun himself!

Hongjun figured this out and actually felt that Li Jinglong's schemes were all linked together. The corner of his mouth twitched as he said, "You're too cunning."

Li Jinglong said modestly, "It's just petty tricks, not worth mentioning."

Then he asked the two demons, "Then, have there been any abnormalities in the city recently?"

"Many demons have come to Luoyang." Sand Snake respectfully replied, "The Gu Ape is big … two of those Gu Apes have also come and are currently lingering in the city."

Old Fifth was clearly afraid of the Gu Apes and said, "Your Majesty, the Gu Apes are extremely difficult to deal with. You must be careful."

According to previous intelligence, the two Gu Apes had left to chase after the injured Kun Shen. However, they had stopped in Luoyang and didn't return to Chang 'an to report to An Lushan, nor did they leave. There was definitely something fishy about them staying here.

Li Jinglong thought for a moment and asked, "Where did they appear?"

"One is east of the Tianjin Bridge, inside the Ten Thousand Flowers Restaurant." Sand Snake said, "The other is outside the city at the 'National Beauty Heavenly Fragrance'."

Li Jinglong muttered to himself for a moment. Old Fifth wanted to say something but hesitated. Hongjun could tell and indicated for him to speak.

"Did another Demon King come to Luoyang?" Old Fifth asked, "A few days ago, there was a surge of demonic power, but before we could find it, it disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Li Jinglong immediately understood that the Kun God had either been captured or was injured and hiding in the city. Li Jinglong ordered the two demons to continue monitoring the Kun God. If there was any movement, they would report back immediately. Then, he would send them away.

The two sat in the hall of the Luoyang Bureau of Exorcism. Hongjun was still reminiscing about the previous twists and turns while Li Jinglong began to think. When he was thinking, he couldn't help but look at Hongjun and laugh again.

"What are you laughing at?" Hongjun asked.

"I'm laughing at the fact that you're mine." Li Jinglong said, "Can't I be happy?"

Hongjun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He asked, "What do we do now?"

Li Jinglong said helplessly, "I've been bewitched by you. I can't think of anything and became stupid."

Hongjun smiled and said, "I want to go out for a walk. Is that okay?" Li Jinglong nodded happily. Just as he was about to get up, Hongjun said, "I want to go out by myself. You can think about it here alone."

Li Jinglong was unwilling, but he thought that even if the two of them were already together, they couldn't stick together all day long and talk about love every day. Moreover, once they were in love, he didn't have the brain to think about problems and only wanted to talk to him. He reluctantly said, "Then calculate the time and come back early. "

Hongjun leaned forward and kissed him, saying, "I'll go buy some food while I'm at it."

Li Jinglong was kissed like that. For a long time, his whole body was emitting steam like a boiling kettle. After calming down, he felt that ever since the two of them got along, Hongjun had actually changed from being half-reluctant to accept to being extremely natural. Perhaps it was because of the childhood memories in that dream, but it actually made him feel no longer restrained. They felt like they had been together for many years and were at the same level as each other. This was the feeling he had been looking forward to and yearning for in his life.

However, all of this was too beautiful. It was so beautiful that Li Jinglong was a little afraid. He was always afraid that he was not a demon and was not worthy of Hongjun to treat him like this. He was always afraid that the beautiful scenery in front of him was too good. Just like how flowers would eventually wither, there would be a faint feeling that they would all fall in the future. He was even more afraid that Hongjun's previous words had some faint ominous meaning. He also had a dream before. In the dream …

Li Jinglong thought for a while, worried about his gains and losses. He did not know where Hongjun had gone. He was always afraid that he would be discovered and captured by the Gu Ape halfway. However, there was no Tianma here. In the end, he should not be worried about anything …

He still had a case to solve at hand. He had to quickly sort out the details and set up a chain of traps to let the two Gu Apes enter on their own …

Why wasn't Hongjun back yet? How long had he been out? That's not right. The incense on the tea table had not finished burning. It had not even been half an hour? Why did it feel like a long time …

It was Hongjun's first time in Luoyang. The reason why he did not want to come out with Li Jinglong was because he wanted to buy something for him. In the past, he often envied those couples in books who were willing to be together until their hair turned white. Although Zhuo Wenjun, who wrote "Ode to a White Head", started with "I heard that you had two intentions, so I came to break up with you", it was not much better. If they could become husband and wife, loving each other without any doubts, it would also be very good.

Therefore, he wanted to make a token of love and give it to Li Jinglong. Giving jade or gold was too vulgar. Sword tassels and armor were too old-fashioned. It was not bad to give him a protective talisman. In the past, when he was in Dazzling Gold Palace, he had tried to make many small toys. Most of them were used on Chong Ming, and almost all of them had failed. This was the first time in his life that he had tried to make a proper talisman. He had not tried it yet. He had to go back and ask Qiu Yongsi.

There was only one market in Luoyang. It was called "South Coming North Going". It was not as big as Chang 'an East and West Market. Hongjun strolled around the market and saw a thumb ring. He suddenly remembered that Li Jinglong often used bows and arrows. It was not bad to make a thumb ring. Therefore, he bought a thumb ring and prepared to use it as a mold. He looked for other materials and used it as a reference to make a new talisman.

Then, he strolled around and saw a set of Hu people's leather armor. The leather armor only had a few straps connected to the left arm. There was a leather sheath on the right hand, which was used to tame eagles. Li Jinglong's muscles were beautiful. He had chest muscles and abdominal muscles. If he wore the leather armor, it would look very good. Therefore, Hongjun spent money recklessly and bought a set of leather armor.

The spring breeze of April brushed his face. Hongjun was about to enter the medicine hall to prepare medicine when he suddenly saw a man lying outside. He was struggling and moaning. His body was already rotten. In that spring day, he looked extremely hideous and terrifying.

"Help … help …"

"He can't live. Stop screaming." Inside the medicine hall, a waiter came out and said, "Hey! Whose house is this? Quickly bring him back! "

Hongjun could not bear to see him like this. He bent down and wanted to take his pulse, but a doctor inside said, "Don't touch! Be careful not to get it infected! "

As dusk approached, the stalls in the market gradually closed. Hongjun asked the man, "Where is your house?"

The man's throat made a sound of unwillingness. He said, "I have money, I have money … I'll give you money, you save me …" He then raised his head and said to the medicine hall, "Doctor, I don't want to die. Save me, I'll give you my life …"

The sun was setting in the west. Mo Rigen was dressed in coarse cotton clothing. He pushed a handcart and passed through a small alley with Lu Xu. They were heading towards the Anxi military headquarters to deliver wine.

Lu Xu said, "Today?"

Mo Rigen was a little hesitant. He said, "Let's wait for another day."

The two of them had been introduced by Trandol, the proprietress of Lanling Amber. They accepted the job of delivering wine to the Anxi military headquarters. Every day, before sunset, they would deliver forty cups of wine for the generals under An Lushan's command to drink. After the Jiedushi entered the capital, An Lushan would visit the palace every few days. Sixteen people would carry him in on a soft couch. He would greet the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine before returning to eat and drink with the generals.

Mo Rigen did some calculations. There were two hundred people in the Anxi military headquarters in Chang 'an. Every day, they would eat ten lambs, ten pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, as well as countless amounts of venison, roe deer, fish, and so on. The wine would be sent in jar after jar, all of it poured into a large vat and sent into the banquet hall. The people drinking wine would ladle out the wine from a basin.

Lu Xu said, "I think it's about time for today. The servants all recognize us."

Mo Rigen pushed the cart inside. The shopkeeper said, "Oh, you've come quite early today!"

"Yes, yes." Mo Rigen wiped his hands with a handkerchief, looking very much like a servant. If it weren't for his tall and thin stature, one wouldn't be able to tell if he was thrown into a manservant's carriage. Lu Xu, on the other hand, had fair skin and delicate features. He didn't look like someone who worked. He stood to the side and coldly sized him up. The first time Mo Rigen had come, he had only introduced him as his distant younger brother, a scholar who worked for him to buy books for next year's imperial examinations. The shopkeeper didn't suspect anything and said, "Same as before, pour the wine into the vat."

Mo Rigen poured the wine into the vat. Lu Xu continued to watch from the side. Just at that moment, the housekeeper came into the rear courtyard and said to the shopkeeper, "Where are the two men who brought the meat platters from yesterday? Go to Xi City and look for two girls who are on time. "

Lu Xu immediately signaled to Mo Rigen with his eyes. Mo Rigen nodded slightly in understanding, but didn't say anything. He just smiled and poured the wine. Last night, Ashina Chong had tried to knock out two servants, causing them to vomit and have diarrhea. They couldn't serve An Lushan. Just as he was thinking of trying to see if the two of them could replace him, the opportunity came.

The shopkeeper agreed and said to Mo Rigen, "Just the two of you! You're a bit taller, so remember to kneel properly later. Don't be too straight. "

Mo Rigen's face lit up with smiles and hurriedly agreed. Lu Xu, on the other hand, wasn't very willing. The shopkeeper said, "We have money! Later, each of you will be given two hundred taels to spend. If the Regional Commander is in a good mood, he'll give you some silver and you'll be rich. "

Only then did Lu Xu agree to stay. The shopkeeper didn't want to make a trip to Xi City, so he immediately had someone bring the two of them to wipe their bodies and change into coarse cotton clothes so that they could serve An Lushan. When night fell, Mo Rigen and Lu Xu pressed the hose a few times in the rear courtyard and roughly wiped their bodies. Mo Rigen's skin was a healthy bronze color due to being exposed to the sun all year round. Lu Xu was used to wearing night clothes when he was a scout. He didn't get much sun, so his skin was still fair.

Mo Rigen looked at Lu Xu's figure and skin and laughed, "Between you and Hongjun, who's whiter?"

"It's none of your business." Lu Xu replied with his back facing him. Mo Rigen stared blankly at Lu Xu's naked body, lost in thought. He suddenly understood why Li Jinglong liked youths. That primitive and crude desire was actually more or less vaguely impacting him.

The two of them took off their clothes and changed into leather skirts. Their upper bodies were bare and they wore two leather belts. This was the usual attire of the Tujue people. An Lushan was born in the Tujue, so he often wore gold and silver. He preferred the Tujue's leather attire to his subordinates. He often exposed his chest and abdomen to show his bravery.

When he came out, he saw a whole basket of live fish being poured into another box in the backyard. The basket full of fish flopped all over the ground. Among them, a carp with long arms and legs fell out. It jumped all over the ground. Hastily, it retracted its arms and legs and hid in the box when the servants were not paying attention. Then, it looked outside.

The servant took the box away first. Lu Xu took the opportunity to call out, "Zhao Zilong!"

The Carp Demon popped its head out from the pile of fish. Mo Rigen signaled it to come over. The Carp Demon said, "I'm not wearing any clothes! It's so embarrassing! "

Mo Rigen said, "Didn't you never wear any clothes before?"

"It's different when I put them on and then take them off." The Carp Demon shrank back into the box. At this moment, the servant came back and moved the box in which the Carp Demon was.

Lu Xu and Mo Rigen were bored to death. They sat on the porch in the rear courtyard and waited. Mo Rigen looked sideways at Lu Xu, trying to find something to say. Lu Xu was still the same. He was indifferent and didn't take the initiative to speak.

"Hey." Mo Rigen said.

"Yes." Lu Xu glanced at Mo Rigen. It was as if he had seen his past and strangely got to know this person again.

"Don't worry." Mo Rigen said, "It'll be fine."

"Who's worried about you?" Lu Xu said casually. "You're thinking too much."

"You can be my younger brother." Mo Rigen reached out to touch Lu Xu's head, but Lu Xu blocked his hand.

"I'm not Hongjun." Lu Xu said, "He doesn't know anything, but I do. It's not like I'll be tricked into following him for a few meals."

"Oh." Mo Rigen laughed. "If I really wanted to trick you, it wouldn't be like this. I've never hidden anything from you. "

"They don't know?" Lu Xu suddenly asked.

Mo Rigen didn't expect Lu Xu to still remember his dream. He replied casually, "What's there to say?"

"Li Jinglong doesn't know either?" Lu Xu asked again.

Mo Rigen obviously didn't want to talk about it. He said, "Later, we'll act according to the plan …"

"You didn't come to Chang 'an just to gain experience." Lu Xu said, "Am I right?"

"Wasn't it to find you?" Mo Rigen's eyes flashed, as if he had changed into a different person. His smile was complicated and playful.

"Then why are you still in the Exorcism Division?" Lu Xu asked again.

Mo Rigen said, "Of course it's for my brothers."

Lu Xu said, "Atay and Ashina Chong are doing it for the Divine Fire and to restore their country. Brother Yongsi is doing it for Xie Yu …"

"Why do you all like Yongsi so much?" Mo Rigen looked at Lu Xu and said, "You all like to call him brother."

"Because he's talented," Lu Xu said.

"Okay, I'm a boor," Mo Rigen said with a smile.

Mo Rigen happened to interrupt. Lu Xu wanted to ask more questions, but suddenly there was a scream from behind. It was the Carp Demon's voice. The two immediately got up and rushed over.

The Carp Demon was scared out of its wits. It hurriedly ran out, trembling.

"So scary!" the Carp Demon said, "I don't want to stay there!"

"What's wrong?" Lu Xu and Mo Rigen immediately became nervous. Mo Rigen quickly turned around the corridor and looked at the kitchen with Lu Xu. They thought there was Tianma in the kitchen, but they saw hundreds of sets of dried salted fish hanging under the eaves.

"Face the fear in your heart," Lu Xu said expressionlessly.