Chapter 79: The Holy Child with Evil Intentions
Zhao Wumian changed into his new official uniform and walked out of the inner hall.
Bao Buyi and Chen Xuanli were already waiting outside, both wearing the same hundred-household-level Feiyu uniforms.
"grown ups."
They both saluted at the same time.
When Bao Buyi saw Zhao Wumian's outfit, his eyes lit up and he immediately became fawning and gave a series of flattering compliments: "Sir, this outfit really fits you! The silver-white flying fish is gorgeous to begin with, and the cloud-patterned ribbons embroidered with silver thread look very noble. If you put it on, you will look like a handsome man, with an imposing manner, romantic, and handsome, with a slender waist and long hair, and a face full of powder. You will have an extraordinary appearance and a dignified appearance..."
"..."
Chen Xuanli glanced at him and moved two steps to the side without leaving a trace.
"okay!"
Zhao Wumian quickly stopped talking and sighed, "You have used all your knowledge to flatter others, right?"
Bao Buyi immediately cried out for justice: "I am innocent! It is all true! Heaven and earth can testify to it! God and man can bear witness to it!"
Chen Xuanli moved two steps to the side.
Zhao Wumian was speechless. Two months had passed and he had become somewhat accustomed to it.
This chatterbox is an expert at tracking people underground, and he’s even better at finding things to talk about!
Zhao Wumian was too lazy to argue with him and said directly: "You all know what the pacification envoy meant. The delegation will arrive in the afternoon. The Ministry of Rites will entertain them. We are only responsible for staying at the State Guesthouse. This time, Master Qi Shizhou, the 'Xuanwu', will also be with us. Just follow him... Where is Master Qi? Has he not come to the government office yet?"
"He got the mission yesterday, and he led his men there after the roll call this morning."
Bao Buyi said seriously, "They said they were going to make some preparations in advance to see if there were any hidden dangers in the State Guesthouse."
"Old veterans are still reliable."
Zhao Wumian nodded: "I am a thousand households who have not yet entered the third realm, and you two are newly promoted centurions, both of you are commanders without troops. Just follow him this time. However, we still have to do what we should do. Let's go and help. By the way, are you two convinced by your talents? Why are you still at the peak of the second realm?"
Zhao Wumian strode out and mentioned it casually.
Bao Buyi and Chen Xuanli made great contributions in this southern expedition.
During Zhao Wumian's recuperation, he let the two of them follow the large army and gain a lot of military merit. This time when they came back, they also jumped two levels, skipping the trial rank of centurion and being promoted directly to centurion. The company rewarded them with martial arts and rare treasures, so they should be able to make a breakthrough.
The two looked at each other, both speechless.
Bao Buyi said carefully, "My lord, we are different from you. Breaking through the realms... is not like you, who just said it and it's over. Breaking through the third realm from the second realm is notoriously difficult! It is already difficult to use the true qi to irrigate the dantian, nourish the blood species, give birth to the divine will, and transform dead blood into living qi! It is even more difficult to mobilize the three treasures of the lower dan essence, the middle dan qi, and the upper dan spirit to nourish this living qi, so that it can break out of the cocoon and be reborn, cross the dragon gate, and transform into the form and meaning of the mountain and sea beasts! How many warriors are blocked at this realm? This is no longer a matter of eating natural materials and treasures. You..."
Bao Buyi felt a little aggrieved, and spoke with gritted teeth, highlighting various key points.
Zhao Wumian raised his eyebrows and looked at Chen Xuanli.
Chen Xuanli nodded solemnly.
Is it so difficult?
Zhao Wumian thought back to himself. He had the feeling when he was at the fifth level, and he officially developed the Taotie divine will at the sixth level. Now at the eighth level, it has become alive... Could it be that the normal path is to first improve the realm to perfection, then slowly nurture the divine will, and then use the three treasures to pass the Dragon Gate?
Speaking of which, Shen Weiyang is very talented, but he is still stuck at the peak of the second realm...
It seems that I am the special case...
"I see."
Zhao Wumian suddenly realized: "Why are the steps different from those in the secret manual? Never mind. Anyway, you have a better method, so your chances of success in breaking through the realm will be higher. What inner skills did you choose?"
As he was speaking, Zhao Wumian walked out of the Pacification Office and a captain came over leading a horse.
Zhao Wumian jumped on his horse and headed for the State Guesthouse, with two people following him on horseback.
Bao Buyi said: "I chose the Dao Sect's "Eight Directions Returning to the Origin" and "Lightning Light God Steps", which are lower level Xuan rank. Your Excellency's Qinggong is too fast, so I can only try my best to follow."
Chen Xuanli said: "The family's internal skills are the "Han Ming Gong", the "Star Soul Sword" and the "Star Soul Sword."
Bao Buyi was about to help explain, but Zhao Wumian had already understood. Chen Xuanli was not lacking in internal strength. He chose the sword technique and the matching famous sword. This set of sword techniques was quite famous, the soft sword technique was very sharp, and was more cruel and poisonous than the previous "Yousi Sword"!
Zhao Wumian nodded, and the three of them chatted casually while riding across the long street and arrived at the East City State Guesthouse.
Zhu Yuanzhang was a man who cared about his reputation, or it could be said that all the monarchs of the Central Plains had a bit of an idol burden of the "Heavenly Kingdom". For these tribute envoys, they all gave them super-standard treatment, thinking that they had come from afar and their intentions were commendable.
It is always the case that the other party brings local specialties, and we give them gold and silver and treat them with courtesy.
In fact, there is no need for that at all, because except for small countries like Champa and Brunei, countries like Goryeo and Japan are still harboring evil intentions and will not appreciate it at all. It's like throwing a meat bun at a mad dog. When the mad dog is full, it will turn around and bite people!
The state guesthouse in front of us is this one. It is built in a very grand and luxurious manner and is given sufficient treatment. Unfortunately, it is just a face-saving project and is of no use.
When the three men arrived, Qi Shizhou was sitting at a table in the reception area in front of the guesthouse, drinking, and watching his men search the entire state guesthouse to ensure that the Goryeo envoys could stay there safely.
Envoys are envoys after all. If not handled properly, it can easily cause diplomatic problems. This is especially true for the Kingdom of Goryeo, which is located in Liaodong, the Korean Peninsula, and has contacts with the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Yuan Dynasty's Taiwei Nahachu. It would be troublesome if Goryeo changed its position because of some trivial matters.
"You guys should go help too."
Zhao Wumian said something, and Bao Buyi and Chen Xuanli joined the search team.
Zhao Wumian walked towards Qi Shizhou.
Qi Shizhou noticed the cape behind him and laughed, "I knew that this [Meng Ji Robe] would fall into your hands sooner or later. This time I can study it slowly."
Zhao Wumian also smiled and sat down beside him: "Master Qi..."
Qi Shizhou waved his hand to stop him: "Even if you don't look at the title, you are already a thousand households, and this is not the first time we have worked together, so don't be polite, just call me Old Qi. Or does Jingyuan Bo look down on me?"
"where."
Zhao Wumian took out the document and said, "Old Qi, I think there is something we should discuss first."
Seeing his serious expression, Qi Shizhou also stopped smiling and said, "What's the matter? Is there something wrong with this delegation?"
"There is a 100% problem!"
Zhao Wumian threw the document aside and said, "I read the contents of the letter. In addition to the fifty tribute girls, the delegation also includes the chief envoy Jin Chi, the deputy envoys Long Tu and Liu Jing, a total of three people, all of whom are descendants of Goryeo generals! Especially this Jin Chi, the most bizarre, the information sent back by the northern spies said that this person was originally a fourth-level master and a top general of Goryeo. As luck would have it, just three months ago, he suddenly made mistakes in his training and became possessed. Not only did his realm fall back to the late third level, but he also changed from his previous burly and upright appearance to an old and ugly appearance... Three months ago, they were preparing to pay tribute. The timing is so coincidental, how could there be no problem?"
"I noticed that, too..."
Qi Shizhou frowned and said, "There are two very important people among this batch of tribute girls. One is Wang Lan, the daughter of King Wang Yu of Goryeo, and the other is Cui Qiang, the god-granddaughter of Prime Minister Cui Ying. I thought these three people were sent here for the purpose of escort... Do you mean that they have bad intentions? Is Jin Chi doing it on purpose?"
Zhao Wumian nodded: "Either it was intentional to lower our vigilance, or they simply changed the appearance and replaced the person. I am more inclined to the former. If they directly replaced the person, there would be no need to use the name Jin Chi. After all, he is a Goryeo general and is too conspicuous."
"really."
Qi Shizhou pondered: "If you change the person, just use an ordinary name... He did this to make himself look less conspicuous. There is a world of difference between the third realm and the fourth realm! The envoys of the third realm are obviously safer and less noticeable than those of the fourth realm. Goryeo is a small country with few people, and people from the fourth realm can be counted on one hand. Sending such a person here is more likely to have bad intentions!"
"The daughter of the king, the granddaughter of the prime minister, the descendants of three generals..."
Zhao Wumian sneered: "They are really sincere!"
Qi Shizhou was startled. There were many spies along the way. If he cheated, he would be exposed. It would be better to send real people directly, which would not only show the sincerity of the tribute, but also make things easier. With the previous example, the emperor would not stay. Not only could he escape unscathed, but he would also have a legitimate reason to enter the capital! These people were all from high-ranking families and had unique skills. Several of them were in the third realm and one was in the fourth realm. Without knowing their background, they were enough to cause trouble...
Qi Shizhou wondered: "What could it be?"
Zhao Wumian shook his head: "The situation is unclear now, we can only take it one step at a time and wait for them to reveal their flaws. As long as they don't make any moves, we will treat them as envoys. If they do make any moves, we will just do it!"
Qi Shizhou was surprised: "After all, he is an envoy, so we have to consider the impact of other countries."
"Then leave your life to the prince."
Zhao Wumian narrowed his eyes: "Anyway, I just want to say one thing, if they stay in the State Guesthouse honestly, we will treat them as state guests. If they dare to come out and cause trouble, we will show no mercy!"
Qi Shizhou understood and nodded solemnly: "Okay!"
That afternoon.
The Goryeo delegation entered Beijing from Dinghuai Gate and were greeted by the head of the Ministry of Revenue, who led them all the way to the State Guesthouse.
Zhao Wumian saw the delegation's convoy, and the total number of accompanying personnel was about a hundred people.
The leader was none other than the Goryeo general, Jin Chi, who looked to be in his fifties, with grey hair and a hunched body. He held the royal staff in his hand, combing his joints, had a solemn expression, and walked slowly and firmly.
If I hadn't had my suspicions, at first glance, I would have thought he was an envoy from a foreign country, disabled but determined.
Behind him were two deputy envoys, Long Tu and Liu Jing, and behind them were several carriages carrying fifty tribute girls.
Under the watchful eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the tribute girls first got off the car in front of the State Guesthouse and walked in with the female officials in the guesthouse.
Suddenly, one of them caught Zhao Wumian's attention.
"Sea scent?"
Zhao Wumian frowned slightly, his nose twitching: "A mermaid?"
Mermaids have a special smell that most people may not notice, but Zhao Wumian is very familiar with it.
The celestial dog that attacked Bai Liuli on Lantern Festival went crazy suddenly because it smelled this smell from afar.
It was a smell similar to the sea salt perfume of later generations, fresh and natural, mixed with the woody aroma of seaweed.
Qi Shizhou was stunned: "There are mermen here?"
Zhao Wumian pursed his lips and said, "The fourteenth one."
"Your nose is amazing..."
Qi Shizhou quickly glanced at him and looked at the tribute girl. Although she was veiled, he could see clearly with his pupil technique. After a closer look, he found that she was indeed outstanding in appearance, with black hair with purple. She did not look like a Central Plains person, nor a Korean. There was a strong water vapor around her body, which was very consistent with the characteristics of a mermaid.
This was not a problem. Mermaids were exotic beasts from the mountains and seas. In a sense, they were high-quality slaves, and it was normal for them to pay tribute to the Celestial Empire. The abnormal part was that this mermaid was at a high level, in the middle stage of the third realm.
At such a young age and with such a high level of cultivation, it was obviously cultivated on purpose...
If she was just a tribute girl, there was no need to waste resources on her...
In addition, there is a tributary of the Qinhuai River in the State Guesthouse...
Putting these pieces of information together, Qi Shizhou became more and more suspicious.
"Tell everyone to keep a close eye on these people!"
Qi Shizhou called two centurions and said in a cold voice, "Regardless of day or night, if there is any disturbance, report it to me immediately!"
"Yes."
The two centurions used the earth escape technique to disappear.
Zhao Wumian stretched out his thumb and index finger to his mouth and blew a loud whistle, and a white figure flew down from the sky.
It was Xiaokui, who had changed her appearance, who fell obediently onto Zhao Wumian's shoulder.
Zhao Wumian gestured to those people. Xiaokui nodded, spread its wings and flew into the sky. He secretly mobilized the birds around him and, as agreed beforehand, kept a close eye on the movements of everyone in the State Guesthouse.
"Two thousand masters."
After the tribute girls were settled, Xue Zhuo, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, came forward with three envoys to pay their respects and handed over the list of portraits of the tribute girls prepared by the Kingdom of Goryeo for verification of their identities.
Qi Shizhou took it, glanced at it, and nodded.
Xue Zhuo smiled and said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that the delegation should be welcomed and greeted first after their long journey. Two days later, the envoys from Goryeo will be received at Fengtian Gate. During this period, I will trouble you two adults to take care of them. I will take my leave first."
Qi Shizhou said, "Master Xue, please take care."
After Xue Zhuo left, the three envoys came forward to pay their respects and said in awkward Chinese: "Greetings to the Imperial Emissary."
Qi Shizhou smiled and said, "The three envoys do not need to be so polite."
Zhao Wumian secretly used his ability to observe the words and expressions of the three people. His eyes penetrated their skin and flesh to look at their meridians, blood vessels, and the condition of their true energy.
This Jin Chi really looks injured. He practiced ice-attributed internal energy, and there was coldness stagnation in his triple burner meridians. His injuries were serious. If this was not true, then there were only two possibilities: one was that his technique was special, and the other was that his supernatural powers were special.
Liu Jing also has cold internal force, but it is more sinister, which should be the innate yin energy. It is somewhat similar to Zhang Shicheng's unique skill "Tai Su Yin Gong" mentioned in "Jianghu Martial Secret Records", and it has a very impressive origin.
Finally, this dragon picture...
Long Tu stood quietly behind the two of them. He was not good-looking. Zhao Wumian frowned slightly and found that he could not see through him.
"Reading People's Expressions" Even Jin Chi, who should have the highest level of cultivation, could see through it, but he couldn't see through this person!
"The mermaid, Jin Chi, and the dragon map, this delegation is really weird..."
but……
Zhao Wumian took out the [Bone Mirror] and held it in his palm, aiming it at the dragon picture. He sneered in his heart, "The more you hide, the more I want to see!"
A mirror reflects.
Long Tu's expression changed slightly, as if he had noticed something, and he looked at Zhao Wumian with two cold eyes.
Qi Shizhou took a step sideways, stood in front of Zhao Wumian, and his true energy burst out!
Long Tu immediately lowered his head respectfully.
Zhao Wumian acted as if he was not paying attention. He picked up the mirror and saw four big characters appearing on it: [The Holy Child with a Gu Body]!
Damn it?
Zhao Wumian was stunned when he saw this fate. A Miao person from Goryeo? !
(End of this chapter)
