The Buddha is actually me

Chapter 90: The Spiritual Officer's Inheritance

Two days later, a horse-drawn carriage slowly drove into Luotian County.

This county town is not very big, nor is it very lively. The streets are a bit narrow, and there are not many shops in the city, but there are quite a few temples of various kinds.

And it looks like the incense is pretty good.

The most common shops Zhang Jiuyang saw were those selling incense, amulets, and statues of gods. It can be seen that the people in Luotian County attach great importance to these things.

More than 20 years have passed, and time has diluted everything, but the incident of the Yin soldiers passing through the county still left an indelible mark on this county.

A parade of gods is held here every year, during which all the gods enshrined in the temple are invited out in the hope that their divine power can be used to suppress evil spirits and bless peace.

However, it seemed that Zhang Jiuyang came at the wrong time. The parade of gods had just been held here, and the excitement was gone, making the place seem a bit deserted.

"Brother Jiu, didn't you say before that we could catch up with the parade of gods here? Why is it gone now?"

In the carriage, Ali held her cheek with her hand, feeling a little disappointed.

Zhang Jiuyang was also puzzled and asked, "According to what I have learned before, the parade should be held in the next few days. How come it is being held in advance?"

He stopped the carriage and asked someone at random where the execution ground at Xishikou was.

As a result, when they heard this question, the originally simple and honest people changed their faces instantly, muttered bad luck, and left in anger.

I asked several people in a row, and they all had similar responses.

Zhang Jiuyang realized something was unusual. It seemed that something bad had happened at the Xishikou execution ground.

He was not in a hurry, but just found an inn to stay in.

"Brother Jiu, are we just going to wait here? When will that person arrive?..."

Ali was very bored in the room, so she started playing on the swing.

He was hanging by a rope around his neck and swinging back and forth, laughing cheerfully from time to time.

She has been reading and practicing calligraphy every day during this period, which has made her very tired. Now that she is out playing, she can finally relax.

It’s a pity that Brother Jiu said that we must wait for someone to arrive before we can kill the evil spirit.

"Brother Jiu, don't you know where that person lives?"

Zhang Jiuyang shook his head and said, "Don't worry. Yue Ling said that as long as we enter Luotian County, that person will find us soon."

The person he was talking about was naturally the Lingtai Lang that Yue Ling had transferred to protect him.

It is said that this person has already arrived in Luotian County.

"Hehe, could that person be a clairvoyant? I don't believe it—"

Before Ali finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed, as if facing a powerful enemy. She fell to the ground with two knives in her hands, her eyes fixed on the door, like a calf.

The blood gradually spread over her little skirt, and resentment surged.

"Brother Jiu, what a terrifying murderous aura! I saw... a sea of ​​blood!"

Ali has a very high talent for divination. Not only can she predict certain things, but she can also sense the impending danger. With her current strength of half a step to the fierce level, she is so nervous, which shows how powerful the person who comes is and how murderous he is.

A tall and slender figure stood at the door at some point, with a deep and magnetic voice.

"Li Yan from the Imperial Astronomical Observatory."

Zhang Jiuyang signaled A Li to put away her two swords, get into the Yin puppet, and then opened the door.

Standing outside the door was a man about seven feet tall, with sharp features and a thin build. He was wearing a tight black robe and had a straight back. He looked like a pine tree standing on a cliff, steady, tough, and deep.

He looked to be in his early forties, with a weather-beaten face, a few strands of silver in his hair, and a hideous scar running down his face.

However, there is no sign of old age in him. Instead, he is like a dormant volcano, or the calm waves before a storm, with wind and thunder hidden in the silence.

Zhang Jiuyang's gaze finally stopped on the long object he was carrying behind him. It was wrapped in cloth and looked like a spear.

"Zhang Jiuyang, meet General Li!"

Zhang Jiuyang saluted with his fists, and at the same time, according to Yue Ling's instructions, he called the other party "General" instead of "Li Lingtai".

Because Li Yan had been a great general in the Jizhou army in his early years, with his solid iron spear he was as brave as a dragon crossing the river, and was invincible. The old Duke said that he was braver than ten thousand men.

Relying on his bravery, he carved out the name of Iron Spear King among the Jizhou army of 200,000 experts and fierce generals, and was feared by all.

For some reason he later joined the Imperial Observatory and became a Lingtai Lang in the White Tiger Pavilion. After nearly ten years of killing, he earned the name of Tiger Dragon.

A tiger descending from the mountain, a dragon in the sea.

Yue Ling once said that Tiger Dragon Li Yan might not be the most powerful Lingtai Lang in the White Tiger Pavilion, but he has the highest success rate in missions.

Hearing the word "General Li", there seemed to be a slight fluctuation in Li Yan's indifferent eyes.

He nodded to Zhang Jiuyang, but his eyes were looking at the Yin puppet in the room.

"This female ghost is about to become powerful. Let me help you get rid of it."

Zhang Jiuyang quickly stood in front of him and said with a smile: "We are all family, family!"

Li Yan stopped talking after seeing this, and just said calmly: "I don't like ghosts, but Yue Jianhou has ordered me to obey you during this period of time and protect your safety."

"General Li, you arrived in Luotian County a few days earlier than me. Did you find anything?"

Zhang Jiuyang quickly changed the subject.

Li Yan took out a booklet from his arms and said, "It's all here."

When Zhang Jiuyang opened it, he saw that the handwriting was so neat that it looked like printed. It also sorted out and classified all the information about the Xishikou execution ground in Luotian County, and could be traced back to the time when it was first built.

He soon saw a lot of useful information.

The Xishikou execution ground was built in the early years of the Taiping period and was renovated twice. Because criminals were executed here all year round, the aura is quite negative and all kinds of strange things are often reported here.

For example, the executioner at Xishikou often dreamed that he was still executing people at night. When he woke up in the morning, there was still blood on the sword, but no corpse was on the execution ground.

For example, a few days ago, someone came back from night fishing and passed by the Xishikou execution ground. He seemed to hear some noise. No one knew what he saw, but the next day he went crazy and kept kowtowing in the direction of the execution ground, and finally he kowtossed himself to death.

It was because of this incident that the people of Luotian County panicked and started the parade and celebration activities in advance, hoping to drive away the evil spirits.

Seeing this, Zhang Jiuyang finally understood why he asked several people in a row, but they ignored him and kept saying it was bad luck.

"General Li, this booklet is very useful. Thank you for your hard work." Zhang Jiuyang said sincerely.

Afterwards, he invited Li Yan for dinner and drinks, and found that the other party was often very frugal with words when it came to topics other than the mission. He was like an ice sculpture, keeping people at a distance.

Zhang Jiuyang could feel that the other party was not targeting him, but had always been like this.

Although his name contains the word "Flame", his heart is as cold as a piece of ice and he looks as emotionless as a machine.

This is a man with a story.

Perhaps because of his military service in his early years, Li Yan was meticulous when sitting, as straight as a pine tree, and extremely self-disciplined. He did not drink alcohol and only ate until he was 70% full.

Because drinking alcohol can affect judgment, and eating too much can affect actions.

Silence, restraint, self-discipline, the use of guns, military spirit...

These characteristics combined reminded Zhang Jiuyang of a person who died on the battlefield at the age of sixteen.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Jiuyang asked, "General Li, do you know someone named Luo Ping?"

Hearing this name, a hint of obvious fluctuation appeared in Li Yan's indifferent eyes.

He was silent for a moment, and seemed to see the stubborn boy in his eyes again.

It was he who rescued Luo Ping from the evil spirit back then.

He watched the child bury his parents, uncles, brothers and sisters with his own hands, and originally wanted to send him to the Salesian Institute, but he was moved by his resilience.

He brought Luo Ping back to the Imperial Observatory and had no intention of teaching him personally, but the child stood in front of his door every day, not saying a word, just standing there silently.

Later he began to teach him a few moves. Luo Ping's talent was not high, but he was hardworking and tenacious. He was able to practice day and night and made rapid progress.

Later, he gradually got used to the fact that every time he came back from a mission, there was always a child waiting for him at the door, rain or shine.

Until a month ago, he hadn't seen the child again. He only saw a silver spear with two charred handprints on it.

That was the spear he forged personally when he officially became the Chief Astronomical Observatory official in Luoping.

He still remembered Luo Ping's surprise when he received the spear. The child smiled happily for the first time and asked nervously whether he could be considered his disciple.

He said at the time that you would be considered my disciple only after you had killed a hundred evil spirits.

Thoughts are flooding.

"General Li, what is your relationship with Luo Ping?"

Hearing this question, he came back to his senses and spoke in a low voice, but very slowly and seriously, as if he wanted to make every word clear.

"Luo Ping, he is my disciple."

He, who was very frugal with words, actually repeated the sentence.

"My only disciple."

Zhang Jiuyang was silent. He didn't know the story of Li Yan and Luo Ping, but he could feel the mood of this iron-blooded general at the moment.

After a while, he whispered, "Luo Ping was very brave. Even until the last moment, he did not let go of the gun."

Li Yan suddenly looked up at him and asked, "Yue Jianhou said that the one who killed my disciple was someone from Huangquan, is that right?"

"Yes, it was Blind Lin in the underworld, but we have already given him—"

"not enough."

Li Yan's voice was as loud as iron and steel, resounding with every strike.

"It is not enough to kill only one blind man Lin."

The surroundings seemed to become icy cold in an instant, and Zhang Jiuyang seemed to feel the tremendous energy in his body that was about to roar out like a raging storm.

The murderous aura was like a sea of ​​blood and a mountain of corpses.

"I can only tell you that what I came to Luotian County for this time is related to Huangquan. If this is successful, there is hope that the Huangquan case will be solved."

Zhang Jiuyang had not originally intended to tell Li Yan about this. Although he was Yue Ling's confidant, for some things, the fewer people who knew about them, the safer it was.

But thinking of the young man who fought to exhaustion in the fire, he was still impulsive.

Li Yan suddenly raised his eyes, and a thunderstorm seemed to be brewing in his dark pupils.

After a long time, he gradually calmed down and didn't ask any more questions. He just picked up the wine glass and drank it all, breaking his rule of not drinking.

"Thank you."

He was still as frugal with words as before, but there seemed to be some change in the look in his eyes when he looked at Zhang Jiuyang.

Although Zhang Jiuyang was not good at drinking, he drank the wine in the glass. Feeling the spicy taste in his throat, he slowly said three words.

"To Luo Ping."

……

Night falls.

As it was not yet ten days' deadline, Zhang Jiuyang was not in a hurry to go to the Xishikou execution ground.

In fact, Li Yan had already gone with a gun in hand. He had been lurking outside the execution ground and observing for several days, rain or shine, but he had not seen any evil spirits appear.

After this meal tonight, Li Yan's attitude towards him has obviously changed. From just following orders at the beginning, he now seems to have more respect for him.

Of course, he also had a good impression of this strong man.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Zhang Jiuyang used his magic power to dissolve the effects of the alcohol, and his eyes became clear again.

He wanted to continue practicing, but suddenly there was a wave in his sea of ​​consciousness, and the long-silent "Wang Lingguan Guarding the Sky Picture" glowed brightly for the first time, like a rising sun.

There was a hint of surprise and excitement in Zhang Jiuyang's eyes.

The incense has accumulated enough, and it looks like I will be able to receive the first inheritance from Lord Lingguan tonight!
Then a majestic and vast consciousness descended into the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness, making Zhang Jiuyang seem to hear the sound of wind and thunder and see the sky fire blazing across the prairie.

Lord Lingguan has finally arrived!
Zhang Jiuyang did not hesitate. Based on his previous experience, he took the initiative to contact this consciousness and conveyed his request.

"The First General of the Innate World, the Three-Five Fire Train King, the Lord of Heaven, has his mighty spirit revealed. Your disciple Zhang Jiuyang will go into danger to slay demons and monsters. I specially ask the Lord of Spirits to grant me the art of protecting the Dao..."

(End of this chapter)