Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 420 The Dragon-Slaying Sword Comes Alive! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Inside the Zhengzhou Arboretum, Uncle Ming took off his baseball cap, checked the time, and asked the blind man beside him:

"Senior Han, it's almost one o'clock. Why don't we find a place to eat first? I know a few good restaurants that serve old dishes from years ago, and they taste really good."

The blind man sat in the pavilion, holding a ritual implement shaped like an incense burner in his hand, and said slowly:

"Don't rush, the fish has just taken the bait. Let's play it a little longer. It's not too late to eat after it's firmly bitten."

After speaking, he took out a bronze figurine with intricate patterns from his satchel. It was slightly smaller than the palm of his hand, and the carving was very simple and archaic, an object from the pre-Qin period.

"Go, throw this bronze figurine into the Gaohong Temple ruins, and let that shaman fight against thin air."

Gaohong Temple was a temple built in the southwest corner of Zhengzhou during the Northern Wei to Tang Dynasty. It was later destroyed due to war. In earlier years, many cultural relics, such as pottery shards and animal bones, were unearthed from the site.

If we leave the bronze puppet here now, that shaman will mistakenly think that a fellow practitioner is watching, and will continue to outwit and outmaneuver the air. This will last at least until nightfall, which is enough time for Zhou Yi to reap the rewards.

Uncle Ming took the bronze doll and went to a secluded spot in the Gao Hong Temple ruins. He carefully threw the bronze doll into the green belt of the ruins. After doing this, he put on a baseball cap, took the disguised Suha camera, and left the arboretum one after the other with the blind man to have lunch.

On the ring road, the shaman dressed in a Mongolian robe suddenly appeared in his hand. This shamanic artifact resembled a mask covered in hair. As long as it was worn on the face, it could communicate with various deities of shamanism and obtain their revelation or help.

The driver standing nearby asked:

"What's wrong, Master?"

"It seems some of our peers have been drawn there. No big problem. We can have them scout ahead while we, master and apprentice, wait and see. We might even get one or two more magical artifacts that way."

Originally, I was just trying to snag a magic artifact from a bargain, but if there are other people in the same industry, all the magic artifacts they have will be mine!

The apprentice driver was somewhat cautious:

"Master, could it be bait? Didn't you say there was a nasty Taoist priest who liked to use entrapment to enforce his laws, and he almost killed you several times?"

The wizard put on the mask, carefully considered the divine revelation, and chuckled:

"There really was such a bastard who harmed many of the remnants of the Qing dynasty, and even our Shamanism suffered greatly from him, losing many experts... It's a pity that this scoundrel died not long ago."

The driver turned and glanced at him:
"How did he die? Did the Grandmaster intervene?"

"Those who do many evil deeds will surely perish. Killing so many of our shamanic masters, I guess it must have provoked the wrath of the Witch God. It's a fitting punishment!"

Upon hearing that the Witch God had taken action, the driver visibly relaxed and focused on driving, no longer saying a word.

Meanwhile, at the Zhengzhou Roast Duck flagship store, Aunt Gongsun dipped the last piece of duck meat in sweet bean sauce and ate it, finally bringing her lunch to a close.

She ate four or five different dishes during the meal, making the restaurant staff think she was a competitive eater on a TV show. However, they never saw any video recording equipment.

Stepping out of the roast duck restaurant, Granny Gongsun pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head, took Zhou Yi's arm, and asked:
"Where to go next? I don't know anyone here. You're not going to sell me, a little country bumpkin from over a thousand years ago, are you?"

Zhou Yi and she held hands.

"I'd never sell you. Come on, let's take a stroll around the Erqi Tower area to digest our food. I'll buy you a drink while we're at it. I've heard there are a few beverage shops around here with pretty good reputations."

At the same time, in the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, Wei Qing led his army across the Yellow River and was about to continue his advance when Su Jian's voice came through the walkie-talkie:
"General, where are you?"

Wei Qing picked up the walkie-talkie and replied:

"You've just crossed the Yellow River, haven't you reached Chang'an yet?"

Su Jian replied quickly:

"We are directly east of Tongguan. We wanted to ask the general where he is. If he hasn't reached Chang'an yet, we will wipe out some bandits nearby and return to Chang'an with the army."

These days, Su Jian and Sima Qian have captured several thousand bandits who had become outlaws from the Taihang Mountains. Some of them are even notorious bandits. The soldiers are escorting these people, intending to urge them to atone for their crimes through meritorious service.

Wei Qing said:

"A new battle is about to break out in Chang'an. You and Sima Qian should hurry on your way and wait for His Majesty to assign you tasks after you arrive in Chang'an."

He didn't mention where they were going to fight, nor did he mention any specific mission. He simply urged the two of them to get to Chang'an as soon as possible, saying that the earlier they arrived, the better prepared they would be.

Upon hearing that another battle was imminent east of Tongguan, Sima Qian immediately grabbed the wild boar spear that was mounted on his horse.

"No matter where we fight, this time I'm sticking with Huo Biao Yao!"

Su Jian frowned and said:

"The grain and fodder accumulated last year have almost all been transported to the north of Dingxiang this year. Now the court has very little surplus grain, so how can we launch a new war? Could it be that they found the Xiongnu's military provisions in the north of Dingxiang?"

During the Western Han Dynasty, the only constraint on the Han army was food supplies. They had to accumulate supplies for a long time before each battle, otherwise they would not be able to launch an offensive against the Xiongnu.

Sima Qian, preoccupied with achieving merit, laughed heartily:
"Perhaps it's a gift from the gods. My lord, don't worry about it. First, think about how to slay generals and capture flags to gain merit... Your military achievements are already enough for Su Jia to be enfeoffed as a marquis. If you fight another battle, perhaps the Su family will have three marquises in one family. Congratulations!" Su Jian remained calm.

"Compared to being granted a title, I would much rather kill more Xiongnu people and avenge the soldiers on the border!"

After saying this, he ordered the army to speed up their journey, as there would definitely be a lot of things waiting for them once they arrived in Chang'an, and they would have to travel day and night to get there.

At this time, in Chang'an, the 10,000 cavalrymen that Huo Qubing wanted were ready. All of them were equipped with high-bridged saddles and double stirrups. Huo Qubing selected some good warriors from the Southern Army to join the army, and also removed a group of guards to serve as officers, in order to increase the army's organizational capacity as much as possible.

The difference between an ordinary army and an elite force is not in weaponry, but in organizational ability.

An army with discipline as strong as an extension of its own arm can launch a counterattack against all odds and achieve brilliant results, even if its weapons and equipment are outdated.

Liu Che rode over on horseback and asked Huo Qubing:

"If there's anything you're missing, I can arrange it for you."

Huo Qubing shook his head:
"They're almost all here. Once Zhao Ponu and the others arrive, I'll lead the army out."

His cavalry assault team on the grasslands is now on its way back, and once incorporated into the army, the combat effectiveness of these 10,000 cavalrymen will increase rapidly.

After all, compared to the Southern Army and the Langwei Army, that army had been tested by blood and fire, making it easier for Huo Qubing to command.

Liu Che reminded him:
“If we find a good place, we should occupy it. If the Qiang people dare to show their faces, I will have Li Xi and Li Ju sweep them away. You don’t need to pay them any attention.”

Huo Qubing led elite troops, so naturally he had to fight against elite troops as well. The Qiang people, being second-rate, could be easily dealt with by ordinary generals.

In the evening, in Zhengzhou, Zhou Yi drove Gongsun Da Niang to the Arboretum, where they met the blind man and Uncle Ming sitting on a stone bench at the gate.

He parked the car, took the magical artifact, and got out. Gongsun Da Niang followed beside him, holding the Dragon-Slaying Sword.

As soon as Zhou Yi reached the blind man's side, he felt a momentary stagnation in the air, and the red leaf of Wang Lingguan on his chest began to heat up slightly. This unusual feeling instantly reminded Zhou Yi of his experience at the mutton soup restaurant last time:

"Old Han, did you activate an illusion array?"

The blind man nodded:

"I was worried about harming innocent people, so it's more convenient to do things within the illusion array... I've been very careful, how did you figure that out?"

Zhou Yi didn't mention Wang Lingguan and the red leaves, but instead raised his arm and said:
"I feel that my movements are not natural enough and are a bit stiff."

The blind man pointed to the park and said:
“This is the outer edge of the illusion array, and I can’t focus on it much. Once we enter the park, we won’t feel this way anymore… That shaman has some connection with your grandfather. If you kill him, you can settle this karmic debt.”

At this moment, the shaman had changed into shamanic attire and was hiding and maneuvering in the park, outwitting and outmaneuvering the bronze puppets in the Gaohong Temple ruins with all sorts of tricks.

Because he didn't realize it was an illusion array and wasn't on guard, the blind man probed his inner thoughts.

As soon as Zhou Yi entered, Uncle Ming belatedly asked:

"Is this an illusion? Those two ladies who just tried to trick me into buying health supplements, were they also illusions? I bought a whole 100,000 yuan worth of health supplements!"

After saying that, he reached for the bag containing health supplements next to him, and the entire bag turned into a handful of sand.

The blind man said calmly:

"Consider this 100,000 yuan as your tuition fee. You will not be fooled by similar tricks again in the future, and you will also develop an aversion to the words 'health products'."

Uncle Ming: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

I thought we were teammates, but it turns out you're just making fun of me, aren't you?
Zhou Yi, worried that delay might cause complications, led Gongsun Da Niang into the arboretum. The blind man was right; once inside, the feeling of stagnation disappeared, and everything felt natural.

Gongsun Da Niang leaned close to Zhou Yi and whispered:
"Has our soul entered the illusion array, or has our physical body entered as well?"

The Book of Changes says:

"Old Han created a virtual world, but the people who enter this world are real. It doesn't mean that your soul is pulled into a specific environment while your physical body remains outside."

Gongsun Da Niang nodded as if she understood, drew the Dragon-Slaying Sword, and was about to stand guard beside Zhou Yi to protect him when the sword flew forward on its own and came to the forest next to the ruins of Gaohong Temple, floating next to the shaman.

When the shaman saw the sword, his legs went weak with fear.

"Zhou Banxian, weren't you dead? How come this sword still has a spirit?"

With a flourish, the Dragon Slayer Sword flicked its tassel, soaring straight into the sky before plunging violently into the shaman's skull, leaving only the hilt sticking out.

The shaman didn't even have time to utter a harsh word before collapsing to the ground and passing away.

This bizarre scene left Zhou Yi and Gongsun Da Niang looking at each other in bewilderment... Wait, we've made so many preparations and brought so many magical artifacts, why is the Dragon-Slaying Sword stealing the credit?
(End of this chapter)