I have a composite mirror

Chapter 117 First Arrival in the Capital

Half a month later.

An extravagantly large black carriage sped along the official road.

This is no ordinary horse.

The chariot was pulled by four exceptionally swift "Wind Chasing Beasts," each possessing the stamina of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The car body is covered with countless runes.

"Lightness of body", "Dust avoidance", "Diamond wall" —

This alone would cost a fortune.

Gu Shenyan sat by the car window, watching the scenery rushing past outside.

This journey northwards took us through prefectures and provinces.

He witnessed the prosperity of the Great Xia Empire.

Those celestial cities towering in the clouds, those radiant flying boats, those cultivators riding swords.

But we also saw the shadows behind the prosperity.

A deserted village by the roadside, a faint demonic aura in the distant mountains and forests, and a "plague zone" sealed off by the Xuanzheng Division.

This vast empire was like a senile giant.

He still looks strong, but a malignant tumor has grown inside him.

"Have we arrived?"

Beside him, Jia Shouren stretched, interrupting Gu Shenyan's thoughts.

During this trip to Beijing, Jia Shouren and Zhang Qiao also accompanied the team as logistical support personnel.

Gu Shenyan looked up.

At the horizon, a colossal city, so majestic it was breathtaking, lay dormant on the earth like an ancient beast.

The capital city, Tianqi.

The city wall is hundreds of feet high, and is made entirely of black basalt, with a chilling spiritual light shimmering on it.

Even from several miles away, Gu Shenyan could feel a heavy pressure coming at him.

[Warning: Entering the range of a super-large composite array force field.]

"High-level dragon energy detected suppressing it."

[The range of spiritual awareness projection has been compressed to 30%.]

The system's scanning function is interfered with, resulting in decreased accuracy.

Gu Shenyan was startled.

Is this the grand formation of the capital?

Even the system was suppressed.

"Cheer up, everyone."

Cao Wenjing's voice came from ahead.

He rode a spirit beast named "Treading Snow," leading the procession. Dressed in white, he exuded confidence and high spirits.

"Once you step through this door, you're right under the emperor's nose."

"Put away your arrogance from the provincial capital. Here, you could throw a brick and hit a relative of a Golden Core cultivator."

Gu Shenyan gave a wry smile.

This senior brother may have a sharp tongue, but he was telling the truth.

The convoy slowly drove into the city gate.

They underwent extremely rigorous checks.

That special demon-revealing mirror can even reveal the spiritual energy attributes within a cultivator's body.

Fortunately, Gu Shenyan was protected by the "Dark Abyss" life fire, so he appeared to be just an ordinary water-elemental cultivator.

Upon entering the inner city, a cacophony of noise immediately greeted us.

The wide streets were bustling with traffic.

There were nobles riding strange beasts, wandering knights carrying sword cases, and peddlers selling talismans along the streets.

The air was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs and the smoky aroma of everyday life.

Tingtao Pavilion has a separate courtyard in western Beijing called "Tingyuxuan".

The environment here is quiet and peaceful, which is suitable for preparing for the game.

After settling in, Cao Wenjing took Han Sushuang to the competition organizing committee to register.

This is a serious matter and an opportunity to demonstrate the sect's strength.

Gu Shenyan then made up an excuse.

Cao Wenjing didn't suspect anything, and simply casually reminded him, "Don't go too far, come back before dark."

"Also, don't cause trouble."

Gu Shenyan responded and led Shi Quan out the door.

But he didn't go to any talisman shops.

Following the directions shown on his waist tag, he made his way through a maze of turns until he arrived at a relatively old neighborhood in the south of the city.

This area mainly consists of shops selling stationery, ancient books, and calligraphy.

"Moyunzhai".

A seemingly unremarkable, long-established brand.

Gu Shenyan stepped inside.

There weren't many customers in the shop, except for a chubby middle-aged shopkeeper who was dozing off at the counter.

"Shopkeeper."

Gu Shenyan knocked on the counter.

The innkeeper groggily opened his eyes. "What would you like to order, sir?"

"I want a fine wolf-hair brush."

Gu Shenyan said calmly.

"We have wolf-hair brushes, but would you prefer a stiff-hair or mixed-hair brush?"

"I want something so hard it can pierce the heavens."

Gu Shenyan lowered his voice slightly.

The shopkeeper's eyes cleared instantly, and all traces of sleepiness vanished.

He looked Gu Shenyan up and down, said nothing, and simply turned around to take a black ink stick from the shelf behind him.

"A stiff brush is easily broken, so it must be paired with this pine soot ink, combining softness and hardness, to write about the history of the ages."

"How much?"

"Only given to those who are destined to receive it."

"7

The code was matched.

While pretending to pack ink, the shopkeeper said in a very low voice, "Tonight at 9 PM, next to the 'Ink Washing Pool' behind the shop, under the third willow tree."

"Remember, don't bring a tail."

Gu Shenyan nodded, paid a few spirit stones for some ordinary paper and pens, and then turned and left.

But he did not return to the villa immediately.

Instead, he actually visited several teahouses, just like a country bumpkin who had just arrived, listening to the tea drinkers boast.

At the same time, he keenly sensed it.

After he left "Moyunzhai", it seemed that a gaze lingered on him for a moment from the second-floor window across the street.

That's surveillance.

The waters of the capital city are indeed very deep.

Night falls.

Hai hour (9-11 PM).

Gu Shenyan changed into an inconspicuous blue robe, avoiding all eyes and ears, and quietly arrived at the "Ink Washing Pool".

This is an abandoned small pond, surrounded by weeds and old willow trees.

Under the third willow tree.

A figure was already waiting there.

The man was dressed in a scholar's robe, his face so ordinary that he would be lost in a crowd, and his aura was so restrained that he seemed like an ordinary person.

"A crow?"

Gu Shenyan asked tentatively.

The man turned around and revealed a gentle smile.

"Special advisor, I've heard so much about you."

No nonsense.

"Crow" handed over a jade slip directly.

"Here's what you wanted."

"First, Yingrong's influence in the capital is greater than we anticipated. They seem to have the backing of a member of the royal family, which is why Xuanzheng Division's actions here are constantly hampered."

"Secondly, write down this list."

Gu Shenyan took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense.

The list includes more than a dozen names and portraits.

They are all participants in this Hundred Talismans Ritual.

"These people are all suspects."

"Especially that guy named Zhao Feng, from the Zhao family of Qingzhou, but his recent large expenditures of spirit stones all went to that underground bank."

"third----"

The crow's expression turned serious.

"About that ancient altar."

"There's a lot of fighting going on inside the royal family right now."

"There is a group of conservative leaders who believe that the altar should be reopened to borrow the power of the dragon vein to prolong the nation's fortune."

"The other faction, however, believes that it is evil magic and must be sealed away."

"Yingrong" is exploiting this contradiction, betting on both sides.

Gu Shenyan's heart sank.

That makes things complicated.

This is no longer a simple battle between good and evil, but has been drawn into the vortex of the struggle for imperial power.

"Your task is to keep an eye on the people on the list."

"Do not take action unless absolutely necessary."

"In case of emergency, hang a red lantern at the entrance of Moyunzhai."

After saying that, the crow's figure flickered and disappeared into the night like a gust of wind.

Gu Shenyan put away the jade slip and turned to leave.

On his way back, he deliberately chose a quiet alley.

My mind was still processing the information I had just received.

Sudden.

A dispute arose from ahead.

"Running? Why did you stop running?"

A boastful voice sounded particularly jarring in the quiet alley.

Gu Shenyan paused in his steps.

Not far ahead, several richly dressed young cultivators were cornering a small, thin figure against a wall.

It was a young girl.

He was dressed simply, even somewhat tattered, and clutched an old scroll tightly in his arms.

The scroll faintly emitted a subtle yet pure fluctuation of spiritual energy.

"Hand over the stuff. Is it something you can take?"

The young man at the head of the group was waving a folding fan and had a mocking smile on his face.

Gu Shenyan frowned slightly.

He didn't want to meddle in other people's business.

This is the capital city; you could hit a big shot with any brick you find here.

He turned to the side, preparing to take a detour to leave.

However, at that moment...

The girl who had been cornered seemed to sense something and suddenly raised her head.

It was a face that was almost too beautiful, yet as pale as paper.

Her eyes were filled with terror and despair.

Their eyes met.

Those were pleading eyes.

The young man waving a folding fan also turned his head in response to the girl's gaze.

He saw Gu Shenyan.

His playful gaze instantly turned sinister.

"Hey, where did this stray dog ​​come from, trying to meddle in my business?"

Gu Shenyan stopped in his tracks.

It wasn't because of the insults from the other party.

It was not because of the character comparison box that popped up in his mind, but because of the system.

That rich kid's face.

It's completely identical to "Zhao Feng," the key suspect on the jade slip list!

And the scroll in the girl's arms—

[Alert: High-energy array fluctuations detected.]

[This fluctuation frequency has a 60% similarity to the core key in the "Annotations on the Ancient Battle Formation Fragments"!]

Gu Shenyan took a deep breath.

I don't want to cause trouble.

But this trouble seems to have come knocking on our door.

He slowly turned around, looked at Zhao Feng, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm really going to meddle in this kind of thing."