Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

Indeed, one becomes like the company one keeps.

Chen Zhu shook his head inwardly, but said aloud, "What a coincidence."

Xu Yi closed the folding fan and tapped it lightly twice in his palm.

His gaze swept over the pile of weapons on Chen Tianshen and Chen Tianlang.

"The two men Brother Chen brought today seem to be in much better spirits than they were at the Qing Shi Gathering last time."

Chen Zhuo glanced at the two people beside him, but didn't seem to think much of it.

But these two are indeed geniuses, and they already possess the aura of around Sequence 10.

Wanyan Liang watched this scene from the side, wanting to say something but holding back.

He looked down at the wooden box he was holding in his arms.

He glanced again at the pile of weapons on Chen Tianshen's back, then turned to Chen Zhuo, his tone sincere:

"Brother Chen, is this how people from Qingshan County always go out?"

Before Chen Zhuo could answer, three short gong sounds came from the wooden platform in the center of the assembly point.

The joint leaders from the Academy of Literature and the County Government stood on the wooden platform.

Zheng Du, the deputy commander of the Qingshan Army, was a martial artist of rank eight. He wore a worn-out standard leather armor and had a long sword without a sheath hanging at his waist.

There are several obvious wear marks on the blade, indicating that it has been used for many years.

His voice needed no embellishment; it was as loud and clear as an alarm bell tolling on a city wall.

"The personnel groups will now be announced! Group One—"

This is a different kind of demon-slaying operation than the last one.

That was a collective operation; this is a small-scale operation.

Everyone who comes here has at least one skill.

The reading is still ongoing.

Chen Zhuo heard his name being assigned to the third group.

Also in the same group were Xu Yi, Wanyan Liang, and the rogue scholar they met on the city wall.

There were also several students from the Academy of Arts and soldiers from the Qingshan Army of the County Government.

"Each group should maintain communication via the Wenhe (a type of magical crane) during the journey. If you encounter any demons of the Wandering Soul level or higher that you cannot handle, immediately send a signal. Do not try to fight them off. Remember—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the young faces in the audience.

"The most dangerous thing in the long night is not demons, but getting lost."

Chen Zhuo glanced sideways when he heard this.

When Zheng Du said this, it didn't sound like he was reciting rules; it sounded more like he was sharing a lesson he had personally experienced.

Chen Zhuo silently kept those words in mind.

His own father, Chen Tiansheng, had said something similar before he set off.

After the groups were formed, the equipment inspection process began.

Each person will be issued a supply pack for this operation.

Upon opening it, one finds a simple writing brush, two talismans, and some food and water.

Chen Zhuo looked at the two people beside him, Tian Shen and Tian Lang.

The only difference between them and themselves is that they changed their writing style to something else that is suitable for them.

There's also a bit more food.

However, this is understandable.

It's reasonable for martial artists to expend more energy.

The officers and soldiers from the Academy and the County Government pushed several carts back and forth in the field, distributing supplies.

Zheng Du suddenly walked up to the rogue scholar.

He glanced at his worn-out pen, said nothing.

He simply took a new pen case from the cart and put it in his supplies bag.

The rogue scholar paused for a moment, clasped his hands in a fist salute but didn't speak, while Zheng Du had already turned and walked towards the next group without looking back.

After preparing the supplies, Chen Zhuo checked the location of the two "transfer" talismans in his bag.

Then it was confirmed that the Originium was intact, wrapped in three layers.

Wanyan Liang nervously searched through his supply pack three times.

When he opened it for the last time, a palm-sized copper abacus fell out, which he hurriedly picked up and stuffed into his pocket.

Xu Yi stood to the side, slowly waving his folding fan, occasionally glancing at the crowd around him.

Then a figure circled around from the edge of the crowd.

It's Tong Yue.

Today he was dressed in the old-fashioned short brown robe of the Tongxin Alliance, with the cuffs tied tightly and an old leather belt around his waist with several cloth bags hanging from it. His attire was no different from that of the wandering cultivators in the outer city.

To avoid drawing unnecessary attention, he didn't walk straight up, but stopped a step beside Chen Zhuo and said in a low voice:

"Young Master Chen, our men have been assigned to the logistics team. They'll be following behind. Contact us anytime if anything happens."

Without waiting for Chen Zhuo's reply, he quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Chen Zhuo watched him walk away, and when she looked away, her eyes met Xu Yi's.

Xu Yi closed his folding fan and said in a very indifferent tone, "Brother Chen has a wide circle of friends."

Chen Zhuo didn't respond; there wasn't much to say.

It seems that the Tongxin Alliance has not affected me at present.

Xu Yi didn't press the matter. He unfolded the folding fan again and shifted his gaze to Zhou Wenyuan, who was talking quietly with Zheng Du on the wooden table.

The gong sounded precisely at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The golden light of the Righteous Qi Array flashed overhead, then slowly weakened, shrinking the area of ​​the shield inward and creating a narrow passage leading to the outer city.

The procession passed through the passage one by one.

The moment Zhuo stepped out of the barrier, the cold air of the long night rushed towards him, much colder than inside the city.

If you listen carefully, you can also detect a dry, earthy smell inside.

It's like the scent of spring rain freshly falling on the earth.

The third group of soldiers formed two columns after leaving the city.

Zheng Du walked at the front, his sheathless longsword held horizontally at his waist.

The blade gleamed a bluish-gray in the dim light of the long night.

It's clearly not an ordinary weapon.

The soldiers of the Qingshan Army were divided into two groups: one group went ahead to scout the way, and the other group brought up the rear.

The students and independent practitioners from the Academy walked in the middle.

Xu Yi and Wanyan Liang were on Chen Zhuo's right, while Chen Tianshen and Chen Tianlang followed behind carrying the pile of weapons.

About an incense stick's time after leaving the city, the surrounding demons began to gather in large numbers.

This kind of demon is different from the one Chen Zhuo encountered on the city wall.

There was a hint of intelligence in those eyes.

Specifically, they would run away when they saw Chen Zhuo and his large group of people.

"Young master, why are these demons running away?"

Chen Tianshen shook his head and asked, puzzled.

Chen Zhuo glanced at him, somewhat surprised; this guy was quite eager to learn.

So he casually replied, "Because they're going to gather a large force to deal with us."

"Then why don't we..."

The legend of Chen Tian is not finished yet.

Zheng Du made a hand gesture, and several soldiers from the Green Mountain Army in the team quickly dealt with the weak demons.

Chen Tianshen immediately shut his mouth.

The group continued forward, during which Chen Zhuo also took action remotely to eliminate some of the demons of the Long Night.

Suddenly, Zheng Du, who was in front, raised his hand and made a warning gesture.

The team's formation changed rapidly.

Less than half a moment after the gesture was made, the darkness in front of them suddenly thickened.

The long, dark night itself is churning.

It was like a whole black tide being stirred up from the inside by something.

The darkness slowly pushed forward.

The demons gathered much faster than expected.

The first to rush over were still the Shadows.

But unlike those that crashed into the city walls, these shadows were no longer individual silhouettes.

They huddled together, their edges of black mist intertwining to form a moving wall of fog.

Zheng Du's voice came from ahead, without any extra words, just a simple "guard".

The soldiers of the Green Mountain Army raised their shields simultaneously, and a row of pre-engraved runes lit up on the shield surfaces, with pale golden light connecting them in a line.