Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 96 Wuxie, where the locust tree is

[Xuehebeng: Originally the spirit of a sword, it was infected by the despair of the sword master's death. On the battlefield, it became bloodthirsty and evil.

Snowflakes are the most insignificant, yet they accumulate to cover rivers and streams. If they collapse in one night, the whole world will be devastated, and even thousands of troops cannot stop them.

Characteristics: A chill envelops the body, causing it to be constantly unstable. Even the most forged steel will crumble under a sword.

As the current head of the Qingping officials, Zheng Hui's residence was built by order of the Nanzhao king himself.

The entire mansion covers an area of ​​hundreds of acres and is divided into three parts. On the central axis are the main hall and the back hall, the wing building and the back building. The east and west parts each have five courtyards.

In addition, there is a garden with a lotus pond, a long corridor in the main house, a stable and a woodshed, everything you need.

When people like Chu Tianshu moved in, not only did they not feel crowded, they even felt it was empty.

For Chu Tianshu personally, it was like living in a park.

When I got up in the morning, I walked out of my yard and took a walk. There were rockery, streams, and flowers and trees everywhere.

"The feudal class really knows how to enjoy life."

Chu Tianshu wondered how much money he would need to have such a mansion in his hometown.

No, money is not the most important thing. The most important thing is people.

I don’t have many relatives and friends. Even if I invite my second grandfather and others to live with me, this place is so big that it won’t feel like home at all.

You need to make more friends.

Just now, when Chu Tianshu was taking a walk, he wandered to the side door and heard about the Nanzhao king posting the imperial edict.

He also asked the gatekeeper where Zheng Hui usually stayed in this mansion.

According to the gatekeeper, you can find it by walking along the stream.

At this moment he was on his way to find Zheng Hui.

The stream slowly flows into a plum forest.

Deep in the Merlin forest there is a pavilion with a stone table and stone benches, and tea is being heated on a small stove.

As expected, Zheng Hui was eating cakes and drinking tea in the pavilion.

Judging by the time, this might be his breakfast.

"Why is Doctor Chu here?"

Zheng Hui noticed him and said with a smile, "Please take a seat quickly. The food from the kitchen hasn't been delivered to your rooms yet at this hour."

"I have some cakes here, you can try them first."

Chu Tianshu didn't hesitate and sat opposite him.

There were five plates on the table, not all of them were cakes, there were also candied fruits and dried fruits.

Chu Tianshu took a fancy to one of the dishes, which looked like plums, so he picked one up and tasted it.

It really tastes like plum.

But those plates of pastries were just rice cakes, which were too soft to eat, and Chu Tianshu didn’t like them very much.

"Master Zheng is in a high position and well-informed. Do you know where there are wild soldier spirits?"

Chu Tianshu looked at the rice cake he had taken a bite of, hesitated for a moment, then threw it into his mouth, swallowed it directly, and continued talking.

"When the leader of the Yuwen family fought me, he was holding an evil sword that was inhabited by the spirit of a wild soldier."

"I wonder, since there's this example, are there other wild soldier souls that have been preserved?"

Zheng Hui was a little surprised and said, "Indeed, there is such a thing."

"Over the past few decades, the Tang army, Tubo, and Nanzhao have fought many battles, and wild soldier spirits have appeared in many battles."

"However, most wild soldier souls are fragile. Once the puppets they control are killed, the wild soldier soul will also be damaged and will not survive for long."

"If a family obtains a wild soldier soul that's powerful enough to repeatedly replace its puppet, it will often remain secret."

The meaning is very clear. This kind of wild soldier soul definitely exists, but Zheng Hui doesn't know which family has this thing.

Chu Tianshu was a little disappointed.

In this world, other evil things are hard to find.

The Wild Soldier Soul should be the easiest to find, but he has only gotten one "Snow River Avalanche" so far.

"Doesn't Doctor Chu have his own soldier spirit? Why would he be concerned about evil soldiers?"

Zheng Hui advised, "I think Doctor Chu's military spirit is righteous and mighty, and he has a bright future. Evil military tactics are ultimately unorthodox. They may seem like shortcuts, but in reality, they destroy one's potential."

Chu Tianshu raised his left hand and shook his head, saying, "I am a practitioner of alchemy. This sword was made with alchemy, not a weapon spirit."

Zheng Hui was surprised and said, "You, don't have a soldier soul yet?!"

"good."

Chu Tianshu said, "Without the wild soldier soul, I will continue to look for a place with deep Yin energy to practice the blood-refined weapon method."

"Before, I practiced in the mass grave outside the city."

Zheng Hui pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "The Yin energy in the mass grave is mixed and impure. In fact, if you're looking for a place with deep, yet concealed, Yin energy, I have one right here in my house."

He lifted the teapot, revealing the small charcoal fire underneath, and poured a cup of tea onto the charcoal.

Tsk! !
There was a strong aroma of tea mixed with the smell of charcoal rising up.

Zheng Hui took a deep breath, turned around and said, "Come with me."

Chu Tianshu stood up and followed.

After passing through four courtyards, Zheng Hui brought him to a deserted courtyard.

The yard was paved with bluestone bricks, except for a piece of soil about ten feet in size in the northwest corner.

The vigorous and tall locust tree grew tenaciously in the soil, stretching out inch by inch. In the warm environment of Nanzhao, the locust tree had lost all its flowers and leaves, leaving only the branches.

But the moisture of the branches shows that this bare tree still contains strong vitality.

Chu Tianshu felt a unique atmosphere.

This yard is like a small cage, which repels the big tree at every turn, preventing its roots from taking root deeper and its branches from growing higher.

But it still grew, and in the confrontation, it silently developed a rugged strength.

"This is the courtyard where my mother lived when she was alive."

Zheng Hui put his hands behind his waist and stood up to look at the big tree.

"When we were captured and taken to Nanzhao, my mother accidentally discovered a few locust tree seeds hidden in the tear in our clothes."

“I don’t know if it’s the tree in front of my house, but it’s definitely from the locust tree in our hometown.”

"My mother planted it herself, and it took decades for it to grow into this big tree. Ten years ago, the king wanted to move the capital. I knew my mother loved this tree very much, so I had it dug up and brought here with its roots and soil."

"But maybe it's because the climate and soil aren't right for it. The tree has lost all its leaves. Mom waters it every day, but she hasn't seen any new leaves grow."

Zheng Hui fell silent.

Chu Tianshu was looking at the texture of the tree, from the roots exposed on the ground, extending to the bark, and gradually looking at the branches, without saying a word.

"I've noticed that the shadowy aura of this tree is getting heavier. I wonder if there was a large tomb beneath this mansion many years ago?"

"I wanted to move the tree and ask my mother to move to another place, but she refused to let me mess with the tree anymore."

When Zheng Hui said this, his voice became slower and he let out a long sigh.

"She still watered the tree every day, touched it and talked to it, and even moved a rattan chair to sleep under it."

"The Yin energy that this tree has been stained with has actually become purer under my mother's company. It can take root here and grow new branches."

"I realized that having this tree here would not only not harm Mother's health, but would allow her to live out her days in peace. I was both surprised and delighted."

"What a pity! She passed away before she could see the day when leaves and flowers would grow again."

Zheng Hui pointed to the closed doors and windows.

"When she was dying, my mother asked me to open the window. She was still looking at the tree through the window, full of reluctance to let go."

The sun sets on Chang'an Road, and the autumn locust trees are covered with flowers.

In terms of magic, the locust tree belongs to Yin, but since the Spring and Autumn Period, Guanzi said that the fertile land is suitable for locust trees.

By the Tang Dynasty, the custom of planting locust trees had spread to thousands of households.

Sophora japonica is a wood ghost and belongs to the yin element. However, in the minds of the people of the Tang Dynasty, if there is a locust tree in the house, the ghost of the locust tree is also the spirit of the ancestor and the connection with the ancestors.

The roots, young branches, leaves, flowers, fruits and resin of Sophora japonica can all be used as medicine. In years of famine, Sophora japonica is life-saving food.

The wind blew through the courtyard, and the branches of the locust trees swayed slightly.

Chu Tianshu said: "Your mother is missing her hometown."

"Yes."

Zheng Hui said, "As we age, we become more nostalgic. But after being away from our hometown for decades, even if we return to the county where we lived, how can we still call it our hometown?"

"We Tang people were transplanted here. In order to fight for our lives, we have taken root and sprouted new branches in this place where the climate and soil are not suitable for us."

"This is our home now. We cultivated the soil, watered the land, and planted the new home together."

Zheng Hui stared at the closed window.

"That's why my mother missed home so much. But even after the alliance between Nanzhao and the Tang Dynasty, she wouldn't let me send her back."

"She loves her hometown and this place."

"Where the locust tree is is already our home, and we don't want to be disturbed again."

Chu Tianshu turned on his psychic perspective and looked around.

The yin energy here is like quiet and clear spring water spread underground, and the locust tree is the spring eye.

It is indeed a great place, much better than the mass grave.

If I could practice the "Blood River Chariot" here, even if the technique had not been deduced yet, it would definitely be faster than in the mass grave.

"but……"

Chu Tianshu thought for a moment, "This is your mother's former residence. Is it not good for you to let me cultivate Yin Qi here?"

"Is there no other place?"

Zheng Hui said, "This is the best place."

"The shade of the locust tree is to protect our descendants, and the legacy of our ancestors is meant to be passed on to future generations."

Zheng Hui walked towards the tree and stretched out his hand.

The morning breeze gently brought the shadows of the branches to his hands.

"Doctor Chu, whether you are an inner guard or not is actually not that important. At least I can tell that you must be from the Tang Dynasty. Your accent even sounds like someone from Jianghuai."

"You can cure diseases with your needles, and you could charge a fortune, but you only take their money. You only prescribe medicine to those who can afford it."

"You and Captain Cheng don't actually have many acquaintances in this land, but you're both infuriated by the rumors. You're just putting on a facade with a cold and cruel attitude, while the other one is leisurely and aggressive."

Zheng Hui clenched his fingers as if grasping the shadow branch, turned around and smiled.

"You are helping the Tang people of this land. I hope everyone will not suffer. You are fulfilling my mother's wish."

"If my mother knew about this in heaven, she would definitely welcome you very much."

Chu Tianshu was slightly startled, and looked towards the wind, as if he could smell the fragrance of thousands of locust trees.

(End of this chapter)