At the beginning, you will meet a fox demon and be taught the art of immortality

However, when Magistrate Su and a group of officials from the yamen came to an intersection in a dense forest leading to Jiqi Town, they were blocked by a group of armored ghost soldiers.

"The road ahead is the Taoist temple of Qiao San. According to the Taoist's instructions, no strangers are allowed. Please take a detour!" A ghost general wearing chain mail walked out from among the ghost soldiers, holding a spear and approaching the crowd. This ghost general had an ancient face and was dressed not like a Tang person, but like a citizen of a small country outside the Western Tang Dynasty.

"This is Jiqi Town under the jurisdiction of Tongqu County, Xitang, of mine. When did it become his Taoist temple?" County Magistrate Su was a little stunned when he heard this, and said righteously.

"I don't know!" the ghost general responded indifferently.

Magistrate Su was very angry. Since the other party could send a team of ghost soldiers to set up the checkpoint, it was obvious that he was a Taoist. This Taoist relied on Taoism to directly demarcate the land and claim his own kingdom, which was clearly a contempt for the imperial power of the Western Tang Dynasty!

As the county magistrate of the mortal world, he was not afraid of these ghost soldiers, so he gave an order, deployed his troops, and prepared to storm in.

Just when the two sides were about to fight, a Taoist boy suddenly appeared behind the ghost general.

"Master Qiao San has given the order to let the county magistrate and his entourage in for a negotiation!" The Taoist boy took out a copper token and instructed the ghost general.

The ghost general took the token and touched it, as if he had checked it carefully, then he said "yes", turned sideways and waved his hand, asking the ghost soldiers behind him to make way and let him pass.

"Mr. County Magistrate, please come in!" The Taoist boy made an inviting gesture in a calm tone.

Magistrate Su snorted coldly and led the way into the Jiqi Town area.

Magistrate Su and his entourage of high-ranking officials came on horseback, while only a few scouts were equipped with horses, and the rest walked. This place is still some distance away from the central market of Jixi Town, and it will take at least an hour to walk there.

County Magistrate Su was just wondering how Taoist Qiao San's boy got here, when he signaled everyone to wait. He then took out a black talisman from his sleeve and threw it on the ground. After a burst of black smoke, a carriage appeared on the ground.

The carriage was very ornate in appearance, but the frame was a bit wide and rough, and it looked more like a modified chariot. The horse pulling the carriage was not a normal horse, but a copper horse with red eyes, like a mechanical creation.

"Mr. County Magistrate, this is Taoist Qiao San's carriage. Please leave the horses here temporarily and take the carriage to meet Taoist Qiao San!"

After the boy summoned the carriage, he invited Magistrate Su and others to get on.

Magistrate Su hesitated for a moment, then said to the boy, "My guards also need to go with me!"

What I mean is that your carriage can't accommodate so many people.

The boy laughed and looked at Magistrate Su as if he were a country bumpkin, saying, "There is a lot of room in the car, more than enough to accommodate all of you! Magistrate Su, please come in!"

Magistrate Su was accompanied by many runners. Even if he had left some of them behind to clean up the village that had become a haunted house, there were still nearly two hundred runners following him. A carriage could hold more than two hundred people? He naturally did not believe the boy's words.

So he was the first to lift the curtain and walk into the carriage. After entering, he discovered that there was a different world inside.

This is a closed space of one acre square, with gray overhead and white walls all around. As soon as you enter the door, you can see weapon racks on both sides, with swords, spears, swords and halberds. In the innermost part is a stone platform with a futon and a wooden table, and behind it is a screen.

The layout of the carriage was completely different from that of an ordinary carriage. Instead, it looked more like a martial arts arena. It was spacious enough to accommodate two hundred officials without seeming crowded.

The officials who followed Magistrate Su into the carriage space were also shocked by the scene before them. Under Magistrate Su's arrangement, they found a place to sit down and rest.

The carriage started moving as if on a boat, without any bumps at all.

Before everyone could even sit down, they felt the carriage stop, and the curtain in the space was lifted. The boy who invited them to ride in came in and told them that they had arrived.

Magistrate Su was shocked again: "It's so fast, can this carriage fly?"

His guess was correct. This carriage was called the Eight Horses Chariot. It was modified by Taoist Qiao San from the war chariot used by the emperor of the previous dynasty. The horses pulling the carriage were replaced with ghost horses, and a ghost cloud array was arranged under the frame. Therefore, the carriage looked like an ordinary carriage that needed to run on wheels, but in fact it was not. Its essential form was a ghost horse dragging a ghost cloud. Its speed could not be said to be faster than lightning, but it was only a little slower than the average escape light.

After he led everyone out of the car, he was frightened again by the scene in front of him.

Not too bad, but too good!

The level of bustle is just like that of Tongqu County before the disaster, but even more prosperous.

Magistrate Su stared at the scene in front of him in disbelief.

"What do you think of the scene before us, sir?"

A Taoist priest had been waiting outside the carriage. When he saw Magistrate Su, he stepped forward and asked.

"It's even more prosperous than before!" Magistrate Su answered truthfully.

"In order to maintain this prosperous scene, I have set up two lines of defense. One is in this town, called the Soul Refining Formation; the other is at the borders. I have sent a team of Yin Gui Dao soldiers to set up checkpoints! It can be said that I have used every possible means!" The Taoist said calmly. He was about 30 years old, wearing a black Taoist robe, without a crown on his head, but with a wooden hairpin to tie up his long hair. A pair of phoenix eyes flashed with a faint light.

Hearing this, Magistrate Su sighed and asked, "What is the reason for the Taoist to pay such a price?"

The Taoist just smiled and responded: "I don't ask for much, just to refine a treasure. Once I'm done, I'll return this place to you intact!"

"What treasure is it?" Magistrate Su refused and continued to ask.

The Taoist shook his head: "The secret of heaven cannot be revealed!"

"Will it really be returned in its entirety?" Magistrate Su asked again.

"Monks don't talk nonsense!" The Taoist nodded and said in a deep voice.

"When will you return?" Magistrate Su asked.

"It could be as short as ten days or as long as several years!" the Taoist said with some impatience.

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Su was silent for a long time before saying:

"The longest is two years, and traffic must be restored after the disaster outside has subsided!"

The Taoist smiled, nodded, and said, "Deal!"

Magistrate Su looked at the prosperity in front of him and stood silently for a while. This Taoist Qiao San spent a lot of time and energy here, and his goal must be very big, it is impossible for him to return it in full as he said!

What he is more worried about now is that this Taoist Qiao San will perform a blood sacrifice and use the people of the town as food for practicing evil magic, slaughtering them all and then returning him a piece of empty land. However, if he loses the protection of Taoist Qiao San now, this area will not be much better than the blood sacrifice!

Therefore, he could only take the easy way out now, appease Taoist Qiao San, and wait until he returned to the county town to discuss with the City God Temple, and then make a decision after doing a background check on this Taoist Qiao San who suddenly appeared.

Magistrate Su did not leave Jiqi Town that day, but stayed in the town for one night. During that time, he sent out a large number of scouts to gather information in an attempt to find out Qiao San's true purpose. However, the time was too short and nothing unusual was found.

In addition to Jiqi Town, there are other towns under the jurisdiction of Tongqu County that need Magistrate Su to patrol and rescue. It is not realistic to stay in Jiqi Town to investigate Taoist Qiao San. After thinking it over again and again, Magistrate Su had to let the boy who picked them up yesterday send them back to the entrance.

So everyone experienced flying in the clouds again.

When they returned to the entrance, they saw that the horse they had temporarily left yesterday was still there. County Magistrate Su breathed a sigh of relief, mounted the horse, and led everyone out of the checkpoint set up by Taoist Qiao San.

When he came out, he saw the chief clerk and his officers standing by the roadside, waiting anxiously.

When the chief clerk saw Magistrate Su, he led his horse and walked over quickly: "Sir, someone from the county office reported yesterday that an evil demon tried to invade the county office, killed many clerks, and wanted to hold your wife and son hostage..."

Magistrate Su was shocked when he heard this: "My wife and children are both held hostage?"

The chief clerk hurriedly shook his head and explained: "Sir, please be patient. The evil monsters have been killed by Erlang and a sword fairy who passed by! But Erlang..."

"What happened to Erlang?" Magistrate Su was so anxious that he couldn't help but interrupt.

"The messenger said that Erlang fell into a coma..." the chief clerk responded.

Magistrate Su tightened the reins in his hands and asked again, "What's the situation in the city?"

"Yesterday I sent someone to inform Captain Wu to bring another group of people back to the city. I think things have stabilized now!"

"Let the soldiers take a short rest. In two minutes, we will bypass Jiqi Town and go to the next village!" Magistrate Su said solemnly, taking a look at the still somewhat gray sky.