Chapter 288 287. Lantern Festival on the th day of the first lunar month (Please subscribe!)
After Tianpeng's reminder, the entire Arctic Exorcism Institute began to operate at full capacity.

A large number of demon-hunting envoys were recalled and scattered in the most prosperous and populous imperial city in the world like water drops into the sea.

"Besides the corpse oil, is there anything else unusual in the Imperial Capital City?" Xu Qing sat in the first seat, receiving information gathered from all the demon hunters in the Imperial Capital City.

"No." Feng Lingchen shook his head. "According to the feedback from other demon hunters, no."

"The Imperial Capital itself has a real dragon sitting in the palace, and the Yang Fire of the state is strong. The evil spirits below the fourth realm will be turned into ashes once they approach. The fourth and fifth realms can only make some small moves with difficulty."

"What about the Imperial Astronomical Bureau? Any comments?" Xu Qing asked again.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau observed the stars and knew what was going on in the world, which was a peak in the art of divination.

Xu Qing ordered Feng Lingchen to seek help from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau in the name of the Arctic Exorcism Institute, hoping that they could predict the future trend of the Imperial Capital City.

Feng Lingchen showed some hesitation on his face, and opened his mouth but no words came out.

"What's wrong? Did you get rejected?" Xu Qing raised his eyebrows when he saw Feng Lingchen's strange expression.

"That's not the case." Feng Lingchen shook his head. "The Imperial Astronomical Bureau accepted our request, but the result of the divination was chaos."

"It means that someone has obscured the secrets of heaven. No one can predict what will happen to Imperial Capital in the future."

Xu Qing was not surprised by this result.

The ghost behind the oil seller is the sixth level of disaster, which also involves the Huai'an ghost house and even other unknown existences.

The entanglement of cause and effect is like a mountain range or a thick fog covering a city, and it is not always possible to see the whole picture.

So Xu Qing sent Feng Lingchen to ask for help from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, but it was just a try and he would try his best.

"I can accept this result, but I want to know why you hesitated?" Xu Qing stared at Feng Lingchen.

"Because before I left, the prison guard said something to me that made me very confused." Feng Lingchen said in a deep voice.

Xu Qing frowned and listened attentively.

Feng Lingchen spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: "Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the Lord."

"Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the Lord?" Xu Qing repeated, his expression slightly changing.

The two people's eyes met subconsciously, and they saw confusion and disbelief in each other's eyes.

The Imperial Capital City is the center of the Great Sheng court and the place where the emperor has the strongest control.

If there is chaos here, what good will it do to the court and the emperor?
Xu Qing rubbed his brows: "What a hassle."

"Inspector, do you think that person deliberately condoned this incident?" Feng Lingchen asked in a low voice unconsciously.

"Logically, it's impossible. After all, this is destroying the city walls. No emperor would do this."

Xu Qing mentioned the word "emperor" without any reservation, and Feng Lingchen was so anxious that he couldn't help but step forward and cover his mouth.

Xu Qing ignored it and continued, "Maybe he was fishing."

"fishing?"

"Just like the last time with the Imperial Clan Court, it was the Imperial Clan Court that was willing to go against the Emperor's will to protect those royal children."

"In reality, it was just a trap set by the clan officials to lure those people into the trap and die."

"That's very possible." Feng Lingchen thought about it for a moment and felt that what Xu Qing said made sense.

A country's destiny is related to its national strength and the people's hearts. The stronger the national strength and the more cohesive the people, the stronger the national destiny.

The Imperial City is the national capital. If there is a danger of collapse here, it will not be as simple as a simple accident in one city.

For big cities like Nandu, Huai'an, and Shangdu, the destruction of one city would certainly cause a shock to the entire Dasheng.

But it will never shake the foundation of the Great Sheng Nation.

Only in the imperial capital, if something happens, it is possible that the country's destiny will collapse overnight.

As long as the person sitting in that position is not hopelessly stupid, nothing will go wrong in this imperial capital.

"Just keep the supervisor's reminder in mind and ignore it for now. I think there are a few people among the twenty-eight constellations who are rushing back?" Xu Qing changed the subject.

"The four are Heart Moon Fox, Tail Fire Tiger, Dangerous Moon Swallow and Beak Fire Monkey." Feng Lingchen said.

"When will they be able to come back? I need a more specific time." Xu Qing asked.

"Probably around the Lantern Festival." Feng Lingchen estimated the time. Fearing that Xu Qing would think that the four were slacking off, he added, "The four were originally going to support the northern front."

"Because the Four Seas Dragon Palace has appeared, it has diverted the attention of the Northern Grassland and the White Mountains and Black Waters. The northern front is not so stalemate now, so these four stars can leave."

"But when it comes to military deployment at the border, you can't just leave whenever you want."

"Understood." Xu Qing nodded, "Let your men continue to monitor the movements of Imperial Capital City."

"Yes." Feng Lingchen responded and left.

After Feng Lingchen left, Xu Qing sat alone in the room, closing his eyes, but he could not find a moment of peace.

All kinds of thoughts were running through his mind, whispering in his ears.

They are all about what is happening and what will happen in the imperial capital.

"What a trouble." Xu Qing muttered.

Right now, Tianpeng, Zhongdouxingjun, Qingshan Taoist and his senior sister, all the people he could rely on are gone.

He is the only one who can support the Arctic Exorcism House.

When he really took on the responsibility, he realized that not everyone can hold a high position.

At the very least, these daily affairs can completely drain a person's spirit.

The Six Ding Gods in the sea of ​​consciousness radiated divine light, and all kinds of thoughts disappeared instantly. Xu Qing opened his eyes, stood up, and walked to the window.

This window faces the city within the city.

Xu Qing gazed into the distance, his eyes were deep and profound, like a deep pool.

Just now he told Feng Lingchen that it was possible that the person in the deep palace was fishing, but he thought of the fact that his own sect’s altar had been sealed.

He couldn't help but think about it a little more.

Before going down the mountain, Elder Qingzheng took him to the main hall of the ancestral altar, where he saw the thing that sealed the ancestral altar.

Those who attacked the mountain gate at that time, after sealing the sect altar, only injured two elders, Qingning and Jingyan.

None of the other disciples were harmed.

There are some things that are hard to avoid.

In particular, the Arctic Exorcism Institute was founded by the head of Yuanfu Temple a thousand years ago.

in the following time.

The Arctic Exorcism House has been on high alert.

But time goes by.

The entire imperial capital city is still as prosperous as before, with a scene full of flowers and vitality.

There was absolutely no trace of the imagined atmosphere of dark clouds pressing down on the city and threatening to destroy it.

Xu Qing and other demon hunters did not let down their guard.

Instead, a heavy and solemn atmosphere lingered throughout the Arctic Exorcism House.

The demon hunters who often deal with demons and evil spirits all know a very simple truth -

Still waters run deep!

The calmer it is, the greater the harm it will cause when it erupts.

While a group of demon hunters were anxiously waiting for the "volcanic eruption", the atmosphere of welcoming the spring and reunion in the city was becoming stronger day by day.

This joyous atmosphere reaches its peak on the night of the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

That night, the east wind blows thousands of flowers into bloom, and blows down stars like rain!

In order to entertain the people, the imperial court held a grand and spectacular Lantern Festival on the night of the Lantern Festival.

The huge imperial city is brightly lit everywhere, with stars in the sky and on the ground.

"Come and have a look, they are delicious, with sesame filling and yam filling."

"Nai skin, milk skin, keeps you warm and nourishes your body."

"Tanghulu, Tanghulu, if you want to eat Tanghulu, come quickly."

The lights are as bright as day, and people are swarming on the long street with mottled light and shadows.

Peddlers shouted loudly, children played and fought, men and women played together, and the noisy voices floated into the air and were carried to all directions by the wind.

On the fifteenth night of the first lunar month, everyone, regardless of status, age, gender, can hold a lantern and stroll around the night to enjoy the lights and the scenery.

The laughter spread throughout the entire Imperial Capital City.

However, even in this prosperous scene, in this bustling crowd,

There is a group of people who have not joined the crowd and seem a little lonely, scattered in every dark and deserted corner.

Half of these people's bodies were shrouded in darkness, and the other half were illuminated by lanterns. Their eyes were alert and sharp, and their expressions were serious and upright. They were like tigers patrolling their territory, observing all movements within their area of ​​responsibility.

These people are naturally all the demon hunters of the Arctic Exorcism Institute.

The Lantern Festival has been arranged to be on duty tonight, with one person responsible for monitoring one area, and everyone's observation field of view is enough to cover the entire Imperial Capital City.

Somewhere in the street.

"The four stars failed to make it back on the night of the Lantern Festival." Xu Qing murmured softly as he looked at the crowded streets.

"Maybe things are not that bad." Feng Lingchen appeared beside Xu Qing.

Xu Qing shook his head.

Feng Lingchen didn't know that he had twelve guardian gods in his body and he had his own sense of the world.

After receiving Tianpeng's reminder that day, a thick dark cloud rose in his heart, and as time went by, this dark cloud became heavier and heavier.

Even though the number of demon hunters in the imperial capital city is increasing, he still cannot feel at ease.

"Where is Taoist Priest Jingqing?" As the previous inspector, Feng Lingchen was no stranger to Second Senior Sister Xu Qing.

"I can't contact her. Since the day we arrived at the clan residence, she has been missing just like Tianpeng."

"Ah," Feng Lingchen sighed. It felt like this was a pre-arranged meeting.

"Let's do our job as well as possible, so that no one can interfere when the time comes." Xu Qing said softly.

That is all I can say for now.

Afterwards, Xu Qing turned his head and looked in the direction of the deep palace. Looking into the distance, his sight seemed to pass through the crowds of people and buildings and saw the city within the city.

They immediately shared the matter of the oil seller and the corpse oil with the imperial court.

Logically, this kind of news should have been delivered to His Majesty's desk.

But the weird thing is.

Faced with this evil incident that had already begun to show signs of happening, the court from top to bottom was surprisingly indifferent and there was not even a hint of movement.

This made Xu Qing very puzzled.

Is the court prepared to wait and see what happens, or does it not take it seriously at all?

Thinking of the supervisor's reminder, Xu Qing couldn't help but be on high alert.

In particular, based on the possibility that some kind of storm was brewing in the Imperial Capital, he had written a petition in the name of the Arctic Exorcism House, requesting the cancellation of the Lantern Festival.

Festivals happen every year, so it doesn’t matter if we don’t celebrate this year. The safety of the people in the city should be the top priority.

However, the court directly rejected his memorial and said that what he said was absurd and ridiculous.

Xu Qing's memorial was submitted in the name of the Beiji Exorcism Institute, so it could reach the emperor's ears and appear on the desk of the Emperor Ming.

Therefore, the four words "extremely absurd" that were given to him in his reply should have been the words of that Majesty.

"Ok?"

Suddenly, Xu Qing's eyes fluctuated, revealing a few cold rays of light.

"What's wrong?" Feng Lingchen was confused.

He didn't notice anything wrong around him, but looking at Xu Qing's expression, it didn't seem like a good thing.

"Something's wrong. Something's happening." Xu Qing's face darkened and he quickly glanced around.

do not know when.

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

On the long street, the lights of the hanging and placed lanterns suddenly changed from bright orange-red to eerie green.

The stench of corpse mixed with the wind penetrated into my nose.

At this time Feng Lingchen finally reacted. His eyes suddenly turned sharp and he scanned the area like an eagle.

Under the sharp gazes of the two,
The people coming and going in front of them suddenly stopped walking, slowly turned towards Xu Qing and Feng Lingchen, and a strange smile appeared on their faces.

For an instant.

Feng Lingchen's eyes narrowed, and he felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He had seen this smile before.

On those oil sellers!!!

At this time, Feng Lingchen thought of the people who had ingested corpse oil.

Because the number of people involved is indeed too large, and after several days of observation, there is nothing unusual with these people, either physically or spiritually.

In this way, even the Arctic Exorcist House would not be able to detain and isolate these people.

After all, the situation in the Imperial Capital City is special. A small spark can turn into a big fire.

In the end, we can only let it go.

Now Feng Lingchen saw the strange smiles on the faces of these people.

My heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Could it be
Will all these people who have ingested corpse oil be controlled by the female ghost behind the oil seller?
boom!
Suddenly, the ground mud rolled.

Xu Qing was quick-witted and quick-handed. He grabbed the dazed Feng Lingchen and leaped onto the roof of the house next door.

Feng Lingchen looked down.

I saw white bones protruding from the ground, like a ferocious beast burrowing into the ground and opening its bloody mouth.

at the same time.

In the darkness, oil sellers slowly walked out, holding peony lanterns and surrounded by green candlelight.

"What is this?" Xu Qing's eyes were more serious than ever before.

Didn’t they get rid of all the oil sellers last time?

Or.
The female ghost holding the lantern has broken free from Tianpeng's control and can exert more power?
If it is the former, it’s okay, it’s just a matter of killing him again, but if it is the latter, then it will be a big trouble!

"My dear, we meet again."

The same charming voice as before came from the oil sellers and the common people with weird smiles on their faces.

"This time, it won't be like before. I will eat you up completely."

(End of this chapter)