Celestial being

"The spices used to make incense are similar in different regions, but the process and fragrance type are different. However, because of the different regional output, there are often some subtle differences, and some locally produced materials will be added. If you know where it is produced, Lao Chen Maybe we can guess the difference." The old man said slowly.

Yuan Ming nodded first, but then shook his head.

"Then I'm sorry that I can't do anything." The old man looked regretful and shook his head.

"If I break off a small piece, scrape out the powder, or light it on fire, can you help me identify the materials inside?" Yuan Ming suddenly had a thought in his mind and asked.

"You think too highly of me. To be able to reach this level, I'm afraid you have to be a master who has been doing incense making for decades. This old man doesn't have this ability." The old man shook his head and smiled bitterly. road.

"The store often sells incense and candles. Does anyone know such an incense maker?" Yuan Ming heard this and asked with a move in his heart.

The old man frowned slightly, lost in thought, but not long after, a strange look suddenly appeared on his face.

There seemed to be some hesitation, some hesitation.

"Store, don't be in a hurry, think slowly. Give me a handful of each of these incense on the table." Yuan Ming saw this and said.

"That's right!" When the old man heard this, a flash of joy flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't help but exclaimed.

"When you say that, I really think of a person. Their family has made a living by making incense for generations, and their ancestral incense making workshop has been open for hundreds of years. If you really want to say who has that ability, It has to be him.”

"May I ask where this person is now?" Yuan Ming also refreshed and asked.

"His incense making workshop is in Tiehu Town, dozens of miles away from here. If you go there and ask around, you can definitely find it. It's just that I haven't gone there to get goods for more than half a year, and I haven't seen him for a long time. ." The old man said while quickly packing the incense on the table.

When he finished speaking, the bundled incense was already placed in front of Yuan Ming.

After Yuan Ming paid the money, he asked the old man about the situation of the incense making workshop in Tiehu Town, and then turned around and left.

Yuan Ming did not leave the town in a hurry, but found an inn to stay in the town.

It is said to be an inn, but it is actually a row of wooden houses with railings. The style is simple and the furnishings are simple. Fortunately, no one stays there on weekdays, so it is considered clean.

Yuan Ming chose a room at the back to live in, and then began the boring fragrance test again.

In the past half month or so, he has lit incense hundreds of times. Almost everywhere he went, he bought all the types of incense available and tried them all when he came back.

But the results were without exception, they all failed, and the incense burner showed no reaction at all from beginning to end.

In the second half of the night, the moon's shadow slanted westward.

Yuan Ming watched the incense stick painted with cloud patterns in the incense burner burn out, but did not pull it out, letting the smoke fill the entire room.

After failing again and again, he no longer felt anything about it.

On the contrary, if he suddenly succeeds now, he may have an unreal illusion.

"It seems that we can only try our luck in Tiehu Town. If it doesn't work, we can only return to the sect first." Yuan Ming has already begun to think about quitting.

He felt that he might have made a mistake in the direction. This black incense was not a common thing at all, but some kind of expendable magic weapon, the product of some special sects?

Although there is no such thing in Qingfu Hall, and he himself has never seen it in various unofficial history books, this does not mean that Heixiang must not be a magic weapon. At most, it can only mean that it is not produced by the Southern Xinjiang sect. That's all.

Or could it be that some unknown spiritual material was mixed into the incense during the refining process, which gave it such a special effect of possessing people?

"I don't know if the silver cat has followed, but I haven't seen it for a long time. It said before that this incense burner is not an ordinary thing. Maybe it knows something? Speaking of which, this silver cat is really special." Yuan Ming Putting his chaotic thoughts under control, he stood up and opened the window, letting the moonlight shine into the house.

He himself sat cross-legged in the bright moonlight and began to practice the Ming Yue Jue with his eyes closed.

Not long after he closed his eyes, Yuan Ming suddenly opened his eyes, and realized with some hindsight that the Iron Tiger Town the old man mentioned today sounded inexplicably familiar.

But when I think about it carefully, I can't remember where I heard it.

Yuan Ming's mind was suddenly aroused, and he couldn't calm down. He could only give up practicing the Ming Yue Jue, and instead meditated for a while to calm his nerves and practice the Nine Yuan Jue.

Early the next morning, Yuan Ming left the town on horseback and headed straight for Tiehu Town following the instructions of the old man at the incense shop.

…

The two towns are only a few dozen miles apart, and they are quite different in terms of size and terrain.

The terrain around Tiehu Town is flat and open, and there is a large river with strong water in the north. The city is built on a large scale, and there are even fortifications built on the side of the river, making it impassable.

Yuan Ming took a detour upstream and crossed the river on a wooden bridge. In the evening, when he turned to the south of the city, he finally saw an open city gate.

Compared to the villages and towns we encountered earlier, this place seems much more prosperous.

There were many people coming in and out of the city gate, and there were even soldiers from southern Xinjiang wearing heavy armor guarding the gate.

Yuan Ming dismounted his horse and led him, and soon arrived at the city gate.

The soldiers from southern Xinjiang only looked at him casually for a few times, then looked away without making any inquiries.

Yuan Ming arrived in the city smoothly and immediately saw some notices and documents on the notice boards on the side.

The latest one clearly stated that a curfew was implemented in the town. After the beginning of Xu Shi, anyone wandering outside would be caught and beaten with thirty military sticks, unless they had the lord's handwriting or the commander's token.

Yuan Ming looked up at the sky and saw that Xu Shi was not far away.

He was about to leave when his eyes were suddenly attracted by a weathered and faded missing persons notice covered under two layers of notices. It could be vaguely seen on it that the accompanying personnel of a certain Dajin regiment were missing, but the handwriting and portraits were all gone. It's blurry.

"Dajin...personnel are missing?" Yuan Ming was confused as he looked at the broken contents.

But he was only attracted by the word "Da Jin" and didn't pay too much attention. He led his horse and walked into the town.

Not long after entering the town, the sky became dark.

Pedestrians on the street were walking in a hurry, obviously afraid of the consequences of violating the curfew, and they were already rushing to their residences.

As a monk, Yuan Ming was naturally not afraid of the rules of the secular world, but he didn't want to cause any trouble, so he planned to find an inn to stay and wait until the next day to find the incense workshop.

As luck would have it, before he had gone very far, he saw a shop facing the street with a string of red lanterns hanging on it. There was a sign made of green cloth hanging on the outside, with the word "Inn" written on it in white paint.

Under the move, leaning against the threshold, sat an old man wearing a satin robe and a square-feathered hat, but judging from his outfit, he looked like a wealthy man.

But his skin was rough and dark, with ravines all over his face. He held an old cigarette bag in his hand and was smoking it. Under the white smoke, his old face showed a bitter look.

"Look at this face, he should be a rich man who suddenly became wealthy..." Yuan Ming gave the answer in his heart.

When Yuan Ming saw the old man, the other party also saw him.

The old man, who had looked sad just now, immediately put a smile on his face and came forward with a smile.

"Dear guest, are you coming from afar? It's been a long and dusty journey. It's hard work." The old man asked.

"Is this old man the manager of this inn?" Yuan Ming asked suspiciously.

"Yes, yes. As a guest, you look like a traveling hero. You have just arrived in our Tiehu Town. You probably don't know there is a curfew here, right? Do you have a place to stay? If you don't mind, just stay in my little shop. Have a rest?" The old man said enthusiastically with a concerned look on his face.

Yuan Ming glanced at the inn lobby. The lights had been lit inside. It looked bright and clean. The most important thing was that it was empty and quiet, with no people around.

"Are there any secluded guest rooms that are not facing the street?" Yuan Ming asked.

"Yes, yes, we have a house in the backyard. Not only does it not face the street, but there is a bamboo forest outside. I can guarantee, old man, that it is the quietest guest room in this town." The old man quickly patted his chest and recommended.

Yuan Ming glanced at the back of the street. There was no second inn at the end of his sight, so he nodded:

"Then I'll ask the shopkeeper to arrange something."

"Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

The old man responded with a smile, turned around and shouted to the inn at the top of his lungs: "Tule, come out quickly and lead the guest's horse."

Soon, a young man with equally dark skin and an appearance similar to the old man trotted out, took the reins from Yuan Ming's hand with his head lowered, and led the horse from a path next to the inn to the backyard. .

"Remember to wash the guest's horse and feed it with the best fodder." The old man did not forget to remind him loudly.

The young man didn't know whether he heard it or not, so he didn't respond at all.

"Hey, my son has been like a piece of wood since he was a child. Please don't mind me, sir." The old man said with a smile.

"No problem." Yuan Ming waved his hand.

"Please come in." The old man greeted Yuan Ming and walked to the inn.

Yuan Ming stepped into the threshold of the inn and asked casually: "How long have you been running this inn, shopkeeper?"

"Distinguished guest, don't call me shopkeeper. It's too intrusive. Just call me "Old Yantai..." The old man was still talking familiarly, but when he entered the room, he could see clearly through the light in the hall. When he saw Yuan Ming's appearance, he was suddenly stunned.

Yuan Ming felt a little strange when he saw the old man suddenly stop mid-sentence. He moved his eyes towards the old man, and immediately saw the old man staring at him in astonishment.

"Shopkeeper, what's wrong with you?" He subconsciously touched his cheek and asked immediately.

The old man seemed to wake up suddenly, with an embarrassed smile on his face, and said: "Hey, I didn't see clearly outside just now. When I came in, I realized that it has been many years, old man, and I haven't seen any customers in Tiehu Town. Such a pure young person is born."