The average five years of Daliang's life is a rare good year for the world's libertines.
A wrist-breaking knife costs five cents, and a bowl of rotten meat noodles costs three cents. If you go to sleep under a big tree next to an ancient tomb, you will not only meet a nocturnal fox and have a good night, but you will also earn ten cents for free. Make money.
In this year, Wang Yuanying of Zhongshan in the Northern Dynasty led 60,000 men in armor and went south. He first conquered Yinping and beheaded 25 generals. Then he came to Shouyang and defeated Liang's army of 30,000 men. Finally, he came to Zhongli City.
Wei Huaiwen, the famous general of Daliang, Zuowei General, joined the troops to fight with him, and built three more cities outside Zhongli City overnight.
The two armies fought fiercely for thirty-six days. Yuan Ying, who had exhausted all his means, looked at Wei Huaiwen, who was sitting quietly under the umbrella fan in the city and gently waving his tail. He took out his piccolo and played a tune, leaving behind the sentence "It looks like an enemy country." Then he led the cavalry back.
Then Wei Huaiwenti led his generals to pursue him, first defeating him in Nanxu, and then defeating Yuanying in Northern Henan. Only five of the 60,000 armored soldiers who returned north were left.
This year, the Huaihe River surged, flooding three prefectures and sixteen counties. The imperial court withheld 50% of the military rations to be transported to the front line and diverted them to provide disaster relief.
This year, a dragon died in Yunmeng, and its blood fell like rain and condensed into jade. A wealthy businessman smuggled it into Jiankang, and one piece was worth ten thousand yuan.
Many years later, the libertines of those days had already lost their yang energy and became lonely ghosts.
But when they gathered to burn incense in the Chenghuang Temple, they would still smack their mouths and recall the smell of the fox prostitutes, talk about the taste of rotten meat noodles, and praise the good times in those years.
The long night is like a cover, covering the whole sea. The outlines of the mountains and fields in the distance are constantly changing under the moonlight, and the mist is constantly changing under the bright moonlight. Sometimes it is condensed like a long snake exhaling, and sometimes it swings like a tiger sitting on its back.
A red light kept swinging in the night.
Passing through layers of fog, we kept moving forward along the overgrown mountain road.
The bluestone slabs laid in the early years of the founding of the People's Republic of China have gradually broken into several small pieces, and tough vegetation invades the space next to the stone slabs along the gaps.
The red light kept flipping up and down, and the four characters "Du Lingsu Family" on it were hard to see clearly in the fog.
"Sir, look at the lights in front of you. It should be a place to rest."
A servant boy was carrying a bamboo basket on his back, holding a lantern in his right hand, pointing forward and saying. He has red lips and white teeth, a handsome appearance, and his black hair is tied into two boy buns.
There was also a young man wearing a light blue Sichuan brocade gown, with a hosta in his bun, carrying a black wooden box behind his back, and stepped on the slightly damp bluestone with his thick boots and smiled. .
"...Looking at the situation here, it should be a temple, but it's a pity..."
"What's the pity?" The servant boy's face changed slightly as he spoke, remembering the bizarre stories he had heard in the capital.
Rotten wood gives birth to spirit, things grow old and become strange, old women become pregnant with ghosts, ghosts walk at night...
He looked at the young master next to him, and suddenly thought that something strange had happened to his third young master a few months ago, and he couldn't help but subconsciously moved to the side.
"Unfortunately, the protagonist in the story often walks alone. Even if he is accompanied by someone, he is either a Taoist master who hides in the city, a Buddhist monk who travels around, or a generous and heroic swordsman, a sentimental and chaste female ghost... …”
Mr. Su smiled and said, "How can you lead a book boy with peach blossom eyes around?"
You really have plans for me. The little book boy felt a chill all over his body and hid to the side.
Who would take you out if not to save your ass?
Suche glanced at the little book boy who looked slightly panicked.
The Guan clan with the surname Jia in Jiankang City is famous for not tabooing meat and vegetables, and is prone to floods and droughts. The little book boy was born with a good skin. If it were placed in his previous life, there would be no problem in being a second-tier or third-tier kid.
It's a pity that I was born in Daliang, where evil spirits are rampant and the troubled times are not settled.
Not only can't you live a good life with a monthly income, but you also have to be more careful when crossing the river with your butt covered.
There is no telling which day people will be able to sail large ships by dry land.
Taking him with me can be regarded as a backup.
"Sir, there is a ruined temple ahead."
As we walked along the road, we came into view of a stone lantern covered with moss and a doorway covered with decayed plaques and covered with vines.
Under the bright moonlight, the four big characters on the plaque can be vaguely seen.
Kulin Zen Monastery.
It turned out to be an abandoned temple.
Through most of the ruined courtyard, you can see the fire burning inside. Just looking at it in this slightly damp and cold night can make people feel a little energetic.
"Sir, there are clouds in the world. Don't sit down when crossing mountains. Don't go into temples. It's not that far from Shanyin County now. Let's continue on our way."
The little book boy thought about the experiences he had learned about before going out, and suddenly thought about how his young master knew that there should be a ruined temple here.
"Sir, do you know how to read Qi?"
"The Emperor Wangqi is recorded in "Zuo Zhuan" and "Zhan Jing". I have heard about it, but there is no specific research."
Suche shook his head and walked through the half-shattered courtyard. The four heavenly kings on both sides had already returned to their true origins.
Mud everywhere.
"Our family has been serving the Celestial Master for generations, so do you know the secret skills of the Celestial Master?"
"The talisman water cures diseases, the flying sword eliminates demons, the power participates in creation, and the food Qi leads to immortality. The heart yearns for it, but it has a shallow immortality and no chance to practice."
"That's the monk. I heard that Qixia Temple..."
"Well," Su Che coughed and said clearly, "I only participate in Happy Zen."
Suche walked into the courtyard.
This place should have been regarded as a place with palaces and pavilions facing each other, with round corners and railings, but now everything has turned into rotten wood and debris, except for the main hall in the center that still remains.
There is a tall stone incense burner directly in front, which is full of water, with little duckweeds floating in it.
The firelight was reflected from the remaining main hall.
"How did the young master know that this is a temple?"
"I just guessed it casually."
Suche looked at the fire in front of him and said.
"You are a latecomer in school, and you will be harassed a lot when you pass by this place."
After saying that, he led the book boy who was still hesitating and walked in.
Inside the temple, there was a flame, and a lot of hay was spread on the ground. On the hay, seven or eight men, wearing raincoats, were sitting there, warming themselves by the fire.
When they saw someone coming outside, a hint of surprise turned on their faces, and they looked at each other a few times.
A dark-faced man should be the leader. He stood up from where he was sitting, with his right hand in his left sleeve, but with a smile on his face.
"We are destined to meet each other. Anyone who disturbs us is just a passerby. Scholars, please come in and sit down."
Suche nodded and walked directly to the temple without looking outside, sat down along the fire, stretched out his hands and used the fire to warm himself.
"Scholar is on his way?"
The dark-faced man looked Su Che up and down, and then glanced at the lantern in the boy's hand.
"Go to Guobei County."
Guobei County is adjacent to Shanyin County. Guobei is haunted and Shanyin has demons.
"Going to relatives?"
The dark-faced man narrowed his eyes and drilled his right hand into his left sleeve again.
Suche suddenly remembered a certain senior who had a violent relationship with him.
"Collect the bill."
"It turns out he is a young master, but I don't know his surname."
The dark-faced man looked more relaxed, but his right hand was still tucked into his left sleeve.
"It turns out he is illiterate."
The little book boy muttered behind him, "Isn't there something written on the lantern?"
"My surname is Su, and I live in Duling, Yongzhou."
This demon is running rampant, and the demons cry at night. There are only dead people in the world. Don't worry about it.
Suche can empathize with these people's nervousness.
"Young master Su, it seems that his family has a big business," the black-faced man looked at Su Che: "We brothers are from Shanyin County. We went to the mountains to collect herbs and are ready to return to our hometown."
"You guys look like heroes at first sight." Suche glanced at the load behind them, which was full of vegetation.
These days, besides luck, the most important thing when going to the mountains to collect herbs is courage.
Who knows which mountain ginseng will be patrolling the mountain standing next to the wind? Who knows whether there will be a life-threatening female snake next to the Shouwu that is about to be harvested? The old shady tree may be full of people waiting to be killed. Wrong soul, there might be a ghost standing on the opposite side of the mountain spring to quench the thirst of the demon.
The black-faced man smiled and slowly took his right hand out of his left sleeve.
"Then please sir, please rest."
The little book boy gently pulled Suche's sleeve from behind.
This group of herbal collectors has questioned us, but we have not questioned them.
Who knows if they are really herb collectors.
Maybe they are a group of ghosts who were eaten by the Demon King and are fishing for their master here.
Su Che ignored the worried book boy and sat quietly by the fire, chatting with the dark-faced man. The conversation was about the customs, floods and droughts of Guobei County and Shanyin County.
The book boy then made up his mind. His young master looked like a fool with a lot of money, but in the end he was still there and knew how to make innuendoes.
How do you say this in the world?
Yes, Pandao. My third young master, please always treat him well.
The book boy sat next to the fire, and the warm heat could not help but bake him. He was already sleepy, and for a moment he fell into a trance.
He didn't know how long he slept. When he woke up, except for the crackling sound in the fire, his young master was still chatting with the black-faced man.
"...Guobei is not as good as our Shanyin. Shanyin County has a rich cultural background. There was a champion in the previous dynasty. Now the family has fallen into decline. Now it has been turned into a restaurant called Zhuangyuanju..."
The dark-faced man sat beside the fire and told anecdotes about his hometown.
"Speaking of this, I am reminded of a past incident in Shanyin County."
The black-faced man was a little curious as to what this young man knew.
"Kulin Temple was built in the Datong period of the previous dynasty, 236 years ago. In the early years of this dynasty, the world was in chaos, and Kulin Temple gradually fell into disuse for unknown reasons."
But the book boy thought that his young master was really lying. He had already found out that this place was a temple, and he still told himself that he was just guessing.
"More than thirty years ago, a hunter discovered 24 husks of dendrobium salt in Kulin Temple and reported it to the government. After inspection in Guobei County, it was found to be illegal salt. This salt came from Kulin Temple. The first thing."
"More than ten years ago, a team of government officials secretly escorted the captured Japanese pirates. The planned route was through Guobei to Zhoucheng. There was no news about the entire team. The escort team followed the road to visit, and finally found four directions at Kulin Temple. With a waist tag and two broken knives, he was finally convicted of being a prisoner robbed by Japanese pirates. He was given sufficient compensation, but it was finally settled."
The black-faced man clenched his hands. He was obviously from Shanyin County, but he had never heard of this matter.
While he was talking, as if to cater to the description of the young master in front of him, the closed doors and windows of the dilapidated palace suddenly started to creak.
There was a whining sound outside the window, but it was not clear for a moment whether it was the howling night wind or a ghost crying at night.
He was about to wake up his sleeping partner, but suddenly found that the wooden box that Master Su had been carrying behind his back was shaking slightly at the moment.
The black-faced man rubbed his eyes, but the wooden box kept shaking, and it became more and more obvious.
"Today is Gengshen Day. According to the book, today is the day when the Emperor of Heaven performs good deeds and the Taiyin bestows milk. The moonlight has magical effects, the plants and trees gain spiritual enlightenment, and the birds and beasts transform into monsters after drinking. If you miss today, you will have to wait six more days. I’ve been waiting for the next Gengshen Day for ten days.”
Su Che looked out the window. Tree branches were shaking, tiles were moving, and under the heavy night fog, something seemed to be dancing or singing.
He placed the wooden box across his knees and touched it with both hands.
Within the palace, the flames have been dyed a layer of blue.
The black-faced man let out a long breath, and saw that his mouth and nose were filled with mist.
Why is it so cold suddenly?
He felt numb all over and couldn't muster any strength.
It is obviously a long summer night, but the chill has already penetrated into my bones.
On the sword box on his lap, the ever-beating clang could not make Su Che feel warm, but it also maintained the clarity of his heart.
At this moment, inside the palace, the door is already wide open.
The herb collector and book boy who were traveling with him had been crushed by the nightmare, unable to speak or see. It was as if a thousand kilograms of boulders were weighing on their bodies, and they could not move at all.
A green light and shadow, as big as a wheel, floated outside the door.
Su Che slowly read the inscription on the sword box.
"My sword has spirit, the hero of the first sun. Nourish it with benevolence and righteousness, wear it with five soldiers. The three talents are combined with the five virtues as the front. The sun and moon hide the text, and dance on the seven stars. Control the river and regulate the sea, and the dragon stalks. Hold the mountain and lock it. Yue, hundreds of ghosts hide their shadows. Why doesn’t the god subdue him? How dare the ghosts take on the role?"
Su Che looked at the sword box in his hand and called out softly.
"please."
For a moment, the dark-faced man felt as if the moonlight flashed before his eyes.
The box is quiet.
Outside the gate of the palace, there is only the bright moon shining brightly, the jade sky is clear, and the shadows of the trees are still as bright as before.
The fog has dissipated.
The black-faced man was shocked for a moment, and he vaguely understood what happened.
His expression darkened and he clasped his hands into fists.
"Dare to ask for your name."
"Du Ling Suche," Mr. Jinyi smiled softly: "The new Shanyin County Lieutenant."
"Congratulations to the county captain for slaying demons and ghosts."
Kill demons and eliminate ghosts? Suche glanced outside and just shook his head.
