Although Juhui is called a country by itself, it actually has no court, a county seat, and scattered islands, each forming a village. The archipelago is divided into ministers of birth, death, and medicine, all of whom are appointed by the high priest in the half-underworld city. In addition, there are no official ministers.
Among the three officials on Hamosuoluo Island, Jingshi has seen the official who caused trouble, the official who made trouble, and the official who made medicine, but Wuma, the official who caused trouble, has not yet met. According to what Huizhou said, as soon as the lucky people on the island woke up and were about to die, they went into the mountains to find the officials who were responsible for their deaths. However, all matters after death should only be handled by one of them. However, Hui Zhou refused to explain how to dispose of it specifically, and only asked Jing Shi to go out with him at night to watch the next day, which seemed to be quite heartfelt.
At this moment, Gu'er Wan heard Jing Shi and wanted to see Wu Ma, but his face looked like he didn't want to. First, let's talk about how dangerous the terrain of the island mountain where Wuma lives is, and how hard it is to climb up. He is unmoved when he sees the thorns and rocks, and then changes his story and says that the dead official, Wuma, has an eccentric temperament and talks crazy. It is futile to see him. After trying so hard, he finally said in despair, "Xin Guan, if you insist on seeing Wuma, I will take you to his place. When the time comes, you can tell him not to let me enter his house."
Jing Shi listened to what he said seriously and asked, "Are you afraid of him?"
Gu'erwan said: "I'm not even afraid of wild boars, so how can I be afraid of this weird guy? But his words are so weird that they make people's hair tremble after hearing him."
In fact, since Jing Shi entered the Joho country, he has seen all the Joho people speaking in weird and weird ways, apart from useless boats and water splashes. Especially the crooked Mandarin in Gu'erwan. He didn't know how to be weird. He immediately asked: "You It’s because his voice is strange”
Gu'er Wan said: "It's just that his Yin Tiaotiao is still there, it's what he said that's strange. I can't tell you clearly, you'll find out when you go there." After hearing this, Jing Shi didn't ask any more questions, and just let him lead the way.
There are many mountains on Hamosuoluo Island, all of which are in the middle, accounting for about 30%. The peaks are not very steep, but the ravines are dense and deep, and it is difficult to estimate them. According to what Gu'erwan said, in the past years, when the tide rose, a beast corpse was seen in the sea outside the island. It was believed that a wild animal in the mountains accidentally fell into a ravine, and the depths secretly led to the abyss, and the body was left in the sea.
The Yihui people are gifted and strong, capable of climbing high and leaping far, as well as the apes, and are not troubled by the dangerous roads in the mountains. Jingshi didn't have this ability, so he had to pick up a wooden stick and walk slowly along the road. Fortunately, Guerwan is familiar with the terrain, so there is no risk of getting lost or making a mistake.
The two of them walked in tandem until they reached the halfway point. Gu'erwan pointed at Lin Hou with a stick and said, "That building is Wuma's residence. I don't want to go there anymore." Jing Shi looked where he pointed, but I saw a small building behind the forest, with stilts on the bottom and flags hanging on all sides. The walls of the building are completely dark, with no complicated decorations. Only white flags are hung under the octagonal eaves, making the building look dark and quiet.
Jing Shi looked at it for a moment and then went to the front of the building. However, after knocking several times, no one answered. He tried to push the door, but it opened. There were no lights or candles inside, and it was as dim as night. Jing Shi stood on the spot and asked aloud: "Wuma is here?"
There was silence in the room for a moment before a faint response came. His voice was muffled, like he was murmuring in a dream. Jing Shi added: "I am a newly arrived director on the island. I am here to visit and would like to ask for advice."
The strange noises in the house were still unresponsive, only gurgling and humming. Jing Shi had asked for some advice from the Gu'er Bowl in advance. He knew that Wu Ma's words were strange, but he was not frightened. Unexpectedly, his voice kept muttering and moving around in the room. The more he heard it, the less it sounded like it was coming from a living person.
Jing Shi felt something strange, and was worried about the darkness in the room, so he didn't dare to enter. He immediately stepped back, looking for the bone bowl to ask questions. Suddenly looking back, I saw a man standing downstairs behind me, staring at me with sympathy. This person was wrapped in rags, dusty and ragged, with black hair and many bald spots, revealing the white dead skin underneath, as if a corpse had been raised from a grave. The left hand holds a sack, which is large enough to hold people. It seems to be full, and half of it is dragged to the ground. The right hand holds a rusty hatchet. The blade of the hatchet is mottled with stains and dark in color, and I don’t know what it was stained on.
This man appeared downstairs, within a foot of Jingshi, and there was no movement at all. Jing Shi suddenly changed his appearance and couldn't help but take a step back, almost falling into the house. Just as he was about to pick up the wooden stick to defend himself, he heard this person say: "Sir, what's the matter?" Although his voice was very stiff, as if he hadn't spoken for a long time, his enunciation and pronunciation were more correct than what he said in Gu'erwan.
Jing Shi was unprepared at first and was slightly frightened by him, but after hearing his words as usual, he asked: "Are you a dead official, Wu Ma?"
This person said: "Yes. Sir, what's the matter?" Although he was looking at Jingshi when he spoke, his head was lowered, his eyes were tilted upward, and he was staring through the tangled hair on his forehead. His attitude was really scary. Jing Shi swept the hatchet from his hand and replied: "I am new to this island, and I want to meet the chief here first."
After hearing this, the other party finally raised his head and looked directly at Jing Shi. However, they saw that his face was swollen and white everywhere. It did not look like a living face, but seemed to be covered with a very thick layer of dead skin, with dark blood and sputum underneath. What was even worse was that he had a large sarcoma under his chin. All the facial features are intact, and it is clearly another face.
The face of this tumor is also strange. It is neither the monkey face of the Joho people nor the ordinary people in the interior. The cheekbones have no features, the nose is as flat as a shave, only two thin black holes are visible, the lips are swarthy, and the eyes are tightly closed. I don’t know. Is there any sanity behind this face?
Jing Shi had read extensively and had studied medicine, so he knew that there was a kind of strange baby in the world. Before the mother and fetus developed, they became two persons. This disease is extremely rare. I didn't expect to see it in person, so I couldn't help but feel surprised.
Although he was surprised in his heart, he was concerned about guest etiquette and could not look at other people's illnesses for a long time. He quickly took a clear look at the gnarled face, and immediately moved his eyes upward to look Wu Ma face to face. Wu Ma smiled at him and said, "Sir, please come into the house."
His smile is also extremely difficult to recognize, because only the superficial skin is moving, and the movements of the muscles and bones underneath are not visible. It is like wearing a leather sheath, making people reluctant to look further. However, Jing Shi had always been interested in looking for strange things, so he was not frightened by his ugly appearance. He looked closely at his facial features and realized that his original face was not very weird. It was just that his face was extremely swollen and white, which made his mouth and nose appear... distortion. Immediately, he shouted and strode into the house.
Wu Ma followed suit and pulled up the curtain on the wall, revealing a round window with no lattice on all sides. Light came from all sides, immediately illuminating the layout of the building clearly. But the decorations in the building are similar to those of abandoned boats, but there are no white candles. The seats hanging on the wall are also very old, and the paintings on them are mottled and half-obliterated. There is a black vat in the middle of the room, which is as high as the Jingshi waist and can accommodate two people. It was completely empty, not to mention tables, chairs, pots and pots, not even a bed.
While he was looking at it, he saw Wu Ma walking to the vat, squatting down, and lifting up a leather rug on the ground, revealing a hidden compartment underneath. When the leather blanket was first lifted, I could smell the whirring and cooing inside, and a small animal with a black head came out. Looking at the appearance of this thing, with a curled tail and a protruding nose, flaring ears and tusks, it seems to be a young wild boar. Now that he was out of hiding, he kept grunting and sniffing around the room, especially the black vat. He was very eager to bump it with his head, as if he wanted to overthrow it.
Jing Shi had heard strange noises outside the door earlier, and thought it was from Wu Ma. He never thought that there was a young dolphin in the house. He didn't know whether it was for companionship or to gain meat. Just as he was fascinated by the sight, the little black pig suddenly raised its head, sniffed at him, and suddenly dropped the black tank and ran towards his feet. Jing Shi saw that although it was not big, its fangs were protruding, so he couldn't help but feel on guard. He tightened his grip on the wooden stick in his hand. Fortunately, the little black pig didn't bite. It only sniffed him back and forth around his feet, and then arched it. It hit again, I don’t know what it means.
Wu Ma was silent at first, but when he saw the little black pig wandering at the feet of Jingshi, his eyes brightened slightly, and he sat cross-legged on the ground and said, "Do you have an old illness, sir?"
Jing Shi was stunned and said: "No."
Wuma said again: "Have you ever made enemies with others?"
Jing Shi shook his head and said: "No. What's the point of asking?"
Wu Ma looked at him and said, "Your death is approaching."
Although Jing Shi heard Gu'er Wan talk about the strange Wu Ma, he didn't expect that the other party not only didn't know how to communicate, but also made such ominous remarks. He himself is well versed in mystical principles, and he also knows that fate is unpredictable and cannot be glimpsed by ordinary people. If you happen to meet an alchemist who tells fortunes on land and listen to these comments, you will definitely get rich by fraud. However, I don't know what the purpose of this is because the country of Zuohui has no official coins and does not value gold and silver, and Wuma has no grudge against him.
He didn't know what was going on in his mind, so he had to pull up his foot slightly and pull the trousers leg out of the little black pig's mouth, and then asked: "What did Mr. Wu Ma say?"
Wuma said: "Wuka has been drinking stagnant water since he was a child, and he can identify people who are about to die. If you get close to him today, there will be a death disaster within three years."
Jing Shi listened to his words and realized that this "Wuka" was the black pig at his feet. Looking down at Wuka, he saw that his legs were short, his belly was round, and he was swaying when he walked. He looked really stupid. How could he decide between life and death? Then he shook his head and said: "I can't decide life and death, and it's useless to be afraid. I'm here to know about the affairs of the island. I heard that Mr. Wu Ma is in charge of the affairs of the island, but I don't know what he does."
Wu Ma seemed to have not heard anything, and stared at him straightly and said: "You know what death is."
Jing Shi frowned and said: "The soul returns to heaven, the soul enters the earth, there is no more, and reality returns to emptiness."
The words and sentences he said are actually the conclusion of Dongliu Song, which is one of the Three Songs of Qingdu that talks about the meridians and internal organs. Because even though monks live long lives, most of them still cannot escape death, and even though Meng Tong was the master of the teaching of the songs, he did not hide this. As a native of Juhui country, Wu Ma had probably never heard the Three Songs of Qingdu in his life, but the sentence was very straightforward. Since he spoke Mandarin, it was not difficult for him to understand the meaning of Jingshi. He just squeezed his lips and smiled and said: " The soul has returned to heaven and the soul has entered the earth, where is the master?"
Jing Shi said: "Of course I will disappear."
Wuma said again: "The adult was a soul or a soul when he was alive."
When Jing Shi was asked about this, he couldn't help but feel a little strange. Then he realized the previous meaning of Gu'er Bowl, and replied: "I have a soul, only then can I exist. Just like a traveling carriage, if the wheel is lost, it is not the carriage, and the carriage is lost. Not for public opinion."
Ever since he was approached by the little black pig, Wu Ma had been staring at him, and kept talking like this for a while without even blinking. At this moment, after hearing Jing Shi's words, he turned his gray eyes away, looked into the void and said: "The wheel is a dead thing, and the carriage is a dead thing. When they are grouped together, they seem to be able to move, but in fact they are still dead things. Even if the soul is gone, Sir How do you know that you are living or dying?"
Jing Shi said: "According to your theory, there are no living things in the world, and there is no life or death. They are all composed of parts and parts."
Wu Ma suppressed the flashy smile on his face again, nodded and said: "That's what I thought."
Jing Shi looked at him and said, "Then what you say and think now does not come from you."
Wuma said: "That's right. Everything you think about is made up of parts. Although it thinks it's a living thing, it's actually just like a car or a boat, it's nothing more than a delicate instrument."
When Jing Shi heard his answer, he was speechless. After a moment, he said, "What's your purpose in telling me these things?"
Wu Ma said: "My lord will die in three years, so I am telling you now. There is no difference between life and death. I hope you don't need to be sad."
How could Jing Shi think that he had gone round and round and finally returned to the original question? He really didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and said, "Thank you. Actually, I don't feel sad at all."
Wu Ma said: "That's very good. Your Excellency is very understanding." After saying that, he stood up, tiptoed to remove the wooden cover on the top of the black vat, and continued: "Previously, Your Excellency asked me what I was doing, and the answer was in the vat. , Sir, please take a look.”
He changed his subject at the drop of a hat and his attitude was so natural that Jing Shi was caught off guard. Fortunately, Jing Shi didn't pay much attention to the matter of "dying in three years". Seeing that the other party didn't mention it, he ignored it and just stepped forward to look inside the tank. He had previously known that Wu Ma was the "death official" and saw that the vat was huge enough to accommodate several people, so he had already secretly had an idea. Unexpectedly, when he stepped forward and took a look, he found that there were no bones or bones inside, except for one. The water is clear, with a little white foam floating on the edge. In addition, it is so clear that you can see the bottom at a glance.
After Jing Shi looked at the situation in the vat, he turned to look at Wuma, waiting for him to answer his questions. Wu Ma put down the lid of the cylinder and said: "Everyone in our country who has exhausted his yang life will definitely know it within a few years before his death, so he will come to my place to record the specific date. After he dies, his body will be completely dissolved in the water within ten days and collected. When it returns to the sea, sea foam will form."
Jing Shi heard this and asked: "Since you turn into water after death, why not throw yourself into the sea?"
Wuma said: "If you are not a sage and your body is not allowed to enter the sea, you must store the left water for three years, and then return the sediment to the sea, and discard the rest. This is an ancient rule and must not be violated."
After hearing his words, Jing Shi remembered the previous sea sacrifice. Previously, everyone was unaware of the customs of this place and thought it was very barbaric to sacrifice human beings to gods. However, they did not realize that this was a great honor and not everyone could do it.
He pondered this matter in his mind. Wu Ma next to him still looked up at him and said, "Sir, do you have anything else to ask?"
Jing Shi shook his head and saw Wu Ma picking up the little black pig at his feet, walking to the wall, sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes and resting. Although the black pig was nestling in Wu Ma's arms, it sniffed its nostrils towards the Jingshi, feeling very attached to it. It's a pity that Jing Shi has already heard what Wu Ma said, so he doesn't feel the slightest bit happy about being so close to this little beast. Seeing that Wu Ma was signaling to expel the guests, he handed over his hands and quietly retreated out of the house. When he got to the door, he accidentally looked back and was surprised to see that the tumor under Wu Ma's chin had opened his eyes at some point, and his eyes were as dark as lacquer, looking at each other faintly.
He felt something strange, so he immediately stopped and took a closer look. However, the swollen face still had its eyes closed, no different from before. On the contrary, Wu Ma heard the movement, opened his eyes and said, "What's the matter, sir?"
Seeing that his expression was normal, Jing Shi shook his head and said, "Nothing." He closed the door with his backhand and went downstairs through the forest.
He and Gu'erwan had spent a lot of time climbing the mountain. When they came out of the Diaolou, they could see the setting sun hanging over the peaks. They were walking towards dusk. He expected that it would be extremely difficult to walk at night, so he couldn't help but step a little harder. Before he had taken dozens of steps, Gu'erwan jumped from the top of the tree to him. With a stick in one hand, he raised his head and asked, "Why have you been here for so long?"
Jing Shi said: "It only took a few words and it didn't take too long."
Gu'erwan turned his eyes sideways and said, "If you talk to him a few more words, it will be in vain. I told you earlier that he has a weird tone, but what about now?"
Jing Shi hummed and said, "It's really different and thought-provoking." After saying that, he didn't stop and kept walking on the road. He was good at memorizing things. He had been led along the way by Gu'erwan, and he had already memorized the road conditions along the way, so he didn't need Guerwan's guidance.
Gu'er Wan followed him and said, "Xin Guan'er, what does it mean to be thought-provoking?"
Jing Shi said: "What do you want to know most?"
Gu'erwan scratched his head and thought for a while and said, "I want to know which forest has the most fruits right now."
Jing Shi nodded and said: "If someone teaches you what kind of forest is easy to grow fruit, it will make you think deeply."
Gu'er Wan was suspicious and said: "Xin Guan'er, don't lie to me. Don't you know that Wu Ma's legs and feet are hanging upside down on the island. He can't find food in the winter and has to rely on the old lady Shui Hua for help. How does he know where they are? "Plenty of fruit"
Jing Shi smiled after hearing this and said, "Actually, I don't like eating fruits." He stopped dwelling on this point and asked instead, "You only said that Wuma's language was strange before, so why didn't you mention his appearance?"
Gu'erwan tilted his head and said, "That thing you said he has." He put his fist under his chin to pretend to be a facial tumor, and stuck out his tongue and winked, roughly pretending to be a naughty person. After he acted like this, he saw that Jing Shi refused to laugh and seemed very bored. He put down his hand and said, "Old lady Shui Hua told me that Wuma's little-faced brother was originally a brother from the same birth. His position was different when he was born. He and Wu Ma grew up together, and died within a few years of his birth. I saw that he had a brother who died, and because the two were joined together, they couldn't be buried. It was so pitiful that I stopped laughing at him. Anyway, he was pitiful. It's not weird at all, it's not as annoying as his tone." After saying that, he couldn't help but make a face, but he didn't show it to Jing Shi, just for his own entertainment.
Jing Shi saw him jumping around and suddenly asked: "He has a stillbirth."
Gu'erwan replied: "He has been dead for many years. Old woman Shuihua said that they were connected by heart. If Wu Ma didn't die, he wouldn't be able to bury his brother, so he was dragged on like this."
Jing Shi nodded, not mentioning the glance before leaving, and just hurried on. The two of them walked in a hurry and finally got off the high ground before dark and returned to the village. At this time, every household had closed its doors and the fields were quiet. The two of them walked into the official inn. Guerwan took out a long candle from nowhere, lit it and placed it on the small table in front of the couch. Jing Shi took a look at it and secretly felt that the thickness and shape of this candle were quite familiar, as if it had come from the Hui Zhou family.
After lighting the candle in Gu'er's bowl, he cupped his hands to Jingshi and said, "It's getting late, Xin Guan'er, please rest today. I'll come back to the village tomorrow and take you around."
Jing Shi sat down by the couch and asked, "Your home is not in the village."
Gu'erwan held the stick and said, "I like to live in the forest, where it can be ventilated at night. These wooden boxes are so stuffy." Then he jumped away.
Seeing that he was leaving so happily, Jing Shi didn't want to talk about anything else. After another day of trekking, he put on his clothes and lay down on the couch, preparing to fall asleep. While I was half dreaming and half awake, I suddenly heard a crashing sound outside the bedside window, which seemed like the sound of stepping on a branch. I immediately opened my eyes and pushed the window open, then looked outside to see what was going on. All I could see was the frosty white moonlight.
