Jing Shi rested all night in the official inn. When he woke up the next day, his headache was greatly reduced and his mood became peaceful. There are no disturbing dreams, and self-examination with pulse diagnosis is a sign of good health. Although I remembered that I had vomiting blood yesterday, I still don't know the cause of the disease. I think it may be caused by being tired from traveling recently, meeting an old friend from the past, and having a sudden change of heart.
Ever since he woke up yesterday, whenever he thought about his previous dream of rain in a lonely building, his realm was blurred, charming and grotesque, he felt really at a loss in his heart, and he didn't dare to talk to outsiders. At the moment, I just keep this section deep in my heart, wash my face and get my hair cut, concentrate on clearing my mind, and think about Wu Ma. After sitting alone in the room for half a day, he saw Gu'er Bowl pushing in through the window, standing in front of him and saying, "Jing Guan'er, what are your plans today?"
Jing Shi had been with him for a long time, and even though he had a hairy face, he could already tell the difference between happiness and anger. Knowing that his face was gloomy and very different from usual, he asked, "How is your usual friendship with Wu Ma?"
Gu'erwan said: "He was meddling in other people's affairs. He was avoiding other people. He spoke in a weird accent. How could he have had any friendship with me? But I think it's a pity that he is gone. Besides, the big and small peach blossoms were born in the same place." , Now that Da Peach Blossom is working as a death official, she has to live apart, she is extremely lonely."
Jing Shi didn't expect him to have such thoughts, so he couldn't help but sit at the table, leaned over and looked at him and said: "Why do you want to live in that building if you are a death official?"
Gu'er Wan said: "I don't know the specific reason, but since you are a dead official, you have to be exposed to dead water. After a long time, you must be a little different from ordinary people. I don't like to interact with others, and others are afraid when they see them. , if you have been together for a long time, your head will be dizzy and unlucky. The same is true for medicine clerks. Before the old woman Shuihua became a medicine clerk, she also lived in the village. I think what Old Man Huizhou means is to ask Xiao Taohua to take over. , I will live outside from now on."
Since Jing Shi arrived at Hamousuoluo Island, although he knew that the three officials on the island had their respective responsibilities, he was busy with everything and had not had time to study it in detail. Apart from seeing each other several times in Huaizhou, Shuihua and Wuma are not very familiar with them. Earlier, when I asked about the prescriptions used by the medical officials, they were all herbs and trees unique to the country of Yuhui. They were said to have the effect of calming the mind and calming the soul, but they were not suitable for use by mainlanders. It was late autumn when he came. Although he collected many grass species and trees, he could not plant them to test the effect. As for the daily responsibilities of the officials responsible for the death, we only have a rough idea, but people who want to get away with it regard it as ominous, which is similar to avoiding coffins in tombs in the mainland. Whether it is truly ominous or a secret superstition among the people is difficult to determine at the moment.
He asked Gu'er Wan a few words, but seeing that his expression was still not cheerful, he stretched out his hand and stroked his head and said, "I'm thinking of Mr. Huaizhou. If I want you to take over as the troublemaker in the future, I might want to live in the village." Are you willing?"
Gu'erwan shook his head repeatedly and said: "No, no. I'm living so well in the mountains. I want to be a troublemaker and go to the beach every month to have fun."
Jing Shi said: "If Mr. Huizhou insists on choosing you, what will you do?"
Gu'erwan glared and said: "I left this island by boat and went to live in the city on the mainland. If I can't do it again, I will go to the mainland with you. I don't believe that old man will come after me and beat me."
When Jing Shi heard what he said, he knew it was just nonsense, so he didn't take it to heart. He just smiled and said, "Let's go, today we will go and see the place where Wuma died."
The two of them had a meal, then left the village entrance and walked into the mountains. The place where Wuma died was in a valley in the mountains, close to Zhongcun. However, due to the heavy peaks, it was not as cheap as Dongquan Village to go there via the mountain road. The two of them climbed rocks and ravines, crossed thorns and jumped over streams, and made a dangerous detour to the lower valley. After finding a tangled patch of grass, Gu'erwan poked at it with a stick and said, "This is where I found Wu Ma's clothes."
Jing Shi knelt down to examine it, and found that there were indeed fallen grass among the bushes, but its roots were withered and yellow, and it seemed that it had been withered for a long time. It was not caused by heavy objects falling recently. Then he took the soil from the bottom of the grass and rubbed it, and he saw thin black ash among the broken sand and mud, like embers, and his hands couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Gu'er Wan's sharp eyes saw something slightly strange about him and immediately asked: "Jing Guan'er, what are you thinking about?"
Jingshi looked unmoved, threw back the broken soil, wiped his hands and said, "Nothing. It's cold and windy, a little bit freezing." He stood up and ignored it. Looking up again, I saw peaks on all sides, snowy forests and frozen rocks, claustrophobic and desolate, and pure melancholy.
This place is inaccessible from all sides and is originally very remote. There are no springs or grasses, so no one comes here on weekdays. Even though Jingshi traveled to the mountains for a long time, he only passed through the mountains and never went down to the valley. At this time, I stood quietly in the empty valley and looked out at the stunning scenery. It was as if I had left the world behind. I also recalled that when I visited Wuma, he once said that he would not live for more than three years. At that time, Jing Shi didn't pay attention. Who would have thought that half a year had passed and he had not lost his life. Instead, Wu Ma suddenly died in the wild. His heart was touched. He stood there and stared at the peaks. He then said to Gu'erwan: "Do you know why Wu Ma came here?" this"
Gu'erwan said: "I don't know. There is no fruit or spring here, and no one wants to live there. Who else would come here except that weirdo like him?"
Jing Shi responded and looked at the mountain scenery in the distance again, but said: "Looking at the peaks here, it is dark to wait for the light, the terrain is just right."
Gu'erwan said strangely: "Wait until it becomes clear."
Jing Shi shook his head and said nothing, and asked Gu'er Wan to lead him to see where Wuka died. However, it was far away from the original bushes, and it was a barren open space, faintly black under the snow, left behind by his blood. As time passed, it was covered by flying snow, making the traces difficult to distinguish. However, measuring the distance between the two places, separated by rocks and surrounding slopes, it is actually quite far away. Even if someone is agile and agile, it would be difficult to reach them in an instant. If Wu Ma dies first, the animal is frightened and flees. It can run hundreds of steps, but it is in such a dead state, which is a difficulty to explain.
Since Guerwan was responsible for Wuma's death, he didn't want Jing Shi to stay out for a long time. But when he saw him running around all over the mountain, he felt dissatisfied in his heart, so he said, "Jing Guan'er, if you want to see where Wuma died, I won't stop you." Now, I'm running around the mountains, but I'm doing something wrong."
Jingshi buried his head on the rock and said, "I want to see what I can see on the peak."
Climbing several peaks in this way until dusk again. The two of them climbed to a peak at the west end of the valley and saw the setting sun, their eyes filled with fiery red. Looking far into the distance from Jingshi, you can see three overlapping peaks in the west, craggy and backlit. Calculating the distance and distance, it is exactly where the "deep mountain" is. He stared at them for a long time, but finally due to the distance and lack of daylight, he had to go back down the peak. It was already dark at that time, so the two of them stayed in Dongquan Village instead of returning to Zhongcun.
Jingshi lived in Dongquan Village temporarily before, but later went to the mountains to look for Wuma, and left many of his belongings in the village. Now when I return to the village, I see that the water in the wooden bowl on the table is half dry, the plum branches are slanted horizontally, and the two flowers on the branches are still blooming, and the color is as new. Now I have a new sleep, sitting quietly at the table, thinking about what I saw today. After pondering for a long time, he finally realized that this matter was unusual and should not be ignored. He immediately stood up and shouted, "Is there any firewood in the village?"
Gu'er Wan said: "Of course there is no shortage. But Jing Guan'er felt cold at night."
Jing Shi shook his head and said: "Get the firewood from the storehouse and pile it in the open space in front of the village. Make a pile three by three and burn it as a beacon."
Gu'er Wan was greatly surprised when he heard what he said. When he wanted to ask why, Jing Shi kept urging him and seemed very urgent. Immediately, the villagers went out and gathered together, piled up nine piles of firewood, and set them on fire. The people of Juo were originally cold-resistant and occasionally accumulated firewood, mostly for cooking. By setting up nine places like this, they have used up all their accumulated resources, and there is no pity for the jingshi. Seeing that the fire was raging, he called Guerwan again and asked: "Is there any musical instrument in this village?"
Gu'erwan asked the villagers and reported to Jingshi: "There are no other ones, but there are a few left. They were made by the opera teacher of the old official." He ran to get them to take a look, but there were five or six. Wood suona.
When Jing Shi saw this thing, he couldn't help crying or laughing, but because of the urgent situation, it was just what he wanted, so he immediately said: "Find a few people to play this thing, and the others can sing along. The louder the sound, the better."
Gu'er was surprised by the size of his bowl. He glared and asked, "Jing Guan'er, how come Wu Ma is dead, and you are lighting fires and singing operas? When I heard that you were buried in the mainland, I wanted to play music and gather people to eat. Could you please give me a meal?" Funeral in Wuma"
Jing Shi said: "No." But he didn't tell the truth and just followed the instructions.
The people of Juo like to be lively by nature, and the residents of Dongquan Village are relatively young and not familiar with worldly affairs. But when they saw a bonfire suddenly set off in Jingshi, they ordered the music players to sing together. The crowd was excited and cheered, and they all went to grab the wooden suona and play it. But in the light of the fire, I saw a group of monkeys rolling around, screaming and crying, and there were strange sounds of suonas and tunes. Such noisy play caused the boss to make noises that could be heard from hundreds of miles away. The fire was bright and the beacon smoke was rising into the sky. After half an hour of commotion, a red cloud fell from the sky and landed far away in the darkness outside the village.
When Jing Shi saw this scene, he immediately stepped forward and rushed straight to where the red cloud fell. When I got closer, I saw a strong young man standing among the grass at the edge of the forest. This man has a dark complexion, a tall build, a square face and a broad mouth. He looks very simple and honest. His feet are barefoot, and he is wearing short brown clothes. The sleeves of his trousers are rolled up to the elbows and knees. The front of his clothes is wide open, revealing an iron-like chest with a tattoo of dragon fish swimming in the sea. If he were not here, he would look like a An ordinary fisherman. At this moment, I stood in the dark, watching the fire in Dongquan Village soaring into the sky, the monkeys singing and dancing, and my face was full of confusion.
Just now Jingshi saw Hongyun. He expected that it was Honghu who came here to inquire, but he didn't know that he was a stranger. But thinking that the matter was urgent, he quickly stepped forward and saluted, regardless of other matters, saying: "This real person is a disciple of the Nanhai Divine Palace."
When the man saw him coming, he scratched his head and said, "I am Daheijinggu, the waiter of Lady Longji. This young man is a test student on this island." His voice was strong and powerful, but his tone was very timid, as if he was not good with life. People talk.
Jing Shi couldn't help but feel a little shocked when he heard him speak like this, but considering that the Immortal Island is isolated from the world and most of its people don't know the customs of the mainland, it shouldn't be surprising. At the moment, he put aside his distracting thoughts and said straight to the point: "I am the official of the island, Jingshi, and I am lighting a fire to have fun tonight because I have encountered something urgent and want to attract the real person to come and meet me. This is a helpless move, and I hope you don't feel weird and rude."
The big black golden drum responded with a sound, and said calmly: "It doesn't matter, I don't know why I want to see you."
Seeing his appearance like this, Jing Shi couldn't help but hesitate in his heart. He pondered for a moment and then said: "Since the real person is a member of the palace, he should know someone named Honghu. I have something to tell her now. Can you please pass the message on my behalf and invite her to come?" I’ll see you somewhere”
Da Heijingu said with a troubled expression, "This is not possible. Sister Honghu just went overseas today. She said she was going to help the empress. She ordered me to patrol the islands on her behalf to ensure that all the test students are safe. If you have something important to do, please feel free to do so. Tell me first, I will tell Sister Honghu when she returns."
When Jing Shi heard this, he felt uneasy, but since the matter was like this, there was no way out, so he only said to the big black golden drum: "In this case, I will explain the matter to the real person first, hoping to convey it to Shen Gonglong as soon as possible. Madam Ji, please be careful." Then he briefly told the story of Wu Ma's sudden death, and pointed out what he had found out during his inspection. All the details were true.
Dahei Jingu was very nervous when he heard his solemn words at first, but after hearing the story, he looked confused and scratched his head and said: "It turns out that the residents of my little brother's island died. This is a pity. I don't know how to deal with the empress." coherent"
Seeing that he was so simple, Jing Shi had no choice but to look around, but saw no one around, and then replied: "I see that there are many strange things about Wu Ma's sudden death. He often appears in the mountains, and there is an unknown ancient secret in his body." The coin is suspected to be a pagan ritual. Furthermore, when Wu Ma died, his animal Wu Ka was also harmed, and the method of death was absolutely unthinkable for humans. From what I can see, he must be someone with supernatural powers."
At this point, his words were very straightforward, but when he saw the big black golden drum, he still nodded blankly. It was rare for him to understand, so he simply said bluntly: "I'm afraid that Wuma believes in paganism and secretly communicates with evil spirits; or that it may cause others to do sneaky things." , was killed by poisonous hands. Although this is all speculation, if anything is true, there must be great danger here. Your Majesty, Longji, has shown me a lot of kindness, and I have always respected her, so I hope she will be careful and only seek safety. thing."
Hearing his words, the big black golden drum also showed a solemn look, nodded and said: "Since my brother has such intention, I should inform the empress." He turned around and rode on the clouds to go away, but suddenly he was stopped by Jingshi again. But he said slowly: "Master, please inform your empress to be careful of Young Master Yu."
The big black golden drum was shocked when he heard this, and looked back in confusion. Jing Shi always sought truth, and was originally unwilling to make wild guesses, but because the matter concerned Long Ji, he ignored his usual conduct, closed his eyes and said in a deep voice: "This big event is decided by Ruo fluke, and it will not go beyond Young Master Yu's opinion. Now on our island The residents died violently, and they were suspected of colluding with heretics. Just as I was about to investigate the matter, I heard that the empress went to sea to suppress the chaos, which was really an unusual thing. Since we were planning for the worst, if something big happened to Zhuo by chance, Master Yu would definitely be involved. Although I don’t know who the empress is now. What are you planning to do? I hope she will be cautious in taking dangerous risks and live a long and prosperous life. Therefore, I am making these slanderous and dangerous remarks. Please forgive me for being rude and disrespectful."
After saying this, he bowed and was about to return to the village when he suddenly heard a sigh in the forest, and a woman said: "Zi Yun is concerned about my safety, so there is no need to blame yourself too much for making such a criticism. "While he was speaking, the person came out from behind the forest. He was dressed in red, had black hair, and had a beautiful face. He was Long Ji herself.
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