(2)
Twilight gradually replaced the blue sky, the deep black night was dotted with stars, and the bright moon was in the sky. Torches were lit in the caravan, just to light up the road ahead. At the end of the road is a dazzling place. From the merchants on the side, I learned that that is where Wandeng Town is located. During the "Ten Thousand Lanterns Festival", the oil lamps and wax flames are kept on at night. This is a custom passed down from ancestors, and oil wax has naturally become a necessity. When they think of this, the merchants' hearts are ready to move, and the fatigue caused by travel disappears like a fleeting cloud.
Zhao Kuo and Bai Feng followed the caravan and walked into this small town where a grand festival was being held. A dazzling array of lanterns hang above and on both sides of the street. Workers in short clothes are climbing wooden ladders to replace the candles in the extinguished lanterns. The lanterns above the street are decorated regularly and beautifully in an ingenious way: using the protruding parts of the eaves of two houses facing each other, fixing them with knots, repeating this for several houses, and finally placing paper with different pictures on them. Lanterns were hung up one after another. This completes a simple yet beautiful and original street. At night, you can also have the strange feeling of being under the sun. Moreover, the pictures on the lamps are rich and colorful: there are strange insects and beasts, men and women, ancient love stories, famous heroic legends... A few people just focused on watching novel things, and their minds seemed to be captured by the firelight. , barely noticed Nie Yun, who had been waiting in front for a long time.
Several people passed by Nie Yun who was parked next to his horse. Only Bai Feng, who fell behind, noticed that there was always a smile on his clean face. He bent his small but bright eyes and looked at himself. Someone passing by. Out of etiquette, Bai Feng drove his horse forward and said in greeting: "Brother Nie, why are you stopping here on this moonlit night?" Zhao Kuo and the other four people in front heard Bai Feng's words and hurriedly reined in their horses. Look back.
Seeing this, Nie Yun replied with a slight embarrassment: "Well... I just want to remind everyone that during the 'Ten Thousand Lantern Festival', the inn is usually full. If you don't mind, you can follow me to the 'Shijia Chamber of Commerce' temporarily Make repairs."
"Oh! Thank you so much, Brother Nie!" Zhao Kuo replied with his hands in hand.
After everyone got to know each other, they realized that Nie Yun was already a man in his mid-twenties. Without a mustache, he looked just like Zhao Kuo and Bai Feng. Under the leadership of Nie Yun, the five people arrived at the guild and settled their luggage. Since it was still not late, at least the streets outside were still bustling with activity, and with the strong wishes of my younger sister and Ajuan. Several people set out from the Chamber of Commerce in the center of the town and began the night's "Ten Thousand Lanterns Tour". What is strange is that Murong Yan has been frowning since she entered the town. Bai Feng asked her if she was feeling unwell, but she always forced a smile and shook her head gently, as if she didn't want to disturb everyone's enjoyment. But this little thing has always been remembered in Bai Feng's heart. I don't know when, but every frown and frown of the other party can affect his thoughts... Along the way, Zhao Xiaomei and Ajuan responded to each other and told each other about the lantern paintings they understood. The two people's personalities were so lively that the other three seemed to be their foils.
"This is a sika deer! And there, the painting is 'Chang'e flying to the moon'!" Zhao Xiaomei said happily.
"Where is 'Chang'e Flying to the Moon'! It's obviously 'Cowherd and Weaver Girl Meet Magpie Bridge'!" Ajuan corrected.
The little girl pouted and was busy looking for the next one that Ajuan couldn't recognize. She fixed her eyes on the one and pointed out: "That one is 'Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin'! This can't be wrong!"
Ajuan looked at the little man with a red face and a sword on the lamp, who was about to jump up and stab the little man with a white face and long robes, confused. So he looked away and suddenly said in surprise: "What! The woman on the lantern is not wearing any clothes..."
The little girl heard the sound and went away, only to see a few prostitutes in scantily clad clothes and bright makeup standing under the lanterns, posing and posing to attract passing customers. There were three big characters written on the wooden plaque on the door. The younger sister read it out slowly: "Xun... Huan... Pavilion." Then she asked Zhao Kuo: "Brother, what place is this?"
"This... is a place you shouldn't go." Zhao Kuo replied.
"This place is so lively, let's go in and have a look!" Ajuan said as he stepped on the steps leading to Xunxiang Pavilion, and was pulled back by Zhao Kuo in a moment.
"Ajuan! This is not the place a girl should go. Let's go back and rest! We will save you from running around and causing trouble..." Faced with such a tough Zhao Kuo, Ajuan had no choice but to purse his lips and obey the orders.
A gust of river wind blew by, and several people happened to bump into each other. It turned out that there was a pier next to Xunxiang Pavilion. There is a towering marble archway in front of the pier. A lantern is hung on the eaves on both sides of the top of the archway, illuminating the four words carved in the center - "Good weather". Just as Bai Feng was thinking about setting off from here to Jiangzhou tomorrow, the copper bell on his waist suddenly sounded unnaturally, and he subconsciously looked for the person related to the bell. In front of him, he saw Murong Yan, who had her back turned to her, covering her chest with both hands and slightly bowing her trembling body.
The young man rushed up to help and said, "Yan'er, what's wrong with you!"
Murong Yan breathed rapidly and said weakly: "Somehow, this town gives me a very strange feeling. Especially after coming here, it seems that the thoughts of hundreds of people flooded into my heart in an instant. ..." After saying that, Murong Yan looked in the direction of the dock. The other four people had no clue what she said, but they still cautiously left the place and returned to the Chamber of Commerce to rest.
The Shijia Chamber of Commerce is a group of mansions built by Shi Hongtu, a wealthy gentleman from Wandeng, for the convenience of merchants. Because Wandeng Town is adjacent to Jiangzhou and is the hub connecting the east and west on the Yangtze River, Shi Hongtu's actions are highly praised by his peers. This wealthy man, who has both fame and fortune, has become mentally exhausted due to a series of strange events in recent months, coupled with being plagued by strange illnesses: the so-called inability to eat and sleep. The next day, a person died mysteriously, and the five newcomers were also involved in this strange incident. The process of the matter must be told when Zhao Kuo and his party were preparing to leave for the dock in the morning.
The sun is shining brightly, and the sky is blue and white clouds surround. Some of the lanterns overhead were still shining, but most were dim. It was such an ordinary morning, but the pier was full of people. They all gathered under the archway and chatted.
"Isn't this the second in charge of the Shi family?"
"It's really haunted! The Shi family shipwrecked a while ago, and this time the manager died violently on the street!"
"Shi Hongtu contracted a strange disease and his younger brother died suddenly. The Shi family is really in trouble..."
The five people who wanted to board the boat and leave had to stop. Bai Feng pushed aside the crowd and saw Nie Yun crouching next to a corpse, with a panic-stricken look on his face. The corpse had no scars on its appearance, its face was livid, and its lips were an unnatural blue-purple color. "Did he die from poisoning?" Bai Feng said in his heart. At the same time, he also recalled the strange behavior of Murong Yan when she passed by this place last night, so he felt that this matter must not be simple.
After some conversation, we learned that Nie Yun was the adopted son of the Shi family. His parents only left him a book of swordsmanship and disappeared. The body lying on the ground was Uncle Shi who had taken care of him since childhood.
"It turns out that Brother Nie still has such a life experience..." Bai Feng said with emotion.
Nie Yun watched the officials dispose of the corpse and replied sadly: "So, Brother Bai came to Wandeng Town just to go to Jiangzhou by water?"
Bai Feng nodded and replied, "It looks like we may not be able to leave."
"Alas, there was a shipwreck here half a month ago, and the dock was blocked by my adoptive father." Nie Yun said helplessly: "My adoptive father believed in ghosts and gods very much, and always thought it was the river god who brought disaster to him. Come with me to find him. If my adoptive father comes over, there may be room for negotiation..."
