The sculpture is very delicately carved, and the lines on it are perfect, with no flaws at all.
Ji Lanqian scanned around with a flashlight and shook her head at them.
Then, Qi Baye raised his finger and gestured to go around and check behind.
The huge statue was placed on the altar. The blind man approached and climbed up onto the altar. He turned sideways and looked inside. The carved lines behind it were broken.
It seems that some other craftsman has cut in and separated the lines that originally belonged to the sacred bird, the sparrow, and carved it into a mourning bird. If you look closely, it looks like it is spliced on top.
The blind man held the flashlight in his mouth, and then wrapped a bandage on his hand. Based on his years of experience, this was probably a secret door. The rustling movement underneath could be heard clearly as footsteps when he got closer.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a trigger, and the secret door opened directly, revealing a figure.
The corners of the black blind man's mouth curled up slightly, he moved his wrist, and pressed the incoming man's backhand against the statue.
In an instant, the other party's expression changed, "Who are you?"
"High Priest?" Xu Nanshan stepped forward, "Why are you here in the middle of the night?"
The person called the high priest is a man in his thirties, named Xu Weng. His ancestors have been the high priests who presided over the sacrifice of the gods.
He wears round glasses, has a submissive look, and looks like a pretty boy. Now being restrained by the black blind man, he has no power to fight back. He can only shout, "Xu Nanshan? Nanshan, is this your friend? Let him go quickly, arm." It’s going to break.”
Xu Nanshan didn't reply, which was unacceptable to him. He had lived for more than twenty years and came to the sacred place every year to participate in sacrifices. For the first time, he knew that the sacred bird statue was hollow.
Qi Tiezui came up from the side steps and walked towards Xu Weng. He held a wooden stick he picked up from somewhere in his hand and gestured back and forth on his face. Eyes, these eyes are full of shrewdness, you are the high priest, right?"
Xu Weng nodded.
"What's the purpose of carrying us here in a coffin?" Qi Baye asked very abruptly.
The black blind man soon understood that according to what Qi Baye said, the kid was probably man-made, and he exerted a slight force on his hand.
Xu Weng's face was distorted and he said, "Brothers! My arm is really going to be broken. There is no coffin or coffin. I just checked the sacrificial supplies according to the rules. The next sacrificial event is coming soon. I can't listen. I know what you’re talking about!”
"You don't understand, do you?" Qi Baye winked at the blind man, "Kill him."
The black blind man raised his eyebrows. This eighth master was quite bluffing when he spoke.
Only then did Xu Nanshan step forward to stop him, "Don't act recklessly. Xu Weng has to inspect the temple in advance according to the rules."
The black blind man clicked his tongue carelessly, and then let go of his hand.
Xu Weng suddenly fell to the ground and his round glasses fell aside. He wailed while still touching his glasses on the ground.
Ji Lanqian tilted her head and looked inside. It was dark and she couldn't see anything.
Hu Yuzhi said from the side, "What's under the statue?"
The black blind man shined his flashlight into the stairs, which were going deep down. It was very dark at the bottom, so you had to go in to find out.
Xu Weng found the glasses and stood up holding on to the pillar beside him. "There is nothing under the statue! You young people are too curious. The incense and candles used for sacrifices are stored underneath."
Hei Xiazi and Qi Tiezui looked at each other. Hei Xiazi understood and went down without any hesitation.
Ji Lanqian didn't hesitate and followed him inside the next second.
Qi Tiezui hadn't reacted yet, "Hey, Miss Ji, you are a monkey, how can you run so fast? Xu Xiaosan'er, you and Xiao Hu are looking at this high priest, let's go down and see what's underneath."
Xu Nanshan nodded and grabbed Xu Weng's collar.
Hu Yuzhi turned the pipe in his hand and stared aside.
Below the statue of the sacred bird.
Walked up a long flight of spiral wooden steps.
After reaching the ground, Heixiazi shook his flashlight and said, "This is nothing special. It's just like a cellar. Xu Weng didn't lie."
The circle at the bottom is surrounded by earth walls, and around it are some incense, candles, paper money, and various things used for rituals.
Ji Lanqian searched around and asked, "Is there any mechanism?"
The blind man touched the earth wall with his fingers and knocked again. The sound was muffled, not like there was a secret door.
"Maybe not."
Ji Lanqian was surprised. She looked over it again, "I definitely don't believe that there are no ghosts here. Why come to the temple in the middle of the night to pack some sacrificial supplies? He can't come during the day? What, he's here on the night shift?"
Qi Tiezui did not come down, but sat on the spiral staircase, lighting them up with a flashlight. When he heard Ji Lanqian's words, he laughed out loud, "Lan Lan is right, but we have no evidence, and neither does that fool Xu Nanshan." He doesn’t believe it, he is different from us, he has faith.”
"Faith?" Ji Lanqian raised her eyes and looked up. She could only see Qi Tiezui's figure sitting there, with a blurred face and a sense of mystery.
She didn't care about the title, but the nickname Lan Lan was usually the nickname given by her family members.
"Yes, the people of Shenge have faith. They believe in gods. It is very difficult to completely break the curse of Shenge." Qi Tiezui said, his voice softened.
"Xu Nanshan has been begging me for three years, but I still don't want to come over. It's because I know it's too difficult for them to break their centuries-old belief. There is indeed something underneath, but this mechanism shouldn't be down here."
Heixiazi also agreed that even if it was a secret door, it was too heavy. To open this door, you must find a mechanism.
Three people came out from underneath.
Xu Nanshan looked over instantly, "What's underneath?"
"It's just something for sacrifice. We're overly concerned." Qi Tiezui responded perfunctorily.
Xu Weng, who was huddled in the corner, breathed a sigh of relief silently.
Hu Yuzhi approached Ji Lanqian, tilted her head and whispered in her ear, "Is it true or false?"
Ji Lanqian raised her eyebrows and said, "Fake." '
Hu Yuzhi looked behind the statue and then glanced at Xu Nanshan. As her distant cousin, she knew too little about Shenge.
Maybe it's because there was never any suspicion of insiders.
Xu Nanshan finally took Xu Weng out alone.
Outside the door, Xu Nanshan lit the cigarette he rolled and said in a low voice, "You come to check the sacrificial supplies at night, do you think we are fools?"
Xu Weng put on his round glasses, making his eyes appear smaller.
"I couldn't sleep at night. I'll check again before the sacrifice to make sure there's nothing wrong. I haven't asked you yet, why are you bringing friends from out of town to the temple at night?"
Xu Nanshan's eyes fell on him, glanced at him a few times, and then said, "Come and worship the gods, and go away the bad luck."
Xu Weng made a sound, and looked at the other party's puff of smoke. He definitely didn't believe it.
In the end, he just said, "Okay, you can worship me, I will go back to sleep."
Looking at the direction Xu Weng left.
Xu Nanshan finished smoking a cigarette, the corners of his mouth were slightly depressed, and his expression was dark and unclear.
As for Xu Weng, his legs were still a little unsteady when he walked. He turned back and glanced in the direction of the temple, his eyes becoming increasingly sinister.
