Yizhong County.
The rain became lighter, and the drizzle was like a thin veil. If someone were to look down from a high position at this moment, this ancient city would look like a peerless beauty who had been tempered by artillery fire for a long time. She was covered in seductive gauze, looming, and had a hazy beauty.
Three or two ravens stood on the eaves, lowering their heads and plucking their feathers with their beaks.
Si family.
The living room is brightly lit.
Si Youqing looked at Ye Weiyang's two new arrivals, both of whom were stars, and secretly sighed at Zheng Xiu's connections.
Unexpectedly, the Shuzhou Si family was in charge of the Zheng Family Branch Chamber of Commerce and had been working diligently to avoid getting involved with Ye Weiyang.
And now Zheng Xiu himself has a close relationship with Ye Weiyang's December.
Mrs. Si served the cakes in a friendly manner, looking like a virtuous and beautiful wife.
"Ye Weiyang, Yue Yan,"
"Ye Weiyang, the new twenty-eight constellations, is also the youngest constellation of Ye Weiyang currently, Dou Xie."
Yueyan wanted to sew Dou Xie's mouth shut with thread, feeling extremely embarrassed. She quickly interrupted Dou Xie's words and said, "Manager, I'm sorry to bother you."
Yue Yan and Dou Xie introduced themselves respectively, bowed with fists in their hands, and sat down at the guest seats.
Si Youqing looked around and felt that this girl named Yue Yan, Ye Weiyang, seemed familiar.
But with his wife around, he couldn't ask too many questions.
Under Feng Bei's instruction, Yue Yan pretended to shirk a few words, and after fulfilling her duties, she smiled and told the information they had investigated in Yin Ping.
Yue Yan slowly told the story of the two of them taking a detour to Yinping.
When they arrived in Yinping, they first went straight to the Ye Weiyang branch to reveal their identities and investigate the case.
What surprised Yue Yan was that Xu Shu and Jin Niu did not leave any traces here.
They checked the files and found that on the day of the incident, a young man who claimed to be a descendant of Gongsun Mo pawned an ancient painting tied with oilcloth.
According to the rules of the pawn shop, there are two ways to pawn, namely "definite pawn" and "live pawn".
Absolutely means that once the money for the goods is settled, the householder will never redeem the goods, and the goods will completely belong to the store, and the store will dispose of them by itself.
On the contrary, the contract will indicate how much money needs to be paid to redeem the goods before a certain day in a certain year, month and so on. Once the deadline has passed, it will change from "live" to "definitely".
"You mean, the head of the household signed 'Absolutely' on Gongsun Mo's painting from the beginning?"
When Zheng Xiu heard this, he frowned, slapped Yue Yan in the mouth, and asked.
Yue Yan nodded and answered obediently: "Yes, Mr. Zheng...hou."
Yue Yan knew about Zheng Shan's plan to pretend to be Zheng Xiu before she came, but she didn't expect that she could hide it from Si Youqing so smoothly. For a while, Yue Yan almost forgot to change her name. But for some reason, when senior Zheng Shan pretended to be Zheng Xiu, once the two had a connection, every time Yue Yan looked at Zheng Shan's face, she always felt that Zheng Xiu and Zheng Shan's eyebrows overlapped from time to time, making it gradually difficult for her to distinguish them, as if they were It is true that Mr. Zheng took various supplements and grew into a handsome man overnight, sitting there.
No wonder Si Youqing believed Zheng Shan's words so quickly. Because the two were so similar, once she accepted this setting, even Yueyan gradually figured out the similarities between the two.
After a pause, Yue Yan continued: "I went to check the deed. The painting was sold for ten taels of silver. For Gongsun Mo's authentic work, the price was too low. Maybe it was because of the strong demand from the other party. The reason for opening the scroll was to verify its authenticity, and when the store accepted the scroll, it was even more of a gamble."
"Someone heard a shrill scream coming from the pawnshop that night and reported it to the official all night. It is said that the shopkeeper locked himself and the painting in the treasure room at that time. It was not until nearly dawn that the Yamen found the famous local locksmith to lock Lian Qiao. The lock was opened and the shopkeeper was found missing, leaving only a painting on the ground.”
"At first, the government just treated it as an ordinary burglary and rolled up the painting and took it back to the government office."
"Before night, the person responsible for guarding the evidence screamed again, but this time the person and the painting were gone together."
"It was then that they realized that there was something strange about the painting and urgently contacted Ye Weiyang."
Zheng Xiu nodded without saying much.
In modern times, this kind of case should be regarded as a typical secret room case. Whether to kill or not is another matter, because both the painting and the people are gone, so it is difficult to define.
Yue Yan smiled slightly: "We will talk about the painting later. Then the two of us went to investigate and found some interesting things."
"First of all, the 'descendant of Gongsun Mo' who was originally the painter could no longer be found, and the file was unclear. So we went door to door and asked. We found that there was no family named 'Gongsun' in Yinping City. Unless Gongsun Mo’s descendants don’t even retain their ancestral surname, this makes no sense. An old man said that the Gongsun family has long been extinct, and it is impossible to have so-called ‘descendants’.”
"We spent a few days in Yinping and looked for a lot of history books. Later, Brother Xie finally did something practical. He deduced the location of Gongsun Mo's tomb through the clues left in a few pages of fragments. The two of us... After two days of running around the city, I finally found an unmarked grave."
"There are not many grave goods in the tomb. There is an empty stone coffin in it. Judging from its shape, the lost painting should have been placed inside."
"In the center of the tomb, there is a two-person coffin. The identity of the owner in the coffin is recorded on the epitaph."
Si Youqing asked: "Is it Gongsun Mo?"
Yue Yan shook her head: "Yes, but not entirely. The epitaph says 'Tomb of Gongsun Mo and Xie Luohe'. And the signature is... Xie Yunliu."
Hear this.
Feng Bei and Zheng Xiu coincidentally looked at each other as if they had a clear understanding.
They all saw four words in their eyes - that's it.
Si Youqing twisted his beard and thought: "Xie Yunliu...Xie Yunliu? I always feel that this name is somewhat familiar."
Zheng Xiu smiled: "Monk Hua, Xie Luohe, Xie Yunliu, it seems the clues point to the same place."
Feng Bei nodded in agreement and said softly: "Yunliu Temple."
Si Youqing slapped his thigh: "That's it!"
Seeing that several people suddenly understood, Yueyan continued: "But what I just said is still not the most interesting part."
Zheng Xiu's eyes narrowed: "Speak quickly, don't play riddles."
"When the epitaph was written, Gongsun Shifengyu died in the 36th year of Tianxuan and in the 36th year of Deyao."
Hearing this, Zheng Xiu's expression changed slightly, and he silently calculated in his mind.
After a moment, Zheng Xiu said in surprise: "A person from more than two hundred years ago?"
Yue Yan replied: "If what is said on the epitaph is true, Gongsun Mo actually lived to be one hundred and fifty-six years old."
"What I'm going to talk about next is the strangest thing that the two of us found in Yinping City." Yue Yan took a deep breath and said without any hesitation: "That coffin bottle is empty! "
In the living room, the air suddenly became quiet.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Yue Yan's face.
Yue Yan touched her smooth face and wondered, "Why are you looking at me like this?"
Zheng Xiu asked: "You actually opened the coffin?"
Yue Yan couldn't laugh or cry: "So what if I open it? Isn't this just to investigate the case?"
Feng Bei nodded: "So you opened it?"
Yueyan hooked her ten fingers, and a suture was as flexible as a snake. It slid out from her fingertips along her arm and was wrapped around her fingertips a few times: "It's not necessary. I used the 'thread' to probe into the coffin. I'm sure , there were only rotten clothes inside, no bones.”
"That tomb is clearly a tomb."
That is to say.
Is the coffin empty?
No bones?
Where have the bones gone?
If it were normal times, this skeleton would be gone if it were gone.
It happened that it was Gongsun Mo’s tomb, and a strange painting appeared out of nowhere.
At this time, a gust of cold wind blew in, and the candlelight flickered.
The connection is imaginative, and Dou Xie can't help but shudder when he thinks of the horror.
"Zheng...what are you thinking about, Mr. Hou?"
No one answered, and Yueyan couldn't get the response she deserved for a long time, feeling depressed. At this time, she saw Zheng Xiu still frowning and thinking about something, and took the initiative to ask questions.
"I just think it's a little weird."
Zheng Xiu's eyes swept across Feng Bei's face.
What surprised him was not why Gongsun Mo was buried with a man named "Xie Luohe".
Not to mention why Gongsun Mo’s tomb is a tomb.
What Zheng Xiu found strange was that the epitaph recorded that the year Gongsun Mo died was one hundred and twenty-one years ago.
This number may not seem special at first glance.
But Zheng Xiu has always had a mystery in his mind.
Twenty-one years ago, the "change" in Baili Village brought about various changes.
Twenty-one years ago, Feng Nantian had a "change" in Baili Village. If Zheng Xiu had not interfered with that "past", Feng Bei, Feng Nantian, Treasure King, and Wei Chen would all have died in Baili Village.
The date of Gongsun Mo's death was not more or less than the murder case in Baili Village.
A whole hundred years.
"Is it...a coincidence?"
Zheng Xiu wears [Intuition] all year round, and he will not let go of this strange "touch". Instead of believing that this "hundred years" is a coincidence, Zheng Xiu would rather believe that there may be something hidden in it that he can't understand now... …connect.
Putting aside his doubts for the time being, Zheng Xiu asked Si Youqing to help prepare a few fast horses.
Now the clue points to Yunliu Temple. No matter whether the painting is there or not, this clue cannot be let go in vain.
Investigate separately and peel off the cocoon. Zheng Xiu seems to be getting closer and closer to the truth of the "cannibal painting", but it is still full of mystery.
Zheng Xiu became more and more curious, who was Gongsun Mo who had lived for more than a hundred years, who was Xie Luohe who was buried with him, who was "Xie Yunliu" who set up a tomb for them, and who was the real Gongsun Mo Where is the burial place, and who is the "Flower Monk" who has never been found?
The clue "Flower Monk" was dug out alive by Zheng Xiu from the mouth of a blind man in Quanquanlou by drugging him. And judging from the fact that Quanquanlou tried every means to prevent this, the credibility of the clue "Flower Monk" is very high.
After the four of them reunited, Douxie and Yueyan did not stop and started on their journey to Yunliu Temple again.
Yunliu Temple is about 120 miles away from Yizhong County.
Ignoring the road conditions, it would take at least two days to walk.
There was plenty of time this time, so several people decided to go there by carriage.
In Yue Yan's words: She was scared of being bumped on horseback for the past ten days.
Zheng Xiu guessed that she was feeling sad, so he understood deeply.
Since he was going to Yunliu Temple by carriage, Zheng Xiu no longer had to be Fengbei's horseman. Naturally, he found a reason to say that he had to investigate other matters and meet up again when he approached Yunliu Temple.
Feng Bei eagerly offered to follow, but Zheng Xiu declined.
"By the way, Nephew Zheng Xian."
Before setting off, Si Youqing pulled Zheng Xiu aside.
"There is one thing that I am somewhat concerned about."
"Uncle Qing, please tell me."
"I'm guessing whether the person who stole the scroll you are looking for from Gongsun Mo's tomb was a tomb robber."
"Huh? What then?"
"Nephew Zheng Xian doesn't know something. As the saying goes, there is a clear way, and there is a secret way..."
Si Youqing came slowly.
According to him, if it is related to "thieves", then we have to mention a loose organization - the League of Gentlemen.
The name "Gentlemen's League" sounds nice, but in fact, it has gathered a bunch of shady people.
Retired green forest heroes, former mountain bandits, Liangshangjunjun, street liars, and even wanted criminals wandering the countryside.
However, this Gentlemen's League does not have a fixed gathering place, but there are secret ways of contacting each other among the members of the Gentlemen's League.
"I met a friend a few years ago, and he accidentally revealed the contact information of the Gentlemen's League to me. To be honest, I don't know if that person is still alive. He is just a little guy in the Gentlemen's League. , but if you see this symbol on the street, you may be able to find them nearby."
There was some hesitation on Si Youqing's face. The reason for his hesitation was not because he was unwilling to tell Zheng Xiu about this matter. He felt that as Zheng Xiu, there was no need to deal with these weirdos. But Si Youqing could see that his nephew was very concerned about Ye Weiyang's case, so he relented.
well! It's hard for a hero to be a beauty!
Si Youqing sighed with emotion. Looking at Feng Bei's back, he felt that he understood everything.
As he spoke, Si Youqing tapped Zheng Xiu's palm three times, forming a triangle.
"Three o'clock?"
"Yes, this is the contact code of the League of Gentlemen."
Si Youqing solemnly warned: "There are many magicians in the League of Gentlemen. Once they see Ye Weiyang's attire, they will never come close. If you really want to find them, hey, my nephew is so smart, he will definitely have a way. . However, dear nephew, please remember not to have close friendship with them. After all, Shuzhou is not the territory of our Zheng family! Be careful of your fierce tiger falling into Shuzhou and being bullied by dogs!"
"Did you suffer at their hands?"
Zheng Xiu asked curiously.
"How is that possible! Hahaha... don't even look at who I am!" Si Youqing laughed and made a haha, waving his hands and sneering.
understood.
Si Youqing suffered losses before.
Zheng Xiu blinked at Si Youqing, understanding in his heart.
The exquisite carriage left the city, with Dou Xie as the driver, shivering in the rain and cursing.
Feng Bei and Yue Yan each had their own concerns and sat in the carriage heading to Yunliu Temple.
After Feng Bei left, due to the limited range of his wanderings, Zheng Xiu turned into smoke and disappeared when he found an opportunity.
Back at Zheng's house, Zheng Xiu found Qing Shisan and asked him to continue inquiring about what was going on in the city.
Weird rumors about "Eternal Purgatory" are getting increasingly fermented. Accompanied by the female relatives, Zheng Xiu is going shopping and inspecting the industry, but secretly... Zheng Xiu is ecstatic to find that as he walks on the street, he feels a faint feeling. A kind of "sense of restraint"!
That's what it feels like to be in prison!
Although this feeling is vague, and even Zheng Xiu is still unable to use the stunts in prison, this is finally a good start!
The strange folk tale of "Eternal Purgatory" has led some people to believe that there is a place called "Eternal Purgatory" underground in the Imperial City!
Zheng Xiu looked up at the sky. The sky was clear and the sun was warm.
A strange thought came to mind.
"If we continue to deepen this legend over a long period of time, will this city, this Daqian country, and even heaven and earth become a conceptual 'prison'?"
No! If the scale of "folk customs and weird tales" is further expanded, will it no longer be limited to "folk customs and weird tales"?
But a kind of... myth?
Zheng Xiu suddenly realized that what he was doing now was clearly using the public opinion of the people and the fear of evil people to create a "false myth and legend" over time!
He is creating a false myth!
But for the [Prisoner], once this false myth is believed to be true by everyone, it will become a real myth.
[Prisoner] The deepening of the door and the ubiquitous "purgatory on earth" can turn false myths into reality.
A myth called "Eternal Purgatory"!
What would happen if it happened?
"Isn't this what I have become..."
After thinking about this, Zheng Xiu looked strange and murmured about a character from a fairy tale in his previous life.
"Ksitigarbha?"
(End of chapter)
