The trumpets sounded louder and louder.
First, there was a thunderous sound.
Gradually it became like waves.
Buildings and markets were shaken as a result.
All the guests turned pale and stood up from their seats, suspicious that the sky was falling and the earth was falling.
Things around me seemed to be shaken away by "waves", and in an instant, my eyes flashed, and then the stars moved behind me.
Everyone was already in front of a city tower.
Looking over the high eaves upstairs, you can see the towering mountains behind the door. On the mountain, palaces and palaces are built one after another around the mountain. Golden eaves, green walls, and yellow tiles are set among the white cliffs and green forests.
Back here, outside the closed red-lacquered gate of the city tower, in addition to a host of guests, there were also densely packed men and women surrounding them as far as the eye could see.
They are all in rags and have shabby shapes. If you look closely, you can see that some of them even have missing limbs and weird and inhuman appearances.
After seeing the forty-nine paintings of "Cave City Transformation" on the waterway, the guests still don't know why, these people - no! These ghosts are all "sinners" who violated the law of the King of Ghosts for various reasons and were taken into the cave city by the messenger.
They all fell to the ground and sang their birthday wishes in voices hoarse from howling all day long:
"The customs are gone, and the times are good again.
Chao jade and silk, meeting clothes.
The foundation is as long as Beichen, and the longevity is as long as Nanshan.
Li Yuan's belly is full of joy. "
After the song, the city gate opened with a bang.
All the guests felt confused again.
When he came back to his senses, he had already entered the palace and saw another closed city gate in front of him.
There are markets connected around it, and there are many "people" dressed as actors, cooks, craftsmen, and servants among them.
They also bowed down and prayed:
"Golden Po Luo, jade Qu Zhi. In the high hall where the emperor is worshiping, he kneels before delivering a speech.
If the king has his way, Yongxi will live in the world. Xu Yue Kangyong, Wuwei Xuanlang.
The drums and the xunchi are a joy today, and long live the happiness for the rest of the year.
Qi Sanguang and two instruments. "
The song stopped and the door opened again.
This important palace should be the school ground. On the ground, the sun shines brightly, and the countless swords and axes shine like the scales of the river. The soldiers of the three armies lined up and knelt down in unison, singing again:
"Offering a longevity cup, happy Weiyang.
Come and bring jade and silk to the Xuan Palace merchants..."
The first birthday message is in progress.
The Nine Palaces are opened one after another.
…………
The guests came to their senses again.
Already at the highest level.
Behind him are drifting clouds blocking the way, and in front of him is a high platform connected by a jade bridge.
There is a group of musicians on the stage, with desk seats on both sides.
Further forward, there is a stone wall.
The stone wall is as tall as a city wall, extending around it on both sides, half embracing the entire high platform.
There are reliefs engraved on the wall, all of which show various situations of criminals being tortured. They should be the wall carvings of messengers in the waterway moved and spliced into a complete "Cave City Incident", and in the center of the relief sits a huge ghost and god.
It has double horns on its head, and there are piles of flesh on its face, its fangs are turned out, its beard is red under its chin, and its thick and messy halberds look like a burning cloud. Its belly was as big as a mountain, with painful human faces protruding from its high, bulging iron-gray belly.
A platform protrudes from the stone wall below.
Leaning on the stage was a fat old man, with a waist that was ten feet wide and a height of three feet. He sat on the stage and it seemed like a mountain of flesh had been piled up.
There are many smaller stone platforms protruding from both sides of the altar. On each stone platform stands a noble person with gorgeous clothes. When we count them in detail, there are no more and no less. They are exactly the same as the number of envoys carved on the wall. There are four in total. Nineteen.
The musicians on the high platform played elegant music, and the forty-nine nobles or envoys bowed down to the old man or the ghost king in unison:
"Like the moon's eternity, like the sun's rise..."
…………
Ge Jing, the ghost king waved his hand gently.
The music stopped immediately, and a beautiful woman in monk's robes led the musicians to leave and hide in a corner.
The Ghost King patted his belly and laughed loudly again, his beard trembling and his eyebrows arched. If one ignored his huge figure and the terrifying relief on his back, people might mistake him for some fat neighbor celebrating his birthday.
"The younger ones are very filial, but they make the guests anxious while waiting. Don't be too fussy and start the feast quickly."
The messengers agreed with one voice.
Sitting under the reliefs of their respective stern figures, they were either joking, indifferent, vigilant or greedy, watching the guests in the audience.
A messenger flew down from the altar. Judging from the relief behind him, he should be the judge's messenger. He was in charge of documents for Cave City and judged the mortals who should die and who should live.
He was born with a thin face and a short beard. He was dressed like an ancient courtier, wearing black clothes and a big crown, and holding a wat tablet.
Standing on the jade bridge, he looked down at the guests coldly and said: "His Holiness has given orders, all guests please come and sit down."
The words trailed off.
A man jumped out from among the guests and shouted.
"The King of Ghosts is absolutely right! It would be better to just start the banquet and sing some weird words that you don't understand."
Although the man was wrapped in a silk round-neck robe, his whole body could not hide the roughness carved by the wind and waves. At a glance, people could tell that he was an old sailor who had been hanging out at sea all year round.
After saying that, he lifted his feet and walked towards the bridge.
"Stop!" The messenger shouted, "Where did the savage come from? Who allowed you to come up before the birthday gift was given?!"
"What?" The man's eyes bulged and he pointed at the banquet, "If that's the case, then why can the bald... monk come to the banquet?"
It turned out that the banquet was not empty. From the very beginning, a handsome monk was sitting at the head of the banquet. He said nothing, did not eat or drink, and did not react at all to everything around him. It doesn't look like a birthday guest, but rather like he broke off a relief sculpture from the stone wall and moved it to the table.
"Wuchen?"
Fan Liang in the audience was shocked, not because Wuchen was actually present at the table, but because the person who revealed his identity was the man who was walking with him all the way.
How can a country bumpkin recognize the Buddha's face?
"Who knows the Pure Monk?" The man laughed and asked, "Who is that rude man?"
Fan Liang hesitated a little, but for the sake of the gift box.
"That man's name is Zhao Lu. He is a new rich man who has emerged recently. He has a lot of money and a lot of overseas goods. He is very popular." He paused and added in a low voice, "But there are rumors that this man They are pirates who came ashore and came to Qiantang to be a den owner (a person who harbors thieves and sells stolen goods)."
No wonder he has such a rough and tumble attitude, no wonder he dares to make trouble in Cave City.
The judge's messenger was not angry.
In other words, his face is like cast iron, and his expression has not changed at all.
Just use a voice without ups and downs: "Master Wuchen is the envoy of the Thirteen Families. He is a god-like figure. He is willing to condescend to sit with you ordinary people. This is a blessing that you will never be able to achieve in ten lifetimes." .”
Wuchen at the table lowered his eyes, thinking of himself as his deaf monk.
Under the bridge, Zhao Lu smiled sarcastically.
The name of the Thirteenth Family was still valid, and he didn't dare to pester him any more, but his overbearing nature broke out and he couldn't control it for a while.
"I have prepared a birthday gift, but whether it is worth a thousand gold or not, how should I measure it? Is it possible that I need to attach some shop receipts? Unfortunately, I did not buy this gift!"
He laughed loudly, unaware that the other guests behind him were looking at him with half pity and half contempt.
The messenger pointed with a wat board with an expressionless face.
The solid ground beneath the guests' feet suddenly became as soft as quicksand.
Everyone was unsteady and stepped back.
After almost exiting the main hall, I finally stabilized. Looking over again, the ground under the bridge suddenly turned into a deep pool, and the bricks and stones turned into pool water.
The water is clear.
You can see a nine-layered palace at the bottom of the pool that looks like the Ghost King's Palace.
Gold is used as mountain rocks, silver is used as cliffs, emeralds are used as forest trees, and various gemstones, colored glazes, crystals, and agate are embellished with them, making them sparkle.
"This pool is called the Pool of Thousand Gold, which can weigh the world's treasures. If a longevity gift is thrown into the pool, if it sinks it is a good gift and should be rewarded. But if it floats, it is not worth a thousand gold."
The messenger looked down coldly.
"Punishment."
…………
"It's so convenient, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Still Zhao Lu.
He pushed others aside and came to the bridge.
"Let me take the lead."
The messenger did not stop.
He didn't know how to restrain himself anymore, so he took out his birthday gift, which was a jade beauty who was in a class of his own.
The whole body is jade white, the skin has a fresh texture, and the smile is like a stranger.
Zhao Lu caressed the jade beauty's cheek.
"Where can such a flawless beauty be found in the world? If she were not a living creature, how could I be willing to send her out?"
Shaking his head and sighing, he put the jade beauty into the pool.
The beauty sank slowly.
Zhao Lu looked proud.
But suddenly, it quickly jumped up again and floated on the water without sinking even half a minute.
Zhao Lu was stunned, and soon he became angry and woke up.
He opened his mouth and cursed angrily at the judge on the bridge:
"Dog thief! How dare you play with Naigong!"
He grabbed the jade bridge, shouted angrily, and with brute strength, he pulled up the jade bridge, which weighed a thousand kilograms, and smashed it on the head of the judge's messenger.
Such courage and determination. Even on the sea, he is a proud figure.
pity.
This is Cave City.
"presumptuous!"
There was a loud bang.
Then he saw a huge skeleton leaping into the air and smashing the jade bridge in Zhao Lu's hand into pieces.
Then he stretched out a pair of bone hands and pinched his shoulders.
The sea hero who had just shown off his ferocious power had no chance to even make a sound.
Pfft~
The body was torn in half on the spot, and the intestines, spleen, lungs, blood, feces, and urine were spilled all over the floor.
The skeleton kneaded the two halves of the corpse into a ball again, stuffed them into his mouth, jumped up to the altar, picked up a piece of human skin, shook it in the air like a bag, jumped in, and transformed into a wealthy official again. .
Only then did the guests react.
But even though his face was as pale as a sheet of paper, he still blocked his mouth and didn't dare to scream, let alone vomit.
On the other side of the stone wall altar, another slender, white-faced messenger shook his head and said:
"Today is the birthday of His Holiness. How can we let these things ruin the occasion? My brother did it sloppily."
He whistled.
But when I heard the barking of dogs outside the hall, there were dogs pouring into the hall.
When the guests saw this, their expressions became even more horrified.
Where is the dog? Either it has the head of a human and the body of a dog, or it has the head of a dog and the body, or even worse, it is a naked person who looks like a dog. They barked endlessly, gnawed the scraps of meat, and licked the blood.
After a while, the messenger whistled again.
The group of "dogs" withdrew, and the ground was as smooth and clean as before. There was no trace of Zhao Lu's existence, except for the jade beauty in the pool, which was slowly sinking.
…
The judge waved the wat board.
The pieces of the jade bridge flew back piece by piece, fell on the pool, and formed the jade bridge again without any cracks.
He put away the wat board again and took out the guest list and writing brush.
Check the box to read the name:
"Miaofutang Li Chang."
An old man stood out from the crowd.
"Chaoyi Xinluo Zhenguang."
The tall man strode out.
"Liu Qiaopo of Yingchaofang."
The fat white woman respectfully agreed.
Everything seemed natural and natural, and the three people who responded looked calm, as if nothing had happened.
But the guests outside the venue were not like this. Most of them were trembling with fear and their faces were earth-colored.
Even Fan Liang, who boasted himself to be extremely brave and dared to throw himself into a cave city to gamble his life and seek wealth, also had his legs trembled, with a faint urge to urinate.
"Take a sip to calm down your shock?"
The man walking next to me handed him a wine bottle.
Fan Liang looked back faintly.
I was holding my pee, but you gave me wine?
etc……
"Where did the wine come from?!"
"Brought from the celebration outside the city."
Fan Liang's eyes were full of disbelief. At that time, when the world was spinning, could you still think of drinking a bottle of wine? !
Turns out he’s not just a country bumpkin, he’s also a drunkard!
The man didn't take his surprise seriously and raised his eyes to signal the three people in front of the bridge.
"What are the backgrounds of those three people?"
Do you regard me as a know-it-all? Fan Liang secretly cursed. But after a moment's hesitation, Quan Dang started to talk about it in order to distract himself.
…………
The old man named Li Chang was the great wizard under the Ghost King's throne and the leader of all the wizards who worshiped the Ghost King in Qiantang. No one can tell how old he is, but anyone who has guessed about it will think that their estimate is too conservative after seeing his true appearance - sparse white hair and wrinkles on his face as deep as cracked tree bark. .
He walked onto the Jade Bridge tremblingly.
The Ghost King first said hello: "I heard from the children that my old friend was ill a few days ago. Is he still in good health?"
The old man replied respectfully: "Thanks to the Dharma King's concern, I have benefited from your happiness and feel better recently."
With that said, he took out the brocade box.
Open it up.
The room is filled with light.
He showed the treasure in the box to the surroundings, with a jade-white pearl placed on the red silk.
"This is the shark pearl from the South China Sea. I present it to the king today to bring a little more light to the treasure house."
After that, he threw the box into the pool.
The birthday gift slowly sank to the bottom.
"Good orb." The Ghost King stroked his beard and laughed, "Old friend, please take a seat. Please come and offer me spiritual wine and spiritual meat."
The old man sat on the table with his front legs, and the tall man with his back legs couldn't wait to jump onto the bridge.
This person's name is Luo Zhenguang. He is the leader of a society called "Chaoyixin". He controls several docks. Most of his subordinates are sailors and laborers. He has taken in many desperadoes and is quite prestigious in the public.
Although he is a living person, he is very popular with the Ghost King. It was said that if he died unexpectedly one day, the forty-nine envoys in Cave City would immediately become fifty.
As soon as he got on the bridge, the ghost king laughed and cursed: "Why is the hozen lingering down there if it hasn't come up yet?"
Luo Zhenguang laughed and waved his hands: "Grandpa, don't rush me, let me show off my treasure first."
Open the gift box as well, and inside is a strange wax-dried bird with four wings.
"My grandfather is often troubled by intestinal diseases. I have long been determined to find this precious medicine. After searching for many years, I finally got it recently. This is a strange bird on Liangqu Mountain recorded in the Beishan Jing of "Shan Hai Jing". Its name... alas, that word I really can’t remember it! In short, eating it can cure abdominal pain.”
Then he threw himself into the water and sank to the bottom.
"Okay! Okay! Okay!" The Ghost King nodded repeatedly, "I'll give you a banquet with enough spiritual wine, spiritual meat and meat!"
Luo Zhenguang sat down at the table proudly, and the fat white woman behind him came up to the bridge.
First, he respectfully gave the Ghost King a blessing, and the Ghost King nodded in response.
The woman's name was Liu Qiaopo. Although she had fat cheeks and thin eyebrows and eyes, she looked very kind. However, she was the most notorious human trafficker in Qiantang. She had sold countless men and women onto ships and sold them to Nanyang.
The birthday gift she presented was a bronze square mirror (basin) with a simple shape and covered with green rust. It was said to be a cornucopia left by ancient immortals.
Throw it into the water and it will sink to the bottom.
The ghost king caressed his beard and praised him for his good deeds.
"I will give you a feast, a pot of spiritual wine, and three plates of spiritual meat."
then.
The judge's messenger called the names one by one.
The guests came forward in batches to give birthday gifts.
A wealthy gentry offered Yunhuan gauze, which has ceased to be produced in Minzhou. It was as light and thin as clouds. It is said that the current emperor could not even desire it.
Some merchants presented a treasured sword from overseas, which cut iron like clay and blew hair off.
A shipowner presented a piece of fragrant wood, which he said was taken from Fusang Kingdom's precious orchid.
All kinds of treasures dazzle the eyes and ears.
Of course, there were some who threw birthday gifts but they floated but did not sink, some who cried bitterly and begged, and some who threw themselves into the pond without saying a word... Without exception, they were all devoured by evil spirits.
finally.
"Zengfufang Fanliang."
Fan Liang was excited.
"exist!"
Trembling he stepped forward.
Not out of fear, but out of excitement. Gamblers, no matter how tragic the consequences are, it will only happen after the results are revealed. And before the reveal, there is always only excitement to the point of madness.
But……
"The song of Baoyi Reunion is determined by spring."
"I."
The familiar voice interrupted Fan Liang's intense heart. He turned around in surprise. The man who was traveling with him held a wine bottle in one hand and raised it high in the other.
He recognized Qu Dingchun, but where did he look like this? !
"Jixiantang Wen Bangyan?"
"I."
"Zhongmiaofang Zeng Baosan?"
"still me"
The man dropped the wine bottle and came to the bridge.
"There is no need to read the next few names."
Facing the astonished eyes of the crowd.
The man or Li Changan smiled and said:
"it's all me."
