The next day.
When the sky is dim and bright.
He Shuisheng followed the older children from the Salesian Home to Mount Feilai.
If you offer ten pieces of money, the gods will respond to your requests.
But after agreeing, how to get things done? How much will it cost? It will have to be discussed separately.
In exchange for being able to visit ghosts in the mountains, He Shuisheng agreed to go up the mountains to collect medicine for a day.
He also grew up in a Salesian hospital. He has been influenced by his ears and eyes since he was a child. According to the hiking guide and the pictures, he is qualified for the job of collecting herbs.
only.
This is Feilaishan, the birthplace of many bedtime stories.
Despite Li Daoren's repeated assurances, he still found it difficult to understand that the laughter and laughter of his younger brothers and sisters along the way were as relaxed as if they were on an outing.
What's more, Feilai Mountain is too big and there are too few people to collect herbs. After going up the mountain, they have to spread out and collect in their own areas, which means that most of the time they have to face the mountains and old forests full of monsters and monsters alone. .
"Brother Shuisheng."
A little girl timidly came to He Shuisheng.
Her name is Chunyi.
He Shuisheng remembered that when he was still in the Salesian Home, she was still his little follower.
Now she is the oldest among the girls in the courtyard.
The little girl flashed her watery little eyes: "The fog on the mountain today is so thick that it's scary. Brother Shuisheng, can you take me for a walk on the mountain road first?"
He Shuisheng was about to agree, but then he thought, everyone was happy all the way up the mountain, but when they split up, were they afraid?
This little girl is obviously looking for an excuse to take care of herself.
He slapped his chest.
"You are worried about me, little girl? I have to eat for a few more years!"
Half of the boys next to him came over and smiled mischievously.
"Brother Shuisheng is right! The washerwomen by the river all say..."
He pinched his throat and twisted around like a silkworm.
Weirdly said:
"This man's dick doesn't need to be hard, but his bones need to be hard; his bones don't need to be hard, but his mouth needs to be hard. Chunyi, you have to let Brother Shuisheng get hard for once!"
Here, Shui Sheng's old face darkened, but he didn't curse yet.
On the other end, the little girl blinked shyly and quietly retreated behind the boy. She followed her writhing butt with a familiar set of flying kicks.
The kid immediately let out an "ouch", covered his buttocks, and was kicked out all over the mountain.
He Shuisheng was speechless for a moment.
Finally he spat.
"Bah, you little bastard!"
Unexpectedly, the little girl with a runny nose who followed behind her has now grown into a big sister, who can take care of people and play tricks.
After some fighting, the children were urged to leave by He Shuisheng and disappeared into the vast mountain mist.
Left alone to look around.
There was silence all around.
Only the mountains are high, the forests are dense, the clouds are deep and the fog is heavy.
…
The mountain was unexpectedly empty.
It wasn't that the trees were not dense, but He Shuisheng encountered almost nothing except the shrines he met on the road or the herbs recorded in his handbook.
Even birds and beasts are rare.
But he always had an illusion.
In the corners that are beyond the reach of your eyes, in the cracks in the rocks, in the shades of trees, and in the thick fog, ghosts and monsters are quietly lurking.
They hid their voices in the wind and whispered.
Hanging behind him, stepping on his own footprints, following every step.
But when he turned around in shock.
Nothing.
So full of worry, we arrived at a mountain col.
There is a path drawn on the diary, but the path ahead is blocked by tangled forest trees and vines, making it impossible to move forward.
I'm in a dilemma, thinking about whether to turn around.
But I saw that the vines were climbing and spreading like snakes, and the intertwined shrubs were combing their branches.
Not long after.
There is a path that can be passed through the jungle.
He Shuisheng didn't want to step in at all.
There was a cold wind behind me.
Push him into it.
The journey has become strange since then.
Or when the mountain fog is thick, fireflies will rise to guide the way forward.
If it is difficult to go down a steep slope, a big tree will hang down its branches to serve as an escalator.
Or if you want to block the stream, you will see that the water level gradually drops and rocks emerge for footing.
Or if you want to pick the rock grass on the boulder, but the rock is covered with moss and cannot be climbed, you will hear a "rumbling" vibration, and the boulder will stand up, and then bend down for him to pick easily.
…
Along the way, He Shuisheng finally understood what Li Changan said when he sent him up the mountain - with this talisman, all spirits will help him.
But instead of adding much joy to his heart, it only made him more confused.
Where are all the spirits? They are clearly all ghosts!
It was indeed not an illusion, there were ghosts following behind me all the way!
It's not a talisman, it's clearly a charm to attract ghosts.
For a moment, He Shuisheng even had the urge to throw away the mountain talisman.
But reason told him again.
If you wear a talisman, you will be accompanied by evil ghosts; if you lose the talisman, you may become a blood feast on the spot.
He had no choice but to move forward anxiously under the secret protection of the evil ghosts.
Not long after.
We arrived at a valley filled with mist and covered with flowers and plants.
First glance.
I found a small shrine on a boulder by the stream.
Other shrines use cold rice balls as tributes, but this is different.
He took out two big meat buns that were still hot from his arms.
The mountain road was difficult to navigate, and he had to hide the meat buns in his arms. If He Niluo hadn't struggled so hard, he wouldn't have bothered.
But thinking of what He Nili looked like at that time, He Shuisheng couldn't help but laugh, and at the same time he couldn't bear to refuse.
He climbed up the bluestone, wrapped the meat as an offering, and lit incense candles on the lotus lamp.
The smoke slowly rises into the mist.
"Where's the loach?"
A childish voice suddenly sounded in his ears, like a "talisman" immobilizing his "zombie".
"Why didn't Loach come?"
the voice asked again.
He Shuisheng mustered up his courage and slowly followed the sound and looked down.
Among the tall flowers and trees under the bluestone, stood a child with his head raised.
The clothes are plain white and the face is delicate and indistinguishable. The most eye-catching thing is the child's hair, which is fluffy and thick, like an overgrown tree crown, hanging down with vitality.
There are many long or short brightly colored feathers stuck in the hair.
Doesn't it look vicious?
He Shuisheng calmed down a little.
"The loach can't come for the time being."
"Why?"
"He is sick."
"Ah!" the child exclaimed, "the loach is going to die too?!"
"No, no, no." He Shuisheng explained quickly, "The loach was playing too crazy on the mountain. When he was crawling through the bushes, he met an octagonal cub... Do you know octagonal cub?"
"Of course I know." The child nodded, "That food doesn't taste good."
Does that thing have anything to do with food? (It’s actually edible)
He Shuisheng was confused for a while, thinking that the other party might be a ghost, so he followed the words: "Yes, it is not delicious and poisonous. The loach burrowed through a bush and felt itchy all over. When he looked back, he found that the leaves were covered with star anise. Ding. Now his whole body is red and swollen, and he is in pain and itching everywhere. He can’t go out at all.”
Thinking of Loach's unlucky appearance at that time, He Shuisheng could not help but curl up his lips even though it was not the right time.
"Why are you laughing?" the child asked.
He Shuisheng couldn't explain the principle of "the smile will not disappear but will shift", so he could only say seriously: "I am happy for Ni Loach, his disease can be cured."
As he said that, he glanced at the child and found that he was listening carefully.
So he tried hard to show off his little remaining medical knowledge.
"To detoxify the anise poison, you have to catch the insect, break its body with a stick, crush its veins into juice, and apply it to the affected area..."
While chatting, he suddenly bowed his head.
Among the flowers and plants, the child had disappeared without a trace.
Looking at the shrine again, the two big meat buns were also missing.
scare!
It’s really a ghost!
He Shuisheng's slightly relaxed nerves suddenly became tense again.
How dare you stay any longer.
I bowed casually.
He jumped off the boulder in a hurry, just thinking of collecting the medicine and leaving as soon as possible.
According to the instructions in the handbook, I picked Morinda officinalis and was about to leave in a hurry.
There was a fluttering sound in my ears.
Suddenly there was a flower in front of my eyes.
A childish voice: "Here you go."
Suddenly something appeared in my arms.
Look down.
It was half a banana leaf, wrapped inside - He Shuisheng's face suddenly turned blue, and he almost shook his hand and threw the thing away - green and yellow insects covered with poisonous stings were piled up densely into a hill.
It’s all octagonal!
It doesn’t matter if He Shuisheng loses it, it doesn’t matter if He Shuisheng doesn’t lose it.
The loach had been treated by the old medical officer's skillful hands a long time ago, otherwise I wouldn't have had the time to laugh at him, and why would I have needed so many poisonous insects?
Furthermore.
Although you have good intentions, how can you directly stuff bugs into someone's arms?
"This kid..."
A smile gradually appeared on He Shuisheng's face.
"Stupid."
…………
Destroy Taoist temples.
Li Changan asked: "How is Brother He doing in the mountains?"
"He..."
Xiao Qi spoke with disgust.
"Crying for a while, laughing for a while, being silly."
When Li Changan fished Xiao Qi out of the Cave City, only one of his heads was left, but since he had gained the Tao from the spirit of the mountains, he would not have died physically, mentally or physically.
After absorbing the essence for a few days in the mountains, he regained his human body. However, after all, he was severely injured and his body was inevitably cut, changing from a boy to a child.
But he doesn't change his lively and active nature.
Li Changan asked him to ask the spirits in the mountain whether there were new ghosts on the mountain recently.
"No, no, I've asked everywhere, east, west, north and south, and there's not a single new ghost."
Xiao Qi shook her head vigorously, her hair and feathers fluffed up.
As his body shrank, it seemed his mind also shrank with it.
They walked around Li Changan, chattering incessantly. Sometimes he was curious about the strange things in the city, and sometimes he invited the Taoist priest to eat the newly picked mushrooms this morning.
Li Changan readily agreed.
The abandoned Taoist temple was originally a gathering place for the sane evil spirits in the mountains, but since Li Changan signed a letter with the ghosts, they have dispersed throughout the mountains to look after herbs and herb gatherers.
Now, there are only bronze tigers and a beheaded ghost guarding the temple.
Hearing the Taoist priest's cheerful answer, the decapitated ghost's head hanging on his waist looked troubled, but it was a pity that Li Chang'an didn't see it.
Not long after.
Xiaoqi came back with a big basket and stuffed it in front of the Taoist priest like a treasure. The smile on Li Changan's face gradually disappeared. In the basket, there were red, purple, white, black, yellow and green. ...It's colorful and beautiful instantly.
"Xiaoqi?"
"Why."
"Why are the colors of your mushrooms so exaggerated?"
"Hehe." Xiaoqi smiled particularly brightly, "It looks good!"
Can you not be optimistic about a basket full of poisonous mushrooms?
Li Changan knew that poisonous mushrooms would kill people, but was it really okay to stuff such a large dose into his stomach?
"What's the problem?" Xiao Qi thought blankly, with the feathers on his head standing up. "At most, it's better to wring your intestines and get confused, than to go hungry."
With that said, he gave up thinking and excitedly picked out a bright red mushroom.
"Look! This red mushroom is the treasure of Mr. Wei from the Bat Cave in the west. He said that after eating it, you can see many little gods. I stole it... specially for the Taoist Priest."
Li Changan's eyelids twitched violently, but he couldn't resist his good intentions.
"Xiao Qi is very interested, but I don't have any seasoning in my hand. Boiling so many beautiful mushrooms in plain water would be a waste. Next time, definitely next time!"
Xiao Qi looked at the Taoist priest with blinking eyes.
The Taoist priest has a guilty conscience.
Xiaoqi said "Oh" again.
"The Taoist priest is right!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he jumped out of the courtyard.
Throw a sentence from afar.
"I'm going to borrow some honey from Mr. Xiong."
Watching his retreating figure, Li Changan was speechless for a while, unable to laugh or cry.
"Xiao Qi is always lively."
Tong Hu, who had been watching the show, laughed and scolded: "It's not lively, it's obviously reckless."
As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed.
"His temper should have changed long ago. If the Taoist priest hadn't come to the rescue this time, how could he have just lost a little bit of his body?"
"It was Wuniang who saved the life." Li Changan waved his hand quickly, "I don't dare to take credit for it."
After saying that, he looked around the door and saw that Xiao Qi's figure had completely disappeared into the forest.
Pack your things quickly.
Tonghu suppressed a smile: "Where are you going, Taoist Master?"
"The matter has been clarified. The children will pick the herbs." Li Changan told him, "I am still a simple person and I am not in a hurry to meet the gods."
…………
After Li Changan left.
Bronze Tiger began to worship the statues of gods in the courtyard, and the beheaded ghost followed beside him, holding incense and candles for him.
One idol has two sticks of incense in the morning and evening.
For hundreds of years.
The walls have changed from towering to crumbling, and the courtyard has changed from empty to crowded. Bronze Tiger has become accustomed to it. So accustomed to it that with his huge body, wild appearance, and ferocious copper surface, when he is offering incense, he can look from the inside to the outside. Showing a calmness like a flat lake.
Compared with him, the decapitated ghost is much more frizzy.
"Brother." The decapitated ghost couldn't bear it anymore, "Why don't you tell the truth?!"
The bronze tiger is worshiping a wooden Buddha.
The craftsmanship is very perfunctory, the facial features and clothing are vague, and it is impossible to recognize the identity.
Bronze Tiger does not change his sincerity.
After holding incense and worshiping again and again, he calmly asked: "What truth?"
"Of course it's Xiao Qi!" The decapitated ghost looked hateful, and the broken neck of the head around his waist oozed a little bright red, "How could Xiao Qi just shave off his body? In order to complete the body, he had to absorb too much ghost energy. . Originally, he had more energy and less ghost energy, but now he has more ghost energy and less energy! He ended up like us, with resentment and violence eating away at his mind every night!"
Tonghu remained as calm as ever: "So what?"
"I told you..." The beheaded ghost had already aroused ferocity, his eyes were red, but he was speechless when he spoke.
Tonghu said for him: "I told you, so that Daoist Li can lead you into Qiantang City, first disperse the guardian gods patrolling the city, then destroy the underground cave city, and finally knock down the statues of the thirteen families." , and then those who have been wronged will be avenged, and those who have a grudge will be revenged?"
Anyone with a shred of sense knows that this is seeking death and wishful thinking.
But how can the word "reason" explain everything in this world?
The eyes of the decapitated ghost shed tears of blood, and blood dripped from the broken neck.
"We won't avenge Xiao Qi?!"
"Which of the ghosts on the mountain is not a murderous ghost? Which one does not have a blood feud? We are evil ghosts, and evil ghosts certainly want revenge. But now..."
Tonghu looked back intently.
"Not the time."
Not the time? But when is the time? ! Is it possible that the time has come when time and violence have worn away the mind and destroyed the body? !
The headless ghost was full of anger, spilled blood all over his neck, and rushed out the door angrily.
Bronze Tiger did not stay.
He silently picked up the incense candles scattered on the ground and continued to burn incense and worship peacefully as he had done for hundreds of years.
Until the courtyard is full of gods and Buddhas.
He stood quietly among the statues of gods and the lingering smoke, as if he had become a part of this silent god and Buddha.
"not the right time yet."
…………
Yizhuang is a hated place.
Of course, every part of the Yamen is disliked, but Yizhuang is especially so.
Especially in Qiantang, a place where people and ghosts live together.
The people and even the police walked around it.
Most of the time, there are more dead people than living people.
Therefore, when He Shuisheng led Li Changan in, there was only an old man in Yizhuang who was sick and guarding the door, sleepy.
After searching for the soul to no avail, this commission should end.
But He Shui was unwilling to give up and knew that Li Changan was a man of real ability, so he begged the Taoist priest to visit Yizhuang and escape from a mortal perspective, maybe he could find new clues.
For the sake of He Wumei's face and the fact that He Shuisheng had spent a whole day climbing the mountain in vain, Li Changan readily agreed.
Entering Yizhuang, go straight to the bloated corpse.
After chasing away the swarms of flying flies and lifting the white cloth, a stench rose to the sky.
Li Changan was used to seeing corpses, so he didn't care.
Before He Shuisheng became a yamen servant, he was a boatman and saw many drowned people. Because of his good water quality, he often helped the yamen to fish out corpses, and his face was also calm.
Looking at the corpse on the spot, they told Li Changan the clues they found:
"The deceased had full muscles and must have been a martial arts practitioner during his lifetime. The face was scratched with a sharp blade and was not damaged accidentally, indicating that the murderer was probably among the people watching at the time..."
He Shuisheng spoke carefully, but it was a pity that Li Changan was not a famous detective and could not analyze anything new.
If the physical body is still there, the Taoist priest can still use the Chonglong Jade to become an enhanced police dog. Now...
His attention quickly shifted to the wooden table in the corner.
There are many objects such as incense burners, lotus lanterns, pens and ink, yellow paper, etc. placed on the table.
Li Changan was curious: "Are those things left over from previous soul-calling rituals?"
He Shuisheng took a quick look and said angrily: "I'm lazy and I haven't cleaned up yet."
Not having a clue, the Taoist priest came over and was looking at it.
"What are you doing here?!"
There was a shout outside the house, and a tall man with an arrogant stride ran towards him, but it was Mr. Lu.
He Shuisheng hurriedly welcomed him and expressed his thoughts.
Unexpectedly.
"Nonsense!"
Lu Baotou actually scolded him on the spot, which made He Shuisheng stunned for a moment.
Mr. Lu frowned and pointed at the Taoist priest: "Is he a great shaman who serves the Dharma King? Or is he a real person who was enshrined in a Taoist temple? If the shaman and the real person can't solve the problem, what's the use of this person?! Shuisheng, we are messengers, like this You humanoid, have you been in jail for a long time? You learned two ways to hide your eyes, raised a few wild ghosts, and then went around to cheat..."
Li Changan felt as calm as a breeze blowing on his face.
On the other hand, He Shuisheng blushed quickly and couldn't understand why his eldest brother, who was known for his loyalty, was so rude now.
Annoyed, he interrupted:
"What did my brother say?! Aren't you also on good terms with the wizard at Yingchaofang?"
Lu Baotou snorted coldly: "I have seen through that man's cunning and uselessness, and I have severed all ties with him!"
He Shuisheng was choked by these words for a while, but he quickly grasped the topic.
"Brother also said that the wizard was useless, so the soul summoning failed, but Daozhang Li is a really capable expert. With his help, it may not be impossible to solve the case!"
It's a pity that Lu Baotou doesn't have the leisure to talk.
"This is a county government case. If you find an outsider to get involved and spread the word, won't it make people laugh? Shuisheng, I told you before, I have my own solution to this case."
"But……"
"Stop talking any more! He Shuisheng, don't you even listen to me?!"
"The case is a business matter!"
"I'm the head catcher!"
…………
The result was an unhappy ending.
The Taoist priest and He Shuisheng left Yizhuang and found a roadside stall to buy some cheap wine and food.
The food was not good, and the wine was bad, but He Shuisheng kept pouring one glass after another into his mouth, and hesitated several times.
With this look, Li Changan wouldn't understand.
"Do you still want to continue investigating?"
Although Lu Baotou is unreasonable, but as said, he is the victim, and He Shuisheng is just a "dog that catches mice." The parties involved were all opposed to it, so why did he shyly get in on the matter when he was nosy?
When He Shuisheng heard this, he stopped drinking and stared blankly for a long time before letting out a long sigh.
Slowly said:
"I used to hang out in the boat shop. I would punt boats during the day and help transport goods at night. It was all hard work and I couldn't make much money all year round. Until Brother Lu took notice of me and pulled me into the Yamen as a servant. , although I was just a lowly servant and could not get a job, but with the convenience of patrolling the streets at night, the boat company promoted me to a small boss. Only then did I know what it means to make money!"
The Taoist priest thought he was expressing his loyalty, so the clinker changed the subject.
"The county captain has always disliked Brother Lu. If Brother Lu falls this time, we brothers will probably be purged out. Without my status as a government servant, my position in the gang may not be stable."
He breathed heavily of alcohol.
So that's it, Li Changan laughed: "You are honest."
"Taoist Priest, please stop making fun of me."
He Shuisheng wanted to pour another glass of wine, but found that he had drank all the pot of wine, so he could only sigh.
"It's just for a bite of food in your mouth."
"If it's just for food." Li Changan handed over his wine bottle, "It's not impossible."
…………
Later in the evening, a piece of news quickly spread throughout the government office.
It is said that the new yamen servant He Shuisheng is worried about official matters and wants to pay for it himself to summon the ghost again tonight.
Many people slandered, maybe this guy saw that Lu Baotou was about to collapse, and was eager to flatter Shangguan so that he could change his family?
Pooh! Shameless scum, you are one step ahead of me!
But no matter what, since they don't have to pay out of their own pockets, everyone in the yamen is happy to see the results, so it's not easy for Lu Baotou to stop him.
But there is one thing.
Because of the failure of the first two spiritual evocations.
Therefore, the mage invited this time has to practice secret techniques.
This method is dangerous.
Don't let others get close, otherwise your life will be in danger!
…
It's late afternoon.
There is no living person in Yizhuang.
Even Wu Zuo listened to the Master's warning and went home early.
But as day and night alternate, there is no one around.
There was a strange sound on the wall of Yizhuang, and then a figure quietly walked into the yard.
He ran straight to the morgue room, walked around the corpse, and walked towards the wooden table placed behind the corpse.
The table has been cleaned, the incense burner has been retained, and many incense candles used in rituals have been added.
The visitor took out the cloth bag, carefully put the sacred incense on the table into his pocket one by one, then took out another bag, took out a handful of incense, selected the ones with the same length, and then counted the same number, according to the original number. The position, the shape of the original stacking, was carefully placed.
Even the little incense ashes around were carefully processed, trying to be perfect.
Do it all.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking back...
He Shuisheng stood in front of the door with a sword on his shoulder and a fire and water stick.
The eyes are complicated.
…………
"Brother!" He Shuisheng was still in disbelief, "Why is this?!"
Mr. Lu's face was miserable and he said nothing.
It's like a bloody drama about family ethics.
Li Changan declined to participate, turned around and picked up a stick of incense on the table, broke it, carefully observed the cross section, and put it into his mouth to taste.
"Quite an interesting little trick."
he laughed.
"When performing spells at the altar, regardless of good or evil, they usually use burning incense to attract ghosts and gods. Ordinary incense sticks usually use thin bamboo as the incense core, but this incense is different. Let me guess, peach wood?"
Lu Baotou's expression moved slightly, but he remained silent.
Li Changan didn't expect him to answer, so he continued: "Peach wood has the function of warding off evil spirits and exorcising ghosts. Using peach wood as incense can communicate with gods, but it is difficult to attract ghosts. The first two attempts to summon spirits failed, was it because the headhunter had done something wrong?"
Mr. Lu buried his head in silence, thinking he was deaf.
He Shuisheng became more and more confused as he listened. The reality in front of him made him feel ridiculous.
Li Changan had already discovered something fishy in the fragrance, and concluded that someone had done something wrong, and he was probably from the county government. The so-called soul-calling rituals were just bait to fish out the mastermind behind the scenes.
He never expected that what he caught would be Lu Baotou.
Logically speaking, the person in the entire yamen who is most eager to track down the identity of the deceased is Lu Baotou, but it is him who secretly sabotages the soul-calling ritual.
It makes no sense at all, unless...
He Shuisheng suddenly stuttered: "Could it be that you killed..."
"not me."
Lu Baotou finally spoke, but after struggling for a while, he remained silent again.
"Yes or no." Li Changan pointed to the corpse, "You will know if you ask him."
…………
After death.
The soul flies in the grass, and the soul remains in the corpse.
There are various methods of summoning souls, and each family has its own method. Most of them make use of the connection between soul and soul.
Li Changan ignited the Dharma and stepped on Kui Dou.
The remains of the corpse are taken out and placed in a paper crane made of a yellow talisman.
He is not trying to summon souls, but chasing them with paper cranes.
The reason for this unnecessary step is simple.
Li Changan is not a Taoist priest in the local Taoist temple, and the night wandering gods on the road do not recognize his talismans. If the soul is summoned, the soul of the dead will definitely be captured by ghosts and gods on the way.
So, he blew on the paper crane again.
Paper cranes flutter into the sky.
But the strange thing is that every time Li Changan sends the paper crane out of the door, the paper crane hovers in the yard for a while and then turns to the house.
Is it too windy at night? Or is someone using magic to cover up the traces of the dead?
Tried several times, still to no avail.
Li Changan watched it being thrown out and flying back repeatedly, and with a thought, he let go of the control.
But I saw the paper crane hovering in the room for a while, and finally landed lightly on Mr. Lu's forehead.
