After being teased by Qi Jingzhi, Far from being annoyed, Fanda shook his head with a smile and said: "We seven brothers are of low moral character. We were previously suppressed under the Xiema Bridge. How can we be able to act arrogantly? On the contrary, we are trying to get out of trouble. Over the years, I have been begging to the passing spirits a lot..."
As it spoke, it turned its head and looked around the inn lobby. There was a hint of injustice in its words: "It's a pity that no one is willing to help. There are quite a few who are gloating and making fun of others, especially the road gods." Ghosts are the most abominable! As time goes by and the number of times increases, what else do we still don’t understand in our hearts? It’s easy to stop talking about it!”
When he said these words, his voice was loud, and he obviously didn't pay attention to the spirit sitting in the hall at the moment.
Qi Jingzhi also turned his eyes and saw that in addition to the four deceased people's clothes sitting in the northwest corner, there was a strange snake coiled on the square table by the window in the east. It had the head of a rabbit and the body of a snake. It was about three feet long and had a snake under its neck. With a ring of white fluff.
Being stared at by three glaring golden eyes, the rabbit-headed snake immediately closed its pair of red eyes and ignored them.
Upon seeing this, Huada immediately introduced him as if no one was watching: "The name of the rabbit-headed snake is Sakabi. It usually lives in caves in the mountains. Sometimes it will go down the mountain to attack lone travelers. It likes to bite people's armpits and suck their blood. .”
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingzhi's eyes immediately turned cold, he made a mental note, and then looked to the southeast.
Sitting alone in that corner was something that barely looked like a human being. His body was like a wooden stake as thick as a bowl, no more than four feet tall. The tattered cloth robe he was wearing was bulging, and there were long thorns on his exposed body. It was covered with large and small sarcomas and scabies, and not a single piece of good skin was visible on the whole body.
The top of its head was hairless and bumpy, and its face was swollen to a strange shape, with all its facial features squeezed into the gaps between the tumors. It looked disgusting and terrifying at the same time.
Sensing Qi Jingzhi's gaze, this sarcoma monster slowly turned his face, the corners of his mouth slowly cracked, revealing an extremely ugly smile.
Qi Jingzhi was slightly startled, and then nodded lightly towards the other party.
"That's the maple ghost, which is the form of a parasitic branch on an old maple tree nearby."
Fu Da was obviously very familiar with the spirits around Xiemaqiao, and he introduced them fluently: "I once heard someone say that the maple is where the wind gathers. If there is a gall, the wind god gathers it, and it is called a maple ghost."
"The so-called galls occur in old maples. When maple trees get old, they are prone to galls. If there are galls that attract the essence of the wind during thunderstorms, they may develop spirituality and turn into long three-five-year-olds overnight. The parasitic branches of Chi are shaped like human ghosts and have perfect mouth and eyes, so they are called maple people or maple ghosts."
"Those things on its body look like tumors, but they are actually just galls formed from the raised bark of the tree. Even though it looks ferocious and ugly, my uncle is a coward. He can't even fart with three sticks. He never fights with others and has no bad reputation."
Fu Da paused and then added: "Our brothers also asked this Fengzi ghost for help, but it turned out that maybe it was afraid of the Zhenshui Beast Head, or it didn't dare to offend those road gods and road ghosts, so it chirped for a long time. I can't bear to refuse, and I don't dare to nod in agreement. We brothers also know its temperament, so we won't embarrass it anymore."
Qi Jingzhi immediately looked away from Feng Zigui, looked down at Fanda, and asked with a chuckle: "Since the spirits are unwilling to rescue me, why don't you try to ask the humans for help?"
"The Xiema Bridge was built by the human race. You just said that women go to the stream to wash clothes. I think the water-suppressing beast heads on the bridge only have the effect of suppressing the spirits, but will not hinder the human race."
Hearing this, Fu Da sighed: "Of course I have tried it! In fact, as my benefactor said, if we want to save our brothers from trouble, even a mortal who is not skilled in spiritual practice will have a much easier time than an ordinary spirit."
"The Xie Ma Bridge is an important thoroughfare nearby. Every year, countless pedestrians, carriages and horses pass by it. Over time, the humane suppression force gathered in the head of the Zhenshui Beast is quite considerable. Our brothers are suppressed to the point where they cannot move. , only in the middle of the night when there are few people walking around, can I transform my body and come out to get some air."
Speaking of this, Yanda shook his head, with an expression that was hard to explain: "However, few humans rush at night. Occasionally, there are a few who see us from a distance, and either turn around and run away in fright, or they yell and scream. Killing, slashing, and shooting with arrows made our brothers fake their own deaths several times.”
"Tonight we also see that our benefactor is not like a mortal, he is handsome and has a kind face, and he is also stained with..."
Fuda paused suddenly, considered his words before whispering: "With that eye-catching aura, our brothers showed up to stop him, but we didn't dare to hope that we could be rescued from under the bridge by our benefactor."
Qi Jingzhi nodded in understanding and said in deep thought: "From what the old monster outside said, the inn here should also be opened by the human race, but it was used by Dao Chenghuang to hold a banquet tonight, so he did not entertain strangers. The original shopkeeper and inn Where are the men and even the travelers who stay here during the day?"
"Usually they are asleep in their own rooms and will not wake up until dawn. The spirits who come to the banquet know the rules and will not touch strangers in the shop easily."
Fuda replied without thinking, thinking that this was not the first time that the monster night banquet was held at Xie Ma Inn.
Qi Jingzhi felt a little relieved now, jumped down from Bannu, walked to the empty table under the west window, and occupied a bench by himself.
Bannu lay down behind him very wisely, consciously acting as a backrest.
This guy was born powerful and had extraordinary talents, but now his conduct is just ordinary. Especially after getting the Zuowu Banner and eating a lot of good food in Qihe Valley, the two evil spirits of gold and tiger in his body gradually purified. It didn't leak out at all, so neither the old monster at the entrance of the courtyard nor the monsters in this hall took it seriously.
The seven spoke boys also pushed the wheel and followed, sitting in twos and threes in an orderly manner, occupying the other three benches.
Qi Jingzhi glanced at the empty lobby counter and asked curiously: "The old monster outside is responsible for welcoming guests and preventing strangers from entering. I wonder who will be the shopkeeper and waiter?"
Hearing this, Hu Da burst into laughter, and then shouted loudly: "Chengdeqi, you old man is just lazy again, why don't you come out to greet the distinguished guest!"
It only called twice when the curtain that separated the lobby and the kitchen suddenly moved, and a short fat man opened the curtain and came out.
Qi Jingzhi could clearly see that this short fat man named Cheng Deqi was wearing a soap coat and a black hat, and his skin color was also dark.
It is only three feet tall, much shorter than Fengzi Ghost, but compared to Fengzi Ghost, which is no bigger than the mouth of a bowl, Chengdeqi's waist is extremely wide, and it looks like an upright stone roller. , very similar to the Shangu Lang who delivered the message for the three-eyed stone doll.
These Daqi spirits are more or less influenced by humane laws, and there are quite a few that have taken on human form, but it's hard to say how similar they are.
When Cheng Deqi saw the seven-spoke boy and the hardwood wheel, he couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Why did you come out?"
"What are you talking about! Why can't we come out?"
Fu Da was not happy immediately, and he and the other six boys also glared at Chengdeqi: "Our brothers have been suppressed for so many years, and finally we will meet a noble person, and the fortune will turn!"
Hearing this, Cheng Deqi let out a laugh, then turned to look at Qi Jingzhi, looking up and down for a while, then he held his fat belly with both hands and walked towards the west window in three unsteady steps. There was a faint sound of water.
Seeing it coming, Qi Jingzhi calmly stretched out his hand and wiped it on his waist. The gold medal of Gouchen Academy immediately disappeared into the mysterious robe and disappeared.
After a few breaths, Cheng Deqi walked closer and stood there. After he had regained his breath and the sound of water in his body had subsided, he calmly raised his head and cupped his hands, respectfully asking: "Excuse me. I am blind, I don’t know how to address this distinguished guest?”
Qi Jingzhi didn't answer but asked: "Are you the owner of this Xie Ma Inn?"
Cheng Deqi nodded slowly: "Cheng practices in this horse resting station on weekdays. He only comes out to support us at times like tonight."
Qi Jingzhi asked again: "Besides these monsters in front of you, who else is coming to the banquet tonight?"
Cheng Deqi seemed completely unsuspecting and answered all questions without hesitation: "Cheng just opened the door to welcome guests, but he really didn't know what happened. However, based on past experience, whenever the Tao Chenghuang Master sends an invitation, the people on this road in the north of Meizhou The gods and monsters will give you some face."
"There are not many that can be ranked among them. The first is the four black and white gods. These eight are the most close to Master Daochenghuang. The second is the nearby mountain spirits. The three most famous ones are Gao Tianzhang from Piling, Zhuyan Po from Xiashan, and Jin Ping Boy from Baqiu."
Qi Jingzhi's eyes widened after hearing this: "What are the temperaments and behavior of these three mountain spirits?"
Fu Da thought for a while and then said: "These three are quite famous. We brothers didn't dare to get too close before, and we don't know much about them. The reputations of Gao Tianzhang and Jin Ping Boy are pretty good, but only Shu The old woman is known to have a cruel temperament and is also a cannibal. Because the eyes of the human race are sideways, the old woman calls the strangers 'cross-eyed flesh'."
Qi Jingzhi couldn't help but frown. First, there was Sakabi, the strange snake that sucked human blood, and then Juyan Po, who treated human beings as meat. Could it be that all the Demon Suppressing Academy in Meizhou were just corpse-eaters? There is also the Tao Cheng Huang, who does not distinguish between good and evil, and associates with gangsters. He really does not look like a righteous god who has been enshrined.
Thinking of this, he nodded gently towards Cheng Deqi, who was standing quietly beside him: "As the shopkeeper knows, my surname is Lu, my name is Qiyun, my nickname is Linshanke, and I am also known as the Skinned Demon King. I am attending the banquet this time." It was invited by the two road gods from Niutouya."
Except for Cheng Deqi, who was a little surprised when he saw the seven spoke boys, he acted as if it had nothing to do with him and that the visitor was a guest. Hearing this, he bowed and said, "It turns out that the devil came all the way from Linzhou." Come! It will be time for the banquet in a little while. I wonder if the devil is very particular about food, so the shop can prepare it quickly."
Qi Jingzhi laughed and asked gently: "Is there any cross-eyed meat at today's banquet?"
Hearing the sound, Cheng Deqi raised his head and met three angry eyes. He immediately shook his head and said: "This place is the territory of the human race after all. Master Daochenghuang has always been strict and does not allow small shops to use strangers to cook."
Qi Jingzhi's tone did not change, he waved his hand and said: "Forget it, as long as it is human food."
Without waiting for the other party's agreement, he followed up and asked: "Shopkeeper Cheng is practicing in Xiema Inn. He has seen many guests coming from the south and north, and he must have seen something extraordinary like ordinary gods and monsters. Can you help me clear up my doubts?"
Cheng Deqi was stunned for a moment, and there was some doubt in his tone: "What does the Demon Lord want to ask? If you can tell, Cheng must know everything."
Qi Jingzhi then asked: "I have been to many states and counties, but I have only heard the names of Daocheng God and Road God in Meizhou. I don't know why?"
Cheng Deqi was stunned when he heard the words: "So that's it. Haojiao Lu Mojun learned that the area in the north of Meizhou is full of mountains and ravines. There are many forked roads in the mountains, and there are forked roads above the forked roads. Travelers who are not careful will be in trouble. If you get lost or even die in the mountains, even the local people often lose their way and have nowhere to look.”
"Over time, those divergent roads have suffered a lot of fear and confusion, and have spawned many Taoist monsters. They have even gradually spread southward, causing many divergent roads and dead ends on the ordinary roads outside the mountain. In order to deal with this situation, local officials and people want to After many methods, Daochenghuang and Lushen came into being."
Cheng Deqi paused, and suddenly asked: "Actually, if I want to make this clear, I need to first talk about the division of roads in this world, especially the various names of cross roads. Does the Demon Lord know about it?"
Qi Jingzhi simply shook his head: "I would like to hear the details!"
Cheng Deqi held up a cup of his big belly and talked eloquently: "According to a saying passed down from ancient times, if a road has no forks and ends in darkness, there is only one destination in the end, which is called Yida. Once reached, it is called the road.”
"If there is a fork in the road, there are two destinations, which is called Erda. Erda is called Qipang, which means the fork in the road, also called Qida."
"The three-way intersection is Sanda, which is called Jupang. The word 'Ju' means many, and 'Jubang' means there are many beside."
"By analogy, the crossroads have four branches, which are called thoroughfares. If one of the four thoroughfares diverges, it is like a plum blossom with five petals, which is five branches, and it is called Kang. There are many Kang thoroughfares in the mountains of Meizhou, which is Meizhou. The origin of the name; when three roads meet in one place, it is called a village."
"Nowadays, 'Kangqu' and 'Kangzhuang' are often used to refer to wide, flat, and well-connected roads. This is the origin. I heard that there are many Kangzhuang Qu in the capital of Qi Dynasty, which are known as Daobi Kangzhuang. Nothing goes wrong; every car follows the same track, and everything goes well."
"It's just that such a grand scene of humanity can only be found in the capital. The five-petaled plum blossoms in the local mountains and the fork in the road will only make it difficult for people to get lost. It is said that when Meizhou was founded, there were many road spirits running rampant in the mountains to the north. Its name It is called 'Ji', and it looks like a wild man, and there are monsters that breed on the thousand-year road. Its name is 'Fu', and it looks like a wild girl and is black."
"These Dao Jing road monsters caused a lot of harm but were repeatedly suppressed. It was not until the people of Meizhou erected an arrow-blocking monument to prevent the evil spirits and accidentally raised the black and white road monsters that they gradually disappeared, blocking Ji and Fu. The trend of southward spread.”
"Later, Master Daochenghuang came to the throne, and several generations of Daochenghuang succeeded each other. Finally, this road was used as a boundary to isolate most of the Daochenghuangs and other mountain spirits from the common people."
"Today, Meizhou's humanity has flourished, and even has enough energy to go north into the mountains, so that the large mountains to the south have no monsters. Ordinary people may have heard of the names of Daochenghuang and Black and White Road God, but they don't know what Ji and Fu are. .”
For a moment, Qi Jingzhi was entranced when he heard it.
With the Xuanjian of Heaven and Earth in hand, he traveled to Liaozhou in the East China Sea and paid homage to Xianyu Mountain. He asked himself that he had seen many kinds of spirits, but this was the first time he had heard of the Dao spirit monsters that were born along the forked roads. And according to Cheng Deqi, the Daochenghuang and the Black and White Road Gods are not without merit. Although the latter can also harm people, to the people of Meizhou in ancient times, they were the lesser of two evils.
The two pairs of black and white road gods in Budai Jian and Niutou Cliff were refined by the Xuanjian of Heaven and Earth. If they are spiritually aware at this time, they are afraid that they will give birth to the indignation and grievance that the birds are hiding and the rabbits are dead and the dogs are cooked.
Thinking of this, Qi Jingzhi nodded, and asked curiously: "Shopkeeper Cheng, is there any explanation for this path above the Sixth Level?"
"Of course there is."
Cheng Deqi continued: "Three roads intersect and one branch diverges into Qida, which is called Judi; four roads cross over and form Buda, which is called Chongqi; four roads meet and branch out again, which is Jiuda. The way of attainment is called Kui."
"It is said that the more wrong roads there are, the more powerful the spirits will breed. Therefore, there is a strict order in Meizhou that no road, whether official or private, should exceed five lengths. Otherwise, it will be punished as offering obscene sacrifices to evil gods! Even in the capital, the roads only stop at Kangzhuang. , to prevent the breeding of giant monsters."
(End of chapter)
