The shadow puppet troupe finally arrived in Youju Town on the ninth day of August.
People in Youju Town have the tradition of listening to shadow puppet shows at the autumnal equinox.
In recent days, continuous heavy rain has caused slippery mountain roads and muddy dirt roads, but the theater troupes still came as scheduled, which made the people overjoyed.
It's getting late.
Lanterns were hung high, and the stage was scrawled with a layer of faded colored cloth.
People with their children sat under the stage with great anticipation, eagerly waiting for the movie to start.
The foreigners who came here were also deeply affected. They stood in groups of twos and threes outside, with twinkling eyes, looking at the busy actors.
Everything is ready.
Behind the white cloth, a large lantern hung, illuminating the white cloth brightly.
The audience held their breath and waited eagerly, not daring to take a breath.
Suddenly there was a crisp banging sound.
"Leaving Da'eshan to Youju Town..."
The singing was as melodious as a lark, and two shadow puppets of women in colorful clothes jumped into the white cloth out of thin air.
"There is such a beautiful town in this world."
"Sister! We're here! It's so interesting here. Look, the men and women under the stage are all in pairs." Along with the rapid sound of bangzi, another girl with a playful accent sang.
"Yes. When you and I were practicing in Da'e Mountain, it was very cold in the cave, and the white clouds were deep every day. We wandered along the fir paths and stared at the cypress flowers. Now we come to Youju Town and appreciate the warm and soft water of this mountain, which makes people happy. Rejoice. Qingmei, come and see, there is the famous Feishan Mountain in front of you."
"Sister, since it is called Feishan, it should have the red-feathered sparrow. As everyone knows, the male red-feathered sparrow is called Fei, and the female red-feathered sparrow is called Cui. Together they are Jade."
The expressions of the people in the town suddenly became exciting.
The older generation all know that Weiren Mountain, which is the talk of the town, was actually called Feishan twenty or thirty years ago. Later, a group of bandits occupied Feishan to block roads and rob, so it was changed to Weiren Mountain.
One day, a miasma broke out in Feishan, and the bandits disappeared. The people in the town speculated that the miasma was God's punishment for the bandits' evil deeds.
Then, monsters and beasts appeared in the Villain Mountain, and the people in the town would rather take a long way around than pass by.
Bang bang bang...
The banging sound suddenly turned rapid.
The elder sister sang resolutely and sonorously: "Young sister!"
"Even though it's called Feishan, where does the red feather sparrow come from?"
"The miasma is everywhere here and monsters are rampant."
"Such a dangerous situation seems to be dangerous every step of the way."
"You and I should be more careful when we go down to Da'eshan."
"Don't lose your life by being careless."
The tone of the bangzi's voice changed.
I heard Qingmei yell, "Sister! Look, there is a young man walking over there carrying an iron sword. What a handsome character!"
The shadow puppet of a woman in colorful clothes pointed lively towards the outside of the town.
The people under the stage couldn't help but look outside.
Zhao Chan, carrying the iron sword on his back, happened to return to the town with Wang Huan.
Seeing everyone listening to the play looking over, Zhao Chan, who had just experienced the demon trouble, suddenly felt his scalp numb and unconsciously clutched the peach branch.
Wang Huan said softly: "Don't be nervous, it's just a shadow puppet troupe using local materials to perform."
The sound of bangs was banging, and the two female shadow puppets in colorful clothes on the white cloth seemed to be frozen.
Until the highest point.
The rhythm slows down.
The woman's voice was like a lark singing: "Where?"
"ah!"
"He is indeed a handsome young man! It's like a god in the sky and a man in the dust..."
The banging sound slowed down completely, like a shy beauty.
"It's like the wonderful scenery of Miaoshan and the carefree immortals."
The shadow puppet covered her head, and Qingmei said in surprise: "It's raining! Let's go, sister."
The people raised their heads and could not see any moonlight or stars. Sure enough, it was raining lightly.
Wang Huan whispered to Zhao Chan: "It's getting late. Go home. We'll talk about the thirty cents and the name of the Demon Slayer Division tomorrow."
"Thank you, Brother Wang." Zhao Chan took off his iron sword and handed it back to Wang Huan. Zhao Chan put a peach branch on his waist and ran back to Nongsui Lane where his ancestral home was located.
The common people who were excitedly watching the shadow puppet show sighed. If it rained, the show would be impossible to watch.
The leader of the theater troupe came out from behind the scenes with fists in his hands and told the people that they would stay in the town if they didn't leave for a short time. There would be a show to watch any day after the weather cleared. In this way, the people of Youju Town could go home quickly.
Foreigners who bought a house could go back to sleep there, while those who didn't buy a house had their own place to stay.
Wang Huan approached the class leader and asked, "Do you have a place to sleep?"
"Yes, yes, go to Xizhao Inn."
Nodding, Wang Huan returned to the Demon Slayer Division.
"He and the young man have a strong ghost aura about them." Qingmei said.
"Bang..." Bangzi made a sudden sound, mixed with the rain, and the tone was low.
"This heart has only rippled for thousands of years."
"But why is there such a sudden uproar today?"
Qingmei said: "Sister?"
"They smell of mountain ghosts. There must be a mountain ghost that can spit out money from mountain ghosts and is lurking near Youju Town. The mountain ghost is cunning, but he can't hide it from me."
Next to the big burning lantern, a pretty girl in green clothes held the arm of the woman in white and said: "Sister, the mountain ghost will not be slaughtered by ordinary people like them. Since he came back safe and sound, there must be something inside." . It’s better to use them as bait, catch the mountain ghost, and take it back to Da’e Mountain to spit out the money.”
The woman in white looked at the sister with bright eyes, white teeth and a slim figure, "Sister Qing, why don't you go get in touch with that young gentleman."
The green-green Rou Yi of the woman in white seemed to be strumming the strings at will. The actor in the troupe packed up the belongings faster and said with a smile: "That young man is handsome and handsome. The young girl is envious of the human man and woman Yan Couple, sister. Look, this is a marriage that is as beautiful as it is beautiful."
"Sister..."
The rest of the people were busy with their work and had no idea when there were two more fair-skinned women in the troupe. They only remembered the heavy rain, rolling mud and water, and the deafening explosion of flash floods on the mountain road to Youju Town. .
The lights in Xizhao Inn were shining silently.
The caravan passing by Youju Town drank heavily, ate meat, and fist-pumped, and from time to time, the peripheral vision fell on the proprietress facing the street.
The landlady has an extremely beautiful figure, her breasts are crushing, but her waist is full and voluptuous. Her fiery red lips are like bright hawthorns. These rough men, who have been sleeping in the open for almost ten years, secretly swallow their saliva so much that the meat and wine in their mouths no longer taste good.
The rain began with a rhythmic tinkling, then a little, then crackled down and turned into a heavy downpour.
Zhao Chan hurried past the inn door.
"Little toad!" the landlady shouted.
"Sister Wan'er!"
"Don't be out in the rain, come in and talk."
Looking at the soaked Zhao Chan, the proprietress led him into the inn. Her every move made the eyes of everyone in the caravan become even more intense and unbearable.
The landlady complained to Zhao Chan in a low voice: "Next time, don't follow the Demon Slayer Division around. What should you do if you encounter a danger that you can't deal with?"
Go into the wing.
On the table, there are one dish, one soup and four steamed buns.
"I'll heat it up for you. You sit down and rest for a while."
"I'll just go home and eat."
"Have you forgotten what you promised me?"
He shook his head.
"I told you to come to my place to eat when you come back, and I don't need a pair of chopsticks from you. These meals are the leftovers from me. Do you think I will cook them specially for you?"
The proprietress came out of the wing, and the caravan men who were drinking and eating meat in the hall all stared at her breasts.
A Ping stood under the eaves of the backyard reading a novel and followed her into the kitchen.
"You're so seriously injured, I'm afraid you won't be able to complete the task assigned by your master." The landlady poured the vegetables into the pot, threw two pieces of firewood into the stove, and patted the dust on her hands.
The sword marks on A Ping's forehead were illuminated by the firewood: "The mountain ghost of Zhenren Xiaoshui devoured a whole village of people outside the town."
"Mountain ghost? Haha, you are so arrogant. You are not afraid that the mountain ghost will be taken away by others." The landlady sneered.
"What's strange is that I haven't seen Master Xiaoshui for a long time. Is it possible that I sent this mountain ghost to visit first? To test the quality of other monks?" A Ping looked at the firewood and pondered.
"An old bastard who is in the low-level fate-knowing realm, but owns a 'coin furnace' that can spit out money from mountain ghosts. He is just seeking death. Aping, tell me the truth, can you beat Xiaoshui now?"
"Disaster."
A Ping looked at the jumping firewood and added: "It's difficult."
She considered it and said: "On August 12th, the seal on my body will be released. You and I will work together to kill the old bastard in Xiaoshui and snatch the mountain ghost. I will try my best to help you complete the task of the master. Six or four points, you six, I Fourth, whether this thing succeeds or not, the mountain ghost must belong to me."
A Ping asked: "Where is the Demon Slayer Department in Youju Town? Where are the lives of the people? Where are the monks who have been waiting here for a long time?"
"Ah Ping, Ah Ping, you are a man with a lot of skills, how can you be like a little bitch? The demon slayers in Youju Town are all ordinary people, and the most powerful Wang Huan is only in the high-level body training realm. They If you die, you will die. Then again, it doesn't matter if there is one less Zhao Chan, I will send him away in advance."
The landlady stared at him: "As for these monks who are joining in the fun, you and I can kill them all!"
"Let me think of any way to save the lives of the people." A Ping shook her head.
She dismissed it: "Killing them all is the only way. I have been in the town for eight years and I can see it more clearly than you."
Putting the hot food on the tray, the two entered the inn hall.
Everyone in the caravan was drinking heavily. The so-called drunkenness makes people brave. Some people deliberately teased: "Madam boss, the man next to you is your new mistress? Are you afraid that the biological father of the child in the wing will come to you and ask for an explanation?" ?”
The face of the landlady remained unchanged. She had heard countless rumors in the town over the years.
A Ping glanced at the man unhappily.
"Is it possible that the brothers stepped on the tip of your tail? Hahaha..."
The landlady's red lips parted slightly, but she didn't say a word in the end. She sighed slightly, and her murderous intention arose.
Someone walked up to her with a knife. This man was a thug hired by the caravan. He was born with great strength. No less than fifteen monsters were killed by the knife. When he arrived at the inn, he coveted the hot-bodied landlady: "You are a bitch, don't do it." You are pretending to be a lady, sleep with us tonight, I will give you enough money, we will cherish you, hehe..."
Everyone in the caravan laughed with evil intentions.
Zhao Chan silently took the food that the landlady had heated, put it gently on the table, and then returned to the landlady's side.
The young man took a deep breath and asked in a low voice: "Sister Wan'er, are you angry?"
"What are you talking about? Sister Wan'er has been running the inn for eight years. She welcomes guests and drops off every day. Her ears are calloused by these gossips."
"It's time to be angry."
The lady boss looked at Zhao Chan's serious face and smiled helplessly: "Okay, okay, I'm really angry."
A Ping carried his sword and was filled with anger. He wanted to teach these daring businessmen a lesson, but he remained motionless, as if he was worried about something.
Zhao Chan took in A Ping's expression and said to the landlady: "I'll help Sister Wan'er vent her anger."
After that, he walked towards the man holding the knife.
The young man said calmly: "My name is Zhao Chan, a demon slayer from the Demon Slayer Division of Youju Town. You saw me and Wang Huan and Wang Lishi going to deal with the demon problem."
"so what?"
"Boy, are you a bastard born to the boss's wife and a wild man?"
One person hesitated and said: "You are just doing odd jobs for Wang Lishi, so stop bluffing people!"
Zhao Chan said very few words. After finishing speaking, he picked up the bench and hit the man with the knife on the head.
In an instant, the man's head was bruised and bleeding, and the bench was split in half.
Zhao Chan tightened his grip on the peach branch inserted sideways at his waist.
Due to the sudden change, all the merchants were keeping an eye on him, and the heavy rain outside the inn seemed to have stopped.
The landlady covered her red lips with shock on her face.
A Ping's eyes flashed past the three-foot peach branch.
The peach branch was extremely sharp, and he saw with his own eyes that the peach branch could easily cut off the demon possessed by the mountain ghost.
The merchants stood up with their swords in hand.
The man who was hit with a bench by Zhao Chan, whose head was bruised and bloody, was stunned for a long time and immediately wanted to kill him with a knife.
A Ping placed her hand on the hilt of the sword.
"Dare you attack the Demon Slayer Division?!" Zhao Chan panted heavily and asked calmly.
As soon as these words came out, not only the other merchants were hesitant, but also the big man holding the knife whose head was bleeding was stunned.
Yes, if Zhao Chan is really the demon slayer of the Demon Slayer Division, can they afford this crime? !
Who doesn't know that the most protective person in the Demon Slayer Division is?
If you are verbally provocative, you may be convicted of obstructing the demon slaying, and you may be imprisoned for several years before you see the light of day again...
But if he moved his hands or even injured the demon slayer, he could only wash his neck and wait for his head to move.
Businessman, you look at me and I look at you, standing still at a loss what to do.
A Ping lowered her hand from the hilt of the sword, and the anger on her face disappeared.
Zhao Chan glanced at A Ping, walked to the landlady, and after breathing smoothly, asked in a low voice: "Sister Wan'er, have you vented your anger now?"
The landlady looked surprised, covered her mouth and asked, "Is the little toad repaying me?"
"Sister Wan'er gave me food, I can't just eat and drink for free," he said.
"Okay, okay, look at the sweat on your forehead, go and eat quickly."
After coaxing Zhao Chan into the side room, she turned around and smiled at the caravan members: "It's all a misunderstanding. I'll treat you to this meal."
"The boss lady is too polite. It's really a misunderstanding!" the caravan leader apologized with an embarrassed smile.
The shadow puppet troupe came to Xizhao Inn in the rain.
A group of actors rushed into the hall. The leader glanced at the merchants and asked the proprietress: "Are there any food and guest rooms?"
"Yes, yes." She greeted him with a smile.
The class leader waved his hand: "Feel free to serve good wine and good meat. Today is the autumnal equinox, which is a good solar term. You guys eat and drink with your belly open. After eating and drinking, you can have a peaceful sleep!"
The troupe actors immediately beamed and cheered, and now they no longer felt the coldness of the autumn rain.
The woman in white and the girl in green were sitting quietly by the window.
A Ping glanced at them and frowned for a moment.
