"Brothers, we are all ghosts in the world of the underworld, and we know very well the hardships of these lonely ghosts."
"In the city of Qiantang, the living are always on guard against the dead, just like those who print books, make clothes, and engrave gold and silver. They don't teach us to participate in the honorable business. Even if we pretend to be alive and hide it, if our identity is accidentally revealed for a moment, , immediately summoned the monks to drive him away, and the Taoist priests to kill him. I just got up early and stayed in the dark, scrimped and saved some money, and there were ghosts, wandering gods, evil spirits and scoundrels asking for money!"
"Not to mention that the divine light everywhere made our souls uneasy, the cold wind blew all over our bodies, and the cold fog made our bodies tremble and our teeth tremble from time to time. We are not at all as carefree as those who fly to the mountains."
"But why would hundreds of thousands of dead people in the city prefer to die in the city rather than seek refuge in Feilai Mountain?"
"It's not because of the hardship in the mountains! We eat grass and wild fruits, drink dew and cold springs, wear grass and leaves, trees and vines, and sleep in caves and forest streams. In Qiantang City, there are still Shigu sacrifices every month, and from time to time I can pick up some cold meat with residual fragrance, but in Feilai Mountain, the only company is the mountain breeze."
When it comes to making money and reincarnating, Huang Wei is always full of action, so he dragged Li Changan to Feilaishan that day.
Thanks to Fifth Sister He, there were no little ghosts blocking the way this time, and we soon met the leader of the ghosts in the mountains - Tong Hu at Pochi Taoist Temple.
Huangwei immediately drew a big cake for him, attracting many ghosts to come and watch. Soon, the Taoist temple was crowded with all kinds of evil ghosts. They showed various signs of death and were so fierce that if an ordinary mage saw it, he would have to go see the ancestor on the spot. .
Huang Wei calmly moved closer to Li Changan.
"But I have a little doubt. It is recorded in "Qian Tang Tong Zhi" that Feilai Mountain in the past was famous for its rich products. And from what I can see with my eyes, this statement is true. You guard the treasure mountain, but you can only sneak in from time to time. People who beg for food in the city are despised by the world and are given the bad name of 'the invisible thief'. It is really puzzling to think that he is holding a golden bowl and begging for food."
As soon as this statement came out, there was an uproar in the Taoist temple.
While everyone is bemoaning their situation, you tell them that you are solely to blame.
The group of ghosts were very irritable, Xiao Qi was the most impatient, and immediately said angrily:
"The yellow-haired face talks so rudely! There are more ghosts in the mountains than rats. Every time you dig up a fat worm, you have to be wary of being snatched by others. There are not even a bird in the forest. How can there be abundance?"
All the ghosts responded one after another, and the Yin Qi enveloped them miserably. Huang Wei took another step towards the Taoist priest.
He had been waiting for this sentence for a long time, smiled, and looked confident:
"There are so many fierce ghosts in the mountains, and the ferocious atmosphere is so deep that birds and beasts naturally dare not approach them. But let me ask you, is there honey in the mountains?"
The group of ghosts murmured for a while, "Nothing, a hanged ghost came out."
"There are many beehives in the woods in the north of the mountain, but the black blind man is watching closely, so we can't eat them."
Huang Wei nodded: "One pound of honey on the market is priced at 600 wen. If there is good royal jelly, the price is better than gold. It is not a lie."
He smiled and asked again: "Is there any firewood in the mountains?"
The ghosts laughed loudly: "There are vegetation everywhere in the mountains, how can there be no firewood?"
Huang Wei nodded again: "A load of firewood is 200 Wen, and a pound of charcoal is 30 Wen."
He asked again: "Are there bamboo shoots, mushrooms, chestnuts and other mountain products?"
At this time, the ghosts answered quickly: "There are large bamboo forests in Shanyang, and there is no shortage of bamboo shoots. As for mushrooms and chestnuts, we eat them every day."
Huang Wei nodded again: "Dried bamboo shoots are 400 Wen per catty, flower mushrooms are 25 Wen per catty, and chestnuts are 70 Wen per catty."
Ghosts are also transformed from humans.
The ghosts didn't understand Huang Wei's meaning. They had a chaotic quarrel, but Xiao Qi came out and shouted: "We all know what Huang Langjun said. It's just that the living are afraid of us and don't dare to come to the mountains to collect goods; we don't care about the city either."
If the temple is happy, if you get close to Qiantang, you will be expelled. No matter how valuable the things in the mountains are, they can't be sold, so what can we do?"
The ghosts responded with another commotion, and the evil spirit surged more and more.
The hanged ghost's long tongue was about to hit Huang Wei's face, and the headless ghost's neck blood spurted to the Taoist priest's feet... All kinds of ferocious and fierce appearances were almost right in front of his eyes!
Huangwei's legs and stomach were trembling, but for the sake of a small amount of money, he managed to stay calm and calm.
He smiled and pointed at himself and Li Changan, the meaning was self-evident.
"What does he mean? Give it to them? We don't even have enough to eat."
"Idiot! What he means is that they will help us sell it."
"Hey, who are you talking about, idiot?"
"Idiot said...you talkative talker, are you smart now? Just watch!"
Putting aside the struggling group of people, most of the fierce ghosts were already moved, but after all, there were too many heads and it was difficult to unify their opinions, so they were still in a quarrel.
Huangwei continued his efforts:
"Feilaishan has many products, but the most valuable ones are not honey, firewood, and mountain products, but medicinal herbs. Most of the Chinese medicinal herbs in Qiantang City are sold from other places and are expensive. As long as we transport the medicinal herbs out, we don't have to worry about sales.
Supplemented by all kinds of mountain goods, we can make money every month..."
He paused deliberately.
"Not worth a hundred taels!"
Huang Wei was so excited that he didn't care about being afraid.
"The grains on the market only cost ten yuan per catty, and pork is the cheapest, only four or fifty yuan per catty. Herbs are just weeds in the mountains, but they can be exchanged for countless rice and meat when sold for money. How can it not be better than eating in the wind and drinking dew?
"
Who is willing to eat grass roots if there is rice and meat? People want to live a good life, and so do ghosts. The Taoist temple was already noisy, and a ghost shouted loudly:
“Pork is stinky, but mutton is delicious!”
The Taoist priest complained that the front man was still eating worms, so this one thinks the pork is coquettish? But Huang Tail nodded firmly: "The mutton is twice as much as the pork, but it's only 80 yuan."
"You can't have meat without wine."
"It's easy to say, a pound of soju is 15 cents."
"I want salt! I want cloth!"
"A stone of salt costs 30 coins, and a foot of white coarse cloth also costs 30 coins."
How could the group of ghosts hold back, they all came to ask for sauce, vinegar, tea, raw heads, boots, pots, bowls, dice... even the decapitated ghost couldn't squeeze in, so he asked
The head was taken off and thrown over.
His head rolled around the Taoist priest's feet, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Chungong Tu! Chungong Tu!"
Li Changan kicked the "ball" far away as if nothing happened.
Huang Tail over there has already thrown out the last bargaining chip:
"I heard that the reason why Wannian Gong has been ill for a long time and difficult to cure is all due to the accumulation of resentment in the mountains. If I can exchange money for it, I might be able to invite a mage to go to the altar to pray for blessings and resolve resentments. In this way, can the pond of resentment in the mountains be cleared up and the entanglements can be cured?
What about Wannian Gong’s stubborn illness?”
This sentence seemed to have magic power, and the noisy Taoist temple suddenly became quiet. The ghosts focused their eyes on the bronze tiger, and every sight was full of hope.
Tonghu, who had been silent until now, finally spoke:
"We can't make the decision on this matter, so we must report it to my lord."
…………
"No."
It is still a courtyard transformed by branches and leaves.
Huangwei painted the cake again, but Wan Nianjun refused.
Huang Wei was anxious: "Lang Jun! This is the best of both worlds, why..."
Li Changan held him back: "Does Wan Nian Gong have concerns?"
Wan Niangong did not answer, but asked: "How do you two plan to collect mountain products and herbs?"
"All kinds of mountain products can be collected by everyone in the mountains. For the remaining herbs, we have negotiated with Wuniang. Initially, she can take the children up the mountain to collect herbs. When the business stabilizes, we will find a few dead people who know herbal medicine to replace them."
"That's it." Wannian Gong sighed, "That's why it can't be done."
He poured tea for the Taoist priest and Huang Wei: "The two of you planned well, but unfortunately it was too late."
Then he asked again: "The Taoist priest knows the Dharma and is knowledgeable about the mysteries. He should know the difference between serious ghosts and ordinary ghosts."
"I don't dare to take it seriously." Li Changan took a sip of tea and his whole body felt cool. "Ghosts are just dead people, but evil ghosts have too deep obsessions and too much resentment, and their minds can easily be robbed by vicious auras."
"When the Taoist priest went up the mountain, how many ghosts did he see?"
Li Changan really counted them.
"Forty to five."
Wannian Gong was silent for a while after hearing this, and then he sighed: "Two more are missing."
Tong Hu, who was standing next to him, quickly comforted him: "It's my fault that I failed to wait, and it's not my fault."
Wan Niangong waved his hand and asked again: "Has the Taoist priest ever seen the black pool at my feet?"
"Of course." Li Changan nodded. The pond of resentment was deep and wide, which impressed him deeply.
Wan Niangong smiled softly and said: "Such a big pool, how can it be built up by the grievances of dozens and hundreds of evil ghosts?"
He said calmly.
"For a thousand years, I have been ordered by the Heavenly Master to guard Feilai Mountain. At the same time, I have also taken in the evil ghosts hiding in the mountain and helped them resolve their grievances. But I overestimated my ability. The number of evil ghosts in the mountain increased every year. I resolved their grievances.
However, my ability has not increased. Over time, my resentment has condensed into a pool, eroding my roots from time to time. Two hundred years ago, the children in the mountains noticed my predicament and refused to hand over their resentment to me."
"The forty-five that the Taoist priest saw are the only remaining ghosts in the mountain who can suppress resentment and maintain reason. Most of the rest have scattered into the mountain. They are always tortured by resentment, and most of them have lost their human bodies. At the same time,
The trees, rocks, birds, beasts, and even miasma in the mountains combine to make them less awake and more mad. I can only restrain them reluctantly to prevent them from going down the mountain to cause trouble."
"The honey, firewood, wild products, and herbs that the two of you asked for are all in their hands."
The two ghosts looked at each other. They considered everything but forgot this point.
I have really stayed in the peaceful and peaceful Qiantang City for a long time, and I thought that even the evil ghost king has rules to follow, not to mention that there is Wannian Gong in Feilai Mountain to control it, but I forgot that there is no reason for evil ghosts to be explained.
Huangwei scratched his ears and cheeks, and then asked: "What if we ask Brother Bronze Tiger to take care of us when collecting herbs?"
Wannian Gong shook his head and said nothing, but Bronze Tiger crossed his arms and sneered: "Who do you think is the most resentful person who came to the mountain? Why does a certain person wear this bronze mask? And why does he spend all day with the statue in the temple?
Partner? It’s not just to suppress the violence in your chest!”
Huangwei didn't dare to say anything, he just sighed with a tearful face.
Li Changan drank the tea in one gulp and thought for a long time.
If it comes to restraining evil ghosts and evil spirits, isn't Lushan Cult the best at it?
"Did Wannian Gong ever know the art of entering the mountain?"
…………
There is an article in "Baopuzi": Anyone who wants to combine medicine with the Tao and live in seclusion to avoid chaos must go into the mountains. However, those who do not know the method of entering the mountains will often encounter disasters. Therefore, there is a proverb that says, under the Taihua, the bones are scattered...
…The sergeant went into the mountain, took the inscriptions of the Three Emperors and the true shape map of the Five Mountains, summoned the mountain god where he was, and followed the ghost records, summoned the state society and the Shanqing’s house to ask questions, but the strange wood and stone, the essence of the mountains and rivers, did not dare to test people.
.Then he immediately set up seventy-two fine talismans to control all evils...
Of course, Li Chang'an was not a scholar. He did not have the inner text of the Three Emperors or the true shape map of the Five Mountains, so he could not record the ghost records, Zhaozhou Society and Shanqing Zhaiwei. He also did not have the names of the monsters in the mountains, so he could not create the Chapter of Hundred Evils.
But this idea can be used, the key lies in the "name".
When the ancients named them, they would inform the gods and mountains and lands of the four directions, thinking that the name was an important part of a person.
Among the people, there is the nightmare technique of "calling names to capture souls". In the Qian and Tang Dynasties, there was the custom of "letting names of gods and Buddhas".
There is a mysterious connection between a name and its owner. In the hands of a skilled warlock, getting a person's name means being able to control everything about that person.
Li Chang'an thought that if he could get all the powerful men in the mountain to hand over their names and list them into a talisman, combined with Lu Mountain's method of restraining the Five Rams, and his own "Expelling Gods" transformation, he should be able to create a "Li Xuanxiao Mountain Talisman".
”.
It is used to suppress the fierce and stubborn ghosts in the mountains, so that the person wearing the talisman will not be harmed by the group of evil spirits, but can get help from them in the mountains.
After telling his thoughts, the Taoist said calmly:
"If you get the names of ghosts and gods, you will be qualified to summon ghosts and gods. The poor Taoist only wants to walk peacefully in the mountains, and has no intention of seeking soldiers and horses under the altar. After making the urn, you can give it to Wannian Gong and let Lang Jun come.
Give me the 'Enter the Mountain Talisman'."
"It doesn't matter."
Wannian Gong didn't seem to care about this, and instead asked the Taoist priest.
"I see that there seems to be an air of purity and righteousness in the soul of the Taoist Priest? I don't know where it comes from."
"I don't know, sir." Huangwei turned around and replied quickly, "There are several families in the city who have brought the Taoist priest's magic tablet into their homes, and they have a name called the 'Ten Coin God'!"
"
But Wannian Gong shook his head: "The villagers' wild sacrifices are full of incense and cannot be a true god."
Li Changan thought for a moment: "Is it possible that a few days ago, by chance, I had some merit and got a wind, fire and thunder in my name?"
"I see." Wan Nian Gong nodded, "His name is Lei Mansion, and he can be considered as half a Heavenly Cao. The Taoist Master must be an upright and benevolent person."
"Have you prepared the materials for making the ritual pot?"
“It’s not something ordinary yellow paper can accomplish, and things happen unexpectedly. How can we prepare?”
"That's good!"
Wan Niangong stood up with a smile and waved in the air.
But I saw the sky above me suddenly disintegrating into large branches and leaves. Through the gaps between the leaves, I could see tall and tall trees as tall as mountains.
No need to take a closer look.
The branches and leaves condensed into the sky again.
Wannian Gong already had an extra scroll in his hand.
"How about using this?"
Li Changan took it in his hand and immediately noticed that it was extraordinary. The scroll was simple on the outside, but there was a hidden spirit inside. It should have been refined by Wannian Gong using his own branches and bark.
Open it up.
The scroll is not blank, there is a name written on it - Wannian Jun.
Li Changan was surprised: "This?"
Wan Niangong said calmly: "The children in the mountains are used to being wild. Without my name, how can I control their stubbornness? I dare not ask for anything else. I only hope that under the restraint of the Taoist priest, they can regain their true nature a little bit."
That’s all.”
The Taoist priest stood up and bowed deeply.
…………
It's night.
Thick fog rose from the sea, submerging Qiantang bit by bit, first the rivers, then the streets, and finally the high eaves and pavilions, and then overflowed the gates of the city wall, flooded the surrounding suburbs, and reached the foot of the mountain. Then it was like a sea tide that met the embankment and rolled back.
go back.
On the top of Feilai Mountain, look down from a high position.
Heaven and earth are clearly separated.
The sea is one layer, the fog is one layer, the mountains are one layer, and the moon and sky are another layer.
"Taoist priest, Taoist priest!" Xiaoqi's cheers came first before the others arrived, "Should we go grab names?!"
"It's borrowing, not robbing."
Huang Wei retorted seriously, then laughed again.
"Wannian Gong and Brother Tonghu have already handed over their names, why don't you hand them over too?"
"Bah! The yellow-haired face is so shameless!"
Xiao Qi spat and turned around proudly. At night, his image changed drastically. Long and gorgeous feathers grew from his shoulder blades to the outer parts of his arms. They were colorful and changing under the moonlight, which was really beautiful.
"Xiao Qi is a free bird, big brother has nothing to do with me!"
The fierce ghosts in the mountains are more and more rebellious. It is difficult to get them to hand over their names willingly just by relying on Wannian Gong's orders. Li Changan has to "persuade" them one by one.
Wannian Gong cannot leave the valley, Bronze Tiger cannot leave the Taoist temple for a long time, and the other ghosts are too weak, only Xiaoqi - he is not actually a ghost, but a spirit that combines the essence of the mountain and ghosts, and his mind is not affected by the evil.
Because he was familiar with every plant and tree in the mountains, he was arranged to lead the Taoist priest.
Huangwei and Xiaoqi were still bickering over there.
Here Li Changan drank the turbid wine given by Tonghu.
He raised his head and took a long breath.
The moon is at the middle of the sky, which is when all ghosts are traveling.
…………
"Except when collecting honey, Mr. Xiong sleeps all day long and only wakes up at 16:00."
The first stop was a forest on the north side of Feilai Mountain.
The ancient trees are towering, so the moonlight is dim.
But deep into the center of the forest, there was a huge boulder lying across it, and there was a gap in the continuous tree dome. The moonlight poured in, reflecting the flowers and rocks on the ground, as well as the huge beehive on the old tree next to it.
Huang Wei looked around and saw that the scenery was so quiet that it was difficult to relate the word "serious ghost" to it.
Qidao: "Where is Master Xiong?"
"The old man is here."
The old and deafening words were accompanied by rumbles on the ground.
The huge rock in the forest suddenly sat up. It turned out that it was not a mountain rock, but a terrifyingly large black bear.
The black bear lowered his head, with a sad old man's face.
"Little bird, are they the Taoist priests my lord is talking about?"
"Yes, that's him." After Xiao Qi answered, he took out a bunch of dead mice and said, "Master Xiong, I want to exchange for honey!"
"Okay, okay, I'll give it to you later."
Mr. Xiong's eyes turned to Li Changan.
"My lord has an order, and I should obey it. Taoist priest, please come close."
Li Chang'an stepped forward calmly, and when he got closer, he realized that he had seen it wrong just now. Xiong was actually not a bear. His body was made of bluestone, and his "fur" was thick grass on the stone. He was a rock shaped like a big bear.
The Taoist priest lowered his head to take out the scroll.
I asked casually: "Is Xiong my father-in-law's real surname?"
"I'm too old to remember. The little ghosts in the mountains also call me 'Black Blind Man', so I can use this name."
"Is my husband in the body of a bear or in the body of a stone?"
no answer.
Xiaoqi's smile faltered, she lost the mouse, strangled Huangwei's neck with one hand, and flew back with the other hand.
Li Changan saw a shadow suddenly pressing down from the corner of his eye.
Without thinking.
He jumped up onto the ancient branch next to him.
next moment.
The huge bear's paw fell heavily, setting off earth and rocks like waves, and strong winds like waves. Then the giant bear stood up and roared under the moon.
Xiao Qi couldn't stabilize his figure in the wind, and fell down together with Huang Tai who rolled his eyes. He shouted:
"Oops! It's too long!"
The ancient tree swayed endlessly in the wind. Li Changan stabilized the branches and pulled down the edge of the bamboo hat to block the sand and soil flying in the air waves.
Talk too much?
Did it mean that it delayed Mr. Xiong’s time to wake up? Or was there a wrong sentence that made him go crazy?
It's a pity that I don't have time to think about it.
The mountain-like body of Mr. Xiong was already chasing after him. He opened his mouth and bit, and with the sound of the impact of solid rocks, the giant tree immediately broke apart!
But Li Changan had already used the lightness of his soul to jump away in time, using the strength of the bear's head to fly to the side, and there was already a branch as thick as an arm in his hand.
He muttered the words and then threw them out with all his strength.
But I saw a blade-like white light streaking through the air, and the branch actually penetrated the hard bluestone and penetrated deeply into Mr. Xiong's legs.
The damage was minimal, but it made Mr. Xiong even more crazy.
With Li Chang'an constantly attacking and biting, the Taoist priest could only rely on his dexterity to maneuver around, occasionally throwing out a branch. For a while, the big trees in the forest were like weeds, being broken and broken.
The nearby big tree was almost broken, and Li Changan could no longer find cover to dodge when Master Xiong pounced again.
But he suddenly staggered, and his huge body fell down, causing the entire forest to shake.
Xiao Qi said "Yeah" from afar.
Huang Wei, who was hiding aside, quickly looked over.
But I saw four or five branches stuck in the crook of Mr. Xiong’s legs. In a short period of time, these branches gave birth to new buds, spurred out branches, entangled with each other, and formed a noose to lock Mr. Xiong’s joints.
This caused him to lose his balance for a moment.
A small branch is not worth mentioning to Mr. Xiong's huge body, and can be torn off with a little force.
But when he tried to get up.
Li Changan had quietly stood in front of him.
Holding the yellow talisman, he pressed his forehead.