Volume 1, Huangquan, December, Chapter 141: The labor of dogs and horses
The sky is peaceful and bright, and it is bright and dark.
This was the third day they spent on the boat. Occasionally they went ashore, and the crew on the boat went to buy some necessities. At this time, they went to the shore for a walk. They were used to the ups and downs of the river, and when they landed they were all
There is an illusion of shaking up and down.
This ship is a cargo ship, and carrying people is just a side job. In addition to their four guests, there are also many crew members. Because it is going down the river, there is no need to paddle now, so everyone is relatively leisurely.
It was dark, the river was very quiet, reflecting the trembling moon with sparkling light.
"Legend has it that there is a river that flows in the opposite direction."
Zhou Pan, who was standing by the boat admiring the moon, knew someone was approaching him without turning around. His sudden words made Shan Hai feel puzzled.
"You mean...Zangtou River?"
"Yes. Rumor has it that it is the place where life and death meet. There is a leafless flower blooming there, which is red and like fire."
"Some want to meet."
Zhou Pan looked back at him and said with a smile: "If you see him, you won't be able to come back."
Dai Luan was not asleep yet. She walked out of the tent, rubbed her groggy eyes, and came to the side of the boat together. The mountains and seas pulled her in, fearing that she would fall accidentally. But the boat stood firmly on the bow of the boat.
, without any fear.
"Where is Liangqiu?"
"She fell asleep. She's always tired lately."
"Well, it's good to be able to sleep. Why don't you rest?"
"I can't sleep..." She rubbed her eyes again, "Shanhai, when can we go ashore?"
"I don't know. I think it should be soon."
Zhou Pan turned around and took two steps forward, farther away from the water. He asked with interest:
"As the leader, you don't know when to get off the boat?"
"indeed."
Although Shanhai admitted it, he never mentioned anything more, which was his style. The map that she couldn't understand was still with Mu Wan, and she always kept it close to Zhou, for fear of losing it again.
Seeing that he didn't mean to continue, Dan deliberately asked.
"Are you looking for someone or something?"
"Let it go. Maybe it's a person, maybe it's an object."
Dai Luan looked at the mountains and seas, and then at Zhou Pan. Their faces were equally calm, and they seemed to be interested in this topic, but not so interested. She turned to Zhou Pan and said:
"What about you? Where are you going? If you want to see all the scenery of the Central Plains, you can't see anything interesting after walking all the way to Tianshui Road."
"Well... you are very smart. It doesn't hurt to tell you - but, do you like dogs?"
"...Dog?" Dai Luan immediately thought of Mu Wan's Tiangu and asked alertly, "What's wrong with the dog?"
"Nothing. I'm going to a place... full of 'dogs'. This is something entrusted to me by Wuchang."
"Impermanence?" Shanhai noticed.
"Yes. Xi Shu Wenxiang - a shabby poor scholar. We met hundreds of years ago, when he was still alive. At that time, I had just learned how to transform. It's a boring story, nothing.
mean."
Dai Luan opened her eyes wide, no sleepiness at all.
"Do you know Suzuki-kun?!"
"Isn't it strange? Aren't you also related to some impermanence? Or...do you also know him?"
"Well, I guess..." She hesitated. Shanhai didn't interrupt. He wasn't sure whether Zhou Pan knew about Wan Guizhi, and was still observing calmly.
"But it has nothing to do with me..." Zhou Pan turned back and glanced at the moon, "Liangyue Jun helped me find a geomantic treasure land for the princess to bury her properly. In order to thank him, I agreed to investigate something for him.
"
Dai Luan couldn't help but mutter: "Why is this guy so free? He leaves everything to others..."
"Hahaha, not necessarily. As an Impermanent Ghost, he is indeed very busy. He asked me to go to a county in the north. Some rules were...challenged there. Many Onmyoji and monsters gathered there, and there was a lot of money.
flow……"
"Does this have anything to do with it?" Dai Luan didn't understand. "And the dog I mentioned before, what does it have to do with it."
Zhou Pan took a deep breath.
"How can I put it... it's very chaotic there. Although it's just a small county town, it's very lively underground. Do you know the markets where cockfighting, dog fighting, and cricket fighting are held? It's the same there. There's a very famous dog farm.
'.In fact, it's not dogs that are fighting each other, but monsters."
"What..." Shan Hai heard this for the first time, "There is such a place? Are you here to deal with this place for Liang Yue-kun?"
"No, it's not. Everything that exists has its own rationality. There are also rules there, and we have no right to interfere. Furthermore, if something big happened, Yama would have sent people to solve it long ago... I'm going to
Find a person somewhere and bring that person to him."
Although Shan Hai subconsciously wanted to ask "who", he himself did not confess their purpose to Zhou Pan, so it was inconvenient to ask. Dai Luan may also know this, so she asked another question.
"What does that 'dog farm' look like?"
"I haven't seen it either. But I heard from Xi Shuwen that it's bigger than an ordinary cage for animals - it's an entire platform with high walls and iron nets. But it's not so much a platform as it is a platform.
It's a pit. People are standing in a circle and looking in, just like you are fighting crickets... It's just that the people inside are fighting to the death, they are monsters. Occasionally there are people. So the 'net' is more special. It should be people who have read scriptures or
Sprinkle the talisman water and set up the formation, otherwise something would have happened."
"That must be... very exciting."
Dai Luan answered like this, but her expression didn't change. Sometimes Shan Hai couldn't quite understand her. He didn't know if she was really indifferent by nature, or if she was just like him, with a cold face and was not used to having more expressions.
At this point, it seems that the master and apprentice are carved from the same mold.
"I think so. There are many onmyojis who you think are not good people gathered there. In addition to the onmyojis who come to inquire about the secret information, there are also some orthodox people like you who don't like... there are also some demon hunters.
Demon envoys. They put the monsters they captured and tamed in them, and signed life and death certificates for them, and more people came to place bets. The money there is dirty, and it usually has to be 'washed' before it can be used. The county government is
By default, that place is poor and poor, and it is impossible to get rich without some gimmicks. But they are still very poor after such a long time... Probably most of the time, they pour money from their left hand to their right hand."
"I don't like this..." Dai Luan said, "I also don't like dog fighting or cricket fighting. I found it interesting when I was a child, but when I grow up I don't want to watch them anymore - I always feel they are very painful."
"That's fine, kid. I don't like it either."
Zhou Pan said, patting her head lovingly, and the mountains and seas did not stop her.
"In that place, there are occasionally witchers who catch free monsters and sell them to the 'dog farm'. Usually those who are caught are not strong and have no one to protect them. They become the playthings of the masters. The regulars there are
It's like the champions in a martial arts competition occasionally change. The way they treat people is also not good - for those who owe money and can't pay it back, or who have committed other crimes, they will lynch them, throw them into a pile of monsters, or
It's a competition. Those competitions require admission fees, because humans are powerless and there is no suspense. There is only one way to die in front of monsters that are driven crazy or trained to go crazy. There is no suspense and there is no need to gamble.
.”
Zhou Pan calmly told the shocking things.
The evening wind blew onto the boat, making people tremble with cold.
"Occasionally, brawls are held, which is also a way to attract people... Ah, it is said that there are also people who specially challenge the monsters who are the 'champions', but there are very few."
"Onmyoji?"
"Sometimes it's an onmyoji, and sometimes it's a warrior. Because humans are allowed to bring some things, which makes the fight appear more... balanced. But monsters won't wait for you to set up the formation, so there are mostly warriors. People also have to sign life and death certificates.
Monsters can kill people, but people cannot kill monsters - otherwise it will be difficult to find the next monster to defend you, and you will have to pay a lot of money."
"It's really strange that someone would ask for a beating... and then have to pay for it."
"Haha, because if you make the opponent lose their fighting ability, you will also get money. Although the money is not much, you will become famous. Rich people will spend a lot of money to hire you as a guard, or people from other places will spend more money to buy you.
You, go fight in other places. You should also know this, there are overt and covert martial arts tournaments in many places."
"Is the person you are looking for actually hiding in there? Are you trying to... rescue him?" Shan Hai asked after thinking for a while.
"I don't know, I don't know anything. But Liangyue-kun is also very calm, maybe he knows that the person still has a long life."
"This is so strange!" Dai Luan was a little excited, "Most of the time...talents should be the weaker side. But once they are stronger in terms of quantity or other aspects, they have to do this kind of thing...Why is there always one side that has to be defeated?
What about persecution?”
"I'm very happy that you think so. This kind of thinking is also naive... But if everyone thinks the same as you, most monsters are not unreasonable."
Power is used to protect rather than harm, both humans and demons should understand that.
Everyone understands the truth, but no one wants to think of it in the face of interests.
"Having said so much... are you interested? Since you said you don't know where to go, why not come with me to see that place and see the world."
Shan Hai always feels that this is not good for Aluan, but although she is only fifteen or sixteen years old, she is still an adult and should have her own thoughts and opinions. Mu Wan's attitude is probably more casual, and he can ask her again tomorrow morning.
When Dai Luan answered, she suddenly grabbed her sleeves and said seriously:
"Let's go see it!"
"Don't you like it?" he asked, "Why would you still want to see those cruel things?"
"There... there should be a lot of monsters in need of help, right? They don't want to be trapped there for the rest of their lives, either killing each other or being killed by each other, right?"
Lin Shanhai sighed.
"What you said is right. But we are unfamiliar with that place and don't know where to start. Besides, even if you can help this time, what about next time? Even if you can escape unscathed, there will be new monsters brought there.
.”
"As much as we can save."
"... Mr. Zhou is right, you are indeed an innocent child. But..."
But that's probably a good thing, he thought.
Although she is kind, she is not stupid and is also very strong, which is very rare. She will not get killed because of her recklessness, and she can protect herself wisely even if she is in danger. For a little girl, she is indeed remarkable.
He was often proud that she was his apprentice, even though he felt that he had taught her nothing. But she still learned a lot of things - on her own. This was why he was willing to take her to travel and watch her grow.
What about Dai Luan? Will she be proud that she has such a master? Or, will she secretly blame her because such a master failed to teach her anything?
