The red cliffs of Manting Peak are steep and surrounded by green pines, like a huge green screen.
On the southeast wall of the peak cliff, the two characters "manting" inscribed by Wu Sixue in the Ming Dynasty are engraved, just like the eye-catching large characters of "Leyan Break Nest", which can be clearly seen within a few miles even on a moonlit night.
There is a long weathered rock cave at the waist of the peak. Inside the cave is a huge stone, which is completely square. The stone surface is as flat as a grindstone, just like a chessboard. However, the word "Han Si" is engraved on it in seal script. The green Qiu is powerful and penetrates deep into the stone surface.
But tonight the lights in the cave are brightly lit, candles illuminate the sky, the colorful strands stretch, the floor is covered with vermilion gauze, and the fragrance spreads throughout the cave. The chessboard stone is also surrounded by guests of both sexes, all of whom are toasting and drinking. It’s just that
No one took action for a long time.
As the cold wind outside the cave blew, the guests at the table slowly faced the wind, making a soft whirring sound, shaking their arms and clothes, like countless moths flapping their wings towards the candlelight.
At this time, only when people in the banquet accidentally turned their heads and turned sideways, they would be surprised to find that none of these guests seated with crowns, crowns, pearls and green rings were alive, they were all imaginary figures made of rice paper.
Real people.
The Heavenly Officials, Star Lords, Golden Boys, and Fairies sitting around in the cave are all gorgeously dressed and stiff. Their faces are painted with heavy colors and ink, and are decorated with exaggerated blush, which is used to cover up the dead white skin underneath.
The dull eyes painted with ink can only maintain a fixed posture, stirring up a silent feast.
The more exquisite the craftsmanship of these paper-making, the more lifelike the appearance of the paper figures, the more terrifying these false bodies are; the more earthly the postures of these gods, the more lively and unrestrained the banquet movements, the more terrifying this silent feast will be.
When these paper figures that were supposed to accompany the deceased's incineration and ascend to heaven become guests at a banquet for the living, no matter how delicious the food is, you can't help but savor the smell of paper candles and the aura of ghost treasures...
"Master Yuanhua, why are you frowning? But I didn't entertain you well?"
A disembodied voice came in the wind, as if coming from the distant sky.
Yuan Huazi thought about it carefully, and realized that such ethereal words could come from a wisp of smoke in the incense burner, or an old dragon in a cave, but they would never be spoken by a living person.
Yuan Huazi sat in the banquet of paper figures, sitting cross-legged naturally as if he were lonely and deserted, looking down and not paying any attention to the horror around him.
"The old Taoist is a monk. He doesn't drink alcohol or eat meat. I'm afraid your master's kindness has been wrongly paid."
The ethereal voice came again.
"On the Manting Peak, there has long been a strange event about the Queen Mother of the West holding an immortal banquet, and the Wuyi Lord commanding all the immortals. Today, I just followed my example and arranged this banquet for all the immortals in the world. I just asked the real person to give me some advice."
The words floated in the air vaguely, and the candlelight in the cave suddenly flickered, turning into countless double shadows, and then slowly returned to one, followed by a shadow that swayed into the cave.
The reason why it is said that a shadow entered the cave is because only an extremely dark shadow can be seen in the cave, which looks like a maid holding a lamp. Even the extremely narrow flower shoes touching the ground, the beaded hairpin shaking on the head, and the fluttering hair on the face can all be seen from the shadow.
I could see clearly, but I didn't see the shadow's body exposed under the bright light...
"This girl's name is Zhao Zhu'er. She was whipped to death by the evil master when she was twelve years old, and she was forced into a well and drowned. Today she is a ghost maid. Her evil appearance is so bad that she will not show off her good fortune in front of the real person."
The misty voice said casually, but the shadow had already arrived in front of the chessboard stone, and a large jade plate appeared on the table without any warning.
"The banquet of immortals in the world will naturally include delicacies that are not found in this world."
"The first dish of 'Dragon liver cooked with hibiscus' was taken from the body of a dragon that fell into the cave the day before yesterday. The dragon's body was rotten and cut off, leaving only a two-foot-long armor under its neck. Fortunately, the dragon's liver was not damaged, so I'm going to give you a special dish today.
"
The origin of this dish is appalling, and its quality is indescribable. The jet-black liver is still dripping with blood. After being burned by the fire, it emits a strange smell that is both stinking and fragrant. It is shaped like a bamboo shoot that has never been seen before.
Yuan Huazi squinted his eyes slightly, then slowly closed them.
Just when Yuan Huazi closed his eyes and recited sutras, the ghost maid's footsteps sounded again, and there was a faint sound of water drops falling to the ground in the air.
This time, a gold cup was placed on the chessboard stone. It was very small.
"The second 'Hua Diao Zui Feng Nao' was obtained from the hands of wealthy merchants. Thousands of miles away from the stone pond, on the Danxue Mountain of the Chisuo Kingdom, the colorful phoenixes sang and danced by themselves. Seeing it, the world was peaceful, and the wise were drunk with it.
Wine, I was lucky enough to have a banquet today."
The gray-white brain tissue was placed on the plate, dotted with an extremely gorgeous multi-colored feather. It was indeed a bird that had never been seen in the world.
The strong smell of alcohol kept rising from the golden cup and penetrated into Yuan Huazi's nasal cavity, making him frown. But at this moment, the paper fairy and jade girl next to him seemed to have a bit of drunken red on their faces.
…
"Why do real people insist that they don't drink meat and wine? Could it be that these heavenly delicacies and delicacies of gods are not acceptable to you?"
The ethereal voice was a bit joking, "When the Liuhe warriors came from Huixian Temple, they all knew it clearly."
"No. The old Taoist just has a poor appetite and does not underestimate his good intentions."
Yuan Huazi's skinny body was wrapped in a Taoist robe, as if he were an old man on the verge of death. Compared with the jewels and splendid clothes around him, it was a little ridiculous.
But the whole place was as quiet as an empty room. It was clear that he was the only living person, which added a bit of weirdness to the comedy.
This banquet of immortals in the world was a grand scene. No one used chopsticks to drink. Only the dishes on the table slowly increased, and they were all foods that had only been heard of in the stories of immortals.
Among them is the green mud from Yunmen Mountain, which is said to be immortal if eaten. It is soft and pale green in color, mixed with moss and moss.
The plum trees in Luyi are as big as fists and as blue as jade, which can be used to identify people's figures.
There are also four snacks of jade chips, cinnabar, white stone and mica. Four fruit plates of calamus, Ganoderma lucidum, dendrobium and Poria cocos. The delicacies on the checkerboard are presented by land and water, just like a fairyland.
"Real person."
The misty voice sounded again, "I have good intentions to collect immortal delicacies. This is an opportunity that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty could not get even if he burned his watches and worshiped here. You actually dismiss it?"
The paper figures in the room slowly stopped floating in the wind, and the sleeves of their raised arms slowly fell down.
"This Han sacrificial pavilion has been abandoned for a long time, and the Han Dynasty has finally turned into a pile of loess. Although the old Taoist has been practicing Qi and cultivating the spirit for many years, he knows that he is not a fairy, so why bother to force this opportunity. The old Taoist understands the kindness of your master, and this meal is still
…”
"snort!"
With a loud roar, all the golden-armored gods and Fairy Yuyi turned to look at Yuan Huazi at the same time, with a hollow look in their faint ink-spotted eyes, and they suddenly changed from the fairy world to the ghost world.
A strange whirlwind suddenly blew up in the stone room, with gray shadows and candlelight intertwined. Yuan Huazi looked serious, not looking at the paper-tied god who was dancing with the demons, and said quietly.
"Dear Master, I am fortunate enough to have borrowed the "Taiping Sutra", but this Immortal Banquet is actually the food and refining technique in the "Lingshu Ziwen" written by Qingtong Dajun."
"Your Majesty must be the first ancestor of Quanzhen, Qingtong Jun Donghuazi. Since he comes from the same origin as the Taoist Youlong Sect, why do you need to be so kind and forceful?"
After Yuan Huazi finished speaking softly, he heard the ethereal sound of nothingness sound again.
"Some things shouldn't appear in the mortal world. If you give up here, you still have a chance to turn back. It's not a waste of time for me to save you."