"I want to sleep on this, what do you think of Sanhua Empress?"
"Ms. Sanhua thinks it's very good."
"Then it's settled."
"It seems to be hotter this time than last time."
"Last time it was the beginning of autumn, this time it is midsummer."
"It will still be cold at night."
"Ms. Sanhua is right..."
The Taoist was still sitting on the edge of the cliff, with his back to the darkness, facing the glow, looking at the dreamy colors of the horizon and the silhouette of the earth in the distance. The calico cat changed back into a human form behind him and began to pull out a piece of wool felt and a piece of paper from the brocade bag.
The bed was spread on the ground with a thin blanket, and a lantern was taken out.
While the Taoist was still admiring the glow, the girl had already made a bed for him and raised a lantern in front of him with a wooden stick.
"..."
The Taoist was stunned for a moment before he realized what he was saying.
Can't help but smile——
It seems that my cat remembers what happened that night very clearly.
Then he raised his hand, and like before, he turned towards the distant horizon, as if pinching the air, and threw it into the simple lantern in front of him.
In an instant, the lantern immediately lit up with a dreamlike light that was as bright as the sky at that moment.
Let me borrow a ray of sunshine...
The sky gradually darkened, the colors gradually dimmed, and the glow disappeared. However, the glow in the lantern was still on, slowly returning to the long night.
The Taoist has also sat on the wool felt, placing his hands on his legs in a very comfortable position, feeling the aura of heaven and earth.
The cat was lying next to him, his eyes full of thoughts.
If there are people walking at night below, if there are goblins and ghosts walking at night in the mountains, if you look up, you may find a different starlight between the cliffs thousands of feet above.
Tonight is naturally different from last time.
Last time it was the beginning of autumn, the chill was even heavier. This time it was just a slight summer heat, so it was supposed to be warmer.
The cold wind on the mountain last time was much heavier than this time. Last time I slept on the ground, on the cold, hard and uneven plank road floor, but this time I slept on a wool felt. Last time I practiced in silence and fell asleep, but this time I slept on the ground.
A cat kept talking to him until he didn't want to answer anymore.
The aura of the mountains has also slightly changed.
There are more mountain monsters and mountain ghosts.
The lantern was also replaced.
The paper lanterns Yamashita bought at that time were difficult to withstand the wind and rain, and were not easy to carry. They broke soon after. This lantern was given to him by a kid from the Ghost Market in Dashan, Pingzhou, and has been preserved to this day.
However, the rays of rays still illuminated a small area, making the windy cliffs of this mountain feel a little warmer.
At midnight.
The Taoist still opened his eyes and raised his hands.
There was a ray of golden light floating in his hand, like stars and rain, suspended and swimming in his hand. With a wave of his hand, it dissipated between the sky and the earth.
He turned around and saw a cat next to him, curled up in a ball, its breathing rising and falling steadily.
I wonder if there is a dream.
Early the next morning.
The Taoist went down the mountain.
Still a Taoist, a bay-red horse and a calico cat walked slowly along Jinyang Road.
There are countless ancient cypresses on the roadside, which show a unique gray-green color during this season. They have not been pruned for thousands of years, and their branches grow freely and wildly intertwined. Even the sunlight can only struggle to penetrate through the lush leaves, which are scattered on the road, making the light and dark blurred.
In the meantime, the bells of bay-red horses echoed, as well as the tinkling of bells coming from behind and in front of them, as merchants and pedestrians kept passing by.
While rushing on the road, I thought back to the past, and time flew by so fast, just like these thirteen years.
The calico cat's expression became more and more subtle. Every time she stopped to look at the mountains and rivers on both sides, her expression was extremely focused, showing a thoughtful look. It seemed that she also realized that this was far away from the small temple she once had, and far away from where she and the Taoist first came.
The place where we met was getting closer and closer.
Unknowingly, it was afternoon.
The changes in sunlight pass through the branches and leaves of ancient cypresses, and all turn into light spots, which appear on the ancient bluestone road under your feet.
"We are almost at Sanhua Empress's small temple."
Song You leaned on his bamboo stick and said calmly.
Mao'er was walking in front of him with small steps, but when he heard this, he stopped immediately and turned to look at him without saying a word.
Fortunately, the Taoist knew what she meant.
"If I remember correctly, not far ahead is Wang Shanggong's Road Temple. Before that, there is a fork in the road. Follow that fork in the road and you will find the small temple of Empress Sanhua. When you get there,
Empress Sanhua will definitely know the way out."
"Are we going?"
The cat stood still, staring up at him.
"It depends on Empress Sanhua." Song You lowered his head and looked at her, "On our journey, Empress Sanhua can undoubtedly make decisions."
"..."
There was no expression on the cat's face and he didn't speak.
"It seems that Empress Sanhua wants to go." Song You smiled slightly, "I'm a little tired. I'll find a place to rest and have something to eat. Then we'll go see if Empress Sanhua's small temple is still there.
Bar."
"OK!"
The cat said so.
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately withdrew his gaze and trotted, turning into a little tiger and rushing forward along Jinyang Road.
The sunlight shines through the ancient cypress trees in bunches, and the calico cat's fur is clean and shiny. When the light spots hit her body, it seemed like she was glowing.
After walking less than half a mile, there was an open space ahead. An ancient cypress with extremely lush branches blocked the sun. There were many stones on the ground for people to sit on. A group of people were stopping here to rest.
This group of people is also a mixed bag, with people from everything.
There are merchants, porters, bodyguards, idlers, and ordinary people who look like they are visiting relatives. Everyone gathers here harmoniously, wiping their sweat and chatting to relax.
The Taoist went there with a cat and a horse, and also carried a lot of luggage, which was quite extraordinary and naturally attracted the attention of many people.
Everyone looked at him and paused in their conversation.
The Taoist nodded in greeting, then found a stone to sit down, took out the brocade bag of Empress Sanhua and held it in his arms to relieve the heat.
The weather is really hot.
The resting business traveler looked at him a few times before continuing to talk about what he had said before.
The main speakers were a few idlers and two escorts, most of whom were wanderers. When they met, they would say hello and chat with each other. It would be best if they could share some information, but it would be nice to have some fun.
It's also good to kill some time.
Most of the others were just listening to the fun.
What we were talking about just now seemed to be about the monsters on this road.
"That mountain monster has been hanging out on that bridge all day long, asking people to carry it across the bridge. Finally, it met a ruthless person." A person from the Jianghu said, "I heard what the Xishan Sect's masters were doing here last time. Then
The guy was three points stronger than an ox, and the swords of the Xishan Sect were like toothpicks in his hands. The monster dared to come out and asked him to carry it across the river. The hero knew it was an evil spirit when he heard it, but he didn't
Not afraid, he just carried it across the river on his back. The monster weighed several thousand kilograms in the process, but he didn't put it down. He carried it until it was under the sun without shade, and then he took out his knife and slashed hard.
"
Everyone's eyes widened when they heard that the monster had grown to weigh several thousand kilograms. They were amazed and yearned when they heard that the hero was so brave and so talented that he carried the monster across the bridge and faced it with his sword.
"Is the monster dead?"
"I heard that he changed back to his original form and ran away." The Jianghu said, "Although the disciples of the Xishan Sect are powerful, they can't catch up with the mountain monster in the mountains and forests, so they have to let it run away. I heard that the whole knife
It was covered with green blood, and after washing it off, it still glowed green under the moon at night."
"What a monster..."
Everyone was surprised and frightened for a moment.
The calico cat also listened intently.
"In the past few years, this road has become increasingly unstable." One of the bodyguards lamented, "It's not enough even if Wang Shanggong is there to guard it."
"you do not say."
"Hey, have any of you heard about what happened in Niu Village?"
"What happened in Niu Village again?"
"This is much scarier than that mountain monster."
When everyone heard what the escort said, especially the escort's tone of voice, it seemed that they themselves felt timid and scared. They didn't dare to say anything, but they stared at the escort, wanting to hear what was going on.
"It is said that there is a family in Niu Village who lives just next to the official road. He is usually very kind-hearted. Whenever anyone passes by his house, if he is thirsty, he will ask for some water or if he does not bring enough dry food, he will change it.
Their family will happily agree and never hesitate, do any of you remember?"
"Is it the one with the pigsty next to the official road?"
"Yes, yes! That's the one!"
"I went to his house to ask for water! He was a good family! The peaches were ripe at that time, and they even gave me a peach to eat!"
"I also remember that family..."
"He also has a son who is also quite clever."
"What happened to that family?"
Even the Taoist sitting next to him frowned and thought about it, but there was no such family in his memory, so he had to give up and look at the escort.
Everyone also looked at the escort.
"It just happened a few days ago. It is said that one day, a girl came to their house. She was quite handsome and claimed to live in a village near Nanhua County, which was only twenty miles away. Some time ago, my parents
After falling ill and both of them passing away, she was left alone and had no choice but to seek refuge with her relatives in Xuzhou. Passing by, she felt thirsty and hungry, so she came to ask for some water and food. By the way, she asked where to go to Xuzhou.
How to go." The escort said and paused. "The owner of that family saw that she was pretty and spoke like that. She even seemed to have been reading for a few days.
Let her stay at home overnight and leave tomorrow morning. In the evening, the woman took her into the house and took out the soles of her shoes to embroider for her. As a result, the girl took the needle and thread and put the soles in place in two or three strokes.
It was dense and neat, which surprised the woman, so she fell in love with her very much."
The escort took a sip of water.
"The woman pulled the man into the back room, discussed it, and found that they all liked the girl. When she came out, she told her that she was going to Xuzhou to join her relatives. Xuzhou was thousands of miles away, and there was no guarantee that she would be able to find her there.
Relatives asked her if she would marry her son.
"The girl thought for a while and nodded.
"Those who say that they want to marry themselves, see that they are kind-hearted and have a harmonious family, and are willing to take care of the housework for them.
"So the family was very happy and went out to raise some money the next day. For fear that she would regret it, the wedding was held soon."
After hearing this, no one knew where the horror was.
On the contrary, it has the meaning of a good talk in the world.
People like to tell stories like this. Good people will be rewarded with good things. Fate and beauty are all fascinating things.
"That night, after entering the bridal chamber, the old couple told their son to treat others well, then closed the door and went back to the room to rest. But in the middle of the night, the woman suddenly woke up from a dream, and dreamed that her son was crying to her with a miserable face.
, saying that she was almost eaten up. The woman was so scared that she woke up her man, but the man said that she had a good daughter-in-law and was so happy that she went to sleep.
"It wasn't until the woman was awakened by the same nightmare again and woke the man up again that the old couple lit the lamp, opened the door and called the names of their son and daughter-in-law, but no one answered.
"I mustered up the courage to open my son's door, but found that the door was locked. It wasn't until they called the neighbors to break the door open together that they saw a fierce and ugly monster hiding inside. The monster saw the people outside.
Duobian broke into the door and ran away, but their son had been eaten until only his bones were left, and the bed was covered in blood."
Everyone was stunned for a moment after hearing this, with chills rising from the bottom of their hearts.
"real or fake?"
"Can this be false? If you are going that way, go and ask and you will know!" the escort said, "Just these two nights, the monster is still wandering around nearby. I see, I'm afraid
They are still plotting against the old couple."
"No one reported it?"
"How useful is it to report to the official? In the newly built Yidu City God Temple, even if the City God is really effective, he can only control the city of Yidu. The guards don't dare to go to the mountains at night to catch monsters. Even if someone goes to report to Wang Shanggong in front of him,
After the master burned the incense, the good master could only ask the villagers to bring more people with him in his dream to find the monster's lair during the day. But how could the villagers have the courage?"
"Isn't anyone asking for help?"
"I invited one, but it was of no use."
"well……"
Everyone sighed immediately.
"I heard that there is a master in Nancun who is quite powerful. He can usually catch ghosts and summon gods. Why don't we ask them to invite him to try?"
"It's the master who said he was invited."
"this……"
"I heard from the old man that a hundred miles further, there was a Taoist temple before Yinyang Mountain in Lingquan County. It's hard to say whether the temple is effective or not, but whenever someone came to seek help because they were harmed by evil spirits, they were all exterminated. The locals all
It is said that no matter how powerful the monster is, it cannot defeat the Taoist priest on the mountain. But for some reason, everyone went there again and walked up the mountain, but they could not find the Taoist temple, as if it had disappeared out of thin air.
"
"Is there such a strange thing?"
"I heard that too."
"..."
When Song You heard this, he shook his head helplessly.
I have to take care of this kind of thing when I encounter it. At this time, I heard someone talking about the Taoist temple that had been closed for a long time. It was like a nod to myself, and I couldn't wait any longer.
Then the Taoist's voice sounded next to him:
"Excuse me……"
Following the sound, everyone turned their heads and looked at the Taoist.
I saw the Taoist sitting on a stone, holding a brocade bag in his arms, and holding a large leaf in his hand to fan the wind. Next to him, a very beautiful cat squatted obediently, and a horse behind him carried the luggage, but there was no
There is no trace of the saddle being loosened on the reins. It looks like a wild horse, carrying an extraordinary figure.
The Taoist was gentle and polite, looking at the bodyguard as if he was just curious: "How far is the house that the bodyguard mentioned is from here?"