Painter

Chapter 13: Thirteen

For the people of Qinghefang, this is a rare quiet night.

"Wandering God at night" is a saying spread by Dayong. The gods are like officials in the temple. Today they suppress a mountain range, and tomorrow they may be sent by the Emperor of Heaven to manage a certain water area.

The gods usually rush to take office at night. If ordinary people run into the gods, they will suffer bad luck for a long time. Therefore, after the curfew is issued, everyone has no disobedience, so they have the right to rest for a while.

It's just that the watchman tonight is extremely annoying. It's only past midnight, and the gong has been rung seven or eight times, and it still keeps people from sleeping?

The residents of Qinghefang didn't know that after the last five gongs were struck, dozens of figures quietly appeared in the darkness around Qinghefang, as if they heard the sound of horns sending out soldiers, they rushed towards the head of Shennv bridge.

There was only a civet cat licking its fur on the wall, which was startled by these ghostly hunters, arched its back and let out a piercing scream, and then hid in a corner.

The moonlight was dim, and the clusters of early peach blossoms on the branches were illuminated into white.When the night wind blows, a few peach blossoms fall and disappear into the gurgling water under the Goddess Bridge.Li Chan carried a white leather lantern and walked down the bridge, looking at the secluded and deserted clothes-making place, the flower stem of a branch of red medicine trembled in the wind, and the petals had been swept away by the wind.

On the far side of the embankment, two black-covered boats sailed over, shattering the shadow of the moon with their oars, making the sound of rushing water.There were also mixed footsteps behind Li Chan. Looking back, all the demon officials gathered around, a row of yellow leather lanterns with the word "Zha" shining brightly, Guo Xun walked over from the crowd, holding a straight knife in his hand.

Suddenly, a demon-hunting official called out: "The supervisor is here."

Li Li'er, dressed as a watchman, approached with a white leather lantern. His clothes were disheveled, but his demeanor was very calm.He passed through the demon officials and stared at Li Chan by the river, "I thought you took the opportunity to escape."

"Xiao Lang-jun got separated from me because of the illusion cast by that monster, but not by me." Li Chan said as he walked towards the river, "Everyone follow me."

Li Li'er was sullen, and said in a deep voice: "What about the demon? You knocked five gongs. According to the saying before entering Qinghefang, this is a signal that the matter has been resolved."

"Naturally." Li Chan nodded, looked at the red medicine flower stem under the bridge, turned around and said, "Guo Duwei, send someone with good water skills, let's go down and have a look."

Guo Xun looked at Li Li'er, Li Li'er nodded, Guo Xun untied the straight knife, and handed it along with the lantern to the demon hunter beside him.He walked to the stone for making clothes, and asked again: "Who has the rhinoceros candle curse?"

The seven demon hunters responded, and Guo Xun pointed at the thin one, "Follow me."

The demon hunter walked out of the crowd and took out a talisman tied with red thread into the shape of an index finger.

The so-called "The horn of the rhinoceros is the only one who can illuminate the shadows in the world", it is said that the horn of the big demon can see all the falsehoods in the world. method, capable of lighting underwater.

After the demon hunter chanted the mantra, the talisman in his hand glowed white, illuminating an area with a radius of three feet, but it was not dazzling at all.

Guo Xun went into the water with the demon hunter holding the Rhino Candle Curse, and Li Lier looked at Li Chan.Li Li'er was still trapped in that ghost city, and his ears were filled with the weird opera sounds, and countless monsters swarmed over, and they couldn't kill them all.Still trapped, the illusion suddenly dissipated, and then I heard the sound of gongs coming from the head of the Goddess Bridge.

He looked at Li Chan and found that there was no injury on Li Chan's body, and his clothes were not even stained. Then his eyes fell on the scroll hanging from Li Chan's waist. He remembered that Li Chan had tied the scroll to the back.He pondered for a while, and finally couldn't help asking: "How did you get rid of it? That monster."

Li Chan looked at the glow of the Rhinoceros Candle Curse under the water, "Mr. Xiaolang, have you forgotten the four conditions at the beginning? If I use the heresy method, Shen Zhasi won't bother me."

Li Li'er said: "You asked Shen Zhasi not to ask you about your crime, but you didn't say that you couldn't explain it."

"I told you that you won't be able to learn." Li Chan shook her head and walked to the embankment, leaving only Li Li'er behind.Li Li'er's brows twitched fiercely, but she didn't want to lower her status and engage in an emotional battle with a heretic monster.

Li Chan walked to the bank, raised her hand and broke off a peach blossom, squatted down and threw it into the Pu River.The peach branches flowed westward, and Li Chan also looked westward.

Li Li'er looked at Li Chan's actions, showed hesitation, and walked over to look at the peach branches going along the water under the moonlight, and said: "The big peach trees on the Taodu Mountain in the West are winding for three thousand miles, and the ghost gate between the branches is where ghosts come and go. According to legend, each petal of a peach blossom is a living soul, so every March there is the Peach Blossom Festival, praying for longevity and peace..."

Li Chan looked at the west and said: "When this case was not solved, six people died because of it."

Li Li'er didn't notice, her tone softened a lot, "What's the meaning of folding peaches?"

Li Chan said: "The souls of these six people can go west with Taozhi, there is a guide, maybe they can go to Taodu Mountain."

Li Li'er looked at the peach branches going along the water, and his mood suddenly became a little complicated. This heretical monster is different from what he imagined.

……

Guo Xun dived into the bottom of the water, and with the light of the Rhino Candle Curse, followed the flower stem of the red medicine, and gradually saw a huge shadow.

Approaching the shadow, one sees a huge clam shell, like a house.The clam shell was tightly closed, and when the rhinoceros candle illuminated it, a gap could be vaguely seen. Looking closer, it turned out to be a sword mark, which was two feet long and three feet wide, allowing people to enter and exit.Guo Xun was startled, knowing that this guy was the Lord of Pushui Mansion, it was obviously a disaster.

When you touch the fracture, it is as smooth as a mirror.

The flower stalk of the red medicine was five feet deep into the water, and it happened to grow out of the crack in the clam shell, Guo Xun beckoned his subordinates to follow.

As soon as the white light of the Rhinoceros Candle Curse shines, the inside of the clam shell is clearly visible, and the shell is very empty, and the body of Lord Pushui has been eaten up.

In the center of the shell sits a small skeleton. The flower stem grows from the skull's celestial cap. The root system wraps around the spine and leg bones and spreads all over the inner wall of the clam shell, like blood vessels.

(End of this chapter)