Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Shen Muzhi survived the catastrophe and woke up leisurely by the water. It was only because of the hot weather, otherwise he would have froze to death even if he didn't drown.

He didn't know where he had drifted to. In fact, even if it wasn't too far from Tiandu Mountain, he didn't know it. He had a stupid idea in his mind and walked south along the official road until he reached the larger town of Zhendian before asking for directions.

Shen Muzhi lost his luggage and identity guide, but he no longer needs these things. There are refugees and abandoned farmland everywhere.

Fortunately, he found some fruits in the field, and after a few days of fighting, he walked out of the warring area.

Fortunately, the area occupied by Bai Yuan Cult was not big enough. A few days later, Shen Muzhi walked to a county town where all the shops were still open. He squatted in front of a shop to rest, and accidentally picked up a few pieces of paper wrapped with sugar, which he folded on a whim. I caught a white kite to play with.

Later, the woman in the shop came out and called him into the kitchen. She actually gave him a bowl of rice and kept him overnight. The next day, she packed a bag of dry food such as taro, bamboo shoots, dried soybeans and took him away. He was a little stunned at first, but then he figured out that this businessman must be a member of the Baiyuan Sect. Seeing the Baiyuan in his hand, he mistakenly thought he was a member of the church.

So Shen Muzhi traveled south, intentionally or unintentionally pretending to be a member of the Bai Yuan Sect. He even learned a few words from the Bai Yuan Sect, and basically received food and accommodation.

But he was not very grateful in his heart. If it weren't for these foolish men and women who believed in the White Kite Sect, the world would still be peaceful.

Relying on two legs, Shen Muzhi walked for several months and arrived at Suzhou Prefecture in South Zhili in late autumn.

The three old houses in Suzhou City that belonged to his family had been given to his uncles and brothers. He returned to his hometown all the way, fearing that it would bring disaster to the clan, so he only dared to look through the cracks in the door a few times. The tallow tree, with its leaves as red as the February flowers in the frost, almost made him cry.

He once fantasized that some of his close cousins ​​would secretly send him a few taels of silver as payment, but after waiting outside the door for a long time, no one came out to take a look. Who would have thought that the ragged man outside who looked like a beggar was a big man? Where is Lang.

After waiting for a long time, Shen Muzhi left the old house in despair.

He decided to look for the shops of the Baiyuan Sect like the towns he passed before. First, he would find food and lodging, and then find a way to work for a few days. He would at least buy a pair of old and new thick shirts. Otherwise, how would he be able to open the door? The gate of Wanhu Village of the father-in-law's family.

He roughly knew that the Baiyuan Sect would open a pear candy shop in the downtown area as a liaison office. He folded a paper kite in his hand and started walking around the ancient city looking for a pear candy shop.

He was an old householder in Suzhou City, and he soon found him in Dinghui Temple Lane, where there was a pear candy shop under the Twin Towers.

He watched secretly for a long time, and was about to enter the shop to have an incision. He never expected to be grabbed from behind. Several strong men swarmed up and threw him to the ground. Then a carriage came and his mouth was Sealed, stuffed into a carriage, a gangster?His heart was pounding.

Shen Muzhi was so dazed in the carriage that he couldn't feel the incense before he was pulled out of the carriage.

In front of him was a man who looked like a government servant, who pushed Shen Muzhi to the ground and told him to return to the house honestly and respect Lord Liu's words.

Master Liu sat far away on the official chair in the hall and did not speak for a long time, which made people feel a strong sense of oppression. Shen Muzhi did not dare to look around and was frightened.

Master Liu saw the people in the hall trembling with fear, and felt that the time was almost up, so he asked: "What is your name and place of origin?"

Shen Muzhi said casually: "Shen Dalang, a small citizen, is from Jiangxi and came to Suzhou to escape."

Liu Fuzun had no intention of listening to his nonsense, so he slammed the table and shouted: "You are a remnant of the Baiyuan Sect and you are full of lies. Do you want to die or live?"

Shen Muzhi kowtowed repeatedly and cried: "The common people want to live, the common people want to live."

Master Liu taught Shen Muzhi many words and asked him to answer questions with the government officials several times. The next evening, he placed him in front of the pear candy shop behind the twin towers in Dinghui Temple Lane.Shen Muzhi leaned against the neem tree, feeling hungry and thirsty, and fainted. When he woke up, he saw a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old feeding him porridge and soup, and there was an eleven or twelve-year-old child next to her.

Shen Muzhi remembered Mr. Liu's instructions and said, "Shop, do you have some stronger cinnamon-flavored pear candy?"

When the host and hostess of the family heard what Bai Yuan taught him, they asked him to go to the woodshed and get to know him.

So Shen Muzhi repeated what Liufu Zunjiao said: King Yuzhang had been defeated, and the leader of the Baiyuan Sect had launched a hasty attack. It seemed that he would be defeated soon.

The host and hostess of the shop, just as Liufu Zun expected, went to report the news to the leaders of their branch, and agreed to use Dinghui Temple to hold a religious ceremony three days later to discuss important matters.

Shen Muzhi immediately reported to the contact person arranged by Liu Fuzun in order to find a way out. He cherished his life very much and wanted to go to Dongting Xishan Wanhu Village alive.

According to the arrangement, he had to lurk for a few more days.

On the third day, the Dinghui Temple Dharma Assembly had just begun. Officers and soldiers surrounded them. The members of the Baiyuan Sect were all rough men. As Liufu Zun expected, several people wanted to steal the guy and rushed out. Shen Muzhi tried his best to comfort him. They volunteered themselves to go out to negotiate with the officers and soldiers.

The agreed time was that the negotiation should not exceed an hour. Shen Muzhi returned to the main hall of Dinghui Temple within an hour and told the believers that the negotiation was successful. The government ordered the believers to surrender, surrender their weapons, and pardon and release them on the spot. .

The congregants cheered loudly, and Shen Muzhi was the first to come out, put his long stick on the green brick floor, and stood by the temple door. He didn't understand the stick technique at all, and the long stick was just a prop.

After the first person disarmed, the congregants began to walk out of the hall one by one and placed their weapons on the green brick floor. The officers and soldiers asked them to stand in several rows against the wall, waiting for forgiveness.

After the last member of the congregation came out, there was only a roar and rain of arrows. Shen Muzhi stood next to the temple door, just outside the shooting range. His ears were filled with wails. Unconsciously, his legs became weak and he fell to the ground. .

He did not expect Liu Fuzun to be so ruthless and ruthless, and did not leave any survivors at all. He thought that even if these people were not released, they would only be imprisoned for a few years. After all, the believers did not commit any murderous rebellion.

Shen Muzhi still knew the principle of a rabbit dying and a dog cooking. At this moment, the situation was ashen and there was nothing he could do.

When the officers and soldiers gathered up the team, they took him back to the government office, still in the deep and dark hall.

Shen Muzhi could only see the person sitting on the official chair in the distance. Liu Fuzun never spoke. Shen Muzhi guessed that Mr. Fuzun must have a gloomy face. Thinking like this, he was so frightened that he was covered in chaff.

A man walked past Shen Muzhi, and his eyes rested on him for a moment. The thin young man's fearful eyes made this man feel the slightest pity.

Shen Muzhi saw that the visitor was wearing a Confucian scarf and a t-shirt. He was a student who had entered the school, and he was somewhat respectable.

The man raised his hands and called "Brother." and then whispered to Master Liu. After a while, Master Liu waved his hand and asked someone to take Shen Muzhi down. He did not formally take him into custody. He only looked for him in the government office. A servant put him down.

Shen Muzhi was secretly glad that it seemed that he still had a chance to survive. The tragic death of the congregants at Dinghui Temple had long been forgotten by him.

In such a world of war and chaos, it is perfectly normal for a dead Taoist friend to die but a poor Taoist.