Chapter Twenty-Three: Cannibalism

"Hah! Ha! Ha! Sure enough, his skills are extraordinary, and this fragrant "Mingshan Soul Scattering" can't tempt you" The middle-aged scholar-like man stood up and said, at this time there was an extra sword in his hand. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. biquge。 info

"If you don't taste the tea we prepared for you, then you can taste our sword!" The young scholar immediately took out his sword and glared at the "ghost-faced general" Jixiang and said.

"You don't taste the fragrant tea, you want to taste my knife" The guy took out a knife and said,

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang found that the three entourages around him, drank tea, lay on the table, blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, motionless, unable to move, unconscious, it turned out that they had been pretending to be diners, scholars and men, and they were actually poisoning us with poisoned tea. I don't know any of these people, I haven't seen them before, I have no cause and no hatred, why do you want to harm me! Why do you want to kill me everywhere?

"Are you, the killer sent by Li Jing in Lijiazhuang, Dunhuang" "Ghost-faced General" Jixiang asked.

"We were invited by Li Jing to kill you," the guy said,

"Don't be verbose with him, kill" The middle-aged scholar swung his sword and slashed after speaking,

Three strong swords, towards the "ghost face general" auspicious slash, "ghost face general" auspicious dodge the offensive, towards the flaw, push out three palms, three people at the same time, were pushed out by the palm, fell to the ground, and died sideways.

"General Ghost Face" Jixiang picked up a sword on the ground, found that the sword was engraved with the word "Mo", and picked up a sword, with the word Mo on it, picked up another sword, and also had the word Mo, and felt strange, Li Jiazhuang Li Jing's subordinates all used the Li family sword, how could they engrave the word Mo? What does this word mean?

"Ghost Face General" Jixiang threw his sword out of the tea house, rode a nine-colored deer over ninety-nine eighty-one mountains, asked ninety-nine people, and spent nine days, passing through the Bailongdui Desert, where there is often wind in the desert, rolling the quicksand into the air shaped like a dragon, and losing pedestrians.

The "ghost-faced general" auspiciously rode a nine-colored deer and ran like lightning. In summer, it gets dark late, so you don't have to walk too dark. Although there was a breeze in the sky, the sand and mist were wrapped around the vast desert, and the newly paved asphalt road was turning around, sometimes burrowing into the ravine, and then going up the mountain beams, and the sand flew in all directions. "General Ghost Face" auspicious just cares about boring his head and hurries forward.

At the foot of Sanwei Mountain, there are two roads, one is a dirt road, which is the original old road, and the other is the current asphalt road. When the road was about to fork in the road, "General Ghost Face" auspiciously saw a person standing at the intersection from a distance. Because it's windy, I can't see clearly. When I got to the front and took a closer look, it was none other than my father, who I thought about day and night. "General Ghost Face" Jixiang immediately stopped, stepped forward to hug his father and said, "Dad, why are you here." ”

Dad looked in good spirits, dressed in a new outfit, but he looked a little fatter, wearing a new tweed hat, and a pair of new leather shoes on his feet, and there was no dust at all. He smiled and said, "I miss you, I'm waiting for you here." ”

"I miss you too"

"How did you get here?"

Dad smiled and didn't say anything, just patted the nine-colored deer and said, "I'm going to sit on it and go back." ”

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang saw that his father was quite tough, so he asked his father to sit down first. I was afraid that my father would not be used to it, so I said, "Dad, you put your arms around my waist, or you are afraid." ”

Dad didn't answer, so he hugged the auspicious waist of the "ghost-faced general" with both hands, feeling tight.

"Ghost Face General" auspicious slowly onto the asphalt road.

Dad suddenly said, "Take the old way, don't take the new road." ”

"Ghost-faced General" auspicious said: "The new road is easy to walk, the old road is not easy to walk, take the new road." ”

Dad got angry and said loudly: "I will go wherever I say, you listen to me!" ”

In order not to make his father angry, the "ghost-faced general" Jixiang had to rely on his father and say: "Okay, good, I listen to my father, let's go the old way." "In fact, the new road and the old road are not nearly a few miles apart." Ghost Face Shogun "auspicious turn towards that dirt road. He had barely walked a mile when he heard a loud rumbling sound from the asphalt road, which lasted like thunder for a long time.

The dirt road was very bumpy, so I tried to drive as slowly as possible, and told my father, "Be careful, you have to cross the dirt pit." ”

Dad didn't squeak, and immediately felt Dad's hand tighten again.

Soon it was home and there was no time.

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang saw that the courtyard was already lit up with bright lights, and asked in surprise: "Dad, what happened in our family?" ”

Dad didn't answer.

"General Ghost-Face" looked back instinctively and was dumbfounded. Is there still a trace of my father? It's over, I've lost my dad! When did Dad lose it, why didn't he know at all?

I just wanted to go back to look for my father, but a person came out of the yard, still wearing a white filial piety hat, and the "ghost-faced general" Jixiang saw that it was his sister. My sister cried and ran over to the "ghost-faced general" Jixiang.

"Ghost Faced General" Jixiang felt that something was wrong, came down, rushed to the yard quickly, and saw the scene that made "Ghost Faced General" Jixiang heartbroken: a coffin stopped in the middle of the courtyard, with his father's name clearly written on it. A lot of villagers are busy coming and going, and there are people inside and outside the house.

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang asked his sister in surprise, "What the hell is going on?" My dad picked me up just now, why didn't I say it didn't happen now? ”

My sister stopped crying and asked inexplicably, "What did you say?" Dad picked you up just now? Impossible, aren't you in a hurry and have something wrong with your brain? Our dad has just been breathing for more than half an hour! ”

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang how he met his father on the road, and what did his father say, learn to say it again.

My sister said, "No way, it's impossible." Before seven o'clock, my father was fine, and he said to me, 'Your eldest brother is coming home, I don't worry, I have to pick him up.' The younger sister said, 'My eldest brother knows the Tao and is fine.' Besides, you can't walk even if you want to. Dad said, 'Walk, move.' As he spoke, Dad ran out of gas.

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang felt more and more incredible. Seeing that there was nothing under my father's coffin, he asked his sister, "Why didn't you put some hay under the coffin?" When my sister heard this, she beat her head vigorously and said, "Look at my memory, I think about it well, and I forget it at a critical time." "My sister went out to find hay. After a while, my sister came back with a big handful of hay and spread it under the coffin.

There is a custom in my hometown that once someone dies, a layer of hay must be spread under the coffin, which is said to ward off evil spirits. If the hay is not laid, if a cat or a dog runs under the coffin, the dead man will cheat the corpse, and it is a terrible thing to cheat the corpse. Although I have not heard of anyone who has seen the dead person cheat the corpse, it is very terrifying in the legends of the villagers. He said that the man who deceived the corpse was like a devil, who saw people eating people and eating animals, and there was nothing he could do.

I really want to meet my dad in the coffin. I lifted the lid of the coffin and saw my father lying quietly inside. I suddenly found that my father's clothes were exactly the same as the clothes I wore when I met him, the hat was still the same hat, and the leather shoes were also the same leather shoes.

Strange, what the hell is going on?

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang believes that his father is indeed deceased. But he went to pick him up, sat on the nine-colored deer, and talked to him, this is a true thing, how should this be explained?

Throughout the night, none of the family members slept, and the preparations for the funeral were very meticulous. Because it was summer, the weather was very hot, and the body could not be parked at home for too long. The funeral took place the next morning. Before the funeral, the relatives once again looked at the father's remains, and cried in the face of the father. While crying, I thought: "The adventure with my father may always be a mystery." ”

In the afternoon, my father's funeral was basically completed, which was called entering the ground. "Ghost-faced General" Jixiang and his sister, when I talked about my father, I told them what I saw and heard again. The younger sister secretly tugged at his sleeve, winked, and went out of the yard. He understood that his brother-in-law had something to say, so he went out of the courtyard with him.

When I arrived in the poplar forest outside the village, my sister said mysteriously: "Big brother, there is a strange phenomenon, I haven't told anyone about it, I'm afraid that others will say the wrong thing." I just heard you talk about your father picking you up, and I thought that strange phenomenon might have something to do with what you said. After we were busy putting my dad in the coffin, I stayed outside. It was just getting dark, and the lights hadn't been turned on yet. Suddenly, our big yellow dog ran out of the house and quickly got under my father's coffin. I was taken aback and ignored it. After a while, I heard the coffin lid creak, and I was scared, so I went into the house to find a flashlight. I took out a flashlight, came out and shone the coffin, the coffin had already flashed a crack, I followed the crack in the coffin, and there was nothing in it. I think it's not a big deal, what is this not a corpse? I wanted to shout, but I didn't dare to shout, but I didn't dare to say it to anyone, for fear that it would not be good to spread it. ”

"Do you see clearly that there is really no father in the coffin?"

"That's right. I could see very clearly that the coffin was more than two inches wide. But at some point, the electric light came on, and the coffin lid was closed again. ”

I think it's a bit too bizarre to explain it from any angle.

At about five o'clock in the afternoon, a very big news came, crying bitterly, and hurriedly rushed to my father's grave, and respectfully kowtowed three times. "Ghost-faced General" Jixiang said: "Dad, thank you for saving my life!" ”

It turned out that last night, more than ten miles away from my house, the whole landslide, a mountain slid down, filling a ditch about six miles long. It is said, "It will take about three months to reopen to traffic." This is still with modern road-building machinery, otherwise, a year will not be expected. ”

Now everything is clear.

It was my father's out-of-body soul that led me out of death. The loud roar heard as we passed the old road was from the landslide. If you take the new road, the "ghost-faced general" Jixiang will be buried at the bottom of the entire mountain.

"Ghost Face General" auspicious through the desert, to Lop Nur, in front of Loulan is Loulan, in Loulan heard that there is a reclusive famous doctor, "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan. At that time, there was a kind of mole cricket insect rampant in Loulan City, there were no natural enemies in Loulan, living in the soil, living on the white plaster soil of Loulan, quietly entering the houses of Loulan City in groups, people could not eliminate them, they were deeply harmed, and the suffering was unspeakable, "Loulan Divine Doctor" called Han Zanyan, prepared the medicinal powder, sprinkled it in the house, behind the house, outside the hospital, the medicinal powder drove away the mole cricket insects. The people of Loulan were hit by the plague again, which is a terrible acute infectious disease called "Rewozi disease", which sickens a village and dies a family. In the face of the great disaster, the people of Loulan were forced to flee, and the people blindly went up the Tarim River, where there were trees and water, they went there, and if they could live, they would go there, and if they could live, they would go there, and if they could live, they would be few. The people of Loulan want to cry without tears. When they were on the road, they were catching up with the unprecedented wind and sand, it was a large formation of burying the heavens and burial ground, the sky was dark, the sand was flying and the stones were flying, the sound was like a ghost, a city was about to be scattered in the turbidity and blur, and the country of Loulan was about to collapse.

"Ghost Face General" auspicious through Dunhuang, through the Yumen Pass, Yadan landform, the desert to Loulan, Loulan city is close to the square, the city wall is built with loess; The courtyard wall of the residential area is a poplar wooden frame and a small number of reed walls, which are tied into bundles or woven with wicker and plastered with clay. It is all wooden houses, poplar pillars, doors and windows of houses, and there is the only earthen building in the center of the city, which faces south from the north to the south, and is the residence of the king of Loulan; The mound in the eastern part of the city is a pagoda where residents worship the Buddha. The western part of the city is divided into residential districts, while in the eastern part of the city there are administrative and military districts. Because to go to the countries of the Western Regions for business and trade, all have to pass through Loulan, Loulan is a transportation hub, find a guide in Loulan, replenish drinking water and food, Loulan City, business travelers gather, people come and go, the market is lively, there are exquisite wood carvings, silk fabrics, blankets, jade, wood, wool cloth, sheepskin, grain, pottery, bamboo slips, brushes, antiquities, etc., there are Europeans, Mongolians, Indians and other people, restaurants, guest canteens, restaurants stand in a forest, neat streets, city walls, houses, majestic Buddhist temples, pagodas, there are beacon towers in the distance.

"General Ghost Face" auspiciously saw a beautiful, charming and kind Loulan girl in Loulan City, her face was not big, her chin was round, her eyes were big, and her bright eyes revealed a clear and pleasing gaze. Long eyelashes, countable. The high bridge of the nose powerfully enhances the styling beauty of the entire face. Thick, long, yellow-brown naturally curly hair, gracefully scattered behind a shawl, and the top of the head curled in a pointed felt hat. The black-brown felt hat is trimmed with dazzling red velvet thread, which is a harmonious and beautiful color, and there are several colorful feathers on the left and right sides of the crown. The neck is surrounded by a velvet fur fur, which is both warm and beautiful. She wears a floral sweater dress and a pair of short-waisted leather boots on her feet.

"Hello girl, do you know the residence of the "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan? Please tell me" "Ghost-faced General" Jixiang stepped forward and asked with a smile,

"General, you're a guest from afar, aren't you? Welcome! Miss Loulan said,

"Yes, thank you! I looked for the "Loulan Divine Doctor" to call Han Zanyan to cure the disease" and the "ghost-faced general" auspiciously said,

"Loulan Divine Doctor" Huhan Zanyan does not live in the city, the place where he lives is far away from Loulan City, and the road is difficult to walk, but I can be your guide and go on your behalf" Loulan girl said,

"That's great, thank you! I can pay you" "Ghost-faced General" Jixiang took out the money from his body and gave it to the Loulan girl and said,

"You're welcome, I'm a guide for friends from afar, I don't charge money, you can go with me now!" Miss Loulan refused to accept the money and said,

"Ghost Face General" auspicious followed the Loulan girl, out of Loulan City, through similar ravines one after another, like even and detached Yadan landform, after several twists and turns, to Lop Nur, Lop Nur is a big lake, the lake is broad, the environment is suitable, the lake ripples, the water is abundant and the fish is fat, the wild birds are flocked, over a flourishing poplar tree, to the confluence of the Tarim River and the lower reaches of the Peacock River, there is a cemetery, only a few miles away from the Peacock River, the cemetery is selected on the platform, you can also prevent floods, it seems that the local Loulan people are very good at looking at feng shui. Several tombs have a peculiar and spectacular appearance, and on the huge cemetery, it seems that countless radiant "suns" have fallen, and each "sun" is a tomb. This situation and this scene make people can't help but think about it.

"When Hou Yi shot the sun, did the nine suns fall here?" "Ghost-faced General" auspicious said,

"Every cemetery has a "core", and this "core" is a series of seven layers of logs around the tomb, which are composed of thin and thick tight circles of poplar stakes, and there are columns of trees that spread out on all sides in a radial shape outside the circle. The whole shape is like a big sun, which can't help but make people have all kinds of mysterious associations. The poplar stakes densely planted in these cemeteries represent the "male root stump", and our Loulan people worship human reproduction and reproduction, and hope to bless our Loulan people with full descendants, and the country of Loulan will always be rich and prosperous," said the Loulan girl.

The Loulan girl and the "ghost-faced general" Ji Xiang walked along a winding path, at the end of which there were nine thatched huts built with poplar frames and reed walls, and the sides of the path were full of flowers and grass. This may be the residence of Loulan's divine doctor "Huhan Zanyan". Miss Loulan and the "Ghost-faced General" Ji Xiang came to the front of the house.

"Girl, is this the residence of the "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan? "The ghost-faced general" auspicious asked Miss Loulan,

"Yes, my mission is complete, it's time to go back, can I see you again in the future!" Miss Loulan grabbed the auspicious hand of the "ghost-faced general" and said sadly,

"Thank you! We'll meet, Loulan beauty, come to Dunhuang, come to me, goodbye! "Goodbye" "Ghost Face General" auspiciously waved goodbye to Miss Loulan, and watched Miss Loulan turn around and reluctantly leave.

"Is there anyone in there?" "Ghost Face General" auspiciously said to the thatched hut,

"What's the matter?" After a while, a lotus boy came out of the room and said,

"I'm here to meet the "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan, I have something to find" "Ghost Face General" Jixiang said,

"Please come in!" The Lotus Boy said,

"Ghost-faced General" auspiciously walked into the thatched hut and saw an old man sitting on a chair in the hall, a Loulan man, with long hair and beard, a green cloth turban on his head, wearing a long-sleeved collared gown, a lotus leather belt around his waist, and long boots on his feet. There is a lotus boy on the side of the hall, who is boiling medicine, and the house is full of the smell of medicine.

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang saw this old man, presumably the famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan, so he saluted and said: "Mr. Hu Han Zanyan, I'm coming to see a doctor"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan looked the "ghost-faced general" Jixiang up and down, looked at the general in front of him who was tired from long-distance fatigue, but couldn't hide his energy and emotions, and asked, "General, what's wrong with you?" ”

"Ghost Face General" Jixiang explained: "My body is strong and I am not sick"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan said: "Then who do you treat for?"

"Ghost-faced General" auspicious said: "I am for my girlfriend, please treat my husband"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan 'said: "What about her? Where are you now? ”

"Ghost-faced General" Ji Xiang said, "She's still in her home"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan said: "Where is her home? ”

"Ghost-faced General" auspiciously said: "Dunhuang Crescent Spring Villa"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan said: "It's too far, the road is far away, I can't go"

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang pleaded: "Sir, can you prescribe a prescription?"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan said: "The four words that my medical skills pay the most attention to are looking, smelling, asking, and cutting. ”

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang finished talking about Mo Feitian's condition.

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan sighed: "This girl can only live for a month, and it is very difficult to cure the girl's illness, too difficult."

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang was taken aback when he heard this, felt uncomfortable in his heart, held back his grief and said: "No matter how difficult it is, I have to find a way, ask the divine doctor to help me, even if I exchange my life."

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan looked at the dusty general in front of him, and was moved by the general's true emotion, and said: "General, let me think about it, think about it, and tell you again, you go to rest today."

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" called Han Zanyan to call the lotus boy, arranged for King Kong to live in a thatched house on the side, "Ghost Face General" Jixiang was tired, lay on the bed, fell asleep, slept until the next morning, only woke up, hurriedly went to the famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan in the room, only saw a lotus boy in the room, and then boiled medicine, the famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan disappeared, "Ghost Face General" Ji Xiang hurriedly asked: "Where is your master?" ”

The lotus boy said: "The master went up the mountain to collect medicine, and the master instructed that he couldn't cure your girlfriend's illness, so let you go home."

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang said: "I can't go back, I must wait for your master to come back"

"Ghost-faced General" auspiciously walked out of the thatched hut, stood in front of the house, looking at the distance, the high mountain covered by clouds and mist, this is really: "The thatched hut asked the boy, and the teacher went to collect medicine, only in this mountain, and the clouds are deep and I don't know where."

"General Ghost Face" auspiciously waited anxiously, and the unknown doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" called Han Zanyan, when would he be able to come back, and he was willing to ask in person.

Three days later, the famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan finally came back, and when he saw that the "ghost-faced general" Jixiang hadn't left, he asked in surprise: "General, why haven't you left yet?" I didn't tell you that I couldn't cure your girlfriend and let you go home! ”

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang said: "I told me, but I can't find a cure for my girlfriend's illness, I won't go back"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" called Han Zanyan and said: "Then you go and look for other doctors"

"General Ghost Face" auspiciously said: "If you can't cure the disease, no one can cure it, so I implore the divine doctor to think of a way."

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan said: "General, seeing that you are so sincere, then, I will try to cure it, and I am not sure if it can be cured."

"Ghost-faced General" auspiciously said, "Thank you so much"

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan said: "It is too difficult to cure this disease, you need to use 990 taels of gold, buy 990 kinds of precious herbs, 990 kinds of prescriptions, refine 99 pills, eat nine times a day, and you can be cured."

"Ghost-faced General" auspiciously pleaded: "I'm not afraid of difficulties, no matter how difficult it is, I will cure the Flying Girl's illness, please ask Mr. to prescribe medicine for me.

The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan said: "I will prescribe the prescription to you for free, you hurry up and raise money to buy medicine and treat the disease!" The famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" picked up the pen and wrote the prescription and the method of refining and taking medicine on a piece of animal skin, and handed it to the "ghost-faced general" auspicious.

"Ghost Face General" auspicious took the animal skin, saw that there was a prescription, perilla (taste pungent and warm, the main lower qi, in addition to the cold, Zi Youliang), 800 grams, Ezi (Xin Wen, Li Xia Qi, warm and replenish qi), 900 grams and other 900 kinds of medicine, some are common medicines, some have never heard of medicine, "Ghost Face General" auspicious respectfully to the famous doctor "Loulan Divine Doctor" Hu Han Zanyan, bowed three times, and said respectfully: "Thank you!" Farewell!" After saying that, he turned around and left.

The "Ghost Face General" is auspicious to be able to scrape together 990 taels of gold, buy 990 kinds of precious herbs, refine 99 pills, and eat them in nine days to save the Flying Girl's illness.

came out and walked to the end of the winding sheep intestine path, Loulan girl stood there, saw the "ghost face general" auspicious coming to meet her, took the hand of the "ghost face general" auspicious and said, auspicious, why did you come? I'm waiting for you here every day

"Ghost-faced General" Jixiang asked, you haven't gone home yet?

Miss Loulan said, I remembered, you are the fairy who saved me in the Dunhuang market, I recognized it, I finally saw you, in order to thank you, I will send you another way.

"Ah, you are that girl, the changes are too great, I can't recognize it, I'm very happy to see you, okay, thank you" Zhang Jixiang said happily,

"Ghost Face General" Jixiang and Loulan girl on the road, met a monk, the ugly Amitabha Buddha, this monk Amitabha Buddha is ugly, but the upper knows astronomy, the lower knows geography, the ancient and the present, can guess and calculate, observe words and colors, is a rare talent, monk Amitabha Buddha see, "Ghost Faced General" auspicious face is uglier than himself, there is indeed a handsome girl next to him, very strange, ugly face, full of sadness.

"General, what's the trouble, let's hear about it," the monk Amitabha asked.

"Ghost-faced General" Ji Xiang looked at the speaker, who was a learned monk, and said: "There is indeed a trouble, I now need 990 catties of gold to buy medicine and save the life of my beloved girl, I don't know how to earn so much money in just over 20 days?"

The monk Amitabha thought for a while and said, "Another person trapped by love! It's not easy to make so much money in a short period of time... No matter how difficult it is, there is a way to meet me."

"What's the solution?" Miss Loulan hurriedly asked,

"Only I can predict the way," said the monk Amitabha.

"Then hurry up and predict, predict it, tell me" "Ghost Face General" auspicious and urgent,

"Don't be in a hurry, take your time, let me look at the nebula map, and I can measure it," said the monk Amitabha.

The monk Amitabha Buddha raised his arms straight above his head, raised his head, looked up at the sky, looked at the clouds, and took breath, which can be predicted according to the number and arrangement of clouds in the sky, as well as the brightness, number, and arrangement of stars at night.

"Hurry up and predict, predict it, tell me" "Ghost Face General" Jixiang said

"General, the prediction is out, is there a way" The monk Amitabha Buddha said slowly, stopped again, looked at the "ghost-faced general" auspicious, and told him, or not to tell him.