Ming Dynasty, July of the third year of Hongzhi. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

The scorching sun, the whole Huaixian County is like being in a furnace, the hot steam rising from the ground makes the soles of the feet feel painful, and the dazzling light is overwhelmingly shrouded in the blue bricks and black tiles of the city tower, but reflects the luster of water-like glass, which adds a bit of harmony to the county seat of the heat wave.

In the herbal tea shop on the street at the gate of the city, the shopkeeper is diligently waiting for the guests who are resting. It was too hot on this day, and passers-by paid a copper coin here to relieve the heat with a bowl of herbal tea. Once you've quenched your thirst, take a break and get back on the road.

There were a lot of pedestrians coming and going, and it was not until after noon that the herbal tea shop was lightened. The shopkeeper took a breath, wiped the hot sweat on his neck with a rag, and looked up at the distant horizon unintentionally, with the desolate scenery between heaven and earth as the background, there was a sudden appearance of a dazzling bright yellow relying on the golden sun wheel, in the dry land where the heat wave was boiling, from the end of the intersection of heaven and earth gradually approaching, looking at it from a distance, there is a distant and ethereal artistic conception.

Xiao Er of the tea shop was especially surprised, staring at the round eyes and trying to see what was going on. After a while, when the bright yellow approached, he vaguely saw that it was a Taoist wearing a tattered Taoist robe and a half-cut cane, bending over and hunching his back slowly.

And the conspicuous bright yellow was a rag inserted on his back, on which the words "slay demons and eliminate demons" were boldly written, but the handwriting was crooked, and there was no deterrent at all.

The shopkeeper suddenly rolled his eyes, and it seemed that there was another poor beggar begging for water to drink. Thinking like this, he snorted in his nose and turned around and pretended to clean the tables, chairs and counters in the shop. Sure enough, just as he had just soaked the rag, a shout came from behind him: "Xiao Er, come to a bowl of herbal tea." ”

The little second-hand twisted the wet rag, turned around slowly, squinted at the old Taoist with a fluttering expression and looked left and right, and smiled predictably: "Dao Chief, if you want herbal tea, you have to pay first, no more, no less, one copper plate is enough." ”

But then again, if it is peaceful today, most of those cultivators go incognito to the mountains and forests in pursuit of the art of immortality, and the Taoist priests who wander among the people are mostly swaggering and deceitful people who hunt demons and drive away evil spirits.

The little two's heart moved, and he was even more disdainful.

The old man didn't care, sat down at the table at the door, then took out a tattered money bag, took out a copper and put it on the table, and said unhurriedly: "A bowl of herbal tea." ”

The little second didn't expect that he really didn't come to ask for water for nothing, so he immediately changed his face, served a bowl of herbal tea kindly, and said with a bright smile: "The guest officer uses it slowly." ”

Lao Dao also nodded politely, but he didn't drink it, but closed his eyes cross-legged and listened to something. Although the shopkeeper was uncomfortable, he didn't say anything.

After noon, there were more pedestrians coming and going, and the herbal tea shop was full of people, and the shopkeeper was busy before and after, so he naturally couldn't take care of the old Taoist sitting at the door.

Until the evening approached, the herbal tea shop returned to calm, the red sun set the horizon, and the faint full moon slowly climbed into the air, the shopkeeper looked at the old Taoist table full of tea, as if this person had no intention of leaving, his face suddenly appeared angry, walked to the table at the door and knocked on the table hard, and couldn't help but raise his voice sharply: "Dao Chief, it's dark." ”

Lao Dao slowly opened his eyes and replied lightly: "Got it." Then he took out a copper from the money bag and pushed it to the shopkeeper's hand, "I'll sit down for a while." ”

The shopkeeper looked at a copper given by Lao Dao, and he didn't want to urge him anymore, but he felt that this person was so strange.

However, at this moment, a strong wind suddenly blew between heaven and earth, and in the evening of July, there was a hint of coolness. The shopkeeper unconsciously shrunk his neck.

Unexpectedly, the next moment, it was even more stormy, raising dust all over the ground, dark clouds pressed on the top, forming a cloud of black gas in the wind, and approaching Huaixian. The shopkeeper is unknown, so take a probe to see what is going on.

Seeing this, Lao Dao shouted "Go in", and at the same time, he rose from the ground, and three copper coins instantly popped out of his cuffs, hitting the black mist hanging in the wind.

I saw a dazzling red light burst out of the black gas in an instant, piercing the fog and shooting in all directions, and the night was like day. At the same time, a terrible scream came out of the black air, like a terror in the middle of the night, and the ghost cried again and again. It's just that a moment later, the red light was swallowed up by the surrounding black qi again, and the three copper coins fell to the ground with a "clang".

The passers-by all stopped sideways, looking at the scene in front of them in horror, and after one of them couldn't control his screams, everyone was so frightened that they hid in the herbal tea shop on the side of the street.

Lao Dao couldn't help but say in his heart: This ghost thing is so powerful, just relying on his own resentment can hold three copper coins with a soul exorcism spell, I'm afraid this matter is not so simple.

A ghostly voice of resentment came from the black air: "Why do you have to work hard? ”

Lao Dao stood solemnly in the wind, under the light moonlight, the Taoist robe was ragged, but there was no indifferent style.

"You're dead."

A few short words explained the reason, but the resentful spirit in the black qi did not buy it, but said: "Where are you from the old way, don't be nosy!" ”

The old Tao didn't answer, and asked rhetorically: "You are dead, the past is like a cloud of smoke, you have entered the path of reincarnation, and you will be a human being in the next life, if you don't get lost and know how to return, I am afraid that you will end up in a lost soul, is it worth it?" ”

"It's worth it." The mournful voice in the black qi was particularly firm, "Even if my soul is scattered, I will take revenge." ”

"People and ghosts have different paths, since you are obsessed, don't blame me for not leaving you a way to live." The old Dao's back shook, his hands crossed and overlapped, the wind hunted, the tattered Taoist robe bulged high, and he silently recited in his mouth: "Heaven and earth are four, yin and yang are two lives, reincarnation is six ways, and the demons are one." ”

In an instant, dark clouds covered the moon, the sky and the earth were cloudy, and the cold air was overwhelming. Lao Dao's left palm conjured up an object, which was actually a four-sided book floating in front of his palm, and it was difficult to distinguish between reality and fiction. And the void that was one foot away from the black qi tore open a large black hole, and the dust around it suddenly rose in the air due to the huge suction. Time stood still at this moment, and the passers-by hiding in the herbal tea shop were all still, like lifeless puppets, carving various poses, and the scene was extremely strange.