4. Jiuquanzi (1)
The moon is dark and the wind is high.
Three sneaky figures shuttled through the fields, making a tiny "rustle" sound.
I tugged at Qingming's sleeve:
"It's dark in the middle of the night, how can we find ghosts?"
Qingming squinted at me;
"Could it be that you are looking for it in broad daylight?"
After a pause, Qingming asked again:
"Are you afraid, honeyworm?"
"A little."
"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."
Qingming comforted me while keeping a close eye on the situation ahead.
"Qingming and I will take care of you, don't worry."
The boya behind me also encouraged me.
"If you need your protection, why do you want to bring me with you?"
I don't understand.
Qingming smiled.
"Wouldn't it be a pity that a thousand years later came to the Heian period due to the dislocation of time, and did not exorcise demons with the Onmyoji?"
"Besides, people and ghosts live together, monsters make trouble, how can you protect yourself if you don't learn some yin and yang arts?"
Sunny to make up.
Is he thinking about me? So impressed......
A cold wind blew, eerie. The branches began to shake and rattle in all directions, as if thousands of horses were rushing ahead.
"Are you coming?"
Qingming was calm, but still a little nervous.
"Whew" Another gust of wind blew by, almost knocking me over.
"Honeyworm, are you alright?"
Yuan Boya grabbed me in time.
"Don't make a sound! I'm going to start doing it, stealth! β
Qing Ming quickly drew a few talismans in the air, and a series of incantations were recited in just a few seconds.
The wind in a radius of several miles centered on us disappeared in an instant, and the wind was still strong outside, and the leaves were flying wildly, but we seemed to be covered in a vacuum, and we could not feel the slightest movement.
Qingming made a V-shaped gesture and placed it horizontally in front of Gen Boya's eyes, motioning for him to look.
Curious, I leaned over and saw hordes of hideous-looking goblins rushing towards us through the red light between my fingers!
The skull of Bai Sensen rolling on the ground, the skeleton smiling forward, the few monsters you gnaw on me, I gnaw on you, splash the unknown liquid of the green forest, open the bloody basin and pounce on us......
"Ahh
A scream pierced the sky.
"Get out of the way!"
I was pushed away by Qingming and stumbled a few steps, and fell straight backwards. Yuan Boya flew from nowhere to catch me steadily.
"Boya, protect the honey worms!"
Qingming flew a fan, and he flashed to the side sensitively.
I felt an undercurrent coming at us, Boya caught the fan and waved it hard, the five-pointed star in the center of the folding fan faintly glowed, and then, the oncoming undercurrent disappeared.
Look at Qingming again - before and after he danced, his hands drew a series of symbols, and his wide sleeves waved from time to time, as if he was fighting against something intangible.
"Oops! Qingming gave us the folding fan, what should he do? β
"Don't worry, Qingming should have her own way."
Boya was also nervous.
"Are we just looking at it?"
"There is no other way."
"Aren't you a samurai?"
"I don't exorcise ghosts."
"Shall we throw the fan back, then?"
"No, that's Qingming protecting us. Without it, we would be in danger again. Qingming can't be distracted anymore. β
I know that I hurt everyone. After the Onmyoji lays down the barrier, he must not make a noise to disturb, it will destroy the barrier, which will undoubtedly push the Onmyoji to a more dangerous point.
If something happens to Qingming, I will never forgive myself for the rest of my life.
"Ding Ding Ding"
Qingming hung the bell from nowhere, shaking it and chanting a mantra.
The wind gradually weakened, and the sky was covered with dark clouds, as if they were about to be suppressed. Thick dark clouds moved southward in patches, covering the sky and the moon.
"Did you escape?"
Qingming muttered to herself, and turned to me with a questioning look.
Nothing I said could make up for my mistakes, and I bowed my head sadly and waited for Qingming's punishment.
"Forget it, don't blame the honey worms. Didn't I break your formation the first time? β
Yuan Boya spoke for me.
Qingming withdrew her gaze and stared at the sky with a little concern.
"Full moon, cathode."
"Without further ado, let's hurry."
Qingming agreed with Boya's words and motioned to me not to blame myself and continue to walk.
Heisei Prefecture.
There was a lot of crying, the corpses were in disarray, funeral music was blowing everywhere, and from time to time there were huge mourning teams carrying coffins past us.
"Qingming, what's wrong?"
"The powerful are corrupt, and the people's livelihood is withering; The people are full of grievances, and the ghosts are in chaos; Natural and man-made disasters continue year after year. Rich officials and aristocrats, arrogant and indulgent, regardless of whether the people live or die, resentment is born; A person with a little money can still be buried, and there is still a place for the soul. The vast number of poor people starved to death and had no money to bury. Death, there is no pure land to hold, the soul is helpless, wandering all day long, so there are many ghosts. β
Qingming's face was heavy.
"Huh? It's so miserable......"
The voice was quiet, and I couldn't imagine what kind of miserable life they were having.
"Hey! Seeing the regime declining, there is nothing I can do! β
Boya said hatefully.
Qingming smiled faintly:
"If you can't change it, let it pass. Honey worm, are you living in a good era? Is life still so miserable a thousand years from now? β
"It's good, you can read, you can have entertainment, you can live a stable life, and the society is ...... democratic"
I felt a little unbearable and blamed myself, it turned out that life was so hard, but I didn't know how to cherish it. I often talk back to my parents at home and complain about too much homework at school......
Some wanted to cry.
"That's good, at least in a thousand years people won't have to live like this."
Qingming interrupted me and smiled reassuringly.
He couldn't listen to how beautiful people's lives would be a thousand years later, but now what was in front of him was so cruel.
Right Minister's Heian Mansion.
"Please! Please! Give food to eat, my daughter is dying of hunger. β
The old man, whose face was sleazed and thin, kept pleading.
"Get outβ"
In exchange for a cold and heartless word.
The guard kicked him viciously, and the old man lost his weight and rolled on the ground a few times, and then hurried over to continue pleading.
The guard was about to kick the second time, when Qingming's voice sounded:
"βStop!"
"Lord Harumi! Come in. β
The guard's face change is faster than the opera "change face", his eyebrows are dancing, and he nods his head.
Qingming ignored it and pushed the door into the mansion.
I glanced at the guard: what a chameleon!
"Sunny and bright! Clear! You're finally here! β
ushered in a man with a short and medium figure, covered in flesh, and full of red face. He was dressed in glory and wealth, followed by a few retinues. Presumably, the person who came was the right minister Taira Takesei.
Qingming smiled politely, neither humble nor arrogant, neither lukewarm nor hot, with some alienation and pride.
"My daughter was suddenly bedridden last month, sleepwalking a lot at night, and crying profusely. In recent days, it has been more serious, with a high fever. β
We were led by the right minister, Taira Wucheng, to the premises of his daughter Jiuquanzi.
The woman lying on the bed was a beautiful and classical woman with a very Japanese flavor, lying quietly on the bed, with a faint black blob swimming between her eyebrows, her lips purple, and her complexion was very bad.
"Qingming, is there a way?"
The right minister, Taira Wucheng, revealed the worries that all fathers would have.
Qingming thought for a while, understood it in his chest, and smiled calmly:
"There is a way, as long as you send all the money withheld for relief to the people, and I will do it again, and it will be fine."
"Bold! You dare to say that this official is corrupt! β
"Then forgive Qingming for being incompetent!"
With that, Qingming turned around and left.
"Slow-" Right Minister Ping Wucheng softened down, "For the sake of my daughter, I'll do it!" β
Qingming nodded with satisfaction, smiling with her eyebrows and eyes, but there was no warmth.