(There is also a second chapter.) ）

The bloodless old woman was stiff and looked at the four people outside the door in a daze.

The scholar who knocked on the door was very timid, and when he saw the gloomy old woman, he didn't dare to look at himself, and hid behind his companions, only feeling that there was no way to enter the heavens and the earth, and he was miserable.

This scholar likes to read hundreds of classics when he is young, and he can often turn to some ghosts and ghosts from those reading notes sent by casual couples, and the stories of the deceased are roughly divided into two kinds, one is charming, similar to the fox charm loves scholars, and then there is this kind of ghost in front of him, even if he stays in at night, how to see the courtyard is deep, carved beams and paintings, and luckily lives until dawn to separate, it will become a fox rabbit infested with the barren mound mourning grave.

The wind and rain were shaking, the weather was cold, and the scholar with a torch in his hand was more daring than his companions, and he turned the big bookbox behind him, rubbing his hands to keep warm, and said with a wry smile: "Can the old lady let us borrow a night? The rain outside is too great, we have friends who can't stand the cold, and have fainted, if there is no warm place, it is difficult to say whether they can survive tonight, and I hope that the old aunt can help, it will be regarded as saving people's lives, and winning the seventh-level floating slaughter." ”

The old woman had a straight face, and spoke in a local dialect that was difficult to understand, as if she was questioning something.

The scholar's face was full of bitterness, so he had to explain in the same dialect as the old woman.

The old woman turned her dead fish eyes slightly, staring at Chen Ping'an, and suddenly used the Aquarius Yayan, "People who practice martial arts?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

The old woman looked at the young Taoist priest on Chen Ping'an's back, revealing the hilt of the peachwood sword, after falling asleep, Taoist priest Zhang Shan's breathing was longer and more stable than when he was awake, this is probably the magic of practicing qi, returning to the basics everywhere, unexpected. After the old woman found the peachwood sword, her eyes narrowed, "Your friend is a cultivator?"

Chen Ping'an continued to nod.

The old woman finally looked at the cringe-eyed umbrella-wielding scholar, "The person who reads?"

The scholar who hung a mutton fat jade pendant on his waist shook his head and said: "If you don't have a reputation for the imperial examination, you can't be regarded as a scholar." ”

The old woman tugged at the corners of her mouth, and shook her shoulders to get out of the way, "Since they are all serious people, then please come in, remember to rest in their respective rooms after entering the door, don't walk around casually, disturb my master, and bear the consequences." There is a charcoal pot and stove in the room, all the sons are at their own convenience, there is no need to ask, the person who comes is a guest, and my master will not worry about it. ”

When the old woman closed the door, she looked around, and then quickly closed the door, and the heavy door was in the hands of the old woman, as if it was as light as a feather, and it slammed shut.

This house is really not small, it should be the courtyard of the fourth entrance, and the four people, including Chen Ping'an, were arranged in the second courtyard, and they were told that they could not go to the courtyard at the back. The eaves of the house are carved with Rui beasts, flowers and birds and landscape moire, the window flowers are exquisite, the ground in the courtyard is paved with blue and red stone bricks, the main and secondary roads are distinct, and they are in good order.

The hand-copying verandah is connected to the main wing, so that you can walk freely on a rainy day like this.

The figure of the old woman did not enter the narrow verandah connecting the two or three into the courtyard, it was pitch black, suddenly a lightning, the two scholars had not yet retracted their sight, just saw the old woman's miserable white smiling face, frightened the two of them to scatter, and hurriedly went to the adjacent wing, the two scholars surnamed Chu and Liu did not dare to fall asleep separately, so they had to temporarily gather in a room, the scholar surnamed Liu put down the oil paper umbrella, and read the sage book at night with the lamp, so as to strengthen his courage.

The scholar surnamed Chu was a little bolder, otherwise he would not have known that there was a house here, so he put down the torch and began to tinker with the brazier, took out the fire fold wrapped tightly in oiled paper from the bookcase, and soon lit the charcoal fire, and the house soon warmed up. He looked around, stretched out his hand and pressed the bed, the bedding was tinged with a faint damp and musty smell, but this was inevitable, after the spring of this year, it was rainy, and there was almost no big sun, but it was not good to criticize the master in this kind of thing, not to mention that there was a place to rest, it was a blessing in misfortune.

The scholar surnamed Chu has a blue square scarf on his head, a slender figure, a dignified appearance, and between his eyebrows, there is an awe-inspiring righteousness, he looks around, and finds that the panes are changeable, the style is exquisite and the meaning is beautiful, carved with bats, carp and Ganoderma lucidum, etc., generally only the scholarly door will have this thought. He suddenly approached the window, looked intently, and found that there seemed to be some traces of vermilion lacquer on the slightly wide wooden strip between the two windows, and the handwriting was mottled and blurred, and it was vaguely seen that it was some talisman characters.

As the room gradually warmed up, the scholar surnamed Liu was a little bolder, so he put down the book in his hand, and saw that his companion seemed to be staring at the window, so he looked up along his line of sight, and saw that the outside of the window was red, reflecting an old face, and said hoarsely: "It's getting late, I hope the two sons will rest early." ”

The old woman who was patrolling the night with a lantern suddenly appeared, and almost scared the two scholars to death.

The old woman just walked from the wing room opposite the courtyard, and the young man with the back box over there was also reading with the lamp, and he was also looking at the window, so he was not so panicked, the old woman shook her head, staggered away, and said with a smile: "The courage of the reader is smaller." ”

Opposite wing.

Chen Ping'an stood diagonally near the window and reminded softly: "The old woman is gone." ”

It turned out that the young Taoist priest came to his senses before entering the house, swallowed a Huiyang pill, and took Chen Ping'an's liquor in the rivers and lakes, and suddenly refreshed, originally he was unwilling to waste a pill, but he suddenly felt that there was a demonic spirit that disappeared in a flash, and he didn't dare to be stingy with the pill anymore. Taoist priest Zhang Shan sat up from the bed, put on a brand-new Taoist robe, bent down and sat next to the brazier, stretched out his hand to warm the fire, and said in a low voice: "Chen Ping'an, let's take turns to keep vigil tonight, otherwise I really don't feel at ease, I always feel that something is not right here." ”

Chen Ping'an said with a smile: "You just need to hang the peach wood sword tied to the demon bell near the window, I don't know much about the monster spirit, so I still need the bell to help remind me, as for the vigil, I am very good at it, you can sleep at ease, there is really something, I won't even be able to notify you." ”

Taoist priest Zhang Shan thought about it and found a reason, "Hang up the peachwood sword and the demon bell, bake the fire again, and then sleep when the bones are warm." ”

When the young Taoist priest was hanging the wooden sword obliquely, Chen Ping'an said: "There used to be someone on the side of the pane who drew a talisman, but after a long time, I can't see it clearly, but it should be your Taoist talisman, do you recognize it?"

The young Taoist priest didn't pay attention to it, but after Chen Ping'an reminded him, he looked carefully, and then found clues, and couldn't help but admire Chen Ping'an's boldness and carefulness, after careful inspection, his face became more and more heavy, and finally stretched out his fingers and gently wiped the traces of vermilion lacquer, sniffed at the tip of his nose, and sat back in the chair in silence, " If it's really as Xiaodao thinks, it's a little troublesome, the runes drawn on the pane are the red books used to exorcise ghosts, look at its remnants, it should be a kind of Shen Yu Zong's green words, with special vermilion lacquer to write the fairy green words, the power is huge, and since it is the hand of the predecessors of the Shen Yu Sect, it is even almost written all over the window, and the pen is urgent, it is conceivable that the evil ghosts that the predecessors need to face, must be not shallow. ”

The young Taoist sighed and said regretfully: "I knew this earlier, Xiaodao shouldn't have saved that Huiyang Pill in the first place, and ate it early, so that when he was close to the house, he would still be unconscious, otherwise Xiaodao would have a little experience in Feng Shui, and after a little look at it from a distance, you can roughly see what kind of school it is in this house, and the fundamental method of gathering Feng Shui, whether it is yang or yin, whether it deviates from the right path, as long as you identify the general context, you can deduce many things...... Chen Ping'an, I'm sorry, it's Xiaodao who put you in danger......"

Chen Ping'an listened to the young Taoist's self-reproachful words, and didn't say anything comforting, but just quipped: "Master Zhang, isn't it your forte to eliminate demons and defend the Dao?"

The young Taoist priest hurriedly waved his hand, "Don't don't, Xiaodao can't afford the title of 'Heavenly Master'." ”

Speaking of this, Zhang Shan had some longing, and said softly: "The real Heavenly Master is the descendants of the Zhang family of the Heavenly Master Mansion of Longhu Mountain, all of them wear yellow and purple, and they are the prime ministers of the mountain who have been hereditary for thousands of years. Heavenly Master Seal' and a fairy sword, and then down, is in Longhu Mountain knot Mao practice many foreign surnames Heavenly Master, Longhu Mountain as a natural blessed land, open to the outside world, only those Qi practitioners, promise to cultivate after success, go down the mountain to kill demons and demons, then Longhu Mountain will give a wooden sword made of peach wood, which is also the strength of Longhu Mountain, let us Taoist priests from other continents, all have to be extremely fascinated. ”

Chen Ping'an listened carefully and felt that this Dragon Tiger Mountain and Zhang Tianshi were indeed good.

Rain cats and dogs.

The two small stone lions at the door of this house made a slight cracking sound from time to time.

The old woman stood outside the main house of the third courtyard, stepped on a small bench, and hung the lantern on the pillar cage frame, the lamp was dim and fluttering in the wind.

Poof, the lights went out, and it turned out that the candles inside had burned out.

The old woman coughed and stood on the bench again, took off the lantern, and took out a bright red and blood-fresh candle from her sleeve, if you look closely, there is no wick, the old woman turned her back to the yard, plucked a white hair from her head, and suddenly inserted it into the center of the candle, as if using it as a wick material, and then the old woman sighed softly at the candle, and the candle was instantly lit, and after putting in the lantern, it was hung on the pillar again.

This lantern shook slightly, and the lights shone in the mansion.

If it is a clear night, it will inevitably provoke moths to put out the fire, but I don't know what the meaning of its existence is in the rainy night of this wilderness.

The young Taoist priest was not sleepy, Chen Ping'an took a sip and drank the spirits in the vermilion wine gourd, listening to Zhang Shan say that he had encountered the thrilling experience of demons several times before, Chen Ping'an made a silent gesture, and the young Taoist priest subconsciously looked at the window peach wood sword, the bell was quiet, and there was nothing unusual.

Soon there was a knock on the door, it turned out to be the two scholars who visited together, Chen Ping'an held a wine gourd, opened the door in the past, the heavy rain outside the door was still scary, and the wind and rain were crooked, so that there was no dry place on the ground of the corridor, the slender scholar surnamed Chu was holding an umbrella, carrying a wine jug in one hand, smiling, and the scholar surnamed Liu put his hands to his mouth, breathed warm, and said with a smile: " Brother Chu went out this time, brought a few pots of good wine, and now there is a pot left, I am not afraid of your jokes, I don't dare to fall asleep tonight, I think about whether I can use the strength of wine, and go back to sleep when I go back, Brother Chu said that it is better to be happy alone than to be happy, if the two of you are willing to have a few sips, let's have a drink together? ”

Chen Ping'an lifted the vermilion wine gourd in his hand and said with a smile: "I brought my own wine, you can share a pot for the three of you." ”

At that time, a scholar surnamed Liu, who was holding an umbrella for Chen Ping'an and the young Taoist, strode into the room and laughed heartily, "So very good, so very good." ”

The scholar surnamed Chu followed with a smile, put the umbrella at the foot of the wall, and the four of them sat around the brazier, simmering wine for a while, and the scholar surnamed Liu patted his head, "I forgot to take the wine glass." ”

Then he looked at his companion with a wry smile, "Brother Chu, I don't dare to take it." ”

The scholar surnamed Chu got up with a smile and said helplessly: "If there are really ghosts and gods in the world, wouldn't you not have to be afraid of death?" Besides, the reader has his own righteousness in his belly, and presumably the ghosts and gods must also be in awe, what are you afraid of. ”

As soon as there were many people, the scholar surnamed Liu who was sitting on the chair became angry, and joked: "I couldn't even pass the small lift, which means that the Haoran righteousness in my stomach doesn't have many catties and taels, of course I'm afraid, but Brother Chu is a Jinshi, far better than me, of course, you don't have to be afraid." ”

The scholar surnamed Chu shook his head with a smile, strode away, his figure soon appeared in the opposite wing, then pushed the door and closed the door, walked back quickly, and brought four wine glasses, the inner wall of the wine glass, painted with two majestic and high-spirited colorful roosters, Taoist priest Zhang Shan took a wine glass, and asked tentatively: "Brother Chu, Brother Liu, this should not be a unique cockfighting cup in Caiyi Country, right?"

The scholar surnamed Liu's eyes lit up, "The Taoist has also heard of the cockfighting cup of our Caiyi Country?"

The light on the table was not bright enough, so the young Taoist twisted the wine glass with two fingers, tilted it, and carefully observed the two colorful roosters by the light of the brazier charcoal, and sighed: " The famous, the famous, naturally have heard of it, the trail comes from the north of the Juluzhou, when walking the rivers and lakes, I have seen two martial arts high-rollers spend a lot of money for this, borrowing cockfighting to gamble, it is amazing, I heard that as long as the wine glass is poured into most of the wine, and then inject a wisp of aura into the cup wall, the two roosters will fight each other, endlessly, and even if it is the ten realm saints in the five realms of immortals, they may not be able to see the direction of victory or defeat, so as long as the cockfighting cup is out of your Aquarius, the price is a hundred times and a thousand times skyrocketing, the ferry port of the Nanjian country, the cockfighting cup of the Caiyi country, is one of the important goods on boarding。 ”

The scholar surnamed Liu looked quite complacent, nodded and smiled: "What kind of aura is not aura, I don't know, I only know that the master of the rivers and lakes of our Caiyi country likes to make fun of it, and after pouring wine into the cup, anyway, as long as they pinch it with two fingers, they can make the cockfighting cup come alive, and then fight endlessly until the winner is decided." As for why it is so mysterious, I have seen some records in the county annals of various places, saying that the colorful soil for firing the cockfighting cup is the only interesting thing in the world, and it is said that once this soil leaves the territory of Caiyi country, it will change the smell in a short time, and there is no difference from the ordinary soil, so it makes the cockfighting cup our unique porcelain. ”

Taoist priest Zhang Shan was amazed, thinking that if anyone can monopolize the porcelain clay of the cockfighting cup, wouldn't he collect gold every day and get rich overnight?

Chen Ping'an believes in this statement, because for the soil properties, Chen Ping'an because of the porcelain burning, the contact is quite deep, Longquan kiln workers have been potters for generations, and porcelain burning needs to deal with the soil, so Chen Ping'an has heard a lot of Shinto Taoist sayings, such as the old man Yao once said, the soil leaves the ground, and finally molded into a mud Bodhisattva, eat incense, or burn into porcelain, sent to the emperor's house, or become a broken bottle in the people's house, it is difficult to escape the fire and water immersion, all have their roots, each has its own life, similar to people.

The scholar surnamed Liu drank three taels of wine, his face was flushed, he was just slightly drunk, it was the best moment in his mental state, he shook his head slightly, and asked with a smile: "The Taoist is carrying a peachwood sword, and at first glance he is a fairy among the gods, can he make this cockfighting cup 'live'?" If so, we might as well gamble, have some fun, and make a small bet, what can we gamble?"

There was a strange look on the face of this scholar, it was obvious that whether he drank or not, it was completely two people, and he was somewhat gambling.

The scholar surnamed Chu sighed and persuaded softly: "Brother Liu, after drinking half a catty of wine, hurry up and rest." ”

Taoist priest Zhang Shan also hurriedly said: "A cockfighting cup can be worth a lot of silver, so why squander it." ”

The scholar surnamed Liu drank all the wine in the cup in one gulp, waved his big hand, smashed the wine glass in his hand on the wall, smashed it, and laughed: "Since ancient times, the sages have been lonely, only the drinker has left his name, and the person who has left his name has died, only this thing has been thousands of years, it is really ridiculous, a cockfighting cup, how much can it be worth in the country of Caiyi? Two taels of silver, a jinshi is worth a few dollars? That's expensive, anyway, I Liu Zhen can't afford it......"

The scholar surnamed Chu looked embarrassed and explained: "After Brother Liu is drunk, he likes to talk nonsense, so I implore the Taoist and Gongzi to bear with me. ”

Chen Ping'an smiled and drank silently.

In the end, Liu Zhen, who was drunk and talking, was helped back by his companions, and Zhang Shan was sent to the door.

Chen Ping'an glanced at the door, but never got up and moved.

————

In the heavy rain, there was a big-haired knifeman, through the heavy rain curtain, striding towards the house and knocking on the door.

The old woman stood in the threshold and asked hoarsely, "What are you doing?"

The man shouted, "Hide from the rain!"

The old woman said with pity: "You man, you speak with a lot of anger, and you are not a person who needs to hide from the rain." ”

The man said angrily: "What's the matter, your mansion doesn't even have a place to stay?!"

The old woman smiled and said: "There are still some places to stay, that is, you are a man, I am afraid that my master will not like it, if you annoy the owner with a bad temper, let alone say that it is a place to stay, it is a place to put one hundred and seventy or eight catties of fine meat, there will be it." ”

The swordsman had a beard on his face, and his roots were as hard as a halberd, holding down the handle of the knife with one hand, and staring at the gate with his eyes open, "What nonsense! Hurry up and open the door, this rain is so evil, how can I do it if I don't hide from the rain, how can I go to the Qinglou in the future, wouldn't it be a joke to those grinding goblins?"

The door slowly opened, and the old woman sighed softly: "It's better to die for others than to die for a joke." ”

The bearded swordsman was slightly awe-inspiring, but soon laughed and said: "Lao Tzu, the body of a boy, has accumulated more than 30 years of yang energy, and he is afraid of an egg! ”

The rough man walked into the courtyard and frowned at the shadow wall.

The old woman slammed the door behind again.

A stone lion outside the door, with a click, turned out to be a head that fell to the ground and fell to pieces.

It's just that this little movement has long been masked by the sound of heavy rain.

————

In the big clans of some countries in the south of Aquarius, women mostly live in the unique boudoir embroidery building, and some of the harsh family members will even tear down the stairs that pass up and down, and the women in the boudoir will be "put away" like a book, waiting for the day of marriage.

There is an embroidery building in the courtyard at the end, the beauty on the second floor leans on, the night is deep, but there is a man who is thrushing for the woman, the eyebrow pencil in his hand falls lightly on the woman's face, the woman's flesh and blood are blurred, rotten, and the white bones are exposed in many places, and even the white maggots are rolling, but she can be vaguely seen smiling.