In this world, the most lively time of the year is the Shangyuan Festival.

Up to Chang'an and down to the state capital, as long as there are still those who can breathe, the place will open the night market, hang lanterns, and be happy for three days and three nights.

According to Li Changan's cheap master, there are often goblins in barren mountains and mounds, ghosts and gods in the sky and on the ground who can't bear to be lonely, and are attracted by the excitement of the Shangyuan Festival, and come to the lamp market to have fun with others.

As for the thrilling, funny or lingering stories born from this, it is another legend.

But this national custom has changed when it reaches the boundary of Xiaoshui.

The Shangyuan Festival was hastily handled, and all the excitement, including the lanterns at night, and even the obscure blind date between men and women were moved to this Dionysian sacrifice.

It is similar to the Shangyuan Festival.

At the time of the festival, in front of the Dionysian Cellar, on one of the busiest waterways, the lights are put on for two consecutive days, and on the third day, a grand festival is held to offer wine and thank the gods.

Now is the first day of the Dionysian festival.

Therefore, early in the morning, on the streets on both sides, the proprietors, shopkeepers, and running halls of each shop are not busy with business, but only care about hanging lanterns, tying ribbons, and arranging carefully prepared lanterns in front of the store, waiting for the evening to shine.

And the water is even more lively, large and small painting boats have grabbed the position early, the hosts are local, and even the famous characters of Sanle, prostitutes, Youling, and hundreds of operas have been rushed from all over the country for a long time.

On the streets, there are naturally no shortage of impatient pedestrians, wandering around early, waiting for a sneak peek.

On a festive day here, whether poor or rich, they naturally put on the best clothes and put on the best looks. Even the beggars who couldn't eat enough washed themselves before going out, earning an eye, and begging for two copper coins, didn't they?

But there are always oddities in the bustle and cleanliness.

Suddenly, a crack opened in the lively crowd, and a beggar staggered in the street.

His clothes were tattered and dirty, his hair was like knotted algae, his face was black and there were a few big pus, it was really dirty and dirty, smelly of pits, and insects flew around him.

Countless eyes and disgust were aroused, but he didn't react at all, just stumbled forward, like a wandering corpse.

Good to die but not to die.

There were a few wicked teenagers on the other side.

On the one hand, they were unscrupulous, and on the other hand, they were confused, and no one on both sides dodged, and they collided together.

Needless to say.

The beggar was dragged deep into the alley by the wicked young men and beaten severely.

It's strange to say.

Like this kind of beggar who has accumulated for many years, being beaten is a necessary skill, and at this time the group should get up, protect the vital point, and scream and beg loudly.

But this man only lay upright, let the fists and feet go up, and didn't hum, only buzzing something in his mouth.

One of the wicked teenagers was tired from the fight, and he pinched his nose and leaned over to listen.

It turned out that only one word was repeated.

"Hungry. ”

"Still shouting hungry?"

The wicked young man laughed.

Leaving the alley, not long after, I came back with a bowl of rancid rice soup.

"Phew. ”

Like a pig and a dog, he blew a whistle and splashed the rice soup into the wall.

"Here you go. ”

One moment, the evil boys were still giggling, admiring the "humor" of their companions, but the next moment, the laughter stopped abruptly, and one after another lived like ducks choked by the throat.

All they saw was that the beggar, who had just been half dead, suddenly pounced on the root of the wall like a mad wild dog, pressed his face to the corner of the wall, and licked it with all his might.

Rao is hard wall squeezed through the abscess on his face, rubbing out a red and yellow smudge without realizing it, just trying to poke out his tongue to hook the scraps in the cracks in the stone.

"Crazy, crazy. ”

The evil boys looked at each other, and they all saw a bad cold in each other's eyes, and even a trace of inexplicable fear.

Hurriedly pretended to take a few sips, then put down a few cruel words, and left in a hurry.

The beggar doesn't care, or doesn't have the energy to care.

Just now that little bit of rice soup entered the stomach, but it ignited the hunger in the stomach, and now it is burning the internal organs and hurting!

At the moment, there is only one thought in the mind.

Eat!

He simply peeled off the moss and wall skin that still smelled of rancid rice soup, and stuffed it into his mouth.

At this time, a soft and glutinous voice was stuffed next to it.

"Are you alright?"

He raised his eyes and saw that the thornwood fork and the green skirt did not know which little girl came to show kindness.

The beggar muttered, "Hungry." ”

As he spoke, a little moss appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he hurriedly stuffed it back into his mouth.

The little girl looked at it and sighed.

"That can't be eaten. ”

She pulled out a couple of coppers and handed them over.

"Let's go buy some biscuits. ”

The beggar's chewing action stopped.

He looked at the coin, or rather, he stared at the hand that was holding it.

So white!

It's hard to be tender!

It's like soaked chicken feet, and it's like sheep's hooves that have been removed and blanched.

Throat rolling.

He grabbed the "sheep's hoof" violently.

............

"What did I do?!"

"What did I do?!"

"What did I do?!"

In a dilapidated house, in a dark room, the beggar pulled his hair and asked himself repeatedly.

Gradually.

He hugged his body, cowered in the corner, and began to whimper and cry.

Of course, he is a beggar, and he has no self-esteem to speak of, but he is a bastard who lacks tears and blood.

In the bleak and lackluster half of his life, he cried so bitterly no more than twice.

The first time was to pay off gambling debts, sell the ancestral property, and kill his parents angrily.

The second time was for gambling debts, and he sold his wife who never left him.

And this time.

He cried so bitterly that it was as if the hunger in his belly was mixed with his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and he was squeezing out of his eyes.

It's just that he inexplicably feels that what he will lose this time seems to be more and more important than the previous two times, and it is something that a human being should have.

Just curled up, whimpering, chaotic.

Cold.

Outside the house, there was a faint noise:

"Damn it, this shitty worm! Catch that guy and go back to the errand. ”

"Do you see he's still there?"

"Look, that rotten gambler was still in the house with a plague. ”

Bad gambler?!

A beggar is a spirit.

What's going on?

The government came to the door so soon!

He didn't care about the cat's pee, so he turned over neatly, groped his way to the corner of the wall, and lifted the stacked grass to reveal a dog hole.

Footsteps outside the door were approaching.

He didn't dare to stay, so he pouted his ass and got in.

However, as soon as I put my head down, my scalp was tight, and I was pulled out by my hair.

When you get outside, take a look.

A man crossed his arms and looked at himself playfully.

!

The beggar shook from his toes to the tip of his heart.

"Flower Yama" Zhang Tong!

......

"You mud ghost, grandpa is looking for you, you still dare to run?"

Zhang Tong dragged the beggar's hair, like carrying a radish tassel, shaking it casually, secretly proud in his heart.

It's ridiculous that Li Daoren still wants to eat alone, but he doesn't know that the brothers' eyes are always staring. The yamen didn't take action over there, and they got the news from their own side.

I just don't know how many other people know the news, and they came to ask for a piece of the pie.

Not really.

In this Xiaoshui City, which of the city fox society rats, culverts and alleys, knows better than him Zhang Tong?

No, it's the first place, isn't it?

He was thinking: How can this merit be worth twenty or thirty taels of silver.

Suddenly.

The hand is slippery and greasy, and it is quite uncomfortable.

Take a look at it.

I don't know what worm was hidden in the beggar's hair.

He grabbed it and crushed it all in his hands.

Red worm blood, yellow pus, and black dirt were all over the hands.

Disgusted, Zhang Tong jumped like thunder, raised his hand and pulled the beggar a spinning top and turned over.

Pingbai was slapped in the face.

The beggar muffled, did not dare to breathe, endured the swollen pain on the left side of his face, and was about to run away with his hands and feet.

It's a pity that I didn't climb a few steps.

"Smack. ”

Another crisp slap landed on the right cheek.

Zhang Shaonan sneered and blocked him back.

Now the two sides of the face are all alive, and they are swollen into a monkey buttocks.

Seeing that there was no way to enter the heavens and no door to the ground, the beggar "pounced" and fell to the ground and kowtowed vigorously.

"Master Tong, Master Nan, I owe you money, please forgive me for a few more days, next time...... I'll definitely be on it next time. ”

The beggar pleaded as he took the time to glance at it, only to see the "Flower Yama" holding his arms and just sneering.

He chuckled in his heart and panicked.

"Tongye, you are merciful and compassionate, but you must spare my rotten life. Keep me, there is still a place to pay, kill me, and you won't be able to pay back!"

Zhang Tong sneered, and was about to kick this skinless and faceless rotten thing a few times, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Li Daoren and a few people rushing here.

Grinned.

"Rest assured. ”

"This time neither to collect debts nor to die. ”

He dragged the beggar up.

"Grandpa, I'm here to save your rotten life today. ”

"Huh?"

............

Thousands of trees bloom at night in the east wind.

It's night.

The Dionysian sacrifice came as scheduled.

Flowers and trees are continuous, singing and dancing are noisy, the lights are bright, and visitors are weaving.

Not only the long street in front of the Bacchus Cellar, but also the nearby market, it can be said that half of Xiaoshui is covered by this celebration and liveliness.

However, if there is bustle, there will be deserted, and if there is prosperity, there will be loneliness.

The jackdaw was sad and landed in a heavily chained courtyard in the east of the city.

This is the Xiaoshui Mansion Jail.

A corner that has been excluded from the bustle.

The unfortunate bastards inside could not enjoy the festivities, but could only listen to the laughter and laughter in the distance, and the annoying sound of mosquitoes in the prison.

"Buzz~Buzz~"

"Smack!"

"Shhhhhh ”

"Whisper, it's all here, I don't think the murderer will come at all!"

Orr.

A few noises sounded in the desertion, and a curtain was torn open in the corner, and the "Hua Yan" came out in a hurry.

This time of year.

He had already spent a lot of money in the light market, and then he was happy.

But now for the sake of silver, I have to shrink in this cell and wait for the fish to bite the hook.

However, at this hour, it is estimated that the lamp market is about to end, but the murderer has not yet come, but he has fed the mosquitoes in vain.

"Set up an ambush, but put the ground in the prison, the murderer is not a fool, how can he be willing to throw himself into the net?"

He kept complaining.

Side.

Zhang Shaonan is the younger brother, so it's hard to say much; the rangers and swordsmen maintain the demeanor of masters, but they just stand in silence; and the Taoists sit quietly and don't bother to take care of them.

Only Zheng Tuzi couldn't stand the noise, frowned at him and explained:

"This beggar attacked a girl during the day, and although he didn't do anything, he was stunned by the stench. In plain sight, many people know it. Wouldn't it be even more suspicious if we didn't put him in prison?"

"If you doubt, you will doubt, and it is better than waiting to feed the mosquitoes!"

He is well-informed, how could he not know this? He is just in an anxious mood and spilling around.

"I don't think this thing is reliable, it must be the head catcher who is playing us with the head. Otherwise, why don't the government send a few more people? Why should we earn this reward?"

"It's just a bait and an ambush, where can I make a big fuss?"

Zheng Tuzi was also a violent temper, and seeing that Zhang Tong was still unrelenting, he simply scolded.

"If you can't bear it, just leave. That murderer killed hundreds of soldiers and horses alone, and with the fists and legs of your brothers, you can't drag people back here and delay your life in vain. ”

Zhang Tong's complexion changed.

"You butcher......

Zhang Shaonan hurriedly grabbed his brother.

He knew the details of this butcher, but he was not easy to provoke, so he just smiled.

"The patrol soldiers and horses in the city are all crooked melons and cracked dates, and my brother's two whistles can kill him seven in and seven out. ”

He patted his chest and spoke out loud.

"I don't think that murderer is very powerful, but he is just playing tricks on others with illusions. As long as you are prepared, break her trick, and teach her that there is no return!"

"Yes, extremely. ”

Zhang Tong propped up the field for his brother and pointed to the "secret weapon" prepared in the corner.

"Boy urine, black dog blood, menstrual cloth, incense burner ash, not to mention that she is a murderer who plays tricks, it is the heavenly master of Longhu Mountain who is here, and my brother still splashes him with dog blood. ”

At this time, Feng Daoren couldn't sit still.

"Arrogance!"

He snorted.

"The Tao is broad and profound, how can you be a scoundrel who can talk about it?"

"Yo-heh. ”

Zhang Tong sneered, and said in a strange manner:

"Your Taoism is really powerful, stealing steamed cakes, saying that those who steal small ones will never steal big ones?"

Feng Daoren's face turned red as soon as he "soared".

"It's an illusion, it's a point...... How can the things of a monk be considered stealing? ”

The two brothers were just irritable, but when they saw that the Taoist priest was serious, they just used him to relieve their boredom.

The hippie smiley face asked:

"So, the Dao is more powerful than the sword?"

"Naturally. ”

"That Feng Daoren who uses spells must be more powerful than Li Daoren who wields swords?"

Feng Daoren couldn't say it clearly, just raised his nostrils.

"Hmph. ”

The answer is self-explanatory.

The two brothers looked at each other and smiled, and asked:

"But how did I hear that Li Daoren was invited into the yamen, but some people were tied up in the official mansion. If this spell is powerful, why doesn't it work in front of the officials?"

Feng Daoren's face was full of embarrassment.

"My generation has its own rules, how can I abuse magic for my own selfishness?"

"Oh~~"

The gangster brothers deliberately lengthened the pitch.

"That steals ......"

"That's dotting!

Dao's popularity was ruined, and he was about to continue to justify.

Suddenly.

"Shut up. ”

The ranger drank in a deep voice, his eyes were awe-inspiring, and he pointed to his feet.

The crowd followed.

Through the dim moonlight seeping through the patio, I saw a thin layer of mist silently flooding the surface of my feet.

Here it comes!