The sun was falling on the western mountain, and a group of five people who crossed the bamboo sea were about to sleep in the wilderness, but the willows were bright, and on a steep hillside, they found a dilapidated mountain temple.

The pattern of the mountain temple construction is not large, but it allows five people to stay overnight, but it is still alive. Dust has accumulated in the temple for a long time, and the table board has been torn apart. The original lacquered stone statue of the mountain god did not escape a catastrophe, not only the paint color fell off, but also left in the mountain temple only one below the neck, the mighty sword-wielding body, its head has long been gone, and it can be regarded as a miserable end of separation. Obviously, the mountain temple here not only has no incense, but has also been smashed.

A group of five people entered, each looked at it, and had different thoughts. Qi Ze didn't believe in these vain ghosts and gods the most, and he didn't notice anything suspicious after scanning the temple, so he didn't look at it anymore. Wang Fugui and Qi Ze, in this matter, can be regarded as people all the way. These apocryphal mountain gods and water gods in the mouths of mortals are generally people who have had great merits in their lifetimes, and after their deaths, they are worshiped by the locals who build temples and pray that they can become gods and continue to bless the wind and rain, which is just a good wish. If you have stepped into the cultivation of faith, how can you believe this?

Qi Qingfeng twisted the folding fan and watched the desolate scene in the temple with cold eyes. There must be a cause for everything, and there is a cause and an effect. This Tugou Mountain is not a remote place, since the locals took the initiative to give up the sacrificial incense, and even smashed it, it must not be for nothing. However, Qi Qingfeng was not interested in delving into the reason, what about the merits and demerits? It is not that the dust has long returned to dust, the earth has returned to the earth, and the way disappears when people die. Whether to stand or not to stand a stone statue, whether to smash a stone statue or not, whether there is incense or not, I don't know if the mountain god who is already dead doesn't know at all, why do you care. Since he didn't care, he didn't need the visitor to worry about him.

Zhang Ziwei is different from these three, Thaksin. At that moment, Zhang Ziwei silently walked to the desolate stone statue of the mountain god, bowed lightly, folded his hands, and said a few words in his mouth, which were nothing more than words such as hoping that the mountain god would not be strange. Mo Shiping hesitated for a moment, stepped forward, folded his hands, and bowed.

Wang Fugui couldn't hold back his words, and when he saw the two of them like this, he muttered a few words in a low voice, "It's all some deceptive tricks, how can there be any demons, gods and Buddhas in this world." If there really is, the mountain god will see that his head has moved, and he will not be angry and destroy all the mountains within a radius of 100 miles. ”

Zhang Ziwei shook his head and said softly: "Sincerity is spirituality." He didn't explain much, and Wang Fugui couldn't say it, and their spirit was fundamentally contrary. Not in the same context, that is, not in the same world, chickens and ducks just talk.

Mo Shiping smiled and said nothing, he didn't believe in these gods and ghosts, but he was willing to believe them. Then he followed the customs, came to Tugou Mountain, and stayed in the mountain temple, which was considered to be a favor, and then he bowed to him, not only for peace of mind, but also for reason.

Qi Qingfeng took in everyone's expressions, and he had a rough idea in his heart. In his opinion, although Wang Fugui and Zhang Ziwei are on opposite sides in this matter, their more serious personalities have become people all the way. Faith is faith, and it doesn't matter what others say or don't believe. Qi Ze doesn't need to say much, he is already dull and admits death. But unlike Wang Fugui, Qi Ze doesn't believe in the mountain god, because he thinks that even if the mountain god is, he dares to ask if he dares to show up. Qi Ze's cultivation path is the most pure, and if someone is blocking the road in front of me, I will greet him with my fist. It's no wonder that the red wolf of the scorching disaster would leave a sentence that was a little bit less meaningful.

As for Mo Shiping, who was all kind and amiable all the way, Qi Qingfeng unexpectedly felt that this young man seemed to have no opinions, but it was only seeming, provided that he did not touch the boundary drawn in the young man's heart. From Qi Qingfeng's point of view, once the boundary is crossed, Mo Shiping will even be more stubborn than Qi Ze and more sincere than Wang Fugui. Among the four people, it is he who is the most likely to cause a catastrophe. If his cultivation is very high, and he recognizes a truth that is not accepted by the world, then the thought of good and evil hits the south wall and does not look back, and the consequences will be terrible.

Thinking of this, Qi Qingfeng gently closed the folding fan, and a trace of sorrow flashed in the eyes of a pair of charming peach blossoms, but he didn't say much. There are a lot of things in the world, Qi Qingfeng can't control it, and he doesn't want to care about it, and he is not the old Confucian who travels the world. Besides, a girl's family, worrying about the future for a young man who met in Pingshui, what is the matter of saying it?

As the night wore on, the five of them gathered some branches and firewood, piled them up into a stomp, and lit a bonfire in the mountain temple. Beside the bonfire were a few branches, neither long nor short, on which hung two fat hares and two tender mountain fish. Before, Qi Ze went out to wander around, and when he came back, he carried game in his hand, saying that he caught it when he saw it on the way.

Wang Fugui stared at the game that was about to be roasted, smelled the crispy meat on the tip of his nose, and swallowed his saliva unconsciously. Especially the roasted golden and oily rabbit legs, which hooked his soul straight.

Qi Qingfeng glanced at Wang Fugui's greedy appearance, and couldn't help but snicker, "Brother Wang, as the saying goes, the stove is fragrant when cooking vegetables, and the tongue is not enjoyed before the nose tastes it." When the nose is dry and smells, it is the most fragrant, and when you enter the mouth, it is just like that. ”

Wang Fugui thought about it, but shook his head, swallowed his saliva quietly, and then replied: "No, it's still fragrant if you bite into your mouth." Especially the first and last bites, be sure to chew and swallow slowly, the old fragrance is old. After speaking, he scratched his head with a smile and said that these greedy experiences are strange and embarrassing. But these are not the most fragrant, Wang Fugui has eaten the most fragrant so far, and even in his later life, is the sweet potato he baked with the little girl. The little girl insisted that he take the first bite first, and the last bite, the little girl also left it for him. Those two mouthfuls of ordinary sweet potatoes, the straight sect Wang Fugui remembered a long life. No matter what you recall, it is the most fragrant and fragrant first taste in the world.

Qi Qingfeng thought for a while, nodded in agreement, and praised: "Yes, that's the truth." The first and last bites are especially special, and it's so nicely said. It's just that Qi Qingfeng was a little puzzled, and for some reason, Wang Fugui, who said that, was not very interested in looking at the rabbit legs.

The five of them shared the game, and in the end, Wang Fugui also tasted a rabbit leg, and he ate it absent-mindedly, and did not chew the first and last bites slowly as he said before. Although Qi Qingfeng had doubts, he didn't ask, he naturally understood in his heart that there were some things, according to his friendship with Wang Fugui, Wang Fugui would not say it, or it was just a perfunctory excuse.

Qi Qingfeng shook his head, people's hearts are complicated, and they are often invisible to the whole leopard. He glanced at it hurriedly, and saw that in the black grass, there was a little light shining through.

"Flowing fireflies?" Qi Qingfeng tiptoed, lowered his steps, and stepped forward to take a look, there were indeed many fireflies fluttering in the bushes. Qi Qingfeng suddenly felt happy, grabbed one and put it in his palms, and looked through his fingers. After walking for a few days, this was the first time he had encountered fireflies at night.

Zhang Ziwei saw this scene and sighed lightly for the first time, "I have heard that the mountain god enshrined in this Tugou Mountain Temple is called Yang Zhizhi." He was the county lord of this place before his death, conscientious, and a good official who loved the people like a son. This Yang Zhizhi was not interesting during his lifetime, but he liked fireflies. After his death, in order to commemorate him, the local people will collect fireflies and reward them in Tugou Mountain every year. It's just that Yang Zhizhi offended too many colleagues during his lifetime, and he is destined to be unpeaceful after his death. Someone fabricated evidence of Yang Zhizhi's crime out of thin air, and the ups and downs of the rumor, over time, the local people took it seriously, so they smashed the mountain temple and cut off the incense. I never thought that most of these rumors were true. ”

Qi Qingfeng raised his eyebrows lightly, spread his palms, and let go of the firefly, "There is such a tortuous story." ”

Mo Shiping and Wang Fugui felt pity, and they both sighed, fighting for Yang Zhizhi.

"Ouch, Lord Mountain God, I was clumsy just now, and now I have made up for it, no wonder. Wang Fugui jumped up, ran to the broken stone statue, and bowed respectfully.

Mo Shiping glanced at it, smiled but did not speak. Wang Fugui is such a person, when he is more serious, he thinks about it himself, and when he figures it out, he changes it, and he does not hesitate.

"Brother Mo, have you ever heard such a sentence. The town is a deer farm, and it shines at night. Qi Qingfeng suddenly asked with a smile. He felt that Mo Shiping was considered to have read books compared to Wang Fugui and Zhang Ziwei, so he had some thoughts among literati and wanted to talk to him. Of course, Qi Ze also reads poetry and books, but Qi Qingfeng is not happy to talk to him about this. Among the literati, they are stubborn and old-fashioned, and they are the most vicious.

Without thinking, Mo Shiping scratched his head, shook his head again, and replied embarrassedly: "I haven't heard of it, and I ask Brother Qi to teach me." ”

Qi Qingfeng smiled dumbly, it seemed that he was too demanding. I think that Mo Shiping was born in the market, and he has read several sage books that talk about some of the most basic principles, but as for the articles added by these later generations, I am afraid that I have not read them.

"The town is a deer farm, and it shines on the night line. Roughly speaking, a man on the border is anxious for his wife, and he returns to his hometown at night, and the one who lights the way for him is actually a stream of fireflies all over the mountains. ”

"I didn't have any other meaning when I said this to Brother Mo, it was just that I suddenly thought of it. Qi Qingfeng added. After all, I am a girl's family, and I am a little strange when I talk about this with a teenager.

It's just that Qi Qingfeng never thought that Mo Shiping actually listened to these words very carefully, and after pondering for a while, he muttered: "When I was a child, I once caught many fireflies in the mountains of my hometown, and hid them in the palm of my hand, please go home." It's just that when grandpa saw it, he said with a smile, how many stars are in the sky and how many fireflies are on the ground, but you can't stay for a long time. I was so frightened that I hurriedly opened the door and let them go, not daring to stay any longer, for fear that there would be many fewer stars in the sky. ”

Just after speaking, Mo Shiping was stunned for a moment, his face flushed, and he was even more embarrassed. Just now, when he thought about the fireflies, he remembered the childish things he had when he was a child, and he said them unconsciously, and now he regrets it.

Qi Qingfeng also listened to these words carefully, and said with emotion: "The stars in the sky and the fireflies on the ground are indeed too similar. After Qi Qingfeng heard this, he didn't worry about Mo Shiping's future, his grandfather taught him very well, so it would be difficult for him to go wrong.

Qi Qingfeng twisted the folding fan and said with a smile: "There is such a strange story in the world. Every July, Halloween is approaching, and the fireflies are at its peak. It is said that when the hell opened the door of the ghosts, the ghosts went to visit their relatives in the world and turned into fireflies. The glow of the fireflies is the cold color of the earth. The flowers are flowing, and the ghosts are returning to their hometowns, which is strange but also beautiful. Brother Mo, do you believe this?"

Mo Shiping shook his head, nodded again, and replied softly: "If you don't believe it, you will believe it." In his heart, he didn't believe in these folk tales, just like the mountain god and the god of water, he didn't believe it. However, he was willing to believe, especially after the grandfather was gone. If there is no soul, if the soul cannot appear, if the two worlds of yin and yang never come together, it is too cold and terrible. He is even more convinced that the grandfather did not go far, went to the edge of the sky and turned into a star, and would look at him from time to time and urge him.

"I believe it. Wang Fugui on the side suddenly replied. He turned his head and quietly looked at the fireflies fluttering up and down in the bushes, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

Wang Fugui retracted his gaze and muttered, "I believe it." ”

Qi Ze glanced at the two of them and shook his head alone, he still didn't believe it, but he didn't say anything. Although he has an old-fashioned temperament, it doesn't mean that he has no brains, and it can be seen that the mood of these two people is a little low, most of which are touching sad things.

Zhang Ziwei squatted on the side, also silent. For him, it is natural to believe that there are ghosts in this world, and there are also mountain gods and water gods.

Qi Qingfeng closed the folding fan, pressed it against his forehead, and was silent, regretting mentioning it a little. It was self-defeating all of a sudden, and the atmosphere that was originally quite cheerful became dignified and romantic.

For a while, in the small mountain temple, the five people looked at each other, all a little embarrassed.

Qi Qingfeng was the first to smile and shake his head, then Mo Shiping, then Wang Fugui, and Zhang Ziwei, all of whom looked at each other and smiled. Of course, Qi Ze didn't participate in their conversation from beginning to end, and kept a cold face.

Qi Qingfeng is not surprised, people's hearts are like this, sometimes a group of people are in high spirits, and when they talk highly, they will suddenly be cold for a moment without knowing why, and they will be silent, but then they will return to normal, laughing and scolding, strange. There is also such a grotesque saying in the world, saying that when there was a sudden coldness, it happened that a wicked person in hell got out of the oil pot, and the screams reached the red dust, making people's hearts tremble.

However, Qi Qingfeng did not tell this grotesque statement in a funny way, and on this dark and windy night in this month, it was strange and infiltrating. The ghost that incarnates as a firefly and the ghost who goes to the oil pot are both ghosts, but I don't think everyone can accept this. This is also the oddity of the human heart, and if you don't want to accept it, you don't agree with it.