The two little ghosts led Lu Yingjiu and entered through several vermilion doors.
Memories of the past kept emerging, and all kinds of people he had never seen before appeared in his memories, almost all of them were from the older generation of aristocratic families.
They traveled around to study the talismans related to the Way of Heaven, including the formations to the ghost world. A hundred years ago, Lu Yingjiu and Chu Qianju drew the prototype, and over the years, the family continued to improve it and finally made it close to perfection.
The formation requires seven exorcists to go to different places to activate it.
Lu Yingjiu had already figured out those points when he was in the ghost world.
He saw that in the turbulent sea of Yunshan Port, no fishing boat dared to go out to sea, but there was a lone boat that threw itself into the waves. Countless servants surged under the sea like a school of fish, climbed onto the bottom of the boat, gnawing with sharp teeth and scratching with sharp claws. The man at the bow held a talisman paper, and the glow illuminated half of the sky;
Shangyang University Town was deserted during the holidays, with only a setting sun. A short boy stood on the rooftop of the school, slashing his palm with a knife, and drawing a formation on his palm with blood. The servants followed him like shadows, climbing up the outer wall of the school. He raised his head suddenly, his eyes were like torches, and his ordinary body burst out with unimaginable agility, fighting with them like a cheetah;
Yueshan Sanatorium, a strange woman named Ye stood in the woods. The mountain was stormy and dark clouds were pressing down. She carried heavy talismans and pasted them on the tree trunks one by one. The wind blew her soft long hair. She glanced at the bushes, snapped her fingers, and the snake came out with flames to burn the servants hiding in the dark.
There are also old hospitals, late-night bars, and deserted lakes...
They are not always successful.
I don't know how many times I tried before I finally got the formation set up.
The final shot is fixed on the Kangli Bridge with rolling waves.
Zhang Haokong, who also went to set up the formation, was attacked and trapped in the car. When Lu Yingjiu pushed Jingxian away and confronted Tiandao, he came to the bridge.
He "just happened" to meet Zhang Haokong. Zhang Haokong, who had already turned into dry bones, pointed his hand under the bridge, and under the bridge "just happened" to be the entrance to the ghost world.
Now that I think about it, these are not coincidences.
It was clearly an escape that had been planned by many people for many years.
After that, he passed through countless doors and met more people.
He didn't recognize any of them.
The only one who knew was Chu You.
Chu You, the former head of the Chu family, suffered from Alzheimer's disease early on. His biggest hobby every day was to bask in the sun and read newspapers. Before his death, his son failed to come back. Chu You mistakenly thought Chu Banyang was his son, took his hand and said, "Go tell Lu Yingjiu that his time is coming."
Chu Banyang was puzzled.
And like everyone else, the old man has gone with this secret.
Lu Yingjiu just walked like this.
After an unknown amount of time, there was no red door in front of me, only a dark road ahead.
Two little ghosts holding green lanterns led them forward.
The light was long and finally illuminated the formation on the ground.
This formation was very large, and it took them a long time just to walk through the edge area.
As they got closer to the center area, Lu Yingjiu saw from afar two balls of green flames burning on a building that looked like an altar.
The altar is very high, with nearly a hundred steps.
A woman in an exorcist's robe sat in the middle, her face pale and her eyes closed, resting.
The little ghost led the way, leading Lu Yingjiu and Jingxian to the highest point, and after bowing respectfully once, he disappeared.
The woman slowly opened her eyes.
She looked extremely tired, and her voice was weary: "You finally came."
Her eyes fell on Jing Xian.
Somewhat surprised.
It seems that I have seen him.
Lu Yingjiu asked, "Are you Zhang Shuwan?"
"…Yes." Zhang Shuwan nodded, "You may have a lot of questions along the way."
"I guess you don't have the patience to listen to my charades. I'll just get straight to the point and explain everything to you clearly."
She closed her eyes and said, "This story starts from my childhood. The first time I heard your name, I was probably seven or eight years old. My father suddenly called me into his study..."
She was just a child at that time.
That day, Zhang Haokong took her into the study with a serious face and said he wanted to tell her something.
—It was Zhang Shuwan who knew about the existence of Heaven's Way, and knew that hundreds of years ago, the Zhang family sacrificed 59 babies for its power.
Among them there was a survivor, but Heaven's will was not satisfied, so a curse was brought down on the Zhang family.
It has become increasingly violent in recent years, and soon, the largest One Hundred Demons Night Parade in history will occur.
After listening to this, Zhang Shuwan asked, "If he can reach the ghost world, will he be safe?"
Zhang Haokong nodded: "Yes. That's why we have been studying a formation. It can stabilize the entrance to the ghost world and greatly reduce the degree of danger." He smiled, "However, this situation is still too incredible. If it were me, I would not be able to survive after entering the door."
"Ah—" Zhang Shuwan said, "What should we do then?"
"There will be a way." Zhang Haokong touched her head, "Even if there is only a slight chance, we must do it."
He warned again: "You can't tell anyone about what happened today."
A few months passed like this, and Zhang Shuwan followed Zhang Haokong out to sea fishing.
The sky was high and the clouds were vast, the sea was blue, and they set out in a small boat.
When they were in the middle of the ocean, they stopped the boat and looked out, the sky was blue. They fished together, hooked the bait on the two fishing rods, cast them out, and then sat side by side on the boat.
While fishing, Zhang Shuwan suddenly asked, "Dad, why do we have to save him?"
Zhang Haokong stopped moving his hands.
The sun was so bright that it was blinding. Zhang Shuwan mustered up the courage to continue, "According to what you said, if we return him to Heaven, there will be no more trouble. Our Zhang family has been cursed by Heaven and has fallen into decline. If we return him, our family can start over again."
She spoke faster and faster: "And there won't be any One Hundred Demons Night Parade. In other words, we can indirectly save more people. This is the best option."
Zhang Haokong did not answer her immediately.
In the blue of the whole world, there was only a snow-white bird flying overhead.
After a long while, Zhang Haokong slowly spoke: "It is our family that feels sorry for him."
"It's such a long time ago!" Zhang Shuwan said anxiously, "Why should we be responsible for what happened hundreds of years ago! It's not us who sacrificed him! He just happened to be reincarnated into this era!"
Zhang Haokong said: "Someone has to take responsibility. The Zhang family has caused trouble, so it is only natural that the Zhang family should clean up the mess. It is only natural that..."
He paused and said, "Since ancient times, the Zhang family has coveted the power of heaven and has done countless things that are against human ethics. From this point of view alone, the curse on our family is the retribution we deserve."
"We cannot regret the past, and we cannot bring back the other 58 people who died. The Lu Ying Jiu is our last chance, a chance to redeem ourselves."
His attitude was gentle yet firm.
The fishing rod sank suddenly, and a fish took the bait.
Zhang Haokong pulled the rod, gritted his teeth and wrestled with the big fish. When he pulled it up violently, the fish's tail was shimmering with crystal clear water.
Zhang Shuwan stood beside her, biting his lip.
She didn't say much until they sailed back to the dock.
Zhang Haokong knew that she was in a bad mood and sighed. He searched around in the boat and took out a lantern.
The lantern was lit, emitting a blue flame.
This is the logo of the Qingdeng Society.
The way back was a small path in the mountains, and they lit lanterns and walked through the woods.
Amid the chirping of insects, Zhang Shuwan spoke again: "... Then, what about the Hundred Demons Nightmare? You have to consider the safety of others, right? If you sacrifice him, you can save more people, isn't that a good thing?"
"That's not the case." Zhang Haokong sighed, "Shu Wan, that's not the case. Some principles cannot be compromised."
He gently raised the lantern in his hand: "I have told you the story of the Green Lantern Society many times. Do you still remember the original intention of its establishment?"
Zhang Shuwan whispered, "Drive away the ghosts and save the people."
"Yes." Zhang Haokong said, "Ten thousand people are common people, a thousand people are common people, a hundred people and ten people are also common people. The value of life is not measured in this way."
Zhang Shuwan seemed to understand but not quite.
Zhang Haokong touched her head and said with a smile: "So, the idea of 'sacrificing one person to save the world' is wrong. No matter how many people there are, we must protect them all equally. One person is the people, one person is the world."
"If we sacrifice one person this time and solve the problem, what about next time? Will the price be ten people next time? Will it be a hundred people? How will we choose then?"
The wind blows, and the green lamp flickers.
He continued: "We are just ordinary people. We cannot judge what is absolutely fair. We just want to have a clear conscience."
"Once principles are shaken, we will go wrong step by step. Our family was too arrogant in the past, thinking that we could rest easy by relying on the Way of Heaven. But in fact, in the repeated worship, we have long lost our original intention."
Zhang Shuwan asked blankly: "What is our original intention?"
Zhang Haokong said nothing and handed the lantern to her.
Zhang Shuwan took it, and a soft light fell into her eyes.
In the past, the young people of the Zhang family would go out at night with lanterns like this.
Without asking for a penny or a future, he risked his life just to seek peace for the world. Only with such a bright light, illuminating the long night, can there be a succession of exorcists for the next hundred years, and only with such a bright light can there be prosperity for the next hundred years.
One person, one lamp, one night journey.
This is the integrity of the exorcist.
Zhang Haokong said: "This is not just a wine reception for protecting the road, but an unprecedented game, a game between man and nature, man and fate."
"This light cannot be extinguished in our hands. We must win with honor and lose with honor."
They walked along the mountain road holding lanterns.
After a long time, Zhang Shuwan still didn't speak.
A tear quietly fell on the back of her hand holding the lantern.
She sniffed and said in a crying voice: "I understand all this. But I'm so afraid that you will do something wrong..."
Zhang Haokong was stunned for a moment, then hugged her tightly and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Daddy won't be hurt."
The trees in the mountains were swaying, and the green lights stretched their shadows very long.
After that, Zhang Shuwan grew up slowly and came into contact with more and more people.
Most of them are elders and know about the existence of Lu Yingjiu.
They come from different families and have completely different identities, but their goals are very similar: to protect Lu Yingjiu.
Some were responsible for drawing formations, some were responsible for guessing the way of heaven, and some were responsible for studying the appearance patterns and weaknesses of the servants. They made a contract with Di Ting so that they could transmit information in a secret way without being detected by the way of heaven.
From them, Zhang Shuwan experienced for the first time in his life what the integrity and perseverance of a noble family are, and what the bravery and kindness of an exorcist are.
No one had ever disobeyed the will of heaven before.
But this group of people seemed determined to fight to the end.
—And Lu Yingjiu didn’t even recognize them.
Zhang Nianyun is responsible for reporting the situation of Lu Yingjiu's family.
She had to provide photos and reports every week, and if she found any signs of the servants, she would notify the family in time.
Chen Minlan is responsible for planning the formation to the ghost world.
Exorcists come one after another to open the door to the ghost world, so that Lu Yingjiu will have a way to retreat when he confronts Tiandao.
And Chu You was responsible for another formation.
Zhang Shuwan didn't understand the formation, he only knew that they had to enter the mirror world to set it up every time, and it was very grand.
It was also there that she met the Ghost King for the first time.
Zhang Shuwan didn’t know why a ghost was willing to cooperate with an exorcist, and why the people from the aristocratic family allowed his existence.
When she first met the Ghost King, she was terrified for a while.
The handsome man sat quietly in the corner, seemingly nonchalant, watching the formation being set up bit by bit. Once he raised his eyes and met her gaze, his eyes as dark as the abyss were empty.
But she was terrified.
It was like a sharp bloody aura condensed into a knife, pressing straight into her brow.
That was the most terrifying ghost she had ever seen.
Only occasionally, the Ghost King would recall something and his features would become gentle.
Later, Zhang Shuwan met him several times.
No one knows his secrets, and no one knows his purpose.
When the formation reaches the most critical step, one person needs to step into it, sever his own soul, and sacrifice it to maintain the continuous power.
However, no exorcist can do this.
Human lifespan is too short, and the soul is far from strong enough. Moreover, the pain is enough to destroy everyone's sanity.
The Ghost King split his own soul and nearly half of his cultivation to fill the gap in the formation.
The pain of losing a soul is unimaginable.
Zhang Shuwan felt his scalp tingling just by looking at the scene.
The Ghost King did not show much emotion, and even his hands did not tremble - perhaps after being overwhelmed by a deeper sadness, the physical pain was not worth mentioning at all.
After this terrible sacrifice, Zhang Shuwan never saw him again.
It is said that he fell into a long sleep.
I heard that he had done the same thing many times hundreds of years ago.
I heard that he has been waiting for someone.
Occasionally recalling the Ghost King's sacrifice that day and looking at everyone around her, she still felt shocked.
Just like the green lamp in the long night.
And those who are illuminated never need to know the existence of the lamplighter - it is enough for them to know that the light will always burn until dawn.
Those who go against the will of heaven will always meet with misfortune.
Half of the group were injured.
Zhang Nianyun sacrificed himself to appease the Heaven in the critical moment, Chen Minlan died, and even Zhang Haokong was on his way to set up the formation.
not to mention…
What's more, the decline of the Zhang family was inevitable. By the time of Zhang Shuwan's generation, there were only a few active exorcists left.
Now, she is the youngest guardian.
Maybe the last one too.
She continued to set up and guard the formation in the mirror.
I lived alone for a very long time.
Until today, following the guidance of the green lamp, Lu Yingjiu found her.
"... I've been waiting for you for a long time." Zhang Shuwan said, and then looked at Jing Xian, "I didn't expect you two to come together."
Jing Xian nodded slightly in greeting.
Lu Yingjiu was silent for a long time.
Then he whispered, "I'm sorry. Before I knew this, I thought..."
"You thought we wanted you to understand, right?" Zhang Shuwan smiled weakly. "This is a reasonable inference. After all, no one has ever told you anything. They deliberately hid it from you - if they knew about your misunderstanding, they might be very happy."
"You don't know them, but they understand your nature: if you knew that others have done so much for you, you would probably find it difficult to repay them."
"What they want to see most is that you live a peaceful and stable life, and it would be best if you never know them."
"But," she gave a faint smile, "I'm not as noble as them. I'm still selfish and want you to know everything."
"I also want you to know that there are so many people who have truly loved you."
She raised her hand slightly.
Several balls of green flame flew out, illuminating the darkness and the huge formation on the horizon.
Soon, the flames illuminated the pieces of talisman paper.
The talisman papers came from different periods, from different families, and from different people. They were imprinted on every corner of the formation with meticulous strokes.
Hundreds and thousands of them.
It seems that until today, those people are still standing here speechlessly.
"These are the paintings they drew. Almost everyone left all their knowledge here," said Zhang Shuwan.
"There's another thing," she said, trying to stand up with her weak body, "This is what they want me to do."
She bowed deeply towards Lu Yingjiu.
With sincerity, guilt and apology.
This was an apology to his fate. At this moment, she embodied the figures of countless people over the past hundred years.
Lu Yingjiu helped her up and whispered, "Now, I know everything... Thank you, thank you."
Zhang Shuwan smiled silently: "But, Lu Yingjiu, I can't do more."
"Now I am the only one left, and I am exhausted just maintaining this formation. This formation took hundreds of years to complete. I am not talented enough to fully understand it. I only know that it can help you find the way of heaven."
Looking around, this formation that stretched for who knows how many kilometers was extremely complex.
Every stroke is like a withered vine on an old tree, tightly wrapped around it;
Each stroke is like a sharp blade, outlining the edge.
It is like a heavenly book that cannot be described in any known words or languages.
This is an extremely huge workload, the result of the hard work of countless generations, and even the souls and cultivation dedicated by Jing Xian. Unfortunately, those who understand it have already fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Dao.
Zhang Shuwan gave a bitter smile and said, "I have no idea what to do. In the end, we still couldn't help you escape your fate."
“… No,” Lu Yingjiu shook his head, “There is still a way.”
"What method?" Zhang Shuwan was stunned for a moment.
Lu Yingjiu pointed at the formation and said with a smile: "Just give me some time, I can figure it out."
Zhang Shuwan was still stunned: "But it..."
"Since you and they have been paying attention to me for many years, you must know my talent." Lu Yingjiu said lightly, as if describing an ordinary little thing, "As long as I want, there is no exorcism technique in this world that I don't understand. This is no exception."
He smiled.
Still that confident and cool look.
He continued, "What you left me is enough for me to win."
"You don't have to worry about the Night of One Hundred Demons."
"I have all the integrity, character, courage and kindness that an exorcist should have, and even more. I am the only one who can serve as the backbone. I will burn this long night to ashes. I will solve everything, whether it is ghosts, heaven or my fate."
“Besides,” he laughed, “I’m not fighting this battle alone.”
Lu Yingjiu's gaze fell on Zhang Shuwan, on the green lamp, on the formation and the countless talismans floating in it.
Finally, his gaze rested on Jing Xian, full of tenderness.
He said, "Please leave the light you have passed down to me with confidence."
"Next, it's my turn to fight."