The mountains in Haigu City are very different from those in Gengsheng Town.
The mountains on the outskirts of Haigu are steep and precipitous, with strange terrain. The cliffs are as sharp as knives, and the peaks are jagged like sharp teeth. Many areas are simply prohibited for tourists to enter, so that they don't even find corpses when they arrive.
The Fu family lived in such a mountain.
The Fu Family Mansion has been passed down for hundreds of years and is considered a cultural relic. The Fu Family has lived here for generations, and the original mansion has expanded a lot like an ant nest, embedded in the strange peaks and rocks, forming a unique scene.
In the spacious courtyard, old trees twisted their branches and cast large shadows. The cicadas on the tree trunks were so noisy that they made people's heads hurt. Fortunately, the mountains were much cooler than the city center, so people didn't get too annoyed.
After his eldest sister informed him, Fu Xingchuan finally got permission to enter the ancestral hall.
The ancestral hall is in the center of the entire building complex.
The topography of the place was very strange, like a hollow space squeezed out by several mountains, in the shape of an inverted bell, with endless fog always lingering at the bottom. To enter the ancestral hall, one had to walk down the spiral wooden steps little by little.
Of course, after the Fu family entered the new era, all the wooden steps were reinforced with alloy materials and sturdy handrails were installed to prevent people from dying on the way to see their ancestors.
The body of the “Old Ancestor” is very fragile. Before meeting the “Old Ancestor”, the less impurities on your body the better, and it is best not to meet people.
The only thing that remains unchanged is that righteous spirit.
This has been going on for thousands of years, and it has almost become a convention, with no one thinking about the logic behind it.
I hope our ancestors worshipped Zhong Yi just for some kind of "righteous spirit". Otherwise, if the old man knew the truth, I don't know how disillusioned he would be.
A terrifying conjecture gradually took shape.
Li Nian ignored his partner's distorted face. "When I first met An, Yin Ren's tone had the characteristics of ancient Gong Dynasty language. And if the evil spirit vibration that night was caused by Zhong Yi himself who sealed the six evil spirits, then such exaggerated values are understandable... The abnormality when you and I observed the cafeteria was also that kid teasing us."
He had a heart attack.
Maybe this is the benefit of Science Hill, Fu Xingchuan thought sadly.
Fu Xingchuan couldn't help but think of what happened not long ago -
To them, "Zhong Yi" is just a cultural term, just like the "Nature God of Balakalaba" worshipped by the indigenous people in the neighboring hemisphere. It does not have the impact of causing the collapse of faith.
Haha, the righteous energy.
In the world of metaphysics, Zhong Yi's name is well-known to everyone. But he couldn't find any official records. Most of the records about Zhong Yi were specious unofficial histories and legends, or vague descriptions.
Could it be that the man in red who commands all the ghosts is Zhong Yi
Fu Xingchuan silently chanted a few words, and the water drops on the willow branch disappeared. The willow branch stood straight up, and a ball of green flames ignited at the end. The mist dissipated at the touch of it, leaving a path.
Birds and cicadas chirped along the corridor, and the bushes were rustled by the wind, making rustling sounds in the shadows of the corridor. From time to time, one or two cats ran across the corridor, and one of the black cats looked at Fu Xingchuan curiously for a while. In his clear eyes, the red figure was moving forward with concentration, without even raising his head.
In order to obtain such detailed information as "Bi Xie Zhi Yi", Hua Jisi must have come into contact with Zhong Yi himself.
The theme of all the paintings and stone statues is "The Great Heavenly Master Zhong Yi".
The conclusion is shocking.
"I have studied the literature related to Zhong Yi. If this speculation is true, many contradictions can be explained."
Fu Xingchuan went to an empty room alone to bathe, burn incense, and shave. He cleaned himself from head to toe, put on a red gown that was scented with fragrant wood, and trimmed the tassel earrings on his ears.
Fu Xingchuan walked down the stairs slowly and leisurely. This time he did not focus on his feet, but looked to his side from time to time.
After taking care of himself, he dipped a willow branch in the cool mountain spring water and walked towards the deepest part of the ancient courtyard.
The strange thing was that the water on the willow branches was endless. Even after Fu Xingchuan had shaken it all the way, there were still dewdrops on the emerald-like willow leaves.
Different regions have corridors leading to the ancestral halls, which are repaired with fine stones and woods and painted bright red. Fu Xingchuan walked on the corridor, with willow branches swaying lightly, and water drops falling in front of him from time to time.
There were countless statues of gods carved on the rock walls of the mountain pit, and brightly colored murals were painted in places where carving was inconvenient. Compared to the chilly air in the ant hole, the murals here were full of immortality and charm. The gods also had different expressions and were full of righteousness.
Professor Li squeezed the thermos tightly, his face showing no sign of surprise.
The only "real record" left by the great master is "Strange Stories to Exorcise Evil Spirits", which contains a large amount of information on evil objects and countless exquisite techniques.
After the matter of Gengsheng Town came to an end, the first thing he did when he rushed back to Shi'an was to retrieve all the data related to Zhong Yi. No one had ever conducted a detailed investigation of this great master who lived thousands of years ago, and it took quite a while to compile the data.
And Yin Ren, who had hinted and guided them all the way and revealed his terrifying strength in front of Qi Xin...
Fu Xingchuan held up a willow branch, his facial features wrinkled into a chrysanthemum.
The deeper you go into the building complex, the lower the temperature around you. When you reach the "ancestral hall pit", a thin mist overflows from around the mountain pit and spreads along the grass.
"According to your statement, Zhong Yi is the evil creature in red, and Yin Ren is most likely Zhong Yi himself."
The black cat swung its tail, jumped lightly onto the beam, and followed its companions.
Fu Xingchuan knows Shi'an and the Chenman Society better than anyone else. It is impossible that there is such a special evil thing that could allow the Chenman Society to study it for a thousand years, while Shi'an cannot even get a hint of it.
"You said that when Yin Ren fought Qi Xin, he was wearing a red cloth covered with sealed spiritual weapons. And Zhong Yi's records say that he was 'walking alone, appearing and disappearing mysteriously'."
The most common type is the classic "big-shouldered and big-waisted" type, mixed with some thin and long "immortal" types. Some of these images hold nine-ring swords, while others hold elegant long swords. Their facial features and clothing are so different that it is hard to say they are the same person.
If Zhong Yi is really a hero with extraordinary talent and hatred of evil, what is there to hide
"Makes sense." Facing Fu Xingchuan's stammering narration, Li Nian made the final decision.
The Huajisi regard data as life, even if the emperor requires the records to be destroyed, they will always find a way to preserve the truth. Unless the Huajisi himself wants to deliberately conceal it...
It’s just that some of them are new, some are old, and some look like they were moved from somewhere else.
These are all things that Fu Xingchuan has seen since he was a child, and they carry the spiritual sustenance of the Fu family for thousands of years. Although other families also worship this person, after thousands of years, only the Fu family maintains an almost old-fashioned fear.
Fu Xingchuan felt unwell when he thought about his previous devout incense offering in front of the statue of Zhong Yi.
"Among so many unofficial folk histories, there is no story like 'encountering an evil creature and being rescued by Zhong Yi'. This is a classic cliché of encountering a strange person in ancient times, but the great Taoist priest Zhong Yi did not have it."
Fu Xingchuan's face turned pale. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "You mean..."
"Whether Zhong Yi is a human or a ghost, there must be a very strong evil spirit around him, even contaminated by evil power. He sealed himself with a spiritual weapon and stayed away from people, which is why he rarely came into contact with people."
"However, there must be people who saw him from a distance. Sinking would cost lives, so there must be a way to see him."
As Li Nian spoke, she pulled up a few pictures on the tablet in her hand.
It was a very old ancestral hall mural, depicting a tall young man in red cloth, with blurred features and something that looked like armor pieces embroidered all over the red cloth. There was another mural that simply depicted a red cape, with Zhong Yi wearing a mask and wrapped in a cape, revealing only a portion of the golden armor on his chest.
The Zhong Yi in the two paintings is not that muscular, and his body shape is more similar to that of an ordinary person.
"This is the earliest painting of Zhong Yi. For things like 'god paintings', later generations would often use their impressions to fill in the gaps of the previous ones, and eventually change the appearance beyond recognition."
Li Nian moved his fingers, and countless strange pictures were arranged in time.
Fu Xingchuan watched as the blurry, young red figure turned into a sturdy man wearing a helmet and red cloth armor. As time went on, the painter's painting skills gradually became more sophisticated.
The rough red cloth armor turned into fine gold armor decorated with red lines, and the helmet disappeared, revealing the appearance of a fierce general with a leopard head and ring eyes.
In a trance, Fu Xingchuan seemed to see "something" evolving and mutating.
But guessing alone is not enough.
Maybe if we investigate further, we will find that it was Yin Ren who was deliberately making things mysterious!
Otherwise, how could he accept that legendary figure... that legendary evil creature...
Thinking of Yin Ren paralyzed in the water bar sucking soda, he really couldn't figure out how such a thing could seal the Six Evils.
After learning from his mistakes, Fu Xingchuan decided to go home to look for "witnesses". Li Nian happened to follow Hao Wence, the second investigator, to Gengsheng Town to investigate the "unidentified" imitation.
At this moment, Fu Xingchuan walked down step by step. The lower the terrain, the older the murals and statues around him became. Unlike when he was in Shi'an, this time he experienced a "return to nature".
The golden armor turned into cloth, and the nine-ring broadsword turned into a half-length weapon. The domineering face gradually blurred and blended into the pattern of the strange mask.
Click.
Fu Xingchuan's feet touched the wet bluestone slabs.
The temple was built after the fall of the Gong Dynasty, but it still retains the typical architectural style of that era. It is shaped like a tower, decorated with stone materials and simple and elegant carvings. The entire tower is the grayish blue of the stone itself, with only the two doors painted dark red. If there were no antennas and air conditioner units outside the tower, it would be almost sacred and solemn.
Fu Xingchuan tightly grasped the green willow branch in his right hand, bit his left finger, and used his blood to draw a complicated magic circle on the stone gate.
With a rumbling sound, the huge stone door slowly moved away.
"Fu Xingchuan?"
An ancient, hoarse voice sounded from behind the door.
Fu Xingchuan bowed his head politely: "Grandfather."
One of the ancestors of the Fu family, the director of the Huaji Division nine hundred years ago, Fu Wuya.
According to today's classification, this person can be called the powerful "Charon" of nine hundred years ago. However, his ending is probably not much different from that of Minister Jiao Lianjiao.
Fu Xingchuan raised his head.
There was no one in front of him, only a willow tree that led straight to the top of the tower.
The willow tree's branches were emerald green, and the trunks were tangled together softly, like octopus tentacles. The green branches were not covered with soft willow leaves, but with hairs as thick as blood vessels.
The bark of the tree trunk was unexpectedly smooth, with soft blue veins as thick as fingers protruding from it. On the side facing Fu Xingchuan, one could vaguely see a human face.
The man's facial features were all different sizes, distorted, and scattered all over the tree trunk. One of the tree's eyes was as big as a human head, with an unnaturally large black pupil, while the other was half the size of an ordinary eye and could only be considered a "face".
"It's really Xingchuan, you've grown so big." The man with the long arms opened his mouth and spoke clearly, "What are you doing here?"
"I want to ask you about 'Zhong Yi'."
Fu Xingchuan did not look into the giant eye—the giant eye was dark and lifeless, making people feel uneasy.
"ah?"
Fu Wuya blinked, not trying to hide the surprise in his tone.
"A few days ago, I found an evil creature that looked like 'Zhong Yi'." Fu Xingchuan continued respectfully, "That evil creature can perfectly disguise itself as a human. When fighting, it is covered with red cloth, with countless sealed spiritual weapons on its body, and a bell on its ankle. It rides on a yellow beam and can make evil creatures bow down. Its power is unfathomable."
He decided to leave out the devastating parts.
Fu Wuya: “…”
Fu Wuya: "My dear grandson, I am in charge of the Huajisi from nine hundred years ago, and Master Zhong is a figure from more than a thousand years ago. If it were you, would you know what happened to Shi An a hundred years ago?"
Fu Xingchuan: "I thought you would at least understand..."
"We were very busy back then and didn't have time to look up the legend in detail." Fu Wuya sighed with his deformed face, "I can only tell you one thing - when I was there, there was no record of any related Zhongyi in the Huajisi except for "Bi Xie Zhiyi". If someone deliberately changed the record, it must have been before my generation."
At this point, Fu Wuya's tone became serious.
"The Fu family has a ancestral teaching that we must not be disrespectful to Master Zhong. Whether it is an evil creature or a human, if you can verify it, you must give it the utmost respect. If the evil creature comes under the name of Master Zhong, you must eliminate it."
"yes."
"But since you want to investigate this matter in depth... Xingchuan, some things are hard to be left unclear. Don't delve into them when there is no need to do so."
"Some things are unnatural, but since they have become 'common sense', there must be a reason for them. If you try to explore too much, be careful not to end up like me."
Fu Wuya continued slowly, his deformed eyes moving back and forth.
"For example?" Fu Xingchuan couldn't hold it in.
"You could recite the book "Exorcism Stories" by heart when you were five years old. Have you ever thought about the unnaturalness of it?"
Fu Wuya's two eyes, one big and one small, bent at the same time, and his messy facial features were twisted into a ball, looking extremely terrifying.
"No matter how weak or rare an evil creature is, once it is discovered, it will occupy a separate record. Even though there are countless types of evil creatures, Huajisi will still count and classify them carefully."
"The six evil spirits vary greatly in strength, ability, and form, with only a few commonalities that are too general to be general... but they are all classified as 'evil spirits' and not individually categorized."
"Records left by 'people' cannot be trusted completely."
The "human tree" laughed, and his voice was chilling.
"People can lie, Fu Xingchuan."
The air conditioning in the tower was turned on at full blast, but Fu Xingchuan's back was soaked with cold sweat.
The man in red controls thousands of evil creatures, and the replicas in Gengsheng Town are the same. No matter how you look at it, the one who commands thousands of ghosts should be this kind of "special evil creature".
Then who gave the title of "Ghost King" who commands hundreds of ghosts to the evil one
There must be something hidden behind this person "Zhong Yi".
"If you really have no idea, I have a solution. Why don't you let me tell you your life span?"
Seeing that Fu Xingchuan seemed to have realized something, Fu Wuya shook the branches.
Fu Xingchuan knew the ancestor's subtitles.
"Zhong Yi" reappeared in the world with thousands of mysteries. If there is a huge conspiracy behind him, his remaining life span can be used as a kind of side reference.
Fu Wuya: "But you have to think carefully, knowing your own life span is not a good thing..."
"Thank you."
Fu Wuya was quiet for a moment.
A willow branch swiped across the back of Fu Xingchuan's hand, leaving a faint trace of blood. A few drops of blood stained the branch and were absorbed in an instant.
In the huge eye, the dark pupil suddenly shrank.
"Five..." Fu Wuya's voice was trembling.
Fu Xingchuan held his breath.
Five years? ... or five days
"Fifty-three years." Fu Wuya murmured, "This doesn't make sense. Given your physical condition, how is it possible?"
Fu Xingchuan: “…”
Fu Xingchuan: "Goodbye, ancestor."
Fu Wuya sighed and waved the willow branches.
"It's time to go. I can't stand the breath of living people." Fu Wuya half closed his eyes, "... Oh, yes, before you go, remember to help me tighten the cable of the TV screen. The screen has been flickering these past two days."
Fu Xingchuan was speechless.
With this comparison, Yin Ren might not be that weird... Maybe longevity really can change a person's personality.
In Haigu City, afternoon.
Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo took a taxi. The gloom on Yin Ren's face disappeared, he looked around curiously, and finally stopped his gaze on Zhong Chengshuo's face.
Zhong Cheng said he was looking at him.
"Are you not angry anymore?" Comrade Xiao Zhong asked seriously.
"Well, I'm not angry anymore." Yin Ren answered confidently.
Zhong Cheng said, taking a deep breath, "Okay, then I'll start feeling bad."
"?" Yin Ren's smile froze on the corner of his mouth.
"I'm a little concerned about what you just said, and I'm determined to show it." Zhong Cheng said, straightening his collar and sitting upright. "Are you ready?"
(End of this chapter)