Yan woke up again , night had arrived.
Shang's stone sword returned to its original position, and the empty stone sat upright in front of the fire, cooking something in the iron bowl. Just like the past few decades, the cave was dim and full of firelight. At a fixed time, the man was always in a fixed position.
Unlike before, this time there was a pleasant fragrance floating in the cave.
After being arrogant and domineering for so many years, Yan Du has tasted all kinds of exotic medicines and herbs in the world, and he instantly recognized the taste of this thing—
"Ice-top snake lotus... As expected of an eminent monk, God is so generous that he can even find such a legendary thing."
It is extremely rare. It was born in the mountains in severe winter. It is called the holy medicine for treating internal injuries. Zongwu Mountain is not a beautiful place. The ability to produce creatures is probably due to the ancient ruined formation.
However, the main reason why ice-capped snake lotus is so difficult to grow is not the harsh growth conditions or the sparse number of plants, but the lotus snakes that grow with them.
The effects of ice-top snake lotus are as powerful as the lotus snakes are poisonous. They like to gather in groups, and the number is the same as the number of ice-top snake lotus petals, which can be as many as ten or as many as dozens. The snow-capped mountains are dazzling, but these strange snakes are transparent and extremely fast, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
Even if Yan Du is lucky enough to see the ice-capped snake lotus, he may not be willing to take it.
No matter how difficult it is, it seems that it can't change the color of the empty stone. He took the legendary thing and boiled it lightly, his face expression changed, as if it was just a weird-shaped mountain fungus.
It's obvious that today, they are enemies.
"You are quite capable of escaping Lotus Snake, Kong Shi. It seems that I can have a good time in the battle tomorrow..." Yan was breathing hard, and his mouth was still uncensored.
Knowing that he felt awkward leaning against the wall, Yan Du sat back in front of the chessboard. He was supporting his body with one hand, and even though his face was full of illness, he looked a bit cool.
In the afternoon, Yan Du fell down suddenly, and there was still half a game left on the chessboard. He brushed the chess pieces away and leaned against them lightly.
The medicinal soup was dried on an empty stone, and Shi Shi came closer. He sat down in front of Yan du, put the stone spoon in the bowl, and handed it to Yan du: "Donor, please ."
"Master, before I was weak and weak, you always fed me with a spoonful... Why did the lotus and snake come to me so often, but now I feel so alive?"
Kong Shifeng Danyun said lightly: "Amitabha, the poor monk has other things to do. The donor is diligent and can always distinguish the serious from the serious."
Yan Du has long been accustomed to this kind of soft nails. He hummed, picked up the iron bowl, and drank the medicinal soup in one gulp.
The medicinal soup has been passed by the snow and the temperature is just right. After taking a bowl of warm medicine, heat surges through the limbs and bones, and the blood all over the body shrinks. His brows furrowed in pain relaxed, and there was some relief between his brows.
If you go from arrogance to arrogance, your time will be wasted. He immediately sat upright on the grass futon in front of the chessboard, adjusting his breath to heal his injuries.
Kong Shi will help him this time.
Kong Shi sat on the other side of the chessboard as usual, clasping his hands and chanting sutras silently.
Half an hour passed, and Yan Du coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood. The strange blood threads seemed to be constricting and slowly fading from his limbs. His face was bloody, and his body was trembling and twitching again.
Only then did Yan Du take a few breaths, glanced towards the opposite side, and his expression froze on the spot.
Shang's hands have always been beautiful, with slender fingers and well-defined joints. In the past, when he folded his hands and chanted sutras, his hands were pleasing to the eye.
Nowadays they are so pleasing to the eye.
Kongshi's hands were completely exposed from his sleeves. On the edge of the palm of his left hand, there were many small black holes - the entire left hand and the arm were black and swollen, and the veins were knotted.
Snake bite wound.
Yan Du looked at the injury quietly for a while, his relaxed expression gradually turned into a twisted smile, and then turned into a wild laugh.
He seemed to be seeing the most interesting thing in the world. He laughed and coughed repeatedly, and was out of breath.
"Master, is this the natural law of reincarnation? Is this the retribution of karma? Why do I feel that this is God helping me?"
Lotus snakes are extremely venomous. Once bitten, one's limbs will be severed. Kongshi was treated immediately, and his skills were extremely profound. He could suppress the snake venom with his internal power, and he was able to survive until now.
Unfortunately, procrastination can only be procrastination.
If it is supplemented by extremely deep internal strength and closely coordinated with Kong Shi's true energy, it is still possible to remove the snake venom and save one's life.
The huge Zongwu Mountain has a radius of hundreds of miles, and only people can be seen. The only one who can save Kong Shi is Yan Du himself.
Is there a better situation than this
"Bald man, do you know what I'm thinking?"
Kongshi stopped chanting sutras and looked at Yan du calmly: "The donor is thinking about how to induce the poor monk to commit greed, anger and ignorance."
"Wrong. I have nothing to do. I will tell you in detail."
Yan Du's face was filled with a brilliant smile, and the bloodshot threads all over his body melted together with that smile, making people feel chilled all over.
"I have already seen your precious nightmare-breaking method. I can break the formation and go down the mountain by myself... I was still thinking just now, do I want to attack you behind your back? But even this little bit of 'betrayal' can be considered..." ’s things may fall into the eyes of Master .”
"Then I thought again, I want to pretend to be defeated by you and let you go down the mountain. My followers have been waiting outside. As long as they wait for an opportunity to poison you, I can bring you back to the church and slowly adjust you. Teach me. It’s a pity that the master has a strong temper, and he will definitely give in. What if I accidentally kill the master?”
"Finally, I think. If I go back to Jianchen Temple with you, I'll risk my life and kill the old bald donkey in front of you. If I come here, your expression will always change, right?" "
"...Who would have thought that people can predict things just as God can predict them. God's arrangement is more interesting than I thought."
The stone in the sky moved like a mountain: "The donor has the strength to say so many words, and the name of the ice-top snake lotus is false."
"Master, are you really stupid or are you pretending to be stupid? Now you are not only feeding the tiger with your body, you are basically letting the tiger return to the mountain."
The effect of the medicine is getting stronger and stronger. Yan du is already a master of martial arts, and his blood-stained eyes are as bright as a will-o'-the-wisp. He stretched out his hands and held Kong Shi's cheek, forcing him to look at him.
"Seeing the leader of the Chen Temple, you saved me from death. It's really the most ridiculous thing in the world. Come, take a good look at me - what kind of karma is there? It's just a weak person who has no hope of turning around and deceiving himself and others."
The snake venom spread, and the vitality in Kong Shi's eyes gradually faded. He raised his head slightly, not only breaking away from Yan Du's hand, but also avoiding Yan Du's eyes, his eyes were like an ancient well without waves.
Calmness is annoying.
"When I get out from here, I will kill thousands more people and light a bonfire of human flesh at the foot of Huilian Mountain. Master, if you survive, you can save thousands of people... This One life for one, it’s a great deal.”
Yan Du tried to find hatred, confusion or regret in Kong Shi's eyes.
But he found nothing.
"Think about it, when word spreads about me, Jianchen Temple will have to bear the name of 'all living beings' again?... If you really care about all living beings, you can kneel down and beg me. I am here. I’m glad to hear that, I’ll definitely give you some inner strength to help you get down the mountain alive.”
He tried to find hesitation, worry or pleading in Kongshi's eyes.
But he still found nothing. The pain of the mortal world rolled over me, and those eyes were stained with a little bit of dust.
Kong Shi's cheeks were cold and his complexion was already a little gray.
The lotus snake is extremely venomous. Its poisonous effects are as if the internal organs are turned into mud and thousands of ants are eating the heart. It was clear that he should be in pain, but his mind was clear, but that annoying peace of mind did not move at all, without causing any ripples.
The people were in a stalemate again.
Yan Du kneeled on the chessboard with one leg, bowed his waist, and held Kong Shi's face in his hands. When someone comes close, it feels as if they want to kiss, or like an ice sculpture frozen by the wind, just frozen in the air.
Kong Shi just looked back calmly. At that moment, Yan Du realized that the thing in front of him was not a living creature of flesh and blood, but a stone Buddha statue.
People are simply understandable. He saw through it and wanted to understand.
He was obviously looking down at the other person's face, but there was a faint feeling of being pitied.
A moment of silence passed, and Kongshi spoke again. What he vomited out was a plea for mercy, and a warm conversation: "The donor has just taken medicine and his meridians are weak. It is better to sit upright and continue to exercise."
"you… "
The surroundings were getting colder and colder, and the color on Yan Du's face finally faded away. He was able to successfully disguise himself once and write his thoughts on his face.
This is what it should be.
He has seen too many people who understand justice on a daily basis, but when death approaches, they cry bitterly and beg for mercy. Even if a mortal man goes to death heroically, death is instantaneous. Yan Du understands better than anyone how terrifying it is to approach death slowly.
But he couldn't even find a trace of fear in Kong Shi's eyes.
Yan Dutu shivered and looked at Kong Shi with eyes gradually filled with surprise and suspicion.
"I will save you."
He moved his lips and murmured softly.
"It's okay for you to wait any longer, and it's okay to whitewash the situation. I don't have a complete understanding of shit, do you understand? I will help you, and I planned to save you from the beginning. "
The empty stone is still moving with the eight winds, and I continue to chant sutras.
"You will die here, your body exposed in the wilderness, with no one to pay tribute, and you will bear a hundred years of infamy. You..."
Yan Du couldn't even blink. He let go of the hand holding the empty stone, licked the corners of his lips, and his tone showed a slight wavering.
"...You monster, are you really a heartless and heartless stone?"
Kongshi stopped reciting silently and responded easily: "I'm ashamed, the poor monk likes to eat apricots, which is considered a preference for some living people."
If the left arm was black and ulcerated, just listening to the tone of his voice, this Shang would be like a thief.
Yan Du slowly sat back on the straw futon and saw a smile on his face again.
Kongshi undoubtedly saw through his anxiety: "Amitabha. The donor is in a stable state of mind, so you and I can continue the game and calm down."
Yan du has nothing to say.
Faced with a game of chess that was mostly played and a monk who was about to die, he tried his best and racked his brains, but no matter what, he could find more cruel words. Thousands of questions and threats all turned into bluffing in front of this stone-man-like Shang.
"Donor, it's your turn to make a move."
Yandu stared at the empty stone blankly.
Shang's expression was gentle, just like the first day when he stepped into the cave.
After a while, Yan du seemed to have some realization.
He smiled slowly again, with a hint of bitterness in his smile: "So it's like this. For a whole month, thoughts have been flowing, friendships have been exchanged... I am the one who made the most of this."
He exposed his true intentions and worked hard, but in the end it was all for his own entertainment. In front of others, there is no human heart that is distant or alienated.
"Kong Shi, from the very beginning, you have always seen 'me' in your eyes, right?"
A month has passed, and those gentle and gentle people have given me so much benefit that they are all living beings in the eyes of others.
Whether he is a three-year-old child or a centenarian, whether he has other difficulties or is born evil, he is just an ordinary stone in this person's eyes.
From the moment he stepped into the cave, Kong Shi's attitude changed more than half, a little more, a little more.
Well, all living beings are equal.
"Everyone in the world says that I am the most ruthless one. Now it seems that you are even better, Master."
Kongshi smiled: "The donor is very complimentary."
Time passed slowly and tightly, cruelly and vividly.
Yan Du rested his elbows on the stone chessboard and inserted his fingers into his hair, regaining his high-spirited expression just now. He didn't play the game, he just gritted his teeth and said something.
"...The donor really wants to find a way to break the situation, and the poor monk has a suggestion."
Shang lowered his head slightly, as if he was observing most of the chess game.
"If you fart, hurry up."
"Donor, you might as well try to do a good deed, one is enough."
Yan Du sneered: "It's inexplicable. If you have the imagination to do this, you can save your breath and live a few more sticks of incense."
At the moment, no matter inside or outside the chess game, the battle between black and white, good and evil, is in a stalemate, and it is really difficult to distinguish between winner and loser. Facing an opponent with flaws, how can he win
Forget it, he thought in a daze. No matter what, you can always give up the attack.
After pondering for a while, Yan Du clenched the blood-stained stone chess piece: "I said, Master—"
As a result, he finished the sentence and immediately shut up.
Too quiet.
What is quiet is the cave itself. The fire was still burning, and the howling of the storm could be heard faintly from the entrance of the cave. There was a little medicinal soup left in the iron bowl, and the stone sword leaned quietly in the corner. The corners of the monk's robe hung down into the dust, picking up a little brown dust.
Everything is in place, but Kong Shi's breathing sound has disappeared.
That person still had a serene appearance and his hands clasped together. He sat in front of the chessboard, still like a lonely peak that had stood there since ancient times.
Yan du slowly let go of the chess piece. The chess piece touched the chessboard and made a slight sound. Unexpectedly, this soft sound contrasted with the silence in front of me, which was comparable to a thunder.
After all, they didn't finish the game. Just like dozens of mornings and evenings, in the end it is just a mirror and a mirror, without beginning or end.
He will always win.
Yan Du sat expressionlessly in front of the chessboard, moving until the long night ended and the snow shimmered.
"You're such a sage, why don't you wait until I finish this move."
Finally, he stood up and muttered to himself almost silently.
"When eminent humane monks pass away, there are often strange phenomena. Now when I look at it, it's just a pile of dead flesh, just rotting."
After that, Yan Du opened his mouth again.
The night ends and the sun rises.
When Yan crossed the river, he picked a sunny slope nearby, dug a simple pit with his giant sword, and buried it with empty stones on the mountain. When he set up the tombstone, he just placed the stone chessboard on one side as a mark. After leaving, he didn't even look back.
Although the world is vast away from the cave, this time, Yan Du made his audience wait too long.
The snow melts at the end of winter, and spring passes and autumn comes.
The next moment, the mountain was still a mountain, with white snow everywhere and only stretches of barren grass. The graves that count as empty stone graves are covered by weeds, making it difficult to distinguish them.
But Yan du is still the same.
He was still wearing the clothes from that day, and his face was no longer blue and black with bloodshot eyes, but he was back to his former charming appearance. The depression before seemed to be just an illusion, and he still had the same self-centered expression.
But he had an extra jar of wine and a roasted chicken in his hand.
"After coming down the mountain, I encountered something strange."
Yan Du sat down cross-legged and deliberately shared some wine and meat as a sacrifice to Shang. He was talking casually, as if he were still chatting in front of the chessboard.
"I've even seen immortals. Do you believe me? It's a pity that people can't tolerate my soft fish eyes. I can't let you see the image."
As he spoke, he vomited out a mouthful of blood and then drank it down with a bowl of wine.
"That day you asked me what my plans were after riding the wind to ascend to the immortal world. Now that I have seen the Ancient Formation Immortal Village and Qionglou Yuyu, I said that those immortals are more boring than I thought... "
The stone chessboard stood alone, with wine slowly flowing along its edges. There was silence everywhere except for the chirping of insects in the grass.
Yan du smiled , the smile was extremely wanton.
"But they gave me an excellent toy - I have been looking for a toy for a long time, and I finally got it. What does it mean? If I leave it for the next generation to let dogs bite dogs, I can take a look at the gods by the way. His face will change color when he sees it, and it will be very exciting.”
"Ling Jiao, I've taken care of it. I've also arranged the rest of the clues, including my precious tomb... When I first built the tomb, I didn't leave a way to turn back. Now it's better to clean up monsters and reduce murderous intentions than to set up traps. It’s still difficult.”
"In a hundred years, there will be a group of people running around. But even if they find the place, they can only find a lock."
Yan Du waved his sleeve, and a jade-colored object came out in the wind. It is deeply embedded in the stone chessboard, with holes like falling stones. The unfinished chess game of the past has finally come to an end, and the situation remains the same as it was at the beginning.
It's just that this time he took the initiative to set up a formation, and the three calamities cycled, just chess.
"What about the key? I'll leave it with you. You can see with your own eyes how those juniors slaughtered their heads and shed blood. It is said that the master's merits are profound, and he will definitely be a human being in a hundred years. Maybe he will just squeeze his head and bleed. "
After that, he remained silent for a while, as if waiting for an answer.
Of course no one answered.
Gradually, the wine was gone, and only a little skeleton of meat was left. Yan Du stretched his waist and looked at the blood-like sunset.
"You can reach immortality in one step by eating the meat. But in this world, there are people who understand yourself better than I do. If you can achieve immortality, in a few months, I will definitely have the warm fragrance of nephrite in my arms again. Forget about that broken cave."
"But I can't find two more caves. It's a bit of a waste to just forget about it."
Yan du lit his tobacco and puffed out white smoke.
"Finally, about what you said about 'doing a good deed'. As long as I am still here, no matter what gift you give, as long as the recipient is an upright person, it is destined to end well."
"A good deed needs a clear name. Shang, in the end, you still want to cross me... It's not a good idea."
The sky was getting dark, and the fire in the pipe slowly went out.
YanDu stood up and stared at the stone chessboard in front of him. His smile was frivolous, his red eyes were filled with vitality, and his evil aura was reduced from before.
"I have gone through life and killed countless people, and I regret it. I have no regrets about saving my life after death. You believe in reincarnation and I believe in it. The world is far away. Let's see each other when we see each other."
"But if your favor is returned, my heart will be very tight. I have a bad idea for your good chess game - I am optimistic about it, but it is an empty stone. What I want to do today is to make the world the best. 'Great deed'.
It only takes a moment for the words to fall.
He hesitated, and his sharp sword energy suddenly appeared. The sword energy was pointed at himself, and his heart was instantly penetrated, and bright red blood spattered everywhere.
Yan people are extremely vicious and have no mercy.
There are exceptions for myself.
"pity… "
He spit out the last mouthful of blood and laughed silently.
"... My immortal tomb took a lot of work."
The sword energy slashed the fabric on Du's chest into pieces, and several round apricots rolled into a pool of blood. On the edge of the black blood hole in his heart, a black spider mole lay quietly, gradually being covered by the blood.
The ghost tomb has been vacant for ten years, and the immortal relationship has been cut off for half of his life. A generation of geniuses dies, and they end up in a tomb of heaven and earth, without a coffin or a coffin.
As night falls, the mountains remain the same.
The stone chessboard lay quietly in its place, with grass growing around it and the breeze blowing.