☆、55 Cold Clothes Festival
Everyone knows about the Cold Clothes Festival and the Crossroads, but the idea of exchanging a jade token for one's life is very unfamiliar.
Tan Rui glanced at Yu Jiuyin, then explained to the others.
"You're all familiar with the Cold Clothes Festival. While customs and traditions vary slightly from place to place, there are generally a few common ways to perform the rituals. However, one place called Yingcheng County is different from the others."
"There is no such place in Yingcheng County now." Xu Wang knew more, and his first reaction was that he had never heard of it.
The eldest brother was stunned. He exchanged glances with the third brother. "Isn't this an ancient ghost town? It's said that there was a top scholar in literature who plotted treason, and a top scholar in martial arts who committed murder. The emperor got so angry that he implicated the entire county."
"Fuck, this is too exaggerated to implicate the entire county." Shi Yang couldn't help but click his tongue.
"If you knew why they were massacred, you wouldn't think it's an exaggeration," Tan Rui sighed. "I came across this story about Yingcheng County while looking through the ancient books at home. It says there's a special legend about the Cold Clothes Festival in Yingcheng County. It's said that parents who feel their children aren't good enough would take their children to a crossroads on Cold Food Festival and have them stay there to burn paper money while preparing exquisite clothing. The clothing would be burned first, because after the paper money is gone, if the first piece of clothing remains on the child's body, it means they've received what they sincerely wished for."
"That's nonsense!" The second brother was the first to disbelieve it, but as soon as he opened his mouth to refute it, he thought of Liang Liang's costume and the cheongsam Wu Tianren mentioned. Suddenly, he felt a chill on his back.
Tan Rui hadn't finished speaking yet. "It's said that Yingcheng County produced five or six young top scorers in a row. They were both civil and military. But unfortunately, almost every one of them died at the age of thirty, at the peak of their careers. So there were rumors at the time that the people of Yingcheng County had some hereditary disease, otherwise why would those who were so brilliant have such short lives?"
"So it can really be changed?" The second child was completely confused.
"Of course you can, but we don't know what we'll get in return." Yu Jiuyin's words made everyone feel a chill.
Isn't it true that there are many geniuses, but there are five or six young champions in a row, which is really weird. Who knows what kind of people are those who became famous at a young age?
“But how did they change it?”
"The jade tablet. There's a special formation on that jade tablet. But the specifics aren't mentioned in ancient books, so I don't know." Tan Rui answered their questions and then brought the topic back to Yingcheng County. "And so, Yingcheng County fell silent for a long time. But after a while, another young genius suddenly appeared. But this time, these two geniuses, one literary and one martial, didn't die young. One even became a minister and the other a general. But the strange thing is, since they left, they haven't returned to their hometown. Even mentioning it is taboo."
"It can only be said that he made a mistake due to drinking. The general got drunk and revealed a secret. He said that he was not from Yingcheng County at all. In his lifetime, he was the illegitimate son of someone's family. After his death, he did not reincarnate, but was recruited into the body of a child. Later, he simply used this child's body to fulfill the regrets of his previous life."
"The general blew himself up."
"Yes." Tan Rui nodded. "Normally, the general's drunken talk wouldn't be taken seriously. But the emperor at the time was very suspicious. After hearing about it, he sent someone to investigate. And surprisingly, they actually found such a person. The minister from the same village as the general was very clever. He immediately realized that something was wrong and tried to figure out a way to escape. But the emperor was much faster than he planned. In the end, his plan failed."
"The emperor was afraid they were monsters"
"No, it's for immortality. The idea of being reborn in a younger body after death is the most fatal temptation for an aging emperor with supreme power." This time, it was Yu Jiuyin who took over. "I heard my master talk about the incident in Yingcheng County. The emperor sent people to investigate, and after uncovering the secret, he accused everyone involved of treason and executed them. This is also the ultimate reason why Yingcheng County disappeared."
"Did the emperor succeed?"
"How could it possibly succeed? The person who exchanged their life for something unknown to the people of Yingcheng County didn't even know what it was. As for the emperor, he didn't even realize the Cold Food Festival was a crucial period. He just picked an auspicious day to exchange his life, and ended up dying."
"Then Brother Yu, you suspect that Wu Tian knows about this matter." The third brother thought quickly and immediately connected the two cases together.
"Yes," Yu Jiuyin nodded. "I suspect Wu Tianren at least recognizes that jade plaque. Wu Tianren's mother is an archaeologist. I remember that the ruins in Yingcheng County were discovered by an archaeological team. But later, that archaeological team inexplicably disappeared."
"But Wu Tianren's mother is not in there." Rong Qing asked people to check as soon as he mentioned Yingcheng County.
"Even if he's not here, he's definitely related to it." Yu Jiuyin reached into his pocket and took out a copper coin, flashing it before Rongqing's eyes. "Rongrong, can you tell what year this is?"
"It seems to be Qin." Rongqing was not sure. He didn't see what Yu Jiuyin took at all. He just remembered that the copper coins that Yu Jiuyin often used were from the Qin Dynasty.
Yu Jiuyin shook his head and put it in Rongqing's hand. "It's from the late Qing Dynasty."
Then he went on to explain to Xu Wang and the others, "Rongrong is an expert in this area. Even if he couldn't see it clearly in such a short time, how could Wu Tianren see it and even know that there were blood spots on the jade token?"
"Unless he has one too," the third brother suddenly realized.
"Yes," Yu Jiuyin looked at the third brother with appreciation, and then asked Rongqing, "Is anyone watching Wu Tianren?"
"Yes." Rong Qing nodded. "My people have been following him, but after Wu Tianren left your place, he moved into the old house left by his grandfather."
"Let's go meet him."
"Brother Yu, what do you mean?" Xu Wang felt a little behind, and the second brother had long been confused. However, this time, it was the eldest brother who reacted first.
"Brother Yu, do you mean that Wu Tianren might know Liang Liang's plan?"
"Well, I suspect that he not only knows, but it's even possible that Liang Liang learned how to use the jade token from him. Don't forget, Liang Liang's grandmother is seriously ill, Liang Liang's mother is in poor health, and Liang Liang's family has no money."
"Could it be that Wu Tianren told Liang Liang how to exchange his life? Then who are they going to find to exchange their lives?"
"Wu Tianren definitely didn't know who Liang Liang was looking for. He didn't want to answer Liang Liang's call at all, but he finally answered it and even agreed to lend him the car. This wasn't out of loyalty, but out of a guilty conscience."
At this moment, Rongqing's phone rang, "Wu Tianren left home."
"Come on, let's go too."
Yu Jiuyin left the younger ones behind and followed Rongqing out. But this time, Xu Wang followed them for some unknown reason. Yu Jiuyin glanced at him and tacitly agreed to his following.
Along the way, the car went further and further off the track. Xu Wang asked anxiously, "Where are we going?"
The driver was also puzzled. "I can't tell. I can only follow the location first."
Yu Jiuyin noticed Xu Wang's nervousness and asked the driver jokingly, "Do you really not know or are you pretending not to know? Don't tell me you're trying to sell us out."
As he spoke, Yu Jiuyin hugged Rong Qing and said, "Rong Rong, what should we do? Your driver has evil intentions."
The driver was amused by what he heard, but Rong Qing was helpless. "Then let him sell Xu Wang first. After all, Xu Wang is the fattest and most valuable."
What the hell, he's the fattest and most valuable? Xu Wang was speechless. But after looking around, compared to Yu Jiuyin and Rongqing, he really was the fattest, and he was also very tired.
As the noise went on, the atmosphere became much better and Xu Wang gradually relaxed.
Actually, Xu Wang had come along mainly to apologize to Yu Jiuyin. Yu Jiuyin had taken Wu Tianren in before, and Xu Wang had always felt a pang of resentment. Now that he realized Yu Jiuyin had a reason for doing so, he really wanted to apologize. But even after they arrived, he hadn't found the chance to say it.
It was a place no one could imagine. It was a half-demolished area of bungalows. Broken bricks and tiles were everywhere, occasionally mixed with discarded household garbage from the move. While many houses were still standing, they were all crumbling.
Xu Wang was puzzled as to what Wu Tianren was doing in such a place. Rongqing's people also came out.
"Young Master, this place is very strange. Our people followed us to the door but never went in again."
"Well, we'll go in by ourselves." Rongqing didn't make things difficult for them.
Yu Jiuyin asked Xu Wang to follow behind him, then bent down to look at Rongqing.
"Carry me on your back or hold me in your arms?" Yu Jiuyin winked playfully. The place was in such a mess that Rongqing's wheelchair couldn't fit in.
Rong Qing sighed, then lay on Yu Jiuyin's back and hugged his neck. He felt that his legs were really a hindrance.
So, several people walked in. However, when they arrived at Wu Tianren's door, they saw a very horrifying scene.
In the dilapidated bungalow, Wu Tianren lay in a pool of blood, his bones etched from the knees down. Tied to a bed in the corner were two women with crooked mouths and eyes. They were wearing identical cheongsams, the hems ripped by knives. In their hands, they held fresh flesh, devouring it bite by bite.
"Hiss" Xu Wang couldn't help but take a breath and felt a sour taste in his stomach.
Yu Jiuyin, however, went straight into the house without Rongqing's knowledge. He first looked at Wu Tianren and found that although he was still breathing, his soul and spirit had completely dissipated. It could only be said that he reaped what he sowed. As for the two women on the bed, if nothing unexpected happened, they should be Liang Liang's mother and grandmother.
With a sullen face, he threw out two pieces of talisman paper, and the cheongsams on the two women were instantly burned to ashes, followed by a strong stench of corpses.
Yu Jiuyin stared at Wu Tianren's body and sighed again. Rongqing on his back put her hand over his eyes.
"You saved him twice and gave him a warning, but he brought this upon himself. Jiuyin, this isn't your fault." Rongqing's voice was exceptionally gentle in Yu Jiuyin's ears.
But in the end, people are still dead
Yu Jiuyin didn't say anything, but his face was involuntarily buried in Rongqing's palm.
"Jiuyin and I will go back first. You ask someone to clean up here and send me the results of the investigation later." Rongqing gave a few instructions to the subordinates who followed him, and then whispered something in Yu Jiuyin's ear.
"Yeah." Yu Jiuyin responded, turned around and returned with Rongqing the same way.
Strangely enough, during this time, Rongqing's hand never left Yu Jiuyin's sight. Yet Yu Jiuyin's steps remained steady, as if his vision was not obstructed.
Xu Wang found it very interesting and took a few more glances. However, due to the atmosphere, he didn't point it out in the end.
With Rongqing by his side, Yu Jiuyin's mood quickly recovered. Once in the car, he felt better and returned to his usual self. By the time they reached the haunted house, Yu Jiuyin seemed completely unfazed by the incident. But Rongqing was still worried about him being alone, so she asked Xu Wang to get out of the car, saying that she and Yu Jiuyin had something else to do.
"Yeah." Seeing that Yu Jiuyin had no objection, Xu Wang got out of the car obediently. When he was about to close the car door, he suddenly said to Yu Jiuyin, "I'm sorry, Brother Yu, I misunderstood." Then he ran away.
Yu Jiuyin was stunned at first, then realized that Xu Wang was apologizing for the previous misunderstanding.
"You have a good eye for people. They are all good kids." Rong Qing patted Yu Jiuyin's shoulder.
"It's good." Yu Jiuyin smiled and hugged Rongqing, "Otherwise, why would I fall in love with you, Rongrong, why did you keep me here?"
Rong Qing was silent for a while, then slowly said, "Jiuyin, are you willing to go to the Wang family with me?"
The author has something to say to Yu Jiuyin. If I say I don't want to
Rongqing: Okay, that’s great. I’ll ask someone to book the plane ticket right away.
Updated, there are 40 red envelopes in the comment area. The second update is very late, don't wait for me. Today is another day of collapse. I finally don't have a fever, but I still can't leave the toilet.
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