Chapter 206 Jinjiang
Yan Shixun had already made preparations before being swept into the river. He silently chanted a spell, and a thin layer of air floated around him, preventing the river water from actually touching him.
After all, it is still unclear what the river water brought down from upstream - after touching the petals in his pocket and regaining his normal memory, Yan Shixun recalled that when they entered the mountain, the guide said that the river water was beneficial because it brought down minerals from upstream.
Given the current situation in Changshou Village, Yan Shixun does not believe in any minerals, but believes in another truth hidden behind this sentence.
——The problem with the river water is that something from upstream has merged into the river water.
Yan Shixun deliberately relaxed his muscles and let the river water carry him towards an unknown direction.
Want to find spiders?
Follow the spider web and it will become easy.
Yan Shixun curled the corners of his lips and closed his eyes calmly.
All I could hear was the loud sound of flowing water.
He could feel himself rising and falling with the waves, rapidly descending and then being swept into the air by the huge waves, then rapidly descending and falling heavily into the deep river bottom.
When the thin light passed through the eyelids and was perceived by the eyeballs, the clear sound of birdsong replaced the sound of flowing water in Yan Shixun's ears, which was pleasant and ethereal.
The subtle fragrance in the air is relaxing and pleasant.
Yan Shixun's eyelashes trembled and he slowly opened his eyes.
Unlike the darkness and coldness of Changshou Village after the loss of the sun, the place in front of him was full of bright sunshine. Clusters of chrysanthemums bloomed along the river, and yellow and white petals were scattered on the riverside, floating downstream with the water.
When he saw the petals, Yan Shixun suddenly frowned.
The flower petals were pointing downwards, which meant the water was also flowing downwards, but now he was lying on his back on the river...but he was floating upwards.
Yan Shixun somersaulted out of the river and stood firmly, his feet accurately stepping on the riverbed, without being disturbed by the waves or the smooth and huge rocks on the riverbed.
He looked around and took in the full picture of where he was.
Whether it is the travel notes and reviews of the Longevity Village on the Internet over the past few decades, or the introductions given by the guides, all of them praise the Longevity Village as a paradise-like place.
But at this moment, Yan Shixun felt that what was before him was the Peach Blossom Spring.
The sunlight shines through the lush branches, creating beautiful light and shadows on the ground, while the clear and melodious sound of birdsong can be heard from afar, echoing in the valley, but no bird feathers are visible.
There is no withering and death here, only vitality.
Yan Shixun stretched out his long legs and walked towards the river bank.
He stretched out his hand and brushed the chrysanthemums blooming by the river. His nimble fingers folded the petals off the moment they touched and held them in his palm. Then he jumped up as if nothing had happened and landed on the river bank with swift and light movements.
Because of the protection of the talisman, Yan Shixun was not wet by the river water.
However, the moment he got ashore, he could clearly feel that unless he took the initiative to remove the effect of the talisman on his body, the thin barrier between him and the river water would quickly melt away like an ice shell placed under the sun.
Yan Shixun's eyes darkened, he stopped, turned around and looked at the river.
The river water in Changshou Village is crystal clear when the sun is out, without any impurities. But after the sun sets, chrysanthemums cover the river surface, and rotting corpses are hidden underneath.
Either way, it is not an ordinary scene that occurs in daily life.
But the river water here seems to be very ordinary.
Scattered chrysanthemum petals float on the water, refracting different rays of light as the sun sways. The swaying light and shadow is as clear and beautiful as crystal.
It makes people feel happy when they see it.
If the tranquility of the Longevity Village gave Yan Shixun a feeling of false peace, then this place, on the contrary, seemed like a real "longevity" place, where there seemed to be nothing to worry about.
If Yan Shixun had not brought a talisman with him when he came, and the talisman had not disappeared for no reason the moment he got ashore, perhaps he would have believed the beautiful scene before him more.
Unfortunately...
Yan Shixun snorted softly, his eyes cold.
He turned around calmly and walked forward.
Behind the woods along the river bank, there are several wooden houses that look very similar to those in Changshou Village.
The small building is also hung with hand-woven folk ornaments, similar in style to those sold by the owner of the Shanwai B&B.
But the difference is that the ones in the boss lady's hand are of various colors, colorful and look good, but the ones here are only monotonous white and yellow.
When they were outside the mountain, Nantian introduced these folk ornaments to the guests. Each different pattern has a different meaning.
Although Yan Shixun was not interested at that time, the wind brought Nantian's voice to him, so he subconsciously listened to the whole process.
Yan Shixun narrowed his eyes, carefully distinguished the decorative fabrics, and read the meaning of the patterns.
newborn.
Whether it was the fabrics in the hands of the proprietress or those in Changshou Village, most of them had common meanings such as "peace", "good luck" and "happiness". Although there were other patterns mixed in, it was rare to see the same patterns as those here, so it took Yan Shixun some time to recognize them.
However, Yan Shixun also remembered that Nantian introduced that white represents rest and yellow represents blessing.
...Use these two colors to weave the meaning of "rebirth"?
If we follow Nan Tian's explanation, this is because people only have a superficial understanding of this folk custom, so they matched the wrong patterns and colors.
When he got closer, Yan Shixun discovered that this place seemed to be fond of chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums were blooming not only in the river but also under the trees.
Even along the outer walls of the small wooden building, there were clusters of yellow and white flowers.
There seemed to be no one in the small wooden building.
At Yan Shixun's distance, he could not hear any sound coming from the small wooden building.
However, there were wooden barrels and other daily necessities on the ground outside the small wooden building, proving that there were indeed people living here.
Even the audience squatting in front of Yan Shixun's split screen couldn't help but marvel at the scenery.
[This is the secluded life I dream of...]
[Is this also a longevity village? It feels a little different.]
[Strange, isn't Brother Yan no longer in the small wooden building? I switched to the main screen and took a look. Xingxing and the others are over there. So where is Brother Yan?]
[Is my internet connection bad? Why was the screen black for so long? I resumed live streaming when Brother Yan came ashore.]
[Me too, I thought it was my problem, but now it seems to be a problem with the live broadcast?]
[Brother Yan fell into the water just now, maybe the camera lens got soaked with water? I don’t know, I’m just guessing.]
[I took a look at the travel notes posted by the photographer who settled in Changshou Village. There are several photos in it that are similar to this scene, so this should also be Changshou Village? After all, the photographer lived here.]
[Maybe it was a village that was split? Our village was like that, split into two by a mountain, with only a few families living on the other side.]
[Wow, this is the paradise in my heart! I must go there if I have the chance. It’s so beautiful looking now!]
[…Have none of you realized the problem of the sun? It’s dark in Changshou Village, so why is there the sun here? Regardless of whether it’s a mountain or not, the sun should always be the same!]
[Fuck, I really didn't notice this problem. When you mentioned it, my hair stood on end. Right! What's wrong with the sun? It's afternoon everywhere else, but it's dark in Changshou Village, so why does it look like morning here?]
Yan Shixun was just about to take a step forward when he suddenly heard a voice.
"Who are you?"
The young and clean girl's voice came from behind him.
But... before the girl spoke, he didn't even notice anyone approaching him!
Yan Shixun's pupils constricted, but he quickly adjusted his emotions in the brief moment of turning around and looked back calmly.
The young girl in coarse linen clothes tilted her head and looked at him curiously with her big watery eyes.
Yan Shixun's eyes quickly swept over the girl.
After his memory was no longer disturbed, it was as if the frosted glass that had been in front of him was taken away, and his vision became clear again.
After leaving Changshou Village, Yan Shixun thought back to the villagers he met at that time. All the strange things that he had kept in his heart but had forgotten repeatedly came back to his mind.
Although the old man who received them said that everyone in the longevity village was over 100 years old, and Yan Shixun also saw with his own eyes that they walked briskly and were as strong as young people, but now thinking about it, that vitality and youthfulness seemed fake because they were too perfect.
It’s like a photo that has been overly retouched. It looks beautiful at first glance, but when you think about it carefully, you will slowly realize that that is not its true appearance at all.
The old people always have smiles on their faces and live a leisurely life. It seems that there is nothing that can bother them.
But they don't have the breath of life that normal people have.
The girl who appeared silently behind Yan Shixun was different from the villagers he had seen in Changshou Village before. She was full of vitality and more like the ordinary people who could be seen at any time before entering the mountains.
"I haven't seen you in the village. Who are you?"
Seeing that Yan Shixun did not answer, the girl patiently repeated her question.
Yan Shixun calmed himself down and did not directly state his own identity as he did not know the girl's identity.
He pointed to the river not far away and said calmly, "I got lost in the mountains and thought I could get out of the mountains by following the river, but I ended up here."
"Excuse me, where is this place? What is the name of the village?"
After listening to what Yan Shixun said, the girl seemed a little hesitant. She looked back at the river that was still flowing happily, bit her lip, and her expression wavered for a moment.
But she seemed to have thought of something else, and she quickly made up her mind after some hesitation.
“This is the longevity village.”
The girl seemed a little anxious and took a step forward towards Yan Shixun.
But before she could say anything, she heard a hearty laugh coming from the small wooden building.
"Sister, are there any guests coming?"
Yan Shixun saw that when the male voice sounded, the girl's eyes changed instantly, as if she had gathered all her emotions and was no longer as kind and unguarded as just now.
He turned around and looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a man walking out of the small wooden building, holding a wooden basin full of food in his hands, full of life.
The man was wearing folk shorts, and his strong and muscular body was the result of years of physical labor. His tanned face had a refreshing and clean smile, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and he looked simple and honest.
No matter how you look at it, the man doesn't seem like someone who would make a girl so wary.
Besides, the man just called the girl "sister", so even if they are not siblings, they should be acquaintances.
Yan Shixun frowned slightly, chuckled and nodded to the man: "I got lost and came here, may I ask who you are..."
The man walked over without any hesitation and said with a smile: "My name is Liu Ming, and I live in this village."
"But our village is a bit remote. It would be difficult to get here if you get lost."
Liu Ming scratched his head and thought: "Why don't you stay in our village first? When we have something to do outside the village tomorrow, we can take you out with us."
Liu Ming's sincere smile did not seem fake, it looked genuine and enthusiastic, as if he was really considering Yan Shixun.
However, Yan Shixun was not worried whether Liu Ming had other ideas. Rather, the current situation was exactly what he wanted to see.
Before the guide died, he had to pay attention to the upper reaches of the river, and this village happened to be upstream - it was even coincidentally called the Longevity Village.
Yan Shixun didn't think this was really a coincidence.
Since we want to find out the anomaly in Changshou Village, we must go deep into the tiger cave and observe closely to find out the truth.
His mind quickly turned around, and he pretended to hesitate and thought for two seconds before nodding and saying to Liu Ming: "Then I'll trouble you."
Liu Ming was very happy to hear Yan Shixun's answer. He enthusiastically led Yan Shixun towards the small wooden building.
"Ayu, you should go home as soon as possible. You never know when he will come to look for you."
Before leaving, Liu Ming seemed to suddenly remember something, turned around and shouted to the girl: "If he can't see you, he will be angry again."
Yan Shixun noticed that when the girl mentioned that person, her expression became noticeably unhappy, and even her smile became forced.
The girl responded, stirred it with her fingers awkwardly, and left in a hurry.
"Is that person called Ayu?"
Yan Shixun watched the girl's movements, secretly noting the direction she left, and then pretended to be curious and asked Liu Ming: "I saw you call her sister just now, and I thought you were a family."
Liu Ming smiled and said, "No, we all know Ah Yu. She is a rare girl in our village, so we are used to calling her sister."
"What's your name?"
Liu Ming asked: "Judging from your appearance, you are from outside the mountain, right?"
Yan Shixun nodded and did not try to hide the fact: "My last name is Yan, you can call me whatever you want."
After all, the village doesn't look big and you can see the end at a glance. In a place like this, everyone knows everyone. Even if he said that he was not from outside the mountain, it was just a clumsy lie that was easily exposed and completely unnecessary.
Besides, Yan Shixun was still waiting for the villagers to do something to him because of his identity as an "outsider".
Since the program crew was not around, Yan Shixun had no worries. He didn't have to worry about the safety of everyone in the program crew, so he naturally let go and acted.
Liu Ming was a talkative man, enthusiastic and cheerful. He had no intention of hiding anything from Yan Shixun's questions, and even took the initiative to introduce the village to Yan Shixun.
According to Liu Ming, there are not many people in their longevity village because it is located deep in the mountains. It takes a long time to get out of the mountains and it is also possible to get lost. So after trying twice when they were young, they gave up and lived a leisurely life in the village.
Fortunately, everything in the village is self-sufficient, so there is no difference in living.
As Liu Ming spoke, he led Yan Shixun to his home.
"Please sit here for a while, my dear. I will go and ask the village chief what he means."
Liu Ming put down the vegetables in his hand, wiped his hands and prepared to go out.
Yan Shixun stopped him curiously and said, "Why do you want to ask the village chief? I can sleep at your house for one night and leave tomorrow as you said."
In ordinary villages, no family would ask the village chief for his opinion before inviting guests to their home.
Liu Ming explained: "Because there will be monsters in the mountains that will attack the village, so in order to ensure everyone's safety and prevent monsters from sneaking into the village, all matters must be consulted with the village chief first."
Monster? Sneaking into the village?
Yan Shixun's eyes dimmed slightly.
It’s not that there aren’t villages that have to bear the risk of being attacked by wild beasts in the mountains, but normal people won’t call wild beasts monsters, and wild beasts won’t “sneak” into the village.
Judging from what Liu Ming said, that thing might have entered the village in human form. Otherwise, why did he say that the village chief should be informed of any guests?
What exactly is this monster that Liu Ming mentioned?
Yan Shixun nodded naturally, with no problem visible on his face: "Thank you for your help."
He stood at the door and looked at the direction Liu Ming left, and found that he was walking in the same direction as the girl named A Yu before.
It was not until Liu Ming's figure turned the corner of the house and disappeared from his sight that Yan Shixun calmly withdrew his gaze and checked the environment around him.
As Liu Ming said, there are very few people in this longevity village.
However, there are a lot of houses.
From Yan Shixun's perspective, the entire open land around him extended all the way to the foot of the mountain not far away, and there were small wooden buildings of the same style all around.
At first glance, they look just like small holiday villas built by developers outside the mountain, neat and uniform.
It doesn't look like a house built by the villagers themselves in a folk village, but rather like a product on an assembly line.
Yan Shixun made a rough estimate and estimated that there were probably several hundred buildings.
But most of these houses are uninhabited.
Yan Shixun didn't even need to enter the small wooden building to make his judgement.
——The facades of most of the small wooden buildings have been severely corroded by wind and rain, and wild grass and moss are all over the wooden structures, making them look so rotten that they will collapse soon.
There are even a few small wooden buildings that seem to have been completely covered with green plants due to their age, and they look empty and creepy.
Among the severely corroded small wooden buildings, there are a few that still have signs of life. The outside is kept very clean, and all of them are decorated with yellow and white fabrics that flutter gently in the mountain breeze.
Yan Shixun took a look and found that all the fabrics had the same meaning of "rebirth".
Not only are the small wooden buildings in this longevity village uniform, but even the decorations are so consistent.
However, although it was still daytime with the sun shining brightly, there was no sound of anyone in the village, and no one was seen walking by.
There are only the sounds of wind, water and birds singing.
Yan Shixun stood quietly at the door for a moment, holding the door frame, before turning around and walking into the small wooden building.
That Liu Ming...
Yan Shixun didn’t know if it was his illusion, but he actually felt that Liu Ming’s appearance was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen this face somewhere.
Moreover, the southern regions have their own dialects, and even if they speak Mandarin, there will be more or less some accents that Yan Shixun can easily distinguish.
Like a guide and a proprietress outside the mountain.
As for the longevity village downstream of the river, the elderly there have heavier accents.
Yan Shixun speculated that they probably learned some Mandarin to facilitate daily communication because there were so many tourists coming and going.
But what about the longevity village upstream of the river?
Mingming Liuming himself said that the people in the village have never been out and have always lived in the mountains.
But he himself speaks standard Mandarin.
Yan Shixun even heard a hint of Binhai City accent in it.
It was a barely noticeable speck, like a cube of ice that would soon melt, but it was there.
——Why do people living in the mountains have accents from other regions?
Yan Shixun had doubts about Liu Ming, but he did not show it.
No matter how friendly Liu Ming acted, Yan Shixun still couldn't let down his guard due to various doubts.
It was not until Liu Ming left that he frowned and began to look around Liu Ming's house, trying to find something from it.
On the other side, after leaving, A Yu hurried to her house.
After stepping through the door, she ran directly to the blind spot under the stairs of the small building.
In the dark shadows where the sunlight cannot reach, there is a small wooden door that is easily overlooked, hidden under the stairs.
The door was so small that only children and small adults could pass through it. The door handle had been worn smooth and was wrapped with thick chains.
A Yu took out the key from the pocket of her skirt, squatted down and skillfully opened the chain.
But before opening the small door, A Yu hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and opened it.
A damp and fishy smell suddenly hit me in the face.
…
Liu Ming ran back quickly.
When he stepped into the door, Yan Shixun was sitting on a chair at the door, as if he had been waiting here quietly for a long time.
"Don't worry, guest. The village chief said it's okay."
Liu Ming smiled brightly: "And the village chief also said that he is willing to let you live with him."
"I don't have any good treats here, and my house is simple. But the village chief's place is different. His conditions are much better than mine."
Liu Ming explained: "Our village is located in a very remote place. It is fate that you can come here. We cannot neglect you."
Yan Shixun nodded, stood up and followed Liu Ming to the village chief's house.
"However, your village is already self-sufficient. Is there anything that requires you to leave the village?"
Yan Shixun asked, "It's not easy to get out of here, right? I'll have to trouble you to send me there tomorrow."
When talking about tomorrow's events, Liu Ming became visibly excited.
"Good things, very important good things."
Liu Ming's deep brown cheeks flushed with excitement. He rubbed his hands, looking as if he couldn't wait any longer.
"After tomorrow, maybe there will be new life in the village."
Liu Ming happily invited Yan Shixun: "If you are curious, let me ask the village chief. If the village chief agrees, you can also visit."
Yan Shixun began to feel doubtful.
Normally, the appearance of a new life refers to pregnancy and childbirth, but what Liu Ming meant was that this was not only a very grand event, but one also had to leave the village to do it.
Why did Liu Ming describe two seemingly unrelated things as the same thing? He even used the word "maybe" to describe it.
Is there a possibility of death in new life?
Yan Shixun had already considered death as a possibility before he had ever seen anyone looking forward to the birth of a new life.
——No one would tell a pregnant woman that she might not be able to give birth to the baby.
Even Lu Xingxing wouldn't say that.
Even though Yan Shixun had many doubts in his heart, he did not show it on his face. He just thanked Liu Ming calmly and said that he was very curious and wanted to watch tomorrow's event.
As they were talking, the two had already walked into the village for a long time and passed through a small wooden building that was uninhabited.
Yan Shixun's eyes were always scanning the small wooden buildings on both sides.
Because it is a wooden structure, it is very easy to get damp and rot in places with high humidity.
Changshou Village upstream of the river is surrounded by mountains on all sides and there is a river passing by. The humidity in the village cannot disperse and has been accumulating in the village. The humidity is so heavy that Yan Shixun can even feel the moisture when he breathes.
He had only been in the village for a short while when he felt his clothes becoming wet from the outside to the inside.
It's like wearing clothes without drying them after washing. They stick to your skin wetly, softening even the skin lines, making you feel very uncomfortable.
The further you get into the village, the stronger this feeling becomes.
Yan Shixun even felt that he was not walking on land, but was still in the water.
In such an environment, the small wooden building naturally cannot escape the erosion of water vapor.
If the house is occupied, many families will paint varnish on the wood to prevent corrosion, and will repair it in time when it is damaged.
But the small wooden buildings that Yan Shixun saw along the way were all decayed, and some even made "creaking" sounds as if they could not bear the weight, making people worry that the small wooden buildings would collapse at any moment.
However, through the windows of the small wooden building, one can vaguely see traces of life remaining inside.
The pots and pans were neatly placed, and the furniture and items were all in their proper places. Although covered with dust, it was still tidy, as if the owner had carefully taken care of the residence, but did not expect that after going out one day, he never came back.
So, the small wooden building and the items inside all rotted in the dampness of water vapor during the long waiting time.
“There are so many houses in the village, why aren’t there many people living there?”
Yan Shixun pretended to be curious and asked Liu Ming, "You can't be leaving the mountain to work, right? Didn't you just say that no one in the village leaves the mountain?"
Liu Ming nodded. Although there was regret on his face, he was not sad.
He seemed to have gotten used to it.
"What's so good about being outside the mountains? Life in the village is still more comfortable."
Liu Ming glanced at the small wooden building next to him and said indifferently, "They didn't make it, so of course they don't have the qualifications to stay."
Yan Shixun was shocked.
But before he could ask Liu Ming again, he suddenly caught a glimpse of something white under the small wooden building out of the corner of his eye.
So his gaze, which had already swept past, swept back and looked at the place that was definitely abnormal.
Then Yan Shixun saw that a piece of finger bone was faintly exposed under the half-meter-high mezzanine floor of the small wooden building.
The pale finger bones fell into the wet soil, half buried in it, unable to be fully identified, and covered by shadows.
If it weren't for this bit of white that didn't fit in with the environment, Yan Shixun wouldn't have noticed this place.
Liu Ming just said that he couldn’t survive...human hand bones appeared here again.
Yan Shixun lowered his eyes slightly, hiding the emotions in his eyes.
“Can’t make it” means…will those who can’t make it die?
The village chief's house was near the foot of the mountain but far away from the river, so they had to cross most of the village to get there.
After realizing that there were people who once lived in the longevity village but had died, Yan Shixun became more vigilant.
He cleverly concealed the questions he really wanted to ask between other words, or deliberately gave a wrong answer, and then waited confidently for Liu Ming to refute him.
Through such indirect questioning, Yan Shixun asked Liu Ming a lot of questions.
For example, the longevity village holds grand sacrificial activities during every four solar terms. After the sacrifices, new lives may appear in the longevity village, become their neighbors, and live leisurely with them in the village.
And tomorrow is the winter solstice sacrifice.
Moreover, according to Liu Ming, tomorrow will be the most solemn sacrifice in the history of Changshou Village.
The gods’ love and blessing will descend upon the village, protecting them from the threat of birth, aging, sickness and death forever, and from any pain in their lives.
Yan Shixun still had a polite smile on his handsome face, but his heart was already in turmoil.
As long as one is a human being, one will eventually face birth, aging, sickness and death. Although the experience is painful, it is precisely because of the pain that life is there.
But Liu Ming said that the gods would protect Changshou Village from these things.
“I didn’t expect that people in the village still believe in God?”
Yan Shixun pretended to know nothing about ghosts and gods, and asked Liu Ming: "Which god do you believe in? Why don't I see any statues of gods being worshipped?"
Speaking of gods, Liu Ming straightened his back proudly and said, "We don't need to worship idols."
“God is by our side and he is always blessing us.”
As they were talking, the two of them had already passed through the village.
Liu Ming stopped in front of a small wooden building.
"This is the village chief's home." Liu Ming pointed to the small wooden building behind him and said to Yan Shixun, "There is another guest here too. We can take you out of the mountain together tomorrow."
"The village chief's house is well-off and has meat to eat. You can rest assured and sleep here for one night."
Yan Shixun looked up, then his pupils suddenly shrank as he was horrified by the scene in front of him.
Everywhere you look, it's all white.
Pure white curtains were hung everywhere on the small wooden building, and the rough white cloth was gently blown by the mountain breeze, floating in the air.
At first glance, it looks no different from a mourning hall.
The folk decorations that are found in other small wooden buildings are also found here.
But it's pure white.
And unlike the "rebirth" meaning represented by the fabric patterns on other small wooden buildings, Yan Shixun discovered the meaning of these fabrics...
It's death.
White death.
Seeing Yan Shixun standing there without moving forward, Liu Ming didn't think he was frightened at all. Instead, he asked with a smile, "Isn't it true? Isn't the environment of the village chief's home much better than mine?"
"This is the best house in our village. Please wait here, my guest. I will go and call the village chief over."
Having said that, Liu Ming didn't even look at Yan Shixun's reaction, but strode into the small wooden building.
Only Yan Shixun was left, looking at Liu Ming's back with a complicated expression.
This environment...is it good?
Yan Shixun didn't think this was due to different customs.
Before entering the mountain, he heard Nantian's introduction, and he himself had some knowledge of the southern region and knew that white was also used to send off the dead here.
A place that was arranged like a funeral hall, but was made by Liu Mingming...
Yan Shixun’s first reaction was that Liu Ming’s cognition had been changed.
Before Liu Ming left, Yan Shixun quickly and carefully checked Liu Ming's home because he doubted whether Liu Ming was really from the southern region.
If you just take a quick look, the things in Liu Ming's small wooden building are indeed consistent with the identity of a villager in the mountains.
——If Yan Shixun had not found the camera lens in the cabinet, he would have thought so too.
Among the hand-sewn coarse linen clothes and rough daily necessities, the expensive but dusty camera lens seemed so out of place.
Even outside the mountains, ordinary people would not have such items in their homes.
Moreover, Yan Shixun carefully looked at the brand and model on the lens. He occasionally talked with the cameramen in the program crew, and recognized that this lens was a model that had been discontinued more than ten years ago.
At that time, the photographer of the program crew told Yan Shixun with an envious and longing tone that the price of a lens he particularly wanted had been driven up higher and higher after it was discontinued, but it was still out of stock and he couldn't buy it even if he wanted to.
But such a valuable lens is now placed in the home of an ordinary villager, stuffed in the corner of a cabinet that never sees the sun, as if it had long been forgotten by its owner.
Yan Shixun's doubts were also answered at that time.
——Liu Ming is not at all the villager of Changshou Village as he claims.
He came from outside the mountains and had stayed in Binhai City for quite some time. He might even be a native of Binhai City, which is why he still has a Binhai accent.
Liu Ming was either lying to him or he had completely forgotten all these things and just thought that he had been in Changshou Village since he could remember, which was why he acted so naturally when talking about himself.
However, if Liu Ming was really deceiving Yan Shixun, then in Yan Shixun's opinion, Liu Ming's acting skills, which did not reveal any clues at all, were good enough to win an award, far better than the acting school Zhao Zhen.
So... why did Liu Ming forget his origins? And why did he look upon Changshou Village with such admiration and dependence, and disdain for the outside world, and even believe in the so-called "God"?
Because of Ye Li's identity, Yan Shixun once asked him why, after a certain point in time, Taoist priests and exorcists could no longer successfully summon gods.
The answer given by Ye Li at that time was that all the gods died.
Ye Li is already the only god under the Great Dao, in charge of death.
Yan Shixun subconsciously chose to believe Ye Li. He didn't think Ye Li would lie to him.
If that’s the case, why is there another “god” in Liu Ming’s mouth?
Is it similar to the spirit medium outside Shanhaiguan, or an evil god like the Wild Wolf Peak, or some other kind of monster?
Could it be that Liu Ming didn't know the difference, so he shouted that it was a god?
Or...
Yan Shixun looked at the small wooden building in front of him with calm eyes. His brain was working rapidly, connecting all the doubts since he followed the guide into the mountains, trying to find out the true identity of the "God".
However, there were still many pieces missing from the puzzle of his mind, and the key evidence that could prove his various speculations had never appeared, making it impossible for him to piece together the complete truth.
Yan Shixun didn't have to wait too long. Liu Ming's figure soon appeared at the door, and beside him, there was another person.
The man was wearing clothes from outside the mountains and had a handsome appearance.
Yan Shixun calmed himself down and came out of his own thoughts, but looked at that person with surprise.
"Nantian?"
Even Yan Shixun couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.
Nantian, who was originally talking to Liu Ming with his head tilted, heard the voice and turned around subconsciously, and then saw Yan Shixun standing in front of the small building.
Yan Shixun was wearing a dark green coat, his slender body was upright, like a long sword that would not bend in the face of any danger, and he had a powerful aura that made people feel at ease.
When Nantian saw the familiar figure, his nose felt sore and even his eyes became wet. His heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally fell back into his chest.
He knew that as long as Yan Shixun was there, he would be safe.
"Brother Yan!" Nantian looked excited.
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