Chapter 263 Jinjiang
Master Bai did not expect that Yan Shixun had such a deep relationship with Li Chengyun who came to Baizhi Lake many years ago.
When he saw Yan Shixun's expression, he also remembered his feelings for Zheng Shumu. He couldn't help but be moved and sighed silently.
He was the person Zheng Shumu hated, but after so many years of getting along, the relationship between them was like that of father and son.
This sincere and caring heart is not fake.
Therefore, after Li Chengyun left, Master Bai was truly grateful to Li Chengyun when he saw Zheng Shumu gradually cheering up and smiling.
When Master Bai learned that Yan Shixun was Li Chengyun's disciple, he was stunned, but also developed a good impression of Yan Shixun, adding a bit more affection to his original transaction instructions.
He and the trees, Mr. Chengyun and this young man...how similar they are.
Because of this feeling of love, Master Bai looked at Yan Shixun and suddenly felt that this was probably God's will.
What Mr. Chengyun wanted to accomplish but failed to do back then, perhaps his disciples can accomplish.
Master Bai's eyes gradually softened as he looked at Yan Shixun. The things that had been buried deep in his heart were dug out again by him and were stuck in his throat.
Yan Shixun did not forget that this was still a shadow play and not reality. Even when he heard about Li Chengyun's death again, he only had a brief emotional breakdown. He quickly calmed down and returned to his usual calm and rational self.
Only his red eyes proved his recent sorrow.
The last place Li Chengyun visited before his death was Baizhi Lake. His purpose was not to exorcise evil spirits or catch ghosts. He did not come for the souls of the Bai village, nor did he intend to interfere in Zheng Shumu's hatred.
He came for the shadow play passed down by Master Bai.
However, what secret was hidden behind the shadow play that made Li Chengyun search so far and even led to his death?
Yan Shixun asked his doubts.
Before confirming the relationship between Li Chengyun and Yan Shixun, Master Bai originally did not intend to tell this matter. Even if he wanted to make a deal with Yan Shixun to rescue Zheng Shumu, he still did not intend to reveal the secret passed down from generation to generation.
Those who died a thousand years ago should remain there a thousand years ago, buried in the grave along with the shadow play, and no one will ever know about it again. The shadow play that led to all the tragedies will also end here with him.
No one will ever use shadow puppetry as a gimmick to hurt others again.
However, when mentioning Li Chengyun, Master Bai hesitated again.
Before Li Chengyun left, Master Bai went to see him off and asked Li Chengyun worriedly what would happen if he failed.
At that time, Li Chengyun stood by the Baizhi Lake, the mountain breeze blew up his sleeves, and he looked like a banished immortal riding the wind to return home.
Li Chengyun turned around with a smile, reassuring Master Bai.
"If I die here and cannot reach the main road, there will be people who will take my place."
When he lowered his eyes and smiled, there was infinite tenderness in his eyes: "Heaven and earth will bring vitality to this place. If I fail, the decline will be prosperous. In the dead end, the evil spirits will come here, and the cycle of life and death will be repeated. Tai Chi will be reborn. My Xiaoxun... will replace me and complete this journey."
'Even if there are tens of thousands of people, I will go.'①
Li Chengyun left with a big laugh, his footsteps firm.
Master Bai was left standing in the cold wind by the lake, watching Li Chengyun's back gradually disappearing through his messy gray hair.
And now, Master Bai met the "Xiao Xun" that Li Chengyun always talked about.
This young man was as outstanding as Li Chengyun had said. Even before Master Bai knew his identity, he had already decided to risk everything and trust him in order to rescue Zheng Shuli from that existence before the deadlock became an unchangeable constant.
Therefore, Master Bai told Yan Shixun all the hidden secrets without much hesitation.
——About the southwest.
There is also about shadow puppetry.
Many people know that Southwestern shadow puppetry originated thousands of years ago, but few people know that Southwestern shadow puppetry has been a ghost show since the very beginning.
The truth does not entirely match the description in the rumors, and the cause and effect are reversed.
It was not just the shadow puppet craftsmen who moved to the southwest, but the rest of the Bai clan members who came here to seek refuge and formed a village that inherited the shadow puppetry.
Instead, the ancestor of the Bai family met a ghost catcher in the southwest, learned ghost plays from him, and then changed them into shadow puppetry. From then on, they passed down the skills and used them to make a living.
The first ancestor of the Bai family was on the verge of death while fleeing and was rescued by someone passing by. In order to express his gratitude to the savior, the ancestor of the Bai family decided to stay here and wait for the savior to come back to thank him.
The ancestor of the Bai family did not wait for his savior, but encountered an inhuman creature there.
Fengdu, ghost messenger.
But there is one more qualifier.
——The old Fengdu ghost.
When the Bai ancestor picked up the ghost, the ghost was covered with wounds and dying.
The Bai ancestor wanted to avoid it, but hesitated when he turned around. The one who saved him before was running fast in the dark night, shrinking the ground to an inch, as if he had the ability to bring people back to life, and he was definitely not an ordinary person.
When the ancestor of the Bai family saw the ghost, he suddenly thought, could it be that the being who saved him at that time was a ghost or god?
With the kindness of having been rescued, he brought the ghost catcher back home and learned from him what had happened.
Fengdu collapsed.
Fengdu is located between heaven and earth and is not subject to the jurisdiction of the four gods. No god can do anything to Fengdu. It is an independent place.
However, there was a ghost who galloped thousands of miles day and night and brazenly shattered the entire Fengdu, turning Fengdu, which had existed for thousands of years, into ruins.
The once huge monster is now reduced to dust, and all the ghosts and gods have turned to ashes and returned to heaven and earth.
Even the ghost catcher escaped by luck. He should have turned into a handful of dust, but when he touched the door of the Bai ancestor's house, he miraculously stopped his death and saved his life.
While the ghost was recuperating at the home of the Bai ancestor, he also drew down all the scenes he had seen, page by page, and handed them to the Bai ancestor.
In order to repay the ancestor of the Bai family, the ghost gave the ancestor countless gold and the skill of ghost drama before leaving.
Before leaving, the ghost told him that a new Fengdu would emerge from the ground to replace the old Fengdu, and that the general who fought against the heaven and earth with anger would eventually become the new master of Fengdu.
Even if these remnants of the old Fengdu manage to survive for a while, they will eventually decline and die because they are forgotten and denied by heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth are not kind. No matter whether they are humans, gods or ghosts, to heaven and earth, they are just a drop in the ocean and a moment.
Although the ghost didn't understand why the ancestor of the Bai family was able to save him, he had experienced countless deaths and had a thorough understanding of matters of life and death. He had no regrets and just bid farewell to the ancestor of the Bai family before disappearing without a trace.
The ancestor of the Bai family regarded the ghost catcher as a close friend, so he decided to pass on the ghost play so that the descendants of the Bai family would remember the kindness of the benefactor who saved him and the ghost catcher who gave him the play.
When they heard that one of their clansmen had become rich overnight, many members of the Bai clan came to join them.
The Bai family's ancestors have always been grateful for the life-saving grace they once received, so they are not stingy in helping others.
However, he had a request - if he wanted to stay here, he had to pass on the ghost show.
Hundreds and thousands of years have passed, and the events of that time have gradually been forgotten. The ghost show has completely evolved into a shadow play. The ancient songs still sing about the old events of thousands of years ago, but people today only regard them as the bizarre imaginations of the storytellers. The truth is covered up by rumors, and no one believes it anymore.
And this story of the past has only been passed down orally by this line of inheritors. Even though a large part of it was inevitably lost along the way, it was still managed to be passed down and not lost.
But after the entire Bai village was wiped out, Master Bai was the only one who knew about this.
The reason why Li Chengyun found the Bai village was because he learned from an informed southwestern ghost exorcist that the predecessor of southwestern shadow puppetry was ghost show. He realized something was wrong and came to check it out.
"Why is my master here looking for a ghost show... could it be the old Fengdu?"
Yan Shixun looked at Master Bai in surprise.
Master Bai nodded. "Yes, one of the characteristics of Southwestern shadow puppetry is that it is based on real stories. Our ancestors also compiled what happened in those years into songs and the location of the old Fengdu is also in it. That's what the layman is looking for."
"Although many sects with long-standing traditions also experienced what happened at that time, their original records and inheritances have been lost and interrupted many times. In the end, the only thing that has been preserved intact is the shadow play in the hands of an old man like me."
Master Bai smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Who would have thought that the shadow play performed for children at the market actually hides such an ancient story? Even I only know that there is such a thing, but I don't know which sentence or paragraph hides the location of the old Fengdu."
Although he had occasionally seen exorcists, Master Bai, who had devoted all his time and energy to studying his craft, had never imagined that he would sometimes have to deal with ghosts and evil spirits.
He once thought it was something too far away from him.
Even later, among his son's generation, many people didn't believe in ghosts and gods at all.
In order to be angry with him, his son brought a group of friends and threatened to smash the temple on the mountain behind the village.
"If it can't even protect its own statues and temples, what kind of god is it? If it has the guts, let it come to me. There are so many of us, can't we beat a shitty god? I'm going to borrow a few shotguns today to see who is more powerful, the god or my fire."
At that time, his son said this to him.
Later, Master Bai was the only one left in the whole village.
The evil spirits were rampant, and exorcists came one after another.
It was not until then that Master Bai suddenly realized that ghosts and gods were so close to him.
But even so, Master Bai still did not expect that the legendary Fengdu was actually hidden in the lyrics he reviewed every day.
If Li Chengyun had not heard about the ghost show, and when he came to Baizhi Lake, he discovered that the evil in Baizhi Lake was far more rampant than that in the human world, and finally determined that the source was hidden in the shadow play, Master Bai would probably not have realized this secret until his death.
"I wanted to take the shadow play to my grave, but your master, and you, found me."
Master Bai sighed: "Is this God's will?"
"Then has my master found the old site of Fengdu?"
Yan Shixun asked: "Did he tell me the purpose of his search for the old site of Fengdu?"
Master Bai pondered and fell into recollection: "The layman seemed to want to find a ghost in Fengdu, but he didn't tell me much."
This was within Yan Shixun's original guess. After hearing what Master Bai said, Yan Shixun was not too disappointed.
Many people want the truth.
But they are just talking.
In fact, only a very small number of people can bear the cruelty behind the truth. Even before facing such a choice, many people never think that they are not as strong as they think.
Yan Shixun has seen many such things. The family members of the deceased wanted to know the deceased's experience before death. They cried and begged the exorcist or the person in charge of the jurisdiction, saying that they must know the truth before they can feel at ease.
However, many family members and friends are often so frightened that they faint after learning about the deceased's last experiences before death. Some people even die from excessive grief.
The specific cause of Lan Ze's death was never told in detail to his parents, nor were they allowed to see his remains that were so broken that they could no longer be put into human form.
All funeral arrangements were handled by Cheng Jing.
This is also the consensus of many mature exorcists - don't tell others what you know and think casually.
Even if it is the victim.
No one can predict whether the victim will be frightened by the truth, or even take extreme actions, resulting in the failure of the exorcism or harming the victim himself.
Li Chengyun naturally knew it too.
Moreover, as the most talented person before Yan Shixun entered the profession of ghost exorcist, Li Chengyun had seen the heaven and earth many times when he entered a state of meditation, and he also knew the price of peeking into the avenue.
Without the power to match the information received, one will only die from the truth.
Heaven and earth are cruel and naturally will not allow anyone to glimpse the chess game set up by the Tao. Any tiny variable may change the future.
But human beings have emotions, and no one can guarantee that they can always remain rational and calm and not favor those they are familiar with or prefer.
——If the future set by the Great Dao is to be achieved at the cost of the death of someone you know and are close to, will you watch your relatives and friends die? Can you bear to do nothing?
The Great Dao will not allow its meticulous layout to be exposed to any risks. Therefore, no matter who, god or ghost, tries to spy on the Great Dao for whatever reason, as long as they are not recognized by the Great Dao, they will inevitably die under the strong backlash of cause and effect.
Li Chengyun did not tell Master Bai the truth because he was protecting him.
The fewer people who know about it, the more likely it is that something will be accomplished.
The only ray of hope left between heaven and earth is narrow and elusive.
Even if it is Li Chengyun, if he wants to change the world, he must be extremely cautious.
But Li Chengyun's goal is Fengdu...
Yan Shixun pursed his lips and thought of Ye Li.
Ye Li had told him before that the Great Dao had wanted Fengdu to bear the responsibility of heaven and earth many times. Now that the Great Dao was declining and the underworld was collapsing, a new force was needed to support the collapsing heaven and earth.
But on those occasions, Ye Li refused every time.
Fengdu does not pay much attention to worldly affairs unless the underworld is unable to handle it. Fengdu will then take action as the last crisis management measure of heaven and earth to prevent evil spirits from affecting living people on earth.
The wronged will be avenged, and the guilty will be punished.
But this balance was broken after the Nanming Mountain incident twenty years ago.
Disappointment with the world gradually accumulated in Ye Li's heart, and the indifference and selfishness of the villagers in Nancun towards life made Ye Li lose his last hope in the world.
He rejected the great way for the last time, then closed the gate of Fengdu and ignored worldly affairs anymore.
Until it occupied the Ghost Mountain sandwiched between yin and yang, and finally merged with the Gui Mountain in the world of the living, and Xi Shuang, who was imprisoned in the Ghost Mountain, was able to reincarnate. Because of its powerful strength, the underworld was unable to handle it, so it went to Fengdu.
Ye Li saw Yan Shixun.
The Lord of Fengdu walked down from the altar and entered the human world.
It also becomes the last possibility when the great road collapses.
And all this... happened after Li Chengyun's death.
Yan Shixun pursed his lips tightly, he knew why his master died.
Li Chengyun wants to go to Fengdu to find the vitality of heaven and earth in order to support the great road.
He saw part of the future, and because of this, he died under the avenue.
"Mr. Yan, Mr. Yan?"
Master Bai's call suddenly brought Yan Shixun back to his senses.
He blinked and looked at Master Bai, and met Master Bai's concerned eyes.
"Sorry, I was distracted..."
Yan Shixun quickly turned his head, his scattered hair covering his red eyes, but his hoarse voice still betrayed his true emotions.
Master Bai understood, and he let out a long sigh, his eyes gradually softening as he looked at Yan Shixun.
It was no longer the strange vigilance of looking at someone with whom he could exchange interests, nor was it simply because of Yan Shixun's own strength or the relationship between him and Li Chengyun.
It's like looking at your own child.
Master Bai was even a little envious of Li Chengyun.
That lay Buddhist still had such an outstanding disciple who loved him so much that even though he had passed away for a long time, he still remembered him and regarded him as his father and close friend.
But if he died, Zheng Shumu would probably just clap his hands and cheer...the kid hated him.
This is the sin he committed and he deserves it.
Master Bai's smile was tinged with bitterness.
He looked out the window, and when he saw that people in the village were gradually lighting candles, he secretly kept track of the time and counted the beats in his heart.
It's like the countdown to my own death.
When Master Bai turned his gaze back, Yan Shixun had already calmed down.
When it comes to the life and death of the person you respect most, even the most rational and calm person can't help but be shaken.
The wound festered secretly every night and then healed again. Before it could heal completely, it was covered up by Yan Shixun under his clothes and no one knew about it.
Until the scar is torn open, until the pain can no longer be endured.
"Mr. Yan, are you okay?"
Master Bai glanced out the window and murmured casually, "The time... is approaching."
There was still a little moisture on Yan Shixun's eyelashes. He blinked and nodded slightly to Master Bai: "Sorry, I lost my composure. Let's continue."
He asked, "Then did my master find the old site of Fengdu back then?"
From the time Yan Shixun met Li Chengyun more than ten years ago until he went to college, he had always been inseparable from Li Chengyun, spending every day and night with her.
This master and disciple understand and care about each other even better than they do about themselves.
Yan Shixun knew very well that although Li Chengyun always looked leisurely, everything was seen by those smiling eyes.
The person who seems the most careless and doesn't care about anything is actually the most persistent and determined person.
Li Chengyun never deviated from the path he was taking for a moment.
Since Li Chengyun can sense the heaven and earth due to his extraordinary talent and predict the impending disaster in advance, finding a solution to the root cause in advance is also what Li Chengyun will definitely do.
——In the past there was a Bian Que, but he said that his medical skills were not very good.
He said that the most powerful medical skill is to treat the disease properly before it breaks out on the skin.
Li Chengyun discovered the existence of the disease before it occurred and knew the exact treatment method.
He determined that the final method to support the avenue was in Fengdu.
Then he would never give up halfway and leave White Paper Lake without finding the answer.
The old site of Fengdu...Why didn’t Li Chengyun go looking for a new Fengdu or Yeli?
Is it because he doesn’t know that Fengdu has changed, or is there some other reason?
Yan Shixun frowned, unable to guess what Li Chengyun was thinking back then.
Master Bai also sighed at this time and shook his head, saying: "Even if there are records passed down from that year, it is not easy to find the residence of ghosts and gods."
"Over the past thousands of years, the world has changed dramatically. The mountains, rivers, and lakes that once served as landmarks in the song have long since changed their locations or simply disappeared."
"Mr. Chengyun tried very hard to find it, but in the end he only confirmed the old site of Fengdu, which is nearby, but he couldn't confirm anything else."
Yan Shixun asked in confusion: "Master, on what basis did you make this determination?"
"Evil spirit."
Master Bai said with certainty, "When Monk Chengyun came here, an evil spirit just happened to erupt in Baizhi Lake."
At that time, the entire deserted village, along with the nearby mountains, forests and lakes, were all shrouded in thick gray-black fog, and people could not be seen more than half a meter away.
Master Bai also heard a reminder from the southwest region to citizens traveling on the radio, saying that the smog index near Baizhi Lake was very high and people should not travel there unless necessary.
The only person who came here was a ghost hunter from the southwest.
The exorcist discovered that this was not smog at all, but the evil spirits that had been accumulated beneath the surface erupting like a volcano.
If it is not stopped, it is likely to continue to spread outward, and the villages and towns within a dozen kilometers will be affected by the evil spirit, not only will the luck decline, but health will also be seriously threatened.
So, the exorcist entered the deserted village and tried to dispel the evil spirits.
Master Bai saw everything the exorcist did, and finally, when the exorcist was about to die, he couldn't help but soften his heart. He broke the rule he had set for himself to ignore the outside world and threw the exorcist out of the deserted village.
The exorcist was taken away by his apprentice who was anxiously waiting outside the village.
But in less than a day, the ghost exorcist came back again.
Also brought Li Chengyun.
——The exorcist’s apprentice couldn’t save him, so he cried and asked other colleagues for help, but they all shook their heads and were unable to help.
It happened that Li Chengyun was looking for the old site of Fengdu, and according to the rumors, he traveled to the southwest.
After seeing the exorcist's miserable condition, Li Chengyun treated him and learned from him what happened in Baizhi Lake, so he returned to Baizhi Lake with him.
It is both to quell evil spirits and to find ghost shows.
——As a reward to Li Chengyun, the ghost exorcist who was born and raised in the southwest told Li Chengyun everything he knew and told him where the ghost show was.
"The layman said that it was not an ordinary evil spirit, but more like the eruption of the remains of evil spirits that had not been properly dealt with before. To reach that level, it must be either the underworld or Fengdu."
Master Bai said: "Since Mr. Yan is a ghost exorcist, he must have heard the rumors about the southwest, right? For thousands of years, the southwest has been believed to be the location of Fengdu Ghost City."
"It is probably because of this that the layman determined that this is the old site of Fengdu."
"But where exactly..."
Master Bai shook his head: "Perhaps only ghosts, gods, or our ancestors know."
Yan Shixun tensed his jawline and pursed his lips until they turned pale.
As Master Bai promised, he told Yan Shixun everything he knew and all the secrets he had. He also took out the ancestral notes that had been buried for a long time in the cabinet and handed them to Yan Shixun.
The paper has long turned yellow. Even though it has been carefully protected, it still cannot withstand the ravages of time, making this letter passed down from the Bai ancestor thousands of years ago extremely fragile.
The paper will be torn with just a little force.
When holding the notebook, Yan Shixun even breathed softly unconsciously, fearing that his breath would turn it into dust.
"There's no point in me keeping it. I was planning to take it with me to the grave. Since you might be able to use it, take it."
Master Bai's rough fingers, which are no longer capable of making exquisite shadow puppets, gently stroked the cover of the notebook with nostalgia in his eyes.
It was as if all the stories of his life that were born out of shadow puppetry, from the time he was a toddler and followed his father to watch him make shadow puppets, to when he learned the secrets hidden in shadow puppetry from his father, to when he smashed his ten fingers with his own hands and was determined to make shadow puppetry disappear...all the scenes passed by before his eyes.
Finally, he turned into Li Chengyun, who was smiling and ready to go home with the wind.
And there was Yan Shixun standing in front of him, his eyebrows sharp and determined.
Master Bai finally closed his eyes with relief and withdrew his fingers.
"When I saw you, I realized that perhaps this was destined to happen. God had already planned everything. Whether it was Master Chengyun or your arrival..."
Master Bai solemnly instructed Yan Shixun, "You must, you must rescue Zheng Shumu."
Yan Shixun took the note, and after roughly reading the lyrics and stories recorded in it, he put the thin book away carefully and nodded to Master Bai.
"rest assured."
Yan Shixun said, "I'm going to Master Zheng's house right now. It just so happens that I have something else to ask him. I'll come back after I've dealt with it."
Unlike the cold attitude towards Yan Shixun when he first arrived, Master Bai personally sent Yan Shixun to the door of the house.
He hunched over, staring at Yan Shixun's tall and slender back, heading towards Zheng Shumu's home, and gradually moving away on the village road.
The cold winter mountain wind blew Master Bai's gray and dry hair. He trembled his lips, and finally, as if exhausted, he sat down heavily on the doorstep.
In the village, households gradually lit up their candles.
At the same time, Master Bai also underwent amazing and strange changes.
His legs and feet gradually became stiff, and even though he was wrapped in clothes, he looked too stiff to be alive. On the little skin that was exposed, circles of wood grain gradually appeared, replacing the texture that should have been on the skin.
It was as if the legs and feet that were originally made of flesh, blood and bones had turned into a wooden sculpture of a human.
Master Bai was sweating profusely from the pain, but he clenched his teeth and said nothing.
He only used his eyes, which were dazed by pain, to raise his head with difficulty and look in the direction of Zheng Shumu's house.
The vision was dark and the world was spinning, and I couldn't find a fixed point.
Master Bai still managed to force a smile and murmured hoarsely, "Trees..."
"clang!"
The carving knife slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground.
Broke in two.
Zheng Shumu lowered his head and looked at the broken knife in silence.
In front of him, the statue of the old man, which was only half completed when Yan Shixun saw it, had been carved out by him for the most part, leaving only the legs and feet unfinished.
The face that was previously left blank has now had its facial features carved out.
The flames in the furnace gradually died out, the workshop became cold and gloomy, and wisps of ghostly aura spread silently along the walls, enveloping the entire space.
Zheng Shumu bent down, stretched out his hand, and picked up the broken knife.
He held the broken knife in his hand and remained silent.
He has been using this carving knife for a long time.
It is one of his father's relics.
But it was handed over to him by his enemy.
Zheng Shumu recalled the look of astonishment on Master Bai's face when he saw him when he returned to the village.
He happily and maliciously told Master Bai that he would kill everyone with his own hands, and make everyone who participated in or watched the death of his father and mother atone for their sins with death.
But Master Bai was not panicked at all.
He just remained silent for a long time, then turned around, found out the carving knife that Carpenter Zheng had given him that year, and handed it to Zheng Shumu personally.
When you kill me, use this knife.
Master Bai said that to Zheng Shumu.
But before you kill me...your father once told me that he actually hoped you would become an excellent carpenter. This carving knife was given to me by your father, but I am not qualified to use it. I am more suitable to be the one under the knife.
Master Bai spoke in a calm and gentle tone, like an elder who cared about his children.
At that time, Zheng Shumu only thought that Master Bai was hypocritical and disgusting.
He swore that he would use this knife to kill Master Bai and avenge his father.
But over the years, he experienced all the pain and rare happy times with the company of this knife, and he also used this knife to carve wooden puppets of all the villagers.
In a blink of an eye, only Master Bai was left.
And now, it is finally Master Bai's turn.
But... the knife broke at this moment.
Zheng Shumu's hand holding the knife gradually tightened.
He lowered his head, and his face, no longer young, was covered with wrinkles and old age, no longer showing the brightness and determination he once had as a teenager.
Even though it was hatred, he once had clear and firm expectations.
But now, he was just a confused shell, and he continued to guard the village as Li Chengyun had said.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
Zheng Tiantian's voice suddenly came from outside the door.
The little girl was wearing a beautiful dress and smiling sweetly, but her words were full of malice: "Brother, are you hesitating?"
"Do you want to let the man who indirectly killed my mother and me go just like that?"
"I didn't, I just..."
Zheng Shumu's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.
But, but what?
Was it because of Master Bai’s companionship over the years, or Li Chengyun’s advice back then, or the shock and enlightenment he felt when he witnessed Li Chengyun’s death?
When Zheng Shumu told Li Chengyun all his pain and how he hated the Bai village and Master Bai, Li Chengyun neither refuted nor agreed with him. He just stared at him quietly for a long time before speaking.
He said, Brother Shuli, you know, truly bad people will not reflect on themselves or feel guilty. Only good people will feel guilty and remorse.
He said that in fact, the cause and effect have never been on Master Bai, it is because you, Brother Shuli, are obsessed that you cannot see the truth.
That was a completely different idea from the hatred Zheng Shumu had always held, but because it was Li Chengyun who said those words, Zheng Shumu heard them and kept them in mind.
Many years.
Sometimes Zheng Shumu would think of Master Bai and ask himself in confusion, "Am I really obsessed? Maybe what Li Chengyun said is right?"
Because of this hesitation, Zheng Shumu has not yet started carving the puppet of Master Bai.
During the day today, Zheng Tiantian seemed to have received a great shock. She screamed hysterically and repeated over and over again that it was impossible. It was impossible for someone to disappear from her shadow play.
Zheng Shumu was worried, but Zheng Tiantian grabbed his arm and asked him angrily why there was still one person missing, when there was clearly still one person in the village who was not dead.
Zheng Tiantian said that it was because that one person did not die that she kept failing. If only that one person died, she would succeed.
Zheng Shumu looked at the face that was extremely similar to his mother's, and remembered the sufferings that Tiantian and his mother had suffered in the past. He nodded with a soft heart and guilt, and began to carve the last statue.
But just when it was almost done, the carving knife broke.
It seemed as if the heaven and earth were displeased and were warning him.
Zheng Shumu looked down at the broken knife in a daze, which caused Zheng Tiantian's dissatisfaction.
She walked over quickly, snatched the broken knife, and before Zheng Shumu could react, she threw it into the fire next to her.
Zheng Shumu subconsciously tried to grab it, but missed.
"I just know that no one loves me, and I can only save myself."
Zheng Tiantian saw Zheng Shumu's reaction and sneered, "I should have known this earlier, brother, I should have known... that you never loved me and didn't want to protect me."
"What should I do, brother? Mom gave me the wrong name. She wanted me to live a sweet life, but I have been suffering since I was born."
Zheng Tiantian tilted her head, her face without a smile showing indifference, like a lifeless doll.
She said word by word: "No one loves me, so I can only love myself. No one saves me, so I can only save myself."
"All this is because of your incompetence and cowardice. My mother and I died because of you."
Zheng Shumu lowered his head and his shoulders began to tremble.
He raised his hands and covered his eyes, his face full of pain and guilt: "Tiantian, Tiantian... I'm sorry. It's my fault. If I were stronger and ran faster at that time..."
"Why wasn't you the one who died?"
Zheng Tiantian asked coldly: "Zheng Shumu."
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