Xie Lian was slightly startled. “Who could that be? Normally, a storm like this would only affect less than fifty people.”
Hua Cheng said, "I suspect this is the same person who sent that empty-shell Taoist priest in the Half Moon Pass incident."
It seemed as if there was a constant hand pushing him towards the center of all sorts of chaotic events. Xie Lian felt baffled and asked, "Then what exactly is this person's purpose?"
Hua Cheng shook his head, lost in thought. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of children playing outside the Puqi Monastery. His sharp gaze darted out. Following his gaze, Xie Lian peered through the window lattice and saw two children playing outside. Gu Zi was riding on Lang Ying's shoulders, looking carefree.
As expected, the navy master concealed the truth and replaced the original with a fake, the wind master was an imposter, the "earth master" was also an imposter, the navy master's head and body were separated and the wind and earth masters were nowhere to be found. These four things, four bolts from the blue, four earth-shattering thunders, one louder than the other, caused an uproar in the Upper Heaven and the Middle Heaven.
For a moment, everyone was so shocked that they didn't know what to say. No one in the Shenwu Hall expressed any opinion. Even Jun Wu's hands seemed to be unable to support his forehead.
Although Mingyi doesn't interact with people much on weekdays, only people like Shi Qingxuan who likes to pester others can get along well with him. No one has a close relationship with him, but when they think that their colleague is actually the legendary Ghost King of Despair, the shock is too great.
To fulfill his role as Earth Master, this Ghost King had diligently worked for years, gathering a large number of followers in the human world. He even managed to reach the top ten at the Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Festival, a higher ranking than most of the priests in the Upper Heaven. It was truly terrifying, truly worthy of being called the Ghost King of Despair. Everyone couldn't help but murmur, and even if they were told now that Hua Cheng was among them, or that Hua Cheng had someone in the Upper Heaven, they wouldn't be more shocked.
The feud between Black Water Mysterious Ghost and Water Master Wudu was not mentioned, but there was no doubt that Master Yi of Zhendi died at the hands of Black Water Mysterious Ghost. Therefore, the Heavenly Court officially issued an arrest warrant for Black Water Mysterious Ghost. But everyone knew that a desperate Ghost King who wanted to hide would not be so easy to find.
As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it. In the past, the two Feng Shui masters enjoyed great renown, commanding a hundred followers. Whenever Shi Wudu appeared, he was the envy of the crowd. But with his sudden death, even the crowds of stars remained silent. Shi Qingxuan, known for his generosity and friendship, disappeared without a trace of his countless "friends." Pei Ming collected the headless remains of the Water Master. The burial was a deserted affair, with few other priests present besides Xie Lian and Ling Wen. Xie Lian reflected on how, in recent days, perhaps intentionally or not, groups had begun burning and destroying Feng Shui temples. Though he had been reluctant and had tried to stop them, over time, people realized the deities they worshipped were failing, and the situation would only intensify. He could stop them for a while, but not forever. In a decade or so, or even just a few years, people would have forgotten these two Feng Shui priests who once held the pinnacle of the Upper Heaven. He felt a pang of sadness.
Finally, Xie Lian said to Ling Wen, "Master Fengshi... I'm sorry to trouble you with your concern for Qingxuan's whereabouts."
Ling Wen's face was also solemn, and he hadn't smiled for many days. He said, "Your Highness, there is no need to say more. I will definitely do my best."
Pei Ming said, "Your Highness, instead of having the Lingwen Hall searching like an old ox pulling a broken cart, why not just ask your Blood Rain Scholar if he can find out from that crazy black ghost where Qingxuan is? He's already taken Senior Brother Shui's head, what else does he want to do?"
Xie Lian shook his head and said helplessly, "General Pei, you're taking things for granted. Does one Desperate Ghost King need to tell another what he wants to do?"
Therefore, Pei Ming didn't say much.
Back at Puqi Monastery, many villagers gathered in front of it, whispering among themselves. Xie Lian knew what was going on without even asking, for a chorus of ghostly howling and screaming could be heard from within. The village chief, terrified, grabbed him and said, "Master, your crazy cousin, he, he, he, he..."
Xie Lian's explanation to the public was that Qi Rong was his mad cousin, despised and abandoned by others, and no one was willing to take him in, so he volunteered to take him in. In a sense, this wasn't a lie. He said, "He's crazy again, huh? Don't worry, he's locked up, he won't come out, everyone, disperse."
The villagers all said, "Oh," and dispersed. Before leaving, the village chief gave Xie Lian a basket of eggs and said, "Hey, Taoist Priest, your little flower..."
Xie Lian was stunned at first: "??? Xiaohua???" Finally realizing it, he said, "Oh, Sanlang, right?" He felt a little ashamed when he realized that Huacheng was now known to the public as his younger brother, a runaway who had come to visit him. The village chief said, "Yes! Your Xiaohua helped us fix something again today. Give him a good treat tonight."
"Yes! Give him some nourishment. If he eats well and is strong, he will work better!"
Xie Lian couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay. Definitely, definitely."
When he opened the door, Lang Ying was already asleep in the corner, while Qi Rong was lying on the ground, groaning and howling with a burning heart. Gu Zi was massaging his back and shoulders, saying, "Dad, are you feeling better?"
"..." Xie Lian took off his hat with one hand and placed the egg in the other, saying, "What's wrong with you? Did you have an upset stomach?"
Qi Rong pouted, "As long as you don't fucking cook anything for me, I won't get sick even if I lick shit and ashes on the ground!"
Hearing his exaggerated words, Xie Lian put his hands up in his sleeves and said, "Then why don't you actually try licking those and see if it upsets your stomach?"
Qi Rong said, "Pooh, pooh, pooh! What did I say? You've exposed your dark heart again! You're trying to torture me in every possible way! Oh my good son, not bad, not bad, switch sides and hit me. Hehehe~ Oh my god, what the hell is going on? I've been so restless lately, as restless as a cat about to call for sex. Am I sick?! Cousin Prince! I'm sick! It must be because of you that I'm sick because of your abuse! You damn Xuelian, you're trying to kill someone again!"
Xie Lian squatted down, touched his forehead and asked, "Do you have a fever?" He paused, then removed his hand and frowned, "No. You're not pretending, are you?"
Qi Rong was about to scold him again, but Gu Zi said pitifully, "Master, my father didn't lie to you. He hasn't been feeling well lately and was screaming for a long time today."
Seeing Qi Rong squirming on the ground, Xie Lian shook his head and stood up to look for the medicine box, but suddenly found that the merit box was surprisingly heavy. This merit box was newly made by Hua Cheng, so there should be nothing inside. Xie Lian was surprised and took out the key to open it. He was stunned by the dazzling box of gold bars.
With a snap, Xie Lian quickly closed the merit box again.
Hadn't he already sent back the box of gold bars the navy had sent? Could someone else have sent it back?
It couldn't be Huacheng. He wouldn't do something as crude as just stuffing gold bars into someone's mouth. Xie Lian turned around and asked, "Qi Rong, has anyone been here?"
Qi Rong pointed at his nose and cursed, "Hey, are you kidding me? Do you really think I'm your watchman? Do you think you're Jue? Jue doesn't have the nerve to do that. Even Chou Heishui and Gou Huacheng wouldn't dare treat me like a watchman!"
With a clang, the door to the Puqi Monastery was kicked open. It was Huacheng who had kicked it in. Upon seeing him, Qi Rong fell silent and quietly scurried aside, not daring to mention what he had seen that night. Xie Lian said, "Sanlang, you're back."
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "Yes."
Xie Lian said, “Thank you for your hard work. The village chief sent me some treats for you. Have something nice tonight.”
Hua Cheng said, "Okay. But, brother, do you want to come to my place tonight?"
Xie Lian asked, “Ghost Market?”
Hua Cheng said, "Yes. By the way, take this thing with you." He pointed at Qi Rong and said, "See if there is any way to pull his soul out."
After a moment's hesitation, Xie Lian said, "Alright." Putting it off like this wasn't going to work. Of course, the most important reason was that Qi Rong ate too much, and his Puqi Temple really couldn't afford it anymore.
Qi Rong was horrified when he heard he was being sent to the Ghost Market. He protested, but his protests were in vain. After a puff of smoke, Hua Cheng transformed him into a green tumbler, which Gu Zi held in his arms and took him to the Ghost Market.
The ghost market was as bustling as ever. Walking down the street, the ghosts still remembered Xie Lian. Seeing him return, they all shouted, "Dabogong!... No, the City Lord's friend, you're here again!"
"Ha! Are you missing our local special snacks?"
Xie Lian brought the basket of eggs with him, distributing them as a local specialty from the mortal realm. Many of the ghosts who received the eggs danced with joy. Some decided to eat them tonight with their own blood, while others declared they would use the eggs to hatch an eight-foot-tall demon beast. Hua Cheng unleashed the spell on Qi Rong, and after a puff of green smoke, the man possessed by Qi Rong appeared on the street, crouching in silence with his head in his hands. Some ghosts noticed his scent and said, "Hey, isn't that the Green Ghost?"
The ghosts all gathered around, sniffed for a long time, and then laughed, "Hahahahahahahaha, it's really the Green Ghost, this idiot is here again hahahahahahaha!"
"Haven't you been beaten enough before? Hahahaha, you still dare to come!"
Hua Cheng said, "Little one, keep an eye on me. Big one, find a way to drag him out without damaging his body."
"Yes! City Lord!"
Then, several beautiful female ghosts picked up Gu Zi and hummed a few tunes to lull him to sleep. The rest of the demons and monsters started playing a game of tag with Qi Rong. One of them screamed and ran away, and a group of ghosts followed closely behind. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian watched for a while before turning around and entering the Qiandeng Temple.
The two of them slowly entered the hall and approached the altar, which was still covered with brushes, inkstones, and paper. Xie Lian had been feeling heavy-hearted lately, so after seeing these, he intentionally lightened the mood. With a faint smile, he said, "Last time I taught you, I told you to practice calligraphy more when you have time. But, you haven't been practicing lately, have you?"
Hua Cheng coughed and said, "Brother, you gave away all the treats you gave me. What am I going to eat tonight?"
Xie Lian imitated him, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said, “Don’t talk about other things.”
Hua Chengdao: "I can practice swordsmanship, but not calligraphy. My brother is not here to guide me. If I practice alone, I'm afraid I won't practice correctly, and the more I practice, the worse it will get."
Xie Lian raised one eyebrow even higher and said, "San Lang is so smart, is there anything he is not good at?"
Hua Cheng picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and said modestly, "Seriously. Please enlighten me, brother."
Xie Lian sighed and said, "Please try writing it first."
So, Hua Cheng wrote two lines carefully. Xie Lian looked at it for a while, then couldn't bear it any longer and said, "... Stop, stop. You... better stop."
Don't waste such good writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone. Hua Cheng said, "Oh." Sure enough, he stopped and put away his brush. Xie Lian shook his head and said, "Sanlang, you... don't tell anyone that I taught you calligraphy."
Hua Chengdao: "Brother, I really tried my best."
His words sounded a bit aggrieved. A truly powerful Ghost King, whose name would scare the Three Realms, now stood like a schoolboy, obediently listening to Xie Lian's criticism. After a few more key points, Xie Lian, like last time, shook his hand and said, "Try again. This time, be serious."
Hua Cheng said: "Okay."
They both concentrated on writing. After writing for a while, Xie Lian casually asked, "Why is it still 'Separation'?"
Hua Cheng also replied casually: "I like this poem."
Xie Lian said, "I like it, too. But, Sanlang, do you have any other poems you like? Now that you've mastered this one, you can try something else." Roughly speaking, this poem had a few dozen words, and the two of them had probably written it dozens of times, so it was time to move on. Hua Cheng said, "Let's just write this one."
After putting pen to paper, he blew gently on the ink and said with a smile, "If I like something, my heart cannot hold anything else. I will remember it forever. I can recite it a thousand times, ten thousand times, and it will never change no matter how many years pass. This poem is just like that."
“…” Xie Lian smiled faintly and said, “Is that so?”
Hua Cheng said: "Yeah."
“…”
Xie Lian released his hand, coughed lightly, and said, "That's very good. Sanlang is a man of great compassion and kindness, which is good... Oh, you should practice on your own some more. Oh, right. Qi Rong seems to have been feeling unwell lately."
Hua Cheng put down the paper, picked up the pen again, and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Xie Lian turned around and said, "He seemed to be feeling restless all over. But I checked, and it doesn't seem to be a physical problem. It can't be due to the bad weather."
Hua Cheng said from behind him: "When did it start?"
Xie Lian said, “It’s probably been these past few days, but it’s been particularly severe today…”
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart. At this moment, there was a slight "pop" sound behind him, as if something fell from mid-air.
Xie Lian turned around abruptly and asked, “Sanlang?!”
The pen that Huacheng had been holding fell, leaving a messy ink mark on the snow-white paper. Huacheng's face darkened slightly, and he seemed unsteady. One hand rested on the edge of the altar, the other covering his right eye.
The author has something to say: Huahua is also getting restless! Ah! It’s the season of [ ] again!
This elementary school student is a kindergarten student, not an elementary school student. The punctuation is different, and there is no time travel_(:з」∠)_
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