Chapter 125 The Sound of Suona Brings Joy and Sorrow to the Mountain "Is it the wronged spirits that brought the flying snow, or..."
[The "Inspiration" check result was 43/50, successful.]
...
A row of clothes lay on the snow, one next to the other, the snow filling the gaps between them, like winding white patterns embroidered on a large piece of cloth.
Pu Fengchun suddenly felt that some parts of these clothes were shining, like fluorescent powder in the dark; some parts were blue, an opaque deep blue; and some parts were red, bright red like blood.
The two colors intertwined, slowly forming a circle, spinning continuously, and a face that was white to the point of being purple floated up.
The shadows on the facial features are pure black, without any light or shadow changes, like a flat surface, but the main parts outside the shadows are very "lively", breathing in and out in red and blue.
Then came the rational check. The sound of mahjong tiles clapping gave her a nudge; it must have worked. She quickly regained her senses, and the intense colors in her vision faded back into her clothes.
Xue Chao also saw it; the image suddenly unfolded in his mind. His mental strength was strong, and this level of abnormality could no longer shake his reason, so he saw it more clearly.
The colors were mostly on the sleeves, forearms, and abdomen of the clothes, like they had been rubbed off when handling something.
And he recognized that face.
It was the dead face I saw in the small snow mountain when I first arrived at the East Gate.
It all happened so quickly; all I remember is that it was frighteningly white, with a red face like it had been smeared with red clay, like a dead person. But looking at it more closely now, it's a young face.
He's neither an old gambler nor a little kid.
Among those who died, were there also young gamblers who had been led astray?
“I’ve seen this face before,” Pu Fengchun suddenly said, “in the snow-capped mountains.”
Although their skills weren't strong, they were probably just lucky; they passed all the sanity checks without losing any points.
They managed to gather all their starting cards and put them together fresh, discarding the extra cards.
Mahjong is something that will keep them entertained for half a day.
The team leader was still excited: "I saw it too, right when we dug out the fourth piece of clothing! I turned around, and this face flashed by in the crevice of the snow mountain. You forgot how I yelled, I said right then and there was a ghost!"
Pu Fengchun became serious: "No, I saw it when we were still outside the village gate, which is why we dug into the mountain and pulled out a piece of clothing. It was the first piece of clothing we dug out, and I thought it was the ghost of the clothing's owner who had not yet dispersed."
“…That’s not right. We only found clothes, not a body. And the clothes were surrounded by red soil and smelled of blood. We guessed that the person had turned into blood, but Sister Pu saw it before we went into the mountains, and the team leader saw it after we had been in the village for quite a while before we dug it out…How could it be the same person after so much time has passed?”
"Could it be that the corpse turns into blood, then solidifies again, comes out to scare people again, and then turns into blood again?" The teammate crossed his arms and looked at the small snow mountain that they had dug several holes in. "Just like this mountain, the rocks are so easy to break, but the snow and soil are mixed together. We dug like this, and it only collapsed once!"
The leader, with his uneven eyes, stroked his chin: "Six people died. It's impossible for only one person's spirit to remain. Something's fishy about this."
So they went back into the village.
When they first entered, they briefly inquired at the two nearest shops to find out the situation at the East Gate, and then went back to figure out a solution.
Since the main quest hasn't been triggered, the investigation raid naturally involves following the anomalies, and the closest anomaly to them is the East Gate, which was buried by a landslide.
This time they went deeper, listened and asked more questions, and saw two families with white lanterns and paper figures hanging at their doors. The family was still making offerings, but they were too embarrassed to disturb them, so they asked their neighbors and learned the general situation.
Finally, when everyone had finished their work, they were about to step through the gate to ask for information when a drunkard carrying a wine jug, smelling the aroma of food, rushed in ahead of them.
His movements were very stylish, and one player was almost knocked over, which made him a little angry. But the drunkard was also very fast, like a rat scurrying around. In a flash, he swaggered to the front of the main house, laughed loudly, and started chatting with the expressionless family.
His hands were also restless; as he spoke, he reached for the food in front of the white wooden memorial tablet. When he was stopped, he became unhappy and started cursing: "What's wrong with eating a piece of your steamed bun? It's here because we're hospitable! We've been from the same village for generations, we've been neighbors since birth, we're practically relatives! Who doesn't visit each other? We're sharing a meal at mealtimes, and you're not happy about it? You come to my house, do you think I won't let you eat? There's plenty of fish and meat! If you don't like it, you should have said so earlier!"
The old man in charge of the household turned red in the face, which ironically made him seem more human, as he repeatedly pointed to the ancestral tablets on the table.
"You, you drink without a care in the world! We've never been stingy in our family before! Open your half-asleep eyes and take a good look! This is for whoever this is for. This is my brother's farewell meal as he goes to the mountains to become a minor priest!"
The players followed him into the room and, in the direction he pointed, saw the memorial tablets. They didn't have names engraved on them, only the date of birth and the day of the day.
They heard this from other villagers: people who die in the mountains don't have names on their memorial tablets; the mountain god takes them away, and whether they died or were alive, they belong to the mountain god. Their earthly names are no longer their original names.
The old drunkard squinted and leaned closer to look. His mind was foggy and his reactions were slow; it took him a while to remember who the younger brother in this family was.
Instead of showing remorse, she became even angrier: "So you're all! You're still setting up fake memorial tablets here, and your second son was cheating this morning when he was washing the God of Wealth! Humph, daring to cheat right under the God of Wealth's nose, and your brother and sister-in-law daring to cheat on the Red and White Gods here, did you grow up with the guts of bears and leopards? I'm going to report you to the ancestral hall!"
The tour leader was startled and quickly asked, "You said you saw his younger brother at the God of Wealth Temple this morning?"
"Bullshit!" The eldest sister jumped up and pointed at the old drunkard's nose. "When you open your mouth, it's either drinking or peeing! The mountain outside the East Gate collapsed the night before last, and the second brother was buried by the mountain a few days ago! The village chief told everyone to go to the East Gate to clean up, but you were drinking and didn't go, so you don't know anything, yet you're here acting like a fool!"
Her husband chimed in, "We were washing the God of Wealth this morning, everyone was there. I'm his own brother, how could I not recognize him! I think it's because the God of Wealth took your money that you're upset, that's why you're coming to us to complain!"
The argument escalated, and many villagers came over, some trying to mediate and others trying to break up the fight.
After one of the teammates asked what "washing the God of Wealth" meant, he mingled in the crowd and, interrupting their argument, shouted, "Everyone says they didn't see it, so you can't be the only one who saw it, right? That doesn't make sense!"
Everyone echoed this sentiment.
The old drunkard couldn't even speak clearly, and his mind was muddled, so he couldn't say anything coherent. Surrounded by so many people questioning him, he got angry and pounced on the table to grab some food.
The memorial tablet swayed and fell over, but luckily the son of the family caught it in time and it didn't fall to the ground.
The family was furious. They started hitting him with brooms and snowboards. The old drunkard, realizing something was wrong, sobered up a bit, pushed through the crowd, and ran away in a panic.
The team leader winked at his two teammates and then led Pu Fengchun after them. The two teammates understood and stayed behind to gather clues.
The old drunkard thought someone was chasing him, so he ran even faster. His brain and sense of balance suddenly went out of sync, and he was thrown off when he turned a corner, crying out in pain.
The team leader rushed to help him up, but the old drunkard bared his teeth and brandished his claws, putting on a solitary defense. The team leader, a tall young man of 1.8 meters, couldn't even get close to him.
Not only that, but instead of doing a good deed, they were also targeted for a staged accident: "Ouch, my back! You bumped into me! I'm so old, if you wanted to kill me, you should be the ones sitting on that table!"
The team leader hissed, not angry, but just wondering, "Was the person whose name is on the ancestral tablet on the table going to serve as a servant of the mountain god? A gambling addict, a murderer... what kind of image does this mountain god have?"
He couldn't keep his mouth shut and muttered a few words. Xue Chao heard it from the camera position and let out a snort of laughter.
What image? He's just a shameless evil god.
The team leader stood awkwardly to the side, trying everything from calming people down to asking for information, to trying to reason with them, and finally giving up.
He blankly begged his teammates for help, but Pu Fengchun's normal expression was even less expressive than his, and he said indifferently, "I can't either."
He looked away regretfully. Indeed, she didn't seem like she liked to talk, let alone speak well.
Moreover, even the most beautiful music can't beat the old man's noise.
They are real people acting as investigators, so they don't need to verify everything. For example, with Lü Lianshan's strength, unless he's arm wrestling with a ghost, he basically doesn't need to use strength in ordinary investigations; he can just start by using his hands.
If you can hear it yourself, you don't need to listen; if you can perceive it yourself, you don't need to investigate.
...And now, it's time to roll the dice! If you lack skill, make up for it with luck!
The team leader said in a tone of prayer to the savior, "Guardian of the secret, please grant me a request for persuasion."
Xue Chao was quite surprised because his "persuasion" score was only 10 points.
The "Persuasion" test result was 10/10, successful.
Xue Chao: "..."
It seems fools are indeed blessed.
"【Pu Fengchun】Midnight Immortal Hahaha!"
“【Pu Fengchun】Very good, he persuaded 10 points with his silver tongue, I laughed to death.”
Pu Fengchun then saw the compass spin out one or two tiles: a "One of Bamboo" and a "Red Dragon".
Xue Chao then explained, "During the inspection, the red center represents '0'."
“…Hmm, but shouldn’t you think about how to persuade them first?” Pu Fengchun put down the compass.
Xue Chao: "What?"
After a moment of reflection, he realized that even without using the camera, he could see the old drunkard in the leader's red mahjong game, indicating a deep connection.
The old drunkard was indeed much quieter, but he was still quite resistant to the two of them.
Xue Chao: "...So, you're saying I'll have to be the one to persuade them?"
Pu Fengchun couldn't help but chuckle.
Xue Chao felt utterly hopeless.
Is this what the Keepers of Secrets do?
Why not just give each player one of him? He can personally smash down doors when you need strength, seduce when you need charm, and... oh right, he's already syncing with inspiration.
...No wonder the guild tournament salary doubled; every penny he earned was rightfully his.
"..." Xue Chao said coldly, "Smash his wine pot."
The team leader weakly retorted, "...I don't think I was 'intimidated', was I?"
Xue Chao clicked his tongue: "Then you should tell him you'll treat him to drinks later."
This didn't sound so shady, so the team leader used his silver tongue to persuade him with 10 points. The old drunkard, whose veins probably flowed with alcohol, spilled everything as soon as he heard this.
This morning, before dawn, everyone went to the God of Wealth Temple in the south to wash the God of Wealth. He stayed up all night drinking and didn't sleep at all. He was reminded by his neighbor and managed to catch the last game.
Everyone packed up and left, but he felt dizzy and didn't want to walk anymore, so he said he would rest for a while before going back. He fell asleep in the temple... The God of Wealth is right above you, so even if you don't have money when you're awake, at least you can get some in your dreams.
But he couldn't sleep soundly.
He was awakened by the shouts of gambling. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw four people playing mahjong alone in the yard. It was the same table he had just been at. There were also two children playing in the snow next to them.
The snow was still falling, and the hazy white made the group of people look somewhat distant and blurry.
But gambling and drinking are common occurrences, and he knew these scoundrels well. The older ones corrupted the younger ones, and the younger ones corrupted the younger ones. He could still tell that one of them was the younger brother from that family earlier.
He didn't know that this second brother was the most cunning; he saw him secretly switching cards as soon as he opened his eyes.
He grumbled and told them to keep their voices down, and they laughed and said, "We know, we know." Once they quieted down, he went back to sleep.
He was later woken up by the cold. There was no one left in the yard, and the mahjong box had been put away. He was much more awake and wanted to go home.
As I passed by that table, for some reason, I opened the mahjong box, took out the mahjong tiles, and looked at the bottom—the money had indeed increased significantly; the box was so big it almost couldn't hold it all.
He was dazzled by the silver notes and gold, but the God of Wealth was right behind him. The snow hit his body, and a shiver ran through him, shaking off the thought.
He was smug. Since it wasn't a dream, there must have been others who arrived later than him. They had all left before he was called. If the God of Wealth blamed someone for being late, it wouldn't be his turn. He would go back and drink again.
Now, after this fall, his mind cleared up again, and he belatedly asked them, "...Dog Two is really dead? How...how is that possible? I really saw him this morning!"
He remembered his fear; he had avoided them like the plague earlier, but now they wouldn't let them leave. The team leader was muscular, and the young men were intimidated by him. They tried to pull Pu Fengchun away, but Pu Fengchun naturally avoided them and left with the team leader, saying, "You should go home and have a drink."
Drinking alcohol can both numb the senses and embolden you, which is more effective than comforting someone by saying "you didn't encounter a ghost."
Back at the house, the four of them compared their information and found that the younger brother was indeed dead, and the old drunkard had most likely seen the younger brother's ghost.
"So their spirits had already entered long ago, and even made it to the God of Wealth Temple, washing away all the unclean money they won in town... What about the ghost that's stuck at the East Gate and won't leave?"
The four of them shivered. Some villagers knew they were clearing rocks from the east gate and lent them professional tools that looked like iron bars.
They returned to the East Gate and continued carving through the mountain, their minds heavy with worry. The team leader felt this wouldn't do and wanted to conduct a reconnaissance mission, but the keeper of the secret arrived first.
Once he has collected 13 cards, Xue Chao will control the number of checks. If his consciousness linked to the mahjong dice system does not feel a strong need to check, he will not perform a check.
If there is a group test, the person with the highest score will be given priority to pass. If no one passes, then someone else will be chosen. If all four people fail, there is nothing he can do.
Xue Chao compared the panel attributes of the several people and found Pu Fengchun: "Listen carefully."
Pu Fengchun was chiseling through the mountain when she suddenly heard a metallic clanging sound, as if her chisel had struck some metal.
The tremor traveled along the iron rod through her arm, making her heart skip a beat. She immediately pulled her hand back and looked, only to see that rosy-cheeked white face flash by again.
While she was still pondering what to do, the team leader took the iron rod and immediately said, "Test the strength!"
The Strength check result was 19/60, successful.
The iron rod, like a needle, went straight to the bottom without any obstruction. With another turn, cracks spread, and a series of crisp cracking sounds rang out.
The team leader was still gloating when Pu Fengchun grabbed him by the collar and ran. A small layer of rocks collapsed, and a section suddenly crumbled down from the highest point, with snow rolling down like layers of skin being shed.
The group fled at top speed. Fortunately, they were experienced players who had a lot of experience in escaping, and the landslide wasn't too big, so they avoided it without having to go through any checks.
The three of them gathered around the leader's compass and discussed for a while before discarding their cards. The leader was pleased to have a straight, but Pu Fengchun noticed that he was a bit too cheerful. He quietly grabbed the leader's collar and led him back to the foot of the mountain.
The team leader remembered the important matter and, together with his teammates, searched through the newly piled red soil at the foot of the mountain. After searching for a while without finding anything, he said, "Guardian of the Secrets, pass one..."
“Here it is.” Pu Fengchun pulled a red-background painting out of the soil, glanced at him, and said, “Don’t rely too much on authentication.”
Xue Chao agreed: "Look at this level of awareness."
Da Xiaoyan scratched his head and agreed, feeling that Xiao Pu had more of a leader's demeanor than him.
The drawing paper is made of cardboard with a very rough surface. When laid flat, it appears as if you have drawn a layer of fine white "fuzz".
The style is like auspicious New Year paintings, and the technique is like paper cutting. No wonder when I was trying to find inspiration, the shadows on that face lacked depth.
The background is filled with many elements: gold ingots, koi fish, lotus flowers, rainbows, red dates and longans... but the people in the painting surrounded by them don't seem to have an auspicious atmosphere, and they are expressionless.
He was neither a child nor a tall, imposing deity. He was a boy in between, with distinctive features. His paper-cut-like painting style lacked depth and perspective, creating a somewhat blurry and eerie effect.
Her face was deathly pale, her cheeks were red, perhaps because the "paper doll makeup" had taken away her vitality. She was wearing a blue jacket, the color was too bright and heavy, making people feel suffocated. She stood in a sea of red, with a suona hanging around her neck.
This painting has been buried in the snow for so long, yet it remains completely dry.
When they returned to the village and asked, they learned that this was the most favored minor deity under the command of the Red and White Gods, and everyone called him "Lucky Little God".
Xue Chao looked at this face from every angle, but he couldn't find the word "auspicious" in it. It was more suitable to stick it on the door to ward off evil spirits. It should be able to scare away even the most wicked and evil spirits, which were weaker than the God of Misfortune.
The player clearly thought the same thing: "...What does this little deity do? Does he just serve Lord Red and White?"
They already had a vague impression of Lord Red and White—a bad one—that it wasn't impossible for him to take a group of vengeful ghosts as slaves.
"They are in charge of happy occasions! Many families will put up a picture of a lucky little god on the main table when they hold a wedding. The newlyweds can see it as soon as they enter the house, and the three bows are all witnessed by the little god, in order to pray for happiness and a happy life together."
The villagers pulled over the painting and pointed at it, saying repeatedly, "Yes, it's just like this painting, pasted on the main table at the wedding. If it's a wealthy family, they'll even gild the edges and hide gold threads... Look at this one!"
The edges of the painting were sewn onto the back. The older sister helped them pick it open, and sure enough, there was a thin ring of gold inside, framed with a delicate border.
"Oh my, this is valuable! Who's getting married here...? No? Whose happy occasion is this? The host is so generous as to give this as a gift? It's not only valuable, but it also has a good meaning. Aren't they usually put in the newlyweds' room?"
It seems the old gamblers have gone so far as to steal for gambling. They not only swindle and cheat in town, but also sneak into the wedding banquet of some wealthy family to steal gold paintings.
Pu Fengchun calmly stopped his teammate who wanted to tell the truth, changed the subject, and followed up on the older sister's words by asking, "What is this 'hidden gold thread' you mentioned? Is it also in this painting?"
"Yes, the gold thread can be pulled out. After the newlyweds finish drinking the nuptial wine, each of them cuts off a small piece of their hair, ties it together with the gold thread, and hangs it at the head of the bed, symbolizing 'a bond as precious as gold, a lifelong union.'"
The older sister touched the suona on Xiao Shen's chest and pulled the painting to both sides so she could see it more clearly: "It's usually buried around the edge of the suona... Huh? Why isn't that in your painting?"
The team leader scratched his head, wanting to say "I don't know," but after glancing at his teammates, he obediently muted his microphone. Pu Fengchun then said, "This was given to me by the newcomer after he took the gold thread. I've been having some bad luck lately, so I'm taking some good fortune."
"I see, I must keep this safe!"
The four exchanged a glance. The one who refused to leave the avalanche at the East Gate was this little deity; they had to find a way to get him to leave.
Pu Fengchun: "I only wanted to ask for good luck, but after hearing what you said, I realize that you are such a efficacious deity. I have been negligent. Little auspicious deity, is there anything you like? How can I offer it to you?"
“Oh, you’ve already said you’re a good deity, so why bother with offerings? If you’re so inclined, just light some incense.” The older sister remembered something and fanned herself with a smile, “But little auspicious deity probably prefers sweets to incense.”
One teammate asked curiously, "Do even gods like sweet things?"
The older sister smiled and nodded: "I love it, especially the snow syrup! It's syrup made from natural snow, and the Chen family is the best at making it! Whenever we want something sweet, we buy their syrup!"
Pu Fengchun's mind raced: "The Chen couple are...? I'd like to offer a small token of my appreciation to the auspicious little god."
"This is the place, they live next door to me." The older woman pointed enthusiastically, then added with a touch of embarrassment, "But the couple is currently staying up north..."
"Why?"
The older sister explained, then sighed, "Their daughter, A-Yun, loves sweets. Parents always have such a heart. If you really need help, go ask in the north... Oh, they're back!"
Before she finished speaking, the Chen couple slowly walked towards her in the snow. The player quickly looked over and saw the two people supporting each other. Their hair was completely white and fluttering in the wind and snow. Their faces were blurred in the wind and snow, like ghosts whose joy had been hidden, who had forgotten their past and future lives and were wandering aimlessly in the mortal world.
The team leader was about to back out when Pu Fengchun, carrying the painting, went to inquire about it.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing "lucky little god," the indifferent couple suddenly "came to life" and enthusiastically pulled them into the door.
They did nothing else but start boiling syrup in the midst of the heavy snowfall, a process that was like ice melting into fire, leaving them bewildered.
The white-haired woman gripped an iron rod and stirred the pot vigorously, humming an unknown tune. Her husband sat in front of the stove, fanning the fire with all his might, occasionally joining in with a sudden note, like a discordant cry.
"Snow, snow, falling flakes... Is it the vengeful spirits that have brought this snow, or the gods who have come down to earth...? My son, come home quickly... Mother has made your favorite snow syrup... to offer to the gods first..."
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