Chapter 80 Kaifeng Weird Things
The cart creaked forward. The steepest section had already passed. It looked like they would soon be out of the mountain. Everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
No matter how they comfort themselves in their hearts, they are still worried and feel a chilling wind behind them, making their scalps tingle all the time.
Finally...
Finally, we are leaving this mountain!
However, as they pushed the cart onto the last stretch of flat, deserted road, something suddenly flashed before their eyes. It looked like fallen leaves blown by the wind, or rotten linen.
When they opened their eyes again, the sight they saw was enough to horrify them.
It was a dilapidated mountain gate with traces of burning and knife hacking, as well as several bloodstains that even time could not erase.
There was a half-stone standing beside the mountain gate, with three words engraved crookedly on it:
Small Tree Village.
The village that was massacred by the bandits was Xiaoshu Village.
"ah!"
Someone couldn't help but scream, but no one scolded him. Everyone's face was pale and their eyes were full of fear, as if they had seen the most terrifying thing in the world.
This is clearly what they saw when they first set foot on this desolate road...
How could...
How come it appears at the end of the road?
Could it be that...
The leader swallowed frantically. He felt his throat itching, his body trembling uncontrollably, and cold sweat on his forehead.
He opened his eyes wide, trying to see something different around him, to prove that they were just overthinking it. Maybe this was how the road was built, with mountain gates and stone tablets at both ends.
But, no.
What the leader was most proud of was his memory. His superiors appointed him as the leader because of his memory. However, at this moment, he hoped that he had remembered it wrong.
When they came, there was a crooked tree growing next to the mountain gate with dead branches and broken leaves. As they were in a hurry, he only remembered its general shape and could not tell what kind of tree it was.
Now, there was also a crooked tree next to the mountain gate, also with dead branches and broken leaves, but he could tell what kind of tree it was at a glance.
——This is a locust tree.
Sophora trees gather negative energy and bring bad luck. People in their line of work never plant this kind of tree. In the past two years, they even stopped planting peach trees. We should avoid things that should be avoided.
The leader felt as if his blood had frozen in an instant. An indescribable chill was surging up from the soles of his feet. He opened his mouth uncontrollably and a dying sound came from his throat.
How can there be so many coincidences in this world?
Exactly the same...
Exactly the same!
This is the beginning of the wilderness! This is the path they walked!
But they are clearly almost at the end...
End?
Head...what head?
"Top of the list? Top of the list!"
The men who sensed something was wrong shouted in trembling voices, but the leader standing at the foot of the mountain gate ignored them.
He suddenly felt something uneven and bulging under his feet, as if there was something buried in the soil...
What is it?
He moved his feet and looked down.
At this time, another gust of cold wind blew by, dispersing the dark clouds in the sky, and the moon hanging high in the sky shone with its cold light.
He saw it—a face, a woman's face.
Pale, gorgeous, slowly opening her eyes.
Then, the face suddenly opened its mouth, revealing a bloody smile.
The leader was so frightened that his mouth opened wide, his face and neck turned red, but he couldn't make a sound.
...something was stirring in his throat.
It hurts so much!
It hurts so much!
"Top of the list?"
A few men bravely walked up and hesitantly patted the leader on the shoulder. When they were about to ask them what to do, the leader, who always responded no matter what they called, slowly turned around.
Just one glance was enough to scare these eight-foot-tall men so much that they screamed in agony and fled in all directions, rolling and crawling.
“Aaaaaaaaaaah!”
“It’s a ghost!”
“Ghost!”
“There’s a ghost!”
Coo, coo.
Several dark mourning birds landed on the branches of the locust tree beside the mountain gate. They blinked their big eyes, and the color of their eyes changed every time the translucent nictitating membrane was covered.
From black to white, from white to green, and finally, to blood red.
They looked down at the stiffly turned human below, their sharp beaks clicking, their blood-red eyes clearly revealing their desire for food.
The leader's eyes were wide open, so wide that the corners of his eyes were cracked, and tears of blood flowed from his eye sockets. A pale hand covered with purple marks stretched out from his open mouth, and the five fingers dotted with blood-red nail polish waved around randomly, as if trying to grab something.
Click!
It grabbed the leader's jaw and crushed the bone easily like tofu.
The leader couldn't stop twitching, his eyes were bloodshot, his temples were bulging with pain, and the veins on his neck were about to explode.
The hand stretched further.
From the forearm to the upper arm, and finally...
Snap!
The leader split apart, and a naked, headless female corpse stood on the warm body, her feet stepping on the splattered ground, her body bathed in steaming blood.
Under the moonlight, it was strange and unusual.
Suddenly, intermittent screams and roars were heard from the dark forest. Some stopped abruptly, while others continued, but in the end, they could not escape the silence of death.
The woman and child in the cage were shaking terribly. Their vision was blocked by the black cloth, but the sounds outside seemed to have told them everything.
They no longer have to worry about the future, because they will soon be eaten by ghosts like those thieves...
The women hugged their crying children tightly, closed their eyes with sobs, and felt a sense of relief in their despair.
Being eaten by ghosts is better than being sold to a place like that...
Anyway, anyway...
They don't have to suffer anymore.
The silent female corpse moved. It twisted its thin body, dug out a rotten head from the blood-soaked soil, and slowly put the head on the half of its neck.
It twisted its neck to make sure its head would not fall off, then limped towards the six abandoned carts.
Xixishaoshao.
The sound of crawling came from far away in the woods, all around, and they were gathering here.
The moon in the sky was bright and cold, and the wind blew loudly, blowing away the sobbing cries of the women and children, as well as the only hope left in their hearts.
Not awake...
The man still hasn't woken up.
The woman who was hugging the man was shedding tears. She stared blankly through the gap at the corpse staggering towards them. The trembling tower in her heart that she had built collapsed, but she still did not loosen her hands.
The death of those thieves is a kind of compensation for them, isn't it?
The suffering people around her were shivering. The approaching footsteps were like a death warrant. They couldn't even run away and could only tremble and pray in despair.
They are about to be eaten, can you...can you let them die more quickly?
Just... just to die more quickly.
Bizarre ghosts crawled out of the woods into the moonlight. They could only barely be seen in human form, with naked bodies and extremely long limbs. They crawled on the ground like spiders, their faces rotted into a ball, and the smelly liquid dripping from them was the rotting and fermenting waste inside them.
They surrounded the six carts, dragging their limbs on the ground restlessly, and letting out terrible growls intermittently from their throats.
This is as close as they can get.
There seemed to be something in the cart that frightened them, but even so, they still surrounded the cart.
The female corpse was the best preserved among them, and also the most powerful. It stepped out of the circle formed by the ghosts, staggering more and more, and the closer it got to the cart, the lower its back bent.
Until it finally got close to one of them, its rotten head almost sticking to its belly.
The female corpse stretched out her trembling right hand and tentatively reached in through the gap in the black cloth.
"ah!--"
The people in the cage were screaming. They had already accepted their impending death, but they still couldn't control the fear in their hearts. They instinctively shrank back, scrambling to avoid the hand covered in corpse spots.
But the cage is so small, where can they hide?
Only the woman sitting in the middle did not move. She was holding a person who had not woken up yet in her arms. She took the initiative to move away and let the child hide behind her.
The hand reached out to her.
She stared at the dead man's hand, her cracked lips moved, and she didn't know what she was thinking of. A fierce look flashed across her eyes, and she suddenly stretched out her left hand, intending to grab the dead man's hand.
She could die, but she couldn't just sit there and wait for death!
At least...she will die before these children!
Bang!
The corpse’s wrist was tightly grasped, but it was not a woman’s hand, but——
The one in her arms.
"ah--!"
The female corpse whose wrist was captured suddenly let out a terrible scream. It was clearly dead, but at this moment it felt the most severe pain in the world.
It struggled so frantically that its fragile body became twisted, and the hand that reached into the cage was broken into several pieces in the blink of an eye. The full arm seemed to have all the flesh and blood sucked out, leaving only a thin layer of skin covering the broken bones, and the five fingers were twisted beyond recognition.
But no matter how it struggled, the hand that was holding its wrist did not shake at all.
The woman was stunned for a moment, then slowly lowered her eyes.
——The person who had been held in her arms and shielded all the way finally woke up.
She met a pair of deep red eyes.
flame.
The first word that came to the woman's mind was fire.
It is not the fire in the stove, nor the fire in the oil lamp, nor the torch held high when praying for blessings in the New Year, but...
A prairie fire.
The fire that burns the world.
是能夠将這世間一切污穢邪祟焚燒殆盡的神火！
果然，果然！
女人心中的那座高塔再次築起，被廢墟埋沒的灰燼中又一次亮起了火星，火星越來越旺，最後竟直接沖天而起，化作飽脹的熱意，迅速流淌過女人的四肢百骸。
躺在她懷裏的人輕聲對她道了一句謝，随後慢悠悠地坐了起來。
只這一個簡單的動作，便叫籠子裏的人們感受到了一股撲面而來的威嚴氣勢。
他們之中見過官的沒有幾個，見過的那個官也不過是小小的縣令，微小之能如何可比？只怕是當今的聖上也是比不過的。
——鬼在害怕。
即便被擒住了手，它也只敢掙紮，不敢攻擊擒住它手的人。它在不住地往後瑟縮，就像适才被吓得只知道本能後退的他們一樣。
他們瑟縮後退，是因為他們知道自己不可能鬥得過鬼，那鬼呢？
它為什麽要害怕？
仙人……
她真的是從天上來救他們的仙人嗎？
“仙人”沐浴着身後人祈求渴望的目光，沒有說話，只是饒有興致地打量着這個被自己抓住，不停哀嚎求饒的鬼物。
沒一會兒，她便失去了興致。
手一松，手指随意揮動，女屍便被隔空抽飛出去，啪的一聲，重重地摔進了林子裏。
圍住大車的鬼物大駭，争先恐後地後退，四肢險些攪在一起，轉瞬便隐沒在了更黑更深的陰影裏。
但是，它們沒有離去。
哪怕這個令它們極為恐懼的存在掀飛了它們的同伴，下一秒很可能把它們全都殺了，它們也沒有離去。
砰的一聲，六個籠子齊齊炸開，黑布碎成絮狀漫天飛舞，男人手臂那樣粗的木頭化作齑粉落在了車輪下。
被關在籠子裏太長時間的女人和孩子們一朝得了自由，半晌沒能回過神來，清冷的月光灑在他們身上，竟然宛如六月旭日一般溫暖，甚至是有些燙了。
燙得他們熱淚盈眶，長期得不到足夠的水喝而變得幹裂的嘴唇顫抖不已，他們一時間竟忘了這裏有鬼，只知道呆愣愣地擡頭去看那輪月亮，伸出微微顫動的雙手去感受陰冷的風。
良久，他們終于開始急促地喘息，壓抑在胸腔裏的驚懼和痛苦噴湧而出，他們再顧不得旁的，張開嘴失聲痛哭。
更小的孩子被哭聲感染，也跟着哭了起來。
荒郊野嶺，陣陣哭聲響徹雲霄，驚飛了林中的報喪鳥，更為這裏的鬧鬼傳說添上濃墨重彩的一筆。
……倒也不是傳說。
深紅的眼眸纡尊降貴地瞥視一眼死寂的深林，這裏确實鬧鬼，還不少。
她抱着手坐在大車的推把上，修長的大腿交疊着，高跟長靴上鑲嵌的寶石飾品正在吸收月華，蔚藍漸變的長發在風中輕輕拂動，有如一片流動的晴空。
荒郊野嶺，鬼物潛藏，她悠閑得不行。
若不是這些人類哭得實在可憐，她興許會哼個小調，淺淺抒發一下心中的暢意。
——能讓她不開心的事很少，眼下顯然不屬于其中。
“您……”
耳邊傳來一個怯怯的聲音。
她回頭看去，正是那個将她抱了一路的女人。
女人有話想要問她。
她眨眨眼，道:“想問什麽？”
女人鼓足勇氣，用她熟悉的虔誠而卑微的語氣問道:“您是來救我們的仙人嗎？”
女人的聲音不算低，也不算高，周圍哭得嗓音沙啞的人類卻全都聽見了。
他們還流着淚，每一個都朝這邊看了過來，眼中是相同的東西，熱烈又純粹。
她抱着手臂，白如脂玉的手指在手臂上點了幾下，似是有些猶豫。
因為她的本來目的并不是救人。
不過……
算了，順手的事。
她放開手，站直身體，用一種戲劇性的語調說道:“我是來救你的，你們可以稱呼我為——珈珈百德。”
人類破涕為笑，哽咽着歡呼自己的重生，彼此擁抱，宣洩着心中鼓脹的狂喜。
珈珈百德微笑着，深紅色的眼眸中倒映着這些人類的影子，眼中笑意淺顯，沒多少溫度。
女人的問題其實是兩個，她只回答了前一個。
仙人？
啊，她可不是仙人。
……
人類為重生的宣洩還在繼續，珈珈百德擡腳走進了黑黝黝的林子裏，枯黃的雜草被她踩在腳下，只有路過幾朵堅強綻放的小野花時，她才會加大步伐跨過去。
前行三十餘步，她停了下來。
鬼物們匍匐在地上，五體投地，戰戰兢兢。
跪在最前面的，是那具女屍。
珈珈百德俯視這群跪在自己腳下的鬼，百無聊賴地彈了彈指甲，道:“你們膽子很大。”
鬼物們匍匐得很低了，恨不得能把自己埋進土裏。
“說吧，你們攔在這兒，是想向我告什麽狀？”
是的，那些賣賊并不是它們的首要目标，它們現身的目的是要向這位存在告狀。
人間的官沒有辦法聽到它們的冤屈，只有這位可以。
因此它們鼓足勇氣克服了極致的恐懼，匍匐在這位存在面前，只為了能夠訴狀它們無人聽見的冤屈。
珈珈百德不太想管活人的事，但死人的事……這個确實在她的管轄範圍內。
她允許了它們的訴狀。
黑黝黝的林子裏響起了女鬼的幽咽聲。
它們同林子外的那些女人和孩子一樣，都是被拐賣的少男少女，拐賣它們的，正是這群賣賊所在的組織。
這座山并不是它們身死的地方，它們也不知道自己是什麽時候從混沌裏清醒過來的，那過程很漫長，長到它們已經記不清時間了。
許是一年，許是兩年，又或許更久。
不過那已經沒有意義了，它們已經死了。
清醒過來的它們曾試圖殺死那些人，然而，它們從那些人的身體裏穿了過去。
它們變成了鬼，卻沒有辦法為自己報仇。
它們也曾試着去給人托夢，想用這種辦法報官，讓官府把那些該千刀萬剮的賣賊枭首。
可它們又失敗了。
不僅失敗了，它們還看到了官匪勾結。
人間的官救不了它們。
有人說開封府的包青天能夠夜審陰，可以為有冤屈的鬼申冤。
它們心動了，它們想去開封府找包青天。
開封府很遠，但它們可以去到更遠的地方，因為它們的屍體已經被燒成灰燼，被那些人随意地抛到了井水裏、河流裏，土地裏沒有它們的錨。
可是，它們在臨行前發現了那些人又在禍害無辜。
那一刻，憤怒竟然壓過了仇恨。
它們是跟着這群人來的，一路上，它們試盡所有能夠想到的辦法，無一例外，全部失敗。
直到，這群人為了躲避巡查的官兵，選擇從這座山橫穿。
它們感受到了力量，這力量給與它們現身殺人的能力，也讓它們終于覺察到了大車裏的恐怖存在。
求生的本能告訴它們:跑！快跑！
它們非但沒有跑，還從極致的恐懼中意識到這個存在就是它們尋求的“官”。
包青天不一定能讓它們冤屈得雪，但這個存在一定可以！
祂能夠審判一切！
于是它們壯着膽子将車隊攔截，翻湧的仇恨讓它們迫不及待地殺死了這些賣賊，恐懼使它們只能匍匐着聽從宣判。
珈珈百德一言不發地聽完了它們的訴狀，待幽咽聲停止，她上前兩步，在女屍面前半蹲下來，伸出手摸了摸女屍顫抖的腰肢。
它懷孕了。
準确的說，是生前。
一個多月，連靈智都沒有萌生。
只要給它一段時間，它就能成長為一個厲鬼，戾氣極重，為了報仇會喪失理智，最終只會落得個魂飛魄散的下場。
珈珈百德收回手，站起身來，她沉吟片刻，開口道:“我會将他們全部送進地獄，而你們……”
她攤開手心，召來一盞被盛開的百合花托舉着的水滴形琉璃燈，淡色的燈光并不晃眼，沐浴在這燈光下鬼物們感到了前所未有的放松，它們有些昏昏欲睡。
在被收入燈中的前一刻，它們聽到她說:
“地府會給你們一個公正的評判。”
即便你們殺了人，背負了血債，地府不會因為你們報仇雪冤而判你們有罪，這是因果報應。
所以，睡吧，一切都會好起來的。
……
滴。
——幹員塔羅納與【惡靈騎士】當前同步率，百分之四十一點八。
……
被這一聲系統通報震得完全清醒過來的塔羅納:……
真是噩耗啊，她才剛從和馬甲卡的共鳴裏清醒過來，能不能告訴她一個好消息？
忒休斯嘆息道:【塔小姐，您和【惡靈騎士】的适配度真的很高。】
高到一融合就是百分之三十幾的同步率，不過才三天多一點的磨合時間，同步率就漲到百分之四十一點八了，【血怨修女】和【機械天使】的初始同步率加起來都沒有這麽多。
塔羅納也在嘆氣:“能不高嗎？我還被邀請過。”
她曾去到過一個時間線在一百多萬年前的DC世界，在追殺異常的時候，她遇到了那個世界的第一位惡靈騎士，一個騎着猛犸象的酷哥。
The two of them got to know each other after a fight. He helped her intercept anomalies, and she reciprocated by helping him trick Mephitos out of hell and letting him beat him up.
In front of the campfire, he invited her to become his heir.
The demon rider was still young at the time and could not fully understand the meaning of becoming a demon rider. Tarona rejected him and left that world.
It's a pity to say that she never went to that world again. She was either on a mission or in seclusion for dozens or hundreds of years. This short-lived friendship can only be stored in her memory.
Tarona should have been more alert when fusing the vest card, but because it had never happened before, she was completely unprepared and was suddenly overwhelmed by the resonance.
Fortunately, she was lucky this time and did not land in public, and she was only unconscious for a little over three days.
There are still many good people in this world.
After hearing what she said, Theseus also remembered that as expected, he was someone who had been invited by the Demon Knight himself. It was not surprising that his synchronization rate was so high.
He considerately skipped the topic: [Sending world data now?]
Tarona shook his head and crushed the dry grass on the ground with his toes: "Don't be in a hurry. There is something in this mountain. It should be related to the abnormality."
These ghosts gained the power to appear and kill people only after entering this mountain. This world is a world of martial arts, so their mutations must be related to abnormalities.
Let’s look for it first, maybe it’ll be a good start.