Chapter 81 "The Little Taoist Priest" Please don't turn evil now—no way...
They came down from the mountain and found that Fifth Master was extremely busy at his residence. When they asked him, they were shocked to learn that although the town was remote, there were several missing persons cases reported to the authorities at midnight, and several young boys and girls had gone missing.
The birth rate in the ancient town was already low, so there's definitely more to this story than meets the eye.
Zhong Ding immediately asked with a serious expression which households had lost their records and what the date was.
"The children of the Zhao family, the Li family, the Sun family, and the Wang family have all gone missing. The date is the 17th of the ninth lunar month." Fifth Master and Zhong Ding exchanged a glance, their expressions both grim.
The 17th day of the ninth lunar month was exactly the 57th day since the death of his mother, Madam Zhong, on that day.
In the system, September 17th also has a separate setting—the Day of the Corpse Mother of the Japanese Devils.
"Manager Zhao of Xinhuzhai said that his wife was holding the baby that night when she heard some scary nursery rhymes being sung outside." Fifth Master glanced around again, then bowed his head and spoke frankly to the two men.
She opened the window, and sure enough, a long troupe of opera performers passed by in the night. She had never seen the acrobats and sanxian players in these troupes before, and just as she was wondering about it, she vaguely saw the hem of a red-clad figure's skirt flash by in the darkness, and then everyone left with camphor wood chests from the carriage.
“Besides temple fairs and ceremonies, Qingyang Town does not arrange performances by Western circuses or Peking Opera performers. The nursery rhymes sung by those folk artists are also very strange.”
"The town said that the man in red took away the children of Qingyang Town with nursery rhymes and children's songs. He also said that we did not catch the real culprit from last time. He said that the Wuxiang Ghost must still be there. If we catch any demon this time, we should use the fire punishment or use orthodox Taoist magic to strike it with five thunderbolts."
Hearing that Master Shou Kang's disciple was still in the town, the people of the town were desperate and wanted to seek help from Jian Dieda.
The Zhong family sent servants to stop him, thus preventing his seven-day seclusion from being disturbed. Now, this certain extraordinary person has returned, and it's unclear where this sense of ownership came from. He's put back on his tattered blue-black Taoist robe, crossed his legs, and is stuffing his stomach as if he owes a huge debt of hunger.
Upon hearing the appearance of the woman in red, his chopsticks stopped moving, but regarding what Fifth Master had relayed, this man of the underworld, like a hamster, slowly burped and said, "Sorry, I haven't learned that."
Fifth Master never expected him to be able to do that; it seems this kid's best skill is living off women!
However, none of that was the main point. What really hurt Fifth Master was his nephew's husband-like demeanor.
"Eat slowly, I'll blow on it for you."
Zhong Ding was busy with official business and kept an eye on Jian Dieda.
Fifth Master, speechless, reminded him: "Zhong Ding, are you his father?"
Zhong Ding: "..."
Jian Dieda also chimed in, "Shh, keep it low-key. Our father-son relationship isn't suitable to be brought up in public yet."
Fifth Master: "You... how could you be so shameless—how will Ah Ding be able to face outsiders in the future..."
Jane Dieda: "I'm sorry, but I've been like this since I was a child. Men get their periods when they see me, and women go crazy when they see me. I'm the alarm clock for people in a vegetative state, and also the nemesis of depression."
"..."
Fifth Master's punch landed on Jian Dieda's thick skin, sending the man flying fifty meters backward. Ironically, Jian Dieda had a handsome young face and exuded a deadly, serious humor.
Zhong Ding chuckled, grunted in response, and his shoulders began to tremble violently as he turned.
Fifth Master's lips twitched. He couldn't help but complain that Zhong Ding's taste in choosing a wife was really bizarre. He also had to ask Jian Dieda what he was going to do. Did the Taoist priest's answer about the last incident still count?
"Then let's go to the yamen and call Bai Xiaosheng and the other two along, hiccup."
As Jian Dieda spoke, he put down the large bowl. He had just climbed onto the table and devoured all the cakes, porridge, and rice in one go, so he felt he should be polite. "Thank you, Fifth Master. Please tell Lanlan that the Ciwu noodles you cooked today were really delicious."
Fifth Master: "Hmph."
Jian Dieda felt he was being glared at, but didn't say anything. He continued, "By the way, these kids are all at an age that even dogs wouldn't want to touch. How could they be taken away so easily? Weren't there any clues left at the scene?"
Fifth Master said, "No. So the yamen initially suspected it was an acquaintance who committed the crime, until a witness appeared."
"The problem might lie in the nursery rhyme that night."
Jane Dieda opened the task panel in his mind. There was an unlocked area on the map called "[Xiao Mei's Cigarette Paper Alley Before She Turned Over a New Leaf]".
【Treasure Pavilion Dungeon (9-player free-for-all)】
[Enter the scene: The dilapidated old treasure pavilion at the end of Yanzhi Alley]
[Individual Mission: Team up with your teammates to find Xiaomei's twin sister and uncover the terrifying secrets surrounding these twin sisters.]
[Activation Requirements: Find the correct treasure box in the dungeon]
Jian Dieda suddenly said, "Fifth Uncle, A-Ding and I are going out for a walk. We won't go to the yamen gate first. I want to find a place where there are Peking Opera performances."
Fifth Master told him, "Then go to Tobacco Paper Alley and have A-Ding take you there. You're too young to act alone."
Zhong Ding had been somewhat lost in thought, and upon hearing that he had changed his address to his fifth uncle, his ears turned slightly red. He glanced sideways at Daoist Jian, feeling a mix of emotions and embarrassment.
His virginal mindset about getting married was rather endearing, yet he still didn't reject Jane Dieda.
Fifth Master, pretending that he was already blind, replied to his Taoist nephew-in-law, who came from a beggar family, "Your three friends have been missing for many days. Why don't you go and look for them on your way out?"
Jane Diedda: "Didn't they tell you where to go?"
Fifth Master shook his head: "If I didn't trust your and A-Ding's judgment, I would have suspected that the person who took away the boys and girls was not a demon, but someone else entirely."
Zhong Ding frowned: "Those three wouldn't harm anyone. I think this is aimed at me."
"No, please don't think like that. We're fine, so let's clear our names and drop the suspicion, okay?"
Jian Dieda felt a sense of foreboding. He was now extremely afraid that Zhong Ding would gradually begin to suspect his bloodline...
Fortunately, as things stand, apart from the three of them, no one in Qingyang Town knows that the Mountain God is equivalent to a female ghost. Otherwise, if Zhong Ding had used a human identity to survive and used Jian Dieda's flesh and blood essence as a host to reproduce, the town's xenophobic knives would surely have been aimed at the most vulnerable soul.
Zhong Ding could not possibly betray the principles he had upheld for so many years.
Jane Diedda would not allow anyone to harm him.
At this moment, everything seemed to return to reality.
Jane Dieda was also pulled into a dangerous situation where he had to find a way to change the course of events.
Zhong Yu, the name that had vanished from his memory, and the black-and-white photograph that brought Jian Dieda unresolved questions.
Jian Dieda really couldn't accept handing over the fate of the person in front of him to someone else, because he was too similar to Zhong Yu.
He vowed that no matter how terrifying and gloomy the world ahead was, or how twisted it was to the point of driving a normal person to their death, he still couldn't leave the man alone here to have nightmares.
Thinking of this, Jian Dieda stirred. He was the kind of person who only immersed himself in his own world and never took the initiative to ask for help, but this time was truly different.
He tapped the little system, though he didn't have any high expectations.
"Mr. Kuro, does your company have any dark and gloomy male redemption scripts like 'Stop the Male Lead from Going Crazy' or 'Conquer the Villainous Boss' for me to refer to?"
You're dreaming.
Jian Dieda showed no displeasure upon seeing the message; he always maintained the same expressionless, dead-eyed boyish face.
Oh. It seems the 30-second revival ad really won't get him through this. And he can tell that the system seems to still be holding a grudge about what happened last time.
He didn't know what to say about it; all he could say was that he wasn't very sorry.
Just then, Zhong Ding was about to leave.
Jian Dieda reached out and touched the table, stuffed two white steamed buns into his clothes, and followed behind Master Zhong. When they reached the door, the man reached out and pulled him aside.
Jian Dieda asked curiously, "Are you hungry? Why are you tearing off our two steamed buns?"
Zhong Ding initially refused to let him see his expression, but Jian Dieda insisted on running ahead of him.
The man's strange behavior was completely exposed. Jian Dieda saw that Zhong Ding was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a crack in the ground, and his neck turned completely red.
This greatly worried "Jian, the wife-protecting maniac" mentioned by the small system.
"Are you feeling unwell again? Are you feeling hot this time?" Jian Dieda held up his steamed bun in front of Zhong Ding, continuing to create visual stimulation.
At this moment, it seemed as if the two of them were talking at cross purposes again.
Zhong Ding took a few deep breaths, squinted his eyes in a daze, placed his hands on the two steamed buns, and stuck out a bit of his red and moist tongue.
Jian Dieda fell silent. He sensed something was off about the atmosphere. He looked up at Zhong Ding's body and, sure enough, saw that the boss was getting "bigger" again!
"Hey...Ah Ding...Ah Ding..."
Please don't turn evil now—no, please! Zhong Jianqiang!
Zhong Ding was engrossed in studying his "pastry skills" and didn't say much. Both of them started to have difficulty breathing, and slowly, one of them's pupils turned completely red.
"Cat... what did you just say..."
Zhong Ding's eyes seemed unfocused, his cold gaze filled with scars, his hair falling loosely around his ears, and a tantalizingly fragrant scent of corpses lingering around him.
"nothing."
"No, I want you to repeat it to me word for word without changing a single word."
For the first time, Jian Dieda felt that Zhong Ding and he were having a cross-species romance, but this person also seemed to have a precious tenderness that symbolized mutual redemption, which he liked very much.
“I remember you asked me if I was hot? Hmm…yes, it’s very hot…”
The long-haired man half-squatted in front of the young Taoist priest, hooked his arm around the young man's waist, grabbed the young Taoist's hair and pulled it back, and smirked. He said, "We've only just become newlyweds, and you're already trying to seduce me with a different trick every three sentences, aren't you? Hmm, these two big white buns are quite tempting, Taoist priest, let's find some time to have some fun."
"..." Jane Dieda remained silent.
Zhong Ding: "My lord, you can't wait any longer. Will you tell me or not?"
Damn, less than an hour has passed, and the level of perversion has increased again!
Zhong Ding is probably beyond understanding human speech now. Since things have come to this, maybe we should just go along with him for now…
Jane Dieda: "I was wrong, I shouldn't have been so flirtatious, my husband."
"Very good, madam, you're a good girl."
Zhong Ding smiled with satisfaction; his laughter was like a mountain stream, and Jian Dieda's face slowly turned red.
The fact that the cold-faced boy was willing to give up his pride and bow down for him was what satisfied the madman, giving his abnormal mind a little sense of security.
They went out together.
At the base of the wall, a pair of black cloth shoes were visible. Once the fan covering his face was removed, it was revealed that this江湖人 (jianghu person) was none other than Bai Xiaosheng.
He nervously pushed up his glasses and stared intently at Zhong Ding and Jian Dieda. Zhong Ding took a few steps and said he would ask for directions first. Bai Xiaosheng immediately appeared behind Jian Dieda.
In the alley, the black cloth shoes approached the Taoist's hat, but with a swift movement, the bell and tripod circled back and even subdued the old friend.
"Why is that, brother?" Zhong Ding pushed him to the young Taoist priest, Jian Dieda caught him, and also asked, "You have quite a bit of demonic energy on you, Bai Xiaosheng, where have you been busy these past few days?"
Bai Xiaosheng was startled and stopped struggling.
Jane Dieda waved her hand behind her, throwing him back to the ground, looking utterly dejected.
Then, the two watched as the bespectacled scholar exhaled, and Bai Xiaosheng raised his head and said in a numb tone, "You're looking for a place, aren't you? Let me tell you, that place is called the Treasure Pavilion, and the case in town is inextricably linked to this place."
Jian Dieda didn't nod directly, but dusted off his clothes and asked, "Where are Sister Furong and Lao Zhang?"
Bai Xiaosheng's face twitched.
Jian Dieda and Zhong Ding exchanged a glance, and Zhong Ding stepped forward to ask, "You didn't find a clue beforehand and didn't tell anyone, did you?"
Bai Xiaosheng answered the question with a pained expression. He clutched his head in fear and stammered, "I don't know, I really don't know which wrong box we opened... I only know that all the candles suddenly went out, and it seemed like there were many intangible things in the air... Then something called Furong Dan and Gu Dong Zhang crawled out of the box and screamed. I was scared half to death. It was that Treasure Pavilion that tricked us into going in!!"
...
Bai Xiaosheng was clearly possessed by a nightmare.
Furong and Lao Zhang were also their friends. Zhong Ding suggested that they find a treasure pavilion to check the situation, since it was broad daylight and theoretically, the chances of ghosts appearing were slim.
They don't have enough people to go there.
Jian Dieda started calling for reinforcements, and the team regrouped. The three of them went to check out the terrain first. Upon entering, they found that the Treasure Pavilion was empty, with no boxes in sight. Zhong Ding went upstairs to look for boxes as well, but they also said there were none.
"Impossible... When the three of us came in, this place was like a treasure trove, and they were having an auction! There were lots of customers downstairs, and on the stage there was a circus owner and a juggler. They were the ones who brought out the boxes for us to guess..."
Bai Xiaosheng stared blankly at the blood on the ground. Jian Dieda, who had been silent, spoke up when he saw him like this.
"Then let's try to participate in another treasure auction. If you ask me, let's not save those two. Let them die, find their bodies, and then dismember them for the loot. All the treasures should go to the capable people. We can pawn off their limbs and internal organs, sell them, and then go eat hot pot together. We can eat spicy if we want, or we can eat a combination if we want."
"...No! This is not right! You're being too ruthless, Jian Burang!" Bai Xiaosheng was finally forced to regain his senses.
"Then why are you saying such discouraging things instead of saving people?" Jane Dieda was actually joking.
The deadpan comedian, Master Jian, added casually, "I saw you blaming yourself, so I was just trying to make you happy. Don't you have a sense of humor? We strong people are indeed lonely."
Bai Xiaosheng was both amused and exasperated. It turned out that he had been "comforted" by Jian Dieda, but why did this Taoist priest always speak in such a sarcastic and unsettling way?
It seemed that the ancient auction house also sensed the desires in the three people's hearts. All three of them felt the ambient light dimming at the same time, followed by the system's voice.
[Ding, now playing an audio clip: "Rules for Reading Ghost Stories in the Treasure Pavilion."]
"Welcome to the fixed-rules level. Players should be reminded in advance that the Treasure Pavilion contains many items that are priceless to humans. Everyone who enters will have the opportunity to take away a treasure."
"However, our game also has many rules. First, all players can only search for treasures during the duration of the nursery rhyme broadcast. Once the nursery rhyme stops, everyone must stop all activities."
"Second, do not pick up anything that glows excessively inside the box, and do not eat any food from inside the box."
"Third, obtain all the wooden doll-shaped children's toys, but do not give them any names you like."
["Fourth, if the box shakes before you open it, there's a mouse inside. If the mouse tries to talk to you and asks you 'sugar' or 'salt,' you must choose salt."]
Jane Dieda very keenly caught several keywords in the rulebook. He felt that this level would not be easy. There must be a [boss] in this game level that covers the entire area and can make people's greed and desires materialize in reality.
Then the game provides an introduction to Mei's twin sister.
I've been dead for so long, and you seem to be having a hard time, sister. Where are your family, your sister—where am I?
"You... were once by my side, but then you left. For so many years, I've been the only one searching for you and waiting. I thought you would remember me from my past life, but I never expected that you would have completely started a new path. I'm the only fool left standing still."
Why not give up?
"...Oh, you mean you won't give up?"
"Yes, I had forgotten. You are the most persistent."
"But I'm not like that. Why am I so persistent? It's because... the person who makes me insist on waiting for you to come back is you."
"I believed you, went through so much trouble, gave up on **, and in the end all I got was the word 'give up'..."
"So, is the person who told me they loved you really the one standing before me? Now that the appearance has revealed it, and the memory has been erased by reincarnation, I'm so unwilling to accept this. I really want to dig out that heart to see it and put an end to this tragic fate."
"Of the three thousand laws and principles in the world, none can compare to a single act of willingness."
"Sister, have you found where you've 'hid' me?"
A pixelated female figure, symbolizing the younger sister, jumped around.
"Host, please help me investigate this strange incident, otherwise I won't be able to die in peace!"
—Xiaomei's twin sister.
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