Chapter 94 Listening to Music
The sound of a pipa suddenly rang in Chu Songjun's ears.
“Pah—”
It was a very strange sound, very sharp, like something had exploded.
He suddenly opened his eyes.
There are figures interweaving in front of me.
The pipa girl on the stage is playing a cheerful tune.
Sometimes it is like heavy rain, sometimes it is like pearls falling on a jade plate.
Chu Songjun subconsciously touched the front of him, and he immediately realized something: his shadow was gone.
He could feel the confusion and helplessness of his other "selves".
The connection that was once as solid as a rock now seemed to be blocked and was constantly disconnected. I didn't know how to repair it.
"..." Chu Songjun pursed his lips.
The lights are dim and the atmosphere is hazy.
All the people, dressed in gorgeous clothes, were listening attentively to the solo performance of the Pipa girl.
Say hello from time to time.
"Where is this place?"
Chu Songjun stood up.
He was still calm at the moment.
***
He only remembered that after greeting the adults, he was taken to the gathering place for children.
The ministers drank and had fun at the night banquet.
Therefore, the side gardens in the gardens were specially provided for the children of noble families to play.
Chu Songjun brought two medical boys with him. The first person he saw was Xie Jiayushu and Xie Jinghe, two of the current noble families...
"Young Master!" A surprised voice sounded!
His train of thought was interrupted, and Chu Songjun looked in the direction of the voice, only to see Wang Youyu accompanied by an uneasy-looking young man from an aristocratic family around the stands. They pushed through the crowd and came over.
The young man from the noble family had a slender figure and judging by his clothes, he was a member of the Lin family, one of the twenty-second noble families.
Under the leadership of Xie Jinghe, Chu Songjun spoke to Lin Xiaohe, and he greeted him in a friendly manner.
He is two years older than Chu Songjun, but in fact he is not more mature than Chu Songjun.
At this moment he also realized that something was wrong, and anxiously grabbed the only backbone of the small group.
At times like this, the person with the calmest expression is the most reassuring.
Lin Xiaohe immediately threw himself beside Chu Songjun.
"We, we have been kidnapped by ghosts." Lin Xiaohe said anxiously.
Chu Songjun touched Lin Xiaohe's head as a comfort.
Lin Xiaohe was also there, and this didn't seem to be a trap specifically targeting him.
Maybe more people came in here.
This seemed to be an independent space. What was even more strange was that Chu Songjun did not feel that he was currently far away from his friends.
He was not moved somewhere else, he was still in the palace, but was there such a place in the palace?
If there was, then Lin Xiaohe shouldn't have this expression and attitude at this moment.
So where exactly are they?
ghost……
Lin Xiaohe blurted out that they were kidnapped by ghosts.
Chu Songjun pondered the word secretly and frowned in confusion.
Chu Songjun's eyes shifted.
He noticed that under the dim light, Lin Xiaohe and Wang Youyu also had no shadows.
"What should we do?"
Lin Xiaohe asked with tears in his eyes.
“Zheng——”
It fell along with Lin Xiaohe's crying and a very heavy sound of piano strings.
It suddenly became dark around.
The Pipa girl's white fingers pressed on the strings and her thick eyelashes drooped.
Abrupt.
The bodies of the spectators around were suddenly swelling to dozens of meters high!
Green face and fangs, extremely ferocious!
The scarlet eyes were like a horrible nightmare in the darkness! They were slowly lowering their eyes, their gazes constantly scanning the field, as if they were chasing after blood!
All this happened too unexpectedly!
There were screams everywhere that couldn't be hidden!
Lin Xiaohe's pupils shrank.
Chu Songjun quickly covered Lin Xiaohe's mouth as he was about to scream. He subconsciously pulled Lin Xiaohe step by step to find the blind spot of those scarlet eyes.
The Pipa girl turned her hands, and there was another plucking sound.
Looking back, the monsters that had originally had different shapes have now changed back to their original shapes.
The Pipa girl is playing the tune again.
There was still singing and dancing all around, as if everything that had happened before was just a dream.
A layer of cold sweat slowly broke out on Chu Songjun's back, and the scene before him made his back feel cold!
Chu Songjun immediately made a decision: "We can't stay here any longer, we have to find a way out."
He held Lin Xiaohe's hand. The frightened Lin Xiaohe managed to calm himself down and looked helplessly at the child in front of him who was several years younger than him, as if he was looking at his backbone.
For a moment, the scene seemed extremely absurd.
Chu Songjun looked around, took a step forward, and kept observing the environment while finding his way.
This is a banquet hall for entertaining guests, with some screens and couches placed around it for guests to rest.
The three of them passed through the guests who were drinking and having fun to the sound of the pipa, and met two young men from aristocratic families in the crowd. They were not very old, and when they saw Chu Songjun, they followed them instantly.
None of them knew why they were following Chu Songjun like this.
The team is growing.
***
In this undercurrent place, they found a door on the edge, but after the initial joy, terror followed.
Wang Youyu suddenly slammed his body against the door of the wing room.
The door of the wing room did not move at all.
Tried again, still no use.
Chu Songjun reached out and grabbed Wang Youyu who was about to hit him again.
My heart suddenly sank.
This door doesn't seem to be a door to exit, it's more like a wall.
"How could this happen! Bump into me again!" One of the young masters of the noble family pounced on the door of the wing room and pulled it, trying to open it, with a hint of despair in his eyes.
How on earth did it turn out like this?
They originally just wanted to enjoy the moon, appreciate the paintings, and exchange poems and songs in the secluded garden.
Everything went dark before my eyes, and I suddenly came to this strange place!
Anyone would know that something strange had happened.
But they were in the Xuanyuan Palace, and it was a night banquet where the noble families gathered.
Who on earth has the power and resources to kidnap all the noble families in Xijing where they gather?
They already had a bad feeling in their hearts at this time.
The hope that it was just an illusion was completely dashed! They were really involved in a strange incident! Any luck disappeared at this moment, and was replaced by unspeakable fear!
If he could steal their things away without getting around everyone, he certainly wouldn't let them leave so easily.
Tears immediately welled up uncontrollably, but the weirdness didn't give them a chance to vent their emotions...
“Zheng——”
There was another sound of the pipa.
A chilly chill bubbled up from the bottom of everyone's heart.
The sound of ghosts laughing was ringing in the darkness, and from somewhere came a sharp sound of scratching glass.
Everyone's hair stood on end in horror.
“Crunch, crunch—”
This is the sound of monsters chewing human skulls.
The smell of blood coming from nowhere was infecting everyone's nostrils bit by bit.
Everyone's breathing became increasingly rapid.
Everyone could hear that some unlucky person from some unknown family had been captured by the ghost and eaten.
Chu Songjun pursed his lips. He seemed to feel that the monsters' eyes were constantly adjusting towards him. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and his hands and feet felt slightly cold.
He realized instantly that if he didn't find a way to break through the barrier, he would not be able to escape the fate of death once those ghosts and monsters had completely taken him into their sights!
This time, the ghosts appeared for much longer than last time! Why is that? Could it be that as darkness descends, the ghosts can appear for longer and longer?
Chu Songjun guessed in his heart, the darkness was still shrouding them, many people had already cried, shouting for their parents and ran away! The smell of blood was getting stronger and stronger, and the sound of human flesh being chewed was getting louder and louder! It was like a ghost sticking to their ears to eat people! Using their fear as a snack!
Chu Songjun grabbed the arms of the two people around him, and suddenly felt anxious as if he didn't know where to go.
How do ghosts eat people? If they could move freely in the dark, Chu Songjun knew that he would not be alive until now! They would definitely eat him first!
There must be some pattern between them! But he hasn't discovered it yet!
Damn it! He couldn't see anything in the darkness. Chu Songjun couldn't see what those unfortunate people who were eaten did!
Lin Xiaohe in his arms was shaking more obviously. Chu Songjun subconsciously covered Lin Xiaohe's eyes, trying to comfort him.
How did they kill people? Why was the noise of them eating so loud? It was so loud that it could be heard from all directions! It was terrifying!
Chu Songjun could feel that the ghost seemed to be about to turn around completely! The next meter seemed to be greedily pouncing forward!
At this critical moment, everyone suddenly heard a childish voice: "The big strings are as noisy as heavy rain, and the small strings are as whispering as whispers! Good! Good!"
It’s Xie Jinghe’s voice!
The noble family boy who covered his mouth could not help but whisper: "Is he looking for death?"
But surprisingly, those ghosts did not pounce on Xie Jinghe like wild beasts seeing blood, but ignored him instead.
Chu Songjun's eyes moved, and the reminder was in place. Chu Songjun understood everything instantly: "Go back quickly!"
The others looked at him in confusion, and Chu Songjun said simply: "We have to act as guests! Guests will not be caught by ghosts!"
Chu Songjun stopped explaining. Regardless of whether the ghost could see it or not, a smile appeared on his face.
He dragged Lin Xiaohe who was holding his arm. Surprisingly, Lin Xiaohe did not struggle. They walked into the banquet hall and Wang Youyu hurriedly followed.
In the eyes of everyone looking at a madman.
In the darkness.
Chu Songjun could feel his figure being gradually taken into the eyes of those towering ghosts. They saw him with difficulty after he came to them himself.
The cold and damp gaze licked his body like the lips and tongue of a monster.
It all made his throat itch.
The beast seemed to be watching its prey walk into its palm with excitement.
When faced with fear, it is difficult for people to fully adjust their mentality, and escape is always their first choice.
However, here, facing it head-on seems to be the right choice.
Chu Songjun's elbow was pinched by Lin Xiaohe and it hurt, and his hands began to clap slowly.
The chewing sounds became louder as they got closer, mixed with Lin Xiaohe's breathing which was slightly tearful.
All of this makes people sweat.
But the ghosts didn't move at all!
Xie Jinghe was still praising the banquet loudly, as if to prove his own safety and survival and to tell everyone else that this was the right way.
His suggestion was correct.
Chu Songjun couldn't help but admire this leader among the heirs of the aristocratic family.
It seemed as if they had crossed a line, and Chu Songjun could clearly feel that the ghosts were reluctantly turning their gaze away.
As he left safely, the remaining children of the noble families made up their minds and finally followed him.
All those who strayed in seemed to be back where they were supposed to be.
Those who have not returned to their proper positions have already entered the ghost's stomach.
“Zheng——”
The sound of a pipa suddenly rang out, and the light returned.
Chu Songjun breathed a sigh of relief. His tense body felt a little weak. The out-of-control situation made him feel like he was going to die in the next second. The ups and downs of returning from the gates of hell again made his fragile body feel a little uncomfortable.
The imminent crisis was temporarily resolved, and Chu Songjun finally had time to think about other things.
Whether in total darkness or beneath the monster's scarlet eyes, they seemed to have no shadow.
What kind of space are they in?
Chu Songjun thought to himself.
And... he felt a little familiar. Chu Songjun looked around again. He seemed to have seen this scene somewhere before.
The Pipa girl in the center of the stands, the guests drinking and having fun, where had he seen this scene before...
Where is it?
Xie Jinghe's voice exposed his position.
Everyone unconsciously rushed towards Xie Jinghe.
However, they were quite a distance away from Xie Jinghe's location. When they finally found Xie Jinghe's location, there were already quite a few people following Xie Jinghe, about twenty people in total. Among them were many servants of aristocratic families. When they saw the aristocratic families, they rushed over happily.
Tian Dong, who had left the team, also noticed Chu Songjun was still alive. He ran over with joy on his face and cried, "Master! Tian Dong finally found you!"
Chu Songjun patted Tiandong's head comfortingly.
With Xie Jinghe's presence, the people who originally surrounded Chu Songjun couldn't help but surround Xie Jinghe.
Chu Songjun didn't care about the departure of the noble family members around him.
He just tilted his head and glanced at Lin Xiaohe, who had been holding his hand, with some surprise.
Why is this guy still sticking to him?
Lin Xiaohe rolled his eyes anxiously, found his servant, but just stretched out his hand and called his name softly.
He held on to Chu Songjun tightly, as if he was afraid that he would leave, and was unwilling to move at all.
Lin Xiaohe obviously seems to be the type of person who will only follow those who can make him feel most secure.
Xie Jinghe fits this definition very well.
After all, Xie Jinghe was the first to discover the pattern of ghosts' killings, and now he seems to be integrating intelligence and trying to assign personnel to find a way out in multiple directions.
Chu Songjun also did not step forward. He was still recalling where he had seen this scene. The ghosts in Yingzili's shadow were not far away from him, which meant that they were still in the palace at this moment.
Speaking of which, when he had just entered the Pianyuan, Xie Jinghe brought people to greet him.
The young master of the Xie family has always abided by the ancestral teachings of the Xie family. He is elegant and graceful, gentle and refined, and is a model of a young master of a noble family in the eyes of the world.
After introducing him to everyone, Chu Songjun was still young and could not mix with those children for the time being. After a brief conversation, he found an excuse to say goodbye to them and stayed in a corner by himself.
After all, Chu Songjun knew that he had been unlucky recently, so he didn't plan to hang around in the side garden. He just stayed with Wang Youyu and Tiandong and drank some hot water.
No one expected that when the noble families gathered together, someone would take action at this time.
Chu Songjun's eyes darkened.
He took a quick glance at the side garden.
There are about a hundred people.
There are about fifty or sixty people gathered here now.
They did not leave the palace.
He recalled the things in the side garden.
Chu Songjun suddenly had an idea!
If it was something that would take everyone in...
And he can separate the shadow and him.
Chu Songjun was looking for a special place.
He paused and saw a child huddled beside a recliner, shivering, with bloodstains on the edges of his sleeves.
But that's not the point.
The point is, while he was watching the person on the recliner shivering, he quietly took a piece of snack from the person's hand and ate it.
***
The 23rd prince was lucky. The ghost ate the people around him but not him.
He was so frightened and panicked that he crawled around everywhere and bumped into the circle of ghosts.
There are many royal heirs in the palace, and the twenty-third prince is the one the emperor casts a wide net to get.
At first he thought he was going to die, and tried hard to recall his past, but found that there was nothing worth remembering.
The twenty-third prince was born without the love of his mother or father, and the palace maids also treated him foolishly. When he was seven or eight years old, he could not find the way to school, and not many people cared about him. He grew up like a weed.
He just wanted to come to the night banquet to get a free meal, but he didn't expect that something bad would happen.
The Twenty-Third Prince was filled with grief. If he had known this earlier, he would not have been so reserved and would have taken a few more chicken legs from the table to eat.
"It doesn't matter. A snack is fine." The 23rd prince muttered to himself.
"Are you hungry?" a voice asked.
The twenty-third prince was startled, his hand that was trying to steal something paused, and he couldn't help but turn his head away.
What came into view was a three-year-old child, dressed in a black suit with dark gold patterns.
He knows him.
The son of the Yuzhang Chu family.
As soon as he entered the door, Xie Jinghe came forward and introduced him to everyone.
He is a different person from the Twenty-third Prince.
But even such a precious young master of the Chu family, right in front of him, under the sinister gaze of the person on the recliner, also touched a piece of snack.
Twenty-third Prince: “?”
A fellow traveler?
Chu Songjun stuffed the snack into his mouth expressionlessly, remained silent for two seconds, and swallowed it whole: "It tastes like ink, it's best not to eat it."
Ink smell? What is that smell?
The twenty-third prince looked hesitantly at the golden snack in his hand, and for some reason he wanted to put it in his mouth to try.
"Songjun!"
Xie Jinghe, who was the focus of attention, suddenly spoke. He walked over under the gaze of everyone and looked at Chu Songjun with some worry.
"Are you okay? Don't run around. And this... His Royal Highness, come over as well."
Xie Jinghe definitely didn't recognize which prince he was, the Twenty-Third Prince thought rather sadly, but that was also normal, as he only knew a few brothers and sisters.
The twenty-third prince was about to stand up and follow the leader Xie Jinghe.
Suddenly, Chu Songjun pushed away Lin Xiaohe's hand, and with the help of his tall follower, he slowly climbed onto the table next to the man on the recliner, then climbed up the screen on the other side along the table and stood on it.
The eyes of the person on the recliner had moved at some point, and now he was staring at the child motionlessly, looking very eerie.
The Twenty-Third Prince subconsciously moved away a little and looked in horror at the guest who suddenly showed malicious intent.
Xie Jinghe also frowned imperceptibly: "Don't provoke the ghosts!"
He took a few steps forward and shouted, "Come down quickly! Song Jun!"
"Wait a moment." He looked around and said, "I found something."
Xie Jinghe was silent for a moment: "This is not the time to play around! Come down obediently. Although you are the youngest, you should be more sensible in this critical moment!"
The sound of the pipa became more cheerful.
The eyes of the guests at the banquet were all fixed on this side without them noticing.
Chu Songjun narrowed his eyes slightly.
He glanced at Xie Jinghe lightly and chose to directly present the facts and reason. He was young, so it was normal for him not to believe him. He said, "Brother Xie, I found something."
He patted Wang Youyu's arm.
Wang Youyu quickly took Chu Songjun over.
Xie Jinghe frowned when he heard this: "Okay, you found it, come here first."
At first glance, she didn't take his words to heart and was more worried about other things, such as the ghost lurking on the recliner.
Chu Songjun could only sigh. He said calmly, "Xie brother, what we are in now is the long scroll "Night Banquet in Changshou Palace"."
Chu Songjun stretched out his hand lightly and reached into the screen that allowed the plum blossoms to enter the room.
——His hand disappeared!
Everyone was shocked!
The "Night Banquet in Changshou Palace" mentioned by Chu Songjun was the work of an ancient painter. Someone brought a painting, which was not sure whether it was a copy or the original, and it was placed on a long table in the side garden for appreciation at the night banquet.
This long scroll depicts the banquet scene with exquisite techniques, and is divided into five scenes by screens and other objects.
They are: listening to music, watching dance, taking a break, playing the flute, and saying farewell.
Start with the banquet and finish painting the end of the banquet.
The entire banquet process is expressed in one painting.
If Chu Songjun guessed correctly, they were thrown into the scroll, and now they were at the beginning of the banquet, which was the first scene - "Listening to Music".
The child raised his dark eyes, and countless thoughts seemed to be surging and settling inside.
"And the screen here is the entrance to the next scene."
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