When Miao Xiaoxian first saw us, the wariness in her eyes was almost tangible, but this naive girl still had the heart of a young man, and soon she was very close to Jiang Man. The two of them walked ahead, chatting and laughing the whole time.
Seeing that Jiang Man was getting closer to Miao Xiaoxian, I went over and asked, "Xiaoxian, you used paper puppets to stop us from entering Ping'an Village before. I want to know what powered those things?"
Miao Xiaoxian, who had been chatting and laughing with Jiang Man, suddenly changed her expression after hearing my words: "Why did you ask that?"
Looking at Miao Xiaoxian's wary face, I forced a harmless smile: "Don't misunderstand, I'm just curious. If I'm not mistaken, the puppets you used before were a kind of puppetry, right? But those things are only made of leather and wood, so where does their power come from?"
"This is a secret of Ping'an Village, it's none of your business."
Miao Xiaoxian rejected my question without hesitation, and then said to me seriously, "If you don't want to die, remember not to ask about everything after entering Ping'an Village. It will kill you! I'm only saying this to protect Sister Jiang's safety. If you really don't care about your lives, then pretend I didn't say anything!"
Seeing that Miao Xiaoxian was still keeping quiet about Ping'an Village, I didn't press her for more information: "How much longer until we reach Ping'an Village?"
"We've arrived."
As Miao Xiaoxian spoke, she parted the bushes beside her and led us into a valley.
This is the first time we've seen a man-made road after walking through the woods for several days.
The trees on both sides of the valley have been completely cut down. In the very center, there is an endless stone path covered with moss, which looks like it has been there for many years.
Miao Xiaoxian was the first to enter the valley and said to us, "Follow me closely and make sure you see where I land."
Actually, even without her saying it, I had already noticed something strange about this place. First of all, the moss on the mountain walls on both sides of the mountain road was not evenly distributed, which meant that some of the stone walls might be hollow behind.
And the bluestone slabs under our feet, they have existed for so many years, and in theory they should have long since become one with the land, but there are gaps at the edges of some slabs, which means that this place is cleaned regularly.
This road looks ordinary, but at a glance, it is almost full of traps. If you accidentally trigger one, it will indeed lead to your death.
Since Miao Xiaoxian is willing to lead the way, I can save myself the trouble of checking the mechanisms.
Among the mechanisms in ancient tombs, there is one type called "Nine Ascending to the Heavens," which is somewhat similar to the nine-linked rings we played with as children, with each link connected to the next.
If you walk straight through such a trap, you will inevitably trigger it and die a horrible death.
But if you turn back halfway, you'll also be heading to a dead end.
These mechanisms are intricate and typically divided into nine sections. Walking through the first section might unlock the mechanism for the fourth section. Continuing forward, the second section might seem empty, but the third section is actually the switch that unlocks the second section.
Therefore, when you reach the third section, you need to return to the second section and use the pedals on the second section to activate the mechanism for the fifth section.
Generally speaking, the Nine Ascents to the Heavens is just as its name suggests. It requires multiple attempts to unlock all the mechanisms. If you make a single wrong step, all the mechanisms will be triggered, leaving the intruder with no chance of survival.
Although the valley Miao Xiaoxian walked through did not use the "Nine Ascending to the Heavens" technique, it was similar in spirit.
Although there was only one path leading up the mountain, it didn't move in a straight line, but rather in a serpentine pattern.
She walked casually, but if someone knowledgeable in Taoist arts were present, they would definitely be able to tell that she was stepping on the Heavenly Gang and walking with the Lotus Step.
Since entering this mountain, we have encountered many strange things. With Miao Xiaoxian's warning, everyone has been very cautious and we have made it up the mountain without any major incidents.
When I reached the top of the mountain along the path, I was completely stunned by the view in front of me.
Looking down from this vantage point, one sees a huge, circular valley.
The valley is filled with willow and locust trees.
The two types of trees form a yin-yang symbol, with a river flowing between them, creating a giant Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern.
Ping'an Village is divided into two areas, located at the eye points of two groves of trees.
Logically speaking, the Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbolizes all things carrying Yin and embracing Yang, achieving harmony through the interaction of Qi. Known as the first symbol of China, it should give people a sense of righteousness and awe.
However, the yin-yang diagram in front of us gives people a particularly uncomfortable feeling; just looking at it makes one feel a chill down their spine.
The monkey stared down at the ground, blinked, and asked me, "Young Master Duan, why do I feel this village is so strange? Why would a perfectly good village be built in the Five Ghosts Forest?"
The "five ghosts" mentioned by the monkey refer to five kinds of trees: willow, locust, poplar, mulberry, and chinaberry.
The "poplar" in this context refers to the large-leaved poplar. When a poplar tree encounters the wind, its leaves rustle loudly, a sound commonly known as "ghost clapping."
The legend of the chinaberry tree originated in Henan. Because the chinaberry fruit is bitter, it symbolizes that the owner will suffer the consequences of his own actions.
Because the word for mulberry tree sounds similar to "mulberry tree" in Chinese, the ancients considered it unlucky, and planting mulberry trees was like holding a funeral in front of the door.
Among the five evil spirits, the willow tree and the locust tree are the most malevolent.
Willow trees have been known as "grave trees" since ancient times. The ancients believed that such trees were not suitable for planting in houses, but were most suitable for planting in cemeteries.
Among the many "grave trees", the willow tree has the strongest ability to bind souls and is known as the "soul-binding willow". Legend has it that if a tomb is placed directly under a willow tree, the soul of the deceased will not be able to pass on and will be bound by the yin energy of the willow tree.
As for the locust tree, it has been called the ghost tree since ancient times because it has heavy yin energy and is easy to attract ghosts. In feng shui, it is forbidden to plant it near houses.
Of course, there are also some special methods in Feng Shui, such as planting five ghosts near a residence to attract wealth. There is a well-known wealthy man in China who is particularly obsessed with Feng Shui. He even spent a lot of money to plant five ghosts around his manor and invited a master in Thailand to perform a ritual to create a Feng Shui arrangement of five ghosts bringing wealth. In a short period of time, his business flourished.
However, the concept of borrowing fortune from heaven is also subject to the balance of yin and yang. In layman's terms, if one's wealth exceeds what one is destined to have, one will not be able to bear it.
Later, although the tycoon was incredibly wealthy, he and his family developed health problems that money couldn't solve.
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