The years of reselling the haunted house

As he said that, the old stall head suddenly approached me again.

His body exuded a strong smell of dry tobacco, which went straight to my nose, making me want to cough all the time.I was too embarrassed to cough it up, so I could only hold it back, not to mention how uncomfortable it was.

The old man came up to me, stretched out his dry, eagle-claw-like hands, and started to feel around me.

"Tan... Uncle Tan, you are..."

"Do you have anything to ward off evil spirits?" the old stall owner asked while touching it.

"Something to ward off evil..." I turned my head around, then took out the five emperors' money that my third uncle gave me on my chest, and asked, "Does this count?

This five emperors' money, the third uncle once urged me not to reveal it easily.Because he didn't know how many people in this world would covet this thing.Once it is exposed, it may be a disaster without reason.

But this old man saved my life anyway, without him I wouldn't be able to get out of the fog.And he gave me the impression that although he has a bit of a temper, he doesn't look like a bad person.So I took out the five emperors' money without hesitation.

When the old stall head saw the ancient coin, his eyes lit up immediately.Eyes were also attracted to the past.

Seeing his expression, I suddenly felt a little regretful.He wouldn't have other plans for the copper coin, would he?

I shrank back subconsciously.

The old stall owner realized that he had lost his composure, so he sighed and said, "So you have something to ward off evil spirits, it seems that this thing saved you..."

"Uncle Tan, why do you say that? What's going on with those people?" I was taken aback and wanted to ask clearly.

"They're all dead."

I nodded, not surprised at all.Are there any big living people walking around wearing shrouds in the middle of the night?

The old stall went on to say: "There is a custom in our area. After death, people will not be buried in ancestral graves, but will be buried on cliffs in our mountains."

"Cliff burial?" Hearing this word, I feel very fresh.I've heard of burials, burials at sea, and even tree burials.But I have never heard of such a form of cliff burial.

The old stall head nodded, motioning for me to continue listening.

"Cliff burial is actually very easy to understand. After a person dies, we hold a ceremony and throw the body off the cliff from the top of the mountain. Practicing cliff burial is a long-standing tradition in our place, and it seems to have begun in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. "

I grinned, feeling incredible.Generally speaking, when a family member dies, the younger generations will take extra care of the corpse, so in most areas, the corpse should be put into the coffin and buried in the soil for safety.Throwing the corpse from the cliff, can't it be smashed to pieces?Isn't that a kind of desecration of the corpse?

However, I know that the customs in some places are rather strange, and there are many taboos.So although I had many questions, I didn't dare to ask them.

It was the old stall who saw what I was thinking. He first filled another pot of cigarettes in a leisurely manner, and after taking a few puffs, he explained to me: "The custom of cliff burial is that the higher the top of the mountain where cliff burial is performed, , the higher the standard of cliff burial. When the dead body is thrown down from the mountain peak, the soul will be baptized by the mountain wind in the air and be purified. Naturally, the longer the time of falling, the higher the degree of purification. And the corpse After falling to the bottom, they usually fall to pieces, and the meat will be snatched by the mountain dogs, and only some bones will be left, which will be kept by the family as offerings.”

It was the first time I heard of this strange burial custom, but it made me break out in cold sweat.

I suddenly remembered the dead people walking in the mist, and asked again: "But those people I met, why weren't they buried in the cliff?"

The old stall owner glanced at me: "Who said they weren't buried in a cliff?"

"But their bodies... are obviously... still intact..."

"That's because all you see are their ghosts. And their bodies have been reassembled and carried up the mountain again..." the old stall said indifferently.

I was greatly shocked when I heard it. Everything that the old stall owner said tonight, almost everything was beyond my knowledge reserve, and it was something new that I had never heard of.

"Why... why do you have to fight? Will their bodies not be eaten by the mountain dogs?" I simply broke the casserole and asked the end. Since I came, I had to ask clearly.Maybe we can judge the third uncle and the others, as well as the news of the two couriers from this.

"That's because... well, don't bother asking, you're eating... think my pancakes are not tasty?" the old stall owner knocked the pot of cigarettes with the sole of his shoe and pointed at the pancakes. Said the pancake in my hand.

"Oh, it's delicious, I'll eat it." I bite the bullet, trying not to think about the scene where the old stall was shitting, and stuffed a few mouthfuls of pancakes into my mouth.

"That's because not all of the deceased who practiced cliff burial died. Many people died violently, such as car accidents, being killed, or having depression in their hearts before death, etc. After these people died, because their souls were still alive Haunted around the corpse, although the body was broken, the wild dogs did not dare to eat. Therefore, the body of these people will still be intact, but only in pieces. Therefore, after three days of cliff burial, the dead The family will go to the bottom of the cliff to search for the corpse. If the body is still there, the bone picker will be asked to pick up the body and broken bones, and then the corpse will be stitched up again by a mortician. After dispelling the resentment of the deceased, choose another day to do it again Cliff burial. Until the body of the deceased is eaten by mountain dogs."

After listening to it, I suddenly realized that this was really an informative experience.

The old stall owner then told me: "Those people you just saw in the mist are the ghosts who were led by the soul-leading banners to go to the cliff for burial after the body was put together. When they arrived on the mountain, they would re-enter their bodies and carry out Cliff burial. Some of them are close to the third cliff burial. We practice cliff burial here every six months, on the [-]th day of the third lunar month and the seventh day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar."

I glanced at my phone, and the calendar on it showed exactly the seventh day of the ninth lunar month.

Chapter 113 The Bone Picker

"Today is the seventh day of September. You mean, the ghosts I saw were going to go to the top of the mountain to reunite and then go to the cliff for burial?" I asked.

The old stall leader nodded: "That's right. And let me tell you, these two days of the year are when the yin people borrow the way and the living people avoid it. No one who knows the inside story dares to appear in the village on these two days. Otherwise ..."

"Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise, if a living person encounters the cliff burial team, they will be led by the soul-inducing flag to the cliff where the cliff burial is carried out, and they will be buried on the cliff with the corpses. So you met that team and were not taken away. , I will feel very strange. Now it should be the copper coin on your body that saved you, otherwise you must have followed the ghosts. Have you entered the village before? Have you ever seen a living person in the village? exist?"

Listening to the old stall's question, the doubts I had in my heart were finally explained.We have been wondering why the supplies and utensils in the houses in the village are neatly arranged, not like they are deserted, but there is no one there.

It turned out that they all knew that today was the day of cliff burial, so they would actively avoid it on this day.

After hearing this, I couldn't help being a little angry, so I said casually, "Uncle Tan, why didn't you put up a notice on the day of the cliff burial? You said that if someone walked in by mistake like us, wouldn't it hit the muzzle? Aren't you cheating people?"

The old stall owner glanced at me: "Fart, who said we didn't warn? Did the donkey at the entrance of the village see it?"

I nodded and said I saw it.

The old stall continued: "That is a warning. During the cliff burial days, since there are a large number of corpses in the village, it will attract lonely ghosts from outside. They must want to enter the village and occupy these bodies. But we put a donkey at the entrance of the village and made a ghost sacrifice, which is regarded as a sacrifice to those wild ghosts. They will retreat when they get benefits. At the same time, it is also a warning to those who want to come to the village. It is not suitable to enter the village now. Who knew that you guys were so foolish and bold that you ignored it and broke into the village."

"We are foreigners, how do we know this?" I complained with a bitter face, but I looked at the old stall in front of me and asked in surprise: "No, Mr. Tan. Aren't you also from this village? Everyone else is avoiding it, why don't you hide? The things you said are not all mysteries, are they?"

"Pfft..." The old stall suddenly exhaled a puff of dry smoke, which sprayed directly on my face.

The smell was so strong that it made me cough and cough a lot.

The old stall head said angrily: "My old stall head is so old, I haven't lied to anyone yet. If you believe it, believe it, or get out if you don't believe it. You can still catch up with that team now. You pick up the copper coins and then go to the other side. Go try it, and then you will know whether what the old stall is saying is true."

I coughed until tears came down, and quickly waved my hands and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Tan, I didn't mean that. I just don't understand why you don't hide."

The old stall head approached my face and asked sinisterly, "Do you know why I know such details and didn't hide?"

"For...why?"

The old stallman pointed to his nose: "Because I am the bone picker."

"Huh? Are you the bone picker?"

"It's guaranteed to be fake. With my hands, over the past ten years, I have picked hundreds of bones, not to mention thousands."

As he said that, the old stall showed his black, dry hands again in front of me.Those hands seemed to be covered with grease-like things, and they were so skinny that they were almost skinny.But the nails are very long and look sharp, just like a pair of eagle claws.

Looking at the hands of the old stall, I took another look at the unfinished pancakes in my hand.

I was stunned for more than ten seconds, and I couldn't bear it anymore. I threw the pancakes and ran out of the door, throwing up.

The old stall owner ignored me, and I vomited so much that I almost spit out my bile.

I walked back on my knees, and the old stall was still smoking pipes as if nothing had happened.

I said with a bitter face, "Didn't you say you were a pancake maker? How did you become a bone picker again?"

The old stall head said: "I said that I was a pancake maker in the early years. Who didn't know me at that time? The folks from ten miles and eight villages all came to buy my pancakes. It's just that the business was sluggish later, and I was too lazy to go out every day. Tan, I changed my job to be a bone picker. If you don’t hear clearly, blame me.”

I waved my hand: "Okay. I won't argue with you, I didn't hear you clearly..."

The old stall owner kicked the pancake that I threw on the ground: "That's good, just a little bit of food, and you ruined it. You can't think about it anymore. Don't blame my old man for not being good at hospitality. Be sure. I'll sleep through the night, and I'll be fine tomorrow morning."

After a lot of tossing, even if I am hungry, I don't want to touch his pancakes anymore.But I suddenly thought of one thing.

My third uncle Ma Su and Liang Yue were separated in Nanliu Village.According to the old stall, I was spared because I had Wang Qian on me and I ran into him again.

Then Third Uncle and the others... if they also meet that team, will they be hooked away by the soul-inducing banner as the old stall said?

When I thought of this, a layer of cold sweat suddenly broke out on my body.

I stepped forward and grabbed the old stall's arm, and asked anxiously: "Uncle Tan, I still have a few companions, they got separated from me in the mist, do you know where they are now?"

The old stall owner sneered and said, "Do you even need to ask? The fog is filled with ghosts, and they have no one to lead the way, so they will definitely not be able to go out. And the probability of encountering that column of ghosts is [-]%. If all goes well After two hours, their flesh and blood will appear in Yagu."

"Ah?" I was taken aback, and hurriedly said, "Then you have to save them...they are living people, so how can they follow them to the cliff for burial?"

The old stall looked at me as if he didn't know me, and curled his lips: "You said it lightly. Why should I save them? I don't know them?"

"Master, do you want money? I will pay you how much money you want."

The old stall owner waved his hand: "It's not about the money. I'm a bone picker. On the night of the cliff burial, I just take care of what I have to do. The rest has nothing to do with me."

As soon as I heard it, my head buzzed, and I almost collapsed. I almost knelt down to the old man, and begged: "Master, you can't just ignore death, they are all my relatives. Tell me, as long as If I can save them, I will agree to any conditions.”

The old stall dug out another bag of shredded tobacco and stuffed it into the pipe pot.He used the nails of his little fingers to stir the pipe pot again, then flicked away the shreds of tobacco left in his nails, and yawned again.

I was so anxious that I didn't dare to talk too much, I could only watch the old man doing these movements slowly.

"It's not impossible to save them..."

The old stall finally said something slowly.

Chapter 114 Tongming Banner, Bone Lamp

As soon as I heard this, I felt hopeful, so I hurriedly asked: "My dear grandfather, if you have the conditions, please mention it. Tell me quickly, how can you save them?"

The old stall head pointed to the copper coin on my chest: "Give this... to me."

I was stunned for a moment, and my heart was also moved. I never thought that the old stall would actually want this five emperors' money.If he asks me for money, in order to save third uncle and the others, I can agree to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even more.But he just took a fancy to my king coin.This is the one that my third uncle and I got after going through life and death.And it plays a vital role in igniting my lost yang fire with the Five Emperors Ceremony Buddha Lamp.The third uncle valued this copper coin more than the wealth he obtained.

As soon as I hesitated, the old stall owner yawned and said with a sneer: "Forget it, since you are reluctant, you can keep this copper coin for yourself. I am sleepy, old man, and went to bed."

The old stall was about to leave, so I hurriedly stopped him: "Master, wait a minute, I agree."

"Are you willing to give up your love?" The old stall looked at me sideways.

I nodded, reached out and took off the Wangqian worn around my neck, and handed it to the old stall.

The old stall owner waved his hand: "No need now. I'll go to Yagu later, you'll wear it to keep you safe. I'll ask for it when I'm done. But don't worry, my old stall owner will do what I say. You only borrow this thing for one year, and after one year, you will return the original thing.”

I didn't think so when I heard it. Generally, if you want something from someone else, you are too embarrassed to take it, so you just call it a loan.When the time comes or not, what can I do.What's more, now a copper coin can save the lives of three people.No matter how precious the king's money is, it can't be worth three lives, isn't it?

I nodded in agreement, urging the old man to save people quickly.

The old stall owner waved his hand: "No hurry, no hurry, the queue is moving very slowly, we have every chance to catch up."

I thought about it, and it was true. When I saw those ghosts, they took almost a dozen seconds to take a step.Now I understand, is it because their physical bodies are re-spliced ​​and stitched together, so these ghosts are also afraid that if they walk too fast, their physical bodies will fall apart again?

The old stall took me out of this room to a wing room in the yard.When I entered the courtyard, I didn't notice this wing room, but now I can see clearly that there is a small iron door in that room, and there are many yellow talisman seals on the door.The talisman was blown by the wind and made a loud sound, but it seemed to be nailed to the door.

The old stall took out a key, opened the iron gate, and led me in.

I immediately smelled a strong smell of blood and stench, and some indescribable smells.These smells mixed together made me dizzy.

The old stall head fumbled and lit an oil lamp.

The light in the room is much brighter, and I noticed that there is a big pool in the middle of the room.It takes up almost all the space in the house.

In that pool, there were still a lot of blood-red meat scraps left.

I thought of the old stall's occupation, and instantly understood that this place was for storing the broken bones and meat he brought back from picking bones and corpses.It may be sorted in this pool before being handed over to the relatives of the corpse.

Thinking of this, I almost vomited again, but fortunately there was nothing to vomit in my stomach.I covered my mouth hard, barely controlling myself.

The old stall head lit another pot of dry tobacco, and I suddenly understood why the old stall head loves to smoke so much.

The strong smell of dry tobacco can indeed greatly eliminate those odors.

But now there are no formed corpses or bones in these ponds except for a little debris, presumably the old stall has already sorted the flesh and bones of the last cliff burial.

The old stall owner pointed to the big pool and said: "See, I will sort out everyone's bones and minced meat here, and then put them together. Then I can deliver them to relatives. I will pick bones once, Sorting for half a year."

Looking at this big pool, it is not difficult to imagine the situation when the old stall head came back with a large amount of broken bones and meat, and then sorted them dully.What kind of ability does this need?It seems that each of these industries has its own way. Before you understand this industry, you must not underestimate it.

The old stall leader took off two large robes from a hanger next to him, and threw one to me: "Put it on."

I nodded and pulled the robe over the outside.

It was a fiery red robe, which looked extremely hot.

The texture of the robe is very hard, and it is not very portable when walking, but it is a bit inconvenient.But seeing that the old stall has also put on a robe, I dare not say anything more.

The old stall took me back to the original room again, fumbled for something from the stove, put it in a bowl, rinsed it with water and handed it to me: "Drink it."

"Drink... what is this?" I grinned and looked at the water in the bowl, it was dark, and there was a layer of grease floating on it.I secretly groaned in my heart, today I have provoked someone, and I have never felt comfortable in my stomach since I came here.There won't be any aftereffects after drinking this thing, right?

Seeing my embarrassment, the old stall said coldly: "I let you drink it for your own good. But I advise you not to ask what it is? I'm afraid you won't be able to drink it if you ask."

I thought what the old stall said was reasonable, so I quickly squeezed my nose and poured the bowl of water into it.

Fortunately, the water looked dark, but it didn't have any special smell.It was this kind of psychological rejection that made me very uncomfortable.

Finally, when these preparations were done, the old stall was ready to take me out.

Although I know that the team is moving slowly, it has been an hour since I came here.

Where did the team go? Are the third uncle and the others in that corpse team?It's all still a mystery.I'm already anxious.