no signs of spirituality

Xie Lingzheng sat in the rickety prison car with his eyes closed.

His throat was very dry. In fact, he did not lack water to drink along the way. The two disciples sent by Law Enforcer to escort him treated him very well. There was no shortage of medicine and food, and they changed the dressings for his wounds on time every day. .

Xie Ling was thirsty, it was thirst for wine, it was thirst for warmth, the fever on his body had not completely subsided, he began to feel cold, this kind of cold cannot be dispelled by clothes and bedding, he wanted to pour a pot of burning knives over his head, Swallowing it into the stomach, it ignited the whole weak and cold body firmly.

In a daze, he once asked two law enforcement disciples for a drink, but they ignored him. Later, he faintly sobered up. He asked them where they were going along the way, but they didn't give a definite answer.

One of them, who was younger, told him that when the prison van reached the surrender platform, it would be handed over to others. The ultimate purpose of the trip was never known to the two of them.

Xie Lingzheng just laughed it off, he didn't really care.Although the prison car was narrow and bumpy, the two of them did not use shackles on him, nor tied him in the car like a domestic animal. They even covered his figure with a curtain to avoid the wind and sun. As far as criminals are concerned, it is considered to have preserved their dignity.

The journey was uneventful, Moyue walked for three to five days, and they arrived at the surrender platform.

The two escorts also greeted them with pleasant faces and smiling faces. After some discussion, the two escorts proposed to spend the night on the altar.

Xie Lingzheng couldn't say anything, he let the two untie himself, took him to a small cell, locked the shackles symbolically, and leaned on the stone bed.

He nodded his thanks, one of them looked him up and down, and suddenly said: "You said you wanted to drink all the way, so I'll get you some?"

Xie Lingzheng was both surprised and delighted, and after not waiting for a long time, he saw the servant bring in a pot of peach blossom wine, and looked at him with impatience.

Xie Lingzheng didn't care, and said bluntly: "This elder brother doesn't look at me differently, so can you drink with me? This platform is too quiet."

"It's against the rules." The guard said, "However, I've heard that there have been Sanxian singing to Yuechang in recent nights, some nights are men, some nights are women, although it is a melodious voice, and it lacks the spirit of immortality, it is quite pleasant to the ears. Eighty percent agree with your temperament, if you can't sleep at night, you can listen to it."

Xie Lingzheng smiled slightly: "Brother, you say that you have lost your character, but you also know this obscene song in your heart. If you go to Hongzhangxiang with me, you might not want to come back."

The guard also laughed: "But I will never go, and I will never be happy about it, because now I am outside the sill, and you are inside."

Xie Lingzheng shook his head helplessly. With some difficulty, he stuck out two fingers from the iron bars, and picked up the jug's long mouth to fish it into the prison cell. He bit it lightly with his porcelain-like teeth, and picked it up skillfully. In his mouth, he smiled and said: "I am afraid that my life will not be long. I wanted to exchange names with you, a rare congenial person, but I think you know that I am Xie Lingzheng, and you know that the person with whom I pass the name at the wine table is probably nothing. Good fate, so I don't ask you, and you don't tell me. I can only thank you for giving me this glass of wine, and I can't send it out by name. I have to implore you through the iron window. mind."

"I understand." The officer said, "Since you are going to die, you don't need to talk about these empty etiquette."

Xie Lingzheng was startled suddenly, and said: "What you said is true, you are much more free and easy than me."

"You're not free and easy." The guard shook his head, "If you were really free and easy, you wouldn't suffer these crimes."

After he finished speaking, he left, leaving only Xie Lingzheng leaning on the stone bed, sipping the freshly scalded wine.

The flower brewed in the fairy world is clear in color and light in taste, so it is not easy to intoxicate. Xie Lingzheng drank it one bite at a time, as if drinking clear water.

He actually felt that the more he drank, the more lucid he became, as if he had been in a drunk dream for half his life, only at this moment, he gradually began to wake up.

Just as the guard said, in the dead of night, there seemed to be music outside the iron fence.

When the voice entered this narrow and dark cell, it was as thin as a mosquito and a fly. You couldn't even distinguish between men and women, and you couldn't tell whether it was singing or instrumental music. Xie Lingzheng leaned against the wall and listened for a while, and finally couldn't help getting up from the bed. , moved to the opposite wall with difficulty.

There was a palm-sized transom on the opposite wall, and he went close to it. Since his hands were chained and he couldn't hook it, he had to try his best to move forward, holding the iron ring on the window pane, and opened it a little.

With the smell of metal on his lips and tongue, as if he had a mouthful of blood, Xie Lingzheng sat down against the wall panting, listening to the tune coming from the gap, he felt dumb and melodious, lingering, but it was still difficult to distinguish between men and women, and did not know the rhythm .

Even so, he still felt that his eyes and ears were clear, and it seemed that when he was at the end of the road, someone painted a bright color on his eyelids with paint, which made him a little bit more energetic.

Suddenly, the tune was raised and changed, as if it was getting better, the voice became louder and sharper at the top, and Xie Lingzheng suddenly realized that this was not a duet of Sanxian at all, but the song "Baochunzi" that he had heard before.

When he was traveling around the world, he heard of a bird called "Baochunzi" in the ghost way. This spring is not the spring of spring, but the spring of spring love. Baochunzi sings in winter and dies in spring. , call friends and lead partners, mate and reproduce at the beginning of spring, and then both of them will die at the end of spring, so they are named "reporting spring", and because their singing voice is similar to human voice, they are often mistaken for lovers In the duet, Primrose is a symbol of a lover in the ghost way, and it is equal to the flying dragon flower.

Xie Lingzheng thought in a daze: I am known as Ruizhao, and I have seen these rare spiritual signs frequently. It can be seen that these omens of marriage are all fallacies of the predecessors and cannot be true.

"Unexpectedly, there are still children in this heaven who love to hear the news of Chunzi."

An old and hoarse voice interrupted his thoughts, Xie Lingzheng hurriedly asked: "Which senior is nearby?"

That voice laughed jerkily, it was as indistinguishable as Baochunzi's singing voice: "You call me senior, hehe, you should call me old monster."

Xie Lingzheng suddenly realized: "A senior from the Ghost Dao?"

The old monster said: "It's from the ghost way, but it's not your senior, it's the unlucky ghost who was imprisoned next door to you."

Xie Lingzheng was surprised: "I thought I was the only one locked up here."

"I've been hiccupping and farting for a whole day, but you didn't hear it." The man sneered, "Have these sanctimonious gods whipped your bones?"

Xie Lingzheng said: "They didn't smoke my fairy bones."

The other side was quiet for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice: "Ha! I see, you are Xie Lingzheng!"

Xie Lingzheng was startled, then smiled and said, "I'm Xie Lingzheng, so you've heard of me."

"I have been imprisoned in the sky prison for 100 years. I have nothing to do all day long. I can only listen to those hypocritical gods chattering." Giving it to that girl of Bohu Gong’s family will kill that bastard who is full of people.”

Xie Lingzheng said awkwardly, "You really don't save face for me."

"Bohu Gong is my brother!" the old monster yelled, "I was pointing at his self-cultivation, leading troops to fight up, kill him thousands of gods, save us old things out, and then take you as well I got it together and entered into his family to be a beautiful son-in-law, now it’s all right, you screwed up everything! I can’t get out, he has no son-in-law, no, he even lost his life!”

Xie Lingzheng couldn't help shaking his head when he heard him talk in a nonsensical manner: "Senior, if Mr. Bohu and Miss Lingyu are fine, I wouldn't be here now, and it's even more impossible to get him out to be my son-in-law."

"Oh?" The old man let out a long breath, seeming to be disdainful, "You kid can still go to jail for Bohugong. If you kill Bohugong, which god doesn't clap your hands and applaud, but can still make you to this point?" Where are you from? Tell me, if he doesn't die, where are you now? Are you nursing in Xiao Wuyin's arms?"

Xie Lingzheng corrected, "Xiao Xianjun is a man."

"Who remembers whether he is male or female, human or animal." The old man spat, "Let me ask you, Bohu Gong died, did the people in the mud blame you?"

Xie Lingzheng said: "Based on their nature, if they know the story well, they may not add any crime to me."

"Then did Xiao Wuyin blame you?"

"You are asking knowingly." Xie Lingzheng raised his lips helplessly, "How could Xiao Xianjun take the life and death of ghosts and Taoists at heart?"

"That's it." The old monster said, "No one blames you, why did you come to this place to suffer with me?"

"I didn't kill him, but he died because of me." Xie Lingzheng said frankly, "I don't want to pay back the lives of his family, but I have to pay with my life."

"If you pay for your life, will his whole family's life come back?" the man asked.

Xie Lingzheng said: "Even if you can't come back, it is the law of heaven to kill people to pay for their lives. Otherwise, why do the heavens have the words 'Heavenly Fire Pillar' and 'Slaying Immortal Soul'?"

The old monster shouted: "Xie Lingzheng, haven't you always been unrestrained and free? Xiao Wuyin chased you out of the door and wall, and there is no way to restrain you. You don't even want to use the swordsmanship he taught you, so why use him to teach you?" That set of bullshit tortures yourself?"

Xie Lingzheng sat up straight, and said seriously: "Senior, what you said is wrong. Although Lingzheng is stubborn by nature and refuses to obey discipline, he is definitely not a person who acts recklessly and carelessly. The death of Bohugong's family was caused by me, so I should pay for it." , if there is a destiny in the next life, we should be friends again, have a good drink and chat, and don't talk about old grievances."

"Naturally we can't talk about the old grudges!" The old monster said, "A hundred years ago, I ruled one of the ten palaces of ghosts. Since the ninth world, we have lived in it, and the laws and regulations of Taoism are all set by us. Our old favorites Hunting gods, taking women by force, and distributing stolen goods, if one or two disciples from the immortal sect of Yingtai were caught, they would have to be locked up, tortured and tricked for three or two days before slowly killing them, and smearing his blood on the wall. That's auspicious. Although the old man Bohugong doesn't have close contact with us, how can he do "good things"? My ghosts say ten generals, three souls and seven souls are all murdered and blackened. Master, who is obsessed with cleanliness, naturally hates it to the bone, and he won't let you associate with us, so why do you insist on being entangled with us?"

Xie Lingzheng was silent for a moment, without rebuttal, he only said: "Based on what I have seen and heard, I only know that Mr. Bohu is generous, open-minded, kind and generous, protects the world, and is a friend of righteousness. I can have a chat with him, and I am willing to marry him with a fairy bone." This friend."

"Hey, a hundred years ago, Xiao Wuyin smashed the sky with a single sword. We old people are dead and crippled, and most of the demons and ghosts are dead. Mr. Bohu led the rest of the juniors to open the border under the mud with his own strength. Expanding the soil and rebuilding the residence, the first thing the Ghost Dao Society does is to tighten its tail and be a human being." The old monster said, "In a hundred years, Yinhunchuan became Feilongchuan, the life-swallowing tree became a marriage tree, and Bohugong became a man. A benevolent man, even gods are willing to sacrifice their lives for him—let me ask you, if you knew earlier that he had devoid of humanity and killed innocent people, would you have saved his daughter?"

"Bohu Gongye has rectified his evil ways and returned to righteousness, besides Lingyu is so innocent." Xie Lingzheng said, "I still wish to save his daughter, don't ask about the past, don't look for the old cause, and be his friend."

The old monster laughed loudly: "This is the difficulty of a free and easy person. How many people in this world can not ask about the old things and not look for the old causes?"

Xie Lingzheng looked solemn: "It's just that if he has evil thoughts again, I will draw my sword and kill him in the future."

"Yes, yes." The old monster nodded and said, "Then let me ask you again, in the mud under the road, if you have the same temperament as you, there are countless people who have changed their ways and returned to righteousness. Curse, and you only have a pair of fairy bones on your body, how can you still use it to save the daughter of Lord Bohu?"

Xie Lingzheng was taken aback.

"And if they have killed fewer people and done fewer crimes than Duke Bohu, and their young children are more injured than Bo Lingyu, and they will die immediately if they don't get your fairy bone, will you take it? To save Bo Lingyu?"

Xie Lingzheng pondered for a moment, then said: "I will still save Bo Lingyu."

"Ah, that's it!" The old monster slapped his thigh, "You also know that most of the ghosts in the mud under the mud started from Bohugong, if it weren't for Bohugong, the hundreds of thousands of ghosts who have been displaced The grandson of the ghost will eventually have nowhere to go, or become a remnant and defeated general, suppressed and died, or become a desperado, devouring each other, and now there will never be those red tents in the mud that make you linger and forget to return Fragrance. If my poor brother hadn't forbeared his nature, corrected his evil thoughts, and found a new way among the three ways of gods, ghosts and people, how could you, a god, willingly attach himself to the mud way? Your master Xiao Wuyin, law enforcement respect Hongxiao , naturally dismissive of this, but you can always understand his good intentions, right?"

Xie Lingzheng listened attentively, feeling a little dazed: "You mean—"

"You still don't understand." The old monster said, "That boy just said it right, you are not really free and easy. If you are really free and easy, then there should be two ways to go now - what does the death of Bohu Gong's family have to do with you? Ni Xia Dao will not blame you, Xiao Wuyin will not blame you, why bother to impose the blame on yourself! If I were you, I would throw my hands and jump out of this big prison. It doesn't matter whether it's a good scene, or to get Xiao Wuyin, whom I've admired for a long time, in short, no one can stop my happiness."

Xie Lingzheng shook his head and said, "What about the other way?"

"If you are determined to pay back the lives of his whole family, you shouldn't pay with your own life!" The man's voice became excited, "You don't have to bear this responsibility, but if you are determined to bear it, you can bear it." You have to explain to the whole Nixia Dao! You have to do it yourself, protect and give alms, as Bohu Gong used to do, and lead those thousands of desperadoes to learn the way of survival and the career of living in peace. Bohu Gong has been in Nixia Dao for a hundred years. How can this group of lonely and wild ghosts enforce the law and clean up the ethics in just a hundred years? He died suddenly, leaving only a feather on the ground, and you just let him go. He is an underground spirit, so how could he lead you? love, forgive you?"

Xie Lingzheng didn't answer in a daze.

There was no sound from the other side, these words seemed to exhaust the remaining energy of the old monster, and he only had the strength to breathe heavily.

After Xie Lingzheng heard him make a strange cry, he began to "hiss" and moan. He couldn't help worrying, and wanted to ask something. Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the next door, as if something heavy fell to the ground.

"Senior!" He exclaimed, "What's wrong with you?"

"Hey, hey..." The old monster laughed hoarsely, his raspy and hoarse voice was a little fluttering, "I took the steel wire I picked up... and stabbed myself."

Xie Lingzheng was shocked: "What?"

"I also figured it out. Instead of going and repairing the Skyfire Pillar for the rest of my life, and then being burned to death, no... it's better to die now..." The old monster said, "It's the steel wire... No, it's not very good... ..."

Xie Lingzheng asked about the pungent bloody smell, he quickly supported the wall, rushed to the iron railing, and slapped hard, but no one responded.

"No...you don't have to... call someone, I've made up my mind..." The old monster's aura obviously weakened, "You...yourself...little...little..."

Before the words fell, the next door was completely silent.

This ghost general who met by chance ended his own life so lightly.