The strange story of Huai'an Inn

The moment the red mist overturned towards the big witch, the slender body of the raven stretched and deformed in an instant.His spine elongated several times, his skin cracked, and dark scales drilled out of the cracks, overlapping and densely standing upright one by one.Several barbed limbs grew from his two ribs, and they propped up on the ground several times with a bang, propping up his increasingly huge body, like a huge black spider with countless feet.More than a dozen knot-shaped limbs erupted from his back, and the end of each limb either had blade-like sharp thorns covered with venom, or continuously opened and closed mouthparts overflowing with foam.

Although his body was that of a monstrous spider-like worm, his head was still that of a man.The smiling black human face mask was raised high in front of the huge body, becoming more and more eerie.

The thick filth erupting from the great witch is not like Zhu Helan's red mist is visible.Instead, his breath darkened everything around him.All the memories he came into contact with became paler and distorted, the shapes of lumps were pulled into noodles, and the crazy and chaotic colors were also dimmed.Zhu Helan knew that this person's filth was stronger than her own.

When the red mist collided with the invisible dark domain, the strangely brilliant colors burst out suddenly.All the ever-changing, unimaginable colors, like the whirlpool of oil floating on the water surface, spread and expanded rapidly in the collision of two thick foul air.Wherever it passes, all vivid dreams are corroded and deformed, like water muddied by sticks.

The red silk ribbon wrapped around the deformed body of the great witch, and each tentacle scattered into countless sharp needles to pierce the gaps in the scales.And the strong and cruel spikes of the big witch also cut Zhu Helan's inexhaustible tentacles, constantly trying to pierce through the flexible but indestructible sheet-like membranes to pierce the human heart protected in the center.Two colossal monsters fought and devoured each other, tearing off each other's flesh and blood, cruel and tragic.

The filth on their bodies kept colliding with each other, and the storm of chaotic colors swept across everything around them more and more violently.The entire memory began to falter, and at the same time Zhu Helan's mind also burst into severe pain.

"This memory is very important to you. If you and I fight here, you should know what kind of image it will have on your mind." The words of the great witch sounded directly in Zhu Helan's mind, with a sinister meaning.

Zhu Helan naturally knew the risk, but he couldn't back down.If the door in Chong Liu's consciousness was really knocked open by the sound of drums...

No, that door cannot be opened.

As a result, his attacks became more and more fierce. Regardless of the pain of being eroded by venom and being torn apart by filth, he clung to the Chaos Wizard, and broke several bones of arthropods inch by inch.His filth became more and more intense, overwhelming and endless.The darkness of the great witch could not offset all the red filth, and gradually appeared exhausted.

But at this moment, Zhu Helan's consciousness scattered to the other side of the memory heard the words that the mother goddess once said to him in a strange state of emptiness.

These words set off huge waves in Zhu Helan's consciousness, which was already under constant impact. His original thick and rushing sea of ​​filth followed him into chaos, causing the big witch to find a place to break free.He cut off or bit off the red tentacles wrapped around him with the joint limbs on his back, and the other joint limbs beat hard on the drum surface of the thousand drums.

When the rhythm of the drum changed, the whole memory suddenly turned upside down and became a mess.It seemed to be torn apart, torn apart, and turned into a frenzied whirlpool.

Zhu Helan only felt dizzy, and countless memory fragments were mixed together, sticking together like melted wax.Those memories that were deeply buried by him were suddenly revealed from the darkness, roaring, clawing, like countless deformed beasts.

He saw him, who was less than ten years old, struggling to crawl out from behind the door. Before the distortion on his body could be hidden, tentacles all over his head surged on the ground.The wizards guarding the door surrounded him, but his eyes immediately saw his mother who had been guarding the door waiting for him to appear.

He couldn't care about anything else, he stayed behind the door for a full dozen days, almost dying, he just wanted to rush to his mother's arms, tightly hugging the gentle and broad body that was filled with a reassuring atmosphere.The foul smell on him was so strong that the wizards couldn't get close to him, so that he had the opportunity to break out of the siege and throw himself into his mother's arms.

But his mother screamed in horror, as if seeing something extremely terrifying, she kept backing away, avoiding his outstretched hands, and finally ran away.

He recalled that he rushed to the Liushen Palace to rescue Zhu Lishuang who was besieged by the Ten Great Immortal Factions regardless of his weak body after pouring blood on the locust tree just now, but saw that her body was scorched by the fire and could not be seen as a human being nailed to a high place. on the wooden stake, twisted into an extremely painful and terrifying posture.The willow tree that she spent thousands of years growing into saplings was blown to pieces with a Taoist instrument, and the roots were scorched and scattered on the blood-stained ground.

He remembered that he personally lifted the brittle body of Zhu Lishuang, whom he regarded as his eldest sister, from the stake, and saw that her once alluring phoenix eyes had been completely swallowed up by Dao Qi fire, leaving only two black holes , it seemed as if she could feel the pain of Dao Qi burning in her internal organs...

He recalled that he found the alchemist Xinya who cheated Zhu Lishuang's feelings and drove her to a dead end.He let the locust tree suck the last drop of blood from that bastard.Immediately afterwards, he found the two real people who personally nailed Zhu Lishuang to the stake, watched them struggling and screaming under the merciless roots of the locust tree, their cheeks sunken a little bit, their eyes gradually protruding, and finally they were pressured. Squeezed and jumped out.

The locust tree had devoured five involuntary sacrifices in total, all in order to avenge Zhu Lishuang.He let go of the other alchemists who participated in the encirclement and suppression of the Shenmu Sect, because his original plan was to recruit believers again as a priest of the Mother Goddess of All Things, raise a big locust tree as soon as possible, and drive the doomsday to all those little points to drive out his nine brothers and sisters. On the damned alchemists and officers and soldiers.It wasn't until he received the letter from Zhu Lishuang that he suspended his plan.

He almost forgot that he originally wanted to destroy this world that never accepted him... He wanted to turn all the people in this world into his image, with the same serious distortion as him.Everyone is a monster, and no one is a monster.

He saw the scene where A Jue, the youngest of ten of them, was hung on the city wall after his tentacles were pulled out one by one by the brutal officers and soldiers; he saw Ji Li, who had been taking care of him like an elder brother, holding his The corpse of the cub of the sycamore tree was pierced with spears by alchemists and villagers; seeing Ningzhi, who always called him "Brother Lan", fell into depression because the tree species he took care of was destroyed by the alchemists .Originally thought that she had gotten better under the day and night comfort of Li Shuang and himself, but he didn't expect that one day when he went to visit her, what he found was her body in a pool of blood...

For 2000 years, he was used to burying all painful memories, so much so that he forgot how many bloody monsters with shabby fangs were hidden here.They peered into the dark corners of his mind, lurking silently, waiting, to drag him into a mad day.

Zhu Helan's filth was in a mess, he staggered back, and his arms, which had been transformed into branches and vines, wrapped around his head.He wanted to dig these memories out, to make them disappear, but they were completely out of control.

The big witch's laughter echoed in his mind, as if those alchemists who spoke righteously, those ignorant villagers, and those brutal officers and soldiers were laughing at him, laughing at him for forgetting so much pain and hatred back then, and choosing to hide his name Live in this world ruled by Tao, which has no place for dirty creatures.

But at this moment, a clear fragrance of Sophora japonica wafted into his nose, which was extremely abrupt in the chaotic and filthy memory hell.Like a gentle spring breeze, it quietly passed through the huge and heavy dark memory in his mind, and carefully unfolded a figure.

He saw Chongliu wearing the coarse clothes of the waiter, squatting under the locust tree picking lentils, and raised his head to give him a bright smile while picking them.Those sparkling eyes seem to have received the lightest reflection of the sun.

He saw the branches and leaves of the locust trees trembling in the breeze, and the locust flowers were flying all over the sky in the spring wind, like fine white rain falling one after another.

He saw the mottled gate of the inn, the old but clean lobby; he saw Zhu Yi running between the seats, Xiao Shun hurriedly leading the guest's horse to the backyard, and Fu Zi carrying the vegetables from the vegetable cellar into the house. In the kitchen, as soon as the curtain was lifted, Master Liao was scolding Jiulang for cutting radishes as thick as a chopping board.

These are more recent memories, with sharper colors and more vivid details.Zhu Helan woke up suddenly, realizing that it was the pagoda tree that calmed his mind.

He almost lost his way, and was pulled into a whirlpool of madness by this cunning witch.

This is obviously his memory, his mind.He is manageable.If even his own consciousness has been impacted so much, then Liu'er...

Sang Ya originally thought that he had caused Zhu Helan's consciousness a serious injury, so he turned around and concentrated on adjusting the rhythm of the drum vibration.But I didn't expect the priestess of the mother goddess to slow down in an instant.He only felt a huge and cold shadow pressing on his body, and the air was filled with a rotten and sweet smell.

He turned around, eyes widening.

However, Zhu Helan's distorted body was several times taller than before, standing in front of him like a giant blood-red tree.His lowered eyes were burning with monstrous rage, and a cold, evil spirit erupted in the chaos of the red silk ribbon.

"This is my memory, how dare you be presumptuous here!" Zhu Helan's voice rumbled against the filth swirling in the dream.As soon as the voice fell, red threads all over the sky overturned, unstoppable.The exoskeleton on Dawu's body couldn't resist, and suddenly shattered.The drum was pulled apart by the sucker, and the broken muscles seemed to be disembowelled by some living thing, and the blood gushed out from the opening carrying the pieces of meat.

The big witch screamed, his figure turned into black smoke, and disappeared together with the drum.

As soon as Zhu Helan turned around, he saw Chong Liu behind him, kneeling and sitting against the steaming background, his eyes were empty.

Zhu Helan's filthy body quickly shrank back and quickly returned to an adult appearance.He ran towards Chong Liu, and gently wrapped Chong Liu's shoulders into his arms.

"Liu'er, it's okay, he's already gone." Zhu Helan gently stroked the hair on the back of Chong Liu's head, after experiencing so many dark memories, this hug also had a hint of anxiety and urgency.

Chong Liu remained motionless in his arms, and after a long while, he suddenly said, "The sound of the drum...why doesn't it stop?"

Zhu Helan was taken aback for a moment, then pulled away slightly, lifted Chong Liu's cheeks, and looked carefully at Chong Liu's eyes.

Those dark eyes, which were originally bright as stars, looked slightly strange at this moment.Zhu Helan then moved closer and turned Chong Liu's face slightly with his hand.However, at a certain angle, a brilliant rainbow light flashed in the small, deep pupils.

"drum?"

Chong Liu nodded, "It doesn't stop...it keeps beating in my head, it's so noisy..." Chong Liu's tone also seemed light, as if he was talking in his sleep.

The big witch has left...but the drums don't stop...

The damage has been done.That door...should not be open yet, but the lock is loose.

You have to get out of here anyway.

Zhu Helan closed her eyes and sensed that the roots of the locust tree had settled down in the mother god soup.Obviously the big witch's goal is not the locust tree, but Chong Liu... It may even be the door in the deepest part of Chong Liu's subconscious.

What the hell is that door?

Zhu Helan didn't dare to think too much.

......................................................

Although the big witch's witchcraft backlash was only on the spiritual level, it should have caused heavy damage to him and his drum.In addition, the root system of the locust tree has been extended, and the balance of Taoism and pollution in the entire Tianliang City and Zilu Mountain has been subtly changed.

Zhu Helan restricted the intake of the locust tree from the source soup, lest it grow too much at once and explode, causing filth in the area.But even so, the locust tree in the atrium has grown visible to the naked eye.Even though it was the coldest month of winter, leaves began to grow on the branches, and the knotted branches stretched out of the inn in a domineering manner, attracting many passers-by to stop and marvel.Even the number of guests in the inn has increased.

But Chong Liu has never come out to work, and can only see the shopkeeper helping to watch in the lobby from time to time, lest Zhu Yi be too busy.

Zhu Yi asked if Chong Liu was sick.Zhu Helan simply said, "He's a little tired, let him rest for a few days."

After busy meal time, Zhu Helan brought some simple lunch back to the courtyard.As soon as he opened the door, he saw that Chong Liu was still in the corner of the bed in the same posture he had left before, with his hands covering his ears, his eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept for days and nights.

"Liu'er, drink some chicken soup. You haven't eaten all day." Zhu Helan said, filled a bowl of chicken soup and brought it over, sitting on the bed and handing it to Chong Liu.

Chong Liu shook his head, "I'm not hungry."

"Do you want me to feed you? At least eat a little, be good." Zhu Helan said, then scooped up a spoonful with a spoon, brought it to his lips and blew it to Chong Liu's mouth.

Chong Liu suddenly pushed his hand away and shouted excitedly, "I told you I'm not hungry!!!"

The spoon fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, the crisp sound made both of them stunned.

Chong Liu's sudden outburst immediately floated out of the sky. He retracted into the quilt, looking paler and thinner, almost like a frightened bird, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I shouldn't lose my temper..."

Zhu Helan sighed, but there was no anger.In the past few days, Chong Liu's spirit has become worse and worse, and his temperament has become unstable.He tried several times to connect with Chong Liu's spirit to investigate the situation inside, but it was always like an invisible wall, unable to communicate with Chong Liu's spirit as smoothly as before.He then tried to draw a spell a few times for Chong Liu to drink, but it was only temporarily relieved, but Chong Liu only slept for an hour, and was awakened by the drumbeat in his head again.

Chong Liu always said that he couldn't sleep.The drums kept beating, day and night, without a moment's break.

"I really want to... use chopsticks to poke it in so hard..." Chong Liu made a movement of piercing his ear with his finger, and suddenly laughed strangely, "If you are deaf, you can't hear..."

"Liu'er, let me think of a way." Zhu Helan hurriedly grabbed Chong Liu's hand, looking seriously into his eyes, "And Song Mingzi and the others are coming back in the next two days, maybe they will have a way. If it doesn't work... let's go find a coppersmith."

Chong Liu nodded wearily, buried his face in his knees, curled up like a baby.

Zhu Helan guessed that he couldn't eat anything, and although he was anxious, he didn't want to force him.He bent down to pick up the ceramic shards on the ground, but suddenly he heard Chong Liu say, "You promised the mother god of all things, the locust tree grows up, and you will go back..."

Zhu Helan paused.

Chong Liu's voice was faint, with unpredictable emotions, "I heard it in your memory... You are the same as Master, you have to leave in the end, don't you?"

"Six..."

Chong Liu raised his head, eyes that were tired and unable to focus his gaze, but with a strange brilliance, a hint of frenzy, "You are the same as Master, and you will leave me in the end. You lied to me when you said you would not leave .”