Strange Tale

Si Ren looked at his reflection in the water, he had completely recovered to his young and handsome appearance in Yancheng.But... It has been a few days since the five-color stone was thrown into the pool, and there is still no movement today.

"Jiuying──" Si Ren stood up and tried to call out to the water.

There was no sound in the water.

"Dragon Nine──" Si Ren did not give up.

The pool water is still as flat as a mirror.

"Xiao Jiu──" Si Ren shouted with all his might.

The surface of the water is still quiet.

"Ai──" Si Ren sighed, turned around and wanted to leave, preparing to come back tomorrow

Suddenly, there was a sound of splashing water, and Si Ren suddenly turned around: half of his head was exposed on the water surface like a water ghost.

"Xiao Jiu?" Si Ren called again tentatively.

The head "floats" over and reveals more and more.That's right, it was Jiuying, and the shadow of Long Jiu could still be found between his brows.But as he got closer and closer, Si Ren found that his height gradually surpassed his own, and he was naked again.

Sure enough, everything is repeating itself?Si Ren looked up at Jiuying, "How much do you... remember?"

"I remember all of them."

"I carved the five-color stone according to the appearance of Long Jiu, why are you so tall?"

"Because I'm still Jiuying."

"Then what should I call you?"

"Long Jiu."

"Uh...Okay. Actually, I prepared clothes for you, but it seems that you can't fit them now. Let's go."

"where to?"

"I built a hut near here."

at night.

Si Ren walked the needle under the lamp.Long Jiu put on Si Ren's clothes and watched with interest.

"I didn't expect you to make clothes?"

"Always will."

"What else would you do?"

"Anything."

"What am I now? Human?"

"No, it's still a goblin."

"how about you?"

"God. The god who is in charge of guarding you."

"Why?"

"As long as you are willing to attach to the five-color stone and stay with me."

"Why were you so sure?"

"I'm not sure."

"Then what if I leave?"

"Catch up with you and die with you."

"I do not believe."

"what!"

"what happened?"

"It's hard."

"Let me see."

"Oh?! What are you doing?"

"It won't hurt like this, will it?"

"Um……"

"how?"

"You're not the same as before."

"You don't like it?"

"No. It's just a little..."

"What? Regret?"

"Ah."

"late."

……

Si Ren opened his eyes, stretched out his hand to touch the side of the pillow, the five-color stone was well in the Qiankun bag.Turning over, he fell asleep again.

By the sea, many people gathered together.A huge fire was burning on a grass pile.

Not far away, two fishermen passed by.

"What is this doing?"

"I heard that Master Chongjiu passed away in his sleep three days ago."

"Ah?! Chongjiu? Is it the Chongjiu mage who travels all over the world and goes to disaster-stricken places to rescue the suffering?"

"That's him. You know that too?"

"Of course, who doesn't know. Master Chongjiu has a sacred stone. Anytime, anywhere, regardless of drought, flood or plague, as long as the sacred stone is buried in the ground, all disasters will be eliminated within three days, and everything will recover within three months. It’s been a year since then. It’s said that he’s a god alive. Alas...unexpectedly, there will be a day when he will travel westward on a crane.”

"99."

"what?"

"It happened to be his 99th birthday when the mage passed away three days ago, so he should be named after him. It's a pity that he didn't survive to become a centenarian."

"It's not bad. But...why don't we leave the mage's body for people to pay respects and worship, but to be cremated?"

"It was the mage's last words that he asked to be cremated together with the sacred stone. No, everyone is waiting for the relic."

"Relic? Master Chongjiu is a Buddhist disciple?"

"No, it is said that he was a fool for half his life. He had worshiped gods as his teachers and never became a monk. He was neither a monk nor a Taoist, but he knew both dharmas. So he is a real master of the Tao, so he can't have nothing. Besides Even if Master Chong Jiu can't leave anything behind, the Divine Stone should still be there after refining it."

"Well, that's right, then let's go and have a look. If we can see the relic or the sacred stone with our own eyes, we will surely be blessed with auspiciousness and blessings."

"Okay, let's go."

The flames were extinguished and the ashes dimmed. Someone stepped forward to see what was left.Suddenly, the wind was so strong that everyone had to close their eyes.

After a while, everyone opened their eyes to look again.Azure waves and yellow sand, the wind blows past the sky.The unburnt piles of grass and trees are empty, nothing is left.The waves are accompanied by the breeze, and there seems to be someone whispering: birth and death are impermanent, there is no difference.From the boundless, return to the void.

──End of the full text──