Tai sui

The early morning in Shiqili Town was kicked off by a huqin wafting from the attic of the Wanlai Inn.

Wanlai Inn used to be called "Jinbao Inn". It was changed to "Wanlai" after hearing that Tengyunjiao Station was to be built a few years ago, planning to welcome "Wanfanglaiguo".As a result, the station was not built, and visitors from all over the world did not know which monkey mountain to pull the flag on.Naturally, this poor and dilapidated inn is not worthy of the fairy spirit of monks and lords, so only small businessmen from certain channels gather together to settle down.

The wild fox town fair is over, it is the off-season, and the business of Wanlai Inn is very low. Fortunately, a wild musician has come recently, and each person has more stories than a troupe.

Since this one came, the big rooster in the backyard of the Wanlai Inn stopped crowing.

Every day just after dawn, there is a "squeak" sound upstairs on time, and the musician, Mr. Cui, doesn't sleep in, and starts a new day of spring on time.

The strings are a little damp, and the sound of the piano is desolate. All day long, he either laments "Falling flowers are intentional and flowing water is ruthless", or plays "Great talent does not meet loneliness". Quite a lot.

The proprietress gets up early every day to the sound of his piano, sweeps the courtyard, chops firewood and fetches water, directs two waiters and a cook to work.

The proprietress’s surname is Tao—there are three surnames in Tao County, “Tao”, “Wang” and “Xu”, and 11% of them belong to these three families—the elders call her “Second Sister-in-law”, while the younger generation call her “Second Grandma”. She is a widow. Her husband had been dead for [-] years, and she was so courageous that she supported her two children by relying on the "violent business" in Yehu Township.The children grew up and started their own families, and she also had gray temples. She felt that she still had a heroic spirit, so she continued to operate the small inn.

Western Chu is far less wealthy than Dawan, and it seems that it does not talk about "education by etiquette" like the other side. Especially in this kind of borderland, it is impossible to support a family with a man-giving a lot of money is a waste of money. People can't get enough to eat.Therefore, it is very common for women to come out to show their faces and do things, but they are not as gossiping as Nanwan.

When Second Grandma Tao worked, it was really pleasing to the eye. Her plump arms and legs moved like a dance with a special rhythm, never sloppy.Although her hair is white, she has no firewood that can't be split three times when she swings the axe. She is yelling and commanding in her small courtyard, like a general with a sword that never grows old.

As soon as it became hot here, even Mr. Cui's chirping voice upstairs couldn't help but follow her rhythm, and the chants during his illness became a horse racing song.

Second Mistress threw the rag over her shoulders, wiped off her sweat, and shouted upstairs, "Mr. Cui, what do you want to eat?"

Mr. Cui was still shaking his legs in the lingering rhyme of the horse racing song, and when he heard the sound, he picked up the huqin and answered her a few notes with "ouch ha yo".

It's a pity that the second grandmother is not a bosom friend: "Speak human words!"

Mr. Cui poked out a shame-faced head: "Eat what you have, don't put spicy food."

After the second grandma heard this, her eyebrows, which were shorter than others, raised up, and she felt that Mr. Cui was really inhuman.

Although this Mr. Cui was a bit older, he was tall and tall, with a good figure.However, this person shamelessly claimed to have tuberculosis and was unable to work, but except for one day when he vomited blood, Second Mistress never heard him cough... The blood from the vomit stained a whole sweat towel, It didn't look real, especially when he took out the thing and shivered a few times, the nature of the show was obvious.One day the second grandmother accidentally washed him, and he failed to spit out the second piece.

Based on this, Second Mistress concluded that his sweat towel was a fake, and she might have found blood to smear it with.

At first, Second Mistress thought that the idle Mr. Cui was a poor young man, but later she found out that it was not.

A heavy rain the day before yesterday damaged the room on the west side of the inn. Mr. Cui helped to repair it. After repairing the chicken thief, the lion opened his mouth and paid for ten days' accommodation.He is actually not bad at work, adzes, chisels, axes, saws, etc. are awkward at first, but after a few tries, he gets used to them quickly.Strange to say, his hands are thin and tender, and there are no calluses, but he is familiar with these things, as if he has been tempered in a dream.

He can also write and count, and he can write all the words he can speak. Second Mistress believes that anyone in the town who can reach this level can count with one hand.So she couldn't figure it out: why can't she start a family and start a business?Others are so old, they are almost looking for marriages for their children, but this Mr. Cui is still wandering around, daydreaming with a broken huqin bought for half a penny every day, either his head hurts or his butt hurts.

Mr. Cui also salivated on his face. He tried the song in the Chu opera troupe, but he didn't want it. He said that this man had a sad face, and the sound of playing the piano was like a man crying at night.Only when a wealthy family goes to a funeral, the masters of ceremonies are willing to ask him to give a performance to the accompaniment.

"Two two two..." There was a choked voice from the back kitchen.

The cook at the Wanlai Inn stuttered. When he was a child, he had a fever and his brain burned out. His family couldn't support him, so he simply threw it away.The second grandma picked him up on a rainy night and named him "Da Yu". When he was half-grown, he let him learn from the old cook when he was thirteen or fourteen years old.The old cook had a stroke the year before last, and the young cook took over. Although he is stupid, he is capable of work.

Second Grandma: "What are you doing?"

The cook's forehead was sweating, and he choked out a sentence for a long time: "Big big pot, boiler..."

The big boiler in the back kitchen was bought on the black market, and it was [-] Nanwan goods. The ones eliminated in the factory were the most valuable things in the entire inn.Boiling water and rice in one pot is not to mention how convenient it is, but it is easy to break down over time.

The second grandma couldn't understand these steam things, so she called out: "Mr. Cui, can you make a boiler?"

Mr. Cui buried Qiuyue and Chunhua in a "creaky" way, and took the time to moan: "I haven't eaten yet."

"If the boiler is broken, it's a fart. You fix it, and it will be worth five days."

"Hey." Mr. Cui said nothing, waving his long legs, he walked down the stairs in two steps, "heartbroken" and "ecstasy" ran to the silly cook, and went to repair the boiler.

"Second Grandma, hello!" a waiter shouted, "A guest is here!"

Second Grandma Tao was taken aback for a moment, looked up at the dawning sky, and thought: so early?

As soon as she came to the front and saw the visitor, the second grandma felt like a mirror in her heart. Although the two guests tried their best to dress up inconspicuously, their postures were not like that-the backs were too straight, and they subconsciously looked at the distance. He squints his eyes and turns his head to listen to the sound from time to time, as if his ears are not working well.

These are two immortals.

She held up a friendly smile and blessed her, explaining that there was something wrong with the boiler in the shop, and the distinguished guests might have to sit down for a while to drink hot water.

In the past, she dared not imagine that she could talk to Xianzun so decently.

Opening a shop and doing business, dealing with all kinds of religions, she is not stage frightened when she sees people, but the immortals—especially Lord Qilinwei, all have "immortal energy" in them, which can make people unable to lift their heads, let alone speak clearly.

But that day when Tai Sui appeared in a daze, after saying "There will be no more immortals and demons in Tao County", it was amazing!Like a dream, it really came true!The monks outside became like ordinary people when they came in, not as flexible as ordinary people who are used to clumsy hands. There are no more ghosts and gods fighting in the street, and even the mid-autumn moonlight is somewhat clear.Those who came back from other places said that Tao County is completely different from the outside, and they can feel refreshed after staying overnight.

After that, the immortals who came to the county for open and unannounced visits never ceased, and the Wanlai Inn had received several calls, and Mistress Tao could already easily tell which people were the "elders".She welcomes these people very much now, but once the immortals come to loosen their hands, they spend a lot of money.Secondly, the "immortal spirit" disappeared from these big figures who could not be looked at directly by the sun in the past, Second Grandma Tao could speak eloquently again, every time she straightened her waist and answered the words of the immortal respectfully, she could I have been secretly proud for a long time.

At this moment, the sound of a carriage was heard outside, and the two distinguished guests in the inn stood up nervously upon hearing the sound.

Second Grandma Tao's heart beat faster: big shot.

Hearing the sound of the door curtain, a "pure white" man came in outside.

This person's hair is white, his clothes are also white, and his skin has no trace of blood, and he still wears a snow-white mask on his face.

The two monks in the inn rushed forward to salute, and they both called "Master Uncle".

The "white man" waved his hand and entered the door, and nodded at the stunned Second Grandma Tao without losing his poise. The eyes shot from under the mask were like frost and snow, blowing coldly across the dilapidated small inn.

The two monks who arrived first stood on both sides, and one of them asked Second Grandma Tao, "Are you the boss?"

"The folk woman is exactly."

The monk flashed a token at her and asked, "Have you seen anyone here recently?"

Second Grandma Tao couldn't understand what was written on the token, she just felt that this posture was like a Qilin Guard, and hurriedly lowered her eyebrows and replied obediently: "My lord, no..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a "boom" from the back kitchen, and everyone's eyes were immediately attracted by the movement, and the big boiler spouted gas again.

Then a man came in from behind wiping his hands.

Grandma Tao's heart skipped a beat: Yes, Mr. Cui has not been here for a long time.

But it's strange to say, maybe it's his kind accent, maybe it's because he doesn't think of himself as an outsider, Second Grandma Tao didn't realize that he was a "stranger" at all, and now thinking about it, she became inexplicably frightened .

The next moment, Mr. Cui met the eyes under the snow-white mask. He didn't dodge, but his eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a "huh".Then, the lazy man became "smart" again, belatedly put away his restless temperament, and bent down: "Hello, seniors."

After finishing speaking, he slid around and found a place to sit, and said quietly: "Second Mistress, the boiler is ready, you just need to change the pipe."

Second Grandma Tao collected herself, and said to the white mask without changing her expression: "Master Hui, there is no big market right now, and there are only a few peddlers who come and go in the small shop, and they are all regular customers... What do you want to use? "

For some reason, "White Mask" stared at Mr. Cui with good eyes. It happened that Mr. Cui was also peeking at the white mask. Shrunk.

The monk standing next to him said, "This doesn't look like a wandering peddler."

Second Grandma Tao said as if nothing had happened: "Hey, he is an old bachelor in the countryside, a homeless and jobless idler, living in a small shop on weekdays, and doing some odd jobs to pay the bills."

Hearing this, Mr. Cui seemed to want to defend himself, but he didn't dare to offend the proprietress, so he got up and muttered: "My lord, I'm just a musician, so..."

The second half of the sentence was stared back by Second Grandma Tao.

"White Mask" looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, and then looked away. The monks only ordered a pot of hot tea, but the tea did not touch their lips when it came, put down the change and left.

As soon as these people left, everyone in the Wanlai Inn breathed a sigh of relief and began to discuss in low voices.

A charcoal seller staying in the shop stabbed Mr. Cui, and asked with a smile, "Who is the musician of 'Nianxi'?"

"Fart, that's to save my friend's face, go over and do me a favor." Mr. Cui turned around when he heard the words, and blew vigorously, such as "playing the piano by the Lingyang River in Jinping", "the smoke from the steamboat in Jinping" It's all sweet-scented osmanthus flavor."

Second Grandma Tao couldn't bear to listen anymore, she threw the towel to him: "You can pull it down, and wipe the ashes off your face."

Mr. Cui: "Second Grandma, get up early and add an egg."

Second Mistress put her hips on her hips: "I think you look like an egg."

Mr. Cui was not angry, just looked at her with a smile.This tuberculosis ghost is ugly, with a disheveled face, wrinkled when he smiles, a messy mustache covering the lower half of his face, only a pair of eyes, so affectionate as if he stole it from someone else.He never winks when he makes unreasonable demands, but just stares at people eagerly, with a gleam in his eyes, and somehow he succeeds every time.

Sometimes Second Grandma Tao thought, maybe this dog is really close to Hua Kui, and said: "You, say a daughter-in-law and start a family, can't you live according to your life? You have to marry a fairy?"

"It's not really." Mr. Cui said boldly, "Just be a little prettier than me."

Second Grandma Tao: "..."

But what a good man he must be if he wants to show some face, even if it's just at the bottom of a cup?

Behind the Wanlai Inn, the masked white-haired man in the carriage listened to these meaningless gossips, knocked on the door of the carriage, and the carriage rumbled towards the depths of Shiqili Town.Tao County is so "bad" that even he has no inspiration. I am afraid that only the sage of Yueman can see where the weirdness of this place is.

Mr. Cui——Xi Ping tapped the dining table made of reincarnated wood lightly with his chopsticks, and passed the news to Lu Wu: "San Yue Xuan has no relatives."

Yu Chang took advantage of Xiang Wenqing to be trapped in Tao County and fled overseas overnight.

This top folk cultivator was really good at hiding his whereabouts, and he didn't bring out a single spirit stone from Xichu.It was too late when Sanyueshan got the news, and urgently contacted the other three countries, but no trace of this person has been found so far.

Yu Chang disappeared with the broken law, the head of the Yujiawan clan fell, and the inner treasury was bombed, making it a mess, but it was hard to tell——Why does a folk clan hold so many spirit stones?Where did the spirit stone come from?It's hard to explain, there are countless eyes staring at the treasure land of Yujiawan, but Yu Chang's drastic action made the wolves around him ready to move.

Dongheng Sanyue didn't bother to take care of their messes, and Xianshan was worried about Tao County.

The current situation in Tao County is undoubtedly a trick of Pofa, but Pofa’s whereabouts are unknown, and the people in the entire county don’t know anything, and they live their lives step by step. —Besides, it can't be done. Up to now, there have been at least five or six groups of people from Qilinwei and Sanyue Neimen, and even the cicadas have come in person.

Don't you see that Elder Xuan Wu's mask has been replaced with one with holes?

The suspended carriage drove into the "Avenue" of Shiqili Town, the road was in disrepair and uneven, no matter whether it was a cicada slough or a fairy sitting in the carriage, it was still sieved.

Suddenly, the disciple driving the chariot clumsily pulled the reins.

He seemed to negotiate a few words with someone, and then handed something in through the car door: "Master Uncle, look."

After the Snake King Fairy Palace was blown up, the locals began to use "Yanyun Liu" to carve the Tai Sui God Tablet again. This time, the God Tablet has a different look.

Xuan Wu took it over, and saw that the wooden plaque was rough in workmanship, but the general shape could be vaguely seen from the facial features - it was Yu Chang.

What is "Tai Sui"?

It's hard to say, in a place like Nanwan where folk monks are strictly prohibited and heavy codes are used for the so-called "evil spirits", in order to survive, the "evil spirits" will form groups with each other and fabricate an "idol" as their own symbol.In case of natural disasters and man-made disasters, the common people rush to the doctor in a hurry and ask for any gods. Over time, these inexplicable "fairies" will be included in folklore.

In places like Xichu, where the black market is semi-public, the situation is more complicated: some big clans who dominate one side are ambitious. , will take this as a sustenance.There is no big clan in Tao County, and the former local snake was an evil creature who was able to dig around everywhere. According to legend, he brought the so-called "Tai Sui", a mud embryo that I don't know the so-called wood carving.

The last time Yinyuelun went down to exorcise evil spirits, Qiu killed him, but Yinyuelun's anger still lingered. Although it was later found out that there was a piece of Yongchun Brocade on the body of the Dian Jinshou, he had no intuition that it was secretly enshrined in the Snake King Immortal Palace. There is a problem with the statue... If he remembers correctly, Yanyun Liu was once a kind of companion wood.

But Yanyun willows of the Xiajiang generation are everywhere, and poor people all use this thing to carve ancestral tablets, and the statues carved by Yanyun willows are not the only one.But inexplicably, Xuan Wu felt that there was something wrong with the "Tai Sui" in Tao County.

He clasped the wooden sign in the palm of his hand, and tapped lightly with his bloodless fingers: Corresponding to Yanyunliu, the ancient demon god called "Reincarnation Wood" by Wan people, seemed to perish in Nanwan at last.

Yu Chang transferred 10 taels of Bai Ling from Yujiawan to detonate the spirit gathering array in Tao County, expelling Moon Shadow... the statue carved on the reincarnated wood became the image of Yu Chang...

But Xiang Wenqing said that Yu Chang seemed to have colluded with Nanwan Luwu.

There are countless clues about this matter, and it seems that it all points to Xuanyin Mountain.

In the past hundred years of Xuanyin, two cicadas had accidents one after another, and Zhao Yin was directly broken and fell on the spot.What are they doing?

He was also melted by the gold melting furnace, planning to repeat the same mistakes?

Xuan Wu's face was slightly deep: "Go back."

Openly sending spies to infiltrate other countries to act wildly is like deceiving others too much.

"Inform Qilinwei to set up a branch here immediately, and build it outside the Forbidden Line. Within the Forbidden Line, the border guards will be stationed. From now on, the population will be strictly checked, and all residents will be registered. Clearly, no concealment is allowed. The ferry in Tao County is closed, and no foreigner is allowed to disembark from this place." Xuan Wu said, "Also, ask people to remove all reincarnated trees in Tao County, so that the people are not allowed to spread the word of these evil gods."