Chapter 182: Snake Worshipers in the Kingdom of the West Extremity
“Awe of power without virtue, with small courtesy but no great righteousness.”
“Tsk tsk… Thirteen words really say it all. Humanity.”
Walk slowly along the beach.
It didn’t take a moment.
Chen Yulou, who was walking at the front, seemed to notice something.
Suddenly stopped.
Standing under an ancient tree, I looked back at the large lake below.
On the originally empty lake.
At this moment, there is a large ship, which is slowly sailing towards Fuxian Lake.
Seeing this situation, he couldn't help but shook his head and muttered to himself.
Tell the truth.
Rather than drawing a sword, he would rather persuade with gentle words, but this is the case at any time. The bigger the fist, the more convincing the words are.
I didn’t look at those people. I was still suspicious a moment ago, but now I’m on the ferry.
“Let’s go back to the city.”
I saw several people behind me looking thoughtful.
Chen Yulou withdrew his gaze, breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
No matter what.
The fishermen have solved it.
As for the people in the city, if the old shopkeeper comes forward and speaks out, there should be no problem.
After all, it was the only thing Zhou Jiao couldn't let go of before going into seclusion.
Since you promised, you can’t break your promise after all.
Without further delay, the group accelerated their journey and headed straight for the city.
The other side.
In a restaurant in the city.
Miss Hong leaned against the window, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and there was always a lingering worry in her eyes. From time to time, she glanced at the lake far outside the city.
The shopkeeper and the others set out into the lake early in the morning.
It has been several hours and there has been no news.
One morning.
Her heart felt like a stone was pressing down on her. She felt uneasy and always worried that something would happen.
"Sister Hong, don't worry. Brother Chen... well, the two senior brothers are here, so we will definitely be fine."
Hua Ling stood up, stretched out his hand and gently put his arm around her shoulders, smiling. road.
We have known each other for so long.
In her impression, the red girl is heroic, fierce, and not inferior to men.
There are many people in the world who are not as good as her.
This was the first time that I saw such a melancholy and unhappy temperament from her daughter.
"After all, I'm not around..."
The red girl shook her head.
She has been with Chen Yulou for ten years since she went up the mountain at the age of fourteen. During these years, the two have been inseparable, sharing life and death, and she has been present in every fight.
Now, the shopkeeper is personally in danger, but he leaves her alone in the city.
How can this make her feel at ease?
"Brother Chen would probably be upset if he knew what Sister Hong was thinking."
Hua Ling said with a smile.
Hearing the joke in her words, the usually calm red girl felt a touch of heat on her cheeks instantly spread to her earlobes and neck, and indescribable embarrassment appeared in her eyes.
Baito bit her red lips.
Just about to speak.
Suddenly, she froze.
The pupils slowly dilated, and the surprise suppressed the embarrassment.
“What’s wrong?”
Because of the angle, Hua Ling’s line of sight was blocked by the half-opened window.
Can't see what's going on downstairs.
I just noticed that Miss Hong was strange and couldn't help but express concern.
"The shopkeeper is back..."
Miss Hong took a deep breath, holding back the surprise, but the slight rise and fall of her chest exposed her thoughts.
Hua Ling said, quickly rushed to the window and pushed it gently.
Look down.
On the long street outside the building, a group of familiar figures broke into sight.
A figure in a green shirt is at the front, and even among countless pedestrians, you can feel the aura of coming from him.
“It’s really...”
“Let’s go, Sister Hong, go downstairs and have a look.”
Holding Miss Hong's wrist, Hua Ling said impatiently.
"Coming."
Feeling her heart.
The red girl couldn't help but smile.
The little girl who had just begun to fall in love, although she had thought of teasing herself just now, when she saw the shopkeeper An Ran returning, she thought she was hiding it well, but the joy in her eyes almost overflowed.
There were countless young girls in Xiangyin City who had secret feelings for him.
But when the shopkeeper was young, he was obsessed with the art of Xiling. He read through ancient books and restored the instruments that had long since disappeared in the long river of history.
More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
He concentrated on practice again.
I don’t seem to care much about things between men and women.
It was almost never seen that he was interested in any woman.
It would not be a bad thing if Hua Ling could take over the Chen family. At thirty, the shopkeeper would have started a family and started a business.
As for herself.
Although she always uses her vows as an excuse, she knows herself best.
I already have a place in my heart.
However, she couldn't figure out what the shopkeeper was thinking.
When the two of them went downstairs one after another, the guys had already been alerted, and the lobby on the first floor was crowded with people.
See this situation.
The old shopkeeper no longer wanted to greet the guests.
I finally squeezed out the door.
Watching the group return safe and sound.
It feels as unreal as a dream.
At the dockside in the morning.
Although Chen Yulou persuaded him to go back to the city first, he couldn't relax. He just braved the wind on the lake and watched the group of people disappear in the mist by boat before turning back.
Tell the truth.
Act on a group of people.
He actually didn’t have much hope.
How many veteran fishermen who rely on the water for a living ventured into the lake to fish in order to survive, but in the end they only ended up with their boat capsized and people killed.
Chen Yulou has some background.
But the Dragon Prince doesn’t care who you are.
Returning from the lake, he was also restless this morning. He went back and forth on a page of the account book more than a dozen times but still couldn't figure it out. In the end, he could only take over the job of the waiter.
Keep yourself busy.
You won’t have random thoughts.
"Mr. Chen..."
"Old shopkeeper."
Chen Yulou crossed his fists.
We were on the lake today. Thank you very much for his running back and forth, otherwise it would be difficult to get the boat.
"As long as it's okay, it'll be okay."
Seeing that he was as gentle and calm as when he left in the morning, with no trace of injury on his body, the old shopkeeper's hanging heart finally settled. Went back into the stomach.
"That..."
The old shopkeeper seemed to have thought of something.
However, as soon as he opened his mouth, he realized that it was not appropriate, so he thought about it and let it go.
"I still have two jars of good wine. Have a sip?"
"There is no need for wine."
Chen Yulou waved his hand, "I still have to trouble the old shopkeeper. Your thing.”
"Let's wait until we have a good rest before we talk about anything."
He opened a restaurant in the city, and the people he contacted came from all over the country, and he was well-informed. At least in the past few years, he had never heard of anyone who could You can still escape intact after entering the lake.
There were seven people there when we left.
Come back a lot.
That is Fuxian Lake.
Not the little mud puddle in the backyard.
This alone is definitely not something ordinary people can do.
“What if it’s about the River God?”
Chen Yulou glanced at him meaningfully and smiled.
“River...River God?!”
The corner of the old shopkeeper's eyes twitched heavily, and the raised foot suddenly retracted, looking at him in disbelief.
‘How can I meet the River God? ’
What he asked last night is still ringing in my ears.
Unexpectedly, when I heard the words "River God" again, it would come from his mouth.
The old shopkeeper stared at him for a long time, and his heart had already stirred up huge waves. Could it be that they really saw the Dragon Prince when they went to the lake today?
How is this possible?
The first thought that came to the old shopkeeper's mind was that it was impossible.
Fuxian Lake has not been peaceful in recent years.
But what kind of existence is the Dragon Prince? How can it be seen just by wanting to see it?
It took him almost thirty years to build Shuicheng.
But even when it comes to worshiping gods, he has never seen the true form of the River God.
Take a few deep breaths in succession.
After finally suppressing the shock in his heart, the old shopkeeper waved his hand.
“This is not a joke...”
“No joke.”
Chen Yulou's eyes were deep and he said calmly.
“What?”
Now the old shopkeeper was also confused.
Chen Yulou is really difficult to figure out and cannot understand clearly. Otherwise, if it were anyone else, he would just think he was talking nonsense.
Out of caution, the old shopkeeper raised his hand and made a gesture of invitation, the meaning was self-evident.
There are many people downstairs.
If word got out, he couldn't afford to be accused of criticizing the river god.
“That’s fine.”
Chen Yulou nodded.
Following the old shopkeeper, he opened the door all the way through the corridor, and soon arrived outside the patio where he lived.
It's quiet all around.
Two ancient trees extend upward, their crowns are as green as clouds, just covering a pool at the bottom of the well. The sunlight shines through the gaps, reflecting the dappled shadows of the pool.
Among the falling dead leaves.
Occasionally, you can see a few small fish swimming by quickly.
"Mr. Chen, what happened to the river god you just mentioned...?"
The old shopkeeper didn't care about anything else.
As soon as he stopped, he couldn’t wait to ask.
Chen Yulou did not waste any time and repeated what he had told the fishermen on the dock.
Just.
Just a few words. But what he heard made his heart tremble.
"I have to trouble you, the old shopkeeper, about this matter."
"Mr. Chen, relax... This is a good thing. After more than ten years of peace, we can finally live a peaceful life. ”
The old shopkeeper came to his senses and waved his hands repeatedly.
Trouble on the lake.
Fishermen who rely on the water to draft bear the brunt.
The same is true for people like him who open their doors for business.
"That's good."
Seeing him agreeing.
Chen Yulou also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, by the way, old shopkeeper, there is something else I want to ask in person."
"Mr. Chen, feel free to speak out."
"The last god-sacrifice ceremony three years ago, there were people on the ship at that time. Who do you still remember?"
On the way back, Chen Yulou was thinking about this.
Most questions already have answers.
But there are still some puzzles.
It just so happened that the old shopkeeper was one of the people who was responsible for escorting the sacrificial ship and managed to survive. It would be obvious to ask him for confirmation.
"Of course..."
The old shopkeeper thought for a moment.
The past events from back then came to mind.
"Every year, the people who worship the gods and escort the boat are designated by the river god. We were selected at the same time. There are seven people in total. But for some reason, when we boarded the boat, there was one more person."
" I asked out of curiosity, but Miao Zhu said that the odd number had a bad meaning, and adding another person could also show sincerity to the river god, so I didn’t think much about it.”
Listening to his ramble. Speaking of.
Chen Yulou tapped his fingers.
“It was originally a calm journey, and the sacrificial boat arrived at the center of the lake smoothly. We just waited for the incense to be burned and reported, and the river god could take the boat back after enjoying the sacrificial offerings.”
"But that day it was like seeing a ghost."
"The river god suddenly became angry and overturned the boat. Fortunately, I was lucky and hugged a piece of the boat plank..."
Although several years have passed.
But that thing was too terrible.
In the past few years, he had been suffering a lot. He didn't know how many times he would wake up from nightmares in the middle of the night. When he closed his eyes, that scene would appear in his mind.
Until he finished speaking.
Chen Yulou then spoke calmly.
"There are two more questions. Can the old shopkeeper help me clear up my doubts."
"First, what does the extra man on the boat look like?"
" Second, can you take me to meet the temple priest?”
The words just fell.
The old shopkeeper took over the words.
“I remember that the extra person was a stranger. After getting on the boat, he walked to the side and sat down, covering his head with his clothes. If he had to say something, he would talk to the masters in the temple. It’s somewhat similar.”
Because before setting off, there was one more person.
For a major event such as worshiping gods, which cannot be taken lightly, it would have been an unimaginable mistake before.
Therefore, he was still quite impressed.
"As for the temple blessing...when does Mr. Chen want to meet?"
"The sooner the better, naturally."
Hearing this, Chen Yulou actually understood in his heart , which was consistent with his initial guess. Miao Zhu played a key role in this matter.
"Now?"
"Okay!"
The old shopkeeper swore that it was really just a casual comment.
But I never expected that Chen Yulou would be so anxious.
Now that the words have been spoken, it is too late to regret it. I can only smile and nod, "Mr. Chen, wait a moment, I will ask someone to prepare the carriage."
"Is it very far? ”
I used to walk out of the city.
This time he actually asked to take a ride, and Chen Yulou couldn't help but asked curiously.
"The Dragon King Temple is built at the foot of the mountain on the south bank of Fuxian Lake. It is deserted. It is almost ten miles away from here..."
"Then don't take a car and ride a horse."< br>
More than ten miles.
The bus ride will take an hour or two less.
Chen Yulou made a prompt decision.
On the one hand, wasting time, on the other hand, he had a strong premonition that when the Tertön died, the temple priest would most likely have escaped.
See him and make up his mind.
The old shopkeeper is not easy to refute.
After a while.
The group of people mounted their horses and rushed directly out of the city.
Worried that the old shopkeeper was getting old, Chen Yulou even sent a waiter to take him on horseback.
After leaving the city and heading south, as far as the eye can see are rugged and difficult mountain roads, and the further in, the fewer people are seen along the way, and only a few households of mountain residents can be seen occasionally.
See this situation.
Chen Yulou's mind became increasingly heavy.
Logically speaking, the Dragon King Temple, as a place of worship, should not be built in such a wilderness.
So it seems.
That Miao Zhu may have a plan.
So that you can escape successfully after getting it.
Almost half an hour.
Between the lakes and mountains, a building with red walls and black tiles finally appeared. The style is somewhat similar to the northern temple, but it also incorporates the design of Tibetan stone buildings.
“That’s it.”
Seeing the Dragon King Temple, the old shopkeeper on horseback breathed a sigh of relief.
There was almost no rest along the way.
A handful of old bones are almost broken.
“Go and call the door.”
Chen Yulou walked to the mountain road outside the temple.
The door is closed at the moment.
I don’t know if it is affected by the unrest on the lake in recent years, but there is obviously not enough incense in the temple.
He glanced at Kunlun behind him and whispered an order.
However.
The words just fell.
A ray of his consciousness has already enveloped the temple.
“Kunlun, no need, there is no one.”
The temple was silent and unpopular. It had obviously been abandoned for a long time.
"You shouldn't, Miao Zhu never leaves easily..."
Hearing this, the old shopkeeper still didn't believe it, so he subconsciously explained for Miao Zhu.
"You'll know when you go in and take a look."
Chen Yulou shook his head. As he spoke, he turned over and dismounted. He had already crossed the stone steps, walked straight to the door and pushed it.
The Dragon King Temple is not that big.
Two major halls, front and back.
God tablets and statues are enshrined respectively.
A cloud of dust has accumulated on the ground. Apparently no one has been here for a long time.
The old shopkeeper’s face became uglier as he looked at it.
Because this place is too remote, everyone worships gods at home or carries incense to the lake.
But he never expected that the Dragon King Temple would be so desolate.
"Miao Zhu lives in the backyard on weekdays. Let's go look there."
At this moment, he couldn't care about anything else.
Go around the corridor under the gable of the apse and go straight to the backyard.
only.
When he hurriedly opened a door, he was greeted by a gloomy and musty smell.
"Kunlun, take the people to spread out and look around."
Chen Yulou whispered.
He himself walked straight into the room.
His eyes swept over.
Except for a bed, table, chairs and bench, it is surprisingly simple.
The surrounding windows are tightly closed and sealed. It is estimated that they have not been opened all year round. The door bolts are almost rusted to death, dust is floating in the air, and spider webs are everywhere in the corners of the wooden beams.
Looking at this posture, Miao Zhu Shao said that he had been running for more than two years.
Withdraw your gaze.
Chen Yulou was moved.
The consciousnesses in the Huangting Palace are intertwined, spreading around like rain all over the sky.
This is where the temple Zhu lives. Even if people leave, some traces will definitely be left behind.
The consciousness shines like fire.
Immediately there was nothing to hide from anywhere in the room.
"Huh?"
When his consciousness scanned the wall near the head of the bed, he suddenly raised his eyebrows, subconsciously opened his eyes, and walked straight towards that place under the astonished eyes of the old shopkeeper behind him. .
Stretch out your hand, quietly exert your strength, and slap it with one palm.
Crack——
The originally thick wall was like a hinge door, pushed straight inward.
"This..."
The old shopkeeper was completely dumbfounded by this moment.
Kunlun, who had no harvest around, had also rushed back. Seeing this, he immediately took out the fire folder, blew it gently, the fire ignited, and then raised it towards the door.
A flame jumped.
Wait for the firelight to dispel the surrounding darkness.
The two looked attentively.
I discovered that there was a whole other world behind the door.
Obviously someone built another group of temples.
Not bad.
The Dragon King Temple was originally built on the mountain. The backyard wall is connected to the mountain, and what is connected behind the door is a stone cave.
The space is not big.
But although the sparrow is small, it has all the internal organs.
The stone walls in the cave are polished as smooth as a mirror. There are futons, stone platforms, shrines, fire pits and... a statue of a god with a strange shape and a completely different style.
“Give me fire.”
Chen Yulou’s pair of night eyes can easily see through the black fog in the cave.
But when his gaze swept over the statue, a rare hint of solemnity, surprise and disbelief flashed through it.
Subconsciously took the fire certificate from Kunlun.
Strode through the cave and walked outside the shrine deep in the cave.
Look by the firelight.
It was clearly a strange snake with the head of a human and the body of a snake, with wings.
The eyes were dark and seemed to have no pupils.
Just staring at the two people who broke into this place.
The eyes facing each other make people feel as if they have fallen into an ice cave and shudder.
"This... Quetzalcoatl?!"
"The country of the West Pole, worshipers of snakes!"
(End of this chapter)