Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Is your grandfather still alive?" Third asked. The shopkeeper replied, "My grandfather is still alive, but his mind isn't very clear anymore."
The others were still reminiscing about the story when Second spoke up, "Does he live with you?"
"No, he lives alone."
Wang Er Gou suddenly said, "Fortune-Telling and Feng Shui were originally one and the same, but one focuses on fate while the other focuses on circumstances. Later, for some unknown reason, they split apart."
Seven asked, "It must have been due to a disagreement between the two Patriarchs that caused the split."
Wang Er Gou was about to speak when Third interrupted him, saying, "After everything is over, can you take me to see the old man?"
The waiter agreed.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the foot of a mountain. The waiter said, "Gentlemen, from here you can only go up." Upon hearing this, everyone dismounted.
The waiter hesitated and said, "Well, I won't go up." They didn't say anything and simply handed him fifty silver coins.
After receiving his payment, the waiter was quite pleased and promised to take good care of their horses.
At that moment, Second remembered something and said, "You haven't told us about the haunted happenings around here."
The waiter slapped his forehead and said, "Look at my memory!" He then explained, "This ancient temple is quite eerie. During a past flood disaster, someone led a group to smash the temple, and afterward they all fell ill and died without any warning."
"As soon as someone speaks ill of this temple, they will be cursed and die mysteriously. So this temple has become a forbidden topic; no one has dared to go up since then."
"That's really creepy!" The others felt a chill run down their spines. Third looked up at the mountain and said, "Let's go!"
Without further hesitation, they began to climb the not-so-tall mountain, which was about fifty meters high, with the ancient temple at the very top.
There used to be a path here, but no one had come for many years, and it had been overgrown with wild grass. The waiter stayed behind to watch the horses.
Seven touched the prepared rations and water, saying to Waiter, "If we don't come back in three days, this horse will belong to you."
Without waiting for Waiter to respond, he began to climb up.
Waiter watched the figures of the others as they walked away. Throughout their journey, he realized that they were not bad people, and deep down, he hoped they would return safely.
Second brushed aside the wild grass beside him and remarked, "It seems like no one has walked this path in a long time."
Seven took out his dagger and started cutting through the tangled vegetation, saying, "I guess no one has ever walked this road."
Wang Er Gou added, "The feng shui here is quite good; it's a prime location."
Second joked in response, "Hey Er Gou, how about we bury you here?" Wang Er Gou replied, "Dying here wouldn't be so bad. Look," he pointed at the gap between two mountains, "as long as you don't bury me there, I can choose anywhere in this area."
Second asked, "Isn't that mountain gap a good spot?"
At this moment, Seven interjected, "It's too good; I can't afford it!"
Wang Er Gou glanced at Seven and couldn't help but praise him, "You've made great progress, Hu Brother." Seven smiled and said, "Of course! Did you think I learned from you for nothing?"
"Then tell me about the way through that gap."
Seven replied, "If I'm wrong, please correct me, Ergou Master." Upon hearing this, Second burst into laughter, and Seven joined in. They had all grown quite familiar with each other now.
As Wang Er Gou contemplated whether he should change his name or not.
Seven composed himself and cleared his throat. He began according to Feng Shui, "In the opening of heaven and earth, amidst the covering of all things, the essence of yin and yang is cultivated. The spirits of mountains and rivers give life to all things. That is the best; thus, the location of a tomb should also be arranged according to the principles of a residence. To put it simply, it should face south while sitting north. The terrain in front of the tomb should be open."
"And looking at that mountain gap's position, it is completely blocked by two mountains. Therefore, it should be devoid of good feng shui; being buried there would likely only give rise to evil spirits."
Wang Er Gou nodded after listening, while Second remained confused. Third walked ahead, not saying a word, and after Seven finished speaking, he glanced at Seven with mild surprise.
After Seven spoke, he asked, "Ergou Master, didn't you say that your master once discovered a tomb that completely defied Feng Shui?"
Wang Er Gou replied, "That kind of Feng Shui position is extremely rare, and I suspect that such Feng Shui might not even exist. When my master sought the truth, the homeowner refused to reveal it. It seems likely now that the Feng Shui layout was artificially altered."
Seven interjected, "Doesn't that mean it goes against natural laws and defies heavenly principles?"
Wang Er Gou said, "In Feng Shui, there is a technique called the 'Illusion of Heaven Technique.' This method can evade heavenly scrutiny through artificial arrangements and become a transcendent existence. However, it seems to have been lost to time. There is no mention of it in the 'Feng Shui Record' either."
"Is there any similar record in the 'Feng Shui Record'?"
Wang Er Gou pondered for a moment before responding, "There is, but it comes at a great cost; hardly anyone would use it. However, the 'Illusion of Heaven Technique' is different; it can easily avoid heavenly punishment."
Seven fell into thought and stopped speaking. Second was still puzzled, while Since caught up with Third's pace.
After walking for a while, the ancient temple came into view. Seeing their target so close, they quickened their steps and soon reached the mountaintop.
At the summit, the withered vegetation lay scattered everywhere. However, as they pushed through the underbrush, they found an open area devoid of any grass. The ground was covered with stones from the mountain, and the incense burner at the temple entrance had toppled over. Corrosion had penetrated its surface, making it look like a sieve.
Seven approached the incense burner and remarked, "This incense burner hasn't been here long—just a few decades. It was probably set up during Waiter's grandfather's time."
"How did it become so dilapidated?" Second kicked at it, causing a piece of iron to fall off.
At this time, it was around eight or nine o'clock. The sun shone brightly as usual, radiating warmth.
In a circular plot at the entrance of the ancient temple stood a tree that looked like it was about to wither away; three adults would barely be able to wrap their arms around it. The tree had no leaves; only dry branches reached out toward the sky as if telling a story. The bark of the tree had a muddy hue. "This tree must have existed for several hundred years," Second commented.
Looking further ahead, several ruins stood abruptly before them. Bricks were scattered on the ground, and walls about a meter high loomed in front of them.
This was likely a side hall, one that had been deliberately damaged.
As they moved forward, they reached the main hall, where two vermilion pillars supported the eaves of the temple. The part of the eaves that jutted out was covered with golden debris, and on the crossbeam at the top of the temple were two dragons. If one looked closely, they would notice that these dragons had no eyes.
The vermilion pillars showed no signs of fading; they still appeared bright red.
Upon entering the ancient temple, the group found it surprisingly dust-free. In fact, it was spotless. Wasn't that a bit eerie? It had been decades since anyone had come here, yet it remained so clean.
They exchanged glances, and indeed, all the inscriptions inside the ancient temple were in ancient script, and there were quite a few of them.
"Seven" exclaimed in surprise, "Come look at Empress Zhengguan!" The other three quickly gathered around upon hearing his call. Before them stood a wooden statue, about two meters tall, with a base approximately one meter long. It was a large wooden carving, intricately detailed, clearly crafted by a master artisan.
However, what astonished them was not just the statue's size but that they had encountered an "old acquaintance" again—the girl depicted on the stone wall of the Underground Swamp.
"Second" said helplessly, "I guess this time we won't have any good news."
"I'm afraid this woman is truly a being being worshipped," "Third" suddenly remarked. "This confirms our previous suspicions."
The entire area of the ancient temple was about one hundred square meters, with four large pillars supporting its structure. The height of the temple reached around four meters.
In front of the statue was an altar. Beneath the altar was a wooden table on which sat an incense burner filled with ash.
"Wang Er Gou" suddenly heard the sound of flowing water. To his surprise, there was an opening beneath the altar through which mountain spring water flowed out—a gentle trickle rather than a strong stream.
"Seven" approached and said, "This might also be an underground river because this spring is dark and bottomless." The opening's circumference was too small for even a person to crawl through.
"Third" stood in front of the altar and touched the ash with his hand, feeling a stir within him as he glanced at the woman squatting on the altar. He thought to himself, "Could it be that you are truly still alive?"
With that thought, "Third" couldn't help but sigh. To be alive—how many people wished to live forever?
"Wang Er Gou said, 'This water should be drinkable, right?' Seven checked the water quality and replied, 'No problem, it's very good Mountain Spring Water.'
Second, after hearing this, scooped up some water and took a sip, exclaiming in surprise, 'Wow, this water is really sweet.'
Wang Er Gou also took a sip and said, 'It really is sweet.' Seven smiled and said, 'I told you so!' Third tasted a bit and suddenly said, 'This water...' then trailed off.
Second asked, 'Third, what's wrong with the water?' Third came to his senses and said, 'This water... is very sweet.'
Second bluntly remarked, 'Isn't that obvious?' However, Seven noticed that Third seemed to have more to say and asked, 'Third, is there something wrong with this water?'
Third replied, 'No, this water is great.'
Wang Er Gou took another sip and exclaimed, 'This water really quenches my thirst and feels refreshing. One word: awesome.'
Second laughed and scolded him, ' Er Gou, can we have a little dignity? Drinking water like this is so unrefined. Don't forget what we're carrying—silver dollars.'
Upon hearing Second's words, Wang Er Gou stopped drinking but kept murmuring, 'That Mountain Spring Water really tastes good; after drinking it, I feel full of energy.'
Second said, 'I think you're just bewitched.'
Third casually glanced at Wang Er Gou's state before turning to study the inscriptions on the ancient temple walls.
The walls of the ancient temple were covered on both sides with this kind of Ancient Script, densely packed and continuous."
Comment 0 Comment Count