Marriage of the Ghost Chapter 3

The top of Mount Zhongnan is always covered by clouds and fog. The misty white fog slowly drifts over the golden eaves and corners of the Sanqing Hall. The lingering incense in the incense burner carries a faint sweet fragrance. When I was young, I would occasionally lose focus during morning classes, staring blankly at the golden statue of Tianzun smiling mysteriously in front of me, and wandering in the sky. The smoke is hazy, the fog is hazy, and people are also hazy. Hazy, life is a big dream.

There is an old pine tree outside the mountain gate, with upright trunks and strong branches, and it is a hundred years old. It smells the incense in the temple every day and listens to the master's wonderful words. Over the years, it has become spiritual. Gradually, I often meet it on the path in front of the mountain gate. It is an old man with white hair and beard, wearing dark green clothes, and loves to tease the young Taoist children who have just entered the sect. Or he uses a gentle whistle to summon a few exotic birds with bright fur, or holds two cute squirrels in his arms. If you hand it a pine cone, it will climb up its arms to your shoulders, and its fluffy tail will sweep across your cheeks, which is as comfortable as the spring breeze in March. The young Taoist children are amused by him, and they rush to the mountain gate every time the morning class is over. He always stands under the tree and waits happily, and his smile makes his old and aging face full of ravines.

Later, when the headmaster was out traveling one day, several brothers surrounded him. Cinnabar and yellow talismans covered his head, and long nails of peach wood were embedded in his bones. In addition, a bowl of holy water and spiritual spring water that had been offered in front of the golden statue of the Heavenly Lord for 49 days was easily broken up and his cultivation was destroyed. The branches of such a strong old pine tree withered overnight, and its vitality was greatly damaged. The endless pine needles fell from the branches like snow, and the thickness was enough to cover the soles of his feet in black boots.

"A monster is a monster. It bewitches people's minds and brings disaster to the common people. How can a place where immortals practice cultivation allow monsters to wreak havoc?" The senior brother said this in a firm tone.

After that, the old man that the old pine tree transformed into was never seen again. It withered day by day like a mortal who was terminally ill. A few years later, there was a heavy rain one night with thunder and lightning. The next morning, the Taoist boy who was cleaning the mountain gate opened the gate and found that the area in front of the gate was charred. The old pine tree had been struck by thunder at night and was completely dead.

"Then what?" Alexander Qin leaned forward, stretched her neck and asked curiously.

Lucas Fu took a sip of tea slowly and replied calmly, "No more."

... There was a long silence. After enduring for a long time, the young prince still couldn't help shaking his head and sighing, "You are... not only are you boring, but the stories you tell are also so, so... Alas..."

Pulling Gabriel Helian up, he turned and walked towards the bedroom in the inner courtyard: "Come, go, go! Accompany me back to the room to have a drink. If I had known that listening to you two telling stories would be so boring, you might as well have locked me up in the room to sleep!"

Gabriel Helian had no choice but to be dragged away by him. Before leaving, he did not forget to give Lucas Fu a bitter smile. The Taoist held the teacup in his hand, puzzled. It was you who insisted that I tell you a story. If I didn't tell you, you would be angry. Why are you still angry after I tell you?

The old shopkeeper and his wife behind the counter listened to the whole thing from beginning to end, and laughed secretly with their hands covering their mouths. Toby lifted the door curtain and jumped out from behind the door. His body had recovered, but he didn't remember clearly what happened during those days when he was missing.

"I was playing with Ah-Mo... Ah-Mo said that things were not going well in the city, and that something was going to happen... So I followed Ah-Mo... Suddenly an uncle came... The uncle turned into a snake. Ah-Mo stood in front of me and told me to run quickly... Then, then... I don't remember anything..." No adult would seriously investigate the childish talk of a child. There are not many families in this city, but where did this child named Ah-Mo come from?

"Amo hasn't come to play with me for several days. Is he angry? I abandoned him..." Pulling the Taoist's long sleeves, the child raised his head with expectant eyes.

... The Taoist who always speaks his mind fell silent. Facing those eyes as bright as stars, he didn't know where to start. Just like back then, he didn't know how to explain to his lonely junior fellow apprentices why the old man in front of the door never came again, "He moved."

A practitioner does not tell lies. The innocent child tilted his head and thought seriously about what moving meant, not noticing the hesitation in the Taoist's words.

It was late at night, and Lucas Fu was wandering alone on the street. He was restless, and the breathing that used to be easy was now difficult and he made no progress. He simply went out for a walk. The moon was high in the sky, and the whole Qujiang City fell into a dream. Even the red flowers that bloomed on the branches during the day were tiredly hiding behind the heavy green leaves, shyly revealing half of their beautiful faces.

"Lucas Fu, you have killed demons and evil spirits and captured all the ghosts in the world. Have you really never killed anyone by mistake?" The ghost's questioning words have been echoing in my ears these days.

"Will A-Mo come to see me again?" The child's innocent eyes always appeared in front of me.

Have you ever killed someone by mistake? Do evil spirits really have goodness? I have no idea.

However, the evil spirit that had been lingering in the city for the past few days has completely disappeared. It seems that the world has finally been at peace because of the execution of the snake demon. If this is the case, it is too easy and makes people feel uneasy.

Monsters are monsters, with vicious hearts and many tricks. Killing monsters and eliminating evil is the right way in the world, isn't it?

In the quiet night sky, there was a faint sound of music, intermittent, sometimes absent. Lucas Fu unconsciously followed the sound of the music. After several turns, the view in front of him suddenly became clear. A clear pond was silent, and the ripples appeared under the moonlight. The green waves were rippling, the water surface was surging, and the golden light was glittering, as if the water was covered with gold. Unknowingly, he had reached the Lin Lake in the north of the city.

There is an octagonal stone pavilion by the lake. Someone is playing the flute under the pavilion. The sound of the flute is mournful. The music that Lucas Fu heard came from here.

Sensing someone approaching, the flute player turned around sharply. The handsome face, raised eyebrows, and provocative smile on his lips, who else could it be but that bold and reckless ghost?

He was wearing a smoky grey gauze dress, a silver crown on his head, and a plain face. He held a bamboo flute in his fingers, and was bathed in the soft moonlight, looking like a hermit from the world. Unfortunately, his words were as sharp as a sword: "I heard that the child was found, which is good news. Is the body intact? Is there a finger missing? Taoist priest, do you want to open my slave's stomach again to check?"

Neither happy nor sad nor angry, Lucas Fu did not blink, his face was tense, his lips were pursed, his long sleeves were waved, and he turned around and walked back.

"Wait..." The person behind him called him, his tone was a little hesitant and a little unwilling, "I want to talk to someone, and you just happened to be here. So let me tell you."

The Taoist ignored him and continued walking with his hands behind his back.

Han Zhi said, "That child... According to what you say in the human world, tonight is the seventh day after his death."

Lucas Fu suddenly stopped and was stunned for a moment. He hurriedly turned around and saw the ghost sitting in the stone pavilion, leaning sideways. The moonlight illuminated half of his face, making it glow. He didn't look at him, his eyes lowered, the starlight, the moonlight, and the water light made his pupils blurry: "That child is a toad, not good-looking. Other children don't want to talk to him."

A dragon gives birth to a dragon, a phoenix gives birth to a phoenix, and a mouse's son can dig holes. Fairies also like beauty and hate ugliness. Otherwise, why do so many stories about fairies only tell stories about foxes, white rabbits, and long snakes pretending to be beautiful women and offering themselves to handsome scholars, but never about the legend of an old sow marrying a farmer? Toads have always had bad looks, with bulging eyes and big mouths, and a face full of red and swollen pustules. Even the ugliest fairies would laugh at their ugliness.

"Only the innkeeper's child is willing to play with him. It is enough to have one confidant in life. Be it a demon or a ghost, there is no difference in their thoughts." He muttered to himself, reached out to take the wine cup on the stone table, and drank it all.

Lucas Fu stood at the stone steps outside the pavilion and looked at him. Han Wei turned his head away, his face flushed. This ghost couldn't drink, and his alcohol tolerance was surprisingly low.

"You haven't seen him. Ever since you entered the city, the kid doesn't dare to go." He stared at him mercilessly, his words full of blame.

Accustomed to the envious and admiring looks of his fellow disciples since childhood, the dull Taoist turned his eyes away unconsciously, and was panic-stricken and had an illusion that he seemed to have really committed a terrible mistake.

"Later, he couldn't bear it anymore, so he sneaked in to play for a while when you were out. He was still young, and the four characters "Zi Yang Zhen Jun" were enough to scare him." Even so, he still rushed in regardless. The interaction between children was nothing more than a kite, a few large characters that looked like ghostly talismans, and an inexplicable game. The adults who had experienced the world couldn't understand it, but they meticulously regarded it as the imperial decree of the Jade Emperor.

The bamboo flute thrown into the air slowly turned several times, and in front of Lucas Fu, it slowly turned into a child in black. With bulging eyes, a mouth much larger than that of an ordinary person, and spots on his cheeks, he was not really pretty. He looked at Lucas Fu timidly, lowered his head, and quickly hid beside Han Zhi. His fingers were twisted together stiffly, and his expression was nervous and uneasy. It was really hard to imagine that such a timid and cowardly little goblin had the courage to stand in front of his companions and face the ferocious natural enemy alone.

"Good boy." Damien Han touched his head lovingly, and his fingers went straight through his body as if they were inserted into water, bringing up wisps of white smoke. The smoke dissipated, and the flute was still a flute, and with a "pop", it fell to the ground.

Han Zhao lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly: "Mortals have three souls and six spirits. Although the body dies, the soul and spirit do not disperse. Therefore, within 49 days, they can still stay in the human world to accompany their loved ones. There is no such thing as a demon. Death is death, and it will turn into ashes and never be reborn."

Watching him bend down to pick up the bamboo flute, Lucas Fu discovered that his right hand was missing a finger, and the ring finger was empty, as if it had been cut off at the root. No wonder his flute sounded intermittent and out of tune.

The night wind gently blows over the green willows beside Lin Lake. The long willow branches are covered with new leaves, as graceful as dancers, stretching and swaying under the night sky.

"How do you know all this?" Lucas Fu asked with a sharp gaze, not moved by the evildoer's righteous actions, nor confused by the ghost's sentimental words.

"There is nothing in this city that I don't know." Han Zhai answered quickly, with a hint of sarcasm on his face and deep eyes, "Just like I know why the King of Langya and the Taoist priest came to Qujiang City."

Lucas Fu's body tensed up. Ignoring the coldness in his eyes, the ghost with a cunning smile slowly raised the wine pot and filled the empty cup: "Just like that night, under the west city gate, I knew you were under the tree."

Her red lips curled up proudly, the curve was no different from the crescent moon in the sky. Han Zhi winked at Lucas Fu, unable to hide his interest in his words: "Because I saw it. That morning, I was waiting for you at the gate."

I saw the reluctant Taoist priest with a gloomy face being dragged over by his friend while looking back every few steps; I saw you looking left and right and finally standing under the tree; I saw you carefully looking around before casting the spell to become invisible; I saw that when no one was paying attention, a little imperceptible smile appeared on your frozen lips like a spring breeze. It turns out that this wooden Taoist priest is not a piece of wood.

"You!" Lucas Fu was furious, his straight and solemn face instantly turned purple, "Monster!"

Han Zhi drank calmly and shook his head solemnly. Jin Yunzi really doesn't know how to teach his apprentice. He is very methodical in his work and clumsy in his speech. He keeps saying things like evildoers or evil obstacles, which makes people's ears calloused. A true master came to the world, but he was locked up in the mountains all day, and he became stupid.

"Damn it!" The man was so angry that he was about to draw the long sword behind him, but when he flipped his hand, lightning and fire leaped.

Han Zhai was on guard in a hurry, and fought with him several times, which really hurt him badly. The expected thunder and lightning did not appear. The Taoist had a gloomy face, his chest was heaving, and there was ice and snow in his eyes. He held the hilt tightly but did not draw the sword. He said nothing, just looked at Han Zhai deeply, turned his head, and left silently.

This man... Damien Han was surprised, and stood there in a daze, watching his back as he left. The proud disciple of the Zhongnan School, who was highly respected by everyone from top to bottom, stood straight like a pine tree in front of the mountain. On the gravel path, the moonlight dragged out a sharp yet solemn silhouette.

"Fu, Chang, Ting..." Now he is the reincarnation of Ziyang Zhenjun, a Taoist who subdues demons and saves the people. In the future, he will become the head of the Zhongnan School and even the whole Taoist lineage, and the national teacher who assists the king to protect the people. In this life, the three words Lucas Fu are destined to be connected with demons and monsters.

Han Wei chewed the name word by word, raised his head and drank the remaining wine in the cup. Wine is like a sorrowful heart, and it tastes infinite flavors.

After walking a few steps, Lucas Fu could not help but look back again. He stopped and turned to look into the distance. The rude ghost in the stone pavilion had finished drinking and was bending over to pick up things at his feet. A few crude paintings, a few bamboo pieces of varying lengths, a half-finished kite, a set of cups, plates and bowls made of clay... all of which were children's toys. Lucas Fu had seen them in the inner courtyard of the inn not long ago.

He moved slowly and gently, holding each piece in his hand and stroking it carefully before throwing it into the lake. The tide rose and fell, and in an instant, the lake swallowed up everything. Lucas Fu's eyes passed through the weeping willows and fixed on Damien Han's face.

Ghosts can be cruel and ruthless, or resentful and mournful, or charming and vulgar, and they can be ever-changing. All living beings have thousands of thoughts, and ghosts can also be in thousands of forms. But there is only one thing that should not be the case, ghosts should not be compassionate. Such a compassionate and loving expression should not belong to ghosts. Lucas Fu has only seen it once. During the morning prayer that year, he occasionally looked up and saw the face of the Tianzun in the Sanqing Temple amid the lingering incense.

Not far from Lin Lake, there is a spider web of crisscrossing alleys. Some alleys are winding, some end after just a few steps, and some meander forward along the wall, endlessly. When you are at your wit's end, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

At the end of an alley so small that it has no name, there is an inconspicuous second-hand shop. The shop is only as big as a door panel, and the shop sign is blocked by the dense wine curtains in front of and behind the door. There is only one inch of light in the shop all year round. The owner of this shop does not seem to be dedicated to his business. The dark shop is filled with all kinds of miscellaneous items, and it is unclear what they are. The black objects pour from the top of the old wooden cabinet to the ground, so that customers who want to enter the store can't even find a place to stand.

It was noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the heat was everywhere. The small shop was quietly huddled in the shadow of the other house, silent and deserted from inside to outside. Lucas Fu stood across the street for a long time under the scorching summer sun, but he never saw a single customer in the shop.

The shop assistant was very diligent. With a rag in one hand and a feather duster in the other, he kept shuttling back and forth among the disordered goods since the store opened in the early morning, wiping this and dusting that. He was busy for most of the day, and he was still holding a set of gold-plated Persian wine and breathing hard. He was a very thin middle-aged man, tall and thin. His khaki long gown hung on his body like a big sack. The most eye-catching thing was the two big front teeth that were gaping outside his lips. They were gold, and they matched the bright wine glass. The Taoist with his fiery eyes saw through his true form at a glance. He was a rabbit spirit. Lucas Fu remembered that Han Zhao called him Xingren.

"I'm left to work alone again... Humph... You always know how to bully me. Let me tell you, even rabbits will bite when pushed into a corner..." While working, Xingren grumbled in dissatisfaction. He looked at the spotless wine pot in his hand, and carefully touched the slightly cool pot body with his fingers, then blew a breath and wiped it with a piece of cloth. The old tool looked new as if the last pattern had just been carved by the goldsmith. Xingren was very satisfied and smiled widely. This wine pot could be used as a mirror, reflecting the rabbit's big golden teeth, the shaky wooden cabinet behind him, and the cold-faced Taoist priest with a demon bag hanging from his waist at the door.

"Oh my god--" With a scream and a tremor, the wine jug fell to the ground, carrying a jade dish on it. The dish stood up half way and hit the tilted copper bottle on the side.

"Ding Dong! Bang! Clank!" The whole place was in chaos.

"What are you making noise for? Can't you see I'm sleeping? If you keep making noise, I'll tell the master and break your two precious front teeth!" A big furry head slowly emerged from behind the counter. There was a large bald spot in the middle of the head, and the fat belly was stuck between the counter and the wall. After scolding him unhappily, the raccoon rubbed his eyes and found that there was someone in front of the door. "Okay! Xingren, I'm going to tell the master that you didn't greet the guests! What do you want, this guest... Oh my god!"

Another scream.

"What's wrong? Shanzha, what are you doing? Are you itching for trouble again?" An impatient voice of scolding came from the inner room behind the thick door curtain.

Lucas Fu took a look inside, lifted his robe and stepped into the store. The skinny rabbit froze in place, his eyes rolling back and forth, about to fall over. "Gurgle..." The trembling raccoon cat swallowed carefully, his back pressed tightly against the wall, as if this would make his fat belly look smaller.

"Why aren't you talking? Xingren, Xingren! What are you two doing?" After a long time without any response, Han Zhao in the inner room became a little anxious.

"Master..." Shanzha said weakly. That scary Taoist priest, he, he, he, he is coming, coming!

Lucas Fu stood beside the accounting counter, still with that expressionless and rigid face, his hair neatly combed, his eyebrows reaching his temples, and his whole body seemed to have been cut with a knife and an axe, with sharp edges and corners, without a trace of roundness.

He slowly raised his hand, and in his palm was a small round porcelain bottle. He gently placed it on the counter, closed his lips, and turned away.

The porcelain bottle was warm, he must have held it for a long time, so that he could still feel some residual temperature when playing with it now. Pulling out the cork, the rich aroma of medicine filled the dimly lit room, the cool aftertaste reminded people of the fog that lingered on the top of Zhongnan Mountain for years, and even the faint sandalwood emitted by the burning incense and candles in the Sanqing Temple. The high-quality medicine commonly used by the Zhongnan lineage has the miraculous effect of dissolving blood stasis, healing broken bones, and growing muscles. It can even heal injuries caused by thunder and fire.

Damien Han laughed: "This Taoist priest..."

"What are you planning?" A gust of cold wind blew, and Han Zhi's eyes went dark. A hoarse and old voice suddenly sounded.

"Brother." Although it was not the first time that he had seen him like this, Damien Han still couldn't stop feeling nervous. With a flick of his finger, he quickly hid the porcelain bottle in his sleeve.

"Hmph!" The figure was wrapped in black gauze from head to toe. One could only vaguely tell from the tall outline and deep voice that this was a man. "I haven't seen you for a few days. It seems that you have become much braver, little brother."

Han Zhi hurriedly lowered his head and answered with bated breath, "Han Zhi dare not."

"It's better not to dare..." The end of the sentence was deliberately prolonged, and a pair of red eyes were faintly visible behind the heavy black veil.

Han Zhi hurriedly lowered his head again. The black veil rustled, and every sound was creepy. "What happened to the blood array?"

"Everything is normal."

"That's good. The Emperor Star appears? True Lord Zi Yang? Hahahahaha... So what? Man proposes. Once the blood formation is successful, what can heaven do to me?" The black shadow laughed shrilly, as if he could foresee the scene in the near future where all three realms would prostrate themselves at its feet.

Han Zhi looked at his twisted body and felt bitter: "Brother..."

"Do what I ask you to do!" The persuasion that hadn't even been spoken was met with a merciless rebuke from the other party. The shadow approached fiercely, and the deliberately gentle tone of voice made the pair of bloodshot pupils even more terrifying, "Junior brother, you have been the most obedient since childhood. Stay here and don't dream of those impossible things, it will only hurt yourself."

"I didn't." Han Zhi opened his eyes wide and met his gaze calmly.

"Hehehe..." A rough laugh was heard, and the eyes in front of him suddenly lit up. The black shadow filled with deathly aura had disappeared without a trace.

As if he had just gone through a fierce battle, Han Zhi sat down on the chair with his hands weakly, his limbs almost exhausted. The porcelain bottle in his sleeve slid down his wrist and fell into his palm again. It felt hard and cold to the touch, and no longer had the warmth just now.

The summer was hot, and the midday sun was blazing. The scorching sun forced the cicadas on the branches to scream. There were few pedestrians on the roadside, and the city of Qujiang was filled with pale sunlight under the scorching heat.

At this time, the heavens spared no human beings, and human beings were treated like grass. Wu and Chu were at war, and the battle under Qintian City resulted in tens of thousands of casualties. King Victor Lu sent troops to Badong again; Lanxun, the son of King Jianan, succeeded to the throne, and after years of rest and recuperation, his army was now strong and ready to move; the battle was fierce in the front, and the Langya Army sent frequent urgent reports, urging Alexander Qin to return to his fiefdom as soon as possible.

People in the teahouse were talking about how the peddler who had not been seen for several days must have been taken away by the conscripts. In places of war, we always hear that a general's success is achieved with the sacrifice of thousands of men, but how many people have ever returned Victor Luious from a battle?

The singing artist on the top of the restaurant knocked on his teeth, frowned and whispered: "When the country prospers, the people suffer. When the country perishes, the people suffer."

Alexander Qin was moved by what she heard. She put away her fan and shook her head repeatedly: "I would rather be a grass by the post station than be a person in troubled times." There was a look of reluctance between her brows and her eyes.

Gabriel Helian gently held his hand and said, "Once we take Yingzhou, a peaceful and prosperous era will be just around the corner."

Those who steal a hook will be punished, and those who steal a country will become princes. Damien Han's passionate words suddenly popped up in my mind. Who is the cause of this war and chaos? Who created it? Ghosts? Monsters? Demons? Or... people?

Lucas Fu was silent, holding a teacup in his hand, with a calm face. His solemn and dignified face did not show any compassion of a monk. He glanced at the tall and thin figure running downstairs inadvertently. This is not...

He stood up suddenly, and a hint of amusement unconsciously appeared on the Taoist's indifferent face, as if frozen.

The old shopkeeper was drowsy sitting behind the counter. There was no one outside the store, and no one inside. The old tables, chairs and benches were quietly placed there, feeling the slow passage of time.

A thin face quietly poked out from the door. A yellowish figure was lying outside the inn, his body pressed tightly against the wall, trying his best to hide himself in the thin line of shadow at the base of the wall. "How can I find you?"

Xingren was very distressed: "It's so hot...ah, my master always knows how to make things difficult for me."

The monster who was intent on spying on the situation in the store did not notice that there was one more shadow on the ground. Lucas Fu stood behind him without saying a word. The Taoist priest was old-fashioned by nature. Even after coming down from the mountain, he never had the slightest idea of   being heretical. In the scorching heat, he still wore his airtight Taoist robe meticulously, with sleeves longer than his knees, a tall Taoist hat, and buttons all the way to the tip of his chin. He did not mind the heat, and stood upright under the scorching sun, watching with interest the anxious rabbit spirit in front of him, rubbing his hands and stamping his feet, sweating profusely.

"Who knows which room the Taoist priest lives in? If he wants to take me in, what should I do... Oh, it's all Shanzha's fault! I was fine, but I wanted to eat some white sugar cake. I'll choke to death!" He pulled up his sleeves and carefully wiped his two golden front teeth again. He felt something was wrong, and his back felt cold and chilly. Xingren looked back anxiously, "Oh my god..."

He stumbled and fell on the doorstep. The skinny rabbit raised his hands and tightly guarded his precious front teeth: "You, you, you..."

"Your master is looking for me?" Hearing his mumbling, Lucas Fu asked. All the demons and monsters would react like this when they saw him. Lucas Fu was used to it. Except for that man... Han Zhai, it seemed that he had never seen fear in his eyes, even if the thunder shook the sky, even if the sword was against his throat. Whether laughing wildly, staring coldly, speaking passionately, or whispering to himself, gentle, extreme, or worried, that man had countless different expressions, but he never showed fear.

"I, I, I..." The pale goblin struggled to stand up, but failed. Trembling, he pulled out a pendant made of silk rope from his sleeve and held it in front of Lucas Fu, "My master asked me to pass this on."

It is a jade pendant, the lotus leaf carved from jasper is lifelike, the pink lotus is half-opened, and a small toad is squatting on the leaf. The workmanship is meticulous, the carving is quiet and beautiful, and it doesn't look like an ordinary thing in the mortal world.

"They are a pair. The young master of this family has one, and this one is, belongs to that child." Seeing Lucas Fu staring at her in a trance, Xingren breathed a sigh of relief, "The master said that he should at least keep it as a reminder."

He heaved a sigh of relief, finally completing what his master had asked him to do. Xingren stood up in a panic, and without waiting for Lucas Fu to speak, he spread his legs and ran away without a trace.

The Taoist stood there in a daze, thinking for a long time, then lowered his head and solemnly tied it around his waist. The lotus leaf-shaped pendant shone brightly in the sun, tiny but penetrating directly into the heart, just like the eyes of the child, the eyes of the little toad spirit transformed from the bamboo flute in Han Zhi's hand that night.

The peddler who greeted everyone with a smile had indeed been missing for a long time. The attentive aunt next door pulled Alexander Qin to talk about it. The young peddler who traveled back and forth between the capital and Yingzhou had also been missing for some time: "It's too chaotic outside. No one dares to go out."

The good-tempered prince had plenty of patience to chat with her. The quick-talking woman cracked melon seeds and spoke in a loud voice: "Alas, even though you have been selling cloth for so many years, you are only nineteen! Everything is good, but there is a big black mole on your face, which ruins your appearance. Fortunately, you are a boy, if you were a girl, it would be difficult for you to get married. Haha, no one is perfect. In this year, everyone is the same, just get by, and make do with it. One day, when God opens his eyes and stops fighting, we will live comfortably. I just don't know if I will be so lucky to wait for that day."

Alexander Qin smiled and stood up to make tea for her: "Aunt is still young."

While she wasn't paying attention, he turned around to glance at her, winked, made a face, and smiled mischievously.

The inn's business was still not good, and there were only a few guests sitting in the huge store. As the sun set, the hot and humid summer air that had enveloped the entire day was finally blown away by the wind, and a cool breeze blew past the door, bringing a hint of coolness to the store.

Gabriel Helian smiled and made a face at him. There was a tacit understanding between their eyes that Lucas Fu could not understand. The Victor Luious general and the King of Langya were childhood sweethearts. Since Alexander Qin picked up the starving Gabriel Helian on the street when he was nine years old, Gabriel Helian became Alexander Qin's shadow. They lived together day and night, ate and slept together, and were nominally master and servant, but in reality they were close friends. Even on the battlefield, within a hundred steps, if Alexander Qin was there, Gabriel Helian would be there. Gossipers even spread the rumor that they shared a big tent.

They turned a deaf ear to the rumors, holding hands, supporting shoulders, and performing all kinds of intimate actions as if no one was around.

"They say that I want to live for the people of the world. In fact, compared to the world, I want to be myself more." Before leaving, Alexander Qin said this to Lucas Fu, with a light tone and a smile, "Perhaps within three to five years, China will be unified and the people of the world will be united. People in the world will no longer have to suffer from separation and chaos and live comfortably. But Alexander Qin is no longer Alexander Qin."

His usually bright eyes dimmed for a moment, but a moment later, they were full of smiles again: "But, no matter what, Helian will be by my side, right? Taoist priest, you can tell fortunes, how about you tell a fortune for me?"

Lucas Fu hastily avoided his eyes: "The secret cannot be revealed."

"Master? Lucas Fu?"

Lucas Fu suddenly came back to his senses, paused, and raised his eyes blankly: "Hmm?"

Gabriel Helian held the long sword at his waist and said hesitantly: "What's wrong? I've never seen you absent-minded before."

"fine."

The world-famous General Baisheng has a resolute face that matches his burly figure. After years of martial arts training and battles, he looks majestic even without anger when his brows are furrowed. Compared with Alexander Qin's friendly and round face, he looks even more majestic: "The moonlight is just right. Taoist priest, how about we have a sparring match?"

Lucas Fu looked out the window. The sun had already set and the moon was in the sky. "No. I have to go out for a while."

Gabriel Helian looked puzzled. Lucas Fu said no more. He raised his hand to drink the tea in the cup, straightened his clothes, and left.

Willows sway along the banks of Lin Lake, and towering mountains rise and fall outside the willow embankment. The lake and mountains are reflected by the bright moon.

Beside the willows, under the stone pavilion, there is no sound of orioles, no chirping of insects, no sound of the flute that sobbed that night. Lucas Fu stood in the pavilion, facing the lake, with his hands behind his back. Han Zhai did not appear. The Taoist who came alone looked calm, carrying a long sword and waiting wholeheartedly. Subconsciously, he always felt that he would come.

But it wasn't him who came.

"The night is long and lonely. Don't waste this beautiful scene. Let me dance for you and spend the night together." A crisp and pleasant voice came from the bottom of the lake.

Ripples spread out in circles, and the calm water surface became turbulent. The water splashed, and a woman in a rose-red gauze skirt walked through the water as lightly as the breeze, her skirt fluttering like waves, and she walked on the water without leaving any trace.

"What a handsome Taoist priest." As she came closer, she covered her mouth and giggled. Her eyebrows were dark and her lips were red. Her cheeks were rosy. Her peach blossom eyes were charming and seductive. The bright red flower on her forehead was so enchanting. "I am Li Ji, and I am honored to meet you, Master."

She bowed gracefully, like a willow swaying in the wind, or a lotus flower moistened by the rain.

Lucas Fu frowned slightly, raised his eyes proudly, and ignored her who was as bright as a peony: "Back off!"

Even though a carp spirit that has been practicing for five hundred years has an extremely beautiful appearance, it is hard to guarantee that it has a heart as vicious as a snake or scorpion.

"What a heartless man." She suddenly felt wronged, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes. She took another step boldly, the moonlight shining directly on her breasts under the tube top, her soft and boneless jade hands climbed over like water grass, holding his sleeve, "Good man, why don't you even look at me?"

The charming voice penetrated the bones, and the rich fragrance came to my nose as she approached, like orchid but not orchid, like musk but not musk, drilling into my heart and igniting my boundless desire. Lucas Fu's eyes became colder, his expression was stern, and he waved his sleeves and shouted angrily: "How dare you!"

The sound was like a loud bell, breaking her ears and piercing the devil's voice. The sleeves fluttered in the wind, and a burst of energy hit her face directly.

"Ahhh..." Li Ji screamed and covered her face with her hands. Blood was gushing out from her cheeks. She didn't care about the pain. She was only worried about her beautiful face. "You cruel Taoist priest!"

Tian Gang's righteousness flowed around him. Lucas Fu's face was grim, and there was a murderous aura in his palms. He had no mercy on women at all: "Monster, how many lives have you killed?"

"I'm afraid you can't even count them." Before Li Ji could answer, a light laugh suddenly came from the willow forest, and Han Zhi walked out slowly. After watching the excitement for a long time, the ghost laughed mischievously, "What a pure and unselfish monk, he remains unmoved in the face of beauty."

Ignoring his teasing, Lucas Fu snorted lightly, turned his face away, and raised his chin with a cold look again.

Han Zhai shook his head and walked to the lakeside. He lifted his footsteps slightly and left no trace on the waves. "What a pity for our sister Li Ji. The flowers may have feelings, but the water is merciless."

"It's not your turn to interrupt!" Li Ji gritted her teeth as she waved away his outstretched hand.

"Really?" The lake was rolling, and he slowly leaned down, like a ghost with a soft voice, and gently lifted up her injured face, looking at her lovingly. Close to Li Ji's ear, Han Zhi spoke every word clearly, "He is not someone you can afford to offend. You should thank me for saving your life tonight, Li Ji, sister."

"You!" The gorgeous woman gnashed her teeth, her eyes red with anger, "How dare you talk to me like that!"

"Why not?" Turning his head to signal her to look at the Taoist in the pavilion, Lucas Fu had a blank expression on his face, looking indifferently at the ghost and the demon on the water. Considerately wiping the blood off her cheek, Han Yi straightened up, took out a silk handkerchief, and wiped his fingers, "Give up. In his eyes, even if you are as beautiful as a fairy, you are no different from a skeleton. Perhaps, a skeleton is more pleasing than you, at least it won't smell so pungent."

The words seemed caring, but in fact they were full of sarcasm. Li Ji stared at him angrily: "How dare you do this to me?"

"Master, does what I said make sense?" Not wanting to argue with the angry woman, Han Li slowly turned around and asked Lucas Fu with a smile.

Such a pure smiling face snatched away the moonlight and covered the starlight. With only a faint smile on the lips and a glimmer of wisdom in the eyes, thousands of charming colors were compared to dust.

Lucas Fu was speechless, his lips and tongue were bound by his smiling eyes, his mind was blank, his bewildered eyes were fixed on the lake. Many years later, when Lucas Fu, who was already the head of Zhongnan, looked at the Taiping Lake behind the Lin'an Palace in the capital, he would still think of this moment and this scene, the ghost with crescent eyes on the lake, Han Zhao with a faint smile under the lake, the clear waves, he raised his eyes and smiled at him happily.

There is a small courtyard behind the grocery store. There are no flowers or rocks in the courtyard, and there is no ghostly aura or bloodstains. The ghost lives in a simple, dark inner room behind the store. When you push open the only lattice window in the inner room, you can see the tall ginkgo tree in the courtyard. There is a square stone table under the ginkgo tree, and a few round stone stools beside the table. Except for the lack of blue water under the feet, it is exactly the layout of the stone pavilion by the Lin Lake.

He likes Lin Hu, Lucas Fu guessed secretly.

"Hawthorn likes to eat the ginkgo nuts from this tree." Han Wei explained to Lucas Fu nonchalantly.

The Taoist priest sitting opposite him was not the type to smile, so a slight nod was considered his response.

Damien Han didn't care about his response and poured himself a glass of wine. Lucas Fu's face suddenly became gloomy.

"The Taoist priest went to the lake to wait for me?"

"yes."

"Why?"

His lips unconsciously pursed into a line, and Lucas Fu took off the pendant from his waist and handed it to him. Han Yi understood, with a hint of pride in his eyes, and murmured, "I didn't expect the Taoist priest to really accept it."

"Why?" He stared at him closely, not wanting to miss any trace of emotion in his eyes.

Han Zhai looked back at him calmly: "It's a concern for me, and a warning to you. I warn you not to kill innocent people by mistake."

The evil spirit with ulterior motives never forgets to strike at his cold, hard heart.

"Warning..." Lucas Fu lowered his head and muttered to himself. He couldn't tell whether he was angry or confused. He felt mixed emotions. He suddenly made a move and snatched the wine pot from Han Zhai's hand. He drank the full cup directly into his throat, which aroused a burst of spicy pleasure.

Damien Han laughed and said, "Master, you have broken your vow."

Compared to the blush on his cheeks, there was not even a trace of confusion in the Taoist's eyes: "Just now I heard you call yourself a poor Taoist. Taoist priest, you have also broken the precepts."

It was strange that he was dressed as a Taoist priest when they first met. For some reason, the demon-slayers who only cared about his deeds and not his past were somewhat curious about his origins, why he became a ghost after death, and why he was still attached to the human world?

"Heh..." Following his example, Han Li took the wine pot and raised his head. The wine flowed down his throat and his face immediately turned red. His lips and teeth were still clear. "Then, Taoist priest, are you willing to listen to my advice?"

Lucas Fu sat upright, his eyes sparkling, staring straight at his face without blinking. With his handsome face, he would be a pillar of the country if he entered the palace, and a playboy who would charm everyone if he left the court. Even if he was penniless and had nowhere to go, his plain clothes could not hide his elegant demeanor. But he was stubborn, unwilling to please, unwilling to submit, and had to write the four words "serious" clearly on his face. He spoke in a rigid, frank and straightforward manner: "Subduing demons is the foundation of the righteous way. As you said, demons may have good deeds. However, if there are evil deeds, I will never tolerate them."

He spoke too seriously, and every word was as loud as gold or iron. Han Zhi held the wine pot and stared at him blankly. Lucas Fu did not avoid it at all, his back was straight, and he sat upright like a bell. This was the answer he had thought about for a long time. Monsters must be captured, ghosts must be caught, and anyone who does evil will be shown no mercy.

Han Zhi closed his eyes and drank it all in one gulp: "What is the meaning of good? What is the meaning of evil?"

Lucas Fu took the wine glass and drank it down as well: "Good and evil coexist. Where there is good, there is evil."

"What if you do a hundred years of good and then do a day of evil?"

"kill."

"What if you accumulate virtue for a thousand years and then make one wrong move?"

"kill."

"Practicing the Dao for ten thousand years and then having a thought for a moment, what do you think?"

"kill."

Should we say such an honest Taoist priest is honest or paranoid? Han Zhi was a little drunk. He stretched out his finger tremblingly and tapped his forehead from a distance: "You, you wooden Taoist priest..." There was a bit of sneer, a bit of sigh, and a bit of melancholy.

Lucas Fu let him laugh. The wine sipped, and no matter how spicy it was, it couldn't melt the coldness on his face. The ghost, who had a shallow tolerance for alcohol, curled his lips, squinted his eyes, and shook his red face. Only his eyes were as bright as before, as if they had fallen into the stars in the sky, shining brightly. There was nothing else in them except a dull Lucas Fu.

"What if...what if I have done something evil? Will the Taoist show me mercy?" The drunkard who was half lying on the table raised his face and asked innocently.

His shaking hands could no longer hold the wine glass. The blue cup, with the remaining wine, slowly slid from his fingers to the table. Lucas Fu stared at the empty scar on his right ring finger. The deep red scar was even more glaring because of the drunkenness. "No."

The words came out with finality.