The setting sun of the West Mountain and the rising moon form an interesting contrast.
People came and went at the gate of the county seat. Two old soldiers stood idly with their long guns in their arms, looking at passers-by from time to time. Occasionally, he would stop some people for questioning, and then let them go again with a smile.
Su Chong walked slowly into the city with the flow of people. Two old soldiers glanced up and down at him, then hung down, neither stopping nor asking.
I entered the city just in time for the opening of the night market.
The sun is still hanging on the western mountain curtain, struggling not to set, and the streets in the city have been lit everywhere.
The peddlers hawk their own business, and some people stand at the door of their shops to solicit business. Restaurants, canteens and teahouses are full of people, and the storytelling of singing and acting is gone.
The lively scene in front of him made Su Chong feel very comfortable.
Walking slowly along the street, more and more people began to walk.
Just around the corner, not far from the city wall in the south, there was a small platform, which was surrounded by oilcloth to separate the front from the back. In front of the platform stood two bamboo poles, interspersed with white curtains, about seven feet long on the left and three feet high on the top and bottom.
There were four tables near the front of the stage, with several teapots and bowls, all crowded with people. There were about ten benches in the back, which were also full of people. Then there were spectators who didn't grab seats.
This is a puppet show, but the show hasn't started yet.
Among the pedestrians, there are still many walking towards the stage. Su likes to join in the fun, so he followed the crowd with his steps.
With the disappearance of the last light on the West Mountain, the bright moon formally took over the night sky, quietly shining silver.
In a short while, shadow puppets began to appear on the white curtain, and the play began with a clanging sound.
Su Chong was standing at the back and crowded, but he stood skillfully and did not hinder his vision. From time to time, people around will talk and discuss in a low voice, and applaud for the highlights.
With a long sound, the play ended.
Two people came out of the backstage, a man and a woman. Both of them had pots in their hands, apparently they came out to receive money.
After saying a few words, the woman bowed to everyone.
Then he winked at the man beside him and smiled to the crowd.
As they walked down, the basin in their hands clanged with copper coins.
After finishing this circle, they quickly returned to the backstage. Before entering the backstage, they told them to have a break for a cup of tea.
Su Chong was waiting for the next one to come out when he heard a faint cry.
Sobbing and sobbing, it's sad and miserable, and the silk thread tickles people's ears.
The people around me are doing as usual. Most of them are talking about the general who played in the play just now.
Turn around and look at the lane behind. There are lights on both sides. Although it is dark, you can see the way in the lane clearly. Just now, it seems that a wind has blown through the alley, and the lights are flickering. The pedestrians are two or three, mostly walking in, and should be going home.
Su Chong slowly pushed his way through the crowd and walked to the lane.
Along the alley, gradually away from the voices, become quiet. The alley extends in all directions. It is very complicated to turn left and turn right. Although Su Chong walked for the first time, he seemed to know the way. His pace seemed very slow, and he walked a long distance in one step.
But after a few moments, Su Chong stopped moving.
In front of me, there is a mansion and a high gate courtyard. Half of the two stone lions in front of the gate are in the shadow, which seems to be ferocious. The lanterns on both sides of the lintel have been lit, and they sway gently with the occasional breeze.
But the lantern is white.
There is a thin sobbing sound in the ear, which is more clear, like crying.
Su Chong stepped out and appeared in the corridor of the mansion. White lanterns were hung in the mansion. Occasionally, servants hurried down the corridor with their heads bowed and a white silk ribbon tied around their waist. They didn't seem to see Su Chong, but they just walked by without seeing anything unusual.
Arriving at the main hall, the layout has been changed to the shape of the mourning hall. A child of eighteen or nine years old kneels in front of the hall with his head down, accompanied by an old servant. Su Chong just looked around and continued to walk in.
Inside the yard, the pond.
There were several figures standing by the pool. At first, one person was in regular clothes, with a long beard under his chin. They looked very good.
In the middle of the pool, there was a gray fog like thing floating two or three feet above the pool. The fog shows an unstable state. It has been changing irregularly. Occasionally, a vague woman's face appears, with fierce and painful expression. It struggles to leave, and some words come out intermittently.
"What is this?"
Su Chong suddenly appeared and asked with his back hand.
The sudden question startled the previous few people. The leader asked in disbelief, "Sir, who are you? Why are you standing out here?"
Su Chong arched his hand and said, "I'm not a villain. I hope the city god will forgive me if I have the audacity."
It turned out that the bearded man was the city god of the county.
"Su was watching shadow play in this county, and suddenly he heard the cry of the ghost, so he came to explore!"
The city god nodded and said, "So it is." After examining him, he saw that he had a good appearance, a straight figure, clear eyes, and no strange breath, no blood and ferocity.
"Sir, his breath is restrained, and his atheism is like a mortal. This practice is very powerful!"
"It's just a small business. How many of you are?"
The city god agreed and said: "We came here to catch the ghost and return to the devil, but we didn't want to have this change."
"Is this fog?" Su Chong asked.
The city god nodded and said, "Not bad."
Hearing this, Su Chong asked, "Is there anything strange about the fog?"
The city god sighed and said, "At the beginning of the fog, several ghost errands were broken up. Someone replied that there was nothing to do in the government for the time being, so he let the government judge take care of him and come here in person."
"I don't know how this thing works. I'm afraid it will affect ordinary people. I want to use magic to take it outside the city, far away from the residence, but it doesn't work. I wanted to be closer to it, but I almost fell into the Devil's Way. If I didn't have the ability, I would be in the Devil's Way now..."
Su Chong narrowed his eyes and looked through the fog. He could see clearly that a woman was wrapped in the fog. Her face was suffering and struggling. The mist was seeping into her ghost body. The place where it was seeped became black lacquer, and gradually became fierce.
"This thing is refining the ghost as a material!" Su Chong said to the city god. "It doesn't look like a good thing anyway."
The city god's face changed: "Lian?"
Then he opened his eyes and looked at the fog.
"What on earth does this thing want to do?"
Su Chong thought for a while and was about to step on the water.
A ghost on the other side stopped him when he saw this.
The city god accepted his eyes and asked, "Are you?"
Su Chong said, "Su likes to meddle in his own affairs."
"This item has a great influence on the mind and spirit, and it is easy to evoke the deepest magical idea. If you become a devil, it may be......" the city god advised with some anxiety.
"Now that you meet it, you can't ignore it. When it really turns the ghost into something, who knows what changes will happen?" Su Chong pointed to the fog and said, "Don't worry about the city god. Keep his mind from being infected by evil. This ability is still there. When the situation is bad, he will not rush forward!"
The city god looked hesitantly at the gray fog floating in the pool, and found that the fog had faded a bit, and the smell was strange.
He frowned, nodded and said, "Be careful, sir!" Then he held a seal in his palm. The bottom of the seal was facing the surface of the pool, and there were six big seal characters on it - the City God of the Earth Teach Yin.
"I stand down here." After a pause, I said: "Get out of here as soon as possible when the opportunity is wrong!"
Stop Su Chong's ghost errand and get out of the way. Su Chong steps onto the water. Slowly close to the mist, with the distance shrinking, his mind was full of evil thoughts, and a magic light shone from his forehead, immediately isolating those evil thoughts.
The city god held the jade seal in his hand, concentrated, and stared at the pool face nervously.
Su Chong stopped and stood three feet away from the fog.
The eyebrow and heart method between the forehead is bright and flourishing. A few ghosts over there look at it. They only feel that they are hot and dry. It seems that there is a fire. The ghost's yin qi has the appearance of overflowing and dispersing. It's better to hurry away from it.
The city god has entered the Shinto. Although he is a bureaucrat in the underworld, he is already a dharma body and divine fetus, which does not matter much.
Su Chong pinched the seal formula in his hand, secretly used the magic trick, and stepped slightly on the surface of the pool.
"Come out!"
The invisible aura against the fog formed on the surface of the pool, and the fog began to shake violently. The face of the woman's ghost became clear, and her mouth kept screaming and crying.
"Stick to the spirit!" the city god shouted in surprise.
"Help me~"
The ghost reached out to Su Chong and asked for help.
Su Chong suddenly stepped on the water, and the water made a dull sound like a field on the shore. Circles of ripples swing from the foot, and the air field pressing against the fog becomes stronger.
The two sides keep pulling, you come and I go, fighting for the ghost.
The gray fog separated into a dragon shape, and rushed to Su Chong with teeth and claws, hitting him in the chest, trying to distract him from saving himself.
Su Chongguan didn't care. He let it come, and saw that the evil dragon was as fierce as a raging dragon, but it suddenly stopped three inches from his chest, and then disappeared inch by inch.
Later, he turned into a million people and tried to disturb his mind, but they were fruitless.
The sawing between the two made the trapped people miserable. The ghost could not help struggling and crying, and then became more and more sharp and terrible. The front hall was full of noise and movement. Even some ghost runners on the bank could not help but put out their hands to cover their ears, and their expressions were extremely uncomfortable.
The city god hurriedly urged the seal in his hand to send out a soft golden light, forming a boundary to encircle the whole pond, which cut off the influence and stopped the jittery voice from affecting the outside world.
He cried out: "Sir, if you can't do anything, please leave! In my opinion, I'd better report it to Hell House and wait for someone else to solve it!"
Su Chong replied, "Don't worry about the city god! I am not trying to be brave. I will succeed later!"
The voice is relaxed and seems to have spare strength. The city god held the seal and felt relieved.
Sure enough, the change of fog affects the visible reduction of the naked eye, and the influence and attachment of the ghost are significantly weakened.
Boo
Finally, the ghost was stripped out in the surprise eyes of the city god.
