Daming's Bizarre Story: Painted Skin

Zhaoran shuddered involuntarily. He always thought that he was a set of bones crawling out of a coffin, the most absurd and weirdest existence in the world, but until now, he realized that he was not really weird.

"Where did the Taoist priest come from?" Zhao Ran suddenly asked.

Yang Wan said with a sad face: "A few days ago, I suddenly heard that a large number of survivors gathered to a place called Zhuzi Town. I thought it might have something to do with the whereabouts of Taiyin, so I followed along and heard some strange rumors. I came back to discuss with the little sage, but I just happened to encounter one of these."

"What kind of place is Zhuzi Town?" Zhao Ran couldn't help asking.

Yang Wan shook his head: "I don't know where the evil place is. People from the bereaved family who entered have never returned. Zhang Xiaobai from the ten sons came up with such news. I don't know what the God Clan's intention is."

Zhao Ran couldn't help scratching his scalp, hoping that Xiao Bai was okay now.

After they exchanged a few words, Yang Wan and Jiu Ru walked aside to talk, Meng Chengtian also went over to exchange a few words, it seems that he also recognized Yang Wan.

Shen Fangji looked at their backs and said to Zhaoran: "Aren't you curious about the real origin of Mr.?"

Zhao Ran glanced at him: "I see that your master seems to trust you very much, sir. Why do you, a student who has just apprenticed as a master, doubt the master?"

Shen Fangji looked at him and said, "This is the difference between me and you. You have always only pursued the part you are interested in, and you have complete trust in the person you want to trust."

Zhao Ran looked at this person quite interestingly: "That is to say, you don't trust everyone around you, you don't trust that old man, but you worship him as a teacher, you don't trust the class leader of the homeless class, you don't trust the person who regards you as your brother." No tolerance..."

Shen Fangji's handsome face was calm and clear: "Total trust is actually an irresponsible performance. Have you ever thought about it, maybe Mr. is waiting for you to ask why, and wants you to find the answer."

Zhao Ran looked at Jiu Ru, who was listening intently to Priest Yang Wan talking to him, but his eyes kept looking at the forest of human heads outside.

Then he turned to Shen Fangji and said, "What about you, you put your purpose first in everything, why do you worship the Taoist priest with horn beard as your teacher?"

"Actually, Master found me..." Shen Fangji turned around and glanced at Yang Wan before saying, "Master has been looking for the secrets of other people for many years, following the person who knows the most is always the easiest to find the truth, isn't it? ?"

Zhao Ran thought about it for a while, then laughed and said, "Sometimes following the person who knows the most is always the easiest way to go astray. This is the correct explanation."

Shen Fangji said indifferently: "Don't you feel that you have not gone astray? In fact, you also know very well in your heart that you have gone wrong, so that today we will encounter a situation like this. It's like, you should be alone with me, but now you exist independently."

Zhaoran turned to look at him and said, "Become you? You and I are fundamentally different people. I may not be good in this way or in that way, but this is just like Zhaoran with me. You are Shen Fangji. Same, completely different, why should I become you?"

"Because that's what you wanted." Shen Fangji looked at Zhao Ran and said, "Buddha said, this is the purpose of your coming here."

Zhao Ran turned around and looked at Shen Fangji: "Then go tell your Buddha, he is wrong."

----

Sitting on the stone outside the cave, Zhaoran looked at the fruit heads hanging in the woods. Those fruit heads were empty-eyed, but they had expressions on their faces, crying and laughing, as if reminding others that although they were hanging on the trees, But it is alive.

He quietly pulled his hand out of the armhole, his entire right hand turned into a phantom, and he was disappearing.

Suddenly a flock of birds flew over the sky, and Zhao Ran's eyes lit up, a toucan from the sky.

Toucans were specially researched by Lu Tian to serve as Zhaoran's guard, and when they saw Zhaoran, they circled above his head.

Now that he saw Lu Tian's toucan, although he didn't know his condition, he could clearly infer that at least Lu Tian hadn't turned into a fruit with a human head on a branch.Not only did he not turn into a fruit with a human head, but he was still looking for him.

The toucan is a bird with a pigeon body and a beak, so it must also be able to send messages.

Zhao Ran whistled, and a toucan circled down and landed on his shoulder.

Zhaoran burned a piece of tree stick with flint, then took out a handkerchief and tore out one, and wrote on it: I am in Xishan, after thinking about it, he added, there is a bamboo tube hidden in the southwest corner of the C-type courtyard of the academy.

Letting the toucan go, Zhaoran stood on the rock and watched its figure fluttering its wings, and heard footsteps behind it.

Jiuru came over and said, "What are you looking at?"

Zhao Ran raised his head, he will not be able to hold Jiuru's hand soon.

He is just a dry bone crawling out of the coffin, he is cynical, and looks at everything he has experienced with a spectator's heart, but he is not a real spectator, he is always a person in the play.

"Sir, I want to see farther." Zhaoran stood on the rock and raised his arms to pretend to be coquettish. Jiu Ruo really squatted down gently and put his back on his back. He stood on the rock and asked, "Can you see farther?"

Zhaoran was lying on Jiuru's back, and he could see the endless tree of human heads at a glance. The heads on the treetops were shaking in the wind, as if they were still whispering to each other. Zhaoran looked at it for a while before answering: "I can see far ..."

"How does it feel?"

"There are a lot of human heads growing on tree forks." Zhao Ran said with deep emotion, "I think it would be better if the human heads grew on my own neck."

Zhaoran heard Jiuru's laughter, like a whistle between silver leaves.

There seemed to be a sound of memory floating in his mind again, but it was not clear enough.

----

A few fast horses climbed out from the forest of human heads, and a few men in black tumbled down from them. They were all guards hired by Meng Chengtian who had nothing to do with the book city. They asked clearly, "What happened?"

"Jin Yiwei and Hengsheng are walking from the front." The man in black replied anxiously.

Jin Yiwei came to join in the fun again, Zhaoran raised his head and thought, as soon as he climbed out of the coffin, he ran into the beauty Tu Wenzhigeng, now thinking about it, he doesn't know where he was thrown by Wantong.

"Who leads the team?"

Zhaoran and Jiuru returned to the cave, and they saw Meng Chengtian questioning him.

"Yes, it's that Shutong Hengsheng from the Meng Mansion..." the man in black glanced at Meng Chengtian and replied.

"Do you want the artillery team to prepare?" a nurse asked.

Yang Wan hurriedly said: "Wait, the old Taoist has some friendship with Jin Yiwei, why don't you let me inquire about the purpose of their trip first, if they are targeting the demon tree, then it has nothing to do with us."

No one here wanted to fight against the court, so naturally they all agreed, but Zhao Ran felt that since Jin Yiwei brought Hengsheng, he must have come for Meng Chengtian, the land after his death.

People usually can only work on people, and they can't be of much use to demon trees.

But to his surprise, Meng Chengtian agreed to Yang Wan's request lightly.

----

Zhaoran saw Hengsheng coming in wearing a filial gown, his expression was indifferent but calm, and the distance between the lines was quite regular.

If you didn't pay special attention, it would be difficult for Zhao Ran to tell that this man was the servant of the Meng Mansion who was in a mess in the lobby, and he would mistakenly think that this was the young master of the Meng Mansion.

There were more than a dozen Jinyi guards behind him, and these people rushed in and out like wolves and shouted: "Who is Meng Chengtian?"

"I am." Meng Chengtian put down his wine glass in the corner and responded.

Just as several people were about to step forward, Meng Chengtian's guards also rushed up to block him, and the situation between the two sides was on the verge of breaking out.

"Wait a moment." Someone responded, and Yang Wan led a person through the thorn forest.

Fu Heng - Zhao Ran's heart moved.

Fu Heng walked in, his expression was positive, and he asked first with a warm smile: "Which one is the little sage from the academy?"

Jiuru got up and bowed slightly: "I am."

Fu Heng bowed politely and said, "The demons are rampant, and now we still need sages like you and Daoist Yang Wan."

"If my lord has something to do, it is my duty." Yang Wan said obligatoryly.

Zhao Ran glanced at Yang Wan. Fu Heng was originally a disciple of Luozifeng, but now he pretended to be a stranger to Yang Wan. He was afraid that Jiu Ru would be fooled, so he stretched out his left hand and gently pulled Jiu Ru's sleeve.

Jiuru just nodded slightly.

Only then did Fu Heng ask, "Which one is Meng Chengtian?"

Meng Chengtian put down the wine glass in his hand, and smiled slightly: "Didn't Hengsheng next to you tell you?"

The guards in Jin Yi behind Fu Heng held down the embroidered spring knife, Fu Heng waved his hand, and said: "Your Meng family is a scholar, and Meng Shanchang is a famous Confucian who has moved the government and the public. I believe that Mr. Meng is also a man of morality. .”

Meng Chengtian smiled and said: "My lord should know that although Meng Shanchang is a great Confucian, I am a businessman."

Fu Hengdao: "Whether it's a scholar, a businessman, a peddler or a pawn, this official only distinguishes between good and evil, regardless of high or low."

Meng Chengtian took a look at Fu Heng, picked up the wine glass in his hand and said, "My lord, come and have a drink."

Fu Heng raised his hand and said, "There's no need to drink. Now the demon trees outside should be eradicated as soon as possible, so as not to cause panic among the common people."

"I don't know if my lord has a good plan?"

"Now we need a team of people to go into the academy to see what happened inside, so we can make a good decision."

Holding the wine glass, Meng Chengtian said, "Could it be that your lord wants Meng to enter the Book City?"

Fu Hengdao: "I will send someone to go with you, but my people are not familiar with the book city, so the best way is to have someone go back with us, of course the best candidates are you."

Meng Chengtian said indifferently: "Then what if I don't want to?"

Fu Heng frowned slightly and said, "There is no one in the world who doesn't know that Bailu Academy has Bailu Academy, and Bailu Academy has Meng Mansion. You are the eldest son of Meng Mansion. Don't you know that you don't study in the city?"

Meng Chengtian turned the wine glass in his hand: "I said I'm just a businessman."

Fu Heng said calmly: "Then we will discuss the price."

Meng Chengtian played with the wine glass in his hand: "I don't know what kind of price your lord can offer."

Fu Heng is simple and clear: "You go to investigate the book city, and the previous things will be erased."

Hengsheng's face was filled with anger: "Master Fu, Meng Chengtian's matter concerns six lives, how can he say that it can be canceled with one stroke?"

Fu Heng said indifferently: "Talking about the six lives of the Meng Mansion, the sixty lives today are not comparable to the people in the mountain city!"

Fu Heng is young and handsome, and his eyebrows are full of righteousness. Even though he bluntly canceled the six lives, people still have a good impression of him. Obviously, he feels that Fu Heng is good at business, and the six lives of Meng Chengtian in the Meng Mansion are nothing more than He was a bit suspicious, but now he has to work for Fu Heng in order to get rid of the suspicion, and it sounds like he is alive.

Meng Chengtian looked at Hengsheng, chuckled lightly, and said with a ferocious expression: "Okay, but this is my school boy, return him to me!"

Fu Heng glanced at Hengsheng and nodded, "Okay!"

Hengsheng was startled and angry: "Master Fu!"

Fu Hengdao: "Since you have sold yourself to the Meng Mansion, you are a servant of the Meng Mansion. Meng Chengtian has never confiscated his home and property, and you have been a servant of his mansion for a day. He wants you back, and I have to give it to you. But I have something to say first, even if you make your name with me, Fu Heng, you won't die in an unclear way."

Hengsheng was silent for a while, then lowered his head: "Hengsheng trusts Lord Fu."

Fu Heng settled everything in a few words. He only brought a dozen guards, but he did not spend a single soldier. In a blink of an eye, he let Meng Chengtian's foundation planned for many years be used by him. He sold Hengsheng, but Hengsheng had to treat him completely. Heart dependent.

Clearly, he can't complain that after many years, Fu Heng will become the owner of Jianfeng Villa who can enjoy both black and white.

The guards with swords in front of General Taiyin's sedan chair...

----

Zhaoran secretly said to Jiuru: "Fu Heng is Yang Wan's great apprentice. The two of them pretended to be strangers. They must be harboring evil intentions. Sir, don't listen to them all. We won't go if they go."

But Jiuru turned his head, he had black brows, fair complexion, only his eyes reflected the light from the sky, as if he was drunk by the setting sun, he smiled quite carefreely: "If they don't go, We are going too!"

At such a moment, Zhaoran seemed to see some time in Jiuru 20 years later, and made up his mind, but never turned back.

What kind of person is Jiuru?

Zhao Ran never thought about it, from the moment he saw Jiu Ru by the mountain lake, Jiu Ru seemed to be a very special person in his heart.

He seldom speaks, but in Zhao Ran's heart he trusts him inexplicably, no matter what he looks like or what his identity is, Zhao Ran doesn't seem to care.

"Is everyone ready?" Meng Chengtian walked out.

Fu Heng walked over with Yang Wan, and it seemed that he himself would go to explore the mountain city with Meng Chengtian, which made Meng Chengtian's guards look a lot better.

"Does the little saint have no weapons?" Fu Heng asked.

Zhao Ran said: "My husband is a teacher, not a soldier, how can he have weapons?"

Fu Heng thought for a while, pointed to a Jinyi guard and said, "Send your package here!"

The Jin Yiwei immediately came over and untied the burden on his back to reveal a wooden box. Fu Heng opened the wooden box and took out a small black bow.

"Falling Demon Bow!" Zhao Ran blurted out.

Fu Heng took a look at Zhaoran and said, "You also know about the Falling Demon Bow?"

Zhao Ran had no choice but to be vague: "I've heard people say that there is a small palm-sized bow with a pitch-black color called the Falling Demon Bow."

Fu Hengdao: "This is the evil treasure hidden in Da Nei. It is specially used to frighten the demon tree. I think it is perfect for you to use it." After speaking, he handed the bow to Jiuru with both hands.

Obviously, he was a little bit Haoyan, he had just said bad things about others behind his back, and he was slapped in the face in a blink of an eye.

The Falling Demon Bow is no small matter, and he has clearly seen its power. Now that Fu Heng gave this treasure to Jiuru, it can be seen that at least he has no malicious intentions.

"Take it!" Zhao Ran was afraid that Yi Jiuru's temperament would refuse, so he hurriedly encouraged him. Although he knew that even if Jiuru refused, the Falling Demon Bow would be Jiuru's weapon in the future, but he was still afraid that he would miss this opportunity.

If Jiu Ruo really took the Falling Devil Bow and said thank you, Fu Heng said: "The demon tree is now very large, so we shouldn't disturb it easily when we walk under the tree, but for the sake of caution, everyone should be careful. walk."

"These two young men should stay where they are..." Fu Heng looked at Zhao Ran and Shen Fangji and said.

Shen Fangji nodded and said: "Then I will support everyone, I can guard the artillery here."

Of course, Zhaoran will follow Jiuru, among other things, he will also go back to the city to see Lu Tian and Zhuzi, and wonders if Zhuzi will also become a fruit with a human head on the tree.

But Shen Fangji is so sensible, if he insists on making a fuss and wants to follow, wouldn't he appear to be messing around.

Zhaoran gritted his teeth, and suddenly pointed, a toucan parked on the outside slammed into the end of the forest. With a "boom", the forest of human heads suddenly burst into intense flames, burning a large forest.

"It's amazing." A famous Jin Yiwei blurted out, even Shen Fangji's eyes turned to Zhaoran.

Fu Heng looked at the fire and nodded, "You can follow."

Zhaoran was actually taken aback in his heart, obviously the last time he saw it, the toucan was not so powerful, it seems that Lu Tian has increased the amount of gunpowder carried by the toucan.

Everyone set off, and Zhao Ran leaned on Jiu Ru's back and whispered: "Sir, do you still remember the adoptive son I adopted? He made these big-billed sparrows."

Jiu Ru said "hmm", "Is it Lu Tian?"

"Yes, you still remember." Zhao Ran said happily.

Meng Chengtian in front handed over two sweat towels and said, "Cover your mouth and nose."

"Why do you have to cover your mouth and nose?" Zhao Ran raised his neck and saw Meng Chengtian nursing home in front of him playing with some tobacco.

"Because we fainted the head on the tree."

"Dizzy people, head?" Jin Yiwei who was following beside him couldn't help interjecting.

"Just in case..." Meng Chengtian said with a smile, "What if these heads want to keep us here for a heart-to-heart talk?"

The face of the Jin Yiwei couldn't help turning three points pale. They had received an urgent report from the local county magistrate, saying that there was a demon tree with a human head in the academy. In the past few years, news of demons have come from various provinces to the capital from time to time. Reporting is far less important to the officials and gentlemen than the military situation of the Yao people, Miao Bingwacha, so I asked them to follow Fu Heng from Luozifeng to have a look.

As soon as they saw this huge human-headed tree, they fainted on the spot. If Fu Heng hadn't been calm, they might turn around and run away on the spot.

As soon as Meng Chengtian said it, Jin Yiwei picked up the sweat towel and covered his mouth and nose without saying a word.