The whole cultivation world regards me as a group favorite [Crossing Books]

Wang Fushang and his Wei Niang died in the middle of the night, and the death time of the official who swallowed the money was uncertain, but it was before everyone woke up and went out.

——So tonight, will there still be homicides?

Ye Huaiyao wanted to see what happened, and after Ye Rongwang left, he also quietly came out of the room and went straight out of the inn.

Before entering this inn, Ye Huaiyao had observed it and found that the whole town was built on the mountain, and there was a small hill not far behind the inn.

There is a gazebo built on it, which has been around for a long time and is very dilapidated.

Standing on the hill, facing west is just facing the window on the second floor of the inn.

Although it is impossible to see the whole picture of the interior of the room without using spells, at least it can be noticed when an accident happens.

Rong Wang was not around, Ye Huaiyao had nothing to do, so he just relaxed at night, took a small jar of wine, and climbed to the hill.

After entering the gazebo, I found that there was already a person sitting there first.

In such a late night, two more murder cases occurred one after another. If they were not cowardly, both of them would be startled by each other.

The man was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Young Master Ye."

Ye Huaiyao walked over with a smile, sat in front of him, and said: "The moon is white and the wind is clear. I don't know who has such a pleasure to enjoy the scenery. It turns out that it is Shopkeeper Ding. What a coincidence."

Shopkeeper Ding smiled slightly: "Although the moonlight is beautiful, it is unavoidably dull. I was feeling bored, but seeing the young master is here, it will add a lot of color tonight."

Ye Huaiyao bowed slightly, thanking him for his compliment: "It's just an ordinary person, who disturbs the world of mortals at night, and can't sleep, so I have to drink to sleep. Thank you, shopkeeper Ding."

The two boasted to each other in business, and neither of them could find out the other's details. Their expressions and expressions were gentle and friendly, and only each of them knew their emotions.

Ye Huaiyao put the wine jar on the table and asked, "Drink?"

This shopkeeper Ding is unpredictable, he is by no means an ordinary person, presumably he is a stranger who brought the wine casually, it is impossible for the other party to drink it, so Ye Huaiyao just asked casually.

But shopkeeper Ding said happily, "I'm worried that the jug is empty, so it's great to have some wine to drink. Thank you, my lord, for your hospitality."

As he spoke, he picked up an empty jug from the stone bench next to him and placed it on the table in front of them.

Ye Huaiyao was stunned for a moment, then laughed, and filled his flagon: "You don't look like a good drinker, so you are a fellow."

The two were not rigid, one was holding a wine jar, the other was holding a wine jug, they touched each other lightly, and each took a big sip.

Ye Huaiyao finished drinking first, and looked up at the other party's movement of raising his head and pouring the wine from the spout, and was slightly dazed.

Shopkeeper Ding joked: "Young Master Ye is so surprised to see me drinking, it can be seen that I didn't really invite you before."

Ye Huaiyao smiled "haha" and said, "How could that be?"

The two chatted casually and exchanged glasses for several rounds, but neither of them got drunk.When Ye Huaiyao put down the wine jar, consciously or unconsciously, he glanced at the window of the inn opposite.

He originally wanted to check on Xu Cuiyi's situation, but he didn't find anything unusual for the time being, but he accidentally discovered that there was a bright light coming from a window at the top of the inn.

In such a dark night, it is a rare matter which room is lit, not to mention that this room is still on the far side.

——That is exactly the room that shopkeeper Ding has specially emphasized, and it must never be entered.

No one should live in it, so why is there light?

There is a row of luxuriant pagoda trees in front of the window, and the light comes out from behind the pagoda trees, making it impossible to see any situation inside. When the wind blows, it is fragmented.

Seeing Ye Huaiyao's attention, shopkeeper Ding followed his gaze and said with a smile, "But this light is too bright, does it affect my son's appreciation of the moon?"

Ye Huaiyao said: "That's not true. It's just that the room seemed to be a place that the shopkeeper had ordered not to enter. I was a little surprised that there was light at night."

Shopkeeper Ding said casually: "That room has always been like this, as long as you don't break in casually, nothing will happen, Young Master Ye, don't take it to heart."

Ye Huaiyao said: "Oh, I didn't really care much at first, but the two murders in succession recently are very strange, I'm afraid they are haunted."

Shopkeeper Ding smiled lightly: "Even if there are ghosts in this world, they will definitely not harm good people. Besides, as the shopkeeper here, I have lived a good life for so long, so there is nothing serious about it. Don't be afraid."

The phrase "Don't be afraid" he said with a smile revealed a strange familiarity, which made people inexplicably kind.

Ye Huaiyao held back for a long time, finally couldn't hold back, and said: "Your Excellency's conversation is more like coming from a family of poetry and books. Dare I ask where the shopkeeper's hometown is?"

Shopkeeper Ding paused, then smiled softly and said, "How do you know that my hometown is not here?"

Ye Huaiyao took a sip of the wine first, swallowed it slowly, and used the ice-cold wine to calm his mind, and said slowly: "The ancient view has been abandoned for a long time, when will the white crane return? I don't want Ding Lingwei, I will return it after a thousand years. 1"

He raised his eyes slightly: "Master Ding, why bother to ask questions knowingly. This inn is called 'Lingwei' inn, and your surname is Ding, so it is natural to place your worries on the road. But you don't know the clouds of wealth and wealth, but where is the city?"

When he first came to this town, he saw the wine flag hanging up in the Lingwei Inn, and "Ding Lingwei" was originally a name recorded in Tao Yuanming's "Sou Shen Hou Ji". 2

It is rumored in the Western Han Dynasty that there was a man named Ding Lingwei, who was originally from Liaodong. He once learned Taoism in Lingxu Mountain. After becoming a fairy, he turned into a crane and flew back to his hometown.

Some people from their hometown didn't know them, but they wanted to shoot him with a bow and arrow, so the crane circled and sang in the air. , why not learn from Xianzhong Leibai."

Treasurer Ding took this name, presumably because he sighed that things are right and people are wrong, and that people don’t know him. From this, it can be seen that most of his hometown is no longer there.

Ye Huaiyao could almost hear his own heartbeat.

Shopkeeper Ding took a deep look at Ye Huaiyao, then smiled helplessly and shook his head.

He raised his wine jug: "This cup, to... bosom friend."

This is tantamount to admitting that his homeland has been destroyed, and he has another name.

Although this person looks ordinary and a little sick, but with a little smile, he can always reveal a little luxurious demeanor, which is indescribably touching.

Ye Huaiyao held his chin with one hand, raised the wine jar to touch him, and asked casually: "Since you are homesick, don't you want to go to visit your old place? Maybe there will be someone you know waiting for you."

Shopkeeper Ding smiled nonchalantly: "Even if there is an old friend, my heart will not be the same as before. It's just a dusty world, so how can there be something constant? It's better not to ask, but to keep a thought."

Ye Huaiyao asked with a smile: "Everyone's heart will change?"

Shopkeeper Ding also laughed: "Are there any exceptions?"

Ye Huaiyao said: "Aren't you?"

He looked calm and composed, and calmly closed his sleeves, which were accidentally splashed with wine, to cover his slightly trembling fingers.

If you are really Ye Zhiwei, what are you thinking about now?Are those conspiracy lives related to you?

I used to know every thought of yours. When I saw you were depressed and sad, I always had a way to cheer you up.But now, I find that I can't see anything clearly.

I don't want you to change, and I really want to see you again.

Shopkeeper Ding was obviously stunned for a moment, and then laughed after a while: "Interesting, I was caught by your question."

Ye Huaiyao was about to confirm the identity of the other party just now, but now he felt that his tone seemed a little strange, and a trace of doubt filled his heart.

He said: "If you don't know how to answer, maybe I can explain a thing or two for you."

Shopkeeper Ding stared at him, with a rather peculiar look in his eyes, and raised his eyebrows slightly: "I would like to hear more about it."

Ye Huaiyao frowned at these four words with a sense of domineering.

Before he had time to speak, the place suddenly rose and a gust of wind blew through the gazebo with a whining sound, and drove straight up.

The locust tree in front of the inn opposite was rattling, and the windows in several rooms were blown open.

Ye Huaiyao turned around and saw that the window of Xu Cuiyi's room was open.

He felt something was wrong immediately.

This lady has a pampered temperament, and she likes to make a fuss, and she puts on a posture of "there are always bad people who want to harm me".

During the few days she lived in the inn, she had to ask in every possible way for an ordinary meal, and the wind opened the window so loudly, no matter how sleepy she was, she had to get up to check.

There is no movement now, which means that the person is either not in the room, or... an accident has happened.

Because Ye Huaiyao had been paying attention all the time, it was unlikely that someone would die under his nose, but no matter what, he had to go and see what happened.

Ye Huaiyao said: "Excuse me for a while."

He immediately got up and walked quickly towards the inn.

Hurrying to Xu Cuiyi's door, ready to be scolded "indecent", Ye Huaiyao pushed the door and rushed in, but saw that the room was really empty, the bedding was messy, and there was no one on the bed.

He touched it and found that the remaining warmth was still there, which meant that it would not be too long since he left.

There used to be a peace amulet attached to the head of the bed, but it was broken now, and the fragments fell on the pillow.

Ye Huaiyao picked it up and took a look, and found that this kind of peace talisman was by no means the one sold in the market to cheat money.

The talisman paper is delicate, and the dharma pattern is rigorous and exquisite, which cannot be found by non-true cultivators.

A couple of one night and one hundred days of grace, this talisman paper was probably given to Xu Cuiyi by the monk who left, and now it is broken, is Xu Cuiyi attacked by surprise, or did something happen to them?

All the details are connected together, and an idea gradually takes shape.

Ye Huaiyao was in a complicated mood. He came out of Xu Cuiyi's room, walked outside the so-called forbidden room without hesitation, and pushed the door open!

The door panel was originally fastened from the inside, but he couldn't help his strength, and it was knocked open with a bang.

The bright light from inside the door was overflowing, and there was someone in a nearby room whose dreams were disturbed, complaining and cursing, but they didn't come out to check.

Ye Huaiyao entered the room and closed the door behind his back.

There was an incense table in front of him. On the incense table, it was not just the husband and wife who died tragically, as shopkeeper Ding said, but there were more than [-] memorial tablets with their names written in red ink pen.

On both sides of the incense table, there are two huge candles, one red and one white, illuminating the room very brightly.

The candlelight is dancing, just like the restless mood of an uninvited guest.

Ye Huaiyao frowned and looked at the incense case. Although the atmosphere here was weird, there was nothing abnormal at all.

It's okay to scare people, but what's the point if they have no attack power?

He looked at the whole room carefully, but the surroundings were empty, and there were no other decorations except the incense table.

Suddenly, he found that the tablet on the far side looked a little newer than the others, and when he took a closer look, he found that the words "Wang Fugui" were written on it.

——It was the name of the dead rich businessman!

But for some reason, there was no Wei Niang who died with him beside him.

Is it the same name?Or is there something wrong with Wei Niang who suddenly airborne?

Ye Huaiyao picked up the tablet, looked at it for a long time, and pulled out a piece of paper from the base.

It was written in black: "The wish of the wealthy businessman—to find Wei Wan."

His wish came true, but his tablet is here.

This is a wish in exchange for life, but it is definitely not voluntary by Wang Fushang.

Even if he wasn't as timid and fearful of death as he appeared on the surface, he couldn't possibly be willing to lose his life immediately after finding Wei Niang - if he couldn't stay together, it would be meaningless.

Ye Huaiyao quickly found the tablet of the official poor again, this time his wish was simple and rude - "get rich".

This town was originally only accessible to those who were dissatisfied with desires, so... the truth of the matter is very likely that the forbidden room has the function of satisfying the greed of others.

People broke in by accident, and were overjoyed because they discovered the secret, but they didn't know that the price they had to pay for their wishes to be fulfilled was their own lives.

From this, it can be inferred that Wei Niang is a monster derived to satisfy Wang Fushang's wish, so her name is not on the tablet.

As for Xu Cuiyi, a wealthy businessman's wife, it is no coincidence that she was able to "curse to death" her husband who betrayed her. It is very likely that her wish is to be superior and let everyone obey her.

There is no tablet for her yet, so it seems that she is still alive.

Ye Huaiyao put the two tablets back. At this moment, the door behind him opened silently again, and a person walked in slowly, approaching him.

Ye Huaiyao turned around: "Shopkeeper Ding, why did you follow in?"

Shopkeeper Ding walked slowly to the memorial tablet, and heard Ye Huaiyao's question, he said: "Just now you left in a hurry, I don't know what happened, so I followed you to have a look."

He looked around in a blink of an eye: "I didn't expect that you opened this room."

Ye Huaiyao said: "I didn't expect shopkeeper Ding to be so loyal and follow him in such a dangerous place."

His words were a little aggressive. Shopkeeper Ding just didn't know, walked slowly a few steps, and stood by the window: "You only finished half of what you just said, I want to finish listening."

He looked back at Ye Huaiyao, and said lightly: "Everyone's heart will change, am I the exception?"

Ye Huaiyao said slowly, "I think maybe you have changed too."

His tone was flat: "The inn was originally a place for travelers to come and go, and it is also the place in this world that carries the most nostalgia. You can't go back to your homeland and open an inn here, but it is to play with people's hearts and kill your life. Therefore, I probably don’t have the feeling I had back then.”

When shopkeeper Ding heard the accusation, he looked at him in surprise for a moment, then laughed and shook his head, and said, "What happened suddenly? Just now we were drinking and chatting very happily, and in a blink of an eye you left in a hurry, but you asked me Such doubts are really confusing."

Beside the jumping flames, Ye Huaiyao looked at him, his eyes gradually softened, almost bewitching.

He finally sighed helplessly and stopped being aggressive: "You knew from the beginning why Wang Fushang and others died, didn't you?"

For some reason, he was clearly articulate, but shopkeeper Ding felt that before the other party said this, his lips seemed to move, and he called out another title.

He suddenly didn't want to go around in circles anymore, and after a moment of silence, Xu Xu replied: "All the people who live in this inn are originally guided by greed in their hearts."

"The rich businessman wants to get back his old lover who is already married, and his wife hopes to be able to stand high and trample everyone under their feet."

"Officials with poor families hope to make a fortune, and monks who have been banned from magic want to extend their lives... But with these, they think, are they worthy?"

He said: "Here, you can see everything you want and don't want. But if you expect to hold it tightly, you will naturally have to pay the price of your life."

Ye Huaiyao said: "There is no clear price tag before the transaction, it seems to be against morality."

Shopkeeper Ding smiled: "If someone wants to spend a copper coin to buy an inn, he should know it in his heart - either someone is lying to you, or you are bullying others."

Ye Huaiyao said: "It sounds reasonable, and I'm about to be convinced."

He said softly: "In fact, it is a blessing to be able to see what you want most in your heart. For example, when I entered this room, I didn't see anything."

Shopkeeper Ding smiled, and asked back, "Didn't you see me?"

What Ye Huaiyao said just now was not plain, and there was more to come, but he was a little surprised when he asked this question.

Shopkeeper Ding calmly repeated: "I said on the first day that in this room, I can see what I want most in my heart. You have seen me."

Ye Huaiyao suddenly asked, "Who are you?"

There was rumbling thunder in mid-air, the moonlight was dim, and the clouds piled up, but no raindrops fell, and a rift across the east-west was slowly tearing open in the sky.

All the candles in the room were extinguished at once, and the night was like a dense black mist, pouring into the room one after another.

Shopkeeper Ding's figure gradually melted away in the darkness, and his voice became weaker and weaker.

"Congratulations, you have solved the puzzle of this level. Now the town is about to collapse. If you want to return to the same way, please leave quickly. If you want to continue moving forward, please find the secret burial place."

Ye Huaiyao took a step forward in the direction of the voice, and stretched out his hand to grab it: "Wait a minute—"

He felt that he had touched his cold fingertips, and then he was held back, and a soft voice came from his ears, like a whisper in a dream.

"The person I saw was also you."

Immediately, all sense of sound and touch disappeared, and chaotic footsteps and panicked voices gradually sounded from the corridor outside.

"What's going on, why is the ground shaking?"

"Earthquake, is it an earthquake?"

"My God, look at the top, why is there a crack?"

Since the sky had already been torn open a gap, all the yin energy that could be concealed overflowed without any scruples.

In the whole town, this inn is probably the only one that entertains foreign guests, and the rest are all souls imprisoned after death, and cannot be reincarnated from life to life.

The author has something to say: I am usually used to abuse the memories that happened in the past, so there will be no abuse on the current timeline.Brother, don't worry, it's all right.

Note:

1 Su Shi's "Two Poems of Migrating with Tao".

2 The allusions come from Volume [-] of Tao Yuanming's "Sou Shen Hou Ji", and many literary and historical allusions are cited.

For example, Ouyang Xiu's "return is like a crane in Liaodong, and the people in the city", Si Kongshu "the thousand-year-old city is like asking each other, the Huabiao and E'e are covered with night frost", Wen Tianxiang's "the scenery of mountains and rivers is the same, and the people in the city are half changed" and so on.In Chapter 124, when I first met shopkeeper Ding, the title of the chapter "Millennium Huabiao" is alluded to.