The Ascension of Ghosts

Before the rooster crowed the next day, Lu Sheng changed into a dark blue narrow-sleeved gown that the hare and hedgehog got from nowhere, with a hanging pot on his waist and a plain white paper lantern in his hand, and he and Xie Rong stepped on the Jiuqu Bridge and went to the island. .

He originally discussed with Xie Rong how to find an excuse if the guards at the bridge saw him, but Xie Rong only told him to carry the lantern.

The lake was covered with mist, but a little lantern light moved along the Jiuqu Bridge, so conspicuous. However, until the two of them crossed the bridge and stepped onto the shore, no one came to stop and inquire.

Lu Sheng couldn't help saying, "What kind of spell is this? Could it be that you're invisible?"

Xie Rong was wearing a fragrant dark cloud-pattern narrow-sleeved blouse covered with maroon embroidered green and silver pine branches half-sleeves, a cloud brocade corset embellished with lapis lazuli rice beads, and thin black satin boots embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns. This little man became more and more jade-white and crystal-clear, and his face was cute, but he had a serious face, trying to look confident, nodding his head old-fashionedly, and said: "Stop gossip, let's lead the way with a lamp."

As expected of Young Master Xie, no matter whether he is ten years old or 24 years old, this domineering attitude remains the same.Lu Sheng had no choice but to keep silent, and just led the way with a lantern in front. He didn't know the way, passed through the weedy flowers, looked at the three-way road in front of him, stopped, and turned to ask Xie Rong.

Xie Rong was also sullen and silent, he lived in the island of Wuwei for a long time, and now he has no one to guide him, so he doesn't even know the way to his own home.Fortunately, this little boy didn't feel sad about spring and autumn, he took out a piece of paper as thin as a cicada's wing, and folded it into a paper butterfly. He spread his palm, and the paper butterfly gently flapped its translucent wings, Soared into the air from his hand, and flew towards the left fork.

Lu Sheng understood, and before Xie Rong could open his mouth, he followed Pianran Butterfly up the side road on the left, passed the veranda, passed through the flower gate, and crossed the camphor forest. After walking for a full stick of incense, he saw a corner gate in the backyard of Xie Mansion. .The paper butterfly lightly landed on the dark brown door panel, its wings opened and closed as if breathing, and the two servants guarding the door were sitting and taking a nap among the flowers beside it.

Xie Rong passed Lu Sheng, pushed lightly, and the corner door opened silently, revealing the bluestone slabs of the street outside. He stepped out, Lu Sheng hurriedly followed, and couldn't help but turn around, but saw the corner door closed spontaneously, guarding the door. People didn't notice it at all.

Lu Sheng quickened his pace, caught up with the boy, and asked, "Where are we going now?"

Xie Rong looked up at the paper butterflies that were still flying lightly three feet away, and muttered: "West of the city, Send Zi Niang Niang Temple."

Lu Sheng recalled intently that there was indeed a Songzi Niangniang Temple in the western suburbs of the capital, and I don't know who built it. It was chosen in a wilderness in the western suburbs, with no villages in front of it or shops in the back. There was a thunderstorm more than ten years ago. At that time, a fire fell from the sky and burned it down, the temple Zhu disappeared, and the Songzi Niangniang Temple has not been restored so far.

His brother and sister-in-law often went to Xingshan Temple and Wuchen Temple to pray for their children, and few people mentioned this temple anymore, so Lu Sheng couldn't help frowning deeply, and asked, "Isn't this Empress of Sending Children the same as Empress Hari? "

The little boy raised his brows and said with a smile: "You can teach a child."

Lu Sheng raised his hand and rubbed his head fiercely, pretending to be angry and said, "It doesn't matter whether it's big or small, who is the child?"

Xie Rong was rubbed on the head, and was stunned for a while, but Lu Sheng bent down, hooked his legs, and hugged him.

The little boy's face was dull, sitting on the young man's strong and stable arms, he didn't struggle, but said with a straight face: "Presumptuous."

Lu Sheng said, "You have short legs. If you walk like this, you might not be able to reach the west of the city at sunset. Why don't I carry you away?"

The boy's round face was flushed red, he was so angry that he was speechless, he couldn't utter a word, but what Lu Sheng said was true, Xie Rong could only be sullen and angry, hating himself for not being able to face the wind and grow into a man of seven feet .

Seeing that the boy was angry and helpless, Lu Sheng felt happy and walked towards the west of the city briskly.

After walking for an hour, they left the city and arrived at the Temple of the Empress, but no matter how slow Lu Sheng was, he also noticed the abnormality.

Along the way, the city was quiet and deserted, no one patrolled the streets, fetched water and delivered firewood, not even a hawker who bought breakfast.

From morning till now, Lu Sheng reckoned that Wu o'clock had already passed, but the sky was still dark and there was no sign of sunrise, and the surrounding mist was swaying. Except for the area of ​​several feet illuminated by white paper lanterns, everything else was shrouded in mist. In the dark.

Lu Sheng changed Xie Rong into his back on the way, and now he held a lantern and looked forward, a pair of old vermilion lacquered gates were illuminated by the white light. The paint has also peeled off, showing signs of decay everywhere.

Lu Sheng asked, "Why...is it never dawn?"

Xie Rong leaned on his back, smiled and said: "This lantern is used to guide the way during funerals, and it naturally illuminates the Yin and Yang road. You have to take good care of it. The place where the light shines, the Yin and Yang are harmonious, and the living people walk without worry. , if the light goes out and the Yin-Yang path is broken, the demons and monsters of the underworld will pounce on you and eat you alive."

Lu Sheng was shocked, and his scalp exploded immediately. He was timid after all, so frightened, he couldn't hold back his anger, and casually pinched the boy's buttocks, "You baby, you really have a bad heart, why didn't you tell me sooner?" ?”

He only heard the little boy behind him gasp, but refused to make a sound, and just buried his head behind him, but Lu Sheng noticed that the body behind him was trembling slightly, could it be that he was crying?

Lu Sheng's shock was not trivial, and he felt at a loss what to do. He hurriedly paced around the spot with him on his back, jolting and coaxing him from time to time, and said softly, "Ah Rong, Ah Rong, I was wrong, don't you Be angry."

The little boy said: "If I say it first, what do you do if you abandon me because of fear?" Although he tried his best to cover it up, his thick nasal voice couldn't hide his sobs.

Lu Sheng has always been soft and not hard, but he was so coaxed by this little boy that his heart softened. He put Xie Rong down, but the little boy was also stubborn. Eyes, Ren Lusheng tugged, but he refused to let go.

Lu Sheng had no choice but to sigh: "Ah Rong, I, Lu Sheng, a man, keep my word. Since I said I would come with you, how could I be a coward who ran away?"

Xie Rong asked, "Aren't you leaving?"

Lu Sheng said, "Of course I won't leave."

Xie Rong asked again: "Have you not left?"

But Lu Sheng hesitated for a moment, then knelt down on one knee, hugged the little boy into his arms, and said softly, "Ah Rong, I can't help myself now, so I don't dare to just promise you."

The boy's back was stiff at first, and then he was about to push him away, but Lu Sheng still hugged him tightly. The boy was small and weak, unable to struggle.Lu Sheng said again: "Ah Rong, listen to me. Of course I can't promise right now, but after 14 years, I will never leave Ah Rong again. Even if you drive me away, I will not leave, okay?"

The little boy stopped struggling just now, fell into Lu Sheng's arms, lightly clenched the young man's skirt, and said blankly, "Why do we have to wait 14 years..."

Lu Sheng said, "After 14 years, you will naturally understand."

The little boy hummed lightly, raised his head, his expression was clearly clear, and there was no tear in the corner of his eyes, he just said: "You love the magic sword like a treasure, and you will never leave your side day and night. After 14 years, I am afraid that you will be wiped out by this monster The soul has turned into a living corpse, it really can't be driven away."

Lu Sheng didn't understand it at the beginning, but when he gradually understood the words and sentences, he felt a bone-chilling cold air pouring into his heart and lungs along his limbs.

He looked at the boy's eyes as clear as cold pools, and said with a sad smile, "Ah Rong, this magic sword was given to me by you yourself 14 years later."