dragon pen

As if he knew that this day was a special day, as dusk just arrived, the streets in Yunqi Country, which should be bustling at this time on weekdays, were already empty, and the doors and windows of every house were closed, only the wind covered in yellow sand blew past, making a sound like The sound of evil spirits screaming.

At dusk, all kinds of strange monsters appeared from the streets and alleys. Some of them looked like humans with big hats but could not see their faces; some looked like broken blue and white porcelain bowls; most of them were Civet cats, foxes, and other mountain elves... These monsters seemed to be guided by some invisible, lively walking towards the end of a certain street——

Most of them are alone, rarely in small groups.

So when the representative team of Mizuma appeared on the stage, it was particularly spectacular. A large group of mighty monsters formed a team to dominate the streets, and among them were high-level monsters such as Changbi Ji and Bai Xueji, which naturally attracted the attention of others and even talked about it——

"Master Oboroma really wrote a lot of names on the invitation!"

"Even Master Changbi..."

"I heard that they are all willing to sign a contract with him. They are all powerful monsters... I don't know what the lord wants to do."

"My son's sweetheart's cousin's neighbor is hiding in a cupboard in the royal family. From what he said, it seems that Lord Oboroma really made a big move this time... Oh, I'm so scared, so this time Hyakki Night Walks me But after thinking for a long time, I decided to participate, and I hope that I will not be affected by Chi Yu."

"Yeah yeah?"

……

All the monsters were discussing, and the two raccoon cats covered their lips while discussing and glanced at the team from time to time. At first, Zhang Ziyao wanted to pretend that he didn't hear anything, until the sentence "This year's Inugami Saburo looks a bit strange" flew into his in the ears—

Zhang Ziyao's face covered by the mask froze suddenly. At this moment, a man with a long neck like a snake stretched his head crookedly beside him, and said to him with a smile, "Don't be afraid, they won't be able to see it."

Sure enough, the civet cat who asked the question held his head in confusion the next moment and thought hard: "What's the difference? It doesn't seem to be different. Did Saburo look like that before? Did Saburo look like that before? , did I remember wrongly?"

Zhang Ziyao looked at the four real dog gods walking steadily on four legs not far away from him, and twitched the corners of his lips, wondering how the hell am I the same as these dogs?

At this time, the team has already entered a slightly narrow alley——

The sun was about to disappear completely over the horizon.

The whole alley sank into dark shadows, crowds gathered, and monsters gathered from all directions. They all stretched their necks and looked at the dark gravel road that seemed to have no end, as if expecting something...

Until the last light of the sun was swallowed by the earth, at the moment when night came, a red-skinned kid sitting on the roof slammed the big drum sitting under his buttocks—this seemed to be a signal , Immediately afterwards, the team that was just whispering started to stir up. The monsters with long necks stretched their necks, and those who did not have the advantage of height also tried to stand on tiptoe. A faint green light suddenly lit up at the end of the alley.

First one, then two, three...

Through the mask, Zhang Ziyao watched in great surprise that the originally invisible gravel path was suddenly illuminated by ghostly ghostly lights, and they continued one after another as if alive, the original street disappeared. A huge gate appeared in front of them!

The door is painted with red paint, and behind the door is an old, moss-covered mountain road with steps. As he got closer, Zhang Ziyao heard someone beside him say in a low voice, "Lord Qing Xingdeng is here."

The monsters became even more agitated than before.

Zhang Ziyao was curious about what kind of monster appeared to make them so excited, so he stretched his neck and stood on tiptoe to look. After a while, he saw an old woman in a gorgeous printed twelve sheet, holding a ghost fire blue lantern in her hand. Falling down at the end of the mountain road, she had sharp horns on her head. When she landed beside the lacquered gate, the green lantern of the will-o’-the-wisp in her hand flickered faintly, and the flames burst out and turned into a few blue flame butterflies, flying around her——

"Quickly line up, quickly line up, what are you guys watching, don't waste time."

The old woman known as Qing Xingdeng muttered.

When the monsters heard the words, it was as if they had been ordered. The monsters that had crowded the alley obediently gathered together and formed a long line. The head of the line was Qingxing Deng, but the tail was invisible... only Seeing the monster at the front of the line raise his head, and seeing the old woman holding the ghostly flame blue lantern clearly see the "invitation card" on the right side of her face, she was let go——

Zi Yao was standing in the middle of the line, he lowered his voice and asked the people around him: "Who is that old woman?"

"You don't know Qingxingdeng." Zhu Jiuyin's voice sounded behind Zhang Ziyao just at the right time. This guy did not know when he took a picture of Zhang Ziyao's back, "The source of the ghosts' night walk is Qingxingdeng. Legend has it that a long time ago , A group of people who were full and hunger played a game called "Hundred Stories", that is, after lighting a hundred candles, one person told a ghost story, and after each story was told, one candle was blown out. After one hundred ghost stories are told and the candles are blown out, there will be an evil spirit from hell who will drag all the storytellers to hell. The ghosts and ghosts of the past will also become reality and come to the world, which is the 'Hundred Ghosts of the Night'."

Zhang Ziyao felt very knowledgeable when he heard it: "So now, Qing Xingdeng has become the gatekeeper of the invitation letter for the Hundred Ghosts Night Walk?"

Zhu Jiuyin: "Yes."

Zhang Ziyao: "What will happen to her when she meets someone who barges in without an invitation?"

"Drive that person away, or drag him into hell," Zhu Jiuyin said dryly, folding his sleeves, "I know what you want to say, but no matter what it is, I advise you to give up that heart, even if it's just With a little skill left, the old woman will not be my opponent, someone who can drag me into hell—"

Zhang Ziyao: "Not born yet?"

"He has passed away." Zhu Jiuyin said with a fake smile, "I wish him to be reborn as a dung beetle."

Zhang Ziyao: "... I really hold a grudge."

Zhu Jiuyin: "At the beginning, I was expelled just because I didn't follow your wishes and didn't leave when you pulled your sleeves. What qualifications do you have to accuse me of holding grudges?"

"Well said," Zhang Ziyao nodded, "So when are you going to get out?"

Zhu Jiuyin: "..."

The team was moving forward slowly, and the monsters in front passed the inspection one after another and disappeared in the mountain road behind the ghostly ghost fire. When the old woman holding the ghostly fire blue lantern was getting closer and closer to Zhang Ziyao, his palms were so nervous Almost sweating——

"I asked about the smell of human sweat."

"Humans? How can there be humans here..."

"Is there a human being mixed in? Impossible, did you smell it wrong?"

Several little monsters around chattered and chattered, Zhang Ziyao was so nervous that his back tensed—at this moment, the man standing behind him lazily stretched out his hand and took the boy into his arms. When his back hit the strong chest behind him, he was slightly taken aback, and the faint ambergris surrounded him...

"Disappeared, the smell of humans."

"They say you smelled it wrong."

"Probably some broom god picked up the smell when it came out, hehehe."

"Don't be nervous." Zhu Jiuyin leaned against his ear and said in a low voice, "Take it easy."

The man's hot breath hit Zhang Ziyao's ears, which made his heart beat slightly faster, but he also calmed down a little... Zhang Ziyao moved his lips to say something, but at this moment he seemed to feel that his breathing became stable. Jiuyin let go of him calmly, stretched out his hand, adjusted the mask on his face naturally, and said slowly: "When you are checked by that old woman, don't look up, don't look at her face Eye."

Zhang Ziyao nodded: "Understood."

Zhu Jiuyin withdrew her hand with a "huh" sound. During the conversation, the team moved forward three or five positions. After one or two monsters, it would be Zhang Ziyao's turn. In the distance, Qingxing Deng muttered "Hurry up, don't take advantage of it, be careful to delay the good time", the boy swallowed a mouthful of saliva and stepped forward, raised his arm before the old woman asked, and swung the arm with the red mark of "Inugami Saburo" Put it under her nose...

"From the Inugami family?" The old woman moved her drooping eyelids, as if to see more clearly, she slightly raised the green lantern in her hand and approached Zhang Ziyao's arm, because her movements were swaying, almost A blue butterfly flew out and landed on Zhang Ziyao's arm...

At a place very close to Zhang Ziyao's arm, the old woman sniffed her nose, and said "huh" in doubt: "Why does it smell like a human being?"

...was discovered?

Zhang Ziyao's heartbeat almost stopped.

I remembered Zhu Jiuyin's reminder.He lowered his eyes so that she wouldn't look directly into his eyes.

After the heartbeat stopped suddenly just now.Suddenly it sounded like a drum--

However, at this moment, the monsters standing behind him yelled, "Hurry up, hurry up", "The good times are about to be delayed", "What are you doing in the front?" Zhang Ziyao pursed his lips slightly, right here At that time, I saw the old woman straighten her back, and said calmly: "You are too close to humans, Inugami family, correct your stinking problems... the next one."

Zhang Ziyao froze in place for a while, a drop of cold sweat slid down his back, he took stiff steps and stepped into the other side of the red and vermilion lacquered gate, the cool mountain wind blew by, and he turned around a little God come——

Passed the test.

It passed!

The young man let out a long breath, and at this moment he heard the old woman behind him ask, "Turn out the invitation and don't let the old man come to find it in person", and then he turned his head as if remembering something—as expected, the team Zhu Jiuyin, who was standing behind him, had already rolled up his sleeves and stood in front of Qing Xingdeng. His face was indifferent at this moment, and he didn't see any panic at all.

"Please show me the post."

"invitation?"

The man bent down slightly, grabbed Qing Xingdeng's hand and snatched the ghost fire blue lantern. Amidst the gasping sound behind him, he raised the lamp to his face, and said calmly: "Look at me clearly. who is it."

Qing Xingdeng: "...?"

"He took Lord Qingxing Deng's lamp!"

"Master Qing Xingdeng's lamp can only be held by her, and others will suffer from the burning of the ghost fire—"

"He will be burned to death by the ghost fire!"

"Bold, bold."

The line that was originally quietly queuing up behind was commotion, and Qing Xingdeng was about to get angry after being made such an impolite gesture, but when she raised her head to see clearly the face of the man standing in front of her, it came to her lips However, the grievances were forcefully swallowed back into the stomach——

The old woman's wrinkled face changed from anger to shock.

"Master Zhuyin? Is that you, Master Zhuyin?"

Qing Xingdeng's pupils shrank slightly.

Qing Xingdeng's voice spread, the monsters behind were stunned for a moment, the original commotion quieted down a bit, and after a while, the pot exploded with a "buzz"!

"She said it was Candle Yin!"

"Master Zhuyin! This is a big man that my grandfather's grandfather has only seen, and my grandfather's grandfather is still showing off—wow! It appeared!"

"I don't believe it, I don't believe it! How could Master Zhuyin come to such a small party, and we haven't heard any news before!"

"Look at the makeup on my face, how rude it would be to be seen by Lord Zhuyin!"

Amidst the explosive discussion behind him, Zhu Jiuyin put down his hand and stuffed the lamp that only Qingxing Deng himself could touch back into the old woman's hand, and said expressionlessly: "The pets at home suddenly want to participate in such a party. I signed up secretly without notifying you before, and I was worried that he would come alone, so I followed... So, there is no invitation."

Qing Xingdeng was stunned for a moment, and then said: "Your pet... ah, that's a matter of course. Mr. Zhuyin has a lot of things to do every day, so there is no reason to condescend to inform us in advance! No invitation card, no invitation card, it's natural Too--"

"No problem, right?"

"No problem, no problem, but it is an old mistake to let the adults stand in the line and wait for a long time... If the empress Yuzao knows about this, she should blame it again."

Zhu Jiuyin snorted, and it was clearly written on her face that she didn't want to talk more nonsense—the old woman didn't dare to say any more, she secretly glanced at the man in awe and fear, and when the man lowered her eyes, she withdrew her words. He glanced away and took a step back: "My lord, please."

Zhu Jiuyin took a step forward.Suddenly, he retracted his feet as if remembering something: "Qing Ji, when I saw you last time, you were still a young girl."

The old woman was stunned for a moment, her numb eyes trembled slightly, and she unexpectedly showed a rare smile: "Hundreds of years, even Qing Ji will grow old."

Zhu Jiuyin fell silent, then stepped through the door as soon as he moved, and came to the other side of the door. When he looked up, he saw Zhang Ziyao standing on the few steps up, looking at him as if looking at some strange animal. Own.

"You don't even spare old women."

"What stupid things are you talking about? The old woman was a famous beauty when she was young. Why can't I miss the beautiful things?" Zhu Jiuyin squinted at Zhang Ziyao with her sleeves folded, and she put a finger through the mask while talking. She tapped the tip of his nose, "Like you, when you get old, I will only tell you: no difference."

"..."

Zhu Jiuyin smiled like a stealing cat, Zhang Ziyao paused, and said, "They know you."

"I came here a long time ago, so I insisted on adding my name and portrait to the Hundred Ghosts at Night," Zhu Jiuyin hummed as if she had a toothache, "I won't let you, they have to add it..."

"The scope of your rampage is a bit wide."

"What are you talking about? Don't wrong the good people. From ancient times to the present, the big monster passed from Tiancang to Yunqi is not just me? Let's not say that the former empress of Yuzao is Su Daji who was kicked out by the stinky Taoist priests. You I probably didn’t know that Guhuo Niao, who specializes in stealing children, also has a girl named Tiandi, Zashiki Doji comes from the legend of Fuzi who is not good at storage but brings happiness to the family, and you, the dog god—”

Zhu Jiuyin showed an unscrupulous smile, and frivolously touched the red mask on Zhang Ziyao's face - his fingers seemed to have accidentally touched the boy's chin, and quickly took it away. He said lightly: "The one raised by Erlang God Silly dogs who can bleed, but they are their grandparents."

"so what?"

"In this land, I am a grandfather. When I come to these descendants, I naturally look at them with my chin."

"I believe it."

"Hmph, you'd better not believe it, just wait and see for a while, let alone a big man like me, even a stupid cow—"

Before Zhu Jiuyin's words were finished, another good show started behind them——

This time it really was Su Lian.

Before that, Su Lian, who had turned back into a human body, was the only one standing in the line who kept a human face but did not wear a mask. While queuing up, there were monsters whispering about his identity. At this moment, When he stood in front of Qing Xingdeng and said concisely "I don't have an invitation card" in a cold tone, the old woman's face was visibly stunned——

In the past, there were people who had the guts to stand in the team without an invitation card, and there might only be one in a few sessions, but this one is also miraculous, and it didn't take long at the beginning to meet two.

Only this time, because of the lesson of Zhu Jiuyin, Qing Xingdeng didn't dare to be negligent. She slightly raised the lamp, so that the green will-o'-the-wisp enveloped the little boy's head in front of her... Su Lian raised her head, and that The single golden pupil looked indifferently at the old woman's scrutinizing gaze——

Qing Xingdeng was stunned.

"Waijin... Mr. Futsu Sun God?"

Qing Xingdeng asked stutteringly, his voice full of disbelief.

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a gasp of "drinking" in the line behind Su Lian, and Zhang Ziyao clearly saw a bull-headed monster standing behind Su Lian leaning back suddenly, his eyes widened, his nostrils slightly opened ——

Transformed into a frightened cow.

And the team that was still huddled and pressing forward instantly backed up by about five monsters!

"God of misfortune!"

"Stay away, stay away."

"Oh my mother, what happened tonight! What happened!"

"Isn't this year's Hyakki Night Walk not enough to be ranked in the top three in history! Mr. Futsu Nikami!"

"Probably the God of Fujin who just took office, you see he is still small-but it doesn't prevent him from beating me into the soil in the blink of an eye."

"I will have no regrets if I die tomorrow."

"When I have children and grandchildren, I can brag with them for the rest of my life. Grandpa has seen Lord Zhuyin and Lord Fujinshen, and even stood in line with them!"

"He he he he he he is right in front of me!"

The monsters behind began to chatter again, and the old woman standing in front of the door blinked: "My lord, why are you—"

"When the master of the house wants to come, he will follow."

While talking, Su Lian looked at the door behind Qing Xingdeng, the old woman was stunned for a moment, and then turned her head to follow her gaze - only to see Zhu Jiuyin's face on the stone steps on the other side of the door Impatiently standing there with his sleeves rolled up, behind him was a young man wearing a red Inugami mask and a pure white jacket.

"Lord Zhu Jiuyin?" Qing Xingdeng asked.

"No," Su Lian said, "the one behind."

Yu Luo, before Qing Xingdeng could react what he said, Su Lian crossed the gate by himself, and walked towards the two people who seemed to have been waiting on the steps for a long time——

"Stupid cow, why did it take so long?"

"Delayed for a while, did you wait long?"

"Yeah, I've been waiting until my legs are numb—"

"I didn't ask you."

"What did you say, say it again!"

Among the three, only the young man wearing the scarlet dog god mask remained silent—under the eyes of everyone, he seemed to have no sense of existence between the two adults. Mask, lowered his voice and said softly: "Stop making noise, let's go."

"Yes, yes, why are you a stupid cow arguing with me? Do you know how to respect the old and love the young?"

"Obviously you are the one who keeps shouting."

"I'm just born with a strong breath, and I don't want to do things that are neither elegant nor noble."

"Ah, hehe."

Before the quarrel stopped, the boy sighed, turned around and walked up the steps on his own—

"Look, all my pets have been disturbed by you."

"He's not your pet."

"Isn't he and who else is it? You? I don't raise pigs—hey, the one in front, what are you doing walking so fast, beware of being eaten by monsters!"

The two adults talked to each other, but their bodies turned to the direction the boy left in unison, closely following his walking pace...

When the three people's conversations and footsteps gradually faded away, only a group of monsters who looked at each other on the side of the red and vermilion lacquer gate and thought about it carefully but couldn't understand what happened...

Beside the door, the old woman holding the ghost fire blue lantern paused for a moment, and finally she looked away, and returned to her indifferent appearance at the beginning, the ghost fire blue lantern shook slightly, and a few blue butterflies flapped their wings and flew out— —

"Next person."