[Comprehensive] Traveling through Liaozhai with a hundred ghosts

Soon, those people with their bags came here, and they talked while walking.

"I said... do you really want to go in? This temple is so dilapidated, maybe there will be monsters like Ye Sifang!"

"Isn't it also possible to encounter monsters if you sleep outside, and the probability is even greater."

"Well, it's not completely dark anyway, if something is wrong, we still have a chance to escape."

……

When several travelers entered the temple, they saw Xu Hang and the others inside.

Just coupled with the dim lights behind them, the atmosphere was so gloomy that the travelers all tensed up all of a sudden, not daring to take a breath.

Finally, a man plucked up the courage and asked tremblingly, "You, you are..."

Are you humans or monsters? !

Several travelers shouted in fear in unison.

Shuweng often walks in the human world, so he can naturally see what these humans are afraid of.In fact, Xu Hang and Yasha also noticed it. Yasha raised the corners of his mouth and showed a contemptuous smile.

Seeing this, Shuweng was a little worried. He was a monster who had no ill feeling toward humans.He glanced at Xu Hang, saw that Xu Hang didn't show any dislike for humans, and then said on his own: "We are also travelers who have just settled here, so you don't have to worry about our malicious intentions, if you plan to rest here Do yourself a favor."

The travelers still had doubts, so they couldn't help observing Xu Hang and the others secretly.

Xu Hang's appearance is worthy of the word "Crown Jade", and the scholar is not bad. Although Yasha looks impatient and makes people feel difficult to get along with, he is also handsome.

After seeing these people carefully, they couldn't help feeling amazed in their hearts, especially Xu Hang had a special aura, probably an ethereal feeling like a fairy, as if he was left behind and independent.They all thought in unison in their hearts: What an extreme elegance!This should be a big shot from Heian-kyo!

Thinking this way, look at the Shuweng and Yasha beside Xu Hang.In ancient times, the cost of studying was high, especially in Japan. In the past, only the nobles and bureaucrats could afford to pay for literati.

The travelers suddenly thought that this was probably a traveling nobleman and his servants, and the scholar should be Xu Hang's servant, and looking at the Yaksha next to him, this one should be the guard.

It's just that the blue flame still makes people feel uneasy. The bookman noticed that they kept staring at the lampstand, and laughed and said: "We also found that the flame seemed to be different from the usual after we lit it, probably because the lamp oil has been left for too long. .”

This road is used as the corridor between Kaga and Etsuchu, and it seems that there are quite a lot of people coming and going, because not long after, there were footsteps and voices outside, and I saw a group of merchants coming in, about ten people.

Seeing another group of people coming in, the travelers finally stopped sitting on pins and needles.

Merchants usually travel north and south, and they are all winking people. After entering, they quickly assess the background of each other through the appearance and dress of everyone.

Soon they all agreed that Xu Hang and the others were unusual.Therefore, after coming in, he first greeted the people who were already in the temple, and then saw that a corner of the main hall was still empty, so he settled there, keeping his movements relatively restrained, so as not to disturb the people who were already there.

Then these two groups of people will do their own things, and the three parties have nothing to do with each other.

As the fire was set up and the firewood burned, the warm orange-yellow light that belonged to the normal flame quickly became the main theme, dispelling the eerie feeling brought by the faint blue light.

That night.

Both travelers and merchants have finished cooking, and now they are sitting around the fire, chatting to pass the time.

In fact, it is rare to have so many people staying together on the road. It was a long night, and someone from the merchant said, "Why don't we talk about a hundred stories."

When the man said this, the blue flame on the lampstand seemed to dance slightly.

Xu Hang glanced at the lampstand, just a moment ago, he caught a trace of almost undetectable evil spirit.

"Hundred Stories? Sounds interesting."

Someone quickly responded to the offer.

Hyakumongatari is a popular Japanese folk activity in summer, but now it is only proposed here on a whim. Everyone just wants to find something to pass the time because of the lack of entertainment activities at night, so it is not very authentic.

Rather than playing Hundred Monogatari, to be precise, it should be an ordinary story club.

Everyone just took turns telling stories, and did not count with candles.

Someone asked, "Then who will speak first?"

Humanity said before: "Since I started it, then let me do it first."

Then one of the young men asked those travelers and Xu Hang, "Do you want to come together?"

Xu Hang heard Shuweng chuckle, the volume was very low, probably only those around him could hear it.

With a strange tone, the scholar said in a low voice: "You may cause disaster if you don't follow the rules after you finish talking about Wanbaiyuyu!"

Reminiscent of the eerie aura that flashed past just now, Xu Hang already guessed that the lampstand might be related to Qingxing Deng.

Xu Hang thought for a while, and first responded to the people over there: "Okay."

"Why don't you all come over here!"

Xu Hang got up and walked over, Shuweng followed, Yasha looked reluctant, but in the end he followed.

At the beginning, the merchants and travelers were a little cautious when they saw Xu Hang sitting in front of them, but as the first person began to tell the story, everyone quickly listened to him attentively.

The first person to tell the story was the initiator. He scratched his head and said, "The story I'm telling is not a special story, it's just a strange thing I experienced when I was in Ueno."

He said: "In the autumn and winter seasons, there are often strong winds in the mountains and forests in Ueno. Sometimes the wind will spin around in place, forming a small whirlwind. The wound is cut, but when you look at the painful place, there is no wound on it. I heard from the local people that this seems to be a prank by a monster called Kamaitachi. They will quickly apply ointment after scratching people, People think they are injured, but when you check, you can't see the wound."

"It seems that this kind of monster is quite boring." Someone in the audience complained.

Even so, many people are still amazed by it.

On to the next person.

The man said: "I heard this story from my friend. I heard that it was his personal experience. This is a terrible thing. My friend almost died."

As he spoke, he himself showed a frightened expression, which made the audience subconsciously suspend their hearts.

"My friend stayed at a hotel in Iga last year and came back from drinking in the middle of the night. When he passed by the entrance of the public bath, he heard a woman calling from inside. My friend was in a daze at the time, and he went in when he heard someone calling him. Then he saw a The beautiful woman soaked in the bath, half-dressed, and invited my friend to bathe with him."

The eclectic plot had someone in the audience whistle.

"My friend was tempted by her, so she took off her clothes and went to get into the water, but when she was about to reach the pool, when my friend accidentally looked down, he suddenly felt that something was wrong in the water, and the woman's lower body seemed to be missing under the water My friend suddenly woke up halfway, and then thought that it is very abnormal for a woman to soak in the bath in the middle of the night, and I am afraid that I have encountered a monster."

"Then the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. When the woman urged him, his friend finally couldn't hold back his panic and ran out! The woman shouted angrily behind him. The next day, when my friend asked the hotel owner, he found out that this area From time to time, people drown in the bathhouse at night, so everyone is afraid to go to the bathhouse at night. As for the woman I saw last night, it is probably the person who drowned before who wanted to find a scapegoat?"

……

It didn't take long to tell stories one after another like this, only Xu Hang and the others were left behind.

However, because Xu Hang and the others seemed to be of high status, those people did not dare to rush them, but only looked at them with a questioning meaning.

Xu Hang said blankly: "Then it's up to me."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that they would lose face, but even so they couldn't, after all, it seemed that they couldn't be offended.

Xu Hang told the story of the wall paintings in Liaozhai.

Then it was Shuweng's turn.

The bookman smiled mysteriously, and said meaningfully: "The story I'm telling is related to Hundred Monogatari. As we all know, during the process of Hundred Monogatari, every time a story is told, a candle must be lit. It is said that it is used for counting. , so as not to exceed 99. However, have you ever thought that the role of candles may not only be used for counting, but also have more important uses?"

As he said that, as soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew in from the outside.

The flames were blown into a trance for a while.

Xu Hang turned his head and asked, "What is the effect?"

Shuweng said: "During the process of Hundred Monogatari, the panic in the audience's heart is easy to attract monsters, not to mention that Hundred Monogatari tells stories related to monsters, just like when someone's name is mentioned during the day, the other party often appears. , The same is true for talking about Hundred Stories at night. The role of candles is to form an enchantment to protect the people who participate in Hundred Stories. Otherwise, how can the last candle be blown out after dawn, and the last candle in the process of Hundred Stories? There is a saying that strange things will happen when the candle is extinguished."

The Shu Weng's words had aroused the fear of everyone present, and then, as if to confirm his words, weird things really started to happen in the main hall.

The wind howling around the Buddhist temple seemed to be mixed with howling ghosts and gods.For a while, everyone in the hall could hear the sound of weapons being handed over, and for a while, they heard the sound of water in the bathhouse.

At the same time, someone yelled loudly, and everyone noticed strange ghostly figures appearing on the surrounding walls.

For a moment, everyone was terrified. Although they sat around the fire, they didn't feel the warmth at all. On the contrary, their backs felt chills, as if they were in the cold winter.Looking at the ghost shadows approaching step by step, it makes people feel surrounded by ten thousand demons, and there is nowhere to escape.

Seeing that a shadow extending from the wall was about to unknowingly intend to wrap around the legs and feet of a person sitting outside, Xu Hang looked at the situation like a group of demons dancing around, frowned, and made a magic move, Suddenly an enchantment covered everyone.

At this moment, all kinds of weird situations that had been pressing on gradually stopped outside the barrier.

The merchants and travelers were in shock, still immersed in the horrific horror just now, before they could react, when they were still looking at the ghostly figures with teeth and claws outside the barrier in horror, they heard a cold voice in their ears.

"Since your Excellency is here, why don't you show up?"

After hearing the sound, they suddenly realized that the visions seemed to have stopped. They were shocked and overjoyed, and when they were about to look back at where Xu Hang was, suddenly, the blue flame on the lampstand jumped again.

Immediately afterwards, several fireballs popped out from the flames. The speed was so fast that Xu Hang didn't even have time to make a move. The ordinary people present were all stunned, only Xu Hang and Shu Weng were left sitting upright.

Then, behind the flame, an extra figure appeared at some point.

Taking a closer look, it was a beautiful woman, sitting on a lamp stick and floating in mid-air.

Xu Hang said in an affirmative tone, "You are Qing Xingdeng."

Shuweng also made a simple salute immediately, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect to be lucky enough to meet Mr. Qing Xingdeng. It seems that today is really a good day."

Probably in front of other big monsters, Yasha couldn't help correcting his demeanor.

Qing Xingdeng glanced at Shuweng and Yasha, then looked at Xu Hang: "I've heard rumors about a big monster named Xu Hang who came from overseas and suddenly appeared recently."

Hearing this, Xu Hang asked, "So you came here for me?"

Qing Xingdeng neither denied nor admitted, but stated: "I noticed that someone lit the lamp stand I left behind, and I heard someone suggested WanbaiMonuto, but they didn't follow the rules of WanbaiMonuto, so I came here to have a look. Thinking of discovering that you are among them."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at those people who were now unconscious on the ground.

Xu Hang couldn't be sure whether she intended to teach these people a lesson, because Qing Xingdeng was a cold and mysterious monster, so he thought about it and asked, "Then what are your plans now?"

Qing Xingdeng looked Xu Hang up and down and said, "Are you trying to keep these humans safe? It seems that there is nothing wrong with the rumor that you are a monster who is very friendly to humans."

Xu Hang didn't speak, just waited silently for her to finish.

Qing Xingdeng pondered for a while, and said, "Since this is the case, why not use your story in exchange, presumably your own story will be more interesting than these human beings."