Chapter 8, Night Talk at the Mountain God Temple
Gu Cheng's courtesy name was given to him by his mother, Gu Laotai Jun, after both of his parents had passed away. It signifies the meaning of longevity and safety, intended to be used when he reaches the age of maturity.
Upon hearing Gu Cheng's words, the others did not say much more
This young gentleman, how about you
Seeing that the atmosphere had become somewhat tense, the old butler quickly said: "It's just a story, no need to take it seriously"
Seeing that no one opposed, the old steward smiled and said, "Since that is the case, I shall go ahead and share one first
Have you heard of the Northern Desert Wolves? They are ruthless killers, showing no hesitation in taking lives, employing extremely brutal methods, committing murder and robbery, and leaving no survivors
At that time, I happened to be in Haitian County, where a high-ranking commander from the Jingye Division personally came to ask for my assistance
Anyone can see that this old butler clearly has never heard of the name of the Qingyuan Sword Sect; he is merely giving the other party a way out. However, Jiang Hanlin did not realize this and instead raised his head proudly.
How can we, as chivalrous individuals, stand idly by in the face of such events? Thus, I charged into the sea of corpses with two swords, cutting from the east city gate to the west city gate, back and forth for three days and three nights, with heads rolling to the ground. Yet, I wielded my swords without so much as blinking an eye, my hands rising and falling, rising and falling, until both swords were dulled from the relentless strikes
Gu Cheng said lightly: "My name is Gu Chang'an, just an ordinary wanderer of the rivers and lakes."
The old steward chuckled and said: "So it turns out to be the young talent of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, my apologies for the oversight"
It is said that some zombies possess a peculiar venom, which, after being bitten, can even cause you to gradually transform from a living person into a zombie
Oh, oh. Han Jingjing obediently nodded her head
Han Jingjing propped her chin in confusion and said, "Senior Brother, our Qingyuan Sword Sect clearly does not have a technique for dual swords, so why are you using two swords?"
Among the pair of men and women, the man spoke proudly: "I am Jiang Hanlin, an elite disciple of the Qingyuan Sword Sect from Donglin County. This time, I have come out into the world to venture and am determined to punish evil and eliminate the wicked, to slay the demons. You all must have heard of the great name of my Qingyuan Sword Sect, right?"
Gu Cheng had previously gone through a fierce battle, his clothes were already tattered and stained with blood. After crawling and rolling in the mountains and forests for so many days, he was filthy and looked utterly unkempt, resembling a wandering rogue from the rivers and lakes.
His junior sister, Han Jingjing, exclaimed: "But senior brother, it seems you mentioned before that you were in Jiangnan three years ago. How did you end up in the northern desert?"
After being sabotaged twice, Jiang Hanlin is on the verge of a breakdown
In my hometown, there is a legend that placing shoes with one facing forward and the other facing backward at the foot of the bed while sleeping can ward off evil spirits. This is because ghosts determine the direction of the bed by the orientation of the shoes and then climb onto the bed. Having one shoe facing forward and the other backward will prevent the ghost from locating the bed
It is said that those who are eaten by tigers cannot attain rebirth, and will transform into wandering spirits, assisting the tigers in luring passersby
Gu Cheng shook his head and said: "Wandering the rivers and lakes, living is the most important thing; I do not have that many interesting matters."
Then Jiang Hanlin waved his hand boldly and said, "What you are discussing is all very uninteresting; let me tell you something stimulating.
Jiang Hanlin glanced over, and the scholar Zhao Xinghua had a look of confusion on his face, clearly indicating that he was completely unaware of matters concerning the martial world
The scholar clasped his hands and said: "I am a scholar from Pingyang Prefecture in Donglin County, named Zhao Xinghua. I am preparing to travel to the capital for the imperial examination, and I also wish to take a shortcut, which is why I have come to this mountain."
The young woman beside her said charmingly: "I am Han Jingjing, a novice disciple of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, and I have come out to wander the martial world alongside my senior brother."
Han Jingjing wrinkled her small nose and said: "Then this wretched ghost is truly despicable; not only did it die itself, but it also helps to harm others by biting its own tiger to death."
As he spoke, Jiang Hanlin was still gesturing there
A gust of cold wind swept by, the campfire dimmed, yet outside came the low, rumbling sounds of growls and gnashing of teeth
When her husband went to the toilet, the woman playfully arranged the shoes under the bed, one facing forward and the other facing backward
A woman heard this legend and, late at night, mentioned it to her husband as a joke. Her husband scolded her, saying that these were all nonsense
Gu Cheng also shrugged his shoulders. He had just crossed over and had only a superficial understanding of the cultivation world. How could he know what this Qingyuan Sword Sect was all about?
A group of strangers who happen to meet does not need to introduce themselves by their full names
Zhao Xinghua gently shook his head and said: "If one does not act for oneself, heaven and earth will punish them"
Jiang Hanlin glared at her and said, "Is it not acceptable for your senior brother to take some time to go to the northern desert to punish evil and uphold justice?"
I said, "Junior sister, why is your focus so strange? Shouldn't you be concerned about how valiant I am, or just how terrifying the zombies are?"
Having just crossed over for a few days, what stories could Gu Cheng possibly have? Is it possible that he has to tell them the tale of the old corpse in the mountain village?
Thus, even within the residence of the Loyal and Brave Marquis, very few people call him by his courtesy name
The tiger devoured a person, thereby acquiring a new ghost, which allowed the previous ghost to depart
Moreover, the master has said that our Qingyuan Cold Light Sword follows the path of agility, striking at the opponent's vital points. Why do you choose to use the sword to hack at others
Jiang Hanlin continued to gesture with his hand: "A year ago, at the ancient battlefield ruins in Haitian County, there was a heretical Qi refiner who was refining corpses there, turning countless bodies buried beneath the battlefield into zombies, and even the people from Jingye Division were unable to do anything about it.
Jiang Hanlin scoffed disdainfully and said, "Being timid and cowardly is just being timid and cowardly. You scholars are so cunning, always looking for so many excuses."
Jiang Hanlin deliberately used a deep tone to create a sense of horror, and just then, a series of intense knocking sounds suddenly came from outside the mountain god temple, startling Jiang Hanlin.
It is unknown when, but outside the mountain god temple, dozens of strange figures have unexpectedly appeared. Through the firelight, one can see their bodies stiffened, some with their heads tilted and limbs twisted
I tell you, those zombies with copper heads and iron arms can withstand blades and swords with their flesh. If they are scratched by their claws or bitten, they will immediately become infected with corpse poison
When her husband returned, he did not get into bed; instead, he walked around the bed, shouting, "Where is the bed?"
The story of the old steward is quite short, and while it is not particularly terrifying, it evokes a sense of subtle horror that causes Han Jingjing from the Qingyuan Sword Sect to continuously squeeze closer to her senior brother
Finally, with my assistance, Jing Ye Si was able to subdue that evil path alchemist.
The old steward smiled and said, "The long night is endless, and with nothing to do, how about we share a few interesting tales of the supernatural?"
In the mountain god temple, apart from the guards, several individuals gathered around the bonfire.
The term "to act as a henchman for a tiger" is something you may have all heard of; here, 'henchman' refers to a type of ghost known as a 'zhanggui'.
Three years ago, I ventured alone into the northern desert, engaging in fierce battles against wolf bandits, causing chaos and destruction, single-handedly toppling a mountain stronghold
If one does not help the tiger kill, it will never be reborn in its lifetime. People are inherently selfish; who can claim that if they were to become a vengeful spirit, they would willingly accept eternal damnation without harming others?
My esteemed master is the newly appointed Director of the Department of Rites, Mr. Xiao Cunyi. After being transferred to the capital, he instructed us to accompany the young lady there. I initially thought the shorter path would be more convenient, but unexpectedly, the desolate mountains and wilds proved to be even more difficult to traverse
At this moment, Zhao Xinghua said: "Let me tell a little story as well."
Does Brother Gu have any interesting stories to share from his adventures in the world?
The old butler turned his gaze towards Gu Cheng
The old steward smiled and said: "Gentlemen, meeting each other is a matter of fate. The night is long, so let us introduce ourselves to one another."