Chapter 339 Wooden Magpie
In front of the stage, nine small oil lamps were placed.
The surroundings were swaying with wind and rain. Although the oil lamp was not blown out, it was still swaying and the light was extremely dim.
There is a red beard hanging on the background.
This thing represents the judge, and it has the power to suppress disasters and eliminate evil in drama.
Wang Dao Xuan took a piece of spiritual wood left over from the last refinement, asked a carpenter to make a tablet, and wrote the names of Bai Qi, Wang Jian, Lian Po, Li Mu, and Sun Wu in order.
People from the theater troupe stood by, their eyes full of excitement.
Of course they knew the dangers of singing ghost plays, and this time was a little special. The reason why they agreed, in addition to the generous reward of 5,000 taels of silver, was for these five tablets.
The opera troupe industry also has stage-holding instruments.
Some are Filling the Statues consecrated statues of Old Patron God, and some are gongs, drums, Dharma flags and other objects passed down from ancestors.
The one in front of me is called "Five Chang Soldiers and Horses Grand Marshal".
It's not Rampaging Soldiers, but the god who suppresses the stage.
It's not easy to make this thing. They can't get the spirit wood alone, let alone ask Xuanmen monks to take action.
With these five gods, in the future, ordinary evil things will not even dare to come near.
After finishing the tablets, Wang Dao Xuan simply set up an altar, burned incense and prayed, waved Coin Sword, and chanted. "Spiritual Light flashes into the divine tablet, the immortals and the sacred Buddha are like gods, the sky is round and the gods are respected, the gods Spirit Tablet is the sacred weapon... Imperative!"
After doing this, Master Wu and others were filled with excitement. They quickly and carefully stepped forward, wrapped it in red cloth, and held the magic sign. Watch out for Attendant behind the stage.
Wang Dao Xuan said in a deep voice, "Let's get started, we don't have much time, let's start with 'Breaking the Stage'!"
Master Wu nodded and quickly greeted everyone.
"Hurry up, hurry up, remember the rules!"
As he spoke, he took out two sachets wrapped in cinnabar from his arms and handed them to the two actors.
The so-called "Breaking the Stage" is a ritual of the troupe.
Whether there is a major accident, a new stage, or a ghost play, this ritual must be performed.
The two actors of Breaking the Stage are also very particular about their appearance.
One is wearing a white robe and a black cloak, with the skirt hanging to the floor, disheveled hair, and red eyes. She is a female ghost...
The other one was wearing a Bagua robe, with thick eyebrows, a red face and a red beard, holding a gold mace, and it was Wang Lingguan...
Boom, boom, boom!
The gong was struck, and the person playing the female ghost walked out quickly.
She used very small steps, her upper body was straight, and her skirt covered her feet, so she seemed to be blown by the wind and drifted out.
The light was dim and the costume made him look like a ghost.
This is the unique skill "Ghost Step" of the troupe. After years of hard work, it is impossible to master it well.
The person playing the role of Wang Lingguan also walked out while posing as Four Directions Step, holding a gold mace and shaking his body.
The two actors both had cinnabar sachets in their mouths, so they didn't make any sound. They just walked back and forth to the rhythm of the gong.
Soon, the "female ghost" was driven away. Master Wu, who had been prepared, quickly slaughtered a chicken and sprinkled the chicken blood on the stage.
Then there were crackles and gongs and drums of firecrackers.
This is the troupe's "Breaking the Stage" ceremony.
Except for Wang Dao Xuan and Lu San, there was no other audience. When they heard that a ghost show was about to be performed, the common people of Shen Family Dam stayed away.
Then, the gongs and drums were played three times, and the drama began.
The selection of tracks is also very particular.
The song "Mulian Opera" was sung this time, which was a performance to worship gods. Not only was the lighting on the stage dim and the atmosphere gloomy, but even the actors' costumes were bizarre.
This play originally came from "The Buddha Speaks of the Ullambana Sutra", which tells the story of Buddha's disciple Maudgalyayana who rescued his dead mother from hell.
Except for one monk, the others all acted as ghosts and ghosts. Some breathed fire and some performed flying forks, which looked very lively.
However, Wang Dao Xuan and Lu San didn't bother to look at them at all.
They looked solemn and stared at the lake in the distance.
After singing for a while, seeing that there was no movement on the lake filled with heavy rain, Wang Dao Xuan gritted his teeth and started the practice directly, sprinkling out several Yellow Talisman.
Gradually, the lake surface finally started to move.
The sound of rushing water surged, as if there were thousands of troops, and then thick fog and will-o'-the-wisps spread.
In an instant, the surroundings became foggy.
There were many shadows under the stage, including men and women, old and young, all of whom were blurry and whose faces could not be seen clearly.
Only countless rotten, dilapidated and mud-stained bodies can be seen.
The scene in front of me was like hell. I couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion. The lights on the stage were bizarre, and it was even more hazy off the stage.
More and more shadows were gathering, and it seemed that there was no end as far as the eye could see in the thick fog, and the surrounding temperature also dropped rapidly.
Everyone in the troupe was almost scared to death.
Of course they have performed ghost plays before, otherwise they would not have dared to take this job.
But in the past, ghost plays would only make some weird noises, or vaguely see one or two figures, which were incomparable to the scene in front of me.
Fortunately, Wang Dao Xuan has already said hello in advance.
The people in the opera troupe also knew the rules, and they just sang the opera step by step to the sound of gongs and drums, pretending not to see what was going on below.
Wang Dao Xuan next to the stage also had a numb scalp.
He hugged Coin Sword and hid in the formation formed by the red line and Auspicious Coin. He only glanced at it with his peripheral vision and did not dare to stare at it for a long time.
Of course, I didn't even dare to say anything.
Wang Dao Xuan winked at Lu San, took out a piece of Yellow Talisman, patted it directly on the back, and then pushed it suddenly.
Lu San knew the key, and with the help of this power, Hidden Strength's legs exploded, he jumped, and after landing, he ran two steps.
Finally, the white fog dissipated in front of my eyes.
He quickly turned around and saw that the area where the broken stage was located was wrapped in thick white mist, with countless green will-o'-wisps floating quietly.
Without any hesitation, Lu San gritted his teeth and rushed to the shore.
There are also many taboos about singing ghost plays.
First, you can't point it out and point at the ghost Yin Soul in the audience.
Secondly, there is no stopping in the middle. If anyone cannot bear it and is frightened and runs away, the whole troupe will suffer.
Once the ghost show starts, it cannot be stopped.
Until the rooster crows, the song ends and the ghosts disperse.
It's unclear whether the theater troupe can handle such a strong yin energy.
But now there is another problem. I don't know when the heavy rain will stop. Then the ghosts will leave and the ghost town will disappear.
When we arrived at the lake, Wu Ba was already waiting there, holding an umbrella and holding Little White Fox, his eyes full of anxiety.
At this time, they didn't care about fighting.
Lu San glanced at it and said solemnly, "If I can't come back, you should immediately find a mountain forest to live in seclusion and never leave the mountain for the rest of your life!"
After that, pinch Mystical Gestures, recite the incantation, and keep slapping the water surface.
Not long after, the water in the lake began to surge, and a two-meter-long black fish appeared vaguely, slapping the water with its tail.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist!"
Lu San cupped his hands, jumped into the lake, and hugged the black fish tightly.
This black fish is none other than Wild God in the lake. It has amazing strength. It just sways its tail and takes him to swim quickly into the lake.
In a blink of an eye, they were approaching the middle of the lake.
I saw that there was thick fog there, and there was a vague shadow of a city.
Blackfish accelerated its speed, and when it was about to get closer, it suddenly swung its body, and Lu San took advantage of this force to fly into the air and instantly fell into the thick fog.
The black fish was obviously a little scared and did not dare to get close at all. It rolled into the water and watched from a distance.
Under the water, there is another scene:
Densely packed corpses were suspended in the water, with a rope of flesh trailing behind them. The mud and rocks were glued together by something unknown, like a ghost island emerging from the water...
Snap!
Lu San landed, immediately pulled out his bones, and looked around carefully.
The rain was still pouring down, and there was thick fog all around.
Underground are dilapidated and old stone roads, surrounded by collapsed dwellings, leaving only ruins and walls covered with mud, water and weeds.
It is the former Gaochang County.
No one could have imagined that the outline of this county town and some of the walls of houses had not even collapsed.
Wrapped in thick fog, the surroundings were deathly silent, like a ghost.
However, Lu San's face was extremely ugly.
He owns Ear Mystical Power, this seemingly dead place, but in his ears it is extremely noisy.
There are the cries of countless people dying, the noise of the market, and even the sound of war horses neighing and weapons piercing flesh.
It's like the voices of countless years are concentrated and erupting together.
This feeling is simply crazy.
Lu San felt a splitting headache, but he didn't dare to stop Divine Ability, speeding up his pace and searching everywhere in the city.
This Gaochang County city is not big. You can see it from the outline. It runs east, west, north and south, with one main street each, forming an intersection in the center of the city. There are also some narrow alleys along the way, most of which are filled with mud from the bottom of the lake.
After taking a few steps, Lu San became vigilant.
In his ears, some voices suddenly became louder.
"Sir, let's retreat quickly!"
"We can't leave. If we don't enter the tiger's den, we won't get Hu Zi. Brothers, kill the bastard TingZi Capital first!"
"Kill!"
"Hahaha, it turns out that the 'Crane Control Capital' barbarian is also here. It's a pleasure to be buried with you today..."
Then, there were all kinds of chaotic shouts of killing.
Lu San pressed his head, looked ferocious, and walked a few more steps.
A large number of corpses suddenly appeared on the ground, some were wearing black armor and holding Black Cloud Longsword, some had spears pierced through their bodies, and there were also hand crossbows of astonishing length, weird scimitars...
The corpses are entangled with each other, seemingly retaining the scene of death.
Lu San Suddenly understood, these are Late Tang Dynasty Xuan Troops.
According to the records found by Shen YuanWai, these people were fighting near Liangzi Lake. It was also a night of heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
The next day, everyone disappeared.
It turns out that just like Li Yan, they were all involved in this ghost town.
As for Black Cloud Longsword that Shen YuanWai is looking for.
That's pure wishful thinking.
All the weapons and armor in front of me were severely damaged, rusty, pitted, and turned into crumbs at the slightest touch.
The so-called "dry for thousands of years, wet for ten thousand years", it stands to reason that these things are buried deep in the bottom of the lake, so the damage will not be so serious, but it has become this kind of virtue, there must be another reason.
However, Lu San couldn't think too much about it.
He endured the maddening noise and continued to search.
Rumble!
When we were almost at the intersection, the ground suddenly shook.
Lu San ducked and hid in the corner.
At some point at the crossroads, a large pit appeared, with mud gushing inside, as if it was boiling.
Boom!
Suddenly, the mud exploded, and a giant thing came out.
The head is like a mink, half of the face has collapsed, revealing ferocious fangs, the body is long hair, covered in mud, and twisted crazily.
It is Strange Beast "Wan Yan".
"Roar!"
After a long neighing, this "Wan Yan" seemed to have exhausted all its strength, fell suddenly, hit the ground hard, and made no movement.
At the same time, a figure covered in mud was also thrown out, and a Leap of the Falcon appeared in mid-air, falling to the ground.
"Yan XiaoGe!"
Lu San was immediately delighted and hurriedly came forward.
After finding Li Yan, there was no need to use Divine Ability. He pinched Yin Incantation to close it, and his ears became much cleaner.
The one who was thrown out was Li Yan. Although he was covered in mud and looked a little embarrassed, his eyes were still murderous and cold, and he was obviously not injured.
"Lu San brother."
Seeing Lu San, Li Yan were also a little surprised, "Are you also involved?"
Lu San quickly told the story.
"That's it..."
A trace of emotion flashed in Li Yan's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "As soon as I picked up the flesh and blood, I was wrapped up in this ghost city. I was harassed by ghosts and fought with 'Wan Yan'. I couldn't escape and summoned the Yin soldiers."
"Thankfully you got rid of the ghosts, otherwise I wouldn't be able to kill this bug for a while..."
He also had lingering fears.
After being drawn into the ghost town, although Divine Tiger Token and Gou Liao protected him, he was besieged by a group of ghosts and "Wan Yan" at the same time and was unable to fight back.
The group of ghosts suddenly disappeared, and he had the opportunity to smash the head of "Wan Yan" with one shot, and then used Soul Hooking Chain and lightning to kill this Strange Beast.
Lu San nodded and said, "It's okay, let's go quickly!"
"Can't leave."
Li Yan shook his head, looked around, and said in a deep voice:
"This ghost town... is alive!"
"Alive?" Lu San was stunned.
Li Yan didn't talk nonsense and took Lu San to the mud pit at the entrance of the cave.
Lu San looked down and his scalp suddenly felt numb.
All I could see around the pit below was squirming black flesh, the surface covered with ore, like rough skin.
Lu San frowned and said, "Is this... Tai Sui?"
"That's right."
Li Yan looked around, nodded and said, "This thing should also be one of Tomb Guardian Beast. It ran out when Earth Dragon Turning Over was around and went into this dangerous place to practice. It continued to grow and even swallowed the entire Gaochang County ruins."
"This guy only appears when it rains heavily, and he is still sleeping now. It is easy to get in, but difficult to get out. Once you leave the city, you will be attacked, and maybe the ghosts will immediately riot and return."
Lu San naturally believed Li Yan's words and frowned. "Then what should we do? The Daoist Master is still waiting. After the heavy rain stops, this ghost town will probably sink into the lake again."
"I have an idea."
Li Yan smiled and said, "Let's go from above!"
"Go up there?" Lu San was confused.
Li Yan didn't talk nonsense and took him to Gaochang County Yamen.
The county government office was also badly damaged, and Late Tang Dynasty Xuan Troops corpses were piled up like a mountain outside.
Li Yan took Lu San around and entered the county government office.
I saw a strange artifact standing inside, which looked like a sedan. It was made of black rattan with a metallic luster and looked extremely tough.
There are also wings woven on both sides of the sedan, and a magpie head on the front.
On the top of the sedan, there was a large piece of leather, hanging limply on the ground, and there were more corpses around it.
"What is this?"
Lu San is full of curiosity.
Li Yan said with complex eyes, "<Book of Jin> said that in Wu Prefecture City, the minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Yu Liang, saw numerous torches coming out of the city, like a large cart, it is this thing."
"These soldiers are also grabbing this thing."
"Flying Wooden Magpie of Lu Ban!"