Knife splashing

Chapter 465 The Story of the Gray Monk

"My dear readers, today we are not going to talk about the Three Kingdoms conflict or the heroes of Water Margin. Let's talk about Xiansheng Zhenjun..."

A table, a fan, and a wake-up stick.

The storyteller's skills are his mouth skills. Although his jokes are old ones, they seem to have some kind of magic as soon as he opens his mouth, attracting the audience's attention.

Li Yan was also a little surprised, what surprised him was fate.

Ever since I came to Shu, I seem to always come across things related to Xiansheng Zhenjun. Perhaps it really contains some great opportunities.

"Master, you are here."

As soon as Xie Zhengyuan entered the door, the shopkeeper hurried forward.

"Bring a distinguished guest, find a private seat."

"It's upstairs."

Xie Zhengyuan was making arrangements in front while Li Yan was looking around.

This teahouse is quite old, with blue bricks and grey tiles, wooden structure, flying eaves and pointed corners on the outside, and simple bamboo tables and chairs inside.

Although it was morning, there were quite a few guests coming to drink tea, from all walks of life, mainly merchants, some leisurely sipping tea, some holding local cigarettes and listening to quick stories in silence.

In a corner of the main hall, there is a tiger stove.

There was a roaring fire inside, and a large blackened iron kettle was bubbling with steam. If tea drinkers needed water, they could just pick up the kettle and add it themselves.

Although not exquisite, it reveals a sense of leisure.

Soon, Xie Zhengyuan brought him to the second floor. The private room had no door and was less than one meter away from the wooden railing. He could see the stage below by looking up.

"Bring me my tea."

After Xie Zhengyuan gave instructions, the servant immediately went downstairs and took out a bamboo tube from the locked cabinet in the back kitchen. There was a piece of red paper pasted on the bamboo tube with the words "Xiangshan Tribute Tea" written on it.

Soon, the tea was ready, and the table was filled with snacks such as chestnuts, walnuts, and dried tofu.

"Don't despise me, Young Master Li."

Xie Zhengyuan said with a smile: "People who come to Zouma Town are either driving carts to travel around the country, or they are caravans who earn hard-earned money and don't have much money in their pockets."

"If a teahouse is built too well, people won't want to visit it."

"where."

Li Yan smiled and said, "This place is comfortable. After running around everywhere, it's a pleasure to stop and drink tea occasionally."

"That guy below, isn't that Li Tiezui?"

He said, looking down at the stage.

Although the storyteller looked steady, he had immature brows and was a somewhat mature young man.

"Hi."

Xie Zhengyuan laughed, "That old fellow Li Tiezui has become extremely lazy as he gets older. He won't get up until the sun is high in the sky."

"I have already told someone that he will come directly here later. Don't worry, young man Li. Have some tea and listen to the book."

Li Yan nodded, took a sip of tea, and felt the unique aroma of tea. He smiled and said, "Master Xie is in a good mood. I admire you."

"What kind of mood is that..."

Xie Zhengyuan shook his head and said, "When I was young, I was also in a hurry, running around all over this land of China, thinking about achieving great things."

"But now that I'm old and can't run anymore, I realize that working hard all my life is just like that. Look at these tea drinkers, many of them are locals in Zouma Town, and they don't make much money on weekdays. Aren't they still living comfortably with a pot of broken tea?"

"On the contrary, some of the old friends I know passed away very early. They worked hard for half their lives and didn't even have a chance to relax and enjoy themselves..."

As he spoke, he started eating peanuts, occasionally drinking tea, listening to the quick storytelling on the stage, and nodding his head.

Li Yan laughed in silence, and simply stopped thinking about other things, and began to enjoy this long-lost leisure time...

…………

On the other side, Sha Lifei and Long Yan'er also went out.

There are many caravans in Zouma Town, and they are a mixed bunch. Many of them have their identity cards hidden. They wear bamboo hats and cover their faces with black cloth, so they don't stand out.

This place is indeed prosperous. Small noodles, wontons, tofu pudding, and crispy food can be found in the restaurants set up under sheds along the street, and almost all of them offer different dishes.

Sharifei is eloquent. Even if someone is from another place, he can get along well with them with just a few words. They eat and drink for a while, and even go to a fortune-telling stall in Kinmen and chat with people for a long time.

Before long, the entire situation in Zouma Town became clear.

Long Yan'er used to be the Holy Maiden of the Gu Cult. Although she had some experience in the martial arts world, she spent most of her time in the mountains and was protected by others whenever she went out. Later, she fled to Wushan to seek refuge.

It can be said that he has never been contaminated by the mundane atmosphere of the city.

Now I don’t think about anything else, but instead I feel a sense of freshness.

She followed Sharifei without saying a word, just watched silently. When she came to a Shu embroidery shop, she stopped.

Sha Lifei turned his head and saw that Long Yan'er was silently staring at the embroiderers inside, watching them thread the needle and the shuttle spin.

"What's there to see?"

After Sharifei stopped, he was a little confused.

Long Yan'er was silent for a moment. "I remember that before my mother died, she was also an embroiderer. I grew up listening to this voice."

"What do you think about me opening a shop?"

"I don't think so!"

Sharifei sneered, "These things are all inherited. It's fresh to do them for a few days, but if you do them for your whole life, you will be fed up with them."

"I heard that factories in Jinling and Tianjin have opened, with hundreds of embroiderers working at the same time. You will only lose money if you go there."

"If you can enjoy happiness, who would want to suffer this hardship?"

Long Yaner's emotions, which had finally risen, were immediately destroyed. She immediately said unhappily, "Then what do you think we should do? Are we going to follow Li Yan and the others all the time?"

"I'm young and full of potential. I'm not one of those people who can stay in a pond. One day, I'll soar into the sky. By then, you'll be old and can't even hold a gun steady. Don't you want to think of a way out for yourself?"

Sharifei's face darkened. "Damn it, you woman, you are just bringing up all sorts of issues. I am just too idle!"

After saying that, he walked forward angrily.

Long Yan'er suddenly felt in a good mood, and followed behind and said, "You are just a rough guy, you are still unable to see things clearly, why are you pretending?"

Sharifei didn't bother to pay attention to her and looked around.

After they left, Lu Sancai showed up on the opposite side and looked at Sha Lifei's figure going away, thinking...

…………

Inside the teahouse, Li Yan suddenly sensed something and looked to the right.

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs was heard, the person had not arrived yet, but the sound had already arrived.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Xie. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

But an old man in a black robe walked into the private room. He had white hair and beard, and was very neatly groomed. He was holding an iron fan and had a pocket watch hanging on his chest.

He looks good, except for his overbite mouth, which reveals a mouth full of protruding teeth when he smiles.

"You are quite good at talking!"

Xie Zhengyuan stood up and shook his head, saying, "You never give me face. You told me in advance, but you only came now."

"Oh, I'm old and I feel sleepy. Please forgive me."

It can be seen that the relationship between the two is really good.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xie Zhengyuan began to introduce: "This is a distinguished guest from Ezhou, and I want to ask you something."

"Oh?"

Li Tiezui narrowed his eyes, held his fan and saluted, saying: "This young man, I think he is not an ordinary person. I am just a critic to make a living. What do you want to ask?"

Xie Zhengyuan winked and asked the waiter to block the door, and then he led the people away, leaving only two people in the room. Li Yan bowed and said, "Senior, I came here to ask you about the 'Gray Robe Mad Monk'."

"'Gray-robed Mad Monk', I'm familiar with this!"

Li Tiezui laughed and clapped his iron fan on his palm. "This 'crazy monk in gray robe' is a strange man from the Tang Dynasty. He has been hanging around in the CD market for many years. He wears tattered clothes and is crazy."

"He often makes shocking remarks, and anyone who offends him will die inexplicably. Over time, he is worshipped as a god by the local people, but in fact, he is just a madman..."

Li Yan frowned slightly, "Senior, you should be able to guess that this is not what I want to hear."

Li Tiezui laughed dumbly, "What do you want to hear?"

This old man has something hidden in his heart...

Li Yan had already sensed something was wrong, so he simply pointed it out, "I heard that he inherited Xing Hepu's legacy, and he's also a 'living ghost messenger'..."

"stop!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Tiezui's expression changed drastically. He stood up suddenly and stared at Li Yan, "Who are you?"

Li Yan's face was calm. "Senior, don't worry. I have no ill intentions. I just want to find him and ask him something."

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

He became more and more certain that the old man knew some secrets.

The strange thing is that I could tell Cui Song about it at the beginning, and it was also included in the storytelling, but now it is kept secret...

Could something have happened in between?
"I don't know what you're asking. Goodbye!"

On the opposite side, Li Tiezui clasped his fists, turned around and prepared to leave.

"Don't worry, senior."

Li Yan quickly stood up and prepared to stop him.

Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly turned around, shook the iron fan, and stabbed it directly at Li Yan's Tanzhong acupoint.

Yo, this old man still wants to play...

Li Yan was happy and stood there motionless.

He could see that the old man was using the Iron Fan Kung Fu, which was relatively unpopular but quite powerful and originated from the secret Shaolin routine.

This iron fan looks quite heavy.

Regular practice can strengthen the body, cultivate one's character, and it can also be used against enemies, mainly by striking the acupoints.

If it is equipped with a blade, there will be more changes.

Bang!
Li Tiezui just wanted to force him back, but he didn't expect Li Yan to not dodge or evade, and the iron fan hit him directly on the Danzhong point.

"Ah, why don't you hide?"

Li Tiezui was immediately shocked.

One of the eight meeting points, it is also the sea of ​​​​Zongqi, and the qi will gather at Tanzhong. If it is hit, you will feel chest tightness, cough, and irritability.

In severe cases, the patient may suffer from shortness of breath, blood stasis, or even death.

He just wanted to get away and didn't mean to hurt anyone.

But soon, Li Tiezui felt something was wrong.

His iron fan weighed seven or eight pounds, but when it hit Li Yan, the force was like a drop in the ocean, disappearing instantly.

At the same time, Li Yan pushed forward gently, and suddenly a force surged out, and the iron fan in Li Tiezui's hand flew high out of control.

It was Li Yan's Immortal Seal.

Although this old man is a senior in the martial arts world, he is just an artist and his kung fu is at the peak of Ming Jin.

Li Yan just stood there and let him hit him, and the only one who would get hurt would be the other party.

Seeing this mysterious skill, Li Tiezui's face was uncertain, and he clasped his fists helplessly and said: "I am sorry for showing off my ugliness. This is really too terrible. Why do you have to force me?"

Li Yan also smiled and clasped his fists and said, "Don't be afraid, senior. If you have any difficulties, just tell me and I will help you solve them."

Li Tiezui hesitated for a long time, and seeing that Li Yan didn't give in at all, he finally sighed, "I thought this matter was over..."

He was a little depressed, and after sitting down, he drank a sip of tea. "If I had known it would be so troublesome, I would rather not get involved in this matter."

"I only heard about the 'Gray Robe Mad Monk' incidentally. Even in the legends and tales of strange creatures, there are few records of it."

"In our line of work, there are always new stories, so I asked around and spent a lot of time to find out some things at Zhaojue Temple in Chengdu."

"This 'crazy monk in grey robe' is a monk, but he is well versed in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and witchcraft. He even stayed at Zhaojue Temple."

"Later, because those who offended him died inexplicably, Zhaojue Temple couldn't stand it anymore and drove him out."

"But there was a young monk who always accompanied him. Later, this 'crazy monk in gray robe' suddenly died. After his death, his body exuded a strange fragrance, and the people nearby built a temple to worship him."

"The young monk collected the remains of the 'Gray Robe Mad Monk' and returned to Zhaojue Temple. Then the news spread that the other party was a living ghost messenger."

"I have traveled a lot and heard a lot about this. I also know what this living ghost messenger is. I am curious and I will follow the clues to find the Gray Monk Temple."

"But the temple has collapsed long ago. According to local people, strange things often happen in the Gray Monk Temple. There are candles in the middle of the night and the sound of people chanting scriptures and reciting poems."

"There was another incident where thunder rumbled in the sky. Local people smelled a foul odor and followed the scent to search for it. They found a wild dog that had been struck dead by lightning lying behind the temple."

"Also, there is a local legend that the Gray Monk turned into a zombie and harmed people. Over time, no one worshipped him, and the temple became deserted and collapsed."

"It was nothing. After I returned to Zouma Town, I turned these stories into rural ghost stories to make people laugh."

"Who knows..."

As he spoke, his eyes were filled with fear, "After I had told this story for a long time, one night, I dreamt of the Gray Monk."

"He was blue all over, his clothes were tattered, his nails were long, he had turned into a zombie, and he warned me not to mention him again."

"I thought it was a dream, but when I woke up, I saw a pair of bare footprints on the floor in front of my bed, and the whole room was filled with the stench of corpses..."

"Oh?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Didn't you invite the City God Temple?"

"found!"

Li Tiezui gritted his teeth and said, "At that time, the Chongqing City God Temple was still under the jurisdiction of the Taoist priests on Mount Qingcheng. But when I found them, I was warned not to mention this matter again."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, shook his head and said, "Senior, there is no need to be afraid. Just don't mention this matter in the future. If he wants to harm you, why do you need to warn him?"

"That being said...sigh."

Li Tiezui shook his head and said, "I have been talking about ghosts and foxes for half my life, but I don't really believe them. I was scared by this thing and decided to retire."

"Don't mention that I said this."

"That's natural."

Li Tiezui didn't seem to want to stay any longer. He stood up with a gloomy face and left in a hurry.

"Young Master Li, did you gain anything?"

After he left, Xie Zhengyuan came in to ask.

"Unfortunately, this is not what I'm looking for..."

Li Yan made a random remark, with some vague guesses in his mind.

This "crazy monk in grey robe" also threw away the certificate and chose to live in the world. He also practiced the Taiyin body-refining technique, and his soul has not been infected to this day.

Perhaps because he had been a ghost messenger before, the other party was very careful and tried his best to hide his traces.

But most people in Qingcheng Mountain know about this.

It seems that I still have to go to Qingcheng Mountain to find out.

After returning to the inn, it was just noon. Everyone had a quick meal. Li Yan had just gone back to his room and lay down when Lu San knocked on the door and came in.

His face was very solemn. "I have a way that may help Lao Sha..."

(End of this chapter)