My enemies became my companions

Chapter 481: There are crying ghosts at night (three chapters in one)

It was dusk, the weeds were overgrown, and the New Year was only a few days old. There were few horse-drawn carriages and even fewer pedestrians along the road.

There was an inn at the crossroads.

Several Mongolian horses were eating with their heads down, their heads covering the entire trough. Scattered lights were lit in the inn for illumination, and someone inside shouted a few times.

"Is anyone here?"

"Here." An old and frail man walked slowly down the stairs with a cane.

"We are from Pingyuan Escort Agency," the middle-aged man in the lead introduced himself and asked, "Old man, what's your name?"

"My surname is Shen, and I'm from Taiyuan."

"Uncle Shen, is this stack yours?"

"Just passing by. I don't know how long it has been abandoned."

As the old man spoke, several people from the Pingyuan Escort Agency glanced at the high-hanging plaque, which was entangled with dark green vines.

The young man next to the leader whispered in his ear: "Uncle Du, it's okay to stay for one night."

Du Sheng, whom he called Uncle Du, was the leader of this escort. He was very experienced in the Pingyuan Escort Agency and could sit in the third seat.

Du Sheng frowned and thought for a while before saying, "Cai Ying... don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be prepared for the worst."

Lu Caiying smiled and said, "The horses have been taken to the stables, and the brothers are tired. Besides, a deserted stable is better than a human stable. Someone might harm you in a human stable, but are you afraid of ghosts harming you in a deserted stable?"

As he spoke, a clear and melodious voice came from behind the old man.

"Dad, what's going on down there?"

The rising and falling tones seemed to hit people. Lu Caiying turned his head and his eyes lit up instantly.

Under the dim light, her slender waist that can be held in one's hand first catches one's eye, and then, looking up, one sees her long black hair slightly wet, as if she had just washed it. The woman came downstairs with a smile on her face, and saw that the hall was full of men. It was her pretty face that blushed just right, which touched one's heart.

Lu Caiying's emotions were in turmoil and he found it difficult to calm down. He unconsciously took two steps forward.

"What are you doing down here? Go back quickly." The old man hurriedly scolded the woman.

Du Sheng saw that a weak woman was walking behind the old man, so he asked, "Uncle Shen, are there only two of you?"

“…Hey, I’m going to a banquet to visit relatives…” The old man’s voice sounded much lower, and his eyes were full of vigilance.

It was this vigilance that put Du Sheng at ease. While he told the old man not to be afraid, as they were serious people, he instructed the others to move the luggage into the deserted inn.

As for Lu Caiying, she was savoring the blush on the face of the woman named Shen, and before she knew it her lips had become dry.

.........

After the group was settled, the night had deepened and the cold moon hanging in the sky was still icy.

Lu Caiying was thinking about the girl's shyness and felt itchy inside. Even when he was drinking some wine with a few brothers to quench his thirst, he was absent-minded.

He thought about his family background. As the eldest son of the Pingyuan Escort Agency, it was a foregone conclusion that he would inherit his father's business in the future. Moreover, he was not a rough and violent man, but a romantic man. He would definitely not be unworthy of Miss Shen.

How great it would be if I could accidentally let the old man know this!
Who knows, maybe you can get married.

He was thinking about how great he was, but was too embarrassed to say it out loud for fear of losing his dignity.

Even if we can’t get married…

If I could just get some sleep, it would be worth dying for!

"It is said that a White Lotus Virgin appeared in the south...she is extremely beautiful."

"Shh, don't make any noise, or you'll get into trouble."

"Don't I know? The White Lotus Sect hasn't caused any trouble here. What's there to be afraid of? If it was in the south, I wouldn't say anything..."

A few exclamations of praise floated in the hall, and Lu Caiying heard them. Perhaps she was really a first-class beauty, but he was still bored. No matter how beautiful she was, it could not compare to the excitement he felt at that time.

"I'm going upstairs to rest, too."

He was feeling a little tipsy and didn't want to stay any longer.

…………

There was a noise coming from next door. The father and daughter started arguing for some reason and neither of them gave in.

"When you get there, Dad will leave. You can't stay too long, or your aunt will be unhappy."

"What aunt? What aunt? Dad, you just sold me there."

"I'm not selling you, Daddy can't support you!"

"Father, I would rather die than go!"

Snapped.

It was the sound of a door being pushed open.

Lu Caiying felt worried.

It was really the matchmaker who brought people together for marriage. He went back to his room to rest in a daze, but he didn't expect that the father and daughter lived next door. Separated by a wall, Lu Caiying heard half of the quarrel between the father and daughter.

Where is she going after running out of the door?
Lu Caiying couldn't help but daydream. He clenched his hands and pounded them on his thighs, suppressing the urge to chase out and take a look.

A long, long time.

The night is silent.

"If I can get some sleep, it would be worth dying for..." He murmured to himself, regretting that he didn't chase after him.

Boom, boom, boom…

Just when Lu Caiying was about to calm down, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. He hurriedly opened the door, and in the hazy night, he saw that graceful figure.

The woman's eyes were red and she was in tears. Seeing someone coming, she forced a smile and said, "I, I had a big fight with my father and I don't know where to go. Can I stay here for a while, young master?"

Lu Caiying's heart was in his throat, his face turned red and he couldn't speak.

"Sir...are you unwilling? I was too abrupt." The woman spoke with a trembling voice and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

The faint sobbing sound seemed to be crying into the heart.

Lu Caiying hurriedly said, "Please come in, come in."

The woman burst into laughter and walked into the room. Lu Caiying glanced at the corridor and closed the door.

His heart was pounding, the young man was in love for the first time, a sharp electric throbbing surged from the soles of his feet, numb half of his body.

The woman came into the house, feeling a little awkward. She didn't sit down. She shrank her body and said pitifully, "Sir, can you find me a lamp?"

"what…"

"I am afraid of the dark."

It was dark at night. Lu Caiying came to his senses and looked down for a light.

The only sound in his ears was his own increasingly rapid heartbeat.

But I can't see it,

Miss Shen's face was as pale as a dead person.

She smiled silently, with corpse spots on the corners of her mouth...

…………

Outside the inn, on the distant night road, two figures, one tall and one short, were walking towards them.

Several escort men immediately became alert and pointed their hands in the direction of the weapons. Du Sheng, who had his eyes slightly closed, was patted on the shoulder several times by the people around him and turned around.

The two people were dressed simply. The man wore a Taoist robe, but did not carry a peach wood sword. He did not wear a lotus crown or a crescent-shaped crown on his head, but only a white jade hairpin. The woman wore a thick red cotton jacket, and the faint moonlight outlined her stunning figure.

Someone suddenly came to the deserted inn, and the escorts had no choice but to be alert.

"Don't panic, I'm just asking my junior sister to stay with me."

Chen Yi bowed with a kind face.

The ones who came were naturally Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue. They left Taiyang County and headed south. Chen Yi drew two wind-moving talismans and stuck them on his body, so he walked faster than riding a horse.

Don't hit a smiling person. After the escorts took a few glances, Du Sheng said:

"It's a deserted inn. We are here to ask for lodging. Please do as you please, Taoist priests."

Chen Yi nodded slightly, and without lingering in the hall any longer, he led Yin Tingxue upstairs.

He closed the door and turned around, and saw Yin Tingxue's ears moving slightly and his brows deeply furrowed.

Oh, there's a demon.

…………

"When you get there, Dad will leave. You can't stay too long, or your aunt will be unhappy."

"What aunt? What aunt? Dad, you just sold me there."

"I'm not selling you, Daddy can't support you!"

"Father, I would rather die than go!"

In the middle of the night, a woman was suddenly heard crying, and then she pushed the door open and rushed out.

Outside the wing door.

There was an eerie silence in the dark night.

Miss Shen left Lu Caiying and knocked on Du Sheng's door, but there was no response. This time she found the door of the Taoist's room.

She tugged at her collar, revealing her moon-like whiteness, with a few wrinkles exposed to the air, which was extremely beautiful. She held up her hair with both hands, and was not in a hurry to knock on the door. It would not be too late to knock after she had fixed everything. When the Taoist priest pushed the door open and came out, she would be able to see the most touching beauty.

Miss Shen fixed her hair in a bun and pulled her collar down a little, and she was about to burst into tears.

Boom, boom, boom…

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door from inside.

Miss Shen's breathing inexplicably stopped and she was stunned for a moment. Then she saw the door move without wind and she pulled it open from the inside.

In the darkness, an indistinct silhouette sat in front of the chair, and his eyes were also shrouded in it.

"Ms. Shen? I heard everything that happened just now."

Miss Shen came to her senses and thought that these sorcerers were pretending to be profound and playing tricks. With tears on her face, she held up her hair bun and walked into the room.

"Master...did you hear everything?" Miss Shen asked timidly.

"Her family fell into poverty, and she had to be sold to a distant relative as a daughter. How pitiful." The voice came from the darkness, and the man sighed deeply.

Miss Shen's tears welled up again and she said, "I don't want to do this either, but I have no choice!"

After saying this, she seemed to be a little afraid of the dark, shrank her body, and asked timidly: "Master, can you find me a lamp?"

"No." He said calmly.

"I'm afraid of the dark." She said slowly, her voice soft.

"I'm not afraid of the dark."

Miss Shen paused, apparently not expecting this answer.

She didn't say anything, but just shivered in the dark. The cold wind blew in through the window lattice. She shrank back, looked around, and unconsciously moved towards the Taoist like an ordinary timid woman.

"Master, Taoist priest...without the lights, aren't you afraid of ghosts?"

“…If you’re scared, the lamp is on that table.” The man finally said with a hint of tenderness in his tone.

Finally, she fell into the trap. Miss Shen fumbled for the flint in the dark. Amid the crackling sound, a dim light emerged.

"The Taoist priest is truly successful in his cultivation and is not afraid of ghosts. But a little girl like me is not like that..." Miss Shen held a lamp and slowly approached, her breath as sweet as orchid. The Taoist priest's strong yang energy could not be matched even by ten Lu Caiyings. It was like a table of delicacies placed in front of them.

“Are ghosts scary?”

Miss Shen stopped and there seemed to be something moving in the darkness where the sound came from.

She dragged the lamp over, her voice trembling slightly, and even she couldn't tell whether it was acting or real, and said: "Isn't it scary?"

The man raised his head from the shadows, holding a yellowed talisman between his fingertips.

"So who do you think is scary... me or you?"

Miss Shen's mind went blank for a moment.

…………

The lights flickered like beans.

The reason they came to this inn was according to the divination, so Yin Tingxue was not surprised at all when she met the female ghost, but was very curious. Among the miscellaneous books she had read, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio was naturally one of them.

The name of "Nie Xiaoqian" in the book, A Chinese Ghost Story has been passed down through the ages. Chen Yi also told her that because of this chapter, many people in the world have been seeking the favor of the female ghost, ignoring the murderous intentions hidden in it.

Yin Tingxue clapped her hands, jumped off the bed, and stared at the female ghost on the ground.

Pillars of golden roots rose from nowhere, pressing the female ghost to the ground like a cage. The latter's face was pale and her lips were trembling, so she couldn't even wail.

Yin Tingxue picked up a book and looked around her, as if she was examining something new. As she paced back and forth, she suddenly realized, "Oh, this is the female ghost."

Miss Shen felt extremely humiliated, but even more so, she felt fear from the bottom of her soul.

The sorcerer traveled far and wide, and even if he did not have any Taoist skills, he still had some knowledge, so she deliberately suppressed all the ghost energy in her body before coming back. This kind of cautious behavior was unique.

However, everything ended in a flash.

Chen Yi was not in the room, as he went to catch another evil ghost. Yin Tingxue held her face, squatted down, looked at the female ghost, and asked, "Is your last name Nie?"

Miss Shen didn't understand what was going on, but she didn't dare not answer. She asked in a trembling voice, "W-what?"

"Nie Xiaoqian."

"I...my last name is not Nie..." Miss Shen still didn't understand what he meant.

Yin Tingxue nodded slightly. The book said that Mr. Hu was a fox demon, Mrs. White was a snake demon, Mr. Wuchang was a crab demon, and Mr. Wang was a tiger demon. She thought that ghosts also had a consistent surname, but these soul-sucking female ghosts did not all have the surname Nie.

But that's not entirely true. Maybe all female ghosts with true feelings have the surname Nie.

Seeing that the girl looked innocent and ignorant of the world, Miss Shen came up with a plan. If she didn't do something and just sat there waiting to die, when the Taoist priest came back, she would end up dead.

She gritted her teeth and said, "Sister...good sister, it hurts."

"Does it hurt anywhere?"

"My hands and feet hurt. Being restrained here hurts everywhere. Can you loosen up a little?"

"Well..." Yin Tingxue hesitated, "He won't let me let you go."

Miss Shen caught Yin Tingxue's subtle expression, and recalled the subtle movements of the two, and half guessed: "My dear sister, you and the Taoist priest are a Taoist couple, right? You look frail... I guess you can't stand the torture. If you let me go, I will serve you together and won't let you suffer..."

Yin Tingxue blinked.

"Sister, sister was forced into it. Father forced you to absorb the Yang energy. I didn't want to do it. I'm a good person... No, you good ghost. I didn't want to kill anyone either. It's all father's fault..." Miss Shen cried and complained, tears already hanging on her cheeks.

The girl's expression wavered a little, she squatted down and came closer.

Miss Shen raised her face quickly, just as she was about to strike while the iron was hot, but suddenly she heard a question: "Are you a married woman?"

The female ghost was stunned on the spot. After a long while, she said in a daze: "... She has never been married before or after her death."

Yin Tingxue sighed, shook her head and said, "That won't work, he likes married women."

Miss Shen was stunned. After a long while, she managed to say: "I can also be someone's wife..."

Not finished yet...

The door opened.

Chen Yi was seen holding a ghost shadow in his hand and throwing it to the ground.

The latter rolled over with a trembling throat. Miss Shen looked up and saw that it was her so-called "father".

Before the ghost could stand up, a talisman was stuck on it, preventing it from getting up again.

Chen Yi glanced at Miss Shen, then glanced at this "Mr. Shen", and asked slowly:
"Tell me, is this aunt you are talking about the Guhuo bird?"

The names of monsters and ghosts are often consistent. Mr. Hu is a fox monster, White Snake is a snake monster, Mr. Wuchang is a crab monster, and Mr. Wang is a tiger monster. As for the so-called aunt, she is probably the Guhuo bird that specializes in robbing people's offspring.

Both ghosts were crawling on the ground, not daring to make a sound. They had been lurking in this wilderness for who knows how long, and they had killed countless passers-by on a daily basis. At this moment, they had no idea what this gentleman was planning.

However, they were sure that this person was definitely not some deceitful wandering sorcerer.

"Excuse me, Taoist priest... this trip is to meet friends, close the mountain, and subdue demons... ah!"

The old man dared to speak, but before he could finish his words, Chen Yi pressed down with one hand, and his fingers bent on their own with a crackling sound of broken bones, and his interrupted words turned into miserable wails.

Yin Tingxue shrank her neck and retreated behind the chair. She didn't like this scene.

Chen Yi said coldly: "Just answer it, don't give me any nonsense."

The two ghosts were trembling, not daring to speak any more nonsense, and even lowered their eyes and dared not look up.

In the end, it was Miss Shen who couldn't bear the pressure first and said in a panic:
"Auntie... is indeed the Guhuo bird mentioned by the Taoist priest. Half a year ago, it flew from the south to the north and arrived in this area. It killed all the big monsters in this area and also took away many monsters' offspring and adopted them as sons and daughters... We are nothing but its minions and are forced to do so. I hope the Taoist priest will have mercy on us..."

She said she didn't want to talk nonsense, but the ghost girl's tears were streaming down her face, and the trembling in her voice when she spoke the latter part was actually very pitiful.

Chen Yi's expression was cold: "Stop talking nonsense, where is this bird now?"

"Yes... it's hard to find its whereabouts. For some reason, its cave is built in a hidden place, and it doesn't have the bearing of a great monster. Even if we want to find it, we can only see it once a year." As if she was afraid that Chen Yi would be dissatisfied, Miss Shen hurriedly added: "However, recently it has invited all monsters to hold a banquet to celebrate the 200th day of the opening of the mountain."

Chen Yi raised his eyebrows slightly. If the mountain was opened for a year, it would be fine. But if it was opened for 200 days and used to hold a banquet, it would be too high or too low. Considering that the banquet was held at the moment when the White Lotus Sect in the south was in full swing, he didn't know if there was any mystery hidden in it.

"So what do you think...how can we attend the banquet?" Chen Yi asked leisurely.

The two ghosts did not answer for a moment, and they dared to look up, looking at him with trembling eyes.

Yin Tingxue spoke for them: "They want you to give them a way out."

Chen Yi said: "It's not impossible."

However, the two ghosts still did not confess, and the old man ghost said in a hoarse voice: "Master, can you... swear an oath?"

Unlike ordinary people who swear casually, Taoists cannot easily break their oaths, because Taoists practice Taoism, and what they practice is the way of heaven. If they break their oaths, depending on the degree of the oath, they will encounter obstacles in their future practice, or even decline in their Taoism and have demons in their hearts. Chen Yi's face was cold, and he said slowly: "If I don't swear, you won't tell me?"

The two ghosts did not answer, but remained silent, as if they agreed. After a long time, the old ghost nodded.

"That goes without saying."

The next moment, Chen Yi clapped his palms, and the old ghost trembled all over, stiffening as if struck by lightning, and then slowly slid to the ground.

This makes it impossible for a person to even be a ghost.

Miss Shen, who witnessed this scene, was trembling with fear. When Chen Yi turned around, she screamed, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you. I need the Lotus Invitation to attend the banquet."

"How to do it, if there is none?"

"If there is no invitation, then the only way is for the soul to wander in dreams... The Guhuo bird can kidnap people's offspring without anyone noticing. It will first take away the soul of the child, and then the body will follow the soul in the dream. Therefore, ordinary people have no way to defend themselves against the Guhuo bird," Miss Shen said in a trembling voice, "The Guhuo bird never mind having too many offspring. As long as a child is not yet married at the age of 20, it will kidnap him."

This is a solution...

Chen Yi tapped the scabbard lightly, then turned to look at Yin Tingxue.

He is already in his twenties, while the girl is still in her twenties.

Before Yin Tingxue could respond, Miss Shen threw herself on the ground, kowtowed and begged for mercy: "I was coerced by my father, and I have no intention of harming anyone. I beg the Taoist priest to give me a way out!"

Chen Yi pointed at himself and said calmly, "I usually keep my word. If I say I will forgive you, I will forgive you."

This is to spare her life...Miss Shen's eyes showed hope and she forced a smile.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out from the corridor outside the door: "The eldest master, the eldest master is dead! The eldest master is dead!"

Miss Shen's face turned slightly stiff.

"Alas, although I keep my word." Chen Yi sighed and drew his sword out of its sheath, "But I forgot to say I would spare your life."

A sword fell immediately.

…………

…………

When Lu Caiying died, his body was shrunken and his yang energy was completely drained away. He looked extremely miserable.

His body had been carried to the hall by the escorts from Pingyuan Escort Agency. Du Sheng's face looked grim and his fingers couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Within the time it took to burn an incense stick, Chen Yi had explained everything and showed the bodies of the two ghosts to everyone. They were nothing more than two skins, one old and one young.

"Master, is there really no cure?" Du Sheng asked in a trembling voice.

The son of the chief escort of the Pingyuan Escort Agency, a prominent figure in that area, died just like that. He was not killed by the robbers, but by a female ghost. It was so... easy, it was really bizarre.

"Even if we call the soul back, this body has already lost all its yang energy. There is no way it can survive."

Du Sheng could only sigh heavily.

The female ghost also knocked on his door, but he just minded his own business and ignored her.

Unlike other escorts like him who had lived on the edge of a knife, although Lu Caiying had learned family martial arts and had great talent, he was accustomed to being favored by the chief escort and was flattered by many people in the escort agency. He also lacked the crucial ability of caution, so he could only be a rich man who opened a martial arts school, but he was not destined to travel far and wide.

Du Sheng looked at the bodyguards behind him with a complicated expression.

"How are we going to explain this to Captain Du..." Someone was hesitant to speak.

Du Sheng came back to his senses and said in a loud voice: "This escort mission took us 13 days straight, traveling by day and sleeping by night. We were so exhausted that we ended up in a deserted inn. We were careless for a moment, but only the eldest son Lu Caiying remained vigilant and uncovered the evil spirits hidden in the dark. He fought one against two and died in battle. The eldest son is truly brave!"

All the escorts nodded in agreement.

This can be regarded as leaving Lu Caiying with some dignity and also maintaining the reputation of the Pingyuan Escort Agency.

"Please, Taoist priest, help me to be reborn." Du Sheng turned around and said.

Chen Yi did not refuse.

However, Lu Caiying's soul is unknown, so we need to recite the sutra to call back his soul:
"Soul, come back, the East cannot be trusted..."

As the scriptures were recited, wisps of thin souls returned from afar, gathered on the body, and remained condensed without dispersing.

When the escorts saw Lu Caiying's face gradually becoming solemn, they couldn't help but feel sad, with a slight soreness in the corners of their eyes.

Even if he is not the eldest son, he is still a brother who escorts the caravan together. We were joking and joking a few days ago, but today his soul is going to return to the underworld. How unpredictable is the world!

His three souls and seven spirits have been called back and condensed on the corpse. Except for his ethereal figure, he is still the same as he was when he was alive. The escort saw his eyelids move slightly and his lips buzz, as if he wanted to say something.

Let’s listen to the eldest son’s last words.

"Am I... dead?" He first murmured in a daze, as if he was still not conscious.

The escorts' eyes were filled with sorrow, they only knew of their own death at this moment, how tragic...

In the darkness, facing everyone's gaze, Lu Caiying suddenly opened his eyes and shouted in ecstasy: "It's worth dying for! It's worth it! It's worth it!"

The escorts looked at each other in bewilderment.
That bit of sadness disappeared completely.

Hey, this means there must be something hateful about a pitiful person.

"In times of disaster, mercy comes to you, the nectar of the universe comes to you, and you are called by the ten directions to save all living beings..."

The sound of salvation arose at the right time.

(End of this chapter)