My enemies became my companions

Chapter 506: Li Gui kills Huang Jing (two in one)

The first rain of the new year fell on the rugged and winding Shu Road.

The road to Shu is difficult, harder than climbing to the sky. No matter whether it is the road into Shu or the road within Shu, it is extremely difficult to travel.

Two bamboo hats, one big and one small, rose and fell with the mountain. The rain was pouring down, but it could not conceal the heroic spirit between the man's brows. Passing the 800-year-old osmanthus tree, Diaoyucheng was approaching.

Min Ning carried a knife at her waist and a sword on her back, while the thirteen-year-old girl following behind her carried a sharpened round iron bar on her back.

She was clearly old enough to get married, but she was carrying a heavy load on her back, her hair was sticking to her ears due to being wet, and her face was covered in mud. This girl was none other than one of the two children that Min Ning had rescued before.

The girl's legs were already shaking, and her straw sandals were numb and wet.

Min Ning said without even turning his head: "Take two steps faster, stop dawdling."

The girl gritted her teeth and didn't say a word about how tired she was. She not only followed him, but also stubbornly walked side by side with Min Ning.

Min Ning found it funny and also felt that the girl was to his liking.

She is a very strong-willed person, just like herself.

At a moment's notice, Min Ning suddenly thought, no wonder Zhou Yitang held on to Chen Yi so tightly.

The rain continued to fall, and the New Year's winter rain was getting colder and colder. The straw raincoat was not able to withstand the cold, and Qingli was shivering. She used to be abducted by human traffickers and now she was Min Ning's disciple.

The two children, a boy and a girl, were named Qingli and Qingxia. After Min Ning sent them to Mount Emei, the younger brother wanted to stay, but the older sister refused, saying that she wanted to follow Min Ning, become her apprentice, and learn some skills.

Min Ning was used to being alone and wanted to get rid of her, but she kept walking in the direction he left and refused to stop. Min Ning had no choice but to accept it and thought about which sect to entrust her to after keeping her by his side for a while.

Diaoyucheng was originally built by Yu Jie of the Southern Song Dynasty. It resisted the Mongol iron hoof for 36 years. The great Khan Mengge also died in this city. There is a couplet engraved on the Huguo Temple not far away: "Three rivers deliver water to open the natural moat, and thousands of obstacles clear the clouds to control the border of Shu!" In addition, the mountain road is deserted, the huge and dilapidated stone gate is covered with green ivy, and the narrow road stretches for a long time in the rain, as if only wild animals pass by...
Min Ning only stopped for a moment at the foot of Diaoyucheng, closed his eyes, and felt the desolation of the land.

It is true that this place was once famous, but times have changed and the world is no longer the same as it was in the Song and Mongolia periods. The world is now divided into two parts by the Eastern Yu and Western Jin dynasties, with Songshan and Xiangfan as the boundary between them. The Sichuan and Shu areas fell under the control of the Western Jin dynasty, otherwise Shantong City at the exit of the Shu Road would not have become so desolate.

However, Diaoyucheng is located deep in the hinterland of Sichuan and Chongqing and is no longer a front line. No matter how strong it is, it will eventually become deserted.

Min Ning and Qing Li went down the mountain and saw wine flags fluttering at the intersection in the distance. There was also a signboard for driving away tigers nearby. The sound of hawking could be vaguely heard amid the rain. There was also a donkey cart by the door with a group of merchants taking shelter inside.

Min Ning led Qingli into the door, and before the waiter came forward, he shouted, "Fill the soup bowl with two large glasses of wine, no ginger slices, just leave after you have rooted."

"You're awake. The kiln is not ready yet. We have to take our time." The waiter saw that the man was an old hand and did not dare to be negligent. He responded.

Qingli listened silently, trying hard to cram these jargons into her head.

There were bursts of discussion in the store, talking about current affairs.

"There's a big fuss over at Dongyu about Bailian. Let's send some salt over there...it's good to make money."

"When it comes to losing your head, how can you not think that it will be robbed."

"Can't we take the road to Shantong City?"

Min Ning was listening from the side. She didn't expect that just over a year after she left, the White Lotus Sect would rise up in Dayu.

It didn't take long before the waiter brought two large bowls of wine.

Min Ning took out dried meat and naan from his arms, tested them to see if they were poisonous, and then soaked the food in the wine. The naan quickly absorbed the wine and softened, and the dried meat became wet and red. He took a bite and the wine mixed with a dry fragrance.

Qingli followed suit but nearly choked. Min Ning patted her on the back and she started eating in small bites.

"Hey, speaking of which, have you heard that there's a ruthless person in Shantong City?"

"Who? Are you talking about...Min Ning?"

"Yes, he is an accomplice to the tiger. He is clearly a gangster but he is working for the eagle! He is a vicious and evil man with a ruthless heart! Many people saw that Min Ning killed Huang Jing of Yuanfeng Tower with one knife!"

Min Ning: “…….”

She poked her head out and wondered if she had ever killed this man named "Huang Jing"?

After a while, she slapped the table and said:
"Great, you are worthy of being called Hero Min!"

At this moment, everyone in the inn stopped and all the guests turned to look here, a little confused.

The young man took off his straw raincoat and gave a heroic punch to everyone.

She laughed out loud and said, "You are talking about the great hero Min Ning. As far as I know, the great hero Min Ning is well-known for his chivalry. He usually clears the uneven roads and takes care of the injustices. If he didn't kill someone by mistake, then this person deserved to die."

After these words were spoken, several drinkers remembered some rumors.

"Now that you mention it, little brother, I remember the story of sending the Bai family a thousand miles away."

"It seems to be true. Is it the same person?"

"It can't be such a coincidence, and I've heard of several cases of getting rid of bandits."

The drinkers started talking again, their voices rising and falling, making a lot of noise.

Having saved her reputation, Min Ning returned to her seat. She frowned slightly, as she couldn't remember when she had killed a man named Huang Jing.

If there is, I'm afraid it's an imposter.

How come I'm so famous that people are already cheating me?

Min Ning chuckled secretly, drank the wine in one gulp, and suddenly felt very proud.

Having said that,

It would be fine if she hadn't run into him.

If she were to meet this Li Gui...

I must let him know how powerful he is!
.................. ..
.................. ..
"Looking for a wizard, looking for a wizard. Whoever finds a wizard will be rewarded handsomely!"

A fifty-year-old man wearing a dark green gown and well-dressed was posting notices by the city gate, while he was calling out to his waiter.

"The Gao family is looking for a magician. Looking for a magician. If the magician comes to see you, you will get ten taels of silver. If he cures your disease, you will get a hundred taels of silver..."

No matter how loud the waiter shouted, passers-by would walk away and ignore him, while those who came closer would lower their heads and pretend to be deaf.

I shouted for a long time, but no one answered.

The man shouted at the top of his voice, but still no one responded. He was so angry that he threw the notice away. He wanted to shout angrily, but then he sighed.

He bent down to pick up the notice, and suddenly a shadow fell over his head, and a corner of the notice was stepped on the ground.

"Not a mage, but a Taoist priest?"

The man's eyes lit up, and he looked up and down. Seeing that the Taoist robe was made of blue and white silk, he said, "Okay, okay. I'm the manager of the Gao family. Let me explain this matter in detail."

"There's no rush to talk about the cause of the disease. Just take us into the city first."

…………

The Gao family was a wealthy and powerful family in Huojia County. After the steward led them into the city gate, the officers and soldiers had no choice but to let them pass.

Chen Yi took the job from the Gao family, not only for the purpose of entering the city, but also to let the little fox see how the real exorcism ritual was performed.

After all, Chen Yi had not used a proper ritual to exorcise the evil spirits along the way. After a brief exchange between the two, Chen Yi learned that the master of the Gao family had been possessed by an evil spirit two months ago. Not only did he fall seriously ill, but he also had frequent nightmares. He had consulted many doctors and consumed all kinds of precious medicinal herbs, but to no avail. Only a fortune teller said that he was possessed by an evil spirit.

After crossing the vermilion threshold and entering Gao's mansion, the avenue seemed to be covered by a net, with smoke lingering along the way. It was not the scent of incense for healing, but the kind of incense offered in temples. Yin Tingxue looked for a long time before she could see the main hall through the net.

Yin Tingxue looked left and right and found that there were various statues along the road, such as the Eighteen Arhats, the Eight Heavenly Dragons, the Thirty-six Heavenly Generals, the Seventy-two Earthly Fiends, and all kinds of gods. The shrines were filled to the brim.

Listen, there is a sound of chanting coming from the hall, it is the "Disease-Curing Mantra".

Looking at the situation, you can tell that Mr. Gao has been badly harmed by this evil spirit.

When the steward led the person into the main gate, the chanting stopped and he asked, "Are you bringing the mage?"

"Master, it's not a magician, it's a Taoist priest."

"Oh, oh, hello, Taoist Priest..."

The speaker had an old voice. Chen Yi looked carefully and saw a blue-faced figure in the thick smoke.

"May I ask your name, sir?"

Chen Yi then stepped forward, bowed and said, "This is the certificate of ordination. My surname is Yin Tingxue."

Yin Tingxue nodded in agreement.

Master Gao looked at the certificate of ordination from a distance and nodded. Then he gasped from his abdomen and coughed several times, as if he was going to cough up blood.

It was obvious that he had been tormented by that invisible and intangible dirty thing for a long time.

Chen Yi looked around curiously and found that there were more statues of gods and Buddhas inside the hall than outside. There were Taoist and Buddhist statues, so he asked, "Why are there so many gods and Buddhas?"

"There's nothing we can do... This evil creature is too troublesome, and we can't find the reason. There are no monks around Huojia County, so we have to offer sacrifices to everyone." Master Gao sighed.

"Is this how you make a last-minute incense offering? You don't even think about it. Even if it doesn't work, if the gods and Buddhas see you like this, everyone will burn incense. Then who would care about your incense offerings?"

Master Gao was speechless for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "... Look at what you said. Before I got sick, I didn't believe in anything either. After I got sick, I chanted the Buddha's name three thousand times a day, and I wanted to shave my head and become a monk."

"Before the illness, he is a rogue; after the illness, he is a great monk."

"That's right, Amitabha..." Seeing Chen Yi dressed as a Taoist priest, he then said, "May you be blessed with infinite happiness."

Chen Yi was speechless for a moment. He turned around and asked Yin Tingxue to help him set up the altar.

Yin Tingxue didn't understand what was going on, and she felt that this monster was not very powerful.

I looked up and saw Chen Yi's lips moving but no sound came out. I only heard him say in his heart:

"You're stupid. You can earn more money by opening a forum!"

…………

The moon was dark and the wind was strong. The New Year had passed and Huojia County was shrouded in a quiet darkness. Because it was close to the south and the White Lotus Sect had been causing a lot of trouble recently, the curfew was very strict. Two teams of soldiers were patrolling the main street at night, and there was no aftertaste of the New Year in the city.

Suddenly a breeze blew by, and the willow leaves on the river bank rustled like a flute.

But I saw a middle-aged man hiding in the shade of a tree, and from time to time he looked towards the gate of Gao Mansion not far away. The word "terrified" was written all over his face.

His name was Qi Wuer. His ancestors were a poor family with only a few acres of land. Even though his generation had reclaimed twenty acres of wasteland through the hard work of three generations and bought new land and had some savings, he still did not ask a scholar to give him a name. After all, he was poor to the core and was afraid that if he changed his name to a better one, his life would not be able to bear the consequences.

The incense in Gao's mansion was not as lingering as before, and it was much clearer in the night than before. Somehow, he felt that Gao's mansion was more terrifying than before.

Sudden!
A ball of black gas rose into the sky from Gao Mansion, and with the strong wind it broke through the smoke and flew away.

Qi Wuer was shocked, but held back his words.

The strong wind blew the rows of willow leaves like suona.

Qi Wuer hurriedly chased after him, dodging the patrolling officers and soldiers with ease as he turned through the criss-crossing alleys.

After returning home, he knocked on the door a few times and then quickly pushed it open, whispering, "What's wrong? Did something happen to you this time?"

A weak voice came from inside: "Strange! Strange! Two Taoist priests came this time, it's not easy to deal with!"

Qi Wuer slapped his thigh fiercely and said with resentment: "I told you not to use this kind of trick."

"If you don't use this trick, the land will sell for seventy taels! Can you afford it?"

"Stop talking, stop talking, I'll make you some porridge."

"I can't eat it. How can I eat it if I'm dead? Bring me some incense."

Qi Wuer hurriedly searched for incense in the dark, and then found a flint, lit three incense sticks, and placed them on the incense burner in front of him.

In the red light of incense sticks, there was a cypress coffin in the lobby of the house. It was flat on all sides except for the lid which was carved with paintings. It looked very ordinary, but even so, it still cost a total of 52.5 taels of silver.

There was only the sound of a deep "whoosh" and the incense floated along an invisible path, with a vague illusory ghost at the end.

That was Qi Wuer's late wife, who died of illness thirty days ago. Her body had been kept here because they couldn't find a good place to bury her.

The world is big, but death is the most important thing. Qi Wuer, who usually doesn't even want to spend a penny, went back and forth to buy a lot of funeral items. Although he didn't buy expensive ones, he didn't buy cheap ones either. He spent most of his savings.

Because of this, there is no money to buy land.

Actually, he had picked a good piece of land from the Zhang family, but the Gao family had acquired that area. Seeing that Qi Wuer was in a hurry to bury his wife, they raised the price and asked for seventy taels of silver.

Qi Wuer had to sell half of his land to get seventy taels of silver. How could he afford that much? His deceased wife was so angry and resentful that she turned into a ghost.

What he did every day was to scare Mr. Gao so much that his face turned blue and his legs became straight, so that he could sell the land at a low price.

But this time, two wild Taoist priests came from nowhere and hit a wall.

"You can't go there anymore, you can't go there anymore! I'm afraid you might even lose your soul." Qi Wuer said loudly when he saw that she had almost had enough of the feast.

"No, I won't go. Where will I bury you? A stinking grave or a pile of stray dogs? Huh?"

"But...what should we do?"

"I don't know. Anyway, don't sell the land. If I leave, how will you and your son live?"

"Ugh!"

"…well……"

There was silence in the room for a moment.

Who says poor couples are always sad...

Even if you choose a good place to bury your body, you will still sigh.

dong dong dong...

suddenly,

The door rang.

(End of this chapter)