Inner Demons

It was night, Li Yunxin and Xin Xi Liu went to Yunshan, saying many words and thinking.

But there are other people who are going to Weicheng.

Actually, he is going to “the former Weicheng”.

The fire that destroyed Weicheng has just been extinguished for more than a month. With the huge and dilapidated city as the center, the land within a radius of 10 li is cracked. The vegetation has already withered, and together with the autumn wind, there are flying sand and choking smoke in the sky.

Between Weicheng and Dongting, there is a vast forest. But now the forest is also passed away. The flames of Weicheng eventually ignited the autumn vegetation before being extinguished, from the city’s periphery to the side of the Dongting. Now there is a scorched mess along the way, as if being trampled by fiercely, an angry heavenly man.

And beside the Dongting, there was also a terrifying catastrophe. Junshan was crushed by the thunderbolt, and one of the former glorious views of the Dongting no longer existed, leaving only half of the huge and ugly rock standing on the water. But this is not the most alarming disaster. The real disaster is the water of Dongting Lake.

The former 10,000,000 li Dongting, with vast smoke waves, resembled Immortal Realm. Today’s Dongting… is almost dead.

The cultivator used Divine Ability when hunting Li Yunxin and almost poisoned to death the fishes, shrimps and spirits in the entire lake. Although the venom in the water was later collected, the body was left in the lake.

In the beginning-the people of the state capital who lived along the lake were overjoyed, and they would salvage fairly fresh fish and shrimps. Or eat it at home or sell it.

But soon…Anyone who touched those dead fishes and shrimps had their skin ulcerated and vomiting blood within three days. And those who ate these fishes and shrimps bleed and their internal organs were broken. In just four or five days, more than thousands of people died. For a while, I knew it was the disaster caused by the fish and shrimp-busy dumping the rest into the lake.

As for the dead bodies, no one dared to touch them. A few were put into the soil for security, and most were thrown into the lake.

More than a month passed-so many corpses slowly decomposed and fermented in the lake. Soon, all kinds of diseases spread. Dongting became misty again. But now it is no longer water vapor, but terrifying miasma.

The only thing to be thankful for is that the Dongting can only get in and out-the surging Wei water and several other trickles provide water for it, but it is not the source of a big river. Therefore, the terrifying poisonous water and miasma only enveloped such a vast area, and did not spread like all around.

But even so, the entire southern part of Qing Dynasty still suffered terrifying blows.

Since ancient times, the surrounding area of ​​Dongting has been the land of fish and rice and one of the grain-producing areas of Qing Dynasty. Now, no one dares to use the water from the Dongting for irrigation, and more people living along the lake leave their homes. People were already alarmed in the small part of Qing Dynasty.

However, those who have left their hometowns originally lived in abundance and can still live on. They left their homeland, asking for safety and security.

But there are some other people who have no fixed homes and food and clothing. They don’t have much land, they only make a living by working for people. At this time, it is another good thing for these people –

In order to deal with the current dilemma, the state government issued a notice. On the one hand, it reassures the people and persuades the people to keep their homeland. On the other hand, it is convenient to claim that those who go to the old land of Weicheng and the surrounding areas of Dongting will not only allocate the land that is now regarded as “unowned land” to them, but also get three consecutive years of exemption. tax.

So these many people came with hope–

and saw Weicheng and Dongting that had changed beyond recognition.

Actually in their eyes, it’s not bad.

The Wei River is still clear, and there are fish and shrimps in the water. It is said that the government is also asking a cultivator to seal the water between Weishui and Dongting, so that the poisoned water will not overflow.

Large tracts of land are covered with ash from the burning forest, which not only saves the effort of land reclamation, but also uses natural fertilizers. If you want to plant in winter and plow in spring, you only need to dig out the roots of the trees in the wasteland, and the workload is very small.

It’s Zhongqiu now. There is still time to plant some seedlings that can survive the winter before the winter. Relying on the food provided by the government for half a year, there may be a bumper harvest in the coming year. For many people, this prospect is a happiness that many people could not imagine before.

So the surrounding area of ​​Weicheng gradually became crowded. Although there are not many, they always gather slowly—

By the time tonight, two more people will also come by the night.

It’s… two women. One old, one young.

In fact, the old man is not old, but he is a half-old mistress in his thirties. In the late autumn night, he was wrapped in a navy blue cotton cloak and a cape on his head. This dress is nondescript, like a gangster, but also like an ordinary woman. However, when she saw a few patches on her cloak, she knew that it might be because of the embarrassment of her life that she used the rain hat as a brimmed hat for shelter from the wind and sand.

This middle-aged woman calls herself a bean-pod.

Behind Douma is a little lady who is 16-17 years old. Also wear coarse cloth and hats. But there are more patches on the clothes. But even so, if someone looks through the tousled hair on her face, they will find that this little lady is really a natural beauty.

This little lady, who calls herself Ling Niang, is said to be Dou Po’s daughter. But outsiders would find it strange-this old lady didn’t feel sorry for her daughter, and told her to carry many things on her arms and back.

——With two euphorbia on his back, he is seven feet long. One third is on the back, and the other two long sections rush to the sky high. An ordinary man would have trouble walking in such a way, but this Ling Niang walked very steadily.

There is a bundle of swords under the left armpit. But it didn’t look like a real guy, but something made of thin iron. Although it is shining, it will tremble violently. It is reminiscent of the buskers on the street who are playing swords and swallowing swords. The right hand carried a big bag with blue background and white flowers, bulging. Looked at the bedding, clothing, and food.

Even though this little lady is slender, she looks bloated after carrying so much.

——It’s true, it’s a showbiz. This is what they claim to be.

At this moment, the empty-handed beanbag and the coolie Ling Niang are standing on a piece of scorched earth. There are six or seven tents behind him, and this is where six or seven households live. I only came here a few days ago, first set up a shelter here, and plan to slowly clear up wasteland.

I also just asked a family. It is said that seven miles ahead from this place is the former Weicheng.

They also advised them not to go any further-near Weicheng, the land had already dried up after the fire burned for dozens of days. With a radius of 10 li, nothing can grow, even the grass seeds are baked into ash. It would be better to live with them and help each other. “Mother and daughter are always not a way to have a man in the end. It’s better to stay here and make a family”-this kind of persuasion was said to them all night.

But no matter whether it is Dou Po or Ling Niang, there is nothing to express.

After bidding farewell to these pioneers, the two continued to walk in the direction of Weicheng. Walking up to about one hour, even the grass and wood ash mixed with the soil under the feet are gone, only a thin layer of yellow sand remains. The air is getting drier, and there is a gloomy coolness in the air.

This coolness is not simply the chill in the autumn night. It seems because of something else.

After another quarter of an hour, the outline of Weicheng, like a creeping giant beast, appeared on the horizon.

Dou Po stopped, the dry soil rustling under her feet. Then he turned slightly and looked to the west—

On the west side, there was the surging Weishui. Although the big river cannot be seen above this distance, the faint sound of water can be heard. Once upon a time, this was a huge field. You can see a small ferry going down the path along the field. Now these are gone, leaving only the wilderness.

Dou Po put out a hand from under the cloak, and pointed to the west: “You said that Li Yunxin met Long Jiu the last time, at this ferry crossing?”

Ling Niang stopped too. First took a breath, then looked west—squinting slightly. After a while, she whispered: “Yes.”

After receiving this response, Dou Po retracted her hand: “What else?”

Ling Niang was stunned. Frozen: “…I just met and said something. There is nothing left.”

Dompo turned her face slightly, looking at her “daughter” behind her with the corner of her eye. But what appeared in her gaze was a harshness and coldness that did not match her identity and dress: “Think about it again!”

Ling Niang shivered slightly, bit her lip, and thought for a while. He whispered: “He… met me on the road when he returned to the city that day. I followed him out of the city that day. Then…the two of us walked back along the road. Then there were people dead in Tian City, on the road… There is a stage. Someone is singing on the stage…”

I said while thinking, slowly and trivially.

The beanbag did not urge her, and patiently listened to her for nearly two quarters of an hour. But in the meantime, some detailed questions such as “Did he frown at the time”, “Did he say’must’ or’definite’ at the time”, “Whether his pace was fast or slow at the time” and so on.

There are some questions that Ling Niang can answer, but some can’t remember. So when she finished speaking and Dou Po asked her questions, the middle-aged woman said again: “You have to remember. If you think of anything, every detail, you have to tell me. Is it useful? Counting, it’s not what you said to count-if you were really as smart as half of what you thought, how could you be killed by that Li Yunxin?”

After saying this, he lifted his foot and left. Ling Niang didn’t dare to say anything, she just pursed her lips, and then followed.

In two quarters of an hour, the two arrived in front of the city gate in Weicheng.

This is the South Gate of Weicheng, named Yuanning Gate. By the moonlight, we can see that the city gate is still intact and has not collapsed. Looking inside, a black hole seemed to hide countless evil spirits. Dou Po’s footsteps slowed slightly, and Ling Niang understood. He opened his mouth and whispered: “I walked in from here on the same day. When I came, in Weicheng–“

Ling Niang described everything she saw along the way that day, as if she had restored the scene at that time. And who can imagine that the prosperous Weicheng at that time, but now there are only broken walls and no rats and insects?

There are only two people’s footsteps and voices in the dark… It sounds weird.

“…He wandered around the city for many days and sent out many paintings. He also carved some marks on the stone.” Unconsciously the two had walked a mile along the dry Liuhe and came to Next to a piece of bluestone.

“I… have seen the imprint on this stone. But only half of it was carved. There is no Spiritual Qi circulation…”

The blue stone Ling Niang said , Facing Liuhe. Now there is no “mark” from the top—the stone surface seems to be cut off by a sword, and several fine lines are cracked. It looked like it was tempered by fire.

“…I gave that beggar a painting. Later that beggar was killed in the alley…”

While listening to her, Dou Po slowly took possession . With his hands still caged in his sleeves, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the bluestone for a while. Then he slowly reached out and drew half a symbol on the bluestone: “Is that so?”

Ling Niang took a closer look: “…No.”

Think about it expressionless again, and change the pattern: “——So?”

But it is not.

This beanbag is not in a hurry. Ling Niang said no, she wiped it away–with a fleshy palm, wiped it off the surface of the stone, and then painted something else.

So-tried for two hours!

For two hours, she bends down without moving, only one hand is moving. Those rune marks…More than a thousand tried? !

In the end, even Ling Niang was a little frustrated, cautiously said: “Mother-in-law…maybe…should we go and look elsewhere first?”

Domma used that seriousness again And looked at her with a cold look: “Now you are a useless person. But knowing that even if you want to regain a cultivation base from us, you have to experience suffering untold hardships? If you don’t even have this kind of patience, huh-you’ll decide yourself immediately Come on!”

Ling Niang was silent.

——It is another hour in the past.

When the bean curd wrote the 1600 and 40 six runes on the stone, Ling Niang’s eyes finally showed relief. She looked at it carefully for a while, took a deep breath: “…Yes.”

Domma straightened up and stared at this symbol for a long time-her brows slowly frowned. : “What does this mean?”

She was talking to herself, not at all for comments. Ling Niang did not speak.

I meditated for a while, then took a step. Wherever he walked and stayed, he stayed in Weicheng in the days before Li Yunxin body possession Chi Kiss.

So the whole night passed.

When the day broke again, Ling Niang was already asleep leaning on a broken wall. And Dou Po was standing on a tall stone pillar. This stone pillar was once part of the most prosperous restaurant “Qionghua Building” in the city-she squinted her eyes and looked down at the whole city in the morning light.

Although most of the buildings have been burned down, the vertical and horizontal streets are still there. When she first exposed the grey dawn from the horizon, she kept seeing the fiery red sunrise. Then he closed his eyes and thought in silence for a while, then opened it, and took out a booklet from his arms.

This booklet is nothing but “Fu Zhi”-“Weihe Mansion”. The above detailed records of the population and field size of many towns in the prefecture over the years. Weicheng used to be a big city in the world, so it is recorded in extra detail-to the point where there is a certain household, population, and age in a certain street and lane.

After taking a closer look at one hour, the beanbag threw the house records away, and the booklet was burned before it fell to the ground.

After that, she slowly raised her hand, with a magic pen in her hand——

She started to draw something in the sky with Profound Light——the background is her The whole Weicheng in the field of vision.

After a quarter of an hour, she stopped writing.

A…a human figure with complete meridians and collaterals appeared in front of her.

The background is also the whole Weicheng.