The ultimate master in the city

The three walked on for a while longer, and when it got dark, they found a sheltered spot in a tree hollow and squatted down, staring at each other.

Zhou Fengchen took out the damp cigarettes from his bag and spread them out. The three of them took a few puffs, their lips aching from smoking.

"How could I not have thought we'd get lost?" Zhou Fengchen sighed. "And now we're even looking for a place with watermelons?"

"Don't even mention watermelon, I'm thirsty." Monk Yuanzhi squatted down, scooped up a piece of snow, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it with a smacking sound.

Zhang Shisan smiled wryly and said, "Don't worry, we're so capable, what are we afraid of? If all else fails, we can set off a signal fire, and people in the distance will see it and come to our rescue."

Monk Yuanzhi argued, "That's a brilliant idea! These mountains are one after another, how could a ghost see them? Why don't we determine the five elements and directions?"

Zhou Fengchen asked, "After determining the five elements and directions, what's next? Which way do you go: east, south, west, or north?"

"This..." Monk Yuanzhi hesitated for a moment, "How about we go back the way we came?"

Zhou Fengchen glanced at the direction he came from. "I was so busy bragging that I didn't remember the way. I'm afraid it'll be tough for me to find my way back."

Zhang Shisan said, "Do you think anyone would worry about us if we lost contact in the mountains?"

The three lowered their heads and thought for a moment, then said in unison, "What a load of rubbish!"

"Alright! Walking on mountain paths at night is troublesome, let's sleep! Tomorrow morning, just keep going in one direction, we'll eventually run into people." Zhou Fengchen lay down and fell asleep with his clothes on.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Shisan, with his hands on his pillow, became drowsy.

"I'm going out to take a dump." Monk Yuanzhi patted the snow off his bottom and went out.

Zhou Fengchen opened his eyes, puzzled, and said, "All he's wearing is a sweater Liu Zhenguo gave him, a pair of fleece pants, and sneakers. What did he use to wipe his butt?"

Zhang Shisan solemnly declared, "It's probably 80% made with snow!"

The two exchanged a glance and both felt a chill in their chrysanthemums.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Monk Yuanzhi rushed back like lightning, his eyes wide, and exclaimed, "Holy crap! I saw a ghost!"

Zhou Fengchen frowned. "Nonsense, where would ghosts come from in this deep mountain forest?"

"You never know," Zhang Shisan said, getting up. "Maybe they're lost like us and have starved to death!"

Monk Yuanzhi whispered, "It's a woman, she looks like a bride, with her hair disheveled and wearing a bright red robe."

"Hmm, this is interesting!"

Zhou Fengchen took out three talismans, "To cover up our presence, so we don't scare her away."

The three of them took the talismans and bags, and Monk Yuanzhi led the way.

After rounding a mound of earth, a red shadow flashed by a few large trees ahead, and sure enough, a woman appeared. Her hair was disheveled, and she was dressed in the kind of wedding dress worn by ancient brides. She had a wicked, pale face and chuckled to herself, revealing a mouthful of black teeth.

She was moving forward lightly, picking up a small comb to comb her hair as she floated, and soon tied it into a bridal bun.

A bridal sedan chair was parked not far ahead, with four coachmen standing motionless like wooden figures.

The female ghost blinked and entered the sedan chair, and the four coachmen lifted her up, moving forward without their feet touching the ground.

Zhou Fengchen and the other two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Monk Yuanzhi asked, "A mandrill?"

Zhang Shisan shook his head. "No, she looks a bit like a newlywed bride, but where would you find a bride in this deep mountain forest?"

Zhou Fengchen jolted awake. "Ghosts and monsters appearing here aren't just for fun. I suspect there are people or houses nearby. Do you believe me?"

"That makes sense." Zhang Shisan and Monk Yuanzhi were both excited.

"Let's go! Let's follow them and see."

The three of them turned around the big tree and followed.

After chasing for twenty minutes, the bridal sedan chair turned into a grove of trees on the left and disappeared.

Not far to the right, there is a deserted mountain road, at the end of which there is a house with lights on inside.

"Hey! When you think you've reached the end of the road, a wandering ghost comes to guide you." Monk Yuanzhi laughed loudly. "We've been walking all day and are exhausted. Let's go and stay the night."

The three of them immediately forgot about the female ghost and ran towards the house. When they got there, they saw that it was an old house in the style of the Republic of China. It looked quite old and worn. Two gray lanterns hung on the door, and the words "Three Corpses Inn" were faintly visible on the plaque.

"That's a pretty shabby name. Is it some kind of corpse-driving inn?" Zhang Shisan asked.

Zhou Fengchen looked at it and said, "It looks lifeless, quite like it."

"Why worry about all that? As long as people can sleep here." Monk Yuanzhi stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Is anyone home?"

After knocking four or five times, footsteps finally came from inside. The door opened a crack, revealing a face covered in age spots. "What do you want?"

Monk Yuanzhi said, "We are traveling at night and have nowhere to sleep, so we've come to ask for lodging."

"This place is for the dead, not for the living. Why don't you... go somewhere else?" The old man inside the door peeked out, not making his statement too definitive.

Zhou Fengchen stepped forward and said, "We don't mind."

"I'm not keeping you here, get out of here!" The old man was decisive this time, slamming the door shut with a "bang".

This left Zhou Fengchen and the other two completely bewildered.

"I just saw a young man inside," Monk Yuanzhi whispered, turning back, then continued knocking on the door. "Old man, open the door! I saw someone inside!"

The old man opened the door again. "They paid! Do you have any money?"

"Hey!" Zhang Shisan chuckled. "It's just money, isn't it?"

He then pulled out five red bills and handed them inside, asking, "Is this enough?"

The old man took the money, flung open the door, and greeted us with great enthusiasm, "You're quite a young man! Please come in! There's hot water."

Monk Yuanzhi curled his lip and said, "Look! Money can make the devil turn the millstone."

The old man's expression changed. "Don't mention that word."

Monk Yuanzhi blinked. "Which word?"

"Never mind! It's nothing." The old man shook his head, gestured for the three to come in, slowly closed the door, and led the three inside.

The small courtyard seemed to be lined with vegetables, but they were covered in snow, so it was impossible to tell what kind they were. Inside, there were three quaint houses that exuded an air of decay.

Suddenly, three people walked out of the middle room: two men and one woman. They all looked to be in their early twenties, and they were very bookish, like students. The girl was holding a drawing board.

Zhou Fengchen and the other two found it strange; where did these three people come from in this remote mountain village?

At this moment, one of the boys frowned and said to the old man, "Grandpa, why are you keeping guests here again?"

This was not a very pleasant thing to say. Monk Yuanzhi had a bad temper and was about to get angry when the old man quickly smiled and said, "Who would have thought that someone would pass through this remote mountain village? The house is just sitting empty anyway, so let's keep it."

The girl said impatiently, "Sir! We need inspiration to sketch and paint, we can't make noise."

Monk Yuanzhi couldn't hold back any longer, "Who the hell has the time to argue on such a cold day?"

The three young men dared to complain to the old man, but dared not respond to Monk Yuanzhi's words. They angrily went into the house and closed the door.

Zhang Shisan scoffed, "Are these three brats crazy?"

The old man smiled and said, "These are college students from out of town who came here to paint. They said they were looking for inspiration, so they came all the way to this remote mountain village. They're young and inexperienced; they certainly don't have the experience of the three gentlemen traveling far from home."

"That's a fair point." Zhou Fengchen rubbed his nose. "The three of us are just too experienced in traveling long distances, and as a result, we've lost ourselves."

I like the novel "The Strongest Master in the City".