Lingxian Zhenjun

Chapter 87 The Disappearing Theater Troupe

The noisy street was full of silhouettes. Passers-by outside stopped curiously and looked inside on tiptoes, but they could only hear vague lines, wanting to squeeze forward, which caused the crowded crowd to be a little turbulent.

In the crevices of the moving crowd, on the small stage, a small wooden figure wearing a white pointed hat and writing "get rich at first sight" was vaguely seen, with a long tongue hanging out, holding a mourning stick in his hand, and several puppets. Playing a play.

It's not that there are weird dolls, but it's rare to see such an image as the protagonist. In the eyes of the onlookers, it's rare and strange.

On the stage, a puppet named Xie Bi'an rescued the mother and child, and set fire to the bully's family property. The people around him applauded and applauded.

"Good burn!"

"This kind of bully who steals people's property and drives them to death deserves to die. It's a pity that Bai Wuchang is still kind-hearted, and he didn't take that person's soul to the underworld."

"It's nonsense, then you have to follow the rules. If you take people's souls away at every turn, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wants?"

"Whatever he does, just look good!"

All kinds of voices were mixed together, and after watching Heiwuchang come on stage, everyone knew that they were still a couple. In the last newly compiled story of Guan Yunchang's subduing demons, some people thought that this red-faced and long-bearded wooden sculpture looked familiar.

"Hey, there was a small theater troupe who also had this woodcarving before. Except for the different story, the characters are very similar, but I haven't seen how they came here recently."

Someone nearby also saw it.

"It's true when you say that. I've been waiting on the street for several days, but I haven't seen them coming recently. Could it be this little brother?"

"I don't see it, even the cars are different."

"Then go ask, I know a little brother in that class."

Over there, in front of the tall carriage, the puppet that Chen Yuan seems to be manipulating is actually drawn by mana. She rides a horse and gallops on the stage, crosses the pulled landscape background, breaks into the barbarian army hiding demons, beheads and returns. , which attracted applause from the onlookers, and at the same time, the play came to an end.

When he got out of the car and bowed his hands to everyone, he also saw a small man with two braids waving at him in the opposite tea shop, and there was a Taoist Ming Guang beside him, looking at him with a smile.

"Big brother!"

Soon, one big and one small came out of the teahouse, and the little girl named Qiaoer took advantage of her small size to squeeze into the gaps in the crowd, and ran up to Chen Yuan in a pretty way, with her hands behind her back, and said with a smile on her face: : "It turns out that the puppet pulled by the old cow performed like this. I thought it was for chewing..."

The little girl raised her claws with both hands, opened her mouth and made a 'Wow' sound, as if about to bite.

Chen Yuan touched her head a couple of times lovingly, and then saw Ming Guang approaching, "Why is the Daoist priest bringing Qiao'er out when he has time?"

"Senior Brother and Yu Chen went out of the capital to look for the Celestial Master, and left her in the care of the impoverished Taoist... so I went for a walk on the street... Oops!" Ming Guang suddenly slapped his forehead, "I forgot the magic weapon in the courtyard, you first Help Poor Dao take care of Qiaoer, I will come whenever I go."

Chen Yuan opened her mouth slightly, and the Taoist in her gaze stepped out of the crowd and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Are you naughty?" Chen Yuan turned her head and looked at the little girl who was staring at Lao Niu. The little girl turned her face, pursed the smile on the corner of her mouth, and shook her head vigorously, "No , Qiaoer is very obedient! He listens to the words of the priests!"

As she said that, Qiaoer climbed into the car and saw the old man inside who was still dozing off early in the morning. She opened her upper arms and hugged him: "Master!!"

The crazy old man was awakened by this embrace, and immediately smiled.

He casually took a few small wooden carvings and stuffed them into Qiao'er's arms, and they sat together with her, and actually played a children's game of pretending.

Seeing that the old and the young were having a good time, Chen Yuan smiled and shook hands with the people around her again. After saying a few words, she packed up her things and prepared to have lunch.

"Little brother, wait a minute."

Among the dispersed crowd, an old man wearing a green hat came over, "I'm asking you something, there was a troupe with you before, right? I haven't come for a few days, and the half of the play last time has not been performed until now." It's over, I can't sleep at night, please ask, when will you come over, and finish the story."

And a troupe?
Chen Yuan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered that when she was going to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall to shelter from the rain in the tea shop, she heard from those men who traveled all over the country that there was a troupe here, and she never expected to meet again.

But immediately, he frowned. According to the rules, if the play is not finished, it must be completed the next day, otherwise it will damage the reputation of this industry.

After thinking about it, Chen Yuan folded the side table, closed it upwards, and after inserting the plug, she also found a reason in her heart and looked at the old man.

"Old man, I was with them too. I have searched for the side where they came first, and I don't know where they are staying. I can just go and look for them."

"I don't know the specific old man, but there is a man named San'er among them. We have talked several times, and I heard them say that we settled down in the Plum Blossom Market in Sanlidi, on the western outskirts of the city, where the rent is cheap."

Chen Yuan thanked, told Qiao'er and the crazy old man inside to sit still, pulled on the bullock cart and walked through the market, the old man behind still caught up a few steps: "Remember to ask Na San'er to finish telling the rest of the story quickly, the old man is waiting for you!" Can't sleep!"

The bullock cart gradually disappeared at the end of the street, and when it got out of Luoduximen, the little girl pulled the master out of the bullock cart, chasing me and chasing you on the road, laughing and laughing, and from time to time climbed to the north of the old cow, giving it Scratching the back of the neck made the old cow squint its eyes comfortably, mooing non-stop.

But Chen Yuan could tell that the little girl showed it to him on purpose, and hoped that Chen Yuan would not have to worry about her.

"Big brother, here it is!"

Qiao'er slid down from the old cow, took out a handful of fried beans from the pocket she was carrying, and handed it over pretty smartly: "Daoist Qing Xu gave it to Qiao'er, Qiao'er can't finish it all by himself."

In the spread out small hand, a handful of fried beans was grabbed by a hand stretched out next to it. The little girl was so angry that she looked at the crazy old man running in front, stomped her feet a few times, and then chased after him.

"Master! Give it back to me! It's for big brother."

"Don't give it, don't give it!"

The crazy old man waved the fried beans in his hand, stuffed a few into his mouth from time to time, lifted his pants, and continued to let the girl chase him.

Amidst the noise of laughter, the ox carts had passed three miles, and the fields on both sides of the road had been harvested, and the farmers were busy turning up new mud, and the flying birds chirped and landed on the ridges of the fields.

Arriving at Plum Blossom Collection in front, Chen Yuan asked an old woman who was selling mountain goods by the roadside if there was a troupe here.

Fortunately, the collection is not big, and there is a long street that can be seen at a glance. Then I asked another hawker in the collection, and the other party had a strange expression, "Are you looking for them?"

"Well, I'm in the same troupe as them, you see." Chen Yuan pointed to the opened door, revealing large and small wooden carvings inside.

"Hey, hurry up, the landlord knows that you are with them, and probably wants to rent money from you!"

"what happened?"

"I don't know the details. I heard that the theater troupe who came here not long ago stayed here for a few days, and everyone disappeared. They also made a mess of the house, with yellow talismans pasted everywhere!"

"Yellow talisman? Then where do they live, can my little brother point out the way?"

The peddler was also kind, and persuaded him a few words. Seeing that Chen Yuan still wanted to find someone, he had to get up and lead him to the street corner, pointing to the road under the market, "Go here, there is a small courtyard near Lijialinzi. There it is!"

"It's work."

Chen Yuan bowed to him, then got into the bullock cart, and rushed over there, it was not difficult to find, there was a large peach and willow grove, and an ordinary small courtyard stood on the edge, which seemed much more elegant and quiet.

The bullock cart was parked at the door, and before it passed, I saw a yellow talisman with rooster feathers stained with blood on the door above the courtyard door. Judging from the color of the blood stain, it should have been pasted recently.

He knocked on the door twice, but there was no response from inside, and he pushed hard, and the door was locked from the inside.

"Master, take care of Qiao'er outside, I'll go in and have a look."

Chen Yuan reminded, in the eyes of the little girl, she jumped to the top of the wall, and then descended behind the courtyard wall. The courtyard is surrounded by houses, and there are houses in three directions. The quietness makes people feel creepy.

Mana covered her eyes, and Chen Yuan walked to the nearest house. There was nothing unusual, everything was neatly arranged, as if no one had ever lived in it.

The only difference is that there are yellow symbols at the door of each room.

On the other side of the main room, Chen Yuan walked around and was about to exit, when a short cabinet next door made a soft 'squeak' sound near the screen.

Chen Yuan's eyes and ears are so sharp, following her anger, she flicked her wide sleeves and shouted: "Come out!"

The small door of the closet was slammed open, and suddenly a figure fell outside, knelt down on the ground, kowtowed vigorously to Chen Yuan, and screamed incessantly.

"Forgive me! Don't eat me! Don't eat me!"

"Three children?"

Hearing the familiar voice, the kowtowing figure stopped immediately, slowly raised his face, and the moment he saw Chen Yuan, he burst into tears with a 'wow', and rushed over to hug Chen Yuan's legs.

(End of this chapter)