The copy of the universe from the journey to the west

Chapter 195: Changed cognitive thinking, is Peach Blossom Spring a den of ghosts? (asking for monthly votes)

"So you are a Taoist priest, welcome, welcome."

The old man smiled and said, "My surname is Bai, and I am the village chief of Qinren Village. Everyone in the village calls me Bai Weng. Our Qinren Village has not had any contact with the outside world for a long time, and no one has come for a long time. People from afar are guests. Xiaoliu, go kill the chicken at home and cook for the guests."

Mr. Bai turned and said to a handsome young man beside him.

Xiao Liu was looking at Lu Chen curiously. When he heard about killing a chicken, he immediately became happy and said, "Okay, Grandpa, I'll kill it right away!"

"No need, it's too expensive. I have something else to do and can't stay here any longer. I have to leave soon."

Lu Chen wanted to stop him, but was stopped by Liu Wu beside him. He smiled and said, "Well, there must be time for a meal, right?"

Lu Chen nodded subconsciously. It was just a meal, so he still had something to do: "Well... well, I'd rather obey than be respectful."

Lu Chen followed Bai Weng into the village, and then Bai Weng introduced the history of Qin Village to Lu Chen.

They themselves said that their ancestors, in order to escape the chaos of war during the Qin Dynasty, brought their wives, children and neighbors to this isolated place and never went out again, thus cutting off contact with the outside world.

When Lu Chen listened to him, he always felt a familiar sense of disharmony.

And just at this time, everyone passed by a simple shack.

This simple shanty seems out of place with the other houses in the neat and uniform Qin Village.

It's like ink was mixed into clean water.

Inside the shed, there was a middle-aged strong man with ragged clothes and messy hair who was staring at Lu Chen.

Suddenly, he lunged forward a few steps, staring at Lu Chen with his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

"You dumb lunatic! What do you want to do? Go away! This is a new guest, don't make trouble."

There were villagers nearby who were driving away the crazy man.

"Is this also someone from your village?"

Chase Lu asked.

Mr. Bai nodded helplessly and said, "He was originally a hunter in the village, and was particularly good at hunting. But one day when he went up the mountain to hunt, he encountered a big beast. After returning, he became crazy and even couldn't speak because of fear. He didn't even go back to his home. He was really pitiful. The villagers felt sorry for him, so they built a shed for him at the entrance of the village to shelter him from the wind and rain. Every family took turns to send him food. After all, we are all from the same village, so we can't let him starve to death, right?"

"That's quite pitiful." Lu Chen nodded.

"Ah ah ah ah..."

Suddenly, the crazy hunter opened his mouth and shouted at Lu Chen a few times.

But they were quickly driven away by other villagers.

"It seems he likes you very much."

Liu Wu on the side was suddenly surprised.

Lu Chen looked at Liu Wu beside him in confusion.

Do you call this attitude of wanting to bite me "love"?

"Mad people usually don't talk to people and ignore other people."

Liu Wu talked to himself, and then suddenly said: "I remembered that you look a lot like his child. His child was eaten by a giant insect. It was really pitiful, so can you be his child? Stay with him and take care of him. I believe he will get better soon."

"As a child..."

Lu Chen was in a trance again, and then immediately shook his head: "No."

Liu Wu said helplessly: "Is it not possible?"

Mr. Bai patted Liu Wu on the shoulder and said, "Well, Taoist priest, you still have to go out. Why do you want to stay in this small village?"

Lu Chen just felt that Liu Wu was a little weird, but the sense of security in his heart prevented him from having many doubts.

As the group walked, they soon arrived at Mr. Bai's house.

The decoration of Mr. Bai's house is similar to that of other houses. The only difference is that there is a thick apricot tree here, but it is already withered.

The dry and black branches stretched out from the yard to the outside of the wall like ghost claws.

Young Xiaoliu had already been waiting at the gate.

"Grandpa, it's done."

Xiaoliu said to Bai Weng.

Bai Weng patted Xiaoliu on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Well done, Xiaoliu."

Then he said to Lu Chen: "Master, please come in and taste Xiaoliu's cooking."

Lu Chen nodded, but felt a little strange.

Kill the chicken and then cook... so fast?
The next second, he was surrounded by people and entered the house.

Everyone sat down, and after trying it out, Lu Chen also felt it was good.

"It's very well done. This is the only dish of its kind in Jiankang City." Lu Chen praised.

Mr. Bai laughed and said, "Xiao Liu, he can't work in the fields, nor can he go hunting in the mountains, nor can he fish in the water. He is only good at cooking."

"That's also what I like to eat." Xiaoliu also replied with a smile.

After Lu Chen finished his meal, he said to everyone, "Thank you for your hospitality. It's time for me to leave."

Mr. Bai nodded: "Then I'll have someone send the Taoist priest off."

"It's getting late, Taoist priest, you should stay here first." At this time, Liu Wu suddenly said from the side.

Mr. Bai didn't say anything else, but looked at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen glanced at the sky outside the door and found that it had already become pitch dark without him noticing.

"This……"

After thinking for a while, Lu Chen said, "Will it be too troublesome?"

"No, no."

Mr. Bai smiled and said, "There is an empty room in my house, Taoist priest, you can stay here."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Bai." Lu Chen bowed in gratitude.

With the enthusiastic help of the villagers, a side room was quickly cleaned up for Lu Chen, and Lu Chen expressed his gratitude.

"Master, if you need anything else, you can tell me." Xiao Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Lu Chen.

"No need, these are enough. Thank you, Brother Bai." Lu Chen thanked him.

"It's okay, it's okay, it should be."

Xiaoliu waved his hand, then picked up the coat and jade pendant he had taken off while working and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute, Brother Bai."

Lu Chen suddenly called Xiaoliu.

The latter turned around and asked in confusion: "Master, is there anything else?"

"Can I take a look at the jade pendant in your hand?" Lu Chen pointed at the jade pendant in Xiaoliu's hand.

Xiao Liu handed over the jade pendant without hesitation: "Is this what you are talking about? This is the jade pendant my mother left for me. My mother's surname is Lu, so I have this jade pendant. But I lost it a few months ago and only found it today."

Lu Chen took the jade pendant in his hand, and after looking at it carefully, memories flashed through Lu Chen's mind.

"Lu-character jade pendant..."

He looked up at Xiaoliu in front of him, a somewhat familiar face that merged into the face of the young farmer in front of him.

"Lu Xiujing..."

"Master, Master, what's wrong with you?"

Xiaoliu shouted at the dazed Lu Chen.

Lu Chen asked: "Xiao Liu, what is your full name?"

"Just call me Xiaoliu."

Xiao Liu smiled and said, "Everyone calls me Xiao Liu, so I call myself Xiao Liu. What's wrong, Taoist Priest?"

"It's okay, it's a good name."

Lu Chen said with a smile, a feeling of terror rising in his heart.

Change your mindset!

The moment he got the jade pendant with the word "Lu" on it, Lu Chen's cognition instantly returned to his mind.

All the strange feelings from the moment I entered the village...oh, no, the moment I woke up on Liu Wu's boat came to my mind.

My thinking has been quietly changing along the way!

"Xiao Liu, can you lend me this jade pendant?" Lu Chen asked.

"of course can."

Xiao Liu nodded without hesitation: "As long as the Taoist priest remembers to return it to me before leaving."

"Okay, thank you."

After Lu Chen sent Xiao Liu away, he closed the door and held the jade pendant with the word "Lu" in his hand.

He knew clearly that the reason why his cognition returned was because of this jade pendant with the word "Lu".

The Gui Zang Compass could not restore one's cognition, it could only make one's mind temporarily clear, to refute a series of increasingly bizarre requests from the 'teacher' to 'be a madman's child'.

But it cannot have any impact on some cognitions that do not touch his bottom line.

For example, staying for dinner, staying for the time being because it is dark, etc.

These are all reasonable and will not violate his bottom line, so the Gui Zang Compass did not vibrate.

"Has my memory been clouded as well?"

As Lu Chen held the Lu jade pendant for longer and longer periods of time, the memories that had been "subconsciously" forgotten by Lu Chen were also returning little by little.

"During the Taiyuan period of the Jin Dynasty, people in Wuling made a living by fishing..."

The article of "Peach Blossom Spring" also slowly unfolded in Lu Chen's mind.

Everything I saw and heard along the way was exactly the same as what was recorded in Peach Blossom Spring.

"Is Liu Wu the fisherman from Wuling?"

Lu Chen was suspicious.

On the boat, Liu Wu said that he was a local, but also said that he was not a local.

This is obviously full of errors and omissions.

However, in "Peach Blossom Spring", didn't the man from Wuling walk out of Peach Blossom Spring and report the location of Peach Blossom Spring to the prefect?
The key is, that is Wuling.

This is Lushan!
There are hundreds of kilometers between the two.

"Only with the Lu jade pendant in my hand can I have a sense of self."

Lu Chen didn’t know why this happened, but it was always good to have this thing that could restore his self-awareness.

Lu Chen carefully put away the jade pendant with the word "Lu".

My cheap cousin Lu Xiujing was found.

But new doubts arose.

Lu Xiujing was together with Huiyuan and Tao Yuanming.

Now that Lu Xiujing has been found, what about Huiyuan and Tao Yuanming?
Has his cognition also been changed and he has become a villager in the village?
Also, I was clearly looking for the entrance to the cave, so why did I find the Peach Blossom Spring?
Is Peach Blossom Spring the paradise on earth?

Lu Chen couldn't be sure, he could only say that there was a possibility.

Moreover, peach wood is a talisman for warding off evil.

The yin and yang world of this world is very strange, so the story of the peach tree suppressing evil is not groundless, but a real thing.

However, there are countless peach trees outside Qinren Village, and those peach trees are the origin of the name Peach Blossom Spring.

There is a high possibility that this is related to "evil spirits".

Thinking of this, Lu Chen prepared to release his divine consciousness to experiment, but after trying for a while, he frowned: "The divine consciousness can't be used?"

Even if Lu Chen wanted to take the Gui Zang Compass out of the Purple Mansion, he couldn't do it.

He quickly used his magic power again. The magic power was flowing well in his body, but it was extremely difficult to use it.

It was as if something was suppressing the emergence of mana. The mana that used to be able to condense into a basketball-sized fireball could now only produce a small matchstick light. "Fortunately, the strength of the physical body is still there."

This is also the only power Lu Chen can possess now.

But physical strength alone is not reliable. Is there no power stronger than his physical body that can suppress his spiritual power?
Lu Chen naturally didn't believe it.

"See if you can get out."

Lu Chen stood up and quietly opened the door.

It was quiet outside and Lu Chen walked out.

Just as Lu Chen opened the door and walked out, a voice sounded behind him.

"Master Lu, it's so late, where are you going?"

A gust of cold wind blew, and Lu Chen looked back.

A dim light was slowly coming towards me.

Soon, a face that looked a little pale under the light appeared in Lu Chen's sight.

It was the boatman Liu Wu.

"Uncle Liu."

Lu Chen was alert in his heart, but he smiled and said, "I ate a little too much and couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

Liu Wu nodded: "It just so happens that I couldn't sleep either, so I just accompanied the Taoist priest for a walk."

Then, he came to Lu Chen and walked side by side with Lu Chen.

As Lu Chen walked, he asked, "Uncle Liu, the people in the manor have always lived in the manor. Haven't they ever thought about leaving?"

"go out?"

Liu Wu shook his head when he heard this and said, "Outside there is chaos and war, but in the manor there are no government officials collecting taxes, and there is no worldly noise. I work from morning till night, and rest from night to night. Such a life is so leisurely, why would I go out?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Uncle Liu has never been out, so how can he know the noisy world outside?"

“Because that’s what outsiders say.”

Liu Wu suddenly stopped and turned his pale face, which looked like a dead person, to ask: "Master, you don't think that no one has come in here before, right?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "When I was outside, I heard that there was a Peach Blossom Spring here, and a man came here to fish."

But Liu Wu suddenly became stunned, mumbling: "Peach Blossom Spring... Peach Blossom Spring..."

It was as if some memories were triggered.

After a while, he returned to normal, looked at Lu Chen, and said, "Master, it's so late, where are you going?"

Lu Chen raised his eyebrows.

What? This is still an NPC?
However, Liu Wu's reaction also made Lu Chen suspect that the former was just a person controlled by Taohuayuan.

Looking at Liu Wu, Lu Chen smiled and said, "Isn't it because Xiao Liu's food is so delicious that I ate a little more. I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk and was about to go back. How about you?"

Liu Wu said: "There are often wild beasts outside the village, so every household in the village takes turns to patrol every day, and today is my turn."

The reason has changed!

The reason Liu Wu used just now was that he couldn't sleep and wanted to go out for a walk. It was just a random excuse he made up, but now it has turned into a night patrol.

Does this mean that 'NPC' is also evolving all the time?
Or in other words, to make things develop more logically and rationally?
It's like an artificial intelligence that constantly learns new knowledge to improve itself.

Liu Wu took two steps forward and suddenly turned back to look at Lu Chen: "Master, do you have anything else to say?"

"No more, I will go back now."

After saying that, Lu Chen walked back to Mr. Bai's house.

As soon as he entered the yard, he found the old man in a white feather robe sitting on a stone bench under the dead tree in front of the yard, looking at him, as if he was waiting for him to come back.

Behind him was Xiaoliu, who looked very similar to Lu Xiujing, with a smile on his face.

Lu Chen was stunned. Wasn’t it too timely for the village chief of Qin Village to appear?
With the previous experience of Liu Wu, Lu Chen now feels that there is something wrong with everyone he looks at.

"The Taoist priest is back."

Mr. Bai was indeed waiting for him.

Lu Chen stepped forward and repeated the same reason he gave Liu Wu: "Xiao Liu's cooking skills are still good. The food is so delicious. I was a little greedy, so I went out for a walk and disturbed Mr. Bai's good dream. I shouldn't have done that."

Hearing this, Mr. Bai said helplessly, "Master, you don't have to lie to me. You came to our village, I'm afraid you came here on purpose, right?"

Lu Chen seemed puzzled: "Why did Mr. Bai say that? I just fell into the water and was kindly rescued by Uncle Liu. What's the purpose of that?"

Bai Weng sighed helplessly, turned his head and glanced at Xiaoliu behind him: "Xiaoliu, you go ahead and tell me."

"Okay, Grandpa Bai."

Xiaoliu nodded, turned to look at Lu Chen, and a bright smile appeared on his face: "Cousin Xiuchen, long time no see. It has probably been two years since you went north."

"you……"

Lu Chen raised his eyebrows: "Xiao Liu, I'm afraid you recognized the wrong person?"

Xiao Liu smiled and said, "Brother, could it be that after you went to Chang'an, you even forgot about your cousin?"

Lu Chen stared at Xiao Liu carefully, and after a while, he suddenly realized: "You...you are Xiu Jing's cousin? No, aren't you the grandson of Mr. Bai?"

"It's a long story."

Lu Xiujing smiled and said, "After you left Jiankang, I also resigned from my position in the family restaurant. Like you, I wanted to travel around the world and gain some experience. However, I didn't have your ambition to go to the Hu country. I was afraid of encountering unexpected events, so I only dared to travel around the Song Kingdom. I didn't expect to encounter danger in Mount Lu. Fortunately, Grandpa Bai saved my life."

Lu Chen looked at him and asked, "Then why didn't you explain it to me just now?"

Lu Xiujing said helplessly: "Brother, it was several years ago when you and I parted. To be honest, although we were of the same clan, we didn't know each other very well. I could hardly recognize your appearance. Although I felt familiar with you when we met, it was inconvenient to ask because there were so many people around. So I could only use the Lu jade pendant to lure you to confirm your identity. After seeing that you really knew the Lu jade pendant, I went directly to Grandpa Bai to explain the situation. When I found you again, you had already gone out for a walk, so Grandpa Bai suggested that I wait here for you to come back."

"Oh I got it."

After hearing this, Lu Chen was overjoyed. He went up to her and grabbed her arms. He looked her up and down and sighed, "When I left home, you were still a child. Now you are taller than me."

Hearing this, Lu Xiujing smiled slyly and said, "Brother, you must have remembered it wrongly. I am only one year younger than you, and I have grown faster than my peers since I was young. So when you left home, I should have been taller than you."

"is it?"

Lu Chen laughed and said, "That means I remembered it wrong, brother. It's been too long and my memory is a little confused."

Then Lu Chen changed the subject and asked, "How long have you been here? Why don't you go home?"

"Alas, I can't get out."

Lu Xiujing couldn't help but sigh when he heard this: "Brother, when you came in, you came in after being unconscious, right?"

Lu Chen nodded.

Indeed, after passing through the stone wall, he fell into a coma.

Lu Xiujing continued, "It's the same for me. I was also rescued by Liu Wu after I fell into a coma. It was impossible for me to get out again, and then I became Grandpa Bai's grandson."

Lu Chen asked: "Where is this place? Why are we allowed to enter but not leave?"

At this time, Mr. Bai, who had been silent, said, "This is the secret land of Taoyuan, which was built by some immortals to protect poor people like us."

"Secret realm?"

Lu Chen's expression immediately became extremely strange.

"Who built it? And when was it built?"

Speaking of the secret realm, Lu Chen became quite curious. The secret realm is not a cave heaven, but an area formed by a formation, which can be regarded as a replica of a cave heaven.

However, no matter how much it is imitated, it is still a secret place, not a big sect, so it is difficult to build it.

For example, among the Taoist sects, only the Longhu Mountain Tianshi Sect, the Maoshan Shangqing Sect, the Lingbao Sect, and the Three Emperors Sect have created the secret realm. The other small sects don't even know what the secret realm is!

This is the case with the Louguan Dao in Zhongnan Mountain. People only know that there are caves and secret realms in the world, but there is no record of them.

Lu Chen didn’t know what was going on in the secret realm of Longhu Mountain. After all, the spy Liu Bing’s status was too low.

Lu Chen had never come into contact with the Three Emperors Sect, so naturally he didn't know its specific situation.

However, Lu Chen knew about the secret realms of Shangqing Sect and Lingbao Sect.

The secret realm of the Shangqing sect is pitifully small, only an area no more than ten meters in width and three or four meters in height, with at most three bedrooms and a living room.

Because of the two Ge's, the Lingbao sect's foundation is stronger than the Shuangxu Shangqing sect's, but it is not much bigger than the secret realm created by the Shangqing sect.

In short, the so-called secret realm is actually just a safer secret room.

It was just created by various sects for the purpose of inheritance, in case one day there is a big problem with the Dao lineage and active inheritance cannot be carried out, they will arrange people to seal the entrance to the secret realm and wait for the future to pass on the tradition.

Xu Huangmin of the Shangqing School chose this way of inheritance.

The entrance to the secret realm of the Shangqing Sect was sealed and a guardian was assigned. When the right person appears in the future, the inheritance will be reopened.

And Mr. Bai said that Taohuayuan is a secret place?
If this were to be made public, I'm afraid all the Taoist sects of the time would be so ashamed that they would find a crack in the ground to hide themselves in!

Wow, their secret place only has three bedrooms and a living room, and at most it’s a large flat.

But when it comes to you, there is no need to pretend.

Is this a question of upgrading one's musket to a cannon?

This is equivalent to me still in the primitive society fighting with tigers and lions for food, and you are driving a spaceship to date aliens and have babies?

Is there any justice in saying this?!

Are there still laws!?

"I don't know anymore."

Mr. Bai shook his head slowly: "This is what my ancestors passed down, and I have always believed this way. As for what the secret realm is, I don't even know."

Lu Chen nodded, thoughtfully.

Lu Xiujing said at this time: "I have checked the surroundings, but I couldn't find any exit. The only exit is to go to the outside world through Liu Wu's boat."

Lu Chen said: "Why don't you just tell him and ask him to send you out?"

Lu Xiujing shook his head and sighed, "It's useless, brother. I wonder if you have noticed that Liu Wu has been suggesting that you stay?"

Lu Chen nodded slowly, it was true.

Lu Xiujing said seriously, "This is the problem. Every time I find Liu Wu, he would use various reasons to push me away and not let me leave. At that time, I didn't have the Lu jade pendant in my hand, so I was always led by him. As long as he told me to stay, I would stay. Over and over again, I have been staying here ever since."

Lu Chen nodded, indicating that he understood. When he didn't have the Lu jade pendant, he was also led by the nose.

He understands this feeling.

It is obviously not my own wish, but this wish has quietly invaded my mind, making me feel as if it is natural.

At that time, I didn't feel anything, but once I got out of that state, I felt the horror of this state.

If he didn't have the Guizang Compass to clarify the bottom line of his own consciousness, and later regained the Lu jade pendant, he would probably have fallen into his trap long ago.

Perhaps Lu Xiujing came to his senses from that state only because he got the jade pendant with the word "Lu" back.

"I understand."

Lu Chen nodded, and then asked: "Who is Liu Wu? Why would he stop people from leaving?"

"Liu Wu is not from the village."

Mr. Bai shook his head slightly, looking reminiscing, "I remember when I was young, Liu Wu came in from the outside world in a boat, claiming to be a fisherman from Wuling. He told us what happened in the outside world at that time. We also killed chickens and cattle to entertain him. When he left, we specifically told him not to tell anyone else, but...but...ahem."

At this point, his face turned red and he clenched his fists, as if he was angry.

"Grandpa Bai, calm down and don't be anxious." Lu Xiujing beside him quickly patted Bai Weng's younger generation and asked him to let out a breath.

Then he turned to Lu Chen and said, "We all know what happened later. Tao Yuanming wrote "Peach Blossom Spring", which tells the story of Liu Wu coming to Qin Village. It also says that after the Wuling fisherman left the Peach Blossom Spring, he marked the road and told the Wuling governor that he wanted to use the illegal population in Qin Village to get a reward from the court. When the villagers of Qin Village found out, they changed the entrance to the secret land of Peach Blossom Spring overnight, which prevented the Jin Dynasty soldiers from entering Qin Village."

"So... the Wuling fisherman will not have a good ending."

After hearing this, Lu Chen said slowly: "Is he being taken out on?"

"Yes, he had a miserable end."

At this time, Mr. Bai also recovered his breath and nodded slightly. "I only found out later that after Liu Wu informed the court of the Peach Blossom Land, he also came with the army and followed the marks he recorded to find our Qinren Village. However, he didn't know that we had changed the entrance, so the court army spent two weeks day and night without finding us, and consumed a lot of manpower and material resources. The Wuling prefect who led the army to search the mountain was furious and directly beheaded Liu Wu in the mountain. However, his resentment after his death was not extinguished, so he turned into a fierce ghost to seek revenge."

Lu Chen raised his eyebrows: "You mean to say that Liu Wu is a ghost now?"

"That's right, and his resentment was so great that we only discovered it when he controlled the Peach Blossom Land."

Mr. Bai said slowly, "He turned the Peach Blossom Land into his ghost den. In the ghost den, he set various rules for us to conceal the villagers' consciousness and make them think that everything that seems unreasonable is actually normal. Outsiders will also integrate into his set of rules. For example, Xiao Liu, he won't let Xiao Liu leave, so the hint to Xiao Liu is to become his grandson. It's the same for you, my friend. I wanted to give you the identity of a master, so that you can be safer."

(End of this chapter)