Ghost Story of Liaozhai

Xingde, a native of Zezhou, a hero of the green forest, can pull a strong bow, shoot arrows, and is the best among all heroes.He was down and out all his life, not good at management, went out to do business, lost more and earned less.But because of his proficiency in martial arts, merchants from the two capitals love to make friends with him, and when they go out to discuss business, they often take him by their side without fear.

In the early winter of this year, two or three businessmen raised funds and invited Xing De to go to the capital together. Xing De wanted to make a fortune, so he readily agreed. He had a friend who was good at divination. Before Xing De left, he asked a friend for fortune-telling. A hexagram is a word for 'regret', this trip will bring you a windfall if you return to your old business, but in the end it will be nothing but joy." Hearing this, Xing De was depressed, and came to the capital with a businessman, and after a deal was made, he would pay for it. Lost everything.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Xing De wandered out of the city alone, thinking that the New Year was approaching, but he was penniless, and became more and more annoyed.The sky was foggy in the morning, and the road was difficult to distinguish. Xing De went to a nearby hotel to get drunk, and saw a white-haired old man drinking at the same table with two teenagers, and a boy with fluffy yellow hair waited on him.Xing De sat down at the table opposite the old man, and looked at the three of them while drinking.

When the boy was pouring the wine, he accidentally knocked over the wine glass, and the wine splashed and wet the old man's clothes.A boy was furious, he slapped Tong'er with his hands, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the old man's dirt.

Xing De found that Tong'er was wearing an iron arrow ring on both thumbs, half an inch thick, and each iron ring weighed about two taels.After eating, the old man ordered the young man to take out a lot of gold and silver from the package, pile them on the table, weigh them with a scale, and calculate the total.Another young man pulled out a lame black mule from the manger, and helped the old man onto the mule's back. Tong'er also pulled out a skinny horse and followed behind. The two young men each rode a white horse with bows and arrows on their waists. People go out.

Xing De looked on coldly, seeing the old man was rich and greedy, he rushed out of the hotel and followed him all the way.The old man and Tong'er rode away slowly, Xing De took a small path to catch up, blocked the old man's way, bent his bow and drew an arrow, and glared at each other.

The old man leaned over and took off his left leather boot, and said with a smile, "Don't you recognize my glutton?" Xing De drew his bow with all his strength, and the arrow shot straight at the old man's vitals like a shooting star. Stretching out his left foot, he lightly pinched his two toes, caught the arrow, and said with a smile, "How dare you be my enemy with such little skill?" Arrows follow.The old man stretched out his hand to grab an arrow, he didn't seem to have expected that Xing De had the ability to fire two arrows in succession, the second arrow pierced his mouth, he fell to the ground, with the arrow in his mouth, he closed his eyes and lay stiff, the boy was also frightened Gotta jump off the horse.

Xing De was overjoyed, thinking that the old man had been shot to death, so he went to check.Suddenly the old man spit out an arrow, jumped up, applauded and laughed and said: "It's the first time we meet, why do you have to play such a prank?"

After walking for 34 miles, he ran into an official who escorted money to Beijing. He was overjoyed by his punishment and morality, and forcibly robbed the officers and soldiers, and snatched more than a thousand taels of gold.He was riding a horse and galloping, when there was a sound of hooves behind him, looking back, it was the boy who was chasing after him on a lame mule, driving like flying, and said in his mouth: "Don't go, I will give half of the stolen silver." Xing De was furious Said: "Don't you know that I am 'Lianzhu Arrow Punishment'?" Tong'er smiled and said: "I have learned it just now."

Xing De saw Tong'er's ugly appearance and no weapons around him, so he didn't take it seriously, bent his bow and set up an arrow, and fired three arrows in succession. The arrows flew like a flock of birds, and went straight to Tong'er's throat.Tong'er took two arrows in his left and right hands in a calm manner, bit one in his mouth, and said with a smile: "Just these two times of three-legged cat kung fu, don't show yourself. I came in a hurry and forgot to bring the iron bow. The three arrows are useless, so I’ll return them to you.” While speaking, he took off the iron ring on his finger, stacked the three arrows together, penetrated into the ring, and threw them vigorously, the arrows flew like the wind, whining, and went straight Xingde's chest.Xing De was startled, he quickly fiddled with the bowstring to resist, the bowstring touched the iron ring, and cut off abruptly, the iron ring's remaining energy was not weakened, and the handle of the bow was cut off several times.

Xing De was so terrified that he didn't have time to dodge, the arrow pierced through his earlobe, injured and fell to the ground.Tong'er laughed, dismounted and walked to him, reaching out to search for gold and silver in Xing De's arms.Xing De counterattacked with a broken bow, Tong'er dodged the iron bow with his hands, folded it lightly, the iron bow was split into two, folded again, split into four, and threw it on the ground.

The boy held Xing De's two arms with only one hand, stretched out his left foot to step on his legs, Xing De struggled with all his might, but his hands and feet were so numb that he couldn't move.There were two thick soft belts wrapped around his waist, the boy squeezed lightly with two fingers, and the belt snapped off, shattered into a pile of powder, took away all the more than a thousand taels of gold, raised his hands and clasped his fists, and said: " Meng Lang is gone, so offended." He strode away.

After receiving this lesson, Xing De changed his mind after returning and devoted himself to good.He often mentioned the humiliation to his friends without shy away from it.