Kaifeng Monster

Chapter 52
After the rooster crowed three times, the sky rose, and as soon as Gongsun Ce opened the door——

Originally prepared to face the fresh air and openly express my heart to welcome another day of new life, unexpectedly welcomed a man and woman who seemed to be fleeing.

No wonder it is said that life is a string of unexpected beads.

After a quarter of an incense stick, Gongsun Ce took a leisurely time to hold a cup of hot tea, sip it carefully, and listened to Zhan Zhao's story about what happened in Mingdao.

Just as he was speechless, Duanmucui, who had finished washing and dressing up, came down from upstairs, and asked, "Zhan Zhao, where did you go?"

Gongsun Ce's concern was palpable: "Miss Duanmu, I heard you were injured?"

"An arm?" Duanmu Cui raised her arm abruptly, and before Gongsun Ce could react, she swung it up and down, left and right: "It's ready, it won't be a problem to carry a thousand or eight hundred catties."

Zhan Zhao coughed twice, and added: "After the dawn reappeared, her mana recovered, and her arm was fine."

Gongsun Ce was at a loss for words for a while: the information was not smooth, and his concern was so delayed.

"Anyway, this trip to the Underworld is really dangerous—thanks to Zhan's guards." Gongsun Ce felt that Zhan Zhao must have contributed.

"That's the case," Duanmucui thought for a while, and made a personal opinion, "Zhan Zhao, save me next time, can you stop throwing me around like a ball, my internal organs are almost knocked out."

"Is there still throwing around?" Gongsun Ce was curious.

"Isn't that..." Although Duanmu Cuiyuan planned to keep his promise of saving his life, he couldn't help complaining when he heard Gongsun Ce's question, "Zhan Zhao usually saves people like this? "

"Of course not." Gongsun Ce categorically denied, "What's wrong with throwing people around? Besides, you're still a girl, it's even more inappropriate."

Zhan Zhao secretly complained.

Duanmucui's eyes widened: "Sir, what do you mean, Zhan Zhao is only targeting me?"

"Exactly!" Gongsun Ce looked serious, "Miss Duanmu, can't you see that Zhan Huwei has a grudge against you?"

Zhan Zhao gritted his teeth: How obvious is this to sow discord...

"Why do you have grudges against me?" Duanmucui was aggrieved, "I never offended him."

"Did you forget that you trapped him in the barrier at the beginning?" Gongsun Ce pointed out to Duanmucui.

Duanmucui seemed to have realized something, and after a while, she looked at Zhan Zhao with resentment: "No wonder borrowing a pillow from you in the underworld is so prevaricated, and even saying that it is unreasonable, it turns out that the public is avenging personal revenge."

"Borrow a pillow?"

"It's just... I was tired when I was injured, so let him lean on me... Zhan Zhao just refused." Duanmucui said vaguely.

"This is even more wrong." Gongsun Ce explained the facts and reasoned, "Guard Zhan has handled cases in the past, and has saved many ladies from official families. He leaned on or relied on him. How did he ever say no?"

"Mr. Gongsun!" Zhan Zhao finally couldn't bear it.

Gongsun Ce was in a good mood, and he glanced at Zhan Zhao proudly: Although telling stories is not something a gentleman does, but doing it occasionally is indeed a pleasure and a wonderful thing.

Just as Gongsun Ce in this room calmed down a bit, Duanmucui in that room sighed again, but he deliberately sighed with deep resentment, and sighed until Zhan Zhao couldn't bear it anymore.

"Do you still want to discuss the matter of the underworld with Mr. Gongsun?"

So, the topic finally got back to the right track.

Duanmu Cui stretched out her fingers and compared pictures in the air, explaining the reason for Gongsun Ce in detail.

"This is a dome, where the underworld is divided into three parts, sir, can you see it clearly?"

Between the stippling, the composition of Mingdao has been looming in mid-air, where is the top and where is divided, it is clear and clear at a glance.

Zhan Zhao let out a sigh of relief: The scene in front of him was so vivid that he had the illusion of being in the dark realm for a moment.

"The fork on the right is the place where the souls of Xuanping's dead are imprisoned. I have seen chisel teeth dragging the souls in with my own eyes. The fork on the left is where Zhan Zhao and I hid later." Speaking of this, Duanmucui was a little proud, "I have Tong Zhan Zhao said, there must be something wrong with the monsters not daring to enter. Zhan Zhao, after I took you inside to see it, do you finally believe it?"

Zhan Zhao smiled: "Why don't you take me in to have a look, I will naturally believe it."

Gongsun Ce stared hard, trying to see the clues from the small fork: "What's wrong in this fork?"

Duanmucui smiled without answering, and suddenly stretched out her robe sleeves.

Before Gongsun Ce could react, he heard the sound of countless wings flapping, and immediately within the fork in the picture frame, thousands of blood bats flew out, densely packed, the size of a grain of rice at first glance. Flying non-stop, once out of the picture, it grows when it sees the wind, its eyes are red like blood, and its sharp claws are like knives.What is even more creepy is its face, although it is only the size of a fist, it has some facial features, overlapping wrinkles, winking eyebrows, which is extremely weird.Gongsun Ce was caught off guard, Teng Teng Teng retreated a few steps, almost fell to the ground.

Then Zhan Zhao said urgently: "Duanmu, don't scare Mr.

Before he finished speaking, he only heard Duanmucui's clear scolding, and what appeared in front of him suddenly disappeared.

Even though he knew that what he saw just now was an illusion, Gongsun Ce couldn't help but break out in cold sweat.Zhan Zhao looked at Duanmucui with a look of reproach.

Duanmucui muttered in a low voice: "Mr. Gongsun has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, I just want him to get used to it first."

Zhan Zhao's tone was a bit serious: "What you want to deal with, sir, is not blood bats."

"Sir, if you're not even afraid of blood bats, you shouldn't be afraid of ghosts."

Gongsun Ce felt as if he was falling into the mist at first, and then his scalp became numb: "Why do I have a heavy responsibility on my shoulders? What should I get used to? What are ghosts?"

Zhan Zhao was silent for a moment, carefully choosing his words: "Mr. Gongsun, I really want to work on you this time. Listen to what Duanmu said, as long as the dead body of Xuan Ping is still alive, they can still be brought back to life."

Gongsun Ce's shock was no small matter: "Really?"

Duan Mucui nodded: "Ming Dao Luo soul is no better than black and white impermanence to hook people's lives - the souls taken away by Ming Dao ghost messengers are all people who are not worthy of death. As long as the body is not damaged, return the soul and use the seven-star lamp to continue life. Physiology should be expected."

Gongsun Ce slowly calmed down: "The seven-star lamp you mentioned is the seven-star lamp that Zhuge Kongming started at the Wuzhang origin to continue his life? I heard that there are seven big lamps, seven or seven 49 small lamps on the periphery, and there are natal lamps in them. So cumbersome."

Duanmu Cui smiled and said: "This lamp is correct, but it doesn't have to be so complicated. Just light a locust tree oil lamp on the head and foot of the corpse, and put it back into the soul to keep the lamp alive for three moments, and it will be a success."

Gongsun Ce seemed to have a clear understanding: "Miss Duanmu said so, do you want me to protect the lamp?"

"It's called a lamp, but it's actually a life-saver. I beg you to help me."

Gongsun Ce was dumbfounded, and then laughed: "Miss Duanmu, are you afraid that I will refuse? There is something you can do but you can't do it. Since it is to save lives, how dare Gongsun Ce say anything?"

"I have to say something beforehand. The monsters that detain the souls of the dead are ghost messengers. They won't let you protect the lamp, and they may try their best to stop you."

Gongsun Ce laughed loudly: "Then only the soldiers come to cover the water and earth, and the ghost sent Gongsun to block it."

Duanmucui was surprised by this, and smiled at Zhan Zhao: "Mr. Gongsun's courage is much greater than I thought before."

Zhan Zhao said softly: "Mr. Gongsun is not bold, but he is fearless and heavy duty, which is really admirable."

Duanmucui didn't understand the difference between boldness and fearlessness, she was puzzled for a while, but she didn't care about it anymore.

But Gongsun Ce thought of something again, because he asked: "Just now you said that the souls of the dead are detained in the fork of the underworld, and you mentioned 'returning the soul'. Is it possible that you want to enter the underworld?"

Duanmucui's expression was quite solemn: "That's true. The power of the dawn is weak, and it can only make the underworld appear for an hour. Just now in the underworld, as soon as the mana recovered, the dawn would recede, so I had to leave in a hurry with Zhan Zhao—— The first exploration of the dark way can be said to be nothing, and the second entry into the dark way is imperative. Moreover, in order not to delay the time, when I re-enter the dark way, I will go to find Wen Guwei and return the soul. Please ask Zhan Zhao to help me do it."

Gongsun Ce was startled: "Isn't that very dangerous? Miss Duanmu, you will lose your magic power after entering the Underworld. How can you find Wen Gu Weiyu? Are the guards going to deal with monsters alone? Are you sure?"

Duanmu Cui smiled and said: "Mr. Gongsun, if you want to protect the lamp, isn't it also dangerous? Who dares to say that it is absolutely sure? Just try to avoid evil."

The rest of the conversation is silent.

Seeing the solemn faces of the two, Duanmucui secretly regretted that she had spoken too seriously, and hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sir, I will also make some preparations before this—if I write to you and Zhan Zhao in advance Put a spell on it, ghosts should not be able to get close easily."

Gongsun Ce frowned: "Then what should you do?"

Duanmucui smiled and said: "How can you not gain wisdom after eating a ditch? I have already thought about it this time, and I will make an agreement with the Spirit of Dawn at the beginning-after the Ming Dao appears, they will not hang around in the middle of the night foolishly." Heavens, just come to me, I will enter the underworld with the dawn, and there will be no risk of losing my mana."

Gongsun Ce thought about it for a while, and then he made up his mind: "It sounds like it's [-]% ready. I just hope that there will be no more accidents."

Duanmucui couldn't help smiling wryly, because she thought: If he could predict it in advance, I'm afraid it wouldn't be an accident.

After the matter was agreed upon, it was natural that shopkeeper Li would come forward to make arrangements, so he opened the door to wake up the sleepy-eyed shopkeeper of Jukelou.

Shopkeeper Li is not a person who keeps his head indifferent. After hearing Gongsun Ce's order, he directly expressed his doubts in his heart: "Since there was an epidemic in Xuanping, in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic, the bodies of those who died due to the epidemic have always been burned on the spot. Mr. Gongsun, not only are they not allowed to be burned, but they have to be sent to the Temple of the City God for storage, and the lamps have to be lit from the beginning to the end, really..."

Shopkeeper Li's face showed embarrassment.

And unable to explain the reason to him in detail, Gongsun Ce could only vaguely say: "I am quite familiar with mystic arts, maybe I can bring back the soul, I don't know."

"Calling back souls?" Shopkeeper Li's eyes almost didn't pop out, "Sir, can you call back souls?"

Gongsun Ce was ashamed, and continued to fool around: "I know a thing or two."

Shopkeeper Li was still waiting for a few words of gratitude, but Duan Mucui thought he was talking too much: "Shopkeeper, you just do as you want. If Mr. Gongsun can really bring back the soul, saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. It can be said to be infinitely meritorious. If you don’t come back, what do you lose? Give it a try anyway.”

It made sense, Shopkeeper Li was heartbroken and went to run errands.

Only now did Zhan Zhao and Duanmucui really calm down.

For a while, she was relatively speechless, but felt that the day was long, and after staying for a while, Duanmucui called out hungry: "Mr. Gongsun, is there anything to eat?"

Gongsun Ce pouted towards the kitchen: "The leftovers from last night are all there."

"Is there no breakfast?"

"You also saw that shopkeeper Li was immediately woken up to go to work. Where is the time to prepare meals?"

"Then won't you do it, sir?"

"Should I do it?"

"Then Zhan Zhao won't do it?"

"Should Zhanwei do it?"

Zhan Zhao's face twitched when he heard such a powerful answer.

In the end, Duanmucui finally understood her mission under the guidance of Gongsun Ce, and went into the kitchen honestly.

After one-eighth of an incense stick, Ai Ai came out to invite Zhan Zhao into the kitchen for "discussion".Out of curiosity, Gongsun Ce also wanted to go in and have a look, but Duanmucui refused to let him die.Zhan Zhao sighed inwardly, and when he saw the charred objects in several smoky black dishes whose shapes were indistinguishable, he put his hands on his forehead and groaned endlessly.

Duanmucui carefully explained: "At first I just wanted to heat it up, but who knew that the real fire of Samadhi was so powerful that it burned like charcoal."

Zhan Zhao is not polite: "If you don't become a god, you can support yourself by selling charcoal. The charcoal seller still needs to cut firewood to burn charcoal in the Nanshan Mountains. You can use local materials to make money without capital."

Duanmucui didn't say a word, she did have this advantage: whenever she really did something wrong or made a mistake, she would immediately feel flustered and short of breath and lose her fighting spirit.

Paused, cleared his throat, and repeated the old tune: "I am a fairy, traveling thousands of miles, from Yingzhou to Xuanping..."

"Didn't drink a couple of sips of water along the way. When we arrived in Xuanping, we were busy, and even helped me go to Kaifeng Mansion to get the sword. After entering the underworld, I escaped from danger and had to go to the kitchen to prepare meals, right?"

Duanmucui smiled enthusiastically: "Zhan Zhao, you are really... understanding."

"It's really rare to hear words of praise from you." Zhan Zhao was annoyed, "Being courteous to others, one must ask for something. Why did you let me in?"

"Of course...please help."

"What help?" Zhan Zhao pretended to be surprised, "Let Mr. Gongsun eat up these charcoal?"

"Of course not." Duanmucui's cheeks stiffened with a smile, "Zhan Zhao, do you still remember that the last time you cooked porridge, you almost burned... the stove in Kaifeng Mansion?"

Really...

Good things don't go out, bad things spread thousands of miles, which pot is not opened and which pot is lifted!
It is true that the stove in Kaifeng's mansion was almost burned, but there was a reason for it: if the assassin hadn't happened to attack at that time, he would not have left the stove—who would have predicted that the fire in the stove would come out and ignite the pyre ?The Kitchen God didn't know the cause and effect, so he went to play tricks on Duanmucui, which is really hateful.

"Remember, so what?"

"Then this time..." Duanmucui stammered, his eyes darting between Zhan Zhao and Die Zhongtan.

Zhan Zhao was puzzled at first, then dumbfounded.

"You don't want to say... I burned these coals, right?"

Duanmucui smiled even more tenderly: "Zhan Zhao, anyway, the stove was burned down last time, this time you help me cook, it's not unusual to burn the vegetables..."

Zhan Zhao interrupted Duanmucui directly: "Why did I burn the vegetables instead of you?"

"I'm a god." Duanmucui put the issue of identity on the table again, trying to win Zhan Zhao's sympathy, "If Mr. Gongsun knows that I can't even do these small things well, wouldn't it be embarrassing?"

"You mean, if I burn the vegetables, it will be beautiful?"

"He was just discussing with you," Duanmucui felt aggrieved, "You are so aggressive."

Zhan Zhao had no choice but to say, "If the food is burnt, it will be burnt. Mr. Gongsun doesn't have to eat it. Tell him the truth, he won't make things difficult for you."

"How embarrassing..." Duanmucui muttered.

Girl, how much you love face...

Zhan Zhao was finally speechless, leaned closer to the charcoal on the plate and looked at it again, and said honestly: "It's not that I won't help you, see for yourself, I really don't have the ability to burn the vegetables into such a state-how smart is Mr. I won't believe it."

"Then you have a solution, right?" Duanmucui placed high hopes on Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao smiled wryly, so he had to give her some advice: "Usually she's very clever, but now she's turned into a mess? Since she's a god, she went out through the wall, and it's time for breakfast. Go to the neighbors to borrow some, and you can get away with it in a foolish way." .”

"Borrow some..." Duanmu Cui murmured, her eyes suddenly lit up, "Yes, I never thought of that, I'll go now."

Smiling, she turned around to leave, but was grabbed by Zhan Zhao again.

"Do you have any silver on you?"

"Do you want more money?"

Zhan Zhao took out the broken silver and gave it to her: "They are all ordinary people, you really took other people's money for nothing? Remember to give them some silver."

Duanmucui took the money, and suddenly thought of something: "Then Mr...."

"Go and come back quickly, I will hide it for you."

Duanmu Cui raised her eyebrows with joy: "Zhan Zhao, I knew I was looking for you."

Zhan Zhao didn't answer, and watched her pass through the wall with a smile, then lifted the curtain and left the kitchen.

Gongsun Ce was really curious: "What is Miss Duanmu looking for?"

"Duanmu, she..." Zhan Zhao's mind was spinning fast, "If you ask what your husband likes to eat, you should be prepared."

"It's all leftovers from yesterday, can you find new ones?" Gongsun Ce smiled and shook his head, "But Miss Duanmu really has a heart."

Zhan Zhao secretly said ashamed, and secretly hoped that this "careful" girl would return soon.

Duanmucui did not disappoint Zhan Zhao this time, and came out of the kitchen with a smile after a while, holding a steamer in his left hand, and a porcelain bowl full of dumplings in his right, followed by three or four sea bowls that went up and down , Take a closer look, there are pickles, rice porridge, oil buns, and stewed pork. When you open the steamer, there are steaming steamed buns.

It seems that many homes have been swept away.

Gongsun Ce was surprised: "Miss Duanmu, isn't this the leftover from yesterday?"

"of course not."

Zhan Zhao breathed a sigh of relief: If she answered "yes", it would be truly terrifying.

"Then... how did you do it?" Gongsun Ce was really happy.

"Of course it's the subtlety of the magic of the gods." Duanmucui said boldly.

Zhan Zhao thought of the extra pieces of charcoal in the kitchen, smiled slightly, and said something: "The magic of the gods is indeed very delicate."

(End of this chapter)