Kyushu · Endless Nagato

Chapter 12: Dance of the Dead (1)
一
In May of the 17th year of Hongjing, the life of his adoptive father Shen Zhuang came to an end.

Xue Huaiqing sat by the hospital bed, silently looking at the unconscious adoptive father on the bed.When dying, Shen Zhuang's complexion was gray and his breath was weak, and his neck injured decades ago was still leaning crookedly on the pillow.The neck injury made him live in pain for more than [-] years, and the wound in his heart was deeper and more painful than his body.

Xue Huaiqing naturally had more experience with this than anyone else.Ever since she could remember, Shen Zhuang has repeatedly told the tragic tragedy that happened to his wife and children: In the middle of a night without warning, in the originally happy and peaceful Shenjia Village of Suohe Mountain, a group of unknown people broke into the village. Entered his house, almost cut off his neck with a knife, and then kidnapped his wife and two-month-old son, completely ruining his life.

"I named him Shen Kang. Originally, I hoped that he would grow up healthy and be a successor to my old Shen family." Every time Shen Zhuang talked about his son, his eyes would always be filled with tears, "but no. When I think about it, those bloody bastards just killed my wife and my son with a single knife, and then they lit a fire and burned my wife and children to ashes! These bastards with no children and grandchildren, why did they do this? do it……"

Xue Huaiqing has long been familiar with this experience and can recite it verbatim, but every time her adoptive father mentions it, she always pretends to listen attentively.In any case, although a little crazy, but the adoptive father is really a kind-hearted old man, her savior and reborn parents. 19 years ago, when Xue Huaiqing's pregnant mother wandered to this small village in the south of Lanzhou, Shen Zhuang took her in.When Xue Huaiqing was born, Shen Zhuang was surprised to find that she was half of the Yuren blood—her mother never told Shen Zhuang that Xue Huaiqing’s biological father was a Yuren—but she still continued to take them in. , although the relationship between the Yuzu city-state in the north of Lanzhou and the humans in the south was very tense at that time.And three months later, the mother, who had just recovered from her body, left Xue Huaiqing and left without saying goodbye. She was brought up by a mixed-race child with unusual hair color and eye pupils, until she left home to learn art from a teacher when she was 11 years old.

"No matter what bad things those birdmen in the north did, the child is innocent," Shen Zhuang always said when arguing with others, "My own son was killed by the wicked, I can't just watch this child Die! Absolutely not!"

Shen Zhuang didn't even change her name, let her continue to keep the Yu clan surname passed down from her father.Fengyu Jingtianyi, Hexue Weiyuntang, these are the ten surnames of the Yu clan, and the emperors and generals in history are among them. That is to say, Xue Huaiqing, as a member of the Xue surname, is likely to be a nobleman. .But her mother never came back, and she was still unable to know the truth about her life experience. All she could know was the few words that Shen Zhuang told her back then.

"That winter, it rained every day, often mixed with snowflakes. It was cold and humid," Shen Zhuang told Xue Huaiqing, "Your mother was covered in blood and had a big belly. She just touched the entrance of our village. I just passed out. I just passed by and rescued her home, and a month later, she gave birth to you."

"What's my mother's name? Why was she injured and fled here? Who is she? Who is my father?" Xue Huaiqing asked a series of questions.

"I asked all these questions, but your mother refused to answer any of them," Shen Zhuang said, "She only said that she was hunted down, but she had already thrown off the pursuers, and begged me to take her in for a while. When I agreed After that, she gave me a few gold bahts from her body, which were almost worth my year's harvest. She said that she wanted to find an honest and honest person to help, so she pretended that she had no money and waited for me. Reward me only after agreeing, so as not to meet money-grubbing liars."

"Then she is really a very careful person," Xue Huaiqing pondered, "She didn't explain why my father is a feather man?"

"No, you were just born at that time, and you haven't grown golden hair yet, but you look very thin, and you are much lighter in your hands than a human newborn baby, especially the eyes are light blue, that can't be human The color of your eyes," Shen Zhuang said, "I was shocked, but she still refused to say anything, she just gave you this name. After a few months, she quietly left, leaving you behind and leaving you behind. Dropped some money, and a bracelet. I guess that must be for you."

In the days that followed, that emerald green jade bracelet was always worn by Xue Huaiqing on her wrist.She used to naively fantasize that one day, when she was walking in the streets of a certain city, her mother would pass by her by chance, and then recognize the jade bracelet, and then... Unfortunately, now she has At the age of 19, such a dream has never been realized.

Shen Zhuang also once said that Xue Huaiqing's mother is very beautiful, "the second most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life", as for the most beautiful, it is undoubtedly his dead wife.

Perhaps the biggest possibility is that the mother is already dead, the mother who has never met.Of course, this cannot be determined. What is certain is that the master passed away last year, and now, the adoptive father is also going to die.In the days to come, I will be left alone.

Xue Huaiqing didn't know whether the feeling in her heart was sadness or loneliness, or maybe both.But many years of practice have allowed her to control her emotions steadily, so that there will not be too much fluctuation.The skill she practiced requires extremely high control of mental power, and great joy and sorrow will hinder her own skill.

"Huaiqing...is that you?" The adoptive father's solemn eyes suddenly opened slowly, and his lips moved with difficulty.

Xue Huaiqing quickly held Shen Zhuang's hand, "Father, it's me, I'm back."

"It's good to be back, it's good to be back..." The corner of Shen Zhuang's mouth broke into a faint smile, "I thought I couldn't see you again before I died, it's really eye-opening, maybe it's because I have tortured me for the rest of my life, too I'm sorry, I finally fulfilled my little wish before I died."

Xue Huaiqing didn't know what to say, she had never been good at words, and she had almost no experience in comforting others, so she could only silently hold Shen Zhuang's hand.After a while, Shen Zhuang sighed deeply: "Unfortunately, I have been an ordinary farmer all my life, neither martial arts nor clever mind. After so many years, I don't even Xing Wanteng didn't even find out, there is really no way to avenge my wife and children."

"I will find him for you," Xue Huaiqing said lightly, "If the truth is confirmed, I will avenge you."

Shen Zhuang laughed: "Don't be kidding, you are a scholar of Longyuan Pavilion, you are just a scholar, how can you avenge me. After I die, you can occasionally remember that there was an old man like me. Father, I am very content."

"You are running out of time, and I don't need to lie to you anymore," Xue Huaiqing said, "I told you that I was accepted as a disciple by Longyuan Pavilion. It was just a lie to reassure you. I have never met anyone in Longyuan Pavilion. I have no father or mother, and you are my only relative, so I only had one idea at that time: to learn some skills that can be used to kill people, and to find out the truth for you and even take revenge. Your kindness in nurturing me."

Shen Zhuang was stunned, and it took a long time before he panted and said: "Then... you are not Xiu Ji of Longyuan Pavilion, you learned the kung fu of killing people? Who did you learn from?"

Xue Huaiqing lowered her head, and whispered a few words in Shen Zhuang's ear, Shen Zhuang's body shook suddenly, his face was full of astonishment: "What? You can't! How can you..."

"I have already embarked on this road, and I can't turn back," Xue Huaiqing said, "No matter what kind of effort, as long as it can help you avenge, it will be fine. I have long since remembered what that person said back then. Keep it firmly in my heart, and I have already found out the clues, and I know who Xing Wanteng is. Before coming this time, I have already settled all the affairs in the division, so I can concentrate on helping you..."

"No! Absolutely not!" Shen Zhuang sat up from the bed without knowing where the strength came from, and grabbed Xue Huaiqing's wrist with both hands, "You can't learn this, you will be hit by thunder! You are a girl, how can you be so confused? And you are half of Yuren's bloodline, don't Yuren like to be clean? I won't let you..."

He didn't finish the sentence.Extreme panic and anger made him use up the last little fire of life.He let go of the two hands holding Xue Huaiqing's wrist feebly, his crooked head drooped, and his whole body fell to the ground, where he remained motionless.Maybe fate is really so cruel, his whole life is immersed in pain and sorrow, even at the moment of dying, it is difficult to leave peacefully and peacefully.His eyes were still wide open.

Xue Huaiqing stood where she was, without moving for a long time.After a while, she sighed softly, bent her knees, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times to her adoptive father's body.

Then she stood up and began to sort out Shen Zhuang's pitifully few simple belongings.At the same time, Shen Zhuang's body lying on the ground suddenly twitched, then put his hands on the ground, and slowly stood up!

This crooked-necked body that was no longer breathing stood up with a dull expression, slowly took off the old clothes on his body, put on the shroud he had prepared for himself, then picked up the wooden comb from the table, and began to comb his hair carefully , and closed his always open eyes with the palm of his hand.After tidying up his appearance, Shen Zhuang walked step by step to a corner of the house, where there was a thin wooden coffin that was also prepared long ago.

Shen Zhuang pushed open the coffin lid, lay down in it, and then stretched out his hand to close the coffin lid.With the end of this action, Xue Huaiqing seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.She walked up to the coffin and said softly, "I'm sorry, I'm really afraid of touching the dead with my own hands, so I had to use the corpse dance technique to let you do all this. You see, being a corpse dancer sometimes has some advantages Bar?"

Xue Huaiqing is a corpse dancer, a corpse dancer who can use the technique of manipulating corpses to control the movement of corpses.It's a dark, evil, filthy, horrific business that turns heads.Even among human beings, there are very few people who can accept corpse dancers, and it is almost impossible for feathered people who consider themselves noble to touch such sorcery.No wonder Shen Zhuang would die with regret.

two

In August of the 17th year of Hongjing, Yuezhou Jiuyuan City.Xing Wanteng is waiting for his own death.

The name "Xing Wanteng" that Shen Zhuang has never forgotten, now corresponds to a skinny old man.In fact, he was also a strong man 30 years ago, but in the past 30 years, he has been living in fear and fear, suffering from inner pain, and gradually changed into the current old and thin appearance.

Two years ago, he hid in Jiuyuan City and made up his mind never to leave again.He is only in his 50s, but he has become like a 70-year-old man, and he has had enough of this life.He decided that if the unavoidable bad luck really came to him, he would just accept it calmly, and it would be better to die than to suffer.

After that, he finally lived two years of comfortable life, no longer entangled in life and death itself, and even his body was better than before, but such days were too short.In the 17th year of Hongjing, Xing Wanteng's death is approaching.

One morning in August, Xing Wanteng received a letter from afar.After opening the letter, he saw a familiar handwriting. It was written by an old companion with whom he had been in touch. There were only two short sentences in the letter:
Brother Wan Teng:
The matter has been revealed, Brother Zhang and Lao Luo have both been arrested, and they are searching for others.I won't confess to you, but I can't guarantee that others can also withstand torture.run away.

Xu

Xing Wanteng stared blankly at the text message, and his hands couldn't help shaking. He thought he was optimistic enough, but when the shadow of death really came, he still couldn't restrain the fear that surged from the bottom of his heart.

He returned home, closed the door, and took out a metal waist plate from the bottom of the old wooden box.Xing Wanteng stroked this silver waist card, recalling the past, suddenly couldn't help crying.

That night, Xing Wanteng sat on a bench in the yard, holding the badge in his hand, and waited quietly.When the moon was in the middle of the sky, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside the door and the sound of people walking on the roof tiles, he heard the metal sound of swords grinding in the scabbard, and he heard the oncoming The vibrato of death.So he stood up, cleared his throat, and said loudly: "Jinwu Guard Xing Wanteng, I look forward to your presence."

Xing Wanteng didn't know that besides the people he had been waiting for, there was another person looking for him.

When learning corpse dance with her master, Xue Huaiqing also traveled around with her master.During this process, she was not idle, and was always inquiring about the whereabouts of that person named Xing Wanteng.She believed that such a person who possessed martial arts and acted fiercely should leave some traces in the market no matter what, and someone must have heard of him.The hard work paid off, and a year ago, she finally got the answer in a chat with a well-known market doctor.

Xing Wanteng is indeed a master of martial arts, but he is not a pure ranger, because he is a Jinwu Guard. Thirty-two years ago, that is, in the 32th year of Shengde, he was a member of the Jinwu Guard who protected the safety of Emperor Shengde. He was not only responsible for protecting the emperor in the palace, but was also often sent out to perform certain tasks. Rangers often deal with each other, so they are somewhat famous.

"Kung Fu is good, and he is a good person," said the travel doctor. "Although he is a person close to the emperor, he is very righteous to friends outside and never puts on airs. I owed a lot of debts because of my gambling for a while. He He also gave me a sum of money to help me pay off my debts, which is almost three months of his salary."

"That is to say, this is a good man? Then do you think it is possible for him to bully the weak, for example, unarmed civilians?" Xue Huaiqing asked.

"It's really hard to say, after all, knowing people and faces but not heart," You Yi said, "but I don't think he would do that kind of thing. He also has his pride."

But Xing Wanteng did it. Together with his companions, Xue Huaiqing had no doubt that those people, like Xing Wanteng, were all Jinwu Guards.Instead of staying in Tianqi City to protect the emperor, they ran to a poor mountain village in Suohe Mountain, kidnapped a young peasant woman and her two-month-old baby, and then brutally killed them.

What is all this for?Xue Huaiqing couldn't figure it out, she felt that the only way to find Xing Wanteng was to ask him face to face.

After her adoptive father Shen Zhuang was buried, Xue Huaiqing immediately left Yuezhou and rushed to Zhongzhou Tianqi City without stopping.According to Dr. You, Xing Wanteng was about 25 years old at the time, so after 32 years, he should be an old man in his sixties.Has he already left his country and returned to his hometown?Is it possible to have died?Xue Huaiqing didn't know, but she had to go to Tianqi City, that was the only clue to find Xing Wanteng.

Finding out the list of current Jinwu Guards, or finding a person who was a Jinwu Guard 30 years ago, is not Xue Huaiqing's forte, but she is good at one thing, and that is to use poison and treat people without mercy. Others poisoned.Corpse dancers use corpse dance to manipulate corpses. If they only do some simple actions, mental power is enough, but if they want to drive corpses to do more complicated things, especially using corpses to fight and keep corpses from decomposing for a long time, it is necessary Many poisons with different functions must be used, so every corpse dancer is also a master of poison.

In the early morning of this day, a well-known ranger in Tianqi City stepped into his shop yawning.For some reason, the assistant who was supposed to come to clean up a long time ago was nowhere to be seen. You Xia cursed a few words in his mouth, and while he was thinking about how to severely deduct the assistant's wages, he sat down on the chair, habitually Put your hands on the table.

(End of this chapter)