White Bone Monkey King

When people practice the Five Zang Tao in full swing.

The expansion of the Jiangnan Branch of Wu Zang Taoist Temple is also in full swing.

Since having an external incarnation, Jin An no longer needs to personally intervene in these side matters, but what happened today made Jin An leave the quarantine early.

A government official suddenly came to Wu Zang Taoist Temple in a hurry. Not long after, the old Taoist priest took the government official to the backyard to find Jin An.

"Little brother, the few evil-proofing charms that Fatty Li took from the old Taoist priest I have reacted. Today, they spontaneously combusted without fire. We have new clues about the human mirror we are looking for." The old Taoist priest solemnly handed over a half-burned one. Talisman paper.

Jin An took the talisman and gently rubbed the ashes at the burning place with his index finger and thumb, rubbing off some ashes. Then he looked up at the government official: "Where is the thing?"

This yamen servant was in his early twenties and full of vigor. Perhaps it was because of his youth and fast running that his companions sent him to the Wu Zang Taoist Temple to seek help quickly.

The officer shook his head and replied: "It's not an object, it's a person. Today, we brothers were patrolling the streets as usual. When we passed by a theater troupe, this talisman suddenly burned for no reason."

people?

Jin An and the old Taoist priest looked at each other in surprise.

Afterwards, the three of them walked and talked, asking the Yamen servant to tell the story in detail on the road.

As for the affairs of the Taoist temple, they are left to the care of Uncle Yuyangzi. Uncle Yuyangzi also occasionally dabbles in fortune telling. This can be regarded as one of the main businesses of each Taoist temple.

"Master, go and do your work. I have everything in Taoism." Uncle Yuyangzi, who was supervising the brothers and sisters' cultivation, put down what he was doing and said with a smile, twirling his beard.

"Then I'll trouble you, uncle."

"Xiao Fei, Zi'er, stay in the Taoist temple to help Master. We will bring you some bunches of candied haws when we come back." Jin An told the brother and sister, then took the old Taoist priest and left with the government servant.

On the subsequent journey, he also learned about what happened.

As the yamen walked, he said, "Before he went to sea for business, Li Xingsi told us that if the evil-proofing talisman specially made by Master Chen has a sense of resonance and he hasn't come back yet, we should ask the brothers to come to the Five Zang Taoist Temple to ask for help from Master Jin'an."

"Today is the fifteenth day of the month for Goulan Wa Si to go to the market. When there are more people, it is easy for people to mix, and there are sneaky businesses mixed in. At this time, the Yamen will send more people to maintain order at Goulan Wa Si. Today I and I As usual, the brothers patrolled the streets with more vigilance and captured several pickpockets. Just when we chased a pickpocket into a theater troupe, the evil amulet that Li Xingsi gave us suddenly spontaneously ignited, and we found that the evil amulet was close to us. When we were in a room of the theater troupe, the burning speed suddenly accelerated. After we moved away, the evil-proof charm went out on its own. We always remembered what Li Xingsi told us before leaving. We didn't dare to do anything for fear of disturbing the situation. My brother and the others continued to stay in the theater troupe to keep an eye on us. Man, let me, who has the fastest legs and feet, come to the Five Zang Taoist Temple for help."

Goulan House not only has a dance pavilion and a singing stage to listen to music, but also wines, tea houses, large shops and small shops for various businesses. Because of its strong popularity, there is also a market event on the 15th of every month. On that day, entertainers and jugglers People, fortune tellers, people selling Dali pills... all kinds of entertainers will also go to Goulan Washi to go to the market.

There is a market in Xishi in Xishi, and there is a market in Goulanwasi in Goulanwasi.

For example, most of the fairs in the West Market are civilian-oriented, making it convenient for ordinary people to purchase daily necessities and barter;

Going to the market at Goulanwa Si is more about performing arts and entertainment.

Each has its own characteristics and each has advantages.

If you like to join in the fun, you can choose Goulanwa Si to go to the market. For example, on this day, there will be many opera troupes, drumming and singing artists competing with their unique skills to attract popularity, and the seats will be packed with guests and friends. While it is a feast for the eyes, the ticket price is also It will be cheaper than before.

A market like this usually lasts about three to five days.

The Li Xingsi mentioned by the yamen officer naturally refers to Fatty Li from the Criminal Investigation Department in the capital.

As for the self-combusting evil talisman, it was something that Fatty Li and the old Taoist priest tinkered with.

Because he had been searching for Shi Zhiping, the third housekeeper of the Song family, to no avail, more than half a month ago, Fatty Li went to the old Taoist priest to find out if there were any Taoist techniques like searching for people and things in Taoism, and to help him track down Shi Zhiping and see if there were any other people. Evil objects such as mirrors and human-faced idols are scattered among the people.

So the old Taoist priest came to Jin'an and asked for the human-faced mirror. He used the remaining yin energy on the human-faced mirror to make an evil-proof talisman. As long as the same yin energy as the human-faced mirror appears nearby, the evil-proofing talisman will react.

Then came the cooperation between the government and the people to pursue the murderer. Led by Fatty Li, the government office went to the Wu Zang Taoist Temple to purchase a large quantity of evil-proofing charms, which made the old Taoist priest so happy that he walked around for several days.

As a result, after the government office approached the coffin shop to purchase longevity materials, the government office and the Wu Zang Taoist Temple developed new cooperative business. The Wu Zang Taoist Temple and the official business cooperation became closer and closer.

Now he helps the government exorcise evil spirits and subjugate demons, and he is the only Taoist temple designated by the government to cooperate with him.

So this is why Jin An brought the old Taoist priest with him to Goulanwasi. The evil-proofing talisman was drawn by the old Taoist priest himself. He could handle some emergency matters with him.

When the three of them came to Goulan Wasi, the old Taoist priest was also stunned by the popularity here: "I have been staying in Jiangzhou Prefecture for several months, but I didn't expect that Jiangzhou Prefecture would have such a special market day, and I haven't entered Goulan Wasi yet. , I saw many charlatan performers, breaking big rocks, climbing poles, dancing with swords, swallowing swords, pulling hard bows, playing with flags, drilling circles, playing with stone locks, walking on ropes, walking on stilts..."

"Mom, there are also hard qigong techniques such as crossing the fire furnace, climbing the knife mountain, and holding the tip of the spear!"

"It's already so lively even before we enter Goulanwasi. Aren't there even more exciting programs in Goulanwasi?" The old Taoist priest said, his eyes gleaming, and he might have forgotten the purpose of coming.

The yamen servant laughed and said: "After seeing these too many times, they are all the same. If Master Chen comes here a few more times, he will get tired of them like us. What can really keep the popularity of Goulanwa Si in the long run is dancing, listening to music, and listening to operas." ."

"For example, in the dance pavilion, there are often new exotic dancers in fancy costumes. In the getai, you can often see many literati and elegant guests composing new songs and fighting songs for the singers they support. The theater troupe will put out new plays for auditions on the fifteenth day of every month. These ever-changing things that can satisfy everyone's curiosity are the real essence of long-term popularity."

"How exotic and exotic are the dance pavilions?" the old Taoist priest said seriously.

Sure enough, as the yamen said, there are dancing pavilions, song stands, wine shops and teahouses in the Goulan tiled houses. In the Goulan blocked by high walls, there are the sounds of orioles and swallows, the lively gongs and drums of the theater troupes, and the cheers of the gentlemen in the audience. There was a constant stream of clapping and applause. Even in the hot summer, people could not stop people from coming to Goulanwa Si to listen to the music and join in the fun.

The theater troupe they were looking for was not a theater troupe in a high-walled courtyard, but a grass-stage troupe, which used straw curtain walls to enclose a field and then set up a stage in the booth to sing operas.

"These grass-stage troupes all have a dream of becoming famous actors. In order to pursue their dream of becoming famous actors, they will set up a stage on the fifteenth day of every month to sing a new opera. If it becomes popular, it will become popular among thousands of people in the city. Famous actors will quickly accumulate money and fame and buy their own opera house in Goulan Washi. For example, the popular Zhu Jia Opera Troupe, Hongfu Opera Troupe, and Ruyi Opera Troupe all became famous from the Caotai troupe, and then established themselves in Goulan Washi. He has his own troupe and opera house." The government officials knew that Jin An and the old Taoist priest were not locals in Jiangzhou Prefecture, so they took the initiative to talk about some of the rules in Goulan House.

The old Taoist priest suddenly understood and nodded.

As soon as the three of them arrived, a mature and steady government servant with a square face came out from a corner.

"Brother." The young government servant who led Jin An and the others shouted happily.

"Zhang Hu has met Taoist priest Jin'an and Taoist priest Chen." The government official with a Chinese character first nodded to his compatriot brother, and then saluted Jin An and the old Taoist priest with clasped fists.

After a brief greeting, Jin An began to ask about the situation in the troupe. Zhang Hu replied that the brothers were scattered in several corners and were keeping a close eye on the troupe. , and no one left.

Not to mention the actors in the theater troupe left, not even a single theater guest left.

"Oh? Is there such a thing?"

The old Taoist priest became interested: "Old Taoist, I heard a lot of clapping and shouting in this theater troupe. There are at least hundreds of people watching the theater gathered around it, right?"

"Okay, just with the way I talked, I saw two or three people walking in. What kind of big show is this troupe singing? It's so popular."

Zhang Hu replied: "Based on my experience of patrolling the streets in Goulanwasi on the fifteenth day of every month, if nothing unexpected happens, this Caotai opera troupe will be the top performer among the Caotai opera troupes on the 20th or 30th day of this month." ."

"If we can maintain this kind of popularity and secure our position as the leader of the Caotai Opera Troupe for several consecutive months, within a year, this opera troupe will be able to take off its status as a Caotai Opera Troupe and have its own theater in Goulan Wasi." It’s the troupe and the opera house.”

Jin An chuckled: "They say it's better to come at the right time than to come at the right time. Unexpectedly, the first time we attended the Goulanwasi fifteenth market, we happened to encounter the rise of a Caotai opera troupe. This is indeed a novel thing. Today, I have to see it with my own eyes. Let’s see what kind of drama can keep so many people coming back.”

Because the troupe was singing a big opera, there were several teenage apprentices in costumes standing at the door outside the straw curtain wall, collecting tickets for the troupe.

When the apprentices saw the official coming to the door, they dared not charge the admission fee. They were so frightened that they shook their heads and let them go for free.

However, Jin An is not the kind of person who makes things difficult for people at the bottom. It is difficult for people at the bottom to make a living. With his insistence, he bought all the tickets for several people.

The so-called tickets are actually just a few bamboo sticks.

After all, paper is expensive in this era, not everyone can afford it, and paper is not as durable as bamboo sticks.

"Don't worry, Taoist Master Jin'an. I will apply for a business subsidy for you when we get back to the office. We have something to ask of you today, so how can we let you spend money?" Zhang Hu said proactively with a mature and steady personality.

"It's just a small fortune, Brother Zhang, don't be too serious." Jin An is not lying. Tickets for this kind of Caotaizi opera troupe are indeed not expensive.

Since it is a Caotaizi theater troupe, the internal structure is naturally very simple. Open the blue cloth at the door, pass through the straw curtain wall, and then pass through a screen, and you will have an unobstructed view of the open space.

At this time, the open ground was neatly filled with long stools, and it was crowded with people. It was almost full. There is also an old man with disabled legs and feet standing next to the screen, responsible for checking the tickets and taking away the bamboo sticks.

There was no interruption in the middle. A few people successfully checked their tickets and then found a long stool to sit down, ready to watch the show.

The management of this kind of grass stage opera troupe is chaotic. Everyone sits randomly and there is no fixed position, so the good seats are already occupied. Jin An and the others sit in the back corner.

Regardless of whether they are Taoist priests or official servants, those who come to the troupe to watch a show are particularly eye-catching, especially the combination of Taoist priests and official servants. They are even more alien among aliens. As soon as the few people find a seat to sit down, the people around them turn their heads frequently.

Even the instrumentalists and actors on the stage looked over in surprise, and then continued singing. When the song reached its climax, the onlookers clapped their hands and cheered.

These theatergoers were very focused on watching the show. Except for the people in the back rows who noticed Jin An and the others, most of the people were concentrating on watching the show and did not notice that there were several strange combinations coming behind them.

"Brother Zhang, what play are you singing today?" Jin An asked Zhang Hu.

"Today's song is "Changban Slope". It tells the story of Liu Bei's retreat from Xinye. He was chased by Cao's soldiers at Changban Slope and separated from his family. Zhao Zilong risked his own life and rushed into Cao's camp single-handedly, entering and exiting seven times. He has killed and wounded more than a hundred people, and no one dares to chase him." Before Zhang Hu could speak, the old Taoist priest answered first.

"Now we are singing an opera until Zhao Zilong cuts down two banners of Cao's army and is fighting with several generals of Cao's army."

The old Taoist priest looked at it with relish and clapped his hands with the surrounding onlookers from time to time. This completely forgot the purpose of his trip.

Jin An and Zhang Hu: "..."

Jin An understood that people's entertainment methods in this era were very monotonous. Listening to music and watching operas was a rare civilian entertainment method. He also understood that the old Taoist priest had been staying in the Taoist temple to look after the Taoist temple for him, and there was a lack of entertainment, so he did not interrupt the old Taoist priest. Watch a play, but look at the surroundings by yourself.

Not to mention, the person who plays Zhao Yun is quite handsome. Although he is not as heroic and heroic as Zhao Yun, his handsome appearance is enough for singing and acting.

He noticed that among the people watching the theater, there were many women who were fascinated by "Zhao Yun" on the stage. From time to time, they took out their purses and threw copper coins on the stage. Among them were some wealthy people with pearl hairpins and well-dressed people. Woman, woman.

During this period, new theatergoers came in one after another, and soon the seats were full. These people were willing to stand, crowding the aisles, and watching the theater intoxicatedly.

"Eh? That's not right!" The old Taoist priest, whose palms were clapped red and who was immersed in watching a play, suddenly said a confused sentence.

Jin An's head moved: "What's wrong?"

The old Taoist priest's eyes regained clarity. He quietly raised his finger and pointed at "Zhao Yun" on the stage, and whispered: "Although 'Zhao Yun' on the stage has paint on his face, he cannot hide his eyebrow bones and facial bones. These are all You are born in your mother's womb and cannot be changed unless you cut off the bones and repaint the skin..."

"As a veteran, I always feel that the face of 'Zhao Yun' on the stage looks familiar. I have seen it somewhere..."

"Let me think about it carefully..."

"I remembered! The human mirror! It's that bastard Shi Zhiping, the third housekeeper of the Song family!" The old Taoist priest stood up excitedly, then sat down again and covered his mouth and whispered.

"I didn't expect that he had mysteriously disappeared from the prison for so long and finally showed up. He actually went to the theater troupe to sing a big show and slandered my favorite victorious general Zhao Yun!"

The old Taoist priest cursed Shi Zhiping that his son would not have an asshole.