RNP Chapter 55 Tomorrow we'll go to Osmanthus Village
Chapter 55 Tomorrow we'll go to Osmanthus Village
Upon seeing this, Monk Yuanzhi broke out in a cold sweat.
Zhou Fengchen asked in a low voice, "What do you mean?"
Monk Yuanzhi swallowed hard, looked around, and said, "The incense sticks are three long and two short, which means things are not going to be right. The candles are five extinguished and one remains, which means they are only giving me a little face. In short, this gentleman is in a bad mood, and things are going to be difficult."
Zhou Fengchen said, "We've come this far, so we have to do it, no matter how difficult it is. Please come out."
Monk Yuanzhi nodded, clasped his hands together, chanted a Buddhist prayer, and said, "This humble monk Yuanzhi and the Taoist master Zhou Fengchen have prepared a banquet here today to discuss some matters. We would like to invite our distinguished guest to appear and speak."
The room was quiet. The shadows of the trees outside swayed, but no sound was made. The atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Crispy—
Just then, a strange sound came from the window. Zhou Fengchen and Yuan Zhi turned their heads to look, but there was nothing there. Out of the corner of their eyes, they noticed that there was suddenly someone in the seat in front of them, but they didn't know how he got there.
The man was dressed in a long woolen robe and wore a cloak-like hat, obscuring his face. He was holding a book in his arms and exuded a sinister aura. As he sat there, the temperature around him seemed to drop.
Monk Yuanzhi shifted his position, glanced at Zhou Fengchen opposite him, and said dryly, "Honorable guest, please enjoy your meal!"
The man didn't speak or pick up his chopsticks. He hunched over slightly, sniffing at a plate of stir-fried eggs with chili peppers in front of him. The plate of eggs quickly became wrinkled and lost its moisture.
Monk Yuanzhi breathed a slight sigh of relief, poured three cups of wine, and raised one first: "Honored guest, please enjoy the wine."
Zhou Fengchen also raised his wine glass, his eyes fixed on the man.
The man remained silent, sniffed, and emptied his glass of wine.
After drinking, this person no longer needed to be invited and went off to enjoy his food and drinks on his own.
Zhou Fengchen had taken a good look around and had a better understanding of the situation. He smiled and tore off a pig's ear, then began to eat it with gusto, saying, "Monk, eat up."
Yuan Zhi stared blankly, then noticed that the man in the long robe didn't seem to have any complaints. He raised his hand and tore off the other pig's ear.
So the two people and the ghost started eating, and the room was filled with smacking sounds and gasps.
After a while, having eaten and drunk their fill, the man in the long robe said in a hoarse, low voice, "I've come to capture Sun Zhenguo's soul."
Monk Yuanzhi opened his mouth but was speechless; he had failed at the crucial moment.
Zhou Fengchen then said, "We know you're here to detain Sun Zhenguo, but I'd like to hear your reasons."
The man said, "I promised the ghosts something but failed to do it. I also peeked into the Book of Life and Death in the underworld. My virtue is lacking, and my lifespan is over. I should not remain in the mortal world."
Zhou Fengchen asked, "Is this how a person in the mortal realm can die?"
The man said, "Yes."
Zhou Fengchen said, "They made such a mistake, isn't it all your and that female ghost's fault? Especially you, why did you have to squeeze onto the same boat as them? Where else could you go?"
The person stopped talking.
Zhou Fengchen thought for a moment, then said, "We invited you to dinner today to discuss this matter. Enough talk, just tell me, how can we get rid of him?"
The man said, "They must be taken away."
Zhou Fengchen sneered: "Then our meal was a waste of money?"
The man said, "You can't charge money for treating people, can you?"
Monk Yuanzhi, seeing this, wondered why they were arguing. He quickly gave Zhou Fengchen a meaningful look.
Zhou Fengchen ignored him and said, "If the invitation succeeds, of course there's no money. If the task isn't done well, then there's money. The fish are red koi that leap over the Dragon Gate, the pigs are golden-haired pigs raised in heaven, the eggs are laid by phoenixes, and the chickens belong to the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. You decide what to do!"
The man in the long robe suddenly stood up and, without saying a word, rushed into the inner room wrapped in a cloud of black mist. However, just as he reached the door, he was suddenly blocked by nine gleaming talismans!
Zhou Fengchen walked over slowly. "If you dare to arrest someone, I'll kill you. To be honest, your skills are nothing."
Monk Yuanzhi was shocked and rushed over, pulling Zhou Fengchen aside: "Brother, what are you doing?"
Zhou Fengchen pushed him away and said, "I've finally figured it out. In this world, everything has to be reasonable. Sun Zhenguo and the other three really shouldn't have died. They weren't exactly heinous criminals, were they? Look at Sun Zhenguo's mother, and then look at his son. There are old people and young children. What will happen to this family now that Sun Zhenguo is dead?"
The man in the long robe stood motionless, his aura growing increasingly sinister. Suddenly, he let out a wicked laugh and said, "If you want to be a good person, we'll see if you have the ability!"
With that, he flashed out the window.
Monk Yuanzhi exclaimed, "Oh dear, brother, you acted impulsively! The person is gone, what should we do now?"
"He hasn't left, he's outside. You wait inside, I'll go meet him."
Zhou Fengchen smiled and leaped out of the window in a flash.
The night outside was quiet, and there wasn't a single person to be seen in the neighborhood.
The man in the long robe stood in the shade of a locust tree. When he saw Zhou Fengchen come out, he walked forward slowly, his pace quickening.
Zhou Fengchen had no choice but to use his lightness skill to catch up.
Ahead was a secluded patch of grass. The man in the long robe suddenly stopped in the grass, gently untied the pocket at his waist, and opened it a crack.
shhhhh--
Dozens of chilling auras rushed towards Zhou Fengchen. Through the haze, he could see a disheveled woman, a snarling child, and an old woman with white hair...
Zhou Fengchen stood still, his hands forming a hand seal, and he uttered a low shout: "Xuan Si, the Dislike Technique!"
The ghosts barely managed to pounce when they were swept away by a huge wave of energy from the character "厌" (yàn, meaning disgust or resentment), screaming as they flew backward. However, at that moment, a dark shadow flashed in front of them, and a huge skeleton ran at lightning speed, opening its mouth to bite.
Zhou Fengchen took three steps back, drew the Goose Wing Blade from his waist, lightly sliced his palm, leaped into the air, and with great force and weight, slashed down without any fancy moves!
Click!
The giant skeleton instantly shattered into pieces.
The robed man finally raised his head, revealing a pale face beneath his cloak and hood. He said in a low voice, "You're about the same as the ascetic monk from Xuankong Temple. Impressive!"
Zhou Fengchen didn't speak, but suddenly felt that the ghost messenger seemed to have something to say, otherwise he wouldn't be chatting with him.
The man in the long robe took out a brush, opened the book, and lightly drew a line, saying, "Sun Zhenguo's name has been removed. I won't hold him accountable, but... in exchange, you have to do something for me!"
Zhou Fengchen nodded: "Tell me about it."
"Tomorrow, go to Osmanthus Village and help me catch a hundred-year-old vengeful ghost!" The man in the long robe said, turning around and leaving in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Fengchen thought for a moment, then realized he was doomed and didn't ask him where Osmanthus Village was.
Just then, a shout rang in my ears: "Taoist Master! Grandmaster!"
Zhou Fengchen sat up abruptly, and vaguely realized that he was sitting at a table. Yuan Zhi opposite him was also groggily getting up. The roast chicken, braised pig's head and other dishes on the table were all dry and gave off a strange, unpleasant smell. The six candles next to him were more than half burned, and the six incense sticks were almost finished.
"Taoist Master, Master!" Sun Zhenguo poked half his head out of the house.
Zhou Fengchen and Monk Yuanzhi exchanged a glance, and both couldn't help but curse, "Damn it!"