Ghost Blowing Lantern II

Professor Sun frowned: "I'm anxious too, but there is information that can be checked. The only place and address that Captain Feng left in the army when he joined the army. Later, he finally found his file, but his ancestral place was never found. Where.”

Only then did I understand that it seemed that this matter was indeed not easy. The influx of bandits into Sichuan in the late Ming Dynasty and the wars in the late Qing Dynasty led to the migration of refugees, resulting in a large number of immigrants from Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei and other places. Therefore, the place of origin address left in the file was not a seal. The leader's ancestral home was several generations ago. Unless someone close to him is found, no one would know the details.

I felt a chill in my heart, and asked Professor Sun again: "So there is no hope of finding him?"

Professor Sun said: "I have inquired in many ways, and I just got some clues until noon today, but..." He took out an atlas of China that he had just bought, opened it and pointed it out to me: "Only in this mountain , I don’t know where the clouds are.”

I looked carefully at the location he pointed to. It turned out to be Wushan in the Three Gorges area of ​​the Yangtze River. It has been said since ancient times that Wushan has clouds and rain in the morning and the Goddess Peak is hazy. In ancient times, it was the fiefdom and mausoleum of Wu Xian, so it was called "Wushan" and it is still used. to date. This place is covered with clouds and fog all year round, and the clouds and fog obscure the movement of the mountains, so Jin Xiaowei's "Wang" tactic is useless. The specific location needs to be more precise. I asked Professor Sun: "Wushan belongs to the middle Dragon branch, in Qingwu Feng Shui, there has always been a saying that dragons have no leader, which is the most elusive. This mountain is also affected by Wu Chu culture, and there are many ancient customs and legends. Now, although Feng Tuan has been found The elder's ancestral home is in Wushan County, but this area is still too big. Hasn't it been investigated exactly which town and village it is in? Don't tell me that Yunshen doesn't know where he is. The general manager of his hometown town It needs a place name."

Professor Sun said with embarrassment: "I asked about the name of the town, it's called Qingxi Town, but the map is very detailed. There are maps everywhere in Wushan County, big and small, but I can't find anything named Qingxi Town. The place where the town is, that’s why it is said that it is only in this mountain, and I don’t know where it is in the depths of the clouds.”

I heard Mr. Sun Jiu say that there is no "Qingxi Town" on the map of Wushan County, and I felt a little confused. Is the source of the information inaccurate? Or maybe it is due to historical changes that the ancient place names are not used? Therefore, there is no mark on the newly published map. Since this town still exists in the Ming Dynasty, it must be an ancient town. If it is abandoned, there should be ruins to be found. It is impossible that not even a tile is left. Check the local chronicles carefully. , maybe we can find clues.

Professor Sun nodded in agreement: "I was responsible for tricking Lao Chen into asking you to go to the South China Sea to salvage ancient mirrors. I thought about it for a long time and decided to go with you. What are your plans?"

I thought for a while and said, "Master Jiu, you finally thought about it. We can ask about Qingxi Ancient Town when we get to Wushan County. We can't delay any more. We will set off tomorrow. There shouldn't be too many people. The fewer people who know, the better." , let’s total it up later.”

I came out of the study and saw that the guests outside had dispersed. Professor Chen was very drunk and had been helped back to the bedroom to rest. I called Shirley Yang and Fatty into the study, locked the door, and plotted to go to Wushan. "Field Trip" Plan.

In the study room of Professor Chen's house, there are cabinets full of books. Naturally, there are many literary and historical materials such as local chronicles. Sun Jiuye rummaged through the cabinets to find a few books that were as big as bricks and looked up the history of Wushan County. No record of a "Headless King" has been found. It seems that the "hint" mentioned by Captain Feng is not so easy to find the answer to.

I said to Professor Sun: "I don't know if there is a headless king in Wushan, but it is said that Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty was assassinated and had his head cut off by Lu Siniang. Therefore, when Yongzheng was buried, his body was headless and had a golden head attached to it. , He is headless, but he is an emperor. If he is a king, wouldn’t he be downgraded? Besides, the age and geographical location do not match. "

Sun Jiuye said: "This is an unofficial legend and cannot be believed. During the Wu-Chu culture period, there was a headless general, but he was not a prince. The punishment of beheading was very common in ancient times. In troubled times, there were many kings. The generals, ministers, and even the emperor were eventually separated from their bodies and heads. If we were to count them one by one, we would never be able to find a clue, so our attention should still be focused on the land of Bashu."

Everyone discussed for a long time, but they couldn't think of a "Headless King" near Wushan. Shirley Yang said: "I'm afraid this king is not a king. The local legend needs to be confirmed after going to Wushan County and asking about it. Since it will be confirmed tomorrow." Before heading into Sichuan, you should make a careful plan first."

Sun Jiuye said: "Do we have to find a way to open a letter of introduction or something? It's convenient to stay and travel anywhere. We need to wait at least another month to open a letter of introduction."

I said there was no need to write a letter of introduction, but it was really convenient to have a letter of introduction. I might as well write one myself and have Dajinya find an engraving master to carve a divination seal and seal it overnight.

Sun Jiuye was speechless: "Are you smart enough to write a letter of introduction yourself?"

The fat man chuckled and said, "These days, you can't recognize anyone without a stamp, so you should be prepared for any trouble. Sun Laojiu, you don't know that there are many craftsmen in Panjiayuan who make a living by carving divination seals."

Shirley Yang didn’t know the purpose of the letter of introduction and asked me what equipment I should bring? What is the natural geographical environment of Wushan?

I said to Shirley Yang: "I have never been to Wushan, but when I was in the army, I had several comrades from Chongqing. According to them, Wushan is the gateway to eastern Sichuan. There are many slopes and steps in the county. To sum up, the terrain is seven mountains, one land and two water, the endless Yangtze River flows, and it is cloudy and rainy in the mountains. We don’t have many tools and equipment we left in Beijing before, but I think they should be enough. Although we are also entering the mountains this time, But the place is not comparable to the Xinjiang desert, and explosives and guns are not allowed to be carried. Except for the tools of Captain Mo Jin, only first aid medicine, engineering shovel, lighting and communication equipment, and simple mountaineering equipment are enough."

The fat man said: "Bringing a gun makes you even more powerful. If you don't have a guy in your hand, you won't be brave. I guess that group of mountain-watching Taibos are not fuel-efficient lamps. They are mostly experienced thieves and murderous robbers. Bring more explosives." Only then will you be prepared for any trouble.”

I told him: "In recent years, the railways and highways have been very tightly checked, and flammable and explosive items are not allowed on the roads. Furthermore, all the legends about the ancient tombs in Dixian Village mostly describe them as mysterious and strange." place, but I didn’t say it was scary or dangerous. I thought it was just some mechanical locks that had malfunctioned for a long time. We were going into the mountain to investigate, not to fight. I thought that the tomb of the Earthly Immortal hidden in Wushan was just a The tomb of a big landowner in the Ming Dynasty was mainly hidden and could not be as strong and huge as the imperial mausoleum, so there was no need to bring a cannon to kill mosquitoes. This time we mainly rely on our gold-finding methods."

Sun Jiuye interjected: "Well, you Hu Bayi, you are so experienced and experienced, and I have taught you every word on point. How dare you say that you don't know the art of tomb robbing? But if you want to find the ancient tomb in Dixian Village, you still have to do it." It takes someone like you to do it.”

I said: "When it comes to deciphering ancient symbols and riddles, you, Sun Jiuye, are a great master, but when it comes to searching mountains and looking for dragons, you are a layman. But as for what it means to be a great king, who has a body but no leader, and wants to Seeing the Earth Immortal and seeing Wu Yang’s Immortal Searching Word first, I have to count on you to find a way to decipher it. When the time comes, we will work on both sides and we won’t have to worry about not being able to do it.”

Although I said this, I did not make an optimistic estimate in my heart. I may have to face the result of getting nothing in the end. The legend of Dixian Village is extremely mysterious and is mostly not recorded in official history. The only relatively credible record is from the Qing Dynasty. A notebook written by a native of Sichuan, "Miscellaneous Records of Bashu", mentioned: At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, rogue bandits entered Sichuan and robbed ancient tombs on a large scale, hoping to obtain the Alchemy Cauldron in the tomb of the Earthly Immortal. The special word is the scientific name of the ancient corpse inner elixir. If I really couldn’t think of any other tricks, I wouldn’t have thought of going to Sichuan to look for the ancient tomb of Dixian Village based on just a few words of record. In addition, the rogue bandits in the late Ming Dynasty The legend of digging caves did not occur in the Wushan area, but "Bashu Miscellaneous Records" is not anecdotes. The book truly records many anecdotes about Sichuan's scenery, and the content is relatively credible.

At this time, the fat man remembered that there was still an important issue that had not been discussed, and immediately stood up and said: "What Old Hu just said was very good, but it was not enough about ideological work. I will add a few words to everyone. Facing the Nanhai Eggmen, The tearful cries and pleas for help are all based on craftsmanship. We, the gold captain, must not stand idly by. Listen to you, the Guanshan Taibao is a powerful thief. The gold, jewelry and jade he hid in the Wushan ancient tomb must be piled up like a mountain. I think our expedition team should raise the coffin and send out the materials based on the principle of not being corrupt and wasteful. When the time comes, pile up what should be piled up and pack up what should be packed..."

Professor Sun immediately objected: "Absolutely not, just tap out the dragon bone pattern of the Zhou Tian Gua diagram, and leave nothing else alone. Let me reiterate, I am not doing it to get rich."

The fat man said, aren't you deceiving yourself? Is striving for fame more noble than chasing profit? I stopped the fat man and said, "Everyone has his own way of dealing with things. You can't force it. I don't care about other things. Anyway, I have to dig out the ancient corpse golden elixir. It's too early to argue now. When I find the Wushan Ancient Tomb can no longer act with ease."

After the discussion, the four of us tidied up and set off early the next morning. It was indispensable to "ride the road and board the boat when encountering water". We did not forget about the hardships of "hungry meals, thirsty drinks, tired boating and traveling". , Wushan County is the Wu Gorge section of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. The surging Yangtze River swallows the mountains with its force, carving up the mountains and heading east. This section of the gorge is divided into three sections: Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge. , there are wide valleys connecting the gorges, with a total length of nearly two hundred kilometers.

Qutang Gorge is famous for its majesty and steepness, while Xiling Gorge has many shoals and fast water. The origin of its name can also be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Just like the names of Ruanling and Wuling, they are all named after ancient tombs or hanging coffins. It got its name, but the ruins of Qiulong Mausoleum have long since been found, and no one can tell clearly which ancient people were buried in these places named "Mausoleum".

Wu Gorge, on the other hand, is characterized by its "deep beauty", with rolling mountains and foggy clouds. Wushan County is connected to the winding mountain road, and you can take long-distance buses into the county. The mountain road is winding and rugged. It was a thick fog on that day, so the car drove very slowly. The surrounding dense green forests and the hillsides with strange rocks and raised mountains were surrounded by clouds and mist. It is looming in the middle, making it difficult for people to see the beauty of the peaks.

The driver stopped the car before we were halfway through the journey. He probably thought it was too difficult to drive in the fog and was afraid of an accident. He wanted to wait until the fog cleared before leaving. At that time, there were few cars in China and people with driving licenses There are fewer people, so drivers who know how to drive are highly respected. Anyone who knows a driver who knows how to drive will feel proud in front of others.

This trend is even stronger in mountainous areas. Girls with good looks and good conditions are willing to marry drivers. Those who marry drivers are beautiful and airy, while those who don't get married will be in tears all day long. The driver is also very arrogant and insists that when he doesn't want to leave, no passenger will dare to rush him. It is not impossible for the driver to drink a few taels when he is happy and sleep in the afternoon before driving. There is only one bus every day. , we couldn’t sit down even if we didn’t want to, so we followed the locals and had no choice but to eat and rest in a small town on the roadside, and also inquire about the news about Qingxi Town and the Headless King.

This extremely small town is built against the mountains. Most of the buildings are red and white, and most of them are old houses that existed before liberation. We found a local snack shop at the entrance of the town to have lunch. The boss is a bald man. Son, he is dull and arrogant. According to their local dialect, he is "melon-like". He grins when someone comes to eat. He doesn't know how to greet guests, but he will make you whatever you want to eat. His craftsmanship Still worth it.

After eating two bowls of Long Chao Shou, I felt better in my stomach and my head was much clearer from the bumps along the way. I winked at Shirley Yang and Sun Jiuye and told them to continue eating while I went to get some "tongue leakage" out. , immediately stood up and walked over, handed the bald boss a cigarette, and took the opportunity to chat: "Boss, your head is so bright, it must be a good sign."

The bald-headed boss was overjoyed and asked me where I came from. I said we came here from Beijing to inspect historical sites, and I want to ask you about a place to see if you know it.

The bald-headed boss nodded and said, "Yes, I wonder what you want to inquire about?"

I asked him if he knew where Qingxi Town in Wushan was? Also, are there any legends about kings having their heads chopped off in ancient times around here?

The bald-headed boss shook his head and said: "I've never heard of it. How could a king have his head chopped off? Before liberation, there were many common people who had their heads chopped off by bandits and warlords. I was still a half-grown kid at that time. Listen to the old man. People say that the wooden stakes at the street corners are used for beheadings..."

(To be continued. If you want to know what happened, please log in. There are more chapters. Support the author and genuine reading!)