Chapter 85

PS: Finally back from Hong Kong, and to my surprise, Brother Seven actually stood me up—apart from treating me to a meal at the bridge, I didn't get anything else... He's getting more and more stingy! This guy!

Back home, I saw the subscription numbers—honestly, I feel quite disheartened. To say I'm completely unaffected would be a lie... I spend nearly three hours every day writing three thousand words, and I also have a company and several shops to manage. It's really hard to find time, but I persist and strive for an ideal. Why can't I get more enthusiastic support from everyone?

If you're still reading pirated versions, then I have to say... please don't call yourself a fan of mine, thank you!

When he saw the scene, Zunzun was also startled, and a chill ran down his spine, not out of fear, but simply because of the gruesome sight—

Heads were cut off at the neck, and wooden stakes were driven straight through the throats, leaving them standing in the wasteland behind the station; their eyes had been gouged out, leaving two bloody holes, the blood still warm, dripping to the ground; the neck bones were shattered, as if the blade was very blunt, and it took half-cutting and half-slicing to sever them; on the ground was a pool of blood and flesh, with blood stains on the faces, and even a half-finger...

Behind those heads, there were countless such stakes, each topped with a head, withered like orange peels, and dry, straw-like hair fluttering in the wind, stretching as far as the eye could see, numbering in the hundreds!

The heads in the front, though covered in blood and with their eyes gouged out, had a familiar look. Zunzun thought for a moment and suddenly realized—

Weren't these the wife and sister of Liu Xincheng?

Seeing their plight, Zunzun couldn't help but sigh!

They had tried to survive by poisoning, only to end up cutting off their own path to life. If Zunzun had been with them, how could they have ended up like this? As the saying goes, being too clever is often self-defeating!

Tianwu, seeing Zunzun's pity and regret, sneered, "Ha. These people have evil intentions. Their hearts are full of malice and their actions are despicable. Why should you feel sorry for them?" His voice then became angry, "If I hadn't discovered the drug in the cake, you would have been exposed in the wilderness last night, eaten by wolves and dogs, and turned into feces!"

Zunzun shook his head and laughed, "They sought death themselves. Why should I mourn for them? I'm just looking at all these heads, wondering how many people have died here, and what kind of powerful demon or ghost is responsible..."

Just as he said this, he heard a horse neigh in the distance, startling the crows into flapping their wings, and the forest became noisy.

He stopped speaking and said, "Watch my back, so we don't get ambushed—let me see what's strange about the carriage!" He then leaped up and ran toward it.

"Okay," Tianwu replied, then explained, "I won't come out, I'll just keep an eye out. If there's danger, I'll act in time..." "Okay!" Zunzun responded, not stopping, and quickly passed by the heads, heading straight for the carriage.

Not far from there, he suddenly saw a large crack in the ground, a pit several yards wide and deep. Before he could get a closer look, a buzzing sound rose from the air, and countless black things flew up—Zunzun leaned back to avoid them, then saw the scene in the pit.

The pit, though large, was already filled with sticky, foul-smelling corpse fluid and remains, mixed with whole and partial bodies, skulls, organs, hands, feet, hair, feces, and urine... fermenting and emitting an unbearable stench!

Maggots and other creatures writhed and tangled in the fluid, occasionally burrowing in and out of the hearts and lungs, seemingly enjoying themselves.

In the pit was a horse, most of its body already submerged in the fluid, its legs broken and unable to move, with a long gash running from its side to its abdomen, exposing a red, beating heart. Countless insects were crawling on its body, and many had burrowed into its abdomen...

The horse was now submerged up to the gash, and every movement caused more fluid to flow in. It was in great pain and let out a long, mournful neigh—it was not yet dead, but it wouldn't last much longer!

Zunzun stood quietly, watching the horse struggle in the pit. Their eyes met, and Zunzun suddenly sighed, "The void is vast and boundless, the sun and moon rise and set; the Dharma realm encompasses all, the six paths of rebirth are natural; life does not come, death does not go, all is cause and effect..."

In the midst of the solemn chanting, the horse's eyes suddenly welled with tears, and it let out a mournful whinny, then turned its head and bit into its own intestines, pulling hard!

Blood spurted everywhere, and it finally left the realm of suffering.

Zunzun stood quietly, watching the horse die in the pit. When the horse closed its eyes, he slowly turned and walked back to the heads, found a patch of dry grass, and sat down.

Why did he sit down?

Was he waiting for something, or expecting something?

If he was waiting or expecting, what was it?

Night finally fell, enveloping the earth in darkness.

There were no candles, no stars, no moonlight, only darkness.

In the endless darkness, a melodious sound suddenly arose.

The music grew louder and closer, accompanied by the sound of cymbals, drums, erhu, guzheng, and other instruments. The music was like the prelude to a stage play, blending into the refined and elegant Kunqu opera, with a woman singing in a delicate and melodious voice, like a heavenly sound!

The dilapidated inn suddenly became brightly lit, filled with laughter, drinking, and the coquettish voices of women, and the bustling waiters—Zunzun seemed to smell the scent of osmanthus oil mixed with the aroma of wine and sweat, a strangely pleasant smell.

Zunzun smiled slightly and murmured, "This ghostly world is indeed delightful, with singing and dancing. I'll go in and take a look!" He then got up, circled around the heads, and returned to the road.

Was this place still desolate and abandoned? It was clearly a rare and luxurious place in the secular world! At the entrance, carriages and guests came and went, with maids and courtesans moving back and forth in laughter and whispers.

As Zunzun approached, a seductive woman greeted him with a smile, "Oh! This guest looks new, must be your first time here?" Without waiting for Zunzun to respond, she covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes darting seductively, "No worries! Whether it's your first time or not, I'll make sure you have a good time!"

Zunzun smiled slightly and asked, "Don't be too confident! I have high standards, and I'm not sure if what you have will suit me."

"Look at you!" The seductive woman laughed, "As long as you're not looking for a virgin, I can give you anything you want..." She was about to continue when she heard the sound of hooves approaching from the road, and her face lit up with joy, "Look, here comes another one!"

"This is...?"

"Ah, don't ask, just find a place to enjoy yourself—wait a moment, the food will be ready soon!" The woman seemed very eager, almost too busy to speak, and quickly led Zunzun inside and seated him in a corner.

Was this still the same place? Every corner had been cleaned, with wallpaper on the walls, beaded curtains on the doors, tablecloths on the tables, and even red carpets on the floor. Wealthy merchants sat with women, drinking and laughing, the room filled with springtime warmth.

No one paid attention to Zunzun, and he didn't bother either, just giving a cold smile—Tianwu, unable to hold back, asked in his mind, "What's going on with them?"

"They treat me like one of them!" Zunzun, hearing the hooves approaching, said calmly, "I've always been different, and as long as I don't say anything, the ghosts treat me as one of them... Today is the same, they treat me as a wandering ghost, and they don't suspect a thing!"

Tianwu laughed, "That's clever. So who are they trying to harm?"

"I don't know," Zunzun looked at the dirty cup in front of him and pretended to hold it, "I'll just act like I belong here and not reveal myself too early—let's wait and see who they're trying to harm. If it's a good person, we can save them; if it's a bad person, we'll let it be!"

"Good, good," Tianwu agreed, "That's the right approach."

As they spoke, the hooves approached, and several people dismounted, one of them shouting in a hoarse voice, "Soldiers are looking for fugitives, everyone stand still! Have you seen a carriage pass by?" Another person added, "You, I'm talking to you! Have you seen it?"

The women outside quickly laughed and replied, "Sir, we're all honest guests here, no carriages or wagons... If you don't believe us, come in and check for yourself!"

"Ha, check for yourself?" The voice became lecherous, "Of course we should check, right? Since we're here, we can't just ignore it."

The others laughed, "Captain, we should, we should!" It was hard to imagine what they were thinking, but it was certainly not pleasant. The leader then laughed, "Ha, we should, we should!—Lead the way, I can't resist today!"

Laughter and chatter filled the air as the group of women led the men into the inn...

Zunzun was about to see who had arrived when he suddenly saw a familiar back walk into the inner courtyard. He couldn't remember who it was, but he followed instinctively.

When he reached the inner courtyard, it was empty and desolate, with a faint ghostly aura, cold and bleak, like an empty tomb, making him shiver.

The back courtyard was the innkeeper's residence and the kitchen. Zunzun, moved by some impulse, walked to the largest room in the courtyard and pushed the door open...

The door creaked open, and a faint血腥气 instantly wafted out.

PS: "Red courtesan" is an old term for a virgin in a brothel, "端盘摘花" means breaking a virgin, and "青倌人" refers to a performer who does not sell her body. (To be continued. Please search for Piaowen.com for better and faster updates!)

(Note: The last part of the text contains some terms that are specific to historical and cultural contexts. "Red courtesan" refers to a virgin in a brothel, "端盘摘花" means breaking a virgin, and "青倌人" refers to a performer who does not sell her body.)