Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Magpie Bridge Pass
"Ah Luan, let's watch the Hua Kui fight together tonight!" Amidst the rustling rain, Qing Xiao leaned on the counter of the spice shop in Yangxia Zhai, and extended a warm invitation to the boy Luo Luan.This attitude of acting like no one else caused a vein to pop out suddenly on the forehead of the shopkeeper beside him.A Luan hastily picked up the rag and desperately wiped the already spotless furniture in the shop.
However, the reckless visitors didn't realize it, and they still eloquently said: "As soon as it gets dark, the oirans' boats will gather at Longweiguan, file into the Yugou River, pass the big and small Feihong, Daiyue Bridge, and Fanghe Bridge. The inkstones in front of the bridge are lined up in a row, and the scene is really eye-catching! It’s late and there are boats and cars everywhere, and the place is occupied by people, come with me now!”
Even if she doesn't raise her head, Aluan can still feel the cold wind blowing from the shopkeeper——Qingxiao is the big customer of Yangxiazhai, the second son of Mr. Lu Zhaozhi, Lianghuai Salt Administrator, and the shopkeeper doesn't look at the monk's face In front of the Buddha, there is no way to prevent him from stepping down in person, but as the only boy in the store and the distant cousin of the shopkeeper, it seems that there is no way to escape a meal.
Seeing that Aluan didn't answer, Qingxiao stepped up and pulled his sleeves: "Let's go, let's go, every year there are seven oirans competing for the title of the best oiran in Xiangchuan City, but only this time, all of them are stunning, but when it comes to who will win The biggest, of course I am the concubine Hu! You see, I don’t even want to support her, so I came here to invite you!”
"Second Master Lu..." The shopkeeper couldn't listen any longer, he cleared his throat and said embarrassingly, "A Luan is a buddy of our store, there are still many things for him..."
"What!" Qing Xiao straightened her back and turned around, "Where are so many things coming from, obviously there is no business!"
These words made all the shopkeeper's restraint disappear in an instant...
"Aluan! Know people and do things with eyes. Didn't you see that the ashes on the spit pot are three inches thick? Your mother sent you to come with me to beg for a living. Good tea, good food and monthly money. You didn't want you to eat, drink and have fun like a dude. !” Beside the well bed at the corner of the alley, Qingxiao held up an oil-paper umbrella to cover Aluan from the rain, while imitating the shopkeeper’s tone, “You scold me so badly, you’re obviously mocking me!”
"Thanks to you, today's workload has increased again. After cleaning the pile of spit pots, I still have to go to the bridge to collect old bad debts." A Luan complained weakly while tapping the well water , "After the plum blossoms, it rained endlessly, and it was still ticking. Business has been bad, and the shopkeeper's hair is all day long. You just don't know which pot to open and which pot to carry..."
"Mao Shasha's anger is not going well, why don't you go to see Hua Kui Dou Qiao to relax?" Qing Xiao protested angrily, "Beauties can't attract his interest, and he knows that 'Brother Kong Fang' is a man in his heart." ?”
Are you a man now?A Luan no longer wanted to waste any more time with this "distorted personality" guy, so he ruthlessly threw out his trump card: "I don't want to see any oiran fight at all, I just want to see 'Lian Hua Ji'!"
Hearing the words "Lianhua Ji", the other party's arrogance suddenly became three points lower—by a chance, Aluan saw the small portrait of "Lianhua Ji" painted by Qing Xiao, and fell in love with the person in the painting. Qingxin, even in an extremely critical situation later, saw her veiled beauty, and never forgot her ever since.Qingxiao promised to take him to see Lianhua Ji herself, but up to now she still only talks but doesn't practice.
"I will always take you to see her, but the time has not yet come." Qing Xiao obviously muttered, "Besides, the other party is the daughter of a good family, so it would be very abrupt for her to show her face. I did not consider this matter... "
"There's no need to explain anymore! In short, you broke your promise to me." A Luan chased after the victory.
"Ah... really shameless!" Qing Xiao took out a bamboo green folding fan from her bosom to cover her face, but there was no sense of shame in that lazy tone.
A Luan knew very well that this thick-skinned guy had to be "killed with one blow", otherwise he would keep pestering him endlessly.The young man threw down the water bowl and the brush in a loud voice on purpose: "You still have to lie about such a trivial matter, which shows that you are not trustworthy. It is your own business to see beautiful women. Don't have anything to do with me. Anyway, you will be ashamed if you meet you." Nothing good..."
The voice was cut off by the sound of folding the folding fan hastily.Qingxiao turned her head abruptly, staring straight into Aluan's eyes, his exotic and vivid facial features instantly exuded a flame-like aura.The young man was suddenly covered in cold sweat.His chest suddenly became hot, and a faint golden-brown light emanated from under the folded skirts...
The same light lingers on the decorative knife worn by Qingxiao—it is a pair of pendants made of the horns of the rhinoceros, each of which has the power to repel demons and monsters.This spiritual treasure originally belonged to him: Qing Xiao was born in July and a half, and the time of birth was particularly sinister, so he was entangled by rampant demons and ghosts from birth.It was night, and from the dark delivery room the servants had heard the sound of the lady snapping and snatching the baby from the unseen visitor.After all, Qingxiao's life was saved, but the envoy from the other shore never returned empty-handed. As a substitute, his wife passed away.
From then on, Lu Zhaozhi regarded Qingxiao as his wife's last love and spoiled him very much. He said that he was afraid that it would be difficult to support him, and when he turned fifteen, he was allowed to keep his full hair like a boy's. Learning, let him do as he pleases.In order to prevent ghosts from taking advantage of it, Zhao Zhi went all over the world to find a pair of rare and rare rhinoceros horns that ward off evil spirits and make them amulets for Qingxiao.By chance, Qingxiao met A Luan and insisted on giving one of them as a gift.Unexpectedly, since then, the pair of treasures seem to have become human, and they will emit a faint light with the emotional ups and downs of the owner.
Feeling the change in the rhino horn, Aluan realized that what she said was a bit too much, and she couldn't help but lowered her head while pressing the collar pendant.
"From now on, I will do what I promised Aluan—I swear that no matter what, I will never let Aluan suffer any bad things!" Qingxiao said solemnly, and put the umbrella into the opponent's hand, Aluan He grasped the bamboo handle reflexively, but heard a leisurely laugh, "I said, so you mind this! Now that the problem has been solved, let's go to see the oiran fight together tonight! You have to go to the bridge to collect the bill Right? I'll just wait there, it's a deal!"
Without waiting for Aluan's consent, Qingxiao raised her fan to symbolically block the rain, hummed the very appropriate tune of "Magpie Bridge Immortal" in a clear and mellow voice, turned around and meandered into the rain curtain.
"Is there anyone else in this guy's eyes..." A Luan couldn't help but muttered in a low voice as he squeezed the umbrella handle and looked at the tall figure gradually disappearing behind the bushes, and even ran out with Huizhou accent.As soon as Qingxiao left, there was no sound in the alley, only the roar of the torrential rain hitting the umbrella.The sky was dim, and the surrounding scenery seemed to be immersed in light ink, only the vegetation and vines were growing crazily and gloomyly, almost covering people's sight.The intertwined greenness unknowingly connects into one piece, reflecting the thin blue shadow in Aluan's clear eyes...
"Let's go, the terrible thing is finally separated, and I can come out to take a breath!"
"It's better to have blue eyes, I don't like ghost children."
"The blue eyes are so pitiful, there is simply no way to collect dead debts over the bridge!"
"It's not because of that ghost kid. The old shopkeeper is clearly unable to hold cucumbers and gourds."
Suddenly whispered gossip came from the side of the bed behind him, self-servingly nicknamed Aluan and Qingxiao, and talked about their affairs without any hesitation.Who is so talkative!A Luan suddenly became angry, and turned back suddenly with widened eyes.In an instant, the greenness in his eyes solidified into a clear blue flame.
——I saw a few slug-like things squeezing out their fat bodies from the copper eyes of the sewer cover. These slimy guys are as big as water snakes, without eyes and tentacles, but with long pink tongues like frogs .They rubbed against each other, chattering like no one else, while licking the spit pot vigorously...
I saw... a nasty thing!A Luan covered her eyes all at once—this is why Qing Xiao insisted on giving the rhino horn as a gift.A Luan was born with blue pupils, not only sees the night as day, but also can see the other side of the aliens lurking in the dark and in the corners, and somehow he is quite popular with them.
"Although the personality of 'Blue Eyes' is not very good, those eyes are so pretty, why do you hide them so we can't see them?"
"If I didn't bring such a terrible thing, I would have gone to his side a long time ago!"
This blatant "kindness" made A Luan suddenly get goosebumps all over his body. He took a step back reflexively, showing a disgusted expression: "Enough is enough! These 'gossip women'!"
"Long tongue woman" is a low-level monster that inhabits dark and humid environments. It usually feeds on dirt, and likes to eavesdrop on people's footsteps and then gossip.It was cloudy and rainy, mold and mosquitoes were everywhere, and even they ran out openly.
"Blue Eyes will definitely go to see the devil boy! Although he looks cold, he really wants to see the oiran!"
"That's right, not frank at all! But the more this is the case, the more the kid wants to play tricks on him!"
"You guys!" A Luan's face blushed instantly after being struck by the low-grade monster's first words, and he couldn't care less about the disgusting appearance of the gossip women, and rushed towards them with a brush.Forced by the power of the rhinoceros horn, these low-level spirits scattered like birds and beasts, and before they left, they still shouted in a panic: "Be careful!"
After a busy morning like this, the shower stopped after lunch, and a twilight appeared in the sky. A Luan took advantage of this moment and hurriedly went out to collect debts with his ledger and umbrella.The narrow streets and alleys have long been flooded, and chicken feathers are thrown everywhere-it is said that on July 7, every family must kill a chicken, because the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl will meet each other across the magpie bridge on this night. If there is no rooster to announce the dawn, the night will not pass. , they will never be separated again.So Aluan couldn't complain, so she had to try to find a clean place to go.
Along the way, among the shallow walls and bamboo fences of ordinary people, you can already see the begging table set up by impatient girls; if you want to come to the courtyard of the deep house with strict doors, the arrangement is even more exquisite and unique.Groups of common people wandering girls carried bamboo baskets full of melons and fruits and colorful threads, carefully preventing the stagnant water from polluting the corners of their brand-new skirts, calling for friends and companions, and walking swayingly; scholars in twos and threes Order the book boy to carry the burden, put begonias, asters, and autumn flowers of various colors on the shoulders, hold the pens, inks, papers and inkstones, and play offerings, chatting and laughing with each other and walking towards the direction of Kuixing Pavilion——Scholars and women have different customs on Qixi Festival. They begged for cleverness from Zhinu, and they celebrated Kuixing's birthday and prayed for good fame in the coming year.
As Aluan walked and watched, he turned around the corner of the alley, and a water area densely covered with sails suddenly appeared in front of him—Xiangchuan City is densely covered with water networks, and several rivers flow into a small half-moon-shaped lake, with two roads at the mouth of the lake. The causeway is connected by a Pingqiao water gate.Outside the pass is the canal. At night, the bridge deck is lowered and fences are erected to prevent ships from entering the inner city.At this moment, the bridge deck has been hoisted by steel cables, and there is an endless stream of merchant ships coming and going, but they have bypassed a waterway opened by seven small boats pulling colorful ropes. The boats are hung with gorgeously decorated seven-color embroidered flags, which are decorated with elegant and elegant style. The words "Jiao Niang", "Mountain Dove", "Tiger Concubine", "Crane Shape", "First Oriole", "Child Horse", "Ruilu" and so on are written respectively in the technique.
It is clearly the name of the Seven Great Oirans, so it turns out that this place is Longweiguan, the starting point of Douqiao.Only then did Aluan realize that she was in the opposite direction from her destination, and hurriedly ran back along the embankment.Turning to the backyard wall of a certain mansion, a childish and mournful sobbing sound suddenly entangled his footsteps.
Hidden among the weeping poplars and vines, the mossy Baishishui pier protrudes gently into the grass-colored river water. A boy with a long hair in a shabby black cloth is sitting there, holding his knees with one hand and wiping his tears with the other. , but still staring intently at a cluster of slender rushes along the river.
A Luan followed his line of sight to look over, and saw near the grass roots, Anchovy entangled with something, bobbing up and down in the water.The thing was about half the size of a palm, with a head and feet, and at first glance it looked like a rough doll.But the young man clearly recognized that this was the Qixi Festival seasonal pastry——Qiaoguorencriss, which was filled with tea and food shops in the streets and alleys.
"Don't cry, you can't eat it if you fish it out!" A Luan straightened the burden on his back and greeted him loudly.
Hearing the call, the boy in black was obviously startled, and then slowly turned his head.He was born with clear features and eyes, and his sad look looked very pitiful, but the slightly raised corners of his eyes were more or less shrewd.As soon as he saw A Luan, he choked up and started talking intermittently: "What to do... I finally got this. If I go back empty-handed, the master will scold me..."
Seeing the little boy wiping his tears with his rough sleeves, the corners of his eyes were red.A Luan couldn't help but secretly scolded that mean master——Qiaoguo is not a bird's nest and shark's fin, and she still scolds people when she loses it!The young man was born in a mountain village, and his family was not well-off since he was a child. If he hadn't been shy in his pocket, he would have taken out copper coins for the child to buy a new one.
"You wait for me to help you, but it might be rotten if you fish it up!" A Luan rolled up his sleeves and walked down the steps. Seeing that he wanted to help, the boy in black stepped aside immediately: "Be gentle with your hands and feet, it can be broken if you crush it!" That's bad!"
——Children now, without saying thank you, they started pointing fingers with peace of mind.A Luan couldn't help smiling wryly, and leaned out towards the rush grass.The fingertips easily touched the soft surface of Qiaoguo, but the vines stubbornly entangled the small figure, and it would be strangled with a little force, so it was really not easy to get it out for a while.
Aluan had no choice but to bend down and go into battle with both hands. The moment he carefully pulled away a water plant, the flexible branch suddenly bounced out of the water with a snap, and the sticky touch instantly absorbed the skin on the back of his hand.He was about to shake it off, but an incredible pulling force came suddenly at this moment, the slippery and fragile plant wrapped around his wrist like a snake, pulling A Luan staggering and falling towards the dark river.
Reflexively, the boy knelt on one knee to stabilize his figure, and waved his hands vigorously to break free.There was only a burst of splashing noises, long algae sprang out from under the turbulent muddy water, and in the blink of an eye, Qiaoguo and Aluan's hands were bound together, and they kept moving towards the arms at an alarming speed. The water was spreading, swarming to roll him into the water, the familiar surface of the water now looked like a bottomless abyss with a huge mouth.
A Luan hurriedly turned her head to call for help, but there was a chuckle behind her: "I'm sorry, blue-eyed brother..."
A hand slapped lightly on the back, but the slap was indistinguishable at this moment. A Luan, who was already desperately persevering, felt his world spinning for a while, and his whole body was uncontrollably dragged into the river by the algae.In the blink of an eye, the long green shadow of the rushes swayed across the blurred field of vision.A Luan instinctively grabbed it—his body fell heavily into the river, and the binding of the algae was immediately untied.The river water gurgled and roared past his ears, and then slowly receded. He managed to poke his head out from under the water.Unexpectedly, the water of the Yugou River is so deep that the shore alone is submerged!
What is even more unexpected is yet to come - Baishishui Wharf is just ahead, but... when did it retreat to a place out of reach?The boy in black was still standing on the shore, with a smug smile on his face, his left hand was still pushing forward, and the Qiaoguo Rensu had returned to him at some point!
Not only that, there was a boy in white beside him, he shook Qiaoguo's hand and shouted anxiously: "I just left for a while, Xiaomo, how could you do such a thing!"
"You are jealous that I can do business now, Xiao Su. Don't worry, I will help you with your work! Who made you a clumsy guy all the time!" called "Xiao Mo" The boy in black patted Xiaosu in white on the shoulder nonchalantly, and pulled him away from the water pier.
"Hey! You two don't leave me here! I can't swim, pull me up!" A Luan shouted towards the shore while pulling the rushes, Xiao Su turned her head when she heard the voice, as if she was arguing with Xiao Mo What, but couldn't hold back the other party and was finally dragged away.
A Luan had no choice but to turn his head and look around in an attempt to save himself. Unexpectedly, this sight made him dumbfounded—is this still the Yuhook River?Even if there is a flood, it will not be like this!It is not an exaggeration to say that what you see in front of you is the Yangtze River sea: the endless muddy water is surging, surrounded by eddies, jumping up layers of waves, spewing out groups of white foam, and rushing away in a mighty way. In order to see the faint land line on the other side.A Luan was shocked, and quickly grabbed the rush in his hand, but this thin "life-saving straw" seemed to be in danger of breaking at any time in the turbulent flow!
"Come here! Help!" A Luan no longer cared so much, opened her throat desperately, calling for help was swallowed by the sound of the waves, and disappeared on the misty, empty water surface.
Is he going to be buried in the belly of a fish in such an inexplicable place?This can't be done, Qingxiao is still wandering around the bridge and waiting for herself!
Realizing that she was still worried about Qingxiao at this moment, Aluan suddenly felt sad.Thinking about my fifteen years of life, I don't have many memories to linger on—because I was born with a pair of blue eyes that provoked monsters, my father died for no apparent reason; my mother called me "blue-eyed owl" from now on, and compared myself to an unfilial bird ; Even the younger brother, who was once close, is obviously alienated.After coming to Xiangchuan, she was even unaccompanied, and the only person she had a little relationship with was the unpredictable Qingxiao.
But does Qingxiao really regard herself as a friend?Or is this savage guy just having fun?It was his unilateral decision to meet at the bridge where ghosts are said to be haunted, but Qingxiao once said that what he promised himself would definitely be done. If he couldn't keep the appointment, would he wait forever?still……
"I've been looking for you everywhere, and it's been so hard!" An anxious voice suddenly came from behind, not caring about the mud and water splashing on his face, A Luan hurriedly turned his head.A hazy shadow of a boat appeared in the turbulent waves, and a dark and strong young boatman stopped beside A Luan with his sculls. His voice was thick and resonant enough to resonate with the storm, but he said it so tenderly and preciously: "Finally...found you Already!"
"Looking for me?" A Luan blurted out in confusion.
"Ah? I got the wrong person!" The boatman shouted the moment he heard the boy's voice.Although he muttered to himself in disappointment, "Impossible, obviously it is?" He still decisively stretched out his firm arm to Aluan——in this case, no matter whether he admits a mistake or not, it is important to save people.
Aluan climbed onto the narrow deck in a panic, only then did he realize that the rescuer was a simple black-covered boat. The boatman was full of strength, with simple and gentle features, bright and clear eyes, like a loyal and reliable large dog.
"My next Luoluan, just call me Aluan. May I ask your benefactor's name..." The young man hurriedly thanked his savior. The young boatman seemed unwilling to accept the fact that he had admitted to the wrong person, and only looked at Aluan carefully. It was easy to notice the other party's words, and he waved his hands quickly: "Don't be so polite, it's a little effort, the name...you can call me Saburo! You are completely soaked, go to the cabin and change first!"
As if in response to this suggestion, the heavy rain poured down, the young man hurriedly got into the cabin, but Saburo didn't care, he took off the patched gray cloth shirt, put on the bamboo hat and rowed the paddle calmly, the rainstorm was like white light His strong body was whipped like a whip, splashing a cloud of spray like smoke.
Whenever I can be as strong as this.The frail little spice shop boy sighed and turned around, looking for a change of clothes.The cabin is cramped and simple, but there is a large ebony suitcase in the center, which squeezes the low dining table and foot cabinet to the side.A Luan opened the box without thinking, but froze for a moment.
Seeing the young man's actions, San Lang hurriedly dropped the oars and rushed into the cabin, and rushed forward to close the lid of the box with a bang.Seeing that A Luan was a little dazed by his sudden violent action, San Lang turned around, opened the foot cabinet, took out the clothes and handed them over, and patted him on the shoulder wordlessly.
The young man was surprised and wronged at first, but now everything has vanished, Saburo must have his own difficulties—although the light in the cabin is not good, and the box is even darker, but the blue-eyed Aluan who sees the night as the day just now, has already He saw everything clearly: the slightly faded bride's wedding dress was stacked at the bottom of the box, and an unremarkable bamboo basket was placed on the wedding dress, but there were a handful of round and shiny pearls piled up inside, and what was even more amazing was the Surrounded by a longan-sized, iridescent pure black pearl!
No matter how you look at it, Saburo doesn't look like a rich man. He actually carries such a priceless treasure with an inexplicable red wedding dress. This combination is really weird and unspeakable, no wonder he is careful.
After changing clothes and coming to the hatch, the rain had subsided. A Luan stepped onto the deck and saw the boat slowly pass through the blue-gray masonry dome. When she looked back, she saw a single-eyed arch bridge receding. The three big characters "Little Feihong" are impressively carved-isn't this the flying beam on the Yugou River?
A Luan hurriedly looked around, but saw the familiar scenery around her - high stone embankments on both sides, houses with white walls and black tiles dotted on the embankments, and the water pier extending into the river from time to time.Looking forward, the big flying rainbow like a snow sculpture quietly reflects the shadow of the bridge on the jasper-like water.How do you look at it... this is the Yuhook River!
I was clearly still holding on to the grass core just now, struggling in the endless stormy sea, how come I returned to the waterway I am used to walking in the blink of an eye?
Perhaps, it was just a hallucination in a state of nervousness and fear... Before Aluan had time to think about it, he found that the scene of the river seemed to be a little different from the past - because the whole river was unusually lively, crowded and parked along the embankment. Ships, big and small, blocked the passage to land.Whether it is a pleasure boat or a sampan, they all try their best to decorate, only the difference between the rich and the poor has no intention. From a distance, the river surface has become a beautiful gallery, which is really unprecedented.It's just that the curtains and curtains on each ship are all hanging down and motionless, and there is no movement of people on board.
A Luan couldn't help exclaiming: "What are you doing? Going to the market?"
"No wonder, there is only Qixi Festival once a year." Saburo chuckled.Only then did the boy realize that the Yuhook River is the only way for the oiran fleet to pass, no wonder everyone packed up and came early to get a good seat.He just came to Xiangchuan in the early years, so he had never seen such a situation before: "Looking at Dou Qiao being so extravagant? It seems that everyone is eager to know who is the top oiran this year!"
"I don't think there is a chance for Songguan's crane shape." Saburo said naturally.Unexpectedly, this seemingly honest young man would blurt out the name and background of the oiran. Aluan couldn't help but "ah", but the other party patiently explained: "The oiran crane is famous for his chess skills. Ya, it’s a pity that it’s not worth watching, and it’s hard to stand out in the competition. Both Chuying and Ruilu are good at singing, which invisibly weakens each other. Zhiju dances well, but unfortunately, the charm is a bit weak. Jiaoniang is only famous because she can serve men That’s all. These have no chance of winning. I think the only one who can get the title of the best oiran in the end is the habato oiran of Jincheng Shuyu.”
A Luan's jaw was about to drop, he really answered the phrase "A person is not judged by his appearance"!San Lang is familiar with the allusions on Fengyue Field, and he is not inferior to the prodigal son Qing Xiao. Hearing this, the young man is a little unconvinced: "Don't forget that there is also the Tiger Concubine! I heard that the Tiger Oiran has been reelected twice. Is there anything that Oiran Jiu can do better than her, is it just because she is a 'Wen Qin'?"
Having been with Qingxiao for so long, Aluan has learned a few common sayings—the women in the brothels in Xiangchuan City all take their nicknames from animals, but only the performers take their names from birds, to distinguish them from "beasts".People in the market make fun of the ministers of the DPRK and China, using the "literary birds, martial arts and beasts" in official uniforms as an example.
Hearing this ridicule, San Lang's face obviously flashed a sullen look: "The seven oirans Nakayama Hato has just become famous, and she is younger than the tiger concubine!"
That's not bad—on a battlefield where beauty is the decisive factor, connections and fame are important, but isn't a young and fresh face the biggest advantage?
A Luan was still not reconciled, and was about to retort, when she suddenly smiled wryly: The concubine tiger was favored by Qing Xiao, it has nothing to do with him, why bother to get angry for her and Saburo.
Unexpectedly, the other party started talking at this time: "Shanjiu is nicknamed 'Yihuzhu', and her worth is of course not that exaggerated. But there is such a thing-a pearl hunter saves money for a whole year just for See her. Five years ago, I was able to get along with her for six hours with a year of pearl hunting, but four years ago, it was only three hours, and three years ago, it was less than an hour, and the bustard was talking sarcasticly. So that man She sighed and said, if I want to see her as an oiran now, I'm afraid I can only become a wandering spirit."
It turned out to be a pearl diver... Aluan couldn't help but think of the priceless pearls in the cabin box.So he comforted Saburo and said: "Don't say it so badly! With Brother Sanlang's wealth, let alone meeting Shanjiu, it is more than enough to redeem her body!"
"Properties?" Sanlang suddenly stopped shaking his paddle, and his voice suddenly dropped to freezing point, "What... what did you see!"
"No, no! I didn't see anything!" A Luan's scalp went numb, and she quickly denied it.But at this moment, Saburo suddenly smiled heartily: "It doesn't matter if you see it, but please don't get me wrong—because it is not my thing."
I thought Saburo was an honest man, but I didn't expect that I couldn't predict his next move at all.Since the treasure in the box belongs to someone else, how could it be on his boat?And what does the so-called red wedding dress mean?Managed, consigned, stolen... or robbed?The origin is really suspicious...
Confused, A Luan touched the back of his head unconsciously, and suddenly found that the burden skin behind his back had disappeared.Was it just washed away by water?Meddling in my own business, I actually missed my serious work!The boy suddenly became anxious: "I lost my account book! Brother Sanlang, please let me off the boat quickly, I have to find it!"
"No." There was an unnatural hesitation in Saburo's indifferent tone, but he refused quite simply.
"I still have to go to the bridge to collect the bill!"
"Whispering Bridge... Coincidentally, I will go there too."
"It's true that I'm on the way, but I lost my account book, and no one will recognize it without proof!" Aluan panicked for a while, and almost wanted to step on the boat next to him and jump onto the nearby pier. At this moment, Five fingers like iron hoops quickly encircled his arm.Saburo firmly grabbed the boy to prevent him from moving, then slowly raised his drooping head.
At this moment, the honest and reliable feeling like a big dog disappeared, and there was a trace of gloomy greenness in Saburo's brows, and an aggressive dark fire ignited in his eyes: "No, I can't let you go until I find that person... "
Who is he looking for, and what does it have to do with me?Unable to break free from the shackles, Aluan looked around frantically, the soft red and tender green of the river full of colorful boats rippling in front of her eyes, the bluestone berm followed, and there was no one on the shore, the lonely weeping willows were caged in the hot summer mist and rain, and the cicadas were buzzing. He didn't even have the energy to scream.The desolation on land and the crowding in the water formed a strong contrast, but it was strange that no one could be seen anywhere...
That's why the pedestrian who suddenly jumped into his eyes caught A Luan's gaze instantly. The person walked slowly along the river embankment, but his leisurely movements revealed a lazy and aggressive posture like a beast.He was not wearing a mandarin jacket, and his slightly reddish disheveled long hair was set against the knee-length gold-woven and colored raw silk singlet, which faintly revealed the color of the blue robe inside. Although this outfit was nondescript and looked like a foreigner, it was It exudes the refreshing coolness unique to summer.
Who else but that guy likes a man dressed so prettily!A Luan blurted out and shouted: "Qingxiao!"
The man on the shore turned his head in response, it wasn't Qingxiao!Seeing the young man on the boat, his expression of indifference suddenly changed into a look of panic. He grabbed the railing and nearly jumped into the river: "A Luan? Why are you with that kind of thing, A Luan! "
"That kind of thing? What is it?" A Luan was a little confused, and quickly checked what was wrong. The moment he turned to his left shoulder, his vision was suddenly occupied by a sticky, fat and soft gray-black thing.The boy was still a little puzzled for a while, and suddenly the black thing split a thread, and the long pink tongue that dragged the mucus shot straight at the person's face...
"Ghost... ghost!" A Luan was caught off guard and screamed, and fell to the ground.The thing, too, was terrified, screaming and jumping off his shoulders, bounced twice on the deck and fell into the river.Only then did the boy realize that it was just a "gossiping woman".I was so startled that the colorful boats on both sides of the strait made a commotion. The colorful bead curtains were unveiled one after another, and the passengers stuck their heads out one after another, and some even stepped onto the deck.
Really came out to watch the fun, every boat was actually full of couples, young people with intimate manners!But poor and lowly couples are fine. Some couples who are obviously good people come out alone without a person with them. If you look closely, there are still girls dressed as girls crowded with young men. On a ship, the situation had to be reminiscent of a secret tryst.It's really disrespectful, the government can't take care of it if nothing happens, but the master in the family just let them do whatever they want?
This situation is obviously not right, but A Luan didn't care too much, he took advantage of the loosening of Sanlang's restraint, and wanted to jump on the neighboring boat and run to the shore when he saw the opportunity.This action caused Qing Xiao to stop shouting: "Don't move around, you can see clearly for me!"
A Luan turned her head in response - at this moment, the rhinoceros horn tied to Qingxiao's decorated knife is emitting a golden tea-colored thin light, and the twilight is reflected on the nearest colorful boat. The skin of the body was torn open, presenting a miserable scene of broken masts and torn sails. A man and a woman cuddled together under the curtain of rags. Their lower bodies were dressed in brocade clothes that had never been bathed in light, and their upper bodies were in a gesture of rubbing their ears and temples together. Rugged skeletons!
This glance made Aluan frightened, he reflexively pressed the position of the rhinoceros horn pendant on his chest, but there was nothing in the tentacles.Even the amulet is lost!Fortunately, the Yugou River is not wide, so he wanted to jump into the river to escape, regardless of whether it would be watery or not, but he found a dark red turbid current surging under the side of the boat, and in the gurgling red water, countless The "long-tongued women" scrambled to stick their heads out, sticking out their long tongues and trying to climb onto the boat. This is simply their base camp!Now the boy was completely panicked: "How could this happen! Where is this place, what are these?"
"These are 'concentric boats'. The men and women on board are the 'hundred nine people', also known as 'love ghosts', lovers who died for love." Saburo's voice sounded faintly, he let go of the boy, and maneuvered the boat lightly Skimming over the crowded river.
"Ghosts who died for love?"
"Each river overlaps with the ubiquitous Yellow Springs, and each Yellow Spring River has a different function. If you jump off rashly, you will become a lost ghost." What San Lang said next was simply fatal. one strike.
"Calm down! Tell me first how it became like this!" Qing Xiao bumped and bumped, desperately chasing the boat and shouted loudly.A Luan, who is in another world, can only see him, but Qingxiao is still in an ordinary street, and passers-by look at this crazy guy who is making noise towards the empty river with surprised eyes.
"I don't know either!" A Luan became more anxious and incoherent, "I helped a kid in black pick up fruit, and he pushed him into the river! Later, another kid in white came and said that the black kid was going to mess around. Save me, Hei Kid said so that he can report to the master..."
"Where did you meet that child?" In front of you, you can see the Daiyue Bridge, where the embankment becomes the foundation of the house wall. With nowhere to go, Qing Xiao ran up to the center of the bridge, and swung across the bridge quickly. , Qingzhou, who was drifting away, shouted anxiously: "Wait for me! A Luan, I will definitely save you! Please wait for me!"
The shout gradually disappeared in the ears, and Aluan's response was filled with tears: "On the side of Longwei Pass, I fell on the other side of Longwei Pass!"
"That's why I've reminded Blue Eyes to be careful, don't meddle in other people's business and cause trouble, good intentions won't be rewarded..."
"It's so slow! The blue eyes don't seem to have figured out the situation yet, this ghost boy will suffer a lot!" At this time, the gossiping women wandering freely in the underworld did not forget to tease the poor boy.
"Shut up! Anyway, Qingxiao will definitely come to save me!" Knowing that it's not worth fussing with this low-grade monster, Aluan still retorted unconvinced.
"It's too late, because it's almost time to reach the bridge." Saburo coldly rejected the boy's hope.
"So what about walking around the bridge!"
"Do you know 'Magpie Bridge Pass'?" Sanlang sighed slowly, "One hundred years of cultivation can cross the same boat, and one thousand years of cultivation can sleep together. The nine hundred and ninety-nine ghosts are the souls of nine hundred and ninety-nine years of cultivation. At the last moment, I couldn’t hold back and fell short, so even if I reincarnate as lovers, I can only stay together with death in the end. But suicide is punished by God, so only on the Qixi Festival of the year, the lover ghost can be reincarnated with the blessing of the two stars of the cow and girl. 。只供情鬼去往彼岸的生死门也因此而被称为'鹊桥关'。”
“这跟踯躅桥有什么关系！”
“当然有关系。”三郎无视少年的焦灼，悠然地笑了起来，“这一带的鹊桥关……就在踯躅桥。”
原来三郎之前说的“一年一次”不是花魁斗巧，而是情鬼往生啊！早早就聚集在这里的，根本不是冶游的青年男女，而是等着投胎的同心船！
猛然间阿鸾意识到不对：“你也往踯躅桥去，难道……也是情鬼？”
“我……应该不是吧。否则也不会拖上你了——必须成双成对，一个人划船是进不了九百九众的黄泉河的。”三郎笑了起来，露出一口白亮的牙齿。
阿鸾哪里肯相信他：“不是情鬼那你干吗非要赶这个时候往踯躅桥跑？”
“我要去救一个人……那个我找了三年的人。”三郎的表情瞬间温柔起来，这温柔又迅速被担心牵挂取代了，“必须快点……不然就来不及了！”
——在找到那个人之前，我不能放你走……
三郎的确这样说过。他在浊浪里出手相救的时候，也是因为将自己误认为一直在寻找的人。他一直在找，一定要救的人，究竟是谁呢？
这样想着，黄石桥柱闪过阿鸾眼前。小船无声地滑入了放鹤桥底，短暂的幽暗之后，一片明朗而葱翠的陌生景象蓦然亮起——放鹤桥和踯躅桥间的砚池本应是一片空旷开阔的水域，花魁的船队都要在这里停泊，可不知何时池面被丛生的蒲苇荇藻满满地遮盖了，微风过处，离离青叶发出凉爽而繁密的沙沙声。远远的，“鹊桥关”踯躅桥皎洁的轮廓浮在芦苇梢头，如同一道可望而不可即的白虹。这是三郎停下桨缓缓地叹了口气。
“既然着急救人就别耽搁嘛！”阿鸾低声嘀咕着抱怨道。
三郎不置可否地笑笑，俯身从船帮上拽起一条肥硕的“长舌妇”。阿鸾被恶心得不轻，忙不迭地让到一边，却见三郎一抬手，将那吱吱乱叫的东西朝不远处的苇丛扔去。
一道水藻倏地从水下窜出，划破沉闷潮湿的空气，猛刺入“长舌妇”的身体，这小妖怪顿时发出刺耳的惨嚎声。河中的蔓草闻声像灵蛇般纷纷劈开水面一跃而出，缠向那“长舌妇”，倏地将它扯作几截。周围修长的苇叶刹那间也笼上一层凛冽的寒光，化作碧绿的刀锋，迫不及待的伸长挥动，一下子将残破的肢体绞成碎片……
差不多化为齑粉的“长舌妇”凌乱地落到水面，蠕蠕地漂浮着聚集在一起，重新凝成完整的形状，惊恐万状地朝水底落荒而逃。
看到这一幕，阿鸾直骇得指着前方一句话也说不出来——难怪那些情鬼听任三郎插队跑到前面，原来是因为砚池上有这么厉害的“看门狗”在啊！这些水藻和苇叶是鹊桥关前的结界，可以有效地防止强行闯关，虽然它们并不一定能使异类神形俱灭，但是谁也不会愿意以身试法，毕竟人魂不像“长舌妇”那么“生命力旺盛”。
“要不要我……划过去试试？”三郎坏心眼的调侃吓得阿鸾一个激灵，回身躲进船舱。这反应让一直有些抑郁寡欢的年轻艄公第一次爽朗地笑了起来，然而笑声未落，稚嫩的呼叱劈头从岸边传来：“可让我逮到了！”
阿鸾还在想着这小孩的声音有些耳熟啊，简陋的小船早已迅捷地退回桥底，不等停稳三郎就返身冲进舱内，打开放珍珠和嫁衣的大乌木箱，不由分说一把将阿鸾推了进去。那小孩的叫声犹自响着：“想跑！看你往哪儿跑！”
correct!这不是龙尾关前那白衣童子小素的声音吗？Why is he here?阿鸾正要开口，却听见小素咬牙切齿的嚷着沿河堤一路往放鹤桥上追来：“快给我把魂魄交出来，没了命数的魂魄留着也没有意义！”
“他，他要谁……交出魂魄啊！”阿鸾慌得脸色都变了。三郎猛地把他按进箱子里，凝视着对方惊恐的面孔，年轻船工的语声和目光一样郑重：“我来应付他！不管发生什么，你都要保护好自己！”
箱盖伴着语声轰然合上，黑暗隔绝了眼前的一切……
抱着膝盖蜷伏在箱底，散落的珍珠硌痛了阿鸾的脊背，脑袋也不断撞在板壁上——有人跳上甲板的动荡感、你来我往的追逐呼喝声、撞开家具的冲击感、船板低哑沉闷的炸裂声，箱子掉落河面的激烈水响和摇荡感，纷沓而至的状况轮番冲击着他的感官。当这混乱好不容易渐渐平息，阿鸾小心翼翼地将箱盖揭开一线，周围没了任何人的踪影。他刚想长长松口气，没想到心却随着深呼吸一下子提到了嗓子眼……
罩在头顶的船舱早就不知去了何处，眼前一片苍翠，自己竟置身木箱里，处于芦苇刀锋和水藻套索虎视眈眈的环伺包围之中！
阿鸾顿时吓得大气也不敢出，想在它们发现自己之前合上箱盖，不料这些水滨植物个个都不是“吃素的”，两三条蔓藻就在他眼皮子底下猛地窜出，砰的一声弹开箱盖，青光闪闪的苇叶刀随即直扑阿鸾双眼而来……
少年惨叫着，本能地抬手挡在脸前，可这那里拦得住那些嗜血的植物妖怪，苇叶锋刃切过阿鸾的手臂，裹着凛冽的寒风直朝他眼皮掠去。
It's dead now!绝望的念头控制不住的浮出脑海。无路可逃的阿鸾做好不死也要脱层皮的准备，可预想中的疼痛却迟迟没有降临。绿叶相碰的疾雨似的音响由近到远地涌过耳边，随即变成错综的纠缠之声。
阿鸾迷惑地睁开眼，却发现袭击自己的芦苇早已掉转了方向，因为此刻它们捕捉到了更加美味的猎物——前方不远处，几条粗壮的蔓藻互不相让地盘结拉扯着，将一团纤细的灰影拽出水面，苇叶刀则摆出蓄势待发的姿态，准备随时将这倒霉的家伙切得粉碎。
而那牺牲品，竟是一位长发纷乱的妙龄少女！
阿鸾忍无可忍的高喊起来，不顾一切的双手划水驾着木箱冲上前去，可植物妖怪们哪里肯让半路杀出来的家伙夺走猎物，水藻化为绞索拖住阿鸾的手脚，尖锐的苇叶织成了锋利的列阵，割得他遍体鳞伤，然而少年全然不顾地硬冲进苇丛深处。然而赤手空拳根本无法驱散这些贪婪的妖怪，他灵机一动拽出箱底的嫁衣，一边大喊着“姑娘！别害怕！”一边狠命地四下挥动。苇叶被抽打得片片飞散，阿鸾这才得以靠近少女面前。
“滚开！臭男人！才不要你猫哭老鼠假慈悲！”身陷危境的少女猛地转过尚能自由活动的头颅，狠狠地啐了阿鸾一口。虽然一瞬间无法细细看清，虽然她的态度实在是凶狠无礼，但那罕见的美貌却还是霎时在视网膜上映下了鲜明的绮丽印象。
“我是在救你啊！”阿鸾实在没想到对方居然这种反应。他一面不停抽打着逼近的苇叶，一面委曲的辩驳着。
“我的死活与你何干！你们臭男人，个个都没安好心！”少女正激烈的斥骂着，却在看清阿鸾乘坐的乌木箱时露出惊讶的表情，“这是……三郎的箱子！”
这么巧她认识三郎！阿鸾好生诧异，可少女哪容他开口：“穿的衣服也是三郎的……你手上拿的那是什么？也是三郎的吗？”
“是啊……”阿鸾反射性的停下手，举起那早已破破烂烂的红嫁衣。
苇叶和水藻瞅准他停手的空当，猛然发力想把猎物拖进水底。阿鸾惊呼着：“危险！”连忙出手去拉那少女，没想到那女孩反手一把揪住草蔓，厉声斥道：“我现在不想死了！快点放开我，不识相的家伙们！”
那些不可一世的水藻套索备不住少女狠命的一阵猛扯，竟纷纷应声而断，连苇叶刀也被她凶神恶煞的气势震慑，瑟瑟摇曳着不敢靠近。阿鸾下巴都快掉下来了——果然是人怕狠的，鬼怕恶的！
此刻失去水藻支撑的少女身子一歪，阿鸾还想去扶，没想到对方却先行一步，轻盈地踩着他的头顶，稳稳当当地跳到乌木箱盖上，返身端端正正地坐了下来。
“你这家伙，怎么踩人脑袋啊！”阿鸾又羞又怒涨红了脸，都不敢看少女那明艳的脸庞。对方却满不在乎的嗤笑起来：“踩你是给你面子，上次来崔学政捧着大把银子请我踩他，我还没赏这个脸呢！”
少女的话让阿鸾一愣，迷惑的朝她看去。这女孩玲珑的瓜子脸上生着一双灵动的杏仁眼，眼角微微上挑，呼应着描画一般的黛眉。这略带古风的小山眉生在别人脸上就粗疏了，偏她生的别致，恰到好处的中和了柔嫩唇角的艳丽氛围，呈现出一种交织了野丫头般明朗倔强和恶女般妩媚娇艳的复杂气质。
少女似乎并不在意别人盯着自己看，只是随意的整了整衣领，她披着一件朴素的藕灰色无纹长马甲，只有下摆点缀着铁色海波图案，可袄裙却是织满羽毛花样的孔雀蓝缎子，宽镶密绣着玫瑰紫的大滚边儿，一对精巧的八宝象牙球在耳畔轻轻摇荡。一身别出心裁地打扮模仿了鸽子的翎毛花色，趣致倒是趣致，就是不太像平常人家的姑娘。
看到这里阿鸾恍然大悟，脱口道：“你说学政大人拿银子见你……难道，难道你是青楼的……”
少女勃然变色，抬手就给了他一记耳光：“什么青楼不青楼的！我可是书寓的先生！”
书寓不过是高级的青楼，先生也就是高级的倡女，说得这么理直气壮干什么！阿鸾按住火辣辣作痛的面孔，拼命告诫自己不要跟小姑娘一般见识。他悻悻然的低下头：“没见过还有这么凶暴的先生……”
“今天就让你见识了！”自称先生的少女坐姿优雅，语气却意外的凶蛮：“我是锦城书寓的山鸠先生！”
“锦城的山鸠花魁！你就是三郎大哥说的'一斛珠'，今年最上花魁的热门人选山鸠花魁？”阿鸾简直不敢相信自己的耳朵。
香川七大花魁中，他只惊鸿一瞥的望见过清晓身边的虎妃，所以理所当然地认为花魁若不是这般妖艳摄人，至少也该是柔媚入骨，没想到被三郎夸成一枝花的山鸠花魁，居然是这样一副蛮不讲理的做派！
“三郎大哥？你同那个骗子熟得很嘛！”山鸠花魁再度扬起巴掌作势欲打。阿鸾扭头避过，没想到对方不依不饶的追过来，狭窄的乌木箱顷刻间摇晃起来，两人随时都有翻进黄泉河里的危险。阿鸾忍无可忍的一把架住山鸠的手：“适可而止吧！我哪里得罪你了？既然是'文禽'就学点琴棋书画什么的正经技艺，学了动不动就打人算什么？真不成样子！”
山鸠的动作一下子滞住了，随着长长的睫毛抽搐似的闪动，泪珠从她的杏眼里崩溃似的掉落下来。阿鸾顿时慌了神，连忙松开五指，可刚放手脸上却又结结实实地吃了一记，打了人的山鸠反而号啕大哭：“我学什么技艺？又不是我想进青楼的，又不是我要当花魁的！我干吗学那些劳什子！”
她哭得着实可怜，可阿鸾却完全不懂安慰女孩子，一时间手忙脚乱，只会结结巴巴的反复说着：“别……别哭了……”
“你也别装蒜了，别以为人长得老实、好言好语的就能骗得过我去！你们男人没一个好东西！爹爹在娘临死之前答应她说好好照顾我，却把我卖到香川换了酒钱！那些客人口口声声怜惜我，稍不留神就动手动脚！我原来以为只有三郎不一样，只有三郎不会骗我，没想到他却是最大最大的骗子！”
莫名其妙挨了顿抢白的阿鸾实在想不通，这丫头除了难得一见的漂亮脸蛋之外还有什么好，是谁捧高身价让她当上花魁的？他只觉得又好气又好笑：“三郎穷人一个，连书寓的门边都挨不着，又怎么得罪你了……”
“三郎跟从小我一起长大，我被卖掉的时候，他追着船跑，对我喊别害怕，他年年七夕都会来看我，就像牛郎织女那样。他还说一定会存够钱给我赎身！可是头三年还见到三郎的面，渐渐的他就不来了。前年也是、去年也是、今年也是！”山鸠抹着眼泪，劈手扯过那破烂的红嫁衣，狠狠丢进河里，“牛郎织女的说得好听，到头来呢？到头来他还是不要我了，他宁可和好人家的丑八怪成亲也不要我了！”
这是什么跟什么啊……阿鸾无力地靠在箱壁上。可为什么此刻看起来，山鸠胡搅蛮缠的泪颜竟说不出的可爱呢——这么着急上火的，是因为山鸠一直辛辛苦苦的等着三郎吧。三郎一直在找、一心想救、一时一刻念念不忘的，一定就是这有着花魁名头却全然没有倡家做派的少女。
想到这里阿鸾连忙说道：“三郎大哥是在找鸠花魁你的！他本来就该到了，只是半路上耽搁了……”他是为了帮我才碰上麻烦的，少年在心里嗫嚅着，到底敢没说给她听。
“三郎……来找我了？”山鸠濡湿的双眸里闪过一丝欣喜，随即却被无边的阴翳遮盖了，“他为什么到现在才来找我？来不及了，已经来不及了啊……”
“怎么这么说啊，三郎大哥吃尽苦头找了你三年呢！”
“已经晚了。”泪水再度涌出山鸠明净的双眼，她无奈地微笑起来，“因为……因为我已经死了！”
“死……死了！你说谁死了？”阿鸾张口结舌，一时无法将字面的意思与现实联系起来。
“我啊！”山鸠故意摆出满不在乎的表情，掠了掠被水藻扯乱的乌云秀发，朝呆若木鸡的少年投去意味深长的一瞥，“这么吃惊干什么？你自己不也是鬼魂一个吗？”
“胡说什么！谁是鬼魂啊！”阿鸾慌忙大声抗议，却只换来对方一声不屑的冷笑：“后生哥儿，不承认现实可是不行的哦——看看这些妖怪水草吧，这里可是黄泉河，你以为活人能到得了吗？”
黄泉河？阿鸾陡然反应过来：“你别骗人了！三郎大哥说过这里可是九百九众情鬼们的通路，必须双双对对才能进入，孤身一人，不，一鬼根本是进不来的！”
“我死就死在这里，干吗走情鬼的路？我早就打定主意，今年七夕三郎再不来就死给他看。他果然还是没个踪影，所以船刚泊在砚池，我就趁大家没注意跳河了。”山鸠的语气就好像是在说别人一样，“况且既然说什么情鬼通道要成双成对走，你不也是独自过来了吗？”
“不是一个人，我是和三郎……”阿鸾刚说到一半就发现不对，硬生生地把话吞了回去，“别把我和你混为一谈！我活得好好的……”
“傻瓜！你定是新死鬼，还没碰上无常使者们，所以魂魄和命数还没有分离，看起来像是活人生魂。但是说到底还不是和我一样离了肉身，走到鬼门关前了吗！”这一刻，山鸠轻蔑的语声给了阿鸾无情的最后一击——难怪一直不离身的犀角不见了，原来现在的自己已经离开了躯壳，根本就是灵体！
所以清晓看见自己的时候才大惊失色，他早已知道自己处境危境，居然拔腿就跑只字不提！这混蛋到底在搞什么啊！阿鸾没来由的恼恨起来，他下意识地咬着袖口，苦涩的声音控制不住地从喉间逸出：“我可不想死啊……”
“事到如今想不想死都没办法了，况且活着也没意思！”山鸠努力想让语调显得坦然，却始终掩饰不住那份无可奈何。
虽然嘴犟不说，可是山鸠心里也一定不想死的，尤其是得知三郎寻来之后。都是自己不好，若不是自己阴差阳错的从半路上插进来，让他认错人卷入麻烦，说不定三郎已经赶在山鸠投河之前与她团聚了。想到这里阿鸾一阵内疚，再也无法隐瞒下去：“是我不好，三郎大哥是为了救我才来迟的……”
“你也别替三郎说好话了！他若真的心里有我，怎会让我巴巴儿的在那火坑里苦等三年？就算是早一天，早一个时辰，我也不至于沦落到投河自尽的下场！”山鸠厉声打断话头，赌气似的一把扯住阿鸾的衣角，“好得很，他无情，我无义！咱们两个正好凑足一对儿，就殉情给他看！”
伴着话音，四周突然传来令人毛骨悚然的声响，就如一大群肉食兽在咂嘴舔舌一样——芦苇和水藻竟像是听懂山鸠的话，黑压压的团团聚拢过来。阿鸾一下子意识到状况不妙：自己和山鸠两个不妨看做是一对情鬼，这小小的乌木箱便成了“同心船”。这下可好，鹊桥关前九百九众的条件可都齐全了！
阿鸾慌忙站起身来，口不择言的拒绝道：“我和别人有约，不能和你殉情！”
一听这话山鸠顿时火了：“你这穷小子敢小看我！倒说说和谁有约！难道还能漂亮得过我去？”
“是清晓！清晓说一定会带我回去的……”阿鸾想也没想就脱口而出，一边说着一边拼命挣扎退到箱子边上，想离山鸠远点。没想到对方力气倒很大，揪住他袖口就是不放。两厢较着力，只听哧的一声，阿鸾的旧布衣登时撕裂。他一个踉跄，身不由己的朝后仰到。苇叶刀和水藻索早就等着这一刻似的，急不可耐的层层卷了过来。
然而那些垂涎欲滴的植物妖怪连猎物的边儿都没有沾到，半空中的阿鸾只觉得有人用难以想象的巧劲儿猛拍自己的腰身，整个人竟原路反弹，一下子砸回木箱里，山鸠的惊呼和四溅的水响随即灌入耳中。
揉着被撞痛的脑袋，少年好不容易回过头来，却见身后的水面上，那些凶残霸道的水藻芦苇像是害怕什么似的远远避开，在池面上让出一片空落的清澜，而这片水域的中央，一个黑衣童子居然没有借助任何工具，盈盈站在波心。
看那伶俐的五官、慧黠的眼梢，这孩子分明是在龙尾关水码头上，把自己推进河里的黑衣童子小墨嘛！阿鸾一时恨得连舌头都打结了，小墨却踩出一串清圆的涟漪，施施然走了过来：“真是天助我也——这下连小素的那一份儿都给我逮到了！”
“又是你这小讨债的！”看到这孩子得意洋洋的样子，阿鸾心头火起——清晓到底在干什么啊！说是去找那对奇怪的小孩救自己离开这里，可先是小素追得三郎不能来和山鸠团聚，现在连小墨也出现了。他信誓旦旦的，到头来说的都是空话！
“黑小子，想不到这么快又见面了啊！”山鸠居然也相当熟络地和小墨打起招呼来。
小墨冲着坐在木箱里的两个人弯下腰，露出天真无邪的可爱微笑：“可不是，鸠花魁。这次你可逃不掉了！”
“谁逃了！”山鸠摆出一副看不上眼的表情，“是你搭档白小子自己把我的命数弄丢的，黑小子你居然就丢下我的魂魄任那些妖怪芦苇水草欺负，竟陪他一起追命去了！”
“没法子，摊上小素这种不灵巧的搭档，不关照不行啊。”小墨无可奈何的苦笑起来，“都已经换了班，让他做比较简单的索命差事，勾魂这样复杂的工作由我来做了，他还是出状况。”
索命……勾魂……两个词在阿鸾脑海里风车似的盘旋起来，这时小墨煞有介事的摇起手指：“不过呢，鸠花魁，现在你叫黑小子白小子我无所谓。小素那家伙意外的认真讲规矩，当着他的面可要叫我们黑白无常大人！”
“骗……骗人……”终于意识到自身处境的阿鸾，战战兢兢的从牙缝里挤出不成腔调的句子，“我……我看过黑白无常的，哪有小孩子模样的……”
“知道你天生阴阳眼，用不着和我显摆！”自称黑无常的小墨凑近阿鸾，伸出指头作势要去戳那青眼珠，吓得他忙不迭地闪避，这孩子顿时开心的大笑起来，“说出来也不怕你笑话，反正都是小素那家伙的不是！”
只听小墨娓娓说道，原来黑白无常的差事是一个勾魂一个索命，将亡者押解至城隍爷座前。捉来的亡魂先要羁押四十九天，防止有同名同姓拘错魂的状况，一旦发现不对就得同时发还命数和魂魄。等到核准无误后，命数充入府库，亡魂则单独被遣往阎王殿下掌