Chapter 5 Chapter 27 Hushu

Chang'an is filled with the breath of spring. At this time, the hearts of the people in the city are floating. From Ximing Temple, where Kukai has placed orders, to various flower viewing spots, it is the time when peonies are in full bloom. People flocked to visit Ximing Temple today and Daxing Temple tomorrow, walking all over the peony gardens. The attire of those flower appreciators also became more and more gorgeous day by day. Even if they are not Hu people, fashionable women still wear long boots and walk on the street in a Hu country style. At that time, Han people wore Persian clothes and Persian accessories, which were popular and avant-garde.

At this moment, Kukai and Tachibana Yishi were walking in the crowd. Some melancholy Yishi, walking on the bustling street with Kukai, seems to be in high spirits. "Kukai, we are in Chang'an." Yishi muttered to himself: "Compared with the scenery in front of me, the same capital city, the capital looks much uglier." Yishi resumed his previous speaking tone. Kukai and Yishi stepped out of Yankang Square of Ximing Temple and walked towards the West Market. They are preparing to meet Liu Zongyuan. Seven days ago, Liu Yuxi came to visit Kukai. He brought Liu Zongyuan's personal letter, hoping to meet at night in seven days.

Three days ago, a contact came with the location of the meeting. Liu Yuxi brought Liu Zongyuan's personal letter. It was mentioned in the letter that we hoped that the meeting time would be changed from evening to noon. If they meet at night, it must be after the sound of the evening drum. Once the evening drum sounds, all the gates of the neighborhood will be closed. In this way, the two of them will not be able to act between Fang and Fang. Since they had to arrive before the gates closed, either party, or both parties, had to be dispatched during the day. Logically speaking, it should be Kukai who went to the neighborhood where the busy Liu Zongyuan lived, but in this way, Kukai couldn't go back after the meeting. 'For this reason, Liu Zongyuan must provide an overnight accommodation in the sky.However, this time Liu Zongyuan kept Wang Shuwen from meeting Kong Hai for Chao Heng's letter.Because this letter originally belonged to Liu Zongyuan may have been stolen once by Wang Shuwen.

If he still needs to provide a place to meet with Kukai, he has to explain the reason to Wang Shuwen during this busy time. Since he had to hide the letter, he had to lie about meeting Kukai for something else. Or he could simply keep his meeting with Kukai and Yishi secret to the end. In the neighborhood where Liu Zongyuan lives, secret operations are not easy.Because there are many people who know Liu Zongyuan well.The meeting must be moved to another place. However, in this way, Liu Zongyuan would not be able to go home. Therefore, there was a proposal to reschedule the lunch meeting.

In addition, Liu Zongyuan suddenly had something urgent at night, so it was written in the letter. Since he had already made an agreement with Kukai, Liu Zongyuan had to try his best to reschedule and set aside the noon to meet with Kukai. On the other hand, Liu Zongyuan himself had a problem, and if he didn't meet with Kukai today, he didn't know when he would be next time. The location was chosen in West City. It would be better to be a little far away from Liu Zongyuan's residence. At least there are more people in West City, and the more people there are, the less conspicuous Liu Zongyuan will be.

Liu Zongyuan wrote in his letter that as long as Kukai wandered around the West Market at noon, someone would come forward to greet him. In this case, Kukai and Yishi agreed to go to Mahamiandu's store first, so they went outdoors early in the spring. The sun shines all over the street. The locust trees growing on both sides of the road, the green leaves cover the beautiful light and shadow. Yishi has not been so loud and noisy for a long time. "It's really not good to stay at home all the time. But let the time pass in vain." He looked around and spoke to Kukai: "Even so, Mr. Liu Zongyuan is also very busy.Now the emperor's dragon body is not in good health, and he was cursed by a sorcerer again—" Hearing Yishi's sudden yell, "Shh—" Kukai warned him of this move.

"This kind of thing should not be shouted loudly." "why?" "It's hard to guarantee that no one will hear it. If officials hear it, it will be troublesome." Kukai said. "Don't worry, I still understand the truth." Yishi laughed and said, "Hey, Kukai." Yishi leaned towards Konghai and said quietly: "Again, the palace is probably turned upside down now." "Yeah." Kukai nodded. What Yishi was talking about was a letter from Fengming of Qinglong Temple. It was yesterday that Feng Ming brought the message. Kong Hai asked Da Hou to bring a letter to ask Feng Ming, saying that he wanted to visit Huigoa Guili in Qinglong Temple, what should he do? That letter was the answer.

The meticulous font is just like Fengming himself.The letter said that Huiguo Ageli was not in the temple: "I don't know when he will return." He even mentioned that it is inconvenient to disclose his whereabouts. If Ageli comes back, he will inquire about his visit to the temple. Yishi also read the letter. Huiguo is not in the temple. Can't say whereabouts. As a result, Feng Ming revealed Hui Guo's whereabouts instead. With words written like this, Kukai would be able to guess the answer. Moreover, I don't know when to return to Yunyun, which also implies that the matter of Huiguo is not yet over.

In short, Huiguo's trip should be for the emperor to be cursed and go to the palace to try. He entered the palace and never returned to the temple. From the fact that Huiguo didn't know when to return, it can be seen that the spell suffered by the emperor was very powerful, and it was by no means ordinary. Huiguo is an eminent monk of Qinglong Temple, an important town of Esoteric Buddhism. In terms of his magic power, he is one of the best even in Chang'an. Possessing such mana, Hui Guo was helpless against the emperor being cursed—Yi Shi speculated based on this: "The palace must be turned upside down now."

"Yeah." Kukai nodded. Fengming mentioned at the end of the letter that if he wants to meet Huigo Ageli, he should act quickly. It can also be seen from this that not only the emperor, but even Huiguo's health is not very optimistic. Feng Ming told Kong Hai: "Move faster." "This fight may damage Huigo Agori's lifespan," Kukai said. Regardless of the outcome of the fight with the opponent, Huiguo's spirit and body may suffer serious damage when the incident is over. Those who possess spells and want to harm others will also lose their lifespan.

Those who fight against spells will also lose their lives as a result. Spells related to life, no matter whether they are given or received, are in a sense a battle of life force. Can Huiguo bear the physical strength required? Walking and walking, the two of them came to the bustling street of West Market. bamboo cage. cloth. silk. There are also sellers of meat, vegetables and dried fruits. Not only fish, but also pots and pots are sold. It can be said that everything that can be bought in Datang can be found here. Paper, ink and pen. Fleeting chicken. horse. sheep. Cattle. Everything is traded here. Glass cups and bowls brought from the Western Regions. ornaments. And rugs and boots. The sounds of hawking and bargaining come and go one after another, which is very lively. "I always feel that this place is more lively than usual." Yishi said. It is indeed as Yishi said. After the change of the throne and the transfer of real political power to Wang Shuwen, the market is full of vitality. Because the children of Wufang, who were entrenched in the market and the fish and meat people, had disappeared under Wang Shuwen's sweep. The square was crowded with people. "What's that?" Yishi looked away from the crowd, and it turned out that street performers were performing fire swallowing, and received warm applause. While spitting out the fuel in the outlet vigorously, he ignited the fire starter in his hand. As a result, the violent flames seemed to spurt out from the mouth in large quantities. "Hey, Itsuki." Kukai called out to Itsuki from behind. "What's wrong, Kukai." "Look over there." Looking along Kukai's finger, there is also a sea of ​​people there. Where the crowd was watching, there were applause and coquettish laughter, and stringed instruments from the Western Regions were playing melodiously. "It's Hu Xuanwu." Kukai said. In the innermost part of the crowd, three women were dancing the dance of the Western Regions. Hu Xuanwu, as the name suggests, is a dance that goes around and around. A type of Persian dance. The three dancing girls are all barbarians with blue eyes. "Aren't they Mahamiandu's daughters?" Yishi said. "Yes." Kukai replied. Their father, Mahamiandu, sold Persian jugs and water bottles in this western market. Dorisna. Du Lu Shun Guli. Guli Tiken. The names of the three sisters. Kukai and Yishi are familiar with them. Neither of them was in the crowd, watching the girls dance. With the dancing of their limbs, the red, blue and yellow clothes on their bodies fluttered and fluttered. For Kukai and Yishi, who are used to watching Japanese dances, they are simply dizzy. When the dance was over, someone in the crowd threw money at the girls. Hu people who play musical instruments are busy collecting reward money. Guli Tiken, who is dazzling and full of spring, spotted the two figures of Kukai from the crowd of onlookers. "Ah, it's Mr. Kukai." Gu Litician bounced like a handball and ran towards Kukai. "Mr. Kukai." Gu Liti was willing to hold Kukai's arm. After discovering Kukai and Yishi, Dorisina and Dulushun Guli rushed to the two of them. "When did you come?" "It's a surprise every time we meet." Duo Lisina and Du Lushun Guli said. "We went to the West Market for business, and we just had some time, so we wanted to take a look at Mahamiandu's shop." "Oh, so you're going to father's place?" Dorisna said. "yes." "We happened to come to an end, let's go together." Gu Litician tugged on Kukai's sleeve. , the store in Mahamiandu is not far away, close at hand. "By the way, father also wants to meet Mr. Kukai." Dorisna said. "Mr Mahammento wants to see me?" "yes." "What's the matter?" "He didn't say what it was for, but it should be that." Dorisna said. The so-called "that matter"—"The Calapan thing?" Kukai asked. "Probably that's what happened." The five walked while talking.Met Mahamiandu in the shop. "Father." Gu Litician stepped forward to say hello: "Mr. Kukai is here to see you." Mahamean could see clearly that it was Kukai and Yishi: "Rare guest, rare guest—" immediately opened his arms to meet them. "You are finally here." "We came to visit you," Kukai said. "Exactly. I also want to see Mr. Kukai." Mahamian replied. Kukai, Yishi, and Mahamian sat opposite each other. In the innermost part of the tent shop set up in Mahamiandu. There was a carpet on the floor, and the three of them sat in it. In front of the three of them, the teacup was filled with tea, and the warm water vapor curled up. Many clay jugs and water bottles surround the three of them. Beautiful clay jug and water bottle with a blue sheen. The sound of cars pulling, the sound of passers-by walking. Talking, poultry chirping.Sounds from outside spread into the tent. Mahamiandu has a standard barbarian face. High nose bridge. Gray beard. Clear-cut, deep eye sockets, green pupils. "The street is so lively." Kukai said. "For us, it's really helpful that those nasty guys didn't come out to make trouble," Mahameindo said. Of course, the "disgusting guy" refers to Wufang Xiaoer. "I don't know what the people of Tang think. For us, changing the emperor is of course a good thing." Mahamian said bluntly. "Yes." Facing Kukai who nodded in yes, Mahamian said again with a serious face: "Just now I mentioned to Mr. Kukai that I have something to tell you." "What's up?" "The Calapan thing." "That's the thing, I suppose. What have you learned since that?" "Yeah." Mahamian nodded, and continued, "I don't know very well, anyway, something strange seems to have happened." "something weird?" "Yes. Carapan seems to be collecting strange things." "What strange thing?" Kukai asked. "Living things." "Living things?" "Bugs, snakes, frogs, what—" "——" "There are also cats, dogs, and mice—" Mahamian frowned as if he was afraid that what he said would stain his mouth. "This is what happened within half a month..." With this as the opening remark, Mahamian started to talk. The so-called Kalapan refers to the matter of Persian curse masters. Before Zoroastrianism became popular in Persia, it was based on local indigenous beliefs and evil temples. To put it simply, the Persians, that is, the Iranians, brought Zoroastrianism, also known as the Jacket Sect, to Chang'an when they traveled east to the Tang Kingdom, and the curse master of this indigenous belief also came to the Tang Kingdom at the same time. This message was heard by Kukai from Ansabao. It is said that the Persians who came to the Tang Dynasty together with the Ao Temple, that is, the Ao Sect, sometimes secretly prayed to Kalapan in order to satisfy their desires that they did not want others to know. From Concubine Yang Guifei's tomb in Maweipo, a dog skeleton was excavated impressively, and there was a curse on it: Those who defile this place will be cursed.Whoever destroys this place will suffer disaster.In the name of the spirits of the earth, terrorize them. It is written in Persian. Mahamian knew Arun Rashid well, and he was one of the Duluzhi curse masters who came to Datang to pray for a curse. However, the man died because of his involvement with Calapan. Taoist Zhou Mingde was the key person in contact with Dulu Zhijuan. However, Arun Rashid and Zhou Mingde died strangely because of deceiving Kalapan. Arun Rashid died at night when his throat was ripped out by beasts; Zhou Mingde killed Li Xianglan by himself in a cauldron after violating Li Xianglan in Wang Shuwen's outer room, Li Xianglan's mansion. This time, Kukai and Yishi were involved in the incident. It can be said that the shadow of Calapan appeared behind him from time to time. After the deaths of Arun Rashid and Zhou Mingde, Duluzhi Conjurer disappeared for a short time.But from a certain day, the people who had prayed to Master Duluzhi received strange letterheads. The letter reads: Please try your best to search for the following creatures, and someone will buy them at a high price. snake. toad. mouse. Cat. dog. spider or centipede. pig. Cattle. chicken or crow. lizard. Anything is fine, bring it all. There was a threat in the letter that this matter must not be leaked to the outside world; if leaked out, the names of those who had prayed to Kalapan would be made public—"This is what happened," Mahamiandu said. "But, isn't the letter a warning not to leak it?" Kukai asked. "yes." "Then why did Mr. Mahaminto know about this?" "Because a man, Mimar Ali, came to me with a letter to discuss." "discuss?" "He said that although he received the letter, because Zhou Mingde and Arun Rashid both died unexpectedly, he didn't know whether to follow the instructions in the letter, and was hesitating—" "Then he didn't go to yell?" "No. After hesitating to the end, he went anyway." "went?" "As a result, Ali was almost in danger." Mahamian said. For more than ten days after receiving the letter, Ali hesitated. In the past he had cast a spell on Kalapan. Buying and selling silk was his main livelihood. He brought the silk or clothes he bought to the West Market to sell, which was his earliest business. Since the business went well, he unconsciously started other businesses as well.It also sells porcelain pots and utensils. He put porcelain pots and utensils into wooden boxes and carried them on camels or horses. However, such transportation is extremely difficult. Every evening, the goods have to be unloaded from the camels, and loaded again the next morning. During such a repeated loading and unloading process, the porcelain pots and utensils in the wooden boxes are often damaged, and sometimes even more than half of them are damaged. In order to avoid loss, he thought of putting sand, porcelain pots and utensils into the box at the same time. Doing so can indeed reduce the damage of porcelain pots and utensils, but the weight will be greatly increased.In addition, loading sand into the box will damage the goods to some extent, and there will still be some losses. Mimar Ali then came up with a new method. He used sawdust and straw for loading. After the autumn harvest, he bought useless wheat ears and straws at a low price, dried them in the sun, mixed large and small sawdust, and packed them into boxes with teapots and utensils. This packing method is used very smoothly. However, imitators unexpectedly appeared. Although Ali acted in secret, he could not hide for many years without being known. Zhao, a Tang man who often went to Ali's residence, learned of this method, and began to buy discarded wood scraps in Chang'an, planed them into sawdust, and sold them as filling buffers. Cargo business travel is not limited to the exchanges between the Western Regions and Datang. The freight in Datang is also very frequent. Although it is not a big fortune, but in Chang'an, where there is a lot of freight, you can make a lot of money. Zhao claimed everywhere that this method was created by himself, and Ali was a follower. Although he never suffered a huge loss, Ali was deeply troubled. Buying wood chips is not as easy as before. In the end, Ali wanted to buy wood chips and shavings from Zhao instead.Although he can also spend some time making it himself, after all, it is more convenient to buy goods with money. However, Ali could no longer calm down his unhappiness, so through Zhou Mingde, he prayed to Kalapan for a curse. Ali's desire to pray for the curse was that he wanted Zhao to be injured or sick, so that he could learn a lesson, and he didn't want to put him to death. Less than ten days after praying the curse, Zhao's house was burned down. One night, the shavings pile suddenly caught fire, and most of Zhao's house was burned down.Zhao himself also burned his left arm because of the fire. I don't know if the spell worked or it was caused by accident, or was it set by Carapan himself? In short, this happened, and Ali felt very scared, and then cut off contact with Carapan.However, this time, the above-mentioned letter was received. He wanted nothing to do with Carapan. However, if the letter is ignored, what terrible reprisals will be met.What's more, if the matter of asking for a curse is made public, it will be enough to disturb people. So, Ali consulted with someone.As a result, the other party said that he had also received the letter. The man followed the instructions and took eight dogs, five crows, thirty-five toads, and sixty snakes. The designated place of delivery is the abandoned site of an old house in a certain square. Once there, there were already two men standing under the big Nan tree. There are countless large pottery urns placed under the trees, in addition, there are birdcages and wooden boxes scattered among them. Dozens of dogs were also tied to stakes. After greeting the two men, they were ordered to put the snake and toad in their respective urns. As soon as the pottery lid of the snake urn was opened, there were countless snakes entangled and wriggling inside.The stench came out, and the man poured the snake he brought into the jar. The toad urn was also opened, and there were a considerable number of toads inside.Taking a glance, the disgusting stench slowly rises and hits the face. The two men counted the number of toads, crows, snakes, and dogs one by one. After counting it clearly, he said: "In this case, I can only give this money." Then, he took out some money from his arms and handed it to the visitor. The two also said that there is already a lot of stock, and the sale will be over in two days. The man inquired quietly and learned that it was not their idea to collect these things, they were just following orders. Collect living things here and send them to a secret place every day, you can earn a lot of money and so on. The man said to Ali that tomorrow would be the last day for delivery. As a result, Ali finally made up his mind. Although I don't know what the other party is going to use it for, it has nothing to do with him. Anyway, Ali thought to himself, all he had to do was collect live animals and take them to errands, and it would be done once. If you still have money to take, take it with you. It is said that Ali brought things there two nights ago. Although I have decided to go, it is not easy to find dogs, insects, etc. all of a sudden. The Alitos searched everywhere, and finally found two dogs, three snakes and four chickens. When he transported it to the abandoned site of the old house mentioned earlier in a carriage, it was already late. At that time, the evening drum was beating, and Ali could no longer return to his neighbors. So, he decided to stay in a monastery after finishing his work. I don't know if the two men are still there? In short, he advanced in the evening and finally arrived at the designated place. It was a large mansion surrounded by earthen walls. Several locust trees and old trees of Phoebe are scattered among them. Ali walked into the house through the half-closed broken door. Most of the roof of the main house has been destroyed, and a huge old Nan tree stands a little farther from the vestibule. It should be there. Thinking so in his heart, he continued to move forward, but there was no one around. Let alone people, you can't even see the horses, let alone the dogs that should be tied to the stakes. Seeing many wooden stakes under the nan tree, I knew it was right here. However, there is no one. There are neither pottery urns nor dogs. Did he just go back like this? If today is really the deadline, then it should be over. He breathed a sigh of relief, but the suspicion and uneasiness of whether it could be settled came back to his mind. It was getting dark.Just as he was about to check whether there was anyone in the overgrown garden, there was a faint groan. It's a human moan. It felt like a wild beast roaring, and fear ran through his back instantly. Ali tried to identify it by the sound, and there was a pitch-black object in the swaying and growing grass. Looks like a towering court stone. There are two black shadows, but they can be recognized immediately, and one of them is definitely not something like a court stone.Because it's writhing. As he stepped closer, the smell of blood came to his nostrils. What is this?! He stopped and looked closely, and there were two people there. Both are men. One collapsed to the ground motionless, while the other twisted weakly. As if aware of someone, the moaning man shouted in a weak voice: "Help, save, help..." His throat made a hissing sound, mixed with a moist voice. Through the motionless body in front of him, Ali caught sight of the upturned face. Eyes wide open, mouth wide open, the man is dead. The throat was open, as if cut by a sharp knife. A lot of blood gushed out from the crack. The same goes for the man who survived. Throat split. However, it seemed that there was still a slight breath, and a barely audible hoarse sound came out from the lips. With every sound, air will escape from the opening in the throat and become a moist sound. Throat opened, and blood froth gushed out. Ali wanted to scream and flee the scene, but finally sat down in fear and asked, "What's wrong with you?" "Killed, killed. Throat, throat..." Finally he spoke, his voice was extremely weak, as if he was muttering to himself. "Who did it?" "That, that guy." "That guy?" "Yes. I saw it, I—" "See? See what?" "that." "Which one?" "dog." "dog?" "Lots of dogs buried in the ground—" "Where?" "Tuli, where is that man." "Who's that guy?" Ali asked. "Hey..." A voice resembling a mournful cry flowed from the man's lips: "The dog was buried in the soil, with only its head protruding from the ground. We all saw it..." "what?" "So, that man took us..." Blood bubbled from the throat wound while the man was talking to Ali. His voice was hoarse, and his speech was broken, and he could hardly understand, unable to understand the meaning. Moreover, the time is not long.Before he finished speaking, the man died. Even so, Ali tried to piece together the words left by the man in order to understand his meaning. The sequence of events is roughly as follows: The man and his accomplices had been worried before. Every day, I collect a large number of dogs, snakes, and insects. What is my plan? My employer, what is he going to do? How can I say it is creepy. The employer is a woman. The two are homeless people from other places. I couldn't get enough food in my hometown, so I thought of looking for a job in the capital, and I was trying my luck anyway. The new emperor has just ascended the throne, and there must be many places in need of manpower amidst the hustle and bustle. When I came to Chang'an, I couldn't find anything to do.In less than ten days, the little money I had was exhausted, so I had to sit on the ground in a corner of the East Market.Feeling at a loss about the future, the woman took the initiative to greet them. "Both of you, you must be hungry!" Looking up, it was a woman who looked less than thirty years old. Although she was dressed in a Tang suit, her eyes were green if you looked closely. Like bastards mixed with exotic blood. "I have a good job. Are you sure about your mouth?" "Of course." The man said immediately. "I think so. You just came to the capital, so you probably don't have any acquaintances?" Hearing these words, the man nodded in agreement. "Why are you so clear?" "It looks like you know it. If you don't have someone you know well, you won't say unnecessary things around." "Exactly." "How? Do you want to do this job?" "We do everything. What kind of work is it?" "There's going to be dogs, birds, snakes, and worms coming from somewhere. I want you to collect them and ship them somewhere else." "Elsewhere? Where?" "If you are willing to do it, I will tell you. How about it?" The salary offered by the woman is quite a lot. "However, this job must never be disclosed to anyone. For example, where the things are going to be shipped, and why they are doing this, you are not allowed to ask. Moreover, even if you ask me, I will not tell. If you can't keep the agreement, you will Can't get a job." "We do it! Since we can get so much money, of course we are willing to do it." The man said. "Listen well—if you break the agreement, you will be in bad luck!" In short, the two who wanted to work and make money fully agreed. The location is Chongdefang. In an abandoned house in Chongdefang that is not adjacent to other houses, the two prepare pottery urns and pull carts in advance, and someone will bring insects, dogs or snakes. Order those things, pay for them, and the two of them will transport them to other residences in Chongdefang. It was already midnight when we arrived at our destination. The above-mentioned woman came out and told them to put the brought things aside, and then bring the empty urn back to the old house and sleep there.In the afternoon of the next day, people successively handed in insects, snakes and other things. The deliverers are occasionally Han Chinese, but most of them are blue-eyed barbarians. In the process of repetition, they began to worry. Last night—that is, the night before the man told Ali about it. What was going on in the mansion? Finally, the two decided to find out. They always went in through the main entrance, because they heard the sound of dogs barking and other things coming from the back house, guessing what might be going on, after handing over the dogs and worms, they walked quietly around the back of the house along the wall of the house. As expected, the dog barked louder and louder as he went around the back. Roaring, barking and even moaning and wailing. It happened that several old locust trees stood outside the wall. The two decided to climb up a tree and have a good look. They climbed up the trunk and grasped the top of the tree, at a height where they could see the inside of the wall. The two poked their heads over the wall. Peeping anxiously. As a result, from the walled inner courtyard, they saw a strange sight. There is a large iron cage in the courtyard, and firewood is burning, and a piece of fire is rushing upwards. Something was reflected in the flames—the head of a dog. Countless dog heads emerged from the ground.Many dogs were buried in the ground, only the heads sticking out of the ground. There are about thirty or forty of them. The dog is not dead yet.alive. Grinning and groaning. "Ah, ah..." The man couldn't help crying out, but then swallowed his voice. The woman I met just now was standing by the flames. Looking down at the dogs. The woman holds a curved knife in her right hand. "Look, look..." The man whispered to his companions: "Dogs, in front of the dogs..." Something was placed in front of each dog. There is a red and black lump in front of the dog's nose. "Is it meat?" Looking carefully, it seems to be raw meat. Moreover, the meat is not so much a lump, it seems to be more like a figure. Is it text? It looks like the shape of the word "big". However, when I looked closely, I realized that it was not a word, but a certain "shape". "Is it a person?" It was a person, yes, it was a person. It looks like a person with arms and legs spread out. Moreover, on the human-shaped piece of meat, there are things like paper or spells. Take a closer look, and there are some words written on the rectangular piece of paper or the spell. However, because the distance is too far, although it can be seen that it is a text, it is impossible to identify what text or words it is. I only know a little bit, it seems that someone's name is written. Moreover, the dog kept barking at the meat in front of its nose. Why does it keep barking? That's because the dog is hungry. I was so hungry that I wanted to bite the raw meat in front of me, and that desire turned into sound that made the dog bark non-stop. The man gets it, the dog is barely fed. A dog that foams at the mouth and keeps barking.They wanted to bite the piece of meat in front of them no matter what, so they roared frantically and crazily.Barking non-stop. It looks hideous like a dog, with cold eyes and drooling teeth. What a cruel act. Seeing the cold look of the dog, one can guess that it has not been fed for one or two days, but three, four or five days. In the dog's mind, there must be nothing else to ask for except to bite the piece of meat in front of him. Before long—the creepy thing happened in the moment of seeing that scene. The woman approached a dog, held a knife in both hands, and raised it vigorously. Then, he slashed down obliquely above the dog's head. The knife cut hard into the dog's head, cutting it in half. Blood froth flew horizontally, sprayed out, and hit the ground like a shower. As if possessed by obsession, the dog's head galloped forward, biting the piece of meat with its teeth. The teeth collided with each other and made a sound. The dog with only its head gnawed at the piece of meat several times until it couldn't move. Then the woman moved to the next dog. Swing the knife again and chop off the dog's head. The dog with only one head left, gnawing on the human-shaped piece of meat in front of it. In an instant, four dog heads fell to the ground. And then—from behind the woman, in the shadow of the mansion, Ruoying reappeared. It's a naked man. It is better to say that he is an old man than a man. After the old man appeared, he approached the woman. The woman noticed that the old man was approaching, put down the knife, and stopped beheading the dog's head. The old man stood in front of the woman and put his lips next to the woman's ear, as if muttering something. Ah—a sense of foreboding suddenly came to the man's mind. was found. The moment the woman turned her head, "Get down!" the man said sharply to his companion. Women must look here. However, before the woman turned her head, the man and his accomplices had already put their heads down. Seen? As if falling, the men slid down the tree quickly. run wildly. Running wildly, finally returned to the original abandoned house. Even after returning here, the palpitations still cannot be calmed down. Did the deeds come to light?! Does she know that it is us who are peeping? If so, it is best to escape from here immediately! Because here, both old people and women know about it. If he wanted to take revenge on us, he might come here at night. I wanted to run away several times. However, if you escape, you will not get paid. Perhaps, the two of them knew that someone was peeping, but they didn't necessarily know it was us. Perhaps, the woman's head turning is just an accidental movement, not to search for us hiding in the tree. Perhaps, after the old man finished speaking, the woman turned her head, just to return to her original position. Perhaps we watched with horror and misjudged ourselves to have been exposed. It must be like this. With such a distance, even if it is discovered, it is not possible to see who is peeping. Given the distance and silence, it should be difficult to recognize faces. In case of misfortune to be discovered, the other party does not know who is right. Thinking about these things, the two of them greeted the dawn without closing their eyes all night. As a result, nothing happened. Sure enough, they were not found. As soon as the mood became brighter, the two became more courageous. One last job tonight. Take your salary, say goodbye, and it's over. If you are asked something, just pretend you don't know. Even if the other party doesn't believe our words, at least they should understand that even if we see those scenes, we won't tell others. After thinking this way, the two decided to wait until evening to complete their last work. However, no one brought worms or snakes that day. Just as the sun was setting, someone appeared. They knew immediately who was coming. It is the old man. The body is thin and thin. No mistake! What did he come for? The two of them had already agreed on what to say, and no matter how they were asked, they would always say that they didn't know what happened last night and that they didn't see anything. However, their bodies trembled slightly. The old man walked slowly and stopped in front of the two of them. Not a word. He only stared at the two with terrifying yellow eyes. "No, no..." The two were speechless. The mouth could not make a sound, but the body trembled violently involuntarily. Then—"See..." Just a few words, as if speaking to the old man himself. Suddenly, the old man's right hand flashed. Something shiny flew past the eyes of the men. It is a sharp metallic light. In an instant, blood gushed out from the man's jaw, spraying it on the old man's face. blood. Throat has been slit. Unable to make a sound, the companion fell forward and stopped breathing. Then it was the man's turn. call out. When the old man came in front of him, the man was too scared to move. Can only unconsciously surface a smirk. The old man standing in front of him flashed his right hand again. With a puff, his throat was cut. The moment blood spurted from his chin and sprinkled on the old man's face, the man's consciousness was separated from his body. The man lost consciousness completely. When he regained consciousness, he noticed Ali calling to himself: "Are you okay?" He was dying and told Ali what had happened. It is said that he was talking to Ali, but in fact it was more like someone with a fever talking nonsense.Almost only one side was talking, and after speaking, the man died on Ali's arm. The dogs, insects, and snakes that were brought with great difficulty could no longer be sold under these circumstances. Moreover, if you stay here all the time, if you are seen, it will also cause trouble. So Ali left the two corpses behind and ran back to his home as fast as he could. He didn't dare to tell anyone about it. After a few days like this, Ali's eyes became thinner and thinner, almost to the point where he didn't eat a single drop. However, regarding what he saw, he really wanted to find someone to talk to. Before he knew it, he appeared at Mahamiandu's shop and greeted Mahamiandu. Kukai and Yishi walked among the noisy people in the West Market. As Mahamiandu said, the market is indeed much busier than before.The louder cries of the vendors are definitely not due to self-consciousness.There also seemed to be more laughter in the crowd. Among the noisy crowd, Sora Kai walked with a look of embarrassment. "Itsuki. This matter will become more and more difficult." Kukai said. "What did Mahamiandu say just now?" "Well, things are getting interesting." "Hey, Kukai." "What's the matter, Yishi." "Such a thing, you shouldn't say something interesting." "yes?" "If someone with a bad heart hears it, I don't know what will be said." "It's just a conversation between us, don't worry about it." "It's fine if you don't—" Yishiyu said with a little dissatisfaction: "—but, Kukai. If you say that, is it really okay?" "So?" “你不是对马哈缅都说，别担心吗?” "Well, I said it." “就是那事呀。” “除了别担心——还有其他说法吗?”空海反问逸势。 “其他说法——” “大概也只能那样说了。”所谓“那样说”，是指前不久空海对马哈缅都所说的话。 说完米马尔·阿里的事，马哈缅都问空海：“这事情，阿里担心得要死，怎么办才好?” “不必太担心吧。”空海回答：“当作什么也不知道，没看见、没听过——同平常一样过日子，就是最好的办法了，请您这样转告阿里先生。” “这样就行了吗?” “没错。”空海断然回答。 其后，马哈缅都的女儿们也加入闲聊，说了一些市集热闹的话题，不久，空海和逸势便告别马哈缅都的帐篷离去了。 “你听好，逸势，现在卡拉潘没空管这种事。假使阿里没向任何人提起，那么，阿里便有生命危险，但他已经说出去了，所以阿里是安全的。” “咦、咦——”发出叫声后，逸势问道：“可是，如果阿里说出这事，被卡拉潘知道，难道卡拉潘不会发怒而来惩治他吗?” “为什么会?” “因为，就是……”逸势一时语塞。 “倘若卡拉潘知道阿里说出去了，那表示，堵住阿里的嘴也无济于事了。再说，阿里既没有毁弃与卡拉潘的约定，也没有背叛他。” "Ok." “如果我是卡拉潘，在得知阿里已告诉别人，或者，知道他准备要告诉别人的话——” "how?" “大概会逃走吧。” “逃走?” “刻不容缓，从那废宅逃走。” “是吗?”逸势抬高声音。 “在知道那两人已目睹一切时，便开始准备了吧。” "—" “杀那两人之前，应该早已安排妥当逃逸步骤了。” "You mean—" “即使现在去到那废宅，恐怕也杳无人迹了。” “你肯定吗?” “肯定。”空海明确地点点头：“逸势啊，先前我说有趣，是因为很多事情已开始逐渐明朗了。” “开始逐渐明朗?” "Ok." "What's up?" “譬如说，这个卡拉潘可能就是杀了周明德、阿伦·拉希德的督鲁治咒师。” “本来就是那样吧。” “还有，逸势啊。督鲁治咒师和我们听过好几次的白龙，恐怕是同一个人——” "what?!" “白龙的名字，你知道吧。” “听过。是你从丹翁大师那里听来的。” "That's right." “不过，可是——” “先前我就认为可能是这样，结果真是这样。卡拉潘的事和贵妃事件，有诸多牵连。” “——'，“你听好，我们去挖贵妃墓地时，不是挖出狗骷髅吗?那上面所写的正是波斯文字。 " "I know." “与贵妃事件关系密切的，有黄鹤、白龙、丹龙三人。” "Uh-huh." “刘云樵宅邸的妖猫事件，徐文强棉花田出土的兵俑，有人诅咒缩短德宗寿命，如今又准备对永贞皇帝下手等等，全都有牵连。” “皇上被下咒的事也有关联吗?” “嗯。”空海点头后，望着逸势说：“这次督鲁治咒师收集狗、虫、蛇——” "How about it?" “这是为了下蛊毒。” "—" “为了对皇上下咒，督鲁治咒师才收集那些东西。” “换句话说，对皇上下咒的人是督鲁治咒师?” “从刚才开始，我就是在说这个啊。” “那么，那两人就是因为窥探到督鲁治咒师——也就是白龙对皇上下咒的场所，才被杀害了。” “大概吧。”空海道。 “唔……”逸势叹息般地深深吐出一口气：“空海，我被你这么一说，也似乎有那种感觉了。可是，为什么白龙要做出那样的事?” “做出哪样的事?” “想要施咒让皇上减寿。” “我也不知道。总觉得这件事和贵妃有很深的牵连——” “而且，王大人应该也有份吧。” “嗯。”空海点点头：“提起王大人，这市集能够如此热闹，也是拜他之赐。可是……” "What's wrong?" “关于这件事，我愈来愈觉得王叔文大人的牵连是不好的——” "I think so." “今天应该带大猴来。” “带大猴来?” “大猴在的话，就可以让他到崇德坊探看一下。” "makes sense." “总之，这件事还是要先告诉柳大人才好。” “那男人也很辛苦啊——”逸势这么说时——“空海先生。”有人从背后打招呼。 空海和逸势一起回头看，见到韩愈站在眼前。 “喔，是韩愈大人。”空海说。 “请随我来。”韩愈深深一鞠躬。