Chapter 9 Chapter Nine: The Yellow River Water Demon
Cui Laodao and others pressed down on the coffin lid, but the zombie suddenly jumped out of the copper coffin with boundless strength, inserted his arm into Kuaishou Feng's chest, and immediately pulled out the heart of the coffin.
Gein Zombies are driven by ghosts, and when they see a living person, they will chase after them. With one hand, they take out the beating heart, and with the other arm, they stretch out their claws like steel hooks, and reach out to Cui Laodao.Cui Laodao was leaning against the palace pillar behind him, his face was ashen with fright, thinking that his old life was in danger.Caotou Taisui Meng Ben fell to the ground and vomited blood. He was seriously injured. Seeing that Old Daoist Cui was in danger, he hurriedly shouted: "Sixth brother, save the Taoist priest!"
Yang Fang hugged the beam on the main hall, saw the tragic death of Kuaishou Feng, Cui Laodao's life was hanging by a thread, all this happened too fast, he couldn't allow him to think about it, he hurriedly let go of his hands and feet, flew down from the beam, and turned somersault in mid-air , I had already pulled the whip out of the deerskin pouch, held the copper whip with both hands, and whipped it out with all my strength as it fell, only to hear the copper whip breaking the wind, and the sound was like a dragon's chant.
Holding the copper whip in his hand, Yang Fang hit the zombie's head hard with the force of a mountain. He felt defeated, but the muffled sound was like thunder, but he saw a black air coming out of the zombie's head. He fell to the ground like a dead tree, motionless.
This copper whip for beating corpses is called "God Beating Whip". It is a Taoist magic weapon handed down by Zhang Tianshi in Longhu Mountain in the Han Dynasty. It is engraved with the curse of subduing demons and suppressing corpses, which can disperse the soul. At this time, when it hit the head of the iron corpse, it immediately disperses the ghost. Yang Fang himself did not Thinking that the copper whip is so powerful, it was the first time to beat a walking corpse with a copper whip when it was passed on to him from the master. It was a treasure, and I prayed silently in my heart: "The teacher has a spirit in the sky, and bless the disciple."
Caotou Taisui Meng Ben helped Cui Laodao, and the three of them saw the tragic death of Kuaishou Feng Dianchen, and couldn't help touching the corpse and weeping. Cui Laodao beat his chest and stamped his feet, remorseful, and said in tears: "Brothers gathered together, I wanted to do justice for the heavens. I dug the ancestral grave of the warlord leader Tu Heihu, I didn't expect that he had prepared for it, and let us fall into such a big fall, poor fourth, it's just a little dirt, and he died so badly..."
Caotou Taisui Meng Ben said: "You two brothers, this loss is too great. We must take revenge. If we don't avenge this revenge, I, Meng Ben, swear not to be human."
Cui Laodao sighed: "It's not too late for a gentleman to take revenge for ten years, and the matter of revenge should be discussed in the long run. Before dawn, remove the body of the fourth child first. If the army patrolling the mountain is alarmed, it will not be easy to get out." .”
Yang Fang frowned, and a thought came to his mind, he asked Cui Laodao to carry the body of Kuaishou Feng first, he and Caotou Taisui Meng Ben stayed in the ancestral temple, and returned everything to the original, so that Tu Heihu would think that this ancestral temple It has not been touched by anyone, so as not to startle the snake.
The three immediately set to work, pushing the copper coffin into the robbery hole, re-burying the ground with bricks, stones and soil, hanging the portraits back to their original positions, and wiping away the blood. In the wild, it is not surprising that the offerings are stolen by wild cats and foxes, but the loss of a roast chicken will not attract attention.
After finishing their work, dawn broke, and the three buried Kuaishou Feng in a valley. They each swore to avenge their brother, then returned to Luoyang City, stayed in an inn, and closed the door to discuss strategies.
Caotou Taisui Meng Ben gritted his teeth and said: "I think it's better to find a dark and windy day, cover your face and sneak into the Governor's Mansion, one knife at a time, kill Tu Heihu, all the good and bad, kill him, and put him on the ground." With a big fire, I escaped with chaos."
Cui Laodao shook his head again and again: "Impossible, we can't do things that harm innocent people. Besides, although the governor's mansion that slaughtered Heihu was in Luoyang City, he himself was commanding troops near Kaifeng recently. It is very difficult to kill him in the army." ascend to heaven."
Yang Fang was also moved to kill, and said: "It's difficult but not afraid, I'm afraid I won't find anyone. Since I know that Tu Heihu is stationed in Kaifeng with an army, I will find my military uniform and sneak into the camp. Gu Lengzi will take his head off." .”
Cui Laodao said: "I heard that Tu Hei is extremely brave, and he is by no means easy to deal with. I think we should calm down. Patience is beneficial in the end, and disasters will happen at will. Tu Hei Hu is very superstitious about Feng Shui ancestral graves. If you can dig To dig out his ancestral grave is better than stabbing him a few times, so how can we think of a way to dig out his ancestral grave?"
The three talked and came up with a solution. On the second day, Yang Fang and Meng Ben each found Taoist robes, made Taoist costumes, and pretended to be Cui Laodao's apprentices. They both smeared dirt and put plaster on their faces. , one carrying a cover, and the other carrying a fortune-telling box, followed Cui Laodao to set up a fortune-telling stall in the front street of the Governor's Mansion, while paying attention to the people entering and leaving the Governor's Mansion, and at the same time looking for news, this time to find out the location of Tu Heihu's ancestral grave. After all, moving the ancestral grave is a big event, and it is impossible to keep it secret.
There were a lot of superstitious people in those days. Cui Laodao was the best at tricks in the world. He used the guise of an iron-mouthed overlord, claiming to be "Fang Wai Quanzhen, wandering half immortal, giving hexagrams by name, and not taking a penny." This is a free business. Naturally, there are many people who join in the fun and tell fortunes, and Cui Laodao can say that the people who come to tell fortunes are convinced. In a few days, the city has already spread rumors, and everyone praises him as a divine divination, and the news is passed around , and soon spread to the Governor's Mansion, Tu Heihu was not at home at the time, and Cui Laodao couldn't fool Tu Heihu these two times, but Tu Heihu's wife is a superstitious woman, she especially believes in this, and I heard that there is an old man at the door, and it is strange to see a fortune teller Yes, just invite this old Taoist and his disciples to enter the mansion and talk in the back hall.
Cui Laodao took Yang Fang, the civet cat, and Meng Ben, the grass-headed Taisui, and the three of them took the opportunity to sneak into the governor's mansion. They went to the back hall to see that Tu Heihu's wife was a fat woman in her thirties. She was tall and her face was full of flesh. The corners of the eyes and the brows are full of vigor.
Cui Laodao and the others knew that Tu Heihu was a bandit, and what kind of good could his original wife be, but seeing her today, she is really a tigress.
The tigress asked Cui Laodao to take a seat, and the two Taoist boys let them stand beside them, stepped back, opened their bloody mouths and said, "Master Daoist, I heard that you are good at fortune-telling."
Cui Laodao's eyes were slightly closed, and he recited the Daoist name: "Infinite Heavenly Venerable, what is the point of a poor Taoist with a few means."
The tigress said: "If the Taoist priest is really good at fortune-telling, he will also do it for me today. Look at me..."
Before he finished speaking, Cui Laodao said: "Madam, please stop talking. The old Taoist only said three things after seeing Madam's face. If he said half of the things wrong, I won't bother you to push them out. The three of us, the master and the apprentice, immediately Potatoes move - roll the ball."
Caotou Taisui Meng Ben was worried that Cui Laodao was talking too much, so he winked at Yang Fang, and Yang Fang gave him a wink, which meant that Cui Laodao was an old fritter, and it was not fun to fool this shrew, so don't worry.
It doesn't mean that the two people were winking there, it's just that Cui Laodao muttered something in his mouth: "Appearance and five senses have their own advantages. It turns out that appearance is the most difficult to know. Don't let you judge good or bad at first sight, you have to be more careful..." As he spoke, Looking up at the appearance of the tigress, she praised: "Ma'am, this face is very good. Her face is like a full moon, her lips are like red lotuses, her voice is clear and clear, and the roots of the mountain are unbroken. It is a noble appearance of Wangfu, especially her two ears. It's just not up or down, how long it is, it's really just right, I can tell the whole truth - the helix is close to the flesh, and the house is full of gold and jade; the ears are high and the eyebrows are long, and the earlobe is thick and long, and it is suitable for Tianlu , What a blessing! But..."
The tigress listened to the beginning and just nodded slightly. She is the wife of the military governor. It goes without saying that she is rich, so does Old Taoist Cui need to talk about it?But when he heard the word "Naihe", his heart ached and he quickly asked, "Master Daoist, what is Naihe?"
Cui Laodao said: "However, his complexion has declined. This is bad luck, and he is destined to commit a villain."
The tigress slapped the table violently, the flesh on her face and the teacup trembled: "Oh, my Taoist priest, you are really a god, and I am now a villain!"
Cui Laodao remained calm on his face, and secretly smiled in his heart: "See, you are right about two things."
For fortune-telling and face-to-face fortune-telling, the most important thing is to be able to observe words and expressions, and secondly, to understand the ways of the world. If this person is going smoothly, he will never remember to fortune-telling. On the human side, people think, who has not had many enemies in this life, so the fortune teller said that the villain would be right ninety-nine times out of a hundred, and when he saw the jealous expression of the tigress, he must know After getting rich, Tu Heihu didn't treat him well, and he was jealous of those concubines every day. This is human nature, but the charlatan of fortune-telling knows how to use it flexibly. When it comes to the waist and eyes, the tigress admires him.
Yang Fang and Caotou Taisui Meng Ben stood aside and watched Cui Laodao stunned by the tigress. They couldn't help laughing, but they didn't dare to laugh, so they had to stiffen, with a very strange expression on their faces.
The tigress was praising Cui Laodao for his accurate sight, and when she saw the two Taoist boys winking again, she felt a little unhappy, so she lowered her face and asked Cui Laodao what was going on?
Cui Laodao hurriedly covered up and said: "This is the third thing, ma'am, don't look at my two unfortunate disciples who can't speak and are dumb, but they are quite honest, with insightful eyes and compassion, and I can see that your seal is dark. , the fortune is not good, and there is going to be a catastrophe, they can't bear it in their hearts, but they can't speak, so they show sorrow and compassion."
The tigress asked dubiously: "Are you sure that your two apprentices are not paralyzed? Why do you look like this when you look sad and pitiful? Why do I think they are holding back? Come on, tell me, Taoist priest, what will happen to you?" , Where does the disaster come from?"
Cui Laodao closed his eyes and pinched his fingers to calculate, then suddenly took a breath and said, "Oh, it's terrible, it's your husband's family's ancestral grave..."
This sentence was intended to be tentative, and halfway through the sentence, I deliberately hung up and didn't continue to say it, first to see the other party's reaction, and as the saying goes, this is "to ask for her spring".
As soon as the tigress heard Cui Laodao mentioning the ancestral grave, her face changed drastically: "My old fairy, no one else knows about the moving of the ancestral grave, you figured it out! I said at that time that the ancestral grave should not be moved casually, But the head of our family insisted on relocating to Leigongling. He insisted that the situation in that place was called a greedy wolf descending a mountain. But how do you live?"
Cui Laodao waited for this sentence, and said in his heart: "What kind of fairy, you silly old woman, it's bad luck for Tu Heihu to marry you." He pretended to be calm, and said to the tigress: "Madam, don't be alarmed. Don't worry, it's not a big deal. It's not impossible to move the ancestral graves to other places, but it's disrespectful to disturb the remains of the ancestors. You must make a good dojo, but the secrets of the heavens must not be leaked. Zhouquan will not work, the old Taoist will definitely perform rituals for his wife when he returns to the mountain, to eliminate disasters and reduce disasters, prolong life and increase blessings, keep safe and drive away villains, and his wife will be full of wealth and grandchildren in the future, all of which will be entrusted to the old Taoist. It's just passing on the name and forming a relationship, we master and apprentice should go back to the mountain as soon as possible, don't make any trouble, so I will leave." Saying goodbye to the tigress, he took the two brothers and left the military governor's mansion.
Seeing that Cui Laodao didn't want a big son, it was the trace of an unfathomable fairy, the tigress was even more convinced in her heart, and didn't mention this matter to anyone.
Besides, the three of them came to the outside of the city and saw that there was no one around, so they put down their clothes and looked at each other and laughed.Yang Fang and Caotou Taisui Meng Ben both praised Cui Laodao for his good skills, and found out the location of Tu Heihu's ancestral grave in a few words.
Cui Laodao said: "I really didn't expect Tu Heihu to move his ancestral grave to Leigongling. Speaking of that place, I know a thing or two as an old man. It's such a fierce and evil place. It's a ridge where Feiyunduniao is."
Tu Heihu has always been insidious and vicious, with a deep scheming mind, so he bumped into Cui Laodao and his group. He easily figured out the location of the ancestral grave, but he was still kept in the dark without knowing it.
However, Cui Laodao had his leg broken by someone in the Qing Dynasty. Although he grew back, he couldn't climb the steep and straight mountains, and he couldn't go to Leigongling in person.
Yang Fangwen understood the terrain of the mountain, and found a place for Cui Laodao to live temporarily. He and Caotou Taisui Meng Ben went to the mountain first to steal the precious helmet and armor from Tu Heihu's ancestral grave.
Leigongling is located at the junction of Shanxi and Henan, between the two mountains of Taihang Wangwu. The two dressed up as paper painters and set out on the road. He wears a soft and strong scarf with a six-sided mouth, and guards the lewd flowers on the sideburns. He wears a heroic cloak and carries a dart bag with a single sword on his back." It’s inconvenient. Generally, only those who do business and go to the rivers and lakes go out. Dressing too eye-catchingly or too ordinary will inevitably arouse suspicion. Dressing too eye-catchingly will easily attract attention. Dressing too ordinaryly will make people feel strange in the countryside , there are few people in that kind of place, and they know each other. It is inevitable that an outsider who comes here will not do business or associate with relatives. There are eyes everywhere, and you can't move around.
Therefore, Yang Fang, the civet cat, and Meng Ben, the grass-headed Taisui, dressed up as two paper makers. Yang Fang had also learned this craft when he was young, so he still dressed up like this when he went out to work. It makes people suspicious, no matter how remote the place can go.
The book is brief, and there are few gossips. It only says that these two people were hungry, hungry and thirsty. Located on a mountain, shaped like a screen, there is a long and narrow mountain pass in the middle, just as Cui Laodao said, it is an extremely dangerous place to pass through the clouds and fly birds. The mountain pass looks like a deep stream formed by lightning, probably because of this reason It is called Leigong Ridge, and the ravine runs from top to bottom. This situation is just like the snake on the lower mountain. The ancestral grave of Tu Heihu should be at the head of the snake. In front of the mountain, there is a big village. The two heard from the villagers , This village is called Caolu Village. Wangwu Mountain has been the place where Taoists became immortals since ancient times. There are many Taoist shrines.
Yang Fang nodded secretly, and said in his heart: "This place is surrounded by mountains, protected by barriers, with winding clear water and surrounded by clouds and mists. Here, it must have been pointed out by a great expert, but I don’t know where it is buried, and there is still a world away from finding the general’s tomb and stealing the four treasures.”
The two pretended to be papermakers looking for work, and entered Caolu Village. While helping the villagers paste the roof, they also inquired about Tu Heihu's ancestral grave. The old man in the family died, and he had to do some errands, and the village chief helped him out. He was very busy, and just saw two young masters came to the village. It was really good to try their skills. I have never seen such a thing in the mountains. If you want something good, ask them to tie up a full set of paperwork.
Yang Fang and Caotou Taisui Meng Ben were worried that people would be suspicious, so they had no choice but to push back the work, so they had to cheer up and follow along. It was dark enough to be able to eat and drink. The village chief came here on purpose. Toast, I said that thanks to the two young masters, the paper work is done well, and this trivial matter is too decent, and I have to say that you have traveled all over the world and have seen the world. There has never been such a good craftsmanship in the mountains.
Hitting the magic whip Yang Fang said: "Grandpa, you really know the goods. Our paper work is a handicraft handed down from Fushouzhuang in the Qing Dynasty before the war. It is specially designed to serve the big families in the capital's gates. I don't know how many dignitaries and dignitaries have been sent. Don't let this old man catch up, it's the old man who has such a blessing, so it should be fate for us men."
The village head even claimed that it was good, and said that the roofs of several houses in his family were also to be plastered, and asked the two to stay in the village for a few more days to finish all the work, and then settle the bill together.
As soon as Yang Fang heard this, he asked the village head when the funeral would be held. He was very particular about the time to carry the coffin to the grave for burial. He thought it would be an opportunity to visit the cemetery near the village.
The village chief said that Mr. Yin and Yang should make the calculations. The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon, and the cemetery has been selected. People who died in the village will be buried on the hillside behind the village for generations.
Yang Fang would also ask for a reed, so he used the cliché to say, "It's a big matter in the yin house, you have to find a place with good feng shui..."
The village chief talked a lot after drinking, and said casually: "Our Caolu Village is a treasured place of Taoism. There is no place with bad Fengshui. This village has existed since the Han Dynasty. The weather has always been good, so no one deliberately picks the graveyard. Two years ago, a foreigner fell in love with a cave in the crack of Leigongling Mountain. He carried a coffin all the way to the mountain for burial. Presumably, his ancestors were buried in secret. The coffin was wrapped in a straw mat. , and waited until midnight to bury it, but the villagers who went hunting in the mountains saw it, and who could have concealed it?"
The village chief made a slip of the tongue after drinking a few more words, he did not mean what he said, but Yang Fang and Caotou Taisui Meng Ben did not intend to hear it, it must be the warlord Tu Heihu who ordered people to move the grave secretly. I saw it, Tu Heihu did a lot of evil, God wants him to have this retribution.
Yang Fang thought that he had promised the village chief to put up the roof of the house, and suddenly said that he would leave, which inevitably aroused suspicion.The two lived in Caolu Village for a few days, and found out the path on the mountain.
Three days later, I set out to leave the village, first went around in the mountains, then picked up uninhabited wild trails, and went straight to Leigong Ridge. In front of De Ridge, there were cliffs and cliffs, half of the mountain pass was split, and clouds and mist came out of it. In the depths, pines and cypresses are verdant, and the mountain spring is clear. I saw "thousand-layered strange rocks provoke idle clouds, and a flying spring hangs down to practice", and birds and beasts such as brown-eared pheasants and leopards appeared from time to time. Okay, the birds are passing by, climbing vines and sticking to the bottom of the valley.
To the north of Caolu Village, the mountains overlap and block each other. One after another, there are big mountain beams that cannot be bypassed. Since ancient times, there is no way to go, and there are traces of snakes and beasts. Almost no one in the village goes there. Yang Fang and Meng Ben I'm not afraid of any beasts and bandits, and I didn't bring a gun when I came out. At that time, I had to search my body when I went out of the city and entered the city. Carrying a gun on my body was more likely to cause trouble. Yang Fang was carrying a copper whip on his back. Put it in the waist, ready to smash the coffin, carry a few pieces of dry food each, and then go into the mountain, not paying attention to Tu Heihu's ancestral grave at all.
When I came to the foot of Leigongling Mountain Pass, I saw rocks and rocks in the deep valley. I looked up, the cliffs on both sides faced each other, and a line of white mist spewed out from it, like a jade belt piercing through it. Looking for the snake down the mountain, I found the bottom of the valley. Yang Fang stretched out his hand to touch it. Put the soil under the rock root, put it on your nose and smell it, and look at the grass color of the soil mark, which is obviously the ripe soil that has been turned over in recent years, and asked Caotou Taisui Meng Ben to dig it out. The soil layer is deep and there are five colors of mud underneath. After digging for half a day, a large black-painted coffin was revealed. There were some copper coins on the coffin lid, and two jade bowls were placed. There was lamp oil in the bowls. When the coffin is taken out, a long-burning lamp must be lit on the coffin. Before re-burying the coffin, the light cannot be extinguished. This is also a common practice. Yang Fang and Caotou Taisui Meng Ben also have a common practice. Whatever is there is drawn and packed into a sack.
Meng Ben asked Yang Fang: "Sixth brother, do you think this is the coffin of Tu Heihu's ancestor?"
Yang Fang said: "It's true that the coffin is in the style of the Qing Dynasty, but I don't know if the coffin inside is not."
While speaking, it was already dark in the mountains. Yang Fang lit the lantern and looked around the coffin again. He saw that the soil on the coffin was different from the soil here. It should have been dug out from the old grave two or three years ago. , Moved here, he saw it right, nodded to Caotou Taisui Meng Ben, and said: "No mistake, it must be the coffin of the Qing Dynasty military general of the ancestor of the Tu family. The Tu Heihu really worked hard for the ancestral grave." , this time we want him to look good."
Meng Ben was overjoyed when he heard the words, rolled up his arms and sleeves, pulled out the axe, and smashed it against the coffin. The general's grave was buried in the mountain without sealing or erecting it. Those eyes are so easy to use. Once you know the situation and the acupoint, it is impossible not to find it. The year when the Nian Army was wiped out was the end of the Qing Dynasty, and the national power was declining. The outer coffin, but the wooden planks of the coffin are very thick and nailed tightly, but Meng Ben couldn't stand it and smashed it hard, smashing open the coffin lid, and with a puff of white air, the dead body inside was exposed.
Yang Fangmeng stepped back two steps, covered his face with a black scarf, waited until the yin qi accumulated in the coffin dissipated, put down the lantern, lit a candle and held it in his hand, and went to the coffin to watch. There was a person lying stiff in the coffin, He is tall and tall, wrapped in a brocade quilt, with a black beard under his jaw, and a lifelike face. He is wearing a military general, a heavenly king helmet on his head, and a Tai Sui armor. He holds a seven-star sword in his arms. Extra things, this is also the true nature of a warrior.
Meng Ben said: "Look, brother six, these are treasure helmets, treasure armors, and treasure swords. Without a horse, it's useless to take a dead horse anyway. Just take his three treasures."
Yang Fang said: "I think there is still a treasure on this dead body. This person has been dead for fifty or sixty years, and after moving the grave and coffin, his face is still alive. If I didn't miss it, there must be a treasure in his mouth."
Meng Ben said: "Sixth brother, when did you miss your eyes? I'll dig it out and see what kind of bead it is..." As he spoke, he wrapped the neck of the dead body with hemp rope, pulled his head up, and put the thumb of his left hand against the body. With the back of the head, the right hand pressed the two cheeks, the dead man's mouth suddenly opened, and there was indeed a big bead in the mouth, which was a luminous bead when it was pulled out.
Yang Fang saw that the pearl shone for ten steps, it was a rare item, so he wrapped it up and put it in a sack. At this time, Meng Ben took off his helmet and took off all the valuable things on the corpse. , Armor is Suozi Lianhuan Taisui Armor, the seven-star sword is the scabbard of shark skin, the black and heavy sword body is engraved with the pattern of the seven-star Big Dipper, and looking at the corpse in the coffin, after the treasure was taken, the skin suddenly collapsed The flesh is sunken, and the face is rotten.
The two wrapped a sack, set fire, burned the coffin and the dead body together, then dug up the sealing soil and scattered it around, completely destroying the grave, and left the mountain after dawn. Feeling, all the way back to an inn outside Luoyang City, told Cui Laodao what had happened, at night in the inn closed the doors and windows, lit candles, put the sacks on the table, and looked at them one by one.
Cui Laodao said with a smile: "You must know that my two brothers will make a move, there is nothing that cannot be done."
Yang Fang said: "Tougong is still the Taoist priest's. If the Taoist priest didn't deceive the tigress with a few words, how would he know that Tu Heihu's ancestral grave is in Leigong Ridge. When we go there to dig graves and steal treasures, it's like searching for something. .”
Cui Laodao nodded and said: "That fellow Tu Heihu would never have imagined that his family's ancestral grave has been ruined."
Meng Ben said: "This is the only way to relieve the hatred. If he knows about Tu Heihu, he will be furious if he finds out. Brother Daochang, how much do you think these treasures are worth?"
Cui Laodao said that there were still some valuable things in the former Qing Dynasty, but they also scored something. This Heavenly King Helmet Taisui Armor is not an ancient thing. It may be a reward for military exploits, or it may be looted from the time of encircling and suppressing the Nian army. Although it is a small object, there is no second one that can match it, followed by this precious sword, and those two The jade bowl in which the lamp oil is placed, although this jade bowl is inconspicuous, is also an object from the Han Dynasty. It must have been stolen when Tu Heihu led his troops to dig up an ancient tomb in the Han Dynasty. The Seven Star Sword is from the Northern Song Dynasty, and it is also a rare antique. The current market is not very good, but if you sell this sack, you can get as much money as possible.
Cui Laodao paused when he mentioned this, and then said: "The three of us brothers will each get a share of this money. Old Daoist, I am a poor man who will never die of hunger in this life. I can't make a fortune. If I make a fortune, I will be unlucky. That’s how much money is bad, so my share is all used to help the victims of the Yellow River disaster, and the remaining two shares, each of you brothers, this is ill-gotten wealth, so it’s okay to take it.”
Yang Fang said: "Brother Daoist, my little brother has heard that since ancient times, wealth and honor have been like empty flowers, and glory has been like a bubble. Only loyal ministers, righteous men and heroes are the only ones who can be famous forever. If I was greedy for a little property, there are many rich people and huge houses in the world, why should I steal the ancestral grave of Heihu? When we did this work, we agreed in advance that we would do good and eliminate evil for the heavens, so my share is also with my brother Same, all used to help the victims.”
Meng Ben said: "Don't be too righteous, you two. These days, you need money for the store when you go out, and money for food when you go out. Let's keep three melons and two dates by our side."
Yang Fang said: "That's right, why don't you save some?"
Cui Laodao was the eldest brother, so he was embarrassed to talk about the money when he came up. He knew that Meng Ben must say so, so he nodded quickly and said: "Then keep a little, but you can't keep too much."
The three of them discussed where to sell these things, and they didn't go to sleep until midnight, and the next day they packed up their things and set off on the road. Cui Laodao was inconvenient in his legs and feet, and couldn't walk long distances, so Yang Fang bought a donkey cart and let him sit on it for three days. I stopped and stopped along the way, there was a lot of chaos outside, and I couldn't see a few pedestrians along the way. At noon, I went to a small noodle shop by the side of the road to rest, ordered a few bowls of noodles, and was eating there. The cart is pulling a large Zanxin coffin, which seems to be sending the deceased back to their hometown for burial.
Yang Fang and the others had traveled all over the river and lake for a long time, peeking at the marks on the wheels of the car, they knew that the contents of the coffin were not light, and it was definitely not a dead body. Then they saw that there were four people in this group, three men and one woman, and the leader was about fifty The old man is not too old, but his temples are already gray, and he is dressed in rustic clothes, but he is dignified and kind, and there is a big girl beside the old man, who is also dressed as a village girl, but no matter how you look at it The eldest lady in the city has long eyebrows, a pair of almond eyes, and a look like autumn water, so beautiful that people dare not look directly at them. The other two, one is a pothead with the appearance of a servant, and the other is a country man with shoulders. His eyes are treacherous, not like a kind person.
Yang Fang and the others were secretly amazed, with their eyesight, they couldn't tell what this group of people were doing, and they didn't want to be troublesome at this moment, so they ignored it and just concentrated on eating noodles.
Cui Laodao ate half of it, and said to Yang Fang and Meng Ben in a low voice: "At dawn today, Lao Dao, I saw a line of blood in the sky. The water level of the Yellow River will inevitably rise sharply, we must hurry on our way as soon as possible, so as not to encounter the catastrophe of flooding in the Yellow River."
Meng Ben said: "Brother Taoist, you got up so early the first day, what day is it not like this?"
Cui Laodao said: "Silly brother, I think your brother is good, just one or two days, something will happen."
Yang Fang said: "The Yellow River has just flooded, and there will be disasters one after another. Will the people still be allowed to live?"
Cui Laodao sighed: "The avenue is far away, and the wrath of the sky is constant. Just watch, big things are yet to come."
As the saying goes, "Close your mouth and hide your tongue, you will be in prison everywhere", just because Cui Laodao said this one more sentence while eating noodles, a murderous disaster will come to the door.
The small noodle shop by the side of the road is not big, only these two groups eat. The old man delivering the coffin sat behind Cui Laodao. Feeling brave, he couldn't help but look over here a few more times. Hearing Cui Laodao said that the sky is about to change, and the Yellow River is still in a catastrophe. The weather has been fine these two days, why do you think the weather will change?"
Cui Laodao boasted: "Infinite Heavenly Venerable, the old Daoist is not a prophet, but he just takes advantage of the wind and knows the signs by observing the sky."
The old man asked: "The Taoist priest is so capable, which famous cave mansion does he practice in?"
Meng Ben spoke quickly, and before Cui Laodao could answer, he said: "What is the name of the cave, my Taoist priest has no house and no money, he only sleeps in the kiln in the south of the city, and usually goes to the gate of the city to set up a stall for fortune-telling."
The old man smiled when he heard the words, and said: "So it's a trick of the rivers and lakes..." Then he turned around and didn't plan to talk to Cui Laodao any more.
This matter should be put on hold in normal times, Cui Laodao doesn't care about it, but at this moment he is acting impulsively, thinking: "This old man is quite unusual. Those who live in temples and have status and status have always looked down on quack tricks. Today I If I don't show some skills, even my two brothers will have to laugh at me."
Cui Laodao thought about it, he laughed, and said: "Meeting by chance, it is fate to meet each other. I am an old Taoist today, selling eye medicine Zhang Tianshi--give up your name, how about giving you a word test? If you are right, Dude help me pass on a name, please don’t laugh at me if I’m not sure.”
The eldest lady was not interested in this, and advised the old man not to pay attention to this old man, so as not to be deceived, but the old man was very curious, and said: "Okay, interesting." Immediately dipped his chopsticks in the noodle soup and wrote a letter on the table Lu Zi, said: "The Taoist just said it well, we met by chance on the way, and we are both passers-by, so I will ask for a Lu Zi."
Cui Laodao glanced at the words on the table, sneered, and said: "Words are the voice of the heart, and words are drawn from the heart. Seeing that the word is written seriously, you must be a character who dares to act and refuses to lag behind." , we are the word for the road, I don’t know what the old man wants to ask?”
The old man said: "The Taoist priest will see which bowl of rice I eat."
Cui Laodao said: "At the beginning of the intersection, it seems that the old man is the same as the poor, and they both eat their own food."
As soon as these words came out, the old man and the few people around him all showed surprise on their faces.
Yang Fang and Meng Ben laughed secretly in their hearts, and Cui Laodao was blinded again. The old man who delivered the coffin did not look like a farmer, and his handwriting was good. There are too many, fortune-telling, fortune-telling, singing, opera and storytelling in the world are all open-mouthed. This kind of pampered person can't do hard work, and doing business and being an official must use their mouths. Isn't it also open-mouthed?But Cui Laodao's ability to change randomly is really unmatched by anyone.
The old man said: "To tell you the truth, I am indeed a businessman. Now I want to take this coffin to do a big event. I don't know the result of this trip. I beg the Taoist priest to give me some advice?"
Cui Laodao didn't even think about it, and said: "This word for road has a mouth at the beginning and a mouth at the end. There is nothing in the word. When it comes, the mouth is empty, and when it goes, the mouth is empty. Don't be surprised if I say a bad word. Words are not auspicious omens."
After hearing this, the old man felt lost, and was speechless for a while, among the few people who were delivering the coffin with him, the man with the shoulders suddenly stood up and shouted: "Old proprietor, don't listen to this old thief's nonsense, he This world is capable of scaring you, but I can't hide it from me, Bian Hailong. These three are obviously thieves digging graves. When I came in, I could smell the sinister aura of graves on them. I'm afraid they still carry stolen goods. Do you dare to open the baggage behind you to take a look..."
Before the Bian Hailong finished speaking, he stretched out his hand and pulled out a shell gun from his pocket. He wanted to pull out the gun to frighten people, but his bluff did not mean that he really intended to shoot. Fang's Hitting Whip arrived, and the strike was so fast that everyone felt their eyes shaking, a strong wind hit their faces, and heard a "crack" sound, and looked at the mirror box gun in Bian Hailong's hand, it was all beaten by the copper whip It was smashed on the ground, shaking the jaws of Bian Hailong's hands, and the table in front of him was also broken into two pieces. He stood in a daze on the spot, at a loss. No one could clearly see what happened at that moment. When Bian Hailong returned When he came to his senses, he realized that he had stumbled when he encountered a hard hand, and he didn't have the face to stay any longer. He turned around and ran out of the small restaurant without looking back, and fled far away.
Yang Fang knocked out the opponent's sniper, he didn't grow angry, his face didn't change, his face was calm, he was a little proud, he punched the old man, said offended, and then put away the copper whip.
Meng Ben pointed at the old man, and said to the owner of the noodle restaurant, "Let him pay for the broken things. They were the ones who started it first."
The owner of the noodle shop is an honest person, so he dared not respond. At this time, the young lady took out the money, saying that she broke the tables and chairs, and gave it to the noodle shop owner together with the food money for these people, and asked the boss if he had enough, the noodle shop owner trembled After taking the money, he even said: "Enough is enough, it's enough to sell my restaurant. The guest officials are free... Feel free..." Before he finished speaking, he had already hid in the back room, and he didn't say hello any more. Ken came out.
The old proprietor of Bian Hailong's mouth stood up and said: "The brother next to the Taoist priest is young, but his skills are good, I'm afraid he is not a paper poster, are you really a green forest man who robs graves?"
Cui Laodao and the others saw that the other party was neither civil nor military, they pushed a big coffin, followed by Bian Hailong with a gun.身上包袱里有明器，没法再隐瞒了，但崔老道很会说话，他说：“实不相瞒，老道弟兄三个有名有号，江湖人称铁嘴霸王活子牙崔道成，赛狸猫打神鞭杨方，草头太岁孟奔，我辈素怀忠义，要学古代侠烈之士，立志除暴去恶，扶危济困。如今天下正乱，上无王道，下无王法，老百姓都没活路了，我们兄弟不得不替天行道，前往雷公岭草庐村，挖开了军阀首领屠黑虎的祖坟，此去是要将这些东西换成粮食，用来救济黄河两岸的灾民，咱虽低微贫贱，誓不拿不义之财，也不取无名之物，绝不是盗墓的贼寇。”
那老者听完，再次仔细打量了一番崔老道等人，正色说道：“闻名久矣，也是老天开眼，让我有幸遇见道长这等高人，有件大事要说给三位知晓。”
原来军阀头子屠黑虎，暗中盗挖古墓，把国宝卖与洋人，惹得天怒人怨，但世道荒乱，屠黑虎手握重兵，没人管得了他，最近屠黑虎带兵在开封活动，是想挖掘一座消失于北宋年间的古寺，这座古刹殿宇宏大，位于黄河边上，称为护国大佛寺，但黄河水患，自古已有，几千年来，黄河泥沙淤积，使河床逐渐增高，所以说开封是天上河，河比城高，加上黄河几次改道，大水多次淹没这座古都，北宋仁宗年间开封是都城汴梁，在黄河边上造了这座大护国寺，以求万民平安，寺中供奉两尊千手千眼佛像，一大一小，小的那尊千手佛是尊嵌满珍宝的金佛，大宋王朝的无价之宝，没想到后来黄河泛滥，发了场空前的大洪水，大水推动泥沙，彻底吞没了大护国寺，到如今沧海桑田，朝代更迭，谁也不知道泥沙覆盖下的大护国寺到底在哪了。
军阀屠黑虎听闻寺中那尊千手千眼佛像，乃是价值连城的重宝，便带兵在黄河边上寻找大护国寺的废墟，妄图挖出佛像，交给洋人换取一批军火，这位姓赵的老东主，是个资财巨富的大商人，年轻时喜欢游历冒险，异常痴迷于考古和文物，常找机会到海外回购流失的国宝，得知屠黑虎盗挖重宝之事，连写几封血书给当局，那些官僚们都收了屠黑虎的钱，个个要当好好先生，没人肯做闲冤家，都推说没有真凭实据管不了，赵东主急得没办法，计划抢先找到大护国寺，挖出千手千眼佛像藏起来，免得重宝落入军阀手中，落在军阀手里还好说，如果流失海外，身为炎黄子孙，今后哪还有面目去见列祖列宗，当逢乱世，以盗止盗，也是万般无奈之举，另外根据史书文献记载，这座被埋在沙土底下的大护国寺中，还有个不得了的秘密。
这口大棺材里，装着“猎枪、电灯、头盔、铲子”等物品，带猎枪是为了防身，怕遇见土匪，装备全放在棺材里，冒充送死去的亲人还乡，则是便于在军阀占据的地盘上行走，免得引人注目，又用重金请了个叫边海龙的盗墓贼做帮手，不成想此人鼻子不错胆子不大，色厉而胆薄，一动手就让杨方给吓跑了，剩下的人除了赵东主，还有他的侄女澹台明月，另一个留着锅盖头的下人，是赵东主的家仆赵二保，虽然没什么大本事，但跟在他身边多年，也是十分忠诚可靠。
赵东主说没了专门吃盗墓这碗饭的行家里手相助，很难有万全之把握，又要赶在屠黑虎之前得手，时间非常紧迫，来不及再找别人了，请崔老道等人务必相助一臂之力，事成之后，他愿意拿出重金酬谢。
崔老道刚才都把大话说出去了，什么素怀忠义，什么侠烈之士，这等为国为民的大事怎能不做？他跟杨方和孟奔两人商议了一下，反正只要是跟屠黑虎过不去的事，哥儿几个都愿意干，何况还给钱呢，再说找一尊千手千眼佛像，也不是什么了不起的大活儿，有杨方一个人前去已绰绰有余，崔老道腿脚不利索，先由孟奔送他过黄河，过些天到黄河以北的高台镇会合。
赵东主得知杨方愿意相助，深感欣慰，心想：“凭此人的身手，尽可以一当十。”
两伙人当下在小饭馆里作别，杨方嘱咐孟奔：“兄弟，你好生照看道长，我去几天便回。”
崔老道说：“六弟啊，我看天时不对，可能真要闹大灾了，你们途中务必留神，此外那个屠黑虎太厉害了，他要真想在黄河边上找寻这尊千眼千手佛宝像，难免不会跟你撞上，你自己也多加小心吧，记住哥哥这句话，宁在世上挨，不在土里埋，千万别意气用事跟他较劲，古人有言'霸王自刎在乌江，有智周瑜命不长，多少阵前雄猛将，皆因争气一身亡'，一旦遇上危难，三十六计走为上计，以你的本事，想要脱身不难。”
杨方说：“道长哥哥放心，我全都记下了。”心中却想：“屠黑虎纵然了得，单打独斗我也不怵他。”
崔老道之前在小饭馆里占了一个“路”字，算出赵东主此行不会顺利，他那卦术十卦九不准，全是江湖上糊弄人的手段，但在世上混得年头多了，看事看人真是准得出奇，暗觉来日大难，前路不祥，委实放心不下，再三嘱咐杨方多加小心，然后跟着孟奔过黄河往北去了。
不表他们怎么渡河，单说杨方一行四人，沿着黄河一路往东，那年月兵荒马乱，出门不敢露白，都打扮成乡下人，赶着那辆拉着大棺材的骡车，也没有马匹，因为有马容易被杀人越货的乱兵土匪盯上。
赵东主对杨方颇为倚重，他说：“先前听道长管你叫杨方？这是兄弟的真名实姓吗？”杨方说：“我一个没头鬼，爹娘都不知道在哪，哪里有什么真名实姓，当年我师傅是在杨县方家山把我捡回来的，这不就姓杨名方了。”赵东主道：“原来如此，终归是英雄不问出处，杨兄弟你的身世倒与我这侄女有几分相似。”杨方道：“老东主这话从何说起？”澹台明月听赵东主提到了自己，忙道：“叔父，你别同他说。”赵东主说：“无妨，杨兄弟不是外人。”他又对杨方说：“我这侄女也是个没爹没娘苦命的孩子。”杨方奇道：“大小姐也生来无父无母？”赵东主说：“是啊，这件事的来龙去脉，连她自己也不甚清楚，我今天正好给你们说说，说这话是二十年前，还有大清国那会儿。”
清朝末年，赵东主还没这么富有，为了赚钱求学，跟英国人渡海下南洋投机冒险，不料在大海上遇到了狂风巨浪，座船险些覆没，桅杆让风打断了，只能漫无目的地在海上漂流，直到水粮断绝快要饿死的时候，忽然来了一伙海盗，皆着明时衣冠，他们把船拖到一座孤岛上，那岛上森林茂密，山中有个很大的洞窟，里面盖着许多房屋，宛如一座城池，赵东主随着船上的俘虏，被海盗押进洞窟深处，就看里面供着一尊泥像，也是古衣古冠顶盔掼甲，像是这些海盗的祖先之像，洞里金银珠宝堆积如山，盗首是个慷慨英雄的人物，对赵东主还算不错，给吃给喝，问了他一些家里的情形，又与他结为兄弟，有一天夜里，盗首请赵东主来到一处石屋，请他饮酒叙谈，说起了这个海盗洞窟的来历，那是满清八旗铁甲入关之时，有一路明朝败军，在一位总兵的带领下，逃到了大海荒岛上做了海盗，那位总兵会看风水地理，看出这孤岛形势奇绝，可以占据此岛抗衡清军，但岛上的女人不能停留超过一年，否则风水就破了，一旦失了风水形势，这个岛也就完了，于是立下规矩，海盗们抢来的女人，要在一年之内全部处死，生下孩子若是女婴，也一律杀了，绝不留半个活口，以免岛屿的位置泄露出去，引来朝廷大军征剿，此后两百余年，盘踞在岛上的海盗无不依祖训行事，传到如今这位海盗首领，去年在海船上抢来一个女人，这个女人容貌极美，又怀了盗首的孩子，两人动了真情，盗首不忍心将她杀死，一年后生下一个女儿，如果让人发现了，母女两个都得被杀，恰在此时，赵东主所乘的船只被群盗虏至岛上，首领见此人见识举止不凡，必不会久居人下，便跟他结拜兄弟，赠送了很多财宝，又把座船修好，让他带着自己的妻女，逃离这个孤岛，结果在逃亡的时候，不巧被海岛上的群盗发觉，这伙人跟忠于首领的海盗们发生了惨烈的火并，几乎全死光了，洞窟里的城池也被大火烧为了白地，侥幸没死的都让这场大火烧死了，那女子投海殉夫，只剩下赵东主怀抱两三个月大的女婴，乘船逃回了陆地，他从那以后发了家，把这个女孩视为亲生骨肉，只知道那盗首复姓澹台，逃出来的那天夜里，大海上月明如昼，就取个名字叫澹台明月，他身家性命和财产，可以说全得盗首义兄所赐，没这个孩子他也不可能活着离开那座海岛，澹台明月自小天生喜欢骑马狩猎，大概是巨盗之后，天性使然，赵东主拿她也没办法，宠得没边儿了，要星星不给月亮，只好遍请名师传授弓马剑术，但这次是和杀人不眨眼的大军阀屠黑虎做对，实是要冒天大的风险，他告诉打神鞭杨方，万一他此行有个三长两短，请杨方一定照看好澹台明月，因为他有预感这趟凶多吉少，但不能眼睁睁看着军阀拿国宝去和洋人换枪炮，不得不以身涉险。
澹台明月说：“叔父别说这些不吉利的话，我用不着别人照顾，您也不会有事。”
杨方以为只是到黄河边上挖一尊千手千眼观音的造像，在他看来根本不算什么难事，能有什么凶险？因此也劝赵东主宽心，屠黑虎不过是一介军阀头子而已，我打神鞭杨方连他的祖坟都掏了，他又能奈我何？
赵东主说：“杨兄弟超群出众，却不可因为英雄不羁，就甘于埋没草莽，似你这番神技，怎能只用来盗挖军阀祖坟，却不思量做番大事业出来？”
赵东主在路上推心置腹谈了许多，杨方心下不以为然：“让这老东主连吃几个月窝头咸菜，保准他再也顾不上忧国忧民了。”
这天下午，到了黄河边上的一处古渡，此地是片河套，只见黄水翻涌奔流，轰隆作响，南边黄土黄沙，地势空旷，有几间稀稀落落的土坯房，上面插着一杆破旗，写着“古渡客栈”四个字，让西风吹得猎猎作响，远处有几只野狗在啃死人的骨头，平野漠漠，望过去仅是几个极小的黑点。
赵东主对照地图看了许久，对其余三人说据他多年收集考证的线索，北宋年间的大护国寺正在此地，殿堂佛塔都被横河泛滥带动的泥沙埋住了，军阀屠黑虎却以为这座古寺在开封城附近，所以军阀部队只在城墙周围挖掘，离此甚远，此处有个十分偏僻古渡客栈，先在客栈中落脚住下，再仔细寻找，定有所获，尽量低调行事，别让外人发觉。
杨方说：“东主有所不知，传闻黄河古渡边的客栈是处黑店，专卖人肉包子，你们推着口大棺材冒充送亡故之人还乡，瞒瞒军阀和草贼也就罢了，却瞒不过那些开店老江湖，进去准被人家用药麻翻，五花好肉切做包子馅儿，脑袋手脚和骨头下水扔进黄河。”
那三个人听了此言，立时感到一阵反胃，更觉得不寒而栗，世道这么乱，卖人肉包子的事只怕未必是传闻。
二保庆幸地说：“多亏六哥提醒，要不然咱们住在这里，非吃了人肉馅儿的包子不可。”
杨方说：“兄弟，咱吃几个人肉包子也不算什么，像二保你这样一身五花肉，却是上好的包子馅儿，那店主肯定趁你不备，诳你喝下蒙汗药，麻翻了扒个溜光，绑到剥人凳上……”
二保惊道：“六哥，听说开黑店的也是绿林好汉，他们横不能不分好歹，见人就宰吧？”
澹台明月说：“二保你别信他危言耸听，他又不曾住过这个客栈，凭什么说人家是卖人肉包子的黑店。”
赵东主说：“不得不防，杨兄弟说得没错，咱们用骡车拉着一口棺材，走在路上还好说，在客栈里连住几天，必定会招人耳目，杨兄弟依你之见，咱们该怎如何应对？”
杨方说：“按道儿上的规矩，只好多给店家些钱，把事情说明白了，让人家别理会咱们的闲事。”
四个人商量定了，赶着骡车走过去，到了古渡客栈才发现里外空无一人，屋里积满了灰尘，看样子前不久黄河泛滥，这客栈里的人早逃走了，只有这几间低矮漏风的土屋在此，如此一来也省去了不少麻烦，赵二保不再担心被做成人肉包子，兴高采烈将骡子拴到门口，忙前忙后收拾屋子，这时天色将晚，风沙渐烈，风声犹如鬼哭狼嚎，刮得天际间一片暗黄。
众人有了这古渡客栈的房屋为依托，心里安稳了不少，若是走在前不着村后不着店的去处，遇上这阵狂风，可没有办法过夜。
几个人将那口沉重的大棺材搬进客栈，胡乱吃了些干粮充饥，二保到灶下烧水，赵东主对杨方和澹台明月说：“咱们必须赶在军阀屠黑虎找到此地之前得手，时间不等人，今天夜里好好休息一下，明天天一亮就开始寻找埋在沙土之下的大护国寺。”
杨方打开棺材，看里面有四支双管猎枪和炸药，如今这地方荒无人烟，夜里除了有野狗饿狼出没，还可能遇到土匪，需要带枪防身，另外照明的电灯，挖土的铲子，就连猎装和干粮等物也是一应俱全，看来准备的十分充分。
赵东主取出随身的本子，其中有一页描绘着护国大佛寺的布局，找到其中任何一座殿堂或佛堂，再以此图作为参照，就可以确定正殿的位置了，卧佛巨像和千手千眼菩萨，都在古寺的正殿里，他说看古渡客栈几间破屋后面，有一处土丘，比别的地方都要高出一块，要是所料不错，应该是护国寺的佛塔，那么客栈土屋底下即是正殿。
杨方说：“此事岂不易如反掌，只要地方找准了，明天打个洞下去，到大殿里挖出那尊千眼千手佛，多说一两日，那便大功告成了。”
赵东主说：“没那么简单，我有件事，要到了这里才能跟你们说，关于北宋年间造于黄河边上的大护国寺，还有个很可怕的传说，你相信不相信……那尊千手千眼佛像底下镇着黄河里的妖怪。”
杨方听出这里边有名堂，问道：“老东主，大护国的佛像下面镇着什么……山妖水怪？此话怎讲？”
赵东主说：“那是很多年以前的传说了，我担心移动了佛像，会有想也想不到的祸事发生。”
澹台明月说：“叔父不必多虑，那些野史志怪中的传说记载，又岂能当真。”
赵东主说但愿是我想得太多了，总之看见那尊千眼千手佛的宝像，也就知道是怎么一回事了。
杨方又问：“挖到佛像之后，要装在这口棺材里搬运走？”
赵东主说道：“不错，那尊佛像大小和常人接近，装在棺材里运过黄河，寻个军阀找不到的地方埋起来，天底下不可能总这么乱，军阀头子屠黑虎自持其勇，好杀不已，将来必犯天道之忌，难免不测之忧，迟早有他的一个下场，等到乱世平定之后，咱们再把千手千眼佛像取出来还之于民。”
杨方感觉此事颇有蹊跷，还想追问赵东主千眼千手佛像下镇着什么妖怪，可赵东主上了岁数，连日赶路十分疲惫，到赵二保收拾干净的屋子里睡觉去了，他也不好再去追问。
黄河古渡边的荒废客栈，里面有七八间屋子是客房，都有现成的木板床，扫去灰尘便可就寝，赵东主住了最西头的一间，此刻时辰还早，其余三人就坐在前堂，点了盏煤油灯，整理棺材中的装备，以便明日一早动手，客栈破屋里四下透风，吹得油灯明一阵暗一阵，又听外边不时传来嗷嗷怪叫，也分不清那是狼嗥还是风声，气氛格外诡异。
澹台明月想起杨方说这是卖人肉包子的黑店，白天她倒不怕，此刻天黑下来，也不禁有些毛骨悚然，她责怪杨方说：“杨六，我看这客栈从里到外，根本没有剥人凳之类的东西，你之前果然是在胡编。”
杨方心想：“我往常在江湖上走动，谁敢不尊我一声杨六哥，偏你这大小姐不把我放在眼内，一口一个杨六，我要不吓得你做上一夜噩梦，我也妄称英雄好汉……”
杨方动了这个念头，对澹台明月和二保说，想不到这黄河边上的古渡客栈竟已荒废，人肉包子之事以前果真是有，这是我师傅亲身所历，那一年我师傅到这一带做生意，一个人路过黄河边的古渡客栈，看周围当真是“荒村寥落人烟稀，野鸟无名只乱啼”，那时店里有个寡妇当老板娘，带了两个蠢汉做伙计，卖给我师傅热腾腾一盘包子，我师傅一看那包子肉馅儿全是油，又香又滑……
澹台明月听得暗暗皱眉，二保则捂着嘴想吐：“六哥，你师傅吃了人肉包子？”
杨方说那倒没有，我师傅那眼力，一看包子肉馅儿，觉得像是人的股肉，股肉在哪知道吗？就是大腿屁股附近的肉，要不哪来这么大油呢，故此起了疑心，忍着饿没吃，夜里在客栈的房间中睡觉，半夜三更前后，他老人家正睡在木板子铺上，就听有人在床底下，拿手挠他这个床板，“嘎吱嘎吱”的响啊，一听这声音，吓得人浑身寒毛孔都张了嘴。
杨方能言善道，说得绘声绘色，屋外又是鬼哭般的风声，听得二保怕上心来，却又忍不住想往下听，连问后来怎样？莫非是黑店的人藏在床下，要把你师傅宰了当做包子肉馅儿？
杨方说不是，要是店里的歹人躲在床下，他抓挠这铺板做什么？我师傅心里也是纳着闷儿啊，敲打两下不响了，过会儿又挠铺板，师傅他老人家点上蜡烛往床底下一照，我的个娘啊，是个没有人头的死人，可能是当天刚被害死，藏在铺下还没来得及收尸，腿上的肉都被割尽当了包子馅儿，不知道是尸变了还是怎么着，这个无头的死人在用手指挠床板！
澹台明月知道这多半只是杨方随口说来吓唬人的，但在荒废的古渡客栈里听这些鬼怪之事，也没法子不怕，心中惴惴难安。
杨方嘿嘿一笑，说咱都早点歇着吧，明天可有得忙活，说罢进屋关上房门，将打神鞭横放在头下，诸事不想，心头一片空明，不久就睡着了，忽然起了一阵阴风，恶寒透骨，身上顿时起了层鸡皮疙瘩，他睁开眼一看，屋门让风给吹开了，从外走进来一个全身是血的人。
杨方吃了一惊，一下子惊醒过来，发觉身上全是冷汗，再看已是夜半更深，屋门仍然关着，屋中哪有什么浑身是血的人，他心说：“我随口编了些人肉包子的事，只想吓吓那个不知天高地厚的大小姐，怎么倒把自己吓着了，深更半夜做这等怪梦，好没来由。”
杨方的师傅金算盘下落不明，没把摸金符传给他，所以他行事不按摸金校尉的规矩，又在江湖上学了绝艺在身，胆色不同一般，但梦到什么他自己也做不了主，看看房前屋子后没什么反常之处，倒头又睡，刚闭上眼，阴风忽起，屋门又开了，从屋外走进一个全身血肉模糊的人，一步一步走到近前，杨方大叫一声，从梦中惊醒，看屋里什么也没有，冷汗湿透了衣衫，心头狂跳不止，怎么会连做两个相同的梦？
他心想：“这可邪了，这古渡客栈里闹鬼不成？不过这时要出去把其余几人惊动起来，大小姐和二保非取笑我不可，我往后还有何面目同人说长道短？”
杨方从铺板上下来，又在屋里前前后后看了一遍，真没有什么古怪之处，寻付道：“疑心生