Рай — это берег праха смертных - Глава 4
Meanwhile, the township government secretary rushed into the kitchen, pulled down all the strings of dried chilies that were hanging under the eaves of the villager's house to dry, and threw them into the large pot to start a fire.
Just as everyone was in chaos, the little person inside the boy's belly in the ice coffin leaped up and landed on the ground, then ran away...
Chapter 5, Part 1
Shen Caihua stared at the blind old man in surprise and asked in astonishment, "Grandpa, you want to catch 'Brother Ling'?"
"Hehe, I've already captured 'Sister Ling,' so naturally I'll capture 'Brother Ling' as well, to bring them together in marriage. They're a perfect match, a match made in heaven." The blind old man smiled eerily.
Shen Caihua blinked and asked, "Do they have babies?"
"Give it to me," the old man suddenly stretched his arm out and snatched the remaining smoked rabbit from Caihua's hand, then replied, "Of course, their offspring are what I truly desire."
"Where is Sister Ling?" Shen Caihua tilted his head and looked at the old man.
The blind old man patted his belly as he ate the rabbit and said, "Look, it's inside my stomach."
Shen Caihua was stunned. After thinking for a while, he cautiously took two steps closer, stared at the old man's stomach, and asked softly, "Sister Ling, Sister Ling, can you hear me?"
"Hehe... What do you want from me?" The blind old man's abdomen indeed made a sound, clear and melodious, like a little girl.
Shen Cai was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Sister Ling, can you predict the missing child?"
"Hehe, you still haven't told me who you are?" Sister Ling replied.
“I am…” Shen Cai was about to say his name.
"His name is Zhu Xiaoxiao, and mine is Dudu." The quick-witted Dudu interjected immediately, knowing that the world was dangerous and one should never easily reveal their real name.
The clever and quick-witted Xiao Caihua immediately understood what Dudu meant, and then said, "I am Zhu Xiaoxiao, and I want to find a baby girl who has been missing for six years. Sister Ling, can you help me?"
“There are so many cases of baby trafficking these days, um, what’s her name?” Sister Ling asked.
"Mo Mo," Shen Caihua told Ling Jie.
The blind old man was engrossed in enjoying his meal, smacking his lips repeatedly: "It's delicious! Zhu Xiaoxiao, where did you get this flying friend of yours?"
"At the cooked food stall at the south gate of Hukou County," Dudu replied.
"Oh, so it was stolen. Well, well, that's fine," the old man muttered, his mouth full of grease.
Just then, a commotion of shouts erupted from the riverbank. Under the moonlight, a lean old man dressed in black rushed out of the house, seemingly chasing after something, and ran towards them.
"Good, Fengzi Ghost has finally escaped. My waiting in vain has paid off." The blind old man chuckled coldly as he stood up.
The moonlight was like water. A tiny black dot hopped and skipped across the ground. As it got closer, you could clearly see that the little person, just over two inches long, was wearing a bright red dress and green shoes. It had no arms, but it ran incredibly fast.
Shen Caihua and Dudu stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
The old man in black, who was chasing the little man, suddenly leaped high into the air, his robes fluttering as he swooped down, a large, bony hand grabbing down with lightning speed...
Chapter 5, Part 2
At this critical moment, the blind fortune teller suddenly made his move.
Shen Caihua watched as a small blue grass silently spun along the ground and flew away. Before the black-clad old man's dragon claw could press down on the little man, he covered its head, grabbed it, and brought it back while it continued to spin. Finally, it landed under the old camphor tree.
The old man in black was shocked. After regaining his footing, he fixed his gaze on the blind old man.
"Fellow Daoist, why are you blocking my way?" The old man in black asked calmly, a smile still on his face.
"The spirits and creatures of mountains and rivers are gifts from nature. How did they become your possessions?" the blind old man replied indifferently.
"This..." The old man in black nodded and said, "I am Fei Ziyun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the abbot of the Daluo Palace in Jiexiu, Shanxi. May I ask who you are, fellow Daoist..."
The blind old man chuckled and said, "I am but a blind fortune teller who has wandered here. My humble name is not worth mentioning."
"Since you're keeping your true abilities hidden, then don't blame me for being impolite." Before Master Fei could finish speaking, a Zhen Gua Azure Dragon Claw struck straight at the blind old man's genitals.
"Tai Chi goes straight, Xingyi goes in the opposite direction, Bagua goes astray. Master Fei, your Swimming Body Bagua Palm is going too far astray, isn't it?" The blind old man seemed to be able to see things, and he saw through Master Fei's martial arts style in one sentence. At the same time, he shook his arms and hugged back, and his clothes bulged up like air sacs.
Master Fei's palm struck a piece of rotten leather with a "bang," as if a wall of energy had blocked his way, reflecting all the internal force he had released back. He was shocked and thought to himself, "This is bad. This person's skill is so profound. I am no match for him."
“Haha,” Master Fei withdrew his hand and said solemnly, “Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but this ‘Ling Ge’ is an important specimen of a national research project, involving national defense secrets. To seize it is tantamount to being a counter-revolutionary and becoming an enemy of the state. If you return it to me immediately, I will forgive you and spare your life.”
The blind fortune teller scoffed, "Nonsense, state secrets? You think you can fool me?"
Taking advantage of the lull in the two old men's bickering, Chen Cai quietly crawled on the ground, gently lifted the small grass basket, and saw "Brother Ling" inside, looking dejected.
"Brother Ling, Brother Ling, you haven't answered my question yet?" Chen Caihua whispered to the little man.
The little man opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He shook his head regretfully, indicating that he could not help.
The blind old man snorted and said, "The Maple Ghost can only speak when it crawls inside a person's stomach."
When the police officers in the distance saw that something was going on, they all ran over, some of them holding pistols.
"Master Fei, please excuse us." The blind old man bent down, grabbed the small grass basket, and with Ling Ge in tow, they quickly disappeared into the dark forest in a few leaps.
Master Fei was so anxious that he stamped his feet, but he was no match for the other man's skills and could only watch helplessly as the prey he was about to catch was snatched away by this mysterious person.
"Caihua, Dudu, go keep an eye on that blind old man first. You...you stay here first, eat some rabbit...rabbit." Dudu tossed the smoked rabbit to Chen Caihua, flapped its wings and flew into the night sky, chasing after the forest.
"Hey, you kid, you must be that guy's accomplice. Come on, let's go back inside and talk this out." Master Fei grabbed Shen Caihua and pulled him by the collar toward the house.
Chapter 5, Part 3
The room was filled with a sweltering heat. The experts were all naked from the waist down, drenched in sweat, and the air reeked of a strong, foul stench, like a pigsty.
Old Yu was still gulping down hot chili water, his face flushed, panting heavily. Although his lips were covered in small blisters from the spiciness, he kept muttering, "Back then, the Kuomintang reactionaries forced chili water down our throats like this. It's nothing, I can endure it."
The county magistrate sat naked on a bench, drenched in sweat, drinking a bowl of chili water. Steam rose from his hair. The government secretary knelt on the ground, one hand forcefully pulling at the magistrate's foreskin, the other hand meticulously applying ginger and garlic to his penis. The magistrate occasionally let out moans of "Oh... Oh..."
The other experts were also rubbing garlic cloves against their genitals, making various noises.
Shen Caihua stared at them in surprise, wondering what they were doing.
"Master Fei, Master Fei, how come you're alright?" the middle-aged scholar asked Fei Ziyun, who had just entered the room, with a pained expression.
Master Fei smiled and said, "My skills are profound, so I am naturally not afraid of these tricks."
"Did you catch 'Brother Ling' after you?" the man continued to ask.
Master Fei looked somewhat embarrassed, sighed, and said, "They got away."
"County Chief, your tool is ready!" the government secretary suddenly shouted excitedly.
Everyone looked closely and discovered that the county magistrate's penis had swollen to a purplish-red color and was fully erect...
Success! The experts were greatly encouraged and wiped even harder, their stomachs rumbling and emitting a series of farts, accompanied by a hint of fishy smell.
Shen Caihua sniffed, finding the smell unbearable, and looked up at Master Fei, saying, "It stinks, let's go outside."
Master Fei also found the stench inside the house unbearable, so he grabbed Chen Caihua by the back of his collar and went to the backyard.
On the banks of the Yangtze River late at night, a bright moon hangs high, a cool breeze blows, and the spring chill lingers.
"Speak, child, who is that blind old man to you?" Master Fei asked calmly.
“I don’t recognize him,” Shen Caihua answered truthfully.
“If you’re lying, and you don’t tell me, I won’t be so polite.” Master Fei’s smile gradually disappeared.
Shen Caihua kept her small mouth tightly shut and didn't say a word.
"Hmph, quite stubborn..." Master Fei placed his hand on the child's buttocks, bent two fingertips, and with a flick of his wrist, pinched the inside of Xiao Caihua's thigh, gradually increasing the pressure. This was a common trick used by shrewish women in the countryside to subdue children; the inner thigh is rich in nerves, making it the most painful spot to pinch.
Shen Caihua bit his lower lip, enduring the pain, and beads of sweat appeared on his nose.
"Still being stubborn? Who exactly is that old guy? What does he want 'Brother Ling' for?" Master Fei continued to exert force with his hand, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
With a "waaaah..." sound, Shen Caihua finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.
Chapter Six, Part 1
In the clear moonlight of the night sky, a dark dot hovered down – Dudu was back.
Shen Caihua's cries alerted the macaw, which quickly realized its young master was in danger, being tormented by the white-haired, youthful-looking sorcerer. After a moment's thought, Dudu had an idea and turned to fly towards the nearby village.
"Oh no! Those people are secretly dissecting the children! Everyone get up quickly..." Dudu shouted hoarsely as it flew past the houses of the villagers.
The villagers were awakened and rushed out of their houses, throwing on their clothes and carrying carrying poles and hoes, heading towards the riverbank.
"Why did you break your promise? Why did you arrest 'Brother Ling'?" The villagers were agitated and started shouting in front of the house's courtyard.
The police blocked the way outside, pushing and shoving to prevent ordinary people from getting close.
"Come and see! The people inside the house are all naked!" a sharp-eyed villager exclaimed in surprise.
"How immoral! How immoral! How utterly shameless!" Two middle-aged women closed their eyes in humiliation.
"Fellow villagers, please calm down and listen to me." At this moment, the county magistrate, while fastening his belt, strode out of the room with great spirit.
The villagers gradually quieted down. They recognized him as the county magistrate of Hukou, the people's beloved official.
The county magistrate cleared his throat, but it still felt like it was burning, and his voice was hoarse: "Folks, I am the county magistrate. Yes, the forensic doctor from the Public Security Bureau did perform a medical autopsy on the child, but that was done with the consent of the deceased's parents..."
"Brother Ling, you can't take our lucky god away," the villagers said all at once.
The commotion from the courtyard reached the riverbank behind the house. Master Fei said fiercely to Shen Caihua, who was sobbing, "You wait here and think it over carefully. If you still don't tell when I get back, you'll be sorry." With that, Master Fei released his hand and went through the kitchen to the front yard.
“Talent, talent…” Dudu glided down silently and landed on Talent’s shoulder. “I, let’s go quickly.”
Dudu directed Chen Caihua to climb the rugged rock face along the riverbank, pass through bushes and caves to reach the foot of Stone Bell Mountain, then circle around to the riverside and continue climbing towards the summit.
The river water crashed against the bank with a loud "bang," drowning out the sounds Shen Cai made as he climbed.
Stone Bell Mountain juts into the river. Its rocks are riddled with crevices, and the interplay of water and stone creates a sound like a bell, hence its name. Although only about forty meters high and covering an area of 0.2 square kilometers, the mountain is covered with lush forests and bamboo groves, and contains numerous buildings and inscriptions from various dynasties. Throughout history, it has been a popular destination for scholars and literati, including Li Bo of the Tang Dynasty, Su Shi and Lu You of the Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, and Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty.
Shen Caihua and Dudu climbed to the top of the mountain in one go and arrived at the Zhaozhong Temple.
Built in the eighth year of the Xianfeng Emperor's reign (1858), the ancestral hall was constructed under the supervision of the imperial edict of Peng Yulin, the commander of the Yangtze River Navy. The hall is divided into a front and rear wing, facing the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake. The ancient camphor trees on both sides of the hall were planted by Peng Yulin himself. On moonlit nights, standing in front of the hall and gazing at the lake and rivers, one can see the scenery of "the lake reflecting the jade wall, and the moon shining in the vast sky."
"Dudu, where did that blind fortune teller take Brother Ling?" Chen Caihua asked breathlessly.
“Right here… in this ancestral hall,” Dudu replied.
Chapter 6, Part 2