1novels Chapter 32 Lanruo Temple
Chapter 32 Lanruo Temple
The rain poured down, the sky was shrouded in mist, and the muddy roads stretched forward, with nothing else to be seen.
All was silent, with only the sound of the rain pattering between heaven and earth.
Two pairs of shoes, one large and one small, walked across the road without leaving any footprints; the shoes were dry and free of any mud.
Sheng Wansong, holding a paper umbrella, walked side by side with An Lan in the rain.
Despite the heavy rain, a single umbrella was insufficient to shield them from the wind and rain, yet neither of them was exposed to any rain or wind and remained clean and tidy.
At the end of the road, there is a large stone standing by the roadside, the inscriptions on it long since weathered and illegible.
An Lan leaned closer and slowly read it aloud, "Guobei County."
"Master, there's a place to rest up ahead."
Unlike modern times, there were no paved roads or service stations in ancient times. It was normal to not encounter a living person for ten days or half a month if you were unlucky.
Sheng Wansong and An Lan had been walking in the forest for more than ten days, and now they finally saw signs of human activity.
The road ahead is clear, and the rain is gradually subsiding.
By the time we stepped onto the brick road in the county town, the dark clouds had dissipated, and the sun was shining brightly on the earth.
Sheng Wansong closed his umbrella and had just entered the county town when a group of ordinary people wielding knives and sticks rushed forward. The man at the front reached out his large hand to press Sheng Wansong against the wall.
Sheng Wansong's eyes turned cold, and he was about to make a move.
"court death!"
The one-eyed man behind the one who reached out kicked the man to the ground. "Are you blind?! Does this refined young man look like a wanted criminal?!"
One-Eyed Dragon cursed and stomped on the back of the man before him several times. He then humbly bowed and apologized to Sheng Wansong, "Please forgive us, young master. We are constables from Guobei County and are currently apprehending a wanted criminal."
Each of them held a stack of wanted posters, clearly waiting in ambush.
Judging from the situation just now, the "rabbits" that these constables are guarding are not real black rabbits. As long as they have a little black on them and resemble the wanted criminals even slightly, they will arrest and convict them and collect the bounty.
"If I had known it was a chaotic world, I would have realized how corrupt the world had become after leaving Chu Xiang."
Compared to Guobei County, Chuxiang City is a pure land.
It is likely that most places within the Great Liang Dynasty are like Guo Bei County.
Sheng Wansong completely ignored the group of constables and walked past them with An Lan.
The one-eyed man behind him kicked the fallen constable several more times, causing him to vomit blood. "In this heavy rain, can't you see they're not even a speck of mud on their feet or a drop of rain on their clothes?!"
"If you're in such a hurry to meet the King of Hell, don't take your brothers with you!!"
Upon arriving in a new place, the first thing to do was to find a place to rest. After inquiring, we learned that there was only one inn in the entire Guobei County.
Sheng Wansong glanced at the inn from afar and saw that the windows were drafty and the building was dilapidated, making it a dangerous structure.
But they had no choice but to come and ask, "Manager, please give me a superior room."
"Sir, we don't have any superior rooms; all our rooms are the same."
"It's alright."
The shopkeeper stretched out his hand, "Pay first."
Sheng Wansong had no interest in arguing with him and casually tossed him a piece of silver.
Upon receiving the money, the shopkeeper immediately put on a shrewd smile, "Sir, I'll take you upstairs."
"No rush."
Sheng Wansong placed the umbrella on the table and sat down with An Lan. "Serve us two good dishes first."
"Hi-yo~"
It seems this inn doesn't have any waiters; it's all the manager running around doing errands.
Humans need to eat, not only to fill their stomachs, but also to satisfy their taste buds.
Sheng Wansong and his companion ate dry rations, occasionally hunting for wild game, but without sufficient seasoning, the taste was rather ordinary.
While waiting for the food, Sheng Wansong looked at An Lan and said:
"We need to find a cook for our team."
Anlan solemnly raised her little fist, "I will try my best to learn how to cook!"
The implication is that no third person needs to join.
"A king has his talents, and a cook has his talents."
Sheng Wansong did not intend to agree. The reason was simple: An Lan's martial arts talent was outstanding, but she did not put any effort into cooking. Her cooking was even worse than his. "An An, your martial arts talent is amazing. You should shine in this field and do not need to be distracted by learning cooking."
"Waaah."
An Lan never opposed her master's decisions, so since Sheng Wansong had said so, she nodded in agreement, "Okay!"
"An'an, I'll try my best!"
There was only one table of guests at the inn, and the innkeeper quickly brought out a table of food.
It's all heavy on oil and salt, with Sichuan peppercorns sprinkled on recklessly, all for the sake of a strong flavor.
Foods that are normally hard to swallow suddenly become delicious after a few days of blandness in the mouth.
Whether it tastes good or not is another matter, but it's definitely the most expensive dish in the store.
"Shopkeeper, has anything interesting happened in Guo Bei County lately?"
With a broad smile, the innkeeper greeted the distinguished guest who had paid a hefty price, "Sir, what amusing story are you referring to?"
"Anything is fine."
Sheng Wansong tapped his index finger on the table. "Tales of the martial world, legends of gods and ghosts, anecdotes of officialdom—anything is welcome."
"Our Guobei County is a poor and remote place, and we never have any chivalrous heroes coming here."
"As for matters of gods and ghosts, there are indeed some rumors about them."
The shopkeeper stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, "There are many taboos surrounding this matter, and few people dare to talk about it for fear of bringing bad luck."
Sima Zhao's heart is well known to passers-by.
Sheng Wansong took out two more pieces of silver, and the shopkeeper immediately beamed, "But you are a distinguished guest, and we don't want any bad luck to touch you."
He pointed in the direction of the sun.
"About three miles to the east of this county, there is a mountain with a temple on it."
"In this temple."
The shopkeeper, acting mysteriously and deliberately, suddenly shouted, "There's a ghost!"
I intended to scare the little girl, but she wasn't afraid at all.
An Lan has already faced zombies head-on, so why would she be afraid of the word "ghost"?
"Is it a ghost?"
Upon hearing the word "ghost," Sheng Wansong was not alarmed at all; on the contrary, he was overjoyed.
Sheng Wansong's dragon aura is unpredictable, but it is activated when he encounters evil spirits.
Since you can't sense it the first time, you might be able to get the hang of it after a few more tries.
Therefore, Katsumansong is currently in a state of mental instability, actively seeking out ghosts.
"I don't know the specifics, but without exception, everyone who stayed overnight in that temple died without a burial place."
"Some people have even seen dried-out corpses walking around."
Although the shopkeeper pretended to be relaxed, Sheng Wansong could still see the fear in his heart, and was therefore very happy.
It's highly likely that the temple is haunted.
"An'an, we won't stay at the inn tonight, we'll stay at the temple instead."
"good!"
"ah?!"
The innkeeper was greatly shocked. "Guest, what is the reason for this?"
"No particular reason, I just want to see a ghost."
After a hearty meal, Sheng Wansong led An'an back towards the desolate mountains outside the city. Before leaving, he asked, "What's the name of that temple?"
Without hesitation, the shopkeeper blurted out the answer.
"Lanruo Temple!"