18|The Bodhisattva’s View of the Half-Moon Pass

Under the watchful eyes of the other two people in the room, the Taoist picked up the water bowl, hunched over, and slowly drank it down. That look is not like a long drought, but rather like some hesitation and wariness.

At the same time he drank it down, Xie Ren heard a clear “gulp”, “gulp” sound in his ears, as if it was the sound of filling an empty jar with water.

In a flash, his heart snowballed, and he took the other man’s hand in his, saying, “Don’t drink.”

The Taoist’s hand shook and looked at him in disbelief, and Xie Ren smiled, “It’s useless to drink it, isn’t it?”

The Taoist’s face changed at his words, and with his other hand, he drew out the iron sword at his waist and stabbed him in the face. Xie Ren stood still, raised his hand and flicked it, “clanging”, gently flicking away the sword blade. Seeing that he was still holding his hand tightly, the Daoist gritted his teeth and jerked it. Xie Ren only felt that arm suddenly deflated, as if a ball of leakage completely deflated, from his palm giggling free. As soon as the Taoist broke free, he fled towards the door. Xie Ren wasn’t in a hurry, in this kind of place where there is no external obstruction, this Taoist even if he escaped another ten feet, Ruoxi would be able to drag him back. Who knows, just as he raised his wrist, a sharp sound of breaking wind passed by him.

The sound was as if someone had shot a sharp arrow from behind him, directly piercing the Taoist through his belly and nailing him to the door. Xie Ren fixed his eyes to see that it was actually a bamboo chopstick.

He looked back as Miroku rose from the table in good humor, brushed past him, pulled the bamboo chopsticks out, waved them in front of him twice, and said, “Dirty. Throw them later.”

And that Taoist suffered this serious injury, actually completely no voice of pain, noiselessly leaning against the door slowly slid down. From his belly gurgling out, not blood, but water.

It was the same bowl of water he had just drunk.

Two people are in this Taoist half squat down, Xie Ren in his wound pressed, feel this wound is like a bulging balloon on the hole was pierced, outward leakage of cool air, and this Taoist “corpse” is also gradually changing. Just look at him, clearly is a big man, but now it seems that the whole person has shrunk a circle, face and limbs are a little shrunken, and is still shrinking, looks like a little old man.

Xie Ren said, “It’s an empty shell.”

Some demons and devils, unable to manifest a perfect human form on their own, will think of another method: creating empty shells.

They would use some very realistic materials to craft a fake skin of a human being. Such a skin shell will often refer to a real live person, and in some cases, it is even made directly from a human skin shell, with perfect palm prints, fingerprints, and hair naturally. Moreover, this kind of empty shell, as long as they don’t wear the skin themselves, they won’t be contaminated with ghost qi, and they won’t be afraid of those evil warding charms. This was also the reason why the charms on the door did not keep this Daoist out.

However, such empty shells are often easily recognized as well, because they are, after all, hollow dummies, and without someone to wear that skin, they can only follow the instructions of their manipulators. And that instruction can’t be too complicated, only simple, repetitive, pre-set things. Therefore, their demeanor is usually more sluggish and less like a living person. For example, they will repeat one or two sentences over and over again and do the same thing, or they will ask themselves questions and answer questions that are not meant to be answered, and they will reveal themselves if they talk to someone for more than a few words. However, Xie Ren had a more practical method on how to screen empty shells: just let them drink a bowl of water or eat something. After all, the shell is hollow, no internal organs, they eat or drink water, as if to throw something into an empty jar or water, you can hear a clear echo, and the sound of living people eating and drinking is completely different.

The daoist’s body had completely deflated, and was pretty much a limp puddle of skin. Miroku pressed that bamboo chopstick against his skin twice, dropped the chopstick, and said, “This shell is a bit interesting.”

Xie Ren knew what this teenager was referring to. This Taoist’s demeanor, they are in the eyes of the eye, not only realistic, is simply a living person, and communicate with him, answer back, visible manipulator magic power is amazing. Xie Ren glanced at him and said, “It seems that Sanlang is also quite involved in this kind of foreign arts.”

Miroku laughed, “Not much.”

This empty shell specially came to the door to tell him about the half-moon pass, whether it is true or false, the purpose is to lead him to the half-moon pass, in order to be safe, but also have to go on the psychic formation to ask. Xie Ren counted with his fingers and figured out that the remaining mana was still enough to support him for a few more times, so he pinched a knack and went up to the Tongling Formation.

Once into the formation, it was actually a rare lively inside, and not lively because it was busy with official business, it seemed that everyone was playing some kind of game, laughing cheekily. Xie Ren was quite surprised, only to hear Ling Wen say: “Your Highness is back? How have you been down there these past few days?”

Xie Ren said, “It’s okay okay. What is everyone doing here? So happy.”

Ling Wen said, “Master Wind Master has returned and is scattering merits, won’t Your Highness go and grab one?”

Sure enough, Xie Ren heard several Magi within the formation shouting at the top of their lungs, “One hundred merits! Grabbed it!” “Why is this one of mine only one merit ……” “One thousand! One thousand! Ah! Thank you Master Wind Master!!! Hahahahahahahahahaha ……” He thought to himself that this could be money falling from the sky that everyone is picking up? Although his merit box is empty, but for one thing, he did not know how to grab, and secondly, the rest of the magi are familiar with each other, grab a playful does not matter, he suddenly inserted | into it is a little strange, and so also do not care, self-centered and asked: “Gentlemen, half-moon pass this place do you know?”

The moment these words came out, the Psychic Formation that was gleefully grabbing merit was instantly silenced.

Xie Ren was once again slightly depressed.

He used to post little poems and secret recipes, and people were silent, because the rest of the magi did not post these either, so it might indeed be out of place if he did. However, within the psychic formation, there were often magi who opened their mouths to ask questions about official business, such as which of you knows which ghost, and is it good to deal with? Which one of you has a territory there, can you do me a favor? At this time, we all expressed our own opinions, those who had suggestions gave suggestions, those who did not said that when they had time to turn around, I would ask for you. He asked the half-moon off, is also considered official business, there is no reason to open the mouth, as usual, all dead silence ah.

In the middle of the day, suddenly a man shouted, “Master Wind Master has scattered another 100,000 merits!!!”

Inside the psychic array instantly active again, all the magi have grabbed merit to go, no one cares about the sentence he just asked. Xie Ren knew that this matter was not simple, probably could not ask anything inside the formation, thinking that this Wind Master is really a big deal, a scattered is 100,000, so powerful, was about to retreat, suddenly, the spirit of the text privately sent him a sentence.

Ling Wen asked, “Your Highness, why are you suddenly asking about the Half Moon Pass?”

Xie Ren then told the matter of an empty shell coming to his door, saying, “That shell pretended to be a survivor who escaped from the Half Moon Pass, so it must have its purpose. I don’t know if what he said is true or not, so I came up to ask. What’s wrong with this place?”

Ling Wen’s side pondered for a moment and said, “Your Highness, this matter, I advise you, do not get your hands dirty.”

Xie Ren had more or less expected such a sentence. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have lasted for a hundred and fifty years without anyone asking, and the moment he asked, the entire court was silent. He said, “Is it true that more than half of the people disappear whenever they cross the border?”

After a long time, Spirit Man said, “It’s not good for people to talk about this.”

Xie Ren heard the deliberation in her voice, there must be some difficulty, and said: ”Alright, I understand. Since it is inconvenient for you, then don’t say more. We’ve never talked about this topic in private either.”

After collecting her divine sense and exiting the Psychic Formation, Xie Ren got up, used a broom to sweep the puddle of fake leather bags on the ground to one side, and after a moment of contemplation, she raised her head and said, “Sanlang, I’m afraid I have to go on a long trip.”

From Ling Wen’s attitude, it was clear that this matter was not small. Since this empty shell had sent itself to the door, it was trying to swindle him into going, and it definitely wouldn’t be a good place. However, Sanlang said, “Yes, brother, don’t mind giving me a ride.”

Xie Ren wondered, “It’s a long way to go, the wind and sand are tough, why do you want to follow?”

Miroku laughed, “You want to know what’s going on with that half-moon demon path?”

Xie Ren gave a beat and said, “Even this you know?”

Sanlang hugged his hands and leisurely said, “Half Moon Pass was not originally called Half Moon Pass, it was the place where the Half Moon Ancient Kingdom was located two hundred years ago.”

He sat up slightly straighter, his gaze starry, and said, “Half Moon Demon Road, that is ……”

Xie Ren leaned his broom against the wall and was about to sit down to listen in detail. At this time, there was a knocking sound from outside the door.

At this time, it is already late, those villagers were Xie Ren before the sentence “evil” scared back into the house do not dare to come out, and who will be knocking on the door? Xie Ren stood to the door, holding his breath for a moment, did not feel out of the door on the incantation has a different movement, followed by two “knock knock”. Listening to this sound, it seems that there are two people knocking on the door at the same time.

He thought briefly and opened the door, and sure enough, two black-clothed teenagers stood in the doorway. One handsome, one elegant, it was Nan Feng and Fu Yao. Xie Ren said, “You two ……”

Fuyang was the first to roll her eyes. Nan Feng split his mouth and asked, “Are you going to Half Moon Pass?”

Xie Ren said, “Where did you guys hear that?”

Nan Feng said, “A few Magi talked a bit on the way. I heard that you asked about Half Moon Pass in the psychic formation today.”

Xie Ren understood, caged his hands in his sleeves and said, “I see. ‘I volunteered’, right?”

Both of them had a look of twisted faces with toothache and said, “…… Yeah.”

Xie Ren couldn’t help but say, “Got it, got it. However, in advance, if you encounter anything on the way that you can’t handle, you’re welcome to run away at any time.”

At that moment, he side-stepped away and invited the two of them to enter the house before elaborating. Who knows, the moment those two saw the crookedly seated teenager behind him, their originally slightly darkened faces instantly turned iron blue.

Nan Feng dashed in and grabbed in front of Xie Ren, saying, “Back off!”