During the Yongle (Zhu Di year, 1403 to 1424 AD) of the Ming Dynasty, there was a very small village called Niujia Village in the south of Qingcheng Mountain, ten miles away. There are only seven families in the village, and there are only about 30 people in total.
Speaking of which, you may not believe it, the seven families in Niujia Village are actually a family, and the seven heads of the family belong to uncles and brothers, the same grandfather.
A few decades ago, their grandfather brought his wife to live here to escape the war. Years later, the grandfather had three sons, as well as these seven grandchildren. Later, their grandfather and father died one after another, and their seven grandsons started a family and formed this small village.
According to the ranking, Niu Chengcai is the eldest of the seven cousins, and he also has a lot of strength and makes a living by chopping wood. And Niu Chengjun is the fifth, he doesn't have much strength, and he makes a living by collecting medicine. The two often go up the mountain, but rarely go together, after all, they do different things.
However, in the past month, something strange seems to have happened in Qingcheng Mountain. The third child said that he saw a white-haired person, very terrifying, it must be a goblin;The fourth said that there are flying swords in the mountains, flying around, and I don't know what the situation isLao Qi shook his head, saying that he had seen the thunder and lightning with his own eyes, and he kept splitting the goblins.
Because of fear, the other five people, who often go hunting in the mountains, have not dared to go up the mountain recently. However, Niu Chengcai and Niu Chengjun can't do it, they have to go to the mountains to chop firewood and find herbs, otherwise they will have no money. Therefore, this time the two brothers made an appointment to go to the mountains together, so that even if something happened, they could still take care of each other.
When he arrived in the mountains, Niu Chengcai began to chop wood, and Niu Chengjun went to find herbs by himself.
Niu Chengcai wielded an axe and kept chopping dead branches, he thought that he could cut more and sell it for more money, so that he could last for three or five days, and he didn't have to run up the mountain every day, so he wouldn't be afraid of monsters. He is almost fifty years old this year, and his second son is married, and he will be able to hold his grandson soon, so he is very sorry for his life.
While thinking about making more money, he walked deeper and cut off dead branches, Niu Chengcai quickly got tired and rested against a tree.
Niu Chengjun didn't think like this, he still picked herbs as usual, not in a hurry or impatient. Before the herb basket was full, he saw that the eldest brother Niu Chengcai was coming, and his face was panicked, his face was pale, and he seemed to be very afraid.
Fifth brother, I ......I saw the goblin, and it was in the mountains over there. That scythe ......Obviously no one uses it, but it can be ......I can fly on my own, and I can mow the grass automatically!Niu Chengcai said breathlessly.
Big brother, you won't be frightened by the third brother's words, right?Besides, didn't the third brother say it, that goblin is like a human, how can it be a sickle?You take me to see it. Niu Chengjun said with some disbelief.
Am I really dazzled?Niu Chengcai was also a little suspicious, so he took Niu Chengjun, nodded and set off, and the two quietly walked inside, trying to keep their bodies as low as possible and not making a sound.
Niu Chengcai peeled off the grass, and after Niu Chengjun saw it, his eyes suddenly widened.
It turned out that there was really a scythe there, which was hanging in the air, and the handle of the scythe was very old, but the head of the knife was very sharp, and it was obviously used a lot. After the sickle hung a little, he began to mow the grass again, cutting down the thorns, and all the flowers and vines were cut to pieces in his pass. In less than a meal, the scythe actually opened a path.
Niu Chengjun was shocked, couldn't help but let out an "ah", and then quickly covered his mouth. I thought the scythe would find out, but the scythe didn't seem to hear it at all, and was still mowing the grass.
The brothers looked at each other, felt that the scythe had no ears, could not hear movement, and relieved themselves. At this moment, another crutch came not far away. The crutch stood on the ground and jumped and jumped. When he reached the back of the scythe, he stopped and leaned against a tree.
After Niu Chengcai saw it, he felt even more amazing, but he was also even more confused.
At this time, Niu Chengjun patted Niu Chengcai and pointed to a place. Niu Chengcai saw that a small bench and a ** also flew in the air. When it flew near the crutches, the bench fell, and ** landed right on the small bench again.
In this scene, it is as if an invisible person has come, he is sitting on a small bench with a cushion, holding a cane, and watching another invisible person with a sickle at work.
Just as the two brothers were wondering, a voice suddenly came from a distance: "Young man, don't hide it, the old man has already seen you." ”
Niu Chengcai and Niu Chengjun were shocked when they heard this, and before they could turn around and run away, they saw a person come to them. This man was snow-white, and his body was covered with long white hair, more than a foot long, and even his hair, eyebrows, and beard were all long and white. At first glance, it looks like a snowman.
If it weren't for the fact that this person still had two eyes, I was afraid that Niu Chengcai would really treat him as a snowman.
You ......Don't eat us, we are all good people under the mountain, if you eat us, you ......You are guilty!Niu Chengcai stopped in front of the fifth brother and said tremblingly.
Don't worry, I won't eat you. Besides, I already have sins now, and if I eat you again, I am afraid that I will go to eighteen levels of hell. The "white-haired man" said.
You ......What exactly are you?Niu Chengjun asked.
Speaking of which, I'm not afraid of your jokes, I used to be human, and now, I'm a human spirit. The white-haired man looked up into the distance, as if he remembered a long time ago, and said leisurely.
Human spirit?I've heard of foxes and chickens, rats, monkeys, and people. Can a person become a sperm?Niu Chengjun asked again.
Of course you can become a fine, haven't you heard that sentence?Things are old and strange, and people are old and fine. So saying, the white-haired man sat down on the bench, and the cane came automatically, and when it came to him, the sickle had stopped.
This scythe, I've used it before;I have used crutches for many years, and this stool, **, is also something I have used for many years. These things have no life, just because they have become monsters for a long time. They are very spiritual, and they can be used by me at will, so they can float in. And I, 900 years ago, became a human spirit because I was too old. ”
Ah, you've lived hundreds of years?Niu Chengcai and Niu Chengjun said in unison.
More than a few hundred years old, I lived more than a thousand years. At that time, it was still the Jin Dynasty. At that time, it was only 19 years before the establishment of the Jin Dynasty (299 AD), almost 900 years ago, when I was one hundred and fifty years old, I became a human spirit. ”
Don't people get sick and die when they get old?I've heard that people who live long lives can only live.
Eighty, ninety, one hundred, how can you live to be one hundred and fifty?It's amazing. Niu Chengjun said with emotion.
Yes, it is rare for normal people to live to the age of seventy. Therefore, the ancients said that seventy years of life are rare. But if you have practiced some skills, you can live a long life. Those earth immortals, Taoist priests, monks, and masters can live for hundreds of years. It's just that they prolong their lives through cultivation and follow the right path, so they don't become human spirits. ”
So, you're not on the right path?Niu Chengcai asked again.
Yes, if I had followed the right path, I wouldn't be where I am today. When I was seventy years old, I was so afraid of death that I wanted to live a few more years. When I was younger, I read some crooked books and knew how to prolong my life. As long as I say borrow their lifespan, they say yes, and I can continue to live. Borrow ten years from this person and five years from that person, so that my life will continue forever. ”
People are not stupid, how can they promise to lend you life?”
They didn't know, and they thought I was talking about playing, so they smiled and agreed. They thought it was okay, but in fact they had already lost their lives. It's just that no one knows how much life they have, so they can't notice it if they miss a few years or more than ten years. At first, I borrowed the life of my neighbors, but gradually they also noticed it, so the people around me began to stay away from me and stop talking to me. ”
In that case, you won't be able to borrow lifespan, right?”
You are wrong, as long as the brain is good, the older a person gets, the more calculating he is, calculating everything that is beneficial to him, even if it is his own children and grandchildren, I will calculate. So, do you get the idea?”
You ......You borrowed your son's life?Niu Chengcai couldn't believe it.
Not only sons, but also grandchildren, great-grandchildren, daughters-in-law, granddaughters-in-law, nephews, nieces-in-law, ......Almost all of my loved ones, their lifespans, I have borrowed. If they don't borrow, I have other ways to make them submit, even if they are superficially willing, and that is enough for me. ”
How does filial piety bring them to their knees?”
I would pretend to be sick, and before I died, I would ask my relatives, 'How good it is to live, can you let me live two more years?'Those filial sons and grandchildren often say, 'Yes, as long as you can, the child is willing to exchange ten years of life for your health and happiness.' So, I succeeded in borrowing their lifespan. Since I was 70 years old, I lived to be 150 years old and became a human spirit. After that, there will be no need to borrow life again. ”
In the final analysis, it turns out that you are afraid of death, so you use the evil method to borrow your life and live a long life. Alas, I heard that Shouji is humiliated. If a person lives too long, he will encounter all kinds of bad things. Isn't that so?”
Of course yes, the words of the ancients could not be wrong. Isn't it painful to live too long and watch your children and grandchildren die one by one?Alas, I really shouldn't have borrowed my life, and now, my children and grandchildren are gone, and I have to be punished by heaven, I really deserve it!”
Heavenly Punishment?What's that?”
Here, look, don't be scared. As soon as the white-haired man finished speaking, a shower of swords suddenly flew from the sky and stabbed towards the white-haired man. The sword pierced his body, then reversed course and pierced through his body again. In this way, after seven times, the flying sword disappeared.
The white-haired man was in pain, and just as he was about to stand up, five thunderbolts from the clouds slashed at his head. Once, twice ......Seven times in a row.
This is the punishment of heaven, every seven days, flying swords, thunder and lightning will come, every time it is painful, but it is impossible to die. Such a punishment will be carried out for 1,500 years. In the days when there were no flying swords, thunder and lightning, I still had to manage the mountains and rivers. Or cut the weeds on the mountain road, or kill the dragon in the river, anyway, you can't be idle. ”
Young people, don't talk about me to outsiders, don't learn from me, go down the mountain quickly. After the white-haired man finished speaking, he continued to command the scythe to cut the weeds.
It was getting late, so Niu Chengcai and Niu Chengjun hurriedly went down the mountain with dry firewood and medicine baskets on their backs.