A few people visited Laojun Pavilion and worshiped at the Tianshi Cave. Apart from taking in the beautiful scenery, they only had some basic explanations of Taoist history by Zhang Wenbin along the way, which was quite casual. When it was time to head down the mountain, it was already evening, so they came to a small town at the foot of the mountain to prepare for lodging. The hotel owner who came to solicit customers pulled on their sleeves and shouted loudly, scaring a little girl into thinking she had entered a bandits lair, almost getting into an argument with several middle-aged women. Just as they were hesitating about where to complain, an old farmer-like man approached them: "Are you guests here for the Qingcheng Mountain tour?"

  The little girl thought it was another one coming to pull customers, pouting and refusing to answer. It was old Wang who was really tired of being fooled, and casually asked: "Is that right? Arent you going down the mountain to find a place to live? Are you also here to pull customers?"

  The old man listened and was quite polite, took out a pack of cigarettes from his bag and handed them out one by one. Although no one accepted, he took off the straw hat on his head and used it as a fan: "My family has a farmhouse inn, which is half cheaper than these hotels. Except for being a bit remote, its also relatively clean. If you guys want to stay there, I can give you an even better deal."

  The town is called Zipingpu, it is said that Mr. Zhuge "recruited 1,200 people" to guard Dujiangyan, and stationed troops in Maoping, which refers to this place. Due to the relationship with Qingcheng Mountain, this historically famous military stronghold has now become a small but famous tourist town.

  Zha Wenbin wasnt a person who liked noisy places, hearing that there was a quiet place, he couldnt wait to leave the crowded area early, chose a secluded location to live in, and agreed to go over first to take a look, led by the old man, the group of people went over.

  This inn was also a two-story small building, and the owner was a farmer who took advantage of the tourism trend to transform it into a small hotel. Although it cant be called luxurious, its clean enough. Perhaps because the location is too remote, except for Zhang Wenbin and his four companions, there were no other tourists staying here, which made them quiet.

  The host family was also very hospitable, thinking that there were not many guests on ordinary days. Looking at the four of them, they naturally showed enthusiasm and insisted on having dinner together. In Sichuan Province, it has always been a tradition to treat guests with great respect. They sat around a large round table, eating mountain mushrooms and wild game, as well as some simple stir-fries from the countryside. With the spicy hot soup, even Leng Yiran, who usually didnt eat chili peppers, was sweating profusely. As for Old Wang and Cha Wenbin, they were having an even better time. He Yi Chao had already downed three cups of white wine with the host family and was calling them brothers. It turned out that this household had a son who was also in the military, and upon inquiry, it was discovered that he and He Yi Chao had been in the same unit before. When fellow soldiers meet, they naturally become enthusiastic and close. The two of them drank until their faces were red and their ears were hot, chatting happily without end.

  After drinking a lot of wine, the words naturally became more and more. The old farmers name was Zhuo Yuguang, his retired son was called Zhuo Xiong, because he looked strong and powerful, people said he was Xiong Mangzi (blind bear), later they shouted and shouted, and finally shouted him as Mangzi (blind man), but he wasnt a real blind man, having been a soldier in Tibet, his eyesight was good!

  Originally, after the son returned from his military service, he was arranged to have a government job in the town. However, this young man had a strong sense of justice and couldnt stand the bureaucratic work style, so he got into conflicts with his leaders several times and eventually quit his job. He then helped out at home with their small farm, living a simple but carefree life. This introduction made Chaozi extremely impressed, and after drinking a few more cups, he wasnt satisfied and wanted to switch to larger bowls, but was stopped by Zha Wenbin.

  This old Wang is also a talker, he can chat, as an archaeologist who has been rooted in the countryside for many years, its inevitable to ask if there are some legendary strange things around here. After introducing himself, Old Man Zhuo heard that he was an archaeological expert and showed more respect. The old man touched his hair which was almost bald and said: "You two, in our Qingcheng Mountain, if you say there are no legends, its naturally impossible. This Taoist fairy mountain has had some stories of gods and immortals since childhood, we also grew up listening to them. During the Cultural Revolution, many ancient relics were destroyed, if you want to find them, Im afraid they have really disappeared without a trace. However, there is one place, just..."

  Cha Wenbin was interested and asked: "How is that? Old man, go ahead and tell me"

  "Never mind, its better if you dont go to that place."

  "Oh? Youd better come and listen?"

  The old man nodded: "Forget it, I wasnt originally from Zipingpu. For generations, my family lived in a small mountain village more than 30 kilometers away from here. Although its a bit remote, the scenery is beautiful. Thirty years ago, before my son was born, I had a daughter named Zhuo Lian. The year she was born blind, her sister and mother went into the mountains to pick herbs, as our family has done for generations. But theres one place we never go to. Those who returned said that the two of them were led astray by evil spirits to that place, and they never came back..." As he finished speaking, the old man was overcome with tears, no doubt recalling a painful memory.

  Old Wang handed him a cigarette, hinting for him to slow down. Zhuo Lao Han took it and lit it up, continuing to speak: "Ten miles away from our village, there is a large mountain that appears black and misty in the distance, but is shrouded in fog all year round. Legend has it that inside the mountain, there are some rare herbs and lingzhi mushrooms. However, every familys ancestors have left behind a rule: no one is allowed to set foot on that mountain! Before liberation, when life was really tough, some brave medicine collectors wanted to venture into the mountain to find valuable herbs to exchange for food, but three old hunters went in with guns and didnt come out for seven days. The people outside were worried and couldnt do anything, so the village decided to send another three hunters to search for them. But again, after seven days, only one of the original group came out, covered in injuries, repeating there are ghosts inside. He died three days later." "There are ghosts inside?" Cold Yiran chimed in, intrigued, but was glared at by Old Wang, causing the little girl to stick her tongue out and stop talking.

  "Yes, the person who came out was still repeating that sentence before he died. Later, no one dared to enter the mountain again. I dont know how my daughters mother went there, it must be the mountain ghost leading her away. Now Im left with less than a year old Zhuo Xiong, relying on each other for survival."

  Zha Wenbin heard this and interrupted with a question: "Old man, how did you confirm that they entered the big mountain?"

  The old man wiped away a tear, stiffened his neck and replied: "That day on the mountain path, someone saw them go in with their own eyes, shouted several times, but no one responded. After taking another look, they had already disappeared into the fog. They rushed down the mountain to inform me, and I immediately called people to search for them. However, the inside was shrouded in fog and poisonous gas, and no one dared to take a step forward. I could only guard the mountain pass for over a month, but didnt see anyones shadow. Im afraid they encountered difficulties. After coming down the mountain, I brought the blind man to this Zipingpu and settled down here after learning some carpentry skills. Later, I heard that the people on the mountain also moved out one after another, but as for where they went, I dont know either. These years, that small village is probably already abandoned."

  "Oh? Deserted? Is nobody living there anymore?" Old Wang asked

  "Its gone, the land there is also barren and transportation is not convenient. Picking some herbs to exchange for food, even with good legs, it takes a whole day to walk. As more and more young people go out to work, there are no people left there."

  Zha Wenbin nodded: "Does that old man know what the mountain is called?"

  An old man with a goatee nodded and said, "Thats why nobody knows. It is said that there are immortal herbs and lingzhi on the mountain, but they are all guarded by pythons, so the mountain is also called Python Sealing Mountain."

  The little witch on the side burst out laughing and said, "Agkistrodon? Old man, youre joking again, hehe, Agkistrodon Im familiar with, also known as Five-step Snake, mainly produced in Zhejiang and Guangdong, where did this Sichuan Agkistrodon come from?"

  The old man was unwilling and argued with a pale face: "What does this little girl know?"

  He looked disdainful, with a look of watching a good show, but Cha Wenbin said: "The earliest recorded mention of the Qing snake is in the Leigong Paozhi Lun, also known as the White Flower Snake. The Kaibao Bencao says: It grows in the southern regions and the mountains of Shu. The Bencao Tujing says: Now it can be found in Guizhou, Xichang and Dengzhou. The Bencao Gangmu says: The flower snake is found in Hubei and Sichuan, but now only the Qing snake is famous. However, even in Qing territory, it is not often obtained, and those sold in markets and taken by officials are all from the mountains of Xingguo State in Jiangnan.

  It can be seen that the land of Bashu has a long history of recording the existence of the python, and it is not ruled out that there are some deep mountains where this kind of snakes trail exists. Dont talk nonsense."

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