chasing shadows

After the thick fog dissipated, it was already dark.

Because of the people in white clothes, every evening when it was foggy, almost no one came to the inn except for the guests staying at the hotel. At this time, the guys were very leisurely.

So as soon as the few people arrived at the inn, they heard a few guys chatting together and discussing something.

"I really didn't expect the good old Zhou to be trapped by the evil ghost in white, and he burned himself in a fire."

"The same goes for the daughter-in-law of the Chen family. As soon as she got home, she yelled that she was on fire, and then ignited herself with a "swoosh", and turned into shattered ashes. It was really terrible."

"I don't understand, how dare someone go out in this foggy day." A guy said mysteriously: "I heard people say that this white-clothed evil spirit is the wraith who died in the fire ten years ago." , and now I'm here to take revenge..."

"That's right, in fact, the old people in the town say so, saying that the spirits who died in the fire are taking revenge, but our mayor, our boss, forbids people in the town to spread this story, you have to say..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Before the other guy finished speaking, he saw the boss standing in front of them, with a gloomy face and eyes staring at him like eagles.

The guy was trembling immediately, and hurriedly said: "It's nothing, it's nothing."

Different from his usual kind and cautious image, Guan Cheng said coldly again: "Say less useless words and do more."

The guys nodded obediently, and then they all did their own things.

"Oh, Dad, let them finish!" Ah Bo jumped in front of Guan Cheng and said with a smile.

Guan Cheng seemed to realize that Xia Ying and the others were there, and smiled at Xia Ying and the others, "It's all nonsense, so it can't be taken seriously."

He patted Ah Bo on the head again, and said, "Where did you go? All day long, you can't return home, you run around, you don't look like a girl at all."

Xia Ying stepped forward and asked, "Can you tell me about the fire they just mentioned ten years ago?"

The smile on Guan Cheng's face couldn't hold back, and he said, "It was many years ago, and I don't remember it very clearly."

Xia Ying continued: "Boss, this matter may really have something to do with the man in white. If you tell us, maybe we can find a way. As the mayor of this town, you should also hope that the matter of the man in white can be resolved as soon as possible. Will no one be killed innocently again?"

Guan Cheng finally gritted his teeth, looked at the boy wearing a half mask, nodded and said: "Then I will tell you all about what happened ten years ago."

There are five people in the room.

"Ten years ago, there was a man named Che Ion who sold alcohol in the town. He always liked to drink, and he was often drunk and groggy. A little girl was brought from the deep mountain forest. The little girl was originally from our town, but her life was not good. She was against her father and her mother. The second family took her in, and it was the same. Not only that, those who handled the corpses were also infected with the plague, one and three, three, two, and four were highly contagious. As a result, in just seven days, our town More than 100 people died here."

When Guan Cheng mentioned this incident, he beat the table with his hands in great distress, and then continued to tell.

"There is no way, so those corpses that died in the plague, we can't bury them properly, so we have to burn them with a fire, including everything they used, and even the houses they lived in. After such a big fire, the plague The matter was finally resolved. But how to deal with that little girl? Everyone in the town thought that the plague was brought by that girl. And put up fences around the woods to prevent her from coming out. Whether she lives or dies, she can only be resigned to fate. Since the girl was trapped in the woods, there has been no plague incident for a year. Everyone thought that things were over. It's resolved, but who knows, one day Che Ion actually brought the girl out of the forest."

"Of course, everyone strongly opposed it. Some people even smashed Che Ion's wine stall. Che Ion, who always drank wine like his life and couldn't tell the north from the south, actually straightened his back and said: "Then Even if you kill me and cut me into pieces, I will take her with me!What happens, I take care of it. "In the end, Che Ion took the girl and moved directly to Poor People's Alley. The people living in Poor Man's Alley are all poor and hopelessly ill. Although this alley is also in the town, it is relatively narrow and slightly accessible. People who live in the village will go far away. Che Ion gave all his family savings to the people who live in Poor Alley, so that he can settle down there with his little girl."

"At the beginning, people in the town were trembling, fearing that something would happen. As a result, three years have passed, and there have been no more deaths from the plague. So people gradually relaxed their vigilance, thinking that nothing would happen. The townspeople Occasionally, I would greet Che Ion when I saw him, because although Che Ion was usually confused, he was straightforward. In the past, when others went to him to buy wine, it was cheaper than other places, and he never cared too much. The relationship between people has also eased. Some people even kindly reminded Che Ion to move back to live. Che Ion also took the little girl to try to blend in with the people in the town, but the girl had a weird personality, gloomy and vicious, and was arrested several times. Hurt other children. So we can only get used to it slowly."

"At this time, Qin Sanniang from the town got close to Che Ion. Qin Sanniang's husband died early, and she brought a son with her. There was also a matchmaker in the town who wanted to match them up. But who would have thought that the child was kidnapped by the little girl because After being scratched in a play, I came home with a fever that night. After being treated by the doctor, I found out that I had the plague. At that time, everyone in the town thought that the girl was carrying the plague seeds, so they discussed burning the girl to death. Che Ion came forward again. It was said that he came to treat the child, of course we didn’t believe it. In the end, he knelt down and said that if he couldn’t be cured, he would burn himself and the girl himself. Finally, let him try it, but the child was cured But a few days later, Che Ion was infected with the plague."

Guan Cheng picked up a glass of water and drank it, frowned tightly, and continued: "After Che Ion was infected with the plague, soon the entire poor alley was infected with the plague, and the entire alley was full of dead bodies for a while. Guan Cheng Not long after, he died. You said that so many corpses must be disposed of, so the townspeople had no choice but to burn the alley and the corpses clean. The fire was already burning At that time, the girl suddenly jumped out, went directly into the burning alley, and even told us to die badly."

Guan Cheng sighed again at this point, "Perhaps, I really did something wrong that time. As the mayor of the town, I didn't handle this matter well. As a result, I suffered retribution. My five-year-old son drowned not long after. , my wife also passed away early because of the blow."

He looked at Ah Bo, touched Ah Bo's face: "Fortunately, at that time, Ah Bo, who was lonely and lonely, Ning Ding, was taken in, so that I would not be so lonely forever."

Everyone was a little surprised. They didn't expect to hear such a secret thing when they heard the story, but Ah Bo said hahaha: "Why do you look at me like this? I already knew. But my father treats me like his own daughter, is it true or not?" It doesn't matter anymore."

Xia Ying asked, "Do you suspect that the man in white is that girl?"

Guan Cheng smiled wryly and shook his head, and said: "At first I didn't believe it, but they kept talking, I... young man, I see that you are well-dressed and have an outstanding temperament, you must be an expert, now you say so much, no I know if you can help me."

Xia Ying nodded and said, "If I can help, I will do my best."

After the conversation, they went back to their own rooms, but Xia Ying stopped Uncle Liu and asked, "What do you think about the mayor, Uncle Liu?"

Although Uncle Liu usually looks unreliable and timid, but after all, his family has been a famous Taoist priest who slays ghosts and evil for generations. Xia Ying will discuss everything with him.

Uncle Liu said: "I can't tell, what's wrong, but I feel very strange."

Xia Ying said: "Everything seems to make sense. It's just a little deliberate."

Uncle Liu asked, "Where did you deliberately?"

Xia Ying smiled, "I can't figure it out for now, I want to take a good look at these things."