Huai Shi took a deep breath, picked up her round fan, and held it in front of her face as if covering her face. She lifted the curtain with one hand, took a few steps forward, and stepped onto the footstool to get out of the car.
The circular fan seemed to have a strange magic power. When it blocked in front of him, a black smoke rose and shrouded Huai Shi's face. No one could see his true appearance clearly.
But he could see the figure in front of him through the cracks in the circular fan.
The crooked and deformed servant was dressed in white. When he raised his head to look at him, he forced a flattering smile on his ugly face. He held up the lantern and limped in front of him.
"Noble, noble, please follow me, follow me …"
He looked around in a flattering manner and waved enthusiastically at Huai Shi. Huai Shi raised his eyes and looked at the dark city gate behind him. There was also the evil spirit of Yingzhou guarding the city gate that was several meters tall. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and didn't say anything. He raised the circular fan and followed after him.
A few meters in front of him was an old and hunchbacked official. He held a strange-looking ceremonial weapon in his hand, but the head that popped out from his collar was like a snake. On his face that was covered in tumors and scars, a completely disproportionate eye was opened wide and shone with a green light.
He had long whiskers like a fish, and on his forehead, there was a crooked antler that was broken and covered in mold and moss.
As he looked left and right, an inhuman thirst leaked out from his huge eyes.
Huai Shi wanted to slow down and increase the distance between them, but there was a dark aura following closely behind him. It made his hair stand on end.
In the passageway under the city gate, the huge door was not completely open. Instead, it was firmly guarded.
There was a faint questioning voice in front of him, and a skeleton in tattered clothes walked out crookedly. Its bones opened and closed, making a sound.
"Recently, there have been too many outsiders who don't know their manners. Yesterday, there was even an assassin who snuck into the forbidden grounds and incurred the wrath of the High Emperor. That's why we're conducting an investigation. I hope everyone can forgive us."
Huai Shi's heart sank. He heard a noise behind him. A masked figure suddenly turned around and ran.
Immediately, the strange old man in front of Huai Shi turned his head. His snake eyes shone, and his neck suddenly stretched out. In an instant, he flew in the air, and his bloody mouth suddenly closed. With a chilling chewing sound, he slowly retracted his mouth.
Then, it looked at Huai Shi behind it, a trace of suspicion flashing in its ruthless snake eyes.
"Sir, why are you covering your face with a fan?"
Huai Shi did not show any signs of abnormality. Following what Crow had taught him earlier, he raised his voice and replied, "It's caused by the cold. My face is not elegant. I'm afraid that I'll lose my bearing."
"…"
The snake-faced doctor stared at him for a long time before slowly withdrawing his gaze.
Huai Shi finally let out a sigh of relief. Sweat poured out like water.
The line of officials slowly moved forward. Soon, Huai Shi saw the notice pasted on the door and the skeleton's voice in front of him, "The poetry gathering is a gathering of elegance. Naturally, there won't be such a disrespectful act as a body search. As long as everyone composes a song according to this topic, it will be considered a verification of your identity."
Huai Shi raised his head and narrowed his eyes. Through the cracks of the round fan, he saw the notice pasted on the door.
There were only two large words written in thick ink.
— Read Thoughts.
His heart sank again, and he felt cold.
It was not that he was completely unprepared. Since he was going to participate in the poetry gathering, he had naturally made preparations in advance. Although it was called a poetry gathering, the poetry gathering in Ying Zhou was not composed of Chinese poems. Most of the poems were composed of Ying Zhou songs. There was also a lot of information available for reference. With Crow's help, he had already prepared poems for each topic in advance to perform at the poetry gathering.
But he did not expect that he had to recite poems first!
In order to prevent the Book of Destiny in his soul from being spied on by some existence, he did not even dare to open the book now. He could only secretly flip through the notes in his sleeves while the snake-faced doctor was answering questions in front of him.
But he did not expect that the old ghost in front of him, who looked so uncultured, could compose a song so quickly. He only looked at the topic of 'Read Thoughts' for a few seconds before he raised his head and sang:
"Shrouded in the glow of spring, as if I see cherry blossoms."
"I haven't seen this person's face, but he is in love."
Before he finished speaking, not only the skeleton, but also the officials in front and behind him clapped enthusiastically. The sound of cheering was endless.
"Good poem, good poem!"
The skeleton stepped aside and cupped his hands in greeting. "I wish you the best in the poetry contest."
His praise was not without reason. With 'Read Thoughts' as the topic, the snake-faced doctor could be said to be quick-witted. The whole poem did not contain the word 'Yearning', but it was closely related to the main axis. It could be said to be excellent.
The snake-faced doctor proudly raised his head and laughed loudly. He said that he did not dare and went straight in.
Huai Shi was left standing awkwardly in the same place. The hand holding the fan trembled slightly.
Front, back, left, and right, all eyes fell on Huai Shi from all directions.
In his sleeves, his fingers were trembling madly. He had just found the relevant passage, but he had only glanced at it briefly and had not been able to read it completely.
He only hated that the old bastard in front of him was too fast!
At this moment, under the gaze of everyone, Huai Shi was stiff for a long time. He opened his mouth several times and then closed it several times in embarrassment.
It was only when the cold and suspicious expression in the skeleton's eyes became more and more intense that he finally shook his shoulders. Before the skeleton could speak, he took the lead and recited:
"If you say you haven't seen it, you have seen it, but if you have seen it, it is as if you have not seen it!"
As soon as the Ying Song came out, it was flat and straightforward, but it seemed to have a faint heaviness that moved people's heartstrings. The skeleton's expression became sluggish and he listened attentively.
However, he saw Huai Shi take a step forward, one hand holding the fan, and the other hand raised pretentiously. He recited: "Unreasonably bitter lovesickness … Uh, bitter lovesickness … Unreasonably bitter lovesickness …"
Under the gaze of everyone, Huai Shi's face behind the round fan was constantly sweating. He muttered this sentence over and over again in his mouth, and his heart became more and more flustered.
The last sentence, he forgot the last sentence!
The more nervous he was, the more he could not remember. When he repeated the sentence 'Unreasonably bitter lovesickness' seven or eight times, the green light in the skeleton's eyes became more and more dangerous.
However, he saw Huai Shi take a step forward again and recite in a solemn voice.
"If you say you haven't seen it, you've seen it, but you've seen it as if you haven't seen it."
"Unreasonably bitter lovesickness …"
At the critical moment of life and death, Huai Shi suddenly had an idea and added the end of the poem:
"— Oh ho, it's over!"
In the silence.
The skeleton: "…"
The court officials: "…"
The Crow in the shadow: "…"
The evil spirits looked at each other, dumbfounded and dumbfounded. They could not understand each other at all … In short, their emotions were suddenly so complicated that it was as if someone had suddenly jumped out and tossed out 'one person is worth two'. Although there was nothing wrong with continuing the conversation, they still felt an inexplicable urge to beat him up.
The skeleton was stunned for a long time, and his jaw almost fell to the ground. "Uh, this … Although the charm of the song is not a problem, the theme and format have never been seen before … What kind of theme is this?"
"Ha, a bunch of ignorant fellows. This is the most widespread theme in Chinese poetry."
Huai Shi looked up and replied with a trembling voice: "Three and a half sentences!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
The Crow in the shadow closed his eyes in despair.
What the hell three and a half sentences, little brother, you're finished …
In the long silence, Huai Shi seemed to be able to feel that the skeleton's face was getting uglier and uglier. His three and a half sentences did not seem to be as popular as he expected. He suddenly panicked and hurriedly raised his hand and said: "Wait a minute, I still have one more."
As he said, he stepped forward and recited: "Before the bed …"
"This is Taibai's poem! “
The skeleton sternly interrupted Huai Shi's recitation. "Could it be that Your Excellency is here to make fun of me? If that's the case, please don't blame me for my duty to verify Your Excellency's identity! "
Following the skeleton's command, the guards on both sides of the city gate, the two huge evil spirits in red and green, came forward, holding ghost gold sticks in their hands, opened their mouths full of fangs, and looked down at the weak, lonely, and helpless Huai Shi.
Until next to Huai Shi, the curtain of an ox cart was lifted, and the figure of a maid softly asked:
"What happened?"
"Ah, Luo, Luo Yuji." The skeleton sensed that the ox cart had arrived at an unknown time, and involuntarily trembled, crawled on the ground, and respectfully kowtowed: "It's my fault, I'll …"
The maid unhappily interrupted his words, her hollow face seemed to have glanced at Huai Shi, and then said in a cold voice: "This is Luo Yuji's guest, please forgive me."
The skeleton's pale face seemed to be covered in cold sweat: "But, but just now …"
"Just now, Your Excellency was joking with you, can't you see?" The maid asked: "Do you think that you can write the first part, but he can't write the last part?"
"Yes! I'm just joking with you. "
Although he did not know what happened, but at least he was saved. Huai Shi suddenly said in a trembling voice: "Can't you see?"
As he spoke, he lowered his head to look at the notes in his sleeves and added the last sentence of the original note.
He was relieved.
"Oh, oh, yes, yes, Your Excellency, Your Excellency, Your Excellency, Your Excellency …"
The skeleton found a way out, hurriedly moved aside, and opened the palace gate, allowing Huai Shi and the ox cart beside him to drive straight into the palace.
After entering the city, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, Huai Shi gratefully bowed to the figure in the carriage.
It really was a life-saving grace.
In the candlelight, the silhouette that he had never seen before still did not move at all.
She only waved the pipa, and a dreamy whisper sounded in his ear.
"Don't worry, it's just a coincidence."
She paused for a moment, and then suddenly said: "Tonight, there may be unrest in the palace, please be careful.
After saying this, without waiting for Huai Shi to respond, the ox cart continued to move forward.
Huai Shi was left in place, dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened.
Soon, an attendant came up to him respectfully and led him through the many palace doors, shuttling through the darkness. Finally, he was led into a shockingly spacious hall.
The banquet seemed to have already begun.
Many strange looking officials were drinking and making merry, and there were also evil looking ghosts eating human flesh and drinking in large mouthfuls. It looked terrifying and noisy.
Huai Shi quietly found an inconspicuous place to sit down, covered his face, curled up, and looked around.
The premonition of death was getting stronger.
It was so strong that his vision was turning black.
"I've already come in, what do I want to do?"
The Crow in the shadow spoke.
"Wait."
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