PDLP Chapter 154 The Mystery of Bone Burial
Chapter 154 The Mystery of Bone Burial
The materialistic man is indeed a typical "pragmatist," which contrasts sharply with Qu Youjiu's aloofness.
He didn't care about those "philosophical clichés," nor did he like studying "traditional Tang poetry methods," and he was even less concerned about any lofty ideals like "the vastness of heaven and earth"...
What he cares about is, "How much money can this land make for him?" and "Could that bottle of wine be sold at a higher vintage?"
However, the materialistic man regarded Qu Youjiu as a close friend.
Don't talk to me about dreams, you are my dream!
Xiao Si understood that the relationship between Qu Youjiu and the materialistic man was a strange collision between "poetry and distant places" and "reality and desire".
Qu Youjiu would occasionally write poetry while contemplating the meaning of life.
Materialistic men, on the other hand, would be calculating how to expand their business empire across the world while simultaneously pondering how gold and silver could make the devil turn the millstone.
However, fate is always in flux, sometimes harmonious, sometimes explosive, giving humanity a "baptism of fire"!
Just a few days ago, the two arrived at a small town by a lake.
Suddenly, the materialistic man fell ill, without any warning!
It's like suddenly having a fishbone stuck in your throat while eating, like a fishbone stuck in your throat!
His body became extremely thin, giving the impression that "death could be paused at any moment."
Seeing this, Qu Youjiu felt his heart race with grief, and he also watched as all his mountain of business opportunities and gold and silver deeds were no match for the power of death.
The materialistic man had been in a coma for several days, and Qu Youjiu was extremely anxious. Although he had books in his heart and a generous allowance prepared by his father, he realized at this moment that "money can buy land, but it can't buy life."
Finally, yesterday, a gentle breeze rippled across the shimmering reed lake, as if nature itself was mourning the end of this friendship.
As night deepened, the lake rippled gently, reflecting the starry sky.
Qu Youjiu knelt beside the materialistic man's corpse, tears streaming down his face. His eyes were blurred and bloodshot. Tears and blood mingled into a sorrowful river. Overwhelmed with grief, he cried so hard he could barely breathe.
The surrounding lakes, reeds, and even the sound of the wind seemed to be mourning the end of this friendship.
He cried so bitterly that even the fish in the lake were heartbroken.
Just as Qu Youjiu was performing the burial ceremony for his friend, halfway through the process, the woods by the lake suddenly became unusually uneasy.
The shadows of the trees swayed, as if something was stirring in the shadows, approaching silently.
Qu Youjiu's heart tightened suddenly, and his eyes scanned his surroundings warily, sensing several ominous auras spreading around him.
That's right, two groups of "hyena gangs" have appeared.
A group of thieves, eager to gain something for nothing, pounced on the two horses parked by the roadside without hesitation, their eyes fixed on the bundles of goods they carried, as if they had already sensed the valuable treasure inside.
The "materialistic man" refers to Wu Zhinan, whose horse was carrying a large bag of freshly cut bones, but unfortunately, thieves mistook it for a bag full of gold and silver treasures.
The thieves had long noticed Li Bai's unconventional behavior, so they targeted him and followed him all the way to a sparsely populated area.
When they saw the packages on the two horses, they exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with an almost palpable greed!
However, legends, like the "Ma Ji laying an egg" story, are often based on hearsay and are unrealistic.
In fact, at that time, Li Bai only temporarily buried Wu Zhinan's body on the shore of Dongting Lake. It wasn't until three years later that he returned specifically to take the first step in burying his friend's remains.
In fact, the baggage on horseback was not valuable; what was truly priceless were the land deeds and travel expenses in Qu Youjiu's arms.
Nevertheless, because of his unparalleled swordsmanship, the thieves dared not approach him easily.
The thieves approached the two horses step by step, and Qu Youjiu's anger was instantly ignited.
He gritted his teeth, leaped up, the grass beneath his feet rustling, and his body soared into the air like a swallow, heading straight for the group of thieves.
The thieves watched as the figure sped towards them like lightning, their hearts tightening and their steps faltering.
Qu Youjiu drew his sword and rose up. With a flash of sword light, a strong storm swept through the air.
"Trying to steal my horse? Take my sword first!"
Qu Youjiu sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He swung his sword, the tip of which shot towards the thieves' necks with lightning speed.
The sword light did not thrust straight forward, but instead drew an arc, curving and twisting like a bloodthirsty venomous snake, rapidly approaching from all directions, giving them no chance to breathe!
In an instant, the collars of all the thieves' clothes were slashed almost simultaneously, and the cold blades grazed their skin, bringing a slight chill.
Everyone felt that deathly aura.
Where the sword flashed, the air solidified into a sharp blade.
The thieves looked down and saw that the fabric around their necks had been easily torn open, revealing faint traces of blood beneath their skin.
Their hearts skipped a beat, and they looked up in terror, only to see Qu Youjiu's sword tip approaching again, its oppressive force like a mountain, making it hard for them to breathe.
"If you don't leave now, you'll all be dead!"
Qu Youjiu's voice was deep, yet filled with an undeniable threat.
He stood motionless, the tip of his sword hovering lightly in the air, ready to reap the fate of these overconfident individuals.
These people have no real skills; all they can do is gang up on the weak.
The thieves felt a chill run down their spines and their hearts were filled with an icy coldness. The young man's swordsmanship was as unpredictable as a ghost.
One of the thieves, who was slightly better at martial arts, attempted to counterattack from behind.
However, before he could draw his sword, Qu Youjiu's figure had already disappeared before his eyes, and the tip of his sword flashed across his waist like lightning.
Before the knife could even be swung down, it had already flown out of his hand.
What followed was a sharp pain and a chilling fear that made me break out in a cold sweat.
"Run!" he commanded.
Qu Youjiu seemed to have drawn a line of death in his mind; his swordsmanship was sharp and unparalleled, allowing no room for error.
He stood motionless like a statue, while the other thieves had completely broken down and fled in panic, their eyes filled with fear and regret.
Qu Youjiu still didn't kill him; he withdrew his sword, which carried a chilling aura.
"Get out of here. If I see you again, this sword will show no mercy."
The thieves, dragging their trembling bodies, fled in panic.
But just then, the thief leader's eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity to leap onto the "materialistic man's" horse, spurred the horse, whipped the reins, and galloped away!
Because Qu Youjiu's horse was behind them, the thieves decisively gave up.
Qu Youjiu's heart skipped a beat. He leaped onto his horse and was about to give chase when he heard a low growl coming from deep within the woods, accompanied by a soft rustling sound.
The sound jolted him like an alarm bell.
A pack of hyenas suddenly sprang out of the shadows, a dozen pairs of glowing green eyes fixed on their friend's still-covered corpse.
They sniffed the blood, grinned to reveal sharp fangs, and looked greedy and ferocious.
They swarmed around the corpse, forming a circle, and began tearing at the still-warm remains...
Qu Youjiu immediately abandoned the pursuit of the thief.
Seeing Qu Youjiu charge back, the hyenas barked incessantly, seemingly trying to force him back with their sheer numbers.
The hyena did not pounce immediately, but instead let out a low growl, also assessing the strength of the unfamiliar enemy before it.
Qu Youjiu's sword light, like a cold glint, precisely sliced past the eyes of each hyena, aiming straight for the hyena leader's eye, and stopped right in front of it, only saying in a voice clenched between his teeth:
"I don't want to take your lives, let's go!"
Seemingly intimidated by his unwavering resolve, the hyena leader hesitated for a moment, then actually turned and led the hyena pack away into the night.
In fact, Qu Youjiu also knew the art of beast taming. He watched the group of beasts go far away, and only when he could no longer hear any sound did he gradually relax his vigilance.
With a long sigh, he lowered his head, his hands trembling slightly.
Qu Youjiu knelt on the ground again, carefully burying his friend's body with both hands.
His movements were slow and sorrowful, each handful of earth carrying deep grief.
His voice was calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable determination:
"Since the lakeside cannot bring you peace, I hereby swear that three years from now, I will take you away to a place where you can rest in peace."
After saying that, he quietly stood up, lit the firewood that had been prepared beside him, and the raging flames shot into the sky, illuminating the night sky over Dongting Lake and also reddening his cold and stern face.
The fire crackled and popped as Qu Youjiu began to sing a farewell song for the departed souls.
"Old Master Ji brews spring beauty in the Yellow Springs"
The aroma of wine still lingers, permeating the earth.
There is no Li Bai to drink with in the underworld.
Alone, I brew a wine, my eyes gazing at the sky, drunk and intoxicated.
No more old friends to share a drink with.
Who will share my sorrowful drunken journey?
The journey is long, I have no friends, and it is arduous.
A solitary shadow lies across the slanting night, deepening the autumn chill.
In the firelight, Qu Youjiu squinted, watching the rising smoke, and flew into the sky carrying the memories of his friends.
"Little Jiu, to whom shall I sell my wine? Go, go and find your own peace."
Moonlight spilled down, and ashes swirled and danced in the air, like the soft murmurs of departed souls, before finally dissipating into the vast expanse of Dongting Lake...