001. The Method of Demon Cultivation, the Seven Souls and Three Souls of the Ming Dynasty
Shantang Street is different from many other tourist attractions. It is not a relatively closed water town, but a prosperous neighborhood outside the ancient city of Suzhou. Rivers and alleys extend in all directions. Shantang Street along the north bank of Shantang River is a tourist area.
The main body is not closed by walls or gates, and there is no card to collect tickets. It is just a pedestrian street in the city.
The Shantang Street Scenic Area actually sells tickets, which cost 45 yuan each. With the ticket, you can visit several scenic spots restored and protected by the cultural relics department along the way. If you don't buy this ticket, you won't be able to visit those scenic spots, but for
Visiting the mountain ponds is not a big deal. The ancient alleys of Suzhou's water town of two thousand years have a profound cultural heritage. Although they have undergone modern development and transformation, traces of history can be found everywhere inadvertently.
Most of the brick and wood houses built along the river have different structures and building materials. The stone slabs on the small bridge may have been filled in last year, but the vague carvings on the bridge railings next to the stone slabs show hundreds of years of vicissitudes.
The shop, pillars and beams may be hundreds of years apart from the time they were built, but the foundation of the new brick and whitewashed wall bears the traces left by countless generations.
In the old days, all houses were built with land deeds. What is the boundary line in the land deed? It is the boundary stone. In the alleys of the ancient city of Suzhou, you can still see traces of the boundary stone everywhere. It is a stone pile built into each corner of the outer wall of the house. It itself is the outer wall.
A part of the building with writings engraved on it. Ordinary families are usually identified by their surnames, such as "Zhang Jie", "Li Jie", "Jin Jie", "Wang Jie", etc. Some other buildings will also be engraved with the name of the county hall, shops and
The name of the guild hall, such as "Yu Qingtang Jiang Jie", "Yu Family Ancestral Hall", "Wei Fuji Jie", etc.
Cheng Tianle walked along and was very interested in the boundary stones on both sides of the old street. He saw many of them along the way. The entire Shantang Street is more than seven miles in total, and the Beijing-Shanghai Railway and the Suzhou North Ring Viaduct pass right in the middle of it.
Dividing this thousand-year-old street into east and west parts also forms a clear dividing line.
To the west of the Beijing-Shanghai Railway Bridge is a tourist street that has been restored and developed by the local government, cultural protection and tourism departments. It is neatly planned and lined with shops. The black tiles and white walls all look brand new, but the window edges on the old building and the ones under the wall foundation
Boundary stones and stone bridges on the river still reveal traces of ancient times. To the east of the railway bridge, the original appearance of the old alley is generally preserved. In addition to the restoration of landscapes with important cultural relic value along the way, there has been no large-scale reconstruction and development.
A typical old Suzhou residential area, a little messy but full of life and interest.
Passing under the railway bridge and crossing the Caiyun Bridge, you can obviously feel the subtle changes in the atmosphere. It is less impetuous in the bustling world and more quiet in the chaotic life. The stone road under your feet has also changed.
It was so neat and tidy, Cheng Tianle also saw a tombstone with vague writing and a few boundary stones. These tombstones and boundary stones were no longer in their original positions. Someone moved them here to repair the stone road in an unknown year.
Walking forward across the Caiyun Bridge, you can see several ancient archways along the road, but these archways are not clearly displayed to tourists. Many of them have been built into the courtyard walls of local residents and become part of the houses. What is even more exaggerated is that,
There was an archway that actually became the pillars of a house. Cheng Tianle saw the carved building on top of the archway emerging from the roof tiles.
There are vegetable markets on both sides of the road in the residential area, selling all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and even chickens. Looking into the side streets, there are old people sitting on bamboo chairs shaking cattail fans. The loquat trees in the courtyards of several houses are covered with yellow flowers.
The fruit was so delicious that I was so greedy. The Pufu Zen Temple on the side of the road did not charge admission. I entered the legendary gourd temple and walked around. I continued walking along Shantang Street towards Huqiu and saw another house on the side of the road.
People, branches covered with loquat fruits stretched outside the courtyard wall.
Liu Shujun looked around and said, "There is a lock outside the courtyard door. There must be no one inside. Let's find something to put our feet on and pick some loquats to eat?"
Cheng Tianle smiled and said: "With so many pairs of eyes coming and going, you dare to steal other people's loquats. You are so brave! ... The branch is quite high and cannot be reached unless I hold your legs and lift you
Pick it up."
Liu Shujun glared at him and said, "She's wearing a skirt!"
Cheng Tianle heheyile: "Forget it, there are too many people, it's not good to lose everyone!...Besides, that loquat looks so beautiful hanging on the tree, and it's not yours, why would you pick it off?"
The two were chatting and laughing, followed by Yu Fei who was carrying a travel bag. This "Mr. Yu" was already sweating.
…
At this moment, two more people walked across the Caiyun Bridge in the distance. They were a father and son. The father's name was Ishino, and he looked like a middle-aged man, but his appearance did not tell how old he was.
Ping He walked slowly and leisurely, each step seemed to take root on the ground. The child beside him took his mother's surname and was named Liu Yancheng.
Liu Yancheng was fifteen years old this year. He had fine features and a very cute appearance. His clear eyes kept looking around. He suddenly stopped and pointed to the roadside and said: "I have seen several stone beetle statues along the way.
, this stone statue was obviously built not long ago according to legend, but I always feel that it doesn’t smell like something contemporary.”
Ishino smiled slightly: "Your spiritual perception is correct. These stone statues are indeed new. They were just carved and placed here only two years ago. But the location where they are placed is where the Qi Lingxuan is located in Shantang Street, and there are hundreds of them.
Over the years, there have been stone beast statues like this here. I have just examined them carefully and found that these stone statues still contain magic techniques from hundreds of years ago."
Liu Yancheng said in surprise: "How can the magic formula from hundreds of years ago be left on the stone statue carved two years ago? And this is just an ordinary stone beast statue, not something like a divine jade admonition?"
Ishino explained: "In a sense, this thing is a kind of stone statue. There was a stone statue here hundreds of years ago. Someone left the magic formula in the stone statue for unknown reasons, but I guess no one came later.
After opening the stone statues here, the person who left the magic formula has never come back. Hundreds of years later, the original stone beast statues have long been destroyed, and the spiritual thoughts of those magic formulas have entered the earth's Qi Lingxin. But now someone is building stone statues.
Placed in their original positions, these stone statues seem to have become doorways. If someone can open them, they can obtain the secrets."
Liu Yancheng walked forward curiously, put his hand on the top of the stone statue, closed his eyes as if sensing something, but after a while he frowned. Shiye just looked at it with a smile, and when he saw his son frowning, he said: "
You can't get those magic tricks, let alone you, even your father and I can't get those magic tricks completely."
Liu Yancheng asked in confusion: "Why is this? Is it because your cultivation level is not enough? Even you, dad, can't do it?"
Ishiye shook his head and said: "This has nothing to do with cultivation. Even if the person who left the magic formula came in person, he could not open it. He did not expect that hundreds of years later, the civet cat statue on Shantang Street had gone through so much.
After some changes, although the magic formula was originally left by man, now it is more like a natural fusion, becoming a thing of chance. These stone statues are like opening doors, you have to have a key, and this key is destined.
The human soul itself, otherwise even breaking the stone statue will be useless. No matter how high the cultivation level is, it can only erase these divine thoughts and techniques."
Liu Yancheng asked: "Then who can open the stone statue and obtain those secrets?"
Ishino pondered for a long time before replying: "Although I can't take out the complete magic formula, my spiritual sense can also know its fragments. It is just an entry-level demon cultivation method, and it is not brilliant in my eyes. The method of hundreds of years ago
The secret mind was integrated into the earth's spirit center, and it appeared due to the re-erected stone statue. It has become a natural divine mind. The method of cultivating monsters is different from that of humans. At the beginning of cultivating monsters, they realize it by themselves, just like the human soul takes shape.
The opportunity to obtain this magic trick should belong to a monster who is comprehending the world.
However, the monster who has just realized the world is still very shallow and cannot change its shape at all. How could it come to this densely populated Shantang Street? Even if such a monster came here occasionally, it would not be able to detect the abnormality of these stone statues, let alone
We’re talking about trying to open the Earth’s Qi Spiritual Center to obtain the magic formula, so the possibility of these divine thoughts magic formulas being taken out is very slim.”
Liu Yancheng frowned again and said, "So, is it absolutely impossible?"
Ishino shook his head: "That's not necessarily the case. I just said that these stone statues are things of chance, so it's just chance. Those who have this chance have no luck or good fortune."
Liu Yancheng blinked: "If, I mean, if, instead of a demon, an ordinary person walks by here and is interested in the stone statue, is it possible to open the earth's spirit center and obtain the secret?"
Ishino was stunned, and then he replied with a smile: "Silly boy, monsters are completely different from humans at the beginning of their cultivation. Do the birds and beasts in the mountains and fields have their own names? Although such creatures have self-awareness, they don't know why they came to the world.
, they don’t know what they want, and they all act based on instinct. If by chance, they inexplicably start to think about who I am, start to observe the world and reflect on themselves, and changes will often occur. This is the beginning of demon cultivation."
Liu Yancheng: "I didn't quite understand."
Ishino said with a warm smile: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. This process is quite mysterious and cannot be explained in words. Even monsters who are successful practitioners often cannot explain it clearly. Let me give you an example. If this mountain
There is such a cat on the pond street, and it suddenly begins to wonder who it is and why it was born like this. When it opens its eyes and learns to appreciate the scenery of the pond, and has various associations that may seem unrealistic to people, it becomes
This is the beginning of demon cultivation."
Liu Yancheng nodded: "I kind of understand, but what I just asked was - is it possible that there is such a person?"
Ishino laughed again: "There are many people who are confused in this world, and there are also many people who pretend to be confused, but it is rare for people to be confused without knowing it. Such people are not insane or born stupid, but they are confused.
Chaos Chaos, he even forgets his own name. It’s not that he really doesn’t know, but he doesn’t think about it at all.”