This is the end of my conversation with Uncle Johnny, because there is no need to continue talking, as someone else, not only me, but even Huigen'er, a boy with thick nerves, can understand Johnny's irritability, let alone me?

The boat slowed down again, almost giving up its own power, drifting down the river, and I looked up to see Singh in the wheelhouse, his face serious, and I could feel that he was very careful.

I was moved, and I ran up and into the cab, and I asked Singh, "You must know something about the forbidden section of the river, right?" ”

Singh did not have Johnny's fiery temper, but rather a gentle man, and he looked at me and said to me with his usual honest expression: "The forbidden section of the river is the section of the river where the gods are not allowed to interfere, and the passage of boats or something will disturb the gods and something bad will happen." I'm not a religious person personally, but I've sailed two taboo sections of the river, which in my opinion are generally the ones where the water is fast and the reefs are full of reefs, and it is easy to get into trouble. ”

"What's up ahead? You must have heard of it, right? "I stood next to Singh, looking out from the cab, the river in front of me was still peaceful and quiet, but I don't know why, I always felt that there was a faint layer of fog, obviously it was a sunny morning.

I don't have a good feeling for fog, and I always think of everything in the deserted village, but obviously this kind of fog is different from the fog in the deserted village.

"Actually, there is no problem with the river ahead, but behind that beach," Singh took a sip of the wine beside him, then pointed to a vaguely visible beach in the distance, and said, "Where is there a tributary, where because of the difference in terrain, it has become a big deep pool, and that is the real forbidden place." Even if the boat does not pass through the deep pool, it often passes by the nearby river, and there are often accidents. ”

Terrain drops, deep pools? Isn't this a bit similar to the first time we went into the water to explore the place where we ate man-eating catfish? Is this a coincidence? As I thought about it, I asked Singh, "You thought that the forbidden river sections were natural causes, but what about this deep pool?" What do you think is the reason? ”

"I don't know the specific reason, but according to those old sailors, you can't stay there at all, it's easy to be confused, and it's a place where you are bewitched, and there is a legend here that says that the deep pool buried a martyred woman, but the reason for martyrdom is taboo, no one dares to talk about it, in short, she wanders in the deep pool day and night, crying, people will be confused by her if they are not careful, and finally the ship is wrecked and killed" Singh told me the reason without reservation, our voice is not small, Even everyone on the downstairs deck heard some of it.

I saw Uncle Johnny glaring at Singh and wanting to say something, but he turned to fish.

But I sighed in my heart, this matter is really complicated, yes, it also involves female ghosts! But why did Uncle Johnny react so much?

I'm still thinking, Singh has whispered to me: "Actually, I was sent out by the master to receive a higher education since I was a child, my heart is advocating facts and evidence The way I speak is not superstitious at all, although I think that faith is also a right thing, but I am also contradictory, in fact, the most incredible things happen around me, such as our magical master, in front of him, the persistence in my heart will become shattered, I will think that everything can happen." ”

When Singh said this, he had already put away his honest expression and became extremely serious.

But I didn't react to what Singh meant by this, Singh suddenly laughed, and then said to me in a relaxed tone: "My original opinion is that the deep pool may have produced some substances, such as poisonous mist, or special plants, which can make people hallucinate, and I will not believe in the martyrdom of female ghosts from the bottom of my heart." But this time I followed the master, but I was not sure in my heart, I said so much nonsense, I just hope that the place where we end up staying, not the deep pool, the ship that has not gone deep into it will have an accident, if we stay there, I am afraid that someone will have an accident, everyone is so good, I don't want any of you to have an accident. ”

When Singh said this, I was more or less moved, and I also picked up Singh's wine bottle and took a sip of wine, and then said: "Singh, in fact, in the past few months, we have learned to drive this Penglai ship more or less, otherwise you can get off the boat around here, or we will turn around and send you back to the town." I don't know how to explain to you, you've been with us for so long, you should actually know us, we're not ordinary people. In my opinion, nine times out of ten, the end of this voyage is directed to that deep pool, and I don't think you need to venture again, understand? You're waiting for us in the town! I'll explain to Johnny that he shouldn't blame you. ”

Singh was silent for a moment in the face of my statement, then smiled very firmly, shook his head and rejected me, and he said to me: "You don't know the domestic servant system here, especially the domestic servants to which the Brahmins belong, it is normal for them to give their lives for their masters, just like the knights of the West guard their masters and castles, and this is not my mission, and I personally willingly you see, the master did not ask me to leave, I believe that he has faith." ”

I can't say much about Singh's statement, but I am full of doubts about Johnny's approach, why did he let Singh follow in the end, didn't he know the danger, and there was no way for an ordinary person to follow him?

So, I went down and tried to talk to Johnny about Singh, but I still got a rough answer: "I don't want to talk about this at all, Singh is my servant, I have the right to decide everything about him, I know what is right." ”

I was speechless, in my heart, although Uncle Johnny was short-tempered, he was not an unreasonable person, why did he become like this when he was almost at the end of his voyage?

―――――――――――――――― Dividing Line―――――――――――――――――

Undoubtedly, the morning was very unpleasant, and I tried not to take it to heart, but I could only blame Uncle Johnny for everything.

In the afternoon, no matter how slow the boat was, we finally sailed to the beach, and as long as we turned the beach, it was the forbidden place in Johnny's mouth.

I don't know if it's my delusion, as long as I look into the distance, there has always been a faint mist around, but when I look up, it is still a blue sky and a white day, the sun is dazzling and scorching, and Uncle Johnny, who has been fishing, seems to have gained a lot, I just glanced at it, and I saw that in his large fish pocket, there were at least dozens of hot-blooded 'crazy fish', but there were no big guys.

"Singh, stop the boat right here, and besides, burn all these fish!! Burn it down completely, I'm going to get off the ship. After lunch, Johnny suddenly made such a statement.

"Disembark, sir, where are you going?" Singh was cleaning up the dishes, and was very surprised to hear Johnny's statement, this place is full of dangers, wouldn't it be better to stay on the boat and be with everyone?

But Johnny was already untying one of the escape boats tied to the Penglai, and he was still so irritable, and said impatiently: "Singh, ask me about it, it's not a good habit, but I don't mind telling you that I'm going to finally determine if it's that damn place, no one has to go with me, Chengyi, you can go with me if you want." ”

I stood on the deck and looked around, and at the end of the beach I could see a watery inlet, and if I guessed correctly, the deep pool should be just below it.

Naturally, I would not refuse Johnny's proposal, and I thought that both me and he should have the power to protect ourselves, even if, according to Singh, there is a bewitching female ghost who cries day and night.

So, without hesitation, I jumped on the boat and set off with Johnny.

Even the escape boat is equipped with an engine, and Johnny never saves money on these details, and after I got on the boat, Johnny started the engine, and the boat with only two people rode the wind and waves very fast!

Johnny sat in the stern of the boat, operating the engine and the direction of the boat, he didn't speak, but I could clearly see that his expression was melancholy, with an indescribable, suppressed sadness, and he kept pouring himself wine.

I don't think it's a good thing to keep drinking at such times, but I can't stop Johnny from getting a little weird when he arrives here, and in the dreary atmosphere, I try to find a topic with Johnny: "Why did you choose to go with me to investigate?" ”

"You have surging power in you, and most importantly, you are the heir of the mountain lineage, aren't you? You're here, you can help me a little bit, and I don't have to worry about it at all. Chengyi, forgive me, I'm so upset that I don't want to talk now, you let me be silent. Johnny sighed, his demeanor and appearance looking unusually old.

I didn't speak, because Johnny's old age and tiredness were unbearable to bother me any longer.

So, in this oppressive atmosphere with only the roar of the engine but the silence, it took less than half an hour for our powerful boat to reach the inlet of the tributary.

Finding a spot, we stopped the boat, and Johnny got out of the boat first with his fishing tools and headed for the inlet, with me close behind.

Due to the proximity of the boat, we walked to the inlet in less than a few minutes, and I looked inside, the position of the water here is narrow, and the current is relatively fast, but it is not a very dangerous rapid current, but there are three bends in the river less than a hundred meters ahead, and after a hundred meters, it is a great turn, and it is no longer visible.

Unlike the rest of the Ganges, which is full of plains and tidal flats, the river here is flanked on both sides by mountains, to be exact, small cliffs, black cliffs that look strange and rocky, with little vegetation, only clusters of wild grass swaying in the wind from time to time.

Overall, aside from my inner sense of self, the river also seemed desolate and smelled of danger

And my personal feeling, is very Chinese, very Taoist feeling, this place is full of yin, plus the strange mountains on both sides of the strait closed breath flow, there is a flow of water through, into a deep pool, gathering yin Qi This is simply a full yin land, in other words, that is, to raise ghosts, ghosts here will be very, very 'comfortable', and borrow yin to become strong!

The mist that floated on the surface of the river from time to time was different from the hazy and plausible fog I had seen before, here it was clearly visible, a cloud of mist, which was too strong in yin qi and turned into shape, somewhat similar to the situation in the deserted village where the old village chief was.

In just a minute, I could see the difference here, and I couldn't help but pout and sigh, "This is not a good place." ”

At this time, Johnny had already set up the fishing rod, sat on the stool, and began to concentrate on fishing, and suddenly heard my emotion, he turned his head to look at me, and then said in a low voice: "You can also see that this is indeed not a good place!" I don't want to be here, and if I did, it would be too ironic, wouldn't it? Why am I bothering to find it? Can't I guess that this is where it should be? Or maybe I'm not willing to guess."

I didn't understand what Johnny meant, so I could only put my hands in my pockets and stand silently behind Johnny.

But Johnny suddenly took out a stack of things from the fish box he was carrying, stuffed them into my hand, and said, "As the heir of the mountain lineage, it should be easy to overdo it, right?" Sprinkle all this paper money and recite a little excess of the ritual for the first time, and for the last time, after that, it should not be. ”

I looked at my hand, and Johnise gave me a stack of paper money, but who did he want me to exceed? And in the way of Chinese Taoism, it is probably inappropriate to surpass the faithful Indians, right? 、

Before I could express my doubts, Johnny said: "No matter what country it is, Taoist transcendence always has the power of mind, you don't have to be taboo too much, you don't need to care about the way you express your heart, the gods everywhere will forgive this sincerity, and you don't need to ask me who I give to the transcendence, just treat it as a lonely and pitiful lonely ghost." ”

Johnny's statement was very strange, but I couldn't refuse, so as soon as I raised my hand, a handful of paper money flew towards the sky in the wind, and I began to recite the transcendent sacrifice with a special step, which seemed so desolate in this desolate place

In less than two minutes, just as I was about to spill the paper money in my hand, I saw Johnny suddenly rush towards the water, as if pulled by a huge force

"Uncle Johnny" I couldn't help but shout, and I was about to go over.

"Leave me alone, after spilling the paper money in your hand, I can still hold it up!" Johnny yelled at me, and I saw the waves tumbling on the water's surface!