Chapter 84 – The American Priest

“Partridge Whistle” refers to a few foreigners on board, “Partridge Whistle” peeped for a long time, felt that these foreigners suspicious, and are hiding a gun on the body, luggage in a few foreign shovels and brazier ropes, get together to mutter.

The strangest thing is that these foreigners are not like “partridge whistle” usually contacted those, “partridge whistle” know some foreigners, also know part of their language, but the ship of these foreigners, neither like the old-fashioned and formal British, not like serious Germans, not like loose Americans. Not like the loose Americans, these big nose flaxen hair foreigners, the whole body through a rogue gas, very strange, in the end is which country? “Partridge Whistle” and looked at two eyes, finally figured out that the original is the big nose old Russian.

“Partridge Whistle” think these Russians may be going to the Blackwater City digging antiques, after the revolution in Russia, many people from the domestic exile, their descendants have been mixed in China, do not recognize themselves as Soviets, but to the Russian Russo self-proclaimed, the net is to do some illegal business.

Dust Elder is also the eyes of the six roads and ears to listen to the people in all directions, naturally understand the “partridge whistle” the meaning of the words, indicating that “partridge whistle” can not act rashly: “We are doing confidential things, must avoid people’s ears and eyes, and try not to create more We are doing confidential things, we must avoid people’s attention, and try not to cause more trouble.”

“Partridge Whistle” said to Elder Dust: “Waiting for disciples to go over and find out, if these foreign devils are also going to Blackwater City to steal treasures, it is very close to our goal, so we can’t avoid being in the way, find a place where no one is, and do away with them by hand, so as not to leave behind any future problems.”

Not waiting for the dust elder to discourage, “partridge whistle” crowded into the crowd, to those Russians near to eavesdrop on their conversations, it turns out that this group of people there are a total of six, five Russians, an American.

Five Russians are exiled in China, the descendants of Tsarist Russia, doing business selling arms, heard that Blackwater City had unearthed a large number of cultural relics, think it is profitable, ready to take a chance, secretly dig a few boxes back.

The American is a thirty or forty-year-old priest, a few years ago to Ningqing and other places to preach, the journey to the ruins of the Blackwater City, the priest turned around in China, ready to go again to Yinchuan and other places to publicize the belief in God eternal life, this matter inadvertently mentioned to the road met these five Russians, the Russians took advantage of the opportunity to say that they want to go there to do business, so that the priest by the way to take them to the Blackwater City to see it.

Few people will lie to the clergy, so the priest did not know it was a ploy, the six of them do not speak the same language, the Russians do not speak English, the Americans do not speak speak Russian, but the good thing is that both sides stayed in China for a long time, they can speak Chinese, and each other with the Chinese to communicate.

“Partridge whistle” listened to a few sentences, only to hear those who have three sentences in ten words is talking about the Blackwater City, the American priest did not know that these people want to go digging for cultural relics, put themselves in the Blackwater City seen and heard, no matter how big or small, said that the stupa there half buried in the ground, there are a large number of statues of the Buddha, each inlaid with gold and silver, beautifully modeled, but also some of the Buddha statues are made of ivory and antiquity. Buddha statues are carved with ivory and jade, beautiful and beautiful, that kind of miraculous craftsmanship, only God’s hands can produce.

Five Russians listened to the drooling, took out the Vodka dunked two mouths, hate to insert wings, immediately flew to the Blackwater City, those precious cultural relics, are dug into the hand, into a large number of tobacco, women, guns and ammunition, and Vodka.

“Partridge Whistle” listened to the heart of the cold laugh, “Partridge Whistle” has also gone to the Blackwater City to find the Tongtian Buddha Temple, so the Blackwater City ruins are very familiar with, in fact, these big noses don’t know, as early as the nineteenth century out, Europe has risen a Chinese adventure boom, the majority of artifacts in the Blackwater City. Blackwater City’s cultural relics, most of the time in that time was stolen and excavated, and now the city’s ruins are only left in some clay statues and tiles, and most of them are in disrepair, that the United States priests do not understand the appreciation of cultural relics, to see some of the colorful clay statues, they believe in saying that is made of ivory and ancient jade, this group of Russians also believe in the truth.

But on second thought, no, the mud and stone statues as gold and jade treasures, that must be what eyes? That the American priest again no vision, it is impossible to see such a big error, is that the American priest by mistake, found the Tongtian Buddha Temple is not? Listen to the description of the American priest’s words, there are a few points like a temple buried in the ground.

“Partridge Whistle” thought of this, felt that things are not right, want to continue to listen to their conversations, suddenly the boat shook, the whole huge ferry in the river hit a cross, more than a hundred passengers on board are unsteady, with the body of the boat toppled over, a time to cry father and mother’s voice of the cry of pain chaotic into a piece.

“Partridge Whistle” worried about the dust elder, do not care about those foreigners, in the chaos of the crowd, quickly grabbed the dust elder side, the dust elder said to “Partridge Whistle”: “not good, I’m afraid of encountering something in the water. ”

At this time only between the original calm river, like suddenly opened a pot like rolling up, the boat in the center of the river spinning, the boatman passengers are chaotic, boat boss with a trick like taking out a pig’s head and thrown into the river, and put out a plate of roasted chicken, lit a few columns of incense, kneeling on the deck, kowtowing to the river again and again.

But the action of the boat boss did not play any role, the boat on the horizontal in the river spinning, said nothing can not drive, the boat boss suddenly had an idea, to the passengers on board kneeling down, while kowtowing while saying: “young and old gentlemen, Mrs. Mrs., the big lady sisters, is not which said the boat taboo words, the Dragon King this time can be taken seriously, should not be Dragon King, we all do not want to live ah! If we don’t answer the Dragon King, none of us will survive. …… Who said what? Don’t drag us all down with you, okay? I’ll kowtow to you.” Said on the deck to kowtow head thud mountain sound.

The people see the boat around the river have set up a huge wall of water, everyone was shocked face color, even if someone on the boat said what can’t be said, this time there is no place to go ah.

At a loss for words, a merchant pointed to a woman with a child in her arms and shouted, “It’s her …… It’s her …… It’s her that said it, I heard it.”

“Partridge whistle” and the dust of the elders also with the crowd together to see, only to see the businessman pulled a hold this three or four year old child’s woman said: “She this baby a hard cry, the woman was tired of the baby crying, said baby to cry again on the baby thrown into the river.”

Merchants say, around a few people have also said that this is true, it is this woman, her child since the boat on the wow cry, the woman coaxed half a day, the more coaxed the more loud crying, the people around the annoyance, the woman was angry and bluffed the child: cry again and throw you into the river to feed the fish.

After the scare does not matter, the child is still crying, but also at this time, the boat began to spin in the river, can not drive, the woman has not seen anything in the world, how do you know that these powerful, at this time to see the boat people are staring at the child in her arms, but also scared to sit on the deck and cry.

Boat boss to the woman kneeling: “big sister ah, how dare you say this kind of no high and low words in the boat, now say what is also too late, you say this so that the Dragon King heard, the Dragon King waiting for you to throw the baby down the river it, you do not throw, our boat people can be all over, you just do good.” Said he went to grab the woman holding the child in his arms.

The child is the woman’s own flesh and blood, how can she give up, while crying while desperately protect the child, resisting the death refused to let go, but the boat boss is always running the boat stout man, a woman where to snatch him, had to ask for help around the passengers.

The passengers on the boat, everyone’s face like ashes, are indifferent to this, everyone in their hearts like a mirror, this child is not thrown into the river, no one will not live, or their own life is important, although the child is poor, but can only be blamed on the mother, who let her on the boat nonsense, really is to blame, for a moment the crowd have to avoid, no one went to stop.

Dust Elder saw the boat boss to throw the three or four year old child into the river, the heart can not bear, would like to with the “partridge whistle” to intervene to stop, this time from the crowd grabbed a person to stop the boat boss, “partridge whistle” carefully look at the person who stops the boat boss was the American priest! The American priest held up the Bible and said.

The American priest held up the Bible and said, “Captain, in the name of God, I must stop you.”

If the others reach out to stop, would have been the boat boss a punch down, the boat boss see is a foreigner, do not dare to easily offend, but the boat body in the river spinning, at any time may be overturned, then stared at the American priest said: “You do not care, this child is not thrown into the river, the Dragon King will have to us even with the boat are collected, and then your black book will not be able to save your life. ”

The American priest but want to say, was a red nose short fat Russian pulled him away: “Father Thomas you do not meddle in these ancient oriental mysterious rules, very strange, what they want to do let them do well, anyway, just a Chinese child, otherwise the boat may really turn over.”

The American priest said angrily, “Mr. Andre, I can’t believe you would say such a thing, all men are equal in the eyes of God, only the devil would think it right to throw children into the river to feed the fish.”

The captain of the boat took advantage of the American priest and the Russian named Andrei, who were arguing with each other, to lift his foot and kick down the woman, throwing the child under the boat, and the woman fainted with a scream.

Dust Elder was shocked, want to speak out to let “partridge whistle” to save people but it is already too late, “partridge whistle” although do not want to meddle in the affairs of others, but when it comes to the end of the matter, after all, can not be seen to save the dead, not yet waiting for other people to see what is going on, “” Partridge whistle “has been the American priest and the Russian called Andrei arguing with each other. Partridge Whistle” has taken out the flying tiger claw thrown out.

Flying tiger claw is made of steel, the front like a tiger claw, joints can be loose or tight, the back side of the fall with a long rope, you can grab things at a distance, “Partridge Whistle” with a flying tiger claw grabbed the child who fell to the halfway point, and a shake of the hand and raised him up.

People on the boat looked dumbfounded, “Partridge Whistle” just picked up the child, those Russians with five black holes in the revolver, all aimed at the head of the “Partridge Whistle”.

The waves in the river are more rapid, the boat was turned dizzy, it seems that the boat will turn over at any time, a group of Russians living in China for a long time, know that the boat boss said is not false, or the child thrown into the river to feed the king of the eight, the boat do not want to move the place, this time to see the “Partridge Whistle” to have thrown down the child, and pulled back, can not help but take out the Guns, want to solve this side of the guy.

Five Russians just want to shoot, suddenly heard a burst of machine gun sound came, the crowd scared a shrinking neck, looking around, thinking who is shooting?

“Partridge Whistle” with ventriloquism to distract their minds, throwing the child to the dust behind the elders, and at the same time from his clothes to pull out two German mirror magazine, rubbing open the nose on the thigh, “pop pop pop pop pop” bullets swept across like a whirlwind, five Russians have been Five Russians were shot and fell in a pool of blood.

People on the boat are looking dumbfounded, a face like dirt, an instant kill five people, speed fast gun accurate is also just, that all the murderous spirit, kill so many people even without blinking, really with the Rakshasa ghosts, “Partridge Whistle” also does not care about how other people look at their own hands to the bodies of the five Russians are thrown into the river.

There is not such a saying, the ghosts are afraid of evil, five Russian bodies fell into the river, the boat even no longer spinning, and can be moved, the original open pot like the river also slowly calmed down, “partridge whistle” let the boat boss immediately by the north bank to stop the boat.

Boat boss is not yet recovered from the shock, how dare not comply, with all the boatmen, in the river gently anchored, put down the springboard.

The Dust Elder has replaced the child to the woman, told her not to talk nonsense, or the next time will not be so lucky, “Partridge Whistle” knows that in full view of the killing of five people, this is a big deal, it is not a small matter, we must leave the avenue, quickly to the sparsely populated places to go, the pro-boat, the American priests also brought down! In case of military police, the American can be used as a hostage, and the American priest and the five Russians are accomplices, the five Russians were thrown into the Yellow River to destroy their bodies and traces, the officials can not find their accomplices, but also not good to start tracing.

“Partridge whistle” with the dust elders, coerced the American priest, fell away, good thing here is not far from the Helan Mountains, overland three or four days to go, and sparse, not easy to bump into someone.

American priest Thomas began to think that he was kidnapped by two murderers, not stop preaching God’s mercy to them, and persuade them to turn over a new leaf, especially the old monk, looks kindly, can’t imagine that so old still do the kidnapping of the hook, not as good as to believe in God, believe in God get eternal life.

Walked for three whole days, Thomas found that these two guys, not like kidnapping themselves, they keep going north, as if they want to rush to some place, the motives are not clear, they exported to ask, to take themselves to where?

“Partridge Whistle” told the American priest Thomas: “You were deceived by those Russians, look at them carrying a large number of tools know that they want to go to the Blackwater City excavation of cultural relics, they heard that you have been to the Blackwater City, and have seen the treasures there, they want to let you lead the way to the destination, after the certainty of killing you to silence, I’m saving you, you’re not like a kidnapper. I am saving you, you can be as relaxed as possible, I am not a person who kills innocents indiscriminately, wait until we go to Blackwater City to do one thing, and then we will let you walk, now can’t let you be in order to prevent disclosure of the wind.”

The American priest said to the “Partridge Whistle”: “Mr. Fast Gunner, you draw your gun as fast as lightning, it’s really superb, I also found that there is something wrong with those Russians, they said that they were going to open a mine to do business, but it turned out to be to dig up Chinese cultural relics, but now God has already punished them. ”

“Partridge Whistle” asked the American priest to tell him the situation in the ruins of the city of Blackwater to see the Buddhist temple.

The American priest, Father Thomas, asked, “What? You also want to dig up cultural relics?”

“Partridge Whistle” for this priest is not too offensive, so he said: “I need to find an important thing, it is related to the life and death of many people in my tribe, these things are very confidential, I can not tell you more.”

The American priest said, “OK, I believe your words, a few years ago I went to the ruins of Blackwater City, when I was walking around, I stepped on quicksand, at that time I thought I was called by the Lord to meet God, I didn’t expect that I fell into a Buddhist temple, where there were so many precious and brightly-colored statues of the Buddha, because I had to rush to go to the missionary work, I didn’t look at it much before I climbed out and went away, and now I go there again, and I can’t find it anymore, and I can’t find it. That place, however, is close to the ruins of Blackwater City, about six or seven kilometers or so.”

The words of the American priest confirmed the accuracy of the “Partridge Whistle” information, and it seems that the Blackwater City Tongtian Buddha Temple, was buried not too deep, as long as you find the right location, it is very easy to dig a robber’s hole into.

Legend has it that the Blackwater City Tongtian Big Sleeping Buddha Temple, tribute to a huge reclining Buddha, Buddha’s tomb under the repair of a basilica, ready to be used for burials, and later was used as a secret hide Western Xia Palace of exotic treasures, “Partridge Whistle” this time the goal, right there.

The ruins of Blackwater City is not difficult to find, the ground there are obvious dilapidated buildings, a pagoda are in obscurity recorded here when the splendor of the magnificent, “Partridge Whistle” and the dust Elder plus the American priest Thomas, the three arrived at the Blackwater City to nearly dusk, the gray outlines of the distant Helan Mountains vaguely discernible.

Standing in the twilight, the ruins of Blackwater City appeared to be deathly silent, as if the Grim Reaper had strangled the breath of all creatures here, and the desolate and silent atmosphere made it impossible for people to imagine that this place had once been a major town in the Western Xia Dynasty.

Dust Elder is a monk, “Partridge Whistle” has been pretending to be a Taoist monk, the American Thomas is a priest, this monk plus a priest, to go to the Blackwater City near the Western Xia people looking for treasure caves, even they feel that this is really a strange combination of a team.

Near Blackwater City, the three men waited quietly for the cool moonlight to spread on the earth, this was the northwestern plateau, the air was thin, and the stars twinkled in the sky, many times higher in number and brightness than the plains.

Dust Elder looked up to watch the stars, took out the compass, divided into gold fixed points, the sky in the giant door, greedy wolf, Luk Kamma three stars robbery points, all to the end of the right no broken, auxiliary star points as true, auspicious with the noble, only the lack of wrapping protection, the ground points for the image of the greenfly pointing point of the water, a moment will have been to find the right location.

Dust Elder measured the location, with “Partridge Whistle” and the United States priests through the watery moonlight to the place, pointing to the ground, said: “Tongtian big sleeping Buddha Temple in the Maharajah’s Treasure Hall, is here. But …… here seems to be buried a one-eyed dragon.”