The bamboo house was burned down, and the boy had every right to pester him.
Lu Yingjiu had never seen such a scene before, and complained in her heart, I am not a beautiful woman who can captivate the fishes and geese, so why is this boy so persistent
The dark horse clatters along.
Its legs were strong, it could travel a hundred miles a day without getting tired, and it was also very flexible, so most of the time it could let the reins run freely. In this way, they passed through one hill after another, crushed one stream after another, and at noon, they shared some dry food, took a short rest, and then continued on their way.
Finally in the evening, they arrived at a busy town.
People in the town were celebrating something, with lights and decorations everywhere and the town bustling with noise.
In places where there are so many ghosts, there must be exorcists.
Two horses.
Lu Yingjiu drew a piece of talisman paper, folded it into the shape of a paper crane, and put it into the young man's hand.
"What is this?" the boy asked.
He looked at the paper crane in his hand. It was lifelike and delicate, with the talisman paper twisted and wrapped around its wings, like a feather pattern.
"This is a talisman paper that can hide the negative energy on your body." Lu Yingjiu said, "Of course, you must return it to me after you leave this town."
This talisman paper cannot be given to ghosts easily.
The talisman he drew was powerful. When the boy took the talisman, almost all exorcists could not find his trace - this was extremely dangerous.
Young man clicked.
They entered the town, and there were people everywhere. Lu Yingjiu pulled a big glass of wine, and then he learned that according to local customs, a three-day banquet would be held to welcome the midsummer.
The boy looked around.
The light from the lanterns fell into his dark eyes, which was simply brilliant. He rarely saw such a lively scene, with people passing by and occasionally touching each other, and could feel the burning warmth.
Humans are so warm, he thought.
After Lu Ying finished drinking, she turned around and said to him, "It's time to leave. Let's find a restaurant. What do you like to eat?"
The boy shook his head: "I have only drunk white porridge."
Lu Ying was drunk and took him to the most popular restaurant along the way.
The restaurant was filled with noise.
The two went upstairs and sat down. Lu Yingjiu ordered some dishes. He raised his head and saw that the young man across the table was still staring at him intently.
Lu Yingjiu said: "You don't have a name, don't you even know your last name and birthday?"
“I don’t know.” The boy said, “I have been in that mountain range since I can remember.”
"I see..." Lu Yingjiu pondered for a moment, "I think it's probably not the soul of a living person, but a priest."
The boy was stunned: "What's the difference?"
"To put it simply, they were born from the Yin energy of the ghost world, and they have their own responsibilities in the dark." Lu Yingjiu said, "Of course, there are actually many priests, some are strong and some are weak, and they are not all the same."
Boy: “Oh…”
Lu Yingjiu said, "Do you know where you were born? For example, if you were born in the daytime of the ghost world, then your power would be more masculine, similar to the sun god; for example, if you were born in the mountains of the ghost world, then you would be the priest in charge of the mountains."
But according to his speculation, judging by the boy's temperament and methods, he might be a killer.
The violent rage was extremely strong, originating from the swords and spears on the battlefield.
The boy thought for a long time and replied, "I only vaguely remember seeing a tree of white flowers before."
"White flowers?" Lu Yingjiu was stunned for a moment.
Flower ghosts are generally charming and delicate.
But he thought again, when he was riding a horse, he always smelled the cold fragrance on the boy's body - it seemed to be somewhat similar to the fragrance of flowers.
A killer god born from a flower.
If you think about it carefully, it has a bit of romance.
Lu Yingjiu took a sip of tea and heard the young man continue, "I thought about it for a while and I think I should be the priest in charge of marriage."
Lu Ying almost choked on the wine.
God damn marriage.
Is this the matchmaker who sends the mandarin ducks to meet the King of Hell? How much does this child misunderstand himself...
He turned his face away, coughed a few times, and looked over: "Are you sure?"
"Yes." The boy said seriously, "I didn't want to do anything at first, but now I know. I want to get married."
Lu Yingjiu was silent for a while, and finally said: "No, it must be the God of Killing."
"Ah." The boy was stunned for a few seconds, "I don't want to be a killing god, I don't care about marriage."
"I can't do anything about it." Lu Yingjiu rejected it outright.
The young man was very disappointed: "Who is the priest in charge of marriage? I will go and kill him and take the position myself."
Lu Yingjiu: “…”
Lu Yingjiu: "... He is indeed a killing god!"
As they were talking, the waiter came with the dishes.
Jade white soup, translucent slices of meat, vegetable dumplings and steamed sea bass…
Although it was only for two people, it filled the entire table and was piping hot.
The boy picked up the chopsticks awkwardly and picked up a piece of fish.
It melts as soon as it enters.
The aroma of green onion and the freshness of fish explode in the soup, it is delicate and smooth, and extremely delicious.
"How is it?" Lu Ying asked him drunkenly.
"... delicious." The boy nodded, "very delicious."
Lu Ying was drunk: "Then eat more. I can't cook such delicious food. If you follow me, you won't have such good fortune often in the future."
Most ghosts don't eat or drink, and they are enough just by relying on Yin energy.
But when the delicious food is really placed in front of you, I'm afraid no one can refuse it.
The boy tasted every dish, all kinds of flavors, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy, each one was a taste he had never experienced before.
But while eating, he raised his head and looked again.
Lu Yingjiu drank his soup slowly and leisurely - he had been drinking this small bowl of soup for a long time. He had no interest in food and went to the restaurant purely for the sake of the young man.
The young man asked: "Why don't you eat?"
"I don't eat much." Lu Yingjiu said, "Don't worry about me."
The boy paused for a moment with his chopsticks.
He really wanted to serve some food to Lu Yingjiu, and put the fattest fish and the tastiest meat slices in his bowl.
But this is too intimate, and Lu Yingjiu may not like it.
He lowered his head and nonchalantly picked up a handful of dumplings with his chopsticks, but ultimately did nothing.
The lights outside the window flickered, and Lu Yingjiu was distracted, unconsciously looking out the window.
Lu Yingjiu did not wear white clothes today, but dark green clothes and dark red outer robe. Whatever clothes he wears is suitable and good-looking. This one is less fairy-like, but more stunning, like a rich kid going out for a trip, lazy, casual and luxurious.
The young man ate while secretly looking at the road to welcome the wine.
The food is delicious and the layout is beautiful.
It's a pity that he is not in charge of marriage, so he will definitely use a red string to tie them up tightly.
After having a good meal and a good drink, the two of them rested in the inn for one night.
Lu Yingjiu originally wanted to buy a horse for the young man, but the young man refused without any hesitation.
—When he refused, his eyes wandered around, his ears turned red, and I didn’t know what he was thinking.
But the ghost wasn't very heavy anyway, so it would just squeeze him a little when he was riding on a horse. He didn't force it and followed the boy.
When the sky turned pale the next day, they set out on horseback and continued eastward.
Walk and stop like this.
Sometimes they had to sleep in the open air and eat dry food for several days; sometimes they could pass by a prosperous town and have a good meal and rest.
After traveling together for more than half a month, the two of them became very familiar with each other and had endless topics to talk about every day.
This is what is meant by feeling old friends at first sight.
They had only known each other for a few days, but they seemed to have known each other for many years. Although the boy was a ghost, for the first time in his life, he truly experienced what it meant to be "alive".
Being alive is food, celebration and a rising fire.
Life is sunny skies and rainstorms, wastelands and bustling cities, rivers and mountains.
Living is the thin green brushed by the antlers of deer in the mountains, it is endless words to say and endless starry sky to see in the journey every day.
Until a towering snow-capped mountain appeared in front of them. On the mountain was a large area of lush cedars, with dark gray trunks standing tall and pine needles shining green.
The place where Lu Yingjiu went was a small village in the mountains.
Because this village is remote, few exorcists are willing to come here. In recent months, evil spirits have been causing trouble. He rushed here after hearing the news.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, they saw a path in the snow, going gently up the mountain and leading to a wisp of faint smoke.
It must have been stepped on by the villagers.
The two men rode up the mountain and soon reached a slightly steeper part, then walked on foot without riding. Lu Yingjiu was leading the black horse when he suddenly heard the young man say "Huh?"
"What's wrong?" he replied.
The boy holds a handful of fresh snow in his hand.
He was surprised and said, "The snow is so cold."
This was the first time he had seen ice and snow.
"I had the same reaction as you when I first saw snow," Lu Ying said after drinking. "There are still many new and wonderful things in this world. If you are willing, you can experience them one by one."
The boy opened his fingers and the snow fell out from between them. He asked: "... Will you go with me?"
"Maybe." Lu Yingjiu said.
This was not a definite answer, and the boy was a little disappointed.
He showed no emotion, just crunching on the snow and following Lu Yingjiu closely.
He thought to himself, if possible, he should kill the rotten priest in charge of marriages, and start the uprising today.
After walking for another stick of incense, the two arrived at the village at noon.
As in the previous villages, they received a warm welcome.
The villagers made hot soup and noodles for them. The weather was cold, and they wanted to send them some fine wine, but Lu Yingjiu politely declined.
Their residence was in a secluded part of the village. It had already been cleaned and covered with thick blankets.
Lu Yingjiu went out to chat with the villagers, and when he came back, the boy had already lit the stove to keep warm.
Lu Yingjiu sat by the fire, stretched out his hands to warm himself, and felt the blood flowing faster and faster.
The young man asked him: "Are there really ghosts in this village? I don't sense any evil energy."
"Not yet." Lu Yingjiu said, "But maybe they will appear after dark. This snow mountain is so huge, and who knows how many people have been buried there. It is inevitable that there will be demons and monsters."
The boy nodded: "They are coming, I will kill them."
This speech was so typical of his style. Lu Yingjiu smiled slightly and was about to make a joke, but suddenly his expression changed.
Something flew past the window.
Light, agile, and fast like the wind.
Definitely not the same kind.
The young man also felt it, his brows furrowed, and the red light in his eyes was filled with cold murderous intent.
He has always been very aggressive and would not tolerate other ghosts acting rashly in front of him. In addition, he was born with a strong murderous intent. At this moment, he had already imagined hundreds of ways to die in his mind.
With the Yin energy around him rising, he slipped away lightly.
The road flew past his feet, and in the blink of an eye, it was dozens of meters. He saw a strange black figure in the snow.
This is it!
The boy's eyes sparkled with excitement, his nails became sharp, and he dug his heart out -
"stop!"
A loud shout rang in my ears!
That was Lu Yingjiu's voice, and he was shouting at him. The young man didn't understand why, but he instinctively stopped.
In front of him, a strange figure slowly turned around.
It was at least two feet tall, with a strange expression on its pale, mask-like face.
this…
The boy narrowed his eyes.
This is definitely not a monster, but it’s not a ghost either.
"call!"
The monster swung the whip in his hand and rushed straight towards Lu Yingjiu!
The whip was covered with barbs, which reflected the light fiercely and would cause the skin and flesh to be torn apart with the slightest touch.
In a flash, a piece of talisman paper fell lightly on the whip and suddenly wrapped around it tightly. The soft paper actually stopped the whip, and during this gap, Lu Yingjiu flew over and drew his dagger!
During the fight, the snow flew everywhere. The two figures were extremely light and fast, their movements were light, and their attacks were powerful. The walls along the way exploded, tiles and straw flew everywhere, and the blades and whips rubbed against each other, making a very harsh sound.
The village exclaimed in surprise. The boy stared at them and clenched his fingers.
He really wanted to take action, really wanted to crush the enemy's head, really wanted to see how the blood would dye the earth red - just like he had done before.
But Lu Ying drank some wine and stopped him.
Worry, anger and impulse mixed together, making him feel extremely anxious.
Fortunately, the battle ended quickly.
Lu Yingjiu cut off the monster's head, and black blood spurted out, covering the snow.
The tall figure swayed and fell down.
He panted slightly, and just as he shook off the blood on the knife, he felt a weight in his arms.
The boy hugged him tightly.
Lu Yingjiu's hands were dirty, so she couldn't hug him back, so she could only comfort him, "It's okay, I'm fine."
The young man said in a muffled voice: "… Why don't you let me take action? What on earth is that monster?"
This time, Lu Yingjiu did not answer him immediately.
He was silent for a while, then said, "It's a long story. I'll tell you in detail when I have time."
—This wait lasted more than ten days.
Lu Yingjiu was busy setting up magic circles and posting talismans in the village.
It was not until almost the twentieth day that we reaped the rewards.
There was a heavy snowstorm late that night. The windows were banging and the stove was no match for the chill that seeped in through the cracks in the door.
Several evil spirits transformed from frozen dead travelers walked silently on the pale ground and came to the village.
Before they got close, sparks burst from their bodies.
The talisman paper Lu Yingjiu had arranged was perfect, and the flames devoured the bodies of the evil spirits, who screamed heartbreakingly. Babies cried at night, and the villagers were terrified, holding up furniture against the doors and windows.
The young man followed Lu Yingjiu closely, followed the firelight, and tore the evil ghost to pieces.
When the last ghost disappeared, the wind and snow stopped miraculously.
The clouds slowly dissipated.
The villager pushed the door open and looked around carefully. Only when he saw Lu Yingjiu clearly did he burst into cheers!
Peace returned to the village and they partied all night long.
Lu Yingjiu didn't like the hustle and bustle, so when it was late at night, he found a room to rest in. He slept soundly all night, listening to the sound of the wind, and when he woke up, the sky outside was clear.
After drinking a bowl of hot porridge, the boy looked at him hesitantly: "Should we leave?"
"Yeah." Lu Yingjiu said, "Let's go to another place tomorrow."
The boy said: "You haven't told me yet, what is that monster?"
He has been worried about it for many days.
Lu Ying said, "Come with me."
They left the village and climbed up a small snowy slope nearby. Lu Yingjiu brought a pot of wine for the first time.
There are a few black stones on the top of the slope. Someone had built a fire and boiled tea here before, and there are still the remains of the fire on the ground.
There was some firewood piled up nearby. They piled the firewood again and lit it, then brushed off the ice and snow on the stone bench and sat facing each other. Lu Yingjiu brought a pot and put snow in it to boil on the fire.
When the water boils, both of them hold a cup.
The warmth spreads as time goes by.
Lu Yingjiu held the cup with both hands, and after a moment he said, "Originally, I swore that I would never tell him about this matter. Because those who know the secrets of heaven will often suffer misfortune."
The boy listened carefully.
Lu Yingjiu looked at him and said, "But since you are a ghost, it is not your business to restrain the living. It won't be a problem if you tell the truth."
He took a deep breath and said, "The monster that appeared that day was a servant of the Heavenly Dao."
"A servant of Heaven?" the young man asked hesitantly.
He had never heard of it.
"Yeah." Lu Ying nodded his glass of wine and took a sip of hot water. "They want to kill me and have been hunting me for more than 20 years."
The boy was stunned: "Why?"
"That happened a long time ago, and it's related to a ghost-exorcist family." Lu Yingjiu said, "There are laws between heaven and earth that bind everything in the world. That's the way of heaven. Ghost exorcists believe in this to some extent, and among the aristocratic families, the Zhang and Chu families are the most obsessed with the way of heaven. More than 20 years ago, there was a sacrifice, a... living sacrifice."
The hot water is finished.
He opened the wine jar and poured out the muddy wine, then looked at the young man: "Would you like to drink?"
Young man clicked.
Lu Ying also poured him some wine.
The wine in this village was not brewed in the right way, and its appearance was ordinary, but it was really hot. It could warm the whole body even in a blizzard.
Lu Ying drank two small cups of wine, his face slightly hot, and then he continued: "The living sacrifice that year was not livestock, but babies."
The boy paused.
Lu Yingjiu said: "Those two families were extremely powerful and colluded with the merchants and nobles to bring fifty-nine babies as sacrifices. The way of heaven regards 'fifty-nine' as the most sacred, and the number must not be wrong. The noble family has been very careful, but still, something went wrong at the last hurdle."
"I am the deviation, the accident."
"I was two years old... maybe three years old, and was taken away as a sacrifice. But I survived."
"The Heavenly Dao did not get the number it deserved, and it was angry with the Zhang and Chu families, causing them to suffer misfortunes repeatedly. At the same time, it also tried to pull me back to the fate of death."
"If I don't die, that sacrifice will never be completed." Lu Ying was drunk, "No matter whether it is the noble family or the way of heaven, I will never allow it."
The young man clenched the cup tightly, his eyes burning with anger: "Then I will kill them all, no matter if they are servants or shitty families. As long as they are dead, we will be safe."
"It's not that simple." Lu Yingjiu shook his head, "First of all, the Way of Heaven cannot be wiped out; secondly, there are many innocent people in the aristocratic families. The two families together have nearly a thousand people. How can they be killed? There have been people from the aristocratic families who have hunted me down before, and the most extreme ones died in my hands a long time ago."
"Why can't I?" The young man licked his sharp fangs. "If I don't try, how can I know that I can't kill them all?"
Lu Yingjiu said: "You also said that you are not a priest who focuses on killing."
He raised his head and drank, and then said: "I told you this not because I want you to help me, but because..."
But because of what
He paused.
He just wanted to say it, there was no particular reason.
Perhaps it was because he had been unable to confide this matter to anyone alive for so many years, but after meeting the boy, he couldn't help but tell it out.
It's still too heavy.
He had been carrying the heavy fate of death alone for so many years.
Lu Yingjiu paused for a while, drank the liquor in the glass, and filled it up again.
The boy was still indignant.
Lu Yingjiujiu said to him, "Don't be angry, I told you this not because I wanted to see your expression." He reached out and patted the boy gently to comfort him.
The boy was stunned.
This comfort was extremely effective for him, and the rage in his eyes gradually disappeared.
He drank two glasses of wine in silence, and finally his expression eased. He said, "There will always be a way."
"Yeah." Lu Ying nodded, "There will be a way."
Perhaps, he will never find it in this life.
—He didn't say this.
He continued, "I have been wandering around all my life trying to escape my fate. The family that kindly adopted me was killed by evil spirits. The friends I once made were suppressed by the aristocratic families and their families were separated. My greatest dream in life is to slow down one day."
"Drink good wine, embrace the bright moon, and be a free and easy wanderer. Who doesn't want to live a carefree life?"
"Besides, there are so many beautiful sights in this world." He pointed with his finger, "Look back."
The boy followed his gaze.
Ice crystals sparkled, new snow was white, and towering snow peaks pointed straight to the blue sky. Before they knew it, they had climbed quite a distance. The forest they had once been in was now under their feet and in their eyes, and the green was still shining in the light, lush and powerful. The glacier river rolled through the ice floes, the water surface was flowing, and was crushed into small pieces by two white-hoofed deer, with dots of golden light flying.
Further away, another mountain peak is shrouded in cumulus clouds.
The sun could not penetrate the heavy clouds, and a large shadow fell on the mountain ridge, making the peaks look even taller and the rocks more rugged and sharp. After a few breaths, a sudden snowstorm came, with a hideous and gloomy beauty, dancing with the strong wind and heading straight for the sky.
The snow on the mountains does not melt, and the mountains are lush and green.
There are strong winds and snowstorms in the distance, and the sky is clear nearby.
The contrast is clear yet harmonious, which is a stunning sight.
How many times can one see such a beautiful scenery in a lifetime
Today they are drinking together in the snow, and I am afraid they will never forget this scene year after year.
Lu Yingjiu said: "We met by chance and we hit it off right away. This fate is destined. The most precious thing in life is a word of leisure. I can't have it. I just hope I can live my life to my heart's content."
The glass was full, and he raised it: "Cheers to the idle clouds and scattered cranes."
The young man stared at him intently and raised his glass again: "In this world, I have done nothing respectable... I only wish that my life will go smoothly, my cup will not be empty, I will not be bound by fate, and I will always have good wine in my arms."
The wine glasses collided and the clear sound echoed.
When the two of them finished their liquor, the young man said, "How about I call myself 'Jing Xian'?"
Lu Yingjiu was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Why so sudden?"
The boy didn't answer.
He carefully traced the features of the man passing by to greet him with a drink, as if they were branded into the depths of his soul. Then he reached out and brushed away the falling snow from the ends of his soft hair.
He suddenly paused.
—Thousands of words are contained in it.