An oil lamp was lit on the table. Zhao Xianger sat down on the chair. She placed one hand on her lower abdomen and the back of her hand was pressed by the elbow of the other hand. The girl lowered her head slightly and unfolded the letter of apology with one hand. The ground read aloud:
"Hello, Miss Zhao. I have been thinking about it for a long time and I have been unable to sleep for a long time. I feel deeply guilty for Miss Zhao, so I am writing this letter and hope to be forgiven by Your Highness."
Hypocrisy... Zhao Xianger read softly, with no expression on her face. She turned her eyes lightly and continued to look down.
"In the past month, thanks to the care of the girl, the girl worked tirelessly to carve out my body with her fists and feet, and tempered my body and mind. Every time I think about this, although I often complain on my lips, I am extremely moved in my heart."
"Ms. Zhao is the king of a country. She always patiently explains the principles of swordsmanship and boxing to me. She is good at teaching and convincing people with her reasoning. She even cooked some rice and noodles herself. The taste is not inferior to the royal food, and the aftertaste is endless. , I will definitely remember it for the rest of my life.”
Zhao Xiang'er took a deep breath, her nose quivered, her chest heaved, her face was dizzy and annoyed, her apricot-like eyes were filled with light, and the hand on her waist was clenched into a fist.
"What kind of apology is this? The yin and yang monster has no good intentions. He is definitely a villain!" Zhao Xianger gritted her teeth, her face filled with anger. She resisted the urge to tear the letter into pieces and continued to read down. go.
"Then Mrs. Bai came to the world in the form of destroying the city. You and I were a perfect match. Even though we never said it explicitly, we always thought of the same thing. We could also understand each other and tacitly understood the secret words that deceived Mrs. Bai. At that time, I felt , as long as we work together, nothing is impossible.”
Zhao Xiang'er looked at the four words "perfect union" and knew that those were the words in the marriage letter. He must have deliberately disgusted himself... Humph, although he was indeed a little clever and could roughly understand his every move at the time, but he was only clever. Forget it, if he didn't defend the city with all his strength, how would he have the slightest chance to form an innate spirit? What does this letter mean now? Talking about old times with me, getting close to each other? Shameless.
"Today, the sky is falling and the earth is falling. It is my lifelong honor to be able to support the city and the country together with His Highness. I am sure that in the long life to come, I will often recall the sword falling from the sky and His Highness holding an umbrella alone to protect the city. The peerless style.”
Zhao Xiang'er's expression finally softened a little. She continued to look down, and soon her expression turned murderous again.
"After that, we were in danger together with His Highness. You and I both fainted and fell to the ground. We didn't know what happened in our dreams. It was just that we had no trace of the dream. If I have offended you in any way, I hope that Your Highness will forgive you. I had mixed words with His Highness before, They have taken action against each other and given small punishments, which made His Highness lose face. I am also Meng Lang. When the girl's anger subsides, I am willing to come to apologize and hope that Your Highness will remember the old feelings and forgive me... "
"You still dare to mention..." Zhao Xiang'er loosened her hand on her waist, stretched out to the side and held the scabbard. Her fingers gently rubbed the gold on the scabbard, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Old love? Who has anything to do with you? Old love.”
When she looked at the letter, she seemed to see Ning Changjiu's face that needed a beating. She suppressed her anger and read the last paragraph.
"I am honored to be a member of Zhao and to get to know His Highness. I don't know when we will meet again. I think that in three years' time, His Highness will also be like the name of this red umbrella, which will captivate the country and the city. I wish His Highness to reach the top of the road as soon as possible and reunite mother and daughter. .”
"I wish you a long life, and I wish your Highness a long life."
Zhao Xiang'er's expression softened a little, but when he saw the last sentence, he couldn't stand it anyway. Why was his name next to the name of this villain
She angrily tore the letter open along the middle of the sentence.
"Sure enough, you have bad intentions!" Zhao Xiang'er snorted coldly, crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it away, but the scene of him with golden eyes and his back against the red sun appeared in her mind, and a trace of worry arose in her heart. .
Three years later, what if he really gets the chance and his level rises by leaps and bounds
How embarrassing would it be if I lost to him
Zhao Xiang'er calmed down and picked up the letter that had been thrown on the ground. She thought about finding a craftsman to frame it and stick it in the palace after returning to the palace, so as to encourage herself at all times.
Of course, Ning Jiujiu was far from her opponent now, so she planned to beat him a few more times while she was recuperating, preferably to make him docile.
Well, it’s better to choose a day than to hit it.
…
Zhao Xiang'er didn't look for Ning Changjiu in his room. She found that the lights in the study were on, there were about three figures inside, and the sound of conversation could be heard.
Zhao Xiang'er moved to the door, took away her breath, put her finger into her lips, licked it with the tip of her tongue, then silently poked a hole in the door paper and looked in.
I saw Lu Marry sitting in the middle, looking at Ning Changjiu with some doubts, and said, "It's so late, what's going on?"
Ning Xiaoling stood aside and said: "Senior brother said earlier that he had issued a letter of challenge to Sister Xiang'er. I was afraid that it was a moment of arrogance. After the attack, he was very frightened, so he came to Master to take refuge."
“…”
Ning Jiujiu retorted: "How can senior brother be so cowardly? I asked her to punch me earlier, firstly to make my body into a container, and secondly to act. If I were to really fight, I might not be as good as her, not to mention that now Zhao Xiang'er was seriously injured, and I don't want to take advantage of others."
Ning Xiaoling laughed for a while and recalled: "I remember that there was a time when Sister Xiang'er was very cruel. When Senior Brother saw Sister Xiang'er coming over with a cold face, he even scared her away from her chopsticks. Senior Brother acted really well."
As Ning Jiujiu spoke, he also recalled the heavy fists that hit his body. Many times, Zhao Xiang'er's punches were like a fight of life and death, showing no mercy. When I succeed in cultivating Taoism in the future, I will definitely beat this little girl into obedience.
Ning Jiujiu laughed dryly for a while and said, "How can you fool that old monster if you don't act like one?"
Lu Marianjian listened at the side and said with emotion: "You are really powerful. You can use such methods at such a young age. You are much more powerful than I was when I was a child. I am afraid that Yujian Tianzong will not be able to keep you in the future."
Ning Changjiu said: "Junior sister is here, so we won't travel far."
Ning Xiaoling secretly smiled.
After listening to what Lu Jianwen said just now, Ning Xiaoling thought of something again, her smile faded, and she said again: "Master, do you remember that the last time you lit the sword star, your senior brother forgot to return the hairpin to you. This matter made Sister Xiang'er When she found out, she not only beat up the senior brother, but also confiscated the hairpin from her, and she still has no intention of returning it."
Lu Marry looked at Ning for a long time.
Ning Jiujiu also felt a little embarrassed and immediately said: "At that time, it was just to make the scene more realistic. I almost forgot about it. I will go and get the hairpin back for the master later. I will go and ask for it myself. She I won’t dare to detain him.”
Ning Xiaoling looked at him distrustfully and said, "Senior brother, please be safe."
Ning looked at the new hairpin on Lu Marian's jade crown for a long time, thinking that she would decline politely, or that she would go and ask for it in person without bothering him, but Lu Marian looked at him with a half-smile and said: "Then go help me get it back."
Ning Changjiu coughed twice and said, "Okay, I'll go get it tomorrow."
Lu Marian said: "I will return to the peak tomorrow, and Miss Zhao should also return to court. Let's go tonight, don't delay."
Ning Xiaoling laughed on the side and gloated.
Ning Jiujiu looked at Lu Married for help for a while, but Lu Married was indifferent.
"Yes, Master." Ning Jiujiu finally got up helplessly, sighed, and walked out the door.
Ning Jiujiu walked to the door and vaguely felt a familiar breath behind the door. Then he noticed a small hole in the door. His heart trembled. He guessed something and tentatively opened the door.
Behind the door, a girl still dressed in men's clothing and with long hair stood tall and graceful. She had her hands folded across her chest, and her delicate face was like a frost-covered lotus. She was obviously half a head shorter than him, but her cold eyes seemed to be looking down. .
Ning Changjiu's expression swayed slightly, and he smelled a faint fragrance as if by illusion, and then his heart trembled, thinking that she must have heard what he just said, and Lu Marry must also have noticed that she was eavesdropping outside the door. , and then pushed himself into the fire pit.
Ning Jiujiu turned around and saw a faint smile on Lu Marion's face.
He sighed in his heart, turned around and looked at Zhao Xiang'er, and said with a smile: "Miss Zhao is here, what a coincidence. Miss Zhao took away my master's silver hairpin a month ago. I wonder when will it be returned?"
Zhao Xiang'er did not answer directly, but said calmly: "Come out."
Ning Jiujiu was forced to follow him out.
Ning Jiujiu closed the door and said softly: "Many of the words in that letter were just jokes, but my apology is sincere. Without you today, let alone the innate spirit, I might not have been able to save my life. "
Zhao Xiang'er said: "There is no need to feel guilty. Without your golden crow shining through the long night, I would not be able to withstand Madam Bai's sword."
Ning Jiujiu asked: "The anger has not subsided yet, why do you come to ask for help?"
Zhao Xiang'er shook his head and said: "I was a little angry at first, but after listening to what you and them said, I feel that there is no need for me to get along with a fool, right, Ning Da Sword Immortal?"
Ning Chang long thought that it would not be too late for a gentleman to take revenge after three years, so he swallowed his anger and said: "What Your Highness said is absolutely true."
Zhao Xiang'er sneered and said, "Don't think that I don't know about your frivolous behavior. Anyway, your spiritual veins have recovered and your innate spirit has been completed. Now you have to bear the humiliation and practice hard in the future. You may be able to compete with me in three years." Right?"
Ning Changjiu said: "I don't dare. I don't take the three-year appointment too seriously. I admire His Highness very much. I always feel a little disrespectful to His Highness every time I think about it."
Zhao Xiang'er didn't believe it at all and said: "Even with your current qualifications, I don't think you can surpass me. I hope you won't disappoint me in three years. I won't be able to step down after being beaten too badly."
Ning Changjiu said: "It's two years, eight months and three days."
Zhao Xiang'er frowned and sneered: "It's a good thing I didn't take it to heart."
Ning Chang changed the subject and said: "That hairpin..."
Zhao Xiang'er said: "Come with me for a walk outside."
Ning Jiujiu didn't know what she was thinking, but in order to complete Lu Marion's mission, he had no choice but to follow her out.
Zhao Xiang'er glanced at him and said, "Have you finally changed back to men's clothes? The white skirt she was wearing before was dangling in front of me, which was disgusting."
Ning looked her over for a long time and said, "Why is Miss Zhao still wearing men's clothes and loving this clothes so much?"
Zhao Xiang'er glanced at him: "What do you mean?"
Ning Jiujiu smiled and said: "It's okay, this way we can be considered brothers when we go out."
Zhao Xiang'er clenched her fists and walked towards her room: "You stay still while I go change my clothes."
A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Xiang'er came out of her room. She put on a brand new elegant long skirt and a dark green double-breasted shirt. Without the constraints of men's clothing, her figure looked even more graceful.
She and Ning Chang left the yard and walked towards the street.
Linhe City is in ruins and waiting to be renovated.
Many officials are still counting the number of survivors in Linhe City and doing the aftermath work. Several families have begun to organize funerals, but the funerals are also hasty. After all, all the souls are dead and no bones are left, and nothing is left.
"Sometimes I wonder, have we done the right thing this month?" Zhao Xiang'er suddenly said: "I stopped Mrs. Bai because this is Zhao's territory. If she succeeds, the seal in my name will never be It cannot be removed, and you are mostly acting out of self-preservation. If we hadn’t taken action, the people in Linhe City would still be alive like ghosts, enjoying the beauty of eternal life in this Kingdom of God.”
Ning Jiujiu said: "Every component of the Fengdu Divine Kingdom contains the lives of the people in the city. If it is really allowed to grow huge, it will definitely cause countless wars in the future. What's more, her mythological logic is wrong, even without us. , it will collapse sooner or later.”
Zhao Xiang'er hummed and said, "But do they know? Will they thank us?"
Ning Jiujiu said softly: "They are your people, you made the right choice for them, that's enough."
Zhao Xiang'er was silent for a while and said, "I didn't expect you to still speak human words."
Ning Jiujiu shut up angrily.
The two of them walked on the dark and silent street. Occasionally, some houses turned on their long-lost lights, and paper money was scattered on the ground. The cold wind brought a sad whimpering sound. It was unclear whether it was human grief or the howling of the wind.
"Where are you from?" Zhao Xianger couldn't help but ask.
Ning Jiujiu said: "I am a loyal subject of His Highness."
Zhao Xiang'er squeezed his arm and said, "Don't think about getting away with it, tell the truth!"
Ning Jiujiu smiled bitterly and said: "I have forgotten a lot of things, and now I am remembering them little by little. Maybe they are memories from my previous life."
Zhao Xianger was obviously dissatisfied with this answer and said: "I know you are extraordinary, but I never thought that you are so extraordinary. The newly formed innate spirit can easily tear apart Madam Bai's barrier, even if it is innate restraint. I still find it incredible.”
Ning Jiujiu said: "Perhaps this is the only way to be worthy of being His Highness's opponent."
Zhao Xiang'er said: "Although you are not a very good person, your talent and luck are indeed amazing."
"Your Highness is so complimentary."
"By the way, if you win by chance three years later, what will you do with the marriage letter?"
"Of course I quit... What if His Highness wins?"
"You don't have to test your words, and don't have any illusions. When the time comes, I will force you to read the apology letter aloud, and then tear up the marriage document in front of you and smash it in your face."
"Your Highness is so cruel."
While talking, a voice suddenly sounded in the alley.
"Big brother, big sister-in-law!" A little boy ran over from the other end of the alley and shouted loudly, as if he was swinging something in his hand, "I... I'm coming... ah!"
While he was speaking, the sole of his foot slipped and his body suddenly leaned forward. Zhao Xiang'er stretched out her hand to stop him in the air and asked, "What's the matter?"
The little boy named Ding Leshi stood still for a moment and then fell to his knees again. He kowtowed and said, "I'm here to thank my elder brother and sister-in-law for their life-saving grace."
Zhao Xiang'er said in a cold voice: "No need, and I'm not your elder sister-in-law."
Ding Leshi raised his head in astonishment, looked at the fierce face of his beautiful sister, and then looked at his eldest brother who had lost half of his momentum. He thought that his parents were always like this when they were still alive, noisy and noisy, no noisy. I feel useless again, and then there is a war between heaven and man in my heart, and I get angry in vain.
While considering the title, Ding Leshi untied the baggage in his hand and took out two wrapped eggs. He handed them one to each of them and kowtowed: "These are the last two eggs in my family. They can hatch chicks." Eggs, for you... I... I want to learn martial arts!"
Ning Jiujiu and Zhao Xiang'er looked at each other. They both recognized the child's courage and character. However, they could tell at a glance that he had no Zifu Qihai at all. How could he practice
Ning thought for a long time and said truthfully: "Your physique is not suitable for practice."
Ding Leshi was stunned and said: "I don't want to become an immortal, I just want to learn martial arts."
In today's world, ordinary martial arts techniques are vulnerable to even the weakest cultivator. Zhao Xiang'er shook his head and said: "If you are just a killer with strong martial arts skills, you will still have no power when encountering a character like Madam White Bones." Useful."
Ding Leshi hummed slightly, pursed his lips, not knowing what he was thinking.
After a while, another girl walked into the alley. The girl bowed down Yingying and her movements were meticulous and serious.
Zhao Xiang'er recognized her, she was the granddaughter of the city lord.
"You also want to learn martial arts?" Zhao Xianger asked.
The little girl nodded vigorously.
But she also has no monastic attitude.
Zhao Xiang'er wanted to refuse, but she saw Ning Changjiu walked to Ding Leshi, squatted down and looked at him, and said seriously: "It doesn't matter if you don't have talent. There is no precedent in this world for mortals to kill monks with swords, and you If you are so polite, you should have good luck in the future. Now that your parents are dead, you can come with me. I will find a way to arrange a reliable martial arts gym for you and let them give you basic skills first."
Ding Leshi was stunned for a while. Although he knew that this brother was obviously weaker than the elder sister, he was also a god-like figure. He was pleasantly surprised and feared that the other party would change his mind. He quickly knelt down and said, "Thank you, Master!"
Zhao Xiang'er frowned as she watched this scene. She looked at the little girl and said, "What's your name?"
The little girl said cautiously: "Yan Shi."
Zhao Xiang'er asked again: "Have you experienced any hardship?"
Yan Shi had already made up her mind and said firmly: "It's time to eat."
Zhao Xiang'er nodded and said, "Then you can go with me."
The little girl was stunned and vaguely understood something, but she didn't care. She was so happy that she immediately knelt down and called Master.
Ning Changjiu and Zhao Xianger looked at each other, their eyes full of competition.
Ning Changjiu said: "Congratulations to Miss Zhao for taking on a good disciple."
Zhao Xiang'er said: "The same goes for Taoist Ning."
Ning Jiujiu said: "How about making another agreement?"
Zhao Xiang'er also had this intention and said, "How about one year from now, let's see which of us has a better vision?"
Ning Changjiu said: "It's settled in one word."
So the two little boys and girls who had just worshiped their master were pitifully reduced to being bargaining chips for their rivalry.
…
…
When Ning returned to the study for a long time, the night was getting deeper.
However, neither Lu Marry nor Ning Xiaoling fell asleep. Ning Xiaoling was very interested in the story of the Kingdom of God and was asking Lu Marry many questions with great interest.
Ning Jiujiu pushed the door open, held up the silver hairpin with both hands, and said, "You will not disgrace the master's order."
Lu married the silver hairpin and nodded: "Miss Xiang'er didn't embarrass you, did she?"
Ning Changjiu said: "Miss Zhao and I are both reasonable people."
Ning Xiaoling was so excited after listening to the story that she didn't bother to expose her senior brother. She grabbed her master's hand and asked, "Who is more powerful, Lord Ming or the Lord of the Twelve Divine Kingdoms?"
Lu Jiayou explained: "According to the records in the book, Mingjun was one of the first gods to appear when the world was born, and was in charge of the death of all things. It's just that we don't know what disaster happened at that time. Mingjun, together with several first-generation gods, had already After falling, their authority was scattered in the world, a small part was divided among the destined cultivators, and most of them were still floating between heaven and earth as ownerless things."
Ning Xiaoling nodded and asked: "Except Suzaku, Kong Lie, and Sin Lord, what are the names of the twelve lords of the Kingdom of God?"
Lu Marry was originally unwilling to talk about this. After all, the taboo was not unreasonable, but looking at Ning Xiaoling's watery eyes, she still explained softly: "After the sinner, the king of the country is Bai Zang." , Bai Zang is followed by Quan Fu*, I don’t dare to say too much about these existences, I will tell you the legendary stories of the two kings every day.”
Ning Xiaoling was very interested and said happily: "Master is the best."
Ning Changjiu listened to these words, feeling a little jealous for no reason.
By the time Lu married her and finished telling her some fantastic myths and legends about Bai Zang and Quanfu, it was already approaching midnight.
Ning Xiaoling was a little drowsy, so Lu Marry also stroked her forehead, put her on the couch, and tucked her in with the quilt.
When she was about to walk out, Ning Changjiu suddenly stopped her.
Lu Marry said softly: "What's the matter?"
Ning Jiujiu said: "Disciple is bold and wants to try to heal the master."
…
…
(*Note: 铓（yuān）FU)