The night was silent and the lights were dim. Ning Chang looked at her expressionlessly, his pale eyes so empty that they were almost transparent.
It was a moment of confusion.
He quickly returned to calm, just like the sparkle that flickered on the sleeve of his blue shirt.
"Have a good rest and don't think too much." He said, "I will always be your senior brother."
Ning Xiaoling looked at him fearfully.
Ning looked at her face for a long time, and the girl shrank back subconsciously, and her body suddenly hit the wall, and she trembled all over.
With her thoughts in turmoil, Ning Jiujiu turned around and left, and the lights went out. Ning Xiaoling huddled in the corner, looking at the dark front in horror, as if all her courage had been exhausted, she collapsed on her chest and held her face in her hands. , tears overflowed between the pale and dry fingers.
Snap.
Ning Jiujiu closed the door.
The autumn rain had not stopped outside, so Ning Changjiu moved a chair and sat by the door. The sixteen-year-old boy sat like this, with a somewhat serious and mature attitude.
"Who am I..." Ning Jiujiu repeated the question.
He has been thinking about this question for a whole afternoon, during which the rain was slow and heavy, but it still could not give him an answer.
On that frightening night five days ago, Ning Qinshui slapped his head with a palm, and the Heavenly Spirit Cave opened, and countless evil spirits filed in. Just when his soul was about to be bitten away in an instant, there seemed to be something deep in his body. Something suddenly woke up.
It was a strange consciousness that seemed to come from a gray and desolate "prison field".
Then, after Wan Gui Yi Yi, he woke up from his coma, he felt that the world was clear, and countless mysterious and unbelievable Taoism appeared in his memory as if it were natural.
He gently pointed his finger and looked at the torn corpses. Two completely different memories collided in his mind.
In another memory, his original name was Zhang Jiu. After joining the school with his second senior brother, he said that the master didn't like this surname, so he changed it to Changjiu, which means long-term vision and long-lasting life. And he chose a surname himself, because the character "Ning" resembles a sword, so he chose Ning.
Twenty-four years of monastic life passed through my mind like fragments, fleeting glimpses.
At the end of his memory, he returned to the question Ning Xiaoling asked him two days ago.
"Remember what?"
"I remembered that Master killed me."
This brief conversation was the end of his previous life.
It is also the starting point of this life.
So who is he
"Senior sister, you once said that outside the hidden country, people cannot be resurrected after death." Ning Jiujiu asked himself softly: "Then who am I?"
…
…
Deep in the imperial city, continuous attics stand along the long stairs. That place should have been a palace like stars holding the moon, but only the charred ruins are left.
The road to this ruins has been blocked, and there are guards guarding it with lanterns all night long.
"who?"
One of the guards suddenly shouted loudly.
The weak lights illuminated the rain, and in the night rain ahead, a figure walking with an umbrella was vaguely outlined.
It was an old red umbrella, with fine and neat ribs supporting the dark red umbrella. The rain knocked down, jumped up, shattered, and turned into mist.
The night is also like water.
The umbrella has slowly crossed over, and the toes of the shoes exposed under the skirt stepped on the water gurgling down the stone steps, making a soft sound.
The lantern in the guard's hand shook violently. He looked at the girl standing with an umbrella, and her hand was already on the scabbard.
The girl stopped, took off a jade medal from her waist, and handed it over calmly.
The guard took the jade token uncertainly and looked at it carefully, while the other guard took one look and hurriedly knelt down in the rain, saying respectfully and humbly: "Welcome... Your Highness is welcome back to the palace!"
The guard holding the jade sign understood instantly, and he knelt down with great fear, "Your Highness, you...are back."
The girl hummed softly, took the jade token back, stepped on the cracked stone steps, and walked towards the ruins of the palace at the end.
In front of the ruins, the umbrella was slightly raised, and the lightning ripped open the sky at the right time, and her face was reflected in the flash of light.
The girl has beautiful eyebrows, and her black hair is dipped in water, which ruffles her snow-like cheeks, and lightning flashes through her lacquer-like eyes.
After a while, the rumble of autumn thunder rolled past my ears.
The girl suddenly put the umbrella beside her and knelt down with her slender body facing the ruins.
"A daughter is sorry for her mother, a student is sorry for her husband, and a minister is sorry for the common people."
The autumn rain wet her long hair and her skirt. The girl's voice was very soft, like the drizzle blowing in the wind at this moment:
"Xiang'er... why is your life in vain?"
In the night, the girl knocked down gently.
…
In the early morning, the autumn rain stopped, the clouds had not dispersed, and the sky was still dark.
Ning Xiaoling had drank medicine and eaten porridge. She was wearing a white singlet and a light-colored robe. She was sitting on the bed, meditating in a rare way.
Ning Jiujiu put away the porcelain bowls on the stove and cleaned up the medicine residue. The floor was swept spotlessly and the table was neatly arranged. He was very familiar with what he was doing.
Ning Xiaoling secretly squinted her eyes and observed him without making a sound.
Ning Jiujiu pretended not to see her looking at him.
Both of them seemed to have forgotten the conversation last night, and acted as if nothing happened, each doing their own thing.
"Someone came to send a message yesterday, saying that the master's body has been inspected today. In order to prevent the body from mutating, it will be burned under the Jiuling Platform today." It was Ning Jiujiu who was the first to break the calm: "Would you like to go and take a look?"
Ning Xiaoling adjusted herself slightly, and said quietly: "That old... master, he almost killed us, what's so good about him?"
Ning Jiujiu asked: "You don't want to know the murderer?"
Ning Xiaoling glanced at him and felt a chill in her heart. She suppressed the thought hidden deep in her heart and said without changing her expression: "I heard that there is a big ghost called Quegui hiding in the imperial city. He has killed many people." People, those people died in extremely miserable ways."
Ning Jiujiu asked: "What do you think of Master's Taoism?"
Ning Xiaoling thought for a while and said: "Although I hate him, his Taoism is very sophisticated. He has been to so many wealthy families to exorcise evil spirits and catch ghosts, and he has never failed. This time... he died inexplicably. , which is strange.”
Ning Jiujiu nodded. From the perspective of the world under the mountain, Ning Qinshui was indeed an expert.
Ning Xiaoling sighed: "Let this be the case. From now on we can just live our own lives...right, senior brother?"
Ning Jiujiu ignored her somewhat evasive gaze and said: "When the physical body dies, the spiritual essence is immortal. When it disperses, it returns to heaven and earth, and when it gathers, it condenses into a soul. The more souls in the world, the less spiritual essence there is in heaven and earth. Many Taoist priests believe that this It’s against the rules.”
Ning Xiaoling seemed to understand: "What does this have to do with us? Do you want to abide by this rule?"
Ning Jiujiu shook his head: "I want to stay here to find something, and I will naturally become famous as a teacher."
Ning Xiaoling became even more confused.
During the conversation, the door knocked three times, and a middle-aged man in official uniform and official hat walked in.
It was Song Bian.
He looked at the brothers and sisters and said, "Go and see your master off?"
Ning Jiujiu nodded, took Ning Xiaoling's wrist, and pulled her off the bed. Ning Xiaoling looked at her senior brother with some fear and put on her shoes and socks silently without saying a word.
Song Side said: "Someone will give you two sums of money later. Although it cannot offset the pain of losing a teacher, it will be enough for you to learn a craft and live well."
Song Zi thought that after that night, they probably no longer had the heart to continue being Taoist priests.
Ning Xiaoling bowed and said, "Xiaoling thanks Mr. Song."
Ning looked at him for a long time: "Why is Mr. Song so haggard?"
Song Side said: "Now the people in the imperial city are in panic. The palace sent people to look for the hermit master, but there was no result for half a month..."
Ning Jiujiu shook his head and interrupted: "It was because last night was not peaceful and someone died in the palace again."
Song Zi looked at him in surprise, with an uncertain expression.
Ning looked at his face for a long time and said seriously: "Since no one is available, why not let me try?"
Song Zhi thought he was joking and said slightly angrily: "Your master is not even good at it. How many times have you learned yet dare to put yourself in danger?"
Ning Jiujiu said: "I understand a little bit."
Song Zhi couldn't help laughing and said, "Come with me to see your master's body later. After seeing it, I wonder if you can still say such frivolous words."
Ning Jiujiu said: "How will you know if you don't try?"
Song Zhi was a little impatient: "That night you entered the palace with your master. What happened inside, and you forgot so quickly? Young man, you should cherish your life if you survive a catastrophe, do you understand?"
"Since we are Taoist priests, we undertake the mission of killing demons." Ning Jiujiu said calmly, "Master is dead now, but I am still alive."