"Where on earth did Xiaoxue go? It's rare for her to be here, and there are so many delicious foods and fun things to do, but she didn't even come with us to stroll around."
Ding Lanlan was holding a box of popped corn dipped in icing sugar and two special grilled skewers in her hands, and was walking along the wet street with Lin Yin.
"Don't worry about her. Although she is young, she is the strongest among us. No one can bully her." Lin Yin was dazzled by the colorful colored glass lanterns and pulled Ding Lanlan's sleeve. "Look at that person. He seems to be looking at us all the time."
Outside a brightly lit store on the street stood a jade carver in white, with a graceful figure and exquisite features.
But when Lin Yin saw him, he walked over, keeping a polite and intimate distance in front of the two girls, smiling, slightly bent over and said,
"Ladies, do you want to sit in the store?" While he was talking, he intentionally or unintentionally pulled open his already open collar, revealing a piece of tight and smooth skin, and whispered in a seductive throat voice, "I only want two spirit stones."
Lin Yin and Ding Lanlan realized what he meant and fled in fear.
When they reached a brightly lit place, the two girls gasped for breath, looked at each other, and burst into laughter.
"It's so exciting." Lin Yin pulled Ding Lanlan, "Look, is my nose bleeding?"
Ding Lanlan: "Me too, it scared me a lot."
A large flying magic weapon in the shape of a dragon descended from the sky and stopped on the road in front of the two girls. The dragon head was made of black iron, decorated with horns and sideburns, and white smoke kept coming out of its huge nostrils.
The long dragon's body is flat, with a long row of chairs fixed back to back on it.
Countless people came from behind Ding Lanlan and Lin Yin, stepped on the dragon's body, sat down on the chairs, and fastened a safety chain. These people included mortals and monks, and they sat crowded together without distinction.
The giant iron dragon rolled its eyes, looked at Lin Yin and Ding Lanlan who were standing stupidly on the side of the road, and said, "Do you want to come up?"
"No, no, thank you." The two girls stammered.
White smoke spewed out of the iron dragon's nostrils again. It shook its head and tail and rose into the air. It swayed a few times in the night sky among the tall buildings and soon disappeared.
"This is the legendary public flying magic weapon." The two girls held hands and looked up at the sky.
Between the towering buildings, there are an endless stream of flying magic tools, colorful glass lanterns with interlaced lights, and dreamy flying projections.
In such a strange and bizarre foreign land, the ridiculous little barriers that once existed were replaced by a stronger sense of fellowship.
"The towns in the Demonic World are so beautiful, so dreamy, and completely different from what I imagined."
At this moment, the sky gradually darkened, and the color of the colorful clouds in the sky became ambiguous. At night, Fuwang City seemed to have changed its appearance. The sound of music sounded, and the large-scale mirage platform with bright lights was lit up one by one. Huge three-dimensional figures danced in the night sky of the city, and the huge stone sculptures perched on the high ground retreated into the darkness half hidden and half bright.
Thousands of charming branches, colorful lights, and so much mud hidden under the decadence.
In a noisy alley filled with steamed bun shops, clinics, bookstores, and teahouses, Zhuo Yu was walking down the street, holding her abdomen with an unhappy look on her face.
Uncle Nian's medical skills were indeed superb. His internal organs were damaged, which was originally a very serious injury, but now it was basically pain-free. But he really didn't want to experience the scene of being tied to the operating table a second time.
A cry of crying was heard from the muddy and dim alley. A tall and burly old man was dragging a ragged little boy out.
The boy had thin limbs and was standing barefoot on the muddy ground, crying and begging, unwilling to move forward. The old man slapped him in the face, leaving a clear palm print on his thin little face.
"No, I don't want to go. My mother just passed away, and I have younger brothers and sisters at home. Please give me some more time. I will definitely return the two spirit stones." The boy hugged the old man's legs and begged humbly.
The old man grabbed the boy's slender wrist, lifted him up into the air and shook him, then took out a deed from his arms and said to the people around him, "This is my son, whom I bought with my own money. Who can tell me how I treat him?"
"Buy another son. Several children have died in their family every year."
"Alas, there is nothing I can do about it. I can't control it."
Passersby may shake their heads and sigh, but no one will ask about the matter anymore.
The little boy suddenly hugged the old man's arm and bit it hard.
The old man wanted to kick his small body away, but the boy bit his arm tightly and refused to let go no matter how hard he kicked and hit him.
Zhuo Yu passed by the entrance of the alley where people were crying and making noise, and he didn't want to get involved in what was happening there.
The boy held the old man's legs tightly, half of his face was swollen, tears were streaming from his eyes, and blood was oozing from the corners of his mouth. It was obvious that he had suffered internal injuries under the old man's careless footsteps, but he still bit the old man's arm tightly.
Zhuo Yu hesitated for a moment.
The image of the master emerged in his mind. The head master was known for his compassion. If not, the master would not have accepted such a controversial disciple.
And I am the master's disciple.
"How much is he worth? I bought it."
The old man stopped kicking and beating Zhuo Yu and looked him up and down. "If you want it, you have to pay ten spirit stones. Can you afford it?"
Zhuo Yu took out ten spirit stones from his storage bag, took the indenture from him, set fire to his palm and burned it to ashes, then turned and left.
"My benefactor," the boy stumbled after him and crawled in the mud in front of him, "my benefactor, please wait a moment."
He almost prostrated himself at Zhuo Yu's feet in the most humble manner, raised his eyes carefully, held Zhuo Yu's hand and thanked her, "Thank you, benefactor, I haven't thanked you yet."
His face was blue and purple, and the corner of his mouth was cracked and swollen, but he was trying hard to put on a flattering smile.
Zhuo Yu stared at him for a long time without saying anything, then let go of his hand, turned around and left.
The little boy opened his palm and saw a dazzling spiritual stone in his hand. He was overjoyed and quickly clenched it. He kowtowed and thanked the man desperately, regardless of the mud on the ground.
Zhuo Yu walked to the entrance of an empty alley and sat down on a stone pier at the entrance. He felt tired, not knowing whether it was because his body had just healed or because of his unstable mood.
A door on the side of the alley was suddenly pushed open, and a cold white light shone diagonally. A little girl screamed and rolled out of the door, "Master, I won't dare to do it again. I won't dare to steal buns anymore."
Her master was a female cook with a thick waist and thick arms. She walked out of the door with a broom in her hand and hit the girl on the head.
The little girl, who was only four or five years old, was very smart. She hugged the master's thigh tightly and cried for mercy, "I won't dare to do it again, I won't dare to do it again, Master, please spare my life."
Her master was about to hit her again, but when he turned around and saw Zhuo Yu at the entrance of the alley, the muscles on his fat face twitched. He snorted, twisted the girl's ear, closed the door, and went in.
Zhuo Yu was stunned for a long time, leaned against the cold stone wall, smiled bitterly, and looked up.
The alley was lined with tall building walls, and only a little bit of the sky was visible. A stone sculpture of a monster squatted on a high building, looking down at him at the entrance of the alley.
He remembered what Zhang Xiaoxue had said to him on the ring.
"You are just taking advantage of your master's favor. You have never seen a child who is actually bullied."
"If they want to survive, they can only be humble and careful and put away all their innocence."
So, I just took advantage of my master's favor? Zhuo Yu looked at the eyes of the monster stone sculpture above his head.
The path a person takes in life may sometimes depend on just a little bit of fate.
He suddenly felt that if he had not participated in that competition and had not met those people, perhaps when he met Xu Kun, faced with such temptation and the test of life and death, he would really reach out and give a push, pushing Xiao Changge and his own Dao heart off the cliff.
So now, I who am sitting here have already fallen into the path of evil.
I have no face to return to my master's sect anymore.
Zhuo Yu broke out in a cold sweat on his back.
"Brother Zhuo, why are you sitting here? It makes it easier for us to find you."
"Come on, go for a walk, and walk with us."
Cheng Yan and Xiao Changge found him and happily extended their hands to him.
Well, I'll go with you.
Zhuo Yu stood up and said this in his heart.
Cen Qianshan and Mu Xue walked side by side at the ruins of Shi Miao Street.
This place has long lost the bustling prosperity it had a hundred years ago. On the snowy night, there are ruins everywhere and it is dead silent.
The only sounds were the two of them stepping on the snow and the mechanical sounds of the little puppets.
Qianji held Shan Xiaojin's little hand and walked in front with a click.
"Let me tell you, a hundred years ago, this was a very beautiful place, even more magnificent than the new city today."
Qianji acted as the host, introducing the situation here to his new friends as they walked.
"See that rusty turntable? In the past, if you threw coins in, lots of candies would roll out."
"We'll be home soon. I've got the latest model of engine oil for you to use. There's also a silly little fellow at home named Xiaoya. I'll introduce him to you when we get home."
Mu Xue stopped in front of a ruin where half a broken plaque was stuck upside down, mostly buried by the snow. The words "Niu Ji" could be vaguely seen.
A hundred years ago, there was always steam coming out of this place. When I lived alone, I would always take a few buns home to make up for the day's meal.
"Young girl, how can you only eat buns every day? Be careful not to get fat and not be able to get married." The auntie selling buns would occasionally say this with her hands on her hips.
Mu Xue didn't know why her memory suddenly became so clear here.
"Aunt Niu passed away a few years ago." Cen Qianshan stood behind her and said softly, "But Niu's Food Store is still there, and Marshal Niu has been running it."
The door to the yard next door was pushed open, and the warm yellow light shone on the snow in front of the door.
There are endless ruins and wreckage on all sides, everything that has been obliterated by the long years.
Only a small courtyard has been carefully preserved in time, with warm lights still on, stubbornly waiting for that person to return.
Cen Qianshan held Mu Xue's hand. His palm was now very big, with rough calluses on his fingertips, hot and scalding, covering Mu Xue's entire hand.
He held Mu Xue's hand, lowered his eyelashes, and moved his tense jaw muscles slightly. He wanted to call him "Master", but in the end, no words came out.
Three tiny puppets poked their tiny heads out from the door frame to look at them.
Cen Qianshan held Mu Xue's hand tightly, left two rows of real footprints in the snow, and walked into the house.
Mu Xue actually stepped into the courtyard, and everything in the yard was exactly the same as she remembered.
It seemed like it was only yesterday that I left. I took a nap outside and had a colorful dream.
In the snowy courtyard, she suddenly remembered the comments her master gave her when she became his disciple.
After I calmed down, the courtyard was covered with snow at night, and the beautiful flowers were nowhere to be found.
Once you understand the way of compassion, the demons from outside will not dare to invade.
It turns out that no matter in the past, now, or in the past, the place where he felt at ease was still in this snowy night garden, in the person in the courtyard.
Flowers bloom in the snow, beautiful flowers are everywhere, and my heart is at peace.
"It's getting late, you must be hungry. I... I'll get you something to eat."
Since entering the room, the man holding her hand has never looked up at her. He turned his face away and spoke in a hoarse voice with a little sob.
Mu Xue held his hand and said, "I'll go."
Three little puppets sat on the wooden railing of the corridor, swinging their feet.
Watching the kitchen in the corner of the yard, which rarely had its lights on, being lit up again.
Shan Xiaojin held up his lotus leaves to shield the falling snow from his friends' heads.
From the kitchen came the sound of chopping meat and the sound of oil splattering in the pot, and soon an enticing aroma wafted out.
Mu Xue walked out, and the hot pot of spiritual rice and meatball porridge was suspended in the air, moving with her steps into the house and coming to the dining table.
The aroma filled the air, and Mu Xue sat down at the table with a smile on her face. She served porridge to Cen Qianshan, who was sitting at the table, and picked up her chopsticks to put a fragrant fried egg into his bowl.
Cen Qianshan sat there, just looking down at the chopsticks in his hand.
Without even looking up, he knew what his master had done.
He would never forget the delicious food that his master brought him when he first came to this room. It was the first time in his life that he tasted happiness, and he still remembers the taste of the food rolling down his throat.
He tightened his grip on the chopsticks, veins popping out from under the thin skin on the back of his hand.
He remained silent for a long time, and then he said in a hoarse voice,
"I... I don't eat meat."
"I eat very little, no meat, and no eggs."
Across from him, under the red sleeves, the white hands kept piling meatballs into his bowl, and topped it with two browned eggs. In the sound of his anxious heartbeat, he slowly said the words as he wished,
"Although we are not rich, we are not short of money. Eat as much as you want. It's enough."