Xia Qiu felt a trace of coldness slipping from her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw a plum blossom spinning in the wind in front of her. She couldn't help but reach out to catch it. She looked around and found that she was sitting under a huge plum tree. When the breeze blew by, the red color of the tree fell like snow, spinning and dancing in the air, and finally landed around her. She He raised his head and saw a bloody moon. He realized that it was night, but he didn't know where he was.
"Xia Qiu." Who is calling her name
"Who?" Xia Qiu stood up and looked around.
"Xia Qiu."
A figure walked out of the plum tree. The woman was wearing a red robe, but her face was covered by a white mask, only her bloodless neck and fingers were exposed.
"Who are you?" Xia Qiu couldn't help but ask.
"I am the Plum Blade. It was made by me using my own demon bones and all my demon power, so it is me and I am it. For thousands of years, my soul still resides in the Plum Blade, just like Yong. That's what I told you." The woman replied quietly.
"Mei Yan, am I dreaming?" Xia Qiu was still in a daze.
"Yes, we are in your dream now, because in the earlier battle and subsequent training, your and my souls resonated more than once, so no matter what, I want to see you. .”
"Master Yong said that you were originally a plum blossom tree demon who was defeated by the first demon king Hu Li a long time ago."
Mei Ren waved her sleeves vigorously, and a scene like a movie appeared in front of Xia Qiu, and her voice was like a narration: "Yes, thousands of years ago I was still a seed of a plum tree, and I and thousands of plum blossoms The tree species were planted together in a place called the Plum Garden. One year, two years, three years, five years, decades later, no matter it was windy or rainy, the owner of the Plum Garden took good care of us, and he never slacked off even if he was sick. .
Together with other friends, I grew into a big tree and gradually became spiritual. We do our best to bloom the most beautiful flowers to repay the owner of the plum garden. When the flowers were blooming, he was drinking tea and playing the piano under the tree, reciting poems and painting. His smile, even now, thousands of years later, I still cannot forget.
Until one day, when the war came, enemy soldiers broke into the plum garden and stabbed my master. The plum garden also turned into a sea of fire. My master used his last strength to extinguish the flames that were about to devour me, and I But I could only watch him die, watch his body and my friends turn to ashes in the fire, and I was the only one left.
I was waiting for the opportunity in hatred and pain. Filled with resentment, I turned into a tree demon. Ten thousand years later, my power has become extremely powerful. In order to take revenge, I started killing people crazily. At that time, human beings looked so ugly and insignificant to me, just like ants... While I enjoyed the pleasure of revenge, I was looking forward to someone who could kill me and free me.
I don't know how many years later, Master Li appeared. He defeated me, but he didn't want to kill me. I asked him, 'Why don't you kill me? I'm just a devil who has killed countless people. ’, he only replied, ‘Don’t worry, wait until the plum blossoms on your tree wither.’ When I said this, I saw the smile on his face, and I couldn’t help but think of my master again. I laughed at myself and said, "My soul is no longer worthy of these flowers." He sat down against me without saying a word, took out a bottle of wine from his arms and drank it by himself. My body felt his body temperature, and my heart also No more guarding him. I told Master Li about my past and the origin of my hatred.
He actually put away his smile after hearing this, "You have failed him. What a loving person he is. He did not forget to protect you at the last moment of his life. He did this not for you to seek revenge. He must I just want you to bloom beautifully forever. "Master Li's words made me wake up from a dream, followed by endless regret and longing. All the hatred was just my own will." I begged him, 'I am willing to forge myself into a knife that can protect others and only kill evil. Only in this way can my soul atone for my sins, and my soul will eventually be reunited with my former master on the day when my sins are atoned for. Reunion. 'Master Li agreed to my request, and this is how I turned into a plum blade. "
"So there is such a story!" Xia Qiu saw the scene where Xiao Leng's grandfather, the first demon king Hu Li, met Mei Ren thousands of years ago.
"You are my fourth user. I have experienced countless battles with Lord Li and Ouyang Yong for thousands of years, but I have an incomparable soul bond with my third user, Ran Susu. When she died, I thought I would never have the chance to meet the right user again, but unexpectedly I met you. Because my soul is still alive, allowing me to remember all the battles I have experienced. , all the moves used by my former users. Therefore, as long as you learn the basic sword skills from Master Ouyang Yong, and continue to practice with me in battle to achieve complete communication, you can master the fighting skills in my memory. "After Mei Ren finished speaking, he extended his right hand to Xia Qiu.
Xia Qiu nodded and stretched out her right hand. The moment it touched Mei Ren's hand, she felt many images pouring into her mind. She saw the figure of a man in white walking through the bloody wind. Invincible, that man's face was so handsome, and his eyebrows looked so much like Ouyang Xiaoleng's. Xia Qiu guessed that it was Ouyang Xiaoleng's grandpa gift. The only difference from Ouyang Xiaoleng is that the man always has a hearty smile on his face and rarely frowns even in battle. Then she saw a girl with an refined temperament. She held a plum blade, her movements were so light, and she attacked the enemy again and again at an astonishing speed. The girl's beauty was not mixed with any coquettishness. In Ouyang's eyes, There seemed to be her shadow on Xiao Leng's body, and Xia Qiu knew that it must be his mother Ran Susu.
When she woke up again, it was already Saturday morning. Since there was no training scheduled for the time being, Xia Qiu stayed comfortably at home all day. It seemed that she was not used to spending time with her grandparents like this for a long time.
In the evening, she received a text message from Teacher Dong Muya that made her unable to calm down again: Xiao Leng and the others have successfully completed the plan and returned to the Demon Realm King City. If there is nothing else, please go to Chenji Palace. He will definitely be very happy to see you. happy.
Xia Qiu rushed out without bothering to explain too much to her grandparents, and trotted all the way to Ouyang's ancient house. She thought people on the road must think she was a crazy girl, but she couldn't restrain the smile that sometimes appeared on her lips.
As soon as he settled in Yongchuan, the royal city, Qianqi ran out from Chenji Palace and started shopping on the shopping street. Although this place is not as lively as Dongyao, each small shop is very unique. Unknowingly, he has been shopping for a long time. He suddenly remembered that Ouyang Hongye seemed to have mentioned that a human girl would come to Chenji Palace tonight, so he quickly turned back. Chenji Palace and Auxingxing Palace.
When you have a good impression of a person, your ears often come before your eyes. Because his mother is also a human, Qianqi has already developed a strong interest in Xia Qiu even though he has not yet met her.
When he walked to the corridor behind the Fuxing Hall, Qianqi saw the girl behind Mr. Yong from a distance. The girl's fair face appeared from time to time. Her hair was combed high on the back of her head. She wore no makeup and wore plain clothes. It's just that the material is too thin, which makes people feel distressed when looking at it. The most incredible thing is the girl's eyes, so clear and black and white, and full of aura, which makes him almost dumbfounded. This was the first time he had seen a human being. She looked thin but not timid, as jade-like as a lotus, and emerged from the mud without staining. Even the most beautiful mermaids in the demon world would be eclipsed in front of her.
Xia Qiu had just arrived at Chenji Palace. Before he could talk to Ouyang Xiaoleng alone, Master Yong arranged for him to change clothes. He was eager to let Ouyang Hongye and others see the results of his special training for Xia Qiu this week.
Ouyang Yong stood in the middle of the open space, paused for a moment and said: "Although time is tight, I am very pleased that Xia Qiu has become so familiar with the shape of the plum blade and mastered the basic knife skills these days. Today happens to be the day that everyone returns smoothly, so Let you all witness Xia Qiu's transformation, which is also her first test."
After saying that, he nodded to Xia Qiu, then retreated to a nearby plum tree, sat behind a guqin, and left the empty space to Xia Qiu with the others.
"Come on!" Ouyang Hongye said with a wink on the side.
Mochizuki also raised a fist towards Xia Qiu to encourage her.
The most nervous person at this moment is actually Ouyang Xiaoleng. Although his face is as calm as an iceberg, his heart is like a huge wave rolling. When he saw Xia Qiu again, he noticed that her face looked a little haggard. He couldn't help but feel heartbroken when he learned from Grandpa Yong the hard work and sweat Xia Qiu had put in during the days he left the royal city.
Xia Qiu was not timid or nervous at all. She smiled at everyone and entered the state, eliminating all distracting thoughts and waiting for Ouyang Yong's order.
"Then Xia Qiu, first call out your plum blade."
After Ouyang Yong's order, she took a deep breath, raised the plum blossom hairpin she had already held in her hand, and concentrated her will into the hairpin in her hand to connect with its thoughts. Since talking to Plum Blade in her sleep the first day, her tacit understanding with it has increased than before. In an instant, a sharp black long knife appeared in her hand. The plum red demonic power emanating from the blade began to surround her whole body from her arms. Although it was only a weak whirlpool of demonic power, it looked very nice against her white clothes. She spread her arms and legs slightly, stood firm, and her eyes were bright, ready to attack at any time.
Ouyang Yong stroked the strings with both hands, and the plum blossom petals on the tree floated into the air with the sound of the piano. After a moment of pause, they flew towards Xia Qiu. Xia Qiu, dressed in white, stood in the middle of a sea of plum blossoms blooming like blood. Accompanied by the music played by Ouyang Yong, she quickly waved the plum blade in her hand, constantly dodging and resisting the petals coming towards her, and the aura formed on the blade. Lines of pink light were drawn in the sky.
The speed of the piano sound is constantly accelerating, and the speed of the petal attack is also increasing, and Xia Qiu is also constantly concentrating on finding the rhythm that matches the plum blade. She felt that the plum blade was gradually becoming a part of her body, as if it was connected with her pulse, heartbeat and boiling blood. The boundaries between her and the plum blade's consciousness became blurred, and she could not tell which one was her own counterattack. Which time is Mei Ren's.
Although Xia Qiu mastered the most basic knife skills of attacking while dodging, everyone could not help but hold their breath and watch in fascination. Who would have thought that not long ago she was just an ordinary human girl, but now she is firmly on the path of being a blood pact maker. Although she has just started, she is walking so firmly. Her spirit and beauty have been deeply imprinted in Ouyang Xiaoleng's eyes and heart, but at the same time, another young man can no longer forget him, that is Qian Qi, who stood silently behind everyone.
The sound of the piano suddenly changed its tune, and the petals flew into the air again, turning into six human shapes while spinning and falling. Xia Qiu had never dealt with six dummy opponents at the same time. She didn't expect that the difficulty would be increased during the surprise test. She was at a loss. She couldn't launch any effective attacks except defense. She watched several dummies push her to the limit. Stepping back, their attacks also left several marks on her clothes. She was anxious, and the people next to her were even more nervous.
Suddenly, Mei Ren's call came to Xia Qiu's almost blank mind: "Xia Qiu, my master..."
She followed the sound of plum blossoms echoing in her mind and recited silently: "The plum blossoms fly like snow, and the plum dances like snow. The plum blossoms are like blades of snow, and the swords fall without leaving a trace."
She could not understand the meaning contained in these words, but her body perfectly interpreted and reflected it into a set of knife skills that she had never learned before. The steps of this set of swordsmanship are flexible and light. Although the movements of the hands are constantly changing, they are always coherent and integrated, just like a trickle of water that seems weak but has the power of dripping water through stone. In just a short time, the dummies were conquered one by one, leaving only Mei. The petals were scattered all over the ground.
As the sound of the piano ended, the entire empty field fell into silence. Only Ouyang Yong and Ouyang Hongye knew who created the set of sword techniques that Xia Qiu just used. Every move she had just performed, even her eyes and tone of voice, were exactly the same as Ran Susu's back then. It wasn't until she took a steady breath and put away the plum blade that they were able to completely distinguish her from her.
But Wangyue was the first to lose her composure and clapped her hands and praised: "Not bad! It's so exciting!"
Only then did Ouyang Hongye regain his composure and sigh: "But in such a short period of time, Xia Qiu, your sword skills are no longer mediocre. Lord Yong really teaches you well! The destined blood pact maker is indeed extraordinary, due to his talent."
"She is still a user recognized by Mei Ren himself. With a little time and practice, she and Mei Ren will be able to work together more seamlessly!" Ouyang Yong's serious face finally relaxed, replaced by relief and joy. love.
Looking at Ouyang Yong who nodded in praise to him, Xia Qiu finally relaxed completely. Only then did he feel how tired his body was after his tense nerves relaxed. The intensity of swinging the sword and dodging at such a high frequency was increased several times compared to the previous training. Perhaps it was her determination to prove in front of Ouyang Xiaoleng that she would become a qualified blood pact contractor that supported her to survive, but now she I only felt that my hands and feet were weak and I almost collapsed.
Qian Qi never took his eyes away from Xia Qiu for a moment. He chanted her name over and over in his heart. It was the first time in his life that he was attracted to someone like this and he eagerly wanted to know everything about her. His feet walked towards her uncontrollably. Just as her legs and feet were weak due to the fatigue of the test just now, her body swayed a few times and almost fell to the side. He quickly stepped forward and reached out to support her.
She raised her head and looked at him doubtfully. It was the face of a boy she had never seen before. He had deep features, a pair of amber eyes, and long hair coiled into a bun on the top of his head. He looked about the same age as herself.
"Thank you, who are you?" She calmed down a little and hurriedly freed herself from the arms of the strange boy in front of her.
"Qianqi... My name is Qianqi!" Qianqi scratched the top of his head with one hand, and a bright smile appeared on his handsome face, which was a bit shy and childish.
After only a slight hesitation, Qian Qi snatched the shilling from him. Ouyang Xiaoleng felt a little unhappy, not only because of Qian Qi's boldness, but also because of his own hesitation. He should be the first to support Xia Qiu. Although he had learned about Qianqi's character of doing whatever he wanted as early as the night he attacked him at night outside Dongyao City, he still couldn't understand how this person could be so rude to a girl he had never met. Don't care about other people's eyes.
Ouyang Yong slowly stood up with the help of thorns and said: "Now that the blood alliance between Xiao Leng and Xia Qiu has been established, and you have successfully returned from Dongyao, it seems that the time is ripe to propose a demon king selection meeting!"
"Finally..." Ouyang Hongye was filled with emotions, but was rarely at a loss for words.
Wang Yue, who has been running around for a week, wants to sleep in Ouyang Yong's wine cellar tonight: "Then should we celebrate in advance?"
"That's fine! Xiao Leng, you are responsible for sending Xia Qiu back!" Ouyang Yong had already seen Wang Yue's thoughts.
"Yes!" Ouyang Xiaoleng nodded, this arrangement was exactly what he wanted.
Upon hearing this, Qian Qi also came over and said, "I want to go too!"
"You have just arrived in the royal city, so don't run around for the time being. I'll let Jingjia take you around the Chenji Palace!" After Ouyang Hongye and Qianqi said this, they winked at Ouyang Xiaoleng.
"Let's go!" Ouyang Xiaoleng understood what he was doing. He took Xia Qiu and walked out of the empty field, not giving Qianqi a chance to catch up.
Being led by Ouyang Xiaoleng all the way home, this scene was so familiar to Xia Qiu. He still didn't care at all that she had to run with him with some difficulty to keep up with his pace. The hand he held was so tight, except for the warmth. Still a little sore. But her heart was so full, and the emptiness caused by longing was filled by the outpouring of emotions, making her sure that this was the hand she didn't want to let go of, and she could even let him take her to the ends of the earth.
When he was almost at Xia Qiu's house, Ouyang Xiaoleng slowed down, as if he had finally gotten rid of Qian Qi's time bomb. He let go of her hand and rarely walked on the same level as her, looking at her profile from time to time.
"Congratulations on your successful return!" Xia Qiu found the opportunity to say this.
"Well, congratulations to you too... I mean your training!" We haven't seen each other for a week, but for some reason Ouyang Xiaoleng felt a little incoherent when talking to Xia Qiu like this.
"Thanks!"
In Xia Qiu's ears, Ouyang Xiaoleng's compliment carried more weight than others. She raised her head with a smile, but she met his gaze. Her look was reflected in his gray-blue eyes under the clear starry sky. Smiling face, she was the only one in his eyes at the moment, and so was hers.