In the dim cave, the dancing ghost fire shadows reflected the ghosts and monsters, and above them was a woman holding a firearm. Her loosely tied bun hung down from one side of her face, revealing only one black pupil and blood-red lips. Her purple robe dragged from her body to the bottom of the throne.
"Lord Rakshasa Mother." A weak ghost servant stepped forward, lying on the ground and said tremblingly.
"Where is the human girl I need?" the woman asked with a smile, looking so charming.
"I was about to succeed, but..." At this point, the ghost servant's body almost collapsed.
"But what?" Mother Rakshasa stopped smiling.
"But a sword wielder came out and not only saved the girl, but also seriously injured me."
"Oh? Sword wielder, that's interesting! Where did it hurt you?" The woman laughed again.
"This, this, and this." The ghost servant pointed to several wounds on his body.
The woman still looked at it with a smile, then raised the firearm in her hand, and unexpectedly released a stream of flames towards the ghost servant. I saw it screaming and struggling on the ground for a few times before turning into a piece of black coal.
The ghost servants standing nearby watched everything that happened, and no one dared to say a word. They understand the moodiness and insidiousness of the Rakshasa Mother all too well. If they are not careful, they may be killed by her firearms. She usually feeds on the internal organs, bones and blood of her kind, but she eats the heart of a fresh human girl every ten years to increase her demonic power and maintain her ageless appearance.
Who dares to save the delicious food that she likes? As the Rakshasa mother was thinking about it, a surge of anger rushed over her head. She knocked all the wine bottles and cups in front of her to the ground with her sleeves, and clenched her hands tightly into fists.
Xia Qiu's heart was still beating wildly, and her hands and feet were cold. She had just experienced something horrific, which was more like a dream than an experience. At this moment, she was obediently following Ouyang Xiaoleng and walking out of Yongchuan Forest.
After visiting the entire campus in the afternoon, the first-year students can leave school. Xia Qiu felt that it was still early. She thought that she would be busy as soon as classes started tomorrow, so she might as well go to Yongchuan Forest today.
She walked along the path in the forest to the bank of Silver Moon Lake. The heat wave at noon began to slowly recede at this time, and a breeze came from the center of the lake. In her opinion, the gray-blue lake water resembled the eyes of the little fox she once rescued, but at the same time, it was also so similar to Ouyang Xiaoleng's eyes. She sat down on the shore, then took out her MP3 player from her schoolbag and put on her headphones. A piano piece called "Looking for a Cat" was playing, and she felt a little sleepy while listening to it.
I don't know when the music stopped and was replaced by intermittent noise. She tried hard to open her eyes, but everything in her eyes seemed to be wrapped in a dusk-colored mist and became a little blurry. A pair of bloodshot, cloudy eyes were staring at her in the mist, and her intuition told her that those eyes did not belong to humans. She felt so scared that even though her limbs were so weak, she still tried to get up and ran out of the forest.
The forest was a place she was very familiar with, but this time she got lost, as if she was trapped and couldn't get out no matter what. A ray of red light came from not far away, and her feet were involuntarily attracted to it. The light came from a crack on the ground. The crack was so narrow that you could only see inside the crack by lying on the ground.
Her gaze passed through the layers of rocks in the cracks, and reached the magma rolling at the bottom, with countless chains hanging vertically on top of the magma. The huge metal cages on the chains were all imprisoned by monsters she had never seen before. Those monsters were burned by the bursting lava from time to time, and they let out shrill screams. Their already ferocious faces were filled with pain. And become more twisted. They seemed to have discovered her, and suddenly they raised their heads at the same time and stretched out their claws towards her. She was so frightened that she fell to the ground, got up and ran without direction.
She once again returned to the place where she was supposed to be lying by the lake, but what caught her eyes was an even more incredible scene. Her body was still lying in the same place as before, so who is she standing here now? Woolen cloth? But she didn't have time to think about this problem at all, because what frightened her more was still behind, that is, the evil ghost-like figure standing next to the lying one and the bright dagger in its hand. The dagger held high could be threatened at any time. It could stab her, and she knew she had to do something to stop it.
"The wind moves the leaves and dances!"
Just when she was at a loss, a distant and unfamiliar voice came. Along with the sound, countless flaming red maple leaves stabbed at the evil ghost, causing it to temporarily put down the dagger it held and duck to the side.
"The wind stops and the flames rise, kill!"
The sound sounded again. A young man in white waved his sword and struck at the evil ghost. The silver light emitted by his body and the sword made Xia Qiu unable to see his movements clearly. She only felt that the light not only drove away the evil ghost, but also killed the evil ghost. Cut off the unpleasant haze in the air.
The young man waved the sword in his hand twice, and the sword disappeared. He slowly walked to Xia Qiu, who was lying on the ground, and patted her face a few times.
"Hello…"
Xia Qiu, who was watching all this from the side, felt that the closer he got to the young man, the more dazzled he became by the silver light emitting from his body. He had no choice but to close his eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a sea of stars and the dusk-colored mist disappeared. She seemed to have woken up from a nightmare. Although she had returned to her original world, she still had lingering fears.
She sat up with support and found Ouyang Xiaoleng standing beside her. He crossed his hands on his chest and looked at her. Although his face was still expressionless, there was uncontrollable anger in his eyes, as if she had done something wrong.
"Why are you here?" Xia Qiu asked, rubbing her eyes. The figure of Ouyang Xiaoleng overlapped with the boy she had just dreamed of.
"I..." Ouyang Xiaoleng hesitated. If he hadn't arrived in time, she would have been killed by the evil spirit. How could anyone be stupid enough to fall asleep by the lake? Although he was angry, he couldn't explain to her that this forest was actually connected to another world, a world full of dangers that she didn't know about. He could only suppress his anger and said to her, "Let's go, I'll take you back!" "
Although Xia Qiu couldn't guess the reason for Ouyang Xiaoleng's anger, she had just woken up from such a terrible dream. At this moment, she hoped to have someone by her side no matter what. Just as he stood up, his vision suddenly went dark, and he almost fell down again.
Ouyang Xiaoleng hugged her into his arms as if he was ready, and her face was right on his chest. His strong and rapid heartbeat reached her ears, making her breathing change accordingly. Gotta get confused. After pausing like this for a few seconds, he suddenly bounced away from her and deliberately turned his eyes to the side to hide his embarrassment. How lucky he was that her body was still so warm and her life was still so fresh, but he had to hide his thoughts.
Xia Qiu followed Ouyang Xiaoleng and walked out of the forest. His steps were fast, not caring that her feet were still weak.
"Can I hold your hand?" she asked him tentatively.
He didn't answer, but silently stretched out a hand in her direction for her to hold. The warmth came from his palm, gradually calming the trembling in her heart. Occasionally he would stop and twitch his nose slightly, as if searching for some scent, and then continue to pull her away. It wasn't until lights began to appear in front of him that he let go of her hand and still walked in front of her.
She followed him, not knowing how he knew the direction of her home. There were more and more things about him that she couldn't figure out. At first she was only attracted by his name, then by his rare yet familiar eyes, and then by how he appeared in the Yongchuan forest to wake her up... On the first day they met, he became a mystery. .
When they were almost home, Xia Qiu saw her grandma standing behind the fence looking out from a distance. When she saw her, she smiled and waved to her. Seeing her grandma's smile, she was completely relieved.
"I've been telling your grandpa why Xiaoqiu hasn't come back yet. He said you must have met a new classmate at school or something. Sure enough!" Grandma looked at the boy beside Xia Qiu and nodded with a smile.
"Well, this is Ouyang Xiaoleng sitting in the row behind me! Can he stay at home for dinner today?" Xia Qiu didn't know how to explain to her grandma what just happened, so she had to push Ouyang Xiaoleng out as a shield.
"Of course, welcome!"
Ouyang Xiaoleng was inexplicably pulled into Xia Qiu's house and forced to sit down at the dining table by her. There was no chance to refuse. This is the first time he has been a guest in a human home in sixteen years. The lighting in the restaurant is very soft, and the laughter of Xia Qiu and grandma can be heard from time to time in the kitchen. The originally empty dining table was filled with dishes after a while, and Xia Qiu also sat over with her grandparents.
He has never thought about having too many interactions with strange humans, because it is a very troublesome thing. He needs to make up too many lies to cover up his identity and life experience, so when faced with the questions from Xia Qiu's grandparents, he It seems extremely unnatural. But they didn't care, they still smiled kindly and kept putting food into his bowl, as if he also belonged to this family. Suddenly, a feeling he had never felt before came to his heart, making him feel very warm.
After dinner, Ouyang Xiaoleng and Xia Qiu sat on the steps of the gate together, each holding a can of Coke and drinking silently. Although he was very familiar with her every frown, smile, and every move, sitting so close to her still made his blood boil. He knew that in addition to missing him, there was also the call of the Demon King's Crown in his body. He must leave immediately, otherwise he would soon be unable to resist the call and show his true self.
"Remember not to go into Yongchuan Forest after dark!" He couldn't help but tell her again before leaving.
Xia Qiu looked at Ouyang Xiaoleng's back and speculated on the meaning of his words. His tone definitely didn't sound like a joke. There must be some danger in that forest. She recalled the dream she had just had, and her body shivered involuntarily.
Ouyang Xiaoleng returned to Yongchuan Forest after leaving Xia Qiu's home. Recently, some monsters of unknown origin have frequently appeared in the forest. He had to check again whether the seals set by Ouyang Hongye around the forest had been destroyed. If these monsters ran outside the forest, they would definitely cause chaos. Although he didn't know the purpose of these monsters, attacking humans was absolutely not allowed. Except for that person's men, he couldn't think of anyone who would dare to break this rule.
After making sure that all the seals were still intact, he flew to sit on the thousand-year-old banyan tree in the forest where he usually sat. Countless times, he sat here and looked at Xia Qiu quietly. She was so different. She was obviously such a weak human girl, but she always had perseverance in her eyes. She didn't know that the banyan tree on campus was the child of this banyan tree, and it was in front of this tree that he met her that day many years ago.
"I saw your child today. It is already a pretty big tree." Ouyang Xiaoleng said.
The branches and leaves of the old banyan tree rustled in the breeze, as if responding to him.
Half asleep and half awake, the sound of the alarm clock rang from the bedside. The alarm clock was specially set by Xia Qiu the night before. Usually she would wake up naturally in the morning, but last night she couldn't fall asleep until late at night.
Her mind was always thinking about yesterday's nightmare and what Ouyang Xiaoleng said. They were like Pandora's box, and Ouyang Xiaoleng might be the key to opening this Pandora's box, which made people think about it. She thought again of the legend about the road leading to the demon world in Yongchuan Forest. How wonderful it would be if that legend were true. Her ordinary life would definitely turn into a legend. Her yearning for that legend would soon bring nightmares. The fear disappeared without a trace.
When Xia Qiu came to school, he immediately saw Ouyang Xiaoleng lying on the table. He was sleeping deeply, and his often cold and expressionless face was as innocent as a child at this moment. A girl in the class was walking over cautiously and wanted to take a picture of him with her mobile phone. Unexpectedly, she didn't turn off the camera sound, and the harsh clicking sound woke him up immediately.
Ouyang Xiaoleng sat up suddenly and stretched out a hand to the girl with an expressionless face. Although he didn't speak, the aura he exuded still made the girl obediently put the phone in his hand. He lowered his head and pressed a few keys to delete the photo, and then returned the phone to her. The girl curled her lips in embarrassment and returned to her seat.
Xia Qiu stood there and watched everything that just happened. Although it was indeed not good to take pictures of others without permission, it was really rare for people to be so merciless to girls. On the way to school, she was mentally rehearsing how to greet him and talk to him naturally, but now the aura he exuded made her a little timid.
Ouyang Xiaoleng also noticed Xia Qiu's fear of him from her eyes. He originally resisted coming to Yongchuan High School. For him, the reason why his adoptive father Ouyang Hongye arranged for him to come here must be for the sake of the blood alliance.
He once really longed for freedom. When he was a child, he wanted to be friends with human children, but most of the time he was protected in the Ouyang Ancient Mansion and lived like a prisoner. Now, he was used to being alone and didn't know how to communicate with others, yet they sent him here again.
In the afternoon physical education class, boys were assigned to practice basketball, while girls practiced volleyball on the side. Ouyang Xiaoleng had only watched this sport on TV and had no intention of participating. He just walked around the field in a coping style.
Even so, his figure still attracted many girls practicing volleyball on the field nearby, and they kept whispering about him. Liu Lingmei was always absent-minded about the balls passed to her by Xia Qiu. She would look in the direction of Ouyang Xiaoleng from time to time. Xia Qiu often had to run to the sidelines to pick up the balls she didn't catch.
"careful!"
When Xia Qiu was bending down to pick up the ball, she heard someone shouting to her. As soon as she raised her head, she saw a basketball flying towards her face. The ball was moving very fast. She knew she couldn't avoid it, so she had to close her eyes.
With a bang, the basketball ball that was supposed to hit her was grabbed by Ouyang Xiaoleng. He almost instantly moved from the center of the basketball court to her. While grabbing the ball, he took a deep breath.
"Did anyone see clearly how he passed by just now? It seemed like he was flying!" The boy who just reminded Xia Qiu asked the others around him in surprise.
"It's almost as fast as the Tracy McGrady I saw in the NBA yesterday."
The boy next to him responded to him, and the rest of the people who saw this scene were so shocked that they could not speak. They just stood there shaking their heads and looking at Ouyang Xiaoleng.
Ouyang Xiaoleng also realized that he had made another eye-catching move. No matter what danger Xia Qiu encountered, his body would reactivate to protect her, without any time to think about the consequences.
He had to find a way to cover up the speed that was not in line with human common sense just now. He recalled the actions of the players in the basketball games he had watched on TV before, and then pretended to bring the ball into the field naturally. A nice layup put the ball in the basket.
As a result, although everyone recovered from the state of surprise, they fell into another state of worship. For the rest of the class, he was forced to play basketball with the boys in the class and became their focus.
Xia Qiu happened to see clearly Ouyang Xiaoleng's movements when he flew over to help her block the basketball. That kind of explosive power and speed were definitely not what ordinary humans should have. Although she found it incredible, she still wanted to say thank you, but before she could say anything, he ran back to the basketball court.
In her eyes, there were more and more suspicious things about Ouyang Xiaoleng. After the physical education class, everyone else was panting and sweating profusely, but he was still no different from before, breathing steadily, and there was no trace of sweat on his face or T-shirt. What kind of person is he? She had a big question mark in her mind. But what makes her even more strange is that he, who seems indifferent, is the first person to appear by her side when she feels scared and is in danger.
She originally wanted to talk to him after school, but Du He called him over, and she and Liu Lingmei were invited to play badminton at his house. Although she was a little hesitant, she couldn't help Lingmei's repeated begging and agreed, along with a boy named Dong Haofan who had a good relationship with Du He.
This is Xia Qiu's first visit to Du He's house. She especially likes their yard. In addition to flower beds and grape trellises, there is also an open space large enough to play badminton. She and Du He were divided into a group, and Liu Lingmei and Dong Haofan were grouped together. Each game, whether singles or doubles, used a points system, which was interesting. After a few games, she and Du He were almost the winners. They high-fived, cheered, and jumped for joy, allowing her to put aside her doubts about Ouyang Xiaolen for the time being.
After dinner, Du He sent Xia Qiu home. Along the way, he chatted with her about his experiences during the summer vacation and his impressions of the new teachers. She was attracted by his topics and smiled knowingly from time to time. She found that when she was with Du He, her mood was very calm, and her movements and expressions were natural. When she was about to get home, the figure that upset Xia Qiu appeared in front of her again. Although they were so far apart, she still saw him, but he disappeared in an instant.
Ouyang Xiaoleng didn't know why he was standing outside Xia Qiu's house. He had already returned home, but he began to worry about Xia Qiu. This girl who could fall asleep in the Yongchuan forest would fall into another trap if she was left alone. What a danger. He first searched in the Yongchuan forest and then involuntarily came to the place where she lived. He happened to bump into Xia Qiu and Du He walking together.
The smile on Xia Qiu's face when she looked at Du He made Ouyang Xiaolen's heart sting a little. He thought she didn't see him, so he hurriedly avoided it. He has been guarding her silently for so many years, and he never wanted to let her know, but why would he care that she never smiled at him like that