The tender green leaves swayed in the thatched cottage on the cliff, and the rays of light from the western mountain top shone into the window lattice.
Lu Liangsheng stopped reading the book in his hand and looked at Hong Lian who was standing in front of the wall. Since that day, the female ghost seldom spoke to him and seldom came out of the painting.
At this moment, he was surprised to hear these words suddenly, and he felt a little uneasy.
"Hong Lian, what do you want to say?"
The door closed gently without any wind. Nie Honglian lowered her eyes, staring at the ground, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and her voice was very low.
"Sir, Hong Lian wants to reincarnate..."
Hearing this suddenly, Lu Liangsheng lowered his head, then raised his face and smiled.
"In fact, I also feel that a lonely soul is against the will of heaven. I couldn't tell you before."
He turned to the desk and continued to organize the books, but his speed was slow. Just as he was about to speak, he felt a throbbing sensation behind him, and a coolness touched Lu Liangsheng's back.
In the rosy glow that shone through the window, Hong Lian stood in the scholar's shadow. She gently put her arms around his waist and hugged him, her black hair falling down and her cheek pressing against his warm back.
His eyes never blinked, his voice soft and gentle.
"Hong Lian has been thinking about it for a long time. She has been thinking about it for the past half month. She doesn't want to see you or talk to everyone. In fact, she is just afraid and can't bear to leave."
"Hong Lian..."
"Sir, please don't say anything. Just listen to me."
Nie Honglian rubbed Lu Liangsheng's back, feeling the broadness and warmth of his back, closed her eyes, and whispered:
"It's really nice here. There's the cynical, impatient Taoist Sun, the boastful Toad Master, and the young master's parents and younger sister. There are many more people coming in. If I stay any longer, I really won't want to leave..."
She turned her face and rested her forehead on Lu Liangsheng's back.
"Hong Lian has been homeless since she was a child. She has always regarded this place as her home. Being with so many people, she feels that she is still alive. But sir... I am a ghost, a Rakshasa ghost. I will never live like a living person. I really hope to sit down with you, eat and laugh with you while holding bowls and chopsticks."
Hong Lian suppressed her emotions, forced a dimple on her face and smiled.
"During this period, I often imagine this scene. It must be very interesting. We eat together at the table, sit on the edge of the cliff and watch the sunrise and sunset, and watch Master Toad travel around the country together."
Lu Liangsheng pinched the corner of the book and turned around. The woman didn't want to meet his eyes and threw herself into his arms.
"I always... always thought you were alive... We did all the things you said together..."
Hong Lian shook her head in his arms.
"It's not just that... Hong Lian wants more than that. I want to truly feel the warmth of the young master, I want..."
The sound gradually became quieter, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, and only she could hear it.
"I want to marry you."
Lu Liangsheng hugged her, it was a non-physical feeling, still stroking Hong Lian's black hair. The man and the ghost embraced each other in the sunset glow. After a long while, he spoke.
"I understand... I'll find a way."
Night fell outside, and they maintained this embrace for a while. Lu Liangsheng opened his eyes, nodded to Hong Lian, pushed the door open and went out. He did not use any magic, but just walked down the mountain, immersed in his thoughts.
When he returned to the courtyard, the Taoist priest, whom he had not seen for more than ten days, was standing at the entrance waiting for him. There was a bandage on his forehead, which was wrapped by Lu Xiaoxian.
"Do you know who I met when I was trying to comprehend the golden elixir?"
"I don't care who I meet right now. I have something to say. Follow me."
Lu Liangsheng said something, called him up, pushed the door and walked into the room, saw his master sleeping soundly on the couch, and sat down beside him. Mingyue, who came from the kitchen to call him for dinner, stood at the door with her head tilted, looking at the usually gentle Mr. Lu with a serious face, a little at a loss.
"What's the matter sir?"
In an instant, he spread his legs and turned to run to the kitchen. Not long after, Li Jinhua and his wife, Yuwen Tuo and the other two came over and stood at the door. Even the white hen was peeking inside from between everyone's feet.
"Master, what's wrong?" "Is it because of our afternoon study that Master is unhappy?"
The woman at the door frowned. As soon as the word "Liang Sheng..." came out of her mouth, her husband gently pulled her back, signaling her not to speak.
At this time, Lu Liangsheng, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, suddenly laughed and looked at everyone.
"It's actually a happy thing. I want to tell you that Hong Lian...she wants to be reincarnated. We all treat her as a family member. She saved Xiao Xian and helped the village get rid of the evil that the bandits robbed us."
Everyone outside fell silent. The Taoist priest, who originally wanted to talk about Chen Jing and Zhang Lihua, chose to keep silent and not talk about it at this time.
"After she reincarnates... that is, after she is reborn as a human, will Hong Lian still remember us?" Li Jinhua has always been aggressive, but her tone is a little weak now.
Lu Liangsheng shook his head: "I don't know, maybe I won't remember it."
He didn't understand much about this. He looked at the Taoist priest at the door. Sun Yingxian turned away and said, "Why are you looking at me? I haven't been reincarnated. Ugh."
The lights flickered, and Toad Taoist half-opened his eyes, not wanting to speak. He actually didn't care too much about the little female ghost, but it was a pity that he would have no more music to listen to from now on.
The room was silent for a while. Lu Liangsheng stared at the wick and said with a smile, "I've read a strange novel. I may not forget all of it. I think... she won't forget it either."
"Oh, Old Lu, Hong Lian is a Rakshasa ghost and cannot be reincarnated." The Taoist remembered this.
"Maybe the City God has a solution."
Lu Liangsheng was silent for a while: "Wait a minute, I will go to Tianzhi to ask to see him."
Time passed gradually in the caress of the night breeze. Lu Liangsheng, without taking anything with him, got on the donkey's back, turned around and waved his sleeves gently to the people in the courtyard.
"It's late, go to bed early."
He shook the reins, made a gesture with his fingers in his sleeves, and disappeared into the night with the old donkey in the blink of an eye.
"It's bad! I forgot about two people! You guys go to sleep first, I'll go take care of them and we'll see you when Old Lu comes back."
After Lu Liangsheng walked away, the Taoist priest remembered the mother and son who were still walking on the road in Qixia Mountain. He said goodbye to Li Jinhua and the others, waved his sleeves, and rushed to the village entrance.
On the mountain road in the night, two figures, one tall and one short, were trembling as they walked towards them from afar. When the Taoist priest arrived, Zhang Lihua could hardly walk anymore.
"Master, is Mr. Lu at home?"
Seeing Sun Yingxian coming back, Chen Jing didn't care about hunger and tiredness. He blinked his eyes with anticipation.
"It's a bit unfortunate."
The Taoist patted the boy on the shoulder and said, "He has gone to see the City God. I will take you and your son to another place for the time being. We will talk about it when he comes back."
Meet the City God
The woman next to him was stunned.
It is as difficult for ordinary people to see a Taoist monk as it is to go to heaven. Even if they see the City God, a character that only appears in mythological ghost stories, even if they go into a temple, they will see him as a clay sculpture on the altar. If they really want to talk to the City God of the underworld, Zhang Lihua dared not even to imagine what kind of magical scene that would be, and reached out to gently pull her son's clothes.
"Jing'er, it's okay. Just listen to Taoist Sun. Let's settle down first. It won't be too late to visit Mr. Lu later when he comes back."
"Got it, Mom."
The matter was settled for the time being, and the mother and son were arranged to live in an empty house in Beicun. The locals had some friendship with the Taoist priest, so it was not difficult for them to stay there for a few days.
…
As the night deepened, it gradually began to get brighter. A team from afar accepted the surrender of Fushui County and headed south to Qixia Mountain.
"Is that the mountain where Mr. Lu lives? What a beautiful view."
Yang Guang rode on horseback, gazing at the mountains in the distance. The pleasant scenery of early spring made him feel happy.
Behind him, in addition to Yang Su, there were several burly generals holding different weapons: Han Qinhu, Yu Juluo, He Ruobi, Shi Wansui... lined up in a row.
People either sneered at or treated the "Mr. Lu" mentioned by King Jin with caution.
Or... eager to try and see if the other party is worthy of the attention of His Majesty and King Jin!