Chapter 3 third chapter

It's a beautiful spring day, the green tiles are covered by the phoenix trees, the cruise ships pass through the shade of willows, and the city is full of fireworks.The travel-stained youth from southern Xinjiang walked through the crowd expressionlessly, his eyes flickered from time to time, swept across the crowd, and then lowered his eyes.The handsome face and a drop of bright red cinnabar dotted on the forehead made the cardamom girl feel warm in her heart, but the cold air between her eyebrows and eyes made people dare not approach her. Wherever he went, the crowd moved silently out of the way.Such a person is as sharp as a sharp sword out of its sheath, and it will hurt your hand if you touch it.

He is Baili Tusu. He was looking for the lost "Fen Ji". Counting the distance, the girl should be wandering in this small town, but he searched half of the town without a trace. It was almost sunset, and it was the new moon tonight, the domineering evil spirit in the body flowed slowly like a flame, silently burning the bones, as if all the internal organs had been put into a charcoal stove. His eyes were slightly red, and the "killing" spirit was slowly swallowing his will.Everyone's avoidance made him feel better, and he really should stay away from living people at this time.

The crowd by the river was so crowded that it was impossible to move an inch. I'm afraid there were hundreds of people gathered there to watch a good show. In addition to the grand lantern festival tonight, there is also a big happy event. A lady from the Sun family, the richest man in Qinchuan Town, wants to throw a hydrangea ball to choose a relative. I don't know why the only daughter of the richest man chooses her husband and son-in-law in such a way. She believes in the predestined one, and when she holds up the hydrangea ball tonight, she will leisurely pass by the embroidery building?

Baili Tusu shook his head and didn't think much about it. These things had nothing to do with him. The fierce flames in his heart were rising and falling. He didn't dare to approach the crowd. He was about to turn his head when A Xiang on his shoulder groaned. His shoulders are about to take off.Baili Tusu turned around from the corner of his eyes, and saw a golden shadow quickly flashing into the deep alley. Probably someone was following him. But it wasn't the person he was looking for, with his eyesight, he would never mistake that graceful figure in blue. A swordsman cannot fail to recognize his enemy.

The corners of Baili Tusu's eyes twitched, and the scorching pain spread to his limbs and bones. If he couldn't find Fen Ji again... Will he turn this small town into a dead city? He himself does not know. "Ah Xiang, go find it." He whispered, "I... leave town first." Maybe the place that is really suitable for a person like him is the wilderness, where even if you are crazy, you can only growl and run like a wild beast, wield your sword as a minion, and finally fall tiredly alone under the new moon. The city full of smoke and willows and the beautiful bride...has nothing to do with him.

Feeling the anxiety in the master's voice, Ah Xiang soared up like an arrow, soaring up with a long cry, blending into the dark night. Baili Tusu staggered and ran in the narrow alley, like a drunk man, the red color spread from the fundus of his eyes into the depths of his eyes.What can make him intoxicated is not wine, but the thirst for blood, without burning silence, he doesn't know how long he can last. With a long cry, Bai Yu drew a sharp long arc in the air! Ah Xiang!it found it! Even though he was as indifferent as Baili Tusu, he couldn't help feeling a burst of joy.He followed the traces left by Ah Xiang, and ran quickly to the alley ahead.

The alley was long and silent, and the ground was covered with fallen flowers, but there was no sign of people in sight.Ordinarily, it is impossible for Ah Xiang to get it wrong, but why is there no one?A sharp pain rushed out of his mind, and Baili Tusu felt as if his eyes had been pierced by countless hot needles, and everything he saw was suddenly stained with blood. "Hee hee, prostitute, why are you catching up now?" A pleasant voice came from above his head. It's so easy to say, it's like meeting old friends. Baili Tusu struggled to raise his eyes, and what caught his eyes was a pair of bare feet.

A slender blue figure sat on the high wall, and under the starlight, the fiery red broken sword was casually put aside. The girl tilted her head, her long braids were hanging aside, and her cheeks were slightly dimpled, "Isn't this sword old? Where did you get it?" "Bring back the sword!" Baili Tusu shouted. Shuoyue was hiding in the dark clouds and was gradually igniting the evil spirit in Baili Tusu's body. He knew that his time was running out. "Give me back the sword...then...quick...go away!" He swayed, touched the ground on one knee, and said the last sentence, his teeth seemed to be crushed, but he still couldn't restrain the desire in his heart. meaning.

The girl jumped off the wall and leaned over: "Are you uncomfortable?" She reached out to touch Baili Tusu's forehead, but suddenly froze. In front of him was a pair of eyes full of blood and flames. The boy in black seemed to have changed into a different person. He stood up slowly and drew his sword.Black air grew like vines, covering his whole body. "Don't be so angry, I didn't say I won't pay you back..." Before the girl could finish her words, the sword energy pierced like a thunderbolt. The girl's waist was stunned in shock, and the sword energy brushed past the tip of her nose.

Baili Tusu was already under the control of the evil spirit, and his sword posture and pace were in disarray, but the murderous spirit on the sword grew every inch of it, and every blow was directed at the vital point. The girl was startled and worried, and asked while dodging: "I... I am not hostile... What's wrong with you?" However, Baili Tusu could no longer wake up. The girl was forced to the wall by the sharp sword energy, and had no way out, so she had no choice but to resist with Fen Ji in her hand.The swords of Fen Ji and Baili Tusu collided, and a black and red flame burst out, and the evil spirit enveloping Baili Tusu became more and more intense.

"The thief! Wake up... I can't beat you... I'm wrong, can't it be okay..." The girl noticed the strange shape of the sword, and she didn't dare to block it anymore, so she could only keep jumping and dodging. The two crossed shoulders, and Baili Tusu stabbed with his backhand without thinking. The evil spirit on the sword and the air delivered harsh hissing sounds.The girl could only swing the sword back instinctively, the swords hit each other, sparks splashed down like fireworks in the night, and the two swords chanted like a dragon passing through the sky. No matter how hard the girl was to support herself, she fell to the ground.Baili Tusu turned around and pointed his sword straight, the girl could no longer resist and closed her eyes. "Brother," she whispered in her heart, "I haven't...found you yet." It turns out that the so-called death is just that...simple. The moment the sword's edge approached the body, the evil spirit wrapped around Baili Tusu's body shrank suddenly, like thousands of demons were rushing out of hell, but they were suddenly pulled back by a huge suction force. The girl opened her eyes tremblingly, unable to believe what she saw. "You're not dead... then... okay..." Baili Tusu murmured, his voice not resembling his own.His pupils dimmed, he fell to the ground, the long sword was released from his hand, and bounced away like a silver snake. The girl froze for a moment, then cautiously stepped forward to hold Baili Tusu's arm and tested his pulse. "This person..." she blurted out, looking at the fainting teenager beside her in surprise.In the eyes that were as clear as water, there was faint worry. Baili Tusu didn't know where he was. I don't know if I am or not. He was playing the piano by the side of the high mountain, facing the deep pool in the valley, the mist in the water was steaming, and the dragon shadow flickered in the mist. He played the song of the coming spring breeze, the song of the shade in summer, the song of maple leaves in autumn mountains, and the song of continuous snow in winter.The wind blew up his wide-sleeved robe, making it look like a fairy. He clearly has never learned to play the piano, but at this moment, the sound of the piano is flowing through his fingertips, and he has completely forgotten himself. For many years, he has been accompanied by evil spirits in his body, suppressed by burning the broken sword, and burning silence is a fierce thing. His body, which is cracked from the inside out, relies on evil spirits and demons to hold each other, so as to keep a trace of clarity in his heart .The torture was repeated, the suffering was unspeakable, and life was like a torch, with no end in sight. But this time, the sound of the piano was faint, and the body and mind seemed to be completely surrounded by a sense of warmth, and the unconquerable evil spirit slowly disappeared. He had a good sleep that was rare in his memory, with a smile on his lips. Baili Tusu opened his eyes, and in front of him was a strange ebony room.Lying on a wooden bed by myself, the room swayed with the waves, as if on water. The next moment, he suddenly sat up vigilantly—— The girl who took Fen Ji away was lying beside him, sleeping peacefully. Her forehead hair fell softly, and although she was asleep, her hands in black gloves still held his hand tightly.Where the two held each other, there was a bluish light, and there was a sign of true energy flowing——she was teaching herself healing. For many, many years, no one shook his hand. Baili Tusu looked at the other party, was stunned for a while, and then pulled his hand away stiffly. Startled by his action, the girl rubbed her eyes and stood up. Seeing that Bailitu had woken up, she showed a relieved smile: "You're awake!" "Where is this?" His tone was a little wary. "You don't remember?" The girl tilted her head to look at him, "We had a fight before, and you obviously won, but you suddenly passed out. I wanted to find someone to see a doctor behind your back, and when I walked to the river, the people on the boat said they knew each other. You, I'll take you aboard." Ah Xiang stood by the window and let out a clear whistle, as if echoing the girl's words. "Are you better?" the girl asked with concern. Baili Tusu adjusted his breathing, and the zhenqi in his body circulated freely. Not only was he not injured, but all the pains that had been tortured by the evil spirit before were soothed, and this new moon day became less difficult. "It was you who helped me suppress the evil spirit in my body?" The girl blinked: "Bad air? I don't quite understand...Your murderous aura is quite strong. I just saw that you were in pain, and I didn't know if it was sick or injured, so I wanted to try to transfer my true energy to you. is that useful?" Baili Tusu had already noticed that this woman's words and actions were not like ordinary people, and she kept bringing him more confusion. He quietly felt the flow of true energy in his body, and fell silent in thought. The girl pointed to Fen Ji who was put aside: "Give me back this sword to you, it's my fault, I don't know you would be so angry..." Baili Tusu took over Fen Ji, took back the sword pouch and tied it up: "I'm not angry, it's just that I dare not hand over this sword to others, Miss forgive me." "Can you tell me about this sword?" the girl asked enthusiastically. Baili Tusu shook his head, unwilling to answer. The girl was so enthusiastic that he was overwhelmed. The girl was rejected face to face, but she seemed very excited: "This is your secret? Then... let's trade it, the human world just likes to trade it back and forth, I will tell you one of my secrets, you can use your sword Tell me your secret, okay..." "I'm not called a prostitute!" Recalling the scene in the Wuling Mountain Stream, Baili Tusu couldn't help feeling embarrassed and slightly angry. "That's right, the people on the boat said your name is Baili Tusu." The girl nodded and smiled suddenly, "My name is Feng Qingxue, let's make friends. You are quite a fun person, and the birds you raise are also so majestic... " Hearing this, Ah Xiang whined a few times triumphantly, spread his wings and jumped up, circling around the water, as if to prove his majesty. Baili Tusu was stunned.Prestige... Ever since he stepped into this prosperous world of mortals, when men, women and children saw his beloved bird, A Xiang, nine out of ten would mistake it for a fat reed chicken. The girl thought out of her mind and behaved strangely. It seemed that she had learned the rules of the world from books and just followed the rules clumsily.Baili Tusu just felt that he couldn't follow her train of thought at all. She said her name was... Feng Qingxue? Thoughts were circling in his mind, but he only asked coldly: "You said the people on the boat know me? Who is it?" Feng Qingxue answered irrelevantly and said: "I understand the rules of the human world. You can only speak when you win. I will challenge you when you recover. If I win, you must tell me about the sword!" "Don't make up your own mind." Feng Qingxue reached out to touch Baili Tusu's forehead, but he avoided him, she didn't mind, she wrinkled her nose with a smile: "Susu, it's getting late, I have an appointment with a new friend to light the lamp together, you first have a rest." "Su..." An imperceptible blush appeared on Baili Tusu's face, "Don't match them indiscriminately!" "The green mountains will not change, and the green water will flow forever. There will be a period later!" Feng Qingxue cupped her fists imitating the people in the rivers and lakes, and said goodbye nonchalantly, "Hee, I definitely read it right this time." cabin. "What a nice girl." While Baili Tusu was still in a daze, someone lifted the curtain at the door of the cabin and entered. He raised his eyes and saw that the person came with a wide robe and wide sleeves, his hair was tied loosely on his chest, and his face was gentle and elegant. It was Ouyang Shaogong who was rescued from the dungeon of Fanyunzhai. "It turned out to be Mr. Ouyang, thank you for your help." Baili Tusu got up and saluted. Ouyang Shaogong smiled indifferently: "Tonight coincides with the grand event of the Qinchuan Lantern Festival, I rented a boat to watch the lanterns along the river, and happened to meet Miss Qingxue asking for help. I only sigh that I am not good at learning, and after I cut my pulse, there is no way to relieve the pain. There is evil energy in Xia Xia's body, but thanks to Miss Qingxue's actions, the situation has improved. If you want to thank Young Xia, you should thank Miss Qingxue." Thinking of the girl just now, Baili Tusu had a lot of thoughts in his mind, but he just answered in silence. Ouyang Shaogong waved his big sleeves, and saw a little golden-haired fox crawling out from the bottom of his sleeves rustling, crawling all the way to the foot of the bed, looking at Baili Tusu timidly. "There is another little thing here, I saw it in Fanyun Village." Ouyang Shaogong smiled gently, "It seems to have followed Baili Shaoxia all the way to Qinchuan." When Ah Xiang saw the golden-haired fox, he screamed excitedly, and grabbed two window frames, looking ready to move. "Ah Xiang, don't make trouble." Baili Tusu knew in his heart that the golden shadow following him in Qinchuan Town was probably this little guy. The little fox flinched, seeing that Hai Dongqing really didn't come to pounce on it, so he let go of his heart, jumped lightly, jumped onto the bed, and squatted beside Baili Tusu. Although there is no moonlight outside the window at this moment, there is a lantern festival, and the river full of lights shines into the cabin. The little fox's body is shrouded in light, and it seems to emit a golden shimmer. The light gradually expands several times, covering its entire body.After the light dissipated, the little fox turned into a human form, with moist almond-shaped eyes, an orange dress, and a golden bell on the wrist, which jingled and jingled as it moved. No matter how you looked at it, it was beautiful Jiji girl—it's just that this girl has pointed ears and a bushy tail, giving away her original identity. "Brother Tusu..." The girl knelt on the bed, staring at Baili Tusu with indescribable admiration and love. Ouyang Shaogong smiled and said: "From ancient times to the present, there are many stories about fox demons repaying their kindness, could it be..." The girl nodded sharply: "Xiangling is here to repay her kindness! Xiangling was playing on the mountain, and was accidentally captured by those big guys... At that time in the cave, I heard everything you said... If brother Tu Su didn't come to rescue, Xiangling was eaten! Xiangling must repay Brother Tusu for saving his life! Whatever Brother Tusu asked Xiangling to do, Xiangling will do..." After staying for a while, Baili Tusu closed his lips solemnly. "In Fanyunzhai, I was only here to save people. When I saw your real body in Wuling Mountain, I knew you were a fox demon. Human monsters are not on the same road. Go ahead." He turned his back and turned around completely. Don't look at that cute girl. After Xiangling heard this, big tears welled up in her eyes: "Woo... Does Brother Tu Su dislike Xiangling who can't even change people? But I really worked hard. Can catch bugs... Brother Shaogong said, what kind of Yuheng are you looking for, I can help! Brother Tu Su, don't drive me away, okay..." She was crying, rubbing her eyes, and her ears were drooping down. Ouyang Shaogong stood aside quietly, only watching how Baili Tusu would deal with him. After waiting for a long time, he saw his heels tightly closed—it turned out that it was just the word "ignore it", and there was no other way. Ouyang Shaogong smiled lightly: "Young hero Baili has been running around today, I think he is very tired. It's better for Xiangling and my subordinates to say goodbye first, and the young hero should rest early. If there is something to do, we can talk about it tomorrow." As soon as Xiangling heard that there was room for maneuver, whatever was fine, she repeatedly agreed, "Then I'll come to find brother Tusu tomorrow..." Turning around, she changed back into the appearance of a little golden fox, followed Ouyang Shaogong, and left obediently cabin. Everyone left, and so did the small animals, but Baili Tusu's mood was hard to calm down for a long time. Today's dangerous situation made him feel somewhat hesitant and guilty.At the beginning, I didn't follow the teacher's instruction, and left the place of pure cultivation on my own initiative, and entered this world of fireworks, but I didn't think that this road, as the teacher said, would not be easy for me to walk.If it wasn't for finding Fen Ji in time, if it wasn't for the enthusiastic help of those people who met by chance, if it wasn't for... that strange girl Feng Qingxue rescued her with her true energy, and she had a fierce attack overnight, and the quiet world outside the cabin was prosperous, saying Maybe it will be destroyed by the sword in his hand. As he thought like this, his heart became more and more gloomy, but the melodious sound of the piano sounded outside the cabin, like silk threads floating in the wind, binding the soul of a person.The sound of the piano is clear, and it seems to be able to heal the suffocation in his chest, and the tune is very familiar, as if he has heard it somewhere.Before he knew it, Baili Tusu had already walked on the deck. "Since Baili Shaoxia has arrived, why not sit down for a while." Ouyang Shaogong didn't look back, his fingertips lightly pressed on the strings, his hands stopped but the piano sound didn't stop.Baili Tusu walked up to him and sat down. He saw that the wood of the guqin was heavy and greasy, with broken patterns on plum blossoms, dragon ponds and phoenix marshes, and the tone was dull and distant. It wasn't until the sound of the piano completely disappeared in the night wind that Ouyang Shaogong said warmly: "Young man is young, and his cultivation is already very good, but this evil spirit is extremely dangerous. If we can't find a way to eradicate it, in time, we will get rid of it." I'm afraid..." "Sir, there is no need to deny it. Baili Tusu knows whether he is warm or cold." Ouyang Shaogong nodded: "Jiyueguangfeng, detached and free and easy. The martial arts character of young heroes are all excellent, dare to ask who is the teacher?" Baili Tusu spoke in a few moments, and his voice dropped half a cent: "I'm a poor student from my master's school, I'm ashamed to tell you." Having said this, Ouyang Shaogong didn't ask any more questions, he picked up the small and exquisite Jinbo mountain stove next to the qin, picked out the fragrant cakes in it, and then stroked the qin again.The burning of incense in the furnace is quiet and uninterrupted, and the lingering music of the zither drifts away with the surface of the water. Baili Tusu saw that this Boshan censer was different from the common ones. There were buildings and pavilions carved in the mountains, and immortals danced. . "The young man is curious about the light of the lotus petals?" Ouyang Shaogong lightly tapped his fingers, and explained softly, "This furnace is called 'Penglai', and there is a wish hidden in it... I know very well, this wish It is not easy to achieve, so I made this furnace, every time the day when my wish is fulfilled, the lotus petals will light up, and I will not be depressed when I see this light for a long time." Baili Tusu nodded. When he saw Ouyang Shaogong for the first time, he only felt that Ouyang Shaogong was as gentle and gentle as jade, elegant and untouched by fireworks, like a fairy relegated to the world.But he didn't expect that Ouyang Shaogong also had such deep thoughts, maybe all the people in this world, no matter men, women, old or young, no matter their birth status, could not escape their bondage. Ouyang Shaogong's qin sounds like a complaint, and his voice is also far away: "I have visited the three mountains, five mountains, and the blessed land of caves and heavens. It is more or less a place called a fairyland on earth. The green jade altar is also one of the 72 blessed places. It is a floating island in the mountains, facing each other day and night. But In my heart, the beauty of Penglai is nowhere to be found." "Sir, have you ever been to Penglai?" "Not at all." The sound of the zither stagnates, and then becomes open again, "It's just an illusion in my heart. However, the past and the present are like dreams, even if it is a fairyland in the world and a beautiful woman, it can't be compared to the shadow of the sun flying away. What is there in this world? Do things last forever? It is impossible to say that illusions can come true, but what was once thought to be real has become an illusion..." There was a lot of emotion in the words, Ouyang Shaogong saw Baili Tusu frowned slightly, laughed and laughed at himself: "This is the scene of killing, every time you see prosperity, you will feel withered, don't blame Baili Shaoxia." Qinchuan is really lively tonight. The hydrangea event on the river bank has just ended, but the midnight lantern festival is bustling again.Those who came to light the lights from the bank included young couples, supporting their elderly parents and their young children, and put down the lights together, wishing the house a safe and healthy life; A lotus lantern, praying to find a mate. On the other side of the river, there was a pretty figure, it was Feng Qingxue, with a blue shirt and snowy face, a pair of bare feet, but still wearing black fabric gloves on his hands.Beside her were two ragged beggars, probably the "new friends" she had said earlier.The three were talking and laughing, with a few river lanterns beside them. Feng Qingxue squatted down, stretched out her hands, and carefully sent the river lantern into the water. Although the river lantern was rudimentary, it worked steadily, and the soft light flowed down the water, carrying what kind of wish. It was probably the first time for Feng Qingxue to release the river lanterns, and she clapped her hands and laughed excitedly. When she raised her eyes, she saw the two people on the boat, and waved vigorously to them, shouted something, and smiled like a flower. Ouyang Shaogong nodded to Feng Qingxue, but Baili Tusu wanted to turn his face away from that strange girl. However, Feng Qingxue's smile was more dazzling than the lights that filled the river, making him involuntarily look at the warm light. The floating lights on the other side formed a flowing light strip, and the lights and water reflected each other, making the faces of the two people glow with halos.This scene is so quiet and picturesque, but it is also like a painting, separated from the two by time and space.They do not belong to the painting, they are just spectators. If you reach out to touch them, those vivid and beautiful things will disappear like flowers in a mirror and moon in water.