Chapter 17 Chapter Six

"Senior Sister, is the Prince of Zhennan alright?" In the living room of Zhennan Prince's Mansion in Dali, Ye Huo stood up worried when he saw the weak water coming out of the green shirt - she didn't even take a sip of the excellent Pu'er tea . "I caught it—what do you think it is?" Ruoshui's expression was a little tired, but he suddenly smiled mischievously. When he raised his hand, Ye Huo's eyes dimmed, and the pungent fishy smell rushed over, and the thick dark The evil aura made Ye Huo instinctively take a step back, and blurted out, "God...is it really a ghost?!"

"Hee hee... That's right, Master stayed in the prince's bedroom in the middle of the night yesterday, and managed to subdue this ghost who came to assassinate with great difficulty!" Ruoshui carefully held a gourd that was not full of feet in his hand, and greeted The junior sister came over and pasted the talisman on her mouth, "Master is talking to King Zhennan, let's seal it first." Yehuo frowned at the strange musty smell in the air, but seeing a real ghost descending for the first time still surprised her greatly.She came over to help the senior sister hold the gourd, and watched Ruo Shui paste the talisman.At the same time, I felt something in the gourd beating violently, and there was a thumping sound.Thinking of the narration about ghost descending that she saw in the spell book before, she felt a strange disgust in her heart——

Ghost drop is one of the head-dropping techniques widely spread in southern Xinjiang. It controls a ghost through the technique of raising ghosts, and makes the ghost do various things, that is, control the dead. In order to cultivate ghost descendants, the warlock must first go to the woods to cut a piece of wood (or in other words, the tree planted next to the cemetery of the dead is the best), and then use a knife to carve a small coffin.After the preparations are completed, go to the graves of some people who have just died, exhume the coffins, burn the chins of the corpses with candles extracted from human fat, until the corpses are burnt to produce corpse oil, and then use the dripping corpse oil to prepare in advance A good little coffin holds it.

The mage then quickly closed the coffin and chanted the mantra, and the soul that had just died could obey orders and be sent to act. It came and went like lightning and was invisible to ordinary people, and it could complete the master's instructions in an instant. Although this method is regarded as a demon method by metaphysics decent schools because it is too sinister, it is quite popular in southern Xinjiang. "Is it the ghost descended from the Moon Worship Sect to assassinate the son?" Yehuo frowned and asked after the talisman was pasted, and the voice inside the gourd became quieter.Ruoshui nodded and lowered his voice: "Yes. The side concubine of King Zhennan wanted his second son to be the crown prince, so she secretly invited the ghost of the Moon Worship Sect. I thought others didn't know— —How can it be hidden from the eyes of us people."

"Oh, so does the King of Zhennan know about it?" Surprised that there was such a thing as blood and blood among the rich and powerful, Ye Huo blurted out in surprise. "Hush...be gentle." Ruoshui stopped her and sneered disdainfully, "Ha, the king of Zhennan knows better than anyone else. But he dotes on his side concubine, so what can he do? At most, please ask the master to help avoid disaster That's all." With a sneer, Ruoshui's bright brows suddenly showed resentment: "These corrupt royal rich people, how can there be fewer scandals in the family? - Junior sister, don't be surprised, my sister came from here, and I'm used to it... If If my mother hadn't sent me out of the family early and learned from my master, I'm afraid I would have been killed too."

Yehuo didn't speak, and sighed slightly—— Senior sister Ruoshui came from a wealthy family, her father had more than ten concubines, but her children had nothing.Ruoshui's mother is Mrs. Qifangru. After giving birth to Ruoshui, her status rose sharply, and she was hated by other women. The mother and daughter were secretly almost murdered several times. One day, Zhang Zhenren wandered by and saw the five-year-old Ruoshui, and said to her parents: "This girl is destined to be a fairy, and she can become a monk in a poor way—if she doesn't become a monk, she will not live for three years."

Ruoshui's father was reluctant, but not long after, the mother and daughter of the Seventh Lady were secretly poisoned again, dying.Fearing that his daughter would not survive at home, the father finally agreed to his wife's request and entrusted his only daughter to the real person. Maybe it's thanks to following the master that the senior sister has lived to this day in peace, right? Although she was always joking and joking, the senior sister felt a little uncomfortable all the time, right? Ye Huo was thinking in a daze, but saw that the master had finished his conversation with Zhennan Wang, and was being sent by the prince himself, and came out of the study.The two of them quickly put away the gourd and followed the master out of the house.

"Master, what are you and King Zhennan doing in the study for so long? Our legs are weak from waiting outside." As soon as Fang went out, Ruoshui blamed, "And we are here this time to deal with the Moon Worship Sect? Why? Instead, take care of these disgusting things in the palace?" "Keep your voice down! I'm afraid that the people who worship the Moon Sect won't hear you?" Impatient Zhang gave his disciple a dissatisfied look, and Zhang Zhenren reprimanded him. Ruo Shui stuck out his tongue, shook the gourd in his hand and smiled at Ye Huo. "Be careful! It's not good if you knock over and let Guijiang escape." Zhang Zhenren has never been able to do anything about this naughty disciple, but he still explained, "King Zhennan promised not to interfere with Tingxuelou this time." The matter with the Moon Worship Sect—it was also because the eldest son almost died this time, and he was angry with the princess. Before that, the concubine had a close relationship with the Moon Worship Sect, and by the way, the people under King Zhennan worshiped that cult..."

"Oh, it would be great if the prince can remain neutral this time." With a slight smile, Yehuo replied, "Besides the deep root of the Moon Worship Sect in southern Xinjiang, it really involves all aspects to pull it out." "That's right... Master Mingjing should have gone to Zhou Shoubei's mansion to exorcise evil spirits—it has been rumored for a few days that Zhou Shoubei's nemesis Qianzong Chen Dingji wanted to kill him, and he hired a heretic ghost at a high price to kill him." Zhang Daoist stroked his beard and nodded slowly, "Alas... such a vicious sorcery! Isn't the caster afraid of breaking his own lifespan?"

"Huh? So, Zhou Shoubei is also on our side?" Ruoshui asked after finally understanding what happened. Ye Huo glanced at the senior sister with a smile: "At least he won't embarrass us, right? He's busy with Mr. Qian, and he shouldn't bother with the matter of worshiping the moon - in this way, the formality is very important to Tingxuelou It's much better, and we won't be enemies on all sides." Master Zhang nodded slightly, and glanced at the eldest disciple: "Ruoshui, you don't know anything about human relationships, and you have to learn from your junior sister!"

"But, how do you know that there is an opportunity to take advantage of the garrison of the palace? What if they don't have anything to do with the Moon Worship Sect?" Although he understood the reason for this trip, Ruoshui still asked a little unconvinced. "Hehe... This kind of planning is naturally due to the landlord Xiao." Some sighed, Master Zhang nodded slightly, "He seems to have paid attention to Miao Jiang several years ago, and he seems to have a plan for attacking the landlord of the Moon Worship Sect. Here He knows everything about the personnel and affairs in his hands... In just a short period of time, all parties have been checked and balanced. It's amazing, it's amazing." Ruoshui was a little dizzy from the complicated relationship, followed the master all the way in the crowd, and then slowly reacted, opened his eyes and sighed: "Ah, now I understand why that Mr. Xiao always looks sick It’s over—won’t you be tired if you keep thinking about such a strenuous thing?” After a pause, seeing both the master and the younger sister were laughing, she couldn’t help but also smiled and asked: “Master, Mr. Xiao is the best, it’s you who Is it great?" However, before hearing the answer, he felt that the gourd on his back seemed to be getting lighter. Ruo Shui subconsciously stretched out his hand, and suddenly cried out: "Oh! Oops—the gourd, the gourd is empty!" Immortal Zhang and Yehuo's expressions changed at the same time, and when the gourd on their backs was dissected by the weak water and checked, they found that the weight was much lighter - but the talisman at the seal was not broken at all! Unexpectedly... unexpectedly, someone easily abducted Guijiang without destroying the enchantment of the Talisman! "I, I have never felt that anyone has moved..." Dumbfounded, Ruoshui hurriedly said, feeling like he was about to cry, "Master... I just have to admit it this time—you go back and punish me!" Looking at the unmoved talisman on the mouth of the gourd, and concentrating on the calculations again, Master Zhang raised the throw, patted the anxious disciple, and sighed: "Forget it...with your cultivation, it's really no wonder you can't see it. live." "Huh?" Ruoshui and Ye Huodou were both startled, but they saw the master turned his head and gave a nod to the passerby who just passed by: "The benefactor is such a profound five-element transporting method... it's just based on the benefactor's cultivation base, Why are you joking with the little disciple? Please return the subdued ghost, and I am very grateful." Among the crowd, a certain man who was about to walk onto the pontoon stopped, turned his head under the fiery phoenix flowers, and smiled slightly: "I'm afraid the master misjudged the person, right?" However, the moment that person turned his head, his eyes seemed to be blinded by a strong light, and Ruoshui's vision went blank—— The spiritual power of that person is so powerful... The "Qi" emitted by her, who can see the spiritual body, is almost as dazzling as the sun at first glance, making her unable to see the ordinary people walking around . In sight, only the man in white robe and long hair under the phoenix flower tree sneered slightly like a god. "High Priest Jia Ruo!" Suddenly, I heard Junior Sister Yehuo blurt out a low cry, and her voice was also filled with shock and extremely complicated emotions.Ruoshui's heart tightened suddenly, staring at the young man in white in front of him, a little dazed. "Pindao asked himself that his eyesight is fair, and he has never made a mistake." Still calmly, the master Jishou. "Really?" Ruoshui saw the priest smiling sarcastically, the gemstone on the forehead ring was shining dazzlingly, Jia Ruo pointed to the phoenix tree by the river, and said, "Then I would like to ask Master: the tree planted by the river How many trees are there?" "Ah, of course it's sixteen!" Ye Huo calmed down, counted silently, and blurted out his answer first. "No...Yehuo, you counted wrong. It is clearly seventeen." Zhang Zhenren shook his head slightly, raised his hand, and counted the trees one by one, counting from left to right, yes, it was seventeen. "This..." Yehuo was stunned for a moment, and counted again by himself: it was still seventeen. Although she was full of doubts, she had to nod to the master: "The master is right." Jia Ruo suddenly sneered: "Real Master Zhang, although you are not young, how can a person who practices magic arts be so old and dim-witted? - There are clearly sixteen trees, how can they count to seventeen? The priest raised his hand slightly, and recounted them from left to right for them to see, one, two, three, four... no more, no less, it really was sixteen! "How could it be seventeen? Can the real person count for Jiaruo again?" With a little sarcasm, the priest turned back and asked. Zhang Zhenren looked solemn, raised his fingers, and counted one by one: one, two, three... However, there were only sixteen trees!No matter how you count, there are only sixteen trees... He, he can't count the seventeenth tree! Only he understands that under the oppression of an unknown force, his "light splitting" has actually failed... There is no way to display the slightest bit of his spells and phantom power! "The real man is really old..." Smiling, seeing the surprised expressions of the old Taoist priest and the two disciples, he flicked his clothes, and the priest in white turned around and walked away with a word, "By the way, there is a Master Ming Jing, I'm afraid I'm feeling a little uncomfortable right now... hurry over there." Ruoshui and Yehuo originally wanted to go up to intercept the ghost again, but Zhang Zhenren's face changed, and he said sharply: "Come and go to the defense mansion with me! Jia Ruo must have gone to the defense mansion in person today." !" Zhou Shoubei was already dead... Obviously, it was caused by Gu poison. The appearance of death was very terrifying. It had only been a few hours since he died, and his body had already started to rot, giving off an unpleasant smell. When the three of them arrived there, they found Master Ming Jing sitting cross-legged—his heart and clothes were torn to pieces, as if an extremely powerful force had crushed the "Prajna Heart" he had cultivated through painstaking efforts, breaking the The enchantment he set up from his heart. Seeing Zhenren Zhang, he wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, there was a mouthful of blood. "Too, too powerful... Even if we join forces, we may not be able to beat him by half a point..." When he was able to speak, the first sentence, Master Mingjing said, his eyes were shocked and collapsed, "He, he is only in his twenties ...Where, where did he cultivate such incredible power? ...His power...is simply not possessed by the mortal world!" The two female disciples were also stunned.After a while, I heard the master say something strange in a low voice: "Master...at this point, do you have to rely on destiny?" Master Ming Jing, who was almost exhausted, seemed to remember something, and his eyes suddenly lit up: "Ah? Master Zhang... You, you saw it too? On that woman?" "On that day, you and I should have seen it at the same time." Nodding his head slightly, Zhang Zhenren said in a low voice, "On her body, we saw fate——she is Jia Ruo's destined nemesis, isn't she? We have to deal with it." The priests of the Moon Worship Sect...I'm afraid, we can only ask Miss Jing to help." Miss Jing! Ruoshui's heart skipped a beat, and he exchanged glances with Yehuo in astonishment. "That's right..." Somewhat weakly, Master Mingjing nodded, and recited Amitabha, with some compassion in his eyes, "Miss Jing is in accordance with the fate of the star, and anyone who crosses her star orbit will surely perish!" By the shimmering holy lake in front of the temple, the priest in white sighed, bent down and dipped his hands in the water—even though it was summer and in southern Xinjiang, the holy lake in the Moon Palace was still bitingly cold—that was because of the It brings together the most yin energy of heaven and earth. The Moon Worship Sect has ruled southern Xinjiang for more than a hundred years, killing countless people with magic.And this holy lake is a place set up since the beginning of the religion to imprison the dead.Countless undead and resentful souls were deposited at the bottom of the lake, and the cursed lake water became an invisible prison for the souls, preventing them from escaping in all directions.These souls were imprisoned at the bottom of the lake, unable to enter reincarnation and unable to be destroyed, and could only wait for the dispatch of the Moon Worship Warlock. Jia Ruo put his hand into the water, and then let go. A ray of invisible soul left his palm and dived into the water.The ghosts brought back drifted into the water. Jia Ruo quickly took his hand away from the water—even so, for a short moment, he still felt that the evil spirits wandering in the lake smelled his breath and quickly gathered from under the water, trying to bite his fingers. The power gathered by the holy lake is so powerful and sinister that even the priests of the Moon Worship Sect in the past did not dare to get too close to this lake.There are too many undead sleeping there, and the condensed resentment can almost suffocate the strongest warlock—— However, this is the ultimate source of Moon Worship Sect's power. For generations, every priest has had to harness and summon the power of the evil spirits in the lake when performing the ritual. Even Hua Lian, the former leader who claims to be the most powerful leader and priest in one hundred years, cannot but rely on the power of the ghost of the holy lake. "Are those evil spirits at the bottom of the lake so powerful?" The priest standing on the steps of the temple was a little surprised when he saw the priest quickly pull out his fingers from the water, staring carefully at whether there were bite marks between his fingers. touch them?" Jia Ruo didn't answer, just stood up straight, quietly staring at the seemingly calm lake by the lake, with a certain solemnity between his brows and eyes.This is the evil and resentment that has accumulated for hundreds of years. Once it escapes, it will be completely out of control... Even today, the Moon Worship Sect still needs to perform blood sacrifices every year in order to suppress the extremely ferocious evil spirits in the lake. "Jia Ruo, have you ever thought about what it would be like if one day the moon wheel in the temple was turned, if the gate under the holy lake was opened and the lake was drained?" Some sighed, The long and slender jade fingers of the worship leader stroked the sacred objects enshrined in the temple, and murmured. "Don't touch it!" As if getting an electric shock, the priest in white rushed over and knocked her hand aside. "Jia Ruo you——" startled, Ming He held his hands and stared at him blankly—the eyes of this deep and unpredictable patron saint of the Moon Worship Sect showed a fearful expression for the first time! "Don't touch it... Are you crazy? The heart of the sky and the moon, don't touch it." Pulling down the curtain again, Jia Ruo's face was pale and terrifying, and his hand holding the curtain trembled slightly—— In the Supreme Temple of Moon Worship Sect, this moon wheel is enshrined.According to legend, when Moon Worship Sect was founded on Lingjiu Mountain, the founder of the mountain built a temple and excavated a holy lake at the same time.The sluice connected to the holy lake under the moon, once opened, can release the lake water into the ground. However, for more than a hundred years, no leader or priest has ever dared to turn this moon wheel. Because once the moon wheel turns and the lake water leaks into the ground, the evil spirits imprisoned in the lake will be released, and they will escape into the mortal world!If the terrifying evil power loses control, the consequences... Thinking of this, even the high priest of the Moon Worship Sect can't help but shudder. "Can't touch it? Why can't it be touched!" The leader of Moon Worship sneered, but there was a decisive and stern light in his delicate eyes. …If Tingxue Tower really invades, if Xiao Yiqing really dares to destroy the Moon Worship Sect, then I will turn the moon wheel and release all the evil spirits in the lake!" "—At most, it's all about burning jade and stone together!... Haha." She sneered, there was a sense of madness and recklessness in her smile, even the crescent moon painted with gold powder on her cheek was cold.Before the words were finished, the priest in white came up and pulled her away viciously: "Are you crazy? You must not turn the moon wheel!" "Yes, I don't need to open the sluice—if you can keep the Moon Palace!" The Moon Worshiper stared quietly at Jia Ruo, and slowly said word by word, "If you have a better way... Jia Ruo , I don’t want to die either.” Helping the injured Master Ming Jing back to the wooden building, it was already dusk.Knowing that the master was in a bad mood after being frustrated today, Ruoshui and Yehuo didn't dare to say much, they just held the lamp silently.After sitting down for a while, a disciple of Tingxuelou came to deliver the meal. Looking at Bucai, a young disciple who was only more than ten years old, with quick hands and feet, Zhang Zhenren thought for a moment, and asked, "Is Master Xiao there?" The little disciple who listened to Xue Lou didn't even raise his head, and replied, "The Master has had dinner." , and went out." "Oh..." Zhang Zhenren nodded, looked at Master Mingjing on the side, and continued to ask, "So, is Miss Jing here? Pindao and Master Mingjing have something to discuss with Miss Jing." "Miss Jing is not here either." The little disciple replied, and suddenly couldn't help smiling. "Oh? Where did Miss Jing go?" Somewhat strangely, Zhang Zhenren asked. The little disciple raised his head, arranged the food in his hand, wiped his hand on the cloth towel, and replied with a smile: "Miss Jing, of course I went out with the landlord." Waiting for him to retreat, Zhenren Zhang stroked his beard and sighed, and went to ask Master Ming Jing who was meditating on the couch: "Master, would you like some vegetarian food when you come down?" Master Ming Jing's grey-haired face was haggard. He didn't answer for a long time, then suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "What day is today? It's so dark!" "Today is the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month." Ruoshui answered crisply from the side. After hearing the disciple's answer, Zhang Zhenren was also taken aback, his expression changed unconsciously: July fifteenth.It turned out that today is actually the Obon Festival, the festival of ghosts. "I didn't know that Miao Jiang also celebrated the Obon Festival." The sky gradually darkened. Standing by the river, looking at the lights floating on the water, the man in white sighed. The woman in scarlet clothes next to her didn't answer, she just bent down silently, put a plain white lotus lantern in her hand into the water, pushed it lightly, and watched it flow down the water.She stood up, closed her eyes slightly, folded her palms together and meditated silently, with a serene expression. Xiao Yiqing didn't speak any more, just looked at the woman in scarlet who was praying against the wind in the twilight - at this moment, the look on her brows was so peaceful and distant, completely different from the usual cold and aloof. In the upper reaches of the river, many people burned paper and cast river lanterns by the water. There were voices of muttering scriptures and prayers everywhere. There were Hmong people and Han people. Those voices spread into the wind, giving off a strange and enveloping feeling. It made people feel a little calm after listening to it.There are thousands of river lanterns floating on the river, reflecting the crystal clear water, like a world of glazed glass. He knew that she was praying for her father who died in southern Xinjiang. Over the years, although Ah Jing has always resented her father for committing suicide when she was so young, leaving her alone in the rivers and lakes.But it can be seen that she still misses her father who died for more than ten years in her heart - the evil leader who once made the world's martial arts become discolored. "My father's soul may have already entered the six realms of reincarnation and reincarnated as a human being. Ah Jing, why should you care too much?" After a long time, seeing her open her eyes and put her hands down, Xiao Yiqing comforted her lightly. However, Ah Jing looked at the river lantern that was gradually drifting away on the water, with an indifferent smile on his lips: "My father killed countless people in his life, and he also joked before he was alive: He is afraid of death, because after death, hell will come." It's his destination—but my mother is pure and kind by nature, but she should go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss...so my father said that he should live a long life." "My father ordered the hall, it can be said that the love between husband and wife is deep." As if something was touched, there was a slight sigh in Xiao Yiqing's voice. Ah Jing didn't speak, and her crimson clothes bloomed like roses in the night wind. On the river, those river lights are ethereal, as if drifting to another world, illusory like a dream. After a long time, Ah Jing opened his mouth in a low voice and said, "It's a pity that my mother died when I was five years old - those righteous people joined forces to ambush my father in Kuocang Mountain. My father fought bloody battles for a long time and finally protected our mother and daughter." Deus Ex. "After running for thirty miles, I finally sat down to rest. My mother handed me, who had been holding me in her arms, to my father, saying that my hands were tired, and she asked him to hold her for her—then, in an instant, she became exhausted. down. "I screamed at that time, and saw that there was a short knife stuck in my mother's vest, and the blood was all over my back! I don't know who stabbed it in the siege just now, but my mother still hugged me and kept running away. It took thirty miles before it fell down..." Her voice suddenly dropped, and she silently turned her head to look at the full moon in the sky, without speaking. "Your mother loves you very much, Ah Jing." Xiao Yiqing lowered her eyes, watching the water ripple up to the shore again and again.Suddenly, there was a sparkle in his eyes. "That's right... When I was learning martial arts, I kept thinking: What kind of kung fu did my mother practice to get such a knife and run thirty miles with me in her arms?" Smiling wryly, the woman in scarlet clothes shook her head quietly, "It was only when I grew up that I realized that you don't need to practice any martial arts—because mother loves me, she must be better than myself." "Yes." Xiao Yiqing took a deep breath without making a sound, he only answered one word shortly, but his voice was still trembling slightly. Ah Jing turned around suddenly, and said coldly: "So, sometimes I hate my father very much! After my mother died, he was a different person—he finally couldn't stand it when I was eight years old. Cut off the neck with blood myrtle. When I woke up, his blood soaked me... He never thought about me, so he died on his own." Xiao Yiqing looked at her without saying a word, the eyes of the woman in scarlet clothes shone with tiny lights, as clear as water. ——That was the first time he had heard her talk about personal matters in the four years since they met. ——Originally, she was such a stubborn and stubborn person, she never wanted to bring up the things buried in her heart to others. "Your father also loves you." Not knowing how to persuade him, he could only say this. Ah Jing sneered slightly and shook his head: "He may love me as a daughter, but he loves my mother the most. So he can't live with me alone--a really cowardly person. After giving birth to a child, he will You must have the consciousness of being a father... Instead of doing this, he might as well not have given birth to me back then." "Many things are not as expected. Although your father loves you, but he can't keep you, that's helpless." Xiao Yiqing smiled suddenly, and there was a gloomy look in her eyes. "Yeah... If you can't keep what you like, why don't you care about it?" Ah Jing cast her eyes on the river again, searching for the thing she just let out in the densely packed river lanterns. One, the voice suddenly felt a little bewildered, "But, if I care about something, I must stick to it!" Yan Bing's determination suddenly sounded in her voice, Xiao Yiqing suddenly raised her head and looked at her in surprise. ——Sure enough, there was a purpose for her uncharacteristically saying such things tonight. ——However, what actually made her act like this. "Lord, I hope you don't attack the Moon Worship Sect!" Ah Jing turned around and looked at him for a moment, his eyes shone like broken diamonds, cold and crystal clear, "No matter what you want, I will I hope that you can achieve your goal through other means." "If not?" Xiao Yiqing looked at her quietly and asked indifferently. The eyes of the woman in scarlet clothes flickered for a moment, her long eyelashes covered her bright eyes, then she lifted them up in an instant, and said calmly: "If not, Shu Jingrong will try her best to stop this matter in her own way." Xiao Yiqing seemed to be slightly shocked, and stood facing the wind with her hands behind her back, looking at the thousands of lights on the river, she suddenly sneered softly: "Okay... Ah Jing, are you willing to turn against me because of Jia Ruo? You want to meddle with me Is it a decisive battle with him?" As he spoke, he suddenly coughed slightly in the night wind.However, his gaze suddenly became empty and far away, hiding a cold light like a sharp knife. Ah Jing didn't speak, and after a while, he said calmly: "I heard that Xuelou went on an expedition to the south of Yunnan and became an enemy of the Moon Worship Sect, which is not from the Wulin lineage. No one has any doubts? But because you have never made any mistakes in your strategies in the past, so no one dares to doubt... However, I want to ask: Why?" Xiao Yiqing glanced at her and said lightly: "It's a personal grudge. You don't need to ask any more." The woman in scarlet clothes was slightly taken aback, then suddenly sneered: "It turns out...it's just a personal grudge. Ha." "As a subordinate of Tingxuelou, I don't need to know why." Trying to calm down the sudden cough, pressing his fingers tightly to his chest, there was a cold light like ice and snow in the eyes of Tingxuelou, "Tingxuelou is Xiao Shi's listener." Xuelou, I just use my own strength to do what I want to do." Ah Jing suddenly turned to look at him, the light in his eyes became even brighter: "You want those people to die for you, but you don't tell them why until you die?! I heard that Xuelou is not a killer organization, and its subordinates are not puppets, you know Is it?" "I didn't let them die! Regarding the attack on the Moon Worship Sect, I had a complete plan five years ago!" Xiao Yiqing tugged on her collar in agitation, coughed continuously, and her face gradually became murderous, "I I have long thought about destroying the Moon Worship Sect!" "However, the boss—you didn't tell them what kind of opponent the opponent is... I heard that Xuelou's subordinates always thought that it was the same as before, and they were going to attack another martial arts sect! You didn't tell them about the terrible spells, Sending them to southern Xinjiang, what's the difference between sending them to death?" Ah Jing's face also turned pale, his eyes became sharper, and he refused to budge an inch. "It's useless for ordinary disciples to know, but it will disturb people's hearts—they just need to be responsible for resisting the ordinary believers of the Moon Worship Sect. In terms of magic, people like you and I can handle it." Ting Xuezhu answered with a frown . "Oh... no wonder you want to send so many people to southern Xinjiang." An indifferent and sharp smile appeared on the corner of his lips, Ah Jing said coldly, "If you practice martial arts to the extreme, only one person is invincible in the world; But they can be the enemy of ten thousand people—it turns out that you still want them to be human shields.” Xiao Yi looked at her indifferently: "So what?... The so-called 'Tingxue Tower' is all the power I gather in my hands and control—could it be that you want me to learn the courage of that man and go to a decisive battle with Jia Ruo one by one? No?" "If that's the case, at least I still admire you." With a sharp smile, Ah Jing replied coldly. Another gust of night wind blew, blowing the hem of the skirt of the young man in white on the bank.On a summer evening in Southern Xinjiang, Xiao Yiqing suddenly felt cold, and could not help coughing again: "Ah Jing...cough cough, you don't need to provoke me..." "I didn't provoke you, it's just my thoughts." Ah Jing looked at the radiant full moon in the sky, and suddenly sighed, "Lord, although your conquest of the Central Plains martial arts in the past was for personal hegemony, but after all Created a stable situation in today's martial arts." "However, what you have done today makes people feel cold - driving thousands of children to death for the sake of personal grievances is not the work of a true brave man. Since it is a personal grievance, you should settle the grievance with your own strength." Fei Yi said in Night Breeze Like a red rose, Ah Jing's eyes were calm and calm, and he said every word, "I am not a woman, and I will not frown when I should kill; but there is no need to kill." I will not take away even the life of an ant." "I never knew Miss Jing was such a character." Looking up at her, Xiao Yiqing's words were unpredictable. "I have my own principles—it's just that I don't feel the need to tell others about it." Ah Jing also looked at him for a moment, and said lightly, "If you are determined to fight the Moon Worship Sect, then I will not stop you... ...But, if you fight Jia Ruo, even if you win——I will avenge him!" Her voice was cold and difficult, but she spit out each word without any hesitation. Xiao Yiqing's hand tightened suddenly, and she clasped Xiying's knife handle in her sleeve, her eyes were as cold as lightning for an instant. He looked at her with complicated changes in his eyes, and he didn't speak for a long time. "Why?" After a longer time, his hand slowly released from the knife.The murderous aura dissipated in an instant, as if coughing made his throat a little hoarse, he asked in a low voice, "Is that person so important?" Fei Yi moved against the wind, but Ah Jing's eyes were in a daze. Looking at the quietly passing river, a faint smile gradually appeared on her lips: "Maybe Gao Mengfei told you about our relationship, but you It may be impossible to understand the true feelings between the three of us. Brother Qing Lan... He loved me as deeply as a mother. After the death of my parents, the only person I trusted and cared about was him..." The indifferent smile on his lips disappeared in an instant, Ah Jing suddenly turned his head, looked at Tingxue Louzhu firmly, and said firmly: "Lord Lou, I will not be like my father—I care about it, so I must guard it!" Xiao Yiqing also looked at her, with a strange sadness and pain on her face, and suddenly looked at the water surface, and smiled softly: "Ahem...Ah Jing, did Xuelou's achievements over the years make you have too much confidence in me? ? You are so resolute in defending the Moon Worship Sect, have you never thought that I will die too? You know how terrible he is." Ah Jing suddenly froze. Indeed, from the beginning of thinking, she almost put Tingxuelou in the position of winning, only thinking about how to avoid the destruction of Moon Worship Sect, but never considered the possibility of Xiao Yiqing's death in battle. Tingxue Louzhu... seems to be an undefeated myth in the martial arts world. Xiao Yiqing's smile was deeper and more lonely. He walked slowly to the river and bent down: "What will happen if I die? At that time, the Tingxue Tower may be dispersed, and the martial arts will fall apart again. Flock to my soul..." He stretched out his hand to stir the river, and suddenly turned his head and smiled at her who was staying aside: "However, that has nothing to do with you... When you joined Tingxuelou, we had an agreement—— "If I die, the contract will be canceled automatically. At that time, you will go your own way, and you will not have anything to do with Tingxuelou. You don't have to avenge the Moon Worship Sect for me." All of a sudden, she couldn't answer anything. Ah Jing imagined the situation in the future, and suddenly felt like a nightmare.She took a long breath and said slowly, "You will not lose." "That's because you think too highly of me." Listening to Xue Louzhu staring at the river in a daze, a wry smile suddenly appeared on his thin and pale face, "It's not just you—everyone may think too highly of me. If you have never been defeated, you will never lose." It means that I won't lose...If it wasn't for you when Gao Mengfei betrayed me, I would have been completely defeated." He flicked the water casually, watching the Yingying water waves rippling away in circles between his fingers: "If you are an ordinary student of Tingxuelou, losing is probably just a change of master or a way of life; but if I lose, then Then there is only death." "I don't want you to die either." Quietly, the woman in scarlet clothes cut off, her voice trembling. Xiao Yiqing's hand stopped, and she quickly turned her head to look at her, then turned her head and continued to use her fingers to move in the water waves - the invisible water was separated and gathered between his fingers without a trace. "There is no mercy in the battle of masters - in the future, Priest Jia Ruo and I will die." He looked down at the flowing water between his fingers, and then looked up at the river lanterns drifting away on the river. Smiling, "Even if I am willing to face Jia Ruo alone, it will be inevitable." Ah Jing's hand clenched Xuewei tightly in her sleeve, and she squeezed it tightly, trying her best to suppress the surging emotions in her heart. After a long time, she blurted out: "Why? Why is this battle so imperative?! Anything There are other solutions!" “仇恨只有用一种方法来解除。”将浮在水面的水草都拨开了，萧忆情却缓缓从身边拿出了一盏河灯——纸扎的白色莲花，素净晶莹。 他没有顾上阿靖惊讶询问的眼光，只是自顾自的俯下身，用火绒点燃了花心的蜡烛。河灯的光明明灭灭，映着他清俊苍白的脸。 他凝视着烛火，忽然看看漂流远去的河灯们，喃喃说了一句：“不知这条河，是否是流入灵鹫山上的圣湖里去？” “圣湖？”绯衣女子怔了怔，轻轻问，“就是那个号称拜月教力量源泉的圣湖？” 萧忆情缓缓点头，却没有说话，他抬起手，在夜风中护住那盏灯，看着烛火在烈烈的晚风中挣扎摇曳，终不肯灭去。许久许久，他看着远方，忽然一口气说了下去—— “很久以前，江湖中有个年轻人，他自小胸怀大志，想在武林中建立不世功业。为了武学修炼他走遍了神州，采集各派之长。 “有一天，他来到了南疆……也是盂兰盆那一天，在这条河边的凤凰树下，仿佛是上天的指引，他遇到了一个美丽神秘的女子。 “他们相爱很深，发誓永远不分离，就商量起以后的打算—— “然而，他才知道，这个女子却是拜月教里面的神女，是现任教主的妹妹。按照拜月教里面的规矩，侍月神女是月神的妻子，一辈子都不能嫁人！ “然而年轻的他哪里顾的上这些，不顾所有的也要和所爱的人在一起——她也年轻，敢作敢为。于是，约定了一个月暗的夜晚，她从月宫里逃了出来，与那个年轻人私奔。” 阿靖略微一怔，抬头看着他，然而他没有看她，只是静静凝视着夜中无声奔流的河水，和水面上缥缈而去的点点灯光，眼睛里有奇异的哀伤的光芒。 原来……他竟然有过这样的往事，从来不被人知。 “他们一起逃了出去，没有被拜月教抓住。然而，那个年轻人带着她回到家乡时，却发觉拜月教的人已经抢先一步找到了他的家，而且已经毁灭了他的家族！ “他们不得不再度出逃，相依为命的浪迹天涯。每一个地方都不敢停的太久，只怕拜月教派出的杀手会如影随形的跟来。 “这样漂泊不定的生活，整整过了四年。四年中，他们有了孩子……然而，在长年的躲避追杀的流浪中，年轻人和他妻子的关系却淡漠下去。” 说到这里的时候，萧忆情停了一下，唇边泛起一个嘲讽的微笑：“所谓的患难见真心，或许就是如此？”他叹息了一声，不等身后的绯衣女子回答什么，继续说了下去—— “我不知道是不是那个男子后悔了自己当时的轻狂和意气——他本来是一个有着多么大野心的人……他的梦想是建立自己的天下武林，成为一代宗师霸主。 “然而，因为拜月教如附骨之蛆的追杀，他根本连稳定下来都不可能，更不用说什么昔日的霸图和梦想！日复一日，他只是在保护妻子、躲避追杀中提心吊胆的渡过——不过也幸亏他武艺超群，好歹保全了家人四年。 “但是他和妻子之间的爱情却再也不复相识时的热烈，他的脾气变得暴躁，动辄抱怨，这个昔日意气风发的青年觉得自己将会无所事事的死去，似乎有意无意的埋怨起命运。” 夜风吹来，风里带来了绯衣女子冷漠的笑，萧忆情也是苦笑了一下，俯下身，将手中的河灯轻轻放入水中，凝视了半晌，才伸手，轻轻将它推开。 站起身后，他的语气陡变，忽然就有了金石交击般的冷冽—— “然而，他不曾了解他的妻子是怎样一个女子！曾是拜月教神女的她是那样的高傲和要强，为自己成为丈夫的累赘而耻辱……他的每一句抱怨，都是她心头的一根毒刺。 “终于有一日，他回家的时候只看见四岁的孩子在哭，却不见了妻子。 “她，竟然自己返回了拜月教。 “她希望自己来领受一切惩罚、而免除教中的追杀！ “她希望她的丈夫能实现自己的梦想，她也希望自己的孩子能有安定的未来……” 瞬间，阿靖的眼睛也是一片雪亮——刹那，她的神思有些恍惚，却依稀有痛彻心肺的感觉……或许是同一类的人吧？如若是她，或许也会如此吧？ 既然他已经后悔了，就无法再相守下去……那末，在变成相互憎恨之前，就让她用自己的血将一切了结罢！ 至少，她不会再成为他的负累，以后在回忆起来的时候，他或许还会有心痛和惘怅。 阿靖看见萧忆情站在河边，伸手扶住河边的凤凰树，身子却微微颤抖。 又是有怎样的感情、在听雪楼主的心中掠过？ “或许只是被艰辛的生活蒙蔽，在看见妻子留下的书信时、他心中的爱情和悔恨同时爆发——根本忘了被追杀的可怕，那个人抱着孩子千里迢迢追回了南疆灵鹫山。 “——然而，就在他到山下的时候，听到了一个惊人的传闻：拜月教主为了表示对圣洁教规的维护，严厉责罚了她叛逃的妹妹侍月神女。在一年一度的圣湖血祭中，她下令将自己的亲妹妹活活沉入了湖底。 “他们来的时候，祭典已经完毕……湖面空空荡荡，什么，都没有留下。 “那个凤凰花下的女子，已经化为白骨，沉睡在水底。 “听到那些消息时，父亲捂住了孩子的嘴，生怕他会哭叫出来，让拜月教徒知道了他们的身份——然而，那个孩子非常懂事，不哭不叫，一滴泪都没有流。 “他终于得到了安定与时间，可以慢慢实现他一生的抱负……他回到了中原，按照他从小的梦想建立起自己的势力，一步步扩大。终于，他成了称霸一方的大人物。 “然而他的灵魂却从来没有安宁过。他想忘记、从头开始，然而没有办法。他的总是在午夜梦到妻子，梦见她已经在阴暗冰冷的湖底悄然化为白骨，然而骷髅深深的眼窝却依然注视着他——温柔一如往日，低声对他说： “'我无法解脱'——她的灵魂被阴毒的术法困在了湖底。她无法解脱。 “那个成了英雄的人，终究没能好好享受他的功业和成就。他死的时候，只有三十八岁。” 最后的叙述，在风中依稀散去，萧忆情凝视着那一盏河灯，缥缈远去，眼睛里的光也是迷离不定，低低咳嗽着，他的肩膀颤的更加剧烈，仿佛连肺都要咳了出来。 阿靖没有说话，只是抬起眼睛，静静看着他，目光清冽柔和。 听雪楼的主人，眼睛里蓦然腾起了迷蒙的光亮，仿佛极力平定着自己的声音，终于安静地说出了最后一句：“为了记念亡妻，在那一年，他给自己的孩子改名为'萧忆情'。” 话音一落，仿佛再也抑制不住地，他爆发除了剧烈的咳嗽，全身颤抖着。用力将手巾捂住嘴角，然而黑色的血迹依然慢慢渗透出来。 “楼主。”她过去，扶住他的手肘，低低唤，从怀中拿出药瓶打开，递到他手中。 然而他的手却痉挛的抓住了她的手腕，定定看着她，唇边泛起了奇异的笑容：“阿靖……你说，我的母亲、我的母亲她也非常爱我，是不是？” “是。”她不敢直视他的眼睛，低低回答了一句。 萧忆情的手指却一分分收紧，紧得几乎要扣断她的腕骨：“但是——她到如今都还在拜月教的湖底！这些邪教的术法禁锢了她，她不能解脱……她时时刻刻都在受着折磨！” 绯衣女子被他忽然间的愤怒和悲哀所压倒，不知该如何回答，只是抬起眼睛看着他，看着他苍白的脸上泛起的血潮和眉目间再也难以掩饰的仇恨。四年了……记忆中从相识开始，这个人便是淡定从容、生死不惊的，有着泰山崩于前而色不改的定力。 然而，今日他眼中的怒火仿佛是在地狱里燃烧！ 那是龙之怒……无论谁忤其逆鳞，都会被雷霆之怒焚为灰烬。 “我等了二十年，二十年！五年前我羽翼未丰，不等我有能力出兵，那个华莲教主就归天了……好容易我今日做好了一切准备，你居然和我说、不能扑灭那受诅咒的一族，要我找另外解决的途径？！”微微冷笑着，他看着她，眼睛里有阴暗而邪气的光芒，“你要我如何？你要我眼睁睁的看着母亲的遗骸永葬湖底、不得超生么？……咳咳，咳咳！” 他激烈的语气，到最后终于被剧烈的咳嗽再度打断。 病弱的年轻人靠着树，猛烈的咳嗽着，全身微微发抖，不住的喘着气。阿靖连忙扶住他的肩膀，将药物给他服下。 她清澈的眼睛里，忽然有了微微的迷惘之意。 她五岁的时候死了母亲，仇恨死死的铭刻在她心里。过了十年，在她十五岁的时候她携剑追凶于天下，用了三年时间一一杀尽了当年围攻她父母的七大门派、十一位高手。 血魔之女的名字，由此响彻天下。 她明白那种仇恨是什么滋味——母亲死的时候她体会过一次，青岚死的时候，她又体会过一次！……没有人能做到放弃仇恨，她又如何能反驳他？ 阿靖扶着他一起在树下坐下，感觉他的呼吸在慢慢平定下来。 萧忆情微闭着眼睛，脸色苍白的可怕。他慢慢松开了握着她手腕的手指，她看见一圈青紫色清晰的烙在她白皙的皮肤上。 他恐怕也是第一次在别人面前回顾自己的往事，什么样的愤怒和仇恨，居然让听雪楼的主人完全无法控制自己的情绪…… 坐在凤凰花树下，看着前方静静的河流，看着万盏河灯缥缈流去，听着夜风中传来的人群哭丧之声和悠扬悲怆的镇魂歌，阿靖的眼睛里忽然泛起了苍茫的笑意。 原来，这世上唯独死亡是公平的——无论对于谁，都是那样留下毫不容情的烙印——哪怕拥有权力地位如听雪楼主人。 “阿靖。”出神的时候，她忽然听见身边的人轻轻叫了一声。 她回过头来，在树影的黯淡下看见他睁开的眼睛，清冷安宁如同一泓秋水。药力显然已经起了一定的作用，萧忆情不再咳嗽，只是有些衰弱无力的看着她，完全不复片刻前那样的凌厉逼人。 萧忆情唤了她一声，等她回头了却又不说什么。沉默了许久，他忽然笑了一笑：“好了……一直想和你说的，我都已经说出来了——接下来的一切，由你自己判断决定。” 阿靖一怔，方才想说什么，萧忆情的目光却再次投向了夜中静静流逝的河水，忽然自嘲般的笑了笑：“今天难道真是见鬼了？……这些话，居然就这样说了出来……” 的确，无论他或者她，对于以前的往日从来都是深藏于心的人。 然而，在盂兰盆节之夜，在这条河边，他们却不约而同的回顾了最灰暗的往日。 他们回去的时候已经是子夜，静谧的出奇。 在走过河上浮桥的时候，阿靖看到了河边立的一块石碑，刻着两个字：记川。 阿靖忽然微微的笑了，想起了听过的一首歌谣： 有一条河叫做忘川，喝一口忘川的水便能忘记一切；另一条河叫做记川，喝一口记川的水便会想起一切。喝一口忘川的水再喝一口记川的水，忘记了一切又记起了一切。 ……然而，世上某些事情，却是永远无法忘记。