The Lord of Bones paused. At this moment, he didn't know whether he should say something or not. He didn't know whether Lord Shuangyue knew the reincarnation of his enemy in this life. This person has reincarnated as a human being, but this time is particularly special... Forget it, it's better not to mention it now, it has nothing to do with the matter to be discussed. The air was quiet for a while, and neither of them spoke anymore. Lord Shuangyue didn't know if it was still daylight in this world. It was already approaching dusk when she arrived. She just lowered her eyes and sat quietly, adding another cup of tea when her mouth was dry.
"By the way," Master Bai Skeleton said suddenly, "You haven't said anything yet, that girl named Xue Miyin..."
Shuoyue-kun's hand that just picked up the cup stopped in mid-air, but it didn't look like he had forgotten to say it. She said nothing, placed the cup that had been hovering for a while on the table again, and took a deep breath.
"The child... no, she is no longer a child. I actually forgot such an important thing."
She put her hands together, closed her eyes, and rubbed her face, as if to relieve fatigue. But how can this heavy layer of fatigue be dispelled so easily? She held her breath until her hands slowly moved to her chin and supported her head, and then she slowly let it out. However, she didn't feel much relieved.
She said that she found the child before going to Death Shadow Pavilion - or even on the day she received the resentment.
It was already late at night, and Lord Xueyue had just left. The valley returned to silence, leaving only the traces of the fight. She also used the power of the Tengu to extinguish the demon fire she had caused before. This is the only shikigami she has now. After all, she had let them go in front of Lord Kuchtsuki a long time ago. When he met Lord Shigetsuki again this time, he turned out to be in the form of a young girl, which made Lord Shigetsutsu extremely angry. It was as if the other party did this to deliberately stimulate her fighting spirit.
"You don't deserve what she looks like!"
"Say it as if you are familiar with each other."
This conversation lingered in her mind for a long time. Now that Lord Xueyue was gone, she let out a deep sigh. What he said was correct. He knew nothing about the real Hong Xuan Qing Nu. After all, she had already passed away. She heard about the goddess from other seniors. The first time I learned of her existence, I was not yet the Six Paths Impermanence.
She originally had a name.
She had stopped thinking about this for a long time.
She didn't care who her last name was as soon as she changed her identity. But here's the thing: the two friends she meets occasionally make the same choice—even if they're on opposite sides of the world and don't need to discuss it. That is, no matter Lin Tianshi or Bai Skeleton Master, no matter Lin Shanhai or Shi Wuqi, like today, when they mention each other in the conversation... they never call each other's name.
This is a very special kind of tenderness.
She had always, always wanted to be a gentle person. It’s not that kind of gentle, kind-hearted personality, but a very special quality. She didn't know if she could do it, at least if it met her own standards. At least, she is not like the previous Shuangyue Lord who allowed the Demon-Sealing Blade to spread in the world, but instead carefully protects it by her side.
"You are really a kind person. But, who can you protect like this?"
This is what the new Lord Yingyue said to her in her dream... This new Lord Yingyue is very beautiful, and her beauty changes in many ways. The other Impermanences all know her origins, but they find it difficult to judge her position. Although she is not as annoying as the last kid, she sometimes says some unpleasant things, like the sentence just now.
She really couldn't protect anyone, and in the end, she would be hurt by those she protected. She originally thought that given her long lifespan, it would not be difficult to take care of the suffering people like Lord Jiyue did, even though his situation was a bit special. Speaking of which, it was the girl named Xue Miyin.
Yes, deep valley, in the deep valley. The black merchants who bought Qianxi were all doing things that lacked virtue. The darts his caravan transported this time were particularly special - a group of children. The harvests in those years were not good, very bad... Disasters occurred frequently, the frontiers were unstable, and everything inside and outside the world was unsatisfactory. At that time, the Six Paths of Impermanence were also extremely busy. The tragedy of starving people all over the place is numbing, and Lord Shuangyue had been accustomed to facing corpses and death earlier.
This time is different. Those children didn't starve to death... nor did they just fall to death.
There were three carriages in total, each of which could only be pulled by four or five horses. The cars are not simple cars, but a huge cage covered with rags, with more than a dozen children crammed into each cage. All of them were sallow and thin, and could not stand firmly. No one cleans it, and they eat, drink, and poop in the big cage. You can smell the stench from inside without lifting the rags, and no one wants to get close. They told outsiders that the meat they pulled here was all "game" - diseased and dead game. If it is said to be healthy and alive, hungry people will immediately ignore the unpleasant smell and even find it sweet. Moreover, the children no longer had the strength to speak. Even if anyone dared to resist, they were beaten black and blue.
Therefore, no one will check it.
The turf has almost been removed by people, and the horses have not had enough to eat. The dozen or so horses are all as skinny as wood. Anyway, these children are not heavy and can be pulled. They just need a few people to push them uphill. They used all kinds of tricks to deceive and kidnap these children. Almost all of them are children of poor people. In such a time of material scarcity, even if someone lost a child, they would not have the energy to look for it. After all, it is difficult to protect oneself. This group of villains understood this and even beat the cage and told them as a joke, "Your parents don't want you anymore. One less person and less food to eat. They were very happy."
At first, the children cried until their voices became hoarse and they no longer had any strength. The youngest among this group of children is only three or four years old. If someone is particularly energetic and can't stop crying no matter how much he or she does, he will be publicly executed and dragged away to scare the monkeys. The oldest girl, seventeen years old, was abducted because of inconvenience in her legs and feet. Although she was thin, she was beautiful. She was taken away by those gangsters and never came back. Maybe she died too. Three cars, one with boys, one with girls, and one very quiet car. Some children said they saw the cage filled with scarlet meat... and they would all end up hanging there.
Because they are transported as "food" goods.
In such chaotic times, especially in the poorest areas, this kind of thing simply cannot happen anymore. No one wants to be starved to death, nor does anyone want to be starved to death by Guanyin Tu. This is an era when there is no market, and even wealthy people with a little money have nowhere to buy food. As a result, human flesh has become the largest and endless resource. First there were corpses, then fetuses, then women and children. As long as the party is considered weak in comparison, it may become exploited at any time. Changing children and eating them has never happened in decades, but the word "repeat the same mistakes" has never been a decoration. Human flesh is sold to the rich and powerful, and sometimes the meat dealers even get favors from monsters.
Lord Shuangyue knew these things, and she couldn't interfere - because the adult wouldn't let them.
She is no longer the young and energetic ordinary person she was a few hundred years ago. Naturally, like other colleagues, she understands the truth. They all understand that there are tens of thousands of victims and they simply cannot handle them. In ancient times, there were countless cases of capturing enemy surrendered soldiers in battles and killing them on the spot. The reason is simple: they cannot be fed, raised, or saved. It's not that it's inhumane, it's just a helpless act.
Xue Miyin is one of many "foods". She later told Mr. Shuangyue about the caravan.
In the car, she met a friend who, although only six years old, was very optimistic. She only has a nickname, Miaomiao. Along the way, she kept comforting everyone and saying interesting things to distract them. She is a tiny ball of light, but some people always find it dazzling. Some extremely pessimistic girls sneered at her words and kept mocking her. But overall, she still brought a less painful time to her companions.
At first, Miyin was one of the pessimists. She was too thin and couldn't compete with the stronger children for the meager food. Her health was deteriorating and she was just waiting to die. One night in the middle of the night, Miaomiao suddenly woke her up and gave her a ball of dirty steamed buns, as hard as a rock. But Miyin knew that this was what happened when the food was handed out.
"The sisters over there took care of me and left some for me. I see you haven't eaten for a long time, so I'll share some with you."
She grabbed the steamed bun, but her attitude was extremely bad: "What time has it been? Stop playing this nonsense. Share it with me? I'll starve you to death!"
"We won't die, we want to live. Mother is the only one left in the family. If we are lost, mother will be sad, and we want to live for mother."
"Didn't you listen to the man with the knife? Your parents don't want you anymore. They are only happy when you are dead."
Miyin thinks she is really a fool. Silly Miaomiao held up her face and watched her chewing viciously, and asked her:
"We got lost and got caught. How did you get caught?"
As the saying goes, eating people is soft-mouthed, not to mention that this kid really didn't mean any harm. After two bites of steamed buns, Miyin felt a little more at ease and less angry. She honestly confessed:
"I really envy you. My parents lied to me, took me to eat meat, and ended up selling me to human traffickers. I was dragged away crying, and when I finally saw my father busy counting money, my mother only said to the traffickers, give me a knife. Point. I made a scene and was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was in the car."
Until the end, they neither apologized nor said goodbye.
"Oh..." The young Miaomiao nodded, not sure if she understood.
The two children just hugged their knees and leaned against the cage together in the silent night.
