The study was empty.
Jiuji was already standing in a place covered by greenery. A breeze was blowing upward from her feet. Jiuji looked down and realized that she was standing on a high platform on the top of the mountain. The huge green trees that blocked the sky and the sun covered the entire place. The palace tower was lifted up, and many large and small lanterns were hung on the branches. However, the sky was bright at this time and the lanterns were not lit yet.
Jiu Ji stood still and didn't make any sound.
There were some voices in the wind, and Jiu Ji followed the sound. Through the branches and leaves, she could see in the distance on the lower mountainside, a village with houses as dense as blades of grass, and several roads close together in the middle. There is a lot of traffic, but away from the streets and alleys, the houses in the mountains and forests are spacious and leisurely.
That should be the gathering place for demon spirits in Gyeonggi, Tokyo Demon House.
And the majestic and towering palace at Jiu Ji’s feet must be the Jade Rat Cave Palace with weasel jade!
Just as Jiu Ji was thinking about it, the sound of words came from around the corner. The sound was getting closer and closer, and it was walking towards her.
She quickly stepped aside, taking three steps back, hiding behind the lush branches and leaves of the giant tree and the lantern hanging between them.
In the corridor surrounding the palace, two little demons wearing red-brown servant clothes walked.
The second demon was holding a bucket, a cleaning rag, and a duster in his hand, and he was talking as he walked.
"I have to sweep the entire cave palace, and I said there can't be even a speck of dust in the cracks of the ground, otherwise the money will be deducted. The palace secretary is too strong to make things difficult."
"Then what can we do? There are more and more monsters coming to Tokyo now. It's so difficult to find a job to support ourselves. The palace secretary knows that we people can't live without this place, so he can go to all the trouble to make it happen. All our energy and blood have been sucked away!"
"It's really annoying. I can't go to work as usual today..."
The two walked away chattering without noticing the person hiding behind the tree lantern.
Jiu Ji secretly clicked her tongue. The palace minister they mentioned was the demon in charge of the Jade Rat Cave Palace. If there were no exceptions, it was naturally a rat demon.
She listened to the silence around her and tried to walk from the corridor to the temple.
The beard in the sleeve was already impatient, and the beards were pulling on her arm, as if this weasel jade was in the palace on the opposite side of the corridor.
Jiu Ji saw that the door of the palace was blown open slightly by the wind, and quickly walked over.
But as soon as he took two steps, he hit something out of thin air and was bounced back.
This collision caused Jiu Ji's forehead to hurt, and she woke up instantly.
The Jade Mouse Cave Palace is made up of many spaces connected to the demon world. If she enters the Jade Mouse Cave Palace from the demon world openly, she will naturally be able to move around as usual just like the two servants and little demons.
But she broke through the barrier and entered here, so she could only move within the narrow space she entered.
Obviously, the space in Zhongfu's study that points to the Jade Mouse Cave Palace is only the size of a tea room, and it is impossible to walk into the Cave Palace.
pity.
However, the rat clan regarded the weasel jade as so precious, so it was impossible for her to get it in one go.
Jiu Ji is in a good state of mind, and it takes a long time to convey the secret message.
"Be more steady."
After all, it is an old spiritual creature that is hundreds of years old.
The whiskers drooped down and fell down, lying in Jiuji's sleeves.
Ignoring it, Jiuji took advantage of the fact that there was no one here and was about to take a closer look at the orientation and structure of the cave palace.
But suddenly the sound of footsteps suddenly reached my ears.
It wasn't the palace nearby, nor the demon shop in the distance. The sound was muffled and misty like water.
It came from outside the barrier she just broke open behind her.
Someone has entered the study!
Jiuji's mind tightened, and she heard the sound getting closer and closer. The thumping sound of going upstairs gradually sounded, and it came straight to the second floor.
Xu Chi didn't dare to hold up the corpse anymore and quickly grabbed Jiu Ji's arm.
Jiuji recited a spell, and purple fire flew out of the sky, burning on the barrier, and at the same time attracted protective silver energy to surround her.
And the sound of people going upstairs seemed to be getting louder and louder, as if they could even reach their ears through the barrier.
Xu Chi was trembling with fear and huddled in Jiu Ji's arms.
Jiuji ignored all preparations and stepped out of the barrier.
The surrounding scenery suddenly changed. Towering trees and glazed palaces faded away, and rows of wooden bookshelves came into view.
But Jiuji felt a sharp pain in her chest after her feet landed on the ground.
She suddenly leaned forward, and would have fallen to the ground if her hands hadn't been pressing down on Zhong Heqing's desk.
But a mouthful of blood spat out onto the floor.
The sound of people climbing up the stairs stopped and stopped outside the door.
Jiuji didn't care much. She raised her hand and wiped it, and the blood on the ground disappeared instantly.
The door was pushed open immediately.
Jiu Ji wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth without leaving a trace amidst the clang of the wooden door.
Naturally, it was not anyone else but Zhong Heqing who opened the door.
Jiu Ji looked at his ice-cold face and heard him ask.
"What are you doing here?"
Of course Jiu Ji couldn't tell him, so she forced herself to pull out a book from the bookshelf, flipped it through a few times in her hand, and even though she couldn't read a few human characters, she smiled.
"I'm here to read."
But as soon as she finished speaking, before Zhong Heqing could respond, she saw someone walking up the stairs quickly, looking like a servant, and said something in Zhong Heqing's ear.
Jiu Ji had just suffered a backlash from her spiritual power and had no time to listen to them anymore.
But after the servant finished speaking, she saw someone's face, as cold as a mountain glacier.
He turned back to look at her, "What on earth are you doing here?"
Jiu Ji's chest hurt so much that she could hardly stand up, but she still managed to hold the book in her hand.
"Just reading, can't you?"
The study room is for people to read, so shouldn’t people be allowed to read the books on the floor?
She looked up at him.
She thought to herself that she had not provoked him in the past few days. The matter between him and Tang Yirao could not happen to her again?
She thought to herself, but heard the man sneer faintly.
"I don't think people who can't even tell the pros and cons of a book need to come to the study to read."
His last sentence fell heavily.
Jiuji was stunned for a moment, looking down at the book she had picked up and opened casually in her hand.
These densely packed mortal characters were crowded together and moved randomly in front of her eyes, which dazzled her.
She had never even seen most of the words, so how could she tell the pros and cons at a glance?
Jiuji simply closed the book and put it back on the bookshelf.
The skylight outside the window was completely blocked by clouds.
Zhong Heqing spoke again.
"The study does not welcome people who are illiterate and uneducated. Please leave and don't come back in the future."
As soon as the words fell, the pain in Jiuji's chest spread. She raised her eyes and looked at the man in front of her who had been intimate with her.
She was indeed illiterate and seemed to him unlearned and unskilled.
After all, she was a demon cultivating in the mountains. She had never gone to school, and no one had taught her. How could she learn the writing of mortals?
So you can't read and let him look down upon you?
She looked at him, but he turned his head directly and turned his head to avoid her gaze, as if looking at her more would make him more unhappy.
Jiuji suddenly felt a little funny.
A few days ago, she thought that her first relationship as a demon was about to come, and she braced herself to treat it well.
She still thinks that she is a monster and he is a mortal, so she should be more lenient towards him.
Now it seems that it is really unnecessary.
Or maybe she was simply mistaken.
The so-called first relationship of her demonic life actually didn't happen at all.
To her, Zhong Heqing was just a passerby.
In this case, there is no need to even be angry.
Jiu Ji endured the pain in her chest, lowered her head, raised her lips, and smiled in relief.
Anyway, this place is not the exact place where Itachi Yu is hiding.
This study, as he wished, she would never come again.
"good."
Jiu Ji agreed, without saying another word, she supported herself and walked downstairs quickly to leave.
In the desolate backyard, the wind made people feel chilly all over. Jiuji didn't look back and only quickened her pace.
However, when she walked to the entrance of the main courtyard, Aunt Liu suddenly appeared in front of her.
Aunt Liu was tied up with five flowers and pressed down by two servants.
When she saw Jiuji, she shouted, "Madam, save me", struggled under the hands of two servants and shouted, "Madam is here, please let me go!"
But the two servants ignored her completely and only curtsied to Jiu Ji.
"This old woman entered the Lotus Garden without permission. After being discovered, she refused to come out. Instead, she hid in the courtyard. After being captured by us, she uttered arrogant words. However, this person is the wife's companion, and the husband asked me to wait for her. Madam, send it back."
After the two servants finished speaking, they left Mother Liu behind and left.
Jiuji finally understood why Aunt Liu didn't show up today, and she also knew what the servant who suddenly came in just now in the study said in Zhong Heqing's ears.
She was really out of energy at the moment, so she just lowered her eyes and glanced at Aunt Liu.
"Does Mammy have to cause trouble?"
When Grandma Liu heard this, her face was full of disbelief.
"Madam, no, what's wrong with the girl? This old slave is all thinking about the girl! The girl must not know that there is a little girl of twenty-eight years old hidden in the Lotus Garden. She is so favored by the husband. , where can I have a good life as a lady? How can I do it if I don’t get rid of it quickly? I’m all doing it for you, girl. Why is the girl different from before..."
Of course it's different.
Because Tang Yirao died the day before the wedding.
Jiuji didn't want to listen to any more words from Aunt Liu, and she didn't care much. She turned around and called some powerful women from the main courtyard.
"Send her out of the city. From today on, she is not allowed to enter the city again!"
Aunt Liu was astonished, but when she opened her mouth to shout something, her mouth seemed to be stuffed with an invisible ball of cotton. She had a big mouth but could not say a word.
She became frightened, but the women were unambiguous, and soon they carried Aunt Liu and threw her into the carriage leaving the house.
... ...
In the room.
Jiuji closed the window, but the pain in her chest had not dissipated. She coughed and coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Just now she was in a hurry to leave the barrier of the Jade Mouse Cave Palace, but the power in the barrier came back to her.
The injuries suffered this time were really serious.
Xu Chi stopped fussing, and Xu Zi carefully lay on her arm, sending some little spiritual power to her.
Jiu Ji's mind flashed inexplicably with the scene of a man standing upstairs, turning around and glancing at her with a cold expression.
Xu Chi is more conscientious than some mortals...
As soon as her thoughts passed by, she shook her head and cleared her mind of these unnecessary and irrelevant things.
It's better to find Itachi Yu as soon as possible and leave this place.
But after being injured, in the next few days, even if she wanted to continue exploring the East Palace to find other spaces, she couldn't.
She sat on the couch and adjusted her breathing slowly, thinking carefully in her mind, and prepared to go to Donghuamen Street in two days.
There is a stalemate here. If you don't go further into Tokyo Yaobang, there may be another way.
*
study.
The desk must have been pushed violently, the papers on the desk were messy, and the pen fell off the shelf.
Zhong Heqing silently packed up his desk. Shouldn't he be lucky that his wife didn't tear up his files or pads or tamper with them randomly?
He didn't know what she was doing here?
To show her existence, or to show off her power to someone?
After clearing the desk, he sat on the chair, silent and wrapped in layers of the past.
When he was thirteen years old, he had not yet recognized his ancestors and was in danger while wandering around. It was Mr. Tang who rescued him and took him into his home.
Zhong Heqing was very grateful, so Mr. Tang asked him to follow Tang Yirao and protect Tang Yirao at all times. He agreed without hesitation.
Tang Yirao is indeed a rare and extremely yin-born person. She always encounters some unexplainable supernatural things in a month. Master Tang invited an old Taoist nun to stay by her side, and she felt much better.
But that year, Tang Yirao fell seriously ill and became weak. Even with a Taoist nun watching over him, she couldn't stop the evil things coming to her door. The old Taoist nun was injured in an accident and her legs and feet were not very flexible, so she couldn't follow him all the time. Let this person with a very positive destiny stay close to Tang Yirao.
Zhong Heqing didn't even know what his destiny was, but the old Taoist nun said he was, and Mr. Tang believed it, so he did it.
But Tang Yirao found him extremely distasteful, and the nanny Liu at that time even bluntly said that he was a stinky beggar on the street, and that he was also a lowly slave in the Tang family, not worthy of his own girl at all.
He never thought that he would marry the eldest daughter of the Tang family, but Mr. Tang originally had the intention of recruiting a wife, and seeing that their fates were compatible, he was quite willing to do so.
The more this happened, the more Tang Yirao became fed up with him. She would shout and drink without talking, and would lose her temper from time to time. She would break things and let him pick them up piece by piece. If she cut her hand and bled, her face would instantly soften. Many of them crossed their arms and raised their eyebrows, looking at him enduring the pain and continuing to pick up the sharp fragments, with the corners of his mouth raised.
This happened about four or five times. When Mr. Tang found out about it, he scolded her until she cried half the night.
But the next day, she stopped trying to tease him. Instead, in the next few days, his attitude suddenly changed, and she even asked Aunt Liu to bring him expensive snacks as an apology and told him not to worry about it.
She was one year younger than him at that time, so Zhong Heqing naturally wouldn't care about her.
But at noon, she asked him to accompany her to a temple outside the city to offer incense.
Zhong Heqing did not refuse, but when he arrived at the temple, he discovered that it turned out to be a ruined temple that was mostly abandoned. Not only was the temple in ruins, but even the god Mud God enshrined was somewhat incomplete.
Such a place is most likely to breed evil things, so Zhong Heqing immediately advised her not to go in.
But Tang Yirao said, "You are here now, if you don't go in to worship the gods, won't the gods blame you?"
She raised her hand and pointed towards the half-collapsed ruined temple, "How about you go and pray for me?"
She said this, and Aunt Liu also said, "Brother is Yang Ming and has never been afraid of those things. If not, just go for the girl."
Having said this, Zhong Heqing has no reason to respond.
But when he entered the main hall and knelt down on the futon, the futon suddenly fell down. He and the futon fell into the broken tunnel under the temple.
At that time, his injury was not healed, and the newly healed flesh and blood at the wound burst apart, and he was curled up in the tunnel unable to move.
But he heard the sound of laughter coming from above his head.
He saw Tang Yirao laughing so hard that her branches were trembling, and saw Aunt Liu smiling with wrinkles all over her face, and said, "Girl, it's cloudy today, it might rain, let's go back quickly. I still want to go there." It’s time to take a tour of the gambling house!”
"Mammy only cares about gambling!" Tang Yirao shook his head and said helplessly, "But mama's plan today is really interesting. If you go to the gambling house, go to the gambling house."
She glanced at Zhong Heqing one last time.
"You can just sit here and listen to the rain tonight."
After saying this, the master and servant left.
That night, it really rained heavily, with thunderous thunder and torrential rain. The ruined temple could not withstand the heavy rain and completely collapsed.
Beams toppled and idols shattered.
But Zhong Heqing barely managed to escape with his seriously injured body just before the ruined temple collapsed...
Mr. Tang was a life-saving grace to Zhong Heqing. After this incident, he left a jade pendant as a token and left, remembering his life-saving grace in his heart. If the Tang family asked for anything in the future, he would always answer the request as long as he asked.
For many years after Zhong Heqing left, he heard nothing more about the Tang family, but half a month ago, Tang Yirao suddenly came to the door in a panic with a jade pendant.
She came up and asked, "Zhong Heqing, do you still mean what you said back then?"
Zhong Heqing was not one to break his promise, so he nodded naturally.
Unexpectedly, Tang Yirao opened his mouth and said.
"I want you to marry me!"
