The setting sun was setting, and my eyes were crimson.
There are numerous dead branches inside and outside the half-collapsed courtyard wall, and weeds are growing between fragments of tiles. Even the three characters "Daliang Temple" carved high in the middle of the porch are broken and blurred, as if they will fall into pieces and disappear at any time.
The originally green and tall ancient pines on both sides of the door were also burnt black, like two giant hands raging angrily.
What's even more terrifying is that hundreds of heads, large and small, are hung on the branches that stretch out like fingers!
Some were human, some were beasts, some were bloody and fleshy, and some revealed a stark white bone.
quack……
Four or five black crows vying for food began to scream in panic, and the cool evening breeze suddenly broke the tranquility of Wan Lai.
Why!
Lin Ji stared at it for a long time and couldn't help but sigh!
What was the situation like in Daliang Temple at that time?
But now...
Lin Ji shook his head slightly and was about to turn around and leave, but suddenly he smelled a sour and strange smell wafting far away from the depths of the temple, and at the same time, there were also a few childish laughter faintly heard.
"Huh?" Lin Jiqi asked: "Is it that the swan girl hasn't left yet?"
Not far into the courtyard, I saw a dazzling fire in the Zen room that had not yet collapsed in the corner, and there were several thin figures vaguely surrounding it. Crunch…
Lin Ji took another dozen steps forward and accidentally stepped on half of a dead branch.
"who?!"
Someone screamed in the firelight, and then several figures half as tall as a man jumped out.
Lin Ji looked down and saw three dirty children.
The oldest one was only eleven or twelve years old. He was dressed in rags and his face was covered with grease. His hair was messy and sticky and had not been washed for an unknown amount of time.
The children were holding long knives tightly in their hands, and each of them raised their faces and looked at Lin Ji nervously and warily.
"Uncle, are you hungry?"
The youngest child with half an iron chain hanging around his neck suddenly put down his long knife and asked sincerely.
Lin Jilun was stunned for a moment. At this time, his clothes were torn and his hair was messy. At first glance, he looked extremely miserable. He was afraid that they would regard him as a fellow traveler who had no food and clothing.
"Yeah." Lin Ji smiled bitterly and nodded.
"Just in time, we just made a pot of soup! Uncle, come and try it! It's delicious!" The child laughed happily, his eyes curved into crescent moons and sparkling.
The child in the middle swallowed subconsciously and moved aside, but the eldest child hesitated and said: "Uncle, if you are hungry, just have a bowl of soup and rest. But... you must not stay here overnight. !”
"Oh?" Lin Jiqi said, "Then why?"
"Because we..." As soon as the youngest child said it, he was grabbed by his companion, and he immediately changed his words: "Yes! Just can't stay overnight!"
"Okay! Then I'll leave after eating." Lin Ji stopped asking and followed several children into the meditation room.
When I walked in, I saw there were four younger children in the room, the youngest of whom was only four or five years old.
They all huddled on the pile of dead grass in the room, looking at themselves in shock and fear.
"Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!" The child with half an iron rope hanging around his neck stepped into the room first and shouted loudly: "He is a good person, not a bad person!"
The children all breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, as if they had often encountered this kind of thing before. They immediately jumped out and gathered around the fire.
Half an iron pot was placed on three bluestones near the door. The pot was a mess of black and green, and something was cooking. Under the scorching flames, the gurgling smoke kept coming. Paoer, followed by a disgusting sour smell.
But in the eyes of these children, it was a rare delicacy, and they all widened their eyes and couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
"Uncle, sit down." A child with red spots on his face took out a shabby futon from the inside, placed it gently in front of the fire, and dusted it carefully.
"Okay." Lin Ji smiled and sat down.
The oldest child put down the long knife, picked up a long-handled spoon from the dark wall, put it under his arm and wiped it twice, then handed it to Lin Ji respectfully and said, "Uncle, you eat first."
The children glanced at Lin Ji, then swallowed and lowered their heads.
Lin Ji took the spoon and turned it over in the pot. Only then did he realize that the black ones were moldy chaff and the green ones were wild vegetables mixed with grass.
Lin Ji smiled and took out a pill from his sleeve and said: "Since you call me uncle, I naturally can't eat your food in vain. I also brought some delicious food! Come, let's try it together!"
With that said, he crushed the pills and put them into the pot.
Immediately, a strong fragrance overflowed, and it couldn't wait to get into your nose and stomach.
"Ah! It smells so good!"
Several children screamed, their big dark eyes shining brightly.
"Come on!" Lin Ji scooped up a spoonful and handed it to the child next to him. The child blushed and hesitated, then took a small bite.
Then he ate it all in one big gulp. His mouth was bulging and he was speechless, but he jumped up happily!
"It's delicious! It's delicious! I've never tasted anything so delicious!" The child hurriedly swallowed it, his eyes were red with excitement, and he almost cried!
"Come on! It's your turn!" Lin Ji smiled and took another spoonful and handed it to the other child.
…
Soon, all the seven children, big and small, tasted this unparalleled delicacy that they had never dreamed of.
The eyes that looked at Lin Ji also showed a little more kindness and admiration.
"Uncle, why don't you eat?" The child with half an iron chain hanging around his neck asked curiously: "Aren't you hungry for a long time? Eat quickly."
Another child also urged: "Yes! Uncle, eat quickly! It will be dark soon!"
Upon hearing the word "dark", the other children all subconsciously shrank their necks and turned to look outside the door.
Lin Ji smiled and handed the spoon to the child next to him.
Then he grabbed the chain around his neck!
The iron rope broke with a click and fell to the ground!
At this moment, all the children were stunned.
The oldest child stood up in a panic, picked up the knife behind his back, and said with a shocked look on his face: "You, you are a monk?!"
Lin Ji nodded noncommittally and smiled calmly: "Monks are also human beings, and humans are always divided into good and bad. And monsters are also divided into good and evil. Just like... I am a good person, and you are also good monsters."
"You...you knew this a long time ago?" The leader of the children had a look of shock on his face.
All the children stared at Lin Ji, with a trace of extremely complicated and alarming look in their originally immature eyes.
The two older ones each drew out their long knives.
The four younger ones shrank and leaned against the wall.
Lin Jiduan sat in front of the pot and smiled slightly: "Don't be afraid! If I were not indiscriminate and would kill monsters when I saw them, you would have been wronged by now! The pill just now is a concentration pill, which is of great benefit to monks. It’s the same thing! There’s no need to forcefully suppress it, just refining it is the right way!”
"ah!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the child who had just been crushed by Lin Ji and tied with the iron rope around his neck suddenly screamed wildly, and then his body shape changed drastically!
Two huge wings sprouted from his back!
(End of chapter)
