Xiao Tao slept tossing and turning all night.
The young master slept on her left side, and the eldest lady slept on her right side.
A novel experience.
She shouldn't have fallen asleep so quickly, but she was so tired from tossing up and down during the day that she fell asleep in a daze.
She had a dream, in which he was floating in the clouds, and the young master was smiling and waving to her from the other side of the clouds.
Xiao Tao blushed and drifted towards the young master, fluttering, fluttering, fluttering.
She floated very high. The young master smiled happily.
She would cry and laugh.
Floating, the figure of the eldest lady somehow appeared on the other side of the cloud. She sneered, bent her bow, and shot a cloud-piercing arrow at him.
She woke up.
When she woke up, Xiaotao was covered in sweat, wet and damp.
Xiaotao sat up suddenly.
"woke up."
On the side was the voice of missing the young master. A pot was placed on the fire, and the aroma of ginger slices and meat wafted out of the pot.
Zheng Xiu squatted over the stove, fanning the fire with Xiao Buping's iron fan.
Xiao Tao trotted all the way to step forward to help, but Zheng Xiu tilted his head and smiled and said no. Xiao Tao felt that Zheng Xiu's neck was a little strange, as if it was deliberately tilted to one side, so she asked the young master thoughtfully if he had a stiff neck, and reached out to squeeze it.
Zheng Xiu hid and hid, but finally failed to completely dodge and showed his face.
Xiao Tao was shocked when she saw Zheng Xiu's face.
There was a red palm mark on Zheng Xiuzuo's face, with five distinct fingers, as clear as if it had been stamped with ink pads.
"Master, your face..."
"It fell, it fell!" Zheng Xiu turned his head in embarrassment: "Last night I got up to urinate, and accidentally fell, and I happened to fall on the palm of the head."
"Hohohoho——"
Side by side, Xieluohe laughed happily.
Sounds like a great mood.
Falling...?
Xiao Tao was keenly aware that the atmosphere between the young master and the eldest lady was slightly subtle, and she suddenly felt sour again.
In the middle of the night, he fell and was slapped on the palm.
so coincidental?
Xiao Tao finally convinced herself. Looking at the slap marks on the young master's face, she thought about whether to put some "black jade intermittent ointment" on the young master, but when she thought about it, she would definitely be scolded by the eldest lady. Finally, Xiao Tao I gave up this terrible idea.
Laugh, you still laugh!
Zheng Xiu was no longer afraid of death, so he glared at Xie Luohe fiercely.
Careless.
Thinking of last night.
While he was meditating on the hero's note, Xie Luohe stood in front of him and deliberately spoke to him with a "Feng Bei" look and tone.
This time Xie Luohe completely deceived Zheng Xiu, making Zheng Xiu mistakenly think that Feng Bei was back.
Then Xie Luohe slapped Zheng Xiu until stars appeared in his eyes.
Zheng Xiu was angry that Xie Luohe challenged his bottom line again and again.
I want to play with you to the end.
Zheng Xiu was sulking and unhappy, and he tried his best to fill the stove with wood. It was as if the wood was not filling the stove, but...ahem.
never mind.
Zheng Xiu smiled slightly and told himself not to be angry. After the pot was boiling and steaming, he enthusiastically served Xiaotao and Xie Luohe each a bowl of hot broth.
Xie Luohe looked down at his bowl and then at Xiaotao's bowl.
My bowl is full of ginger.
Xiaotao's bowl was full of meat.
Xie Luohe stopped laughing immediately and finished the drink with a sullen face without saying a word.
Xiaotao didn't pay that much attention and quickly got up to help the young master fill the soup. When she saw that there was no meat in the pot and only the soup was left, she was dumbfounded.
The breakfast ended in a strange atmosphere.
It is inconvenient for women to go out.
Fortunately, neither the young master nor the eldest lady were outsiders. Xiao Tao surrounded a narrow space with a piece of cloth. She blushed and asked the young master to avoid him for a moment, then hid behind the curtain, rustlingly took off her wet bellyband and hid it.
Zheng Xiu walked out of the teahouse and observed the sky.
There is no snow today and the wind is howling.
In the cold wind, Zheng Xiu shook his fan, fed the horse, took some food, and prepared to continue on his way.
One night later, the Chaliao family didn't look back. They must have been frightened by Xie Luohe's actions.
"Huchihuchihuchi..."
The two horses suddenly became restless, and Zheng Xiu patted the horses' buttocks to comfort them. When he turned around, he saw Xie Luohe and Xiao Tao walking out of the back room with their bags on their backs.
"Xiaoyun, be quiet."
Xie Luohe took the reins of one of the horses from Zheng Xiu, and her horse was named Xiaoyun.
By the way, the other horse is Xiaoliu.
It's like the monk is not around, but his tenacious spirit is being ridden by them.
"You...how did you do it?"
Zheng Xiu had previously wondered why Xie Luohe, as a "stranger", could ride a horse while Fengbei could not.
"Didn't I tell you before?" Xie Luohe smiled and rolled his eyes at Zheng Xiu. When he mounted his horse, he raised an index finger to his red lips and said: The voice of all things.
Zheng Xiu understood Xie Luohe's lip language and was slightly startled.
Before leaving, when Xiao Tao hung her luggage on the saddle bag, she looked back at the deserted tea room and suddenly felt a little emotional. Thinking of what happened yesterday, she murmured: "I don't know if the child's foot injury has been cured. Ah. ..." As soon as Xiao Tao finished speaking, she realized that she shouldn't have said this and immediately covered her mouth: "Miss, Xiao Tao is lying."
"It doesn't matter."
Zheng Xiu pricked up his ears.
After Xie Luohe deliberately imitated Feng Bei's words, he glanced at Zheng Xiu proudly, and then said to Xiao Tao: "Do you know how many people their family of three killed before us?"
Xiao Tao looked stunned when she heard this, then shook her head vigorously: "The eldest lady is always right."
Xie Luohe said: "If there is an effect, there must be a cause. If not... I would kill them."
Zheng Xiu heard Xie Luohe's "no problem" at first and knew that Xie Luohe was no longer shying away from the "Fengbei" tone. It seemed that she was planning to use a new way to take over Zheng Xiu's bet. Zheng Xiu didn't want to pay attention to it. After hearing the second half of Xie Luohe's words, he couldn't help but sneered: "Master, don't you think that as the master of Yunhe Village and the bandit leader, you can be called a man of the right path?"
The cold air suddenly solidified a bit.
Xiaotao pinched Zheng Xiu's waist desperately from behind, trying to remind the young master not to talk nonsense.
She seemed unaware of the subtle relationship between Xie Luohe and Zheng Xiu, and was in a strange state of anger.
Xie Luohe was not angry and asked with a smile: "What is good and what is evil?"
Zheng Xiu shook his head and replied calmly: "There is no answer to this question, but I hope that I will be clear in my heart."
"Well said." Xie Luohe shook the reins and stepped out of the teahouse. An indifferent voice came back: "She and I can only live together. I hope that one day you can really wake her up, and if I die, you will too." Can say the four words 'with a clear conscience'."
The back of Xieluohe gradually faded away, and in the wind, the long flowing hair rolled up in the wind, like a deep and bottomless black whirlpool.
Xiaotao secretly asked the young master what the conversation they had just meant.
Zheng Xiu changed the subject in a few words.
But Xie Luohe's words were like a hammer, hitting Zheng Xiu's heart, causing Zheng Xiu to fall into deep thought while he was on his way.
But Zheng Xiu, who was determined, quickly shook his head and threw away his distracting thoughts.
Fake.
he said to himself.
Damn cannibal paintings.
So scary.
If the will is not strong enough, the real world presented in this scroll, the time and space of two hundred years ago, will eat away at Zheng Xiu bit by bit.
Fortunately, he is determined and consistent.
Stop and go along the way.
It's February 13th in a blink of an eye.
The sky is bright and the weather is getting warmer.
Xiaoyun and Xiaoliu's horseshoes were severely worn on the bumpy road, and they needed to stop in a nearby town to have the horseshoes re-shoeed.
This would delay another two days.
However, according to Xie Luohe's estimation, it would not be a problem to arrive at the Hidden Sword Villa before the first day of March.
After driving for nearly a month in the barren mountains and ridges, Zheng Xiu, Xie Luohe, and Xiao Tao almost slept in the wilderness, or stayed overnight when passing through the village. They were so tired and tired. Now they took advantage of Xiaoyun Xiaoliu to play horseshoes. Finally, I was able to take a break in the town and recharge my batteries.
Speaking of which, Xieluohe really doesn't look like a girl's home in this era. Several times when she stayed overnight in the village, she actually took the initiative to say that they were a couple, she was the eldest wife, and Xiaotao was the concubine. This made the simple farmers' eyes pop out in shock, as if they were from the city. Really good at tossing.
Xie Luohe just tried different ways to make himself laugh.
This is thanks to the fact that he is not just a common man. After being the richest man for so many years, he has crossed mountains, rivers and seas, and also walked through seas of people. He has never seen any battles before, so he does not panic. Zheng Xiu calmly accepted many of Xie Luohe's hidden tricks.
"Huh...ah~~"
After rejecting Xiao Tao's request to rub his back, Zheng Xiu soaked in the wooden barrel alone in the guest room. The room was filled with heat. Zheng Xiu felt that the pores all over his body relaxed and he moaned involuntarily.
With his eyes closed, Zheng Xiu remained motionless, gradually snoring slightly.
Consciousness sinks, sinks.
The body is getting lighter and lighter, but the feeling of falling is becoming more and more obvious.
Gudong.
Zheng Xiu opened his mouth and spit out a bubble, and he accidentally entered the "doorway" again.
Zheng Xiuwan seemed to be in a state of weightlessness, floating in the dark lake water, sinking continuously.
The familiar feeling did not make Zheng Xiu panic. Instead, he calmly looked at the thick darkness in the distance and allowed himself to sink.
【Painter】.
Snap.
Zheng Xiu stepped on the ground, and different color bands of taupe, cyan, ink, and pure black outlined strange light and shadow, intertwining into a winding road in front of Zheng Xiu's eyes. Looking back, there is boundless darkness behind me. Looking forward, there is a closed door not far ahead.
There are faint shadows of mountains, rivers, clouds and rivers flowing and flickering on the door. Mysterious and alluring, it seems to hide endless mysteries, and it seems like there are strange whispers coming from behind the door, tempting Zheng Xiu to open the door.
The closed door has the words "五子·七" on it, which means that what stands in front of Zheng Xiu like a stumbling block in the "Pathway" is the seventh door of the [Painter] Path.
Zheng Xiu stretched out his hand and pushed towards the door.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
The ancient door creaked. Zheng Xiu pushed open a gap, and gray light leaked out from behind the door.
But the door only opened a crack, and when Zheng Xiu tried to push it again, it didn't move at all.
"The seventh door seems to be a hurdle."
Commonly known as bottleneck.
Zheng Xiu did not force it. In the doorway, his thoughts were clear, and Zheng Xiu vaguely understood something.
His [Prisoner] door also only opened the eighth door.
After leaving Yunhe Village, Zheng Xiu did not abandon his painting skills.
He would even let Xiao Tao hold the reins on horseback and secretly follow Xie Luohe to draw a "sketch" for her.
Every time at this time, Xieluohe would always slow down, kick his horse's hooves, and ride slowly.
At that moment Zheng Xiu would feel that the surroundings were particularly quiet.
Whenever he took a break on the way, Xie Luohe would deliberately ask Xiao Tao to do chores such as fetching water and washing clothes, and then come to Zheng Xiu, spreading his white palms without saying a word.
Zheng Xiu would also tacitly hand over the "Sketched Back of Xie Luohe" he "secretly" drew to Xie Luohe.
Until Xiaotao comes back.
This kind of secretive "painting practice" is not only a way to get rid of Zheng Xiu, but also becomes some kind of strange "tacit understanding" between Zheng Xiu and Xie Luohe.
"Since I'm not slacking off, it means the time has not come yet."
"Or maybe it was almost a chance."
As his consciousness resurfaced, Zheng Xiu watched helplessly as the "doorway" became more and more distant and blurred.
In fact, Zheng Xiu has always felt strange.
In fact, two hundred years ago, there were exaggerated "strangers" like "Xie Luohe", and there were also magicians like "Gongsun Mo" who could see the way. But why, more than two hundred years ago, There has not been an unspoken rule of hiding in the city, nor has there been a court agency like "Ye Weiyang" that specializes in handling mysterious cases.
Two hundred years ago, in the world in the painting where Zheng Xiu is now, in the mixed memory world of Gongsun Mo and Xie Luohe, Zheng Xiu understands that thaumaturgy, doorways, strange people, and even the eternal world and the eternal darkness have always existed, but they are not known to ordinary people. .
There is only "martial arts" here, only "knights", and no thaumaturgy.
strangeness.
Zheng Xiu increasingly wanted to know what led to the decline of the "Martial Arts" during these changes, and what happened during the transition period between the turbulent and peaceful times.
When he opened his eyes, the water vapor in the room dissipated and the water cooled down. Just as Zheng Xiu was about to get out of the bathtub, there was a knock on the door.
Tuk-tuk-tuk.
Zheng Xiu sat back in the tub.
"Master, it's me, Xiao Tao. Master, your clothes have been dried. Xiao Tao will bring them in right now."
"Okay, come in, the door is unlocked."
Through the translucent screen, Zheng Xiu saw Xiao Tao tiptoeing and placing a neatly folded set of clean clothes beside the screen. The belt, boots, lining, and coat were placed separately.
Although it was said that Xie Luohe and Zheng Xiu were taking care of Xiao Tao, who did not understand the world, it would be better to say that Xiao Tao was taking good care of their daily life without any complaints.
Xiaotao vaguely caught a glimpse of the young master soaking naked in the tub through the screen, lowering his head and not daring to look around.
Just the hazy shadow can make Xiao Tao think about it.
Yeah, can the young master... can... can... can... can...!
Xiao Tao was in a mess.
This is something bold that I have never experienced before.
"Xiao Tao, thank you."
Zheng Xiu smiled.
"Xiao Tao retreated first." Xiao Tao blushed and was about to leave. Before going out, Xiao Tao paused. Thinking of her experiences along the way, she couldn't help but said: "Master, please don't blame Xiao Tao for talking too much. Although the eldest lady usually fights, You scolded you and said you hate you, but in the years that Xiao Tao has served the eldest lady, she has never seen her so...so...close to a strange man. I hope you don't think that the eldest lady is a bad person."
After saying that, Xiaotao quickly closed the door and ran away without waiting for Zheng Xiu to answer.
Zheng Xiu was in the bathtub, looking confused.
Xiaotao, what do you mean by saying this out of the blue?
You are really not afraid that Xie Luohe will hear you.
"Ahem, look, your little Tao is so sensible and knows how to say nice things for you."
After Zheng Xiu was silent for a moment, he suddenly whispered in the direction of Xie Luohe's room.
call out.
A long arrow shot through the wall and nailed the barrel.
The tip of the arrow was only a few fingers away from Xiao Zheng.
The ultimate in control.
Zheng Xiu was in the barrel, not daring to move at all. He held his breath for fear of a second shot from Xie Luohe.
Damn, you can't say that, right?
You're addicted to eavesdropping, right?
Zheng Xiu carefully stepped out of the barrel, dressed neatly, and walked out of the door. He saw Xie Luohe on the corridor with his hands casually crossed on the railing, looking into the distance.
Seeing Zheng Xiu going out, Xie Luohe didn't even mention the incident of "shooting Xiao Zheng angrily" just now, pulled back his hair and chuckled.
"Here, Brother Zheng, come with me for a walk."
The corners of her mouth turned up, deliberately emphasizing the word "Brother Zheng".
Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of chapter)
