The gate of Dou Kuang Sect.
After Huo Xiumao showed his identity token, he was enthusiastically welcomed into the sect hall by Doukuang sect members and met directly with the leader.
In the face of his status as a direct disciple of Taichu Guan, even the head of the Dou Kuang Sect with a level of cultivation in the Dongzhen stage did not dare to be disrespectful.
Huo Xiumao didn't be too polite and asked straight to the point about the tragedy that happened in his hometown many years ago.
The reason why I came to inquire about Dou Kuang Sect is because that village falls under the jurisdiction of Dou Kuang Sect.
"That day, I sneaked out of my house and went up the mountain to catch birds, and I was able to escape. When I returned home, I witnessed the evil deeds of that man with my own eyes. The village was full of mortals with no cultivation, and it was unlikely that I would offend such a powerful monk. I couldn’t figure out why the other party committed such a vicious attack, so I had no choice but to come and complain. I wonder if your party has any clues about what happened back then?”
The head of the Dou Kuang Sect pondered for a while and said: "I do have an impression of this matter. Later I sent my disciples to investigate and found that all the villagers were buried alive. They were still very puzzled. It turned out to be Brother Huo. According to the disciples' According to the investigation results, the other party slaughtered people and destroyed villages with just one move, which shows that the cultivation level is not weak. Based on this, I asked people to investigate the powerful monks who appeared in the local area during that period, but found nothing."
Huo Xiumao pondered for a moment and said, "Were there any relatively active evil cultivators in the land under your sect's jurisdiction back then?"
The leader of the Dou Kuang Sect: "There have always been evil cultivators. There is an evil cultivator organization called Luo Wangmeng, which specializes in cutting off roads. It is simply a cancer in this sect. In the past, they only robbed wealth and treasures. In recent years, They are becoming more and more rampant, killing people frequently, and even some of our own disciples have been brutally murdered. However, their whereabouts are extremely secretive and slippery, and our sect is not strong enough to remove them. We have asked for help from the Wufeng Sword Sect a few days ago. Come to think of it, Wufeng Sword Sect has been unable to remove them. The advance disciples sent by the Fengjian Sect to investigate the situation will arrive in the next few days."
Hearing this, Huo Xiumao raised his eyebrows imperceptibly, and then inquired about the information about the Luo King Alliance.
The head of the Dou Kuang Sect told a lot of relevant information about the Luo King Alliance, and then asked: "Fellow Daoist Huo suspects that what happened back then was done by someone from the Luo King Alliance?"
Huo Xiumao shook his head and said, "I just think that if I ask the evil cultivator, I might gain something unexpected."
Just as he was talking, a disciple came in to report that people from the Wufeng Sword Sect had arrived. Huo Xiumao took his leave and left, declining the invitation from the head of the Dou Kuang Sect to stay.
…
Deacon Lin stepped forward to handle the complaint, and then warned Jing Yingrong:
"Miss Jing, since you won't be affected by the patient's feelings, you should listen more, speak less, and remember. Don't mention things like suggestions if you can."
Jing Yingrong: "Why?"
Deacon Lin held the jade slip in one hand and tapped it on the palm of the other hand. "Firstly, you have not been trained in what to say and what not to say. You don't know the ropes. Secondly, there are many people here." , they actually know it in their own minds. What they want is not analysis and advice, nor an answer. They just want to find someone to talk to and vent. Of course, it would be better if you can say some useless lies to comfort them. , but..."
Deacon Lin looked Jing Yingrong up and down, "I don't think you are good at this either."
Jing Yingrong nodded: "I know, I'll try again."
"Just don't get complained again. It's very troublesome to handle complaints. I don't know who the other party is. I can't keep it private..."
Deacon Lin walked away chattering.
Not long after, the second patient arrived.
The light screen reflected a vague outline of a human figure. After the other party sat down, he just said: "I killed a person."
Jing Yingrong: "Yeah."
Her brief and plain response seemed to reassure the other party, and she poured out her thoughts:
"She is my friend for many years. Some time ago, she and I were on an overseas trip, and we encountered a monster that shouldn't exist there... The monster was very strong, and we couldn't defeat it, so we had to escape, but the monster chased us. Let go. She and I were seriously injured, and the life-protecting spiritual seal planted by the sect was also used up. In the end, the monster rushed towards me. I was so scared that I... actually pulled her over to block her. in front of……"
The voice coming from the opposite side of the light curtain became mute, and the voice trembled violently, like a candle left in the wind.
"She died just like that. The monster bit her body into pieces and devoured her bite after bite... Her eyes kept looking at me, bleeding and looking at me... I didn't dare to look, so I took the opportunity to escape. Already..."
The silhouette of the human figure became shorter again, and the other person seemed to have his head buried.
"After I came back, I didn't dare to close my eyes. Once I closed my eyes, I would think of her appearance at that time. I told others that she was the one who unfortunately died at the mouth of a monster and I couldn't save her. I never thought that I would To do such a thing, I didn’t even have the courage to tell the truth. She and I joined the sect together. We have known each other for so long and have such a good relationship, but I actually..."
The words turned into muffled cries.
Jing Yingrong's expression remained unchanged, and she replied with a faint "um" to prove that she was listening.
The crying became louder and louder, and the other party almost collapsed and cried: "I'm so scared. I feel like she is looking at me all the time. I dare not close my eyes or practice. I don't know what to do. I know I was wrong, and I was forced to do nothing!"
The other party was crying so hard that the rest of his words were fragmented and he could not form complete sentences.
Jing Yingrong never interrupted.
Finally, the crying gradually subsided, and the other party's mood seemed to have stabilized, and he asked with a choked voice: "I'm done...can you help me?"
Jing Yingrong: "Isn't your mood much better?"
The other party paused for a moment, then whispered softly: "Indeed, it will feel much better after you tell me. You...you won't tell it, right?"
Jing Yingrong: "No."
The other party breathed a sigh of relief and continued: "Although I feel much better, I still feel...how should I get rid of this shadow? Do you know? If this continues, it will affect my practice too much."
Jing Yingrong was silent for a moment and said, "Killing that monster might be useful."
"Kill the monster?"
The other party murmured, as if a sudden inspiration, his voice was unconsciously louder: "Yes, I want to kill the monster and avenge you. In order to take revenge, I have to practice hard, so don't look at me, Don't hate me, forgive me. We are good friends, you will definitely forgive me..."
The other party talked to himself like this for a long time, and finally let out a long breath. When he spoke again, his voice was brisk:
"Thanks, I understand what to do."
Jing Yingrong: "You're welcome."
The silhouette of the human figure disappears behind the light curtain, and the reflection in the mirror is thoughtful.
Jijie Pen: "What's wrong?"
Jing Yingrong: "His friend is dead and won't look at him. The source of his fear does not exist."
Ji Jie Bi: "This is the so-called inner demon."
Jing Yingrong: "Do you have inner demons?"
The three spirits said in unison: "No."
"I do not have either."
Jing Yingrong murmured in a low voice.
"It's another thing I don't have. Why do people have inner demons..."
