In the evening, tables and chairs moved out from every household formed a circle in the open space, and several spring lanterns were hung above the circle. Dishes are served on the table like water, and the air is filled with the enticing aroma of the dishes.
The villagers randomly found a seat and sat down. I don’t know who was the first to use chopsticks. The New Year’s Eve banquet began amidst laughter and joy.
The villagers were eating and drinking, the light of spring lanterns reflected on the smiling faces, and the cold night seemed very far away.
While Jing Yingrong ate, she listened to the villagers nearby chatting happily about the harvest, and occasionally asked questions. Those few people were a little reserved when facing her at first, but after the food was over, they completely let go. They asked her about Taichu Temple one by one.
After taking a few bites, Grandma Li put down her chopsticks, grabbed a handful of side fruits and ate them slowly, and listened to their chat with a smile.
There was a sudden noise at the other end. It turned out that several young women in the village got up and left their seats, wanting to dance for everyone. Everyone stopped chatting temporarily and applauded to cheer.
Jing Yingrong glanced at the dance, then turned to Granny Li and whispered, "You eat less than usual."
"It's okay, I'm not hungry, I want to see more."
Grandma Li watched the lively dance steps of the women with focused and kind eyes.
Jing Yingrong: "Look more?"
"Yeah, it's once a year. Maybe next year I won't be able to see everyone getting together and having fun like this."
"Why?"
Grandma Li said with a smile: "I am already at this age, so I may not be able to live until next year."
Jing Yingrong's hand holding the food paused slightly.
She lowered her eyes, as if a pebble had been dropped into the calm water, and thousands of thoughts spread like ripples in her eyes.
"Are you going to die?"
Grandma Li was stunned for a moment, then finally turned her gaze back to Jing Yingrong, and said with a hint of surprise: "Of course, Miss Jing, of course you will die when you get old. Why do you ask that?"
The reflection in the mirror was silent for a moment, all kinds of memories came back one after another, and the eyes with half-covered long eyelashes were filled with chaos.
Grandma Li seemed to realize something, her smile faded, and she said softly: "Miss Jing, everyone will die, just like flowers will fall and snow will melt. It's not just people, but also animals and monsters. Birth, aging, sickness and death are everywhere in this world. ,it's not a big deal."
"I know," Jing Yingrong's voice was a little low, "but what if a person can only watch other lives pass away forever?"
"Is there such a person?" Grandma Li was stunned, "Aren't they like stars in the sky?"
"Star?"
"Yes, look at the clouds, stars, and the sun and moon in the sky. They are the ones who have been watching the life and death of all things throughout the ages."
"But they won't be upset."
"That's not certain," Grandma Li said in a coaxing tone, "Maybe they have their own feelings, but they won't waver."
Mirror Yingrong's eyelashes trembled, and she raised her head to look at the sky. The sky is clear tonight and full of stars.
"They may have their own joys and sorrows, but those emotions will pass after they pass, so they will never change."
"is this okay?"
"Only they know whether it's good or not. We said it and it doesn't count."
After saying this, Grandma Li rushed the food in Jing Yingrong's bowl into her own bowl, put the food in her bowl again, and said, "Look, the food is cold. Eat it quickly, ah."
"Um."
…
Yin Xueze left Kunhuang Sect today.
Against the background of endless yellow sand, a streak of black light flew along the route it came from.
Suddenly, the jet-black light split into five parts without warning, and flew away in five directions.
At this moment, the sea of sand below suddenly rose high, and endless yellow sand poured down, revealing a huge body underneath that was the same color as the yellow sand and covered with burrs.
Yellow Sac Sand Spider, a rare high-level monster in the desert.
Five thick strands of pure white spider silk shot out from under its belly and instantly caught up with five rays of black light.
The moment he was entangled in the spider silk, four of the five black lights were instantly extinguished, and only the one flying toward the southeast swayed and revealed Yin Xueze's figure.
The Black Prison Divine Spear waved in the air, and dark flames swept out, engulfing the spider silk. At the same time, Yin Xueze continued to fly by without looking back.
But something grabbed his ankle.
He lowered his head and saw that a spider thread that was so thin that it was difficult to detect with the naked eye extended from the yellow sand and tightly bound his right ankle at some point.
Immediately afterwards, the light above his head suddenly dimmed, and a huge white net hooded his head.
…
Kunhuang Sect.
Hua Chunning was sitting in the Dream Lotus Pavilion, and Min Xuan was standing beside her.
"I don't know if I'm doing this right."
Hua Chunning stared at the dark blue lotus blooming in Chenmengquan and whispered.
Min Xuan's eyes were clear and she said resolutely: "Everything you did was right."
Hua Chunning couldn't help but laugh.
Min Xuan lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers in embarrassment.
Hua Chunning grabbed her hand: "Don't play with your nails."
"oh."
Min Xuan's cheeks turned crimson, she looked around helplessly, and then shouted as if she had discovered something new: "Sand ants, they are so big."
Hua Chunning looked over and said with a smile: "I saw such a big one in the Nine Lotus Pagoda last time."
As she spoke, with a flick of her hand, her spiritual power picked up the sand ant on the ground and brought it to Min Xuan.
Min Xuan reached out to grab it, but the sand ants suddenly exploded.
Both of them were stunned.
Hua Chunning noticed a strange aura.
The breath disappeared fleetingly. She changed her mind, her face suddenly changed, and she blurted out: "Not good!"
Min Xuan looked confused. Hua Chunning didn't have time to explain to her, so she stood up and said quickly: "Let's go chase Yin Xueze!"
She pulled Min Xuan and was about to take action when another figure appeared in the pavilion.
Hua Chunning's pupils shrank suddenly. She took a deep breath, tried her best to calm down, and said respectfully: "I have met the leader."
The head of the Kunhuang Sect turned his back to her, and his voice contained no emotion or anger: "Why are you looking for that Taichu Temple disciple?"
Hua Chunning's expression remained unchanged: "Fellow Daoist Yin once asked his disciple to buy the Ant Yuan Pill on his behalf, but I just remembered that I forgot to give him the pill."
The leader didn't speak for a while.
Hua Chunning's fingertips were cold.
"I'm not wrong, you are indeed smarter than Li Daiqiu." The leader said suddenly.
"Junior Brother Li?"
Hua Chunning was stunned for a moment, then she thought of something, her eyes widened little by little, and her face turned pale.
"Did you do it? Did you do it?!"
She couldn't hold it back any longer, removed her respectful gesture, and asked with grief, anger and disbelief.
The leader said calmly: "He died under the teeth of a monster. How could it be me?"
"Didn't you instigate it?!"
"You are overthinking, how can I instruct the monster to move? It's strange that he ran to find the Emperor Rong clan by himself, and was accidentally discovered by the monster."
The leader raised his left hand, and another sand ant flew from somewhere and landed on his palm.
"The monsters never trusted me. They have their watchers."
Before he clenched his palm, the sand ants exploded into powder, and the strange smell drifted away in the wind.
Hua Chunning closed her eyes, her lips trembling, painful and sad.
"Since you know, why do you still do this? Isn't this the same as seeking the skin of a tiger!"
