In front of the pine tree, Xu Zhuchen had put away the candle, leaving only a handful of crystal clear inner energy in his palm glowing.
"Azadirachta, what are you talking about?" She looked at Xiao Fu in front of her, seeming surprised by her question.
Xiao Mei gave a short laugh: "I said, you were the same way back then, 'accidentally' letting me die. You were there during the Zhennan Mansion fire six years ago, right?"
Xu Zhuchen looked at her. The Xiao Mei in front of her was imprisoned by her internal power. Although she had no resistance, she felt depressed.
"Do you really not know who I am?"
Xu Zhuchen sighed: "Ah, as I said, you can be anyone. Only you can choose who you become."
Xiao Mei looked at her quietly, seeming to have lost the strength to struggle. She exercised her power several times, but failed to use her internal strength successfully, so she hung her head dejectedly.
Xu Zhuchen couldn't bear it. She wanted to step forward to help her, but she saw Xiao Mei raised his head again, a trace of scarlet flashed in his amber eyes, and the fierce light flashed, which immediately shocked Xu Zhuchen's heart.
She remembers that day.
In the twelfth lunar month six years ago, the weather was so cold that even the Lichuan River, which had never frozen, was covered with thin pieces of ice. Xu Zhuchen "experienced" in the escort agency in Zhiyang for half a year. After his seventeenth birthday, he took a boat back to Meichuan with Shi Baichuan and his father.
When the boat arrived at Zhennan, her father suddenly looked at her and asked with a smile:
"Chen'er, do you know what festivals there are during the twelfth lunar month in the south of this town?"
Xu Zhuchen carefully recalled the exchange with Li Fenglong and said: "I vaguely remember my friend mentioned it, and I don't know if I remember it right or wrong. It is said that the bright moon night on the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month is a 'worship day' in the south of the town. You Are you interested in this?"
Xu Luoyin stroked his mustache and said with a smile: "Zhennan does have this tradition, but it has not been held for nearly a hundred years. In Zhennan today, around the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, a harvest temple fair will be held. I heard from Xu Luoyin Rong said, you can't rest in the escort agency, and now it happens to be such a grand event, how about we disembark for some rest and entertainment?"
Xu Zhuchen liked the lively atmosphere, but what meant the most to her in Zhennan was the friends she had made.
When she was twelve years old, she met Xiao Mei in Zhennan. Xiao Mei is strong and enthusiastic, and he and Xu Zhuchen cherish each other. They had agreed that they would meet under the huge neem tree in the backyard of Zhennan Mansion every year.
But a year later, when she came to the south of the town, she only saw the tree cut in the middle.
The backyard of Zhennan Mansion was extremely deserted and overgrown with weeds. The side yard where she once lived was also clean and unkempt. The second aunt who used to be gentle and kind to her became silent, and the entire Zhennan Mansion had a cold attitude and seemed to avoid her.
Xu Zhuchen promised Xiao Mei that she would not mention Xiao Mei's name in front of any family members. She faced everyone's cold gaze and walked out of Zhennan Mansion step by step. Her inner energy was scattered in the mansion, trying to find Xiao Mei, but no matter how frost formed on the ground, no one responded to her call.
That night, she returned to the backyard again, stood in front of the stump of the neem tree that was half a person tall, and whispered: "Azadirachta indica."
No one responded, no one answered, only the sound of wind blowing her long hair. She stood in front of the tree, and seemed to hear Xiao Mei's laughter in a trance. But when she raised her head, the surrounding area was quiet and there was no one.
Xu Zhuchen became disappointed. She lowered her voice and shouted breathlessly: "Xiao Mei, Xiao Mei! Xiao Shanyue! It's me, I'm Xu Zhuchen, come out..."
Still no response. Xu Zhuchen dimly realized that Xiao Mei would not come to see her, but she didn't want to believe it.
In the second and third years after that, every time she passed through Zhennan, she always deliberately avoided thinking of all this. The name Xiao Mei has also changed from the gentle and caring name to a barb and a frost mark in her heart.
Seeing that his father was now interested, Xu Zhuchen also nodded. She still had some hope in her heart, hoping to see Xiao Mei.
Xu Luoyin turned to Shi Baichuan again: "Brother Baichuan, do you have any wishes?"
Shi Baichuan looked at Xu Zhuchen and said with a smile: "I can't miss such a lively place. What's more, Song'er and Huanhuan are at home, and they must be waiting for me to bring them gifts."
The three of them arrived at the dock, disembarked from the boat, and arrived at the main city in the south of the town.
But I saw that the southern part of the town was full of lights, lion dances, koi carp dances, flower trees and night lanterns, and it was very lively. Children wearing tiger-head hats played happily on the street, vendors selling maple candy shouted one after another, and the ironworkers' performances were as brilliant as the stars in the sky. The streets were full of joy. Just as the ancients said in a poem:
"The Milky Way drifts back to the stars at night, and the flowing clouds in Yinpu learn the sound of water. The osmanthus trees in the Jade Palace have not yet fallen, and the immortal concubines are picking incense and hanging their tassels.
Concubine Qin rolls up the curtains and sees the dawn at the north window. In front of the window are green tung trees and small phoenixes. The prince plays the sheng and the goose pipe, and calls the dragon to plow tobacco and grow yao grass.
Pink clouds, red ribbon and lotus root silk skirt, walking on the green island picking up orchids and spring flowers. To the east, Xihe can move his horse, and the sea dust is regenerated under the stone mountain. "
The second night of staying in Zhennan happened to be the full moon. Xu Zhuchen shuttled among the trees and flowers and drank a few glasses of wine happily. The wine warmed her face, and her heart was warmed by the bustling atmosphere.
She said goodbye to Uncle Shi, looked around but couldn't find her father, so she picked up Zhanlu and walked to Zhennan Mansion alone.
She also has her own little thoughts. Xiao Mei has never met her in front of others. Today's celebration is lively and there are few people in the mansion. Maybe Xiao Mei is willing to come out to see her?
Her heart became lighter and her steps became faster. The lightness of her feet touched the ground, turning into white frost and snow, and then turning into flying snow-white butterflies. Her light steps led to her thoughts, and she landed lightly in front of Zhennan Mansion.
What hit her eyes was a huge fire.
The former Zhennan Mansion had already been plunged into a sea of flames. Countless people in white clothes and swords rushed into the gate that had been burned into black. Ashes flew up from the ground, and cries and shouts of death came and went. In contrast to the hot and brilliant flames, , surrounded by dark, dead houses.
Xu Zhuchen clearly knows that the most important thing to survive in the martial arts world is to sweep away the snow in front of each other and not to meddle in other people's affairs. But she hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward.
"You are here," she looked around at the swordsmen and breathed a sigh of relief, "whose order are you following?"
A man in black robes walked out of the crowd. He saw Xu Zhuchen. He paused, without taking off his hooded mask, but bowed politely and said, "I have met your Excellency. This extermination operation is confidential and cannot be disclosed." "
Xu Zhuchen also saw that there were Xu family members among these swordsmen, but the severity of the word "annihilation" was beyond her expectation. She gritted her teeth, clasped her fists in response to the man's greeting, and asked, "In that case, I want to go in and find someone."
After she finished speaking, without waiting for the man's reaction, she flew into the backyard of Zhennan Mansion.
The man immediately followed her and moved swiftly with his fists and feet, intending to stop Xu Zhuchen. The two started fighting on the roof, with fists and kicks exchanged, and the movements could hardly be seen clearly. Xu Zhuchen was impatient, and his men lost their sense of measure. Zhan revealed his sheath and immediately shook the man away.
The man spat out a mouthful of blood, but still rushed forward and grabbed Xu Zhuchen's arm.
"Sister!" Xu Zhujue whispered into her ear, enduring the pain, "Please, this is the task given to me by my father. Don't hinder me anymore! Stop immersing yourself in your fantasies. There has never been anything here. Well, from now on, there will be no more living people.”
