"Sister, have you ever seen a human being?"
The younger sister walked in front, jumping up and down with her hands open, spinning in a circle as if dancing, and then took Xiang Ling's hand.
"Human? I heard from my mother that their upper body is similar to ours, but their lower body is not a fish tail but separated like the feet of those animals, but I have never seen it."
Xiang Zero recalled.
"That must be weird. I really want to meet humans!"
The younger sister sighed.
"What's wrong, you suddenly said these things."
Xiang Ling was a little confused.
"When I woke up this morning, I saw my mother sighing. It must be because there are fewer and fewer people in the village. I heard grandma said that we can have children if we are with humans... You said that if I see humans If we give birth to hundreds of children, will our tribe grow stronger? Mom will also be happy."
The younger sister thought, and the corners of her mouth were raised as she thought of her mother's smile.
"..."
Xiang Ling, who knew a little more than his sister, fell silent, but he looked down at his sister's fair face with a smile, and couldn't help but shook his head, laughing secretly at himself for being impure but sighing, the people in the village have indeed been There are fewer and fewer, more and more tombstones are erected in front of the village, and there are fewer and fewer clan members. I and my sister are already the two youngest children in the village.
"It's so big outside the village, hahaha."
My sister looked at the towering trees around her and laughed as crisply as silver bells.
"Yes, the Rainbow Springs we will go to later is more beautiful."
Xiang Zero suppressed the sadness in his heart and smiled, but he felt a little irritable for no reason.
...
"Why does the Jingkong Spring have a strange smell today?"
As time went by, people in the village gradually woke up, and the older sisters in cool clothes lined up in front of the Jingkong Spring. The first older sister took a spoonful of water, took a sip, and asked questions.
"Will you? Let me try it."
The person at the back stepped forward in confusion, took the spoon, and took a sip.
"Indeed, there is an indescribable smell."
"It really is."
After a while, everyone in the village tasted the strange-smelling Jingkong Spring.
"It feels a little weird."
The eldest sister who was the first to drink the spring water held her forehead, her face turned red, and her body began to shake.
"Me too."
"I feel so dizzy."
...
"Want a drink?"
Next to the Rainbow Fountain, Xiang Ling took out the Pure Sky Fountain from his arms and asked.
"No, I'll go back and drink tonight."
My sister was eating fish fillets, slapping her tail against the colorful spring water, extending her lotus-like arms to the rainbow above her head, and said casually.
"All right."
Xiang Ling put away the bottle, hung it around his neck, buried it in the ravine, and then started playing with his sister.
...
"Rainbow Spring is so fun and beautiful..."
When the bell indicating dinner time rang, Xiang Ling and his sister appeared at the entrance of the village. The sister had an unstoppable smile of joy on her face, but soon, her smile couldn't help but stop.
"It's so quiet, sister."
The younger sister said timidly, holding Xiang Ling's arm uneasily.
"Yeah, why is the village so quiet?"
Xiang Ling was a little strange. Although he played outside a little late today, it was still dinner time. Not to mention the bustle of people, it was not as quiet as now.
"Xiao Ling, Xiao Yi, you're back. Really, why are you so late? It makes me worried."
Her mother's voice came from behind, and Xiang Ling looked back. She looked at him gently with a smile on her face, as usual, but Xiang Ling felt an inexplicable chill.
"Mother."
As soon as her hand was loosened, her sister let go of the hand she had been holding, and rushed into her mother's arms like a baby swallow returning to its nest.
"etc......"
The hand that grabbed forward only touched a strand of clothes with his fingertips. Xiang Ling looked at his mother who was holding his sister tenderly, and felt empty in his heart, as if he had lost something forever.
"By the way, have you not drank the spring water today? I brought it to you specially. Drink it quickly."
Mom took out a bottle of water from her pocket and handed it to her sister, whispering.
"Okay, thank you mom."
My sister took it obediently.
"no, do not want......"
Xiang Ling didn't know why, but he felt chills all over when he saw the smile on his mother's face, and he quickly spoke up to stop it.
"What's wrong? Sister."
My sister opened the bottle and asked while drinking.
"Xiaoyi, please drink a little too, just in case."
Mom took out another bottle of water and approached Xiang Ling with a smile. The smile on her face never changed, like a mask.
Xiang Ling's hands began to tremble, and a chill enveloped her whole body. She seemed to feel something, and she looked back.
I don’t know when, but the originally empty streets were filled with people. Everyone in the village wore unchanging smiles and looked at me expectantly.
"Drink quickly, I have already prepared dinner, which is your favorite."
Looking at her mother who was close at hand, the spring water with a hint of blackness had been handed to her mouth, Xiang Ling had tears in her eyes. She didn't understand what happened, but everyone became too strange and weird.
"Drink quickly, sister."
My sister also walked to Xiang Ling's side and advised him.
"drink!"
"drink!"
...
Everyone started shouting, urging Xiang Ling. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, but Xiang Ling couldn't feel any warmth, and his heart was cold.
"......No!"
Not knowing where the strength came from, Xiang Ling closed his mouth that was about to open, closed his eyes and pushed his mother away. The water fell to the ground, and Xiang Ling rushed out of the village like the wind, leaving only the silence of everyone.
"Won't you join? Then...go to hell!"
The mother's smile disappeared and she spoke softly.
Everyone grinned, their sharp teeth like rows of saw teeth, straightened their bodies, looked towards the direction where Zero left, and then ran towards him.
For a moment, there was no sound in the village. In the center, the water of Jingkong Spring, which was always gushing out, stopped, and a dark tentacle stretched out from the spring.
...
"The injuries on my body are caused by everyone over the years. If it weren't for them going back to the village every day, I should have died long ago."
Xiang Ling smiled bitterly and touched the shocking scars on his body.
"Are your gourmet cells out of control? It seems that your gourmet cells are not complete and can easily conflict with human cells. Jingkongquan is the inhibitor that suppresses this phenomenon. Then for some reason, everyone except you suddenly loses control. Including your sister, and you have persisted until now by relying on the little clear water spring you left before the accident, am I right?"
Zheng Yuan touched his chin and concluded.
"Yes, that's all I know. I originally thought about going back to the center of the village to see what happened to Jingkong Spring, but the endless pursuit made me exhausted..."
Xiang Ling felt a little sad, as if he was grieving for his own incompetence.
"It doesn't matter, that's enough."
Zheng Yuan showed a cheerful smile, touched Xiang Ling's head and comforted him.
"I'm here, you can rest assured."
Xiang Ling stared blankly at the owner of the big hand touching his head. How long had it been? This lonely feeling of being soothed was so satisfying that Xiang Ling couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Mom...sister."
Xiang Ling whispered in a choked voice, looking up at Zheng Yuan with hazy eyes.
"Can I trust you?"
"certainly!"
Zheng Yuan was resolute, with a serious expression, and his blood-red eyes were as hot as red-hot iron, which warmed Xiang Zero's heart that had been cold for thirty-six thousand and seventy-two days.
