After dawn, Shen Muzhi and Xuan Cheng left Lancheng with Xu Ranran.

Before leaving, Xuan Cheng wrote a letter and asked the boss Mi next door to send it to Yu Xin in Qinghe Courtyard. The letter probably mentioned that Shen Muzhi met the people of Yun Ze Sect last night, which can be regarded as a wake-up call for them.

The destination of this trip, Xuan Cheng has not yet thought about it.

However, the Qur'an will not stay any longer.

Xuan Cheng plans to go to Daming first, and then make plans after arriving in Daming.

Three people, a horse, a carriage.

When he left the city, Xu Ranran hadn't woken up yet.

It wasn't until the sun was up and down that Xu Ranran in the carriage woke up slowly, but as soon as he opened his eyes and saw that he was in a carriage, there was a lot of panic on his immature face.

However, at a young age, she still managed to calm herself, cautiously approached the door of the carriage, reached out and gently pushed the closed door open, and then leaned in and quietly looked out.

Xuan Cheng, who was sitting on the wheel of the car and was driving the car, had already noticed it, and at this time, he turned his head and smiled at her: "Awake?"

Xu Ranran looked at this familiar and kind face, and couldn't help but be stunned, and then, suddenly, his eyes were red, and his clear eyes were instantly full of tears and wanted to cry.

Seeing this, Xuan Cheng frowned, and immediately reached out and pulled the reins in his hand to stop the carriage.

Seeing this, Shen Muzhi, who was riding a horse next to him, also stopped.

"What are you crying about!" Xuan Cheng snorted lightly with a little seriousness.

The little girl was about to fall tears, and she immediately held back, but she still couldn't help but feel wronged, and after sniffing, she raised her hand to wipe her eyes.

After Xuan Cheng sighed, he reached out and handed out a candy.

The little girl wiped her tears, took the candy, unpacked it, and stuffed it into her mouth. The mouth with candy in his mouth bulged slightly, but he still didn't want to wait for a moment, and said vaguely to Xuan Cheng with a crying voice: "I thought I would never see you again......

Xuan Cheng always plays the role of a strict teacher in front of her, and his pleasant face in front of outsiders is rarely shown to her. But at this moment, looking at this little girl's cute and aggrieved appearance, my heart suddenly softened.

He stretched out his hand and handed out another piece of white brocade, and said softly, "Master knows everything." It's okay now, though. ”

The little girl took the Jinpa, but she was not willing to take the Jinpa made of this good material to wipe her tears, but held it in her hand, like a treasure.

Xuan Cheng looked at it and felt a little distressed.

He handed over the water again, and after watching her drink the water, her mood stabilized a little, and then Xuan Cheng spoke: "You sit down, I have something to say to you." ”

When the little girl heard this, she immediately sat upright, looked at Xuan Cheng with a serious face, and waited for him to speak.

Xuan Cheng told her that her mother had left Lancheng with her brother. After hearing this, the little girl lowered her head sadly, her shoulders trembled, but she didn't make a sound.

Xuan Cheng looked at it, helpless and distressed, and after waiting for a while, he said: "We have left Lancheng now, and we may not come back in the short term." If you don't want to leave with me, now say, I'll send you back, and you can live with Boss Mi next door. Although Boss Mi has a bit of a personality, he is a good person, and he won't treat you badly if he thinks about it. I'll leave you another sum of silver, and a house, as long as there are no accidents, it should be able to keep you safe for the rest of your life. ”

When the little girl heard this, she shook her head silently.

Xuan Cheng didn't know if she didn't want to follow Boss Mi or didn't want to leave Lancheng, but when she saw that the little girl's shoulders were twitching more and more, she didn't ask any more questions, and looked at her silently, waiting for her emotions to stabilize.

After a long time, she slowly calmed down, raised her hand to wipe her tears, raised her head to meet Xuan Cheng's gaze, and said in a childish voice: "I don't want to go back to Lancheng to follow Boss Mi." ”

This answer was actually within Xuan Cheng's expectations, otherwise he would not have taken her out of Lancheng when Xu Ranran didn't wake up.

"Okay, then follow me. However, life can be hard, and you have to be mentally prepared. Xuan Cheng said to her.

The little girl shook her head and said very firmly: "I'm not afraid of hardship!"

Xuan Cheng laughed after hearing this, reached out and rubbed her head. The little girl looked at him blankly and muttered, "Master, you look so good when you smile!"

Xuan Cheng was stunned for a moment, and then his cheeks flushed slightly.

Next to him, Shen Muzhi looked at this scene, the corners of his mouth hooked slightly, and a smile that was not too obvious.

Unexpectedly, Xuan Cheng was blushed by a little girl who was only six or seven years old......

"Alright, let's go in and sit down. Xuan Cheng probably felt a little embarrassed, and immediately straightened his face, pretending to be serious and scolding.

The little girl pursed her mouth a little aggrieved, and then obediently closed the carriage door.

Xuan Cheng looked at her like this, and was a little unbearable, looked at the closed carriage door, thought about it, and said to the inside: "There is a dark compartment on the left, there is food in it, you can eat it yourself when you are hungry." ”

In the carriage, the little girl's grievances just now were suddenly swept away, and she turned her head to look for it on the left, and soon found the dark grid. After opening it, I found those delicate snacks inside, my eyes lit up immediately, and a happy smile immediately appeared on my face.

Children's sorrows and joys are always so easily changed.

Because with Xu Ranran, the speed of Shen Muzhi and the others is destined to be not fast.

From Lancheng to Daming Border Pass, according to the normal itinerary of the general caravan, it will take about ten days. Shen Muzhi's three people, riding horses, walking and stopping, three days passed, but they were faster than ordinary caravans, almost half of the way.

On this day, it is dusk again.

The little girl has been sitting in that carriage every day for the past few days, and she has been uncomfortable, although this girl has never mentioned it, but Shen Muzhi and Xuan Cheng have seen it. So, Xuan Cheng planned not to leave tonight. Just a short distance ahead, there is a small oasis and a small lake, which is perfect for camping overnight.

Just let these horses have a good rest.

The oasis is not large, probably less than an acre of land, and it is covered with poplars. At this time, in March, the poplar branches have begun to bud.

After Shen Muzhi and Xuan Cheng let go of the three horses, they took Xu Ranran to find a flat place by the lake, lit a fire, and prepared to spend the night.

The little girl spent three days in the carriage, and now she is so happy when she sees the water. The sorrows and sorrows of three days ago are long gone.

The night grew dark.

The bonfire by the lake gradually became brighter.

The wind blew through the poplar forest, and a low whimper was heard.

Xuan Cheng called the little girl who was still playing by the lake, asked her to eat something, and then drove her to sleep in the next carriage.

The little girl refused, and after pestering Xuan Cheng for a while, she forced Xuan Cheng to tell her a story, and then reluctantly went to the carriage satisfied.

After she left, Shen Muzhi took out the wine jug, poured a few sips of wine, and then lay back, lying on the grass, looking at the sky overhead.

Above the inky blue sky, stars have already appeared.

High in the starry sky, deep and mysterious.

Xuan Cheng also lay down next to him, and with him, he silently looked at the starry sky, each in a daze.

I don't know how long it took, but in the silence of the poplar forest, there was only the occasional sound of wind passing through the trees, and the beeping sound of flames bursting in the campfire.

Xuan Cheng had closed his eyes, breathing steadily, as if he was asleep.

Shen Muzhi was still staring at the starry sky, his eyes were a little hollow, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Suddenly, the carriage next to her moved slightly, the little girl pushed open the carriage door, poked her head out, glanced at the two people lying on the ground, and after some hesitation, got out of the carriage and jumped to the ground.

Without waiting for her to get closer, Xuan Cheng asked, "What's wrong?"

The little girl stood still, her face was slightly red, her hands folded in front of her, twisting, and refusing to speak.

Xuan Cheng didn't hear the answer, frowned, got up and turned his head to look at her, seeing her like this, he immediately understood, and couldn't help but say helplessly: "It's dark in the woods, be careful, don't go far." ”

"Hmm. If the little girl was pardoned, she turned around and ran into the forest behind.

Xuan Cheng was not at ease, and shouted at her back again: "Don't go far." ”

"I know. The little girl replied loudly, and when the words fell, the figure had already disappeared into the forest.

Not long after the little girl left, there were a few bells in the wind blowing in the distance.

"There's a caravan coming. Xuan Cheng said softly, and after speaking, he glanced in the direction where the little girl ran over just now.

He could sense that the girl had stopped not far away, and his heart was a little calm. Xuan even deliberately didn't pay attention to all the movement coming from that direction.

It's just that after a while, the caravan is getting closer and closer, and Xuan Cheng and Shen Muzhi can already hear the sound of talking in the wind, but the little girl hasn't come back yet.

Xuan Cheng's mind probed into the forest, and the little girl was still there. Thinking that the caravan was almost there, he shouted, "Isn't it all right?"

After the words fell, there was silence and no response.

Xuan Cheng frowned, hesitated slightly, got up and said, "I'll go over and take a look." ”

Shen Muzhi nodded.

In the forest, it was already pitch black.

The bare poplar tree is like a monster hiding in the dark, with teeth and claws, cold and weird.

Xuan Cheng soon arrived at the location of Xu Ranran that he had sensed earlier, but when he arrived, he saw that there was still Xu Ranran's figure, and some were just one of Xu Ranran's shoes.

A crudely made cloth shoe embroidered with an orchid that has been worn out of shape.

When Xuan Cheng saw this shoe, his face immediately changed. Turning his head to look around, he could not see any clues in the dark poplar forest, except for the sound of whimpering wind.

Such a big living person disappeared under Xuan Cheng's nose.

Although Xuan Cheng deliberately blocked the movement in this direction in the forest just now, if there was really something hidden in this forest, he should have discovered it a long time ago.

Xuan Cheng picked up the shoe, and there was nothing else found on the shoe except for Xu Ranran's breath.

So, where did Xu Ranran go?

Outside the forest, Shen Muzhi, who was still lying on the grass, waited for a while, but he didn't see Xuan Cheng come out, and he couldn't help but be suspicious. After a moment's thought, he also got up and slowly approached the poplar forest.