【Ancient Journey】 Act 2 [Old Dream]
The country of wild geese in autumn has the most beautiful scenery in Dongji, and every year at this time, the prince of the wild goose country will invite two or three friends to gather in Autumn Leaf City, get drunk with wine, and enjoy the autumn colors together.
The bright moon city of the long-cherished country, there is a bright moon,
Autumn Leaves Castle in the country of wild geese, there are autumn leaves.
Autumn in Akiba Castle is the autumn of the world.
That's a kind of artistic conception, but also a kind of taste.
That night, the wind gently blew through the ancient acacia in the city, the golden fallen leaves spread all over the ground, and the faint fragrance dissolved in the wind, and all the pedestrians passing by here would have the illusion of being in a dream. Looking up at the sky, the color of the sky is lighter, but the flowing clouds do not know when they are burning red in the glow of the setting sun. The geese flying south will take a rest in Autumn Leaf City at this time, and the autumn of Autumn Leaf City does not have the declining song of the cicadas in the twilight summer, but there is more leisure and comfort that is rare in this world.
At this time, even if you don't go out, it's a very happy day to drink in the courtyard of your home with your confidants and friends. Autumn colors will melt into the wine in the conversation with old friends, turning into the taste of autumn, and the artistic conception of autumn will inadvertently go to the wine to talk and laugh. At night, the occasional evening breeze will playfully blow away the fiery clouds in the sky, and at that time, day and night will be in the same canopy, and the stars will reflect each other with the sun and the moon. This is a wonderful scene that can only be seen in Akiba Castle.
There is a Fengming Temple on the mountain of "Fengming", a famous scenic spot in Qiguo, which is adjacent to the Autumn Leaves City of the Wild Goose Kingdom, and there will be a cute little monk ringing the autumn evening bell at this moment. So the distant bell through the glow, and you enjoy the beautiful scenery of the two places, and all things in heaven and earth will also be integrated into one color in this ethereal ancient temple bell.
At nightfall, people who have been busy all day light up the lively lights of Akiba Castle and slowly embrace their own lives. The moonlight and autumn colors are evenly divided into the night here, and prosperity and tranquility coexist in one city. If you happen to be in Akiba Castle at that time, you will have the illusion that something is real with me, and I will tell you that all of this is true, except for me.
"Life is too short, so why not have fun in time. ”
Autumn Leaves Castle at night is full of people traveling in pairs. Joy belongs to fellow travelers, while sorrow and grievances belong to Meng Jian.
After experiencing Chu Yu's humiliation and the violent beating of Gongzi's family, Meng Jian walked on the street in a very embarrassed manner, his disgraced appearance was both like a down-and-out drunk man and a crazy beggar.
Pedestrians saw him avoiding him one after another, for fear that they would have anything to do with him and cause bad luck. Occasionally, someone cast sympathetic glances, but most of the time only indifference and disgust were passed by Meng Jian. The severe headache made Meng Jian a little unable to see the road under his feet at this time, which had nothing to do with the street lamps, moonlight and candles, maybe it was because the evil servants of the Gongzi's Mansion were not light or heavy, or maybe he was too tired. However, with Meng Jian's physique, he will be able to get better after a while.
At this time, Meng Jian was faltering, and he really wanted someone to help him, but unfortunately, he had nothing but loneliness. In the end, Meng Jian could only follow his memory and intuition, and disappeared into the crowded city in a staggering manner, as if he had never been here.
On the way back, Meng Jian kept thinking about how to explain to the second senior sister later. He was very afraid that the second senior sister would be very angry or sad when she learned that she had gone to find Su Yu for trouble, and the second senior sister was already frail all year round.
If it weren't for the fact that he learned from elsewhere by accident that Su Yu, the swinger of Autumn Leaves City, had abandoned his second senior sister from time to time, Meng Jian would not have made trouble in the Prince's Mansion every once in a while. Meng Jian is never afraid of offending anyone, but if someone hurts the person he cares about, even if this person is the second son of Yan Guogong, Meng Jian will find a way to make him pay for what he did wrong.
Meng Jian has two senior sisters.
The eldest sister Bai Qiang, the eldest daughter of the Bai family, the largest family in the Yan Kingdom, is known as the first beauty in the Yan Country, and was married to Yan Li, the only son of Yan Qi, the right minister of the Yan Kingdom. It can be described as a talented and beautiful woman, made in heaven.
The second senior sister Yan Jing, is a talented woman who is famous in the four countries of Yan, Luo, Qi and Shu, with extraordinary temperament and brilliant literary talents, not long ago because of Su Yu's chaos and excessive sadness, and now lives outside Autumn Leaves City, "Wind Stops", and is recuperating her body with peace of mind. Her father was Yan Feng, the president of the twenty-seven chambers of commerce in Tianqiong City at this time, and one of the close friends of the Duke of Yanguo.
Meng Jian is the third in line and is an orphan. When he was very young, he was picked up and raised by his master's "Spiegel Layman" Ye Qingrao. This "Spiegel Layman" is another close friend of the Duke of Yanguo. Chu He has been withdrawn all his life and does not have many friends. It is precisely because of this that in the face of Meng Jian's "unreasonable trouble", Chu Yu, as the second son of Yan Kingdom, showed a rare tolerance and generosity.
And this "Spiegel Layman" now lives in the "Wind Stop Residence" outside Akiba Castle. But these days, she is not there. Due to the cooler weather and the rapid attack, the second disciple Yan Jing was sick and needed a few rare medicinal herbs to ease the condition. This master was in a hurry, and he went to Purple Smoke City, which is adjacent to Autumn Leaf City, to buy medicine overnight. Before leaving, he specially instructed Meng Jian not to cause trouble, but it was embarrassing.
When the moon was on the branches, the faltering Meng Jian finally returned to the "Wind Stop". Tonight, he is taking advantage of the gentleness of the moonlight to move forward in the dark. When Meng Jian walked through the familiar green bamboo forest, walked into the dark place and looked north, the "wind stopped" that lasted all night, came into view at this time.
When Meng Jian pushed open the courtyard door, every movement was very cautious. He was afraid of disturbing the second senior sister who was resting, but he never expected that someone had already noticed his existence long before he pushed open the courtyard door.
"Little junior brother, where have you been today, why did you come back so late. Between the green gauze curtains, a gentle and obvious greeting that could feel the lack of qi made Meng Jian, who was already exhausted at this time, let down the last guard in his heart.
It was the voice of the second senior sister Yan Jing.
"I... I went to the pharmacy in the east of the city to grab medicine for my sister, but I didn't pay attention when I left, and I left my things in the pharmacy. Meng Jian panicked, made an excuse casually, and tried to prevaricate the past.
"What about the medicine?" At this time, another stern voice also said slowly from behind the green veil illuminated by the candlelight. Meng Jian instantly heard who this voice was, and he subconsciously tiptoed back, just like when he had just cautiously entered the door. The "Wind Stops", which was already a little cool, dropped to freezing in that moment.
"Little junior brother, where are you going? She lifted the curtain, put on a robe for Yan Jing, and supported the haggard Yan Jing from behind the curtain to Meng Jian.
At this time, a group of men dressed in brocade clothes formed a tall human wall, blocking Meng Jian's retreat, Meng Jian wanted to forcibly leave here, but they forcibly blocked back.
Between the collision of shoulders and elbows, Meng Jian deduced that these guys' skills should be at the ninth-order level. Meng Jian, who was frowning, fell into a dilemma like this, and didn't know what to do for a while.
The bright moon is like a hook, and the autumn wind is biting.
Between the ever-bright candles, the green bamboo shakes.
Yan Jing's painful cough echoed in the wind.
The woman gently stroked Yan Jing's back, and Meng Jian in the afterglow stammered, "Return... Go home..."
"Isn't this your home? The woman asked, puzzled.
"Yes......" Meng Jian said embarrassedly, "I just got lost." ”
"Do you know the way now?" the woman continued.
"Recognize... I know" Meng Jian said, his voice became smaller and smaller, and finally he didn't dare to speak directly. Seeing this, the woman suddenly smiled, she shook the purple gold bell tied to her wrist slightly, and the brocade guests who were originally hidden in the green bamboo forest outside the "Wind Stop Residence" poured into the courtyard one after another when they heard the sound, and now Meng Jian's retreat was completely gone.
When the bright moonlight falls on the courtyard of the "Wind Stops", the evening breeze gently sways the green bamboo inside and outside the courtyard, making a rustling sound, the starlight is quietly sprinkled here, the clear stream flows quietly from Meng Jian's heart, and the partridge and the stream compete here. When the moonlight and autumn color dissolve in Meng Jian's eyes, she is the most rare touch of thousands of stunning colors.
At this moment, standing in front of him is the senior sister who has not been seen for a long time, Bai Qiang, the first beauty in the wild goose country.
Meng Jian never dreamed that his senior sister Bai Qiang would appear here. This is also the first time that Bai Qiang appeared in front of him after marrying Yan Li, the son of the right minister of Yan Kingdom.
"Why, I don't know Senior Sister after I haven't seen you for a few days?" Bai Qiang raised her willow eyebrows and asked. "Honestly, where did you go today?"
Meng Jian: "I... I'm going to buy medicine in the West Market!"
Bai Qiang: "I just said that I was going to the East Market, why did it become the West Market again?"
Meng Jian: "Dongshi... I didn't have what I wanted in the East Market, so I went to the West Market again!"
Yan Jing: "What about the medicine?"
Meng Jian: "When I went to the West Market, I found that the pharmacy was closed, and the medicine was not bought..."
Bai Qiang's face was not good-looking, and her angry appearance made Meng Jian tremble. Since he was a child, the master has never beaten him, because when he made a mistake, it was the senior sister who did it for the master.
"Continue to tell the senior sisters what you have experienced along the way, why your clothes are torn like this, and you have made yourself so disgraced. Bai Qiang, who wanted to get angry, saw Meng Jian's ragged clothes, and suddenly felt a little distressed, so she stepped forward to check with concern, "What's the matter with the blood stains on the sleeves?"
Yan Jing on the side opened the tattered pieces of clothes on Meng Jian's body, and found several wounds of different shades by candlelight: "Why are you still injured?"
Bai Qiang: "Who did you fight with?"
"A famous big yellow dog in the south of Autumn Leaves City!" Speaking of this, Meng Jian suddenly couldn't help laughing.
"It's all hurt like this, and you can still laugh?" Bai Qiang glared at Meng Jian, and Yan Jing on the side also stepped forward to care about his little junior brother, "Did you win the battle in the end?" ”
"Of course..."Meng Jian hesitated, "I won't lose!"
Bai Qiang, who originally had a serious face, listened and exchanged glances with Yan Jing. Meng Jian didn't notice this scene, but felt that he seemed to have been fooled, Yan Jing tried to give Meng Jian the last chance, reminding:
"This big yellow dog is quite powerful, and he has bitten out knife wounds. ”
"This stab wound doesn't seem to be light. Bai Qiang looked at the injuries under Meng Jian's broken sleeves, "Which big yellow dog is so powerful?"
"This big yellow dog... I've practiced!" Meng Jian said, "Take the senior sisters to see it another day!"
"Edit, continue to edit. Bai Qiang's face suddenly sank, "I want to see what you can make up." ”
After hearing this, Meng Jian didn't react to Bai Qiang's mood changes for a while, but between the words, she realized that the senior sisters might already know something.
"So far, I haven't told the truth to the senior sisters," Yan Jing also asked Meng Jian seriously, "Where did you go today?" ”
Meng Jian swallowed: "I really went to Dongshi..."
Bai Qiang asked, "What are you doing in East Market?"
Meng replied: "Eat steamed buns..."
Bai Qiang asked, "What else?"
Meng Jian opened his eyes and said nonsense: "Fight with the big yellow dog." ”
Yan Jing shook her head helplessly, her eyes revealing the look of disappointment that Meng Jian was most afraid of seeing: "......"
"I see that you don't shed tears when you don't see the coffin. A trace of murderous intent flashed in Bai Qiang's eyes, and she clapped her hands. In the courtyard, a brocade-clothed guest stepped forward from the corner and held an antique sword between Bai Qiang and Meng Jian in both hands. In front of Meng Jian, Bai Qiang pulled out the sword and asked, "Is it familiar?"
At this moment, Meng Jian realized that the senior sisters already knew everything. Meng Jian didn't dare to look directly into Bai Qiang's eyes, let alone be silent, so he muttered: "Familiar..."
Bai Qiang asked, "Where's your sword?"
The second senior sister Yan Jing didn't speak, just silently beside her, sighing again and again, which made Meng Jian feel as if there were thousands of mountains pressing on the top, and it would be difficult to catch her breath for a while. In the end, under the double pressure of the two senior sisters, Meng Jian lowered his head: "The sword is in the hands of the senior sister. ”
As he spoke, the cold spine of the sword hit Meng Jian's buttocks, and the severe pain made Meng Jian immediately think of every tragic scene when he was a child when he did something wrong, and the senior sisters hung him up and beat him.
Time seemed to pull Meng Jian back to those beautiful memories with a little tears in the past. Although Meng Jian is now a sixth-order martial artist, in front of Bai Qiang, who has just stepped into the ninth-order, he is still too tender after all.
Bai Qiang has already controlled her wrist strength very well, if she exerts a little force, it is estimated that Meng Jian at this time will have a contusion at the lightest. But even so, the pain of this strength still made Meng Jian speechless!
"Let me ask you again, where have you been today?" Bai Qiang asked, "What have you done again?"
"East of Autumn Leaves City, Shili Street, steamed bun shop, eat steamed buns..."Meng Jian was halfway through his words, Bai Qiang returned the sword to the sheath and pinched his ears with one hand, but he didn't really use force: "And then??"
"Senior sister—I was wrong! Then I'm going to find the big yellow dog to fight, no, I'm going to Gongzi's Mansion to find Chu Yu's bastard to reason!" Meng Jian said bitterly.
Bai Qiang: "Be reasonable?!?!"
Meng Jian: "Learn, learn..."
Bai Qiang grabbed Meng Jian's ears, strained slightly, and glared at him again, Meng Jian hurriedly changed his words: "It's a fight, a fight." ”
Bai Qiang: "In the end, I won or lost." ”
Meng Jian: "Lost..."
Bai Qiang: "Shame!"
Yan Jing: "That's not what you said just now. ”
Meng Jian: "Senior sister didn't beat me just now." ”
Bai Qiang: "Do you still dare to be poor?"
Yan Jing: "Little junior brother, when did you learn badly, and now you dare to lie in front of your senior sister, don't you, tell me, who taught you?"
Bai Qiang supported Yan Jing, who was a little angry at this time.
Meng Jian muttered in a low voice: "Big Yellow Dog!"
Bai Qiang: "What?"
"No, no, no, I have a toothache, a toothache. With that, Meng Jian pretended to have a toothache and covered her face. At this moment, it is not his teeth that hurt, but his face.
"Before the master left, how did you explain?" The night was getting darker, the evening breeze was slightly cool, and the moonlight was bright. Bai Qiang helped Yan Jing, who was a little angry at this time, and slowly walked into the inner courtyard of the "Wind Stops".
Meng Jian: "Let me take good care of the second senior sister." ”
Bai Qiang: "Obviously, I want you to serve the second senior sister well." Serve tea and hand water, shh the cold, and ask Nuan if you understand?"
Meng Jian: "I understand, I understand!"
Bai Qiang: "Since you understand, then you still went to fight with the second son of Chu? What's the matter, the wings are strong? Senior sister and master can't control you?"
In Bai Qiang's tone, killing intent was everywhere.
Meng Jian didn't dare to answer.
"Little junior brother, what did I tell you before? The wind shook the green yarn slightly, and the weak Yan Jing coughed, "Is it true that on weekdays, the senior sisters are too good to you, so you can listen to what the senior sister wants, and if you don't want to listen to it, just ignore it?"
"Second Senior Sister, I know that I am wrong. Meng Jian said with some guilt, "Don't be angry with my body, I'm too angry with that Chu Yu, if it weren't for him......"
"This is my business with him, and it's all over. I'll say it again, don't meddle in our affairs, okay?" Yan Jing suppressed the anger in her heart and interrupted Meng Jian's explanation. At this time, in the chest, a stream of qi and blood suddenly surged, causing Yan Jing to cough in pain.
Meng Jian didn't dare to raise his head, like a child who made a mistake.
"Forget it, my sister is not angry. Facing Yan Jing, who was slightly angry, Bai Qiang showed a rare tenderness, "I'll accompany you during this time, and by the way, I will take care of the little brother for you and the master!"
Yan Jing frowned and looked at Meng Jian without saying a word, Meng Jian hurriedly served tea and water to her on the side, not daring to slack off in the slightest. This is the first time Meng Jian has seen the gentle second senior sister get so angry. It was also the first time I saw that the senior sister had such a gentle side.
"You don't weigh your three-legged cat's kung fu, and you also go to fight with Chu Yu, you are a martial artist at the peak of the ninth order, a famous general who has experienced a hundred battles, you are only at the sixth order level, how many catties and taels are not counted in your heart? What if he misses and kills you!" Bai Qiang's mood changed faster than Meng Jian imagined, "We are just your little junior brother!"
In the words, there is blame but also concern.
"In this world, I only have two senior sisters and three relatives. Meng Jian said to Bai Qiang and Yan Jing seriously, "I don't want to see the relatives I care about the most being troubled by hurt, grievances and pain." ”
"Why, do you still think that you are standing up for your second senior sister? No, you are looking for death!" Bai Qiang said angrily, the corners of her eyebrows trembling slightly, "If you are tired of living, tell Senior Sister, Senior Sister can give you a ride at any time, and save me and your Second Senior Sister from worrying about you every day." ”
"What's so embarrassing...," Meng Jian muttered awkwardly.
"What?" Bai Qiang didn't hear what he said.
"Toothache... Ugh..."
Meng Jian continued to cover his face and said.
"If you have a toothache, you don't talk much. Yan Jing tried to calm down and said, "If you let me know in the future, you will go to Chu Yu again, either you will leave the "Wind Stop Residence", or I will leave the "Wind Stop Residence". ”
Meng Jian was unwillingly silent.
Bai Qiang: "Did you hear that?"
Meng Jian: "I heard ......"
The cold moonlight, inadvertently sprinkled in the courtyard where the wind stopped, added a little haggard to Yan Jingping, perhaps because of anger, so it hurt her vitality, and her already somewhat pale face was a little less bloody.
This made Meng Jian even more self-reproachful and guilty.
Fate always likes to play tricks on the world and makes it fun.
At that time, Yan Jing didn't expect that the cruel words she said to Meng Jian tonight would come true unexpectedly soon, although it was not her intention. However, there are unforeseen circumstances in the sky, and people have good and bad luck.
At this time, Meng Jian really promised him, the second senior sister, not to trouble Chu Yu again, but unfortunately, there will soon be something that he couldn't think of, which will change his original life trajectory.
Those strong men dressed in brocade and wearing long knives were like emotionless killers, and retreated into the night at the signal of Bai Qiang.
The door of the Wind Residence closed gently.
In the flickering candle shadow, the senior sister helped the haggard second senior sister back to the back room to rest, and the young man's concerned gaze stopped in the desire to speak and stopped.
"Alas, why do I do anything, the senior sister will know!" Looking at the fading backs of the two senior sisters, Meng Jian subconsciously touched his buttocks, recalling the few times when the senior sister slapped her ass with the spine of the sword just now, although the senior sister paid attention to proportion, but the pain was really painful!