Time flies, the sun and the moon are like a shuttle.

The lily that rested on the shelves of Duobaoge quietly bloomed, and the golden dragonfly flapped its compound wings on the clear lotus pond. The man in the tanuki mask sat cross-legged on the porch outside the lattice door, never mentioning his past. Nangong Huiyue often stares at his back silently with soft eyes, waiting for the other party to reveal all his secrets to her one day. As for Mozi, although he often jokes about them, he is also envious. In any case, the sister finally came out of the haze of the past.

Quiet days always pass quietly inadvertently, and the pale smoke and decaying grass represent the end of midsummer. I heard that this year's locust plague has caused most of the villages outside the city to lose their harvest, and many victims have to survive the difficult autumn nights in starvation. Nangong Huiyue discussed with the sisters in the workshop to fund disaster relief, but she was worried that the money and food had not yet been distributed to the victims, so she was confiscated by corrupt officials and corrupt officials, so she wanted to go out of the city to distribute clothes and porridge, but she didn't know what her mother wanted.

There are many sisters in the market, but Emitsu is the most popular with her mother, and the girls encourage her to go and find out. Yu Linglong thought that this was a good deed for doing good deeds and accumulating virtues, so she did not stop it and added some money. However, she had always heard of the unscrupulous bandits outside the city, so she sent some officers and soldiers to escort them out of the city. On this day, Moko was the only one who suffered from some wind and cold and fell ill on the couch, so he did not go to the camp with Eizuki.

Xiang, Daozhi Emperor Dugu Hong's imperial expedition to the east, drove millions of troops to South China, and the War of Eclipses broke out. Taichen's cavalry swept the world with the momentum of the long wind, annexing half of the South China Kingdom in one fell swoop. When the Guirong Kingdom, which was entrenched in the north of the Tianxu Continent, participated in the war, the army of the Taichen Kingdom was defeated by Changle, so that Dugu Hong had to lead the army to withdraw from the South China Kingdom.

However, he took advantage of the truce between the two countries to negotiate peace, and ordered the left general Teng Ziman to attack the nine vassal states scattered in the northwest of Nanhua instead. These small states founded by the Terrans have a long history but are weak, with standing armies ranging from tens of thousands to thousands, and they are simply unable to compete with Taichen's iron cavalry. After the two kingdoms of Yue and Rui, which were the most powerful of the nine kingdoms, were defeated, the remaining seven monarchs seconded the proposal to surrender. Therefore, Dugu Hong effortlessly opened up the fertile fields in the northeast for thousands of miles, and set this place as Yunzhou.

Nanhua is a large country with a combination of politics and religion, and the sect master and the elders of the Taiyao Sect have always controlled the government. Although they complained about it, they were helpless. Then he built a dragon wall on the northwest border to invade the east of the imperial Taichen country.

Since the Yue Kingdom was destroyed by the Taiyuan Kingdom and renamed Lianyue City and assigned to Yunzhou, although the two ethnic groups are more prosperous than in the past, the racial contradictions have become increasingly acute.

Just as behind the sunny place, there is always a sticky darkness. The seemingly prosperous Lianyue City is actually built on the suffering of the people at the bottom. Every year, a large number of youkai from the rest of the states poured into the city, causing this beautiful land to flow with sin and blood. Evil monsters have led to frequent murders here, and human trafficking and smuggling of forgetful weeds have become common here.

What's even more troublesome is that the monsters born from the joy of low-level monsters and beasts live in the deep mountains and forests all year round, often invading Lianyue City and the surrounding villages. They are unable to take on a human form due to their mixed bloodlines, and they are not highly intelligent but maintain a murderous and bloodthirsty nature.

Xu Sheng, the first lord of Lianyue, was disturbed by all kinds of mundane affairs, so he had to jointly write to the court with the other eight cities of Yunzhou. Emperor Daozhi decided to issue a decree to restrain the monsters who had moved to Yunzhou, and sent the Eye Guards to garrison the cities of Yunzhou to protect the people from the monsters. However, His Majesty the Emperor's condition was to ban the original garrisons of the cities in Yunzhou and order the major city lords to increase taxes for the coming year to fund military expenses. Since then, the high taxes have overwhelmed the treasury. Therefore, the city lord of Lianyue ordered that every household should pay a certain amount of tax to the city lord's mansion at the beginning of the month according to the number of people, in exchange for the protection of the guards. If the people are unable to pay their taxes on time, they have to move their families to settle in villages outside the city, worrying about the invasion of monsters all night.

Since then, villages of all sizes have sprawled like duckweed outside the city, while the impoverished people have struggled to survive in cramped and rudimentary conditions. As for the villains who absconded in fear of crime, in order to avoid the government, they also frantically flocked to the uncontrolled outside of the city, gathering in the mountains and forests. In order to guard against monsters and bandits, the respected township chief sent a man to each family, and let the township soldiers composed of them protect the peace of the village. However, the outside of the city gradually became a place of filth and filth, so it was contemptuously called 'outcasts' by the people of the city.

Although the girls knew it before they came, they knew that the scene here should be bleak. However, when their eyes actually touched this place, they still couldn't help but feel their hearts tremble.

Children in tattered clothes walk barefoot through the streets and alleys, breaking wood as soldiers and learning martial arts with each other, an old lady with a fan falls asleep with her back against a ruined earthen wall, and the sound of violent coughing and spitting can be heard in the gloomy room behind her, and the bewildered ploughing oxen chew straw on the golden ridges and wagging their tails lazily. And the locusts beside it are like autumn rain, densely occupying every inch of the field.

The sun in the sky gradually tilts to the west, and the temperature on the surface of the earth drops suddenly. Yellow-skinned refugees lined up in a long line near the entrance of the village, hired cooks were cooking soup porridge at the end of the line, and the girls of Lanxifang were handing out new, plain clothes.

Until it was getting dark, there was nothing left of relief. The group of hungry refugees helped the old and the young, and reluctantly dragged their tired bodies and turned away. Most of the unkempt refugees came from another village outside the mountains. This time, the trip was delayed because of the long mountains and rivers, but he had to return empty-handed along the winding mountain road for more than ten miles.

Nangong Huiyue and the sisters of Lanxifang finished packing the luggage in the stall and were about to go back with them. However, at this moment, she suddenly noticed a little boy in ragged clothes in the distance, who was reluctant to leave. After saying goodbye to the sister beside her, Ezuki slowly walked towards the child. And Murong Ye, who was wearing a yellow civet cat mask, scratched his head slightly with his hand, and followed behind her with a sword. As for the little boy, when he saw Aetsuki walking towards him, he danced happily and hugged her, and then crashed into her arms.

"Be careful, don't hurt yourself. Ezuki put her arms around the child's shoulders and asked him, "Everyone is scattered, why don't you go with them?"

"I didn't dare to go back, for fear that my father would beat me. The boy then took his arm and showed her several bruises the size of an egg. "If we didn't get relief food, my sister and I would have to starve. ”

"Then your mother doesn't care?"

Then the boy suddenly lowered his eyes and replied in frustration, "She is no longer there." After hearing this, Nangong Huiyue pulled out the gilt step on the top of his head, put it in his palm and pressed it, and ordered: "You put it away carefully, and you can exchange it for a lot of silver taels at the pawnshop in the city." When the time comes, don't give all the silver to your father, and hide some for yourself in case you need it. ”

"Why is my sister so nice to me? I'm just a dirty stupid child. ”

"Some people who can be treated with tenderness may have a very different future in the future. Ezuki stroked his head, squinted and laughed. "No matter what you're going through, don't give up on what you love. One day, you will be able to touch the colorful sunshine and become the kind of person you longed for in the past. When the boy heard this, he wept silently, then clenched the step, and stepped forward to hug Huiyue's knees, and said to her solemnly, "Sister, Shunnu will always remember your kindness. ”

Later, Aetsuki watched the boy's back as he walked lonely on the mountain path, his long hair fluttering in the air like a waterfall. And Murong Ye took off the yellow civet cat mask on his face, slowly stepped forward, and said, "When that kid first greeted you, he quietly stole the jade pendant on your waist. ”

"I know, but didn't he give it back to me?" Eizuki smiled contentedly as she held the jade pendant in her palm. Seeing that there were locks of sweaty green silk sticking to her neck, Murong Ye raised his hand to brush her hair, and suddenly opened his mouth but stopped talking. Nangong Huiyue, on the other hand, looked away unnaturally, and the falling green silk blocked her vision.

At that time, there was a chatter, and several birds swept through the clouds, and the high feathers were as crimson as clouds. Nangong Huiyue immediately raised her face, pointed to their figures chasing in the sky, and shouted to him, "Look, it's a crested ibis." ”

"What's wrong?" Murong Ye asked as he looked at Huiyue, who was crying.

"It's nothing, it's just that I suddenly remembered a lot of things from the past. Hiding her tears with her sleeves, she explained: "I was raised by my grandfather, who was well-off, since I was a child, so I know everything about piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. When I was a child, my grandfather harshly told me to study the four arts, but he also gave me some leisure time. I remember that the happiest thing at that time was to enter the palace with him.

At that time, Liang You, the last king of the Rui Kingdom, was still alive and well, living in isolation in the old capital all the year round. My grandfather, Kamidai Kanmasa, was a former retainer of his family, and although he was later cut off due to disarmament, he always cared for his old master, and often led me into the palace to pay tribute to His Majesty. And His Majesty was ashamed, so he loved me very much, and gave me rare treasures.

"Once, when I was about to leave the palace, my grandfather looked at the collapsed corner of the palace wall, and suddenly tears rained down. At that time, when a flock of crested ibises appeared in the twilight, he put me on his lap and pointed to them and said to me, 'O Emue, Your Majesty and I are too old to stay here for the rest of our lives, but you are still young.' In the future, you will be as beautiful as this crested ibis, spreading your wings in the wind and flying away from the Thousand Cherry Blossom City. Unfortunately, my grandfather is now impermanent. And although I left there, there was not a day that I didn't want to go back. ”

"Even if the road is long, one day you will be able to resist the place you want to go. Murong Ye said, "What's more, no matter how far away, I will accompany ......."

At this moment, the dust particles on the ground shook violently, and a chaotic and dull sound reached the ears, and the black and oppressive figures like the migration of cattle surged in the distance. The galloping monsters had the shape of hyenas, and the snow-white spine protruded from under the iron-blue fur, destroying the forest belt on the outskirts of the homeless camp in an instant, and then spreading outward like the veins of a river, and one of them was attacking the village where they were.

It's not good, the tide of demon beasts has broken out again after many years. Moreover, the bloodline of this demon beast comes from the Eclipse Dog, which has always been known for its ferocity and bloodthirstiness. Murong Ye turned around in confusion and hurriedly walked with the Nangong Huiyue Imperial Sword. For a while, the wind returned, and the sword body shook violently. Murong Ye thought about Huiyue's safety, so he had to put away his sword, kill the demon beast in front of him, and flee. But when they reached the high and dangerous place of the mountain, the demon beasts behind them were still chasing after them.

Huiyue's palms were slightly sweaty by Murong Ye's grip, and he stared at the demon beasts that were approaching step by step with his sword. And they were intimidated by Murong Ye's courageous momentum, and they all dared to step forward.

An extraordinarily large monster beast let out a low roar as it quietly approached Aetsuki and pounced on her from behind. Seeing this, Murong Ye secretly said that something was wrong, instinctively pulled her behind him, and pierced her head with the sword that stabbed him. At the same time, the rest of the demon beasts seized the opportunity to rush up, spreading their teeth and claws on the top of his head. However, I saw Murong Ye calmly turn around and throw his sword neatly.

The dancing blades flew back above the heads of the demon beasts with golden flames. When the sword sealed his throat, the blood that spurted out splashed down, and Murong Ye hurriedly protected Huiyue under his sleeve. I thought that this matter would be over here. Unexpectedly, at this time, those demon beasts at the foot of the mountain suddenly rushed out of the mountain and rushed forward.

Murong Ye stood there looking forward and backward, looking in a dilemma. Then he suddenly made up his mind and jumped firmly with Painted Moon in his arms. After the spine on his back slammed into the bulging rock on the side of the mountain, the two of them tumbled and fell into a cliff wrapped in thick fog. The demon beasts that caught up with them were immediately deterred, but the rubble falling from their claws was silent.