The dense foliage covers the entire forest, and the sunlight tries to block through the layers, and only a few beams of light can finally be projected onto the ground.

A stream jumped merrily along a winding ditch, and a few paces away a small bonfire was thriving, on which a sizzling boar cub was set up and gave off an alluring aroma.

Xu Jin cut off a small piece of meat and threw it into his mouth, chewing it contentedly. This way to the south, because I was worried that there would be pursuers to arrest me, so I tried to choose to cross the mountains and mountains as much as possible, and did not take the main road of the town.

However, there are also benefits in the mountains and forests, and with his hunting skills, he has never worried about food.

Black Thunder, who had been leisurely nibbling on the tender moss, suddenly flapped his ears and raised his head vigilantly to stare at the other side of the stream. Black Thunder's reaction aroused Xu Jin's vigilance, and he gently grabbed the bow beside him in his hand and squatted on the ground, the arrow had already been wound, and he was fully prepared to deal with any situation.

"Don't ...... Don't be nervous," a voice came from the bushes on the other side of the creek, and at the same time, a smooth and shiny head slowly emerged, "The little monk is the foot monk of the dervishes, don't let go of the arrow!" ”

A young monk slowly stood up from the grass. The grade should be about the same as Xu Jin, with a lean body, a pair of thick black eight-character eyebrows are still conspicuous on the bare face, and the smiling eyes reveal the unique kind atmosphere of the monks.

The monk wore a plain black shirt that had been washed white, and the shoulders and sleeves were patched with different colors; He was tied around his waist, his arms and calves were wrapped in dirty straps, his feet were covered with a pair of old straw sandals, a string of shiny Buddhist beads hung from his slender neck, and he carried an old cage.

The monk saluted Xu Jin with his hands folded, but a black iron rod leaning on his chest caught Xu Jin's attention. The iron rod was more than a man long, and the ends were wrapped in neatly arranged subway teeth, which was obviously not an ordinary pestle used by the walking monks, but a well-crafted weapon.

"Why is the monk in such a barren mountain range?" Xu Jin didn't let his guard down, "I still have such a weapon." ”

"Now the world of the Great Wei is not peaceful, the little monk swims in the square, and he has to carry weapons as a last resort, also for self-defense."

"Are you a monk who practices martial arts?"

"Since I was a child, I learned some stick kung fu with my master, and if I encounter a robber or something, it is enough to protect myself."

"What are you doing in the mountains? I didn't see what a temple looks like here. ”

"The little monk originally came to this mountain to look for something, but he didn't expect to get lost. After two days, I only ate a few wild fruits to satisfy my hunger, and when I was begging the Buddha to guide my disciples, I suddenly smelled the aroma of barbecued meat, and I followed the smell all the way. The monk couldn't help but swallow his saliva, "I see that the donor is roasting well, can you give a mouthful to the little monk?" ”

"You've got a pretty smart nose." Xu Jin muttered, slowly relaxing the bowstring in his hand, "It should be enough for the two of us to eat, come here." ”

The monk crossed the stream with one stride and sat down happily in front of the campfire.

Xu Jin tore off one of his hind legs and handed it to the monk, who took it with both hands, thanked him, and couldn't wait to start gobbling it up.

In a short time, the little boar was put into the belly of the two of them. The monk propped his hands behind his back, straightened up, and let out a loud hiccup. Xu Jin handed over the water bag again, and the monk took it and poured a few sips, "Ah......" exhaled happily.

After handing the water bag back to Xu Jin, the monk wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said, "Ah! Thanks to the Buddha, the disciple came back to life. ”

"Thank you Buddha? You should be thankful for me! Xu Jin quipped.

The monk knelt down straight, straightened his clothes, folded his hands together, and solemnly bowed to Xu Jin, "Nan Wu Amitabha, thank you to the donor." It must be the arrangement of the Buddha, so that the little monk is fortunate to meet the donor at the moment of crisis. If the benefactor has a good heart, he will ascend to bliss in the future......"

"Haha, okay, don't be polite," Xu Jinle said he, "They are all people who have traveled abroad, and being able to eat the same meal is fate. ”

Xu Jin got up to extinguish the bonfire, filled the water bag by the stream, and then asked the monk, "By the way, what are you looking for in this mountain?" ”

"The little monk is here to find the bandits hiding here."

"Bandits?" Xu Jin was obviously a little surprised, "You are a monk, what are you looking for a bandit?" ”

"A few days ago, the little monk was infected with wind evil, and when passing through a village outside the mountains and forests, he was physically exhausted and fell ill on the side of the road, but fortunately I was rescued by the villagers and let me stay in the village to recuperate. But while I was in bed, a dozen thieves attacked the village, robbed it of a lot of food, and robbed a family of girls who had been told that she was about to get married. The little monk didn't even have the strength to get up at that time, so he could only watch this group of thieves do evil. Now that the illness has recovered and he has regained his strength, he wants to go into the mountains to find these bandits, and if the girl is still alive, at least he wants to save her home. ”

"You dare to go to the bandits alone?" Xu Jin couldn't laugh or cry, "I really don't know if you are brave or stupid." ”

"I guess it's stupid. At that time, I asked the village chief, and learned that the thief was hiding in this mountain, and as soon as his mind was hot, he entered the mountain. The monk had an embarrassed smile on his face.

"What about finding them? Not to mention whether the girl is still alive or not, are you sure you will be able to save her? Don't risk your life. ”

If it weren't for those villagers, the little monk would have died on the side of the road. Watching these good people suffer makes me feel at ease. The monk looked at the black iron rod in his hand, "When you find those wicked people, even if you risk your life, you have to teach them a lesson." ”

Seeing that the monk looked determined, Xu Jin sighed, "This mountain and forest are very big, you can't find a way like this." I should know where these bandits are, though. ”

The monk's eyes widened, "How would you know?" ”

"There is a very hidden valley to the north from here, I chased the prey yesterday and inadvertently entered the valley, but found that there was a cottage in the depths, and there was a watchtower sentry, I guessed that it was a bandit, and I was afraid of causing unnecessary trouble, so I quietly left."

"It's much easier to find the direction if you know the direction, so the little monk will leave, thank you for the help of the donor, and I hope to see you again in the future."

"If you really go alone, I don't think we'll have a chance to see each other again." Xu Jin called Hui Ze, who was carrying the cage, "I'll go with you, and take care of each other, at least we have to escape alive." ”

"How dare you let the donor take risks! This is the little monk's own decision, in case it affects the donor, it is really a great sin! ”

"I can take care of myself, don't worry." Xu Jin held the red refining gun in his hand, "I am also a person who is jealous and hateful, and I can't see such evil deeds." ”

Xu Jin led the black thunder, the monk followed, and the two of them rode towards the mountains and forests in the north.

"My name is Xu Jin, what do you call it?"

"The little monk's name is Huize."

"Seeing that you are not very old, why don't you practice in the temple, but you become a foot monk alone?"

"I picked it up by my master, Zen Master Huiming, on the side of the road, so I've been following him around for as long as I can remember. The master said that Buddhism is not limited to scriptures, and everything in the world has Buddhism, so we should not sit in the temple, but should feel and comprehend the mystery of Buddhism in the heaven and earth. ”

"What about your master?"

"I passed away a year ago. But I'm used to the life of walking and I like this kind of freedom, so after taking care of the master's funeral, I continued on the road alone. ”

"You're pretty special with this iron rod, I'd love to see how you use it."

"This stick was left by the master, I have been practicing with the master since I was a child, and I prefer to practice the stick method rather than chanting the scriptures. But when it comes to use, it's best not to use it unless it's a last resort. ”

"Not really? So what did you learn to do? Xu Jin asked in surprise.

Hui Ze had a somewhat embarrassed smile on his face, and said in a low voice, "This stick method was created by the master himself, I always feel that it is too fierce, and it is not very suitable for monks......

"Oh? Why? ”

"A few years ago, a group of rebels stormed the temple where my master and I were on a list, looted and killed the abbot and many monks. It's also the first time I've seen that a master who was originally kind and kind can have such a violent side......" Hui Ze's voice gradually deepened.

"Your master is so amazing!" Xu Jin was the opposite of Hui Ze, and his excitement jumped out, "Fighting against the thieves alone, what a hero!" ”

"But the master never allowed me to use this stick technique." Hui Ze touched his bare head, "The master said that until I find a reason to wield a stick, I can't use this stick method for my own selfish gain." But I think that's a good reason to save the villagers who saved me. ”

"I've also been practicing martial arts with my father since I was a child, and if I have the chance, I really want to have a fight with you."

"It's time to tell me about you, why are you alone in this mountain?" Hui Ze pointed to the red refining spear in Xu Jin's hand, "With such a weapon, don't say you're just a farmer or a hunter, right?" ”

"My family was originally a town in Huaishuo, and this is my father's relic......"

The two chatted as they walked, and traveled several miles north on the mountain road. It was getting darker, and it was evening, and the birds were noisily flying back into the woods, perched on their branches.

Xu Jin stopped, letting Hei Lei stay where he was, and then beckoned to Hui Ze, signaling him to follow him. The two trotted forward for more than ten steps, and following the direction of Xu Jin's finger, Hui Ze saw that under the careful cover of the grass and trees, a narrow valley was quietly hidden there.

The two of them quickly ran towards Taniguchi. The mouth of the valley was narrow, only large enough for two or three people to pass side by side, and after a careful walk into it for some distance, it became a little wider. Not far away, a walled wall made of trees and stones connects the cliffs on both sides, sealing the valley tightly, the only gate that can pass through is closed, and on the watchtower of the wall, you can see that there are sentinels on duty. The two crouched behind a stone that was only big enough to hide their figures, and Xu Jin said to Hui Ze, who was slightly nervous, "It seems that we have to climb over the wall and go in, I'll open the way, you have to follow!" With that, he held the bow and arrow in his hand and prepared to shoot the watchtower to the sentry. Hui Ze swallowed, nodded quickly, and then grabbed the edge of the stone and quietly looked in the direction of the watchtower.

Xu Jin quickly stood up from behind the stone, and the full string of bows and arrows was aimed at the target in an instant. Just as the arrow was about to leave the string, Hui Ze suddenly pulled down Xu Jin's hand that pulled the bow.

"What are you doing?" Xu Jin glared at Hui Ze with some annoyance.

"Something is wrong, why is the Sentinel a child?" Hui Ze's eyes also widened, and his face was full of surprise.

But the sentry apparently also spotted Xu Jin who was getting up, and a rapid gong sound suddenly resounded through the valley.

Xu Jin looked over, and the sentry was indeed a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy, who was shouting loudly in the direction where they were hiding at the moment, and the gate of the village opened, and more than ten people poured out of it, rushing towards this side.

"Now we have to break in!" Xu Jin picked up the bow and held the gun tightly in his hand.

"Wait! Are we looking for the wrong thing, are these really those bandits? ”

"It's not a bandit, why hide in such a valley?"

"But that's a kid, we should find out what's going on!"

Xu Jin didn't continue arguing, because they were already surrounded by the group of people who rushed over.

The two of them quickly jumped up, set up their weapons and stood side by side, and the people who surrounded them also aimed their weapons at them.

In the tense confrontation between the two sides, the two also saw the appearance of the group of people surrounding them.

It is more appropriate to say that they are not so much bandits as peasants. Spears and pitchforks were weapons in their hands, along with a shovel; Dressed in thin, shabby clothes, half of them were barefoot. Although the number was superior, there was uneasiness and fear in his eyes.

"Who are these people? It's not like a bandit. Xu Jin slowly lowered the tip of the spear.

"I said I had to figure it out first, no matter how I look at them, they can't be thieves." Hui Ze put away the iron rod, as if relieved.

Passing through the walled gate, the space inside suddenly opened up a lot. There are some simple thatched huts built around the ground. Surrounded by spears and spears in the hands of the group, they made their way to the largest house inside.

Along the way, Xu Jin and Hui Ze did not see thieves who were full of anger and fierce appearance, but some old people, children and women, looking at them with fearful eyes.

The largest house was built of stone and earth, covered with thick thatch, and the lobby was lit up, but it was not bright. The men sat and stood around the hall, talking to each other; Women and children huddled in the doorway, whispering conversations.

Directly opposite the innermost side of the hall door, a thin old man sat on a straw mat, and beside him stood a tall man.

Hui Ze raised his eyes and saw this tall man, his face immediately sank, his brows were upside down, and he pointed with his hand, "It's him!" The one who took the lead in looting the village! ”

Xu Jin's gaze followed, and he saw that the man was burly, his face was covered with a stubby beard, a long scar was deeply embedded in the left cheek, and his thick hair was tied up like a handful of straws, and the whole person was full of fierceness.

"It turned out to be that sick little monk, I remember you, crawling on the ground, and trying to grab my feet." The man smiled and said, "What are you doing here?" We don't need to ask you to recite the scriptures. ”

"I didn't expect you to be really bandits!" Hui Ze looked around and recognized several young men who were looting together. "What about the girl you snatched? Originally, she was going to get married, if you still have a trace of humanity, let me take her back! ”

"She's alive well here," the man laughed, "but she's married, so she's married to me." ”

"You bastard!" Xu Jin gritted his teeth, his eyes felt like he was about to erupt into fire.

"Little brother, don't be impulsive." The man said unhurriedly, "I didn't force her, I don't believe it, I asked her to come, you ask face to face, if she is willing to go back with you, I will not stop her." ”

In a few moments, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years of age stood in front of them.

Although he was wearing coarse cloth clothes, his hair was combed neatly as much as possible, and his face was fair and delicate, but he looked a little lacking in blood. The body hidden under the clothes was trembling slightly, and the bright eyes showed a look of fear.

"Don't be afraid, girl," Meize tried to keep her voice soft, "we're here to take you home." ”

But the girl jumped up like a frightened fawn, "Go home?" No! I don't want to go back! And quickly hid behind the man's back.

The man wrapped the girl's hands in his arms and softly soothed her emotions, his eyes full of tenderness that did not match his.

After the girl gradually settled down, the man turned to Xu Jin and Hui Ze, who were stunned.

"How? I didn't force her to stay. ”

"No... No, she was robbed by you, why... How could it be ......" Hui Ze was a little incoherent.

"You little monk, you didn't understand the situation and came to ask for someone, do you think you are doing a good deed?" The man shouted.

"What the hell is going on?" The situation in front of him made Xu Jin confused.

The man looked at the two dazed young men in front of him, and sighed softly, "This girl's father and mother died a long time ago, and that family just adopted her." But she was completely a slave in that family, and she was often beaten and scolded, and the son of that family saw that the girl was handsome, and wanted to be rude several times, if she hadn't resisted vigorously, I am afraid that she would have been ruined. What you call marriage is actually being sold to the White Rakshasa ”

"White Rakshasa? Is it a human or a ghost? Xu Jin's eyes widened and he asked puzzled.

"You're not local, are you? That's definitely not going to be known. The man's face darkened, "White Rakshasa's real name is Gu Zong Yin. This Gu family is a local wealthy family, and the land in this area belongs to his family. Any girl who is favored by him will spend some money to buy it, and there are dozens of people who have been harmed by him in the past few years. If he is a human or a ghost, I think he is more like a ghost. It is said that none of the girls he bought survived......"

"Could it be that he wants to eat people?"

"Then who knows, anyway, the girl he took away was never seen again, disappeared without a trace, as for what happened, there are only all kinds of weird and terrifying rumors......"

"Since it was sold to the White Rakshasa, why wasn't this girl taken away?"

"After the white rakshasa bought the girl, he would send all kinds of delicacies and delicacies, and leave them in the original house for a month, and after a month, when the girl was healthy and ruddy, he would come and take them away. Count the days, almost these days, it's time for the White Rakshasa to pick up this girl. ”

"In other words, when you entered the village, this girl was still kept at home?"

The man nodded, "This girl was crying and begging me to save her, and I saw that she was so pitiful, so I brought her back." ”

"Why did you sell him when you knew it would die?" Xu Jin asked angrily and puzzled.

"Do you dare not sell it to him?" A trace of sadness flashed in the depths of the man's eyes, "In this situation, it is not easy to feed every mouth in the family, and it is possible to exchange a mouth for food in exchange for a sum of money, maybe many people are actually willing in their hearts......"

"I.e. ... Even so," Hui Ze finally came back to his senses at this moment, "you have always looted the village......"

"We have no choice but to do so!" The man decisively interrupted Hui Ze's words, "We want to live!" ”

"But the other villagers have to live! In order to survive for yourself, can you go and steal other people's food? Hui Ze argued with the man.

"What do you monks know?" The man stepped in front of Hui Ze in a few steps, glared at his eyes and said loudly, "Years of natural disasters, the imperial court has also expropriated and extorted, making the people's lives miserable, if you want to say evil, this is a monstrous evil!" We were so overwhelmed that we took refuge in the mountains. First of all, I want to ensure the survival of my people, and I can't care about the lives of others! ”

Hui Ze still wanted to argue, but the old man who had been silent on the straw mat suddenly interjected, "Enough, don't argue." ”

The old man leaned on one of his knees and tried to stand up, but the man immediately ran over to help him, "Dad, slow down." ”

The old man stood up, straightened his waist, walked a few steps towards Hui Ze and Xu Jin, and asked, "When he brought people into the village, did he ever kill people?" ”

"A few villagers were injured when they resisted, but no one was killed." Hui Ze shook his head.

"And he snatched this girl back?" The old man asked again.

Hui Ze was silent for a while, then shook his head again.

"The world is difficult, who doesn't want to have a peaceful birthday, things like this, in today's world of Great Wei, there are more, how much can you manage?"

The old man's withered face was covered with dense wrinkles and patches, as if he was pouring out his difficult past. He looked at the two of them with yellow eyes and muttered, "You are both young, and with your enthusiasm, you think you are doing righteous things, but how can you easily distinguish between good and evil in this world?" They go out to grab food so that their people can live, and for us this is good; For other villagers, the food they have worked hard for is robbed, and this is evil. The old man pointed to the girl who was hiding in the corner, "Besides, this girl, if we don't bring her back, she will surely die, this is a good deed; What the original people did to her, and finally sold it to the White Rakshasa, isn't this an evil deed? ”

The old man turned to Hui Ze, "Monk, you are a cultivator, you say, who is good and who is evil?" ”

The two were speechless.

The old man waved his hand weakly, "Let's go, if we don't tell others where we are in the mountains, our whole clan will be grateful." ”

In a trance, the two left the cottage. Out of the valley, Hei Lei ran towards them from a distance, gently rubbing Xu Jin's head with his nose.

The night in the mountains and forests was thick and oppressive, there was not even a trace of wind, and there was silence all around, only the slight sound of their footsteps.

Maybe it was too dark at night, and Hui Ze suddenly stepped into the air and fell into a small dirt ditch. Xu Jin hurriedly jumped in and helped Hui Ze up, "Let's rest and rest, and wait for dawn before leaving." ”

Behind a boulder, Xu promoted a small bonfire. Hui Ze sat cross-legged in front of the fire, his eyes staring straight at the flames, still silent.

Xu Jin called softly a few times, and Hui Ze raised his eyelids and looked at Xu Jin with a dull look.

"What are you going to do tomorrow, do you want to go back to that village?" Xu Jin asked.

"Jin, is this really indistinguishable between good and evil?" Hui Ze asked in a muttered voice.

"I don't understand, just like I avenged my father, the enemy is out of Lianyan, but in order to kill him, I have to kill all the people around him, you say, have I also become a wicked person?"

“…………”

"I think maybe sometimes, some evil is actually necessary."

"Is it necessary...... Hui Ze lowered his head and muttered for a long time, slowly raised his head, and his eyes gradually regained their luster, "I will go back to the village tomorrow, after all, I have been taken care of by the villagers, I can't just walk away." ”

"What do you say when the villagers ask about the girl and the bandits?"

"All I can say is that I didn't find it, but I still have to go back and repay it."

Xu Jin smiled and said, "You are a poor monk, what can you repay?" ”

"At least I can pray for them......"