The days outside the city passed quickly, five or six days had passed in a blink of an eye, the prosperity of the flowers on the laurel tree had become the gradual withering now, Lu Bo had already returned home, and now they should also leave, Ling Xiao still did not forget to pick some cinnamon with flower branches and went back, and Yu Niang loaded two in the carriage

The petals of the bamboo basket are ready to be dried and used as pastries in the future. Ling Xiao's horse can be regarded as having learned, and when he went back this time, he rode with Lu Jingxing and them. It was not until the gate of the city, seeing that the number of people was gradually increasing, that he got into the carriage.

Ling Xiao returned to the mansion with a faint sense of belonging, which made her feel strange.

After coming back, she still put the practice of martial arts in the first place, and it didn't take long for her to master the first style of that set of swordsmanship, and at this time it was also the Double Ninth Festival, the leaves on the trees fell more, and it looked a little bleak, and the autumn chrysanthemum in the garden was in full bloom, the wind blew, and a slightly bitter fragrance was very pleasant.

After Ling Xiao finished practicing his sword, he stood in this corridor, looking at the autumn chrysanthemums in the garden like a golden carpet, and at this time Lu Ci ran over excitedly: "Let me tell you a good news, there are sacrificial activities in the city today, but it is lively, do you want to go and see it?" ”

"You like it, you go and see it, I'm not much interested." Ling Xiao said, leaned over and gently plucked an autumn chrysanthemum in his hand and admired it.

Lu Ci still didn't give up: "This is the only time a year that there are only a few such grand sacrificial activities, wouldn't it be a pity if you didn't go." ”

Ling Xiao glanced at him: "Didn't you say it a few times?" It doesn't matter this time, right, you can go yourself. ”

"I'm going alone, it's so boring." Lu Ci said.

"There are so many people in the house, you can let Lu Jingxing accompany you." Ling Xiao is a person who doesn't like to be lively, she listened to him last time, but she encountered something like that in the teahouse, and she didn't want to listen to him anymore this time.

"If you don't go, the lord of the house won't go, you just go, it's crowded." Lu Ci blinked a few times with expectant eyes.

"Boring." After Ling Xiao finished speaking, he stuffed the autumn chrysanthemum into Lu Ci's hand, and walked towards Lu Jingxing's study without looking back, Lu Ci followed behind and still kept persuading.

When Ling Xiao walked to the door, he bumped into Lu Jingxing, and Ling Xiao saw that he was going out like this.

"I was just about to look for you, you came just in time, go for a walk on the street." Lu Jingxing smiled lightly.

"Mansion master, why didn't you say you were going to take her out earlier, so that I don't have to talk for a long time." As soon as Lu Ci heard Lu Jingxing's words, he complained beside him.

"I don't want to go." Ling Xiao still didn't want to join in the excitement.

In fact, Lu Jingxing also didn't like to join in such a lively scene, just because he saw that Ling Xiao had been nesting in the mansion every day since he came back, and wanted to take her out for a walk: "It's not good to be bored in the mansion every day, it doesn't help the improvement of martial arts."

Lu Jingxing continued to walk out, Ling Xiao heard him say this, he didn't refuse again, Lu Ci saw that Ling Xiao acquiesced, and teased: "It seems that you still only listen to the lord of the mansion." I say no amount of more. ”

Ling Xiao glanced at him: "I'm right about things and not about people." ”

Lu Ci played with Qiu Ju in his hand and smiled playfully: "Really? ”

Ling Xiao didn't bother to pay attention to him, and walked out side by side with Lu Jingxing, and Lu Ci quickened his pace to follow.

During the Double Ninth Festival, the streets are also particularly lively, with people coming and going, rubbing shoulders one after another, and noisy people. Ling Xiao followed closely by Lu Jingxing's side, worried that she and Lu Jingxing would be scattered by the crowd, although she knew the way home, but in the face of so many people on the street, she was still not very comfortable.

The festival was set up in the middle of the city, and it officially began at three o'clock in the afternoon, and it was still early. The three of them wandered the street for half an hour, and then entered a restaurant in the city, not far from the altar. Xiao Er greeted the three of them to a private room on the second floor by the outer street, and through the carved window, you can clearly see the love on the entire altar

Scenery.

Under the nine-storey high platform is now crowded with people, open into yin, an altar faces north and is set in the center of the platform, in front of the altar stands a three-legged huge copper tripod carved with tiger stripes, the fire is burning in the ding, the flame soars to the sky, and it is more imposing under the autumn sun. In the northeast corner of the altar is a sundial, which is now a small shadow

It was not far from pointing to three o'clock in the afternoon. Newly lacquered carved balustrades are set around the altar, and various colored banners are inserted on them, and the flags are painted with incomprehensible patterns, which are now fluttering in the wind. A red carpet extends from the bottom of the stage to the altar through stone steps, and the pods are placed in the middle of the red carpet behind the altar, on both sides of the red carpet

Two shirtless drummers with red hammers were already standing next to the two drums, sweating profusely under the double blows of the sun and the fire. On both sides of the stone steps stood two teams of sword-wielding guards.

The three of them ordered some dishes, and Xiao Er went out. Lu Ci looked at the altar through the carved window, and then sat down: "There is still a while before the sacrificial ceremony begins, you can see how lively it is, it's not in vain." ”

"It's hilarious." Ling Xiao knew that the ancients attached great importance to such sacrifices, and on the occasion of the autumn harvest, people used this way to worship heaven and earth, to express their inner joy, and also to pray for good weather and the happiness of their families in the coming year.

Before the dishes they ordered were ready, they heard a rapid drum beat, Lu Jingxing sat there as if nothing had happened, Ling Xiao had never seen the ancients sacrifice to the sky, so he couldn't help but be curious, turned his head and looked at it a few times, while Lu Ci left the soft seat directly and leaned on another window to watch.

The people watching from the audience were divided into two groups of officers and soldiers to form a road, and a group of people came slowly, led by a city guard uniform, with a tall figure and steady steps. He was followed by two priests dressed in fancy costumes, holding scepters with strings of nine beads, followed by the curtain and attendants.

A group of people walked through the nine-story platform, the city guard knelt on the top of the altar, the attendants stood around the edge of the altar, and the curtain man said a sacrifice to the people in front of the audience, and then the drum sounded again, and the sacrifice was officially started. At this time, the audience was unusually quiet, and the people were engrossed in staring at the scene on the stage, and the stage was

The drums shook the heavens, and two priests danced in front of the altar with their scepters, reciting strange scriptures in their mouths. Ling Xiao felt the heat for them from afar, such a raging fire was baking, and he had to use all his strength to dance there, Ling Xiao looked at it for a while, he really couldn't stand it, and turned around to eat the food

, and Lu Ci is looking at it with interest.

Lu Jingxing saw Ling Xiao turn around and asked, "Is it good-looking?" ”

Ling Xiao shook his head: "Boring, I'm curious if they're hot or not." ”

Her words made Lu Jingxing laugh: "You are really funny sometimes." ”

"Don't talk about that, eat." Ling Xiao said.

Ling Xiao and Lu Jingxing finished eating, the drumming was getting slower and slower, and the sacrifice was coming to an end. ”

Ling Xiao said helplessly: "Seeing that you are so interested, I can't bear to disturb your Yaxing." ”

Lu Jingxing took the teacup and sniffed it under his nose, and said, "I've read it too, eat it quickly, and leave after eating." ”

The drumming outside the window stopped, the ritual finally came to an end, and the people in the audience gradually dispersed, leaving only a few miscellaneous servants on the stage to pack up the utensils, and the fire in the bronze tripod will burn all day today.

After Lu Ci finished eating, the three of them left the restaurant, and the people on the street did not decrease due to the end of the sacrifice, and they were still the same as when they came. After all, it's a holiday, and it's normal for people to come to the street to collect things more than usual. But something abnormal happened, Ling Xiao was answering the words of the landing speech, but as soon as he looked up, he actually

Seeing the figure of Yanlingzhan in the crowd, Ling Xiao was so shocked that she couldn't care about Lu Jingxing, who was walking a little in front of her, and hid directly in the room closest to her on the side of the street. But what she didn't know was that Yan Lingzhan saw her figure, just for a moment

Then there was no trace.

Yan Lingzhan instantly seemed to go crazy, his eyes quickly scanned one woman after another, Xiao Ye saw his abnormality: "Son, what's wrong?" ”

Yan Lingzhan's tone was a little excited: "I seem to have seen Nan'er." ”

After hearing this, Xiao Ye looked around, and then comforted: "Childe, I'm afraid that I'm overthinking, I'm dazzled." ”

Yan Lingzhan's tone changed from excitement to a faint sadness of loss: "Maybe, where are you?" It's been a hard time looking for you these past few months. ”

As he was talking, Lu Jingxing walked past him, and Lu Jingxing heard his words clearly. Lu Jingxing also understood why Ling Xiao suddenly disappeared, and at this moment, he and Lu Ci were also looking for Ling Xiao separately.

At this moment, Ling Xiao was in a casino, she didn't pay attention to what kind of place this was when she came in, and when she came back to her senses, she saw the surrounding environment clearly, the room was mixed, noisy, full of four or five sounds such as the sound of dice crashing, the shouts of gamblers, etc., a mixture of four or five sounds, a dozen people gathered, a total of seven or eight tables

。 This kind of casino Ling Xiao has been seen a lot in modern times, you must know that many of the contracts she signed were won in the casino, but there were bodyguards at the time, and now she is the only one.

Ling Xiao knew that the more chaotic the place, the easier it was to cause trouble, and now that Yan Lingzhan was also gone, she wanted to leave quickly while others hadn't noticed her.

Before she could reach the door, a woman grabbed her hand and cried with a begging voice: "Girl, help me, I don't want to learn how to gamble here, and help them make money by tricks." ”

Ling Xiao heard the sound and glanced at it, it was a woman of the same age as her, wearing a cloth dress with blood marks from a few whips, looking delicate, crying pear blossoms and rain.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you." Ling Xiao withdrew his hand from her hand, and at this time, the two men who had chased the woman down from the upper floor were coming this way.

Ling Xiao was about to leave, when the woman hugged her leg: "Girl, save me, my mother is still sick in bed and needs to be taken care of." ”

Ling Xiao didn't like to be nosy, but when she heard the second half of what she said, she was moved.

"You get up first." Ling Xiao helped her up, and the two men had already approached: "Why don't you run?" ”

The woman hid behind Ling Xiao, Ling Xiao could feel the woman trembling, and tilted her head slightly and said to her, "Don't be afraid, be calm." ”

Ling Xiao doesn't have a backache when she stands and talks, she has experienced a lot, and she doesn't care about such a scene, but people are different, she is still a little girl who has never been in the world, of course she will be afraid of such a scene.