On the banks of the Anzhou River, the cold wind is like a knife, the snow is flying all over the sky, and all of them melt when they fall into the river, and they disappear silently with the river.

"The last time I saw snow in Anzhou, when everyone was there, no one thought that you would be gone so soon, and many years have passed, and now I am the only one left here to enjoy the snow." Helian Ming murmured in the face of the long river, and the brocade birds embroidered with the blue silk thread of the lake on his clothes were lifelike.

Jinluan, a beautiful luan bird that can only survive in the realm of the Hosdu Empire, is also a symbol of noble status, and non-princes are not allowed to wear it as a tattoo.

Who in the crowd of people who came and went would have thought that the daughter of an exotic merchant who amazed countless people in Anzhou City in the past would now be the high-ranking duke of the Hosdu Empire? Except for Helian Ming himself, no one had ever expected it so boldly.

This day should have belonged to Helian Ming and even Salang would not bother - no matter how important it was, only this day she wanted to spend quietly, for her, this day many years ago was the turning point in her life, and the beginning of the sad story she had seen.

Unfortunately, this important day of the year is destined to be peaceful.

"May I ask you, is your Excellency the Duke of Mugeta Lokiro? The emperor has something important to see you, and asks you to come with us. ”

Dressed in light armor and wearing official knives at his waist, six people who were obviously guards of the Ruijin Battalion in the palace surrounded Helian Ming, and politely accosted the first person, but his tone was tough and unresistible.

Helian Ming frowned lightly, and said indifferently: "I'm not going anywhere today, so if he wants to see him, he will come here in person." ”

The emperor's order is greater than the sky, who dares to refuse the order of the Yuan Emperor in the territory of Dayuan? The six guards had already received the order to bring Helian Ming back no matter what, seeing his arrogant attitude and rash mouth, after glancing at each other, Qi Qi pressed his hand on the hilt of the knife, and there was a little more threatening in his tone: "We are acting on the orders of the emperor, and we can't help ourselves, if there is any offense, I hope your Excellency will forgive me." ”

Knort.

Half an inch of the knife light out of the sheath.

As if he didn't feel the intimidation, Helian Ming looked back sideways at the tranquil river, and a trace of sadness slipped quietly in her bright eyes.

"I like Obuchi, there are mountains and rivers that I love, there are friends I love and I like, if I can, I hope to spend my life in Obuchi......"

The inexplicable words made the six guards puzzled, you look at me, I look at you, no one understands what the intention of the beautiful woman to take away is, so he wants to reiterate the "invitation", and the cold and desolate sigh echoes lowly, and it has been tied to the bottom of people's hearts.

"It's a pity that I am the daughter of the Mugeta family, and I am destined to be the enemy of the Great Abyss."

As soon as the words fell, the heart-wrenching and intoxicating sigh had not yet dissipated, and suddenly a loud shout shattered the poetic picture composed of beautiful women, and a group of Hosdu soldiers with scimitars in their hands appeared in front of the panicked guards under the leadership of Mugta Salang.

"The Emperor of the Yuan Kingdom wants to instruct someone to assassinate my Duke Hosdu, and everyone has obtained the stolen goods, see how you can deny it! Come on, take these people down and detain them for me, and I will inform Your Majesty to question the Emperor of Yuanguo! ”

Rao is the best of the carefully selected from the Praetorian Guard, how can the six guards be better than a group of tall and powerful Hostu soldiers? However, in the blink of an eye, the guards with Wen Jingyuan's holy decree became destitute captives, and were escorted away by the Hostur soldiers shouting and scolding.

"Kira, let's go, it's cold by the river." Salang, who was dressed in a tight sleeve suit, looked full of energy, shrewd and wise instead of a plain and lazy expression, only the pity in his eyes remained unchanged.

Helian Ming did not move, his eyes still fixed on the river.

"Cousin, do you like Anzhou?"

"Anzhou...... Fortunately, it is rich and prosperous, and business and travel are endless, and it is more lively than our national capital. ”

"I love Anzhou, very, very much." A faint wry smile condensed at the corner of Helian Ming's lips. Ping stretched out his palm, and a few snowflakes fell on the palm of his fingertips, Helian Ming felt an insignificant coolness, and his eyes became more and more sad: "I have lived in Anzhou for so many years, the food I like, the shops I like, and the people I like...... The things I love are here, but I have to turn my back on them and bring the flames of war to destroy them. Cousin, maybe after a war, Anzhou will be gone, so what about my heart? Nothing but pain, there will be no other ......"

Salang took a deep breath, turned into a silent sigh in the snow, and looked up, the blue sky did not even have a lone goose, it was extremely empty.

"Kira, this shouldn't be a burden on your shoulders. If one day you are tired and want to give up, my cousin will definitely support you to the end - the Mugeta family has been bound, if you want to be free, I am willing to give everything to open this cage of eternal light for you. The broad and warm palm tried to give comfort, but Helian Ming couldn't hide from it, Salang was stunned, and then smiled bitterly, "You...... It's getting more and more like a worry. ”

※※※

"It's the first time I've come to Monan, and I've never shown up in Demon Mountain before, so you probably recognized the wrong person, right?"

When he stood in front of the wooden house and the person he wanted to find, he was suddenly panicked by the angry question.

Of course, she knew that she had never been to Monan, let alone made a ridiculous ten-year covenant, but this affirmation was limited to her "herself", and did not include another person with whom it is difficult to distinguish the relationship to this day, and who has a similar appearance and voice to her.

King of the Blue Lotus.

There was silence in the room for a long time, and after a while, a faint voice that couldn't even tell the age came from a whisper: "It's obviously you, stepping on so many herbs, even if you turn into ashes, you can recognize it!" Talking doesn't count, it's only been more than six years that you've been running around to make trouble, and you're not following the rules at all! ”

Six years, Qinglian King, these two words are always a little strange together.

Yan was inexplicably anxious, and his voice was slightly hoarse as he tried to suppress his emotions: "It's the old monster seniors who are talking? I don't know why my predecessors recognized the wrong person, but since I came here and happened to be imagining the old acquaintances of my predecessors, we still have some fate, and I hope my predecessors can-"

"Seniors, seniors, seniors...... Hehe, you haven't seen me, how do you know I'm your senior? It's really funny, while saying that Lao Tzu recognized the wrong person, and at the same time, he used this relationship to set almost, whose self-righteous woman, do you want to be shameless? ”

Carrying the reputation of the Qinglian King, Yan Liwu had heard many ugly insults, but this person's words without dirty words were more harsh than those foul words, and in an instant, Yan Liwu's face was red.

If someone else said this, Yan Liwu would definitely refute it sharply, but she is now in the Demon Mountain, the purpose is to save Wen Moshu from the ghost python strain, how can she blame the old monster who has mastered the mountain of strange medicines? Regardless of whether the person in the room who talked to her was an old monster or not, she still had to keep the least politeness.

Taking a deep breath, Yan Liwu suppressed all kinds of dissatisfaction and grievances, and his soft tone was soft and rigid: "Since Your Excellency doesn't like it, I won't say anything superfluous." I'm here to ask for a ghost python to save my loved ones, and I'm willing to give it a try no matter what problems your excellency has. ”

"Is the dearest person a man or a woman?"

"Male."

"But your relatives?"

"No, it's just that Pingshui met someone who treated me very well, and if it weren't for him, maybe I wouldn't be alive at all." Yan Li's eyebrows were lowered, and he didn't notice that his tone had softened for half a minute.

"In other words, you're going to save your benefactor?" There was a strange laugh in the room, like mockery and more like disdain, "He saves you, you save him, is it annoying to save him?" Don't say anything about breaking promises for a man, and pretend that you don't know anything and come to beg for medicine, I've never seen you so cheeky! ”

"As I said, it's my first time coming to Monan, and I've never made any promises here, so Your Excellency shouldn't impose your ideas on me."

The conversation seems to be back to square one, and Yan Liwu has a headache, trying to find a breakthrough to continue but has nothing to do. Looking back, the boy and Ding San were gone, and a few footprints on the empty flat ground were crooked, and there was still a faint wisp of medicinal herbs.

If it continues to be consumed like this, can she survive it, can Wen Mo Shu afford it?

Yan Li's heart throbbed, his palm lightly pressed against the door panel, and his tense shoulders slowly relaxed: "The person I want to save is very important to me, as long as I can get the ghost python strain, I am willing to pay any price." ”

There was silence in the room again.

Shaoqing, the voice that couldn't tell the age was much calmer: "The appearance is the same, but the personality is completely different!" The last time you came, you were also anxious, but you insisted on going back alive, and now you can even give up your life as a price? It's not interesting, it's not as interesting as the last time I came. ”

Yan Li was slightly stunned, and almost subconsciously retorted: "My life doesn't count, I have to go back alive!" This doesn't need to be explained at all, right? ”

“…… I said, how can you climb the pole so well! The stalemate atmosphere was shattered by Yan Liwu's words, there was a noise in the room, and the voice of the angry humming was getting closer and closer, "If you don't count, you have to take my things for nothing, is there an unreasonable person like you?" There should be a limit to bullying, right? That's why I hate you the most! ”

Squeak –

The wooden door that cut off hope suddenly opened.

If you can see the old monster, it means that there is still hope, right? Yan Li's breath was stagnant, and he looked straight into the room with happy eyes, but he only saw the layout and furnishings in the room, but there was no human figure.

Yan Liwu was completely stunned.

No one? Who was she talking to just now? Who opened the door? Ghosts?

"Again! Last time! You're doing it on purpose, right?! Deliberately ignore it to humiliate Lao Tzu?! ”

A roar of rage was close to her ear, and she looked down in disbelief, and finally saw the person standing in front of her—the person was not as tall as her, and was completely out of the line of sight, how could she see it at first sight!

Holding back a smile and showing a strange expression, Yan Liwu supported his knees with his hands and bowed slightly, his eyes were full of incredulity and curiosity: "You are the old monster?" ”

The man was not tall, with a full beard, and his beard was thick and black, but his skin was as white and shiny as snow, and he looked very funny. Seeing that there was a smile in his eyes, the man's tone was even more annoyed: "It's Lao Tzu!" Haven't you seen it? I laughed all day last time, how are you going to do this time, do you want to laugh for a year? Laugh and laugh and laugh to death you best! ”

It can't be a child with such a face, most of them are dwarfism or the like, but it's a pity that no matter how you look at it, you can't tell the approximate age of the old monster, and after thinking about it, you still use honorifics.

"I didn't mean to laugh at Your Excellency, but I was just amazed. In fact, I heard a lot of rumors before I came, and I thought that the old monster would be a fierce and strange old man, but I didn't expect it to be...... But it's such an interesting person......"

"Then you're still laughing! What's so interesting?! ”

The old monster was so angry that he almost jumped to his feet, and the anger spread on his white face, which was covered by his beard, and soon turned red.

Such an encounter was really incredible, and Yan Liwu felt like she was in a ridiculous drama, but she didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, until the old monster pulled his neck and stared at him with round eyes and asked again, and then she realized that she had fallen into a big pit.

"Lao Tzu doesn't care so much, anyway, don't want to deny it - last time you said it yourself, if you step into the Demon Mountain half a step in ten years, you will always stay in the Demon Mountain to accompany Lao Tzu to grow medicine!"