From the medicine village to the smoke city, Ye Fu walked for half a month.

I finally understood the meaning of ancient straw sandals.

Ye Fu's baggage was only filled with pastries and clothes from the past, and now a pair of cloth shoes are always available, double-layered, durable and more wear-resistant!

Judging from the map, Xuncheng is not the center of Mochizuki County, but is located in the western border, which is more remote than the village of Pounding Medicine, close to the province of Shu.

In other words, if you come out of the mountains in the western part of the country, you can go straight to Mochizuki-gun.

The gate of the city is very tightly guarded, and the moat is the boundary, Ye Fu can not break through, and he rests in the tea shop outside.

Looking at the past from afar, the wooden buildings on the smoked city are towering into the clouds, the sky is full of black and dark clouds, mysterious and weird, there are black hunting flags fluttering in the wind, adding a bit of solemn atmosphere.

In late spring and early summer, the wind blows non-stop, the flowers are hidden in the greenery, and the night darkens.

Ye Fu thinks he is not superstitious, and studies countermeasures in the backyard of the inn.

A pool was brought in from the inn, and it circled the courtyard and became a landscape.

A circle of pools was set up with wooden planks, and at night, by the light, walking on the wooden bridge rattled.

Ye Fu pushed open the door, carried the lantern to illuminate, walked to the center of the courtyard, and glimpsed the black and swarthy figure inside, as if with a hat, silent, sitting on a low stool.

If it weren't for the upright figure of the person, Ye Fu would have thought it was a bear.

"It's so late, and the gentleman doesn't sleep, what are you doing here?"

The man did not speak.

Ye Fu walked over and saw a wooden pole sticking out from under the man's robe, and a narrow-mouthed bamboo basket was placed next to it.

"You're fishing?"

"Hmm." The man finally spoke, though his tone was faint and he couldn't hear any emotion.

"How can you see clearly at night?"

"I can't see clearly."

"Well......" Ye Fu also pulled a stool and sat down, wanting to light up for someone, but he didn't expect the man to suddenly take off the hat on his head, approached Ye Fu, and blew lightly towards the lantern.

The dim light flickered and flickered, and went out.

"Don't scare my fish."

"I'm lighting for you, huh?"

"No, you're not helping me, you're just reminding the fish that someone is coming, run away."

The man wore a crescent-shaped jade crown on his head, and his black hair drooped slightly, looking plump and handsome.

"Huh?" Ye Fu frowned, "Why do you think so?" ”

"Isn't it? Fish are sensitive to light at night, and when they feel light, they know that there is an angler, so they will not take the bait. ”

"Hehe, you're playing hide and seek with the fish. They know exactly what they're thinking. ”

"Probably."

Ye Fu thought this person was interesting, so he asked the teashop to bring a supper: "If you don't catch a fish, it's not bad to eat something." ”

It should be regarded as making up for the fruitless loss of sitting for a long time.

Ye Fu fished a peanut into his mouth and sprinkled it into the pool.

There was the sound of water paddling, and it seemed like fish playing.

"I see, alarming your fish again."

There is the glow of water, and the surroundings are a little bright, and if it is in the daytime, it must be dazzling.

The man sitting on the low stool finally moved, turned sideways and looked at Ye Fu, a pair of ink pupils in the darkness were dull.

"Yes, the fish was alarmed by you." The man lifted the corners of his robe and got up, and said lightly, "You know, the angler who alarms the fish in the pond will be treated as an object of frolic by the fish, and become a 'fish' in the eyes of the fish." ”

"Fish ......" Ye Fu watched people slowly disappear into the night, staring at the sparkling pool in a daze.

"Eh, the guest officer is still not asleep?" The shopkeeper rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked over.

"I'll go to sleep later, you can go to sleep too, let you make supper at night, I've worked hard for you."

"Huh?" The shopkeeper came over to Ye Fu and looked at the peanuts on the small table, "I was sleeping just now." Because I was a guest today, I went to bed early, and I just got up...... Shhhh ”

Ye Fu frowned.

Then who is the man she saw just now and the little second who greeted her?

"Are you sure there was no one in the yard just now?"

"No, from beginning to end, I only saw the guest officer sitting here alone, shaking his head and not knowing what he was doing, so I came over and asked."

Ye Fu got up abruptly and walked in the direction where the man disappeared.

The shopkeeper also realized something, and hurriedly took out the fire fold on his body and followed up to illuminate it.

The courtyard door was pushed open, and the flames emitted a dim glow, quickly rushing into the room and filling the room.

It was empty.

"What's wrong with the guest officer?"

"It's fine."

Ye Fu turned around and looked at the low stool that had just been sat on, as well as the pool with scales.

Ye Fu suddenly had a second of intimidation.

The towering Smoke City is not far away, and from the empty courtyard you can glimpse its corner of the tower.

The ink of the night carried the madness of the wind, whirring and rolling the cloth banners on the city tower.

"Little Two ......"

"Guest officer, you say."

"Tonight, can you squeeze in, let's sleep in a room. Or, let me go to a place of light......"

Xiao Er tasted it back, and laughed so sleepily that he was scattered.

"Hahaha, the guest officer is afraid of the dark!"

"Ahem, sort of."

"That's okay, there are exactly two beds in my room, so the guest officer is wronged, follow me for one night."

"Okay, okay."

Ye Fu pulled Xiao Er's hand holding the fire fold all the way into his house, took the burden and followed Xiao Er to his room.

Re-made the bed, Ye Fu gradually fell asleep after listening to a rooster crow.

The next day, Ye Fu walked to the yard again, the low stool was there, and the pool was also there.

Approaching the pool, there were a few fish.

but they all turned the belly of the fish white, and died.

"Little Er!"

"What's wrong with the guest officer?"

Xiao Er was so frightened that he ran over.

"How did the fish in the pond die?"

Xiao Er straightened his head and looked at the pool, his brows furrowed: "Hey, it's weird." ”

"Huh?"

"The shopkeeper has never kept fish in it."

"Never?"

"yes. It is forbidden for people to raise things, not even the fish they usually watch, and of course, these regulations do not work for the sages of the moon. ”

There has never been a fish, and there has never been an angler.

Ye Fu suddenly felt that this yard was full of strangeness.

Looking at Xiao Er's mouth and muttering, his lips were closed one by one, Ye Fu looked around, and was surprised to find himself trapped in this yard like a fish trapped in the shallows.

"Guest! Sir! ”

The eyes gradually blurred and turned into a phantom.

The shopkeeper exclaimed, watching Ye Fu's eyes lose concentration and slowly fall to the ground.

"Guest officer!"

In the haze of consciousness, Ye Fu seemed to hear two people talking.

"The fish is hooked."

"Hmph, I know that pretending to be a ghost is a ghost, and the elders know that you are playing tricks on this guest, and they can't punish you well!"

"Elder, I haven't seen him in years. This guest is honorable, and the elders can come forward to protect her, so we have to show our skills to make her happy. ”

"Huh."

Both chuckled softly.

When Ye Fu woke up, the scenery around him had changed.

Unpretentious beds and wooden cabinets, simple décor of the house.

"Where is this?"

As soon as Ye Fu woke up, there was a knock on the door outside, and before she could answer, someone gently pushed the door in.

"Are you awake?"

"Who are you?"

The person who came in was neither tall nor short, wearing a dark purple round-necked robe, and when he walked, he could see a faint moon-shaped dark pattern on his head.

The man's facial features were hazy, his long hair was slightly bunched, like a messenger from the heavenly palace, and he said to Ye Fu with a smile: "I am a god from the sky, do you believe it or not?" ”

Ye Fu frowned when he heard this, this person can read minds.

Gathered his clothes, Ye Fu lifted the quilt and got out of bed, stretched out his feet into his shoes, and paced in the simple room.

In front of the man, the two were almost equal in height.

"I'm in Smoketown?"

"Hehe, that's smart. On what basis did you make a guess? ”

"There is a crescent-shaped carved pattern on the beams here, and there are also in the gate tower of Xuncheng."

"Yes, this is the Moon Breath Sage Tower in Smoke City."

"I'm in the tower?" Ye Fu suddenly wanted to laugh a little, "Is it waiting for the moat outside to dry up before I can be rescued?" ”

"Huh?" The man was a little puzzled when he heard this.

"Just kidding."

It's really helpless, he won't answer the stalk.

"Isn't it true that Smoked City can't let outsiders in?"

"That's the rule for the people of Smoked City."

Able to unruly ......

"You're the Moon's Sage?"

"It's one of them." The man took out a folding fan from his sleeve and shook it twice, "Why, you don't seem to be surprised at all?" ”

Ye Fu turned a deaf ear and opened the door to go out.

The sky outside was clear, and there was no cloud at all.

Ye Fu looked back at the man, his head was decorated with a crescent-shaped jade crown.

"Do you have fish?"

"Fish?" The man pursed his lips and led Ye Fu to a courtyard, "How do you know that we all love to raise fish?" ”

"You guys?"

"Yes, all the people who live here are my brothers. The Moon Breath Sage Tower has twelve floors, but only two floors are inhabited. ”

The tower is very large, there are two circles inside and outside, and there is a separate small courtyard in the middle, although it is at the lowest level, the lighting is unexpectedly good.

Ye Fu is now located in the courtyard that extends from the man's own room.

"You live on the first floor, don't you have a good status?" Ye Fu smiled faintly and teased the man in front of him.

"Hmph, we brothers are not high or low. There are twelve rooms on the ground floor and eight rooms on the second floor. Although we get along as equals, in the eyes of the world, there are twenty sages of the moon, and eight of them are especially spiritual, that is, those brothers on the second floor. ”

"How old are you?"

“…… Nineteen. The man held the folding fan and raised it to scare Ye Fu, "Don't laugh!" ”

"And a little one?"

The man glanced at Ye Fu: "Yes, but he doesn't live in the Moon Sage Tower." ”

"Hahaha." Ye Fu couldn't help laughing at all, "Then you are the youngest in the tower." ”

The two disliked each other and scurried around the yard.

The man also generously introduced the owners of each courtyard.

The fish swim freely in the water, but Ye Fu, who appreciates the fish, is absent-minded.

That person must be one of the Moon Breath Sages.

Suddenly, I heard a woman's weeping.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

The man was puzzled.

The two stood in the courtyard for a while, as if there was an echo, and a whimper came from the rockery.

Ye Fu unconsciously walked towards the rockery, but was grabbed by the man by the sleeve.

Ye Fu turned around and saw the serious look on the man's face.

"Don't go over."

"There's someone inside."

"I know. That's the owner of this tower, the goddess of the Mochizuki Sect. ”

"What is the relationship between the Mochizuki Sect and the Moon Sage? Why is the owner of this tower a goddess of the Mochizuki Sect, and why are you imprisoning her? ”

A series of questions came out of Ye Fu's mouth, and the man didn't react for a while and was stunned.

Suddenly, he bent his eyebrows and smiled: "Why should I tell you?" ”

"You!"

Are all sages so weird in their tempers?

"My brothers asked me to take care of you, but I didn't say that I satisfied your thirst for knowledge."

The man walked back to his courtyard angrily, fiddling with the black and white chess pieces on the table in the study.

Ye Fu walked in.

"Do you know how to play?"

Ye Fu shook his head.

"It's stupid."

From Ye Fu's point of view, you can see the man's delicate and flawless face, with a serious expression on the top, and a pair of bright eyes embedded in the eye sockets, inexplicably cute.

"Judging by the way you look, you shouldn't be that old."

At most, fifteen or sixteen years old.

The corners of the man's mouth hooked slightly: "Six out of thirty." ”

Ye Fu raised his eyes and widened his eyes in surprise.

"The person you see is who I was twenty years ago."

"The art of rejuvenation?"

"Hehe, the kid has a level, he actually knows such a secret method." The man stopped fiddling with the chess pieces, and looked at Ye Fu with interest, "Tell me, where did you come from and where did you go?" Why did the brothers go and bring you in themselves? ”

"Come from afar, fight far. As for why I came here, I don't know. ”

"Yo, I've learned to play dumb riddles."

"Each other, each other." Ye Fu sat aside, picked up the white seed and fell, "Do you want to try?" ”

"Didn't you say you wouldn't?"

"Not really." The corners of Ye Fu's mouth hooked, he never played chess in the capital just because he couldn't expose his identity as a real prime minister, but now, it is very important to find out the other party's background, even if he loses his old face.

It is said that the chess field is like a battlefield, and through playing chess, you can see the pattern of a person's vision and planning.

In the end, a certain leaf was defeated in ten battles.

Ye Fu gave full play to the little strong spirit left in his body, and the more frustrated he became, the more courageous: "Come again." ”

The man glanced at the thin little man in front of him: "I'm really convinced." ”

Looking at Ye Fu's gentle and delicate eyebrows, sporadic light flashed in the man's mind, and suddenly came to the spirit, playing chess with Ye Fu with one hand, and performing on the manuscript paper with the other.

After winning three more games, the man jumped off the table and was excited: "Count it out!" Finally figured it out! ”

Ye Fu glanced at the manuscript paper, on which is a simple calculation, the strange arrangement is incomprehensible.

"Is this astronomical arithmetic?"

When Ye Fu was in Taixue, he had seen Yan Zizhen tinkering.

"Hmm. Do you know what 'monthly interest' means? ”

"Moon Sage? Monthly interest? I don't know. ”

"The one who breathes, from the heart, has the meaning of breathing and exhaling, and stops disappearing. The moon breath is to study the moon's ups and downs, so as to measure the blessings and misfortunes in the world. ”

"It's so amazing, so what did you just calculate?"

The man smiled mysteriously: "Three days later, on the night of the full moon, you will know." ”