The terrible face showed a confused expression: "Are you ......" Minna realized that this was actually a person, although he looked terrible, he was wearing an all-white coarse cloth robe, a thin silver chain around his neck, and the pendant was a silver eight-pointed star. This is a monk of the Cult of the Illuminati.

Minna had heard a lot about the Cult of Light from her religious mother since she was a child, and when she found out that the person in front of her was most likely a priest, she let go of most of her fear, but she still didn't dare to come forward to talk to him because of the ugly face that the other party could not have.

Xiao Tianjian knew this priest, he didn't need to see the other party's face clearly, just by looking at the smooth head and pale face, coupled with the hoarse voice, he had already guessed who it was. He stared straight at the other party and said coldly, "If you really can't recognize who I am, then I'm really lucky." Haven't you been guarding the orphanage in Monli? What are you doing here?! ”

The ugly priest suddenly realized, and finally recognized Xiao Tianjian: "It turned out to be His Excellency Count Xiao, I haven't seen you for a long time, you...... How did it get like this? "The epic hero at this moment, dusty, embarrassed, and bare-blooded with a pair of big bloody feet, is too far from the high-spirited image in his impression, no wonder he can't recognize it.

Xiao Tianjian didn't want to say more about himself, but he repeated the question he had just asked, and Father Del didn't ask any more, explaining that he had been transferred to the temple in Encore City, and had just returned from preaching in the oasis southwest of Wisha. Looking at the injuries on Xiao Tianjian and Minna's feet, he asked with some courtesy: "You are not lightly injured, shall I treat you for you?" ”

Minna was overjoyed when she heard this, and just wanted to nod her head in agreement, but was interrupted by her grandfather's words: "You don't need to be pretending to be kind!" My firm spends money every year to do good deeds, and I don't plan to donate money to you to spend! You don't beat our idea! Minna turned to look at her grandfather, and saw that he was staring at him with a round pair of eyes, but the cloudiness in his eyes hinted at his current bad situation.

She opened her mouth, feeling embarrassed. After getting along with her grandfather for so long, of course she knew that he didn't like the Cult of Light, but she had heard that the clergy were very kind and benevolent people, so why did Grandpa hate them? Could it be that the priest outside the carriage was so ugly that Grandpa didn't want him to come in? But Grandpa's condition is really bad, so wouldn't he be able to get better if he asked the priest to perform a healing spell? She whispered, "Grandpa, the priest can use magic ......"

"That magic doesn't do us any good!" Xiao Tianjian interrupted his granddaughter's words, "It's just that the wound is healing on the surface, but in fact, the injury hasn't healed at all." I've never believed in the so-called healing techniques of these gods! He looked up at Father Riddle and said, "Let's go, we don't need you." ”

Father Riddle sighed, and without reluctance, lowered the curtain and left the carriage in which they were seated, but after a moment he turned around again and handed Minna a small bottle: "This is the herbal juice that the natives use to treat the blisters on their feet, the caravan owner's belongings, take it and use it." ”

Xiao Tianjian was about to refuse, but he held his hand: "Your Excellency, this is not my thing, you always have to think about the child." Xiao Tianjian didn't say anything more, and Minna happily took it. She began to think that the terrible-looking priest was actually a good man, and smiled sweetly and thanked him. Father Riddle smiled and waved his hand, his dirty teeth peeking out between his cracked lips, and his whole face became terrifying, and Minna stiffened at the sight, and her body involuntarily shrank back.

The medicinal juice worked very well, Minna felt that her feet were much better, and then applied it to her grandfather, and he twisted it for a long time, but he still obeyed his granddaughter's wishes.

Minna whispered about Father Riddle's origins, and why Grandpa hated him so much. Xiao Tianjian scratched his head and said, "He used to be the director of the Mengli Orphanage, I can't get used to the way he looks like him is looking for people everywhere to ask for money, and his name is ...... It's not a good person when you hear it, let alone that look......" Minna recalled that miserable white face and shivered: "Indeed, he looks so terrible, no wonder grandpa hates him." ”

Xiao Tianjian tugged at the corners of his mouth, and somehow explained to his little granddaughter that if he told her that "Tom Riddle" was the name of the big devil in a series of novels, and that the big devil was also a bald monster with a pale complexion, I am afraid that there would be a lot of things involved. Father Riddle in this world is said to be not born ugly, but cursed. But he has lived in this world for so many years, and he has never seen anyone turn into a monster because of the so-called curse, so naturally he will not believe the rumors, so this Riddle is particularly suspicious.

Like them, there were more and more pedestrians and motorcades heading southeast, many of them going in the opposite direction, and small oases and settlements began to appear on the roadside. When night fell, they finally arrived at Encore.

It is a city located on the border between Weisha and Shaonan, backed by the high mountains of Van A, and a clear stream winds down the mountain, flowing past the city of Enke, forming a small river that goes straight to the south. The river separates the city of Anke from a mountain pass on the border with Van A, and there are residential houses and towns on both sides, so it can be said that the encore is actually located at the junction of the three countries.

Although there is still a lot of sand on the west side of the city, there is more green in the east and south than in Monli. This is the economic center of the southern region of Weisha, and it is also an important border town in the north of Shaonan, there are many shops on both sides of the street, but from time to time there are soldiers passing by with waist knives, these soldiers are dressed differently from the soldiers of several countries that Minna has seen, and quietly asked her grandfather, only to know that it is the army of Shaonan.

Since the invasion of the Weisha bandits 31 years ago, Shaonan has stepped up the defense of the border, even knowing that the sand bandits have been disbanded, except for some personnel who have been incorporated into the regular army, most of them have become gangsters, only caring about fighting for territory in the country, Shaonan still does not dare to relax.

As an economic powerhouse, Anke City also has a branch of the Xiao family trading bank, and fortunately, the branch here has not retreated. Unlike the other branches Minna had seen, most of the people in the Encore branch were from Shaonan, and except for the deputy steward, who was from East, only a few of the guards or apprentices were Weisha nationals. The steward was a white-bearded old man, and he received Xiao Tianjian's ancestors and grandchildren very warmly. What made Minna happy was that because most of the people in this branch were from the local area, although they heard about Anlong, they did not take the matter out of the children.

After an interval of more than ten days, Minna finally took a hot bath, brushed her whole body clean, and then ate a hot meal that was not bad. There is a doctor specially equipped for employees in the branch, but the medical skills are only mediocre, he can deal with the blisters on Minna's feet, and the snake venom and scorpion venom in Xiao Tianjian, but he is at a loss, and even proposes to go to the temple in the city to invite a priest to perform healing techniques, so angry that Xiao Tianjian drove him out at that time.

In the end, I consulted a few old people in the neighborhood, who were quite experienced in this kind of thing, and sent a few sticks of earthwork to make Xiao Tianjian recover his vision and taste.

Minna was greatly relieved to see that her grandfather was safe and sound. After returning to a stable and comfortable environment, it was only at this moment that she truly let go of her worries. However, I don't know if it was because she was in a tense state for a long time and suddenly relaxed, Minna fell ill.

She only felt that her body was very hot, but after a while, she was so cold that her whole body was shivering, the wounds on her feet were hot, her stomach was hot at some point, her mouth and nostrils were sprayed with hot air, and her lips began to grow blisters, and her ears seemed to be ringing all the time, which made her brain hurt. After two days of illness, the situation did not improve, and even a strange breath in her body was circling around, and there was a tingling sensation in her legs from time to time.

In a daze, she only heard her grandfather talking to a few people she didn't know, saying things like "the remnants of poison", "overwork", "exceeding the limit", "magic chaos", etc., and then someone fed her a bitter and smelly medicine, and after drinking it, a chill went from her throat to her stomach, and she felt better, and when she opened her eyes, she saw her grandfather sitting in front of her bed.

He looked a little haggard, and his eyes were full of worry: "Are you better?" I really didn't expect that there were still remnants of that poison, but fortunately, the potion given by Frido at that time was still there, and it could temporarily suppress the poison. ”

Minna's mind was still a little unclear, and she only knew that she seemed to be poisoned: "Grandpa, will you be fine if you drink this medicine?" ”

"I'm afraid not." Xiao Tianjian sighed, "I asked someone to use a healing technique on you to temporarily suppress your illness, but to cure it radically, you must find a way to find a potions master." We'll sail south tomorrow to the Magic Capital. ”

Minna had caught a glimpse of Father Riddle at the door, who had just received a few purses from the old butler Whitebeard, smiled at her from afar, and turned away. Minna didn't have the strength to be afraid, she was a little moved in her heart, grandpa hated the priest so much, she still asked him to treat herself, grandpa was so good to herself.

She climbed her grandfather's neck and was coquettish, Xiao Tianjian smiled and touched her somewhat thin little face, and couldn't help but feel guilty. This little granddaughter has been with him for so long and has suffered a lot, and he must make up for this child in the future.

The Encore branch prepared a boat for them to go south, and also sent a boatman who was familiar with the waterway. When Minna was carried to the dock by her grandfather, she fell in love with the boat as soon as she saw it.

The boat is not large, only about five or six meters long and more than two meters wide, which is the size of a boat that is very common in the river. There were two cabins on the ship, both of which were square wooden houses, and the brighter one in front had a small bed, a small table and a small cabinet, and a large window next to the bed, with a curtain of yellow flowers on a powder and blue background, which was prepared for Minna. The other room was shared by Xiao Tianjian and the boatman.

Minna sat on the small bed, looked left and right, felt the ups and downs of the boat, and stretched out the window to look at the scenery outside, and was pulled back by Xiao Tianjian: "Be careful, don't fall into the water." Minna said excitedly: "Grandpa, it's the first time I've taken a boat to go a long way!" When my grandfather came back to Matt from our house, my parents and I went to the dock to see him off, and I went on the boat to see him, but I never lived on a boat. ”

Xiao Tianjian smiled: "Do you like it?" I'm afraid you'll get seasick. Shaonan is a very nice place, we go all the way south, see the scenery on both sides of the river, and soon we will be in the magic capital. When you're well, I'll take you to have a good time. Since he has reached this point, he is not in a hurry to send the child back, and asked the person from the branch to bring a letter to An Long and his wife, and the little granddaughter will stay and treat the disease slowly.

Minna only felt how fresh it looked, and she wanted to get down and walk around the boat immediately, but was stopped by her grandfather, because the injury on her foot was not yet complete, and the overload of walking in the past ten days had caused her leg to suffer a lot of damage, and she had to recuperate now.

In desperation, she had to stay obediently on the cot and watch the boat slowly slide on the water and leave the dock where it was originally docked. On the shore, the figures of the branch stewards and others who came to see them off gradually became smaller, the houses on the riverside retreated one by one, and their boats quietly sailed down the river to the south.

The river gradually opened up, and several boats of similar size accompanied them. Along the way, they pass several villages, stopping to rest, and enthusiastic villagers paddle small sampans less than three meters long to carry various food or supplies to sell to them and other boats. Those things include all kinds of local fruits, fragrant grilled fish, home-brewed sweet wine, and a kind of dumplings made of food that Xiao Tianjian called "rice", as well as brightly colored clothes, Minna was originally very interested, but Xiao Tianjian refused, leaving only food.

Everything is very cheap, and a single silver coin can buy enough food for three people for a day. The clerk was very careful to prepare enough silver coins and copper plates for them, and even prepared a bag for Minna to use to buy snacks when she needed them.

Minna, noticing that the people of the village seemed to be preparing for the festivities, asked the boatman for advice, only to be told that they were preparing for the May Festival.

Minna was stunned, remembering that last year, when Grandpa first arrived at their house, the whole Qitun was preparing for the May Festival, and she didn't expect that it had been almost a year, and time had passed so fast.

The boatman Bodeman rocked the boat unhurriedly and said, "The May Festival in Shaonan is not the same as Easter's, the celebration of the victory in the war thirty years ago is only part of it, in fact, our May Festival has a history of thousands of years." This year, I heard that the fields in the south are preparing to harvest the first batch of grain, which is a bumper harvest, and **** is about to marry a concubine, so we have to celebrate the whole country this year. ”

He was a man of short stature but with strong limbs, with a long oar in one hand and another on the other, rowing the boat with a peculiar rhythm. Although he doesn't usually talk much, when someone accostes him, he will talk endlessly. Right now, he is enthusiastically introducing Xiao Minna to the May Festival customs in Shaonan, one of which is that people scoop up the river and pour water on each other to pray that diseases will not come, because in Shaonan, water is a symbol of life, and the country is covered with a network of rivers, and there is almost no place without water.

Minna listened with relish, but Xiao Tianjian on the side smiled and said, "Isn't it the Songkran Festival?" I have it in my hometown, but it doesn't use river water. Fortunately, the river here is quite clean, otherwise the water splashes on the body, and I don't know if it will work, and the person will definitely be sick. ”

Baodeman laughed, pulled out his hand and shook it: "No, no, the god of water will bless us." ”

Minna knew what her grandfather meant by "hometown", and hurriedly asked, "Does grandpa also have this custom?" Tell me about it. ”

Xiao Tianjian smiled and introduced the Yunnan Songkran Festival he knew to his little granddaughter. After that crying in the desert, he was no longer afraid to talk about what had happened before the crossing. Although he knew in his heart that his little granddaughter might not understand him, it would at least give him a chance to reminisce about the past, so as to ease the growing homesickness in his heart.

Two days later, the boat reached a dam. The dam is about three stories high, made of wood, and looks old, but still very strong.

Minna watched in amazement as the huge gate slowly rose, but was knocked on the head by her grandfather: "Fool, this is just a small dam, I am surprised now, what should I do if I see a bigger one in the future?" ”

"Is there anything bigger?" Minna hurriedly asked, she had only seen a small dam on the river near Qitun before, half the size of this.

"Of course there is, so keep your mouth shut." Xiao Tianjian was angry and funny, but Baodeman, who was rocking the oars in front of the boat, turned back with a smile: "Little Miss, after the gate is Ori, there is another river flowing in from there, and the river surface will be bigger down, and we will encounter more dams in the future, but the biggest one is still on the side of Doro Port, but the dam near Ini is not small, five times as much as this!" ”

Minna's mouth opened wider.

The gate was raised, and more than a dozen boats and fish ran through the line. As soon as she passed through the mouth of the dam, Minna's eyes lit up, and a large river was lying in front of her, and the sun's rays shone on the water, reflecting sparkling waves. Sure enough, there is a river flowing into the waterway to the west, and not far to the southeast is the large town of Ori, which is built on water. There are countless small docks along the river, and thousands of boats are docked in them, gently rippling with the river.

(Zeguo Shaonan, is a country of gentleness and warmth, please add Suzhou to Venice and Spain...... It's not on the shelves for the time being, please rest assured to see it~~~)