[Three: True Winter Firefly]

This will be the autumn grass and, today and the evening breeze is light.

Soaring into the sky like a star, brushing the trees like flowers.

The screen is suspicious, and the curtain is like a pearl in the night.

Every gentleman picks up the brilliance, and does not hesitate to live lightly.

——Southern Dynasty Xiao Yi "Song of Fireflies"

-

"Defend me!" With Ellie's sharp reminder, the thunder and fire butterflies joined into a web of incandescent lightning, and the scorched vines gathered!

"Don't hesitate!" Deneda's decisive voice sounded before Cedar's reaction, so faster than the heat, the golden corolla took over the electric snake, fiercely blocking the battle spark back—

The butterflies' heavenly fire burned the air inch by inch, and in the bursting dust and smoke, the cedar stepping on the scorched soil suddenly dissolved and rushed out, and in the bright scattered gold dust, it faced the girl's saber with a blue thin sword—

"What should I do if the blow doesn't work?" said Nobueda's voice without emotion.

"Stand down, gather as much strength as you can!" Knowing his shortcomings, Cedar quickly retreated, dodging Ellie's almost instantaneous thunderfire butterfly—

So far, he has only defense to be proud of, but it's far from being able to deal with a destructive opponent.

"Ahhhh

"What are you afraid of as a geotechnical manipulator, I'm panicking!" Abel who was still fighting against Paris was even more embarrassed in this situation, among their group, he was particularly at a loss when fighting with a great sword, and was at the bottom of the food chain like Cedar.

"Come on, I'm not afraid!" Ivan, who gradually touched the doorway, began to actively cooperate, and the dolphin-shaped demon made of water jumped up, "Cedar, I'm here to save you!"

"Don't come, water conducts electricity, stupid!" Atayal, who was in a group with Han Feng, raised his hand and gathered the nitrogen gas to form a turbulent flow of qi barrier, and forcefully stopped the dolphin demon in mid-air.

"Come here!" Han Feng pulled Cedar and Abel past him, and quickly moved forward to let the rocks collide and consolidate, and the white light exploded in an instant, and the shattered sand and gravel raised huge smoke and dust.

"Alright, let's stop!" Watching the entire training session calmly, Clio shouted to stop as he memorized the data.

"Are you all alright?" Ellie walked over as the pile of sand and gravel quickly dispersed, and Ataya patted her chest and waved her hand.

"Thanks to Atayal, the nitrogen stream keeps the sand and gravel out...... "Cedar stood up with a sigh of relief, "it's scary...... No, it's still buzzing in my head, I'll sit down for a while......"

"Luckily, I'm still far away, but I'm almost blown away!" the water demon slowly melted back into the lake, and Ivan exclaimed exaggeratedly as he walked back to shore from the top of the jelly-like demon's head, "Let the cute girl help me, and get rid of ......"

"Am I overdoing it......" Ellie could only look around helplessly at her friends, and then asked Clio, "Senior, what do you think?"

"I think your individual combat power is okay, and the next thing is to adjust the coordination," Clio said approvingly, "This is very important, you are full of elven mages, black magicians, and swordsmen, both specialized in attack and good at defense and can be used for healing, which is very reasonable." ”

"It sounds like a bit of a feeling," said Ivan, "I've always thought our experience didn't sound interesting enough, and I imagined that we would have dragons, knights, mages, swordsmen, intelligence dealers, potionsmen, elves, dwarves, skeletons, and monsters...... Maybe living in modern times always feels worse. ”

Clio laughed: "The atmosphere of the occult world is indeed stronger, I think you have also read the metaphysical column of "Demon Slayer". ”

"That's right, I want to go to the Darker Empire to have a look, the mysterious and magnificent Merrifison River Basin is too attractive!" Ivan was ambitious, "I want to join the Xuanshi Branch in the future!"

"The great river that nourishes the rainforest, the small bar on the edge of the rainforest, the millions of strange creatures, the towering trees, the treehouse, the enchanting python, the cave maze and the monsters, the treasures of the mountains...... It's really fascinating, isn't it?" Clio calmly admonished as a senior, "You have to study hard if you want to, there are slavery, racial strife, half-breed conflicts, and synthetic beasts, and the McRiffison Rainforest? ”

After saying this, he closed the note again: "I'm going to start commenting, let's talk as we go." ”

"Don't you sit on my demon out of the mountain, it's fast, it's very comfortable to blow the wind and slide on the water!"

"Don't, it's better to walk the mountain road to see the fireflies! I experienced it yesterday, and Ivan's magic power was not enough when I was only halfway through, so that the magic would suddenly disperse into water and let us plant it in the reservoir!" Han Feng immediately objected, which made Ivan burst out laughing.

"It's very comfortable, but it's true, so that Cedar can hold up to the side of the mountain by losing magic along the way. Atayal proposed.

"Cedar is fast at producing magic power for himself, and he is not skilled in losing magic power to others, and he often can't lose. Abel said Abel, who was the subject of a cedar test because of his frequent injuries.

"Since you're not wood-based, I can't convert magic properties yet......" Cedar sighed, "You wait for me for another year, and I'll be able to learn it!"

"I guess it won't take a year," Clio said again, smiling on the side, "Okay, I'll start with Komatsu, although it's a bit too dependent on synthetic beasts, but your growth is outstanding, your potential as a healer is great, and there is also a lot of room for improvement in attack power, and the White World Branch actually didn't report the good news of having you, are you afraid of your pride?"

was said too well, Cedar felt that he was teasing him: "Senior, you are too exaggerated......"

"No, I'm the 'eye' of all the Heavenly Punishers in charge of supervising the headquarters, how can I talk nonsense. With your and Nobue's ability to reincarnate, I think you can even entangle the Demon King alone for a while. You don't think it's because of your opponent—" Clio looked at Ellie with a smile again, "It's low-key but it's amazingly instantaneous, and if I had to say, you're both good enough." ”

"What about us, Senior?" said Ataya as she put her arm around Ellie's shoulders and smiled.

"Don't worry, I won't favor one over the other," I didn't expect Clio to speak Chinese really flawlessly, and immediately analyzed smoothly without accent, "Atayal, your nitrogen has an advantage in environmental distribution, but your ability can continue to improve." Your strength lies in your flexibility and crispness, you are calm and casual throughout, you know how to cherish strength and never love to fight, which makes it difficult for the enemy to grasp the rhythm, so you are very suitable for guerrilla warfare, and the enemy will be afraid of you. And Han Feng, you have to learn Taiya, you don't think enough when you fight, your magic power is consumed too quickly, even if the power comes from the earth, it is difficult to maintain, and it is very dangerous in actual combat. ”

"And Paris is very calm and accurate, although the output is large, but always seems to be at ease, which is also a very high level among the Heavenly Punishers. You don't seem to be very good at cooperating, though. ”

"Abel, his physical strength is quite good, although he is at a disadvantage, he is very calm and solid. Speaking of calmness, Xue He and Yue Ming are also quite reassuring, but Yue Ming is too cautious, and he can't see the toughness and violence of the fire magician at all, and the attack effect is weaker than expected. ”

"Zhaohua's judgment is good, and he is fast, but he is unexpectedly a little anxious, and the magic output is too large, I thought you would be more calm...... Feeling stressed lately, adjust your mindset and don't be nervous. ”

"Selie's words, I feel very surprised, you are also very calm, the attack is very accurate, at first glance it seems that you can only be said to be decent, but you have strong stamina, you have never played your real strength, right? You have always been Harden's partner, Harden's fury and your stability are a good match, but Harden is probably too suppressed your edge, and you are also very strong. ”

Cleo then looked at Ivan, "And then Ivan." I've learned the power of the original synth, but it's correspondingly difficult to maneuver, so you can take your time at this pace. I also want to ask, the abilities that your 'primordial' set for the demon envoys seem to be regular abilities with simple rules, right?"

Ivan honestly admitted: "Well, it's easy to do the routine with water and fire, after all, abilities like 'purification' and 'immortality' are still too strong, and if I casually divide so much energy from my total mana, I will also be in danger...... It is said that it is the mother of the strongest synthetic beast, and it really feels like giving birth to a child...... If you are more accurate, it may be like cutting meat from yourself, and if you don't cut it well, you have to hang up on the spot. ”

Hearing him say this, Clio couldn't help but be surprised: "It's not easy to say that there will be eighteen 'strongest'......"

Ivan added: "And these strongest are not 'demons', and they are not within the control of the Lord. ”

"Oh," Cedar, who was listening from the sidelines, also reacted, "Is it difficult to control the stronger it is?"

"The more elaborate and complex the ability, the more difficult it is to create and imprint, which is in line with the laws of the world," Ivan said heartily, "and the simple one is enough, the more elaborate the ability limit, the more difficult it is to use in battle." ”

Han Feng suddenly said, "This reminds me of the example that was commonly used in magic primers in the past. ”

"The gifted one who makes all wishes come true?" Ivan replied excitedly.

Han Feng immediately nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, the man chasing the meteor!

"What's that?" asked Cedar curiously.

"Oh Cedar, you grew up in different circumstances...... Ivan explained, "it's a fable, teaching magicians to be calm. The story goes that a man was lucky enough to meet the goddess who gave him talent, and he made a wish to the goddess that he wanted the ability to make his wishes come true, and the goddess told him not to be too greedy, but in the end he agreed at his request and gave him the ability to make his wishes come true. ”

"And then?" asked Cedar.

"His ability is to make his wishes come true, but the world has given him a limit accordingly, and only when he makes a wish to a meteor can his ability have a 10% chance of coming true. So someone saw that there was once a man who was being chased and killed, desperately saying, 'You'll be finished when the meteor appears.'" ”

Abel joined the discussion: "The version I saw was that the man was killed while fighting the enemy because he couldn't wait for a meteor. ”

Ataya answered suspiciously: "Didn't you cry bitterly when you were hunted down, and before you were killed, you saw the meteor desperately make a wish and then be beaten violently?"

Cedar laughed: "How do I think it's all Harden's tone? Is it really not made up by Harden?"

Ivan also laughed: "Hahahaha like ......"

Zhaohua thought about it and asked: "Teacher Sikong Ruhuang's ability is also a wish come true, right? It is quite difficult to have this kind of ability, the greater the desire, the greater the sacrifice." ”

Clio nodded: "So the senior of Sikong is the 'strongest theory' of the Heavenly Punisher." ”

"Who's actually the strongest?" asked Cedar.

"Mr. Oreo Milton, Chief Headquarters," Clio replied, "his ability to manipulate the stars at its best, but he generally manipulates meteors, hence the title 'Star Trail Guide.'" ”

"If you think about it, this is also a very incredible ability, and the law of the world should be quite restrictive to him, right?" Abel also asked.

Clio shook his head, looking jealous: "But he uses it very casually, and when he is happy, he will launch a colorful meteor shower for everyone to enjoy." ”

"What an incredible man, that's completely the favor of the world!" Yueming sighed and said, "Ivan, you usually hear Mr. Jean talk about the Heavenly Punisher, right?"

"Well, but Mr. Jean is more concerned about the affairs of the Xuan World, and the affairs of the Blue World Headquarters are rarely mentioned. Also, that fable is actually true, it is the story of the Xuan world, and that goddess is the goddess of Enya of the Xuan world, and there is still an intersection with the Heavenly Punisher. ”

Han Feng's eyes widened again: "Really, goddess!"

"Mr. He, they have a good relationship with some of the gods over there," Clio said again, "if you are interested, you can ask." ”

"Senior, you are from the Blue World Headquarters, but you seem to have a good relationship with Mr. He. Ataya asked, confused.

Clio chuckled: "Yes, Mr. He often goes to the Lan World, and I am still the runaway boy he saved." ”

"Hahaha, are you serious? What did you do before?"

"Gangster, I used to be very bad. ”

"It's not like it at all, you're lying!"

Walking in the back and watching them joke in the little fluorescent light, Zhaohua also smiled slightly and followed their footsteps.

Speaking of which, they haven't known each other for a long time, most of the year ago, they even came from different camps, and they got along very well when they first came to the Demon King Capital, and Han Feng almost had to fight with Harden...... Who would have thought they would still be able to play together today?

Secretly sighing, he looked at Selina and Paris on the side, Selina was as calm as ever, and when she noticed his gaze, Paris smiled bitterly back.

Paris didn't expect that after her return, everyone would become so close, right? Even he himself began to integrate into the group, and Paris, who knew that he was not supposed to exist, what should he think?

Paris's attitude is not difficult to understand, but Selena's calmness is more confusing to him. He didn't know Selena's thoughts, she was also possessed by the Xuanshi Demon Clan, and Selena's situation seemed to be better than him, maybe because she had experienced a lot in her childhood, maybe because she was strong herself, she looked very calm.

Only Paris and he are the outliers here. He could somewhat understand Paris's helplessness, and he didn't think that Paris needed sympathy, what they needed was a viable path. He is lucky, He Yanfang is willing to help him, and what he has to do is very clear, which is to restrain and finally defeat Musk. But what about Paris, her lost life is still in the hands of the unknown, and the confusion in her heart is probably heavier than herself, right?

But at least, they still have a place for them. Even if Paris told her about her situation, everyone would probably accept her. They are gradually connected with the same desire and sincerity, and although they have different personalities and hobbies, they also begin to understand each other and become closer partners. He didn't know what Paris had planned, but he himself was willing to rebel against Musk in order to continue this life.

As he was walking, Ivan suddenly turned around: "Zhaohua, did you forget to take the kettle?"

"Ah, I forgot...... I'll go back and get it. ”

"I'll just say, when I came, there was the sound of your kettle clattering...... Don't do it alone, let's go together?" Ivan was as enthusiastic as ever.

"It's okay, it's just a few steps, I'll catch up soon!" hurriedly responded and ran back, perhaps Musk's presence made him more sensitive, whether it was intentional or unintentional, Zhaohua didn't want to be taken care of in small things. He walked alone on the mountain road, accompanied only by the glimmer of flashlights and fireflies.

"Looking for this?" a familiar voice suddenly sounded, and it turned out to be his own.

He raised his head suddenly, and there was a coldly smiling "him" standing in front of the waist-deep miscanthus grass!

After panicking for a moment, he immediately calmed down and warned coldly, "Don't provoke me. ”

"Oh?" "Boy" who matched his appearance sneered and narrowed his eyes dangerously, "Am I going to be afraid of you?"

This is not Musk Tajinet, Zhaohua, who is clear about this, just silently accumulates strength, and sure enough, the other party immediately used a swift wind blade, and this was also accurately defused by him.

In the darkness, the grass and trees shook violently, and the sound of the rattle was extremely complicated and ferocious in the whirling wind, and the fireflies were completely frightened. The mountain road was dark and surging, and it looked particularly terrifying for a while. But Zhaohua didn't want to dwell on it, so he shone a flashlight directly under the miscanthus: "I won't be fooled, Miss Renus!"

Hearing his words, a crisp laugh came from behind the miscanthus grass. The "self" in front of the miscanthus drifted away like smoke, and the high smoky gray grass curtain parted softly from the middle, and the gothic red-haired girl in the black dress gracefully walked into his light, and leaned on the special luxury mirror, showing a haughty and contemptuous smile at him.

"What do you want to do, Miss Renus?" Zhaohua was still unsure of what attitude he should adopt as a petite witch with two ponytails, and although the other party had an arrogant attitude, it seemed that there was no threat for the time being, except for a little viciousness.

"It's just a little boring, don't be angry, Zhaohua. Renus replied softly and with a little teasing, and Zhaohua felt that she was a bit like a cat.

"Sun Rin didn't come along?" he was still restrained after all about people he didn't know well, and the guy who couldn't figure out his position but was unexpectedly easy-going didn't come, which still made him uncomfortable.

"He said he was going for supper," said the girl disdainfully, "what a carefree fellow." ”

"What about you, you just came to me because you were bored?"

"Of course not. Although it is only possible......" Renus's eyes carried a hint of coldness, "Can you find a way to find out who lived in the 'bamboo flower room' back then? ”

The dead are involved...... Zhaohua couldn't help but be cautious: "Do you have any basis?"

Although she became serious, Renus still gently turned the moon mirror in her hand, and said disdainfully and casually: "I am a necromancer, and when I used the summoned undead to search in the Flower Blossom Courtyard, I found that the breath between the bamboo flowers would make the undead become violent. ”

Seeing Zhaohua's slightly puzzled expression, she casually explained: "I used the remnants of the emotions of the past, and the strong emotions infected the spirit body of my envoy like a replica. ”

Sounding convincing, Zhaohua nodded slightly, but still questioned: "Even if the emotion remains, but the entire Flower Blossom Courtyard is a fierce place, are you sure that only the bamboo flowers meet the conditions?"

In this regard, Renus firmly hooked the corners of her mouth slightly: "Of course, although the breath of several rooms is also very strong, the residual emotions are slightly different, and the only thing that can clearly contain 'resentment', 'anger' and 'don't want to die' is between Zhuhua, and it is not a murder scene, and it is very likely that the owner of the house is the deceased." ”

"I see, I'm going to ask Mr. Jean," Zhaohua nodded, "Thank you in advance, Miss Renus." ”

"No need, I'm actually in agreement with the envoy, just wait for the last cannibalism to get the last monster and then kill it, but since you're getting rid of the spirits, I'll do something to relieve the boredom, that's all. ”

"Aren't you worried that the last monster is a prop for the resurrection of Black Water Hime?"

Renus couldn't help laughing, her eyes contemptuous: "Heishui Ji has not been the opponent of His Majesty Star Monarch from the beginning, and she doesn't dare to do anything to us, what are we afraid of?"

Contrary to the initial impression of contrivedness, Renus's words and actions were actually surprisingly straightforward. And is this the pride of the Blue World Demon Clan...... Although he was not very happy, hearing such words, Zhaohua still felt a little lighter in his heart.

"Go back, or you'll be suspected. Looking at the little green fireflies that flickered again, Renus reminded.

"yes...... But Miss Renus, I still want to ask you a question. ”

"Say it. ”

"You're human, aren't you?"

Renus was stunned for a moment at this question, and finally nodded reluctantly: "...... Be. ”

"I know," although the situation is different, the demon in front of him is also a human body, which makes Zhaohua's smile lighten, "Good night." ”

-

After leaving the valley, Zhaohua separated from everyone and immediately went to the He house. Unsurprisingly, it was Jean who opened the door.

"You're the only one, have you found anything?"

"Maybe......"

"There are a lot of fireflies in the mountains, right?" asked Jean suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Actually, I've been watching the fireflies in the yard just now," Jean pointed to the jade-colored dots of light that fluttered around the pool, "It's beautiful." ”

Zhaohua gently agreed: "Yes, there are a lot of them on our way back, and there are different colors. Maybe it's because the cedar has the same appeal as spring, and the fireflies like to revolve around him. ”

"Yes, it's true that wood-based sorcerers are more popular with creatures," Jean said briskly, his eyes hazy again, "There seems to be something related to fireflies in the Flower Blossom Temple, but I can't remember it......"

didn't expect Jean to take the initiative to mention the matter of Huakaiyuan, Zhaohua immediately asked: "Teacher Jean, you were also involved in the Huakaiyuan incident back then, right?"

"That's right. What's wrong?"

"Do you remember who lived in 'Bamboo Blossom Room'?"

"That supposedly ominous 'bamboo flower'?" Jean replied in surprise, "that's me, what's wrong?"

"You-" Zhaohua's eyes widened in surprise, which made Jean, who answered casually, become cautious.

Harden had said that it might have been an illusionist who attacked him, and if it was Jean's room between the bamboo flowers, it wouldn't have been Harden......

"No, it's nothing ......" Zhaohua shook his head again and again, and hesitated again.

What are you kidding, Jean is the Heavenly Punisher, Harden's close teacher, and He Yanfang's most trusted person, if the owner of that room is Jean, shouldn't it be a different matter, Renus is a demon after all, although there is no action yet, but what if this is to separate them? They can't go on with civil strife anymore!

Not wanting Jean to be suspicious, he continued to ask, "You said that the bamboo flowers are ominous, why?"

"I don't need to call you all the time...... The idea of bamboo flowers was discussed at the time, but it was said that the flowers were rarely shown in bloom, and the flowers were painted in order to make up the image of the flowers, which is a bit strange in itself, and the flowers rarely bloom, and it is said that the flowers often indicate the death of the bamboo forest. ”

"That's ......"

"What are you thinking...... Jean seemed to notice his strange look and smiled brightly, "Is there progress on Rin......'s side?"

"Teacher Jean ......"

Jean just smiled and waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, of course you can doubt me." If you have any doubts, express them as soon as possible, so that the suspicions can be eliminated as soon as possible, right?"

Maybe Jean was right, but his calm attitude made Zhaohua feel much more at ease. No matter what, he still trusted the Heavenly Punisher Elite who had been with him peacefully for a while, and Zhaohua still reported the truth: "Teacher Jean, do you know Renus Daxter?"

"You know, she's also a well-known star general, but she's not the main target of crusade, because she doesn't seem to obey the orders of the demon king, and I've heard that there is also a saying about 'Slack Renas' within the star general," Jean paused and laughed again, "Now this notoriety should be taken by Xiao Rin." ”

Sure enough, he was still so well-informed, and he felt that there was nothing he didn't know...... Zhaohua asked cautiously, "Do you know that Renus is here?"

"Hmm. Although I feel that I don't have the energy and don't have to care about the star general's side now, Xiao Zhao, you better be careful, it's the star general after all. ”

"I know, thank you," although he still had doubts, Zhaohua was still willing to believe the friendly aura of the young man in front of him, "Is Mr. Nahe free now?"

"He's in the study, go in. So, I'm going to get you some pastries. ”

"Thank you, why don't I go with you and get it?"

"No need, let's go in, little guest. Jean smiled heartily and waved his hand.

The "Bamboo Flower ......" watched the young man enter the house, and the young man's inorganic blue eyes had a vague shadow.

He looked coldly sideways at the corner of the courtyard with a shadow of bamboo, and after a moment, he hooked the corners of his mouth meaningfully: "Yes, Renus still has that ability...... After all, it will be exposed, 'the grass firefly has a shine and is not a fire, although the lotus dew is a pearl' (note) ......"

He turned around and walked to the kitchen again, muttering softly to himself, ignoring the green firefly chasing behind him: "I was actually negligent, then I have to do something, I have to ......"

Is the fog of burying the truth malicious or misunderstood, who is the deceased, and who is the murderer? Will there be any other reason for whitewashing oneself than a conspiracy? But ...... Standing on the hazy line, with the warmth of the weak friends on one side and the cold of the powerful enemy on the other, the lonely light can only continue to find the inner habitat in the winter-like test.

——?——

Preview: "I love her and have never changed my mind." ”

Since her death, countless memories have been overwhelming, and the past has covered her eyes from behind, confusing day and night. The thoughts that wrap around the feet from behind them grow like moss all over the body, and finally turn the flesh into a cold tombstone engraved with remorse and sin.

"If I really love her, what about accompanying her to fall and bury her?"

"In that case, wouldn't it be better to die?"

"Why are you still alive?"

The fluttering moths flutter the candles, and the sin of cooking oil is not redeemed. It is easy to fall and die, but why are the heavy steps still stagnant on the dark and unclear boundaries? How can the body not be insensitive, the heart struggling in love, sin, dreams, and darkness yearns for the light, but is that glimmer of light the fire of the night, or the dawn at the end of the long night?

"My soul can't get out of the long night without her. ”

Will the heart thirsting for salvation, filled with dying faith and undying love, eventually become the source of love, or the beginning of sin?

"Then, there must be a 'dead difference' there. ”

"Sure enough, you're going to stop it, huh?"

"Can you go back and deal with those demons that belonged to yesterday again?"

Flame-fighting moth, bewitched by demons, tell me, what you really think in your heart-

Next, the heart of the moth.

- Note

Grass fireflies have a bright ...... Is it a pearl: from the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi's "Five Songs?", the deep meaning is to warn people not to be confused by appearances.