In the woods at the foot of the snowy mountains at night, it is unusually quiet!

A clearing in the forest, a bonfire illuminates the surroundings, the forest is full of dark holes, occasionally a few little squirrels chirp, scurrying around in the trees, the mountain wind blows gently, the chill bursts, the flames are whirring to one side, and the silence is terrifying!

On one side of the pile of leaves lay a tattered young man, his hair was scattered, his face was covered with mud, no matter how bright the fire was, he couldn't illuminate the original shape, and he seemed to be still dizzy.

Fire, of course, is merciless, it doesn't matter if you are pants or firewood, burn it when you add it, see that the pants are lit -

At that moment, a branch snapped down, and the fire was extinguished, but the boy was awakened.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the sparse stars in the sky, then the dark night sky, then I lowered my eyes, and then I saw the black woods, and then there was a fire next to it, and it was burning hot, so warm, and then I looked at the other side.

Wow! Oh my God? You-

The young man got up in shock, turned over and stood up, instinctively touched behind him with both hands, to see if there was anything to grab? panicked, his eyes stared at each other, and he couldn't help shouting,

"You, you--human?or-ghost?"

Sitting opposite was also a man with long hair, wearing a purple short jacket, a belt around his waist, black pants with big mouth pants, two trouser legs, and a pair of embroidered shoes that couldn't tell the color, but he saw a delicate face in the firelight, and he recognized it as a woman at a glance, and he was not very old.

With an egg-like face, a straight nose, a shaped mouth, and a well-defined outline, she was sitting on the ground, holding a handful of branches in her hand, and a pair of big eyes were flickering at each other, a little nervous, a little confused, a little naïve-

"I, I, how did I- how did I end up here? this- where is this?" the boy asked, still frightened,

"You, you, are you human, or are you a ghost?"

After asking two or three times in a row, the other party finally spoke,

"Of course I'm human!

"Ah, you-you're human?"

The boy couldn't believe it? I thought, you are a woman, this deep mountain and old forest, sitting here alone in the middle of the night?

"You, you, you- you're not human! You, you—what do you want?"

"You're not human, are you?" the other party was a little unhappy when he heard this.

"I want to kill you?

The boy stepped back to the side, grabbed his hand behind his back for a long time, and didn't catch anything?

"Looks like you're really frozen and confused, aren't you? Stupid, are you broken? Hey, you've fallen into a nerd, I don't need to save you!"

When the woman saw that the boy had retreated to the edge of the forest, she let go of her vigilance and said in a loud voice,

"You are stupid! it doesn't matter if I'm a human or a ghost, I'll tell you that I'm also playing the harp to the cow—"

After speaking, she pulled out the fire, and the fire burned even bigger, reflecting her well-behaved face, coupled with her shawl long hair, she looked at the fire with straight eyes, and her upright facial features revealed a trace of gentle beauty!

The boy slowly relaxed, thinking that he was really a human? I was still a woman! If I were a demon, I would definitely not be alive now.

Slowly, pictures flashed through my mind, uninhabited snow-capped mountains, icy and snowy, cold and biting, cliffs on all sides, ropes, knives, sticks, the wind was sandwiched with snowflakes, whirring and blowing, blowing on the face like a knife, the avalanche, a large pile of snow and ice, and I smashed over-

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you weren't human?"

Thinking of this, the young man gradually understood, felt a little embarrassed, and tentatively approached the fire with a slight smile.

"You're not human, are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that! I mean, this, this—"

"I didn't care about you if I knew I wouldn't have to! I woke up and cursed?

"I don't mean that, I mean, this place-you, you-a girl?"

When the girl heard this, she did not squeak, and continued to pluck the fire,

"Oh, by the way, my name is Lingwa!Ling, dexterous spirit, baby, it's a doll's baby! I'm from a distant snow-capped mountain! It's so far, it's so far~!"

"Why are you turning it over? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's hard to put into words! I was wrongfully imprisoned, and then--then--I just--I just ran away and slipped away--I don't know where to run? I ran blindly, and I came here! Thank you, thank you for saving me!"

"Where did you live?"

"It turns out that I live in Daling Mountain, Wanlai Town! Ouch, I don't know how far it is from here? I walked around the mountains for more than a month before I transferred here! We are good there, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, the people are outstanding, and there are no snow-capped mountains, and the seasons are like spring, hey---it's a pity, it's a pity that I was killed!" Lingwa sighed after speaking, and sat back down by the fire. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"By the way, where is this? You, you, a girl's house, this barren mountain range, in the middle of the night, you-!" Speaking of this, Lingwa couldn't help but shudder in her heart, thinking, I still don't believe it, are you human?

The girl listened, did not speak, just lowered her head and gently plucked the fire!

"Oh, I'm sorry! I don't talk a lot, it's hard to say, so I don't need to say it!

Seeing the girl's embarrassed face, Lingwa hurriedly quipped, thinking, anyway, after so many years in the mountains, day and night, I haven't encountered any ghosts?

Then I looked at my clothes, and I wore five or six of them, and it was not cold to sit by the fire. Take a closer look at the two pieces outside that are about to be torn to pieces, and I want to take them off, but I feel that the girl next to me is sitting, and it is unelegant, so I want to wear it, and then say it when it is dawn, it is dawn, you don't say it, I also know where this is?

It's like waking up from a sleep, and I feel fine, and I don't feel any discomfort! If I don't die, I will be blessed, and I will go to find the divine grass! I have to climb a higher snow-capped mountain.

"Yo, you're so hungry, are you hungry?

The girl looked up at him, and thought to herself, "You're really welcome to ask me what I want to eat as soon as I say a few words?"

Lingwa looked up at the black holes around her, and sighed, there was no way, she could only wait until dawn to find something to eat.

The two of them finally sat down quietly, around the fire, both plucking, and had nothing to say for a while. Lingwa felt embarrassed by the scene, and thought, let's find something to say, we don't know each other yet?

"By the way, what is your place called, why don't you tell me? Is this place good? Can I eat with a mouthful of food?"

"No, no!"

"Why? I'm very capable, one person can be worth two, don't look at my age, hey, the strength is there!"

"That's no use, we don't have a shortage of cattle here!"

The girl looked at him with no interest, and said,

"If you want to get by, it's better to change places as soon as possible, right?"

"Why? You haven't told me what this place is, what do you call it?"

"Baihezhou, Zhenxue!" the girl replied lightly.

"Baihezhou? This is still a place name? I haven't heard of it! Your name is Zhenxue? Well, that's good!"

"Then I haven't heard of you in Wanlai Town? Wango Town? That's what my ancestors have called it for generations!"

"Hey, it's all because there are too many mountains, too high to walk out! We are all like frogs in the well, seeing a big slice of the sky every day!"

"yes, if only I could get out! If only I could get out, hey—"

The girl took the words to her lips and took them back.

"Well, I guess you must have something on your mind? Or you wouldn't be alone in the mountains so late?"

Lingwa looked at Zhenxue and said directly.

"Tell me, let me hear it, if you're in trouble, maybe I can help you! I like to help people in need!"

Zhenxue looked at the fire, groaned for a while, then looked up at the dark woods around her, unconsciously her eyes were soaked with tears, lowered her head again, and said sadly,

"Actually, I, I sneaked out! It's been more than ten days—"

"Ah, sneaking out?

"They're going to arrest me, not let me live!"

"Ah, why don't you let you live? Why? You're breaking the law?"

"No! here's the thing—"

Zhen Xue sighed, as if her tears had dried up, only soaked in her eyes and did not fall, looked at the faint flames, and continued to whisper,

"I'll tell you the truth, we're a hell of a place -- there's a ghost! We've all grown up scared. There is the highest snow-capped mountain near us -- called Snow Lotus Mountain! That ghost lives on the top of the snow-capped mountain! Because it is afraid of heat, it does not dare to come down, and according to the adults, it is extremely powerful, it can call the wind and rain, and can open the mountain and split rocks. If it is not served well, it will be angry, and when it is angry, it will throw huge stones down, and it will also cut off our white river, and the people who will harm it will not be able to live!"

"Therefore, the chiefs and elders of the village will make offerings to it on the first day of every month. At first, it was all rice, steamed buns, but then pigs, cows, and sheep, and in the end it was even more terrible, and we unmarried girls? There was a human sacrifice every year -- all ten to sixteen years old -- so many sisters died in the village!"

Speaking of which, Zhenxue choked up-

Hearing this, Lingwa was taken aback, and thought to herself, sure enough, there is a "Snow Lotus Mountain"? It seems that the black tumor did not lie to me! But the top of the mountain is guarded by ghosts, and it seems that it is impossible to go up now! That guy is also deliberately trying to embarrass me? Let's figure it out first and then plan!

I think this ghost will really enjoy it, and he understands more and more about the fireworks in the world, and he can't enjoy serving it with fairy grass, and he still needs a woman?

Needless to say, Zhenxue must have run out to avoid youkai?

So he was surprised and said,

"Ah, there's a ghost, is it still a pervert?"

Zhenxue lowered her head, hugged her knees with both hands, and shrunk herself into a ball,

"You're cold, don't you? Do you want my clothes? I wear a lot, but it's just a little dirty, haha!"

Zhenxue shook her head, Lingwa thought to herself, I know you won't want it either, I just want to ask you, and then ask,

"When did that pervert start asking for women, and why did you choose someone else?"

"I don't know when it started, I've known about it since I was a kid. Those who are eight to fifteen years old are not married! Once a year, those who have daughters in the village draw lots, and whoever they get will be the ones who have given their daughters! Those who have no daughters in the family will pay for them, and they will have to send people to send sacrifices!"

"How much does it cost?"

"Anyway, it's going to cost a lot of money? I don't know the specifics? Sending sacrifices is to send those sacrifices to the top of the mountain - there are a few little monsters on the top of the mountain? It's also very fierce, you have to give it their things first, and then send them up!"

"Where's the woman?"

"It must be the top of the mountain - anyway, the people who send the sacrifice are also very dangerous, every time they come back, none of them have intact hands and feet, and some of them are even beaten to death and fall to death!

"Oh, that's it!" Lingwa blinked her eyes after hearing this, and thought to herself, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you with this favor!

But I thought, if I don't help you, what will you do? The snow-capped mountains have no hope of going out, I am rolling down like stones, and now it's winter, and there is no road.

"Don't scare me, don't scare me, I've heard of it for the first time—"

Zhen Xue ignored his words, thinking to herself, everyone is cornered, you still act like you're fine, very happy? Is the story good? I really regret telling you this!

He bowed his head and pondered for a moment, and suddenly buried his head and began to cry -

This crying spirit baby was a little panicked, and quickly knelt on the ground and leaned her head over, comforting,

"Okay, okay, don't cry, don't cry! If there is such a thing, there will always be a way, what's the use of crying? When I was at home, my grandfather said that evil will always defeat justice! Yang energy will always defeat yin energy, don't be afraid of you, there will be a way!"

After crying for a while, Zhenxue raised her head again and said sadly,

"I've run away, but my family will be miserable! If I die, my family will die!"

"Ah, that's right, who said that?"

Lingwa asked with wide eyes,

"The distance set by the patriarch and the mage! So, I, I can't live, I can't die!"

"The patriarch and the mage, do they have any daughters, and will they send them?"

"People are the stewards appointed by the monsters, where are the monsters willing to hurt their family?

"No one is reconciled, why should they die?"

"Before, the patriarch's son asked me to marry him as a little wife, and my parents had no opinion, but I didn't agree, he already had more than ten wives, and there were dozens of women in their family, I just didn't want to! I didn't expect that a month ago, my father would draw lots!"

When Lingwa heard this, how could it be a bit similar to the courtyard of ten thousand families? Rich people can be lawless and play with women casually? I couldn't help but be angry.

"Some time ago, my father also looked for my in-laws everywhere, but they were all black and white people, familiar with them from far and near, and I couldn't hide from them, seeing that the winter solstice - the time for the sacrifice was approaching! My father and mother were crying every day, and my brother, sister-in-law, sister, and little nephew - so I ran out secretly in a fit of anger!"

"Hey, you—" Lingwa didn't know what to say? Isn't praise, isn't sighing, isn't comforting?

"Sacrifice on the day of the winter solstice! Isn't this more than a month? Who decided it?"

"Every year, people who have seen the ghost on the mountain before come back and say that the monster is a giant beast, and the adults call it a 'giant spirit beast', and the patriarchs say that it is the giant spirit beast!"

"I know that this happens every year, why don't I run it in advance? If I run a few years earlier, won't it be over?"

"You're right--the patriarchs have written it down since you were born, and they've watched you grow up--and if you run away, the whole family will die!

After Zhenxue finished speaking, she cried sadly again!

Hearing this, Lingwa only felt that the sky was darker, and the night was longer! Looking at this strange and familiar woman who was about the same age as herself, she felt sympathy, pity, and unbearable! I thought, you are also my savior, I have to find a way to save you! Otherwise, how will I behave in the future?

――