On a cold day, the sky and the earth are white, and pieces of goose feathers are falling one after another.

In the thirty-fifth year of Yongchang, southern Jiangsu ushered in a heavy snow that was rare in ten years.

Heavy snow quickly covered the long streets in southern Jiangsu, the craggy branches fell in the cold night moonlight, the doors of every house were closed, and through the illuminated windows on the two streets, the aroma of laba porridge occasionally wafted out.

In the mass grave behind the execution ground, the ice and snow washed away the viscous bloody gas in the field, and the corpses were overlapped, unable to see their original faces because of the ice and snow condensation, and glowing blue and white in the moonlight.

In this still snow, dark figures shuttle through it, like mice in the night, moving swiftly and cautiously.

Twelve-year-old Lu Tong walked in the grave behind the execution ground.

A few days ago, Yun Niang developed a new poison and asked her to go down the mountain to find fresh human liver.

She came down from Luomei Peak and stayed in the city of southern Jiangsu for three days, until the execution of the death row prisoners was over today, when the lively crowd dispersed, the executioners returned home, and the officials threw the bodies of the death row prisoners into the mass graves, and then came out of the ruined temple where she lived.

The snow was quiet and dense, and the snowflakes fell on the girl's tightly wrapped dough, which was stained with a layer of wetness, and was blown by the cold night wind, which was cold and biting.

Lu Tong was unconscious, only lowered his head, and carefully selected the dead corpses in the pile of corpses by the moonlight.

After the execution of the death row prisoners in Sunan City, those who have family members will spend money to bring the bodies back. If there is no family, the bodies of death row inmates are hastily piled up in the graves behind the execution ground.

There is never a shortage of corpses in mass graves, some are fresh, some are rotten for a long time. Those hideous wounds were solidified by the wind and snow, and stopped in a bloody scene. Lu Tong walked cautiously among the corpses, tripped over a round thing under her feet, and almost fell, she stabilized her body and looked at it.

It was a head that had been cut off from the neck down, with long unkempt hair like black grass, and a skin as white as wax, only a pair of eyes that were round and could not hide the ferocity.

It should be the head of the condemned prisoner who was beheaded today.

Lu Tong's body trembled.

She hurriedly bowed her head, folded her hands, and whispered a bow to the head in front of her, and then bypassed the head and continued to move forward.

Even though he had seen all kinds of dead corpses, every time he encountered them, Lu Tong still couldn't be completely calm.

Yun Niang always wants to make new poisons, and new poisons require all kinds of materials.

Some are herbs, nectar, animal bodies.

Some are the human heart, the human liver, and the human body.

Of course, the body of a living person is the best, but Yun Niang can't kill people directly in order to make drugs, so she can only retreat to the next best thing and find the freshest corpse.

Sometimes, Yun Niang would find the newly mourned poor family, negotiate a price with the family, and buy the body.

Sometimes, Yun Niang would inquire about the sick who were dying, talk about the money, and wait for someone to get angry on the side, so as to take the freshest medicine immediately.

Lu Tong once saw that the youngest daughter of a poor family was seriously ill and died, Yun Niang negotiated a price with her father, and waited for the little girl to lose her anger in front of the youngest daughter of that family. Like a vulture guarding the living with its last breath, it is terrifying.

But such people don't often have them, so more often, Yun Niang will ask Lu Tong to go to the mass grave to find fresh dead bodies. The mass graves on Luomei Peak are not fresh enough, and if you want to find those who have died not long ago, you have to come to the mass graves behind the execution ground in southern Jiangsu.

These death row inmates who have no family members have committed great crimes during their lifetimes, and no one cares about the bones after death, but they are the safest, and the officials will not take care of them. Even if it is discovered, hand over a little silver, and it will pass.

It was not the first time Lu Tong had come to the execution ground to look for the body, she was always scared at first, but after a long time, she was able to calm down a little. Sometimes I even feel that it is more reassuring to go to such an execution ground to deal with the dead than to wait for someone to lose their anger in front of the hospital bed.

After all, sometimes, the living are much more terrible than the dead.

Snow is pouring down from the sky, and it's the coldest time of the year. There has been no snow in the city of southern Jiangsu for ten years, and the rivers in the city have frozen.

Lu Tong tightened the thin winter coat on his body.

If it was in Changwu County in previous years, at this time, it would be time to prepare for the New Year.

Eating glutinous, drinking, making teeth, sweeping dust, pasting windows, cured meat, rushing to get married, taking advantage of the void, bathing, sticking to the New Year's red, the glutinous rice steamed by her mother is salty and fragrant, she and Lu Qian always fight for the stove sugar and oil cakes of the sacrificial stove.

It's just that this year's big cold, there is no glutinous rice and stove sugar, and there are no parents and siblings, and some are just cloudy and snowy, and frozen clouds are hanging on the ground.

Lu Tong stopped.

There were several corpses lying flat on the outermost part of the grave.

Perhaps because the snow was too cold today, and it was dark early, the people at the execution site did not even cover these new corpses with corpse cloth, and let the snow cover them layer after layer, freezing these human bodies into a frosty white and hard ice sculpture.

The girl squatted down and rubbed her hands, and in the dim moonlight, her hands skillfully groped for the corpses.

After groping for a while, Lu Tong found a body that was quite satisfied.

It was a burly headless corpse, a middle-aged man to the touch, and among the corpses, this corpse appeared to be more sturdy, and it should be able to meet Yun Niang's needs.

Lu Tong brushed off the ice and snow on the corpse, opened the medical box, took out the jar and knife from it, and slashed the corpse's chest cavity hard, endured the discomfort, and groped through it to find what he wanted.

The snow whistled down on the people, and in the empty execution ground, only the wind whimpered. The girl's figure is as weak as a foraging beast in this cold silence, agile and alert.

Lu Tong put the last piece of blood into the jar filled with ice and snow, covered the jar, put it in the medical box, and reached out to grab the snow water on the ground to wash away the blood stains in his hands.

The snow soaked through the fingertips, and it was bitterly cold, like a human heart that had just been dug out.

When a person dies, there is no temperature, and no matter how hot the blood is, after the passage of life is clean, it will become a cold and deep spring.

She moved the corpse and searched around for a long time, finally finding the corpse's head. He is a thin middle-aged man, with fierce and depressed facial features and round eyes.

Lu Tong vaguely heard the onlookers mention that this person robbed passers-by to kill people and dumped their bodies, and was convicted and imprisoned for this reason.

She placed her head on the corpse, took two steps back, and knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the corpse.

"This uncle, I just took something from you, and I have already found your head for you, which can be considered flat."

Lu Tong said piously: "I didn't kill you, it was you who killed someone who would be executed, there is a debtor who is wronged, I didn't hurt you, if you are unhappy, don't find me." ”

"When the next year is clear, I will burn some paper money for you, don't blame, don't blame."

I have heard it said before that the executed death row prisoners were extremely vicious during their lives, and they would turn into powerful ghosts after death. Lu Tong dug up the heart and liver of the corpse, and after all, he did a loss of yin morality, and under the weakness of his heart, he could only dilute some of the guilt in his heart in this way.

She had just finished reading and before she could get up, when she suddenly heard a chuckle from beside her.

"Who?!"

The next moment, a cold and sharp object pressed against his neck and shoulder, someone was attached to him, and the voice came from his ears, clear and still a little vague hoarseness.

"Where did the thief come from, and the dead man's things dare to steal?"

Lu Tong's body was cold, and for a moment, his scalp was numb.

She stayed in the execution ground for so long, but she didn't notice when there was such a person here, when did this person come, and how much did he see?

After settling down, Lu Tong pretended to be calm and spoke: "Who are you?" ”

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly smelled a thick smell of blood.

This bloody breath was different from the rancid and unpleasant bloody smell of the dead man, fresh and thick, coming from the person behind him. He held Lu Tong behind him, and the tip of the cold knife around his neck made Lu Tong unable to turn back, nor could he see the other party's appearance clearly.

The man was silent, the tip of the knife was slightly raised, and Lu Tong felt a stronger sense of pressure on his neck, accompanied by the other party's laughing voice.

"I'm lost, it's cold here, take me to a place where I can rest. Otherwise," he lowered his voice slightly, "I'll kill you." ”

Lu Tong froze in place.

This man seems to be wounded, and he is hiding here, maybe some kind of outlaw. His knife was still across his neck, and it was too dangerous to argue with him at this time.

After a long stalemate, she compromised.

Lu Tong said slowly: "I know that there is a ruined temple near here to shelter from the cold...... I'll take you. ”

The other party laughed briefly, I don't know if he was pleased with her acquaintance, and then, an arm went around Lu Tong and put it on her shoulder.

From afar, it looked like a drunken man holding her in his arms.

If only he could ignore the dagger he had hidden in the palm of his hand aimed at her neck.

Lu Tong let this person hold him, and walked out of the execution ground with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

Half of the other party's body leaned on her, Lu Tong had to bear half of his weight, he was tall, Lu Tong hugged him, and he could smell the heavier bloody gas coming from him.

He was injured, Lu Tong was sure in his heart.

But she did not dare to flee at this time, the knife pressed against her throat was too sharp, and the man's body was too tense, like a beast ready to bite the throat of its prey at any moment.

She didn't dare to take any chances.

After about half a pillar of incense, a crumbling ruined temple appeared in the wind and snow.

The temple door was ajar, with no lights, only a little night afterglow shining on the rough beams.

Lu Tong felt the blade on his neck approaching a little closer, and hurriedly said, "There is no one here." ”

There is no one here.

The beggars and monks in the southern city of southern Jiangsu often live in the ruined temple, but the ruined temple near the execution ground is not cared for. Because people often say that this place is close to the execution ground, and the souls of the dead who were executed at the execution ground are not scattered, or they become powerful ghosts, and often wander around here. Even the mud bodhisattva originally enshrined in the ruined temple was damaged by the rain on a rainy day. After that, no one dared to spend the night here.

Lu Tong often spends the night here because it is very close to the execution ground, so that she can touch the corpse at night. Moreover, living with those beggars and monks may not be safer than spending the night alone at the execution ground.

After all, the dead do not harm others, but the living may not.

Lu Tong led the man to the broken temple, stretched out his hand and pushed the door out.

"Squeak-"

The temple doors were completely opened.

The man blocked the doorway, put down his knife, and asked, "Is there a fire?" ”

Lu Tong replied in a low voice: "Yes." ”

After saying that, he walked to the middle of the temple, and the mud bodhisattva lay down under the offering table, groped for a long time, and took out an oil lamp and a fire fold from it and lit it.

It's something she's hiding here before.

As soon as the oil lamps were lit, they lit up.

In front of the offering table is enshrined a clay statue of a high one-person Bodhisattva, but before a heavy rain, the temple leaked, and the heavy rain washed away half of the mud Bodhisattva's body of the colored sculpture, and even the face could not be distinguished.

The wooden tray was empty, there was not half a piece of fruit, it had not been set foot on for a long time, and the corners of the walls were covered with layers of fine cobwebs, and dust was everywhere. There were some broken planks stacked in the corner, perhaps beams that had collapsed in front of them.

Under the offering table, several tattered old futons were put together, vaguely forming the shape of a bed, which was a "couch" made by Lu Tong, and she lay on it to rest at night.

The man's gaze swept slightly over the futon straw mat, and he asked thoughtfully, "You live here?" ”

Lu Tong turned around.

The execution ground was cloudy, and he turned his back to this person, unable to see the other side clearly. And at this moment, the lights in the temple are clear, and she can see the other party's appearance clearly here.

He was a tall man, dressed in a pitch-black arrow suit and covered with a black scarf, and his face could not be seen, except for a pair of extremely black and bright eyes, which shone a little chill in the lamplight.

His voice was very young, although it was a little hoarse, but it couldn't stop the unique clarity and brightness of a teenager, Lu Tong guessed that he was only sixteen or seventeen years old, maybe even younger.

When he saw Lu Tong coming over, he reinserted the short knife in his hand into the scabbard, walked to the middle of the temple casually, and began to look around.

He didn't block the door, Lu Tong's heart moved, and he slowly paced towards the door.

Just as she was about to approach the broken door, a young man's indifferent voice came from behind her: "Where are you going?" ”

Lu Tong paused.

She turned around stiffly, looked at the other party's back and slowly spoke: "I have brought you, no one here will come......"

He interrupted Lu Tong's words: "Are you planning to sue the official?" ”

Lu Tong was stunned.

Without waiting for Lu Tong to answer, the person in front of him turned around, looked at her and said slowly: "If you sue the official, I will say that we are a gang." ”

"You!"

He looked at the medical box on Lu Tong's body: "Also, how do you explain the theft of the corpse?" ”

In fact, it is not difficult to explain the theft of the corpse, those officials will not really treat her, but if it is confused with the people in front of her......

Who knows where he came from.

Lu Tong calmed down and said softly: "I won't sue the official, don't worry, I won't see you today." ”

He glanced at Lu Tong with some surprise, then looked out the window, and suddenly said: "It's so cold outside, where are you going, this is your territory, there is no reason for guests to drive the host away." ”

He flicked the scabbard in his hand with his fingertips, and his voice was like a smile.

"Sit down, let's live together."

Lu Tong stared at his scabbard tightly.

The other party's demeanor is relaxed, and his tone can even be called friendly, but the quiet threat makes people feel palpitations.

She half-lowered her eyes and glanced out the door with great speed.

It is located around the execution ground, and there are no uninhabited houses except for this ruined temple. If she snatched the door out, there was no shelter outside, only a heavy snow, and although he was injured, he seemed to be breathing steadily, and it was always easy for a man to catch up with a little girl.

He could easily kill her and bury her in the snow without anyone knowing.

The man in black looked at her again and said, "It's snowing outside, close the door." ”

The other party didn't plan to let her go.

Under the disparity in strength, it is always not a good way to fight hard. Lu Tong secretly tightened the strap of the suitcase, walked to the door, and pushed the broken door that was about to fall.

The wind and snow were suddenly covered up for the most part.

He sat down on the futon, his back straight, and paused when his eyes swept over the pile of broken wooden planks in the corner, and then ordered Lu Tong: "Little thief, there is wood in the house, you go and make a fire." ”

Lu Tong gritted his teeth secretly.

If this person wants to kill or chop, it is better to give a good time, but he will grind like this.

Lu Tong suspected that he was too seriously injured and had no physical strength to do things, so he used her as a servant.

But she didn't have the courage to fight this man, not to mention the knife in his hand, there was always a disparity in physical strength between young girls and young men.

It would be nice if she could also have a delicate poison technique like Yun Niang, at least she could blind the eyes of people in front of her with a touch of poisonous ashes, which is better than being slaughtered like this.

Lu Tong walked silently to the corner of the temple, picked a few slightly shorter broken pieces of wood and carried them to the offering table, and burned them little by little by the fire of the oil lamp.

These pieces of wood are the fallen wood of the window frames and beams, and after a long time, they are slightly damp, and Lu Tong tossed for a long time, and finally got some heat.

She gathered a few short logs together, a small fire rose, and the snowy night seemed less gloomy.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, and when she looked up, she met the other party's gaze.

This man's eyes were very bright, like a clear gem in the faint candle light, but his eyes seemed to be staring at his prey, and he was very aggressive.

Lu Tong was stunned for a moment.

Although this person is covered with a black scarf and has a suspicious appearance, his body and demeanor are extraordinary, and he does not look like a fugitive cowering and embarrassed, but he is calm and comfortable. If it weren't for Lu Tong being coerced by him all the way here, just looking at his appearance, he would still think that this person is a young man whose identity is mysterious and cannot be an outsider.

It's outstanding.

But it's hard to say that you're covered, maybe there's a pockmarked face under the face towel. Lu Tong thought viciously.

The man in black naturally didn't know that Lu Tong was secretly slandering, and after glancing at Lu Tong, he looked away.

At the feet of the mud bodhisattva who had washed his face, the offering table was empty, and only a rusty copper lamp was placed. The oil lamp was bright, and the candle flame became the only warm color on this snowy night, and the tiny lamps burst out of the wick and fell into a faint color on the offering table.

"Lantern smiles...... "The man in black raised his eyebrows slightly, "It seems that you and I are lucky." ”

Lu Tong didn't understand what he meant, and only followed his gaze, and the sparks of the oil lamps burst everywhere and landed on the dusty offering table, drawing fine and delicate traces of oil.

As if seeing her confusion, the man in black tilted his head: "Don't you know?" ”

He smiled: "In the past, Lu Jia said that the lights were full and everything was happy. In ancient times, there was a method of occupying lanterns, and the lanterns were driven out again and again, and the Lord was overjoyed. After a pause, he said insincerely: "Congratulations." ”

Lu Tong frowned.

She had never heard of any lantern divination, and suspected that this person was fooling her. What's more, she stayed in Luomei Peak every day to test the medicine, where did the happy event come from, she was so lucky, she would not meet the person in front of her, and she was coerced by him all the way to the current situation.