[The fourth day of the first month of the tenth year of Daqian Jingyi, noon, Xu Mansion in Chang'an City]

Xu Ke was dragging an injured leg and walking around in the back garden boredly, but he heard a hearty voice coming from the front yard: "Is Brother Xu there?"

Xu Ke hurriedly walked out quickly, only to see that the person who came was burly and had an ochre face, it was Shen Huan, who was named the "Demon Conquering General" by the new emperor.

The two exchanged a few words of greeting, and Xu Ke saw that the front yard was full of ruined weather, so he had to welcome Shen Huan to the Wenyu Pavilion in the back garden and sit down. At this time, the four women in Xu's house were still in Honghu Residence, busy with worship. Xu Ke had no choice but to get up and personally go to the stove to bring a bowl of water to Shen Huan, but Shen Huan stretched out his hand to stop Xu Ke, and he said:

"Brother Xu, this is an extraordinary time, let's not be polite. I didn't come here today to drink your bowl of water......"

"General Shen came here in person, is there something wrong?" asked Xu Ke.

"Hey!" Shen Huan sighed and said: "Brother Xu, you have also seen that the situation in Chang'an City is not very optimistic now! There are demonic beasts everywhere, and the food and clothing of the people in the city are really worrying! The most worrying thing is the 'big demon cave' in Bashan Mountain in the north of the city, which spews out thick smoke almost day and night, and the black smoke is still poisonous, and many people have been poisoned......

Xu Ke was puzzled: "The black smoke here is poisonous? When I was in Xuchang City before, there was also a magic cave outside the city, although the black smoke there was thick, but it didn't hurt people and animals!"

Shen Huan waved his hand and said, "In this demonic world today, no black smoke is safe! It's just that the smoke erupting from that demon cave in Xuchang City is not very toxic, and you won't perceive it in a short time." The Bashan Mountain in Chang'an City is different, there is a 'Demon Cave' hidden there, and a large number of monsters are gathered in the Demon Cave. The black smoke is thick and thick, and the poison is unusually violent! Now, the smoke is getting stronger and stronger......

Xu Ke asked, "There is also a demon cave here?"

Shen Huan sighed again: "Nowadays, there are demon caves everywhere in the world, and this part of Bashan Mountain is especially powerful! I have led my guards into the mountains several times to attack, but they have all lost troops and returned defeated!"

Xu Ke couldn't help but be silent.

Shen Huan continued: "Brother Xu, I can't hide it, now is the time for the imperial court to employ people, and a young hero like Brother Xu is a rare talent for me! I plan to promote you to the emperor as the deputy general of demon subjugation! In the future, we will go into battle together to kill the enemy, subdue demons and eliminate monsters, I wonder if Brother Xu is willing?"

Xu Ke pondered for a moment, but shook his head and said: "General Shen's good intentions, Xu Mou's heart understands! However, Xu Mou's little skill is probably not qualified for the post of deputy general! What's more, Xu Mou's leg is injured now, and it is inconvenient for him to walk, so don't say that he has killed ......the enemy in battle."

Shen Huan smiled: "It's me who is too anxious......! Brother Xu, don't be in a hurry to excuse yourself, when you recover from your leg injury, it's not too late for us to discuss!"

After that, Shen Huan didn't say much, so he got up and said goodbye, and Xu Ke sent him to the door.

After Shen Huan left, Xu Ke returned to Wenyu Pavilion and took a seat. He leaned against the railing, looked up at the towering Bashan Mountain in the north of the city, and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

At this time, the huge magic cave on the top of Bashan Mountain was constantly spewing smoke into the sky. The thick smoke that erupted from the air drifted into the air, converging into a thick cloud of mist, and those clouds and mist were like fishing nets, tangled with each other, connecting into an endless "black smoke net".

It is such a "black smoke net", like a huge black cloth, shrouded in the sky, becoming a barrier to block the daylight. Between heaven and earth, it is also because of this smoke net that it seems to have been split into two parts......

And now, under this black smoke net, all kinds of dust and foreign objects will fall from time to time. These dusts also contain toxic substances, once inhaled, human beings will damage the lungs, if not a person with miraculous power to protect the body, it is inevitable that the lungs will fail and die for a long time.

Such a demonic world, such a black smoke net, such a devastated land, how can those remnants of human beings survive?!

In today's world, most of the daylight is blocked, the earth is scorched and cracked, and it is difficult for plants and trees to grow. The surviving humans not only have to deal with the dilemma of increasingly scarce water and food, but also have to beware of the demonic beasts that go around and abuse humans as hunting targets. In addition, even the sky above your head will fall some poisonous dust from time to time, and you will be poisoned and die if you inhale it for a long time...... Xu Ke really can't imagine how human beings can survive in such a demonic world?!

He couldn't help but shake his head again and again, and couldn't help but sigh to Kong Hao:

In the long run, the extinction of all mankind will be sooner or later!

......

"Sick wood, what are you doing in a daze!" Yiqing saw Xu Ke standing by the Wenyu Pavilion in a daze, like a piece of dead wood, and couldn't help but laugh.

At this moment, the four women have already walked to the back garden and sat down in the Wenyu Pavilion. Yao Zibei saw that it was already noon, so he hurriedly ran to the stove to cook, and Murong Yan also went with him.

"Xiao Wuxi, who came just now?" asked Hu Yiyi.

"It's Shen Huan!" Xu Ke said.

"General Shen, is he here so soon? What did he tell you? Is he trying to pull you to be a guard captain?" Yiqing hurriedly asked.

Xu Ke prepared Shen Huan just to come in person, wanting to promote himself as the "deputy general of demon subjugation" of the imperial court.

Yi Qing heard it excitedly and said: "Deputy General, that's also a big official! The rank is only below the Great General." Why don't you say yes?"

Xu Ke said: "Didn't you also say that the strength of the Communist Party in Chang'an City is less than 3,000 people. I'm going to be a lieutenant, and I'm going to be able to do something!"

Yiqing said disapprerovingly: "That's not what you said! There is a way, there are no weak soldiers under the strong generals! If you lead the team, maybe the soldiers below will all become heroes!"

Xu Ke smiled bitterly: "Miss Yiqing, what do you think...... I can't stand on my sick wooden stake this time, can I still lead the troops to fight the monster?"

Yiqing couldn't help but smile and said, "Although you are sick and have a wooden brain, what are you ...... It's a pity that you lack a good sword in your hand at this time!"

"Ahem......" Xu Ke couldn't help but sigh: "My Kunwu sword, I don't know where it went?"

He suddenly missed the famous sword he was used to using ten years ago.

Yiqing said again: "Although you don't have a good sword, after all, you have the swordsmanship passed down by my master and uncle." Now, the demons are in power, and the world is plunged into darkness and chaos, if even a swordsman like you is unwilling to go into battle to exorcise demons, what hope can those mortals have?!"

Xu Ke didn't want to mention the matter of being "recruited" by Shen Huan, so he avoided the important and trivialized, and diverted the topic:

"Miss Yiqing, is the Taishi Bozu you are talking about the 'Yulu Weng' we met in the Yushan Grassland in the past......? What kind of person is he?"

Yi glanced at Xu Ke innocently and said, "What kind of person is he, how do I know?"

Xu Ke scratched his forehead and couldn't help but wonder: "This 'Yulu Weng' predecessor is not your ...... Taishi Bozu?"

Yi Qing said: "That's right! 'Yulu Weng' is my Taishi and Uncle Ancestor, but you don't want to think about it, what kind of generation is Taishi Uncle and I? He is an old man, and I have never even seen him when I was a teacher, so how do I know what kind of person he is?"

"Your master's master, you have to call him 'uncle'......" After Xu Ke repeated it, he suddenly thought of something, and immediately smiled: "Then, Miss Yiqing, according to the rules of your master, you should call me again...... And what?"

"You sick wood, you really ...... I hate it!" Yiqing's face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but stomp her feet and said in a coquettish voice.

Although Yiqing's Taishi Bozu "Yulu Weng" only taught Xu Ke one swordsmanship, he did not agree to accept Xu Ke as a disciple under his name. However, people in the rivers and lakes have always been extremely senior. Although Xu Ke and Yiqing's Taishi Bozu do not have the name of master and apprentice, after all, they have to pass on his swordsmanship. According to the rules of the teacher, Yiqing should respect Xu Ke and say "Uncle Taishi". But what an arrogant woman Yiqing is! At this time, how could she respectfully call out "Uncle Taishi" to a young man who looked younger than herself?!

Yiqing said with a cold face: "You want me to change my mind about you and call you...... That, at least, you outdo me in swordsmanship first!"

What Yiqing said is also quite reasonable, if you want to take advantage of the other party in terms of seniority, you must at least show some real skills to suppress the other party. On the contrary, if you can't even win against the other party in swordsmanship, how can you have the face to let the other party respect you and say "Uncle Taishi"! When she said such a thing at this time, it was naturally clear that she was bullying Xu Ke with a wound on her leg at this time, and she didn't have a good sword in her hand, so she would definitely not dare to compete with her. Speaking of which, this is still the trick Xu Ke learned in the morning to "play a scoundrel......

"This ......" Xu Ke looked at his injured leg, scratched his forehead, and hesitated: "Swordsmanship, naturally it is better than you!"

"That's good, count your sick wood acquaintance!" Yiqing said proudly. She couldn't help but think that one day ten years ago, in the Hazel Ling Residence in this Xu Mansion, she competed with this sick wood for a sword, accidentally caught his way, and was cut off by his long sword. At that time, I was so aggrieved that I almost cried. At that time, this sick wood had the Kunwu sword in his hand, but his flying sword was far inferior to his sword qi. Now...... Hmph, sick wood, you're finally willing to bow your head and admit defeat!

"However, seniority is seniority, and seniority cannot be changed! If an apprentice is better than a master, can he not be called a master? Although my swordsmanship is not as good as yours, in terms of seniority, after all, I am still your 'master uncle'. How can you rely on your kung fu to be powerful, just ignore the order of the eldest and youngest, ignore the distinction between respect and inferiority, no matter how big or small you are, and you don't even call 'Uncle Master'......" Xu Ke shook his head again and said in a matter-of-fact manner. His words seem to have some truth.

"You...... You're sick with a stinking stinking disease! Obviously your skills are not as good as others, and you still ...... You are brazen......" Yi Qing's eyes widened angrily, pointed at Xu Ke's nose, and said coquettishly.

"Okay, okay!" Hu Yiyi hurriedly came up to play the round. She took Yiqing's hand and persuaded: "Good sister, according to the rules of your master's sect, you should call him 'Uncle Taishi'......"

"Eldest sister, even you help him!" Yi Qingxin said, you really slept together, at the critical moment, you still don't help outside!

Hu Yiyi said again: "However, Xiao Wuxian only got a swordsmanship from your Taishi and Uncle, and he has not officially started, at most he can be regarded as half of your Taishi and Uncle......'s apprentices!

Hu Yiyi said to Xu Ke again: "Xiao Wuxi, you have to respect Yiqing and say 'second sister'!"

"That's right!" Yiqing suddenly said excitedly: "Sick wood, right now, you're a 'fake apprentice' who has to call me 'True Second Sister', call me quickly...... The second sister is happy to hear it, maybe she will give you a red envelope!"

"Yiyi, have you become sisters, when did you become sisters?" Xu Ke said happily.

"It's called 'Sister Hu'!" Hu Yiyi said with a straight face.

"Hu ...... Sister!" Xu Ke scratched his forehead and said with a look of grievance. He really didn't know what words to use to describe his thoughts at this time. When I call you "Sister Hu", you are not happy, and I will call you "Yiyi". Now that I call you "Yiyi", you are not happy, and you still ask me to call you sister...... Ahem! A woman's heart is really a needle under the sea......

"Well, this is my good brother!" Hu Yiyi said softly: "We just got married this morning, according to the age, I am the oldest, Yiqing is the second, Xiao Yan is the third, and Zibei is the last." The four of us will be like sisters from now on, never abandoned, living and dying together, and never separated!

"Great! From now on, we will be like a family, and we will never be separated!" Xu Ke couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Then why don't you hurry up and call her 'second sister'?" Hu Yiyi said immediately.

"Hmm...... Don't you want to scream?" Yiqing also faced Xu Ke, and a pair of beautiful eyes stared straight into his eyes.

"This ......" Xu Ke scratched his forehead vigorously, and he said in his heart, even if she Yiqing is your second sister, but according to the seniority in this Xu house, can't she call me "brother-in-law" or "eldest brother"?

"Hmm...... Xiao is not sick?" Hu Yiyi urged again.

"II...... Second sister!" Xu Ke had no choice but to scream. He said in his heart, it's okay, as long as your sister Hu is happy, even if I call her "Second Grandma", I will respond......

"Oh! my ...... Good brother!" Yiqing suddenly stroked his palm and laughed. The expression on her face was like that of a child, full of innocent smiles. It seems that in the past ten years, she has never been so elated......

"Thank you to my good eldest sister for giving me such a good brother!" Yiqing was excited, but also hugged Hu Yiyi on the side, and also followed Yao Zibei's appearance just now, and kissed her the cheek.

Xu Ke looked at Yiqing in front of him blankly, and he really didn't know why she was so happy. How could he know that in the past ten years, Yiqing has been fighting in a lonely and dark world until now. For countless days, she looked up at the sky, and her heart almost fell into despair. For countless nights, she struggled on the edge of pain, tossing and turning all night...... Once upon a time, could she feel so happy today?

Xu Ke is right, people in the rivers and lakes have always attached great importance to seniority, and the level of seniority has nothing to do with the strength of martial arts. For Yiqing, a "Uncle Taishi" who was almost recognized just now, now licked his face and really called himself "second sister"...... This sudden change in the scene, how could she not help laughing?

"Second sister, who is calling you 'second sister'?" Yao Zibei stepped forward and asked Yiqing with a smile. She had already prepared her lunch, and she was holding a plate of steamed bear's paws in her hand.

"Ah...... That's him!" Yiqing pointed to Xu Ke who was sitting on the stone bench and replied with a smile.

Yao Zibei put a plate of steamed bear paws on the stone table in the center of the pavilion, and smiled at Xu Ke: "Brother Xu, since you have recognized the second sister, you have to call me 'fourth sister'!" In fact, on the way to serve the food, she had already heard some conversations between Xu Ke and Yiqing, and at this time, of course, she also wanted to tease Xu Ke......

"This ...... You don't need it, right?" said Xu Ke with a bitter face. He thought to himself that you called me "Brother Xu" earlier, and then asked me to call you "Fourth Sister", isn't it a bit messy?

"Xiaobei, when did you become the 'fourth sister'?" Murong Yan also followed into the pavilion, and she brought a large pot of "red mushroom broth" for everyone. It's just that in today's big broth, there are mainly bear bones and bear leg meat, but only three or five red mushrooms are put in. Thinking about it, Murong Yan was still extremely reluctant to that bag of precious red mushrooms.

"Sister Xiaoyan, don't you know ......" Yao Zibei came over and whispered to Murong Yan.

"So that's the case!" Murong Yan stared at Xu Ke and smiled "ill-intentionedly".

Xu Ke was embarrassed, so he had to pretend to scratch his forehead and avoid Murong Yan's gaze.

"Wow! Third sister, fourth sister, the food you cook is too fragrant! I'm going to starve to death! Quick, let's eat!" Yiqing shouted, immediately got off his chopsticks, picked up a piece of bear meat, put it in his mouth and chewed it, and while eating, he also praised it repeatedly.

The five of them sat around the stone table together, rushing to eat meat and drink soup. Because of the black bear called by Yiqing, as well as the only remaining red mushroom in the Valley of Forgotten Worries, coupled with the cooking skills of Murong Yan and Yao Zibei, everyone in this house has tasted the supreme delicacy in the world.

This kind of delicacy, I'm afraid, even the emperor in the palace may not be able to have this kind of taste at this time.

......

......

The days passed in a hurry, and for the next ten days, Xu Ke stayed at home to recuperate. At this time, the entire Xu Mansion was respected by Hu Yiyi, and everyone obeyed Hu Yiyi's arrangement every day. According to Hu Yiyi's instructions, Xu Ke was not allowed to go out for half a step before the leg injury healed. Even though he wanted to follow Yiqing out of the city to hunt, he was still dissuaded by Hu Yiyi from inside the door.

Murong Yan accompanied Yiqing to Meixuezhai in the south of the city again, and moved all her daily needs there to Honghu Ju.

Since then, Yiqing has lived in the Xu Mansion with all the sisters with peace of mind. Every day, she would go out early in the morning and try to bring back some delicious and non-fishy meat. In addition to being eaten by his own family, the surplus can also be exchanged for some silver in the East Market of Chang'an City, and then used the silver to buy salt, sesame oil and other condiments for cooking, as well as some porcelain, wood, iron and other daily necessities. Over time, the furnishings in those rooms gradually increased, and the feeling of "home" became more spontaneous......

Murong Yan and Yao Zibei also kept a moment every day, cleaning the courtyard, tidying up the back garden, marinating meat pieces, and cooking vegetables...... Although they are busy in the morning and evening, they are also very busy.

Hu Yiyi tried her best, spliced some rags of fabric, filled the inside with aromatic antidote powder, and made two masks for each person. With these masks to protect between the nose and mouth, most of the toxic dust that is constantly falling from the sky can be kept out of the lungs.

It's just that in Chang'an City at this time, medicinal materials are already more rare than gold. Hu Yiyi only made ten masks with all his brains, but there was no way to help the people outside the Xu Mansion.

Chang'an City has scarce water sources and relies on more than a dozen wells in the city for water supply. Hu Yiyi had to go out every day and fetch two buckets of well water from the well next to the north gate. The water source in Chang'an City is controlled, and every well is guarded by guards, and every household can only fetch a bucket of well water every three days. Well water can only be used for drinking, not for any other use! However, the captain of the guard guarding the well happened to recognize Hu Yiyi, and every time he saw her come to fetch water, he waved her hand and let her go.

Life is still very hard, everyone is usually reluctant to use water except for cooking and drinking, and when they get up early and sleep at night, they try not to freshen up, and when it is really difficult, they just use some hot water to wipe their bodies. Ordinary food, naturally, is also meat-based, and it is more difficult to find some vegetables and fruits than to climb to the sky!

Xu Ke lived in his former mansion in Chang'an City, although this world was bad for him, but several confidants around him fortunately had always accompanied him. And at night, he still slept in Hu Yiyi's room. Later, Yao Zibei felt a little inconvenient, and took the initiative to move to Linglong to live in the center.

Although, in Honghu Ju, Murong Yan has always slept alone in a large room. However, at night, Xu Ke never entered Murong Yan's door......

Ten days passed, and on this day, Xu Ke only felt that his leg injury had healed, and he was as light as a swallow when he walked. He stayed at home for too long, and he clamored to go out. Hu Yiyi had no choice but to accompany him out for a walk......