Tree stump, monster.

A stump, a few roots, cracked bark revealing three old dry eyes, looking at me as the roots slowly creeped in.

Although this stump demon looks quite strange, because when you come to the monster village, you often see it on the roadside or square of the village, and you don't know what to do without moving, so you are not afraid or surprised. It seems to be quite old, and it doesn't even have any vitality, and compared to the same tree, it has a very heavy stump.

I wondered what it was doing at Dumont's house, and when Dumont saw it, he asked, "Are you here to play chess?"

The stump nodded without saying a word, and then unceremoniously squirmed the roots and climbed onto the chair I had just sat on, facing Dumont, as if waiting for something.

Dumont walked over to the bed, took out a chessboard and chess pieces (rudimentary chess pieces made of planks and stones) from under the bed, and placed them on the table, apparently preparing to play a game against the stump.

The stump demon took my place, and I didn't say anything, so I brought over a coffee table next to me and sat on it and watched them play boringly.

Dumont and the stump silently set up their chess pieces, like old friends for many years, and did not speak. But I understand that it's just that the stump doesn't know how to speak.

They start playing chess, and they think for a long time about each move. Especially the stump, it silently looked at the chessboard, and then in a daze for a long time before grabbing the chess piece with the root of the tree to make the next move. I noticed that his chess skills were not very good, and he even sometimes made some very low-level mistakes, and he was at a disadvantage against Dumont.

I think it's probably because it hasn't grown up as a youkai to be as advanced youkai as Dumont and Midori, so its intelligence hasn't developed yet.

I, a bored man, watched from the sidelines, thinking about how they should play, and occasionally interjected from the stump.

The stump didn't bother me as a person, and after I "pointed" for a while, he really played chess according to what I said. The first time I came into contact with it like this, it seems that it is a monster with no temper, but it is easy to get along with.

However, the opponent was an old fritter player like Dumont, and the stump and I were also defeated by him, and I lost two games in a row.

Although I was only a bystander, I stood on the side of the stump, and when I lost, I felt unconvinced, and I had the urge to flip the table and shout "no fun". And the stump is still like that, silently re-placing the chess pieces for the next game.

The third game was played for a longer time, because the stump didn't know how, and the time spent there in a daze was getting longer and longer, and it took a long time to stretch out the roots of the tree to move the chess pieces, so anxious that I, the military advisor, even played chess for it.

At the back of the chess, there was only one pawn, one horse and one commander left on our side, and there was still a rook, one artillery, two soldiers and one general on Dumont's side, but there was no chance of winning. But the stump, like the first two games, still did not admit defeat, and still sat there silently, staring at the chessboard in a daze.

One minute......

Two minutes......

Three-minute ......

I couldn't help it, so I said to the stump that was still in a daze, "Why don't you open another plate." ”

The stump didn't answer me, still staring at the chessboard, and we had to continue to wait for the stump.

Four minutes ......

Five minutes......

Seven minutes ......

Dumont and I began to feel that something was wrong, and after looking at each other, Dumont called out to the stump, which still didn't respond.

I had a bad feeling in my heart, and Dumont stretched out his hand and pressed it against the stump for a moment, and his expression was indescribably sad.

I swallowed and asked, "What's going on?"

Dumont said calmly: "It has gone." ”

"What...... Going?"

"It's dead. ”

"Dead?!"

I found it hard to accept that I was still playing chess, and now I was suddenly told that the stump was dead, and I hadn't reacted yet.

"Just kidding, wasn't it? it was fine just now, and it's still a youkai. ”

Dumont didn't look like he was joking at all and said to me, "Don't you know? Youkai also have a lifespan, and they don't live forever. It's indeed dead, the demon energy is dissipating, and there is no sign of life, and even the youkai who saved us in the first place can't change it. ”

I sat weakly on the coffee table and looked at the stump in a daze, still unable to accept its death.

Dumont sighed and said: "Actually, it has been alive for a long time, after all, it is a low-level monster, even if it is a tree, its lifespan will not be extended too much, and it can be regarded as the end of life among humans, there is nothing to be sad about." ”

Even if he said so, there was undisguised sadness on his own face.

Life, fragile, whether it is a human or a monster, will not escape the day of death.

After quietly watching the stump demon for two minutes, I came to the square, and beat the big drum to gather all the demons in the square, and the sound resounded throughout the monster village, and even the monsters at home were all here except for looking at Lu Qiyue's green calyx and Jiang Ziya.

The youkai who arrived were talking a lot, and although I didn't know what was going on, I could see from my expression that the matter was serious.

I stood on the high platform and told them about the death of the Stump Demon, and informed them that they would be cremating the Stump Demon in the square tonight.

Although most of the monsters in the square don't have any friendship with the stump demon, they all feel a sigh when they hear that it is dead, after all, they are all the monsters who have come back from the tribulation and come to this monster village together, there is no reason not to feel sad.

I arranged for some orders to go down and disband the youkai in the square.

The dead stump demon remained in Dumont's house, sitting in a chair untouched. Some of the youkai went to Dumont's house to see the dead stump demon, and I walked home with a heavy heart, and even the always arrogant orangutan walked silently with a cigarette.

Our clothes were drying at the door of the house, and Qingcao was hanging Lu Qiyue's plain white skirt on the bamboo frame. When we arrived, she put down her work and asked me, "Is something going on?" ”

Me: "There's a youkai in the village who died. ”

Qing Cao was quite surprised and asked, "Is there a monster dead?"

"Don't think too much, it's just old and dead, it's the stump demon, I'm going to hold a cremation for it tonight. ”

After hearing this, Qingcao nodded in regret.

When I entered the house with the monsters, I saw that the TV was on, and Lu Qiyue was sitting on the sofa staring at the TV, as if she felt very amazing about the "high-tech" of TV. She had never been exposed to modern society, and now it was the first time she had come down from the mountains.

When you think about it, how boring life must be on the mountain.

At this time, the clothes on her body had been changed to the clothes of the green calyx, and the long silky hair that was tied up had become loose behind her shoulders at this time, and she had changed from a fairy to a modern person.

When she found out that we were back, she looked back from the stupid expression of staring at the TV, glanced at us with anger with a tense face, and finally looked at me and immediately turned away in a panic. I think I felt embarrassed to see her, and I really didn't dare to look at me anymore.

It was not difficult for the monsters to notice Lu Qiyue's strange expression, and Huang You quietly leaned over to me and asked, "Boss, have you done anything strange to others?"

"Don't ask, knowing too much can be a threat to your life. ”

Huang You and Brother Gorilla looked at me strangely, like I had done something harmful.

"Beast!"

"Scum!"

"Scum!"

Tsk, why are you being scolded?

After the monsters dispersed, they went their own way, Huang You prepared lunch, Qingcao went in to help, the three animals of the orangutan and the dog brother and the rabbit shrank on the other side of the sofa to watch TV, Xiao Lu was basking in the sun at the door, Huo Yu and Shi Dashan were sitting at the table talking, and I was on the phone in the living room, informing Long Xu, Liu Qidong, Wang Shien and the Chen family that the monsters had died in the monster village, and asked them to come tonight.

Lu Qiyue, who was in the midst of so many monsters, had a complicated expression, especially looking at so many monsters who were complacent on their own, and there was no bird at all as a cultivator. If she hadn't tied up, she still had the heart to fight with us, but in this state, she didn't even have the qualifications to work hard.

Wang Shien's guy said that he might not be able to come tonight, and I thought he was just looking for a reason to perfunctory me, so I argued with him.

Just when I shouted to Wang Shien on the other end of the phone, "That's a monster died", Lu Qiyue suddenly said coldly: "Good death!"

The originally peaceful atmosphere in the room immediately changed, and everyone's eyes turned to Lu Qiyue, only to see that she didn't feel that there was anything wrong with what she said, but a burst of happiness, wishing that all the monsters in the world were dead.

I hung up and walked over to her.

"What do you mean by that?"

Lu Qiyue didn't flinch in the slightest because of my solemn tone, but instead bent her head, looked at me with cold eyes and said, "Monsters living in this world will only harm people, and they should all die!"

I clenched my fists, and I was already sad to see the stump demon die, and my heart was even more angry than ever after hearing her say this. If it weren't for the fact that she was a woman, she would have slapped her in the face.

The monsters hurriedly walked over, and Xiao Lu and Huo Yu pulled me.

Huo Yu whispered in my ear: "Boss, don't do it, after all, she is entrusted to us by the Dao people in the clouds, and she will have to be sent away sooner or later." The meaning of Yunzhong is also very clear, that is, I hope she can understand our monsters. If it hurts her now, it will be difficult for the relationship between the two sides to get closer. ”

Me: "I understand this, if she scolds me, forget it, but what she says is really infuriating." ”

Huo Yu smiled reluctantly: "So only you, boss, can handle this matter." ”

I exhaled and calmed down, and said to Huo Yu and Shi Dashan: "The old rule, find a tree to hang on, you can't let her down without my permission, even if she wants to pee out!"

Lu Qiyue glared at me angrily and shouted, "You dare?!"

Xiao Lu ran to the utility room to get a rope, and Shi Dashan immediately carried Lu Qiyue and walked with Huo Yu to the orchard. And Lu Qiyue, who was struggling on Shi Dashan's shoulder, glared at me angrily, and that look made her have the urge to kill me.

The former fairy sister has become Li Mochou, tsk, it seems that I can't pity the fragrance and cherish the jade.