"Ahh

Just as the four of them had just set foot on their way home, they heard Qiong Wei suddenly exclaim.

Hearing her scream, Xingyan thought something was wrong, and hurriedly asked, but saw the little girl crying with a sad face, and said with a crying voice: "My shirt is torn!"

Hearing this, Xingyan hurriedly turned behind her, and saw the little girl with a cloth jacket on her back, with two big holes on the left and right, revealing a lot of cotton wool threads, and faintly, the skin of * was still visible. It turned out that Qiong Wei was calm now, and suddenly felt cold on his back, and when he reached out and touched it, he found these two holes. I only heard the little girl sobbing and choking sadly: "Woo~ This is my favorite jacket!"

At this time, Xingyan naturally didn't know that the two holes on Qiong Wei's back were because she had just fought to the bottom and gave birth to those pair of strange wings. He also thought that this was when Qiong Wei was fighting in the mountains and forests, and was accidentally scratched by a tree branch. Now seeing that she is sad, Xingyan hurriedly comforted: "It doesn't matter, go back and ask your sister Xue Yi to help make up for ......"

Saying such homely words, the three people of Sihaitang, who had just killed demons and monsters, set out on their way home again. And the water spirit who was rescued by them, after all, was the body of a water spirit, and he slowly woke up along the way, and gradually understood what had just happened.

On the way back, when he passed by the previous pine and cypress mountain field again, he saw that the entire mountain peak was burned black, broken branches and leaves were thrown everywhere, and the smoke of the forest fire on the hillside was not extinguished. In the flying black ashes, the "crackling" of tree branches was constantly burning, and the awakening words could be heard clearly in mid-air.

The entire gloomy mountain field is now in the "divine fire" in the mouth of the python demon She Tai, revealing the craggy mountain that has been buried for many years.

Seeing such a situation, the young man who had been chasing demons bravely and hoeing evil before, couldn't help but be shocked. Looking at the mountain field engulfed by the flames, Xingyan couldn't help but look back, but saw the little girl who was urging this ferocious fire, looking at her gaze, she was grinning, and her eyes were bent into a pair of bright crescents.

"I don't know where she came from. ”

I hesitated a little in my heart, and soon after Xingyan returned to Huoli Village.

When he was approaching the village, he saw a fire under the dim clouds from a distance, and at first glance he didn't know what was going on. When I got closer, I found that it was in the open space next to the blue water pool in the center of Cuili Village, full of old and young, many people were holding torches, and more people were holding knives, sticks, hoes and sickles, with a look of vigilance.

Looking from Xingyan's side, these silent villagers were standing all over the place, and the atmosphere was extremely solemn. And the tall young man with a nervous expression standing at the front of the crowd was none other than Su Afu, the grandson of the patriarch Su Lilao.

"Brother Su, folks—"

Stepping on the ground from mid-air, he saw that these heavily armed villagers were all staring at his side, so he hurriedly accompanied the smiling faces and greeted them, hoping to explain to them clearly.

Who knows, as soon as he opened his mouth, before he could continue, he suddenly saw these hundreds of villagers, as if they had received some orders together, regardless of men, women, and children, all of them threw away their swords, knelt down unevenly, and touched the ground with their heads towards their own side, and their mouths made strange syllables, buzzing into a one.

In the face of these kneeling Huoli people, although Xingyan couldn't understand what they were saying, it could be seen from their movements and tones that these villagers seemed to know that they had done something wrong and were begging for forgiveness from their "god men".

It's just that when the people of Hecun repented and prayed sincerely, the patriarch and grandson of the leader were stunned, standing there like wood and stone, forgetting that he should kneel down with the villagers and elders.

"Brother Afu!"

At this time, a happy call suddenly sounded beside Xingyan, and Xingyan looked sideways, it was the water spirit beside him. This Shui*Ruo, who has not fully recovered, immediately grabbed from Xue Yi's shoulder as soon as he saw his long-lost husband, and the whole person seemed to be full of vitality, and he ran towards the person opposite with staggering steps. At this time, the bewitching water spirit was already covered with the green robe of the tree spirit that Xingyan had seized.

Seeing that the water spirit went straight to his lover, he said that he was only happy for them and did not stop them. It's just that just when the water spirit was running away with the wind, the honest young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, after taking two steps forward involuntarily, suddenly seemed to remember something, and immediately hid his face and left;

At this moment, under the reflection of the torches in the hands of the kneeling villagers, it was clear that the Li young man who was caught up by his wife was ashamed at first, and he didn't dare to look at his wife. It's just that after the water spirit lady said a few words with a firm expression, the shame on Su Afu's face gradually disappeared, and he gradually turned to surprise. After a while, he took his wife in his arms, and stroked the hair of the water spirit that had been beaten by the wind and rain in the mountains for a long time, and the two cried together silently.

Seeing this situation, Xingyan knew that the husband and wife were fine, so he relieved himself and began to comfort the villagers in front of him.

After some sincere explanation, it was not until his mouth was dry that Xingyan let these frightened villagers know that their previous acts of aiding and abetting were just deceived by the demon disguise, so he would not give them any "punishment".

Hearing the little fairy's forgiveness, all the frightened villagers breathed a sigh of relief. At the request of the awakening words, these half-ashamed villagers left in twos and threes.

By the time the Lord of the Four Seas Hall appeased these villagers, Su Shuiruo's side had already rained and the sky was clear. Walking up to each other, the honest husband was full of gratitude, but he didn't know how to express it, he just knew that he was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands, and he didn't know how to thank him for this great favor. However, his lady was understanding, pursed her lips and glanced at her husband, and then came to the front of Xingyan, Ying Ying bowed and said with a smile: "Engong is a master in the world, and there is a saying called 'great grace does not say thank you', and the little woman will no longer chatter here." ”

After saying this, Su Shuiruo's voice changed and said: "If Shui Ruo is not mistaken, Engong should be the new Zhang Xingyan Zhang Hall Master in the Shangqing Palace on Luofu Mountain and the Sihai Hall, right?"

"Huh?!"

Hearing that this water spirit who had been godless suddenly called out his name, and the origin was so clear, Xingyan couldn't help but be stunned. Seeing his expression, the newlywed water spirit with bright eyes flashed a mischievous smile on his pretty face, and said prettyly: "Actually, Hall Master Zhang doesn't know, if the water is stolen down the mountain this time, it will be all to blame Hall Master Zhang!"

"Huh, blame me?"

Hearing this, Xingyan is even more like falling into the clouds of the nine heavens.

"Yes! It's all to blame on Hall Master Zhang. ”

At this time, the bright smile on Shui Ruo's face disappeared, and he had changed into a serious look, and said: "In the past, Shui Ruo was bored in Feiyunding, and one day I suddenly saw you with a little girl, walking past me in a panic, saying that I wanted to meet the old man in charge, I thought it was funny. When it's okay in the future, I'll be invisible in the clouds and mist, and I'll go to the Thousand Bird Cliff of Baoxia Peak to watch you play!"

"Uh......"

Hearing this, Xing Yan couldn't help but think in his heart: "I said! Why did I always think that the clouds and mist mountains surging in front of the Thousand Bird Cliff sometimes had such a majestic aura!"

But he listened to Shui Jing continue: "At that time, Shui Ruo saw Engong playing with his little sister every day, and the content of the games he played was always simple and repetitive, but it seemed to be different every day, and it was always so interesting and vivid. Then I wondered, if happy days are so simple, why have I been so bored for thousands of years? Is it just because I'm alone?"

When he said this, Shui Ruo's face seemed to show the confusion of the year again. I only heard her say: "I have been thinking like this for a long time, until the Mid-Autumn Festival last year-"

"Last year's Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Hearing this, Qiong Wei finally remembered something, and couldn't help but clap her hands and interject: "Last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, there were a lot of fireflies!"

"yes, there are a lot of fireflies! I see you playing with them!"

"Then why don't you come and play with us?"

"I ......"

Asked by the innocent little girl, Su Shuiruo's face was cloudy, and she said suddenly: "No one has spoken to me for thousands of years, I am shy." ”

After answering Qiong Wei, Shui Ruo continued to say to Xingyan: "That Mid-Autumn Festival, I was very envious of you when I saw that you were happy for thousands of years, like a family. When I heard your little female companions talk about your interesting things in the past, I realized that there can be so many interesting people and things in the vast world beyond the mountains. From that moment on, I wanted to go down the mountain. ”

"Oh!"

Hearing this, Xingyan remembered the words of the head of Lingxu when he went down the mountain, saying that "the water spirit was lost half a year ago"; thinking that he was about the end of February when he went down the mountain, Xingyan said: "Then, it should be shortly after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the predecessor of the water spirit ......."

As soon as the word "senior" was about to blurt out, the well-behaved young man felt that it was inappropriate, and quickly changed his title: "Then Mrs. Su went down the mountain alone shortly after the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, right?"

"yes!"

After answering the word, Su Shuiruo smiled, pulled her beloved husband, and said, "Shuiruo went down the mountain to play for a long time, and then met him......"

Speaking of this, Su Shuiruo, the originally down-and-out and generous Shangqing Essence Su Shuiruo, suddenly blushed and couldn't say any more. But even if she didn't say it, seeing that she was as shy as a little girl now, she knew that there should be an interesting story when the two of them met. It's just that at this time, although I am curious, it is inconvenient to ask.

Besides, Su Shuiruo, when the blush faded slightly, he returned to his normal tone and said with a smile: "Hall Master Zhang, I know what you are doing here, it is nothing more than the order of the little spirit void in Feiyunding, and you want to take me back." Now that you have rescued me this time, I will not embarrass you—"

"Ahh

Hearing this, the simple man who had been silent suddenly became anxious. Looking at the confused look on her husband's face, Shui Ruo didn't dare to joke anymore, so she had to purse her lips and smile and said, "Xianggong, please rest assured, anyway, this time, I, the Su family, will not embarrass Engong, nor will I make Xianggong sad." I will definitely give Hall Master Zhang a satisfactory explanation. But now, I'm going to go home with Ah Fu first, go to worship my father-in-law, and I'll talk to Hall Master Zhang tomorrow. ”

"That's good. ”

Hearing this, Xingyan said to the couple in front of him: "Today, you two husband and wife are reunited, and we can't bother us more." I also asked Mrs. Su to burn an extra stick of incense in front of Daddy Su's spirit for the three of us in Sihaitang. ”

"Okay. ”

After answering the question, Xingyan said goodbye to the Su couple and took Xue Yiqiong to Yixue Hall. On this short way home, Xiao Qiongwei kept asking questions all the way, begging her brother not to catch Sister Shuijing again, because she was "so pitiful". Seeing that the little sister was worried about the water spirit sister, Xingyan naturally said no.

In fact, after listening to Shui Ruo's words just now, she knew that she must have the best of both worlds, maybe it was her husband and wife, and she went back to Luofu Mountain to live with her, or something else. Anyway, Xingyan has already thought that even if the water spirit he has been looking for for a year does not want to go back with him, he will never force it. What about the task of the master? Let go of the water spirit, it is a big deal to go back to the mountain to be punished, take away all his Taoist positions, and even expel him from the division, and then he and Xue Yi Qiongwei will go back to Raozhou to do small business and farming, and they can live anyway. Anyway, no matter what, if he wants to break up this immortal marriage, it will never be!

Thinking like this, he went around half a circle along the blue water pool, and Xingyan returned to the Yixue Hall in the west of the pool.

Just now, when he was still walking along the river, Xingyan saw a group of people gathered in front of the door of Yixue Hall from a distance. When I got closer, I saw clearly that there were a few elderly men, who were shouting and drinking, directing more than a dozen young and strong students to carry all kinds of fruits and clothes to the house. It can be seen that in those tired and sweaty later generations, several people are still young and strong villagers who dance knives and sticks to block themselves when they first enter the village.

Seeing this, Xingyan hurriedly stepped forward and asked what he was doing.

Seeing the return of the master, these village elders were all panicked, and while beckoning those descendants to stop, they bowed down and explained to Xingyan, saying that this was a little bit of care from the elders and children of Cuili Village, and thanked him for relieving the distress in the village, getting rid of the demons, and saving the water lady who brought benefits to the village. Therefore, in addition to the immortal tablets offered by the three of them to every household, the people of Cuili Village burned incense every day, and now while Engong had not left, they hurriedly collected a little bit of local products from each family and offered them to Engong together.

"This ......"

Listening to the explanation of the village elder, he knew that the matter in front of him was almost similar to what happened to Mrs. She yesterday.

It's just that after a short conversation with Su Shuiruo just now, this grass hall was full of piles, seeing that those descendants were still shouting trumpets bare-chested, in an endless stream, transporting a large number of materials, live chickens and ducks, how could he be good?

Looking at the road in the distance, there are a few little pigs that are being driven towards this side humming, Xingyan immediately refused with the village elders very firmly, saying that he had a few people who understood the kindness, but a few of them have always traveled all over the world, and when the road is uneven, they draw their swords to help, never look forward to the kindness of the retribution, and ask the village elders to transport them back.

These words were spoken, but those village elders were very sincere and simple, and they could listen to other words, but they were unwilling to take back this thank-you gift.

After arguing for a long time, Xingyan finally let the little Qiongwei who had just torn his clothes pick out a small skirt of the Li family, and the others all returned - seeing that all the surrounding villagers seemed to be unwilling, Xingyan told them that these sent food, everyone will light a bonfire by the blue water pool tonight, and eat together to celebrate.

Suggesting it, the attentive young man added another explanation to them, saying that the old patriarch who had been dead for a month or two would be most comforted if the spirit of heaven saw them so happy.

Listening to such a joyful explanation, all the villagers of Cuili were encouraged to go and move all the food they had just brought to the open space east of the blue water pool. After that, there was an uproar in the entire verdant village, and the village elders mobilized from house to house, telling them that Engong had a life and that they must go to the east of Bishui Chidong to participate in the bonfire celebration tonight. And the cooks and ladies in the village who are good at cooking all came out and went to the open space to bury pots and stoves and cook food in advance.

About another hour passed, and night fell beside the blue water pool at the foot of Bilian Mountain.

At this moment, the sky is still full of clouds and haze, and there is not a single starlight, but by the blue water pool, there are piles of bonfires lit, and the firelight is bright, illuminating the lakeside of this mountain village as if it were day.

Perhaps, the people of Cuili Village, who have been sad for hundreds of years, have never been so happy as they are today. All the Huoli people, even the old grandfathers and grandmothers who couldn't walk, made people tremble and come over to celebrate together. On the banks of the blue pond, which was lit red by the firelight, the men ate meat and drank wine, and the girls sang and danced to celebrate the removal of demons. The heartfelt laughter was so loud that it occasionally startled the night birds perched on the hillside in the distance.

The guests who attended the campfire dinner tonight were all dressed up. The Su couple, dressed in Li costumes, sat quietly by the bonfire and watched everyone sing and dance. In the firelight, the faces of the couple reddened by the bonfire showed heartfelt laughter, showing that they had untied the knot in their hearts.

was looking at it, and a crisp and tender question suddenly sounded next to him: "Brother, am I looking good now?"

Xingyan turned her face and saw that the little girl was wearing the clothes she had just received, leaning next to her Xue Yi, looking at herself expectantly. Xingyan then looked at her carefully, and saw that Qiong Wei was now wearing a red, yellow and white Li family suit, with harmonious and beautiful patterns, and many mica tassels fell on the headscarf and tube skirt, which flowed brilliantly and shiningly under the reflection of the bonfire, and there was a crisp sound of "Ding Lingling" when she moved. Xingyan can see clearly that against the backdrop of this gorgeous Li family dress, the little girl who is already pink and jade-like looks even more delicate and cute, bright and extraordinary.

Xingyan saw it for a while, and was a little distracted, and suddenly realized that the beautiful little girl was still waiting for her answer. Because she has been watching it for a long time, the little girl who was not very confident now has a timid look on her face, for fear that her favorite brother will say something bad.

Just as Qiong Wei was in a nervous mood, he heard his brother's evaluation: "Sister Qiong Wei, it's not that you look good now-"

"Huh?"

When the little girl heard this, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

Seeing this, Xingyan didn't dare to tease her more, and hurriedly finished speaking: "That's the case, Qiong Wei is not that you are good-looking now, but you have always been good-looking, and now you are even better-looking!"

"Ahh

Hearing this, the little girl suddenly burst into laughter, wiping her tears and smiling at the same time.

Gossip aside, about two hours later, the bonfire feast was over.

What Xingyan didn't expect was that because of such a bonfire dinner, from today, the Huoli tribe left a festival, and every year on this day, such an open-air bonfire party should be set up to celebrate this day, and God sent messengers to help them drive away the demons. This day is called the "Torch Festival". If anyone wants to ask in the future why the torch festival in this line of the Li family is different from the days of other clans, the old people in the Huoli clan will tell them a long story, the protagonists are two girls and a teenager. Of course, as the years go by, the details of this legend will change somewhat.

Speaking of caution, he has now returned to Yixue Hall in Shuixi with Xue Yiqiongwei. In the small thatched hall, two candles had been lit, and Xingyan and Qiong Wei gathered around the table to watch the quiet woman thread needles and threads in front of the candles, and sew up the exposed clothes.

"Xue Yi's concentration is really rare!"

At this moment, looking at the girl in the candlelight, with a leisurely and calm attitude, Xingyan couldn't help but admire it very much. The bonfire was over until now, and the loud cheers seemed to still ring in his ears, and he couldn't be quiet for a while.

On the night of the winter night, it was quiet and peaceful, and a few children walking in the smoke and dust finally had free time at this moment, in the grass hall of the remote mountain village, quietly watching the candle shadow in front of them.

According to her brother's appearance, she helped Sister Xue Yi pick out the lights a few times to make the candlelight brighter, and Qiong Wei asked, "Sister Xue Yi, can you sew it as well as before?"

"Yes. ”

Xue Yi replied affirmatively, took the silver needle in her hand, rubbed it a few times between the green silk on her head, and continued to sew it quietly. Under the flickering candlelight, the icy and jade woman threaded the needle and thread, occasionally picked up the thread, and bit it off in the shell teeth, and the whole posture looked extremely natural and skillful.

Seeing her such a clear appearance, for some reason, the young man who was quietly accompanying him suddenly moved in his heart, thinking of the snake demon he met today. When I think of this, some past events come to mind. Looking at the idyllic woman in the candle shadow, he couldn't help but think: "It's strange, I think I beat her snake brother to death in the past, but she slapped me later, but she didn't blame me anymore." ”

Thinking of this, and thinking of Xue Yi's appearance like an ice and snow fairy along the way, Xingyan was even more hesitant in his heart: "Actually, Xue Yi is also a fairy born in the heaven and earth in the blessed land of the cave, but now she is willing to be a maid all the way, which really makes me feel uneasy." ”

The thought is just a thought, and now when I think of it, the center is even more shaky. After a pause, Xingyan couldn't help but say softly: "Xueyi, I want to ask you something......

"Well, although the hall master asked, the servant listened. ”

Hearing Xingyan's words, Xue Yi put down the sewn clothes in her hand, looked at Xingyan quietly, and waited for him to ask.

It's just that when he heard this "" at the moment, he felt even more cramped and uneasy. After hesitating for a while, he asked Xue Yi why she didn't hold a grudge against him for killing her big brother snake later.

Hearing such a question, Xue Yi just smiled quietly, saying that she had already thought about it, and she couldn't blame the hall master for half a point. Now that Brother Snake is gone, she can only live well, and pray for him when she encounters festivals, so that he can be reincarnated as a good family.

Hearing this, Xingyan suddenly remembered that when worshipping the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival in the past, Xue Yi's demeanor was always very solemn, and the prayer time was longer than others. Now that she heard such an answer, Xingyan didn't ask any more questions, so as not to arouse her sadness again. So he said another thing: "Actually, Xueyi, you don't have to call yourself a servant on weekdays." That was just a momentary remark, I Zhang Xingyan has always been used to being poor, but I don't need any slaves and maids. Xue Yi, you have a magical background, why do you have to suffer so much. ”

Hearing this, the cold woman raised her head and said to the hall master: "Actually, Xue Yi is not self-suffering. Xue Yi deceived the hall master at the beginning, but the hall master was not suspicious because of Xue Yi's strangeness, not only treated each other well, but also helped me cover up when a wicked person bullied me that time. If she doesn't serve the hall master wholeheartedly, then Xue Yi has wasted so many years of cultivation......"

Speaking of this, the woman, who had been speaking calmly, thought carefully about what the hall master had just said, and suddenly became flustered, and said in a trembling voice: "Hall master...... What you said just now wouldn't be because Xue Yi had recently lost his morality and wanted to be kicked out of the hall, right?"

"Ugh!"

Seeing that Xue Yi's face was full of panic, Xingyan hurriedly said: "How could it be! I just talked about it casually!"

Seeing that his kind words just now made Mei Xue Elf so confused and uneasy, he was so remorseful, and hurriedly comforted him with kind words, trying his best to explain that it was just to understand Xue Yi's thoughts just now, at most it was inappropriately worded and a little gaffe.

Seeing him explain in such a hurry, the Qingling woman suddenly felt at ease, and quietly concentrated on sewing and mending her clothes. At this time, the little girl next to her, who had been watching them answer, also hurriedly comforted her eldest sister: "Sister Xue Yi, the hall master's brother won't drive you away!"

"Why?"

Xue Yi glanced at her in confusion.

"Because if my brother is unhappy, it must be because we are not well-behaved. And I'm ......"

Speaking of this, the little girl was a little shy, and she was stunned for a while before saying, "Actually, although I am very well-behaved, I am a little worse than Sister Xue Yi." So if my brother wants to drive people out, he will drive me first!"

"This ......"

After hearing Qiong Wei's words, she couldn't cry or laugh, and was about to object, but she heard the little girl still saying: "But I'm not afraid! Even if my brother drives me away, I will still secretly follow behind, and I can't get rid of it!"

“......”

After this answer, there was a quiet moment in the grass hall on a winter night, and the woman continued to mend her clothes, while the brother and sister next to her continued to be in a daze. In the grass hall in the quiet night, only one or two crisp pops of lights are occasionally heard.

After a while, just a little bored, Xingyan suddenly saw the woman who was concentrating on sewing clothes, stopped slightly, raised her head and smiled at him, and said a thrilling word: "By the way, so that the hall master knows that if Xue Yi dies like Brother Snake one day, please hall master must also refine me." Xue Yi was originally a demon spirit, and it was not a pity to die, if she could help the hall master in case of skill in the future, then she would be satisfied......"

--In the flickering candlelight, when the girl said this, her face was calm and quiet, and her tone was leisurely, as if she was only talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

And the person who listened to her was very surprised at first, and wanted to interrupt several times in the short words, but just looked at the determined look on the girl's face, and finally did not speak.

In the silent night grass hall where the candle shadow flickered, there was silence for a while, and then the young man suddenly spoke, and listening to the content of the speech, it seemed that he was also talking about something unrelated: "Qiong Wei, Xue Yi, seeing that the New Year is approaching, when this is over, I will take you back to my house for the New Year first, and go to meet my father and mother......"