Chapter 3:

Yuan Xiang'er was walking on the trail in the wilderness, the sky dimmed little by little. The lights of the village behind him are completely invisible, and the road ahead is chaotic and dim.
Yu Yao didn't seem to have any intention of stopping, and in the silent jungle, the sound of footsteps made by the two of them as they stepped on the grass and dead branches could be clearly heard.
The night is thick, foxes and insects scream, and the branches of the forest are shadowy, as if there are countless horrible existences hiding there, and they are quietly peeping at the two people in the night wilderness.
Yuan Xiang'er was a little scared. Because she really knew that there were lives in this world that were different from human beings, making her more afraid of being in such a wilderness than anyone.
She tensed her nerves all the way, worrying about which dark corner a monster with terrible form would suddenly jump out of the next moment.
The seven-year-old didn't even have a familiar person beside him, only a cheap master who had not known him for a few hours.
No, to be precise, she doesn't even know if this so-called master is a human.
Yuan Xianger quietly raised his head and glanced at the man holding his hand. The man's brows were sloppy and his skin was jade, which looked so unreal under the moonlight and stars.
Is he also a monster?
This thought caused Yuan Xiang'er to get goose bumps.
Yu Yao stopped and looked at the little apprentice who was following by his side. The little apprentice is only six or seven years old, so he should be tired, maybe a little scared, after all, she is still a little girl of this height.
"Is Xiang'er scared?" Yu Yao squatted down in front of Yuan Xiang'er, "It's okay. They usually don't dare to come out with me here."
Yuan Xianger looked at him, and was not ashamed to tell him that most of the root of his fear came from him.
Yu Yao took out a piece of talisman from his arms. Such talisman with yellow paper and red letters is very common in the world and is widely used by the people on various occasions. Whether it is weddings, funerals, or medical treatment, you can see people praying for it. Yellow symbols are either posted and worn, or drink water into the stomach.
But Yuan Xianger never felt that they could play a real role.
Sometimes she could even see those little fairies playing with these so-called oppressive runes as leaf cards.
Although the piece in Yu Yao's hand was also the yellow paper with red letters commonly seen, once he took it out, Yuan Xiang'er felt it was unique. At this moment, in her eyes, the runes written on the scarlet cinnabar, like a spirit, flowed along the strokes with extraordinary aura, under the load of a piece of yellow paper, faintly shocking power.
Yu Yao's long fingers flew, dexterously and skillfully folded the talisman into a standard triangle. He gently slipped the folded talisman into Yuan Xiang'er's belt, and he didn't know if it was in his heart. A faint warm feeling came from his waist, which made Yuan Xiang'er feel relieved, dispelling fear and calming down.
She realized that she might finally see the amulet in the true sense.
"You..." Yu Yao squatted in front of her, feeling a little embarrassed about what he said next. He hadn't accepted an apprentice yet, and he didn't know how to get along with such a small apprentice. "Would you like to call me Master? "
"Master."
Yuan Xianger answered without pressure, and of course she didn't have much sincerity.
She didn't have the deep-rooted notion of being a teacher and a life-long father in this era in her mind. The only thing she needed to consider at the moment was how to make her young body survive safely in this world.
But Yu Yao seemed to be satisfied. He reached out and touched Yuan Xiang'er's head, "Master's home is not too far from here. In order not to make your teacher wait in a hurry, Xiang'er worked harder and accompanies the teacher on the night. ?"
"Yes, I listen to Master." Yuan Xianger is sweet and well-behaved.
As long as you don't suddenly turn into a big monster and swallow me in one bite, I can listen to you everything.
Yu Yao felt very touched. He often heard some fellow daoists complain about how hard and troublesome it is to lead an apprentice. But how could his little apprentice be so cute and cute.
"Come, take you for the teacher."
He turned around, leaving his back to the obedient and sensible little apprentice.
...
Yuan Xianger lay on Yu Yao's back and walked a long way. The night was already deep, and the sky was full of stars.
Yu Yao's steps are very steady, with a unique rhythm, making Yuan Xianger a little sleepy. She now feels that her master should not be a monster. Those big monsters are all high and high. She hasn't seen any big monster so honestly and as a human being to walk such a long way.
With such thoughts, the young body could no longer resist sleepiness, and became confused in the gentle and regular shaking.
This man's back is very wide, and it is strange that his body seems to smell of sea water. This made Yuan Xianger, who had lived in a seaside city since childhood, feel very familiar and at ease.
She vaguely dreamed of a dream, in which she returned to her childhood, a period of time she had forgotten. There was a mature and steady man, Yuan Xianger couldn't remember his face. But when his mother saw him, she gave a rare gentle smile. That uncle took himself and his mother to the biggest playground in the city, and spent a happy and joyful day until it got dark and the city lights up like stars. On the back, slowly walking in those beautiful stars.
At that time, Yuan Xiang'er was lying on the solid back and fell asleep at the man's swaying pace, thinking that this might be the feeling of his father, and I really hope to sleep on his back like this forever. But when she woke up the next day, everything returned to its original condition. The father's back disappeared, and he still slept in the luxurious and empty room, and his mother became more cold and hurried than before.
I don't know when the long night has passed, and the sky is bright. Yuan Xianger opened his eyes and found that he was still on the rickety back. The master was carrying her all night.
In the morning of midsummer, the sun was already very irritating, and a blue bamboo hat crookedly covered her head. Yuan Xiang'er lay on the man’s back with her eyes open, watching the sunlight that leaked from the cracks in the hat sway in front of her eyes, and suddenly felt that since she had already been a daughter and sister in this world, it would not be a problem to be another apprentice. There is nothing impossible.
She got down from Yu Yao's back and saw that the back that she had slept all night was wet with sweat. While wiping the sweat from his forehead, the master took out the kettle and let himself drink first.
Yu Yao's somewhat detached face began to gradually transform in his sweaty appearance and became real and human.
Yuan Xianger said softly: "Master."
This sentence was very light, but finally brought a little sincere. It's a pity that Yu Yao couldn't tell the difference. He only felt that the newly recruited apprentice was soft and docile, which was really good.
A stream appeared in front of them, and the stream gurgled eastward. There was a wide stone bridge across the stream, and the other side of the bridge was a lively and extraordinary town.
"This is Queqiu Town, and Master's home is here. This clear stream originates from the Sirius Mountain Range to the south of the town and is the source of the stream at the entrance of your village." Yu Yao introduced to Yuan Xiang'er.
Queqiu Town is an ancient town with a long history. To the south of the town is the steep Tianlang Mountain. A wide stream flows out into the steep mountains and surrounds the town all the way east.
Yu Yao took Yuan Xianger's hand slowly across the stone bridge and stepped into the noisy mortal world.
"Mr. is back. Whose doll is this? It looks like this."
"It turns out that Mr. has accepted the apprentice, so congratulations to Mr."
"Mister is back. This is a live fish from the stream just now. I was about to send it to my husband to try something fresh, but I was afraid that the lady would have a rest. I happened to meet here."
"When will my husband be free, I have a new grandson, and I want to give a name to Mr. Labor."
"The mother-in-law at home said that she was asleep when she saw Tiandi couldn't sleep well. She also wanted to ask her husband to give Talishui water."
...
To Yuan Xianger's surprise, the pedestrians who came and went all the way, regardless of their status, showed great enthusiasm and respect for Yu Yao, and Yu Yao seemed to be accustomed to it and coped with it easily.
Stone bridge is the only entrance and exit of this town. On the bridge, vendors walked and walked. There are many vendors on the bridge, selling needles and brains, fruit and food, and even people performing juggling skills. The scene is very lively.
All this is very novel to Yuan Xianger. She has always lived in a small village with sparse population, and this is the first time she has come across such a colorful ancient bazaar since crossing.
Looking happy here, she suddenly stopped and pulled Yu Yao's sleeve.
"What's the matter?" Yu Yao followed her gaze and looked forward.
At the crowded bridgehead, standing abruptly, a figure that is more than half of the average person. The figure has a broad shoulders and a small head and a dark face. His eyes are erected on his face, and he is standing on the side of the bridge with his head bent over and his head. Look at the hot rice cakes sold at a rice cake stall.
The old man selling rice cakes greeted the pedestrians with a smile, and did not see the figure that was almost on top of his head.
Yu Yao laughed. As expected, the little apprentice was as talented as shown in the Guaxiang. He was so talented that he had opened up Yin and Yang eyes at a young age and was a good seedling who inherited his own mantle.
"The name of this demon is 祙, and the black head looks strange, but he has a calm temperament. Although he likes to walk in the crowd, he doesn't disturb others most of the time. Xianger doesn't have to mind."
"Master, can you see it like me?" Yuan Xiang'er realized that Master could see those things just like herself, and she was very happy.
For so many years, those demons clearly existed in the world and lived by their side, but they were the only one who could see them. They could only hold them in the bottom of my heart, and there was nowhere to tell. This time there is finally someone who can communicate freely without pretending.
"Yes, we also have all kinds of weird little monsters in Yuanjia Village. Although they are a bit skinny, most of them are not malicious to humans." She recalled her days in Yuanjia Village, although some monsters made her Scared, but it did not really hurt her.
"Demons and human races are different. They are uncertain and elusive. The two races live on a demarcation line and do not disturb each other most of the time. But there are also big demons, who emerge on a whim and cause harm to the world, which is hard to prevent."
Yu Yao cast his gaze into the thousands of mountains south of Queqiu Town, where it was once the lair of the ancient demon tribe, the Sirius tribe. Although the Sirius Clan is no longer in this world, there are still some very terrifying existences.
"Xiang'er, you must remember that although we live at the foot of the mountain, we are not allowed to enter the depths of Sirius Mountain at will, let alone to provoke the big monsters that live in it. There are some of them that Master can't handle."
Yuan Xiang'er was in a good mood at the moment, and could say anything. She glanced at the endless green mountains in the distance and promised, "Well, I won't provoke them."
The two masters and apprentices walked along the bluestone road in the town. The most prosperous area passed, and the houses and pedestrians on both sides gradually became scarce.
The weather in summer changed when the weather changed. The sky that was still shining brightly just now was covered with dark thunderclouds, and it rained with a crash.
Pedestrians on the street evaded one after another, Yu Yao put the hat on top of Yuan Xianger's head, picked her up and ran forward.
"Xiang'er is in no hurry, she has arrived home. It's the yard in front." He stretched out his finger to show Yuan Xiang'er.
At the end of the road, the green hill was obliquely obstructed, and a cool courtyard with water-milled brick walls faintly appeared at the foot of the hill. In the courtyard wall, the green pine is stacked with green, and the bamboo reclining is not luxurious, but it is cool and comfortable.
Before rushing to the front, the courtyard door suddenly opened, and a pair of slender hands holding bamboo umbrellas stretched out from inside.
The author has something to say: It is different from what you think. Without a slow process of learning arts, the heroine will grow up with a bang, and then the hero will come out.