Chapter 53:

Yuan Xiang'er and his party struggled out of this mountainous hill in the snowy season. The terrain began to become flat. There were often large tracts of winter deserted fields on both sides of the road, and the towns along the way gradually became tall and solemn.
This is a barrier to the north of the country. The nomads living on the grasslands often ride horses to go south, burn, kill and loot on the border, triggering wars of different sizes.
Those city walls built to resist foreigners appear heavy and majestic because they have been contaminated with real gunpowder and blood. The celebrities and scribes in the splendid robe disappeared, but border warriors with sharp armors and unique foreign merchants often appeared in the crowd.
To the residents of the Northland, the Huren like a wealthy wolf, tiger and leopard is more real and terrifying than the monsters that occasionally appear in legends.
Yanmenguan in Bingzhou is one of the important towns in the north. As long as you leave here, grasslands and even deserts will gradually appear in your field of vision. Not far from their destination, Fengzhou under the jurisdiction of Datong Prefecture.
The Spring Festival has not been too long, and the New Year flavor on the streets is still full. Yuan Xianger saw the candied haws with icing sugar on the side of the road and was greedy. The candied haws here have a unique taste. The cored hawthorn is filled with continuous and delicate red bean paste, or the fragrant and delicious sesame paste, and the surface is covered with sugar syrup. Dipped in a layer of dried fruit, it tastes moderately sweet and sour, with a lingering fragrance.
Yuan Xianger took a bunch of red candied haws from the hawker selling candied haws, ate one by herself, and handed the rest to Nan He.
She bulged her cheeks, her eyebrows curled, "Let's share a bunch."
She knows that Nanhe is sweet and not sour. Just give him a taste.
As expected, Nan He only ate one with her hand.
"I eat all tastes. I want the biggest one." The humanoid Wu Yuan reached out and took a bunch of candied haws. He bit off two of them and said vaguely, "Brother Nan, do you want me? Give you one?"
Nan He turned his head and pretended not to hear.
Yuan Xiang'er was standing next to the gang with the candied haws, handing the candied haws one after another.
A string of Wuyuan, a string of Saburo, a string of Qiu Yueming, and a string of Zhou Deyun. Everyone has a share with the accompanying servants.
The hawker selling candied haws is very happy, and this is a rare big customer for him. The beautiful little lady was taking the candied haws from his hand one after another and handing it to the people behind him.
Qishuang Saixue's slender jade hand took the last string of candied haws bamboo sticks, and handed it to the empty place, the string of red fruits suddenly disappeared out of thin air.
The peddler rubbed his eyes, suspecting that he was wrong.
The little lady turned around with a smile, and settled the coins with him.
It must be a mistake. How could it suddenly disappear, the hawker thought.
He didn't know that behind him, there was always a demon in a robe with a catfish head.
The demon's pale arm caught the candied fruit that Yuan Xiang'er handed him, and after looking at it carefully for a long time, he raised his head and opened his mouth, threw the whole candied fruit into his mouth together with a bamboo stick, and swallowed it swiftly.
"There is strong wind."
As Yuan Xiang'er and his party continued to move forward, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"It's not suitable to travel on a windy day." said the demon with the catfish head.
Yuan Xianger turned back, smiled and waved at him, "I know, thank you."
After listening to the catfish spirit's advice, everyone did not continue on their way, looking for an inn in the town to stay.
In the afternoon, yellow sand was rolled on the flat ground, and there was a strong wind. The sand was charming and the road was difficult.
People in the town are holding spiritual activities, putting the statues in the temples on red brocade and carrying them out and marching along the street. The holy statue of the Three Kings is revered throughout the world, with many followers. All the way, the gongs and drums were soaring, and the flags were so obvious. The believers along the way burned incense and prayed, kneeling and praying for blessing.
Yuan Xianger opened a little window from the second floor of the inn and looked at the situation on the street through the gap.
"Humans are so afraid of fairies." Wu Yuan squatted on her shoulders and licked her paws, combing the sand in her hair. "Gods are actually fairies when they are blunt. Why are humans not afraid of them?"
"Are gods also fairies?" Yuan Xianger heard this argument for the first time.
"Anyway, it's a powerful spirit body, can't it be considered a human being?"
"Perhaps the power of those gods has reached a height unattainable by humans, so people only worship and fear him."
On the sedan chair, the tall and gleaming statue of god, with low eyebrows and kind eyes, looks at the world, and the red silk and golden brocade fly in the yellow sand. The believers along the way leaned on both sides of the road, and the wind and sand could not stop them from bowing their heads and praying for the blessing of the gods.
Yuan Xianger suddenly remembered the dilapidated mountain temple he saw in the mountains and forests. I remembered the apostle who had pale skin and lost his freedom. It seems that I saw him being held by chains, dragged out of the temple, and parading in the human village.
Those humans he had helped and loved, after he showed his prototype and lost the power to resist, showed a hate expression at him and cursed and threw stones at him.
Dushuo should have been completely disappointed with creatures like humans.
The hurricane was getting bigger and bigger, the sky was covered with yellow sand, and the wind roared, and the inn doors and windows creaked.
The wine shop was filled with merchants who were held back by the wind and sand, and the merchants from all over the world exchanged cups, talked and exchanged news and information about the journey. There are even Orchid dancers walking through it, singing and dancing, and the melodious shamisen, directing the travellers in the world to steal a life for half a day.
Yuan Xianger and others sat in the elegant room of the attic. Because they were not going to stay at night, they drank a few jars of wine and ordered two tables of local specialties.
"Who knows that the weather is so good in the morning, and such a big sandstorm was born out of thin air. Thanks to the wonderful calculation of the little gentleman. If it is such a sandstorm, walking on the wasteland with no shops in front of the village and back, it will be a pain." Zhou Deyun A toast in hand, "Come on, I will toast the little Mr."
The servants around him nodded again and again, and now these people are not convinced by this little gentleman.
Yuan Xiang'er toasted and drank. The wine here is rice wine, sweet, soft in the mouth, but not low in stamina, and drank the body warmly.
"Axiang, I also toast you a glass." Qiu Yueming stood up holding the glass, and said solemnly, "I won't say more about it. No matter what the result of this trip, the gentleman's kindness will be remembered in my heart."
Yuan Xiang'er had a drink with him and said with a smile, "You don't need to be so polite among friends."
While drinking happily, the chattering voices of the drinkers in the lobby downstairs came up.
"Thanks to General Qiu this time, otherwise the old man would not have his life to meet the old brother." A man with a northern accent spoke loudly, "If it didn't happen that General Qiu Yueming was recovering in Datong Mansion. Hu Ren this time. It is bound to break through, and Datong Mansion is afraid that it is already a on earth, a dead city."
His companion replied: "General Qiu is really worthy of coming to the world, bless the thousands of creatures in my prison."
As soon as the three words Qiu Yueming came out, the people in the room upstairs immediately raised their ears and looked down at the atrium.
Among them, Qiu Yueming himself is the most nervous.
Along the way, he seemed calm, but he was really uneasy, worried that Zhou Niangzi's soul was indeed in his body. With the weak soul of a woman, she suddenly awakened in the army tent surrounded by the body of a wolf and tiger, will there be anything out of control? She was also worried that Zhou Niangzi's soul hadn't been exchanged with her at all, and her body had already turned into bones, buried under the loess, and there was no other soul to return in the world.
At this moment, he suddenly heard someone mentioning his name, Qiu Yueming's heart suddenly twitched, holding on to the railing of the attic, he stretched his head to look downstairs.
Drinking were two elderly men dressed as merchants. One of them had white hair and beard and vicissitudes of face. After drinking a few sips of wine, speaking of happiness, I couldn't help talking about the thrilling battle I experienced in Datong Mansion before the New Year.
At that time, the iron shoes of the Hu people broke through Fengzhou, Yunnei, Dongsheng and other places, attracting the leader of the Jiedu envoy stationed in Datong Mansion to rescue. Unexpectedly, the Hu people's army and horses were defeated with one blow, and they retreated steadily. The Datong Mansion defenders were eager to mobilize soldiers and horses and pursued them, but they did not know that they were in the enemy's plan to move the tiger away from the mountain. All the way, the elite enemy troops lurked near Yunzhou, watching the timing of the defensive departure, and attacking the empty city of Datong.
"Those humiliated people are like evil spirits. They surrounded the three and outer layers of Datong Mansion. They threatened to slaughter the city for three days and bloodbath Datong Mansion." The old man brought up the thrilling and terrifying memories, and the decree lines on the corners of his mouth appeared deeply. Huren, you know, those guys who commit adultery and looting are more terrifying than ghosts. Once they enter the city, the whole city will be gone."
His partner sighed and touched him with a toast. It was obvious that the residents of these northern regions were suffering from the invasion of foreign races.
"At that time, the whole city was crying and everyone was frightened and helpless. The huge Datong Mansion had only two thousand garrison sergeants, and there were as many as tens of thousands of enemy troops outside the city. Lord Zhizhou who led the troops in the city was still a civilian. I was so scared that I hugged my concubine and hid in the mansion, shivering, and wanted to hang his neck." The old man sighed and sighed, drank his glass of wine, slapped the tabletop and stood up, "Thanks to my supernatural general Qiu Yueming. , Happened to return to Datong Mansion from Fengzhou due to injury. At this time, General Qiu, regardless of his injury, put on a sharp armour, raised his arms and mobilized all the people in the city, whether old or weak or women, all wearing armor and standing with a banner Up the city wall."
He was excited here, and the noise around him became quieter, and everyone at the scene heard it.
The old man was full of red light, "Those evil wolves from outside the Great Wall thought that Datong Mansion had only an empty city. Suddenly they saw the flags of the city, the silhouettes of people, and the brightly clothed soldiers standing full of the city wall. I saw my Dafa God again, General Qiu Yueming ascended to the top of the city in awe-inspiring manner, and there was no one who was not too frightened. I just listened to our side’s city head beating the noisy war drums, and the city gate opened wide for a time. , General Qiu wore a purple gold and red tasseled crown, wore a tufted silk robe, dragon scales and proud frost armor, holding a pear flower point steel gun, and led two thousand soldiers out of the city. Those madmen were frightened and frightened. If you panic and lose without a fight, hahaha."
The people at the scene applauded, although there are many exaggerated elements in the old man’s story, but the people here hate the invading barbarians. Listening to this kind of story, naturally the enemy appears incompetent, and our hero is more brave. , How can we be more prestigious.
The old man watched so many people join in, and the more he spoke, "At this age, he could not wear his armor and could not hold an iron spear. It was just in despair that he saw General Qiu's call for climbing. In order to protect our homeland, I was earnest in words and rushed around. I couldn't help but feel enthusiastic, and I also became angry with my youth. At that time, let alone the old people like me, they were all the charming little ladies in the city. , Put on armor and walked up to the city wall to fill the number. The total number of children also went out of the house to help carry military funds and deliver food. It was also due to the concerted efforts of the whole city, young and old, to scare the enemy back without fighting. "
Someone in the crowd asked, "Old man, you said that you were in the city and you were on the city wall. Can you see the general's majesty with your own eyes? What is the general's appearance and character?"
The old man stiffened his chest, cleared his throat, and clasped his fists in all directions. "Old and incompetent, but he has some luck. On the city wall, he happened to be arranged not far from the general. It was fortunate to see the general's face. Really majestic. Awe-inspiring and extraordinary. What is even more rare is that a general who fought on the battlefield like a general is usually humble and polite. He eats and lives with the soldiers. He is very compassionate and caring for the old and weak. He is really a god. Character."
The downstairs applauded again and again for the brave and wise hero, but everyone upstairs looked at each other.
Qiu Yueming squeezed the railing repeatedly with one hand, he was a little panicked, who was always firm and steady, and there was a burst of surprise and joy in his heart.
The joy is that judging from the words of these people, his body really survives in this world. Surprisingly, the man who lives inside is not chaotic, but he does not know who it is.
The person most concerned about the outcome of this trip is Qiu Yueming. What he was worried about was that when he reached the ground, he found that the situation was not what he thought, which was tantamount to pushing him into the abyss just after giving him hope. If he can't return to his body, unless Zhou Deyun is willing, he can't even get rid of the identity of Madam Zhou from the perspective of the law.
At that time, death would be the best ending for him. Whenever he thought of not going back to the barracks, he had nowhere to devote his blood to serve the country. But it is possible to be imprisoned in the backyard to inherit the line for a certain man, and it is inevitable that the cold hair stands tall.
After careful consideration, Qiu Yueming asked Yuan Xianger, "I wonder if I can take a divination for this trip?"
Yuan Xiang'er drank a few glasses of wine, a little bit up, and seeing Qiu Yueming's worry, he took out three pieces of money from his arms.
"Then try Zhanyi Gua, but I have limited learning together with Zhanyan, so I may not do it accurately."
She put the money in her palms, folded her hands together, and recited prayers silently. With a sharp turn in his heart, he scattered three golden coins on the table in a row. After so many times, a hexagram of water and heaven needs is obtained.
"How is it?" Qiu Yueming asked urgently.
Yuan Xiang'er deduced for a moment, "From the perspective of the hexagram, danger is ahead, vigor is not limited, righteousness is not poor, and the great river is benefited, and you will be successful. This means that although the future is somewhat difficult and dangerous, but because you have a strong personality and stick to the right path, After all, there will be no end to the end, there will be good results."
Qiu Yueming let out a long breath, finally showing a smile on his face.
Zhou Deyun hurriedly said, "Little Mr. also has a good idea for me?"
His companion said humorously, "Waiting outsiders asks about the same thing. Now that this person has got a good Gua, naturally outsiders can get what they want."
Yu Yao, Yuan Xianger’s master, is very good at the art of occupancy. Even her own apprentice was captured by the master one day. She has always yearned for this Dao, but it’s a pity that she has not been very good at it. After the trial, I felt that the hand feels smoother than before, so I started the second hexagram.
"How, how? I think the lady must be very happy to see me pick her up." Zhou Deyun rubbed his hands and said excitedly.
Outside the window, there was a sound of wind. Yuan Xiang'er looked at the hexagram elephant for a long time, then raised her head to look at him. Her expression was a little weird. She hesitated and said, "The sky is windy, there is wind in the world, strong women, gentle and strong, don’t take daughters... "
Seeing that Zhou Deyun's face had collapsed, she swallowed the following sentence "Don't be long and long".
Zhou Deyun, from Yuan Xiang'er's perspective, is a typical scumbag common to wealthy people in this era. He loves leisure and work, has no responsibility, is machismo, and does not respect women.
But after walking together for so long, they are already very familiar with each other. Zhou De is still very good at interacting as friends. He is gentle, generous, and has a wide range of hobbies.
Yuan Xiang'er couldn't bear to look at his wilting appearance, and didn't want him to be so full of hope. He couldn't get a good result from the end of the journey, so he could not help but comfort him.
"I have learned the art of divination very badly, but the eight hexagrams are inaccurate, and the eight or nine hexagrams are inaccurate. What's more, there is a change in this hexagram, which means that things are still infinitely possible. Don’t worry about it in advance."
Wu Yuan, who turned into a human form and sat at the table to eat, raised her head and asked, "What is the lack of water and fire?"
Hu Sanlang interjected, "This is one of the hexagrams of human gossip. Weiji's hexagram says that the little fox is about to cross the river, but his tail is wet, there is confusion between yin and yang, and things are unfinished, but there is still Infinite variables."
Yuan Xianger was very surprised: "You actually understand this?"
"Well, I was with Sister A Qing before. She liked to deduce fortune-telling, and I have listened a lot. But Sister A Qing always said that although she is good at this, she always cares about the things she cares about the most, but she can never take it out."
Yuan Xiang'er bowed her head and collected the three pieces of money. She didn't see this hexagram thoroughly. I couldn't help sighing in my heart, if the Master was there, I would definitely know the direction of things clearly, not as ambiguous as I was, forget it and not.
It turned out that the farther I went on the road, the more I realized that I was far from learning.
Wu Yuan stretched an arm around Zhou Deyun’s shoulders, comforting the human who offered him food all the way,
Don’t worry, we have all passed by, no matter who stops us, we can grab you. The lady snatched it back."
"Don't all be discouraged. You haven't reached the ground yet. I'm not sure." Saburo turned and turned into a young girl, "I'd better sing for you."
She went downstairs to ask Hu Ji to borrow a shamisen, tuned Lun Yin, cleared her throat, and sang a popular ballad.
"Gu Shu Cang Cang Cang, the fire and cold, the wilderness is heavy and white. The horn feathers of the business string are brushed first, and the autumn leaves in the four suburbs are shocked. Who in the world knows the gods, and the mountains have eavesdropped fairies..."
He lowered his eyebrows and smiled, plucking the strings at his fingertips. The piano skills may not be so perfect, but he has a kind of innocent romantic, casual and free meaning.
There is a string of silver bells tied to the girl's slender ankles, playing and singing, singing and dancing, singing with a long voice and clear bells. The face that has blurred the boundaries of gender, the charm of the mountains, the voice of ghosts and gods, are scattered here in the wind and sand.
When Hu Ji heard the dance of Hu Xuan, the wanderer could not hear the tears of homesickness.
At the end of the song, the Luo skirt has been twisted to Yuan Xiang'er's feet. The beautiful young girl put her hands on Yuan Xiang'er's knees, looking at Yuan Xiang'er in the autumn, "Axiang, am I doing well?"
"Okay! Folk arts are unique, rare in the world." Yuan Xianger gave her praise.
"Then Axiang, let's have a drink too." The green jade hand filled two glasses of sake, and was about to pass it forward with a smile. The girl suddenly felt a numb scalp, and a cold chill came up from her spine, as if it was going to He was thrown into the Wannian Ice Cave. He didn't even need to turn his head to know that a pair of cold eyes fell on him behind him, carrying the terror pressure that is unique to the big demon.
"Hug, sorry. I'm just used to it." Hu Sanlang shuddered and instantly turned into a harmless little boy. He swiped and retracted the wine glass. "I suddenly remembered that I am not an adult and can't drink much."
He hugged Huqin with his tail clipped, and quickly slipped downstairs to return the piano.
"Hahaha, I told you to want to hook up with Axiang and occupy my favor." Wu Yuan laughed loudly, "but there is something good about wine, my dad said he wouldn't let me drink that before I became an adult."
Yuan Xianger remembered that she didn't seem to have had a drink with Nan He. So I poured two glasses of wine and turned to look at Nanhe.
"Xiao Nan, can you drink? Let's have a drink?
Now that Xiaonan has reached the skeletal stage, he is a wolf between adult and juvenile. A few drinks should be fine, right?
People around him stretched out their hands, took her wine glass, and slammed it gently with her.
"can."
A voice rang in Yuan Xianger's mind. It is strange that the voice has a pungent sour smell inexplicably.
Why does the voice smell, Yuan Xiang'er wondered uncomprehendingly.