Qing Xiong grabbed Hongjun from his back, pulled him down, and tickled him a few times. Hongjun burst out laughing. Qing Xiong ordered him to stand up straight and asked, "Did you get into trouble again?"
Hongjun's hands were covered in dust, and now he wiped Qing Xiong's face with it. Seeing Qing Xiong's funny face, he could only point at him and laugh. Qing Xiong was baffled, so Hongjun gave him a vivid explanation. When Qing Xiong heard Chong Ming's gaffe, he also could not help laughing.
The two of them laughed for a while, and then Hongjun said seriously, "What did you bring back for me? Quickly give it to me! "
Qing Xiong replied, "I don't have anything."
Hongjun did not believe him, so he stepped forward and searched Qing Xiong's body. Qing Xiong was always bare-chested, so he only had two trouser pockets. Hongjun did not give up and still wanted to search. Qing Xiong answered seriously, "I really don't have anything."
"I don't have any books, and I don't have anything to eat." Hongjun's face darkened.
Qing Xiong laughed and said, "Last time I brought you several legendary books, have you finished reading them?"
Hongjun replied, "They're rotten."
Seeing Hongjun's disappointed face, Qing Xiong could not help teasing him, so he asked, "Where's your Zhao Zilong?"
"He's here." Hongjun shouted, and the Carp Demon hopped over. Five years ago, he accidentally found this half-human-shaped carp in the Taihang Mountains, so he raised it. Later on, Qing Xiong gave him some legendary books about the heroes of the Three Kingdoms. Hongjun was inspired, so he named the Carp Demon "Zhao Zilong." He also announced that it was going to jump through the dragon gate and become a golden dragon.
Qing Xiong took out another item as if she was performing a magic trick. She held a chain between her fingers, and at the end of the chain hung a treasure. She waved it around for Hongjun to see.
"What is this?!" Hongjun exclaimed.
He saw that the object was extremely small. It was a pendant tied to a golden chain. The pendant was made of gold and stone, and there were many mechanisms on the pendant. In the middle of the pendant, there was an extremely small crystal ball. The warm white light in the ball was faintly discernible, like a lamp. When Qing Xiong handed over the pendant, the courtyard also lit up. The brilliance was not inferior to the scorching sun in the sky.
"I'll leave it to you for safekeeping." Qing Xiong placed the pendant in Hongjun's palm and bypassed the golden chain. She smiled and said, "I don't dare to casually teach you how to use magic weapons. I'll be scolded by your father."
When Hongjun received this exquisite object, she immediately held it in her hands to study it. She nodded her head. Qing Xiong warned, "You must not break it. This crystal is very fragile. I'll tell you how to use it later."
Hongjun hurriedly agreed and left with the necklace in her hands.
"Sixteen years old."
When Qing Xiong walked into the side chamber, Chong Ming was drinking tea. Qing Xiong knelt in front of the table and glanced at Chong Ming.
"He caused trouble again today and was severely punished by me," Chong Ming replied indifferently.
Qing Xiong replied, "Young people always like to cause trouble. In the past, you, I, and Kong Xuan also often caused trouble."
Chong Ming raised his eyebrows and said, "He's not ready yet."
Qing Xiong replied, "I received this letter last night. It was sent by the Exorcism Department in the mortal world. There are less than four years until the appearance of Tianma. In the letter, they are gathering young talents to return to the Chang 'an. According to my guess, they are preparing for the appearance of Tianma in four years … "
Qing Xiong handed a letter to Chong Ming. Chong Ming did not even look at it. He rubbed his fingers together and a ball of flame burst out from his fingertips toward the letter. Qing Xiong did not want to burn it, so she took it back.
"Chong Ming, now that the demon race is rampant in the world, the Tang Dynasty's talents have withered. It's too late."
Chong Ming tilted his head and looked straight into Qing Xiong's eyes. He said word by word, "Don't forget that we are also demons."
"You still remember?" Qing Xiong said. "I thought you had already forgotten, Your Majesty the Demon King."
Chong Ming instantly exuded a powerful aura, as if there was a flame burning in his body. He frowned deeply and looked straight at Qing Xiong with anger.
In the study, Hongjun first used two throwing knives to pry open the pendant, then a pair of scissors to cut it, but he still could not open the mechanism outside the pendant. Finally, he used a hammer to hit it. He was sweating profusely, but he still could not open the small crystal in the pendant.
"Ah, ah, ah …" Hongjun took a bronze bottle and just wanted to smash it.
"Why are you fighting with it?" the Carp Demon asked. "His Highness Qing Xiong told you not to break it."
"I just want to take it down," Hongjun said. "Put it on the hilt of my knife."
"The light inside must be something unusual." The Carp Demon climbed onto the table, stepped on a book, and lay down. Its fish eyes reflected the blazing light in the pendant.
"There is a circle of charms outside." Hongjun looked at it carefully. "What is it? What is it that sealed it? This light looks so comfortable. "
"Just looking at it makes me feel warm," the Carp Demon said. "My mood is also much better."
Hongjun put away the pendant and said, "Ask Qing Xiong."
"Your punishment is not over yet!" the Carp Demon reminded. Hongjun had already put away the pendant and left excitedly.
The setting sun was like blood, turning around the mountains. In the sunset, the mountains were filled with the sounds of birds chirping.
When Hongjun arrived at the side hall, he suddenly heard the sound of a fierce argument in the hall. He was shocked and hid behind a pillar.
"That Hei Jiao did not get the right position. He will never be the Demon King! How can a reptile in the gutter be worthy?! "
"But we lost the battle. This is an indisputable fact!" Qing Xiong said in a low voice. "Unless we return to the human world and completely destroy him, when Tianma comes back to life and rules over the demon race, the human world will be plunged into misery and suffering!"
"What does the misery and suffering of the human world have to do with me?!" Chong Ming roared. "The human race is ungrateful and ungrateful! They took away Third Brother and threw him and a human son to me to raise for twelve years! Why should I raise an orphan with half human blood?! "
"That's still Kong Xuan's child!" Qing Xiong's voice was low and reproachful. "When Kong Xuan left, didn't you feel the slightest bit of regret?!"
"What regret do I have?!" Chong Ming almost roared. "If that person didn't kill Kong Xuan, Hongjun wouldn't be a fatherless and motherless child now!"
"There are ungrateful people in the human race, but we also have friends like Di Renjie."
"Friends?!" Chong Ming sneered. "He won't do anything for the human race! Never! "
Qing Xiong's voice trembled. "Kong Xuan is a god and a demon, and Hongjun inherited his Five-colored Godly Light. He can eliminate the Hei Jiao for the demon race, avenge his father, and destroy Tianma, who will come back to life. Besides, if you keep him here forever, he'll know the truth sooner or later! "
"On the day we left the Central Plains," Chong Ming said in a low voice, "I told you that I don't care if the demon race lives or dies. Tianma? I only hope that Tianma will come back to life as soon as possible and kill all the damn humans! "
"Can't you be more honest?! Chong Ming! " Qing Xiong suddenly took a step forward and released his aura. Instantly, the side hall was filled with a dangerous aura. When the two confronted each other, the teacups on the table shook and made light noises, and the windows shook.
Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the door. Qing Xiong and Chong Ming withdrew their auras at the same time and turned around.
Qing Xiong chased after them for a few steps, but what he saw was Hongjun's back.
"When Kong Xuan left, if you could persuade him to stay, how could things be like this today?" Qing Xiong sighed. "The last thing you said to him was' get lost '. From then on, you two will be separated forever."
After that, Qing Xiong strode out of the side hall, leaving Chong Ming alone facing the twilight outside the door, lost in thought.
At night, the sky was full of stars, and the Milky Way was like a waterfall on the summit of Taihang Mountain.
The sound of footsteps came from afar. Hongjun just lay motionless on a flat rock on the Sacrificial Cliff. The rock tilted toward the cliff. If he was careless, he could slide down into the bottomless abyss at any time.
Qing Xiong climbed up and lay beside Hongjun. The two were lost in thought as they looked at the brilliant night sky and the river of stars.
"Is it true?" Hongjun suddenly asked.
"Whether it's true or not, you already know the answer in your heart." Qing Xiong answered.
Hongjun couldn't stop gasping for breath. Qing Xiong raised his hand in front of him and covered his eyes. Hongjun grabbed Qing Xiong's hand and wiped his tears on it.
"Father, do you hate me?" Hong Jun choked with sobs.
"What he says and what he thinks are often two different things." Qing Xiong said, lost in thought. "Don't blame him for what he said. If he really doesn't want to, no one in the world can force him. Is the thing I gave you today still with you? "
Hongjun trembled and took out the pendant.
"Don't you want to go to the human world?" Qing Xiong took the pendant. The gentle light from the pendant immediately lit up half of the mountain, reflecting the starlight in the sky. Under the light, Hongjun gradually calmed down.
"You quarreled. Every time I came, you wanted me to take you to the human world. Now you've grown up." Qing Xiong said again. "I said, go. Why are you afraid?"
Hongjun was happy at first, but then he thought of Chong Ming. His expression turned gloomy as he stared blankly at Qing Xiong.
Qing Xiong faced the light from the pendant and murmured, "There's a lot to eat in the human world. There's a lot to play with. There are beautiful girls. There are drinking partners. There's music that can be heard from ten miles away. There are lights that never go out day and night. Go. Go to the boundless mortal world. You won't regret it."
The next day, the side chamber was cleaned up.
Hongjun walked into the side chamber. The original three thrones were moved to the side chamber. Chong Ming sat in the middle while Qing Xiong sat on the left. Chong Ming's expression was as cold as ever. Hongjun called out "Father" and stood in the corner obediently.
"I'm not your father." Chong Ming's voice seemed to be emotionless from the throne.
Hongjun stood on the ground, feeling a little uneasy. He answered Chong Ming, "You are. You are my father." Chong Ming shifted his gaze and landed on the third empty throne.
"Your father's name is' Kong Xuan '." Chong Ming said in a deep voice. "Like me and Qing Xiong, he is the Palace Master of Dazzling Gold Palace. You asked me who was sitting on the last throne. Now I'll answer you."
"The person who once sat on this chair was your father. After your father died, Qing Xiong carried you back to Dazzling Gold Palace. Now that you've grown up, it's time to go back. "
"Go back where?" Hongjun asked.
"Go back to where you came from," Chong Ming said calmly.
"I'm from here." Hongjun said again. "I'm not going anywhere."