"Lu Xu —!"
The sky was completely dark. Hongjun looked around blankly and shouted Lu Xu's name, but he didn't get any response.
"Lu Xu!"
"Why don't we go back?" The Carp Demon urged, "It's so cold."
"How is that possible!" Hongjun said anxiously, "He'll freeze to death! You're already saying it's cold. He's wearing so little, and he doesn't have any feathers! "
The Carp Demon howled, "Why don't you wrap my legs up first!"
"Didn't you wrap them up?"
"The other side is exposed!"
Hongjun put the Carp Demon in his arms, looked around, shook the reins, and rushed down the opposite mountain.
Where would he go? In this world of ice and snow, Lu Xu was also traveling on foot. In less than a night, he would freeze to death in the snow. Hong Jun urged the horse to run towards the northwest for a while. Not long after, he found a row of shallow footprints.
It's him!
Hongjun immediately chased after the footprints. Logically speaking, Lu Xu was walking on foot, and he was riding a horse. He should be able to catch up in less than half an hour. However, the footprints meandered to the end of the plain, and there was no end in sight.
No way, Lu Xu ran too fast. Hongjun chased for a full hour, illuminating the snowy ground in front of him with the Five-colored Divine Light. Suddenly, he found that the footprints disappeared. A row of hoofprints came from the other side, replacing the footprints, and headed into the distance.
No way! What does this mean?! Hongjun suddenly remembered that Liu Fei also left at about the same time. Could it be him?
The sky was cold, the ground was frozen, and the wind and snow were everywhere.
Liu Fei galloped on the plain with Lu Xu on his horse.
"Why are you going to Dunhuang?" Liu Fei tilted his head and asked.
Lu Xu stubbornly remained silent. Liu Fei said, "Let's go back. Aren't you afraid that little brother Wolf God will worry about you?"
High up in the mountain ridge, a woman dressed in black was quietly watching the snowy ground. Beside her stood a young man dressed in black. The young man's face was identical to Lu Xu's as he stared at the snowy ground.
"Can you let Liu Fei sleep a little longer?" the woman in black asked.
The black-clothed youth said in a low voice, "No, he's already awake. I can't get close to him. I can only wait for him to fall asleep again. Mystic Fairy, who is the person behind him? "
The woman in black who was called Mysterious Fairy replied, "I have never seen him before. He seems to be the child mentioned by the God of Plagues. Fine, I'll do it now."
Then, she waved her sleeve and drew an arc in the air.
The snowstorm immediately covered the sky and rushed forward like a snow waterfall, causing Liu Fei to be thrown off his feet. Liu Fei angrily roared and crawled up from the snow while dragging Wind Sword.
Mysterious Fairy gracefully turned around, waved her sleeve, and flew toward Liu Fei.
"It's you!" Liu Fei shouted.
The black-clothed youth transformed into a black stag and ran toward the plains after the avalanche. Lu Xu was hit by the snow and immediately fainted.
The stag lowered its head. Black smoke curled around its antlers and wrapped around Lu Xu, dragging him out of the snow. Then, the stag showed its human form and stared at Lu Xu who was lying on the ground.
The two of them looked exactly the same, like a pair of twins.
Li Jinglong and Mo Rigen went out of the city gate. They took torches and hurried along, following Hongjun's hoofprints.
Li Jinglong roared, "Hongjun! Where is he?! "
The Carp Demon had fallen asleep in Hongjun's arms. Hongjun galloped for nearly the whole night. The mountains and plains were covered with snow, and the flowing Milky Way connected the night and the earth. The world was extremely quiet. There was no snow or wind, and the world was gray. Hongjun felt as if he was running in a boundless dream.
There was a vast white fog in front of him. After Hongjun galloped into the fog and out, the snow-covered plains were like an ink painting by Qiu Yongsi. There were large pieces of white everywhere, as white as a spotless rice paper. Only the mountains in the distance seemed to be covered by a little bit of black smoke, so light that they were almost one with the night.
After passing through the fog, the hoofprints on the snow disappeared.
Behind the fog was a quiet cemetery, and the stars were fading. Beside the cemetery, there was a small wooden house of a gravekeeper, and the house was lit up. The wooden door was ajar. Hongjun led the horse closer and closer, and he heard Liu Fei's voice coming from inside.
"Naoji always likes to say, 'Your Highness, please don't kill anymore' …"
Hongjun pushed open the wooden door. Inside the house, Liu Fei was sitting on the ground, and Lu Xu was lying on the bed. There was a stove on the ground, and the room was warm. The two of them looked at him together.
He finally caught up. Thank goodness. Lu Xu was dressed in black, and he lay down with his clothes. He said, "Hongjun!"
"Why are you here?" Liu Fei asked blankly.
Hongjun didn't have time to answer Liu Fei. He sat on the edge of the couch and frowned. "Why did you leave just like that?"
Lu Xu didn't seem to want to answer. Liu Fei said, "I saw him heading northwest, as if he was looking for something, so I gave him a ride. Why don't you give him a ride back?"
Hongjun thanked Liu Fei, and then asked Lu Xu, "Where are you going?"
Lu Xu's expression was a bit gloomy, and he pointed northwest. At first, Hongjun thought he wanted to go home, but wasn't it said that Lu Xu's home was already gone? Hongjun didn't get an answer for a long time. He only felt that there must be something hidden for him to come out so late at night. However, he couldn't guess Lu Xu's thoughts. He could only wait for Mo Rigen and Li Jinglong to arrive before he could ask for the details.
"I'll walk with you slowly tomorrow," Hongjun said. "When they arrive, Chief Shi and Mo Rigen should be on their way."
Liu Fei said again, "You guys can squeeze through the night. I'll keep watch."
Liu Fei pushed open the door and went out. Hongjun chased Lu Xu all night. It was less than two hours before dawn, and he was completely exhausted. He took out the Carp Demon and placed it by the stove. He then lay down on the bed and said, "You made me look for a long time."
Hongjun raised his hand and touched Lu Xu's forehead. He lay down beside him and said, "Don't be sad. Although I don't know what you're sad about, in short, everything will get better."
Lu Xu was still muttering to himself. He glanced at Hongjun, and Hongjun yawned.
Hongjun was already sleepy, and it seemed like it was snowing outside. The cold wind blew again, and the sound of the wind and snow was hypnotic.
In an instant, a white light flashed, and Hongjun felt like he was back in the Exorcism Department, surrounded by wild grass. Li Jinglong was drawing circles on the ground with his Sword of Wisdom.
"Don't be in a daze. Hurry up and draw."
Hongjun looked around blankly and saw Li Jinglong gently pour a scoop of blood-red paint on the ground.
"Where did he go?" Li Jinglong asked.
"Oh no." Mo Rigen replied, "It's snowing."
The snow in the wasteland was dense, covering the hoofprints in front of them. Under the sky full of snow, the only trace left by the two finally disappeared.
Li Jinglong was burning with anxiety. He turned his horse around and looked at the surrounding mountains.
Mo Rigen dismounted and shook his body. He transformed into his Grey Wolf form and sniffed the air.
"You can smell him?"
Grey Wolf said in a low voice, "He brought Zhao Zilong with him. This way, let's go!"
The stove was burning brightly. Hongjun lay on the bed with his eyes closed.
"Silk Star." A familiar man's voice suddenly sounded, "Wake up."
Hongjun: "?"
Hongjun didn't know how long he had slept. He felt uncomfortable all over. His mouth was dry and his body was hot. When he was woken up by this voice, he opened his eyes and saw a handsome young man sitting by the bed. The young man was using the back of his hand to feel his forehead.
Hongjun forgot about the snowy night and Lu Xu. He forgot many things. Countless memories rushed into his mind, dragging him back to when he was seven years old.
He struggled to get up, but he had a splitting headache.
"Kong Xuan?" A woman's voice sounded from outside, "Xing 'er, you're awake?"
"Take your medicine." The man called Kong Xuan said to Hongjun.
Hongjun replied, "Father … my head hurts."
Kong Xuan stretched out his arms and picked Hongjun up. Hongjun's body was weak and he was so sick that he couldn't even lift his hands.
"Drink the medicine," Kong Xuan said in a low voice.
Hongjun was very uncomfortable. His consciousness was like a ball of paste. His head hurt so much that it felt like a hammer was pounding on it. He shouted, "I don't want to drink the medicine …"
"You'll get better only after you drink the medicine." Kong Xuan took the bowl, which was half filled with a bitter medicinal soup.
Hongjun endured the discomfort and drank it. However, he felt nauseous. Not long after he drank it, he vomited it out with a "wah" sound.
"Kong Xuan!" The woman walked in quickly and said angrily, "What medicine did you make him drink this time?!"
"Fever medicine!" Kong Xuan said unhappily, "If he continues to be sick, how will he be able to travel tomorrow?!"
The woman was beautiful, but she was very tired. Her face was pale. She rushed forward and hugged little Hongjun. She couldn't stop sobbing. Tears rolled down her face and dripped onto his ears.
Hongjun leaned against her chest. He could feel her body temperature and her soft fragrance. That instinct seemed to be hidden deep in each other's blood. He cried out loudly.
"Mother — —!"
Jia Yuze hugged his son and cried out. Kong Xuan was very annoyed by the crying of the mother and son. He stood up and shouted, "I'm useless! I'm useless! "
Hongjun was shocked. Although he vomited a lot of the medicine, it still took effect. His head no longer hurt.
"Where's Jinglong?" Hongjun asked.
"Jinglong heard that you were sick, so he sent a book to you." Jia Yuze said, "Mother will bring it to you."
"Don't give it to him." Kong Xuan frowned.
Jia Yuze passed by Kong Xuan. He didn't even look at him. He took the book and placed it beside Hongjun's bed. The pages were still intact. Jia Yuze sat aside and whispered, "Mother has to go pack. Sleep if you're tired. Be good."
Hongjun opened his mouth and said, "Father, I dreamed of many graves."
"In your dreams." Kong Xuan frowned and replied, "Don't be afraid. Father is busy."
The two of them closed the door and left the room.
Hongjun flipped through the pages in his hand. His face was full of confusion and doubt. He saw a black shadow drawn with an ink brush on the last page. The words "Tianma" were written beside it.
The door was suddenly pushed open. Kong Xuan came in again. Little Hongjun looked up. Kong Xuan sat beside the bed and asked, "Can you read?"
Hongjun said, "Yes." Kong Xuan said, "Don't read this book. It's not a good book." He handed him a piece of rock candy and said, "Eat."
Hongjun saw the candy and smiled. He put the candy in his mouth. Kong Xuan patted his head and kissed his forehead. Little Hongjun noticed the jasper peacock plume hanging on his waist. It was his own waist ornament. He reached out to touch it.
Who would have thought that Kong Xuan would hold him tightly in his arms and sob uncontrollably. He stroked his head, touched his face, and kissed his eyebrows hard. He said in a low voice, "Xing 'er, father has let you down …"
Hongjun asked, "Father, what's wrong with you?"
Kong Xuan sighed. He shook his head and closed his eyes. He got up and left.
It was very hot inside and outside the room. It was a summer night and the rain didn't fall. He staggered out of bed. He felt dizzy, as if he was stepping on cotton.
He pushed open the door and went out. When night fell, he heard knocking sounds on the street outside. It was the Chang 'an night he was most familiar with. He heard the sound of wooden clogs.
Jia Yuze's angry voice came from not far away. His parents seemed to be quarreling. Hongjun walked over carefully, barefoot.
"I don't know who's tipping them off!" Kong Xuan whispered. "Stop arguing. Xing 'er will hear you!"
"Tell me, where should we go now?!" Jia Yuze said sternly.
The main hall was filled with wooden boxes, bags, and other miscellaneous items. His parents seemed to be moving.
Kong Xuan sat on the box and sighed. "I'll take him back to Dazzling Gold Palace. Chong Ming won't leave him alone."
"Your two brothers only cared about your life," Jia Yuze said with tears in his eyes. "Kong Xuan, when have they ever shown even the slightest bit of compassion for us? If I hadn't risked my life to hold Xing 'er when he was born, he wouldn't be alive now! "
"Don't bring up the past!" Kong Xuan growled. "Times have changed. I've sent a letter to Dazzling Gold Palace. Big Brother won't sit and watch Xing 'er die!"
"What's in his body?!" Jia Yuze's voice trembled. She took a step forward, her hair disheveled. She was extremely agitated. She questioned Kong Xuan with a trembling voice. "Tell me, Kong Xuan. I heard them say that you passed the 'demon seed' in your body to your son. Is that true?! You're willing to sacrifice your son to save your life?! "
Kong Xuan stared at Jia Yuze and said, "Yuze, I'll tell you this. If I had the slightest intention of doing so, I'll fall into hell and be consigned to eternal damnation! I'll suffer in the black fire for thousands of years! "
Jia Yuze pressed her face with both hands and let out a trembling cry. For a moment, she almost fell. Kong Xuan went forward and hugged her.
"Big Brother and Second Brother will come and get us." Kong Xuan answered.
"No! They won't come! " Jia Yuze sobbed. "Otherwise, he won't sit and watch you get hurt. He won't sit and watch them take Xing 'er away again and again. I only hate that I'm not a demon. Otherwise, even if I have to die, I won't let Xing' er live like this …"
Kong Xuan was almost begging for mercy. "Yuze, don't say anymore. Do you have to let me die in front of you and your mother before you're satisfied?"
"What's the use of that?" Jia Yuze sobbed. "I just want him to live happily like other children. What's wrong with Xing 'er? Tell me, what's the demon seed in his body? "
"Don't ask anymore." Kong Xuan said, "We'll leave early tomorrow morning. Even if we have to go to Guazhou to find your brother."
"Over the years, they've been chasing us wherever we've fled." Jia Yuze said, "There are demons everywhere. Every one of them is baring their fangs and claws, trying to take Xing 'er away …"
Outside the hall, Hongjun couldn't help but take half a step back. His eyes were filled with fear.
He turned around and stumbled. He ran through the corridor and stood in the courtyard. His single shirt was soaked in sweat.
Suddenly, a gardenia flew from behind him and hit his head softly. Hongjun turned around abruptly. He saw a teenager in a brocade robe looking at him curiously under the moonlight.
"Xing, have you recovered from your illness?"
The teenager rode on the wall and whispered to Hongjun who was standing on the ground. "Why do you look so pale?"
Hong Jun was slightly at a loss for what to do. The blow of suddenly hearing the words of his parents transformed into a strand of sorrow that assaulted him, and it caused him to cry without end. He was practically unable to resist this extremely realistic dream or memory.
Seeing Hongjun cry, the teenager hurriedly said, "Hey, don't cry. What's wrong? If you cry, you'll be beaten by your father again. "
He hurriedly slipped down the wall and ran barefoot to Hongjun. He knelt on one knee and looked at him seriously.
The teenager was already nine years old. Although he was dressed in brocade robes, there were bloodstains on his face from the bamboo scissors. He used his sleeve to wipe Hongjun's tears. Hongjun's eyes were hazy with tears. He stared at him in a daze. Those eyebrows, that nose, those lips.
"Jinglong." Hongjun called out.
"Call me brother." The nine-year-old Li Jinglong whispered. He then took his hand and said, "Let's go."
Li Jinglong took him around the courtyard to the garden that separated Hongjun's house and the Li's house. He let Hongjun climb over and then he did the same himself. He then took him around the corridor to the backyard, where there was a pomegranate tree.
Li Jinglong's house was quite big. When they reached the corridor, there was a pair of wooden clogs. There was also a chess board in front of the corridor. A child's robe was thrown to the side. On the chessboard, there was a green pomegranate that had not yet ripened. Li Jinglong went to get the robe and shook it out for Hongjun to wear. The clothes and wooden clogs were a bit too big.
He took Hongjun directly into the room and gave him a piece of cake to eat. He touched his forehead and mixed some honey water for him to drink. He replied, "You don't have a fever."
Li Jinglong's house was decorated very luxuriously. During the day, he would play chess with Hongjun here. Hongjun later fell ill as soon as he returned home. Every time Jia Yuze moved, he would not allow Hongjun to play with the surrounding children. Hongjun could only stay at home every day. Later on, Li Jinglong saw him. He felt that Hongjun, who was only seven or eight years old, was very lonely and pitiful at home, so he often climbed over the wall to see him.