Chapter 11 The First Human World
Fox Xiao Xian and her brothers Fox Xia Xia and Shan Xiao Hu came to Kunlun Mountain Feng Xi Jian, but they stayed in that peach blossom valley for half a year. After she and Ni Zhong were sent out of the valley by Eldest Brother He Yunfeng, when they turned around again, the sky was filled with snow, and everywhere was silver; where was the fairyland of birds and flowers before? She knows the Master will be here to set a boundary; they have no way back, and the fourth brother and Shan Xiaohu can no longer try to sneak down the mountain to help her. In the future, they have to rely on themselves.
On the way down the mountain, Fox Xiao Xian remained silent.
When they left Kunlun, they were robbed of the art of change, and their immortal magic gradually disappeared, so they could neither change back to their original form as demonic beasts nor use their magic power to fly into the air. Therefore, they can only walk in the snow like ordinary humans and slowly go down the mountain. Luckily, after eating the immortal peaches given by the Nanji Immortal Weng to protect his body, the peach kernel also turned into two thick clothes to keep warm and protect from the cold.
Ni Zhong looked at this tiny person walking forward in the wind and snow with one foot deep and one foot shallow, so he walked two steps faster and squatted down in front of Fox Xiao Xian, "Come! I'll carry you down the mountain!"
"No need. Thank you for being so kind."
Ni Zhong smiled and said, "You said the same thing the other day. Are you so unwilling to accept my help?"
"I don't know you well."
"Your life or I saved, and we have known each other for more than a month; I am in front of your eyes every day, looking up and down; how is it still not familiar?"
Yeah, why is it that the closer Ni Zhong gets to her, the more she wants to run away? It's as if they were enemies in their last life and this one.
Ni Zhong continued, "Look! When I was injured and changed back to my original form, I accidentally fell into the creek of Feng Xi Jian, and it was you who grabbed me out of the water, called me a little loach, and had to stew me in soup. Where has that time's naughty and cheerful energy gone, I say, little goblin?"
Indeed, since Fox Xiao Xian learned of so many responsibilities, burdens, and destinies to arrange, she had never smiled again. Every day was just a taut string doing all kinds of preparations: practicing swords, memorizing books, comprehending heart techniques, taking medicine, cultivating, and merging the Giant Bear Mountain God's Spirit Bead with her own Spirit Bead according to the method taught by her Master. She was too busy every day and had already been so busy that she had already forgotten that she was but a little fox who was only a little more than 100 years old, a human child whose stature was only 2-3 years old as a human child.
"Sometimes, I think you should be the same naive and lively little kid you were back then. This little frown lately! It's like a little old lady." Ni Zhong smiled as he reached out and gently tapped Fox Xiao Xian's brow, hoping to soothe Fox Xiao Xian's anxious heart.
Ni Zhong took out the long ago engraved peach kernel whistle from his bosom, which had the immortal law set by Nanji Xianweng. When he had that conversation with Nanji Xianweng in the eternal mask, this peach kernel whistle of his was borrowed by Nanji Xianweng to cast a spell. Although it couldn't let Fox Xiao Xian go worry-free, it was also considered a protective talisman; at the critical moment, if Fox Xiao Xian encountered a heavenly danger, Nanji Xianweng could know about it.
"Let me blow you a tune to relieve your boredom!" Ni Zhong was extremely good at music. A slight whistle was only two or three scales, but he blew it cheerfully and harmoniously, and this whistle sound also made Fox Xiao Xian feel a lot more comfortable in her heart. That's right, worried is a day, happy to face is also a day; why not put down the heart of the baggage, then see what the trick is? Fox Xiao Xian thought here, also gradually unfolding eyebrows, smiling.
The wind and snow had stopped, and the sunlight was just right. Ni Zhong looked at the sunshine, snow, and ice under the fox Xiao Xian; the pink face finally showed this age should have a smile; this bright, pure, and little shy smile let Ni Zhong's heart skip a beat.
He put the peach kernel whistle on Fox Xiao Xian's neck and coughed, "This is for you, as a souvenir. In case we accidentally get separated, I'll be able to hear you when you blow the whistle."
Fox Xiao Xian smiled and asked, "What if you're too far away to hear it?"
"No, my hearing is excellent. I can hear you no matter how far away you are."
"Then what if I turn into something else and you can't recognize me?"
"Then you have to rely on this whistle to recognize each other. When I see it, I know it's you, and I know it's you, no matter what you look like. You must keep it, let's hook!"
"Yes, let's do it!"
"Don't you remember where you came from? Don't you miss your home?" Fox Xiao Xian asked.
"Well, I would think about it too, but instead of remembering the past, I think about how to live the present and the future well."
"Then this time, when you accompany me down the mountain, will you join me in the calamity, or will you find your original place?"
"I don't know, let's take one step at a time! Why do you care about me? Have you suddenly realized your conscience and stopped rejecting me?" Ni Zhong gave Fox Xiao Xian a nasty smile.
"Because I don't understand why Master wants you to come down with me. But before leaving, he had instructed me to take good care of you." Fox Xiao Xian tilted her little neck to look at Ni Zhong, who was much taller than Fox Xiao Xian, and it was a bit tiring for Fox Xiao Xian to stand like this.
"Take care of me? I'm taller than you, stronger than you, bigger than you, and I'm a dragon, a boy. Why are you taking care of me?" Ni Zhong thought to himself and he really couldn't figure out what kind of drugs that older man was selling, but if Fox Xiao Xian were willing to take care of himself, he would be happy to do so. It was better than being estranged from each other.
Walking to the boundary monument in front of Kunlun Mountain, Ni Zhong stopped. He changed his usual playful smile, seriously squatted down, and looked directly at Fox Xiao Xian: "I heard your Master tell me, when you step out of the boundary monument, you will fall into the mortal world, you and I even if we hold hands tightly may be taken into different worlds. Therefore, you must keep the whistle I gave you, and when you need me, blow as hard as you can. I will find a way to find you wherever I am, remember?"
"Hmm, remember."
"And, Fox Xiao Xian, remember my name is Ni Zhong; I'm your little loach. Don't be afraid!" After saying that, Ni Zhong hugged Fox Xiao Xian tightly.
The tears that Fox Xiao Xian hadn't been shedding all this time because of this hug suddenly came out like a flood.
"Wow~" Fox Xiao Xian finally cried out.
These days, she hadn't dared to cry and couldn't call; she didn't want to let Fourth Brother and the others worry, so she didn't dare to cry; countless pairs of eyes were staring at her so that she couldn't call. Seeing that she was about to face the unknown, she couldn't hold on to her complex emotions any longer, and now all of them were released in front of this unfamiliar stranger.
Not knowing how long she had been crying, Fox Xiao Xian sobbed and raised her head from Ni Zhong's warm embrace. Her beautiful phoenix eyes turned into two small peaches as she called, looking at Ni Zhong seriously, "Thank you, Ni Zhong, thank you!" Ni Zhong chimed in with a bright smile.
Only then did Fox Xiao Xian take her severe first look at Ni Zhong's facial features:
Heroic eyebrows.
Brilliant star-like azure-colored eyes.
Straight nose.
Lips that weren't too fat or thick.
She has not been in human form for a long time. Still, Feng Xi Jian's Master, elder brother, and second elder brother, as long as they are in human form, every one of them is a superb appearance. Although the teenager before her is not yet free of his childishness, he can also see that he is born with magnificent skin. In aesthetics, the Spirit Fox Clan has always had a legacy.
Ni Zhong wiped Fox Xiao Xian's tears dry, tightly pulling Fox Xiao Xian's hand and slowly walking towards the boundary monument. The moment they crossed the border, they instantly fell into the abyss, hurricane winds whistling in their ears, their bodies were light and unsupported, they could only hold each other's hands tightly, and each other became their last lifesaving straw.
In the wind, Ni Zhong shouted, "Fox Xiao Xian, don't forget me; remember, I am Ni Zhong!"
...
Waking up again, he had entered the first life on earth.
"Fight! Fight! Beat to death!" Several small beggars formed a circle, punching and kicking an even more minor child. Even though he was in pain all over his body, this child who was being beaten still desperately tried to stuff a small piece of moldy steamed bread into his mouth.
"I told you to steal, I told you to steal, you thief! Beat you to death! Beat you to death!" Leader of the big children unforgivingly scolded while beating, tired of beating, spit at the body of the beaten little beggar, and led a group to leave this gloomy alley.
The small beggar curled up into a ball, all the pain lying on the ground corners of the mouth and nose because often beaten always flowed with a little bit of blood. Because of the pain, she lay on the ground, gasping for air. The breath sprayed to the floor raised a little dust, fanning her eyes; the tears dropped, and she was grateful that she was still alive.
It was a small girl who looked 4 or 5 years old, dirty and messy, her skinny body bruised and unclothed. She couldn't remember who she was, how old she was, her name, where her home was, or where her relatives were. She had been wandering for as long as she could remember.
At first, she followed a group of refugees fleeing the famine, begging along the streets from one village and town to another, often without food. Some of them died of starvation halfway through the journey. There are also a few fleeing hungry eyes that even fell on the ground. The body of the companion began to tear up, and for an arm or half a thigh, a few people fought.
The little girl was scared and only knew to run, run hard, run to a forest to hide. She feared being eaten by those hungry and crazy adults, so she preferred to spend the night alone inside the gloomy grove.
After wandering for a few more days, she occasionally met a kind person who gave her a mouthful of food, and she fawned her head and swallowed the food in one gulp. But after all, she was too young and had no one to turn to, and there were always older children who bullied her and robbed her of her food. When she went to rummage through the garbage and pick up leftovers, she was again severely beaten by the local beggar's gang of groundlings. But the pain was bearable, she thought, as long as she didn't get beaten to death and as long as she found the food to live on.
Live, she thought, she must live.
As a light rain fell from the sky, the little girl who had just been beaten got up gradually. Finding a large banana leaf to cover her head, she looked around for a place to stay and sleep in this busy city. She was walking but couldn't find a corner where she could rest.
This place was called Zhuo Yi City, and it was said to be where the Dong Chuan Kingdom's capital was. Two days ago, the little girl followed a group of disaster victims and fled here. This year, many states and counties in Dongchuan County have suffered natural disasters that have not been seen in a hundred years, with floods, droughts, and locusts occurring one after another. The people's crops and homes have been destroyed, and the number of victims is increasing. However, Zhuo Yi City was not affected in the slightest and was still bustling with songs and dances. Inside the city were many wealthy people and countless merchants coming and going. The refugees flocked here, hoping to get some of the leftovers thrown away by the dignitaries to feed their hunger.
When the refugees waited until dawn and wanted to enter the city, the generals guarding the city gates stood firm and refused to let the refugees enter. People were crying and kneeling on the ground. Women are holding the dying child in their arms, only to beg the officials to be merciful and reward them with a bite to eat to save their lives. These gatekeepers are also life parents, but the military order is complicated; if you let these refugees into the city, I am afraid that the head is not guaranteed, so you can only reluctantly place the refugees outside the city, even if the urn does not dare to put in. Suddenly, a gust of wind rose, leading to the eyes full of yellow sand; people had to cover their faces to resist the sand, mixed in the crowd of this little girl, taking advantage of the chaos against the wall to find a drain slipped into the city.
For two days, the girl hid and foraged for food. Today, she finally found half a moldy steamed bun in the garbage, and just as she was about to stuff it into her mouth, she was chased and beaten by a snake in the ground. She seems like a wild animal and always inspires great survival instincts in challenging situations. She took the leaf and kept searching in the rain. She finally found a small hole by a small bridge and hurriedly climbed in, and that leaf became a quilt that she could wrap herself in for warmth tonight.
It rained all night, the river rose, and the hole where the little girl slept was about to be flooded. The little girl was tired and hungry; she had a high fever and was in a daze, not realizing the danger she was about to face. A boatman swinging a boat from the neighborhood had a newborn puppy on board; the puppy was the first to smell the small beggar in the bridge hole, and then Milky barked more, attracting the attention of the boatman; the little girl was rescued by pick up a small life.
The boat is living on the old couple, fishing and selling vegetables for a living, and sometimes helping do some ferry and shipping business. The two older men are more than half a hundred years old but have no children and no grandchildren; not long ago, they picked up a small puppy as a companion, and this day, they picked up a little girl, naturally happy and smiling.
The older woman washed the sick little girl's face and body and changed her clean clothes. The old grandpa cut ginger and green onion and cooked a pot of hot soup, and when he started the bank, he broke an egg into it, served a small bowl of it to the little girl, and fed it to her. The child sweated, the cold air forced out, the disease will be half well. The little puppy also looks pretty understanding, nesting in the little girl's feet to keep her warm.
After three days of sleeping like this, the little girl woke up.
"Little girl, you're awake? Are you hungry?" The old woman doing needlework saw the little girl waking up and asked with concern, "Hey, old man, come quickly. The child has woken up."
"Wake up? It's good to be awake! Why did you sleep in the bridge hole that day? Luckily, PiDan found you early, or the water would have washed you away! Wifey, hurry up and give the child a bowl of noodles; yes, nestle another egg in; this child is too thin."
The little girl blinked her eyes at the old grandfather, tried to open her mouth, and whispered, "Thank you, thank you, master, master," the voice was tiny, but this was the first time she remembered to speak; many people thought she could not talk, always call her a little mute.
The old grandpa nodded, "Good child, no thanks, no thanks. How old are you? What's your name? Where is your family's adult?"
The little girl lowered her head and shook it, still answering in a small voice, "I don't know."
The older man looked at her appearance at that time, already guessed a rough; these days of famine, many families have been displaced to sell their family assets, and even sell their children, just in exchange for a bag of grain. This little beggar eighty percent is also fleeing the road and family separated. He sighed heavily and said: "your body is still weak; there is no hurry; wait until you are better." Then he picked up the little puppy and handed it to the girl, "Here, this is Pi Dan. Let it be your companion, so you don't need to be afraid."
The black puppy and the little girl looked at each other for a long time, and both grinned.
The lonely girl had a place to stay and a family to keep her company. The old couple got such a child in their old age, even though it was picked up, but also, in God's favor, loved it very much. The little girl could not remember what she was called. The old grandfather gave the girl a "Yatou" nickname.
"I've never read a book, I can't read a few words, I only know how to write my last name. Come on, I'll teach you." Grandpa picked up the little girl and sat on his lap, grabbed the child's little hand, dipped it in water, and slowly wrote a word on the table - Hu. Old man Hu's writing was crooked, but his demeanor was solemn and pious, "In the future, your last name will be Hu, and your little name will be Yatou. Call me and my old partner's grandparents, okay?"
The little girl, who had never felt such warmth since she could remember, happily wrapped her arms around Uncle Hu's neck and sweetly shouted, "Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa!" Then she jumped off Hu's body and jumped into the arms of the old woman beside her, crying and shouting excitedly, "Grandma, I have a name! I have a home!"
The little black dog PiDan was also happy for the whole family, wagging his tail happily around the girl and barking excitedly. He had finally found her; even though she couldn't recognize him and had forgotten who she once was, it didn't matter; as long as they were together, they would always be there for her.