little spicy jiao

Because Dugu Jiuming said that he was not tall, Mo Jiaojiao was beaten so weakly all afternoon, he pursed his mouth and refused to speak.

Then, the patriarch Hongyu told them another thing related to going down the mountain, and even turned the poor little cherry pepper into his original form in anger, stuffing himself into the robe on the man's chest, hiding it. When he got up, he refused to come out no matter who called him.

Therefore, the original New Year's greetings trip had to be postponed.

When Shen Siyuan came out from Xiaori Peak, he happened to witness the scene where the sword fairy in black tapped his foot and disappeared into the sky in the blink of an eye. He couldn't help turning his head to look at the ancestor Hongyu behind him, and asked with a smile: "What did the suzerain just say?" Seriously? This time when Jiao Jiao went down the mountain, Tianyan Sword Sect didn't make any arrangements at all?"

"What arrangement?" Patriarch Hongyu stroked his beard, blushed his neck, and said: "The disciples of the Tianyan Sword Sect went down the mountain after they became adults, and they have always been alone. Since Jiao Jiao is a disciple of the sect, naturally he will not Exception. The old Taoist informed Master Chongrong about this yesterday, but today he just talked to Jiaojiao."

Shen Siyuan laughed out loud when he heard the words, and said: "Based on this calculation, Jiao Jiao is too disadvantaged. If only this life is counted, his bone age is only 12 years old, which is inconsistent with the sect's rules. In this way, plus Jiao Jiao's age in his previous life, Shentuzi was already 17 years old when he died, which happened to be an adult."

"That's right." Ancestor Hongyu was also very helpless, and said: "The rules of the sect, if they are broken, it will be difficult to convince the public. After the disciples of the Tianyan Sword Sect complete the assessment in the sect, they must go down the mountain alone to practice for half a year, and complete the rules issued by the sect. There are at least three tasks to return to the sect. Jiao Jiao happened to pass the assessment this year, so I just wanted to fight for him, and it would be against the etiquette for my uncle to go down the mountain with him."

"Rules are always dead, but people are alive." Shen Siyuan said with a smile: "Mo Jiaojiao looks so small now, if you are kidnapped and sold after going down the mountain, you may not be able to sit securely as suzerain. "

"Isn't it..." As if recalling something for a while, the ancestor Hong Yu grinned and covered his chin, and said: "Uncle Shi even shaved half of my beard yesterday. Sigh...Master Shen has a way ?”

"In my opinion, this sect's rules are only followed by the disciples of the Tianyan Sword Sect. If the master of this sect belongs to the Shenyi Sect, there is nothing wrong with following Jiao Jiao." Shen Siyuan finished speaking slowly, and then blinked mysteriously. , meaning something.

"That being said, Uncle Master is one of the founders of the Tianyan Sword Sect. His words and deeds have the ability to shake the foundation of the Tianyan Sword Sect. For now, it is absolutely impossible to leave the sect." Hong Yu The ancestor always put the overall situation first, and flatly refused.

On the other hand, Shen Siyuan smiled lazily when he heard the sound, and said leisurely: "It's not that you have to break the rules like this. If you can be flexible, maybe... Chongrong's decision, there is nothing that can't be changed by crying. If so, then cry twice. However, this sect master thinks that Chong Rong should have a countermeasure long ago, and the sky will collapse when he cries anxiously, so it is better to prevent problems before they happen."

"You mean..." Patriarch Hongyu pulled his beard by mistake when he heard the words, and immediately grinned his teeth in pain. He straightened his face, frowned for a moment, and finally nodded, acquiescing to what the young man said.

***

On the other side, Dugu Jiu left Xiaori Peak with Mo Jiaojiao in his arms, but went straight to Wenjian Valley, the forbidden place of the sect.

The climate here is similar to Tianyahaige, with snow all year round and cold wind.

As soon as the man stepped into the valley, the neighing and neighing of spirit swords sounded from all directions, and the sounds of galloping war horses and people's shouts were mixed with it. Looking around, broken swords were buried obliquely on the boundless snowfield, as if An ancient battlefield left over from the melee between humans and demons when the continent was divided.

Hidden in the man's chest, the little cherry pepper was sensitively aware of the majestic sword energy surging from all directions, and couldn't help turning over timidly. The soft roots hooked the man's underwear, and began to move upwards slowly. Rubbing at the neckline.

Dugu Jiu sensed the movement of the little monster, and did not stop it. He just stood with his hands behind his back where the sword qi gathered, and the layers of sword intent spread out under his feet. With such a momentum of sweeping away, he firmly suppressed the ancient famous swords that were about to move around. .

After a long time, Little Pepper Fang rubbed against the neckline, carefully stuck out a green branch, and rubbed it against the man's carotid artery, but there was no response.

Then, the second and third tender leaf stems stretched out, pulling the neckline to pull out the little cherry pepper.

Dugu Jiu slightly lowered his head and glanced at the cherry pepper sticking out his head. At the tip of that pepper plant, there was a small round green flower bud, which looked pleasing and pleasant.

After pulling himself out, Little Cherry Pepper turned around awkwardly, using the leaves to test the fierce sword energy that was filling the outside world. After a long time, it seemed that he couldn't hold back his curiosity at last, and an immature and strange voice rang in the man's mind stand up.

"Where is this place? Why did Jiujiu come here?"

"This place is Wenjian Valley, the forbidden area of ​​Tianyan Sword Sect, the battlefield of the last battle between humans and demons." Dugu Jiu raised his eyes to look at the icy and snowy valley, and said calmly, "Have you seen Jiaojiao before?"

"...I haven't heard of it." Cherry Pepper shook the leaves hesitantly, and shrank back to hide the branches.

However, its timid actions did not escape the detection of the man's consciousness.

Thoughts flashed through the narrow and calm black eyes, and Dugu Jiu suddenly asked:

"Do you know, Jiaojiao, how will you grow up in the future?"

This time, Little Pepper deserved to be straightforward, shaking his head affirmatively: "I don't know."

As soon as the words fell, the man lifted his feet and stepped into the heavy snow, letting the flying fine snow blow on his long hair, he spoke slowly, his tone was extremely calm, neither hurried nor slow.

"Since Jiaojiao doesn't know how to grow up, why, today your first reaction is not to worry about how to understand the secret of growing up, but to worry that you won't be able to grow taller when you grow up? Can this seat confirm that Jiaojiao has long been convinced, and Know the opportunity to help you grow?"

"No... No burns!" Cherry Pepper retorted hastily upon hearing the sound, bounced lightly in the man's arms a few times, and then stopped helplessly, the tender green leaves tangled together.

It twisted the green leaves and thought for a long time, finally found a reasoning that it thought was reasonable, and whispered:

"Jiao Jiao doesn't know, but after Jiujiu said it, I understand. You have to worry about growing up first, and then worry about what you will look like when you grow up..."

The more he said a few words, the lower his voice, and finally Cherry Pepper hid without confidence.

The man didn't force him either, he just walked forward on foot.The snow here is deep, the winter is cold, and the bleak and lonely scene is no less than Tianyahaige.

Normally, if Dugu Jiutong released his sword accidentally, he would walk on the snow without a trace and move freely.However, today the man withdrew the biting sword energy from his body, walking like a mortal.

The snow soon soaked the hem of the man's black robe, like a waterfall of white snow on the black hair, which wet the ends of his hair.

Mo Jiaojiao couldn't help poking his head out, and saw this scene.He stared blankly at the man's dark golden boots sinking into the snow, and then looked at the man's tall and slender shadow in the sunlight. In a trance, he felt that this scene gradually overlapped with the distant dream, and suddenly asked Nuo Nuo Said: "Before ninety-nine, did you come here many times?"

"En." Dugu Jiu replied deeply, he walked under a broken city wall, and said lightly: "During the war between humans and demons, in order to prevent the division of the continent, I joined forces with the owner of the Yinshen Valley and stationed here to ask Sword Valley is easy to defend and difficult to attack, which cut off the way of heaven to retreat. Then the demons turned against each other, and the monsters ambushed them, causing countless casualties. , the division of the continent began."

"Why do demons kill monsters?" Mo Jiaojiao asked.

"Before the mainland was divided, the demon race was restricted by the way of heaven, so they had no choice but to form an alliance with the monster race to fight against the law of heaven." Dugu Jiu slowly closed his eyes and explained:

"Subsequently, Tiandao wanted to split the continent. Both the demon clan and this seat thought it was inappropriate to do so, and blocked Tiandao's actions several times. The demon clan and the demon clan were originally in the same camp, but after Tiandao advocated splitting the continent, the demon clan's ambitions did not die, and they betrayed The Yaozu occupied the opposite side of the mainland alone, not only escaped from the oppression of heaven in one fell swoop, but even became the king of the opposite side of the mainland. The word "benefit" is nothing but the root of evil."

"So, the mainland is divided, and the valley owners and elders can't go to the opposite side of the mainland. They have to stay here with other monsters forever until they die. What about the monsters and demons on the opposite side of the mainland?" Mo anxiously moved. and asked: "They can't come here, will they also die on the other side of the mainland?"

"En." Dugu Jiu replied deeply, pursing her thin lips straight.

"Jiujiu and Guzhu don't want the mainland to split, because they don't want the people, demons and ghosts on both sides to die, right?" Mo Jiaojiao asked in a low voice.

"Naturally." Dugu Jiu raised his hand and summoned the Tunchu Sword, jumped into the sky with one foot, and slashed in the air with the sword in his right hand, the snow on the broken wall fell rustlingly, revealing the deep murals underneath.

After Dugu Jiu retracted his sword and landed on the ground again, and walked under the broken wall, Mo Jiaojiao could see clearly what was painted in the painting.

It was a very strange mural, in which the old man with a long beard and a pointed hat was laughing heartily, toasting to the horned man on the other side of the round table, and beside the old man, a calm face The man in black shirt held the black sword hilt at his waist with one hand, and glanced up at the white ghost that came in from the roof.

The four characters in the painting are obviously of different races, but they gather together in harmony.

Mo Jiaojiao stared straight at the mural for a while, then stretched out a soft branch, poked the old man's face, and softly said: "This is the owner of the valley, the big monster."

Then he poked at the horned man, hesitatingly said: "This is the leader of the demon clan, the liar mentioned in the book, the big villain."

The branch touched the person holding the sword again, and said firmly: "This is Jiujiu."

Finally, Mo Jiaojiao poked the jade-white ghost and said: "This is a ghost cultivator, a ghost from the ghost world."

He looked at the mural for a long time, and finally said slowly: "Jiujiu, did you bring Jiao Jiao here to tell me that Gu Zhu and Jiujiu have done a lot of things, not just to save Jiao Jiao? monster?"

"Yes or no, it's all up to you." The man was only a guide from the beginning to the end, and he didn't intend to make any future-related decisions for the child.

"If it is, then Jiaojiao can save the monsters in the secret realm." Mo Jiaojiao nodded his head to himself, "If not, then... Jiaojiao will do what Jiujiu has done, put Continents together, right?"

"Are you afraid?" The man raised his hand and stroked the tender green buds of the cherry pepper, his movements gently.

Little Pepper trembled, but shook his head, "Jiao Jiao is fine, I won't be afraid."

"That being the case," Dugu Jiu returned to the original topic, and asked in a deep voice: "What is the opportunity for Jiaojiao to grow?"

"...Jiaojiao can dream." Mo Jiaojiao was stunned, but still hung her head obediently, then twisted and crawled out again, transformed into a human form with a bang, and fell into the arms of the man.

He seemed to have unknown worries, his thin eyebrows were frowned, and the corners of his eyes were full of sadness, why did he say: "When Jiao Jiao was young, he would dream, and dream of many different places."

The child stretched out his hand to gesture in the cold air, and said anxiously: "Like here, Jiao Jiao has dreamed about it, Jiujiu is standing here. Jiao Jiao knows where the spiritual herbs, swords, secret books are buried here, and other things. There are many monsters in the dream, I have never been to those places, but I know them all."

As Mo Jiaojiao talked, he retracted his fingers again, and lay down in the man's arms, muttering, "Jiaojiao wants... to grow up, and go to the place in his dreams."

Shen Tuzi, born to hold thousands of secret treasures in his hands, stays at home, closes his eyes and concentrates, with his own hills and valleys in his chest.

Such a chance, if placed on any monk in the cultivation world, would be a blessing that cannot be expected in this life.However……

The man looked down at the slightly trembling child, and his cold words hit the nail on the head: "Why don't you want to go?"

"...Jiaojiao feels scared." Mo Jiaojiao tightened her arms hugging the man's neck, her soft voice could not conceal the crying and panic.

"When Jiaojiao was young, every time he dreamed and went to strange places, he was not Jiaojiao. They called me by other names, some liked me, some hated me."

"Jiao Jiao doesn't want to dream and wants to wake up, but I don't know how to get out. I ran in the dream for a long time, but I couldn't find the way. The owner of the valley called me outside, but he couldn't wake up."

"In the beginning, Jiao Jiao only needed to stay inside for a few days before he could come out. But later, the days turned into months. Jiao Jiao was too scared and didn't want to sleep."

"Jiao Jiao didn't sleep for two months and kept her eyes open. But I was too sleepy and fell asleep again."

Mo Jiaojiao lay in the man's arms, rubbed his white forehead indiscriminately, sobbed, and was calmed down by the man's slowly stroking his trembling back, and said again:

"Jiaojiao fell asleep that time. In the dream there was a village full of trees. Jiaojiao lived in the snow-capped mountains, but I couldn't remember anything. They said Jiaojiao was Xuewa. I lived in the dream for 13 years. Year."

"...Later when Jiao Jiao woke up, the Elder Huaishu cried. He said that those dreams were alive. They didn't want Jiao Jiao to escape, so they made me forget everything, so that I would be obedient and wait until the time came. , will come out of the dream by itself.”

Ten years, thousands of dreams, each dream corresponds to one of the peerless secrets in the world of cultivation.Shen Tuzi can be said to be sitting on the treasures of the world, but for Mo Jiaojiao who is trapped in a dream, those are just life after life without freedom.

Like an emperor imprisoned in the territory, he was forced to step on his own land step by step, and was loved, supported, questioned, and bullied in the endless nightmare, and then returned to the world with complicated memories. In reality, it is only in the body of a child who is a few years old.

His clear mind and sanity were all messed up by the cruel memory in the dream, and his childish face was no longer vivid because of the countless times of great joy and sorrow in the dream.

The ignorant child raised his head and was supposed to cry out in fright, but he just kept wondering why he couldn't remember anything when he fell into a dream.

He knew that no one could save him, and he also knew that he couldn't escape no matter what, even the almost omnipotent owner of the Hidden God Valley, who breathed with the heaven and the earth, couldn't stop him from falling into his dream.In other words, to experience the life he must experience.

The subtle sound of ice and snow crushing and breaking branches flashed past his ears, Dugu Jiu tightened his arms holding the child, wrapped him more securely in his arms, and patted the child with his big palm on the soft back without haste. Caress.

The man lowered his eyebrows and didn't make a sound for a long time.

What Mo Jiaojiao said today was the secret revealed in the last paper crane sent by the owner of Yinshen Valley seven years ago when he was dying.

Dugu Jiu already knew about this seven years ago, but she has been unable to find out the real connection between the dream, the secret and Mo Jiaojiao, so she can't make a decision.

However, the child's behavior at this moment has revealed the most critical clue.

The demon pill returned to its place, and the body is clearly intact, why can't it grow up?

Mental insufficiency, trapped in many dreams alone, as early as the first time he fell into a dream and forgot everything, Mo Jiaojiao lost the inherent pride of being a monster cub.

After that, the courage to go upstream in adversity, the instinctive desire to survive in times of crisis, and the original aspirations and dreams that have been wiped out in the endless years, all disappeared one by one in desperate and difficult dreams again and again.

When the dream can no longer deprive the child of anything, Mo Jiaojiao has become what he is today. He understands sacrifice and giving, forbearance and concession, responsibility and loyalty. His eyes are full of the whole continent, but without him Own.

The most important things for a child are forever trapped in the dreams of the past.

There is no other way but to go through those dreams again and find the lost things one by one.

"Jiujiu..." The child's soft cry was full of helplessness, and he murmured vaguely: "Jiao Jiao... I don't like those... places, I don't want to go back... If Jiao Jiao goes , what should I do if I really can't get out..."

"No." Dugu Jiu closed his eyes slightly to hide the sorrowful look in his eyes. As usual, he held the child and took out the handkerchief to wipe Mo Jiaojiao's tears, and said in a deep voice:

"If you lose it, you lose it, and there is no need for Jiaojiao to escape this. Just imagine, what is left of Jiaojiao now?"

"...There is still Jiujiu." The child hiccupped, blinked his big red and swollen eyes, and said with his fingers: "Farewell to the Crane Sword, Tun Chu Sword, grandpa, little sheep..."

"I never think that Jiaojiao can't wake up after falling into a dream." Dugu Jiu said calmly, with the indomitable determination and strategizing confidence in his long and narrow eyes, "What is Jiaojiao lost, you should find it by the same way. In the past The loss is all because you are too young, and now you are not what you used to be."

"Mo Jiaojiao, you should know that all the secrets of the world are in your hands. Even if you have no desire or demand for it, you should not let them wantonly deprive you of what you have. Do you understand?"

"Calling for help, seeking asylum, and even standing up to resist are all justified. Jiaojiao did not go alone."

Mo Jiaojiao stared blankly at the man in front of him, squeezed his mouth to hold back the tears that were about to fall, and said seriously: "Jiaojiao remembered."

After finishing speaking, the child rubbed the man's face again, weeping softly while rubbing, and whispered: "Only Jiujiu told me that Jiao Jiao can ask for help. Also, Jiao Jiao's ability is not very scary."

"Ah."

Perhaps, the Lord of the Hidden God Valley taught Mo Jiaojiao how to be an outstanding figure carrying the hope of the mainland, and what Dugu Jiu tried to teach children... how to truly live.