ask willow

The night rain was pattering, and the thousands of silk ribbons hanging from the willow trees by the lake danced softly and lingeringly in the cool wind.

This scene is very familiar.

Wen Yan stretched out his hand slightly, but couldn't catch the rain.

He heard footsteps behind him, and he turned around, only to see a young man in blue shirt walking slowly, holding on to a plain paper umbrella.The man's eyebrows and eyes are beautiful, but there is a kind of coldness that can't be wiped away. He is obviously a good face with phoenix eyes and thin lips, but he is always suppressed by that cold and stern temperament. People are cold, not beautiful.

Not long after, the man walked to his side, moved the paper umbrella slightly, and blocked some rain for him.

"Love." He smiled at the man with an extremely gentle look.

The young man in the blue shirt didn't change his expression, and said calmly: "Master Wen, is there something on his mind?"

"It's nothing to worry about," he said in a low voice, "I just miss you very much all of a sudden."

Liu Zhongqing raised the corners of her lips, but she didn't smile at all, and said coldly: "You know, these love words are useless to me."

Wen Yan couldn't help chuckling: "Well, so this is what's on my mind."

Liu Zhongqing glanced at him, her phoenix eyes were still cold and clear, that expression was as light as mist.

"I want to know who that person is in your heart." Wen Yan sighed, his voice still very soft.

"It's just someone I like, and it doesn't matter at all to me." Liu Zhongqing said coldly: "Even if he dies, I might not shed a single tear."

Wen Yan frowned and looked at him puzzled.

Liu Zhongqing didn't answer his doubts, but just smiled mockingly.

"Then in your heart..."

"The most important thing in my heart is always the little mind." Liu Zhongqing lowered her voice, and the coldness on her body seemed to fade a little, "If I die someday, please take care of him for me."

Wen Yan suddenly remembered that only when Zhong Yi was mentioned, the invisible snow and ice on Liu Zhongqing's body could melt away a little, revealing a little warmth inside.

The paper umbrella couldn't block the fine rain at all, half of the clothes were gradually soaked, and the biting coldness didn't seem to come from the cold rain, but from the bottom of my heart.

When Wen Yan woke up, it was still dark outside, but he couldn't fall asleep anymore, so he got up to wash and pack his bags.

When it was almost dawn, he knocked on the door of Liu Zhongyi's room, and when he heard the answer from the man inside, he pushed the door and went in, only to see Liu Zhongyi lowered his head slightly, and was fastening his belt.

Wen Yan habitually walked over to help him, but Liu Zhongyi raised his head, looked at him very puzzled, and said, "Did you not rest well last night?"

Only then did Wen Yan realize that his eyes were healed and he didn't need to help himself, so he replied, "No, I just dreamed about the past."

"Oh." Liu Zhongyi didn't ask any more questions, and cleaned up on his own.After waking up from the mist last night, he was able to see some light, and then everything gradually became clear, but he felt that he was not as clear as before. Take it easy.

For the past ten days or so, Wen Yan was probably understanding that he couldn't see, and would come over every morning to help him dress and tie his hair. Although he didn't know what the man was looking for now, but after thinking about it for a while, it was probably in front of others Just make a show and don't ask.

After tidying up, it was almost the time agreed with the caravan, Liu Zhongyi still pretended not to see, and went downstairs with Wen Yan to have breakfast with those people.

This time, there was no feeling of being followed at all, and it was calm.

After spending the breakfast, everyone settled the money and set off to enter the boundary of Yunchuan.

The climate in Yunchuan is humid and hot, and the plants are very lush. There are mostly green colors as far as the eye can see along the way. However, miasma often occurs in the mountains, and there are many poisonous insects and snakes. The seemingly beautiful scenery is actually full of dangers.

Wen Yan asked Yuan Qingfeng about the specific location of the Mingsha Sect when he was asking about the Sword Gate. That person also got the news from the Biling Sect back then, saying that the main altar of the Mingsha Sect was on a mountain named Muyueya .

Even so, the exact location was unknown, so Wen Yan asked people in the caravan on the pretext of going to Muyue Cliff to find medicinal materials.Those people had made sufficient preparations before coming, and it was not the first time they had been to Yunchuan, so they roughly told him the direction.

After walking together for two days, Wen Yan and Liu Zhongyi bid farewell to the members of the caravan due to different directions, and went to Muyue Cliff as they said.

Although Yunchuan's customs are quite different from Zhongzhou's, it does not hinder communication. The two travel mostly on mountain roads, and the carriage is somewhat inconvenient, so they sold the carriage in a city and bought a new horse.

Three days later, the two arrived at a small town next to Muyue Cliff, surrounded by mountains and rivers.

This small city is called Qingning, because of its rich soil and water, and flat terrain, it can be considered lively.

There are continuous mountain peaks outside the city. Perhaps because of the climate, the mountains are shrouded in clouds and mist at this time, and people can only see halfway up the mountain from the bottom of the mountain.Among the mountains, there is one that is extremely steep, like a long sword that goes straight into the sky, while the one next to it is a little slower, and its momentum is not so overbearing, just like being with that mountain.

After entering the city, the two found an inn to rest, and inquired about the news with the clerk of the inn, claiming that they were tourists who came here for the name, and wanted to go for a stroll on the mountain.

The clerk in the store told them that the tallest and steepest place outside is Muyue Cliff. For ordinary people who do not know martial arts, it is very difficult to climb that cliff. Basically, the limit is halfway up the mountain. If you don't use tools, ordinary people can't go up the mountain road at all. Although the mountain is a little flatter, no one is willing to take risks; and the mountain next to Muyue Cliff is called Banxing Ridge, and the terrain is not as good in comparison. No matter how steep it is, the northeast is still gentle. Many people in Qingning City will go up the mountain to collect herbs and hunt. However, there are many miasmas in the southwest of Xingling, and it is easy for people to get lost in it, so most people don't go there.

After finishing speaking, he talked about the river outside the city again, saying that along the river to the southeast, not far away is the border of Shaozhou, and you can see a forest of flowers on the banks, which is very beautiful. You might as well take a boat and go down the river, which is very interesting.

Wen Yan thanked him, and asked him to serve some special dishes of Yunchuan as if he was really a newcomer here.

After a while, the dishes came to the table. There were fried small fish, shredded pork with wild mushrooms and other fresh and refreshing dishes, as well as a big bowl of sesame glutinous rice balls.

The glutinous rice balls are different from the usual ones. The appearance is not smooth and tender white noodles, but a layer of white sesame seeds embedded in the dough that seems to have been slightly fried, which looks crisp and raw.

Wen Yan noticed that Liu Zhongyi's eyes lit up slightly when he saw this dish, his expression was like that of a small animal who would pounce on the food he liked the next second, it looked really interesting.He couldn't help but want to laugh, but he couldn't tell the truth when he laughed inexplicably in front of this person, so he could only bear it.

At this time, he couldn't help but miss the days when Liu Zhongyi couldn't see him, as long as he didn't laugh out loud, that person wouldn't notice.

And at that time, if one ignored the fact that Liu Zhongyi always had a cold expression, most of the time that person could be regarded as very obedient.

It is precisely because he can't see it that I can treat him with peace of mind and candidly, telling myself that this is what I should, and even if it is a little too much, that person will not find out, and will only treat this kind of pet like The behavior of drowning is regarded as a last resort.

Wen Yanben didn't feel that he could be that close to him. Although he discovered his feelings, he was only moved, as if he had to give up, but it was not difficult.

At the beginning, I was thinking, since I already knew that my mood was affected by him, and it was because of me that he was injured and blinded, then naturally I should take care of him as much as possible and treat him well during this time.So he took out the thought of being responsive, and wanted to follow him in everything.

However, Liu Zhongyi remained silent all the way, never taking the initiative to ask for anything, what he said was all business, and any opinions were considered after careful consideration, and he did not mention anything else.

The more so, he couldn't help but care about him more, because since Liu Zhongyi didn't want to say anything, he could only watch for himself and judge his thoughts from the subtle changes in his expression.

This point is actually quite obvious at the dinner table. Liu Zhongyi would frown when he ate a dish he didn't like. Although he was very reluctant, he still swallowed it whole; See that he likes it.Occasionally teasing him at such a time, I chose to give him some other dishes, so that he could be tempted to talk about what he wanted to eat.

"Master."

"……Um?"

Only then did Wen Yan realize that he was distracted, and saw Liu Zhongyi frowning slightly at him, "What are you thinking?"

"nothing……"

Wen Yan picked up the chopsticks and sighed silently——

Ever since Liu Zhongyi's eyes recovered, he could only restrain his thoughts and prevent him from discovering them.

He originally thought that those gentle emotions were just out of pity, but when he was about to take them back, he found that that was not the case anymore.

Even though that person has recovered, he doesn't need any care as before, and has become indifferent and strong, but I still can't help wanting to be nice to him, knowing what distance I should keep at this time, but I still unconsciously think about those things. The little bit of secret warmth when we get close occasionally in the days.

This feeling was too difficult to grasp, and even he almost couldn't understand his own heart.

If it is said that this feeling originated from Liu Zhongyi's heart shock at the moment when he sacrificed his life to save him, and from his sympathy for that person who was blind but had no resentment, then when he was determined to treat him well, his feelings were in Slowly changing in getting along, within more than half a month, determination has become a habit, pity has gradually turned into pure appreciation and liking, it seems that I can't control it.

Since you can't control it, you can only let him go.

Get lucky, not die.

He has lost the qualification to force from the beginning.

After eating, it was only a little past noon, and the two decided to check the surroundings before going up the mountain tomorrow, then put the package in the inn, and left the city lightly.

Qingning City is a little closer to Banxing Ridge, if you want to go to Muyue Cliff, you have to detour for a while.

The two walked for a while to the foot of Muyue Cliff. This place is located between Muyue Cliff and Banxing Ridge. There are jagged rocks, and various shrubs and plants grow in the cracks, and they grow very luxuriantly.

And if you look up, you can see that the part of the cliff above the half-mountain of Muyue Cliff is like a knife and an axe.But Banxing Ridge is gentler, and the distance between the two peaks is not far, so walking into the mountain stream and looking up, you may see a "line of sky" scene, but it is not very clear if it is surrounded by clouds and mist.

The noon sun was just right, and a few strands penetrated the dense clouds and mist, and the scene above was faintly visible.

Wen Yan glanced at it, couldn't help frowning slightly, stared for a long time, and said, "Zhong Yi, there seems to be something between these two mountains."

Liu Zhongyi looked up, and pondered: "The southwest side of Banxing Ridge refers to the side adjacent to Muyue Cliff. Maybe there is some mystery."

Wen Yan said: "You mean the miasma or getting lost that others mentioned, maybe it was done by the Mingsha Sect to hide their own position?"

"Maybe it's a maze or something," Liu Zhongyi thought for a while, "Why don't we go to Banxing Ridge tomorrow, even if we guess wrong, we can check the opposite side first, after all, looking up from the bottom of the mountain, covered by clouds and fog, halfway up the mountain Can't see it anymore."

"Alright."

Early in the morning of the second day, the two packed up and went out of the city to Banxing Ridge.The southwest side of Banxing Ridge is the steepest part of the whole mountain, not far from Muyue Cliff. It looks as if the two peaks were split and broken by a huge blade.However, if compared with Mu Yueya, Ban Xing Ridge is relatively flat.

There are many poisonous insects and snakes in the mountain, but last night Wen Yan had slightly contaminated the clothes of the two of them with medicine, so those poisonous substances avoided them.

The two walked briskly for more than an hour before reaching the half-mountain.

There are overgrown weeds and shrubs under the feet, and the huge ancient tree canopy above the head blocks out the sky and the sun. The mountain forest looks a little dark, and the sunlight falls from the leaves, which looks a bit quiet and beautiful.

After walking for a while, we saw that the weeds in front of us were getting less and less, replaced by a small blue-purple flower, which was not very conspicuous. The faint fragrance floated in the air with the breeze, giving people a very pure feeling.

Liu Zhongyi paused slightly when he smelled the fragrance, and felt an indescribably familiar smell: "What is this?"

"Han Sui Sand Orchid," Wen Yan explained, "There is another name called 'Please enter your dream'. Its fragrance has a sleeping effect and is not harmful. This kind of flower is only available in Yunchuan, and taking out the stamens can be used as medicine. Some other things can cause hallucinations, so they are also used to refine poisons, and there are such ingredients in the 'Bi Luo' in the ghost building."

Liu Zhongyi nodded: "No wonder I think this smell is a bit familiar, but suddenly there is a piece of this kind of flower here... It's also very strange."

"Indeed, generally speaking, sand orchids grow sporadically, and such a large area looks like someone deliberately did it," Wen Yan thought for a while, and said: "But sand orchids themselves are not harmful, let's move forward have a look."

"it is good."

After going on for a while, I saw a white mist in the mountains and forests not far away. It seemed to be the cloud and mist that lingered all year round when viewed from the foot of the mountain.

Wen Yan frowned slightly, and said, "Wait, there seems to be something wrong with this fog."

"What?" Liu Zhongyi stopped in his tracks, looking at the white mist that seemed to be frozen.

When the breeze in the forest blew, the mist drifted slightly, and then gradually gathered again. Wen Yan took out a sprig of sand orchid from the package and placed it in the direction facing the wind.

Liu Zhong was a little surprised at the complaint and said, "When did you pick it?"

"I just broke off a branch when I passed by." Wen Yan stared at the Hansui sand orchid, and replied, "This kind of flower will change color when it encounters a certain medicine, you see."

Before the words were finished, the little blue-purple flowers gradually faded in the wind and turned into light blue.

"The fog is poisonous?"

"It doesn't count, it's just that we inhaled the smell of sand orchid when we passed the piece of cold-year-old sand orchid. If we mix it with it, it will cause hallucinations, and it will damage the body after a long time, but the two are separated. cause any harm."

"So, the miasma and getting lost that the people in Qingning City mentioned are actually caused by this?"

"good."

Wen Yan abandoned Sha Lan, took out a small porcelain bottle from the package, poured out a green pill, and handed it to Liu Zhongyi.

Liu Zhongyi took it, put it in his mouth, frowned slightly, and swallowed it quickly.

Wen Yan just poured out the second pill, seeing his action, he was stunned: "Why did you swallow it..."

Liu Zhongyi looked at him suspiciously, "Or else?"

Wen Yan had no choice but to put the second pill in his palm, "Hold it."

Liu Zhongyi frowned, rather reluctantly: "It's bitter."

"It's not sweets." Wen Yan couldn't help laughing, "You like sweets very much?"

"..." Liu Zhongyi held the pill in his mouth and didn't answer.

Wen Yan just smiled, and took a pill in his mouth, anyway, no matter whether Liu Zhongyi admits it or not, this is the truth, as long as he knows it.

The two passed through the white mist and continued to walk towards the top of the mountain. As they went up, the mountain became steeper, with fewer weeds, flowers and trees, and there were many hard rocks under their feet.

When they got to a place where the fog was slightly lighter, they didn't know where it was touched. Several darts were shot out of a hidden tree hole. The two of them avoided it with their flexibility and became vigilant.

The more they walked forward, the denser the distribution of agencies, the two dared not relax, they were cautious all the way, turned a corner, and saw a cliff ahead, standing two thick iron pillars, four chains were connected to the iron pillars, The two chains below are covered with thick planks, which turned out to be an iron chain bridge!

Looking along the iron cables, you can see that the bridge body is submerged in the sea of ​​clouds between the two peaks, appearing and disappearing from time to time.

Liu Zhongyi said in a low voice: "What I saw from below yesterday, could it be this chain bridge?"

"Probably." Wen Yan nodded: "But since people from Qingning City seldom come here, they won't be able to build this chain bridge."

"It should be the Mingsha Sect, and Mu Yueya is on the opposite side. Their main altar is probably halfway up the mountain, and they have to go over here."

"Ah."

Both of them wanted to go and find out. However, if they were on the chain bridge, the target would be too obvious from that side during the day, and it would be very easy to find them. They are undoubtedly in a dangerous place. After discussing with each other, they decided to wait until nightfall. Check out the past.