【Xue Xiao】Desolate City Crossing

On the night of the Lantern Festival, there is a lot of traffic.

There was an endless stream of people from the neighboring villages of Xifu Town. Just looking at these crowds, Xiao Xingchen knew that Zichen must have traveled many places that day without touching his feet.

Xiao Xingchen waited left and right, and couldn't find any friends in the crowd, so he thought that Zichen must not want to participate in the excitement, and went back to the seaside villa to rest after finishing his work, or went to night hunting directly.

It's a pity that the results of this hard day can't be shared with friends, but this is more convenient for Xiao Xingchen to take Xiaojie and Xue Yang to the lantern festival.There is no need to ask about Xiaojie's longing, this is to satisfy his wish; as for Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen vaguely knows in his heart that he must also like to participate in such excitement, and will definitely bring Xiaojie to come as promised.

As the sky was getting darker, the town's lanterns were lit up one by one, snack stalls, dragon dance jugglers, and lantern parades were also in place. With the main street of Xifu Town as the center, half of the town was lit up.

In the dark corner of the small town wall, the figures of one large, one small and two ghosts quietly appeared, except for Xiao Xingchen, no one noticed them.

The handsome young man dressed in white walked slowly from the dim lights. Xue Yang was slightly absent-minded, and a little bit lost, because Xiao Xingchen's warm smile was not aimed at him, and he didn't even give him a moment in his eyes, as if there was a relationship between them. There is an enchantment separating him, so he can't see him.

Xiao Xingchen came over and bowed to greet Xiaojie: "Xiaojie, are you ready for the lantern festival?"

Xiaojie looked up at Xue Yang asking for help.

The world of souls is soundless and colorless, and the bright and lively lantern festival in the distance at this moment is just a black and white silent picture in Xiaojie's eyes. If Xue Yang does not have physical contact with Xiaojie, Xiaojie will even hear the voice of Xiao Xingchen who is close at hand. can not hear.

And Xue Yang was looking at the lights in the distance with one hand behind his back with a smile, as if he didn't care about the movement around him.

If you look closely, you will find that the curvature of the corner of the mouth is a bit stiff.

He didn't reach out, and Xiaojie didn't dare to touch him. Xiaojie was still young and couldn't see through this moody "boss". Even though Xue Yang did help Xiaojie, Xiaojie was always afraid of him.

Xiao Xingchen had been busy preparing for the Lantern Festival all day, and Xiao Xingchen never expected that Xue Yang would do nothing during this important part.

"Xue Yang, you are also responsible for the Lantern Festival. Don't you want to help Xiaojie? If that's the case, please do your best tonight."

Xiao Xingchen could feel that Xue Yang, who used to be a murderer, seemed to have different feelings for this boy Xiaojie. According to him, he started killing people at the age of eight... The innocence of his childhood was stifled early, so he cared a lot for this little hero whose innocence had also been stifled. This concern made Xiao Xingchen I reluctantly believe that Xue Yang still has a trace of humanity, and I am also a little curious about Xue Yang's childhood experience. I have heard the story of the severed finger, so what about after the severed finger?How did the children living on the street heal after being so seriously injured, how did they kill someone at the age of eight, and from whom did they learn the magic and ghost ways?

However, since the grievances and atrocities of ten years ago still lie between the two, no matter what Xue Yang has experienced, Xiao Xingchen can't recognize Xue Yang, let alone show a trace of curiosity and concern, so he treats him superficially. Still cold and distant.

But this attitude obviously couldn't persuade Xue Yang to do his best to help Xiaojie. After hearing Xiao Xingchen's indifferent words, Xue Yang shook his head and said slowly: "I made the lantern festival because I also want to go to the lantern festival. Ghosts are boring. It's not very fun to kill."

Xiao Xingchen frowned: "Then why don't you let Xiaojie look at the lantern festival with neither color nor sound?"

Xue Yang said lightly, "So what, I don't care."

The atmosphere froze for a moment, and Xiao Xingchen was not sure whether Xue Yang really cared about the child or had other purposes, or just did it on a whim, but he clearly remembered that in the memory fragments of the baby's soul, Xue Yang saw the baby holding the child. When my sister sang the nursery rhyme Xiaojie, her eyes were touched.

Looking at Xiaojie's outfit, Xiao Xingchen felt that Xue Yang's attitude was quite suspicious.Because Xiaojie not only changed into a new clean clothes, but also combed his messy hair neatly, and tied a hair band of the same color as the clothes around the top of his head into a neat bun. His whole body was clean and tidy, completely different from his previous outfit Xiao Xingchen didn't believe that Xiaojie's change was entirely due to himself.

Xiao Xingchen sighed: "Xue Yang, what can you do to help?"

"Well~ just wait for the Taoist priest to say this!" Xue Yang suddenly smiled, "It's very simple, I want the Taoist priest to treat me to candy!"

When Xue Yang was happy, his voice was close to that of when he was a boy, pretending to be Alan's voice in Yicheng, innocent and innocent like the boy next door.

Xiao Xingchen suppressed the pain aroused by this sound, and signaled Xue Yang and Xiaojie to follow him into the busy street.

With two ghosts alone, they walked through the semicircular arch of lanterns, walked past the elevated shelf covered with lantern riddles and wooden signs, and stopped in front of the first candy stand they encountered. Xiao Xingchen intended to sell candy for money, but Rumors have spread in Xifu Town that Xiao Xingchen and Zichen worked together to exorcise the evil spirits and help the town survive the catastrophe. How could the stall owner accept Xiao Xingchen's money? He grabbed a lot and enthusiastically handed it to Xiao Stardust told him to accept it.

Xiao Xingchen thanked the shopkeeper, holding a large handful of candies, turned his back in a corner where no one was watching, chanted a mantra in his heart, flipped his wrist, and each piece of candy floated in the air, flashing a burst of small blue-green flames, and the flames went out Then it fell naturally, and the candy fell completely on the other hand without the little finger.

Things in the world can only be touched by the soul after being burned by the fire of the underworld. Although some souls with a little cultivation can use spiritual power to touch or move things in the world, the texture lacks reality after all, and it is impossible to taste the original taste of food.Xue Yang was addicted to sugar, but in the past two years after his death, he had to endure the tasteless "ghost life". He even tried to possess people to eat his favorite food, but there was still a gap between the sensory taste and the real taste.

Fortunately, there is Xiao Xingchen now.

Xue Yang knelt down, handed the candy to Xiaojie, and motioned him to take it himself. Xiaojie picked up one, glanced at the empty sleeve on Xue Yang's right, peeled off the candy wrapper and timidly handed it to Xue Yang's mouth, Xue Yang was stunned Thinking of him becoming a tyrant in Kuizhou when he was alive, whoever saw him hated and was afraid, how could anyone dare to be so close to him, he smiled very emotionally, put the sugar in his mouth, and closed his eyes for a moment of enjoyment , gave most of the candies in his hand to Xiaojie, kept a few in his arms, and finally stretched out his hand and said to Xiaojie:

"Let's go, Boss will take you to see the Lantern Festival!"

One thin and small hand was held by the other big hand with a broken little finger. The world in Xiaojie's eyes suddenly had sounds and colors. The bright lights illuminated the streets at night. One day, the bleak eyes of the 12-year-old child finally ignited a glimmer of joy.

Xiao Xingchen breathed a sigh of relief, and said kindly, "Xiaojie, Taotao made your favorite glutinous rice balls, may I take you to eat them?"

Perhaps it was suppressed for a long time during his lifetime, Xiaojie's joy always seemed very faint, he just nodded obediently, but Xue Yang seemed more excited than Xiaojie, jumping up and actively responding to Xiao Xingchen: "Okay! Let’s go and look for glutinous rice balls, I also like glutinous rice balls the most! Especially those filled with black sesame seeds, it’s best to put enough sugar inside and outside the stuffing, it’s soft and sweet after one bite!”

Xue Yang glanced up and down at Xiao Xingchen as he spoke, as if he was getting hungry, and he regarded the figure in white clothes as a delicious white glutinous rice ball.

Xiao Xingchen was uncomfortable being stared at by this gaze, so he took a few steps ahead and led the two ghosts to find Taotao and Li Yong.

Xue Yang continued to ask Xiaojie: "Little ghost, do you think this Taoist elder brother looks like glutinous rice balls?"

Xiaojie looked at the back of the white clothes in front of him, but saw that the back was thin and straight, very prominent among the crowd, not at all fat and round like glutinous rice balls, but Xiaojie was infected by Xue Yang's happiness, and chuckled softly, which was not good Rebutting him, he changed the question to Xue Yang:

"Is this brother in white a priest? But he seems to be dressed differently from other priests I've seen?"

"You haven't seen him before. He used to be a Daoist. I'm used to calling him that, so I still call him that."

"Are you old friends with this brother in white?"

"Well..." Xue Yang looked slightly uncomfortable, and threw the question to Xiao Xingchen, shouting: "Hey! Xiao Xingchen! Are we old friends?"

Xiao Xingchen stared straight ahead, as if he hadn't heard it.

When Xiaojie was wondering, suddenly his eyes lit up, and he saw Taotao.

Taotao’s glutinous rice ball stalls are not placed on the street with the most traffic, but in an alley perpendicular to the main street of Xifu Town, where you can see colorful lanterns without too many crowds. This is Xiaoxing’s Chen had chosen a place for them in advance.

Everyone else thought that this lantern festival was to drive away ghosts, suppress evil spirits, pray for blessings and avoid disasters. Only Taotao and his wife knew that it was to fulfill the last wish of a little boy who had suffered so much during his lifetime.Their glutinous rice balls tonight are not for profit, but to send a little warmth and comfort to the boy.

After Xiao Xingchen said hello, he sat down at the table with the two ghosts, and said to Taotao and Li Yong, "Please serve three bowls of glutinous rice balls, please."

Taotao and Li Yong carefully looked at the void around Xiao Xingchen, and they looked at each other. It was Li Yong who asked first, "Head Immortal, is Xiaojie here? Sit next to him?"

Although they heard a lot about ghosts and gods, they were told that ghosts really came to visit. Li Yong and Taotao were somewhat at a loss as to how to entertain them.

"That's right, Xiaojie is right here." Xiao Xingchen pointed to the seat opposite, raised his head and smiled gently at the couple as if consoling, "Don't worry, serve it up, I will let Xiaojie eat the glutinous rice balls you cooked .”

The two didn't dare to ask more questions, and immediately brought out three steaming porcelain bowls, with eight glutinous rice balls lying in each bowl.Both pairs of eyes glanced back and forth between Xiao Xingchen and the opposite table curiously and apprehensively, wanting to see how he passed the glutinous rice balls to the invisible ghost.

"Immortal Elder, do you want to burn incense?" Li Yong enthusiastically took out a large handful of incense, and pointed to the incense burner and yellow paper that had been prepared under his feet.

The author has something to say: there is another chapter tomorrow, continue to enjoy the lantern festival~

I look forward to reading the check-in recommendation, like comments, feedback, suggestions, etc., which can make me write faster~