[75] Passionate but ruthlessly annoyed

The twilight in the mountains often falls earlier, and the lush mountain forest shows a different kind of beauty in the sunset, as if the strong emerald green can complement each other in the orange-red glow.After a while, even this afterglow disappeared, and the mountains were enveloped in a vast night, with strange and hideous shapes in the distance.

After a while, the night became darker and darker.The temple was quiet, and the open fires had been extinguished.There is still a candle burning in Zhan Zhao's room, the red candle is burning quietly on the ancient bronze candlestick, the beating and dim candle flame casts his shadow on the wall beside him.

The group of theatrical troupe had also moved into this yard as early as daytime, and they were very noisy for a while, and Zhan Zhao could hear Ping'er's voice from time to time, crisp and sound.But now, everything is quiet.The mountains and forests in the distance fluctuated with the evening wind, and the rustling sound seemed to lull people to sleep, calm and peaceful.A window slit that was propped up keeps sending in a cool breeze, without a trace of heat, but with a faint fragrance, which mixes with the sandalwood in the room to form a pleasant smell.The mountains are supposed to be cooler in the first place, not to mention it’s raining today, so it doesn’t have the heat and suffering of midsummer at all.

But Zhan Zhao couldn't fall asleep, his spirit seemed to be as active as in the daytime, and thoughts flooded out of his heart, disturbing his restlessness.Zhan Zhao turned over on the bamboo floor, but the back of his hand touched the cold metal, which was the scabbard of his saber.Zhan Zhao can feel the pattern on it with his eyes closed, just like his brother and confidant who accompany him day and night, and are the closest companions.

There used to be a faint fragrance in the room, but now Zhan Zhao seemed to smell the smell of cold iron, mixed with the smell of blood.He couldn't help frowning, and his handsome face showed a little pained expression.At this moment, a low and melodious sound of the flute came to his ears from afar, and Zhan Zhao couldn't help turning over.

The night is still silent, only the chirping of insects, so the faint sound of the flute is very clear.Zhan Zhao put on his clothes and stood still in front of the window, the sound of the flute became more clearly heard in his ears.He closed his eyes and listened for a moment, and suddenly couldn't bear it, he snapped his fingers and knocked out the red candle on the table not far away.The room suddenly became dark, and after a while, the moonlight like water sprinkled into the room, as if silently harmonizing with the sound of the flute.

Zhan Zhao only felt his mind relax, the sound of the flute was quiet and distant, and there was a kind of emptiness in it, as if he was dazzled by the beauty of the mountains and rivers.Now that the lights have been turned off, this melodious tune seems to flow into people's hearts, and easily soothes the anxiety in Zhan Zhao's heart.

However, in the melodious and graceful, it seems that there is a sense of sadness but not sadness in it, as cold as the moonlight, but as clear as glass.

Finally, Zhan Zhao couldn't help but stretch out his hand to lift up the window, and looked towards the courtyard.Sure enough, the woman in white was sitting by the lotus pond, with her head slightly lowered, and she was playing a bamboo flute to her vermilion lips.Her thin back is thin and lonely, and her slender waist is too tight to hold in the moonlight.

Suddenly, the woman seemed to feel something, and turned her head to look here.The sound of the flute paused, and her face appeared hazy in the night. Compared with the astonishing beauty in the daytime, she had a more extraordinary temperament.Looking at Zhan Zhao with those eyes that were as clear as glazed glass, they were as cold as the moonlight.

Zhan Zhao didn't look away in a panic, but smiled generously.It seemed that this action made the woman happy, and she actually smiled back. She looked up at the moonlight again, then stood up, and walked slowly along the stone road to the opposite room.Zhan Zhao lowered the window, and the scene disappeared behind the paper window, only the faint moonlight still leaking into the room through the paper window.

That night, Zhan Zhao was finally free from nightmares, maybe it was thanks to that flute music.Early the next morning, he got up and went up to the back mountain of the temple alone.I found a clean place, danced the sword once, and took a secluded path to climb the mountain again.Probably because of stretching out the muscles and bones, the body is very comfortable.

When going down the mountain, Zhan Zhao saw Ping'er at a fork in the road, looking up with her feet on her feet.When she saw Zhan Zhao, she immediately showed a happy smile, lifted her skirt and ran towards Zhan Zhao.

"Brother Zhan," she shouted, "you were not in the house so early in the morning, why did you go to the mountain?"

As Zhan Zhao walked down, he replied casually, "Practice the sword."

"Ah, I understand, it's the same as our practice." Ping'er said with a smile, "Brother Zhan is really hardworking in his practice, we should have found a place to hang our voices in the morning, but it was so hard to go to the mountain , it’s rare to be so cool, so I lay on the bed too lazy to move.”

Zhan Zhao couldn't help but also laughed, this girl's innocent temperament always makes him laugh, those clean eyes are as innocent as a baby, Zhan Zhao loves the most.He then said: "You have to practice constantly, if you don't practice for a day, you will be rusty?"

"That's not it, the head teacher always said the same thing, it's just that we are always lazy and refuse to listen to him honestly." Ping'er walked beside Zhan Zhao, but she was still bouncing around, her words and deeds were all like a group of children. gas.Today she changed the rouge dress and wore a green dress, as if she blended with the mountains and forests in her actions, she looked more like a mountain elf.

Back in the monastery, the monks happened to have their morning class, and they all went to the dining hall in small groups.As soon as Ping'er arrived at a crowded place, she seemed shy and ran away in a hurry.His thick black hair shone like satin in the morning light.Zhan Zhao shook his head and smiled, walked slowly to the dining hall and sat down at a table in the corner.

Most of the canteens are monks.The troupe was sitting together, and Ping'er was sitting next to her sister, when she caught a glimpse of Zhan Zhao coming in from the corner of her eye, she blushed from embarrassment and giggled.

After a brief meal, the young man from the theater troupe came by himself, with a serious expression on his face, and said to Zhan Zhao: "We are going to set up a stage to sing in the temple this afternoon, if you are interested, you might as well come and have a look. "

Zhan Zhao then agreed, spoke a few more words with the young man, and got up to leave.

Most of the people in this temple are disciples of Buddhism, but there are also some secular guests staying in the temple temporarily.In addition to the troupe and the woman playing the flute, Zhan Zhao also saw several other guests one after another.One of them looks like a scholar, he is not young anymore, with a black beard.A few men dressed as warriors, armed with knives, guns and sticks.There are also some local people who come to the temple to fulfill their vows. There are always three or five people who come and go.

This morning, because he promised to go to the theater, Zhan Zhao stayed in the temple.He had nothing to do, and he didn't want to be bored in the room reading scriptures, so he wandered around the temple alone.When I arrived at the auditorium, I saw those members of the troupe enthusiastically setting up the stage, preparing for the afternoon stage.

Zhan Zhao just stopped to look at it for a while, then walked back.Unexpectedly, after only walking a few steps, I heard pattering footsteps behind me again.He turned around, and sure enough, he saw Ping'er running over with sweat profusely, with a joyful smile in his eyes.

"Oh, I looked like you in a blink of an eye just now, and after I chased it, it turned out to be you." Ping'er laughed pantingly, she seemed very happy, and while wiping the sweat from her neck, she looked up With Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao was dazed for a moment, and then he suddenly realized that in just one day, this little girl showed her love and attachment to him with enthusiasm and frankness.No matter if she was chasing after her alone on the mountain yesterday, or she was waiting on the mountainside this morning, or it is like this now.This girl who is not even 15 years old is bold and enthusiastic. She may not understand the relationship between a man and a woman, but she expresses her love for Zhan Zhao in this childish way.

This incident is actually not uncommon, Zhan Zhao had encountered many such incidents when he was a swordsman when he was young, and later entered the imperial court.At that time, he was always honest, thinking that he was a man, how could he be nostalgic for his son and daughter's affection.But maybe it's because his mood has changed now, Zhan Zhao actually feels a little pity for the girl in front of him for no reason, and he can't bear to speak sarcasticly.

"Why don't you talk?" Seeing Zhan Zhao in a daze, Ping'er raised her hand and shook it in front of his eyes.Her hands were white and slender, and the round nails were pink. For some reason, Zhan Zhao caught her hand suddenly.

"Oh!" Ping'er was taken aback, and her face turned red.Zhan Zhao let go of his hand suddenly, feeling impolite, turned around in a hurry, and said, "Why did you come here alone, didn't I see that you were setting up a stage?"

Ping'er clutched her right hand with her left hand and muttered for a while, before she said, "I sneaked here," she said as if she had sensed Zhan Zhao's intentions, she raised her head hastily and said, "Don't drive me away, I'm It’s hard to avoid being lazy for a while.” That appearance is quite childlike.

Zhan Zhao suddenly felt that he was worrying too much, he just regarded such a little girl as his younger sister.So he took Ping'er for a stroll in the temple, walked through an empty courtyard, bypassed the vegetable bed, and went under the moon gate, and suddenly came to a forest.

This piece of forest is neat and tidy, unlike the wild trees in the mountains that grow randomly, they are planted very neatly in rows.They got in from the woods, and there was no decent path, so they walked in on the soft weeds.At this time, the wind suddenly brought a smell of ashes, a little smoky.Zhan Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he walked in the direction of the wind for a while, while Ping'er was beside him as usual, unable to calm down.Suddenly, those green graves came into view.

It was next to a glum old pine tree, under a low-hanging branch.A few raised mounds were covered with a soft green grass, and a field of wild flowers bloomed on them, white, yellow, and blue.

This scene made Ping'er stop her mouth suddenly, and after a while, she lowered her voice and whispered: "Why is there still a grave here? It seems that someone came to worship just now, and I don't know who it is."

When we got closer, we found that the tombs were well maintained.The stone tablet standing in front of the grave in the middle is written with the words "the tomb of my father Yao Fanggong" and "the unfilial daughter Qinghan stands here".Although the stele is obviously old and weathered by wind and rain, it is not dilapidated.In front of the tomb, there are some offered fruits and a few white silk flowers, which are also placed there.The paper money in a brazier has not yet been burned, and the curly ashes trembled slightly in the wind, then shattered into powder and dissipated in the wind.

"Let's go, it always feels gloomy here." Ping'er muttered, looking around suspiciously, showing a shrinking expression.

Zhan Zhao came to his senses, and felt that he shouldn't bring such a little girl to such a dark place, so he dragged her back.When we got to the bustling part of the temple, it was almost noon.Ping'er panicked, "Oops", and kept shouting: "It's so late, it's too late, I'm going to be punished by the master." So she ran away in a hurry.

At this time, Zhan Zhao suddenly felt a sense of loneliness.He has been alone for many years, and he doesn't feel anything wrong in his heart.But in this midsummer day, watching Ping'er's back running away, I suddenly felt a bit of indescribable sadness.

Maybe he is really old, Zhan Zhao thought to himself mockingly.Although he is only in his twenties, he is actually a young man, but he lives like an old man who is dying, lifeless.Zhan Zhao suddenly understood why he was getting close to Ping'er. Isn't the lively energy in her just what he doesn't have?

Zhan Zhao didn't want to admit that he was envious of this vigorous vitality, but he smiled wryly again, looked at the direction where Ping'er was leaving and stood still for a moment before walking elsewhere.

Out of a feeling of inhumanity, Zhan Zhao broke the appointment after all.When the sound of gongs and drums came from the other side of the auditorium, he was flipping through the somewhat worn-out Buddhist scriptures alone in the room, and his heart was always restless.Many figures flashed in front of his eyes, vivid and kept in memory, not like the dry bones under the handful of loess.Maybe it was because I suddenly saw that grave in the back mountain today, which caused these bad thoughts.

After being in a daze like this for a while, Zhan Zhao seemed to want to confirm something, got up again and carefully pulled out a knife from his luggage.The black scabbard seemed to be stained with unclean blood. He let go of his hand as if he had been scalded, and the knife fell to the table with a clang.The strong smell of blood seemed to linger in his nostrils again, Zhan Zhao closed his eyes, but he couldn't get rid of the hoarse screams in his mind, and the rain of arrows splashing the sky in the sky full of fire.Many lives were left behind in that purgatory-like place, including the once high-spirited young swordsman, dressed in spotless white clothes, but that night he was like a Shura bathed in blood, embarrassed and full of murderous aura.

Zhan Zhao suddenly remembered that many years ago, the boy in white said this: "You seem humble and polite, gentle as jade, but in fact you are very cold in your bones." Then he smiled slyly, "But you wait, I always One day I want you to treat me as a brother sincerely."

He couldn't help but smiled wryly. At that time, he never thought that he really regarded him as a brother, and the death kicked off the prelude.

The sky had darkened unknowingly, and the afterglow of the setting sun spilled from the cracks in the window, outlining a colorful light and shadow on the floor.Suddenly, someone knocked twice on the door.Zhan Zhao suddenly woke up from the memory, only to realize that the room was already dark, and he could hardly see anything clearly.The knock on the door was very messy, so he hurriedly got up to open the door, and then saw Ping'er squeezed in from the door in a panic, trembling all over.Although she had changed into ordinary clothes, the heavy makeup on her face hadn't been removed, the corners of her eyes were red, and she said in a trembling voice: "Close the door, close the door quickly."

Zhan Zhao hesitated for a moment, but instead stared out the door, and saw the bearded scholar approaching.The man was wearing a scholar's turban and a green shirt, and he was holding a folding fan in his hand.Seeing Ping'er hiding behind Zhan Zhao, he couldn't help being taken aback, but then smiled and said, "Why did this kid hide there, come here, come here." He waved his hands.

Ping'er just grasped Zhan Zhao's clothes tightly with both hands, shaking her head vigorously.The scholar coaxed: "Why, don't you want to listen to my study? I only read half of it."

Pinger just shook her head.The scholar still didn't give up, and said in a soft voice: "Come to my room, I have candies to eat. Why, don't you want to hear me study? Let me teach you how to read, okay?"

"No need!" Ping'er finally spoke, summoning up her courage and shouting loudly, "I have Big Brother Zhan to read to me and teach me how to read, I don't need your kindness!"

The scholar smiled, looked at Zhan Zhao contemptuously, and said, "This brother doesn't look like a fellow, I'm afraid I can't read "Qingsuo Gaoyi" and "Green Window New Talk" to you. Woolen cloth."

"It's true that he's not a fellow." Zhan Zhao didn't take this person seriously, carefully protecting Ping'er, turned around and slammed the door with a "bang".