Strange Tale

Another day later, when he heard that the North City Gate had opened, Si Ren couldn't wait to take his packed luggage and brought Qilin to a small alley not far from the city gate.

Yancheng has three gates in the east, west and north.The north gate is the smallest, leading to the mountain road.After Long Jiu occupied Yancheng, he first sealed off the city for three days.Although the north gate is open now, there are still gun teams strictly checking the passers-by.

Si Ren stuck out half of his head from the corner to take a closer look.What they were looking for, Si Ren didn't know and didn't want to know, but he saw it at a glance—or rather felt it—standing in the shadow of the city gate and staring at every passerby.

This guy is the same as that Long Jiu: Although he is a human being, Si Ren can't see his three souls and seven souls, he only feels that both of them are covered by a gloomy black mist.He could feel the strong decaying air from afar.

Already dead?Si Ren thought to himself: But their behavior is no different from ordinary people, not like people with incomplete souls.Besides, when Long Jiu was asked to write that day, his body temperature was normal.If it is possessed...

"Xiao Ren! Why are you in a daze, let's go!" Qilin, who had shown his original shape, was suffocated in the backpack, and couldn't help but began to urge.

"Huh? Oh, wait a minute."

Si Ren retreated to the depths of the alley, put down the suitcase and backpack, let the unicorn transform into a human form, and told him to keep an eye on his things before he ran away in a hurry.

After a long time, Si Ren, dressed as a woman in a foreign dress and sun hat, appeared in front of Qilin again.

Qilin stared at his curled hair with tongs and his face painted with white powder and rouge, his eyes widened and he was stunned for a moment, then he squatted on the ground unable to stand up laughing.

"Ahahahaha...hahahaha...you...why did you make yourself look like this? Hahahaha..."

Si Ren grabbed Qilin by the back collar and lifted him up, "Don't laugh. Didn't you see that one standing there motionless like a dead person? If I don't dress up, he will definitely recognize me."

"So what if you recognize them? Didn't you count on them?"

"It's accurate, so that Long Jiu will be in trouble soon, we have to get out of here before then."

Qilin curled his lips, too lazy to argue with him, "Okay, you can leave as soon as you want. You can leave if you think you have to pretend to be a woman, but why did you get such a suit of clothes? You also have to perm your hair, it's not too much trouble."

Si Ren put his hands on his hips, "Look at me, I have to fit a Chinese dress! Only foreign women are much taller, and the size of the clothes is big enough. I finally found this fit. of."

After taking a closer look, Qilin discovered that two bags had bulged out of Si Ren's chest out of thin air.

"You are..."

Si Ren followed his gaze and looked down, "Oh, I just bought two big stuffed buns and stuffed them in. I'll take them out for you when you get hungry on the way."

Qilin rolled his eyes, "Can you not disgust me?"

After speaking, he shrank his neck and prepared to turn back into a weasel again.Si Ren stopped him, "Don't worry about it, just do it like this. Just now I saw that they sometimes searched luggage and packages. Don't be a stupid soldier who looks after me. Just call me sister."

"Bah! With your current virtue? Don't call me sister, it's more appropriate to call you mom."

"Whatever, I don't mind anyway."

Under the gate of the North City, Si Ren passed the inspection smoothly, holding Qilin in one hand and carrying the box in the other.

Very good!Si Ren secretly rejoiced, and dragged Qilin to speed up his pace.

But he was not happy for half a minute, and a dark voice sounded behind him, "Mr. Si, please stay."

Si Ren stopped, closed his eyes and sighed: No, can you recognize this? !There are so many of them, it is estimated that running is useless.Oh...forget it.

As soon as I turned around, someone taller than myself was always in front of me.Today he was not wearing a turban, and Si Ren could see his appearance clearly: he has thick eyebrows, big eyes and a heroic figure.If he hadn't met Long Jiu and Ye Chang before, he must have thought that Ye Chang was the general leading the army.I really can't figure it out: How could such a big and three rough man listen to that brat?

Si Ren bent down with a smile, "Hey! Isn't this Mr. Ye Chang, where's your young master?"

He also often sneered, "Hmph! Don't pretend, sir, you already know who we are? Or you wouldn't have to suffer this foreign crime in the hot weather."

As he said that, he stretched out his hand and squeezed Si Ren's chest hard.

The next moment, the smell of bun stuffing mixed with scallions wafted into his nostrils, and Si Ren resisted so much that he didn't spit it out.

He also often glanced at Qilin, without asking any more questions, turned around and waved, and a group of soldiers with live ammunition ran over.No need to waste any more words, Si Ren and Qi Lin were obediently "invited" to see Long Jiu.

The original city lord's house has been replaced with a sign that says "General's Mansion".Si Ren and Qi Lin often followed into an attic, went up the stairs and walked through two corridors in a detour, at the end there was a room with a closed door, guarded on both sides, and they often stopped at last.

"Mr. Si, wait a moment."

Si Ren and Qi Lin stopped in place, and often went straight to that room.

"...a dozen or so can't even look down on a woman?! You are being raised for nothing..."

The moment the door opened, such an endless sentence came out along with the sound of a glass being smashed, and a figure with red hair came into Si Ren's eyes.He thought he was dazzled, so he rubbed his eyes quickly, but the door was closed immediately, and Si Ren could only see two silhouettes, one tall and one short, on the frosted glass.

Listen to the voice is Long Jiu.

woman?Si Ren thought about it, put his left hand on his chest, pressed his ring finger with his thumb to make a big Brahma King handprint, and silently recited a few scriptures, trying to see through the door to see what's going on inside, whether the red-haired one is Long Jiu.

As a result, with a bang, a golden star flashed in front of his eyes, and Si Ren was almost blinded by the shake.

Enchantment!Sure enough, there is a demon at work!Si Ren exclaimed in his heart.

Qilin raised his hand to hold him, obviously feeling it too.

Si Ren turned his head and looked around: there were too many guards, and he didn't dare to act rashly.

Just don't know what to do, "I want to pee!" Qilin suddenly shouted.

Si Ren knelt down and pretended to coax him, "Be patient, for a while..."

"Ahhh... I can't hold it anymore..." Qilin yelled and began to jump, trying to pull his belt with his hands like a six-year-old child.

"Oh! Don't...you can't be here!" Si Ren pulled Qilin up and walked towards the stairs.

But after a few steps, a soldier standing guard stopped them with his hand, "You can't leave until Vice General Chang comes out."

"But... look at my brother..."

The man grabbed Qilin's small arm from Si Ren's hand, "I'll take him there."

Si Ren stood back to the original place, knowing that Qilin would definitely go to check around, he was a little relieved.

At this time the door of the room was opened, and often came out.

He walked up to Si Ren, "Go in, our general wants to see you very much. Oh? The one next to you just now..."

"Oh, my brother. He is in a hurry to urinate, and a military master took him to urinate."

He also nodded often, as if he had no doubts, "I have something to do, so I won't accompany you."

Si Ren knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Si Ren and Long Jiu were stunned when they saw each other.

Long Jiu was undoubtedly because of Si Ren's neither male nor female attire.And Si Ren saw that Long Jiu was no different from the first time he saw him: the soft hair hung on his snow-white and slender neck, just reaching shoulder length, not the one that just flashed away and fluttered above his head with claws and teeth. A touch of fiery red.If there was any difference, it would be that Long Jiu was wearing a Western military uniform.The collar ribbon, leather boots and breeches made him look less thin and more energetic.

Suddenly, Si Ren vaguely saw a scar between his eyebrows.But when he wanted to take a closer look, the traces disappeared without a trace in an instant.

"Mr. Si?" Long Jiu stared at Si Renzheng's powdery face, "In broad daylight, who are you scaring by pretending to be a ghost?"

Si Ren flicked his big curly hair back, "I'm just curious for a moment, I want to see if this dress looks good."

Long Jiu took two steps back and took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose, "How many buns have you eaten?"

Si Ren reached out and took out two buns, one of which was often caught and exposed, "It's still warm, do you want to eat it?"

Long Jiu frowned, "Keep it for yourself and enjoy it slowly. I often hear that you want to leave the city?"

"Uh... yes."

"Didn't you dress like this to hide from me?"

"Hahahaha! How come?!"

"Hmph, it's fine if you don't."

Long Jiu went to the table, sat down and slapped his hands, "Come here! Bring up the things I asked you to prepare in advance."

Someone came in with a box.

Long Jiu raised his jaw, the man walked up to Si Ren and opened the box, which was full of money.

Si Ren's eyes straightened immediately, "This is..."

"Didn't I say that?" Long Jiu lowered his head and began to casually admire his fingers and nails, "If everything goes well, I will give you double reward."

Si Ren swallowed, "But these... are far more than double?"

"Well, the siege went well, and there are extra rewards. In addition..." Long Jiu raised his head, "I have a heartfelt request."

"what?"

"I want to ask Mr. Si to move to the General's Mansion."

"what?!"

"Didn't you say that there are future troubles? Helping people to the end, it's better for you to live with me and help me solve whatever happens."

Si Ren withdrew his gaze and pushed open the box, "Dragon...General? Can you call it that?"

Looking at that immature and beautiful face, he felt that being called "General" was really awkward.

Long Jiu nodded.

Si Ren went on to say: "I opened the divination house just to earn a living by asking people fortune-telling. If you can see something, let me remind you, and if you can't see it, it's because I don't have enough skills and someone's life should be robbed. As for what to do? Avoiding disasters is really not something I am good at. So I should ask someone else to do what the general said."

"Really?" Long Jiu smiled, "Isn't Mr. too modest? How did I hear that besides asking fortune-telling, you also know how to exorcise demons?"

Si Ren was silent for a moment, "It's all a deceptive trick, don't take it seriously."

"Then why don't you just lie to me?"

"Don't dare. Ordinary people, it's fine to cheat, the worst is to be scolded, beaten and compensated for some money, cheating the general? Then don't just put your life in it." Si Ren's tone was joking, but his attitude was very firm.

Looking into his eyes, Long Jiu hesitated, "Okay, I'll give you all the money, and you don't need to move into the General's Mansion."

Si Ren's gaze couldn't stop moving towards the money box, "Is that true?"

"Really, but..."

"what?"

"You can't leave Yancheng."

Si Ren looked at Long Jiu's hair, and remembered the enchantment he noticed just now, and he was already interested in checking it out.As long as a relatively safe distance can be maintained, he may not be able to leave now if he is allowed to leave, so he pulled the box and hugged it into his arms, "Don't go back on your word!"

When the door slammed, Chang pushed the door open and came in.

Si Ren was taken aback, "Xiao Lin?!"

He also often threw the little beast in his hand to the ground, and Qilin turned into a boy and ran to Si Ren's side and hid behind his legs, his eyes full of grievances.

Long Jiu was extremely calm, and was not surprised by Qilin's change at all.

Si Ren was immediately annoyed, he protected Qilin and pointed, "What did you do to him?!"

Ye Chang was also very angry, "What did I do to him?! Why don't you ask him what happened to our people?!"

Si Ren looked down at Qilin.

He also often turned his head towards Long Jiu, "This goblin wanted to pee, Xiao Hai kindly took him to the toilet. In the end, he bit Xiao Hai's hand and even used poison gas to stun him."

"I just farted, he was the one who didn't smoke himself! Besides, he can't die, why do you need to make such a fuss?!" Qilin poked his head out from behind Si Ren's legs and argued loudly.

"You..." often stared, "Then why are you running around and rummaging through things?!"

"I... I can't find the way back, can I go wrong?!"

"Still quibbling?! See if I don't find someone to take you in!"

He often said that he was going to catch the unicorn.Si Ren's legs are tall and long, and the qilin is not as high as his legs. Seeing him, he often stretches out his hand and takes a step across, but he often doesn't grab anything.

Long Jiu stepped forward and pressed Yechang, then knelt down and pulled out the unicorn and patted his head, "Ah--the child is not sensible, don't blame him first, let me ask clearly."

Qilin avoided his hand and stubbornly turned his head away, "Who is the child? I am hundreds of years old, much older than you."

Long Jiu couldn't help being happy, "Really? Well, senior, what did you find?"

Qilin frowned slightly, "I didn't find it... No! It's not 'looking for', I didn't see anything, I just wanted to come back to find Xiaoren."

Long Jiu didn't intend to make Qilin admit anything, but he still stared at him for a while.Qilin always pursed his mouth tightly with a serious expression.

Finally, Long Jiu laughed again, he stood up and looked at Si Ren, "Well, he said he didn't see it, so he didn't see it. If there's nothing else, you go back first. Remember what you promised me: you can't leave Yancheng."

The author has something to say: Brahma King's handprint: a kind of Buddhist handprint.Mudra, now usually refers to the various gestures made by hands when practicing Tantric Buddhism.The posture of the Great Brahma King's mudra is to press the ring finger with the thumb of the left hand, and the other three fingers are stretched out to read Sanskrit scriptures.