Strange Tale

"Is this better?"

Yi didn't answer, but Jiuying asked again.

"Ah?" Yi came back to his senses, "Okay...that's pretty good. But why are you taller than me?"

"Can't I be taller than you?"

"Uh... yes." Yi raised his chin and stared at "Xiao Jiu": he called it Xiao Jiu at first because he thought that little light was cute, but the one in front of him looked taller than himself. Mighty guy, I really can't see what it has to do with "cute".

"You said that the appearance should be liked by people when they see it. Do you like this appearance?"

Yi didn't know how to answer, so he thought for a long time, "I like it, I feel a little jealous if I like it."

"envy?"

"you look like……"

"what?"

"Well... nothing. Is that what you look like yourself or have you ever seen someone who looks like this?"

"I'll get out of here and look around when you get bored of waiting. It's not hard to know what people like."

"Well, anyway, I think you'd better find clothes to put on first."

100 years later, by the river of fierce water.

Yi and Jiuying sat side by side by the river drinking and chatting.

"Xiao Jiu, there are a lot of things going on in the sky recently, I may not have time to come down to see you every day like now."

"every day?"

"Oh, every year."

"That's right, I always feel that it takes a year for you to stay with me for ten and a half months. I always forget that for you, you are already running to the lower world every day. Sigh - if you get busy again, I will Wouldn't it take dozens or hundreds of years to see you?"

"Very likely. So, why don't you go to heaven with me?"

"I didn't go with you at the beginning, and it's even more impossible now."

"why?"

"I've always been a monster."

"Monsters can also become immortals."

"Hmph, many heavenly soldiers and generals are not my opponents. How could they tolerate me? They say they are gods, but they are actually not the same. They are schemes and intrigues, so I won't disturb that muddy water."

Yi turned to look at Jiuying, "You...you know a lot about human relations. Where did you learn it?"

Jiuying smiled, "Do you think I'll wait here every time you come, and I'll really stay here every day? Isn't that suffocating to death?"

Yi looked at Jiuying for a while, "It's okay, don't run around."

"what?"

"Your appearance is easy to provoke right and wrong, what should you do if you fail to learn?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Why are you laughing? I'm serious!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

30 years later, the top of Sanhe.

Nine suns were shot down in turn.Yi put away his bow and arrow and prepared to return to the Heavenly Palace to return to his command.

"General Dayi stay!"

Not far away, someone galloped towards them in a cloud of fire.Yi took a closer look and found that it was Yan Bo, the god of fire, who came.

Uncle Yan was the son of Emperor Jun of Heaven, and although he and Concubine Mi were not born of the same mother, they could still be regarded as Yi's brother-in-law, and he was also one of Yi's few friends in heaven.Not long ago, he was relegated to the lower realm for fire justice because he violated the rules of heaven by stealing fire.

"Hey, brother-in-law, I thought you were still busy stealing the sky fire, how come you have time to come and see me?" Seeing Uncle Yan stop in front of him, Yi couldn't help joking with him.

Uncle Yan pushed Yi once he stood firm, "What time is it, are you still talking nonsense? I've been busy putting out fires these days before it's too late."

"Why don't you thank me now?"

"I have to thank you, but not now."

"What do you mean?"

"Here." Uncle Yan took out three tokens, "I didn't know I had already sent you down. Just now I went to the sky to send rescuers to put out the fire, but I met three people who wanted to come to give you orders, and I intercepted them all." I brought them together for you. Congratulations to my brother-in-law first, and I’m going to make a great contribution, so I’ll only return six of them.”

"Six pieces?"

Crash──Three tokens fell to the ground, Yi shook his head with a stiff face, "No, I can't go..."

Yan Bo showed a puzzled expression, "What did you say? Where can't you go?"

"What's the 'six evils'?! There aren't ten suns in the sky, aren't they all good? Now that the ten-day disaster has been resolved, why do we need to 'get rid of the six evils'?"

"Hmm..." Uncle Yan thought for a while, "Call the public anger, so many people have died, there must be an explanation, right?"

"That can't be so unreasonable!" Yi blurted out.

"Reason?" Uncle Yan pretended to pat Xia Yi's head, "Have you been roasted stupid? What's the point of expelling demons? Besides, they are all tricky monsters. What will make them come out again in the future? Sooner or later They are all to be removed, why do you have to worry about the reason?"

"But……"

Uncle Yan narrowed his eyes, "You want to defy the destiny? Didn't you see what happened to me?"

"Of course I don't dare." After thinking about it, Yi softened his tone, "It's just...the incident happened suddenly, let me think about it?"

"Consider?" Uncle Yan looked at Yi suspiciously, "The general's reaction is a bit strange. Is the rumor true?"

"What... what rumor?" Yi unconsciously felt guilty.

"I once heard that you hang out with monsters in the lower realm privately every day."

"This... is a bunch of nonsense! Who said that?!"

"I also heard that the monster is none other than the most powerful and most unpredictable Jiuying among the 'six evils' who can transform into a human form."

Yi grabbed Uncle Yan's sleeve, "Don't listen to those rumors! It's not true!"

Uncle Yan glanced at him, "It's not the best, otherwise...you know what the consequences will be."

Of course Yi knew that as a god, he would be punished heavily if he was found to have too close a relationship with a different kind.And if Jiuying's flesh and blood body is spread out based on what he bestows, not only will his status as a god be lost, he will suffer from reincarnation at the slightest, and he will never recover if he is serious, and his tribe will also be implicated.Now that the poor tribes are declining day by day, Yi knows that there is no way to bring them back to heaven, but he doesn't want to bring them another disaster because of his own fault.

"Do you know why the Emperor of Heaven issued three urgent orders in a row?"

The relationship between Uncle Yan and his father is not good, and the father and son have always referred to each other as immortals or names.

Yi shook his head, "Why?"

"He has sent troops twice before to arrest the six pests and quell the civil unrest."

"How is the result?"

"What do you say?"

"Yes, if everything goes well, you won't give me any more orders."

"Let's go." Uncle Yan turned around, "There are still five thousand elite soldiers waiting for the general to command at the foot of the mountain."

"Specially sent here to help me get rid of demons?"

"Well, I told them to wait at the foot of the mountain."

Yi was a little puzzled, "Why? Just come up and it's over."

"Do you want them to see your reaction just now?"

"you……"

Uncle Yan's fire cloud rose, and he was about to leave, "I have another very important piece of information to tell you."

Yi caught up with Uncle Yan, "Information?"

"We all know that you and I have a very close friendship. Since those words can reach my ears, they must have already been passed down in Tiangong. So you should know what you should know and not know. One of the five thousand heavenly soldiers at the foot of the mountain got mixed up. special person."

"special person?"

"I heard that the Emperor of Heaven said before sending out troops: He wants to see Yi get rid of Jiuying with his own eyes, and all rumors will be destroyed by themselves."

Yi's brows were furrowed, and his voice sank with a serious heart, "I understand."

"Just understand, what to do, I think you know best."

From a distance, Yi could see Jiuying standing on the dry and cracked river bed covered in blood, pulling the head of a general who was sent to deal with him earlier from his body.

"Xiao Jiu—stop!"

Although he is a general, his body is still of flesh and blood, and Jiuying was spattered with blood all over his face.

"Why are you here?" He looked up at Yi who had fallen from the sky, and threw the body and head on the ground casually.

Yi looked in surprise at the broken limbs thrown everywhere and the blood-colored cracks on the ground that were almost filled with blood, and his heart sank to the bottom of the valley, knowing that there was no way he could save Jiuying today.If he doesn't do it, someone will do it himself.How could Jiuying be the opponent of the Emperor of Heaven?Even if they stand on Jiuying's side, they have no chance of winning, let alone worry about the few remaining members of the tribe who have gone through hardships...

Instead of letting Jiuying disappear completely in the hands of others, it might be better to do it yourself and maybe leave some room.

After making up his mind, Yi did not answer Jiuying's words, but calmed down and walked over to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand, "Are you okay? Guess you must have suffered a lot these days and you are very worried, so come here have a look."

Jiuying pointed to the sky, "Did you shoot?"

Yi nodded.

Jiuying reached out and hugged him.

"Xiaojiu, you..."

"Don't move..." Jiuying lowered her head and buried her face between Yi's neck and shoulders, completely relaxing her body, "I'm so tired, let me rest... It's been many days, and I really don't know if I continue to be roasted." What else will you do and how many people will be killed? I knew you would have a solution. Now I have become a goblin monster that everyone shouts to kill. First the villagers, then the defenders, and later even the heavenly soldiers Yes. When you appeared just now, I thought you were also sent to subdue me. But I didn’t expect that you are still worried about me at this time. Sure enough, you are the only one in this world who will..."

Puchi—Yi pierced Jiuying's body with half of the arrow he had hidden in his sleeve in advance.Jiuying didn't react, but felt that his body was pushed back by some force, and the distance between him and Yi was suddenly pulled away.

Looking down and seeing a white arrow pierced into his chest, Jiuying raised his head in shock, "Yi...why?"

Many heavenly soldiers appeared in the forest and mountains. Yi avoided Jiuying's gaze, straightened his body suddenly, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Why...why? Tell me why! How many fields have you destroyed in just a few days? Village? How many innocent civilians have been killed? Don’t you know?!”

Jiuying grabbed the arrow shaft and pulled it out, but he couldn't pull it out, his whole body went limp in pain and almost fell to the ground, "You...don't you know that wasn't my original intention? It's because I have nowhere to live and I'm thirsty I will lose my mind and commit such a crime. Now that the nine suns have been shot down by you, I will naturally return to the fierce water and will not come out to make trouble again."

"What happened to the thousands of heavenly soldiers who were eaten by you?!"

"They came to offend me first! Am I going to get caught without a fight?!"

"You...have done something wrong and still don't know how to repent!"

Jiuying looked around at the heavenly soldiers and generals who raised their weapons and tried to gather towards him, and sneered, "Hmph, so you brought these 'bugs'? Do I have to rely on the help of my defeated generals to catch the monsters? Hahahaha! What a righteous and upright General Dayi! Could it be that you look like this in the sky?!"

Yi frowned, gritted his teeth and took off the big red bow on his shoulder, "Monster! Don't talk nonsense, today I am ordered by the Emperor of Heaven to eradicate the six monsters! Now you are the only one left, come on, come on Show me the winner!"

"Evil? I am now an evil? Haha! You still want to fight with me? Hahahaha! Haha...cough cough cough..." Jiuying coughed while holding the arrow on his chest, " ...cough cough...you...you want to have a showdown with me? Do you want to kill me? Hahahaha..."

Yi stretched out his hand to the quiver, and said in a low voice, "Yes, I will kill you."

Jiuying's laughter stopped abruptly, "Can you do it?"

Yi had no expression on his face, "Then what is the arrow on your chest?"

Jiuying pursed her lips tightly, and her voice became a little strange, "You know that this arrow can't kill me, so I don't blame you. Yi... come with me, don't go back to the Heavenly Palace. I have a thousand years of spiritual power, enough to achieve Your immortal body, as long as you and I are together, you will be invincible from now on. Why do you have to go back to the lifeless heaven..."

"Shut up!" Yi yelled at Jiuying, the veins on his forehead where he gritted his teeth, "I am a general of heaven, how can a god and a demon be compared?!"

Jiuying was stunned for a moment, his eyes dimmed, and then he showed his original shape.

A huge monster with a snake body and nine heads surrounded Yi tightly, and several barriers of water and fire formed around them instantly, which no one could break through.

"Xiao Jiu..." Seeing that no one could see himself and Jiu Ying clearly, Yi couldn't help calling him again.

"Don't call me 'Xiao Jiu' again." There was a clear and delicate sound coming from Jiuying's body.

Yi knew: that was the sound of five colored stones breaking.

The next moment, Jiu Ying turned back into a human form, and at the same time, he first pulled out the arrow on his body, and then stretched his hand into his chest, blood flowed like a gust of blood, and his clothes were soaked through.

Yi raised his hand to cover his mouth, "Xiao Jiu...you stop..."

Jiuying bit his completely bloodless lips without saying a word, a stone covered with cracks and hanging with traces of flesh and blood was forcefully pulled out from his body and thrown on the ground.

"Your blood, your stone...repay you together...I don't owe you anything anymore."

Yi lowered his eyes, tears fell, and he knew it was useless to say anything now.

Jiuying showed his original shape and rushed towards Yi. At the last moment, Yi closed his eyes and turned his head, raised his hand and shot nine arrows at the same time.

The sound of several giant objects falling to the ground sounded one after another, and Yi turned his head and slowly opened his eyes: Jiuying was lying on the ground with an arrow in each of his nine heads, and he was breathless.

Suddenly feeling breathless, Yi knelt down and covered his chest.

The barrier of water and fire was fading, and Yi could already hear cheers, so he had to stand up quickly with a smile on his face and raise his hands in the air, and walk out under the admiring eyes of everyone.For the first time, he felt that the most shameful title in the world was "Unrivaled Hero".At this moment, he was even a little envious of Jiuying: if his heart was also made of stone, he would be willing to take it out and throw it into the mud to stop nostalgia.

Fire main hall.

Seeing Yi coming, Uncle Yan stepped forward to meet him, "The great hero has made another military exploit. If you don't hurry back to the Heavenly Palace to receive the reward, how can you come to my poor village when you have time?"

"Brother Yan, don't be joking, the little brother came here today to ask for something."

"Oh? What's the matter."

Yi opened the cloth bag he brought with him, which contained nine arrowheads and a cracked stone, "Can you make me a dagger from these arrows, and then remelt the stone to repair the crack on it."

Uncle Yan picked up an arrow in one hand and a stone in the other, "Where did these come from?"

"Don't worry about where it came from, just ask if you can help me with this?"

"Your request is very simple, of course I can help, but you have to tell me what you want to do."

Yi hesitated for a moment, "The arrow is the arrow that killed Jiuying. The stone...is also something on Jiuying's body."

Uncle Yan opened his mouth in surprise, brought the things in both hands to his eyes and looked carefully, "Then those dark things on it are..."

"Nine babies' blood."

Bang ─ ─ arrows and stones fell on the table.

Yi quickly picked up the stone and examined it carefully, "Be careful!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"I don't want to lie to you." Yi picked up the arrow again and wiped the black blood stains on it with his fingers. "The dagger is just in case."

"Just in case? Just in case? Isn't Jiuying already dead?"

"It's dead. But it's not an ordinary monster. It stems from resentment at the end of the invisible. I can't guarantee that it won't find a chance to be reborn."

"What about the stone?"

"The stone is the last ray of hope."

"What do you mean?"

"I said I didn't want to lie to you, so I can't explain it too clearly."

"How can I help you if you don't tell me clearly?"

"It's okay. If you don't want to help me, I can think of other ways. Today, I am here to visit Uncle Yan."

Uncle Yan thought for a moment, "Okay, I will help you."

Yi was a little surprised, "So happy?"

"Because I trust you. After the dagger and stone are smelted, will I send it to you or you will get it yourself."

"Brother Yan, please help my younger brother to keep it for you."

"what?"

"I have a hunch that the shooting of the sun is not over yet, and I'm afraid a catastrophe is coming. If anything happens to me in the future, you are the only one I can trust."

"What nonsense, what catastrophe is coming, what catastrophe can happen, don't think too much. But if you want to let me go, you can just let me go, and come to me whenever you need it. I don't care."

"Thank you, Uncle Yan, let's say goodbye to this little brother, I have to return to the Heavenly Palace to return to my life."

"My dear brother, go slowly."

The author has something to say: Yanbo: There are several fire gods in traditional Chinese mythology, and Yanbo is only one of them, and he is not as famous as the others. He is used because there is a saying that he is the son of Emperor Jun .The other allusion that the merchants never meet each other is related to him.I think it's basically a sadomasochism story.

Huozheng: An ancient official name.