kill the fox

On the way back to Hengqing Mountain under escort, Ning Ci saw big stars falling from the sky like torches. A few people stopped and stopped for half a month to reach Hengqing Mountain, and those stars fell continuously for half a month.

He was pushed into the mountain gate, and all the disciples of the Hengqing Sect piled up at the gate, looking at him puzzled.He raised his eyes and saw that they were all his senior brothers.Some faces have changed so much with age that he almost doesn't recognize them anymore.

Several people seemed to want to go forward to salute and speak, but seeing that the situation was not right, they all silently followed the team escorting Ning Ci.

A mighty long team lined up from the foot of the mountain gate to the top of the mountain.

As we travel, we get closer and closer to the top of the mountain, and the temperature gets lower and lower. The air in Hengqing Mountain is cold all year round, even without wind.

Until the entrance of the main hall.

"Master!"

A clear and crisp voice sounded, and Ning Ci looked towards the source of the sound, and a delicate and handsome junior sister ran over barefoot, grabbed his sleeve tightly, and said angrily, "Where have you been these past few years?" ? Why did you leave without telling Master? It has been three years since I left, and I almost forgot about you!"

Ning Ci was naturally happy to see the little junior sister who had been away for many years, but...wasn't the master driving him out of the mountain gate overnight?

In doubt, he had no choice but to calm down and say, "Nian Yi, I didn't mean not to come back."

"You haven't even sent me a letter all these years!"

This little junior sister named Nian Yi seemed to be just in her early teens, she was dressed in snow-white clothes so light and soft, and her aggrieved and angry expression was a bit childish.

"Read one..."

Ning Ci raised his hand and rubbed Nian Yi's head, his heart softened.

If there is anyone he wants to see after he comes back, Nian Yi is the first one.

"How have you been outside these past few years? Brother?" Nian Yi calmed down his angry expression and asked seriously.Then he asked: "Where do you live? Do you have a fixed place to live..."

Ning Ci: "I'm fine, I have a place to live, and I paid one..."

"Read one!"

The one who interrupted Ning Ci was a young man who came in a hurry, with shoes in his hands, who looked about the same size as Ning Ci, and was as gentle as jade, and said softly: "Master wants to check your homework, have you completed it?" As he spoke, he put down his shoes, squatted on the ground, and stretched out his thin white wrists to put on the shoes for Nian Yi.

Nian Yi snorted, "He already knew that I ran out! He deliberately asked you to come and drag me back, but I won't go back! Today my senior brother is back and I won't go anywhere!"

"There is a lot of noise at the entrance of the main hall, Nian Yi, I think you are getting more and more unruly."

The person who spoke came out of the hall, his tone was soft, his criticism was a little helpless, his face was expressionless, he seemed to want to show that he was not angry and arrogant, but he was not talented enough, or when he saw this little girl I don't know how to prestige myself.

"Master, you clearly know that Senior Brother is coming back and still put me in confinement..." Nian Yi stared at Ning Ci with good eyes, and he was the only one in his eyes.

"We have serious matters to discuss, you go to play elsewhere first, and I will ask your senior brother to find you after the matter is over."

As the current head of the Hengqing Sect, he was really entangled in how to coax his daughter in front of many disciples, especially the tone of voice, and what degree should he choose so as not to make his daughter unhappy, but also to show the authority and authority of his head? The identity of the head of the family.

Nian Yi simply said: "You discuss your matters, I will wait at the gate of the main hall."

"Read one."

Du Hengyuan, headmaster Du, called her name again, this time the tone was a bit more serious, like a cow that was dying of old age and still stubbornly resisting its fate.

Nian Yi knew that this was an ultimatum, so of course she would not embarrass her father in public, so she finally gave up and said listlessly: "Yes, disciple obeys."

"It's all gone."

Only then did the disciples disperse one after another, those practicing kung fu and those sweeping the floor.

Ning Ci looked into the hall, the hall was still the same as in memory, very spacious and solemn, like a respectable old man, it was daunting.

"Hmph, let's go in. I'll come out to invite you myself." As soon as Nian left, Du Hengyuan immediately lowered his face, which was covered with dark clouds. into the hall.

Ning Ci sneered in his heart, thinking, you were sent out to deal with your daughter.

There were high seats on both sides of the hall, and all the important elders of the Hengqing sect were seated.

Ning Ci looked at the first seat, the chair that belonged to his master was empty, and no one was seated yet.

Master...

Back then he was driven down the mountain for no reason, now it has been three years, and he no longer hates him.

"Ning Ci, what's going on this time? Why haven't you returned to the mountain gate for three years?" Du Hengyuan also took his seat and asked.

Ning Ci's eyes focused on the chair he was sitting on.

All the elders looked at him seriously.

"Where's my master? What happened to him?!" Ning Ci asked eagerly.

Du Hengyuan sat firmly in the chief position - that should have been his master's seat.

Ning Ci's eyes swept across the faces of the elders one by one.

No one showed a different expression, all mournful expressions.

"Three years ago, just a few days after you left, the head passed away. I took over Hengqing Mountain according to his will." Du Hengyuan said slowly, his thoughts returned to that restless night.

The wind and rain were blowing outside the window, but inside the window was strangely silent. The candle flames flickered, and the shadows of the flames danced on the wall. Du Hengqing, the strong head, suddenly became skinny within a few days, and the flesh and blood in his body seemed to be let go suddenly. Lying flat on the bed, even breathing took a lot of effort.

"Junior Brother Hengyuan...don't make things difficult for him..."

This was the first and last sentence that the old master said that night when he was dying.

In his grief, Ning Ci suddenly felt that Du Hengyuan looked at him with more hostility or... hatred.

He keenly felt that things were not that simple.

At the beginning, he thought that he was expelled from the sect overnight because the master never liked him. As far as he could remember, the kind-faced head of the sect was the only one who had turned his eyebrows coldly at him.

But... now it looks like——

If Master expelled him for a reason and as a last resort, then why? Did he want him to avoid something?Master passed away within a few days after he left, did he really pass away?Or have to abdicate?After the abdication, the uncle Du Hengyuan became the new head, with great power in his hands...

"The disciple went down the mountain to travel and hone, and forgot the return date for a while, please ask the master to punish him."

Ning Ci said respectfully.

"Hmph, there must be punishment. Your master told me before he was alive to let you belong to my sect, what do you think?" Du Hengyuan said with a gloomy face.

Unexpectedly, before the master left, he would pass on the headship to Du Hengyuan—the uncle who only cares about wind, flowers, snow, moon, piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.

Ning Ci was very relieved at the disgusted face of the chief, the more unhappy he was, the more he wanted to worship under him.

It doesn't matter if you dislike him, he just wants to follow Master's last wish.

"Thank you, Master. This disciple is extremely happy. From now on, I will definitely follow Master's instruction so as not to insult my Hengqing Sect's integrity."

Ning Ci knelt down and bowed, the corner of his mouth curled up, stood up and offered tea respectfully.

Du Hengqing took the tea with a dark face, and took a sip symbolically, the apprenticeship was considered complete.

"Okay, take your seat."

"Thank you, Master."

Ning Ci took his seat and sat upright.

Du Hengyuan: "Back then you missed the apprenticeship ceremony, and your master didn't give you a name, and you were missed when it was included in the roster. Now that you are back, as a member of the Hengqing Sect, I give you—— How about Mo Shengge?"

Ning Ci is really hard to appreciate, Sheng Ge?Night life?Are you sure this is the name given to Taoist priests?A dandy taste of floating money in the world.

"Master's literary talents are brilliant, and the disciples are very grateful."

Ning Ci looked at Du Hengqing with firm eyes, "I have something to ask."

Du Hengyuan glanced at him meaningfully.

"Well, don't tell me."

"..."

Pfft, finally an elder couldn't hold back and laughed out loud. From the beginning of the two people's feigned pandering to the blatant refusal now, he has been holding back very hard.

"Junior Brother Hengxi?" Du Hengyuan raised his eyebrows slightly to look at him.

"Ah, brother, I'm fine, you continue." After speaking, he sat upright.

Ning Ci: "Master, this matter of mine is very important. If it cannot be done, it will definitely break the trust of others and ruin the reputation of our Hengqing sect."

Du Hengyuan: "Don't take yourself too seriously, the honor of an entire sect can be destroyed by you, a mere disciple?"

"..."

The "Junior Brother Hengxi" just now seemed to be unable to hold back, so he yawned in desperation to cover up.

"From today onwards, you only need to do one thing, retreat and cultivate in Wanjuan Pavilion, to make up for the three years you lost."

Ning Ci didn't want to beat around the bush anymore, and asked directly: "When can I go down the mountain?"

"If you have learned all the books in Wanjuan Pavilion, you will be allowed to go down the mountain."

The faces of the other elders who were watching the play unanimously showed gloating expressions, and they couldn't help casting sympathetic glances at him.

At sunset, the other elders left after saying a few words of concern, as long as the person came back, they didn't have any severe reprimands.

"By the way, remember to find Nian Yi." Du Hengyuan reminded before walking out of the main hall.

"Pfft ha ha ha..." Du Hengxi, who had been holding back in the hall for a long time, finally couldn't help laughing out loud, and the master's glance back made him stop abruptly.

Du Hengxi, Ning Ci's junior uncle, looks cynical, and his temperament is indeed cynical. He is the second person Ning Ci wants to see after returning.

After the headman walked away, Du Hengxi patted Ning Ci on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "How is it, Mo Shengge, did you enjoy going down the mountain?"

Ning Ci replied with a smile: "It's much more comfortable and joyful than being surrounded by uncles on the mountain."

Only then did he take a closer look at Du Hengxi. He was his youngest uncle, not much older than him, and his young face still had a childish smile.

This is a bit dangerous for strangers, because no one thinks that such a person can have any strength.

He really likes the little master's hidden character.

"The price of being free and happy is very serious..." Du Hengxi grinned and regretted, "If I have to study all the books in Wanjuan Pavilion, I would rather not go down the mountain, and when I finish reading all the books, I will be the head of the gate immediately By that time, everyone will be dead!"

Ning Ci greeted an old woman in her 80s who came over: "Master Uncle."

"Hmph." The old woman curled her lips, her tone helpless, "Qingshu Pavilion prohibits you from entering."

Ning Ci looked at her with a smile, and said respectfully, "I obey."

The old woman disappeared at the door of the temple.

"Don't worry about it." Du Hengxi patted Ning Ci, and said with a smile: "They also often suffer from insomnia because of me."

As the night fell, Ning Ci and his junior sister finished their recitation and were besieged by many seniors. They talked for a long time before ending.

He remembered saying to him, senior brother, you have been away for so many years, Hengqing Mountain has snowed several times, has it snowed there too, I thought you would never come back...

He only walked through the time of three snowfalls, but the little junior sister said it seemed that many, many years had passed.

Probably the time of children is longer.

Also, how old was she then?

The more Nian Yi spoke, the lower her voice became, until she burst into howls, crying fiercely. It seemed that this little girl really missed him very much, because she missed him so much that she even blamed him.In the end, after crying, he lost his temper, saying that he would never see him again within three days.

It was late when I came out.

The stars were still falling like torches.

Seeing these stars, Ning Ci's heart tightened.

The whole comprehension world knew that something happened in the southwest wasteland, but it was related to Zhu Yan, the ancient beast, and none of the various forces dared to intervene.

He must go down the mountain before Rongrong returns to Xiaozhou Mountain.