Su Huaijun

This journey was much easier than I imagined.It is said that it is going down the mountain to practice, but this is not the time when the monsters are in trouble. Most places are still very stable. This practice seems to be out for sightseeing.

We went all the way to Yangxin County. There were no children on the street, and people were whispering to each other. I didn’t know what they were talking about in low voices. I asked the shopkeeper and found out that several babies had been lost in the county recently.

I asked: "Eldest brother, is this matter also under our control?"

Qin Yindao: "Something is wrong, what should be hidden, let's stay and investigate."

We sat there wondering where to start.

I looked at Tianquan, and I saw that he seemed to know something.

"Don't sit still, go and inquire about the situation, don't you know who is causing the trouble?" He stood up and said, "I'll go ahead and find a place to live, so I won't leave with you."

The gods cannot directly interfere with the affairs of the mortal world, so it is reasonable for Tianquan not to follow.

We split into two ways to inquire about news, Wen Heng and Arlene were together, and I was with Qin Yin.

In this regard, Qin Yin is indeed much better than me, and he quickly collected a lot of information.

We discussed in the hotel room at night, Tianquan did not participate, but just read a book next to it.

I frowned when I heard the news they inquired about.

I always felt that I was thinking too much, but a few children were lost, maybe it was just a human trafficker coming from the county.

Tian Quan was reading "Xuan Zhong Ji", and he read in a very low voice: "Birds have no children, and they like to take human sons and raise them as their sons."

Although he seemed unintentional, he just read this sentence, clearly reminding me of something.

Seeing my thoughtful look, Qin Yin asked, "What do you have in mind?"

I had some doubts in my heart and was not sure, so I asked, "Have you ever heard of Guhuo Bird?"

Wen Heng shook his head, but Qin Yin had heard of it.

I looked at Tianquan and asked suspiciously: "But it's not yet autumn, how could it come out?"

"Are you asking me?" Tianquan raised his head to look at me, then turned his head down to turn a page of the book, and said, "I can't explain why, but you can look it up."

Qin Yin asked: "Mr. Wen also thinks it's Gu Huo Niao's fault?"

Tianquan smiled and said, "Why are you asking about me? Forget it, I'll go back to the house and not bother you. If you really don't have a clue, just look around. It’s really it, and it’s easy to find.”

What Tianquan said seemed to agree with my guess, I think he must have discovered something on the way when he came.

Qin Yin said: "I'm tired from the journey today, let's take a rest first. I'll continue to investigate tomorrow."

I stretched my waist and said with satisfaction, "I can finally go back."

Before leaving, Wen Heng asked in confusion: "Huai'an, what exactly is this Guhuo bird?"

I sat down again as soon as I got up, and explained: "It is rumored that the Guhuo bird is transformed after the death of a pregnant woman. The clothes and feathers are flying birds, and the hair is removed to become a woman. It flies at night in July and August. It likes to take the sons of men and raise them as its own sons."

"Is there really such a monster?"

I said: "There are all kinds of wonders in the world. Although I have never seen them, I think there are."

Instead of going back to my room, I went to Tianquan.

I asked, "Is it really a Guhuo bird? Maybe it's an ordinary human trafficker?"

Tianquan flipped through the book without raising his head, and said, "Since you think it was done by mortals, why bother to ask me? Just search according to what you think."

"Did you see it? Otherwise, why would you say that?"

"I guessed it too." Tianquan closed the book and looked up, "For you, this bird should be much easier to catch than ordinary people."

I worried: "If it is what it did, those children will be in danger."

Tianquan asked back: "Don't you think you are safe in the hands of human traffickers?"

When I was asked, I had to shake my head.

"If you're really worried, I'll accompany you for a walk, how about it?"

I nodded.

Tianquan accompanied me out, and when walking on the road, he said softly: "Mr. Su Huai is really a good god, it's a pity not to be a priest in Tiangong."

"Stop teasing me."

There was no one on the street except the watchman, holding a lantern and a gong, chanting the phrase "the sky is dry and the things are dry, be careful of the fire and candles" over and over again. It turned out that it was already Xu time.

We walked along the street, all over Yangxin County, Tianquan was tired and stopped talking to me.

I said: "You go back first, I'll go outside and take a look."

Tianquan seemed to have noticed something, and suddenly made a silent gesture.

I strained my ears to listen, and it was the voice of the watchman, who was shouting: "Close the doors and windows to prevent theft and theft." No, there were other voices, although they were very faint, but they could be heard to be the cry of a baby.

"It's really it!" I said.

Tianquan pointed to the front, and I saw a woman walking timidly with her head down, holding something in her arms.

Didn't expect it to go so smoothly.

We walked towards the woman, who glanced at us and continued walking with her head down.

Just as I was about to reach out to stop her, the bellman's voice sounded behind me.

He walked over quickly and said as he walked: "Lady, why are you out again? Didn't I say that the county is not peaceful recently, so you don't have to come out to accompany me."

I quickly withdrew my hand and passed the woman.

After walking away, I breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I almost caught the wrong person."

Tianquan reminded: "There is a demonic aura."

"You go back, I can go by myself."

"Ah."

It's a pity that when I was about to look for it again, the evil spirit had dissipated.

I searched for it for a long time, but except for the two watchmen who told the time, I never saw anyone else.

In the morning, I dragged my exhausted body back and met Qin Yin and Wen Heng who were about to go out.

Wen Heng said: "No wonder I couldn't find anyone in your room, where did you go?"

I was too sleepy to talk, just shook my head.

Tianquan just came down from upstairs, and came back when he saw me, and said: "It seems that I didn't find it."

I nodded and walked towards him, put my chin on his shoulder, leaned against him, and fell asleep like that.

I slept until noon, and Tianquan was reading a book when I woke up.

There were water and towels beside the bed. After I wiped my face, Tianquan handed me tea to rinse my mouth.

None of us felt awkward, as if it was supposed to be like this.

I asked, "Where are they?"

"They haven't come back since they went out in the morning, maybe they found some useful clues."

"Then I'll go find them, lest they say I'm lazy and hid in the inn to sleep." I grabbed the fan on the table and pinned it to my waist.

"It's not too late, let's go after eating."

It happened that the guy in the store brought up the food, and I was hungry, so I sat down.

When I was eating, Tianquan just took a few mouthfuls and then put down his chopsticks.

He said casually, "I ran into something interesting this morning when I went out."

"What fun?" I asked.

"I met a widower."

"What's so strange about this? In Siming's fate book, there are no fewer widows and lonely people than married couples." I continued to eat.

Tianquan said: "You have seen that person before."

"I've seen it? Don't be ridiculous. I haven't been here before. How can I know someone?" I thought, and I asked, "You mean the watchman last night?"

Tianquan nodded slightly.

"That's really a young bird!" How could I be so stupid that I let it run away.

But I was very puzzled, so I asked: "It's really strange, why did that mortal protect that ghost bird? How did you know that that person wasn't his wife?"

"You have to look it up yourself."

"You clearly know it all, why are you still hanging on my appetite?"

Tianquan asked back: "This is your experience of going down the mountain. If I did it for you, what do you need?"

"Yes, yes, you have told me everything. I will look it up myself."

I put down the dishes and prepared to go out to inquire about news.

Tianquan said: "Do you still remember that you are a fairy? If you have the opportunity to act alone, you should make good use of it."

I smiled and said, "You reminded me. Well, I'm going out. Wait for my good news."

I asked the land about the watchman, and the land said: "The watchman is Hu Laoer. His wife is a foreigner. She is not beautiful, but she is very virtuous and has a good relationship with the neighbors. Later that woman Pregnant, fell down before giving birth, bled profusely, the child was gone, and the person was gone.”

"Where does the old man Hu live?"

"He used to live in the county, but he moved out last year for some reason. Xiaoxian doesn't know exactly where. If Shangxian wants to know, I'll go find him."

"No need. I'll find it myself."

I disappeared and flew into the sky, looking around for a house outside the county, but I didn't expect to find it.

It was a woodcutter's house. When I went there, only one woman was at home. She said her husband had gone to chop wood.

I asked, "Then do you know if there is a Hu Laoer near here?"

"I don't know the person you are talking about. But my husband said that there is a strange person living in front of him."

"Thank you madam for telling me."

I walked along the path she pointed, and found a place that could barely be called a house, and there was a person lying in it, it was Hu Lao Er.

The utensils in the house are all for one person, it seems that he is really single.

I think there must be a reason for Hu Laoer to live here, and maybe the young bird is nearby.

It's just that it's not easy to find the phosphorous fire during the day, so it's better to come again at night, since the watchman is not around, which saves a lot of trouble.

I went back to the county and told Qin Yin about it.

Qin Yin also got some news, saying that those who lost their children were from small families. This happened a few years ago, and the big guys said that monsters came to eat people.

When I went to ask yesterday, some people seemed to have said something like "monsters steal children".

It's no wonder they don't know Gu Huo Niao, the people's lives are not easy, so how can they go to see these ghost things.

I asked, "Did another child get lost last night?"

"Yes. I just got back from there."

"Is there a mark of blood on the child's clothes?"

Qin Yin nodded, and he said: "It should be exactly what you guessed, it's almost the same."

I told Qin Yin about Hu's second son, and Qin Yin agreed with me.

"Tonight, the two of us will search near the residence of Mr. Hu."

"Don't you take Wen Heng with you?"

"He stays in the county so that Gu Huo Niao will not come to steal people tonight. Besides, he can also watch Hu Laoer."

We had a good plan, but Mr. Hu had already noticed that someone was going to catch the young bird last night, so he didn't go to catch it at night.

Even so, it still does not prevent us from finding the husky.

The phosphorous fire has a faint blue light, and it is not difficult to find in the quiet forest.

Hu Laoer's residence is close to the water, and some food residues can be seen after walking along the waterway for a while.I'm almost sure that these things were sent by Mr. Hu to the little bird.

I pointed to the depths of the forest, signaling Qin Yin to go there.

Wen Heng and Arlene were sitting at the entrance of the inn. They also wanted to follow, but they were assigned to stay there.

"Why didn't they take me?"

"I don't know." Arlene shook her head.

She stood up suddenly and said, "How about we go secretly?"

"Eldest brother will be angry if he finds out."

"He won't be angry as long as he can catch the girl."

As soon as Arlene instigated, Wen Heng really came.

Tianquan saw Wen Heng and Arlene running out from the house, and lightly shook his Mo Nian fan twice.

A breeze blew, and the candles in the house were extinguished.