Chang Huanxi

Xu Mao waved his hand, and the people outside received the signal, and the screams stopped.

"Tell me in detail!" Xu Mao said.

According to the woman, as early as when the floods were rampant and the government withheld money and food, those families with more mouths to eat had the idea of ​​cannibalism to save their lives, but they couldn't do it when facing their own children. what can we do about it?

Qi Yuan's eyes were gloomy, "It's time to change children and eat."

Similar to what he said, the people in Ganzhou City did have the idea of ​​changing their sons to eat, but no one was willing to open the mouth first.

It just so happened that at this time, when Du Heng led a group of government officials to buy the children from many people, someone heard the cry of a child outside the city in the middle of the night.

The tree stood firm despite the flood and the strong wind, and even became more and more luxuriant. The man bowed in fear, and saw an iron cage hanging on the tree, and a blood-stained doll was locked in the cage.

The formation of evil thoughts is an instant thing.

That person smeared the children in the family with blood, and replaced the children in the cage...

I don't know who discovered what this person did later, but no one exposed him, and even many people began to follow his example.The iron cages opened and closed, and everyone took away a child who did not belong to their own family.

It simply became a tacit agreement.

It wasn't until Qi Yuan and the others came here, Du Heng was arrested, there was no iron cage, and the government released food again, that this matter was quietly hidden by people.

Until a few days ago, the grain ran out, and there were so many people in the family who wanted to eat, how could each household get only one dendrobium of rice?

The man and the woman together held the idea of ​​giving it a try and put the child unconscious under the tree, waiting to see if there was someone who couldn't survive like them to try their luck.

Sure enough, when it was almost dawn this morning, what they saw was another child.

After the woman finished speaking, she cried and begged to let his man live.Xu Mao nodded outside the door, and the master who had been covering the man's mouth let go of his hand.

The man broke away from him and ran to the woman's side, there was no trace of injury on his body.

The screams just now were just the pretentious shouting of those servants.Two lines of clear tears slid down the woman's face.

"I don't think anyone can blame this matter." Shen Yanhuan buried her head in Qi Yuan's arms and said sullenly, "They also just want to live."

"But the children are even more innocent. Eating raw human flesh and blood is against the laws of nature." Qi Yuan said.

"What will happen to them?"

Qi Yuan thought for a while, "Natural disasters have struck the world, and many places have been damaged to varying degrees. They, and those who have done the same thing as them, will probably be exiled to reclaim wasteland and build houses."

That's fine, it's good to be alive.

Heavy snow breaks.People who have accumulated gloom for many days finally saw the sun after a long absence.

But the missing Qingwu disciples have never been found.Bai Rensheng was a little impatient, and ran outside day and night.

But the news they got was the same as before. The last place they appeared was here, Ganzhou.

However, Shen Yanhuan and Qi Yuan hid in the room for a whole afternoon. In the evening, someone saw them both leaving the city with a shovel and a wooden stick.

It wasn't until late at night that the two of them came back covered in ashes. Seeing that they didn't look very good, the gatekeepers didn't dare to ask any more questions. They only prepared hot water for them and informed Xu Mao and others.

Those few people didn't sleep, they walked this trip without saying a word, which made everyone feel very uncertain, and Bai Rensheng didn't come back today, and a large group of people all looked at Master Zili.

Master Zili has been cultivating in Kunlun all year round, seeing this situation, he feels helpless, and can only hope that Qi Yuan will come back quickly to take care of these people.This wait, until now.

"Two things..." Qi Yuan looked around at the people in the room staring at them, holding a clean towel in his hand to wipe Shen Yanhuan's hair, "First, let's remove the so-called sacred tree Pulled out."

Shen Yanhuan couldn't open his eyes, they had cut such a thick wooden stick, one can imagine how much effort they took to pull this tree out.

He put the things in his hand on the table, and the things made a crisp "Dang" sound, and they turned out to be two jade plaques of good quality.

Before everyone could see what it was, they saw him take off another jade tablet of the same texture from his waist, but his one had more detailed engravings, with the word "smoke" engraved in the middle.

"Qingwu's order to open the mountain, I picked it up from the corpse under the tree." When he made a sound, everyone was shocked. He should have just cried, and his voice was hoarse.

The jade plaque is on the corpse, and the person is no longer there.They were all young girls at a good age, buried in the wilderness where no one cares about them.The bones dug out from under the tree piled up into mountains, some of which were so small.

It's no wonder that tree can grow so well, absorbing so many lives as nourishment, I'm afraid that everything has animism and it has already become a demon.

"Second thing, we will leave for Jingchuan Sword Sect tomorrow." Qi Yuan said, leaving no room for discussion in his words.

Master Zili thought for a while and said: "Indeed, Jing Chuan's attitude is very strange. What is it that such a big incident happened on their territory, not to mention that they should give Qingwu an explanation, and just hide and refuse to see people?" Meaning? I'll go with you!"

"No." Hongyue whispered, "You can't go, you have to stay and stop Bai Rensheng, I'll go with them."

Master Zili calmed down, thinking about it carefully, according to Bai Rensheng's current state, if he knew that Jing Chuan had a slight relationship with those children's deaths, he would definitely kill him with his sword. Among the people present, she was the only one who could stop him for a while, even Hong Yue was defeated by Bai Rensheng in the battle for the sword.

"Yes, yes, yes, Jingchuan is also familiar to you..." Master Zili murmured, twisting a leaf that they brought into the house with his fingertips.

Withered trees and fallen leaves, showing great sorrow, is not a good sign.

"It's best if we can get food during our trip. If we can't, we'll go to the Imperial Temple. After all, it's a royal place, and eating and drinking will definitely not be short-lived. It can last for a while if it is used in an emergency. Now leave There is still a period of time before Chinese New Year...let’s deal with this first.”

As Qi Yuan was talking, his voice suddenly became quieter.At some point, Shen Yanhuan had already fallen asleep leaning against him.

He has been stimulated too much these days. In the past, Bai Rensheng always kept him in a clean circle. The ugly realities he knew only existed in the words that Bai Rensheng occasionally told him as bedtime stories. Among them, there are also scriptures brought back by the brothers who traveled down the mountain.

Zili and the others looked at each other, nodded at him and retreated.

Tonight is worthy of the bright moon in the sky.

The next day, Qi Yuan, Shen Yanhuan, and Hongyue bid farewell to everyone, left a letter written by Shen Yanhuan for Bai Rensheng, and then continued northward.

The New Year has gradually begun to appear in Wangcheng. Small vendors selling peach charms can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys. Poor scholars who make a living by selling some calligraphy and paintings have also dyed the white rice paper red. Looking around the city, there are joyful people everywhere. .

The new shopkeeper of Chunyiying Building set up a stage in front of the building, and the girls in the building took turns to perform, singing and dancing non-stop day and night, looking very romantic.

The cleaning of the palace had also started long ago, and the juicy little maids climbed up and down nimbly, wiping the main hall spotlessly clean and renovating the garden.

Although they didn't know why they did this, but King Liang had to obey the order.

"What did your Majesty say..."Leave the old and welcome the new", don't bring the dust and dirt of the past to the new year! "

Fu Yueying personally appointed the little maids beside the old empress. They have a lively and lovely personality, and are very good at pleasing the elderly.

While pinching the old lady's back, she told the old lady vividly and vividly what these people in the palace were up to.

"Oh, oh, well, let the past stay in the past, and start the new year from the beginning." The old lady narrowed her eyes, and carefully threaded the silk thread into the tiny needle eye.

"Grandma Huang!" Qi Mo hurriedly ran in from outside the hall with a small jar in his arms, and a gust of cold wind swept in.

The old lady put down the needlework that hadn't been threaded in yet, reached out and touched his face twice, "Why are you running so fast? It's so cold outside, where is your cloak? Why don't you wear it?"

"It's okay! Grandma Huang, I brought you a wine-filled egg! I hid it secretly, and my father didn't know!"

Qi Mo lifted the seal of the jar as if offering a treasure, and then the rich aroma of wine overflowed.The old queen couldn't help swallowing, "You didn't let your father see it, did you?"

Qi Mo said: "No! But Grandma Huang, you don't want to eat too much, just this jar, there won't be too much!"

The old queen promised "I know, I know" and I don't know if she really listened to it.

"Grandma Huang, what are you doing? Can't you leave the sewing work to Shuangshuang and the others?"

Shuang Shuang was clever, and said with a smile: "That's not going to happen, Your Highness! The Empress Dowager said that she must come in person! You are talking, and this servant will go and see the medicine that is simmering on the stove for the Empress Dowager."

Qi Mo scolded with a smile, "You are the only one who can talk, so go."

Shuangshuang immediately bowed her head and resigned.

"Shuangshuang's words are true. In what year did Grandma Huang not sew your new clothes? The light is good today, so I wanted to do more. In previous years, there were only four of you, and then Mr. Su was added. , Now I have another child, it's great..."

The old lady smiled slightly, "Unfortunately, I'm afraid we won't be able to wait for Xiaoyuan and the others to come back during the Chinese New Year this year."

"Grandma Huang! Xiaoyuan is doing well, so you don't have to worry too much about him. Besides, the cloak you made for me and Alan two years ago has been reluctant to wear, so there is no need to make new ones. We will also feel uncomfortable if you are troubled."

Qi Mo took Shuangshuang's place, stood behind the old lady and pressed his shoulders.

"Hmph, you children." The old lady closed her eyes leisurely.

"Grandma Huang, when did you get such a beautiful flower around your neck?"