smile to heart

=====================

In the early morning, after everyone had had breakfast, Qi Zhong suddenly told everyone that he and Fang Yanxiao would become sworn brothers and sisters, which irritated Min Zhi so much that he left the venue without saying a few words.

At this moment, Fang Yanxiao stood by the table with her usual expression, not caring about other people's reactions, she just looked at Qi Zhong with relief and smiled.

Mu Yun looked at her expression repeatedly, trying to discern her true identity from some subtleties. His eyes fell on her right arm. Mu Yun secretly thought, if he secretly tried Fang Yan's wound, he would definitely be able to tell her in front of everyone. , expose her.However, there is no [-]% certainty, and there is no need to cross the bottom line and embarrass people in such a disrespectful way. He finally dismissed the idea, rather blaming himself for the treacherous thought that flashed in his mind .

Having not received anyone's blessing, Qi finally saw that Yuan Qian, who could not speak, was applauding all the time, while Mu Yun was absent-minded all the time. Suddenly, he felt a little unnatural on his face, and coughed lightly.

Mu Yun came back to his senses, blinked, stood up and said, "Miss Fang, since you are Brother Qi's righteous sister, then Mu Yun should respect and respect you. The friendship is still shallow, and the tone is inappropriate. Please ask righteous sister Haihan... ..."

Fang Yanxiao and both of them were stunned, they didn't expect Mu Yun to accept her so easily.

She couldn't help frowning slightly, Fang Yanxiao felt ashamed when she heard him call her righteous sister, and secretly sighed that she didn't really hurt him last night, otherwise her brother would have lost such a sincere friend.

Qi Zhong was more moved in his surprise, these words were much more practical than polite blessings.

"Hahaha, Brother Yun, you are so polite."

Fang Yanxiao also came back to her senses, and said with a slight smile, "Mr. Mu Yun is serious. I hope we can get along sincerely in the future."

"Ah."

Mu Yun agreed on the surface, but still couldn't let go of the idea of ​​tracking her down, so he could only look at Qi Zhong's smile guiltily, feeling a little heavy.

……

In the afternoon, Qi Zhong and the two went out again to look for clues to the theater fire.

After searching all the way, there was still no clear result, so the two walked into a pavilion by the river to rest.

During the period, Qi Zhong hesitated for a while, but still couldn't help asking: "I, can I ask, are you sincere about what you said this morning?"

Mu Yun naturally understood what his question meant, paused, and asked, "Then is your decision sincere?"

"I..." Qi Zhong lowered his eyes hesitantly, hesitantly said, "Actually, I just sympathized with her at first, but then I don't know why, I can always see a kind of joyful hope in her eyes, as if I Just like her own brother..."

Speaking of which, Mu Yun already had seven or eight points of inference in his mind, and the inner conflict was even worse. If Fang Yanxiao was Ling Longxin, and happened to be Qi Zhong's long-lost sister, then the reason why she didn't kill anyone last night was very clear. She refused to take the initiative to recognize each other, but got along as a sworn sister and brother. Her good intentions are naturally obvious, but... I really want to disregard public and private interests, cover up the culprit, and even keep such dangerous factors together Are you on task?

"I know you called her righteous sister this morning, but you are just acting, and you still have doubts about her identity. I understand that, but it takes a long time to see people's hearts. We can observe for a while longer. Maybe she is really just a poor person. Woolen cloth?"

Mu Yun woke up from his trance, and heard the change of attitude in his words. Fearing that there would be grievances in his heart, he hurriedly explained: "I don't doubt her anymore, you worry too much."

"Ah? I thought you said that on purpose to re-set the situation..." Qi was slightly surprised.

"If Miss Fang really has other plans, I will deal with her as soon as possible. If I offend you then, please forgive me."

The serious tone and the cold expression all showed his determination. Mu Yun's words made Qi Zhong's heart sting, and he almost never felt that the other party spoke to him with such a slightly hostile tone.If he hadn't been with her for a long time, he would almost have thought that Fang Yanxiao had done some heinous thing to make Mu Yun say such cruel words...

Don't dare to think deeply, and don't want to think carefully.Qi finally calmed down and said with a smile, "Of course not. I trust her."

Mu Yun's eyes sank, thoughtful.

"However, I believe in you more. If there are new variables in the future, I will definitely stand by your side."

The supplementary words made Mu Yun's eyes brighten, and the moment he raised his eyes to stare, he felt that the embarrassment in his heart was reduced a lot.

"Thank you."

"What's there to thank? Let's not talk about it. We have been out for a while, and there are still many doubts about the theater troupe. Maybe we have misplaced our focus?"

Seeing that the atmosphere of the conversation between the two was a bit dignified, Qi finally changed the subject consciously.

Mu Yun also continued to cooperate: "At noon, I asked the store about the Fushi. They said that this is a traditional witchcraft in Liuxi Town. It has been passed down to this day, and it is very effective."

"Oh? Could it be that this witchcraft is related to the burning of the theater building?"

"Everything about the theater troupe is suspenseful. Do you still remember that the scholar rushed into the fire, and it was not clear whether he was alive or dead in the end, and why did the sweeper and his sheep disappear before sweeping the floor? And three Fan appeared under the Sancha ancient willow twice, is it suspected of diverting our attention?"

Mu Yun answered with a question, and Qi Zhong couldn't help thinking about what happened, and nodded in agreement.

"If the scholar didn't die, his first reaction would definitely be revenge. As for the old man sheep, he was really suspicious. Everyone was afraid of the thing in the altar under the ancient willow, but he appeared there in the middle of the night, and when we went to the troupe to make illusions, He also happened to be sweeping the floor there... Could it be that he has something to do with the shadow of evil spirit?"

"You mentioned revenge just now, so have you thought about whether the tragedy of the newlyweds in Liuxi Town looks like some kind of revenge?"

"This..." Qi Zhong understood Mu Yun's meaning and said decisively, "Are you suspecting that the scholar is that black shadow? He often goes to the opera troupe, so naturally he will collude with the old man Yang. But his motive for revenge should not be Town bullies? Why target innocent people?"

"If he has become a charm, he will no longer be able to distinguish between good and bad, and resentment will be his main motive."

"That's true. But what does all this have to do with the witchcraft?"

Mu Yun pondered for a moment, and said: "The object of this year's ceremony is the river god. Maybe we can go to the river to check and there should be similarities."

When we came to the river, the setting sun was already falling into the sky, and the sky was getting darker and darker.

The closer the night is, the more rampant the evil things will be. Counting the days, there will be a full moon tonight.

As soon as he got close to the river bank, Qi Zhong suddenly felt a turbid yin qi dissipating, making his whole body uncomfortable.

"Do you see the difference between this river water and the one in the illusion?" Mu Yun asked suddenly.

Qi Zhong lowered his eyes to observe, and replied: "The water is a little more dizzy, and there seems to be deep resentment underwater. Could it be that there are water monsters practicing at the bottom of the river?"

"Resentment is not evil spirit. You don't know it. In recent years, there have been many ship merchants in Liuxi Town. Where there is trade, there will be competition. Therefore, there are many ways to harm people. People think that the river god is angry. , but they don’t know that the source comes from the sinister human heart, so in order to “calm” the anger of the river god, they kept helping the spirits and persecuting innocent people, but in the end it was nothing but increasing the number of undead in the water.”

Mu Yun told him the details of what he inquired a few days ago, with a heavy expression on his face.

"Hey. Sorcery deceives people's hearts, and people's hearts have caused many murders. These foolish people are really puzzling." Qi Zhong sighed.

Before they knew it, the conversation between the two was quiet, and the riverside was already quiet and dark.

"Yingyue tonight, as expected, the shadow should return to the city." Mu Yun reminded.

"Do you doubt that the shadow will pretend to be the god of the river to enjoy the fire and food in the world?" Qi Zhong said in surprise.

Mu Yun was stunned for a moment, followed his thoughts, and said with a smile: "I didn't think of this, but I just thought that the shadow tried to harm people last time, and it would definitely not stop hiding in the mountains. He might come to get some grievances, refine his skills, and then go to the city to commit murder."

"Well. It makes sense. No wonder you have to patrol the city in the middle of the night these two days. It turns out that you are just to be wary of him."

Qi Duan nodded and chatted a little.

"You know about this?" Mu Yun wondered: Didn't this person sleep soundly at night?Except last night, when I came home late and encountered Fang Yanxiao coming out of his room, it was involved in this situation.

"I... yes, and I plan to go patrol the city with you in the next few days."

Qi finally changed the subject guiltily, not wanting people to guess that he paid a lot of attention to him.

"Okay." Seeing that he has such an ambition to benefit the people, Mu Yun agreed to the request without hesitation.

"Ah. Then it's settled. Let's go together." Qi Zhong smiled with joy and rolled his eyes.

The bright moon hangs high, and the evening breeze in the pavilion is cool.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the river changed suddenly, and weird vortices continued to emerge.

"coming."

Qi Zhong looked at the bubbling silver water on the surface of the river, he was vigilant and had doubts: "Is it that shadow? Isn't it a mountain monster? How did it come out of the water?"

The two hid in the dark and watched intently.

There was a burst of gurgling, and the water waves grew bigger and bigger. Under the full moonlight, a column of water surged in the center. In the water light, a young man wearing soft silk of original color and wearing a spray-shaped hair crown on his head gradually appeared. A bit of a gentleman's demeanor.

"Who is this?" Qi Zhong picked at the bark of the tree and carefully looked at the mysterious man.

"You should take a closer look at who the woman next to this person is."

Mu Yun's angle was wider than Qi Zhong's, and he could see the woman behind the man at a glance. She was expressionless and pretty, and upon closer inspection, she looked familiar.

"Isn't this the troupe leader? Why did she get out of the water? Isn't she dead?"

Qi Zhong was surprised.

"Where did the baby come from, hiding behind the tree and still not coming out?"

While the two were thinking, the man was keenly aware of their movements, and with a sullen expression, he waved a spray of water and brushed it towards them.Mu Yun's mind was concentrated, and he raised his hand to disperse the oncoming cold water vapor.

"Wow, it's good to have you."

Qi Zhong walked out of the dark place, stood next to Mu Yun, and asked confidently, "Where is the monster?"

"Hehe, I'm not a monster, I'm He Bo in the water."

The man also saw that the two were unusual, so he didn't get too angry, but introduced himself instead.

Mu Yun also noticed that the aura of this person was different from that of a monster. As soon as he emerged from the water, a lot of resentment in the water was dispelled.

"Excuse me. We're just passing through here, and we don't intend to offend." He didn't intend to cause trouble, so he cupped his hands and apologized.

He Bo collected the spray with a smile, walked slowly to the shore, and also saluted Mu Yun.

"Hey, wait, Brother Yun, come here quickly."

Turning around and seeing Qi Zhong's anxious expression, Mu Yun showed doubts, but turned back cooperatively.

Qi Zhong stared at He Bo, feeling upset, quickly pulled him aside and whispered: "Why are you so stupid, you believed him when he said he was He Bo? I could tell right away that this is a parallel import. Don't follow his way."

"Is there any proof for the truth?" Mu Yunchi asked.

Qi Zhong clicked his tongue and said: "That's not what's written in the story book. It says that He Bo is an old man with white hair and white beard. He looks like an old fisherman. You see, this one looks so young and good-looking... Hey, I haven't finished my sentence yet, you..."

As soon as Mu Yun heard his nonsense, he ignored it and strode forward again.

Seeing that people didn't listen to his persuasion, Qi Zhong grinned on the spot and hummed coldly.

"Tonight is a full moon, you two are not afraid, and you two are not afraid, and you dare to come to this gloomy riverside."

He Bo said, at this time the silent Chu Yan also stepped forward and stood behind him on the right.

Mu Yun glanced at her lightly, and before he said anything, Qi Zhong took the words: "Hey, to tell you the truth, we specialize in catching monsters. I haven't seen any monsters before, just a few water ghosts. What are you afraid of?"

Qi finally raised his hair on his forehead and smiled confidently.

"Which side of the monks are you? What are your cultivation bases? These words are amazing."

He Bo cast his eyes on Qi Shengsheng again, and sized him up with interest.

"We came from Shangjiang, the one next to me is..."

"We are just disciples of Xiaoxian's family who went down the mountain to practice, and we don't have much cultivation. My friend likes to make jokes, so please don't take offense."

Before Qi Zhongzhang's mighty words could be spoken, Mu Yun decisively cut them off.

"Oh? I haven't been to Shangjiang for a long time. Even the disciples of Xiaoxian's family are so capable now. Whenever they talk about experience, they go to Dijiang. Dijiang is not a good place."

He Bo was half awake and half doubting what he said, so he didn't ask any more questions.

"Hey, you're overthinking. We're half-baked, and we were joking with you just now." Qi Zhong suddenly understood Mu Yun's intentions, and explained cooperatively.

"Then why did you walk to the river bank in the middle of the night? I don't believe the reason for passing by."

He Bo's words are two-weight, and when he weighs them, there is a hint of driving people away.

"You asked several questions. It's not fair, you have to answer us before I can tell you."

Qi Zhong's cunning is still useful sometimes, for example, Mu Yun is still thinking about how to make a cliché, but he has already turned against the general and lured He Bo into the trap.

"You little doll is really interesting, you have to calculate and answer when you speak. Haha, okay, you ask, and I will pick it up."

He Bo stayed in the water for too long, and he was already bored. Now that he met an interesting person to tease him, he couldn't help but chat a few words.

"Who is that beautiful girl behind you? It feels like a person. Why did she come out of the water like you?" Qi Zhong asked, pointing at Chu Yan.

"She is the next He Bo. She was named Chu Yan in her lifetime, and she was the troupe leader of the theater that was burned down a few years ago."

He Bo didn't hide anything, anyway, he will retire in a few days, so it doesn't matter if you say more or less.

"But everyone in the town said she was dead, how could she be by your side and ready to take over?" Qi Zhong asked.

He Bo straightened his sleeves, and said casually: "She is dead, she was drowned. I saw that she had a beautiful heart, and knew some management methods before she was alive, so I accepted her as my apprentice. I will be full of office in a few days." After a hundred years, it's time to leave, so I asked Jiugai Mountain to let her take over, and my apprentice can't be wronged."

"Why don't you ask people if they are willing? Is it not wronged to put people in the water for a hundred years?" Qi Zhong was speechless.

He Bo picked his fingernails, and said indifferently: "You don't understand, kid. There are too many monks in Dijiang, and all the good jobs are taken by others. Although I am He Bo, I can't compare with the land father. It’s really hard for the people in the town to light incense all these years. Hey, but I said they were not enlightened. I’m so hungry that I don’t even want to go to work.”

Qi Zhong was dumbfounded when he heard that, and before he could ask any more questions, He Bo thought of something and continued to complain:

"You think it's stupid too, a bunch of idiots, but if you add more fireworks to me, I won't be listless all day long, and you still want me to protect them. They fight over the water every night, and it's annoying to death. But it's okay , I'm leaving, and I'll leave the rest to her. Although it's a bit more difficult, I've taught her the skills of walking around for nothing, as long as I don't care about the life or death of fools, I'll still be happy."

He Bo glanced at Chu Yan, thinking in his heart that the two of them, Qi Zhong, would admire the sneaky tricks he had honed over the years.

In the end, he only saw his expression of surprise and feeling that his brain was sick, while Mu Yun on the side frowned even more, his lips were tightly closed, and his expression was serious.

Dare to say that this Hebo is a vegetarian who eats a corpse, and has been hiding under the water to sleep all these years, otherwise there would be so much resentment here, and there are frequent ship accidents.Qi Zhong's heartfelt voice showed on his face, turning into disdain.

"One water area is originally the responsibility of the river god. It is already wrong for you to shirk others and take up a job idlely. Now you are misleading future generations and not doing your duty. It is a big mistake."

Mu Yun reprimanded loudly, He Bo was taken aback, his face was cold, and he said, "You! It's easy for you to say. The deal is done, what can I do?"

"Now there is still room for repentance. I will play the Jiugai Mountain, confess my mistakes, accept criticism, and perform my duties seriously to make up for my mistakes."

When Mu Yun explained the method, He Bo became even more dissatisfied and said:

"If I really do this, I will have to lose face. Anyway, it's only a few days. When she becomes the river god, I will go away. Who cares about my past performance? I am a little Hebo, who cares ?”

"Huang Miu!"

Mu Yun wanted to reprimand sharply, his face sullen.

Seeing the tense situation, Qi Zhong hurriedly stood up to smooth things over.I was also annoyed in my heart: so this He Bo looked like a decent person in well-dressed clothes, but he didn't expect his bad character to be so unbearable.

"Hey, I said, na na, listen to me a few words. Dude take a step to speak."

The enraged River God glanced at Mu Yun, and snorted coldly in dissatisfaction, and was pulled aside by Qi Zhong to comfort him.