My enemies became my companions

Chapter 476 Guhuo Bird (Two in One)

"Guhuo bird."

As these three words came out, the atmosphere among the monsters on the field visibly darkened.

Yin Tingxue showed curiosity. She had heard of the Guhuo bird. Isn't that the bird that specializes in picking up children in the legend? According to legend, it was transformed from a woman before she died. Because she had lost her child, she wanted to take a human son and raise him as her own. The book also said that this kind of ghost bird is easier to see the further south you go.

The larks hung their heads and said nothing, their faces somewhat gloomy and sad. The old mountain god still looked somewhat bewildered. At this time, the mountain mouse climbed onto his shoulder and whispered in a tiny voice:
"Old man, you don't know that a big demon has come to the south of Fengqing Mountain and is causing chaos and evil there. All the big and small demons in the area have either been killed or driven away."

"Is this true? Where did it come from?"

"Further south."

The old mountain god couldn't help but be shocked. What happened in the south that made him come here to act so arrogantly?

He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Then how did Xiao Qi disappear?"

"Xiao Qi was playful, so he competed with his brothers and sisters in flying. He flew too far and was caught in a snap." The mountain mouse described it vividly, "and then he disappeared. You were not sober, so no one dared to go out."

The old mountain god frowned, thought for a long time, and sighed, "No one is burning incense in the temple, so I am confused. Don't be afraid. With me here, the big monster will be afraid and dare not enter Fengqing Mountain. Everyone, just stay in the mountain."

The mountain rat nodded heavily, but he was frightened in his heart. It was good that the old mountain god could be sober for a while, but what about after a while?

If no one worships the gods for a long time, they will slowly lose their minds, become confused and unable to live, just like mortals who lose their souls and become wandering ghosts. Gods will also become wild gods, and this is not their final destination. Without incense and offerings, the throne cannot be maintained. Without the throne, they will naturally no longer be gods. Wild gods will also degenerate. If they were humans before becoming gods, they will degenerate into wandering ghosts. If they are mountain beasts such as bears and tigers, they will turn back into monsters. Wild gods who have retired from their thrones are often more brutal and vicious than before they became gods.

Ever since the mountain mouse could remember, the old mountain god had been sometimes lucid and sometimes confused. The mountain mouse was confused at first, but later realized that the reason was that fewer and fewer people came to worship the mountain god temple. How to trace the root cause? It sneaked out of Fengqing Mountain to see that the once prosperous town at the foot of the mountain had withered and fallen, and there was little smoke from cooking during festivals. The townspeople could not even worship all the gods in the town, let alone those in the mountain.

With this thought in mind, the mountain rat couldn't help but look at the two Taoists.

When the old mountain god saw it, he patted its head and said, "Don't try any tricks."

The mountain rat said angrily, "I don't think of a solution."

"They just passed by and burned incense at the temple. We met by chance and they just had good intentions. It's their business if they have good intentions. You can't deceive them like this." After saying this, the old mountain god still felt it was not enough and warned, "Please be careful and don't hurt them."

After these repeated warnings, the mountain rat stepped down from his shoulder and jumped back to its original place.

Yin Tingxue's ears moved slightly, but there was no change on her face.

"On New Year's Eve, let's not talk about these things."

The old mountain god stood up, took the wine jar from the black bear, and said:

"Drink, drink, be festive."

As soon as these words were spoken, the heavy atmosphere among the monsters eased. The old mountain god fetched wine jars of different sizes from the temple. The one for the black bear was as big as a watermelon, and the one for the lark was a small cup for offering sacrifices to the gods. In front of Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue, two full bowls of wine were pushed towards them.

The old mountain god raised his wine bowl high and said loudly:
"Tonight is New Year's Eve, and tomorrow is New Year's Day. May you live a thousand years!"

The black bear came over dragging the bowl with one hand, the larks held the cup in their beaks and formed a circle around it, the mountain rat couldn't reach it, so it held the bowl high above its head with both hands and stood on tiptoe, but the minks were tall and didn't have this problem... Yin Tingxue found it interesting, and turned around to see Chen Yi also bringing the bowl over and winking at her, so she quickly handed over the bowl.

Click.

Then all the people in the temple raised their glasses and clinked their cups together.
The wine swayed with a crisp sound. Under Yin Tingxue's curious gaze, everyone drank up the wine in the bowl, while she lowered her head and drank it in small sips.

The mellow aroma spread on the tip of the tongue. It was the best Fenjiu with a long aftertaste. Although Yin Tingxue did not like drinking, Fenjiu was often offered as tribute by Prince Xiang's mansion. She recognized it at once. Just as she was wondering where the big black bear got the Fenjiu, she saw the old mountain god jump up.

"Such a good wine, you black guy, have you robbed some rich man again?!"

The old mountain god blew his beard and glared, then picked up his broom and hit the big black bear.

"Where is it? Where is it? It was given to me by someone passing by!" The big black bear cried out in injustice.

"Hey, Gong? You must be the one collecting the bribe!"

The old mountain god refused to give in and was about to swing his broom, but before he could do so, the black bear jumped up and ran away. As the two were chasing and fleeing, the entire mountain god temple shook like an earthquake, dust fluttered down, and everyone burst into laughter.

After a while, the black bear was caught by the mountain god and was hit hard by the broom several times, and the whole bear was covered in dust.

The old mountain god vented his anger and drank heavily, enjoying himself more than before, as if these few gulps of wine had taken away the guilt in his heart.

"You drink more frequently than I do!" Black Bear said loudly after taking a few breaths.

There was immediate laughter in the temple.

The old mountain god blushed and shouted at the black bear, "You have to beat me again!"

Whoosh!
Just as the old mountain god was fighting with the black bear, suddenly a bright light flashed across the darkness and bloomed on the sky.

A bunch of fireworks exploded in the sky. Everyone in the temple stopped what they were doing and looked back. There were several more whooshing sounds, and several gorgeous fireworks broke through the night. The sparks were splashing like a bead curtain.

Amidst the dazzling fireworks, there were also the sounds of firecrackers in the distant mountain breeze.

Yin Tingxue looked around, and the faces of everyone in the temple were illuminated by the light, and an unspeakable warmth spread out.

All the people were quietly appreciating the prosperity in the distance and drinking wine.

When the fireworks faded and the sky became quiet,
The mountain breeze blows through the woods, and the trees sway and rustle.

"I think I heard the sound of firecrackers."

The old mountain god lowered his head and murmured softly:
"The year ends with the sound of firecrackers..."

The old year has passed.

.........

After a night, the banquet was over.

Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue stayed in the temple for one night. When they woke up, all the monsters had gone back to their own places. The mountain temple became deserted, and the corners of the walls were covered with withered moss.

Chen Yi bowed his head and said, "Thank you, mountain god, for your hospitality."

"It's nothing. It's not a big deal. It's not a big deal."

The old mountain god seemed tired and slowly sat down on the chair.

Yin Tingxue turned her head and saw that the incense from last night had burned out on the incense burner.

Chen Yi took out three more incense sticks from his arms and handed them to Yin Tingxue.

She quickly ran to the table, lit the three incense sticks and added more.

The old mountain god sniffed, his face became more energetic, and he said happily:
"Come back when you have the chance. If no one worships me, I will be forgotten slowly."

"If there is a chance." Yin Tingxue replied.

Having said that, once we go south, when we will return and whether we will pass Fengqing Mountain again on the way, everything is unknown.

The mountain banquet has ended, the New Year has arrived, and the old year has passed.

"Stop bothering me any more."

The two of them also wanted to leave the mountain.

The old mountain god saw them off with his walking stick and asked, "I forgot to ask you last night. Where are you two going?" "To Yaoshui." They were going there by water.

The old mountain god pinched his fingers with one hand, squinted his eyes and thought for a while, then said, "Then go down the mountain from this side and go southeast. If you see many boats there, that's Yaoshui Town."

"There's no need for the mountain god to see us off. We can just go on our own."

The two of them left the mountain temple. Chen Yi took Yin Tingxue and walked along the path outside the door. The grass and trees on both sides made the path narrow. The further they walked out, the more grass and trees there were.

Yin Tingxue knew that no one had visited this place for a long time.

When he left, the old mountain god sat alone in his temple.

She looked back from time to time.
He waved his hands vigorously at them.

"Goodbye..."

…………

The two of them went down the mountain along the not-so-wide path.

Yin Tingxue recalled what the old mountain god and the mountain rat had said in her mind, and her mood couldn't help but become vague.

Guhuo Bird...a big monster.

But no matter how big it is, it’s not as big as you imagine.

Chen Yi turned around at this time, just because her little hand moved in his palm, he understood that she must have something in mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Chen Yi asked.

Yin Tingxue took a look, hesitated, and still didn't say it directly.

We walked on the road for a long time.

"Chen Yi." Yin Tingxue begged in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "Can you teach me how to practice sword?"

On the Cangwu Peak of Yinjian Mountain, although his practice was very fast, his mind was all on practice, and he achieved nothing in swordsmanship and Taoism.

"not good."

Yin Tingxue thought Chen Yi would refuse, and then asked, "Why not? I will study hard."

"It doesn't matter whether you study hard or not. I don't want to teach you." Chen Yi said indifferently.

How could Chen Yi not know what Yin Tingxue was thinking? She clearly wanted to do chivalrous things after learning swordplay. Things that she was powerless to do now, she would be able to solve after learning swordplay. In the future, if she saw injustice on the road, even if she did not take action herself, the little fox would definitely be the first to step forward and help.

Chen Yi turned around and said with a smile: "The little fox has learned sword skills and has become more powerful. What if he gets angry and kills me one day? I have bullied you for so long. If I count them all, it is not an exaggeration to say that we have a deep hatred for each other."

Yin Tingxue blushed.

Chen Yi smiled sinisterly. He was not actually afraid that Yin Tingxue would become successful in swordplay one day. Not to mention whether she could reach her own realm, he was the one who taught her how to use the sword. He only needed to leave a few ditches on the road. If the little fox really swung her sword at him, it would only be a matter of time before she would capsize. By that time, her realm would plummet and she would be a harmless concubine again.

The reason why I didn't teach her sword was not because I was afraid of Yin Tingxue, but because she was very pitiful and didn't have the temperament of a female knight at all. I would rather let her avoid trouble when she encountered it, rather than rushing to take action. I would let her see more of the world and cultivate her temper. Once her temper has been cultivated, it will not be too late for me to teach her one or two tricks.

Yin Tingxue asked again unwillingly: "Husband, are you really not going to teach me?"

Chen Yi's heart trembled, and after a pause, he teased, "If you are a sword genius, you can pick up the sword and learn it without a teacher. With a few instructions, you can practice sword in your dreams. After ten years of sword training, you will be on the list of sword immortals. After a hundred years, you can go up the mountain and destroy the entire Qinglian Sword Sect."

Yin Tingxue knew that he was just trying to please her, so she said nothing and moved closer silently.

"Are you still trying to win me over? Are you planning to take it slow and slowly cling to me?" Chen Yi was not polite and put his arm around the little fox whose pretty face was slightly blushing.

They didn't know how long they walked. Perhaps because they saw that Chen Yizhen had no intention of teaching her how to practice sword, Yin Tingxue left quietly.

How disgraceful it is to be hugged all the time.

Chen Yi didn't make fun of her for being snobbish. It's human nature.

After walking down for a while, suddenly, a rustling sound came from the shadows of the trees.

The two stopped and looked down. It turned out that the mountain rat was the first to rush out, followed by the mink, lark, and black bear.

The monsters lowered their heads, but their bodies remained firmly fixed on the mountain path, not moving.

"What's this?" Chen Yi asked slowly.

The mountain rat took a few steps forward, raised his fists in a formal manner, and pleaded:

"Master, there is a big monster hovering to the south, chasing away and killing all the monsters in the area. Even one of us was abducted. The mountain god is old, and I am afraid that Fengqing Mountain will suffer one day, so I stopped the Taoist priest and asked him to kill the monster..."

As he spoke, several monsters behind him nodded heavily.

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, and Yin Tingxue's heartbeat quickened.

The reason why she asked Chen Yi if he would teach her sword was to test whether he would be chivalrous.

Seeing Chen Yi was silent, the faces of several monsters turned pale and they bowed their heads in silence. Shan Shu looked sad and clasped his fists again and said, "If the Taoist priest is unwilling to help, then we can regard it as a kind reminder from you..."

"No need to panic."

Chen Yi flicked the scabbard lightly and smiled faintly.
"If I encounter this monster on the road, I will kill it."

.........

Go all the way south.

Hearing that Chen Yi was willing to exorcise the monster, Yin Tingxue suddenly became much happier. Not only did she obey him in everything, she also stayed close to him several times.

Chen Yi felt a little itchy when she got so close to him, so he found a shady spot and kissed her several times before he stopped.

Passing by a town on the way south, the two stopped for a short while, had a casual lunch, and asked a little about the Guhuo bird.

"You are talking about Taiyang County, right? People there don't dare to hang children's clothes outside."

It is said that the Guhuo bird can tell fortunes. If a family has bad fortune, it will put a little blood on the children's clothes hung out to dry, and then kidnap the child at night, adding insult to injury.

After lunch, they walked for nearly a day and were only ten miles away from the county town. They entered the county town and first found an inn, rented a room, and then made plans.

In the guest room, Chen Yi let his hair down, and the ends of his hair accidentally hit Yin Tingxue's face.

"The hair is too long." Yin Tingxue touched her cheek and stared at the long hair that dragged to her buttocks.

Chen Yi asked the waiter to call the tweezers worker to come and comb the long hair, making it shorter.

Chen Yi asked Yin Tingxue to wrap her hair properly.

After tidying up, Chen Yi took Yin Tingxue out for a walk. This county town was small, and there was nothing to see. The only decent scenery in the whole town was the Chenghuang Temple, and there were no temples or Taoist temples in or outside the county town. On the street in front of the inn, Chen Yi bought a rabbit sugar painting for the little fox, and she bit off the rabbit's head in one bite.

As dusk fell, Chen Yi went to the waiter to inquire about the situation, while Yin Tingxue ate while looking at the street, hoping to catch any suspicious traces.

At the alley entrance, a woman with a sad face turned the corner holding a bloodstained dress...

(End of this chapter)