Chen Jingchou bid farewell to his master in Yongzhou and headed towards Lei Xiaze.
At this moment, it was already the turn of spring and summer on both sides of the Yellow River. The weather was getting hotter, the grass was long and the birds were flying. In the dense forest, all kinds of birds were singing. The scenery was beautiful and full of vitality. However, Chen Jingchou was only thinking about how to save his master. He was not in the mood to enjoy the beautiful scenery of spring. Every day, they worked tirelessly, traveling at night and at night. When they were thirsty, they would drink water from the stream. When they were hungry, they would hunt some birds and beasts for a meal. When they were really tired, they would burrow into the grass, sleep for a while, and continue on their way.
This went on for more than half a month. One day, under the blazing sun, Chen Jingchou was hurrying along the road. After passing through a dense forest, he suddenly saw a hidden village ahead. Chen Jingchou walked into the village and saw that it was built beside a stream. The village did not have many people, and a few houses were scattered around. There was a well on the west side of the town. After walking for half a day, Chen Jingchou felt his throat was burning with thirst. He ran to the well in two or three steps, fetched half a bucket of water, and gulped down his fill. He only felt a chill go straight to his heart, and his entire body instantly felt much better. He wiped the sweat off his face with his lapel and did not dare to stay any longer. He asked the villagers about the name of this village, which was called Moon River Village. After crossing the stream, he would reach Lei Xia Ze in a few days if he walked north. Chen Jingchou said and walked toward the stream.
The stream wasn't too far away and was only a few steps away. Chen Jingchou walked to the side of the stream and saw that the water was flowing rapidly. The white waves rolled down like a galloping horse. There was only a narrow wooden bridge across the stream.
Just as he was about to get on the bridge, he suddenly saw a villager holding a wooden stick standing in the middle of the bridge and shouting,"Little brother! Please wait! No one is allowed to cross this bridge now!”
Chen Jingchou's heart skipped a beat as he thought,""In this world, passersby are not allowed to cross the bridge. How strange!”He quickly asked.
The villager replied," The village will hold a sacrifice to the River God in the next few days. According to the custom of the past years, no one is allowed to cross the bridge during the sacrifice!”
"River God sacrifice?" Chen Jingchou asked curiously.”
The villager said," It's to worship the River God. Otherwise, the river will dry up and we won't be able to farm!"”
Chen Jingchou paced left and right for a while before saying,""Big brother! I have something important to do, can you make an exception?”
The villager crossed the wooden stick and stared at him."If you can't pass, you can't pass. If you anger the River God, you can't play around!”Chen Jingchou had no choice but to return to the village.
Chen Jingchou caught a glimpse of a shabby inn in the northeast corner of the village. He thought to himself, Why don't I ask someone if there's any other way to cross the river?”Walking into the shop, an old man in shabby clothes quickly walked over and asked,"Little customer, are you here to stay?”
Chen Jingchou walked forward and bowed, saying,""Junior is a guest from Yongzhou, I have an urgent matter to attend to and have to rush to Lei Xiaze. However, the villagers in front of me have blocked the small bridge, so I want to ask uncle, is there any place nearby where I can cross the river?”
The old man muttered,"Oh! This is going to be difficult for you!"
"Please speak, uncle," Chen Jingchou said.
The old man put down the account book in his hand and said,""The day after tomorrow, the village will hold a ceremony to worship the River God. The villagers will seal the bridge at this time every year to show their respect. If you want to go around to a shallow place or a place with a ferry, you still need to walk for five or six days.”Chen Jingchou frowned and thanked the old man without saying anything else.
He turned around and walked out of the inn. He paced back and forth in the empty space of the village, feeling quite anxious. At this moment, a passerby walked over and scolded,"In broad daylight, no one is allowed to cross the bridge.”He mumbled and walked into the inn.
Chen Jingchou speculated in his heart. If it was as the old man said, it would be further to take a detour. If that was the case, it would be better to stay in the village for two days and wait for the bridge to open before hurrying on. Chen Jingchou had no choice but to return to the inn. She met the old man and asked for a guest room. Seeing his hesitation, the old man returned and said,""Little brother, I see that it's not easy for you to go out, so I'll give you a cheaper room fee!”
Chen Jingchou thanked him and casually ate some ordinary farm food downstairs before heading to the guest room to rest. "Your guest room is upstairs. I'll get someone to bring you upstairs."”He shook the bell in his hand, turned around, and shouted,""Little Xue, a guest is here. Come and help!”
After a while, a young girl around fifteen or sixteen years old appeared from the back hall. She was wearing a blue coarse dress. She had a round face, crescent eyebrows, and a pair of eyes that were as blue as the lake. Her skin was snow-white, and she was very beautiful. He walked up to Chen Jingchou with flushed cheeks and a bashful expression. He bowed and said,"Young Master! Your room is upstairs. Please follow me.”Her voice was sweet as she turned around and went upstairs.
Chen Jingchou followed him upstairs. The girl led Chen Jingchou to the guest room and said,""Although this room is a little simple, I have cleaned it carefully. I hope you will be satisfied.”Chen Jingchou looked at the guest room. Although there were no furnishings and the bed was old, it was clean and tidy, without a speck of dust. Seeing that Chen Jingchou did not answer, the young girl blushed and said,""Sir, you, are you not satisfied?”
Chen Jingchou quickly turned his head and smiled,""Not bad, this place is quite good!" The girl blushed. Chen Jingchou took a closer look at the young girl. Her hair was as white as snow, and she had two small buns, making her look like a fairy from the North Pole. Although he was born in a farming family, he had an extraordinary bearing, as clean as white jade. Chen Jingchou asked for the girl's name, and the girl answered that she was called Yu Xiaoxue. "May I ask…why is your hair white?" Chen Jingchou couldn't help but be curious.”
"Ah!" Yu Xiaoxue was surprised. I…I was born with this. When I was born, my head was already full of white hair.”
Chen Jingchou said," So you were born with it. It's very special…" He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly heard a child crying downstairs. "I'm sorry!" Yu Xiaoxue quickly said. "That's my younger brother…His legs are a little inconvenient. He probably fell down again…" Chen Jingchou said,"He's my younger brother.""Then hurry up and take a look! It would not be good if he fell heavily!”Yu Xiaoxue apologized and bowed." Sorry for disturbing you. I'll take my leave first!"”With that, she hurriedly turned around and went downstairs. Chen Jingchou also felt extremely tired. He closed the door, flipped over onto the wooden couch, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Chen Jingchou had been on the move for days and was very tired, so he couldn't help but sleep a little longer. When he woke up, it was already noon the next day. She turned around and went downstairs, but the entire inn was empty. There were only a few guests who were gathered together and chatting. No one came over to greet him, and the shopkeeper was nowhere to be found. Chen Jingchou found it strange. He was hungry, so he could only scoop some rice and eat alone. After dinner, he strolled to the wooden bridge. There were still villagers blocking the way, so he had no choice but to walk back to the village. There was a medicinal shop in the west of the village. The floor in front of the shop was covered with newly collected medicinal herbs. Two people were standing in front of the medicinal shop and whispering. Chen Jingchou slowly walked over. When he got closer, he saw that one of them was dressed like an ordinary villager, while the other was a white-haired old man. It was the old man from the inn.
Chen Jingchou walked past them and vaguely heard the old man say,""What a poor child. There's nothing we can do about it.”The villager sighed. " But if she doesn't sacrifice herself, the entire village won't have a good life…" Chen Jingchou was puzzled. He turned around and walked into the medicine shop. He saw a group of villagers gathered in the main hall of the medicine shop, pointing and discussing. It was noisy, but there was a faint sound of crying in the crowd.
Chen Jingchou squeezed into the crowd and saw a woman dressed like a farmer kneeling on the ground. Her eyes were filled with tears as she cried to the crowd,""I beg everyone…everyone…everyone, please do me a favor!”She choked on her words and could not continue. She panted a few times and cried again," Everyone, please do us a favor…We just…just have this daughter…" She was so heartbroken that she rolled her eyes and almost fainted. A middle-aged man dressed like a village doctor beside him quickly came over to support him. His eyes were also filled with tears and his expression was very sad. A young girl threw herself into his arms and cried loudly,"Father! I don't want to die, I don't want to die!"
The villagers whispered to each other and surrounded him. The doctor hugged his daughter, his hands trembling as he patted her back, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, a hunchbacked old woman walked out from the crowd. She came to the doctor and said in a hoarse voice,"Doctor, the method of drawing lots was also proposed by you and the village chief back then! Everyone agreed! Now that it's your child's turn, you can't go back on your word, right?”"Yeah!" Another village woman echoed. "Doctor…My daughter was unfortunately chosen two years ago. I handed her over with tears in my eyes and didn't say anything…" The villager shouted,"I'm sorry."You were the one who suggested drawing lots back then. How can you go back on your word now?”The girl knelt on the ground and hugged the doctor's legs, crying,""Father…Mother…I don't want to die!”The doctor was still hesitating. A few villagers rolled up their sleeves and took a few steps forward. They grabbed the girl's arm and were about to drag her away. The woman crawled on the ground and cried loudly. She hugged the girl's legs tightly and refused to let go. The scene immediately turned into a mess, forcing Chen Jingchou out.
Chen Jingchou walked out of the herbal medicine shop and lowered his head to think for a while."How hateful! It turned out that in order to worship the River God, this village would find a young girl to be a sacrifice every year!”He thought to himself, I have to think of a way to save that little girl.”
He turned around and went to the open space in front of the village. He asked a few people, but none of them had a heart of stone. They were either afraid of offending the River God or told Chen Jingchou to mind his own business. No one was willing to help. Chen Jingchou walked around for a long time, sweating profusely. He felt a little stifled and could only walk back to the inn. Just as he arrived at the door, a ten-year-old child holding a walking stick was crying bitterly by the door. Chen Jingchou was in a bad mood. He walked into the inn, sat down at a table by the door, and poured himself a cup of tea. Seeing that the old man had returned, he asked,"Uncle, what happened? The child outside the inn is crying so sadly!”
The old man walked over and shook his head. He sighed and said,"Sigh! Little customer…you don't know what happened?”
"Oh?" Chen Jingchou asked curiously. Uncle, please tell me."
The old man continued,"Her sister, the white-haired little girl who led you yesterday, suddenly ran to the village chief and said that she was willing to sacrifice the doctor's daughter to the river god!"”
Chen Jingchou was shocked. He put down his teacup and did not reply. At some point, the child had already entered the shop. He held his walking stick and cried to the old man," It's all my fault…I had a fight with my sister last night. It's her fault for not treating my legs properly before, which caused me to become like this…"
"Silly child," said the old man,"when you were sick, your sister was so worried! Sigh…It's all because you don't have enough money and that snobbish doctor refuses to treat you. That's why your feet are like this!”
The child lowered his head and whimpered,"I know…I know everything…"
"Since you know, why did you talk nonsense to your sister last night?" the old man scolded. How could she not be sad? You broke her heart, so she suddenly wanted to seek death!”His face was filled with anger.
"I'm sorry, Uncle He!" " It's all my fault, my fault…" The old man turned his head and sighed. He remained silent.
Chen Jingchou looked at the child crying sadly and couldn't bear it. He made up his mind and asked,""Uncle, when is the ceremony to worship the River God?”
"It should be tomorrow morning…" The old man suddenly thought of something and continued,"I'm not going to do anything.""But outsiders are not allowed to enter."
The child turned his head and hurriedly asked,""Big…big brother, are you willing to save my sister?”
Chen Jingchou nodded.
"Little guest, you have a good heart, but no one will pay attention to you." Moreover, even if you save my Little Xue, the villagers are afraid that the River God will be angry and will still sacrifice other children!”
The child abandoned the old man and struggled to Chen Jingchou's side, pleading,""I beg you, big brother…no matter what, you have to save my sister!”
"Little Shuo!" the old man shouted. You're not allowed to say anything else!" Turning his head, he paused and said to Chen Jingchou,""Little guest, just pretend that there is no such thing and go back to your room to rest early!”
"Uncle He, you're actually leaving your sister in the lurch!" I don't want to talk to you anymore…" Holding her walking stick, she limped out of the door crying.
Uncle He sighed and said," Sigh…Xiao Shuo is such a silly child. Don't I feel the same pain as him? I've raised Xiao Xue for so many years, and this child is so obedient and considerate. How can I not feel heartache?"”Shaking his head, he turned to the back hall.
Chen Jingchou stood up and followed him out of the inn. He came to the open space in front of the village and looked around. He saw Xiao Shuo standing under the forest in the south of the village, crying alone. "Little brother, don't be sad!" Chen Jingchou walked forward and said.”
When Little Shuo saw Chen Jingchou, he was even more sorrowful. He knelt down and cried,""I beg you! Big brother…you must save my sister…"
Chen Jingchou reached out to help him up and comforted him,""Don't worry, I had this plan in the first place. I will definitely stop them!”
"Big brother…is what you said true?" Xiao Shuo wiped his tears and asked. Are you really willing to save my sister?"
Chen Jingchou nodded and replied,"Yes!" Yes, it was! But I don't know where the sacrifice is. Can you tell me?”
"My sister was sent to the Moon River Cave-they used to hold rituals to worship the River God there!"”
"Where is the Moon River Cave?" Chen Jingchou asked.”
Xiao Shuo pointed to the west and said,""Just follow this forest and go straight ahead! Big brother, my legs are inconvenient, and the road there is very difficult to walk. I can't go with you…but big brother, I beg you to save my sister!”
"Don't worry, I'll definitely do my best!" Chen Jingchou said.”
Chen Jingchou bid farewell to Xiaoshuo, untied his belt, and stabbed his sword into his back. He followed the small path in the forest and hurried toward the Moon River Cave. Before long, the sky was already dark. The forest was extremely dense, and it was almost impossible for the moonlight to shine through. The strange bird screeched and flew out of the treetops. The shadows of the black trees were mottled on the ground. As the wind blew, they looked like strange faces that seemed to be laughing hideously. Suddenly, the moonlight was covered by the clouds, and the night was hazy. There seemed to be thousands of figures following closely behind in the forest. It was strange and creepy.
Chen Jingchou thought to himself that he had to catch up to them quickly so that he wouldn't miss out on the important matter. He took a deep breath, relaxed his footsteps, and rushed forward. The moon was setting in the west. Chen Jingchou had already passed through the dense forest. He could see a huge hole in the mountain wall at the end of the forest. Chen Jingchou ran to the front of the cave and thought, This must be Moon River Cave.”He chopped down a branch and took out a firebreak to make a torch. Then, he raised his spirits and walked into the cave. The cave was extremely deep and there were many forks in it. Chen Jingchou held the torch in one hand and supported himself against the rock wall with the other as he slowly walked inside. He felt that the cave was gloomy and extremely humid. From time to time, he could see some poisonous insects climbing up the walls.
After walking for a short while, he saw a few more paths ahead. Chen Jingchou looked around, picked a path that led underground, and slowly walked forward. After walking for about two hours, he felt that the road was getting lower and lower. Before long, the stone wall above his head began to seep down, and the stone surface under his feet became more and more slippery. There were many forks on the road, and they lingered for a while, delaying some time.
After a while, they turned a corner and saw a ray of light shooting out from the front. Chen Jingchou walked forward, crouched behind the stone, and poked his head out. He saw a group of people surrounding a huge cave. There was an altar beside the cave. Through the gaps between the people, he could vaguely see a large hole in the ground. Beside the hole, a young girl was tied up. A few villagers were packing up the offerings. It seemed that the sacrificial ceremony was over and they were preparing to return to the village. Chen Jingchou walked forward. Several villagers were holding ropes and were about to throw Yu Xiaoxue into the cave. Chen Jingchou shot forward and shouted,""Stop!"
The group of villagers was shocked. They looked back and saw that it was a young man. They shouted and scolded him. Their hands did not stop, and they pushed Yu Xiaoxue down. Chen Jingchou was shocked. They were still far away from each other, and there were villagers blocking the way. He could not save them. After the villagers finished offering, they lifted the wine and meat and left. Chen Jingchou ran to the side of the hole, bent down, and shouted,""Miss Xiaoxue! Miss Xiao Xue!" An echo could be heard from afar. Other than that, there was only silence.
"Damn it!" Chen Jingchou said in his heart. I have to go down and save her!" He ran to the side of the altar, tore off the banner, tied it up with the bamboo pole, and lit it up as a torch. He raised his right hand, returned to the side of the hole, and jumped down. The hole was extremely deep, and Chen Jingchou could only hear the whistling of the wind. After a long while, he reached the bottom of the hole with a thud. He felt that his feet were soft and muddy, and his clothes were all wet. Fortunately, the torch had not been extinguished. With the help of the light, it turned out that the bottom of the cave was actually an underground river. The water was knee-deep and the water was filled with soft mud.
Chen Jingchou composed himself and looked around. He saw Yu Xiaoxue lying in the soft mud beside the underground river. Chen Jingchou walked over, pulled out his sword, and cut the rope on her body. He asked,""Little Xue! Snowy! Are you alright?"
Yu Xiaoxue slowly raised her head, her face full of surprise."Ah…why is it you?"
Chen Jingchou helped her up and sat down on the riverbank.""Don't be afraid. I'm here to save you.”
"You, you jumped down from the hole…It's very dangerous here!" Yu Xiaoxue said.”
" It's alright," Chen Jingchou said." I've learned some martial arts. I should be able to deal with that monster!"”
"Monster…Are you referring to Lord River God?" Yu Xiaoxue asked.”
"What bullsh * t River God?" Chen Jingchou raised his head. I'm sure it's a demon. Which immortal would sacrifice a living person?”
"But, but Lord River God…How could he be a monster?" Yu Xiaoxue was confused.”
Chen Jingchou was slightly angry. He put his hands behind his back and said,""Every year, your village sacrifices a young girl to worship the River God, and she never returns. Don't you think it's strange? Although I'm just passing by, I can't sit idly by when I encounter such a thing!”
Yu Xiaoxue hesitated for a moment and whispered,""But…but River God, Lord River God…he will punish our entire village.”
" So," Chen Jingchou turned around and said," your village finds an innocent and pitiful little girl every year and uses her life to exchange for a moment of peace in the village, right?"”
"I'm sorry!" Yu Xiaoxue cried in a low voice. I'm sorry…I…I never thought of this before.”
When Chen Jingchou heard this, he quickly bent down and smiled,""Aiya! What are you doing? I'm not scolding you. I'm scolding the adults in your village, not blaming you…Otherwise, why would I come here to save you?”
"I'm sorry…I…" Yu Xiaoxue said.
"Alright!" Chen Jingchou said. Don't say anything else. Let's leave this place quickly!”
Chen Jingchou helped Yu Xiaoxue up and was about to leave when a muffled roar suddenly came from the upper reaches of the underground river. "Lord…Lord River God…" Chen Jingchou said in surprise."Don't be afraid! I'm here!" Under the illumination of the fire, a huge wave surged down and arrived in front of him in an instant. Chen Jingchou quickly helped Yu Xiaoxue to dodge to a higher place.
As the waves swept past, a green mermaid spirit emerged from the water. It was dozens of feet long and weighed more than a thousand pounds. Its back was covered with mottled patterns. It had a long beard and sharp teeth. It was sniffing the smell in the water. Chen Jingchou pulled out his sword and stood in front of Yu Xiaoxue. The mermaid spirit seemed to have discovered the traces of the two people and slowly turned its head to Chen Jingchou and Yu Xiaoxue.
Chen Jingchou jumped to the other side and laughed,""What bullshit River God! So it's a shark spirit!" The mermaid turned around and glared at Chen Jingchou. Chen Jingchou picked up a round stone and threw it at the mermaid. With a bang, it hit the mermaid's head. The mermaid shook her head, feeling furious. Chen Jingchou threw out a few more flying stones, and with a few bangs, they all smashed onto the mermaid's body. The mermaid was in pain and hissed in anger. It curled up its body and gathered its strength. Chen Jingchou didn't dare to slack off. He focused his attention, raised his iron sword, and got into position to meet the enemy. The mermaid's giant tail suddenly raised a huge wave and slapped toward Chen Jingchou with great force and ferocity. Just as he was about to hit the mermaid, Chen Jingchou suddenly thrust his sword forward and stabbed it into the mermaid's tail. The mermaid spirit was in pain. It raised its tail and slapped the river, raising a huge wave.
At the place where the waves rolled, he suddenly heard "Ah!" A miserable scream. Chen Jingchou was shocked and cried out, Not good!”When he saw Yu Xiaoxue, she had already been swept into the underground river by the waves.
Chen Jingchou leaped and flew to his rescue. The giant tail of the mermaid suddenly swept across the sky, bringing up waves. Chen Jingchou's vision blurred and he couldn't dodge in time. With a bang, he was hit heavily on his lower abdomen. He flew backward and crashed into the rock wall, his entire body in pain. The mermaid turned around and pounced on Yu Xiaoxue. "Be careful!" Chen Jingchou shouted. Ignoring the pain, he pounced forward and swung his sword at the mermaid. The giant mermaid swung its tail fiercely, blocking Chen Jingchou. In an instant, Yu Xiaoxue was caught in its long tongue, and it was about to open its mouth to bite. Suddenly, he heard a thunderous roar. The mermaid shook her head and pushed Yu Xiaoxue several feet away.
Yu Xiaoxue fell on a piece of gravel and fainted immediately. The mermaid's mouth was full of blood, and it kept screaming. Its long tongue was broken at the side. Chen Jingchou didn't have time to think. He hurriedly rushed forward with his sword. The sword shadow was slanted and shadows flew everywhere. The mermaid couldn't withstand it and was hit several times. Her mouth was already injured and blood was flowing out. The water was red and she gradually couldn't hold on anymore. Chen Jingchou rushed forward and jumped up, stabbing his sword into the mermaid's back. The mermaid shrieked in pain. It slapped its giant tail and raised several waves. It swam downstream along the water flow of the underground river.
Chen Jingchou was concerned about Yu Xiaoxue's injuries. He left the mermaid behind, picked up his sword, and ran to Yu Xiaoxue's side. He leaned over to take a look. Fortunately, Yu Xiaoxue was not seriously injured and only fainted. Chen Jingchou went to the underground river and took some water. He sprinkled it on Yu Xiaoxue's face. After a while, Yu Xiaoxue slowly woke up. Chen Jingchou carefully helped her up and asked,""Are you alright?"
Yu Xiaoxue sat on the ground, looked around, and said,"What happened just now…Where's Lord River God?”
Chen Jingchou sheathed his sword and smiled." Lord River God? Your Lord River God is actually just a mermaid spirit. I've already beaten him away!"”
Yu Xiaoxue thought for a while and said,"Ah…yes…I remember!"”
Chen Jingchou wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was puzzled and asked,""However, it was weird just now…Didn't that mermaid want to eat you? Why did he throw you out later?”
"I, I don't know. Just now…I thought I was dead." Yu Xiaoxue said.”
Chen Jingchou pondered for a moment and said,"En!" It's good that you're fine. You must have been frightened! Rest well. We'll leave this place later.”
Chen Jingchou turned around and looked at the surrounding terrain. He remembered something and asked,""Miss Xiao Xue, why do you suddenly want to die and become a sacrifice to the River God?”
Yu Xiaoxue lowered her head and said,"I…I'm actually very scared."”
"If that's the case, why did you do it?" Chen Jingchou asked.”
Yu Xiaoxue looked sad. After a while, she said,"Because…I feel sorry for my brother, so…I think…if I agree to replace the doctor's daughter, maybe the doctor…the doctor will be grateful…willing to help treat my brother's foot.”
"You're willing to sacrifice your life just for this reason?" Chen Jingchou asked.”
Yu Xiaoxue said," Last night, my brother was sad because he couldn't walk. He was crying secretly…I felt so sad when I saw him…A few years ago, my brother fell ill and had a high fever. Because I didn't have the money to treat her, my brother's feet were crippled. It was all my fault!”A few drops of tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes.
"But, it wasn't your fault!" Chen Jingchou comforted. Where are your parents?"
Yu Xiaoxue's eyes were filled with tears as she whispered,"When I was young, my mother fell ill and passed away…Later, my father was conscripted by the government to go to war and never came back. In the end, it was only me and my brother who were left to rely on each other. Everyone in the village said that it was because I was born with a head full of white hair that brought bad luck to the entire family! Everyone wanted to chase me away. Fortunately, Uncle He, who runs the inn, took pity on us and took us in to help in his inn…"
"Don't be sad!" Chen Jingchou said. Actually, I think your hair is as white as snow. It's really beautiful!”
Yu Xiaoxue blushed and said,"How can my white hair look good?"……”
Chen Jingchou said," It's really very beautiful. It's all because the people in your village think too much that they came up with such a story!”Yu Xiaoxue lowered her head.
The two of them sat down and rested for a while. "Alright!" Chen Jingchou stood up and said. The ceiling of this cave is too high. We have to think of another way to get out!”He helped Yu Xiaoxue up and held the torch. He followed the underground river and explored the way ahead, swimming downstream. Yu Xiaoxue followed closely behind. Not long after, the torch was extinguished, and the surroundings were pitch-black. Chen Jingchou took Yu Xiaoxue's hand and slowly walked forward along the water. After walking for half a day, a ray of light suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. The two of them walked in the direction of the light for more than ten feet before a cave entrance finally appeared. More than half of the cave entrance was flooded, and the water of the underground river flowed out from the bottom of the cave entrance. Chen Jingchou pulled Yu Xiaoxue along and supported herself against the wall of the cave. They walked into the water and slowly made their way out of the cave. His eyes lit up. The water outside the cave was gurgling near the shore. It was by the Moon River. Chen Jingchou and Yu Xiaoxue heaved a sigh of relief when they came ashore.
Chen Jingchou was lying on the grass by the shore, his clothes drenched as he basked in the sun. Yu Xiaoxue, who was sitting at the side, saw a wound several inches long on Chen Jingchou's left arm. It was red as if it was about to drip blood. She hurriedly asked,"Is your hand injured?"
Chen Jingchou turned his face and smiled." My name is Chen Jingchou. Don't call me 'you'!" Just call me Ah Chou! It's just a small injury. It's not a big deal."
Yu Xiaoxue blushed and said,"Brother…Brother Chen!" I've learned some healing methods before. Small injuries are fine. Let me show you!”
Chen Jingchou saw her sincere expression and said,""Alright then!" He sat up and extended his left arm. Yu Xiaoxue leaned over and looked down carefully for a while. He walked to the bank of the stream and found some herbs. He soaked them in the stream water and rubbed them until they were rotten. Then, he returned to Chen Jingchou's side. He applied the herbs on the wound, tore off the corner of his clothes, and bandaged it a few times. Chen Jingchou only felt a cooling sensation on his wound, and the pain instantly disappeared by half. "I didn't expect your medical skills to be so amazing. Have you also learned how to treat injuries?"”
"No, I've never learned any medical skills!" Yu Xiaoxue blushed. I can only treat some small injuries. I can't do anything about my brother's foot. I'm really useless!”
"Then let me teach you some treatment methods!" Chen Jingchou said. It might be helpful in treating your brother's foot.”
"Y-You're telling the truth?" Yu Xiaoxue asked.……I'm afraid I can't learn it…"
"It's alright," Chen Jingchou said."I wasn't born knowing how to do it!”He then taught Yu Xiaoxue some simple methods to treat illnesses. Who knew that Yu Xiaoxue was extremely intelligent. Chen Jingchou had spent nearly a month to learn something, but Yu Xiaoxue had only spent two hours to understand 70 - 80% of it. Chen Jingchou was slightly surprised and taught her some simple self-defense skills. Yu Xiaoxue also memorized them one by one.
Chen Jingchou praised," I really couldn't tell that you were so talented. It took me a long time to learn these things."”
"No, Brother Chen, I don't think I know anything. I'm really useless!" Yu Xiaoxue quickly said.”
"Don't be too humble!" Chen Jingchou said. You're really smart!" Suddenly, he remembered something and said,"Oh right, I still have an iron ring that my master gave me. I'll give it to you!" You can use it as a weapon for self-defense.”Yu Xiaoxue hesitated for a moment and reached out to take it.
Chen Jingchou and Yu Xiaoxue rested for a while on the bank of the stream before slowly walking back to Moon River Village. As soon as they arrived at the village, they suddenly heard a cry from the village. Chen Jingchou didn't know what was going on, but he quickly ran into the village. He couldn't help but gasp, unable to believe what he was seeing. Yu Xiaoxue followed him and was also very surprised. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. The ground was covered in blood. Corpses were strewn all over the open space in front of the village. Many corpses were torn apart, and their hands and feet were scattered to the side. It was extremely bloody. Chen Jingchou hurriedly ran over to a corpse and squatted down to examine it. He saw a few inch-wide wounds that ran from the head and neck to the thigh. The blood on the wounds had not dried yet. Yu Xiaoxue rushed back to the inn and saw two bodies lying in front of the door, one old and one young. When she walked in, she saw that it was Uncle He and his younger brother, Xiao Shuo. The entire floor was dyed red with blood, and the door was covered in blood. Yu Xiaoxue fell to the ground, picked up Xiao Shuo, and cried,""Little Shuo! Uncle He! You guys…what's wrong with you guys…don't…don't leave me alone!”She sobbed. Chen Jingchou walked over and bent down to undo the front of Uncle He's clothes. His chest was bruised, his ribs were broken, and his clothes were covered in blood. Chen Jingchou was shocked. He couldn't think of anyone who had such divine power that could kill people like this. "Don't be too sad," she comforted Yu Xiaoxue."Be careful not to hurt your body by crying!"”
At this moment, a woman's scream suddenly came from the stream. Chen Jingchou picked up his iron sword and dashed over. As soon as he arrived at the stream, he was shocked. The mermaid had already arrived at the stream and was lying on the grass by the bank. It was biting the right leg of a village woman and biting back and forth. The village woman fell to the ground, crying and screaming as her hands clawed forward. The ten villagers in front of her were holding sticks and had been forced to the side of the stream. They were terrified and watched as the village woman was about to die. No one dared to come forward to save her.
"Bastard!" Chen Jingchou shouted angrily. Don't harm anyone!" Pulling out his iron sword, he leaped into the air and thrust out his long sword. With a horizontal sword swing, several silver lights shot out at the same time. The mermaid couldn't dodge in time, and in the blink of an eye, she was stabbed seven or eight times in a row. Fresh blood flowed out, and the grass turned red. He quickly let go of the woman and suddenly turned around. Yang Qi's huge tail swept towards the villagers like a fierce tiger. The villagers were dumbfounded. Their legs were sore, and they couldn't move. They were about to be thrown into the rapid stream and die when the mermaid tail swept over them. Chen Jingchou was greatly frightened. He threw away his iron sword and shouted. He flew up and focused his power on his right palm, striking forward. With a muffled bang, the mermaid trembled all over, and her flesh and blood flew everywhere. She broke into thousands of pieces and scattered into the stream. The entire Moon River was dyed blood red.
Chen Jingchou picked up the iron sword and turned around to look for Yu Xiaoxue. The villagers slowly surrounded them with sticks in their hands and blocked the road. They were furious. "I'm sorry!" Chen Jingchou cupped his hands and said. Everyone…I…"
An old woman walked out of the crowd. She was furious and cursed,"It's all your fault! You acted on your own and killed more than ten people in the village!”Chen Jingchou was stunned. "You, give me back my wife!" Another villager pointed at him and scolded. Give me back my son!" He was about to charge forward and fight Chen Jingchou to the death. Chen Jingchou felt guilty and didn't know what to say. He said,"" I…I…" The village elder shouted,""Get lost! Get out of our village! Don't stand here!" When the villagers heard this, they echoed in unison and shouted,"Yes, get lost immediately! Get lost!"
Yu Xiaoxue heard the shout and hurriedly wiped her tears. She held back her grief and walked over. Standing beside Chen Jingchou, she begged the villagers,"Everyone, don't be like this. "Brother Chen…This Brother Chen went to kill the demons to save our village…" The old woman interrupted Yu Xiaoxue and shouted,"I'm going to kill the demons!""Humph! Snowy! You still have the face to say such things!" "Yes!" the villager replied. Since he was willing to be a sacrifice, he was not willing to be eaten by the River God! It's all your fault for killing the villagers!”"Yes!" the villagers said at once. That's right! It's all your fault, you witch. You're the one who harmed the entire village!”Yu Xiaoxue sobbed,"I…" A villager crossed the wooden stick and shouted,"I'm going to kill you!""Chase them away! Chase them away!" The group of villagers shouted loudly and wanted to charge forward with their clubs. Chen Jingchou felt indignant. He turned around and said,""I'll leave immediately! You don't have to worry!" Without looking back, he strode onto the bridge.
Yu Xiaoxue knelt in front of the villagers and said anxiously," Brother Chen…" The villagers shouted,""Demoness! Get lost too! What are you still doing here! You're a harmful person! Get lost! Get lost!" Yu Xiaoxue was at a loss. The villagers raised their wooden sticks and slowly came forward, forcing Yu Xiaoxue to the side of the stream. They scolded in unison,"Get lost! Get lost! Don't ever come back!"
Yu Xiaoxue had no choice but to walk to the wooden bridge. She watched as the villagers cursed and returned to the village. The cold wind blew, and her body felt cold. She knelt on the ground and could not help but cover her face and cry. Chen Jingchou walked back to Yu Xiaoxue's side. He felt guilty and said,""I'm sorry! Xiao Xue, it's all my fault. I've implicated you!”
"No!" Yu Xiaoxue cried. I'm really the disaster star that everyone is talking about. I'm the one who harmed everyone…I'm sorry! Little Shuo, and Uncle He…I killed you all! I'm sorry…"
"No!" Chen Jingchou shouted. No! You're wrong. This is not the case at all! I'm the one in the wrong! You have nothing to do with it!"
"But…I…" Yu Xiaoxue said.
" You're kind-hearted," Chen Jingchou said gently." You're willing to sacrifice your own life for your brother and the doctor's daughter. I was too careless and implicated you…"
"But…" Yu Xiaoxue said.
Chen Jingchou reached out to help her up and said,""Don't blame yourself, Xiaoxue. You really didn't do anything wrong! You'll be homeless in the future. What do you plan to do in the future?”
"I, I don't know…" Yu Xiaoxue said.
"Since that's the case, do you want to come with me?" Chen Jingchou pondered for a while. Come with me to save my master?"
"With you?" Yu Xiaoxue asked.”
Chen Jingchou nodded." Yes. After I rescue Master, I'll beg him to take you in as his disciple. That way, you'll have a place to settle down!"”
Yu Xiaoxue lowered her head." But, but is this…okay?"”
"Don't worry!" Chen Jingchou laughed. Your talent is so good, master will definitely be very happy!”
"But, but!" Yu Xiaoxue said. I'm worried that I'll bring you bad luck…"
"Bad luck!" Chen Jingchou said. Bad luck…Isn't that all a figment of your villagers 'imagination? I don't believe in this!"
Yu Xiaoxue thought for a while, but she really had nowhere to go, so she could only nod.
" Wait a moment," Chen Jingchou said." We'll be heading to Lei Xiaze in the northwest…We might not be returning to Moon River Village after that!" I'll wait for you on the other side…Let's set off after you've calmed down!”As he spoke, he crossed the bridge.
Yu Xiaoxue knelt on the bridge and cried alone for a while. He stood up, raised his hands, and placed them in front of his mouth. He shouted,"Goodbye…Moon River Village! My hometown! Goodbye…Little Shuo! Goodbye…Uncle He! Goodbye…Father and Mother…Goodbye!……”
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]