Shu Land, Jiange.
Shi Xiaohan’s life was as dull and boring as ever.
From morning to night, I would either practice in the thatched cottage in the mountains, practice martial arts with my senior sisters, or listen to the elders explaining the moves.
The only way to entertain yourself in your spare time is to sit quietly on the rocks on the top of the mountain, listen to the sound of the hanging springs and waterfalls, and watch the remaining flowers falling from the trees.
Compared with the upbringing and respectability of her childhood, or the prosperity and splendor of Luojing City, she was like an ascetic.
Shi Xiaohan is active and playful by nature.
It is not easy for her to endure the loneliness of practicing in Jiange.
But whenever she wants to give up, she always thinks of the scene when Gu Xu rescued her from Hu Yun who became a "ghost waiter" on the day Luo Jing City was destroyed
< p>Gu Xu and Zhao Yan each showed their magical powers and fought back and forth with Hu Yun, who was at a higher level than them.But she could only lie silently on Gu Xu's back, watching them fight, but she couldn't do anything to help.
She hated this feeling of powerlessness.
She wants to become stronger and doesn’t want to be a burden anymore.
I gritted my teeth and persisted.
However, recently, the bag of delicious food that suddenly arrived in her hands added a bit of color to her dull life.
The delicious fish cakes, the fragrant pot helmets, the spicy chicken that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the white and soft tofu pudding
Not only greatly improved her food in Jiange, but also It made her feel that even though the marriage certificate had been thrown into the furnace by her father, Gu Xu still cared about her, and the relationship between the two had not faded at all.
She firmly believed that one day in the future, Gu Xu would act like an unparalleled hero, defeat the enemies who slandered him, and walk on golden clouds to marry her.
Until last night, she had a nightmare.
She dreamed that Gu Xu stood in the sky and said goodbye to her.
He said that he was going to a place far, far away and would never come back again.
When she heard his words, her nose felt sore, tears welled up in her eyes unconsciously, and an ominous premonition emerged in her heart.
She rushed forward, hugged his waist, buried her face in his chest, and begged over and over again: "Don't go, don't go"
< p>However, at this time, Gu Xu's body quickly became hot, limp, and charred. In the bright fire, with a crackling sound, it was quickly burned into black smoke.It’s like a paper person burned at a funeral.
The handsome and gentle smile on his face became as stiff and dull as in the painting.
As his figure gradually turned into black ash in the billowing smoke, her tears also evaporated completely in the flames.
Shi Xiaohan's legs softened and she fell to the ground with a "plop". Her knees were burning, but she seemed not to notice it.
After a whileThen she put her hands on the ground and slowly climbed up.
At this time, an inexplicable question popped up in her mind: What just happened and why am I suddenly so sad?
When Xiaohan woke up, her eyes were filled with tears.
Her mood at the moment was dull and depressing, like a big stone pressing on her chest, making her breathless.
This low mood comes for no reason and is inexplicable.
She raised her head and saw the bag of delicious food on the table next to her.
She stared at it blankly, frowning slightly, thinking for a long time.
Who sent this thing
Did my father send it to me specially because he was worried that I could not adapt to the simple food in Jiange?
Well, Probably so.
No one else besides my father is so familiar with my taste preferences.
After finishing washing and dressing up, Shi Xiaohan left the house where he lived and found his senior sister Chang Xiao under the shade of a tree.
Then Chang Xiao said to her with a complicated expression: "I didn't expect that the traitor Li Batian escaped from the court's roundup again."
"Li Batian Who is that?" This unfamiliar name made Shi Xiaohan feel a little confused.
“How come you don’t remember that famous rebel who ruled the western frontier of Daqi?” Chang Xiao said in surprise, while pointing to the warehouse next to him, “His portrait is still there. It's posted at our mountain gate."
Shi Xiaohan looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough he saw a wanted notice posted on the door of the warehouse.
The wanted poster depicts a middle-aged man with a strong back, bearded hair, and a gangster air.
He was holding a big knife and had a fierce look in his eyes.
Although this was just a portrait, Shi Xiaohan still shuddered unconsciously when he was stared at by his evil wolf-like eyes.
At this time, she finally remembered that there seemed to be a bandit named "Li Batian" and nicknamed "The King of Swordsmen" in the Daqi Dynasty recently.
He led a group of younger brothers to kill corrupt officials, fight landlords, and divide the fields, causing a lot of commotion.
The Da Qi court naturally could not tolerate the existence of such a person and sent many monks with advanced cultivation to arrest him.
But Li Batian was as slippery as a loach and couldn't be caught. Almost every move made by the imperial court came to nothing.
"Alas, I have been too tired from practicing sword practice recently, and my memory is not very good." Shi Xiaohan scratched his head, "I have even forgotten such a famous fugitive."
"It's normal," Chang Xiao said with a smile, "This is because junior sister has been focusing on her practice recently and has not heard anything outside the window. When I was practicing my sword last week, I couldn't even remember whether I had eaten or not."< /p>
As the memory of "Li Batian" gradually became clearer in his mind, Shi Xiaohan also smiled.
However, somewhere in the dark, she always felt that the person drawn on yesterday's wanted notice was not Li Batian, but a stranger.Li Batian is a much younger and more handsome man.
But when she expressed her confusion to Chang Xiao, Chang Xiao said very firmly: "The wanted order has always been Li Batian, and it has never changed. After all, in the entire Daqi territory "In addition to Li Batian, who else could have such a high bounty?"
Shi Xiaohan said "hmm", but his mood became more and more irritable.
At this time, Chang Xiao suddenly said: "Junior sister Shi is not married yet."
"Not yet."
"Not engaged yet"
Shi Xiaohan frowned, pondered for a few seconds, and nodded.
“It’s too late to decide on a lifelong event at the age of eighteen,” Chang Xiao chuckled. “A few days ago, Junior Brother Wei from Jingzhou saw Junior Sister’s sword skills. , I admire my junior sister’s charm and specially asked me to inquire about junior sister Shi’s situation.
“Junior Brother Wei is not bad looking, he talks politely, and he is very talented in swordsmanship. Elder Qiu has accepted him as his direct disciple, which means he has a bright future.
"If Junior Sister Shi is interested, you might as well chat with him when you have free time. Maybe we can make a good story."
"Sorry, Senior Sister," Shi Xiaohan interrupted her without thinking. He said, "Thank you for your kindness, but now I just want to concentrate on practicing my sword skills and don't want to think about the love between my children."
Shi Xiaohan didn't know why he refused so simply and resolutely.
She was clearly at the age when a girl was pregnant, but she felt that no one in the world could touch her heartstrings.
It seems that she has really become a ruthless ascetic who is dedicated to practicing swordsmanship. ,,