The two met for the first time one winter. As one of the few survivors, they crawled out of a death pit full of corpses and cooperated with each other for a period of time in order to survive.
There is a friendship, but not acquaintance.
It was the intersection of a group of people who were struggling to survive, and it was also the darkest moment when everything came to an end. No one could even survive simply. They had their own thoughts and naturally had no time to care about each other's past.
In Bai Mo's memory, Wuyu at that time was already dressed in red and 'non-mainstream', but he didn't expect that he would still be so young.
but……
Pulling people into past memories, is this the way the blue eyes fight back?
Judging from the appearance of Wuyu in the picture, his own consciousness should not exist in this body, so this should be just an image of the past.
And this doesn't look like a means of killing, and I don't know what the significance is.
Apart from that, the thing that concerned Bai Mo the most was the blue eye that finally appeared in the dragon's stomach.
The blue eyes are vertical, like glass, and the eyeballs are exactly the same as the eyes of the locked dragon head——
In other words, it's a dragon's eye.
Bai Mo always feels a little strange. If the strangeness of the dragon's body is due to being hosted by an unknown life, then this eyeball should not appear...
Could it be that the faucet is hiding something?
Having said that...
Suddenly, he realized an interesting question.
The place where I woke up, the place where Wuyu was imprisoned, the place where the dragon was imprisoned, and the Hansheng mine that was suspected to be a cemetery... so many elements happened to be concentrated in one place, and now they are almost all gathered together for various reasons.
, is this just a coincidence?
After a long period of experience, Bai Mo no longer believed in coincidences.
While he was thinking, the scene in front of him changed several times, like pressing the accelerator button halfway. Day and night went through several cycles, but the scenery of the lotus pond remained unchanged.
I don’t know how long it took, but a young man in colorful clothes finally came to the river bank again.
Wuyu, or Ji Bai, he is back.
Bai Mo retracted his thoughts and looked at the scene in front of him quietly.
…
I'm really back.
Only a month after returning to Yunhua, I came to the Lotus Pond again. Everything here seemed not to be affected by the seasons. Although it was not as prosperous as the busy city, it had a sense of tranquility and the scenery was particularly pleasant, which calmed my slightly restless heart.
appease.
Qinglian was very surprised to see me and ran straight to me with a smile on her face.
But I couldn't laugh.
"What's the matter, aren't you happy to see me?" Qinglian looked unhappy.
"I... came here to ask for something."
"What's the matter?" Qinglian asked.
"I want to lend you Lianxin..." My voice became smaller and smaller, and my father's words rang in my mind.
"There is a severe drought in the country now. I heard that if there is a plant evil creature willing to hand over its heart, it can be sacrificed with its natural power. Perhaps it can ask the gods for rain to help Yunhua's subjects survive this disaster."
Qinglian blinked her eyes and said nothing, just looking straight at me.
I came back not to meet again, but to ask for something. Guilt lingered in my heart, and I suddenly felt that time had suddenly become extremely long.
A gust of wind blew by, caressing the grass and river water, and also lifted the girl's long hair.
"OK."
"You don't have to do it even if you don't want to... What, what?"
I was already prepared to be rejected. After all, Lianxin must be extremely important to Qinglian, but I didn't expect that she actually agreed.
...She didn't even ask me what I wanted Lian Xin to do.
"But if you promise me, you have to do it within twenty days... No, you have to try your best to bring Lian Xin back to me within a month."
After saying that, Qinglian spit out a small bloody lotus from her mouth and handed it to me without hesitation.
Seeing that Qinglian's expression was normal and she didn't seem to be feeling any discomfort, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said seriously: "Don't worry, I will definitely bring Lianxin back within a month."
Qinglian nodded, said goodbye to me, and then sat down on the bank of the river, put her feet in the water, and looked at the lake in silence.
I was silent. Qinglian was like this when I first came here, and she is still like this now. Maybe in the past ten years without anyone around her, she has always been like this, looking into the distance alone.
"Look, the dandelions on the other side are about to bloom." Qinglian whispered.
"What?" I didn't hear clearly.
"It's nothing." She turned back and smiled sweetly at me, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you to come back."
Just like the first time we separated, she waved to me.
I hurried back to Yunhua, asked my father to take me into the palace, handed the lotus heart to the king, and asked him to protect the lotus heart and end the sacrifice within a month.
The king readily agreed and immediately prepared relevant matters.
The moment the rain fell, I heard the cheers of the people across the country, Yunhua was saved.
Vaguely, someone seemed to be calling my name in the sound of rain - Lian Xin's matter was not a secret, they regarded me as a hero.
I am naturally happy about this, and secretly a little proud of myself. At the same time, I am also relieved. It has only taken fifteen days, and I will soon be able to return the lotus heart to Qinglian.
Thinking like this, I have already arrived at the palace.
"Hahahaha, here you come? Come on, come on, this is Qingyue's little princess Ning Qing'er, please get to know her."
Because of this performance, the king admired me very much. When he saw me, he laughed out loud and pointed to an attractive woman in front of him to introduce me.
I looked over and saw that it was the princess from a neighboring country that I had longed for. I had a chance encounter with her.
Well-educated, beautiful and dignified, her figure has long been deeply engraved in my heart, and now she is even more beautiful and charming.
"This should be the crown prince." Ning Qing'er smiled sweetly and her voice was like an oriole.
Next, the king told me the reason why Ning Qing'er appeared here. It turned out that the neighboring country Qingyue was also suffering from drought, but it was difficult to find a willing heart. When he heard that Yunhua had it, he hoped to borrow the lotus heart. .
I frowned when I heard this. The sacrifice took a lot of time, maybe more than a month.
"Don't worry, Qingyue promises to solve the drought as quickly as possible. You have to be considerate of King Qingyue. You must know that the victims there are no less than us. Many people need rain."
Thinking of the suffering victims, I hesitated a little, but Qinglian believed in me so much that I absolutely could not lose my credibility.
Seeing my hesitation, the king couldn't help but said: "This time you are already the hero of Yunhua. If you save the people of Qingyue again, you will definitely win the favor of the little princess..."
Naturally, I understood his thoughts in my heart. The King has always valued profits, and this move was just to make Qing Yue a good friend. However, when I thought of Ning Qing'er's voice and smile, I was really moved.
"At that time, I will definitely let you marry her." The king seemed to have seen my thoughts and said bewitchingly, "I can guarantee that Yunhua will fully support this marriage. I think the king of Qingyue will also
No objection."
Marry?
A bride in red suddenly appeared in my mind, sitting beside the bed. I lifted my hijab, revealing Ning Qing'er's beautiful face.
But the next second, the face blurred for a moment, and turned into Qinglian's smile again.
I put my thoughts aside, weighed it for a long time, and said solemnly: "I also ask the king to promise that Qingyue will complete everything within twelve days."
The king smiled slightly: "I promise you."
Qinglian's residence is secret and cannot be disclosed at will. I weighed it for a long time and selected two of my most trusted subordinates to send a letter to Qinglian, telling her that I would return it to Lianxin on time.
However, I made a mistake.
One month was getting closer and closer, and I was anxious. I went to the palace again and again, but to no avail.
"Your Highness, I have something to tell you."
Once again I didn't get a reply, so I left the palace in frustration and met the Imperial Master head-on.
"Master, please speak."
"Since the lotus heart was given to you by the lotus demon on its own initiative, this evil creature must trust you very much."
"What did the Imperial Master want to say?" I narrowed my eyes. The lotus demon's statement made me very uncomfortable. I felt angry in my heart, and even wondered if he had Qinglian's idea.
To the world, although evil things are a scourge, they are even more valuable, especially a lotus with a red heart.
The Imperial Master was stunned, shook his head and said with a smile: "Your Highness, you are overthinking it. What I want to say is that there are only a few evil things that can be produced from the Danxin, which have various wonderful uses. However, if you leave the body for more than twenty-five days, I am afraid that you will not be able to return to the body.
…”
"In other words, this lotus demon is probably about to return to its original form. I wonder if the prince knows about this?"
His expression was complicated, as if he was thinking of something in the past.
The 25th?
Didn’t Qinglian say thirty days?
I was struck by lightning and did not hear the next words of the Imperial Master.
In fact, after several attempts by the king to push me away, I have already violated my oath. It has been thirty-two days since I got the lotus heart. That Qinglian...
How is she?
What makes me even more annoyed is that my two subordinates who delivered the message never came back.
"I am willing to hand over the most important Lianxin. Lian... that person must have a very good relationship with His Royal Highness." The Imperial Master shook his head and left.
I was so distraught that I left the palace silently, sat at home for a long time, picked up my sword and walked towards the palace.
The sword is Qinglian Sword. Qinglian gave it to me for self-defense before she left. She said she had no use for it.
But now that she thinks about it, this is a precious relic left to her by her mother after all.
All along, I have been asking Qinglian for wine, swords, and even life, but she has never refused, let alone asked for anything in return, but what have I given?
My heart ached and I tightened my grip on the Green Lotus Sword.
Along the way, people who expressed their gratitude to me could be seen everywhere. After the heavy rain, the clouds were peaceful. Since the king wanted to publicize it, everyone thought it was my contribution.
However, the brighter their smiles became, the more I felt guilty.
I came to the palace.
"Your Majesty, where is the lotus heart? If it is in Qingyue, then I will go and get it myself."
The king was aloof: "Do you know what is the crime of bringing a sword into the palace?"
"I only know that I broke my promise. Qingyue did the same, and the king... also did the same."
The king looked at me majestically, and I looked at him without fear.
"The lotus heart was sent back yesterday. I want to keep it. You must know that drought does not happen just once. You have to think about the people."
I pressed the hilt of the sword and asked, "Your Majesty, with his eloquent words, are you planning to break your promise?"
The king sighed and said, "I am thinking about the whole Yunhua."
I pulled out my sword, sword energy surrounded me, and said: "The drought is over. I have not failed the clouds, I have not failed the people, but I have failed my promise because my vanity blinded me. If the king is unwilling to return it, I will have no choice but to give it back."
Come and get it yourself.”
"Do you know what you are doing?" The king pointed at me and shouted angrily, "What if you can really take the lotus heart away from me and return it to you?"
A group of cold-faced guards appeared in front of him, and their aura was terrifying.
"The king may have forgotten who I am."
I have always been conceited about my swordsmanship. So far, the only person in the world who has laughed at my swordsmanship is Qinglian.
I stroked the sword slightly, and with the unparalleled sword intention, I moved forward.
There were countless masters in the palace, but none of them was my opponent. I fought with them all day and night, but I did not hurt the king, but only took the lotus heart from his hand.
It was only then that I realized that the reason why my guard had not returned was because he was stopped by the king before leaving the city and was taken to the prison to interrogate him about the purpose of his trip - to be more precise, he interrogated Qinglian.
's whereabouts.
Fortunately, my two subordinates never let go, so no one knew about Qinglian's whereabouts.
The arrest of the two men was said to be because my father intentionally revealed their whereabouts.
"Why is this?"
Although I guessed that my father was thinking about Yunhua, I still can't describe my feelings.
"That is a green lotus with green blood, a very dangerous thing." The king sighed.
"Since there is such a serious danger, why does the king want to know the whereabouts of Lotus?"
He did not answer, but shook his head and said, "That is a vicious creature bred from blood, do you know that?"
"I know."
"You could have been supported by the people and loved by the princesses of neighboring countries. With our help, your swordsmanship could reach its peak."
"I know."
"The lotus heart has been separated from the body for too long. Even if it is taken back, it will not help."
"So you know."
I suddenly raised my head, stared into the king's eyes, and couldn't help but tighten the sword in my hand.
The king was not ashamed of this, and said calmly: "Yunhua needs heavy rain, and we need lotus heart. You should know."
"I don't want to know."
After a long silence, leaving the last words behind, I left the palace.
I returned to the lotus pond with injuries. If Qinglian knew that I took back the lotus heart from the palace, she would definitely not laugh at my poor swordsmanship, right?
Having said that, I am so obsessed with improving my swordsmanship, I don’t know whether it is to gain the appreciation of the princess, or to make Qinglian stop laughing at me.
Now that I think about it, I actually already have the answer in my mind.
The closer I got to the river, the more my hands shook. I was afraid that what I saw was not a person, but a lotus.
There is no wind by the river, and the willows are motionless. In the past, where Qinglian liked to sit most, a letter was pressed down by a bloody lotus.
The corners of my eyes were sore, I looked around and shouted Qinglian's name. I wanted to see her come out from somewhere, cover her mouth and laugh at me like before, saying that I was cheated.
But no, there was nothing except the blood lotus.
I trembled and squatted next to the red lotus, and carefully put the lotus heart into the lotus. I saw the light flashing a few times, but the red lotus did not change at all.
I remembered the words of the Imperial Master, and the corners of my eyes felt sour.
"Your Majesty, you must be mentally prepared... the lotus heart has been separated from the body for too long, and it may be difficult for that person to return to his original body."
I was lost for a long time before I picked up the letter on the ground and opened it carefully.
The handwriting is delicate and elegant, probably Qinglian's handwriting.
"Xiaobai, I've been waiting for you. I thought about it for a long time and realized that there are many things that you can't be too cautious about, so I'm not afraid of anything now - I promised you that when you come back, you will take me to see
Huai'an."
"There was a motorcade passing by outside the lotus pond. I saw the princess you mentioned. She is really good-looking, prettier than me. No wonder you like her so much. Come on, you are actually very powerful. You can definitely marry her."
"I shouldn't be able to wait until you come back. It seems that I won't be able to see Huai'an. I thought I could hold on for a long time. The one who is not so good is actually me... I seem to be changing back to my original shape. I don't know my original shape.
Whether it looks good or not, Xiaobai will not like it when he sees it."
"Don't be sad and blame yourself. I don't blame you. I know that you must have something important to do to prevent you from coming back. My mother has always told me that I was born with sins on my back, and loneliness is my destiny.
In fact, I have always thought so."
"But you told me that you can't choose your birth. Even if the world doesn't like me, you will like me. I have been alone for so long, and it's great to have you by my side for a while."
"The Green Lotus Sword is just a parting gift to you. I know you love drinking Green Lotus Wine the most, so I brewed some more during these days. This time I am more careful. It will definitely taste better than the previous one. But still
You have to wait half a month before you can drink it, otherwise it may be a bit bitter."
"But you have to save your drink this time. Once you finish drinking it, there won't be any more."
"Be sure to drink sparingly. Take a sip when you are about to forget me. This way you will remember me, but don't forget me."
"A lot of dandelions have flown away across the river bank. They are all over the sky. They are so beautiful. I originally wanted to see them with you, but it seems you are so unlucky that you missed this beautiful scenery."
"I sometimes think that it would be great if I was also a dandelion. I could go with the wind and be free. I could go wherever I wanted. I could go to the snow-capped mountains, see the sea, go to Huai'an..."
"By the way, I can still go find you."
"Sure enough, I'm still a little bit unwilling. In the end, I didn't get to see you again."
"I hope you can hold a beautiful woman in your arms, grow old together with the princess, and be free from illness and disaster for the rest of your life, and be happy and healthy."
"Lian Xin, I'll give it to you as a gift."
"Qinglian."
There are some water stains at the end of the letter, and I don’t know if they are new or old.
I wiped the corners of my eyes.
…Qinglian didn’t blame me until the end.
I broke my oath, she must be very sad, right?
The cool breeze blew by, and my cheeks became cold again.
In fact, what I want to marry is not a princess at all, but you, Qinglian!
I secretly cursed myself for being slow and shouted towards the river, but no one answered.
After sitting by the river for a long time, I carefully put away the letter and walked into the forest.
The harp in the forest is still there, but there are many jars of wine beside it.
I watched silently, and Qinglian's words suddenly sounded in my ears.
"Do you know why this wine takes so much effort? Because it requires my blood. I feel terrible pain. Or maybe I brewed such a jar out of curiosity before."
The scene in front of me changed. I seemed to see a girl who was already weak from losing her lotus heart. She endured the pain, gritted her teeth and let out her own blood, poured it into jars, and then turned it into wine with a smile.
How could there be such a stupid girl? I looked at the jar of wine in front of me, my eyes became wet again, I raised my hand and slapped myself hard.
"Ji Bai, you're sorry for Qinglian."
I said to myself.
Next, there is another rapid alternation of day and night, and the screen fast-forwards again——
During that time, I sat around day and night, drinking wine to drown my sorrows. When I regained consciousness, there was not much Qinglian wine left.
So I found a gourd, poured the last of the green lotus wine into the gourd, and covered it.
I thought a lot and thought that if I hadn’t cared too much about so-called human relationships, benevolence, justice and morality, if I hadn’t cared too much about the joys and sorrows of others, and inexplicable vanity, and if I hadn’t been too selfish, Qinglian wouldn’t have become like this.
——
How about becoming a ruthless person from now on?
I said silently to the red lotus in my hand.
No one answered.
At the moment when the dandelions on the other side of the river were flying again, like stars in the sky, I finally understood Qinglian's mood at that time, which was an eager expectation to share it with others.
I picked up the red lotus and carefully put it into a jade box.
"Come on, Qinglian, I'll take you to see Huai'an."
"Not just Huai'an, I will show you all the prosperity in this world."
There is no more Ji Bai in Yunhua, but there is another Qinglian swordsman in the world.
The road to Huai'an is long, I have one person and one sword, I have seen all kinds of people, killed countless evil creatures and ruthless bandits, and I have become more and more tired of the so-called human nature, the so-called benevolence, justice and morality.
Those are the shackles of the world.
There are two gourds hanging around my waist. One contains the wine of troubled times and I drink it bitterly, but the other one is never opened.
I have never drunk Qinglian wine again, but even if I don't drink it, I still remember the taste, let alone Qinglian.
I have walked through snow-capped mountains, crossed volcanoes, and seen the sea. This is not the shortest way to Huai'an, but it is the scenery Qinglian wants to see.
I was lying in the endless desert, and I was the only one left in the vast sea of sand. Looking at the starry sky, I suddenly felt something in my heart. I stood up, drew my sword and swung it, suddenly thrust out a shocking sword. I couldn't help but smile behind me and said: "Qinglian, you
Give this sword a name."
The sea of sand is vast and no one responds.
I lost my composure and realized that I was not lying on the grass, and the girl watching me practice the sword was no longer there, so I chuckled and said: "I know, I should name it after you -"
"Then why not call it Qinglian Jianyin."
When I arrived in Huai'an, it was already half a year later.
I don’t know when, everyone in the world calls me the swordsman. They say that I like wine and love swords, but they don’t know that I like Qinglian wine and love Qinglian sword.
Huai'an is more prosperous than before. If Qinglian was still there, I don't know how happy she would be to see all this.
I was a little sad, but I didn't forget to go to the respected old man and ask about Qinglian's transformation.
"When the lotus heart returns to its body, it is possible to transform again. I don't know the specific method. Maybe... letting it grow as it did in the beginning is a good choice."
The same question has been asked countless times, and I didn't have any hope, but this time the old man didn't shake his head directly, but pointed out the way for me.
Although I am not convinced in my words.
What? I was stunned. Did I delay Qinglian's transformation along the way?
I desperately want to return to the lotus pond.
"But, alas, this transformation is a new beginning. Just like the rebirth of a person, the person who transforms may not be the same person as before."
I was stunned: "Do you mean to say that even if Qinglian transforms again, she will be another person?"
"That's right." The old man looked at me for a long time, shook his head and sighed, "Qinglian Sword Immortal... I see."
I was silent for a moment, took a sip of wine, thanked him, and turned to leave.
What kind of swordsman am I?
If it could be exchanged, I would give up the name of the Sword Immortal in exchange for the green lotus in my palm.
The name of the Sword Immortal was somewhat of a deterrent, and he did not block my return. It only took me four months to return to the lotus pond. I placed the blood lotus on the bank of the river and waited patiently for three years.
The lotus flower is like blood, without any change.
Day after day, year after year, the sun and the moon rotated, and the scene in front of me remained unchanged. I sighed and fell asleep.
It was early in the morning when I woke up again. I saw a girl in blue standing on the bank of the river, with bare feet and three thousand blue hairs moving in the wind. She looked back at me with a smile in my almost dull eyes.
"Are you awake?"
"Qinglian..." I was stunned for a long time, held back my tears, raised my hand and walked towards her.
"Do you know me? My name is Qinglian?"
The girl frowned and took a step back, tilting her head and asked.
My steps stopped.
"Don't you remember, I'm Ji Bai, Xiaobai." I said bitterly, and the hand I raised fell down feebly.
"I don't remember." The girl blinked and shook her head.
Microwaves appeared on the lake surface, the willow branches swayed slightly, and the girl's green hair was like a waterfall, just as she had first seen her.
But she has been reborn and is no longer the person I remember.
I looked at her for a long time and turned around a little lonely. Since Qinglian is no longer Qinglian, why should I disturb her life.
"Are you leaving?"
"Gone."
"Are you just leaving like this?"
I didn't answer, picked up the sword and wine gourd, and left without looking back.
After walking a few steps, another shout came from behind.
"Xiaobai, liar! How could you run away like this!"
I stopped in my tracks, turned around in disbelief, and dropped the sword and gourd on the ground.
"You promised to take me to see Huai'an!"
Under the morning light, the girl in green clothes smiled with tears in her eyes and ran towards me with all her strength. This is a scene that can only be seen in dreams.
I rushed forward without hesitation and crossed my arms, but there was nothing in my arms.
I felt a pain in my heart, and when I opened my eyes, there was no sign of the girl in front of me. The bloody lotus was still in place, not transformed into a human form.
"I see, it is indeed a dream..."
Everything is in vain.
The sky suddenly turned to blood, one person and one lotus stood silently facing each other, and time seemed to be stopped.
The setting sun shattered, the picture blurred, and everything came to an abrupt end.
The bloody sunset turned into a blue eye, slowly opening from the sky, staring indifferently at the invisible people below——
Bai Mo, Yang Yiyi, Wuyu.
None of the three people seemed to notice the prying eyes of the huge eyes, and just stood there blankly.
At some point, a strong and extreme sadness poured into everyone's hearts.
It was a sadness that seemed to tear my heart apart.
