Half Demon and Half Mountain

"One year, my master and I walked along the street where the Hongjin Courtyard is located. Looking at the red lanterns at the door, I said—that place is like a lotus pond. At first I thought it was a compliment from my master, because my master is not an old man. Ordinary people of high or low birth. Aren’t the slim and graceful girls in the Hongjin courtyard the lotus flowers growing in the mud? But later I realized that there are not only lotus flowers in the lotus pond, but also lotus roots under the mud. Those sections are white Isn't the lotus root like a pile of white bones?"

Hearing Huan Le's sigh, Cen Shen was in a delicate mood.As a purely modern person, most of his concepts of brothels come from various film and television dramas.

Sometimes it is the place where various cases take place, sometimes it is a place for literati and poets to drink and have fun, where idiots and resentful women appear in turn, and one poignant love story after another is staged here.All know its nature to be sinful, yet many, many still yearn for it.

The story Huan Le is about to tell must not be a good one, Cen Shen thought.

But right now there is no extra time for Huan Le to reminisce about the past, he quickly pointed to the northeast corner of the fourth floor, and said, "Did you see that person half covered by the red gauze? That's him."

Cen Shen looked from a distance and saw that graceful back, with black hair like waterfalls, red clothes like fire, a lotus root arm exposed, fingertips picking the chin of a drunkard beside him, just looking at the back makes people dream .

"Who is she? The girl from Hongjinyuan?" Cen Shen frowned.

"No, he's a man. He doesn't have a surname, only a first name, called Zhenzhen." Huan Le tried to keep his tone as calm as possible, "He is a child born to a girl in the courtyard, because boys are not suitable to be there. I live in a kind of place, so I have been dressing up as a daughter since I was a child. And...he is a half-demon."

Hearing this, Cen Shen's heart trembled.

Huan Le carefully watched his expression, and continued: "It's just that his illness was much more serious than yours, so he died when he was fifteen or sixteen years old. He was a ghost, but he never left. Cases of guests disappearing without reason began to appear in the New Year Courtyard. At first, they thought they were lost. Jing Zhaoyin went to investigate, but nothing was found. The body could not be found, and everyone in the Hongjin Courtyard had an alibi But later, rumors suddenly spread in the streets and alleys, saying that there is an oiran named Zhenzhen who is the most famous in Chang'an in the Hongjin Courtyard, and she is as beautiful as a jade.

"But there is no such person in Hongjin Academy." Cen Shen said.

"That's right. Whether it's true or not, it became a mystery for a while. But some people swear by it, saying that they once had a glimpse of him in the Hongjin Courtyard, and even drew his portrait. The portrait is only three points similar, but it is also a proof. Later The matter became more and more troublesome, Dali Temple intervened and found that all the missing people were actually monsters, so the case was handed over to Suzaku Terrace."

Huan Le still remembered the grand occasion at that time, it was obviously a case involving countless lives, but because of the name of "beauty", it became an anecdote that was talked about.

Many people even have illusions, thinking that those who disappeared did not die, they just stayed by Zhenzhen's side, and like the lucky scholars in all the stories, they won the favor of beauties.This is undoubtedly an overly romantic, even stupid conjecture, but in such a peaceful and prosperous age, under the shadow of luxurious and luxurious lights, such romanticism is the most appropriate.

Huan Le once heard this conjecture at a banquet, a group of high-school children exchanged glasses, chatted and had fun, saying that whether it was flirtatious or promiscuous, Huan Le was just going to drink anyway.

He once aspired to be a dandy, drink all the wine in the world, ride a horse to cross Chang'an, and don't have to go to school, so beautiful and happy, so uncomfortable.

Later, he found out that these noble sons would be beaten when they went home, and he didn't yearn for it as time went by.

Who is he, he is the famous Huan San Gongzi, he should form a school of his own.In modern terms, it is to be a man who can lead the fashion trend in Chang'an.

"But I didn't go to see Zhenzhen with them." Huan Le dismissed himself at the right time.

But Cen Shen didn't believe it, judging by Huan Le's curiosity about going to the ghost banquet bravely, how could he not go to see the legendary oiran.

Facing Cen Shen's questioning gaze, Huan Le touched his nose, and said awkwardly: "I really didn't go with them, I went to investigate the case alone."

Before the case was handed over to Suzaku Terrace, Huan Le had indeed been to Hongjin Courtyard.With his temperament, it would be a bit embarrassing for him to resist to find out.

So Huan Banshan, the boy with the sword, chose a night with a slight breeze, and decided to visit the Hongjin Courtyard at night.

"Have you seen him?" Cen Shen asked.

"I saw him. But he had a visitor that day, and I only had time to take a look at him before he disappeared." Huan Le is still a bit regretful to this day. If he had gone earlier, maybe he could have saved that person. .

Cen Shen suddenly asked, "Is he beautiful?"

Huan Le replied subconsciously: "Beauty...is beautiful, but not as good-looking as A-Cen. In my heart, A-Cen is the prettiest."

Cen Shen refused to comment, and glanced at Zhenzhen downstairs, but he never turned his head.Huan Le said that he was a half-demon, and he specially picked monsters to attack, was it for revenge?

Huan Le saw that he was fascinated, but dared not continue.He mentioned the demon haunting in the Hongjin Courtyard many times, but he never dared to tell Cen Shen the true story, for the same reason.

Both are half-demons, but in some respects, they are too similar to Cen Shen.

Fortunately, at this time, Zhenzhen finally discovered the existence of Huanping.He stared at Huan Ping's back in a daze for a long time, it seemed that it took him a long time to remember that this was the person who killed him in the end.

From Huan Le and Cen Shen's point of view, they couldn't hear what he really said, but they could see him muttering to himself, and the look of his eyes hanging down sadly made me feel pity.

It is probably a kind of beauty that transcends gender, so stunning that it makes people forget other external conditions.

"Let's get closer." Huan Le took Cen Shen downstairs, carefully avoiding all kinds of drunks, and finally arrived at a place closer to Zhenzhen.

Zhenzhen has been looking at Huanping.

As he got closer, Cen Shen could notice the hatred and sadness in his eyes, and even a trace of struggle and hysteria.But soon, these emotions were hidden in his eyes.

Cen Shen looked at Zhenzhen and walked out of the corner where he had been staying all the time. No matter where the beauty is, it attracts the attention of everyone, even in the Tower of Rebirth where there are ghosts.

Zhenzhen, who has died, still maintains the appearance of his life, not as scary as other ghosts at all.He is obviously a tall man, but it is not surprising that he acts like a daughter.It was like engraved in his bones and blood, and the natural charm was like an aphrodisiac, which could easily drive people crazy.

"Lord Huan." He softly called Huan Ping.

Huan Ping turned around and saw him, separated by countless ghost shadows and flickering lights, Huan Ping looked a little dazed.He was stunned, subconsciously pressed the long knife at his waist, and asked, "Why are you still here? Why don't you reincarnate as soon as possible and get out of the sea of ​​suffering."

Zhenzhen smiled and asked, "Why did Lord Huan come here?"

"Looking for someone." Huan Ping said concisely, and his expression didn't change a bit.

"Really." Zhenzhen lowered her eyebrows, thoughtful.

After a long time, before Huan Ping was about to turn around and leave, Zhenzhen called him again, and asked softly: "How is Master Huan doing recently? It will be a long time, I really miss him very much."

Huan Ping frowned, "Is this related to you?"

"Lord Huan is still as ruthless as ever."

"You are a ghost, I am a demon, I have nothing to say."

After finishing speaking, Huan Ping turned and left without any hesitation.

Zhen Zhen watched him go, clenched his fists tightly with his hands hidden in his sleeves, his nails dug deep into his flesh, but no more blood flowed out.He laughed suddenly, quickly caught up with Huan Ping, put his hand on his shoulder, and whispered to him with a smile.

"My lord, why are you running so fast? Why are you still looking for your third younger brother today? Oh, I forgot, he is a famous young man from the middle of the mountain, and you, my lord, are just an errand runner. Who remembers you? "

Huan Ping took a step back with displeasure in his eyes, "Stop talking nonsense."

But Zhenzhen grabbed his arm: "Only Zhenzhen understands what my lord is thinking. You told me at Zhuque Terrace, have you forgotten? You hate him, you hate him, only if he dies, the world People will really see your existence, won't they?"

"Shut up." Huan Ping's face changed completely, the elder brother who was always gentle and amiable in Huan Le's impression seemed to be another person at this moment.

Cold and fierce, his eyes were as cold as a knife licking blood.

Huan Le was instantly cold all over.

Huan Ping didn't know that he was watching, he looked at Zhen Zhen with those terrifying eyes, and said in a deep voice: "You are already dead, don't be a monster again. You think it's just a mere demon, how can you get me?"

"Really can't?" Zhenzhen looked at him with an almost obsessed look, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, "Why do you suppress yourself to be a good person? I know, you are very painful to suppress, right? Even the people next to you don't really understand you, in that Huan family, you will always be a gentle and tolerant elder brother, if they know your true face, will they accept you?"

Huan Ping was sullen and didn't answer.

Zhenzhen continued to speak, her whole body was about to lean against him, and her voice became more and more seductive, "The love of the world is so cheap, even the closest relatives will abandon you without hesitation, why should you Worrying about them everywhere... If you want, let Huan Banshan stay here forever, isn't it good..."

But Huanping's answer was only one word, "Get lost."

He pushed Zhenzhen away, and almost didn't want to leave here for a moment.

Zhenzhen laughed even more happily, and tears even came out of the corners of his eyes.He leaned on the railing and watched Huan Ping's leaving back, his eyes were sad and crazy.

The author has something to say: There was a small bug in the front, and it was changed.It is the time when the demon haunting in the Hongjin Courtyard happened, it should be before the ghost banquet, there was a typo in the front, it has been corrected.