to blame

Before setting off from Yaozhou, both Mingxia and Qingqiu had their appearance adjusted by the technical team. Although the effect was not as exaggerated as the disguise technique, it was still quite different from their usual appearance.At least if you come looking for someone with Ming Xia's photo, you will definitely not find him.

Qingqiu was also dyed a khaki color, curled up in a pet box, much like a pet dog.

Ming Xia took the new ID card issued to him by the technical team, took a long-distance bus to Baoji, and then took a short-term bus from Baoji to the mountain.This route is basically the route Ming's father and Ming's mother took to enter the mountain.

When it was getting dark, one person and one fox arrived at the small mountain village that Ming's mother had mentioned.

The small mountain village in the deep mountains is the real backer.With the implementation of protection measures in recent years, many hunters have to change their careers. However, the living resources in the mountains are limited after all, and many young people go outside together to seek a living.

Today's Hengcun is no longer the peaceful little mountain village that Ming's mother remembered as a peach blossom garden.

Ming Xia can barely understand some dialects, and since the people in Hengcun have received many scientific expedition teams, most of the villagers can also speak a little Mandarin, so there is no big obstacle in communication.

He asked the villagers for news about his adoptive father's family.

Probably because there are very few migrants in the village, everyone in the village still remembers that family.Some even remembered Ming Xia.In their eyes, Ming Xia is just a child in the mountain village, who just grew up and flew away.

For example, the old lady of the family closest to the adoptive father’s house said: “At that time, you were so skinny, you ran around, and once you deliberately hid behind my kitchen so that the village would look for you in New Year’s Eve. Hey, New Year’s Eve He is also a child, and he is not angry. You kicked my jar down, and instead of helping me up the jar, he hugged you first..."

Ming Xia and the old woman laughed together.

The old woman sighed with a smile, "His two daughters are also up to the mark, and took him out early. Their house has been empty for a long time, and it has not been cleaned up. There is no one to live in. You can live with me honestly. During the day Go and have a look."

Elderly people are particular about houses that have been deserted for a long time, and they cannot go after dark.

Ming Xia thanked her.He also knew that in this season, although winter had passed, spring had not arrived, and it was still very cold in the mountains at night.

The old lady was also surnamed Jiang, her wife passed away early, and the family's son and daughter had already settled down in other places.Granny Jiang was reluctant to leave Hengcun at first, but now that she is getting older, she doesn't want to be separated from her grandson. Her family's fields have been given up to the villagers. When the weather gets warmer, she will leave the village to live with her children .

Thinking of this, Ming Xia felt a little sad.

From his selfishness, he wants to see a peach blossom garden in the memories of his parents, with villages, fields, curling smoke, and friendly neighbors. He can see laughing children as soon as he goes out...

But after he saw the living conditions of this small mountain village with his own eyes, and saw the old people and left-behind children walking on the country roads, he knew that these people, those who still stubbornly stayed in the village, would leave sooner or later.They will go back among the people and give the land back to the mountains.

Granny Jiang tidied up the room where her son used to live, burned the kang, and laid a new quilt for him.

Life in the mountains starts at sunrise and rests at sunset, and Grandma Jiang went to rest early.

Ming Xia was lying in a strange room, and beside her ears was the low howling of the forest breathing at night.This kind of sound seems to be there, but it seems that the world is quieter when I hear it.

It is empty, quiet, and isolated from the world.

Qingqiu nestled beside him, also quietly, not knowing what he was thinking.Perhaps the solemn atmosphere of the mountains and forests calmed down their restless hearts.

Ming Xia felt that something was faintly sprouting in the depths of his soul.Closing his eyes, he seemed to see his young self, wearing a rustic little padded jacket, running around the farmyard laughing and laughing. Behind him, a tall and strong man chased him up. Open, as if always in case he would fall.

Ming Xia laughed.

Between half-dream and half-awake, his smile is pure and bright, like a spoiled and happy child.

When leaving early the next morning, Ming Xia secretly stuffed a few banknotes under the pillow.

He took a bag of dry food that Granny Jiang had prepared for him, and went to Jiang Danian's house first.This was his home when he was young, but unfortunately he doesn't remember anything, just standing here, looking at the dilapidated houses and vegetable fields in the yard, he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.

The Jiang family did not lock the door when they moved out, because they knew they would not come back, so they simply handed over the right to dispose of the house to the village.However, the location of Jiang's house is remote, and no one in the village is willing to move here, so it has been vacant.

Ming Xia looked around inside and out, and took a lot of photos.

He specifically went to the room where he lived in when he was young. It is said that this is the room where he raised the little fox and where the demon pill disappeared.However, Qingqiu strolled back and forth a few times, and did not sense any special energy fluctuations.

Ming Xia left Jiang's compound with Qingqiu in his arms, and walked along the narrow path to the mountains.

This direction was chosen by Qingqiu, Mingxia doesn't know much about the ability of monsters to identify directions, but here, the compass may not be useful, and the only thing he can trust is Qingqiu's instinct.

One person and one fox walked in the deep mountains and old forests for three whole days.In the end, Ming Xia was completely dizzy, and only felt that there were trees in front, back, left, and right.Looking up, there are also layers of branches, covering the sky and blocking out the sun.

Walking like this, he didn't feel cold either.As long as they hold Qingqiu, they feel warm from head to toe, as if they have put a heat-preserving cover around them, keeping out the cold wind.

He knew that this was what Qingqiu did, although this little guy usually only knows how to act coquettishly, but in the wild environment, Ming Xia also had to admire its amazing ability to survive.

First of all, it won't get tired easily.For a youkai who grew up in the wild, probably traveling is not really a hard job.

Secondly, it knows almost all animals and plants, and even the moss that clings to the ground knows which ones can be eaten and which ones can be used as medicine, and it can also hunt. Ming Xia thinks this skill is simply amazing.

The rations they brought were limited. Whether it was the compressed biscuits they brought out when they went out or the sesame seed cakes and pickles prepared by Grandma Jiang, they had to save some food when they went into the mountains.Besides, it’s okay not to eat sparingly, I’m already tired of eating these every day, and I can’t eat more if I want to.In this case, the pheasant and hare brought back by Qingqiu is simply a rare delicacy.

In particular, Qingqiu not only knows how to hunt, but also knows how to deal with the prey. The cleaned meat should be smeared with herbs and wild fruits, so that the roasted meat will be more delicious.

Qingqiu is simply a living "Encyclopedia of Wilderness Survival".

In the middle of the night, the cold wind blew through the treetops, and the mountains and forests whimpered.

Ming Xia hugged Qingqiu, huddled warmly in the tent and chatted about that great witch who didn't know where he was.

Ming Xia recalled the map Mr. Hu gave him. There were so many place names on the map that he had never heard of, but there was no Lingshan.He felt that Lingshan, like the "Heavenly Court" in the legend, was a place name that had no corresponding point on the real map.

"Spirit Mountain can't be Qinling Mountain, right? Otherwise, how could the Great Witch of Spirit Mountain be in Qinling Mountain?" Ming Xia's thoughts diverged, and the more he thought about it, the more he thought, "Qinling Mountain is so rich in wild animals and plants, there must be many of your kind."

Qingqiu shook his head, "I don't know."

Ming Xia sighed, "In the deep mountains and old forests, this is much more difficult than finding the treasure." At least the treasure will not move, it is in a fixed place, but the big witch is not.

Qingqiu suddenly raised his ears, "Why do I feel... that I will see him soon?"

Ming Xia froze for a moment, and was thinking about comforting it so that it wouldn't put too much pressure on her, when someone outside the tent said, "Is it just a feeling?"

The voice was ethereal and ethereal, as if floating from far away.

Qingqiu jumped up all of a sudden, "Big... big witch?!"

Ming Xia also jumped up, wrapped her clothes and opened the tent to look out, the night was dark and there was not a single light in the forest.It was as if that sentence just now was just their illusion.

Ming Xia's heart was pounding.

Something flickered slightly in the dark night, like a figure, but it didn't seem to be.

Qingqiu was so excited that his voice changed, he jumped out of the tent, jumped onto a big rock next to him, lay on it tremblingly, and showed his identity, "I... I am from Qingqiu Mountain, my name is Qingqiu, I am here I want to find my senior brother Qingtan."

Outside the light and shadow, someone gave a soft "hmm".

When Qingqiu heard this response, his whole body trembled, "Then... do you know where Qingtan is?"

Ming Xia was also nervous. Although Qingqiu was not far away, he had an inexplicable feeling that he didn't dare to move. He stretched out his hand a few times to hug Qingqiu back, but he held back.

"You want to see him?" The voice was extremely soft, with a hint of indisputable hoarseness.

Qingqiu nodded desperately, "Do you know where he is?"

The man didn't make a sound, but a tall figure slowly appeared in the light and shadow. He was wearing a long cloak, and the brim of the hat covered half of his face. Ming Xia felt that this might be a male, who was too tall. up.

The man's figure was like a glowing film, slowly approaching them in the dark, "What you want to know, let him tell you himself."

Qingqiu widened his eyes.

Ming Xia was also a little stunned, what does it mean to say it personally, could it be that Qingtan is here?

The man stopped about seven or eight meters away from the tent, reached out and pushed up the brim of his hat.Ming Xia felt that he was sizing him up, and trembled in his heart, "I...do I avoid it?"

"Need not."

The person Qingqiu called the Great Witch was still looking at him, Ming Xia couldn't see his face clearly, but could feel that kind of real sight.

"A member of the Ming family?" The voice of the great witch seemed to be talking to himself, "Have you seen Jiuxiao?"

Ming Xia hesitated for a moment, "I've seen it."

Da Wu sneered, "Some people are like this. He can let others down, but if others let him down, he can remember them forever."

Ming Xia intuited that the "failure" he said probably refers to Jiu Xiao's unwillingness to let go of his offspring.

"Some people say that he is tough and easy to break." Ming Xia naturally wants to seize the opportunity to understand this time bomb in his stomach from different angles, "What kind of person do you think he is?"

"He," the big witch sighed softly, "he is the most passionate lover, the most loyal follower, the most reliable friend, and the most cold-blooded executioner."

Ming Xia felt that she could not understand such a description.

He still wanted to ask, but Da Wu obviously didn't want to say any more.He waved at Ming Xia, "That's the end of this topic. Now, let's listen to what Qingtan has to say."

Ming Xia's eyes darkened, and he fell to the ground.

Qingqiu was taken aback, and was about to jump down but was nailed to the spot by the big witch's scolding.

"Stand!"

Qingqiu didn't dare to move anymore, stared at him nervously with wide eyes, and then looked at Mingxia behind him.Then... it closed its eyes, shook its head and opened them again.

Qingqiu's eyes widened suddenly, and his mouth also opened.

The big witch opened his hands, and a small ball of jumping flames appeared in the palms, shining brightly in the night.

Qingqiu was dumbfounded, "Call... Spiritualism?!"

A light layer of blood appeared on Ming Xia's body at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the blood color gradually became thicker, as if a layer of red silk was covering his body.

Qingqiu just blinked his eyes, the dazzling red silk had already covered a man's body, he stepped on Ming Xia's back and stood up slowly.