zero o'clock

【unexpected partner】

Li Huan followed closely behind, followed the other party through the vestibule, and stood still in front of the main room door.

The man stretched out his hand and pushed, and with a soft creaking sound, the door panel opened inward, and the candlelight in the room was still lit. He took a step aside, bowed slightly, and made a "please" gesture like a gentle and elegant gentleman.

Of course, no matter how elegant a scumbag is, it can't hide the strong scum smell on her body.

Li Huan was also polite. After stepping through the threshold first, he looked at the interior of the room calmly.

Although it is called "Wanqing Pawnshop", it does not have the counters and clerks of ordinary pawnshops. Instead, it is like a bookstore displaying rows of mahogany multi-treasure shelves.These wooden frames are huge in size, from the ground to the beams of the house, and there are seven rows and twelve columns on them. Each grid has a spotless quartz bell jar, and what is buckled inside is the pawn shop for thousands of years. Obtained pawns.

Looking around briefly, Li Huan was attracted by the nearest quartz bell jar on the left—it was a neatly stacked soft armor. Each piece of armor is shiny and clear, shaped like polished jade, but since it is armor, it must be hard, which is definitely not enough for jade.

The door closed behind him, with the sound of footsteps, Master Mo Luo stood beside Li Huan, imitating his posture and bending slightly, also looking at the armor.

Li Huan: "..."

Li Huan stood up straight and glared at him.

Mo Luo shrugged his shoulders innocently, and said with a smile: "This is an armor made of the scales of the water unicorn and the tendons as the thread. It has been soaked in the blood of the unicorn for several years, and the horns of the unicorn are finely polished. Invulnerable to guns and guns, water and fire." He paused, and the smile in his red pupils deepened, "According to modern standards, AK47 can't penetrate it either."

The corners of Li Huan's mouth twitched: "I can't tell, you are quite fashionable with a thousand-year-old evil left over from ancient times?"

"Thank you for the compliment." Mo Luo put the birdcage on the floor next to the multi-treasure shelf, walked around the side aisle, and said without looking back, "Come here."

In the innermost part of the main hall, a relatively private space is separated by a screen, which is a tea room.

There were no candles in the tea room, but the light was better than outside.After Li Huan entered, he realized that the light came from a white porcelain fish tank half the height of a person. He was curious, so he walked over and looked into the tank. With just one glance, Li Huan seemed to be struck by lightning, and he froze. in place.

The water in the tank was as thick as ink, and there were many translucent jellyfish-like strange fish floating in it. The tail feathers of the strange fish were like star sand, gathering and dispersing from time to time, glowing with colorful fluorescence. Each is different, and the original appearance can be vaguely recognized.

"Could these be—?!" Li Huan was shocked, and looked up at the man who was patiently cooking tea at the table.

"It's a demon soul." Master Mo Luo said, "If you look carefully, you may be able to recognize that water unicorn." After finishing speaking, he poured hot boiling water into the teapot, and the green leaves twirled, and the tea smelled instantly Siyi, Mo Luo put down the tea making tools and smiled at Li Huan, meaning that he can come over and drink.

After Li Huan sat down at the table, he was still a little disgusted. He picked up the teacup and didn't drink it, but stared at a floating leaf in the tea. What?"

"I've already said, little devil——Wanqing Pawn Shop can pawn everything in the world. Generally speaking, customers only need to tell me what they need, and don't have to worry about not having it here." Mo Luo said, "It's just that the price is definitely not worth it. Fee, and not to be told until after the fact."

Li Huan vaguely realized something, his eyes darkened instantly: "For example?"

"For example, the water unicorn that pawned to me for 3000 years, after I got it, I removed its scales, constricted its tendons, drained its blood, pulled out its horns, and made that Armor, and finally left three souls to serve as light bulbs for the teahouse."

"You can also have a business like this?!"

"Of course, you underestimate the greed of living beings, and it's almost impossible for a monster who knows what the price is to leave here."

Li Huan: "Is it too late for me to say I didn't hear it?"

"You are different," Mo Luo said, "Jing Yu loves you little apprentice, if I dare to kill you, he will dare to come and tear down my pawnshop."

Li Huan silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Speaking of this, Mr. Yan suddenly remembered something: "Speaking of which, how do you know it's me? Because of the cat, or the sparrow in the cage?"

"Neither of them," Li Huan said, "because of this place."

"how to say?"

"Since I was a child, my teacher has forbidden me to enter this alley, so I guess that there must be something that the teacher doesn't want to deal with." Master Mo Luo's expression froze when he heard this, and Li Huan couldn't help seeing that he was poked into his weakness Feeling refreshed, he took a sip of tea comfortably and continued, "As I said that day, I found out a long time ago that animals of different species would sneak into the tea house every once in a while. Ari is a vinegar jar. Keep an eye on them like a thief, and you can tell with a little questioning that these animals all come from the same place."

"I see."

"Since Mr. is all right, it's my turn now." Li Huan said, "You said that the customers who come to the door must be asking for something, and Wanqing's pawnshop only does business with predestined people, so please ask me if I have no desires, Mr. Why are you here?"

After Li Huan asked, there was silence between the two of them.

Lord Mo Luo’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he stared with interest at the young but thoughtful young man in front of him—it’s no wonder that Jing Yu loved him, that fox always liked smart and beautiful little guys, and Lord Mo Luo loved him very much. She smiled jealously in her heart, and then said: "There is more than one pawn shop similar to Wanqing in this world, and the way to open it is the desire of living beings, kid, if you want something from me, it is fate, and if I want something from you, naturally I will. "

Li Huan chuckled expressionlessly: "Look at what Mr. said, even if you and I are destined, it must be a bad relationship."

Mo Luo: "..."

It really isn't cute at all, I really want to take it out and beat me up.

But thinking about it, Master Mo Luo had to take care of a certain fox on the other side of the lake, so the exhausted Mo Luo rubbed the blue vein that was about to pop out on his forehead, and said madly with a headache: "Don't you ask me What do I want from you?!"

Young Master Li smiled calmly, and replied with exactly the same sentence pattern: "Don't you ask me if I would like to make a deal with you?"

Mo Luo: "..."

"Alright then," Master Mo Luo had no choice but to make a concession, "Are you interested in making a deal with me?"

"Of course not!" Li Huan glanced at him inexplicably, "Have you forgotten? You just told me how you made the armor of the water unicorn that you once traded with, if I don't know Li Li casually nods in response, isn't it boring and crooked?"

Mo Luo: "!!!!"

This……

The truth seems to be such a truth!

Master Mo Luo, who couldn't pretend to be coercive and turned against himself, was very heartbroken.

Li Huan drank the water in the teacup, and the teacup fell on the table with a loud sound. He cleaned up the non-existent folds of the coat collar, and said with a smile: "I just came out to give someone away, and the teacher will be worried if I go back too late." , if Mr. Yan has nothing else to do, then Xiao Huan will leave first."

Li Huan stood up and bowed politely to the other party, then turned around to leave.Behind him, Mo Luo put down his teacup and said calmly, "Wait."

Li Huan stopped and didn't look back, but lowered his voice an octave: "Why, do you still want to buy and sell by force?"

At that moment, the fragrance of tea from Wanqing's pawn shop was wafting, but there was a sense of tension between the monsters and the demons.

Mo Luo raised his eyebrows slightly, staring at the young man in front of the screen with his back turned to him with a little surprise, almost amused by the murderous intent on the other side: "Don't get me wrong, I just want to remind you, young master, Wanqing's pawn shop will be closed after zero o'clock." Open the door on time, if there is a need, I will be here anytime, waiting for you."

"Don't dare," Li Huan said, "I'm afraid that I won't be able to pay the price of the deal with you, and I'll lose my life."

After finishing speaking, he left the main room of the pawn shop without looking back.

When we returned to the Tea House on the other side, the lights in the main hall were still on.

As soon as Li Huan entered, Qi Jingyu, who was sitting on the sofa reading a book to pass the time, put the book upside down beside him and asked, "Why are you late?"

Li Huan took off his coat and sat down opposite, without intending to hide anything, he said frankly: "The shopkeeper of Wanqing Pawn Shop invited me over, saying that he wanted to make a deal with me, teacher, what is he?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lord Nine Tails was startled immediately.

The light in those amber eyes was slightly scattered, as if he lost his mind for an instant.After a while, Qi Jingyu picked up the teacup and took a sip of the scalding water before speaking again: "That guy's name is Yan Mo, he is neither human nor demon, and his deity is a Mara who is in charge of life and death in the world, because 3000 years ago He abused his power, reversed the cycle of reincarnation, and was imprisoned between the yin and yang realms for eternity, and now he is the treasurer of Wanqing's pawnshop, doing some shady things."

He raised his eyes to look at the little apprentice, and told him very seriously: "Xiao Huan, please remember the teacher, never make deals with demons. Demons are born from the heart, they are cunning by nature, and will be attracted by the greed of living beings, but now There is always only one reason for the body—the target targeted by the devil must have something that the devil desires, and the devil's business has always been profitable."

"Teacher understands." Li Huan said.

"Okay, now let's talk about the rat monster," Qi Jingyu said, "You can go there for the teacher after dawn. You don't need to go too deep, just do a simple investigation."

Li Huan nodded: "Don't worry."

Qi Jingyu pondered for a while: "But you can't go alone."

Li Huan said, "I will bring Ari with me."

"Ari is a spiritual pet, only in the form of a beast, and it is inconvenient to go in and out of the city." Qi Jingyu thought for a while, "I think that demon subduing master can take advantage of it. According to the teacher, he seems to listen to you very much?"

Li Huan: "..."

For some reason, he always felt that when the teacher said this, there was something ambiguous about it?

"Speaking of him," Li Huan said, "you haven't dealt with the demon soul in his body for a long time, is it because you have other plans?"

Qi Jingyu shook his head slowly: "This matter is far from as simple as you imagined. It is not difficult for a monster to control its own soul separation, but once this strand of soul is fused into the three souls of other creatures, It's even harder to separate. Unless—"

He paused, as if he suddenly remembered something he cared about, frowned slightly, and said after a long time: "Unless they decide the winner on their own, and the one with the stronger demon power swallows the weaker one. But until then , if the original three souls deep in the soul are defeated by the outer soul, and the body changes hands, that person will no longer be that person."

Li Huan was startled when he heard it, and he couldn't come back to his senses for a long time until the teacher finished speaking—even if he is a rare genius who has the powerful spiritual power to control ancient beasts, but after all, he is a mortal body, how can he? Use human souls to contend with demon souls?

"Teacher, is there no way to pull away or assist in devouring the demon soul?"

"Issues related to the spiritual realm of creatures are often mysterious and mysterious. If there is one, it will affect the whole body. Even if there is, I am afraid that it is a way to hurt the enemy one thousand and self-damage eight hundred. It is difficult to have both." Qi Jingyu said lightly, "But there are exceptions here. "

Li Huan suddenly opened his eyes wide, and asked very seriously: "What is it?"

Qi Jingyu took a sip of tea calmly and said, "The original owner is still there, so I can take back that wisp of soul by myself."

"It's just like this..." Li Huan was a little disappointed, "The possibility is too low. If the original owner is still there, how could he be willing to easily lose a wisp of soul to take away a mortal body?"

"Splitting the soul out is not necessarily for the purpose of seizing the house." His soft eyes fell on the little apprentice's face, Master Kyuubi couldn't help but smile, and without avoiding it, he said meaningfully in a half-joking tone, "You seem very Concerned about that demon subduing master, could it be that they have been together too much during this period and have feelings?"

Li Huan was shocked for a moment and almost exploded, and quickly denied: "Teacher, you misunderstood..."

Qi Jingyu interrupted him with a serious face: "It's not impossible, at least it's much more normal than that mouse just now."

"..."

Li Huan's head was full of black lines, and he thought that the sun really came out from the west today, why did his teacher who had always put on airs and was so serious that he couldn't be more serious suddenly...made such a vulgar joke?It's scary!

Li Huan was speechless: "Teacher is in a good mood, are you starting to make fun of your apprentice?"

"It's not all a joke. The teacher watched you grow up, and only recently began to allow you to travel alone. A demon is not a dead thing. When the time comes, you will naturally have feelings." Qi Jingyu smiled, "One day you will leave here because of someone else, teacher It's a bit selfish, I just don't want this day to come too soon."

Li Huan felt overwhelmed and didn't know what to say, so he drank water and remained silent.

"Notify that mouse, just say that you and your partner will go to the scene of the incident to check in the evening, and ask him to come out and respond."

Qi Jingyu stood up beside Li Huan and patted his head while talking, and told him in a low voice: "You are the teacher's most beloved little apprentice, but the world is impermanent, and the teacher may not be able to protect you forever. From this year on, you are Formal hunter, work for the teacher like brothers and sisters."

The man's cool and delicate palm slowly stroked, Li Huan was a little lost in thought, and gave a absent-minded hum, always feeling that the flag of the teacher was too obvious, which made people inexplicably very uneasy.

"Don't worry." Qi Jingyu saw that the little apprentice had something on his mind, and comforted him in a gentle voice, "The teacher will always know your safety as soon as possible. As long as the body is not destroyed, he will definitely protect you. Those who dare to covet you, whether it is Whether it is a demon or a demon, the teacher will make them eternally immortal, and their souls will never return to the world."

- To Be Continued