Taoist and dog

This is where?

Xiao Rong rushed to the side of the tree in fright. He leaned against the tree trunk, clawed the bark tightly with his fingers, the veins on his face were bulging and bloodless, trembling spread from his fingers all over his body, even the thin layer of flesh on his face was trembling.

When he was a child, Xiao Rong was often thrown out of the village, or in the mountains, or in the cattle pen when he fell asleep. At one time, he was very afraid of going to sleep, because he didn't know if what he saw when he opened his eyes was his family's dilapidated house.

So Xiao Rong's sleep becomes very light, no matter how tired he is, he is still a light sleep, and he can wake up immediately when there is a disturbance outside.

He didn't sleep deeply, and he didn't dare to sleep soundly, but... why was he thrown out again...

The memories overlapped and confused, and the shadow of his childhood immediately enveloped him. Xiao Rong hugged the tree trunk tightly in fright, pressing his face against the rough bark and wishing to get inside. After a long time, Xiao Rong raised his head with a strange pattern on his face.

wrong……

He looked into the distance, his panicked eyes turned into astonishment.

This is not near the village at all, the surrounding scenery is not familiar, and...

The Baoshi Mountain, which is shrouded in clouds and mist all the year round and can be seen no matter where you look up, is gone.

Under the scorching sun, Xiao Rong suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Having been bullied all the year round, he developed a habit, no matter what happened or their purpose, as long as he went home, he would be fine.

He is going home.

Thinking of this, he turned around and left. Xiao Rong had no direction, so he walked along the road. He was in a trance all the way, from dawn to dusk. He didn't see the village, but he found a farmer.

Xiao Rong was stunned for a moment, and suddenly became energetic, even his eyes were no longer dull, and his heart was full of excitement.

He ran there as fast as he could, as long as someone was there, he could ask the way and go home.

The gate of the courtyard was not closed, and an old lady was sitting in the middle of the courtyard rubbing corn. When Xiao Rong entered, she was startled, but she soon became happy, "You stupid boy, you scared me to death with your recklessness."

Xiao Rong rarely heard such a joking tone, he stood at the door, pressing the wooden door with his hands, forgetting what he wanted to ask.

It was getting late, and the light in the yard was dim. The aunt patted the debris on her body and stood up. She scooped up half a scoop of water from the tank next to her and handed it over, "Drink some water first, look at your grayish appearance." , rolled in the mud."

Xiao Rong lowered his eyes, and the swaying water in the ladle reflected his chapped lips. Only then did he realize that his throat was on fire, and from the tip of his tongue to his throat seemed to be blown by wind and sand. No wonder someone came up and handed him water.

Xiao Rong nodded to the woman, and stretched out both hands to hold the ladle.

As soon as he stretched out his hand, the woman's smile suddenly froze on her face, and the corners of her mouth trembled twice like a cramp, before opening a crack, she let out a piercing howl, "Ah—the monster—"

Half a ladle of water poured over Xiao Rong's face in an instant. Before he understood what was going on, a man with an ax ran out of the room. The man chopped at him without saying a word.

Xiao Rong's pupils shrank, and he managed to avoid it. Before the second ax fell, he crawled out of the yard.

Xiao Rong didn't dare to stop for a moment and ran for a long distance, until he could no longer hear the man's yelling, then he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his chest heaving like a bellows, his red eyes turned to the left, the woman He knew the reason for screaming, and he froze for a moment when he stretched out his hand.

His arms turned black.

He was in a trance during the day and didn't pay attention until just now...

The moon was rising, and the scales on the left arm refracted the cold light, which was actually quite beautiful.He tried his best to raise his hand and touched that arm, but he couldn't remember when his arm became like this.

Also, even though the man came out with an axe, the moment he chopped it down, there was clearly fear in his eyes.

Is it a monster...

……

Xiao Rong missed the farmer and never met him again. He had no way to ask him, so he could only walk along all the roads he could see.

He always felt that he seemed to have forgotten something important, which might be related to his arm, but he couldn't remember it.

The left arm is really frightening, it’s okay in the dark, the black and shiny appearance in the daytime looks scary to him, and he has nothing to block, so he takes off his clothes and wraps his arms, and walks shirtless.

Xiao Rong has been away for half a month, and he has never seen the fairyland-like Baoshi Mountain, but he has met many people of all kinds. These people are different from him. They don't wear braids or shave their heads. They have clean cropped hair, and some people have oiled their heads and combed them back.

Their clothes are also different, not gowns and cloth shoes. Xiao Rong heard that they are called western clothes, which are Western things.

Later, he heard from a barber that the dynasty had changed and the emperor was no longer the president.

Their village is located in a remote place, and the news is blocked, so they have no way of knowing.

He doesn't care about the decline of the country or the change of dynasties, he just wants to go home.

But these people, no one can tell him how to go back.

He can't speak or write, and he is not good at communicating with others. Many things are new to him, but Xiao Rong has no curiosity, and he finds those new things scary.

He is at odds with the outside world.

He is getting more and more withdrawn. He is afraid of being seen with his arms, and he is also afraid of communicating with people. What he is most afraid of is those people.

Extremes lead to opposites, and when fear reaches a certain level, it becomes self-protection.

Xiao Rong became calm and would no longer be frightened by the wind and grass. When he felt invasion, even if it was just a look, he would become extremely manic, and even wanted to pounce on him, punch him a few times or break his neck.

So he avoided people as much as possible, and stayed in places where no one was around or in the dark.

Xiao Rong couldn't remember how long he had been away, but he recognized one thing and accepted his fate, his home would never go back.

……

On this day, the sun was setting and the twilight was just in time. Xiao Rong came to a magnificent city gate.

There were constant businessmen outside the gate, and hawkers were everywhere inside the gate. Standing on the stone road at the gate of the city, Xiao Rong could feel the prosperity and hustle and bustle of the city.

He had never encountered such a big city.

Xiao Rong wanted to go in, but he didn't dare to go in when he looked at himself like this. He is like a beggar now, maybe not as pleasing to the eyes of a beggar, ragged, unkempt, and hair that hasn't been shaved for a long time is as stunned as weeds On the top of the head, the whip at the back was even more dirty and turned into a stick.

The left arm is wrapped in layers of rags, which looks like wood from a distance.

Xiao Rong hesitated at the door for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and walked in.

No way, he is hungry.

The weather is getting colder and colder, the vegetation is withered, there are no wild vegetables and fruits, and he will starve to death if he doesn't beg for food from others.

He held his left arm and walked in with his body bent. For beggars, passers-by had no other reaction except to look away and dodge, so entering the city was unimpeded.

Xiao Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn't eaten for two days, and his belly was so hungry that Xiao Rong didn't dare to go to crowded places, so he followed the voice of the people and wanted to try his luck at someone else's house.

There were fewer and fewer people, and the voice was left behind. When the silence took over, there was a sudden soft sound behind him.

Like the sole of a shoe falling to the ground, it is so thin that it cannot be heard.

It disappeared with just one sound.

Xiao Rong stopped suddenly.

His body also changed after his arm changed. He was not afraid of cold and heat, and his six senses were extremely sensitive.

Even cats can't help making noises on this stone-paved road. Normal people can't walk so lightly, let alone only lightly.

Just as Xiao Rong was about to turn around, two characters suddenly fell down there, "monstrous."

It was a man's voice.

Low, with a bit of dullness, but full of oppression.

Those two words, like a biting cold wind rushing across the alley, made Xiao Rong shiver inexplicably.