Brother, did you confess today?

If the wooden ghost woman were chosen, she would never have brought Ruan Zhou home that winter.

When I first met Ruan Zhou, her home was still in the north, the desert was vast, and there was heavy snow in winter, but the house was still warm with charcoal burning.

The village is isolated from the outside world, leaving only a small opening to communicate with the outside world. Before someone blew up the stone wall, the small opening became accessible only to people in their teens.

Moreover, the narrow trails inside are winding and winding, and if no locals lead the way, they will definitely die under various poisonous weeds and traps.

At that time, the wooden ghost girl was only 13 years old. Although she was practicing martial arts and medicine, she was still a child at heart. Because she was the only daughter in the family, she was spoiled since she was a child.

But no matter how favored she is, her parents don't allow her to go out and have a look.

But those boys can do it, and the wooden ghost girl is not convinced, so she insists on going out for a break.

While her elders were going to the ancestral hall, she sneaked out from the gap in the stone wall.

Time and time again, lingering outside, the splendor of the outside world is beyond her imagination, the more she is not allowed to go out, the more she wants to see more.

After repeated several times, I finally met Ruan Zhou who was wearing thin clothes.

Ruan Zhou was also small at that time, looked shorter than her, had no weapons on his body, and had a dull expression on his face.

The wooden ghost girl teased him out of curiosity, Ruan Zhou opened his eyes, trembling, but indulged her teasing.

That's probably how her compassion came about. Originally, Mu Guinv didn't want to take him back, but she really couldn't bear to let him stay alone in the ice and snow.

Ruan Zhou didn't know where his home was, how he got here, and why he didn't have a warm quilt.

One day when the snow melted, Mu Guinv almost missed him when she went out. After searching the whole mountain, she found Ruan Zhou buried in the snow.

At this moment, she couldn't care about anything else, she could only take him back, covered with quilts layer by layer, and the herbs were boiled on the fire.

Although her parents were dissatisfied with her bringing outsiders back, none of the children made them suspicious.

The father also added a pair of soles, wiped his eyes and said, "Oh, what a poor child."

While playing the piano, the mother laughed at the father: "Don't cry, can you be a little man?"

My father has always been gentle and has no martial arts, so he just gave the silver hairpin he made to his mother.

The wooden ghost girl smiled with her face propped up. This was a scene she was used to seeing for more than ten years, but in Ruan Zhou's eyes, it was so strange.

"Isn't your father like this?"

Ruan Zhou shook his head, he didn't seem to have a father.

The wooden ghost girl clicked her tongue: "In fact, many other people's fathers are not like this. Our family is a little different."

What was the difference, she couldn't tell.

"Manzhi, have you finished your homework today?"

When her mother's voice came from outside the window, the wooden ghost girl pouted a little unhappy, but she still had to obediently go out and learn from her mother.

"Oh, it's annoying, I don't really like learning the piano."

Ruan Zhou's eyes flashed, but he didn't say anything.

He doesn't understand the world, even if he thinks Mu Guinu's family is very good, he will not give up his mission.

One month after he came to Manjia Village, he picked up the butcher knife.

There is a locust tree planted at the entrance of the village. An old man said that when people in Manjia Village die, they will enter this locust tree to benefit their descendants for generations to come.

The fire burned to the entrance of the village, and the locust tree also fell down.

No one would be afraid of a poor child of about ten years old, and no one would have thought that such a child would take out a butcher's knife at someone who treats him well.

For some reason, he didn't kill Manzhi.

But Manzhi would rather he kill herself.

That way she wouldn't have to run around for years for revenge, so she could at least get a sliver of redemption.

She brought disaster to the village, so she should go with it, shouldn't she?

The locust tree burning in her eyes became a nightmare that could not be erased for the next ten years.

From then on, there are no more branches in the world, only the wood ghost girl.

The wooden ghost is a locust tree, and she hopes that after death, she will have the opportunity to return to Manjia Village, as the old man said.

The people in Manjia Village will enter the pagoda tree after death.

……

"Look, that's how he is, and he doesn't hesitate to be shot by others. Can you imagine how many people he has killed in the past few years? How many people have to be broken up like me?"

Seeing that the few people in front of her were silent, Mu Guinu laughed loudly as if she was pleased: "He is just a monster."

"A monster that will never understand what it has done."

"So, do you still dare to help him?"

Xu Xiangfei didn't reply to this sentence, but said: "I also said that if you want to kill him, please give him some time."

"At least let him remember and understand what he has done."

The wooden ghost girl sneered: "Do you need to tell me? I'm now... Isn't that exactly what I'm doing?"

Ruan Zhou may be a weapon without self-awareness, but she just wants to remind him, let him know what it feels like to lose what he cares most about.

If he considered the He family so important, he would destroy the He family first, and then kill him.

"Tell me, if you need anything, I may be able to help you... But, don't let me know that you want to keep Ruan Zhou, he is not worthy."

The wooden ghost girl also knew that she was already being targeted by Leader He anyway. She kidnapped Ruan Zhou and knew the secrets of the He family. No matter what, Leader He could not let her go.

It's better to take another gamble.

After the discussion, Mu Guinv returned the same way, ready to go back to find Suyin Shengnv.

But Xu Xiangfei suddenly decided to return to Linchuan County.

Zhu Xuguang understood somewhat, but the other two didn't quite understand.

"Going back now, wouldn't it be in the hands of President He?"

Xu Xiangfei nodded: "I was just thinking about how the Huailu Sect knew Man Xing's identity. If Leader He could know, he might have some connection with the Huailu Sect."

Only then did Yue Manxing understand: "Big brother is suspicious of the Huailu sect that leader He told you?"

"Yes, and since he already knows, he can't let go of this opportunity. In this case, we have to go back and continue to collect evidence."

"Then Ruan Zhou..."

Xu Xiangfei looked at Yue Manxing: "Oh, Manxing, this matter can only be resolved by Ruan Zhou himself."

Whether it is life or death, sobriety or confusion, outsiders like them can't decide.

"Big brother..."

Yue Manxing suddenly pulled him aside, and with the help of a tree trunk, he let go of his guard: "But, but, shouldn't all of this be the leader He's fault? Turn him into a murder tool and let him do wrong things, Ruan Zhou has grown up like this since he was a child...he will not understand all kinds of emotions in the world, he is just, just being used."

"Besides, Mu Guinv also said that he might be the son of leader He. Why should Ruan Zhou bear the responsibility for what leader He has done to harm nature and reason?"

Xu Xiangfei finished listening quietly: "Do you think the wood ghost girl should understand?"

"I, I don't know... I just think that Ruan Zhou shouldn't be infamous like this, and he is obviously not the culprit."

Xu Xiangfei raised his hand and pinched Yue Manxing's face, seeing his sorrow in his eyes: "Manxing, I don't care about the matter between you and me, because you really didn't do anything, and I'm still here. I don’t care if I say this.”

"But I can't say that I don't care on behalf of my uncle, let alone say that I don't care on behalf of others. You know the result, but you still have to be honest. In your heart, haven't you already prepared for the worst?"

Yue Manxing also understood that he was not a real teenager. After so many years of reflection, he already understood how difficult it was for Yue Mingjing to accept his true identity.

So he tried his best to atone for his sins, and he felt that the people around him were so kind.

Jiang Pu didn't say much, and neither did Xu Xiangfei.

So he was imagining whether the sense of guilt that weighed him down could be dispelled one day?

"I just think...he kind of resembles me."

So helping Ruan Zhou was like helping myself who knew nothing about it back then.

Xu Xiangfei sighed, just rubbed his head, motioning him to follow.

He couldn't bear to say it, but someone told Yue Manxing.

Jiang Pu seemed to be looking at the scenery with his arms folded, and when Yue Manxing walked over, he whispered, "He's not you."

So your redemption is not his redemption.

You helped him, but you didn't really help yourself.

……

When Ruan Zhou opened his eyes, there was that strange saint standing in front of him.

The saint dangled a teacup in her hand, and looked at him from a distance across the cage.

Ruan Zhou felt very strange, as if everyone he met had bizarre stories and looked at him with such complicated eyes.

But he couldn't remember anything.

"Just remember nothing."

The saint suddenly smiled.

Ruan Zhou looked up.

But she said: "The common name of Wangchen Gu is a cold-blooded worm. If you are controlled by this worm, you will only be loyal to the mother worm. The mother worm can make you forget things that you shouldn't remember, and can also make you cold-blooded and ruthless. Living in the world, tsk tsk, poor."

Zhao Shisan came over with a lamp in his hand, and said with a smile after hearing the words: "How can you say he is pitiful? Holy lady, sometimes, it is the most unrestrained to know nothing."

"That's right, Thirteen still has more insight than I do."

"The saint was joking."

The two sang together, but Ruan Zhou didn't feel anything, and only slowly frowned: "Who are you?"

"Hmm, good question."

The saint handed the teacup to Zhao Shisan, opened the cell door, and walked straight to Ruan Zhou.

One person was bound by chains and could only sit cross-legged, dirty and in a state of distress.

Standing alone, her body is fragrant, and the fine brocade cloth can only be used as a handkerchief to cover her nose with her.

"Yu Li...I'm the one who wants to help you. You should thank me. For Yu Qing, you have to call me sister."

Ruan Zhou simply bowed his head, not listening to her nonsense.

But the saint kicked him over and signaled Zhao Shisan to bring in the teacup.

"Down him."

After receiving the order, Zhao Shisan immediately threw the lamp and poured the water from the teacup into Ruan Zhou's mouth.

In order to prevent him from vomiting, Zhao Shisan removed his chin, and the slight struggle was extremely ridiculous in the eyes of both of them.

When Ruan Zhou's eyes were blurred, he could only see the candle that was thrown on the ground, and it burned more violently because of a few straws, but when the straws were burnt, the fire became weaker.

Like the last bit of starlight, swallowed by endless dark clouds.

The author says:

Xingxing and Yanzi have different ideas. Xingxing empathizes with Ruan Zhou's experience, and he spends more time with Ruan Zhou, so he hopes that Ruan Zhou can find other ways to go.

But what Yanzi advocates is revenge. He won't stop anyone, and he won't help anyone. After all, he and Ruan Zhou are not that familiar. To be frank, it's a double standard.