Chapter 002: Sending you, a thousand miles

Is this ... ... home

The young girl took out the ancient token from her waist, on which was carved a broken petal. With a tingling sensation at the tip of her nose, she said: "From Xiling to Tiandu, it is a distance of one hundred thousand and eight thousand miles. Now that you have finally obtained the chain, after selling it, we can live a stable life, buy a small house in Qingbai City, and no longer have to be secretive... If you sell it for travel expenses, you won't be afraid to send me to the imperial capital. By then, if it turns out that this token is fake, my identity is fake, and there is no such person as 'Uncle Xu' from the top three of the Great Sui coming to Xiling to find me, and there has never been a disciple like me at Luojia Mountain..."

Cemetery

Ning Yi lowered his head and continued to eat the noodles

A lazy, hoarse voice entered my ears

After fainting, I was fortunate that the girl was clever; sensing that something was wrong, she dragged me back all the way.

After finding the girl, in order to ensure safety and proceed with caution, Ning Yi specifically traveled for over ten days through snowy nights, carrying her to this dilapidated temple in Qing Shui City, where he settled down.

The sounds of slaughter persisted for a full day and night

He secretly speculated that the blood-soaked man was the "Uncle Xu" that Pei Fan had been constantly mentioning, who ranked among the top three of the Sui Dynasty. But in such a dire situation... If that man with the surname Xu were alive, how could a whole day and night pass without his return

"Useful... very flexible." The similarly young Ning Yi, unable to bear it, gently comforted, "Trust me"

Ning Yi's eyes widened as he finally understood why his cheeks and - picture - book were hurting so badly

As the middle-aged man stepped out of the Bodhisattva temple, he raised his sleeves, and the sword energy surged forth, causing the Buddha statues inside the temple to collapse, while outside, the heavy snow cascaded down, each flake distinct, trembling in the air.

Qingbai City

When Ning Yi opened his eyes, his vision was blurred, and he could vaguely see smoke swirling in front of him. Instinctively, he reached out to grab his surroundings and grasped a corner of the bedding.

Settled here for ten years

He has it now

The young man did not speak

The incense in the altar has been extinguished for a long time, leaving only one stick of incense, which I have been reluctant to light.

Is making a wish to the Bodhisattva effective

No matter what, staying behind will only invite trouble, so Ning Yi carried the sleeping girl and fled, traveling for ten days and nights, far away from this place

The girl, holding a large bowl and eating noodles with great gusto, displayed no semblance of decorum. With wide eyes, she mumbled through the noodles in her mouth, "If you die, who will cook for me?"

Ning Yi ... ... are you awake?

Ning Yi silently recited a few prayers for the Bodhisattva's protection in his heart

Sui Yangzhu

Pei Fan broke into a smile, choking back tears as he said, "I absolutely do not want to eat noodles."

Ning Yi also smiled

A middle-aged man, dressed in tattered clothes, entered the dilapidated temple, cradling an unconscious girl in his arms. The man was covered in blood, and he placed the girl down in front of the altar, leaving behind an ancient token.

Ning Yi could not understand why his left and right cheeks felt hot, as if they had been struck by an iron fan more than ten times

Sui Yangzhu

In the temple, there was a lingering fragrance left by the librarian, all of which had been pointed out by Ning Yi at that time

Ning Yi has lived in the temple for over ten years. Since he began to remember, he has resided in the temple on the outskirts of Xiling. Entering the temple alone is not frightening; after traversing this difficult world for a while, one realizes that the elusive and intangible entities like demons and spirits, if they truly existed, would likely be more benevolent than the human heart.

... ...

Ning Yi raised his head and glanced at the young girl, seeing her silently put down the bowl, squat on the bed, hug her knees while looking at him, and then lower her head to eat the noodles

The wild grass bows down, devoid of all vitality

Ning Yi found Pei Fan ten years ago

Setting down the dishes, Ning Yi picked up a faded cloth, gently wiping the corners of Pei Fan's mouth, and smiled, saying: "Here, you need to smile, you need to be happy. Later, we will buy you a brand new outfit. When I send you back to Tiandu, we cannot let others make fun of us."

The situation is dire.

After a while, the little girl knelt before the statue of the Bodhisattva, her hands struggling to hold the incense. Her upper body was straight, her frail frame swaying precariously, her lips biting until they bled, yet her gaze remained clear as she trembled and said: "Bodhisattva, I know my parents, and Uncle Xu, they are all still alive... They are just busy, having placed me here. One day, they will come to take me away, right?"

Will you abandon me then

The incense swirls around the statue of the Bodhisattva, silent.

In a moment of recollection, Ning Yi suddenly awoke and sat up abruptly

Jade lion ... and * picture * book ... blood jade pendant chain

At that time, Pei Fan was not yet Pei Fan, quietly resembling a wooden doll every day, with a pale complexion, staring blankly outside the temple, not saying a word, nor eating a single grain of rice

The sword is unsheathed, the hidden killing intent is no longer concealed

He was thinking at that time that if he had a home, he would definitely cherish it well

Uh, I have a headache

Ning Yi listened to trivial talk for an entire night

Do not blame your parents for not coming to find you

Ning Yi, you were quite frightening last night, your complexion was pale, and you were unconscious. I slapped you dozens of times on both sides, yet there was no response

The sunlight streamed into the dilapidated temple, and fourteen-year-old Pei Fan smiled for the first time with such joy

The dilapidated temple is not large, with an ancient statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva placed in the main hall. In the backyard, after some cleaning, a bed, a broken table, and a stove can be arranged.

At least when Ning Yi lived alone in the temple, he never encountered any troubles

Pei Fan said in a hoarse voice: "Ning Yi, why have you suddenly become so kind?"

The sky is dimly lit.

She let out a heavy sigh

There are many temples in the West Ridge, mostly located in desolate and remote areas, particularly around the area of Qingbai City. It is said that the ground beneath this region has seen excessive bloodshed, prompting the Bodhisattva to establish numerous temples to suppress the karma of killing. Over the years, most of these temples have fallen into disrepair.

Ning Yi did not understand cultivation; he did not know how high the sky was or how thick the earth was. However, he knew that this man was far superior to those so-called "cultivators" he had seen in Qing Shui City.

Is there really something unclean outside of the city of Innocence - in the pictures - in the books?

Pei Fan suddenly fell silent

He pointed to the bowl and said, "Aren't you hungry... there's still half a bowl left, aren't you going to eat?"

... ...

Think carefully, rack your brains, recalling every detail from entering the tomb to fainting

Ning Yi, who had taken half a bite of the noodles, suddenly raised his head to look at Pei Fan

Ning Yi remembered that when he first arrived at this temple, the seriously ill girl was exceptionally obedient, quietly waiting without crying or making a fuss

... ...

After being hungry for three days, the girl took the food from Ning Yi, and after devouring it, her first question to Ning Yi was

yet does not know that the person they are waiting for will never return

The atmosphere quieted down

The past ten years in Xiling have been somewhat difficult. If in the future everyone treats you poorly, then I, I... I will come to take you back, buy a big house for you, and cook you plenty of noodles every day, so you will never go hungry again

The girl knelt in front of the Buddha statue for an entire night and then fell into a deep sleep for a long time

He will always remember the day when the snow fell heavily in the Western Ridge

One of the widely circulated taboos in Xiling is to spend the night at the Guanyin Temple in Qingbai City

When all the noise had dissipated, until there was no sound left, Ning Yi stepped outside to investigate and discovered that within a radius of ten miles, the ice and snow had melted, revealing corpses everywhere, some of monks, some in black and white clothing, their blood dried up, long since dead.

On that day, the area outside the temple was surrounded, making it impossible for water to flow through.

Last night in the suburbs of Qingbai City, the events are roughly recalled as similar to those on hetushu.com

At that time, Ning Yi had no home

No one enters the temple

Ning Yi crouched down to add firewood under the stove, breaking the branches into pieces

The Suiyang Pearl seems to be lost, but the Blood Jade Chain is still here. It is not as valuable as the Suiyang Pearl, but at least selling it could provide some funds for travel expenses, ensuring that I won't starve on the way to Tiandu.

Pei Fan, this is the last incense stick. As I prepare to send you home in a couple of days, I pray to the Buddha for more blessings. Are you just going to burn it like this?" Ning Yi kept adding firewood under the stove, letting out a sigh

Two people leaned their foreheads against each other, and the young man softly said: "I will take you back, whether it is one thousand miles, ten thousand miles, or even farther... you need not worry."

The girl, still drowsy, climbed up from Ning Yi's left side. She yawned, rubbed her darkened eyes, and mumbled, "Brother... I'm hungry."

He gently sniffed, as the smoke from the main hall wafted steadily into the backyard

Ning Yi was momentarily at a loss for words

Ning Yi continued to eat noodles

He brought a bowl of noodles with a displeased expression, hurriedly took a couple of bites, and mumbled: "Hurry up and eat, once we finish, we will tidy up. In a couple of days, we must leave this place. We will sell the chain and exchange it for travel expenses. I will send you home"

The flames in the stove flicker fiercely, with sparks rolling about.

He struggled to press his forehead, his limbs ached, and his cheeks burned painfully on both sides

As for the final image in his mind, Ning Yi regarded it as mere nonsense

... ...

A wave of weakness washed over me as I closed my eyes again, striving to recall what exactly had transpired last night