One

Xiao Zijian calmly accepted the worship of his two younger brothers while keeping an eye on the snake in the grass and searching the woods for delicacies such as wild honey and bird eggs

Is he dreaming

Xiao Zijian came to his senses, the chirping of birds and the singing of cicadas once again filled the air. Life is but a dream, fleeting in an instant, as the still painting transformed into a bustling world, leaving only the girl beneath the giant tree vanished.

Alright! Let us listen to the elder brother! We will head to the official road immediately

Xiao Zijian pondered carefully

Hmph, that girl applies makeup all day yet still cannot change her ugly appearance; we are merely accommodating her.

Inside the Headless Mountain, it is quite tranquil; apart from being somewhat more desolate, there is nothing particularly eerie about it, and there are quite a few delicious wild fruits.

Xiao Zijian was startled by the screams around him, thinking that a venomous snake had fallen nearby. He angrily reprimanded his overly panicked subordinate: "In such a fluster, what kind of demeanor is this? It's just a mere beauty. Haven't I told you before that those who accomplish great things must remain calm?"

Did you just notice something amiss

In this sweltering midsummer, the ordinary Xiao Family Village experienced extraordinary events

What demons are there? This is pure nonsense

The leader is wise! The leader is brave! Let us flee quickly, it is not suitable to stay here for long

It is said that there are demons in the Headless Mountain, yet no one has ever seen these demons, nor are there any rumors of demons devouring people. However, the villagers of Xiaojia Village fear the Headless Mountain; apart from the brave hunters, no one dares to set foot even a step closer, let alone venture inside to play. The few youths who have intruded into the Headless Valley are notorious delinquents in the village, currently in their reckless years of youthful bravado, unafraid of tigers or demons. They are filled with curiosity about the mysterious forbidden land and often sneak in to play when the villagers are not paying attention. Initially, they started at the foot of the Headless Mountain, and after playing a few times without encountering any danger, they gradually ventured deeper... These few youths who have intruded into the Headless Valley are notorious delinquents in the village, currently in their reckless years of youthful bravado, unafraid of tigers or demons. They are filled with curiosity about the mysterious forbidden land and often sneak in to play when the villagers are not paying attention. Initially, they started at the foot of the Headless Mountain, and after playing a few times without encountering any danger, they gradually ventured deeper...

Xiao Zijian, however, halted his actions. Being someone who enjoys causing trouble, he has a particularly keen intuition for danger. Now, he sensed an inexplicable feeling of peril, even more intense than the time he nearly got crushed by Xiao Tietou's iron hammer.

"Shut up! When has our Xiao Family Village ever had demons in the past few hundred years? Even if there were really demons, they would only turn and run upon seeing your leader!" Xiao Zijian forced himself to remain calm, maintaining the dignity of his position as leader, as he reprimanded his two weak-kneed subordinates, "Look at you two, so useless, your legs are trembling, and yet you still want to act like heroes? How are you going to spend your days with your leader?"

No, I didn't notice...

The leader of this group of unruly children is Xiao Zijian, whose stature is noticeably taller than his peers. His facial features are quite decent, though there is a hint of fierceness about him. His father is an outsider, rumored to be involved in some unsavory dealings, and is robust and strong, skilled in fighting. His mother is the paternal aunt of Xiao Ziyu, known for her sharp tongue and notorious as a shrew in the village. The two of them are like a toad and a mung bean, a match made in heaven, both fond of bullying others and taking small advantages, raising a son who is also infamous as a little tyrant. His little followers, one named Xiao Zijiang and the other Xiao Zihe, are brothers whose father is a drunkard and pays little attention to them. These three rascally children spend their days stealing and fighting, and no one dares to intervene. The villagers of Xiao Family Village detest these children deeply, fearing they will cause a catastrophic disaster.

In the lush jungle, they laughed and made a racket, their behavior so poor that it elicited sighs of regret

Xiao Zijian suddenly realized and quickly discarded the thought that was beneath his dignity. As the most promising ruffian in the surrounding villages, he considered himself to have the greatest courage in the world. Not to mention that the girl in front of him did not appear to be wealthy; even if she were truly a lost heiress... This opportunity for flirtation could not be missed. Who knows, he might even get to play the hero saving the beauty, and the beauty might offer herself in gratitude. At the very least, he could ask her wealthy father for a reward. Moreover, he had boasted in the past about defeating monsters, and now his two little followers were looking at him with admiration. Regardless of whether the seemingly confused girl was a rich heiress or even a monster, he had to muster the courage to say a few words.

Where is the person?" Xiao Zijian rubbed his eyes and asked his younger brothers in panic

"Who is afraid?" Xiao Zijian scolded loudly, "I was just considering how to take action! I didn't expect that the nasty girl would slip away!"

What is wrong with this girl

Beneath the giant tree entwined with vines, stands a young girl in white.

Suddenly, the sense of oppression vanished in an instant

"What a load of nonsense!" Xiao Zijian felt a sense of fear in his heart and did not dare to linger any longer on this eerie Headless Mountain. However, in front of his subordinates, he could not afford to lose face. After pondering for a moment, he came up with a good excuse, "Today is truly unlucky. Let’s find something to vent our frustrations. Let’s go! It’s not far from here to the post road; let’s head to the teahouse and find that sickly fellow to have some fun. It’s been a while since I dealt with that irritating guy."

Haha, elder brother is wise, elder brother is mighty

Peh peh peh, who is the toad

I am afraid of that coward? Last time, I knocked him down with two punches, and he was on his knees begging for mercy to let him go

Hehe, boss, it was really fun to just tease Xiao Xiaohua, look at her crying face

As Xiao Zijian was about to take a step, he suddenly became aware of the source of his unease. The once lively mountains and forests, filled with the sounds of birds, beasts, and cicadas, had fallen silent. All that surrounded him was the sound of the wind rustling through the branches and the leaves falling to the ground, creating an eerie stillness as if no living creature existed. The world seemed to be frozen, and this chilling sensation left him in a daze

Yes, but...

Boss, this girl seems unfamiliar, could she be lost from a neighboring village? Shall we go ask her?

The fierce sunlight shone upon the emerald land, evaporating the dew and wilting the flowers. The incessant chirping of cicadas was so loud that it hurt the eardrums, and the busy villagers had long since set aside their tasks to seek refuge from the heat in the shade of the trees. Three audacious youths, taking advantage of the lack of attention, quietly sneaked into the Headless Mountain.

Big brother! Come on! It's up to you now! Brother Xiao Zijiang was drooling, desperately urging on.

"Big brother, there is a beautiful woman!" Xiao Zijiang shouted excitedly, breaking four out of five words in his exclamation. He then emphasized, "extremely beautiful woman," with the last three words completely changing in tone.

This appears to be an ordinary girl who looks quite fragile. She dresses so simply, her appearance is even less refined than that of Xiao Xiaohua, and she does not seem to be a person of any status. Once she has finished teasing, she just turns around and runs away, fearing that the other party's parents might come looking for her.

The boys turned pale, shaking their heads vigorously to indicate that they had not seen anything

Xiao Zijian knew that these two fellows were brainless fools, and he cautiously pushed aside the grass that was half his height to look over.

Will her brother come to settle accounts with us

The girl, approximately fourteen years old, dressed in a white robe and plain skirt, with long black hair and amber eyes, appeared to be no different from an ordinary girl, except for her more delicate and beautiful features. Her expression seemed bewildered, as if she had just awakened from a dream. With her feet clad in light yellow cloth shoes, she gently stirred the soil beneath her, resembling a child who had just learned to walk, filled with curiosity about the strength of her body. Following this, she repeatedly extended her fair hands, her wrists adorned with a peculiar silver-gray serpentine bracelet, and then gently touched the trunk of an ancient tree, as if wishing to embrace it and feel the pulse and warmth of life. Each of her movements seemed strange, yet within that strangeness lay an indescribable elegance that deeply captivated all gazes.

Brother, is that girl a demon?

He once went to Lingyun Temple in Luoshui Town to secretly observe the girls seeking marriage, among whom was the county magistrate's daughter, renowned as the beauty of Luoshui. That beautiful girl, adorned in gold and silver, exuded an air of elegance that made her seem unattainable. However, he felt a similar, if not greater, aura emanating from a seemingly ordinary girl. If she were a phoenix soaring in the nine heavens, he would be a toad gazing up from the ground, even the desire to steal a glance at her was a luxury, let alone approaching her to engage in conversation or jest.

Yes, but you are also afraid

The crows in the woods croaked twice, then fell silent