Author: Yue Izumo

Jiang Huajiao hid in the darkness, quietly looking at the room where he lived.

There was no one in front of the door. On the carved mahogany door, Liu Kui's charm was still there. However, there was a bloody handprint on the door, as if someone had touched it with a bloody hand.

She made secret gestures and felt that the hand was about the same size as hers, like a woman's hand.

Who did it? Did it happen intentionally or accidentally?

If it was intentional, why? To scare her?

If she was really a demon, she might be scared to death right now.

Huajiao smiled, pushed open the door and entered the house, tidied up briefly, then lay down to rest.

Although Yaoliang Pavilion is mysterious and scary, it is nothing to her. In the past two years, she has been traveling around, sometimes sleeping in the open air, taking naps anywhere, and even sleeping on graves.

It started raining in the middle of the night.

The window was blown open by the wind, and amid the patter of rain, I could faintly hear the rolling spring thunder.

Half asleep and half awake, Huajiao felt like he was back on the winding mountain road of Huaiyin Mountain.

She saw a mound in the distance and was extremely surprised. She didn't know when such a hill appeared in front of the village. As she got closer, she could see clearly that it was not a mound, but a mountain of corpses.

One corpse after another was piled on top of each other in strange postures.

Huajiao recognized her grandmother and grandfather, saw her mother-in-law, and found her aunt. One after another, they were all members of the Jiang clan she was familiar with. There was blood on their faces, their fingers and arms were broken, and they no longer looked like they had before they were alive.

Huge shock and grief hit her, and she couldn't tell whether it was a fantasy or not.

In her mind, they were all powerful demon masters. How could they all be killed overnight?

She thinks it's ridiculous!

I would rather believe that this is an illusion and a nightmare!

However, the grief was as blazing as a flame, burning madly throughout her limbs and bones, seeming to remind her that this was true.

It's true!

real!

A suffocating feeling came over me.

She didn't know when she sank into the water, and the cold and biting river water surrounded her.

She keeps sinking...

sink.

Suddenly, a black shadow swam toward her. The black shadow was so huge that it seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, making the river water turbid.

The shadows gradually came closer, and suddenly there was darkness in front of me.

Hua Jiao was startled and suddenly woke up.

She panted heavily, brushed her sleeves to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, and just breathed a sigh of relief when she suddenly noticed a figure standing by the window.

"Who are you?" Huajiao asked coldly.

The man turned around, his white clothes dancing in the night wind, like an epiphyllum blooming in the dark night.

Hua Jiao saw his face clearly and was surprised.

He was actually the boy in white in the peach blossom forest, the man whom Zhou Sheng called Yu Dujian.

Huajiao didn't know why he appeared in her room. She clearly saw that he and Zhou Sheng had left Yaoliang Pavilion long ago, so why did he sneak into her room again in the middle of the night?

"What are you doing here?" Huajiao asked coldly, his whole body tense, ready to attack at any time.

His eyes fell on her face, and his eyes suddenly softened.

"I've been thinking about you, so I came here, don't you like it?" He said, walking towards her bed, leaning down and reaching out to touch her forehead.

"Why are you sweating? Are you having a nightmare? Don't be afraid, I'm here." He lowered his eyes and looked at her. His originally cold eyes were tender and tender, and his voice was extremely gentle, as if he was afraid.

scare her.

Huajiao felt that she was being bewitched, so she didn't move. She let him pick up the kerchief and wipe the sweat from her forehead. He then stretched out his arms to hug her and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

Huajiao's face suddenly became hot, and he said softly: "Bad guy, are you taking revenge on me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his kiss fell on her lips.

A "bang" sound of spring thunder woke up Huajiao.

She sat up suddenly and realized that she had been dreaming within a dream. What's more, what made her find it ridiculous was that she actually dreamed of him.

Maybe, she is too lonely.

She has been alone for a long time, and she thought she was used to it, but she was not.

In the past two years, every rainy night, she would dream about the day when her maternal ancestor’s family, the Jiang family, died.

It was pitch black outside the window, and there was still some time before dawn.

The rain was loud and the wind was strong. The bells on the eaves were blown by the wind and tinkled.

This is the first rain this spring. It is not as lingering and gentle as in previous years, but fierce and killing.

Huajiao stood up and walked to the window, opened it wider and felt the cold rain.

This was her habit. After waking up from a nightmare, she would often not be able to sleep again, so she would stand in front of the window and watch the night rain. Thinking of her departed relatives and friends, combined with the cold rain outside the window and the hazy night, everything

The ups and downs and sufferings seem to be nothing to fear.

Her eyes moved downward and suddenly froze.

The room she lived in was on the second floor of Zhenxing Building, and there was a patch of green bamboo planted outside the window. At this time, the night rain came, and the green bamboos swayed in the wind, making a soft clicking sound when they collided with each other.

However, at the top of the bamboo forest, there was a dark shadow curled up.

At first, the painting corner thought it was a mist at the bottom of the pool, but when she looked again, she found that the bamboo it was resting on was too thin and was bent by it. Unfortunately, the night was too late and it was pitch black outside, so she couldn't see clearly what it was. But

If this thing was a beast, which usually has night vision, it must have seen her already.

Sure enough, the object noticed the gaze of the painting corner, squeaked, and disappeared into the night.

She didn't chase after it. The thing didn't seem to have any evil aura, maybe it was just an ordinary beast.

***

The day of the prostitutes in Yaoliang Pavilion starts at noon.

They rested late the night before and got up as soon as the sun was high the next day. They never had to eat in the morning. After washing and having lunch, they would practice their skills.

Either singing a tune at the top of one's voice, or bending one's legs or lowering one's back, or playing the piano and strings...

Qiuniang didn't let go of Huajiao and Leopard Demon either. They had just finished lunch and ordered people to summon them to a hall in Zhenxing Tower.

Two prostitutes were already waiting in the hall.

Qiuniang sat in an armchair, pointed at the two prostitutes and said: "These are Xuerong, the oiran from last month, and Zuo Ernu, the oiran from this month, in our pavilion. From now on, they will teach you how to entertain guests.

Let’s learn another skill by the way.”

Qiuniang then introduced Huajiao and Leopard Demon to Zuo Ernu and Xuerong: "These are new prostitutes. You two will learn from them. They will be successful in the future and will not benefit from you."

As a prostitute, in addition to imagining her original body for the pleasure of distinguished guests, she also has to learn skills, which is too difficult.

Zuo Ernu was a little surprised when he saw the corner of the painting.

The woman named Xuerong next to her is not very beautiful, but her figure is slender and light, and she walks and sits with a graceful appearance.

Qiuniang took the tea from the maid, sipped it and said: "Zuo'ernu is good at music. Guqin, pipa, and harp are just rotten wood with strings on them. You can play whatever tune you want. Xuerong is good at it."

Dance, Jinghong Dance, graceful music, even palm dance, she can also dance."

Huajiao couldn't help but be speechless.

The rotten wood can play the strings of the harp, and can also dance on the palms of hands. No wonder these two are oirans.

"Tell me, what do you two want to learn?" Qiuniang asked.

Zuo Ernu blinked at Huajiao, who smiled, stepped forward and said, "Mother Qiu, let me learn the piano."

Naturally she wanted to choose Zuo Ernu.

Mother Qiu glanced at her, nodded and said, "You are timid and fearful, so it would be suitable for you to learn the piano." Mother Qiu turned to the leopard demon and asked, "What about you?"

The Leopard Demon had a surly face in the dark room, as if he would eat anyone who asked me to accompany him. Even before he went to accompany his guests last night, he was very arrogant and surly.

At this moment, his head was drooping, like an eggplant beaten by frost.

The most surprising thing is that she is actually willing to learn skills obediently?

"Last night, the distinguished guest said that my waist was as straight as an iron plate and my voice was like a ghost trumpet. I... I want to learn to dance and sing. When I learn how to do it, hehe..." After the leopard demon finished speaking, he smiled,

There was a fierce light in his eyes.

Huajiao instantly understood that the leopard had been poisoned last night, which aroused the leopard's competitive spirit.

Qiuniang was very satisfied with the attitude of the two of them, and immediately ordered Liu Kui to watch over them before leaving.
To be continued...