The customs in the southern border area are very different from those in the Central Plains. Over the years, although it is located in a remote area, there are still exchanges with the Central Plains. The furs, minerals and other specialties produced in the southern Xinjiang area have always been extremely popular in the Central Plains.
Its good reputation has attracted many Chinese and Turkish businessmen to come to trade.
Over time, inns that did not exist in southern Xinjiang appeared in some of the busiest towns under the influence of Chinese merchants.
Gui Li and Xiao Bai are currently in such an inn, and its name is directly based on the local name, "Tianshui Inn".
Entering the inn, it is obvious that the furnishings of tables and chairs are very influenced by Chinese culture, but the boss and the waiters are all local Zhuang people. The Zhuang people have the largest population in southern Xinjiang.
Life is also relatively affluent, and they are most influenced by China. Unlike other ethnic groups who still insist on a hunting-based life, the Zhuang people have gradually begun farming and doing business.
However, despite this, the folk customs of the Zhuang people are relatively peaceful, and most people lack the fierceness, so in terms of power, they are not as powerful as the Miao people, who have a smaller population than them.
Gui Li and Xiao Bai sat down. A waiter had already come to greet him. At this time, the world was getting dark, but there were not many guests in the inn. Looking at his appearance and clothes, this waiter was also a member of the Zhuang ethnic group in southern Xinjiang, but most of them worked here.
After some time, I actually spoke quite fluently.
"Two gentlemen, would you like to have something to eat? We have clean rooms here, the prices are the most reasonable, and we are famous far and wide."
Gui Li nodded and said, "Leave us two clean houses for one night."
The waiter smiled and nodded, and then said: "You two gentlemen, you probably haven't eaten yet. Can you order some food?"
Gui Li was not hungry, but after looking at Xiao Bai, he decided to have something to eat and said, "Well, give us two bowls of rice and a few more..."
"Uh!" Xiaobai, who was sitting next to him, suddenly spoke with a smile on his face: "Do you have a "boring oriole" here?"
Gui Li was startled and looked at Xiao Bai. The waiter was also stunned. He couldn't help but look at Xiao Bai and said, "Miss, have you ever been to our southern Xinjiang? We naturally have this signature dish."
The smile on Xiaobai's face became thicker, his eyes flickered, as if he was recalling something, and he slowly said: "Well, by the way, there are also "three sections of snake intestines", "roasted bear tail", "roasted autumn leaves", "five small
insect","
Black Heart Fruit "..."
Her eyes flickered, and she was thinking as she spoke. She started out relatively slowly, naming one dish after another, and then she started talking faster and faster. The names of the dishes were even more bizarre and unbelievable at first glance. They were definitely not from China.
have.
Gui Li was stunned, and not only did the smile on the waiter's face in the store turn into an awkward expression with his mouth wide open, but even the store owner who was settling accounts in the distance couldn't help but come over.
After Xiaobai probably named nearly thirty dishes in one breath, he stopped for a moment, turned to the boss and the waiter and smiled: "Do you have these dishes here?"
The boss and the waiter looked at each other in confusion. After a while, the boss laughed dryly and said: "Girl, you are indeed well-informed. The names of the many dishes you just mentioned are all famous dishes special to southern Xinjiang. It's just that many of the ingredients are not good.
Look, apart from the boring oriole, our store can only make black heart nuts and roasted bear tails. I'm extremely sorry."
Xiaobai couldn't help showing a look of regret on his face, but then he smiled and said: "Then let's cook these three dishes first!"
The boss and the waiter hurriedly agreed and went off to work. Xiaobai turned his eyes and saw Gui Li looking at him, smiling sweetly and saying: "It's been hundreds of years, and I don't know why, but I suddenly want to taste these."
The flavor of those days. Have you ever been here and tasted these dishes?”
Gui Li shook his head. In the past, when he came to southern Xinjiang, all he wanted to do was find the black witch clan to save Baguio. How could he care about these desires? He usually just dealt with them casually in the wilderness. If it were not the case this time
In particular, he had to avoid the pursuers everywhere in Fenxiang Valley, and since Xiaobai was a woman after all, it was hard to sleep in the wilderness every night, so he entered the town.
He was silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked: "I can probably guess what the black-hearted oriole is."
Xiaobai smiled and said: "This is a unique fruit in southern Xinjiang. It has a green appearance and white and tender flesh, but its heart is black. It is fried in oil and tastes delicious."
Gui Li frowned and said: "That "roasted bear tail", what is it again? Is it the tail of a black bear? I have heard of bear paws and bear bile in the past, but I have never heard that bear tails can also be eaten as food?"
Xiaobai smiled and said: "This bear is not that bear. There is a unique beast in southern Xinjiang, called the "long-tailed bear". It is much smaller than the black bears and white bears we are familiar with, but the meat is delicious and far beyond their comparison. Especially a long tail is more delicious.
It’s the essence, and it’s very famous in southern Xinjiang!”
Gui Li was silent. Xiao Bai glanced at him and suddenly said: "It's strange. Seeing that you don't care much about anything on weekdays, why are you somewhat interested in this dish when it comes to it?"
Gui Li was startled and was speechless for a long time. He grew up on the Dazhu Peak of Qingyun Mountain and soon began to cook. He actually has some talent and interest in cooking. If he were in an ordinary family, I'm afraid he would also
He became a cook, and he could probably make a name for himself. But now...
Gui Li sighed softly, suddenly lost his interest and didn't want to say anything. Xiao Bai looked at him with interest, his eyes flashed softly, and he didn't know what she was thinking.
Only Xiao Hui was still so restless, looking around and moaning quietly, as if expecting something.
It was quiet in the dead of night, and Tianshui Village, which had been busy all day, gradually became quiet at nightfall.
Tianshui Inn has two floors, and the second floor is the guest room. Gui Li observed carefully and found that he and Xiaobai were the only two staying overnight tonight. It seemed that although the place was lively, at this time of year, the world was in chaos, and there were not many Chinese merchants.
Come to Southern Xinjiang. However, the local people in Southern Xinjiang generally do not stay in hotels.
Xiao Bai's room is next to Gui Li's room. The walls are separated by wooden boards and there is not much sound insulation. You can faintly hear the slight laughter and squeaking noises next door. The monkey Xiao Hui ran over to play with Xiao Bai again.
Although Xiao Hui still comes back to be with Gui Li every night when he goes to bed, Xiao Bai doesn't know how. He seems to be particularly close to Xiao Hui, and now Xiao Hui likes to cling to this thousand-year-old demon fox no matter what.
Gui Li lay in the room for a while. He hadn't stayed in an inn for a long time, and he was still a little unaccustomed to it. Before he knew it, it was already late at night, but he still didn't feel sleepy. He couldn't help but feel a little bored, so he stood up.
Get up, slowly walk to the window, open the window, and look out.
Different from the daytime, at this moment in the night sky in southern Xinjiang, the dark clouds gradually dispersed. Although the clouds remained the same, a trace of moonlight quietly emerged from the gap.
The moonlight was clear and shining, like frost and snow, faintly falling down and falling on his body.
In the long world, everyone is sleeping, and there is no sound in the fields. Only the low and sad sound of insects can be heard from unknown street corners.
Darkness enveloped the earth.
Looking out the window, you can see thousands of miles of mountains and a deep night sky.
Under such a desolate and lonely night in southern Xinjiang, suddenly, the past flooded my heart like a tide.
Once upon a time, that child in a remote village was immersed in the rolling waves of the world of mortals, drifting with the waves. When he looked back, he realized that there was no one by his side.
Life is so lonely...
The man under the moon lowered his head and was speechless.
"hiss!"
A distant sound broke through the air and came slowly.
Gui Li raised his head, frowning slightly, and saw a light ray of light on the horizon, like a shooting star passing by in the night sky, crossing the sky, crossing the sky above Tianshui Village, and falling to the west.
But behind it, there were three rays of light chasing after it.
With Gui Li's sharp eyesight and experience now, he could naturally tell at a glance that these four rays of light were those of monks walking in the sky. He saw these four rays of rays chasing back and forth in the clouds in the night sky, although the three rays at the back could never catch up with the ones in front. There is a light, but the escaping person cannot escape the pursuit.
After a while, the first ray of light seemed to have made a decision and fell from the sky. Looking at the direction, it was southwest of Tianshui Village.
Then, the three rays of light that were being tracked also fell.
Gui Li pondered for a moment, but felt that he was uneasy tonight and really didn't want to stand here alone anymore, so he waved his right hand and silently turned into green light and flew towards the place where the four rays of light landed.
After his figure became smaller and smaller, there was a "squeak" sound, and the window of the room next to Gui Li was also pushed open. Xiao Bai hugged Xiao Hui and looked in the direction where Gui Li flew. After a while, Gui Li flew away. Li's figure disappeared into the darkness.
Xiaobai's face was calm, and there was no expression on his fair face, only the light in his eyes flickered strangely.
Gui Li flew silently all the way, and soon discovered that the place where those few lights and shadows fell was where the old Tianshui village was, a hilltop that had been abandoned for many years.
Just when he entered the cottage, a dull cry came from the front, and then there was an angry sound mixed with the familiar laughter of another person.
Gui Li immediately frowned.
This laughter, which is gentle to the bones and has a faint power to confuse people's hearts, is the voice of Jin Ping'er.
Gui Li hesitated for a moment, hid his body in a dark corner, and slowly swept forward.
On the originally quiet and deserted streets, ruins and tiles remained, creating a desolate scene.
At this time, the sky became clearer again, the clouds gradually dispersed, and the moonlight gradually became brighter, illuminating the abandoned mountain village somewhat brightly.
Jin Ping'er still had her everlasting smile on her face, standing in the middle of the street with a smile, facing a young man in front of her who was glaring angrily. This man was also known to Gui Li──from Fenxiang Valley. Outstanding disciple Li Xun.
On the street behind him, there was another Fenxiang Valley disciple who fell to the ground. It seemed that he had been injured by Jin Ping'er just now. There was a deep and large wound on his clothes starting from the left chest and going straight down. Fucking weakly.
However, Gui Li's eyes only turned around on these three people. After a moment, his eyes completely fell on the last person.
On a desolate night, in a desolate street, in an abandoned small building behind Jin Ping'er, there is a woman dressed in white, with a long sword on her back, standing on the eaves, facing the wind, her clothes slowly fluttering.
Under the clear moonlight, her snow-like skin makes people feel like a pale and beautiful woman.
Is this night and moonlight so beautiful and bright because of her?
Lu Xueqi!
Whose shadow is reflected in the familiar bright eyes?
Gui Li was stunned.
In the darkness, he quietly looked at the woman who seemed to have emerged from the dust. The wind and frost of the entire world and the ten years seemed to have never touched her at all. Therefore, the first thing that made people look at her was her presence. In the moonlight, she looked like a cool fairy.
"Witch!" Li Xun's handsome face was full of anger.
He and Lu Xueqi blocked Jin Ping'er one after another, but when they landed, the devil sect suddenly attacked and bewitched the junior brother from Fenxiang Valley behind him with the "mind-bewitching technique", and then injured him with a purple light blade. .If Li Xun hadn't taken action, I'm afraid this junior brother would have died.
However, Li Xun is more concerned about other things besides this junior brother's injury: "What have you done to my junior sister Yanhong? Hand her over quickly?"
Jin Ping'er smiled slightly, but his eyes suddenly wandered, and he glanced at the dark place behind Li Xun, where Gui Li was hiding, intentionally or unintentionally, and said: "You also said that that is your junior sister, not my junior sister, and I How to know?"
"Bah!" Li Xun looked angry, obviously caring about this junior sister, and said angrily: "If Master Shangguan hadn't noticed it, we would have been kept in the dark by you, a witch. You deliberately killed my disciple Burning Incense, this is You must repay the hatred. If you know the truth, hand over Junior Sister Yanhong as soon as possible!"
"Ouch! I'm so scared!" Jin Ping'er patted his heart with his hand, but his face was full of smiles. There was no trace of fear. Instead, his soft look became a bit heavier, and he said softly: "How are you doing? I am also a disciple of Zhengdao, how can so many people bully me, a weak woman?"
A cold snort came from Lu Xueqi behind her.
Li Xun glanced at the beautiful figure standing high up, his face darkened, and he said to Jin Ping'er: "Demon girl, if you continue to be stubborn, I won't be polite..."
Before the word "ye" was spoken, Jin Ping'er suddenly smiled charmingly, and a purple light suddenly bloomed under the sleeve of his right hand.
Li Xun immediately concentrated on guarding. This witch was full of tricks, and the purple-gang blade of her magic weapon was extremely sharp. It was really something extraordinary. Although the junior brother behind her was affected by her mind-deceiving technique just now, her years of practice were not the same as hers. The enemy shows how high his conduct is.
It's just that Li Xun has always been proud and has a high level of cultivation. Although he is vigilant, he is not timid at all.
Moreover, there is a peerless beauty watching her coldly from afar. He has been attracted to Lu Xueqi for a long time since they first met ten years ago, and he will never lose face in front of the beauty.
He was about to concentrate on facing the enemy, but he didn't expect that the cunning Jin Ping'er was just a feint. Suddenly, his body stopped and turned into purple light. He actually used a human blade to attack Lu Xueqi behind him.
In the blink of an eye, the purple light approached, Lu Xueqi's face was as frosty, and there was a sharp "zheng" sound. The immortal energy was full of blue light, and the Tianya Divine Sword was suddenly unsheathed and laid across his chest. Li Xun looked at it from behind, and in his heart
Inexplicably anxious, Yu Jian chased after him.
Unexpectedly, Jin Ping'er's purple light blade came into contact with Tianya, and he took advantage of the situation and retreated as fast as lightning, just in time to retreat from under Li Xun. Li Xun was taken aback, and for a moment he couldn't stop and chased after him.
Lu Xueqi was about to catch up, but was blocked by Li Xun and had to suppress her body.
The two of them looked at the same time and saw that the direction Jin Ping'er was flying was exactly where Li Xun was standing just now. There was also an injured Fenxiang Valley disciple who fell to the ground and was in panic. Li Xun was shocked. Just now he wanted to be there.
Lu Xueqi acted in front of him, forgetting that the junior brother behind him had no ability to resist at this moment. She regretted it so much, she roared, her body was like lightning, and she chased after him with all her strength.
Lu Xueqi also followed behind him, chasing Jin Ping'er.
In the blink of an eye, Jin Ping'er had arrived beside the Fenxiang Valley disciple. Suddenly he raised his toes and kicked the man's body up and flew backwards. Li Xun quickly caught him, but unexpectedly his tentacles were filled with blood. In the blink of an eye, his clothes were covered with blood.
dyed red.
Jin Ping'er's kick had already ruined the young disciple's life.
Li Xun's eyes were about to burst into flames, but in this moment of delay, Lu Xueqi had already passed over him and chased Jin Ping'er. At this moment, Jin Ping'er's figure happened to pass by the dark corner.
In a low voice, at that moment, Jin Ping'er's voice came quietly and quickly: "Help me block that woman."
In the darkness, the man snorted, his disdain obvious, and he was about to move, obviously not wanting to get involved in this matter.
Unexpectedly, in this flash of lightning, Jin Ping'er suddenly said three words quickly but loudly and clearly: "Qilidong!"
These three words, like lightning, knocked down Gui Li's body that was about to fly up. Jin Ping'er's eyes and face were full of mysterious smiles, and she flew past him in an instant.
And a moment later, Lu Xueqi's white figure followed, right in front of her.
Does anyone know whose figure flashed through his mind at that moment?
Green light floated up, and Lu Xueqi's face, which had always been as cold as ice, suddenly changed. It was a little confused, a little confused, a little happy, and a little angry!
Choking…
Tianya and Blood-devouring Light, blue and red light, reflected each other in the night, drifting far away.
Li Xun passed by Lu Xueqi and followed Jin Ping'er. After all, Jin Ping'er was the more important target, especially after she killed the junior brother who came with her. However, the other person looked back quietly in mid-air, looking at
Looking at the man and woman who were silently staring at each other on the deserted street, the flame flashing deep in their eyes was so hot.
In the distance, Jin Ping'er's laughter came from afar. There was a hint of joking in the soft voice. Gui Li listened to it silently.
The moonlight is like water, shining on this desolate hilltop and silent street.
The woman in front of him is dressed in white like snow, with a long sword in her hand, as bright as autumn water.
Who is the person looking deeply into his bright eyes?
Note 1: Qilidong, the largest settlement of the Miao people in history, was named because it was rumored to be seven miles wide. It is unclear when it was developed and was destroyed by officers and soldiers in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Legend has it that this place is easy to defend but difficult to attack.
There is only a narrow passage connecting the outer passage, which has always been the spiritual pillar of the Miao world.
Nowadays, the specific address is difficult to verify, but after consulting the information, it seems that a "Daping Township" was discovered in Heyang, Guangxi in 1983. The surrounding terrain is very similar, and it was led by Miao people. There is a "Dog God Cave" on the nearby mountain, with Miao people inside. The dog-god-shaped boulder that people worship is suspected to be located here.
Another note: Dog God is a legend among the Miao people. Officers and soldiers rushed in late at night while the Miao people were sleeping. A stone dog suddenly barked loudly on the top of the mountain, alarming the tribe, so they joined forces to fight the enemy and the whole tribe was saved. From then on, the Dog God was worshiped, and the incense continued year after year. (Unfinished) to be continued)