Ning Ning had no intention to kill from the beginning.

Although many spirit beasts and monsters in the secret realm of Xiaochong Mountain would attack humans indiscriminately, in the final analysis, they were just defending their territory and driving away invaders.

To them, the monks who suddenly appeared were the unreasonable ones.

Therefore, unless she was in a critical moment of life and death, she would not intend to kill them directly at other times.

The human-faced scorpion was so flattered by her that it actually enjoyed it very much. After a cold snort, it not only pointed out the exit of the cave, but also marked the location of Tianxin Grass on Ning Ning's map, so that she could go and find it.

Only after leaving the green and gloomy cave did Ning Ning truly enter Xiaochong Mountain.

The cave is located halfway up the mountain. Looking around, you can see the mountains stacked up all around.

The sky, clouds, mountains, and water are all in a leisurely green. In the distance, the thick fog hides the green mountains like eyebrows. In the near distance, birds are singing and flowers are blooming. The warblers are chirping everywhere, bringing the faint fragrance of leaves.

The place pointed by the human-faced scorpion is very close to the cave. It only took half an incense stick for Ningning to reach the destination smoothly.

This is a small corner blocked by a huge rock on the edge of the cliff. The rock fits tightly with the mountain wall next to it, leaving only a narrow gap that can only allow one person to pass through.

The gap is blocked by vines and branches, and it is difficult to find if you don't pay attention. If you look through the gaps in the vegetation, the other side is just a very narrow open space.

Most ordinary people would lose interest at this, but they would never think that if you look through the gap to the right, you will find a magical plant with four heart-shaped leaves that is completely white in color in the corner blocked by the boulder.

It is said that each leaf of the Tianxin grass can cure all diseases.

Ning Ning did not expect that when she lifted the heavy vines beside the boulder, she actually heard a strange female voice behind the stone.

The voice was extremely gentle, and it was not known whether it was out of fear or nervousness, and she was trembling slightly when she spoke: "Senior, my family is seriously ill. If it weren't for the Tianxin grass to save his life..."

Before she finished speaking, she was interrupted by another bright and loud voice: "I have seen your excuse many times. Instead of trying to deceive me, why not think about how to take on this couplet."

There are actually two people in such a secret place?

Ning Ning was suspicious and put her head in. There

were indeed two figures standing behind the boulder.

One of them she had some impression of, it was Yun Duanyue who never talked to strangers in Liuming Mountain; the other woman looked like a woman in her twenties, with ordinary features but extraordinary temperament, leaning against the stone wall behind her with a smile.

Sensing the breath of strangers, the two turned their heads at the same time.

Yun Duanyue was like a frightened rabbit, and immediately lowered her eyelashes after a very brief eye contact; but the woman, acting like a master, smiled carelessly: "Are you here to get the Tianxin grass as well?"

Seeing Ningning nodded, she immediately said brightly: "I am the spirit in the stone. I have been here with the Tianxin grass for a hundred years. If you want to take it away, you must ask my opinion first."

She did not show any obvious refusal. Ningning knew something was going to happen, and asked tactfully: "What do you mean, senior?"

"This broken place is very boring. For so many years, the only human object I have come into contact with is the "Picking Flowers Couplet" that was left here by someone unknown."

Shi Zhongling was very satisfied with her cooperation and raised his lips: "It's a pity that I have seen couplets for so many years, but I can't find anyone to match them. Today I will give you the first line of the couplet and you have to answer it. If you can match it, I will give you this grass. I will not deceive you and allow you to not delve into the prosody and artistic conception. As long as the words are there, how about it?"

This is actually a very literary monster, probably a distant relative of Sun Wukong, both born of stone.

Ningning nodded and looked at Yun Duanyue beside her: "You came first, I won't cut in line."

Yun Duanyue still lowered her head and didn't look at her. Just being spoken to, her ears flushed unnaturally and she pursed her lips.

"This girl can't answer."

During the conversation, a yellowed old book appeared in the woman's hand. Amid the rustling sound of pages turning, Shi Zhongling's slow voice rang out: "Let's start with a simple one, ghosts and monsters."

Ningning blurted out: "Stuffed wontons."

She clearly felt that the smile on Shi Zhongling's mouth stiffened for a moment.

But the other party was a stone that was brought up by literature after all, and he was very calm. He paused and said, "A thin horse on a small road in the west wind."

Ningning didn't know what picture came to her mind. She touched her belly and laughed softly, "A big plate of fat beef from the east."

Shi Zhongling: ...

Shi Zhongling laughed back, "Girl, why can't you leave food in every sentence?"

Ningning said seriously, "Didn't we agree not to study the rhythm and artistic conception? As long as the words match, it's fine."

She was quite righteous.

Shi Zhongling hadn't recited poems with anyone for a long time. This time, she finally met someone, but it turned out to be a troublemaker.

In this case, she would increase the difficulty. In more advanced couplets, she didn't believe that this girl could continue to put out a bunch of food and drink stuff under the premise of neat parallelism.

"My third pair, crossing a cold pond with crane feet."

The other party was stunned for a long time.

It seems that this girl is just a little smart. Once she encounters a more difficult sentence, she will inevitably show her true colors.

This thought just crossed her mind, and before it completely emerged, the girl's crisp voice rang in her ears: "Hot pot stewed pig's trotters."

Shi Zhongling's face twitched.

Hot is paired with cold, stew is paired with crossing, pig's trotters are paired with crane feet. Not only are the radicals and characters opposite, but the meanings and parts of speech are also very compatible. Although it sounds fine at first...

but she always feels that her first couplet is dirty.

——No matter how I think about it, it smells like stewed pig's trotters, bastard! Were you a pot in your previous life! You think about eating all day long!

"You, you girl!"

Shi Zhongling gritted his teeth: "The tone and mood are all wrong, it seems like you are playing a ruthless couplet!"

The so-called ruthless couplet is a very special format in couplets. It does not require the content of the upper and lower couplets to be related or the grammatical structure to be symmetrical, but only requires single words to be antithetical. Therefore, it looks awkward and funny, and creates a strange sense of gap.

For example, Zeng Guofan wrote "Peaches and plums in the public office compete for glory, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium"; during the Republic of China period, there was also "Three Stars of Brandy, May Yellow Plum Day".

In the final analysis, this is just a low-level technique in couplets, a word game of nitpicking.

"What's wrong with ruthless couples? Ruthless couples are so much fun."

Ning Ning admitted it openly: "Poverty versus nothing, excuse versus retort, sailor versus ham, fungus versus flower heart - didn't you say that it's okay as long as the words match?"

Shi Zhongling was speechless. After taking a deep breath to ease the helpless anger in his chest, he continued: "Next! Azalea Azalea."

Azalea is the name of a plant, and the word "ying" can also be used as a verb alone.

She finished speaking and raised her eyes to glare at Ning Ning: "Don't say stewed pig's trotters stewed pig's trotters, roasted duck's feet roasted duck's feet! The artistic conception of this couplet must be the same."

"...Oh."

Ning Ning's words were snatched away, and she felt a little lost for a while. Seeing her standing there with a depressed look, Shi Zhongling couldn't help but smirk from the corner of his mouth. Since

she couldn't fool Little Congming this time, she was at a loss.

"This couplet is very interesting, but I am not very knowledgeable."

Ning Ning's voice came softly as she expected, and the woman smiled even more deeply.

In fact, this little girl is quite interesting. Although Wuqing is at the bottom of the list, it is not easy to be fooled by her to get food in every word. If she is a little sweet-mouthed later, it is not impossible to get Tianxin Grass.

She nodded in agreement, but she didn't expect that at the same time, the voice rang in her ears again: "- I can only come up with two, but both have some flaws."

Shi Zhongling raised his head suddenly.

"First is 'Spring flowers, Spring flowers', which is a flower couplet. From the imagery point of view, it fits the scene of blooming mountain flowers in the first couplet. Azaleas bloom in autumn, one spring and one autumn, which is also a remote correspondence. It's a pity that the word nature of 'spring flowers' and 'mountain red' doesn't match well, which is a failure."

Ningning said slowly: "The second is 'Plum Blossom Yu', the word 'Yu' is also pronounced as entertainment, and the flower is used to please the beauty. Although it also has a sense of agility and liveliness, it is still a little worse than the first couplet."

Shi Zhongling opened his lips slightly and said slowly: "Not bad."

"Since you love couplets so much, it just so happens that a gentleman in my hometown wrote a couplet that is said to be the hardest to find in the second half. I wonder if you would like to give it a try?"

Seeing the woman's eyes shining, Ningning smiled and said, "The first half is, 'The thief steals something'."

This couplet seems to be simple and plain, but it is actually a very interesting word game. The four words "steal" contain three meanings, not to mention the need to consider the coherence of the reduplicated words and sentences.

In the world where Ningning originally lived, the descendants of hundreds of years have made thousands of couplets, but they can only come up with "history books, books, books, ancient and modern". As

soon as the first half came out, Shi Zhongling's expression was indeed restrained, and he frowned and bowed his head in deep thought.

However, after thinking it over, he could not come up with an answer. After pondering for a moment, he laughed: "Wonderful... Wonderful! I thought that after reading "Picking Flowers" carefully, I would not be bothered by couplets anymore, but it turns out I am still far from it. Anyway, you beat me today, you can take the Tianxin grass."

Ningning blushed at the compliment and waved her hands repeatedly: "This couplet was not written by me, and I can't match it well. I just borrowed things from my predecessors. There is no question of winning."

Shi Zhongling's expression did not change. He pointed his finger slowly, and the Tianxin grass in the corner floated up into the air and flew straight into the hands of the little girl not far away.

Ningning always felt unworthy of the compliment, and told her a few eternal absolutes like "Smoke locks the willows in the pond", "Tour the West Lake and bring up the tin pot, the tin pot falls into the West Lake, what a pity for the tin pot", which made the witch sigh in amazement, her eyes widening like copper bells: "The gentlemen in my hometown are really gods!"

Ningning was happier than being praised, and nodded repeatedly: "Of course! The people in my hometown are very good, and everyone is super, super awesome!"

Shi Zhongling got many first couplets, and returned to the boulder with satisfaction, and disappeared in an instant. Ningning looked down at the white Tianxin grass, and did not notice the strange look of the girl next to her.

Yun Duanyue's eyes dimmed, and she subconsciously grasped the edge of her skirt.

She came to the secret realm of Xiaochong Mountain for the sole purpose of obtaining the Tianxin Grass. She finally came here after asking all the spirit beasts in the mountain that understood human language.

She didn't expect that the way the spirit in the stone would test people was something she was not good at, and she never expected that the Tianxin Grass would be taken away by another person first. It was all

because she was not as skilled as others.

But...

the girl in the blue skirt bit her lower lip secretly, suppressed her pounding heart, and said in a barely audible voice: "Girl, Tianxin Grass--"

Before she finished speaking, she saw a white little hand suddenly stretched out in front of her. What

was held in her hand and handed to her were two crystal clear, still stained with misty dew...

Tianxin Grass leaves.

Even Yun Duanyue, who always had a blank expression on her face, couldn't help but shrink her pupils.

Is she... going to give up half of the Tianxin Grass?

In Yun Duanyue's cognition, such a thing is pure fantasy.

All the cultivators she knows are fighting for resources and even doing all kinds of ugly things that are against the will of heaven and earth and seize opportunities. Tianxin Grass is a priceless treasure, and they only met for the first time, and the sword cultivator in front of them actually...

actually gave it to her without hesitation?

"I heard your conversation with that senior."

The strange little girl who had never met had a sincere look in her eyes, and her bright almond eyes were like black grapes, pure and without impurities: "I hope your relatives are safe."

It was actually because of those words.

But even Shi Zhongling said it before, and she had heard that excuse countless times and no longer believed it. This girl looks like a smart person, how come she has no doubts?

"I heard that you won't talk to people on your own initiative. If you ask for it, it must be urgent."

Ning Ning saw the doubt in her heart and grinned: "Even if you are lying, I am not at a loss. Anyway, I have obtained the Tianxin grass. One or two pieces are enough. If your family's lives are delayed because of suspicion, it will be really bad."

The Tianxin grass in front of her moved closer to her.

Yun Duanyue resisted the urge to redden her eyes, took it with trembling fingertips, and whispered with almost all the courage in her body: "Thank you."

No one knows how much she has been suffering these days.

Although she is known as a rare genius Le Xiu in Liuming Mountain, Yun Duanyue's childhood was actually miserable.

As a concubine's daughter of a wealthy family, she was afraid to talk to others. Her father ignored her and her mother treated her as a useless tool. Only her grandmother was willing to treat her like a normal person and taught her to read, play the piano and do needlework.

Now that grandma is seriously ill, only Tianxin grass can prolong her life. She came here with full of expectations, but the moment she saw Ningning holding the Tianxin grass, all her hopes were crushed into despair.

But now two small leaves appeared in her palm.

It was like a dream.

A warm current surged into her eyes. Yunduanyue lowered her head and took a deep breath: "I will repay you for saving my life."

She was about to bend over to thank her, but Ningning held her shoulders: "No, no! I feel embarrassed if you do this... Anyway, I'm not helping you for any reward."

Yunduanyue raised her eyes very quickly and looked at her, her trembling eyelashes like a black butterfly fluttering its wings. Her eyes were slightly red, and her cheeks were also slightly pink. She didn't say anything else, and the surroundings fell into silence.

However, the silence didn't last long, and was suddenly broken by a mad boy's voice: "Give me back my sword!"

Then there was another more presumptuous shout: "Little Japanese, let you taste my Armstrong cyclotron jet cannon! Tick, tick, tick!"

This extremely familiar voice, extremely familiar lines.

Ningning felt suffocated.

"Sorry, it seems to be someone I know. I'll go out and take a look."

She hurriedly explained to Yun Duanyue, and came to the other side of the huge rock from the gap, just in time to meet a pair of bloodshot eyes.

He Zhizhou had messy hair, and he was holding two unsheathed long swords like a gun, shooting randomly; behind him followed a panting and excited young man. Ning Ning had some impression of him, and he seemed to be from the Wanjian Sect, named Xu Ye.

She was startled and tentatively called out, "He Zhizhou!"

The young man with picturesque features was stunned for a moment, and suddenly smiled at her very kindly, "Second Battalion Commander, you're here! Hurry up and bring my Italian cannon up!"

Ning Ning: ?

"This man, this man is poisoned!"

Xu Ye, who was following behind him, stopped to catch his breath: "He and I were teleported to the jungle together. Senior Brother He picked some white mushrooms under the tree and ate them, and suddenly he became like this."

After he finished catching his breath, he pointed at He Zhizhou viciously: "Give my sword back to me!"

"Pointing a gun at me?"

Unexpectedly, the other party ignored him, but smiled evilly: "I bet there is no bullet in your gun."

Ning Ning was stunned: "Yan, Yan Shuangying?"

"Not bad!"

He Zhizhou said, waving his big hand, heroically: "Li Yunlong, charge with me! Tonight we will destroy these little devils and go to Jinggang Mountain to join the Red Army!"

Help! This poison is too deep!

Before Ning Ning could say anything, she saw He Zhizhou look around, and without warning, he leaped to the ground, and at the same time, he used his hands and legs to start wriggling like a frog.

Yes, wriggling.

Ning Ning couldn't bear to watch it, so she turned her gaze to Xu Ye.

Unexpectedly, the boy who was so serious in the last second suddenly hunched over and lowered his head, his hands moving constantly on both sides of his head. Occasionally, he turned his head to look at her, and he actually opened his mouth wide to breathe, with his eyes rolled up.

Ning Ning San was on a short break, and asked cautiously: "What are you two doing?"

"Nonsense, swimming."

Xu Ye looked at the idiot with a matter-of-fact expression: "You are so comfortable sitting on the boat - be careful! There is a huge wave over there!"

Where did the huge wave come from, there came the boat.

As a result, you are also poisoned, brother!!! It turns out that both of you are not normal! Could it be that you are the legendary land cruiser? She is so scared!

On the other side, He Zhizhou continued to use his hands and feet to breaststroke, turning his head from time to time to laugh at her, and said in a low voice:

"I'll tell you a secret, the Chairman told me that Optimus Prime and the Hulk agreed to help us start a revolution. International friends are great! Once we swim across the Yalu River, the new China will be established!"

The two of them talked about their own things, shaking their bodies and limbs in different postures, and the scene was very weird for a while.

Ning Ning would rather call it the cultivation version of the zombies, the new version of Train to Busan, and the tenth part of Resident Evil.

Just when she didn't know what to do, a voice she had never heard before suddenly came to her ears, with undisguised aggression, and the person who came was not friendly: "I see that the Taoist friend's package is full of spiritual energy. Could it be that he has found the legendary Tianxin--"

The man didn't finish his words and stood there in a daze.

He followed the spiritual energy and only at this moment did he finally see the situation clearly.

Two disciples of the sect seemed to be possessed. One of them was crawling on the ground and crawling forward, while the other was like a zombie that had been drained of its blood. His hands were shaking like branches above his head, and he was staggering towards him step by step.

This was too scary.

The young man shuddered and took a half step back.

He recognized that the one lying on the ground was wearing the uniform of the Xuanxu Sword Sect. He had heard the gossip from Xu Ye of the Wanjian Sect that everyone in this sect was very abnormal, so it was best to avoid them if possible, otherwise the consequences would be self-inflicted.

And the other one who looked like a zombie -

my god! It was Xu Ye himself!

He panicked, as panicked as a child who had not experienced the world.

Could it be that the madness of the Xuanxu Sword Sect is still transmitted from person to person?