The dim light of the eternal lamps in the distance could hardly penetrate the thick and heavy night. In the darkness, one could only see the continuous shadows of the mountains in the distance, like a dormant giant beast.
The strong wind kept making low and hoarse whimpers, and the night rain was blown everywhere, passing through the dilapidated walls and falling on the tip of Pei Ji's tall nose.
Ningning's question was too abrupt, like a blunt knife hitting him on the head.
Pei Ji had never heard of this question before, let alone thought that someone would ask him this question. Although he was a little stunned for a moment, his eyes looked straight forward, his gaze fixed on the face of the little girl in front of him.
This sight made him feel confused.
Just like the brain hasn't finished analyzing the emotions, the body and nerves have already made the most honest response.
When Ningning mentioned "the girl he likes", he raised his eyelashes almost subconsciously and looked right at her.
Does this mean that he—
Pei Ji seemed to understand something, but he always felt that everything was foggy, unreal and unclear, as if he was in a dream.
Chengying was still pretending to be dead in his heart, motionless and quiet as a chicken. He felt inexplicably annoyed and for the first time in his life wanted to listen to its noisy sound like a broken gong.
If there was no voice to divert attention...
He will definitely blush in front of Ningning.
He was really hopeless as he was so embarrassed just because of her question.
Ningning, who was standing next to him, was equally panicked. She turned her head away the moment Pei Ji's eyes met, and clutched her coat even tighter.
When she spoke again, her voice was as dry as a thousand-year-old mummy: "It's okay if you don't want to talk. I'm just asking casually, there's nothing special I want to know."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Pei Ji's low and hoarse voice, as if filled with water vapor: "You——"
Ningning's fingertips trembled slightly.
Finally, Chengying couldn't even play dead. He took a deep breath like a dying man, letting out a long, dry breath, and his limbs flailing around like a drowning puppy.
Unfortunately, halfway through inhaling, he kicked his legs and rolled his eyes, almost saying goodbye to this beautiful world.
Pei Ji's tone was still very calm, and he added with a wooden face: "Why are you asking this?"
Chengying: ...
Chengying wanted to spit out a mouthful of blood, freeze it into ice and smash it hard on the brat's forehead. He stamped his feet frantically in grievance, "Rebellious son! Wooden head! Idiot! I am so mad at me! What a great opportunity! Why are you answering like this! I want to break off relations with you! Immediately! Right now!"
"When we were walking on the road earlier, didn't you say that Qiao Yan reunited with her childhood sweetheart whom she had a crush on?"
Chengying was so angry that he almost died, but Ningning, the person involved, did not have too many emotional fluctuations. She answered in one breath: "I suddenly thought of them, so I took the opportunity to ask about your situation."
After finally thinking of a reasonable reason, Ningning gave herself a thumbs up in her heart.
To be honest, she had thought carefully for some time about the question "What kind of girls does Pei Ji like?"
After all, he was alone from beginning to end in the original novel. Even though he became a big man who was decisive and could kill anyone who stood in his way, he still turned a blind eye to the intentional approaches of various female cultivators. He was either upgrading or fighting with swords all day long. It was just like there were four big words written on his forehead: no emotions or love.
However, thinking about it secretly is one thing, but asking someone in front of them is a completely different matter.
This question came out without any warning, and even Ningning herself didn't react. Now when I try to recall it, I can only remember two thoughts I had at that time.
She didn't seem to resist being close to and in contact with Pei Ji.
And, want to know more about him.
In any case, she was really overwhelmed by the heavy rain, so she asked this question in a daze.
"Oh, that's right!"
Amid the sound of heavy rain, Ningning suddenly let out a low cry, took out a storage bag from her arms, lowered her head and began to look for something. Pei Ji waited in silence and saw a round white ball rolling out of the bag.
It turned out to be the night pearl that she had secretly bought for Lin Xun.
"I was planning to give it to him after the trial, but I didn't expect to use it myself first."
Ning Ning held it up with both hands, her fingers and cheeks were reflected as bright as snow. Thinking of Pei Ji's fear of the dark, she handed him the Night Pearl: "It's a pity that my Star Mark Sword is nowhere to be found. If I had it with me, I could show you the star-like light, which is very beautiful."
This action was quite normal, but Pei Ji's eyes darkened for some reason, and he said in a muffled voice with his long eyelashes drooping, "I don't need it."
"well."
When Chengying saw him like this, he immediately understood everything. He began to recite his essay again, this time with great sorrow and almost tears: "When you saw that night-shining pearl, did you feel so sour and painful in your heart, and so stuffy that you couldn't breathe? Don't be sad, Daddy understands you, Pei Xiaoji! The child's chest tightness is always bad, most likely it's jealousy!"
The young man in black, who was holding the sword tightly, secretly exerted force with his right hand, and a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes.
Although Chengying was annoying and nagging, what bothered Pei Ji the most was that most of what it said was true.
For example, now, when he saw the night-shining pearl that Ning Ning had bought for Lin Xun at a large sum of money, his heart felt really heavy, and he felt a little sour for no apparent reason, as if it was all blocked in his chest.
Chengying liked the look of him wanting to beat him up but being hit in the heart the most, and continued to laugh and joke: "I never thought you would have this day, tsk tsk, tsk tsk tsk, this is so sour, I can't believe it."
After a pause, the teasing tone in his words became stronger: "Pei Xiaoji, you are getting deeper and deeper into this trap. I'm afraid you are completely screwed."
"What's wrong with you? You look so weird."
It was still showing off when Ningning's voice rang in its ears. Pei Ji looked up reflexively and met her bright eyes.
The distance between them...seems a little too close.
The coat covered his head, preventing him from even moving back. The heat from the summer night accumulated slowly in the narrow space, dyeing the boy's fair earlobes a light red.
He was originally good at endurance, but now he felt very hot in his heart. His throat moved slightly and he shook his head gently: "Maybe it's affected by the surrounding demonic energy... It's not a big deal."
"Demonic energy?"
Ningning looked around when she heard that, and sure enough, she saw a blood-red aura like mist. They seemed to be weighed down by the rain, all piled up in low places, looking a little thicker than usual, like scattered blood flowers.
"This secret realm is filled with resentment, and I don't know when the evil spirit will disappear."
As she spoke, she thought of something and looked at Pei Ji seriously: "By the way, how are the demons in the secret realm?"
"We went to the waterfall while you were asleep."
He answered all the questions he knew, and said slowly, "The demon cultivators' spiritual power was damaged in the war, and their sea of consciousness and meridians have not recovered yet, so they can't withstand the strong evil energy here. When we got there, many of them had already fallen into a coma, and now they are all imprisoned in the village. I think they don't have much time left."
The demon cultivators were actually seriously injured by the demonic energy left behind by their own kind after their death. This should be considered as self-inflicted suffering to some extent.
Ning Ning listened to him quietly, then leaned against the wall behind her and raised her head slightly, "Demons... Pei Ji, what do you think of them?"
What she didn't notice was that the look in the black-clothed teenager's eyes next to her became increasingly sinister.
Pei Ji answered quickly, almost without any hesitation, his tone was as cold as ice: "He is extremely vicious and his crime is unforgivable."
This is a very ironic thing.
Since becoming a disciple, he has learned many stories about the great war between immortals and demons. Whether it was the Goose City Incident, or the fact that the Spirit Fox lineage was almost exterminated today, demonic cultivation has always been associated with killing, tyranny, and death, making people feel uncontrollably bored and disgusted.
However, the funny thing is that he himself is an undoubted descendant of the demon clan, and his bloodline has been tainted with filth and violence since birth. It was no wonder that the former outer disciples would come in groups to cause trouble for him. With such a despicable bloodline, there was no reason to argue.
Just like what his mother said when she locked him in the cellar and beat and scolded him when he was a child, he was born unclean, neither human nor ghost, so disgusting.
Pei Ji did not hide the self-loathing and self-mockery in his expression, and turned his head to look at the dusty corner. Amid the double attack of muffled thunder and heavy rain, he heard Ningning's voice.
Her tone could actually be described as "brisk", and she even laughed briefly before she spoke, like the sound of bells shaken by the night wind: "How can it be so scary?"
Pei Ji was stunned.
"Although it is true that many demon cultivators have committed heinous crimes, the demon race also has a less terrifying side."
Ning Ning looked very serious, and said solemnly: "For example, Qin Niang was willing to sacrifice everything to save the life of Qiao Yan, a little girl who was not related to her in any way; and Qi Han, who could have easily broken the water mirror formation by himself without being caught by us, but he struggled to save the lives of his people, and ended up failing."
She paused for a moment, thought for a moment and then said, "Even demons have feelings, and are not as vicious as most people imagine. So -"
Pei Ji heard her voice more clearly, perhaps because Ningning turned her cheek towards him. Then the girl's clear voice penetrated the layers of wind and rain, and landed on the eardrum with a click: "Don't take other people's excessive words to heart, Pei Ji. What's wrong with demon blood? You are no different from me."
——She said so much, it turned out that she wanted to comfort him.
The original novel mentioned the situation of the descendants of the demon clan. They all lived on thin ice and suffered discrimination. Pei Ji had never received any affirmation from childhood to adulthood. There was only constant malice and blame around him.
But in fact, he is no different from other disciples of the immortal sect. He is also a young man with high spirits and little experience in the world. There are not too many twists and turns in his mind. He is like an untainted white paper, too pure.
As for this time coming to the secret realm, the Spirit Fox Clan hates the evil cultivators even more.
Qiao Yan once told them with gritted teeth that they would fight to the death with all the demons; "Qin Niang" also mentioned inadvertently during a casual chat that demons are brutal by nature and will never follow the path of good. I wonder what Pei Ji felt when he heard this.
Ningning's tone was calm and peaceful, but Pei Ji felt like a stone was pressing on his chest. He hesitated for a while before he pursed his thin lips and looked at her.
The light of the night pearl is soft and delicate, flowing quietly like a gurgling stream, passing through raindrops, hair and indescribable emotions, casting a layer of bright white color on the girl's round almond eyes.
The two of them stood under the same piece of clothing to avoid the rain. Since they were in a small and dark space, the distance between them was naturally very small.
The scent of gardenia belonging to Ningning spread everywhere, accompanied by the chill of the cold night rain, but also faintly carrying the gentle warmth of her body.
Like strands of lines intertwined and blending with his breath.
"No matter what, you are completely different from those evil guys. There is no need to equate yourself with them."
Ning Ning waved her fist and raised her head with a solemn oath: "If anyone says bad things about you again, Senior Sister will teach him a lesson for you - and don't let your imagination run wild, understand?"
When she looked up, she met Pei Ji's gaze.
This was the first time Ningning had seen such a look.
His dark pupils were as deep as the ocean, with turbulent waves and undercurrents inside, as if she would be swallowed up by just one glance.
This should have been an extremely dangerous look, but it was also extremely abrupt with a strong sense of obedience and pain. In addition, there were many complex emotions. She couldn't see clearly and stood there in a daze.
Pei Ji did not look away either.
They were indeed too close.
Not far away there were deafening thunder and noisy raindrops, but this corner of the dilapidated house was so quiet that it seemed as if time had stopped.
Ningning's head was stuck, and in a trance she seemed to hear her own heartbeat getting faster and faster.
Why... does Pei Ji look at her like this?
No, no, then why did she have to remain motionless and accept his gaze?
As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, Ningning shuddered and immediately lowered her head.
At this time, you should say something to ease the embarrassment.
She wanted to cover her cheeks with her palms to cool down, but she always felt that this action was too obvious, clearly telling him that she was blushing, so she could only lower her head and whispered with a tongue tied: "What, what's wrong?"
Pei Ji closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath: "Nothing...Thank you, Senior Sister."
=====
Fortunately, the thunderstorm gradually subsided soon after, and Ningning was finally able to return to her own cabin. After saying good night to Pei Ji, she lay comfortably on the bed.
But I can't sleep.
I always feel something weird when I'm alone with Pei Ji.
She is outgoing, approachable and rarely shy. To take the most obvious example, if she and He Zhizhou were to look at each other, even if they stared at each other forever, Ningning would never blush at all.
But the look Pei Ji gave me tonight——
Ningning thought of his expression at that time again. She couldn't tell what she felt in her heart. She buried her head in the pillow and rolled over on the bed.
To her, Pei Ji seemed different from other people.
Ningning rolled back again, her hair a mess.
No way.
If we have to say there is any difference, isn't it just... like, like?
Ningning's eyes were wide open like a dead fish, and they rolled around the moment these two words came to her mind.
He fell off the bed with a thud.
She was in a state of confusion and continued to toss and turn after climbing onto the bed. Finally, she had no choice but to curl up like a shrimp and wrap her body and face in the quilt. She fell asleep without knowing when, and when she woke up the next day, it was already noon.
Ningning tried hard to put what happened last night behind her. She got up, dressed and washed as usual, opened the door and prepared to meet others. With a casual glance, I discovered an unexpected surprise.
The Star Mark Sword was found by someone, carefully wiped clean, wrapped in cotton cloth, and placed upright under the eaves in front of her door.
Ningning squinted her eyes because of the bright sunlight hanging high in the sky, and her heart suddenly jumped uncontrollably.
Who searched through forests and lakes one after another in the early morning, then washed it, wrapped it and placed it in its current location? Although no one told her, she knew the answer.
Last night she just casually mentioned the Star Mark Sword, but she didn't expect Pei Ji to find it back so quickly.
Ningning leaned over and grasped the hilt of the sword. Sure enough, she smelled the familiar scent of wood on the fabric. When she picked it up, she saw a piece of paper stuck to the sword.
The young man's handwriting is as graceful as a swimming dragon, very beautiful:
[Here’s the sword for you, don’t be sad. ］
She was talking about how she dreamed about her parents and woke up with red and swollen eyes.
——So that’s how I wanted to comfort her.
Ningning held the sword with mixed feelings.
Pei Ji always seems to be indifferent to everything, but he actually remembers everything. He clearly had no interest in the girls around him. If he continued to treat her like this...
Then she'd be completely screwed.
Ning Ning's troubled mood finally improved after his wife was found. Just as he was about to pick up the Xinghen Sword and go out, he suddenly heard Xu Ye's shouting from not far away: "Oh no, oh no!"
I heard his voice before I saw him. When he ran into the courtyard where Ningning was, he was already panting with exhaustion:
"Disciples from all the major sects have heard the news and are rushing over. They have already run into us at the entrance of the village. There will be a big fight soon!"
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