When they returned to Daming Village, it was already dark, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys as the villagers started cooking.
Grandma Zhu was strolling around the village, leaning on her cane.
Just as they reached the village entrance, they saw Ning Hong leading Ning Xiaoxiao, who was wearing a colorful feather cloak, and a man following behind, walking in from the village entrance.
"Little one—"
Grandma Zhu cried out, her shock barely concealed.
Elder Zhu said that there might be changes to the matter of Ning Xiaoxiao and Ning Hongze being offered as sacrifices. They waited for many days, but neither the ferocious beasts came down the mountain nor the Ning siblings came down. They were starting to give up.
To my surprise, they actually came back.
Grandma Zhu blinked, wiping away the tears that suddenly welled up in her eyes.
"Okay, very good."
"Grandma Zhu, Grandma Zhu, I'm back." Xiao Xiao hugged Grandma Zhu, her eyes also red.
Why are you so late? We thought—
She genuinely believed that Elder Zhu had made a mistake in his calculations.
Ning Hong also stepped forward. "We stayed on the mountain for a few more days."
Grandma Zhu patted Ning Hongze on the shoulder and said, "That mountain is so dangerous, what's the point of you staying? Don't you know there are people down the mountain who are worried about you?"
"I'm sorry," Ning Hong apologized sincerely. No matter the reason, it was wrong to hurt those who cared about her.
Therefore, he offered no explanation.
For Ning Xiaoxiao, having so many people who care about her is a kind of luck.
Upon hearing the noise, everyone in the village came out.
Upon seeing Ning Hongze and her brother, their expressions became somewhat complicated.
"Little one—"
A girl rushed out and said, "I'm so glad you're okay."
This girl is named Titi, and she is Xiaoxiao's best friend.
Her eyes were red, and she couldn't hide the joy in them.
If there were a few older people, their faces would darken.
His expression was unreadable.
"You're back?" They weren't unhappy, but they were worried that their return might affect the sacrificial ceremony.
No matter how much I like those two people, I can't let them interfere with the village's sacrificial rites.
"Did you encounter the gods on the sacred mountain?" Elder Zhu asked.
"We didn't encounter any, but we did encounter some strange beasts, man-eating ferocious beasts." Ning Hong raised her head and looked directly at Elder Zhu.
His words caused everyone present to gasp.
"Then—how did you escape?"
"It was this person who saved us and killed that ferocious beast."
Ning Hong lied without batting an eye.
Ning Xiaoxiao opened her mouth. She originally wanted to show off to Titi, but she didn't expect her brother to say such a thing.
Many words were about to come out, but she swallowed them back down.
"Killed?"
How could such a ferocious beast have been killed?
This caused everyone's attention to turn to the phoenix.
"What is this brave man's name?" Elder Zhu asked.
"My name is Phoenix."
"Phoenix—what a fine name." Old Master Zhu didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with it.
These days, people basically choose their names randomly.
Therefore, they wouldn't think of going to see strange beasts for the time being.
After all, many people in the village hope their children will be strong, so they name their children Tiger, Snow Leopard, or similar names.
"Hello, hello," Phoenix stammered.
He doesn't usually greet people, so what right do these humans have to deserve a greeting from a dignified auspicious beast like himself?
But this old man in front of me was different; Xiaoxiao looked at him with great respect.
"Aze, come with me, I have some questions for you."
Just as his divination had indicated, Aze and his sister indeed emerged from the sacred mountain.
However, the final location shown in the hexagram is quite unusual.
He couldn't understand it at all.
He needs to ask him first.
“Okay.” Ning Hong glanced at Ning Xiaoxiao and felt somewhat relieved to see that Phoenix was following Ning Xiaoxiao closely.
Although he didn't know where the phoenix's sudden fondness for Xiao Xiao came from, he didn't care.
As long as you treat Xiaoxiao well, that's enough.
Grandma Zhu also took Xiaoxiao back to her home and questioned her thoroughly. She dismissed everyone who had gathered together.
Of course, this didn't include Titi and Fenghuang. The two of them were waiting outside Grandma Zhu's house.
Grandma Zhu didn't ask her about her body; instead, she was more concerned about her life, such as how she ate and slept, since everyone knew how dangerous the sacred mountain was.
Xiao Xiao understood her brother's thoughts. He avoided mentioning many things if possible, and if he couldn't avoid them, he blamed everything on Phoenix. For example, Phoenix helped them with food on the mountain, and Phoenix also helped them keep warm. For instance, the cloak she was wearing.
After hearing Xiaoxiao's words, Grandma Zhu smiled and patted Xiaoxiao's head. "You've escaped death; those who survive a great calamity are bound to have good fortune. Go on, they're still waiting for you!"
As soon as Titi saw Ning Xiaoxiao come out, she hurriedly went to greet her.
Honestly, the man who came back with Xiaoxiao was so handsome, but she felt inexplicably scared.
She didn't even dare to breathe loudly when she stood next to him.
As soon as Xiaoxiao came out, the whole atmosphere relaxed.
"Xiaoxiao, you don't know, after you were taken away, my brother cried for a long time!" Titi suddenly said. "Although I didn't really want to tell you, my brother asked me to, so I'll tell you anyway." Titi rolled her eyes in annoyance at the mention of her brother.
What's the use of crying? If you're so capable, go with her!
"How could that be? With Gesang's personality, how could she cry?"
Gesang is their warrior, very strong and skilled in archery.
They can often catch some common wild beasts in the mountains and forests.
"It's true, you really cried. My brother likes you, you know that."
"Titi, I'm still young!"
Gesang is already twenty years old, while she is only thirteen. "My brother said that I can only get married when I am at least twenty years old."
"So late?" Titi was stunned. "Isn't it normal to get married at sixteen?" Twenty years old, her brother is already twenty-seven.
"So you're telling Gesang not to wait for me anymore, I'll never marry him," Xiaoxiao said directly.
To be honest, she didn't understand what Gesang was thinking.
Titi said he fell in love with her when he was sixteen, but she was only nine years old that year.
He's still a child!
"My brother will be heartbroken." That's wonderful...
"It's okay, things will probably be better after he gets married." She had already rejected him several times, but he seemed not to understand her and kept pestering her.
If it weren't for Titi's sake, she wouldn't even want to acknowledge him.
“That makes sense.” Titi also found her brother’s behavior inexplicable.
Why does she keep bothering Xiaoxiao? She's tired of seeing her.
The most important thing is that she's always used as an excuse...
“”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
