Chapter 20 Chapter Eleven: Journey to the Desert

Forest Hill, or Cairou Hill, may be the strangest place in the rainforest. In the dense and tangled rainforest, a small hill rises alone. Herbaceous plants, surrounded by vast rainforest. It is like the only space for the rainforest to breathe, and it is also a natural stop along the waterway to the great desert. After tying up the rafts, we walked up to the top of the hill. After spending a whole day in the dense forest where nothing can squeeze out water, the dryness here refreshed our spirits. Reappearing in the distance on the left, the rain forest expands from the bottom of the hill to the halfway up the mountain of Lianyun Peak, connecting Cairou Hill and Lianyun Peak like a bridge.

Nian Jia and others were busy camping and lighting fires before it was dark, while Cairou was in charge of directing the dinner. Dahei's stomach was rumbling with hunger, and he clung to Cairou, even my rightful master forget. I walked to a smooth giant rock on the top of the hill, sat down, and stared blankly at the top of Lianyun Peak covered by clouds. What is Hua Qian doing now?Will Princess Liqing immediately break the peace treaty and attack the Witch Country after I leave? Where did the beautiful princess go?When the great head of state ruled the land, she could not enjoy the warmth of family affection at all. In the end, even my fiancé left her. Why did the heavens treat her so unfairly?

Cairou's voice sounded softly behind me, saying: Great Sword Master!Here comes your dinner.Sitting next to me, I handed over roast lamb served in a wooden bowl, and held a basket of fruit in the other hand. I took it and ate in silence. Cairou hesitated for a while, and couldn't help but said: Great Sword Master, why are you staring at Lian Yunfeng all day long? The horizontal clouds on the top of Lianyun Peak gradually dissipated, revealing the snow-white peak. Against the background of the starry night, it was even more spectacular. I shook my head, not knowing how to answer Cairou's question.

Cairou lowered her head, afraid that she might have said something wrong. I said: Don’t worry too much, I just don’t know how to answer your question. This peak seems to have a mysterious connection with me. One day, I will climb to the top of the peak and try to look down from there. What will happen to the earth? one look. At this time, Dahei was full and walked over, found a piece of soft grass under the rock on the other side of me, and fell down, as if he would never get up again. I suddenly remembered that I was eating dinner alone, I handed the food to Cairou in embarrassment, and said: You haven't eaten yet!

Cairou shook her head with a smile, and said: I am not hungry, watching you eat the food I made makes me feel very happy. I picked up a piece of mutton, put it into her alluring lips, and smiled: I see you eating, and I am also very happy. Cairou's cheeks puffed out the piece of meat, chewing hard, with a happy expression. Nianjia walked over with his food in his hands, with a surprisingly serious expression, which was very different from the usual Youyouyouyou. I said: friend!What's on your mind?What he was talking about was the pure land language that he had just learned. Nianjia sat on another big rock in front of Cairou and me, and said to Caiju: Pure Land is indeed the most beautiful place in the world, and we Pure Land people often describe it as a land of grace with nine mountains and ten rivers.

Cairou's beautiful eyes were shining with longing, but there was also worry in them, because Nianjia said earlier that bad luck had come to this pure land on earth. Nian Jia showed a look of reminiscence on his face, and said: When my father led us to the Pure Land, my father, the greatest traveler on the earth, Nian Lianshan, knelt down and kissed the unique seven-color soil in the Pure Land. In one sentence: I don’t believe in the existence of God until today, and only God can create such a beautiful paradise. . I looked at Lianyun Peak towering in the starry sky, and thought in my heart: If there is a god, this Lianyun Peak must be due to its skillful hand, so that people can climb to the top of the peak and look at the pure land on the other side of the desert. .

Nianjia continued: Nine mountains are for stargazing, flying to the moon, catching fire, catching comets, golden clouds, scorching sun, morning light, sunset and chasing the sky.And Zhutian is the tallest mountain in the Pure Land, but I'm afraid it still can't be higher than Lianyun Peak here. According to my father, Lianyun Peak is probably the tallest mountain in the universe. I asked curiously: Why do the names of every mountain seem to be related to things in the sky? Nianjia proudly said: We Pure Land people like to describe our culture with sky civilization, because none of us does not like to look at the sky, so the most developed thing in Pure Land is astronomy.

Caijudo: Mr. Nianjia, please eat two bites of mutton first!It is much tougher when it is cold. Nian Jia nodded movedly, took two hasty bites, and continued: Our Pure Land does not have a ruler. When any disputes arise, the matter will be decided by the eight high priests of the priesthood. Once a decision is made, no one If there is any objection, the pure land is divided into ten districts and counties according to nine mountains and ten rivers. Each county is governed by a grand duke, but it is not the army, but the personal reputation. I said in a deep voice: What kind of trouble will you encounter in such a place?

Nianjia said: The pure land is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the vast desert behind it, which has made her almost completely immune to foreign enemies for thousands of years.However, this situation changed twelve years ago. The Black Cross landed on the northern shore of the Pure Land with hundreds of giant ships, occupied a large area of ​​land, built castles, and began to invade other places. Now there is a quarter of the land. has fallen into their hands. Picking Judo: Heicha people? Nian Jia said: These people don't know where they come from. Their blood is full of aggression and killing nature. Both men and women are strong and fierce. The brutal methods used are unimaginable to those who have not experienced it.

I said: The purpose of your coming here this time to seek precious black stones is to forge sharp knives to use against Heicha people! Nianjia nodded and said: more than 700 years ago, our great Mazu priest predicted this disaster. He wrote in the book of prophecy: within 300 years at the end of the millennium, the disaster will grow like a plague. The half-human, half-beast monster will dye the nine mountains and ten rivers red, making the starry sky unbearable to see. Cairou was surprised and said: Is it true that it was said seven hundred years ago? Nian Jia said: Of course it can't be wrong. This prophecy has been handed down since the Mazu priest ascended to heaven seven hundred years ago.

I said: You seem to have not finished reading Mazu's prophecy? Nian Jia stared at me with a gleam of astonishment and said: The prophecy is that people will live in sorrow and humiliation, until the great knight holding the holy sword, led by a thousand-mile camel, crossed Lianyun Peak and stepped into the Pure Land, with his great mind, superb wisdom, unworldly swordsmanship, and endless sorrow, makes the fruits grow again in the soil, the rivers return to clarity, and life returns to happiness. He will establish a new system for the earth and establish peace and happiness. . . He stopped, and the three of us were extremely quiet for a while, and even the beating of each person's heart could be faintly heard. My heart was beating wildly. Especially the sentence of endless sorrow, let me know that I am the warrior in the prophecy of the Mazu priest, why is this so?Why can he see through today's seven hundred years later, but he said in his mouth: Don't look at me! Cairou lowered her head, but still couldn't help but peek at me. Nianjia said: That great warrior is of course you, the great swordsman Lante, the son of Lanling. I sighed: New year!This is just a coincidence, don't be pretentious. Nian Jia said: Who can repel five hundred night wolf warriors by one person and convince them, who has a spirit sword that can warn in advance, only you, only the great knight in the prophecy can do it. I stood up abruptly and shouted in a low voice: It's night!I want to sleep. Cairou followed me and stood up at a loss. I yelled to Dahei who was having a good dream: Slacker!stand up.Go to the sleeping tent first. Cairou said goodnight to Nianjia who was sitting there, and encouraged Dahei to get up and chase after me. Walking into the tent, Cairou silently took off my armor and wiped my body. I fell silent. Cairou waited for me to lie down on the soft sheepskin blanket, only then did I realize that Dahei had already occupied the best position. Cairou smiled and said: Dahei is tired, it may be very nervous because it is the first time to take a boat, and there are many apes on both sides of the strait, so it cannot calm down. With a rustle, Cairou took off her clothes, revealing a body that would stop any man from breathing, after blowing out the oil lamp, she slipped into my arms. It's like a fire in my arms. Outside the tent, the calls of the people from the Pure Land and the sounds of running animals could be faintly heard. Cairou explained: They will not sleep tonight, and Nianjia said that they will try their best to buy time to catch animals in the rainforest as food for the desert journey. I hugged her silently and buried my head in her fragrant hair. Only there could I find the treasure raft in the sea of ​​hearts that crossed the turbulent waves. Cairou whispered in his ear: Great Sword Master, can you agree to Cairou's request? There was no reason to tremble in my heart, and I felt the sadness and loss in her tone. Her dream of the pure land has been shattered, and the cruel reality made her finally realize that as long as there are people, there will be killing, contention, hatred and war, even the pure land cannot be spared. I said softly: Tell me, no matter what, I will do it for you. Cairou was silent for a moment, then said softly: Assuming I die in the future, can you bury me on Cairou Hill. I froze suddenly, with cold hands and feet. An ominous feeling welled up in my heart again. Xiqi and the Witch are dead, could Cairou be next, or Hua Qian, no!I must not let that kind of bad luck happen to any of them. When I saw Cairou Hill for the first time, I felt extremely uncomfortable. This round and arched hill was like a tomb. No! Cairou called out like a frightened bird: Great Swordsman! I said in a deep voice: I will not allow you to mention the word death again. Cairou fell silent, and after a while, she whispered in my ear: Great Sword Master!Possess me, possess me brutally, don't show any pity, vent all your grief on Cairou! The next day, we started our river journey before dawn. At noon, we landed on the abandoned wooden raft on the other side of the rainforest. After a arduous journey, we finally passed through the rainforest and successfully set foot on the grassland on the other side. From here onwards, the grass in the grassland gradually thinned, and in the distance of the horizon, there were faintly visible yellow lines, which were the shadows of the desert. The scorching wind blows, making people feel that this side of the Lianyun Mountains is another completely different world. Cai Rou was very depressed because she knew that what awaited her on the other side of the desert was just another cruel nightmare. Nianjia ordered to set up camp, but in fact our physical strength did not allow us to embark on the journey. According to the stories about the desert that Nianjia told over the past ten days, traveling in the desert is no joke. Cairou picked some mountain herbs from somewhere, ground them into powder and put them in water, and forced Dahei to take a bath. According to her, this special mountain herb juice has a miraculous effect on killing the fleas on Dahei's body. effect. I'm a little worried about Dahei, a cute guy, whether it can resist the extreme heat of the desert. I habitually picked a secluded corner and sat down. With my back on my back was Lianyun Peak, which reached into the clouds. In the distance in front of me was a vast desert of sand dunes, thousands of miles of emptiness, and a year-round heat wave. It was both terrifying and full of mystery. The map of the ruins about where the foreign objects are kept flashed through my mind. I thought it would not be difficult to find the foreign objects according to the map. , no one can pass through her. It seems that unless the heavens help me, I will never be able to find the ruins and find that mysterious foreign object. I took the Witch Blade off my back and put it in my arms. At this time, the wet big black stuck out its big tongue, came to me wagging its head and bumping its head, obviously very interested, and wanted to tease me to play with it. On a whim, I took out a piece of coarse cloth, teased Dahei, let it bite, and started chasing it on the grassland at the edge of the desert. Cai Rouxiao bent over and applauded continuously. Since this morning, Nian Jia, who has been afraid to speak to me, took the opportunity to come over and shouted tremblingly: Great Sword Master! I let Dahei, who thought he had won, bite the coarse cloth and flee away, and shouted: Don't mention that ghost prophecy in front of me again. How could Nianjia understand my feelings? After the death of Xiqi and the Witch, all my thoughts were lost. I just waited to kill the head of state, and then I wholeheartedly searched for foreign objects in the ruins, and asked him for the true meaning of life, the purpose of human existence, whether there is an answer or not , I will also bring my loved ones to find a quiet place in this earth, and die here. I am extremely tired of the hatred and killing in the world, and I don't want to be a hero to save the world. But has fate already arranged all the paths I have to take? If there is a destiny, what kind of poor things are we? Nian Jia muttered: No!No Dahei ran back again, biting the coarse cloth and showing off his might in front of me. I smiled and chased after Dahei. The sun scatters thousands of red clouds under the horizon of the desert, bathing the faint grassland in the poignant red. Cairou's laughter came from behind, and farther away was the monotonous call of a thousand-mile camel and the sound of the Pure Land people camping and lighting a fire. The sound of hooves suddenly sounded. It turned out that Feixue, who was grazing leisurely in a corner, overtook me, and chased after Dahei, and drove the ecstatic guy to run wildly, but still refused to give up the black cloth in his mouth. Seeing its distressed appearance, its pure white snow fluttering with Feixue, without a trace of other colors, I knelt down. The world is so beautiful. But after stepping into the desert, all this will never be seen again. Suddenly, I feel extremely sad. When I am lucky enough to come back from the pure land alive, will Cairou, Feixue and Dahei still be by my side? Woolen cloth? Facing the unpredictable future, I feel trembling and fear, not for myself, but for Cairou, Dahei and Feixue. They have become an indispensable part of my life. Just like Xiqi, the witch, or Huaxi. If I dare not admit it again, I am not a real man, and I am not worthy of being called Great Swordsman Rand. I stood up, fell to the ground, Cairou was still smiling, striding forward, and said loudly as if Nianjia didn't exist: Cairou!Let me tell you a big secret, that is, that night in the Shining Valley, when I first saw you, I fell in love with you. Cairou's whole body was shaken, with a suspicious look in her eyes, she propped up her beautiful and infinite upper body from the grass, and said in a trembling voice: Are you serious? I came to her side, knelt down on one knee humbly, and said with a smile: Of course it is true, it is more real than the Zhenwu stone in that bag, and I have the ability to lie to you, I am just a beginner in love I am a junior apprentice, but you are the elder with the most seniority, so I hope that from now on, Elder Cairou will give me some advice, speak more sweet words, and provide more lightning power. Nian Jia protested: Is this considered love talk after all? Cairou's pretty face waved heart-stirring blushes and joy, and said softly: You are the number one elder in the Presbyterian Church. When you speak sweet words, they sound much better than mine! Nian Jia shouted: Don't be fooled by him so easily. I raised my fist at Nianjia, and he was so scared that he ran away immediately. This guy may be a natural lover, or people in the Pure Land are like that. Awe and gratitude can also be set aside. Cairou stared at me as if she was completely unaware of the existence of others, raised her plump red lips, and said: Kiss me!Until I die! Like a winding snake, the long team slowly crossed the grassland and headed for the desert. Between the grassland and the desert, there is a gravel belt about three to four miles wide dotted with dots. The big gravels are taller than a thousand-mile camel, interspersed among the stones, like walking into a natural labyrinth inside. Cairou Dahei took a thousand-mile camel, so that Cairou's mount could walk more easily, and its feet were covered with soft leather to avoid being burned by the hot sand. I am still sitting on the flying snow, and its feet have no protection, because it lost its temper and refused to wrap anything on its feet. This strange horse from the witch has a superpower that is far beyond the reach of other similar horses. Ma Yuan said that since the witch, Feixue has been by her side. In this way, Feixue, the witch, and the head of state have lived for a long time. All of them put on thick white robes, covered their heads, and covered their faces with transparent veils to protect them from the bright sun in the sky and the sunlight reflected by the sand grains. The look of the protective clothing is funny, it's rare that this guy is considerate and doesn't express any dissatisfaction, sitting on the bamboo basket on the hump behind Cairou, he looks leisurely and content. The gravel suddenly disappeared, and the rolling yellow sand appeared in front of my eyes.