Exorcism

The man was chopping firewood with an axe, and the beads of sweat on his bare chest glistened in the sun. The children were running around the yard, jumping with fear. There was no purpose, just excess energy. Occasionally, they moved a piece of firewood away without sending it to the kitchen. , but piled under the fence, as if they were going to form some kind of pattern, but it never took shape.

The woman sat in the shade, with a cradle beside her, sewing a few stitches on her clothes, looking up at the man and the child, with an indulgent smile on her face and happiness in her heart.

Kou San noticed his wife's gaze and swung the ax higher and struck harder. When the ax went down, the firewood was split into two halves. The ax blade sank into the wooden pillar for several inches. It took more force to pull it out, but He didn't care, as if he had endless energy in his body.

Mu Yushi left a paper talisman for burning fire. A small piece of paper can be used to make a meal, but Kou San still likes to chop a pile of firewood. The talisman is a good thing, but you can't always rely on it. Be self-reliant.

Jiang Huo'er was probably tired of running, so he squatted on the side, holding his chin with his hands, watching the ax fall into pieces, and his eyes followed the ax head up and down, watching with great interest.

Kou San turned slightly to prevent the separated firewood from falling onto the little guy. After chopping a small pile, he began to feel exhausted and had to stop, breathing heavily.

"You work so hard to chop firewood." The wife said pitifully, grabbing the wet wipes beside her, "Come here and let me wipe your sweat."

Kou San walked towards his wife with a smile. After a few steps, he noticed something was wrong in his wife's eyes. He turned around and saw Jiang Huoer climbing up the wooden pier, holding the ax handle with both hands, and pulling hard.

Kou San laughed, and his wife said dissatisfiedly: "Hurry up and hold on, be careful he falls."

"If only he could hold an axe..."

Just as Kou San was speaking halfway, Jiang Huoer actually pulled out the axe. Although his posture was clumsy and ridiculous, it didn't seem like he was putting much effort into it. Kou San was startled, and ran over, holding the ax in his hand, trying to take it back. The first time he tried hard, the ax didn't move. The second time he tried hard, the ax was picked up, but Jiang Huo'er didn't let go and followed. Soar into the air.

"Hey, this little guy is quite energetic, a bit like me when I was a kid." Kou San said with a smile, gently shaking the axe, and Jiang Huo'er hung on it and swung around.

"Hurry up and put it down. He's just a little kid. How can he explain it to the Rain Master if something goes wrong? How can someone as reckless as you be a father?"

"Master Mu Yu is a weirdo, and the children he brought are not simple." Having said that, Kou San still put down the ax and let Jiang Huo'er land on his feet, but the little guy still refused to let go and stubbornly held the ax handle. , “You want to chop wood?”

"Don't talk nonsense. How can a two-year-old chop firewood?" the wife said angrily, then called softly: "Jiang Huo'er, come here quickly and try on your new clothes."

Jiang Huo'er was more interested in the ax and refused to let go. Kou San held the middle of the ax handle with one hand and said, "I'll hold on to it and let him play for a while. It's okay. The little guy has suffered in the past and has nothing to do with it." Play."

The wife still wanted to object, but the baby beside her was crying, so she had no choice but to shake her head.

Kou San held the ax in one hand and a log in the other, placed it on the wooden pier, and pointed the ax blade at it, "I said yes, you use your strength - okay."

With a snap, the log and the wooden pier below were split into two halves. Kou San staggered forward and was almost thrown out. He looked down at Jiang Huo'er, whose eyes were wide open, and was extremely surprised, "You boy. ...You kid..."

Jiang Huo'er let go of the ax handle, ran to the shade, and looked at the new clothes.

The wife smiled and said, "So you can understand me."

The wife took off Jiang Huo'er's old clothes and saw the marks left by the chains on his body. She couldn't help but sigh again, "Who is so cruel that he would abuse such a young child? Thanks to the Rain Master for saving him."

Putting on the pants first and then the top, the wife looked at Jiang Huoer's back, "What is this word? It seems to be printed on it, and it seems to have grown in the flesh."

"That's the talisman written by Master Mu Yu for him. It must be good for him." Kou San came over, picked up a wet wipe to wipe his sweat, and took a look. "It seems to be more obvious than the past few days."

The wife dressed Jiang Huo'er, grabbed the wet wipes from her husband's hand, and wiped the mud off Jiang Huo'er's hands and face. Kou San smiled bitterly.

"Master Mu Yu said that the people who imprisoned the little guy are a group of mortals. I guess they must be casual cultivators. They are looking for Nascent Soul everywhere, and they have no good intentions." Kou San guessed.

"Yes." His wife was still wiping the circle mark on Jiang Huo'er's forehead, her eyes full of pity. Jiang Huo'er raised his head slightly, motionless, like a kitten and puppy being tickled.

"You have wronged Sanxiu." A voice said.

Guansan and his wife were both shocked. They didn't know anything about the arrival of outsiders.

A tall man with an elegant appearance walked out from the back of the house and walked straight to the door of the courtyard. He glanced at the chai door and made sure it was closed, then turned to face the couple and a child by the wall.

The man was wearing a blue robe, with a bun on his head and a long hairpin. He did not answer Kou San's question and looked around, "It's a good place for you. You live in a deep valley and enjoy yourself. You are thirsty to drink from the mountain spring and hungry to eat." There is a small town a few days away from the valley where you can exchange fruits and vegetables for some supplies.”

"I am a hunter. I eat meat and occasionally wild vegetables." Kou San was very wary. Master Mu Yu said before leaving that it would be difficult for ordinary people, even talisman masters and casual cultivators, to enter his home. This person But he appeared silently, neither his trap nor Mu Yushi's talisman set off an alarm, "Are you a Taoist priest?"

"Have you ever seen a Taoist priest?" the middle-aged man asked.

Kou San shook his head. Even in the past peaceful and prosperous times, Taoist priests were rare people. He had never seen them before and didn't care about them. "My place is just a wild ravine. There is nothing worthy of a Taoist priest. What do you want to eat?" I have bacon and bacon here, and I can share some with you, but I have a woman and a child at home, so it’s not convenient for me to stay here, so please take the food and leave.”

The Taoist priest took two steps forward and hissed at the guard dog that kept barking. The dog seemed to have been hit hard by a stone, and fled back to the den with its tail between its legs, grunting, and never dared to come out again.

"I did come here to take something, but it wasn't food."

"Besides meat, I don't have any other good things here. Gold and silver are long gone. I exchange them with animal skins... Do you want some paper charms? They are more valuable than animal skins."

The Taoist priest gave a short laugh, "You don't just have a few paper talismans here. There are at least seven talismans in effect outside the yard. There are even more talismans inside and outside the house. They are on the steel fork in your hand and the ax there. Talisman, that’s why they are so shiny, like new, and your house, the talisman blocks ants and removes odors... If the talismans are worth more than animal skins, you will be a rich man. "

Kou San knew that the person who came was evil, so he held the steel fork tighter with both hands, "If you can take it away, I'll give it to you."

"Hey, it seems you know nothing about Taoist priests. We are not interested in talismans."

Kou San was silent for a while, "What exactly do you want?"

"I want to ask you to do me a favor."

Kou San was stunned, "Say it, as long as I can do it."

"I want you to turn around, pick up your wife, pick up your only child, and walk slowly into the house without looking back or looking out, that's all."

The Taoist priest's voice sounded very friendly and non-threatening, but Kou San felt a chill in his heart. "Okay, let's all go inside. You can take whatever is outside as long as you like."

The Taoist priest smiled and shook his head, "You have to leave a child behind. What do you call him? Jiang Huo'er?"

"I can't leave my son outside." Kou San's voice trembled slightly.

"Of course, it is difficult to let go of the relationship between father and son, even for Taoist priests, but he is not your son. You have only known each other for a few days. A man named Mu Xingqiu brought him to your home."

"how do you know……"

"Well, I know, because Mu Xingqiu stole him from me."

Kou San's heart sank. He heard from Master Mu Yu about the general origin of Jiang Huo'er. The little guy was once imprisoned by a mortal, but Master Mu Yu took it from a Taoist priest. It was obvious that the person in front of him was that Taoist priest.

The wife who had been hiding behind Kou San suddenly stood up and asked loudly: "The chains you put on him?"

"A group of mortals who didn't know magic imprisoned him. I rescued him. He should still remember me."

The wife lowered her head and glanced at Jiang Huo'er. The little guy indeed remembered this Taoist priest. He remembered that he cried bitterly in front of the pond on the mountainside. He remembered that he used magic to force himself to spit fire, which caused great pain.

Jiang Huoer's face was full of anger, and the red circle on his forehead became clearer.

The wife no longer had any doubts and pulled Jiang Huo'er behind her, "We are ordinary mortals, you are a Taoist priest with great supernatural powers. If you have the ability, go to Master Mu Yu and ask for someone. We dare not hand over Jiang Huo'er. Otherwise, we won’t be able to explain it to Master Mu Yu.”

His wife said something and Kou San nodded.

Di Yuanfu, the master of Laoyue Mountain, sighed, "Mortals and annoying people, I really hope you can be more self-aware. This will save you so much trouble. The world is in chaos, and many Taoist priests have become ruthless, but I don't, I don't I like killing, especially I don’t like killing innocent people indiscriminately. Killing makes me depressed. I gave you a chance, but you refused to accept it. In other words, from now on, you are no longer innocent. You protect Mu Xingqiu and stand on your side. His side is my enemy.”

"Master Mu Yu is a good man. He entrusted Jiang Huo'er to us. You can't take him away." Kou San said loudly. He knew that he was no match for the Taoist priest, but he was not particularly clear about the strength gap between the two. For him, In other words, Taoist priests are powerful, and tigers are also powerful. The future is always hazy and not worth looking at seriously, so he will not retreat because the future is not good for him.

Di Yuanfu laughed and put his hands behind his back. He didn't summon any magic weapon, but he was ready to cast a spell.

Kou San put the steel fork upright in front of him, bent his waist slightly, and was ready to fight.

At this moment, Jiang Huo'er walked out. His wife didn't grab him, and Kou San didn't have time to stop him. The little guy stood in front of the couple, with his legs spread apart and his hands on his hips. He seemed to be more prepared.

Kou San and his wife did not move, because they were surprised to see that the talisman on Jiang Huo'er's back turned fiery red, and the new clothes seemed to be burning.