9

As if his time had stopped on the platform and never passed

----

Orange Lake used to be a lake, famous for its orange-like shape. Legend has it that the lake dried up overnight, turning it into a flatland and haunted by ghosts. Rumors of hunters and woodcutters disappearing here spread, and it slowly became a rare place to visit.

It is true that the Fox Clan of Orange Lake is responsible for these hauntings. Unlike the clan of Fangwai Mountain, the clan of Orange Lake is more secluded from the world and does not interact too much with mortals. In fact, even the great monks haven't been here in nearly a hundred years.

He had just jumped down from the back of the Aurora bird. A group of white-robed clansmen greeted him on the other side of the street, and the old man at the head of the group had white hair and a long beard that hung down to his waist. The monk smiled and bowed to him, "Elder Xin Chou, it's been a long time, your beard is getting longer and longer."

Although he had not experienced the incident when this Elder was the first to fall out with Elder Ding Xu and led a group of clansmen to move to the Orange Lake, he was greatly impressed by Elder Xin Chou's vigor, after all, there were not many people in the clan who dared to go against Elder Ding Xu.

Elder Xin Chou returned the salute with a folded arms and a very intimate demeanor: "Little Yuan Zhong, thank you for the provocation of the war ghosts."

The monk laughed: "Elder Xin Chou. How many years ago was that name? Let's not talk about it now, shall we?"

Elder Xin Chou said lightly: "You've been with Ding Xu for so many years. You've learned to be so secretive."

The great monk didn't seem to hear. He saw a slender figure in white behind Elder Xin Chou, and immediately smiled like a flower, drifting over without touching the ground and sticking to the girl like a twisted twist, saying, "Sister Ziqing, I haven't seen you for many years, you're looking better and better, have you ever thought of me?"

Ziqing smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "You are really the same, you haven't changed at all." "Sister Ziqing has changed a lot," he said. The monk wanted to stick to her. "You've changed so much, I almost didn't recognize you just now."

Ziqing held him with great generosity and said, "This sweet-talking and bitter nature hasn't changed yet. Since you're here, you should stay for a few more days and tell me about Zi Fei's affairs. Although she tried her best to hide her emotions, she still choked up a bit when she said that Zi Fei was dead. The great monk could not help but fall silent and slowly stood up straight, only after a long time did he whisper, "I am sorry."

Zi Fei is Zi Qing's younger brother. When Zi Qing left with Elder Xin Chou, Zi Fei was still young and was forced to stay behind by Elder Ding Xu. The great monk can't get over Zi Fei's death, plus that inexplicable Ji Tan Yin didn't die ... Thinking of Ji Tan Yin, he was in an even worse mood. Zi Qing hurriedly pulled his arm, smiled and said: "It has nothing to do with you, do not blame yourself. This time you have to stay a few more days. My husband has been complaining that if you don't come, there will be no one to drink with him."

The great monk was not in the mood for jokes, so he barely managed to cope with the situation.

As he followed the crowd around the atrium, he saw six high platforms built on the small lake, with six clansmen perched on the platforms casting spells to strengthen the surrounding boundaries one after another.

He looked at Elder Xin Chou and smiled bitterly: "If I don't make it in time, do you intend to strengthen the boundaries to defend against those war ghosts?"

Even though the fox's boundary was powerful, if six war ghosts attacked at the same time, no matter how thick the boundary was, could be broken in one go. And if they encountered a perfect war ghost such as the one encountered in a hundred years, the boundary would not be much tougher than porcelain.

Elder Xin Chou smiled at him as he stroked his long white beard: "If even you can think of something, why can't I think of it? This is to welcome you, when you go out, I am afraid it will be difficult for you to come back in again."

The great monk "eek" a sound, only then realized that it was not the usual fox clan made a defensive boundary. Seemingly real or fake, like a dream or fantasy. Rather than a boundary, but more like an illusion, its nature, and the Mission Hill royal tomb around the cloud array is somewhat similar to, but much higher than the cloud array.

"Our clan has been at loggerheads with the War Ghost clan for generations, but if Ding Xu had not provoked them, there would not have been so much trouble." Elder Xin Chou sighed, "These layers of boundaries are only a delaying tactic, if the War Ghosts come to us in the future, it will also give us, the Orange Lake Clan, a chance to escape."

Seeing that the great monk was hesitant to speak, he understood in his heart what he was going to say, and said lightly, "I am different from Elder Dingxu, and it is impossible for me to return to Fangwai Mountain. He is too ambitious, while I, on the other hand, only seek the word "free"."

The great monk touched his belly, looked at him, suddenly laughed: "... I just want to ask, is there food? I'm starving."

Elder Xin Chou laughed loudly, "Yes! You come with me."

*

In the past, the great monk did not know what the infinite glory of the fox clan was like, and the historical records were only empty words.

But in front of him, the flowers were like brocade, the fragrance was enveloping, the glow of the night pearl reflected the girls' faces like white jade, the melodious pianxiao and the melodious singing were vague, seemingly real or fake, and countless huge lotus flowers were falling in the air like rain, so he felt that perhaps the once-existing Fox Clan should have been like this, free from worries, carefree and at ease. This is a scene that will not appear in the Fangwai Mountain.

Elder Xin Chou handed him a bronze wine knob filled with the wine called "Drunken Life, Dreaming of Death". The rich and mellow liquor made the blood of his body boil, and the worries of his heart gradually left him, and the guilt and sorrow of Zi Fei's death slowly faded away.

Elder Xin Chou's words also became very distant: "Little Yuanzhong, why don't you stay here? You are not young anymore, you should marry a suitable girl and add more clansmen to our clan". The great monk smiled as he looked at the girls around him. The fox clan is known for its beauty, and looking at the beauties under the Pearl is even more special. He also loves beauty, who doesn't? He likes to roll around in the pile of beauties.

"But there are so many beautiful sisters, I'd be sorry to marry anyone." With a tasteless joke on his lips, he rested his head on the thigh of one of the clan girls, it was so soft and smelled so good, he looked up at the beauty's eyes, as bright as stars, gentle and affectionate.

But in his mind, the eyes that he had seen on the high platform of the God of Heaven a long, long time ago, all the orifices of his body were opened for those eyes, and he didn't even know what was happening to him, and he couldn't find the same pair of eyes anymore, he couldn't find them, and all the beauties under the sky were no different, and it seemed like his time had been stopped on the high platform, and it had never passed by again.

Of course you won't find it - there's a cold, hollow voice echoing in my heart. "What you see is the God of Heaven, how can you find it?" But as he grew up and became more knowledgeable, he began to wonder, "Was it really the God of Heaven who appeared on the platform that day?Perhaps this doubt was just a self-satisfaction. With regret and satisfaction, the monk rolled over, grabbed the beauty's waist, and began to play tricks: "Sister, I'm drunk, I want to eat grapes."

Outside, there was a sudden, faint stirring. The great monk chewed grapes and craned his neck drunkenly to listen. One of the clan members guarding the gate was explaining the situation to Elder Xin Jiu: "Someone has entered the boundary, but it's not a war spirit, it seems to be a mortal woman."

The monk jumped up with a jolt, dropping the grapes he had brought to his mouth on his clothes and rolling them to the ground. "I'm leaving." His face changed color.

Elder Xin Chou was astonished: "So soon?"

The great monk transformed into a golden light and flashed to a few feet away in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only one sentence: "Don't let that woman in!"

He hurriedly found the Aurora bird which was eating its meal. Apparently, this beautiful and proud spirit bird was very unhappy to be disturbed in its meal, and screamed at him with great dissatisfaction. "Next time, I'll buy you the best wine in the world!" The monk made a promise in a hurry, "Fly me!"

The Aurora bird flapped its wings rather reluctantly and it flew up slowly. Before he could take a few steps. The monk saw Ji Tan Yin behind him, riding on the back of another strange-looking machine bird, slowly following behind him.

"What the hell is wrong with her?"

The great monk's scalp hardened, and after feeling around in his arms for half a day, the jade chess piece was gone, but there were a few silver ingots in his wallet. Without thinking, he threw one out, and sure enough, the strange bird chirped and chirped again.

Before he could let go of breath, he saw Tan Yin take out another small bird from her qiankun pouch, which was as big as a palm. The bird was so big that it turned big in the wind. She rode on it and continued to chase after him tirelessly.

The monk felt that the nightmare would never end. He threw another silver coin. The machine bird was hit and fell down. He inspired the bird to fly. After a while, Tanyin summoned a new bird to chase after him, and he continued to throw more silver. ... And then...then he lost all his silver. The great monk sighs and whistles. The Aurora bird stopped quietly in mid-air.

"Hey!"

He shouted from a distance to Tan Yin behind him, "Why are you following me for?" Tan Yin thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Protecting you?" "I don't want you to protect me!" The monk was furious. If a great monk of the Fox Clan was being protected by a little mortal girl, where would he put his face?

Tanyin continued to think and replied: "Take care of you?"

"Who needs you to take care of me?"

Tan Yin continued to think. Finally, she hesitantly asked: "Can I fix cars?" "I don't need a car anymore." The monk's voice was cold. Tan yin racked her brain, "I ...". She couldn't think of any more favorable conditions.

The monk looked at her coldly, the night wind was strong and the green silk on her head was blown about by the wind. The two eyes under the green silk are so bright, like ... black gemstones.

He was silent for a moment, and suddenly opened his mouth: "What in the world are you?"

"Hime Tan Yin, the artisan." She answered quickly. "That's not what I asked." He laughed, sarcastically. "You are also quite good at pretending to be stupid, you know what I asked."

Tan Yin shook her head in silence, and after a long time, she said, "... I won't harm you."

She only said these words over and over again? The great monk's heart was filled with anger. He said that she has a heart, but she is so stupid, she is not pretty, and her words are not pretty; said that she does not have a heart, but she hides her identity so well, and he did not see that she is so powerful at all.

"Oh, ...." He suddenly lengthened his pitch and laughed, his voice ambiguous "Do you like me? Do you like me?" Tan Yin shook her head and looked at him quietly, her eyes clear. "Don't deny it, women love to say what they mean."

The monk laughed, "You saw my face, you saw my body, you have a crush on me, what is there to be ashamed of?" She remained silent.

The great monk dashingly ruffled his hair and sighed: "I can only thank you for your kindness. I am sorry, but my heart is already set on someone else. Tan Yin said softly, "Please let me follow you, I won't harm you." The monk could only smile bitterly. He couldn't even kill her, he couldn't even run away from her, what could he say? "Will you follow me for the rest of your life?" He asked. Tan Yin's voice was as light as a breeze: "Yes, until the end of your life."

The monk sighed and laughed, "I'm so touched. It's the first time a woman has ever said that to me."

After saying that, his face slowly cooled down again, staring at her, slowly saying word by word: "But I don't want you to follow, you get away from me. Don't let me see you, I don't want to see you."

He whistled, the Aurora bird cried out and flew into the sky.