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Scholars walk at night
The night is hazy, and the silver moon is like a hook. On the rugged mountain road, a thin scholar hurried with a heavy book basket on his back. The scholar's name was Xiao Yan, and he was the personal attendant of a well-known old scholar in the city. Tonight, he was ordered by his master to send a batch of precious ancient books back to the old mansion.
The ancient trees on both sides of the mountain road are towering and leafy, obscuring most of the moonlight, and only the dappled shadows of the trees sprinkle on the path. The night breeze blows softly, and the leaves rustle, as if the mountain elves are whispering. Although Xiao Yan has been reading and reading with the old scholar all the year round, he still has a little awe of the ghosts and gods in his heart.
As he walked, he silently recited the verses that his master had taught him, trying to use them to drive away the fear in his heart. However, as the night deepened, the atmosphere around became more and more eerie.
Just as Xiao Yan walked to a desolate mountain col, he suddenly heard someone call his name softly in the dark: "Xiao Yan...... Little inkstone......"
The voice was ethereal and distant, as if it had come from another world. Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and he looked around, but he saw that it was dark all around, and there was not even a human figure.
"Who...... Who's calling me? Xiao Yan's voice trembled a little.
"It's me, Xiaoyan, don't you know me?" The voice rang out again, and seemed to be closer.
Xiao Yan's heart was beating faster, and he didn't know where this voice came from or why he was calling him. There is a saying in the countryside that when you hear someone call your name at night, you must not easily agree, otherwise your soul may be snatched away. But at this moment, the voice was so real, it seemed to be in the ear.
"You...... Who are you? Xiao Yan asked boldly.
"I'm your childhood friend, do you remember the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, we played hide and seek and caught dragonflies together?" The voice was full of nostalgia.
The floodgates of memory were slowly opened, and a vague figure appeared in Xiao Yan's mind, which was his best friend Xiao Ming when he was a child. But didn't Xiao Ming die in an accident a few years ago?
"Xiao Ming, is that you?" Xiao Yan asked with some uncertainty and expectation.
"It's me, Xiao Yan, I've been waiting for you here." The voice was getting closer, as if it was right behind him.
Xiao Yan turned his head suddenly, but saw nothing. He felt an inexplicable chill hit him and hugged his trembling body.
"Xiao Ming, you...... What exactly do you want? Xiao Yan's voice was already crying.
"I just want to catch up with you, Xiaoyan, I'm so lonely......" The voice became low and complaining.
Xiao Yan couldn't tell if it was real at the moment, he only knew that he had to escape from this place as soon as possible. He turned and ran, only to find himself unwittingly running into a mass grave.
Each grave seems to hide an unknown secret, and the night wind seems to be mixed with the faint sound of crying. Xiao Yan's heart was beating faster and faster, and he was afraid that something terrible would crawl out of the grave in the next moment.
"Little inkstone...... Don't run...... I just want to talk to you......" The voice still lingered in my ears, as if it came from a grave.
Xiao Yan couldn't tell the direction anymore, and just ran forward blindly. Suddenly, he felt a softness under his feet, as if he had stepped on something, and the whole person fell forward. As he struggled to his feet, he realized that he was stepping on a grave.
He looked around in horror and saw that there were graves all around, and he was standing alone between them. The voice sounded again: "Xiaoyan, you are finally here, I have been waiting for you for a long time......"
At this moment, Xiao Yan was already terrified to the extreme, he wanted to scream, but found that he had lost his voice. The scene in front of him began to blur, and his consciousness gradually blurred......
When the first rays of sunlight shone through the treetops on Xiao Yan's face, he opened his eyes in a daze. There was silence all around, with only the occasional birdsong breaking the silence of the morning. Xiao Yan tried to move, but found himself lying next to a grave, covered in dew.
He struggled to sit up, remembering what had happened last night, still in fear. That voice, that scene, is it a dream or reality? Xiao Yan couldn't tell the difference.
He hurriedly packed up the scattered books and prepared to rush back to the city to report the strange night to his master. However, when he raised his head, he found a tombstone standing in front of a tomb not far away, on which were engraved the words "Tomb of the Old Friend Xiao Ming".
Xiao Yan's heart throbbed, wasn't everything last night a dream? He approached the tombstone and saw a line of small words engraved under the tombstone: "Friend Xiaoyan, I will never forget it in this life." ”
At this moment, Xiao Yan was already in tears, and he finally understood that everything last night was not an illusion. Although his best friend Xiao Ming has passed away for many years, their friendship has never faded. Everything last night may be Xiao Ming's affectionate farewell to him.
Xiao Yan stood silently in front of the tomb for a long time before slowly turning around and leaving. He knew that Xiao Ming had rested under this land, and their friendship would always be remembered.
It was already late afternoon when Xiao Yan returned to the city. He reported last night's experience to his master, and after hearing it, the master was silent for a long time before sighing: "Xiao Ming, this kid's life is hard, I didn't expect him to still think about you until now." ”
The owner told Xiao Yan that after Xiao Ming died unexpectedly, his family buried him in that mass grave. Due to the poverty of his family, he couldn't even afford a decent tombstone, and it wasn't until a few years ago that the owner funded the tombstone for Xiao Ming.
"Maybe it was really Xiao Ming who said goodbye to you last night." The owner patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and comforted, "Don't be too sad." ”
Xiao Yan nodded, but it was still difficult to calm down in his heart. He knew that the friendship between him and Xiao Ming had transcended the boundaries of life and death and became an eternal memory in his life.
When night fell, Xiao Yan stood alone in front of the window and looked at the mountains in the distance. He knew that in that silent mountain forest there was a tomb that quietly told the story between them. And that voice and that scene will forever remain in his heart and become an unforgettable memory for his life.
One night a few days later, Xiao Yan lay on the bed tossing and turning and couldn't sleep. The familiar voice seemed to sound in his ears again: "Xiao Yan...... Little inkstone......"
He sat up abruptly and looked around, only to see that there was silence in the room, and even the wind outside the window had stopped howling. However, the voice became clearer and clearer, as if it were right in my ears.
"Is Xiao Ming you?" Xiao Yan asked tentatively.
"It's me, Xiao Yan." The voice replied, "Are you okay?" ”
At this moment, Xiao Yan no longer has the previous fear, replaced by an inexplicable sense of intimacy. He knew that Xiao Ming was caring about him and greeting him.
"I'm fine." Xiao Yan replied, "What about you?" How's your life over there? ”
"I'm fine, too." Xiao Ming's voice was a little ethereal: "I just wanted to come and see you tell you that I was leaving." ”
"Let's go? Where are you going? Xiao Yan asked eagerly.
"Go to a far place." Xiao Ming replied: "Maybe we will never see each other again, but you have to live well, for the sake of our friendship, for those good memories." ”
Xiao Yan's eyes were already moist, and he knew that this was Xiao Ming's last goodbye to him. He listened silently as the voice faded away until it disappeared into the night sky. That night, he stayed up all night, and Xiao Ming's words and those good memories kept echoing in his mind. From then on, whenever night fell, he would always stand in front of the window, looking at the starry sky in the distance, silently praying that his dear friend in heaven would rest in peace. And he also buried this friendship deep in his heart and became the most precious treasure in his life.
Since saying goodbye to Xiao Ming that night, Xiao Yan's life seems to have returned to its former peace. However, deep down, he never forgot the strange experience with his best friend Xiao Ming. In the dead of night, he couldn't help but think back to the voice, the words, and the tombstones in the mass graves.
As the days passed, Xiao Yan's heart always lingered with an indescribable feeling. He began to think more deeply about life and death, friendship, and the meaning of life. He began to study books on the philosophy of life and death, trying to find answers.
On this day, Xiao Yan was flipping through an ancient book in the study when he suddenly heard a quick knock on the door. He put down the book in his hand, walked out of the study quickly, and opened the door, only to see a dusty stranger standing in the doorway.
"Excuse me, is this the home of the old pedant?" The stranger asked, his tone revealing a bit of anxiety.
"Exactly, what's the matter with you?" Xiao Yan looked at the stranger who suddenly visited suspiciously.
"I've come from afar, and I have something important to tell the old pedant." The stranger wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, "I am a traveler, and in the course of my recent travels, I stumbled upon an ancient ruin, which hides an amazing secret. I thought that this secret might have something to do with the research of the old pedant, so I came to tell it. ”
Xiao Yan's heart moved after hearing this, and he immediately invited the stranger into the house and informed the old pedant. When the old scholar heard this, a gleam flashed in his eyes, and he immediately put down his work and began to talk to the stranger in detail.
After some in-depth conversation, the old scholar decided to go to the ruins himself to find out the truth. He took Xiao Yan and a few powerful assistants, and the group embarked on a journey to the ruins.
After much difficulty, they finally arrived at the site of the ruins. It is a barren ruin, surrounded by a mysterious and ancient atmosphere. They cautiously walked through the ruins to a basement entrance.
The basement was dim and cold, and there was a musty smell in the air. They lit torches and walked down the stone steps. Deep in the basement, they found a huge stone chamber with ancient characters and patterns carved into its walls.
The old scholar carefully studied the words and patterns, and a shocked look appeared on his face. He told the people that the words and patterns recorded an ancient legend about a mysterious treasure and an ancient curse.
"This curse seems to be related to life and death." The old scholar frowned and said, "It is said that only those who truly understand the way of life and death can unlock this curse and obtain the treasure. ”
Xiao Yan's heart moved after hearing this, and he remembered his experience with Xiao Ming and those thoughts about life and death. He took a deep breath, walked to the center of the stone chamber, closed his eyes and began to silently comprehend the ancient curse.
As the minutes passed, the atmosphere in the stone room became more and more tense. Suddenly, Xiao Yan opened his eyes, and his eyes flashed with determination. He walked over to the stone wall and stretched out his palm and pressed it against the stone wall.
At this moment, the stone chamber suddenly shook, and the words and patterns on the stone walls began to shine brightly. The crowd watched in horror, wondering what would happen next.
As the light dissipated, a large stone box appeared in the center of the stone chamber. Xiao Yan carefully opened the stone box, only to see that it was full of precious ancient books and cultural relics. At the very bottom of the stone box, there is a yellowed ancient book.
Xiao Yan held this ancient book in his hand, and saw that the cover was written with four big characters "The Way of Life and Death". He turned the pages of the book and found that it contained a wonderful cultivation method that could help people comprehend the way of life and death and master transcendent powers.
The crowd looked at this ancient book with ecstaty, and they knew that this was an unprecedented discovery. And Xiao Yan stood silently aside, knowing that the appearance of this ancient book was not accidental, but a testimony of the deep friendship between him and Xiao Ming.
After returning to the city, the old scholar and Xiao Yan began to study the book "The Way of Life and Death" together. As time passed, they gradually comprehended the mysteries in the book and began their path of cultivation.
However, cultivation is not all smooth sailing. They have encountered countless difficulties and challenges, but they have persevered in their efforts. In this process, the teacher-student friendship between Xiaoyan and the old scholar has also become deeper.
One day, while they were cultivating, suddenly there was a loud bang in the sky. When they walked out of the house, they saw dark clouds in the sky, lightning and thunder. An inexplicable force converged in the sky, as if to destroy everything.
Xiao Yan and the old scholar glanced at each other, they knew that this was the catastrophe brought about by cultivating the "Way of Life and Death". They must survive this ordeal in order to truly grasp the power of the book.
They stood outside the house, facing the clouds in the sky. Xiao Yan took a deep breath, and he felt the firmness and courage of the old scholars around him. They encouraged each other and prepared to take on the challenge.
The clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, and the thunder was deafening. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck them, and Xiao Yan and the old scholar shot at the same time to resist the attack of this lightning.
For the rest of the day, they fended off attacks from the sky. Every attack made them feel overwhelmed, but they never thought of giving up.
As time passed, the clouds in the sky gradually dissipated, and the sun sprinkled the earth again. Xiao Yan and the old scholar looked at each other and smiled, they knew that they had successfully survived this catastrophe.
Since then, they have truly mastered the power of "The Way of Life and Death" and become otherworldly beings. They have used this power to help many people in need and spread the true meaning of the way of life and death.
And Xiao Yan has never forgotten his friend Xiao Ming who called him at night. He knew that it was Xiao Ming who gave him the courage and strength to face the challenges brought by the way of life and death. When night fell, he would stand in front of the window and silently pray for the rest of his dear friend in heaven, and thank him for all the help and support he had given him.