EFB Chapter 167 Were the tiger and rabbit just now real people?
Chapter 167 Were the tiger and rabbit just now real people?
Under the moonlight, a fair and clean little face was facing him.
Round eyes, a small nose, and slightly upturned corners of the mouth.
Two little tufts on her head swayed gently in the night breeze.
Lu Yuan wasn't afraid.
It was that kind of... that kind of shock that was completely unexpected.
He had just seen from the paper figure's "memory" that Tiger Rabbit bypassed the Blackwater Pool and headed towards the back mountain.
The footage was intermittent, but it was crystal clear.
She climbed up the mountain step by step, going further and further until she finally disappeared into the black mist.
That's heading into the mountains.
That means going deeper.
That's at least several miles away.
But now, she's standing right behind him.
It's less than three steps away.
The moonlight shone on her face, on her two little pigtails, and on her clothes, which were already somewhat dirty.
She just stood there, tilting her head and looking at him, her eyes full of confusion.
Exactly the same as before.
Lu Yuan did not loosen his grip on the dagger, but he also did not raise it.
He stared at her, at her face, at her eyes, at the slightly upturned corners of her mouth.
It's Tiger Rabbit.
That face, those eyes, that expression—it's all Tiger Rabbit.
Can………
But how did she end up here?
She should be behind the Blackwater Pool, on the mountain, or somewhere else...
Countless thoughts flashed through Lu Yuan's mind in an instant.
But soon, among these countless thoughts, one emerged that made Lu Yuan's hair stand on end.
Faceless Evil God!
It can change.
It can transform into anyone's face.
Lu Yuan subconsciously looked up at the top of Tiger Rabbit's head.
Normally speaking, if it were a faceless evil god...
At that point, there will definitely be a danger indicator from the "Slay Demons and Exterminate Evil" system.
After all, being able to sever the connection between Lu Yuan and the paper figure definitely requires some skill.
In particular, the old man had mentioned this evil god once before.
If it were just a minor evil spirit, the old man wouldn't bother to mention it.
Lu Yuan's strength has not yet recovered to the Celestial Master realm, so encountering it will definitely trigger a danger indicator.
but……
No.
The system did not trigger a danger indicator, so...
The thing in front of me is either a faceless evil god or a tiger rabbit!
Lu Yuan, who had just come to his senses, couldn't help but gasp.
hiss~
this??
But I clearly...
"What brings you here?"
Tiger Rabbit blinked its beautiful eyes and stared at Lu Yuan with its head held high.
Ok?
Lu Yuan stared at the tiger and rabbit in front of him, momentarily stunned.
The tone of his voice...
wrong.
I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong, but it just isn't right.
Tiger Rabbit always speaks in a crisp, clear voice, with a soft, gentle accent from the local dialect of the Northeast.
But now, this phrase, "Why are you here?"...
The tone of voice is still the same, and the words are still the same few words.
But it just sounds different.
Lu Yuan stared at Tiger Rabbit.
The moonlight shone on her face and into her round, bright eyes.
Those eyes were still so bright.
The tightness in Lu Yuan's heart returned.
Lu Yuan spoke slowly, his voice calm and even:
"A worshipper said something was off here, so I came to take a look..."
After saying that, Lu Yuan looked directly at Hu Tutu and said:
"Didn't you go to renew the lamp for that Faceless One? What are you doing here?"
Tiger Rabbit raised its head, looked at Lu Yuan, and blinked, saying:
"Because the Faceless One is right here, just over the back mountain, at Blackwater Ridge."
Lu Yuan originally wanted to say, "Didn't you go to the back mountain a long time ago..."
But for some reason, Lu Yuan didn't say those words even though they were on the tip of his tongue.
Finally, Lu Yuan looked at Tiger Rabbit and said:
"Let's go then. I happen to be free now, want to come with you?"
Speaking of this, Tiger Rabbit blinked, then shook its head and said:
"That won't do!"
"Continuing the lamp's flame is a secret technique of our Tiger family; we can't show it to you!"
Hearing this, Lu Yuan blinked.
In fact, Lu Yuan really didn't want to go with Hu Tutu.
Lu Yuan preferred to observe the situation secretly.
Let's go with Tiger and Rabbit to figure out what's going on.
But the reason I still say this...
Just ...
Lu Yuan felt that the tiger in front of him was...
That's weird!
Very strange!
Compared to the previous Tiger and Rabbit, they don't seem like the same person at all.
Even their appearance and tone of voice are exactly the same...
but……
Lu Yuan felt that it wasn't a single person; in fact, he thought that the tiger and rabbit in front of him were an illusion created by the faceless evil god.
but……
But the system's "Slaying Demons and Exorcising Monsters" feature doesn't have any danger indicators, which is very strange...
The Faceless Evil God is not too powerful, which is why the system's "Slay Demons and Eliminate Evil" function failed to register.
Or perhaps the Faceless God possesses some special ability that allows him to escape the label of "slaying demons and monsters."
After all, even someone as strong as Qingwan couldn't achieve this.
Logically speaking, the tiger and rabbit in front of him should not be the Faceless Evil God, but Lu Yuan felt something was strange.
So I said that on purpose.
If the tiger and rabbit immediately agree and insist on dragging me along, then that means there's something wrong...
but now……
Before Lu Yuan could say anything, Tiger Rabbit suddenly looked at him very seriously and said:
"Master, this place is very dangerous!"
"It's more dangerous for you to be alone. Let me see you out!"
Uh……
After saying this, Tiger Rabbit didn't wait for Lu Yuan's reply, and then turned and walked in one direction.
"Taoist Master, keep up!"
"Hurry up, it's almost time to relight the lamps. I'll have to come back after I see you out."
The tiger and rabbit leading the way inexplicably reminded Lu Yuan of the phrase "a little devil leading the way."
However, Lu Yuan had the Black Mirror Compass, so he wasn't afraid of being tricked or confused.
Anyway, Tiger Rabbit has already discovered us, so we can't sneak up on that faceless evil god anymore...
Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then quickly followed the tiger, rabbit, and hare in front of him.
Lu Yuan followed "Tiger Rabbit" forward.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the forest.
The little figure in front walked very fast, its two little pigtails swaying back and forth, just like before.
But the more Lu Yuan looked, the more something seemed off.
It's not that the appearance is wrong.
Something's not right about it.
Tiger Rabbit walks by hopping and skipping, looking this way and that.
The one in front is simply focused on walking with its head down.
The steps were right, the speed was right, even the amplitude of the two little pigtails swaying was right.
But she didn't look around.
Just leave.
Keep walking forward.
This was quite unfamiliar to Lu Yuan.
Of course, it's not good to overthink it, since Tiger Rabbit just said that she's in a hurry to come back and refill the lamp for the Faceless One.
Lu Yuan touched the black mirror compass in his arms.
This thing can reveal the "qi" of evil spirits.
No matter how it changes, its essence remains the same.
While Hu Tu Tu in front of him didn't turn around, Lu Yuan quietly held the compass in his palm, covered it with his sleeve, and shone it in her direction.
The black mirror on the compass showed nothing.
There is no black aura, no red aura, no evil aura, and no yin aura.
Clean and tidy.
Lu Yuan frowned.
He touched the seven seven-star coins again.
The copper coin felt cool to the touch, nothing unusual.
Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then took out a yellow talisman from Yu Lian.
This is a "demon-revealing talisman," the most common kind, which even a village sorceress would draw.
It may be rudimentary, but it works!
Whether it's a demon, a ghost, or something evil, sticking it on will reveal its form.
He folded the talisman into a small triangle, took two quick steps, and caught up with "Tiger Rabbit" in front of him.
"Tiger, get rid of it."
The one in front stopped and turned around.
"Um?"
Lu Yuan handed her the small triangle.
"Take it."
"Tiger Rabbit" looked down and reached out to take it.
"What is this?"
She asked, turning the little triangle over and over to look at it.
Lu Yuan stared at her.
Watching her take the talisman.
Watching her turn it over and over again.
Looking at the talisman in her hand, it remained quiet and unchanged.
The demon-revealing talisman will ignite when it encounters evil.
When you encounter a ghost, darkness descends.
When encountering a demon, one becomes enraged.
But now, the talisman is in her hand, and nothing has happened to it.
It was just an ordinary piece of yellow paper.
Lu Yuan was silent for a moment.
"amulet."
Lu Yuan then added:
"Just keep it in your pocket."
"Tiger Rabbit" said "Oh," stuffed the little triangle into her arms, and turned to continue walking.
Lu Yuan stood there, watching her back.
No problem at all!
Could it be that I'm just overthinking things?!
Whether it's a danger sign for "slaying demons and eliminating evil" or one's own Taoist techniques.
There are no problems at all.
This tiger and rabbit are definitely not some kind of evil spirit, nor are they some kind of faceless evil god.
Alright...
Stop overthinking...
Lu Yuan then quickly followed, walking alongside Hu Tutu.
By the moonlight, Lu Yuan looked down at her fair and clean face.
The moonlight shone on her face and into her round, bright eyes.
Those eyes were still so bright.
Lu Yuan walked quickly for about ten meters, then suddenly spoke up:
"Where have you been eating these past two days?"
Are you hungry?
After Lu Yuan finished speaking, Tiger Rabbit turned to look at Lu Yuan and smiled:
"I'm alright, not very hungry."
As she spoke, she turned back and continued walking forward.
"I ate at an old lady's house the day before yesterday, ate some dry food yesterday, and haven't eaten today yet."
Lu Yuan listened and nodded.
That sounds like something a tiger or rabbit would say.
He thought for a moment, then asked:
"Do you have enough dry rations? I have some here."
Tiger Rabbit shook its head.
"That's enough, I brought a lot."
As she spoke, she patted the small bundle at her waist.
Lu Yuan looked at the bundle.
That was Tiger Rabbit's bundle; she had been carrying it when she left Zhenlong Temple.
The dark blue cloth had been washed until it was almost white, and the edges were frayed.
Lu Yuan remembered this burden.
That night, when I saw her off, the bundle hung on her body under the moonlight, swaying back and forth.
Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
After taking a few steps, Lu Yuan suddenly spoke again:
"That night, Shi..."
Tiger Rabbit turned to look at him.
"Um?"
Lu Yuan looked at her fair and clean little face, the moonlight shining on it, making her two little pigtails look fluffy.
Lu Yuan smiled and said:
"Were the three-ingredient dumplings you made that night delicious?"
"Next time you come to Zhenlongguan, I'll make you another plate!"
Lu Yuan spoke naturally, as if he were chatting about everyday things.
Tiger Rabbit blinked.
"dumpling?"
She tilted her head, as if she were recalling something.
Lu Yuan looked at her, waiting for her answer.
Tiger Rabbit tilted its head and thought for a while, then shook its head very seriously.
"Master, we didn't eat dumplings that night."
she says.
"We ate noodles."
She looked up at Lu Yuan, her eyes wide and round.
"Master Zhou made noodles with two eggs, I ate them with great relish, don't you remember?"
Lu Yuan: ..…….…”
Lu Yuan looked at the small face in front of him, at those round eyes, and at the slightly upturned corners of her mouth.
The moonlight shone on her face, illuminating her expression clearly.
Alright...
Don't overthink it.
This is Tiger Rabbit!
Although Lu Yuan didn't understand why the tiger and rabbit had gone to the back mountain but then came out again, he still didn't understand.
But in front of this, Tiger and Rabbit definitely can't fake it.
After all, if it were some kind of evil spirit, or an imposter of that faceless evil god, how would it know what happened that night...?
For a moment, Lu Yuan finally relaxed, looked at the tiger and rabbit beside him and smiled helplessly:
"Yes, I misremembered."
"We ate noodles."
Tiger Rabbit said "Oh" and nodded.
"I knew it! I definitely ate noodles that night."
As she spoke, she turned back and continued walking forward.
"Master, you have such a bad memory, you should eat more walnuts to improve it."
"It's only been a few days, and you've already mistaken noodles for dumplings!"
She talked as she walked, her tone carrying a hint of smugness.
Lu Yuan followed behind her, watching her two little pigtails sway back and forth.
The tightness in my heart dissipated.
It hasn't completely dissipated yet.
The group dispersed because all the tests had told Lu Yuan that it was Tiger Rabbit, and that it was real.
They didn't break up because...
Is it because she's here?
She clearly went to the back mountain.
Mingming disappeared into the black mist.
It's clearly several miles away from here.
But now, she's walking ahead of him, leading him outside.
The moonlight shone on her.
The light shone on her two little pigtails.
The light shone on her swaying little bundle.
She walked slowly, but her steps were steady.
He was muttering to himself as he walked:
"Hurry up, hurry up, I have to go back to work."
Lu Yuan followed beside her, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Tiger Rabbit and said:
"Let's meet in Yushugou first thing tomorrow morning."
The matter of the evil god needs to be clarified eventually. Since Tiger Rabbit is in such a hurry, let's wait until tomorrow and Lu Yuan will ask directly.
Tiger Rabbit didn't think much of it and just nodded and said okay.
Soon, Tiger Rabbit stopped walking.
"arrive."
Lu Yuan raised his head.
Ahead was a dark, deep pool of water.
The moonlight shone on the water, making it as black as ink, without any reflection.
Blackwater Pool.
It's not Blackwater Ridge.
Tiger Rabbit turned around and looked at him.
"Taoist priest, just keep walking straight ahead from here, and you'll be able to leave the mountain."
She pointed to a path beside the pond.
"I have to head back; it's almost time."
As she spoke, she waved to him.
"Goodbye, Taoist Master!"
Lu Yuan stood there, watching her back.
Watching her two little pigtails sway back and forth.
Lu Yuan stood still and blinked. Then he took out a small bronze mirror from his pocket. It was about the size of a palm and the surface of the mirror was polished to a shine.
This is a "reflection mirror," which can reveal the three fires on a person's body.
Everyone has three fires: one on their head and one on each shoulder.
The fire of a living person is blazing brightly.
When someone is possessed by an evil spirit, the fire will weaken, become erratic, or go out.
Lu Yuan quietly aimed the bronze mirror at the "Tiger Rabbit" in front of him.
Her back was clearly reflected in the mirror.
A fire was burning overhead, making it bright and clear.
Two fires burn brightly on his shoulders.
Three fires, not one less, not one crooked.
living people.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan put away the bronze mirror while sighing.
Alright...
I guess I was overthinking things...
This tiger and rabbit are perfectly healthy, living, breathing people.
Now Lu Yuan started thinking about where to get to Heishuilingzi.
Although I made plans to meet Tiger Rabbit at Elm Tree Valley tomorrow, there are some things Lu Yuan might ask, and Tiger Rabbit might not be able to tell me. I'll still have to sneak along tonight.
There are some things that Lu Yuan needs to see for himself.
While Lu Yuan was pondering, he suddenly snapped back to reality.
The next second, Lu Yuan suddenly looked in the direction where Tiger Rabbit had disappeared.
Wait……
Wait a minute! !
A living person?
Were the tiger and rabbit we just saw real people?