"The rice paper and ink are almost used up, so I'll go to the mall to buy some spare parts first."

Lin Zhishui put on his shoes, opened the door, turned his head and said to Xiaoshe, "You don't have to go to my place to pick it up. Just bring the copybook to you when I come back tonight."

"Okay..." She Xilu nodded obediently.

"By the way." Lin Zhishui suddenly remembered something and reminded: "When you are with Xiao Sui, you should also pay attention. The 'scholar' you mentioned that day is more persistent in Xiao Sui, so you should be careful."

"Scholars?"

She Xilu was slightly stunned.

So, aren’t scholars’ souls destroyed?

"However, he doesn't dare to come to me again, and you don't have to worry too much."

Lin Zhishui smiled, and without saying much, he waved his hand at the little snake casually, "By bye, see you tonight."

"oh……"

She Xilu stood at the door, waved at him, and watched him leave, then asked in her heart: "Youchan, what does Zhishui mean? Aren't scholars dead?"

"Stupid, he must be talking about the second soul."

Youchan said in her mind: "The scholar and the fortune teller are together. Even the fortune teller has learned the clone method of the second soul. The scholar has not learned it? The one who was destroyed that day may be the scholar's deity or the second soul."

"oh……"

She Xilu returned to the bedroom and sat down, tilted her head and held her cheek with one hand, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Why don't you practice?" Youchan asked.

She Xilu asked in her heart: "Youchan, you haven't said that the content of my first book was written by me because of the memories of my past lives?"

"What's wrong?" Youchan said in confusion.

‘The ending of my first book is that the heroine was cut in half to save the hero and then reincarnated...’

She Xilu murmured in her heart, and then said, "Is this true? Is there really such a male protagonist? I always feel... the male protagonist in the book is very similar to Lin Zhishui, he treats me very well and is very careful...'

Youchan was silent for a moment and said, "Didn't I tell you that we had made an agreement with someone in the past that we should not kill practitioners at will?"

‘Yes, is that person the male protagonist in my book?’ She Xilu said in confusion.

"In this world, there are no male protagonists or female protagonists..."

Youchan said in a low voice, then said: "In the past, we were snakes, so naturally we didn't have the same feelings as mortals. You... are friends of that person, but you have never experienced the kind of abusive love written in your book. In the end, you were not divided into two to save him, but he killed you."

‘He killed me?’ She Xilu was surprised.

"He once owed you a favor and promised to do something for you. Everything is fine. So, hundreds of years ago, you said that you didn't want to be an external demon anymore. You felt that guarding the demon well was too lonely and wanted real freedom." Youchan said: "He thought about it for a long time and sealed us. After a while, he killed us and entered the cycle of reincarnation."

‘As long as we enter the samsara, we can escape from the heretics, why don’t we die sooner?’ She Xilu said in confusion.

"Of course it's because you can't die, and you can't hurt yourself with your own strength."

Youchan said in a deep voice: "Just like the real demons in the pseudo-demon realm, there is a constant source of power. For our level... as long as the will of the 'it' is located, it is our demon realm. And its will is spread throughout the three realms, and even the Chaos Hongmeng scattered around the three realms, our demon realm is naturally everywhere. Not only does it have endless power, but also an immortal body. Although those people can defeat us, even if we don't resist, we cannot kill us."

‘Those people can’t kill us, can that person kill?’ She Xilu said in surprise.

"It has nothing to do with strength. It's just that the Heavenly Dao is affected by the influence of 'it', which causes the powerful powers of the Heavenly Dao Realm to suffer limited damage to us." Youchan said: "And he is also an external demon. We gave up on resisting. He seemed to have refined some weapons to cut us into half with a sharp edge, and the origin was destroyed."

She paused and said with some confusion: "However, you and me have a two soul. I remember that sharpness clearly cuts the connection between you and my soul, but the connection between you and me has not been disconnected. I vaguely feel that there is something new, but until now, I have not found anything."

'That person is also an external demon...' She Xilu suddenly realized.

Youchan sighed and said, "Although we have known that person for many years, I don't know much about his origin. It seems to be the first external demon created by 'it' and the first and most powerful external demon in the world. But... he seems to be unwilling to listen to 'it', but he cannot escape 'it'."

She Xilu probably understood.

The external demon of this level in her previous life was immortal and could only be killed by a stronger external demon, but that person could not find a more powerful external demon, so he naturally could not die.

"However, hundreds of years ago, the Taichu Heavenly Palace was destroyed, which was a bit strange."

Youchan said in confusion: "If 'it' really awakens, it will not be difficult to destroy the Taoist throne in the entire heaven, but only the Taichu Heavenly Palace was destroyed, and the other five Taoist throne is safe and sound... I don't know if 'it' has awakened..."

‘Maybe it was a civil strife in the heavens?’ She Xilu said: ‘Otherwise, why would you suddenly not accept the reincarnation of the external demon?’

"Well... I also think there is something wrong with the heavenly realm."

Youchan said: "After the ancient catastrophe, the Qi Refiners in the mortal world were completely extinct. Only a few forbidden areas such as Lingyan Pavilion still had the inheritance of Qi Refiners. However, according to what Xiao Sui said, the second soul is a secret passage in the heavens. It is said that only she understands the entire world, but the Black Flame Master taught the fortune teller. Where did the Black Flame Master learn it? It must... it was passed on to her by someone in the heavens."

She was silent for a moment and said softly: "The external demons are not all enemies, and the heavenly realm... cannot be fully believed."

She Xilu hesitated for a little while and said in her heart: "But, why do I feel that... the external demons are not harmful to mortals except being born against practitioners, right?"

"It's not just that there is no harm, the rules set by 'it' are still protecting mortals."

Youchan said lightly: "In ancient times, immortals and gods could come and go to the two realms of heaven and man at will. Once the powerful immortals and gods fight on earth, the sky collapses and the earth is broken, and the sorrow is everywhere, and evil spirits are rampant in the world. Until the arrival of "it", practitioners dare not show saints in front of others. Only so many years of peace have existed in the world."

"Then are the external demons good or bad?" She Xilu said in confusion.

"There is no good or bad." Youchan sighed, "Even the external demons who seem to cause peace may harm the mundane world. For example, the guy in the Qingcheng Seal Formation wants to slaughter mortals in order to escape, so that people can know their existence and return to the embrace of 'it's. Is it good or bad?"

She paused and said, "So, both practitioners and external demons have the most good and saintly compassionate people, and there are also the ruthless people who regard sentient beings as ants... The external demons and practitioners are only mortal enemies in their positions."

‘Then did we join the camp of cultivators just to get out of ‘it’?’ asked She Xilu.

"There is no way... it is that 'it' has been forcing us. We cannot resist and can only escape."

Youchan sighed and said, "Freedom is the most important thing..."

...

...

Half an hour later.

After leaving the subway station, Lin Zhishui headed straight to the nearby Guanshi Square.

Today happened to be the weekend, and there were also a lot of people in large business districts like Guanshi Square.

However, he was too lazy to go to other places. In recent years, the shop that bought the Four Treasures of Study has been opened here. He is more familiar with the boss. The price is more favorable, so he just takes care of the boss's business.

I walked along the crowded pedestrian street and came to a relatively remote stationery store.

"Um?"

Lin Zhishui suddenly found a notice on the door of "This store is transferred, interested people contact" and couldn't help but look at the inside of the stationery store in shock and walked in.

"Boss Qiao? Boss Qiao?"

There was no one in the store, so he couldn't help knocking on the counter.

At this time, the storage room door of the stationery store opened. A man who was about thirty years old and looked a little honest, walked out of the house yawning.

"It's Boss Lin."

The slightly honest man showed a simple and sincere smile and said, "I remember a lot of ink ingots and rice paper I bought last time. Did you use it up so quickly?"

Lin Zhishui nodded with a smile and said, "I have practiced calligraphy and painting frequently recently, so of course I use it quickly."

"It seems that Boss Lin has made great progress in his level." The slightly honest "Boss Qiao" smiled.

Lin Zhishui coughed and said, "No, I am already very good at it, I just restore my true level."

As he used his beloved brush more and more, his own level was also improving. By one day in the future, he would probably achieve unity of human and pen, and be as good as he wishes. He would become a true master of calligraphy and would not use that pen.

So, it’s nothing wrong to say it’s recovery.

"By the way, Boss Qiao, are you going to transfer your store?" Lin Zhishui asked with concern.

"Yes, this business is not easy to do."

Boss Qiao sighed and said, "Modern people use mobile phones and computers, and even study on the Internet. The stationery store business is becoming more and more difficult. I am going to change to a new business."

Lin Zhishui was stunned.

Mobile phones, computers and networks have been popular for many years. Boss Qiao looks like she is only in her thirties, so why does she still have a bit of an old antique flavor?

"Switch it? What business did Boss Qiao do before?" Lin Zhishui asked curiously.

"A lot, selling fish, selling meat... I have done all kinds of business. I am stupid and can only do some small business." Boss Qiao smiled slightly honestly and said, "As long as I can make some money, I'm just a businessman after all."

Lin Zhishui sighed and said, "Okay, it seems that this is the last time I have bought something from you."

"I've had some things to do recently." Boss Qiao shook his head and said, "I remember that the inventory of rice paper and ink ingots is not much. I'll go find it and sell it to you at a cheap price."

"Then thank you Boss Qiao."

Lin Zhishui was a little sad and suddenly said, "Why would I write a piece of characters to give to you? Don't dislike me, my piece of characters is quite valuable now."

Boss Qiao was slightly stunned, then showed a simple smile, nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll get you the four treasures of the study."

"Just ink, paper and inkstone, I will bring my own pen." Lin Zhishui said.

After all, Boss Qiao is an old friend who has known each other for two years. It doesn’t matter if he can perform his “real” level and write a good handwriting.

Boss Qiao turned around and took the rice paper ink ink ingots and inkstone on the shelf, put it on the counter, and said with a smile: "You can take whatever you want, just take it yourself. You write, I'll go to the warehouse to find you rice paper and ink ingots."

"By the way, Lao Qiao, what are your name?"

Lin Zhishui explained: "When I sign it later, I can write your name and give it to you."

"No need." Boss Qiao smiled honestly and said, "Just put your own name on the subject. If you become a famous calligrapher in the future, maybe someone will come to me to buy your copybook. If you write it and give it to me, then I can't sell it?"
To be continued...