In the Blade

"Well, I have a question."

In the old inn, a young man with an iron whip found the little giant early in the morning.

"Well, you say."

Du Chengfeng, who was choosing vegetables, was distracted.

"As long as I understand, we can talk about it."

"It's not about anything else, I'm just curious about something."

Saying this, the young man pointed to the beam of the inn.

"Why don't we have swallows here?"

"……ha?"

Du Chengfeng wiped his face, and for a moment he thought he hadn't woken up.

"Of course not if you don't raise it. Is there any need to ask about this kind of thing?"

"But other people have this!"

The young man looked at the empty rafters in despair.

It's no wonder that the boy behaved like this. After all, in this day and age, it is quite auspicious to have swallows nesting on the beams of the house. As for the reason, it is naturally because birds like swallows will only nest when they think it is safe. At the same time, because swallows can prey on pests, they are regarded as beneficial birds in people's eyes. Therefore, combined with various opinions, places where swallows build nests have naturally become good places in people's perception.

Of course, this kind of statement is just for luck and has no real practical significance. It is not even feudal superstition and can only be regarded as ordinary folklore.

However, I am afraid of comparison in this kind of thing.

Although Sanshan Town is often described as a place where birds don’t poop, in fact there are still some birds coming here. Perhaps because of its remote location and isolation, swallows are basically found in every household here. Every year after autumn comes, swallows will fly south in groups. When the weather gets warmer next spring, these clever birds will fly back in groups.

Every household can hear the chirping of swallows early in the morning, but yours is the only one. Is there something wrong with your home?

"I think there's something wrong with your head."

After listening to the young man's story, Du Chengfeng shook his head.

"You go out now, raise your head and see what is written on the sign hanging at the door. This is an inn, do you understand the inn? There are people coming and going, so there won't be any birds building their nests here... …What? You said the station is quite peaceful? There’s a war going on in the backyard right now, you say it’s quite peaceful?”

Saying this, Du Chengfeng pointed in the direction of the backyard.

Over there, four masters of evil spirits are surrounding two millstones, engaging in free fighting every day. This fighting match will determine two winners, and they will gain the power to grind.

Originally, in Du Chengfeng's opinion, it was a bit outrageous to compete for jobs in Modu, but the conversation last night made him realize that things were not as simple as they seemed - so he himself, in the middle of the night, when no one was around, He also went over and turned the millstone around a few times, but unfortunately he shook the millstone out of sparks and still didn't understand what was going on.

Strictly speaking, it was not that he didn't understand it at all. He could at least feel that whether it was the power of the stars, the power of running water, or the turning of the millstone that the young man mentioned last night, these powers were essentially related to rotation.

But his feeling can only go so far. After all, his understanding of power and rotation are not related to each other. They are two different directions.

That's why he was choosing dishes while trying to understand what this thing was all about.

"Besides, this swallow is not completely gone, right?"

Feeling touched, Du Chengfeng raised his hand and pointed to the door.

In the mid-air outside the door, there were actually two black and white swallows hovering, looking around as if they wanted to get in.

It's a pity that after the two swallows circled around for a few times, they had no intention of settling here. Instead, they flew high and fled far away.

This also made the young man more and more desperate.

Could it be said that there is really no way for this inn to welcome swallows to stay?

"It's normal. You also said that swallows always build their nests in other people's homes."

Du Chengfeng explained patiently.

"A place like the inn, where people come and go, is indeed not suitable for swallows to build nests. This is a natural phenomenon. There is no other way to explain it... Forget it, if you really want to play with birds, I will get it for you in two days. When an eagle comes back, it’s bigger than a swallow, and it’s fun to keep.”

"Ah this, no, this."

The boy scratched his head for a while, but he had no intention of playing hawk.

He simply regarded this inn as his home.

With both his parents dead, he had nowhere to go. Alone, he should have died in the wilderness or on a cold street. This inn gave him a job and a way to survive. Opportunity, it was here that he found the feeling of home after a long absence.

Although the other two people in this station have no blood relationship with him, the time they spent together made him treat them as family members.

So, since we have a home, it is normal for swallows to live in it, right?

"You...Hi."

Seeing that the young man was about to cry, Du Chengfeng also began to scratch his head.

He didn't expect that this kid's obsession with the swallow's nest was actually because of this - but thinking about it, this kid's experience was really miserable. He saw all his family members die before his own eyes. Not everyone could do this. Can withstand it.

"But what to say about this kind of thing... Home is not a home if there is a swallow's nest. Of course, the old man and I can't really be your family."

Du Chengfeng thought about it and continued.

"You should understand what you said. No one can really exist forever. The old man is already this age. I am just living here temporarily. One day, the old man will die of old age and I will leave. At that time, will you not live anymore?"

"I..."

The boy was stunned for a while.

He actually thought about similar things. This dreamlike good life will always come to an end. He also knew that the old man would die one day and the little giant would leave one day, just like this post station itself. Some people come and some people leave.

So he always tried to avoid thinking about these things and avoid thinking about these sad things. After all, for his situation, such a future is too hurtful.

But now, with the little giant's story, he had to face this extremely cruel future for him.

What should he do when his only two relatives leave?

"You? Of course you will go where you want to go."

Du Chengfeng squatted down and patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Life has to go on, and a living person won't die from urination. You have your own friends now, don't you? You will also start to have your own life... So there is no need to care about the swallow's nest. The swallow's nest cannot represent something like home. You can always find a place that makes you feel at ease, and that place is your home."

"A place that makes people feel at ease... is home?"

The boy chewed on this sentence slowly.

That's true. He felt the same way. He felt the same way before he became a refugee. Even after he became a refugee, when his parents were still alive, he didn't feel that he had lost his family.

And now, what makes him feel at ease is this post.

What about the future? Where will he go in the future?

"...What about you?"

Thinking of this, the boy suddenly looked up at the little giant.

"Where is your home?"

The boy suddenly became curious. He has actually been puzzled about this for a long time.

He really wants to know what kind of environment and what kind of growth experience can make people grow so strong?

"My home? If you talk about this, I won't be sleepy anymore!"

When talking about this, Du Chengfeng got excited.

"I built my home with my own hands! Not only me, but also the houses of my neighbors! Let me tell you, when I designed that construction site..."

When talking about his masterpieces in architecture, Du Chengfeng began to talk endlessly. Listening to this story, the boy gradually understood that there is actually a place called Wangyou Township in this world. There is no trouble, no sorrow, no evil spirit, no war, only endless peaceful life, just like the Peach Blossom Spring in the story.

"Peach Blossom Spring? You actually know this?"

When the boy talked about the story of Peach Blossom Spring, Du Chengfeng patted his chest.

"Tao Wuliu also lives in my place! He lives opposite me!"

"It's great... I really want to go there if I have the chance in the future."

The more he listened, the more fascinated he was. With someone to support him, Du Chengfeng himself became more and more excited.

If there is a problem, it is that the swallows outside the door are a bit noisy, chirping and always interrupting his conversation.

So Du Chengfeng simply stretched out his hand.

"If you ask me, a beautiful home should be created by yourself, just like this swallow's nest. Since these swallows don't fall down, let's take them down and put them directly into the nest... huh?"

Du Chengfeng suddenly frowned.

He can confirm that he should have caught a swallow. With his current skills, it is impossible to catch a bird.

But the fact is that there is nothing in his hand.

There is only a pool of ink on the palm.

"Huh?"

The boy next to him also found something wrong.

"This is..."

"It's not that I didn't catch it, but there is something wrong with the swallow."

Saying this, Du Chengfeng reached out to grab another swallow.

While the young man was talking, the only remaining swallow was about to turn around and run away. Perhaps because its companion was captured, the swallow's eyes even showed some panic - but the facts proved that this escape was meaningless, because Du Chengfeng's big hand had already blocked it in front of him.

So there was only a snap, and the panicked swallow bumped into Du Chengfeng's palm.

It turned into another pool of ink, which contrasted with the previous pool of ink.

"It's fake."

Du Chengfeng's face turned black, just like the two pools of ink in his palm.

"Which beast did it?"

Such an inquiry naturally would not have any answer, and Du Chengfeng could only find water to wash his hands.

At the same time, in the county government office in the town far away, County Magistrate Yuan Liang was also washing his hands.

However, what came out of the basin was not ink, but bright red blood.

"I was still a little anxious. I shouldn't have gone over to take a look... It's a pity for the two swallows."

With a sigh, County Magistrate Yuan turned his head and looked at the shelf on the side.

On the steel frame, the newly transferred head constable Wu Qingyuan was tied up tightly with a lock, and his clothes had been stripped off, revealing the wound under his ribs that was still bleeding.

"So, I've given you two swallows, you can just investigate your case, why do you have to investigate me?"

"Dog... thing."

Wu Captou spat bloody saliva, but for a moment he didn't even have the strength to speak.

Yes, why check Yuan Zhixian?

Such an elegant and easy-going person, such a parental official who cares about the people, does not look like someone who should be investigated. If I insist on it, maybe he has a connection with the pseudo-emperor Jia Wen, but the liquidation is over. This little thing is not a problem.

So what is the problem?

Oh, by the way, he remembered.

It's in that painting.

The painting that Yuan Zhixian gave him was really good. Both the pen and ink and the paper were top-notch. It was precisely because of this that he was curious about what kind of paper could achieve this. Flexible, yet so thin.

Now, he has already seen the answer.

That's not paper.

That's skin.

"Painting with human skin...you deserve to die, you bitch!"

"Shh, don't make any noise, and don't be angry. You will make the paper wrinkled."

Yuan Zhixian casually took out two needles and inserted them. Wu Captou, who was still trying to struggle, was completely unable to move.

"Yes, be quiet, it will be good for both of us... you know? In fact, I admire you very much, and I really want to be friends with you. An upright person like you is much better than that head catcher. With you in Sanshan Town, public security will definitely improve."

"brute."

Catcher Wu let out a hoarse roar.

While Magistrate Yuan was talking to him, he was peeling the skin off his hands.

"You... dare to kill me, the higher ups won't let you go."

"Maybe, but I'm actually quite good at drawing characters."

Saying this, Yuan Zhixian clapped his hands directly, but a human-shaped drawing paper came directly in.

Seeing the face depicted on the drawing paper, Wu Capt's eyes were about to burst.

The face of the paper man was clearly exactly like him!

"From now on you will be Capt. Wu."

Yuan Zhixian showed a warm smile.

"Work hard, Sanshan Town will definitely get better with you."

"You beast!"

Seeing that the paper man actually cupped his fists and handed over his hands in a decent manner, the teeth of Mr. Wu who was fixed on the shelf were almost broken.

"You will be punished! You will be punished!"

"Maybe, after all, I've been really unlucky recently."

Yuan Zhixian sighed.

"One or two people are stepping on my territory. It's obvious that I didn't provoke anyone and I didn't provoke anyone... Can I still live like this?"