The Spirit World

Chapter 345: Pure Moon

The architecture of Fengsi County is obviously different. It is not so neat, but has a jagged feel. From the moat to the city gate, there are yellowish-white marble and red-painted pillars. The alleys are dotted with blue-white stone walls. There are several large osmanthus trees planted in the courtyard across the road. The black flat tiles and the red high tiles are separated, like two flowers intertwined, connecting the people of Fengsi County together.

Past Fengsi County is the border. The people here are really diverse, but not that exaggerated. They are mainly Chinese and humans. It is also normal for the beastmen and other ethnic groups to crowd out of the city.

Chang Yufeng looked at the people walking on the street. Although he didn't know anyone, he felt very familiar when he saw some of their gorgeous clothes. They had the same black hair and black eyes as himself, and when they stood there, they could not be distinguished from those with white hair, red hair, or even green hair. They did lack a sense of uniqueness, which was unique and different. Those people still felt strange when they saw this handsome young man wearing a wizard's robe.

Fengsi, Fengsi, with wind as its name, because the protruding barren mountains on the boundary are like two canyons, blowing strong east winds on both sides of Fengsi City. Even on this sunny day, wind tornadoes can be stirred up. Therefore, for convenience, the border post is located on the south side of Fengsi County, facing away from the wind direction, and one needs to continue going down to get there.

Chang Yufeng walked quickly enough and arrived at the border post before sunset.

There are many post stations with various styles. The shelter for parking dragon carriages and horses at the border of Fengsi County is located underground, like a small warehouse. Chang Yufeng originally wanted to rest nearby on the north side, so he found a nearby post station and asked about vacancies. The owner said there were no rooms left, so Chang Yufeng had to leave. After asking along the way, he found that only the last one had vacancies, which was in a remote little house.

Chang Yufeng shook his head and said he would not stay, thank you.

It is better not to stay in such a small hotel on the border. The owner did not say anything. Chang Yufeng looked at the person who came in and stayed in the empty room. He was a little hesitant, but there was really no hotel to stay in now.

I was alone in the past, so I wasn't without money, but a child like this couldn't stand the harm. I didn't want to come to such a remote place, but since I had come this far, I still came to ask. Now that he's gone, I don't think it's that rare.

The boss didn't ask for a high price, just three gold coins.

Three gold coins equal thirty silver coins, which equals 300 copper coins. If you use them sparingly, five copper coins can buy three steamed buns, which can be used to have a few good meals in a restaurant. If you calculate carefully, it is not that cheap.

He was just a weak child, and he was alone. He was unwilling to be slaughtered. He seemed to be sulking and sleeping on the street. He had stayed there even when there was wind and snow in the Emerald City. Besides, the nights in Fengsi County were getting warmer, so he could survive even if he was half-lying on the street.

Chang Yufeng walked and looked around and found that there were actually quite a few people in the same situation as him. The moon slowly came out and shone on the pavilion specially prepared for homeless people. The magic lights also lit up synchronously. It was definitely not that many of them really did not have no money to stay in a hotel, but that they did not make it in time, or they looked down on those remote little shops, so it was hard to tell who was noble and who was humble among them.

But it is generally like this. Many of the people sitting in these pavilions are just waiting for the border to open, and they can't tell good from bad. Chang Yufeng has lived for so long and knows this truth. He has to be on guard, just like he gave up that remote shop. Naturally, he also needs to figure out where he can sit down to rest and where he can lie down quietly for the night.

Small vendors were moving around, they didn't shout their wares, they just walked around pushing small wooden boxes.

At this time, most people were chatting. Some of them were sitting upright, drinking tea, and some were counting their goods. When Chang Yufeng passed by, they took a special look. Chang Yufeng naturally knew that he was being treated as a spy, so he left naturally. Some people were younger people, children like himself, who didn't know why they ended up here and had a lot of ups and downs in their lives. Chang Yufeng watched them laughing and playing, lowered their heads, and left quickly. There were even people who came specifically to see these homeless people. There were a few stationed soldiers looking at Chang Yufeng. They certainly didn't have any ideas. When the time came and the magic lamp was turned off, they would also leave.

Along the way, Chang Yufeng scratched his head and hurried back. He was a little puzzled as to why there were so many people stuck here. He needed to find out clearly, as this must be related to whether he could enter the empire.

He stopped at a pavilion in the middle of the crowd, felt his pocket, and bought three buns from a vendor.

Ten copper coins must be given one by one.

Moreover, I still need to dig around in my pocket for the last coin. That’s what it’s like to be poor.

When he did this, the vendor looked at him with some disdain. Chang Yufeng nodded and chuckled. His tattered robe really matched the chuckle.

Everyone looked at this poor boy, and then continued to do their own things as if they were used to it.

Three buns can satisfy your hunger for a long time, and each bun is quite big. Although it is twice as expensive, it is still fair. No, since the price is twice as expensive, no matter how big the bun is, it may not have twice the filling. How should I put it, it is generally a good deal. Neither the merchant nor the buyer owes anyone anything.

"Daddy, how long will it take us to go home?" A little girl asked her father in the pavilion. Chang Yufeng took a glance. The girl had double braids, which were very neatly groomed. She was very different from those homeless children. Her father was a middle-aged man with a gentle appearance. He touched her head and said that it would be soon, and Xue'er would be able to go home soon.

They were obviously Chinese. Their clothes did not look extravagant and they looked like ordinary Chinese.

The little girl felt a little aggrieved. She touched her father's face. She didn't cry, but she cried in a sobbing voice: "Daddy answered Xue'er the same way a few days ago, but we are still here~"

"Xue'er, be good and don't be anxious. Daddy will ask tomorrow. We will definitely be able to go back." Xue'er's father touched her face with his.

Xue'er felt itchy from the stubble and started giggling again.

Children can have changing emotions, which is cute, but adults can’t. Xue’er’s father is still worried.

"Mr. Yue, can you apply for an entry permit? What did he say today?" A familiar person said to Xue'er's father, "It doesn't necessarily mean that the border will be closed. It's not necessarily a solution to keep thousands of Chinese people here..."

"Yes, this is definitely not a solution, but they also have their difficulties. If a secondary demon enters the border of the empire, no one will be able to explain. Let's wait a little longer, it's okay. As long as we are not infected, they will definitely let us go back." Xueer's father put a small ornament on Xueer's head.

“Didn’t you say you were just here to negotiate the price? Why have you stayed here for so long…” The old man stroked his beard and drank a glass of wine.

"It's a troublesome item after all. The buyer wrote to me halfway through to change his mind, and I had to go back to negotiate. The negotiations took several weeks. Not only was the schedule delayed, but then I encountered this incident. Now it's our turn to change our mind and cancel the deal. There's nothing we can do." Xue'er's father lifted Xue'er's hair with his palm and took off the small clip on her head.

"Oh, you're right, this is so unlucky. It's like this. Even drinking water gets stuck in my teeth." The old man smacked his lips and put down the cup. "To be honest, the people here are all a bit unlucky. I've lived for so long and have never seen a real secondary demon. It's really hard to describe what I saw that day. It was so scary that I wish I could live in a dream."

"This is something to be afraid of. There's no need for people not to be afraid." Xueer's father untied Xueer's braids, pulled Xueer's hair apart strand by strand, and gently combed it straight with a small comb.

Chang Yufeng discovered that the little girl was looking at him while eating the buns, and looked a little greedy. When Chang Yufeng held the buns up, her big obsidian eyes looked up, and when Chang Yufeng put the buns down, her big obsidian eyes looked down.

Her father combed her hair carefully, not noticing her little movements.

Chang Yufeng looked at the bun, thinking that he might have something to ask, so he ate the old bun and pinched half of another small bun for her. She took it, squinted her eyes and looked at Chang Yufeng with a smile.

"Why don't you thank your brother quickly?" Her father was going to refuse when he saw her, but he looked at Chang Yufeng, then smiled and smoothed her hair, and taught Xueer this sentence.

"Thank you, brother~" The girl also spoke in a baby voice, but it was a babbling baby voice with some sounds,
"Where are you going, little brother? Or did you just arrive here?" Xue'er's father untied the other braid. Xue'er looked at Chang Yufeng on the head and put the bun down while speaking to show respect.

"I just got here and am about to go to the Empire." Chang Yufeng answered truthfully, chewing the buns slowly. "I think you don't have enough money. I saw you didn't spend much when you bought these two buns. If you share these buns with my Xue'er, you will starve..." Xue'er's father took a small comb and combed Xue'er's hair, gently, making Xue'er's long hair smooth.

"It's okay. I don't know why you are here, what's going on ahead? Why are so many people stuck here?" Although Chang Yufeng asked, he definitely knew the reason. It was very simple. There was a secondary demon that escaped. He just heard it, but he didn't know where this uncle who looked very kind came from. If we can spend the night together tonight, it will be good for me.

"My surname is Yue, my given name is Liangshan, and my courtesy name is Shuihuan. You don't have to call me uncle. I'm not that old. But considering your age, it's okay to call me uncle." Yue Shuihuan turned the little girl over. His daughter had been looking at Chang Yufeng, somewhat reluctantly. When she turned around, she kept staring at Chang Yufeng. When she knew that she was being straightened by her father, she straightened her skirt and wiped her hands with a small cloth.

"There are still some secondary demons that have not been found. The situation in Wenti County has caused panic among the people. I believe you must have known about it. However, there has been no news about the secondary demons in the past few days. It is estimated that the border will be open in a few days. If you have any urgent matters, I am afraid it will be difficult to solve them immediately."

"I'm fine. There's no rush. I still have enough money on me. I can have three meals a day with buns, and two meals a day will do. There's no rush." ​​Chang Yufeng kept saying no with a big smile. He said that he was on this trip because he was going to see a relative. Now that he has returned home, he doesn't have to live such a hard life anymore.

"When you were drawing money just now, it took you a long time to take out a penny. You are such a clever little ghost." Yue Shuihuan straightened Xue'er's clothes and continued, "But it will be soon. It will be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. The border has been sealed for so long. People outside and inside are anxious. They can't bear the trade volume in the past few days. It will open eventually, but now is not the time."

Chang Yufeng nodded silently.

Indeed, if this is the case, no matter how strict it is, it is not too strict. A lesser demon will bring a group of lesser demons.

Demonic infection is no joke. To a large extent, this kind of creature that is contagious like the plague is almost the same as the plague, except for the different way of transmission such as being hurt.

People can allow natural disasters to occur, because they are inevitable, but people cannot allow man-made disasters to occur, because they can be completely prevented. Secondary demons spread like a plague, which is something that must be stopped. It is also something that can be controlled in a small range. There is nothing to be afraid of, and people must be alert.

It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist if you haven’t seen it, but you should treat it as a formidable enemy even if you haven’t seen it.

"By the way, didn't you stay at the hotel, little brother?"

"No……"

"Are you alone?"

"Yes……"

Chang Yufeng discovered that almost everyone who met him would ask him if he was alone. Perhaps it was incredible for normal people that such a young child came to the border alone.

That takes a lot of courage.

Because any ferocious beast or demon beast can eat him. They don't care if you are weak or old or young.

Eating people is sometimes a compulsory course for wild beasts.

It is also a required course for those who are extremely disdainful of the jungle.

"Although I think a real man needs this kind of training, it may not be a good thing if her child is too young." Yue Shuihuan touched his daughter's head. Her long hair was cut very straight. It was kind black hair that seemed to glow under the light.

"But I still admire boys who travel alone. When I was this age, I was still a crybaby who would only hide behind my mother. It takes courage for him to travel so far to visit his relatives alone."

"Thank you for the compliment, uncle." Chang Yufeng straightened his clothes, moved into a comfortable position, and leaned against the pillar of the pavilion.

The pavilion is like a tall bun with white cloth inside and outside. Although it is empty, you can see the moon and feel like you are in the same boat with heaven and earth.

"If you want to sleep, just sleep here. I will take care of you. The brothers here take turns to take care of you. The child just needs to sleep." Yue Shuihuan specifically explained the situation to Chang Yufeng.

When it gets dark, it's time to go to bed.

It’s not just because it’s dark and we can’t go anywhere, but also because we’re tired from the day’s work.

Chang Yufeng said thank you.

The moon climbed up a slope and stopped above my head.

It is strange to say, but wherever there are these people who have left their hometown, the moon will follow them, shining on their faces, bodies, and belongings, like a silver-white quilt that is spread out for these people to fall asleep.

Chang Yufeng was naturally not in such a hurry to sleep. He looked at the identical pavilions on the border. Many people slept on the ground like this, using their clothes as quilts. The better ones even had pillows. The people on night watch seemed to be taking turns on duty when the adventure group was hunting and staying in the forest.

He looked at them one by one and found a pair of big, tearful eyes looking at him. Those obsidian eyes were so beautiful that just looking at them would give him a feeling of beauty.

This little girl named Xue'er seemed to be particularly close to him. She was half lying down, as if sitting cross-legged on a mat. Chang Yufeng smiled and blinked at her, then closed his eyes and rested.

She didn't know that the little girl simply thought that the big brother in front of her who winked and smiled at her was very nice, and his appearance made her want to look at him more.

She closed her eyes happily with a smile, and Yue Shuihuan gently laid her down and covered her with a quilt.

Yue Shuihuan looked at the moon,

For a long time,

Sighed.

(End of this chapter)