Slaying demons and eliminating evil, a martial saint among mortals.

Zhao Tieshan walked at the front, pushed open a crooked wooden door, and pointed inside.

"Please sit here for a while, I'll go boil some water."

Qin Lie looked up. The room was small, containing only a table and a few wooden stools of varying heights.

The mud plaster on the walls had mostly fallen off, and the roof was broken in several places. Although wooden boards had been put up to block the wind beforehand, it still managed to get in through the gaps.

However, the table was wiped very clean, and there was a ceramic jar filled with water next to it.

It's clear that Zhao Tieshan usually lives here, because this is the only habitable area left in the entire Qing Shi Yi.

As for the surrounding houses, most of them have collapsed, and the weeds in the yards are more than half a person tall, clearly indicating that they have not been cleaned for a long time.

No wonder they thought Qing Shi Yi had been completely abandoned when they passed by outside.

After entering the room, Gu Qianji casually picked a stool and sat down.

But as soon as his bottom touched the ground, a soft thud came from under the stool, startling him so much that he immediately stood up again.

He looked down at the stool, a hint of disdain on his face.

"Is this thing even safe to sit on? I have a feeling it might fall apart at any moment!"

Zhao Tieshan looked back.

"You have a good eye, sir. I just repaired that stool a few days ago, so it's definitely fine."

Gu Qianji was clearly somewhat skeptical. He squatted down and checked it twice, even waving his hand over it.

After confirming that all the stool legs were sturdy, he sat down again, but much more gently than before.

Do you have any more wine here?

Zhao Tieshan paused, hesitating for a moment.

"there is none left."

Gu Qianji immediately raised her head, her eyes widening as well.

"You still want to lie to me? I smelled alcohol as soon as I came in. Although the smell was a little faint, it was definitely from around this house."

Zhao Tieshan stood there, looking somewhat troubled. He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head before telling the truth.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to give you a drink, it's just that there's only half left in that jar of wine, and it's been sitting for a long time, so it might not taste very good."

"I'm afraid that if you feel unwell after drinking it, you'll blame me."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qianji immediately waved his hand, and the disdain on his face disappeared.

"As long as there's still wine, it's fine. Wine gets better the longer it's stored; it's not that easy to spoil."

"Bring it here quickly, I'll know once I taste it myself."

Zhao Tieshan nodded.

"Since you say it's no problem, then I'll go get it."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and limped toward the kitchen next door.

Qin Lie stood at the door, watching his back, still feeling a little strange.

Zhao Tieshan kept saying that he was guarding Qingshiyi, but the place was already in such a dilapidated state, and there were no villages nearby. What did he eat and drink?

More importantly, very few people pass through Qing Shi Yi anymore.

Why is he staying here alone?

Qin Lie was staring blankly in the direction of the kitchen when a voice suddenly came from beside him.

"If you really have a problem, just ask it directly. There's no need to keep it bottled up inside."

Xu Qinghe had walked past him without him noticing.

Qin Lie was startled and instinctively turned to look at her.

"How did you know what I was thinking? Do you really have mind-reading abilities?"

He had actually wanted to ask this question for a long time.

On the way there, Xu Qinghe seemed to know his thoughts in advance on several occasions.

Especially what happened in the woods just now, it was as if I could see what was going through his mind.

Xu Qinghe stopped and frowned slightly.

"Do I need mind-reading abilities to know what you're thinking?"

"Your thoughts are written all over your face."

After saying that, she found a seat and sat down, no longer offering any further explanation.

Qin Lie stood there, touching his face helplessly. Was he really that bad at hiding things?

Just then, a plume of black smoke suddenly rose from the kitchen, followed by a violent coughing fit.

Not long after, Zhao Tieshan walked out of the kitchen, coughing, his face covered in soot.

"What happened?"

"The chimney might be blocked."

Zhao Tieshan coughed twice and looked up at the roof.

"I'll climb up and take a look later."

Qin Lie followed his gaze to the roof with a missing corner, then looked down at his obviously problematic leg.

"Someone like you think you can even climb up there?"

Zhao Tieshan was clearly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Qin Lie to ask this.

But soon he smiled.

"Don't worry, sir, the little guy can still climb up the roof. This chimney used to get clogged all the time, I'm used to it."

Qin Lie reached out and took the firewood from his arms.

"Fine, just tell me which way to go up, I'll go take a look."

Zhao Tieshan opened his mouth, but in the end he did not refuse.

"There's a ladder over the back wall; you can use that to get up."

Qin Lie nodded and turned to walk away.

Following the direction Zhao Tieshan pointed, he quickly found the wooden ladder.

The ladder looks a bit old, but it's still sturdy enough.

Qin Lie climbed the ladder to the roof and found it covered with withered branches and fallen leaves, which had accumulated to a thick layer.

He walked up to the chimney, looked down, and was immediately at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

It's not that the chimney is blocked; the entire chimney opening has been filled with birds' nests.

Qin Lie reached out and moved the bird's nest to the side, then casually cleared away the pile of dead branches and leaves around it.

It doesn't take much effort anyway.

They've already provided them with water and food, and let them stay overnight, so it's only right that we help them out a little.

Qin Lie was about to climb down from the roof when his gaze suddenly fell on the back of the post station.

There was also a separate little house there, which was much more intact than the dilapidated houses around it.

Not only are the doors and windows well preserved, but there is also a lock on the door.

Although the lock was a bit old, there wasn't much dust around it.

It's obvious that people go there often.

Qin Lie couldn't help but take a second look.

Zhao Tieshan just said that he was the only person in the entire Qing Shi Yi.

If he was really alone, why was the house locked?

Moreover, judging from the marks, the lock was frequently opened.

Just as Qin Lie was pondering, Gu Qianji's voice suddenly came from the courtyard.

"Hey kid, are you done up there?"

Qin Lie looked down and saw Gu Qianji standing in the courtyard, holding a wine jar.

The wine jar was covered in dust, and it was impossible to tell how many years it had been stored there.

But Gu Qianji held her in her arms like she had found a treasure, unwilling to let go.

"alright."

Qin Lie responded and jumped off the roof.

Gu Qianji looked him up and down.

"Is everything alright?"

"It's nothing."

Gu Qianji nodded upon hearing this, but her gaze swept towards the back of the post station in the direction Qin Lie had just been looking.

I don't know if he figured something out, but he didn't say anything.

"It's nothing, let's go, let's go have a drink."

As he spoke, he picked up the wine jar and walked into the house.

Qin Lie glanced back at the locked hut, said nothing more, and followed him inside.

Gu Qianji placed the wine jar on the table and pulled it out forcefully.

As soon as the cork was pulled out, a strong smell of alcohol filled the room.

Gu Qianji took a deep breath, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"The wine is a bit lacking, but it's better than nothing."

As he spoke, he picked up the broken bowl on the table and poured himself a full bowl.

Seeing his appearance, Qin Lie couldn't help but ask a question.

"You drink so much every day, aren't you afraid of making things worse?"

Gu Qianji picked up the wine bowl and glanced at him.

"Did you notice I didn't drink a single drop of alcohol when I was setting up the formation at Broken Wind Pass?"

Qin Lie thought about it and realized that there really wasn't one.

Gu Qianji snorted.

"I just like to drink, it's not like I've lost my mind. When it comes to important matters, I naturally know what to do at what time."

As he spoke, he had already picked up his wine bowl and taken a big gulp.

The expression on his face immediately relaxed.

"Besides, what's the point of living if you can't even have a few drinks in your spare time?"

Hearing Gu Qianji's words, Qin Lie curled his lips.

He simply couldn't understand what was so good about alcohol.

Judging from Gu Qianji's tone just now, anyone who didn't know better would think he couldn't live a day without drinking.

However, compared to the wine, Qin Lie is more concerned about Zhao Tieshan now.

From the moment they entered Qing Shi Yi until now, Zhao Tieshan has never asked about their identities or where they were going.

Logically speaking, even if all that's left is a nearly abandoned post station, we should at least verify the origins of the visitors.

He can't just stop and entertain everyone who passes by, can he?

As Qin Lie was thinking, he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen.

Zhao Tieshan walked in carrying a large pot.

Noodles were cooking in a pot, with a few vegetable leaves floating on top and some chopped dried meat.

The heat kept rising and spreading throughout the room.

Zhao Tieshan put the pot on the table, his face showing some apology.

"I'm sorry, sirs, there's really nothing good in the inn. Please make do with this for now."

Gu Qianji peeked out.

"Having meat and vegetables is already pretty good; it's better than eating dry rations every day."

As he spoke, he put the wine bowl aside and picked up his chopsticks.

Zhao Tieshan then began setting out the bowls and chopsticks.

But just then, Qin Lie suddenly realized something was wrong.

There are five bowls on the table.

Qin Lie's gaze immediately fell on the bowls.

Zhao Tieshan seemed to have sensed something as well, and his movements paused slightly.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he reached out and took one of the bowls back.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, I was momentarily confused and took one too many."

The reason doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with it.

However, Qin Lie noticed that Zhao Tieshan's hand clenched noticeably tighter when he took back the bowl.

That reaction was more like tension, or a subconscious reaction after something was discovered.

However, Gu Qianji acted as if she hadn't seen anything and served herself a large bowl of noodles.

"Eat quickly, then get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

After saying that, he lowered his head and started eating.

Qin Lie didn't press further and served himself a bowl.

The noodles were overcooked and too soft, and the dried meat was too hard; the taste was only so-so.

However, being able to get a hot meal in a place like this is already a blessing.

The three of them ate their meal quietly.

Zhao Tieshan did not sit at the table, but instead kept busy on the side.

After Qin Lie and the other two had finished eating, he picked up the pot and took the remaining noodles back to the kitchen.

Qin Lie sat at the table, his gaze following Zhao Tieshan until the other's figure disappeared at the kitchen door.

Five bowls.

The small, locked room in the back.

And then there were Zhao Tieshan's obviously unnatural reactions just now.

These things, taken individually, don't seem like much of a problem.

But putting them all together looks a bit odd.

Was Zhao Tieshan really the only person in this Qing Shi Post Station?