Lin Qiu walked along the corridor, and the door of a room at the end was open, and a faint scent of sandalwood wafted from inside.

It was a quaint room with a gilded ceiling, walls hung with ancient tales, and a middle-aged man in a robe making tea.

"Sit!" Shadow Zun pointed to the wooden bench opposite.

Lin Qiu bowed slightly to him and sat down opposite him.

The door closed silently, and Yingzun opened the lid of the pot, and a quiet fragrance of tea instantly spread, covering the room full of sandalwood.

He poured two cups of tea, one handed to Lin Qiu, and one in front of him.

"Do you have any research on tea?" Shadow Zun asked with a smile.

Lin Qiu shook his head: "I'm a rough person, I've lived for so long, except for training, I'm on a mission." Such an elegant thing is just water to quench my thirst. ”

Yingzun smiled: "What I brewed today is high mountain fog tea." This fog tea grows on the top of a high mountain and is filled with thick fog in adulthood. It grows slowly and has large leaves and branches. However, because it is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, it is necessary to soak it in boiling water repeatedly. ”

"Unlike other teas, this mountain fog tea can only be drunk after three or four brews."

Lin Qiu picked up the tea and smelled it, then drank it all: "It's no different from other teas, if this is your apology, I accept it." ”

Yingzun laughed: "Why should I apologize?" ”

Lin Qiu stared at him tightly: "Deliberately increase the difficulty of the assessment, the three projects are almost impossible tasks." Do you want to tell me that I am this fog tea, and I have to brew it in boiling water repeatedly to see my true strength? Although well-intentioned, I am very unhappy! ”

Yingzun paused, and then smiled even more happily: "You are very smart, and you can see everything very thoroughly." So now that you've seen it through, why keep going? You can object to such an unfair assessment, but you don't complain from beginning to end! ”

"Because I want to be here!" Lin Qiu said firmly: "Because I want to become stronger!" ”

The mist that permeated the two of them suddenly dispersed, and at this moment even the air seemed to be colder.

Yingzun slowly sipped the tea, his eyes full of adult wisdom: "Want to become stronger? Is it because of the indelible spirit in my heart, or do I just want to become stronger? ”

Lin Qiu didn't answer, but at this moment, a lot of past events came to his mind.

There were some things he thought he had forgotten, but as soon as he was quiet, everything was vivid.

Ying Zun stared at his eyes for half a minute, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Your murderous aura is very heavy!" ”

"So what?" Lin Qiu said indifferently: "Those who come to the Dragon Shadow, if they don't even have a murderous aura, do you dare to ask for such a person?" ”

Shadow Venerable nodded: "You're right, Dragon Shadow defends the country, and also defends the world we live in." If there is no murderous spirit, there is no word protection. But your murderous spirit is too heavy, do you think, your companions will be willing to join you? ”

"I don't need a companion." Lin Qiu looked at the three birds parked on the tree through the gap in the window: "I'm alone, it's enough!" ”

Yingzun drank all the cups of tea: "We are a team, we don't need a lone ranger." I know that you are afraid that one day, your teammates will also die, and you are powerless to protect them, so you make yourself stronger. This way you'll be on your own and won't need to witness your teammates die next to you anymore. ”

Lin Qiu did not deny it: "I used to be young, and I was very eager to grow up. But when you really grow up, you will find that there are fewer and fewer people around you, and fewer and fewer people to talk to you. I don't want to fall from the bustle to loneliness, and if I have to live with painful memories every day, I'd rather be alone and lonely. At least... It won't be sad, it won't be sad. ”

There was silence in the room for a long time, except for the sound of tea boiling.

Yingzun didn't say anything, and silently poured another cup of tea for the two of them.

This time, the aroma of the tea is stronger.

"Remember the guy who brought you here?" Shadow Zun asked suddenly.

Lin Qiu turned his head suddenly, his eyes showing eager anticipation: "You, do you have news of him?" ”

"Nope!" Yingzun smiled: "But every year, I receive greetings from him, and I don't know where he calls me from in the world. This person, that's it, he clearly said that he would retire and never appear again. But every year, he would call the people he cared about to say they were safe. Maybe he wants to tell everyone that he's not dead, or maybe he wants everyone not to forget him. ”

Lin Qiu looked at Yingzun in a daze, and the latter picked up the teacup again: "This year, he actually called me three times. The first one is with me, and the last two are all about you. ”

Lin Qiu stood up suddenly: "Uncle, he ....... Does he remember me? ”

"Of course." Shadow Zun gave him a blank look: "You were brought back by him, and it is also his hope." He entrusted you to us, do you think he forgot about you? On the contrary, he will ask about you every year. Not only me, but all the people he has trusted, he will ask you about it. In his heart, you are important, more important than our old friends. ”

Lin Qiu's eyes were sour, the uncle who brought him from the darkness to the world of light, in his heart, was the only relative in this world.

For fifteen years, he always thought that his uncle had abandoned him.

But today he learned that the uncle had actually been by his side all along.

Ying Zun asked Lin Qiu to sit down: "He knows that you are going to join Dragon Shadow this year, so he specially asked me to take care of you." Why does the assessment make it more difficult? This is what he arranged, and he wanted to see if you had wasted yourself in the past fifteen years. ”

Lin Qiu asked eagerly, "Is he satisfied?" ”

Yingzun smiled: "That old boy, after hearing your results, he couldn't stop smiling. ”

Lin Qiu's heart was warm, as if he saw the uncle's smiling face with his own eyes, and the whole person became satisfied.

Yingzun said: "The last call, he entrusted me, I must get rid of your demons. ”

"Demons?" Lin Qiu asked in surprise.

Shadow Venerable nodded: "Because you have a demon, you are too murderous." You are always reluctant to forget the past and put a lot of the blame on yourself. The death of a friend, the death of a brother, you think that your own incompetence is the cause. The more time passes, the more angry you become and the less trusting you become. This is your inner demon, if you don't get rid of it, you will never become the strongest knife. ”

Lin Qiu blinked his eyes, and seemed to understand Ying Zun's words: "Then, what does that uncle want me to do?" I do whatever he says, and I listen to him. ”

Shadow Zun shook his head and smiled, "This is also your weakness, don't rely too much on one person." He has been gone for fifteen years, and what he is most afraid of is that you will become dependent on him, but I didn't expect..."

Lin Qiu was like a child who had done something wrong, and hurriedly pleaded: "I was wrong, I shouldn't be like this, please tell me what to do?" ”

Shadow Venerable was silent for a moment, staring at his eyes tightly: "He sent you a person to remove the demons from your heart!" ”

"Who?" Lin Qiu asked.

Yingzun clapped his hands, and Guo Cheng walked in with a person: "Yingzun, people are here." ”

"That's her!" Shadow Zun drank tea.

Lin Qiu turned his head and met Xu Ke's eyes.

"Is that you?" Even someone called out at the same time.