Ah!! It's a beautiful hall. ”

Feng Dagger held his chin and looked around the large room, "Back then, Master Li Yu must have liked it very much. ”

More than an hour after the meal. The large room on the west side of the hall.

After Feng Ji and Lonely went out, I opened the door of this room at the request of Feng Dagger.

…………

If you lay on the floor, this room can be covered with more than 20 sheets.

As with the other rooms, there are dark tiles on the floor. The walls were painted black.

Directly inside the doorway of the room, there is a ladder-like staircase that leads to the second floor and connects to the cloister, which extends out as if to surround the room from three sides.

There are many bookshelves in the cloister with books from Master Lee's collection.

…………

The wind dagger went straight to the stairs, turned around, looked at me, tried to say something, and swallowed it back.

…………

"What's that?"

He pointed to the wall on the right side of the doorway, "What's the end of that painting?" ”

——— there is a painting hanging there.

…………

On that window-sized canvas, a woman sat cross-legged in a wooden rocking chair.

——— she wore a light blue dress, long black hair hanging down, and a red hat on her head.........

…………

"This painting used to hang here."

The woman's big eyes looked diagonally upward, and an innocent smile appeared on her white face. A black dog was lying next to her wooden chair, squinting its eyes, looking very pleasant.

…………

"This seems to be a painting painted by Master Li himself. You see, here is his own stamp. ”

In the lower right corner of this painting, there is his seal.

…………

"Really!!"

When the wind dagger approached to make sure, he turned his face again and asked, "Does Tuas like to draw?" ”

"On the shelves in the storage room, there are still painting utensils."

"There's a stash in this house? Where are the stairs? ”

"Inside the kitchen."

"I see, so it ........." the wind dagger paused, and looked up again at the painting, "the black dog and the woman——— this woman may be the daughter of the tuas." Have you ever heard that Tuas has a daughter? ”

…………

"This ........."

I tilted my neck and looked to the side, "When you say that, I feel as if I've heard something." ”

The wind dagger left the painting, climbed the cloister, and walked towards the bookshelf by the wall. I can't tell how many books there are, but a cursory glance reveals that there are no more than a thousand.

…………

The cloister divides the walls into two levels, with several rectangular windows. The windows are covered with black paper, with the words "monkey", "pig", and "shoshi" depicted on them, so during the day, this room is even more gloomy and eerie than other rooms such as the meeting room.

The wind dagger looked at the bookshelf for a moment, then pulled out a few books and sat down on a wooden chair in the north corner. At one end of the cloister, there is a large desk. In the past, it may have been used as a study.

I couldn't help but smile as the young man looked at the book in a serious manner.

………

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

He waved his hand, "No need. Can you have a bowl of wine? ”

"Absolutely. The wine jar is over there. ”

I pointed to the small wooden table next to his chair and said goodbye.

…………

An hour later.

…………

I walked out the door alone and walked around the yard, rambling on my rambling thoughts.

In the yard, you can see low trees everywhere. As explained to the wind dagger last night, these bushes used to be carefully trimmed into various shapes, dog-shaped, rabbit-shaped, eagle-shaped, and so on.

However, now, due to neglect of care, it has long been impossible to see the original form.

…………

I folded my hands in front of my heart, shrugged my shoulders (which had been noticeably emaciated over the years), and walked around the bushes.

Today, the sky was clear, and the occasional thin cloud drifted away, and although the clouds topped down in the morning, they quickly dissipated, and I didn't feel any change in the weather.

The wind on the roof is howling with the wind, and the barking of various animals in the forest is mixed with the sounds of various animals, which makes people feel lonely.

…………

Just as I was about to go in, I saw a man on the side of the hall door, and suddenly stopped.

For a moment, I felt as if the person was floating in the air. I couldn't help but wipe my eyes——— it turned out to be An Zheng. He finally got up.

When he saw me, he lowered his head in a daze, his eyes dazed. Slowly walking towards me——— asking where the others were.

And I told you the truth.

He sighed deeply, hung his shoulders weakly, turned around, and walked down the hall.

…………

"Something to eat?"

He didn't look back, shaking his chubby neck: "I don't want to eat." ”

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, it's not, it's fine." But his voice sounded listless.

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Forget it—huh......... All right. Just bring me a cup of tea. ”

"Okay. What about black tea? ”

"Yes."

"Then I'll send you to the meeting room."

…………

When I brought the tea to the guest room, he was dressed in black, sitting on a wooden chair, curled up in a ball.

…………

Carlo, the black dog, was in the middle of the room, saw me coming in, and quickly wagked his tail and ran wildly.

…………

"Is that palm-sized little picture book yours?" I sat down on the wooden chair across from him and pointed to the pamphlet on the table.

An Zheng raised his head abruptly and replied softly, "Yes." ”

"You must have drawn a lot of beautiful scenes, right?"

"Hey, yes."

"Last night, you painted here too?"

"Nope."

…………

An Zheng covered the heat rising from the teacup with his hands and shook his head.

"I want to see what you used to draw."

"Is that okay?"

I looked at the palm-sized album again.

…………

An Zheng brought the teacup to his mouth, his hands shaking.

His face was worse than the complexion of Feng Ji and Silence when he first got up. In the center of the narrow forehead, there is a small wound.

I couldn't find another conversation, so I picked up Carlo and was about to leave.

…………

"Uncle Park!!"

An Zheng suddenly raised his head and stared at me, "Hey......... Have you ever seen God? ”

"What?"

I was stunned and looked at his black face again, "Are you talking about immortals?" ”

…………

"Yes. It's God. God ——。 It seems that more and more people here have been seeing God lately. ”

His words confused me.

Where did he get all this unfounded information? At least I haven't seen God: "I'm sorry ........."

…………

Unexpectedly, he changed the question again: "Then have you ever seen that kind of wolf?" ”

"Wolves? Wild wolves hurt people, and in the early years, the official residence of Ten Mile City sent people to sweep them, and the wild wolves in this area have long been extinct———"

"It's not like that at all, I heard that there are still survivors."

"That's what some whimsical people say, but it probably doesn't work anymore. Even if there were, I'm afraid I would live in a place where no one could see it. ”

"Really?" Listening to the voice, he seemed to be quite disappointed and lowered his head.

…………

"Are you interested in those rumors?"

"I'm a little interested——— by the way, since this house is called 'Dog Meat Workshop', is there any related saying? For example, there is a dog god haunting. ”

He looked like a kid chasing after the wind.

I think this guy must be too imaginative, and I feel a little disgusted with him, but I try not to show it on my face, and casually says: "There are no such legends." ”

…………

In the next half hour, An Zheng asked many questions little by little.

I asked if there were any so-called earth-shattering monsters in the lakes here, and I also asked if I knew the mystery of the gods and the relationship between the local people here and the disappeared wolves, and so on.

…………

When he came, he was ashamed to say that he had seen God.

At that time, I was completely convinced.

So he said a few perfunctory words at the right time, saying something like "you are amazing", and then got up and took his leave.

…………

"Uncle Park!!"

When Carlo and I were about to walk down the hallway, he yelled from behind, "Are there any bears around here?" ”

"Bear?"

"I'd like to take a walk in the nearby woods."

"There are no bears nearby."

"Really? That's great. ”

"Be careful, don't get lost."

After listening to my reminder, An Zheng nodded, and the expression on his face showed a hint of unease.

He picked up the little picture book and stood up.

…………

It's dark, and the wind and silence haven't returned.

The beginning of the second watch.

While I was struggling to prepare my meal, there was a conversation outside the gate.

I walked up the hall and asked if they were going to eat as soon as they entered the room.

…………

"It's so beautiful!! A sky full of stars. ”

There was a very sharp scream.

I was stunned, and I was stunned.

It was neither the sound of the wind nor the silence, but the voice of a woman that had never been heard before.

The door was opened, and Feng Ji walked in.

Immediately after, a short woman in a blue cloth dress took Silence's hand and walked in.

…………

"It's you, uncle."

Feng Ji glanced at me coldly, "This woman's name is Lei Mu." From today onwards, I will live here, please arrange it. ”

She calls herself Lei Wu. She looked to be twenty-four or five years old, the same age or older than the young men, and I heard that she was wandering here unintentionally alone.

As for how she met Feng Ji and Lonely, I don't know, and I'm not interested in it (I heard Feng Ji and Lonely talk about it later).

In short, when Fengji and Lonely went out, they met this woman who was wandering alone, and the three of them were like-minded and came back together.

She's not tall. The face plate appears large, but there is no denying the signs of her long.

Danfeng eyes, pointed and straight nose. The skin is very white. Whether it's dressing, or speaking and expressions......... She knows how to impress a man. As soon as I saw her, I felt this way, and I didn't expect my instincts to be so accurate.

…………

Feng Ji and Silence looked very excited, compared to when they went out in the morning, they were like two people.

In order to win Ratsuki's heart, the two of them scramble to perform funny moves (I think so).

…………

And after An Zheng came back from a walk in the woods, he has been lying on a wooden chair, curled up in a dark corner.

But when he saw Reimu, his dark face changed color and he jumped up all of a sudden.

…………

When he came out of the big room, he looked even more serious.

Seeing that look, I smiled bitterly. Because everyone can see why he has suddenly become so too restrained and serious.

…………

How did I react myself?

Unfortunately, in short, I think it is always the case.

…………

It's not so much that I'm old as it's a matter of personal preference. If there's one thing I like about her, it's that her face (especially her eyes) resemble some of my late loved ones. Even so, if she came to stay alone, I would not hesitate to turn her away.

However, since Fengji has already let her live here, I can only do it. Although there are one hundred and twenty reluctance in his heart, he can only bow down on the surface, "Welcome." ”。

…………

I bought a lot of food in advance, and even if there was an extra person, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I had to think about how her room should be arranged.

Because there is no more to collapse.

After listening to my worries, Feng Ji said his own solution with a grin: "Then let Anzheng that kid vacate the room." The kid could sleep on a wooden chair in the guest room. Or ——— Thunderwood, and you'll sleep in my room. ”

"Feng Ji, you kid can't do this!!"

Shiruyuki objected, and Reimu looked back and forth at the two men, smiling.

"I can do whatever I want anyway."

…………

"This house is called a dog meat house."

While having dinner, Shiruto said to Lei Mu, who was sitting opposite and beside Feng Ji, "Do you know why it's called that?" ”

"Let me think about it."

Lei Mu picked up the wine bowl and tilted his head, "Isn't there a lot of big dogs here?" ”

…………

"I'm just here to tell you that, in fact, once upon a time, a terrible thing happened in this house."

I was packing up and getting ready to go back to the kitchen. Walking to the side of the hallway, I stopped and pricked up my ears to hear what the boy had to say.

…………

"Once upon a time——— about 30 years ago——— owner of this house was a man named Li Yu."

Silence said in a masterful tone. It was the first time I had seen him in such a powerful tone since they came, "He is a master of the White Jade Academy, and he is secretly studying some kind of divine object in this house. ”

"Fetish?"

…………

"Yes. How to say that? That's an amazing thing. Do you know about 'yokai'? ”

"I've seen it in a drama book."

"The fetish he's studying is similar to that."

"Really?"

…………

"That Li Yu has a daughter-in-law, and she has a black dog. The dog was so big that Tuas's daughter-in-law liked it very much, but Tuas himself didn't like dogs. "Silence spoke triumphantly.

…………

One day 30 years ago, Master Li's daughter-in-law bluntly expressed her dissatisfaction with his daily study, and hoped that he would not continue to study so terrifyingly. In a fit of rage, he quarreled with his daughter-in-law, and then she left the house. The black dog also disappeared. ”

"Really?"

…………

"Yes, later Master Li often built walls overnight———"

"Build a wall?"

"To be precise, it should be ——— build a wall in a dream. Since the disappearance of the black dog and his wife, Master Li often sleepwalks in the middle of the night to build walls———"

"Moreover, it is said that at night, dogs bark in this house."

…………

These words he made up have no new meaning at all. It's nothing more than an old fairy story.

…………

"What is the result of the study of that artifact?" An Zheng asked seriously.

"Well, I don't know." Silence said directly.

"Later, what about Master Li Yu?"

"The whereabouts are unknown. As if he was afraid of something, he sold the house. Later, no one knew where he had gone or what he had done. ”

"Alright, alright." Feng Ji mixed in a sentence, "How did you know about this matter?" ”

There was a burst of laughter.

I felt like I was terrified at the sight of the wind dagger.

I sighed and headed for the kitchen.

…………

I don't see what they did after that.

As yesterday, after dinner, the young men went to the meeting room, where they had drunk a lot of wine and seemed very happy.

…………

I quickly cleaned the table and went into my room early. The wind dagger didn't call me over as it did last night.

Carlo, the black dog, was also hiding in the room. The frolicking outside the door shook the earth, compared with last night, it was as good as last night, I couldn't stand it, so I opened the window alone to watch the moon and smell the wind.

…………

Half an hour later, I sat on the edge of the couch with Carlo the black dog.

Suddenly I realized that the room had become quiet.

It was already the middle of the night.

I listened intently for a while, and felt that now and just now are like two worlds.

In the darkness of the night, everything was so silent and silent.

What's going on?

Did those guys go up to the second floor room?

…………

I walked out of the room, into the hallway, and looked into the meeting room——— only the wind dagger was alone.

He sat on a wooden chair by the window, reading a book.

…………

"What about the others?"

Hearing my question, he looked up and shrugged.

"They........." he hesitated, but said nevertheless, "they're going to the hall over there." ”

"The big room?" At that time, I must have been crying and laughing, "Why are you going over there again?" ”

"Isn't there a wide border? They said that they would not be able to sleep if they did not meditate for a while, so they went. I'm sorry for your trouble, Uncle Putian. Feng Dagger's face was full of guilt, "Feng Ji and Lonely are like that. Moreover, the woman ........."

He's a little distracted. Seeing that my face was full of puzzlement, he sighed and continued, "She is very much like a person. ”

"Like a person?"

…………

"Didn't I tell you yesterday? It turned out that in our team, there was a woman named Xiaolan, and that Lei Mu was very similar to her. Therefore, those boys ........."

I see, that's what it is.

Although I understood the ins and outs of the matter, my mood still did not improve.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

The wind dagger snorted "I'm sorry", then kicked the ground, turned around, and looked at the book again.

…………

I didn't say anything more, turned around and left.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

Actually, I was tired and wanted to sleep, but I just couldn't sleep after tossing and turning.

I extinguished the candle, got under the covers, and closed my eyes.

But several times, when I was about to fall asleep, I suddenly shook my whole body and woke up again.

When I was younger, I was constantly troubled by this, as if it was the same now. Things you don't want to think about, things you don't want to think about......... All sorts of past events flashed through my mind. I tried not to think about it, but in doing so, I couldn't sleep even more.

I'm still worried about the young people who run into the big room.

…………

If you live in one place for a long time, even if it is not your home, but just a place that you take care of, you will naturally feel a sense of affection.

In this big house, I especially like the big room. …………

I lay on the couch, raised my head, and looked at the stars and moon outside the window——— it was probably the third watch.

…………

I listened closely, but since my room and hall were at opposite ends of the house, it was impossible to hear them.

In the dark, I tossed and turned on the couch for a while, and finally got up from the couch.

…………

In the very middle of the hall.

A person was lying on the pitch-black ground in the shape of a large figure——— which was probably silence. He stared sleepily at the air.

An Zheng sat there cross-legged, as if practicing some kind of magic skill, and put his hand on the dantian.

There was also a man ——— Fengji, standing with his back to him, like a wooden man, motionless.

Such a scene unfolded before my eyes.

…………

…………

I was in the attic at the time.

I crept out of the room, walked to the door of the hall, saw the scene, went upstairs, and then went to the attic.

…………

On the second floor corridor there is an entrance to the attic.

There was a simple wooden ladder. Climb the ladder and come to the attic.

…………

The loft is spacious, but not as square as the rooms, with the slope of the roof above and the roof slab on the second floor at the foot.

Between the beams, there are several slender wooden planks to prevent people from stepping on holes in them. Of course, very few people usually climb up to this attic.

I knew before——— in the floor of this attic (i.e., the roof panel downstairs), just above the big room, there were small holes.

…………

Those small holes may have been inadvertently opened by the wrong person, or they may have been deliberately left by that Li Yu.

…………

I lit the lantern I was carrying and shone it under my feet.

Creeping through the planks, I walked to the small holes.

Spider silk wrapped around his face, and the dust kicked up choked his throat and nose.

Desperately holding back my cough, I lay on the plank and put my eyes together for the holes.........

…………

Suddenly, the wind dagger appeared.

Underneath the small hole, at the edge of the large room, the door was pushed open. As soon as the wind dagger stepped in, he saw the strange appearance of the group of young people in front of him, and couldn't help but stand there. He walked briskly through the room, and only then did the four of them notice his presence.

Raimu shouted at the wind dagger that passed by. It was quiet, but perhaps because it was so far away, I couldn't hear her shouting.

Ignoring her, the wind dagger quickened his pace and walked towards the cloister staircase. It seemed that he had come to this room to find the books on the shelves.

…………

Reimu stood up.

Feng Ji reached out to stop her, but she booed and whispered. Then he shouted at the wind dagger who had already ascended the cloister, "Nerd!!" You ........."

"Not necessarily."

The wind dagger took a few books and walked straight down.

Reimu staggered in front of him.

The wind dagger was about to leave.

…………

"What are you going to do?" The wind dagger glared at the three boys, "Get out of the way!" ”

The three of them were silent, blocking the way of the wind dagger.

"Nerd!!"

Remu smiled happily.

…………

I sighed and shuddered.

Remove the eye from the small orifice. I don't want to look at those young people anymore. But at that time, I didn't have the courage and physical strength to hold them accountable.

When I came down from the attic and went back to my room, it was almost four watches.

…………

Carlo, the black dog, didn't know his master's mood, so he lay on the corner of the couch and fell asleep peacefully.

Covered in dust, I went to change my clothes, and then I slipped under the covers and fell asleep in a hazy state.

After that, I didn't know what exactly happened in that big room.

…………

…………