"Why are you standing at the door to greet me?" said the old man, taking off his sunglasses, "a thief has entered the store?"

“...... No. ”

"Then don't block the door, what should you do. The old man dragged the box and knocked me away, "The door is small, and the road is blocked. ”

"Boss, do you know a person surnamed Lu?" If he said he didn't know, then Lu must have recognized the wrong person.

The old man didn't pay attention to me at all, took out all kinds of souvenirs from the box and stacked them on the table, "You see which one you like, pick one for Xiao Chun too, by the way, it's still clear." ”

He didn't directly answer that he didn't know.

I watched him silently, waiting for him to finish the box, "You know such a person, don't you?" ”

"Your question is very strange, there are so many people in the world, and there are more people with the same surname. He closed the box, stood next to the shelves, and went to the storeroom to pour water and make tea.

"Then let me ask so, Lu Ke, do you know each other?"

Tian Bei's hand pouring water paused, "Oh, you said Xiao Ke, it's the daughter of an old friend of mine." Did she come to the store to buy something?"

"Boss," my voice trembled uncontrollably, "you could have seen it before, didn't you?"

He picked up his glass and stared at me, "See what?"

“........ Monster. "Even though I already know the answer in my heart, it still makes me very uncomfortable to ask it directly.

"Yes, I could see it when I was younger, but I can't now. The old man walked over to the chair and sat down.

“...... Why did you never tell me?" he admitted so lightly, and he didn't even say a word of explanation for something so important?

"You didn't ask. ”

“...... I can see it too. ”

"I know. ”

"......" All the words I prepared were choked back by the old man's simple answer, for so long, I have been confused about what no one can confide in, I have not dared to tell the people around me, I have been careful for fear of some flaws, he said it as if he wanted to wash his face in the morning, he could see it before, and he knew that I could see it, but for so long I didn't say a word, I felt like a clown. I didn't understand the old man's thoughts, though I could rarely understand what he was thinking.

"Come here. He sniffed the tea in his hand, "Ye Ke, I'm calling you over." ”

I was a million reluctant in my heart, but the person in front of me gave me no reason to refuse him.

"Sit down," he said, pointing to the stool beside me, and taking a few sips of tea leisurely, "you see how bitter you look, people who don't know think I owe you wages." If you want to ask anything, say it. ”

“...... I don't know what to ask. "It's not that I'm angry, I really don't know where to start," I used to think it was not normal to be able to see youkai, but now... I can't tell. ”

"You children now," the old man moved his buttocks, as if to find a comfortable sitting position, "every day I hold my mobile phone and computer, thinking that it is the world, not to mention going out to study and study, and I have a long experience, I think I know everything when I look at the news and go on the forum? The world is so big, everyone is different, isn't it just to see monsters, and it's not the end of the world, how big is it." ”

I was speechless,

"I knew her mother before Xiao Ke was born," he said to himself, "I started to live alone when I was very young, so I have never had the concept of home, I met her purely by chance, we both love to drink, and we have become drinking friends since then, and since then she has asked me to go over to eat from time to time, and the people of the Lu family are very enthusiastic about me, after Xiao Ke was born, I have some money, and every time I go over, I will bring gifts to Xiao Ke, and the girl doesn't know how it is now." When talking about Xiao Ke, the old man's eyebrows and eyes were rarely gentle.

"The deer has also become a demon slayer. I said.

"Oh, yes, this kid has also taken this path," the old man looked a little sorry, "with her character, I guess she is not happy." She is a very kind child, and she has a good relationship with many monsters, so let her get rid of the demon and embarrass her, but there is no way, the Lu family has a daughter for her. How did you meet?"

"I met by chance at an event on the night of the first day of the new year. ”

"Have you removed the demon gathering?" the old man put the cup heavily on the table, "Who told you to go!"

I didn't expect him to react so much, "I... Zong An invited me, and I thought it would be okay anyway..."

"You're not a demon slayer, so you go to that kind of place to hide dirt and dirt to make some fun. His tone softened a little.

"Didn't you also use demon slayer before...", I was a little weak-hearted.

"I have nothing to do with those mercenary guys," the old man said, waving his hand, "I'm just helping to deal with some of the monsters that are disturbing human life." ”

"What do you mean by incident, why didn't you see it later?" Thinking back to Lu Ke's words, I vaguely felt that it had something to do with his sudden departure one day.

"I really hate your quick reflexes sometimes," he sighed and gave me a blank look, "Okay, don't go around in circles, I've always wanted to figure out why I can see youkai, and that's why I'm a demon slayer." ”

Expected, and unexpected.

"Then after... Did you find the answer?" I can hear my own heartbeat when I ask this sentence, and that's something I've always wanted to know the answer to.

The old man didn't answer me directly, "What would you do if you knew the answer?"

"What do you mean by how?"

"There is a reason, there is a countermeasure, you know the reason you can see, and you know how not to see it. The old man said expressionlessly.

“...... So, it's your own choice to never see the monster again. ”

"Yes and no. The old man silently took a few sips of tea, "I didn't know that I would lose the ability to see youkai until I found it. ”

"Who is it?"

"A turtle that has lived for thousands of years," said the old man, "humans can see youkai because you have an unresolved bond with a certain monster." If this fate is over, you will naturally not see it. ”

"Since it's an unsolved bond, how can it end?"

"If one side dies, what can it do if it doesn't end?"

“...... What's wrong with that turtle. ”

"Got rid of it by the demon slayer. The old man still spoke in an understated tone, but the hand holding the cup squeezed tighter, "Turtles are very rare, and it is rumored that making a contract with a turtle that has become a monster can prolong its life, but it is unwilling, so the demon slayer will get rid of it." ”

I don't know what to say.

"Of course, if it weren't for the fact that I had to find the reason why I could see the youkai, I wouldn't have found it, and if I hadn't found it, the demon slayers wouldn't have found it. When he said this, the old man's eyes kept looking at the cup, "After I can't see the monster, my life is indeed much easier, and I live more like a normal person, I have always felt that God deprived me of the ability to see monsters is to let me return to what human beings should be, until you appear in my store, I don't think it should be so simple." ”

"Huh?" the topic suddenly turned to me, and I didn't understand it even more.

"When you first came in, I thought you were different from others, as if you were always careful about what was around you, and if you didn't resign the next day, I knew you could see the monster, and then I suddenly thought that maybe God had deliberately arranged you in my store. ”

"You just knew it in one night?" I don't remember what I had done that day.

"Because the previous children, either the handwriting was too poor, or they couldn't do it after a night, and they politely said hello to me, and most of them ran away, what will happen at night in this house, you must know better than me. The old man looked at the ledger, "Today's children are in a hurry to do anything, and if they are too anxious, they will miss a lot of things, and there are not many people who can calm down like you." That's right, Tsubaki. ”

I looked back, Tsubaki was really at the door, I suddenly understood the reason why she hid as soon as she talked about it, I don't know if she heard my conversation with the old man, and was about to get up to get her food, but she suddenly became human, of course, the old man can't see it, so she never turns into a human form when the old man is present, this is the first time.

"What's wrong?" Tsubaki's abnormality made me a little worried, and seeing her expression made me even more worried, obviously she had cried.

"Guan Qing's grandmother is now in the hospital. ”