In July of the year 422 of the Eltino calendar, Urumqi

On the outskirts of this new metropolis, among the vast clouds of smoke and heat, stands an extremely beautiful hotel.

This manor inn named "Rose Red", the vast rose garden in the front garden, on the vast green lawn of hundreds of square meters, planted with blooming roses, the flowers are bright red like fire, exuding a rich fragrance, so that people are attracted by the fragrance of rose red before they get close.

Behind the bright red rose garden is an exquisite and elegant red-tiled mansion, with four stories of snow-white window walls, and hundreds of window sills planted with colorful flowers, thousands of purples and reds, as if pouring out the vigorous vitality of this inn, injecting vitality into every visitor.

Of course, visitors who come to Rose Red will not forget the original purpose of coming here while being surprised that there is such a pearl in the wilderness and mountains. Passing through the main building of the hostel, you will see the hot air rising upwards and dozens of hot spring pools of different sizes, welcoming new and old guests with different attitudes and appearances.

In the rose-red hall, there are artworks and paintings collected from all over the world, and although the various artistic carvings are dazzling, it is the paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall beams that really amaze the viewer.

Calligraphy and painting are not written by celebrities, some of the landscape paintings from Wu Lian have not even been paid, but one stroke at a time, the mountains and rivers are long, full of majestic style, the person who writes seems to have 100,000 soldiers and armor in his chest, the momentum is extraordinary;

It is these small places to see the subtle elegance of the heart, so that the rose red out of the earthly turbidity, become the first resort in the northwest, but in addition to these external advantages, there is also a faint rumor, spread among the merchants passing through here, that is, the unwritten rule of this inn, no matter what disputes and grudges, in the rose red must be put down, because this is a place of peace that does not allow disturbances, if someone wants to destroy it, then he will see it immediately...... The backstage of this inn is really tough.

Ordinary people don't know what the backstage of Rose Red is, and there are no security guards in the hotel, and if there is any particular eye-catching focus, it is the handsome man sitting at the counter in a neat white uniform.

The long golden hair, very casually combed and tied behind the head, the gold-rimmed glasses on the face added a little Sven, with a kind smile, diluted the original cold feeling, but the calm, mature male charm made every traveler can't help but look twice, especially the female guests, many even with love at first sight, reluctantly took the house key from his hand.

"Even if you don't become a general, Brother Yu can still be a very successful shopkeeper! You don't need to sell hot springs, you just sit there and laugh, and our customers will be endless. ”

There is no jealousy in his wife's ridicule, which makes Gong Jin feel very relieved, because he definitely can't stand that kind of superficial woman with a small belly, however, his wife's desire for his zhan is too low, but it often makes Gong Jin feel inexplicably worried, which is really a ridiculous embarrassment.

If Xiao Qiao was allowed to sit at the counter, it might have a similar attraction effect on male customers, but Gong Jin would never propose this, because he knew very well that he could not accept such a scene.

(This summer is dry and hot, the grape harvest is good, and there should be a good price; the lawn on the south side of the vestibule is partially yellow, and someone should be hired to deal with the fertilization, and the termites in the hall will be very troublesome if they are not used as soon as possible to expel and strengthen the hollows.) Factoring these in, the cost to be added this month is ...... ）

Sitting behind the counter, Gong Jin checked the numbers in the account book one by one, and made many calculations in his head, which was the new life he gradually got used to.

From being in charge of thousands of troops and horses to being content with a dull life, there are many gaps in between, but Gong Jin is willing to be gluttonous and has lived a very adaptable life. In terms of his own mood, although he doesn't hate it, he can't say that he likes this kind of life, but as long as he is with Xiao Qiao, no matter what he does, he can feel a kind of satisfying happiness.

There is nothing wrong with such a blandness, he and his wife have built a small achievement from scratch, and have a future that can be planned, if you follow this trajectory, every day in the future, you will spend it in this kind of happiness, not caring about the great cause of the family and the country, not caring about the rise and fall of the world, only living in a corner of the world, and staying with your loved ones, like this...... There is nothing not satisfying.

(Really? Are you really willing to live this life? This kind of life...... Is it really what you deserve? You know you can have more...... ）

Occasionally, when there is a gap in his busy life, when a cool breeze blows, Gong Jin will hear a certain hope in his heart, turn into a soft whisper, and sigh in his ear, whenever this voice appears, he will use those same words to tell himself, so that he can continue to devote himself to his current work after smiling slightly.

However, when he saw the familiar figure stepping into the door, Gong Jin suddenly had a feeling that the voice was not just a whisper this time, but appeared in front of him in a more practical image.

"Gong ...... Captain ......"

"It's been a long time, Jiang Zhong. ”

Gong Jin has not forgotten this former loyal subordinate, when he was the leader of the Phantom Brigade, infiltrated the rebels, carried out various activities, and fled alone before his identity was revealed. Before he fled, he didn't inform anyone, but he already knew what would happen to his subordinates who were left behind in the rebel camp.

On the one hand, Gong Jin believed that Xiao Qiao would deal with it properly, and on the other hand, he didn't care about what would happen to these people at that time. After years of latent life, he has long been accustomed to this kind of thing, using a group of people to carry out latent work, and when the mission is over, the fake identity is exposed, these people are not the first batch to be abandoned by himself, and they will never be the last batch.

Seeing Jiang Zhong appear, Gong Jin once suspected that he was coming to take revenge, and this kind of scene was not unheard of in the past. But seeing that although Jiang Zhong was covered with dust and tired, his eyes flashed with sincere and eager joy, Gong Jin couldn't help but dispel this idea and received this former subordinate with a peaceful attitude.

As a result of the friendship of the landlord, Gong Jin helped this subordinate arrange accommodation and reception. Jiang Zhong seemed to be uncomfortable with the change of his superiors, he was mentally prepared to see a frustrated general who had no ambition, but he did not expect to meet a gentle and amiable innkeeper, such a change made Jiang Zhong try to pretend to smile, and in many places he wanted to stop talking.

Jiang Zhong's abnormality, Gong Jin could naturally see it. This loyal subordinate has not reached the age of nostalgia for the past, maybe in another one or two hundred years, he will come to the old people to catch up with the old people in order to miss the old friendship, but the current Jiang Zhong is still very young, and he will come all the way to Urumqi, there must be a purpose.

But Gong Jin didn't want to ask more, because some things still didn't know well, and he and Xiao Qiao had been deliberately avoiding outside news over the years, not wanting to know what was going on on the other side of the mountain and who was in charge of that land. Knowing but powerless to change is the most bitter thing, Gongjin doesn't want her hard-won happiness to be broken like this.

However......

"Lord Gongjin, I'm ...... I don't want to disturb your life, but there are some things that I feel it is my duty to bring to them, and this is my promise to the many brothers, and I will say it only once, please let me finish it, and then I will leave immediately. ”

When Jiang Zhong suddenly stood up and spoke to Gong Jin like this, Gong Jin was faced with a choice. If he insisted on his original thoughts, he should have stood up immediately and walked away, but the two and a half years of life made Gong Jin feel that he had become soft-hearted, and he felt a sense of regret for this subordinate who was still loyal to him, so Gong Jin remained silent and let Jiang Zhong say what he wanted to say.

"After Lord Gongjin and Xiao Qiao's alliance leader left, Miss Yan Ning took over the ...... of the alliance."

What Jiang Zhong said was exactly the news that Gong Jin had avoided in the past two and a half years. When he parted in Zhongdu that day, Yan Ning's attitude of not saying a word had made him feel slightly bad, and there was no word in these years, which was enough to think of Yan Ning's mood, and now listening to Jiang Zhong's words and words, Gong Jin's heart set off a monstrous wave.

After Yan Ning became the commander of the coalition army, in order to unite this stormy coalition army, he immediately began to eliminate dissidents.

With the Oni people as the center, the coalition forces eliminated all the elements with impure blood, so as to ensure that all the remaining members were of pure blood, and every one of them was a Oniyi from Zhenggang; all the unscrupulous elements who raised objections and intended to hinder this correct goal were all labeled as collaborators and purged by military law, and all kinds of absurd evidence were used to prove that these people had fornicated with Eltino or White Hart Cave.

The purge provoked a backlash, but it was quickly suppressed. The humans and orcs in the coalition raised objections, saying that everyone was fighting for a common ideal, and there was no reason to separate each other at this time, and such a move to destroy internal harmony was contrary to the original intention of Xiao Qiao's alliance leader to form a coalition army;

The Oniyi people think that they are absolutely right, but in the eyes of others, they are nothing more than a group of patients with strong paranoia about being killed. However, this group of anxious and manic patients has a powerful destructive power, and under the slogan of unity, they forcefully purge dissidents and win the factional struggle.

"As long as you are from the Oni people, everything is right, and as long as you don't have the blood of the Oni people, everything you do is wrong. ”

An officer who had been expelled from the coalition said helplessly as he recalled the events of that time.

In short, this purge was highly successful, but after the purge was completed, the weakened coalition army was no longer able to maintain its previous momentum, and after Xiao Qiao left, the white character family withdrew all assistance, and the coalition army could no longer attack the city and land in the form of an army to maintain the defense of the occupied area, so Yan Ning gave an order to abandon the eighty percent of the city currently occupied, and formed a mobile team of the remaining soldiers to supply supplies in the form of plunder.

The rebels, who once had a million followers, are now less than 100,000. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the frenzy of the battle was a hundred times greater than before, and after the ban on looting and slaughtering the city was broken, the Devil's Scourge became the most terrifying nightmare on the continent.

The 100,000-strong elite cavalry, led by her, was like a sudden swarm of locusts, easily destroying the city wherever it went, sucking up all the food and resources there, setting fire to all the buildings it saw, and then carrying out a devastating massacre according to its geographical location after the burning and looting.

Such a violent tactic should theoretically not last, but I don't know why, this fierce fire burned more and more fiercely in two and a half years, defeating all enemies in a row, and advancing in half a month, achieving the glorious apex of the past ghost people's achievements.

After Xiao Qiao's departure, before the Guiyi people carried out the organizational purge, some of the self-loving and intelligent people had quietly retired, some of them chose a similar path to escape from the world as Gong Jin, but some still adhered to Xiao Qiao's ideals, gathered to form an organization, and tried to stop the atrocities of the rebels in some small places.

Jiang Zhong joined such an organization, and ten days ago, they finally found out the whereabouts of Gong Jin and Xiao Qiao, and Jiang Zhong was responsible for rushing here, hoping to persuade Gong Jin to come out of the mountain and stop the killing tragedy that was about to take place in the middle capital.

It's just that this kind of news was roughly in Gong Jin's expectations, and it didn't bring him much shock, but one thing Jiang Zhong said next surprised Gong Jin.

The walls of the Zhongdu City are thick and well-prepared, making it difficult for the rebels to attack them head-on, but Yan Ning instructed the rebels to dig outside the city, as if they wanted to dig out some earth dragon hidden deep in the nearby Jade Dragon Mountain, and through the explosion of energy, not only could it easily destroy the Zhongdu, but also affect the entire central part of Al Tienor.

(The Earth Dragon of Jade Dragon Mountain...... How did she know the secret there? The four major caves are the top secrets of the White Deer Cave, even if it is Yan Ning, it is impossible to know the location of the caves, why is it ...... ）

Surprised by what he heard, Gong Jin's expression suddenly became heavy, and he did not respond to what Jiang Zhong said.

When the news came, Jiang Zhong kept his promise, and after explaining everything he knew, he left immediately, without stopping for a moment.

Gong Jin didn't keep him, because what Jiang Zhong needed was a practical commitment, not a comfortable rest for a few days and nights, but that was what he was most stingy to give.

The Oni are so powerful...... This really made Gong Jin feel displeased, but from Jiang Zhong's words, things seemed to contain something strange, could it be ......

Whether it is the ghosts or those in the middle capital, they have nothing to do with themselves, and they have no reason to go out to wade this troubled water. These two and a half years of comfortable life are unprecedented happiness in my life, and I should not destroy it for any reason.

(Red-haired witch, what do people call you?...... What have you been thinking about all these years?)

Sitting alone on the bamboo and rattan chair, Gong Jin was silent, his mind was a mess, he wanted to think, but he couldn't remember.

But even he didn't notice that at this time, he was exuding a wordless sharpness between his eyebrows, a kind of heroic aura that was unique to the commander of the army and should not appear on the innkeeper.

※※※

"This summer's grape harvest is good, the wine market should have a good price, the lawn on the south side of the vestibule is a bit yellow, it is better to get someone to deal with the fertilization as soon as possible, and the termites in the museum, take these into account, the cost of this month is ...... Brother Yu, are you listening to me?"

Xiao Qiao's angry cry brought Gong Jin back to his senses from his thoughts, and he smiled at the first time, holding his wife's weak and boneless little hand, adding warmth to the slightly cold palm.

Even on such a warm summer day, with hot springs to invigorate blood, Xiao Qiao's hand is still like a piece of cold nephrite, although it is white and tender, but it owes a little healthy heat.

This is also the hidden concern that Gongjin has been having in recent years. Leaving the battlefield and no longer using the three artifacts to fight, Xiao Qiao's body has not deteriorated rapidly, his spirit is more vigorous, and there is nothing abnormal in his daily life, it seems that the old injuries have been completely healed.

But Gong Jin knew very well that this kind of internal injury, entangled in the internal organs, was not so easy to heal, especially when he noticed that for a few nights in the past two and a half years, Xiao Qiao would still soak in the turbid hot spring pool, coughing softly and gently under the cover of smoke and rushing currents.

The cough was very slight and the sound was very small, and it was much better than the shivering bones when the internal injury was at its worst. This can be seen as a phenomenon of physical improvement, but it also symbolizes the fact that the residual poison has not been cleared, Xiao Qiao's injury comes from the excessive use of the three artifacts, and the composition of the three artifacts involves the casting secret method and magic of the demon world, several factors are intricate and affect each other, and Gong Jin cannot effectively judge the condition of his wife's body.

However, since Xiao Qiao wanted to keep it a secret, Gong Jin pretended not to know, acting as if he was completely unaware of his wife's actions, and only when she entered the hot spring and drained the cold, he personally stewed a cup of chicken soup, and when she got up to leave, there would be such a cup of care that warmed the whole body and mind, and silently offered care.

This is the way Gong Jin is used to acting, although his handsome appearance often makes people mistakenly think that such a handsome man must be very good at talking, but compared to what he says, Gong Jin actually does more, this does not need to be seen by others, as long as Xiao Qiao cherishes it, it is enough.

When Jiang Zhong brought the news, Gong Jin was tight-lipped about his wife and didn't tell her any plans at all. Xiao Qiao is a very soft-hearted and emotionally important person, if she learns what the rebels are doing at the moment, Gong Jin can't imagine how much psychological pressure and harsh criticism Xiao Qiao will endure, so there is no need for her to know these things.

Gong Jin hadn't made a decision yet, however, he knew that he would most likely go out. Gong Jin doesn't care much about the life and death of the people of Ertano and the ghosts, because no matter which side perishes, he can survive in peace and stability, and the reason why he has to leave is because of Yan Ning!

If Yan Ning hadn't taken over the burden of the alliance leader, Xiao Qiao would definitely not be able to leave with peace of mind, so the happy life of his husband and wife for two and a half years, in addition to thanking the old man in the mountain for his protection, Yan Ning is also a hero who has paid a lot, and he really has a sense of guilt for her, and now that things have evolved to this point, Yan Ning wants to touch the secret of the cave, and he is bound to go out to understand the situation.

The locations of the four major caves are located in the four corners of the Wind Continent. Altino is near Zhongdu, Wulian is not far from Pengfenpo, Free City is in the area of Alembat Mountain, and the location of Reins-Tiren is unknown. This should be the supreme secret of the White Deer Cave, Yan Ning knows this secret, what does this mean?

Gong Jin frowned and was silent, even if he was about to leave, he didn't show his feelings, he still smiled and chatted with his wife. It was a favorite way for both of them to rest, and whenever the affairs of the inn were busy with a certain paragraph, they would go together to the top floor of the rose, a private seat reserved for their husband and wife, and look side by side at the stars and the roses in the garden.

Xiao Qiao told Gong Jin some ancient legends of martial arts, and Gong Jin told the myth of the stars in the White Deer Cave, and in this kind of verbal exchange, they better understood each other's thoughts and growth paths. Gong Jin is still curious about the true face of his wife's master, but every time he talks about this topic, Xiao Qiao will cleverly change the conversation to talk about his master.

Talking about how he got started, how he taught martial arts, and how he began to carry out the dark work of the White Deer Cave, Gong Jin originally wanted to tell Xiao Qiao how dangerous the man who was given the title of "Moon Sage" by the world was, but every time he was interrupted by Xiao Qiao, Gong Jin talked about some past events that even he had long forgotten.

When he first learned to use his sword, he used his strength to form an image on the ice wall, and he took the trouble to practice it again and again, and under the moonlight at night, he told himself the master of the legend of the bayberry, and before the dawn appeared, he taught himself the master of stargazing and calculation...... Gong Jin hadn't remembered these things for hundreds of years, but when he brought them up again, the past was as clear as in front of him.

"Brother Yu, actually...... You like your master very much, and even though he didn't do well in some things, you still respect him, right?"

“...... Not. ”

If someone else said this, Gong Jin would put the words behind him after a contemptuous smile, but because the person who spoke was Xiao Qiao, Gong Jin did not forcibly deny his feelings, and after a brief thought, he was a little stunned, and responded a little helplessly.

In his own life, Master has really given himself a lot of things, although there are good and bad things, his own concepts and thoughts are indeed established from them, and he agrees with many ideas that Master agrees with, including his resentment against the demons, as well as the means to hone talents. is also because of this, so although he was abandoned and fell into today's situation, Gong Jin couldn't find much hatred in his heart.

Master is too huge an existence for himself, and since he was introduced, he has been following and looking up to him, that kind of existence...... transcended hatred and anger, so when he knew that he had also become a part of his cold training, there was only a trace of bitterness in his heart, no anger and no hatred. Perhaps, he is not the only disciple of his own who feels this way, before or in the future, there are others who will do the same......

"It's a pity, Brother Yu's master, who is also my teacher, really wants to go and meet the Moon Sage, but his old man probably doesn't like to see us!"

Xiao Qiao put his hands on his knees, straightened the hem of his skirt, raised his head and sighed softly: "Why are the demons so annoying?

Gong Jin's expression stiffened and showed a wry smile, there was a topic about the Ghost Yi Clan, which was the last thing he wanted to hear right now. But...... In my memory, after being sensible, I never seemed to like this topic.

"Brother Yu, in the mythological system of the White Deer Cave, all life on the Wind Continent will be reincarnated repeatedly, right?"

"Yes, this life is a person, and the next life may be a little bird on the branch, just like us, and the next life may be two cats walking on the street. ”

"So, the demons will also be reincarnated as humans?"

Looking at her husband's surprised expression, Xiao Qiao smiled and said her whimsy.

"All the souls in this land, each life appears in a different face, this life is a human being, the next life is a ghost, and the next life may be a demon race. Isn't it wonderful that people are constantly traveling between the human world and the demon world in this way, and they are constantly traveling, just like a constant journey? Whether it is a demon race or a human being, everyone is the same, and we have no reason to hate our future or past selves!"

Xiao Qiao patted his palms lightly and said these thoughts seriously, his eyes were like stars because of his eager expectations, which amazed Gong Jin beside him, and that thought made him feel even more interesting. Somewhere in her heart, Gong Jin also felt that if that was the case, it seemed to be very interesting.

In terms of pure appearance, Xiao Qiao is not as good as Yan Ning, but his wife can affect her mood so much, perhaps it is her unrestrained heart that strongly attracts herself wearing a mask!

"Brother Yu, I know why you always wore a mask before!"

"Oh, what did you guess again this time?"

The answer to that question, in the past two and a half years, Xiao Qiao has guessed no less than two thousand times, but every time Gong Jin laughs and does not answer, Xiao Qiao is not in a hurry to reveal the secret, but just repeatedly looks for possible answers.

"You must be so good-looking that you wear a mask so that you don't let so many women outside look at your handsome face. ”

Half of the incense body leaned against her husband, Xiao Qiao approached, kissed him on the lips, and said with a smile: "Every time I see you sitting at the counter, I want to take a mask to cover your face, otherwise there will be female guests drooling at you every day, as if they want to swallow my husband in one gulp." ”

Regarding this topic common to all women, Gongjin did not respond directly, and replied with actual behavior.

In response to Xiao Qiao's kiss, Gong Jin's right hand groped on his wife's tender green short skirt, and his finger and index finger pulled on the concentric knot of the tether, pulling like a cocoon, lightly removing the outermost restraint of her fragrant buttocks, and the buttons of the silk jacket were unbuttoned, and slowly pulled back to the elbows, revealing the snow tender shoulders and the light purple embroidered corset.

The light purple corset embroidered with the mandarin duck pattern outlines a touch of purple thread on the small but plump chest, reflecting the snow tender and smooth skin.

“...... My husband...... so that other women don't swallow ......"

Laughing softly, Xiao Qiao's laughter was almost like a fragrant groan in the end.