no soul

The carved door of the study creaked and swayed in the breeze, and the ash that had been years on the wooden door flew up, dancing gracefully in the golden morning light.

The room was cold and gloomy, and the sunlight came in through the crack of the door like hot golden soup just in time, flowed across the cold floor, and spread to a pair of black boots and the hem of the clothes embroidered with black dark patterns on one corner.

Perhaps this person was too cold at the moment, and when the hem of his clothes flicked, Jin Tang didn't dare to rush in again, and stopped timidly.

The boundary between light and shadow is just right.

This black figure was hiding in a dark corner of the study room, standing tall and tall in front of the ancient bookshelves full of books and dusty.

Holding the genealogy of the Chen family with his well-articulated hands, his slender fingers turned over page after page.

One name after another is engraved in black and white letters, carrying the sighs of the ancestors of the Chen family for generations, scrolling through thousands of years, passing by the handsome eyes with double lacquer.

There are hundreds of ancestors in the Chen family, and behind each name, there are a lot of things in the past.

But what weighed on Wan Guchuan's heart was another name.

Wan Guchuan put down the family tree, leaned against the corner of the long table, closed his eyes, raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.

When did he find out.Am I... acting obvious?

Wan Guchuan lowered his hand, looking down at the old and yellowed cover of the genealogy book in his hand.

When was it exposed...

What lingers in his mind at this moment is the astonishment in Lin Hong's eyes when he shook off his hand, and the evasive gaze...

Is it embarrassment, is it disgust...

He had restrained himself for too long, and every time he tried cautiously, he was always disappointed——Lin Hong didn't admire him, or rather... the man.

A cold painting halberd was pressed against his heart, which was so cold and heavy that he couldn't breathe.

He has never been clear about what Lin Hong is to him...why he is so obsessed.

He was 20 years old that year, and he was defeated by Beidi, and the border gate was surrounded by cheers.

He still remembers that he rode his horse and was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of brave and loyal warriors at the front of the army. The flags fluttered in the long wind. Food pot pulp, welcome in the lane.

No matter how he tried to stop him, the crowd was surging, and they still knelt on the ground... Looking at him, it was admiration, awe... It was a tribute to the invincible god.

Flowers were on his saddle, glory was on his shoulders.

He dodged countless people who wanted to kiss his boots.

His prestige is recorded in the annals of history, and it is a ballad that Da Zheng spread orally, and it is a legend that the barbarians frighten when they hear about it.

Destined to shine from ancient to modern times.

However, in the dead of night, when he looked at the boundless and icy yellow sand and the moonlight in the distance, he just felt endlessly lonely.

The cheers and respect of the border people rested on his shoulders.

Guotai Minan is the shackles of his life.

Kusano, who he longed to gallop, could only choke in his throat.

This is not what he wants...

Falcons were bound with their wings, and they forgot the pleasure of soaring in the sky and riding the wind, and forgot the arrogance of flying across the vast grassland and the frightened pikas.

Wildness is worn away, freedom is like an unreal song.

Until, outside the cage, another goshawk whizzed past the sky, dressed in the uninhibited spirit of mountains, rivers, lakes and seas.

Clouds flow over its giant wings, what it sees is the vastness of the distant sky, what it hears is the call of the vast wilderness, and the rest of the hustle and bustle is nothing.

Although there are thousands of people, I will go. (Note 1)

Chic and willful.

The long-lost wildness boiled in his blood, and he wanted to follow him even if he couldn't break free from the shackles.

Lin Hong Yu what is he...

is all his fantasies.

His chivalry.

His freedom.

He does as he pleases.

He was in high spirits.

his wilderness.

his sky.

Being with Lin Hong was the freest moment in his life.

When she regained her senses, she was already trapped in the mud, but she was happy with it...

The feelings for Lin Hong were too light, too soft and too warm during the half of his life when he was wearing cold armor and galloping on the battlefield.

For him, it is more helpless and cautious.

He's not a saint, he doesn't dare to boast too much, he can't help but want to take a step closer to him, but he's still holding back...

He has already tasted the tossing and turning of not getting what he wants, and it seems that "getting what he wants" is not what he should have.

"Brothers" - a painful word, he couldn't say it, but he still didn't want to alarm Lin Hong, so he chose to keep silent.

But Rao was so careful, but in exchange for the result he least wanted to see - Lin Hong was avoiding him.

It was he who proposed to split up, and Lin Hong was avoiding him, so it is better to give Lin Hong some space.

Wan Guchuan laughed at himself, he couldn't even bear to make him feel embarrassed, there was no room for him to go one step further.

Lost my life.

His eyes turned to the door.

Jin Yang tossed and turned among the withered grass, and even the decline suddenly seemed to be flamboyant.

Wan Guchuan's gaze fell back to the family tree, slowly raised his hand, and turned a page.

"Lin Qingquan!" Duan Yu finally couldn't bear it after he didn't get a response for countless times.

"Ah? What's the matter?" Lin Hong came back to his senses.

"What are you thinking? You're out of your mind." Duan Yu frowned, wanting to despise him to death.

"I didn't think about anything." Lin Hong's eyes wandered aimlessly around the room.

"Then what did I just say?" Duan Yu asked him.

"You said that many valuable things in the Chen family have been taken away." Lin Hong thought he answered fluently.

"Brother. That's what I said before Yizhuxiang." Duan Yu was mad.

Lin Hong: "..."

Duan Yu looked at him.

Lin Hong waved his hand guiltily, "Understood. Don't be distracted."

It is unlikely to say that God is not distracted.

Lin Hong's heart was in a mess.

The two wandered from house to house, looking for useful information.Lin Hong followed Duan Yu like a walking dead.

Most of the Chen family's houses are spacious and bright. The dust covered the hustle and bustle of the past, and many furnishings have disappeared. The dust outlines the shapes of the bases of those furnishings in thickness.

People go empty.

"This house is too big." Duan Yu said.

After a while, Lin Hong said, "Well, this house is indeed too dirty."

Duan Yu: "..."

The two walked through the wind and rain corridor, the autumn wind came from all sides, and the sun was outside the corridor.

They searched several more houses.

"This house is too big." Duan Yu sighed again.

"Chen Bingchun is a red-capped businessman who has plenty of money. Can this house not be big?" Lin Hong rarely picked up his words.

"It's too big..." Duan Yu looked around and murmured.

Lin Hong glanced at the dusty mirror dowry, on which were a comb with broken teeth and some rouge boxes that might not be used long ago, "This room is about the same size as the main room, and it probably belonged to Chen Bingchun's wife's family. room."

"En." Duan Yu responded, ignoring the dust, and groping around on various ornaments, hoping to find one or two secret passages.

But the table, the armrest, and the shelf are as stable as Mount Tai, and there is no ingenuity, and they are all black.

The two walked into the inner room.

"Brother Lin."

"Ok?"

"Did you catch a cold last night?" Duan Yu patted the ashes on his hands.

"Huh?" Lin Hong turned his head to look at his back with a face of inexplicable confusion. He really didn't understand what he meant, "Why do you know that?"

"You have been coughing all the way, you ask me why?" Duan Yu turned to look at him, the expression on his face was even more inexplicable, "Is there too much dust in this room? You coughed louder."

"Me?" Lin Hong was stunned, "I didn't cough."

Duan Yu was taken aback, "Then... who is coughing?"

"Hush." ​​Lin Hong made a booing motion.

Duan Yu saw that his expression suddenly became solemn, and suddenly felt a chill down his back, and he didn't dare to ask him what happened.He was stunned for a while, then walked to him in a few steps, his eyes rolled around, looking around.

There was still sunshine outside just now, but now it was a bit gloomy, with the dry grass swaying in the wind, making rustling sounds.

Lin Hong's expression was still serious, as if he was listening attentively.

The surroundings suddenly became very quiet, and Duan Yu felt that everything in the room was frightening.

Lin Hong suddenly said, "There is no cough."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.com.'

"Damn!! Get your dirty hands away!" Lin Hong withdrew his hand from his, but there were two black handprints on the snow-white clothes.

"What are you talking about! You scared me to death!" Duan Yu's heart twitched violently.

"I'm not listening!" After Lin Hong finished speaking, he was stunned again, his expression changed, and he pressed his shoulder with one hand to keep him still, and made a booing movement with the other hand, looking around vigilantly.

Duan Yu rolled his eyes, "What are you doing again? You can't lie to me this time."

As soon as Duan Yu finished speaking, a piercing cough sounded in his ears.

He looked straight into the eyes of Lin Hong who was still putting his fingers on his lips.

It's not that he's coughing.

The coughing sound continued, hoarse, as if the throat was bleeding, and the lung cavity was shaking wildly. The coughing was accompanied by a difficult gasping sound, as if dying, and the owner of the sound was about to suffocate.

The sound of pain echoed in this empty room.

There is no third person here, who is it?Where are you hiding?

Duan Yu turned pale with fright.The coughing sound he heard along the way clearly came from this inner room!

Lin Hong decisively dragged Duan Yu towards the outside of the house.

Coughing behind them followed closely.

The sound of coughing was so painful that it was almost tinged with desperate crying.

The door was right in front of him, Lin Hong dragged Duan Yu out, and the light surrounded him, and the two of them continued to flee forward without stopping.

The coughing sound stopped at the door, as if a coughing person was standing at the door watching them.

Duan Yu felt that this person must have coughed up blood all over his body...

"Don't look back." Lin Hong gave him a hand.

Lin Hong dragged him across the atrium, and a black figure was also coming in front of him.

It is Wan Guchuan.

Lin Hong breathed a sigh of relief.

Just now Wan Guchuan heard Duan Yu's cry and rushed over immediately.

"Are you okay?" Wan Guchuan looked at Lin Hong, and wanted to reach out to hold him, but withdrew his hand anyway.

Lin Hong's heart trembled at this glance, and he almost wanted to show weakness for an instant, but his mouth was very strong, "It's okay."

"Yes, there are ghosts..." Duan Yu broke out in a cold sweat.

The two told Wan Guchuan what happened just now.

"It is recorded in the Chen family tree that Mrs. Chen died of lung disease." Wan Guchuan said, "And it was the lung disease she contracted after moving to this house."

"It seems that Mrs. Chen is the one who coughed..." Lin Hong said, "The cough is too penetrating..."

Duan Yu came over slowly, and said, "Do you still remember the rockery that was moved in the southeast corner?"

"Hmm." Lin Hong was thoughtful, "You said it was not good for the women in the family."

"Someone in this room wants to harm Mrs. Chen." Duan Yu said.

"So it was a man who moved the rockery?" Lin Hong frowned, "But I also confirmed that no one has been around the rockery..."

"There is another possibility." Wan Guchuan said, "Tie up the rockery with rope."

"Pull it from a distance." Lin Hong understood what he meant, and continued.

"I don't think it's important how you did it, what's important is to find out who did it." Duan Yu said.

"There are no more than 30 people in this house." Wan Guchuan said, "Chen Bingchun and his three wives and daughters, three concubines, two out of ten maidservants, and ten servants."

"This house is too big." Duan Yu said again, "The houses are row upon row, with hundreds of rooms. And the population is less than 30."

"So?" Lin Hong frowned, "Everything is more than what is needed, just the rich man's usual style."

"Everyone may be as you think. At first glance, this house is spacious and bright, and it is commendable. But the population is too small, and there are too few rooms available. This is called 'one void' in Feng Shui, and it should be taboo." Duan Yu said , "There is 'emptiness' in the house, which will make people poorer and poorer, and their mouths will be reduced."

"Dingkou loss..." Lin Hong repeated.

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Note 1: "Mencius Gongsun Chou [-]"