How come I was the one being targeted?

Bai Jun had already returned to his seat and did not pay attention to the movements of his colleagues. He first used the key to open the cupboard against the wall and placed the sword he was carrying in it. Then he moved sideways and pulled out the third drawer at the bottom of the cupboard, placed a heavy book on the table, and took out a number of case documents in order to confuse the audience.

The name of this book is "A Spectrum of Starry Seas", and the content roughly talks about the author's experience of star raft crashing in different worlds and frequently encountering dangers. The writing is humorous but also records the local species and ecology. It is one of Bai Jun's favorite books.

The bookmark was placed at a very exciting part of the plot. On normal days, he would definitely immerse himself in it, but today he couldn't finish reading it. He kept feeling inexplicably irritated, probably because of what happened yesterday.

Bai Jun held his forehead with his hand and closed the book in displeasure. He wanted to take out the case work to change his mind for a while, but his head was filled with the secret teachings of the King of Medicine. Just as he was about to make himself a cup of tea, a noisy sound came from his ears, with a sticky feeling that made him feel uncomfortable.

"Ah, the person outside the window is always obsessed with finding their other half, but I have always disdained this. But every time I see people walking in pairs, my dead heart still ignites a glimmer of hope. Maybe it's the arrival of early spring. I must have been alone for too long, and I actually want a companion. When I'm writing, she flips through my writings beside me. When I'm not writing, I hold her hand and look into her gentle eyes. I haven't drunk anything, but I'm actually feeling a little drunk..."

Songyan leaned against the window with a melancholy look on his face, his chin supported by his hand, and he looked at the hustle and bustle of traffic outside the glass and wrote a short essay inspired by his feelings.

Bai Jun didn't want to pay attention to him, but unfortunately, the window chosen by Song Yan was right next to him, making it impossible for him to ignore him even if he wanted to.

"Don't go crazy here." Bai Jun rolled his eyes and cursed angrily.

In terms of shamelessness, no one in the entire government office could be more shameless than Song Yan. Even when he was shown such obvious disdain, he could still smile and not take it seriously. Instead, he leaned on Bai Jun's desk very naturally and continued to harass him:

"Hey, Qingyan, don't be so angry so early in the morning. Is there something bothering you? Feel free to talk to me, your big brother, okay?"

"Oh? You can tell I'm worried?"

Bai Jun remained silent, his bony index finger tapping lightly on the edge of the white jade teacup.

"Well, after spending so much time together, I can see some differences between you and usual." Song Yan touched his chin and moved closer to Bai Jun. "So, I'm actually quite observant, right? Do you feel like a great detective now?"

"Not at all! And you're so disgusting, why are you staring at me all day long?" Bai Jun frowned in disgust, and immediately picked up the case and swatted away Song Yan's face as if he was shooing away a fly.

"Hey, you are so unreasonable. I came here with good intentions to comfort you, but you actually said I was disgusting. It made me so angry that my heart aches." Songyan covered his right chest with his hands, looking deeply shocked and depressed, and backed away to the window.

"Is your heart on the right side?"

"Oh, sorry, I touched the wrong place." Song Yan was stunned, then moved her hand that was pressing on her right chest to the left.

Bai Jun sighed, too lazy to continue chatting with him. He sorted the documents on the table with his left hand and handed him his teacup with his right hand. Under Song Yan's puzzled gaze, he explained, "Why are you still standing there? Make me some tea."

"Oh, okay, okay, I'm destined to be a hard-working person anyway." Although he complained, Song Yan still went to make a cup of tea for Bai Jun. When he came back from the water dispenser, Bai Jun's desk had been tidied up.

Bai Jun thanked him and took the tea. He hadn't drunk any water since morning, so he didn't care about the burn. He blew away the hot air and slowly drank it.

"Hey! I remember Qingyan, you stayed in Zhu Ming for a while, right? I just suddenly remembered an interesting story about Zhu Ming!"

While Bai Jun was drinking water, Song Yan, who was idle anyway, suddenly had an idea. Although this guy was usually lazy and negative, he was always surprisingly enthusiastic when sharing his experiences and gossip. He cleared his throat and began to recount the story he had heard from Mr. Xi Yan a few days ago, although he was quite halting:

"Have you heard the story of the Knight's Ode? Legend has it that those at the pinnacle of swordsmanship and craftsmanship in the Zhu Ming Xian Zhou are known as the 'Eight Leaves of the Flame Wheel.' They all hailed from the Zhu Ming Cloud Cavalry and the Works Department, learning craftsmanship and swordsmanship under Huai Yan. They are the formidable warriors of the Flame Wheel Foundry Palace, in charge of all types of weaponry and are truly the pillars of the contemporary Zhu Ming."

"However, in the second year of Yuanhe... er, no, it should be the year 8094 of the Star Calendar. A mysterious master suddenly appeared out of nowhere in Zhu Ming. His name, origin, and master are all unknown. Yet, with just one sword, he swept through the eight leaves of the Flame Wheel in a single night. Logically, such a glorious feat should have made him famous, but this hero disappeared after his mission, hiding his identity and name. To this day, this remains a great wonder in Zhu Ming."

“Pfft! Cough cough cough, what the hell is that!”

Bai Jun suddenly coughed, and a mouthful of tea sprayed uncontrollably onto the face of Song Yan opposite him. Song Yan was still talking, but he didn't expect this scene. He was instantly drenched in the spray, and his expression changed from surprise to helplessness.

"Is the story so shocking? Or have you also heard about this in Zhu Ming?" Song Yan wiped the tea off his face helplessly, seeming to be blaming but also a little amused.

"It's fake. I've never heard of it." Bai Jun wiped the corner of his mouth and denied it without hesitation.

"But... Mr. Xiyan's explanation is very logical and seems very real to me. Why don't you go and listen to it later?"

"I think people who seek a sense of reality in fictional stories must have something wrong with their brains." Bai Jun pointed to his temple and handed Song Yan some toilet paper so that he could wipe his face, as a way of expressing his apology.

Song Yan didn't refute him. He just took the toilet paper with a smile and wiped his face. "That's true, but it doesn't matter. Whether it's true or not, we just listen to it for fun. Even if that knight really exists, what does it have to do with us?"

As he spoke, he took out a photo from his arms and handed it to Bai Jun without saying a word.

"what is this?"

Although Bai Jun was confused, he still took the photo. It showed a little white cat with fur like flowing clouds reflecting on the snow. Its fur was mellow and looked very handsome and majestic.

"If you're really feeling down, you can ask me to find the cat for you and ask me to do some field work for you for the morning. You don't have to actually go find the cat, just go to a teahouse and have a good rest."

Songyan stretched and continued with a smile, "Anyway, I've been looking for that cat for a week and can't find it at all. I'm even wondering if someone caught it and stewed it for meat."

"How could you curse someone's cat like that... But thank you for your kindness."

"It's okay, don't worry about it." Song Yan waved his hand nonchalantly, turned around and walked towards his seat, while not forgetting to remind:

"By the way, if you hear of any job that involves helping rich girls walk their dogs all day, remember to tell me. I can quit my job at Dihengsi anytime."

"You're dreaming. It would be great if there really is a job like that. I'll be the first to quit my job and apply for it." Bai Jun laughed and complained a few words, put the photo in his pocket, and stood up again.

He felt that Songyan was right. Instead of being bothered by worries in the office, it would be better to go out for a walk, read a book at Sanyu Bookstore, or listen to storytelling at Xiyan. If that didn't work, he would go to Qingque to play cards when he got bored of drinking tea at Buyehou. When he had some free time in the next few days, he would go to Jingyuan to ask about the secret of the Medicine King. He should know something about it.

Oh, by the way, I also need to take some time to clean the new house I rented in Jinren Lane.

After making up his mind, Bai Jun felt much better, so he went to Jing Yan to apply for field work with the slogan of looking for a cat.

Jingyan didn't say much. It was just that she had been quite resentful about Songyan having been looking for the cat for a week. Now that she had handed it over to Bai Jun, she felt relieved.

After leaving the government office, the scenery on the street was just right. The seasonal spring flowers on both sides of the road were in full bloom, always dancing in the swirling wind, and the petals fell like white snow, sprinkling a touch of tenderness.

Crossing the busy street, Bai Jun had a bunch of red, translucent, plump and crystal sweets in his hand, which Luofu people often call Qiongshi Bird String.

Bai Jun was actually not very interested in this, but he saw Qingque and Bailu liked to eat it on weekdays, so for some reason he suddenly became interested today and bought a bunch to try it.

“Not bad, quite delicious…”

While Bai Jun was pondering whether he should go to Sanyu Bookstore to check out the new books or go to Buyehou for tea, he gave a brief evaluation of the string of skewers.

Forget it, I'd better go to Xuanye Avenue in the center of Xingcha Sea. I heard that Hou Buye has added a batch of high-quality Danding Suzhen. Drink it with a covered bowl and brew it with boiling water. The tea soup is not strong or bitter, but fresh, mellow and just right.

We hailed a taxi in Chahai and soon arrived at the Chahai Wharf, the center of Xingchahai. It was crowded with barbarians who had just entered from the Jade Realm Gate. Most of them looked different, but they all had cameras hanging on their chests. They were taking pictures of the stone lions at the Chahai Wharf and the Jade Realm Gate behind them with great enthusiasm, as curious as a child who had just learned to walk.

A woman in a gorgeous dress held her forehead and exclaimed: "Oh my God, this is so beautiful, everything seems so different, this is a view you can't see in Pinocchio!"

The man beside her, dressed in a suit, excitedly stopped Bai Jun, who had just gotten off the taxi, and asked in his strange, synesthesia-transduced voice:

"Hey, old friend! Please stay. Uh, I mean, my friend, can we ask the enthusiastic local friends of Xianzhou to popularize it for us? I swear, there must be many unique and wonderful places here. What could be more exciting than hearing about these interesting places?"

Bai Jun blinked his eyes, which were wide with surprise, swallowed the Qiongshi bird string in his mouth, looked around, and pointed at himself: "Me?"

"That's right, my beautiful friend Xianzhou, your beauty is definitely the best among all the people I know. Only the world-famous family singer can be compared with you." The man didn't realize that he had gone off topic. On the contrary, he enjoyed talking about it.

"Who asked you?" Bai Jun helplessly stopped him, his eyes returning to a lifeless, half-closed state, and shrugged, "Are you asking if there are any fun places in Luofu?"

"That's right, my friends from the Cloud Cavalry and the Tianbosi all said, 'There's nothing interesting about Luofu's attractions. They're all boring!' But I believe you must know some places, right?"

No, actually I don’t know what there is to see and do in Luofu.

Bai Jun grumbled silently in his heart, pointing his right hand towards Changletian on the other side of Chahai. "Go there, to the Emperor's Jade Plaque Hall, the most fun place in all of Xianzhou. When you get tired of playing, turn right next door and go to the Jinren Lane Restaurant. They'll have pork intestines hot pot with stir-fried liver, and finally a big bowl of soda bean juice. That taste is something only the true Luofu gourmets know."

"Oh! Thank you sincerely. I assure my family that you are definitely the most hospitable Xianzhou person I have ever met. I wish you a happy life."

The man thanked her, and the woman lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed to show her respect. Then, hand in hand, the two of them went to enjoy these few days of vacation sweetly.

Bai Jun returned the salute, watched the two of them leave, stuffed another Qiongshi fruit into his mouth, turned around and continued walking towards Xuan Ye Avenue.

This is not a scam. Those things are indeed only eaten by the gourmets in Luofu. As for whether other people can eat them or not...it doesn't matter. After all, isn't the purpose of coming out to experience the novelty?

Turning the corner of the street, Bai Jun glanced at the right side of the road and couldn't help but stop, his eyes fixed on the wooden railing on the right side of the road. There stood a girl in yellow clothes with chestnut ponytails. She stopped by the sea, staring blankly at the sky, watching the star rafts shuttling across the sea, no one knowing what she was thinking.

Just as Bai Jun was wondering what was going on with this person, the girl suddenly stretched out her hand over the wooden railing, and then half of her body leaned out of the edge of the bridge, and her tiptoes gradually left the ground.

Seeing that he was about to go over the wooden railing and fall into the sea, Bai Jun was shocked. He didn't care about anything else at the moment, so he held the Qiongshi bird string in his mouth and rushed towards the girl in yellow clothes by the bridge.

Chapter 24: Child, Don't Elbow Me (5k)

The jade world is bright and the jade fields are vast.

The star ship is like clouds and mud entering the sea market, and tourists are flocking to the Tianmen Gate.

Anyone who travels in and out of Luofu can see the wide Jade Gate by looking up. The spatial membrane inside seems to be disturbed by a vortex, without any support, but it still breathes in and out star rafts and boats of all sizes. However, these are just ordinary. What is more spectacular is the towering spirit located above the Jade Gate, which seems to be transformed by thunder. With this magnificent array sword hundreds of feet long stands in the void, so majestic.

It is said that this was a gift from the divine power of the Emperor Bow, and it was named the God of Thunder Palace, who drives away thunder and lightning, chases demons and eliminates evil, and is in charge of maintaining peace in an area. The current holder is General Shen Ce, one of the seven heavenly generals of the Emperor Bow in Xianzhou.

Anyone who wants to go to Luofu must look up and pay homage to this majestic spirit. Those who are timid and mean do not even dare to look up and directly at it.

Among them was a girl in yellow, who looked about sixteen years old, with delicate features and a hint of heroism between her brows. She was a real beauty, but what was even more striking was the giant sword she carried, which she had gained through some strange power.

The sword was two feet and an inch long, quite unusual. Its appearance gave a hint of antiquity, yet the edges on both sides were as thin as cicada wings, strong enough to cut through hair. Visitors around her stared in amazement, but the young girl seemed troubled. She knitted her brows, hinting at a hint of annoyance as she whispered, "Oh no, oh no! How did my mother recite the Sword Heart Technique that I was told by my mother?"

The girl's name is Su Shang, from Yaoqing. In response to the order of the Cloud Cavalry, she came to Luofu to participate in the Cloud Cavalry's battle training. It should have been an important day worth remembering, but she committed a taboo as soon as she got here. She forgot the "Sword Heart Art" that her mother specifically asked her to recite repeatedly because of her nervousness!

The so-called Sword Heart Secret was something my mother had taught me during my daily swordsmanship training. According to her, the heart is the foundation of martial arts. Only when one has refined the heart and energy into something invisible can one realize that the sword is merely an external object. Grass, wood, stone, and bamboo can all become swords. Following one's heart and strength, one can move freely and unrestrainedly. Only then can one truly master the Taixu Sword Technique.

What should I do? You know, my mother had been nagging me for years before I agreed to join the Luofu Cloud Riders. If she knew that I had forgotten the Sword Heart Sutra as soon as I left the house, I'm afraid she would have to fly over on her sword and bring it back to me. Even my father's plea would be useless.

When Su Shang thought about going back to the miserable days of fasting, reciting mantras, and practicing sword skills morning and night, she felt like the sky was falling.

Before she could come up with a solution, the Yunqi guard at the checkpoint raised his wrist and waved his hand, beckoning Su Chang forward. "Next person, quickly show us your Immortal Boat Alliance pass, Luofu pass, conduct certificate, and criminal record certificate. There are many people behind us, so don't waste time!"

Su Shang was startled and put the "Luofu Travel Guide" she carried with her into her arms. Her teeth were clenched, but she had to bite the bullet and go forward.

"Gold and stone can be melted, and the oath... uh, what was it?" Su Chang handed over the relevant materials one by one, intending to pay her respects to this senior Yunqi, but Zheng Yan's words were instantly broken in less than half a second.

"Gold and stone may be melted, but an oath cannot be broken." Yunqi took the two documents, glanced at them briefly, then looked up at Suchang and asked in surprise, "Are you the new Yunqi?"

"Yes, it's Liao!"

Hearing the girl's Yaoqing-accented voice, Yunqi grinned and waved the document back, "Never mind, young man, just clear the customs. But there are so many people behind us, so we still have to go through the process. What's the point of gambling? Just confirm your name, origin, and reason for entry."

Su Shang nodded, thinking that she had used the Luofu story incorrectly again.

Helpless, she could only pick up the four-sided viewing mirror and write down the truth on the paper as the man requested: "Name: Su Shang; Personal belongings: a 'Xuanyuan' sword; Origin: Lives in..."

The girl smiled dumbly and scratched her head awkwardly. "Hey, security guard, how do you write the word 'Yao' in 'Yao Qing'?"

"Yang Hui spits fire, Yao Ye covers the lake. The Yao symbolizes the sun and the moon, so the side of the Zhai is Yao. Do you understand?" Although Yun Qi was a little annoyed, he resisted the urge to kick her away because she was a little girl, and continued to explain patiently.

"Then...how did Zhai write it?"

Yunqi couldn't help but roll his eyes now, and personally wrote the word "Yaoqing" for her. Before Suchang finished writing the number and building of Amber Street, Yunqi waved him away to save her from wasting time. At the end, he didn't forget to remind her:

"Little girls should read more books!"

"What? I just forgot for a moment. Yes, I just forgot for a moment." Su Chang puffed her lips and muttered a few words in dissatisfaction, then suddenly realized something: "Yes, I just forgot the Sword Heart Sutra for a moment. Maybe after eating a meal and taking a nap, I can remember it!"

After overcoming her enemies with these and other wonderful methods, Su Shang contentedly admired the scenery along the way. Luofu's entry procedures were quite complicated, and the dozens of inspections, large and small, along the way had already made her unable to contain her excitement. She was a restless person, and now she could finally run around and stretch her muscles.

By the way, this is her first time traveling far away!

It is March, and the spring breeze is blowing.

The center of Xingcha Sea is definitely one of the most prosperous areas in Luofu. With the high-rise building of Sichen Palace as its center, the buildings on both sides of the street are lined with teahouses, restaurants, pawnshops, and workshops. There are also many vendors with big umbrellas on the open spaces on both sides of the street, which extend east and west, extending to the quieter suburbs outside the city, but there are still pedestrians on the street.

Wandering casually through the bustling streets, her steps light and airy. The brilliant sunlight shone across the vast expanse of green tiles and red walls. The abrupt, horizontal eaves, the high-flying shop signs, the shimmering stars, the endless stream of pedestrians, the serene, happy smiles on every face, soon dazzled Su Shang. She found a high platform nestled against a camellia tree, Xuanyuan Sword placed beside it, while she leaned on the wooden railing, tiptoed, and surveyed the surroundings.

"Wow, this is Luofu, it's really much more lively than our Yaoqing!"

In my memory, Yaoqing would only be so prosperous during important festivals, and it would never be as lively as Luofu.

However, after the excitement, she began to feel worried - where was the reporting office of the Cloud Cavalry Army in Luofu?

"I remember my mother said that the Yunqi Army's reporting office was somewhere...the main headquarters?" Su Shang weighed the hilt of the Xuanyuan Sword and recalled it with a frown. After a while, Su Shang, whose brain was about to overload, chose to give up the idea.

She was not a person who was good at thinking, so instead of thinking hard on her own, she might as well go around and ask some locals.

Su Chang looked ahead, spreading her index fingers and thumbs to form a picture frame, confining the view to the street connecting the Rainbow Bridge and Bridgehead Avenue between her four fingers. A quick glance revealed a chaotic, disorganized crowd; a closer look revealed a number of patrolling Cloud Cavalry. This sparked a light on Su Chang's vision, and she immediately had an idea.

Just as she was about to go to the opposite street to ask Senior Yunqi for the location, the petals that suddenly appeared in her sight caught her attention.

Beautiful flowers...

A girl's heart is always filled with romance. Looking at the falling white flowers, Su Shang subconsciously stretched out her left hand towards the falling petals in front of her, trying to catch them.

The white tea tree standing by the road grew differently from the others. Its branches and leaves stretched out from the wooden railings and grew wildly towards the boundless sea of ​​tea. The half-height guardrail slightly blocked her movement, leaving Su Chang's fingertips only half a step away from the falling petals.

Without giving it much thought, she instinctively hooked her right hand onto the wooden railing, stretched her slender, white left leg backwards, and leaned half of her body toward the sea, using the tiptoe of her right leg as a balance point.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the petals, a gust of wind blew by, lifting her hair and covering her eyelids. She closed her eyes instinctively, but it was this moment of shock that caused her to lose the balance she had maintained.

"Eh?"

Before she could even react, her body swayed and fell forward. With no force or support in the air, she was about to fall into Chahai. A warm and strong hand grabbed her white and tender calf hanging in the air in time, saving Suchang from falling into Chahai.

The next second, the hand holding the white and tender calf suddenly exerted force and pulled Su Shang, who was about to fall, up again. Bai Jun also lowered his body and caught Su Shang, who was about to fall to the ground.

It should have been a very royal and romantic first encounter, but something went wrong at the last step - in a panic, Su Chang's elbow happened to hit Bai Jun's chest, and her head also hit Bai Jun's nose.

"Gu——!"

With a painful groan, Bai Jun fell to the ground, and the Qiongshi bird string in his mouth flew out. That was not the end, the girl's body also fell on him.

Fortunately, Su Shang was very light and her body was soft and fragrant. In addition, Bai Jun exercised regularly, and his strong muscles offset a lot of the impact. Otherwise, he would have been knocked unconscious by this elbow.

But even so, the impact on his nose was real, and the pain made Bai Jun cry. He had no intention of feeling the warmth in his arms, nor did he intend to take advantage of the girl at all. He immediately let go of his hand and pushed Su Shang, who had not yet figured out the situation, out of his arms.

"You stupid!"