Chapter Twenty Home
In the wind and snow, Xu Qing returned to the courtyard. Before he could get in, he heard the happy laughter of the Lei Team inside.
With the barking of dogs, Xu Qing pushed open the door and saw more than ten wild dogs in the yard.
They lay there, coldly looking at Xu Qing. Xu Qing also swept his gaze over them, but it didn't emit any sharp light. With just a glance, the dozen or so wild dogs all furred and slowly retreated.
A soft "eh" sound came from Captain Lei's room.
As the door opened, Cross and Luan Ya came out, looked at Xu Qing, and then at the more than ten wild dogs. Cross smiled slightly.
"Kid, they say you have a lot of evil energy." Luan Ya squatted down and gently stroked the head of a wild dog beside her, smiling and speaking to Xu Qing.
Xu Qing didn't say a word and looked at Captain Lei who was walking out of the room at this moment.
Captain Lei, dressed in a thick fur coat and holding a pipe in his hand, pointed his phoenix tooth as he walked out, saying with a hint of helplessness.
This girl, Luan Ya, because she thought I was injured and was worried about my safety in the camp, insisted on sending these more than ten wild dogs to guard the house and the courtyard.
This sentence was very simple, but Xu Qing understood it.
Captain Lei didn't tell them about Xu Qing, just as Xu Qing didn't mention the matter of his singing and left it to Captain Lei to decide for himself. Captain Lei also handed over the right to decide whether to disclose this matter to Xu Qing.
Xu Qing nodded, took out the leather bag containing Bai Dan and handed it to Captain Lei.
Captain Lei took it, glanced at it, smiled, and didn't make any polite remarks.
"All right, I do need this thing, but don't buy it in the future. I have a lot of savings here and it's enough to buy it." Having said that, he looked at the cross.
"Cross, the kid is back too. If there's anything, you can tell me."
Cross wiped away his smile, his expression solemn, and spoke slowly.
This time I came here for two reasons.
"The first one is the captain's medicine. Luan Ya and I have already bought it. It's about a month's worth of medicine. As for the rest, we'll go and buy more after we finish." " Saying that, Cross took off a leather bag from his waist and placed it aside.
The second thing is that due to the destruction of the Blood Shadow team, although there were other scavengers who also participated in the previous horse chestnut picking, none of them were as many as ours.
Yesterday, Luan Ya and I went to the camp master to hand over the payment and received it, but... the camp master still habitually withheld it. He didn't give three Dust-Clearing Pills but only one. The Cross said, looking at Luan Ya.
Luan Ya took out four leather bags and placed them aside. Then she took out a wooden box and opened it in front of everyone, revealing a green elixir the size of a pigeon egg inside.
A medicinal fragrance spread out. Clearly, this pill was much better than the white one.
"The barbarian ghost has no relatives. I'm in charge of dividing his share. These four leather bags contain our respective spirit coins. As for this Dust-Clearing Pill..."
Having said this, Cross looked at Captain Lei and waited for his allocation.
Give it to the child. The Thunder team spoke indifferently. At this moment, it seemed that the aura that belonged to the Thunder team's captain had returned a little.
The cross nodded. After being taken aback for a moment, Luan Ya also seemed lost in thought. They had previously asked Captain Lei what was happening in the jungle, but Captain Lei didn't say anything. At this moment, the allocation clearly provided the answer.
"As for the barbarian ghost... that's right. We are his family now."
Captain Lei let out a soft sigh and picked up his own share. The Cross and the Phoenix Tooth also picked up their own. Xu Qing remained silent and picked up the leather bag as well.
After taking the Qingchen Pill handed over by Luan Ya, Xu Qing glanced at Captain Lei. Captain Lei's eyes were somewhat stern. This look made Xu Qing understand the meaning, so he silently put it away.
The four of them talked for a while longer, with the three of them mainly speaking. Xu Qing, as always, was taciturn and listened quietly by the side.
But neither the Cross nor the Phoenix would overlook Xu Qing's presence and would from time to time ask for his opinion.
In this way, time passed and soon noon arrived. As the wind and snow temporarily stopped, Cross and Luan Ya chose to take their leave. Before leaving, Cross spoke to Xu Qing in a low voice.
"Kid, Luan Ya and I have taken on a mission and are going out for a while. During this period... the team leader is in your hands." Saying that, he took out a dagger and handed it to Xu Qing.
Your dagger is rusty. Change to this one. It's very sharp.
Luan Ya also handed Xu Qing a whistle.
"Kid, you have strong combat power, but you also need eyes and helpers, right? This whistle can easily control the wild dogs in the camp. If you need it, you can blow it. They are very smart and will know what to do."
The two of them gave a brief exhortation, bowed to Xu Qing, took their leave and walked away.
Looking at their backs, Xu Qing put away the whistle and thrust the dagger given by the cross into his boots, but he didn't throw away the original one.
Then he looked up and gazed at their figures until the Cross and the Phoenix's tooth vanished from his sight. Xu Qing then turned his head to look at Captain Lei's room.
It was after a while that he passed through the wild dog and returned to the house.
Close your eyes and sit cross-legged in meditation.
The wind was strong outside, creating a whining sound that swept across the earth. The snow in the sky and on the ground merged in mid-air, seeping in through the gaps between tents and houses, disturbing the people inside.
It also blew on Captain Lei who was resting in the house, but he, who was already used to it, didn't pay much attention to the cold wind.
But in his mind, the image of Xu Qing hunched up in the cold wind emerged. So he turned his head to look in the direction of Xu Qing's house. After remaining silent for a while, he put on his leather hat and walked out of the house.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, three days went by.
During these three days, like snowflakes, they were about to exhaust their last strength, spreading away their remaining coldness, and kept falling. The snow on the ground had no time to melt and accumulated a thick layer.
Although the climate is harsh, for scavengers, survival is more important than the cold.
So gradually, there were more and more people in the camp. Some continued to see a doctor, while others went to the restricted area.
Meanwhile, the long absence of the Blood Shadow Team has gradually sparked discussions among scavengers. It's not just about where the rumor came from that the Blood Shadow Team was completely wiped out within the restricted area.
At first, not many people believed this statement. After all, every member of the Blood Shadow Team should not be underestimated.
Especially the Blood Shadow Captain, who is a powerful scavenger in the camp, has gone to the restricted area countless times, and the possibility of being completely wiped out is not high.
But as time went by, two more days passed, and there was no trace of the Blood Shadow people at all. This made the camp scavengers gradually believe that statement.
And they also recalled the day when Captain Lei returned, looking unconscious.
Thinking of the disappearance of the barbarian ghost again, everything seemed to have an answer.
Whether true or false, without the blood shadow, the Thunder now within the camp is the strongest team.
So these days when Xu Qing went out, what he saw most often were the reverent glances from the scavengers around him.
He knew that what these people held in awe was the Thunder Team, not himself, but he didn't care about it. What puzzled him these days was that the Thunder Team's figures were always leaving early and returning late, and he had no idea what they were busy with.
But Xu Qing knew that everyone was independent and there was no need to disturb them. Besides, he himself had many things to do, so most of the time, Xu Qing was alone in the house, quietly practicing.
Under this effort, his cultivation gradually improved, and his strength and speed steadily increased.
As for his own shadow, Xu Qing also studied it many times.
But this shadow has never changed at all. Only the absorption of the alien remains the same as before, making the alienation point on Xu Qing's arm completely disappear now.
The purity within his body made Xu Qing clearly feel that the speed of his cultivation was much faster than before.
It was not until the afternoon of two days later that he sat cross-legged in meditation, preparing to consolidate his cultivation for a few more days, and attempted to challenge the fourth level of the Haishan Art. He frowned slightly and opened his eyes.
Wild dogs are barking outside and the bamboo door is being knocked on.
Xu Qing, who stepped out of the house, noticed that Captain Lei was not behind. He looked towards the bamboo gate and saw a scavenger standing there with a hesitant expression.
Xu Qing had seen this person before. He was one of the seven or eight people he had saved when he returned from the restricted area earlier.
After noticing Xu Qing's figure, the scavenger quickly clasped his fists together.
"Little brother, it's me. I'm Bone Knife."
What's the matter? Xu Qing spoke indifferently, his face expressionless.
"This..." Bone Knife hesitated for a moment, but after a brief thought, he still gritted his teeth and spoke.
"Little brother, I want Bai Dan to buy an insurance policy from you." Saying that, he first threw a leather bag at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing didn't take it. He looked at the bone knife in puzzlement. The leather bag thrown by the other side fell to the ground. The wild dogs nearby all looked around but didn't dare to approach.
Noticing Xu Qing's confusion, the bone knife outside the Bamboo Gate hurriedly spoke up. And as Xu Qing listened to his words, he gradually understood the meaning of the so-called insurance.
According to the intention of the Bone knife, he wanted Xu Qing to go to the restricted area of the Poisonous Dragon Pool when he hadn't returned for three days, and rescue him as he did last time.
"Little brother, I'm not worried about the strange beasts in the restricted area. Even if I die in their mouths, it's my life. What I'm most concerned about is the fog. It's too hard to die in the fog."
Xu Qing's expression was somewhat strange. He didn't expect the other party to make such a request, so he thought for a moment and asked a question.
What if there is no fog within three days, or you come back earlier?
The elixir doesn't need to be returned. I just bought it for peace of mind. The bone knife bowed deeply towards Xu Qing, with a pleading expression in its face.
Xu Qing fell silent, glanced at the leather bag, picked it up with the tip of his foot, and opened it to take a look.
There were white pills inside. Although he didn't need them, they were hard currency in the camp. So after some thought, he felt that this was not impossible.
So after a moment's thought, Xu Qing nodded.
Seeing Xu Qing agree, Gu Dao let out a sigh of relief, clasped his hands in gratitude, and then left.
Xu Qing held the leather bag, his eyes narrowed. He was naturally vigilant and didn't fully believe the other person's words.
However, he doesn't think it's very likely to be a trap.
Since the fog didn't rise, he didn't have to go. And if the other party could calculate the foggy time three days in advance, such ability would not require such calculations from others.
But he still remained cautious and intended to make a decision by then.
So he turned around and went back to the house, continuing to meditate. The night passed.
The next morning, Xu Qing, who had just finished his practice, looked up at the outside of the house and heard the barking of a dog outside.
When Xu Qing stepped out, he witnessed a strange scene. Captain Lei was packing up his things, tying big and small bags to the wild dogs, causing them to stick out their tongues. Several of them were almost crushed down.
"Finished your cultivation? Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Captain Lei wiped the sweat off his face, smiled and spoke. Then he patted the wild dog beside him, opened the bamboo door and waved to Xu Qing.
Xu Qing was puzzled and followed. Those wild dogs were also following behind one after another. Just like this, two people and a group of dogs were moving forward in this camp.
From Central to the Inner Ring area, there are many shops here. Most of the houses are made of brick and tile and look very solid.
It was not until they reached a large courtyard where there were four separate brick and tile houses. Each one was much better than the place where Xu Qing had lived before, more solid and more compact.
Looking here, Xu Qing turned his head to look at Captain Lei.
From now on, this place will be our new home. Captain Lei spoke with a smile.
"New home?" Xu Qing was taken aback. The word "home" gave him a familiar sense of strangeness.
I've been busy all my life and saved a lot. Now that my health is not good, I might as well move to a bigger house and enjoy myself.
Captain Lei chuckled and walked over first. He took the package from the wild dog and began to get busy.
Xu Qing stood there for a while and then slowly walked in. Looking at the blue bricks on the ground and the house in front of him, he felt a bit dazed. Even when he was called to help by the Thunder Team, he still felt a bit unaccustomed.
After a busy half day, when night came again, the cold wind and snow were still blowing outside. Amidst the rising and falling sobs, Xu Qing and Captain Lei sat by the stove in the house. The warm current hit their faces, and a sense of warmth filled the entire room.
The walls here had no gaps, and the cold wind couldn't get in at all. Xu Qing soon noticed this and felt warm all over.
It's not cold anymore, is it? Captain Lei smiled.
"Well, it's not cold anymore." Xu Qing nodded and looked at the Thunder Team. Under the glow of the furnace, a ray of light seemed to appear in Xu Qing's eyes.
He was indeed not cold anymore. In this warmth, Xu Qing even felt a tremor deep in his heart.
After a long, long time, when Captain Lei left and returned to the room, Xu Qing approached the stove alone and murmured to himself.
"Home?"
At this moment, in the nearby house, Captain Lei, who had returned to his room, still had a smile on his face, but soon his complexion turned a little flushed.
He covered his mouth and coughed a few times. After a while, he swallowed the salty and fishy taste in his mouth with great force. Standing by the window with a soft sigh, he looked up at the direction of the restricted area, his eyes filled with nostalgia, and murmured to himself.
"I really want... to take another look."
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I don't know if everyone likes these two chapters. Personally, I do. Both killing and warmth need to exist. Let's unfold the picture together. If either side is out of balance, the article will lose some of its flavor.