The winter wind whimpers and lingers outside the willow forest, like the midnight patrol of a herd of beasts. But the bonfire in the forest was steady and warm, keeping it at bay. The broth is boiling at the tip of the fire, exuding an irresistibly tempting aroma. The old man picked up the fresh bread stacked on the linen mat, broke it into two even pieces, dipped it in the thick soup, then picked up the pieces of meat with a long wooden stick, put them in, and distributed them to the peasant girls. His dark eyes with indistinguishable pupils reflected the heat of the campfire and always looked calm and happy. This kind of emotion is rarely seen in earthly people, and it makes the peasant girl feel happy.
"This warrior who was born with supernatural power," the old man said, fiddling with the soup can, "ah, how should we evaluate it? If it were in a story about war, I think he would show off his skills. But unfortunately, he lives in a A country with stable order. One day, the lonely and violent Zhuoyi ended his long hunting in the mountains and went to the town to exchange the furs he had hunted for money. He was walking on the winding country road and met another wealthy man at the corner. The resident passed by. Suddenly, he found that the other person was squinting at him with an extremely funny expression, as if he was laughing at his weird and ugly Pegasus birthmark. What a serious offense this was! He stopped immediately, Punch the squinter in the face with your fist. A battle of honor, boy, have you ever seen anything like this?"
The peasant girl gulped down the bread. She told the old man that it was natural to duel for honor. In the past, many heroes fought with each other over a little quarrel. If both parties were of high status, they would hold a grand ceremony and ask the gods to decide the outcome. Although rare nowadays, there are still residual customs among warriors. They are children of the ashes spawned by Hellfire, and are therefore born with a desire to destroy and burn, an impulse that makes them both brave and reckless.
"Ah, yes." The old man said, "The compulsive desire to conquer others is a kind of animal nature. But unfortunately, Zhuoyi failed to live in a suitable place and did not choose a suitable opponent. When he conquered When the fists and kicks of the most ferocious beast were struck on the squinting person, the pampered poor man immediately fell to the ground and died. The incident was witnessed by passers-by resting under the tree, and soon spread to villages far and near. The family of the deceased reported the incident to the officials , demanding severe punishment for the murderer.”
"He was provoked," she said.
"On the surface, yes. Although in that country, injury to reputation is not as important as taking life."
She turned her head in confusion. There was a subtle and gentle smile on the old man's face.
"Murder is a serious crime, so he has no excuse." said the old man, "but fate also gave him a more ruthless arrangement. When Zhuoyi began to prepare for his escape, he heard the villagers' conversations and learned that The person he killed suffered from a natural facial disease that affected a person's expression and vision - when one of the patient's eyes looked forward, the other eye would deviate outward, and there was no way to control it. . The rare and strange disease was widely known to his fellow villagers. Except for our lonely and dangerous hunter, he hated the eyes of people on him and never talked too much with outsiders. Now he understood what he had done, and he His honor and freedom were lost due to violence, but when the punishment of death came, his fear overwhelmed his dignity, causing him to escape from the countryside at all costs, and got into the wild forests at the foothills that he was familiar with, and then into the deep mountains that mortals avoided. . Legend has it that there were ferocious beasts and ghosts there, so the chasing team did not dare to go deep. From then on, he hid in the deep mountains and lived on wild fruits and spring water."
She listened intently, immersed in the murderer's story. But at this moment, the wind outside the willow forest became turbulent and issued a urgent warning to her. The sound of horse hooves came from afar, and the aroma of cooking food was mixed with the scent of tar and spirits. The voice was far away, and the path did not lead to the willow forest, so she said nothing about it. She continued to listen to the old man's story, describing how Zhuoyi escaped from the beasts and poisonous insects in the mountains and endured hardship day after day. The murderer was haggard from the hardships of life and felt ashamed of himself in the memory of the past. He began to long for atonement, but he was so afraid of death that he could only be depressed all day long, hibernating in the mountains like a wild animal.
The wind howled like a wild wolf. The distant sound of hooves changed direction. Some kind of signal attracted the passers-by who had no intention of disturbing them, and made them head towards the willow forest with a clear purpose. She heard the movements of the twenty riders varying in severity. Most of them had only one rider, while others were carrying goods and people. The group moved quickly and neatly, and soon they were only a stone's throw away.
The old man showed no reaction and was still playing with the soup can. He said: "It was full of hardships and dangers, but Zhuoyi still managed to survive in the mountains. His mind was tortured, and his body became more combat-savvy. In the blink of an eye, he survived ten winters in the mountains. …”
The loud snorts of the horses had reached the willows. There was a noisy sound of people and horses neighing, mixed with the harsh and dull sound of iron, and intermittent sobbing from a woman. Dozens of people wearing animal skins stepped into the willow forest. They all carried clanging iron swords, leather shields or spears, with malicious smiles on their faces. One of them was holding a chain, and behind the chain were three girls in ragged clothes.
This group of visitors broke into the forest, looked around, and cut down all the nearby tree trunks needlessly, as if they were venting some residual excitement. The strong smell of alcohol infected every piece of air in the forest, and there was also the smell of sweat and blood. A man who looked most like the leader walked to the bonfire and looked at the old man and the peasant girl with a smile.
"Good night, you two." said the man whose face was covered with scars and acne scabs. His right hand rested on the handle of the knife wrapped with linen, each finger of his left hand was wearing a thick gold ring, and his waist was covered with brilliant jewelry, which looked priceless. But the man just stuffed them into his belt carelessly and scornfully, like a naughty boy imitating an adult's dress.
The peasant girl said nothing. The old man narrowed his eyes and looked at the leader across the bonfire.
"Good night," said the old man. "What are you doing here, sir?"
"Oh, I'm going home." The other party replied, "I just made a big deal in another place. However, my old sellers are in a bit of a pinch now, so I have to give my new business partners some time to grow."
The people behind him burst into laughter. The old man still said calmly: "I can see that your business is going well."
"What's in this pot?"
"Venison. As you see, sir."
The man with the gold ring looked down at the broth with a cold and cunning suspicion.
"In this world, your dinner is really rich."
"I have some savings from previous years." The old man said, "Tonight is a special day... My granddaughter, the last relative, will soon grow up and marry in a foreign country far away from here."
"Ah, I understand. This is your last dinner together."
"Please have mercy on me."
There was another burst of laughter behind the man. Everyone slowly came closer and surrounded the fire. The man wearing the gold ring stopped them and said, "You guys are just eating and drinking here. It's really no fun."
"I was telling some stories to my granddaughter."
"What kind of story?"
The old man was silent for a while, and then said in his unhurried tone: "Some myths that the world has forgotten."
The man with the gold ring also laughed loudly. "Myths," he said, "I've heard a lot from dead people."
"I will guarantee with my life that you have never heard this."
"That's a dangerous promise, old man."
The man wearing the gold ring took out the machete from his waist and waved it casually, making a whooshing sound above the bonfire. His martial arts skills are so strong that even a child can easily judge him. The old man and the peasant girl both sat there and looked at each other. Then their hands and feet were shaking at the same time, and their faces turned pale.
The man stuck the machete on the ground and sat down opposite the old man.
"Your words have aroused my interest, old man," he announced. "Now please tell me this myth. If it is indeed unheard of, then by the gods as witnesses, you will be safe tonight. But if If you fail to do so, I will do business with you and your granddaughter."
