Chapter 20 Home?

In this wind and snow, Xu Qing returned to the courtyard. Before he could enter, he heard the cheerful laughter of Lei Dui inside. Accompanied by the barking of several dogs, Xu Qing pushed open the door and saw more than ten wild dogs in the yard. They lay there, looking coldly at Xu Qing. Xu Qing glanced over them; there was no sharpness in his gaze, just a sweep, and the wild dogs all bristled and slowly retreated. A soft sound came from Lei Dui's room. As the door opened, Zhenzi and Luan Ya walked out, glanced at Xu Qing, then at the wild dogs, and Zhenzi smiled slightly. "Kid, they say you have a strong aura of death about you," Luan Ya said, squatting down to gently stroke the head of a wild dog beside her, smiling as she spoke to Xu Qing. Xu Qing remained silent, looking at Lei Dui who was walking out of the room. Lei Dui was dressed in a thick leather coat, holding a pipe in his hand. As he stepped out, he pointed at Luan Ya with some helplessness and said, "This girl Luan Ya thinks I'm injured and worries about my safety in the camp, so she insisted on bringing these wild dogs to guard the house." This statement was simple, but Xu Qing understood. Lei Dui didn’t tell them about Xu Qing, just as Xu Qing hadn’t mentioned the singing, letting Lei Dui decide for himself whether to disclose it. Lei Qing nodded and took out the leather pouch containing the white pills, handing it to Lei Dui. Lei Dui took it, glanced at it, smiled, and didn’t engage in pleasantries. "Alright, I do need this thing, but don't buy any more in the future; I have plenty of savings here, enough to buy it myself." After saying this, he looked at Zhenzi. "Zhenzi, the kid is back; if there’s anything, you can speak now." Zhenzi put away his smile, his expression serious, and slowly began to speak. "This time we came back for two things. The first is the captain's medicine, which Luan Ya and I have already purchased, enough for about a month. As for the rest, we will buy it again after this batch is finished." Saying this, Zhenzi took a pouch from his waist and placed it aside. "The second matter is about the blood shadow team. Although there were other scavengers involved in the previous seven-leaf herb gathering, none of them were as many as us. Yesterday, Luan Ya and I went to the camp leader to hand over the task and received our rewards, but... the camp leader still habitually deducted our pay, giving us only one Clear Dust Pill instead of three." As Zhenzi spoke, he looked at Luan Ya. Luan Ya took out four pouches, placed them aside, and then took out a wooden box, opening it in front of everyone to reveal a green pill the size of a pigeon egg. A medicinal fragrance wafted out, clearly indicating that this pill was far superior to the white pills. "The barbarian has no relatives; I took the liberty to split his share. These four pouches contain our respective spirit coins, and regarding this Clear Dust Pill..." Zhenzi paused here, looking at Lei Dui, waiting for his allocation. "Give it to the kid," Lei Dui said faintly. At that moment, he seemed to regain some of the aura belonging to the Thunder Team leader. Zhenzi nodded, and Luan Ya was momentarily taken aback but then seemed to understand. They had previously inquired about what had happened in the jungle, but Lei Dui hadn’t said anything. This allocation clearly provided an answer. "As for the barbarian... dividing the share is correct; we are his family now." Lei Dui sighed softly, picking up his share, and Zhenzi and Luan Ya also took theirs. Xu Qing remained silent, picking up the pouch as well. Regarding the Clear Dust Pill that Luan Ya handed over, Xu Qing glanced at Lei Dui after accepting it. Lei Dui's gaze was somewhat stern, and this look made Xu Qing understand the implication, so he silently put it away. The four chatted for a while longer, mainly with Zhenzi and the others speaking. Xu Qing remained as taciturn as ever, quietly listening beside them. However, both Zhenzi and Luan Ya did not overlook Xu Qing's presence, occasionally inquiring for his opinions. Time passed like this, and soon it was noon. As the wind and snow temporarily ceased, Zhenzi and Luan Ya chose to take their leave. Before departing, Zhenzi spoke to Xu Qing in a low voice. "Kid, Luan Ya and I have taken on a task and need to go out for a while. During this time... the captain will be entrusted to you." Saying this, he took out a dagger and handed it to Xu Qing. "Your dagger is rusted; replace it with this one. It's very sharp." Luan Ya also handed Xu Qing a whistle. "Kid, your combat strength is strong, but you also need eyes and helpers, right? This whistle can simply control the wild dogs in the camp; when needed, you can blow it, and they are smart enough to know what to do." After reminding him, the two clasped their fists to Xu Qing and took their leave. Watching their figures fade away, Xu Qing put away the whistle, then stuffed the dagger given by Zhenzi into his boot, but he did not discard his original one. He then looked up, gazing at their figures until Zhenzi and Luan Ya disappeared at the edge of his vision, before turning back to look at Lei Dui's room. After a while, he passed by the wild dogs and returned to the house. Closing his eyes, he sat cross-legged to meditate. The wind outside was strong, creating a wailing sound, sweeping across the land. The snow in the sky and on the ground blended in mid-air, penetrating through the seams of tents and houses, disturbing those inside. It also blew on Lei Dui, who was resting in the house, but he was already accustomed to it and did not pay attention to the cold wind. However, in his mind, the image of Xu Qing huddled against the cold wind surfaced, prompting him to turn and look in the direction of Xu Qing's house. After a moment of silence, he put on his fur hat and stepped out of the house. Time flowed by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye. During these three days, it seemed the snow wanted to exhaust its final strength, spreading its lingering chill, falling continuously, while the ground snow did not have time to melt, accumulating a thick layer. Although the weather was harsh, for the scavengers, survival was more important than the cold. Thus, the camp gradually saw more people; some continued to seek medical attention, while others ventured into the forbidden area. Meanwhile, the prolonged absence of the Blood Shadow Team also slowly sparked discussions among the scavengers. There were rumors circulating that the Blood Shadow Team had been completely annihilated in the forbidden area. At first, few believed this rumor since every member of the Blood Shadow Team was formidable. Especially the leader of the Blood Shadow Team, who was a strong figure among the scavengers in the camp. Such a person had ventured into the forbidden area countless times, and the likelihood of total annihilation was low. However, as time elapsed and two more days passed without a trace of the Blood Shadow members, the scavengers in the camp gradually began to believe the rumor. They recalled the day Lei Dui returned, in a state of unconsciousness. Coupled with the disappearance of the barbarian, everything seemed to have an answer. Regardless of the truth, with the Blood Shadow gone, the Thunder Team was now the strongest team in the camp. Thus, during these days when Xu Qing went out, the most he saw were the awe-filled gazes from the surrounding scavengers. He knew these people revered the Thunder Team, not himself, but he did not care about this matter. What puzzled him were the frequent appearances of Lei Dui, who would leave early and return late, busy with something. However, Xu Qing understood that everyone was independent, and there was no need to disturb them. Moreover, he had many things to do himself, so most of the time, Xu Qing was alone in the house, silently cultivating. His cultivation gradually improved under this effort, with both strength and speed steadily increasing. As for his own shadow, Xu Qing had studied it multiple times. Yet, this shadow had shown no changes; only the absorption of foreign substances remained the same, making Xu Qing's arm no longer show any signs of aberration. The purity within his body allowed Xu Qing to clearly feel that his cultivation speed was much faster than before. Until one afternoon two days later, as he sat cross-legged preparing to stabilize his cultivation for a few more days before attempting to break through to the fourth level of the Haishan Formula, he slightly frowned and opened his eyes. The wild dogs outside were barking, and someone knocked on the bamboo door. Stepping out of the house, Xu Qing noticed Lei Dui was not behind him. He looked toward the bamboo door and saw a scavenger standing there, looking hesitant. This person Xu Qing recognized; he was one of the seven or eight people he had saved during his previous return from the forbidden area. Upon noticing Xu Qing's figure, the scavenger hurriedly clasped his hands together in salute. "Brother Kid, it's me, Bone Blade." "What is it?" Xu Qing asked expressionlessly. "Um..." Bone Blade hesitated, but after a moment's thought, he gritted his teeth and spoke up. "Brother Kid, I want to use five white pills to buy a guarantee from you." Saying this, he first threw a pouch towards Xu Qing. Xu Qing did not catch it, looking at Bone Blade in confusion as the pouch landed, causing the nearby wild dogs to glance over, but they did not dare to approach. Sensing Xu Qing's confusion, Bone Blade outside the door hurriedly explained. Listening to his words, Xu Qing gradually understood the meaning of the so-called guarantee. According to Bone Blade, he wanted Xu Qing to go into the range of the Forbidden Area's Poison Dragon Pool after he hadn’t returned for three days, to rescue him like last time. "Brother Kid, I'm not worried about the exotic beasts in the forbidden area; dying at their jaws is also fate. What I worry most is the mist; dying in the mist is too unjust." Xu Qing's expression turned somewhat strange; he hadn't expected the other party to make such a request. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What if there’s no fog within three days, or if you come back early?" "The pills need not be returned; I'm just buying peace of mind," Bone Blade said, bowing deeply to Xu Qing, a look of pleading in his eyes. Xu Qing fell silent, glanced at the pouch, and with a flick of his foot, picked it up and opened it. Inside were five white pills. Although he did not need them, they were hard currency in the camp. After a moment's thought, he found this matter not entirely unfeasible. So, after some deliberation, Xu Qing nodded. Seeing Xu Qing agree, Bone Blade let out a breath of relief, expressing his gratitude with clasped hands before leaving. Xu Qing held the pouch, his eyes narrowing. He was inherently cautious and did not fully trust the other party's words. However, he felt that the likelihood of this being a trap was low. If the fog did not arise, he could choose not to go, and if the other party could accurately predict the fog’s timing three days in advance, such skill would not necessitate calculating for others. Nevertheless, he remained cautious and planned to decide at that time. He then turned and returned to the house, continuing to meditate. A night passed. The next morning, after finishing his practice, Xu Qing looked outside and heard the barking of dogs. When he stepped out, he saw a strange scene; Lei Dui was gathering things, tying large and small bundles onto the backs of wild dogs, making those wild dogs stick out their tongues, some barely able to stand. "Finished training? Let’s go; I’ll take you to a place." Lei Dui wiped his sweat and smiled, then patted a nearby wild dog, opening the bamboo door and gesturing for Xu Qing to follow. Xu Qing, puzzled, followed. The wild dogs also followed behind, and thus the two of them, along with a group of dogs, walked through the camp. They passed from the inner circle to the central area, where many shops were located, and the houses were mostly made of bricks and tiles, appearing quite sturdy. Eventually, they arrived at a large courtyard that contained four independent brick and tile houses, each of which was much better than where Xu Qing had previously lived, sturdier and more compact. Looking at this place, Xu Qing turned to Lei Dui. "From now on, this will be our new home." Lei Dui said with a smile. "New home?" Xu Qing was taken aback; the word 'home' gave him a familiar yet strange feeling. "I've spent most of my life working hard and saved quite a bit. Now that my body is failing me, I might as well enjoy a bigger house." Lei Dui laughed heartily and went ahead, taking off the bundles from the wild dogs and starting to get busy. Xu Qing stood there, slowly walking in after a while. Looking at the green bricks on the ground and the houses in front of him, he felt a bit dazed until Lei Dui called him to help, and he still felt somewhat unaccustomed. After half a day's busyness, when night fell again, the cold wind outside still blew, and the wind and snow continued, the wailing sound undulating. Xu Qing and Lei Dui sat by the stove in the house, the warm air enveloping them, filling the entire room with warmth. The walls here had no gaps, and the icy wind could not penetrate at all. Xu Qing quickly noticed this and felt warm all over. "Not cold anymore, right?" Lei Dui asked with a smile. "No, it’s not cold anymore," Xu Qing nodded, looking at Lei Dui. Under the glow of the stove, a glimmer appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. He truly was no longer cold; in this warmth, Xu Qing even felt a tremor deep within his heart. After a long time, when Lei Dui left to return to his room, Xu Qing leaned closer to the stove, murmuring to himself, "Home?" At this moment, in the room beside him, Lei Dui, who had returned to his room, still bore a smile on his face, but soon his expression turned slightly flushed. He covered his mouth and coughed a few times, and after a while, he forcefully swallowed down a mouthful of salty blood, standing by the window, gazing in the direction of the forbidden area, his eyes filled with reminiscence, murmuring softly, "I wish... to see it one more time." (End of this chapter)