Chapter 019 Peach Blossom Spring

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Five detectives walked in together, and the narrow corridor was like a man-made wall.

Qu Fengyin was trapped in the corner of the bookshelf.

Five detectives came forward silently to check, and five pairs of hands stroked his cheeks one by one.

The five detectives frowned together.

The long hook in Qu Fengyin's hand was about to move.

Of the five people, he could take three away directly, and the remaining two were not taken away thanks to the blessings of gods.

Qu Fengyin had a smile on his face, but the cold murderous intent settled deep in his heart.

"Oh! I think I found his signature here!"

The little boy who had been watching coldly suddenly raised his notebook and spoke.

Five heads turned their heads and looked back quietly.

Hello, no way.

There was a layer of sweat on Qu Fengyin's forehead, and he stared at the smiling child with gritted teeth.

This broken kid!

Qu Fengyin's eyebrows jumped and he looked over with a probing look.

Couldn't this kid figure out what he was going to do?

As soon as the detectives got away from him, he gasped and said he didn't find anything and exposed him directly!

The more Qu Fengyin thought about it, the more he felt this way, and his heart started pounding.

The worst thing was that because of that moment of delay, the detectives had completely moved away from him, and he no longer had the chance to suddenly attack and catch them off guard.

Qu Fengyin was filled with regret.

He thought that child looked like his colleague's kid! The kid who loved to tease others would definitely yell and ask to take him away!

***

"Sir, please walk slowly!"

The schoolboy smiled and bowed to see the five constables off.

He put his hands into his sleeves and hugged the origami bird named Linglingqi. The child looked smart and polite.

Qu Fengyin followed suit and bowed in a daze.

The student turned his head and said in a friendly tone, "Don't run around on the street anymore. Hiding in a study is not what a gentleman does."

"I helped you this time, but you must be more careful next time! We are all adults now!"

The child looks like a little teacher, with round eyes curved into crescents and chubby baby fat, which makes him look extremely cute.

Qu Fengyin nodded randomly. Once the detectives left, he relaxed a little. He leaned against the bookshelf and scratched his neck.

Why on earth did this kid suddenly help him?

Or did he misunderstand?

A seven or eight-year-old child... Qu Fengyin thought hesitantly, he wouldn't have any intention of teasing him, right? Was he really overthinking it?

No, there's something wrong with this kid. He needs to be more alert.

Besides, he just cleared him of suspicion with just a few words, and the detectives trusted him very readily. How did he do it?

Qu Fengyin looked at the child who was standing on tiptoe to put books into the bookshelf.

When Qu Fengyin sneaked into the county town, he didn't expect that he would be discovered so quickly. In his panic, he found very little information and was chased on the street like a cat chasing a dog.

The detectives cooperated very well and were highly skilled in martial arts. They were not cultivators, but their sword formations were flexible and varied, with extremely strong lethality, not to mention the lassoes in the hands of the five of them, which were hard to defend against and used like weaving a dragnet to entangle prey.

Once they are trapped, it is difficult to break free, completely cutting off the criminal's escape route. If the Jinyiwei had not practiced special martial arts, Qu Fengyin would not have been able to change the size of his arms and break free when he was trapped. Otherwise, he would have been arrested and thrown into the cell by now.

However, after just this short experience, Qu Fengyin suddenly understood why the Jinyiwei who came here to investigate had been missing so frequently - their faces.

Their faces were wrong, their faces were totally different from the others in the county.

It's a pity that the Jinyiwei who came here to investigate were not skilled enough and had not yet learned the trick of changing faces. Once they entered the county town, they were like a green spot among a sea of ​​red, and they could catch the undercover just by looking at his face!

After Qu Fengyin finished changing his face, he still had a concern. Everyone’s faces were exactly the same, so how did they recognize people?

At that time, he wanted to go out and find an open place to try it out, but he didn't expect that Cheng Yaojin would appear and block him on the spot.

This is when things started to take twists and turns.

The detectives recognized him, but why did they let him go in the end?

Was it because the child had spoken out to vouch for him?

Is he respectable, or are his relatives respectable?

Once this idea came to mind, coupled with supporting evidence, Qu Fengyin's mind inevitably slid in that direction.

Qu Fengyin couldn't help but think about getting information.

After tidying up the bookshelf, the little clerk looked up at the silent scholar and invited him, "It's noon. Do you want to have a meal together?"

Qu Fengyin didn't hesitate: "Okay, let's go together."

Most of the scholars in the library were sitting or standing, holding books in their hands and reading endlessly.

The sun was shining brightly at noon, and occasionally the aroma of food could be smelled from the restaurant across the street.

Qu Fengyin sat opposite the schoolchildren.

"Student Xiaoliu, what is the teacher's name?"

The child sitting at the dining table had his legs hanging down, his toes not even touching the ground, but he looked like a gentleman. He rolled up his sleeves and poured tea for Qu Fengyin. Qu Fengyin inexplicably felt a sense of pressure and quickly took the teacup with both hands.

He paused, and said rather stiffly: "My young master has eight twists and turns."

"Six, seven, eight?" The kid opposite chuckled, his eyes sparkling, "Ling Ling Qi, if you don't get to know this man, you'll be wasting this God-given fate."

Ling Lingqi did not answer. He sat majestically at the dinner table, showing the demeanor of a well-controlled general.

This man and bird seem more like great scholars than the tall and slender Qu Fengyin.

It was dinner time and the restaurant was extremely busy, with all kinds of dishes being served in a constant stream.

There was a roast duck, a steamed fish and a small plate of vegetables on the dining table.

Each dish has sufficient oil and water, and the seasoning is just right.

Even the leader of the Jinyiwei, who lived in the glamorous city, was surprised when he tasted it. How could such a generous use of ingredients make the dish taste salty to him, a person who was raised in the capital.

What surprised Qu Fengyin the most was far more than that. The restaurant was wide open and a grand banquet was set up. There was plenty of fish, meat and rice, and guests came in an endless stream. Every table was filled with delicious dishes, soups and rice.

Often, as soon as one table of food was finished, the next table would be served. Everyone had a similar face. Qu Fengyin could not identify their professions by their clothes. They were all wearing cloth clothes of similar styles. If one only looked at their gentle and elegant faces, one would know that they were all scholars.

Qu Fengyin was doing two things at once, eating with Xiaoliu while counting secretly.

During this short period of time, about a hundred people came in and out.

This trend shows no sign of stopping.

Qu Fengyin ate the meal with trepidation.

Although Nanzhou has abundant grain production, is the production in the deep mountains and old forests so abundant? Although Nanzhou is rich, is everyone in this remote county well-fed and well-clothed?

At present, Nanzhou and Zhongzhou are still fighting openly and secretly, and there is a lot of friction between the two sides. Under the urging of the national teacher, such scenes rarely appear in the capital except for major festivals, and it seems as if it is an ordinary day now.

Could it be that he remembered the time wrong and today is already the Spring Festival?

Qu Fengyin was chatting and laughing with Xiaoliu in a trance.

The people opposite were eating happily. Even Ling Lingqi had a plate of pebbles in front of him as food. When the waiter brought it to him with a smile, Qu Fengyin was still feeling ridiculous.

What made him feel even more absurd was what happened next. Xiaoliu took him directly out and no one stopped them.

Qu Fengyin had to carefully observe the diners who left the room, and was surprised to find that they had not paid either!

This restaurant doesn't make any money? What's the point? Is he happy? Qu Fengyin frowned. Is he dreaming?

The little boy had already walked into the sunshine, hugged Ling Lingqi and turned around, walked with his back to him, looked at him with a smile and said, "Shall I take you around?"

***

The main street of the county town was wide and broad, paved with bluestone slabs. The vendors on both sides sat leisurely behind their stalls, not shouting much, reading a book calmly. The people wore colorful clothes of various patterns and patterns, and they all had ruddy faces and behaved politely.

People walked in groups of three or five on the street. If they saw something they liked, they would just say a few words to the vendor and take it away.

The whole street was quiet and peaceful. Occasionally, there were some elderly people, and some people would rush forward to help them carry baskets and get things. They were very enthusiastic and didn't even care about the things on the stalls.

As for beggars, thieves, and vagrants, Qu Fengyin looked around till his eyes were almost blind but could not find them.

The wind blew through the busy streets, brushing the cheeks of passers-by. A few peach branches trembled, and the pink and white petals swirled and fell.

The light fell on the winding river in the county, and a warm face appeared dimly in the rippling waves.

A stone fell into the water, creating ripples.

"Xiao Liu, why don't I see any children like you on the street?"

Xiaoliu grabbed a folding fan with a pattern of an old fisherman fishing in his hand and curled his lips: "I'm going to school in the academy."

"go to school?"

No matter which state, this is a luxury and expensive item for every citizen.

Qu Fengyin repeated the words in a trance: "I never thought that there would be someone in Nanzhou who holds the same ideals as the one in Zhongzhou."

"Pah—" the cunning student closed the folding fan and said, "Shall I take you to have a look?"

Qu Fengyin was about to nod, but suddenly found a blind spot. He tilted his head and looked at Xiaoliu teasingly: "Why don't you go to school in the academy?"

The child opened his eyes wide with innocence, and straightened up his body that was leaning on the bridge railing: "Of course I am special! You will know it at a glance."

He patted his sleeves and emphasized again with a beaming face: "I am completely different."

Qu Fengyin chuckled and rubbed the boy's head. Xiaoliu pushed his hand away in disgust.

The pedestrians around all had the same face, with narrow eyes, a high nose bridge, and the gentleness and elegance of a scholar. If they were not everywhere on the street, Qu Fengyin would definitely praise them as modest gentlemen, as gentle as jade.

But now, all he could see was that face, and even the Jinyiwei couldn't help but feel frightened.

On the bustling street, he couldn't help but look down at the clear river surface. An identical face was reflected in the river. The falling peach blossoms caused tiny ripples, and the swaying water blurred Qu Fengyin's face.

There are no beggars, no worries about food and clothing, and all children go to school. Could this be the Peach Blossom Spring that literati and poets talk about?

is that so?

"Brother Qu! Come on! What are you standing there for?"

The little child had the origami bird hanging on his shoulder. Under the bright sunshine, his big smiling face was so dazzling. He was jumping eagerly in the steady flow of people, like a cute short-legged snow rabbit.

Qu Fengyin couldn't help but respond: "I'm coming right up!"

After all, he is an innocent child and cannot live without people.