A squeak.
The heavy metal door slowly opened, revealing Guo Suo who was guarding behind the door.
The little Guo Suohua? For the towering giant.
Densely packed sturdy legs stand astride the skirt.
The pair of hands that were usually used to make tea and arrange flowers turned into powerful claws, and the sharp saw edges flashed with a cold light.
A cold gaze looked down from a height of three or four meters, his eyes were dark red, filled with murderous intent, and full of vigilance.
The tall Guo Suohun was tense, like a powder keg that was fully armed and ready to explode at any time.
Until Lin Yuan entered the door, he closed the iron door.
The sound of the door slamming shut made Guo Suo's body tremble, as if only at this moment he reacted and dared not believe who the person who entered the house was.
She slowly descended from the height - her body became smaller and smaller until the hem of her skirt touched the ground, returning to her original petite and exquisite appearance.
Xiaosuo looked at Lin Yuan with her lips tightly pursed.
That look, full of grievance, panic and forced suppression, reminded Lin Yuan of the first time he saw her in this house.
But now, looking at the trembling little lock, does it feel like your heart is being stabbed by a red-hot needle?
"What happened?"
Lin Yuan heard her own voice, and it still sounded calm, as if she could handle anything and everything was under control. No one knew that a strong sense of uneasiness was making her heart tremble.
"There's a thief in the house." Xiaosuo lowered her head and frantically fiddled with her apron with her fingers.
"Hmm, is there a thief?"
There have been many thieves in the house. In the past, they were just some thieves, and later, some powerful guys appeared. However, Xunhua distracted her and easily dealt with them.
What kind of thief got in?
The lush flowers and plants in the courtyard were wilting visibly.
I've been here for such a long time, but I haven't felt Xunhua's spiritual power.
Lin Yuan stopped walking, and Xiaosuo, who was standing in front of her, lowered her head.
"I don't know what happened. When those people came in, Mr. Gardener suddenly told me to go back to the house and go to sleep."
She kept her head down, as if she had done something terribly wrong. "I don't know why, but I suddenly became so obedient. I went back home obediently and fell into a deep sleep the moment I woke up..."
"It's not your fault," Lin Yuan interrupted her. "Xunhua is a powerful guide, and you are defenseless against him. It would be easy for him to guide you. It was his will that made you go back to sleep."
Xiao Suan raised her head, tears welled up in her big eyes, and her chest heaved violently, as if the heavy stone pressing on her heart was lifted and she was finally able to breathe.
"And then?" Lin Yuan's voice was still calm, even steadier than before.
Xiao Suo suddenly became excited and spoke very quickly, telling Lin Yuan what had happened at home in the past few days like pouring beans.
A thief clearly broke into the house that day.
But she didn't know why she fell asleep peacefully.
When I woke up, I found that the groundhogs in the front yard were quietly huddled in a room with me.
There are also a pair of wild ducks in the backyard pond, the furry snow rabbit in the rabbit hole, and the orange cat that often steals food from the kitchen... In short, all the small animals that Mr. Gardener likes in the whole house are now crowded in their own small house.
As if protected by the gentle shade of the tree, everyone slept quietly in the cluster.
Was there a thief in our house last night?
Xiaosuo sat on the bed in a daze for a moment, then saw the gold necklace on the bedside. A golden heart-shaped pendant. Only one person in the family had it.
She knew that this was the treasure that the gardener never left. Why did it appear here?
The little crab jumped up and grabbed the necklace. Using his hands and feet, he hurriedly ran through the chickens, ducks, mice and rabbits and ran towards the yard.
She ran faster than ever, using all eight legs.
The yard was in a mess, with broken branches of trees everywhere, and the flowers that the gardener had carefully grown were scattered all over the ground.
Guo Suo didn't search for too long before he saw a small half of a golden tree stump in the courtyard.
The most beautiful goldenrod tree in the entire yard had its trunk and branches cut off, leaving only a small stump standing alone among the messy branches on the ground.
Xiaosuo still remembers clearly that when Mr. Gardener first came, he had no arms or legs and was brought back by his owner in a luggage bag.
The owner placed him in the room with the most sunlight so that he could bask in the sun on the terrace every day.
Later, he planted himself in the yard, pretending to be an ordinary tree.
Others can't notice it and can't see that beautiful color.
But Xiaosuo knew that there was a very beautiful goldenrod tree in the yard of their house.
At first it was bare and lifeless, but day by day it slowly grew golden branches and golden leaves.
Slowly, slowly, and after a long time, he finally took root here.
Just like myself, become a part of this family.
Xiaosuo likes the wind blowing through the courtyard the most. The golden leaves jingle against each other, as if they are singing, leading all the trees in the courtyard to sing together.
Every time at that moment, whether she was busy in the kitchen or making tea in the restaurant, she would shake her head and hum along with Mr. Gardener's tune.
All the trees, animals and people in this house hum along.
The lady in the attic, like herself, was sitting in front of the attic window, listening to the singing in the courtyard.
Such a happy life.
No matter what people call them, to Xiaosuo, this is her home, and both the young lady and the gardener are family members.
But she only slept for a while, and the handsome gardener disappeared.
The glittering golden treasures in the courtyard were so cruelly cut into pieces and carried away and stolen by those hateful enemies.
Why did I fall asleep? Why didn't I come out? Cut those guys into pieces!
If I were awake, I would bite off a few pieces of those people's flesh even if I died!
So hateful and regretful.
It's all my fault.
Xiaosuo stretched out his hand, wanting to touch the broken golden tree stump on the ground, which was now only a small bare piece left.
"I just touched it lightly. Very lightly. It turned into ashes. The ashes were so light that they flew all over the yard. I couldn't catch them."
Xiaosuo's voice was choked with sobs. She took Lin Yuan to the place where Xunhua disappeared and pointed it out to Lin Yuan.
The land there was scorched by the flames, leaving only a charred pit.
The pit was empty, there was nothing.
There were tears in Xiaosuo's eyes. She gritted her teeth and her eyeballs turned blood red.
Lin Yuan said nothing, just stared at the empty cave in silence.
Huge tentacles appeared from all directions, hovering over the charred land and searching carefully.
Several days have passed, but the strong mental fluctuations that occurred here at that time still vaguely remain.
It can be seen that an extremely fierce life-and-death struggle took place here that night.
Xunhua, alone, stood here, protecting this courtyard and this home against all the arrows and stones.
In the end, he was defeated, his body was chopped off and turned into ashes.
Just like last year,
The soil was charred, there was no trace of ash, nothing was left.
Lin Yuan stared at the empty cave.
The tentacles searched carefully and densely underground, with their heads buried, silently, carefully squeezing every inch of soil.
Even if you can find a small piece of gold, a small branch, or a little root, it would be great.
For Lin Yuan, finding a body means there is still a little hope.
That was her gardener, her friend, her teacher and her family.
Try your best to get him back?
A newly born woodchuck popped out of the hole. It looked around blankly with a puzzled look on its face.
Seeing the little woodchuck and Lin Yuan busy searching without saying a word, Guo Suo suddenly came to his senses.
Densely packed legs stretched out from under the skirt, and a trail of smoke climbed up along the outer wall of the house, and soon, carefully brought down a flower pot.
"This one, miss, are you looking for this?" She panted and handed the flowerpot in her arms to Lin Yuan to see.
The clay pot was filled with black mud, and out of the soft and moist soil grew a tiny sapling.
A very small and thin branch with two solitary young leaves at the top, weak and lifeless.
But the leaves are not the usual green, a golden color flows through the veins.
"Where is this from?" Lin Yuan hugged the flowerpot, his eyes lighting up.
"It's... it's the heart. The gardener left his golden necklace behind." Xiaosuo gestured.
"It was these little mice that were digging in and out of the holes that reminded me. I thought Mr. Gardener was a tree, and this was something he always wore, so maybe I could plant it."
"I just filled it with some soil from here and buried the heart inside. I didn't expect it to sprout."
Xiao Suo held her breath and concentrated, fearing that she might say something wrong. She was also afraid that if she spoke too loudly, she would blow off the young sapling that she had finally managed to grow.
"I watered it and exposed it to the sun every day. I never thought that a seedling would actually grow out of the soil. I don't know if I did the right thing."
Xiaosuo saw the young lady, who had been calm after entering the room, and her shoulders suddenly relaxed at this moment.
The lady's tentacles stretched out and clung to the flowerpot. Some of them climbed up and rubbed her hair vigorously.
“很棒，小鎖。”林苑說，“你做得很棒。”
她從胸口長長籲出?一口氣?，伸出?手?撈着小鎖的肩，和她擁抱了一下?，在她小小的後背用力拍了拍。
這是小姐第一次這樣擁抱自己。
原來?小姐也是慌張難過的。完全沒有她表現出?來?的這麽冷靜。
她，她也需要我的擁抱。
她還說我做得很好。
郭鎖七手?八腳地回抱着林苑，收起步足鋒利的邊緣，學着林苑的樣子，很生疏地用她的手?腳在林苑的後背拍了拍。
“可是小姐，這樣真的會長成?園丁先生嗎？”小鎖遲疑地問。
雖然葉片是金色的，小姐也看起來?很高興。但她一點都感覺不到園丁先生那種熟悉的精神力波動了。
軟軟細細的一支小苗，支棱在黑色的泥土中，很沒精神的樣子，唯一抽出?的一點葉片也焉焉的。
微風吹過別說葉片的響動聲，完全是一副随時要掉落的模樣。
樹是薰華的本體?，本體?變得這樣弱小，精神體?更是不知迷失到了何處。
“我努力試試。把他找回來?。”
林苑卷卷袖子，丢下?行李，在庭院中席地而坐。
太?陽的光斜斜透過斑駁的樹蔭，星星點點落在地上。
那些細碎的金輝落在林苑風塵仆仆的身軀上，像是點點黃金在閃動。
觸手?們?抱着小小的花盆，林苑盤腿席地而坐，閉上了雙目。
薰華的精神圖景廣袤無邊。
寬無垠，縱深深，世界萬千。
時至今日，林苑也算是接觸過許許多多的精神圖景。
有些哨兵的精神圖景空間很小，一間屋子，一個?山坡，中規中矩的世界，一眼就可以看盡。
有的人卻擁有寬闊無邊，狂野夢幻的圖景。
範圍小的圖景，在其中不管尋找什?麽都很容易。不論?是尋找記憶，情緒，還是那些因為受傷躲起來?的精神體?。
在小小的空間範圍內，一切輕易就能找出?來?。
但那些浩瀚無邊的精神圖景裏。如果沒有得到主人的引導，這種事就會變得無比艱難。
比如倪霁的精神圖景就是一片大海。
如果不是十分?熟悉地形。一個?外?來?入侵者想在廣袤的大海中搜索一枚記憶的珍珠，或是尋找那只潛在深海中的大魚，那都是名副其實的大海撈針，千難萬難之事。
眼前，薰華的精神圖景不僅龐大，更有無數大大小小的世界層層疊套，環環相扣。
混亂，無序，空間在扭曲，四處刮着傷人的飓風。大大小小扭動着的門一層套着一層。
多走一步，走錯一步，或許都會被拖入無序的思維世界中，再難逃離。
更不要說深入其中，在這樣混亂的世界中，尋找到薰華消失的精神體?。
林苑朝前走了一步。刀刃般銳利的風很快割傷了觸手?。
熏華的記憶既有屬于人類時期的畫面，又有成?為畸變種之後的圖景。
黑暗和泥濘，血和眼淚，歌聲和明月。
萬花筒一般的世界在眼前旋轉，令人頭暈眼花。
天空和大地似乎颠倒了，一層又一層的門眼前打開，門內是一道又一道的深淵。
冷靜一點，林苑想，冷靜一點。
在食龐之城那條長長的隧道中，經歷過了那麽多人的精神圖景，快想想最後都是怎麽出?來?的？
庭院中，林苑閉着雙目坐在樹蔭下?，面色凝重，眉頭微微皺起。
頭頂濃蔭搖晃，仿佛樹木們?的歌聲響起，嘩啦啦，嘩啦啦啦，聲音漸漸連成?一片。
兔子們?豎起耳朵，土撥鼠們?冒出?一排小腦袋。
“小姐加油。我會守好小姐和園丁先生的。”一旁的小鎖小聲說。
似乎大家都在等，等着林苑把園丁先生找回來?。
林苑回想起從前。自己曾經無數次坐在這裏，坐在那棵黃金樹的樹蔭下?。
樹枝上，戴着面具的老師教給她過很多東西。
“每個?人的精神圖景裏，都保留着他最黑暗的記憶，也保留着他最快樂的時光。”
“如果某個?人的精神體?迷失了，找不着，那你就去這兩個?地方找。”
曾經，薰華懶洋洋地坐在樹梢上對她這樣說，
“一個?人迷失了自己的時候，不是停留在最痛苦的場景中，就是滞留在最讓他感到幸福安寧的世界裏。”
精神圖景裏找不着方向的林苑停住了腳步。
對，薰華曾經教過自己。
最黑暗的記憶，或者最美好的地方。去這兩個?地方尋找他的精神體?。
林苑曾經救助過一位精神圖景接近崩潰的哨兵。
那是一對雙胞胎之中的兄長。
當時自己也在精神圖景的世界中找尋了很久。就是在他們?兩人少年時期釣魚的水潭邊，在那個?螢火蟲飛舞的湖畔，找到了幾乎就要迷失自我的哨兵。
那是那位哨兵年少時記憶中最安寧美麗的地方。
林苑在那一道道漂浮扭動的門中穿行。
薰華的世界裏，黑暗的記憶有很多。
痛苦的回憶幻化?成?猙獰恐怖的家禽，手?持着鋒利的刀刃，成?群結隊從濃黑的陰影中不斷爬出?，朝着林苑這個?入侵者追來?。
林苑在颠倒的世界中發足狂奔，恐怖的鬼怪排着長長的隊伍尾随，一路追蹤。
她穿過一道又一道濃黑的門洞，都沒有，沒有看見薰華熟悉的身影。
她看見了年輕時候的薰華在軍營中意氣?風發的面孔。
年輕的向導和他的戰友們?一起，英姿勃發，在戰場戰鬥。
那時候還沒有白?塔，也沒有聖磚，後方的人們?努力研發生産着更強的武器，前方的戰士們?在戰場上和敵人殊死搏鬥。
沒有心情舉辦酒宴和歌舞，向導們?的臉上和哨兵一樣染着血跡。
人類的數量比如今多，到處都是大大小小的堡壘，基地和地下?城鎮。
原來?四百年前的世界是這樣的。
林苑在飛奔中看過一幕幕當年的景象，但薰華在哪裏？
林苑在軍營中，在戰場上跑過。
在那污穢不堪的玫瑰營中穿過。
到處都是薰華的記憶碎片，但他的精神體?不在這裏。
林苑看見了一條潮濕的小巷，看到險些被鄰居欺負的溫莎。
薰華的身影出?現在巷子中，他驅逐了惡人。這份記憶和現實中不同，明月般純淨的向導沒有離開，他微笑着朝着溫莎伸出?了手?。
溫莎擡起頭，露出?了笑容，兩個?人的手?牽在了一起。
林苑心中一喜，朝着那裏跑去。
在她奔跑着接近的時候，兩個?虛構的身影如泡沫般消失了。
漆黑的巷子空蕩蕩的，一個?人也沒有。
沒有人能留在虛構的記憶中。
也不是這裏。
林苑喘着氣?停下?腳步。牛頭怪物巨大的影子覆蓋進小巷，身後的怪物好像又一次追上來?了。
【是不是該回去了】
【再深入的話，連我們?也記不住回去的路】
【會徹底迷失在這裏】
【那就永遠回不去了】
【可是舍不得啊】
【那是園丁老師】
【小鎖會哭的】
【我也會哭，我還沒有哭過】
【我也會哭，我舍不得】
【該回去了，已經盡力了，找不到他。】
【會被卷進去，我不太?想死掉】
林苑抹了一把額頭的汗。
她此刻是精神體?，精神體?本不該出?汗。但她覺得自己跑了很久，應該一頭一身的汗水，于是渾身就濕漉漉地疲憊起來?。
伸手?抹掉了那些虛無的汗，不管腦海中七七八八的念頭。再一次跨過一道新的門，朝着更深的地方走。
【會死的，回去吧】
【不舍得，繼續走】
……
薰華身為人類的時光只有短短二三十年，但身為畸變種的歲月又有漫漫數百年。
他會停留在哪裏，他的精神體?會躲藏在什?麽地方？
林苑在尋找，不知道他在最黑暗的記憶，還是在最安寧快樂的時光中滞留。
重新奔跑起來?的林苑看見一道道的門，視線掠過那些門裏記憶的世界，大片的濃黑晦暗，偶有個?別明亮。
林苑的腳步突然停下?。
有一道門，有一個?世界，她一直沒進去。
她以為薰華不會選擇停留在那裏。
畢竟，只有這麽短短的一兩年時間，原以為在他漫長的歲月中算不了什?麽。
林苑停下?腳步，在旋轉交錯的精神圖景中，把自己的目光投向那裏，嘗試着朝那扇門走去。
邁入那道小小的門。
門內，是自己無比熟悉景象。
那個?熟悉的庭院。
是家啊。
閣樓尖尖的屋頂從繁密的樹蔭裏冒出?，小鳥在花間鳴叫，院子裏有開滿月季的窗臺，咕嚕嚕燒着水的廚房。
後院中果實垂挂滿枝頭，攀出?圍牆的薔薇花開得正濃。
小小的土撥鼠從樹洞裏鑽出?腦袋，蝴蝶在草葉間輕輕搖擺着翅膀。
一切都一模一樣和外?面的世界。
這裏是林苑的家，那個?小小的，開着花的院子。
唯一和此刻外?界不同的，這裏的時間是夜晚。
The moon was looming in the clouds, and a cool breeze blew on my cheeks.
Lin Yuan walked slowly along the long gravel road. All the fierce monsters were blocked outside the yard, and they couldn't get in.
Lin Yuan saw the golden tree hidden in the courtyard. The golden tree was still shining in the moonlight as before.
A young boy was crouching under a tree, playing with a tiny woodchuck.
The boy had his back to her, playing happily with the little mouse. He had a focused look, a smile on his face, and his signature silver hair.
He was very young, only about two or three years old, but Lin Yuan would not mistake that face.
It is Xunhua, Xunhua’s spiritual body.
It turns out that Xunhua has been here all the time.
This courtyard under the moonlight is the place he wants to stay the most in his memory of more than 400 years. It is the last resting place he has chosen for himself.
His spiritual body has become very young, even smaller than the young lion that Lin Yuan saw in Rachel's spiritual vision.
If Lin Yuan hadn't come, if Lin Yuan hadn't walked in so quickly, the two or three-year-old boy would have very likely become even smaller, degenerated into a baby, and eventually disappeared, completely dissipating in the world.
Under the golden tree, a little boy playing with a woodchuck saw a drop of water.
The drop of water fell on the back of his hand, crystal clear, and looked like human tears.
He raised his head and saw a Kraken with countless tentacles standing in front of him.
The mighty Kraken stared at him with its golden pupils.
Although not human, he felt very familiar with it.
"Why are you crying? Is there something sad?" little Xunhua asked, raising her head.
It was a little strange, because he had always thought that the spirits of deformed creatures like them would not shed tears.
He knew in his heart that he was not human. So this guy with only tentacles should not be human either, right?
Why is she crying?
Crying is a complex emotion unique to humans, and it is something that cannot be learned.
Kraken stretched out his hand to him, "I'm here to take you back."
"I can't go back." Young Xunhua shook her head. "I'm very weak. There are many terrible monsters and strong hurricanes outside here. They can easily tear me apart."
"I'm fine staying here. I like it here. There's wind here, and there are singing trees to keep me company." The little boy said innocently.
His consciousness was a little hazy, he only remembered that this seemed to be his favorite place.
The little boy looked at Lin Yuan with his silver eyes and said, "I vaguely remember that this can also be considered my home. So I just stay here."
"I will take you back to your real home." Kraken stretched out his countless hands to him, "I will protect you. On the way home, I will never let you get hurt."
The boy hesitated for a moment.
Those twisting tentacles? They look scary.
She's still going strong.
But I don't know why, but when I see her I feel very close to her, like a creature that makes me feel at ease.
"If you don't go back, the little crab will cry so hard, you know, her tears will flood your balcony."
Who was the little crab? The boy couldn't remember. He just felt uneasy.
"And your mice. No one in the house knows how to feed them except you. When I came in, I saw a squirrel steal all the food they had stored."
The little boy cried out, wondering what was going on, and felt very panicked.
"When you're not home, all the flowers in the yard are dead, and the trees are listless. No one in our family can take good care of them except you."
"And me. Without my teacher, I wouldn't even be able to fall in love."
"The family can't do without you, Xunhua."
"Let's go back together."
The tentacles? One by one, they raised their arms and legs patiently, waiting for his answer.
It looks very cute and familiar, like a family member's hand.
The young Xunhua finally couldn't help it, and took two steps forward with her little legs.
He was immediately and carefully embraced by the tentacles, wrapped tightly and held up as if he were a treasure at home.
Oh, remember there was a treasure at home. When little Xunhua was picked up, she thought in a daze that she had tried her best to hide that thing.
Why? Why didn't she ask me where the treasure box was hidden right away?
She looked as if the most precious thing in her house was not the Box of Truth, but a rotten tree root like herself.
Maybe she really is his family.
Just about to take me home.