Anthology of Gu Long: The Prodigal Son of Border Town

Chapter 26
Ma Kongqun sat down slowly.

The long table stretched out straight in front of him, like a long road.

He had indeed come a long way from the mud and the pool of blood to come here, and he was a terrible man.

From here, where do we go?

Is it going to go to the mud and pool of blood again?

Ma Kongqun slowly stretched out his hand and put it on the table. The wrinkles on his face appeared more and deeper in the morning light. Every wrinkle was carved out by countless blood and tears.

There is his own blood in it, but also someone else's!

Hua Mantian and Yun Zaitian were already waiting here, sitting quietly, also seeming preoccupied.

Then Gongsun Duan staggered in, reeking of alcohol disgustingly.

Ma Kongqun didn't look up at him, and didn't say anything.

Gongsun Duan could only sit down by himself and lowered his head, he understood what Ma Kongqun meant.

This kind of time is really not the time to get drunk.

He was ashamed and angry--anger at himself.

He wished he could draw out his knife and cut his chest open, letting the wine in his blood flow out.

The atmosphere in the lobby was even heavier.

Breakfast had been brought up, with fresh vegetables and a freshly roasted veal shank.

Ma Kongqun suddenly smiled and said, "Today's food is pretty good."

Hua Mantian nodded, and Yun Zaitian also nodded.

The food is really good, but who can eat it?The weather was indeed good, but there seemed to be a bloody smell in the breeze.

Yun Zaitian lowered his head, and said: "The first team sent out to patrol, last night already..."

Ma Kongqun interrupted him, saying: "I'll talk about these things after eating."

Yun Zaitian said: "Yes."

So everyone lowered their heads and ate in silence.

The delicious veal leg meat seemed to have become sour and bitter in their mouths.

Only Ma Kongqun still ate with gusto.

It may not be food that he chews, but his thoughts.

Everything has come to an end.

Some things can never be solved by force alone, and must be solved with thought.

He was thinking too much, too messy, he had to chew slowly to digest.

Before Ma Kongqun put down his chopsticks, no one had better put down his chopsticks.

Now he has finally put down his chopsticks.

The windows are high.

The sun slanted in, illuminating the dust in the lobby.

He looked at the dust floating and jumping in the sunlight, and suddenly asked, "Why is there dust only where the sun shines?"

No one answered, no one could answer.

This is not a problem at all.

This question is so stupid.

Ma Kongqun glanced slowly across their faces, suddenly smiled, and said: "Because you can see dust only where the sun shines, because if you can't see that thing, you will often think that it is not at all. does not exist."

He continued slowly: "Actually, whether you can see it or not, dust is always there."

Stupid questions, smart answers.

But no one understood why he suddenly said this sentence, so no one spoke.

So Ma Kongqun himself went on to say: "There are many other things in the world, just like dust. Although it is already beside you, you can't see it all the time, so you always think it doesn't exist at all."

He stared at Yun Zaitian and Hua Mantian, and said: "Fortunately, the sun will always shine in, sooner or later it will always shine in..."

Hua Mantian looked down at the half bowl of porridge left in front of him, neither opening nor expressing his expression.

But no expression is often a very strange expression.

He suddenly stood up and said, "Most of the first team sent out to patrol are my subordinates, and I have to take care of their funeral affairs."

Ma Kongqun said: "Wait a minute."

Hua Mantian said: "Is there any order from the hall master?"

Ma Kongqun said: "No."

Hua Mantian said: "Then what are you waiting for?"

Ma Kongqun said: "Wait for someone to come."

Hua Mantian said: "Who are you waiting for?"

Ma Kongqun said: "A person who will come sooner or later."

Hua Mantian finally sat down slowly, but couldn't help but said, "What if he doesn't come?"

Ma Kongqun's face darkened, and he said word for word: "We'll just wait."

When he scowled, it meant that the conversation on the subject was over and there was no room for debate.

So everyone just sits and waits.

Who are you waiting for?
At this moment, they heard a sudden sound of horseshoes.

Then a big man in white walked in quickly, bowed and said, "There is someone outside asking to see you."

Ma Kongqun asked, "Who?"

The big man said: "Ye Kai."

Ma Kongqun said: "Only him?"

The big man said, "He's the only one."

A strange smile suddenly appeared on Ma Kongqun's face, and he murmured: "As expected, he has come, and he came very quickly."

He stood up and walked out.

Hua Mantian couldn't help but said, "Is he the Hall Master waiting for?"

Ma Kongqun didn't admit it or deny it, but said in a deep voice, "You guys better stay here and wait for me to come back."

He suddenly smiled again, and continued: "But this time, you don't have to wait forever, because I will definitely be back soon."

If Ma Kongqun said that it is best for you to stay here, it means that you must stay here.

This means everyone understands.

Yun Zaitian looked up at the sunlight coming in from the window, with a thoughtful expression in his eyes, as if he was still comprehending the meaning of Ma Kongqun's words.

Gongsun Duan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes were bloodshot.

Today Ma Kongqun never even glanced at him, why?

Hua Mantian was asking herself: Why did Ye Kai come here suddenly?Why did you come here?
How did Ma Kongqun know he was coming?

Everyone has questions in their minds, questions that only one person can answer.

This person is certainly not themselves.

sunny.

Ye Kai stood in the sun.

As long as there is sunshine, he seems to always be standing in the sun.

He will never stand in the shadows.

Now he was looking up at the white silk banner waving in the wind, as if he hadn't noticed that Ma Kongqun had come over at all.

Ma Kongqun had come over, stood beside him, and raised his face to look at the big flag.

There are five bright red characters on the banner.

"Kanto Wanmatang".

Ye Kai suddenly let out a long sigh and said, "What a big flag, I wonder if you hoist it up every day?"

Ma Kongqun said: "Yes."

He has been staring at Ye Kai, observing the expression on Ye Kai's face, observing very carefully.

Now Ye Kai finally turned his head, stared at him, and said slowly: "It must not be easy to let this big flag go up every day."

Ma Kongqun was silent for a long time, and then sighed, "It's really not easy."

Ye Kaidao: "I don't know if there are easy things in the world?"

Ma Kongqun said: "There is only one thing."

Ye Kai said: "What's the matter?"

Ma Kongqun said: "Lie to yourself."

Ye laughed.

Ma Kongqun didn't smile, and continued calmly: "Although it is very difficult for you to deceive others, it is very easy to deceive yourself."

Ye Kai smiled and said, "But why would a person lie to himself?"

Ma Kongqun said: "Because if a person can lie to himself, his life will be happier."

Ye Kai said: "What about you? Can you lie to yourself?"

Ma Kongqun said: "No."

Ye Kai said: "So your life is not happy."

Ma Kongqun didn't answer, and there was no need to answer.

Ye Kai looked at the wrinkles on his face, and there seemed to be some sympathy and sadness in his eyes.

These wrinkles are drawn from the whip, a whip hidden in his heart.

The yard inside the fence is not too big, but the prairie outside is vast and boundless.

Why do people always surround themselves with a fence?

Without knowing it, they turned at the same time and walked slowly out of the tall archway.

The sky is clear and the grass is undulating like waves, but there seems to be a strong sense of sadness between the sky and the earth.

Ma Kongqun looked around, sighed again, and said sadly: "Too many people have died in this place."

Ye Kai said: "The dead are all people who don't deserve to die."

Ma Kongqun suddenly turned back, staring at him with burning eyes, and said, "Who should be damned?"

Ye Kai smiled and said, "Some people think I should be the one to die, and some people think it's you who should be the one to die, so..."

Ma Kongqun said: "So what?"

Ye Kai said word by word: "So someone wants me to kill you!"

Ma Kongqun stopped and looked at him, without any surprised expression on his face.

This incident seemed to have been expected by him.

A few lost horses ran over from nowhere.

Ma Kongqun suddenly jumped up, grabbed onto a horse, waved to Ye Kai, and kicked the horse out.

He seemed to have made up his mind that Ye Kai would follow him at the meeting.

Ye Kai really followed.

This place is already in the sky, but this hillside seems to be in another world.

Ye Kai came here.

When Ma Kongqun wants to speak confidentially, he always likes to bring people here.

It seems that only here can he remove the fence around his heart.

There are still traces of Gongsun Duan's cut on the stone tablet.

Ma Kongqun caressed the cracks on the stele, as if he was caressing the scars on his body.

Is it because the tombstone always reminds him of the painful past?
After a long time, he turned around.

When the wind blows here, it seems to become more desolate and desolate.

His white hair at the temples has been blown tousled, and he looks a little older.

But his eyes were still as sharp as a falcon. He stared at Ye Kai and said, "Someone wants you to kill me?"

Ye Kai nodded.

Ma Kongqun said: "But you don't want to kill me?"

Ye Kai said: "How do you know?"

Ma Kongqun said: "Because if you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't come and tell me."

Ye Kai smiled, but he didn't know if he was admitting it?Or deny?
Ma Kongqun said: "You must have seen that killing me is not an easy task."

Ye Kai pondered, and said: "Why don't you ask me, who asked me to kill you?"

Ma Kongqun said: "I don't need to ask."

Ye Kai said: "Why?"

Ma Kongqun said coldly: "Because I never took those people seriously."

He continued slowly: "There are many people who want to kill me, but there is only one person worthy of attention."

Ye Kai said: "Who?"

Ma Kongqun said, "I couldn't tell whether this person was you or Fu Hongxue."

Ye Kai said: "Now you can decide?"

Ma Kongqun nodded, his pupils seem to be shrinking, and he said slowly: "Actually, I should have seen it long ago."

Ye Kai's eyes flashed, and he said, "You think those people were all killed by Fu Hongxue?"

Ma Kongqun said: "No."

Ye Kai said: "Who is it?"

Ma Kongqun's eyes showed hatred again, and he turned around slowly, looking at the grassland under the hillside.

He didn't reply to Ye Kai's words, and after a long time, he said in a deep voice: "I said, I bought this place with blood and sweat, and no one can snatch it from me."

This sentence is not an answer either.

Ye Kai seemed to have heard some special meaning from his words, so he didn't ask any more.

The sky is blue, with a mysterious silver-gray in the azure blue, just like the ocean.

The big flag fluttering in the wind looks very small from here, and the handwriting on the flag is no longer legible.

There are many things in the world like this.

If you think something is very serious, but if you look at it from a different direction, you will find that it is nothing serious.

After a long time, Ma Kongqun suddenly said, "You know I have a daughter, right?"

Ye Kai could hardly help laughing.

Of course he knew that Ma Kongqun had a daughter.

Ma Kongqun said: "You also recognize her?"

Ye Kai nodded and said, "I know it!"

Ma Kongqun said: "What kind of person do you think she is?"

Ye Kai said: "She is fine."

He did think she was fine.

Although she may seem like a spoiled child at times, she is gentle and kind at heart.

Ma Kongqun remained silent for a long time, then turned around and stared at Ye Kai, and asked, "Do you really like her?"

Ye Kai suddenly found himself stunned by the question, he never thought that Ma Kongqun would ask this question.

Ma Kongqun said: "You must be very strange, why should I ask you this question?"

Ye Kai smiled bitterly: "I'm indeed a little strange."

Ma Kongqun said: "I ask you because I hope you can take her away."

Ye Kai was startled again, and said, "Take her away? Where are you going?"

Ma Kongqun said: "You can take her wherever you want, as long as it is a place you want to go, you can take her there, you can take anything here."

Ye Kai couldn't help asking: "Why do you want me to take her away?"

Ma Kongqun said: "Because... because I know she likes you very much."

Ye Kai's eyes flashed, and he said, "She likes me, so why can't we stay here?"

A shadow passed over Ma Kongqun's face, and he said slowly: "A lot of things are going to happen here soon, and I don't want her to be involved in it, because she has nothing to do with these things in the first place."

Ye Kai stared at him, and suddenly heaved a long sigh, saying: "He is indeed a very good father."

Ma Kongqun said: "Do you agree?"

A strange expression suddenly appeared in Ye Kai's eyes, and he turned around slowly, looking at the grassland below the hillside.

He didn't answer Ma Kongqun's words either, and after a long time, he said slowly: "I said, this is my home, and since I've come back, I don't want to leave again."

Ma Kongqun changed color and said: "You don't agree."

Ye Kai said: "I can't take her away, but I can guarantee that no matter what happens here, she will never be implicated."

There was light in his eyes, and he continued slowly: "Because those things have nothing to do with her."

Ma Kongqun looked at him, his eyes sparkled, he patted his shoulder suddenly, and said, "I'll buy you a drink."

Wine is on the table.

Alcohol doesn't solve anyone's pain, but it can make you lie to yourself.

Gongsun Duan held his golden cup tightly, he didn't know why he wanted to drink again, now is not the time to drink at all.

But this glass of wine was already his fifth this morning.

Hua Mantian and Yun Zaitian looked at him, neither persuading him not to drink, nor drinking with him.

There was a distance between them and Gongsun Duan.

Now the distance seems even further.

Gongsun Duan looked at the wine in his glass and suddenly felt an indescribable loneliness.

He bled, sweated, and struggled all his life, but in the end what did he get in exchange?

Everything belongs to others.

There are two forms of deceiving yourself, one is arrogance; the other is self-pity.

A child slipped in quietly, with bright red clothes and black braids.

Although the child belongs to someone else, he has always liked it very much.

(End of this chapter)