Eye of the Eternal Night

Volume 1 The peonies die under the flowers

Volume 1

The peonies die under the flowers

After the snow clears up. The valley was bathed in light sunlight. Among the silver-white world, only the treetops are faintly tinged with a touch of indigo, and this ink-wash charm evokes some poetic sentiment.

"The land is like a painting." Zhang Yannian sat under the eaves in a navy blue cloak, with a circle of silver fox fur around his neck, making him look even more handsome and charming.

His voice was soft, soft and gentle. It was like a ray of sunlight on the snow.

"Report to the deacon, seventeen men have come out of the ten towers. One from Building One, two from Building two, two from Building three... Five people in Building 10." A man in black responded respectfully.

A trace of surprise flashed rapidly across Zhang Yannian's eyes. A light glance swept over the seventeen people standing in the yard. Slowly straightening up, he handed the warm stove in his hand.

Zhang Er quickly took it and held it carefully in his hand. The sudden warmth in his palm made him feel so comfortable that he wanted to sigh. His expression remained humble and obedient. His back was slightly bent, whether it was a habit or something, he seemed to have never held his back straight, and his long, narrow eyes showed a hint of mischief, stealing a glance at the person standing in the yard. Seventeen men have come out. This year's job seems to be fine, and they can leave tomorrow. Zhang Er thought of the fine maidservants in the mansion warming wine, and the time was just right to enjoy the snow, savor the plum blossoms and compose poems, and his heart had already flown out of the valley.

The snow on the ground had not yet been swept away, and the seventeen standing men, dressed in rags, were clearly seven or eight years old, with wounds on their bodies, blood dripping down, and the snow beneath their feet had tinted them a pale pink. There was a look of weariness and excitement in their eyes, and a hint of inexplicable timidity added to the indifferent gaze of Deacon Zhang.

"To survive out of a thousand people, I'm the master." After standing for a moment, Zhang said with a sigh and a hint of satisfaction.

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the courtyard breathed a sigh of relief. The seventeen children were no exception, and two of them plopped down in the snow.

Zhang Yannian glanced at the two men sitting on the ground, and in an instant, several big men rushed out and lifted them up. The child's face turned as white as snow in an instant, and his eyes looked terrified.

Sighing, Zhang waved his hand. "Send the Peony Garden!"

The two children lost their eyes and burst into tears: "Deacon, spare me!"

The other fifteen children dared not breathe, but their little bodies trembled and straightened up. For fear that a single misstep might cost them their lives, but being sent to the Peony Garden would be a disaster.

After spending a year in the valley, the black-clad guards' whips became gentle when they spoke of the Peony Garden, and they would never land on anyone's face. Once someone was sent to the Peony Garden before they could even get into the building, and the guards stopped whipping and invited the most skilled soul return master in the Valley to examine the wounds, and said with a lechery smile that they would go to congratulate the young master after his twelfth birthday. 99 said to Zhang Lin, "I would rather be killed by Butcher Zhang than fall into the hands of the guards who visit the Peony Garden."

"Without Butcher Zhang, would you eat a pig with a feather?"

Zhang Lin's muttering made 99 feel kind: "Do you know Butcher Zhang too?"

After that, no matter how 99 recalled the past, it never evoked any extra sense of closeness from Zhang Lin. 99 didn't lose heart, after all, among a hundred children in a building, only Zhang Lin knew the butcher Zhang. 99 felt it was his duty to protect this idiotic little brother.

"I've already said that to survive out of a thousand people, it's all grandpa." Zhang Yannian sighed again, and a smile appeared on his face. "Tell me, how did five come out of Building 10?"

"Deacon, they..." The black-clad guard, who had just hesitated, saw the gentle look in Zhang Yannian's eyes, trembled and spoke without hesitation, "They took advantage of the killing of each other in No. 9 to pick up a ready-made bargain."

"Oh, who took the lead?" Zhang Yannian's eyebrows moved slightly and his gaze shifted to the five children on the far side. They were all pretty little, and there was some admiration in his heart, but the words that came out of his mouth carried a hint of coldness.

The three children kept their heads down and refused to speak, but their eyes glanced at 99. This made Zhang Lin hesitate. According to his judgment, Zhang Yannian would not kill the leader. But it's not clear how it will be dealt with.

Logically, an eight-year-old shouldn't take the blame for him. It's time for him to step up. But Zhang Lin thought, it's better to hold back. After all, the first bird did not fit his desire to hide his strength. He did not want to be sent to the most dangerous places to carry out the most dangerous tasks in the future. From what he knew about killers in his previous life, the top experts always died the fastest. It's not that he's not skilled, but that he takes on too many dangerous tasks. He counts the time to confess, to show just the right amount of fear, and to stand up bravely.

Facing the three kids who were brandishing knives at him and 99, he casually reminded 99 to take the five kids in the building and go to No. 9 to fight black and black.

Zhang Yannian laughed: "Do you know why a hundred of you fight each other and take one life every day to complete the mission?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on, "A little sympathy for the enemy is cruel to oneself. Well, I give you a chance to give the leader, and I won't kill anyone else."

'It's me!' 99's voice trembled, but he took a step before Zhang Lin was ready to confess. He vaguely remembered a soft voice in his ear, gentle... as he was guarding Zhang Lin and the other three children in the building, facing off like wolves. And cold, "Go kill the man on the ninth floor." 99 now would rather believe that it is his subconscious that is guiding him, rather than the idiotic little brother he has been protecting.

Zhang Lin looked at 99 in astonishment, once again reminding himself not to remember the situation, although the image of the eight-year-old boy at this moment was enough for him to look up to.

Zhang Yannian frowned, and Zhang Eryi bowed his body and reminded softly, "Sir, this year..."

"What a black eating black, isn't the No. 9 building dead in vain?" Zhang Yannian's brows relaxed as he spoke in a calm and clear tone, "Send back to Building 10, and the person who rises up tomorrow will pass!"

Zhang Er gasped, unable to figure out what his master was thinking. Every hundred of them lived in one building and had been killing each other for days. Only a few of them had come out of one building and were considered elite talents. Just now two were wasted, and this time they were sent into the building, maybe a few more would be lost. It was really hard to bear.

"It's me who is collecting the receipts." Zhang Lin sighed in his heart and took two steps forward to reply softly, "It's not easy for me to come up with the idea. I don't want to go back."

Zhang Yannian looked at Zhang Lin, who was kneeling below, and was somewhat surprised by his calm tone when he spoke. "Is it really you?"

99 and Zhang Lin answered at the same time: "It's me!"

"What a brotherly bond! Do you know what a brother is? Brothers are often the ones who are most likely to betray themselves. Remember what I said. Who on earth?"

99 was in a hurry to speak, but Zhang Lin stopped him: "It's actually me. I came up with the idea and he led the way."

'Oh? Why didn't you recognize it just now? '

"Afraid of death!" Zhang Lin answered unusually straightforwardly.

"Fear of death. Yes, everyone is afraid of death." Zhang Yannian sighed softly. "Aren't you afraid of death at this moment?"

"The deacon won't kill me, at most, send me to the Peony Garden like the two men just now."

Zhang Yannian looked at him with great interest and called out his number: "100, do you know what Peony Garden is?" He didn't expect the six-year-old to understand completely, but he raised a question because of Zhang Lin's calm voice.

Zhang Lin raised his face, and on his bloodstained face, his eyes shone like crystals. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes, but rather a hint of mockery, he replied, "Die under the peony, and be a ghost and be a playboy!"

Zhang Yannian was stunned for a moment, chewed the sentence several times, and suddenly burst into laughter: "Ha ha! I didn't expect to have a good year! Interesting! Interesting!"

With that, he swept his sleeve away. The people in the yard looked at each other. Zhang Er also followed Zhang Yannian into the room with a warm stove in his arms, looking very excited.

The big men in black around them let out a long breath. 99 shouted angrily, "Do you want both of us to die?"

Zhang Lin scratched his head and smiled innocently: "It was I who told you."

99 said angrily, "You're just a fool! It was just a casual remark. How could you have such thoughts? !"

Seeing him angry, Zhang Lin chuckled and said, "I'm hungry."

99 Then he turned his face and glared angrily at Zhang Lin: "Look at your face, there are good fruits to eat in the Peony Garden!"

Zhang Lin touched his face and couldn't help but smile wryly. This face, no wonder even when he was a fool, he could still contribute his remaining energy to the Peony Garden.

99 After the attack, he pulled Zhang Lin out of the courtyard with his head held high, and the black-clad guards at the entrance of the courtyard bowed and smiled, saying, "Congratulations, young master, you've passed."

99 snorted and ignored, Zhang Lin laughed again: "From now on, I'll rely on all the uncles to take care of me."

He followed 99 and couldn't help but ask: "Didn't you fear death at that time?"

A glint of slyness flashed in 99's eyes: "At most, send him to the Peony Garden."

Zhang Lin felt a sudden relief in his heart. He no longer needed to owe a favor.