IRON SHELL

Chapter 010: A Small Town called Zuozhou

An Wen has read many literary works depicting the first murder, in which the protagonist is overwhelmed and goes crazy. Some choose to surrender to avoid guilt, while others vomit uncontrollably.

But whenever he recalled the hole in the sheriff's head and the blood on his face, he didn't feel much.

Because the thought of the cold tombstones on the green mountains and the disappearance of Qiu Li, who could no longer return in the capital, would overwhelm all other feelings with the pain in his heart.

He washed his face clean in the blacksmith's shop, threw the bloodstained cotton coat into the stove and burned it to ashes. He carefully filled the magazine of the light gun with sun iron bullets, and then put the remaining bullets into a pocket and placed them close to his body.

He left a letter to the old blacksmith, thanking him for his care these days, and said that he would go to live a safe life with distant relatives, and might not come back again.

He brought with him the money he had earned over the years. Although the money was not much, it eventually allowed him to embark on his journey from Shengdun Town to Wangdu.

He took out the bow and arrow he had taken from his home in Kemang Village earlier from a corner cabinet of the blacksmith shop and carried it on his back. He looked back at the blacksmith shop that had been with him for several months at the door and said goodbye in his heart.

He carefully locked the door and placed the key on the door frame.

At dawn, the gate of Shengdun Town opened, and Anwen stepped on the snow and left Shengdun Town with the sparse travelers who woke up early and went out.

There was still wind this morning, but there was no snow left. The wind blowing head-on seems to indicate the difficulty of this trip.

An Wen walked with his head lowered against the wind.

Whether this journey is difficult or easy, whether life or death is waiting ahead, he must go.

He wants to go to the Wangdu, he wants to go to the place where Qiu Li died. Even if he can't see Qiu Li's bones, he can at least hang himself there.

The kind-hearted Qiu family disappeared from this world, and there was no happy family left in the world. But the world still operates and will not mourn for the three of them for an extra half minute.

A small happiness is like a gust of wind, passing by and disappearing. No one will ask where it has gone.

But Anwen couldn't let go.

Whenever he thought of those moments of getting along over the past three years, his heart would ache like a knife. In the past, he used to feel a bit contrived when he saw the word 'heart wrenched like a knife' used in literary works, but it wasn't until then that he understood.

He has experienced the departure of his loved ones. His mother and father both left him in such a hurry and accident, forever living only in his memory, but never giving him any warmth in the real world.

He has experienced death, but he has never experienced such an unpleasant death

My mother died of cancer, and although the irresistible illness was hateful, it was not a specific enemy.

My father died in an air crash, and the bizarre accident may have been arranged by heaven, but heaven is clearly not a specific enemy either.

But the Qiu family is different.

They died by human hands, by the hands of great men. They died in injustice.

This world may soon forget the three people who were once happy, but there is one person who will not forget. He will spend his whole life reminiscing and pursuing.

He wants to pursue fairness and justice, and he wants to avenge his deceased friend.

He knew that the ultimate point of his trip might be death, but he didn't care.

If he chooses to remain silent, he can become the greatest blacksmith in Saint Shield Town, even the most famous blacksmith in the Dawn Empire, and then have wealth and a better life.

But for him, living silently and peacefully is the most shameless betrayal of his friends.

There are big fish in Tianchi Lake

He walked, silently reciting the self rewritten version of 'Zhuangzi: Happy Journey'.

A big fish swims peacefully in the water, but on one day, it transforms into a big bird, no longer immersed in the tranquility of the Tianchi Lake, but wants to rise up in the wind and fly for tens of thousands of miles.

Perhaps what awaits it will be a fall, and after the fall, it will be death with no bones left, but it doesn't care.

A person must have a goal in life, even if it is illusory or difficult to achieve.

Big Fish doesn't know what's outside of Tianchi Lake, nor what kind of world it is tens of thousands of miles away. But it will eventually fly, eventually go there, explore and compete.

This is An Wen's new understanding of this article.

Stepping on the snow and facing the wind, he gradually drifted away. The small Kemang Village was left behind, becoming a memory; The large Holy Shield Town was left behind, becoming a memory.

Many people and things have become memories, and they can no longer be by his side. But these memories illuminated his future and made him see a path he was about to take.

The road is bumpy and distant, but as long as he walks, he believes he will eventually reach the destination.

Even if the gatekeeper of the finish line is a political official of a country, he firmly believes that as long as he is willing to grit his teeth and persist, as long as he is willing to keep his eyes wide open, and as long as he is willing to fulfill his oath with his life, the level will eventually crumble in front of him.

In this cold winter, Anwen, who had lived peacefully under the rule of Shengdun Town for over three years, finally embarked on an unstable path.

Traveling alone may seem like a romantic thing, but without modern civilization, all romance is impossible to talk about. Walking in the endless wilderness, one not only faces the fatigue of long-distance walking, but also the attacks of wild animals and unpredictable weather. Fortunately, Anwen is a good hunter, and the threat of wild animals is not enough to fear, and the winter weather is nothing but snow and wind. No matter how heavy the snow is, it cannot wet the thick cotton clothes. Compared to rainy seasons, it is more suitable for long-distance hiking.

But when we miss the village and need to stay in the wilderness, this season shows its horror. One night, Anwen almost froze to death on the leeward slope because he slept too much and didn't watch the campfire.

Human abilities are all driven by nature. During the long journey, he learned to use ice and snow to build temporary shelters, and also learned to set up a campfire that never goes out overnight.

He has learned to inquire more seriously.

Every time he goes to a village, town, or city, he always finds a way to inquire about everything on the road ahead - whether there are forests that can hunt wild animals, whether there are mountain bandits blocking the way, whether there are dangers hidden by snow... These things are not problems in the modern civilized world, they can be considered problems, and can be quickly obtained through computer search, but in the current world, it depends on whether a person has the ability to collect information.

This is difficult, but Anwen did it well, so he approached the capital step by step, day by day.

But he finally encountered difficulties.

The travel expenses along the way exceeded his budget, and after the original money was spent, he mainly relied on hunting along the way and selling game or animal fur to earn income. But after a long stretch of wilderness, he had to stop in a small town called Zuozhou.

During that journey, he did not obtain any prey and had already eaten all his rations. He must stop and earn some money for the long journey ahead.

Of course, it cannot be difficult for him. Those who have skills can travel all over the world and eventually find a bite to eat.

He found a carpenter's shop in the town and spent the last few gold coins he had left. He asked the carpenter to make the components of the bellows. Then he asked about the location of the blacksmith's shop, found a place to assemble the parts himself, and carried the bellows all the way.

No blacksmith can resist the temptation of flames, so his treasure is not worried about sales. It's just a matter of pricing, he's not very sure how much this thing can be worth.

Walking all the way, contemplating the issue of price, I accidentally collided with a hurried pedestrian. Both sides let out a cry of surprise and fell to the ground, with everything in their hands also falling to the ground.

It's just that the bellows is just sturdy wood, so a fall like this won't cause any substantial damage to it, and the other person's bottle in their hand is miserable, directly shattering on the ground.

Holding a wine bottle, a big boy appeared in a hurry, looking around ten years old. His head was large and his body was thin, reminding Anwen of the impoverished African children in the documentary. Faced with shattered wine bottles and spilled spirits, the boy burst into tears after a moment of shock.

I'm sorry, "An Wen said apologetically.

My father will kill me, "the boy cried.

An Wen noticed that the skinny boy not only had shabby and untidy clothes, but also had bruises and scars on his exposed skin. The words "domestic violence" appeared in Anwen's mind, which caught him off guard.

Apart from movies, TV dramas, or literary works, he has never personally witnessed a case of domestic violence. That terrifying thing always made him feel distant, as if it could only happen in another world.

Yes, the world in front of him is another world.

I will compensate you, "Anwen said hastily," but I don't have any money on me right now. Can you come with me? I will soon close a business deal and compensate you with a bottle of wine

The boy wiped his tears and nodded.

Anwen picked him up and went to pick up the bellows, but the boy asked anxiously, "Did your thing break? I... I will also compensate you, but I don't have money right now

Anwen smiled.

What a simple child.

It's okay, "Anwen shook his head." This heavy thing must withstand falling and hitting

What is that? "The boy asked curiously.

Wind box, "An Wen explained.

A bellows? "The boy was surprised." It's a box for holding wind? But there are holes in it

Therefore, it is necessary to generate wind, "An Wen explained.

He picked up the bellows and signaled the boy to go with him.

What's your name? "He asked.

Jay, "the boy replied. What about you

An Wen

Are you a traveler? "The boy asked.

How did you tell.

I'm covered in dust, carrying a bundle and bows and arrows on my back. Also, I haven't seen you before

Do you know everyone in the town

No, "the boy shook his head." But people they meet always have a special impression. Although they don't remember, they can feel like they are locals. Different from strangers, they give a very special feeling. At first glance, they know they are not locals

Anwen looked at the boy in surprise, amazed by his sharp and special senses. He suddenly remembered that his mother had said that many great artists were born with an indescribable feeling and had a special intuition for certain things.

Can Jay be a genius with this special feeling?