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Chapter 1269: One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Six [Poem of Magpie and No One (Part )]

[Act 1: Little Magpie]

【The adults said, you should be a brave man. 】

[Holding the sharpest sword in the village, running the fastest in the countryside, flying the highest on the edge of the cliff, going through countless training and sweat, and finally defeating the evil demon king. ]

[But he doesn't want to be a hero, he just wants to be a little magpie on the roadside. ]

[He climbed up the rocks and sang loudly, sketched in the fields, rowed a boat to collect folk songs, and painted on stones... The adults criticized him for being idle and said he would never become a brave man and would eventually become mediocre.]

[“But in life, you are the most important thing.” He said: “If you can’t be the fastest runner, just keep moving forward. If you can’t be the highest flyer, just don’t fall off a cliff. The world should allow ordinary people like me to exist.”]

[The adults looked at him disapprovingly, as if life was a machine in their eyes. Studying, practicing martial arts, competing for the title of Brave, getting married, having children, passing on the legacy of the next generation of Brave... Every step must be gear-coupled, and one wrong step will lead to a fall into the abyss.]

[He smiled and said: "Let others take the limelight. I just need to cheer for the heroes behind their backs. What do you expect a little magpie to do? Magpies can only eat wheat. Magpies cannot beat tigers and lions."]

……

Su Mingan opened his eyes.

He was in a vast white space, with nothing around him but endless emptiness.

"Where is this?" He held the quill in his hand and walked forward: "Where did the quill take me..."

He soon realized something was wrong. His height...

He looked down and saw that the man had long, slightly curly golden hair draped over his shoulders. He was wearing a clean white long coat and trousers and was about 1.4 meters tall.

He opened the mirror and saw a child's androgynous face, with long, slightly curly golden hair, deep blue eyes, and immature facial features.

How did he become a child?
At this moment, in this white space, a person walked towards him.

The man had long purple hair and golden eyes that burned like the sun. His hair was a little messy, but it had a natural curl, as if it was the work of spring and warm wind. He wore a burgundy waistcoat and an off-white robe, embroidered with musical notes and bird patterns. A few manuscripts were casually stuffed into the bag at his waist, revealing a few ink spots. He carried a small golden lyre on his back.

His age is similar to Su Mingan's at this time, about eleven or twelve years old.

"...Si Que?" Su Mingan asked in surprise.

This purple-haired boy looks like Si Que when he was a child.

Su Mingan wanted to rewrite the story of Floating City in the Daytime, so why did he meet Si Que when he was a child?
The purple-haired boy stopped in front of Su Mingan, but his eyes passed through him, as if he didn't see him. He sat down and spoke to the air:
"…Good morning. The sun is shining brightly today. The wheat is ripe. I can smell the aroma of baking bread in the village."

"Many children grew up, and Uncle Hunter was training them. They always ran around the hill for several laps, sweating profusely. I would lean on the treetops, watching them train, and occasionally writing a poem."

"Of course, there is always gossip. Grandma Martha, who sells soy sauce, says I have no future. Uncle Raman, the hunter, scolds me for being idle. Teacher Pearl advises me to go to school, saying that if I don't learn to swing a sword like other children of my age, I won't be able to pass the exam to become a respected warrior in the future, and will live a mediocre life."

Su Mingan reached out to touch Xiao Si Que, but found that there was an invisible barrier between them.

In this white space, he could see Xiao Sique, but Xiao Sique could not see him.

Little Sique was talking to himself while writing and drawing on the manuscript paper.

"Sometimes, I get confused... Does not becoming a hero mean that my life is worthless? Are we just living to survive? Or do we live to be admired by others or to achieve social significance?" He is very young, but he is thinking about such questions:

"Then, if this is really the reason, then 99% of the tens of billions of individuals in Rovasha are dispensable. Even if their social significance is erased and they disappear from this world, it will not cause any fluctuations."

"When one's basic material needs and physical functions are met, and one's personal wishes tend not to value the admiration of others and social recognition, life becomes a journey. There is no need to pursue anything or achieve anything."

"It doesn't matter if you don't become a hero. Let those who are willing to pursue pursue. I just want to write poetry."

Little Sique changed his sitting position and buried his head in writing on the manuscript paper.

Su Mingan walked over to take a look. Little Si Que was drawing. It was a... food chain.

……

Act II: Food Chain

【Little Magpie once thought that many things that Luo Vasa did were unreasonable.】

【For example, the food chain. 】

[The strongest tiger warrior in the village could not break the protective feathers of the Sky Clan baby even if he trained for a lifetime. And the Sky Clan baby can crush them into meat patties with just a move of his fingers.]

[Some people’s finish line is just someone else’s starting line… No, they can’t even reach the starting line. ]

[Yesterday, a young man in the village, Oppa, told him that although he is only a teenager, Oppa feels that his life as an animal has come to an end. In 24 hours, only about one hour belongs to him. The rest of the time is spent on training, interpersonal relationships, work... It has been a long time since he last felt happy. He only feels tired when he does nothing. Oppa feels that he is just a replicant who is no different from other people. He can see his future life from the people around him. ]

[Life is a lousy game, 95% of people are just NPCs on the side of the road. ]

[He advised Oppa: "Then paint on the treetops like me." Oppa shook his head and said that this was a waste of life.]

[He asked Oppa: "So you are taking advantage of life like this?"

[Opa was at a loss, and said, "No, but I don't know what to do. It seems that this is the only way left for me. If I take a break, there will be no place for me in the blacksmith shop. My life will be more miserable than it is now, and I won't even be able to get married. If I don't do it, there are plenty of people who will do it."]

【Pain, and more pain.】

[Most people in the village seem to be wavering between these two emotions.]

[He vaguely felt that this was not right, that the food chain should not exist, and that the differences between races were too great. But he didn't know how to change it.]

[He asked the adults, and they all said, "Children just need to practice well and become warriors in the future. Don't worry about other things. Only obedient children get candy."]

……

"It would be great if the food chain could disappear." Little Sique stared at the food chain on the manuscript paper and put it down.

He tilted his head and strummed the lyre beside him.

Although Xiao Sique couldn't see Su Mingan, Su Mingan sat next to Xiao Sique, separated by a thin barrier, against his long purple hair.

"Okay, let's not talk about philosophy anymore. I wrote a poem, but no one in the village wants to listen... I'll play it here." Little Sique began to fiddle with his fingers.

The child, who is in his early teens, has thin fingers but plays the piano very smoothly.

Su Mingan heard freedom, wheat ears, windmills and the sea in the music.

They sat quietly, the music flowing like a stream. In the music, the voice of the little magpie was also like a stream:

"These past few days, I have conceived a fairy tale...about you."

Su Mingan was startled and looked sideways, but little Si Que's gaze was still fixed on empty space.

...Is Xiao Si Que talking to him? But Xiao Si Que clearly can't see him.

"It's a story about a bride and groom." Little Si Que said to himself:

"The story takes place in a floating city where people live in a numb state."

"People regard studying, working, getting married and having children as a necessary part of life. So I wonder, what will happen to them if I take away the last part?"

“So, in my conception, the virus entered the floating city, and people lost the ability to reproduce.”

"So, in order to survive, people built the inner city and the outer city, and ordered the people in the outer city to offer their children as sacrifices."

"Next, I'm thinking about..."

At this point, Xiao Si Que suddenly raised his head, as if he heard something.

But what Su Mingan saw was still a blank, nothing but white.

"Uncle Raman from the village called me. I guess he's trying to persuade me to train again... Really, no matter how many years a magpie trains, he can't beat a seven or eight year old tiger man. It's better for them to play to their respective races' strengths. He just doesn't understand."

"I'll come back next time."

Little Si Que stood up and his figure quickly disappeared.

Su Mingan was the only one left in the blank space.

Su Mingan picked up the feather pen, and the moment he picked up the pen, he saw several lines of text appear in the air.

……

[Uncle Raman in the village called little Si Que away. They wanted to educate this child who refused to be trained.]

【Five days later, Little Si Que will come back again. 】

……

Su Mingan picked up the feather pen and tentatively wrote on the back——

……

【Five days later.】

……

Su Mingan only wrote these three words.

Then, I felt the time passing by... Little Si Que came again. He had changed his clothes, and five days must have passed.

"Good morning, I'm here again. Let's continue talking about the story from last time." Si Que sat down, with a lot more manuscript paper in his bag.

"I have a new idea... I want to add the element of 'competition' to the story." When the story was mentioned, Xiao Si Que's eyes seemed to light up, and people could feel his enthusiasm and love, as if he was floating in endless aura:

"I want to add the two identities of 'groom' and 'bride'."

"There was a group of travelers from outside the Floating City of White Sun who accidentally stepped into this city. They were able to reproduce, which surprised the people of the floating city."

"Some of these travelers have acquired the status of 'groom', and some have acquired the status of 'bride'."

"After the 'groom' is recognized by the 'bride', he will be pushed to the throne by people who are eager for offspring. The task of the 'bride' is to kill the 'groom'. They are unwilling to become a reproduction machine and be controlled endlessly."

"As for how to logically incorporate this setting, I'm still thinking..."

After that, Xiao Si Que always came over to share his new ideas and describe the follow-up of the story.

……

Act III: "Nobody's Poem"

He began to experiment with creation.

[Creation brings happiness. On the hillside, by the deserted woods, he is always writing stories.]

[The villagers urged him to train again and again, but when he refused, they denounced him as worthless, treating him as a bad example of a disobedient child, and told other children not to play with him.]

【"What is he trying to do? Write a story? Oh, my God, what can he write? Only the young masters in the city have the leisure to write stories. Art is the hobby of the rich. Does he think anyone will read it?" A slightly sarcastic voice sounded, but it soon disappeared. The villagers would not blame a child. He just "took the wrong path." As long as he realized that what he wrote was bullshit, he would soon start training, forging swords, running for warriors, working hard, getting married and having children like his well-behaved peers, and move towards a bright and glorious future. 】

[The first story he conceived, and he had already thought of a title for it, was called "The White Gauze Skirt in the Floating City."]

[However, no one in the village is interested in knowing his story, which is not a good idea.]

[He wandered around all day collecting folk songs, and then returned to his room at sunset, talking to himself and thinking up stories.]

……

"The wheat ears are ripe today. Grandma Martha sent me some wheat to eat. Although she always nags me, she is a good person..." Su Ming'an looked up. Little Magpie came again today. He chewed the wheat. It was reasonable for the magpie to eat wheat.

Little Si Que sat down and continued to share his story: "Today I am thinking about the character setting of the 'bride'. I want to set a 'bride' who likes to eat wheat..."

The body of Su Mingan is a child with blond hair and blue eyes. Su Mingan is just possessed. Apart from using a feather pen to speed up time, he basically does not interfere with this body.

Su Mingan could feel himself opening his mouth and uttering a weak voice: "Little Magpie, your clothes seem to be a little messier today. Are there any naughty older kids bullying you?"

"Then, a 'bridegroom' gave her wheat, trying to bribe her..." Little Sique was still telling the story.

"How can I get to you and go to the village with you?" said the body.

In this endless white space, Su Mingan could only see Xiao Si Que, but Xiao Si Que always kept his head down and talked to himself, so he couldn't see him.

After sharing his ideas, Xiao Si Que will leave. The next visit may be a few days later, or even dozens of days later.

Su Mingan used a feather pen to speed up time. He wanted to see what the relationship was between his body and Xiao Si Que.

……

"I am coming again."

Little Si Que came over. He was wearing a scarf today. Maybe it was because it was winter outside. "Today I thought of the first climax of the story. The brave protagonist went deep into the inner city. A vicious villain wanted to harm them, but was cut into six pieces by a machine..."

"Your story is very interesting, but how can I communicate with you?" Su Mingan felt himself moving, but he couldn't touch Xiao Si Que. There was always a thin barrier between them.

……