Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xie Wanjun's gaze suddenly sharpened, slicing through the air like a sharp blade, landing on Fu Sang's face as she sought to gauge her reaction to the mention of the Azure Wind Pearl.
However, Fu Sang maintained a calm and composed demeanor, her eyes reflecting only a chill, devoid of any other emotion. Xie Wanjun couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Is this what they call a cold face but warm heart?"
Beside them, He Guannan was about to speak, but Xie Wanjun interjected, "You seem to know quite a bit. After this incident, several versions have circulated within the association."
He Guannan replied in surprise, "You, someone who hardly spends time in the association, are aware that there are multiple versions of this incident? You must be well-informed."
Since joining the association, Xie Wanjun had been working in the Four Departments, which were responsible for domestic religious affairs, particularly Western religions. Many members of the Four Departments often worked abroad, and Xie Wanjun was one of those assigned overseas. Although she spent little time in the association and was somewhat out of the loop regarding its news, she was certainly aware of the significant matter concerning the loss of the Spirit Pearl.
Sixteen years ago, in 2008, the most notorious event within the association was indeed the loss of the Spirit Pearl. Following that incident, rumors began to circulate regarding the reasons behind its disappearance, escalating into three distinct versions that left people guessing. The first version claimed that beneath West Lake lay a sealed ancient beast, and that the Azure Wind Pearl was a holy artifact used to seal it. When the beast broke free from its seal, it transformed into a dragon and soared into the sky, taking the Azure Wind Pearl with it. The second version suggested that an Evil Spirit had stolen the Spirit Pearl and was discovered by a member guarding it. In an ensuing struggle, the Evil Spirit managed to escape with the Spirit Pearl while all pursuing members fell victim to its poison and died. The third version—considered taboo—implied that someone within the association had attempted to steal the Spirit Pearl, triggering a series of events. Speculation arose that this person sought to use the Spirit Pearl for immortality. In summary, as opinions varied widely, so did the mystery surrounding it; even now, discussions about the loss of the Spirit Pearl occasionally resurfaced within the association.
Xie Wanjun recounted these three versions.
However, He Guannan remarked, "I've heard those three versions long ago; what I want to discuss is an advanced version of the third one. You could consider it a fourth version."
The term "advanced version" caught both Pei Huaizhi and Xie Wanjun off guard as they turned their attention toward him.
They were already familiar with the first three versions circulating among them; however, they had never encountered an advanced version before. Pei Huaizhi had spent considerable time with He Guannan and had never heard him mention such a thing. Seeing their surprised expressions, He Guannan's lips curled into a slight smirk tinged with pride as he said, "The version I’m about to share is 60% closer to the truth."
"Just get on with it," Xie Wanjun urged him.
He Guannan deliberately slowed his speech down, emphasizing each word to build tension: "The person who stole the Spirit Pearl was indeed someone from our association. He colluded with an Evil Spirit but didn’t expect that the Evil Spirit would suddenly turn on him and kill him, claiming the Spirit Pearl for itself."
Once he finished speaking, He Guannan noticed their lack of surprise; instead of astonishment, they appeared indifferent. He quickly added, "Show some emotion! Don’t act like this; I’m serious! I got this information from Lao Lin."
"You were eavesdropping," Pei Huaizhi remarked pointedly as he looked at him knowingly. His comment stemmed from having seen He Guannan drag him to eavesdrop outside the President's office. Xie Wanjun also fixed her gaze on him with an intense scrutiny that felt like double pressure. At that moment, He Guannan felt extremely nervous and stammered an explanation: "I wasn’t."
But the two of them exchanged intense glances, and finally, he took a deep breath, raised his hand, and said seriously, "I swear, it was really Lao Lin who told me." Seeing He Guannan's sincere expression, they chose to believe him and shifted their gaze away from his face.
He Guannan, noticing they were no longer staring at him, thought they must have believed him. He slowly got up and walked towards Pei Huaizhi. Just as he sat down next to Pei Huaizhi, Pei Huaizhi spoke up, "What’s wrong?"
"Is she mute? She hasn’t said a word," He Guannan glanced at Fu Sang and whispered, "Who exactly is she? She looks so cold and distant, but she saved us. She must be a good person, right?"
"I also want to know who she is," Pei Huaizhi replied, a meaningful smile flickering in his eyes as he looked at Fu Sang. His tone turned stern as he shifted his gaze back to He Guannan. "What you just said shouldn’t be something you overheard from Lao Lin and the President."
"I already told you, it was..." He Guannan began, but was interrupted by Pei Huaizhi, "Whenever you lie, you like to hide your hands behind your back. You did that just now too."
With even his body language being seen through, there was no way to hide it now. He Guannan said, "Looks like I can’t keep any secrets in front of you. But if I tell you, you have to keep it confidential."
Seeing Pei Huaizhi nodding, He Guannan quietly explained how he had overheard the conversation. He had originally gone to find Lin Shaoqin to discuss something but found the door ajar and heard voices inside. He intended to leave and come back later, but when he turned around, he overheard them discussing the loss of the Spirit Pearl. This piqued his curiosity, so he stayed by the door to listen until they noticed him. In the end, the President told him not to speak of what he heard; otherwise, he would be working without pay and without vacation days. No one would want to work without wages.
After listening to his explanation, Pei Huaizhi remarked, "You brought this on yourself; just deal with it."
"I just want to find the Spirit Pearl quickly and go back. Staying here is making me feel uneasy. Isn’t the Spirit Pearl supposed to have a spirit of its own? It should come out on its own so we don’t have to look for it. And why did the President put such an important item so far away instead of keeping it in the association?" Suddenly, an idea struck He Guannan, and he exclaimed loudly, "Think about it! Since the Azure Wind Pearl is a Holy Artifact, rich in spiritual energy and immensely powerful, it should be kept in the underground protection layer of the association. That would make it much easier to manage! Why put it at West Lake so far from headquarters? If something happens, it might be too late for a remedy."
Pei Huaizhi agreed, "Unless there’s a compelling reason for it to be at West Lake."
"The Azure Wind Pearl is placed there to suppress the Locking Demon Tower beneath West Lake and prevent demons from emerging," said Fu Sang, who had been silent for a long time. Her sudden statement left them all in shock.
They were astonished that there was actually a Locking Demon Tower beneath West Lake. After spending so much time in the association, this was their first time hearing such explosive news. Although they knew about the function of the Azure Wind Pearl, they never imagined its purpose was to suppress the Locking Demon Tower. No matter how they connected the dots, they could never have thought of the existence of the tower.
At that moment, He Guannan recalled the first version and suddenly exclaimed, "So there really are ancient demon beasts sealed beneath the lake?"
"With the Locking Demon Tower confirmed to exist, this beast must also be real," Pei Huaizhi said, lowering his head. His heart felt like the surface of the sea, gently rising and falling. Slowly, he raised his gaze, casting a suspicious look at Fu Sang. "The Azure Wind Pearl is used to suppress the Locking Demon Tower. I imagine very few in the association know about it. How do you know, since you’re not a member?"
Fu Sang replied, "Because that night I was at West Lake and saw the beast emerge from the depths of the lake. Fortunately, your association members arrived in time to seal it away, so I naturally learned about it."
Upon hearing Fu Sang mention being at West Lake that night, Pei Huaizhi's pupils suddenly constricted as his heart raced. The scene of his father's murder flashed repeatedly in his mind. Waves of turmoil surged within him, and suddenly a voice echoed in his ear, repeating, "She is the one you are looking for." The conflicting emotions left him agitated and breathless. Unable to bear it any longer, he shouted angrily, "Get away!"
The shout pierced through the air, startling He Guannan, who instinctively recoiled and looked at him with fear. His voice trembled as he asked, "Old Pei, what’s wrong with you?" Meanwhile, Xie Wanjun aimed her gun at Pei Huaizhi, her eyes scanning around him. She thought he might be under attack from the Soul-Eating Beast. Hearing his shout, Fu Sang's eyes instantly turned blue as she checked for spirits around him and assessed his internal condition.
Once Pei Huaizhi regained his composure, he looked around and saw Xie Wanjun pointing her gun at him and He Guannan's terrified expression. Realizing it was his outburst that caused the panic, he quickly explained, "I’m fine; I’m really sorry for scaring you."
Hearing his familiar tone eased He Guannan's anxiety. He sighed and said, "You really scared us just now. Shouting like that in the dark of Lao Lin at night—I thought you were possessed by a ghost."
Xie Wanjun lowered her gun and coldly asked, "What’s going on with you? You seem off. Are you poisoned too? Experiencing hallucinations or confusion?"
He was neither confused nor hallucinating; on the contrary, he was acutely aware of the horrifying images in his mind and the haunting voices echoing within him. He was painfully aware that Fu Sang could very well be involved in his father's death. His outburst had merely been an emotional release.
He Guannan continued to express concern, saying, "Maybe you should let Fu Sang check you out. If any part of you was bitten by the Soul-Eating Beast, that could be serious."
Pei Huaizhi insisted he was fine and refused Fu Sang's offer to examine him. Xie Wanjun thought it might be wise to let Fu Sang take a look anyway since they were about to confront an Evil Spirit; it would be better to address any issues early on to avoid complications later. Both of them urged Pei Huaizhi to consider it.
Suddenly, Fu Sang interjected, "He’s not poisoned; he must be angry. Just now I noticed his heart rate was quite fast."
Angry! Why?
They looked at her in confusion. Pei Huaizhi felt a pang in his chest; he hadn’t expected Fu Sang to see through him with her Heavenly Eye. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to explain himself while making it sound believable. Suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him. He explained, "I was just thinking about how they assigned us such a dangerous task without sending more people to help us. Guannan almost lost his life; I got a bit frustrated and couldn’t help but vent." As he spoke, he kept glancing at Fu Sang, fearful she might scan his heartbeat again with her Heavenly Eye. But Fu Sang didn’t look at him; she remained focused on the fire pit and showed no interest in their conversation.
As He Guannan stared at the bracelet on Pei Huaizhi's wrist, he remarked, "Where did you get this protective bracelet? It seems to shield you whenever danger arises." A flicker of surprise crossed Fu Sang's eyes at his words. She then looked up, her scrutinizing gaze fixed on the bracelet. After a few seconds, she lowered her head again, falling silent. Pei Huaizhi noticed her reaction and caught the hint of astonishment in her eyes.
From the moment she appeared, her face had shown no emotion. Now that he had finally caught a glimpse of her change, he felt a surge of joy. He glanced at the bracelet and replied nonchalantly, "It was given to me by someone."
He Guannan took the bracelet from Pei Huaizhi's wrist and held it in his hand for a closer look. He thought that no matter how skilled a craftsman might be, they could never create something so naturally beautiful. The red beads were smooth and round, glistening with a translucent sheen that sparkled even brighter in the firelight. Closing one eye to examine the beads more closely, he noticed a faint blue glow emanating from within. He was taken aback. "This bead glows from the inside?"
Xie Wanjun cast a quick glance at the bracelet, her eyes widening in shock as she snatched it from him for a closer inspection. "This is Pearl of the Earth," she declared. Holding the bracelet aloft, she scrutinized the beads closely; the faint blue light inside formed intricate patterns that resembled ancient characters or mysterious symbols. He Guannan and Pei Huaizhi were unaware of what Pearl of the Earth was, but Xie Wanjun's astonishment indicated its rarity. After examining it thoroughly, she returned the bracelet to Pei Huaizhi and said, "It seems the person who gifted you this bracelet is not an ordinary individual."
"Is Pearl of the Earth really that rare?" He Guannan asked, puzzled.
"Not only is it rare, but it's also extremely difficult to find. To acquire ten of them at once is even more exceptional," Xie Wanjun explained as she continued to observe the beads in her hand. "I heard about it from others; Pearl of the Earth grows beneath the Sha Tang Tree, which only exists on Kunlun Mountain. While we know its general location, finding the Sha Tang Tree is nearly impossible due to the dangers of Kunlun Mountain itself—home to bizarre creatures that aren't even documented in biology. You might not find the tree before losing your life instead. The key point is that while we know Sha Tang Tree is on Kunlun Mountain, we don't know its exact location—it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. That's why I say the person who gifted you this bracelet must be extraordinary."
As Pei Huaizhi gazed at the bracelet, memories of the friend who had given it to him flooded back. At that time, he had thought it was just an ordinary protective charm; he never imagined its origins were so perilous. He felt a twinge of guilt since he hadn't given anything in return.
A gust of cold wind swept through, piercing like needles against their skin. The flames nearby crackled ominously when suddenly, chilling screams echoed from deep within the shadowy forest. The sound reached Xie Wanjun's ears; she turned and raised her gun, scanning her surroundings while He Guannan and Pei Huaizhi simultaneously turned their heads back, feeling as if those screams were drawing nearer—a sensation that sent shivers down their spines.
At that moment, Fu Sang spoke up: "That's the wailing of spirits; those Soul-Eating Beasts are hunting them. We should leave while they are distracted." She stood up and looked around before pointing behind Pei Huaizhi. "This way leads out."
As she walked past Pei Huaizhi, her eyes transformed into a brilliant blue hue with a faint glow in her pupils. Everything around them became crystal clear—the Soul-Eating Beasts in the trees and the stones and plants nearby. Three miles away, she spotted a dilapidated ancient temple—that was their destination. She cautioned them: "This path has been set with magical formations; there’s only one way to go. Follow my steps precisely without deviation, and unless absolutely necessary, do not fire your weapons—the Soul-Eating Beasts are in the trees."
With that said, Fu Sang leaped into action. As her right foot touched down, a red circular Symbol Pattern appeared beneath her feet. She soared into the air again as her left foot landed; this movement repeated three times—each time leaving behind glowing Symbol Patterns that indicated they were on the right path.
Comment 0 Comment Count