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墨書 Inktalez
Zhong Kui's Diary
Elder Tang seems to have noticed my actions and said with a smile, "No need to doubt, this is the Book of Life and Death's Xuan Ju Men Scroll. Yours is the Scroll of the Greedy Wolf, given to you by Old Man Jin, right?"
I nodded in surprise, recalling Jin Manyuan's words, and asked, "Are you also a Yin-Yang Physique, and you sensed me?"
Elder Tang laughed heartily, "There aren't that many Yin-Yang Physiques, they're a rare occurrence. How could I have such good luck? I only possess a page of the treasure, something passed down from my ancestors."
Ancestors? Uh, you wouldn't happen to be from the Sichuan Tangmen, would you? With a flick of the wrist, poison sprays everywhere and poisoned arrows fly.
I swallowed hard and asked hoarsely, "Then how did you know I had this?"
"Old Man Jin called me to tell me. We are friends and both holders of the Book of Life and Death. What secrets could he have that I don't know?" Elder Tang's words dispelled my doubts.
I glanced at Tang Zian beside me; it seemed this handsome guy was favored by Elder Tang, as such a Confidential matter was not hidden from him. Tang Zian seemed to Understood what I was thinking and raised an eyebrow smugly.
"So your reason for finding me is..." I asked Elder Tang in confusion.
Elder Tang didn't speak but simply gestured towards the lying Huang Lao with a slight smile.
I looked over at Huang Lao, about to ask when a flash of insight struck me. Could it be that you want to extend his lifespan?
Yes, with Huang Lao's significant contributions to the Republic, I have no real use for this treasure. It would be better to do a favor. With that thought, I took out the box and handed it to Elder Tang: "Alright then, let this be my contribution to the country; take the scroll."
As I handed over the box, I felt a sense of relief inside. This thing is so ethereal; where would I find the remaining pages? Plus, considering Jin Manyuan's past experiences, living long could also be a torment. It might be better to live splendidly while I can.
If I were to possess a fortune of billions or wield significant power, I am unsure if I would be willing to hand over this box. However, at this moment, I truly have no hesitation.
A look of appreciation flashed in Tang the Elder's eyes as he shook his head with a smile. "Zhong, you know that to merge the Seven Pages of Life and Death Manual, one must have the Yin-Yang Physique. Old Man Jin has already left, and it seems you are the only one in this world who can summon the Judgment of Life and Death."
I was taken aback. "Old man, you can't be asking me to gather the Seven Pages of the Treasure of Life and Death, can you?"
Tang the Elder smiled and said, "That's right."
I felt a wave of discomfort inside; why should I search for these elusive things for you? I admire Huang Lao, but not to the extent of risking my life. After pondering for a moment, I replied, "I won't give you any empty promises about facing mountains of knives or seas of fire. That's impossible. I can only do my best, alright?"
I couldn't help but hesitate; if I really managed to gather the Seven Pages of the Treasure of Life and Death, would I still be able to resist the temptation before me? Living for eight hundred years!
"Alright then, let's first go to Moon City to get the Kaiyang Scroll," Tang the Elder said.
"What? The Kaiyang Scroll? You have the Kaiyang Martial Music Scroll in Moon City?" I exclaimed in surprise.
You can't treat treasures like this so carelessly! This is a rare treasure! Now it feels like it's being tossed around like rotten vegetables without any sense of mystery. If the Seven Pages of the Treasure of Life and Death are being revealed like this... then what is Cao Dama Zi even writing about?
"Yes, the Kaiyang Scroll is indeed in Moon City. Were you not going there for the Kaiyang Martial Music Scroll?" Tang the Elder asked, equally surprised.
"No, I'm going to find someone—Feng Zhen." I recounted what had happened during my two encounters. After hearing this, Tang the Elder's face turned pale as he forced a smile. "So that's how it is. I thought you sensed the Kaiyang Scroll."
I hadn't even opened the box after receiving it! I muttered to myself; besides, this thing can only sense within a hundred miles radius, while Moon City is thousands of miles away. How could I possibly sense it? Moreover, you're not even a Yin-Yang Physique; how could you sense other Books of Life and Death? Isn't it supposed to require holding it to sense anything?
Not wanting to hide my doubts any longer, I voiced them out loud. Tang the Elder explained, "Since Old Man Jin revised the Book of Life and Death, he once spent some time searching for the remaining pages."
I nodded; it must have been during the time he wanted to die.
"Some things can only rely on chance. In that hundred years, he only found three pages of the treasure manual: the scroll in his hand, my Tang family's Xuan Scroll, and another Kaiyang Scroll. At that time, Old Man Jin was not so peaceful; he was completely a thug with extraordinary strength. To our shame, our Tang family's treasure manual was taken by him. However, a few years ago, he returned it to us. On one hand, the other four scrolls are still missing; on the other hand, his eight hundred years of life are running out, so it doesn't matter whether he finds them or not." Tang the Elder glanced at Huang Lao when he mentioned his dwindling lifespan, lowering his voice significantly: "As for the Kaiyang Scroll, he gave it to the Moon City Yang Family."
"Alright then, I'll go to Moon City to find Feng Zhen. You all contact the Yang Family people and we'll coordinate by phone." I asked Tang the Elder for his phone number and added, "Don't worry; I will do my best."
Tang the Elder looked at me with a half-smile: "I believe you will do your best."
He seemed quite confident. I cupped my hands in farewell and paused for a moment before greeting Huang Lao again before leaving.
Will I really do my best? Perhaps. I smiled noncommittally.
Back at my seat, I noticed there were many people around, and since this matter was too important, I had to join Tang the Elder's game of Landlord as they were short one player. They didn't believe me but didn't ask further; they knew I would tell them when there were no outsiders around.
Upon arriving in Moon City, we took a taxi to the hotel that An Ran had booked for us—two rooms, 405 and 406, both double rooms. I felt a bit troubled; before taking that step, I certainly couldn't just casually share a room with Guo'er. Fatty seemed to understand my thoughts and just chuckled.
Putting that aside for now, we settled into room 405. I called Gu Shuchang; she seemed to have already received Lingfeng's notice and cheerfully offered to host me for dinner. Of course, I wouldn't refuse such an invitation; I've heard that seafood here is famous, and I wanted to indulge.
After we three finished showering and watched some TV, my phone rang—Gu Shuchang was waiting for us in the lobby area downstairs. As soon as we got off the elevator, I spotted her right away since she was the only one in the entire reception area. She appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a pair of rimless glasses with great poise and even an imposing presence; she truly embodied the authority of a city leader from Capital City.
After exchanging pleasantries, we got into her car and wound through several turns into an alleyway that led us to a private dining restaurant. Gu Shuchang smiled and said, "It's not that I'm picky; it's just that if you dive straight into seafood upon arriving in Moon City, nine out of ten people will end up with stomach issues. You should first acclimate to the local environment and eat something light before indulging in seafood later on. In any case, your meals are on me."
With such careful consideration from her, we naturally had no objections.
Gu Shuchang didn't hold back either; she ordered several signature dishes from the restaurant and urged the waiter to bring them quickly. After pouring each of us a cup of tea, she got straight to the point: "I asked a friend about Feng Zhen. After he arrived in Shenzhen, he initially stayed at a hotel while looking for business opportunities at a nearby electronics company but quit after just one run and left the hotel. There are two possibilities: either he found friends and is staying at their place or... he's joined a pyramid scheme."
I gasped along with Fatty. Feng Zhen hadn't graduated yet, and in a place like Moon City, the chances of having friends or classmates were slim. Even if there were friends, why would they go straight to him instead of staying in a hotel?
If he really got tricked into a pyramid scheme, it would be a big deal. Pyramid schemes are usually very disciplined; once an ordinary person gets in, it's nearly impossible to get out. Even contacting the outside world would be extremely difficult.
Years ago, Fatty had been deceived into a pyramid scheme. When he realized he was in one, he was all smiles. He would eat three people's worth of food at every meal and would smash bowls if there was no meat. Relying on his strength, he bullied both men and women. In the organization, there were eight female members, seven of whom he had come into close contact with, while the eighth managed to escape due to her old age and fading looks. In the end, the leader of that pyramid scheme fled with everyone one dark night...
If Feng Zhen had been tricked into a pyramid scheme, finding such an organization in a vast Moon City would be incredibly difficult. I looked at Gu Shuchang, hoping she had more information.
Gu Shuchang continued, "The company he left behind had a contact address and phone number. The phone number is now turned off, but there are three similar organizations operating around that address."
I was surprised. "Then why don't you just take them down directly?"
Gu Shuchang smiled wryly. "Existence is justification; some things are not as simple as they seem on the surface. The interests involved are complex. Think of it this way: a pyramid scheme is like a pyramid; the ones making profits are always at the top. Those at the top aren't fools; they manage their various relationships very well."
Hearing the word "fool" from such an elegant woman left me momentarily speechless. Should I laugh loudly to match her tone? Moreover, this seemed somewhat illogical. Come on, you're a deputy director of the municipal party committee's organization department. I'm not too clear about the official hierarchy, but you must at least be at the level of a division chief or deputy bureau chief, right? In politics, discretion is key; does the party secretary know you speak so freely?
"After sufficient preparation in the early stages, they start casting their nets. Once they gather enough money, this group divides it among the responsible officials in relevant departments and then absconds with the funds. Only then do certain department heads strike back hard, capturing all those mid-level members of the pyramid scheme. Haha, that sounds a bit extreme; it doesn't quite fit my identity." Gu Shuchang raised her glass and gestured to us before downing it in one go.
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