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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 44 Divine Clan
The butler led the two into a large private room, where a sumptuous feast awaited them. The table was spacious enough to seat twelve, yet only the two of them occupied it, with the butler standing by to serve.
Ji Zichen looked at the lavish spread and smiled, " Madam Jiang has truly gone overboard."
The butler stepped forward to pour wine for them, smiling lightly, though there was a hint of pride in his demeanor. "I prepared a few dishes, hoping you both find them to your liking."
Ji Zichen chuckled again, pointing at a plate of yellow braised chicken. "This yellow braised chicken with green mushrooms is no ordinary dish. The green mushrooms come from the Desolate Central Plain, which are quite rare. I had it once in the Desolate Central Plain; this is not something an average household can afford."
The butler replied with a smile, "It is an honor for Sister Lin to visit the Ginger residence; we certainly cannot be negligent."
Lin Chuyu expressed her surprise, "You know me?"
The butler smiled lightly. "Who else but Sister Lin could possess the Vermilion Bird Pearl?"
Lin Chuyu followed up with a question, "Then you must know where the Vermilion Bird is?"
The butler did not respond directly. "This is Swallow Brew; please give it a try."
Ji Zichen exclaimed in surprise, "Swallow Brew from Pottery Flask! You have that too!"
The butler explained, "My master has been to Pottery Flask; after tasting it once, he couldn't forget it. Years ago, he acquired a batch of wine. Now that Pottery Flask no longer exists, if it weren't for our valued guest, we wouldn't have opened this for you."
Ji Zichen scoffed, "Guest? Why do I feel like I'm a prisoner?"
He raised his cup and drank, tears glistening in his eyes as memories flooded back. Ji Zichen thought of Yan Shaoyuan and said, "I thought I would never drink this again."
The butler smiled apologetically. "Young Master Ji, as expected from a merchant of magical artifacts; you truly are well-informed—not only do you know where Mushroom Braised Chicken comes from, but also the origins of Swallow Brew."
Ji Zichen stared at the butler and chuckled, "How did you know about our identities? This place seems isolated from the world, your insight surpasses that of your lady."
The butler smiled knowingly and replied, "If the lady didn't know your identities, how could she have allowed you to enter? Young Master Ji is half right; this place can be isolated or not. You must have noticed that this is the Hundred Lantern Alliance Ring Gap, but what Young Master Ji doesn't know is that living within the Gap left by the divine race, one cannot feel the passage of time, for time here is frozen."
Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu both paused in surprise. Lin Chuyu exclaimed, "Time is frozen!"
The butler chuckled deeply, "Indeed, Sister Lin. If you wish to remain youthful forever, as long as you win the lady's favor, you can stay. Although this place appears isolated from the world, we can utilize the Gap to move around. We can go wherever we desire and only wish to entertain those we want to host. If there’s anywhere you wish to go, as long as the lady agrees, in no time at all, you could be a thousand miles away."
Ji Zichen smirked coldly and said, "It sounds like a wonderful place; as long as I don't go out, I won't grow old. But I'm not someone who can sit still."
The butler smiled lightly without responding.
At that moment, a loud gong echoed through the mansion. The butler's expression darkened as he said, "Ladies, please dine here; I will step out for a moment."
Once the butler left, Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu couldn't sit still either. They stepped outside to the main entrance and saw that the village they had previously seen was engulfed in flames. Madam Jiang was leading the butler and the Guardians to the front entrance as well; her face showed no signs of shock but was instead filled with sorrow.
Madam Jiang ordered a carriage to be prepared, and a group of people thundered toward the village.
After the Guardians extinguished the fire, they found chaos everywhere. One Guardian stepped forward to report, "Madam, half of the village has burned down; the fire did not spread westward."
On the ground lay many charred villagers, their burnt bodies emitting a foul odor. Lin Chuyu covered her nose in horror and said, "This is terrible! How did the village catch fire?"
The butler trembled as he replied, "Could it be... that the master has returned?"
In the darkness just ten paces away on the street, Ji Zichen's sharp eyes focused on the impenetrable blackness. He pulled Lin Chuyu behind him and seemed to sense something. Ji Zichen told Lin Chuyu, "Stand behind me; it feels like something lurks in that darkness."
A strange sound echoed from within the shadows.
Everyone was drawn by this sound. The Guardians formed a line in front of Madam Jiang, holding their spears protectively. Suddenly, a pair of red eyes flashed in the darkness—those eyes were about three meters off the ground. Whatever approached was certainly not small.
Thud, thud... In the darkness, every step taken by the creature caused the charred corpses on the ground to tremble slightly, indicating that it possessed strong limbs.
A pair of red eyes slowly emerged from the shadows, revealing a mouse-like snout, followed by sharp teeth and whiskers. A massive black rat, over three meters tall and with glowing red eyes, poked its head out from the darkness.
Ji Zichen's expression changed in shock. "It's a giant rat!"
This was the second time Ji Zichen had encountered such a monstrous rodent. This rat was not the same one that had taken Shen Bifan all those years ago; she distinctly remembered that the previous giant rat had been entirely white.
Although Ji Zichen did not recognize this large black rat, many Guardians around her were already panicking, exclaiming, "It’s... my lord!"
The giant black rat's red eyes flashed with fury as it glared at Madam Jiang, baring its teeth and growling, "Madam, you really made me search hard for you! Did you think I wouldn't find you just because you kept moving in the Gap?"
With a roar, the giant black rat lunged at Madam Jiang like a bolt of black lightning. It seized two Guardians in its jaws and bit down hard. The two Guardians screamed in pain, and as their cries echoed out, they transformed into two smaller black rats.
The giant black rat did not consume the dead Guardians; instead, it tossed their lifeless bodies into a dilapidated house that had long since turned to ash.
In an instant, dark dust filled the air.
Though Madam Jiang stood firm, beads of sweat rolled down her temples. She fixed her gaze on every expression of the giant black rat, her eyes reflecting both fear and a hint of unnoticeable sorrow. "Shuwen, you've returned."
A massive and ferocious black rat bore a name so refined—Lin Chuyu felt her scalp tingle in terror.
Ji Zichen suddenly realized, "So they are from the Divine Clan!"
The Zodiac sign for Rat is respectfully referred to as Divine Child.
Shuwen's rat face twisted in pain. "Madam, my dear Madam, how could you be so cruel to me after all we've been through? This time I will make you taste the hatred I bring!"
Though Lin Chuyu had faced Water Beasts and Gu Diao before, this black rat instilled a fear she had never experienced. Her legs felt paralyzed, almost as if they were no longer her own.
Ji Zichen could feel her trembling, and her expression was terrifyingly calm. He spoke to Lin Chuyu to ease her fear, "Don't be afraid, he isn't coming for us."
Shuwen's boisterous laughter echoed, "What's wrong, madam? Are you scared?"
Madam Jiang was calculating in her mind when she suddenly realized something. "Shuwen, since you hate me so much, why don't you come up and kill me? Or are you afraid to come up? What have you possessed this time?"
Shuwen sneered, "I can't stand your all-knowing gaze!"
His red eyes shifted to Ji Zichen, and he exclaimed in anger, "How can there be humans here? You aren't supposed to let them in! If you allowed them in, why treat me like this?"
Shuwen roared, "Who says I can't kill you! I'll eat you right now!"
With a powerful stretch of his limbs, Shuwen lunged at Madam Jiang with his gaping rat-like mouth!
Ji Zichen whispered, "Fire Pearl!"
Four fire dragons roared into existence, merging into a single massive fire dragon. The dragon opened its mouth wide and swallowed the large black rat whole. The rat screamed in agony as it burned inside the dragon's belly. When the fire dragon dissipated, the large black rat lay weakly on the ground, its fur singed away.
The rat was severely burned and unable to move, glaring viciously at Ji Zichen. "You despicable human! How dare you hurt me!"
Ji Zichen's gaze turned exceptionally cold. "Years ago, when Bifan was taken by your Divine Clan, I had no power to stop it. Now that you're here, filthy rats, don't think you can show off in front of me! The one who took my junior sister was a White Mouse. Tell me who that White Mouse is, and I will spare your life!"
The large black rat's red eyes suddenly flickered and transformed into human-like eyes filled with shock and disbelief. "Bifan is your junior sister? Who exactly are you?"
Ji Zichen's eyes grew even colder, resembling those of a reaper. "Answer my question!"
The large black rat suddenly smiled. "I see now. I didn't expect you to come too; no wonder she let you in. I... I will return again!"
As the large black rat's form gradually became ethereal, a flash of dark light revealed a charred deer lying dead on the ground.
As Lin Chuyu watched the large black rat vanish, she felt a surge of courage. Stepping out from behind Ji Zichen, she focused her gaze on the charred deer and exclaimed, "How did the black rat turn into a deer?"
Ji Zichen replied, "The Divine Clan is different from ordinary rats. While regular rats are good at digging holes, these can burrow into any living creature, allowing them to possess and control it. However, this possession weakens their own power, which is why I was able to defeat it so easily. Next time it comes back, it won't be so easy to handle."
Madam Jiang silently gazed at the deceased Guardians and villagers, tears welling in her eyes as she thought, "It was my fault that you all died."
After a moment of silence, Madam Jiang shifted her gaze to Ji Zichen and asked, "Why did you choose to help me?"
Ji Zichen replied coldly and expressionlessly, "I'm not helping you. You restored Bifan's memory; that's my reward. I don't know what conflicts exist between you and your husband that led to this tragedy, nor am I interested in knowing. I only want to find out who took Bifan away all those years ago—the White Mouse."
Madam Jiang turned away and slowly walked toward the carriage. Her voice sounded weary as she said, "I'm tired. If there's anything else to say, do it now. You should all go back and rest."
The carriage gradually made its way back to the estate.
Ji Zichen watched the carriage's retreating figure and remarked coldly, "In this place where time stands still, will there ever be dawn?"
Seeing Madam Jiang leave, most people followed her back to the estate, leaving a few behind to clean up the bodies. Not wanting to linger in such a place any longer, Lin Chuyu said, "Brother Ji, let's head back too."
Ji Zichen nodded and walked alongside Lin Chuyu, murmuring to herself, "There are so many secrets in this place."
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