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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 5: The Pig Demon Ruins
"Three moves?" The Fire Lion clutched his chest, where the electric shock had struck, and laughed fiercely. "You won't even get one off!"
The Fire Lion transformed, revealing a half-human, half-mouse form. Using the Red Boots and his rodent body, he moved faster than a shadow in the blink of an eye. The left half of his body was human, and a strong, muscular arm had already locked around Ji Zichen's neck, pinning him to the ground. His right side was that of a mouse, and his right hand formed into a claw. With a sharp sound, the deadly mouse claws extended from his fingers.
Ji Zichen struggled beneath him, gasping for breath. He still held the Demon-Slaying Sword in his hand and was about to swing it to sever the Fire Lion's left arm when the Fire Lion pressed a knee down on Ji Zichen's wrist, causing him to grunt in pain.
The Fire Lion laughed contemptuously. " Ji Zichen, at this point, you’ve killed my two brothers. Whether or not I can exchange you for a reward is no longer important."
With a fierce glint in his eyes, the Fire Lion shouted, "Die!"
He lunged forward with his sharp claws aimed at Ji Zichen's face when suddenly a figure appeared behind him. A voice rang out, commanding, "Let Brother Ji go!"
A Vajra pierced into the Fire Lion's back, eliciting a heart-wrenching scream.
The Fire Lion turned with a snarl to glare at Lin Chuyu. Upon seeing the Fire Lion’s grotesque half-human, half-mouse form, Lin Chuyu was momentarily terrified and quickly withdrew the Vajra while stepping back. The Fire Lion roared furiously, "How dare you ambush me!"
He no longer cared about Lin Chuyu's identity or the Vermilion Bird Pearl; he charged toward her in rage. Although he had been injured, he was still determined to attack. Midway through his charge, however, he heard a rustling sound coming from behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a Water Rope slithering toward his ankle like a snake. In an instant assessment of his situation—injured and unable to fight Ji Zichen at full strength—the Fire Lion decided to escape.
With a swift motion, he angled his body and fled to the right.
Ji Zichen scrambled up from the ground in disarray but did not pursue. His gaze fell on Lin Chuyu as he asked, "How did you end up here?"
Seeing the Fire Lion retreating, Lin Chuyu's racing heart gradually calmed down. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "Bifan was taken by the steward; they must have gone this way. Have you seen Bifan?"
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "Why did he capture Bifan?"
Lin Chuyu replied anxiously, "The steward wants to turn Bifan into a mouse."
Ji Zichen's expression changed abruptly as panic set in. "Are you sure it’s this way?"
Lin Chuyu said nervously, "I... I'm not entirely sure; I came here by instinct."
Ji Zichen's gaze fell upon the stone tablet. Without a clear purpose, it was impossible to find anyone. If she was correct, it was very likely that Bifan had been taken into the ruins by them.
"We should enter the ruins first," Ji Zichen said.
"The ruins?" Lin Chuyu glanced at the large stone tablet, which stood out prominently. Her chest rose and fell with tension. "Is this stone tablet the ruins? Is it Divine Dawn?"
"I don't know. No one knows what the Divine Dawn Ruins look like," Ji Zichen replied.
The two of them walked around to the back of the stone tablet.
There was a stone door at the back of the tablet. Ji Zichen pushed it open with difficulty, revealing a vast hall inside. The hall was filled with numerous Pig Demon Statues—pig-nosed, big-eared, wielding nine-foot-long rake-like weapons. "This is not Divine Dawn," Ji Zichen remarked.
Lin Chuyu also realized that there was no way Pig Demon Statues would be placed in the Divine Dawn Ruins.
The Pig Demon Statues lined both sides of the passageway, and the hall was covered in dead grass, with vegetation dried up and an atmosphere of decay hanging in the air. As they walked past the Pig Demon Statues, they reached a set of Stone Steps leading upward. Next to the Stone Steps were two enormous Pig Demon Statues, even larger than those in the passageway.
The two gigantic Pig Demon Statues stood like humble subjects, bearing a stone chamber on their shoulders, while the Stone Steps extended up to the entrance of the chamber.
As Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu stepped onto the Stone Steps, Lin Chuyu felt a chill and dampness emanating from them, an eerie sensation that sent shivers down her spine. Despite this, she could feel her pulse racing with excitement; this was her first time entering ruins.
The hall had likely been standing for hundreds of years. Lin Chuyu noticed that some supports on the stone walls were loose, with many fragments of limestone scattered across the ground. However, she didn't need to worry about stirring up dust as water seeped from the walls, soaking into the limestone on the floor and flowing down along the Stone Steps.
On either side of the Stone Steps hung Wall Lanterns covered in moss.
When they reached a higher point on the Stone Steps, they found a fan-shaped stone door in front of them. The door stood over six meters tall and more than one meter wide, adorned with carvings depicting fierce Pig Demon faces. The images were drawn with gold thread; however, time had worn them down, and now they lacked their former grandeur. The once intimidating Pig Demon faces now appeared pitiful and self-pitying, their splendor long gone.
Even so, the door still exuded an air of severity.
Lin Chuyu was moved as she said, "The images on this door are made of gold thread; it's clear that this place was once quite luxurious."
Ji Zichen nodded in agreement. "There must have been considerable wealth here before. However, all that wealth has likely been claimed by the Divine Clan; otherwise, they wouldn't have settled here."
Ji Zichen did not dwell on the past of this hall as he approached the stone door. He placed both palms against it and pushed with all his might, but it wouldn't budge. He guessed that this stone door weighed no less than a thousand pounds, so he decided not to rely solely on brute strength.
With one hand pressed against the door, the Wind Buddha Bead dimmed slightly, and he felt the wind energy emanating from his palm, gradually spreading to cover the entire stone door, which stood over six zhang high and was thick enough to weigh a thousand pounds. But with a sudden opening of his eyes, Ji Zichen unleashed a surge of wind energy, causing the heavy door to creak ominously as it began to yield under his push.
Inside was an incredibly spacious hall, and at the far end stood a throne made entirely of Luminous Gold, exuding an air of solemnity.
As the two entered the vast hall, their figures appeared as small as ants.
They walked to the center of the hall, where Ji Zichen faintly saw two figures—one seated on the throne and another standing beside it.
Ji Zichen halted his steps and heard someone laugh, "Indeed, relying on them cannot stop you!"
Ji Zichen guardedly asked, "Who are you?"
The person replied, "Why don’t you come a little closer?"
Ji Zichen approached the steps of the throne in a defensive stance and finally recognized the person seated there. "You are that Big Black Rat!"
Lin Chuyu noticed the person standing beside the throne and exclaimed, "Bifan! Are you alright?"
Shen Shuwen sighed, "I thought this place was safe; I didn't expect someone else to disturb us."
Bifan was about to step down from the platform when Shen Shuwen said, "Hmm?" and stopped her. Bifan did not defy her father's wishes. Seeing her halt, Shen Shuwen smiled and said, "She's fine; she's my daughter. Why would I harm her?"
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "You... you are Master’s..."
Shen Shuwen spoke in a deep voice, "It seems Qianlan has crossed paths with you. If anyone stands in my way for revenge, it will be you. I will not let you hinder my plans!"
Ji Zichen looked puzzled. "Hinder your plans? What plans do you have?"
Shen Shuwen replied, "I'm not afraid for you to know; my plan is to destroy this place and take Bifan away from here."
Ji Zichen smiled lightly, "If that were the case, why would I stop you?"
Shen Shuwen glared coldly, "You wouldn't?"
Ji Zichen replied, "I wouldn't."
Shen Shuwen shot a fierce look at Ji Zichen and asked, "Then why did you help her hurt me back then?"
Ji Zichen explained, "At that time, I had already passed by. I was looking for a white mouse, and I didn't know you were Bifan's father."
"Bifan's father?" Shen Shuwen laughed bitterly. "You really are indifferent to me."
Ji Zichen glanced at Shen Shuwen and said, "You are not a member of The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant. In name, I should call you Uncle Shen, but you abandoned Master's Wife without a word. You have no idea how many tears Master's Wife has shed over the years, so I..."
Before Ji Zichen could finish, Lin Chuyu spoke up to defend Shen Shuwen. "Brother Ji, you misunderstood. Uncle Shen was brought here by the people of the Divine Clan."
Both Ji Zichen and Shen Shuwen were taken aback. Shen Shuwen asked in surprise, "How do you know about that incident?"
Lin Chuyu looked at them with sympathy. "The butler told us. Bifan was there too."
Shen Bifan's eyes turned red. When she saw Ji Zichen looking at her, she nodded in acknowledgment.
Ji Zichen was slightly moved as he studied Shen Shuwen's face. It was then he understood the truth; he had wronged Shen Shuwen. "Uncle Shen, I..."
Shen Shuwen smiled coldly. "No need to flatter me. To be honest, when you were still in swaddling clothes, I did have thoughts of killing you. You must understand that, right?"
Lin Chuyu gasped in shock. "Why would you want to kill Brother Ji?"
Shen Shuwen replied, "Why don't you ask him?"
Ji Zichen certainly knew how he came to be; his master had told him. With a pained expression, Ji Zichen said, "Though you had such thoughts, you ultimately didn't take action. You sent Fire Lion and Lifeng to kill me; I can choose not to hold that against you..."
"Shen Shuwen exclaimed, 'I should have killed you back then! Otherwise, Madam Jiang would have died at my hands! You are a devil from the Abyss, and I regret not having dealt with you decisively all those years ago!'
As soon as Shen Shuwen finished speaking, he waved his hand, and three hidden weapons shot out from his palm. The projectiles flew swiftly through the air, but Ji Zichen drew the Demon-Slaying Sword and swept it in one motion, instantly deflecting the three hidden weapons. They fell to the ground, revealing three exceptionally sharp mouse hairs.
Ji Zichen sheathed his sword and calmly indicated to Shen Shuwen that he meant no harm. 'Uncle Shen, you are not my match. You didn't kill me back then, and now you have no chance. You and your daughter have just reunited; you should think about Bifan. If you continue to act recklessly, I won't hold back!'
Shen Shuwen was well aware of Ji Zichen's prowess with the Five Elements Pearl, but what frightened him more was the Demon-Slaying Sword. The terror of that sword was not something that could be compared to the Five Elements Pearl.
Having abandoned the Primordial Dan, Shen Shuwen had thought that his brother Fire Lion could handle Ji Zichen, but he had underestimated him. Seeing that Ji Zichen was not as malicious as he had imagined, Shen Shuwen spoke in a deep voice, 'Did Madam Jiang send you?'
'Yes,' Ji Zichen replied.
Shen Shuwen shouted, 'She sent you to kill me!'
'No,' Ji Zichen clarified. 'I came to find Zhuque! Uncle Shen, my master is still unconscious from poison; she desperately needs Divine Tears. If you know where Zhuque is, please tell me the truth.'
A pang of pain shot through Shen Shuwen's heart. 'Is she still in a coma...?'
His expression turned serious as he said, 'If that's truly your reason for being here, then I will tell you honestly: Zhuque was killed by Madam Jiang hundreds of years ago!'
'What!' Both Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu's faces changed dramatically!"
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