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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 6: Side Effects of the Primal Vortex
The sword of the guest wielding it was now revealed before Shen Bifan. Although Shen Bifan was startled, it was not due to the sword itself but rather the sudden danger that had arisen. He attempted to slice through the long sword with his fingers, but it had no effect. Seeing Shen Bifan in mortal peril, Zhang Yi shouted fiercely, grabbing the sword and forcefully twisting it until it broke. With a swift kick, Zhang Yi sent the assassin flying into a pillar, instantly killing him.
The general's Soul Soldiers were in an uproar, rushing forward to protect him. "Protect the general!"
Zhang Yi was shielded by the soldiers behind him and erupted in anger. "You soldiers of Gyro City, why are you attempting to assassinate the princess? You cowards must be colluding with the Barbarians!"
One of the assassins replied, "We are doing this for the good of Gyro City. The lord promised to let you enter the city, but Gyro City is just a city that can easily be breached by the Barbarians. If we kill the princess and present your head, the Barbarian king will surely spare us!"
Suddenly, a battle broke out between the assassins and the Soul Soldiers.
At this moment, Ji Zichen said, "Uncle Meng, your information is incorrect. This is not a conspiracy to breach the city; rather, the soldiers of Gyro City are afraid for their lives and want to hand over General Purgatory Souls' head in exchange for peace. It seems that Zhang Yi was also a formidable general who killed many Barbarians in his lifetime. Originally, these Purgatory Souls assassins only wanted Zhang Yi's head, but our intervention has caused a change; now they seek Bifan's life as well."
Meng Hai was extremely anxious. "These Purgatory Souls will keep coming back no matter how many times they die. Tomorrow night will repeat itself again. But we are human; if we die here, we will join that tragic cycle of repeated deaths."
Lin Chuyu trembled in fear. "What should we do now?"
A Soul Soldier approached the three of them. Meng Hai took down his Ink Feather Whip from his waist and struck; the Soul Soldier's head was smashed and fell to the ground motionless. Meng Hai said, "I have thought of a plan, but I don't know if it will work. These Purgatory Souls will incessantly fight each other at night and will disappear before dawn. By morning, the entire city will fall silent. However, I can still hear the sound of the gyro bells from within my cell."
Ji Zichen's eyes widened! He understood what Meng Hai was implying and continued, "If that's true, then the gyro might be a summoning artifact for Purgatory Souls to repeat their cycle. Lin Chuyu, you need to go up to the tower and find a way to stop the gyro from spinning."
Lin Chuyu hesitated. "Me? I... I don't know where Gyro Tower is."
Meng Hai reassured her, "I'll protect you out of the hall; Gyro Tower is the tallest building in the city. Once you get outside, you'll see it."
" Ji Zichen said, 'There's no time to waste. You go ahead; Uncle Meng and I will rescue Bifan.'"
Lin Chuyu nodded. "Take care."
Meng Hai swung the Ink Feather Whip, clearing a path. "Hurry up! We're professionals at slaying demons, so you don't need to worry about us."
Seeing the Purgatory Souls blocking the door swept aside by the whip, Lin Chuyu didn't hesitate and dashed out of the hall.
The Soul Soldier was engaged in battle with the assassins, and Zhang Yi, seemingly oblivious to everything around him, held Shen Bifan's hand. "Princess, I'm sorry for putting you in such danger. I come from humble beginnings and only received the honor of being a general in my middle age. Although there is a significant age difference between us, I assure you that my feelings for you are entirely genuine."
As Zhang Yi finished speaking, he transformed back into his original appearance. He had piercing eyes and a strong, perfect physique that made him look strikingly handsome. Shen Bifan couldn't help but stare in awe. "He was so good-looking when he was alive."
For the first time, Shen Bifan found herself being confessed to by such a mature man, causing her heart to race uncontrollably.
Just as Shen Bifan was lost in thought, a sudden sound filled the center of the hall—the urgent ringing of a spinning top wind chime.
Lin Chuyu had already reached the Gyro Tower, where a top larger than a person spun rapidly. Attached to it were wind chimes that chimed as it turned. Lin Chuyu noticed how fast the top was spinning, as if it sensed someone was coming to destroy it. Unsure of how to proceed, she suddenly thought of Vajra. Gritting her teeth, she shouted and lunged toward the center of the spinning top.
As Vajra pierced the top, it emitted a brilliant white light that illuminated the entire hall.
Ji Zichen and Meng Hai watched as the windows outside brightened significantly, casting light into the hall. All the Purgatory Souls inside began to wail in despair. Zhang Yi's grip on Shen Bifan's hand gradually disintegrated into particles, his form scattering like dust.
The entire hall was filled with white light, and when it faded away, all the Purgatory Souls had vanished, leaving behind only dark, desolate walls covered in sand.
Shen Bifan stared blankly at where Zhang Yi had been and murmured, "General Zhang Yi..."
As Ji Zichen saw the grand hall restored to its original state, with the walls cracked and charred, he remarked, "This must have been scorched by the fire."
Meng Haidao replied, "You go check on Lin Chuyu. I'll take care of Bifan."
Ji Zichen nodded and made his way to Gyro Tower. There, he found Lin Chuyu slumped against the wall, panting heavily. Beside her lay a broken top split in two. Ji Zichen smiled slightly and said, "Is this the top?"
Lin Chuyu gasped, "That scared me to death! I thought I was going to be swallowed by the white light."
Ji Zichen helped her up and said, "It's your mess; you've already dealt with it. Let's go."
Ji Zichen drove the carriage away from Gyro City towards Qingyang City. Sitting next to Shen Bifan, he noticed that Shen Bifan was silent and staring down. Ji Zichen asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Shen Bifan sighed and said, "Brother Zichen, does the princess of Gyro City look like me?"
Ji Zichen replied wistfully, "I heard she has purple hair."
Shen Bifan's eyes widened as she gazed at Ji Zichen and murmured, "If they didn't die, do you think the general and the princess would be together?"
Ji Zichen forced a smile and said, "I don't know. If fate is kind, perhaps in the next reincarnation they will meet again."
Meng Hai came galloping up from behind, shouting, "Why are you all leaving so fast? Don't leave me behind!"
Ji Zichen chuckled at Meng Haidao. "Aren't you going back to The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant? We're headed to Qingyang City."
Meng Hai grinned and said, "No rush, no rush. It's boring back at The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant anyway. I just went to Qingyang City; I'm familiar with it. I'll be your guide."
Ji Zichen smirked, "It's up to you. Following us will definitely be tough."
Meng Hai laughed heartily, "After being locked up for half a month, my body feels rusty. I'm heading out first!"
"Let's go!"
Meng Hai galloped away.
As dawn slowly broke, by morning they could already see Qingyang City.
Meng Hai waited for them near the city gate and said as they approached, "This is Qingyang City. Beyond this city lies the Desolate Central Plain, and there is the Court of the Bitter Realm."
As Meng Hai finished speaking, a dark mass of Green Demon Eagles flew overhead. Lin Chuyu, sitting in the carriage, exclaimed in surprise, "Those are the man-eating eagles from the Yellow Sand Plain!"
Ji Zichen remarked nonchalantly, "With so many Green Demon Eagles appearing here, it’s clear that a lot of people have died somewhere nearby."
Lin Chuyu responded, "With this many Green Demon Eagles around, how many must have died?"
Ji Zichen said, "Let's enter the city first."
Inside the city gate was a bustling market filled with merchants selling their goods. Some performers were demonstrating sword swallowing, while others danced with fireballs, creating a lively atmosphere. The sounds of pipa music echoed from the numerous taverns lining the streets. Qingyang City was alive with music and revelry, seeming like a place where anyone willing to spend money could lose themselves in joy.
The market was filled with vendors shouting loudly. Passersby varied from those of noble bearing who seemed above the mundane to impoverished individuals with greedy eyes who appeared unsure of their intentions.
Lin Chuyu scanned the area with curious eyes and remarked, "Although this place can't compare to Corner Lodge, it's still quite lively."
"Meng Hai explained, 'This place is different from Corner Lodge. Qingyang City is considered a mid-tier market in the Desolate Central Plain. The population here is mixed. Over a decade ago, there was a coup at the Doomed Court, and the soldiers are now divided into two factions, often accompanied by riots. Moreover, the morale among the troops is low, and many bandits and local thugs come here to rob. Don't be fooled by the calm surface; it is actually quite dangerous.'
Meng Hai pointed to a person sleeping in the corner of an alley. 'Look, that's a laborer. He often struggles to find food. There are many homeless people here; those who have something to eat can find some stability, but if not, theft happens frequently.'
At that moment, a line of Qingyang City Soldiers marched past in unison.
'With soldiers patrolling, the security can't be that bad,' Shen Bifan remarked.
Meng Hai smiled lightly. 'These soldiers are just going through the motions.'
'Uncle Meng, you mentioned there are two factions here?' Ji Zichen asked.
'Yes,' Meng Hai replied. 'One faction is loyal to the new ruler of the court, while the other is loyal to the old master of the Suffering Holy Church.'
'Suffering Holy Church?' Ji Zichen said. 'I know about that. Uncle Meng, there's someone named Princess Yuxuan—does she belong to the new ruler or the old master?'
Meng Hai pondered for a moment before answering, 'I'm not sure about that. However, these two factions have been in conflict for years due to religious issues. The court's people kill anyone they see from the Suffering Holy Church. The Suffering Holy Church is skilled in using magical artifacts and dark arts, worshiping the Evil God and creating chaos. But I only hear rumors; I'm not an insider and don't really know what's going on. To me, all this talk about Evil Gods and dark arts seems fake—it's just a one-sided excuse for power struggles and killings.'
Just then, a man approached them with a bow and a smile. 'Welcome, travelers! Please come in and rest; we have discounts!'
Upon hearing about saving money, Ji Zichen suddenly became interested and asked with a smile, 'Discounts? Is it your boss's happy day?'
The man chuckled. 'No, starting today for seven days, there will be discounts all over Qingyang City. It's the new ruler Benefactor Wang's national founding anniversary.'
Ji Zichen smiled in satisfaction upon hearing this. 'Looks like we're lucky then; let's book two rooms.'"
Ermang stepped forward to lead the horses, saying, "Dear guests, please go inside and rest for a while. I'll tie the horses up at the back."
Shen Bifan approached and asked, "Brother Zichen, can I wander around a bit? I know nothing about this world and want to see it."
Lin Chuyu chimed in, "I'll go with Sister Bifan."
Seeing their enthusiasm, Ji Zichen felt it would be rude to refuse. However, he cautioned them, "You can look around, but even though five years have passed, there may still be those who haven't given up on chasing us. Don't do anything too conspicuous."
Lin Chuyu happily took Shen Bifan's hand and said, "Got it! Sister Bifan, let's go!"
As the two of them left, Ji Zichen couldn't help but chuckle.
Entering the inn with Meng Hai, Ji Zichen asked, "Uncle Meng, tell me honestly, why did you come with us to Qingyang City?"
Meng Hai sighed with a wry smile. "Nothing escapes your notice. To be honest, I'm worried about you. Your eyesight has been recovering more slowly since you were in prison. Have you been using that Primal Vortex?"
Ji Zichen maintained a serious expression and replied, "I'm just tired from the journey."
Meng Hai warned him, "You should use it sparingly. If you overdo it a few more times, you really might go blind!"
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