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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 65: The New Lord of the City
The sudden cry for help startled Lin Chuyu, causing her to take a few steps back. However, seeing the pleading look in the girl’s eyes, Lin Chuyu mustered her courage to speak. Just then, her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. She had been asleep and was now hungry, but the noise from her stomach in front of a stranger made Lin Chuyu blush.
The girl was initially taken aback, but after a moment, she smiled through her tears and said, "You must be hungry after sleeping."
The girl went into another room and brought out a tray with a bowl of rice, two plates of vegetables, and a bowl of clear soup. Lin Chuyu realized that the girl meant no harm; if she had wanted to take her life, she probably wouldn’t have had the chance to wake up at all. Feeling famished, Lin Chuyu sat down and began to eat.
Seeing Lin Chuyu enjoying her meal, the girl chuckled lightly and said, "Eat slowly; I’ll get you some soup."
The girl handed over the hot soup. Lin Chuyu blew on it lightly before gulping it down without fear of burning herself.
Once the soup was finished, Lin Chuyu let out a long sigh of relief and said contentedly, "I’m full."
The girl collected the bowls and placed them on a side table. Lin Chuyu noticed that although the girl was younger than her, she was quite lovely. When the girl caught Lin Chuyu staring at her, her face flushed. "What are you looking at?" she asked.
Lin Chuyu quickly snapped back to reality and asked, "What’s your name?"
The girl seemed shy and rarely encountered outsiders; her cheeks reddened again at the question. She replied softly, "My name is Shilan."
Lin Chuyu glanced around at the room's decor and asked, "Shilan, is this your home?"
Shilan nodded. "Yes."
Lin Chuyu felt a twinge of suspicion. "How did I end up here?"
Shilan bit her lip, looking quite troubled before sighing. "It was Master who brought you back."
Lin Chuyu paused in surprise. "Master?"
"This is Qingyang Manor," Shilan explained. "It's just outside Qingyang City. I’m a maid here, and Master is the former lord of Qingyang City."
Lin Chuyu studied her quietly before asking curiously, "If you’re from this manor, why did you ask me for help earlier?"
The sound of the wind howled outside, but it wasn't like a gale; it resembled the flapping of wings.
Shilan's expression changed as she listened. "It's... it's the Master!"
Quickly, Shilan picked up the tray and instructed, "Don't leave the room. Also, I... I didn't say anything before..."
With the tray in hand, Shilan stepped outside and closed the door tightly behind her.
Lin Chuyu was confused. "W-what's going on...?"
Shilan trembled as she carried the tray out, the bowls and chopsticks rattling slightly due to her fear. Outside was a courtyard, and the Master stood before her. Shilan's face turned pale as she stammered, "M-Master..."
The Master was only a few years older than Lin Chuyu, with delicate willow-like eyebrows and phoenix eyes. Her lips were like crimson petals, and her gaze sparkled like morning stars. Dressed in a light yellow long robe, she stood there like a slender willow swaying in the wind, exuding an air of elegance.
If not for her identity, no one would believe that the new lord of Qingyang City could be such a young and coldly beautiful woman.
Shilan felt as if she were walking on thin ice in front of the Master.
The Master's expression was as cold as ancient ice, but there was an urgent glint in her eyes. "Shilan, did you find out anything?"
Facing the Master's inquiry, Shilan didn't dare to breathe. "Replying to the Master, she just woke up, and I haven't had time to..."
A cold light flashed in the Master's phoenix eyes. "How could you handle things so poorly? You've disappointed me greatly!"
In a panic, Shilan knelt down and pleaded, "Master, please give me a little more time."
The Master cried out in frustration, "You useless fool! You can't even handle one thing! What good are you to me?"
Inside the room, Lin Chuyu listened to their conversation. She had never seen the Master's face, but from her voice, she could tell that the Master was a woman.
Although Lin Chuyu didn't know what the Master wanted Shilan to ask her, she had a good impression of Shilan and didn't want her to be punished. Lin Chuyu hurriedly approached to push open the door but found it wouldn't budge.
Lin Chuyu couldn't help but knock on the door, shouting, "Open up! Open up! Are you the Master? Why have you brought me here?"
Hearing Lin Chuyu's cries, the Master coldly declared, "Enough. Some matters require a personal touch. I'll ask her myself!"
With that, the Master moved swiftly, transforming into a large shadow that charged toward the door. Shilan exclaimed in alarm, "No! Master!"
Suddenly, the door was pushed open with tremendous force, slamming to one side. Lin Chuyu saw a massive Green Demon Eagle, as large as a wild elephant, half its body looming over her, demanding, "Dan! Where is the Vermilion Bird Essence?"
Lin Chuyu gasped in shock; she never imagined that the Master here would be a Green Demon Eagle.
The Master forced its head through the broken door, and Lin Chuyu felt her hair stand on end as she stumbled back, knocking over a chair and falling to the ground. The Green Demon Eagle's eyes bulged out like two large orbs, staring at her menacingly.
Lin Chuyu felt suffocated and unable to breathe; an unprecedented fear gripped her.
The Master ominously said, "Girl! If you don't want to die, tell me where the Primordial Dan is! I saw you in the alley; I know you're wearing the Vermilion Bird Pearl!"
Lin Chuyu had no idea that the Vermilion Bird Spirit had entered her pearl; when it approached her, her consciousness had already faded.
Trembling in terror, Lin Chuyu had no mind to answer. She turned and fled to the farthest corner of the room. The Master roared with an open beak, "You won't escape!"
With a swift motion of its claws, it shattered the window and entered. Lin Chuyu screamed in fright, "Don't... don't come any closer!"
She pulled out her Vajra and thrust it toward the eagle's claw. The Master felt a jolt of electricity surge through its body and immediately withdrew its claw, growling resentfully, "It's... the Vajra!"
The Green Demon Eagle shook its head and retreated outside. The Master soared high into the air and called down to Shilan from above, "Shilan, it's up to you now. If you can't get answers from her, I'll eat you!"
With the door broken, cold air seeped into the room, sending chills down Lin Chuyu's spine.
Shilan hurried inside from outside and rushed to Lin Chuyu's side. "Are... are you okay?"
Lin Chuyu's back was drenched in cold sweat as Shilan helped her sit on a couch. Still shaken, Lin Chuyu said, "Shilan, why is your Master a Green Demon Eagle? How can a monster be the city lord? Is this why you want me to save you?"
Shilan lightly bit her lower lip and said, "I... I don't know what to do. Master is not a monster; it was that woman who turned her into one. I... I will tell you everything."
---
Ji Zichen found the local tyrant of Qingyang City, known as the Serpent King. At fifty years old, he wore coarse linen clothes, but his eyes were sharp and full of life. The Serpent King had his own power, and his residence was quite exquisite. His subordinates led Ji Zichen into the Serpent King's house.
The Serpent King was at a table, reviewing numerous slips of paper that had fallen from bamboo tubes—these were pieces of intelligence collected from within the city. Upon seeing Ji Zichen enter, he stood up with a bright smile and said, "Oh, Brother Ji, what brings you here?"
Ji Zichen stepped forward with a smile and replied, "Of course, I wouldn't come without a reason."
The Serpent King returned the smile and gestured for Ji Zichen to sit down. "It's rare for you to come to me with something important."
Ji Zichen forced a smile and said, "There's always a first time for everything."
The Serpent King smiled slightly. "What do you need from me?"
Ji Zichen spoke in a serious tone, "I want you to find someone."
The Serpent King asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Ji Zichen replied, "Sister Lin!"
The Serpent King trembled slightly but quickly steadied himself. "I've heard some things about your situation. So, she has gone missing?"
Ji Zichen recounted the events of the previous night to the Serpent King.
After listening, the Serpent King was taken aback and said, "Well, this is quite an unfortunate coincidence."
Ji Zichen's heart filled with hope. "Do you know where she is?"
The Serpent King smiled lightly. "Don't rush."
"Serpent King" shouted, "San, come in."
A frail figure entered from outside. "Serpent King" said, "Repeat what you encountered last night."
San glanced at " Ji Zichen " and replied, "Yes."
" Ji Zichen " was unsure of what "Serpent King" was up to, but he patiently listened.
San continued, "Last night, I passed by the Fortune Inn."
The Fortune Inn was where " Ji Zichen " was staying.
Upon hearing the name of the inn, " Ji Zichen's" eyes lit up, but he did not interrupt.
San went on, "That night, I was drinking with a few brothers and lost track of time. On my way back, I passed through the back alley of the inn and saw a large dark shadow on the wall. There was no candlelight, and it was quite dim that night. I couldn't see the shadow clearly, but after a while, it moved and flew away with someone in its mouth. I nearly wet my pants from fright."
"I thought I was just drunk and imagining things. Just as I was about to leave, I heard someone calling 'guest' from the back alley. My brothers laughed at me; they said there was no monster causing trouble last night—it was just me scaring myself."
" Ji Zichen " was greatly moved upon hearing this. "Was the person taken by the shadow a woman?"
San shook his head without thinking. "I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman."
" Ji Zichen " speculated inwardly, "It can't be wrong; it's consistent with what I've heard."
He eagerly asked, "Do you know where that shadow went?"
San chuckled. "I don't know! I was so scared I almost wet my pants; how could I dare to follow it?"
"Serpent King" waved his hand. "San, you may leave now."
San exited.
"Brother Ji, have you figured out what that shadow is?" asked the Serpent King.
Seeing his inquiry, Ji Zichen sensed he had some insights. "What do you think?" he replied.
The Serpent King chuckled, "It's not a profound insight. I just follow the flow. Recently, there have been disturbances in Qingyang City caused by the Green Demon Eagle. The shadow with wings is most likely the Green Demon Eagle. However, to summon the Green Demon Eagle, one must first deal with the city lord of Qingyang City."
Although Ji Zichen had visited Qingyang City, he had never met the city lord. He asked curiously, "What does the Green Demon Eagle have to do with the city lord?"
"You know what I do for a living," the Serpent King explained. "With enough information gathered, you learn some secrets. It's rumored that the Green Demon Eagle is causing chaos in the city to search for Vermilion Bird Essence, but these Green Demon Eagles are under the control of the city lord."
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "The Green Demon Eagle has no independent consciousness and only feeds on carrion. How can someone control them?"
The Serpent King smiled, "It's not a person controlling them."
Ji Zichen's expression changed. "The city lord isn't human?"
"Used to be," the Serpent King replied. "But now, I doubt it. You must have heard about the national celebration happening in the city?"
Ji Zichen nodded. "I've heard."
"Then let me get straight to the point; I hope this information helps you," said the Serpent King.
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