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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 14: The Chieftain's Son
There were still a few idle villagers watching Gu Diao, but as they saw how Gu Diao was eating, they couldn't bear it any longer and quickly left with pale faces. With the villagers no longer around, Gu Diao seemed much more relaxed. After finishing its meal, its gaze remained fixed on Ji Zichen, not leaving for even a moment.
Gu Diao licked its lower jaw and said, "Do you know Big Fool?"
The fact that it could talk startled Militia, and Lin Chuyu was equally surprised. Filled with curiosity, she approached Ji Zichen but hid behind him. However, her eyes had already darted to the front, and she asked Ji Zichen with great interest, "Brother Ji, it can talk!"
Militia said uncertainly, "This Demon Beast can actually speak human language!"
Militia warned in fear, "Don't get too close; if it can talk, it means it has intelligence. It might charge at us!"
"It won't," Ji Zichen replied, looking at Gu Diao. "Right?"
Gu Diao neither shook its head nor nodded, seemingly unable to understand human speech again. Seeing Gu Diao's lack of response, Militia's wariness increased as he kept a close watch on Gu Diao's movements.
Although Gu Diao did not respond, it seemed less agitated than before. Ji Zichen asked, "Do you want to eat more meat?"
At this moment, Gu Diao finally reacted. It shook its head and said, "I'm full. You still haven't answered my question—how do you know Big Fool?"
The Gu Diao in this cage appeared much more rigid than the one from Corner Lodge. It seemed that this Gu Diao had a significantly higher intelligence than the one from Corner Lodge. Ji Zichen paused for a moment and said, "Is its name Big Fool? I didn't know what it was called. I was once imprisoned with it in Corner Lodge; it asked me to deliver something back to Mountain Valley."
Ji Zichen deliberately emphasized the word "something" to let Gu Diao understand his hint. It seemed that Gu Diao had grasped the meaning. "Friend, my name is Zang Da. Big Fool considers you a friend; you are also my friend. How did Big Fool die?"
Ji Zichen was initially taken aback; he didn't even know whether Big Fool was alive or dead himself. Why was Zang Da so certain? After a moment of thought, Ji Zichen realized, "Right, the Azure Serpent Pearl is an honor for Gu Diao. Since Big Fool asked him to take the pearl to Mountain Valley, it means Big Fool must have been prepared..."
Ji Zichen sighed and said, "I don't know if he is alive or dead now. The last time I saw him, he was protecting us as we escaped from Corner Lodge."
Zang Da said, "Big Fool is a hero."
Ji Zichen replied, "Big Fool is a hero."
Although Lin Chuyu did not know Big Fool personally, hearing Ji Zichen speak so solemnly made her add, "A hero is Big Fool."
Ji Zichen then asked, "Why did you leave Mountain Valley and come all the way out here?"
Militia listened intently as Ji Zichen and Zang Da exchanged words, and he quickly grasped the situation. "Do you know where it comes from?" he exclaimed.
Ji Zichen suddenly fell silent, realizing that he could not reveal the location of Mountain Valley. Zang Da looked tense, watching Ji Zichen with concern, as if worried that Kiko would expose their hideout. Noticing Zang Da's gaze, Ji Zichen guessed that whoever had captured it had likely already interrogated it. He smiled lightly and said, "I don't know."
Zang Da suddenly lost interest in the conversation, casting a distrustful look at Militia.
At that moment, a burst of fire shot into the cage without warning, striking Zang Da on the right shoulder. Zang Da let out a cry of pain and began to lick his shoulder with his tongue, which had healing properties. After a few licks, the pain diminished significantly. He glared hatefully at the person who had shot him as a group of seven Militia members surged toward Zang Da, some wielding spears and others holding hunting bows, all aimed directly at him.
A young voice came from behind the newly arrived Militia members. "Who are you? Don't get close to this Demon Beast; it can hurt you!"
Ji Zichen retorted angrily, "How can it hurt anyone when it's locked in a cage?"
Xia Lian recognized the voice immediately without needing to look; it belonged to Xi Zu, the eldest son of the clan leader. In his twenties, Xi Zu was at an age where he feared nothing.
Fuming, Xia Lian stepped forward and kicked Xi Zu's foot. He cried out in pain and knelt down, rubbing his foot while complaining, "That hurts! Why did you kick me?"
Xia Lian snapped back, "Who told you to harm it recklessly?"
The weapons that had been aimed at Zang Da suddenly shifted to target Xia Lian instead. One of the Militia shouted, "Boldly! Who is this witch daring to harm Young Master?"
Xia Lian raised an eyebrow defiantly. "What? Are you going to hit me?"
When Xi Zu looked up and saw Xia Lian's raised brow, he felt a sense of familiarity wash over him. After a moment of thought, his expression brightened. "Is that Grandma Xia?"
Xia Lian stepped closer and pinched Xi Zu's ear. "Now do you recognize me?"
Xi Zu yelped in pain, "Ouch! Grandma Xia, be gentle! You're going to rip my ear off!"
Ji Zichen couldn't help but chuckle at how this young man referred to Xia Lian as grandmother. However, since she had lived for five hundred years, calling her an ancestor was not unreasonable. Although Ji Zichen had been annoyed with Xi Zu earlier, seeing Xia Lian intervene eased much of his irritation.
Xia Lian didn't genuinely want to twist his ear off; upon hearing Xi Zu's cries of pain, she released her grip. "It's already locked in a cage; there's no need for you to be rough with it. Besides, it's not a Demon Beast."
Xi Zu rubbed his reddened ear and replied defensively, "It's not a Demon Beast?" He cast a sidelong glance at Zang Da, who was baring its sharp teeth in a threatening manner as if expressing its displeasure.
With a dismissive snort, Xi Zu said, "Look at it like this; if it's not a Demon Beast, then what is it?"
"I didn't mean it that way," Xia Lian said.
Xi Zu noticed the intensity in Xia Lian's tone and chuckled, "Grandma Xia, even if I'm in the wrong, I overreacted. But you could have at least notified us when you returned. I hardly recognized you in your new body."
As he spoke, Xi Zu scrutinized Xia Lian's new form. "This new body of yours looks quite handsome, much more beautiful than the girls in the village."
Xia Lian's face flushed. "You're such a smooth talker!"
At that moment, Xi Zu glanced at the nearby militia members, who all wore stiff expressions, clearly intimidated by Xia Lian. He laughed and said, "Why haven't you put away your weapons? Dismissed!"
The militia members looked relieved and quickly retreated.
Xi Zu looked at Xia Lian with envy. "Grandma Xia, when will I be able to scare people just by hearing my name like you do?"
Xia Lian shot him an annoyed glance and introduced him to Ji Zichen. "This is Xi Zu, the chief's son."
Ji Zichen and Xi Zu exchanged nods. Xia Lian then turned her attention to Zang Da in the cage; his shoulder injury didn't seem too serious. She noticed the fire ring on Xi Zu's hand and shook her head with a sigh.
"Let's go meet the chief," Xia Lian said to Ji Zichen.
As they made their way to see the chief, a group of cavalry approached. The fifteen cavalry members were clad in black armor that resembled a fortress wall.
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