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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 14: The Burning City
In the following days, Ji Zichen practiced the Sealing Technique outside the Grass Hut. As Ji Zichen became increasingly skilled in the Sealing Technique, Lin Chuyu felt a great sense of joy seeing her progress.
At that moment, Zang Da approached and said, "The Saint King wishes to see you."
Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu followed Zang Da to a cliffside where a hidden chamber lay within. As the secret door opened, they entered a dimly lit room illuminated by torches in each corner. Suddenly, Ji Zichen spotted Flying Wolf and Xia Lian, both shackled and leaning against the wall. A wave of shock washed over her—when had Gu Diao captured them?
Ji Zichen scanned their condition; aside from their lack of spirit, Flying Wolf and Xia Lian bore no visible injuries. In the center of the chamber sat a large Round Stone, upon which Black Thunder perched. The height of the Round Stone allowed Black Thunder to look down upon the captives.
The chamber was vast enough to accommodate twenty or thirty Gu Diao. Aside from Black Thunder, several other Gu Diao stood like armed warriors along the walls, while others surrounded Flying Wolf and Xia Lian. Rather than a hidden chamber, it resembled a meticulously crafted interrogation hall, with the Saint King seated on an even higher platform than the Round Stone.
"You have arrived," the Saint King spoke calmly. "They are the ones who pursued you and attempted to force their way into Mountain Valley, violating Gu Diao's taboos. Before we pass judgment on them, I believe you should be informed."
The Saint King looked at Flying Wolf. "That individual once captured Zang Da." He then glanced at Xia Lian. "Zang Da was saved by that woman. Regardless of whether they are good or bad, they have fallen into our hands, making things much easier."
Ji Zichen was deeply concerned about Xia Lian's situation and asked, "How will you judge them?"
The Saint King scrutinized the captured Flying Wolf and Xia Lian. "I have bestowed a name upon you; you are already our esteemed friend. Zang Da was saved by you and that captive named Xia Lian. I want to ask you: is Xia Lian your friend?"
Ji Zichen looked at Xia Lian's reddened eyes and replied earnestly, "Yes, Xia Lian is my friend."
The Saint King continued, "She is your friend and has saved Zang Da; I can spare this Xia Lian. However, as for the other one..."
Ji Zichen interjected urgently, "I hope you can also spare Flying Wolf!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Flying Wolf's eyes as he marveled at Ji Zichen's plea on his behalf. They were strangers to each other—why would Ji Zichen want to save him?
Saint King leaned forward and asked, "Do you have any good reasons? What justification can you offer for this despicable act?"
Ji Zichen replied, "I doubt you would believe me."
Saint King chuckled, "Oh? Speak your mind; I can believe many things." Saint King responded calmly, "So, why do you want me to spare him?"
Ji Zichen stated, "My reasoning is simple. Although Gu Diao Mountain Valley is far from Opening of the Zhou Wasteland, when the Evil God arrives at Opening of the Zhou Wasteland, I believe it won't be long before the Evil God reaches Gu Diao Mountain Valley. Flying Wolf is highly valued by the chieftain, and I want to have the Guzhao Clan collaborate with him to confront the Evil God together."
Saint King did not immediately comment but turned to Black Thunder, asking, "Black Thunder, what do you think?"
Descending from Round Stone, Black Thunder knelt down and said, "I think we should kill this man!"
Suddenly, Zangda stepped forward and also knelt before Saint King, saying, "Saint King, I hope you can spare him."
Saint King was surprised. "You are pleading for him? He wanted to kill you."
Zangda replied, "If it were from my heart, I would gladly tear him apart myself. However, I know about the Evil God. I believe we should cooperate with them; once we repel the Evil God, I will settle my matters with him privately."
Saint King said, "Zangda, you have a good heart; that's commendable. In truth, I don't want to deal with him this way either. However, breaking into Mountain Valley is a taboo. Ignoring our Guzhao Clan's prideful attitude cannot go unpunished."
At that moment, a crack suddenly appeared beside Ji Zichen, and Canglin stepped out from it with a smile. "Canglin, it's been a while," he greeted Saint King.
The surrounding Gu Diao, startled by Canglin's sudden appearance, immediately entered a state of alert. They all moved forward to encircle Canglin, but Saint King waved his hand and said, "Black Thunder, stand down."
A strange light flickered in Saint King's eyes. "I didn't expect you to come."
Canglin replied, "If it were possible, I wouldn't want to come. But something happened that compelled me to take a look."
"Did you come here for Flying Wolf?" asked the Saint King.
"Flying Wolf is a loyal follower. If you could spare him this time, I will not forget your kindness," Canglin replied.
"It's strange to plead for a follower on his behalf," the Saint King remarked.
"I believe you wouldn't want to make enemies with humanity," Canglin explained, glancing at the Saint King. "Their village has already allied with the Great Palace Kingdom, and they are establishing a Formation there. You know that if they want to enter Mountain Valley, it will be quite easy for them."
The Saint King furrowed his brow in silence, aware that the Great Palace Kingdom possessed a teleportation Formation.
After a moment, the Saint King asked, "Is the Great Palace King truly willing to ally with them?"
"If you don't believe me, you can open a rift and see for yourself," Canglin suggested.
"That is indeed something to be wary of," the Saint King said skeptically. "I find it hard to believe that you came solely for this follower."
"Of course, I have other matters to discuss," Canglin replied.
"Perhaps I am getting old, but I am willing to believe most of what you say," the Saint King inquired. "What else have you come for?"
"I think we should discuss this privately. You will be pleased with my intentions, but only if you release those two," Canglin stated.
The Saint King pondered for a moment before saying, "Black Thunder, step back."
"This is absurd!" Black Thunder exclaimed as he stepped in front of Canglin, looking down on him disdainfully. "Saint King, who is he? We cannot simply let someone who attempted to invade Mountain Valley go!"
Black Thunder approached Flying Wolf, his sharp claws mere inches from Flying Wolf's neck. Flying Wolf did his best to appear calm in the face of Black Thunder's threat, hoping he could remain composed and that Canglin would help him survive.
“Saint King, rare is your wrath! Black Thunder! How dare you question my decision! Take him outside!”
The other Gu Diao had never witnessed the Saint King’s fury, and they trembled as they dragged Black Thunder out.
“Very well,” Canglin said with a satisfied smile. “It has been a long time since we’ve had a proper conversation.”
Ji Zichen felt puzzled about Canglin's intentions, wondering what could provoke such treatment of Black Thunder by the Saint King. However, this was not his concern. Canglin turned to Ji Zichen and said, “Take them outside.”
Ji Zichen unshackled Skywolf Shalyn, and they proceeded out.
---
Black Thunder was dragged outside by the other Gu Diao, shouting, “Let me go!”
The other Gu Diao were actually too afraid to do anything to Black Thunder; they were only following the Saint King’s orders. They released Black Thunder, just as Ji Zichen and the others emerged. Upon seeing Ji Zichen and Yu Ren, Black Thunder shouted angrily, “Who is that person? How could the Saint King listen to him!”
Ji Zichen gradually began to understand that Black Thunder’s outburst stemmed partly from distrust and partly from panic. To them, the Saint King was a god-like figure, someone revered in their hearts. How could he possibly take orders from another?
Ji Zichen empathized with Black Thunder’s feelings but thought it would be best for the Saint King to explain who the Gu Diao were. Ji Zichen replied, “Who that person is will be revealed after they finish talking; you can ask him yourself.”
---
The Saint King gazed at Canglin. “What is your purpose? Why do I feel pleased?”
“We can compensate for the losses together,” Canglin said, staring intently at the Saint King. “Saint King, are you familiar with the Hellish Valley of Suffering?”
The Saint King responded, “Hellish Valley of Suffering? I have heard of that place, but I have never been there.”
"Canglin said, 'I think we can go somewhere together to take a look.'
Saint King replied, 'Are we going to find the Evil God?'
Canglin's eyes sparkled with an unusually determined gaze. 'Yes, Kai Zhou Shen has seen a new future. This future, if we do not get involved, humanity will have no hope. Now! We must go there. The Gap was released by us; out of reason and emotion, we should not rely on humanity. We should repair it ourselves.'
Saint King responded, 'You are already restricted. Have you forgotten? You came out of the Spirit Immortal Realm. This phantom you are now cannot possibly be a match for the Evil God, and neither can I. My perception has weakened significantly compared to before.'
Canglin said, 'Precisely because of that, I feel we should go now. If we don’t go, we will only grow weaker. Right now, Gu Diao Mountain Valley is very peaceful and serene, but the Desolate Central Plain is not in the same situation. I believe you should come with me to take a look. However, if you wish to stand by and watch, I will respect your decision.'
Canglin had made his intentions clear; this proposal was one that Saint King could hardly refuse. The rift left by the divine race was their doing. Although Saint King's appearance was that of Gu Diao, he was not truly Gu Diao at all. The true form of Saint King was a rift; he remained in the Guzhao Clan in the guise of Gu Diao not to control it but to hide there. He could only conceal himself within a creature like Gu Diao, which did not possess high intelligence, so as not to arouse suspicion.
Canglin opened a rift and stepped through first. Saint King stared blankly at the rift and sighed before entering as well. Once inside the rift, Saint King and Canglin soared through the air—not flying with wings but riding on a cloud.
The speed of the cloud was swift, and soon they were above the Desolate Central Plain. Below them lay a dark expanse; it seemed they had not yet approached any inhabited areas. Saint King asked, 'What do you want me to see?'
Canglin actually hoped that Saint King would see nothing at all, but he knew that what needed to happen had already occurred. Ahead appeared a flickering light. Canglin pointed to that light and said, 'I want you to see this.'
As the cloud moved closer, the light grew larger. At first, Saint King thought it was the glow of a lamp from within a house, but it was not; as they approached, he realized it was not merely light but rather a city engulfed in flames."
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