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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: Concealed Works
Xia Zhou had just fetched the bowls and chopsticks when he overheard their conversation. He furrowed his brows and asked, "Are you all going to the Wall of Repentance?"
Ginger Beard offered his opinion, "Actually, Brother Ji has a point. Perhaps Management will know something about the Defensive Works."
Xia Zhou glanced at Ji Zichen and said lightly, "So it's about this matter. Asking wouldn't hurt, but do you think Management will pay attention to you?"
Ginger Beard wasn't too confident either. He replied, "Whether they pay attention to us or not, we should at least give it a try."
Xia Zhou said, "Then you all go ahead."
Lin Chuyu looked surprised. "Aren't you coming with us?"
Xia Zhou chuckled, "It's not exactly a scenic spot. Why would I go?" After saying that, he appeared deep in thought and added, "I'll keep an eye on those people's movements. We can't let them pull any tricks."
After breakfast, everyone went their separate ways.
After half an hour of travel, Ginger Beard, Lin Chuyu, and Ji Zichen reached the top of a hill. Behind them were connected peaks, while in front lay an endless forest. In the distance, a waterfall could be heard crashing down from about five miles to the left, echoing through the desolate wilderness where no one was in sight.
Yu Ren decided to rest for a moment on the hilltop. Ji Zichen sat down and said, "Let's take a break; the terrain here is really rugged."
Ginger Beard and Lin Chuyu also sat down on the grass. Ginger Beard remarked, "Yes, the terrain is indeed quite difficult to navigate. We rarely come here unless there's something important."
Lin Chuyu panted and asked, " Uncle Jiang, how much farther do we have to go?"
Ginger Beard looked towards Hill Base and pointed out the waterfall about five miles away. "Do you see that waterfall?"
Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu followed his gaze and nodded in unison. Ji Zichen said, "I see it."
Lin Chuyu gazed at the waterfall, mesmerized by its rushing waters cascading down like a flying ribbon—both magnificent and breathtaking. She exclaimed in admiration of nature's beauty, "What a huge waterfall!"
Ginger Beard smiled gently. "When you get closer, it will seem even larger. But we won't be going there; however, that's the direction we need to head. Once we pass the waterfall and walk a few more miles, we'll arrive."
Ji Zichen asked, "Is it because Management couldn't grasp the teachings that he stayed here?"
Jiang the Bearded shook his head and replied, "No, according to your mortal standards, Management is exceptionally clever. I don't know why he chose to remain."
A gust of mountain wind blew by, refreshing Lin Chuyu's body and mind. At that moment, Ji Zichen stood up. "Since we still have a journey ahead, we shouldn't delay too long."
Jiang the Bearded also got to his feet. "It's best for us to go early and return early. Once night falls, the Demon Beasts will come out."
Lin Chuyu stood up as well. "Let's go."
The three of them walked while keeping an eye out for any hidden Demon Beasts nearby. As they chatted casually, they soon reached the Wall of Repentance after a couple of hours.
The Wall of Repentance was built from large blue stones, with many names carved into its surface. Vines climbed chaotically over it, obscuring the top completely, but the lower part appeared to be regularly maintained.
At the base of the Wall of Repentance was a large open space paved with stone slabs. Some slabs were uneven, and a few were even cracked. Jiang the Bearded noticed that Management was not there and wondered aloud, "Where did he go?"
Ji Zichen asked, "Is there a place where he resides? Did he go back?"
Jiang the Bearded replied, "He doesn't have a residence." He pointed to a sunken stone slab. "Management usually sits here like a statue."
With Demon Beasts lurking around and Management alone in this place, Lin Chuyu couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenario. Suddenly feeling a chill run down her spine, she said, "What if he was eaten by a Demon Beast?"
Jiang the Bearded burst into laughter. "No way! The Demon Beasts here could never harm him."
Ji Zichen chuckled as well. "Although I've never met this Management, if he had no skills, how could he dare to stay here alone?"
Lin Chuyu pondered for a moment and agreed, "But where could he have gone?"
"Don't worry," Jiang the Bearded reassured them. "He might be nearby; we can wait for him here."
Just then, from behind the Wall of Repentance came a sound—a flute playing a melody that was clear and pleasing to the ear, both graceful and lingering.
As soon as Ginger Beard heard the sound of the flute, he exclaimed, "How could I forget? He loves to play under the Ginkgo Tree."
The Ginkgo Tree is said to have been personally cultivated by Nüwa, who then used its divine fruit to enlighten Fuxi about good and evil, distinguishing right from wrong. Only then did the grinding mill come to be intertwined.
After finishing a tune, Management looked at Zhang Tang, who was sitting cross-legged like him, and quietly asked, "Why are you here again?"
Zhang Tang chuckled, "Of course I'm here to listen to Uncle Jinglun play the flute. Your music is so wonderful that once I hear it, all my worries disappear."
To mortals, Management no longer appeared to be an elder, but he didn’t care for such mundane titles.
After listening, Management fixed his gaze on Zhang Tang and said, "At your age, what worries could you possibly have?"
Zhang Tang pouted and replied, "Who doesn’t have worries at their age?"
Management, usually serious, now showed curiosity in his eyes. "Then tell me, what worries do you have?"
Zhang Tang opened his mouth but then quickly shut it tight. He shook his head and said, "I won’t tell you; you wouldn’t believe me anyway. It would be a waste of effort."
Raising an eyebrow, Management scolded him, "You brat! You think I don’t believe you?"
Zhang Tang sulked but eventually confessed, "I’ve seen the Vermilion Bird. Although I didn’t see it clearly, I know it was the Vermilion Bird."
Upon hearing this, Management's expression remained unchanged as he pondered internally. He finally said, "Go back; there are many Demon Beasts out at night."
Compared to the terror of the Demon Beasts, Zhang Tang was more afraid of being called a liar. Frustrated, he raised his voice and insisted, "You won’t believe me anyway!"
Just as Management was about to respond, Ginger Beard and two others approached. Upon seeing Ginger Beard, Zhang Tang was startled and nearly got up to flee. Ginger Beard shouted loudly, "Stop right there!"
Zhang Tang froze like a statue. Ginger Beard furiously exclaimed, "Zhang Tang! You’re so bold to dare come here! Are you looking for trouble?"
At that moment, Management coldly snorted and remarked, "Then why are you here? Are you looking for trouble too?"
Ginger Beard thought to himself, "How can I be compared to him?" Although he harbored grievances, he did not dare to voice them in front of Management. When Ginger Beard noticed Management speaking on behalf of Zhang Tang, he felt a slight surprise; it seemed that Zhang Tang had been here before. Ginger Beard spoke gently, "Zhang Tang, what brings you here?"
His tone sounded quite mild, but his gaze was stern. Zhang Tang steeled himself and replied, "I don't like Sanctuary. You all don't trust me there. I'm a professional too; I'm not a child. If you don't believe me, why should I stay?"
Ginger Beard responded, "You come here and still have the nerve to complain? Don't wander off; we’ll go back together later."
Indeed, this wasn't Zhang Tang's first visit. He looked at the others and asked, "So, are you all here to hear Uncle Jinglun's stories too?"
"Hear stories?" Ginger Beard glanced at Management. "Zhang Tang often comes to listen to stories?"
Management's gaze fell on the two strangers, Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu. Instead of answering, Management asked, "Who are these two?"
Ginger Beard introduced them, saying, "This is Ji Zichen from The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant, and this is Lin Chuyu. They are both friends." He then looked at Ji Zichen and added, "Brother Ji has even had the fortune to meet Kai Zhou Shen."
"Oh?" Management said curiously to Ji Zichen, "It seems I was sensing you all."
Ji Zichen replied in surprise, "Sensing?"
Management explained, "Yesterday I sensed a strange presence entering Sanctuary; it must have been you."
Lin Chuyu exclaimed in astonishment, "Sensing? Do you have precognitive abilities like Kai Zhou Shen?"
At the mention of Kai Zhou Shen, Management's expression turned respectful. "It's not exactly precognition; it's just a feeling or intuition."
After speaking, Management turned to Zhang Tang and asked, "Do you know why I brought up that battle from a thousand years ago?"
Zhang Tang bluntly replied, "What else could it be? I asked about Uncle Jinglun."
Management shook his head helplessly. "I told you that story because I wanted to clarify something for you: there are no more Zhuque left in this world; they are all dead. So what you saw was not..."
At that moment, Zhang Tang interrupted angrily through clenched teeth, "I know that was Zhuque!"
Management stared deeply at Zhang Tang. After a moment, his gaze shifted to Ji Zichen as he asked, "What brings you to Zhuque Chenjing?"
Ji Zichen exchanged glances with Lin Chuyu. She thought to herself, "Although this Management is repenting under the Wall of Repentance, he did not participate in the great battle back then. But who knows what his feelings towards the Zhuque are? If I recklessly reveal Lin Chuyu's identity, it might not end well."
Ji Zichen replied, "If you can sense our entry into the Sanctuary of the Professionals, then you must also be one of the people from Western King City, right?"
Management frowned. "Western King City?"
The bearded man named Jiang explained, "Those from Western King City don't know how they got in either. However, after our investigation, we found that they set up the Six Yao Lantern Formation, capturing many fallen Divine Race Undead. Based on our speculation, they intend to open a rift."
Management's expression changed. "Open a rift?" Jiang didn't understand why those from Western King City would want to open a rift, but Management had already guessed that since they were human, they wouldn't be trying to open a rift for cultivation purposes. They must be planning to use the rift for something else.
Management said solemnly, "Such great ambition!"
His gaze swept over everyone as he asked, "Since you have investigated everything clearly, why not seize the Six Yao Lantern Formation instead of coming to the Wall of Repentance?"
Jiang replied, "Of course we want to reclaim the Six Yao Lantern Formation, but they are numerous and powerful. Without magical tools to assist us, there would be significant casualties. I read in some records that there is a Defensive Works underground in Zhuque Chenjing, but the records did not mention the entrance to this Defensive Works. You are among the first batch of professionals; we came to inquire if you have heard of this Defensive Works."
Upon hearing this, Management's expression slightly changed, but that emotion was fleeting. He fixed his gaze on Jiang and remained silent for a long while before saying, "I don't know anything about this Defensive Works. You all should leave."
Jiang and Ji Zichen exchanged glances simultaneously; they had already sensed that Management was hiding something. Ji Zichen signaled Jiang with her eyes to press further. Since Ji Zichen was not a professional herself, she felt it inappropriate to question Management.
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