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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter: Internal Discord
Ji Zichen and Yu Ren returned to the Sanctuary of the Professionals, where Uncle Jiang sat silently at his desk. Lin Chuyu, filled with concern, asked, "Brother Ji, Uncle Jiang, are you alright?"
Ji Zichen was unsure how to respond and said with a hint of frustration, "That Management may be older, but they really don't know how to choose their words. Truly a strange temperament. I'll go check on him."
Entering the room, Ji Zichen found Uncle Jiang looking gaunt. Trying to comfort him, Ji Zichen said, " Uncle Jiang, don't take it too hard. That Management..."
Uncle Jiang's eyes flickered as he glanced at the chair in front of him and slowly said, "Please, sit."
Ji Zichen complied and sat down. Uncle Jiang forced a bitter smile and said, "Management is doing well. My father did some things that went against the will of the professionals. I was very angry and confused at first, but many things have passed now, and I've come to terms with it."
Ji Zichen sighed, "But hearing others talk about it still isn't pleasant."
Uncle Jiang's gaze dimmed as he spoke sadly, "That woman is very young and quite beautiful. She seems to be afraid of the cold; every night my father has to light a large stove for her. She has been to a place where the wind and snow blow all day long and has caught a strange chill. At night, she becomes exceptionally sensitive to the cold."
"My father couldn't bear to see her suffer like that and tried every means to help her. I never thought my father would meet Management, but Management is doing well. A mortal woman wanting Divine Tears to prolong her life is indeed somewhat..." Uncle Jiang paused for a moment as if searching for the right words before finally saying, "Inappropriate."
Ji Zichen couldn't agree with that perspective. He firmly supported Uncle Jiang's father's actions and replied emphatically, " Uncle Jiang! What’s inappropriate about that? If you can help, then help! Is the life of a divine being more precious than that of a mortal?"
Uncle Jiang didn't argue further but instead asked Ji Zichen in return, "What about you? Do you often help others outside?"
This question left Ji Zichen momentarily speechless. He had saved many people before, but he had never done so without purpose. He smiled wryly and admitted, "I... I have helped some people."
Uncle Jiang stared at Ji Zichen for a moment before sighing deeply. "Well, no matter what happens now, it's been so long already. What about Xia Zhou? Has he not returned yet?"
Ji Zichen replied, "I haven't seen him; I don't know how his investigation is going. Regardless of whether he has any artifacts or not, we need to find a way to stop them from opening the rift. I'll go look for Xia Zhou."
Uncle Jiang chuckled and said, "You should just wait here for him to come back. Do you know where he is investigating?"
Ji Zichen smiled mysteriously and said, "I know where he is."
Ji Zichen arrived at the cliff from which they had escaped the camp. Xia Zhou sat in the shade, gazing out at the camp. Hearing a rustling sound behind him, Xia Zhou immediately became alert. Moments later, Ji Zichen emerged from the bushes, and upon seeing Xia Zhou's surprised expression, he smiled slightly. "I knew you would be here."
Xia Zhou couldn't help but laugh. "How did you know I was here?"
Ji Zichen sat down beside Xia Zhou. "This place is elevated, making it a great lookout point. Plus, it's where we left from, so I figured you might come here."
Xia Zhou smiled unconsciously. "I didn't expect you to be so observant."
Ji Zichen also looked out at the camp. The tents were still set up, and a few soldiers were patrolling back and forth. Ji Zichen asked, "What did you find out?"
Xia Zhou appeared somewhat anxious. "Not long ago, I saw Ling Xuan and three men come out of the woods outside the camp with some soldiers. I don't know what they were up to, but unfortunately, I couldn't hear what they were saying."
Ji Zichen frowned. "Three men? They might be the ones who captured me." This time, Ji Zichen guessed wrong; Xia Zhou had no idea who had taken him back to the camp. He pointed to two people standing by the stable. "Those two are among them."
Ji Zichen focused his gaze on the two by the stable and exclaimed in surprise, "Those two are not the Chen Family Brothers!"
Thinking back to his earlier experiences in the camp, Ji Zichen realized he had never seen these two before. The individuals standing by the stable were Mo Cang and Jiang Chun. From his position on the cliff, Ji Zichen could see their mouths moving, but the distance was too great for him to hear what they were saying.
At that moment, Xia Zhou asked, "So how did it go when you met with Management?"
Ji Zichen sighed. "Management knows about the entrance to Defensive Works; I could tell that much. But he seems to have a strong prejudice against humans, so he didn't say anything."
Xia Zhou replied, "Just as I expected."
Ji Zichen's expression turned slightly displeased. "And then Management brought up his father's matter."
Xia Zhou was taken aback. "It's been so long since that happened; why would he bring it up now? How is Jiang Da Huzi doing?"
Ji Zichen said, "Oh him? I saw him before I came here; I estimate he's just sitting in his room now."
Xia Zhou reminisced for a moment and said, "When I first arrived at Zhuque Chenjing, I met his father. Not long after I got here, his father left with that woman."
Ji Zichen remarked, "You came here not long ago? So this event happened fifty years ago?"
Xia Zhou replied uncertainly, "I think so. I can't really remember when it was. Honestly, I’ve forgotten whether I’ve been here for fifty or sixty years."
Ji Zichen sighed in agreement, "Yes, sometimes I forget how long it's been since I left The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant. After all, human lifespans are limited. That woman must have turned into an old lady by now."
Xia Zhou said slowly, "I hope Jiang Tao doesn’t regret the decision he made."
Xia Zhou looked at Ji Zichen and asked, "I wonder where Jiang Tao is now."
Ji Zichen, noticing Xia Zhou looking at him, replied curiously, "What? Are you asking me? How would I know where Uncle Jiang's father is? I don’t even know him. Maybe we’ve passed each other without realizing it."
Xia Zhou recalled Jiang Tao, saying, "As for Jiang Tao, he’s quite an impressive practitioner. Not only does he understand the doctrines well, but he’s also a Master of Magical Artifacts. I once saw him use a magical tool to capture a Demon Beast, and he was spot on every time. Honestly, I envy Jiang Tao."
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "Envy? Why?"
Xia Zhou smiled wryly and said, "Because he dares to break the rules and pursue his own happiness."
Ji Zichen scoffed, "You envy someone who abandons their family in search of happiness? Don’t you think that’s selfish?"
Xia Zhou fell silent for a moment before responding, "I don’t know if it’s right or wrong. Whether it’s us or you, we all have our limits. We only live once; why not be a little reckless?"
Ji Zichen replied calmly, "It sounds like you want to leave here too. So why don’t you just go?"
Xia Zhou had no answer for that. After a moment, he took a deep breath and said, "Who knows what the future holds? Maybe I will go out and take a look."
Ji Zichen laughed and said, "If you're not afraid of the consequences, once you understand what's going on here, come out with me for a stroll."
Though Xia Zhou felt a sense of longing, doubts lingered in his heart, preventing him from responding immediately.
His gaze shifted toward the stable as he noticed the Elder approaching Mo Cang and Jiang Chun. "Another one has arrived," he remarked.
Ji Zichen looked towards the stable again. Although she did not know Mo Cang and Jiang Chun, she recognized the Elder. "It's him," she said.
Xia Zhou glanced at Ji Zichen and asked, "Do you know that old man?"
Ji Zichen nodded. "I ran into him when I was investigating the intersection last time. They all call him Elder."
Xia Zhou inquired, "Elder? Is that his name or his title?"
Ji Zichen replied, "It's probably a title; I'm not sure."
The three by the stable were talking, but they couldn't hear clearly. Xia Zhou curiously remarked, "Those three are strange; why are they talking by the stable?"
Ji Zichen also found it odd.
Xia Zhou said, "If the Serpent Bat Dragon were a bit bigger, I could figure out what they're doing."
That statement suddenly reminded Ji Zichen. She exclaimed, "Oh no! How could I forget Kai Zhou Shen's ring? I need to listen in on them."
Inside the stable were three military horses. Ji Zichen used Kai Zhou Shen's ring to attach herself to the military horses near the three men.
She overheard the Elder saying, "Jiang Chun, don't act too strangely; it will attract Ling Xuan's attention."
Jiang Chun shot a glare at the Elder and retorted, "What do you mean by acting strangely? What are you implying?"
Mo Cang interjected, "Jiang Chun, your behavior is indeed odd. Everyone knows you're usually slow-paced, but now you're acting very anxious. Ling Xuan isn't foolish; if you keep this up, she'll notice you."
The Elder added, "We have complete control over the rift now. You need to calm down and not cause us any trouble."
Jiang Chun felt annoyed but remained silent. Since both of them had pointed it out, he realized his behavior was indeed unusual. However, he couldn't help it; the rift was about to open wide, and how could he not feel excited?
Ji Zichen pulled back her thoughts slightly and wondered, "What does their conversation mean? What is he doing that makes him afraid of Ling Xuan noticing?"
Xia Zhou chuckled, "This is interesting. It seems there is discord among them. Let's keep listening; perhaps this trip won't be in vain."
At that moment, Ji Zichen stared at Xia Zhou in surprise, as he had not yet informed Xia Zhou about what Elder and the others were discussing. How did Xia Zhou know their conversation?
Seeing Ji Zichen's bewildered expression, Xia Zhou said, "Why are you looking at me? Hurry up and listen to what they are plotting."
Ji Zichen replied, "It seems like you can hear what they are saying?"
Xia Zhou patted Ji Zichen on the shoulder. It was only then that Ji Zichen realized Xia Zhou had placed his hand on his shoulder without him noticing. Xia Zhou continued, "I don't have Kai Zhou Shen's ring. How could I hear them from this distance? You can connect with the warhorse; I can connect with you."
Ji Zichen then remembered that he could communicate with the Serpent Bat Dragon, so it wasn't strange that Xia Zhou could hear what he heard.
At that moment, Ji Zichen focused his mind and connected with the warhorse.
He then heard Elder say, "Enough small talk. Let's get serious. How is the plan coming along?"
Mo Cang glanced around mysteriously and lowered his voice, saying, "Everything is ready. As soon as Elder gives the order, we can kill Ling Xuan at any time."
Upon hearing this, Ji Zichen and Xia Zhou were both shocked! They exclaimed in disbelief, "They want to kill Ling Xuan!"
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