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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1 Madam Jiang's Diary
The Stinky Beggar suddenly changed his demeanor, as if he was challenging the Mad Bull. He declared, "I won't leave!"
At that moment, the Stinky Beggar gave Ji Zichen the impression of a still stone lying in a deep pond, a sensation that sent chills down Ji Zichen's spine. He couldn't believe his eyes as he stared intently at the Stinky Beggar, thinking to himself, "He seems like a different person!"
Mad Bull sensed the provocation from the Stinky Beggar and coldly replied, "What are you?"
The Stinky Beggar's expression was unusually icy, shocking everyone around him. He stated, "I am Xinfeng, the Vice Leader of the Yellow Sand Gang."
Upon hearing this, Mad Bull burst into laughter. "You’re the Vice Leader of the Yellow Sand Gang? How come I've never seen someone like you before?"
Xinfeng remained eerily calm, sending shivers through those present. "Why don't you ask Killer whether I'm telling the truth or not?"
Mad Bull suddenly felt as if he were glued in place, unable to turn around. After taking a deep breath, he finally faced Killer, who was unexpectedly smiling back at him.
Though Killer did not confirm or deny anything, that smile made Ji Zichen's scalp tingle with fear. Xia Zhou was equally shocked; both of them thought simultaneously, "What is going on here?"
Lin Chuyu stared at Xinfeng in disbelief. "If you're their Vice Leader, then why aren't they providing for you?"
A terrifying thought began to rise in Ji Zichen's mind. He thought to himself, "They must have some dreadful purpose for doing this."
Xinfeng coldly fixed his gaze on Mad Bull and said, "If I don't go hungry for a few meals, how can I float beneath my feet? If I don't act this way, how can I make it seem real?"
Mad Bull couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing. Suddenly, he shouted furiously, "What kind of trick are you playing!"
At that moment, sounds of a struggle echoed from above. Yu Ren could hear objects collapsing through three layers of wooden panels; the noise was chaotic—tables splintering, vases shattering, and heavy footsteps moving about.
From such sounds, it was clear that someone was fighting up there. Who could be battling above?
The entire Fire Cloud Residence was constructed from wood, so the floorboards were also made of timber.
Xinfeng grinned and said, "Our goal is, of course, the location of the Divine Dawn Ruins!"
Ji Zichen, Xia Zhou, and Lin Chuyu simultaneously exclaimed, "Who has the location of the ruins?"
Suddenly, a tearing sound came from the central floorboard, as if someone was pressing down from above. The tearing noise grew louder, and cracks in the wooden boards began to spread.
With a loud crash, two figures fell from above. Killer and Yu Ren landed not far away, quickly retreating as the two descended at great speed. By the time Ji Zichen saw clearly, one figure in dark clothing lay flat on the ground while Fire Lion knelt beside him, gripping the throat of this dark-clad person tightly with his right hand.
With a twist of his right hand, there was a crunch as Fire Lion crushed the throat of the dark-clad figure.
Seeing Fire Lion appear, Xinfeng finally smiled. He glanced at Ji Zichen and Yu Ren before cheerfully saying, "The one who has the location of the ruins is naturally Master of Fire Cloud Residence."
Fire Lion slowly rose to his feet and smiled slightly. "So you intentionally created this nonsense here to distract us, allowing someone to sneak up from behind and attempt to capture me in order to force me to reveal the location of the ruins. But you are only a few people; you really underestimate me, Fire Lion."
At this moment, Xinfeng clapped and laughed as if praising Fire Lion's skills. "Fire Lion truly lives up to his reputation; even with one hand broken, he can still take down our top assassin that we hired at a high price."
Fire Lion smiled slowly. "You all went through so much trouble to stage this play; it must have been hard for you. But I advise you to give up; I will not give you the location of the ruins."
Killer then said, "Fire Lion! Quickly tell us the location of the ruins; there's no need to rush to your death. Divine Dawn is just one of many ruins; you don't need to die for it."
Ji Zichen suddenly stood up in shock and said, "You really know where the ruins are!"
Fire Lion chuckled. "What? Do you want a piece of the pie too?"
Xinfeng replied, "Fire Lion, we are not unreasonable. The wealth within the ruins cannot be consumed by one person alone; we can cooperate."
Fire Lion sneered. "Cooperate? Why would I want to cooperate with you? You might as well give up on that idea."
Xinfeng couldn't help but angrily exclaim, "Do you really want to drink the penalty wine!"
At that moment, Ji Zichen burst into laughter. "Have you been deceived by someone? How could he possibly know anything about the ruins?"
Fire Lion, unfazed by Ji Zichen's mockery, replied, "You don't need to try to pry information from me. It seems my Fire Cloud Residence is not going to last much longer. Ji Zichen, I don't mind telling you that I do know the location of the ruins. Do you remember Madam Jiang's Diary?"
Ji Zichen frowned and asked, "Diary?"
Ji Zichen didn't immediately recall Madam Jiang's Diary, but in the next moment, a vision of Madam Jiang's Pink Pavilion flashed in her mind. The pavilion was filled with bookshelves, and that night when Ji Zichen visited Madam Jiang, they had shared moments together amidst those scrolls where Madam Jiang had written her casual thoughts and diary entries.
It was only then that Ji Zichen suddenly realized, her expression shifting to one of uncertainty. "You stole Madam Jiang's Diary! That's impossible! There must be hundreds of scrolls in that attic. How would you know which one recorded the ruins?"
Fire Lion replied with relief, "Stole? Who said I stole it? That night we fought outside the Pig Demon ruins, I lost to you, and Lifeng was killed by you as well. I don't blame you; we just weren't skilled enough. After I escaped that night, I happened to pass by Madam Jiang's residence and coincidentally walked past that pink attic."
"I saw a servant sneakily taking something out from the attic, so I followed him discreetly. When we reached a crack in the wall, just as he was about to slip through, I struck him down with a palm strike. From his body, I retrieved a scroll that contained the recipe for Swallow Brew and the location of the ruins. Of course, it also included the whereabouts of the Divine Clan's treasure trove accumulated over many years."
"However, Madam Jiang is quite clever; she didn't store her wealth in that crack. After I exited the Gap and went to the treasure trove, I thought I could live comfortably for the rest of my life. But to my surprise, there wasn't much of value there. Fortunately for me, there were still some items I could use as capital."
At this point, Xinfeng coldly snorted. "Fire Lion! I'm not here to listen to your past stories. The Yellow Sand Gang is the most powerful faction here; you know this as well as I do."
Fire Lion sneered back, "Yes, I'm aware that your Killer gang is the strongest and most ruthless here. Your gang leader is quite a monster."
Suddenly Mad Bull seemed to recall something and said, "Killer, did your leader want me back because he hoped to learn about the ruins' location from me?"
Killer chuckled awkwardly and replied, "That was indeed the plan, but seeing your astonished expression now makes it clear that you know nothing at all."
Xinfeng added with a hint of disdain, "If you know nothing at all, then you're of no use to us."
Fire Lion laughed coldly. "You all are quite foolish. If he didn't know anything about this matter, why would he willingly betray you and come work as a guard at my Fire Cloud Residence?"
Mad Bull glared at Fire Lion with a sullen expression. "Fire Lion, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to burn bridges?"
Fire Lion chuckled. "Mad Bull, don't be so hasty. Why would I burn bridges? I'm just telling them the truth; they're already dead. What does it matter to tell the dead the facts?"
Xinfeng sneered, "You all have too much confidence in yourselves, don't you? Do you think it's just us few? Let me give you a heads-up, this time we are determined to secure the relic's location. Our leader will personally oversee this."
Mad Bull was taken aback. "Your leader is coming!"
Xinfeng replied with a smile, "Mad Bull, before our leader arrives, you still have a chance. Just tell us where the relic is located, and I can speak a few good words for you in front of our leader, allowing you to return to the Yellow Sand Gang."
Mad Bull snorted coldly. "What kind of person is your leader? Do I not know? He won't let me off for betraying the Yellow Sand Gang."
Fire Lion laughed heartily. "Mad Bull, it's best that you understand this. You should calm down and help me fend off our enemies; only then can we share the wealth."
Seeing them enjoying the banter, Xia Zhou couldn't help but interject, "Hey, if you know where the relic is, why not go find it yourself instead of acting as a guard here?"
Mad Bull tightened his face and remained silent.
Fire Lion smiled slightly. "He knows I have the location of the relic, but do you think I would be foolish enough to tell him in advance?"
Ji Zichen chimed in, "Fire Lion, it's been a long time since we came out from the Divine Clan's rift. Why haven't you gone to search for the relic during this time instead of opening this Fire Cloud Residence?"
Fire Lion sighed. "Do you think I don't want to? It's because there's a barrier there..." Before he could finish his sentence, Fire Lion suddenly stopped and gave Ji Zichen a wry smile. "Good one, Ji Zichen; you almost got me to spill more."
Though Fire Lion didn't complete his thought, everyone present understood that there was a Barrier at the relic's location preventing them from entering; otherwise, they wouldn't still be waiting now.
At that moment, Xinfeng said, "Fire Lion, is what you want a Barrier? What kind of Barrier is it? If you can't deal with it, then we should definitely cooperate."
Fire Lion laughed heartily. "No need for your concern."
Xinfeng sighed and said, "Since that's the case, there's nothing we can do. If you want to fight, we won't hold back."
He glanced at Xia Zhou and asked, "What do they call you?"
"Xia Zhou," came the reply.
Xinfeng continued, "Brother Xia, I understand the importance of kindness. You're a good person for offering me a meal. Someone like you shouldn't die here. You should leave. It won't be long before our leader arrives. Do you understand what I mean?"
Xia Zhou responded, "You mean that when your leader comes, there won't be any survivors here?"
Xinfeng chuckled, "We're not that ruthless. We just fear that you might get hurt in the scuffle. Go on, if fate allows, I'll treat you next time."
Xia Zhou smiled back, "I can't leave. I came out from home to explore and see what the Divine Dawn Ruins are like!"
Xinfeng's expression darkened. "So, you're intending to oppose us?"
Xia Zhou shook his head quickly. "No, no! I just want to take a look."
Seeing that Xia Zhou didn't seem to be lying, Xinfeng said, "That's good then. Just stand aside and don't get in the way." His gaze shifted to the Fire Lion. "It's time to make our move."
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