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墨書 Inktalez
After confirming multiple times that the Island Master truly intended to imprison me, I decided to let the big man take me to the dungeon to avoid putting him in a difficult position.
I never expected that this island would even have a dungeon built by the Island Master. It was quite impressive; I couldn't help but wonder who this Island Master was, to be so formidable.
Looking at the dungeon, I found myself wanting to describe it as exquisite. The walls of the room across from me were adorned with various torture devices—chains, whips, clamps, and many others that I didn't recognize.
I pointed at them and asked, "Big man, what are these for?"
Without hesitation, he replied, "For interrogating prisoners."
I was momentarily stunned. "There are actually prisoners here?"
"Of course. What would be the point of building a dungeon without prisoners? But don't worry; none of these will be used on you," he said with a smug smile.
My curiosity about this mysterious Island Master grew stronger. In H City, he had such a vast enterprise, and the way people at the club treated him with utmost respect, calling him Boss, was still fresh in my mind.
Now witnessing this dungeon only added to the many secrets of Qilin Island that piqued my interest.
The big man led me into a relatively clean cell.
"Yan Xi, I apologize for making you stay here for a while. Once the master calms down, I'll let you out. Don't worry; I'll bring you good food every day and come to see you," he said.
Looking around, I found the environment of the cell to be acceptable. The bedding on the bed was all new, and the surroundings were kept quite clean.
In fact, whether or not I was locked in a cell didn't matter to me. I was simply looking for a quiet place to recuperate. I could rest in the wooden cabin just as easily as in the dungeon; the only difference was a slight loss of freedom.
I waved at the burly man and walked into the cell, saying, "Thank you, big guy. Hurry back before the Island Master gets angry again."
After hearing my advice, the big man left the cell.
To my surprise, he hadn't even locked the cell door.
To prevent any trouble for myself from the Island Master, I decided to walk over and lock it.
"Miss, how did you offend the Qilin Island Master?"
A sudden, elderly voice startled me, causing the lock in my hand to fall to the floor and nearly hit my foot.
I scanned my surroundings warily and coldly asked, "Who is it?"
The voice replied again, "Miss, I'm in the third cell on your right."
I removed the iron chain from the gate as a defensive tool and wrapped it around my hand.
Slowly, I made my way toward where the voice had come from. When I reached the third cell, I stopped.
This cell was noticeably more dilapidated than mine.
Half of it was sealed off with solid iron, making it impossible to see inside.
I quickly returned to my own cell and grabbed a stool to climb up.
Once I reached the open part at the top, I finally caught a glimpse of what was inside.
A pair of eyes, one green and the other black, met mine the moment I looked inside.
"Ah!"
I was so startled that I fell under the chair, almost landing hard. Fortunately, I reacted quickly and caught myself with my hands; otherwise, hitting the ground could have caused serious harm.
"Miss, I hope I didn't scare you too much. I've been locked up in here for ten years, and it's rare to see someone, so I'm a bit excited," the old man said.
"Are you a person or a ghost?"
His eyes were particularly frightening, and my hands were still trembling from the shock.
"You must be scared of my eyes. They used to be normal until someone poked one out with their finger during an accident. That person even poured fluorescent liquid into my eye, leaving me looking like this—neither human nor ghost."
His voice sounded incredibly aged, like that of someone in their seventies or eighties.
Could the one who blinded him be the Island Master? Only someone as twisted as him could do something so cruel.
I hesitantly asked, "Sir, how old are you?"
"I'm fifty-six," he replied.
Fifty-six years old, yet his voice sounded so old. He had been locked away for ten years, which meant he was imprisoned during his prime years.
Ten years of youth have been buried here. What on earth did he do?
"Old man, did you offend Qilin Island?"
"No, I just lost a bet. I accepted my defeat, which is why I've been locked up for ten years. My wager with the Island Master was for fifteen years. In another five years, I’ll finally be able to see the sun again."
Five more years? I would go insane being locked up in one place for even a year. Yet this old man has managed to survive here for so long.
"Old man, you're quite impressive. Can I know what you bet with the Island Master?"
He replied, "It was a question from the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams."
I didn’t expect this old man to be in the same line of work as me. Then he introduced himself, though how much of it was true remains unknown.
I’m called He Zhi Yong. Ten years ago, I was also a prominent figure in the field.
I would cast three divinations a day, never doing more.
Countless nobles and wealthy stars came to me seeking guidance.
But I had a bad temper and was notoriously difficult to please; even if the King himself came, I wouldn’t pay him any mind.
After all, fortune-tellers shouldn’t read their own fortunes. My master was right; I would indeed ruin myself with my own arrogance.
Because of my pride, I offended some people.
Those individuals somehow found their way to the Qilin Island Master and issued a challenge.
At that time, I was full of myself and naturally dismissed it. Now I find myself in this predicament; I can only blame my lack of skill.
After He Zhi Yong introduced himself, he suddenly burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. It was quite shocking to see a grown man cry so openly, with snot and tears streaming down his face.
My grandfather had passed away ten years ago, but his reputation still lingered in the community after more than twenty years. I tentatively asked, "Sir, do you know a fortune teller named Gu Rong? People like to call him Gu Hunchback."
"Who are you?"
He Zhi Yong's tone shifted abruptly, becoming harsh and defensive. Did he know my grandfather or have some kind of conflict with him? The mention of my grandfather's name seemed to provoke a strong reaction.
I wasn't just guessing; my father had made many enemies during my grandfather's time, and they had returned to the village to escape those threats.
"Please, sir, don't be upset. I was just asking casually," I said.
To my surprise, He Zhi Yong continued to press me, gripping my arm firmly as he demanded, "Young lady, tell me where you heard that name."
Not knowing the situation, I dared not speak carelessly and fabricated a lie: "I heard it from an elder in my family. They said he was quite famous. When I heard how impressive you were just now, I wondered if you two knew each other."
"Hahaha,"
His laughter echoed from within. Then he continued, "Anyone who can mention Gu Hunchback must be an older person. My abilities don't even compare to his. He is someone I have wronged in my life and also the person I respect the most. Unfortunately, he passed away too early; my poor master."
Hearing He Zhi Yong's words, I couldn't believe it and confirmed again, "Wait, you called him your master?"
He Zhi Yong sighed with a hint of nostalgia. "Yes, Gu Rong was my master. I truly owe him so much."
"Do you know Lingyunzi and Liu Qingfeng?" I quickly asked.
His voice was filled with confusion. "Miss, who exactly are you? How do you know those two?"
"Hello, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Gu Yanxi, and my father's surname is Gu."
He murmured to himself, "Gu Yanxi, Gu..."
Then he seemed to realize something was off and exclaimed, "Oh, I understand now!"
"You are Gu Yanxi, the master's granddaughter named Gu Yanxi. The master's son is also named Gu," his voice showed a hint of nervousness, but mostly excitement.
Then he seemed to overturn his own judgment. "No, no, you can't be the master's granddaughter Gu Yanxi. You're lying to me, right? What is your true purpose?"
If he really was my grandfather's disciple, then he should know quite a bit.
How could I prove my identity to earn his trust?
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