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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred and Three: The Blooming Flower
Lin Miaomiao initially intended to teach the old man a lesson, but upon hearing the words "South Sea," her heart stirred. Her father had mentioned that over a decade ago, while passing by the seaside, he saw a cradle floating in from the sea surface.
Strangely, several birds perched atop the cradle. They spread their wings to shield Lin Miaomiao from the wind and rain within.
Since discovering that she was not Lin Xiao's biological daughter, Lin Miaomiao had longed to find her real parents. It wasn't out of nostalgia for them, but rather to ask one question: Why did you abandon me?
"Sir, can you discern my origins?" Lin Miaomiao looked earnestly at the fortune teller, her expression filled with anticipation.
Lin Feng suddenly recalled that day when he returned to Qingshan Town; Miaomiao's father had mentioned that Miaomiao was not his biological daughter. Seeing Miaomiao's eagerness, Lin Feng said, "Sir, if you can predict accurately, I will reward you with whatever you desire. Even if I cannot provide it now, I, Lin Feng, promise to fulfill it in this lifetime. However, if you speak nonsense, then I will not hold back."
Lin Feng felt that this old man was somewhat enigmatic; every time he tried to delve into his sea of consciousness, something seemed to block him. Coming from another place, he found it hard to relate to Earth as home.
The fortune teller glanced at Lin Feng, fell silent for a moment, then nodded and smiled with squinted eyes. "Not bad, not bad. Years ago, I read a fortune for an old friend and came up with a figure. Today, it is fortunate to meet you; it feels complete. Fate has brought us together. Young lady, why not write a character? I will help you decipher it."
Lin Miaomiao thought for a moment and wrote the character '问' (to ask) on the paper.
Upon seeing this character, the fortune teller revealed a quiet smile and stroked his beard. "The character '问' can be divided into '门' (door) and '口' (mouth). Its meaning is already clear. Why ask where your home is? You have long resided within the city gate; your home lies within yourself."
"Sir, what do you mean? I don't understand. Where exactly is my home?" Lin Miaomiao pressed for clarification.
"The opportunity must not be leaked; you will soon have your answer," the fortune teller replied mysteriously.
Lin Feng pondered over those words and thought they were utterly meaningless—equivalent to saying nothing at all.
"You old fraud..."
Lin Feng intended to reprimand the fortune teller but found that he had vanished into thin air mid-sentence.
Lin Miaomiao looked around anxiously and called out, "Elder, elder, please reveal more!"
The crowd surged around them, yet the emaciated old man was nowhere to be seen. Lin Feng glanced at the table and noticed that the words written by Miaomiao had vanished, replaced by a line of poetry: "When flowers bloom, they must be picked; do not wait until there are no flowers to pluck the branches."
"What does this mean?" Lin Feng murmured to himself.
He tucked the piece of white paper away, feeling that the old man's appearance had been too coincidental and his departure rather strange. He must have been a powerful senior cultivator.
Seeing Miaomiao lost in thought, Lin Feng took her hand and comforted her. "Miaomiao, don't worry. I will definitely help you find them."
"Lin Feng, do you know? I really want to find them, but I don’t miss them at all."
"I understand." Lin Feng held both of Miaomiao's hands tightly.
"I just want an answer."
"I know." Lin Feng pulled Miaomiao into his embrace.
Miaomiao rested her chin on Lin Feng's shoulder and continued to murmur, "I actually have no connection with them, right?"
"That's right."
In the midst of the bustling crowd, a pair of young lovers embraced each other, drawing some curious glances.
A burly man leaned in with curiosity, and when he clearly saw Lin Feng's face, he couldn't help but shout, "My lord!"
The sudden exclamation of "my lord" startled Miaomiao, causing her to shiver. At that moment, Lin Feng also spotted the burly man, his eyes lighting up with joy. "Chang Long!"
"My lord, you’re alive..."
As soon as Lin Feng and Miaomiao separated, Chang Long enveloped him in a tight embrace. Chang Long held Lin Feng closely, his voice choked with emotion.
"Sir, they all think you're dead."
Passersby looked at Lin Feng, their faces filled with confusion. Who was this person? One moment he was holding a girl, the next he was holding a man. What was going on?
Lin Miaomiao was also taken aback by the scene. She recalled that day when Lin Feng shared his experiences and mentioned someone named Chang Long.
She never expected to encounter him here. Lin Feng felt a surge of emotions as he grasped Chang Long's arm and asked, "It's good to see you alive. What about Hu Bing? What about Lindor? How are the other brothers doing?"
"They... they..." Chang Long stammered, unable to meet Lin Feng's gaze, turning his eyes elsewhere.
Lin Feng understood the truth and suddenly felt a wave of sorrow rise in his heart, threatening to bring him to tears. He fought to hold back his emotions and looked northward, toward Dongping County.
"I, Lin Feng, am fortunate to have met you all, my good brothers. One day, I will lead our Hengdao Camp Armored Soldiers back to Snowfield and take revenge on that big tiger. I will avenge General and all our brothers."
Chang Long quickly wiped away his tears and forced a smile as he looked at Lin Feng. "Sir, the brothers followed you into battle; they all feel their deaths were not in vain. They’ve long since earned their keep."
Lin Feng nodded, not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer. He asked, "How did you end up here?"
"I came with my master. I am his steward, taking care of his daily needs."
With that, Chang Long gestured for Lin Feng to follow him to a certain place. Lin Feng and Miaomiao trailed behind Chang Long as they navigated through the crowd, twisting and turning until they finally entered Sima Manor.
Sima Shangshan was sitting in the hall reading when he heard hurried footsteps approaching. He frowned and said, "Chang Long, I asked you to buy some wine; why did it take you so long?"
When he saw Chang Long standing empty-handed at the door without coming in, Sima Shangshan grew even more displeased. "What’s wrong with you? You come back empty-handed after such a long time? Why are you smiling... what’s so funny? Go get me some Du Wine."
Seeing that Chang Long ignored his words and remained still, Sima Shangshan stood up and said, "Chang Long, what's going on with you today? Did you not hear me when I told you to buy wine?"
"There is wine available; unfortunately, it’s not Du Wine. Would Sima like some?"
As they spoke, Lin Feng appeared at the entrance, with Miaomiao quietly standing beside him.
"Lord Lin..."
Sima Shangshan revealed an expression of disbelief. He quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "A distinguished guest has arrived; I apologize for not welcoming you properly."
"Sima, you're being too polite," Lin Feng replied with a smile.
Sima Shangshan shook his head and said, "This is not the frontier, and we no longer hold official positions. If Brother Lin thinks highly of me, let us address each other as brothers, shall we?"
"Brother Sima, that suits me perfectly," Lin Feng said, unable to resist extending his right hand.
Sima Shangshan looked at Lin Feng with a puzzled expression and asked, "Brother Lin, what do you mean by this?"
"I'm sorry, um... in my hometown, friends shake hands when they meet. We all extend our right hands to grasp each other."
"I see, it's similar to our cupped-hand greeting."
"Yes, that's exactly it. Seeing Brother Sima brings me comfort; I momentarily lost my composure."
Sima Shangshan extended his right hand and firmly shook Lin Feng's hand. Then he looked at Lin Feng and smiled, "Brother Lin, I find this way of greeting much better than the cupped-hand salute; it's more genuine."
"Brother Sima, you're too kind."
After both parties took their seats, Sima Shangshan sighed deeply and said, "To be honest with you, Brother Lin, during that battle, I was in a deep sleep. When I woke up, I found myself in the estate. My memories seem fragmented; they just won't connect. I remember we fought back-to-back against the Demon Army together, but I can't recall why we were surrounded by them."
Thinking of the frontier and recalling the beautiful superior who had perished, Lin Feng couldn't help but sigh as well. "The situation is already settled; whether you remember or not isn't that important."
Sima Shangshan sighed again and said, "When I woke up and learned about Brother Lin and the General's deaths in battle, it felt like being struck by lightning; I was completely stunned."
“Come on, you’re only here for Tang Jiner. Don’t think I’m foolish,” Brother Sima said earnestly, his deep feelings evident.
“Seeing you alive today, Brother Lin, I suddenly feel overwhelmed with emotion. I heard from Chang Long that you went to rescue the General. I wonder how she is now? She should still be alive, right?”
At this point, Sima Shangshan looked at Lin Feng with a complex expression of urgency, excitement, hesitation, and fear. He had always been fond of Tang Jiner, and when he learned of her death on the battlefield, he felt utterly despondent. Now, seeing Lin Feng brought a glimmer of hope, yet he was still worried that the outcome would be the same cold reality.
Lin Feng met Sima Shangshan’s anxious gaze, unsure of how to respond.
“Brother Lin, how is the General now?” Sima Shangshan pressed urgently, his expression appearing to smile but looking more sorrowful than tears. The heat and fear in his eyes intensified. Suddenly, he realized something.
“Well… how should I put it… Miss Mo and I fought our way to the center of the battle and eventually found the General. She was extremely weak at that time; her Golden Dragon Armor was in tatters, and her Vital Energy had been completely depleted. She was attacked by the War Maniac…”
“Brother Lin, I only want to know the result. Is Jin'er… alive?”
Sima Shangshan spoke in a low voice, his tone slightly choked. As he gazed into Lin Feng’s eyes, it seemed as if a curtain of tears was forming within them.
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