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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1 Abandoned Prison
Lin Chuyu found the Ghost Guardian of the Western King to be quite unreasonable. The Guardian did not remove her veil even in Lin Chuyu's presence, which made Lin Chuyu feel angry, though she did not show it on her face, as she did not want to offend someone from the Western King's entourage. "Guardian, you are too polite."
Despite the Ghost Guardian's arrogant demeanor, he was aware that appearing with a veil was quite impolite. His tone softened slightly as he replied, "Second Sister, our Ghost Brigade hails from Western Inferno. You might be startled by my appearance; please forgive me."
Lin Chuyu's expression grew serious as she recognized the truth in his words. After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "Why has the Western King sent you and the Ghost Brigade to fetch me? Is it to warn me against escaping, or will you take me to Western Inferno as a living sacrifice?"
The Ghost Guardian's voice came out in an eerie tone from behind the veil. "Second Sister, you worry too much. I can see souls, but I have never encountered one as pure and vibrant as yours. You do not belong to Western Inferno. I am merely here to say hello; there is no warning intended. Second Sister, please rest well."
With that, the Ghost Guardian floated away step by step.
Once he left, Lin Chuyu felt a chill run through her body. She took out the hidden Vajra and held it tightly in her hand; this Vajra provided her with a sense of stability.
Ji Zichen entered with a heavy expression and lifted the curtain. Upon seeing members of the Ghost Brigade, his determination to take Lin Chuyu away strengthened. However, once he stepped out from behind the curtain, his demeanor changed to one of cheerfulness; he did not want Lin Chuyu to see his concern. Ji Zichen smiled slightly and said, "Is this your room? It doesn't seem much better than Sand Cave."
Lin Chuyu was taken aback at first; she had not expected Ji Zichen to be here. After a moment, her face lit up with joy. "How did you get here?"
Ji Zichen chuckled lightly as he sat down at the tea table. "I came to ask for your help."
Lin Chuyu was surprised. "What can I help you with?"
Ji Zichen replied, "Come with me."
Lin Chuyu's expression showed no joy; instead, it deepened into seriousness as she fixed her gaze on Ji Zichen. "I don't know what you need my help with, but I can't go with you."
Ji Zichen had already prepared his words and said leisurely, "Are you afraid that if you leave, the Western King will retaliate against Corner Lodge?"
Lin Chuyu was astonished. "You know about that?"
Ji Zichen nodded. "Come with me, and Corner Lodge will be safe."
Lin Chuyu did not understand his meaning. "Why?"
Seeing her wavering slightly, Ji Zichen smiled gently and explained, "The Western King wants you mainly because of Divine Dawn, but no one knows where Divine Dawn is located. I can help you find the Divine Dawn Ruins; once the ruins are revealed, no one will pay attention to you anymore. This way, both you and Corner Lodge will be safe."
"Lin Chuyu expressed her concerns, saying, 'You go. Divine Dawn is just a rumor; you don't even believe it in your heart. How are you going to find it?'
Ji Zichen replied, 'Although I don't have complete confidence, I have experience in searching for ruins. Do you trust me?'
A series of questions flashed through Lin Chuyu's mind. After a moment of hesitation, she finally calmed down and responded, 'Alright, I'll go with you. But there are many members of the Ghost Brigade outside. How do we leave?'
Ji Zichen led Lin Chuyu to the window and said, 'No one knows I've come here, so no one will stop us on the way. Hold onto me; we'll leave through the roof. If you're scared, just close your eyes.'
Lin Chuyu's chest rose and fell rapidly as she felt nervous. Her face flushed as she instinctively hugged Ji Zichen. Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of allure as she murmured, 'I'm ready.'
Ji Zichen allowed her to hold on, inhaling her fragrance while his heart raced. He swallowed hard and steadied himself before using his lightness skill to leap out of the window.
-
As dawn broke slightly, the gates of Jiaoshu City opened, and a few people began to enter and exit. Xiang Yan and his group were inside Fuyuan Silk Store. Xiang Yan looked anxious as he gazed out at the brightening sky. 'Why hasn't he come out yet? At this rate, we'll have to force our way into the inner city.'
One of the generals said, 'General Xiang, someone manipulated Night Demon to attack us last night. Since they already know our movements, we might as well charge in.'
Xiang Yan took a deep breath to calm himself and analyzed the situation. 'Let's not rush into charging in just yet. However, we do need to enter the inner city. We should meet with the city lord; given last night's Night Demon attack, he should allow us entry.'
The general expressed concern, 'General, if those who attacked us have informed Lin Kou, this could be very dangerous.'
Xiang Yan had already considered this possibility. 'Lin Kou and I are old friends; we know each other well. This time I brought only fifty men with me. We lost thirty last night; Lin Kou must think that twenty men can’t accomplish anything significant at Corner Lodge. We need to seize this opportunity while they underestimate us. Young Master has instructed us to rescue Second Sister at all costs. Young Master deliberately suffered defeat at Black Marsh to give us a better chance at Corner Lodge; we cannot disappoint him.'
The soldiers were inspired by his words and saluted in unison, saying, 'Yes, General!'
-
As Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu attempted to leave the inner city, they encountered some obstacles—not soldiers but four servants transporting cow bones. The four servants pushed two carts filled with bloody bones toward the well where Ji Zichen had previously entered, tossing the bones one by one into the well.
After discarding the bones, the servants did not leave immediately but sat nearby chatting idly. Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu crouched on the rooftop; it was now nearly dawn, and if they waited too long, someone would notice Lin Chuyu's disappearance.
Ji Zichen felt anxious and cursed the four servants inwardly for being lazy near the foul-smelling well. Although Ji Zichen was skilled in martial arts, he couldn't subdue all four of them at once; if even one shouted for help, guards would swarm over immediately.
Lin Chuyu also appeared restless and whispered, 'What should we do now? It seems they won't be leaving anytime soon.'"
Ji Zichen glanced around anxiously and said, "I'm not familiar with the inner city; I only know this one secret passage."
A fleeting thought crossed Lin Chuyu's mind as she exclaimed, "Oh, how could I forget? Last time, Uncle Lin took me out through an abandoned prison."
Ji Zichen paused, hopeful. "Do you remember where it is?"
Lin Chuyu nodded. "Yes, it's not far from here in the Eastern Region."
Ji Zichen urged Lin Chuyu to hold on tightly as they sped toward the Eastern Region. The Abandoned Prison loomed like a fortress, its tall black walls imposing and the large iron gate at the entrance rusted and dull, half-open. They entered through the gate into a large courtyard overgrown with weeds, which had clearly been neglected for many years.
Ji Zichen couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Why is there a prison in the inner city?"
Lin Chuyu explained, "The prison was originally in the inner city. Ten years ago, a band of robbers broke in at night and terrified the wealthy merchants and nobles. My father built a new one in the outer city, and this place has been left to ruin since."
Ji Zichen nodded in understanding. "So that's how it is."
Lin Chuyu led him inside the prison, pointing to a collapsed wall. "We escaped through here last time."
Ji Zichen took a step forward and said, "You stay behind me."
The two of them entered through the broken wall.
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