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墨書 Inktalez
"The season is wrong," Cui Ming said as the wind swept into the York Mountains. He began counting on his fingers. "We entered the desert in July, and it should be July two years later. How can it be spring now?"
"How do you know it's spring?" the wind questioned.
"That's a peach tree, and those are peach blossoms. Peach blossoms bloom in spring," Cui Ming pointed to a tree, feeling somewhat insulted by the implication that his intelligence was in question.
The wind frowned in thought. "Could it be that a day in the desert equals a month in the human world? If that's the case, two years would be 730 days, or 730 months..."
"You idiot," Cui Ming exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "I just thought the rainy season at Moon Lake was a bit too long."
The wind remained skeptical. "We should ask someone."
A York Girl was picking mushrooms when suddenly two long-haired wild men appeared. It wasn't an exaggeration to call Cui Ming and the wind wild men; the wind couldn't bear to shave with his knife, so he had let his facial hair grow naturally. Moreover, they had only one set of clothes since entering the desert, and they still wore those same tattered garments.
With their wild appearance, bully-like demeanor, and rogue expressions, the York Girl let out a shriek, dropped her basket, and covered her chest with her hands while closing her eyes, shouting, "Don't eat me!"
The wind replied, "What are you talking about?"
"And don't eat my sister either!" she shouted loudly with her eyes still shut.
Cui Ming pushed the wind aside gently and asked, "Miss, what year, month, and day is it today?"
After thinking for a while, she replied, "I don't know, but I know it's Saturday; we don't have classes today."
...Students indeed only remember what day of the week it is when they're on break. Cui Ming pressed on, "But what year and month is it?"
"March of the year XX." The girl peeked at the two and quickly added, "In the year XX, this is the Eternal Sphere."
Suddenly, Feng furrowed his brow. With a flick of his left hand and a draw of his sword with his right, he spun around and slashed. A blade of wind narrowly missed a tree behind him. It struck ten meters away, revealing a Yorkian figure holding a blow dart. Realizing he had been discovered, the figure immediately turned to flee. Just as Feng was about to pursue, Cui Ming shouted, "Mi Xiaomo, come back."
The person in question was Mi Xiaomo. Hearing Cui Ming's voice, she paused for a moment before running back. Her short legs moved as quickly as Mi Xiaonan's. She glanced at Cui Ming for a while, not recognizing him. After jumping closer and observing for a moment, she suddenly exclaimed, "Cui Ming, you’re not dead?"
"Why would I be dead?" Cui Ming replied in confusion.
"Three days ago, the Force Alliance put your name on the missing persons list."
Oh? They said two years; how many years has it been now? Feng sheathed his sword and said, "So you are Mi Xiaomo. Cui Ming has mentioned you." In a state of boredom, anything could be discussed, especially during the dull moments of travel.
Mi Xiaomo smiled and introduced herself, "I'm her sister. Mi Xiaomi."
Cui Ming added, "We just returned from another world and scared your sister. Do you think we could find a place to clean up?"
"This way." Mi Xiaomo helped Mi Xiaomi pick up her mushroom basket. "Another world. Was the scenery nice?"
Cui Ming casually lied, "There wasn't much scenery; there were two races on the planet: one was the Stone People and the other was the Lizardmen..."
Mi Xiaomo asked in surprise, "Are the Stone People simple, kind-hearted, tireless workers who are dedicated to their tasks? Do the Lizardmen try to steal the Stone People's labor results every day?"
Cui Ming was shocked and asked, "How do you know that?"
"Mote Planet," Mi Xiaomo explained. "After Dawn City assessed the volcanic hazards, they planned to open a small highway to Dawnmoon City. As a result, Evelyn discovered some Otherworldly Creatures. The Alliance sent someone to invite him to join the Force Alliance. The Force Report interviewed Mote."
"What the hell?" Cui Ming and Feng were taken aback. "Force Report?"
Mi Xiaomo nodded, "Yes. Not long after your class finished the Assessment Match, the host Liu Na started the Force Report. After Mi Big Head joined the alliance, he invented a type of clothing that protects ordinary people from the effects of Force Stones. Liu Na purchased the patent for this clothing and negotiated with the alliance, which agreed to cooperate with the Force Report. In return, Liu Na opened a company in Hero Town specifically to hire ordinary people to clean and maintain Hero City."
Times have changed so quickly; it's only been a little over two years. Cui Ming asked, "As far as I know, Mi Big Head's personality wouldn't allow him to sell such a beneficial patent to someone else, right?"
Mi Xiaomo scoffed, "Mi Big Head was hugged by Liu Na and rubbed against her chest a few times; he might as well have sold his own mother."
Feng and Cui Ming stifled their laughter. For someone who has been engaged in research for years, certain stimuli can be incredibly powerful.
Mi Xiaomo continued, "The most infuriating part is that Liu Na's embrace was merely ceremonial. She casually inquired about the patent rights, and without a second thought, Mi Big Head sold it. But there are benefits; the Force Report has been published and is currently the best-selling newspaper across the continent."
Ordinary people, intrigued by the mysterious lives of the Noble families, began to understand the lives of Force Practitioners through the newspaper. The sales skyrocketed. The second page of the newspaper is dedicated to the Force Alliance, mostly left blank except for various announcements from them. The Force Alliance also found it convenient; they no longer needed to communicate through liaison officers step by step; they could simply publish everything in the newspaper, and within days, practitioners across the Three Continents would be informed.
Especially with the upcoming new Assessment Match in three months, many citizens began to inquire about Hero City's location, eager to witness it live. Thanks to Mi Big Head's contribution, ordinary people could now watch the matches in person, and television stations began comprehensive preparations.
Mi Big Head's clothing and Liu Na's Force Report can be considered two of the most influential things affecting both Force Practitioners and ordinary citizens.
Next, Mi Xiaomo shared news that hadn't appeared in the newspaper: a major incident had occurred with the Ding Family. The Ding Family Head was assassinated three months after the Assessment Match concluded. This sparked a conflict between the Lineage and its branches. After mediation by Ye Family, Force Alliance, Eternity Alliance, Twilight City officials, and Dawn Empire officials, both sides agreed to hold three matches in Hero City one month after the new Assessment Match. The format would be best two out of three; if Lineage won, the branches would have to submit to Lineage and continue its succession system. If the branches won, they would abolish Lineage's system and elect a new head from among all members of the Ding Family. Each match would consist of five main members and five substitutes per team; substitutions could be made during matches. Due to Lineage's smaller numbers, it was also stipulated that both sides could have three external aids.
Why wait two years before starting the matches? Initially, it was because after mediation by the alliance, both sides agreed that whoever captured the murderer responsible for killing their head would take charge. However, more than a year passed without any leads. Thus they decided to negotiate again and ultimately agreed on arbitration through competition.
Feng asked, "Has any clue been left by the murderer?"
Mi Xiaomo replied, "None; we only know that the murderer can become invisible and has used some treasures to conceal their whereabouts."
Cui Ming felt a shock; could it be Eva? She desperately wanted the Spectral Cloak because she had an agreement with Ding Family. Was it possible that Eva's Agreement wasn't with Ding Family Lineage but rather with Ding Family's branches?
Mi Xiaomo continued explaining that the leader of the branches is named Ding Nuo and holds one of the alliance seats with considerable influence. With Lineage suddenly without a head, panic ensued among its members without a leader; currently, Dina leads Lineage. Dina has always believed that her branch has been discriminated against and sees no benefit from Ding Family. Looking at both sides' lineups—Ding Family’s branch consists of experts—before even starting to fight, Lineage has already lost. This arbitration competition is merely a way to give Lineage an exit strategy.
There is another piece of news: the Ding Family Lineage and its branches will begin arbitration competitions in four months. All alliance members or ordinary practitioners can apply to go to Hero City to watch the matches. At the same time, Hero City will host two events: a husband selection and martial arts contests. Liu Meier, known as the Nine-Tailed Fox from the Liu Family, will be selecting a husband in Hero City. The arena will be open for this occasion. Anyone with ideas or without can form a team, and then a random draw will select a team to participate in a competition similar to arbitration. The winning team in the final round will receive either a Force Stone for each member or a larger Force Stone for the entire team. The Force Stones are provided by the Liu Family, which, despite its dwindling talent pool as one of the Four Great Families, still has an amount of Force Stones comparable to that of the Ye Family and Ding Family. Meanwhile, Liu Meier will choose one participant from the competition who agrees to go on a date with her.
Feng swallowed hard. "I must participate; this is an important opportunity to become familiar with the Competition Match. As for the husband selection..."
Cui Ming looked at Feng. "That's the Key Point."
"Haha." Feng shook his head with a smile. "As a man of unparalleled caliber, as long as I display my inherent grace and demeanor, Liu Meier will surely recognize my worth."
Cui Ming leaned closer to Mi Xiaomo. "Actually, I'm not that familiar with him."
Feng interjected, "Speaking of which, what are your plans after we return from the other world?"
Cui Ming did not answer but asked, "Xiao Mo, do you know where Mi Xiaonan, Beiyue, Li Qing, and Ding Ze are?"
"I know a bit."
Mi Xiaomo had a good relationship with Mi Xiaobo; they were neighbors. Since Mi Xiaonan had fallen in love at first sight with Mi Xiaobo, Mi Xiaomo was aware of the general situation. After the Assessment Match, Li Qing and Beiyue applied to join the Hunter Alliance and passed their strength tests a year later. They are currently interning under Alliance Hunters. The internship involves real hunters observing while intern hunters take action.
After the Assessment Match, Ding Ze went to the Western Continent, specifically to the origin of the Ancient Human Civilization at the source of the Liuli River. Historical records indicate that ancient humans living there worshipped strange totems that were neither human nor beast. Ding Ze discovered that the totem resembled patterns on his Mysterious Amulet, so he went to explore the mysteries of energy Arcane at the source of Liuli River. There has been no news from Ding Ze for two years.
After the assessment concluded, Mi Xiaonan traveled with her senior brothers and sisters to the Roni Islands. The Roni Islands lie between the Eastern Continent and the Western Continent. The Stone Man Mott was summoned from another world and resides in this ocean. Mote was summoned to a southern area near Antarctica's Critical Zone, which later collapsed and disappeared. The Roni Islands are located three thousand kilometers north of this collapsed zone. Covering an extensive area of three hundred thousand square kilometers, the main island of Roni Islands is peculiar; it does not rain, lacks water sources, and has no life except for some flora and fauna along its shores. The main body of land is barren wilderness and desert. This conclusion was reached after extensive searches by thousands of soldiers dispatched by the Dawn Empire using airships. (To be continued.)
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