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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: Emotions and Energy
Qi Wan'er spoke calmly and coldly, "The Great Zhou has destroyed Qi, and now only the four swords of Qi State's cultivators remain at Qijian Pavilion. Now that my junior brother has been captured, there are only three left. No one wishes to die; the four of us brothers also want to live better. That is why we have come to Gaojing; I need to grow stronger."
The Guan Family fell silent for a moment before asking, "Where did the clues come from?"
"That is not important. What matters is that I am indeed hindered in Gaojing. The clues I have obtained are unique across the Nine Provinces, but they are somewhat incomplete. I need the Guan Family to help me gather them," Qi Wan'er replied.
"What’s in it for us?" The Guan Family, being business-minded, asked straightforwardly.
Qi Wan'er bowed respectfully to the Guan Family and said earnestly, "If the clues are gathered, the secrets of Shishu's realm will surely be shared with the Guan Family. From now on, the few Broken Swords of Qijian Pavilion will always advance and retreat together with the Guan Family."
The Guan Family naturally understood the weight of these words. They returned the bow, and an agreement was reached between them.
In Gaojing, at Dusi Mansion.
Cold Rain couldn't help but sneer to himself after meeting with two individuals consecutively, "This Lin Feng has some influence; he can actually get Master and the Guan Family to vouch for him."
An elderly man stood respectfully beside Cold Rain. He asked, "Are you planning to release this person?"
Cold Rain rubbed his head in thought for a moment before saying, "I cannot disregard Master’s reputation. Moreover, Lin Feng is indeed not significantly related to Sima Shangshan's death. But since he is here, he must contribute something before he can leave."
"Please clarify your intentions," the old man inquired.
"Take him to Blackwater Prison. As long as he can uncover the information we desire, we will let him go," Cold Rain instructed.
Upon hearing this, the old man was slightly taken aback but then nodded in agreement, "Understood."
Lin Feng's place of confinement was transferred to the Governor's true Black Prison. Depending on the cultivation level of each Walker, Black Prison was divided into several tiers. The highest tier was Blackwater Prison.
Ye Rong escorted Lin Feng to a stretch of Black Water. As his feet moved back and forth over the stones ahead, the Black Water surged and then parted to reveal a set of steps. At the end of these steps stood an iron cage.
"These Black Water formations are set in place. Once there is any disturbance in the iron prison, the formations will activate automatically. Entering Blackwater Prison means you will be trapped here for life," Ye Rong said with a cold laugh.
Lin Feng, imprisoned in Blackwater Prison, was surprised to find another person inside. This individual, dressed in coarse cloth like himself, appeared quite ordinary.
But how could someone imprisoned in Blackwater Prison be an ordinary person?
Lin Feng respectfully bowed to the figure. "Lone Moon Sect Disciple Lin Feng pays his respects to the senior."
The person was covered in blood, with disheveled hair and a face smeared with dirt, as if they had endured severe torture. Lin Feng had witnessed the tortures used by the Tang Dynasty Lingwei Office specifically against cultivators. What could be less brutal than that in Gaojing's Dusi Mansion?
Qi Si leaned against the cold iron wall, slightly opening his eyes to glance at Lin Feng before snorting coldly. "Cold Rain, since torture has failed, are you resorting to tricks now? Even when looking for a scapegoat, one must choose wisely. This person does not cultivate the 'Sword Heart Technique' yet dares to claim to be a Lone Moon Sect Disciple—full of holes."
Not far above Blackwater Prison, there was a Dark Chamber. Cold Rain sat inside, accompanied by an old man.
The old man asked, "Can this person really extract clues from Qi Si?"
This was clearly a difficult question. In such a short time, the Governor's men had employed various tortures on Qi Si, bringing him to the brink of death without him uttering a single word.
Qi Si was a true death warrior. In his eyes, there was no concept of life or death—only loyalty to Qijian Pavilion.
"Let’s treat this dead horse as if it were alive," Cold Rain sighed as she stood up. "Too much has happened in Gaojing these past few days; His Majesty is furious. I need to go handle some matters. Keep a close watch on this person. Do not let anything slip by; we cannot miss any details."
"Understood," the old man replied.
Lin Feng quietly observed Qi Si, contemplating his strategy. He needed to get out. He was worried about Tang Jiner's safety. The only condition for escape—and indeed his only hope—was to extract the clues that the Governor desired from this man's mouth.
"I truly am a Lone Moon Sect Disciple."
Lin Feng extended his right hand, a drop of dew resting in his palm. The dew was a deep green, as if filled with moss.
Upon seeing the dew, Qi Si's expression turned to one of surprise, and then he scrutinized Lin Feng, saying, "I didn't expect you to be a direct disciple of Lin Bai."
Lin Feng replied honestly, "To be frank, I am not a direct disciple. It was merely by chance that I received some insights from him."
Lin Feng then put away the dew and transformed his right hand into a Sword Point, moving it within the iron cell. The Vital Energy within him surged forth as streams of sword qi.
These streams of sword qi converged into rivers, and countless rivers merged into a single sword.
"Lin Bai's Great River Sword Technique is indeed extraordinary," Qi Si praised sincerely.
Lin Feng retracted his Sword Technique and said, "I have not practiced the Sword Heart Technique from Solitary Moon City, so the Great River Sword Technique I wield is somewhat different from my master's. Its power cannot be compared."
"I saw Lin Bai's sword when I accompanied my master to Solitary Moon City in my childhood. It was stunning and powerful. He is the target I aspire to catch up with," Qi Si reminisced.
Hearing this, Lin Feng said, "Now you should believe in my identity, right?"
"How did you end up here?" Qi Si countered with a question. Given Lin Feng's cultivation level, he should not have been qualified to be imprisoned in Blackwater Prison.
Lin Feng replied, "The eldest disciple of Flowing Cloud Sect was killed, and Princess Jian'an of the Tang Dynasty went missing. I was one of the last people to see them before their incident. Coincidentally, I had an argument with them."
"This involves diplomatic relations and stability between nations. For Ji Wu, this matter is indeed not significant. However, it does not warrant imprisonment in the Governor's Blackwater Prison," Qi Si remarked with a calm gaze filled with wisdom.
The elder in the Dark Chamber heard this and furiously exclaimed, "Bold traitor! How dare you speak the Emperor's name so casually? For this crime alone, your entire clan shall be exterminated!"
Lin Feng nodded and said, "To be honest, I find it quite strange as well. When I was first captured, I was locked in a closed Iron Room in the Governor's courtyard. Later on, for some inexplicable reason, I was transferred here."
Qi Si looked at Lin Feng, assessing his truthfulness. A knowing smile crossed his face as he looked around and said, "There is one possibility. These fools couldn't extract any information from me. So they sent a prisoner to probe me for answers. If I'm not mistaken, they are currently monitoring us from somewhere."
Lin Feng thought to himself that this person was not only exceptionally intelligent but also had extraordinary insights. It would not be easy to deceive someone who could see through the clues. The first step was to gain his trust, and only then could other possibilities arise.
Lin Feng said, "I have heard that you come from the Qijian Pavilion."
"Oh? You have heard of my Qijian Pavilion?" Qi Si replied.
Having run a noodle shop for a few days, Lin Feng had not seen much business, but he had certainly heard plenty of rumors circulating in the market. He continued, "Qijian Pavilion was originally named the Sword Pavilion. The Prince of Qi bestowed the surname upon it, hence the name Qijian Pavilion. Later, when the Great Zhou destroyed Qi, the Disciple of the Qi Sword Pavilion disappeared without a trace. However, the reputation of Qijian Pavilion is as thunderous as it is well-known. The eldest disciple, Senior Qi, is a successor of Lin Bai and one of the top four cultivators known as Walkers. With such a renowned status, it would be difficult not to know."
Upon hearing this, Qi Si couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. "Though I am not in the martial world, my legacy still exists within it."
"I have many confusions regarding swordsmanship. Meeting you today is a great opportunity for me. Please enlighten me," Lin Feng said respectfully as he bowed to Qi Si, and his words were sincere.
Qi Si accepted this with calmness and said, "When it comes to swordsmanship, aside from my Qijian Pavilion and your Solitary Moon City, there are none that can compare in the Nine Provinces. If my junior sister had trained for as long as Lin Bai, who knows who would be stronger?"
Qi Si's confidence was certainly backed by his qualifications. Lin Feng remained silent, gazing up quietly.
"Do you know why there are so many sects in the Nine Provinces yet only my Qijian Pavilion and your Solitary Moon City stand as the strongest in swordsmanship?" Qi Si asked.
Lin Feng pondered for a moment and recalled the day when Xiao Ran and Lin Miaomiao had their duel. He replied, "Because our swords are wielded with only one purpose: the sword itself. Our eyes are on the sword, and our hearts hold nothing but the sword."
"A teachable child," Qi Si praised him, showing considerable admiration for Lin Feng.
"Do you know what distinguishes the swords of Qijian Pavilion from those of Solitary Moon City?" Qi Si asked again.
Lin Feng thought carefully before shaking his head. "I do not know."
"The swordsmanship of Solitary Moon City revolves around one word: 'emotion.' The founder of Solitary Moon City established the Moon City Sword Technique out of deep longing for his beloved wife. The other technique, Great River Sword Technique, created by Lin Bai after his junior sister fell in battle, was born from his profound sorrow. He carried her into the depths of the Yellow River; it is said they died together. Later, Lin Bai emerged from the river and created the Great River Sword Technique."
"In contrast, our swordsmanship at Qijian Pavilion centers around one word: 'qi.' We cultivate a gentleman's righteous qi," Qi Si explained. A vast aura of righteousness emanated from him like a tangible sword being drawn from its sheath, filling the entire dungeon with an overwhelming pressure.
Qi Si looked up at the iron bars above and said, "Since you are well aware that I cultivate Righteous Qi, how could you possibly obtain the clues you seek from me? You are dreaming."
Azure Fish Alley, Lanzhou Noodle House.
Lin Miaomiao spotted He Rongsheng approaching from a distance and immediately went to greet him.
"How did it go?" Lin Miaomiao couldn't help but ask.
"Let's go inside first," He Rongsheng replied.
"Alright, please."
Lin Miaomiao led He Rongsheng into the noodle house and instructed, "Magenta, prepare some tea."
As soon as He Rongsheng sat down, Lin Miaomiao couldn't resist asking again, "How did it go?"
He Rongsheng glanced around and said, "It's my first time at your noodle house; you should at least let me have a bowl of noodles first."
"Okay, what kind of noodles do you want?"
"The ones you are best at."
"Magenta, please cook a bowl of beef noodles for Young Master He."
"Huh?"
Magenta's face showed distress; she had no idea how to make noodles, let alone cook them.
"What do you mean 'huh'? Don't you want to rescue Lin Feng anymore?"
"Alright, right away." Upon hearing the name 'Lin Feng', Magenta felt a surge of energy and headed straight for the kitchen without a second thought.
However, He Rongsheng added, "I only eat the noodles you make."
"Sure, just give me the news first," Lin Miaomiao replied straightforwardly.
"I'll give you good news. First, let’s eat the noodles," He Rongsheng countered.
"Okay."
Lin Miaomiao was eager to know the outcome and didn’t want to waste time. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a lump of dough. Lin Miaomiao had never made ramen before; she had only seen Lin Feng do it.
She imitated Lin Feng's movements, shaping the dough into a stick. Then she stretched it, shook it, and slapped it against the table. It looked somewhat right, but the dough was unevenly distributed and difficult to stretch properly.
Lin Miaomiao decided to pull out a section of dough without caring about how well it had rested and began to make the noodles. The dough was not well-rested, being hard and lacking elasticity. After a few attempts at stretching it back and forth, it broke apart.
So what if it broke? Lin Miaomiao didn’t care; she tossed all of it into the boiling water. (To be continued...)
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