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墨書 Inktalez
In early March 2024, a member of the Second Department from the Spirit Master Association reported that traces of the Azure Wind Pearl had been suspected to be found at the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, Gansu Province. The head of the First Department, Pei Huaizhi, was appointed as the team leader and tasked with leading other members to the Maijishan Grottoes in search of the Azure Wind Pearl.
Since the Azure Wind Pearl went missing during the "West Lake Demon Incident" sixteen years ago, the Spirit Master Association has been searching for its whereabouts across the country. Any hint related to the Spirit Pearl, regardless of its authenticity, would prompt the association to send someone to verify it. This highlights just how important the Azure Wind Pearl is.
Its significance is undeniable; after all, it is an ancient Holy Artifact. Moreover, it is said that the Spirit Pearl possesses the ability to resurrect the dead and grant immortality to the living. Throughout history, many have coveted this object, including emperors from various dynasties, knowledgeable Spirit Masters, and lurking Evil Spirits.
However, whether the Spirit Pearl truly has such powers remains unknown. Historical records indicate that Emperor Wu of Han once possessed a green pearl that shone brilliantly day and night. He used it in alchemy to seek immortality but ultimately turned to dust. Yet, under the medical conditions of ancient times, he lived until seventy before passing away. This raises doubts about whether the elixirs made from the Spirit Pearl indeed had beneficial effects on his health; perhaps those who crafted them simply did not know how to harness its powers properly, extending his life without granting him true immortality. All these speculations are merely conjectures; the truth remains a mystery.
For thousands of years, the Azure Wind Pearl has changed hands until it was recovered by the Spirit Master Association in 1976 and placed at a secret location near West Lake in Hangzhou—known only to a select few. In 2008, however, it went missing again from West Lake. This incident led to the dismissal of all four ministers serving at that time, and most members from all four departments were replaced as well. The sudden turnover sparked rumors of an insider among those replaced, but whether there truly was a traitor was never confirmed by the association.
Now, Pei Huaizhi led his team with a flashlight at the front as they ascended the stairs of Maijishan Grottoes. With each step they took, lifelike statues and murals carved into the rocks came into view. Some whispered about the historical background of this place while others took out their phones to photograph the statues. Upon hearing the sound of a camera shutter, Pei Huaizhi halted and sternly commanded, "We are here to find something, not to sightsee. Hurry up."
The person who had been taking pictures quickly stowed their phone away upon hearing his cold words, and silence fell over the rest.
They were a group of newcomers to the association; this mission served as their internship. Originally, Pei Huaizhi was not supposed to be involved in this task at all, but he was specifically chosen by the head of his department for leadership training.
Leadership? When he heard those words, he was at a loss for words. He had never considered becoming a leader within the association; he had only one goal since joining: to find the person who killed his father.
"Stop dawdling," Pei Huaizhi said as he turned back and continued on his way, with everyone following closely behind.
During daylight hours, there were too many tourists visiting this place for them to act freely; they could only wait until nightfall. They had managed to secure two hours after coordinating with local cultural tourism authorities. According to their information, they needed to reach the top of Stone Grotto Mountain because that was where they were most likely to find the Azure Wind Pearl.
As they walked on, suddenly a shadow darted back and forth in front of them, revealing a pair of glowing green eyes that stared at them with an eerie smile. Startled, some pressed their bodies against the stone wall as ominous laughter echoed around them—so piercing it felt like it could split their heads open. Those unable to bear it rushed into walls for relief. Pei Huaizhi gritted his teeth against the pain and fired three shots at the shadow, which abruptly ceased its laughter and vanished.
Not long after, however, the shadow reappeared and attempted to snatch one person away into the sky. The others looked on in shock while Pei Huaizhi remained calm; he stepped onto a railing and leaped into action, grabbing hold of that person's leg as both were swept away by the shadow toward the mountain peak.
Exposed in mid-air with wind rushing past their ears, Pei Huaizhi hurled a fireball toward the shadow. The fire struck true and caused it to flail wildly before releasing them from its grasp.
Pei Huaizhi assessed their height—at least seven or eight meters above ground. For an ordinary person landing directly would likely result in serious injury or worse; however, as a Spirit Master accustomed to such heights landing safely was second nature for him. But considering he was dragging along an unconscious individual, he quickly cast a black Spirit Talisman talisman downward with one hand while forming seals rapidly. Upon completion, the Spirit Talisman transformed mid-air into a small glowing circular array just as they passed through it; their feet landed safely on solid ground below. This particular Spirit Talisman was known as "Shrink Earth Talisman," typically reserved for emergencies.
Once on solid ground, Pei Huaizhi set down his companion while before him stood what had once been a shadow—a beautiful girl with sparkling eyes and an enigmatic smile named Purple-Clad Maiden. She wore fragrant pouches at her waist and adorned her neck with a red snake necklace; her slight smile felt both charming and unsettling. He hadn’t expected this shadow to take on such an alluring form but remained vigilant; after all, she was still a demon.
Purple-Clad Maiden took a few steps forward, her gaze fixed on Pei Huaizhi as she examined him, frequently displaying a satisfied expression. She smiled and said, "I've taken a liking to you; why not submit to me?"
Her words left Pei Huaizhi momentarily stunned. He thought this might be one of her tricks and retorted, "You like me? I certainly don't like you."
"My liking you is your fortune; don't be ungrateful," Purple-Clad Maiden replied, her face showing displeasure, though her tone was playful and cute. "If you follow me, I can grant you immortality."
At the mention of immortality, Pei Huaizhi thought of the Azure Wind Pearl. Perhaps the Spirit Pearl was with her. He countered, "So you want to use the Azure Wind Pearl to make me immortal?"
"There are many ways to achieve immortality; it doesn't have to be that Spirit Pearl." Suddenly realizing something was off, she quickly changed her tone. "I didn't expect you Spirit Masters were still searching for that after all these years. If it could be found, it would have been found long ago. So you're here looking for the Spirit Pearl?"
Her way of speaking was youthful and naive, which made Pei Huaizhi think she should be easy to deceive. However, he was surprised that she had figured out his purpose for being there. Since she knew, he decided not to hide it any longer. "Do you know where the Spirit Pearl is?"
"I don’t know, but there’s nothing here that you’re looking for. If there were, I would have known after being here for so long." As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly appeared behind Pei Huaizhi, her pale fingers lightly brushing against his shoulder in a teasing manner. When he turned around to grab her arm, he felt it slip away like purple mist.
The human figure shifted into purple mist around him. In a moment, he felt his blood boil and his body grow weak; he fell to his knees. Dazed, he looked up to see the purple figure swaying before him.
Seeing him in such a weakened state, it was clear that the drug she had administered was taking effect.
Crouching in front of him with a satisfied smile, she said, "The drug I made is colorless and tasteless; it has never failed. If it weren't for your good looks, I would have killed you already."
With the last bit of his strength, Pei Huaizhi quickly reached for his short sword and aimed it at her neck. When Purple-Clad Maiden saw the sword coming at her, she didn’t dodge but instead flicked her finger to deflect it away. Seizing his wrist with force, she squeezed down hard enough that his arm fell limp; the bracelet on his arm slipped down and brushed against her hand. The bracelet instantly shone with golden light, startling her enough that she stepped back. Once the golden light faded, she looked at the bracelet in surprise and exclaimed, "This bracelet is actually in your possession!"
She shifted her gaze back to him and stared for several seconds; astonishment flickered in her eyes before settling into calmness as she said nonchalantly, "I see now; since the bracelet is on you, I naturally cannot harm you. Consider yourself lucky to have come across me." As she spoke, she fed him an antidote. "If you had encountered someone else, they would have devoured you by now."
During the process of administering the antidote, Pei Huaizhi remained conscious but felt utterly limp as his body was manipulated by her. In his dazed state, he caught snippets of what she said—especially the words "bracelet," which stood out clearly. After neutralizing his poison, Purple-Clad Maiden moved on to another unconscious person and sprinkled a layer of powder over them before disappearing into the depths of the forest.
After a while, Pei Huaizhi gradually regained his strength and slowly stood up from the ground; at that moment, the other unconscious person also got back on their feet.
Pei Huaizhi stood still for a moment before calmly stating, "There’s nothing here we need; let’s go back."
Upon returning to the Spirit Master Association, Pei Huaizhi reported to the President about their mission. He explained that they had not found the Azure Wind Pearl but instead encountered a strange Purple-Clad Maiden whose identity, age, and cultivation level were unknown. He also mentioned how she had teased him since all details of the mission must be disclosed without any concealment.
After finishing his report, Pei Huaizhi stepped out of the door and ran into his best friend and roommate, He Guannan. The two had joined the association in the same year and met during an internship task. Later, when the new recruits were divided into departments, they ended up in the same one, and even He Guannan felt that their connection was quite deep. Whenever there was a task for their department, they would go out together, and over time, their friendship grew stronger.
They almost bumped into each other, and upon seeing Pei Huaizhi, He Guannan immediately smiled and asked, “Huaizhi, did you gain anything from your trip to Maijishan this time?”
Pei Huaizhi shook his head directly, indicating that he had no gains—he had almost lost his life there. Just then, the President called for He Guannan to hurry inside, so he quickly added, “Wait for me to finish my report, and then we can grab a meal together.” Without waiting for Pei Huaizhi’s response, he entered the office.
A few minutes later, He Guannan came out to find Pei Huaizhi leaning against the wall scrolling through his phone. With a mischievous smile, he said, “Huaizhi, I heard that a female demon took a liking to you during your trip to Maijishan and wanted to take you back as her groom.”
Pei Huaizhi nodded and put his phone back in his pocket. “Weren’t we going to eat? What do you want?”
“Anything is fine.” As they walked together, He Guannan glanced at Pei Huaizhi beside him and couldn’t help but exclaim, “A young guy in his twenties with good looks, a great figure, and tall—if I were a female demon, I’d want to take you back as my groom too.”
He Guannan wasn’t wrong. Pei Huaizhi was indeed a standard handsome man. His features were well-defined with bright eyes and a gentle brow that carried an air of elegance. When he smiled, the corners of his eyes lifted slightly like a spring breeze—warm and charming. His physique was strikingly graceful, exuding a sense of righteousness; his short hair was tied up in a bun that added a youthful vibe.
“If you were a female demon, I wouldn’t look at you,” Pei Huaizhi replied. “How did it go on your end?” He was asking about He Guannan’s experience in Xi'an.
“I completed everything I needed to; besides that, I casually brought back a Night Pearl—smooth and full; it’s hard to come by.” He Guannan pulled out a glowing pearl from his pocket and showed it to Pei Huaizhi. “What do you think? Isn’t it even better than what’s kept in the museum?”
Pei Huaizhi examined the pearl; it was overall blue-green and aside from being smooth and full, it didn’t have any other remarkable features. He replied nonchalantly, “Aren’t you afraid of getting caught for taking it?”
“I didn’t steal it; I took it openly. The department head knows about it. Besides, there are more than ten of these pearls; losing one won’t matter.” After pausing for a moment, He Guannan added seriously, “Have you heard? Last night important documents from the Second Department’s database were stolen. Now everyone in the Second Department is being questioned in the review room.”
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