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墨書 Inktalez
"It’s time to see what’s inside," Shen Mo Ting said softly.
Lin Xueqing took a deep breath and carefully untied the bundle. The blue silk unfurled, revealing a thin booklet and a piece of jade.
"What is this..." she said as she picked up the jade pendant. It felt smooth and warm in her hand; one side bore the seal of the Qing Dynasty, while the other side displayed an unfamiliar symbol.
"Zunghar Script," the Old Curator said, "just like the symbol on the bundle."
"What does it mean?"
"‘The Guardian’," the Old Curator's voice was low. "It’s a mark of an ancient organization."
Lin Xueqing opened the booklet and discovered it was a hand-drawn map. The paper had yellowed with age, but the lines remained clear.
"This is a map of the secret passages in the Forbidden City?" Shen Mo Ting leaned in for a closer look.
"Not entirely," the Old Curator pointed to certain markings on the map. "These symbols indicate the locations of ‘doors’."
"Doors?"
"Special doors," the Old Curator explained. "Doors that connect the past and present."
Lin Xueqing recalled her mother's words: "Some doors are truly invisible..."
"You discovered it, Mother," sighed the Old Curator. "These doors are not merely architectural structures. They are some kind of..."
"Passage?" Shen Mo Ting asked.
"Yes. A passage to another world," the Old Curator's voice dropped lower. "To be precise, a passage to the past."
Lin Xueqing felt a wave of dizziness. "How is that possible?"
"The conspiracy mentioned by Lang Shining in the secret letter," the Old Curator continued, "is that someone wants to open these doors. To use them to alter history."
"So that's why the Qianlong Emperor is so anxious," Shen Mo Ting pondered. "He needs to protect this secret."
"And the 'Guardians' organization," the Old Curator said, "exists for this very reason. They have guarded these doors for generations, ensuring that the flow of history remains undisturbed."
"My Mother..." Lin Xueqing suddenly realized something. "She was also a Guardian?"
The Old Curator nodded. "She was the last true Guardian. After her, the organization fractured. Some sought to exploit these doors for personal gain."
"Those who are chasing us?"
"They are rebels," the Old Curator said. "They believe they can use these doors to create a new secret empire."
Lin Xueqing turned to the next page of the map and found a passage of text:
"The door is here, but the heart is elsewhere. The past has not left, and the future has already arrived. The duty of guardianship is heavier than Mount Tai."
"This is the Guardian's Oath," the Old Curator said. "Your Mother lived this oath with her life."
Lin Xueqing's fingers gently traced the words. "So, Comb..."
"It is the key," the Old Curator replied. "The key that can open all doors. Your Mother hid it in plain sight, yet made everyone believe it was just an ordinary Qing Dynasty artifact."
At that moment, a bell tolled in the distance.
"The sky is about to brighten," Shen Mo Ting said.
"But our night has only just begun," Lin Xueqing tightened her grip on the jade pendant. "I must fulfill the mission that my Mother could not complete."
"Are you sure?" the Old Curator asked. "Once you begin, there will be no turning back."
Lin Xueqing looked out the window, where a hint of dawn was appearing in the east. "Some paths are not meant to be retraced."
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