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墨書 Inktalez
The cold wind swept across the sky, inopportunely shedding leaves that had no connection to the surroundings, slowly falling to the ground, awaiting the unknown soles of shoes to tread upon them.
Here, it remained as lifeless as ever. Apart from the cawing of crows and the rustling of the chilly wind, only the low murmurs of Evil Spirits lingered. They seemed to be welcoming the arrival of two guests: one tall and imposing, with a sinister visage and an eerie expression; the other, looking down and then up again, gently patting a wound while disdainfully glancing at the handiwork of a young man. It was indeed a strange affair—how could a hero possess such strong Evil Thought?
However, this welcome from the Evil Spirits was not about that; it was merely to guide these two back to meet someone who had been waiting for a long time.
In the depths of a cave, only purple flames illuminated the path ahead. The sound of dripping dew was enough to drown out their footsteps, creating a steady rhythm. Oddly enough, despite being in a cave that had long been deprived of sunlight, there was no chill in the air. Yet this warmth, sufficient to keep one from feeling cold, carried an unsettling quality.
As they ventured deeper, the reason became clear: these Evil Spirits were using Evil Thought to burn the corpses of some people or creatures. In this nearly thousand-step deep cave, it was enough to kindle this warmth. The person following behind could distinctly sense that these things were indeed the creations of his companion—the so-called defective products from that mountain laboratory had become raw materials for these beings.
The leading Evil Spirit suddenly halted, as if a clear boundary had been drawn between their steps; they could not advance any further.
"My lords, I can only take you this far," said the guiding Evil Spirit as it turned back. Beyond that boundary stood another new Evil Spirit, noticeably larger than this sturdy one. The two men exchanged brief looks of surprise: this was an Evil Spirit unlike any they had seen before, aside from its master.
This new type of Evil Spirit was more robust than ordinary ones. Although shorter in height, it bore armor-like features on its chest and shoulders. However, Long Shan showed no sign of surprise; everything was part of the plan. He simply hadn’t expected their master to work so quickly and successfully create such a being.
This stout Nightmare Demon bore a new name: Nightmare Demon. Aside from its visible armor, its physical strength surpassed that of regular Evil Spirits and exhibited a level of Evil Thought akin to Liu Hen's. Though lacking specialized techniques, each one displayed a wildness reminiscent of wolves while also recognizing their guests—indeed, one of them was their master—something ordinary Evil Spirits lacked when driven by Evil Thought.
The robust Nightmare Demon approached yet another invisible boundary before an exceptionally conspicuous curtain; it seemed that behind it lay their master.
A few drops of water fell onto the hands of those behind; though water, it transformed into purple droplets. This seemed to make one guest sensitive; he immediately used Vitality to cleanse away the purple hue and simply clapped his hands.
"It seems like it's been a while since I've been home; you don't seem quite accustomed," said the figure in front as he finally unveiled his cloak—it was Long Shan.
"Indeed, every return brings something different; our master truly has remarkable skills," replied the other person as he too removed his cloak, revealing his face—it was Shan Qing.
The Nightmare Demon used its Evil Thought to part the curtain. Inside, however, there was no lavish display befitting a family head—just a purple stone table surrounded by several chairs. In the center sat someone who appeared to be enjoying what seemed like an unusually prominent human teapot on the table—a refreshing drink for him.
Shan Qing and the other person approached the stone table, finally meeting the master of this place: Gui Mei, the leader of Ba Huang.
Gui Mei was dressed in a tight black outfit that showcased his exquisite figure, with long hair cascading down. At first glance, he appeared no different from a woman. His voice was soft and alluring, accentuating his feminine charm. He wore what seemed to be lipstick, presenting a heavily made-up appearance. Yet, his authority remained undiminished; it seemed that drinking tea had contributed to the care of his skin, making his already slightly wrinkled face appear somewhat tender, transforming his round face into one with sharp angles. His eyes, resembling those of a woman, glowed with a chilling purple light.
Even though this gaze was meant as a greeting, it made the serving Evil Spirit hesitate to make any sudden movements.
"You two have worked hard. These tea leaves are not easy to come by; why not give them a try?" Gui Mei seemed particularly fond of this type of tea, disdainfully promoting the sweet taste of human-grown tea leaves. On a whim, he had exchanged the blood of an entire village for their stockpile of tea.
Shan Qing frowned slightly, as if Gui Mei had inadvertently noticed a wound.
Gui Mei was both surprised and delighted; since their collaboration began, no one had ever harmed this chivalrous figure before him. It seemed that Shan Qing had caught the attention of someone significant!
"No, this was done by a Four Aspects Hero."
Upon hearing this, Gui Mei could hardly believe it and nearly dropped his teacup.
"My goodness!" The elongated and seductive voice instantly made both guests uncomfortable. "The renowned Shan Qing, Trial Ground Taiji Hero, actually injured by a Four Aspects—no, by an insignificant little brat! This is truly unbelievable!" The soft voice suddenly shifted to a low and powerful tone, as if two different people were speaking at once.
"Indeed, it is strange. How could an ordinary mortal, barely out of adolescence, possess Evil Thought power! And to almost match me in battle—this is worth investigating!" Shan Qing seemed unfazed by Gui Mei's words as he lifted his head to meet Gui Mei's peculiar gaze directly, locking eyes without any emotion in his voice.
Gui Mei sensed the awkwardness and promptly stood up to return to his seat. It seemed he understood something but chose not to pursue the matter further. He simply remarked that Shan Qing had indeed encountered someone significant before moving on.
Gui Mei's attention shifted more towards what Long Shan was studying—the Evil Demon Box.
This box was what had once made Liu Hen gasp in shock. It would actively attach itself to its target when they approached. If touched by hand, it would begin to corrode the Hero's mark. Once the box completely vanished from the target's hand, their heart's realm would be opened. If occupied there, one could manipulate everything related to Mindset control over their body while the possessor could use the target to infiltrate the Trial Ground for intelligence gathering.
At that moment in the Trial Ground, none of these lesser Four Aspects Heroes attempted to enter Mindset techniques; this almost lone wolf strategy seemed to intrigue Gui Mei greatly. He boldly extended his hand emitting Evil Thought towards the surface of the box to feel its power.
"It seems scientists are more reliable; this method suits lone wolves well. However, I have no flock here; you’ll need to find your own lambs. Is that alright with you, partner?" Gui Mei said with an odd smile while looking at Long Shan showcasing his finished product.
"The wolf's duty is to hunt sheep; this task is no problem. But we must wait for Shan Qing’s injury to heal before we act together." Long Shan’s suggestion made Shan Qing turn sharply, unsure what this man who spoke of chivalry was plotting.
"This might not be good; I have my own matters," Shan Qing replied, seemingly unwilling to take on this cooperative task.
"Very well; this will allow us to observe the lone wolf's prey more conveniently. Don’t let your own affairs delay you; we can discuss how later," Gui Mei said upon seeing the situation and decided not to press Shan Qing further since he had larger tasks at hand: retrieving Divine Fall.
Long Shan did not respond, and Gui Mei did not finalize any decisions either. The three formed a temporary agreement: Shan Qing would continue stabilizing Divine Fall while waiting for an opportunity to retrieve it; Long Shan would independently arrange matters and seek suitable targets.
Gui Mei did not see the guests off; instead, two Nightmare Demons stood near the door curtain, waiting for the arrival of the two.
At this moment, the long road was devoid of the crackling sounds of burning fire.
The purple flames, which had been sizzling and devouring lives exchanged for tea leaves, were now dimming in the cave, surrounded only by faint burps reminiscent of humans enjoying a feast.
It seemed that the complimentary items from the tea leaves were enough to sustain these soon-to-battle Nightmare Demons with Wraiths for several days.
Following the faint glow of fire ahead, Shan Qing moved slowly under the guidance of the two Nightmare Demons. A chill occasionally ran down his spine, and through his tattered cloak, a weak light revealed his tightly clenched fists.
Only when he reached the end of the cave did he see the evening glow already stained red by the setting sun, lost in thought.
Similarly, Ran Xing, who had just regained some clarity, was still grappling with his inner confusion: What had happened to Luo Yue? This was a question he pondered even while eating. Fortunately, like a street vendor delivering news every day, An Qi would share whatever information he could.
However, at present, Luo Yue's situation remained a secret; at least for Ziyuan, she had no intention of making it public yet.
After the last meeting, although the handling of Ran Xing had become clear, the sudden appearance and Xing Han's covert interference coincided with Luo Yue entering a recovery phase. Regardless of protocol, a meeting between father and daughter needed to be arranged. The planned brief release of Ran Xing was postponed for several days.
"The two parties involved need to know something to feel secure. Keeping them in the dark for too long isn't good," You Long remarked during a late-night discussion with Ziyuan after their meeting. They were addressing issues concerning Luo Yue and Ran Xing.
"Let’s wait a bit longer until we receive direct orders from the commander before informing them; that would be more prudent," Ziyuan replied, recalling the unusual occurrences during their meeting. She sensed that someone was meddling behind the scenes.
"Could it be him?" You Long suddenly understood.
After a brief contemplation, You Long proposed a plan: neither she nor Ziyuan would make any explicit statements but would allow the children to communicate and familiarize themselves with each other. This would also benefit their relationships as long as nothing excessive occurred; they could turn a blind eye unless special circumstances arose.
"That sounds good, but we must be cautious about eavesdroppers. Recently, due to pressure on our commander, some personnel have been replaced with spies from Xing Han. We need to be careful," Ziyuan said as she pulled out a list from her pocket. You Long then realized how much had changed since their last meeting.
However, An Qi was unaware of this; he only knew that You Long and Teacher Ziyuan must have their reasons for acting this way.
"This matter will truly require your efforts for a few days. Teacher Ziyuan has his difficulties too; I can't say much about it. But I can tell you that Luo Yue has changed into new clothes and is undergoing rehabilitation training. If you want to see her, you’ll have to grit your teeth and endure it, understood?" An Qi patiently recounted what he had seen and heard from Teacher Ziyuan. He noted that after several days of recovery, Luo Yue could now slowly walk around Jiangshan Hall using crutches.
That day coincided with a splendid sunset as You Long chatted leisurely with Shaomeng.
During this time, both Luo Yue and Ran Xing were speculating about each other's situations. She clearly remembered how Ran Xing's purple-black eyes had briefly returned to their usual state when facing her; his hand seemed to instinctively retract. But ultimately, it was too late—the Evil Thought had already been unleashed, and after she closed her eyes, she woke up here.
"Shaomeng, tell me! How is Ran Xing? Where is he? Please tell me!" The anxious fire in Luo Yue's eyes left Shaomeng at a loss for words; he was still new here and unfamiliar with how many branches there were among these trees.
Seeing Shaomeng remain unresponsive, Luo Yue turned her gaze toward Teacher You Long. However, before she could speak up, You Long's eyes immediately rejected this connection, obscured by her long hair.
You Long softly murmured, "There will be answers," before avoiding further discussion on the topic.
Why had her teacher and classmates suddenly changed like this?
"No, Teacher You Long, Shaomeng, you all... you all saw what Ran Xing did in that moment—he was holding back, his eyes briefly returned to normal; why still call him a villain?"
You Long remained silent, harboring his own troubles. At least until Ziyuan returned with the commander’s documents, he could not utter a word.
Then, footsteps approached. Luo Yue seemed to have found a new target for questioning: An Qi, who had just left Ran Xing's residence.
Ignoring the pain in his legs, Luo Yue gritted his teeth and used the technique of Swift Moon, immediately rushing in front of An Qi. He disregarded etiquette and grabbed An Qi by the collar, not caring that An Qi repeatedly said "don't do this," as he blurted out questions about Ran Xing's situation.
"An Qi, you answer me, answer me!" Luo Yue pressed on with a voice tinged with tears, leaving An Qi momentarily at a loss for words. However, he quickly had a flash of inspiration and took out a handkerchief to wipe away Luo Yue's tears.
An Qi then glanced at Shaomeng and You Long nearby, checking for any eavesdroppers. Once he confirmed it was safe and that You Long and the others were keeping their distance, he finally spoke a few words to Luo Yue.
"Life goes on as usual—eating, drinking, living—but right now the longing is quite unbearable. Watching the sunset and moonlight cools my heart; the one I worry about feels like Meng Jiang, while the one I miss meets me on the Magpie Bridge. Yet after a day of clouds passing by, doubts linger for thousands of days."
Luo Yue quickly memorized this riddle-like phrase and didn’t forget to thank An Qi. He also apologized for his earlier agitation; after so many days without news, he could no longer suppress his emotions.
"Don't worry; I believe the clouds will clear and everything will have an answer. Cheer up; let’s eat first. It’s better to be full before meeting again," An Qi kindly advised as he brought back tonight's dinner for the group along with Luo Yue.
Coincidentally, in a distant corner, someone with a smirk and malicious eyes watched as their daughter chatted about that boy, seemingly unwilling to let this matter end just yet.
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