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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 5 Divine Dawn
The story was not over yet when a voice interjected, "The past is the past; why bring it up again?"
Hearing this voice, Ji Zichen's eyes shimmered with tears. The sound came from the second floor on his right, but he did not move. Kiko murmured, "Shaoyuan."
Lin Chuyu turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw a young man leaning over the railing on the second floor, looking down at them. He wore a blue silk robe, with a reddish-brown spider-patterned belt around his waist. His long hair flowed like water, and his clear, bright eyes shone with vitality. His strong physique exuded an air of elegance and charm.
Shaoyuan turned and stepped back into the room behind him. "Guests are here; come on up."
Lin Chuyu asked curiously, "Is this your friend?"
Kiko nodded. "Let's go up." He slowly ascended the stairs to the second floor, with Lin Chuyu following behind. She had barely taken a few steps when she covered her nose and muttered to herself, "It stinks! It smells like a dead rat."
As Kiko entered the room, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the air. Sunlight streamed in through the intricately carved window, casting dappled patterns on the floor. To the right was a soft wooden bed adorned with exquisite carvings, and a guqin stood in the corner, filling the room with a refreshing and tranquil atmosphere.
The table was already laden with food and drink. Lin Chuyu noticed four dishes and a soup on the table along with three sets of chopsticks. It seemed that this person knew they were coming. Feeling hungry, she picked up her chopsticks to grab some food, but Kiko pressed down on her wrist. His meaning was clear: they could not eat this food. Lin Chuyu shot him a glance and whispered, "Isn't he your friend? Why can't we eat?"
Kiko did not respond but simply shook his head slightly.
Shaoyuan paid no attention to their exchange and took a sip of wine. "Why have you come here?"
Kiko answered honestly, "Just passing by to take a look."
Shaoyuan chuckled lightly. "You still haven't left The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant?"
Kiko smiled back. "You're not gone from here either."
Shaoyuan sighed. "We all have our reasons for staying."
Ji Zichen said, "No, I have my reasons for staying in The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant, but you have no reason to remain."
Shaoyuan was taken aback. "Oh? What do you mean?"
Just as Ji Zichen was about to respond, a loud thud echoed as someone outside Pottery Flask threw a beehive into their room. The hive shattered, releasing a swarm of agitated bees that filled the entire space. Lin Chuyu could only hear the buzzing noise, and a few bees began to circle above Qianlan's head. Terrified, she shrank back and exclaimed, "Brother Ji...!"
Ji Zichen remained calm. "Don't be afraid; they can't sting you."
Lin Chuyu was not convinced and continued to huddle low. Ji Zichen stood up and looked out the back window. Below was a narrow path flanked by weeds on one side and the wall of Pottery Flask on the other. There were no signs of anyone on the path.
Turning back, Ji Zichen saw a swarm of bees circling around the empty wine table. Lin Chuyu's face turned pale with fear as she quickly left her seat and rushed over to Ji Zichen. "Brother Ji, what's going on?"
To Shaoyuan, it seemed as if he couldn't see the bees at all. He remarked, "It seems like you haven't finished your explanation."
Ji Zichen pulled Lin Chuyu down at the wine table. Seeing that the bees were only hovering above them, Lin Chuyu felt slightly reassured and sat down. Ji Zichen continued, "This is Yan Shaoyuan; Yan Fang and Yan Min are his older sisters. Yan Min became like that because she was poisoned by the Queen Bee's venom, which left her disoriented and unaware of her actions. The Queen Bee intends to threaten the Yan Clan to gain control over Juggernaut Forest."
"The Yan Clan is a prominent family in the Eastern Region; one can imagine the profits from a mountain of wine. It's no wonder the Queen Bee is envious. There was once a battle in Juggernaut Forest because Yan Wang refused to be threatened, leading to fierce conflict. It was three thousand against five hundred; it took those five hundred bee warriors three hours to finally conquer Juggernaut Forest."
Lin Chuyu gasped in disbelief. "How could they win with such a disparity in numbers?"
Ji Zichen replied solemnly, "In battles between humans, it's indeed difficult for fewer to overcome more. But these opponents are bee monsters; they can fly, and their stingers are exceptionally sharp and sturdy, capable of piercing through the Boundary Wall. That year, The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant learned of this and sent people with magical artifacts."
Shaoyuan sneered, "Did you really come?"
Ji Zichen replied seriously, "Of course we did. After that year, The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant has sent people to offer incense in Juggernaut Forest every year. However, in the last three years, three brothers from The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant have been killed here."
Lin Chuyu gasped again. "Three people have been killed here!"
Ji Zichen slowly raised his eyelids and glared at Shaoyuan. "I suspect this must be your doing."
Shaoyuan's body trembled slightly, his fists clenched tightly. "You should have appeared when it mattered! There's no need for your false sympathy now! That year, my father died in battle, shedding tears of regret at Pottery Flask, watching soldiers fall one by one while being powerless to help!"
"We really came here, but the Bee Monster set a trap for us. To break through the encirclement, we lost fifty brothers. We came here to pay our respects to the spirit of Yan Wang, and also to remember the humiliation of not being able to arrive in time to aid the Yan Clan!"
Shaoyuan was moved. "I..."
Ji Zichen gazed intently at Shaoyuan, tears of sorrow shimmering in her eyes. It seemed as if those tears were bidding farewell to him. "Shaoyuan, just like me, you don’t have to stay. There’s nothing left here for you to protect."
Shaoyuan laughed heartily. "Even if Pottery Flask is in ruins, it still belongs to the Yan family!"
Ji Zichen sighed deeply, her eyes filled with profound sadness. "Since you are already dead, why cling so tightly?"
Lin Chuyu was quite surprised; she stared at Shaoyuan, unable to see any signs that he was a ghost.
Shaoyuan grinned and said, "What are you joking about? I'm perfectly alive!"
Looking at Shaoyuan, Ji Zichen's gaze deepened with meaning. "I haven’t come here for so many years because I was afraid of saying goodbye to you." She glanced meaningfully at Lin Chuyu. "It wasn't until recently that I realized, if something shouldn’t be kept, then don’t keep it; otherwise, it will only bring more pain."
Unable to contain himself, Shaoyuan slammed his hand on the table and shouted, " Ji Zichen! You are my best brother in this life! If you want to persuade me to leave, fine! But how can you make such a joke!"
Suddenly, Ji Zichen spoke with deep anguish, "Can you still smell the wine when you drink? Can you taste the food when you eat? Can you smell the stench of corpses permeating Pottery Flask? That stench is coming from you!"
For a moment, Shaoyuan was shocked as he noticed his flesh gradually rotting away and the food on the table becoming moldy. Upon seeing this, Lin Chuyu finally understood why she couldn't eat; she screamed in terror, "He... he..."
At that moment, Shaoyuan realized the truth of Ji Zichen's words. He forced a smile. "So I’ve been dead all along. In that case, just kill me."
With legs feeling as heavy as lead, Ji Zichen stood up and said, "Lin Chuyu, let’s go."
Just as Ji Zichen reached the door, the decaying Shaoyuan called out, "What I miss most is your eyes. Have you found Divine Dawn?"
"No, I think that's just a story people made up," Ji Zichen said.
"I may not know where Divine Dawn is," Shaoyuan replied confidently, "but I know this place exists. You're an expert at finding ruins, and I can't give you any advice. If you don't want to be blind, go find it. To locate Divine Dawn, you need the Vermilion Bird Pearl. The Vermilion Bird Pearl can probe into people's hearts; as long as it turns red, the Vermilion Bird will be nearby."
After listening to him, Ji Zichen remained silent. The two left the Pottery Flask residence and returned to the spot where he had previously placed the incense. Ji Zichen looked sorrowfully at the Pottery Flask residence and raised two fingers. "Open!"
As he did so, the incense that had previously been on the ground rose up. It hesitated for a moment before burning from top to bottom in an instant. Suddenly, the Pottery Flask residence shook violently, and moments later, with a loud crash, it collapsed.
Ji Zichen turned and said, "Let's go."
The two emerged from the depths of the forest back onto the main road. Lin Chuyu cautiously asked, "Are you looking for the Divine Dawn Ruins?"
Ji Zichen smiled bitterly. "Divine Dawn is the greatest treasure ruin in this world. Who wouldn't want to find all those treasures? But I've searched for many years; it's just a legend—no one has ever seen it with their own eyes. It's merely a story; there are no Vermilion Birds or Vermilion Bird Pearls in this world."
Lin Chuyu clutched the crystal pendant at her chest and said, "I haven't seen a Vermilion Bird, but I know where the Vermilion Bird Pearl is."
Ji Zichen's heart raced! "Really?"
Lin Chuyu bit her lip and pointed at the pendant around her neck. "This is the Vermilion Bird Pearl!"
Ji Zichen trembled as he stared intently at the Vermilion Bird Pearl. At that moment, a cold and cruel laugh echoed from behind them. "Child! I've finally found you!"
They turned around to see a person wearing a Masked Man's mask standing with four Sand Bandits.
The Masked Man spoke in a deep voice, "I finally found the Water Beast that was suppressed in your tower; I will not let you go."
Ji Zichen immediately tensed up. "What have you done to the villagers?"
The Masked Man replied, "I'm not like those barbaric Sand Bandits. As long as the villagers are willing to work for us at Suffering Holy Church, they won't starve."
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "How is the Suffering Holy Church connected to the Sand Bandit?"
The Masked Man sneered. "That’s none of your concern. I just heard you mention the Vermilion Bird Pearl. That's good. Within the Divine Dawn Ruins, protected by the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast, there are endless riches and Divine Tears that can cure all ailments. Hand over the Vermilion Bird Pearl, and I can give you a quick end."
Ji Zichen smiled coldly. "This is the first time I've heard of someone killing for a rumor."
The Masked Man raised his voice in warning. "Child, before you suffer, hand over the Vermilion Bird Pearl as soon as possible."
Lin Chuyu tightly clutched the Vermilion Bird Pearl and hid behind Ji Zichen. "No way! I will never give you the pearl!"
The Masked Man took down the large axe he had been carrying on his back. "Why is it that some people only shed tears when they see a coffin?"
Ji Zichen stood firm, unafraid. At that moment, Lin Chuyu's Vermilion Bird Pearl suddenly flashed with light. Lin Chuyu gasped, her heart racing. "The Vermilion Bird's Eye has moved! It's observing someone!"
As the Vermilion Bird's Eye turned, Lin Chuyu could sense its fluctuations. She was stunned. "It's Brother Ji! The Vermilion Bird's Eye is watching Brother Ji! Strange, he seems to be eagerly anticipating that person’s move."
The Masked Man fixed his gaze on Ji Zichen. "It seems you refuse to listen to advice. First, I'll chop off your hand, then peel off your skin!"
The four Sand Bandits grinned menacingly. "Lord Yu! We've been waiting for you to say that!"
With that, one of the Sand Bandits drew a long knife and shouted as he swung it down towards Ji Zichen's head. "Die!"
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