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墨書 Inktalez
Wu Sheng and Hang Lin have been following Liu Qi for several days and have found nothing amiss. Therefore, the two of them decided to first go to the common people to inquire about the news, especially those who have been saved by The Immortal in the Painting. They arrived at a bustling teahouse called "Heart Connection Tea Society."
The two of them hid in the crowd. The teahouse was filled with a fragrant aroma, decorated with brocade and embroidered flowers, and every detail exuded the delicacy of Eastern aesthetics.
"The green tea here is really good," Hang Lin picked up the teacup and gently sniffed it, "It has a rich forest aroma."
"Focus, we are looking for clues," Wu Sheng glared at Hang Lin.
A man in his forties, named Yun Yuan, sat in the teahouse wearing a blue cloth robe. His daughter, saved by The Immortal in the Painting, was the subject of a famous story in the area.
"Mr. Yunyuan, have you heard of The Immortal in the Painting?" Wu Sheng asked politely.
"Well, of course, everyone in the city knows about it. The Immortal in the Painting not only saved my daughter, but also saved countless innocent people," a glint appeared in Yunyuan's eyes.
"Who exactly is he? Why does he act so chivalrously?" Hang Lin asked the interlocutor.
"Well, no one really knows. All we know is that he takes on different identities, each one to punish those who have committed numerous wrongdoings."
"Four different identities?" Wu Sheng and Hang Lin exchanged a glance, feeling even more certain that there must be a deeper meaning to this.
That night, Wu Sheng and Hang Lin returned to their residence in the mortal world, a quiet study. The walls were lined with ancient books, and in the center, there was a large desk.
Wu Sheng tightly holds an ancient scroll in his hand. It was exchanged from a storyteller in the market, and it records various rumors about The Immortal in the Painting.
"Interesting, these four identities seem to have their own special purposes. The bookish weakling deals with greedy officials, the courtesan targets those with improper conduct among the wealthy young men. As for the pregnant woman and the gambler, they are even more deeply symbolic." Wu Sheng slowly savors each word, his gaze falling on an ancient scroll, a record of The Immortal in the Painting written by ordinary residents of the mortal realm.
Walking into the room, the floor made a faint crackling sound. The room was simply furnished but exuded a strong ancient atmosphere, with embroidered curtains swaying gently and the smoke rising slowly from the censer emitting a lingering fragrance.
"Have you found any new discoveries?" The voice of Hang Lin was like the flowing water of a distant mountain, cool and calm.
Wu Sheng picked up a hand-drawn sketch depicting the image of a bookish weakling. "Do you remember the young man named Yang from the county town? He had planned to forcibly marry a girl from a common family, but he ended up dying tragically in his own study, which happened to have an unsigned painting."
"Was it The Immortal in the Painting who did it?" Hang Lin asked, with a sharp look in their eyes.
"Very likely. Then we heard about a woman named Liu Qi in Qing Dynasty, whose clients were all bullies of the weak and helpless."
"Recently, several of these clients have been found dead in their rooms, all in the same posture - as if waiting for something, or as if they had been dealt with by The Immortal in the Painting."
"Then Liu Qi disappeared without a trace, as if she evaporated from the earth."
Wu Sheng set aside the sketch and raised an eyebrow. "Even more incredible, one or two hundred years ago, there was a woman named Ping'er who was pregnant. She always sold paintings on the road that merchants had to pass. Whenever someone had ill intentions towards her, that person would end up being found with their abdomen split open, intestines exposed, and the pregnant woman would vanish without a trace."
"The victims of these events all have one thing in common, and that is they have done something unkind and unjust in the past. This is the common method of The Immortal in the Painting, using these four images to punish these evildoers," Hang Lin said leisurely.
"These are just superficial manifestations, there must be more things behind that we don't understand yet." Hang Lin couldn't help but show a curious expression, "For example, how were those paintings sent by the bookish weakling made? How does he ensure that only the target person will be affected? And why did he choose these four images?"
"I think each image is his criticism of a certain social phenomenon." Wu Sheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "For example, the courtesan might be a warning or punishment to the playboys who casually toy with women's emotions without taking responsibility for the consequences."
Hang Lin smiled, "Moreover, the behavior of The Immortal in the Painting seems to be very popular among mortals. I heard that in a small town, a young couple was originally going to be forcibly separated by a greedy official. But because this official received a painting of The Immortal in the Painting, he met a tragic death the next day, and the young couple was able to continue their love."
"Well, indeed. This also makes me think, does The Immortal in the Painting also have some kind of good intention? It's just that his methods are too extreme," Wu Sheng said in a heavy tone.
"Or perhaps he is using this method to judge those who do evil," Hang Lin suddenly said. "Think about it, he is dealing with those shameless and wicked people. Maybe in his eyes, this is a kind of 'justice.'"
"Justice? If that's the case, how should we judge him? Is he good or evil?" Wu Sheng suddenly posed a thought-provoking question.
Hang Lin Looking at the sunset outside the window, the purple-golden light shines on his face, appearing particularly mysterious. "Judgment, this kind of thing is often not simply black or white. Even the Jade Emperor cannot easily categorize all things as good or bad, right or wrong."
Wu Sheng shook his head, looking somewhat puzzled.
"The idea of judging those who do evil deeds is very appealing, but the method is still unsettling. It means that he will place himself above the law and divine rules, arbitrarily deciding who should live and who should die. This is a very dangerous idea."
Hang Lin Touching his chin, there was a subtle hint of contemplation on his face. "Many things are not as simple as they seem on the surface. Just like this cup of tea, it appears clear, but its taste is deep and complex. Perhaps The Immortal in the Painting has his reasons, and we shouldn't rush to conclusions."
The two sat in an elegant tea house, surrounded by the fragrance of osmanthus. The tea house was decorated in a classical style, with bamboo shadows swaying outside the window. Inside, a guqin was delicately placed in a corner, and the air was filled with an ancient charm.
"Your point makes sense. But regardless of the original intention of The Immortal in the Painting, we still need to find him. This is the will of Jade Emperor," said Wu Sheng firmly.
Hang Lin nodded lightly and asked, "So where do we start?"
Wu Sheng I glanced at the bustling alley outside the window, and a thought suddenly came to mind.
"I heard that there's a rather unusual casino recently, where many gamblers collapse at the table and never wake up. I believe this is related to The Immortal in the Painting. We should go there to investigate first."
"Good idea. If we can find his next target, maybe we can prevent a disaster in advance," Hang Lin said with an eager expression.
The two ended their brief tea gathering and disappeared from the teahouse like the wind, blending into the bustling alley filled with all sorts of people.
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