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墨書 Inktalez
Old Qiao was indeed well-versed in this matter. After a moment's contemplation, he vividly recounted the events surrounding the theft tunnel and the Bronze Armory, mirroring what A Li had previously shared with us, so I will not elaborate further on that.
What concerned me was what transpired in the Bronze Armory after A Li emerged from the theft tunnel.
To my surprise, when he reached this part of the story, Old Qiao merely brushed it aside with a few words, saying, "That was just a worthless burial pit; the real main tomb is not there." However, given his grand and vivid description of the Bronze Armory earlier, it greatly piqued everyone's curiosity. Satisfied and full, they paid little attention to what happened next.
Moreover, Third Granduncle Master and the others were unaware that after A Li exited the theft tunnel, he had teamed up with me to battle the Giant Tongue Monster and rescue our junior brother. They mistakenly thought we had simply gotten separated early on. Thus, there was no way for them to pursue this line of inquiry.
But both A Li and I understood perfectly well; it seemed Old Qiao had discovered something inside that he preferred not to share with outsiders, which is why he glossed over it. We exchanged a knowing glance and pretended to be oblivious.
As the grand performance reached this point, the script had run out. How the next act would unfold depended entirely on the actors' improvisation—how to find Li You's Tomb? I was at a complete loss. I had thought that the theft tunnel Old Qiao discovered was key to unlocking Li You's Tomb, but it turned out to be just a burial pit, with the main tomb located elsewhere.
I felt overwhelmed, fearing that Third Granduncle Master would ask me to pull out the map to share or even directly lead them there. Where could I possibly take them?
However, what I never expected was that Old Qiao actually brought out a map and presented it generously!
Everyone immediately gathered around. To my astonishment, it was a tattered Bamboo Slip. As soon as it was revealed, it nearly fell apart into fragments like snowflakes; yet somehow it remained intact. Someone had threaded each piece of Bamboo Slip with hemp rope, keeping its essence intact despite its disarray.
The surface featured a simple map drawn with indelible ink from a thousand years ago. Upon inspection, I realized it resembled an abstract painting—similar to the map engraved on the core of a bank card from our last adventure in the Bagua Underground Palace. In short, it was definitely beyond my comprehension, so I decided not to waste my energy trying to decipher it.
As everyone circled around the map, I stepped back with little interest. Soon after, Liu Zi, our junior brother, and A Chen also wisely withdrew. We exchanged glances, all feeling equally perplexed.
Just at this time, A Li woke up, with a sad face and very unstable emotions. She kept scratching her face with her hands. I hurried to comfort her: "It's okay, everything is okay... Look, your elder brother is here too." A Li was stunned. Then she realized that everyone was there. Thinking about all the grievances she had suffered in recent days and the unrecognizable mutation, she suddenly saw so many close relatives and old friends. Finally, she didn't have to swallow her anger and depend on others anymore... She burst into tears and threw herself into Old Qiao's arms, feeling like a brother and sister reuniting. Old Qiao wiped away his tears professionally, patted A Li on the back, and said incoherently: "It's all over...it's all over. With big brother here, no one can bully you in the future." Old Qiao's calling him a younger sister made him feel that he had gained a younger sister, which really confirmed the title of "Qiao Brother". After some sighing, everyone got themselves together and prepared to set off. At this time, the sun was already high overhead, and before I knew it, it was already noon. Fortunately, there are lush forests and bamboos here, which block out the sun, so it doesn’t feel hot at all. Instead, there is a slight chill. I always feel that something bad is waiting for us... I hope I am overthinking it. Third Granduncle Master was originally studying the map, but was interrupted by the "brother and sister recognizing each other" scene. Since the opportunity was rare and could not be missed, he could only obey the arrangements and set off. As the old saying goes, Thirty years in He Dong, thirty years in He Xi, even a shrewd man like Third Granduncle Master cannot escape the cycle of reincarnation. Old Qiao pulled out his Qiankun Bag and took out the Bagua Star Compass (A Li had mentioned it before, but not in detail) - I took a curious glance at it and saw that the Star Compass had a radius of only about three centimeters and was five millimeters thick. It looked very miniature. The body of the disk was made of copper, and the disk surface was concave, forming a hemispherical arc. The arc surface was engraved with the eight stems, four dimensions and twelve branches, that is, the twenty-four directions. There was a thin groove under each direction, connecting to a concave point in the center of the disk, dividing the disk surface into triangular grids. As I looked at it, I found it looked familiar. After thinking for a while, it was me! Isn’t this the locator that my junior fellow apprentice took from the umbrella handle? How did it end up in Old Qiao’s hands? Has the Bronze box been recovered? Or did Old Qiao suffer from an occupational disease and just picked one up from the armory? No, that's not right, that's not the right order! Old Qiao already had this Star Compass before entering the tunnel. If things were going to go smoothly, it shouldn't have been this time - this time? How could I use "this time"? Could it be that in my subconscious, Old Qiao was not entering that place for the first time? The opposite? What was he talking about with A Li... My mind suddenly exploded with countless threads, a tangled mess of things. The answer was obviously very close, almost within reach, but it suddenly floated very far away and I couldn't hold it in place! Old Qiao is lying to me?
Who is deceiving me?!
Unfortunately, these questions cannot be asked immediately. Holding them in my heart feels worse than being beaten up; it’s truly unbearable! I can only try to shift my attention elsewhere, or else I’ll surely go insane if I keep thinking about it!
I looked up and saw Old Qiao chanting something under his breath, seriously following the Star Compass as he turned in circles. Suddenly, he stopped and faced north, opening his eyes wide: “This is it!”
Though everyone had doubts, they were all novices and had no choice but to believe him.
Old Qiao appeared extremely excited and proactive throughout the journey. Perhaps it was because he was finally applying the theories he had learned to practice for the first time. Since he was the only expert present, who else could they listen to?
Cold Bench still habitually lingered at the back of the group. I wondered if it was a common trait among assassins in the martial world to walk behind. It provided a clear view of everything while remaining unnoticed, allowing them to determine the right moment to act and slip away without anyone realizing.
I speculated about Cold Bench's identity. Could he be involved in the business of killing? Although Shimen had rules since Li Zu’s time stating that “one must not take lives lightly or engage in life trades with employers,” considering he was from the Old School, that might be different.
I instinctively glanced back at Cold Bench. He was dressed entirely in black, tall and thin, but surely well-built beneath those clothes. He held a weapon that resembled a knife yet looked like a sword, wrapped in cloth as if he didn’t want others to see its true form. His eyes were cold enough to kill without a fight; who needed weapons when one had such a gaze?
Eyes? That’s right! The cold eyes from Spider Cave… could they belong to him? No way… could he be the black-clad figure who stole the Bronze Square Box?!
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