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墨書 Inktalez
Do you believe that what your eyes see is real?
Xing Ruyi followed the fox back to Yun Madam, only to discover that the so-called Yun Family was not a single household, but a connected village called Yun Village.
When Yun Madam returned to the Yun Family, the first person she encountered was not Lord Yun, but another individual living in a peculiar house. Yun Madam referred to herself as Yun Niang, yet called that person "Master." To Xing Ruyi's surprise, this mysterious figure bore a striking resemblance to her Grandfather from another world.
Xing Ruyi gripped the fox's hand tightly, her nails nearly digging into the fox's flesh. The fox tugged at the corner of its mouth, sighed softly, and embraced Xing Ruyi: "Don't worry, I will take care of everything!"
"What should I do, Yin Chensi? He looks just like my Grandfather. What is going on?"
"I know; I've seen his photo in your home. But Fox Demon, try to relax. No matter who that person is inside, whether he is your Grandfather or not, you will be fine."
Xing Ruyi forced a smile: "I know, because I have you!"
Despite her words, the fox could tell that Xing Ruyi was bothered; she was very concerned about this person who resembled her Grandfather.
After Yun Madam left, the man who looked like Xing Ruyi's Grandfather slowly turned around and looked towards where Xing Ruyi and the fox stood. He then smiled slightly and said, "Since friends have arrived, why not come out and meet this old man?"
The fox led Xing Ruyi into view, and the man froze for a moment. His gaze lingered on Xing Ruyi's face repeatedly; his hands trembled slightly as he excitedly asked, "Is it really you?"
Xing Ruyi instinctively tightened her grip on the fox's hand and took a step back.
"Fox Demon, I know you are my Fox Demon," the man said, wiping away the moisture from his eyes. "When you left me, you had just arrived here! I still remember that before you left, you were worried I would be hungry on the road and secretly stuffed a boiled egg for me. Time has flown by... How have you been all these years?"
Xing Ruyi watched the man who resembled her Grandfather with caution, but her hand betrayed her inner excitement and anxiety.
"Child, there's no need to be nervous or doubt anything. I am indeed your Grandfather; aside from the man beside you, I am the one in this world who would never want to hurt you."
The man gestured to a nearby chair. "Let's sit down and talk."
Xing Ruyi glanced at the fox, who said nothing and directly led her to the chair. "If you have any questions, just ask him directly. There's no need to be nervous."
"I'm not nervous," Xing Ruyi said, rubbing her hands as she looked at the man. "I just didn't expect to see my Grandfather's face again in my lifetime."
"I didn't expect to see my beloved granddaughter again either!" The man said, moving a little closer to Xing Ruyi.
Xing Ruyi scoffed, adopting a defensive posture as she looked at the man who resembled her Grandfather. "To be honest, your imitation is quite good; you've even captured those subtle details that made me momentarily believe that the Grandfather who abandoned me and made me disappear had crossed over into this strange land just like me.
But unfortunately, you are not him! Even if my Grandfather is still alive, he must be living in my world, while you are merely another person I am familiar with."
"Take a closer look at me; I truly am your Grandfather."
"You are not!" Xing Ruyi replied firmly. "Because you have no idea what my real Grandfather is like. The version of him you present is based on my descriptions of you, but that Grandfather only exists in my imagination.
Moxuyou or should I call you Yuan Gang? Wouldn't it be better for us to be honest with each other?"
The man burst into laughter and then wiped his face with his hand, revealing his true appearance.
"It really is you!" Xing Ruyi shook her head. "So it was you who had Yun Madam lead us here tonight?"
"You've wronged me! I never thought you would care about that village matter when you went back, nor did I expect you would find your way here!"
"Didn’t expect it?" Xing Ruyi stood up angrily. "Didn’t expect you would deliberately take on my grandfather's appearance? Moxuyou, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Wronged! I’m truly wronged. The reason I took on your grandfather's appearance is, first out of curiosity, and second because your grandfather's face is more recognizable, which can help avoid certain people's disturbances. You know I’m used to being idle and don’t want to stir up trouble, nor do I want to be entangled by those who seek trouble!"
"You are the biggest trouble!" Xing Ruyi shot a glance at the fox again. "You knew it was him all along, didn’t you?"
"I had my suspicions, but I couldn’t be sure," the fox replied honestly. "Though mortals are weak, they can also hide great talents. I couldn't be certain that the person behind it was him."
"I believe you!" Xing Ruyi said, turning her gaze back to Moxuyou's face. "Now, tell me your purpose!"
"If I had no purpose at all, would you believe me?"
"No!"
"Alright then, let’s get to my purpose," Moxuyou said with a helpless shrug. "What I’m doing has actually been related to you for a long time. The things I am currently doing are also for that matter."
"Right, you mentioned needing to help someone, but you’ve never said who that person is or what kind of help it is, and how this relates to us."
"Do you know Zhou Wang?" Moxuyou suddenly asked.
"The last ruler of the Shang Dynasty, who was ultimately responsible for its downfall due to his tyranny. I remember we discussed this emperor before."
"That's right; we discussed this emperor before. In popular tales, he is depicted as a tyrant who indulged in debauchery, but are these accounts entirely true?"
"Not necessarily, because history is written by the victors. The Western Zhou won the war, so they naturally portray themselves as the righteous side, while those defeated by justice are labeled as evil."
"Rare! Rare! Fox Demon, your thoughts align so closely with mine!" Mo Xu You clapped his hands. "As far as I know, this King Zhou is definitely not a wise ruler, but he is absolutely not a tyrant. Those so-called atrocities must have been exaggerated and embellished."
"Does King Zhou have anything to do with what you are doing?" Xing Ruyi shot Mo Xu You an impatient glance. "You better not tell me that you are the reincarnation of King Zhou and that everything you are doing now is to revive the Shang Dynasty."
"Of course not. Just look at me from head to toe; there’s not a hint of imperial demeanor," Mo Xu You said, pointing at his face. "At most, I’m just a messenger strategist. However, you were right about one thing: what I am doing is indeed related to this King Zhou."
Mo Xu You looked seriously at Xing Ruyi, but his words still carried a whimsical tone: "What if I told you that what I am currently doing is to revive this emperor? What would you think?"
"Just bored out of your mind!" Xing Ruyi decisively replied with five words.
Mo Xu You was taken aback and then laughed: "Well, thinking about it carefully, it does seem like being bored out of my mind, but in this world, many people do many things that seem like they are just bored."
"For example, how boring must I be to sit here and listen to your nonsense?"
Mo Xu You shrugged: "If I don’t speak the truth, you think I’m hiding something. If I tell the truth, you think I'm just bored."
"What about us? Are you setting up all sorts of traps and schemes for us just to help you revive King Zhou?"
Mo Xu You nodded: "Honestly, I didn’t have this plan at first. But now I don’t think that way anymore; I believe your appearance is meant to help me accomplish this task."
Mo Xu You's gaze and expression became quite strange: "In the widely circulated stories among the people, the enchanting consort of King Zhou is a Nine-Tailed fox, and only Qingqiu has Nine-Tailed foxes. It is said that the Nine-Tailed clan originally served Lady Nuwa but was ordered to guard Qingqiu due to their offenses against her anger, thus they belong to the Ancient Divine Clan. As for the Fox Demon next to you, Young Master Yin, he happens to be a Nine-Tailed fox as well."
"Even if the fox belongs to the Nine-Tailed clan and comes from Qingqiu, it doesn’t mean we have to participate in your plan. Moreover, in folk tales, that enchanting consort's purpose was to destroy the Shang and establish the Zhou."
"A purpose is a purpose, but there are other things beyond that," Mo Xu You pointed at the fox. "If something were to happen to Young Master Yin, would you go to great lengths to save him? If it were you, Fox Demon, who faced an accident, would Young Master Yin spare no effort to rescue you?"
"Are you saying that the one who asked for your help is also from the Azure Wind Nine-Tailed Clan?" The fox squinted, looking at Mo Xu You.
"I can only tell you that the person behind me does indeed have some connection to your Qingqiu."
"Connected to Qingqiu, and also wanting to resurrect King Zhou? Could the one hiding behind you be Su Daji?" Xing Ruyi speculated aloud.
The fox shook its head, reminding Xing Ruyi, "You forgot, he has another name, Yuan Gang. As one of the most famous diviners of the Golden Tang Dynasty, Yuan Gang has never predicted the fate of a nation. Even when Emperor Taizong invited him with great courtesy, he merely skillfully deflected it. However, there are exceptions; Yuan Gang's only prediction that was related to national fate was regarding the Empress. So, the person behind you should also be her, right?"
Mo Xu You did not answer, but his expression made everything clear.
The fox's face suddenly turned grim. "Yuan Gang once suggested that the Empress build the Tower of Floating Enlightenment. The world believed that tower was merely for the Empress's reign, but now it seems to serve another purpose."
"Exactly! Constructing the Tower of Floating Enlightenment is just a part of this whole affair, and your connection with the Fox Demon is both an accident and a necessity."
Mo Xu You finished speaking and smiled at the fox. "Besides that matter, the Tower of Floating Enlightenment has another function: it connects yin and yang, bridging ancient and modern times. Unfortunately, we've tried many times without success. Oh no, at least we succeeded by coincidence once."
"Is it my connection with the Fox Demon?" The fox finally understood the secret behind its and Xing Ruyi's sudden appearance in the Golden Tang Dynasty.
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