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墨書 Inktalez
Regarding the remaining Guardian of the Mountain Stone Beast restoration project, it is currently indefinitely stalled.
After all, if what Snow said is true, and the rest are merely resentful beings that have fallen into corruption, then repairing them would only invite trouble.
“...Among the stone beasts you know, do you think any of them still have room for communication?” I once asked Snow with a hint of hope.
“Meow.” (Unfortunately, we basically each have our own duties and do not interfere with one another. Aside from that one who foolishly crossed boundaries and became known among all beasts, we do not have much interaction, so I cannot answer your question.)
“So, you don’t have any stone beast friends you hope could recover like you?” So you’re saying that all of you Guardians of the Mountain Stone Beast are just proud beings who look down on others?
Snow thought for a moment and shook his head. “Meow.” (No.)
“What about Xuan?” I asked casually without much expectation. “Is there any particular one you wish could come back to keep you company?”
“Gao!” (Anyone willing to play with me is fine!) Xuan Yi exclaimed excitedly.
“Meow!” (No one would want to play with a foolish beast like you; give up on that idea!)
“Gah…” After receiving an inexplicable scolding, Xuan shrank back, looking dejected.
“Snow, don’t speak like that.” I couldn’t help but scold softly. “You two are the last remaining Guardians of the Mountain Stone Beast; you need to get along well, understand?”
“…Gah!” Snow huffed dismissively.
According to Snow, while the Guardians of the Mountain Stone Beast possess self-awareness, they are ultimately just statues and cannot leave their designated posts. They only become manifest after I restore them…
Although I wasn't sure what was happening, perhaps it was due to the differences in our spiritual systems that caused side effects with them?
I wondered if this side effect would also impact A-Qing and the others. So far, my observations hadn't revealed any issues...
Additionally, even though Xue and Xuan didn't get along well on a daily basis, they managed to cooperate effectively when it came to exorcising evil spirits.
This was partly because Xue took her responsibilities very seriously and would never allow herself to make unnecessary mistakes due to petty grievances. On the other hand, although I wasn't sure why, it seemed that Xuan, who was responsible for suppression, was stronger than Xue, who handled exorcism.
Thus, even if she disliked Xuan, Xue would set aside her prejudices and collaborate fully during missions. Unlike humans, who might act out of selfishness and engage in underhanded tactics, this aspect of their teamwork reassured me.
With A-Qing's cooperation and the assistance of Xuan and Xue, although progress remained slow, the purification of Potter's Field continued steadily.
It seemed that having these two was sufficient; there was no need to increase the number of stone beasts. I couldn't help but think this way.
After all, just imagining a hundred and twenty cats and dogs squabbling on this mountaintop was enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed.
***
That day, after Song Lan returned from a night hunt, he brought back a low table that was still usable from the ruins left by Wen family's cultivator. After making some repairs, he placed it under the Sophora Tree.
What was he doing? A-Qing and I watched curiously as he busied himself.
Once he finished his work, Song Lan and Xu Ran sat cross-legged at the table and gestured for me to join them.
"Mian Fei, come here. I have something to discuss with you."
I no longer felt the distance in his voice when he called me "Miss Wei." Instead, he addressed me with the tone and demeanor of an elder.
Though my actual inner age… well, let's not mention that. The original owner of this body did indeed appear younger, so there was no need to dwell on it. After all, being young has its advantages, right?
"Is it?" I replied, a bit confused, as I obediently sat down on the ground opposite him.
After a moment of contemplation, Song Lan slowly began to speak.
"To be honest, I believe you are still quite young and shouldn’t waste your prime years here. However, your understanding of the world is rather shallow. If I were to let you venture out into society just like that, I worry you might feel lost. While I wish to help, I'm unsure where to start…" He paused slightly before continuing, "Recently, I discussed this matter with Xingchen. We thought it might be best to start by teaching you how to read and write. What do you think?"
I couldn't help but feel surprised by his words.
So he had remembered that I had casually mentioned my illiteracy…
"Although I don't entirely agree with Master’s decision to send you out into the world without any knowledge, she must have her own thoughts and considerations. Perhaps she wants you to explore and experience everything in your own way. Yet here you are, isolating yourself in this quiet place… I believe this outcome is not what Master intended."
"No, this…" I had no idea how to respond.
"Meeting is a form of fate; therefore, I hope to teach you about the knowledge of this world to the best of my ability. One day, when you have enough skills to face it all, you can return to society and live among people again. That would fulfill Master’s expectations for you."
No, Anyeah's greatest requirement for me was simply to stay alive…
It had been a long time since I had seen the usually taciturn Song Lan speak at such length; I never expected it would be under these circumstances. It was clear he had thought about this for quite some time; it must have been difficult for him.
"That sounds great! I want to learn how to read too…" A-Qing beside us couldn’t help but show an envious expression.
"Then, I'll teach A-Qing, and Zichen can focus on guiding Miss Wei," Xiao Xingchen suggested with a smile. "Previously, I was unable to care for her due to my blindness, so now I can make up for the regrets of the past."
"Yes, that works," Song Lan nodded in agreement.
Wait, is this being forced into something without a chance to refuse?
"Ah! That's great! Little Flower, we can study together!" A-Qing exclaimed excitedly, hugging me and jumping around.
"Ah? Um..." I was still a bit dazed, struggling to process everything.
...So, this is part of the mission, right?
I silently glanced at Song Lan, who resembled an NPC responsible for assigning tasks, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Since that's the case, I'll trouble Master Song then..."
***
I never imagined that after transmigrating into a book, I would have to return to being a student.
Listening felt like hearing celestial scriptures, and when silent, I felt like a servant... Well, it wasn't that bad. After all, Song Zichen wasn't Lan Qiren; he wouldn't arbitrarily teach rigid and unchanging knowledge. Instead, he gathered some elementary learning materials and started teaching me as if I were an ignorant child.
Due to the lack of paper and pens in Potter's Field, I suggested using branches to draw on the ground instead of wasting paper. Song Lan initially disagreed, believing that practicing calligraphy should be done properly at a desk with a brush. However, I convinced him by saying that learning to read was more important first; as for writing well, there would be opportunities to practice later.
I must say, people with beautiful handwriting look stunning no matter what tools they use to write.
Looking at the perfectly drawn Regular Script characters on the ground, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration. It was clear that my initial confusion stemmed from the wild cursive writing of those Taoists who were accustomed to drawing Talismans.
So, I could read, after all.
However, understanding is one thing, and being able to write is another.
As someone who has lived through the High-Tech Era, aside from needing to sign my name on documents, who still picks up a pen to write? Everyone just taps away on their phones or computers to get things done.
Because of this, although I vaguely remembered how the characters looked, actually writing them out became quite difficult. I always ended up missing a stroke or adding an extra dot...
Looking at the crooked characters I had written in front of me... it was better to continue pretending I didn’t understand, to avoid embarrassing myself.
"You've been careless again." A calm, cold voice struck me like a hammer.
To be honest, I suddenly felt a bit envious of A-Qing. Although I had no idea how she was doing on her side, it was evident that Xiao Xingchen was always gentle and patient, carefully teaching her over and over again.
In contrast, here with the Jailor... I couldn't help but glance at Song Zichen beside me, whose cold expression seemed to convey that he was looking at useless dead wood and was clearly holding back a sigh—
Sigh, you don’t understand; I'm the one who wants to sigh here...
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