Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Management
Ginger Beard was also drawn out of the house by Zhang Tang's loud shouting. His expression twisted slightly, showing he wasn't particularly surprised; it seemed this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. He impatiently shouted, "Zhang Tang! You're causing trouble again! Are you going to let anyone sleep?"
Zhang Tang looked utterly aggrieved. "I... I really saw it..."
A staff member stormed over, fuming with anger. "You brat! Always shouting in the middle of the night! Today, I'm definitely going to teach you a lesson!"
Frightened, Zhang Tang ran back into his room and slammed the door shut.
The staff member cursed, "Do you think closing the door means you're safe?"
Ginger Beard stepped forward to block the staff member. "Enough," he said, turning to face the awakened people. "You all go back to sleep. Tomorrow, I will have a good talk with Zhang Tang."
Yu Ren muttered unhappily under his breath as everyone dispersed.
Ji Zichen approached and asked, " Uncle Jiang, is what he said true?"
Ginger Beard chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "What’s true or false? Where would there be a Vermilion Bird?"
"But I saw his expression; it didn’t look like he was joking," Ji Zichen replied.
Ginger Beard sighed. "A few years ago, he went with me to the Watchtower. He sneaked in and saw the true chart. Perhaps he was too young to handle what he saw in that chart, and since then, he has occasionally claimed to see the Vermilion Bird."
Ji Zichen exchanged glances with Lin Chuyu, who clearly looked a bit disappointed. Kiko understood Lin Chuyu's feelings, as she had hoped for a real Vermilion Bird to appear.
Ginger Beard said, "You should all get some sleep too; you've looked at so many scrolls and must be tired."
Ji Zichen nodded. " Uncle Jiang, you should rest early as well."
Lin Chuyu woke up very early, or rather, she hadn't slept at all. She stepped into the courtyard and looked out through the main gate, spotting Zhang Tang squatting alone by the creek. After a moment of hesitation, she chose to walk over to him.
Zhang Tang remained squatting by the creek, and Lin Chuyu stood behind him. Her reflection shimmered on the surface of the water, and as Zhang Tang's eyelashes fluttered, he finally noticed her image in the creek.
He turned around and said, "It's you."
Lin Chuyu smiled slightly. "What are you doing here?"
Zhang Tang turned away again, continuing to stare at the water with a gloomy expression. "I'm not doing anything; just leave me alone."
Lin Chuyu stood still, biting her lip. "Tell me the truth. Did you really see the Vermilion Bird?"
Zhang Tang immediately reacted strongly, his anger flaring as he retorted, "I didn't see the Vermilion Bird! I didn't see anything! I was just messing with you guys!"
"Messing with us?" Lin Chuyu could clearly tell that Zhang Tang was sulking. She asked with a smile, "If you wanted to play a prank, why choose to do it in the middle of the night? Isn't it better when there are more people around during the day?"
After Lin Chuyu spoke, her expression turned serious. "I don't know why, but I believe you're not lying."
Zhang Tang's face brightened. "You really believe...?" Before he could finish his sentence, his expression darkened again. "Why do you believe me? We don't even know each other. I don't need your false sympathy."
Lin Chuyu wasn't angry; instead, she laughed. "You've got quite a strong sense of pride."
Zhang Tang's face flushed red as he huffed, "That's none of your business."
It seemed that Zhang Tang didn't want to stay with Lin Chuyu any longer. He took a few steps away but then paused and turned back to ask cautiously, "What are you all doing in Zhuque Chenjing?"
Lin Chuyu didn't hide anything from him and replied directly, "We're here to find Divine Dawn."
Zhang Tang was taken aback. "Divine Dawn? What is Divine Dawn?"
Lin Chuyu sighed. To be honest, she didn't know what Divine Dawn was either. She said, "Brother Ji, there are treasures left by the divine race there. Divine Dawn is the ruins left by them."
Zhang Tang's eyes widened in disbelief. "Our ruins? I've never heard of that."
Lin Chuyu smiled lightly. "It's not just you; no one here has heard of it. I suspect that the treasures of the divine race are mostly a hoax."
Zhang Tang immediately became furious. He seemed very displeased with anyone disparaging the divine race. He shouted, "Whose treasures are fake? Our divine race has many treasures. Just because others don't know where this ruin is doesn't mean Uncle Jinglun doesn't know."
Lin Chuyu asked, "Management?"
Zhang Tang quickly covered his mouth, startled by his own slip. "Oh no, I let it slip!"
He tried to run away, but at that moment, someone grabbed him by the collar from behind. Turning around, he saw a figure with a sword on their back holding him firmly. At that moment, there was no one else with a sword behind him— Ji Zichen had caught Zhang Tang's collar and asked, "Management? Who is this Management? How do you know that this Management definitely knows where the ruins are?"
Zhang Tang flailed his arms in an attempt to break free, shouting, "No! I don't know! Let me go!"
Ji Zichen smiled gently. "You don't know? Then do you really know or not?"
Zhang Tang tightly shut his mouth. Lin Chuyu stepped forward and said, "Brother Ji, let him go. If he won't tell us, we can ask Uncle Jiang."
Ji Zichen thought for a moment before nodding. She released Zhang Tang, who quickly dashed away.
Ji Zichen chuckled and turned to Lin Chuyu, asking, "What are you doing out here so early? The animals in this forest recognize them but not you."
Lin Chuyu then remembered that there were other animals in the forest. She glanced around but thankfully saw no unusual movements. She replied, "I saw him by the creek and came out without realizing it."
Ji Zichen understood Lin Chuyu's thoughts well and said, "This isn't just some casual outing; you're here to ask him about the Vermilion Bird."
Caught by Ji Zichen's insight, Lin Chuyu blushed and could only acknowledge it silently. "Brother Ji, is what he said true or false?"
Ji Zichen put aside his playful mood and said, "I don't know. In that great war back then, not only the divine beings died; there might be quite a few Wraiths of the Vermilion Bird here as well. Let's go ask who this Management really is."
They made their way to Uncle Jiang's house, where Uncle Jiang was having breakfast with Xia Zhou. Upon seeing them, Uncle Jiang smiled and said, "You're awake! Come sit down and have some breakfast."
There were no bowls or chopsticks for them on the table. Ji Zichen, not one to be polite, sat down and grabbed a bun to munch on. Seeing Ji Zichen's rudeness, Xia Zhou shook his head and said, "Wait a moment; I'll get you some bowls and chopsticks."
Just as Ji Zichen finished half of his bun, he pretended to be nonchalant and asked, " Uncle Jiang, who is Management?"
Uncle Jiang's expression suddenly changed! His eyes flashed with cold light as he replied, "Who are you to ask about that name!"
Ji Zichen had never seen Uncle Jiang look like this before. He thought to himself, "Who exactly is this person? Why does it seem like Uncle Jiang is so wary of him?"
Ji Zichen was not new to the world; if he mentioned Zhang Tang's name, perhaps Zhang Tang would face consequences. He stared at Uncle Jiang for a moment before slowly saying, "Who is this person? Why do you react like that? I just happened to overhear it."
Uncle Jiang knew full well that Ji Zichen had not merely overheard it. However, since Ji Zichen was playing coy with him, it meant that Ji Zichen would not reveal who had told him. Uncle Jiang sighed deeply and said, "If it were someone else asking, I could only remain silent. But since you have a connection with our divine clan, I suppose it's fine to tell you."
With a serious tone, Uncle Jiang explained, "Management is located on the back mountain outside Sanctuary. There is a Wall of Repentance there; Management is right by that wall. He was one of the first practitioners to arrive here. The first batch of practitioners either died here or went out to spread the teachings; now he is the only one left."
Lin Chuyu pressed further, "The Wall of Repentance? What is that used for?"
Uncle Jiang smiled bitterly and replied, "You still don't understand? That wall is for repentance. A thousand years ago during the war with the Vermilion Bird, some people within our divine clan believed it was our fault while others ignored it. In the past, many would go there to repent, but now after so many years, no one goes there anymore."
Ji Zichen then asked, "The first batch? How long ago was that? Is this Management already a thousand years old?"
Uncle Jiang shook his head and said, "No, we didn't come here right after taking over. This place had been abandoned for hundreds of years; Management arrived here three hundred years ago. His temperament is peculiar and he doesn't allow us near him; I've only been there a few times myself."
Hearing this, Lin Chuyu asked, "So for three hundred years? That means this Management has not experienced that great war?"
"Yes," Uncle Jiang replied.
Lin Chuyu asked, "What is he repenting for?"
Uncle Jiang said, "That's why his temper is so strange."
Ji Zichen pondered for a moment and then said, " Uncle Jiang, can you take me to the Wall of Repentance?"
Uncle Jiang looked surprised. "What do you want to go there for?"
Ji Zichen didn't reveal her true intentions and replied, "What else could I be doing? Of course, I want to inquire about the Defensive Works. There's nothing recorded in the scrolls or books here, and this Management was one of the first to arrive. He must know something about it."
Uncle Jiang appeared somewhat troubled. "I thought of that too, but his temper is peculiar. If we go there so recklessly, we might not get anything out of him."
Ji Zichen had never met this Management, but if Uncle Jiang felt that way, then this person's temperament was likely not very pleasant. Ji Zichen asked, "So what can we do, Uncle Jiang?"
Uncle Jiang chuckled. "What can I do? I rarely deal with him." He sighed. "However, since this is for the Defensive Works, let's give it a try."
The Wall of Repentance was located roughly in the middle of the back mountain, about ten miles from the Sanctuary. As the name suggests, it was a tall wall, approximately six zhang high, with the names of those who died in battle inscribed upon it. It was unclear how the divine beings obtained these names.
The Management had a long beard that was entirely white, resembling a centenarian elder. He had originally been sitting cross-legged beneath the Wall of Repentance, quietly reciting scriptures. After a while, he opened his eyes; his expression remained calm and undisturbed. He spoke into the void, "I didn't expect someone would come to visit this old man."
Comment 0 Comment Count