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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 17 Fire Cloud Residence
As Ji Zichen and the others entered the town, it was already nearing evening. They settled into an inn, which had only a few patrons; many tables were empty. They chose a table away from the window. Ji Zichen ordered three meat dishes and one vegetarian dish, as Xia Zhou loved meat, and Ji Zichen had no choice but to comply. Once the two had left, Ji Zichen asked, "What did Management say to you?"
Lin Chuyu's expression was strange as she took out a piece of white paper. "He didn't say much, just gave me this."
Ji Zichen took the paper and smiled. "Let me see."
Ji Zichen examined the contents closely using Kai Zhou Shen's ring. "It says here that to trap those mice, the items in Defensive Works were moved to a place called Yangquan Cliff."
Xia Zhou was unfamiliar with this place. "Yangquan Cliff? What kind of place is that?"
Ji Zichen also hadn't heard of it. "I don't know either. After we finish eating, I'll go find out."
Lin Chuyu exclaimed, "Brother Ji, there are quite a few things in that ruin. Why not choose to place them in another location in Zhuque Chenjing instead of Yangquan Cliff?"
Ji Zichen replied, "Have you forgotten? They can use the fissures for transportation. No matter how many items there are, they can move them with little effort."
Lin Chuyu chuckled. "I actually forgot about the fissures."
At that moment, the dishes were served, and the three stopped their conversation. They chatted lightly while eating, and soon their plates were nearly empty. Just then, two merchants entered the inn and sat down at a table not far from Ji Zichen. Both appeared to be in their forties, and Ji Zichen could faintly smell the medicinal scent emanating from them, leading him to guess, "These two must be in the herbal business."
As soon as they sat down, one of them said, "Brother Jin, this shipment sold for a great price! I invite you to Fire Cloud Residence for a drink."
The man called Brother Jin's eyes sparkled with interest. "Brother Shan, are you talking about Fire Cloud Residence in Juggernaut Forest?"
Brother Shan smiled. "Of course! Which other Fire Cloud Residence could it be?"
Brother Jin remarked, "It's strange that the people at Fire Cloud Residence brew Yan Clan's Swallow Brew."
Brother Shan laughed heartily. "Who cares how they do it? As long as I can drink Swallow Brew, that's enough for me in this lifetime."
Ji Zichen was astonished upon hearing this. He thought to himself, "What does Juggernaut Forest have to do with a Fire Cloud Residence? Even more surprising is that they actually brew Swallow Brew?"
Ji Zichen could no longer sit still upon hearing the conversation. He approached and inquired, "Gentlemen, did I just hear you mention Swallow Brew?"
The man with the surname Jin glanced at Ji Zichen and then smiled, "What’s this? Are you also fond of it, brother?"
Ji Zichen smiled slightly. "Many years ago, I visited Pottery Flask Residence. I heard that the Yan Clan had suffered a calamity and that the art of making Swallow Brew had been lost for many years. How is it that it has reappeared now? What kind of person is the owner of Fire Cloud Residence?"
The man with the surname Shan replied, "I can't say for certain, Brother Jin. Do you know anything about the owner's background?"
Jin shook his head. "I’m not sure either. I only visited three months ago and didn’t have the fortune to meet the owner."
At that moment, Lin Chuyu softly called out to him, "Brother Ji."
Ji Zichen nodded and smiled at the two men before returning to their table. Lin Chuyu remarked, "Brother Ji, you’re not from Pottery Flask Residence..."
Ji Zichen interrupted her, saying, "Not that."
He called for the bill, and after settling up, the three returned to their guest room. Ji Zichen's expression darkened as he said, "I think we should visit Fire Cloud Residence tomorrow."
Xia Zhou asked, "What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to look for Yangquan Cliff anymore?"
Ji Zichen felt something was off. "That place isn't going anywhere. Let's check out Fire Cloud Residence first."
During their time in Blackstone Village, Ji Zichen had shared all his experiences with Xia Zhou and Lin Chuyu. Thus, Xia Zhou understood why Ji Zichen was so insistent on going there. "Then let’s go take a look together," he said.
The next day, they set off for Juggernaut Forest. After several days of travel, they stood before Fire Cloud Residence. It was built on the old site of Pottery Flask Residence, which originally resembled a wine jug. Fire Cloud Residence had a somewhat similar shape but was constructed in three curved layers; the bottom layer was wider than the second layer, which was half a circle smaller than the bottom layer, and the top layer was again half a circle smaller than the second.
Aside from the second and top layers, there were corridors with railings outside them. Tables and chairs were set up outside for patrons to enjoy their meals while taking in the beautiful scenery nearby. The area around Fire Cloud Residence had been redecorated; there were rockeries and flowing water that made it much more impressive than the former Pottery Flask Residence.
On the far left side of Fire Cloud Residence was a staircase designed to resemble a spout.
Xia Zhou exclaimed in wonder, "Is this really Fire Cloud Residence? Look at that staircase; it looks like a spout! But the building doesn’t resemble a jug at all. It seems a bit strange but such architecture is quite novel."
Ji Zichen shared his sentiment; he had never seen such an unusual building before. The sign for Fire Cloud Residence was exceptionally grand and prominently displayed at the very top, with its name shining brightly in bold letters.
At that moment, a group of riders approached from behind them. From their attire, Ji Zichen immediately recognized them as Sand Bandits. Although Lin Chuyu couldn't recall past events, she felt a strange familiarity with these Sand Bandits deep in her mind, yet she couldn't remember when she had seen them before.
As soon as Ji Zichen spotted the Sand Bandits, he became alert, silently wondering, "What are they doing here?"
Xia Zhou noticed Ji Zichen's heightened vigilance and quietly asked, "Who are they?"
Ji Zichen replied softly, "They are Sand Bandits."
Having heard Ji Zichen mention the Sand Bandits in his explanations about the past, Xia Zhou remarked, "These Sand Bandits look quite strong."
Indeed, each member of the Sand Bandits was robust and imposing.
The leader of the Sand Bandits rode slowly while scrutinizing Ji Zichen and the others. Upon noticing Lin Chuyu's delicate beauty, his gaze turned lecherous as he fixated on her. Lin Chuyu felt uncomfortable under his stare but dared not scold him; instead, she slightly turned away to avoid his gaze.
The Sand Bandit chuckled lightly and finally directed his attention to Ji Zichen. He halted his horse, prompting the other Sand Bandits to stop as well.
With a cold glare, the leader questioned Ji Zichen, "You look familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"
Ji Zichen felt compelled to respond and feigned surprise. "Have we met? You must be mistaken."
The man stared intently at Ji Zichen and suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! I remember now! Second Son, bring me the portrait!"
"Yes, boss," replied a figure called Second Son as he retrieved a rolled-up stack of portraits from a bag hanging by his horse.
The leader rummaged through the stack until he unfolded one portrait. After glancing at it, he broke into a foolish grin and said, "It really is you!"
Dismounting from his horse, he approached Ji Zichen. The man towered over him by half a head and held the portrait out in front of Ji Zichen. With an intimidating tone, he declared, "You are Ji Zichen!"
Ji Zichen was taken aback—not because he was frightened by the man but because he was shocked to see himself in the portrait. It was a wanted poster issued by the Western King; Ji Zichen had been wanted for some time but had never seen his own wanted image before.
Suppressing his emotions, Ji Zichen smiled faintly at the man. "It seems like me."
The man laughed heartily and suddenly tore up the wanted poster. "I've been looking for you for a long time. I didn't expect to find you here. Ji Zichen, you're lucky; this poster is already outdated. Otherwise, your head would be worth quite a bit!"
" Ji Zichen," he asked with a smile, "who are you?"
The man replied, " Ji Zichen, don't play dumb in front of me. This isn't our first encounter. My name is Killer, the captain of the Yellow Sand Gang's Yellow Sand Cliff. I should be thanking you properly; if it weren't for you killing my former captain, I wouldn't have been promoted."
"Yellow Sand Cliff?" Ji Zichen recalled the time when he and Lin Chuyu had rescued those village girls at Yellow Sand Cliff.
Ji Zichen smiled lightly and said, "What a coincidence."
Killer scrutinized Ji Zichen again and remarked, "You don't seem to have any extraordinary abilities. I just can't understand how so many people are after you yet can't find a trace of you."
At that time, Ji Zichen had been hiding in the Divine Clan's Gap for five years, which allowed him to evade capture.
Ji Zichen chuckled and replied, "Maybe it's just good luck."
Killer laughed and said, "Well, besides good luck, there's no other explanation."
Killer returned to his horse and mounted it. "Since the bounty has expired, you are of no use to me now. I'm here to drink; just don't do anything that would get another bounty issued against you. Otherwise, next time you might not make it out alive."
Killer casually discarded the torn bounty notice and signaled for the other Sand Bandits to follow him to Fire Cloud Residence.
Once the Sand Bandits had left, Lin Chuyu stared at a crumpled piece of paper that had fallen near her feet. She stepped forward to pick it up and unfolded it in surprise. "Brother Ji, this is really your wanted poster!"
Ji Zichen sighed with a bitter smile. "Why did you pick that up?"
Xia Zhou stepped forward to take a look and laughed, "Wow, your bounty is quite substantial."
Ji Zichen shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Just throw it away; let's go inside and take a look."
The interior of Fire Cloud Residence was even more luxurious than the previous Pottery Flask establishment. It was bustling with patrons, and there wasn't an empty table in sight. A waiter approached with a smile and said, " Mr. Ji, please follow me to a private room on the second floor."
Ji Zichen asked in surprise, "You know me?"
The waiter grinned and replied, "I haven't had the honor of meeting Mr. Ji personally, but my master instructed me to lead you to a private room on the second floor."
"Master? Who is your master?" Ji Zichen asked.
The attendant replied, "Please take a seat; your master will meet you soon."
Ji Zichen exchanged a glance with Xia Zhou, who said, "Let's go up; we’re already here."
Ji Zichen nodded. "Lead the way."
The attendant guided the three of them to the second floor, which was more elegantly decorated than the first and much quieter. Unlike the bustling noise downstairs, the atmosphere here was calm. The attendant led them down a corridor to a Private Room. Lin Chuyu looked out the window along the corridor and noticed tables on an outdoor platform. She asked, "Brother Ji, can we sit out there?"
Ji Zichen glanced at the outdoor platform and smiled. "You want to enjoy the view, right?"
He turned to the attendant. "We’ll sit on the outdoor platform immediately."
The attendant hesitated. "That might not be appropriate, Master..."
Ji Zichen waved his hand dismissively. "I've made my decision; go fetch some food and drinks."
Seeing Ji Zichen's insistence, the attendant sighed. "Very well, I will prepare the food and drinks right away."
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