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墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, over a hundred students gathered at the back mountain of Huqing Academy. Each face was filled with excitement. There was no doubt that the most coveted treasure within Huqing Academy was the Insight Platform.
In the past, some had comprehended ancient divine skills and heavenly tier techniques here. Others had received the inheritance of first-grade grandmasters, and even some had acquired celestial arts. Even ordinary students had, to varying degrees, gained some fortuitous encounters.
This mysterious Insight Platform was of utmost importance to Huqing Academy. Therefore, an elder named Wu Qigang, who held a second-grade rank, guarded this place fiercely. Any intruders would be met with death at his hands.
"Xiao Chen, don't worry. I've spoken to Elder Wu Qigang; he will guide you to the best spot on the Insight Platform," said Zhou Tong softly as she stood beside Xiao Chen in the crowd.
Elder Wu Qigang had been guarding this area for decades and was extremely familiar with the Insight Platform. Having his personal guidance would undoubtedly be more beneficial than trying to comprehend it on his own.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhou. I will definitely work hard," Xiao Chen replied excitedly, nodding at Zhou Tong.
With that thought in mind, he glanced over at Chen Anlin's group. At that moment, Chen Anlin was surrounded by a throng of students, laughing and chatting merrily. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen stood alone, feeling somewhat ostracized.
He snorted lightly to himself: "They're just a bunch of sycophants. So what if Chen Anlin has more friends? I have Elder Wu Qigang's support."
After waiting for a while at the back mountain, an elderly man with a goatee and a cane emerged. It was said that Wu Qigang was the oldest elder in Huqing Academy and nearing the end of his lifespan, which made him appear particularly frail.
Despite his aged appearance, his eyes were sharp as he scanned the crowd before finally resting on Xiao Chen.
"So these are your disciples, Teacher Zhou? Not bad," Wu Qigang nodded slightly and smiled at Zhou Tong.
Previously, Zhou Tong had asked him to look after Xiao Chen. Although he had agreed, he needed to assess Xiao Chen's talent first. After observing him just now, he found Xiao Chen's resolute gaze quite compelling.
With Wu Qigang's approval, Xiao Chen held his head high with pride. Some surrounding disciples looked at him in surprise; a few approached him, hoping he could speak favorably about them in front of Elder Wu later.
Xiao Chen clasped his hands in greeting and smiled, "You all are talents of Huqing Academy as well. If Elder Wu thinks highly of me, then you all are equally deserving."
"Brother Xiao is too modest," one disciple remarked.
"Indeed! We hope Brother Xiao can say a few good words for us in front of Elder Wu," another added.
Everyone was well aware of the ways of the world; before coming here, their families had advised them that Elder Wu had guarded this place for decades and must know some secrets about the Insight Platform. Thus, receiving any pointers from him would be invaluable.
"Brother Xiao, after this is over, let's all have a drink together," someone suggested eagerly.
Xiao Chen, hearing the compliments from everyone, couldn't help but smile slightly and instinctively glanced towards Chen Anlin. However, he noticed that Chen Anlin completely ignored him, engrossed in laughter with Su Menghan and Wang Dahu.
This made Xiao Chen a bit angry. Didn't he see that everyone was praising me? How could he just disregard it?
Just as Xiao Chen was about to raise his voice to make sure Chen Anlin heard him, Zhou Tong interjected with displeasure, "Xiao Chen, Elder Wu doesn't like trouble, do you understand?"
At that moment, Zhou Tong was genuinely upset. She had privately contacted Wu Qigang, leveraging her father's connections because Elder Wu owed her family a favor from years ago. Now, Xiao Chen was casually agreeing to trouble Wu Qigang on behalf of this group. Wasn't that a bit inconsiderate?
Xiao Chen noticed that Zhou Tong seemed angry and was taken aback; it dawned on him that he had been swept away by the flattery of the crowd.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Zhou, I didn't mean to," he said quickly, cursing Chen Anlin inwardly for being so shameless. It was all because of Chen Anlin's influence that he ended up being scolded by Teacher Zhou.
"Chen Anlin, you really are infuriating!"
At this point, Xiao Chen habitually blamed his own mistakes on Chen Anlin, feeling even more resentful.
Just then, Elder Wu Qigang spoke up: "It seems everyone is ready. Let me explain the rules. We will enter in a line; each person will take a seat at the comprehension platform. During this time, no talking is allowed. Any small movements will result in immediate expulsion from the platform. Is that clear?"
With that said, a powerful aura emanated from Wu Qigang's body, filling the entire area.
No one expected that the frail old man would exude such a strong presence.
Everyone fell silent immediately, not daring to utter a word.
"Let's go."
Wu Qigang turned and entered the comprehension platform.
It seemed there was some kind of formation set up here; without Wu Qigang's permission, anyone entering would find themselves lost in a foggy forest with no sense of direction.
As soon as Chen Anlin stepped inside, he saw a towering stone tablet before him.
The stone tablet stood at least thirty stories high, marked with sword and knife scars from various attacks. It bore special characters and intricate patterns.
An ancient aura flowed from it, creating an incredibly mystical atmosphere.
In an instant, it felt as if Chen Anlin had entered another time and space.
Others felt similarly; each student had only one chance to come here for enlightenment—an opportunity that was rare and precious.
Chen Anlin glanced at Xiao Chen and saw that, just like in the novel, Xiao Chen was being led by Teacher Zhou to Elder Wu Qigang's side while they conversed about something.
"Don't worry; I see potential in Xiao Chen. I will take good care of him," Wu Qigang said with a smile directed at Xiao Chen.
"Elder Wu," Xiao Chen began cautiously, "I heard you enjoy fine wine. Coincidentally, I came across a couple selling exquisite wine in a mountain village not long ago. Their brew is rich and sweet; I specifically bought two barrels."
Xiao Chen took out two jars of wine from his storage ring.
Wu Qigang's eyes lit up as he casually accepted them. He didn't open the lids; instead, he took a whiff and was astonished. "Good wine."
At this moment, Wu Qigang looked at Xiao Chen with increasing satisfaction. Not only did he have decent martial talent, but he also knew how to handle situations well. Seeing Xiao Chen being recognized, Zhao Yao behind him felt happy as well and instinctively glanced at Chen Anlin.
Coincidentally, Chen Anlin also looked over, and Zhao Yao immediately raised her head proudly, as if to say: "What do you think? Xiao Chen has gained Elder Wu's recognition and attention, while you, no matter how powerful you are, are still being ignored."
Teacher Zhou Tong was also pleased, thinking that Xiao Chen truly understood the situation.
Chen Anlin noticed Zhao Yao's gaze and felt speechless. Why was she staring at me? If it weren't for Wu Qigang considering the Zhou family’s reputation, would he really give Xiao Chen any face?
However, I am the one who holds the legacy now.
As everyone found suitable spots to sit cross-legged, Wu Qigang was about to take Xiao Chen to an appropriate place for enlightenment when Chen Anlin approached.
"What do you want, Chen Anlin?" Zhou Tong shot a disdainful glance at him, thinking that this guy must be trying to ingratiate himself.
How shameless can he be? Does he really think he can rely on his power to get Wu Qigang to give him face?
He shouldn't even think about it!
Wu Qigang frowned at Chen Anlin and asked, "What do you want to say?"
Seeing that Chen Anlin had decent cultivation, he decided to be patient.
Xiao Chen snorted coldly and said, "Elder Wu, this person relies on his power to act recklessly; there's no need to pay him any mind."
"Is that so?" Wu Qigang didn't like people who acted recklessly either.
Then, Chen Anlin transmitted a message: "Elder Wu, I’m Chen Anlin. I happened to hear some things about a senior before and coincidentally learned about the whereabouts of a girl named Wu Qianlian!"
Hmm?
Suddenly, Wu Qigang's expression froze as he stared at Chen Anlin in shock. His gaze was sharp like that of an eagle's, piercing and intense.
Wu Qianlian—she was his granddaughter who had been missing for twenty years!
Years ago, Wu Qigang was the vice president of Huqing Academy. At that time, the Taiping Sect was wreaking havoc across the land. Because Wu Qigang took the lead in eliminating an important stronghold of the Taiping Army, he faced retaliation afterward; his son and daughter-in-law were brutally murdered, leaving only his granddaughter Wu Qianlian behind.
One day, when Wu Qianlian was taken out to play by her maidservant, she was abducted. At that time, she was only three years old.
Afterward, Wu Qigang searched everywhere but found nothing in the vast sea of people; it wasn’t easy at all to locate her.
Eventually, he gave up and concluded that his granddaughter must have died.
At that moment, Chen Anlin was utterly shocked to hear that someone knew the whereabouts of his granddaughter. How could he not be astonished? With his days numbered, every time he recalled the incident of losing his granddaughter, he felt immense guilt, dreaming of finding his flesh and blood.
His shock rendered him speechless. Observing the stunned expression on Elder Wu's face, Chen Anlin managed a faint smile. The reason for his calm demeanor and confidence in securing the inheritance was that he understood the plot!
In the novel, after Xiao Chen received the inheritance, Wu Qigang had informed him about the matter concerning his granddaughter. Subsequently, Xiao Chen unexpectedly met a woman named Wu Qianlian.
To outsiders, it appeared that Elder Wu Qigang was furious. "Chen Anlin, you’ve angered Elder Wu. Leave the Insight Platform at once!"
Zhou Tong scoffed softly, thinking this was a perfect opportunity to drive Chen Anlin away.
Xiao Chen chuckled, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth as he sneered, "Who do you think you are? This isn’t some other place; if you disrupt the rules here, you’ll have to leave."
"Xiao Chen, shut your mouth!"
Suddenly, Wu Qigang cast an annoyed glance at Xiao Chen. He might show respect to Zhou Tong but would never extend the same courtesy to Xiao Chen. After all, Chen Anlin was the only person who knew the whereabouts of his granddaughter—how could he possibly be driven away?
Scolded by Wu Qigang, Xiao Chen jumped in surprise and looked at him incredulously. "Elder Wu, I—"
"Enough! You can comprehend here. Chen Anlin, please come this way."
Wu Qigang's attitude towards Chen Anlin was anything but ordinary. It was filled with respect and even a hint of deference.
This left both Xiao Chen and Zhou Tong dumbfounded. How could this be? Why was Elder Wu treating Chen Anlin so well? He even wanted to speak with him privately.
Xiao Chen instinctively glanced at Zhou Tong and found her equally bewildered. "Teacher Zhou, why don’t you go ask him what’s going on?"
Xiao Chen anxiously watched Chen Anlin’s retreating figure, recalling how he had just presented two jars of fine wine. Why was Elder Wu behaving like this?
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