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墨書 Inktalez
Bai Yujing and Emma woke up early and started running. After running a large circle around the nearby highway, they exercised in the hotel gym, where Emma taught Bai Yujing some basic fighting techniques.
"Shouldn't all of you Chinese know Kung Fu? Bruce Lee!" Emma asked curiously during breakfast, striking a boxing pose.
Bai Yujing felt embarrassed; as a Chinese person, not knowing Kung Fu was indeed disappointing. "Not every Chinese person knows Kung Fu because most start training from a young age. At my age, it's quite difficult to achieve anything!"
Emma shrugged and stuffed a piece of cheesecake into her mouth. "Alright then!"
Bai Yujing flipped through Lemuel Gulliver's notes. "Let's go check out Deng Weigen Castle today. I have a feeling there might be something to gain from it."
Emma nodded. "Sounds good! There's a large farm and a huge garden there; we should definitely take a look."
Bai Yujing waved his hand. "No, it's not just that. I found something else in the notes. According to what is written, Lemuel Gulliver was invited here by the locals, and at that time, Skye Island was just a small island, three centuries ago. It wasn't an important port; most of the area was high marshland, unsuitable for cultivation or planting. So this area was very desolate, and the island's residents mainly lived by fishing, supplemented by scattered small farms. Generally, only ships on long voyages would need a ship's doctor."
Bai Yujing pointed to a sentence in the notes. "The captain took me into the castle to report the needed supplies and food to the lord."
"From this, we can conclude that the hot air balloon airship searching for Sky Island at that time was likely commissioned by the local lord; otherwise, ordinary people wouldn't have the means to create such an airship or spend so much financial and material resources seeking an obscure Legendary Land."
Emma understood Bai Yujing's meaning. "You're talking about the McLeod Family? That's a very ancient family; a large part of the northwest coast of Scotland is their territory, including but not limited to Skye Island and the Outer Hebrides."
The McLeod Family is the owner of Deng Weigen Castle, an ancient family that has been stationed on Skye Island for eight hundred years. They built one of Scotland's oldest giant castles in such a remote area filled with marshes and sparse population as their family center. They have lived here for centuries until the nineteenth century.
Bai Yujing nodded. "The castle mentioned in the notes should be Deng Weigen Castle. Although Lemuel Gulliver deliberately concealed the names of relevant individuals, mostly using nicknames or titles like captain or vulture, it's not hard to deduce that these people were hired by the McLeod Family to search for the legendary Sky Island."
Emma nodded, seemingly convinced by this explanation. "I was also curious why Lemuel Gulliver chose to omit the names of related individuals."
Bai Yujing thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "Perhaps it's because many of the people mentioned in the notes were still alive at that time and held significant influence. Lemuel Gulliver is quite cautious; to avoid trouble, he likely tried to refrain from mentioning their names in any situation."
Emma hugged Bai Yujing, excitedly saying, "I've noticed that you always manage to find clues at critical moments, whether it's in the diary, Lemuel Gulliver's notes, or saving Alice. You always step up when it matters most; it's truly impressive."
Bai Yujing beamed with pride. "Of course! But we should tidy up now and head to Deng Weigen Castle. I have a feeling we will definitely discover something this time."
The inn where Bai Yujing was staying was very close to Deng Weigen Castle, so they arrived there shortly. In the West, one can tell a noble family's heritage and history just by looking at their castle. Stone buildings like these are not built overnight; they typically require several generations of continuous effort and construction before completion.
Deng Weigen Castle appeared quite old. From a distance, one could sense its rich history of weathering storms and experiencing rise and fall. Although it boasted an eight-hundred-year history and looked somewhat dilapidated, it was still remarkably well-preserved overall. The thick stone walls were mottled with age, and the McLeod Family, who once resided there, was no longer present, leaving only a few caretakers stationed at the site.
The castle was divided into internal and external areas, with large gardens surrounding both. The external garden was expansive and designed to be very pleasant and leisurely. The entrance fee was somewhat high; a combined ticket for the park and castle cost 11 pounds, and photography was not allowed inside the castle.
They also offered a speedboat tour to see seals, which was rather pricey at forty pounds. Bai Yujing decided to thoroughly explore Deng Weigen Castle first to see if there were any clues. Although he was interested in the seal tour, he set it aside for now, thinking he could go later if time permitted after finishing their main business.
Deng Weigen Castle was a fortified structure designed similarly to Edinburgh Castle for military purposes; however, it was much smaller in size. Inside Deng Weigen Castle were fish ponds, farms, and fields. If the castle were sealed off, it would become an independent little world capable of withstanding a siege for quite some time.
Surrounding the castle were lakes and marshes that sparkled under the morning sun. From afar, they reflected beautifully against Deng Weigen Castle, adding an enchanting hue to its appearance.
The main avenue leading to the castle was wide and lined with lush greenery. Bai Yujing could almost imagine knights and carriages from the medieval period passing along this street. The castle's entrance wasn't large; it had a somewhat narrow entryway with handrails that showed significant wear from years of use. Atop the castle flew the family banner.
Upon entering the ancient fortress, Bai Yujing's Exotic Creatures system activated, indicating that Radar had detected items related to their mission here. This further confirmed Bai Yujing's suspicions that the McLeod Family must be connected to Lemuel Gulliver's exploration of Sky Island.
Upon entering the castle, Bai Yujing, having confirmed their arrival, was not in a hurry. On one side of the hall was a wide staircase leading to the upper floors, where many visitors had already gathered, scattered around admiring the historic fortress.
Inside the castle, there were many important relics of the McLeod Family, among which the most famous were the Fairy Flag and the Dunvegan Cup. The castle was not fully open to the public; only the first and second floors were accessible for viewing.
Bai Yujing and Emma went to the second floor, where there was a spacious living room and study, displaying treasures and historical artifacts of the McLeod Family. While Emma focused on the castle's collections, Bai Yujing made his way to the castle's platform, where he could gaze at the picturesque countryside surrounding them.
The landscape was filled with brown cottages and triangular roofs, with brown chimneys rising high. Next to the cottage, a highway led directly to a lake, its deep blue waters shimmering with ripples, contrasting beautifully with the colorful shallows.
Underneath the blue sky and white clouds, Bai Yujing saw an untouched ecological environment, far from skyscrapers and away from exhaust fumes and pollution, giving him an instant feeling of stepping into a fairyland.
Emma was in a nearby exhibition hall looking at the treasures of the McLeod Family, particularly the Fairy Flag. This was a tattered piece of cloth, but it had many legends associated with it. According to legend, the Fairy Flag was a mystical artifact obtained by one of the McLeod Family heads from a fairy. It could protect the McLeod Family three times and had been used twice before, each time saving them in critical moments.
However, Bai Yujing was not focused on this; he noticed that as he got closer to it, the Radar's sound grew louder. This indicated that it was likely an item related to his mission. Yet Bai Yujing knew he could not take it out; after all, it was a treasured heirloom of the McLeod Family and a famous legendary artifact and cultural heritage of Scotland.
Bai Yujing decided he must investigate the origins of this Fairy Flag and delve into the history of the McLeod Family later. After touring the castle, Emma eagerly asked, "So? Did you find anything?"
Bai Yujing shook his head. "Not much discovery; I have some thoughts but need to go back and check some information."
"I see!" Emma nodded and immediately suggested, "There’s a dungeon below the castle; should we go take a look?"
Bai Yujing thought there was no harm in checking it out. If not for many areas being off-limits, he would have liked to explore every corner of the castle to ensure he didn’t miss any clues.
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