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墨書 Inktalez
"Do you know about the Six-Finger incident?"
As I said this, He Zhi Yong excitedly lunged at the iron gate. "What do you mean by Six-Finger? Where did you hear that from, you little brat?"
Seeing his agitated expression, I could basically confirm that he indeed had a connection to my grandfather; he might even be my grandfather's disciple.
"I know that over forty years ago, a boy had his sixth finger cut off by his own father. Do you know who he is?"
I fixed my gaze on him, carefully observing his expression.
He looked at me and suddenly threw his head back in laughter.
"Huang Bufu! I've been stuck in this godforsaken place for ten years, and I never expected to run into you, Gu Yanxi."
That was a relief. His words already indicated that he believed me. The story of the Six-Finger was something my dad had told me. My father was born with six fingers; there was an extra digit next to his pinky.
At that time, it was considered a deformity. After my grandfather examined my father's hand, he decided to have that finger removed.
The reason was that this extra finger could grant my father extraordinary abilities but could also take his life.
Just like how a gecko sheds its tail for self-preservation, my grandfather personally severed my father's finger, which ultimately saved his life.
In those days, such beliefs were seen as superstitions and were frowned upon, so they kept it very discreet.
It was only because I had persistently asked my dad why there was a scar on his finger that he finally told me the story.
I had merely asked out of curiosity earlier, not expecting that He Zhi Yong would actually know about it. It seemed he truly was my grandfather's disciple.
"Yan Xi, how did you end up here? This isn't a place for someone like you. Did you offend the Qilin Island Master?"
"Is it really considered offending me? No one else has made being a criminal look so easy," I thought to myself.
Seeing his tone soften with concern, I let my guard down a bit.
"Uncle He, I'm here on the island to escape from my enemies. I don't know what happened, but my parents and Liu Qingfeng have disappeared," I explained.
His expression tightened as he asked, "Did you offend someone?"
I shook my head. I didn't even know who I had offended. Was it the Cult of Spirits? But I had never wronged them; they were always the ones coming after me.
"Uncle He, can I ask you a few questions?"
He nodded without hesitation. "If I know, I'll tell you."
"Do you know about the Princess Tomb behind the mountain in my village? My grandfather's body is buried there," I said.
"I know. Your father and I personally carried Master’s coffin inside. Master suffered greatly in his lifetime, doing so much for the Gu Family and for you," he replied.
I was surprised to learn that he was the one who placed my grandfather's coffin in the Princess Tomb. This revelation left me puzzled. Why did my grandfather choose to be buried there instead of in our ancestral grave? Why did he have to guard someone else's spirit even in death?
Leaning against the iron gate, I listened as He Zhiyong began recounting a story from the past.
In the 1950s, a young man emerged from a village, gaining fame through a mysterious book he stumbled upon. The young man became well-known at a young age, proud and arrogant, looking down on others. He was solely focused on finding challengers and even took on many apprentices.
He Zhi Yong was one of them. Originally, he was just a boy herding cattle in a mountain village, but after being recognized by his grandfather, he became his apprentice. His grandfather was generous and righteous, so He Zhi Yong followed him closely and learned a great deal.
At that time, his grandfather was quite well-known. After being involved in a tomb raiding expedition, he returned and disbanded all his apprentices. Only He Zhi Yong remained loyal, assisting his grandfather with many tasks.
That tomb raid had cost many lives, and upon returning, his grandfather's temperament changed drastically. He took his wife and child back to the secluded mountain village to live in hiding.
Among those who participated in the tomb raid was Lingyunzi, their master, who was particularly influential in society at the time. Now, he lay in the Golden Coffin.
He Zhi Yong did not know the specifics of what had happened; he only knew that his grandfather had secluded himself in the mountain village for over ten years without reappearing in the world.
To make a living, he ventured out on his own.
Ten years later, his grandfather found him and asked for help. Out of gratitude for the years of training he had received from his grandfather, He Zhi Yong came to their village.
What his grandfather needed help with was to repair the Main Hall in front of the Jin Ping Tomb and place his body there after death.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Uncle He, did your grandfather know he was about to die when he sought you out?"
"Yes, your grandfather was quite capable; it wasn't surprising that he could predict his own fate."
I had always thought my grandfather was merely a fortune teller, but now I realized there were too many secrets surrounding him.
When my grandfather was alive, he severed my father's sixth finger to save his life. Now that my grandfather was gone, no one was left to protect me.
"I heard my grandfather agreed to guard the tomb for Liu Qingfeng's master, right? Do you know why he agreed to this?"
He looked at me thoughtfully and said, "For you."
For me.
Then he revealed a shocking secret.
It turned out that my grandfather had made promises to two people. One was Liu Qingfeng's master, Golden Cicada, whom he promised to find a suitable tomb for after his death.
The other person was Mu Xuanche, who asked my grandfather to find a way to annul his engagement with Jin Ping.
"Your grandfather stole Princess Jinping's tomb to break her engagement with Mu Xuanche," he explained.
I was taken aback. Since Mu Xuanche had asked my grandfather to help him annul the engagement, why was he still so kind to Jin Ping?
"Uncle He, do you know the background of Mu Xuanche? And why he asked my grandfather to annul the engagement?"
"Girl, I don't know either. I advise you not to ask any further. Your grandfather almost got himself into trouble. You mustn't get into any danger; your grandfather has sacrificed too much to protect you."
"I understand, but..."
I wanted to ask more, but he stopped responding.
A flurry of footsteps broke the silence in the dungeon. He Zhi Yong immediately stepped back and leaned against the wall, pretending to rest.
When I saw that the newcomer was a big man, I relaxed a little.
He approached me carrying two baskets of items and seemed surprised to see me.
"Yan Xi, why aren't you resting inside? What are you doing squatting at the door?"
"I'm just bored, so I came here to find someone to chat with."
"Hey, what’s there to talk about with that old blind man? Are you hungry? Come on, let’s eat something. I made rabbit stew for you tonight to nourish you."
The big man carried two baskets of food; one was fragrant and enticing for me, while the other, meant for He Zhi Yong, smelled a bit rotten.
"Big man, what's in that basket on the right? It smells sour."
He grinned at me proudly, looking a bit silly. "That's the leftover food from yesterday. I brought it for that old blind man."
"But that stuff has gone bad; it can't be eaten anymore."
"As long as there's something to eat, it's better than nothing. That old blind man won't dare complain."
Before he could finish his sentence, He Zhi Yong had already started eating the dishes in front of him.
I quickly swept the food away from him, unable to bear watching him eat such things.
I opened my food basket and divided my meal in half for him. The big man tried to stop me but gave up when I shot him a glare.
He seemed displeased with my closeness to He Zhi Yong and angrily pulled me up, carrying the food box back to my cell.
"Yan Xi, why are you chatting with that old man?"
The big man was quite simple-minded. Having lived on the island for so long with little contact with the outside world, he was straightforward and genuine. Even at his age, he still had a bit of a childish temperament.
Seeing me talk with He Zhi Yong made him look like a child whose toy had been taken away—his face full of frustration.
"I'm just here feeling bored, you know? There's no internet, no TV. If it were you, staring at the Flower Board all day, wouldn't you feel bored too?"
Hearing this, he scratched his head a bit awkwardly. "You're right. It's my fault; I should chat with you more. I wanted to come over, but my master called for me, and I couldn't get away."
"It's fine. I'm doing just fine here. You can put your things down; I'll finish eating by myself."
"Yan Xi, I'm leaving now. Don't go to bed too early tonight."
With that puzzling remark, he left.
He usually reminds me to rest early, so why did he suddenly tell me to stay up later? Is something going to happen tonight?
Otherwise, why would he say something so confusing all of a sudden?
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