"Great Qin, year 136!"
Shen Changqing’s eyes flickered. He had never heard of the Luotan Layman, but the date on the signature proved this was an ancient relic of considerable age. The current year was the 382nd year of Great Qin. Between the two, there was a difference of more than two hundred years.
A calligraphic work that had existed for over two centuries also held considerable value. Although ancient calligraphy held little practical value for ordinary people, there would always be so who pursued it. Of course, the prerequisite for all this was that the Luotan Layman had to be soone of notable fa.
To tell the truth, Shen Changqing found this na quite unfamiliar. But he knew his own limitations. Although he was literate, it was only to the extent of being able to read; he was certainly not a learned scholar. As for the matters of Great Qin’s literary circles, he knew nothing at all.
After glancing at the calligraphy a couple of tis, Shen Changqing approached another painting. It depicted a mountainous landscape, stunningly beautiful and quite eye-catching. As for the signature below, the information it contained also caught his attention.
Great Qin, year 136, by Luotan Layman.
"Again, Great Qin, year 136!" Shen Changqing’s eyebrows rose slightly; this was another object of considerable age.
Soon, he had examined all the calligraphy and paintings hanging in the hall. Without exception, the dates on all of them were from the 136th year of Great Qin. If one or two items were a coincidence, then the fact that all the calligraphy and paintings in the house dated to over two hundred years ago in Great Qin was very unusual.
Shen Changqing’s expression grew solemn, and he imdiately walked to a table. There lay an unfinished piece of calligraphy, the ink still fresh, obviously written not long ago. Beside it was another piece of calligraphy. The difference was, this one was already finished, but the ink was still a bit wet, so it had been placed aside.
When his gaze fell upon the calligraphy, his eyes moved directly to the bottom.
Great Qin, year 136, by Luotan Layman.
The instant he saw those words, Shen Changqing felt his breathing slow down a few beats.
Just then, a calm voice rose in the silent hall.
"Brother Shen, what are you looking at?"
The sudden voice made Shen Changqing’s body shudder, and goosebumps involuntarily rose all over his skin. However, he didn’t react imdiately but suppressed the agitation in his heart and turned to look toward the source of the voice. He saw Mo Zijin standing not far away, holding a bowl.
"I was rely curious and wished to admire Brother Mo’s calligraphy for a mont."
"I see." Mo Zijin, harboring no suspicions, placed the bowl on an empty spot on one corner of the table. "Does Brother Shen also specialize in calligraphy?"
"I am but a humble martial artist, not particularly well-versed in calligraphy or painting; I was rely curious," Shen Changqing said with a forced smile, shaking his head.
At the sa ti, a great suspicion arose within him. Everything in the hall felt out of the ordinary, yet observing Mo Zijin, he couldn’t detect anything unusual about the man himself.
If he were Demon Evil, being so close, it would be impossible for there to be no leakage of Yin Evil Aura. In this situation, there are only two possibilities. First, the Mo Zijin before is a normal person. Second, he is indeed Demon Evil, but at a level far beyond anything I could imagine. Only then could he stand before without detecting any leakage of Yin Evil Aura. Comparing the two, I’m more inclined to believe the forr. There’s no other reason. I’m already a martial artist at the Innate Outer Gang Realm, and Resentnt Level Monsters can’t completely hide their Yin Evil Aura in front of . Even for Fiend Level Strange Monsters, I also think it’s unlikely. Besides, there are Defender Envoys in every prefecture. If such a powerful Demon Evil appeared within Great Qin’s territory, how could the Demon-Subduing Division remain unresponsive? After all, the Demon-Subduing Division is tasked with protecting Great Qin. If they were unaware of a powerful Demon Evil infiltrating their midst, what right would the Demon-Subduing Division have to protect Great Qin? By then, a large part of Great Qin might have already fallen to Demon Evil. I don’t believe that a Demon Evil of that strength could infiltrate without alerting the Demon-Subduing Division.
Despite his internal disbelief, he grew sowhat wary of Mo Zijin.
"You jest, Brother Shen." Mo Zijin shook his head, his laughter carefree and unconcerned. Then, pointing to the bowl on the table, he continued, "My ho is humble, and I don’t have much to offer. I’ve prepared sothing warm to eat; I hope Brother Shen won’t mind."
"Brother Mo is too kind." Shen Changqing looked at the dark substance in the bowl, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
Never mind that I’ve already noticed sothing is off about Mo Zijin; even if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t recklessly eat sothing given by soone else. Last ti, with Zhang Long’s poisoned pastries, it was only because of my robust True Qi that I didn’t fall victim. Now, this courtyard exudes strangeness from every corner. If I drink what’s in that bowl, I might very well end up at his rcy.
Moving his gaze away from the bowl, Shen Changqing subtly increased the distance between himself and Mo Zijin and returned to his original seat.
"Speaking of which, I am sowhat curious, Brother Mo. When did you decide to once again pursue an official rank?"
"Since Brother Shen is curious, there is nothing for to hide." Mo Zijin didn’t seem to mind Shen Changqing’s rejection of his hospitality and returned to his own seat. Staring at the flickering, motionless candle fla, his eyes seed filled with reminiscence.
"Brother Shen should know, a few years ago, Guangyuan Prefecture and its surrounding areas were struck by an epidemic. Countless people died, including many physicians and healers who contracted the disease themselves. From then on, I realized that healers are not omnipotent. Studying dicine ultimately leads nowhere, and hoping to bring honor to my family through it seed like an extravagant wish. Therefore, I resolved to pursue an official rank again. I would be content if I could one day see my na on the honor roll."
Guangyuan Prefecture, an epidemic!
Shen Changqing furrowed his brow. In his mory, he couldn’t recall any epidemic occurring in Guangyuan Prefecture.
An epidemic claiming a million lives would definitely be a monuntal event. Even if my forr self wasn’t from Guangyuan Prefecture, I would surely have heard so whispers of it. But sifting through my predecessor’s mories, there isn’t a single ntion of an epidemic.
However—looking at Mo Zijin’s earnest expression, Shen Changqing felt that the man didn’t quite seem to be lying.
Wait a mont!
A flash of insight sparked in his mind, and a mory he had buried surfaced suddenly.
"In the one hundred and thirty-second year of Great Qin, Guangyuan Prefecture suffered from Demon Evil. Nurous cities were breached, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. A mountain of corpses amassed, eventually leading to an epidemic that displaced tens of millions of people. According to records, at least a million people died from the epidemic!"
It was sothing Shen Changqing had co across inadvertently during his ti at the Demon-Subduing Division. The first floor of the Scripture Pavilion didn’t hold a wide variety of books; it mostly contained texts on Martial Arts and records related to Demon Evil.
The one hundred and thirty-second year of Great Qin! An epidemic! A million dead!
Combining this with the information he had just seen, Shen Changqing reached a conclusion that sent a chill down his spine. Looking at Mo Zijin, who appeared to be in his twenties or thirties at most.
Sweat involuntarily broke out on his palms. But Shen Changqing maintained a calm expression.
"So, I do recall the epidemic Brother Mo spoke of. Does that an Brother Mo escaped from it, which is why you settled down here?"
"Exactly." Sadness crossed Mo Zijin’s face. "That epidemic wiped out the entire city. My parents also perished in it. Fortunately, I was lucky enough not to get infected, so I ca here to settle down."
"I see." Shen Changqing nodded, his internal vigilance at its peak.
He glanced at the sky.
Moderating his emotions, Mo Zijin smiled and said, "It’s getting late. Since Brother Shen doesn’t wish to eat, you should rest early."
With that, he stood up. "There’s a guest room on the right side of the courtyard. Although it’s not regularly occupied, I do clean it often. Brother Shen can stay there for now."
Stepping outside the hall, Mo Zijin pointed to the right. Shen Changqing followed his gaze to a short corridor, which seed even darker under the dimming sky. Thanks to his night vision, he could make out the slightly ajar door.
Mo Zijin said, "I reside in the room on the left. If Brother Shen needs anything, you can find at any ti."
"Thank you." Shen Changqing cupped his fists.
Mo Zijin smiled. "You’re being too polite, Brother Shen."
After speaking, he returned to the hall, picked up two oil lamps, and passed one to Shen Changqing. "Be careful, it’s quite dark."
Only after Shen Changqing took the oil lamp did Mo Zijin head toward the corridor on the left. Pushing open the door, Mo Zijin entered the room, then turned, gave Shen Changqing a slight smile, and closed the door. The oil lamp illuminated the originally dim room, its light filtering through the gauze window.
fee
Shen Changqing stood there, glancing at the partially open door on the right, and then at the oil lamp in his hand, hesitating for a mont.
When he had arrived, it had not yet been night. But it had rained, and their conversation had delayed things, so night had fallen before they knew it.
To stay or not to stay, that is the question. That Mo Zijin definitely has issues. If I stay here overnight, who knows what might happen? In that case, I’d better leave this place and figure things out later! Staying here is extraordinarily dangerous. Especially when every nook and cranny seems fraught with eeriness. Even with my considerable skills and courage, I don’t have absolute confidence in handling whatever might co.
Thinking this, Shen Changqing quickly headed towards the courtyard exit.
At that mont, a calm, yet sowhat unsettling voice sounded from behind him.
P.S. I’ve seen so people asking about extra Chapters. Let clarify: one extra Chapter for new Alliance Hierarchs, five for Silver, and thirty for Gold. We’ll leave it at that for now to avoid the embarrassnt of overpromising and underdelivering!
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