Chapter 37

Yet Professor Chen and the others were still studying the strange symbols on the stone wall. Hu Ming and the others couldn't wait any longer, so they went over to take a look too.

Seeing this, Hu Bayi grew a little curious as well. He turned to Lin Xuan and asked, "Mingzi, do you know what this says? You know so much about Jingjue Ancient City. Tell me and Fatty about it, will you?"

Hu Ming nodded. "All right. Since you want to know, I'll tell you what's written here."

"It tells the story of how Demon Country came to be."

"Demon Country?" Hu Bayi and Fatty exchanged glances, looking surprised. How had this suddenly turned into something about Demon Country?

Hu Ming nodded. "Demon Country was the predecessor of the ancient Jingjue Kingdom."

Both Jingjue Kingdom and Demon Country were established by the Ghost Cave Ancestors.

Demon Country was founded because, in ancient times, the Ghost Cave Tribe was oppressed and reduced to slavery. Later, a prodigy appeared among the tribe. He was skilled in the art of war and knew how to forge sharp weapons and arrows. He led his people in revolt, defeated their oppressors, and founded Demon Country.

After Demon Country was founded, they found a natural cavern in the mountains and built a Nine-story Demon Tower inside it. The kings of each generation were laid to rest there after their deaths, and every one of them had been a woman...

Fatty and Hu Bayi couldn't help exclaiming in admiration. So that was how Demon Country had come to be!

Yang Xueli saw the three brothers pointing at the stone wall and chatting animatedly. She frowned. They were speaking so quietly that she couldn't hear them from where she stood.

At that moment, Hao Aiguo and the others noticed the three brothers behind them.

Seeing them come over and discuss the stone wall, Hao Aiguo's eyes filled with disdain.

Hao Aiguo stood up and walked over to Fatty. "Comrade Fatty, if you don't understand something, just ask us. There's no need to be embarrassed. It's a pity you didn't get much schooling. Did you even graduate from high school? Looking at you, I doubt you finished middle school."

Hu Ming and the others were all stunned. Why had he suddenly come over just to take a jab at them?

Once Fatty had recovered from his surprise, he wanted to give Hao Aiguo a few punches. Who did he think he was looking down on?

"Comrade Fatty, your education level is too low. You're practically illiterate. All we can tell you is that this is Ghost Cave Script. If we explained anything else, you wouldn't understand..."

Hao Aiguo sighed, as if he pitied Fatty for being uneducated.

Hu Bayi gritted his teeth. Wasn't Hao Aiguo clearly saying that he and Fatty were uneducated?

"Aiguo, how can you say that?" Professor Chen chided him, though only after Hao Aiguo had finished speaking.

Fatty said angrily, "I graduated from high school fair and square!"

Seeing that these people looked down on Fatty, Hu Ming stepped forward. "Who do you think you're looking down on?"

The others fell silent when they saw Hu Ming step out.

Hao Aiguo, however, protested, "Who knows whether Comrade Fatty is telling the truth?"

Hu Ming's eyes narrowed. "Fatty was telling the truth. He's the only son of a senior officer. Old Hu's father—my uncle—went abroad to study with my mother. Later, he joined the revolutionary base in Yan'an and became a regimental commander. In the end, he died because of certain circumstances."

Old Hu and Fatty didn't go to the countryside until they were eighteen. They had just finished high school at the time.

Apart from Yang Xueli and Professor Sun, who knew a little about Hu Bayi and Fatty's backgrounds, the others knew nothing about them.

But even Yang Xueli and Professor Chen hadn't expected what Big Gold Tooth had said to be true. Their fathers had both been remarkable men. Yang Xueli and Professor Chen had thought Big Gold Tooth was merely exaggerating.

The others all looked at Hu Bayi and Fatty, never having expected the two of them to come from such distinguished backgrounds.

Hu Ming kept his expression blank. "And do you know what's written here? Would you like me to translate it for you?"

Professor Chen couldn't help asking, "Comrade Xiaoming, do you know what the Ghost Cave Script on this wall says?"

Hu Ming nodded. "It's about Demon Country..."

Professor Chen listened as Hu Ming spoke and wrote everything down.

Hu Ming repeated what he had told Hu Bayi and Fatty.

When he finished, he turned to Hao Aiguo. "I wonder if what I said was right."

Hao Aiguo opened his mouth, then shut it again. They had only translated part of the text. How could he know whether it was right? Still, the translation matched what Hu Ming had said.

Professor Chen then said, "You're right. Thank you, Comrade Hu Ming."

Hao Aiguo and the others were left feeling thoroughly embarrassed. They had meant to use their expertise to put Hu Bayi and the others in their place.