Ancient-Text Gold Tablet

Ancient-Text Gold Tablet

Zhang Yu emerged from the ruined structure. Before he had gone far, he saw Cai Weng striding swiftly toward him from outside. As he moved, his figure seemed strangely insubstantial, as though his feet never touched the ground; yet he did not appear hurried or rushed, instead carrying an airy, unrestrained grace.

Cai Weng saw him as well. His seemingly incorporeal form came to an abrupt halt. Delight appeared on his face as he asked, "Junior Brother Zhang, are you all right? You sent the assistants back—did you discover something?"

Zhang Yu clasped his hands in salute and said, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Cai. I am unharmed. I merely encountered a Spiritual Aberrant, and I have dealt with it."

Cai Weng's expression tightened. "Where?"

Zhang Yu stepped aside. "Senior Brother Cai, come with me."

He led Cai Weng back to the previous spot. Looking up, the latter saw the huge python sprawled across the wall.

Without seeming to exert any strength, Cai Weng's body rose straight into the air, landing atop the wall. He examined the huge python and found that it was indeed a Spiritual Aberrant. A faint residue of spiritual radiance still lingered upon it, and its cause of death was obvious at a glance—it had been killed by a single sword piercing through its skull.

He could not help but praise him. "I heard that when Junior Brother Zhang slew that Yao Salamander, its wound was also upon the head. A pity I did not witness such exquisite swordsmanship just now."

Zhang Yu said, "Senior Brother Cai overpraises me. There will be opportunities in the future."

Cai Weng surveyed the surroundings again and could not help noticing the collapsed stone wall. When he saw the smooth cross-section, clearly sliced open by a sharp weapon, astonishment appeared on his face. Then he looked at the Xia Sword Zhang Yu had kept in hand all along, and a trace of understanding entered his eyes.

He said, "Junior Brother Zhang, such a large Spiritual Aberrant would be worth quite a few gold yuan once converted. How do you intend to dispose of it?"

Zhang Yu said, "Does the Profound Residence have an established precedent?"

The Profound Residence's rules were not laid out in plain view like those of the Protectorate Office and the Academy. Even now, he was still feeling his way forward bit by bit.

Cai Weng smiled. "Ordinarily, the Profound Residence's regulations are the same as the Protectorate Office's rules. But we were dispatched by the Profound Residence to conduct business, so all gains obtained outside may be handled as we see fit. We need only record them in writing, have them mutually verified, and give an account upon our return."

After considering it, Zhang Yu said, "The four of us came out together this time, so the gains should be counted as belonging to all four of us. But leave my share to Xiaoshan Town's school. They have not had it easy either."

Cai Weng praised him. "Well said, Junior Brother. Hmm, Junior Brother Zhang killed this aberrant alone, so I ought not covet a share. But since Junior Brother Zhang has said so, I shall shamelessly accept it. I will give my share to Xiaoshan Town as well."

At this point, he thought for a moment, then added, "Let us not tell the Wen brothers about this. Their lives have not been easy either. They normally rely on taking jobs outside for the Profound Residence to scrape together some savings. If they knew we were doing this, they would probably feel too embarrassed to accept it. I will make other arrangements for them later."

Zhang Yu said, "Senior Brother Cai has considered everything thoroughly. Let us do as Senior Brother Cai says."

Cai Weng smiled, stepped on the python's head, and said, "Such an enormous python will require me to find people in town to carry it away. Will Junior Brother return with me?"

Zhang Yu said, "No. I will make a few more rounds of the area, lest any hidden danger remains."

Cai Weng nodded. "Very well. Junior Brother, do as you please. I will go call for people." He raised his hands in salute, descended from above, and soon quickened his pace, vanishing into the distance just as he had arrived.

Zhang Yu walked to where the huge python had been found. When he had spoken with Chen Zheng, he had deliberately asked whether there were any traces of Spiritual Aberrants in the vicinity. Yet Chen Zheng had said there had been none in the past several years. Nor had he heard of townspeople being eaten before this. There were no large wild beasts nearby that the huge python might have treated as prey, and even if there had been, the townspeople had mostly killed them all. Thus, this huge python seemed to have popped out of nowhere.

He searched around and soon found the tracks left by the huge python's passage. Following them for quite some time, he arrived before a collapsed temple, where the tracks led into a pit below.

Judging from the remaining stone steps within, there had once been a passage leading down here. It had been buried before, only to be forced open again from the inside. This was undoubtedly where the huge python's nest had been.

He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment. Finding nothing unusual in the Heart Lake Seal, he entered. To his surprise, it was not very deep, and he soon reached the bottom.

He looked around. This had originally been a cellar for storing sacrificial items. There were broken earthenware jars and several exquisite gold and silver vessels, while faded colored murals covered the walls. Yet there were none of the animal bones he had expected.

Judging from the size of this underground chamber, it was only barely enough for the huge python to fit inside. As a nest, however, it seemed far too cramped. Moreover, the traces left behind showed that the huge python had not stayed here long.

Could this huge python truly have wandered here from elsewhere, or had it come from... underground?

He could not help recalling the dried-up ancient lake and that subterranean river.

As he pondered this, his attention was unconsciously drawn to the painting on the wall. The figures in it wore the attire of the Yidi people, but their gestures pointed toward a spot beneath their feet.

But that was rather wrong.

The Yidi people were a race that worshipped sea gods and greatly tabooed powers from the abyss and underground. Thus, in every mural painted by the Yidi people, there had never been a downward-pointing pose. All figures either gazed straight ahead or raised their heads toward the heavens. Even when kneeling in worship, their heads faced upward and their hands were held high.

If such a thing appeared, then either it was a forgery, or it carried some special intent.

He stepped closer and followed the direction indicated by the figure's hand. There, he discovered a protruding portion, roughly diamond-shaped. He reached out and wiped it clean, causing several wrinkled flakes of skin to fall away and reveal a patch of gold beneath.

Once he brushed away all the covering, the object finally revealed its true form. It was a small gold tablet the size of a palm, engraved with a string of strange characters.

The reason it was called a string was that the characters resembled intertwining branches, seeming to be one character and yet also many.

He had a feeling that the huge python's appearance might be related to this object.

If that was so, then this item should not be left here.

After some thought, he carefully peeled it from the wall, wrapped it in cloth, and placed it in his sleeve. He intended to find time to visit the Proclamation Hall and consult the archives, to see where this script had come from.

Since there were no further discoveries here, he walked back out. By the time he returned to the original spot, the people sent to carry away the huge python had arrived, so he simply returned to Xiaoshan Town with them.

When the townspeople heard that the newly arrived Daoists from the Profound Residence had slain a huge Spiritual Aberrant python, it immediately caused a sensation. They all rushed over to watch, and upon seeing how enormous the python was, they could not help thanking Zhang Yu and his group profusely.

They had never known that such a Spiritual Aberrant lurked so near them. If it had emerged to eat people at some point, the muskets, cannons, swords, and spears in town would have been utterly helpless against it.

For this matter, the town chief held another celebratory feast, which continued until nightfall.

After the banquet ended, Cai Weng summoned Zhang Yu and the Wen brothers to exchange information. Aside from the huge python in the ruins today, there had been no unusual discoveries in the other three directions.

Wen De said excitedly, "Lord Zhang is truly remarkable. When we came out before, none of those gentlemen had been as formidable as Lord Zhang."

When he learned that he would have a share of the huge python's value, he had been overjoyed. From then until now, he had not stopped showering Zhang Yu with praise, to the point that even his cousin Wen Guo found it hard to watch.

But Wen De did not care in the slightest. In his view, he had already received benefits—was it not only proper to say a few more good words? If a little boasting could bring him benefits, then he was willing to boast every day.

Cai Weng chuckled and suggested, "Junior Brother Zhang, my two martial nephews, we can remain here for another half day tomorrow. If we find nothing else, we will leave and proceed as quickly as possible to the next garrison town. What do you think?"

The three naturally had no objections.

Seeing this, Cai Weng said no more. After they parted, each returned to rest.

The next day, everyone rose early and again went out to investigate in every direction. They still found no abnormalities. Thus, after noon, the group bid farewell to the people of Xiaoshan Town and departed amid the townspeople's reluctant send-off.

After traveling some distance, Zhang Yu looked back and saw that many townspeople were still waving them off.

He understood clearly that the people of Xiaoshan Town had treated them warmly because they had brought a connection to the civilized world.

Though these townspeople had enough to eat and wear, they lived here surrounded by loneliness and desolation, their lives constantly under threat.

Yet whether it was the Protectorate Office or the Profound Residence, they had to maintain this place, because once the footprints of civilization retreated, this land would return to savagery once more.

Not only here—every garrison town ahead was the same. They were like nails and torches, driven firmly into the wilderness, allowing the light of civilization from Celestial Xia to endure upon this land.

And was the Eastern Protectorate itself not the same?

After Xiaoshan Town gradually vanished from sight, the group continued southeastward.

After rushing onward for an entire afternoon, a broad river running east to west appeared ahead. This was the Ji River. Like the Flood River north of Auspicious Light City, it was a tributary of the Dawn River.

The group traveled along the river and soon saw a rainbow-shaped wooden arch bridge spanning both banks. Yet people seemed to be guarding the bridge at that moment. Before they could draw near, several musket shots filled with warning rang out.