Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 409 Talking about silence

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Shen Yao looked at the little junior sister who was sticking her head out from over his shoulder, and finally couldn't help but lower his eyes and curled the corners of his mouth.

She actually didn't quite understand why giving up the sword selection meeting was "better to break than to bend", because she didn't know where there was a threat that she couldn't see. The matter had been settled, and the Immortal Terrace in Bowang showed a relaxed busyness. First go to the Shaolong Sword Selection Meeting, why can't you continue to investigate after returning?

She didn't know why the girl was so determined. Didn't Qu Zhu find any traces now? The next thing was of course the matter of the Immortal Terrace. Even if Cui Yu took it as their responsibility, where could they find clues?

But since Li Piaoqing didn't tell her, she wouldn't ask any more questions.

Shen Yao had long known that she was not the decision maker. That morning at Changdao Martial Arts School, she had already revealed her true feelings to the girl.

She absolutely believed in the girl in front of her. Not that she believed she was always right, but she was willing to perish with her.

".Okay." Shen Yao said, "Then what do you want me to do next?"

"Sister, just take my words back to the provincial government, and then keep an eye on Bowang City. If there is any unusual movement, send me a message." Li Piaoqing returned the umbrella to her. "I'll be waiting here. You take the brothers outside and leave. No one should come to see me tonight."

"Yes." Shen Yao clasped his fists and left.

The departing footsteps stepped on the groaning old wooden boards and the wet rain ground, and were gradually completely drowned out by the sound of wind and rain.

The only sound in the dilapidated warehouse was the girl's even breathing.

She was not in a hurry to go in. She just put down her umbrella, sat quietly on the steps, stretched her beautiful legs, and looked up at the roof above.

I don’t know what I’m thinking about.

It was not until quite some time later that she struck a tinder and threw it in. The flame swayed for a moment but did not go out.

Li Piaoqing then stood up and walked into the empty room as calmly as if he was taking a walk.

It was indeed full of signs of long-term use, with some dusty tables and chairs still there, but they had already been cleaned, and nothing that could be taken away was left behind.

Li Piaoqing, who stayed behind, came to the most conspicuous east wall of the whole room, which was a strange creation.

It occupies most of the room, with half of the wall being dug out. The "main body" is placed in this space, and is mainly composed of gold, iron, and jade, with many indistinguishable materials in the fine details.

The part sticking out of the wall is mostly for people to use: a platform like a chopping board, with a walnut-sized depression in the center for placing things, and two long tubes like telescopes hanging on it. Li Piaoqing went forward to try it out. If she was taller, she should be able to put the two telescopes up just right.

Intricate carvings cover the surfaces of all materials.

The imaginative structures, the strange yet harmonious combinations, and the amazing complexity and sophistication...are all gone.

The engravings were destroyed in large areas, and many key materials and components had disappeared - the two long tubes were empty, and Li Piaoqing was sure that there must have been something inlaid there before.

A line of inscription was left beside it: Fourth time, failed. This attempt is over.

Li Piaoqing stared at it for a while with a frown on his face, then put down his sword and took out a thick, snow-white letter from his arms.

Unfold it under the candlelight, place it in front of this creation, and read it for comparison.

"Dear Master Li,

Thank you for your inquiry. [Zhao You] is the tool used by King Mu of Zhou to ward the prison. The book says it means "to illuminate the inside and observe the outside". It is a legendary magical tool that is almost omniscient.

In the past, there was no physical object, and we were full of doubts about it, finding it difficult to imagine its shape and operation. Fortunately, we are informed now that the experts in the sect have reached a conclusion after discussion. The information about [Zhaoyou] is now stated below for your reference.

"Seeing the inside and the outside" is not an intertextual description, but two functions that are indeed complementary, and their carriers are also two separable parts.

The shapes of these two parts are reflected in an eye-shaped white jade and a round black bead, which we will call the [eye] and [pupil] for now.

Now, the [Eye] has come into the hands of Young Master Pei through Yang Yan, while the [Pupil] was taken away by Qu Zhu twenty-seven years ago.

[Eye] is for "observing the outside", which is also the so-called "defense". Frame a piece of mountains and rivers, outline the mysterious formation, and place [eye] in the center. Then, in this piece of mysterious energy, the human eye will be the eye that [illuminates the darkness]. Wherever mortals reach, they are all within the insight of the owner of the device.

The prison of King Mu in ancient times was like this, and so are the valleys in the mountains and lakes today.

Pupil means "inside the candle", which is the so-called "lighting the heart". If worn on the body, all the actions, thoughts and ideas of the person will be recorded in the bead, no matter where in the world, in the daytime or at night. However, if one wants to observe, the pupil should also be placed in the eye, and the "record" should be checked through the eye.

What Master Li mentioned about what Young Master Pei had experienced should be the record of [Eye] on Hushan Jianmen; and the 'Soul-stealing Pearl' that Qu Zhu took out was most likely an imitation of 'Zhu Nei' and 'Jian Xin Zhao'.

Tianshan, September 30th, snow-covered pen.

Li Piaoqing gestured twice at the two long tubes in front of him. It was obvious that something had been inlaid inside them.

So is this the "eye" that Qu Zhu imitated after bringing the [pupil] to Bowang?

The girl's bright face appeared in the dim light and shadow, her facial features as still as a statue.

She lowered her head and took out another piece of paper.

It is also another kind of handwriting.

".
The first direction is the origin of the 'Soul-stealing Orb'.

According to current speculation, he first imitated the [Pupil Bead] and made the Heart Amber Bead which also records people's behavior. After joining the Happy Death Tower, he changed it into the Soul-stealing Bead.

This kind of bead that records one's movements can reveal everything unknown about a person. Since there is a "record", it is of utmost importance.

So we can try to trace this line and find out how he accomplished all this before he left Bowang. Some ordinary things that were left in the dusty corners twenty years ago may be the deadly sword stabbing at the present moment. "

Li Piaoqing raised his eyes, frowned and gently stroked the depression on the table. In the silence, he suddenly raised his eyebrows.

This depression is semicircular, with a diameter of one inch and five tenths of an inch. If such a bead were calculated based on amber, its weight would be about two taels and two ounces.

The ends of the two long tubes are perfectly round, with the same diameter of one inch and five fen, and the thickness of the inlay is about two fen. She has read the "Zhou Bi Suanjing". Four such small mirrors weigh about two liang and eight fen.

Five ounces of amber.

Li Piaoqing narrowed his eyes. Twenty years ago, Qu Zhu first went to Yu Chao to purchase the precious material of mind. To him at that time, it was a precious item that could only be obtained by paying for "Beng Xue". Li Piaoqing could almost see the young man planning it carefully and effortlessly under the candlelight.

So this was not the instrument he used to analyze the pupil, but a matching instrument for the Heart Amber Pearl. The pupil pearl that Qu Zhu received was like a dead object, but he analyzed and disassembled it bit by bit, and he almost figured out its function, so he used the Heart Amber to imitate a fake.

Although it cannot illuminate one's thoughts, it can record one's actions, so it is the instrument for observing those records.

It was at this moment that Li Piaoqing caught a glimpse of three small words in the tube, which seemed to be the name of this thing: [Seeing the Body Photo].

This amber bead named [Seeing Body] was the first creation of Qu Zhu on this road. The girl's heart was suddenly excited, and she turned her head suddenly, searching around with her eyes as sharp as a sword. But this was a cellar that had been abandoned for twenty years, buried in dust, and in the darkness there were only cracks caused by insects and ants and the smell of dampness and decay.

Li Piaoqing quickly came back to his senses, shook his head and smiled slightly - he might leave a set of tables and chairs, but he would never leave anything more important. Since the observation instruments have been destroyed, how can we expect the beads to remain here.

He had indeed read it here countless times, but now it had long since disappeared. Qu Zhu could do whatever he wanted with this [See Body], carry it with him, hide it, throw it into the Lu River, or destroy it directly.

This is not a traceable clue.

Li Piaoqing sighed silently, lowered his head and continued to look at the paper in his hand.

".But there is little hope in this regard, so don't force it."

The girl smiled but did not look down. She turned around and raised the candle to look around the entire secret room.

It can be vaguely distinguished into three parts.

In addition to this amber space, the opposite wall is also fully utilized, but it is a flat drawing. Tables and chairs are also placed in front of this wall. The remaining carved ink marks still show a strange beauty.

Li Piaoqing recognized these lines; this was a battle formation diagram.

They fill almost every space, delicate and hard, so overflowing and struggling, squeezing as if to break through the wall.

Li Piaoqing knew that at that time there was a sky curtain blocking the owner of the secret room.

There was nothing left here either, and this was not the place she needed. Li Piaoqing passed by with the firelight and came to the last venue.

This is the cleanest and most spacious place.

There was also only one set of tables and chairs, with some miscellaneous items piled next to it, as if just to make it look less out of place.

Li Piaoqing walked slowly over, placed the candle on the table, and took out another letter.

"Pu Huaimeng's Notes on the Shaolong Immortal Terrace:

Master Lao Li asked.

[Qiansi], twenty years ago (according to your request, it was July 20th of the Guihai year), Xianrentai took the lead and invited the great craftsman Nangong Zhai and two great masters of Yangyi Tower to refine the [Qiansi Jade Tiger Sword]. This was the first time it appeared in the world, so it was named after the sword.

After that, the formation pattern gradually spread to the art of weapon refining in Shaolong and was highly praised. Weapon masters vied with each other to use it, but most of them encountered difficulties. Although they achieved some success occasionally, there was no one as exquisite as the [Jade Tiger].

I have just looked at the silk-drawing pattern drawn by Kongtong [Stegosaurus]. The strokes are extremely precise and appropriate, and it is almost one of the top five applications of this pattern. Unfortunately, the one used is a simplified version provided to ordinary instrument makers one year after [Silk-drawing Pattern] was released.

You asked what traces the development of [wire pulling] would leave, which is too difficult to answer.

The creation of a pattern on a vessel is nothing more than inspiration, design, and experimentation. Inspiration is unpredictable; design is paper and pen, and a set of tables and chairs can be used for it; experimentation depends on what the craftsman intends to use it for. I have drawn this pattern below, and you can refer to it to find it. '"

The second page is a large and detailed drawing.

Li Piaoqing looked quietly at the table in front of him, as if he saw again the figure in deep thought with eyes closed under the candlelight twenty years ago. In front of him was a half-painted piece of white paper and countless messy drafts piled on the ground.

“So the most important direction is [pulling the thread].”

Li Piaoqing looked down at the paper in his hand.

"[Pulling Silk] is something that cannot be erased. It has truly existed in Shaolong for twenty years. Its origins are recorded in black and white in the books of the Immortal Terrace and the Workers' Terrace. Everyone can check it out. It was born on July 20th of the Guihai Year.

But you and I know that before this day, it had already appeared in a room in Bowang.

Maybe it was a quiet cellar, maybe there was only a table and a chair. The 27-year-old man sat in front of the candlelight and outlined the pattern with a pen.

I want you to find this room, this set of tables and chairs, and find traces of his experiments.

We want physical evidence.”

Li Piaoqing raised his head expressionlessly, unfolded the drawing given by Pu Huaimeng and looked at it with the fire. However, there were no lines left in this space. The table and the floor were empty, and even the wall had been peeled off.

She squatted down and saw some faint scratches on the wall next to the table.

Li Piaoqing figured out what it was almost instantly.

Every person in the martial arts world has this intuition ingrained into his bones - the scars of swords and knives.

It's not a chopping motion, there's no point of force, and it's not deep enough. There's no need to keep people in suspense. Li Piaoqing can tell at a glance how it was formed.

——Simply because the wall is not hard, when the swords are stacked here with the blades facing inward, such even marks will be left.

So. He really did countless experiments.

But they were still gone.

Those engraved swords, the most powerful evidence, had been completely cleaned out more than ten years ago. Before sealing up the cellar in such an ordinary way, they had first turned it into a truly ordinary appearance.

Li Piaoqing silently stroked the lines, and finally just sighed softly.

The wind was heavy and the rain was dark. She put down the candle, lowered her hand and gently grasped Shi Cui's cold hilt, an action that was familiar to her.

Just at this moment, a falcon as fast as an arrow fluttered in from outside the passage, its wings painted with water-repellent paint shiny and glossy. Li Piaoqing let it land on his broken elbow and reached out to untie the letter box on his leg.

When I unfolded the letter, I saw a line of rapid and continuous fresh ink writing on it.

"Master, there was a panic in the state prison a moment ago, and Zhao Fu is missing!"

Li Piaoqing exhaled lightly, she lowered her eyes to glance at her waist, her expression serious to the point of almost solemnity for the first time.

Pei Ye pursed his lips twice, but still couldn't help laughing. He turned around to look at the girl, and there was a carriage following her.

The young man said cheerfully, "Little doctor, you don't even know the direction, how did you come here from Mount Tai alone?"

"Because anyone with good manners would tell me."

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"Occasionally, there are people with no manners who laugh at me, and I just treat them as a quacking drake." Qu Xin held the medical book and looked at him quietly with her clear eyes.

(End of this chapter)