“Too clever for one's own good?”
That certainly didn't sound like a compliment.
Wan Qianhong was confused. Her teacher didn't seem like a conspirator or a schemer, so she quickly spoke up.
“Please speak plainly, Senior. Is there... some kind of misunderstanding?”
Xu Mo turned around, his pitch-black eyes staring at Wan Qianhong. His voice carried a tone that was hard to define.
“Heh...”
“Regardless, she truly is sincere toward you, willing to use the Book of Answers to divine your fate.”
Wan Qianhong’s pupils constricted sharply.
“The Book of Answers?!”
She cried out, her voice changing pitch as if she had heard something completely impossible.
S-004, the Book of Answers!
It recorded all information in the world. From nothingness to destruction, it was omniscient and all-knowing.
She subconsciously took a step back, her gaze toward Xu Mo filled with disbelief.
Among S-rank Containment Objects, this thing was ranked fourth. It was absolutely the most forbidden existence in the world.
As long as you possessed it, every question in the world had an answer.
This legendary Containment Object was said to be contained within the headquarters of the World Scavenger Organization.
How could her teacher possibly have such a thing?
“To be precise, they are remnant pages,” Xu Mo said casually. “Just a few sheets of paper, not the complete book.”
Judging by his tone, he seemed to think Wan Qianhong was making a fuss over nothing.
Wan Qianhong remained speechless for a long time.
“Are you certain?” her voice was a bit strained. “I... I didn't know about this.”
“Heh, there is nothing I am uncertain of,” Xu Mo chuckled.
Wan Qianhong opened her mouth, her heart churning with countless questions, but in the end, she only asked one.
“Then, does she know everything that happened down here in the coal mine?”
Xu Mo didn't answer her question directly, only saying:
“She has her own considerations. You should ask her yourself about certain things.”
“However, in every future, that teacher of yours wants you to survive.”
“She calculated that you would face a great disaster. This mission was likely intended to break that calamity. And I must say, my arrival was quite timely in resolving your crisis.”
Wan Qianhong’s heart trembled.
Xu Mo’s tone betrayed no emotion as he continued.
“Me saving you this time might even have been calculated by the Book of Answers. Of course, it probably didn't know that the one coming would be ‘me.’”
Wan Qianhong swallowed hard. If that were the case, it almost felt like her teacher had schemed against the man before her.
She chose her words carefully, not knowing what to say.
Perhaps sensing her predicament, the man waved his hand.
“Don't be so tense. I don't mind.”
“If you feel indebted to me, then when you return, pass on a message for me.”
...
In the Inner City, in an inconspicuous small grey building.
Three levels underground.
In a windowless room, the four walls were covered in dense runes, and the air was thick with the scent of aged sandalwood.
A beautiful woman of indeterminate age sat cross-legged on a prayer mat in the center of the room.
It was Liu Yun!
Six yellowed pages hovered around her body, rotating slowly like six planets orbiting a star.
Her eyes were closed, her breathing steady, and her expression serene.
Suddenly, two of the pages trembled slightly, breaking away from their orbital path to float in front of her.
Liu Yun’s eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, looking toward the first page with a hint of urgency.
On it was a single name: “Wan Qianhong.”
And below the name, a blood-red word was starkly written.
“Ominous!”
Liu Yun’s expression didn't change; she had known this for a long time.
Next, she looked at the second page.
On it was written “Dawn City.”
Below it was another word.
“Calamity!”
The two pages hovered side by side before her—one “Ominous,” one “Calamity.” Neither was a good omen.
Liu Yun remained silent, a rare flash of weariness appearing in her eyes.
At that moment, the writing on the first page suddenly began to change.
The word “Ominous” below “Wan Qianhong” was erased as if by some invisible force, vanishing stroke by stroke.
In its place was a blank space.
Liu Yun was stunned, her mind going blank as well.
For the first time, her normally calm face showed deep emotion. She lightly brushed her fingers over the paper, filled with disbelief.
“Actually...”
Wan Qianhong’s death tribulation had passed!
Liu Yun’s lips trembled slightly. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Then, the word “Calamity” on the second page also began to change.
It didn't disappear, but it faded significantly.
It turned from blood-red to a deep crimson, as if it had been washed out.
Liu Yun stared, her heart filled with wild joy. Though her face remained mostly composed, her trembling hands betrayed her inner turmoil.
“What on earth happened?”
“To think there could be such an unexpected, sudden change!”
She raised her hand, intending to summon the page labeled “Bai Feifei.”
But before her hand could fall, the page floated over on its own, displaying two lines of text.
“Bai Feifei.”
“Suspicion.”
At this moment, that word “Suspicion” became deeper than ever before, the pitch-black ink so sharp it made her eyes ache!
Liu Yun stared at the word, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter.
“The variable... it seems it really is her...”
Before she could finish her sentence, the six pages suddenly vibrated in unison.
Liu Yun’s expression changed.
Under her gaze, the six pages merged uncontrollably. Their edges aligned, the gaps vanished, and they fused into a single, complete, ancient-looking sheet of paper.
This was the remnant pages of the Book of Answers.
She hadn't done this.
The Book of Answers was moving on its own.
An ethereal, semi-transparent pen appeared out of thin air above the paper. The nib touched down and began to write.
The handwriting was scrawled and wild, as if some force were rushing the pen.
Liu Yun watched intently. The Book of Answers only acted like this when an event occurred that would impact the history of the continent.
“The Masked Hermit Society has reappeared in the world, issuing a provocation to the ancient Great Old Ones!”
“Known member: Sinking Black. Strength unknown. Has obtained the heart of the Evil God of the Old Days, ‘Real World’!”
Few words, but massive implications!
Liu Yun’s pupils dilated. She looked at the text in disbelief, wondering if she had misread it.
What organization was this?
Who did they provoke?!
This Sinking Black... contained whose heart?!
In all her years, she had never seen such absurd words on the Book of Answers!
But the Book of Answers would never play a joke on her.
Thinking of this, and the change in Wan Qianhong’s fate earlier, she couldn't help but draw a connection.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She raised her hand and hovered it over the paper, a faint light glowing from her fingertips.
Her lips moved slightly as she mentally questioned whether there was a connection between this event, the previous changes, and herself.
The Book of Answers trembled but didn't react immediately.
However, Liu Yun wasn't in a hurry. She knew that this top-tier forbidden Containment Object had its own way of operating. It would provide the answer in the way it deemed appropriate.
She didn't have the power to control it or force it to give answers in the way she wanted; she could only wait for its response and then interpret it herself.
After a short while, the ethereal pen began to write once more.
But this time, the handwriting was completely different.
It was no longer that neutral, emotionless recording tone. Instead, it was a casual, even somewhat flippant script.
“Liu Yun.”
Liu Yun’s heart skipped a beat.
“I am Sinking Black. I believe you can see this.”
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