“The 136th year of Great Qin!”
Shen Changqing’s eyes flickered.
He had never heard of the recluse named Luotan, but the date inscribed upon the work proved it was an antique of considerable age.
The current year was the 382nd year of Great Qin.
Between the two, there was a gap of over two hundred years of history.
A calligraphy scroll that had existed for over two hundred years held significant value. Although ancient scrolls were of little use to the average person, there would always be those who pursued them.
Of course, the prerequisite for all this was that this "Luotan Recluse" had to be someone of considerable fame.
To be honest, the name was entirely foreign to Shen Changqing.
However, he knew his own limitations. While he was literate, he was merely at the stage of basic literacy; he was in no way a scholar, and he possessed zero knowledge regarding the literary circles of Great Qin.
After glancing at the scroll, Shen Changqing moved to another painting.
The painting depicted a landscape of rolling mountains, rendered with exquisite detail and quite eye-catching.
As he looked at the inscription at the bottom, the information there caught his attention as well.
*The 136th year of Great Qin, composed by the recluse Luotan.*
“The 136th year of Great Qin again!” Shen Changqing’s brow twitched slightly. Another relic from a bygone era.
Soon, he had finished scanning every piece of calligraphy and painting hanging in the main hall.
Without exception, every single inscription bore the date: the 136th year of Great Qin.
If one or two were coincidences, a room full of art all dating back over a hundred years was highly unusual.
Shen Changqing’s expression grew solemn. He walked toward the table.
There lay an unfinished calligraphy scroll; the ink was still wet, clearly having been written only recently.
Beside it sat another completed scroll. The difference was that while it was finished, the ink was still somewhat moist, so it had been set aside.
As his gaze fell upon the scrolls, it landed directly on the bottom line.
*The 136th year of Great Qin, composed by the recluse Luotan.*
The moment he saw those words, Shen Changqing felt his breathing slow by several beats.
Just then, a calm voice rang out in the silent hall.
“What is Brother Shen looking at?”
The sudden voice made Shen Changqing’s body shudder, and goosebumps involuntarily erupted all over his skin.
He did not react immediately. Instead, he suppressed the agitation in his heart and turned toward the source of the voice.
He saw Mo Zijin standing not far away, holding a bowl in his hands.
“I simply felt a sudden urge to appreciate some calligraphy, so I came to admire Brother Mo’s work.”
“I see.”
Mo Zijin did not suspect a thing and placed the bowl on an empty corner of the table.
“Does Brother Shen also have an interest in calligraphy?”
“I am merely a martial artist; I am not proficient in calligraphy or painting. I was just a little curious,” Shen Changqing said, forcing a smile and shaking his head.
At the same time, a massive sense of doubt rose within him.
Everything in this hall felt abnormal, yet looking at the Mo Zijin before him, he could detect no irregularity.
If he were an evil spirit, it would be impossible to stand this close without leaking even a hint of sinister aura.
There were only two possibilities in this situation.
First, the Mo Zijin before him was a normal human.
Second, the man was indeed an evil spirit, but his level was far higher than Shen Changqing had imagined. Only then could he stand right in front of him without letting a single trace of sinister energy leak out.
Between the two, Shen Changqing preferred to believe the former.
For no other reason than the fact that he was already a martial artist of the Xiantian Outer Astral realm; a Grievance-grade anomaly would have no way of completely concealing its sinister aura in front of him. Even a Malice-grade anomaly was unlikely.
Furthermore, with the presence of Guardians in every prefecture, if such a powerful evil spirit had appeared within the borders of Great Qin, how could the Demon Suppression Division have remained inactive? After all, no matter what, the Demon Suppression Division was the institution tasked with protecting Great Qin. If powerful evil spirits could infiltrate unnoticed, what right did the Division have to claim they protected the empire? By then, Great Qin might have already lost half its territory to the darkness.
Shen Changqing did not believe an evil spirit powerful enough to bypass the Demon Suppression Division could slip in so quietly.
Though he did not believe it, he had become wary of Mo Zijin.
“Brother Shen, you jest,” Mo Zijin said, shaking his head with a nonchalant smile. He pointed to the bowl on the table and continued, “My humble abode is simple, and there is nothing much to eat right now. I have boiled some warm food to soothe the stomach; I hope Brother Shen will not find it beneath him.”
“Brother Mo is too kind.”
Shen Changqing’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked at the dark substance in the bowl.
Setting aside the fact that he had detected something wrong with Mo Zijin, even if he hadn't, he wouldn't blindly eat food offered by others. Last time, with Zhang Long’s poisoned pastries, it was only because his own True Qi was profound that he hadn't fallen victim. Now, this courtyard was filled with eeriness; if he drank what was in that bowl, he might very well fall into the man's hands.
Averting his eyes from the bowl, Shen Changqing subtly increased the distance between himself and Mo Zijin, returning to his original seat.
“Speaking of which, I am somewhat curious—when did you decide to attempt the imperial examinations again, Brother Mo?”
“Since Brother Shen is curious, I have nothing to hide.”
Mo Zijin did not seem to mind Shen Changqing’s refusal of his hospitality. He returned to his own seat. Looking at the unmoving flame of the lamp, his eyes seemed to drift into reminiscence.
“Brother Shen likely knows that a few years ago, an epidemic broke out in the Guangyuan Prefecture area. Many died, and many physicians perished from the infection. It was then I realized that doctors are not omnipotent. Studying medicine has no future, and to hope to bring honor to one's family is a mere fantasy. Thus, I resolved to seek official rank again. My only hope is to see my name on the list; that would satisfy me.”
Guangyuan Prefecture. An epidemic!
Shen Changqing’s brow furrowed deeply.
In his memory, he did not recall any epidemic occurring in Guangyuan Prefecture. One must understand that an epidemic killing millions is a monumental event. Even if his predecessor was not from Guangyuan Prefecture, he certainly should have heard some trace of it. Yet, searching through his predecessor's memories, there was no mention of an epidemic.
However—
Looking at Mo Zijin’s serious expression, Shen Changqing felt the man did not seem to be lying.
Wait!
A flash of inspiration struck his mind, and a buried memory suddenly surfaced.
*“In the 132nd year of Great Qin, evil spirits plagued Guangyuan Prefecture. Numerous cities were breached, casualties were countless, and corpses piled up like mountains, eventually triggering an epidemic that left tens of millions displaced. According to statistics, at least a million commoners died from the plague!”*
That was something Shen Changqing had inadvertently read while at the Demon Suppression Division. The first floor of the Library of Records held many things, but martial arts and records regarding evil spirits were the most abundant.
The 132nd year of Great Qin!
An epidemic!
Millions dead!
Combining this with the information he had just seen, Shen Changqing reached a conclusion that sent a chill down his spine.
Looking at the Mo Zijin before him, he appeared to be at most twenty or thirty years old.
His palms began to sweat involuntarily, though he maintained a calm facade.
“I do remember the epidemic you mentioned, Brother Mo. So, you escaped from the epidemic and settled here?”
“That is correct.” A look of sorrow appeared on Mo Zijin’s face. “During that plague, everyone in the city died. My parents also perished in the epidemic. Fortunately, I was lucky enough not to be infected, which is why I came here to settle down.”
“I see.”
Shen Changqing nodded in agreement, his internal vigilance reaching its peak.
Checking the time, Mo Zijin composed himself and smiled. “It is late. Since Brother Shen does not wish to eat, you should rest early.”
Having said that, he stood up.
“There is a side room to the right of the courtyard. Although it is not usually inhabited, I clean it regularly. Brother Shen may stay there for the night.”
Walking toward the exit of the hall, Mo Zijin pointed to the right.
Shen Changqing followed his gaze. There was a short corridor that appeared even darker under the dim twilight. Using his night vision, he could see a half-open door.
Mo Zijin said, “I reside in the room on the left. If Brother Shen needs anything, you may come find me at any time.”
“Thank you.” Shen Changqing cupped his hands.
Mo Zijin smiled. “You are too polite.”
With that, he returned to the hall, picked up two oil lamps, and handed one to Shen Changqing.
“It is dark; please be careful, Brother Shen.”
Only after Shen Changqing took the lamp did Mo Zijin head toward the left corridor.
Pushing open his door, Mo Zijin entered his room, turned back to give Shen Changqing a slight smile, and closed the door.
The originally dim room was lit by the oil lamp, its light filtering through the gauze window.
Shen Changqing stood there, glancing at the half-open door to the right and then at the lamp in his hand, feeling momentarily indecisive.
When he had first arrived, it was not yet night. But after the rain fell and the conversation lingered, night had fallen before he knew it.
To stay, or not to stay—that was the question.
*“That Mo Zijin is clearly problematic. If I stay the night here, who knows what might change. In that case, it would be better to leave this place first!”*
With a grim expression, Shen Changqing made his decision. Staying here was extremely dangerous. Every corner of this place exuded eeriness; even with his skill and courage, he did not have one hundred percent certainty that he could handle whatever might come.
With that thought, Shen Changqing immediately turned to walk out of the courtyard.
At that moment, a calm yet somewhat eerie voice drifted from behind him.