Chapter 15 Rhine

The plane landed in Rhine City, the largest port city in the eastern part of Central Continent, responsible for the port's freight and import and export trade.

The negotiations would be held here.

After landing, Liu Yi left with the trade caravan. Gu Shen and Lu Nan Jin said their simple farewells and then parted ways. Their final destinations were different… According to his senior sister, she wanted to see the legendary Source Tower.

She needed to head west from Rhine, crossing several cities to reach "Upper City," where the Source Tower was located.

"Scholar Ian is living in seclusion in Linz, a small town in the southern part of Central Continent."

Chu Ling pulled up an electronic map and said, "Linz is not far from Rhine City. If we go faster, it will only take two or three hours by car."

The purpose of this trip to Central Continent was to find the "Scholar."

This task was important, but there was no immediate rush.

"This is your first time in Central Continent… and of course, it's my first time too. How about we 'slow down' a bit?"

Gu Shen looked at Chu Ling and smiled.

Before the plane landed, he was amazed by the beauty of this Central Continent trading city.

The architecture of Rhine City was as exquisite and delicate as an oil painting.

The streets here were very wide, and standing on the street, one could feel the warm and humid sea breeze, and hear the melodious sound of horses' hooves… This was an economically developed, forward-looking city, already highly integrated with the Abyss, but people still retained some old customs and habits.

Many nobles in Central Continent liked "horse racing," and each city was equipped with its own guard, who patrolled on horseback.

Of course.

There should also be awakened transcendent "equine beings."

"What do you mean… 'slow down'?"

Chu Ling was stunned.

…

…

"Clop, clop, clop."

Horses' hooves stepped on the ground, making crisp and pleasant sounds on the bluestone streets.

Horns blared.

The two sounds, mixed together, created a somewhat disorienting feeling.

Sitting in the carriage, Chu Ling still wore the white cat mask. She resisted her curiosity and did not lift the curtain to look at the scenery outside the window.

"How does it feel?"

Gu Shen smiled and said, "Does it feel like a retro trip to the century before last?"

"It feels… not bad." Chu Ling's face under the mask had a hint of a smile. She savored the moment and said with a smile, "So, this is how people used to travel?"

Of course, she knew that people used to ride horses.

But she didn't know what it felt like.

"Yeah, is it a bit bumpy?"

Gu Shen was also riding in a horse-drawn carriage for the first time. He said with a smile, "Should I ask the driver in front to slow down?"

"No need."

Chu Ling smiled.

Having just arrived in the human world.

She wanted to feel everything, to experience everything.

Taking a horse-drawn carriage was indeed slow and bumpy… Reason told Chu Ling that this was an inconvenient mode of transportation that had been eliminated before the last century.

But as she sat in the carriage, she couldn't help but feel happy.

Perhaps it was because of the man beside her.

As long as she was with Gu Shen, even if she encountered some twists and turns, she felt that the journey was very happy.

Hiring someone to drive a horse-drawn carriage from Rhine City to the small town of Linz required crossing an ancient forest with a long history. There were towering ancient trees that had lived for hundreds of years, monkeys chasing and playing, and all kinds of insects and birds…

Disconnecting from the Abyss revealed the unknown beauty of this world.

Finally, in the evening, the carriage stopped.

The red leaves swayed, and the outline of "Linz" could be seen in the distance. It was indeed a small town, incomparable to Rhine… The Scholar lived in seclusion here.

Gu Shen paid the fare and got out of the carriage with Chu Ling.

"Holy Cross Academy has a great influence in Central Continent. Renowned families from all over the world want to enter this academy to study." Chu Ling and Gu Shen entered the small town, looked at the dilapidated signboards on both sides of the street, and subconsciously asked in confusion, "After Ian retired from Holy Cross Academy… he should have accumulated a lot of wealth. Why would he come to such a small town?"

At first glance, this small town was a bit like Gu Shen's hometown, the remote countryside outside Qinghe District.

However, Central Continent had a smaller population, and most residents of small cities could basically own their own single-family houses… This was something that Qinghe could not compare to.

Although Chu Ling had descended into the world, she still retained some of the thinking habits of the Source Code.

She would make some rational and objective comparisons of material things.

Having wealth and choosing to enjoy it were often equated.

"Perhaps, this is the 'rest of his life' that the Scholar chose?"

Gu Shen smiled and said, "Some people are willing to enjoy the adoration of thousands in high-rise buildings, while others are willing to hide silently in the alleys of the city… But no matter which choice, the final outcome is the same."

"The final outcome is the same…"

Chu Ling was stunned.

"The final outcome is returning to dust."

Gu Shen stopped.

In front of him was a small courtyard. The courtyard walls were old, but not dusty… The fence outside the courtyard was covered with wisteria, which was not messy, and was obviously often cleaned. At this moment, in the front yard, there was a figure squatting down, sorting out weeds.

This figure was dealing with the weeds and debris in the flowerbed and vegetable garden in the front yard. This was a trivial task that required time and patience.

He had both.

So he squatted there silently, bending over.

And Gu Shen and Chu Ling also had these two things.

The two did not ring the doorbell. They just stood in front of the dilapidated small courtyard, looking at the person in the courtyard pulling weeds through the iron fence and wisteria, rustling.

After a moment, the person in the small courtyard stopped weeding.

"Are you looking for someone?"

The figure hidden in the weeds raised his head and looked at the two unfamiliar visitors outside the door.

His voice did not sound old.

Out of respect, Gu Shen did not use his mental power.

So, hidden by layers of weeds and wisteria, he could not see the true face of the weeder in the courtyard.

However, the legendary Scholar Ian was already over one hundred and twenty years old.

So… this man cleaning the courtyard should be a disciple of Ian?

"Yes."

Gu Shen smiled and said straightforwardly, "We want to see Scholar Ian."

As soon as he said this, the figure lowered his head and said indifferently, "You can go back."

Gu Shen was not annoyed and still asked with a smile, "Why?"

"The reason is very simple."

The person squatting in the courtyard seemed to be bored and abandoned those weeding tools, squatting down and forcefully pulling the last small tuft of weeds. "First, Ian doesn't see strangers. Second, Ian doesn't know you."

The two conditions combined were the answer.

"May I ask who you are…"

Gu Shen carefully released a wisp of spirit, and he saw the appearance of the man in front of him.

It was indeed not an old man.

A thirty-year-old young man.

"You can call me Hooper."

The young man finally pulled out the tuft of weeds, he let out a comfortable sigh, and then stood up and came to the courtyard door, he was quite tall, with golden hair over his shoulders, and handsome features, but his eyes looked a little vicissitudes and gloomy.

"I am the teacher's newly accepted disciple."

Hooper's voice was interrupted by Gu Shen's actions.

"Mr. Hooper, please take this letter to Scholar Ian… just say that an 'old friend' wants to see him."

Gu Shen was prepared.

Before visiting, he had anticipated this situation.

Scholar Ian was old, one hundred and twenty years old, and lived alone in a remote place. He was afraid that he could not take care of himself… If he wanted to meet him, he still needed to be fully prepared.

In that letter, he made a brief self-introduction and attached some evidence of being a Key.

In addition, there was also a list of some of the Ancient Text Society's members in Central Continent.

“…Old friend?”

Hooper did not reach out to take the letter.

He looked at Gu Shen with suspicion, as well as the young woman next to him wearing a mask.

The ages of these two people looked to be only in their early twenties…

As everyone knew, Scholar Ian had lived alone in a secluded small courtyard for many years. When did the old man have such young "old friends?"

"Please take the letter."

Gu Shen smiled, "If Mr. Ian refuses… you can come over and inform us."

Hooper frowned and stared for a moment.

Finally, he took the letter and walked quickly to the attic of the small courtyard…

Soon, Hooper trotted out. He had a clean smile on his face, and the original gloominess had disappeared completely.

"Mr. Gu, Miss Chu, sorry for the wait."

"Thank you."

Gu Shen looked at the man whose face changed so quickly and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Are you usually like this?"

"You two don't know."

Hooper explained helplessly, "Because the name 'Ian' is too loud, even if I hide in a small town like Linz, there are still many people who come to visit… And blocking those visitors is my usual job."

So that's how it was.

Central Continent was a country of learning. If every young person came to this courtyard to visit, then Scholar Ian wouldn't have to rest… He probably wouldn't live to be one hundred and twenty years old.

"But… I didn't expect that you two are so young and are really 'old friends' with the teacher."

Hooper smiled and said, "The teacher hasn't met any guests for at least a year."

"Usually, is old Mr. Ian in this courtyard?"

Gu Shen followed Hooper and looked around the environment: the attic was very old, the wooden door creaked, and the light inside was a little dim.

As soon as he entered the door, he understood.

In front of the fireplace that had been extinguished in the attic, there was a small figure curled up, so old that he could not be any older. It was not winter now, but the old man in the wheelchair was still wrapped in a large thick cloak.

Ian's sitting posture was actually very peaceful, but the years had lengthened his skin, making him look like he was "shrinking."

One hundred and twelve years old.

This old man found it difficult to travel frequently.

"As you can see…"

Hooper said softly, "Most of the time, the teacher stays in the courtyard. His body is not very convenient for traveling now."

Gu Shen and Chu Ling bowed to the old man in the wheelchair.

The latter opened his eyes wide, his turbid eyeballs staring at the two "strange" young people. His lips trembled constantly, looking very excited. Perhaps because he was too old, his body was unable to make excessive reactions…

Gu Shen looked at the old man in the wheelchair with some confusion.

His intuition told him that in the eyes of "Ian Leonard," besides excitement, there seemed to be a touch of sadness…

It was a pity.

Excitement, excitement, or sadness, were all broken dust in the face of the years.

The old man had been crushed by the years.

Now it was very difficult to say a word… or even a single word.

"Oh… I almost forgot."

Hooper quickly took out a set of mental connection equipment from the wooden cabinet next to the fireplace. He put the headphones on the old man's head, and the mental conversion patch was also attached to his chest.

This was a product developed by Hua Zhi.

It could help elderly people communicate normally with the outside world… All that was needed was a little bit of mental power.

It was not only transcendents who possessed mental power.

In a sense, as long as one could "think," one had mental power, but there was a difference between more and less.

Therefore, this set of equipment could be used freely even by normal people who had not started transcendent cultivation.

After wearing the equipment.

The excitement in the old man's eyes calmed down a lot, and he could finally transmit the feelings in his aging chest as he wished.

Ian sat in the wheelchair, the blush on his face had not faded, and there was still excitement lingering.

His voice echoed in the small attic.

"Key…"

"You… are finally here…"

Gu Shen was a little nervous, he subconsciously looked at Hooper.

After sending the letter, this should be a private meeting of the Ancient Text Society.

But Scholar Ian directly said his identity in front of Hooper, which didn't seem appropriate?

"It doesn't matter."

Ian said in a hoarse voice, "Hooper is someone who can be trusted."

As soon as he said this, Gu Shen felt a lot more relaxed.

On the other side, the blond young man bowed, which was a very authentic Nagano traditional etiquette.

"Mr. Gu, he's one of us."

He said with a smile, "In the past few years, the teacher has been looking for the Key, and he has been waiting for your 'visit'."

Gu Shen returned the salute.

He took a deep breath and said, "Since Mr. Ian is waiting for me, then he must also know… why I came."

"…"

The old man in the wheelchair was silent for a few seconds.

Hooper understood and pushed the wheelchair, revealing the complete fireplace, and then buckled a dark brick on the floor. The floor of the attic made a crisp sound, and the entrance to the cellar appeared.

Gu Shen stared at the cellar, his expression a little moved.

His mental power could not penetrate it!

"Inside… are some important ancient texts left by Alan Turing."

Hooper spoke for his teacher, "Since the Key has appeared, then these ancient texts should be kept and collected by the Key… Mr. Gu can take, browse, and comprehend the contents of the cellar at any time."

"I am not only visiting today for this matter."

Gu Shen moved his gaze away from the cellar.

He said seriously, "Mr. Ian… I want to reconnect the Ancient Text Society, and I need someone to serve as a 'contact hub' for Central Continent, and even the entire Five Continents in the future."

After a brief silence.

"You want… to find me?"

"Yes."

The cellar was opened, and dust flew.

The entire attic was filled with the dust of the years.

The old man in the wheelchair looked at the dark entrance, seemed to think of something, and coughed violently.

Hooper was flustered and quickly reconnected the mental link equipment.

"Sorry…"

The old man lowered his head and continued to cough violently.

Ian's laughter sounded three parts self-deprecating, "You came too late, I have no time left…"

And seven parts was a disregard for life, and seeing it lightly.

Yes.

He was not lying.

Gu Shen looked at the old man, and then at Chu Ling.

The two had a telepathic understanding… the result of the divination was also very clear.

The one in the wheelchair was at the end of his lifespan.

"But… I have two recommended candidates."

Ian said in a hoarse voice, "They are more suitable to be the so-called 'hub' than me."