Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Still Have to Dig a Pit
Late autumn has passed, gradually transitioning into early winter.
Zhang Ze and Chen Qin sat side by side on the steps in the courtyard, enjoying the scenery.
Chen Qin sat beside Zhang Ze with a puffed-up look, nudging him with her shoulder.
"You didn’t take me with you! You didn’t take me with you!"
Chen Qin felt deeply betrayed when Zhang Ze didn’t take her to the tomb that day, so she was very unhappy.
Zhang Ze, still pondering, casually promised, "Next time, for sure. Next time."
"Then how are you planning to make it up to me this time?" Chen Qin tugged on Zhang Ze’s sleeve and started shaking it.
"Just tell me, I’ll do whatever you say."
But as soon as he said that, Zhang Ze realized he had made a mistake.
As Zhang Ze expected, Chen Qin’s anger vanished in an instant, and she looked at him with a smiling face.
"Senior Brother, then play cards with me, just three rounds."
Zhang Ze truly regretted teaching Chen Qin to play cards because she was now almost unbeatable in the Sword Pavilion, with only him being able to match a few moves with her.
After being tortured once the other day, Hei Qu now avoids Chen Qin, who holds the cards, with his tail between his legs.
Zhang Ze sighed, pondering if he should secretly print himself some forbidden cards someday.
If not, he felt that if this went on for a few more days, he wouldn’t be able to handle it.
"Alright, alright, I’ll play a few more rounds with you."
"Senior Brother is the best."
In a best of five rounds, Zhang Ze barely won, while Junior Sister seemed close to another breakthrough.
So difficult.
After satisfying Junior Sister with five enjoyable rounds, Zhang Ze stood up and brushed off the dust, "I’ll go see if the Pavilion Master is back."
"Take care, Senior Brother." The Junior Sister, satiated with card games, was truly obedient.
Zhang Ze leisurely strolled alone to the Pavilion Master’s residence, where the door remained tightly shut.
Although the Pavilion Master had claimed he was going into seclusion, Zhang Ze believed it was a lie, probably engaged in some significant activity.
As for what the Pavilion Master’s plans were, Zhang Ze didn’t know, nor did the Pavilion Master seem inclined to tell him.
"Has the Pavilion Master not returned?" Zhang Ze asked, standing in front of the door.
A little sparrow flew down from the tree in front of the door.
The sparrow looked very distinctive, plump like a ball of fluff, entirely golden, with a white feather standing upright on its head.
It was probably the Pavilion Master’s pet; Zhang Ze couldn’t discern its cultivation level.
The little sparrow was holding a small piece of wood in its beak.
The wood strip read, "No."
Before Zhang Ze could ask a second question, the sparrow skillfully flew again, bringing back a second wood strip.
The wood strip read, "Go ahead and do it, the Sword Sect has your back."
Over the past few days, the sparrow had grown accustomed to Zhang Ze’s routine torture.
Zhang Ze came three times a day, always asking the same question.
"Then I’m off, have plenty to eat and drink." Zhang Ze waved at the sparrow.
The sparrow flapped its wings in response, then turned its head and flew back to the treetop.
Zhang Ze’s thrice-daily visits to torment the sparrow were naturally due to Xiaoxuan.
Xiaoxuan was the new name of the stone statue girl, a name also coined by the name-inept Zhang Ze.
However, Xiaoxuan was quite pleased with the name.
Because she had regained her freedom, she was satisfied with everything now.
Even the wind and rain seemed like magnificent scenery to her, and she could watch autumn winds and falling leaves all day.
While Xiaoxuan could enjoy herself without a care, Zhang Ze found himself plagued with a headache.
Xiaoxuan was a Stone Pill, a judgment made by Li.
The basis for this judgment wasn’t rooted in Immortal Cultivation or science, but rather the brutal cruelty of nature.
"It smells quite similar,"
Although Li’s reasoning seemed ridiculous, Zhang Ze dared not take it lightly.
After all, Xiaoxuan was connected to the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror, and the mirror was undoubtedly related to the Stone Pill.
The matters of the Stone Pill and the Array were still unclear, and now the Dongqi Immortal Emperor and the mysterious Heavenly Destiny People were also entangled.
Even Xiaoxuan couldn’t explain these matters clearly.
Her memories of the past were vague and unclear.
She only remembered her mission was to hold the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror and wait for the Heavenly Destiny People.
What the Heavenly Destiny People were or their relation to the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror, she had no idea.
In her fragmented memories, there was mention of that Dog Emperor, as well as that Dog Emperor, and also that Dog Emperor.
Most of Xiaoxuan’s memory fragments consisted of threats and admonitions from the Dog Emperor.
As for what those admonitions were, she couldn’t remember.
However, she did recall the classes being held in a courtyard surrounded by vermilion palace walls.
She had no idea why she ended up in that Underground Palace, nor how the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror was lost.
Zhang Ze thought it would have been better if Xiaoxuan had said nothing at all; her account was a complete mess, with one pitfall digging into another.
With no leads, Zhang Ze consulted his master Li and proposed a bold hypothesis.
He had asked at the time,
"Master, is it possible that I am the reincarnation of the Dongqi Immortal Emperor, the Heavenly Destiny Person of the Sovereign of the Four Continents?"
Li had responded to Zhang Ze’s inquiry.
"Drink more hot water, think less about random nonsense. If you’re truly bored, go practice your sword techniques."
Then a Sword Qi slapped Zhang Ze out of the room, sending him to create trouble elsewhere.
...
Reflecting on all these chaotic matters, Zhang Ze continued walking toward the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion’s Teleportation Array.
As he walked, he wrote and sketched on the paper in his hand.
By the time he reached the Teleportation Array, the paper was completely filled.
Profound Identification Treasure Mirror, Stone Pill, the last Dongqi Emperor, the Array that transforms the Stone Pill, the Hundred Demons Sect, the Celestial Sect Saintess, the Reverse Inference Technique...
Gazing at his various speculations, Zhang Ze stood by the Teleportation Array deep in thought, and finally flicked his fingers, igniting a spark to reduce the paper to ashes.
Though Zhang Ze hadn’t figured things out, he reached a conclusion.
Not understanding was surely not his problem.
It was the world’s problem.
The issue was he had too little information, and half of it was riddles.
What do you do with too little information?
Then it’s necessary to dig, whether it’s a pit hiding the Stone Pill, a pit hiding the Array, or a pit hiding Dongqi’s little secrets, all of them must be dug out.
With Li around, he even saved money on buying sapper shovels.
However, Zhang Ze felt that finding pits wasn’t his forte; for expertise, he had to rely on Lin Feng and the others.
After all, when Lin Feng and the others fell down a cliff, they could at least knock over three grandfathers.
Xiaoxuan was discovered by Lin Feng and Wang Lin.
Zhang Ze went through the list of names.
Li Feiyu wasn’t very reliable; this guy ran too fast to make a good teammate.
Wang Lin was too straightforward, easy to be harmed by himself—it wouldn’t do.
Bai Xiaochun was also an idea king, with overlapping roles.
The key was Zhang Ze wasn’t familiar with these three.
After careful consideration, Zhang Ze felt his good junior brother Lin Feng was the most trustworthy.
Lin Feng should still be over at the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.
"Better go find Brother Feng first."
Zhang Ze took out the Sword Sect waist talisman and activated the Teleportation Array. With a flash of green light, he arrived at the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion’s territory.
Stepping out of the Teleportation Array, Zhang Ze suddenly felt a bit dizzy; he thought his blood pressure was a little high.
In the square in front of Zhang Ze, there was a group of people racing... wheelchairs.
The kind with two wheels and handles at the back.