??86: Chapter 76: Karmic Affinity
86: Chapter 76: Karmic Affinity
The moist sea breeze, blowing from the farthest north, swept across the North Sea, over the great rivers, and through the vertical and horizontal alleyways of the ancient city.
It also brushed past Jiang Huang’s cheeks, lifting her scattered strands of hair.
The young girl sitting before the paper window was as serene as an adult.
She silently watched the rising tide at the farthest end of the town, inch by inch overflowing the horizon, inch by inch spilling over the walls.
“Where is Xie Xuanyi?”
Jiang Huang suddenly spoke up.
The tone of her voice startled Deng Baiyi for a mont.
It was the first ti Deng Baiyi heard Jiang Huang speak like that…
Throughout their journey from Qing State, the little one always sounded as if she had not fully woken up.
Mostly, she seed foolish.
But at this mont, her tone was quite stern.
And her way of referring to Xie Zhen was also very strange.
Xie?
Deng Baiyi felt sowhat unfamiliar with this.
Jiang Huang slowly turned her head, a captivating golden flash passing through the depths of her pupils, but it was fleeting.
The next instant, her expression beca vacant, “Sister Baiyi?”
The little one threw herself into Deng Baiyi’s arms, rubbing her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s, “The floodwaters are rising…
I’m so scared…”
“Don’t be afraid.”
Deng Baiyi gently stroked the little one’s head.
She looked down at Jiang Huang…
The familiar feeling returned.
“It’s been a long ti since we’ve seen Xie Zhen.”
Jiang Huang stretched out her finger, drawing circles on Deng Baiyi’s chest, her voice filled with grievance, “Did Xie Zhen run away and leave us behind?”
“How could that be?”
Deng Baiyi found this conversation bittersweet.
She smoothed Jiang Huang’s hair, and spoke slowly, “Would you like to go sowhere with Sister Baiyi?”
…
…
“The rain in the Imperial City today is really heavy.”
Today, the Zhi Dao Bookstore had an unexpected visitor.
Chen Jingxuan was seated before the desk, he slowly set down the scroll in his hand, lifting his head to look at the man clad in a crimson robe standing before him.
“Brother Baihuang.”
Chen Jingxuan rolled up his sleeves and poured a cup of tea for his guest, asking in a gentle voice, “What wind has blown you here?”
The visitor was none other than Qin Baihuang, the head of the Refining Departnt.
Qin Baihuang didn’t stand on ceremony, taking a seat directly opposite Chen Jingxuan.
He picked up the tea cup and drained it in one gulp, “State Preceptor, if Baihuang were to say he was just strolling and happened to stop by the bookstore, would you believe him?”
Chen Jingxuan smiled faintly.
He picked up the teapot again and poured a second cup for Qin Baihuang.
With a light sigh, Qin Baihuang drained it once more, “Actually, I’m here to take shelter from the rain.”
Chen Jingxuan poured the third cup for Qin Baihuang.
“Alright,”
Qin Baihuang earnestly said, “There have been so problems with the research of the Thousand chanism Umbrella, so I made a special trip to consult with you.”
Chen Jingxuan looked down indifferently and said, “Oh?
What’s the problem with the Thousand chanism Umbrella?”
“The array patterns on the umbrella ribs are too fragile.
The mont the umbrella is opened, the Magic Artifact will fall apart.”
Qin Baihuang spoke of his dilemma, “If we can’t sort out the array patterns, then the Thousand chanism Umbrella will only be a one-ti Magic Artifact…
And every ti it’s opened, its power is uncontrollable, sotis strong, sotis weak.
I hope the State Preceptor could shed so light on this mystery.”
“If the array patterns are no good, then change to a different one.”
Chen Jingxuan said calmly, “Baihuang, you should be much more skilled at this than I.”
“I have switched to many different array patterns over these ten years.”
Qin Baihuang still smiled, “However, not a single one of the array patterns can support the Thousand chanism Umbrella that I have in mind…”
“This implies that the Thousand chanism Umbrella is rely a concept.”
Chen Jingxuan said, “The nonexistence of array patterns that can support it might an that this umbrella should not exist either.”
“Does the lack of precedent an it will never exist in the future?”
Qin Baihuang said aningfully, propping his chin with his hand.
Then he suddenly recalled an old matter, “State Preceptor, over ten years ago, soone made a suggestion to …
That person’s proposal was rather absurd; he said if the Thousand chanism Umbrella needs a sturdy fra, why not use a sword to replace it?”
“Use a sword…
to replace the umbrella ribs?”
Chen Jingxuan raised an eyebrow.
“Doesn’t it sound foolish?”
Qin Baihuang smiled, “I scoffed at it then, but now, it seems like a good idea…
If we find a fad sword to serve as the fra, the most challenging part of the Thousand chanism Umbrella could be resolved without needing array patterns or wasting ti.
As long as the sword is sturdy enough to withstand the burst when the umbrella is opened, the problem that has plagued
for years could be solved.”
“That is indeed a good idea.”
Chen Jingxuan asked, “Why didn’t you accept it?”
“Because what I was making was an umbrella, not a sword, nor a scabbard.”
Qin Baihuang spoke somberly, “That person was solely interested in tricking
into making a scabbard for him…
If I had taken his advice, I would have fulfilled his wish.”
At this point,
both understood what the other was thinking.
Chen Jingxuan poured himself a cup of tea and spoke softly, “So, what’s wrong with fulfilling that person’s wish?”
“Looking at it now, there’s nothing wrong,”
“But back then I didn’t think so.”
Qin Baihuang cast down his eyes, self-deprecating as he spoke, “Although that guy was odd, he wasn’t bad.
Perhaps I should have made a scabbard for him.
That might have allowed him to survive.”
After a pause,
Qin Baihuang looked up and frankly said, “My visit today is not about seeking shelter from the rain, nor about the Thousand chanism Umbrella.
I’m here for ‘Xie Xuanyi’.”
That na had not appeared in the streets and alleys of the Imperial City for a long ti.
“Xie Xuanyi?”
Chen Jingxuan didn’t look at Qin Baihuang, but continued to quietly turn the pages of his book, “He has been dead for a long ti.”
“Who knows?”
Qin Baihuang’s eyes lit up with a sharp gleam.
He said in a deep voice, “His body wasn’t found in the North Sea, and the Refining Departnt along with the Imperial City have been searching for ten years without even finding his sword!
You also know, that guy was very lucky – when the Northern Hunt was ambushed years ago, we thought he was dead too…
but not only did he survive, he actually lived quite well, and in the end, even brought back a phoenix-blooded Great Demon!”
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