Barrier of Light

The plane landed in Rhine City, which is the largest port city in eastern Central Continent and is responsible for the port's cargo, import and export trade.

This time the negotiation was held here.

After landing, Liu Yi left with the caravan. After a simple goodbye, Gu Shen and Lu Nanjin "parted ways". Their final destinations were different... According to the senior sister, she wanted to see the legendary Tower of Source.

She needs to start from the Rhine to the west and pass through several cities before she can reach the "upper city" where the Tower of Source is located.

"Grandmaester Ian lives in seclusion in the small town of Linz in the southern continent of Central Continent."

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

The purpose of this trip to Central Continent is to find the "Grand Bachelor".

The task is important, but time is not urgent.

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

Gu Shen looked at Chu Ling, smiled and spoke.

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

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

The streets here are very spacious. Standing on the street, you can feel the warm and humid sea breeze and hear the melodious sound of horse hooves... This is a progressive city with a developed economy. It has already been highly integrated with the [deep sea], but People still retain some old customs and habits.

Many nobles in Central Continent like "horse racing", and each city will also be equipped with its own guard team, which usually rides horses to patrol.

certainly.

There should also be "horse creatures" who have awakened to the extraordinary.

"What do you mean...slower?"

Chu Ling was stunned.

…

…

"Da da da."

The horses stepped on the ground, making a clear and melodious sound of marching on the bluestone street.

The whistle blows.

The two voices were mixed together, creating a sense of time and space confusion.

Chu Ling, who was sitting in the carriage, still wore the white cat mask. She suppressed her curiosity and did not lift the curtain to look at the scene outside the window.

"How does it feel?"

Gu Shen smiled and said, "Does it have a retro feel from the last century?"

"It feels... not bad." There was a hint of smile on Chu Ling's face under the mask. She thought about it carefully and said with a smile: "So people in the past used to travel like this?"

She knew, of course, that people in the old days went out on horses.

But she didn't know what it felt like.

"Yes, will it be a bit confusing?"

It was also the first time for Gu Shen to ride in a carriage. He smiled and said, "Do you need me to ask the master in front to slow down?"

"Need not."

Chu Ling smiled.

First time in the world.

She wanted to feel everything, experience everything.

Taking a horse-drawn carriage is indeed a very slow and bumpy mode of transportation... Reason told Chu Ling that this was an inconvenient means of transportation that was eliminated a century ago.

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

Maybe it's because of the man beside me.

As long as she is with Gu Shen, even if she encounters some twists and turns, she feels that this kind of journey is very happy.

Hire someone to drive a carriage from the Rhine City to the small town of Linz. Along the way, you need to pass through an ancient forest with a long history. There are towering ancient trees that have survived for hundreds of years, monkeys chasing and playing, and all kinds of insects, birds and beasts...

After disconnecting from the [deep sea], you will become aware of the unknown beauty of this world.

Finally, in the evening, the carriage stopped.

The red leaves were swaying, and the outline of "Linz" could be seen clearly in front of them. It was indeed a small city, incomparable to the Rhine... where the bachelor lived in seclusion.

Gu Shen paid the commission and took Chu Ling downstairs.

"Holy Cross College has a great influence in Central Continent. The descendants of celebrities from all over the world want to enter this college for further study." Chu Ling and Gu Shen entered the small town, looked at the dilapidated door plaques on the street twice, and asked subconsciously in confusion. : "After Ian retired from Holy Cross College... he should have accumulated a lot of wealth. How could he come to such a small town?"

At first glance, this small town looks a bit like Gu Shen's hometown, a backwater in the remote suburbs of Qinghe District.

However, Zhongzhou has a small population, and most residents in small cities can basically own a single-family house of their own... This is something that Qinghe cannot compare with.

Although Chu Ling came into the world, some things still retained the thinking habits of [source code].

She will make some rational and objective comparisons of materials.

Having wealth and choosing to enjoy it are often equated.

"Perhaps this is the 'rest of life' chosen by that great bachelor?"

Gu Shen smiled and said: "Some people are willing to enjoy the support of thousands of people on high-rise buildings, while others are willing to hide quietly in the streets and alleys... But no matter which choice, the final outcome is the same."

"The final outcome is the same..."

Chu Ling was stunned.

"In the end, they all return to dust."

Gu Shen stopped.

In front of him was a small courtyard. The walls were old but not dusty... The railings outside the courtyard were covered with ivy and were not messy. They were obviously cleaned frequently. At this moment, in the vestibule, there was a squatting figure. Figure sorting weeds.

The figure was dealing with weeds and debris in the front garden garden and vegetable patch, a menial task that took time and patience.

He has both.

So I just bent over and squatted silently.

Gu Shen and Chu Ling also have these two things.

The two of them didn't ring the doorbell, and just stood in front of the door of the dilapidated courtyard, looking at the man in the courtyard pulling weeds and rustling through the iron fence and ivy.

After a while, the people in the small yard stopped weeding.

"You're looking for someone?"

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

His voice didn't sound old.

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

Therefore, under the cover of layers of weeds and fallen vines, he could not clearly see the true face of the weed puller in the courtyard.

However, it is rumored that Grand Maester Ian is over one hundred and twenty years old.

So... this man who is cleaning the courtyard should be Ian's disciple?

"Yes."

Gu Shen smiled and got straight to the point: "We want to see Grand Bachelor Ian."

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

Gu Shen was not angry, but still smiled and asked, "Why?"

"the reason is simple."

The people squatting in the courtyard seemed to be bored. They gave up the weeding tools and squatted down to grab the last handful of weeds: "First, Ian doesn't see strangers. Second, Ian I don’t know you.”

The combination of these two conditions is the answer.

"Your Excellency is..."

Gu Shen carefully released a ray of energy, and he saw clearly the appearance of the man in front of him.

Indeed, he is not an old man.

A thirty-year-old young man.

"You can call me Hooper."

The young man finally pulled out the bunch of weeds. He let out a long sigh of contentment, then stood up and came to the courtyard door. He was quite tall, with blond hair and handsome features, but his eyes looked a bit gloomy.

"I am the disciple that the teacher has just accepted."

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

"Mr. Hooper, please take this letter to Grand Maester Ian... just say that you are meeting an 'old friend'."

Gu Shen had already prepared.

He had expected this before he came to visit.

Archmaester Ian is very old, one hundred and twenty years old, and he lives alone in a remote place. He may not be able to take care of himself... If he wants to meet, he still needs to be fully prepared.

In that letter, he briefly introduced himself and attached some evidence that he was the [Key].

In addition, there is also a partial list of the Ancient Chinese Society in Central Continent.

"...an old friend?"

Hooper did not reach out to take the letter.

He looked at Gu Shen and the masked young woman next to him with suspicion.

The age of these two people seems to be in their early twenties...

As we all know, Academician Ian lives alone in a secluded courtyard all year round. When did he have such a young "old friend"?

"Please take the letter."

Gu Shen smiled: "If Mr. Ian refuses... just come back and let us know."

Hooper frowned and stared for another moment.

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

Soon, Hooper ran out at a trot. A clean smile appeared on his face, and the original gloomy and vicissitudes of life had completely dissipated.

"Mr. Xiao Gu, Miss Chu, I've been waiting for a long time."

"Thank you."

Gu Shen looked at this man who changed his face very quickly and couldn't help but smile and asked: "Is your Excellency usually like this?"

"You two don't know something."

Hooper explained helplessly: "Because 'Ian''s name is too loud, even if I hide in a small town like Linz, there are still many people coming to see me... and blocking those visitors is my usual job."

I see.

Middle-earth is a land of learning. If every young man comes to this courtyard to seek an audience, then Grand Maester Ian will not have to rest... I am afraid that he will not live to be one hundred and twenty years old.

"But... I didn't expect that the two of you, so young, are actually 'old friends' with the teacher."

Hooper smiled and said: "For at least a year, the teacher has not met with outsiders."

"On weekdays, Mr. Ian is in this courtyard?"

Gu Shen followed Hooper and looked at the surrounding environment: the attic was very old, the wooden door creaked, and the light inside was also dim.

As soon as he walked in, he understood.

In front of the extinguished fireplace in the attic, a short figure who was extremely old was curled up. It was no longer winter, and the old man in the wheelchair was still wrapped in a big thick cloak.

Ian's sitting posture is actually very peaceful, but the years have stretched his skin, making him look like he has "shrunk".

One hundred and twelve years old.

It is very difficult for this old man to travel far and wide frequently.

"As you can see..."

Hooper said softly: "The teacher will stay in the yard most of the time. His body is not suitable for traveling now."

Gu Shen and Chu Ling saluted the old man in the wheelchair.

The latter opened his eyes hard and looked directly at the two "strange" young people with cloudy eyes. His lips kept trembling and he looked very excited. Maybe it was because he was too old and his body was no longer able to make drastic actions. reaction……

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

Intuition tells me that in the eyes of "Ian Leonard", in addition to excitement, there seems to be a touch of sadness...

Unfortunately.

Excitement, excitement, or sadness are all broken dust in the face of time.

The old man was run over by time.

Nowadays, it is very difficult to say a sentence...or even a word.

"Oh...I almost forgot."

Hooper quickly took out a set of spiritual link equipment from the wooden cabinet next to the fireplace. He put the earphones on the old man's head and attached the spiritual conversion patch to his chest.

This is a product developed by Huazhi.

It can help the elderly to communicate normally with the outside world... all it takes is a little bit of mental power.

Not only extraordinary people have spiritual power.

In a sense, as long as you can "think", you have spiritual power, but the difference is more and less.

Therefore, this set of equipment can be used freely even by normal people who have not started extraordinary cultivation.

After wearing the device.

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

Ian was sitting in a wheelchair, the blush on his face still lingering, and there was still a hint of excitement.

His voice echoed in the small attic.

"key……"

"You finally came……"

Gu Shen was a little nervous and subconsciously looked at Hooper.

After sending the letter, this should be a private meeting belonging to the "Ancient Literature Society".

But Grand Maester Ian read out his identity directly in front of Hooper. Doesn't this seem inappropriate?

"It doesn't matter."

Ian said in a hoarse voice: "Hooper is a trustworthy person."

As soon as these words came out, Gu Shen felt much relieved.

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

"Mr. Xiao Gu, one of our own."

He smiled and said: "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 gift.

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

"..."

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

Hooper understood. He pushed the wheelchair to reveal the complete fireplace, and then clicked a certain dark brick on the floor. The floor of the attic made a crisp sound, and the entrance to the cellar was revealed.

Gu Shen looked directly into the cellar with a somewhat moved expression.

His mental power couldn't penetrate deep enough!

"Here...are some of the important ancient texts left behind by Alan Turing."

Hooper spoke for the teacher and said: "Since the [Key] has appeared, these ancient texts should be kept and collected by the [Key]... the contents in the cellar can be accessed, browsed and comprehended by Mr. Gu at any time. "

"My visit today is not just for this matter."

Gu Shen looked away from the cellar.

He said seriously: "Mr. Ian... I want to reconnect with the Ancient Literature Society. I need someone to serve as the 'connection 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 open and dust was flying.

The entire attic is filled with the smoke and dust of time.

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

Hooper was in a hurry and quickly reconfigured the spiritual link equipment.

"Feel sorry……"

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

Ian's laughter sounded almost self-deprecating: "You came too late, I don't have time anymore..."

Seven points means indifference and indifference to life.

Yes.

He didn't lie.

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

The two have the same mind... The results of the divination are also very clear.

This guy in the wheelchair is doomed.

"But...I have two recommended candidates."

Ian's voice was hoarse and he said: "They are more suitable to be the so-called 'hub' than me."