Embers Ad Infinitum

After hearing Jiang Baimian's answer, the middle-aged man with long black hair and a loose black robe found a seat by the bonfire and sat down casually, looking very free and easy.

The woman with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a gray-blue robe, followed suit and sat down without paying much attention. She seemed not to worry about Shang Jianyao and others harboring evil intentions at all.

This confidence and attitude made Jiang Baimian couldn't help but laugh:

"Do we look so harmless?"

Bai Chen, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong had similar thoughts at the same time:

These two people are obviously very confident!

"Didn't we just discover the ruins of a city in the old world? Everyone is busy, how can there be time to kill each other?" The middle-aged man stretched out his hands and warmed himself on the bonfire, "What do you call it?"

Jiang Baimian sat back to his original position and replied calmly:

"Jiang Baimian.

"We come from a certain force and go to the Black Marsh Wilderness to complete certain tasks."

She took the initiative to reveal a little bit of her identity, but she didn't reveal it completely, hoping to make the other party have some scruples, so that everyone could spend the night in peace and go their separate ways.

The reason why she agreed to let the two people come to communicate near the campfire was mainly because Shang Jianyao's awakening ability was limited in scope, so close range was definitely better than long range.

Even if there are awakened people on the opposite side, the key target will definitely be Jiang Baimian, who behaves like a leader. In this way, Shang Jianyao will have a chance - even if the opponent can use something like "Hungry Ghost Path" With range-based capabilities, at this distance, Shang Jianyao, who had already been prepared, had time to complete a counterattack and make a corresponding impact.

"I can see it." The middle-aged man had no doubts about Jiang Baimian's identity revealed on his own initiative. "Whether you look at it from your appearance, body shape, skin, clothing, or weapons, you don't look like wanderers in the wilderness, haha. Only that little girl makes me not sure."

He was referring to Bai Chen who was roasting a rabbit.

Just as Jiang Baimian was about to reply, "We are not young anymore," the middle-aged man continued:

“My name is Du Heng, wood and earth Du, the balance of Heng.

"I am a historical researcher and an antiquities scholar. I am ashamed to say that although I have been a member of the Hunters Guild for more than 20 years, I was always a novice before and was only recently promoted to a full official. Alas, I have not received a few commissions. , it’s more about using their resources and information to complete their own research. No, there was an old world city ruins that had never been explored before, so I came here.”

He kept smiling when he spoke and seemed very kind.

But his answer made Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao and others dare not take it lightly:

An antiquities scholar and historical researcher who seemed to only carry a pistol actually dared to wander alone on the dirt, explore the ruins of the city, and live into middle age - this in itself shows that the other party is definitely not simple.

The blond woman introduced herself:

"My name is Jia Luolan, a Taoist priest."

Although she can speak Gray dialect, some of her pronunciations are still a bit weird, which makes Shang Jianyao and others always feel that the style is not quite right.

Gallolan smiled lightly and continued:

"I came here because there were many people walking this way, so I followed them to take a look."

"It's so casual..." Jiang Baimian commented unceremoniously.

Gallolan responded with an undiminished smile:

"if not?

“Since the destruction of the old world, many people have understood one fact:

"Although we humans claim to be advanced creatures, in the face of the world and destiny, we are like fallen leaves in the strong wind..."

As she spoke, she pointed to the sparse trees in the distance:

“I can only dance with the wind and have no way of deciding where I will land.

"Since you can't resist the arrangement of fate, it's better to give up this idea, follow the wind, change your thinking, see all kinds of scenery on the way, find the existence of Tao, and then use this to distinguish the true from the false, and completely get rid of the shackles , looking forward to eternity.

"As the saying goes, humans follow the earth, the earth follows the sky, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature."

Seeing such a beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes talking freely in front of them, Long Yuehong and others were a little confused.

They could understand every word the other party said, but as a whole, they were quite confused.

In the end, they could only conclude that the other party's behavior was:

Take things as they come.

"I probably understand." Jiang Baimian nodded seriously.

Du Heng glanced at Jialolan thoughtfully, then pointed at the rabbit and said:

"When I came here just now, I saw two hares. This shows that prey is not too scarce here. Why did you only catch one? There are so many people..."

Hearing this question, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong's faces turned red to varying degrees.

Jiang Baimian looked at them from the corner of his eyes, smiled and shook his head:

"God has the virtue of good life."

Du Heng showed an expression of sudden realization:

"Are you members of the Monk Order? Or are you taught by the Crystal Consciousness?"

"No." Jiang Baimian explained casually, "We just met a mechanical monk from the Monk Order. We had some conflicts with him and had a big fight."

Du Heng opened his mouth slightly, thought for a while and said:

"Is that monk wearing a red cassock?"

"Yes." Jiang Baimian didn't hide it.

Du Heng and Jialolan once again looked at the four-person team.

After the former withdrew his gaze, he smiled and said:

"You guys are pretty awesome.

"As far as I know, the probability that the mechanical monks wearing red cassocks in the Monk Order are also awakened ones is not too low."

Gallolan nodded, indicating that he had heard this too.

"He is." Jiang Baimian confirmed the guesses of the two people opposite.

She looked around without letting her eyes rest on anyone, and then asked with a smile:

"Two of you, you seem to have a deep understanding of the Awakened?"

Since Du Heng said, "Wouldn't it be nice to chat?" and Jialolan believed in taking things as they came, she was not polite and began to search for information that was absolutely rare for ordinary people.

If the other party didn't answer, she definitely wouldn't force it. If he did, she would consider splitting the rabbit's legs - anyway, the four of them had never thought about feeding on such a small prey. The highlight was energy bars and compressed biscuits. Really If it doesn't work, add a few more military cans.

Du Heng touched the beard around his mouth:

"Oh, this is my test."

He said this with an obvious smile on his face.

Before the blond female Taoist priest Jia Luolan could speak, Du Heng proudly added:

"However, I have met several awakened people, and they told me that awakened people are also exploring and pursuing a new world in their hearts, just like everyone on the earth is looking for the door to the new world in reality, hoping to No more hunger, no more plagued by disease and aberrations.

"Yes, the monks call it the 'Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss'."

Shang Jianyao listened very carefully and seemed to have some understanding.

At this time, Gallolan interjected with a gentle expression:

"Those mechanical monks wearing red cassocks in the Monk Order have a certain probability of entering the 'Sea of ​​Origin'."

"Yes, yes, 'Sea of ​​Origin'! They mentioned this term." Du Heng said, slapping his thigh.

Jiang Baimian listened quietly and asked thoughtfully:

“If you cross the ‘Sea of ​​Origin’, where will you arrive?”

"I don't know." Gallolan responded calmly.

Du Heng smiled and didn't answer, but he didn't say he didn't know.

Jiang Baimian thought for two seconds and then asked:

“Then where did you enter the ‘Sea of ​​Origin’?”

Gallolan looked at the jumping red bonfire and said:

“Everyone calls it something different.”

At this time, Du Heng interrupted with a smile:

"The more recognized one is: 'Hall of Stars'."

Shang Jianyao's eyes moved slightly, but his expression did not change significantly.

"That's right." Jiang Baimian nodded slightly, "I have never been in contact with a few awakened people, and I don't know much about them."

After saying that, she didn't give Du Heng and Jia Luolan a chance to speak, and turned her head to look at Bai Chen:

"How's the roast going?"

"That's almost it." Bai Chen took back the branch with the rabbit on it.

"We are guests from afar, give some to the two of them." Jiang Baimian ordered.

Bai Chen knew how rare the information he just heard was, so he showed no resistance at all. After letting the roast rabbit cool down for a while, he tore off the two hind legs and handed them to Du Heng and Jialolan respectively.

——After wandering in the dust for so many years, this was the first time she heard terms such as "Sea of ​​Origin" and "Hall of Stars".

Du Heng was not polite, he reached out to take it, grabbed the top of the leg bone, and started eating it while it was hot.

"Not bad, it's roasted just right..." He mumbled a compliment as he ate.

Gallolan was more gentle than him. He pinched the protruding bones that were not too hot and bit off the rabbit meat in small bites.

At the same time, Bai Chen divided the remaining roast rabbit into four parts and put them into the lunch boxes of himself and others.

Shang Jianyao took a bite and felt that the meat was indeed very good, but when he chewed it, it felt more fragrant than the meat dishes in the company.

Long Yuehong was responsible for guarding the surroundings and watched eagerly, unable to enjoy it immediately.

After eating the bit of rabbit meat, Jiang Baimian saw Du Heng sucking his fingers with the lingering taste invisibly, and smiled and said:

"Du, sir, didn't you say that you are a historical researcher and knowledgeable?

"Then what do you know about the newly discovered ruins north of Yuelu Station? Do you know which city in the old world it corresponds to?"

Du Heng took out a crumpled handkerchief, wiped his hands, and said with a smile:

"I don't know, a lot of information about the old world was completely lost when it was destroyed and in the chaotic years, including many high-precision maps.

"But I can be sure that the newly discovered city ruins are definitely abnormal and have great research value."

"Why do you say that?" Jiang Baimian asked on behalf of Bai Chen, Shang Jianyao and others.

Du Heng looked up at the northern sky:

"When the old world was destroyed, many people in the small towns and villages around the city survived, but no one ever mentioned or tried to explore the ruins of the city. Well, it was reported back by the ruin hunters who discovered the ruins. intelligence."

Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen deeply agreed on this point - Tian Erhe from Shuiwei Town was so young back then that he ran back to the city to look for his parents.

"Such details show that the ruins of the city are definitely not simple." Du Heng concluded again.

As soon as he finished speaking, a hoarse and desolate roar suddenly came from the distance in the north:

"Ouch!"

In the silent night, it was like a nightmare was coming.

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