Chapter 22: Heritage
Am I still dreaming?
Feng Yu Lan rubbed his eyes and fixed his gaze on what appeared to be a possessed text. The sentence “I’m not kidding you” was written loud and clear; it was as if these words were responding to Feng Yu Lan’s previous utterance. Feng Yu Lan cocked his head and pondered a bit. Seemingly wanting to verify something, he parted his lips and demanded:
“Who are you?”
The magic tome shifted erratically, and, soon, a new phrase emerged from the paper once again:
【I am you.】
Feng Yu Lan couldn’t fathom this strange sentence, and he wondered, “How can you be me?”
【I am, without a doubt, you. I am your will, your instinct, your blood, your heritage. All that you possess shaped my raison d’être.】
Feng Yu Lan thought that his brain wasn’t intelligent enough. He silently stared at the words on the page for a long time, but he still couldn’t understand the meaning behind this sentence. Thereafter, Feng Yu Lan decided to change the wording of his question and said, “Stop speaking so ambiguously and complexly. I only want to ask, are you my weapon?”
【Yes.】
“So, what can you do? I mean…aren’t weapons supposed to be used to attack others? Like a knife, a gun, and so on? How can a book help me defeat any enemies?” Feng Yu Lan was feeling somewhat reluctant. Compared to this, he actually preferred Luo Jian’s short dagger, which could at least be used at anytime, anywhere, whether it was to chop vegetables or to kill people.
【I can certainly help you defeat any enemy. In fact, I can even create miracles for you.】
“I like the sound of what I’m hearing. So how should I use you?”
【I’m a grimoire. Your words are power. As long as you recite an incantation, you are able to use my powers.】
Oh shit, doesn’t this mean I can become a wizard? Feng Yu Lan’s heart pounded in excitement. In that instant, he fantasized all sorts of great magic powers that would make him peerlessly invincible. Unnaturally eager, Feng Yu Lan stared at the grimoire, and just when he was about to say something, the grimoire converted again; this time, revealing new sentences:
【But you should take careful note; you’re awfully weak, so the amount of spells you can use is limited…or rather, it should be said that the spells you are able to use are extremely scarce and primarily for support. You do not have enough strength, so I can only inform you of the incantations you are capable of using at your present state and also offer you some advice.】
【Apart from that, you must also try to learn magic. This will enhance your strength. And I, of course, will be your mentor.】
“Great, so what you mean to say is that I’m pretty much waste material at the early stages?” Feng Yu Lan rolled his eyes at the magic tome.
【I can’t agree with your statement. Magic is a very powerful force. Even though during the early stages you may be incapable of receiving adequate power to attack your opponents or defend yourself, it still has a lot of convenient uses, such as light spells.】
“Well, I understand!” The disdain in Feng Yu Lan’s eyes was so obvious, as he rolled his eyes even harder. Boiling with fury, he yelled, “You had so many good things to say, but in reality, you just wanted to tell me one, little thing. That you’re just a goddamn support!”
The grimoire was motionless for a long while. After half a day, a sentence finally appeared:
【I can only support you right now; it’s not my fault you’re so damn weak!】
Feng Yu Lan instantly exploded, “Tell me, how am I weak?! I have arms and legs! I’m still much better than a lousy book that can’t even walk!”
【Without me, this lousy book, you’ll immediately go off and die!】
“Keep talking nonsense! Didn’t I escape without you, huh?!”
【You couldn’t do anything but rely on your partner, the only one who had the ability to escape the chamber!】
Feng Yu Lan glanced at this sentence, and he suddenly quieted down. He had to admit it, this rotten book was right. If it weren’t for Luo Jian, Feng Yu Lan would’ve dropped dead within the first hour. The only reason why he was able to live to see the sun today was entirely because he had depended on someone else, because he had a sincere brother who was willing to go through thick and thin for him, to sacrifice his own life to let him survive!
“What can I do to become stronger?” Feng Yu Lan had never really wanted to become strong, but at this moment, his desire suddenly became urgent. He was too impatient to wait. Feng Yu Lan was unwilling to be an inconvenience, he refused to be a burden.
He was well aware of the natural laws of the world. The weak would always be prey to the strong; everything came down to survival of the fittest. Without power, he was nothing. The grimoire gave Feng Yu Lan an answer:
【You are extremely weak when it comes to fighting. With your inferior physique, you simply aren’t suited for combat. Your strength lies in your spirit. Learning magic is somewhat of a mental exercise, and it also fits you best. As your spirit grows stronger, you’ll be able to use more and more spells until, at last, you are able to destroy the heavens and even kill the devil! All of this is just around the corner!】
Feng Yu Lan merely picked at his ears in a bored manner and spat out two words, “Utter rubbish!”
At around dawn, the nurse came to check on the rooms. She changed Feng Yu Lan’s gauze and administered his IV fluids. The grimoire was casually thrown on the bedside cabinet, but nobody paid attention to it. The patient on the neighboring bed was still snoring, dead asleep. Feng Yu Lan touched his belly, he was starting to feel a bit hungry, but just when his stomach started rumbling, Luo Jian strolled right into the ward.
“Brought you some breakfast!” Luo Jian took the light porridge and the massive stack of steamed buns and placed them directly in front of Feng Yu Lan. Ah Lan pitifully looked at the breakfast before his eyes, then he peered up at Luo Jian and said, “I’ve eaten porridge for half a month. Can’t I eat something else?”
“No! You can only eat these right now! Your wound hasn’t healed yet!” Luo Jian uprightly asserted.
And so, with tears of misery streaming down his cheeks, Feng Yu Lan had no choice but to pathetically nibble on his steamed buns. However, halfway through his breakfast, Feng Yu Lan abruptly asked Luo Jian a random question, “Jian, what’s your weapon like? I mean…does it also speak to you?”
“Speak?” Luo Jian was confused. He whipped out his short knife. The speed at which he drew his knife was incredibly swift, evidently proving he was very skilled. Feng Yu Lan only saw a flash, before the knife appeared in Luo Jian’s hand. At this moment, Feng Yu Lan was particularly struck with envy. No questions asked, the way Luo Jian looked with the knife in his hand was so cool, much more appealing than having to hold a crummy book!
“Can weapons also speak? How should I know?” Luo Jian continued on, “But my weapon sometimes controls me, err…well, it technically guides me in battle.”
“The chamber gave me a lousy book that only talks big; it doesn’t stop bragging!” Feng Yu Lan scoffed and showed the book on the cabinet to Luo Jian. Luo Jian reached out and took it, then remarked, “It’s huge and heavy…am I holding brick, or what?”
Feng Yu Lan froze. He was baffled from hearing Luo Jian say such an odd thing; he replied, “Heavy? I held it, but it was as light as a feather.”
“That’s not the same. You’re the owner of this book. Your weapon will automatically adapt to your physique and strength. It’s kind of like my knife. You can take my dagger and brandish it, but it’s undeniably impossible for you to use that kind of skill and force.” Luo Jian explained as he flipped through the pages of the grimoire. He frowned, then wondered, “Is it supposed to be blank?”
“Blank?” Feng Yu Lan was stunned. He snatched the book from Luo Jian’s hand and took a look at it. “No! See, there are so many strange words written down!
Right then, another sentence appeared on the pages of the grimoire:
【The contents are invisible to the people who haven’t inherited magic powers.】
Meanwhile, Luo Jian also responded, “If this book really is your weapon, then whatever’s written down is practically your secret, your possession. It’s completely normal that I can’t see it.”
Luo Jian and Feng Yu Lan eventually finished eating breakfast. Luo Jian then recalled a major concern, and he felt it was necessary to question Feng Yu Lan, so he asked, “Ah Lan, how’d you enter the chamber?”
“How did I enter?” Feng Yu Lan contemplated for a moment, then thought of that printed slip of paper. “Didn’t you invite me?”
Luo Jian furrowed his brows, a dreadful feeling was creeping into his heart. “But I didn’t invite you.”
“Don’t you remember? You placed a note on the table that said you wanted me to join you as your helper or something, and you told me to sign my name on the back, so I signed it.”
Luo Jian had a headache. He rubbed his temples and unenthusiastically replied, “Idiot. If I don’t personally give you something to sign, then don’t just recklessly write you name on it, okay?!”
Feeling wronged, Feng Yu Lan pursed his lips and harshly poked him. “But you were the one to take it out in the first place, so I thought you wanted me to sign it!”
Luo Jian felt helpless; he lightly tapped the top of Ah Lan’s head. Ah Lan, this happy fool, couldn’t care any less about his current predicament. He simply rolled around his hospital bed and said he wanted to go out and play. Luo Jian’s heart was filled with distress. He had always sensed that this strange invitation note was rather problematic. Was someone aiming for Ah Lan? No, perhaps someone was targeting Luo Jian instead?
The note was given to him by the Boss, so he should probably go back to the bar and ask, right? Luo Jian’s thoughts were in turmoil. He looked at Feng Yu Lan and couldn’t help but feel sad. This was all his own fault. Unknowingly, he had implicated Ah Lan. Things from the chambers shouldn’t casually be placed in front of others, but Luo Jian had been careless.
Feng Yu Lan noisily clamored to go out to play, saying that he became moldy ever since he was trapped in this ward. Not to mention, at night, he would constantly relive the frightening experience he had in the chamber. Feng Yu Lan missed the outside world. He wanted to breathe the air of wide, open spaces, and he wanted to see a lot of people; he didn’t want to stay confined in a narrow, enclosed room that was shrouded in darkness!
Luo Jian had no plans for today, so he agreed to all of Feng Yu Lan’s unreasonable demands. However, before he could leave, a group of uninvited guests rushed into the ward. The moment the group of uniformed officers entered the room, they surrounded Feng Yu Lan. Feng Yu Lan’s expression showed all but bewilderment, and Luo Jian was even more puzzled. He instinctively stood alert near the corner, his hand touching the knife at his back.
At the imposing sight before him, the timid Feng Yu Lan drew back in fear and curled up in his hospital bed. Finally, one of the police officers opened his mouth:
“Feng Yu Lan…is that you, sir?”
“Yeah…yeah, that’s me…”
“Someone accused you of murder.”
“What1?!” This sentence frightened the wits out of Feng Yu Lan that he almost jumped up, nearly falling off the hospital bed onto the floor. This must be some kind of joke, Feng Yu Lan was so much of a chicken that he couldn’t slaughter livestock even if his life depended on it, so how could he possibly kill a person?!
“Don’t be nervous.” The officer then added. “There isn’t sufficient evidence to prove it was you, and even the conditions required to arrest you haven’t been met.”
“What on earth happened?”
“A few hours before dawn, a person was killed, and their corpse was abandoned in the wilderness. Based on what we determined, the murderer should be the same person who attacked you, meaning this case involves a serial killer. But the bad news is that the victim was someone our target had attacked before.”
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