Chapter 70

"Year 136 of the Great Qin Dynasty!"

Shen Changqing's eyes flickered.

He had never heard of the person named Luotan Jushi, but the date on the signature proved that this was an ancient artifact of considerable age.

The current year was 382 of the Great Qin Dynasty.

The difference between the two was over two hundred years of history.

A calligraphy piece that had existed for over two hundred years certainly had considerable value.

Although for most people, an ancient calligraphy piece had no practical use, there were always some who would pursue it.

Of course, all of this was predicated on the fact that this Luotan Jushi had to be a person of some renown.

To be honest, Shen Changqing found the name very unfamiliar.

However, he knew himself well.

Although he could read, he was only at the level of basic literacy and could not be considered a scholar. He had no knowledge of the literary scene in the Great Qin Dynasty.

After looking at the calligraphy piece for a moment, Shen Changqing moved to another painting.

The painting depicted a mountainous landscape, vivid and captivating.

At the bottom, the information caught his attention again.

Year 136 of the Great Qin Dynasty, by Luotan Jushi.

"Year 136 of the Great Qin Dynasty again!" Shen Changqing's eyebrows twitched. Another artifact of considerable age.

Quickly, he examined all the calligraphy and paintings hanging in the hall.

Without exception, the dates on all of them were Year 136 of the Great Qin Dynasty.

If one or two were coincidences, then the entire room of calligraphy and paintings from over a hundred years ago was highly unusual.

Shen Changqing's expression turned serious, and he walked to the table.

There was an unfinished calligraphy piece, the ink still wet, clearly written not long ago.

Next to it was another calligraphy piece, already completed but still slightly damp, so it was placed aside.

His gaze fell directly on the bottom of the calligraphy piece.

Year 136 of the Great Qin Dynasty, by Luotan Jushi.

At that moment, Shen Changqing felt his breathing slow down.

Just then, a calm voice echoed in the quiet hall.

"Brother Shen, what are you looking at?"

The sudden voice made Shen Changqing's body tremble, and goosebumps involuntarily rose on his skin.

However, he did not immediately react. Instead, he suppressed his inner agitation and turned to look at the source of the voice.

He saw Mo Zijin, holding a bowl, standing not far away.

"I was just feeling a bit curious, so I wanted to appreciate Brother Mo's calligraphy."

"Is that so?"

Mo Zijin, not suspecting anything, placed the bowl on an empty corner of the table.

"Brother Shen, do you also have expertise in calligraphy?"

"I am just a martial artist, not very proficient in calligraphy or paintings. I was just a bit curious." Shen Changqing forced a smile and shook his head.

At the same time, a great doubt arose in his heart.

The hall was full of unusual elements, but from the appearance of Mo Zijin, he could not detect any abnormalities.

If it were a demon, it would be impossible for it to be so close without leaking any evil aura.

There were only two possibilities.

First, Mo Zijin was a normal person.

Second, he was indeed a demon, but of a much higher rank than Shen Changqing had imagined.

Only in this way could he stand in front of him without leaking any evil aura.

Comparing the two, Shen Changqing was more willing to believe the former.

After all, he was already a martial artist at the innate external stage. A ghost of the resentment level could not completely hide its evil aura in front of him.

Even a ghost of the malevolent level, Shen Changqing believed, was unlikely.

Moreover, each prefecture had a guardian, and if there were such a powerful demon in the Great Qin territory, the Demon Suppression Bureau would not remain inactive.

After all, the Demon Suppression Bureau was an institution to protect the Great Qin.

If it could not detect a powerful demon, what right did it have to protect the Great Qin?

At that time, the Great Qin might have been conquered by demons.

Shen Changqing did not believe that a demon powerful enough to infiltrate without alarming the Demon Suppression Bureau could exist.

Although he did not believe it, he also became wary of Mo Zijin.

"Brother Shen is joking."

Mo Zijin shook his head and smiled indifferently.

Then he pointed to the bowl on the table and continued.

"My humble abode is simple, and there is nothing to eat now. I cooked something to warm the stomach. I hope Brother Shen will not mind."

"Brother Mo is too kind."

Shen Changqing looked at the black substance in the bowl, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

Even if he had not noticed anything wrong with Mo Zijin, he would not eat something given by a stranger.

The last time, Zhang Long's poisonous pastries only failed because of his robust true qi.

Now, with the yard full of strange elements, drinking the contents of the bowl might lead to his downfall.

Shen Changqing subtly increased the distance between himself and Mo Zijin, returning to his original seat.

"Speaking of which, I am curious, when did Brother Mo start thinking about taking the imperial exams again?"

"Since Brother Shen is curious, I have nothing to hide."

Mo Zijin did not mind Shen Changqing's refusal and returned to his seat.

Looking at the flickering lamp, his eyes seemed to have a hint of reminiscence.

"Brother Shen should know that a few years ago, there was an epidemic in Guangyuan Prefecture, and many people died. Many doctors also died from the epidemic. At that time, I realized that even doctors are not omnipotent.

Studying medicine ultimately has no future, and the hope of bringing glory to the family is a luxury.

So I decided to retake the imperial exams, hoping to achieve a place on the list and be content."

Guangyuan Prefecture, epidemic!

Shen Changqing's brows furrowed.

In his memory, he did not recall any epidemic in Guangyuan Prefecture.

An epidemic that killed millions of people would be a major event.

Even if his previous self was not from Guangyuan Prefecture, he would have heard some rumors.

But searching through his previous memories, there was no mention of any epidemic.

However, looking at Mo Zijin's serious expression, Shen Changqing felt he was not lying.

Wait!

A flash of inspiration struck him, and a buried memory suddenly surfaced.

"Year 132 of the Great Qin Dynasty, a demon wreaked havoc in Guangyuan Prefecture, destroying many cities, causing countless deaths and bodies piled up. This eventually led to an epidemic, displacing millions of people.

According to statistics, at least a million people died from the epidemic!"

This was something Shen Changqing had read unintentionally while in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The first floor of the library had many records about demons and martial arts.

Year 132 of the Great Qin Dynasty!

Epidemic!

Millions of deaths!

Combining this with the information he had just seen, Shen Changqing reached a chilling conclusion.

Looking at Mo Zijin, who appeared to be in his twenties or thirties, his palms involuntarily sweated.

But Shen Changqing maintained a calm expression.

"Brother Mo, I remember the epidemic. So, you escaped from the epidemic and settled here?"

"Yes."

Mo Zijin's face showed a sad expression.

"That epidemic killed everyone in the city. My parents also died from the epidemic. Fortunately, I was lucky and did not get infected, so I came to settle here."

"I see."

Shen Changqing nodded in agreement, but his heart was on high alert.

Looking at the sky, Mo Zijin composed himself and smiled.

"It's late. Since Brother Shen doesn't want to eat, you should rest early."

He stood up.

"There is a room on the right side of the yard. Although it is not usually occupied, I often clean it. Brother Shen can stay there temporarily."

Outside the hall, Mo Zijin pointed to the right.

Shen Changqing followed his direction and saw a short corridor, which appeared darker in the dim light.

Using his night vision, he could see the half-open door.

Mo Zijin said, "I live in the room on the left. If Brother Shen needs anything, you can come find me."

"Thank you."

Shen Changqing bowed.

Mo Zijin smiled, "Brother Shen is too kind."

He returned to the hall, picked up two oil lamps, and handed one to Shen Changqing.

"It's dark, so be careful."

After Shen Changqing took the oil lamp, Mo Zijin went to the left corridor.

He pushed open the door, entered the room, and smiled at Shen Changqing before closing the door.

The dark room was lit by the oil lamp, and the light seeped through the window.

Shen Changqing stood there, looking at the half-open door on the right and the oil lamp in his hand, hesitating.

When he arrived, it was not yet night.

But after the rain and some idle chat, it was already evening.

To stay or not to stay, that was the question.

"Mo Zijin clearly has a problem. If I stay here, who knows what might happen. Since that's the case, I should leave."

Shen Changqing's face was solemn, and he had made his decision.

Staying here was extremely dangerous.

Especially with every corner of the place being strange, even with his high skills, he had no guarantee of handling the situation.

With that thought, Shen Changqing walked towards the yard.

Just then, a calm and somewhat eerie voice came from behind him.

PS: Some people asked about extra updates. Here's the update policy (new alliance member gets one extra update, silver gets five, gold gets thirty). This is temporary to avoid overpromising and underdelivering.