thefictionvixens Chapter 116 The Old Diary
Chapter 116 The Old Diary
Chapter 116 The Old Diary
Back in Tan Zhixin's flower shop, Tang Zijun was momentarily stunned when she saw the woman who got up to greet her.
For some reason, he suddenly felt that the other person's attitude towards him had changed.
How should I put it? It's a very strange feeling.
The change wasn't obvious, but the hostility did dissipate somewhat.
Tang Zijun didn't think too much about it. He simply took two steps forward and placed the broken bull horn on the edge of the table, keeping a distance between them.
Although the bull's horn was broken, it was still quite large, as long as a human forearm and incredibly thick.
Originally, the surface of the bull horn was faintly covered with lava, but after it broke, the power and heat gradually subsided and cooled down. Otherwise, Tang Zijun really wouldn't have dared to put it on the table so casually.
After all, this table is made of wood and looks quite expensive.
"This is..." Tan Zhixin immediately noticed what Tang Zijun was holding, and even she frowned repeatedly at the unsettling aura emanating from it.
Before Tang Zijun could respond, a small, emerald-green snake crawled onto Tan Zhixin's shoulder. Staring at the ox horn on the table, she exclaimed in disbelief, "It's a Qiong Niu's horn! You killed it!?"
"That was the original plan, but unfortunately, that guy got away." Tang Zijun's voice was somewhat helpless.
He paused for a moment, then explained.
"That guy seems to have some kind of ability to open up spatial channels. He's very secretive and moves very quickly. I suspect that's how they retrieved the alien beast eggs."
"Opening up spatial passages doesn't seem to be the ability of heretics." Tan Zhixin frowned slightly.
Tang Zijun nodded. "I don't know much about the Inner World and the Heretical Demons, but these factors are enough to raise some alarm. The alien beast eggs that are not afraid of sunlight are just the beginning. The more abilities they master, the more out of control the situation becomes."
Hearing Tang Zijun's words, Tan Zhixin looked at Tang Zijun with a meaningful gaze.
Tang Zijun was about to continue speaking when she suddenly noticed Tan Zhixin's strange gaze and felt a little awkward.
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, you're right. These are things I've been worried about all along," Tan Zhixin said softly. "Ever since I chose to stand in this position as the liaison for the magical girls, I've been considering these issues."
"The magical girls used to fight their own battles, and although things aren't much better now, at least they can still communicate with each other to some extent. But when I really started to step back and look at the war between the underworld and the real world from a more macro perspective, I realized that the problem was not as simple as we thought."
Tang Zijun remained silent, quietly waiting for the other party to continue.
"Most girls who are found by spirit beasts and awaken as magical girls think of giving everything for justice and world peace, but past experiences have shown that there is a big difference between their thoughts and reality."
"The work of a magical girl is definitely not a process of fighting monsters and leveling up. It is more like a life of fighting against fate. Most of us have to face the threat of countless enemies."
At this point, Tan Zhixin looked up at Tang Zijun.
"Mr. Wolf Rider, do you know how many gaps are created on average each year within the territory of a magical girl? Do you know how many heretical demons in the underworld are eyeing the real world?"
Tang Zijun frowned slightly. He was indeed unaware of this, but he also understood that this was not what Tan Zhixin meant.
After a pause, Tang Zijun spoke up. "It seems that the connections between high-ranking officials in the inner world aren't that close, are they?"
"But this is a war, and we can't always pin our hopes on the enemy's disintegration," Tan Zhixin shook her head and continued.
"Before we established information sharing, many magical girls had their own 'nemesis,' which was the high-ranking officer behind the breach in their territory. They only cared about that, including me back then."
"But the threats go far beyond that. We cannot focus only on our enemies. If those senior officials unite one day—and they certainly will—we must be prepared."
"I did hear Xiaobai say that some large cities or neighboring cities often create multiple gaps, attracting the attention of two or more senior officials, right?" Tang Zijun narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Yes," Tan Zhixin said slowly. "The world is changing, and so are the enemies. Perhaps those high-ranking officials used to fight their own battles, but as the gaps become more interconnected, they will eventually cooperate."
Tang Zijun fell silent. At this moment, he unconsciously recalled the three years he had fought against the greedy ones.
Admittedly, even the internal structure of evil forces is relatively loose, but if external forces continue to influence them, even those with deep-seated hatred for each other will be forced to unite.
For those who are greedy, they are like grasshoppers tied to the same rope.
After encountering their own selves, who are also capable of entering the reversed world, they are left with only two choices: either be killed by themselves, or put aside their prejudices, unite, and then be killed by themselves.
The rules of the inner world are completely different. Those high-ranking members of the heretical demons are less powerful monsters and more like local lords.
They have their own territory and their own subordinates. They may disdain cooperating with each other, but when the day comes that war breaks out, everything will change.
It is undeniable that the magical girls' power has fallen into a disadvantageous position!
"What are you worried about, Mr. Qingnang?"
A cold glint flashed in Tang Zijun's eyes, which were fixed on the woman in front of him like sharp swords.
"Are you resisting the day when magical girls are exposed to the world, or are you fearing the coming of a massive invasion of the real world by a united front of heretics and demons?"
Tan Zhixin remained calm, her slightly moving eyes meeting Tang Zijun's gaze.
"A strange beast that is not afraid of sunlight has appeared. The secret of the magical girl cannot be hidden for long. Whether you resist or are afraid, those are things I cannot change. I just want to know your purpose."
Slightly startled, Tang Zijun tilted her head.
"My purpose?"
"Before you came back, I talked to Qin Nan. It seems that girl trusts you a lot. She even subconsciously hid your real name from me. I don't know what you and she went through, but Qin Nan is not a girl who easily lets her guard down."
"Then will you choose to trust me?" Tang Zijun now understood why Mr. Qingnang's attitude towards her had changed.
Tan Zhixin gazed at Tang Zijun with a calm and composed expression.
She did not answer Tang Zijun's question directly, but instead smiled and said...
"I know you arranged a job for Qin Nan with pretty good pay, and I've also heard you can cook and write online novels. I don't believe a greedy person would go to such lengths for some conspiracy, so I want to know, what is your motive for doing all this?"
The latest novel is first published here!
"Yes, why?" Tang Zijun lowered her head. "I'm also looking for the reason."
He was already capable of protecting himself; even if the world were to end, he could still live a peaceful life with his family in a secluded corner.
But for some reason, after picking up the belt again, he didn't want to stop anymore. Ten years of drinking ice couldn't cool his burning passion. This time, he just wanted to do better.
After a moment of contemplation, Tang Zijun raised her head again.
"Actually, I am a very selfish person. I don't have your determination to sacrifice yourself for the greater good, nor do I have the empathy to connect with the world. From the moment I embarked on this path, all I wanted to do was protect my family, nothing more."
Protect your family?
As if thinking of something, Tan Zhixin's eyes flickered slightly.
Her fists clenched unconsciously. After a moment of silence, she turned away, trying to calm herself down.
Tan Zhixin picked up the diary from the table, took a deep breath, and then turned to walk in front of Tang Zijun.
Looking down at the somewhat worn leather diary, Tang Zijun was puzzled.
"What is this?"
"Didn't you want to know the origin of that humanoid creature's skeleton? The records here should be of some help," Tan Zhixin said calmly.
"You found it?" Tang Zijun was a little surprised. He really didn't expect the other party to act so quickly, and to come up with clues in just one hour.
However, Tan Zhixin slowly shook her head.
"This matter is rather complicated. In fact, if you hadn't produced that skeleton, I wouldn't have been able to confirm that this kind of creature truly existed."
"Don't you magical girls, who are born from natural energy, have any connection with them? If I'm not mistaken, these creatures should also have a kind of natural energy within them." Tang Zijun frowned.
"It's hard to explain." Tan Zhixin tapped her finger lightly on the diary. "Why don't you take a look at the records here first?"
Tang Zijun gave Tan Zhixin a deep look before turning her gaze to the diary in her hand.
The diary is made of leather, with fine wrinkles on the brown surface, indicating that it has been around for some time. The edges of the cover are worn, with clear and deep textures, and the metal clasp has lost its original luster and become rusty.
The binding was a bit loose, and there were some cards and notes tucked inside the diary. They weren't bookmarks, but rather some trimmed documents and newspaper scraps.
Tang Zijun's eyes deepened; he really hadn't expected Tan Zhixin to bring out something like this.
Judging from its appearance alone, this diary is probably older than Tangcao.
Upon opening the worn cover, the first thing that catches the eye is the yellowed paper.
On that page, which exudes a faint, worn-out feel, lines of blue ink penmanship are arranged.
This is a secret hidden for over a hundred years, and also an exploration of a mysterious land.
Before I truly stepped into that magical world, I also doubted whether my persistence would be rewarded.
There exists a special kind of energy in this world, and given the mortal nature of humanity, most people may never be able to fathom its true nature even in their entire lives.
However, if one can broaden their horizons and master certain methods and approaches, then the appearance of all things in this world will undergo earth-shattering changes.
(End of this chapter)