It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Just as Bai Lin was boasting, she noticed something else. The bookshelf behind her was falling towards her. She quickly raised her hand to block it and resisted it.

But naturally all the books slid out.

"*, isn't this much scarier than the previous haunting?"

Bai Lin returned to the bookshelf and looked at the mess of books on the floor. He felt a headache coming over. The poet also came over and said to Bai Lin,

"Don't be so careless, Holy Son. We are still in danger. Not everything has been resolved."

"Hey, listen to me, this wasn't me..."

Just as Bai Lin was about to make some excuses, Ling Qing crouched down. She picked up two books from the scattered books. They were neatly bound and looked relatively new. However, the words on the cover were not very clear. I could only make out a few words:

Clear pond.

"This is...? How did you find out?"

Bai Lin noticed this immediately. It was obvious that this was a book about mermaids. Ling Qing, on the other hand, shook her head.

"I found it right away among the scattered bookshelves. Maybe it was a coincidence. Why would there be books about our tribe here? This is really strange."

Whether it was strange or not, this was an established fact. These two books might be a trap, but you couldn't just sit back and watch. After all, Bai Lin had a strong power to protect her. Rather than safety, she needed to consider the possibility of obtaining information. Almost in an instant, she had decided to read these two books. The poet stood up at the right time.

"Son, go look around in the surrounding bookcases. Report back every once in a while and keep watch on the surroundings. Lingqing and I will stay here and analyze these two books."

"Huh? Is reporting back from a place like this really that useful? It's easy for someone to create an illusion of me."

Bai Lin spread his hands, seemingly not understanding why the poet made such a decision. The poet shook his head.

"Don't worry, I'm very calm. Just do what you're good at, and I'll do what I'm good at."

Bai Lin is certainly not a completely reckless character, but in terms of division of labor, she is naturally more suitable for rough work like finding things. After all, even if Bai Lin's experience gradually increases, can she be more capable than an astrologer who can see the whole life?

Although he was a little worried, Bai Lin did not argue with the poet. He raised his hand and patted the other's shoulder, then quickly went back to work. The poet and Ling Qing read the contents of the book:

The people of Qingtan make their living by the water

Although the people here are mainly traditional settlements, they are not xenophobic. They are much friendlier than some indigenous people who have many traditional customs.

They rely on their unique ethnic characteristics and the unique clear pond to provide recuperation services to outsiders. If you give them the right information, they will arrange treatment according to the customer's situation.

Often, the pure presence of Cheongdam lends itself to a wide range of healing procedures. Even conditions of unknown origin can be alleviated. If a client's condition deteriorates and they are unable to move on their own, they will be temporarily placed in a healing program focused on soaking in Cheongdam, with the people of Cheongdam seeking a solution.

When the situation is more serious and it is impossible to find the right remedy in time, the people of Qingtan will arrange for guests to come to the room.

Was he telling the guests to die? That was impossible.

With this thought in mind, the poet continued to read on.

The so-called "Wang Jian" is a place separated from this world. Here, the outside world cannot interfere, and the outside world cannot interfere with the inside. Because the Wang Jian has a door, it separates this unique space.

The space at the bottom of Cheongdam Lake naturally exudes a pure atmosphere. Perhaps it's its isolation that makes this "no identity" a perfect place for those with severe symptoms.

"...Do you have any impression of this?"

The poet turned his head and asked Ling Qing. Ling Qing shook her head.

"I have no idea. The idea of ​​the Wang Room being reserved for guests is... unheard of. We, the people of Cheongdam, have always considered it a gathering place for filth, suppressing it. Its isolation from the world is precisely for this reason. Built beneath Cheongdam, it's naturally to prevent the filth from leaking out, to completely suppress it. And it seems that the Wang Room is indeed filled with filth."

"However, these last few sentences have indeed always been part of our medical philosophy."

Ling Qing raised her injured right hand, pointed at it, and said to the poet,

"This hand of mine has been infected with something unknown. Poison, curse, filth, these are just names. The key point is that it has indeed caused damage to my body. And if I live normally in the tribe, it will continue to spread and affect others. Obviously, it is extremely harmful."

"But what if our entire clan was transformed into that appearance in the clear pond?"

This was truly a terrifying assumption, but as a poet who had traveled through various races and many worlds, she instantly understood what the other party wanted to express.

Yes, from a normal person's perspective, the fish-people in the water have become irrational monsters. But if that were really the case, what would we think? For a new species that has adapted to the new virus and the new environment, and survived in this way, purification is a bad thing, and the virus is the existing situation.

It's like the abyss, with all sorts of races and all sorts of things in it, but do they think they're dirty and messy? Impossible.

Chapter 973 What is Good

Of course, for the world as a whole, if a certain environment in a place, such as the people of Cheongdam, is completely corrupted and this place is also completely eroded, it is certainly not a good thing for the world, because most people in this world do not hold the value of this being a good thing.

"So, for example, the fact that curses cause harm isn't inherently an objective fact. Rather, it's because curses, as bad things, exist in a world dominated by good that they create conflict."

"And if it's in a place isolated from the world, where nothing exists, then the curse will be absolutely suppressed. Although directing it towards the good of our world still requires other arrangements, it is still a form of isolation."

Ling Qing explained it this way. At this moment, she was like a calm dresser, quietly explaining everything. The poet pointed out the doubts in the other party's words.

"Since you've already said that curses don't objectively harm others, why must they be used for the good of our world?"

"Hmm? Because we are the inhabitants of this world, and since our guests are seeking our help, we naturally don't want to become another race and go to a place we are not familiar with. Instead, we want to live well on this continent, breathing the fresh air."

A subjectively good life is one of the common pursuits of all living beings in this world. If you are willing to give up even this, then there is no point in coming to Cheongdam to see a doctor.

The poet did not express his opinion, but just nodded, and then continued reading the text below.

Within the past, time and space are meaningless. Completely isolated from any other world, a no-man's land, a nameless place, an infinite place. It isolates everything from the world, depriving it of any meaning.

The literal content stops here. The following content seems to have been deliberately altered, or soaked in water, and there are not many words that can be seen clearly in the whole book. However, judging from the packaging, there are not many signs of damage, nor does it look like it has been resealed, which is strange. Of course, the poet does not dwell on this. There are so many strange things in the world. What is important is the information that can be obtained.

"So, it seems that this book talks about the ecology of your Qingtan clan, and it is told from the perspective of an outsider."

Hearing this, Ling Qing shook her head.

"I don't know, this is different from what we know—"

"Perhaps it's not simply cognition, but rather your memory that has been tampered with. What it tells is a history you have forgotten."

The poet interrupted the other party and explained her thoughts to him in a steady tone. However, as soon as she said this, the other party's expression changed significantly. This was obviously because of the poet's own status, which made her words too heavy. She also realized this and coughed lightly, saying,

"Assuming everything is plausible, I think this is the most correct possibility. Based on this reasoning, I'd like to ask, are there any significant events in your tribe's history that could have caused this kind of collective amnesia?"

"...probably not. I wasn't born into the clan for long, and there's no relevant documentation within the clan. Furthermore, we don't often clash with outsiders. If I had to say there was a major change, it would be the incident with the Perfect People."

Ling Qing, with a look of embarrassment on her face, narrated this, and the poet nodded. She closed the book, as if understanding something. Then, she opened another one.

The packaging of this one was more refined, and it seemed to have some dates marked on it, making it look more like a memo. However, the condition of this one was even more unusual than the previous ones, with very few words worth reading.

"Can you see these clearly?"

The poet pointed at the dates and asked Ling Qing. Ling Qing shook her head.

"No, it's completely blurry. Is this a word?"

The poet waved his hand to indicate that everything was fine.

Although Ling Qing could not understand the writing of the other world, judging from its appearance, it was written in corresponding characters, not just blurry words. At this moment, the poet already had the answer in his mind. At this moment, a piece of paper fell out of the second book. The poet picked it up and slowly opened it:

There, a somewhat sloppily sketched drawing appeared. It resembled a building plan, but not a particularly detailed design, more like an imaginary concept. It depicted an incredibly luxurious palace complex, vast in scale, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

The artist seems to have a high level of sketching skills, and it can be seen that he has received appropriate education. This scene is indeed something that even a prominent figure like the poet could not help but sigh.

On the other side of the paper was a similar painting, but the content seemed much more familiar. Before the poet could ask, Ling Qing took the initiative to say,

"Isn't this our Cheongdam capital?"

"It appears to be like this. This is a conceptual design. While it's possible it was drawn after you completed the project to confuse viewers, we can assume that the owner of this note has, or has had, a connection with you."

"……I do not understand."

"It's okay, just leave it to me and the Holy Son. Compared to this, what do you think of the other side?"

Ling Qing took a look, then looked at the poet again. She followed his gaze, took another closer look, and finally said slowly,

"Which aspect?"

"Tell me everything."

"Probably. I'm quite envious."

The poet was slightly surprised when these words came out, but she naturally did not show it through the mask, and only uttered a small exclamation. Ling Qing turned her eyes away, put one hand on her waist, and said,

"To be able to build such a large palace, one must be considered powerful on this continent. We, the people of Qingtan, have always longed for such a thing."

"Really? I didn't quite notice. A sanatorium that welcomes people from all over the world should be impartial, right? I heard that you have always treated all forces equally. If you want to grow stronger, you should be more open to personal relationships, rather than just doing business—"

"Can't we grow stronger just by doing our duty?"

The poet's words made Ling Qing's attitude become a little irritable, and she immediately stopped talking. However, Ling Qing's condition showed no signs of agitation. She just scratched her hair slightly, then sighed.

Chapter 974 What's Strange

"Big powers don't need us to look into their problems, that's basically it. Those at the level of the elves can handle their own problems. And for those at lower levels, offering small favors won't do much good. It's not a question of whether we want to or not, but a matter of priorities. From the very beginning, we lost the opportunity to do so."

Ling Qing looked into the distance, her thoughts drifting away. She seemed to be searching for her own memories.

"When the Perfect People first emerged hundreds of years ago, we lost our chance. As the nominal rulers of this continent, they seemed to have raised a new banner overnight, launching surprise attacks, annexing forces, intimidating all around, and eliminating all those who resisted."

"At first, they taxed us, claiming it was to protect us from foreign enemies. That didn't happen, but it was a possibility, so we started paying tribute. We saved a little, but it didn't affect our overall life much."

"Then they started expropriating our land, claiming it was theirs. We had to hand over the land certificates and pay taxes if we renovated it, even if we were just doing the work ourselves. This added a lot of expenses, and by then, many ethnic groups were already dissatisfied, but they all ended up losing."

Ling Qing paused for a moment and put her hands on the bookshelf. She pressed her fingers hard, as if she wanted to crush the bookshelf, or as if she was crushing something.

"Everything before this was reasonable and well-founded, but after that, they became unbridled and unchecked. They demanded money and people, and made us spend the better part of our lives and savings for ten or twenty years in exchange for some kind of citizenship. The money of lower-class citizens was used by higher-class citizens, and our status on the mainland was also lower, with all kinds of regulations."

"By then, even I realized that although it seemed that the different races were communicating, it wasn't true. The new collective weakened our small unity, and although a new unity was formed, it was nothing more than collective oppression caused by the pursuit of self-interest."

"What happened after that was that things became increasingly blatant. They directly seized people and land, not just annexed them. If they didn't accept the terms, they would send people to attack them in a massive way... It was like we were being beaten."

The poet listened to Ling Qing's somewhat helpless words and nodded to show her understanding. Then, she raised her hand and asked,

"Don't you have a forest? How did they get in?"

Ling Qing laughed bitterly and wiped her face.

"Beware of gentlemen, not villains! They came straight in while burning the forest. Didn't you see the traces? But thanks to the burning as we advanced, it was much easier for us to counterattack."

This was the brightest smile the poet had seen on Lingqing's face since he entered this place. For some reason, tears seemed to well up in her eyes, and the poet, seeing this, couldn't seem to be happy at all.

Pure and youthful, she would not have wrinkles from overwork, gray hair from overthinking, or calluses from hard work. Even at the forefront of the tribe, she had no right to cry in front of others. She quickly wiped the red corners of her eyes, put her hands on her hips, looked up at the sky, then coughed lightly and continued,

"I used to think some people were old-fashioned and afraid to do anything. I thought to myself, if I could achieve anything, I would definitely take back everything we deserve. We want to live a good life and we won't give in to anyone anymore."

"But when I finally found myself in this position, I realized I was wrong. I can't do anything. I can't change the world, influence those who do evil, convince those around me, and I can't even live with my own conscience."

"Sometimes I want to abandon everything and run away. I want to end my own life, but I can't bear to leave them. My family, my people... they can't bear to leave me either. We all have nowhere to go, and we all have no choice."

"If you bend down, you will only bend lower. Every day we try to raise our heads and look at the sun, but we are always stepped back down."

"That's why we want those things. We all want to be rich and powerful. Not for anything else, but just to be able to live together, to have access to legal treatment when we get sick, to not be bullied, and to live a stable life."

After taking a long breath, she bit her lower lip tightly, then loosened her hands and leaned weakly on the bookshelf behind her. She said slowly,

"I don't know what to do anymore. I've discovered that I never know what's right. I just feel that the world shouldn't be like this, and life shouldn't be like this."

"Or maybe I'm just too weird."

"You're not weird."

After a long silence, the poet directly broke the atmosphere. She stood up and walked closer to the other person.

"The world shouldn't be like this. You're right. It seems those rumors aren't all just slander from perfect people. You did reveal your vicious claws to the outside world at one point, in order to protect yourselves."

Ling Qing turned her eyes away again and placed one hand on the other.

"Yes."

"I don't completely deny your actions. Looking at the past from the perspective of the future is often a sign of arrogance. Perhaps that's why we fortune tellers seem so arrogant... But what I want to say is..."

The poet suddenly drew his sword, standing before him. This caused Ling Qing to look back, but she could detect no sign of attack from the other person. She simply held the ritual vessel, wielding her authority, and imbuing this space with her own dignity.

At some point, she had already taken off her mask. In those red eyes, there was a sense of sternness, enough to cover up all the childish sharpness in her body. She declared,

"The pain may last forever, and it won't dissipate completely in a short time. But I can light a bright lamp for you in this foggy night of confusion. With the honor of our clan, I will guide your path forward."

A calm, powerful, and all-knowing feeling emanated from her.

"This is my duty, and it's what I want to accomplish. One day, you will see the sun. As for now—"

“Just do the obvious things.”

"what is that?"

Hearing the poet's words, Ling Qing, who was already immersed in it, asked naturally and confusedly,

Chapter 975 Hello Hello

"Probably, kill all the people."

She raised her sword sideways, with the blade facing outward, then turned it inward and retracted it. Ling Qing immediately came to her senses, shook her head, and said,

"No, no, no, that can't be what's happening right now? We are now——"