Chapter 307: History Museum of Ninglan New City
“Hmm? It’s nothing, Xiao Han. When will I have you to care about me as well?” Bai Yu forced a smile and said to me as if she just came to her senses.
“Why? Can’t Sister Bai let me care about you for once?”
“Of course you can.”
“Then that’s fine.” I replied lightly to Sister Bai, but for some reason, the atmosphere felt a bit heavy.
After exiting the restricted area, there were more people on the streets, which slightly eased the mood at that moment.
There were also many City Guards maintaining order, and of course, there were plenty of onlookers gathered to see what was happening.
“Sister Bai, are you very concerned about what happened earlier?” I broke the silence again and asked.
Sister Bai’s change since earlier was clearly triggered by the Dream Demon’s words, so besides that, I really didn’t know what topic to bring up.
“What happened earlier? What are you talking about? I’m perfectly fine.”
“Unwilling to admit it… and yet you say you’re fine. Clearly, something’s bothering you. Do you think you can fool me?” I ruthlessly exposed Sister Bai’s act of pretending to be ignorant.
“Hahaha… leave a bit of privacy for me, Sister Bai. Some things just take time to accept. However, Xiao Han, you seem to have no surprises at all.” Bai Yu turned to look at Xiao Han, who was holding onto her arm, and spoke.
“That’s true… because I already had such a guess before that hateful Dream Demon mentioned it. Her words merely confirmed my suspicions.”
“So, you had suspected it already…”
“Isn’t it a simple and straightforward idea? Shouldn’t you have thought of it too, Sister Bai? You just don’t want to face this issue.”
“Now that you mention it, it does seem that way. Looking back, it seems many things can be explained. I’m sorry, Xiao Han, for making you worry about me because of this.” Bai Yu seemed to think of something after hearing my words.
“Since you admit it makes me worry, have you figured things out now? If you haven’t figured it out, then worrying about it is pointless.”
I held Sister Bai’s hand, and as we passed a nearby bench, I sat down with a plop, pulling Sister Bai down to sit as well. Maybe this matter really should be discussed properly.
“What was bothering you in that moment, Sister Bai?”
“Concern… it’s not exactly concern… it just felt like something that had been held onto shattered in that instant.” Bai Yu was also organizing her thoughts, trying to express her inner feelings.
But if everything in this world could be clearly described with words, then there wouldn’t be so many misunderstandings and grievances.
“Is that so? This indicates… Sister Bai, your sense of belonging to the world we live in is indeed quite strong.”
“Sense of belonging?”
“Yes, a sense of belonging, a kind of… concept that cannot be described with words. Have you ever thought about why that is? Many things, when dug deep, give rise to doubts. Do you have any sentimental attachments to the world we live in?”
“Sentimental attachments… I don’t know. It seems there isn’t anything… wait, but there’s you, Xiao Han.”
“Sigh~” I intentionally elongated my sound, then leaned closer to Sister Bai, “Am I that important in your heart, Sister Bai?”
“You silly, of course you are.” Bai Yu reached out to pinch my cheek, smiling.
“So, Sister Bai, you still can’t figure out why you have this sense of belonging to the original world?”
“Foolish Xiao Han, if a person has no sense of belonging to the world they live in, how exhausting would that be?”
“Exhausting?”
“Aren’t you exhausted? Xiao Han, I can tell you don’t seem to agree with my viewpoint.”
“Of course… just because it’s always been this way doesn’t mean it should be. Sister Bai, do you think… the sense of belonging is a trap imposed on us by the world? Or is it a limitation of understanding that leads to a self-awareness dilemma?”
“Why are you talking to me about this? Of course I know that just because it’s always been this way doesn’t mean it should be, but your idea of a trap seems too much?”
“Too much? Sister Bai, do you still remember what I told you about the Earth Vein Shackles… and the consciousness of the world? Considering those variables, don’t you think it’s possible to see it as a trap?”
“This…”
“In fact, we don’t need to worry so much about these things. Sense of belonging, outsider invasion, living in the present is the most important. Sister Bai, does knowing these things make you hate the Witch Academy? Would you still want to attend? Do you still wish to become an Extraordinary Witch?”
“I… wouldn’t hate it, nor would I have such thoughts.” Bai Yu shook her head.
“Exactly, we even agreed to become Extraordinary Witches together, explore the Void, and choose a world we like to live in to the fullest…”
“Okay~, Xiao Han, let’s not talk about these things in this situation.”
“Hehe, it’s good that Sister Bai remembers.” Seeing my words had an effect, I stopped bringing it up, after all, I really didn’t know how to comfort her on this matter. It was better to shift attention directly.
Meanwhile, at a certain place in the ruins outside the city.
“What… where is this?” At this moment, Tan Han looked around at the ruins, her gaze flashed with confusion before quickly scanning the surroundings to confirm if there was any danger.
“It really is… the Sleeping Curse… my consciousness is trapped… is this another world?”
Tan Han surveyed her surroundings and found that the people who had come with her had all disappeared.
“It seems we are not in the same place?” With this thought, Tan Han didn’t hesitate anymore and immediately set off. Staying in one place wouldn’t yield any results; only by moving could she find a strand of possibility.
She had come here to lift the so-called Sleeping Curse; she needed to find the source of it and eliminate it!
Then, the so-called curse should be able to be lifted.
Of course, there was an even more important task at hand, which was to find the others who had also fallen into this sleep. She couldn’t just watch others d*e here without doing anything.
At this moment, everything she had to face was unknown, and she had to explore it herself.
“Who? Who’s there?”
“Eh? Is that… Sister Tan Han? It’s me! Minian.”
“Minian? You’re nearby?”
“Is it really you, Sister Tan Han! That’s great; I thought I would have to act alone.” Seeing Tan Han, Minian excitedly rushed to meet her. After arriving in a strange place, having a companion was indeed more important than anything else.
“Minian… it’s great. Since you’re also nearby, maybe the others are as well. Let’s search for the others first.”
“That’s a good idea… should we split up to look? What if we get separated?”
“How about this…” Tan Han felt the Magic Source and Spellbook within her, and everything seemed normal. “I’ll leave a spell mark on you; then I can find you later. Also, be careful, Minian. We are very unfamiliar with this place. If there’s any danger, prioritize your own safety and don’t fight back.”
“Got it, Sister Tan Han.”
Minian looked at the mark Tan Han placed on her and stopped hesitating, beginning to act separately. However, they were still somewhat aware of the situation, not moving too far away. After all, no one knew what kind of dangers they would encounter here.
Inside Ninglan New City.
“Are you Miss Yang Yuelan and Miss Bai Yu?”
“Hmm? Yes, who are you?”
At this moment, I and Sister Bai were looking at the old man who had suddenly appeared before us.
The fact that he could call our names indicated he must have learned about us through some channel, most likely related to the City Lord.
“Oh, I finally found you two. I… can be considered a staff member of the Ninglan Fragrant Hotel. The City Lord specifically instructed me to prepare accommodations for you two. Would you prefer to accompany me to the Ninglan Fragrant Hotel, or should I inform you directly…?”
“Just inform us directly; we don’t plan to head back yet.” I replied, as it was still early.
After knowing our room number, the old man no longer disturbed us and quietly left.
But didn’t the Ninglan Fragrant Hotel get attacked earlier? How could it be fine so soon? Let’s assume that the Dream Demon didn’t destroy the buildings there.
“Hmm… where were we? I’ve forgotten after being interrupted.”
“Since you’ve forgotten, it means that the previous topic wasn’t important, right?”
“That’s true!” I nodded. After all, I was chatting with Sister Bai to ensure she wouldn’t be confused by that damned Dream Demon’s words.
After chatting for a while, I had a rough idea of why Sister Bai was feeling that way. Perhaps the answer to the question was very simple, but I had overcomplicated it.
“So what are we going to do next? We can’t just sit here like this, can we?” I stood up, patted the creases on my clothes, and turned to look at Sister Bai.
“Hmm? Are you asking me what we should do next? You should be asking yourself! I’m just here to accompany you.”
“Well… let’s go find that history museum in Ninglan New City? The City Lord mentioned earlier that he had spoken to the curator, so… let’s see if we can find anything useful there. After all… according to the Dream Demon, this is also a part of our Main World, so maybe we could find something useful, even historical items from a thousand years ago.”
“Going to see history?”
“Yes, don’t you want to go, Sister Bai? Just consider accompanying me.”
“Alright, alright, Xiao Han, don’t make such a spoiled sound!”
“Why? Can’t you stand such a voice?” A slight smile curved at the corners of my mouth.
“It’s not that… mainly it’s just that when you act spoiled like this… it feels a bit… strange…”
“Out of place?”
“It’s cute, I suppose.” Bai Yu smiled and stood up at that moment; she couldn’t resist Xiao Han acting spoiled toward her, liking it without any reason.
After that, we started wandering through the city, casually asking about the direction to the history museum as we headed that way.
“You two… are outsiders, right? The City Lord mentioned the two of you to me…” At this moment, the old man standing before us was the curator of the large history museum behind him. Although this area seemed quite prosperous, there were even fewer people inside the venue than in the open square outside.
When we first arrived, the old man was still sitting on a lounge chair at the entrance, soaking up the sun.
“Is the City Lord this efficient?”
“Naturally, that’s just the City Lord’s style; besides, it’s just a phone call away. To think there are still people interested in the history of Ninglan New City; let me take you to experience it.”
“Wait, is this museum only about the history of Ninglan New City?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s the history of Ninglan New City. Inside, there are photos of past City Lords and their achievements. The one I love most is the legacy left by the first City Lord of Ninglan…”
The curator began to introduce us and led us into the history museum. What greeted us was a massive foyer. The curator knew the museum’s collections like the back of his hand, and even if we didn’t say anything, he talked endlessly for half a day. Perhaps this was his form of romance, or maybe he hadn’t shared these things he valued with anyone for so long.
When we walked in and noticed there weren’t many visitors inside, I realized that the people of Ninglan New City didn’t pay much attention to history. After all, it was merely the history of a city. A thousand years of history condensed into a single history museum, and it was even… somewhat empty. It truly didn’t pique one’s interest.
And here, just as the curator said, it recorded the history of Ninglan New City, while the history before that was completely undocumented. There were no related records, only relevant collections, but these had no significance. Because before the establishment of Ninglan New City, those collectibles could still be found in the ruins after leaving the city. Without accompanying historical interpretations, it was impossible to understand what the world had been like before.
However, according to the Dream Demon, outsiders forcefully occupied the Main World, meaning there must have been a terribly fierce war.
“Thank you, everyone… it seems I haven’t talked about this history with anyone for a long time. Though I know you probably haven’t listened much, right?”
“Well… sorry, I originally thought there was a history here that led to the ruins outside Ninglan New City.”
“Nothing to apologize for. I haven’t had the chance to chat like this for a long time either, but you’re curious about that war from a thousand years ago? I’m sorry, that part of history… has been lost… I only remember what has been passed down through word of mouth. It was a war that affected the entire world; beyond that, I’m not clear. Who the enemies were, who ultimately won, and what the ending was—these cannot be verified…” As he said this, the elderly curator shook his head.
But we knew that the Extraordinary Races had won that war and established a new order in this world.
The people of the Main World had failed, becoming a ranch for the Extraordinary Academies to exploit talents… perhaps it’s harsh to say it that way, but there’s really no need to sugarcoat it. Thinking back, allowing the lifting of reproductive restrictions and encouraging births was probably just a means to produce a large number of talents, right?
I faintly remembered that my adoptive parents were expecting their third child—oh no, it should be the second one. I heard that I might not be the biological one? But I didn’t want to verify that right now.
I didn’t even know if it was a younger brother or sister.
None of this mattered to me anymore.
However, when I reached the depths of the history museum, I saw something that caught my interest. It seemed to be… a fragment?
But I saw runes on it.
“This used to be nothing but an ordinary ruin outside the city, but someone has bestowed it with special value. The first City Lord of Ninglan comprehended the original Extraordinary techniques from it. Using these techniques to wield Extraordinary power, we established Ninglan New City on the ruins. Of course, the construction of Ninglan New City also could not have happened without the Ninglan Guardian Stele.”
“Just from this, he comprehended… Extraordinary techniques?” I was slightly shocked by the curator’s explanation.
The runes on it were only a few basic ones; relying on these inspirations to spend over a thousand years to develop their Extraordinary techniques to such a level… no wonder they didn’t climb the technological tree; they must have taken the wrong development path, right?
Stuck in the field of runes until now?
But I couldn’t help but admire them. This reminded me of the Type III Extraordinary weapon that heavily injured that Dream Demon; it must have been a weapon powered by Extraordinary Energy. Such power was even more terrifying than anti-material weaponry. After all, I’d heard from that Ninglan Qiuyu that this strike could blow apart mutated beasts, while hitting that Dream Demon only created a penetrating hole… one could only say that the physical quality of that Dream Demon was truly terrifying.
And since there was a Type III, perhaps there were Type IVs and Vs, because to defend the city in this ruins, how could they survive without powerful firepower?
